Adonai Castle, Everfree Forest, Present Day
The moon shone brightly down on Equestria, glancing it's light in the corners and windows of the castle. No wind stirred the wild trees of the everfree forest, as if it waited with baited breath for the moon to set. The cold stone rose into a majestic castle, turrets and Gothic architecture rising into the night sky.
The insects and animals cooed softly in their dens, silently awaiting the dawn. Inside the castle, the lush carpets stretched from hall to hall and the dim torches burned slowly, crackling softly through the empty rooms. In the main hall, two regal thrones presided over it all. One decorated with the gentle colors of night and the other with the brilliant hues of day. They were the thrones of this worlds protectors, to be passed down to their small daughters.
An elegant alicorn mare stepped into the room, her sunset mane flowing in a cloud of magic around her. She barely touched the ground as she walked, and made no sound and she stood beside the daylight throne. Her cream colored coat shed a soft light on the floor around her, her russet and violet mane and tail shining brilliantly with sunlight.
"What is it you want from me, Geonosia?" Her voice was filled with quiet power and authority, masking any fear she may have felt. Another alicorn of similar regality unmasked herself from behind a marble pillar, her mane of the same coloration floating quietly as her fiery golden eyes sparked angrily.
"What a very odd thing to ask, my lovely Galaxia. I wanted to see my dearest sister and her newborn fillies of course." Her voice was soft and silky, but not like Galaxias' own voice. It had an underlying sinister tone, as if ice was pricking at your ears. She slowly trotted up the stairs to stand beside the midnight throne, the light of her own mane and Galaxias casting highlights and shadows on her black coat. "You cannot see them. Go back to whence you came. You've disgraced and fallen from our house, return there now, shadow."
Geonosia bowed her head, her mane falling across her eyes, blocking most of her face. A slow, crazed grin slowly spread across it, silent and eerie. "Oh sister, I did think you would be smarter than that. You still fight for the foolishness of the Raito. How disappointing." Galaxia blinked and the dark Alicorn was gone. There was no noise as the all the torches were extinguished. Before she could turn, knowing the trick that would be played, a icy, firm sheet of metal pressed against her throat, a soft husky voice in her ear, one filled with madness and malice. "Your world will be mine, I swear it, my dear." The voice grew in a laugh, the laugh into a cackle, and she vanished.
Staggering back, Galaxia looked feverishly at the walls around her. They glittered in the low light, reflecting back the moonlight streaming in through the windows, as Geonosias voice echoed venomously, "Justice will be dealt, my vendetta fulfilled. You waited too long."
As the creator of light in this chaotic world, she hadn't felt fear in it yet. It darkened whatever joyous thoughts she had about it. She again felt the presence of darkness pressing in, the very same one she and Nocturn had felt when they came here. Reaching a hoof up to her throat, she found a small trail of blood, the crimson staining her pale coat. Not deep, but enough to remind Galaxia of what she had done. Pride was once her tool, a thing that she controlled and adored, without thought. But with that vain sense of being, she had neglected one whom she should have loved.
For like in the terrifying vision she had seen whilst learning her the magic to raise the light in this Equestria, the two monstrous mares, one whose heart was black as night and eyes radiated nightmares, the other whose tongue spun tales like a snake, she'd made a fatal mistake. Shaking her head, she stepped back into the side hall, her usually pleasant mind clouded by speculation and mist. In her vision, she knew it boiled down to abandoning one's family for duty, that much was clear. She could not yet recognize the ponies in the vision, but it still gripped her mind like eagles claws.
How long would her thoughts be haunted by a thing that may not ever come t pass? She asked herself but denied the true answer. She too had deserted her family for her grace, her duty. Perhaps the mares in that horrible dream were her and her sister, both gone mad. Her mind whirled around and around, reflecting on her life. What she had done, and what was about to happen, was something she wished she could shy away from and forget forever.
She'd forgotten her sister all those years ago, and the vengeance the forgotten brought was terrible. The ghost of her dead sister still plagued her, and Galaxia knew it wouldn't be so very long until that apparition would take back the reigns of the living.
Chapter One - Times Of Old
Ansaina, homeworld of the Raito - 100 years previous
Floating through the air. That's how we always traveled. Flying silently past constellations and unknown worlds. The stars glided past us, lighting our way through the darkness.
My many flowed around me, as if some magic held it away, its gentle hues glimmering, just as my sisters did. "Geonosia, we're going to be late!" I looked back at my sister as her silent words echoed in my mind and relaxed, letting myself fall back towards our own world. As soon as gravity began to once again pull at my feathers, I clamped my wings to my sides, allowing it to take me into a dive. The wind flashed past my, the rosy sky bearing me up before snapping my wings open, allowing them to be filled with air. Leaving the pale clouds, I dropped down onto the cool grass, turning my head and grinning at my twin, Galaxia. Her own smile mirrored mine and she tipped her head at the many large oak trees to her left. "Let's go, space mare. We've got a meeting to get to."
