Equestrian Heroesby WhiteheartChaptersChapter 1: Unexpected CircumstancesChapter 2: Moved By The Hoof of FatePrologueChapter 1: Unexpected CircumstancesIn a dark graveyard, evil magic was stirring. From one of the aged tombstones, a purple hoof burst from the ground, followed by the other. The owner of those hooves struggled before he finally rose from his grave. As the night air filled his lungs, he unleashed an ear-shattering scream of immense pain as the flame of his life reignited. The pegasus stallion was in so much pain, his numb mind could only focus on crawling onto solid ground. There, he finally allowed himself to collapse and catch his breath for the first time in many years. The sound of crows filled his ears, reminding him that he needed to find out what to do. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a very sinister figure. It appeared to be a pony made entirely of shadows. Its red eyes glaring straight at him. "The tides of living in peaceful rest are beyond you now." It said in a demonic voice. "You've done bad things in the past, poor soul. And now you must atone for such things." The stallion stared at the shadow pony, unsure of how to respond. So, he just listened. "As of now, my name is not important." The shadow continued. "All that matters, is that you have been assigned a great task to an ungodly proportion if interest." The stallion gulped as he heard the shadow's words. A task? What was this thing talking about? "To be honest," The shadow went on. "The only reason YOU were chosen for this task, was the potential you have displayed in the past." The pegasus shuddered. He couldn't remember any potential that this shadow was blabbing about. For that matter, the pegasus couldn't remember anything. "I ask," The shadow finally said. "That you KILL the Lost Prince." Something turned in the back of the stallion's mind. Something about that felt familiar. He'd have to figure out why later. "You will be presented with the opportunity soon, I promise." The demon said. "Until the task is carried out, you shall not be permitted to rest again. 'Till then, we shall stay in touch." The pegasus yelped in shock and backed into his tombstone as the shadow burst into flames and vanished. All the while, it was laughing insanely. The pegasus gasped in disbelief. Even in a world of magical ponies, that was completely unnatural. Unknown to the pegasus, he was still not alone. Atop the nearby funeral house, a bright orange unicorn was laying on the side of the belfry, taking in the sights and sounds of the dark night. She was fairly young, appearing to be in her early to mid teen years. Her mane was a frazzled mess, suggesting that she cared little for her own appearance. There was also an odd glint in her fiery eyes, which possibly meant that she could violently lash out at any moment. "Ah." She sighed to herself. "What a lovely dark and gloomy night. Sure is pretty." As she looked around, she caught sight of the purple pegasus still standing in front of his grave. A grin started to form on her face. "Ooohhh, is that a zombie?" She wondered aloud. She suddenly gasped in delight. "Now everypony won't think I'm crazy if I kill it and bring its corpse back! And they'll think I'm a hero for saving them from an entire global zombie apocalypse!" The unicorn then gazed up, looking...right at you, reader. Uh, wait, what? "Hey!" She said. "Isn't there an old philosophy stating that you should never judge a book by its cover? I'm not ALL bad. I just like killing zombies!" She then grinned. "As for those of you just tuning in to this fanfiction, I'll let the writer explain who I am!" Ahem. Right then. This unicorn was a warrior by profession and a total psychopath. Her name was Epic Pie. "Y'know, writer, I can read the text." She said angrily. "And I say, you better rephrase that if you want to keep your arms!" Fine fine. Some of her abilities included Fire Magic, Regeneration, and...ah...breaking the fourth wall. "There now!" She said with a grin. "Isn't it always better to do things the Epic Pie way?" Whatever, let's just get on with the story. "Now, ladies and gentlemen." She said with a sadistic smile. "I think it's time we put our Zombie friend...out of commission." From nowhere, she summoned a kunai and poised to throw it at the purple pegasus. But, she then hesitated as a thought crossed her mind. "Y'know what?" She said to herself. "Maybe this might be too extreme." She thought for a long moment until her eyes lit up. Her fourth wall powers took hold once again. "What if we turned the kunai into..." She began. "A watermelon! No, wait. Plank! No no no. Wait. Wait wait wait. Um...uh...Sonic the Hedgehog!" "Hey!" The blue speedster shouted. "Wait wait." Epic Pie muttered. "It's on the tip of my tongue. It's in my head. Uh...Solid Sparkle!" "Oh my God!" The latex-clad mare said in a strangely masculine voice. "Metal Gear!" The orange unicorn then threw Solid Sparkle at the purple pegasus. Before the undead stallion could react, Solid Sparkle landed right on top of him. The impact knocked him senseless and his world went black. Hours later, the purple pegasus stirred. He was vaguely aware that he was in a bed. As he stretched and yawned, he lost his balance and fell onto a wooden floor. He grunted in mild irritation as he rubbed his head. