The Legend of Fauna

The city in the clouds was home to many, but in particular, It was home to a young Angel and her Mage father. The Heron family was, broken, if to say nothing else. Lila Heron was afflicted with a rare disease known as Marionette Syndrome. The disease is hereditary, and only displayed symptoms in Angels that had it. Mages were usually known carriers, and Terrans were never carriers, as the gene itself never manifested in those of the earthen race.

Marionette begins to show itself in the person's early 30's to early 40's. It starts off as a numbness in the wings. Patients typically describe that their ability to fly has been greatly reduced lately as their lower wing feathers just don't seem to feel like they're there at all. Then, it begins to spread through the rest of the body. Once the wings are immobilized, It moves to the next set of appendages, the legs. Each toe blinks out of nerve connections, then followed by the rest of the foot until it reaches the thigh, and then transfers to the arms.

In a similar process, Marionette syndrome begins to take the body, turning off various functions, and rendering nerve endings useless which then leads to organ failure. Provided the patient survives long enough by artificial means, Marionette will take the whole torso, and then finally, the brain will begin to lose it's bio-electric pulse. The whole process can take anywhere from five to twenty years, but regardless, no patient has survived to this day.

Patients afflicted with the disease start to show behavioral changes as they begin to lose feeling. First, they start to feel more and more paranoid about their surroundings. After the wings are lost, the patients typically complain about noise levels around them. As the disease advances, the patient experiences furthering dementia until eventually, they no longer have any memories. There is no known cure for Marionette.

Lila and Magus Heron were beginning to raise their second born child when Marionette set in. Magus worked for the government in a high security job, and was often away from his wife and children on a regular basis, only returning home for half of a week at the most for any point and time. During the year 3004, Magus opened his front door to find his wife curled in a ball holding her son and daughter in her arms while both were tied and bound with ropes repeating the same phrase over and over again. “Mommy will protect you from them, Mommy will protect you from them, Mommy will protect you from them...” She said, as she rocked in the dark rooms corner with her children.

Over the next year and a half, numbness symptoms had been apparent to show again, but nothing of the mind illness that came with Marionette, so Magus was allowed leave work to care for his family. But once again, Lila's mind began to slip. On the way to taking his daughter to school, Magus received a call from the police department about his wife clutching their son over the cloud base park.

While she herself was no problem, the boy was a Mage like his father, and the minute that Lila lost her grip, the boy would fall from Cloudsdale to his death in the waters of Sky lake below. On top of this, Lila's wings were no longer operational anymore, and her feet only half functioned. It was a miracle that she managed to even make it this far out of the house, but on top of that, she was holding a six year old.

Magus had dropped off his daughter and then rushed as close as he could to the scene. When he arrived at the edge of the Aerolite and stone road that lead to the park, he was greeted with another scene of Lila cradling his child and chanting. “Magus! Magus, They're every where! I c-can't protect him from them all! Magus! Magus! MAGUS!” A new phrase to an old hysteric tune, the Mage was just able to levitate his slowly growing insane wife and his son back to safety inside the city, and took them home.

Over the next half year, Magus managed to be the care taker for his family, until his time to return to work was called upon by the Queens themselves. Lila was put into a mental institution, no longer being able to walk or fly, and beginning to lose memories, and the children were put into the care of Lila's sister Lave. However, Lave was not anywhere close to the mother the children needed, and nor was she as kind as the Heron family.

Upon return from a mission after two years in Lave's care, Magus was greeted by his daughter with a bruised eye, desperately trying to hide from her aunt. He quickly realized the need for intervention, but had no means of providing for the children in a way that could have them protected. He searched and searched, looking for an answer, but there was none to be found. Eventually, Magus decided to try and keep his kids with him during jobs. It meant they would be moving constantly, but being alone himself, and realizing the hostile environment Lila grew up in, there wasn't any other option.

So, a few years went by, and things were fine. The kids were both accepted and loved by the rest of Magus' outfit, and there was yet for any real problem to arise. Until a mission in Cloudsdale came. Being home, the kids were simply left alone at the Heron house for the day. The job was relatively ordinary, destroy the cartel base, and capture at least one member. Simple. However, the job actually hit closer to home then first imagined. The raid took place just four blocks diagonally from Heron's house.

It began routine, blaze the base, raid the base, destroy evidence of being there. But the Faunan drug cartel was warned before hand and a few members managed to escape. One member just so happened to be an old neighbor of Magus, and recognized his face. That man ran to Heron's house and took the kids hostage. A long standoff between Heron's group and the remaining Faunan drug cartel member lasted for several hours until the a vote was made to take the member's life before he could do anything.

