Into Darkness

Striker pops out from a stray cloud, surveying Cloudsdale.

"Blue come on, can we get this over with? BLUE!" Striker waits a few moments before his friend reples, "Y-yeah, ready"

"Seriously, Bluestreak what's going on?"

"Nothing, let's go"

Bluestreak slides out of a nearby cloud and begins trotting into the town. The little bird turns towards the streets, the night is at its peak, and most pegasi have gone to bed.

The hawk lands on Bluestreak’s spiked mane as they begin their search for the little shop. Lights dance upon the surface of the clouds, the sources of its grace coming from a beautiful array of burning lanterns forming at key locations of the erratic cloud formations. Houses are dark as they gape at Bluestreak with their quiet windows, the occasional breeze caresses the loose patch of mane hanging over Bluestreak's forehead, waving it around freely. After navigating the pathways and signs, they arrive before the door to the small building. Aboard a lonely cloud, its simple oak gives off a calmness from the other stone pillars. Covered in a recently placed thatch roof, two torches dance about safely in their hooks flanking the red door. The sign above them reading ‘Aveela's Artifacts’ welcomes them with a professional look, the inside is dimly lit.

Bluestreak summons his courage and enters the small store. The door creaks open with a jingle from a bell connected to the door, it repeats as the door creaks shut. Trinkets, odds and ends line the shelves of the well kept store, one in particular catches the blue pony’s gaze. An Idol sits atop the middle shelf, showing a masterfully carved pony, although the horn and wings seem broken off. What’s left is the mane, seeming to flow with the etchings of art waving on the strange equestrians mane and tail, the cutie mark is scratched out along with the rest of the idol. As they near the empty counter, they hear a troubled voice.

"Now where is that gadget at"

A female voice emanates from the counter, tail flicking from behind the wooden desk with focused curiosity. Striker clears his throat.

"Customer...O-oh a customer!"

The mare pegasus mumbles excitedly over her breath.

"She's your type Blue"

Silently chuckles Striker.

"Shut it"

Bluestreak hisses back.

"Welcome to Aveela's artifacts! How may I help you today sir?"

Aveela's fur creates an ice like color in the dim room, her long mane has a streak of white running along draped thread of hair over her forehead, a pale blue dominates the rest, her eyes are a deep blood red color, a cutie mark sports a scroll with a cloud behind it. Bluestreak's face grows with a faint flush.

"Uh... I.... uuuhhh... a-artif-fact..."

Striker pecks Bluestreaks head and takes over for him.

"We are here to buy an artifact"

"You are? Oh-I mean what are you searching for?"

"Wait, you aren't freaked out by a talking hawk?"

"Nope"

Aveela replies with a friendly smile, Striker’s response is a strange gaze.

"Really?"

"I'm completely sure"

"Now that’s freaking me out now”

“I think it’s adorable”

Aveela smiles once more. Striker pauses for a disturbed moment, then starts again.

“There's an amulet that you seem to hold in your store, the Protectors Amulet"

With a gasp Aveela rushes into the back through a door to her right, and comes out moments later brushing off the dust from the gem the amulet holds. The amulet in question sports a very bright blue rhombus-like stone embedded around a gold hued metal casing, mimicking the same form. Chained with platinum links, a slight hum is heard throughout the somewhat quiet store.

"This little guy?"

Bluestreak shakes himself back into focus

"Yes, that-"

Before he can finish, the amulet begins to react to Bluestreak as he nears the amulet, a sudden flash blinds the three, as Aveela opens her eyes, she gasps to see the amulet around Bluestreak's neck. The male pegasus, recovering from the disorienting flash, feels the cold metal chain around his neck.

"Magic, why magic? Why me?" Reaching up to touch the amulet, a small ball of light bursts Blue's hoof away as if to keep it from separating from its owner.

Aveela appears to be much more baffled than Bluestreak, who simply shakes his head in frustration. "Ok tough guy, you're going to tell me what happened" Striker's voice calls from below Bluestreak, with a smile, he answers, "It latched onto my neck, kinda like how you latch onto my head when you panic" Shakily raising his toothpick for legs up, the hawk seems to be stagger around blind with eyes closed, until smacking into Blue's leg. Tumbling back down, the hawk's black opals glare back at Bluestreak who turns back to Aveela.

"Do you have anything on this?" For a moment, Aveela seems dumbfounded before answering, "I know a place... of..." she bites her lip.

"Place of what? Don't you at least have a book?"

"Books solve everything" Striker adds. Aveela shakes her head, "No, I don't have anything on the Ene- ooohhh" she stammers.

Bluestreak leans on an imaginary pillar, an interested gaze peering towards Aveela's red eyes. "Come on, out with it"

"P-promise you wont reveal this to anypony else?"

"So long as you give me an answer" Bluestreak walks over to Striker, who is still recovering his vision fro the flash. "Deal, give me a few minutes and we'll be off" The duo waits, Aveela rolls her eyes "Outside?".

"Alright, no funny business" Bluestreak calls back, the bell rings twice.

Dawn begins to break through the trees once more, it has been four hours since Bluestreak, Striker, and Aveela departed for an unknown destination.

"It’s not far she said, four hours ago"

Striker's Complaint brings amusement to his partner who begins to chuckle. A moment passes by before Striker starts up again.

"There's something mysterious about her Bluestreak, and it won't go away either" Striker whispers, Bluestreak glimpses back at the hawk before replying, "Cutting to conclusions already?"

