Golden Dawn: Dusk of an Empire

CLUNK

Twilight was the first of the newcomers to this world to open her eyes. The sounds of soldiers re-materializing loudly echoed in the space they had ended up, which was a large, dark blue room. Only one door, no windows, yet somehow illuminated. No sooner than they arrived that the doors flew open, a swarm of more Elven soldiers and a number of others came rushing through. Some wore the white uniforms of medics while others wore labcoats, all adorned with no less than three softly glowing, white crystals. Some were definitely Elven in appearance, while others seemed very small, no more than a foot in height and hovering in the air on dragonfly wings made of pure Arcane magic. All of them gasped in fright and wonder at the sight of her and behind her, the hulking metal corpse thought unkillable and the six Pony-kin that had defeated it.

"We made it... thank the gods," Rael'ia sighed, groaning shortly after. Twilight turned towards her; the other ponies, Rael'ia and the still-living soldiers were in various states of dishevelment, picking themselves off the ground. She tried not to focus too much on the corpses scattered around the room as they blinked in from thin air, landing on the floor with a metallic, slightly moist plop. Many had been torn clean in half, presumably from the Angel - a few especially unlucky ones were in pieces. She looked over to Spike, who was struggling to get up from a sitting position, but the Sapling of Harmony he held had survived unscathed. She sighed a breath of relief... all those magic wards and protection spells she'd cast on it had proven perfectly effective. She looked to Rael'ia to ask if she needed help with anything... and her blood ran cold.

The Elven Princess, now in her true form, was a familiar yet foreign sight to the lavender Alicorn. Bipedal, very much like the humans she'd seen in Canterlot High... five-foot-two, one hundred pounds, she estimated. Her skin was that same shade of peach her fur had once been. The dark leather collar around her neck remained, a turquoise cabochon its only adornment. Pointed ears like giant blades of grass decorated with golden bands stuck out from behind waist-length, sky-blue hair. Parted on the elf's left side, the bangs on her right were a bright golden yellow, while on the opposite side they were marigold orange. The yellow bangs were long enough to cover the entire right side of her face... for good reason. A large, red scar had been cut into her cheek and forehead, having cleaved through her eyebrow, and with the hole where her other turquoise eye should've been in the very center.

"Twilight? What's wrong?" Rael'ia seemed to not even notice half her vision was missing. The other ponies soon looked as well, gasping and shouting in horror.

"Sweet Celestia!" Rainbow Dash spoke out first. "What happened to your eye?!"

"Hm?" She waved a hand in front of her face, then scrunched her face in mild annoyance. "Oh! Oh, yes... my eye. Shoot."

"How... how are you so calm about this?!" Rarity shriveled.

"Lost it in battle many years ago. A foolish mistake, on my part... please, look around for a piece of Magicite shaped like an eye, if you could?" After a few moments the ponies' nerves settled enough for them to start looking. In the meantime Rael'ia stood up, addressing her people as they rushed to and fro. "Medics, please tend to the wounded among us, and prepare the mortuary for the fallen. Head Engineer Denzen, the Archmage will assist in bringing this fallen Angel to your diagnostics lab, I want you and your men to start taking this thing apart immediately. We must learn all we can from this rare opportunity! ...Archmage, if you would?"

The Archmage and scientist nodded, the former ordering some spare soldiers to help levitate the broken heap of metal while the latter began fluttering away calling out orders. Pinkie Pie shouted that she had found the Magicite jewel in question on the ground. She grasped it somehow with the curls of her mane and hopped merrily over to Rael'ia, who gently took it up in a field of blue magic surrounding her hand. The crystal tumbled in midair, water suddenly appearing from nowhere in particular, swirling around it to clean off any debris. The liquid vanished as quickly and mysteriously as it had came, and Rael'ia held open her empty eye socket as she pushed the crystal inside. It appeared to glow brightly before the beveled edges gave way to appear as one smooth object. She blinked multiple times, the crystal dimmed and changed its color to resemble an almost perfect copy of her remaining eye.

"Ah, that's better. I'm sorry to have frightened you, my friends, that one has the awful habit of popping out at inopportune times," she smiled weakly. "Thank you for finding it."

"You've replaced it with magic?" Twilight asked, having gotten over her squeamishness and was quite curious now.

"Of course. Magicite, medical science and magic can fix quite the number of injuries these days. Though thanks to the weapon that dealt this blow being made of Nullium, the scar will never heal. It's quite..." she sighed, blushing slightly, "...unsightly."

