This headache... It wasn’t normal. It’s been so long since you have felt a headache like this. It could only mean one thing: Dark magic. The pain started almost immediately after you got back on your chariot from the soothsayer’s. As you near the castle, the headache begins to intensify. One of the guards guiding the chariot turns his head and notices your pain.

”Princess, are you alright?” he screams over the deafening winds. You wave your hoof to try and signal him to remove his suspicions.

“Yes, everything is fine. I merely have a headache. Do not worry.” He nods and continues to fly towards the castle. This was an obvious lie, but it was not every day that something like this would come up. If you were right, whatever was causing this was on Canterlot Mountain. As your ride lands on the balcony, you quickly step off before giving out an order.

“I have a task for you two.” The two pegasis stallions stand in attention, ready to serve. “Take a small group of pegasus guards and check the mountain for anything suspicious. If you find anything, please alert me immediately. I will be in my usual spot in the garden, trying to rid this headache.” They nod and immediately carry out your orders. In almost a flash, they fly off and alert the other pegasi in the air.

You make your way towards the castle gardens, trying to play this headache off. The gardens always calmed you down whenever you were stressed. Listening to the small critters communicate and smelling the fresh air could ease any troubled mind. Your favorite spot was below a big willow tree where the canaries would sing their sweet songs to attract a mate. Their songs of love reminded you of your younger years when love was a naive thought.

As you venture into garden, two ponies catch your eyes. A handsome stallion sporting a dark blue wavy mane and tail laid with a lighter blue coat across a bench with a young mare wrapped around his hooves. She had a straight mane colored white and purple, a grey coat, and quite a bulging belly. It was plainly obvious that she was pregnant.

If you weren’t mistaken, they were the nobles of the court who recently moved into the castle grounds. It would be best to get to know them since they would be living with you. They take notice of your presence and immediately scramble up to bow to you.

”P-princess Celestia!” stammers the young stallion, trying his best to help the mare down from her seat. As quickly as you can, you wave them down before they leave their seats.

“Please, there’s no need for that,” you tell him calmly. You did like that ponies respected you enough to bow, but it made you feel like a tyrant when they did it only because it was customary. “I merely wanted to converse. You both are new to the castle grounds, correct?”

They exchange nervous looks and turn back to you, nodding. No matter how many times you went through this awkward scenario, you could never get used to it.

“What might be your names?” you ask, trying to break this awkwardness.

”My name is Night Light and this is my wife, Twilight Velvet. We just moved into the castle about a week ago,” the stallion explains.

"Ah, you must be the new nobles that my advisor spoke of. I must apologize for my negligence. I have been rather busy and unable to give you a proper welcoming.” The colt shakes his head, finally breaking a smile.

”No no! It’s fine, your majesty. We had a tour and such already. We did want to see the garden for ourselves, though. I feel it will help Velvet relax and not worry about the baby,” he says, rubbing his wife’s belly.

“Oh! Is this going to be your first child?” The mare shakes her head.

”No, we already have a fine colt by the name of Shining Armor. This foal is actually late. She was supposed to be born two we-” She suddenly jerks, holding her belly. A spray of liquid spews from behind her, covering the seat. ”My water just broke! Oh dear!”

Her husband quickly jumps down and attempts to help her down from the seat. You wave down one of the guards patrolling the area who quickly lands in front of you at attention.

“Please bring a chariot here immediately. This mare is in labor and needs to be taken to the hospital as quickly as possible.” The guard salutes and quickly flies away to carry out his orders. Turning back to couple, you attempt to calm the worried mother. She begins to breathe in rapid successions.

“We’ll have you at the hospital in no time. Just please remain calm," you tell her. About a few minutes later, the chariot can be seen coming in from the sky, making its way down toward you and the others. The guards and Night Light help the mare onto the chariot. They begin to lift off as you tag alongside the chariot. One of the guards takes a look and notices you.

