Key of The Guardian

(Barracks - First Person)

"So even after the ceremony, you still can't access that power?" Aurora asked. I didn't even know I had that capability to do that, but maybe it was forced activation. That voice seemed too confident that I'd be okay.

"It's crazy, but I really can't." I responded. I looked at my arm to examine the new addition to my body.

It was the chain connected to the handle of my sword. Soon after I said my piece, the weapon vanished in a flash of light with exception of the chain. It coiled around my arm and under my sleeve before fusing with my arm.

"The weapon might be a catalyst for you magic then. However, the fact that OUR sacred sword is now linked to you may cause issues." Aurora said with a sigh.

"I mean, you can still use it. Even if it does act as a catalyst, I'm still going to wait until I can handle the gravity before I wield it." I responded, but she shook her head.

"You're the rightful wielder of Storm Splitter so I can't take it from you. Even if we did take it, it'll come right back to you. Most weapons like this usually have that interesting effect." I sighed knowing that I'd have to go to important events now. Crap, I'll have to order new Pinks and Greens.

"Seems like it's lively in here." Krystal said as she opened the door. "I recommend that you leave soon Aurora, the other Candidates are getting jealous."

"It does look like favoritism if we keep meeting up like this." I commented. After all, Guardian's job isn't just being a normal soldier or being guest of honor at events, but also to guard the current acting High Priestess.

"Fine, but I'm assigning Krystal to live with you." Aurora said as she started to walk out the door. "I'll be seeing both of you soon."

As the door closed, Krystal looked around my room with an impressed look.

"It's surprisingly clean." She commented.

"It has to be. I don't know if we get room inspections and I don't want to be caught off guard." I responded. She then looked at me with a serious look.

"What are you planning to do for training?" I lied down with a blank look. I already thought of this immediately after the ceremony.

"I'll be training on a Crawl/Walk/Run system by order of precedence. Of course, first is adapting to the gravity, next is figuring out how to summon my weapon, then more adapting training with my weapon, and finally magic training. If I aim for a month in each, then it'll give me an extra month to work on anything I need to work on. Even if I go over my projected time, that extra month with be my cushion." Krystal looked at me with surprise as looked at the ceiling. I only saw her out of my peripheral vision.

"That takes care of your adjustment and weapons training, but what about being chosen?" I couldn't help but smile after my little research I did prior

"That's the best part; only one person per weapon category is chosen. For great swords, there's only nine others. If I can improve in a short time, that'll impress the great sword instructor enough for me to be considered."

"You're one hell of a schemer." She sat at the end of my bed with an amused smile.

"I have to. Even in terms of my peers, I'm the weakest. I make up for my lack of brawn with intelligence." I raise my arm that the chain fused with. "I guess that's going to change soon."

"More like you don't have a choice?" I didn't respond. "Here, I found this in your pocket." A familiar device was held out in front of me.

It was my phone. I haven't had time to see if I still had it or even ask if it was even on me. I thought it was broken or lost since I didn't have it when I woke up. This will make training a little more effective.

"Perfect!" I yelled. I immediately began setting an alarm for 0530. I set a couple more for five minutes before and five minutes after. This would help wake me up and keep me up. Finally, I added all the dead lines for the training sessions. "Finally, organization."

"I don't know how it will help, but you're welcome." Krystal said. I nodded before finding a place of the floor to sleep.

"You can take the bed. I don't need to sleep on it." The best thing you learn in the military is how to sleep anywhere.

"Fine... as long as it doesn't affect your performance." Nova nodded before taking an extra blanket provided to him. He found a comfortable place to sleep and lied down.

It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. His sleep was mostly normal. There were days when he would wake up or fall asleep later. He was seeing his medical provider to make his sleep schedule more consistent.

Krystal watched him fall asleep. She didn't know about his sleeping conditions, but could tell that he hadn't slept well in a good time. She sighed as she walked over to him and picked him up. She noticed how light he was compared to other races that were a similar body structure.

She then placed him in the bed and got in with him. The bed was big enough for the both of them to sleep comfortably. It didn't stop him from using her tail as a stuffed animal and nuzzling into it.

Krystal blushed a bit from the unfamiliar sensation of someone touching her tail. It was often seen as a taboo for someone to even acknowledge someone's tail due to it's connection to there behind. However, she didn't mind it since Nova wouldn't know about the taboo. She let it slide on this occasion, but would educate him later on.

Krystal was about to fall asleep before she felt something move up her belly to the top of the sheets. She saw a lump in the sheets move accordingly to what she felt before a familiar head popped out from underneath the covers.

