Darkness, darkness all around, crushing, blinding, cruel darkness. I heard noise, and felt wind, yes, but saw only darkness. It took a few moments for me to awake from my dream of despair, opening my eyelids to a cold, yet somehow scorched land. The biting wind was still present, yes, but the myriad of voices, they were not.

I gazed around, i had found refuge after a day of exploration in a small, ramshackle wooden hut, barely any of the frame standing. As discerning as that was even worse were the bleached skulls sitting around, gazing in an almost accusatory way. This had once been a family, but now i was the only pony left that i knew of. It had been this way since fall, twenty years ago...

That day is...cloudy as best in my head, yet every night sleep to seranades of the screams i heard that day, and awake to the bitterly mournfull keen the present. Waking from darkness to a bitter, scorched world where everything was a wasteland, even the ground was charred and cracking...but not me...no, never me.

I shakilly stood up, waking up to this was never any easier, and strode outside through what was once a wall into the city that used to be canterlot. Ever since i awoke in a lead chamber under this mountain, surrounded by still decaying corpses, and the steady click of a geiger counter. I never did find out what irradiated the world, some lunatic pony most likely, crazed and desperate to be left alone...

Alone...funny how that word changes meaning once you truly experiance lonliness, it goes from an abstract idea of solitude to a neverending prison of boredum. I missed my friends, starchaser with his pranks, dazzle burst with her magic shows, i missed my mom and my dad and even my brother, thought he annoyed the piss out of me honestly. But at least they were alive, now i was surrounded by death and te occasional vulture that swoops down to steal some potentional food, i chuckled darkly at the thought of vultures in the capitol of the nation...

I have to find some way to cope right?

I shook these thoughts and proceeded further into the capitol, past what had once been decadent marble structures, scuplted by true artisans, were now piles of rubble littering the streets and shelters for vermin who had somehow escaped the tragedy. I walked for about a quarter of an hour to finally arrive in the center of the capitol, a large round plaze in the center of which rested a fountain which had a sculpture of celestia and her sister on top, water would've once poured out of the sculptures' horns but not now.

I saw the castle ahead, behind what were once gilded gates always protected by a guard or two. And decided to head that direction, towards my lonely throne.

As i approached the castle i thought grimly back to the days when guards stood vigil here, but now i strode in as if i owned the place, and why not? If noone is around to claim wnership but me? I passed the bent, half melted golden gates and passed into the courtyard, getting small glimpses into the past as i saw the half crumbled statues of past victories still standing resolute. The last sentinels guarding this place of regality.

A small sigh escaping my muzzle i continued my trek into the castle proper, the portcullis once keeping anyone unwanted out now melted into slag on the ground.I had arrived in the foyer,a true testament of the once prosperus nation gone to soil. This room, despite it's former purpose now held a few new objects in it, eight skeletons, four with horns, four with wings, two with neither. I could scarce lay eyes upon such pitiful remains, but i kept them around, a testament to pride and what happens if one become too proud and lax.

Or at least that's what i told myself.

I delicately stepped over the bones and strode up the staircase at the back of the foyer, trudging through the castle until i arrived at the throne room, finding it as i last saw it; ripped banners and golden armored skeletons aplenty. And on a raised dias, the throne, next to it the once royal diadem of celestia. I morosely walked over to it and place it upon my head, before mounting the throne and gazing out upon all of my loyal subjects...

This was never how i imagined ruling...