This is a tale of an Equestria far different from the one you know. The common pony can hardly use any magic, and those who can use more are feared and designated as "Witches" and "Warlocks". Their Power is the subject of many tales told to get foals to behave. But, the time has come that Grand Cardinal Celestia has had enough. She has trained an elite force known as the Children of Harmony to fight off this threat…
We start our tale in the Garden of Harmony to find our intrepid hero. Standing in a training field was a dark gray unicorn stallion with sky blue armor. His silver mane blew lightly in the wind as he trained with his sword. Clipped to his belt was his other trusty weapon, his rifle. He was well-versed in other weapons, but those two were his favorites. He was distracted from his training when he heard a voice. “Big Brother!” He turned to see his little brother, a light gray unicorn colt in an overly large tunic that was beige with green accents. When he came closer, he panted a bit. His blonde mane shook a little as he caught his breath. He looked at his brother, and smiled. “I finally found you, Azure! I’ve been looking all over for you!”
A chuckle came from Azure’s mouth and lit up his blue eyes. “You galloped all the way here, huh? Did you want to spar again, Thalimite? You do know that I always beat you, right?”
Indignance in his green eyes, Thalamite challenged his brother. “Oh yeah?” He took his bow from his back and knocked an arrow. “I may not be as good in other areas, but I’ve always kept up pretty well with archery! I might finally beat you! What do you say? Are you ready to be taken down a peg?”
Before Azure could reply, they both heard another voice approach. “Could the two of you put your sparring match on hold? Sir Thunder Spear will be coming back from his trip to the Holy Capital soon. You know how he likes us to be waiting for him at the entrance when he comes back, right?”
They turned to see the voice’s owner. He was a scarlet earth pony that was taller than the both of them. He wore a black jacket, and carried a broadsword over his shoulder. His serious look in his dark blue eyes was accented by his spiky orange mane. Azure sighed. “Oh, it’s you, Firebrand. Usually you like to join us. Do you only act responsible when Sir Thunder Spear isn’t here?”
At that insinuation, Firebrand almost lost his cool. He took a deep breath. “Come on, we better get going. If we don’t, we’ll get another one of Twilight’s lectures. Do either of you want that?”
The brothers quickly shook their heads. The lavender unicorn mare was the resident priestess of God, but she could be pretty scary if you got on her bad side. Knowing that they were beaten, the brothers sheathed their weapons. Firebrand also did so, and the three of them went back to the entrance of the Garden. After they got there, they saw Twilight Sparkle herself. She was in her white priestess garb, and she glared at them from behind her round glasses lenses. She sighed, and what was visible of her purple mane under her hat shifted slightly. “You two were cutting it quite close, you know. Any later, and you might have missed Sir Thunder Spear’s return. I know that practice for fighting against the Witches and Warlocks is important, but you mustn't overdo it.”
After the brothers apologized, Firebrand approached with a large grin. “Don’t I get a reward for bringing them back? Maybe a kiss?”
Closing her eyes in annoyance, Twilight spoke harshly. “Won’t you ever quit with that? I swear, you’re almost as bad as Nimbus!”
Firebrand flinched at that accusation. It was known amongst them that Nimbus was a shameless flirt and a bit of a coot. For Celestia’s sake, the guy thought he had some kind of ‘Witch Radar’! It was good that he wasn’t there right now. With a defeated look, Firebrand apologized. “I’m sorry, Twilight. You know that I only mean the best, right?”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight was about to voice her doubt when a familiar voice came from the entrance. “I see that everyone is just as energetic as ever.” They all turned to see who they knew it was. Standing at the entrance was a tall alabaster earth pony in silver armor and a red cape. At his side was his iconic spear with a lightning bolt shaped head. Everyone recognized him as Sir Thunder Spear.
After Thunder Spear crossed the threshold, Azure spoke to him first. “So, What did Cardinal Luna want from you at the Holy Capital?”
Thunder Spear spoke again. “About that. She summoned me for an important assignment. It seems that Witch and Warlock activity is spiking, so I am to condemn any that I come across. The Holy Capital was a madhouse, considering the confirmation of the rumors.”
All of them there had heard that Witches and Warlocks were starting to appear again. They knew from the teachings of the Lumosity Church that these beings were dangerous, and now they had confirmation that they were really back. Most of them were slightly concerned, but Firebrand was amped about it. “Alright! The day’s finally here that we can put our training to good use!”
Smiling, Thunder Spear nodded. His brown mane bobbed as he did. “Yes. Your skills will finally be used in service of our God. We must be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The darkness is always active…”
Before anyone could reply, a concerned mare came running to the entrance. “Sir Thunder Spear! Monsters are attacking in the plains to the northeast of Wheatville! I beg of you, help us!”
Shock was apparent on the residents of the Garden, but Thunder Spear quickly gathered his wits. “Witches summoning Monsters this close to us? I didn’t think we’d have to move so soon…” He looked at the others with determination in his blue eyes. “All of you, we have to get ready to go, now!!”
As the Children of Harmony started checking their equipment to make sure they were ready, the panicked mare continued. “There are still some people cornered by the Monsters! Please, make sure they come back safely!”
