The Guild: Fallen Kingdom.

Chapters

The Return.
Like Father, Like Son.
The Tests Begin.
Monstrosities Return.
For the Guardians.
The Foundations.
Words of War.
Departure.
A Panicked Heart.

The Return.

The sky was a chalky, pale grey tint as the clouds rolled over and consumed the skies above. The two of us, Archimedes and myself managed to find shelter underneath the cover of a small cavern. The stalactites hung from the ceiling as small droplets of water leaked down and danced across the stone floor. As I made the campfire, Archimedes dug through his pack and pulled out small portions of food. It wasn’t an impressive amount, but enough to fuel our bodies for the time being.

With the fire made and our bodies shielded from the rain outside, I looked to the Alicorn across the firepit. “So, have any questions?” I asked.

“Well to start with, what was with that ending? I know the story didn’t end there. Did you forget something, or what?” Arch looked more confused than anything, but that was to be expected. I cracked a slight smile and leant back, resting against the palms of my hands.

“Arch, like I said before, the story didn’t end there. We just needed to find some shelter from the rain, and maybe even for the night. But now that we have, I can hopefully finish the story. Once it’s done, you need to get back to the palace and report to Celest and Luna. The others should already be there but if they aren’t, wait until they return. And just remember a couple things before I get into the story. One, you still remember why it is we fight, don’t you?” I asked.

“To protect those that can’t protect themselves, even if it is from themselves.”

My faint smile grew just a little wider as he uttered his words. “That’s right. Just remember that. Secondly, I need you to remember one last thing. I’m sorry. It’ll all make sense later. But for now, let’s get this story on with.” I closed my eyes and tried to bring my past memories back to the present.

We lived in a peaceful time, the disputes between the changlings and the equines of Equestria were a distant memory of the past. The guardians patrolled the lands, keeping the peace and protecting those in need. As for the guild itself, it had managed to earn quite the title for itself, and we were always accepting those who would join to further our cause. With the calm of peace, the changling queen Chrysalis’ family grew stronger with each passing year. Terra Firma had become a mighty blacksmith and a master of his art. Archimedes continued to train the guild’s recruits, honing their skills to the best of their abilities. Axton and Strife, with their talents combined, fortified the grounds with mighty defences and creating new means of transportation throughout the land. As for Pyromancer and Intell, they continued to scout through the lands, in search of both recruits and interesting artifacts that could possibly aid the guild.

But Darkmoon had another thing on his agenda. Family.

“Come on dad, we’re going to be late! You know it’s my first day, and I can’t wait to get there! Pick up the pace, I’m dying of old age here!” Cried out the changling prince, Bluemoon.

“I’m coming, just calm down. Are you sure you’re willing to do this? Wouldn’t you rather stay here? Protected and out of harms way in the safety of the castle?” I asked.

“You know I’ve always wanted to do this, with all the trips you’ve taken me and Horizon on. And Uncle Pyro says that I would be good for it, come on! Trust me, please!” He begged. I pulled myself off the comforts of the bed, and away from the sleeping beauty beside me. I edged myself to the side of the bed and planted my feet on the ground, taking a deep yawn as I did so. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked to my son.

“Well, better not keep them waiting. Go, get your stuff and I’ll start getting ready.”

As Bluemoon got his gear ready for travel, I took a quick shower and got myself dressed and ready for the meeting. After I finished off my shower, I dried off and retrieved my gear off a mannequin and gotten dressed. Once again, I’d be slipping on a my guardian armor and guild master cloak. Once everything was properly fitted to my aging body, I made my way out of the bedroom and down to the front doors of the castle. There I found my little prince eagerly waiting, packed and ready to go. “Alright kid, let’s get a move on. We’ve only got a little ways to go, but it’s most likely going to take a bit of the day to get you set up there.” I told him, warning him beforehand.

“Alright! Let’s get going!” He strapped on his backpack and we began treading up to mountain pass, up towards the only place I didn’t want to be heading. The guardian’s headquarters. Sure, it sounds like a good idea that my own son wants to join the guild and help protect others, but then again, he is my son. If something were to happen to him, I would never forgive myself. But it’s not decision that I can make, for he’s a man now. He can choose for himself, even if it’s against my own choices. It only seemed like a few years since him and his sister were born, but now they’re adults, fully grown and making their own decisions. Bluemoon being twenty and his sister eighteen. I returned to reality as I set my eyes on the fortress ahead, three recruits patrolled the grounds as four guarded the entrance.

“Dark, it’s nice to see you. You’ve got quite the busy day ahead of you. Archimedes wishes to see you and your son, when you have the time that is.” Called one of the guards. I gave a smile and nodded.

“Alright, tell him that I’ll speak with him in ten minutes and I’ll be waiting in my office.” I waved off the guard and he took his leave to give word to the alicorn.

“What do you think it’ll be about?” Bluemoon asked with his eyebrow raised. I turned to the prince and shrugged.

“Knowing Arch, it could be just about anything. But I’m having this raising feeling that it’ll be about you.” I told him. I myself hadn’t the slightest clue as to what it could be about, but my guesses were usually right.

We strode through the front gates and made our way through the training grounds. Bluemoon’s eye continuously weaved around as he searched the fort. “This place is amazing!” He exclaimed.

I looked to him as I continued walking,“Well, this is where you’ll be training, working and patrolling for the next couple weeks. Once Archimedes is sure that you’re ready, we’ll give you your first field mission. But until then, you’re stuck here.” His eyes darted around until he found a couple of interesting female guardians resting on a bench nearby. I could tell that I was losing his attention, so I gave a little cough and managed to catch it once more. “Son?”

“Yeah?”

“Just.. just be safe. Remember, training comes first.”

“Ye..yeah.” His eyes settled on me and he gave a faint smile and a nod. “Don’t worry dad. I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will. Now then, let’s get to this meeting.”

Author's Note

Hot Damn it's been awhile, but now that I'm stable once again, I thought it'd be a good enough time to continue writing the story. Hope you're enjoying it so far! And thanks for reading.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

Like Father, Like Son.

As my son and I sat within the confines of my office enjoying each others company, we heard a knock at the door. Putting our conversations on hold, Bluemoon stood from the chair opposite mine and made his way over towards the door. With the door opening, in emerged my familiar friend. “Dark, good to see you’re here. And this youngling would be Bluemoon?” He asked. I gave him a quick nod and smiled.

“Yes, I don’t believe that you’ve met my son yet.” I turned to my son and signalled towards Arch. “Bluemoon, Archimedes. Archimedes, this is Bluemoon.” With one swift movement, the prince held out his hand and after Arch accepted it, they shook. “Archimedes will be your teacher, trainer and counselor. Should you have any questions, he’s the first person that should come to mind.” As I finished my speech, in came Intell alongside Pyro. They stood at the door asking for my attention.

I turned to the two and they signalled for me to follow. I looked back to Archimedes and smiled as I said,“Take care of my boy, I’ll see you later brother.”

He quickly nodded and I left the room with the pyromaniac and the mechanical stallion.

Perspective Change: Bluemoon’s Crescent.

“So, when do we start?” I asked. In all honesty I was fairly excited to begin working in the Guardian’s guild. I would be getting a clear vision as to what my father had been doing throughout the day and learning how the guild would actually work. I was eager to begin my new life as a traveling guardian instead of staying back at the castle with mom and Horizon. My mentor looked to me with a large smile and pointed towards the door.

“Today, you’ll be training in the training grounds with the other new recruits. I’ll see you there in an hours time. So, this means you have an hour to wander around the base and learn a little about your new surroundings.” He took my hand and shook it quickly right before he made his way towards the exit. “I’ll see you at training.” He said just as he closed the wooden door behind him.

