Rise of Voidera
Prologue
So much noise!
Back away from me!
Stay away!
I don’t want to hurt anypony!
If you don’t stop I’ll destroy you all!
Stop hurting me! What have I done to you!?
Help Me!!!!
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Lunard awoke with a start leaving behind whatever hopes he had of getting a good night’s sleep. The dark blue alicorn hadn’t imagined the surge of magic he felt…had he? The screaming, the cries of agony, and that tiny voice calling for somepony to stop had accompanied the surge. The power that came from it was way too powerful to simply ignore.
The king shook his angular head to shake off whatever sleepiness was left in him. He got up from his bed and stretched his powerful legs and wings and proceeded to walk out to the balcony. His blue eyes scanned the dark horizon and his horn started to glow softly. Both his eyes and magic stopped to see smoke rising in the distance.
He spoke softly to himself “That’s where a village is, what would such a powerful surge of magic be doing coming from there? And at this time at night?”
Under normal circumstances the Alicorn king would’ve sent one of his night guards to investigate. But his curiosity and a strong feeling of dread in his stomach compelled him to want to investigate personally. He was about to spread his wings to fly out but he stopped when a voice called from the bed he had just left.
“Lunard? What are you doing up?”
Lunard turned to behold his queen and mate Solara. Her white coat was glistening in the light of the moon. Her tired violet eyes looked at him with worry. Lunard’s blue eyes softened as he looked upon her. He smiled gently at her “I’ve sensed a strange magic my love” He said honestly “I wanted to investigate”
She started to get up from the bed “I should come with you”
Lunard walked to his wife and gently pushed her back down onto the bed. He shook his head at her “You shouldn’t, you’re almost due and I wouldn’t want to endanger our child”
Solara nodded and looked at her swollen belly. She hated to admit it but her mate was right, she would be endangering her child by flying into the unknown. She looked up at her mate, her violet eyes showing her concern “Be careful my love, I would hate for our foal to be without a father…”
The midnight blue alicorn smiled and gently nuzzled his mate. “I won’t be long; hopefully this is just my imagination playing tricks on me”
She returned his nuzzle and kissed him on the cheek. Lunard then turned and walked to the balcony. He turned his gaze to the direction of the smoke and spread his dark wings. He leapt off the balcony and flew off in the direction of the smoke. One thought plagued his mind as he flew off in the distance.
I pray that this is just my imagination…
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Sleep would not return for Solara. For even though she trusted Lunards abilities to keep him safe. Anxiety over him gripped her heart. She wanted to be there, right by his side to keep him safe. But another needed her attention more than ever.
For the foal within her belly, was her youngest. The second child in her family. She had been blessed with a beautiful daughter, Celestia, before this one. But Solara eagerly awaited her child’s coming. According to the healers, she is due any day now.
Thoughts of the child inside her distracted her from her anxiety over Lunard as she walked the halls of the castle. Situated in the middle of the Capital, the castle once held two separate wings, one day, and one night. Nowadays, with the marriage of her and Lunard, the castle was no longer divided, but united as one.
One room drew her attention as it’s door opened. Out stepped her daughter Celestia. She was in her Eleventh year but already showed signs that she would grow into a fine mare. She shared her mother’s features, a pink mane, a coat of pure white, and violet eyes that looked on everything with a warmth and tenderness. Right now though, those eyes were very sleepy.
“Celestia,” Solara said, bending down as best she could with her swollen belly. “What are you doing up?”
Celestia yawned, and looked at her mother. “I couldn’t sleep. I felt some kind of weird magic.”
Solara smiled, “You know you shouldn’t be up. You’ll never grow strong if you refuse to sleep.”
Celestia gave a small giggle, “Daddy doesn’t sleep during the night though.”
Solara brought her filly into a hug and said, “You know your father works the night, it’s his duty.”
Celestia sighed, “I just wish he wasn’t so focused on working all the time.”
Solara looked down on her daughter, “Well, we can’t all be sneaking into the kitchens to swipe cakes now can we?” She said with a wide smile.
“Mother!” Celestia cried, her antics were quite well known in the palace. If cake should be missing, it’s usually Celestia with the crumbs on her muzzle.
