The Coltaran Chronicles: Chapter 1, Dark Moon Rising [Equestria] (OPEN)

[Valencetiger]

You awaken to find yourself in a dark hallway, surrounded by gray walls and with no other way to go except forward. There is a icyness that embraces your body and soul, one that seems to have been there for days. As you continue down the bleak corridor, you begin to see a bright light to guide you from the darkness. You move closer and closer, picking up the pace as the light grew and warmth began to flow into your body. Finally, you reach the end of the hallway and into the light, only to find yourself in a large, circular library. At the center, you see two comfortable red linen chairs next to a fireplace. Suddenly, you hear a voice in your head and the room surrounding you.

"Ah...you have finally arrived, I see. Please...please sit down. We have much to discuss, you and I."

You do not know who was talking, but you decide to do as the voice said, since you had nowhere to go anyway. You make your way for the chair and sit down, sinking into its warm embrace. After a couple of moments, a eerie form appears from the fireplace, slowly transforming into a human-like shape. You watch, transfixed, as a figure is made, and the form becomes a fully physical being. In front of you stood a rather tall humanoid, wearing soft-looking white clothing, and a large wide-brimmed silver hat on its head. Its beard flows down its chest like a translucent stream of mercury, and its skin as dark as coal. You realize that the being before you is a male, and watch him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. He gives you a disarming smile to set you at ease, and sits down himself after setting aside a glorious crystalline scepter. After a few quiet moments, he finally begins to speak.

"I am glad you made it...many do not know how to reach this sanctuary of mine. Oh, but where are my manners...? My name is Azrial. Azrial, the Weaver. As for why you are here, and who I am, I will explain shortly. Right now, you are in a transference between lives, and so I must prepare you for what you will see. Tell me...do you remember Kaltara?"

You shake your head, wondering why he asked such a question. Azrial chuckled to himself, nodding.

"Yes...I assumed as much. Of course, I cannot blame you, for it is a land of great mystery and beauty that so few outside of it will ever see. Now, for some answers that will ease your troubled mind. The reason you are here, is because you are dead. You have passed on from your previous life, and are now moving on to the next. Do not be alarmed, for this happens to every creature who dies. Who I am...it is a complicated story, and one I will tell you if you request it."

You nod a bit shakily, for you have been caught off-guard by the revelation that you are dead, and now wish to know what this mysterious creature had to say. Azrial's hand glowed with a soft white light, as a small book flew over to him and settled on his lap. However, he did not open it; he did not have to in order to tell this story.

"I was born into the world long ago, when it was barbaric and young. Back then, there was almost no sentient life, and everything was made by the seven primal energies of the world. It was created by the same being who created me, Pharaxmas. He gave me, and my five other siblings life. Underneath him, we grew and grew, until it was time to perfect the world we were put on. My father, brothers, sisters, and I each represented the elements that fueled the earth, and thus used our natural talents to create much of what you'll see in this world today. This creation went on for seven days, until we had created the start of a perfect world. Phoebus, at the end of the creation, said that we must make a few more things in order for life to flourish...and they were the races of mortal kind.. Each of us put our own power and that of the world into these new life forms, so that they would keep everything balanced. My brother Regriel created the Orcs, Kazziel the Elves. My sisters also made their own races; Lenariel forged the Baraki, Tavriel the Dwarves, and Sabriel the Hikarri with some aid from me. Then at last, I created my own race...the one which you would know as Mankind; humanity. On their completion, life began to swell across the globe, and we had finally finished what we were made to do."

You sat in silence during the whole speech, taking in the words Azrial had spoken, a flurry of questions swirling inside your head. Azrial took in a deep breath, and sighed.

"...While we were the parents of a whole new world, my siblings and I simply weren't satisfied. Our father, Pharaxmas, disappeared shortly after the Creation, and we did not know what to do with ourselves. Eventually, we decided to have children of our own. Taking pieces of ourselves and copying them, we created several creatures whom embodied our spirits. Regriel created the dragons, Sabriel created the sea serpents, Kazziel created the griffons, Tavriel created a golem of nature, Lenariel created the dire wolves, and I created the Nephilar. While my siblings created their children in massive numbers, I only made three...for three were all that I needed. Their names were Miralla, Daellar, and Caltir, and I loved them more than anything else in the world. Each of them bore pieces of myself; Miralla had my heart, Daellar my mind, and Caltir obtained my spirit. Unfortunately, none of those forementioned children exist anymore...they were wiped out after the first Cataclysm."

You looked at Azrial with an incredulous expression. Based on what he explained, you determined that he was a God of some sort; was he your God? What race were you? You could not determine whether to believe him or not, so you concluded to keep listening. Azrial gives you a knowing glance, a slight smirk on his lips, and he began again.