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was in an old cabin of sorts. Curious, he looked out the window. He was in what appeared to be an old transit station. Based on the plants that grew all over the tracks, this station hasn't been used for several years. The pegasus couldn't recall any transit stations in his fragmented memory. Just how long has it been before his resurrection? He looked to see the same orange unicorn that knocked him out. A crimson stallion called her up for some reason. But, based on how scared she looked from his tone, he was probably her father or her older brother. Meanwhile, the red stallion glared at Epic Pie and spoke in a very stern voice. "Alright," He said. "Now would you mind explaining to me what exactly you did?" "Uh, this random pegasus came out of his grave." The orange unicorn replied. "And I kinda...uh...materialized a Solid Sparkle and knocked him out with it?" "You're grounded, sis." The red stallion deadpanned. "You realize that don't you?" "No! Wait!" Epic Pie begged. "I really thought he was bad! Please, Fire Surge, don't-" "No. No." The stallion now identified as Fire Surge interrupted. "There's no getting out of it this time. I warned you of what would happen the next time you conked out an innocent civilian." "But...I..." Epic Pie began. "No, Epic Pie!" Fire Surge snapped. "You're punished! Do you realize what you've done!? You've exposed our base to somepony! We were never supposed to let that happen! On top of that, you've abused your magic again! You've materialized yet another being from your mind! And now it has to exist as a bastardization amongst all ponies!" "Well, we could just-" Epic Pie began again. "Ohhh, no!" Fire Surge interrupted again. "It's not that simple! We can't just kill them! They're living, breathing beings! Also, the one that you conked out doesn't deserve to die for your mistake! And I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen!" Throughout Fire Surge's rant, Epic Pie was only grinning sheepishly. But inside, she was full of shame. As insane as she was, she still loved her brother. "Now, you realize we can't send him on his merry way." Fire Surge continued. "He knows where our base is. Which means our only option is to let him LIVE with us." Meanwhile, the purple pegasus was looking over a bridge at the ravine below. It wasn't much, but it offered a spectacular view of the area. "Hey, how's it going buddy?" A friendly voice said. The pegasus turned and saw both the orange unicorn and the crimson stallion smiling at him. "Enjoying the view?" The red stallion asked. The purple stallion nodded in return. The red stallion's face then turned a bit serious. "Um, I should probably tell you. This place is secret, and we can't just let you go." The purple stallion gulped, but the red stallion raised his hoof. "However," He continued. "We're not going to do what you think we're going to do. What we're going to do is let you live with us. Right sis?" "Uh, yeah. I guess." The orange mare said sheepishly. "It has been getting kinda lonely here after all this time." The purple pegasus let out a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. With all these events happening, the purple stallion had completely forgotten about the evil demon that resurrected him. But, that wouldn't be for too long... Chapter 2: Moved By The Hoof of FateThe sun rose over the trees of the Everfree Forest. But, the thick foliage prevented any light from piercing the eternal darkness. Trudging through the forest was a young unicorn stallion, devoid of any concern for the dangers that lurked all around him. He appeared to be around 17 years old. His coat was a pitch black. His mane and tail were a metallic silver. His muzzle had a patch of grey. His eyes were the same shade of crimson as the blood that ran down his body. He staggered through the darkness, inwardly hoping to find a ray of hope that could save his life. But, the more he pressed on, the more his hope was fading. Fear was his greatest enemy at this point. He still couldn't believe himself. He never learned to properly use his magic; he was barely able to use his levitation as it was. Now what was he supposed to do? Deeper into the unknown, he continued to press on. His body was burning with intense pain and exhaustion, but he was stubborn. He couldn't give up on himself. Not now. Even with what little he had, he still wanted to know why. Deeper still, he inwardly questioned himself. He silently questioned everything that had happened. Including now. And still deeper. His vision was becoming blurred as his wounds and legs burned like fire. No! Not now! He tried his hardest to keep going, but his legs gave out. He collapsed onto the cold dirt. He tried desperately to get back up, but he was far too weak. He couldn't move anymore. Tears ran down his face as he fell unconscious from exhaustion. As the darkness surrounded his world, the last thing he saw was a figure with a long pink mane approaching him. It was a relatively quiet morning for Fluttershy. As usual, she tended to her animals and made sure she had all the supplies she needed to make Angel Bunny's special salad. She shook her head when she thought about Angel. She loved the bunny to death, but he could be so stubborn at times. