Prologue: Friendship is Magic: Shadows of the Past...
Deep inside a cave beneath Canterlot...
Princess Celestia traveled through the dark tunnels, avoiding any potential deathtraps along the way with ease. The whole place was covered in them! Most of the cave contained several holes in the ground that spanned for more than tens of thousands of feet. While a Pegasus could easily fly from a fall like that to stop the fall, the air within the cave was too murky, so their wings would only weigh them down more.
The death traps were mostly natural, from roots that covered the holes, to loose rocks that could hinder movement. Not to mention the many crystallized spikes that either stuck out from the ceiling, the ground, or occasionally, both, were more than capable of either falling and stabbing, or impaling those unfortunate enough to be in the spike's path. There was, without a doubt, no possible way that anyone could survive this cave without a proper escort.
Celestia, however, knew this whole cave by heart, due to it being the resting place of her first true friend. It was also the last place in the world that any creature would ever be able to find any whereabouts on her friend's race and culture. It only had one entrance, and that entrance was guarded by a secret bookcase that only Celestia herself would have access to, so she wasn't worried about anyone following her in.
Princess Celestia was wearing a large saddlebag on her back, which contained bare necessities that she needed, like food and water, but they also contained blankets and jackets that she would wear when she reached cold points of the cave. She was also wearing white plated armor with a golden trim on the sides, to protect her from any unwanted enemies.
So far, the only potential enemies that she fought were nothing more than a few Snapper Snakes, large creatures that could easily snap the heads off of an unwary target. She did, however, encounter a small group of Changelings, but since she was alone in the cave, they were unable to disguise themselves as anyone, so she easily dealt with them with her spear. Even though she loathed violence, she also loathed creatures that attacked her subjects on a daily basis, without any signs of remorse.
At that moment, she was standing in a long, narrow tunnel that looked like it's been dug into long ago, and it followed a curvy path that separated the hole-infested side of the cave with a rather sturdy-grounded one.
When she reached the very end of the tunnel, she looked up, and smiled. Quietly, she muttered to herself, "It's been a while since I've been here..."
Right in front of her was a fallen boulder that sat in the center of the tunnel's dusty road. It had an old, worn-out archway resting on it that had a sign that read "Evalon" nailed on the top of it. With her magic, Celestia formed an arched hole on the boulder, allowing her through, before she used her magic to close it back again. Then, she walked through the desolated streets of a city that was underground, and filled with old ruined buildings that still appeared scorched, but also rotten over the millenniums.
Anything that was wood within the houses were already fallen down, and filled with holes and bugs. The bottoms of the buildings, however, appeared intact, since they were made of stone, after all, yet they also had large portions of moss that covered most of them. In the center of the town square was an old, broken fountain that used to have a statue of a human king, Alvo Stormblade, holding his right hand up, which was grasping a longsword, but the statue was already fallen, and covered in too much moss to make it seem even slightly close to human-like. In fact, at first glance, one would assume it to just be a large pile of moss-covered rocks that might've fallen from the top of the cave.
At the far-right corner of the entrance stood a mausoleum, which was where Celestia was heading. On the top of the doorway to the mausoleum was a stone sign that read "Here lies the Royal Knights of King Alvo Stormblade. May they rest in eternal peace.".
Then, Celestia looked at her cutie marks, and sighed, with a saddened expression on her face. "I'm sorry, old friend... but it is important that I take you from your peace for the sake of Equestria..."
At once, she used her magic to open the door, while she slowly trotted down the stairs that went down about three loops of ten steps each, before stopping at the square-framed entrance of a large dark room that had many coffins around the walls. While passing by, however, she closed the door again behind her.
While walking through the room filled with coffins, Celestia didn't stop at any of those within the walls, but did mutter soft words of comfort to the fallen, while she trotted through a circled out archway that led to an even larger room. Within that room was a large square platform that had only one coffin on it, with four torches that marked the edges of the coffin. The coffin was placed in the center of the platform, and the platform was in the center of the room. There was another door on the other side of the room, but she wasn't concerned about that one at the time, but she looked at the door, and muttered out, "I'm sorry, King Alvo, but I need to borrow your knight."
Celestia slowly trotted up the five steps of the platform, and stared down at the coffin. Then, with her magic, she lifted the top of the coffin, and gently leaned the lid right beside the coffin's far-right corner, while she stared inside, a saddened look covering her face even more.
There, with his arms crossed over his chest, was the decayed body of a knight in old, rusty silver full-plate armor that had a sleeveless tabard wrapped around his chest that lowered to his knees. The knight's armor's coat of arms was the sun, in the shape of Celestia's Cutie Mark.