"As with all great things...they all must come to an end. My time on that world was coming to a close, and I would soon have to say farewell to all of my children. My other siblings and I were being drained of our life energies in order to sustain the world; in order to prevent our demise, we created a new source of energy for the world to use: the Ascending Lights. However, the damage done was irreversible, and one by one we faded from the living world until I was the only one remaining. With my last breaths, I realized the Lights would need a guardian, or else they would be used wrongly, and so I left the knowledge of the Ascending Lights to my sons and daughter, so that they would keep guard over them after I died. Not only did they take up the mantel of protecting the Lights...but they also took up the mantels of leaders. During their reign, the humans I created grew to incredible sizes in population, and my children served them all as kings and queen. In Kaltara, where this all began, it was known as the Age of Creation, and rightfully so. Each of my children began to resent each other, until they finally showed outright hatred. My middle child, Daellar, was perhaps the worst among them for this. He hated his sister Miralla, and his hatred soon led to the first war on the face of Kaltara. Uniting his kingdom of Rai'zan, he invaded Havara, my daughter's kingdom, in order to obtain its wealth. The horrible fighting continued for five years, until on the war's fifth anniversary, my daughter's army and people vanished. When Daellar discovered this, he rushed his forces all the way to Havara's capital, Ximara. Upon arriving, they found Miralla as the glorious city's only inhabitant. Out of the anger and spite he had for her, Daellar ordered her capture...and execution. Before her death, however, she said she had sent her two heirs over the Skywall Mountains into the lands beyond, and hoped that one day they will return for what is theirs by birthright. Even I am uncertain who these two children are...but if I were to guess, they'd be a powerful couple of demi-gods."

Azrial laughed to himself at the last statement, but there was a deep sorrow within his eyes. You drew several conclusions as to who these grandchildren were, but kept them to yourself. Azrial set the book he had aside and gazed intently at you before speaking once more.

"That is the end to my story...but the beginning of a whole other story. After the death of my daughter, Kaltara went through a great change, and has been through more suffering than many other lands would ever feel. My son Daellar enjoyed the wealth he obtained from Havara for a long while, but by then his hatred for his brother Caltir resurfaced as well. Then, Rai'zan and Sanguire broke out into a war with one another as well. In this battle, magic was forged into weaponry...and became one of the most brutal conflicts in existence. Daellar, in the hopes of swiftly defeating Caltir, searched for the Ascending Lights. For centuries, he wondered, while Caltir refused to use the Lights, honoring my wishes. Eventually, Daellar found the artifacts that I helped create...and tried to use them to wipe Sanguir off the map. Of course, he did not know of the trap that was set to trigger on activation of such dangerous magic. The Lights tried to reverse the magic, to shut themselves off. To my despair...my son fought with their power, and in the end causing his own death, and the deaths of many others. A powerful explosion went off from the battle of wills, and it left the whole world shaking from the disaster. It set off a cataclysm of apocalyptic proportions, changing the landscape in Kaltara and beyond forever. Out of the ashes, several city-states and small nations appeared, and began fighting over the land that the kingdoms of Rai'zan and Sanguir used to possess. For one hundred years, they fought among themselves...while an even darker threat loomed. The explosion that was created formed a large crater and pit, and deep within these holes, evil creatures started to manifest, monsters of nightmare and horror. Apparently, the magic in that part of the land had become tainted, and the very elements themselves started to become twisted. Like a swarm of locusts, the monsters climbed out of this place, now refered to as the Bleakness, and devoured the land. The weaker nations close to the Bleakness were destroyed in a manner of days, and the stronger ones on the verge of collapse; all hope seemed lost. However, out of the darkness came a small light, created by the Mage known as Tyre. After witnessing the destruction these evil creatures caused, he gathered the strongest Mages and Sages in all of Kaltara, and united the remaining nations together under a single banner, forming the Covenant of Ten. United, this war coalition punched through the disorganized creatures, pushing back the monstrous horde and regaining the lands that were lost. After many years of fighting, they finally arrived upon the doorstep of the insidious Pit of Nightmares, located in the center of the Bleakness. Tyre and six of his strongest Mages went alone into the Darkness, and met face to face with the worst creature of all: My son, Daellar, now refered to as Sharlan the Specter by mortals everywhere. He had been forever transformed, both in body and soul. Together, Tyre and his allies defeated the Specter, and imprisoned him beneath the Pit of Nightmares with the Ascending Lights. On returning back to the heartland of Kaltara, Tyre gathered the greatest minds and warriors in Kaltara to form the Wardens of the Seals, an organization whose sole duty was to prevent the release of Sharlan, and to be ready for when he eventually breaks free from his prison."

When Azrial was finished, he summoned a book over to the table in front of you, labeled: "The Stygian War". You stare at it curiously, then at Azrial, who nodded in the direction of the book. You pick it up, and begin to read the words inside...

