Elements of Equity

Elements of Equity

Prelude: "The Aisle of Acid Reign"

Once upon a time, in a faraway world, there lived a genus of powerful beings. Together, they all dreamed of establishing true balance throughout their world, Fraxinus. An outsider of these beings was the first and last of its kind, and would eventually come to represent chaos in its purist form. This one left the city of Elysium in a quest to find other worlds, and witness the untold mysteries of the beyond. The stars swirled thousands of times across the skies, many epochs passed since his departure, and in returning to his home... He had stumbled upon a kingdom under siege and struggle. His magical journeys deemed him worn of energy and greatly altered in shape, yet without hesitation, he nobly led a resistance to Elysium's reclamation.

Long after this war, he had been overinclined by his own self to instruct others in the magic he had encountered before his return. He would teach the artistry of that magic, as it would allow those who succeeded him to maintain harmony in their world. Unlike the fallen monarch before him, he undertook the mantle of Chief in reluctance. Despite having been a dictator, he was not ruthless. In fact, he restored a proper government to all those who had been severely oppressed. All he expected in return was the creation of The Library, where he offered boundless dictums and knowledge to all who sought it. His reign brought peace and happiness to Elysium and as the times strived onward, some managed to excel in his teachings. One in particular was a young alicorn mare of royal descent. Her coat was of the whitest tone, and her mane... It flowed, always, of many ornamental colors. By many, she was called "Celestia Ra-Alatum".

By him, she was called "faithful student".

After the great wars were finished, the planet had little left to keep itself from falling apart and throwing it's body across the solar system. Fissures the size of oceans encompassed the surface of Fraxinus, and the majority of the world was hidden beneath a piling blanket of snowy ash. It orbited the central star in a peculiar fashion - - in such a way that from the only inhabited city left standing, the sun was always visible on the horizon... Only unseen for one hour, each day. Elysium's aging king could almost always be found within the vast aisles of the isolated Library, where he strove to hold Fraxinus together. This is where Celestia found him. Her hoofsteps echoed with subtle reverberation across the great entrance hallway. Her eyes glanced from bust to bust, from portrait to portrait, papyrus to papyrus. The glassy marble statues of Elysium's fallen war heroes... The beauteous, colorful paintings of Elysium's most talented artists... And the weathered scrolls of mutually pre-war times, hung up and shielded upon the walls.

Celestia sauntered past many long, towering shelves of relics and books, before slowing her pace. Her pronounced posture, as she approached her master, still had her standing at a considerably shorter height than him. He towered over most, for he did not share the same shapes as Elysium's equestrians. He was a draconequus, and not one portion of him shared symmetry with the other. Motionless, he stood, gazing out a window... His tired eyes looked over the largest city of their world, which lay on the farthest point of the skyline.

The sun slowly disappeared behind a towering mountain, as the orange sky darkened. She breathed in, anxiously, and opened her mouth to speak. "Everyone on the high council thinks you're preparing another departure, they..." Ever so subtly, her hoof had scuffed the carpeted floor beneath her. "... They're already planning to replace you." Her teacher nodded, stoically, and whispered. "They've been wanting a new head under the crown for a while now, my faithful student." He unfolded his arms from his chest, and brushed the glass before him with his open paw. "They may have their new king, as wished... Once I actualize my last contrivance." He looked down to his side, and faintly smiled. She knew he was speaking of his plans to reconstruct Fraxinus, so that life could spread outside Elysium. He had become jaded over the years, and in that, had become quite apathetic... But he was always careful not to hurt the life he oversaw.

The draconequus turned around, and gently placed his paw on his young apprentice's shoulder and said, assuringly, "You seem worried. Don't be." Celestia focused on his eyes, and began to follow him to the entrance hallway. "You promise that you aren't leaving us?" She nagged. Her teacher nodded, weakly, and began to frown. "Of course. I know not where I belong... Where would I disappear to when I haven't a place to disappear from?" Celestia shook her head, and raised her hoof to touch him. They both stopped in their tracks. "You belong here as much as the rest of us."

For many moments, they locked eyes, before continuing in their walk.

The Library was wedged between the two walls of a split mountain top; it completed the point. A passageway spiralled from the belly of The Library. Under the tip, the hallway circled downward into the middle of the mountain itself. This hollow passage corkscrewed deep within the alp until leading through a cave onto a palisade. This cliffside is where one would set flight, away from the elevation. It was this way for a reason. Any being without wings would not be able to enter, nor leave. When the master and student reached the palisade, they spread their wings to fly... And it began to rain. Standing on the far edge of the cliffside, they decided on waiting to take flight.