Left alone in the solidarity of my father’s office, I wandered over to his desk hoping to find something interesting. I sat in his desk chair and casually looked around the drawers. After opening up the two drawers to the side of his desk, I found nothing of interest, it mainly consisted of documents and other less important things. Though what did catch my interest was that within one of the drawers, the bottom drawer to be exact, after moving some of the files to the side I found a hidden key slot.

I pondered for a moment about what could be hidden within the small cubby hole as I continued to stare at it. Though my father has the ability to channel magic through the enchantments of his gauntlets, I myself cannot. Sometimes I wish I had magic for situations such as these. I leant up in the seat and began searching for the key that could open the hidden cabinet. I searched for a good five minutes before I managed to find the hidden key strapped underneath the desk. “Ah ha!” I cried as I took the key into my hands. I quickly leaned down and gently placed the key within the slot. I slowly turned the key and out sounded a mechanical ‘Clank’ from elsewhere.

Although the cubby hole didn’t open, the key did do something. I just wasn’t sure as to what. Once again, I was on a search, but this time the objective was to find the source of the clanking sound. Then suddenly as I stood within the middle of the room, the clanking sound chugged once again. ‘Did it just close or is something happening?’ I thought to myself. Without warning, the closet swung open and smashed on the back of my head, earning a small yelp from my mouth. “Ouch! What the...” I trailed off as I turned my attention over to the closet. Within the dark closet, I found numerous books and scrolls of a wide range. From recipes for alchemy to books on how to work on the forge. But out of all of the wondrous books stacked within the small space, I found one that greatly intrigued my interests.

The book in interest was one with a faded title, I could hardly make out the lettering but I managed to uncover two words that were distinctive, one being ‘The’ and the other ‘Price’. Something about the binding of this book left numerous questions floating throughout my mind such as ‘Why are there strange markings across the cover and back?’ and ‘What is this leathery binding made of?’. I was completely dumbfounded as I examined the book. The leathery binding was stitched together and tightened around the book.

I lightly glided my hand across the surface of the book and felt something that sent a spine chilling sensation down my back, making the hairs on my neck stand on end. As I brushed my hand down the book, I could feel tiny little hairs brushing back. “What or who was this made out of?” I asked myself. Why would my father have a strange and eerie book such as this within his assortment of books?

Father, I’ve only been here for an hour and you’ve left me with more questions than answers. I need to discover the secrets of this guild and find out what horrors await me within this book. There is only one complication with my plan, and one that could set my plan back a few days time. The damned book has a lock. “Aghh..”

Author's Note

Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I was just going through some pretty hectic real life problems. But, now I'm here and I'm writing again, I feel pretty good. Thanks for reading and for your time. I shall forever seek to interest and entertain.

Thanks once again to AhugeAcidTree for proofreading and stuffs.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

The Tests Begin.

“I’ll have to find a way to get this open somehow, but for now I’ll just stash it in my pack.” I took the book and placed it within my pack, it was rather unexpected how heavy it was. Just as I finished placing it sung within my pack beside the trinket my mother gave me many years ago. Just as I closed and zipped my pack shut, the door opened revealing the one known as Night Strife. “Oh, hi!” I called out to the blue stallion. He simply looked to me, and the room grew deathly quiet.

The agonizing silence deafened my ears as my eyes gazed around the room until they set upon the quiet stallion. My gaze rested upon his lips and they parted as he spoke. Though as he spoke, my hearing needed to be keen, for as he spoke, it was nothing but a whisper.

“Follow me.” There were no more words spoken as he turned and began his journey down the echoing hallways. I followed his instructions to the letter and began parading down the hall after Night Strife.

I managed to catch up with the sapphire coated stallion and followed in step. We continued walking through the silent halls, the small tapping of my feet and steady clopping of his hooves being the only welcoming sound within the dim lit corridor. In effort to calm my senses, I turned to him and asked,“So, How did you meet my dad?” The sudden question seemed to startle the guardian beside me.

He turned to me with a bright smile and a light chuckle, he spoke,“Well, if my memory serves me correctly, I met your father the way any ordinary stallion would. I found your father passed out sleeping on the ledge of a fountain. I simply found him sleeping there, and I was curious more than anything. I slowly and quietly tiptoed my way over to his side and lightly tapped his shoulder. He didn’t react immediately, so I tapped his shoulder a few more times. After a good minute of trying to waken the sleeping beast before me, the poor guy shot back and fell into the water. He was drenched from head to toe.” A loud and hearty chuckle escaped his lips. “Ah. Those were some good times back then. And even though this happened many years ago, I still remember it clear as day.”

“And What happened after that?” I asked, curious myself how these ponies, and dragons alike would become my father’s most important guild commanders.

“Well, you may know that I have an unending love for the stars above, and this constant thirst for the lights in the sky have been with me all my life. I was more of a quiet, and collected stallion before I met your father, and after the fountain incident, I wound up tagging along side your father and the others to retrieve a relic that belonged to your grandfather. After Dark had left from the fountain and was making his way towards the local bar, I made my way back to my home to retrieve some things that I might have needed for our adventure into the unknown. I quickly packed and made sure to bring my trusted telescope so that I may see the night sky in all its glory. As I made my way towards Tolsa’s Tavern, I was quite pleased with myself. I was going on an adventure to do Celestia knows. If you knew me while I was young, I wasn’t quite the active talkative stallion like Pyro or Axton, so I didn’t really have.. friends. But this was a turning point for me at the time, I was going to be off discovering new things and rediscovering a lost ruin. It would be just me and your father... and then the most unexpected happened.”

“What happened? Don’t leave me hanging here.”

“I arrived at the tavern, expecting to find Dark ready and packed, but unfortunately for me, he didn’t tell me something. He didn’t tell me that he would be bringing others along for the journey.” He smiled as he reflected on the past. “This was not unwelcomed though, if it had happened any other way, I might not be the stallion I am today. And this I thank your father for.”

“That’s awesome, I wish I could have been... wait a second. Do you know the time?” I asked. Night Strife quickly turned his gaze to his trusty watch and returned his gaze back at me.

“It’s two thirty, why?” He questioned, but as he spoke my eyes shot open and I quickly gave him a bow to take my leave.

“I’m sorry but I have to be in the training grounds in about five minutes, so let’s continue this sometime later, ok?” With that said, I took off like a bat out of the deepest reaches of hell towards the training grounds. The air in my lungs flowed back and forth as I sprinted down through the halls. As I ran, I thought to myself,‘I’m going to be late for my first day.. Just. wow.’

The quiet and calm Night Strife stood within the hall, smiling with his thoughts still lingering on the past. With a light bounce in his step, the blue coated stallion continued pacing down the hall, smile and all. “He’s a listener, just like his father. Maybe one day he’ll grow to become something wondrous.” As he strode further down the hall, he stopped for but a moment as he chuckled to himself. “One day, Celestia knows its taken this long for his own father to grow up.”

////////

I finally arrived at the training grounds, dressed in the signature uniform all recruits are given once they begin their basic training. Lightly jogging inside the fence gate, I finished tying my tie around my neck before straightening out my shirt. I quickly tucked in my shirt and stood in formation within the grounds, standing ready much like my fellow recruits. The wind gently pushed against my back as the sun’s rays beamed down overhead. Curious if the training had even begun, I turned to a stranger and asked,“Are we early? Or...” I was cut off as the stallion turned his eyes only just to shoo me away. “Come on, I’m just asking for a little information.” I told him. Once again, his gaze turned to me for but a second as they made gestures for me to face forwards.

A loud and powerful stomp came from the behind followed closely by a gust of wind and dirt. Instantly, I fell to my knees from the sheer strength of the blast. I turned to see as to who, or what had caused the disturbance but could only see the blinding beams of the sun peering into my very soul. Within the light stood the tall, frightening silhouette of a creature. It reached for for its waist and drew a blade, then with a sudden movement the tip of the blade shot straight for my face, stopping only an inch away from puncturing my skin.

