Guardian of the Light

Chapters

A Ring of Friends
Proving Trust & Other Things
Recovery
Retaliation
Ancestral Guardians
Cross-Dimensional Confusion
Hidden Feelings of a Lost Dragon
Prologue: The Life of the Guardian

A Ring of Friends

Chapter One: A Ring of Friends

As Wryn began his story, he noticed that a new pony would wander in and join the circle, he paid no mind to them at first since it was apparent that they weren't scared of him. The first to join was a shy yellow pegasus, who seemed unsure about the dragon before her and shifted from side to side.

"Hello," Wryn said with a smile, trying to make the shy pegasus feel more comfortable, she then trotted over next to Twilight and took a seat. "Ahem," Wryn coughed as he re-positioned himself on the stump of a dead tree. "I used to live in a small town in a remote area in my world, it was peaceful, no being ever threatened to attack us and we went on with life," he explained, "Although it wasn't long before one group, a race calling themselves the Humans, convinced the other races that we were too powerful and should be killed." "They were jealous of the power we held, and they despised us for what we were." Wryn heard more shuffling from the edge of camp, "More of your friends?" he asked.

"I-I'm pretty sure that's Rarity," the yellow pegasus whispered, "She said that she was getting tired before I left."

Wryn focused on her, "Thank you, and I never learned your name by the way."

With a slight gulp she whispered "M-My name is F-Fluttershy." As soon as she finished an elegant white unicorn emerged into the clearing.

"Who are you two talking to?" Rarity asked, making her way to sit next to her friends.

"This is Wryn," Twilight responded, "He was just telling us about himself and why he is here in Ponyville."

"Well," Wryn sighed, "Should I be expecting anyone else? This tale doesn't make much sense if you don't hear it from the beginning."

"We'll fill the others in when they arrive Darling," Rarity yawns, "Please continue."

Wryn regained his composure as he continued, "Being a dragon where I was from at that time was dangerous, there were several raids on our town, those races hated us to such an extent as to send in spies." Wryn let out a deep breath, as memories flashed through his mind. "Eventually one race succeeded in placing a spy, a small human child was found wandering in the woods surrounding our town in the middle of the night, and my parents took pity on him." Wryn broke off as more images of the past rushed through his head. "It took everyone by suprise when one day he unleashed an ancient evil and wiped out the town, the hatred he had for the ones who had taken care of him shocked everyone in town." Another pony trotted into the clearing and took a seat next to Rarity, the pegasus' mane and tail were colored like a rainbow. "I was the only survivor, I knew that child's purpose was to try and kill us, knowing this I took refuge in a nearby cave." More memories flowed through Wryn's mind, bringing along a wave of pain, "He spared no one, he killed every adult, child, and elder." "And now he threatens to do away with anyone who stands in his way, but I know inside that he fears me, dragons were too tough to face head-on, which is why they ambushed us." A grin slowly spreads it's way across Wryn's face, "He thinks that by merging worlds and forming alliances with each of those world's evils that he could win." Wryn let out a chuckle, "Little did he know that I too was searching, but instead I was looking for the Lights, those who would assist me in the fight." With an air of finality Wryn says, "Which is why I'm here, so he doesn't get the chance to do any harm." Just as he ends two ponies walked in, well one was walking and the other was bouncing like a rabbit.

"Who are you!" The pink earth pony exclaimed, jumping in circles around Wryn, That must be Pinkie, the pony Twilight was talking to earlier.

"My name is- ," Wryn's introduction was cut short.

"Do ya'll think we can leave the chitchat for later?" the orange earth pony interjects, "Ah think a storms brewin'!"

"Good idea Applejack," says Twilight, looking up at the darkening sky in anticipation. After Wryn picked up his belongings they made their way to Twilight's home.

Proving Trust & Other Things

Chapter Two: Proving Trust & Other Things

Wryn was amazed at the bounty of books that Twilight had at her home, bookshelves lined the walls, and books that didn't fit on the shelves were neatly stacked up next to them. Wryn's library back at home didn't have a fraction of the books Twilight had on display. Wryn was so excited that he forgot how tired he was, dashing between bookshelves listing books he would read one day.

"Excuse me?" Twilight asked.

Wryn stopped mid-stride and walks back to the group of ponies at the front door, "Sorry if I'm a tad over zealous, we never had this many books where I was from," Wryn admits.

"That's not what I ment," Twilight yawns, "We were going to ask if sleeping on the couch was ok with you."

Wryn flashes a smile at her, noticing how exhausted everypony was. "I don't mind, thank you for letting me stay with you for the night," he says, bowing slightly. At that point the ponies made their way up the stairs while Wryn made himself comfortable on the couch, coiling up into a ball.

The next morning, Wryn woke up to a cyan pagasus jumping up and down on his back.

"C'mon sleepy head, wake up," she grumbled as she tried to roll him off the couch.

"Alright I'm up! I'm up!" Wryn says as he raises his hands up in surrender, "This couch was more comfortable that I thought." As Wryn picked himself off the couch, a delicious smell was swept past his muzzle, "What's cookin'? It smells great!"

"Better get there before Pinkie does, or there won't be any left," the cyan pegasus chuckles.

"Hey, before you go, what's your name?" Wryn inquires.

"I'm Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria! Well, besides the Wonderbolts," Rainbow Dash proclaims with a grin on her face.

"Nice to meet you," says Wryn, "One day you'll have to show me your skills," giving her a wink. They both stroll into the kitchen where pandemonium has broken loose. Smoke was billowing from the oven, the faucet was out of control, and five ponies were tripping over each other covered in pancake mix. "I got this!" Wryn shouted as time seemed like it was at a standstill. Wryn raised up his clawed-hand towards the oven and the smoke dissipated, he then halted the flow of water that was streaming out of the faucet and used it to clean up the pancake mix. Wryn collapsed in a heap on the floor, blacking out temporarily, "I guess I put too much energy into that," Wryn whispered.

"How did you do that!" exclaimed an intrigued Twilight.

"Yes, how did you?" Rarity joined in, "I thought only unicorns and alicorns had the ability to use magic."

"Do it again! Do it again!" Pinkie shouted as she started to hop up and down.

"Dragons from my world are far more powerful than in this world," Wryn coughed, the power he exerted obviously tiring him out. "The Divine Dragons were part of the Celestials, one of our kind was selected to serve on the Council to rule over certain things, and were given powers to do so." He continued, "Needless to say we were given the strongest powers to serve as the Guardians."

Fluttershy poked into the conversation, "The food we made before the oven overheated is still good."

"Thank you for solvin' our little dilemma Wryn," says Applejack, "Who knows how bad it coulda' gotten?"

Before Wryn could say anything, Rarity spoke up, "Don't say anything Darling, we know you're here to help."

After they had eaten breakfast, each pony went off to do their work, Twilight asked Wryn to help her around her library. He happily obliged and assisted her in locating books, and offering information when needed.

"Wryn! Help me find 'Magic Self-Protection Volume IV: Barriers and Shields'!" Twilight yelled through a mass of books.

"I'm on it!" Wryn shouted back as he scanned the spines of the books until he found the volume she needed. He bolted down the stairs and weaved through the stacks of books that she had him already bring.

"Thank you very much," Twilight says as she begins to flip through it, "You can take a break if you want you know? I've been running you around all day."

Wryn stopped to catch his breath, sweat glistening on his forehead, "Hey," he asks, "Is there any chance that I'll be able to meet your leader to discuss about what is coming this way?"