Heavily opposed as the single minority of six, Magus' request to handle the situation to differently was denied. The group's sniper, Crystal Fume, was one of, if not the, greatest marksman in the world at the time, and with out a sound, the Cartel member was shot through the eye while holding Heron's daughter at knife point. The blood from his head painted several spots around the wall he was hiding behind, and also the girl's new dress. The mortified little girl was mute for the next three months, using nothing but motions used to communicate. Her first recorded word after the traumatic event was simply 'blood.'

Filled with rage, Magus demanded that the Faunan drug cartel be ended, but with little information to go on, the Queens couldn't spare the resources to help his request. Denied the ability to gather information himself, Magus went rogue on a vendetta. His persistence was rewarded, and after tracking a well hidden money trail, he arrived at Magica Igna in Middle Canterlot. He found a dealer that sold for the cartel within the city, and learned that the building was really a cover for the production factory of their signature illicit drug.

Magus gathered his group, and the team was given the okay to raid the building. However, it was found that it was a trap to begin with. An innocent man was injured, and Magus never returned. With their mother mentally unstable, and physically handicapped, the children were separated and sent to foster care. Magus' death was hidden by the government, but the Night Queen herself came to see and apologize to the children in person.

Over the next eleven months, the Heron daughter was tossed from one home to another across the giant city of Cloudsdale, eventually losing track of everything she had once known, including her brother. It was near the end of this period that that she had made a friend. The girl was scarred during her traumatic upbringing and closed herself in, rarely speaking to others, let alone making friends. It was a miracle that she had managed to make one at all, but the upbeat happy go lucky girl she did meet just didn't want to leave her alone. The two had one thing in common that brought them together, and that was a missing mother.

They helped each other as much as they could, and spent much of their time together. However, this would be short lived. The daughter of Magus was born with a frail body and smaller than average wings. She could fly, but not for a long periods of time, or very quickly, and it was believed that she had an early stage version of Marionette due to being born to a mother afflicted with it during pregnancy.

Amidst a conflict with simple bullies and the two girls, a race was issued as a challenge to the girls. Sticking up for her friend, the other girl accepted the challenge. The children decided to race at the edge of Cloudsdale city, just outside of the park where Lila Heron had her second mental episode. Originally, she was never to participate in the race, but after further teasing and egging on, the boys managed to get her friend to convince the Heron daughter to join them.

The race began, and the four rocketed off. Heron quickly fell behind, and was lost by the other three. The time was 12:00 noon, on November 23, 3009. It would be her tenth birthday, and at the same time, it was the same day she believed she would lose her life. The girl was unable to make it back to Cloudsdale's edge before her wings gave out.

Unable to control herself, her body spiraled out of the sky to the ground below. Doing anything she could to try and stop the fall, the girl slammed her body into cloud after cloud, each nearly frozen cloud simply shattering under her high velocity. At one point, she slammed into a cloud that had a random piece of Aerolite stuck to it, and was badly injured by the impact. With one last breath she screamed out for help as she fell into the red forest below. It was at that same moment, the sky broke into the colors of the rainbow, and suddenly, she was being held.

Her eyes had been glued shut by the ice that had formed on her face after falling through the frozen condensed water vapor in the air, so she couldn't know anything other than that she was alive. The next day, she awoke inside a tent. It was a particular shade of violet she thought she'd seen before, but couldn't remember where. The clothes she was wearing had been replaced by some pajamas that were far more suited to the cold than what she had on before, and her right arm and shoulder were bandaged.

She quickly checked her neck for her the pendant her father had given her. She managed to find it still around her neck with her left arm. She sighed in relief, but then realized she couldn't move her right. She decided to test the bandaged area of her shoulder with her fingers to see how it felt, and when the wave of pain came through, she fainted.

She awoke again in the tent at a later point in the day and saw two women sitting around a fire just outside of the now open tent. One was some kind of Angel with bright white wings that almost seemed to glow, if not by the fire's light, but by some magical force. The other was a younger woman. Not quite an adult, maybe a teenager. But her hair was so red that it was almost pink, and both of them were wearing coats, but more notably, swords.

The Heron daughter raised herself to a sitting position with her good arm, and then tried to stand. But in doing so, she realized that she couldn't feel her right foot. She lifted the top of her sleeping bag to see what the problem was, and then realized that it wasn't there. She screamed at the sight, and just as quickly the two women turned their heads to see what was wrong.

“Mom, she's awake!” Said the younger girl. “I can tell honey, she's screaming.” The winged woman was at the Heron girl's side in an instant. And even more shockingly, she simply popped from one spot to another as the wingless girl ran. The older woman picked up the Heron girl with relative ease and cradled her. “Hush now, I'm here. It's okay sweetie, you're fine. There, there.” The comforting presence of the Angel woman managed to soothe the Heron girl, and she had stopped screaming.

“It-it-it's g-gone!” Said the little girl. “W-where did it go? I... I can't feel it... why? It's... gone...” The woman continued to caress the little girl. “Hush now, little one. All will be right with you in the morning. Can you tell me your name?” The woman continued to stroke the little girl's hair, and eventually she had calmed down to the point nearly sleeping again. “My name... is... Fluttershy...” The little girl had taken to sucking her thumb, and her eyes had fallen closed. The woman sighed.