Many things rushed through my mind as I knelt on the ground, I watched as my life flashed before my very eyes. But one of the things that did pass through was one question in particular. Why wasn’t anyone else doing something about it? The recruits could help, yes, but neither did the fortress guards react. What was going on?

I turned my attention towards my doom but was confused that it had sheathed its weapon. His voice doomed,“When you are in my grounds, you will do exactly as I say, train exactly as I teach, all to harness the inner guardian within you. You may be your father’s son, but that isn’t going to help you out in the fields. So instead of standing in the back talking to your friends, pay attention to your training or we’ll have no use for one such as you. If you wish to be a guardian, pay attention. Or you may leave.”

“Who...? Who are you?” I asked, frightened by the ferocity in his voice.

“We’ve already met, Bluemoon’s Crescent. Son of Darkmoon. Heir to the changling kingdom. Back at the hive, you’re a prince. In this fortress, you’re just another recruit. But you, Bluemoon, can call me your mentor. Archimedes.”

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, And like always.
Thanks to AhugeAcidTree for proofreading.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

Monstrosities Return.

Perspective change: Darkmoon’s Crescent. Back at the office.

Me and my son sat within my office, enjoying each others company. It felt rather nice having a piece of my family with me at the fortress. As we sat there speaking of numerous things that should only be shared between father and son such as thoughts on life, death and love. Without warning or knock, Archimedes entered the office. “Dark, it’s good to see you’re here” He gazed over to my son, quickly inspecting him. “And this would be your youngling Bluemoon?” I looked to my son for a brief moment and smiled. I turned back to the alicorn and quickly nodded.

“Yes, I don’t believe that you’ve met my son yet.” I looked to Bluemoon and gestured to Arch. “Bluemoon, Archimedes. Archimedes, this is Bluemoon.” It only took a second for my son to reach out and take Archimedes’ hand and shook it. “Archimedes will be your teacher, trainer, and counselor. Should you have any questions, he should be the first person to come to mind.” As I finished up introducing my son to his mentor, Pyro and intell came into the room with worried expressions covering their faces as they signalled for me to follow in their step. I knew they required my help, so I turned to Archimedes and said, “You take care of my boy, I’ll see you later brother.”

I stood from my desk and proceeded to follow both the pyromaniac and the metallic stallion out of the room. Closing the door behind myself, we quickly paced down the hall towards the war room. “Dark, something is terribly wrong. A scout was sent out to to the pond of guidance for we had gotten word of strange activity from that cave, the message came from the dragons of the badlands. They say that something has awoken the portal and that something or someone has come through. They speak of a being that can cast powerful and forgotten magics, fights like the devil himself and the most troubling of all... He wears a hood.”

The very thoughts on who this being could be was perfectly clear and made me stop mid step. “We must put a stop to this and find this creature before he causes any further damage.” I looked to Intell and asked,“What news do you have of his actions thus far?”

“Well sir, he’s been terrorizing towns within the continent. So far, he’s been through Vanhoover and Tall Tale, slowly working his way towards Ponyville. I fear that he may be planning on attacking Ponyville and then setting his sights on Canterlot. We must put a stop to this quickly.”

“Send six parties of scouts to investigate between Whitetail Woods and Galloping Gorge. Tell them to report back to me immediately after they catch sight of this creature.” I began walking with Intell and Pyro towards the war room. “Also tell them not to engage the target directly. It’s only a scouting mission, and this beast is far too dangerous to be taken on with a mere six scouting groups.”

The metallic stallion looked to me and nodded. “Yes sir.” He quickly turned away and sprinted towards the barracks.

I looked to Pyro and he gave me a worried expression, “Dark, brother what’s wrong?” He asked. “Why do you fear this creature so much that you believe that we ‘The Guardians’ can not take him ourselves? What is this creature?”

“He’s a monster, and was the last of his kind before I came into this world. He does not feel pain, and his heart is far too corrupted to revive. Brother, I haven’t spoken this for far too long and I fear that this may be the end of Equestria as we know it. He is powerful, he is wise, and he’s relentless...”

“You don’t mean...”

“He is.. my father.” I turned to look out the stain glass window inside the hallway, looking out over the fortress walls and seeing the plains, hills and skies that rest easily in the far distance. Thinking aloud, I spoke. “Father, you return. But for what purpose I wonder? Do you wish to put an end to this world? Or do you have other plans for us?” I leant against the wall and pressed my forehead against the window. “Jenns and Nicky. I’m sorry, but should things become too dire, I must put a stop to Senior.”

“I shall rally the guardians and we’ll meet inside the war room tonight after the sun has set. I’ll send word to Canterlot and warn the princess that Senior has returned. They would probably wish to have listen in on the council before any drastic decisions are made.”

“You’re dismissed. I’ll see you tonight within the war room.”

“Yes sir.”

Pyro quickly trotted down the hall and faded into the distance. I continued to look about the distance outside the window, and then my eyes set upon the Hive below. “Wife, I’ll keep us safe. Soon this will be over and we’ll be able to sleep in peace.” As I spoke, my mind seemed to wonder. ‘Why did he return?’ I asked myself, thinking of all possibilities. ‘All he wished to do was leave, but now he returns. But for what? Or who?”

I stood up and made my way towards the library, in hopes of finding some clues to these questions. It took mere minutes before I reached the holds of the towering library, covered in books, scrolls and parchments containing wisdom passed down from one generation to the next. I searched for answers and somewhere within the library, I would find them.

The hours slowly faded away but something was off. I couldn’t seem to find any form of information about our problem. There were no hidden relics for him to find, no ancient power for him to take, absolutely no reason for returning. Why would he do this? Return to a hated world without reason? The answers were evasive as ever, but I would find the answers. It would take a bit of time, but I would find them. With the meeting within a few hours time, I decided that it was a good enough time to relax from the time being and have some mind easing brew. But I wished the comforts of my old tavern, and wished to reminisce on the past. I strode through the halls and found Night Strife standing alone within the halls, patrolling and thinking.

“Brother, I wish to have word with you.” He quickly took notice of my presence and nodded.

“What do you wish to ask dear brother?”

“I am going to be leaving the fort for a few hours, I am leaving you under command until I have returned. I’m leaving for Ponyville, for both drink and to prepare them for a monster.”

“As you wish Dark. The guild shall stand strong as ever.”

I took my leave and spread my wings, taking flight for Ponyville. “This’ll be interesting.”

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed and have a good day. Remember to keep your feet warm and keep your nose clean. Also remember to smoke your alcohol and drink your drugs.
Big thanks to AhugeAcidTree for proofreading once again.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

For the Guardians.

The flight to Ponyville only took an hours time before I made a landing in the town square. As I flew over the landscape, I couldn’t help but notice the large expanding beauty of the fields. Continuous without end and a sight that only a few in life had seen. But should this beast be Senior, and he seeks to destroy this land, the charm of fields will be nothing more than a scorched, desecrated version of its former self. I landed within the center of town and made my way towards the more than familiar tavern, Tolsa’s Tavern.

I stopped along the way as I peered into a few stalls, looking over goods that are more than rare at the fortress. The stalls were plentiful and bountiful with goods, ranging from hats, to clothes, and other goods. But I had my sights set on something rather near and dear to my heart. I stopped at a small stall that sold coffee beans and bought a few packages worth, at least enough to cover a weeks worth. Sliding a small pouch of bits over to the stall owner, I quickly placed the beans into my pack. “Thanks.” I said to the mare, and with a nod, I began on my way towards the bar.

