Chapters Our Saviour, Our Princess
Chapter 1: Secrets in the Dark
Chapter 1: Secrets in the Dark
"Out of the Darkness, I bring the Light...
Blaze sighed as he lifted the final piece of his Royal Guard regalia above his head - the shining polished helmet. The gilded head guard sat comfortably on his poll as his two grey ears poked upwards through the carefully allocated holes in the armour. Tightening the strap beneath his chin, the grey unicorn stallion looked at himself in the mirror. Despite being in the Royal Guard for just over five years now, Blaze still felt a small measure of pride when he looked at his reflection. The golden armour fitted his athletic form well, and almost seemed to emphasise his tight muscles.
His long horn crested his head through the helmet, behind which a feathery white plume crowned the unicorn soldier. A purple star shaped badge held the two halves of his breastplate together, the colour signifying Blaze as a member of the Unicorn Guard. The badge was blue for the pegasi, and red for the few earth ponies who were part of the Princess' private military.
"A new day, same damn horseshitting duties..." came a disgruntled voice from the unicorn's left, "I mean, what the buck do we even do nowadays? Nothing ever eventful happens in this crappy little job". Blaze rolled his eyes. The annoyed rant was coming from his best friend, a white pegasus pony named High Flyer. The other stallion was struggling to fit his right wing through the slightly-to-small gap in the armour plating. "Goddess dammit, just fit through you bu- DAMMIT!" He had finally squeezed his feathery limb through, but had pulled a muscle in doing so by the sounds of it.
"Mornin'" said Blaze, a slight smile tugging a the corners of his mouth. "Ya know, you're supposed to put the wing through first , and then close the plating - not, well...whatever the hell you managed to do" the unicorn chuckled. High Flyer gave him a sarcastic looking glance before smirking himself.
"Somepony took my armour yesterday after drilling by mistake from the store lockers. This piece of half rusted crap is from the spare equipment cupboard. The wing holes are to bucking small and the breastplate feels like its gonna suffocate me", the pegasus shook his head, his blue mane waving about his face, "so anyway, what exciting duty do you have today? This time, I've moved from the empty room that overlooks the gardens to the other empty room that overlooks the same garden, only from a different perspective" he said in a voice of painful false excitement.
Blaze chuckled. "I got the Library Wing - some of the guards there were found drunk last night. Sergeant Skyfire isn't too pleased"
"Ha, they had the right idea - probably agonisingly boring for them as well. I didn't join the Royal Guard to stand in silence in empty rooms or occasionally walk in between two empty rooms. I wanted action, ya know? Everypony goes on about how the Royal Guard are the greatest and most elite of the Equestrian Military, but we don't do anything!"
Blaze looked down at the stone floor briefly. "I know what ya mean, in all honesty its not what I expected. But I've been here five years and I'm kinda used to it now"
That was a lie. Blaze despised the tedious standing and formation marching. The constant and unneeded drills that always left him drained. The pay wasn't even that good. The only thing that Blaze found remotely satisfying about his duties as a Royal Guard was the elaborate gilded armour, and even that was a pain the plot sometimes. Each and every guard was expected to take care of their own armour, which included polishing, tempering, repairing and cleaning.
"Well, I'm gonna go to breakfast, I've got a long day of standing ahead of me" High Flyer muttered as he finished tightening the strap of his slightly tight borrowed helmet, the blue plumage matching his mane and tail. The unicorn followed his friend as they made their way towards the Great Hall of the Barracks.
The Barracks itself was a large crucible shaped structure built onto the side of the West Wing of the Royal Palace. While it shared architectural similarities with the rest of Canterlot, the military quarter of the Palace was spartan in comparison to the vibrant golds, whites and deep violets of the city's other districts. Each point of the cross shaped building faced a compass point, connected at the centre by the huge circular Great Hall, where the Royal Guards ate their daily meals, practised indoor drills, and would go to relax in the evenings when not on duty.
Blaze paid the grand gilded towers of the Barracks no heed as he trotted beside High Flyer as they made their way towards the imposing domed keep at the centre of the military wing. A dozen other ponies from various other dormitories soon joined them, all holding their heads high with pride as they strutted past the complaining pegasus and quiet unicorn.
"Why they so happy? Bet they got the same dull day that he have" mumbled High Flyer as he fiddled with the blue star shaped badge on his chest.
"That's Captain Shining Armour's regiment. They've got some special assignment with the Princess for the rest of the week whilst she's doing talks around Equestria. I think they've got trip to Baltimare later today" Blaze answered, watching with envy as the elite of the Royal Guard walked past them with high glittering helms and tall proud plumes cresting them. They were the highest of the high, the best guards in the entire order. The Dawn Shields .
"Ha! They gotta walk all the way to Baltimare? I mean, nice city, but its over three days flight from here, and I could be wrong, but unicorns and earth ponies don't fly..." said the white coated pegasus, smirking at column of armoured stallions as they entered the thick double doors to the Great Hall.
"Actually I heard that the Princess is gonna just teleport them all there, save the trip"
"Who d'you hear this from?"
"Glider, you know, the one in Sergeant Skyfire's regiment. the one with the double coloured wings"
High Flyer groaned. Glider was the almighty knower of all facts and rumours in the Barracks. He was never wrong.
"Whoopee, the buckin' Dawn Shields get a day in Baltimare with the Princess whilst we stay in this dingy little slum"
Breakfast was the same as usual - bland tasting oat meal with a slightly sickly green colour to it, served with a single piece of something which may have passed for broccoli and a glass of water.
"Wonderful" Blaze muttered as he ate - no, slurped up the green slimy vegetables beside his untouched bowl of oatmeal. "This truly is the height of Canterlot fine dining. Won't get this anywhere else". High Flyer gazed at the brown paste in his bowl before prodding it with his spoon.
"Can't imagine why..." replied the pegasus as he slowly swallowed the oat meal, wincing as he did so. Blaze couldn't help but sympathise with his friend. The breakfast truly was at an all time low today. At least last week you could taste oats in the oatmeal. Now it was shredded cardboard.
The dining tables for the guards were set out in massive circles with ponies sitting on both sides of each ring. The higher ranking guards such as the Dawn Shields were seated in the centre of the rings whilst more lowly ponies were forced to the edges near the walls. Blaze and High Flyer were seated in the second ring of eight. For over five years of dedicated service to their monarch, the two stallions hadn't gained a rank above Corporal. Blaze thought it was almost depressing.
"Goddess-dammit, why are we stuck in this crappy little job?" High Flyer suddenly blurted out, a little too loudly, drawing glances from the higher ranking officers. "I mean, we just do nothing for weeks on end, train and drill our flanks into oblivion, and then repeat the same thing over and over again. Sometimes I wonder if I should resign".
It wasn't the first time that the pegasus had said as much. Blaze had also seriously been considering to do the same. The life of a Royal Guard was tough, dull, and for the most part consisted of being a glorified statue.
"And the Princess does absolutely nothing at all..."
Now this did cause Blaze to turn sharply to his friend. "What? How can you say that? She raises the sun, the very thing that gives us light and life. I'd hardly call that nothing. And she's ruled Equestria since time began, and helped make it the land it is now"
"A land that has a military power rivalled by rabbits and parasprites. Do you not remember what happened during the Royal Wedding?"
Blaze opened his mouth to retort back before he stopped. He had no answer. The Royal Guard and the Canterlot City Watch had failed dismally in the Changeling assault. Nopony could deny that, even the beloved Princess Celestia herself was defeated by the Queen. High Flyer did have a point, but Blaze doubted that it was worth yelling out over Great Hall, especially while the guard captain's own personal regiment were sitting six rows away from them.
"We were just...unprepared" was the only reply that the grey unicorn could answer back with. High Flyer let out an amused chuckle before returning to his paste.
"We never are"
After the great bell tolled thrice, heralding the beginning of the morning patrols, Blaze made his way first to the Armoury. It was an average size building attached to the North Wing of the Barracks. The roof was gilded in white gold like the rest of Canterlot, and had three high chimneys cresting the rear of the building. The grey unicorn walked and scanned the long racks of arms and armour that ran down the single rectangular room. The building had once been the old blacksmith, hence the chimneys, but that had been moved to the West Wing before Blaze had enlisted in the Guard. Taking a well crafted spear from a rack, Blaze cantered to his first destination of his rounds: The Court of the Sun and Moon.
As much as he hated being stuck on guard duty like a gilded living statue, Blaze never really minded that much when he was posted in the grand courtyard that led to the main entrance of the Palace. The massive semicircular plaza was paved with white stone set around a large fountain crafted in the likeness of all three races of pony dancing together in perfect harmony
But by far the most impressive features of the courtyard were the colossal, one hundred hoof tall marble statues of the twin Goddesses. The two alicorns were crafted in the pose of rearing high and proud, their regal visages gazing out onto the shining city of Canterlot. Their amazingly carved wings were spread wide, almost as if they were shielding anypony who walked beneath their shadows from the troubles of the outside world. Celestia's horn was gilded with white gold, and Luna's with glittering silver. Blaze smiled. Here, standing beneath the comforting shadow of his Princess and ruler, he almost felt as if the tedious standing around and repetitive drills were worth it.
His next post however was not so glamorous. While the Royal Kitchens were held within the high vaulted walls of the Palace, they shared none of the regal flare that the rest of the royal abode possessed. They were always crowded, with cook ponies and multiple chefs (never a good idea) running around in a chaotic dance of boiling, frying, roasting, chopping, dicing and baking. Luckily, the unicorn and his watch partner were placed outside of the hectic and frankly terrifying room. The heat blasting from the stoves and ovens caused Blaze to start sweating - not a good thing when wearing multiple layers of gilded plate.
The hours past, and the sun was gently resting on the western horizon, cradled by the mountains that marked Equestria's border with the Griffin Kingdoms. The dinner bell tolled above the domed Great Hall, summoning the guards for their final meal of the day.
"So, was the empty room above the gardens more interesting than the last?" Blaze asked High Flyer as he sat his haunches down on the wooden bench, plate of vegetables in tow.
"Oh, compared to the other one, this one was like the Grand Ballroom. It had pillars!" the pegasus said sarcastically as he glanced at the dish of greens and carrots before him. "Hmmm, this looks almost edible" he mumbled before munching on a piece of celery.
"I had the Court today" Blaze said smugly. He couldn't help it, he knew High Flyer found the grand entrance to the Palace just as beautiful as he did.
"Lucky bucker" said his friend with a smile, "I've still got the Sanctum of the Moon to do before I turn in. I swear to Celestia that that room is haunted. Everypony I've talked to keeps saying that they can sometimes hear the essence of Nightmare Moon laughing when you pass the exact spot where Princess Luna turned". The grey unicorn chuckled.
"Its the Library for me" he stated with a small smirk.
"Whoo, you'll have the ghosts of Aegis the Defender and Starswirl the Bearded to keep you company all night, not to mention the Foal Catcher"
"At least you get to sleep, I gotta cover the entire shift of the Librarian Guards. That's over eight hours of walking through the creepy aisles of books"
High Flyer looked at Blaze as if her was an idiot. "Use your horn to make light? Or better still, turn on the main chandelier. Its not actually lit by candle ya know, there is a switch". Blaze shook his head as he swallowed a piece of carrot.
"Sergeant Skyfire said that too much light can damage some of the older scrolls. I can't have the lights on".
The white pegasus frowned for a second before asking, "I ? Its just you patrolling the Library, alone?" Blaze nodded dully. High Flyer chuckled before putting a forehoof on Blaze's shoulder. "I feel for ya colt, I really do"
The bell toll came all to quickly for Blaze's liking. As the stallions filed away either to their dormitories or their duty points, High Flyer called to Blaze as he trotted towards the Library.
"See ya tomorrow I guess"
"G'night"
"Enjoy the books!"
Blaze rolled his deep violet eyes and smirked as he walked off into the darkening Palace grounds.
The Royal Canterlot Library was the largest in Equestria, rivalled only in size by the Great Trottingham Library. The grey unicorn was fairly tall of somepony of his race, but he felt completely insignificant and minuscule next to the tall, mighty bookcases of beautifully varnished pale oak. Rows upon rows of these shelves stood like soldiers through the staggeringly massive room. A long line of high arched windows ran against the far wall of the Library, the golden glow of twilight currently streaming through them.
The floor was made from bleached wooden panels rather than the polished white marble of the rest of the Palace, and intricately woven rugs the colour of forests lay around the high vaulted room in various places. Far, far to his left, Blaze could make out the elegantly curved sofas and loungers than were set beneath a painted dome. The painting portrayed Celestia and Luna opposing each other in a circle, the sun and moon before their respected Goddesses. The pattern reminded Blaze of the 'Yin Yang' symbol of the ponies of Neighpon and Shang-Hoof used to adorn their buildings and clothing.
With a tired sigh, the unicorn began to pace through the intimidating aisles of knowledge and tales. The unicorn starting ticking off the titles of books he recognised in his head to keep himself occupied.
"The Ballard Sky and Sea, The Founding of Equestria, The Lay of Canterlot, Origins of Unicorn Magic, An Anatomy of Pegasi - Volume Three... ".
The list went on, until the sun finally fell beneath the western mountains and bathed the Library in dreary darkness. Unable to continue his musings without straining his eyes, Blaze decided to plod over to the seating area beneath the dome. No pony was going to check up on him, so why not rest a bit? Leaning his spear against a marble pillar, the unicorn guard fell into a recliner decorated with golden leaves.
As he sighed, Blaze looked up at the painted ceiling above him. The twin Goddesses stood before him, frozen in their dance of harmony. The artist had captured Celestia's mane beautifully, getting the vibrant bright colours of the aurora coloured hairs perfect. Luna's billowing mane of pure night was done to equal measure. The pony who painted it even put in real constellations in the dark blue cloud that crested Luna's head.
The hours passed, and Blaze woke up suddenly, cursing himself for dozing off in the soft cushioned recliner. The tall pointed windows let in silvery moonlight now, giving the darkened Library an enchanted look. Thinking that the best way to stay awake was to move, Blaze stood up and picked up his spear. As he once again trotted quietly through the vaulted room, something caught the unicorn's sharp eyes.
At the other end of the long Library, opposite to the painted dome, the room opened out into a circular alcove, decorated with three tall arches. Blaze had only been to the library a few times before, but he had never come across this area before.
There was a similar dome above the alcove to the one at the other end, but painted on this one were three things: a golden fiery sun, a silvery blue crescent moon, and a deep green and golden leaf. As Blaze walked over to the design, gazing at it intently, he didn't look as to where his hoof landed.
He jumped back in surprise as the wooden panel sank into the floor briefly before rising back up to its original position. The panel had a vague image of a sun identical to the one on the dome carved upon its surface. As Blaze studied the image, he was caught completely unawares as a loud scraping sound came from his left. One of the arches was rising!
Spear at the ready and a spell already prepared in his mind, Blaze watched as the arch disappeared into the vaulted ceiling. What it revealed was something strangely beautiful and very mysterious. In place of a stone arch now stood a tall stained glass window.
The design was hard to make out at first, but as Blaze stood back he gasped silently as he saw a fragmented image of Princess Celestia, rearing high and proud, much like her statue in the Court of the Sun and Moon. It was a distorted image compared to the painted dome, but it was strangely beautiful at the same time. It was then that Blaze saw an inscription below the picture of his monarch, written in dark letters on a stained glass scroll.
"Dea Solis..." Blaze muttered out loud as he read the fragmented letters. As Blaze leaned in, his hoof brushed against something else that he didn't previously see.
