[AU: Age of Heroes] Bahamut and Rosetta [Ready]

[Dubstep]

Super Hero Name(s): Bahamut & Rosetta

 

Appearance: Bahamut, as one would come to expect, is a tall, silver scaled ‘teen’ dragon with bright blue eyes. Wearing a suit of armour made from a strange, blueish slightly glowing series of metal plates that seems held together by a flow of magic. Similar to his armour is the large weapons he carries. On average one will see him with a mace made of the same metal, sometimes a sword, sometimes a flail, depending on the situation that arises.

Outside of the armour, Smolder is surprisingly lithe and toned, something most would not expect out of someone wearing such a hulking suit of armour. Though his combat prowess is rarely in question in armour or out.

Rosetta currently exists as a being of light and energy after the incident. The blueish glow on Bahamut’s armor comes from her presence. Being made of light and energy lets her take any form that she would desire, though made from the Thaumite plates of Bahamut’s armour and weapons which are the only physical object she can currently interact with. Normally she chooses a form that matches her old physical body, a diamond dog.

Before the incident occurred, Rosetta was a short, slightly chubby diamond dog. Her features would remind one of much of a corgi, albeit in shades of fiery red and cream.

 

Powers:

Bahamut - Flight: Despite not having wings of his own, Bahamut is capable of flying just fine. Due to the armour he often wears however, his speed is usually hampered. Though without the weighty plate armor he can soar with the best of them.

 

Bahamut - Super Strength: Even before the incident with Rosetta, Bahamut had quite a bit of strength, able to wield large weapons with easy. With Rosetta’s assistance and the Thaumite Plates that make up both his armour and weapon, he can swing around weapons that would put most others to shame. There is a double-edged sword to this though. When his weapons are made larger, plates from his armour are used to enhance them, thus lowering his defenses in favour of offense, though the same can be done in reverse, to bolster his already hefty armour at the expense of a smaller, weaker weapon.

Bahamut - Super Stamina: Super strength only goes so far without the endurance and energy to back it up. Thankfully Bahamut has access to both! His stamina is far and above that of average ponies, though not limitless.

 

Bahamut - Chromatic Breath: Bahamut’s breath is primarily used only in emergency situations. The lowest use of his breath creates a blast of extremely potent white coloured energy, the effect of which is sporadic and uncontrollable ranging from searing heat, freezing cold, confusion, paralysis, and more. Often this in and of itself is a devastating attack, as it can shift through anything at random. At the expense of a great deal of energy, Bahamut can split this singular breath into a veritable deluge of much smaller beams to rain justice down upon his enemies. Just as uncontrollable as the basic use of his breath, but much more dangerous, he refuses to use that attack except in the most dire of emergencies. Though Bahamut has expressed a desire to learn to control what the breath does, the lack of practice and refusal to do so due to safety issues will impede any progress with it.

 

Rosetta - Omnilingualism: Rosetta’s only power before the incident is also the one she enjoys the most. With a little amount of study and practice, the diamond dog will in the course of a few hours to a few days depending on the complexity of the language and if she has already learned one similar to it, will be able to read, write, speak, and translate any language. This comes with the added bonus of a small but useful radius of psychic power around her that lets those near her understand one another perfectly so long as they’re speaking languages that she herself understands.

 

Rosetta - Thaumokinesis: Having lost her physical body due to the incident, Rosetta exists as a being of light and energy, unable to interact with the physical world or be interacted with by it. However this does not apply to magical energies, allowing her to bend or reflect magics sent her way or to control objects made from harden magical energy, such as the mineral Thaumite.

 

Rosetta - Shapeshifting: While not shapeshifting in the typical sense, Rosetta can use plates of thaumite to create a ‘body’ for herself that lets her interact, albeit indirectly, with the physical world. The shapes and sizes of these plates can be anything. Though during heroing, she spends most of her time holding together Bahamut’s weapon and armour.

 

Alias(es): Smolder is the civilian name of Bahamut, the dragon, while Rosetta is the diamond dog's real name.

