Keepers

"You... You're one of the keepers aren't you?" Madia asked the blue mare, who was still panting on the ground. "Apparently... geez, I'm never... doing that again..." She responded.

"You're cutie mark, I've seen it before in a book! What does it represent?" Celestia asked. "Well I'm told... it represents uniqueness... but I don't believe that... I think it has something... to do with magic." She answered the young princess.

"So, there's three of us now. Where's the fourth keeper? The keeper of law?" Aevum wondered aloud. They had found the keeper of space no doubt, but the keeper of law was no where to be found. "He'll be here... in due time..." There was a cough from behind him.

Aevum turned around and found the master magician, covered with dirt, scratches and blood, leaning up against a tree. "Narcian!" Madia said running over to help her. "We thought you were dead!" She said in amazement.

Narcian just smiled lightly. "So did I... but I managed to... cast a protection spell... before I hit the wall..." She responded. "Didn't quite work... to it's fullest... extent though..." Madia just smiled. "How did you get over here so fast, let alone past the army in this condition?"

"When the enemy threw me... I was sent all the way... to the edge of the... city. I should have... died after that, but... a certain red unicorn... arrived and helped me... escape the city." Aevum's eyes widened when he heard her mention the red unicorn. Thinking back to the image Narcian has shown them earlier, he wondered if it was the other keeper.

"Where did he go after that?" Aevum asked her urgently. "He went back... into the city... said he needed to finish something..." The half dead magician responded. Aevum swore under his breath. The final keeper was acting completely oblivious and showing no regard for his fate.

Celestia walked up to Aevum and prodded his leg. "Aevum?" She said. Aevum turned around to see her. "Thank you for saving us earlier... we would be dead if you hadn't..." She said shyly.

Aevum smiled. The young princess was very polite, and smart for her age from what Aevum had seen. Probably from special schooling as a princess.

Her sister also walked up to say something beside her sister. "Can you teach me how to slow down time like that?" She asked amazed. Aevum was caught off guard. He couldn't believe she had figured it out. She looked like she was younger than Celestia, but was just as clever.

"I'm afraid that's not... something you can be taught. It's a natural gift... bestowed upon him by... the creator." The magician said. "Creator?" Aevum asked confused. The magician ignored his confusion and moved on. "Madia, can your powers... do anything about these... injuries?" She asked Madia.

"I-I don't know. I've never tried before. How could I do that?" She responded. "The keeper of dream can... make almost anything happen... by willpower and imagination alone. The issue is knowing what... is required of that first." Narcian panted.

"I'll try..." Madia said doubtfully. Aevum decided to leave them to it and went to check on the blue mare that teleported them earlier. She was still lying on the ground breathing heavily and quickly. Her eyes were shut like she was trying to sleep.

"You alright?" Aevum asked. He didn't realize until after he asked it how stupid the question was. The mare didn't seem to care at this point. "A little tired... but I can recover." She said.

Aevum felt completely useless standing there not doing anything to help. Then he got an idea. Maybe there was something he could do.

He focused his magic into his horn and tried speeding up time for the blue mare. She gasped and her eyes shot open. Aevum immediately stopped. "I'm sorry! I was just trying to help you recover." He said worriedly. "No... do it again, that felt great." She responded.

Aevum gulped and focused his magic again. She winced when he did it, and seemed to move unnaturally fast. Her chest rose and fell faster than it should be possible, and when she looked around her eyes moved to look at something different in an instant.

When Aevum stopped, she was breathing normally. "How much time passed?" She asked. "Two minutes and forty seven seconds." Aevum answered instantly. She looked confused. "What? But it felt like ten!" She said surprised.

Aevum figured it out quickly. Since he sped up time for her, it made it appear to everypony like she was moving fast, but to her time had slowed down around her. It worked almost exactly like when Aevum slowed down or stopped time, except in a more reverse order and on somepony else.

"I feel better now. Thank you. What's your name?" She asked. "My name is Aevum, what's yours?" He asked the same question to her. "Cael. Nice to meet you, although not under the best circumstances." She told Aevum.

Aevum suppressed a laugh. Despite what he had just been through, Aevum was actually happy. He was glad they had found the keeper of space, and that everypony was getting along.

But still, he couldn't shake off his worry for the king and queen. What had happened to them? Aevum could only guess.

Then a voice spoke up, but it came from all sides and angles. "What an interesting group. All unicorns, and two young alicorn princesses." It said. Aevum immediately ran to stand in front of the princesses. Madia and the now recharged Cael joined him.