"I could request an audience with them if you'd like," offered Twilight.

"I would appreciate that immensely, thank you," Wryn says, "Do you need any more help?"

"I have all the resources I need, but I think Applejack needs help at Sweet Apple Acres, she said something about BigMac getting sick," Twilight responds.

"I'll be off then, and I hope you'll come to the meeting with me later, it would be tough to describe how I got here," Wryn calls as he steps out the door.

As Wryn approached Sweet Apple Acres, he could see a group of ponies pushing along a cart filled with apples varying in color. When he got closer however, he could hear the complaints that seemed to rise and fall with the movement of the cart.

"Hey what seems to be the trouble here?" Wryn asks, saying it loud enough so that the ponies before him could hear.

Applejack trotted through the crowd to Wryn, "Wryn you came at the right time, we need to haul this cart to pick up the last of the apples and bring it back here," she pauses for a second, "You think you could help us out?"

Wryn walked over to the front of the cart and strapped on the leather harness, "Let's do this," he announces. Wryn dug his claws into the sun-baked earth, slowly propelling the cart forward. Cheers went up all around and the ponies began to finish up loading the last of the apples.

When Wryn had hauled the cart back and recieved many 'thank-yous' from the ponies, Applejack walked up to him.

"Ah guess this is the second time you've helped me out of a jam," said Applejack grinning, "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, I've been trying to help out as many ponies as possible," Wryn groaned, trying to massage his sore muscles. "By the way, would you like to attend the meeting that I'm going to? I need to show your leader that I'm telling the truth."

"I would be happy to join you!" Applejack exclaims, "Oh, and I think Pinke was lookin' for ya, said somethin' about the Sugarcube Corner and needin' some extra help." She didn't have to repeat herself as Wryn was already running down the road.

Wryn was gasping for breath once he finally found his way to the Sugarcube Corner, the store's front was pasted with frosting and batter, it looked as if a cake-bomb was set off. As he entered the store, he saw the damage that wasn't visible from the outside. Tables were scattered on the florr, the ovens were smoking, and cupboards were knocked open.

Pinkie appeared next to him covered from head-to-hoof in icing and asked, "Think you can fix this?"

Wryn looked at the chaos before him then turned to face her, "I'll see what I can do, I'm still drained from this morning." He clears up a section on the floor where he could prepare himself. "This may not be the best idea, my energy is already low as it is," he mentions before getting started. Alright, don't over extend yourself, one thing at a time, he thinks to himself as he focuses on clearing away the frosting and batter. Ok, now on to the ovens, gritting his teeth Wryn makes the smoke vanish, and one by one affixes the ovens back to their appropriate places. Wryn's vision blurs as he repositions the tables, and quickly finishes his work.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" Pinkie squeals as she jumps around the dazed dragon. She offers him a cupcake as a thanks, and he eats it in one bite.

"Pinkie, tonight there is a meeting to discuss my purpose here, and I would like to have you come along," Wryn asks. "I don't want to be the only one there with a smile on my face," he confesses while smiling wildly.

"Tou can count on me!" she chirps, "Oh, and Rarity said something about needing 'More magical expertise,' so I assume she was looking for you." Wryn was out the door in a flash, creating a trail of dust behind him.

Wryn found Rarity outside the Carousel Boutique fiddling with a clear glass medallion, and it seemed to him, that she was frustrated. "You needed my assistance?" Wryn questioned as he stood next to her and began to examine what she was doing.

"Oh thank Celestia you're here!" Rarity exclaims, "I need to design a specific necklace for a client, she wants it to be a combination of fire and ice." She stops and looks down at the circle of glass before her, "This is the last one I have though, all the others shattered."

"Here let me try," Wryn asks as he puts himself in front of the glass. Concentrating some energy into one of his hands while draining energy from the other exhausted him. He brought his hands to each side of the disc, channeling the energy into it. Wryn slumped back onto the ground after finishing his work, loooking back into the glass to see fire and ice swirling around.

"My dear you are a lifesaver!" Rarity says as she admires the disc with awe, "Thank you ever so much!"

"I would never let a friend down," Wryn coughs trying to stand back up, but finding himself unable to do so. A blue glow surrounds him as he finds himself levitating in midair.

"Let me give you a hand dear," Rarity insists, "You have been working hard, I've heard of what you've done from ponies all over town."

"Really?" Wryn utters in bewilderment, "I had no idea that word spread so fast about these sorts of things." Just as Rarity was about to respond, a scream split the air. "That doesn't sound good," Wryn states as he starts to walk to the source.

"Darling, are you sure your healthy enough to do this?" inquires Rarity.

Wryn looks at the ground, "No, not at all, but somepony is in need of help, and I would be neglecting my job if I didn't help." He broke into a sprint, I won't get there fast enough like this, he stops and wings suddenly form out of his back, suprising Rarity who was following him. Wryn flew to where he believe he had heard the scream, and found a circle of ponies on the ground. As he descended he could hear sobs coming from a pony on the ground, it was Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy was next to her, trying to comfort the cyan pegasus, holding Dash's head between her hooves. Wryn approached the two, noticing that Dash's wings were positioned at odd angles. Oh no, he thought, if I don't do something she may never be able to fly again. Wryn kneeled beside Fluttershy, "Please stay calm, this might hurt a bit, I'll try to make it as painless as possible," Dash nodded, blinking away tears as she gazed up at the dragon. Wryn took a deep breath as he laid his hands on Dash's wings, she let out a small cry of pain, but let him do what he needed to. Wryn used his magic to feel along the wing, and discovered several fractured bones and a dislocated joint. He then started to mend the smaller bones before moving on to the larger ones. Wryn's brow was furrowed in concentration, using the last of his power to relocate one wing, and let out a final breath before collapsing.

When Twilight got word of what happened to Rainbow Dash, she convinced Princess Celestia and Luna to come help. When thy arrived however, they found Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash around Wryn. Rainbow Dash explained how he had used nearly all of his energy to fix her wings, and that he isn't in good condition.

Twilight sat down on the grass, and cried.

Recovery

Chapter Three: Recovery

Wryn's dreams were filled with pain, it seemed to follow him no matter what he was dreaming, his first dream was of his friends in Ponyville surrounding him, the dream fades to black and he is wracked with pain. The next one comes in a flash, a white earth pony is standing above him with a nurse cap on, again the dream fades away, leaving him in agony. His latest dream was by far the most painful he has had, Twilight was beside him crying. Wryn woke up in a large room with a vaulted ceiling, his head was aching something terrible. He tried to close his eyes to block out the blinding sunlight, "Where am I?" he thought. The sound of hooves echoed throughout the room, and Wryn tried to elevate himself to see who it was. It was Twilight, her head held low as she made her way into the room, "What happened?" Wryn thought. He curled back up into the covers and heard a gasp come from Twilight, he got back up and found himself muzzle-to-muzzle with Twilight.

Twilight reeled back, her eyes wide, "He's awake!" she cried. Wryn managed to prop himself up and tried to speak, but found that his mouth was as dry as a desert. Twilight floated a glass of water to his lips and he drained it's contents in a flash. "We thought you were going to die," Twilight whispered, "You were in terrible condition after helping Rarity, why didn't you rest?"

Wryn looks at her, his eyes are a fierce sapphire-blue, and gives a weak smile, "I wouldn't be doing my job then would I?" he responds. "It's my duty to help, no matter what condition I'm in," he states, "And to protect those who are hurt and defenseless."

