The sun shone brightly.

Banners were unfurled and decorated the magnificent plaza where a collection of ponies from all over Equestria gathered together to celebrate the first year of peace that their land had seen since...

Since Forge lost his home.

There were joyous shouts and cheers that chorused together, as the unicorns from their native home within the walls of Canterlot offered their knowledge to the others. Pegasi flew overhead with unmatched speed, performing dazzling displays of daring in the skies above. And the earths offered what they had reaped from the harvest, filling the scene with delicious smelling pies and pastries.

The small earth pony looked up into the sky, watching in awe. Forge carefully weaved between the legs of the taller adult ponies that flanked him at every side. Few knew who he was, fewer still knew where he came from. Whenever anypony inquired, he could only give them his name… it was the only thing he dared to remember. The curious little lad was treated by those who knew him with remarkable compassion, and he did what he could to make up the vast debt he knew he owed.

What more could he do?

The crowd roared with praise, Forge just barely managing to lift his head up to see the amazing electric display left above by the talented flyers. He should’ve been paying attention to the display, it was the finale after all...

Forge bumped into somepony, or rather something as he quickly turned around to offer an apology. The colt expected to see a fellow pony dressed in the typical clothes that he had grown accustomed to, he saw instead royal regalia that befitted a prince or princess. But in the eyes of the creature he looked up at, he did not see the compassion that he knew from either Princesses Celestia or Luna… he saw something else.

Something sinister.

The creature who appeared to be a pegasus pony yet had imposing antlers looked down at him with a sneer, before it used its hoof to push Forge out of the way. The colt obliged in his movement, looking at an assortment of three other creatures that wore the same royal standard that the first did.

The crowd started to silence as these creatures made their way through, immediately standing out of the way of the strange crowd that stepped through the events. The celebrations seemed to slow to stop with their presence. Like a parasite that a terrified host discovered, everypony became petrified for but a moment. Forge watched on, his little mind trying to piece together what was going on and who these mysterious figures were.

Forge heard the clattering of hooves behind him, turning around to face the two tall alicorns that Forge had first met back at his home… one was the Sun, the second was the Moon. As he had come to learn, Forge immediately bowed his head and figure to the alicorn sisters who then stood still. The colt was surprised to see that they were looking down at him, rather than the strange creatures or the crowd.

Forge confusingly looked up to the sisters as he straightened his posture back up.

“Your Highnesses?” Forge asked.

The Princesses didn’t respond. Forge shifted uncomfortably as he thought then he should walk away.

“Young Forge.” Princess Luna spoke, “Perhaps we should speak.”

“S-speak?” The young colt stuttered, “About what, your Highness?”

“Walk with us.” Princess Celestia responded, as the ponies slowly drifted away from the scene before she spoke again: “About them. The Barons.”

Forge stood silently, looking between the two sisters anxiously. Why would they want to tell him? He was nopony special, he was just a child after all.

“It is a long tale, and I can see you are confused, little one... but there it is a tale: a myth and a legend. And there is a name that is in that legend, a hated and cruel name. And those creatures you just saw? They claim themselves to be the its heir, and use their place as Barons to proclaim a dark union.” Celestia explained simply, “And now they come to us making demands, that the powers we have been entrusted with should be a shared responsibility.”

“Why?” Forge asked childishly.

“Because they want power. But what one must learn is that power is not taken… it is given, and should only be exercised for the benefit of those who cannot touch it themselves.” Luna explained.

Forge stood quietly as he looked up at the two Sisters. He couldn’t tell if he was blinking, or whether or not he was breathing. He was utterly confused why the Princesses were telling him these things, as if it was of great consequence then why would they look to entrust him with such information?

“We must not allow others to become the victims of another creatures greed, we have all learned that lesson all too well.” Celestia mused, “The day that we first met you Forge was a painful day, too much was lost on that day, yet you remained.”

