Syn

“Stupid commander...I swear to Celestia that she hates me. All I did was stop a few guests before the wedding, they were suspicious! Who cares that they were nobles...that were personally invited by the Princess Cadence... GAH! I was just doing my duty! He didn’t have to make me patrol the halls alone...during the after party with my favorite DJ too!”

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Wanderin- excuse me “patrolling” the halls of the Canterlot Palace was a single Pegasus guard. Like many of the Pegasus guards of the Solar Court he had a white coat and light blue eyes with golden armor form fitted to his body. His name was Light Sentinel. Light, as he preferred to be called, was serving his punishment out in the western halls of the palace. Although the normal punishment for accosting guest of a royal member were much more severe, the situation allowed for cutting back on it.

The situation? The attempt by Queen Chrysalis, queen of her changeling hive, to overthrow the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna. The sisters somehow came to know of this plot before their adopted niece’s, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or Princess Cadance’s wedding. What they didn’t know was that sometime before the wedding Chrysalis kidnapped, imprisoned, and took Candace’s place using her changeling magic to appear as Cadance. Feeding off of Shining Armor’s love for his fiancee, Cadance, Chrysalis soon became strong enough to challenge and defeat Celestia, arguably stronger of the two sisters.

Chrysalis would have succeeded in ruling over Equestria and all the races that lived in its peaceful borders if it not for Shining Armor’s younger sister and barer of the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle. Indeed Queen Chrysalis ruler of Equestria would have become reality if not for the jealousy of a little sister. Twilight having not seen her older brother in several years was shocked to hear that he was getting married seeming out of no where. Part of her jealousy turned into shock when she learned that her brother, Shining Armor was marrying her old filly-sitter and now princess Cadance. This gave her mixed feelings about the wedding, on one hoof she was happy that her brother was going to be happy but on the other... on the other her brother who was once so very close to her didn’t even tell her that he was dating somepony. It truly vexed her.

Twilight’s jealousy of Candace reached its boiling point causing her to spy on Cadance in the hopes that she would find something to separate Shining Armor and Princess Cadance and call off the wedding. What she found was something else entirely. Twilight managed to stumble upon Queen Chrysalis as she used a spell to control her brother’s mind.

When She confronted Cadance the next day Queen Chrysalis defected the accusations and turned twilight’s friends and mentor against her. However that was not enough for Chrysalis, somepony knew her secret and that somepony needed to be taken care off if only temporarily until a more permanent solution presented its self to her. So when Twilight came back to apologize to Cadance when she was alone, Queen Chrysalis grabbed the opportunity with both hoofs and sent Twilight deep under the palace into the crystal mazes below.

That was Queen Chrysalis’s undoing though. She, knowing or not, sent twilight to the same cavern as the real Princess Cadance. Although suspicious at first, and for good reason, Twilight soon realized that it was the real princess and helped her escape the underground maze and return to the wedding.

They were too late. Queen Chrysalis having absorbed enough love from Shining Armor to surpass even Celestia’s magical strength ordered her hive to attack. Hundreds upon thousands of changeling drones attacked breaking the shield put in place earlier by Shining Armor himself. It was only by luck and love that Shining Armor managed to break the spell controlling him and cast a new shield spell powered by both himself and his fiancee princess Cadance. This spell sent all the changelings in Canterlot rocketing out and towards their natural home, the Badlands. And thus the day was saved by the love between two ponies.

Light, however, was unable to enjoy the festivities as so many of his fellow guards were for reasons already stated. This left him wandering the halls, alone, grumbling to himself and barely paying attention to where he was. That quickly ended when there was a large crash.

Entirely alert and ready for anything, his mind raced through possible causes of the noise, where it came from, and if he would be able to handle it by himself. His mind went even faster when he heard distant voices, one of which sounded much to like  the changeling queen that was recently removed from Canterlot for comfort.

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t expecting it to be so cold okay. It's not even supposed to feel like anything. I'm just glad that it worked to be honest. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“I wish for Leon to explain what that portal was. It...frightened this one.”

“Alright, the Portal i opened was connected to my D.D.I. or the proper name Dimensionally Displaced Inventory. It’s basically like a giant bag that can hold a lot of stuff and is impossible to steal from. It was made with the theory that our souls have the potential to be infinite, to have no ending. This theory allows for us to create a pocket dimension in our own souls. And because it is housed in my soul, which really really hurt by the way, it has the potential to grow as well, getting bigger and allowing for more items to be placed in it. the whole portal thing was because I wasn’t even sure if I could open it anymore since when I woke up my soul was basically wiped clear of anything that was foreign to it like my contracts. The portal is the the most stable way to open the D.D.I. If I couldn’t open it that way then that would have meant that it was gone along with everything that was in it.”