Solara set down Celestia, “Now, off to bed my dear.” she ordered.
Celestia looked back at her mother and asked, “Can I…?”
Understanding her meaning, Solara nodded, “She is pretty eager to meet you.” she said.
Celestia walked over and placed her tiny hooves on Solara’s large belly. She smiled and spoke to the womb, “Hello there little brother or little sister. One day, you’re going to come out and meet me. I promise I’ll be the best big sister in the whole world!”
“I’m sure you will,” Solara said with a smile.
With that, Celestia obeyed her mother and walked into her room. Solara looked after her child, “Good Night...my little sunshine…” She said as she closed the door behind her filly.
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Lunard landed at the scene of a massacre. The entire village was in flames, charred corpses of the villagers littered the ground. Lunard’s blue eyes looked over the corpses. “What could have done this?” he thought aloud.
There was nothing ceremonious about the corpses. They were strewn and an outsider wouldn’t figure they were alicorns at all, just charred remains of some large animal. Only the remains of wings and horns provided the identity of the bodies. Lunard closed his blue eyes and held a hoof over one of the corpses. “May you find peace wherever your hooves walk now…”
His ears perked up when he heard a noise. The alicorn king turned to see one of the night guards limping towards him. He was bleeding heavily and his once glorious blue armor was nothing but charred tatters. “My…king…” the soldier fell onto the ground hard.
Lunard ran to the soldier and looked him right in the eye. “Soldier, what happened here!?”
The guard coughed blood as he tried to answer “It…came…from the…sky…”
“What did?! What caused this massacre!?” The dark blue alicorn asked quickly and forcefully.
“It…started screaming at first…” the guard said, his strength starting to leave him “Then…the eyes…those red eyes…then…the pain…”
Lunard knew that the guard didn’t have long to live. With all his magical power he couldn’t hope to cure the guard in this state. His horn glowed a soft blue and the soldier’s eyes started to slowly close. “I will find what did this” Lunard promised “You will find peace”
“It was…an honor to serve…my king…” the soldier’s eyes closed as the last of his strength left him. Lunard couldn’t save him, but he made sure his death was an easy one to endure. The king’s blue eyes looked to the town center. Most of the smoke was coming from over there. It was the logical place to look next.
Lunard looked one more time at the soldier. “It wasn’t an honor to serve me. It was an honor to be served by alicorns like you…” He cantered to the center of town.
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Solara stood on the balcony looking out towards where the smoke came from. It softly pillowed into the sky and it only added to her anxiety. What was Lunard facing? She hoped it was not some evil beast that has come from the mountains.
Solara could not bare the thought of losing her mate.
The child inside her however, did not want to feel her mother’s sorrow. So, she started kicking inside the womb. Solara felt it, gently running a hoof across it. “Patience my child,” She said, “The world is not going anywhere. It will be here when you come.”
The child’s kicks subsided but Solara kept petting her belly. She wanted nothing more than to hold this child in her forelegs. To tell it stories of days long gone, to kiss it good night, to bring comfort in sorrow.
Now, if only her mate would return to see the child born.
_______________________________________________
Whatever the alicorn king expected to find at the center of town aside from smoke and flames…it wasn’t this. As he entered the center of town, his horn aglow ready to fire any spell he would need, he stopped at the sight. At the center of a small crater in the center of town…was a foal.
Lunard kept his horn glowing as he approached the foal. It didn’t move but he wasn’t about to let his guard down. His blue eyes looked over the young foal. Unlike the charred remains of alicorns surrounding it the foal was relatively unharmed. Its coat was as black as a starless night and its mane was as white as snow. It certainly resembled an alicorn, it was the same shape as one and it sported a horn. Its wings however were unusual. They didn’t have feathers and almost looked like leather; they resembled wings of a dragon rather than one’s of a regular alicorn.
Lunard reached out with a hoof and gently pushed the foal. It stirred in its slumber and slowly opened an eye. Lunard was taken aback by the eye, for it was red and slitted, almost like one belonging to a snake. The foal looked up at Lunard with the red eye then got up on its shaky legs. It backed away from Lunard its red eyes showing fear and not malice.
