A year ago Equestria was a peaceful and beautiful place, a place where foals laughed, sang, played, where nearly everypony was happy with what they did, where harmony and order was everywhere and everything, but that was a year ago. Before a void of magic comprised of evil, darkness, chaos, and death invaded our land. The void, it was almost living, thoughts of killing, suicide, death, hopelessness, and demeaning to those that came near it.
The void consumed more than just my beloved country Equestria, it had grown to consume the entire planet, this caused old enemies to forget their hate and unite. But all attempts to stop the void failed devastatingly, and only accelerated it's growth. It continued to grow until it attracted my county's attention, but they then it was to late to stop it from invading our lands.
When it arrived we found it out about it's negative affects and that it spawned unholy creatures made of flesh, chaos, and darkness that came in many horrible mangled shapes. Many of the creatures could fly, some had flames, lightning, earth, or some element spouting out from their bodies, a few looked sickly and dead with rotting flesh close to falling off their body and had exposed crude bones, others didn't even have solid bodies and were made from ghastly liquids or gases, a rare few could even change form, but all of them sought destruction.
They tore up cities, massacred towns, plagues rose from the places they had been spotted at, and our weapons seemed to any annoy the wicked creatures. The only thing that could truly harm them was sunlight and dragon fire anything weaker than that didn't affect them. Because of this we were safe during the day as long as we stayed in the light, but at night we could do nothing to stop them from rampaging through our settlements.
The only places that were even able to hold the creatures back were cantorlot, the everfree forest, and the crystal empire. Both had natural shields that we had not previously known about before that could hold off our attackers, but these shields were not indestructible. The one that protected the city I lived in, the one I had watched over for centuries, fell as the creatures flooded the city leaving no one alive save it were those who teleported themselves and their friends to safety.
The darkness had consumed nearly everything now, all of my subjects had gathered to the crystal empire for refuge from the evil creatures that threatened to destroy all life as we knew it. It was the last place in Equestria that we knew was safe from the darkness after canterlot fell. Even me and my younger sister, arguably the most powerful two beings on our home world Bestia, had to seek refuge from the dark creatures.
Hundreds of thousands of innocent died and more were dying every day. Why? Why must there be so much death, what did we do to deserve such a fate. Why did nopony come to help us when we called for them, what if they were already dead. JUST WHY!? Those were the questions that ran through my mind every day, as many of my subjects cried and mourned for their loved ones. It was too much I struggled every day to keep from breaking down in front of those who looked up to me. Every day I postponed making a decision of what we as a race will do, was a day closer to death. It was the hardest choice I've been forced to make, and one that would change everything our race knew.
Attempt to flee to the lands abandoned by our ancestors and risk death, stay and die, fight and possibly lose everything, or travel to a new world with no knowledge of it's rules, people, and dangers. None were going to be easy, but I would have make my decision where I had wanted to. The death of our race and the others that live in this land was not an option, so I had three options that would lead to either death or survival.
I remember leaving the room I was given feeling glum, bleak, and defeated, much like my situation, and walked to the conference room where my sister, the six elemental bearers, princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor sat waiting for me. Looking at myself in the mirror I saw I looked horrible, I looked like I had not slept for many nights and my mane was dissolved, as was everypony's else's in the room, but no of us cared about such things at the time.
The meeting was short, and began with my sister going straight to the point, by asking the one question I was dreading. What was my decision? Fear is not something I feel very often, but right then it was coursing through me. 'What if they hate me for what I choose' was the most common train of thought my mind went to but I had to answer, after a moment of hesitation I answered. I decided that a small group of those willing to do so on their own accord would travel to a new world we knew next to nothing about other than we could possibly live there, to start a life there, and that I would go with this group to guide them. The rest who would stay behind would flee to the northern crystal mountains and travers a cave system that would lead out of the other side and to our ancestors land in three days time. Surprisingly everypony in the room said they would travel to the new world with me. We made plans on taking only what would be needed, nothing more, nothing less.
The meeting ended quickly after that and rumors of my decision had spread very rapidly, some were false, but many were true. I spoke to my subjects, and announced what was discussed in the meeting. This caused many murmurs and from what I could tell it was out of surprise and excitement. I asked for a signup sheet to be made and stated that any who wished to come to the new world could sign up on the list and that it was their choice to make but I suggested that those leaving tell their friends and family. I warned them of some of the dangers that were a possibility and that we knew nothing about the world we could travel to other than we could live there. I also stated who was going, this caused an uproar of surprise and worry, but I eased their worries by telling them that those who I trusted the most were requested to lead the kingdom and not those who I knew would abuse their new authority.
I also stated that we should only take what we would need, as to make traversing to the new land easier. After that I ended my speech and waited the three days as the natural shield that protected the empire continued to weaken beyond the point of comfort. I could tell by how much energy it had left it was only going to last one more week. Today was the day that changed everything, everypony gathered to the center of the city, or rather as close as they could get, and waited for the farewell meeting to begin. I looked over the list and saw a little over a hundred ponies would come with me, another fifty were from the solar and lunar guard, and twenty five were from the wonder bolts. After finishing saying goodbye and wishing each others groups luck we began to head into the unknown. Which brings us to where we are now.