After a couple minutes of walking, I was standing at the front step of the old bar. “Oh the memories.” With a smile caked on my face, I pushed through the swinging wooden bars and found the usual booth my party and I would share. Taking a seat, out of my mouth came a sigh of relief. “Oh, that feels good.” I took a quick stretch and something happened. “Ouch.” a sensation of pain came emanating from my back. It was a hot sensation that was most unwelcomed. At the sight of my distress came the barmaid. Quickly trotting over and asking if I was ok, I waved her worry off and said it was nothing,

“Well, you’re not the young human you once were Dark. At your age, you should be taking better care of yourself.” Voiced the mare, a hint of concern masking her expressions.

“What do you mean ‘My age’?” I asked.

“I mean.. uh.. you should just take care of yourself Dark. We wouldn’t like to lose a customer such as yourself. What would you like to drink?”

I shook her words off and replied,“I’ll take anything with vodka in it. Surprise me.” With my order finished, she made her way over to the bartender, and he immediately began making my drink. With her hearing out of reach, I whispered to myself,“What does she mean by ‘someone my age’? I’m not that old.” I rubbed the center of my back with the palm of my hand, earning a slight burning sensation. “Oww.. my back.”

The barmaid returned with my drink, placed it down on the table before me and blew me a kiss as she walked back over to the bar. I took the drink in hand and took a sip. The rushing liquid flowing down my hoarse throat felt better than ever. I let out a sigh of satisfaction as I placed the drink back down upon the table. I looked around the tavern and noticed that it was rather busy for a thursday, taking careful notice that most of the customers were rather young, between the ages of eighteen and twenty five. “Someone my age...” I shook my head and gave a light puff in irritation.

As the night continued, and a drink turned into many, someone approached the booth and took a seat beside me. I glanced over at him, taking notice of his hood and tattered clothing. Quickly taking notice that he wasn’t from the scouting groups nearby, I asked him some questions.

“Which group are you with?” I asked the hooded man.

He looked to me, his teeth shone as he gave a smile. “I’m from the third division, we were sent to investigate around the Ponyville area for any suspicious activity.” He explained.

“Are you now, well then. Welcome to Tolsa’s Tavern. What’s your name?”

He took a moment before responding. “Crimson Flame, sir.”

“Well Crimson, welcome to the tavern. If you would take notice, look down if your will.” He did as I instructed but stopped as he laid his eyes against the tip of my knife lightly pressed against his side.

“What are you doing sir?” He asked, a tad frightened from the whole ordeal.

“Well Crimson, if that is your real name. You forgot something, that I am the one that assigns missions to the guardians, and I gave no word for Ponyville to be inspected. At least not yet anyway. Never the less, you’re also forgetting that all field troops are assigned with a signature guardian guild armor set, made by Terra Firma himself. One wouldn’t dare to leave your protective gear at the fortress, and make yourself vulnerable at every given moment. Who, or what are you. Answer me correctly and I shall let you continue your night unscaved. Answer me with lies and deceit, I’ll have your lungs and intestines lining the ground in a matter of moments. Now speak.”

He sat there, a frightened expression plastering his face until he cracked a smirk. “Well, your guild is nothing less than ours was. John, or should I call you by your given title, Darkmoon. You know why I’m here, but I want to explain a couple things before I leave. Should you try anything, consider a war begun. You would be blocking me from my goal, and I won’t have that. Now, let’s begin. I’m here for two reasons, reason one is to take the guardian guild and leave nothing but smoldering ash and dust. Secondly, to reclaim someone near and dear to my heart that is trapped within this wretched land.”

“You can try all you will to harm the guild, but you won’t even reach the front gate, Senior.” I reached over and grabbed his hood, pulling it down off his head and ripping it off. With his face revealed, I took notice that he hadn’t aged a day from when I last seen him. ‘What? How is this possible?’ I thought to myself. The old guardian looked to me and grinned, taking notice of my bewilderment.

“You take my hood, I’ll take yours.” He reached over and took hold of my hood. Attempting to rip it off my head and toss it on the ground, he failed but managed to slide it off the top of my head and fall carelessly down to my shoulders. He looked to me and smiled brightly. “So, my ‘boy’ is a man now. It’s almost fitting, the two of us, father and son. Not a man against a boy, but another legendary fight against men. Though only one side shall be victorious, and I have no plans on losing. A war will come to this land, not now but soon. And when it does, you and your guild will have to be in peak physical condition to even last the night against his armies. Our warriors count in the thousands, our very movement shakes the ground beneath us. And they have been trained, trained by me. The best the guild of old had to offer, and they know almost as much as I do by now.”

I glared at him, and grinned. “Your armies might be count in the thousands, and your warriors stronger than steel, but you’re forgetting one more very basic thing.”

“Yeah? And what’s that?” He asked.

“Here, you are not fighting the same guardians as before. I know of your treachery. I know that you killed Diamond Sprint in that cave all those years ago, I know that you lied and cheated your way to the top. I know the secrets from before, all of them. They were given to me by the mighty and fierce blacksmith Firefist. My grandfather. Though he has long since left this world, he looks down upon me from the stars above with a smile. Here, you won’t fight mere boys and girls. You fight men, and women. The guardian’s from the age before left us with a precious gift in our hands, but you exploited it, cheapened it, sold it out for your own personal desire, to return to the human world. The powerful knowledge from the past, you almost made us forget about it, almost. When this war arises, we shall feel it again, the trembling of the ground before us, the cries of fierce warriors, the cries of free men and women. From the singing of our blades through your flesh, to the pounding of our fists into your skull. You wish for a battle old man, but you shall have a war.”

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. If you picked up on the Brutal Legend reference, your awesome. A big thanks to AhugeAcidTree for proof reading the chapter for me. Stay awesome.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

The Foundations.

With my words spoken, the elderly ex-guardian stood from the table. He picked the torn remains of his hood and wrapped it around his mouth, masking his face. “If it is a war you wish, then a war it shall be. Nothing, and no one shall stop me from my goal. Even if I have to kill my own forgotten son. This shall not be our last meeting, but only the second before the war. I wish to see you in the palace courtyard at the dead of night. Meet me there in three days time, and I’ll promise you that you’ll have much to think about.” He quickly turned to face the door and made an exit. Slamming the swinging doors in anger as he left, leaving a small echo in its wake.

Perspective Change: Bluemoon’s Crescent.

Training was not as difficult as I had expected, all that Archimedes had been instructing me in, father had already shown and taught me. After our training session, he was the first to approach me. “That’s some natural talent you have there, but don’t get too cocky. This is only day one, and it’s going to get a lot harder with each passing day.”

“The only reason it was fairly easy was due to father already teaching me most of these techniques all throughout my childhood. He always told me that they might be of use someday, and I do believe he was right.” I claimed, he looked to me with an interesting expression as he cracked a smile.

“A wise man, your father. I’m expecting great things from you Bluemoon, continue to impress me like you have today and you might be a fine guardian one day.” He turned tail and made his way towards the entrance of the training grounds. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow to continue your training. Enjoy your night.”

I threw him a quick wave,“Thanks Archimedes, I’ll catch you tomorrow.” I proceeded towards the exit of the fortress, making plans on returning to the palace to visit mother and tell her of my day and how the training went, but then the most unexpected happened. I felt something brush against the back of my neck. It couldn’t have been the touch of another, but it felt more solid than the cool breeze of the night air. I had this inner feeling as if something or someone was looking for me. I peered around the grounds, checking to see if there were any wandering eyes that would be set upon me.

As I gazed around the training grounds, I found a set of eyes focused on me, belonging to none other than the blacksmith himself, Terra Firma, leaning against the fortress entrance. As my eyes met his, he gave a small grin and gestured for me to follow him. He stood up and proceeded to walk within the corridor, me follow quick in step. Without looking, he spoke,“So, your Dark’s son. Pleasure to met you, the name’s Terra and I’ll be making your armor and weapon of choice once you’re ready to face the outside world.”