”Your majesty, should you really be coming along? Wouldn’t it be best if you stayed at the castle?” he screams over the howling wind.

“These are my nobles. I want to ensure their safety.” The guard merely nods and continues his flight.

After making a smooth landing, the lead flyer rushes inside the hospital as the others help Twilight down. Two nurses rush out and assist the mare, rushing her inside on a wheelchair. It is time to witness the beauty of life one more time.

Standing outside the hospital room, you await the news. It has been five hours now and still no word of if everything was alright. You begin to pace back and forth in waiting room, not able to withstand the tension any more. Even though you had no part of this birth since you were not family, you felt it was your duty to worry about your ponies’ well-being. A nurse makes her way toward you, a smile plastered on her face.

”Your highness, the two ponies wish to see you.” Giving her a smile and a nod, you follow her into the room.

Your heart sinks upon seeing this scene: A hospital room. A mare lying on the bed with a stallion to her side. She holds a purple unicorn foal in her hooves, shedding tears of joy.

This was the vision, the soothsayer’s prediction.

The two ponies look at you in concern before you realize what you’re doing. Your face contains a look of complete horror, as if you witnessed a homicide. You quickly place a smile on your face and move up to look at the foal.

“My apologies. I just haven’t seen such a happy moment like birth in quite a while.” They return the smile and nod their heads. Seems like they bought that excuse. Looking down, you inspect the child. She had a light purple coat with a darker purple and pink striped mane. This was definitely the foal from the vision.

“Might I ask what her name is?” The mother looks up and beams.

”Twilight Sparkle.”

A heavy knock is heard from the door. The nurse opens it as three guards enter the room. They salute as they approach you.

”We apologize for interrupting you Princess, but we have an important report from our scan of the mountain.”

Your eyes slowly open, looking up at the giant grey sky. How long were you out for? It couldn’t have been out more than an hour or so. And it was so cold. How could this be? Winter wasn’t for another few months.

Letting out a sigh, you can see your breath outside your helmet. Lifting yourself up, you feel every muscle and bone ache in your body. The blood rushes to your head, leaving you in a slightly dizzy state. After you recover from the dizziness, you look around and feel your heart slowly sink.

By the looks of it, you were on a mountain. You definitely weren’t anywhere near home. There were no mountains anywhere near the main city. The dark wizard’s spell must have worked. You can feel a little bit of yourself die inside. Everything you loved and worked for... gone in the blink of the eye. Your wife, kids, neighbors... they were all gone. Feeling like a complete train wreck, you remove your helmet and gauntlets to wipe the tears away.

What did you do to deserve this? You always followed orders. You were always kind to your brethren.

So why you?

Sitting here and feeling pity for yourself wasn’t going to make things any better. You stand up, put your gear back on, and lean against a tree for support. There were only two questions you needed to find the answer for.

Was there a way back home? And how were you going to get back?

Then it hit you like a brick. The lord was the reason for this. A wave of anger swells within you. If it weren’t for him, you’d be home right now. You wouldn’t be in some desolate land about which you knew nothing. Raising your fist up, you begin pounding it into the tree. At this point, you had to release your anger somehow. Pounding harder and harder into the tree, chunks of bark and timber begin to fly out of it. Your arm begins to grow heavy as you continue your strikes, but anger quickly numbs the feeling. With each blow, you imagine your lord’s face in the tree’s crater-sized hole.

You quickly stop yourself as you become aware of what you are doing. Standing here attacking a defenseless tree isn’t going to fix anything. Pulling away from the plant, you look over at the spot where you were lying. A smoldering black outline of your figure is imprinted on the ground. Lying alongside it are your sword and shield, patiently waiting for their owner to pick them up. You pick them up, sheathing your sword and latching the shield onto your arm.

Leaning back against the beaten tree, you look down at the cindered outline again. The wizard’s spell was successful, that was clear. You were in some unknown land. That’s a definite fact. There was one question still eating at you: Is there a way back? One thing was obvious... sitting around here wasn’t going to get you any closer to home. You had to find shelter before nightfall or risk freezing to death out here.Looking at the ground to your side, you can see a paved path layered in dust.