 

Backstory-Bahamut:

Spoiler

 

As with most heroes, Smoulder's origins are rather humble. High in the mountains near Germaney, Smoulder was born to a small community of dragons, his family among several others held friendly relations with the then small town of Berlope, where the dragons would trade treasure for food and visa versa as the seasons demanded it with the ponies.

For the most part the dragon's youth was normal, though as he grew older so too did he grow stronger. At first it wasn't particularly noteworthy, only a bit ahead of what was normal for his age. But as time went by and his growing slowed, his strength and agility did not. Growing up, Smoulder put his immense strength to use the best way he knew how, carrying the goods his family traded to and fro from Berlope. This turned more than a few heads in the beginning, as ponies would have never expected a baby dragon to be wandering into town carrying boxes of gold or crates of hay and foodstuffs.

 

It was during these trips that the young dragon began to learn more of Equestria, its ponies, and its cultures. The diversity of it all fascinated him and wanting to learn everything he could, Smoulder’s trips to the village became more frequent. It was here that the young dragon tried his claws in many things from sewing to smithing, from fishing to mining, and everything in between. He read books on history and geography and magic. The most interesting of these however were ones that talked about the heroes and heroines of Equestria, such as the Solar Sentinel and the Moonlit Knight! Alicorn mares who together had kept Equestria and its neighbors safe for many years, up until the Knight’s corruption, where in the Sentinel had to double her efforts to fill the void left by her partner.

These stories are what sparked inspiration in Smoulder. If the world needed more heroes, what was stopping him from being a hero? All it took was courage and a just heart. His first years of being a ‘hero’ were little more than things he had already done in his trips to the village. Getting animals down from trees, helping older ponies move heavy things. But to him it was in a new light, a new purpose, even little things made you a hero to some. It wasn’t until shortly after Smoulder first entered his ‘teenage’ years that the dragon preformed his first true act of heroism.

 

On one of his usual journeys to Berlope in the height of springtime, an elder of the village came rushing to Smoulder as quickly as he could muster. The old pony’s granddaughter had gone missing in the middle of the night last night and all the village was in a panic trying to find her. It was normal for the young filly to go wandering the village at night, but she always returned home before dawn. Smoulder of course was more than willing to help in the search.

 

It took hours of searching and more after that. The early morning turned to evening and the search party had turned up with nothing. When the night grew too late, only Smoulder was left to continue the search. Not only was this a chance for him to really start on the road of heroism, more importantly it meant a chance to rescue someone in need. Praise and adulation was fine and dandy to be sure, but the safety of the filly was what came first. Before her grandfather went to bed that evening, Smoulder asked about her usual path, if she made evening walks often then she likely had a usual route.

According to the old pony, his granddaughter would often take the trod forest path towards Hoofenheim, cross the river, pick some flowers and return before the sun came up. While it wasn’t much information, it was still something to go on. Reassuring the pony that he would do whatever he could to find her, Smoulder sat out into the woods. His own trips from the mountains didn’t usually take him this far. Wouldn’t that be an embarrassment, getting lost searching for a lost child? Still, he knew well enough to follow the river upstream if he needed.

...That’s it! The river! It was a short jaunt to the forest and a quick run to the river, which unsurprisingly had swollen greatly due to the recent spring thaw the ponies had worked so hard on. The bridge while still standing, was soaked and slick. A sure sign that the water had been higher the night before. And with the path unlit, one would be hard pressed to see the rushing water without a lantern. Surely though, the dragon thought, the filly wouldn’t have traveled a dark forest without a light of some sort? Regardless of that, Smoulder pressed on downstream. If the young pony got swept away by the currents, perhaps he could find her...and hopefully still hale and hearty.

Following the river towards the mountains, the dragon called out for the filly, hoping she could be nearby. Though if she were unconscious...or worse...it would be moot. As he reached the end of the river though, he seemed to have hit a dead end. There were no signs of the pony, and the river just seemingly stopped at the foot of the mountain. But the dragon refused to give up, not yet. With a deep breath, Smoulder lept into the water and gazed around. Just as he had expected, the river continued on through the mountain! But where too and how far were the questions.