It spoke in a small masculine voice. “Don’t hurt me…”
Lunard simply stared at the foal and looked around “Did you see what caused all of this?” He asked.
The foal looked at the larger alicorn then backed away even further “I didn’t mean to hurt anypony…” His voice was wary.
The king’s eyes grew wide “You caused all of this?!” Lunard said, and approached the young foal, his voice a little too loud.
The foal returned his gaze with one of fear “I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” he cried.
“You killed all of them?!” Lunard said, advancing on the foal “What magic did you use to cause all of this!?”
“Please stop!” the foal cried. he held his head in his hooves and Lunard could see his eyes were glowing a little.
“Explain yourself!” Lunard said cornering the foal on the wall of the crater.
“BACK AWAY!!!!” The foal’s horn glowed blood red and Lunard felt a shockwave throw him back into the opposite wall of the crater. It took him a minute as he laid there in a daze. Lunard got up and shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. He looked over at the foal who was cowering in front of the king. Lunard could see now. The foal was not attacking out of anger. The foal was only attacking in self defense.
Lunard got up and advanced slowly on the young foal. His blue eyes gazed down at the foal with an unreadable expression. He spoke in a firm voice. “If you promise not to attack me I will not attack you in turn”
The foal slowly nodded “Okay.”
Lunard advanced to the young foal and his horn glowed. “Hold still…” He said.
The foal scrunched up in a ball as Lunard brought his horn to tap him on the head. Lunard closed his eyes as the scanning spell did its job. The foal looked up at the alicorn king with those red eyes of his. “What are you doing?”
Lunard spoke plainly “Checking to see what magic you performed on me.” After a minute, his spell finished scanning the young foal. The result was just as Lunard surmised, the magic this young foal performed by instinct would’ve taken the average alicorn, even a unos alicorn, years of training. This young foal was a true prodigy in magic, but of a sort that Lunard never encountered before in all his years of magical study.
When Lunard was done he looked down at the foal that had just uncurled himself from the ball. “Do you have parents young one?”He asked gently.
“No…not that I can remember…I just remember falling…then…everypony was yelling at me…” The foal looked down, his white mane covering his red eyes “I got scared and then…I just saw red…”
Somewhere in Lunard’s heart pity was found. The foal obviously had no idea of the power he could wield. The dark blue alicorn knew that if he left this foal here somepony else would find him. Possibly exploit the young foal to perform all manner of dark magic. In his heart of hearts Lunard couldn’t fathom leaving the foal to be turned into a weapon of terrible destruction.
Lunard reached with his hoof and gently tilted the colt’s head up so their eyes met. He smiled gently at the colt, Lunard kept his kind tone, “You were simply, scared little one, your magic activated to protect you from harm”
The colt simply stared, his voice laced with sorrow, “But, I’ve caused so much harm to everypony else”
The king nodded and said, “That you did, and with my teaching I can teach you to control the power you hold inside you. Teach you to harness it for good and not for mindless destruction”
The colt smiled and practically bounced in excitement“You will! Thank you mister um…”
“Lunard” the alicorn king said “I’m King Lunard, watcher of the night and ruler of the Alicorns”
The colt nodded “I’m uh,” He tapped his head with his hoof in thought “I, don’t know my name, and I don’t think I’m king of anything.”
“Then I shall give you a name” Lunard said looking down at the colt “From now on you shall be known as Voidera, it is the name of a great hero of our kind. Long ago he was a great sorcerer who held magic of great power. Think of it as a symbolic name that one day I hope you will live up to”
The newly christened Voidera hopped around the king happily, declaring“Voidera! Voidera! Voidera! I love it!”
Lunard chuckled a little at the colt’s enthusiasm. When the colt finally calmed down Lunard looked at the horizon. Dawn was approaching and he needed to get the colt out of here before the day guard showed up. He looked down at the colt “Can you fly yet?”
Voidera spread his leathery wings and gave a few practice flaps “I can try!” He leaped off of the ground and flapped furiously. Sadly his attempts were for naught as the colt came crashing down in front of Lunard. “Ow…” he groaned.