Wryn heard more hoofbeats upon the marble floor as the rest of the gang galloped in, "What's happened Twilight?" asks Applejack.

"He's gone isn't he?" Pinkie says, her hair starting to slowly deflate.

"Uhh, not exactly," Wryn says, "It'll take more than lost energy to make me kick the bucket." He looks at the ponies who entered, "What? Was it something I said?" They all dashed to the bed and gave him a group hug, crushing his lungs, "Ouch, that stung a bit."

"Thank Celestia your ok!" Fluttershy cried, "I don't think I could stand losing a friend."

"Me either," added Applejack, "Even though we only just met, after what you've done it's as if I've known you forever."

Rainbow Dash hugged Wryn tighter, "You healed my wings without thinking twice, knowing that you were out of power, why?" she sobbed.

Placing a hand on her head, Wryn looks at the ponies around him, "I'm a Divine Dragon, a Guardian, it's my job to protect those I care about." He takes a deep breath, "Back where I grew up I never had any friends, I was the son of the town leader." He clenches the sheets and continues, "Only one person wanted to be my friend, her name was Aya, she decided to be my friend even if the others rejected her." Wryn hangs his head, shaking with anger, "And on the day of the attack she was killed, my only friend was gone and I was all alone." He looked up at the ponies gathered around him, "But ever since I arrived here I felt as if I've found a place that I belonged." "And that's why I risked my life for you Dash, I've let one friend down, I won't let it happen again."

"Well, we're glad to have you back Darling," says Rarity, "No one can deny that."

"How long have I been out?" inquires Wryn, "It seems like it's only been a day."

"It's been about four days, and let me tell ya, they weren't easy," answered Applejack, "Twilight said that she wouldn't leave here until you were all fixed up."

Wryn turned to look at Twilight whose face was turning pink, "Thank you Twilight, for taking care of me," he says.

Suddenly there is a flash of light, as Wryn's friends bow before a regal-looking alicorn, she notices Wryn, and walks over to the infirm dragon, "Feeling better I hope?" she asks.

"Much, thank you for asking," Wryn replies, staring into the alicorn's violet eyes.

Twilight stands up, "Wryn, this is Princess Celestia, she and her sister Luna are the rulers of Equestria."

"It is an honor," Wryn says trying to bow, but finding that tough to do laying in a bed.

"Twilight has told me alot about you Wryn, and how you've helped her and her friends," said Princess Celestia, "You are indeed a kind and trusting friend, and obviously protective of those who befriend you."

He nods, "I'm here to warn you of an imminent threat to your world, a human is sending a scout force here to exterminate any resistance," Wryn says.

"I'm sure we can find a way to repel this 'force'," Celestia chuckles, but when she sees how serious Wryn's face was she stopped.

"I gurantee that there is only one way to beat them, they are sworn to the ancient evil that has taken control of the human," Wryn states. "It's either we kill them, or they kill us, I've tried to talk with them and I recieved a scar on my back in return," he continued. "They're not even sentinent anymore, only having knowledge of violence and hate," he said, knowing that the ponies wouldn't harm anything unless they had to.

"All in good time," sighed Celestia, "You need to rest longer to fully regain your strength, then you can teach us to defeat these monstrosities."

One week later, Wryn was well enough to start the training, it was early in the morning, and his 'students' would be arriving soon. Wryn sat down on the stump where he first met his friends nearly a month ago, he had cast a soundproof barrier over the clearing so no curious ponies would wander in. As his friends filed into the clearing, Wryn noticed they had brought along another pony, she was an alicorn and had a moon-shaped cutie mark, "That must be Princess Luna," he thought. Wryn stood up on the stump, "Welcome my friends, to your first day of training," he announced, "Today we will work on basic weapon usage and techniques, then I will meet with each group of you individually throughout the week, earth ponies, pegasi, then unicorns," he states. He then sets out weighted hoof-wraps, "You will be wearing these the entirety of your training," Wryn says.

"Ah just have one question, why?" asks Applejack, looking as confused as the rest of the ponies.

"They provide resistance, strengthening your body far faster than conventional training," Wryn admits with a smile. After they fastened on the weighted bands, Wryn had them line up, "Now, we run to town and back," he said as he started to run.

At the end of they day they had covered hooves-on combat, combat using steel-plated hoofguards, and how to avoid attacks.

Wryn jumped back onto the stump, "Ok, everypony go get some rest, Pinkie, Applejack, see you again bright and early tomorrow morning," he announced. Wryn walked home with Twilight since she'd offered to let him live with her. "So what did you think of your first day of training?" Wryn inquired, "I hope I didn't push you all too hard."

"Well, it's more than I'm used to, but it is necessary to help protect Equestria," Twilight groaned as they entered her home.

"Thanks again for letting me live here with you Twilight," yawns Wryn, as he laid down on the couch.

"I have to ask you something," whispered Twilight, "Why us? Why did you come here first?"

Wryn flipped on his back, gazed up at the ceiling and said, "You don't have an active guard system, and just repeling them won't work, they'll just come back with more." He lets out a sigh, and adds, "And I don't want to see this world torn up by war and fighting, like mine is."

"Well, the princesses are out warning everyone and telling them to group up here so they can be safe," mentions Twilight.

Wryn sighed again, "Hopefully they have some that would like to train, and help protect the town."

"Goodnight Wryn, see you in the morning," Twilight yawns as she goes up the stairs.

"Goodnight Twilight, and rest up, you worked hard today," Wryn said, yawning as well.

Wryn had told Applejack and Pinkie to meet him near a ravine he discovered on his way to Ponyville. When they arrived he motioned them to follow him into a crack on the side of the ravine's rocky wall.

Pinkie jumped with excitement as they entered the crevice, "Is there a suprise on the other side?" she asked.

"A suprise of sorts," Wryn explained, "I was when I first found this place." The two earth ponies were indeed suprised as they entered a huge cavern. There is a waterfall in the center that is fueled from a lake above ground, but what suprised them the most were the crystals. They dotted the floor and walls of the cave, and varied in size and shape. "These crystals," Wryn called from the top of a gigantic crystal, "Are pure diamond, and will be used to train on." Their jaws dropped when they heard this, "I expect that in time, you both will be able to shatter one of these," he continued. "The waterfall will halp with meditation, and how to learn to use your avatar," he says, "Since you have neither magic, nor wings, your avatars will be your primary offensive ability."

"Ah didn't know we had such a power," admits Applejack, "Then again, Ah didn't know there were other worlds either."

"Not many people do, an avatar represents the will of a soul, and from what I've seen, earth ponies have extremely strong souls," Wryn commented. "I'll give a demonstration," he says as he began to channel his energy. Strands of light weaved it's way over Wryn's body, forming a kind of armor around him. Wryn opened his eyes, and they were a deep sapphire blue, shattering it. The armor dissipates and he walks back to the gawking ponies, "The energy is maintained inside your body so you won't get tired, unless the armor takes a hit, then it uses some to repair itself," he mentions.

"So how do we do it?" asks Applejack, "Anythin' special?"

"All it takes is time, it can take anywhere from a week to years, but the best way is to practice," explains Wryn. "Here," he says as he hands each of them a package, "They are like the weighted bands from yesterday, just slimmer and have protective padding on the end for training." "Let's get started, try to focus on the diamond, the shape, the size, and try to make your inner energy flow to your hoof and into the stone," he says. Wryn then steps into the waterfall and begins to meditate, leaving the two earth ponies to their training. He then feels an enormous release of energy being given off from the duo, and opens his eyes to see Applejack and Pinkie standing among the shattered remains of their diamonds. Wryn lets out a chuckle, "Now that's what I call progress, this may not take as long as expected." After training they all went their seperate ways, excited about how fast they were advancing. When Wryn returned home, he found Twilight already fast asleep, "I guess I should do the same," he thought, going down the stairs and collapsing on the couch.