"...in the year ---- Kaltaran society was at its highest state in several thousand years. It was a time of invention, science, and ingenuity. Populations and technological advances seemed to increase every day, and everything seemed right with their world, or so it would seem. The Wardens at this time became primarily a collection of world leaders who were great Mages and Sages, using their power and wisdom to guide the inhabitants in peace and prosperity. However, they had forgotten entirely the horrors of the Specter and his monstrous hordes, and this ignorance of their very birth led to their destruction. In search of a new source of power greater than that which the Ascending Lights provided, a pair of Wardens created a great magical drill to mine the font of magic...they were too late to discover that the power was that of the Specter, and that they had just opened his tomb. Out from the Breach, as it was soon called, poured the Nightspawn of the past and the Bleakness along with it. It was during this time that the first Nightchildren began to arise...along with thirteen of the world's greatest Wardens, who later became known as the Heartless. What followed was a great conflict known as the Stygian War, which decimated the mortal realm and finally ended when Silvan Stargazer, leader of the forces of Light and the Wardens, led a team of skilled Mages into the Breach in order to seal the Specter and his minions away once more. As is known, Silvan (known as the Lightbinder), successfully banished the Specter to his prison, along with the Heartless...but the seal was imperfect, and came with seven seals of which had been lost to the flows of time. As retaliation for his imprisonment, the Specter placed his wicked taint on the Ascending Light of Astral magic...and drove the Mages of the world insane. Silvan and his companions who went to the Breach were the first to succumb to the madness of the taint, and eventually all of the practicing Mages fell. In their insanity, the Mages used their power to create mountains from plains, seas from deserts, annihilate entire cities...this Mage Cataclysm went on for nearly one hundred years until the death of the last Mage. The event later became known as 'Silvan's Folly', and prevented his ascendence to Saintdom. The inter-year period of the Cataclysm is disorganized, and few facts are known on this matter; thus, this tome is incomplete."

You close the book after reading the summary, and you begin to look at Azrial with a new sense of dread. However, more questions kept going through your mind: 'Why is he showing me this?' 'What does he want with me?' 'How does this have anything to do with me?'. You ask the first question, and he smiled gently.

"Well, it is because I do believe you will be connected to Kaltara's salvation through fate, young one. You see...I can see the strings of destiny tied onto you. However, I cannot say in what way you are connected to it all. Also, I am unsure as to whether you will be born in the time of need once more, or afterwards. Although, I will say this: you are linked to far more than you believe...and you may be the one to prevent the world's destruction. One question you may ask is 'Why me?"...well, I cannot answer that, for I do not control the tides of destiny, I just connect them as I see fit. There is one more book you need to read...one that is as important as the other."

Another book drifted over to the table, resting on top of the previous one. The title was in a fancy form of writing, and said "The History of the Dragoran Empire". You pick it up and begin to read the first chapter.

"...Before our glorious empire was created, Kaltara was in a state of conflict. Civil wars, bloody successions, and petty national rivalries divided the land, with Lumen'dor being the only sanctuary from the fighting. Despite the chaos, one nation still flourished. Located on the western shore of Kaltara, our great mother kingdom of Dragora grew from the land that used to belong to the mythical Rai'zan of old. A new king had been raised, one with the ambition to unite the world under one ruler. We know him as the First Emperor, but he was known back then as Ashmire Drake. Once a simple peasant, he was chosen by fate to rise to power and lead the Dragoran nation to glory. Among us, he was courageous, kind, and selfless, while his enemies knew him to be crafty, strong, and ruthless. For years he amassed his armies, waiting for the right time to begin his impending invasion. With his allies at his back, he conquered many of the nations to the east with ease by using either force or persuasion. By the end of his conquests, nearly all of Kaltara belonged to him, and he was crowned High King. It was then that he turned his attention onto Lumen'dor, last bastion of the Wardens. Growing up to have severe distrust in anything that has to do with magic, he knew he had to destroy the Wardens if he was to make the land perfect. The siege lasted ten years until his death from a crippling poison. Seeking vengeance for the death of his father, the eldest of Ashmire's sons, Beryllan, led a final assault against Lumen'dor and broke through the enchanted walls. Once inside, the treacherous Wardens were slaughtered until the Archwarden at the time, the Lady Aerysia, surrendered and was executed for the use of forbidden Astral magic and the crime of slaying Ashmire Drake. Once Lumen'dor was torn to the ground, Beryllan returned to the mountain stronghold of Ashen Gate and named himself Emperor of Kaltara. At the end of his reign, each speck of land was under Imperial rule."

You place the book down, somehow knowing that it was all you needed to read, and you look up to see Azrial with his back turned toward you, gazing intently into the unnatural fire.

"...so now you know what you must know. I have given this information to you so that you can forge your own destiny. In Kaltara's current era, Mages are suppressed and controlled...they are despised for their natural affinity to magic, and they struggle to prevent any magical contact so that they could live. It is truly a miserable time...but perhaps you, or someone like you, can fix it."

Azrial turns to you and gazes deep into your eyes. You could feel him penetrating to the very depths of your spirit, reading it. After a moment, Azrial nodded and smiled.

"I see now that I made the right choice. Go, now...go and become a part of the world once more. I will be watching, and guiding, you and all that are like you."