For nearly a mile he swam, until he arrived at an underground lake. The cavernous room was alight with bright glowing crystals and luminescent flowers. A truly awe inspiring sight, but the sight that nearly brought a tear to his eyes was that of a small pony, curled up by one of the crystals breathing softly. As quickly as he could swim and climb from the lake, Smoulder made for the filly’s side. As expected it was the old pony’s granddaughter! Gently he shook the filly...who’s first reaction was to grumble about being woken up so early. Though her second reaction found her sitting up in a flash.

Nearly in tears the filly babbled she thought that no one could find her, and how she thought she would die here even if her dreams said otherwise. Smoulder gave the pony a gentle hug and assured her that wouldn’t happen so long as he could help it. But now that he had found her, how on earth would he get her home? The swim was out of the question with the current, and there seemed to be no other ways out. Yet anyway. Smoulder wasn’t about to let a few dozen feet of stone stop him from getting her home safely.

And so he began the process of digging through the wall upstream. His strength, as he knew, offered quite a few advantages. Being able to claw and tear and punch through solid rock was among them. In retrospect punching wasn’t the best of choices, high strength didn’t come with high pain tolerance, that had to be trained. For hours he worked his way through the rock and dirt while the filly watched on. To fill the silence, Smoulder asked the filly what she meant about her dreams saying otherwise.

She went on to explain how she, like her mother and her mother before her, she sometimes had strange and vague dreams that seemed to be about the future. Her family, even her mother and grandmother, had often said they were only dreams and to not think too hard on them, but now she was sure otherwise. Smoulder gave a nod as he continued digging, telling her she should embrace the gift she was given for what it was, a gift. After all, strange things happened all the time in this world. He pointed at himself for emphasis which got the filly to giggle.

The rest of the chatter was friendly banter, talks of hopes and dreams, the village and mountains, family and friends. It wasn’t much but it passed the time as Smoulder dug. But with one last punch, Smoulder broke through to the outside world at last. Having not been expecting it he tumbled forward onto his face, but at least they were out! Just as the sun had started to rise. He was going to need a long nap after all of this. Lifting the clearly tired filly onto his back, Smoulder began the trek back to the village.

 

When at last the two finally returned to Berlope, they arrived to a tearful reunion and exuberance of the village. The grandfather couldn’t find the words to express his gratitude, which in and of itself expressed it far better than words could. After a celebratory meal and a well deserved rest, Smoulder finally made his way back home to tell his family of just what had transpired and what he felt was the first step on his path to being a real hero.

Many years passed, and Berlope grew from a small village to a small city. Even still Smoulder was still a regular sight, he knew the parents, grandparents, and children of everyone there. They referred to the dragon as their ‘hometown hero’ on a number of occasions. Since Berlope had bloomed into a city, trouble seemed to spring up a touch more often that it had used to. Which kept the dragon rather busy. Robberies, burning buildings, pickpockets and the like. It wasn’t common but it gave Smoulder a sense of importance whenever he could aid the city.

The dragon’s work often earned him praise and thanks from the citizens, but despite all of that Smoulder wanted more. No, not more praise or lavishing, but to do more. The world was full of troubles and even though he was just one dragon, he wanted to be a part of the solution. After announcing his intentions, as well as training up a few of Berlope’s police force, Smoulder made his way to the one city where he knew he’d be able to advance his power and career.

Canterlot.

 

Yes, Canterlot! Home of the prestigious Sunlight Academy! It was here, in this shining city, this bastion of justice, that heroes proved their mettle and learned not only about how to control their powers and help those in need, but also about who they are. To Smoulder this journey was just as much about learning to be a hero as it was about self introspection.

It was here that Smoulder learned ways to apply his strength he had never thought of, it was here that he learned about heroes and heroines of the past he never knew, and it was here he learned that in spite of being wingless he could still fly. Wings though would have made it a whole lot easier in the beginning. Much like a newly hatched bird, Smoulder had to actively be thinking of how to fly the whole time he tried. It wasn’t as simple as ‘think any happy thought’ as the books would make you believe.