The following day Wryn met Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in a huge forest with trees that touched the clouds that would serve as their training ground. He laid out two bundles that held a set of lightweight armor for each of them, "This armor will protect you from attacks, and when you attack," he explains. Wryn's own wings unfurl and he ascends, "They are also weighted to provide the same resistance as the bands from the first training session would," he continues. "Follow me," he says as they fly up to the lowermost branches of the tree, which were about 500 feet off the ground.

"Um, why are we up so high?" Fluttershy asked, "I can hardly see that tree stump over there."

"That's your target," Wryn says, "Pegasi have an ability called Eagle Eye, which allows them to pick out a target and it's weak points." "You may notice the wing guards on the armor have pointed tips, they are for passing a target at high speeds, then leaving it in pieces using the air," he explains.

"So how does this 'Eagle Eye' technique work?" asks Rainbow Dash, trying to see the stump below.

"First, make a mental picture of the target, since this is a stump there are no real weak points, but try to analyze where you want to place your attack," Wryn explains. "But in a fight, the enemy will be moving and revealing several different weak points, try to just focus on one," he continues, "Let me show you." Wryn launches himself off the bough of the tree, going into a dive, then pulling up when he is level with the stump. He speeds past it, leaving a huge scar on one side, "See, it's about timing and accuracy," he calls out as he glides back up.

"Here goes nothin'!" Rainbow Dash shouts as she dives off the branch, flying extremely fast.

"Remember! The armor is weighted, so you'll have to pull out of the dive earlier than usual!" Wryn calls, hoping that she heard him.

"I guess I should try too," whispers Fluttershy, as she also jumps off, heading into a dive.

When they both finish, Wryn has them fly down to examine the damage they've inflicted upon the stump, "Nice work you guys!" Wryn compliments as he looks at the two clean cuts in the bark of the stump, "It seems that you have a basic understanding of the Eagle Eye." He started to fly back up, "Now, let's see if you can attack a target multiple times in succession without losing speed," says Wryn. At the day's end both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash knew how to use Eagle Eye, and how to fight using their wings. Once they had said their goodbyes, Wryn flew back home and carefully opened the door so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping Twilight. He stumbled over to the couch and flopped onto it, "It's nice to see how hard these ponies are willing to train," he thought as he drifted asleep.

Twilight woke up Wryn early the next morning so they could get to the ruins of the castle in Everfree Forest. She had asked him why they were going to train there, but all he had said was that it was a suprise.

Rarity was already there waiting for them, and when they arrived she hurried over to join the duo, "I thought you two would never come," she puffed in indignity.

"Wryn, why are we headed to these ruins?" demanded Twilight, "Why can't you tell us?"

Wryn lets out a laugh, "There is no secret, it's that we are going to be using very strong magic, and I don't want Celestia to yell at me if something explodes," he admits. He is slapped over the head with a book, and he turns around to find an annoyed Twilight, "Ouch, I'm sorry!" he apologizes. "Here we are," Wryn announces as they enter the ruins, "And here is a gift from me to you." He hands them each a jeweled shoulderguard, "These pieces are what I call a vessel, they can hold energy that you put into them," he explains. "Meaning that during a fight you can utilize the energy within, while conserving your own, or have the energy act as a personal barrier," he continues.

"And they look fabulous!" squeals Rarity as she admires the guard, twirling around.

"This is nice, but aren't we here to learn some magic?" says Twilight, "Something that will benefit us offensively?"

"But of course!" Wryn exclaims, "Try to focus on a certain element, any element, then let it flow to your horn." He takes a step back as both unicorns begin to channel their energies, and an aura starts to surround them. Stones began to rise up around Rarity, flashing in the light, "I assumed that she would focus on gems," he thought. When Wryn looked at Twilight however, he saw that multiple elements were swirling around her in a vortex, "Uh oh, I need to tell her to not ue so much power next time," he thinks. "Ok, you can stop now," he calls as their powers started to peak, "Twilight, try not to put all of your energy into it next time."

Twilight looks at the ground dejectedly, "Did I do something wrong? It usually is tough to use my magic."

"Did she not see what she did?" Wryn thought to himself, "No, you did it perfectly! I didn't want to blow up this place on our first day was all!" he said, congratulating her.

Twilight lifts her head, "Really? Thanks!" she exclaims with glee, "Now what is that used for?"

"Well, you can use the element to attack your opponent constantly without having to charge up an attack," Wryn explains, "But it continually drains your energy, so be careful." The rest of their time in the ruins was spent learning how to launch attacks using the auras they created. "Goodnight Rarity, I hope you learned more about your inner abilities," yawned Wryn, tired after the week of training.

"Thank you Darling for dedicating yourself to help train and protect us," Rarity calls back as she headed in the direction of the Carousel Boutique.

Wryn spread his wings and lifted the sleeping Twilight onto his back, "Let's get you home sleepy-hooves," he whispered so she wouldn't wake up. He glided high above the clouds, looking down at the forest that was beneath him, and the lights of Ponyville off in the distance. "This time I'll be ready, and now I have the comfort knowing that my friends have my back," he thought as he descended towards home. Wryn lands on the balcony and deposits Twilight in her bed, after which he slowly glided downstairs and onto the couch.

The next month was filled with training, Wryn was constantly awake training the ponies to learn more about their abilities so they could fight. Applejack and Pinkie had both learned how to activate their avatars, and they began to spar with each other, and even against Wryn at times. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy have mastered the Eagle Eye technique, and could fight with perfect accuracy and speed. Twilight and Rarity learned to maximize their energy pool, and have stored immense amounts of energy into their vessels. Wryn was beaming with pride when he met with them on their last day of training. "You have all worked incredible hard, and your work has paid off, I'm honored to have trained you," Wryn announced.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna appeared in the clearing, "We would like to have a cerimony to officially commemorate this occasioin," declared both Princesses.

"What are we waiting for then, let's go!" Wryn shouted as he took to the skies, "Let's make and entrance that nopony will forget!" Both Princesses arrived before the group, and signaled that the cerimony was about to begin. Twilight and Rarity both teleported onstage, followed by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash who swooped down from the sky. Applejack and Pinkie were in a headlong canter when they reached the stage, and Wryn flew in once they were there.

Cheers rose up from the crowd as Celestia began to speak, "I would like to introduce Wryn, he came here two months ago to protect us from an evil empire." More cheers went around as she continued, "And he has been training these six ponies to help him do that-."

Princess Celestia is cut off as a metallic voice calls out mockingly, "Are they supposed to stop the might of our Dark Lord?" A cloaked figure steps forward, "You are helpless to stop the Swarm from cleansing the Sphere!"

Wryn steps forward, "Everypony get to safety, we are going to deal with this!" he shouts. Wryn's eyes shift to a deep sapphire blue, "You picked the worst day to show yourself spawn!" he shouts at the dark figure, and launches himself off the stage.

Retaliation

Chapter Four: Retaliation

Wryn charged up his avatar as he swung his fist at the cloaked enemy, his punch connected with his foe's chest, knocking him into the air, where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy began their attack.