"What? Oh, no, never even noticed it until you said anything!" Spike nervously stammered. "Then again, I guess it was hidden underneath all that fur before."

"Where are we?" Applejack piped up. "You said somethin' about a 'home base' before y'all teleported us."

"My home, of course," Rael'ia smiled. "This room is simply where my own version of your Hearth Brooches take my forces and I. The ceiling, walls and floor all around you are all formed from Magicite slabs and crystals," she waved as the dark blue of the room suddenly shimmered with white light in a cascade from the door to the back of the space. "They're enchanted to detect certain anomalies... containment fields in case of enemies hitching a ride, stasis fields if a soldier is gravely injured, that way a medic will be able to reach him without his condition worsening."

"Interesting... I think Celestia has something similar," Twilight mused.

"Come, I'll show you around!"

~

The ponies and Spike followed the Elven Princess as she led them through hallways carved into dark blue-grey stone. Rael'ia's family had long ago made their home within one of the foothills of the Impassable Mountains, marked by a massive tree growing from its side. The polished stone floors were covered in richly-colored rugs, while dark blue tapestries and torches crafted from Magicite lined the walls, flickering exactly as if they were flames. Next to her room she showed her friends the guest quarters, inviting them to remove their armor and freshen up if they pleased. Rarity very quickly accepted, her friends giggling as they decided to do the same. They all regrouped when they were finished, Rael'ia now dressed in robes that had the fashionable unicorn swooning.

"Oh, darling! What gorgeous robes, simply divine! They're quite reminiscent of the traditional dress of the ponies in the Neighpon region of Equestria!" The robes were richly colored with orange dye, while thick sunbeams made from a saffron yellow and embroidered with golden thread shone outwards from two cutout "suns": a smaller one on Rael'ia's left shoulder and a larger, seductively-placed one on her right hip. It had no right sleeve, the Elven Princess preferring to have her dominant casting arm bare, and the lower portion had been tailored into a sharp diagonal shape so that much of her left leg was bare, yet the right leg was completely covered. Fastening the robe together was a thick, corset-like belt of dark brown leather outlined with gold, pointed drastically upwards and downwards in the center of her abdomen, kept locked in place with a loop of leather and a large, oval-shaped button of gold. The hems of her one oversized sleeve and the collar of the robe were golden embroidery, decorated with tiny, white Magicite beads. Dark brown leather sandals completed the ensemble, the straps crisscrossed up to the bottom of her knees.

"Oh, thank you," she blushed, giggling meekly. "Though I and other young elves of the generation find it fashionable, Mother always thought it was too revealing. 'You look like a Harpy prostitute!', she'd say." Her voice went up an octave as she pointed and wagged her finger at nobody in particular, drawing a few chuckles from her friends. "Now, let's finish our tour, shall we?"

After showing the newcomers to the land the rest of the rooms they might be interested in, such as the dining hall, royal hot spring baths and study area, Rael'ia finally brought them to her throne room. Though meant for a more regal purpose, the room was mostly converted into a foyer and briefing area, with wooden, cushioned benches lining the walls and populated with a few small groups of Elves and Fairies alike, sharing pleasant conversation. High above their heads were great arches of stone that supported the ceiling, with wide open spaces carved into the walls for windows, allowing sunlight and a fresh breeze inside. In the center of the room was a thick, heavy wooden table with a map of Fae carved into its surface, surrounded by five chairs matching the thickness of the table. In the very back of the room was Rael'ia's throne, crafted from a single, glowing white boulder of Magicite, adorned with a pile of fluffy, purple cushions at its base and her House sigil - a proud, radiant sun - carved into the flat space above where her head would rest. Immediately to the right of the throne was a Fairy whose eyes lit up at the sight of her Princess, her wings buzzing with movement and magic as she quickly darted across the room to greet her. Twilight narrowed her eyes in an attempt to get a better look at the tiny features of her face; the Fairy had her burnt sienna-brown hair in a ponytail and wore what appeared to be a hollowed-out pink tulip for a dress, leaves and all. Her eyes were entirely black and very shiny, and her voice, while quiet, conveyed the same inner energy that Pinkie Pie had.

