The Legion of the Damned

"So where are we going?" Twilight practically bounced down the hall that led towards the Canterlot Archives, Luna trailing close behind and rather annoyed with her sister for having her pupil help her in her studies of the statues. She worked better alone, that's how it had been before her banishment, and how it was now.

"The Archives, like I have told thou at least twice, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight really was beginning to get on Luna's nerves with her endless thirst for knowledge, she could understand why Celestia had sent her to Ponyville.

"But there can't be that much on the Black Statues, can there? I mean, if nopony has bothered to research them for the last hundred years..."

"All will be revealed in due time." The two ponies walked into the Canterlot archives before Luna made a sharp turn towards a stairwell.

The Archives were organised by age on the various floors with relatively recent events like the 'Magic Barrier' that mysteriously  appeared around Canterlot during Discord's escape and Luna's return on the top floor and older events on the floors below.

The statues had appeared in Equestria at exactly the same time, to the hour if Celestia's accounts could be held reliable a thousand years later, as Luna's banishment. Which is why Twilight began to get confused as they passed the floor for events a thousand years ago.

As they passed the floor for three thousand years ago, Twilight began to get worried. "Uh, Princess? Shouldn't the Archive section on the Statues have been a while back?"

"The Statues are a lot older than you think, Twilight Sparkle."

"Older than Discord himself?" Twilight questioned as they passed the four thousand year mark.

"A lot older than that hastily assembled excuse for a creature."

Five thousand, six thousand , seven thousand... How old were these statues?

Luna stopped at the last door. The plaque on the door read Nine Thousand Years and Older- Access only with permission from the Princesses.

Twilight gasped slightly at the statues age. They were quite probabaly older than a few of the mountain ranges that dominated North Equestria! "How... How do you know they are that old?"

"Metal samples and a rather useful new magic technique which determines something's age through the magical residue it gives off. Shall we go in?"

Twilight nodded vigorously and the two walked into the room.

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Centurius heard the sound of footsteps entering the chamber in the Archives he had been relocated to. Celestia had used it to store any loose artifacts related to them and as a storehouse of knowledge for anything related to the Legion.

"So this is where all the knowledge has been hidden..." Centurius didn't recognise this voice, but it was obviously not Luna's as he could detect her psychic presence on his blindside as his head was rotated so it was facing the left wall. Still, this other presence was mildly powerful compared to the vast majority of the other unicorns he had observed over the decades.

"Not hidden, more... Limited. Much of the knowledge contained within this room would be highly damaging to Equestria if it were released to anypony. I will be leaving you, I must take my watch over the city."

Centurius sensed Luna's presence fading as the other presence began to read aloud.

"The Black Statues of Canterlot- The Princesses guide (Updated). Note- Not to leave this room.  Huh? That's odd... Why would a book not be allowed to leave a room? Well, I guess I should continue. Arrival- This should be good..."

"The statues arrival coincides with a major event in Equestrian history- the banishment of Nightmare Moon. I do not know whether the two are connected. At the same time, the cluster of asteroids known as 'The Spears' also appeared. The Spears and the Statues are definatly connected, following Luna's recount of nearly crashing into them during her flight to the moon. According to my sister, the Spears looked like space-born castles, a mass of metal spires and various other gothic features. The statues actual arrival to Equestria itself... The voice droned on and on, talking about events Centurius had seen firsthand from his brothers memories.

Centurius fell back into his dormant state after five minutes of the reading.

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Twilight paced around the statue that was lying on a grey stone plinth in the centre of the room. She did not know, or really care, about how long she had been down here, all that mattered was uncovering the secret of the statues.

"None of this makes sense!" A pile of books was loosely strewn across the desk in the room, all the knowledge inside them conflicted.

The different parts of the statues had completely different ages- on this statue alone, the helm was two thousand years old compared to the breastplate that was closer to eight thousand years old.

The statues had apparently arrived on the Spears, yet a translation of the strange writing on the banner read 'Legion of the Damned', implying these statues had some connection to the dead or cursed.

They were hollow, which meant they would have once contained something, but whatever that was, had long been turned into dust.

According to Cadence's recount of the telepathic attack, the statue had the strongest mental defences she had ever seen, and the only thing she could sense was a hatred so intense it breached the statues barriers as well as her own, with no help from the statue itself.

What could only feel hate for the alicorn of love?

Twilight looked around the room for the clock that was in here, and found it also had a date on it. At least I'm not the only pony that was obsessed with these statues...

That was when she noticed the date.

"Oh, buck, it's the wedding today!" She began to panic. "I better go get ready!" Twilight galloped out of the room.

Centurius smiled, and for the first time in a thousand years, his power armours servoes ground slowly into action once again.

The day of the wedding.

The day of banishment.

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"I know it is down there mortal, everything has its reflection in the material world. I have scoured every inch of the galaxy for it, and this is the one place I have not searched. You cannot hide the gateway to  knowledge from me. And with the key to open it, I shall claim it all."