“That's what I was afraid of... This... this is Magus' daughter.” The young woman covered her mouth. “So she's-!” The Angel woman nodded. “An orphan with an incurable disease by medicine, yes. And a sick one at that. She's burning up. Bring me the canteen.” The teenager did as she was told and brought a flask of water from the fire's side.

“So... what do we do with her? I mean... it's not like she has anywhere to go back to. And how old is she anyways? She's tiny. Isn't she supposed to be ten, or something?” The woman kept her gaze on the girl in her arms. She took the water flask from her daughter, and unscrewed the cap on it. Then, her fingers began to glow a yellow color, as did the opening of the flask. The opening of the flask transformed into a false nipple, and she replaced the girl's thumb with it. “I'm not sure at the moment. But for now, we'll just keep her with us. This horrid place is nowhere for a child to be. It looks like our little mother daughter outing will be cut short this year.” The teenager crossed her arms.

“And we were this close to the fun part. Ah, whatever. This poor kid is a lot more important than me beating the hell out of some creatures I guess. How long are we gonna stay? I mean, now that we're leaving and all.” The woman removed the flask from the girl, and then she nestled her little body in the her embrace. Of all things, the little girl was smiling. “As soon as she wakes up.” Said the woman as she laughed a little.

“I guess I'll go do... something. Call me when you're ready to leave.” The woman nodded. “Alright then.” She said, in a distracted tone. “Okay, well. Yeah.” The teenager stood and exited the tent, but just as she did, her mother called out.

“Athena?” The teenager popped her head back in the tent. “Yeah?” The woman locked eyes with her daughter. They were glossy, like she was about to cry. “I think... I think we'll keep her. She should have never had to... live without a mother for so long...” The girl didn't know how to react to this. Her mother was the Queen of the country, and now... she... looked just as vulnerable as the little one in her arms. “Oh, uh... yeah...” The teenager escaped the tent and went to draw the large sword off of her back. A little sister huh? She thought to herself. I guess that wouldn't be so bad...

When next Fluttershy woke, she was in a large bed, in a large room. She quickly looked under her covers to her feet, and they were both there. She sighed, and at the same time, she realized her right arm was fine too. She checked over her arm, and when she moved her sleeve to feel her shoulder, she noticed something new there. A mark. Three little butterflies.

“When did I...?” The girl put her sleeve down, and hopped out of her bed. The more she moved, the more she thought she felt stronger than she had ever felt in her life. She flapped her wings twice, and started to hover around the room. Since when was it so easy to fly? It had never been easy to fly. The other kids always teased her about how she could barely do it in the first place, but now... now she could likely out fly half of her age group.

The room had a high ceiling. It was made entirely of white stone with all the furnishings in either white, gold, violet, or a combination of those colors. She returned to the ground, relaxed her wings back to her back, and decided to start investigating the room she was in. To the side of the bed was a large wooden inn table with a few drawers in it. Upon further inspection, the drawers contained clothes that were all her size, but looked new. She couldn't remember the last time she had anything new to wear, let alone, something that was hers.

But... where was she? Was all this... really for her? The adults always yelled at her when she took something, and sometimes they... they would bring out the paddle. The little girl decided against touching anything more with memories of the time at her aunt's house fresh in her mind, and then went to check the closed window. There was a sliver of light coming from in between the violet drapes that covered most of the wall of the room she was in.

She moved one to the side, and squinted at the brightness of everything around her. When her eyes adjusted, she could see everything. She was in some kind of castle like the ones her picture books all depicted, and below her was an entire city. It had little buildings everywhere and giant white stone walls that formed a big curved shape every so often.

From here, she could see the red forest, and the big lake that was under where she used to live, and she could see Cloudsdale from here. The little girl sighed after being awestruck by the view. “That lady is probably gonna send me back soon... sniff... just like all the others...” The girl removed herself from the window and made her way back onto the bed. She grabbed her legs and spread her wings around herself.

“Maybe all the other kids are right. Maybe... maybe I'll be alone forever... and daddy... daddy isn't ever gonna come back... and... and...” Quietly, the girl began to sob to herself. However, it didn't last long. The large door to the front of the bed swung open, and the woman from before walked in. The light was pouring in the room from behind her, and she looked like the queen that all the picture books said lived in the castle. Her hair glistened and shined in the sunlight, and her wings almost glowed on their own. She was smiling at the girl, and she was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

“I'm so glad you're awake! How do you feel, Fluttershy?” The woman came to the girl, and stood her up on the bed. Even with the extra three feet of the bed added to her own just over three feet, she still had to look up to the woman. “Oh...I...” The little girl's face reddened, and she turned away. “I'm fine...” She mumbled. The woman took the girl in a hug and pushed her little body into her breasts.