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her leg. Speak of the little one. Angel was frantically waving and gesturing to Fluttershy. The pegasus had known Angel long enough to know that he was alerting her of a problem. She crouched to eye level with Angel to hear him out. "What's wrong Angel Bunny?" She asked. He responded with a series of gestures and squeaks. Fluttershy listened and gasped when he finished. "There's a hurt pony outside!?" She half-shouted. She quickly rushed to the door. Sure enough, there was a young unicorn stallion. For somepony like Fluttershy, this was easy to see. She quickly went to look over his injuries. While he didn't seem to be in danger of dying, he still needed a doctor. Darkness. All he could see was darkness. This was nothing new to him. But it was still unnerving. But something felt different. Instead of a cold empty feeling, he felt warmth. Like somepony close to him was near. He struggled to find where he felt this feeling before. A vision entered his mind. He was looking up at a stone roof in an old crib. He felt small, but safe. Smiling down at him was a beautiful mare of purple with a long silver mane. She was singing to him. A soft and loving tune... Fluttershy set the stallion onto her couch. As she checked over his young form, she frowned. His body height was smaller that the average stallion. What's more, he appeared to be very malnourished. Just what has this stallion been through? Fluttershy asked herself. It seems like he's been running for hours. Doesn't he know that's not healthy? Fluttershy frowned. There was no way a monster would attack unprovoked. Her intuition told her that this stallion wasn't the type who'd try to stand up to one. She shook her head as she carefully wrapped up his wounds in bandages. She would have to worry about that later. Her musings were interrupted as the stallion groaned in pain. Fluttershy's motherly instincts took hold as she gently hugged him. This feeling. The stallion thought. It's so calming. Just like back home...Grandmother used to do this that when I was little... He slowly opened his eyes. Everything was a blur, but he could make out a mare's silhouette before him. For a brief moment, he thought it was the mare from his vision. But as his sight cleared up, he found a butter-yellow pegasus with a pink mane smiling down at him, tears of relief flowing from her eyes. "It's okay." she whispered. "There's nothing to be scared of." The stallion blinked, regaining his vision. Now that he could see her more clearly, his crimson eyes looked over her form as well as the environment around them. She appeared to be within her mid 20's. Judging by her wings, she was obviously a pegasus. Though, contrary to all he had heard, she seemed to be very sleek and slim. From what he understood, most Pegasus Ponies were more athletic. His eyes then scanned the room they were in. Many small birds, rabbits, and mice were staring at him. Either she had a close friendship with these animals, or she was in a dire state of infestation. The stallion figured it might be the former. Especially considering her Cutie Mark. As he took in the details of his surroundings, the mare's smile faded to one of confusion and concern. Fluttershy stared at the mysterious stallion. His look of confusion was understandable. But, he also seemed very nervous. He looked like he was afraid to speak. "Uh...hello?" she asked. He looked at her in response, but said nothing. "Are you lost?" she asked. Silence. "Are you hungry?" she continued. More silence. "Are you...um..." she trailed off, eyes darting back and forth anxiously. For a very long moment, neither of them said a word. Fluttershy herself was scratching at the floor with her hoof, unsure of what to think. In her entire life, she never met a pony who was as quiet as she was. If not more, in this case. The stallion suddenly looked over his own form. With a hoof, he curiously prodded at his bandages and looked up at Fluttershy. "You're in a very bad state." Fluttershy said. "I did all I could to make sure you're taken care of." The mare's words struck a chord in the stallion. If her words are true, then maybe she can be trusted. At least, he hoped so. "You go out of your way to aid the unknown?" he asked. "Kindess or stupitity is what you have shown." The mare noted that he spoke in rhyme. Maybe he spent a good amount of his life in Zebrica. On the other hoof, the heat would have probably severely hurt him. Especially with his dark colors. On top of that, he apparently emerged from the forest. There were many things that didn't add up. "You were hurt." she said reasonably. "How