"No it's just, I don’t like it"

"Relax we'll be on our way back to Canterlot right after this quick adventure"

“I can never relax..."

Bluestreak rolls his eyes as the bird begins grumbling to himself before catching back up to Aveela, who has somewhat increased now to a trot. "A forest north of Cloudsdale... new" Bluestreak thought. The Rustling of leaves and the bright flowers in bloom create a beautiful imagery, birds flutter about their daily lives, the sudden and strange presence of magic starts to become a strong feeling. Aveela stops in front of an abnormally grown tree, not far from the forest’s border. Moss covers the rocks that the tree grows upon, though the rocks seem a little off to be such minerals, they display a sheen, like metal.

"Looks deceive"

Aveela comments, it becomes apparent that the rocks are actually part of an elaborate collection of metal plating, the more BlueStreak focuses, the more the rocks turn into an airship, leaned to one side ever slightly, buried deep into its mossy grave. She trots happily into a hole in the vessel's hull that has now appeared from the corner of Bluestreak’s eye, the duo follows. The hallway is overgrown, its turquoise metal glinting off the walls creates an otherworldly atmosphere, blue stone markings create patterns along the corridor, conveying a glow which appears to reach out towards Bluestreak, metal thumping echoes from Bluestreak’s hooves as he carefully navigates the vines and tree roots piercing into the structure. They stop in a large enclosed room, vines hang in a clumped array from a rippled hole above them as light peers in, glass seems to be cracked and broken through by nature itself. Pillars of metal and stone support the top, with no clear marks of aging from the rest of the structure.

"What is this place Aveela?"

"If I'm certain, this is one of the few Enerstone craft that have been found"

"Ener-what?"

Striker confusedly replies. Aveela motions them to follow to the upper deck.

“A long time ago, an empire utilized a stone, that would generate its own power source, they were called energy stones, or put simply, Enerstone. The technology that was used in their lives was beyond common engineering, they could operate large hovering vessels that could rival out own airships.

"And how do you know this?"

Bluestreak questions. Aveela's face fills with a hint of guilt.

"Book"

"Called it" Striker chortles.

Aveela The ice mare turns to a chest at the rear of the vessel, with a loud creak the lid pops open, revealing a somewhat preserved leather bound book, its thickness is a little less of a book than a journal. her hooves surround the book, lifting it to Bluestreak. Lifting his own for the book to lay on, he blows the dust off, before lifting the first page with his muzzle. The first thing that piques Bluestreak's read, are three words.

"Prince of...Darkness"?

"The Prince of Darkness, an ancient alicorn who appeared out of nowhere and wreaked havoc across a small portion of Equestria in ancient times"

"This was in the book as well?"

"Y-yes"

She replies.

"Wait, what does this amulet have to do with this empire, and the Dark prince, and Enerstone tech?"

"That stone is said to contain a mystical power, lost to time, and it appeared to react to you, and I believe it connects with the enerstone"

“How do you know?”

“I came here several times, exploring different sections, and it, also explains in the book”

"So, I'm special"

Replies BlueStreak

"That sounds... interesting"

Striker chimes. BlueStreak walks up to a blue flat stone embedded into the side of the room.

"So what do these ston-"

The stone reacts to BlueStreak’s touch, the ground rumbles violently.

Nobody speaks as a lifting feeling begins to take effect, Aveela's ears droop in fear.  An ominous noise whines from the stones as they flicker, seeming to lose power, the vessel is already rising fast above the treetops allowing the vessel to teeter around wildly.

"What now Aveela? Aveela!"

"I d-dunno, this never happened before" She gazes around quickly, she rushes over to the middle of the room where a pair of levers and a wheel presents itself she grabs hold and tilts the vessel evenly to the ground below. Bluestreak runs up to her,

"What about us!?" Bluestreak's face appears to have a timidness to it.  Aveela is almost torn away from the apparent controls when a loud pop sounds off from the back, seemingly forcing the vessel to rear itself in the air, Bluestreak catches her and pushes her back onto the controls.

Once more she gazes hastily, before noticing the withering blue stones, "I know this sounds crazy, but jab your sword into one the blue stone slabs!"

"WHAT!?" Striker exclaims.

"This vessel needs to land before the stones run out of energy, your sword has that same power, right?! I've seen it in a similar drawing in the book!"

The ship tosses and turns as it uncontrollably wanes over the ever dimming power, Aveela barely keeps it from capsizing as another loud snap comes from the rear of the airship. Unsheathing the sword, Bluestreak forces the blade deep into the soft stone, the blue thorn embedded within the two slivers of metal of his sword begins to dance in an array of blue hues, but nothing else happens, Bluestreak sighs as he reluctantly forces the same jet he used to climb into Cloudsdale, this time into the stone, bringing the ship to life, albeit slowly.

"C'mon BlueStreak!"

Striker yells with a panicked tone

"I got it handled!"

Aveela’s struggle to keep the airship upright becomes easier as she navigates to the ground.

"Blue, stop the jet!"

Striker yells with his tone again, before BlueStreak realizes what the little hawk meant, the blade flies out of the crack taking BlueStreak with it, the jet dies mid flight, it shoots out of his grip, from his mouth and disappears into the metal above. BlueStreak is tossed to the front of the airship, crashing loudly through the already brittle, fragile windows. pain envelopes his back, before smacking his face into the steel railing on the outside deck, everything goes black.