Whether we like it or not, our fates have already been decided. Whether we decide to like it, or not like it, can only make our stay in this miserable place more bearable. It only makes our jobs a little easier if we just accept it. After 20 years of the same oppression over and over, it seems like any pony would crumble under the pressure and finally crack. Some did, while others, like me, toiled away, praying and hoping for something to change. Hoping for our new dark lord, Noctrule, to give his power back up, bring Princess Celestia back from the dead, and give my cherished friend Rarity back her will and sanity along with it. We hope for these things to happen, but whether they will really happen is a complete slim to none chance. All the Pegasus ponies used to believe in that false hope. They bought into our easy lifestyle, easy solutions, until they realized that the days when Princess Celestia held our order had ended, was when they truly started to believe that our fairy tale days were over.

I can’t talk much, though. I believed it, too at some point. In fact, I sort of still buy into the realm of safety and fantasy that we once had will return. I like to believe that something will happen and bring back the light that Noctrule demands us Pegasus ponies to block out. It’s now just a usual routine to me, though. Find whatever dark clouds I can, make sure they’re in every crevice that the dead sun strives to break through, and continue until my wings either give out from exhaustion, or they blow the whistle to signal the end of our shifts. It’s a sad existence that I might have missed just because of my own mane. When you’re a rainbow-colored Pegasus, you’re seen as a threat to Noctrule’s dark kingdom. At times, I believe that I missed his execution hatchet just because of how well I could maneuver the skies and control the clouds of Ponyville – or more recently known as Shroudlane.

I suppose this whole incident can be traced back to my own doing. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that I’m the sole reason for Noctrule being the way he is today; dark, sinister, unforgiving, and evil. It was just about a year before Noctrule showed himself to everypony from the Everfree forest. I managed to create the fabled sonic rainboom for the second time in my short life, causing me to win a full day with the Wonderbolts and, in turn, causing Noctrule to gain his hatred for all things bright and colorful. No pony quite understands why seeing my sonic rainboom affected Noctrule the way it did, but it caused him to gather an army of dark ponies, and march all throughout Equestria, causing darkness and death in his wake. Those of us that remained were either too fearful of Noctrule to fight back, or handpicked by the pony himself to do his bidding.

Of course I wasn’t afraid of him. Everypony knew Rainbow Dash for being one of the bravest ponies in all of Equestria. Although, after he executed our own Princess Celestia, I knew I had no possible way of defeating him. Princess Celestia had fought hard against Noctrule, trying her best to protect not only herself, but all of Equestria. But, Noctrule’s dark powers were too much, and she fell. That was 20 years ago, and all of us ponies left had aged and hardened. I somehow think that our bodies have been tainted by the darkness that continually pervades throughout this horrible kingdom. My body, once a bright and bold light blue, was now faded, and nearly gray, my mane still barely holding onto its rainbow streaks. Even our cutie marks were nonexistent, this new world never allowing anypony to have access to their special abilities that made them unique.

It had been nearly five years since I’d seen any of my old friends. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all hard at work with their own forced labor duties. I would not even have any way of knowing whether they were still alive or not. However, this was not new. None of this was. It was just now considered normal to never see a smile during the day, never hear any laughter, even from the young colts and phillies that were allowed to live, or even speak a single word to another pony. This was a reality that I knew well, as well as any other pony in Equestria knew. We were never allowed to congregate, and some ponies went crazy being locked into their own minds with their own thoughts providing them the only social interaction they'd receive. But, my mind was clear, and my mind had wonderful thoughts of escape, and thoughts of flying freely once more. Thoughts of rebellion, thoughts of overthrowing Noctrule and his darkness that would cause me only to plan and ponder each and every day. It then came to a point that this next day would be the day. The day that I would stop my planning, and commence actions that would free all of Equestria. I would finally put to action my long thought out plan to reunite with my old friends, and take back Equestria. I am Rainbow Dash. I am fearless. I will win.