No, for him it had more to do with envisioning the air holding him aloft like a kite in the breeze. It took him months to even get used to it, and longer still for it to become second nature. What had prompted the dragon into studying how to fly was a surprisingly simple question that arose from one of his classes. How would you rescue someone who was falling? He didn’t have an answer at the time, the kind of powers he had so far didn’t give him an advantage in that department, but at least he wasn’t alone in that aspect.

 

Among other things he also learned that some heroes only played the part and didn’t live it. They were heroes for fame and glory alone but could fake it with the best of them. It was a shame, Smoulder felt. Maybe he was old fashioned but the thrill of saving someone in need, the feeling of a good deed done well was far more worth it. Regardless though of his disagreements with some other students’ ideals, the dragon put his utmost into studying and dedicated himself to being the best student and the best hero he possibly could be.

After his studies at the Academy were complete, Smoulder was finally able to live his dream of giving back to a world that gave him so much. One thing though nagged at him. His name. Not that he didn’t love his name, far from it! It just didn’t feel as...heroic. But he knew one that did. Long ago his family told him the myth of the ordering of the world and of the great silver dragon that embodied good and light. It would be this mythological being that he would come to call himself. Bahamut.

 

 

Rosetta’s Backstory:

Spoiler

 

Diamond Dogs. Ask your average pony what their first thought is when you say that name. Rough. Crude. Brutish. Those are likely a few of the more common ones you’ll hear. Sure yes, maybe some of them are nothing more than churlish beasts that want little more than to line their pockets with gems and gold and loot. But some? Some crave knowledge and companionship just as much as ponies do.

To say Rosetta was the runt of her litter would be unfair. She was small, her two brothers and sisters were a great deal taller than she was. But it wasn’t that she was a runt, no. Her father was a tall and lanky diamond dog, while her mother was like her, short and a bit stubby. Ponies would often compare her mother, and later her, to a breed of dog. Corgis. She grew to like the comparison, it was lighthearted and the dogs were cute. But that’s besides the point.

Rosetta and her family differed from the rest of the pack they were a part of. Not in the traditional sense where they were ‘cultured’ whereas the rest were brutes. As far as diamond dog packs go, it wasn’t far off from your average group of ponies. They were kind and friendly, downright neighborly. Rather it was the fact that they were special, gifted, empowered some might say. Her father is a Wizard, with the gift of magic and the ability to see into the heart and soul of those he locked eye contact with, giving him insight into their true nature. Her mother was a gifted shapeshifter and used her gift to both aid and entertain.

Her youngest brother – who was actually born after Hopesguard was founded – has the ability to  switch and swap attributes, both physical and mental, around or between anyone (While it was fun for Rosetta to get to be tall for the day, her father wasn’t too pleased at the sudden surprise). Her older sister had ghost like powers, letting her go intangible, invisible, or possess others for a period of time. Her elder brother was gifted with the ability to travel through timelines and alternate realities.

Rosetta’s power though, didn’t quite have as many applications as her family’s could. At least not that she could really think of. Her power was Omnilingualism. At a young age she discovered that, by reading and studying a bit of a language she hadn’t seen before, she quickly assimilated the rest of it, growing fluent both verbally and when written.

As a result, Rosetta’s childhood experiences were more tame in comparison to her brothers and sister, who had to spend a deal of time learning and training their abilities. The young diamond dog would often help her siblings in any way she could, which often times meant being the target of a swap or being possessed by her sister. It may have made other jealous, that their power wasn’t ‘as cool’, but Rosetta loved her family and her power, even if it wasn’t one that could really save the world.

When Rosetta grew to be a teenager, she decided it was time to set out on her own, to find a way to use her gift to better the world, even if she wasn’t super strong or super fast, she was smart, resourceful, and determined. It was this drive that found the young diamond dog moving to Canterlot, the city of heroes as some called it. Her first job wasn’t the most glamorous, she found herself working in a library in the city doing translations of foreign books and texts. It wasn’t the ‘using her gift to better the world’ that she had been hoping for, but it was a start.

