Ch. 1 Happily Recruited
Eight years ago today was the the new year, the new year was promised to be a peaceful and happy time. But as the clock struck twelve a group of power hungry unicorns took a step that even Celestia would be disgusted at. The group stole mares and colts form their homes and brought them to an ancient temple. A temple that was housed deep under the town of Ponyvile. That temple was dedicated to Tirek, In that temple the group led by a unicorn warlock named Indigo Rial made a pact with demons for eminence power. But such power is not without a price. In exchange for power the demons demanded tribute, a blood sacrifice.
Rial obeyed and gave the blood of three mares and three colts to the demons. Thus Maleficar were born, unicorns who use blood for magical power. Soon Rial and his cult grew stronger and many unicorns joined the cult, not knowing what evil and horror that lay waiting for them underneath the thin sheet of smoke . Full guilds of unicorns were swayed by the demons power, soon the corruption spread throughout Equestria. Earth ponies along with Pegasus soon banded together to combat against the blood magic threat.
Even the most experienced and respected Unicorns were subject to corruption. Even princess Celestia, who ruled over Equestria was accused of being a blood mage herself. The rising tide of threats from the ponies weighed heavily on her mind. But she was too horrified withthe events unfolding around her to end the threat.
The final blow to Celestia's reign was in the form of a maleficar terrorist group that set demons upon the city of Cantorlot, a group that Celsestia herself safeguarded for '' study ''. Behind the walls of the grand city, the blood mages unleashed an orgy of violence and demons; Little more than half of the city fell into the water that day. The waterfall ran red and many innocent died that day, the waters ran red with guilty and innocent alike. With the city in ruins princess Luna declared martial law and reprieved her sister of authority, casting her sister deep within the dungeons beneath Canterlot. As a symbol of her new reign , Luna created an order of Templar's to hunt down any threats against Equestira.
Ponies form all over joined the order and hounded the endlessly under the watchful eye of Master commander Gilda. The newly appointed Master-Commander hunted the maleficar with out mercy. Throughout her short time as Master-Commander her methods with dealing with Maleficar have sparked a great deal of controversy. The unicorns who did not use blood magic were deemed ''unpredictable '' by the Templar order. Even unicorns who were disgusted by blood magic were corralled and held in various '' sanctuary's '' and sanctums when the threat was over and done. It has been eight years since then.
Those few rouge unicorns who escaped the Templar's were deemed apostates. Gilda demanded all apostates to submit to the Templar's or be killed. Now unicorns are looked down upon by the ponies of Equestria as crazed killers or second class citizens at best.
Cursed are the Maleficar, by Luna's grace all unicorns shall submit to the Order.
. . .
Her heart pounded against her rib cage so much that it threatened to leap out of her chest. This was the day she had been training for months, the day that decided her life, the day that she held herself to an oath of loyalty, the first step to saving lives. Her joining. Her hooves sweated and her head felt light with anticipation. She could scream with excitement, she would be on the front lines defending her-
'' Dash ! '' called her commander.
Dash shot her gaze towards her commander and her head felt hollow at his words. She stood up and saluted to her commander. He laid a hoof on her shoulder that seemed to be heavier than flesh and bone.
'' Don't worry lass, your giving yourself to something far bigger than even you and I, and by Luna's grace calm your nerves you'll do fine your not alone in this.'' he said, removing his hoof from her shoulder.
She looked closely at his hoof and saw that it was made of metal. Probably a '' gift '' from a Maleficar, but she had heard stories of ponies losing a lot more than just hooves. Her commander smiled again and patted her back again and walked off. She let out a worried sigh and felt her knees wobble. She picked herself up and held her head high. The Templar's were her home now and with it she had new brothers and sisters. Ponies will come to depend on her. She took a deep breath and walked towards the joining room.
'' Hey Dash ! wait up '' said Saorin, with a dumb smile as ever. He was covered in his Templar armor from head to hoof, he opened his visor and smiled again.
'' Saorin hi I can't talk right now I'm of to my joining, but after I do I want to duel you in the courtyard. '' she pointed a hoof to his newly crafted sword.
'' Ha ! we'll see, anyway I don't want to keep you. Try not die in there, I heard rumors '' he jokingly said as he trotted down the hall, letting the echo of rumor hang in the air.
Dash smirked at her friend. Saorin would have to wait, her joining was ahead. Before she opened the doors she looked towards the ground and breathed one finale breath. Before she could talk herself out of it she rushed through the doors with a arrogant grin, but she stopped in her tracks. A group of six stood around an alter with a ornate sword on it. Their faces and eyes were fixed in a very stern expression. They bowed and took their place around the alter, each placing a hoof on the metal.
Dash bowed and placed her hoof on the guard of the sword, as is custom. The hilt of the sword was made out of some kind of black metal,t he blade was made from some kind of crystal, and the guard was made from a glassed gold. The elder of the group cleared her throat and fixed her eyes on Dash.
'' Rainbow Dash of Cloudsdale. You are here among the elders of the Order, the first and most experienced. By your dedication and will your have proven yourself worthy of the Templar Order. Do you wish to commune with us, sacrificing everything else. Love, Earthly desires, and most of all your life to the Order. What say you ? '' she asked.
'' I wish you join you above anything else '' Dash said with her hoof trembling from her nerves.
'' Then I shall say the words of the joining. The words of the first, and the words of the last. '' she said as cleared her throat again.
'' On this Seldom night, we gather, by the light we remember .
By the sword of Luna's father you shall give all things to our Grace.
Swear undying futility to our Grace, Luna.
Swear your life to destroying every Maleficar that walks this land
Swear loyalty to the Crown, The Order, your brothers and sisters.
