The Guardian

Prologue

The winds of the first storm that ever was assaulted the everfree forest with an ungodly wrath, unrooting ancient trees that have withstood the test of time ever since the first dawn. Sheets of icy rain, colder windigo soul bombarded the landscape below, as lightning dances across the heavens, illuminating the tree tops and the valleys below. While the deafening roar of thunder echoed throughout every crack and crevice of this ancient realm, but despite this rage filled storm an elderly cloaked stallion carrying an old farmer’s scythe walked towards the forest unfazed by what he was witnessing.

The blade of his weapon shimmered with the ghoulish aura of the souls he stolen hours ago, illuminating the path before him and old wooden handle as it groans while the grain of the weathered wood shifted back and forth across the thin cloak, woven from the darkest shadows of the deepest depths depths of the void.

Behind him, two foals followed in close pursuit. The younger of the two, a snowy mare with a brilliant blue mane, glanced pleadingly towards her brother for answers. Her majesty ruby red eyes filled to the brim with terror, as they gaze at her brother. Tears of fear trickled from his stunning amethyst eyes, staining the deep charcoal black checks of his square, broad complexion.

Many a times had they tried to run away to the safety of the shadows. Only to be found and punished by black magic. Now they follow with fears reign tight around their throats, forcing their stiff sore limbs to move as if possessed by the spirits of the dead.

“Vinyl!” the colt whispered, his eyes locked onto what he thought to be the back of the elderly stallion head, while praying that he couldn’t hear him through the raging storm above. “Got any idea where he’s taking us?”

The filly named Vinyl merely opened and closed her mouth silently, unable to summon her voice.

“We are almost there,” The Elderly Stallions announces over his shoulder, his voice echoing with that of his latest victims, the voices of the foals parents.

“But where are you taking us?” Asked the colt weakly, fear dripping with every syllable as his voice trembled.

Vinyl nodded in agreement, bracing herself for a punishment that would never come.

“You’ll see,” The Elderly Stallion answered, picking up his pace. “Best hurry, the Lordes don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Trotting after their captor, hundreds of unvoiced questions drift in the foals minds, as they blindly follow the stallion towards an unknown destination. Causing a new found fear to have entered Vinyls heart, as she approached the forest. The cries of timber wolves and crackling of trees being uprooted echoed out from the dark deeps of the forest. Causing a moment of hesitation to overcame the young filly, as the flowery meadows gave way to the shadows of the Everfree Forest.

Countless tales from the foals parents about how forests inhabitants that dwell within its deepest darkest depths have only one soul purpose and desire in life: to kill. Drifts into the fillies mind as she entered the old pine forest. Her heart jumped into her throat as hoof drawn images by her father of the creatures of this forest flash before her eyes. Detailed pictures of rotting timber wolves, plagued bears, and countless other foul creatures that stalk shadows of the most remote parts of the forest. Causing Vinyls hair on her neck to stand on end, as her mind began playing tricks on her.

An uprooted trees roots looked like the heads of snarling timberwolves, saliva dripping from its dagger like teeth to Vinyl, paralyzing her with fear as she stared back into it’s glowing red eyes. Until the blood curdling cry from her brother rang through the forest, louder than the storm above. Causing Vinyl whip around towards the direction her brothers cry of agony came from, and start sprinting like she had never done before, to go to her brother aid.

Branches of fallen pines scratched at her face, as she made her way through the forest. The void in her stomach steadily grew larger, and larger until her brothers screaming came to an abrupt end, causing it to expand at an accelerated rate.

“Where did she go!” The furious voice of the Elderly Stallion rang throughout throught the trees. “Stop lieing to me, and tell me where the worthless wretch ran off!”

Another blood curdling rang through the night.

“Is her life really that important to you?” The Elderly Stallion demands. “Do you truly believe she’ll come to your rescue?”

“Vi-would-never-abandon-me,” Comes the faint labored reply of Vinyls brother, as Vinyl herself grew closer to where her brother was being tormented.

“Then where is she?!” The Elderly Stallion roared, as yet another blood curdling scream came from Vinyl’s brother, this time incredibly weaker than the last.

“Stop!” Vinyl screamed her voice thick with worry, as she bursts into a clearing to find the limp form of her brother held up into the air in a decay green magic aura.

“There you are,” The Elderly Stallion snarls, dropping Vinyl’s brother to the muddy ground.

“Crescent!” Vinyl screeches so loud her voice goes hoarse, as she runs up to the side of her limp brother.

“See what you caused,” The Elderly Stallion laughs, looking down at Vinyl, as she shakes her brothers side desperately trying to rouse him.

“Please wake up,” Vinyl whines, tears brimming up in her eyes as she starts to shake her brother violently. “Please wake up Crescent, I can’t lose you like this. Not today, not right after losing mommy and daddy!, please Crescent wake u-”

A black hoof delivers a swift kick to Vinyl’s head. “Stop whining,” The Elderly Stallions voice comes faintly, as her world begins to spin and come in and out of focus until everything goes black...

Vinyl and her brother lay motionlessly in a clearing as the Elderly Stallion begins to address three figures with long thin black robes that flow freely in the wind. Each of which are sitting on huge stone thrones that guter up towards the raging heavens above.

Thorny vines from surrounding shadowy pine forest cling to the cracks in the old weathered stone of the thrones with their blood red flowers in full bloom. Rays of moonlight beam down from a gap in the clouds, casting shadows across the small clearing of the tops of the swaying old growth pine trees from the surrounding forests.