I looked to him and smiled,“It’s nice to met you Mr. Firma. I’ve heard much about you and your excellent smithing skills, the apprentice to the legendary smithy Firefist. He would be more than proud of what you’ve become.”

“Thanks, now let’s get to the serious talk. Do you have any questions for me before I begin?” He asked, turning to face me and raising an eyebrow.

“Not really, but I do have a question that’s completely unrelated though.”

“And that would be?”

“Well, I’m curious. Have the guardians been called upon within these past twenty years for any major threat? I’m only curious, there’s no real reason to answer, if you don’t want to that is.” In all honesty, I myself was pondering this many times before I even came to the fortress. Numerous nights, father wouldn’t return home and this made me worry more than anything. I always wondered if he would have been in danger, or if he had another family besides mine.

He looked to me, as if he read my very thoughts and looked me in the eyes. “There are things in this world that cannot reach the smoldering eyes and ears of the public, for it would cause utter panic and chaos. But when we, The Guardians, are called upon by the princesses of the sun and moon, the job is completed without any form of evidence nor witness. We get the job done and protect the lives of many from a day to day basis. I make the armor, and help alongside my brothers should I be called upon. Archimedes is usually in the front lines, helping lead the others into the glorious battle before us. Axton creates the machines and arcane relics that may aid us in many various ways. Night Strife, he’s a man of the shadow. You could set your sights upon him for but a moment, but should you look away, he’ll vanish within moments and have a blade carving through your neck. Intell and Pyro work as a team, Intell specializes in many things that are more than familiar to your father, back on Earth. As for Pyro, he’s a weapons expert and can use just about anything to take the enemy down. We are the leaders of the guild, but without the master, we’re just a band of mercenaries. Your father keeps the others in line, gives the orders and leads this group into the blinding fury of battle. He sacrifices much, so that we don’t have to. Many nights and days, he would go without sleep, just to make sure this fortress and this continent, and all its people are protected.”

“I. I didn’t know. Back when I was a mere boy, me and my sister would wait up at night within our rooms and await for father to return, but he never would. A little bit of me... thought that he might’ve... had another family.”

“He does, and that is his brothers and sisters of the guild. We are all united, joined by blood and steel. Fear not, I know your father much to well, and a nightmare such as that would never become a reality. Now then, with that set aside, let’s get you measured and get a set of armor for your brotherhood ceremony. From what I seen today, it’s looking like it should take no time at all.” He gave a large grin and placed his arm around my shoulders and began leading me further into the fortress walls.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and sorry for the extremely late update. Thanks to AhugeAcidTree for proofreading this chapter, and sorry to Greasepony, you know why.

Keep it cool, Condemned.

Words of War.

Persepective Change: Darkmoon’s Crescent.

After I exited the tavern, stressed from the meeting I held with my father, I needed to find a resting spot for the night. My eyes grew heavy and my mind drawing dimmer as the darkened cloud hid the moon from sight. The time was much too late to bother the two tired souls within the library, and Miss Rarity needed her rest. With this in mind, I set up camp just outside of Ponyville and began unrolling my bedroll. Laying underneath the skies, without the calming sight of the stars above, an unsettling sensation rolled throughout my body. What was to become of the next meeting? Was Equestria, or the Guild ready for such a war? I held faith in my brothers and sisters of the guild, but casualties within towns and cities could sky rocket. We didn’t know what we were up against, and this troubled me deeply. But if there’s one thing to be certain, with my father’s help, this war could worse than imagined.

The fatigue finally got to me, causing me to fall into deep sleep. Lost within the thoughts that course through my head.

I stood alone within the valley, my brothers and sisters coating the wet ground with a thick layer of blood. The very sight of them tears away at my morale, slowly edging me towards madness. The thick sea of red comes to knee height, a stirred mix of the enemies and ours. I look side to side, in hopes of finding my crew, but none were to be seen alive. They lay scattered around the battlefield, unmoving and stiff. Pyro, Terra, Axton, Strife and Archimedes, fallen brothers and leaders of the Guild. The sight was much too painful to bear, I looked ahead to catch a dark silhouette of a man standing atop a hill, gazing down at me. I knew it was him, there could be no other. Without a second thought, I dashed forwards. Pushing my body faster, I didn’t stop to think about the blood surrounding me. I fell face first, a thick coating lining my mouth as I coughed up blood that was not my own. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to escape the grasp of the warm, red liquid as it forced me still, keeping only my head above its surface. Once again, I looked to the figure, but it was not alone. Formations of shadowy figures surrounded him, seeming to be cheering him on.

Slowly, he proceeded down the hill. Making it evident that he was coming for me. Unsheathing his blade, he set it to his side as he approached me. I could see a devilish grin stretch across his face as his eyes met with mine. “Your guild has fallen, and it seems that you have too.” He looked to the ground and rubbed the back of his darkened neck. “It’s a shame really, I thought it would have been a little more ‘difficult’ than it was. But it just goes to show you, without a proper leader, the guild is nothing. Now, it is time to end this once and for all. It was nice knowing you while it lasted...” The figure rose his blade into the air and I could only watch as his eyes grew red and his voice boomed, “My Son!” As the blade made impact, a flash of light came.

I gasped for air as I flung myself forward. With a rapid succession of panting, sweat beamed down my forehead as I sat myself upright. I looked side to side, examining the landscape around me. Ponyville in the near distance and I sat within my campsite. “It was... just a... dream.” I spoke through half breaths. I thought to myself, ‘We need to prepare. For anything. Whatever that was, a vision or nightmare, it told some truth. We need to ready.’ I stood to my feet and began packing up the camp. After it was finished, I began my way to the castle.

I thought that if I were to head there, I would be able to ask the princesses to watch over my family for me. Though they’re separate kingdoms, we would need to work together to win this oncoming war ahead of us. With little effort, I strapped my pack around my waist and took to the skies.

Some time had passed and I was once again in front of the glistening palace of Canterlot. “Darkmoon, it’s nice to see you again.” Called the Guard at the front gate. I looked to him and shot a grin. “You visiting the palace at your leisure, or is it on business?” He asked, lifting his eyebrow in interest.

“It’s a matter of business, may I enter?” I questioned.

“If you wish.” He signalled for his fellow knights to open the gate, and that they did. I marched through and proceeded towards the throne room of the palace. As I finally arrived at my destination, I gently pushed the golden doors open and could see the princesses of day and night sitting within their thrones. From a distance, I could see that they were presiding over a case of some sort.

Celestia stood from her throne and smiled to the pony that stood before her. “I’m sorry that I can’t solve this particular ‘problem’ but there are many things around Equestria that could help with it. Journey around, I’m sure you’ll find something to help.”

A small lime green stallion stood before her, doned in armor that seemed to be foreign to this land, a small design embedded into the metal work. From a distance it was hard to make out, but it seemed to be a design of three golden triangles. One was etched into his helm, two on his chest piece, and one on each one of his greaves. He let out a large sigh and spoke, “Alright. I’ll just be heading back then.” He bowed to the princesses and bid them farewell.

I was about to intervene on the strange guard’s request until he confronted me personally. “Man, I am SO bored... Things would sure be more interesting if there were more... troubles in the world...” He lightly brushed his left hand across his chin in thought for a moment. “But hey, that’s just between you and me, Ok? Anyway, maybe I can let off some steam by breaking some jars.” And with that, the strange guard took his leave.

“Huh.” I shook my head at the thought of what his request could have been and continued towards the center of the room. “Luna, Celest.” At this the princesses nodded towards me and smiled.

“Ah, Darkmoon. It’s been awhile since we last saw of you. What may we be of assistance?” They questioned in unison.

“I come here to deliver terrible news, dear princesses.” I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts and focus on what I needed to say.