They both retreated back into the cave, where they agreed on taking a moment to rest. The graying hair upon the dracon's head had fallen to his face, as streams of water rode down his bangs and jumped off to meet the cold, stoney ground. As her colorful mane also dripped with cold rainwater, Celestia ensconced her legs beneath her, and sat onto the cave's floor. Her master's neck arched like a question mark as he lie down beside his faithful student, and after sharing a view the outside sky, their eyes met. While the draconequus performed a careful spell to remove the rainwater from them both, a great amount of emotional tension stirred between the two of them, and the storm of heavy rain began to fall more rigorously. Celestia's head drew closer toward his and, alluringly, she closed her eyes... Their lips touched, and with pulchritude, the alicorn's wings sedately unfurled... His tail entwined into a upward curl.

Their affectionate embrace was broken off by a booming salvo of thunder, and a blinding explosion of whiteness filled the sky. In that moment, only the outline of a great storm cloud could be seen, for all else was consumed by a blinding flash of lightening. Together, their eyes unclosed - - her's with a trace of alarm... His with a sense of cognizance. After a brief cessation, the draconequus pulled Celestia closely to his side with his cerulean-feathered wing and nuzzled his neck over her's, slowly rising. She let out a faint mewl, as she rested her head on his shoulder. He began to lead her into the cave's depths. As they arrived at an expanding body of clouds and water, he fondly put an arm around her, hugged her tightly, and whispered with a frown. "I've something... To show you."

Celestia noticed many peculiar creatures above the waters. The ocean of clouds and brine which spread outward, seemingly forever, was mirrored above with a similar sky of liquid. This place of wonders defeated her imagination, and it greatly confused her to no end. Frolicking about the expanse were many luminescent butterflies with glasslike bodies. Floating through the air were little glowing spores of blue, and white. Interrupting her awe, her teacher spoke. "These creatures you see before you... Call them Intrikates; the Beauteous." The princess turned to look up at the draconequus. "Un'Referri, what magic is this?"

The dracon smiled, weakly. "I keep our world a circle, and our skies from falling - - and it is this magic that impresses you?" Celestia shook her head, before turning to examine the waters again. "This is unlike anything I have ever seen. It ignores any law of balance - -" The princess looked behind her, nervously. There was no trace of where they came from... The domain was boundless in all directions. "Where are we?" She panicked.

Un'Referri lectured her. "This is a metaphysical dimension. It is the archive of time, eternal. Those most pure may reach this point, for it is the omnibus of sorcery. Here, I shall introduce you to the greatest invention of our time..." A large globular object came rising from the lower depths of the aisle. It was composed of one layer of miniature spheres, and appeared to glow a very faint indigo. Within this hollow rondure were six supernatural artifacts... The draconequus nodded, once. "The Elements of Harmony."

The Elements within the sphere were drawn toward them, and Un'Referri turned to face his student. Celestia tilted her head to the side. "So this would be where you spend your days when nopony can find you." He nodded with a faint look of urgency. "Celestia, these mediums will allow Fraxinus to restore itself to it's former glory." Out of nowhere, seemingly, Un'Referri beaconed a lockbox to his hands. He levitated the five neckpieces and the single crown into the air, and fused them together to form one joint figure. As he lowerd the Elements into the box, he continued speaking. "In these stressful hours... Forthrightness, Altruism, Tranquility, Charity, Allegiance, and Uncorrupt Power are a lost virtue." As he spoke of each attribute, the Element mentioned glowed with brilliance in it's glaze. "They are impotent without something to channel them, and they cannot be channeled if they have not found one worthy."

The princess nervously raised a hoof, as she looked below her. Noticing a glass fish swim beneath where she stood, she turned back to see his teacher. "Do you believe these Elements to have found one worthy?" The draconequus inhaled, deeply, before resting a hand on Celestia's shoulder. "I have taught you to raise the sun and your sisters each, to raise the moon, and stars. Humbly, I have already chosen my successors. You three shall possess the Elements of Harmony that I could not." Un'Referri shut the box with his talon, and passes it to the princess, who holds the lockbox in the air with her horn. "Bring these to your sister, for they shall be collated among you all." Celestia nods in reply... And the dracon casted Celestia out from this dimension, to Elysium. When she was no longer beside him, he fell into a throne of ice, which rose from the waters to catch him. Closing his eyes, he held out his paw. As a vitravem gently roosted upon his palm, Un'Referri traces the outline of the creature with his gaze and recites a song.