"Let's teach this guy a lesson about what happens when you laugh at us!" Dash yells, flying in a deadly circle around the enemy.

"Yeah!" cheered Fluttershy, as she joined in creating a deadly vortex with Dash, their wings working like a reaper's scythe.

Their foe hits the ground with a thud as Wryn, Applejack, and Pinkie charge into him with their avatars, "Taste hoof ya jerk!" Applejack growls, neatly delivering a punch into the enemy.

Pinkie pops up behind the cloaked figure with a gleam in her eyes, "Would you like a suprise?" she shouts as she punches him between her and Applejack.

Wryn then uppercuts the dark figure in the jaw sending him sprawling on the ground, "Twilight! Rarity! Your time to shine!" he yells.

"With pleasure!" screams Rarity, encasing their enemy in a crystalline prison while shredding him with razor sharp stones. Within the stone chaos breaks out as Twilight uses her elemental powers to beat down the evil monstrosity.

"That's enough!" roars the voice of their enemy, "I thought I could mercifully wipe out your pathetic lives, but it seems I need to do this the messy way!" The crystal prison shatters as the enemy lets out a blastwave of dark energy, knocking everyone back.

"H-How are you still alive?" shouts Twilight, questioning their foe's resistance to their attacks.

"You think you could defeat Irxion, the general of our Dark Lord? Pitiful fools!" says Irxion.

"No way, he sent a general to fight us?" thought Wryn as he tried to think of the reasons for this happening.

"We'll just have to hit him harder then!" shouted Dash, "Let's go Fluttershy, we can take this guy!" as they began to circle around Irxion again.

"Annoying little flies!" Irxion laughed maniacally, "Let us see how you fly without your precious wings!" Dark tendrils spread out from Irxion's body and swatted the two pegasi out of the air with a sickening crack.

Screams from both of them reverberated throughout Wryn's skull, "You will pay!" he shouted, Applejack and Pinkie joining him in his charge towards Irixion.

"Oh please, you are all insignificant compared to me!" Irxion laughs, batting the trio aside and breaking their avatars.

Twilight and Rarity step forward and begin to launch attacks at him, "You will fall like the demon you are!" yells Rarity.

A blast of dark energy radiates from Irxion, knocking everyone back again, and neutralizing the attacks coming from the unicorns, "Can't do anything without energy can you?" Irxion mocks as he saps the energy from Twilight and Rarity, leaving them incapacitated. "Now to purify this land in darkness!" Irxion maniacally screams, charging an orb of dark matter in his hand.

"I shall not let history repeat itself!" roars Wryn, "And I will not let my friends down, not after I promised to protect them!" Wryn's avatar reforms around him, "Strength comes not only from oneself, but from his friends as well!" he shouts out to his friends using telepathy. Six orbs of light come forth from his friends, uniting into a multicolored flame that glows brightly on his forehead, Wryn's avatar changes from a pale yellow, to a blinding white, and he opens his eyes which glow sapphire blue. "Your existance ends here spawn," says Wryn, "The pain you have caused to these innocent ponies has doomed you." Raising up his hand, Wryn forms a sword out of the light surrounding him, the sword is fractured down the center and near the hilt is a swirling vortex, "Judgement falls on you today!" he shouts. Wryn moves swiftly, flashing in different directions before ending up behind Irxion, cutting him in two. Irxion turns to dust, which is sucked into his sword's vortex, Wryn releases his avatar, the light spreading over his friend's bodies, rejuvinating them and healing their wounds.

Celestia and Luna reappear onstage, "We finished evacuating, how did the fight go?" asked Luna.

"I never thought he was so desperate as to send out a general to scout a new world, he must be at wit's end trying to eliminate me," said Wryn, letting out a sigh of relief that none of his friends were killed. "You guys did great for your first fight, but we might need to get in a tad more training for cases such as these," Wryn says.

"Well I guess that means we aren't out of the woods yet?" inquires Twilight.

"You betcha', we just turned one of his generals to dust, he's probably furious and is sending out more troops as we speak," Wryn explains as he stands up. "We need to fortify our position, it'll only get tougher from here on out," he says, making a point, "And I have an idea on how we can do that."

Ancestral Guardians

Chapter Five: Ancestral Guardians

The day after the first attack was peaceful, which was suprising to Wryn, "Usually he would have a follow up of somekind, maybe he thought a general was enough," he contemplated. Wryn was heading towards the outskirts of the town where he told his friends to meet him after a night of rest. Wryn absently fiddled with the gauntlet that encased his right arm, "Let's hope the Elders were right about the strength of this piece of equipment," he thought as he reached his destination. "Good morning everyone!" Wryn said as he cheerily greeted his friends, "How are we all doing today?"

"Just fine, we were hoping you could enlighten us on what we will be doing to protect Ponyville?" inquired Rarity.

"I'm glad you asked, back in my town after the attack, I discovered several stones with powerful energies radiating from them," Wryn explained, "It turned out those were the spirits of the other dragons that used to be living there." Their faces expressed sorrow, but he continued, "When I picked one up a voice spoke to me, saying that 'They would help anyway they could,' so I gathered them up." His friends faces brightened up, "I tested this one day by planting one of the stones in the ground then using a spark of magic on it, and the spirit's avatar popped out and began to defend the area around it's stone," he finished.

"So we're gonna' be plantin' rocks around Ponyville and Canterlot to protect it?" says an unconvinced Applejack.

"I guess it doesn't do us much good if you don't see it for yourself," Wryn admits, "I'll go around the perimeter, plant them, then come back here to activate them."

"Here, let me help!" calls Rainbow Dash, following Wryn to help assist him in positioning the crystals.

Once they had successfully placed them, they flew back to the group that was waiting for them, "Now I just need to shock this one," Wryn trails off as he uses his magic to activate the stones. Giant ornate spires leap out of the ground once activated, linking together using magic and forming a barrier over Ponyville and Canterlot.

"You called Sire?" and ancient, but kind voice asks, as a Draconic Avatar appears out of the spire.

"Yes Arkin, I would like you and the others to protect this world with me, it means alot to me," responds Wryn.

"Neat, a ghost!" Pinkie commented, "Wait, you said he was a sire?" pointing at Wryn.

"Ahem, yes I am," Wryn interjects, "I am the last of my kind, so naturally I am now the King of Dragons or however you want to put it."

"We will do what you have asked Sir Wryn," said Arkin as he melted back into his spire.

"You're a King?" gawked Twilight as she stared at Wryn in awe, "But what does that mean since your world was taken over?"

"I still have my fortress, it's built into a mountain that is filled with Draconite Veins, an incredibly tough material," says Wryn, "Though no one is in it now."

"Do you have a queen," Rainbow Dash jokes, "Because if you don't then I think Twilight here would be happy to!" she laughs as she falls on her back.

Both Wryn's and Twilight's faces turn bright red, "W-What makes you think that I would?" stammers Twilight, her face growing redder.

Wryn walks away from the group, "Hey, you know I was just joking right?" Dash calls, and turns back to the group, "He knows I was joking right?"

"That may have been something he didn't want to talk about dearie," says Rarity, "He may have had someone back home he lost."

Wryn comes back to the group and Dash runs up to him, "I'm sorry for bringing that up-"

"No problem at all, I was dwelling on the past for too long and I needed that, thank you," Wryn answers as if it didn't happen, "So, who's up for a day off? You all fought well yesterday, and I think you all deserve a break," he says.

Everypony cheered at the sound of that, except Twilight, "Aren't we supposed to be getting ready for the second attack?" she asked.