His helmet was an old and rusty Flat-topped Great Helm, and the visor covered his face entirely, but inside, it was covered in red, but black-spotted decayed flesh.
The breastplate, though below the tabard, was once a shiny silver color that was also reflective, and had a pair of faulds below them that were strapped over the tabard. It was now covered in enough rust to deem it beyond repair.
His gauntlets also had a lot of rust on them, yet they still had a few spots that were still reflective, although the darkness of the cave proved to be difficult to notice, even with Celestia's "Light-Emitter" Spell active.
His leggings were about the same as the gauntlets as far as rust and reflectiveness goes.
His pauldrons that were strapped onto his shoulders, however, weren't that rusty, compared to the other armor pieces.
His boots were about the same, which surprised Celestia, because she had a feeling a long time ago that those would be the most likely to rust first, considering he walked on them a lot. Then again, they were also polished a lot, thanks to his regular patrols he made around the kingdoms.
Within his hands was a longsword that had a thin U-shaped guard made of iron, a blade made of steel, and a grip made of a darker iron than the guard. It was, without a doubt, very dull, and undeniably rusty, although the alligator leather-coated iron sheath that covered it made it difficult to tell at the time.
Halfway down the sheath was a kite shield that also had the Sun Cutie Mark on it, although the condition it was in made it nearly impossible to tell. It was made of iron, yet it also had a wooden coating that the coat of arms was engraved on.
After examining her friend for a good five minutes, Celestia's eyes began to fill with tears at the sight of the condition her old friend was in. After taking a deep breath, she looked down, and muttered, "I only wish I didn't have to see you like this," she looked back up at the body, "...Justin."
Then, she closed her eyes, and lowered her horn at the corpse knight, while her Cutie Mark began to glow a golden color, along with the hands and eye sockets of the body. While the glowing began to increase, the torches on all four corners of the platform started to light up, revealing a one-foot tall golden wisp in the center of the room that slowly glided into the chest of the corpse before disappearing.
After a minute of nonstop glowing, the corpse knight took a deep breath from within the helmet, and exhaled deeply, before sitting straight up, and breathing heavily. Then, he raised his right hand, and moved his fingers around, before repeating that process with his left. Finally, he moved his toes inside the metal boots, and sighed in relief when he felt his toes moving. Afterwards, he moved his neck around, which made a cracking noise as he did.
When his stretching was complete, he slowly started to rise from the coffin, but sat back down when he noticed his surroundings. Quickly looking to his left, he spotted Princess Celestia, and gasped. "Lady Tia?! Dost mine eyes deceive me?!" he asked in a surprised tone.
With an amused smile, Celestia shook her head, and replied, "It's been too long, Justin!" After that, Justin slowly stood from the coffin, and slowly limped to Celestia, where they both embraced in a friendly hug.
After the thirty second hug, Justin slowly broke it, and chuckled, "I see thou hath summoned me from the Spirit World, at last!" But then his tone changed to a serious one once he saw her worried face. "I know that look... you hath felt it as well, I presume?" She nodded at him, and sighed. "So what be that dark force that dares taint these lands, milady?"
She mentally noted that she should fill him in on the modern grammar soon. Even so, she looked down, and replied, "From a distant town, I've been informed that the woods that were near it were hit with the plague known of Shadowblight... I'm sure you've heard of it, right?"
Justin folded his arms across his chest, and had his right gauntlet over his chin, although it was covered in the helmet. "The phantom mist that uses the corpses of it's fallen foes as a body. Indeed, I've read about it in my studies within Everfree Village. Wasn't it all destroyed by Holy Magic, though?"
Celestia nodded her head, and replied, "I know for certain it was, as you and I can sense any forms of Necromancy from anywhere! In fact, I summoned you here because I need your help in ridding it from the Everfree-" She stopped herself immediately, remembering that Justin was dead long before the fall of humanity. No doubt it would be harsh for him to know, but it was important that he did know about the fate of Everfree Village.
Justin tilted his head, and asked, "Milady? Are you alright? Dost thou require my aid in Ponyland, as well?! I would see no fault in that, if that be the case!"
Again, her eyes watered up, while she weakly spoke. "Justin... how much do you remember... about your death?"
Justin froze there for a second, and sighed. "It was... a day of remorse, to say the least... the whole city was burning, and I was assigned to aid in the frontline... the battle was almost won in our favor... until a large red knight, cladded in green armor, with a horned helmet, stepped up, and... with one mighty swing of his sword..." At once, the sound of the screaming, the suffering, and the flames, started to ring in his head, while his hands started to shake. Then, he looked down, and sighed. "...I was unable to stop him... along with my allies beside me, and behind." He looked back up, and asked, "Please inform me, Lady Tia... How many survivors are left?"