Before him was a thick leather bound book, decorated heavily with images of golden clouds and glimmering flames. In the centre was emblazoned a beautiful sun made from gold and orange topaz studs. Four words were etched in the centre of the fiery disc, which Blaze read aloud again.
"Salvatoris Nostri, Nostra Reginae "
Curious, the grey unicorn carefully took the book over to a shaft of silver moonlight next to the nearest window. He could make out the elegance and intricacy of the decorations more clearly now, and he marvelled at the work of the artisans who must have forged it. Although it heavily deviated from his duties as a Royal Guard, curiosity demanded that Blaze open the book. His heart and mind both screamed at him to do so. Taking one last glance around the Library, the unicorn guard opened the tome with trembling hooves...
Our Saviour, Our Princess
Chapter 2: The Fall of Discord
Chapter 2: The Fall of Discord
As Blaze pulled away the hardback leather cover, the book almost creaked from the clearly seldom used golden hinges that plated its spine. The pages were old, that was certain, and had an odd texture to them, like papyrus. The unicorn carefully flipped through the first few blank pages before he arrived at what looked like a set of Author's Notes. Eager to see what this book was and who wrote it, Blaze's violet eyes strained in the moonlight to make out the faded words. The hoofwriting was difficult to make out at first, but after careful examination the unicorn could just make out the words.
Dear Reader,
What you hold hear in thy hooves is one of the three Sacred Texts of Equestria. This is the tome of the Dea Solis, our reigning monarch Celestia. May her light guide us all to a brighter future. Within this holy book his a detailed account of all that our beloved Princess has succeeded in accomplishing for all of Ponykind and Equestria.
Blaze furrowed his brow curiously. Glancing upwards before scanning the silent Library, the grey unicorn stallion quietly removed his helmet. His whole world seemed to become brighter and clearer, the silvery moonlight embracing his equally silver mane as it fell around his shoulders. Resting the delicate book on the windowsill, he continued eagerly.
Our glorious Princess has achieved so much for us small-folk in times of darkness and danger. This book contains many detailed records of times that ponies of all races wish had never transpired. Each record was given to me and my scribe by venerable historians from all over Equestria - all of whom I have named in the Appendix at the end of this tome. However, the more recent events have been told to me personally by ponies who were there at the very events. There has been no trickery, deception nor any exaggeration of the events written within.
Learn well, reader...
High Librarian Raven Quill
Blaze's mind was racing all of a sudden, and he wasn't quite sure why. Essentially, this looked like a glorified history book. But it was a history of what Princess Celestia has done over the course of her seemingly immortal life. And what did this Raven Quill mean by 'Sacred Texts'? Not figuring any immediate answer, Blaze turned to look at the circular alcove where the stained glass window stood tall and strong. He scanned the rest of the area quickly. There were three arches, and three symbols portrayed on the painted dome above it. A sun - Celestia, a moon - obviously Luna, and a golden leaf...
The Fall of Discord and the Foundations of Harmony
As recorded by the pegasus Sentinel at the time of the Draconequus' downfall. Record taken from the Canterlot Historical Archives.
"I was only a young colt at the time, but the events I witnessed shall stay with me to the end of my days. I remember it so clearly - I was living in the low farmlands in the Valley of Fertility with my family. My father was an earth pony, and my mother a pegasus. We owned a small farm down near one of the brooks, growing barley and corn. There wasn't so much a town, but we had a small community of neighbours and friends nearby. I couldn't remember a time when I was more at peace with myself.
"But one day that changed. It started in subtle ways at first, the rain didn't come for days before arriving all at once in a horrendous downpour that drowned half our crops. The pigs we kept started waking during the night and sleeping in the day, and once I swear that a night lasted for no more than an hour before the sun rose. Everypony knew that something was wrong, but nopony - not even the wise unicorn elders - could fathom any answer to the strange and bizarre happenings around the Valley. Some even accused the unicorns themselves of tampering with our ideal lives, causing a rift between the inhabitants of the Valley which threatened to revert back to the old mistrust and xenophobia before the unification of Equestria.
"But we soon learned the source of our misfortune. One night during the longest winter we had ever witnessed, a great tremor could be felt in the earth. Snow fell from the high peaks of the Valley in a great avalanche, and a few ponies in the outermost farms were not seen again. As everypony gathered to try and rescue the trapped farmers, the mound of snow and ice that buried them exploded in a great shower of coldness. Boulders the size of entire house flew as if they were leaves caught in a breeze, and the snow began to change colour - as if it was made from rainbows. In the centre of the vast crater caused by the spontaneous explosion stood a creature that will haunt by dreams unto the ending of the world..."
The grey unicorn drank in the words with a fiery curiosity. The passage faded however, probably due to age and the passage of time. The elegantly written black ink soon disappeared into grey and finally was no longer legible. Blaze sighed in annoyance. He had wanted to find out what happened in the rest of the document. Discord had made his presence known in Equestria for the first time, and Blaze knew that any Pre - Nightmare Moon literature was incredibly rare and valuable. The unicorn flipped through several more pages until he finally found some form of writing that he could read. It appeared that he had missed the span of several years.
"...ruled over us for nearly a decade. The Lord of Chaos was a mysterious and unstable creature, some days being benevolent if a little bit mischievous. During these times, he would return the world to some semblance of normality. The rain returned to being water instead of plates and cutlery, and the days would sometimes last their proper spans instead of a day lasting an hour to a night that lasted a week. However, other times Discord's unpredictable nature turned him into a cruel demon lord who cursed and destroyed our communities.
"He would set fire to our crops for the crime of being too boring, replacing them with statues of himself. He would sometimes go out into the stormy skies and smite a poor innocent pony with warping lightning for no reason at all, and turn the rain into molten silver. Sometimes he brought the sun closer to Equestria, causing droughts and suffocating heat waves that killed many ponies and other creatures. After he would decimate our homes and our livelihoods - and sometimes our lives - he would return to his Palace of Disharmony, built on the edge of the tallest mountain in the land, overlooking the Valley of Misery as it was now called.
"It was Hell, pure unadulterated Hell..."
Blaze had heard stories of Discord's rule over Equestria, but they were when he was a foal. So they had all been kind of 'dumbed down' for his young age. He thought the stories terrible then, but this was an actual historical account. Rain of molten silver ? Clearly Discord was not such a jokey mischievous trickster that the foal stories portrayed him as. He was a sadistic, unstable overlord who caused misery and torment for all of Equestria. But the foal stories said that the two Princesses came to stop him, and free Equestria from his chaos and replacing it with Harmony. Blaze had to find out how they really defeated the Great Trickster, what really happened all those centuries ago...
"But on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of Discord's reign, a light could be seen on the horizon. But it was not the sun. Rather, it was the daughter of the sun. Never have I seen something more beautiful than our saviour's visage. Her eyes shone like violet diamonds and her mane danced like the tranquil auroras of the North. She was a pegasus judging by her glistening white wings. Around her neck was a golden necklace, upon which two gems were studded within. Both were wrought in the shapes of suns, identical to the ones emblazoned on her flanks. One of the gems was a bright scarlet, the other a fair grassy green. A magnificent horn crested her head, behind which lay a wondrous, gloriously elaborate crown set with a single purple diamond, also in the shape of a sun.
"Behind her emerged her opposite. This pony was as dark as night, her eyes a deep inky blue like her coat. Behind her blew a dazzling mane of pure night, the hairs shining as miniature stars rippled through her proud crest. Her wings were like that of a raven's, and she too bore a long horn. No crown rested on her head, but the necklace she had clasped around were neck bore three gems instead of two. Each was shaped like that of a moon, again, identical to the ones that marked her flanks. One was a fair sky blue, another a fiery flame coloured orange. The final own was of a beautiful enchanting violet.
"Behold Celestia and Luna. Alicorns of myth and legend, the Daughters of Day and Night, the Sisters of Light and Dark. Behold our saviours..."
Blaze's eyes were glued to the elegant hoofwriting as he grew closer and closer to the climax of the tale, no - account. The events on the pages seemed so surreal and so extraordinary that Blaze had to keep reminding himself that this was non fiction. He readjusted the position of the book to gain the maximum amount of moonlight and continued.
"The Sun Goddess spoke first, her mane blowing before her. 'I am the Fire, tremble before my wrath!' The Valley shook at the sound of her voice, causing everypony - including myself - to bow down in awe, but not terror. Never would this creature emanate terror. Then her sister stepped forth, the night itself crowning her head. 'I am the Storm, yield before my fury!' It do not take a great passage of time before the Lord of Chaos answer their challenge. A terrible thunderclap heralded the arrival of the Draconequus. The distorted creature came down from the mountains on wings of bird and dragon, his serpentine form writhing in the lightening sky. His very act of speaking caused several ponies to wail and cry uncontrollably, so vile was the sound.
'You come here, claiming that I should bow and flee and hide before your anger, yet you are the ones you should be running. I know you two - Celestia, the eldest of the two, daughter of the sun and child of light. Luna, the younger, daughter of the moon and child of darkness. The only alicorns that I have ever seen on the face of this miserable earth. Hmmm, the wings of a pegasus, the horn of a unicorn, and the strength of an earth pony...interesting'
"Discord hovered before the two sisters menacingly, examining the two alicorns as one might examine an interesting gem. The Princesses stood silent and still, following the Draconequus with their eyes. Discord spoke again, much to the dismay of everypony around for a mile. 'You know, I could always use some overseers as it were. All this chaos is so difficult to keep track of, and these little ponies are so unruly. Someone would have to keep them in line other than myself...' I swear to this day that the fair Princess Luna's eyes lit up with sheer fury at those words. Whereas the voice of the Lord of Chaos was agonising, the moon goddess' was powerful yet inspiring, almost as if she called for us to rise and stand against this abomination. 'Silence monster, thy words are poison and false. Speak them not to me or my royal sister lest you incur our wrath!' Discord let out a terrible cackle, a sound which caused everypony - myself included - to scream in utter despair and pain. My head felt as if it would splinter in two. 'Royal? What makes you or your sister royal, apart from these pretty little jewels. They mean nothing! YOU are nothing! Join me, or else leave this land and leave me be'. 'Never...' it was the beautiful Celestia that now spoke, and her face was anger incarnate. She stepped toward the Draconequus, her shining horn flaring his magical power. It was then that she turned to face us, and her face turned from rage to steel determination. 'Rise up, my little ponies! Throw off the chains that bind you and join me and my sister. Follow us to a brighter future, one of passion and promise. Of Harmony!' As soon as she utter that final word, all the gems that adorned the alicorns forms glowed brightly. There was power there, ancient, mighty power...
The writing faded yet again as it came to what looked like a massive patch of water damage.
"...golden fire. The eyes of the sun goddess were ablaze, her winged form rising high into the sky. 'I am the Fire! You cannot harm me! She spread her wings wide, her horn flaring brilliantly against the lightening sky. For the first time in over a decade, I saw fear flicker across Discord's face. Her sister spread her own magnificent wings, swooping down into the Valley. Her own horn burned br-'...
Blaze ran his hoof across the lines of swirled writing until he found his place again. This was it, the downfall of the Great Trickster. He found that the prose continued a few paragraph lengths down from where he left off.
"...blue lightning. The bolt struck Discord full in the chest, where his heart should be. Our overlord fell back reeling from the moon goddess' attack, and retaliated with a arcing rainbow coloured missile. The blow was dodged, and soon Discord was struck from behind by a fiery chain that bound his expansive wings together. Celestia reared high in the air behind him, her horn the source of the binds. The orange flames seemed to pulse like a heart, and then I saw something amazing. Celestia's chains were forcing Discord's wings to shrink! The Draconequus howled in rage more than pain it seemed, and sent a spinning disc which looked bladed hurtling towards the sun goddess. The strike was blocked by a shield of glimmering blue stars, as Luna flew in front of her sister.
'Bow down and surrender thyself to the power of Harmony!' thundered the dark alicorn. The Lord of Chaos merely looked at her and pointed a taloned finger at her form. A thousand bat like creatures burst from his hand, flying straight for the Princess. From the screeching that came from them, i could tell they were carnivorous.
"But something happened which I will remember for the rest of my humble life. The small-folk were rising, just as Celestia had told us. Earth ponies scrambled up towards the high bluff were the deadly duel was taking place, and a dozen unicorns started to make a line around the combatants, their horns lowered and glowing. Several pegasi leapt into the air and circled round, forming a thick column. Upon seeing what they planned, I quickly rose to join them. At some unspoken command...we humble little ponies struck the Lord of Chaos. The evil spell that he unleashed upon Luna was interrupted as over a dozen earth ponies rammed into his side, toppling the Draconequus over. The unicorns then unleashed their pent up spells, releasing a barrage of shear magical power upon the weakened Discord. The blows caused an explosion which the demonic lord reeled from.
'NO! I will NOT fall today!' The bellow was so strong and malefic, that two pegasi actually fell from the sky. It didn't take a unicorn elder to realise that they would not rise again. Discord raised his two clawed arms high in the air. With a blinding flash of pink fire he vanished".
This time the account was stopped by something that Blaze almost screamed at. Three pages were missing. The unicorn barely restrained a frustrated curse.
"This was it. The end of the conflict that had lasted three hard years..."
"WHAT?" the unicorn guard exclaimed, causing himself to shrink before the rather loud echo that bounced around the room. "Conflict? Three years? Arrrgh great..."
"The two saviours of our people stood beside each other, bloody and battered like the rest of us, but still tall and proud. And there we stood, amidst the smoking ruins of Discord's Palace of Disharmony. The fallen Lord of Chaos himself lay sprawled out below his throne, his body singed and scarred from the mighty magical assault.
'You will pay for this. You will pay for this, you bitches. I'll return, and when I do I will bring your people down' muttered the defeated Draconequus as the great Princess Celestia strode towards him. The jewels that she had worn throughout the war suddenly started to pulse with their inner power. 'Then you must be sealed away, so that may never happen' was all that the white alicorn said in return. Her sister's gems also started to burn bright with magic, the night goddess raising her head high and closing her wonderfully bright eyes. With some unspoken incantation, the crystals flared.
"A mighty, glorious rainbow of light exploded from the sister's gems, illuminating the ruined fortress with the colours of life and love. The great spectrum arced upward towards the stormy sky before slowly, ever so slowly, falling back towards the earth, forming a beautiful archway of Harmony. The trail end of the rainbow struck the defeated Lord of Chaos, enveloping him in a tide of shining colour. And did he scream...
"But the cries of Discord brought nopony to their knees, nopony died or fell to the sound of his wails. With a final blast of power, the rainbow dissipated. In place of the Draconequus stood a statue of white stone, the carving identical to the pose that Discord lay before being struck by the rainbow. It was then that I realised that the two sisters had turned the Lord of Chaos into stone. That was to be his prison, locked within his own body, never being allowed to roam free in Equestria ever again.
"It was over...the War of Chaos was over, and the Foundations of Harmony had been laid..."
So ended the First Life Age of the earth. With Discord and Disharmony vanquished, our great leader Celestia and her counterpart Luna, erased any trace of Discord's rule. The land healed, and the ruins of the Palace of Disharmony were removed. Upon the site of terrible castle now stood the foundations of a new Palace, one that will stand against the wind and fire for all eternity - See 'The Lay of Canterlot' for further information.
Blaze finally blinked, his eyes watering heavily. The young stallion was completely overwhelmed, never before had he heard the Fall of Discord told so vividly and so...truthfully. The foal stories had it all twisted and falsified. With a small chuckle to himself, Blaze lay the book back on the marble podium before the stained glass window of his monarch. Picking up his spear and helmet, the grey unicorn guard began to walk away from the mysterious alcove. It was about time he actually do his job.