You'd feel yourself get lighter and lighter, your vision slowly turning dark, and as you begin to return to the living world you hear Azrial's final whisper resound in your mind countless times:

"...do not forget who you are, or who you will be, Child of Fate. Whether you be of the Darkness or the Light, know this; that there is never an end...only another beginning."

It is with those last few words that you feel yourself fade away entirely, enveloped in a wet warmth. A light shines in your vision, leading the way out of the tunnel of darkness in which you had laid in.You feel yourself dragged out into the world once more...the only sounds reaching your ears being that of your very own cries as the light welcomes you into your new life.

[Valencetiger]

Greetings, all! In this version of the Coltaran Chronicles, I'm letting you, the RPers, dictate the events of the story! While some things must happen in order to make the story flow the way it is supposed to, it will be mainly influenced on your experience, characters, and decisions. Consider it the Mass Effect series, MLP-style . In either case, I hope you all enjoy this, because I sure will!

Rules:

1. You can RP as any intelligent creature, however, ponies will be part of a large portion of the story.

2. Coltarans and Equestrians have different marks on their bodies. While the Cutie Mark in Equestria is found on the horse's flank, in Coltara it is found on their chest. Unlike Equestrian ponies, Coltarans make themselves a second, permanent name once they have obtained their Destiny Mark.

3. In Coltara, their society is extremely more complex than normal Equestrian society, and I will post Coltaran social structure in the Coltaran Chronicles OOC thread. (You may find it familiar to the Caste System in Hindu religion).

4. Character death IS possible, but will not be done unless permitted by the Role-player who possesses that character.

5. NO SEXUAL CONTENT. This isn't one of those RPs. (Or is it? O.o)

6. Enjoy yourself!

[Valencetiger]

Oh, and one more thing.

Please post any opinions you might have on this background story in the Coltaran Chronicles OOC. Any praises and/or criticism will be helpful.

[Valencetiger]

Black Moon:

The sleek, dark pegasus looked up at the night sky, his purple eyes scanning the heavens above. He shivered from the cold air, returning his gaze to the looming black stone at the top of the mountain. He had traveled to this part of Equestria from Coltara, a journey that took weeks, and had cost greatly...still, he felt relieved that he had finally made it. Two other pegasi followed behind him, wearing extremely dark green armor. They were his escorts and personal guards, from the elite regiment that protected the Imperial Family. Known as the Nightingales, they were the most feared warriors in Coltara, and it was said that they would even murder little foals if their charges demanded it. As the three proceeded up the mountain, the air started to become colder and more ominous.

"...I am almost there...I cannot fail the Crystal Daughter now."

Black Moon always told himself that, he made himself remember that every waking moment of his life was dedicated to the daughter of the Empress Tulipia, may she live forever. However...something like this? What was his lady thinking, engaging herself with such an evil organization? It mattered not, because he would do as she asked anyway. He was Tov'Kin (Property), the Princess was his life. Finally, they approached the very tip of the mountain, the rotating black crystal which stood on its peak absorbing the light surrounding it and beckoning them closer. He turned his gaze onto the two Nightingales, his dark purple eyes showing slight displeasure in this part of the journey.

"You know what you must do...hurry, for I wish to leave quickly."

The two guards approached the crystal, and then went onto their knees. The crystal began to spin faster, and shined with a sinister light. The two armored pegasi pulled out oddly-shaped, serpentine daggers from their sleeves, and pointed the ends at their throats. In unison, they spoke their final words:

"My life for the Empress...my life for He Who Sleeps."

They plunged the daggers in, but instead of penetrating their flesh, it went right through them. A second later, both fell over dead without a scratch on their bodies. Immediately afterwards, their bodies began to glow and small strands of blue light were leaving their bodies, drifting to the crystal and being absorbed. The dark gem's light began to pulsate, until finally the light inside expanded, and revealed a hooded figure.

"You are late, Black Moon. You should not keep your future Empress waiting."

Black Moon bowed down to his knees, lowering his head.

"My apologies...the Dimension Barriers were more resistant that we expected. They are still strong in certain areas, it seems."

"Of course. The Artificer's work is no laughing matter...at least not yet. Now that you have arrived in this bizarre land...Equestria, is it? You are to start the take-over. I want their government weakened, I want the people broken. Let them pose no resistance to the Ever Victorious Army. I trust you, Black Moon...that is why you were chosen for this special mission. Our master demands that this be done..."

"Yes, Milady...I live to serve only you."

"You are wrong...we both live to serve He Who Sleeps...the Great Lord will be awakened again, and will rule this pathetic world..."

The crystal dimmed, and the image was gone. Black Moon stood back up and stayed there in complete silence. Having a Night Child for a mistress was...exhausting...but he will do as his princess demanded. His dark indigo eyes settled on the far-off glowing lights of Canterlot, and a wicked smile spread across his face.

"...let the chaos begin."