“If there’s pavement, there’s civilization at the end of it,” you whisper to yourself. The cold wind begins to thrash against your armor as you climb up the path.

Something catches your attention, however: the flapping of wings. You look into the sky and see the faint outline of what seems like... a horse? You must have hit your head or something, because you’re pretty sure you just saw a pegasus. They’ve been extinct for hundreds of years now, much like their unicorn cousins. This was a definite sign that you were nowhere close to home.

Whatever it is looks at you and quickly flies away toward the mountain peak before disappearing into the clouds. You shake your head and continue to walk. It was best not to think too deeply on it. The long winding path feels as if it goes on forever, each step feels as insignificant as the other. Something felt as if it was dragging you along. Like a small wire was guiding you.

Illegible signs appear on the path’s sides as you further climb the mountain. You must be getting close to civilization. Snow begins to fall as you approach what seems like a small city. The buildings look empty, most missing doors or having a broken window or tow. It’s safe to say this city was abandoned by choice, not because of war or raids.

“Hello?” Your voice echoes throughout the streets and leaves a ringing in your ears. Like a high fall, a memory comes crashing down on you.

Fire licks the rooftops as it consumes the building. Corpses of loved ones and neighbors lie in the streets. The only thing stirring in the streets is the sole survivor, a child no older than ten years old.

”Hello?” he whispers, only to hear his own voice respond back to him.

You shake your head, trying to escape that memory. That was long ago. It was best not to dwell on that memory. Looking up to the top of the city, you see a building that catches your eye. It looks much like the altar that was from your hometown.

You begin to climb the large staircase towards the building as the snow begins to fall at a rapid pace. After what feels like an eternity, you make it to the top of the staircase. A setting sun lights the main hall of the building, emitting a warm glow. Looking through the glass, you could see it was a spitting image of the one back home.

Decaying wooden pews, a stand covered in moss, vines tangling along the walls, flora covering the floors; not a single thing was different. The lord had deemed the altar a slight against his name when he had taken power, so he forbade the people from ever visiting it again. You open the giant doors and they loudly squeak, echoing throughout the hall. A feeling of nostalgia kicks in as you walk to the stand. You weren’t exactly a religious man, but you did keep the rules to heart.

At least, most of the rules.

The only thing different about this altar were the windows. The stained glass told a different story than the one of your gods. On each pane showed what seemed like two unicorns with wings, one being a majestic white and the other being a striking blue. It showed how they were the reason for the sun and moon’s rising. There were panes of the two battling strange creatures, most of them familiar from the textbooks you used to read and others you have fended off yourself. Krakens, Hydras, even what looked like a Chimera which were just a myth to your people. There was a pane of them warding off a dragon as well. From your past experiences, you know for a fact that dragons were no laughing matter.

These creatures seemed like a powerful pair, but the last pane was puzzling. It showed the blue horse being attacked by the white one, sending it to the moon. A civil war perhaps? It was impossible to tell from just glass panes alone. You turn away from the glass panes and walk down the aisle towards the stand. As you grew up in the central city, you would come to the altar to pray for the safety of your people. They were your main concern; you wished that what had happened to you before would never happen again.

Kneeling down before the stand, you fold your hands together and place them against your head. The fact that you were going to pray for yourself leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

“I know I am not the most... faithful to the gods, but I never really ask for your help. Please find me a way home. That is all I wish for.”

”I cannot promise you will make it back, but I will try to help you in your endeavours,” say a graceful, motherly voice.

You jump up and immediately draw your blade, ready to defend yourself. Your eyes can’t even fathom what they see. Standing in the doorway is a majestic white unicorn with wings. She was much smaller than the horses you had from back home. The books always showed unicorns being taller than humans. Looking over at the glass panes, you see the resemblance. It was the “god” that rose the sun. She has a mane that looked like a colorful mist with a crown sitting on top of her head.