Lunard chuckled a little then picked up Voidera with his magic. The colt landed softly on Lunard’s back “I’ll do the flying young one”
Voidera smiled and wrapped his small legs around Lunard’s neck for support. The king smiled; despite all the colt had done Lunard couldn’t help but feel fond of the strange colt. He wondered if he would feel the same when his own son or daughter was born. He spread his large wings and flew out to the rising dawn.
________________________________________________
As Solara watched the horizon, she knew dawn was to approach. She had no idea what her love had found. But, she was simply hoping for his safe return.
Than, another thought came into her mind. “My legs,” She said, “they are...moist…”
She screamed as pain came to her. The child decided it could wait no longer and yearned to be released. A guard, one of the day, burst into the room.
“Your highness!” The young alicorn said, “What happened?!”
“It’s not what’s happened my guard,” Solara said, her face contorting in pain “It’s what’s happening! My child is coming!”
_________________________________________________
“You will stay here from now on Voidera” Lunard said as he opened the door to the highest tower of the palace. “Here you will be safe from anypony wanting to exploit your power”
Voidera ran past the king and looked around the tower. It was large and spacious with many types of scaffolding to climb on. The tower was rarely used by anypony and no servants would venture up here if Lunard told them to. It truly was the safest place for Voidera to be at. When the colt stopped running around his new home his red eyes turned to the king. “Where are you going to stay?” He asked with a tilt of his head.
Lunard spoke simply “I will be downstairs with my family.”
Voidera looked down then back up again “But, aren’t I part of your family now?” He asked.
The king expected this question to come up. He didn’t expect to feel guilty about leaving the colt alone though. He shook his head “You’re a special case Voidera, keeping up here is for your own good.” He tried to state as best he could without sounding cruel.
Voidera shook his head “How come I can’t stay with you though?” The young colt asked.
Lunard lowered his head to the colt’s level. His blue eyes were stern but comforting as he spoke, “Under normal circumstances I would love to take a colt such as you into my home” he shook his head slowly “But I can’t risk somepony finding you and taking you away to use you for evil. You’re safe here; so long as you do not leave this tower nopony will use your powers for malice”
The colt slowly nodded and said, “I, I think I understand”
“But I will visit when I can, I will teach you to control the magic you wield. Maybe one day you will be able to leave this tower to live a normal life” Lunard’s blue eyes took on a determined look as he said, “I simply want to make sure you can handle things when that day comes. I refuse to let anypony turn you into a weapon.”
Voidera simply stared at Lunard as tears began to well up in his red eyes. He walked up to Lunard and pressed his head into the Alicorn’s chest. Lunard’s blue eyes slowly softened. Despite all the power this one wielded, Voidera was still a foal who wanted somepony to care.
Lunard spread his wings out and wrapped them around the colt in a warm embrace. He smiled softly at this gesture; it brought back memories of his mother embracing him when he was a colt himself. Voidera brought softness to the otherwise stoic and regal alicorn king.
Voidera looked up at his newfound teacher and friend with tear filled red eyes “Thank you Lunard…I will never forget what you’ve done for me…”
Lunard smiled down at the colt “And I will never forget you Voidera…I promise to make you into a stallion I can be proud of…”
The two alicorns simply held that embrace for a while. An outsider would’ve thought them father and son. In a way…that’s what they were now.
__________________________________________________
Lunard slowly returned from his trek up the tower. Voidera was safe, the situation would pass as one of those unsolved mysteries, and Lunard was home. Nothing could foul the king’s mood…
Except of course a guard running up to him, one of the night. The young guard saluted and spoke in a tone often used when addressing the king. “My Lord! The whole castle has been looking everywhere for you!”
Lunard held up a hoof, “Speak plainly my guard, what is so distressing?”
“It is Queen Solara my lord,” The stallion said with a bow, “Her child, your child is coming!”
Lunard got within inches of the young guard’s nose and said. “Take. Me. To. Her. Now!”
The guard needed little incentive to comply.