"Go have some fun Twilight, this may be one of the last days we can do so," says Wryn, turning back to the group, "Now go have some fun!" They trot away and Wryn is left alone in the clearing, "Have fun while you can, this may be the only chance before war breaks out in full force," Wryn thought to himself. He spreads his wings and flies to the ravine, "I might as well get in my own practice while I have the time," he murmured to himself. He entered the crystalline cave and started to reform the diamonds that they had broken during the month. Wryn gathered all the shards up and condensed them so he could train on something that was somewhat of a challenge. He set down the crystal and began to punch it, "I haven't been keeping up my training routine, I was lucky that my friends lent me their help at the end, I my not be so lucky next time," he contemplated. The condensed diamond shattered as he delivered the final punch, "You know it's time to meditate once the diamond shatters," Wryn chuckles settling underneath the roaring waterfall. "They were too brash on their attacks they could've gotten themselves killed, it's a trait that comes with time, never underestimate your opponent," Wryn thought. A crack splits the air and a wave blasts Wryn out of the waterfall, Wryn uses his wings to steady himself as he tumbles through the air, "Is this another attack?" Wryn thinks to himself as he stares intently at the figure that stumbles out of the waterfall. It was an alicorn, whose wings and tail were pure fire, he had a grey coat and his horn looked extremely sharp. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Wryn shouted at the lone alicorn, who glared at him, "Could they have been trying to inflintrate the town?" Wryn thought again.

"I might want to ask you the same thing," responded the alicorn, "I have never seen you around Ponyville before."

Wryn was taken aback, "Are you a part of their forces?" he questioned, "If you are then so be it!" Wryn launched himself at the alicorn and unsheathed Soul Vortex, but the alicorn neatly sidestepped his attack. The alicorn then launched his own attack, his horn caught aflame and he swiped at Wryn. The horn swiped past Wryn's face leaving a thin line of red in it's wake, "I won't hold back!" Wryn yelled, charging his avatar.

A sword materializes next to the alicorn, then splits into two, one a brilliant white, and one a deep blood-red, "Then neither will I!" he shouts.

They clash in the middle of the cavern, sparks flying as their weapons connect, "Who are you working for?" Wryn growls through clenched teeth. The alicorn doesn't respond and Wryn pushes forward, which blasts both of them back to opposite sides of the room.

"Chaos Solar Storm!" shouts the alicorn, as he shoots a ball of flaming dark energy at Wryn, who charges head-first into it. "I don't know who you are, but you're finished," says the alicorn turning away from the dust cloud in the center of the room, "No one can take that attack head on."

As the alicorn begins to walk away, "Hey, I'm not done with you!" yells Wryn, the smoke clears away to reveal a battered, but very alive Wryn. "That attack would have killed me if not for my sword," he coughs as he holds up Soul Vortex, "But I'm afraid your time is dwindling, time for you to face the Light." Wryn charges the alicorn, pushing off of him, spinning in midair, "Rain of Light!" he shouts, cutting the air with his sword and in turn, releasing bolts of light which strike the alicorn.

The power of the attack blows them both back due to the confines of the cave, but it ends up hurting Wryn more, "Solar Storm!" yells the alicorn, charging up another attack while galloping towards Wryn.

He never gets the chance to use his attack however, as Wryn grabs his horn, "I will not let my friends down!" he roars, tossing the alicorn into a wall.

"I won't let Twilight down either!" the alicorn shouts, starting to charge up another attack.

Wryn blinks, "Wait, you're here to protect her too?" he questions.

"Um, yeah? I'm married to her," the alicorn snorts, "There was a huge celebration at Canterlot Castle for it."

"Oh I get it now," says Wryn, covering his face, "Alternate dimensions, which explains why we don't know each other." The alicorn just stares at Wryn, "You've crash landed in my world, so welcome! My name is Wryn," he explains.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Max," says Max, holding out a hoof, "Sorry for attacking you."

Wryn shakes Max's hoof, grinding his teeth from the burns Max's horn left on his hand, "No problem man," he responds. He then flies over to the waterfall and runs his hand underneath it's cool waters, it slowly mending the burns, leaving scars behind. "Let's go back to town, it's been on hour since I was supposed to meet the gang at Twilight's."

"Agreed," says Max, and they both fly off to Ponyville.

Many thanks to my pal Camlio for letting me use his character Max in my story, go check out his story!!!

Cross-Dimensional Confusion

Chapter Six: Cross-Dimensional Confusion

As Wryn and Max flew to Twilight's home, Wryn couldn't help but feel a kinship forming between him and the fiery alicorn. "So Max how did you end up in my world, it seems as if your entrance was predetermined to lead you to me," inquires Wryn.

"If you ask me, I have no idea," says Max, furrowing his brow in concentration, "I was in the hospital before this, but other than that I'm afraid I don't know a thing."

"So he was hurt? Could he have gone into some sort of coma and had his soul transported to my world?" Wryn contemplates, "Well you're welcome to live with me until we get this all sorted out," he says.

"Thanks, but I have a place to stay," explains Max, "I live with Twilight since we are married."

"Oh is he in for a suprise," Wryn thinks to himself, "Somehow that doesn't seem like the best decision you could've made Max, seeing as you just warped in from another dimension."

They land at Twilight's house and Max blinks at Wryn in confusion, "What do you mean by that?" he demands, staring Wryn in the eye.

Wryn opens the door, "Again, you are from another dimension, you may know people here, but they probably don't know you," he explains. With a complete disregard of Wryn's advice, Max gallops toward Twilight, "Hey wait!" Wryn didn't speak fast enough as Max is hit over the head with a book, "Different dimension!" he bursts out laughing.

"Wryn who is this alicorn?" asks Twilight as she levitates the book she hit Max with back on it's shelve, "And why was he running to me?"

Wryn stops laughing and stands up, "Everypony, I would like you to meet Max, he is apparently from another dimension that is similar to ours," says Wryn.

"That still doesn't explain why he galloped at the sight of me," huffed Twilight, irritated at the lack of an explination.

"Well," says Max, rubbing the back of his head, "Back in my world, I'm married to you and we have a foal," he is again smacked on the head with a book and Wryn falls back laughing.

"See what I mean?" Wryn says, trying to stifle his laughter, "Alternate dimensions can screw with your head, it's a whole new playing field." He stands back up, "So how were your days today, I hope you had fun because it's back to training tomorrow," Wryn says happily.

"Training?" Max groans, having been hit doubly hard the second time around, "What for?"

"The reason we fought was because I thought you were a spy working for the enemy," Wryn explains, "And I've been training my friends here to fight alongside me." Wryn turns back to the ponies, "Although I now will be meeting you all twice a week in the regular groups, then on the last day we will all spar with each other," he explains.

"Ah thought we already knew what we needed to," Applejack points out, "Will it just be to improve on our skills?"

Wryn shakes his head, "Dragons learn these skills early in life, so we are going to work on more advanced techniques from here on out," he describes. "So I will be meeting with earth ponies tomorrow morning, same time, same place!" says Wryn, "Now let's all get some rest."

The earth ponies wiped the sleep out of their eyes as they entered the cavern, Wryn was waiting paitiently atop a condensed diamond he had made. "Welcome again to training, however this time around you will both be training against me," Wryn grins slyly. "You will have to try and reach this diamond without me getting to you first is all," chuckles Wryn, "But just to let you know, the reason for this is because during your first fight it looked like your avatar was weighing you down."

