> Tales from a Fallen Land
>  by raven618
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Lilac Magician
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun's light filtered in through the window, rousing me from my sleep. Stretching my arms, I rose from my bed. One glace at my calendar confirmed that today was the day.

My name is Twilight Sparkle, I live in Canterlot with my parents and my brothers, and as of 4 o'clock this morning, I'm 14 years old.

There's a knock at my bedroom door, "Hey Sis! You up yet?" My little brother, Spike, enters the room.

Spike is 10, however he's very short for his age. He never seems to comb his green hair which makes it stand up on his head. At the moment he's wearing a pale green t-shirt with horizontal stripes. While his pants and jacket are purple with a sharp green diamond pattern on them.

"Yeah Spike, I'm up."

"Good, cause Dad wants to spend some time with you before the letter arrives." with that he left.

That's my brother, straight to the point and blunt as a rock. Annoying brothers aside, today may be the biggest day of my life. When a citizen of Canterlot turns 14, they receive an invitation to the royal palace. There the Queen examines them and determains what their Task, or job for the city, will be. I expecting to be made a teacher or maybe a librarian, but personally, I hope I become a mage. I have a pretty good grasp on the few spells my mom has taught me.

I get dressed for the day, nothing to fancy: a violet colored vest, white dress shirt, and a purple skirt. I don't want to look under-dressed for Her Highness, but I still want to enjoy my birthday. I head downstairs, my dad is at the stove making breakfast, Spike is sitting at the table, reading a comic.

My dad turns to me, "There she is, the lady of the hour. Breakfast will be ready soon, grab a plate and take a seat."

"Where's mom and Shining?" I ask.

"Working," mutters Spike. Like I said, blunt as a rock.

"Don't worry," says my dad, with an apologetic tone to his voice, "They'll be home tonight. Now, eat up, I made your favorite, strawberry waffles."

I smile, normally I would be making breakfast myself, or Mom would have left something out for me and Spike, but my dad had the night off last night. You see, my dad's Task is to light all the street lamps at night in this part of Cantorlot, so he has a tendency to sleep in. My mom on the other hand, she runs her own clothing store; she makes and sells everything herself. It's pretty amazing, and I guess I idolize her a bit.

"Do you think the Queen might give me a task like yours or Mom's?" It's never been clear to me why people are assigned the tasks they are. Some people get tasks that they love, others that they aren't very good at.

My dad smiles that kindly smile that only a parent can make, "Maybe, but no matter what task you get, I'm sure, you will be the best at it."

* * * * *

Breakfast went pretty smoothly; Dad would tell a few jokes, I'd laugh, Spike would grunt. I was just about to take my dishes to the sink when...

*Knock Knock"

My dad opens the door, "Yes?" he asks.

Outside is a man wearing the gold armor of the Royal Guard, "Is this the residence of one, 'Twilight Sparkle'?"

My dad glanced in my direction with his playful smile, "Why yes, it is." The guard gave my father an ivory letter before leaving. "Now I wonder what this could be?" he asked sarcastically.

I took the letter from him, sure enough, it was addressed to me and the wax had the royal seal, a horseshoe in the shape of a letter C, on it. My excitement was reaching a boiling point by now, I started reading...



Miss Twilight Sparkle, Daughter of Night Light and Twilight Velvet

The record shows that as of today, you have reached 14 years of age. And, as is Canterlot custom, you are hereby summond to appear before Her Majesty, The Queen, and to be assigned to your Task.

You are not required to appear as soon as you receive this summons, however you are required to appear before noon today. Present this letter to the guard at the gate, and you will be permitted to enter Canterlot Castle.

Signed: Royal Summons
The queen's royal messenger.



And my excitement boils over. I'm literally bouncing off the walls right now, and the only thing I can say is, "Yes. YesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesYes!"

"Woah!" says my dad, tackling me, "Slow down, let me see it." He takes the letter out of my hands, scans it for a few moments. "Yup, everything looks right." he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, "It's only Eight O'Nine, you want to go right now, or enjoy your birthday for a bit?"

"I'll leave now, no point in having the pressure of this weigh me down all day."

My dad shrugged, "If that's what you want. Best of luck!" I smiled and said goodbye before racing out the door, only pausing long enough to grab my book bag.