"Where have you been?" Krystal whispered as the head belonged to the Carbuncle that stayed with Nova. The Carbuncle nuzzled her neck before falling asleep. "I guess it doesn't matter too much." It didn't take long for Krystal to follow in both the human's and Carbuncle's example.

The next day would be a first for all three of them.

(Third Person - Head of Parliament Office)

"A Carbuncle?" The Head of the Parliament asked as he looked at a gray fox vixen. "Why would a holy creature connect themselves to an outsider."

"I'm unsure Minister Marmor. We initially believed that it was connected to Lady Krystal when they first appeared. But on review from others of the Secret Police, we discovered that it was the Carbuncle that blocked your blade." The vixen then Placed a paper in front of Marmor with a short thesis. "We reviewed the saints and pastors after revealing the details of the event. They're conflicted between the old traditions, socal norms passed down, and the appearance of the holy creature."

"They're conflicted? He's an outsider of a species we know nothing about. How can they not see the danger!" The vixen didn't flinch at his yelling.

"It's because of the information and technology he had on him. We do not know if he came with others or not, but the fact that he had technology similar to Lady Krystal leaves a lot of questions for us." She then showed drawings of his tech compared to a drawing of Krystal's. "Both are made for communication and hold nearly limitless information. For all we know, he could be in, as Krystal called it, a first contact situation. Meaning we're the first intelligent species he's encountered other than those he already knows."

"Shit, meaning that he's technically a diplomat. However, similarities don't matter. Of course, even I can tell that his technology is far less sophisticated than Lady Krystal's." The vixen nodded in agreement.

"With the working theory of Lady Krystal's end being him as a space faring race. However, app evidence is pointing towards him being brought here though magical means. His lack of understanding, initial response, and inability to control it shows that magic was at least heard of, but not possible. He may be one of the first of his kind with magic in a long time." The vixen paused before pulling out a small notebook with notes written on it. "However, most of this is speculation based on the facts and behavior we've seen so far."

"Yes, I understand." The Head of the Parliament sighed before rubbing the bruise he got from Nova's sword. "The Founder's Cursed Sword reacted to him... Maybe the curse will kill him."

"The curse?" The vixen asked.

"Ah, yes... you wouldn't know if it. You must swear an oath to not say a word about this. No one other than I, the current High Priestess, and the High Priestess Council knows about it's existence."

"I swear in my very life and the lives of my family that I won't say a word." The vixen knelt while placing a hand over her heart.

"Rather confident in your sealed lips, aren't you." Marmor stood before offering a hand to the vixen. "The curse attracts the Daemons of Shadows." The Minister pulled the young fox to her feet.

"Daemons of Shadows?"

"There's a reason we kill everyone who comes in. Many millennia ago, the Equestrians were close friends. One day, a well known hero pony name Stygian entered our village and released the Daemons after his body turned into a black abyss. The Founder of our village had fought against these creatures, but was no match for them. When he was close to death, a sword of incredible power appeared." He walked back to his desk and sat in the black cushioned chair. "He said that even if he was given the weapon, it was supposedly destined for another yet born. Unfortunately, due to the presence of the sword, Daemons attacked until it could be properly sealed in the Founder's Treasury; a hidden horde that even the dragons envy. The Daemons kept attacking even after the sword was sealed. In an attempt to keep the village safe the strongest mage created the blizzard we live in today. That mage would become the First High Priestess. This feat of power caught the eye of Cuncta and granted her with immortality that would be passed down the generations."

"Why weren't we taught this in the schools? It feels like important history." The vixen moved closer to the desk with a hint of anger in her voice.

"The truth is disturbing. The Daemons promise power in return of your obedience. The more you understand, the easier it is to fall." The vixen's anger died after hearing that. "The outsiders that came in before Nova have all tempted foxes to fall to Darkness. However, the Water Foxes have been more than helpful with providing us meat from the ocean, so we allowed Krystal to enter regardless as a favor. Had we known she was an Extraterrestrial, she would have had the same treatment as Nova. Now she's invaluable to our community and extensive magic checks shows she has no connection or knowledge of the Daemons of Shadow."

"So why the hostility to Nova?" Marmor began to usher the vixen out of his office by leaving himself.

Just as he left, he looked back at the vixen; her anxiety of the subject was clear. She seemed to agree with the side that wanted Nova to survive. He couldn't blame her, this was a difficult situation even for him. He even cursed his previous hastiness. He had to at least provide some closure to the young fox.