So begins a new story, a new saga of adventures filled with wonder, friendship, passion, tragedy, and mystery. As the webs of fate are strung throughout the hearts of the many ponies in Equestria and Coltara, who will be there to fight? What side will they belong to? Will fate choose the darkness, or the light? All will be revealed, as the world turns to ashes...

[LegoCOBrony19]

You got an interesting RP going on here, but I'm a bit of a loss on trying to figure out the majority. You social structure seems good, I'll give you that.

I'll be keeping an eye on this one... for now.

[Valencetiger]

You got an interesting RP going on here, but I'm a bit of a loss on trying to figure out the majority. You social structure seems good, I'll give you that.

I'll be keeping an eye on this one... for now.

Thank you I appreciate your honesty. Also, please use the new Coltaran Chronicles OOC for this sort of material from now on.

Here is the link: http://www.canterlot.com/topic/11249-the-coltaran-chronicles-ooc/#entry262790

[MysticMasquerade]

-DELETED-

[Valencetiger]

Very extensive! I will have to piece together what the major idea of the RP is, and I appreciate the RL reference of how the RP is (Mass Effect for MLP) xD

I will see how this goes, and once I have created a secondary character for this RP, I will get back to ya. Keep up the awesome work!

It looks awesome!

Mystic

I appreciate the enthusiasm and compliments However, please remember to keep Non-RP comments (OOC) in the OOC thread.

http://www.canterlot.com/topic/11249-the-coltaran-chronicles-chapter-1-ooc-open/

There is the link.

[Valencetiger]

Shining Armor

Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard

Shining armor looked at the grisly scene once more, guards moving all along the alley, gathering up possible evidence and cleaning up the small splatters of blood. He sighed, his exhausted eyes scanning the ground for any extra details. This was the fourth beating in the last week, and the culprit had not been found yet. While none of the ponies beaten had died, the one this time nearly did. Many of the populace in Canterlot believed it to be a simple mugger, but to Shining Armor, that wasn't the case. Each of the victims did not have a single item stolen from them, and each one was an important member of Princess Celestia's court. The whole situation disturbed him...but he didn't let his thoughts dwell long on it, for he was being called over to the side by one of the guards.

"Captain, we've found something...you had better come look at this."

Curious at what the guard had found, Shining Armor trotted over. In a corner next to a dumpster laid a small note on the ground, written in fine ink and easily readable. He lifted up the piece of paper and began to read it aloud, the frown on his face growing with each word.

"This is only the beginning. The future is almost here, and it does not have room for those who are weak. We, who arrived from a land beyond this world, will take everything you have...and burn it in front of your very eyes."

Despite the grim words and threats on the note, Shining Armor felt a surge of hope for the first time this week. If the pony who beat the noble left this note here...perhaps they can be found through the note. He handed it over to the guard, issuing his orders.

"I want you to take this to our analysts, perhaps their magic can find out who wrote this, and where we will find them. Be hasty, we have no time to lose."

The guard saluted, and galloped away, leaving Shining Armor alone at the crime scene. Yes! Maybe we can finally catch this criminal... He thought happily, turning from the crime scene and going off to take his report to Princess Celestia, knowing that she would want to hear it. On his way there, many of the nobles and common ponies waved and greeted him, offering warm smiles and thanks for the things he had done for Canterlot. This was what he loved about being a part of the Royal Guard, seeing the admiration on a young colt's face, or the appreciation in a pony's eyes. It was these ponies he had promised to protect, and protect them he will.

[Valencetiger]

-deleted-

[FermataTheBasse]

"So as you can see, clouds will frequently dissipate unless proper wing movements are used to limit the creation of destructive vortexes..." Daring Do, known only as 'The Professor' to her class, stood before a group of semi-attentive colts and fillies. Her back was to her audience, her right hoof was drawing abstract mathematical figures through the fluffy surface of a cloudboard. 'The Professor' droned on in a voice that carried zero of the charm and charisma that had been infectious only years before. Daring sighed, a quiet sigh that none of her students were clued into. Those days were long behind her. The dull, never ending ache from her once glorious wings told her that much.

"When you are in the future on one of Equestria's many weather teams, you must always keep in mind this principle..." Daring wondered why she was even thinking about this now, of all times. It was near graduation, the young pegasi flyers would soon be free to wreak havoc- bless their hearts- on Equestria at large. Daring recalled that she had once been the pegasus in one of these desks, half wondering when her teacher would shut up and let them go, dreaming about the future that her cutie mark had promised her. She hadn't been the best flier by a long shot. After all, she had crashed. And yet... she had dreamed about, and lived that future. Could she really let it go? Just like that? This was stupid! She had graduation ceremonies to prepare for, she couldn't entertain these selfish thought-

"Any questions?" Daring asked this automatically, she didn't expect anypony to actually raise their hooves. She was thus very surprised when one actually did, a young and scrawny filly near the back row. "Uh... Silver Scream?"

"Why didn't you become a weather mare, Professor?" Daring considered the question at length. She knew full well why she hadn't become a weather mare... Her history wouldn't stop bugging her. Even her unruly students- bless their hearts- seemed to be tuned to unknowingly torture her with innocent questions... Everything in Daring: her thoughts and feelings and relationships, seemed to want her to do this.