The city of Cantorlot; capital of the nation and one of the oldest and largest cities in the world. The white cobblestone streets, cleaned frequently, sparkled in the morning sunlight. Despite being relatively early in the day, I could see people going about their jobs.

"Morning Twilight!" a voice called out. It came from one of my neighbors, a large man with brown shaggy hair.

"Morning Joe! Hey, have you seen any..."

Doughnut Joe snapped his fingers, "Yes I did. Minuet said to meet them at Clover Park."

"Thanks." I said before jogging off in the direction of the park. Now I know I told my dad I was going to the castle and meet with the queen, but that's not to say I didn't have something already planned for the day.

I entered the park through the main entrance, taking in it's beauty. The grass a rich green with a cobblestone path leading through to  the other end of the park. The white walls surrounding the area, still slightly damp with morning dew. The various species of trees dappling the light and creating a slightly eerie atmosphere. A ways down the path, I saw what I was looking for; a round picnic table with four benches, sitting under a large tree, and five girls hanging around it.

One of the girls came up and hugged me. "Happy Birthday Twilight," she said. She is about a head shorter then I am, her hair dark blue and indigo. She's wearing a pair of denim shorts with a light blue tank-top with picture of a toothbrush on it.

"Thanks Minuet." I said returning the hug. Minuet is probably the only girl I know who has actually flooded their house when their parents were out. Despite the trouble her antics often get her into, she's always kept a warm smile on her face.

We broke the hug and approached the rest of the group. Two of the girls, Moondancer and Twinkle Shine, were seated on the benches, with an open box of donuts sitting on the table. Moondancer has straight red hair that hung past her shoulders, with a purple and lilac stripe running the length of her hair. She has on a pair of glasses, and a pale yellow, loose fitting shirt, her cotton skirt is the same color as her hair. Twinkle Shine's hair is a bright pink which curls slightly at he ends. She is wearing a white tank top, with a fusha short-sleaved jacket over it, a simple pair of blue jeans completes her wardrobe.

"Did you get it?" asked Moondancer.

I held up the letter I'd received, "Right here."

Moondancer and I are a lot alike, we're both curious about the world around us and how it works. But while I'd rather figure it out through researching through a library, Moony prefers to learn through a test tube and beaker. And before you ask, yes, she is an incredible dancer, even if she'll never admit it.

Twinkle Shine is the oldest in our little group. She tries to keep us out of trouble, but even she has her limits. Whenever the rest of us get ourselves into a, situation, she's usually the one who has to explain and apologize for it. Despite the pain we put her through, she still hangs out with us and we love her just the same.

Suddenly a thought occurs to me, "Aren't you suppose to be at work right now?"

Twinkle smiles, "Twily, I work a night shift. By all rights I should be asleep right now."

"And I've got the day off," said a voice from above. A girl drops out of the tree and grabs a doughnut from the box. Her hair is mint green with white streaks on the left side. Her shirt is plaid green with the sleeves and midriff cut off. She's also wearing a pair of athletic shorts, sandles, and black gloves with the fingers cut off.

Lyra Heartstrings, the only other member of our group to have been assigned a task, has an old Coltic accent. She's a bit of a tom-boy, often expressing a dislike of dresses and table manners.

Lyra finishes her doughnut in a matter of seconds, "So, since we've got the whole day to ourselves, how 'da you plan on enjoyin' it?"

I grabbed a doughnut myself, "Well we don't have all day. I still have to meet with the queen, and my family has a little celebration in mind. But that still leaves us with a few hours to kill."

A sixth girl gets up from where she was sitting under the tree, "Then lets start making plans to murder this day." Five pairs of eyes turn toward her, "Yeah, can I take that joke back?" That's Lemon Heart, the youngest member of our group. Lemon has electric blue hair, no joke telling abilities, and a smile so cute it puts puppies to shame. Lemon's wearing a bright yellow sun dress, with three scarves wrapped around her waist, two indigo and one a off shade of green, and as always, she was bare foot.

These five are my best friends, the six of us have been together since we were eight. In fact, we've even earned ourselves a nickname among the other students: The Unicorn Six. Yes, there is a story behind that name, and no, I'm not going to tell you what it is. Basically, I'd follow these girls to the edge of the world, and they'd follow me.

"Well Sparkles," said Lyra, "It's your birthday, you get to choose where we spend it."