Eventually though her prowess with language reached the ears of instructors at the Sunlight Academy. As good as their staff was, they were always on the lookout for more help, and so brought Rosetta in as a translator, both of ancient texts that they needed studied, but also for students that spoke little Equestrian. This gave her a great boost in confidence and pride in herself, and caused an awakening in her ability! She soon found that through sheer willpower, she was capable of making a radius of ‘understanding’ around her. This allowed those that spoke languages she understood around her to understand one another just as fluently as she did.

 

Though she was content with her new line of work and the help she was able to bring to the city of Canterlot, Rosetta still couldn’t help but to think that there was more she could be doing. Not just for Canterlot or even just Equestria, but for the world.

 

 

The Founding of Hopesguard:

Spoiler

 

Rosetta was not alone in this feeling, nor was Bahamut in his desire to be a great hero. Other students of the Academy, even those who weren’t part of the school, shared like minded ideals. A desire to bring hope and justice across the world, to be staunch defenders of what was right.

Bahamut, whose deeds were already painting the dragon as a great fledgling hero, was sought out first by a caribou named Eira. She explained to the dragon about her idea of a team. Not just one that stood as a shining light of justice in Equestria, but a roaring flame for all the world. It didn’t take hardly any convincing for Bahamut to stand by her cause, her passion and conviction shone through in every word.

 

Together that sought out others, some heroes were less inclined to join, believing that such a globe spanning team was a pipe dream and that they should stick to where they could best be a help. Others though believed wholeheartedly that the dream could become a reality: Flashbang, Provenance, Tegan. They were all eager to join in with the two to see this through. Though one roadblock which Tegan brought up would impede their progress. While good knew no boundaries, language knew many. How would they bring those across the globe together if they couldn’t understand one another.

 

Luckily for them, Provenance had a solution. There was a diamond dog they had worked with before she went to work for the Sunlight Academy. Whose linguistic skills were second to none! Fate seemed to smile on the humble beginnings of the team, and so they sat out to speak with Rosetta.

 

Not hard to find and even easier to convince, Rosetta literally jumped at the chance to help. It had to be a sign, she had been wanting to help the world, and here these five were wanting to do the same! She was so in.

Together the six sat down and discussed with one another how the team would be run. It was here that disagreements grew and flew, though none so heated as to break apart the only now blossoming team. They shared different ideals and different solutions to problems, but strove to find compromise. It was this, they had determined, that would make them a great team. But a great team is nothing without a name. A name that inspired and encouraged, a name that could strike fear in the hearts of evil and joy in the hearts of the good.

 

It was Rosetta who first suggested Hopesguard. The name at first didn’t stick. Other names were tossed around and subsequently tossed out, but each of the other five eventually found that Hopesguard felt...right! It was what they wanted to be, guardians of hope across the planet! And so in the end, they all agreed, the founding of Hopesguard was complete. Though the founding was only the beginning.

 

 

Hope Grows:

Spoiler

 

Over the course of several years, the numbers of Hopesguard swelled. Heroes and even those without powers alike came to join the team. Even those that said their idea was a pipe dream came to bolster their ranks. Their heroic deeds and hard work created a network across the globe. But they were more than that by then, they were a family.

 

Together the Hopesguard proved themselves to be one of the greatest hero teams of all time. Their renown was known across the globe and their dream was now a reality.

 

One day, however, an unfortunate accident occurred, a team mate’s power had went out of control, resulting in several injuries and many more concerns. Many of the empowered members of the team had abilities that were hard to control, and what if someone were to betray them from the inside? A horrible thought.

It was with these thoughts in mind that Tegan and her team of scientists sat out to build a failsafe for Hopesguard. Not only for their safety, but for that of Equestria as well. The idea was to build an advanced AI with a database of all members of Hopesguard within it. At first they thought of making a simplistic AI with just the barest of necessities required. But as science often does, they ended up going above and beyond.

This resulted in the creation of Marionette, a highly advanced ‘Super AI’ in the form of a baby dragon (mostly because Tegan always thought they were cute). Some of the team were not too keen on submitting themselves to being part of the database, but knew that in the end it was for the safety of themselves and the world.