“My lords,” the Elderly Stallion beings, bowing deeply. “I regret to inform you, that the guardian did just as you predicted.”

“We know,” says the middle figure says coldly, as it gets up from it’s throne. “What have you brought forward before us, Death?”

“I have brought his children,” Death replies steadily, still bowing.

“And why have you brought them here?” the figure questions, gesturing for Death to get on his hooves. “I suspect there is a good reason for this?”

“Yes, I do milord,” Death answers, getting up onto his hooves. “The world is changing, life is beginning to flourish like never before, and I am growing weak. With the guardian gone there needs to be an replacement to protect the tomb, and a fitful defender to protect it and it’s carrier.”

The figure on the left signals for Death to continue.

“I believe it is best for me to take my departure into the nether,” Death says, looking at each of the figures. “I believe these two children would make suitable replacements. Their bound is strong, and I believe this to be of value. For not only will it help them get through the trials ahead, but it’ll make the burden of living eternally an easier one the bear.”

“Is that all you have to say?” inquires the middle figure, taking a seat back in his throne. “Or is that all you have to tell?”

“It is not,” Death confirms, looking back at the two foals laying motionlessly on the ground behind him. “While there is many advantages to having these two as the guardian and death, there is also many disadvantages as well.”

“Like so?” asks the figure to the right.

“It’ll make it harder for one to leave the other behind to die for the sake of the universe,” Death says flatly, turning his attention back to the three cloaked figures. “But while there is great disadvantages, the advantages outweigh them tremendously.”

“What I fail to understand, is how does one living on while their sibling dies a notable concern,” asks the middle lord. “Did you yourself not manage?”

“With all do respect milord,” Death responds, looking at the middle figure. “You will never understand the burdened of eternal life to the extent that I do. It breaks ones will to go on while watching their family member, loved ones, and friend grow old and die around them, while one simply lives on, just as healthy as the day one were both granted a great gift, and befallen this curse.”

“Duly noted,” says the cloaked figure to the left, standing up. “Brothers, I believe that Death has brought up many points, some good, and some bad, but despite this I believe he has made the right decision.”

Death nods in approval to the figures words.

“I believe you’ve earned the right to join your family, friends, and loved ones in the nether my old friend, but are these two who you truly desire to take yours, and the guardians place?” the figure to the left says, looking at Death from his throne. “You’ll be leaving the fate to everything that lives from the smallest blade of grass, to the biggest Hydra in the hoofs of these two children.”

“I stand by what I have said,” Death says, once more looking at each one of the cloaked figures. “It is my time to go, and I believe my decision to be the right one. I Death, protector of the guardian, and shepherd of souls, hereby requests leave from my position, and that you pass it to whom I have selected to be my predecessor.”

“Then I, as Lord of Time, here by relieve you of your position, may you find the peace you hope to find in the afterlife,” The figure on the left says, waving his glowing hoof through the air. “Goodbye old friend.”

With a relief sigh, Death’s soul left his body in a milky glow, and for the first time in ages, Death let a smile spread across his face as he returned to his youth. No longer was his flesh slowly rotting away from his body, but now he is as he once was, a young power stallion.

With another wave of the Lord of Times hoof, Death vanished into the nether, his corpse turned to dust, and scattered into the winds. Leaving behind his cloak and scythe, in the spot where he once stood.

“Now to move onto other business,” states the middle figure irritably, looking over at The Lord of Time.

“Don’t get upset my brother,” The Lord of Time says, waving a hand dismissively at his brother. “The Lord of the Heavens and I are giving our old friend some time to settle in the nether, before we replace him.”

“You mustn’t forget what he has done for us, for that he deserves our respect and gratitude,” The Lord of the Heavens says sternly, turning towards the figure besides him. “Are you beginning to think little of those who serve us? Or are you becoming corrupt?”

“Be careful of what you say,” Spits The middle Lord in disgust, sitting up straighter as he stares at the two unctuous foals. “Assumptions can be as dangerous as accusation.”

The Lord of Time and the Heaven look at one another, speaking unspoken words. “What I said was no mere assumption, or accusation, it was the truth,” The Lord of the Heavens says clearly, as a long thin blade begins to materialize in the Lord of Time’s hoof.

“How long have you known?” the middle lord asks calmly.

“For sometime now,” The Lord of the Heavens says, as The Lord of Time runs the long thin blade through his brothers side. “The Ancient tome is not for our eyes to read, nor is it’s power to be used to cleanse this world of the creators you deem unworthy.”

The middle lord begins to laugh.

“Do you truly think you’d be rid of me that easy,” scofes the Middle lord, as black blood begins to flow from the wound. “Did you honestly think that I, the Lord of the nether would die this easily?”

“No, I did not,” The Lord of the Heavens says calmly, as The Lord of Time begins to slowly back away from his brother. “Nor did I expect the blade to be the thing that hinders you...”

As the Lord of the Heavens finishes speaking, A bolt of lightning came down from the stormy sky, and struck the blade in the Lord of the Nether body. Causing nerves to flare in the Lord of the Nethers body to fire off, making him jerk violently in seat as lightening relentlessly strikes the end of the blade, until he would finally collapse onto the ground.

“Begon,” The lord of the Heavens says, waving his hoof in the air, causing the Lord of the Nether to vanish.

“Where will The Lord of the Nether be imprisoned at?” The Lord of Time asks, staring down at the middle of black blood.

“With the stags, under the great tree,” The Lord of the Heavens replies casually, acting as if it was nothing of importance.”Now I do believe we’ve given Death enough time to settle into the nether, time to name his and the guardians predecessors...”