“Oh, you're just so cute! You act just like Athena did when she was your age!” The woman's enthusiasm seemed to work on the little girl, and she couldn't help but warm up to her. So then she asked. “Are you...” The woman pulled the girl out of her chest and moved her to look into her eyes. “What is it sweetie?” They were a dark violet, but with the light the way it was, they sparkled with bright gold all along her irises. She was beautiful.

“Are you gonna... s-send me away? J-just, sniff, just like all the other ones?” The girl was nearly in tears before she finished her sentence. The woman hugged the girl and stroked her hair. “No, sweetie. No one is going to send you away, ever again. I'll always be here for you, and nothing can ever change that.” From then on, Fluttershy Heron was raised with the Iscandor family. Like the rest of the Iscandor children, she was kept far and away from public view, and was loved by the Iscandors. When she turned twelve, the family celebrated by taking a trip around the world to expose the shy little girl to new places.

They visited every continent that touched the Leviathan ocean from Tenshen to the south east, to the islands of Anya above that, to Privia at the bottom of the world. They visited each of the five continents and the continents were all so different and unique, with their own ways of doing things. Fluttershy was finally smiling after living two years with the Iscandors. This was until they reached the Tenshen Empire. Fauna and the Empire were constantly at each others throats due to the Empire's belief that they had the right to control all of greater Tenshen, and subject it's people to their rule. Naturally Fauna fought to protect the rights of those who requested aid, and as such the wars between Fauna and Tenshen never seemed to stop.

For ten years since the third millennium, The Empire had yet to make a move, and for once, Celestia and Luna believed they had struck a peaceful age again. But this all ended during that vacation. They were visiting the small country of Namiva that Fauna had helped liberate from the Empire's iron grip decades ago that bordered the gulf of Tenshen and the Empire itself. Namiva was known for it's beautiful lofty cities in the sky due to the massive abundance of Aerolite in the heavily forested land below.

The Tenshen Empire was ruled by a Mage dynasty that practiced the enslavement of human beings of the 'lower races', but due to the location of the capital of Namiva, Tenshen was never able to wage war on them after losing control over forty years ago. However, they had recently discovered magic that allowed for flight that had been kept secret in Fauna for centuries, and with it at their disposal, they built great machines of war that flew in the sky.

The Iscandors were in a hotel during the initial raid. Celestia, Sombra, Luna, and Light all moved like clock work together to grab the kids and flee the city. They managed to get out of the inner city in a magic cloak that Tenshen's Mages couldn't detect, but witnessed all the horrors of war along the way. The two twelve year olds, the fourteen year old, and the sixteen year old all watched an entire family as they were riddled with bullet holes for the first time by the invading Tenshen army.

The oldest children had already been exposed to death, and simply kept silent as the twelve moved out of the burning city. The family made it home safe, but the younger children would never be the same. Her older brother, Zephraim, vowed to end the fighting one day. The other Iscandor children of both queens all agreed, and suddenly, she did too. When she saw that family murdered, she remembered all that had happened before her father died, and she wasn't afraid of it, she was angry.

How could they do something so cruel? What right did they have to take lives? How could they just kill with no emotion? Her new family's line of thought was infectious and she was pulled deep into it. She was frustrated. “What would you have done? You're nobody! You're nothing! You simply ride on the kindness you've been given! And what do you do? Nothing! They protect you, they feed you, the gave you everything you have! And you can't do anything to repay them for as long as you live! They show you the same love that the father you once had did, and you won't even smile at them! You're worthless, Fluttershy! Just look at you, you pathetic little reject of an Angel! You're weak, and I... I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! I hate... myself...”

The girl was discovered by Celestia punching the now broken mirror in her bathroom, screaming at herself. “Stop, stop, stop! What-? Fluttershy, what has gotten into you? You're bleeding!” The girl had tears streaming down her face, as the Day Queen restrained her from continuing to punch the mirror. “It's all my fault! Those people were just... just... right there and I... I couldn't do anything... I...” The woman kneeled and grabbed the little girl's head and pulled her eyes to her own.

“You stop that this instant. None of that was your fault. You had nothing to do with anything that happened yesterday, and regardless of what you heard Zephraim or Eclipse say, it is not your fault.” The little girl struggled out of Celestia's hand. “No! It is my fault! I'm the reason mommy went crazy, I'm the reason daddy died! I'm the reason my brother is gone! It's all my fault! It's because I'm alive that they're all gone! It's my fault that those people died! It's because I can't do anything! It's because I'm weak, and worthless, it's-” The little girl was pushed into the woman's chest.

“Stop this. Please, Fluttershy... you are the kindest soul in the world. You've done nothing wrong. You've done nothing that should make you feel or act this way. It's the world that's at fault here. It's people that cause such misery and despair...” Several hours passed as Celestia held the girl in her bathroom in silence. It wasn't until Sombra found them in the dark of that bathroom did they move.