Forge trembled, unsure whether or not that was an accusation. It felt wrong to him that he survived where nopony else did, it felt completely unjustified. Why then would the Princess bring this up? Especially understanding that it would cause the colt a great deal of pain?

“Forge, we wish not to revisit that pain… but we believe that it was not inconsequential that you survived of all ponies. Our foe had attacked many villages that did not bend a knee to her, and those who failed to earn her respect were exterminated. No pony else survived except those that would come to change the course of that dreadful war, young Forge.” Celestia explained.

“W-who?” Forge trembled.

“You know them simply as the Iron Order,” Princess Luna replied, “these incredible ponies formed a union not for the sake of seeking revenge for the one who wronged them, but to rebuild what was destroyed and to judge those who created conflict.”

“They are our trusted arbiters,” Celestia continued, “the Prosecutors of those who should pervert harmony, and stand in defence of those who cannot defend themselves… we do not know why our foe allowed these beacons stand where every other pony she took from life, but we knew from the moment we saw a poor broken little colt weeping in the ashes that there was yet another beacon.”

Forge felt as if his heart skipped a beat, as he struggled to keep his thoughts rational and collected. Fear and concern flooded his attention before he eventually turned his eyes away from the Princesses and stared down at the ground he stood upon. All those questions came down to the single answer that Celestia offered, before his memory returned to him taking the courage to walk away from his home rather than be carried.

He was meant to be a beacon. That is all Forge needed to focus on.

“I-Is this my calling?” Forge asked.

“We know it is the path you are meant to follow, young Forge.” Luna smiled, “But we must bring you before those who first rallied under the banner, the first who answered the calls for help.”

“Mokosh, Swift Song and Svarog.” Celestia recalled, “They are the ones who rose from the ashes much as you have, young Forge, but first we must rally them together once again. Because when the tides of conflict shall rise to crash upon us again, we will need their expertise to overcome sorrow and to become something more.”

“Something better?” Forge impulsively asked.

Celestia and Luna smiled.

“Something better.”

Forge looked up the staircase he was being guided up with the perfect awe only a child could conjure, whipping his head every which way as he drew in all the details he made out. The beautiful purple banners among a pure white marble, the brilliant and colourful displays of the bouquets that lined the windows and each pillar. Forge had never stepped into the royal palace before this point, kept well outside of its majestic walls and left only to wonder what it was like on the inside.

Eventually the ponies stopped in front of a set of simple doors, which when opened led out to a garden. There were four circles in the grass that were filled with sand that was carefully tended to, any intruding object whether a piece of grass or a twig had been removed. Four trees offered shade over the sand circles. Forge immediately noticed that there was no glorious bouquet, or beautiful banner that was hoisted.

It was simple nature.

A single unicorn sat in deep meditation in one of the circles of sand, apparently oblivious to the fact that there had been intruders into what Forge figured was some holy ground. The group eventually came to a halt, as the alicorn sisters merely stared at the unicorn. Minutes passed by, as Celestia eventually cleared her throat. The unicorn’s eyes immediately shot open as she nearly swayed to the side in surprise, before correcting her balance and blinking frustrated eyes at the Princess.

“We hope not to interrupt your meditations, Mokosh.” Celestia said in response.

“Perhaps a knock would be appreciated next time?” Mokosh sighed, “Especially if one is deep in meditation… anyways, what brings the Crowned Sisters before their humble and loyal servant?”

“This one.” Princess Luna responded, before gesturing toward little Forge.

Mokosh tilted her head to one side before looking back up toward Princesses Celestia and Luna. She drew in a deep breath--closing her eyes momentarily--opening her eyes and looked down at the young earth pony. She seemed to look at him, as if she was considering whether or not he was a book worth reading. Forge didn’t understand why she was staring at him for so long, before she huffed out another sigh.

“Look, I appreciate that you both believe that our little momentary union is worth preserving, but please!” Mokosh strained, “It’s over--this little ‘Iron Order’ or whatever you call it--it fulfilled its calling and time.”