Marionette was given free will and a mind of her own, taught by many of the scientists and other members about science, life, the world, and most of all virtue. Things like love, kindness, friendship. She ‘grew’ into a kind little dragon. Though just like the other members of Hopesguard, who had their data saved to Marionette’s database as a precaution, so too did she have a failsafe.

A control mechanism in the form of an orb, about the size of a softball. If the need arose, one of the Hopesguard could simply hold the orb and control all of Marionette’s combat functions as to avoid a possible rampage or error in programming.

 

Despite this new and seemingly strict precaution, Hopesguard still drew in members from all over the world and all walks of life. One such member being a unicorn by the name of Haze…

 

 

Hope Falls:

Spoiler

 

Haze seemed to be a fairly normal unicorn. He seemed to have no ‘powers’ to speak of beyond average unicorn magic. He was amicable enough though a little withdrawn at times, prone to bouts of quiet and intense thought. No one really gave it much thought though, he was a good researcher, got his work done, and never caused trouble. But there was something about him that Bahamut just couldn’t place, something about him always seemed...off. He brought up his concerns to his friends a few times, but talk after talk seemed to say that he was just being paranoid.

 

And so he just shook it off, for the most part. Haze was a member of Hopesguard! Who was he to doubt the unicorn? But still something ate at the back of the dragon’s head. Something that would be proven right but not before it was already far, far too late.

 

Working as a scientist for Hopesguard, Haze had earned the trust of many lead research and development team.Being that he was ‘low risk’ and ‘trustworthy’ this came with the perk of learning the location of Marionette’s Control Orb. This would prove to be the gravest mistake that any of the Hopesguard could have made.

It started off with a small string of incidents. Criminals and ne'er do wells that the team had put away had started breaking out of jail, causing havoc across Canterlot. Soon it began to happen elsewhere that Hopesguard held bases. Whitescar, Unyasi, Saddle Arabia, Long Guo, and beyond. It was never anything major at first, the teams were able to apprehend and re-imprison the escaped convicts. But it began to happen more and more frequently with no explanation why.

The constant day in and day out of recapturing the same villains slowly started to wear on the Hopesguard as a whole. Stress and infighting became more and more common but everyone tried their best to keep it together, for the sake of the world.

But one day, all Tartarus broke loose in Canterlot. As though someone flipped a switch the flung every cell door opened, criminals poured into the streets of the city. Hopesguard sprung into action to fight. It was a struggle like they hadn’t faced before. With a tactical retreat they returned to their headquarters to call in aid from the other teams…But Whitescar’s communication array had gone down...then Saddle Arabia...then Long Guo… and then everywhere. Something was wrong.

The sound of warning sirens flared to life inside the Hopesguard HQ. Flashing lights and blaring sirens screamed for anyone who can to flee the building. Something dire was happening, but no one knew what. The majority of the team helped to get the non-powered members to safety before fleeing themselves. However Bahamut, Tegan, and Eira had stayed behind to investigate.

Rushing through the empty headquarters while the noise echoed through the halls. Try as they might, they found nothing amiss. That was until they reached Marionette’s control room. Standing there with the control orb in hoof was Haze, a wicked smirk on his face as the little dragon robot stood somberly by his side.

Both Tegan and Eira were confused and caught by surprise. Bahamut felt justified in his paranoia at last. Haze went on to gloat as he used Marionette to easily handle the trio. About his plan to cripple the Hopeguard from the inside out. How he lied about having no power. His magic grew when he felt the misery of others, and destroying such a bastion of light would mangle the hope that so many had felt.

With the three beaten and battered, and with Marionette reluctantly by his side, Haze made his leave. But not before starting the countdown for the HQ’s self destruct. Weakly, Tegan muttered asking herself why she ever made that in the first place.

It was only a matter of moments before the entire complex began to rumble, light and fire erupting through the doors and windows. A series of loud explosions shook the city as the Hopesguard Headquarters collapsed in upon itself. Cries of shock and disbelief filled the void once the dust had settled. Everything they had worked for, reduced to rubble in a matter of moments. The onlookers, both Hopesguard and citizen alike could do nothing but despair and lament was they watched Haze leave with a maniacal laugh.