“There you are. I've been looking all over for you. What were you doing in here that was so important that you never came back to the briefing?” The black haired man then took notice of the pale yellow wings in between Celestia's chest. “Ah. I see. Look, they need you in that meeting, and I can't keep covering for you. Let me deal with her.” The man came and removed his wife from the girl, then took her in his arms. The woman stood, and straightened her clothes, then swiped at her hair to smooth it down.

“I hate it when you're right. Fluttershy, sweetie, I need to go right now, do you mind staying with Sombra for a while?” The little girl was already clinging to the man, trying to hide herself in his chest. “I'll take that as a yes. Go on, Mrs. Day Queen.” The woman bit at her left index knuckle, then made her way out of Fluttershy's room. The man moved to the girl's bed, and sat down, with her still clinging to him. Fluttershy and Athena were completely different, so without much to go on, he simply thought of the only thing that ever made Athena smile for him as a child. “Hey, kiddo, look at this.” The little girl looked up into the man's green eyes with her own watery, reddened, and tired blues, then to the left hand he raised. Just above his red glowing fingerless glove were dancing lights. They curved and jumped, ascended and descended, flew and glided all around her. At first she smiled. But then she started to cry again.

“Oh, come on. I know I haven't practiced in a while, but-” The girl spoke. “You're just like daddy... he- *sniff*, he did the same thing every time he would come home... and if I wasn't so... so worthless, he... he!” The girl buried herself further in the man. The man sighed. “And for a minute there, I thought it really worked for once. Damn.” The man simply held the girl for a few moments until he got an idea.

“Hey, kiddo. Look at me for a minute, stop crying.” The girl paused and did as she was told. “Bah, you girls and that face. I hate to make this blunt, but you feel like you're uh... not useful to anyone right?” The girl nodded, and sniffed again. “So, how about we change that? You think you're weak, you think you're pathetic, and you just think that all the worlds problems would be solved if you weren't right?” The girl swallowed, and spoke.

“Y-yeah...” The man stood the girl up on her bed and then stood up himself. She had grown nearly a whole foot over the last year, and he had to look up at her. “Then let's change it! When I was a kid, my uh... mother, was not the greatest one in the world, but if she taught me anything, it's that I can change the world around me by working to be better than the world around me.” In the back of his mind, he was thinking to the time almost thousands of years ago to what his mother actually said, but changing the phrasing so that it wouldn't turn this child into a mass murderer seeking conquest.

“But... how Mr. Sombra?” The crying had just about exited the little girl's voice, and he had her attention. Now all there was to do was pray that Celestia didn't torture him because he was about to teach this girl how to fight. “I'll do for you what I've done for all your siblings and many before. Today is the day that you start to learn how to fight. It wont be easy, but by the time you grow up, you'll be able to protect families from people like the Tenshen Mages, and you'll be able to keep those you love from being hurt. You'll never be weak again.” Captivated by Sombra's words, for the next four years, much to Celestia's dismay, Fluttershy Heron underwent combat training.

In the beginning, it was found that the girl was masterful with her hands. Martial arts came so naturally to her, that even the younger Iscandor children were rarely victorious against the pink headed Angel. Sharing a similar skill set, Jupiter Iscandor, the first son of Luna and Light, formed a strong bond with the girl. Far stronger than the bonds of most of the other members of the family.

Eventually she picked up a sword, and it was found that she was gifted in a way that caused her fighting style to adapt based on what she was holding, but all the same, she never used a weapon for offense. Four years had passed, and her sixteenth birthday had arrived. She had gone from a shy little girl that was scarred and afraid of the world to a trained and lightly less shy young woman who, while still socially inept to the point of tears, would fight to protect even those who wronged her. It was a few months after this time that she joined the Eclipse Core.

A group of trained soldiers whose caliber was much higher than most, and rose above the rest, all devoted to protect the citizens of Fauna from internal danger within her borders. The year was 3016, and the day was March 20th. “Fluttershy? Where are you? I know you're in here. You know you can't hide from me. You have to the count of three before I warp behind you and start preening you!” With nearly a second before the Day Queen opened her mouth again, a cloud of smoke appeared and once it floated away, the teenager had come out of hiding. After six years time, the girl had grown nearly a whole three feet she was almost as tall as her oldest brother, and taller than her father. However, all three of them were a foot shorter than the Day Queen herself.

“*Sigh* Yes ma'am.” The girl had grown quite well. Usually skilled with plant and animal life for an Angel, and even more so, highly skilled in the field of intelligence gathering. Specifically, hiding. “You went and joined the military? My military? Without telling me? I hate to do this, but credit is due where credit is deserved, so I'm proud of you for making the marks you did. But of all the things I have pleaded with you not to do, why, oh, why would you do this one?” The Ascended woman was holding the 'disapproving mother' tone and stance, her weight on one leg, her arms under her breasts with the single raised pink eyebrow on her face. Even after almost six years of living with her, the Heron girl could never get over how pretty the Day Queen's eyes were.