Celestia's tears fell from her eyes, and at once, her voice started to shake, while she lightly cried. "J-Justin... I... think you should follow me... but this pain you might feel... it'll be far worse than death itself, I fear." Without another word, Justin slowly nodded, and followed her down the stairs, through the arched frame, followed by the squared one, and up the stairs. The door that separated the inside from the outside was still closed, so Celestia waited for Justin to get close to her, before revealing the bad news by opening the doors.
"Why do we tarry, Milady?" Justin asked, tilting his head.
Celestia lowered her head, and replied, "Beyond this door... lies Evalon... but what you will see will surely not be what you would expect... would you rather I teleport us away, instead?"
Justin gave it some thought, but shook his head. "If I were to conceal the truth, it would undoubtedly bother me later... and yes... I am ready."
With a slow nod, Celestia's horn glowed, and at once, the door slowly opened, revealing the ruins of the ghost town. Justin looked around it, and gasped. "Evalon..." Then, he lowered his head, and sighed. "I see... so we were unable to keep the Capital City... but what of the inhabitants? Surely SOMEONE must've survived, right?!" He looked at Celestia, who was still crying. With a saddened look on her face, she shook her head, while looking down slightly.
"It hurts me dearly to say this, Justin, but..." After taking a deep breath, she slowly trotted to him, and placed her hooves on his shoulders. "Due to the dark power of Tirek, the 'Demon Knight' that took your life, he went on a conquest for blood and power... which resulted in a genocide... and from what you can see, I'm certain you know who the target of that genocide was."
Justin stood there silently, taking the harsh news in. "So... what thou sayeth is... Humanity... it's extinct, now?" Again, she slowly nodded.
After a moment of silence, Justin sighed, clearly sounding troubled with the news. Even so, he brushed Celestia's mane the way he used to, which made her smile weakly, while he said, "Well... I thank thee for informing me of this, Lady Tia... is there anything else I should be made aware of?" He paused. "H-how fares thine family? Is Queen Sundance well?"
Celestia sighed, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Justin, but... all of our friends from that era are dead, along with Mother, Father, and even Aunt Twilight. Now, only I rule the throne... I'll inform you the details as we escape this cave... there is much we need to discuss."
Justin gasped, and pointed to her. "Wait, so... thou art the QUEEN, now?!"
Again, she shook her head, then replied, "Due to the kingdom formerly being co-ruled by my sister and I, we decided to abolish the titles of 'King' and 'Queen', and instead remained 'Princess Celestia', and 'Princess Luna'... but..." She sighed, and lowered her head again, as she stopped in place.
They were standing near the broken well, which Justin occasionally looked at, but his attention was fully on Celestia at this point. He noticed the disturbance in her emotions, and patted her right shoulder with his left hand, before saying in a comforting tone, "If thou art incapable to speak thine next words, thou haveth no reason to do so, Milady." Again, he lifted his left hand, and gently brushed her mane with his fingers, which made her giggle.
"You always have been such a kind soul to me... I'm thankful that at least YOU became a Sun Guardian." After taking a deep breath, she continued. "A thousand years ago, my sister and I... we... got into an argument..." Then, her eyes teared up, while Justin gently wiped them away with his left hand. "The argument soon led to violence... and then..." After a brief stutter, she continued. "She even managed to strike me, and nearly took my life..." She looked up at Justin, who was looking down. "Within the Spirit World, weren't you only able to see other humans at all?"
Justin nodded. "Indeed, but only Queen Megan... and even so, my past few millenniums were spent alone, due to her suddenly disappearing without a trace." Celestia's eyes widened, and she gasped. This, of course, caught Justin's attention. "Before she left, though, she at least managed to bless me with the capability of using magic... but that is off the subject at hand. What, pray tell, has caught thine attention, Milady?"
Celestia sighed, and looked down again. "I know what happened to Queen Megan... but it is imperative that we wait on that answer, and focus more on how to restore your body to it's full condition." After she said that, Justin removed his right gauntlet, and nodded, as he saw his burnt rotten-fleshed hand that had the glowing sun mark. "But before any of those, we have to wait, because my subjects need my aid right now. At this time, I request that you get used to the ways how you use your magic... how much have you practiced in the Spirit World?"