"I fear that he's the one Destined to wield the Founder's Sword." Marmor said as the door closed.

(Third person - Nova's Room)

The alarm on his phone went off as he felt something soft nuzzling into his neck. It was warm; warm enough to be uncomfortable.

"Milo, it's too early." Nova said, half awake before his eyes opened.

His sight began to adjust to the environment around him as light assaulted his vision. He could feel the strain as his eyes adjusted to the light. The next thing he noticed was the smell of pork; specifically, bacon. The sound of the meat sizzling in a pan finally registered in his ears.

He sat up in the bed with his eyes still adjusting. Having experienced the grogginess plenty of times, his body tried to go through it's routine of the usual stretches and popping of joints. He raised his arms to stretch and found that they had a lot of resistance against them. It felt familiar yet still easier in some way.

He looked around his room as his vision became less blurry until he could see perfectly. His scanning of the room ended when he saw Krystal at the stove, cooking. He looked at his still blaring phone. He then found the Carbuncle sleeping where he was before. It was clearly trying to wake up.

"What the fuck did I wake up too?" He said to himself as he slid his legs off the bed.

Just like that he found another mystery to think about; his current sleeping area. The last thing he remembered was sleeping on the floor to let Krystal sleep on the bed.

"You're up." Krystal said as she put a couple slices of bacon on a plate before doing the same to two others. "I'll be handling the cooking until you adjust to the gravity here. You can't do much if your body suddenly gives out and you hurt yourself."

"... Good point. I probably would have brute forced this." Nova said as he stepped out of bed. He felt the ever present gravity oppress him as he stood to his full height. Nova noticed that it felt lighter than it did the previous day.

"That's way too reckless." Krystal immediately began to make more food for herself.

"Yeah, but I also can't stand the idea of burdening others because of my inability to do things." Nova sat at the table and picked up a fork with a little difficulty. Nova took a bite, but wasn't expecting the taste. "Holy-! That's good."

"It's just some basic cooking I learned from my time in the military." The sound of sizzling batter told Krystal to flip her pancake. "The military cooks are better than me at this."

"I wish the DFAC was as good as this, but it isn't. I have no idea how they managed to undercook pasta." Krystal chuckled. She was happy that he was focused more on other things than just her.

"Yeah, well... Let's focus on keeping you alive first. What's your plan to get ready for the trials?" Nova stopped eating before looking up and closing his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"For some reason, closing my eyes helps me focus more."

"Sounds like ADHD." Nova gave her a thumbs up, confirming what she said. After a few minutes, he developed a plan.

"This month's training is just walking around and doing basic exercises. After an hour of "light" PT, we'll just be walking around and sight seeing."

"That's it?" Krystal quirked a brow as she sat down behind a plate.

"If I do more than an hour, then I do more harm than good. Sight seeing will allow me to adjust to the cold and continue my gravity training. It also pays to know the layout of the city to understand how we can take home field advantage if we're ever attacked." Despite that, he held a prideful smile as he explained his reason for sightseeing.

"You're trying to justify laziness."

"Shit, she figured it out."

Krystal chuckled at that. She had to admit that it was nice to talk to him again after taking care of him for several months. She was initially irritated with his attitude, but quickly saw that he was a caring person who just liked to have fun and make other laugh. Sure, the way he did it was weird, but she didn't have to worry about him being evil.

"However, I will say that what you said has some marit. We'll go sightseeing until we find a map." Krystal compromised with Nova's request. The Carbuncle hopped onto the counter and sat near the other plate and ate.

"Thanks..." Nova said as he ate his food. He had to get prepared as soon as possible and he had to admit that he was a little scared about failing. Luckily, the Carbuncle let him pet it to help calm him down.

"By the way, your clothes are in the closet." Krystal pointed in the direction of a door near the bed.

"That would have been helpful yesterday." He commented, but he didn't really notice the cold the day before.

He got dressed fairly quickly, but then realized that despite the extra weight, the warmth around him felt the same. The thought the adaptability kept his body from feeling uncomfortable regardless of the temperature.

Not only that, but he noticed that he felt much lighter. The gravity was still very oppressive, but if what Krystal said was true, then she should've been dead. And yet, he was still standing and living. His adaptation must be helping his body pump blood. After all, humans can only survive roughly four and a half times Earth's normal gravity.

"I think it's better for us to leave now." Nova said as he walked to the door. "You want to come with us Carbuncle?" The creature immediately hopped on his shoulder.

"I'll do the dishes when I get back." Krystal said as she grabbed a satchel.