I smile sheepishly "I had made a checklist of things to do today, but unfortunately I've, misplaced it." I heard a sound that sounded suspiciously like two people bumping their fists together. "So, maybe we could go... swimming in the river?"

The girls looked among themselves before nodding. "Sounds good." Moondancer looks at her watch, "How about we head home and change into our swimwear, and you can go see the queen and get your Task?" That plan sounded good to me, so I told them I'd see them in about an hour.

* * * * *

Canterlot castle is the cities most iconic feature. Reaching high into the sky, it's tallest tower could be seen from anywhere in the city. It's marble walls always gleaming, the spires shining like gold; it truly is an awesome sight.

And here I stand before it's iron gates, waiting to be admitted to what may be the greatest moment of my life. I wondered, "Am I ready for this?" I didn't have time to figure out, because one of the royal guards cam up too me, "Do you have an appointment?" he asked. I fished around in my pocket and pulled out the letter I received this morning. The golden clad figure examined it for a few moments, but it felt like eternity. Finally he said, "Everything seems to be in order. If you will come with me Miss Sparkle."

I followed the guard inside the castle, trying not to fall behind while taking in everything. The main entrance hall was a large circular room, with a arch-shaped hallway leading off to the left and right. At the far end of the room was a large staircase, which split off, again, to the left and right; my escort lead me up the flight of stairs to the right.

As we made our way through the castle, I began to notice some things. Firstly the guards seemed to be on constant patrol. Each wore the same gold shingle plated suit with a blue horse mane plume on top of the helmate. However the part that bothers me are the other guards, the Equestrian guards. The Royal guards are suppose to protect Canterlot, the castle, and the people inside both. The Equestrian guard are suppose to hunt down, capture, and deal with trouble makers; my friends and i have gotten in trouble with them more than once. They wear smooth black armor, and have been said to posses large amounts of magic. Do I believe it? Yes I do. I've already seen an unusually large number of them in the hallways, mostly looking at me.

Still, the large number of guards couldn't take away from the beauty of the castle. In each hallway were pieces of artwork: tapestries, ceramic jars, and paintings seemed to line each wall. I saw a few being cleaned by maids in black outfits with white aprons. They seemed friendly enough, waving as we walked by, though they never said a word.

Eventually we arrived at the entrance to the throne room. "Wait out here." said the guard before entering the room. He was only gone a few seconds before reemerging, "The queen will see you now." I breathed deeply, than entered. Like the entrance hall, the throne room was large and mostly empty. The room was illuminated by sunlight seeping in through stained glass windows on either side of the room. A long red carpet lead from the doors behind me to the throne.

There on the throne sat our queen. Her golden robes shined like dew covered spiders webs. She rose from her seat, her turquoise hair reaching almost to the end of her torso. She looked at me with her turquoise eyes, "Twilight Sparkle, I presume."

I bowed, "Correct, Queen Chrysalis."
> Forgotten Thief
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Queen Chrysalis, ruler of all of Equestria; confidentially, not as regal as I imagined her to be.

"You may step forward." I did. I couldn't help but notice an unusual tapestry hanging on the wall behind the throne. It depicted a man in black armor fighting a figure in a white robe, each was riding a horse the same color as their armor, above them, the sun was covered by a black circle.

The queen followed my gaze, "My father," she explained, "This tapestry is of one of his first battles as king." She turned back towards me, "Now, you're here so you can be assigned to your Task." I nodded, "Then let's begin."

A girl wearing a grey and blue dress appeared from behind the throne, she's carrying a tray with what I think is a sheet of paper. "I've spoken with your teachers at the school," What? No one ever said she'd talk to my teachers; it's not like I have bad grades, but a little warning would be nice. "They speak very highly of you; good grades, and a... strong desire for learning." Weird, she sounds the same way Twinkle Shine does whenever she talks about oatmeal. "Tell me Miss Twilight, what do you know about Equestrian history?"

... Okay, not the question I was expecting. "Um, not a lot. I know your father came to power about a hundred years ago, which began the Golden Age of Equestria, which you've done a marvelous job of continuing your Highness." The queen seems quite interested in what I'm saying. "I haven't found much, well really any material on Equestria before that, outside of a few myths and legends. I'd love to learn if that's what you're asking, your Highness."