He lifted his right hand, and snapped his bare fingers together, and at once, a small flame combusted from above them. Then, he balled his hand into a fist over the fire, which made it dissipate. Finally, he looked at a nearby stone signpost, and snapped his fingers, which made it glow in a bright yellow and white light, before it levitated from the ground, and slowly hovered towards him, and shape-shift into a stone chair, which he sat on shortly after. "I've been practicing on a daily basis, Milady... so I feel I don't need much training... in fact, I was even informed on how to move the Sun and Moon, thanks to Queen Megan, but since I'm to serve thee, I feel it unnecessary to do so, unless given permission." Then, he placed his gauntlet back on, and sighed.
In a serious, and slightly disappointed-sounding tone, he spoke, "But going back on the main subject... Little Luna actually STRUCK thee?! And since thou both art Alicorns, I feel she used magic, which, indeed, could prove fatal! Please continue!"
Celestia nodded, and said, "Very well, then... she struck me down, and nearly took my life." She looked up at him again, and asked, "Tell me... how much do you know about the 'Elements of Harmony'?"
Justin rested his arms on his waist, and said in a casual manner, "Queen Megan informed me that she planned on using it as a way to protect the citizens from the evils of the world. I found it quite clever, actually... to use a resource such as 'Friendship' is truly a worthy goal, and undoubtedly powerful, depending on the level of friendship it involves. If it rests in the right hands, surely it would prove to be a force to be reckoned with!"
With a nod, Celestia said, "Correct... well, I had no other choice but to... to..." Again, her head lowered down, while her tears poured from her eyes. Justin took notice, and quickly embraced her, gently patting her on the back. After she took a few deep breaths, she continued, "I... had no other choice, but to banish Luna to the moon... for a thousand years!"
Justin nodded, and said, "Knowing how age doesn't kill ponies, I would have to say it must've been what had to be done. I'm thankful thou hadn't banished her permanently, though. As the saying goes... 'Time can be the greatest remedy'." Then, he took both hands, and gently wiped the tears from Celestia's face. "Please, though, don't fret about me! If thou must do thine duties, I hath no say in it, for thine duties must come first!" Then he gave a light chuckle, before continuing. "I beg of thee, though, please do not forget about me down here, for I see no way out!"
After he said that, Celestia's eyes widened. "Oh, of course! Please hold on a second!" With that, her horn began to glow, and at once, a stone pillar grew from the ground in the center of the walkway, just a couple feet away from the well, and close to the road that led to the Mausoleum. It was about five feet wide, and rose up twenty feet high, and at the tip of it was a statuesque head of a Unicorn.
Justin scratched the back of his head, and asked, "What would this be for, Your Highness?"
Celestia turned towards him, smiled, and replied, "This is where we will be able to travel back and forth from here to my castle. It took me one whole week to get down here, after all!" When she said that, Justin's eye sockets widened, while she continued to speak. "I will place a portal on it that'll take you to a room that only I can open... well, I'd suppose you can open it too, since we share the same power, but I'll need you to remain hidden. For safety sake, though, I'll need you to remain here for the time being, and read up on this book." Celestia's horn glowed a bright golden color, while the flap on her right saddlebag opened, and out levitated a book that read "The Complete Guide of Modern Equestria". "Once the time is right, I will open the portal for us to travel back and forth from."
When she handed Justin the book, he nodded his head. "I shall not rest until every word is memorized, Milady! How long, though, must I wait, until thine choice is made to open the portal?"
After placing her right hoof over her chin, Celestia asked, "Would three months be alright with you? No doubt you'll need plenty of time to practice the modern speech, after all!"
With a nod, Justin replied, "Three months sounds perfect, Milady! I shall be looking forward to our next encounter with good spirits!"
Then, they both embraced in another thirty second hug, before Celestia said, "Thank you, Justin... I'm looking forward to it! Oh, and... I'm happy to see you again, friend!"
"And I am joyful to see you again, Princess Celestia... my friend." He replied, patting her on the shoulders.
With the plan set into motion, Celestia's horn began to glow brightly, and in an instant, she disappeared in a flash of light, while Justin looked down at the book, and smiled. With a basic spell, he made his eyes... well, eye-sockets... capable of seeing in the dark, while he walked towards the seat that he made, sat down on it, and opened the book, starting with a chapter titled "Common Speech: To Say, or NOT To Say: The Equestrian Way, from Day-To-Day"
With a smirk, Justin said, "Art thou serious? This shan't be a problem at all!" before reading the words out loud.
While he was down there practicing his speech, and memorizing the significant locations of Equestria, Princess Celestia was reuniting with her sister, while the citizens of Ponyville were congratulating their new heroes, The Elements of Harmony, for the safe return of their beloved princesses.