“...I see... I believe that I understand. This one thanks you for explaining it.”

The entire time the two voices spoke they grew closer to where Light stood. It only then that Light remembered that the west wing of the palace was where the majority of the changeling forces from earlier that day came from.

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Leon and the changeling stared at each other for a moment longer before they ran away from the landslide. This happened only for  short time due to Leon running face-first into a solid white wall. The force of Leon’s face hitting it caused it to open slightly and showed that it was a secret passage into the palace. Entering though the passage way Leon started to apologize to the changeling. Absently He took note of the way the walls and ceiling looked and compared it to the ones that he saw often. He looked at the tapestries and the paintings and saw that the majority of the tapestries were of two ponies, one with a white coat and a rainbow colored mane and the other a dark blue coat and a nearly-black blue mane. The rainbow mane one had a stylized sun on its flank and the blue one had a crescent moon in the same place. Mentally he dubbed the rainbow maned one “Sun-butt” and the blue one “Luna”.

His wandering eyes came to halt on the spear point that was being held in between his eyes. Following the spear point down the shaft of the spear he saw the one holding it. It was a Pegasus with a white coat and icy blue eyes wearing golden armor. He, it looked like a he, was somehow holding the spear with his front right hoof. They stared into each others eyes, human to pegasus before a slightly gruff voice came from the stone still pegasus.

“Halt! You are intruding in her highness’s palace. State your name and your intentions as well as why you are walking with that Changeling.”

Leon gulped, “My name is Leon and I’m attempting to find out where I am. This changeling helped guide me here. Could you tell me where we are?”

Light stared at Leon, keeping the changeling in the the corner of his eye, his mind translating what Leon said into such, “My name is Leon and lie lie lie lie lie. This changeling is my ally and I am helping it. Who is in charge now?” Light’s eyes narrowed and grew even colder before he spoke. “We are in the peaceful nation of Equestria and you are under arrest for attempting to disturb this peace!”

Stunned at the sudden arrest, Leon was barely able to lean back avoiding the sweep of the spear point before Light charged at him head down hoping to body-check him. The spear, tossed aside by Light, landed in between the changeling’s legs, tripping it.

Leon watching Light charge him moved to the side and stuck out his foot. Light with his head down didn’t see it until it was too late but luckily managing to avoid it with his front hooves but not with his back hooves. The second Leon felt Light hit his foot he kicked up putting as much strength into it as he could. This made Light fall flank over head and hit the wall that was behind them head first as he attempted to correct his position by flipping in the air.  The force of the hit predictably knocked Light unconscious. As Light slide down to the floor and the changeling finally kicked away the spear and got up Leon let out a sigh filled with utter frustration.

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Celestia stared hard at the report given to her by the guard commander, hoping that she finally got a sense of humor and the report was her way of showing it. From the look on her face, it wasn’t. Apparently, despite her orders on the matter, the guard commander punished a new recruit by giving him patrol duty. That, Celestia had no problem with. Her problem was that he was made to do it alone. And apparently sometime during his solo patrol he came across a changeling and some sort of creature named Leon. They had fought and knocked out the recruit, a Light Sentinel. This could be proven from the bruise on the recruit’s head and the fact that the changeling was found carrying his unconscious body with its magic. Why the pair didn’t just leave him there was unknown according to the report. Likely the patrol the pair stumbled across didn’t ask. Ah yes the patrol they knocked out the pair fairly quickly but somehow caused a small fire. The newest and youngest member of that patrol claims that it was the changeling that did it despite the fact that the changeling was knocked out fairly early in the fight.

Well the pair was then place into the nearest dungeon, was left with two guards and the remaining members of the patrol split up, one group to report to the guard commander and the other to continue the patrol. Thus leading to the report being held in front of Celestia’s face by her golden yellow magic.

“Retrieve the duo from the dungeon they are located in and bring them here. I shall return momentarily, I must go wake my sister. I fear that she will be needed for this. If we have not returned before you return then wait here for us.”

With her order out into action by the guard commander, Celestia rose from her throne and exited the throne room from a side passage that lead almost directly to her and her sister’s bedrooms. Nodding to the guards she pasted absent-mindly, Celestia thought of the possible reasons a changeling might still be with in the boundaries of Canterlot. In truth she couldn’t think a reason. The spell that expelled the changelings earlier was still active feeding off of the residual magic and love that was in the air around Canterlot.