Two small pegasi dressed in plate armor quickly rush forward, only to be halted by her wingspan. They stand away from her with their eyes still glued on you. Sword still raised, you step back. You couldn’t trust this thing. What if it was a doppelganger merely trying to trick you?

“What manner of beast are you?”

She chuckles and replies back.

”I was just about to ask you the same.” Sword still raised you answer the question.

“I am but a simple human. I presume you are a horse?” She shakes her head.

”Close. I am a pony, my race being that of an alicorn.” An alicorn?

“I have never heard of such a race. I have heard of unicorns and pegasi, but they are extinct in my world.” You look at the panes and back to her. “You are a god, no?” A frown falls upon her face.

”No, I am not a god. I am merely the ruler of this land.”

“And what is the name of this land?” you ask in a curious tone. Her warm smile returns as she waves her hoof at the window.

”The land of Equestria.” She kneels down, showing a sign of peace. ”I have seen a vision of your arrival. I welcome you to our home.”

You slowly sheathe your sword and move forward. The plated pegasi jerk almost on instinct but are withheld by her signal once again. Kneeling down before her, you take off your helmet and look her in the eyes.

“My name is Sir Anon, Head Knight of the southern country.” She gives you a warm smile and raises her hoof.

”My name is Princess Celestia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Grabbing her hoof with your hand, you feel as if the world has shifted into a different direction, like two unlikely forces have collided.

”Might I trouble you to take a walk with me?”

“I don’t see why not.” She turns to the two pegasi and gives them a nod. They salute her and fly off into the sky. You both make your way down the staircase, slowly descending towards the rising moon.

“Can I ask you with a question Princess?” She smiles and gives you a nod.

”By all means, go ahead.”

“What happened to this city and its inhabitants?” you ask, pointing at the abandoned homes. Her look of happiness quickly changes to that of depression.

”This was once a great city. We all used to live here many years ago. One day, however, my sister, Princess Luna, became resentful. She was the one in charge of raising the moon. The ponies would sleep throughout her beautiful nights which she worked so hard to bring to them. She was consumed by hatred and attempted to create an eternal night. I ended up bashing her to the moon to contain her.” That explained the story displayed on the glass panes.

“But this city shows no sign of struggle or war. That doesn’t explain why there is no one here.” As you reach the bottom of the staircase, she give a disheartened sigh.

“We left because of guilt.” She looks up to the sky. Following her lead, you also look up. It was much more obvious than you expected. The moon was in clear view from anywhere in this city.

“My apologies, Princess. If I had known, I would have never asked.” She shakes her head and returns gaze back to you.

”No, it’s quite alright. Now, might I ask you a question?” You turn to her, eyebrow raised.

“Certainly Princess. As long as it isn’t about my dear friend Herald’s bachelor party, it should be fine.” She tilts her head in confusion before you wave the statement away. “It was merely a joke. By all means, ask away.”

She looks down at the ground, avoiding any means of eye contact.

“My guards saw how violent you got when you first woke up. I saw the battle you were part of in the vision. I am concerned for my ponies safety and would normally never let a violent creature into my castle.” Her eyes meet your, glistening in the moon’s light.

”But I feel as if- Neigh, I know you would never harm any of my subjects unless in self defense. I feel your services will be of great use to me until we find you a way home. If I allow you to stay in my castle, do you promise me never to hurt any of my fellow ponies?”

Tearing your eyes away from her gaze, you look up into the sky at the beautiful stars. She was... “different”, to say the least. Unlike your lord, you could tell she had compassion for her subjects, something he could definitely learn a thing or two about. Besides, if what she told you was true, she could easily banish you to the moon if you stepped out of line. You turn back to her, cracking the first smile in what felt like ages.

“I wouldn’t even think of it, your highness.”

Author's Notes:

This chapter is being rewritten. This is not the final draft.