"You really should consider finding a more secure location. You can easily be hunted down and captured with such a short distance between you and Canterlot." The voice went on. "Who are you, what do you want?" Aevum called out.

"I find it interesting how the one with the orange mane hardly knows any of you, but is determined to protect the fillies. Perhaps that's motherly instincts kicking in?" The voice seemed to taunt. "Oh enough of this Flain, you're scaring the princesses." Narcian suddenly said walking by to join them.

"I don't think they're that terrified, look they aren't even shaking yet." The voice pointed out. "Flain you are wasting your energy, not to mention because you're powers aren't fully awakened you use far more energy than you should." Narcian commented.

Aevum and Cael exchanged a glance, both obviously thinking the same thing.

"Don't tell me about energy, I can control it." The voice said in a level voice. "That's not true, you can only tell energy to do basic things. As I said your powers are not awakened!" Narcian insisted.

"Hey, yellow pony. You caused me a lot of headaches screwing around with time you know. That's completely violating rules right there. Time wasn't meant to stop." It said directing it's attention to Aevum.

"Nor was sounds and voices meant to come from all directions." Cael countered. The voice paused for a moment at this. "Alright you got me, you have caused some pretty annoying migraine's though." It said finally. "Stop messing around Flain, get out here and introduce yourself." The magician said starting to get annoyed.

"Fine." The voice came from one direction this time.

Moments later a maroon coloured unicorn walked out of the bushes. His eyes were a bright vivid green, and his hair was dirty blond. It had been combed neatly back and stayed perfectly behind his ears, only coming down the back of his head. He wore a calm expression on his face that was nearly impossible to read. He seemed half bored, half satisfied. His eyes half closed lazily as he approached them.

"Hello, my name is Flain. I am the keeper of law, apparently. According to the magician I'm supposed to be important, as well as you three. Oh, and we can't forget the princesses. I suppose they're important too." The red pony gave them the unnecessarily long intro. The only useful information Aevum got out of it was his name and the fact that he was the keeper of law.

"My names Aevum. This is Madia, and Cael. Nice to meet you Flain." Aevum introduced everyone. Celestia walked out from behind Aevum. "And I'm Celestia, and this is my sister Luna." She said as her sister nervously trailed behind.

"The princess of the sun and princess of the moon. You should be careful though who you are friendly towards. I've seen what that creature can do. He can barely be called a pony with how he is." Flain responded.

"Excellent! The four keepers have finally come together! Now we may stand a chance against that alicorn." Narcian said. Aevum turned to her. "You mentioned before we have to unlock our power. How do we do that?" Aevum asked.

Narcian just shook her head. "My best guess is you have to learn how to use them properly. Practice makes perfect after all." She guessed.

"You each need to figure out what the base of all your magic is, and how to do a majority of your abilities. Madia and, Cael was it? Madia already knows her base, and for Cael it should be pretty straight forward." The magician explained to them.

"Aevum and Flain, yours are a little more complicated. Madia has to use her powerful imagination, and Cael has to focus and try to reach for the possibilities. You two however are a little more indirect." Narcian began explaining.

"Aevum, you need to rely on personal strength and your own inner clock. You likely noticed time acted up when you were in moments of peril, when you had a lot of adrenaline. You need to learn to control that with your own power and harness it in times when you actually want it. The stronger you are, and more effective it is." She gave him the whole story on how his power worked.

"Flain, you need to rely on balance. The more balance there is around you the more effective your powers can be. Since you can manipulate light, you can manipulate colour and sight. You can even cause illusions with this. Because you rely on balance, you rely on the other three. They maintain their elements and keep them balanced. When they are in perfect harmony your full strength is available to you." Aevum was shocked by how much she knew.

It all made sense though when it was put together.

Laws kept things in order, so naturally order would be key.

Dreams are completely based on the dreamers imagination, meaning imagination would be a large control point.

Space could range from destroying, to creating, to changing, however when you focus more and think things through you can find the truly powerful things it can do.

Time flowed, much like blood. When you have a lot of energy or are in an intense situation, the blood in your veins flows faster or slower. Time worked the same way.

Aevum had absolutely no idea how he had figured it out. He normally wasn't that clever or smart, so to think of something so vague and relate it was really unnatural to him.

"Now, another key role of the keepers is to work together. As you noticed law is powerless unless the others are harmonized. Space requires time to prepare and do what it's supposed to. Dream requires laws and guidelines to see visions and dreams correctly, otherwise it wouldn't be reliable. Time requires strength, which law can provide by manipulating energy." Narcian continued her explanation.