As they were getting ready, Firebrand made a bit of a cheeky comment. “Well, that was about a moment’s notice…”
After all the equipment was checked, Azure spoke up. “Finally... a chance to fight Monsters!”
Firebrand gave a bold reply as well. “It’s time to show them what we can do!”
However, Thalamite seemed bothered by something. Thunder Spear came close, concern on his face. “What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
Shaken out of his thoughts, Thalamite replied. “Huh? ... Oh, it’s nothing, Sir Thunder Spear. Let’s go!”
Satisfied, Thunder Spear nodded and addressed the group. “One last lesson for all of you: a knight mustn’t run when others are in danger. Let’s head to the site of the attack!” He then turned to Twilight. “Twilight, I’m leaving you in charge of things while we’re away.”
With a light nod, she spoke. “Yes, sir. Be careful, all of you. Protect the Light. Condemn the Dark!”
The group had made their way to the plains where the monsters had been spotted. Though the monsters were not in the immediate area, Azure knew that the citizens of Wheatville never exaggerated. He spoke up. “It seems that the Monsters are further ahead.”
Thunder Spear gripped his spear tightly. “Be on your guard everyone!”
Most were strangely calm, but Thalamite looked a bit concerned. “The Monsters have really returned…”
Noticing his brother’s mood, Azure approached. “Don’t worry, Thalamite. I’m a little nervous and scared too. It’s the first time that we’ll be facing real Monsters. But we have to put trust in our training. We have to believe in ourselves in order to win. We should probably refresh our knowledge just to be safe.”
With a nod, Thalamite pulled out his notes. “All right, let’s go over our strategies! Fighting these Monsters will make us stronger, right?
Azure nodded. “That's right, Thalamite. The more we defeat, the stronger we become. With more experience in battle, we will likely figure out new skills to fight better. Though, it’s best to defeat enemies that are roughly our equal. Defeating weaker enemies won’t be as good in the long run, and defeating harder enemies is a bit risky. Supporting allies with spells and items also helps similarly.”
Turning the page, Talamite went over what he had next. “Oh, we’ve gotta look out for ailments, too! Fighting with clouded vision hurts the accuracy of our attacks, and silence means you can’t cast magic. Being put to sleep mid-battle is rather annoying too, and it’s wise to watch out for poison and paralysis! Confusion and charm are potentially the most dangerous, though! Attacking anything that’s close by or just flat-out attacking allies exclusively needs to be dealt with post-haste!”
Azure ruffled his brother’s hair a bit. “That’s pretty good, Thalamite! There are other effects that are beneficial too that we might see some day. They are simply known as ‘Null Magic’ and ‘Null Physical’. These two protect the affected from damage of that variety for a limited time.”
He paused a bit before continuing. “We should also keep Elements in mind, too. Most enemies we face will be affiliated with one of the seven Elements: Fire, Nature, Water, Wind, Thunder, Light, and Dark. There are rumors of a long forgotten eighth, but nobody believes that myth. What’s important are the basics: Water and Fire oppose each other, as do Wind and Nature and Light and Dark. Water, Wind, and Dark support each other, as do Fire, Nature, and Light. Thunder is the only Element that is neutral to everything. Opposing Elements hurt each other more, and all Elements naturally resist themselves.”
Thalamite looked at the diagram in his notes, and recalled something. “Support basically means healing is more affected with those interactions, and healing the same element works that way too. Neutral is the special one, because it increases damage and healing for all actions, but not to the extent of opposing or supporting. Did we manage to get everything?”
Azure looked over the rest of it, and saw that it covered things that were quite obvious. Such as Elemental boons on the battlefield, and so on. He nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s about everything. I’m going to talk to Firebrand and Sir Thunder Spear before battle.” He started walking as Thalamite put his notes away.
When he came up to Firebrand, Firebrand started the conversation. “Monsters have appeared all over for a while, not to mention the increase in natural disasters the globe over. To think that the Witches and Warlocks are behind it all…” He shook his head. “Let’s just hope that it’s not going to lead to the repeat of the Great Disaster that happened 1000 years ago.”
Nodding in agreement, Azure spoke up. “The Witches and Warlocks did quite a lot of damage to the planet back then, almost destroying everything. We’ve been trained all our lives in order to stop them in their tracks!”
The two of them clasped forehooves, and Firebrand smiled. “Yeah! Together, we’ll ensure that they never hurt the planet again! All our training will be worth it once we defeat them all. Let’s show them our strength!”
After nodding with determination, Azure went over to speak with Thunder Spear. As Azure approached, Thunder Spear addressed him. “What’s on your mind, Azure? Have you found something, or was there something that you wanted to ask me?”
Azure inwardly chuckled at how he wasn’t used to Thunder Spear’s insight even all these years later. There was something Azure had been curious about for a while, and he decided that now was the time to pose his question to Thunder Spear. “Sir Thunder Spear, there’s something I want to ask you. Where exactly did the Monsters come from?”