“I... I know you advised against it...” The Ascended woman leaned back. “Advised!? That was the one thing I explicitly told you not to do! You remember that ordeal with Zephraim, and yet you still went behind my back and did it anyways!? I just want to know what could have possibly been running through your head yesterday that made you think this was a good decision. Why, Fluttershy? Why did you do it?” At this point the sixteen year old had curled her wings around herself and was pulling out dead feathers. A nervous habit of hers. She avoided preening herself as much as possible, but when it came to not wanting to interact with others, she would simply begin to do it until it was done. The only problem was, she was prone to molting, so whenever she did, there was always either a trail of dead feathers left behind, or she would accidentally rip a live one out and cause herself to bleed.

“I... I don't know... I... I just want to do something for myself for once. I mean, I thank you, all of you for taking me in like one of your own, but... I don't feel like there's any way I could ever pay you back for all you've done for me. This was just... a way to try and get there...” One. Two. Three. Four. All little feathers from the top of her wings simply floating from her hands to the floor of her room. The woman grabbed her hands away from her wings. “You know you don't have to. I took you in because you were dealing with a remarkably similar childhood to my own, and I didn't want that for you. But now you're just following in my footsteps! What if it comes down to the point where you have to kill or be killed?” The girl then looked back down at her wings, trying to hide her face with them.

“I...” The Ascended brought the girls eyes back to hers. “Look at me! This is serious! You can't just crawl away from this anymore, you signed a contract! At some point, you will be forced into this situation, especially since you decided to go and get such high marks that the Eclipse Core approached you! General Parma doesn't know who you are related to me! At this point they'll think you're just some hot shot new recruit that they can beat training into!” The Day Queen put her hand to her forehead, then let it slide down her face.

“Ugh. Of all my children I didn't think I'd have to worry about running off to fight. Can you just... tell me, what is this really about? I know there's more to this that you're not telling me.” And now she was digging her toe into the carpet. She was chewing on her hair away from having a nervous break down. She was about to grab at her hair, when she stopped, and relaxed her body. Of all the things Sombra had taught her, this was one of the few Celestia approved of. His relaxation technique.

“Okay, you win. I... I want to keep that from happening again...” The Ascended was unsatisfied with this answer. “That was about a vague as my age in the media. More specifics please.” The girl walked over to her bed and sat down. Celestia followed suit and sat next to her. Even after six years, not much had changed about this room. Save for the bird house(s), plural, as in many, many birds live in this room. How the teenager kept up with this many birds was unknown to either Queen, their husbands, or any of her siblings.

“Do you remember the trip we took to Namiva back in 3012?” The Day Queen went to rub her temples. “Oh, not this again. It's been four years! How many times do I have to tell you that the events in your life were not caused by you specifically?” The Shy Angel waved the statement away. “No, this isn't about that anymore. I think I got over that last year. But what I mean is, when we were escaping through the city, there was one thing I saw that just sent me into a rage that I never really got over. There was a little girl. I... think she might have been a Mage, but I know for a fact she didn't have wings, and she didn't have that... healthy look that Terrans tend to have. But, she... she was covered in blood, and none of it was her own.

She was carrying one of those little dolls that they made out of the Parave leather, and she was looking around for someone. One of the Tenshen soldiers found her. He didn't kill her on sight, and instead he asked her something in Namese. When she responded, he ripped the wings off her doll. She started crying, and then he...” The teenager swallowed. “He punched her. She kept crying, and crying, and she just wouldn't stop. I wanted to say something, but... I couldn't find my voice. My entire body felt frozen, and if it weren't for Nebula pushing me along, I don't think I would have kept moving. Then he lifted his gun. I wanted to turn my head, and cover my ears, but... I just couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. And I watched as he... fired...” The girl was silent for a good moment. Celestia was a second away from opening her mouth again, and the girl continued.

“I... I never want that to happen again. As long as I live, I just can't let it happen like that. I... I just can't bear to think that... somewhere out there, a child is... about to be slaughtered for no reason, and can't do anything about it. I want to... No, I will keep that from happening again as long as I live.” Unusual for her still, was the sound of her voice with determination. That shy little girl that fell out of the sky that Celestia saved from certain death had grown into one of the purest souls she'd ever known... as a matter of fact, there was only one person she'd ever met who had the same ideals as this girl and...