But standing like a statue or wandering through aisles of scrolls and tomes wasn't very exciting, and its not like anypony really cared for the Library that much. Yes, it held vast amounts of knowledge, but the only pony that Blaze knew of trespassing within the book filled chamber was Princess Celestia's favoured protégé. And he seriously doubted that she'd come sneaking back in here when she lived in Ponyville...
"Oh...what the hell" he muttered to himself, and plodded back over to the book, picking it up carefully in his hooves. Returning back to the moonlit window, Blaze turned the pages back to where he left off. Who knew history could be so interesting?
Our Saviour, Our Princess
Chapter 3: The Battle of the Skies
Chapter 3: The Battle of the Skies
The guard pony carefully opened the delicate book, the silver moonlight shining off the faded brown pages. Blaze flipped past the Fall of Discord chapter, carefully checking the elegant hoofwriting of this Raven Quill to make sure he hadn't missed anything of any significance or interest. A new chapter then revealed itself to the fascinated unicorn, regally curved writing looping around the top of the slightly ripped page. To the left of title was drawn an elaborate ink picture of a bronze griffin, its wings spread wide and its crest tall and proud. To the right, an equally impressive picture of a deep red dragon, smoke fuming from it's nostrils and fire burning in it's eyes.
The swirling looped writing read 'The Rise of the Griffin a- ingdoms' , a large patch of what appeared to be fire damage obscuring the rest of the title. Judging by the pictures, Blaze assumed the missing word was 'Dragon'. With a slight chuckle to himself, the violet eyed unicorn traced his hoof to the starting paragraph. As a foal, he had always admired the griffin race. They seemed so proud and majestic, regal like the Great Eagles from which they were descended from, yet predatory and ferocious when spurred into action. And dragons...well...who doesn't like dragons?
The Rise of the Griffin Kingdoms and the Battle of the Skies
A detailed account of the Rise of Gryphus, as told by the unicorn mare Stella Maris. Records taken from the Canterlot Royal Archives.
"Ponykind could not be happier. Discord, our overlord, had finally been vanquished. Our people would survive to see another dawn, thanks too the two Princesses. Celestia and Luna had promised a bright future, one built on Harmony and tolerance. Though there would be much hardship in the years to come, everypony had a sense of purpose. Thanks to Harmony, we had a reason to live on.
In the weeks following Discord's downfall, ponies of all kinds began to rebuild our scarred Equestria. The War of Chaos- as some of us called it- had left terrible wastes in place of once lush green meadows. The Valley of Fertility had suffered the most, the plowed fields that once occupied the landscape now naught but dust and ashes. I was part of a survey team sent to find any form of life among the devastation. We found none.
In the final days of the war, Discord had used everything in his power to halt our advance towards his Palace of Disharmony. I was a medic during the war, my powers used to aid the injured and dying on the battlefield against Discord's many twisted creatures. The things I saw will haunt me forever. I do not wish to speak of them.
Eventually Celestia's influence made its way into the earth, 'coaxing' it to heal itself and return to face the sun. In the months that followed, the Valley, the Mountains of Peace, the Sea of Eternity, and even the Everfree Forest healed from Discord's corruption. As for the Lord of Chaos himself, the royal sisters had him bound in stone. The living statue was kept in a hidden mountain vault constructed by Princess Luna. What his fate was to be, nopony knew.
It wasn't until the first anniversary of the Draconequus' defeat that things finally began to settle into a form of permanent peace. A new city had been built upon the ruins of Discord's Palace of Disharmony. The two Princesses had used the natural magic of the Earth to meld stone and gold into a single cohesive form. Canterlot... that's what we named the city. Our new home, a city of shining towers and glittering domed houses. never in all my life had I seen anything so beautiful. Canterlot was perched upon the very edge of Mount Everwhite, the crystal clear rivers that flowed from the peak ran through the streets.
Over the edge of the mountain were the twin waterfalls named Ilinata's Tears. I remember seeing out across the plateau to the twin peaks beyond. When the sun set, the mountains cradled it like a mother and her foal. My brother Apollo and I would gaze out across the Valley every evening, simply watching as our great Celestia lowered the sun.
Little did we know that Equestria's next great struggle lay just beyond those peaks...
Blaze looked up from the page and turned his violet eyes out of the window before him. The twin peaks being described in the passage lay before him, silent and unmoving. Blaze smirked as he imagined himself and High Flyer standing on guard duty, mimicking the mountains perfectly. The athletic unicorn's thoughts then turned to what lay beyond those two walls of rock. The Grey Guardians, those mountains were called. And as far as the guard pony remembered, they were named after the iconic War of the Skies, the second of the three major conflicts to scar Equestrian land, the first being the War of Chaos. And the third...
An owl hooted outside, startling the unicorn as it landed gently on the windowsill outside. Blaze chuckled. With a stretch he undid the hook that held the window shut and pushed it open. The delicate glass panel thrust outwards into the night air. "C'mon little buddy, its okay" comforted the unicorn, motioning for the owl to step inside. Blaze couldn't be sure, but the owl looked similar to the pet owned by Princess Celestia's favoured protegé. Blaze had spotted the feathery pet once during a royal visit to Ponyville. Surely it couldn't be the same bird?
"Who?" hooted the owl.
Shaking his head, Blaze let the owl perch itself upon his dark grey shoulder. It was nice to have some company in the darkness. As the unicorn read on, he raised his eyebrows at the heading of the next passage.
Gryphus the Windlord and the Building of Asgard
As told by the griffin warrior Peronan at the time of these events. Records taken from the High Library of Talos, within the Griffin Kingdoms.
"Never before had we taken any interest in the lands to the southeast of our mighty nations. The green flatlands were populated by Ponykind, a race of weak equines who farm and reap the land. They were not worth the time and resources needed to conquer them or their land. 'Equestria' it was called, a region of green fields and babbling brooks. Nothing of value or worth was within the Pony borders.
The events of recent times however, had sparked an interest in the many clan leaders of our mountainous realm. It seemed that an unusually powerful creature, a Draconequus according to the Farseers, had taken residence in the wide Valley that lay just beyond our eastern border. From the rumours that spread through my clan, the mighty Blade Wings, I had heard that the mysterious creature had established lordship over the weakling pony races.
This caused quite an uproar among the Chieftains of the seven major clans: Drogbar of the Silvercrests, Yngol of the Cloudbreakers, Hirithor of the Prey Slayers, Uriel of the Fog Runners, Valmar of the Iron Beaks, and my own Chieftain Skaldi. However, the one who took the most from this new change of leadership in the Pony-Lands was the venerable Gryphus of Clan Skyrider. The proud crested leader was undoubtedly the best of us all. He was the one who defeated the great Sky Serpent Alf-Ung-Dong in single combat, and he was the one who lead the conquest of the Old Kingdoms of the Great Eagles, our ancestors.
I remember the day that the seven clans met very well. All seven of our leaders had convened a meeting at the summit of Mount Stormcrow, the most sacred peak in all of the Kingdoms. I myself was not present, but every griffin within a thousand leagues would soon know the word of the Chieftains.
The final command was heard at noon on the third day of the meeting. Our leaders had decreed an immediate peace summit to be made between the Griffin Kingdoms and this Discord creature. From what the Farseers had seen, this creature had immense magical power, power that Griffinkind did not possess. If a pact could be signed, then we could finally advance far into the Northern Icefields, where the Sacred Lights touch the earth. With this Discord creature, we could finally venture into the mysterious Godlands without being expelled by the magical entities that inhabit them. The ultimate conquest lay within our grasp.
Then the Alicorns came...
Blaze grunted in frustration as he found the void where the beginning of the next paragraph should have been. The owl perched upon his shoulder gave a disgruntled hoot. Blaze turned to it.
"...power. These two alicorns, these creatures of myth and legend, had overthrown the most powerful spirit this world has ever known. Somehow, they had defeated Discord. And with him our last hope of venturing into the Godlands. Suffice to say the Kingdoms were NOT pleased.
Chieftain Valmar suggested that the Kingdoms turn their attention to the mysterious lands to the far east. The Pony Nation of Neighpon was a country of warrior ponies, the only few who the griffins respected. The Iron Beak Lord's suggestion had merit. Without the magical might of Discord, the Godlands would be forever beyond our reach. Neighpon was a strong land, a kingdom born of war and blood. Others, like Drogbar and Uriel suggested that we simply extinguish the fires of battle for this season. The cold winds were rising, according to the Clans' Farseers, and winter in our mountain home is perilous.
But the final command came from the mighty Gryphus. The aging warrior called to us all: War.
Equestria was in disarray after the collapse of Discord's reign. These two Alicorn 'Princesses' were undoubtedly recovering from the great battle that could be seen from the mountaintops. If we could take Equestria while it was crippled, we could enslave the Alicorns, and use their power to forge ahead into the North. If we succeeded in that, the Griffin Race would be hailed as the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen".
The owl on the unicorn's shoulder hooted again. The guard pony merely looked at the bird in bewilderment. Were all animals this intelligent? The bird seemed to be reading along with Blaze, something which the unicorn found both astonishing and kind of creepy. He wasn't sure which feeling held dominance. And it looked so much like the pet belonging to the young filly Twilight Sparkle. But Ponyville was far, far away, nestled in the Valley below Canterlot. Shaking the thoughts from his mind once again, the grey coated pony scanned the paragraph again to pick up from where he left. It was intriguing to hear things from a griffin's point of view.
" Gryphus rallied the Clans together in a way that hadn't been seen for over a thousand years. My Chieftain Skaldi was the first to bow to our new ruler, the Windlord. Then fell the Iron Beaks, then the Fog Runners, and soon all six Clans bowed before Gryphus. The command was sealed. There would be war, and no mercy would be given to those who resisted us. We would shackle the two alicorns to our will, and with their power we would conquer all the known world!
In the months that followed, our Farseers began to notice a high level of activity occurring on the steep mountain where Discord once made his home. From what we could tell, the ponies were building a settlement, and a large one. It wasn't long before bright towers could be seen jutting into the sky like talons. The Windlord took this as a sign of their growing recovery, and ordered the immediate construction of a forward fortress on the edge of the Equestrian border.
And thus began the building of Asgard, Castle of Storms.
During the construction of the keep, I was sent to the sacred city of Talos to be outfitted for the coming invasion. My Clan had the first choice of the weapons and armour, due to us declaring our allegiance first. With spear in claw, I flew out to join the rest of the battalions on the edge of the Silverline Mountains. As soon as Asgard was completed and garrisoned, the attack would begin.
It was over a month of long, painful waiting. But the horns heralded the news that our people had all been waiting for: Asgard was complete. The invasion began at dawn".
Blaze flipped over to the next page eagerly.
Stella Maris-
"It didn't take us long to realise that our new home and resolve would be tested. For the past few weeks, several pegasi kept mentioning large groups of griffins to the west. The predatory race were a ferocious group of creatures, half eagle half lion. The flights however were not simple flyers. From what the pegasi had said, they were armoured.
The Princesses met together at the summit of Mount Everwhite. Nopony went with them, so we were all left in the dark about what was happening. However, the next morning, as Princess Celestia raised the sun, a deep echoing moan could be heard coming from the west. it took me a few moments to realise that it was a horn. I don't know what it meant, but every fibre in my being was telling me to run, to flee from the Valley and make like the wind to Canterlot.
My brother Apollo soon joined me. Together- along with a large number of ponies- we ran along the winding mountain path towards our fair city. Swarms of pegasi flew overhead, every one of us rushing to the safe refuge of the Princesses' protection. The harrowing horn call boomed out again across the Valley of Fertility. Something was wrong, so very, very wrong.
By the time we arrived in Canterlot, our great protectors had already taken to the skies. I remember my heart swelling with pride as I watched the two Goddesses speed towards the western mountains. But what was racing to meet them was something which caused doubt to stir in our minds. A great flock of what looked like giant birds was riding the air currents, screeching loudly. Griffins. The griffins of the west had come for us.
Peronan-
"The mighty call of the Horn of Talos summoned us to battle. Our great leader and Windlord, Gryphus, bore in his talons the legendary spear Kyria. His body was armoured in glorious silver plates made from the heart of fallen stars. He wore upon his head the Helm of Conquerors, the ancient crown of the long lost dynasty of Windlords. With a bold cry, he ordered the charge into Equestria. The end of the Alicorn's reign would and as soon has it had began. The Griffin Kingdoms were going to war, and what force could possibly stop us?"
This was fantastic. Blaze smirked as he imagined thousands upon thousands of armed and armoured griffin warriors soaring into the skies ready for conquest. But from what history had told him, the unicorn guard remembered that Gryphus' War-Flock had been utterly brought to ruin. Eager to hear this version of events, the silver maned pony read on.
Stella Maris-
"It didn't take long for the ponies taking refuge in Canterlot to spread the word of the imminent attack. Hundreds - shamefully, myself included - sought cover in the newly built towers of the settlement. Many more hid in the half built vaulted halls of the Princess' new Palace, but the largest portion of the civilians hid in the hidden mountain caverns of Mount Everwhite. I ran for the caves, but my brother - along with many other brave souls - stayed behind to protect those who could not protect themselves should things turn for the worst.
"Never had I felt pride rise so high as I gazed upon Apollo as he lined up along the westernmost ridge of the mountain beside Ilinata's Tears. Another ten or so unicorns joined him, stallions all. But up above us, nearly a hundred brave pegasi of both sexes soared along the winds to guard the sky. It was a beautiful, yet so sad a sight. No sooner had we emerged from one harrowing conflict that we were flung head first into yet another.
"We could only see the Princesses faintly, tiny specks heading towards an angry black and silver cloud of griffins. None of us had any idea to what they were thinking of, but with a silent faith in our hearts, we waited. We waited for the end."
Blaze sighed yet again as another tear in the page obscured the next part of the account.
"...unlight. Never in all my life had I seen such creatures of majesty and such regal power. These were not like other ponies that was for sure. We realised only too late that we had made a terrible, terrible mistake. Yet still, Gryphus roared a defiant challenge to the twin Alicorns, and raised Kyria high as he swooped down to meet them in glorious combat. But without magic, we griffins were nothing to the winged wonders.
"The darker of the two, the one who was Night itself, lit up the sky with a spectacular blue light. The front ranks of our flock were blinded instantly by the magical blast. Dozens of our number veered off into random directions, threatening to break our army apart. Only Gryphus - who had somehow resisted the strike, continued to dive towards the Princesses. With an almighty clash, the Night Sister and our Windlord smashed into each other, Kyria's blade screaming against the Alicorn's glowing horn. Sparks the size of lightning bolts shot out in every direction as the ancient starmetal blade began to crack beneath the Moon Goddess' magical might. But while our leader was struggling against the Night, the rest of us were now at the Day's mercy.
The Day sped past the epic duel being waged in the sky. Her eyes were blazing with golden flames as she conjured a glowing magical field before her. The field collided with many of our Talon Guards - our elite - and sent them screaming down towards the ground. Their armour had been burned until only shattered metal remained. The Sun Goddess spun round, lighting up the sky with a spectacular blaze of starry fire. The white gold storm of wrath smashed aside all those who sought to strike her blinding white form. In a moment of madness, I thought of fleeing, flying away from the magical power that these two Goddesses wielded. But I was a griffin warrior, belonging to the Clan favoured by the Windlord himself! I would not back down.
Yet despite my steel resolve, I watched the steel of a dozen Talon Guards splinter and break as the white pony sent a scarlet lightning bolt into their ranks. Many of those around me turned out to be cowards, and broke away from the fight and fled back to Asgard. They would face the Windlord's anger when we returned victorious. It was then that I heard the most beautiful and most terrifying sound in all the world: the Sun Goddess spoke. Her voice was so powerful, so strong, that my wingbeats faltered.