“What news do you bring?” Luna asked, concerned as to what it could be.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath before exhaling, “We’re at war.”

Author's Note

There you are, and here I am! New Chapter and feeling pretty good with life in general. Hope you all enjoyed the read and if you picked up on what the reference was, drop your guess in the comments below. Times of War are ahead of us, are you ready to fight alongside your brothers and sisters of The Guild? Or will you lower your blade to aid an unfamiliar side? Only time will tell. Are you ready to be a hero?

Keep it cool, Condemned.

Departure.

With a courier sent to retrieve the other leaders of the guild, the night’s moon began to rise behind the horizon. The princess of the sun lead both her nocturnal sister and the guardian towards the dining room. “It’s been a long day, and I can tell that you must be weary Dark. Let us eat and I shall surrender you to the eastern wing of the castle for the night.” The dinner was good and hearty, but my lack of taste dulled the overall meal. As I anticipated, the night ahead would be a quiet one without my family and brothers, but they would be there within the next couple of days.

After spending a couple of hours looking through the castle library for a bit of outlandish adventures as I gazed through many books, I managed to find myself wandering out into the gardens. With the night sky loaming overhead and the light of the crescent moon cascading down upon the quiet castle, I felt at ease for a few tender moments. Though the war was approaching and the world we, the guardians, have long protected was being held within a delicate balance, something about the calming sensation of the warm night air and the luminous sky above helped ease the mind and heart.

I thought that I was alone in the gardens, but two pairs of voices could be heard from behind. After recognising the voices, I found them to belong to both Celestia and Luna. I took a more respective bow in the presence of the royals. Taking a bow before the princesses was an odd thing, for I have not truly bowed before. They always seemed to treat me as an equal, but tonight I needed to pay my respects. So willing they were to protect my family, something so meaningful must be returned in favor. With kind and gentle footsteps, Celestia spoke, “I see that you are still a creature of the night, but why are you still up?” She asked with a humble tone as Luna matched in step.

Taking a deep breath, I eased my way towards the two sisters, “Nothing to be worried about, my princess. There’s something about the night sky that always seems to calm my thoughts and allows me to focus on the little things I’ve taken for granted. Like the sweet air within a garden for example. If you’re constantly held from the world as you take on more responsibilities, you rarely have the time to enjoy these simple pleasures. The night air and the gleaming moon always remind me of home. Back on earth, I used to stare out into the infinite cosmos and think about life, my life to be exact. We were always in constant troubles.” I turned to stare at the moon for the last time that night, a subtle smile coming to my face as I thought of my family, Nicky and Jenns. “But with time, all troubles pass and then they become memories, fragmented from time to time but something to reflect on. Something to say that I was able surpass and carry on from. Here in Equestria, those problems seem so insignificant compared to these, it makes me think sometimes. When I’ve come to the age Senior reached before surrendering his banner down to me, will my son be ready to raise his blade to fight? I hope that before I surrender my banner, that the need for people such as me are no longer required. A time of peace, but with those like Senior, I know that will not happen. But he fights for a reason, he’s here for someone. But “Who” is the question. Who would impact him so much to return to a land he’s hated for so long?” I asked, in hopes of an answer.

“Dark,” called Luna, reaching out for her sister’s hand, “ These problems and questions are answered with time, solving this mystery within a night isn’t possible. But it doesn’t mean that the task at hand is impossible. With the oncoming war ahead, I see that you’re on edge but this is natural. We all are. Such news as this hasn’t been heard of in ages, and the stress of it all can weaken the mind into a harsh place. When the others arrive, then we can worry about the matter at hand.”

With the night coming to a close, I bid the princesses a good nights rest and retreated to the the east wing for the remainder of the night. My rest was more than clouded, but I took reassurance within the royals judgement and found a peaceful state of mind, slowly drifting into sleep.

The next morning, after having breakfast in the dining hall, I received word that a couple of my companions arrived early in the morning and were awaiting my presents within the throne room. I was more than eager to discuss the war, and end my restless thoughts. Making my way down the halls, through the winding castle, I finally arrived at the front doors of the throne room. Pushing the doors open, I found that Axton, Terra, Archimedes and Strife had arrived. Without the sign of Pyro nor Intell, I figured that they would arrive shortly.

Moments later, the others arrived and marched towards the rest of the group. “Sorry we’re late.” called Pyro, “It’s just the road, had no idea that you’d call us here. We were over in Dodge Junction looking for recruits. When the courier came with a letter, we hopped on a train the moment we got word. So, now that we’re here, what’s going on?” He asked, raising an eyebrow in intrigue. “More rewards? Hopefully at least.” A smile became apparent on his face as he wandered within this thoughts.

Looking to the group, I signalled for them to follow. I quickly lead them towards the war room as to distance our discussion away from the guards as to not cause a panic. Closing the door behind us, we sat around the circular table. “Alright.” I called to grab the attention of the guild leaders. “We have a major problem on our hands, Senior has returned to Equestria with a terrible cause in his mind. He wishes to bring war upon Equestria and its inhabitants.” I could see a twinge of worry on their faces, but found them more than prepared. We had been preparing for a tragedy such as this ever since we founded the guild, but I never wished to see it come true. “I was approached by Senior a couple days back, and he’s working with an unknown enemy. We don’t know who the leader of this new rising army is, nor why they wish to attack Equestria but we need to end this threat before it has the chance to start.”

“And? What are your thoughts, what are our roles?” Asked Arch.

“Archimedes, I want you to start take the princesses and the castle guards back to the guild. This way you can train both the new recruits and the royal guards further in their training. I ask that you protect the princesses along the journey, we don’t know if they have something planned.” I turned to face Pyro and Intell, “You two, I want you to go and find out more about our enemies, their leader and their plans.” Quickly turning to Strife, “And Strife, I want you to train up some spies, they’ll come in more than handy in that aspect as well. But for the time being, Pyro and Intell will suffice for now. Once your spies are trained, I have another job in mind for them but that can wait for now.”

“And what do we do?” Asked Axton and Terra in unison, “We just supposed to sit around?”

“I wasn’t finished yet, you two I want working together. Terra is going to forge the ancient guild armor sets and prepare our recruits and guardians, as well as the royal guards. Both Solar and Lunar guards. As for Axton, I want you to enchant these armor sets to protect our warriors as much as possible.”

Slamming his hand down on the table, the hazel stallion stood to his hooves, “That’s a pretty big order to fill. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the mana to cast enchantments does take time to recharge, and by the time I’ve finished, the war could already be over!” I could see the anger within his gaze.

“Before you get upset, the Clover family’s diamond crystal is within the guild base. You can use the power and magic harnessed within to aid you with your task. All you need to do is find a way to access the crystal’s power and you’re set.” I sat down, contemplating my own role, it would be no easy task, but it needed to be done.

“And what are you going to do?” Asked Pyro.

“Me, I’m going to go to the Gryphon kingdoms, the Badlands, and also the Hive to see if they’ll help with the war. Hopefully they will, but I’m not sure if it’ll go well. But I’m going to take my family to a protected location.”

Terra took note, “But what about Chrysalis? If you’ve sent for her, how is she to inform her armies to prepare for this?”

“I don’t know, but I live in hope that her generals will see things our way. It also helps being their Queen’s husband.”

“Not the most solid of plans, but it’ll have to do for now. I really wish you’d thought of this earlier, it could have played out much simpler than this.” Terra smirked, rolling his eyes.

“I get it, let’s just... let’s just be serious here. Now, back to the task at hand. Ok, I’ll go to the other kingdoms and attempt to convince them in joining our cause.”

With a bit of a chuckle, Pyro stated, “Yeah, that’s gonna to be fun. Asking three separate kingdoms to help fight against an unknown army. Well, if we’re done here, we’ve got some work to do.”

