Chapter One

Equestria: One thousand years before the events of FiM.

Black smoke filled the air as a single pony approached the gates of Canterlot. There were no guards stationed, most of them were busy trying to maintain order and lend a hoof to the devastated citizens. The night sky had turned to a blood red, and the moon burned in black fire. The greatest tragedy in the history of ponykind had just happened, and the lone unicorn stallion who entered the wrecked city knew why he was summoned. He trotted slowly without so much as acknowledging anypony he passed. He wore a dark hooded cloak around his body and a black veil across the lower portion of his face, revealing only his eyes. He was surrounded by smoldering ruins and destroyed buildings, medical specialist tending to wounded soldiers and citizens, and frantic guards trying to restore order and keep things moving along. Many were dead, some were holding on to life by a thread, and some were in shock at what had just happened. The bodies of their enemy's forces outnumbered the bodies of Canterlot's innocent. The battle was won, but at a terrible cost, and now the unicorn stallion was called to pick up the pieces.

After a long walk through the desolated city, he reached his destination: Canterlot Castle. Unlike the city gates, the castle was heavily fortified. Two pegasi guards cut off the stallion, thrusting their armored wings in front of him in a sideways cross. "Who goes there? No citizens allowed in the castle. Official business only!" the guard to his left bellowed. The unicorn said nothing, only pulling a small crest from under his cloak and showing it to the guards. It was similar to the infamous Alicorn Amulet, only it was mostly a dark crimson color and bore the initials "E.S.F." on each wing. The guard knew that it meant "Equestrian Special Forces" and gave the unicorn an approving nod. Both guards moved their wings out of the way and the hooded unicorn passed.

Inside the throne room, Princess Celestia sat gazing out one of the castle's glass windows. She looked over the destruction that had been brought to her beloved city with fear in her heart for what other parts of Equestria had been put in jeopardy. As she surveyed as much of the land as she could, she finally set her gaze on the Everfree Forest, where her newfound enemy had retreated to. Tears began to form in her eyes. She then heard the doors to the throne room open behind her.

"Your highness?" a guard said as he entered.

Celestia shook her tears off and turned to the guard. "Yes?"

"The unicorn you summoned has arrived."

"Send him in, please."

"Yes, your majesty."

Only a moment later the unicorn stallion entered. Celestia nodded to her guards to leave them alone. The two ponies were now alone in the throne room, only a short distance apart. After a moment of silence, the Princess finally spoke.

"It's good to see you again, my friend. I know that it's been a while, and I do wish the circumstances were better."

"You and me both." the unicorn responded in an apathetic tone, removing the veil from his face and pulling the hood of his cloak back. The stallion pulled his messy black mane away from his face, revealing his crimson eyes and his light grey coat. He had aged a bit since the last time Celestia had saw him, which was roughly seven years ago. He had kept a grim look on his face on his way to the castle, but it had perked up slightly once he got here.

"Dawnbreaker, I need your help." Celestia said as she used her magic to create a magical plane in front of the two. "My sister, Luna, has become depressed and jealous because the ponies of Equestria sleep as she raises the moon, while they enjoy themselves in my sunlight." As she explained, the events she detailed were recounted on the magical plane she created. "The evil spirit of the moon, Nightmare Moon, sensed this and fed off of her, possessing her body and corrupting her." A navy blue alicorn was seen being surrounded by a dark magical substance, turning her into a large black alicorn, adorned with armor and glowing eyes. "She has somehow raised a massive army of dark ponies, and has taken over the Everfree Forest and neighboring villages." She closed the plane and turned to Dawnbreaker, pointing out a nearby window at the city. "She shrouded the land in darkness, refusing to lower the moon, and under the cover of night attacked Canterlot. The city has not been besieged like this since the First Changeling War."

"Equestria does not have the strength to repel such a force. There is only one way to defeat Nightmare Moon," she said, turning away again. "I must take up the Elements of Harmony and banish my sister to the core of the moon."

Dawnbreaker had been patiently listening to all that Celestia had said. He knew the severity of the situation, but was confused on what Celestia needed him for. "And how am I supposed to help, princess?"

Celestia approached him slowly, looking directly into his eyes. "Luna has just as much control on the Elements as I did, and stole them. They are hidden deep within her fortress in the Everfree Forest. I cannot leave Canterlot, for fear that she may attack again, and without my presence the city will surely fall. This is why I need you, Dawn. You must break into Nightmare Moon's fortress and retrieve the Elements, so I can use them to defeat her."

It all made sense to him now. As a member of the E.S.F., he had performed countless spec ops missions. He was somewhat of a hero for his actions in the Second Changeling War, only nine years ago. However, he was older now, in his mid 30s, and hoped to put his past behind him. He wanted nothing more than to forget his past life.

"Tia….are you…" he began, his head drooping down sadly and speaking softly, "are you sure you want….me to do this?"

"Nopony has the experience you do, Dawn. Your battle magic is some of the best, and your intelligence is unmatched. You could do what a hundred ponies could not."

She noticed his sadness, and lifted his head with her hoof. "I know that this is a huge task to ask of you, but I wouldn't ask if I wasn't confident in you."

A small smile crept onto his face. Celestia always had a way of changing somepony's mind with her kind words and a hopeful stare. He didn't want to do this, but he knew that he had to. This mission was everything. He backed away and looked up at the princess with a determined face.

"Where do I begin?"

A/N Hello everypony. This is my first fan fiction on this site. I haven't written much fan fiction so please bear with me. Some pointers and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Basically this story is a prelude to MLP:FIM. Dawnbreaker is Twilight Sparkle's ancestor and this story will set the stage for FIM. Hopefully things will turn out well. See you soon!