'I am the Dawn and the new day begun; I bring you the morning, I bring you the Sun! I hold back the Night and I open the Skies; I give light to the world, I give sight to your eyes! From the first of all Time, until Time is undone! Forever and ever, I am the Sky and the Fire and the Sun! I am one with the world and I am the Dawn!'
Blaze's heart swelled with pride. To think what the griffin warriors saw that day must have been both amazing and terrifying, and the young unicorn smiled as he imagined his monarch booming out those words across the sky. He had never seen Celestia use anything approaching this level of offensive magic before, but this was an eyewitness historical account. The guard pony whistled as he realised just how powerful the Sun Goddess was.
"But when we thought our army was broken, our forces defeated by two Alicorns, an echoing roar sounded from the North"
Blaze frowned.
"Now the sky was lit up with not only magical fire, but real fire. The roaring reached a climax as we all - the Alicorns included - turned towards the new players on the battlefield.
"The sky filled with Dragons..."
Our Saviour, Our Princess
Chapter 4: The Battle of Sundered Heavens
Chapter 4: The Battle of Sundered Heavens
Blaze's jaw dropped when he read the last sentence on the page. Dragons. The greatest, most powerful mortal creatures to walk - or rather, fly - the earth, had come into the titanic clash between Celestia and the griffin host. Eagerly stretching his hooves to get a better shaft of moonlight, the silver maned pony read the words on the continuing page hungrily. The owl on his armoured shoulder hooted.
The Battle of Sundered Heavens and the Declaration of Harmony's Power
As told by the unicorn stallion Apollo and the griffin warrior Peronan, present at the time of these events. Records taken from the Canterlot Royal Archives and the High Library of Talos in the Griffin Kingdoms
Peronan -
"The first sight we received of the newcomers of the battle was a bright flash of orange flame streaming across from the North. Our host was now caught between the terrible fury of the Alicorns and the fiery doom that was the Great Dragon Migration. We had been fools. Our Farseers had been fools. Our Chieftains, our generals, even our Windlord. None of us had bothered to read the signs that the Northern Drakes would be heading South upon this day. And now we all, warrior and general, had paid the price.
The first dragon to engage us was a mature red drake crowned with sweeping horns and a deadly spines running down its back. Its wings eclipsed all those fighting in the sky, and I felt pure fear run down my spine. With a mighty roar, the first of dozens of dragons belched forth a searing blast of fire, and I saw my brothers in arms burn at their power. Even the Sun Alicorn faltered before the fiery rage of the dragon. Another six of my brethren were knocked out of the sky by the dragon's sweeping tail.
The white Alicorn spoke again, silencing even the dragon's roars.
'Back dragon! This is not your land, begone from these skies before more blood is spilt!'
The great beast in turn replied with a mighty belch of fire, but the Princess' magic saved her. A glimmering sphere of light formed around her, breaking apart the jet of flame like water crashing against a rock. I moved away from the duel about to begin. I may not have been a coward bit I was certainly not stupid. To stand before these two titans whilst they battled would have been folly.
The great red beast swiped a massive talon at the Alicorn, but she darted away with a speed exceeding any flying creature I have seen. Borne upon the wings of an angel, the Day Sister's horn glowed as she dived for the dragon's throat. The great reptile let loose another blast of fire to stop her, but once again its attack was deflected with the glowing shield. The Princess' blazing horn plunged deep into the softer scales beneath the dragon's jaw, causing the great beast to roar in agony. The booming cry caused its brethren to howl back in rage.
The true battle was about to begin.
With the absence of our Windlord, the remainder of our host had flocked under the temporary leadership of the six great Chieftains. This was the first time I had ever seen all six working together. The Fog Runners and the Iron Beaks had formed a wedge shaped formation to engage the nearest dragon to our numbers, a female blue serpent with eyes of sapphire. My own Chieftain Skaldi rallied our Clan together to form the right flank of our host. Despite the terrible vengeance that the Alicorns had wrought upon our numbers, our host was still mighty. A powerful horn blast heralded the attack of the wedge against the dragon, over two hundred spears ready to plunge deep into the dragon's body.
The white Alicorn continued to battle with the wounded red drake, great rivers of black blood pouring from the magical wound the Princess had inflicted on it. I saw the dragon swat the Alicorn away with its powerful wing, sending her spinning away towards the ground. For a moment it looked as if she would fall to her death. But with a terrible thunderclap she righted herself, tendrils of orange fire running off her wings in anger.
'You are a creature borne of Fire, and I am the Sun! The Greatest Flame of all! You are nothing to me!'
With a blinding flash of light, the white Alicorn hurled a colossal jet of flame towards the dragon. The entire sky was lit up by the fantastic bolt of curling fire as it smashed into the red dragon's body before completely overwhelming it. The death roars were drowned out as its throat burned away. When the fire cleared, naught was left of the dragon but a ruined husk which quickly fell to earth.
Despite our pride, even the most blind of us could see that we could never have hoped to defeat this majestic creature. The only thing we were left to do now was to help the two Alicorns drive away the dragons."
The owl on Blaze's shoulder hooted again. The little brown bird hopped up and down excitedly as it reached the end of the passage. the grey unicorn chuckled.this was the reason as to why dragons fear Celestia."
"The sky turned into hell. Dozens of our warriors were being destroyed by flame or claw as the full might of the dragons descended upon our ranks. Our choice to aid the Alicorns had unleashed the fury of the great beasts. I myself nearly lost my life when another drake slain by the Sun Goddess tumbled to earth, nearly crushing me as it fell. The dragon's jaw had been broken, leaving a trail of black blood streaming behind it.
Our own army had managed to subdue three of the beasts, but at the cost of over a hundred lives. The white Alicorn seemed to realise what we were doing, and ceased her attacks upon our numbers.
But then a sight which none of us expected to see crested the clouds: Gryphus the Windlord flying side by side with the Night Sister. The great spear Kyria had been cracked, and his armour broken beyond repair on his left side - but he lived. He lived and now fought beside the Night Sister. The darker Alicorn struck an adolescent drake full in the chest with a bolt of fiery blue lightning. With the ruined blade of the ancient spear held high, Gryphus screeched out a challenge to the dragons and dived onto the neck of a green male before plunging the spear deep into the back of its skull.
The darker Alicorn raced to rejoin her sister - and we saw just how powerful Ponykind was.
Together, the pair fired bolt after bolt of fiery missiles and brilliant lightning strikes, felling dragon big and small all around them. Our army watched as a massive serpent tried to drown the sisters beneath a tide of searing red flames, only to have the same fire wrap round its master's throat and throttle it to death with fiery bonds. When our Windlord rose from the slain green's neck and called to us, we didn't hesitate.
Gryphus' mighty wings now flew beside those of the Day and Night. For the first time in history, griffins and Ponykind fought side by side in the Battle that history would call the Battle of Sundered Heavens. Our army clashed with the dragons in an explosion of steel, feathers, fire and scale. The Night Sister blinded three dragons with the same flash she had used against us that day, and smote down a great wyrm with a single blast of moonfire. The Day Sister followed in her wake, breaking the dragons' fire with that of the Sun itself, scorching scale and bone was she galloped across the backs of falling dragons. Our warriors charged into the creatures, stabbing and slashing with our spears and battle claws. Gryphus slew yet another by plunging Kyria into its gullet.
Angry storm clouds bellowed in the sky high above us, sending down streaking lightning bolts as a freezing rain began to fall. The Moon Goddess used these bolts to her advantage by guiding them to split apart both sky and dragon. But the Sun Goddess did the unthinkable:
She set fire to the rain.
Our war host barely managed to veer away as the tide of fiery doom rained down upon the Great Dragon Migration. The roars of outrage and pain shook the entire Valley we fought over. The liquid fire scorched and exorcised the great serpents, yet somehow faded back to water just before the struck the ground, not harming the land below. It didn't take long for the dragons to fly away in defeat.
My people cheered and cried out in triumph. The Alicorns, the ones we had sought to enslave, had saved us. The only thing we could do now was wait for their dreadful judgement upon us. Yet it never came. Our people turned to face the twin Goddesses. The pair of majestic ponies hovered before us, borne upon wings of Day and Night. The darker of the two turned to Gryphus, who now hovered in front of his host protectively.
'Thou has the skill and grace of one worthy to be called a creature of the Sky, griffin lord. Yet thy actions against our ancient foes does not excuse the true purpose to thou being in Equestrian skies. Explain thyself!'
The Night Sister's voice was almost deafening, where her sister's was powerful yet tempered with restraint. Our Windlord raised his crest and ruffled his feathers as he defiantly matched the Alicorns' angry gazes.
'We are Griffinkind! Ours is to conquer and to dominate. With the power of Discord we could have taken the secrets of the Godlands, and be hailed as the greatest warriors this world has ever known. But YOU cast him down. YOU robbed us of our conquest, our right! It seemed only fitting that your power be used instead to guide my kind into a glorious future.'
The Night Alicorn bristled at my leader's words, but was stopped from retaliating by her sister. The Day's mane reminded me of the auroras of the Godlands themselves. With a fair yet strong voice she spoke:
'Our duty is to protect Equestria and Ponykind. Your race has no place here if you seek blood and conquest. Your Kingdoms can wage war against us until eternity's end and still you would not triumph. We are the Children of Sun and Moon, Beloved of the World and the Avatars of Light and Darkness. You're kind has no power over us nor our subjects. So shall this be until the Sun's fire dies and the Moon's glow falters. So this shall be unto the ending of the world.'
To the surprise of all present in the ruined, smoking sky, Gryphus nodded in understanding. With a flurry of his sharp talons, our Windlord removed the Helm of Conquerors. With a final sigh, our leader extended out a talon leg to the twin Goddesses. A talon of friendship and peace. A concept which we in the Griffin Kingdoms would learn that ponies called Harmony."
This surprised Blaze greatly. After all the bloodshed and fire, peace was achieved on the same day as the griffin's failed invasion. Surely there was more to it than that? Quickly scanning back through the brown pages, the unicorn skim-read the passages to make sure he hadn't missed anything else. Nothing very important, except for a rather daunting cry from the Sun Princess during the battle against the griffins:
'I have stood at the Dawn of Time itself, I have gazed into the Fires of Tartarus and the cold wastes of the North. I have survived the fall of the greatest city in all Creation! My Fire will NOT be extinguished today, nor tomorrow, never shall it dim until the Twilight of All That Is!'
"Hmm, what city...?" mused the unicorn guard out loud, earning a confused hoot from the owl. Thinking back, Blaze couldn't recall anything from his school history lessons on anything touching on 'the greatest city in all Creation.' Prior to Canterlot, there had been only a few fortified settlements in Ponykind's history, all of which paled in comparison to the violet and gold city.
Shrugging, the silver maned unicorn continued on.
His eyebrows raised at what he read next.
But to our horror and astonishment, the Night Sister's eyes suddenly flared a brilliant white, gaining a look of total shock from her counterpart. With a furious cry, the dark Alicorn struck down our leader with a glare of searing hot light. Gryphus' cry was short and final, stopping almost instantly as the starmetal plates covering the remainder of his body melted into nothing. The Day Sister screamed and shoved her sister's gaze away, but it was too late for our Windlord.
Gryphus was dead, slain by the power of one he had offered peace.
The entire War-Flock let out a single screech of outrage, and the only thing which saved the Night Alicorn from the spears and claws of the surviving Talon Guard was the gold shield her sister conjured up. With the white Alicorn hissing something incomprehensible to her counterpart, the two ponies darted away faster than the North Wind back to their city. We followed in their wake
"What?" Blaze spluttered, causing a loud echo to bounce around the Library walls. Princess Luna did WHAT? . Surely he must have read it wrong. The Princess of the Night, surely she didn't...didn't kill a bearer of friendship, despite what he had originally intended. Gryphus had easily redeemed himself in the battle against the dragons, at least in Blaze's eye he had. Why would Luna do such a thing? Not finding the immediate answers, Blaze was even more angry to realise that yet another page was missing.
...flashes of light. I summoned up all the power I could to help conjure the protective barrier, but the griffins were too many. I watched as the first cracks began to form in the shield. The pegasi above us started to prepare themselves for when the shield inevitably cracked and buckled.
No sooner had I thought of those events did they happen. The first wound appeared, and the War-Flock forced their way into Canterlot. I tried to hold the rest of the shield active, but others soon abandoned the effort and began firing magical pulses at the charging predators. The entire world descended into chaos, with dozens of multicoloured unicorn pulses flashing everywhere, felling griffins but the scores. The hundred or so circling pegasi dived to meet their new aerial foes, and engaged in a bitter hoof to talon struggle with the crazed warriors.
Nopony knew what had happened over in the skies above the Valley after Celestia vanquished the dragon flights. There was a brief lull in the fighting before we saw both Princesses racing back to Canterlot. Prepared for the battle to carry on to us, myself and eleven others had gathered on the edge of the western ridge of Mount Everwhite ready to protect the city should all else fail. Our winged cousins fought with a bitter determination that Ponykind had learned during the tyrannical reign of Discord, and many a griffin fell out of the clouds. Sadly, so did many a pegasus.
I saw friends fall that day. Good friends.
I blasted back a Talon Guard for attempted to skewer me on the end of his spear, and bucked another in the helmet, cracking his beak. But despite all our courage and all our strength, this little group of a little over a hundred could not hope to stand against a full War-Flock of over three thousand. I saw my unicorn brothers die as more pegasi fell. We were losing, and for a brief flicker of a moment, I thought that the Princesses had abandoned us.
All doubt was erased from my mind when a booming thunderclap split the sky asunder. A white lightning bolt broke the griffin numbers in half, separating the army between a wall of electricity. Princess Luna swooped in from above, hurling back the assailants with magic exceeding mine by an incomprehensible amount. But the griffins, rather than fleeing before her, actually seemed to become more zealous, so much to the point where they slaughtered their own in the rush to slay our Princess. Luna struck again and again at their ranks with moonfire and starstorms, burning and obliterating all foes in her path, yet still the griffins did not back down.
The furious advance to our Night Princess was halted by a wave of blue fire. Princess Celestia spread her white wings high and wide as she blocked the griffin forces with the burning tide. Scores of the winged soldiers fell smouldering. The ranks of the griffins faltered and backed away, leaving them prime targets for us simple unicorns on the ground. I struck four with a single bolt of lightning whilst others picked off the rest of the warriors with energy pulses and flaming missiles. Our attack ceased when our Princess glared angrily at us all. I remember her next words very vividly, causing everypony - and griffin - to shrink back a little.
'You have invaded our lands for the purpose of domination and slavery, to conquer and to satisfy your thirst for battle. We ponies have already proven our dominance over you! If the Griffin Kingdoms dare strike at our home again, we will wipe your mountains from the face of the earth. By fire and storm we will destroy you. These lands are ours, the magic we command is ours, and I will first shed my immortality and die before I serve willingly to the cause of war! What my sister did was wrong, yes. but she is MY sister, and I will deal with her transgressions as I see fit! now begone from these skies and never return in force, lest I make true my threat.'
Yet only a few of the griffins flew away. A good two thousand still swarmed the sky around Canterlot, many sneering and cawing with contempt. I stayed still, not daring to move a muscle yet I had a spell already prepared in my mind. After a few long, agonising moments, the tangible silence was broken by a beautiful bird call.
Down from the summit of mount Everwhite it came, a keening and resonant cry, yet tempered with grace and beauty. All on the battlefield looked up, and let out a single gasp of awe. Riding upon the North Wind came a bird borne upon wings of the most scarlet flame. A Phoenix.