She had to talk to her.

-----

​Daring Do stepped gingerly from the carriage that had brought her to Canterlot. Ever since the incident she had hated flying, and the occasional glance of the stallion pulling the carriage at her bandaged wings didn't help. She cursorily thanked the stallion, and tried to ignore the pitying glances he kept shooting her broken appendages.

She had been dropped as close to Canterlot Castle as was possible, and trotted the rest of the way there. She sought the nearest guard:

"Excuse me? I requested an audience with the Princess." Daring exhaled heavily as she said the next part, braced herself. "I'm Daring Do."

[Valencetiger]

The two guards blinked their eyes, simply staring at her for a moment. Daring Do...? The storybook hero? They looked at one another, and then back at her, the guard on the right snickered at her.

"...I'm afraid the Princess is seeing Starswirl the Bearded today...but if you want, I can..."

The guard on the right kept mocking her while the one on the left was giggling slightly. Both were thoroughly enjoying this, and were obviously not going to let her through. It was about this time that Shining Armor came into view, and he spotted the guards and Daring. As he trotted up, he started to hear the words the guard was saying, and made a disappointed frown. When he was almost near, the guard who had kept quiet looked at Shining Armor, his eyes bulging as he nudged the guard who was talking, and they both got back into position and saluted. Shining Armor approached them with a disdainful glare.

"...let her through, she does have an audience with the Princess today. Also...perhaps you should keep your mouths shut before insulting one of Equestria's greatest heroes, hmm?"

The two guards' jaws dropped to the ground, but they recovered quickly, looking ashamed and nodding their compliance. They opened up to the two of them, and stepped to the side. Shining Armor sighed, and turned to Daring Do.

"I am very sorry for their behavior...new recruits, I'm afraid. I wish I could stay and escort you to the Princess...but I have other things that I need to take care of...it's good to see you again though, Daring."

Shining Armor put his hoof on Daring's shoulder in a comforting manner, and then put it back down, making his way into the palace and down a separate wing from where the Princess' main chambers are. The two guards voiced their apologies in low voices, waiting for her to pass.

[FermataTheBasse]

Daring Do impassively let them mock her until all of them, herself included, were surprised by the appearance of Shining Armor. It had been a while since she had met the Captain of the Guard, indeed the last time she had seen that stallion had been when she had still had working wings and he had just been a rookie... But before she could even say anything to acknowledge him, he was gone. Daring shook her head in slight wonder as the two guards lowly apologized to her.

"Uh... it's alright guys." Daring smiled sympathetically at the two guards. "You were just doing your jobs. After all, who could believe a crippled pegasus was Daring Do?" On that sombre note Daring passed between the two guards and into the chamber beyond.

[TotalEcplise]

GearShift had been awake all night with Princess Luna. The two were going the specs for a very peculiar device that the princesses had ask her to create for them. For six months she had been shacked up in the castle working day in and day out to create a portable device that could mimic teleportation. The implication of teleportation for everypony both fascinated and frightened her, but in the name of scientific advancement she took the offer.

She mostly worked on the project with Luna and during the time they were together they became good friends. GearShift proved herself to be more genius and resourceful with everyday that passed. And Luna proved herself capable of understand and even placing forth suggestions during the brainstorm session, if asked GearShift would say they both went in 50-50 on the project.

Today had proven to be a particularly productive day, the device actually managed to teleport itself and come back in one piece, problem was that it only managed to do it once before it burnt out its power source and anything that teleported with it would be burned to a crisp. Like the flowers around it, this is probably way Celestia didn't want them to experimenting in the royal gardens.

"Ugh, So close, fooling with this device is proving most stressful." Luna huffed as the the device returned to normal space.

"Well that's science for you," GearShift said staring at the steaming metal orb in front of her. "At least it went somewhere this time."

"True. GearShift, what do you think the problem was?" Luna sprays a burst of snowy wind at the device.

"Well, from the looks of things i'd say that there is just too much power flowing through it. Copper wiring can only handle so much then when the wiring can't handle anymore the device overloads and purges the excess energy as heat..." Tapping her hoof on her chin, an idea strikes her.

"Any Ideas?"

"Yeah actually. We can try crushing gems into powder and mixing them with a binding agent to create a gel then, charge the gel with lightning and run it through elastomer tubing. That should stop the overloading. Then, as a fail safe, we enchant the device itself with a cold plasma field to cool any heat that does discharge."

Luna stared at her friend in awe, it was unbelievable to the alicorn that such a sharp young mare didn't have any official credentials, but then again she remembered how rigid scholars could be and how they could easily turn down radical ideas like the ones GearShift formed.

Luna could do nothing but smirk as she watched the salmon colored mare happily take apart her invention, seeing such a display of magic and skill fascinated Luna it was rare to see a unicorn so talented, in fact she only knew two. The Night Princess trotted over to her friend and began assisting her by crushing gems into powder, they'll probably be working through the night again, but neither mare cared.