"Princess Rael'ia, you're back! I'm so glad you are unharmed!" the little Fairy could barely contain her excitement as she flew circles around Twilight, Spike and the other ponies. "Oh my goodness, Pony-kin! I thought they were all gone... and a little Dragon-kin! My, you've been busy, haven't you, Princess?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Rael'ia sighed with a smile that hinted at a long story. "Friends, this is my handmaiden, Zina. Zina, these ponies are Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Princess Twilight Sparkle. The dragon is Spike."

"Charmed," Applejack tipped her hat, the others simply smiling and nodding.

"So nice to meet you all! Hm, Princess Twilight Sparkle," Zina trailed off as she noticed the lavender Alicorn's features, and soon gasped. "Oh! Oh, my! Wings and a horn on this Pony-kin... you're an Alicorn! ...I guess that's that for that bit of history about the Pony-kin, it was possible all along!"

"I will tell you all about it later, but first, I need your help sending out some summons," Rael'ia gently interrupted.

"Ooh! Of course, Rae!" Zina's tiny body glowed purple. A notepad almost as tall as the Fairy herself materialized from thin air. Magic flipped the cover over as she pointed one of her featherlike hands at the paper. "Who would you like summoned?"

"I need you to contact the other leaders. Twilight and her friends here are capable of ending the war with the Humans, but not without their help. I must speak with all of them as soon as possible, together, preferably."

"Wonderful news, indeed! I'll get these sent right away," Zina chirped as the glow of her hand intensified. Shimmering words appeared on the paper, quickly transforming from Arcane magic into black ink. With simple ease the paper tore itself off of the notepad, instantly duplicating itself five times and hovering in the air beside her before pulsing with light and vanishing. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Hm, just three things, I suppose," Rael'ia thought for a moment. "First, please alert the guards and other residents of the palace that Twilight and her friends are my personal guests of honor and shall be given free rein as such. Also, the sapling they carry with them is of utmost importance to not only them, but myself as well, so please instruct the guards to... you know, guard it," she shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Of course, Princess!" Zina nodded. "What's the third thing?" Rael'ia's expression soured.

"Get Aternus in here. Now."

~

The Archmage entered the room soon after Zina had left to call for him. Twilight and the others sat on a bench or stood near them in an intimate group, while Rael'ia loomed over the central table. Her eyes stayed glued to the map carved within as he approached. Having finally had the opportunity to change out of the sleeping robes he'd been caught unaware in, he struck a rather imposing figure. He stood a head above Rael'ia, with short auburn hair tossed about into messy spikes and eyes that glowed like peridots. Over beige and orange-flecked robes, he wore a cuirass crafted of bright, brassy mythril and enchanted leather straps, adorned with numerous Magicite jewels that formed the sigil of his own House: a thin crescent moon, its points turned to the lower right, and attached to a spear so the whole design resembled a scythe. His face was an incomprehensible mix of emotions as he stood at the opposite end of the table as Rael'ia, who tried her best to hide her displeasure as her eyes lifted towards his. She turned her eyes towards the guards by the entrances to the room and nodded once; the guards then left the area quickly but quietly, leaving them alone.

"...Aternus," she spoke curtly, focusing back on the Archmage.

"...Rael'ia?" Applejack let out a quiet snort at his poor attempt to play it cool.

"We are quite fortunate to have won that battle, no? And to defeat an Angel to boot... very fortunate, indeed."

"Yes, very! You and your Pony-kin friends were a sight to be feared on the battlefiel- AAAAGH!!!" Whatever thought he was going to finish was interrupted by Rael'ia suddenly unleashing a small torrent of water at his face from her blue- glowing hand.

"Aternus. Moonscythe. You. Butthole." The ponies and Spike flinched; her voice could render Princess Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice as quiet as hushed whispers. Fluttershy hid behind Twilight in response to the shock.

"Rae, wh-" Aternus blubbered, wiping his face off with his sleeve.

"You knew damn well I'd be angry with you for doing that! My place is beside my people, even if it means marching headlong into death! How dare you banish me to another universe in the middle of a battle?! A theoretical universe, at that! You easily could've just ended up sending me to my death anyway, lost to float in the Void for all eternity!"

"But... but I researched all accounts of the residual magical energy in the White Wastes... for years! I knew I wasn't teleporting you to float in the Void forever! ...I mean, I was pretty sure it led to a survivable land!"