The firebird, a creature of myth, swirled round high above our heads and called again. The song it sang was so beautiful, so calm, and so loving. Riding skilfully upon the wind, the majestic creature dived, leaving a shining trail of yellow flames in the wake of its long orange tail. The phoenix swirled around Princess Celestia, gaining a smile from the Sun Goddess, before perching itself upon her shoulder.
The entire griffin legion gasped and began muttering frantically. I could not hear what was said over the rabble of voices, but six heavily armoured and decorated warriors flew forth and hovered before the Princess. The one adorned in armour of skysteel and cloud-iron spoke first.
'We of Griffinkind will not oppose the one who commands the Phurna-Fyuri, the Sunhawk. We of the Kingdoms hold them to be sacred, the one creature we will not fight. They are Gods in avian form and we bow to no other but them. If Ponykind has the respect of such a creature...we will not stand in their way. The Griffin Kingdoms shall withdraw from Equestrian borders. I speak for all six of the present clans, and for the absent clan Skyrider - the clan of our slain Windlord.'
With a single nod, Celestia let the griffins leave. I watched with trepidation as the winged creatures turned and left the skies of Canterlot. It took some time to realise what had happened. We had won."
And thus ended the war between the Griffin Kingdoms and Equestria. The Dragons of the Northern Wastes never again attempted to engage the Alicorn Princesses in combat, nor harm any under their protection. Gryphus' body was recovered and brought back to the sacred city of Talos to by burned. History cannot however tell of the reason why Princess Luna killed the Windlord, nor what Celestia did afterwards. Such things cannot be known.
Blaze smiled broadly. Philomena, the Princess' royal pet and oldest friend had saved early Canterlot from being overrun by the armies of Asgard, just by her mere presence. And while the princess had her, Blaze had this little owl companion for the night. The brown bird hopped up and down upon the unicorn guard's armoured shoulder, hooting - as if telling Blaze to turn the page.
"Hey, wait a sec little buddy" the unicorn yawned, "I don't normally stay up as late as you." The owl simply stared blankly at him for a second before giving a hoot. Blaze laughed and patted the little creature on the wing.
Blaze was acutely aware of how little time he had left to read. The bright moon hung low in the sky as it approached the Grey Guardians. Letting out a mournful sigh, he realised that he wouldn't have time to read all the book in the single shift. It was possible he could always come to the Royal Library, but...something about the book told him that it wouldn't be waiting for him during the next day...something that Blaze couldn't quite put his hoof on. Seeing to liven things up a bit, the grey unicorn opened the book on a random page to see what event he would uncover next.
His brow furrowed.
"The Banishment of King Sombra... "
Our Saviour, Our Princess
Chapter 5: The Banishment of King Sombra
Chapter 5: The Banishment of King Sombra
"The corruption of the most sacred realm is the Darkness' purest victory..."
The last of the silvery moonlight fell upon the browned page, drawing the intricate ink drawings to Blaze's attention. The crumpled paper was covered in the same flowing script that ran through the rest of the book, only this time dozens of pictures depicting shining multicoloured gems and crystals were laid out around the title. Surrounding those in turn were sickly black, violet and green flames, even the sight of which made the unicorn's magical senses tingle uneasily. Noting that the night would soon be over, Blaze hurried to read this intriguing chapter in Equestria's history.
The Crystal Empire and the Rise of the Shadow King
As told by the pegasus scout Far Gazer, present at the time of these events. Records taken from the Canterlot Royal Archives.
"It was during the sixtieth anniversary of the Fall of Discord, whilst the festival that we named the Grand Galloping Gala was taking place that we first started seeing the storms building up in the North. At first, we paid no notice to them. Beyond the borders of Celestia and Luna's influence the world was a wild and untamed place - or so I had heard anyway. I had heard of stories and rumours of forests that grew by themselves like the Everfree to the South, but also of weather that created itself without the influence of any pegasi! I had no idea if there was any truth in this, but somehow I knew that these storm clouds were not caused by Weather Squadrons.
The celebrations of Harmony also coincided with the start of the new year, and so the ponies of Equestria paid no heed to the darkness which started to seep from the Arctic North like poison. I myself had returned to the grand floating city of Cloudsdale, which was given as a gift to us by the Princesses for our bravery during the fabled Battle of Sundered Heavens nearly fifty years ago. My grandfather was one of those who fought against the Griffin armies - something regarded as a great memory and source of pride in my family.
But they eventually started to be noticed, the storms I mean. During the next few months, many travellers, mainly earth ponies, started to pour down from the North, forsaking their villages and homes out of fear for their own safety. While earth ponies are the least attuned to magic out of all pony races, even they could sense that something was very unnatural about the mysterious tempests. These fears were confirmed by the newly founded Order of Sorcery, led by an exceptional unicorn mare called Star Heart. The unicorns apparently had been watching activity in the Far North for several weeks, and the unusual build up of unstable magical power was interfering with the Heart Ley-Line or something like that. I can't remember completely, being a pegasus and all, and I only knew of these assessments due to my position in Canterlot as a guard.
However a few days later, I remember being called to the Royal Barracks' Great Hall with a number of other guards. I'd say around thirty of us were there, unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike. With all the talk about the storms, it didn't take long for us to guess our purpose here. Our regiment captain, Brave Charge, confirmed as much.
We had been selected as a scouting party to go into the icy North and find out what in Equestria was happening.
Seems the scrying powers of the unicorns and even the Princesses themselves were somehow blocked from peering into the deepests lands of the arctic, so we few had been chosen. I was one of thirteen pegasi tasked with scouting all areas around the central party. The unicorns would act as 'detectors' as it were, to find the source of the disturbance, whilst the few earth pony guards would carry our supplies and protect the unicorns should things go wrong.
I never liked the idea. Thirteen had always been an unlucky number for me, and I felt deeply uneasy as we departed Canterlot. And so we walked, galloped and flew for the next nine days, always going North. We encountered few problems before we reached the outermost borders of the Uttermost North. Blizzards raged, winds howled, and the snow froze us all to the point where none of the pegasi could fly.
It seemed grim, but we continued on.
To the young unicorn reading, the scenes being described sounded oddly heroic. Blaze, for some reason he couldn't put his hoof on, suddenly had a deep respect for these long-dead ponies. This expedition team...these pioneers ...helped forge the way for a great age of exploration. If the guard remembered his dates correctly, in the following years, hundreds of ponies would follow in the hoofsteps of these few.
Nations like Neighpon, Prance, Germaneigh and Saddle Arabia would be founded, far from the Heartlands of Equestria. Blaze found himself smiling softly.
"The next day, we braved the arctic cold and began to long march through the snow. All sense of direction seemed to disappear in that white haze, I can tell you. Our navigator could no longer tell which way was North, let alone the way back. Our only source of position was the harrowingly black thunderhead that raged before us. North. We followed the storm cloud North.
But what we were not prepared for was what we found ther-"
The passage trailed off yet again, this time a great tear in the bottom third of the page halting the account. Blaze snorted in annoyance, making the little brown owl next to him jump in surprise. Restraining any urges he had to hurl the book out of the window, Blaze instead turned the page gently.
Unbeknownst to the unicorn, the sun was beginning to rise.
"...birds sang. The snow gave way to lush green grass and running crystal clear springs. Before us to two mighty pillars, that looked as if they were made from solid carved diamond rods. Three perfect gems hovered gently between them, forming a quaint but magically enchanting archway. The entrance to this...this... Paradise...
But all was in shadow, and all trembled beneath the gargantuan magical storm clouds. The unicorns in our party suddenly started having these 'magical spasms', like the ones that foals get when their magic is still developing. Horns flared and flickered for no reason, and we soon bid a hasty retreat from this mysterious pocket of life.
The chill of the arctic winds almost killed me. That strange land, that...place of summer...had been so warm compared to the rest of the frozen North. And the crystals, the shining stones of light were dazzling. What in Equestria had we discovered?
Our commander, Brave Charge, ordered that a number of us remain behind at the border of this strange new land, whilst the fastest flyers report back to the Princesses on our discovery. I was sent away with six others. The flight back to Canterlot was much swifter than our journey toward the North, the stormwinds bearing us quickly towards our capital. It was two days before we first spied the spires of the Royal Palace, and I had never been happier to return home. However, I would never have guessed the discoveries that the unicorns here had made in our absence.
Archmagister Star Heart - Founder and leader of the Order of Sorcery -
"Never before had I witnessed any magical phenomena of such magnitude before, and that's saying a lot. The storms in the North were the most powerful artificial creations I had ever felt, and all of my measuring instruments were off their scales. Princess Celestia had ordered a contingent of Royal Guards to investigate, and I had insisted on sending some representatives from the Order to assess the situation at the storm's source, but the High Council overruled my petition. They said that it would be too risky to lose any of the Magisters, yet it was perfectly reasonable to lose guards.
The whole thing as ridiculous in my opinion. Nopony, not even the Princesses themselves, knew what was waiting for them out there. Nopony had travelled so far North before in the history of Equestria. There were rumours that dark creatures stalked the arctic wastes, creatures like Windigoes, Keythongs, Direwolves and Ice Dragons. My studies into piercing the blizzards had confirmed such rumours on more than one occasion. The Magisters should have been with the guards. They were volunteers! What the High Council were thinking was beyond me.
Anyway, three days after the expedition team left Canterlot, I ordered my most gifted unicorns to scry into the murky winds of the North. But for all our power and skill, the blizzards proved too powerful for even my magical gaze to pierce. Once the guards passed into the Uttermost North, they were lost to us. But I refused to give up on them, and so i began work upon my masterpiece: The Star Quartz Focusing Lens.
We - my companions and I - spent a great many nights working on creating a powerful magical telescope, strong enough to in theory gaze upon the stars in the night sky. This was undoubtedly the most complicated creation I had ever made, and Princess Celestia was gracious enough to donate many resources to our cause. With the Lens, we would be able to finally penetrate the winds with several highly focused beams of magic and discover the source of the storms. That is if the guard team didn't return with that knowledge first.
The Focusing Lens was magnificent, if I do say so myself. It was the single most powerful piece of scrying technology ever made, and Princess Luna ordered an entire new wing of the Royal Palace to be built to house it. The scope was over fifty hooves long, made from extremely rare and flawlessly cut Star Quartz bound in snow steel and brass. Over a hundred different lenses were present, and a complex system of weights and counterweights allowed it to move freely in the newly built Grand Observatory.
Our new contraption was put to use at once. I personally oversaw the first scrying attempt, as did the two Princesses. The results were miraculous. The focused magical beams that were concentrated by the team of Magisters cut through the arctic winds like a knife, revealing to us the land in crystal clear relief. The snowfields stretched on for hundreds of miles, broken only by the odd sheer sided frozen valley or massive glacier. Dozens of beasts roamed the landscape, and my thoughts once again flew back to the expedition team.
For a night and half a day we scanned the arctic wastes trying to find the source of the storms without any luck. Princess Celestia had ordered that we keep searching, until finally we found something which none of us, not even the Princesses, expected to find:
A lush, warm landscape filled with trees and wildlife, standing in defiance against the cold of the North. And at it's centre, a shining city made from thousands of great crystals.
The grey unicorn sat open mouthed. A city? In the heart of the arctic? So that was what the guards had discovered! This was incredible. Never before had Blaze heard of such a place, not even in foalstories or myths. The little owl next to him hooted. Emblazoned upon the browned page was a faded ink drawing of what Blaze suspected must of been the mysterious crystal city. Dozens of little houses carved like gemstones were set around a massive central palace, spearing into the stormy sky like a unicorn horn. The city itself was laid out in a symmetrical pattern reminiscent of a snowflake.
"Amazing..." Blaze breathed, sending a soft echo bouncing around the Library.
Unfortunately, the remainder of this particular page had been eaten away by some form of parchment mite, and the rest of the passage was lost. It was almost as if it had been deliberately done to keep the young unicorn from reading the good bits. But that wasn't the only source of annoyance for the Royal Guard. Shafts of soft golden sunlight burst through the high windows behind him, bathing the Library with blocks of white warmth. The moon finally sank below the Grey Guardians to make way for morning, and blaze's shift had officially ended for the night.
"Dammit...just when it was getting interesting"
The owl hooted its own frustration and hopped up onto the windowsill. Blaze could already hear the Library Guards coming from the corridor outside. Sighing, Blaze's horn lit up to open the tall window, letting in a soft cool breeze.
"There ya go, little buddy. Thanks for keeping me company" he smiled. The owl looked up at the unicorn before turning to spread its wings. Blaze could have sworn that the bird had winked at him, but as the owl flew off into the fresh morning air he simply smirked. Maybe today would be better than yesterday.
Blaze gently closed the book, revealing once again the ancient and beautiful front cover. The topaz studs of the sun glittered brightly, and the black inscription of the title was thrown into sharp relief as a ray of sunshine swept over it. Gingerly, the guard pony picked up the book with his magic and placed it back on the dusty marble pillar from whence it came. Celestia watched him with still, stained glass eyes.
"My Princess..." he murmured before bowing curtly to the window. As he stepped backwards, his hoof pressed down on the false panel in the floor. A great scraping sound was heard as the stone arch descended, finally concealing the hidden tome. With a forlorn huff, Blaze walked over to his things, levitating the golden white plumed helmet upon his head once again. With a skillful whip of his tail, he collected his spear. And with a final glance at the mysterious trio of arches, Blaze left for breakfast.
As the grey unicorn left, the Royal Library fell silent once again. Nothing sound save for the tweeting of songbirds outside filled the vast room, making the great aisles of knowledge seem incredibly lonely.
Suddenly, a faint tap echoed from the secret hidden door behind the sofas beneath the painted dome of the two Princesses. The wall slid away to revealing a single pony, tall and regal against the pale walls. She smiled at her archway. The guard had found her Sacred Text, but his duties had called him away before he had found out the whole tale. With a melodic whistle, the mare summoned to her one of her closest friends.
Outside the Library, a keening cry sounded across the Valley, echoing even here in the most quiet of places. Philomena glided through the window that the unicorn had left open, cawing gleefully as her mistress revealed herself from the hidden passage.
"I think we have a historian amongst the Guard" the pony chimed, her voice like music.
The scarlet phoenix cawed again, flaring her beautiful crest in excitement.
"Bring him the book. Make sure he finds it tonight. I think he deserves to know the full story."
Blaze couldn't remember a better nap in all his life. The side effects of being awake for hours reading had finally caught up with him, and the grey unicorn stretched as he awoke from his slumber. Sergeant Skyfire had been kind enough to give him the evening off in recompense, much to High Flyer's annoyance.
"Did you enjoy your little nap, your highness?" came a voice dripping with sarcasm from the dorm entrance. Blaze chuckled.
"Bet you wish you'd had the Library now"
"Not really. Books bore me. What did you even do to pass the time?"
"Nothing much" the grey unicorn smirked. |He didn't know why, but keeping this from anypony seemed to be almost exciting. A tiny voice in Blaze's mind piped up in despair. If you find that the act of reading a book needs to be kept a secret then you really need to get out more.
"Huh" murmured his pegasus friend, eyeing him suspiciously for a second, "anyway, this was left in your drop-box when you are asleep." High Flyer pulled out a heavy parcel, tied together with a simple white ribbon.
"What is it?" the silver maned unicorn asked as he levitated it over to his side.
"How in Tartarus should I know?"
"Someone's grumpy"
"I've just had to stand for three hours outside the Royal Kitchens! The heat!"
The unicorn chuckled, but said nothing further as High Flyer immediately threw his equipment down before turning to leave.
"Where are you going?" Blaze called.
"Dinner" came the blunt reply.