“We have discussed this before, Mokosh, and you have agreed that when the time comes--”

“Swift Song has found a new place to call home, and Svarog has left to build himself a new one. The fourth who we all agreed shall never be named has disappeared, and I am the only one to remain here near the throne. If the time comes, then it’ll have to wait, because our little posse isn’t going to be pulling itself together any time soon!”

“The time has come.” Celestia replied with a stern tone, “If the Iron Order does not raise a response in time, this conflict will consume all of us, and Equestria will face another age of war that it swore to itself not to have again.”

“That’s what you get when you have would-be-dictators in your midst, Celestia.” Mokosh sighed, “We warned you not to trust the Barons or to solicit their help, but that advice was ignored!”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a beacon of hope?” Forge asked out of turn, as immediately all attention turned to the colt. He stood petrified after that point as his eyes kept fixed on the sitting Mokosh, who furrowed her brow in response to what the earth pony had asked. She wouldn’t admit her anger with what he had said, but she would make sure that he knew she wasn’t happy with him.

“Mokosh,” Luna said with levelled voice, “we understand what the last conflict demanded from you. We have done everything we could to alleviate that pain you felt, but we believe you understand that blissfulness cannot last forever.”

“The colt.” Mokosh redirected, “Who is he?”

“He is like the rest of you.” Celestia responded, “Pulled out of the ashes of his ruined home, by you.”

Mokosh stood up as she approached the still-petrified Forge, walking around him before she returned her attention back to the Princesses. Forge noticed that she was still looking at him when she returned to stand before Celestia and Luna, as if she were peering into his soul. Eventually she sealed her eyes and exhaled sharply, noting her dissatisfaction with having to retire even momentarily from her meditation.

“Yes, I remember now…” Mokosh sighed, “little Forge, was it? I’m guessing the Princesses already told you about who we were and who we represented: ‘shelter for the shelterless, defenders of the defenseless,’ judges of righteousness who sought no vengeance… and they believe your place is with us?”

“Yes.” Forge simply replied.

“By your own name, Celestia…” Mokosh remarked in frustration, “even if his place were with us he is but a child! Why do you think that’s a good idea?”

“It is not our place to decide, Mokosh.” Celestia responded with tired voice, “But if you will not accept the child, knowing that you are seemingly preoccupied with other ‘important’ affairs, then we imagine that we can find a different rational with the others.”

“What others?” Mokosh scoffed, “You going to go to the one with no name to figure this out? Oh, I get it! You’re going to get Svarog to put down his tools and return to Equestria to teach the little one! Or wait--even better--you’re going to get Swift Song to teach him to soar to greater heights! Against the Barons?!”

“That is enough!” Luna responded with raised voice.

Everything fell silent.

“Mokosh, we believe that there is a storm coming, a storm that will consume our lands once more in the same agony that was brought to you the day that ‘she’ levelled your home and left you face down in the ashes. We believe that within you is still some pony worthy of the respect that you once commanded, the very same one that went around replacing pain with bliss… when you raised the call, dozens of trustworthy souls answered.” Celestia detailed,

“You were the trumpet for justice, for equity. We know that dealing and judging over such affairs have been less than easy for you, or for your friends, and we have respected that by offering you the quiet you asked for… but we need that same mare who was a beacon for hope at this moment, and we need her to teach--as she has done before--by unimpeachable standard.”

Mokosh stood silently by, before closing her eyes in submission.

“Alright…” Mokosh gave in, “But I’ll need to gather the rest of our little ‘Iron Order,’ excluding mister no name… that is, if they are willing to put down what they’re doing and join us.”

“We will set off to find them,” Luna responded, “but in the meantime, you shall dedicate your time and attention to our little friend here.”

Mokosh looked down at Forge, something which sent nervous shivers down his back.

“Of course…” Mokosh replied.

Author's Note

Thanks to chaotic_revenge and TeddieAtWork for editing and pre-reading!