When death sleeps it dreams of you.

The Reaper sews it's sorrow.

When death sleeps it thinks of you.

And will, again, tomorrow.

With each breath, so cold and long.

It's lowered scythe shall miss you.

When your name is carved in stone.

Death shall so gently kiss you.

As it's whispers meet your ears...

Life couldn't wring you from.

Holding back it's ancient tears...

"We both knew this would come."

"Life is your wise father, child,"

Time waited long enough.

"I am your kind mother."

Spoke the diamond in the rough.

Before the glass butterfly set flight, a necklace had materialized around Un'Referri's wrist. Hanging from this necklace were two empty, bottomless hourglasses sealed upon two entwined and flexible metal threads. The draconequus removed the necklace from his arm, and cautiously lowered his head. After placing the magical pendant around his neck, he clicked the two hourglasses together. The space around him slowly phased into that of The Library, and his throne became a more majestic one of an azure tone, lined with ivory. Rising from his cathedra, the king began to walk until he reached the entrance hallway. Without lessening his stride's speed, he reached to his side and plucked a thick book from it's shelf. Within this book was the history of a religion, and while it's creation was triggered by his actions, it was not one he followed. After tossing the pages from side to side, the dracon made his way through the mountain's cave. Approaching the stony palisade, Un'Referri spread his wings... And began to fly, with Elysium before him.

Directly above the draconequus flew a long metal snake, composed of clockwork razorblades. It slithered in three dimensions, letting out a hiss which released a toxic gas that could become acidic liquid as a reaction to living tissue. This creature, and many like it, circled the mountain of The Library like vultures. The gasses they emit would eventually form into clouds, which sometimes pour down as very deadly acid rain and could delay any departure. These guardians were known as Basilisks, and were invented by Un'Referri, himself, and fell into the category of Analogues; the Machines.

Glancing downward, the dracon examined a dried sea that was once home to the gracious water phoenix, which was now an extinct Intrikate of Fraxinus. Beginning to gradually fall, Un'Referri immediately redirected his sight to focus on the approaching city of Elysium and away from the eyes of what was skulking across the hollowed gorge. This impassable arachnid was also composed of clockwork razorblades, an Analogue. When cut in half by a blade, it's division would become multiplication - - it can always split into half of itself and create two new scorpions. It's most deadly ability is the Stasis Gaze. Looking into it's eyes will dampen your perception of speed, entirely, and it will appear to you that it can move in blurs. From an outsider's perspective, it's victim is merely locked in place as the creature moves as it normally would.

Finally, Un'Referri arrived at a thin viaduct on which he landed. To either side of him stood an Elysian Paladin in obsidian armor, with golden symbols upon the surface written in Orsonus, the language which Elysium had adopted. In unison, they both exclaimed. "We are watchful, my liege." In brief reply, their king nodded. Surrounding Un'Referri were a many stratospheric towers, that reached into the highest clouds. The constructs were made of polished ivory, and pure gold. Each road was overlaid with a fine scarlet silk, and the entryways to every building were lined out with this fabric, so sharp to the eye. After pacing for a long duration, Un'Referri entered a populous dome chamber seating half Elysium's of citizenry. Situated atop a platform were three venerable hierarchs. Dressed in white silk robes, each of them wore a hood that draped over their faces.

These three alicorns of royal stature were members of the most common religion known throughout Elysium. The one mentioned in the book Un'Referri held under his arm. With the Orsonus symbol of Ancipe as their emblem, those who belonged to this religion worshiped balance. Before the war that almost extinguished all indigenous life, this devotion to balance was not as accepted. After the war, those who believed it to be crucial were seemingly all that was left. Only a small body did not devote their very being to Ancipism, but this did not mean they disagreed that harmony was unworthy of striving toward - - only that they were not spiritual. Sadly, this was ignored, and those who did not participate in religious affairs were considered suspicious.

The king knelt, not so much in honor than in custom, before the three proselytes. One spoke with a hint disdain. "You do not seem very perturbed, Un'Referri." Lifting his head to look up at middle bishop, the draconequus raised an eyebrow. "You do not seem very perturbing, Jiagou." Not acknowledging a king's title as king and instead using his name was never acceptable in Elysium. If this didn't reveal a defiance to the ruler, it was a condescending undertone that went with it. The reason behind Jiagou's lack of respect for his king was simple, but not well justified. The savior of Elysium was not a participant in Ancipism. But the savior of Elysium created the Elements of Harmony, which could be recorded as the most balancing occurrence in all history.

"We..."

~