The queen's keeping a straight face, maybe that's not what she wanted to hear. "Are you any good at magic?"

"Yes!" I blurted out without thinking, "I mean, I have some knowledge of the casting of spells. I'd be willing to demonstrate for you, your Highness."

"No, that will be alright," She's looking at the sheet of paper. I'm so nervous right now, I hope I answered her questions right. What's on the sheet of paper, my record? Oh no, does she know about the lavender incident?

"Twilight Sparkle! From this point onward, you shall serve the city of Canterlot, as... a Queen's handmaiden."

I feel my heart drop, a handmaiden? I go back over everything I just said, trying to see if I said anything to make her think I wanted this role, but nothing comes to mind. Maybe she just wanted to get to know me better, and the questions weren't an interview. I look at the Queen, her eyes glowing as they look back into mine... Wait.

Wait! Why am I so upset about this? I'm going to be a handmaiden to Queen Chrysalis herself. That's a really big honor.

"Thank you, your Highness. Do you wish me to start immediately?"

"No, you may return home for now. We will let you know when you are to begin your task." Good, that will give me a chance let my family and the girls know about my task. "Guard, show Miss Sparkle out please." The guard steps forward and bows, I remember to bow as well.

We're almost out the door when, "Wait!" we stopped and turned around. Chrysalis had been joined by one of the Equestrian guard, who was holding a brown satchel.

"Miss Sparkle, there is one assignment you could do now, I assure you it's very simple. You see, I'm constantly receiving letters from nobles who want a change to the city, they have become so persistent that they've started sending the exact same letter multiple times."

"You want me to dispose of the repeat letters."

"Anywhere will do. You are dismissed."

The guard gave me the satchel. As he did, I got a look at his face. His eyes were a cold blue, and his skin seemed to waiver, like a tree's branches on a day with only a little wind. I felt a shiver run down my spine, these guys just seem to get creepier and creepier.

We bowed to the queen once more before exiting the throne room. I can hardly believe what just happened, I was chosen to serve Queen Chrysalis herself. After the Lavender incident, we were all worried we would all be given Tasks that wouldn't amount to much. But with the Tasks me and Lyra got, I think the crown is willing to forgive and forget.

We had traveled a good way through the castle when something unexpected happened. We're about to pass by what I think are the kitchens, when I hear what sounds like a struggle coming from around the corner.

Suddenly, a girl comes running around the corner. She looks to be a little older than me, and she's wearing a yellow dress. Behind her comes several palace guards, armed with spears.

The guard escorting me pushes me behind him as he lunges at the girl. Suddenly he stops moving, and is thrown into the oncoming guards. The girl turns to face them and I notice she has on a backpack that seems to be filled with food.

"Better luck next time!" the girl calls out. Suddenly under my feet is a teal colored circle with a strange symbol in it. It extends to about a meter in diameter, with the girl standing in the center.

It feels like I'm falling, but I know that's impossible, cause I can still see the girl standing in front of me and the guards- What happened to the guards? And for that matter, what happened to the hallway?

The girl turns her head slightly, like she heard something. Then she turns around and looks at me. For a moment she just stares at me blankly. I can't quite read the expression on her face, but if I had to guess I'd say probably surpr-"AHHHH!!" Yup, definitely surprise. "Woah! Knife! Knife pointed at my throat."

"How did you get here?" I'd like an answer to that question as well, but with the knife to my throat I'm to scared to ask or answer. The girl seems to realize this and backs off a little, she's still pointing the knife at me but at least it isn't cutting off my circulation. ...Wow, Lemon doesn't make puns that bad.

"I'll ask you again, 'How did you get here'?"

I can only answer truthfully, "I don't know, one moment I'm leaving the castle and the next moment you're attacking the guards, then there was this light and-"

The  girl held up her hand, "You got caught in my teleport circle."

"Teleport circle!?" I'd heard of teleportation magic, but it was supposed to be very complex. If this girl could work a spell like that then she must be a high level magician. Wait, why is she holding her hand up to my face? "Ah!" Bright! Very bright flash of light in my face! Once I clear the spots out of my eyes I can see that the girl has finally stopped holding me at knife point, and has moved further into the room.