I looked to the group, “Alright, you know what you need to do. Report back here once you’ve completed your tasks and then we’ll hash out the rest of the details.”

With a brisk moment, everyone stood, Pyro throwing his hand into a salute. “Yes general!” A smirk coming to his face, “Nah, I’m just kidding.” As everyone began leaving the room, I could hear the flaming maned stallion call out, “Could you imagine if I was like that? I’d be like, “Whoa guy, calm down!”.” A loud cackle escaping his lips.

We exited the war room, and after a couple hours time, the only soul left within the empty throne room of the castle was me. I awaited for my family, in hopes of their arrival. It felt like an eternity since I last seen of them, or seen a little glimpse of my wife’s gorgeous smile. Or my beautiful daughter, taking after her mother. How proud I’ve become of my son, how he took on the role of a guardian so willingly. Fear was always a constant worry for me, but he was a strong boy with a good heart.

Moments later, I heard a voice calling from the doorway, “My love, we’re here. You’ve sent for us?” asked the lovely ebony queen. I turned to face her and saw both my son and daughter, Bluemoon in his recruit uniform and Horizon in her radiant dress.

Smiling with a light heart, I spoke, “Yes my love, I’m taking all of you somewhere I know you can be safe. Regardless of what is to come in the oncoming days ahead. We’re traveling to the Badlands, and I’m going to leave you all in the care of the Draconic Kingdom.”

Bluemoon stood forward, curious of my speech, “But what are you talking about exactly? What’s going to happen?”

I looked to him, a bit of fear choking my breath away. “Son, you and your sister are adults now, and you deserve to know the truth. A terrible thing is going to happen, and all I wish to see is you all safe. War has come to Equestria, followed by your grandfather. He aids an unknown enemy and it is our job to stop them.”

“If war has come, then I should fight! Why am I to be cooped up behind a wall of safety while my friends and family die? This isn’t right!” He exclaimed. Furious by my statement.

“You’re not ready! You’ve only just joined the guild, and your training isn’t complete. I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re my son!”

“You’ve been training me since I was strong enough to hold a blade, I’ve already impressed Archimedes on my first day of training, why am I any different the other guardians!”

“Fine! If you want to be another frontline casualty, then be my guest! Here!” I unsheathed my sword and tossed it to the ground. It slid a few feet before stopping by his hooves and I watched as he gazed down at it. “I’m asking you to do something that most of the other guardians would ask for in a heartbeat. The heat of battle isn’t a beautiful thing. You’re not fighting for honour or glory, you fighting for your life, the lives of your brothers and sisters. You’re fighting for your countrymen, but if you wish to throw your life away just because I’ve given you a bit of knowledge, then pick up that sword!”

“I don’t see why you’re getting ang..”

“I said pick it up! I don’t want to watch my son die, but if this is something you wish to do, then do it. If you wish to do some actual good, then stay and protect your mother and sister. I would if I could, but I’m needed in battle. When I first joined, I wasn’t looking for fights, I was looking for a way to bring peace. It’s been a long twenty years, but I fight because I have to. Not because I chose to.” I watched as his face turned into a saddened state, his body hunching over in defeat and his aura shifted.

“Dad!” Cried Horizon, “Stop this, I know you’re angry but you need to stop this fighting! Before this gets too out of hand, let’s just go!” she stomped.

I couldn’t break my gaze away from Bluemoon. I couldn’t tell if it was anger, nor fear that held my sights but one thing was for certain. I feared for my son’s well-being more than ever.

“Dark! Now!” Yelled Chrysalis. I stook my head, attempting to regain my thoughts. Taking a few calming breaths, I lead my family out of the castle and down to the Canterlot train station. I requested for a private car, and received the caboose. The plan was to get off at Dodge Junction and grab a cart the rest of the way, but finding a willing driver to travel into the Badlands would prove difficult.

Passing through Ponyville, I couldn’t help but worry about my son. I stood from my seat beside the ebony queen and sat across from Bluemoon. “Son, I know how you’re feeling but just see this from my view. You’re my son, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. I love you son.”

He gazed at me for but a moment with disheartened eyes, then turned his head and stared out the window. “Dark, just... leave me alone.” I felt my heart sink below my stomach and I could feel his resentment.

I slowly stood to my feet and looked to Chrysalis, “My love...” I took a shaken breath, “I’ll be back. I’m just going to grab some air.”

“I’ll come with you, love.” She stood as well and we exited the car with a sorrow filling my heart.

Perspective Change: Bluemoon’s Crescent.

I could feel my anger flowing, but I dared not to show it. There was a battle at hand and my father was leaving me behind. I’ve always wished to fight by his side, and I’ve trained most of my life, but how was this any more than treating me as a child? As the car door closed behind my father and mother, I couldn’t help but groan. Horizon came and sat beside me.

“Blue, I know you want to do this, but we’re family. I can tell that father’s looking out for you as much as he is with us, but you and I know that he’s not doing this because he’s angry, it’s because he’s scared of losing you.” Placing her hand on my shoulder, she looked into my eyes with a saddened stare. “I know that both mother and I don’t wish to lose you either.”

I lightly brushed her hand away, “That’s not the point. It’s the fact that he doesn’t trust me. He still thinks that I’m not ready, but I’ve been more than prepared for a long time. He’s always treating me as a child, even at the fortress while he was introducing me to Archimedes. I could feel that he didn’t want me there. He feels that I’m not ready. How am I supposed to show that I’m more than capable when he won’t even give me the chance?” I exclaimed, huffing at the thought.

“Well show him. Show that you’re capable of listening to orders. He wants you to stay in the Dragonic Kingdoms to protect us. He’s trying to give you a chance to prove your worth, but you keep throwing it in his face.”

“Was it throwing it in his face when you got sick when we were kids, and he couldn’t make the trip to get Zecora from the Everfree because of the Stalliongrad incident? It took me four days to get back, not to mention the fights I had to go through just getting to her hut. I proved then that I can both fight and take care of myself. I was ten, and now that I’ve become of age and that the guild is more than willing to accept me, he feels that my safety is a concern!” I stood to my hooves and began to pace back and forth through the car.

Taking a stand as well, she looked at me with a fierce gaze, “This is much different! This is war we’re talking about, not playing courier! I do thank you for what you did, but the matter is completely irrelevant! War is not a game played by the inexperienced, it’s fought by warrior’s to save our way of life!”

Stopping in place, I felt a rage take over me. Something snapped within my brain and without hesitation, I glared at my sister and screamed, “That’s not the point! You’re still not getting it! You’re no better than Dark or mother, neither of you understand what it is to feel restricted! I want to live in the freedom I was promised, but I’m always being held back by all of you!”

She ran at me, raising a hand and slapped my cheek with an intense feat of strength, “How dare you! Is that what you think? Do you think that we, your family, are the ones holding you back? And what do you know of restriction? You’re free to wander around aimlessly for hours on end from Mystic Mountain to the far reaches of the Badlands, while I’m trapped within the Hive! But I know this is for good reason, I know what my responsibilities are to my kingdom, to my people. I know that if I were to perish out as I wandered the countryside, that when I am to take the role of Queen, my kingdom would lose their leader. A leader is required for the Hive, just as a guardian is required to protect the lands of Equestria! We all have our roles to play, mine is to replace mother when my time has come, just as you are when father passes his role to you! Though you’re of age, you’re acting too much like child.”

I glared at my sister, feeling a sense of hatred stronger with each passing second. “What if I don’t want to replace Dark? What if I wanted something different? How is he to determine how I live my life? He may be my father, but we clearly don’t know each other as much as I thought. I’m leaving, and I’m going to find my own way. He can find another replacement, I’m done living this way.” I grasped firmly on the emergency brake and tugged it down, the train coming to a screeching halt. My sister stumbled over and fell to the ground. As I exited the train and spread my wings, I heard her call out to me, but I had already made up my mind. I took flight and left unnervingly, unafraid of what was to come. Weather I perished in the vast unknown future or thrived, I didn’t care. I needed to leave, I needed to find my own way. Without my family.