"Space can also work with time to improve each others strong points. While space fights with time assisting in the thought process, it can also provide time with the defense and options it needs. Meanwhile dream and law can work together and provide each other with much needed backup. While dream, the strategist, leads the others and tells them how to keep in order, law can go offensive and provide dream with the limits and what is and isn't worth the effort."

Aevum only just noticed now that her voice sounded different. It sounded slightly deeper and calm. Her eyes were a bright icy blue, unlike before when they were a much darker blue.

"Narcian?" Aevum tried to get her attention, but she went on.

"If the four of you do not work together, you won't be half the strength you should be. When putting your minds, strengths and powers together however, you can do anything!" She finished, and her eyes returned to normal, and she had a stunned look on her face.

"Wow, how do you know so much? Did your prophecy books tell you all that?" Celestia asked incredulous, who obviously hadn't noticed Narcian's change earlier. "I... I didn't know any of that until now... how did..." She was saying.

Aevum wasn't sure he understood entirely. How could she have suddenly known all that? And why did she change like that as well?

"So you're telling me I'm powerless unless these guys have their power? That makes me just about useless than unless they manage to control their element perfectly." Flain said sounding mildly annoyed. "No, you're just stronger with them balancing everything out." Narcian pointed out.

"So, I can't simply imagine anything? I have to follow his guidelines?" Madia asked. "Yes, but he also knows what will be too dangerous, and what won't. He naturally has all laws of this world memorized. It's his job to keep them and explain them to you all." The magician explained.

"I have to think of more in depth things and more complex magic? But I'm not a quick thinker, I can't do that in the midst of battle! That's why I don't always make the best decisions in peril." Cael explained. "And that's where Aevum comes in. He can provide you with that extra time to think, then you can even work with Madia. She is clever and thinks of things most ponies wouldn't." Narcian answered each question perfectly.

"You said Flain can provide me with energy, how is that and how do I control time when I'm in peril?" Aevum asked next. "Flain can control the life force and energy of living things. He can not only take life and energy from things around you but even himself and other ponies. Now to control time when in peril you'll have to learn to remain calm when things look bleak. Control your emotions." Narcian told him.

There was a long pause where the four ponies just exchanged glances. Aevum immediately figured out they would have to get along to succeed. It didn't seem like too much of a challenge so far. They were able to work together escaping the city.

"You four are the keepers. Each of your elements cannot work unless the others is there to back it up. I only explained to you the key requirements of each element. The elements need each other together to stand strong and firm." The master magician said.

"Alright, I think we all know what to do next then." Cael said. Flain nodded. "Find out how to release our full powers and strength correctly." He said. "What were you doing back in the city Flain?" Aevum asked the maroon unicorn.

Flain hesitated a moment, then he answered Aevum's question. "I wanted to see what happened to the king and queen." All of them, including Celestia and Luna moved in when they heard this. "And? What did you see?" Madia asked nervously.

Flain looked at the two princesses for a moment, his face still not completely unreadable. Then he turned back to his new comrades. "They've been usurped." He said.

Aevum couldn't believe what he had just heard. Usurped was a fancy word for overthrown, or taken over. In other words, the king and queen of Equestria had been defeated, and were now likely dead.

"Don't act like I don't know what you mean." Celestia said. The four keepers turned to see her, confused by her sudden anger. She was mildly annoyed, but there were clearly tears in her eyes. "I'm not some filly that can't handle reality. I know what that word means. Mother and father are dead, I saw it in a prophecy book before the alicorn came and attacked us."

Luna was standing a little behind her sister, tears also coming from her eyes. She was clearly afraid, but there was a hint of bravery in her watery eyes.

"Celestia... You saw it in a prophecy book?" Narcian said shocked. "We found the book earlier this morning in the library. We took it back and found many pictures were blurry, including the one about mom and dad. When we got back after you left to fight the alicorn, we saw the picture clearly." She explained sniffing.

Flains eyes weren't half closed any more, they were open fully, and his expression showed a hint of sadness. Madia walked up to the two princesses. "Celestia, Luna, I'm so sorry..." Madia said, fighting back her own tears. She was clearly upset for the two, now orphaned children.

"They put up an amazing battle, but the alicorn was just too powerful." Flain said. Aevum wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort the princesses or just throwing out facts.

"The alicorn uses some dirty tricks. He made himself look like the queen some how, and king Nocturne couldn't bring himself to strike his opponent." He continued.