Now that I have a look around, It seems more like a large storage closet than a room. The walls are grey and dusty, the floor is just stone brick, there's only one window and that's just a small rectangular cut into the far wall. What surprises me is that there's no door, just an arch in the wall behind me filled with a different type of brick from the rest of the building.

"They walled off this room a long time ago, figured they didn't need it. Makes a great hiding place, if you can get in." The girl says when she notices me looking at the arch.

That explains why it looks like no ones been in here for a while. The room's not completely bare, there's a chair in one corner and a cot on the floor. I'm guessing the girl stole those.

Speaking of, "Who are you? Why are you stealing from the Queen?"

The girl took the sack off her shoulder. It's contents, mostly food, spill out onto the floor. "I won't bother you with details, but my name is Sunset. As for why, a girl needs to eat doesn't she?" she picks up a slightly squashed roll and offers it to me. "Hungry?" I shake my head, I'll probably be in enough trouble just for associating with her.

Now that the excitement has die down I've finally got a good look at this girl, Sunset. Her hair is red and yellow, making it look like it's on fire. She's wearing a yellowish gold dress with a gold colored sash over it. Despite the elegance of her attire, it looks like she hasn't washed in days, her dress is stained and torn (and I think maybe burned?), and her hair is unkempt and greasy. Like someone who got dressed up to go to a party and fell into a dumpster.

"Do you work in the castle, or were you part of some kind of, class field trip or something?"

"Wha? No I don't- Well I guess I do now, but." Shut up and give her straight answer Sparkle. "The queen just gave me my Task, which is serving as one of her handmaidens. She wanted me to throw out some letters for her." Which I have now just realized I still have.

Sunset reaches over and grabs the bag away from me, "You don't find it the least bit weird that the queen doesn't read her mail?"

I grab the bag back, "What are you talking about? Of course she reads them! These are spam letters from stuck up nobles."

One of the letters came flying out of the bag and into Sunset's hand, "Oh yeah? Well I hope she doesn't mind if I find out what the praetor of Cloudsdale has to complain about."

"That's not your mail to read! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could be in if you... Who?"

Sunset looked at me like I just said my liver was green, "The praetor of Cloudsdale. What you never heard of him?" I had never heard of Cloudsdale before. I looked at the letter in Sunset's hand, the seal depicts a large bird (probably an eagle) with it's wings outstretched over four pillars. What's more, the seal is unbroken.

I check some of the other letters in my bag, to see if it was a mistake. None of them had been opened, and they all seemed to be from places and people I'd never heard of: Mayor of Manehatten, Governor of Trottingham, Sheriff of Appaloosa.

"It must be a mistake. Sh-She probably just got the bags mixed up."

"Maybe, but from the looks of these, you've got bigger problems than the wrong bag, Stripey." She had opened one of the letters, the one from Cloudsdale, and was reading it. She passed it to me to look at.

"Why am I doing this?" I take the letter from her, "This is meant for the queen. I have no right to read it."



To her royal Highness, Queen Chrysalis of Equestria

Our food stores are continuing to deplete. I beseech you to look into the matter of the famine. In the case that you already have, to please inform me of the reason. If for no other reason than to let the citizens know what is happening.

Your faithful subject, White Marble
Praetor of Cloudsdale



Famine? There was no famine in Equestria. Just the other day Shining Armor said he had unloaded a large supply of produce.

Sunset puts her hand on my shoulder and guilds me into the chair. She positions herself so I'm looking right into her turquoise eyes. "Alright Stripey, I'm going to ask you some questions that may sound strange, but I need you to answer them truthfully." I can only nod.

"Have you ever been outside the city?"

"No."

"Do you know anyone who's been outside the city?"

"My brother is Tasked to the loading docks, but no, I don't know anyone, or if I do they haven't mentioned it."

"Have you ever heard any news from outside the city?"

"No."

"Who was the prin- I mean ruler before Chrysalis?"

"King Chitin."

Sunset pulled back, a look of horror on her face. What she said next I almost didn't hear.

"What year is it?"

"The 999th Year of the Sun."

Sunset fell back on the floor in a heap. I went to help her steady herself. I saw a flask of some liquid lying in the pile of food on the floor. I uncapped it and guided it to her lips. When she had finished drinking she grabbed my shoulder again.

"I've been gone for a hundred years."
> Prison City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

'A hundred years?' "That's not possible. You don't look any older than I do."