[Valencetiger]

Shining Armor

Captain of the Royal Guard

Shining Armor heard the loud sounds resounding from inside Luna's room, knocking on the door first before opening it slightly, only to find the Princess and the new technomage working on some new piece of machinery. Sighing, he trotted into the room.

"Princess Luna...I'm afraid I must draw you and your assistant away from your work for a short time. New evidence has surfaced about the beatings, kidnappings, and robberies that have been erupting all over Equestria. Would you happen to know where Princess Celestia is...? I can't find her anywhere..."

He felt embarrassed, not knowing where his own Princess was, but he knew he didn't have much to worry about on that sort of thing. He sat patiently, waiting for her response.

[TotalEcplise]

Shining Armor's entrance surprised GearShift slightly causing the mare to trip ask she turned from the table to see who came in. Luna quickly helped her friend up and turned to address Shining Armor.

"It's quite alright Captain," She said looking up from the elastic tubing.

She trotted over to Shining Armor "I believe I saw her last in her private study, come let us walk and talk." Luna waved GearShift over to her as they began to their trek.

"One second, I need to stabilize this....done!" She lowered her goggles from her face and smiled at Luna and Shining Armor. "Didn't want it to blow up you know." She straightened up her vest and trotted over to Luna.

"Shall we?" Luna said as she extend a hoof outward signalling Shining to take the lead. "Tell me, what new evidence have you found?"

[Valencetiger]

Shining Armor

Captain of the Royal Guard

Shining Armor made an ellaborate bow, escorting Luna and GearShift out and into the hallway. By the way he walked showed signs that he was obviously exhausted, but duty always came first in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he began to speak of what his guards had found while they moved down the hallway.

"...we've found some very disturbing pieces of evidence, I'm afraid. The uprise in crime is definitly linked to a source, and perhaps an organization that is pulling some strings in the criminal underworld. Today, we found this note as the first sign of proof..."

He handed the note he had found at the crime scene over to Princess Luna, concern apparent on his features.

"Other reports also talk of some new cult appearing, as well. While we don't know any specifics, we know they call themselves the Forerunners, and that their numbers are growing swiftly. Now, the only reason I can think of that would explain why the commonponies are flocking to this group, is magical manipulation. Hypnosis, perhaps? In either case, there are rumors of rebellion in some of the backwards towns on our borders."

[FermataTheBasse]

That was strange. When Daring entered the Princesses reciving chambers she found that the monarch of the sun seemed to have skipped out on their meeting. The royal throne sat vacant, and there were no guards on detail inside. Daring cocked her head slightly, more incredulous than worried at the moment. The Princess wasn't the sort of mare to forget events that required her attendance, and Daring hated to sound like a whiner but frankly, the Princess sort of owed her this much at least. There was no way that Princess Celestia would just leave her hanging like this... Daring slowly backed away, out of the chamber.

She set off at a smart gallop once she was clear of the chamber, calling out. "Princess Celestia? Princess Celestia? Shining Armor?" She had to get someone with authority, in case the Princess was somehow endangered, though Daring seriously doubted that. She considered going to Princess Luna. But that train of thought crashed when Daring realized that Nightmare Moon had only been purified after the events of the Sapphire Stone. As far as Luna was concerned, Daring Do probably was just a storybook tale, unless her sister had seen fit to inform Luna of the former royal adventurer's deeds.

"Is anypony here aware of where Princess Celestia is?" Daring called out to nopony in particular.

[Valencetiger]

One of the royal librarians approached her from behind, tapping her shoulder slightly and giving a sheepish grin when she saw the mare jump. She wasn't very distinguishable from the other librarians with her robes, but she did seem different.

"Um, sorry for scaring you like that...but did you say you were looking for the Princess? I believe she is at her private study...something has concerned her the past couple of days, and she's been having the guards bring her several books at a time."

Taking her leave, she bowed and left the chamber, disappearing past the corner.

[TotalEcplise]

Upon seeing the note Luna's face immediately caved into a frown. Her eye's scanned the parchment over and over again, but her mind could not believe what her eyes were registering. She knew better than to jump to conclusions, after all the chances of what she was thinking of were slim to none. Still though, it beat at her from the back of her mind, constantly clawing at her. It couldn't be. She thought to herself.

Luna's distress didn't go unnoticed though. The night princess' eyes had a far off look to them, but GearShift stayed by her side the entire time.

When Shining Armor mentioned something about a cult Luna nearly tripped and face-planted into the pristine marble floors of the castle hallways. GearShift helped Luna regain her balance, but she also turned her head attention to the Captain.

"Magical manipulation seems highly unlikely, Even when Queen Chrysalis had enough power to out duel Celestia she could only mind control you...The power required to influence any significant amount of ponies would be pretty immense." She guessed as Luna steadied herself with her help.