could I leave you there? I could never live with myself, knowing that I'd left you to die." "Your reason has merit, I will not deny." he began. "But there are times where you must let sleeping dogs lie." The mare shook her head in disagreement. "I can't accept that." She said. "Even if it's a stranger, it would be wrong to leave them to die." The stallion's eyes narrowed in thought. As he stared at her, he considered her words. Her eyes alone told him many things. He could see that she was a mare of great experience. Along with that, he could see that her heart was one of pure gold.He still remained uncertain if she could be trusted. But he decided to go along with her...for now. "You don't seem to be one who would lie." he said. "The compassion I see is remarkably high." The mare nodded. "May I ask your name?" she asked. "Animus Whiteheart is my name." he answered. "And now, I shall ask you the same." "My name is Fluttershy." she replied. "Fluttershy Andrea Silverwing." Whiteheart smiled. Something about her name alone gave him a sense of comfort. "Now." Fluttershy spoke again. "Regarding what happened last night. What happened to you? " "Of that, I wish not to speak." he answered. "I'll only say that it has made me weak." Fluttershy shook her head. "You were running to the point of exhaustion." She said. "That isn't weakness to me." Whiteheart let out a long sigh. "It is apparent that you've seen too much." he said. "I may have to come clean, as such." "Before you do, I may know somepony who can help." Fluttershy said. "Can you stand up?" "With luck, I may be able to." he replied. "But, I'll need help from you." Fluttershy nodded and held out a hoof and helped him up. She now was able to get a good look at him as he stood to his full height. Compared to most stallions, Whiteheart was rather small, roughly the same height as Fluttershy herself. She also noted the style of his mane. It was rather thick and messy, most of it hiding the left side of his face. The butter-yellow pegasus came to the conclusion that he was mostly likely a teenager somewhere between 16 or 17. This thought disturbed her. Somepony so young should not be in such a horrible condition. Much less, wandering the Everfree Forest without a guide. Shaking off the thought, Fluttershy inwardly resolved to bring Whiteheart to the one pony she knew could help him make a steady recovery: Twilight Sparkle. Author's Note Complete redo of my second chapter. Slightly shorter, but I think this is a lot better. ProloguePrologue Deep in the desert sands of South Equestria, there once lived an ancient colony. This colony was birthed from the secretive "Children of the Night". For many years, they lived in eternal devotion to the great Princess Luna. But, over time, they began to grow into a new kingdom of their own. Over 1,000 years ago, tragedy struck the Secret Kingdom. The King's heart had grown cold and sought to subjugate more of Equestria. To do this, he would use the hidden powers of his newborn foal. However, the King was unable to suck the power from his child. Furthermore, the Queen refused to allow him to harm the would-be heir to the throne. In a fit of rage, the King sent his guards to have both the Queen and the Child executed. Knowing what was happening, the Queen attempted to flee the Kingdom with her child. But the guards managed to corner her. It seemed like their end was nigh. However, a miracle appeared from the light of the moon. Princess Luna had come to rescue the Queen and her baby. Also with her was a guard of crimson and his baby sister. A furious battle ensued. The combined might of the Queen and Luna proved to be a worthy match for the King's guards. Eventually, the two royal mares faced off against the King himself. The following struggle was a fierce and terrible event. The Queen was mortally wounded in the fight, but the King was defeated. Amidst the confusion, the newborn child had completely vanished. Those who have heard this legend believe the child to be dead. Others believe that the Lost Kingdom is a myth. But time flows like a river, and history continues to unfold... "But time flows like a river, and history continues to unfold." A lavender alicorn finished reading the ancient tome. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over the words she had just read. "Celestia never told me about this. Neither did Luna, come to think of it." The Alicorn named Twilight Sparkle closed the book and took a deep breath. Ancient legends always had some basis in fact. But, it was still hard for her to imagine an ancient kingdom in the Desert Regions of Equestria. As far as she knew, there were no ruins to be found there. So, it was very possibly a myth. "Besides," She told herself. "There hasn't been a real war in Equestria since its founding." As she gazed up at the moon that smiled down at her, she felt a cold feeling in her chest. She couldn't explain why, but she had a terrible feeling that something was out there. Something that could be potentially worse than the Demon Centaur known as Tirek. Little did she realize that it was already planning to make its first move...