Luna sniffed. "Father was acting strange today. He's normally so calm and quiet, but today he was getting angry." She said.

Madia sighed. "I knew there was something wrong... While we were there i accidentally drifted into his thoughts. His mind was conflicting. Something, or somepony was manipulating his thoughts." She told the group.

"We should have gone back to help them..." Cael said shaking her head and looking to the ground with her eyes closed, part angry and part sad. Narcian walked over to Cael. "It would have been useless. If you had done that, you would have died too." She pointed out to the blue mare.

"But I wish we had done at least something!" Cael suddenly said angrily. "You already have." Celestia said walking over to Cael. "You saved us, and that counts for everything." Celestia said leaning up against Cael's front leg.

Cael looked at the young, still crying filly on her leg and smiled faintly. "You're right. I guess that does count." She said to Celestia.

Aevum looked toward Flain, and found he had turned away and was avoiding everyponies gaze. Aevum was about to ask him what was wrong but then a quiet voice spoke beside him. "Mr. Aevum, you're going to stop that alicorn, right?" Luna asked him.

Aevum smiled and leaned down to be at her level. "Of course, we won't let your parents go unavenged. We'll save Equestria, and then you and your sister can become the new leaders." Aevum said to the young alicorn. Luna smiled faintly at this.

Aevum looked at Madia. She was talking to the master magician about something. Aevum figured it was probably important so he decided to go talk to Flain.

"Flain, can I ask you some questions about what you saw?" He said to the green eyed unicorn. "Sure, what do you want to know?" Flain said turning around. His face was plain again.

"How much did you see, you mentioned about a battle?" Aevum asked. "Well, when I first arrived the king and queen were fighting side by side. I think the battle had just started, so I saw quite a bit." He answered.

"Is there any useful information you caught?" Aevum questioned Flain. "Yes, quite a bit actually. I found out that the alicorns name is Discortunal, and that he was the ruler of an, apparently failed Equestria. He said he had some control over the elements as well."

Aevum wasn't sure what confused him more. The fact that the ruler came from a failed Equestria, or that he had some control over the elements.

Flain must have read it in his face though. "Some control, not all. For some reason he hasn't got as much power here as he did in his world. Oh yes, he also mentioned he was the God of Chaos apparently." He explained.

"God of Chaos? How can that be if he controlled the elements of his world? He did control them... right?" Aevum asked. Flain just shrugged. "I don't know. He said he was the sole keeper of the elements in his world, so maybe." Flain responded.

"Well, chaos would be the complete opposite of controlling the elements, so that doesn't make sense." Aevum thought aloud.

"Aevum, come over here. You too Flain." The magician suddenly called them over.

They both walked over to join the other five ponies who had grouped together. "The princesses have some useful information for you." Narcian said.

Celestia took a deep breath. "In the prophecy book me and my sister found, there was some strange riddles to do with your cutie marks." She began. "At the end of each one, it would say 'Time, dream, space, law. Come together to fix the flaw.' We couldn't figure out what it meant." She told the keepers.

Everypony thought for a moment. Aevum never liked riddles, they annoyed him because they wouldn't tell it straight when they could get the point across far more easily if they did.

Then Flain spoke up. "Maybe the 'flaw' is the failed Equestria the enemy mentioned." He said turning to Aevum. "What? Failed Equestria?" Cael said in response.

Flain quickly told them what he had already told Aevum, including the alicorns name and where he had come from.

"That could be then... Very unusual." Narcian said in response. "The riddle was obviously a repeated call for us to stop the alicorn, Discortunal you said his name was." Cael thought aloud.

Aevum nodded. "Right, but we can't answer that call until we unlock our powers right?" He said. Narcian nodded. "Unfortunately so. Currently we haven't a clue where to go next."

"Well, maybe we could go to the cave Aevum found earlier. Maybe that will hold important information about it." Madia suggested. Cael smiled. "That could work. You said it warned you of the alicorn first, so maybe it can tell us how to release our powers." She reasoned.

"Then it's settled! Next we need to go back to our village, and you can show us the cave Aevum." Madia said to Aevum. "Right, but we can't forget we need to protect the princesses. Narcian said that Discortunal is hunting them because they know something he doesn't." Cael pointed out.

"Okay then, we'll be on our guard. Let's go." Flain said.

With that, the four keepers, the master magician, and the alicorn princesses began making their way towards Aevum and Madia's settlement. The four keepers had finally come together, but now could they fix the flaw?

***** END OF PART I*****