“Oh, sweet divinity...” The teenager was confused by the response. “What? Is... Is this wrong? Should... Should I think about this differently? Is there a better-” The Ascended woman pressed the teenager into her body, and wrapped her wings around the girl. “No, no, that's... That's perfect... Just...” The teenager felt a wet spot developing on her hair. “Are you okay... mother?” The woman squeezed the girl even harder. Finally, she'd said it. After six years, it was the first time she called her mother. She finally accepted her, she'd finally accepted her family as her own. And now she had to send her off.

“I... I couldn't be more proud of you right now... but... I... need you to come with me.” The woman stood, and her left hand began to glow. She held it out to the girl who took it tentatively. In an instant, she was somewhere else. Somewhere she'd never been. She'd been in every room in the castle... that she knew existed. However, this room was a bit different than all the others. For one, they were underground. Very far underground.

There were various colored crystals all along the room, growing out of the ground. At the end of the room was what looked like an altar. It had three steps going up to it, all made of white marble with some kind of odd black... substance on it. As they approached, Fluttershy began to feel nauseous. The air around the area was stagnant and sticky. But most of all, lined with some kind of sickly magic. Even being without magic herself, she could feel the particles of the black energy wrapping around her skin and filling her lungs. The more she breathed in, the worse she felt, the more she felt the need to run away and vomit. But at the alter, there was a light. A warm light, that was... calling out to her.

It was pulsating, faster and faster, as she got closer. The sickly air was disorienting, but the blue light was soft and inviting. The world around her became darker and darker. Celestia was no longer in sight, and all she could see was the blue light. She couldn't speak, the black was constricting her throat. Only one thought was present in her mind now, grab the light, grab the light, grab the light. Her steps became heavier, the closer she got to the light. Further, and further away it seemed to grow, until finally, something reached out to her. The light had formed a body, the shape of a woman, the shape of an Angel. It brought her closer to it until she was bathed in the blue light. And then there was nothing. No sight, no sound, just darkness. But amidst the chaos, amidst the confusion, there was something, warm in her hands. It was comforting and calming, it was thin and frail. It felt like it needed to be protected.

With nothing to reassure herself, she said to the warmth, “I'll protect you.” She then opened her eyes to see the room again. In front of her was a red faced, teary eyed, Celestia clutching one wrist with one hand and covering her mouth with the other. She realized that she was facing the direction they had come in from. She examined her surroundings to see that she was atop the rounded black and white altar. Behind her was a giant stone tablet, nearly as tall as she was. It had a border, thin rectangle running along it's top, a square below that, and another box under that with runes of an ancient forgotten language she'd been taught by the Queens. The top box read, 'Monarcha, the Element of Kindness'.

When she put her arms down to examine the tablet, she realized she was holding something. She went to look at it, and it was a mirror image of the tablet, but it was also a card, just like any other. The name was slightly different, but two words remained the same. 'Monarcha', and 'Kindness', were both present. It was warm. She looked at the card closer, and saw the Angel woman inside. Her hair was a light pink color, and she was covered in head to toe in thick armor. She carried a large shield with a crest on it. The girl then thought to reach for her chest. Just around her neck was a pendant that her father had given her just a few days before he died. It carried the same image. The woman's eyes were blue, and her wings were pale yellow like sand. Just like hers. The more she looked at the woman in the card, the more she realized that it looked like her. Finally, she turned to Celestia. Before she could even open her mouth, Celestia began to speak.

“Long ago, there was a land here. Long before me, long before any land was named. It was simply known as the land of Harmonia. Three gods were cast out of the fourth plane down to this one, and on this planet, they populated, starting the race of human beings. They each had two children to pass their powers, and the race grew exponentially from there. Many eons passed, and these children became the oldest living humans in existence, and one day, a great tragedy struck this earth.

The first children of the damned gods, the first humans, sought out the gods still above them. And to their pity, were blessed with the powers of six of the seven gods. To Andromeda, the power of Yamirix, the god of Dark. To Amethyst, the power of Hikaritz, the goddess of Light. These were the children of Archea, the father of Magic.” Celestia had come to stand on the altar with Fluttershy, and was now standing in between two of the tablets that read  'Andromeda, the Element of Magic' and 'Amethyst, the Element of Generosity'. She then moved to the left, to the next two tablets, ones opposite of where Fluttershy was standing.

“To Ephraim, the power of Chiaz, the god of Earth. To Optimism, the power of Hokonet, the god of Fire. These were the sons of Gaia, the mother of strength.” to Celestia's left was 'Ephraim, the Element of Honesty' and to her right was 'Optimism, the Element of Laughter'. Then she went the other direction around the stone table in the center of the alter, being careful to not look at the tablet next to Optimism. She now stood behind Fluttershy.

“To Valkyriana, the power of Kazald, the goddess of Wind. To Monarcha, the power of Mizuli, the goddess of Water. These were the daughters of Sephira, the mother of flight.” To Fluttershy's left was the tablet that read 'Valkyriana, the Element of Loyalty', and in front of her was the one she held in her very hands. But then the last tablet remained. She went to read it, but the name was mostly covered with the black substance that was all over the alter. All that was still legible of the ancient runes was one word. 'Umbra'.