Chapter 1: Unexpected CircumstancesIn a dark graveyard, evil magic was stirring. From one of the aged tombstones, a purple hoof burst from the ground, followed by the other. The owner of those hooves struggled before he finally rose from his grave. As the night air filled his lungs, he unleashed an ear-shattering scream of immense pain as the flame of his life reignited. The pegasus stallion was in so much pain, his numb mind could only focus on crawling onto solid ground. There, he finally allowed himself to collapse and catch his breath for the first time in many years. The sound of crows filled his ears, reminding him that he needed to find out what to do. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a very sinister figure. It appeared to be a pony made entirely of shadows. Its red eyes glaring straight at him. "The tides of living in peaceful rest are beyond you now." It said in a demonic voice. "You've done bad things in the past, poor soul. And now you must atone for such things." The stallion stared at the shadow pony, unsure of how to respond. So, he just listened. "As of now, my name is not important." The shadow continued. "All that matters, is that you have been assigned a great task to an ungodly proportion if interest." The stallion gulped as he heard the shadow's words. A task? What was this thing talking about? "To be honest," The shadow went on. "The only reason YOU were chosen for this task, was the potential you have displayed in the past." The pegasus shuddered. He couldn't remember any potential that this shadow was blabbing about. For that matter, the pegasus couldn't remember anything. "I ask," The shadow finally said. "That you KILL the Lost Prince." Something turned in the back of the stallion's mind. Something about that felt familiar. He'd have to figure out why later. "You will be presented with the opportunity soon, I promise." The demon said. "Until the task is carried out, you shall not be permitted to rest again. 'Till then, we shall stay in touch." The pegasus yelped in shock and backed into his tombstone as the shadow burst into flames and vanished. All the while, it was laughing insanely. The pegasus gasped in disbelief. Even in a world of magical ponies, that was completely unnatural. Unknown to the pegasus, he was still not alone. Atop the nearby funeral house, a bright orange unicorn was laying on the side of the belfry, taking in the sights and sounds of the dark night. She was fairly young, appearing to be in her early to mid teen years. Her mane was a frazzled mess, suggesting that she cared little for her own appearance. There was also an odd glint in her fiery eyes, which possibly meant that she could violently lash out at any moment. "Ah." She sighed to herself. "What a lovely dark and gloomy night. Sure is pretty." As she looked around, she caught sight of the purple pegasus still standing in front of his grave. A grin started to form on her face. "Ooohhh, is that a zombie?" She wondered aloud. She suddenly gasped in delight. "Now everypony won't think I'm crazy if I kill it and bring its corpse back! And they'll think I'm a hero for saving them from an entire global zombie apocalypse!" The unicorn then gazed up, looking...right at you, reader. Uh, wait, what? "Hey!" She said. "Isn't there an old philosophy stating that you should never judge a book by its cover? I'm not ALL bad. I just like killing zombies!" She then grinned. "As for those of you just tuning in to this fanfiction, I'll let the writer explain who I am!" Ahem. Right then. This unicorn was a warrior by profession and a total psychopath. Her name was Epic Pie. "Y'know, writer, I can read the text." She said angrily. "And I say, you better rephrase that if you want to keep your arms!" Fine fine. Some of her abilities included Fire Magic, Regeneration, and...ah...breaking the fourth wall. "There now!" She said with a grin. "Isn't it always better to do things the Epic Pie way?" Whatever, let's just get on with the story. "Now, ladies and gentlemen." She said with a sadistic smile. "I think it's time we put our Zombie friend...out of commission." From nowhere, she summoned a kunai and poised to throw it at the purple pegasus. But, she then hesitated as a thought crossed her mind. "Y'know what?" She said to herself. "Maybe this might be too extreme." She thought for a long moment until her eyes lit up. Her fourth wall powers took hold once again. "What if we turned the kunai into..." She began. "A watermelon! No, wait. Plank! No no no. Wait. Wait wait wait. Um...uh...Sonic the Hedgehog!" "Hey!" The blue speedster shouted. "Wait wait." Epic Pie muttered. "It's on the tip of my tongue. It's in my head. Uh...Solid Sparkle!" "Oh my God!" The latex-clad mare said in a strangely masculine voice. "Metal Gear!" The orange unicorn then threw Solid Sparkle at the purple pegasus. Before the undead stallion could react, Solid Sparkle landed right on top of him. The impact knocked him senseless and his world went black. Hours later, the purple pegasus stirred. He was vaguely aware that he was in a bed. As he stretched and yawned, he lost his balance and fell onto a wooden floor. He grunted in mild irritation as he rubbed his head. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was in an old cabin of sorts. Curious, he looked out the window. He was in what appeared to be an old transit station. Based on the plants that grew all over the tracks, this station hasn't been used for several years. The pegasus couldn't recall any transit stations in his fragmented memory. Just how long has it been before his resurrection? He looked to see the same orange unicorn that knocked him out. A crimson stallion called her up for some reason. But, based on how scared she looked from his tone, he was probably her father or her older brother. Meanwhile, the red stallion glared at Epic Pie and spoke in a very stern voice. "Alright," He said. "Now would you mind explaining to me what exactly you did?" "Uh, this random pegasus came out of his grave." The orange unicorn replied. "And I kinda...uh...materialized a Solid Sparkle and knocked him out with it?" "You're grounded, sis." The red stallion deadpanned. "You realize that don't you?" "No! Wait!" Epic Pie begged. "I really thought he was bad! Please, Fire Surge, don't-" "No. No." The stallion now identified as Fire Surge interrupted. "There's no getting out of it this time. I warned you of what would happen the next time you conked out an innocent civilian." "But...I..." Epic Pie began. "No, Epic Pie!" Fire Surge snapped. "You're punished! Do you realize what you've done!? You've exposed our base to somepony! We were never supposed to let that happen! On top of that, you've abused your magic again! You've materialized yet another being from your mind! And now it has to exist as a bastardization amongst all ponies!" "Well, we could just-" Epic Pie began again. "Ohhh, no!" Fire Surge interrupted again. "It's not that simple! We can't just kill them! They're living, breathing beings! Also, the one that you conked out doesn't deserve to die for your mistake! And I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen!" Throughout Fire Surge's rant, Epic Pie was only grinning sheepishly. But inside, she was full of shame. As insane as she was, she still loved her brother. "Now, you realize we can't send him on his merry way." Fire Surge continued. "He knows where our base is. Which means our only option is to let him LIVE with us." Meanwhile, the purple pegasus was looking over a bridge at the ravine below. It wasn't much, but it offered a spectacular view of the area. "Hey, how's it going buddy?" A friendly voice said. The pegasus turned and saw both the orange unicorn and the crimson stallion smiling at him. "Enjoying the view?" The red stallion asked. The purple stallion nodded in return. The red stallion's face then turned a bit serious. "Um, I should probably tell you. This place is secret, and we can't just let you go." The purple stallion gulped, but the red stallion raised his hoof. "However," He continued. "We're not going to do what you think we're going to do. What we're going to do is let you live with us. Right sis?" "Uh, yeah. I guess." The orange mare said sheepishly. "It has been getting kinda lonely here after all this time." The purple pegasus let out a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. With all these events happening, the purple stallion had completely forgotten about the evil demon that resurrected him. But, that wouldn't be for too long...
Chapter 2: Moved By The Hoof of FateThe sun rose over the trees of the Everfree Forest. But, the thick foliage prevented any light from piercing the eternal darkness. Trudging through the forest was a young unicorn stallion, devoid of any concern for the dangers that lurked all around him. He appeared to be around 17 years old. His coat was a pitch black. His mane and tail were a metallic silver. His muzzle had a patch of grey. His eyes were the same shade of crimson as the blood that ran down his body. He staggered through the darkness, inwardly hoping to find a ray of hope that could save his life. But, the more he pressed on, the more his hope was fading. Fear was his greatest enemy at this point. He still couldn't believe himself. He never learned to properly use his magic; he was barely able to use his levitation as it was. Now what was he supposed to do? Deeper into the unknown, he continued to press on. His body was burning with intense pain and exhaustion, but he was stubborn. He couldn't give up on himself. Not now. Even with what little he had, he still wanted to know why. Deeper still, he inwardly questioned himself. He silently questioned everything that had happened. Including now. And still deeper. His vision was becoming blurred as his wounds and legs burned like fire. No! Not now! He tried his hardest to keep going, but his legs gave out. He collapsed onto the cold dirt. He tried desperately to get back up, but he was far too weak. He couldn't move anymore. Tears ran down his face as he fell unconscious from exhaustion. As the darkness surrounded his world, the last thing he saw was a figure with a long pink mane approaching him. It was a relatively quiet morning for Fluttershy. As usual, she tended to her animals and made sure she had all the supplies she needed to make Angel Bunny's special salad. She shook her head when she thought about Angel. She loved the bunny to death, but he could be so stubborn at times. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her leg. Speak of the little one. Angel was frantically waving and gesturing to Fluttershy. The pegasus had known Angel long enough to know that he was alerting her of a problem. She crouched to eye level with Angel to hear him out. "What's wrong Angel Bunny?" She asked. He responded with a series of gestures and squeaks. Fluttershy listened and gasped when he finished. "There's a hurt pony outside!?" She half-shouted. She quickly rushed to the door. Sure enough, there was a young unicorn stallion. For somepony like Fluttershy, this was easy to see. She quickly went to look over his injuries. While he didn't seem to be in danger of dying, he still needed a doctor. Darkness. All he could see was darkness. This was nothing new to him. But it was still unnerving. But something felt different. Instead of a cold empty feeling, he felt warmth. Like somepony close to him was near. He struggled to find where he felt this feeling before. A vision entered his mind. He was looking up at a stone roof in an old crib. He felt small, but safe. Smiling down at him was a beautiful mare of purple with a long silver mane. She was singing to him. A soft and loving tune... Fluttershy set the stallion onto her couch. As she checked over his young form, she frowned. His body height was smaller that the average stallion. What's more, he appeared to be very malnourished. Just what has this stallion been through? Fluttershy asked herself. It seems like he's been running for hours. Doesn't he know that's not healthy? Fluttershy frowned. There was no way a monster would attack unprovoked. Her intuition told her that this stallion wasn't the type who'd try to stand up to one. She shook her head as she carefully wrapped up his wounds in bandages. She would have to worry about that later. Her musings were interrupted as the stallion groaned in pain. Fluttershy's motherly instincts took hold as she gently hugged him. This feeling. The stallion thought. It's so calming. Just like back home...Grandmother used to do this that when I was little... He slowly opened his eyes. Everything was a blur, but he could make out a mare's silhouette before him. For a brief moment, he thought it was the mare from his vision. But as his sight cleared up, he found a butter-yellow pegasus with a pink mane smiling down at him, tears of relief flowing from her eyes. "It's okay." she whispered. "There's nothing to be scared of." The stallion blinked, regaining his vision. Now that he could see her more clearly, his crimson eyes looked over her form as well as the environment around them. She appeared to be within her mid 20's. Judging by her wings, she was obviously a pegasus. Though, contrary to all he had heard, she seemed to be very sleek and slim. From what he understood, most Pegasus Ponies were more athletic. His eyes then scanned the room they were in. Many small birds, rabbits, and mice were staring at him. Either she had a close friendship with these animals, or she was in a dire state of infestation. The stallion figured it might be the former. Especially considering her Cutie Mark. As he took in the details of his surroundings, the mare's smile faded to one of confusion and concern. Fluttershy stared at the mysterious stallion. His look of confusion was understandable. But, he also seemed very nervous. He looked like he was afraid to speak. "Uh...hello?" she asked. He looked at her in response, but said nothing. "Are you lost?" she asked. Silence. "Are you hungry?" she continued. More silence. "Are you...um..." she trailed off, eyes darting back and forth anxiously. For a very long moment, neither of them said a word. Fluttershy herself was scratching at the floor with her hoof, unsure of what to think. In her entire life, she never met a pony who was as quiet as she was. If not more, in this case. The stallion suddenly looked over his own form. With a hoof, he curiously prodded at his bandages and looked up at Fluttershy. "You're in a very bad state." Fluttershy said. "I did all I could to make sure you're taken care of." The mare's words struck a chord in the stallion. If her words are true, then maybe she can be trusted. At least, he hoped so. "You go out of your way to aid the unknown?" he asked. "Kindess or stupitity is what you have shown." The mare noted that he spoke in rhyme. Maybe he spent a good amount of his life in Zebrica. On the other hoof, the heat would have probably severely hurt him. Especially with his dark colors. On top of that, he apparently emerged from the forest. There were many things that didn't add up. "You were hurt." she said reasonably. "How could I leave you there? I could never live with