Putting the changeling issue aside for a moment, Celestia thought of the strange creature that was with the changeling. From the report it is similar to minotaurs in shape with a short mane on its head of the same color as he coat, it wore lightly armored clothing and it could speak. From the voice its possible that it is a he. It could use magic without a horn too.

The report made out the magic to look... dark. If that is the case then regardless of the reason for it being here it would executed... privately of course as to not upset the general population. That kind of magic could not be allowed to spread. Celestia dread to think of what must happen if it did. She shook her head, enough of those dark thoughts it was time to wake up her sister.

Opening the door to her sister’s bedroom a small smile grew on her face as she looked around the dark room. Painted dark blue on the walls and a night-time shade of violet on the ceiling made for a pleasantly cool room, on the walls hung posters of various things that Luna grew to like, and in some cases love, most of them being movie posters. Celestia chuckled quietly when she realized that, despite her thousand year long banishment, Luna has embraced modern culture even better than Celestia herself. Looking over at the slightly snoring bundle of blankets, Celestia remembered the reason for coming here and frowned.

“Sister wake up. I fear that you’re presence is need for an urgent matter.”

All that got was a small grunt and a mumbled “Moon-brand cheesecake...” before the snores began again. Sighing Celestia walked over to the light blue window curtain before pulling it open letting in rays of sun that Celestia directed directly towards Luna’s closed eyes. It wasn’t long after that that Luna woke up with a sleepily spoken, “go away.”

“Luna I need you to come with me. There was a... situation earlier and I need your help I’m afraid.”

“...wha’as ‘append?...”

Celestia rolled her eyes and spoke of the earlier invasion and the pair being escorted to the throne room. Luna woke completely up when her sister spoke of the invasion before calming down and listening to the rest of what Celestia was saying.

“Sister... I do hope that this is not another dark magic situation, but if it is... then i wish to be the one that does the deed. I...even if it is not what once possessed me it would still give me some...feeling of closure.”

Celestia was worried for Luna. Yes it would be some form of closure, but she was asking to execute a creature that she has no knowledge before. Her little sister, who has not once spilt the blood of another, executing somepony... However all it took for Celestia to agree was the lost and pain-filled on Luna’s face.

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“...ow...”

“Changeling and the creature known as Leon, you have been charged with intruding into the royal palace, resisting the guards attempts to capture you, starting a fire within the royal palace and finally the most heinous crime, possessing and using dark magic. How do you plead?”

Rubbing his head, Leon looked up and saw several things; One: a large room full of those golden armored pegasi and unicorns, Two: two large thrones, and finally Three: The same ponies from the tapestries sitting in said thrones.

“ I plead not guilty on all cases except for resisting...ow...and having dark magic”

The pain had faded awhile ago but Leon continued to act as if he was in pain so he could hopefully find out a way get out of what ever was happening to him and his changeling friend.

“According to reports and eyewitnesses you, creature were about to preform an assumed hostile spell. The magic used was a dark black and did not act as magic normally does, matching the similarities of all dark magic. Do you still deny the accusation?”

“I do. I can not nor can I ever use dark syn.”

Celestia was silent as she stared at Leon but Luna glared at him. It was she that spoke next and though she tried to keep it level the pure rage she was feeling still leaked through drawing a small glance from Celestia.

“Sin? We speak of dark magic. Do you dare make a mockery of us?”

Leon sighted at what she said. He shook his head and closed his eyes before looking in Luna’s eyes. What he saw was rage, fear, sorrow... all the emotions of someone that had been hurt badly. When the changeling spoke of magic earlier and asked how he could do it with out a horn, Leon knew that there was something off. The entire world knew of Syn, several races could use it after all. They all knew of the seven types of Syn as well. When ever someone spoke of magic they meant Syn. They didn’t actually mean magic. Leon could recognize all of the equine species that were in the room around him too. None of them could talk. And yet here they were talking and, from what he could see, even have a monarchy.

“...It would appear that we three are speaking of two different things. I speak of Syn, the mystical power formed and shaped by the soul. There are seven elements or types of Syn; Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Shadow, Light, and... Dark. Not a single one of them can be called good or evil. The user of Syn, yes but not the Syn itself.”

Silence. The eyes of every equine in the room were wide with something akin to shock. Luna and Celestia shared a look before both looked back at Leon. Celestia walked down the step to stand in front of Leon.

“If what you say is true then I shall not find a trace of dark magic with in you correct? If I do will you accept any and all punishment?”

Looking straight into her eyes, Leon pulled himself to his full height and spoke with confidence.

“Yes.”