Shaking his head, Blaze set his parcel down on his bunk and unwrapped it. As he began to unwrap the brown crumpled paper, a little voice in his head began nagging at him in excitement. There was no recipient address, nor was there an address to Blaze himself anywhere on it. Whoever sent it must have done so personally. The magical aura of the unicorn unfolded the largest piece of parchment to reveal what was inside, and a jackhammer started pounding in Blaze's chest.
Salvatoris Nostri, Nostra Reginae
The book fell onto the bed, followed by an immediate curse as Blaze scolded himself for losing focus. This was probably the most precious thing he'd ever touched and it would hardly be a good thing if over a millennia of history was destroyed by his clumsiness. Gently, he levitated the book over to his bedside table. Who in Equestria had sent it to him? And why? How did they know he was reading it in the first place? Questions he realised, couldn't be answered right now. The book was here, which meant he should use the most of this incredibly lucky experience.
The light of the afternoon slowly sank into that of the evening outside, and the blue sky melted to yellow to pink. High Flyer would most likely be gone for the rest of the day - probably trying his luck with Nurse Blossomkiss again. The grey unicorn grinned to himself before stretching out upon the bunk. His golden armour was neatly stacked in the chest beneath him, revealing his strong athletic body freely, his burning star shaped cutie mark glinting in the sunset light.
Blaze levitated the sacred tome to him, and taking one last look at the dorm door, the young guard began to read again from where he left off.
"Upon relaying our findings to the Princesses, all they seemed to do was fall silent and stare at each other intently. They came at once to the Focusing Lens after I explained the finer aspects of our discovery, and I was certain that the central keep like structure contained the source of the storm clouds. Celestia looked through the Lens personally, and to this day I have never seen anypony look so shocked in all my life.
"We Magisters watched with bated breath as the two monarchs of our land discussed our best course of action. it was highly likely that the expedition team would have discovered the mysterious city by now, that is, if they hadn't been torn to shreds by a Keythong. We sat there in our sanctum for an entire night as the two Princesses talked at their secret meeting place at the summit of Mount Everwhite. Everypony was forbidden from journeying up there, even the pegasi. There were even rumours of a great fountain of magical power located at the top of the mountain. Whatever the case, our rulers came back down to Canterlot with their decision, although as to why they had made it, none of us knew:
"The Royal Guard would mobilise fully along with the Order of Sorcery, and move out towards the North."
Far Gazer -
"As we drew near the capital, the first sight I remember seeing was a gleaming column of ponies parading through the streets towards the North Gate, a great many of them in gleaming silver armour. It seemed as if the Royal Guard were marching out of Canterlot, and with them came a great many unicorns clad in royal violet robes. As we descended, we were stopped by a squadron of our brethren.
"They informed us of a great operation devised by Princess Celestia that was now being put into action. Before we could deliver our findings to the High Council, me and the others with me were forced into the aerial divisions of the host. There were a good hundred of us, the largest march that I had been a part of. It seemed as if we were going back the way we had come, back towards the arctic crystal city. At our lead strode the two Princesses. It seemed that this incursion's cause was unknown to everypony except for them.
"For another twelve days we marched, the journey taking longer due to the host's size, but the addition of the Magisters enabled us to dispel a great many of the windstorms. Compared to my first trip to the North, this was a breeze. The Magisters of the order of Sorcery were led by their leader personally, Star Heart. I had never seen a mare so bossy before. Even the commanders of the Guard kept well clear of her.
But on the thirteenth day as we came to the heart of the Uttermost North, we found my old team. Or what was left of them. All of them were dead, the snow half-burying them as the icy wind howled around us. Thirteenth was never a lucky number for me, and I felt a deep fear and sadness at the sight of my fallen comrades. The markings around them showed signs of a struggle, but the footmarks were not those of any beasts. They were attacked. By other ponies. The burns upon their silver armour were reminiscent of unicorn spellfire, but tainted with a dark power, one which made Princess Celestia shudder. That small sight alone will stay with me more clearly than the sight of my fallen brothers.
We buried our comrades properly and collected their supplies and armour. That evening, Star Heart could be heard all over the campsite screaming her lungs off at the commanding officers of the Guard, saying how a team of Magisters should have gone with us originally. Maybe she was right.
The next morning revealed to us a sight which filled me with sickening dread. Before us, a few miles further than the skirmish site, was a colossal, sickly green magical wall. The unicorns in the Guard and even those with the order started having magical spasms, causing more than a few ponies to be injured - not seriously, thank Celestia. But this wall, this...shield or barrier, wasn't here previously. This had only been standing for the past few days at most. Our two Princesses strode forward first, that I remember. Princess Luna struck the wall of green magic with a simple energy spark. The entire bubble howled in protest of her magic, and the mystical force shimmered at her touch. I didn't like the feeling of that, and neither did anypony else around me.
But Celestia, her mane and crown shining bright, simply struck the shield again, this time with a yellow lightning bolt. The shield screamed, and I could have sworn that whatever was on the other side, whatever had killed my brothers in arms, was now coming to meet us.
'Stand fast, my little ponies! Hold your ground and defend yourselves!' I remember Princess Celestia calling to us. Her voice was so strong, yet gentle, like an orchestra or a great waterfall. We did as we were commanded, every unicorn in our ranks flaring up their horns in response. The snowfields were lit up with a multitude of colours as the different magic auras glowed brightly. I, being a pegasus, simply raised my wings into ready position.
We felt it before we saw it, a deep rumble booming through the ice. It sounded larger and more powerful than the magical storm that raged above our heads. The Princesses flared their wings in defiance and lit their horns like beacons. Then it came.
The great green shield parted, and from the smoke was revealed the crystal city, but it was not how it looked several days ago. In place of the shimmering diamond gates now stood sickening beautiful growths of jagged black onyx and decayed ruby. The sky beyond was a disgusting shade of brown, the colour that reminded me of rot and impurity. And looming above it wall was a dark, imposing castle built of razor edged crystal facets and black quartz. From its highest spire, a single accursed green lightning bolt flashed upwards into the sky.
But before us now, stood a terrifying figure of black and crimson red. He was a unicorn, but unlike one I had ever seen before. His fur was so dark it looked burned, and his horn curved upwards like a scorpion's sting. His mane flowed like sickly black smoke behind him, and his eyes blazed with dark power that set my teeth on edge. And worst of all, he had fangs, like those of a lion or dragon, curving downwards from his mouth like stalactites. This pony was an abomination.
Around his body flowed a royal blood red cloak lined with fur, beneath which were set dozens of interlocking dark grey armoured plates. Upon his head rested a cruel looking crown of jagged iron and twisted crystal. It was a mockery of the royal regalia of our Princesses.
This, this Nightmare King stood upon a great spur of black crystal, jutting out of the ground like an insect sting. The rock pulsed with a powerful magical power, like veins. The wicked stallion looked upon our host of barely a hundred and laughed, a sound which shook he to my very bones.
'Thou hast come here to the gates of my kingdom, MY Empire. Thou strike the shield that I hast forged in your arrogance. Thou cannot take the Crystal Empire from me! The ponies here belong to the will of the Shadow, and none will pass beyond this point alive! So come then you fools, come to your doom and gaze upon thy death!'
I remember the voice of Celestia ringing out over the thunderclaps above us. I had never been more afraid in all my life, but the voice of my Princess made me stronger, gave me comfort. Her words were those of a deep set anger, as if she knew this pony from somewhere before.
'Silence, monster! Your power has no jurisdiction here, nor anywhere else in Equestria. Freedom is the right of all under our protection, and we will defend everypony we can from tyranny. The darkness cannot hold these lands for long, for even the darkest night will end and the Sun will rise!'
I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw Princess Luna regard Celestia with an odd look. I couldn't put my hoof on it exactly, but something wasn't right in the Night Princess' demeanour. The Shadow king laughed again.
'You cannot stop me. The dynasty of Crystal Monarchs has fallen, and nothing you can do will defeat me. I am immortal, invincible. I am a god!'
A bright flash erupted towards the dark stallion, and he was only saved by using his magic to physically move the jutting ledge of crystal out of the way. Princess Luna strode ahead of us all, sending another lightning bolt towards the evil pony. The crystal bank kept shattering and reforming in a different place, making it impossible for the Night Princess to strike him. Celestia tried to stop her sister's advance, but Luna shrugged her away strongly, casting bolt after bolt before finally sundering the ledge itself into oblivion.
The jet black fragments hurtled in all directions, and i had to shield my eyes with my wings. But it seemed that the dark king had teleported away, cackling like a maniac. The dark alicorn's eyes flared in fury, followed by the loudest scream I've ever heard come from a single pony. She roared her anger, causing even Celestia to fall back in shock. We all cowered away from our Princess, such was her wrath.
Until finally, the Shadow King spoke again.
'Thou art all even weaker than I imagined. If thou feel like fighting, come to me and engage with me in glorious combat upon the field!'
This time, another white flash appeared, but this time from Celestia. She sent a wave of searing white hot flames leaping towards the stallion, forcing him to conjure a great shimmering shield of deathly green fire. For several heartbeats, we all watched with bated breath as white fire battled green, until Luna once again intervened. She launched another dazzling lightning bolt, but Celestia stood in front before she could do so again. My guess was that the Sun Princess wanted this tyrant alive to face justice, not blasted into dust.
But the darker sister continued to fire, creating a blinding display of power crashing against the green fire. Celestia screamed at her to stop, but it finally took a wave of force to knock her back and stop her. What happened immediately afterwards i could not say, as the evil stallion sent all the power his fell shield had absorbed and sent it flying outwards in a wall of hot wind. I was knocked off my feet and sent flying backwards. All I remember was a great wave of sound. Screaming, cries, shouts, magical blasts, and an explosion.
By the time we had pulled ourselves up again, four unicorns from the Order and two Royal Guards were seriously injured. The wicked stallion was nowhere to be seen, and smoke swirled all around us, and a warm rain had begun to fall from the unnatural storm. Princess Celestia stood above us on a raised ledge, lightning flashing behind her. Not for the first time that day, the Princess eased the storm within me.
'Hear me, my faithful subjects. What you have seen here today is evil at work, the darkness trying to bring down all we have strived to build. All of you have been born in times of peace and security, times bought on the price of your ancestors' lives. And today you have seen what we defend our way of life against. Against tyranny and wickedness. Here, at the roof of the world we will stand against those who would tear out the heart and soul of Equestria and the world. To be living is to be free! And there are ponies out there, ponies who have had that right taken away from them! This upstart, this, this Shadow King...he will answer for his crimes. And you will be my sentencing sword! Come my little ponies, there is a reckoning to be had!'
I cheered with the rest of them. This was the greatest sight I had ever seen. No magical duel could compare to the simple sight of my ruler and liege standing in defiance against the darkest storm I had ever witnessed, the rain whipping around us like a blizzard. We would take this 'Crystal Empire' from the darkness, and liberate those trapped within. We felt like justice itself."
The Battle of the Crystal City and the Downfall of King Sombra
Archmagister Star Heart -
"My heart soared as Celestia declared her will across the blasted fields. It was truly a glorious sight. After the dark magician pony sent us reeling back, I had thought that to be the end of us. I sensed a great amount of power running through him, dark twisted power that could only do harm. It this fell power that had transformed the shining city of crystals into this monstrosity of a land.
Yet despite our new sense of purpose, I couldn't help but look at Princess Luna. Her horn was smoking from the sheer amount of magic she had unleashed, but I could tell that that wasn't the only thing plaguing her mind. Her gaze was downcast, away from Celestia, and her expression turned to one of steel determination when we cheered. But it was a look of dark conviction, not of a mutual purpose.
I drove it from my mind soon afterwards, as a great call was sounded. Our host was marching into the crystal heartlands. We were laughably few, barely more than a hundred, but that didn't stop us. We were united and free ponies, and I felt as if no force in this world or the next could stop us.
The march into the mysterious lands of the North was marked with explosions. It seemed as if the Shadow King was hurling magical projectiles at us as we approached, and a harrowing horn call echoed from the heart of the twisted crystal made city. We knew that a battle was coming, but what we would be facing, we had no idea. But we pressed on. Princess Celestia led from the front, forming a great golden shield around us, blocking and deflecting the bolts of shadow and witchfire being hurled at us from the great palace.
We felt invincible. But from that accused citadel came our opponents: The Legions of the Black Mirror.
There were hundreds of them: massive living statues - golems, if you will - carved from onyx in the likeness of pony warriors. But these creations stood at twice the height of an earth pony stallion, and it didn't take a genius like me to see that they were much stronger. Column after column of these constructs marched towards us menacingly, and I finally began to feel fear. But I would not falter, I would not flee. We were justice itself, and as Celestia had said, we were her 'sentencing sword.'
Where the Sun Goddess galloped, the dirty red grass flashed green once again, and where Luna followed, the sickening dark diamonds cracked and shattered. And it was as we charged into the outermost areas of the city proper did we see the terrible truth.
There were ponies everywhere, bound in iron chains and manacles, shuffling slowly through the streets in great lines. Slave Drivers whipped them on, but they faced the lashes with heartbreaking dignity. These weren't normal ponies, I could tell. They possessed an old magic, though none of them seemed to be unicorns. There was something about them, something I couldn't figure out there and then. But as Luna splintered the black crystals, I saw it.
The coats of these slave ponies brightened, until one managed to break her bonds. Her mane and coat flared brilliantly, half blinding the Slave Driver. Her coat and mane glistened like a thousand gemstones. That was it. These, these Crystal Ponies , they were in-tune with the world around them. The power that ran through their veins was old magic, possibly the first spark of power ever to shine in the world. And that bound cracked the iron chains around that mare's neck and hooves.
And she wasn't the last.
Everywhere, as the crystal ponies saw our approach, chains and bonds were cast away in a wave of glittering colour. The enslaved ponies were rising up against their oppressors. It seemed strange at first, to be fighting in this faraway land for a people of whom we know nothing, but we had a duty to protect those you could not protect themselves. Such were the teachings of Celestia.
The crystal ponies immediately began to fall upon their masters, cracking skulls and bones with the very stones that paved their city. The Royal Guards ran down the ones that fled. Princess Celestia blasted away another Slave Master, before shattering the chains of a dozen ponies with nothing more than a stamp of her hoof. Flashes of light shone everywhere as the enslaved ponies regained their former powers, and I felt a great surge of pride run through me as I saw the previously subdued fight back.
The skirmish continued through the central avenue of the city towards the central citadel, but before long our path was blocked. The onyx golems stood resolute before us, still and silent like statues. The ground rumbled as they began their ominous march forwards. Princess Celestia stopped, spreading out her wings to signal our halt. But Princess Luna paid no heed. The Night Princess flew over the golems, her horn burning a brilliant blue as she showered bolt after bolt of starry lightning upon them. The crystal ponies followed in her wake, shoving past us in a valiant yet doomed effort to reclaim their home.
But Princess Celestia finally relented to the mass of freed slaves, and ordered the charge. I remember clearly the sight of her splitting the ranks of black monsters in half with a bubble made of sunlight which burned anything that came into contact with it. The golems were forced to divide their ranks into two halves. The Sun Princess took on an entire flank alone, whilst the other was assaulted by me and the rest of the host.
The air became a blur of colour as bolt after magical bolt screamed across the city from every unicorn in the Guard and the Order. Onyx fragments showered the streets as the golems were obliterated one by one. Yet for all our power, the golems kept coming. I saw friends die that day, whether under the hooves of the golems or by the Shadow King's sorcery. Princess Luna gave us aerial support, but her strikes were erratic and quite frankly dangerous. I myself was less than a yard from a magical missile fired by her, and I fought on regardless.