The walk out of the barracks was uneventful with the occasional glare from the others within the Guardian Trials and a few cat calls to Krystal. Nova paid no mind to them and Krystal made a mental note to report the unprofessional behavior to non-military personnel. It would've been an easy walk...

"Would've" is the key word.

"Outsider, what gives you the right to walk beside a Water Fox or leave your room?" A tall Reynard with bulging muscles ordered. Nova didn't answer before walking past the fox. Said fox grabbed his arm and threw him back to where he was. "You stop before a superior, 'Soldier'."

"Jason, we have plans today. Not to mention that regardless of rank, all Candidates are equal." Krystal said in Nova's defense.

"Krystal, don't bother." Nova said before he walked past him again. "He's just pissed that I even exist."

"No shit, but pulling rank because of a personal problem doesn't sit well with me." Nova hung his head with a sigh.

"What's happening?" The Reynard asked.

"Shut up, you're not in this." Nova responded before the fox backed away. "Wow, he couldn't handle that?"

"Nope." Krystal responded. "They haven't had an armed conflict in nearly ten thousand years. The will of the High Priestess Council and Parliament have been absolute."

"I guess the training I got would be better than whatever they're using now. Tactics and equipment must've changed." A thought then crossed his mind. "I wonder if they have mechs like Mobile Suits or Armored Cores. God forbid an Evangelion."

"I did preliminary scans before landing and the planet seemed to regress in terms of technology. Outside of the Foxes, the most any other civilization has are muskets." She then brought out her tablet from a carrier on her hip. "There is evidence of Dragons being telepathically linked to another being much larger to control it. Looks like they would go berserk and destroy a lot of things regardless of the link."

"It is just an Evangelion!"

"Alright, what is an Evan-whatever-it-is?"

"A very depressing TV series... About giant flesh mechs." Krystal sighed. She knew that he wasn't lying, but only giving the very abridged cliff notes of cliff notes of cliff notes version of it. Not to mention her telepathy allowed for her to read his mind and see if he's telling the truth. "Let's go!"

(Crystal Empire - Third Person)

"Empress Umbra, we've received another update request from Lady Cheryl!" A guard said as he kneeled before the black mare.

The mare he spoke to was pitch black in color with a curved horn what ended in a red spike. She wore a royal purple dress that hugged her from. A slit ran up the side of her leg with black crystal heals on her feet. On her back was the royal red cape passed down to her from father who had passed many years prior.

"Again? Send back the same response as the last one. We still need to prepare for the expedition." Empress Umbra said with an annoyed expression. The guard back out the room after giving another bow of respect.

"You should think this out better, my love." A pink alicorn said. She stood to the side of the throne where she could give advice to Empress Umbra if needed.

The mare was much taller than the mare in the throne with a similar dress that had lace trimmings and was white. On her feet was a pair of white crystal heals. She wasn't a member of the royal family in Equestria, but a close friend to the king and queen since they left their homeland together.

"You heard the reports, this dark magic source could be one of her children. She's anxious about their safety." The Empress sighed, her annoyed expression faltering.

"I know. With the Nobles pushing for my abdication from the throne since we can't produce an heir to the throne and the recent frequency of Deamon appearances, I'm a little warn out." She motioned for her wife to come closer. When the pink alicorn bent down, she was met with a passionate kiss from her wife. "I wish I could do that more than can. You meir touch is enough to squash any annoyance left behind from the visitors, Empress Amore."

"I couldn't agree more!" Empress Amore pulled Umbra from her throne and into a hug. Her body begged her to do it the moment Umbra's lips met hers, but she was able to hold off her desire until the perfect moment. "However, I have news worth celebrating."

"What is it?" Umbra blushed as Amore pressed her head into between the alicorn's breasts. She was a little worried that another visitor might enter and see them in a less than appropriate situation in a less than appropriate location. Then again, she loved the feeling of her wife hugging her that way.

"We had found the materials stashed in an old expedition cabin to our west. With the materials, we can speed up the preparations and finish within the month." Umbra's eyes widened. "Twenty-three days, maximum."

"That's incredible!"

"Exactly, don't you think that's reason enough for us to retire to our room early for today." Amore smiled at Umbra with lecherously. The Empress began to sweat.

"I think we-"

"Too late!" A sudden pop from Amore's teleportation spell was the last sound to echo through the throne room.

And an other pop of teleportation magic sounded from the guard's desk that had new orders and a new message.

...

Unfortunately, he wouldn't see it for another three hours as he was forced to deal with the sudden and early closure of the Royal Court.