myself, knowing that I'd left you to die." "Your reason has merit, I will not deny." he began. "But there are times where you must let sleeping dogs lie." The mare shook her head in disagreement. "I can't accept that." She said. "Even if it's a stranger, it would be wrong to leave them to die." The stallion's eyes narrowed in thought. As he stared at her, he considered her words. Her eyes alone told him many things. He could see that she was a mare of great experience. Along with that, he could see that her heart was one of pure gold.He still remained uncertain if she could be trusted. But he decided to go along with her...for now. "You don't seem to be one who would lie." he said. "The compassion I see is remarkably high." The mare nodded. "May I ask your name?" she asked. "Animus Whiteheart is my name." he answered. "And now, I shall ask you the same." "My name is Fluttershy." she replied. "Fluttershy Andrea Silverwing." Whiteheart smiled. Something about her name alone gave him a sense of comfort. "Now." Fluttershy spoke again. "Regarding what happened last night. What happened to you? " "Of that, I wish not to speak." he answered. "I'll only say that it has made me weak." Fluttershy shook her head. "You were running to the point of exhaustion." She said. "That isn't weakness to me." Whiteheart let out a long sigh. "It is apparent that you've seen too much." he said. "I may have to come clean, as such." "Before you do, I may know somepony who can help." Fluttershy said. "Can you stand up?" "With luck, I may be able to." he replied. "But, I'll need help from you." Fluttershy nodded and held out a hoof and helped him up. She now was able to get a good look at him as he stood to his full height. Compared to most stallions, Whiteheart was rather small, roughly the same height as Fluttershy herself. She also noted the style of his mane. It was rather thick and messy, most of it hiding the left side of his face. The butter-yellow pegasus came to the conclusion that he was mostly likely a teenager somewhere between 16 or 17. This thought disturbed her. Somepony so young should not be in such a horrible condition. Much less, wandering the Everfree Forest without a guide. Shaking off the thought, Fluttershy inwardly resolved to bring Whiteheart to the one pony she knew could help him make a steady recovery: Twilight Sparkle. Author's Note Complete redo of my second chapter. Slightly shorter, but I think this is a lot better.
ProloguePrologue Deep in the desert sands of South Equestria, there once lived an ancient colony. This colony was birthed from the secretive "Children of the Night". For many years, they lived in eternal devotion to the great Princess Luna. But, over time, they began to grow into a new kingdom of their own. Over 1,000 years ago, tragedy struck the Secret Kingdom. The King's heart had grown cold and sought to subjugate more of Equestria. To do this, he would use the hidden powers of his newborn foal. However, the King was unable to suck the power from his child. Furthermore, the Queen refused to allow him to harm the would-be heir to the throne. In a fit of rage, the King sent his guards to have both the Queen and the Child executed. Knowing what was happening, the Queen attempted to flee the Kingdom with her child. But the guards managed to corner her. It seemed like their end was nigh. However, a miracle appeared from the light of the moon. Princess Luna had come to rescue the Queen and her baby. Also with her was a guard of crimson and his baby sister. A furious battle ensued. The combined might of the Queen and Luna proved to be a worthy match for the King's guards. Eventually, the two royal mares faced off against the King himself. The following struggle was a fierce and terrible event. The Queen was mortally wounded in the fight, but the King was defeated. Amidst the confusion, the newborn child had completely vanished. Those who have heard this legend believe the child to be dead. Others believe that the Lost Kingdom is a myth. But time flows like a river, and history continues to unfold... "But time flows like a river, and history continues to unfold." A lavender alicorn finished reading the ancient tome. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over the words she had just read. "Celestia never told me about this. Neither did Luna, come to think of it." The Alicorn named Twilight Sparkle closed the book and took a deep breath. Ancient legends always had some basis in fact. But, it was still hard for her to imagine an ancient kingdom in the Desert Regions of Equestria. As far as she knew, there were no ruins to be found there. So, it was very possibly a myth. "Besides," She told herself. "There hasn't been a real war in Equestria since its founding." As she gazed up at the moon that smiled down at her, she felt a cold feeling in her chest. She couldn't explain why, but she had a terrible feeling that something was out there. Something that could be potentially worse than the Demon Centaur known as Tirek. Little did she realize that it was already planning to make its first move...