They turned the final corner and now stood face to face with a massive gold plated titanite door. Luna, legs shaking and breathing labored raised a hoof and knocked three times.

"Sister, we need to speak." She said shakily.

[FermataTheBasse]

Daring took a moment to catch her breath after the librarian had surprised her like that. Before she could turn around to thank the mare or even acknowledge that she had been there, the mare had vanished, a tail whipping around a corner. Daring exhaled heavily through her teeth. What was it with ponies vanishing on her all of a sudden? At least she had known where the Princess was. That was very odd though, Princess Celestia probably would have informed Daring if she had been too busy for a visit, instead of making her come all this way. Celestia was a prankster, true enough, but she wasn't that cruel. Unless the Princess was so busy she didn't even have time to politely decline requests for audiences?

Daring trotted about, not really knowing what to do next. She then noticed Princess Luna, Shining Armor, and a mare she'd never seen to date. They seemed to be troubled by something. Daring bowed in deference to Luna, before drawing up and approaching.

"You all look worried. May I ask what's wrong?"

[Valencetiger]

Shining Armor looked at Daring with a sad expression, indicating to the Princess and the study down the hall.

"I'm afraid things are going to become more dangerous here in Equestria, Miss Doo...please come with us, you have the right to hear about this too.

As they walked down the hallway, Shining Armor fill in Daring about the recent crime-rate and talks of rebellion, and the evidence of a new cultist organization appearing out of the blue, which could possibly threaten Equestria to its very core. Shaking his head sadly, he lagged behind a bit so the two of them could talk privately without Princess Luna and her companion overhearing them. Once out of ear-shot, he sighed regretfully.

"...everything is getting worse. Its the greatest sign of anarchy Equestria has ever seen, except for Discord. These...Forerunners...are a threat, and need to be dealt with. However...I'm not sure if we can. They have ground themselves so deeply into our population, that even if we were to arrest the leaders, they would act as martyrs, and only cause their minions' flames burn hotter. Equestria needs heroes, these days...but unfortunately there are none around. Every day...every day I worry that either Cadence or my sister Twilight will get hurt by one of those...bucking cultists!"

[FermataTheBasse]

Daring raised an eyebrow, this time with more worry than incredulity. She would trust Shining Armor, no matter what he said, he was definitely trustworthy. But it was hard to believe. Discord, Crysalis, Nightmare Moon aside, Daring hadn't grown up to know strife and chaos in Equestria. And nothing like what Shining Armor was talking about. Daring had to wonder how Shining Armor could even stomach the news he was giving her. She could barely stomach it herself, and she felt a significant lurch in her stomach as she tried to process the information.

"I'm so sorry, Shining Armor..." She thought of Shining's family, his wife and sister, who stood to be harmed by this... whatever this was. Suddenly infuriated, she stomped a hoof into the ground. "Equestria needs heros, huh...?" Before she could say the obvious however, she remembered the other obvious. A sad eye trailed down to the broken wings at her side. "I... I'm sure you'll find them, Shining." She looked away, ashamed with herself. With how little she could do.

[Valencetiger]

Realizing the insensitivity of the comment he made on Equestria needing heroes, guilt crossed over his face and he sighed, ashamed himself for being so rude.

"I...I'm sorry, Daring Doo...forgive my insensitivity towards you. These days have been stressful to all of us, most of all Princess Celestia herself. We are going to get through this, we and all of Equestria. I know we will...but we must hold out until then."

Shining Armor glanced out the windows from the side as they walked down the hallway behind Princess Luna and GearShift. He was growing awfully paranoid these days...while no attacks on the Palace have been made yet by the Forerunners, one never knew when it could happen.

[Valencetiger]

Princess Celestia

Celestia scurried through her study, going over several books and reading many ancient tomes from when she was young. How long has it been...? Five thousand years? Yes...yes that's it. She hardly even remembered her days as a foal, but the ponies that she and her sister lived with had told her of the stories of where they came from. Colt...colt...Coltara? Yes, that was the place! The past few days she had been reading on what happened, with the invasion of Heavana, the exile, the settling of Equestria...it was a lot to handle, but she had to figure this out. If those rumors of these Forerunners being from Coltara is true...than she will have to learn much about it. She didn't hear the first knock on the door, but when the second sounded, she blinked, her horn glowing as the door opened for her guests, looking at them all, and then a flash of regret upon seeing Daring Doo.

"Ah, Daring Doo...I'm sorry for missing our meeting, it was very rude of me. I was simply caught up with something here...and as for Shining Armor, I suppose you have a report for me, and you brought my sister and our new technomage along? If so, then I believe it must be urgent to having brought them as well."

The royal guard captain nodded, bowing respectfully to Princess Celestia.

"It is, your Highness. I already passed on the details to your sister, so that she can pass on this information. Unfortunately, I cannot stay...there is still more evidence to analyze."

Princess Celestia nodded her consent and dismissed him, watching him leave. Once he was out of sight, she turned to her sister and frowned.

"Is it as we feared, Sister? Are they connected to...'them'?