With a raised eyebrow, Thunder Spear replied. “They are summoned by evil magic that is used by Witches and Warlocks! There is talk of a Witch that uses fire to cause havoc in many places recently. It’s reported that she’s accompanied by two large Monsters. The Witches and Warlocks have shattered the world’s peace. They soil the Light of our God… They will have no mercy from me!”
Knowing that was all he would likely get on the matter, Azure stepped away. He looked further into the plains, and took a breath to ready himself. It was time to face the monsters. Just as he thought that, Thalamite gestured further ahead with a hoof. “I hear voices that way!”
The group’s attention was drawn when they heard the screams of people coming from the direction Thalamite pointed in. Firebrand shouted. “I see them! The Monsters are advancing on them!”
Two of the Monsters were giant Cockatrices with red feathers in the head area. One of them made a loud shrieking sound from its beak as it leapt forward using its blue scaled legs. The civilians cried out for help, and Thunder Spear called out. “No time to waste! We’re moving in! Everyone, dispatch the Monsters!”
They galloped over to help, and saw two more Monsters in the area. They were Minotaurs, both wielding axes and red in their eyes. The group closed some distance, and the Monsters drew closer to them as well. Thalamite was the first to strike, attacking one of the Cockatrices with his bow and arrows. After that, he retreated a little to keep distance. The Cockatrice saw that the one that injured it had retreated, so it closed in on Firebrand and attacked. Acting quickly, Azure went around and took the risk of attacking it from behind.
Another Cockatrice was closed in, and exploited Azure’s gambit by striking him from the back. Firebrand saw the danger Azure was in, and struck the same one that Azure and Thalamite had. It was now close to defeat. Firebrand then positioned himself near the undamaged Cockatrice. Thunder Spear was attacked by one of the Minotaurs, but he was hardly phased. He stabbed with his spear, heavily damaging the Minotaur. Thalamite shot the first Cockatrice and it fell dead. Then its corpse disappeared from view.
After defeating that one, Thalamite drew closer in preparation for his next move. Azure attacked the Cockatrice behind him, then moved in front of his brother. This time, he didn’t leave his back exposed to the enemy. The Cockatrice attacked Firebrand while standing its ground, and Firebrand retaliated with a strike to the beast’s side. Thunder Spear finished off the Minotaur he had been dealing with using a weak Thunder spell. He then went on his way to help the others.
The other Minotaur approached, and the weakened Cockatrice got in a quick attack on Firebrand before retreating. Thalamite repositioned himself and attacked the Minotaur. He felt something after his arrow landed a hit, like he had gotten stronger. Azure moved in on the Minotaur, and attacked it from the side. Firebrand was feeling a bit winded, but he took a chance and moved to be behind the Minotaur. He struck true, and the Minotaur fell. All of a sudden, he felt refreshed and stronger. It seemed that the rumors about defeating enough monsters healing injuries was true. Thunder Spear moved closer, knowing he would likely not get close to the last Monster before the others would.
The Cockatrice seemed too exhausted to move, and Thalamite couldn’t quite get close enough to attack. Azure closed in, almost closing the distance between him and the Cockatrice. Firebrand moved in closer, making it harder for the beast to escape. In a last ditch effort, the Cockatrice moved in to strike at Azure. Azure struck true with his sword, and the last Monster fell. Azure now felt stronger as well. The group celebrated a bit after the battle. Azure spoke first. “Sweet!”
Firebrand replied with his usual bravado. “Did you get a good look at the power of Firebrand, the Young Lion King?”
Relief was apparent on Thalamite’s face. “We… We won…! We did it!”
The civilians expressed their shock and amazement, and Thunder Spear spoke to them. “Are any of you hurt?”
After they replied that they were unharmed, they asked a question. “Who are you people?”
Expecting this, Thunder Spear spoke readily. “We are from the Garden of Harmony.”
Realization dawned on the civilians, and they spoke in awe. “That means… You’re the Arc Knight! You’re Sir Thunder Spear!”
Thalamite replied with a smile. “That’s right! We’re lucky that he’s our teacher!”
The civilians thanked the group for helping them, and Thunder Spear addressed Firebrand. “Take them back to their homes, they’ve had a rough day.”
With a salute, Firebrand went over to the civilians. “Alright, let’s get you guys back home. Just follow me.”
One of the civilians stepped forward. “That won’t be necessary. I can lead us back.” He gave a slight bow. “Thank you very much for saving us from the Monsters. We will always remember your kindness.”
The village folk started walking off, and Azure spoke up. “That’s our mission complete, right?”
A big grin grew on Firebrand’s face. “We did pretty well for our first battle. None of us even collapsed on the battlefield! That’s a good sign going forward.”
Thalamite looked pretty pleased with himself. “I’m so flattered after being thanked so many times. It feels pretty great!”
Walking in front of the others, Thunder Spear spoke with authority. “We should be heading home as well. Back to the Garden of Harmony…” As the group followed Thunder Spear back, they didn’t know that he had a surprise for them when they returned…
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
Alright, here it is! It took a bit longer than I expected, but I got it done. And yes, the story is based on that of a video game. Some of you might even know which one.