The flames of the order dwell with in you, let the flame never die . ''
Dash almost fainted as the Elder said the final words. It was over, and she came through unscathed and safe. A blacksmith came to brand the symbol of the Templar's on her hoof and she nearly screamed as he did. But the Joining was over and she was anew. She was a Templar.
One month later
The rain relentlessly fell on Dash's hood, the chill seeped even through the leather. She gave a mesmerized stare into the frosted window of a nearby tavern. The warmth of the lights from inside barley melted the culminating frost on the panes. She hadn't slept soundly since her joining, one month ago. She had mostly kept to the training yards and armory's, but she grew angry with her teachers, she was the top student in the academy , but she was still a recruit. '' Not yet fit for Maleficar hunting. ''
This was her first real task in weeks, guard duty. She thought she would be traveling the world, seeing exotic lands, slaying Maleficar's, and most of all being a hero. But for now she was stuck in an cold, rainy, and muddy place called Ponyvile. Nowhere to fly, and no where to see the sun shine. This was the place the uprising started after all ! But now all there was left to do was drink and patrol, she was born eight years to late.
Somepony patted her on the the back, an it sent her flying. It was Saorin, he had became the new commander of the Ponyvile Templar Division ( PTD ) after the previous commander was killed by a demon enraged cat named Mr. Snuggles After she gathered herself she saluted awkwardly to her new commander.
'' Calm down Dash, come with me we have business to attend too, for starters this will be your first raid on an actual Maleficar holding.. Oh forgive me you look bitterly cold, take this. '' he said awkwardly extending a finely knitted rainbow scarf to Dash.
'' You can't be serious ! finally some action ! '' She said in her excitement.
Right after she said this Saorin gave her a quick wink and She blushed, quickly wrapping the scarf around her neck. The two shared another awkward blush and Dash followed him down the drowning street. The cold splash of the water numbed her legs, the chill seeped even through her thick leather boots. Dash saw as the violent rainfall clashed against the walls of the homes, most likely loosening the shingles. The rhythm of the water pounded in her ears, she could lose herself to it.
Saorin lead to the town square. Rows and rows of Templar's, old and young stood in front of an ornate looking home. He motioned his stallions and a group of five walked into the home. Dash was about to ask what was going on when a scream broke her train of thought.
'' Get your dirty hooves off of her ( gagged ) mmpherf ! '' yelled the mother who was soon gagged with a dirty cloth.
A whole family was brought out, two filly's, a father bound in iron, and a newly gagged mother. Dash tried to lay a hoof on her friends shoulder, but Saorin pulled away before she could. He trotted next to the father and removed his gag, the father's eyes locked on his kids. Saorin pulled out his now chipped and blunt sword and held it up to the fathers neck.
'' Ser Rust Wood, you have been accused of being a Maleficar. Reports from all over the town have lead to your capture, what say you ? '' Saorin asked with a certain steel edge in his voice. The father looked down and Dash could see tears in his eyes. Tears or the rain.
'' I-I did what I had too, I had to secure my family even if it meant I would be corrupted. I know, w-we all know what the Order would do with apostates ! But please I beg you just spare my family, I'll go to the sanctums j-just spare my family please ! '' The father cried.
Saorin stood alone in the rain. He looked to the other Templar's, but they all looked away, except Dash. Saorin looked at her and sighed, he held the blade to the fathers neck and motioned to Dash to come over. Reluctantly she came, feeling something wrong in her stomach.
'' Dash take the filly's, I don't want them to see this. You Ser Rust Wood have admitted to a known Maleficar, we all know how thses things end. By the grace of Luna I grant you pardon from your hideous and wretched existence , I sentence you to death. '' Saorin said with a stiff upper lip, but Dash could hear the tremble in his voice.
Dash shook her head in shock to his words. She stared at the filly's whimpering and flustered faces. Before she could take them she tore herself up inside, not wanting to do this to somepony's kids. She bit her lip hard to the point of bleeding, but before she could lay a hoof on them she heard a deep bellow.
'' You shall not have them ! '' yelled the-the thing next to her. The handsome father had turned into a fleshy, and bloated monstrosity. His voice bellowed like thunder and she was thrown from the filly's. Her back slammed against a stone well, snapping one of her wings on impact.
Saorin fell on his back as well, horror filled his eyes as his sword toppled to the wet stone. The abomination shook with a flurry of yellow fire that burned around him. The filly's had escaped into their home and stood in the doorway, their eyes fixed on their father's new look.
'' K-kill them ! Kill all of them ! '' yelled Saorin, scrambling to his hoofs. Two burly Templar stallions rushed up to the mother and abomination.
Before the mother could defend a slick and slender blade shot trough her throat. Dash put a hoof to her eyes but this did not save her from what was unfolding. The mother's body fell still, a mask of horror plastered on her face for eternity. Her blood swirled in the water like it was a bath tubs drain. Seeing the corpse of his wife splash in the water the abomination shot up, screaming to the high heavens. He cut down the two Templar's and their blood splashed in the water as well.
A group of Templar's rushed towards the abomination, swords swinging wildly in the air. Dash could feel her throat become scratchy and felt her face become hot with tears. A flurry of blood of both abomination and Templar tainted the water around them. After over five minutes of slashing and screams the Templar's drew back, all in a huff, their ranks very much thinner.
The body of the abomination laid still in the street. His sharp and bony hoof outstretched towards his wife. Dash threw up her lunch and a fellow Templar held her tight. The blood of both unicorns swirled together in the square, at least they together at the end. Dash looked up towards the filly's. The eldest held a face of promise towards Dash. She froze as she could see a small horn extending out of the little filly's mane.