_______________________________________________________
Celestia was awoken yet again as the dawn peeked over the horizon. But not by sounds of birds singing, but by the sound of alicorns moving outside. Celestia sat up, rubbed her eyes and opened the door. Outside she saw guards, nursemaids, healers, everypony who had some job in the palace was running about. Their voices were frantic but held a purpose.
Celestia stopped in front of one healer, “What’s going on?” She asked.
The healer bowed her head and said, “My princess, your mother is about to have her child.”
Celestia’s eyes grew wide, she demanded, “Where is she!?”
The healer spoke frantically, “In her chambers, you’d best hurry. So must I if I’m ever going to find those towels!” The healer took off without another word to the princess.
Celestia took off the opposite direction toward where her mother and father were. She spent the next few hours fighting the urge to return to sleep as she sat in front of the guarded doorway. She could hear her mother’s cries of pain if she got close enough. But she heard her father’s voice there as well, acting as a voice of comfort in the strife.
Celestia sat there as the hours went by. It was practically noon when the door slowly opened. A nursemaid walked outside and Celestia stopped her, “Where is she? Where’s my mother? Is she okay? Is the baby okay?” She fired off a mile a minute.
The nurse maid smiled, bowed, and simply stepped out of the way. Celestia entered the room.
Solara was well, tired looking, but well. She laid on the bed comfortably as she held a small dark blue blanket in her forelegs. Celestia stood there for a minute, there was an atmosphere of peace and serenity. Lunard was looking down at the bundle, his face proud and soft. A rare thing for the alicorn king.
Solara looked and saw Celestia standing there, she smiled, and beckoned her with a hoof. Celestia obeyed, and walked over to the bed, hopping on it. She looked down at the bundle.
In it, was a small blue coated alicorn filly. She was the spitting image of her father. Her mane was a shorter light blue color. Her eyes were teal, wide eyed, and curious about the world she was brought into. When she caught sight of Celestia, the little filly squealed and reached for her.
Solara smiled at both of her daughters, “Celestia, this is your sister, Luna.”
Celestia smiled and reached a hoof for her sister. Luna hugged the hoof and nuzzled it. Celestia felt a warmth in her heart that could never be matched.
“Welcome to the world,” Celestia said to the filly, “Lulu…”
Chapter 1: "There and Gone"
Chapter 1: "There and Gone"
Chapter 1
“There and Gone”
Voidera walked out into the dawn. He'd been living in his tower for nearly seventeen years, but he never got tired of watching the sun rise. His red eyes looked toward the horizon as the sun began its journey up into the sky. He always loved the warmth of the sun, he could never explain why. He had almost no memories of his life before Lunard brought him to the tower. Somehow the warmth of the sun made his stay here bearable.
His ears perked up when he heard chirping. Smiling a little he walked towards a nearby gargoyle. Nestled in the mouth of the gargoyle was a baby phoenix. It chirped a cheerful tune upon seeing Voidera. Voidera was very happy this little bird came into his life. It got very lonely in the tower.
Voidera smiled at the bird, “Good Morning, Philomena.” The bird chirped happily in response. The dark stallion looked out towards the horizon, “Are you going to fly today?”
The phoenix looked towards the horizon then back at Voidera and shook its fiery head. It chirped out a protest causing Voidera to frown. “You’ve been here for nearly a month, Philomena; all your friends have left already.” He reached with a hoof and the bird hopped on his leg. He smiled at the young bird, “You don’t want to be stuck here like me. Go on and try it”
The bird gave a sad note and nuzzled Voidera a little. He chuckled at the firebird “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. You just go and find your friends.” The bird hopped off his leg and walked to the railing of the balcony. She gave one last look at Voidera before spreading her tiny wings. Voidera gave her a gentle nudge with his muzzle and the bird took off. Voidera watched as she flapped madly at first trying to stay in the air. Then the wind caught the bird’s wings and she soared into the horizon happily chirping all the while.
Voidera waved a hoof goodbye at his small friend. He knew it was for the best, Philomena would’ve had to leave eventually. That didn’t stop the pang of sorrow from hitting the dark alicorn in the stomach. He shook his head and turned around to head back into the tower “It’s for the best.”