“And that... that is the evil that nearly destroyed this world. With the help of the god's powers, the Elements of Harmonia fought with Umbra until their last breath, only to have their final spell used to seal her away reversed on them as well, sealing all seven into these tablets of stone. Around the year 900 of out calender, these seven tablets were discovered by a descendant of Umbra's, and he established contact with the souls of the elements that resided in these tablets. After obtaining the means, he then brought them to me and my sister.

Their power revolved around a game that the gods used to solve disputes, a game that had been long forgotten by humanity during the end of Umbra's days. We began to play the game, and we were bestowed the power of the seventh god, Divinity. The powers of the three outcast gods and Divinity himself gave us the attributes of the three human races, and so much more. With it, we ended the wars of Fauna Major, and united the three countries that inhabited this land into the country of Fauna.

For years, we would use this power to end wars without blood shed all over the world, until one day, Luna had contracted the power of Umbra. Corrupted and unable to control her own body, I used the power of the six Elements to try and save her, but yet again, the Elements and umbra were a match for each other, and she escaped to another dimension with Luna's body and soul captive. My connection to the Elements was severed, and Luna's was as well.

In that dimension, Divinity chose another to save his own, and with their combined effort, Luna and Light defeated Umbra, and sealed her away into a card. With his advanced technology, Light managed to return Luna home, but not without taking her for his own first. Things were peaceful until seventeen years ago.

A woman who tried to lead the Shape-Shifter revolt in Crater city to the west had been locked away in the dungeons below this place. She escaped and found this room. We cornered her here, but by that time, Umbra had already began to consume her. The woman pleaded for help, but before we even managed to summon our armor, Umbra had taken her. With the body of Chrysalis held captive, Umbra warped away to places unknown.” Celestia then stepped forward until she was no more than a few inches away from Fluttershy.

“You are one of six born in the last sixteen years who share destinies with the Elements of Harmonia. You are the current incarnation of Kindness, the inheritor or Mizuli's power, and most of all, the chosen of Monarcha.” She lowered herself to sitting on her heels, then took Fluttershy's hands in her own. “I never thought that one of my own would be chosen to take up the torch the Harmonians left behind, and I can't say that I was right. Because to me, you are mine. Just like Apollo, just like Athena, Just like Zephraim, Just like Zeus. You are a daughter I raised. But you did not bear the curse of the Harmonians that my blood is tainted with. You were born to a father who could have just as easily inherited this burden as you, and a mother who could have done the same. But it was you that she chose.

Out of all the blood that could have been given this burden, it was yours that she believes is the best to take the challenge that her destiny left behind. Of all the things I could have never been prepared to do, letting one of my kids go off to save the world where I could not wasn't something that even crossed my mind. But... here we are. It could be fate, it could be destiny, hell, it could have even been divine intervention that you were so gifted in the way you are.

But now I have a task for you. There is a battle coming, one that I cannot fight. Umbra is bound to surface any day now, and with the unrest of the Shape-Shifter population on the rise, I can only imagine where it might occur. That choice I told you you would have to make? This is where it starts. If you cannot end her, then she will end you and everything you hold dear. You must find a way to make the choice to save lives at the cost of another.” The girl took a step away from her adoptive mother.

“But I...” The woman shook her head and returned to standing. “I know... However, there comes a time in the lives of those who are destined to fight where the judgment of the damned becomes something they decide. We can never act like we are gods, we have no right to choose who lives and who dies, yet, it always finds a way in front of our scales. So we must. If one death is cause that prevents thousands, billions, or trillions of lives from ending, how can we say no to protecting what we can?” The girl stepped back. Immediately, Celestia knew something had shifted in the girl. She took the standard issue silver military duel disk out of her new coat's pocket and placed the card inside. Her disk began to glow with a blue light, and she placed it on her arm. The silver rings expanded from the bottom of the metallic object, and resonated a deep tone after connecting together.

“But, that isn't right, my dearest Celestia. There is always another way! There has always been another way! This game was given to us with the intention of stopping human kind from making those choices! You have lived for half the lifespan that I have been sealed away, yet this you still don't understand? Come! Through my incarnation, and myself, we will show you how you should have been doing things this whole time!” The girl's whole body was radiating a blue light, and Celestia took a step away from her.

“You... I see. Very well then. But let me get one thing straight with you Monarcha. You protect my daughter.  You keep her safe! And then, you can tell me that your way was correct this whole time!” The Ascended woman slapped the golden shoulder plate on her left side, and in a flash of white light she was covered from head to toe in gold regalia. She flew to the opposite end of thee large room containing the alter. Matterwaves shot from the Day Queen's gauntlet and the yellow clad possessed Angel girl's disk, and in unison, they shouted, “DUEL!”