A Journey Begins

She didn’t know what was happening. In one instant, the pale blue mare’s life had been thrown into chaos and confusion. It was supposed to be a happy trip to her hometown, to surprise her parents with a long-awaited visit. Instead, she found the place deserted. Frantic, Bright Eyes had searched the town, with only a few strange arrows lodged into the earth to signal something awful had happened.

In the two-story, humble home she had lived in since birth, the unicorn gave up searching for her parents, and began gathering supplies, barely cognizant of what she was doing. Bright Eyes had collected a variety of book from her father’s massive library, packing them tightly into an oversized rucksack. The rucksack had been hers when she was still in school, dark blue with two sparkling gold stars, like her cutie mark. She also neatly folded an old knit blanket to fend off the cold nights to come.

She took a final look at the gathered books: Maps of Equestria, along with several titles about magic in general, and, though she couldn’t explain what inspired her to grab it, one called A History of Dark Magic. She didn’t know where she was going or what she would find along the way, but Bright Eyes was determined to put the pieces together and find her mother and father.

Stepping out of the house, she cast one final look inside, trying to remember all the joyous occasions celebrated there - birthdays, staying up late by the fire on Hearth’s Warming Eve. But her fear and confusion clouded those happy times. Determined, she trotted into the worn road, trying to decide which direction to go first.