It was the first time in my life that I had seen so many ponies fighting side by side. Royal Guard fought alongside Order Magisters, who fought beside these mysterious crystal ponies. And yet, the golems continued to come.
I remember Celestia shattered three of the constructs with a single wave of fire. She stamped her hoof upon the ground again, creating a mighty fissure, through which roared fountains of searing sunlight. She received more injuries from the flying shards of defeated golems than from the statues themselves. Wave upon wave of fire burned the creatures by the dozens, and the unbreakable ranks were finally smashed after a well aimed fiery lightning bolt.
Finally, after the smoke had cleared, our Princess revealed the name of this tyrant of a king. How she knew, none of us knew, but I suspect that our ruler had met him before.
'Sombra! No more games. Come down and face your judgement. If you surrender peacefully, you will be shown clemency!'
I remember the shouts of protest from the crystal ponies more than the Shadow King's laughter. Celestia silenced us all with a thunderclap caused by her wings alone.
The page disintegrated into a brown mess. Blaze would have punched the book if he wasn't sane. This account was so detailed, so thrilling! A Crystal Empire? Crystal Ponies? What was this new land, and why hadn't he heard of it before? So many questions, and such rich history.
A soft click snapped the unicorn from his musings. The door to his dorm opened before closing with a rather loud bang . High Flyer waddled in downcast before setting himself down upon his bed.
"What happened to you?"
The white pegasus sighed miserably. "Nurse Blossomkiss is only dating Glider."
"Oh, um, sorry dude. There's always plenty more fish in the sea, as they say."
"Not in the Royal Barracks! The only other mare worth going for here is Nurse Sanguine, and I swear she's a fillyfooler."
Blaze spluttered. "What possible evidence do you have for that?"
"Just a hunch."
"You are unbelievable, you know that?" the unicorn laughed.
High Flyer brushed a hoof through his mane before kicking back on the bunk. "Damn right I do"
Marvelling at the fact he and his friend were so different, Blaze turned his attention back to the book. The damage seemed to spread over halfway on the other page. Dammit .
-thunder and rain. Princess Luna fired one final energy blast, breaking the support columns and bringing the obsidian archway down upon the doorway, trapping the Shadow King on his balcony. Despite this, he still fired three missiles of fell magic, two of them missing with the third being blocked by Celestia's glimmering gold shield.
This was it. The Downfall of this King Sombra.
There was no final threat, no memorable speech. Our two Princesses flew into the lightening sky, their silhouettes standing against the rising sun, with their angry gaze locked upon the unicorn.
Celestia's horn exploded with the greatest display of magical power I've ever seen a single pony perform. From its shining length, a single glorious ray of sunlight fired upon the balcony. King Sombra's screams sounded more of outrage than pain, and his iron crown was cast from his head. His royal red cloak caught fire and his armour plates shattered. For this was no ordinary spell. This was the Great Banishment Incantation, never used successfully by anypony in history before today.
Sombra's body cracked and splintered, revealing rivers of dark magic in place of blood. With a final roar of rage, King Sombra was destroyed in a blinding flash of light, his body cast into shadow before being carried away by the raging tempest winds that swirled around the ruined spire of the palace.
With his defeat, the great black and red crystals simultaneously exploded. Great chunks of obsidian, onyx, and black diamonds shattered in a spectacular display of beautiful ruin. The hateful, twisted city was destroyed, revealing the Crystal Empire in all of its true glory. And with the darkness fell the storm, the black clouds melting away into a bright, stunning blue sky. The new dawn."
Yet more damage eroded the remainder of the text away, and blaze was only able to catch the last few words of the final paragraph.
And so the Crys- mpire was never seen again in hist- , the curse King Sombra had laid lasting a thousa- years.
"Wow"
What else could Blaze say? It was brilliant, all of it; like something one would find in a fantasy epic, not in a history book. Crystal ponies and tyrant kings, griffin wars and the foundations of Harmony, everything was so rich and raw. And that fact stunned the unicorn more than everything else.
His reverie was interrupted by the sound of High Flyer's snoring, the sounds ripping the silence to shreds. A quick glance outside told Blaze that it was night, and that he too should get some sleep. But first...
Easing himself off his bunk quietly as to not wake his friend, Blaze levitated the aged tome in his magical grip before creeping gingerly out of the dorm.
The archway rose upwards into the ceiling, revealing once again the ancient stained glass window of Celestia. Her glass eyes watched him as he set the book once again on the pedestal. Blaze sighed a little sadly. Of course he would love to carry on reading, but something inside the young guard's heart told him that he had learned enough of the past, at least for his tastes. There was nothing stopping him from returning here, and he didn't want to risk any damage to the book whilst it was in his possession.
The grey unicorn lifted his back hoof from the false panel and watched the stone archway descend once again.
"Not what you expected?" chimed a melodic voice from behind him.
But strangely, Blaze half expected it.
He turned round to reveal Princess Celestia standing there, proud and beautiful, her aurora mane dancing serenely behind her. With a half smile, the guard bowed before his monarch.
"Rise good sir. I take it you received my gift?" This took him by surprise however.
"You? I, I mean. You sent me the book, Your Highness?"
"Of course" Celestia giggled, "who else would it have been? I saw you last night reading the hours away by the window. I must say that you were far more interested than I thought you would be. Can you tell me as to why that might be?"
The grey unicorn swallowed. "I'm not sure, your, Your Highness...I, I wish I had an answer."
The white alicorn nodded, a look beyond understanding decorating her face.
"I know why you put the book back. History has an odd effect on those who look back, don't you agree?"
The grey unicorn shifted uncomfortably on his hooves. He was still dazzled by the fact he was actually speaking to the princess for this amount of time.
"I guess I was sad, in a way. This, this Crystal Empire...it just vanished? Just like that? It makes me sad to think that such a place of beauty and light can be lost like that in the blink of an eye. It makes one realise how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things, how our little lives mean nothing at all, and that one pony cannot make a difference."
He wasn't sure where this all came from, or if he really felt like this at all, but it seemed right to say at such a time. The Sun Goddess seemed to ponder this thought, cocking her head very slightly to the side before speaking, her voice like soft wind chimes.
"You are right in a way, but also not. I've seen many individual ponies rise to greatness, both for good or for ill, and their stories have rewritten that of all of us. Even the smallest pony, griffin, zebra, deer, can change the course of the future in the believe for what they follow."
She paused...and glanced fleetingly at the mysterious central archway.
Blaze's heart hammered in his chest as the Sun Goddess stepped forwards, still watching the arch. The young unicorn might discover the secret identity of this mysterious third Princess...but his hopes fell as Celestia pressed down once again on her own false panel. The first arch rose once again into the vaulted ceiling, scraping roughly as the fragmented mirror of the Princess was revealed once again.
Using her magic, the white alicorn opened her Sacred Text and flipped expertly through the pages past The Banishment of King Sombra . The double page spread that met the gaze of the two ponies was covered in ink drawings. Royal violet and night blue swirls and stars adorned the edges of the page, above which was drawn a circular design depicting the phases of the moon. In the centre of that in turn, was a picture of a broken sun.
"The War of Eternal Night... " Blaze breathed in awe.
"Like I said...those ponies have rewritten our stories, forever"
Suddenly, Celestia turned to meet the unicorn's eyes.
"If you had carried on, this is what you would have read next. Would you like to know what really happened all those years ago?"
"I..." he paused. This was something incredibly close to the Princess' heart, something painful. Every pony in Equestria knew the story, but then again, all knew of the story of Discord - look how different that turned out to be. "If, if you want to read it, Your Highness, I would gladly listen."
"Some things cannot be simply expressed in a book" Celestia chuckled, "but..."
She breathed deeply.
"Some things can be shown "
The steady rhythm of Blaze's heart soared. To see those events, all those years ago? Through, what, a memory spell? It was the chance of a lifetime, and the unicorn's fiery curiosity got the better of him.
"Yes, Your Highness. I, I would like to know..."
Yet as he said the words, Blaze knew that he had somehow made a mistake. With a single nod and a deliberately slow blink, Princess Celestia leaned forwards and touched his forehead with her horn.
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Our Saviour, Our Princess
Chapter 6 - Part 1: The Rise of the Nightmare
"Even the Sun can be snuffed out, and nothing will remain but utter darkness..."
Blaze felt as if he would vomit as the Princess' magic surged through his mind and body like a whirlwind, touching very fibre of his being as his spirit was whisked through the magical aether. A thousand different colours flashed past his eyes, making the poor unicorn dizzy and confused beyond belief. Stars, flames, trees, storms, mountains, and even entire nations raced into and beyond his field of vision. Cities and castles blew in some imaginary wind like leaves as Celestia transported herself and her companion through Time itself, into the foggy depths of memory...
He blinked. Once, twice. Everything soon began to come into focus, though the feeling of disorientation remained in Blaze's head. His horn ached painfully, although as he raised a forehoof to touch it, he had no idea as to why. His muscles felt sore and worn, and it was then that he noticed that his golden armour had completely disappeared. In fact, as the unicorn started to look around him, he realised that the entire Royal Library had disappeared. The mighty aisles of tomes and books were nowhere to be seen. The walls, the great line of windows, the painted dome and even the three arches were simply not present.
"Are you all right, good sir?" came a familiar voice from Blaze's left. Princess Celestia looked as perfect as ever. Her aurora hued mane and tail danced serenely of their own accord, and her royal regalia was still adorning her head, chest and hooves. "I haven't cast that spell for nearly four hundred years, not since the tenth anniversary of the Third Changeling War. I hope you're not too dizzy. You'll get used to that after a while."
"W-Wha...what by all that is holy was that spell?" Blaze spluttered.
"Something of my own creation", Celestia replied with a smile, "I call it the 'Incantation of the Immortale Regnum. ' It allows myself and anypony I choose to journey into the timeways and witness any event of the caster's choosing in history. I'll admit, I never thought to go this far back... nor to this time at all..."
"Wh-where are we, Your Highness?" Blaze added as a formality. He was still in the presence of royalty, after all. It suddenly occurred to the unicorn that his coat was being touched by a very real breeze, howling and blowing around them.
"We haven't moved." the Princess said, "only gone back through a past memory. We are standing in the exact same places we were when in the Royal Library, only the Library won't be built for another eight hundred and sixty years."
Blaze's violet eyes widened in realisation as Celestia spoke. They had travelled back nearly a whole millennia, back to a time before Nightmare Moon. This, according to the unicorn's mental timeline, was the period in which Ponydom was at its height. Many history books called it the Noontide of Equestria, an age when the borders of Equestria extended far across the known world. The Griffin Kingdoms kept the peace for the sake of Celestia's phoenix, the Crystal Empire was gone, but with it the evil of King Sombra, and the dragonflights were held in check by the powers of the Princesses.
"We, we're in Canterlot?" he asked, knowing the answer already. As Blaze looked around him, the more his eyes grew accustomed to the surrounding area. He was standing on a sheet of clean grey rock, enshrouded in a light chilly fog which seem to cling to his coat like a cloak. A cold wind howled, its bite feeling like daggers of ice.
"Well, not exactly. Here, we're standing on the western plateau outside of the city. Canterlot didn't extend this far outwards, if you would care to follow me" Celestia said, nudging her head in a motion to follow. Blaze trotted behind his lady, his head still aching slightly from the spell's after-shakes. The fog began to thin the further the pair of ponies walked, finally melting into a thin mist, allowing both to see their location.
Before them rose a great white stone wall, reaching a good fifty feet up into the murky air above. The summit was crowned with gold plated battlements, behind which Blaze thought he could spy silver statues of pony sentries, only to gasp as they revealed themselves to be live guards like himself. Their dour faces watched resolutely across the fog, barely blinking as they marched back and forth upon the outer castle.
Celestia walked towards the borders of ancient Canterlot, her serene expression letting slip a sigh of, what...exhaustion? Blaze wasn't sure, but his thoughts were trusted elsewhere as his Princess spread her majestic wings outward, creating a phantom breeze which stroked his coat, yet did not disturb the mists around her glowing form. The white alicorn arced into the grey air, sailing over the walls effortlessly. Blaze was about to call to her before he felt his hooves leave the ground with her. He whirled around in confusion as his body was borne by the princess' magic over the high battlements.
As the unicorn rose higher, he could make out the city behind in detail. Here, the fog of the valley abruptly ceased, revealing olden Canterlot in all it's muted glory. Through the twilight air, Blaze's violet eyes gazed upon the shimmering form of his monarch gliding above the golden rooftops of the pony capital.
"Whoa..." he breathed. Canterlot from above was a sight that he had only seen from the high towers of the Royal Palace, but never before had he dreamed of flying above them himself. The faded gold rays of the falling sun caught the summits of the needle thin towers from behind the western clouds, breaking them like glass to reveal a heart of fire. Beyond the low mists the sky was almost clear save for a single great tower of cloud to the far west, the lights of the city reflecting off it. Blaze's reverie was interrupted by Celestia's voice.
"Are you well? I should have told you before, here, in the world of memory, we are not bound to the laws of the world as you know them. You can fly of free will and walk through walls and mountains, such was my design in this spell. But for now, I will carry you to the place which I want you to see. The place which it all started."
"Where?"
"The Throne of the High Dawn..."
The pair of ponies wheeled around towards the imposing shadow of the then relatively new Royal Palace, the ghost breeze tickling Blaze's grey coat as he flew over the great pair of statues above the Court of the Sun and Moon, their brilliantly carved horns surrounded by scaffolding. Closer inspection showed that the golden and silver plating on the respected statues were only partially fitted on. Workponies of all races laboured upon the rickety wooden frames, crowning their masterpieces with the precious metals.
Celestia guided him over the courtyard through a wide archway built above the Gilded Foyer, the grand entrance hall to the Palace before floating down in a slowly spiralling circle until both ponies' hooves touched onto the marble floor below. The fog almost seemed to encompass the grand hall as well as the outside world, something which Blaze found very discomforting.
"Come" Celestia said suddenly, walking towards the carpeted staircase which lead into the Palace proper. For the most part it seemed identical to how it was in present, but Blaze noticed a few minor differences; ancient paintings were new here, and several statues and banners that Blaze did not recognise decorated the halls.
It didn't take long for the pair of dream ponies to make their way to the grand throne room of the royal sisters. The grand chamber was exactly as Blaze remembered it, but for the addition of a second throne. Beside Celestia's familiar yet still resplendent chair sat a great dark counterpart, carved from onyx and set with a series of diamonds in the shape of a crescent moon against the headrest. A pair of silver fountains sent equally silver water cascading into clear pool beside the throne, surrounded by beautiful night blooming flowers like moonroses and stardrops.
Despite the haunted dimness of the grand chamber, it was far from silent. A series of ponies dressed in regal attire of lush colours reminiscent of fire stood squabbling intently, their words unclear until Blaze stepped nearer. What he heard forced the young unicorn to halt and raise both eyebrows in surprise.
"What do you mean, she's locked herself away ?"
"Exactly that. The Princess hasn't been seen for the past five nights. She raises the Moon as always but nopony has seen her since the visit from the hedge wizards from the North. Not even Celestia knows what she's doing. "
"Are you referring to what Luna's doing or Celestia herself? "
"Rose Thorn! How can you say such a thing? "
"Don't pretend you haven't noticed it too! Celestia has been acting more frantic since Luna disappeared, although we all know she's in the Sanctum of the Moon. Why nopony simply drags her out, I have no idea. Equestria cannot continue to function with both its rulers losing their minds and going off on ridiculous tangents that help nopony! We Highlords can only do so much. "
"I agree, but we can't j- "
"Shh! "
The chattering nobles ceased as a great white form strode gracefully into the chamber, her familiar, sparkling mane lightening even the dull spirit world. The spectre of Celestia's past walked towards the group of Highlords, her face composed and serene as ever. As she walked past him, Blaze could see that Celestia did indeed look younger here; the differences were almost invisible from her present day self, but the grey unicorn noted how her mane and tail danced more actively, her horn's spiral indents were more pronounced, and her eyes carried a look of confidence more than wisdom.
