This alternate-universe story tells the downfall of the ancient city of Valencia, about 5,000 years before the events of the show. The crown jewel of a global empire, led for millennia by a powerful alicorn named Magnus de Vaspian. A broken, desperate Lord, and his unloved son, a captain of the Imperial Legion, who does his best to protect his home while wishing he could earn the love of his father. They prepare for an invasion by the Umbrum and their armies while dealing with their own internal conflict, aided by his lifelong friend and closest subordinate.

A new era dawns in Equestria, as Celestia's parents Aurelius and Lucretia, the world's final witnesses of the ancient Solar Empire, pass the throne down to their two daughters. They foresee great things from their eldest, who accepts her new title with nervous excitement.

As she comes to terms with the great change in her life and learns the responsibilities of running a nation, an ancient evil re-awakens from the frozen south, seeking to dominate and enslave every sentient creature on the planet. In the midst of this growing threat, she finds herself falling for a farm hand from Ponyville. Her newfound feelings leave her torn, knowing that she will outlive all that she loves due to her lifespan.

Proofreading done by Radiant Arpeggio.