Perspective Change: Darkmoon’s Crescent.

Closing the car door behind us, we walked through the cramped halls of the train as I tried finding a way to calm my son’s thoughts about the war. He needed to see that I was only trying to protect him, I feared for his safety more than Horizon or Chrys, for they are constantly under the protection of the Hive’s guards. I wanted him to understand, but he takes after his father’s stubbornness. I stopped halfway down the second car, and looked to my wife.

“How am I going to show him that I care, that I want him to grow to be strong but he won’t let me.” I placed a loosely clenched fist over my mouth, choking out shaken breaths. “He’s not even calling me his father, but referring to me by my first name. I know that it’s hard for me to show my true feelings, but I shouldn’t have yelled like him like that at the castle. I was just afraid. He’s not a young prince that I knew him to be, but now has become a man. All I want for him is to be ready before he’s put into a real fight, but he’s too eager. He wants to prove himself, but a war is not the time!”

My ebony love grasped my hand with hers, entwining our fingers around each other. “I know what you’re feeling. But you need to learn that Blue is a man now, capable of making his own decisions. I don’t want him to fight in the war anymore than you do, but with the help of the guardians, the other kingdoms...” quickly placing her lips against my cheek, kissing me like she used to as we did as young adults, she smiled warmly. “And with the protection of his father, I know that he’ll be safe. You should talk to him, give him this chance to prove himself. I’m sure this will turn out just fine.”

I gazed into her eyes with a twinge of worry, but took reassurance within her words. “You’re right, I’ve been treating him like a child, almost fragile to the touch but if I don’t give him the room he requires to grow, how am I to consider myself a father?” Just as we began making our way towards the caboose, the sound of screeching metal rang through the air as the train came to a sudden halt. We stumbled but balanced out as we clung to the walls. The sounds of my daughter calling out for Bluemoon could be heard from our car. I quickly gazed out the window and watched as Bluemoon began to take flight. “Bluemoon! What are you doing?” I cried.

I was about to chase after him until Chrysalis grabbed hold of my arm, “Dark! I know what you’re thinking. But he needs this time to assess his thoughts!” She turned my head and made me face her. “I don’t want him leave as much as you do, but he’ll be ok. I know he will. He’s just like his father, stubborn to prove himself.”

The pounding of my heart, the rushing of my thoughts and the quickened breaths kept me on edge, until my love wrapped her arms around me. I could feel my heart snapping in two. I embraced her within my arms and watched as Blue flew away. “Just.. just like his father..”

Author's Note

Though the chapter's not as long as I promised, I'm still warming up and working towards that goal. It was fun writing and I hope you have fun reading.
Thanks to AhugeAcidTree for proof-reading for me once again, and I leave you with my final thoughts.

..What?

Keep it cool, Condemned.

A Panicked Heart.

A sense of emptiness washed over Darkmoon as he watched his son fly off into the distant horizon, Chrysalis holding to him just as broken. The strength he needed to listen to her comforting words, telling him that Blue needed to forge his own path and discover himself. Since the abandonment of his father to the lands of Equestria, this was a far more than familiar feeling. He only wished that on his travels, that his son would stay safe. Even if he wasn’t there to aid in such a cause.

They rejoined Horizon in their cart at the rear of the train, silent and waiting as the twists and turns lead them towards the Canterlot train station. Not a word was spoken from the broken guild master as his thoughts still linger upon his son’s departure. Chrysalis and Horizon attempted a few good times to comfort the somber warrior, but to no avail.

Slowly lifting his head from the slouch he’d set himself in, “What good am I if I can’t converse with my own son without him... Leaving.” His brow slopped as a lone sigh escaped his breath. “What kind of father am I?” He exclaimed, “Am I becoming the one whom I’ve resented for so long? Am I becoming my own father?” His thoughts lingered and festered in his mind as the train began to pull into the station.

Coming to a halt in the station, the family began to exit the train. Stepping out and on to solid ground once again, Dark looked to the sky as it began to darken as the clouds rolled in. The smell of wet ground, the rumble of the clouds and the gust of the winds were enough to set Dark’s blood to boil. He spoke, “Looks like rain, and you can...” He ground his teeth together, creating a chalky grind, “You can feel the electricity in the air.” Clenching his fists into tight wads, a numbing sensation overtook both his hands and feet.

In the Distance, he noticed a messenger which appeared to be aimed for their location. Following quick in step, Darkmoon and his family met with the courier. Once they finally met, he seemed to be out of breath as he huffed in quick repeated patterns. Clearly exhausted, the messenger held the conversation to a minimum. He tiredly raised his hand and held out a message. Taking hold of the note, Dark read it aloud:

“Dark, you know who I am, and we need to talk. Meet me on the edge of the Badlands. I have somethings to explain to you, and I do not care if you listen but a loved one’s life is at stake. Come alone or don’t come at all.”

He looked to the messenger and asked, “When did this arrive?”

“Minutes ago, I have relayed the message to Celestia and she wishes to wait on your order on how we are to proceed.” Fragmented breaths escaped his lips until he finally managed to catch his breath. “What are your orders sir? Shall I warn the other guild members?” He asked.

Placing the message at his side, Dark became lost in thought. A sense of worry overcoming him at the thought of his son, had he been captured? Was this an attempt of getting him to surrender? Looking to the courier, he ground his teeth, “You read the message.” Gesturing towards Chrysalis and Horizon, he continued, “Take my wife and daughter to the castle and keep them there until I return. No one follows me until I come back, a precious life may be at stake, and I don’t wish to see anyone die today.” He was requested to come alone, and alone he would be.

“What do you think he means? Could be be talking about Blue? Father, you need to save him!” Horizon’s brow sank as she grasped on his wrist, worried for the fate of her brother.

With a reassuring glare, Dark looked to the skies once more and nodded. “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to stop me from getting Blue back.” Gently pulling away from his daughter, Darkmoon spread his wings and took to the air with a single push of his wings, disappearing in the clouds.

He shot like a bat out of the deepest pits of hell south-east of the castle towards the far reaches of the Badlands, the air thickened by clouds, dampening his attire. Never before had he pushed his body to such limits in fear of his sons capture. It wasn’t until passing Dodge Junction did another fear take hold, one that chilled him to the very core of his heart. He feared that the old man had his talons dug into his son’s heart, conveying his stories to convert Bluemoon onto their side of the battlefield. Rage began to push his body to a breakpoint, accelerating his heart and wing beat.

Coming over the red, jagged grounds of the Badlands desert, Dark slowed his speed and came in for a landing. Resting his wings, a numbing and burning sensation emanated off his back. But now was not the time for idle pain, he needed to get to the meeting, to cease his thoughts. Inspecting the area in search of his target, he found no soul in sight. An attempt most fruitless with the desert heat narrowing his vision. Pushing forward, he continued to scope out the area, in hopes of finding Senior and not his son. After a few minutes of searching, he caught sight of two silhouettes standing in the distance. He called out to them, but received no response as a sense of worry began to wash over him.

Without thinking, he rushed ahead. Pushing past his conscious thoughts in hopes of seeing his son safe. Just as he was about to call out a second time, a mind-breaking sensation took hold of his body, draining all forms of power, leaving him weak and powerless. Falling to his knees, Darkmoon looked to the figures as an ominous cackle sounded nearby.

“Welcome.”

Author's Note

Well then, I hope you enjoyed my simple writings and I'll look to see you in the next chapter. It's been awhile.

Welcome.

Keep it cool, Condemned.