Equestria's Secret

It only took a few hours in the hospital before I was back to my royal duties but thankfully everypony delayed their matters until I was better. At a loss for something to do I decided to go back to the new clearing in the middle of the forest. The clearing was exactly the same as the last time soot covered the dirt and the center of the clearing was charred.

I only had a few bruises and some electronic imbalance in my spine that still slowed me down a little but my guards weren’t as fortunate. The autopsy revealed that the same electronic disturbance had attacked their brain stopping all electronic signals shutting down their internal organs. The death count was fifty-four guards and my parents who were burned to death from the inside out.

Nopony has seen my sister since the attack but since it was technically her attacking it didn’t surprise me. I stood there staring at the burnt center when one of my guards landed nearby and bowed to me.

“Sire there is a gryphon who requests your presence at the palace,” she said with sadness in her voice.

“Tell him I will be there in a bit,” I simply ordered one of my newest guards. In my free time I learned the name of every guard and hung out with them on occasion. When I was younger I was home schooled and wasn’t very social so not many ponies know of the rainbow mane under my custom crown. I always used my crown as a sign that I was on duty so right now the crown is in my chambers.

“Of course sire,” she said saluting before taking off but her response was almost ignored by my own thoughts.

I knew that my time as King was almost over and I still haven’t met my nieces who live on a mountainside near the original borders. I took off towards the castle for what could be the last time I will ever see it but I quickly shake the thought out of my head. I was positive I would see the castle again maybe not in the same way or maybe a new castle for Equestria but I would see it again.

Instead of banking to the right to enter my private chambers I tilted upwards to perform my favorite trick one last time. I fly up until the ponies in the capitol looked like ants before stopping in mid-air to catch my breath. I focused completely and started descending rapidly but still picking up speed as gravity helped my controlled fall.

A white cone formed around me and narrowed as I picked up speed but before it broke I noticed I didn’t have enough room. If I didn’t pull up I would crash into the ground but my body acted before I could figure something out. I found myself slowing down and allowing the cone to fling me backwards to a safe distance.

After being flung backwards I turned around as fast as possible and accelerated again forming another cone around me. Between the fling of the last cone and my wings increasing my speed I broke through the white cone easily. My body shook as the cone broke and I could see my favorite unnamed move that creates a rainbow wave and leaves a matching trail from my mane and tail.

I always loved flying at high speeds and none of my guards has ever beaten me in a race but I remembered the gryphon waiting for me at the palace. I turned around and aimed at the palace without losing speed as I have done this several times before. Just like every other time I flew through my window and slid a little on the ground while piling air in front of me to slow me down.

Sky magic is what it’s called although it is currently a dying art all pegasi can use sky magic. Unlike unicorn’s universal magic witch comes naturally sky magic is only natural to a point. Pegasi moving clouds and walking on clouds is all the more unfocused sky magic can do. My father taught me how to harness my power and even how our magic is different from unicorn and earth pony magic.

Refocusing at the task at hoof I grabbed my crown from the top of my dresser and pulled out my royal cape. I turned towards the door and readied myself for royal duties before finally opening the door and walking towards the throne room. The walk wasn’t long but before I could open the door I heard hurried hoofsteps and the clanging sound of armor behind me so I stopped and waited.

“Sire, your nieces have arrived,” she said panting a little while bowing.

“Tell them I have one last appointment for today and then I will go see them,” I said before walking into the throne room.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” the gryphon said bowing.

“You must be Indigo. Orion has told us a lot about you,” I said.

“You have already met Orion?” she asked. I nodded in reply and she continued, “Then I shall make this quick. I am the other guardian here to tell you that you have twenty-four hours.”

“YOU DARE ORDER ME,” I yelled as loud as possible and the echoes made it sound louder. She didn’t even flinch at my yelling and I found myself laughing at that. Her position never faltered and I just said what I actually meant, “I am aware of that and the preparations are almost complete.”

“How does she know of your plans?” Discord asked appearing out of nowhere as the gryphon left.

“I don’t have time to explain that. Let’s go meet my nieces,” I said casually walking towards the main door.

“I know there is something bothering you,” he said plainly with his usual façade.

“There usually is,” I said opening the doors to reveal two unicorn mares.

“King Kenneth,” Celestia said more like a question than a statement.

“The one and only,” I said nonchalantly.

“UNCLE KEN! It’s so great to meet you,” Luna said coming over and giving me a hug.

“It’s great to meet you too. I just wish we had more time,” I admitted.

“More time?” the three asked simultaneously.

“Indeed since I am leaving around this time tomorrow for diplomatic reasons,” I informed them.

“You’re doing this now?” Discord asked subtly showing his concern.

“I had this planned for the end of the year but certain circumstances have forced my hoof,” I explained.

“Had what planned?” Celestia asked simply.

“It is time for me to step down as King and as the last of the royal family it’s your duty to take over,” I answered a little sad for throwing such responsibility at them during our first meeting.

“That is why you wanted us here?” Luna asked obviously upset.

“Of course not as I said earlie-” another beam of black light erupted from behind the castle forcing me to stop. I threw my crown to the ground shortly after taking off and also left my royal cape flutter to the ground. I finally found the source witch was once again a unisus so I got into a fighting stance.

Two griffons appeared by my side along with Discord and the four of us wasted no time in attacking the creature. Another battle that was short lived, it shot a black energy blast that directly hit Discord but the griffons attacked it with an energy attack of their own. The guardians attack was a spiraling blast of blue, yellow, and red that hit the unisus directly knocking it unconscious.

“What is it?” I asked as we approached.

“They are called alicorns and they have cosmic magic,” the guardian of space explained.

“Though Equestria doesn’t know of them yet,” the guardian of time continued.

“UNCLE KEN!” Luna yelled very loudly as her and Celestia were finally visable.

Luna’s yell was loud enough to stir the alicorn and it immediately attack with an enormous explosion. The explosion almost made the castle fall and the shockwave flung Luna and Celestia to safety although it engulfed me and the two unprepared guardians. They say that when you are about to die your life flashes before your eyes but all I could see was the hospital I was in mere hours ago.

I was in a hospital room though it didn’t surprise but what did surprise me was the gryphon to my left who was transparent like a ghost. He opened his mouth a few times but no words left his mouth and we just stayed in silence. I looked directly at him as his eyes told me that he meant no harm but also the fact I was the only one able to see him.

“I want you to start training, a training that will help you protect your country,” he finally said in a rough voice. I looked around the room examining the usual light green walls that the castle infirmary had. The room itself simply had the bed I was in and a pull over table thing.

“Am I dead?” I asked curiously looking back towards the gryphon.

“No you are chosen,” he simply stated. He caught my confused look and continued, “I am the guardian of time for this universe meaning I can travel in time. You have been chosen to become this universe’s new guardian of time since I will die by the end of the year.”

“How can you be sure,” I asked vaguely trying to get two questions at once as I sat up in the bed itself.

“When you know about time as well as I do you know when your time is almost up. I can tell you are the new guardian of time by your aura witch has definitely been touched by time itself. The living creature that controls time chooses creatures to basically clean and protect it,” he explained.

“I’m sorry I seem to have forgotten my manners my name is Kenneth,” I said raising a hoof.

“I have long forgotten my true name but the name everything knows me as is Orion,” he said shaking my hoof with his claw. He got up and said, “You will probably run into Indigo before your time here is done. Indigo is the guardian of space for this universe and is usually more straightforward.”

After that he simply faded away and I just stared at where he once stood.