Sunset sighed, "I realize this will be hard for you to understand. Let me try and explain." she looked like she was about to launch into a great tale, but was interrupted by a shock wave from the wall.

"What was that!?"

Sunset moved over to the former doorway, "The guards must have tracked my teleportation." She moved over to the window, "They'll be through that door in a few minutes. If you don't want to get arrested, you'll forget you ever saw me once we get out of here."

"What? No way. After you dropped that 'hundred years' bomb, there is no way I'm just going to let you leave without an explanation."

"Alright, whatever, let's just go!" She held out her hand, a teal runic circle appeared above her palm. She grabbed it and threw the circle out the window like a frisbee. Then she grabs my hand, "Hold on." the same circle opens up underneath us.

A familiar falling sensation fills my body before we appear in the alley behind one of the restaurants on the east side of the city. "Okay, we got to move or those guards will find us faster than you can say, 'Look out'."

"I think I know a place we can go." I grabbed her hand and lead her out of the alley and into the streets of Canterlot. I know these streets better than their builder's did, so I was able to lead Sunset through them without running into any patrols or watch points. We turned into another alleyway when from out of nowhere two men in royal armor suddenly appeared. Oops.

"Hello there," the guard with the maroon hair said, "and what are two young ladies doing running through the streets and alleys on a day like this?"

"I don't think the weather would have much affect on why they were running." His partner, who had orange hair, replied.

"Hey, shut up! You're ruining the moment."

Sunset looks like she's about to do something desperate. I need to think of someway out out of here.

"Twilight?" a voice called out. I looked behind the guards, there was Lemon Heart and Moondancer walking towards us, each carrying a towel and a back pack. "We've been looking for you. Did you get your Task?" Moondancer noticed Sunset for the first time, "Who's this?" To whatever deity is up there, Thank you.

"Girls! This is someone I wanted you to meet. Thank you, guards, for helping me find my friends." We slipped past the two to continue on our way.

"Oh, well, y-your welcome. And-and, enjoy your- whatever it is your doing!"

"Dude, you just can't talk to cute girls, can you?"

"Hey! At least I try to talk to them."

"FREEZE!"

We did. Turning around we saw an Equestrian Guard approaching from the entrance to the alley way. He was holding his spear, a long metal pole with a sharp black tip, pointed at us. His attention seemed to be focused on Sunset espesially.

Sunset raised her arms; one pointed at my friends, the other pointed at the guards, with her palms facing outward. Why does that seem familiar to me? It was then that a bright flash of light emanated from both her hands, temporarily blinding everyone else.

While the blast only blinded the Royal guards and my friends, it seemed to do something else to the Equestrian Guard. His face seemed to shift and change. His hair turned black, his ears became pointy, and his arms seemed to become hard, like they were covered in some kind of extra armor. He also seemed to shrink a few inches. He dropped his spear and covered his face, snarling and hissing as he did.

With the guards blinded, Sunset decided it was time to make a run for it. The Black Guard seemed to hear this and pointed in our general direction, "After them!" He screamed. When he did, I got a look at his eyes. They were solid blue, no whites, no pupils, just a pool of sky blue.

"Follow us!" I called to the girls as we passed them. Although they were still clearing the stars out of their eyes, they managed to keep up with us. The two guards on the other hand were continually running into dumpsters and large piles of boxes.

We ducked into a side alley, I grabbed Sunset to make sure she stayed with us. The four of us slowed down, the sound of pursuit dying away behind us.

"Okay, now that that's done," Lemon panted, "Can someone please explain what is going on? Twilight! What happened with your task? Who is this girl? Why are the Blackguards chasing you?"

"Her name is Sunset, as for the rest... let's head inside first."

Sunset looked at me, "Inside where?"

I grabbed the handle of the backdoor of the store we were hiding behind. Inside was a room filled with rolls of cloth, boxes full of buttons and other ornaments, and a few cases of thread.

"Mom! Can we come in!?"

My mother came into the storeroom. And is immediately subjected to Sunset's 'paparazzi treatment.' I slap her upside the head before checking to make sure my mom is okay.