He stopped as he heard shouting from below. Turning back to the balcony, he looked down. There in the town outside of the royal palace a town crier was shouting to anypony who could hear. “Hear ye! Hear ye! King Lunard has announced that all able bodied stallions are to report to the nearest recruitment center for assessment to join the royal army!”
Voidera heard the crowd protest a little. Many were not happy to give up their sons in the ongoing war against Discord and his armies. For a long time Alicorns have fought that war against this mysterious being but Voidera was never told the reasons why. This reminded him of what he planned to ask Lunard when he visited today. “I only hope he will see reason this time,” Voidera said to himself.
________________________________________________________
Celestia looked at herself in the mirror as her mother brushed her long flowing pink mane. She hated it when her mother fussed over her like this. She could handle brushing her own mane, but she wasn’t about to say that to her mother. Solara was already under enough stress running a kingdom, to worry about her daughter’s preference in how she wanted her mane done.
Solara sighed, “You’ve grown so much Celestia, why it seems only yesterday when I would snuggle with you at my bedside.” She gently nuzzled her daughter in the back, smiling. “Now here you are almost ready to be shown to the public”
Celestia knew that today was the summer sun festival. Today was when she would make her public debut to the whole of the kingdom. To say she was nervous would be like saying the sky is blue. Her violet eyes looked at her mother in the mirror, “I just hope they won’t find me unworthy”
Solara stopped brushing and nuzzled her daughter gently, “Do not worry, Celestia. You’re no ordinary alicorn; you are a princess. They will love you, no matter what you do”
Celestia gave a small smile then decided to change the subject, “Where is father?”
“He’s heading up to his tower today, dear,” Solara stated simply, as if talking about the weather.
“He goes up there very often,” Celestia observed. “Has he ever told you what he does up there?”
Solara gave a small tut, “Celestia, it’s not polite to pry. If your father wanted you to know, he would tell you”
Celestia frowned. She hated it when her father kept secrets from her. The tower was the biggest secret of them all. Nopony was allowed to enter the tallest tower except for her father. Celestia had tried for years to head up to the tower, but every time one guard or another caught her. Asking her father directly only gave her a cold stare and silence on the matter.
Both mares’ ears perked up when crying was heard from the next room. Solara smiled at Celestia, “Looks like Luna has awoken from her nap.” The alicorn queen got up and left the room.
Celestia smiled and followed her mother. Solara was holding a dark blue alicorn foal in her forelegs. Celestia gazed adoringly at her sister; Luna smiled upon seeing her sister and reached for her with her tiny legs. Solara chuckled, “She just adores being around you Celestia”
Celestia smiled down at the tiny filly. Luna was only a year old, but the two may as well have been sisters for ages. Celestia loved her sister dearly and wished she could spend more time with her. Unfortunately, royal duties would take up whatever time she had to spare. Celestia hoped beyond hoped that she would find time for her little sister.
Luna gave a small cry and Solara walked off with the young filly to feed her. Celestia turned back to the mirror. She undid a part of her pink mane to allow it to cover one of her eyes. Her mother didn’t like it when she did that, but Celestia always liked her mane that way. She then heard a chirping and looked over to see a phoenix flying outside. She walked to the window and opened it.
She looked out to see a baby phoenix flying for the first time. She smiled at the little thing, “I guess today is a day of firsts for everypony”
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Voidera finished carving his latest creation. Woodcarving had always been a means to pass the time in his tower. Today he finished carving a figure of the local baker. He would always yell at his mate whenever the bread needed to made. The dark alicorn shook his head bemused “At least he can have a mate."
Just then he heard familiar hoof steps coming. He quickly went to work, setting up a small table and a set of chairs. He’d been planning this whole conversation for weeks on end. He made sure the table look immaculate. Lunard entered the room levitating a basket “Voidera, up early as usual”
Voidera smiled at Lunard, “Uh yeah, I love seeing the sun rise”
Lunard nodded. He rarely showed emotion in his face even with Voidera around. Voidera wondered if he always looked like that. Lunard then took a seat at the table, “You’ve been keeping up with your studies, I understand?”