Buried beneath the rubble, protected at the last moment by a shielding device of Tegan’s, she, Bahamut, and Eira made the long process of freeing themselves. By the time they had, the majority had gone home, defeated and lost. Rosetta and a few others had waited by the rubble, and were overjoyed when the three crawled from the ruins. But despite this small mercy, they all knew that the dream they had...had came to its end.

 

 

After The Fall:

Spoiler

 

That is, all but two. Bahamut and Rosetta refused to give up on the dream. The headquarters of the Hopesguard across the world may have been destroyed, but to them the light that they represented would never flicker out, so long as they would not give in to this defeat. They did know, however, that they could never hope to stop Black Haze, not anymore. With Marionette’s control orb, he had something to counter every strength they had together or apart.

Canterlot would hold them no comfort, not for now. With goodbyes said, the two left the city they had come to love and sat out into the world in search of something. In search of what, they did not know. Something to aid them in their fight against evil and tyranny, but beyond that who could say?

Their travels took them far and wide. Friends were made along the way, and enemies too. It wasn’t how things were in the Hopesguard, but it brought some small semblance of peace to the duo as they searched the lands.

 

It was a good deal of time before a prospect presented itself. Hidden far, far in the deserts of Hesperia, legends told of a temple hidden beneath the sands. Within this temple laid an artefact of great power. The details of what sort of power were scarce at best. The little they could find of this supposed artefact told that it helped the enlightened to transcend to new heights of magic. But beyond that no one was sure. Really, no one was sure that it even existed.

But if there was even a chance that it could exist, if there was even a chance that it could aid them in their cause. It was a trip and a risk worth taking.

Setting out into the deserts of Hesperia proved to be a daunting task. Great heat and desert winds, bandits and monsters, even the ground sometimes crumbled beneath their feet into caverns just out of sight. But still they pressed on. Days of traveling turned into weeks without any sign of this legendary temple. Though off further in the desert sands, something caught Rosetta’s eye.

Something she had often seen in the caverns that diamond dogs had often dug. The faintest glint of a shimmering jewel. Rushing over to where it was, Rosetta began to dig, and dig, and dig. The jewel had turned out to be the tip of a lever, long buried beneath the sands. Together the two were able to budge the ancient mechanism which caused a vast rumbling beneath their feet.

 

Slowly from beneath the sand rose a temple that seemed to be carved from a single enormous block of sandstone, adorned in intricate designs and ancient text that even Rosetta could barely understand. The words that stuck out the most across the sprawling script though was ‘Temple’ and ‘Arcana’. After spending some time copying down the glyphs and runes for later study, Rosetta and Bahamut made their way inside the temple.

 

Upon setting foot inside the monolithic building, torches along the wall burst to life with a glittering blue flame while lines of ley energy began to glow upon the ground. Throughout the building were stands and pews with the same designs that adorned the building. In the center of the building sat an altar where the ley energy convened. Atop the slab sat a dagger made of a blueish metal. The blade thrummed and pulsed with intense magical energies, practically vibrating. Beside it sat a tome written in the same ancient text that graced the outside of the building.

 

Careful not to touch the dagger, just in case, Rosetta grabbed the tome. It was a thick and dusty book, the cover was graced with an image of the full moon, several runes of arcane power carved into it with glistening gems at the four corners. Thumbing through the book, Rosetta slowly came to a better understanding of the language. The book described a ritual, in which the ‘enlightened’, those touched by something referred to as The Divine Arcana, would use this dagger made of thaumite and place a small cut on their flesh while standing upon the alter.

Those who were touched would transcend and be gifted with unity of magic. She wasn’t sure what that meant. While those who were unworthy would simply bleed. While the two were discussing the meaning of the text and how it could help them, they remained unaware that they had been followed through the desert by a group of bandits. These bandits had overheard their conversation about searching for ancient relics back in the city, and silently followed them in hopes of getting the jump on them.