"It was! They were super-duper heavy!" exclaims Pinkie, "I thought I was going to be stuck!"

"You shouldn't have," glared Wryn, "You wore your avatar like a piece of clothing, it should act like a second skin and shouldn't at all slow you down." He sighs, "So all you need to do is reach the diamond with your avatar, and you get to advance to the next stage in training," says Wryn, "But to warn you I won't hold back."

They charge up their avatars and charge at the diamond, but are swiftly knocked back by Wryn, "Ah'll get you fer that!" shouts Applejack.

"Then come at me!" yells Wryn, a grin spreading across his face, "Show me what you got!" They both charge at full force, but are knocked back again, Wryn yawns, "I thought you were going to get me on that one."

"That wasn't very nice!" shouts Pinkie, "I thought you were here to help us, not to pick on us!"

Wryn looks down, "In a real fight the enemy won't give you a chance to stop, you have to move fast and attack consistantly," he explains, "If I went easy on you we would get nowhere, I trust that you can handle this." With newfound vigor they attacked him again and again, coordinating their attacks and moving quicker than before, however they still couldn't reach the stone. "Let's call it a day," shouts Wryn, "It's getting late and I'm starving." They nod, panting hard from the harsh training he put them through, Wryn spreads his wings and offers to fly them back. Both earth ponies hopped onto his back and he took off, flying high above the clouds he takes a breath of fresh air. Glancing downwards he finds himself right above Twilight's, "This will be fun," Wryn thinks to himself. Folding his wings around his passengers, Wryn drops out of the sky, Pinkie and Applejack scream as the ground gets closer and closer. Wryn unfurls his wings at the last moment, slowing their descent and landing on the ground with a thud. Applejack and Pinkie were still shaking as they entered the library, where Wryn found an unconscious Max and an angry Twilight. "Let me guess, he forgot about the fact that he was in another dimension?" assumed Wryn.

"Yes," Twilight huffed, "He is starting to creep me out," and she walked over to Wryn, "So how did training go?"

"Pretty well," Wryn admits, gesturing at the two earth ponies, "Their working hard at the lesson I've created."

"Well you three look tired, go get some sleep, you have more training to deal with tomorrow," says Twilight, convincing her friends to get some rest.

"Thanks Twi, and don't worry, I'll keep Max down here so he doesn't disturb you," whispers Wryn, staring at the unconscious max.

Wryn was reclining on a branch, waiting for the two pegasi to show up for training, he had allowed Max to join him so Twilight wouldn't get annoyed and so Max wouldn't have permenant brain damage.

"So what kind of training do you put them through?" asks Max, peering at the ground below.

"Oh you'll see," answers Wryn, "Today's lesson will be interesting for our pegasi," he grins and laughs slightly. "Here they are now," Wryn says, he then calls them over to join him, "Today's lesson will be different then the ones we've had in the past, no attacking, no armor, all you need to do is catch me."

"That's it?" snorts Dash, "Honestly, I thought we were here to learn how to fight."

"Oh but this is the most important part of your training, how can you hope to fight an enemy if you can't catch them," explains Wryn, "You catch me, you get to train in combat, if not," he grins slyly, "You will have to try again the next time we meet to train."

"Ok then let's go," says Dash, taking a sprinter's stance, "I bet I can catch you in ten seconds flat."

"Try me," says Wryn, who spreads his wings and bolts off through the trees, and he calls back, "There won't be any slowing me down, even if you beg!"

Max looks at the two pegasi who began to chase down Wryn, "I guess I should try too," he grumbles.

Wryn weaved in and out through the trees, dodging the pegasi's attempts at catching him, "Do you not remember anything from your training? This isn't just a game of tag, it's training! So treat it like so!" he shouts out.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" asked Fluttershy, as she came to a halt next to Rainbow Dash, "He just vanished."

"Again, remember your training!" Wryn calls out from a branch high above the duo, he does a backflip in the air as Max tries to tackle him from behind.

"Oh yeah the Eagle Eye technique of course!" exclaims Dash, "How could I forget that?"

When they realized this, their attempts to catch Wryn got closer and closer, but he somehow ended up one step ahead of them. Wryn hovered between the three exhausted ponies, "I think we can call this a successful day of training," he says.

The two pegasi head towards their individual homes, and Wryn and Max start their flight to Twilight's, "What was the point to all that?" asks Max.

"Honestly, I don't know either," admits Wryn, "It was the way I was trained, and even my mentors had no idea why they did it." They land and walk into the library, finding Twilight asleep at her desk, Wryn picks her up and lays her in her bed. He walks downstairs and finds Max snoring away, "This guy wastes no time does he?" Wryn thinks as he also drifts asleep.

Wryn wakes up early the next morning, and wakes up Twilight, "If you wanna leave without Max knowing, you'd better do it now," he whispers.

Wryn is too late as he hears Max bounding up the stairs, "Who's ready to train?" he asks to his two facepalming friends.

The trio meets Rarity inside the ruins where they find her fiddling with a few gems, "Good to see you again Rarity," Wryn says, greeting the alabaster unicorn. "Training for today is going to focus on energy usage, since during the last fight it seemed as if you were relying too much on your vessels," he explains.

Twilight was about to respond when a flash of light comes from behind Max revealing a man in a top hat, "Seems like this is the right place," he says.

"Seriously, whats with the people teleporting from out of nowhere?" Wryn complains.

"No time for that, we must be on our way," says the man, teleporting Wryn, Max and Twilight, leaving Rarity alone in the ruins.

Thanks yet again to Camlio! We are working on a cross-story plotline here so go check out his story Universe of Dreams to follow the story!

Hidden Feelings of a Lost Dragon

Chapter Seven: Hidden Feelings of a Lost Dragon

Rarity stared at the place where her friends were just standing, "So now what will happen?" she silently whispers, she isn't alone for long as there is yet another flash of light and Twilight reappears.

"Ow my head," groans Twilight, "What just happened? Where is Wryn?" as she notices that he had not teleported back with her.

"Where were you taken to?" asks Rarity, "What did that weird man have to say?"

"I think that man was here for Max, but he decided to take along Wryn saying that they needed his help, I was taken by accident," says Twilight. "Before they warped ahead Wryn told me he would be back in a couple days," she continues as she gazes up at the stars, "I sure hope he is right." Twilight and Rarity part ways, going home shocked after the day's events, Twilight opens the door to her home and finds a leather-bound journal resting on the couch. "What could this be?" she mumbles, going over to the couch and levitating to read the embossed cover, 'Wryn's Journal'. "Oh, this was the journal I gave to him as a welcoming gift," Twilight whispers, "I wonder if he has used it at all, and what could he have written?"

Day One:

"I met a nice unicorn today, her name is Twilight Sparkle, even though I was trying to make my way into town unnoticed I was found by this peculiar pony. She reminds me so much of Aya, she is studious, caring, and accepting, she didn't think twice before letting me stay with her when I had no place to go. I think Aya would've loved to meet Twilight," the ink was smudged as if it had gotten wet, "They would probably have gotten along very well. Twilight also introduced me to her other five friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, who are the greatest group I've ever met. Pinkie is fun to be around, she practically exudes happiness wherever she goes, and brightens up the faces of the ponies she meets. Applejack is a hard worker, very dilligent from what I can tell, she knows what she can or can't do and that is a trait that makes her so likeable. Rarity to me at the time seemed like one of the girls back where I lived, wealthy and upstuck, that couldn't have been farther from the truth, as she is the most giving pony, and gives what she has for other ponies who need it. Rainbow Dash is a bold one, but she is dedicated to her friends, and fights for what she believes in. Last but certainly not the least is Fluttershy, she is a pony of few words, but she radiates a kindness that puts my mind at ease when I'm around her. I only wish that I had friends like these when I was growing up, but I had Aya, and I was happy," Twilight flips to the next entry.