"You're lucky you're the last of your House, otherwise I'd kill you where you stand for treason!" Rael'ia grew silent for a few moments, her face gradually becoming lighter shades of red than previously. "...And you're lucky you just so happened to teleport me to the universe the Pony-kin wound up in... and you're lucky my friends here just so happen to bear the Elements of Harmony..." she growled, now looking to the floor. Aternus stood straight up from his previous cowering posture.

"Right... about that. How did you even manage to come back? That spell was meant to wipe your memories so you could have a chance at a peaceful life!"

"You didn't wipe all of them," she spat.

"She woke up outside our home town. Despite not remembering anything about herself, she knew she didn't feel right being a pony," Twilight spoke. Aternus hesitated for a moment, then snapped his fingers in realization and put them to his chin.

"Hmm... the door breaking down must've made me flinch just a little... that spell was supposed to be foolproof!"

"Well, it wasn't. Do you know how long I spent being a pony? Thank the gods Celestia and Luna were able to reverse it and bring me back here..."

"Wait... the Elements of Harmony?" asked Aternus.

"Don't you change the subject!" Rael'ia snarled.

"They vanished from your world when the ponies disappeared," Twilight tried her best to mediate. "But they live on inside my friends and I! Rael'ia said that if we all work together, we can end your war! Peacefully!"

"Oh? Oh, my," Aternus breathed, staring at the floor contemplatively. "They weren't destroyed... I assumed... if they were returned to the Crystal Mountain, the Humans..." His eyes lit up and he held his fist in front of his chest triumphantly. "I. Am such. A genius!"

Rael'ia crossed her arms and snorted. "And now you're stealing my idea."

"Look, I'm sorry, Rae. It was the heat of the moment, we were all about to die... I couldn't just let you..." His soft gaze thawed her rage and she sighed.

"I know, Aternus. I know."

"I care so deeply for you. Ever since we were children you were my best friend... I-I can't imagine..."

"I know, Aternus..." Rael'ia's face began to cringe.

"I knew how you felt, Rae, but I couldn't... I wanted you to live and be happy and finally know peace, even if it meant giving you up forever."

"I know..." She cringed harder. Pinkie Pie pulled out a bucket of popcorn from somewhere behind her and began eating. Rarity and Spike took a handful as well, the former beginning to tear up at the soap opera-esque drama unfolding before them.

"It's a blessing that you returned, and with help that could potentially end the war. I'm truly sorry for sending you away, I feared the worst, but now that you're back... Rael'ia-"

Having reached her maximum discomfort level, Rael'ia let loose another blast of water at Aternus's face, sighing and closing her eyes. She waited for him to wipe his face off again before she spoke.

"Aternus, sweetie." Her tone conveyed much more sarcasm than it did affection. "I know you like me. I like you too. Always have. But now is not the best time to begin courting. We have a war to end, and many challenges to overcome before we can. Also, you're being reeeeeally sappy right now."

"Hey, men aren't good at emotions, you know," he shrugged, tongue-in-cheek. Rael'ia slowly walked around the table towards him.

"You meant well. I can't fault you for that. Tell you what, after this war is over, we'll court, okay?"

Aternus smiled. "Deal." Rael'ia smiled as well, and the two elves embraced. Rarity began bawling tears of happiness, Rainbow Dash gagged.

"...But you must admit, if it weren't for me banishing you to another universe, the possibility of ending the war peacefully like you want would've never happened," Aternus smirked. "I'm such a brilliant Archmage."

"You always have to ruin the moment, don't you?" Rael'ia groaned. Aternus only grinned in response. Their hug ended just before a purple holographic image of Head Engineer Denzen materialized beside them. The male Fairy was dressed in a labcoat with a Magicite jewel on each cuff, simple brown pants and boots, his short black hair and nearly black, blue eyes barely discernible through the Arcane magic.

"Princess Rael'ia, Archmage. We have finished dissecting the Angel you brought us. I have good news, and I have bad news."

"Heh, ain't that always the way it turns out," Applejack chuckled.

"Good, what's the good news, Denzen?" asked Rael'ia.

"Good news is, we finally know how the Angel works and what's underneath its armor."

"And... the bad news?" added Aternus. Denzen glanced over to the right.

"Well... it's best if you see this for yourselves."

"Understood, we'll be right there," said Rael'ia. Denzen nodded, the Arcane hologram quickly dissipating soon after. The ponies and Spike stood up from their seats as the two Elves motioned for them to follow, and they all set off for the research facility.