Taking a last glance at the stars above me, which burned intensely, even through the day, I trotted after her. I stopped just before the first tree and gather my robes, which I'd hidden under a root of the massive oak. Slowly draping the white and gold cloth over my deep midnight coat, I stepped into the shade, through the shrubs and once the neat walkway, leading up to an elegant table, made of diamond. Seven other Alicorns sat around the sparkling slab, with Galaxia seated beside an empty space, where I soon resting myself.
"Welcome. Shall we begin this meeting?" The stallion on the other side of the table spoke, his voice deep and slow. His shimming navy and dark indigo mane waved slowly behind him.
As a council member, one of the Order of Raito, we eight Alicorns were appointed the upholding of our world, and the universe around us. We, the only beings able to travel through the black mass of space unharmed, were given this duty centuries before. Many of the Alicorns on the council were very serious, sharp minded stallions and mares. Galaxia and I were the youngest of them, clocking in at a small age of 358. Most were a few hundred years older than we were at the time.
We all nodded and he pulled a large scroll from his bag. "We shant take long this day, much must be done. Assignments have been made, and are as follows," he trailed off, eyeing my sister and I with curiosity in his violet eyes. I glanced toward Galaxia, her eyes wide.
Each member of our order was given a certain duty, all their own. Some say it was connected with their special talent, and cutie marks. Others said it was brought with divine judgement. No one really knew beside the councils leader, Nocturn, king of the Cosmos. He cleared his throat and continued.
"Terra, you have been gifted the the mark of the earth. Thus we commission you with the care of the green-leaf of the newborn world Nanki. We wish you well." A white and pale mint Alicorn mare stood and bowed her head to him and disappeared in a small cloud of green mist.
I shifted in my seat, hoping I would be on this list. Assignments were rarely given, as we served them for life. Galaxia and I hadn't gotten ours yet, and I assumed we'd get them at the same time. His eyes shifted to Galaxia, and I thought his face brightened a little. "Galaxia, you have been gifted with that of creation and light. We commission you to the world of Equestria." She grinned broadly before also vanishing with a small shimmer of cream, the same color of her coat. Nocturn sighed and rolled the scroll up once more and stood.
"This concludes our meeting. We shall see one another at the second rising of the third moon." My heart fell to my hooves as I stood. I didn't know what to say. All our lives, Galaxia and I had been together. We'd made it through training together, onto the council together. As the lights of our race, we had never separated. And now, before I even could say goodbye, she was gone.
The other Alicorns filed away, either walking of similarly vanishing in colored smoke. I stood frozen, staring at the clear diamond in front of me. "Geonosia, I feel we must speak." Nocturn stood beside me, his face showing a sudden sadness that I'd never seen. "I am sorry you must remain here. But...I am unsure of where to put you."
Ah, there it was.
I had no cutie mark, something I knew everyone was aware of, but had never bothered me. Our own mother hadn't gotten hers until we were born, so my worry was small. Still, the fact I had none wasn't good for my position on the council, leaving me without a single duty but rather, many small ones. Unimportant ones. Nocturn glanced around us, and upon realizing all the other ponies had left, he seated himself heavily on Galaxia's place. "Many others said we shoudl remove you from the Order, as you have no...duty here." I gaped at him. "No wait, this place is my life! I can't-" He raised a hoof for silence but I couldn't stop. "I can't, you don't understand! I have a place, I just haven't found it yet! You can't just-"
"Geonosia, please, hear me out. I am not removing you from the Raito." My mouth hung open, but I said nothing. "However, I must place you somewhere. We have use of you, even if no others see it."
"I am curious of your power. I have discovered Galaxia's is quite...stunning-" He broke of, shaking his head. I wondered to myself why his face seemed to be going slightly red, but he pushed on, masking his emotion once more. "and I can't help but wonder if yours is equal. If not more. So we are placing you in the Mass."
I widened my eyes, shocked ebbing into my heart. "The Mass? Are you serious, Nocturn?" He smiled and nodded. The Mass, or otherwise, Space, was a place I'd always loved to be in. I felt at home in the blackness, with the ability to be free and calm and to be able to create what I want out there. He must have seen my excitment because he stood. "It's not a proper assignment, but I'll place you there. It's your job to keep relations cool. Thankfully, not many worlds know of others. Howvere" his eyes darkened slightly "You must be cautious. I know you think you know that world, but beware. There are things there that can harm you. A darkness of it's own mind, we refer to them as Ryoga. They suck all in their path out of the world we know. I stepped back, confused. I had never once seen these Ryoga. "What do they...uh...look like?" I asked uncertainly.
"Large blank spaces, black as anything. We know not if they can think truly, but they leave nothing as they are. The inhabitants of some worlds call them black holes. Be very careful." He chuckled at my pale face, his horn slowly brightening ith magic. "Worry not, young Geonosia. You have the light of the stars within you. Just be aware of all around you, and nothing shall harm you." And with that, a cloud of dark mist surrounded him and he too, disappeared, leaving me with my thoughts.