Day Two:

"I woke up today with Dash trying to push me off the couch, I had no idea that sleeping on a couch after sleeping on the ground for so long would make me sleep in. There was an accident in the kitchen where I used my powers to restore balance, I must've been out of practice since the drain was much more significant than before. After we ate Twilight allowed me to assist her in the library, just like I used to with Aya, we always would help my parents out, bringing them books and scrolls. I would've loved to stay with Twilight the whole day, then she mentioned that Applejack's brother was sick and she needed help, I happily obliged. When I arrived at Sweet Apple Acres I think I saw the finest looking apples that I'll ever see. Applejack and what I could only assume was her family were trying to bring in the harvest, but didn't have an efficent way to pull their cart, so I decided to pull the cart for them. Back home I remember most of the town's residents would call me lazy because I was the leader's son, and that I would never do any manual labor. Boy did I ever prove them wrong, I would go out and work with the farmers and learn to work for what I wanted. After helping the Apple Family my back was killing me, I was healing the sores on my back when Applejack came up to me to thank me, she noted that Pinkie had gotten into a sticky situation and needed help as well. I said my goodbyes and made my way to the confectionary store. The store was a complete mess, it was painted with frosting, the same as the bouncing pink earth pony. Not to have a repeat of this morning I tried to fix each problem individually, although the drain on my energy was still the same. Pinkie handed me a cupcake after I finished, I was starving and ate it in one bite, but it was the best cupcake I've ever had. Pinkie then mentioned something about Rarity needing help with magic, my head was fuzzy as I dashed out the door and headed to where Rarity was waiting," Twilight stopped when she read this, "He was tired even before he helped Rarity?" she whispered. "She needed to create something for a client that delt with fire and ice, so using my knowledge of fire being positive energy and ice being negative, I gave my input for her work. I believe that I blacked out, waking up when Rarity levitated me back on my feet, then I heard a scream and I knew somepony was hurt. I just never would've guessed it was Dash, her wings were bent out of place and she was in pain, it was that dreaded day all over again, like the day when Aya broke her wings and there was nothing I could do, today I would change that," Twilight read the end of the entry again, realizing why Wryn did what he did, he was making the difference in an event that had ruined his friends life so long ago. She flipped the page to the next entry to find that Wryn had skipped a couple days to show the time when he was out of commision.

Day Six:

"I woke up with a terrible headache and my whole body felt sore, but I did it, I did what they said I couldn't so long ago, I felt as if a great burden has been lifted off my shoulders, I only wish I could've done the same for you Aya, so you didn't have to live with the pain. Apparently Twilight had been taking care of me the four days I was out, not wanting to leave until I was better. I saw her blush when Applejack said this and I wondered if she liked me, is there a law against such unions? Nevertheless I got to meet the Princess Celestia, she was a sight to see, head held high displaying a confidence like no other. Although when I introduced the news about there being an imminent threat, she treated it as if it were a minor task. It was only after she saw my face that she understood, the attack that would be coming would be far different than any she has seen before. The princess said I could begin their training once I was better, I just hope I'm not too late." Twilight looked back at the entry in awe, "So the one he loved was hurt and he could do nothing to help her, even if he wanted to," she whispered, and read on.

Day Thirteen:

"With Twilight's help I was finally well enough to start their training, and from the books that Twilight had let me read while I recovered I knew exactly how." The next few pages were filled with the results of their month of training, and Twilight was more interested with yesterday's events.

Day Forty-Four:

"I woke up late today, that battle took more out of me than I originally thought. As I flew above Ponyville I began to wonder if the gauntlet would work as planned, the Elders did say that it was used to protect and defend. After I met my friends and fought Irxion I was sure that these ponies are who I want to protect, this town reminds me of my old home. Once I got there and explained what I was going to do, to say the least my friends were skeptical. Rainbow Dash and I flew around the town and planted the crystals and rushed back, I hoped that they would appear even if we were in a different world. The crystals acted differently than when I first used them, and I was excited at the outcome of the experiment, maybe they could sense my will to protect this world. It was good to see Arkin again, my old mentor, he hasn't changed a bit, but I guess that doesn't happen when your dead. While we spoke Arkin brought up my royal title, and with it more bad memories, painful ones. Dash then joked about me having a queen and Twilight possibly filling that position if I didn't have one. I ran away from the group after that, I didn't know what to say, or what I could say for that matter. When I became the ruler I was supposed to choose a queen, back home I was going to choose Aya. I walked back to the group and Dash flew up apologizing, I told her it was no big deal and that I wasn't mad. However what Dash said about me and Twilight has been in my head the whole day, It's obvious that Twi likes me, and I think that I like her too, one day I'll have to tell her how I feel once this war is over." Twilight stops reading immediately.

"H-He likes me?" she whispers, smiling to herself in the quiet home, her train of thought is interrupted as a blinding flash of light stuns her.

Prologue: The Life of the Guardian

Prologue: The Life of the Guardian

Wryn was drenched with sweat as he pulled himself atop a hill that overlooked the town of Ponyville, he wiped the sweat from his eyes so he could get a better look of the town. It was near ten o'clock at night and Wryn hoped that he would have gotten here before sundown so he could meet the locals.

"Seems that I'll have to find a place to camp until tomorrow," Wryn sighed as he began to light a smokeless fire using his hands, "I wouldn't want to appear as the bad guy now would I?" Wryn's thoughts were cut short as he heard voices through the dense cover of trees that surrounded his camp site.

"But Twilight! Can't you stay a teensy-weensy while longer?" exclaimed a bright voice from the other side of the foliage, "We haven't even brought out the cake yet!"

"Pinkie, I need to get some rest, I have been at every single one of your parties since the beginning of this week! And I'm pretty sure you will have another one planned for tomorrow, so I promise to stay for the next one," came an exasperated groan from Twilight. This whole time Wryn was stock-still as he didn't want his presence to be known until he showed up in town the next morning, otherwise who knows how these two ponies would react? Wryn let out a sigh of relief as the two voices retreated into the distance.

"That was a close one" Wryn murmured to himself as he continued to set up his tent that he would sleep in for the night. Wryn was caught unaware as he suddenly heard the sound of somepony approaching through the trees. Great, just what I was trying to avoid, Wryn thought to himself as the rustling of the leaves grew louder. The pony was oblivious to all around her until she ran face-first into Wryn.

"Yeowch!" Wryn shouted in pain as his forhead collided with the horn of the purple unicorn. A likewise reaction was experienced with her, until she noticed what she ran into.

"Pardon- wait, who are you?" she inquired, "I've never seen a dragon like you before."

Wryn was stunned, Did she just say 'A dragon like you'?, apparently this pony wasn't phased by his appearance in a secluded part of the woods, he had expected anypony to turn tail and run. "Ahem," Wryn began, "I am one of the last survivors of my kind, the Divine Dragons, we were nearly wiped out due to the bloodlust of some crazed human, I was going to wait until dawn to show myself so I wouldn't intimidate anypony in town" Wryn explained.

"But why are you here is my question?" Insisted Twilight.

Wryn took a deep breath, "If you really want to know, I'll tell you everything."

End of Chapter One