The group of nobleponies bowed courteously as their monarch walked past, taking her place at the grand golden throne before smiling at her courtiers.
"My friends, how fare you this fine evening? " she asked, almost automatically nodding as the ponies answered positively, betraying nothing of their true feelings. Blaze wondered what the Princess must now think of such nobles, long dead and lost to Time. Did she she feel anger? Disappointment? Remorse?
Blaze's musings were interrupted by a brazen fanfare, the golden armoured guards at the head of the grand hall proclaiming the arrival of the rest of the court, and Blaze was surprised to find that fashion amongst the nobility had changed drastically over the course of a millennium. Mares parades into wearing silken gowns of a rainbow of colours, artfully set with gems and precious stones that were rare even for Equestria. Beside them strode stallions in double breasted long coats and cravats, many wearing tall plumed or tricorn hats laced with glittering stones and draped with scarves and sashes of high military or social rank. The ponies fanned themselves out across the hall, filing in orderly whilst chatting amongst themselves. As the double doors were shut, the young Celestia clopped her hooves together excitedly.
"Welcome everypony once again to the yearly Twilight Council. You'll of course have to forgive me for the absence of my sister, but she's recovering from a particularly strong case of pox. The doctors say that she'll be well again soon enough. But now to business!"
As the spectres of the past talked and discussed topics that Blaze knew nothing of, the unicorn turned to his real Princess, who seemed to be watching the scene unfold with a silent, unreadable expression.
"How can you look back on these events, Your Highness? Do you remember them as clearly as yesterday?"
She shook her head slowly and smiled. "Even the memories of immortals are fleeting in times like these. That's why I created this spell, so I could view the past like looking through a mirror, to see the reflections of events and ponies gone by." She sighed deeply. "I can look upon all these ponies who are now lost to Time. I see their faces and hear their voices, but good guard, I don't remember them. It's a difficult thing to see, those you you once ruled and cared for... and as you will see, those I failed."
Blaze was struck silent, and pondered the weight of such words before his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the great gilded doors slamming open violently. All in the chamber turned quickly, the guards readying their weapons. However, all let out a deep sigh of shock as Princess Luna strode into the room, her regal mane glittering in the candlelight. A ripple of hushed voices spread through the crowd of nobleponies as the Princess of the Night marched towards her throne, her face stern yet unreadable, like a slab of dauntless marble set with sapphires for eyes.
"L-Luna, how wonderful for you to be here! I thought that the doctors said it would be at least another week bef-"
"Clearly not."
The entire hall fell silent as Luna took up her place beside her sister. After blinking a few times, Celestia cleared her throat and continued on, resuming the council as if nothing had happened. As the meeting progressed, Blaze kept a firm eye on the dark alicorn beside his monarch. Her gaze was like cold steel, yet the rest of her demeanour was as elegant as ever. Her mane of stars flowed serenely behind her, she nodded as point were discussed, and even the edge in her voice had dulled. Yet her eyes...
"You can feel it, can you not?" asked Celestia. "The shadow behind the night. The seeds of the nightmare."
"Did you know then? Could you see that same?"
"I regret many things. But this triumphs above everything else. I saw nothing until it was far too late."
As the ponies filed out of the great throne room, Blaze watched as the Princesses both exited through another corridor that led off into the inner chambers of the Palace.
"Are we following them...you, no, them ?" Blaze asked, waving a hoof aimlessly at the two shade like alicorns. Celestia chuckled at his confusion and nodded.
"But we don't need to wait for the next part of the story. Hold on, good guard."
her long horn began to glow again with a familiar golden glow, and Blaze braced himself for another lurch through the timeways. He was confident that this time, he would vomit. Yet no such feeling came. Instead, the grey unicorn gasped as his surroundings melted away like liquid fog, disappearing into a cloud of formless mist before reforming itself. From the clouds came rose a series of six tall pillars, as black as the night sky and veined with white. he widened his eyes as his hooves found themselves on as unfamiliar stone floor, paved with spirals and a series of large discs portraying the phases of the moon.
Windows, furniture, curtains, and finally a great domed ceiling made from glass rose around the two ponies. And as Celestia's horn faded and the new room cemented itself before them, Blaze realised by the sound of voices that they were once again, not alone. They turned to the open doors behind them to be greeted by the sight of the two younger Princesses.
"This is where it truly went wrong" said Celestia solemnly. "It's here that Luna truly fell from grace."
"Where are we?"
"This is the Sanctum of the Moon, where Luna officially raised the moon and forged the stars in ancient days."
The younger, shadowy form of Luna strode into her chamber, oblivious to the two onlookers as she marched towards the end of the great oval shaped room. Blaze's ears twitched as her sister followed her inside.
"Luna, what's going on? I had to cover for you today because nopony expected you to turn up?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes! What have you even been doing up here for all this time? It's been weeks since anypony other than myself has seen you. Everypony is missing your company an-"
Luna laughed, but laughed with an edge that bore no humour. It was venomous, sarcastic and so...angry . The dark alicorn spun her head and locked her steely gaze with that of her counterpart. Blaze didn't want to look at his true monarch. He couldn't bare to imagine what she may be thinking now.
"Do they? Do they miss me, my good tempered jokes, my lovable, kind demeanour, my warm, radiant sunlight? No. For it is you, sweet sister, that possesses all that they love. Your light, your voice, your precious, precious Sun!" She stood up and flared her horn. The heavy velvet curtains beside the tall windows suddenly parted, revealing a stunning night sky. "Do you see this?" Luna asked violently, her voice dripping with frustration. This is my work, my art. Is it not beautiful sister?" Celestia, who had remained silent, gave a weak not. "No! I want to hear you say it. Say that it's beautiful!"
"It's um...it's very beautiful, Luna"
"Then why don't they love me!?"
The sudden cry of anger stunned the young white alicorn and Blaze with equal measure. Luna's eyes suddenly glistened with tears that wasted no time in falling. She wept and she cried out, begging without words for an answer to anypony who would listen. But it was then that Blaze saw what his Princess had meant. She couldn't see the depth of her sorrow, and maybe she never could have in the first place. Some questions are doomed to go unanswered.
"Luna, sweet sister, don't cry. Oh please don't cry. They do love you, I love you. They wouldn't want this, and I don't want to see you so sad. Why didn't you tell me about this before?" But as Celestia reached out to her weeping counterpart, Luna fought back the sorrow with a wave of fury. She snatched her hooves away from her sister and her eyes once again hardened, only this time Blaze could feel something else in the air. His unicorn senses, even viewing a memory from the past, could detect the imbalance of sorcery. His tongue tasted metal in the air, and his fur around his neck stood on edge.
"No. Get away from me." The ice in her tone caused Celestia to back away. The Sun Princess' face wore a mask of confusion as her sister continued. "I have tried to tell you of this. Every day over the past months. But you never listened. It was always 'later' or 'in an hour.' Those hours passed and you never came. You only basked in their adoration and their love, as if their voices of praised gave you power. But i see you for what you are. You're a parasite."
"L-Luna..." Celestia now began to cry tears of her own. The white alicorn began to back away towards the door, but Luna used her magic to slam it shut. As the latch descended and the keys turned, Blaze suddenly found himself leaning against his Princess' side.
"Hush now, my little pony. Nothing can harm you here" she chimed musically, but with a sense of authority that a mother would use.
"This is more than I could have ever imagined, Princess" Blaze whispered. He didn't want to admit it to himself, being a member of the Royal Guard, but a tiny voice in his mind told him to let the tears that had begun to pool in the corners of his eyes fall. But the grey unicorn persevered through, and no tears fell from his pained, violet eyes.
His magical senses tingled once more as Luna strode to the end of the Sanctum, her mane of stars billowing in an invisible wind. As she approached her largest desk, the Night Princess opened a great silver tome, revealing dozens of celestial patterns and runes that Blaze could never hope to comprehend.
"I want you to see this, Celestia. I want you to see what your ignorance and arrogance has wrought!" Flipping through the great pages of the book, Luna began to read the ancient glyphs and symbols aloud in a language that Blaze could not understand, but he could feel that every syllable contained a spark of raw power. A fell breeze began to blow through the chamber, and the tall, high windows were flung open.
"Luna, stop this!" Celestia begged whilst desperately trying to undo the many locks and wards placed upon the exit, yet Luna's enchantments repelled her magical touch with every attempt. "You're using powers that you don't understand!"
Luna spun round, and Blaze sank to his knees. Her eyes were on fire, a bright silver flame and pierced his heart with ice and drove his resolve away. Celestia raised her wings in a protective stance to reassure him of her presence. Nothing could harm them in the dream world. The dark alicorn continued to chant and mutter words that warped and twisted the air around them.
"I am the Moon" came a voice from both everywhere and nowhere. Luna's lips continued to cast her great incantation, thus Blaze could only conclude that the voice came from her mind as a spoken thought. "I am the watcher in the sky, I am the Queen of Stars. It is I who wills the Moon to flight and I who brightens the heavens. Your light can only blind and burn. You grow things ranks and gross in nature with your precious Sun, but the Moon grows nothing. The Moon is kind, she is beautiful and she is merciful." A great pillar of blue flame suddenly ignited the length of Luna's horn, and her spell stopped as she doubled over in intense pain. Yet as the cries of the Moon Princess filled the room, the disembodied voice continued to speak. And Blaze realised that it was not Luna who spoke.
"Yet the Moon's mercy does not extend to those who would claim lordship over the earth and sky. Not to the Sun. Such arrogance must be humbled, such pride must be blunted. Do you even know to whom you speak?" Celestia screamed as Luna's body collapsed onto the cold stone floor, writhing as whatever dark magic she had tried to harness instead turned on her. The screams echoed across the tower, and Blaze could hear the hoofsteps of nearby guards as they drew towards the sounds of panic.
The voice continued. "I am the Heart of the Night, the Herald of the Darkness. I am Equestria's End and her salvation from your tyranny. I will take this body of the one you love most. She let me in, she allowed me to come into this world and to bring Harmony. I am all you fear, all you flee from in the dark shadows of your chambers. I am the reason that you must turn night to day with candlelight. For in true darkness, I am free. I am the Nightmare."
A great flash of light exploded across the room, or rather, an un- light, shadow as deep as the depths of the sea yet as bright and sharp as the firmament of heaven. The fell darkness shattered all the windows, raining glass down upon the ruined Sanctum of the Moon. Blaze shielded his eyes from the sight of such unnatural magic, yet he forced himself to watch the beginning of the direst time in Equestria's history.
Luna's body continued to flail wildly on the floor, her blue fur marked with cuts from the glass and scrapes from the stone. All the candles in the room had long been snuffed out, making the piercing light of the full moon as the only source of light. It was then that the deep shadow that had invaded the chamber settled upon Luna's writhing, screaming body, seeping black tendrils of mist into her heart and mind. It was then that all movement in her body stopped, and Blaze at first believed her to be dead. A heavy silence descended upon the assembled ponies, broken by the anguished cry of Celestia.
"Luna! Luna, my sister. Oh sweet heavens, no!" The white alicorn abandoned her efforts to unlock the door and raced over to the unmoving body of her little sister, her mane of stars still and cold. The vague muffled sounds of the guards beating on the door rang through Blaze's head, but the grey unicorn ignored them.
"This is how it happened? This is how she became Nightmare Moon?"
"Not what you were expecting?" said Celestia softly.
Blaze shook his head and wiped his eyes. "Not at all."
Suddenly, the past Celestia gasped. Blaze spun round to see Luna's eyes wide open. "You're alive!" cried the Sun Princess. "Oh my sweet sister, I'm so sorry. I never me-" Her voice fell in her throat as Luna blinked, and revealed her pupils to be long, sharp slits like those of a dragon. The light in her sapphire eyes was as sharp as a knife blade, and the magic that coursed through them was something new, something darker than before. Wordlessly Luna rose to her feet, and Blaze noted of how much taller she suddenly was. She stood at the same height as her sister if not taller, and her long horn began to flicker. From that spark, a trail of blackness fell down the length of the spiralled horn, staining it the colour of the blackest night as it spread to her head, her neck, her wings. It seeped like a poison across her fur, as if burning the blue coat into a dark and unforgiving black. As it reached her flank, Blaze recoiled as Luna's iconic crescent moon cutie mark flashed, turning from dark navy blue to an enchanting purple.
As Luna spread her wings, the stars that once lay in her mane and tail flickered with a new and revitalised life. They glimmered fiercely with a new fire, a flame that burned from deep within the bewitched heart of the Night Princess. As they once again began to flow in an invisible wind, Luna smiled. Blaze, and even the present day Celestia gasped at the sight of her new fangs, as white as the palest moonlight and as sharp as a silver lance. Another silence descended upon the tower.
"Behold..." Luna whispered, no not Luna. Something new. "Behold the beauty of the night sky manifested. Gaze upon the future."
"W-What are you!? What have you done with my sister!?" wailed the young Celestia, tears flowing freely from her eyes. The new alicorn laughed, a sound that caused a ringing in Blaze's ears.
"I am your sister. Or at least, she as she should be. I am the Moon's Anger, and I will bring about the judgement that has been so long delayed."
"You cannot! What you intend to do, it's impossible. You'll kill everypony in Equestria. They need the sunlight!"
"Ha! Watch me. They suffer from an addiction, the plague that is your Sun. Harken to me, the dawn will never rise again!"
With an almighty flash of purple light, the pony that had once been Princess Luna disappeared from the Sanctum of the Moon, leaving behind a shaking and broken Celestia. It was at that moment at the magical wards locking the door faded, and a tide of silver clad guards poured into the chamber, running to their stricken Princess.
As the shades of the past slowly began to melt away, Blaze turned to his Princess, her face still a mask of composure even upon seeing her most painful memories again. "Your Highness, why didn't you stop her here?" He immediately bowed in deference upon hearing his own words. "F-Forgive me Princess, it's just... you didn't try to stop her at all. I, I would have thought that after seeing Princess Luna being transformed like that, that you would try and undo the magic, break the spell."
Celestia smiled softly and closed her eyes. "Could you, fair Corporal? Could you strike the one you love most in this world after seeing them like this. When Luna was taken by the Nightmare, my heart broke. I could not summon the will to battle against this Nightmare Moon, and even if I did, today I doubt that it would have been enough to stop her. Luna had fallen so far into her depression that she had summoned forces beyond even my full understanding. There are forces in this world that command an ancient power to rival that of alicorns. The Deer Realm's rulers, the Perytons, are such creatures. But this was something else." She sighed deeply and looked at the fading scene around her as if melted away into grey mist. "This was my sister. I could never harm her, you understand? Even as Nightmare Moon, I still loved her with all my heart."
Blaze simply nodded and lowered his head. "I'm, I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I never realised how much this truly meant to you."
"There is no need to apologise. Some things cannot be explained with logical reasoning. Anypony with any sense would ask the same question. If I had known the events that followed, I would have tried my best despite my feelings. Yet Love is an unusual thing. It defies all logic and empirical thought. It transcends all other emotions and even Death itself. As powerful as I was, I could never have hoped to struggle against the most powerful force in the universe."
Blaze suddenly frowned. "As powerful as you were ? What do you mean?"
But Celestia simply shook her head. "That, my little pony, is something I will tell you much later. Now is not the time."