"Twilight? I thought you'd be out getting your Task now." My mother is about twice my own age. Like my own, her hair is streaked into different colors, white and purple alternatingly. She's wearing an ivory colored suit coat and long skirt. She's wearing a silver necklace with me and my brothers' birth stones on the star shaped charm. "Who's the girl with the flashy hands?" She asks me.

"We were kind of wondering the same thing." Moondancer is closing the door, while Lemon is eyeing Sunset like a hawk watching a young rabbit.

Sunset sighs in defeat, "I'm going to tell you a story. Many parts of it are going to sound fantastic, or even made up, but I ask you to leave any questions or comments until the end." The four of us nod our heads and sit down.

This strange girl sits down and begins her story.

"Over a hundred years ago, the ruler of Equestria was a woman, named Princess Celestia. She was kind, beautiful, wise, and one of the most powerful magic users ever. Every one of her subjects loved her. She wasn't like other rulers, she traveled her kingdom seeking to personally help people in need. She trained a group of young mages who became her pupils. Among those students, was me.

"Celestia took me in and raised me like her own daughter. She taught me everything I know about magic. She's the best leader we've ever..." She trails off, what looks like tears start collecting in her eyes. "To make a long story short, life under her rule was paradise for most people. But it seems that not everyone was satisfied with her leadership.

"We didn't know who they were, or where they came from, but a large force of creatures launched an attack on Canterlot. They looked like humans, except for a few genetic differences. They overwhelmed the guards and invaded the city. I found myself cornered by a small group of them. I can still remember the cold looks in their eyes, the flash of their sharp teeth.

"One of them, far larger than the others, came up behind them and attacked me. I tried to fight back, but he was so powerful. He had some kind of staff, it seemed to drain my magic. I thought he was going to kill me, but instead he pointed his staff at my heart and...

"The next thing I know, I'm above the planet. I couldn't feel my body, just this sense of being cold. I was vaguly aware of this, feeling of motion, I can't really explain it. After some time of this, I was back in the castle, but now the invaders were in complete control, and they looked more like people. To make matters worse, it seemed like no one had ever heard of Princess Celestia, much less an attack on her castle. I spent the next few days hiding and stealing food. I leared quite by accident that hitting the invaders with a sunlight spell made them drop their disguises, as well as blind them."

"So that black guard back there, he was one of these, 'invaders'?" Lemon Heart asks. I look at her in surprise, 'So she saw what happened to that guard as well.'

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, all of the 'black guards' as you call them, are the same species as the invaders. It was when I accidentally ran into Twilight here that I learned a startling discovery; that between when that man hit me with his staff, and my reappearance, a hundred years had passed. And in that hundred years, the invaders had taken over Equestria."

Silence fills the room, the implications of what she just said weighing heavily on my mind. It's true, I've never heard of anyone called Celestia. But now that I think about it, apart from Chrysalis and her father, I can't think of any of the names of Equestria's rulers.

"Okay," Moondacer says, "let's say for a moment that we believe your story, that you have been sent a hundred years into the future. Nothing says that we've been conquered. Maybe your princess made a peace treaty with the invaders, and now they live peaceful lives among us humans."

"It's not just that! No one in this city has ever been outside it's walls, or can remember meeting anyone from outside." Sunset's getting really worked up now. I'm worried the guards are going to hear her and investigate. "No one's is alowed to choose their occupation anymore, it's chosen for them by the Queen."

My thoughts go back to my Task ceremony, how the Queen's eyes had seemed to be glowing. But that meant nothing, I mean she gave me the Task of her handmaiden, it's what I'd been hoping for since...

I hated the idea of handmaiden-age. Always waiting on her highness, never able to say anything, being away from my family. I wanted to continue my studies, as a mage or teacher. How could I have forgotten?  Her eyes glowing as they look back into mine. Was Sunset right? Were people assigned their task by no other decisions than the Queen wanted them there?

I return my attention to the present. Sunset seems to have just finished explaining that no one can remember any history from before the reign of King Chitin. Moondancer appears to be trying to prove her wrong, Lemon is just sitting there. My mother has been remarkably quiet this whole time. Looking at her, she seems unusually calm.

"I guess the question now is, what are you going to do about it?" I ask.

Sunset holds her head, "I don't know. Before I was searching the castle for some clue as to what happened, but now. I'm stuck in this city, a prisoner, like all of you."

"Well then," My mother says with a clap of her hands, "let's get you out of Canterlot."