Voidera nodded and took a seat opposite Lunard, “Lunard…I want to talk to you about something”
“Let us review your studies first, Give me a summary of the Alicorn Kingdom”
Voidera sighed, as much as he liked learning about the world around him; this was only going to delay what he needed to say. A stern look from Lunard forced the young stallion to begin reciting what he learned, “The Alicorn kingdoms were established hundreds of years ago when Faust declared the Alicorns to be the dominate race of the world. Since then, the kingdom has been prosperous. Right now the Alicorns control the vast majority of the known world”
“Very good," Lunard smiled proudly at Voidera. “You’ve been paying attention” The Alicorn king opened the basket to reveal some food that he levitated towards him.
“Listen Lunard…”
“And your magical studies?”Lunard interrupted, "How are they going?”
Voidera tried not to groan. This was not going how he thought it would at all. He put on a fake smile and rubbed the back of his head, “Uh, I managed to work on that spell you asked me to do”
“Show it to me”
“Yes, Lunard,” Voidera’s horn began to glow bright red. In a flash of red light, Voidera disappeared. He suddenly reappeared, upside down, in the air. “Ah!” he cried, as he fell on his back with a heavy thud. Sheepishly, he worked to get himself back up, “I guess I still need practice”
Lunard shook his regal head and smiled encouragingly at the young stallion, “Combat magic was always your specialty anyways”
“Lunard, I need to ask you something,” Voidera began shyly.
“Well, speak then, Voidera” Lunard replied, finally letting Voidera get word in. “What is on your mind?”
Voidera sat down slowly as Lunard took a bite of the food. “I…I was wondering if I could join you in fighting Discord…”
Lunard nearly choked on his food. He coughed loudly, and then wiped his lips with a napkin. “Excuse me?”
“Well, it’s just that you need every able bodied stallion to help, and I thought…”
Lunard shook his head “Voidera, I'm sorry. I cannot allow it”
“But Lunard! You said it yourself combat magic is my specialty! I can fight! I’m old enough!”
“You are a twenty year old colt who can’t control his powers under stress,” Lunard stated, rather coldly. “How could I trust you to handle yourself in a combat situation?”
Voidera’s eyes looked pleadingly at the king, “I need to help,”
Lunard gazed at the dark stallion with compassion. He wanted to let the Alicorn help, but the risk was too great “No, Voidera I wish it could be otherwise, the risks are just too great…”
Voidera’s shoulders slumped. Lunard walked to the young alicorn and put a hoof on his shoulder. “Maybe when you have mastered how to control your powers… Until then, I simply cannot risk you”
Voidera sighed sadly. He hated to admit it, but Lunard was right. The dark alicorn was a walking time bomb. His mind flashed back to the burning village where Lunard found him. The burning…the screaming…the cries for his blood. It all left scars on the young alicorn. He slowly nodded, “I understand, Lunard. I’m sorry I asked…”
“You are forgiven” Lunard said as he turned to leave. He stopped and looked back at the young alicorn, “Remember Voidera, as long as you are here you are safe; and so is everypony else.” He walked down the steps, his head hanging low in sorrow.
Voidera ran a hoof through his short white mane. His chances of ever leaving this tower to help were gone. Lunard would never let him leave. The dark alicorn walked back to the balcony and looked down at the ponies below. It was then that he heard chirping. He looked down to see that Philomena was flying in a circle over the castle grounds. That was when he saw, her….
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Celestia looked up towards Philomena and saw somepony out on the balcony of the tower. He was an Alicorn about her age maybe a little older with a dark coat and a short white mane. Celestia had never had reason to look up at the tower that her father spent so much time in. Now she was staring up at the strange Alicorn looking down at her on the tower balcony. His most striking feature though, was those red eyes of his. They shone like two rubies in the sunlight.
“What was father doing up there?” Celestia said to herself. Then a bright flash shone behind her. She turned quickly to see two hooded figures there. Celestia’s horn glowed a bright gold as she went into a battle stance that her father taught her, “Who are you? How dare you invade my room?!”
One of the figures chuckled, “Oh Princess, we are not interested in you. We’re just here to make sure you don’t get in the way.” A soft glow came from under their hoods and from their dark blue robes they drew swords.
