Solstice

Chapter 1: Sundown

The rising sun painted the sky over Fillydelphia a light pink and orange, giving the light of day to the city. With the sun, Celestia also rose, as was her custom, to go off to magic school. She packed her saddlebags with all her textbooks, flinging her head back to get her pink bangs out of her eyes. As she did, her eyes shifted to Luna, snoring loudly as she slept in a haphazard position.

Luna was the yin to Celestia’s yang, the dark to her light. Celestia was very influential, but unaware of her own ability to lead most of the time. She was also a prankster at times, and quite adept at magic. Luna, on the other hoof, was loud and unafraid to speak her mind, yet she was prim and proper, adhering fiercely to social constructs. She also had a soft side that Celestia often lacked. Still, she and Celestia were the best of friends.

She walked outside and unfurled her wings, taking off into the rosy sky. She flew without thinking, having flown this path every school day for her whole life. She also did not pay any attention to the ponies starting the day’s business in the marketplace below, discussing the new provinces that the warlord Discord had added to his realm. The talk became more worried everyday, as he slowly inched his way closer to Fillydelphia. Still, the optimistic ponies reasoned, of what use would a small village like Fillydelphia be to Discord? Besides, what would change even if Discord took over Fillydelphia? The current ruler, King Silvermane, already paid them little mind.

Celestia touched down in front of her magic school, and greeted her old and wizened teacher, Midnight Sporkle. She then sat at her desk, and eagerly began to learn.

***

Fillydelphia did not have a strong security force. The ponies that guarded it did so as a volunteer job. Thus they were unprepared for the sudden strands of cotton candy to grab them, wrap them in sticky cocoons, and quickly silence them.

***

Celestia was in the middle of perfecting the Amniomorphic spell on a lump of clay in front of her when the school door burst open. A completely gray stallion stood there, eyes blank and void of emotion. When he spoke, it was a voice that did not seem to belong to him at all, full of past life, now gone. “Your presence is required at the town square. You will follow me.”

The students marched uncertainly toward the center of the village. As they looked around them, they saw that everypony else in the village was also heading for the center, each guided by a gray mare or stallion. When they arrived, they saw a large pony standing on the elevated stage usually reserved for the mayor. He was grayer than the other ponies, if that was possible. His eyes, instead of being dull and dead, were touched with madness. When all the ponies were gathered, he began to speak with a deep and imperious voice. “Thank you all for meeting on such short notice. We have arrived to make an important announcement.”

It was then that Celestia noticed that the flag of the Silvermane Kingdom had been taken down, and standing in the balcony where it had hung were three of the gray ponies with a rolled up banner of their own.

The large stallion continued, “This territory is now part of the Empire of Discord. All your industry will now be sent to Canterlot, former capital of your kingdom, now the glorious capitol of the Empire of Discord. From there it will be distributed equally to all cities and villages in the empire, or as Lord Discord sees fit.”

The gray stallion motioned toward the balcony and the three ponies unfurled the banner, bearing the seal of the Empire of Discord. Some ponies in the audience gasped at the revelation, but the majority, including Celestia, had no idea how to take the news.

The gray stallion was not done speaking yet. “As a sign of your loyalty to Lord Discord, some of you will provide yourselves for the amusement of our Lord. You will compete in the Maze of Chaos, where some of you will die, and the rest will become like myself and my troops. Since the volunteer rate will obviously be small...”

He nodded and some of the troops moved forward, prodding ponies young and old with spears to the front of the crowd. Celestia had not been picked. Over thirty ponies had, though, so that it was impossible to see all of them at one time.

The gray stallion finished, “You all have been volunteered. Rejoice, for you will soon become servants of Lord Discord. Those of you who survive, that is.”

It was then that pandemonium broke loose. All of the parents, spouses, children and siblings began to shout and attempt to rescue the captives, but a powerful magical field had been put up, and their efforts were useless. In the rush of movement, one of the captives moved, and Celestia saw a face looking back at her from that small crowd.

It was Luna.