“What do you want?” Celestia asked, trying to sound brave before these two armed men.
“By now our comrades will have recovered what we want,” the other figure said laughing maniacally.
Celestia’s ears perked up as she heard crying coming from Luna’s room. Celestia growled at them, “You dare to touch my sister?”
“Do not worry yourself Princess.” The first figure said in a low and menacing voice, “We will not harm her, but we do have great plans for her."
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Voidera heard the words from his place on the balcony. Lunard told him his hearing was better than most alicorns but that didn’t matter. That female alicorn was in trouble. He remembered how many times he would hear a female cry as she was pulled into some ally in the town. He didn’t want that to happen to this female.
He focused his magic into his horn. He hoped and prayed to Faust that the teleportation spell would work this time. He couldn’t fly down there as he knew some guard would mistake him for a monster. No, he had to be subtle about rescuing the female.
He disappeared in a flash of bright light and he found himself standing in front of two hooded alicorns with the female behind him. The figures stepped back in sheer fear at the sight of an alicorn appearing in front of them.
“What the hell is that thing?” One shouted raising his levitated sword at Voidera.
“This changes nothing! It’s probably one of Lunard’s guards!” The other said raising his own blade at the dark alicorn.
Voidera looked behind him at the astonished female. Her violet eye peeking out from behind her pink mane just stared at him. He gave a small smile “Don’t worry, I’ll handle them.”
She just kept staring at him as Voidera spread his dragon like wings before the assassins. He growled low as he advanced on them. One of the assassins charged the dark alicorn and swung his blade at him. Voidera dodged the blade and fired a blast of magic at the hooded figure’s side. His partner was about to assault him from behind but the female fired a blast of magic of her own at him.
Voidera looked over at the female. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head “They’re going to take my sister! Come on!” She suddenly ran past him and out the door. Voidera knew he should head back to the tower, but the female needed him right now.
As he ran after her, he noticed the palace was deserted, “Where are all the guards?”
She looked back at him but kept running “If they’re not dead or drugged then they’re at the summer sun festival. Either way we are Luna’s only hope now!”
Voidera fell into stride beside her, “I’m Voidera by the way”
“Celestia,” She said quickly, as they rounded a corner.
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Luna squirmed in the grip of another pair of hooded figures. Voidera busted down the door just in time to see the pair of kidnappers put Luna inside a basket. Celestia glared at the figures, “Let my sister go!”
The figure holding the basket spoke in a smooth baritone voice, “She has a destiny to fulfill. You cannot stop us now”
Fury rose slowly inside Voidera. The filly kept crying…fillies abandoned on the streets…nopony to call mother…just left like garbage.
Celestia’s horn glowed bright as the sun “You will let my sister go now!”
The other figure drew a sword, “The moon will rise on your blood princess.”
Voidera’s eyes only saw more red. He couldn’t believe they would threaten somepony so small and helpless. Had they no honor at all?
Celestia looked over at him, “Voidera?”
Voidera slowly advanced on the figures, seeming to grow bigger with each step. The figure with the sword faltered, “What is that thing? What monster has Lunard created?”
“You dare call me a monster when you threaten a filly?" Voidera spoke in a low menacing voice that wasn’t his own. His red eyes glowed with rage, “You will not leave this place alive for the crimes you have committed!!”
The figure with the basket suddenly had the good sense to teleport away. Voidera tackled the figure with the sword. His red eyes and horn glowed blindingly. The figure let out pitiful cries for mercy, but he would have none from the dark alicorn.
Celestia saw that Luna’s captor had teleported away. She looked over at Voidera, “Voidera! Stop this! Luna is gone!”
The dark alicorn ignored her and kept his glowing red eyes on the assassin. “Prey that Faust has mercy on your sick black soul!”
Celestia didn’t know what would happen if Voidera unleashed all that magic he was building up. She knew it couldn’t be good. She tackled Voidera and her horn glowed a bright yellow. It was reckless but she had to get Voidera as far away from anypony as possible.
The two teleported away in a bright flash of gold light. The assassin was left alone babbling madly at what he just witnessed.