 

With a sudden flash and a crack, smoke filled the room, a spell cast by one of their unicorns as they rushed in and surrounded the two. Bahamut glared at the group of bandits as they gave their ultimatum: Give the tome and relic to them and there would be no trouble. They declined, of course. The bandits of course had been anticipating that and called in what they felt was their trump card. With a stomping march, three large golems entered the room. The blueish tint of their metal thrumming and surging with energy just as the ley lines did.
 

The golems were strong, a lot stronger than Bahamut was anticipating. The ensuing fight proved to be more of a challenge than the two had been prepared for. While Bahamut was taking care of the golems as best he could, Rosetta hid with the tome to stay out of the way. She was no fighter and surely he could handle it.

 

One might golem fell, crumbling into chunks of thaumite as Bahamut was able to punch through to its power core, but soon the other two overwhelmed the dragon and pinned him to the ground so the bandit leader could gloat, with the dagger in his grasp. Rosetta though had enough, she couldn’t set back and watch this bandit threaten her friend! And so with every ounce of courage she could muster, Rosetta rushed out from her hiding spot and rushed the bandit leader, biting hard and fast into the pony’s leg.

With a scream of pain and anger, the bandit kicked the diamond dog hard in the stomach and sent flying onto the alter. Rosetta clambered to her paws. Maybe if she could distract them long enough, Bahamut could get free. As she prepared to charge towards the pony again though, the bandit flung the dagger towards her, impaling it into the diamond dog’s shoulder.

There was no blood or cry of pain though. In the instant that the dagger pierced her flesh the ley lines of the temple flared brightly, a rush of magical energy shot through the alter. The magic sizzled and crackled in the air, terrifying some of the bandits into fleeing. Though the leader and his golems stayed behind, calling his followers cowards.

Though it wasn’t wait she had planned, this explosion of energy made enough of a distraction that the golem’s grip on Bahamut weakened. Though even if it hadn’t, the sheer righteous fury at the sight of his friend being hurt had given the dragon a burst of adrenaline to begin his fight anew. Though with the magic raging through the building, the golems only seemed to grow stronger and stronger.

 

The fight raged on, even after the rush of energy settled and the altar was empty. Another golem had fallen but it only seemed to make the last one stronger still. They fed on magic and that torrent of ley energy combined with the magic the last golem absorbed from its fallen brethren was proving too much for even Bahamut.

Unseen though to both Bahamut and the bandit leader, Rosetta hadn’t perished in the magical chaos as they must have thought. Instead the magic had suffused her, spreading through her being. It was an instant to onlookers, but it felt so much longer. There was no pain in the process, but a feeling of being energized and freed of a heavy burden on her shoulders that she didn’t even know she had.

When the light faded, she found herself laying on the ground behind the alter. A blue glowing coming from somewhere unseen. That is until she gazed at her new form. Where once her body was corporeal, she now looked to be made of magic and light. Her confusion and panic at this revelation was cut short as her senses returned to her. The sound of battle ringing in her ears. Bahamut was still in trouble, existential crises could wait til later.

Scrambling once more to her...paws? Rosetta rushed to try and find some way to help her friend. Could she even be seen anymore? Was she a ghost? She shook her head and grabbed for a rock. Maybe she could bean the bandit in the head to knock him out! Would that stop the golem? The question however was moot as she found her hand going right through the rubble. She tried again with a toppled pew. Still the same. Everything phased right through her grip. Maybe she really was dead…

 

Slumping to the ground to cry, it was then that Rosetta saw the dagger. Not on the ground, but still somehow buried in her shoulder. Tentatively she grabbed the handle, she could feel it! She could touch it! With a little wince she pulled the blade out and looked it over. Thaumite was a unique metal, it was ripe with the pure ley magics of the very earth itself. It was difficult to do much with it as it required specialized magic to shape and cut right. But the magical pulsing dagger in her grip felt almost like an extension of herself…

 

It was then that it hit her. This is what the tome meant! Unity of magic, becoming one with magical energy. Becoming a being of magic. They must have used this sort of magic to create so many wonders of thaumite back in their time...Things like those golems. Rushing over to the rubble of the two fallen golems, Rosetta stayed out of sight and prayed that her hunch was correct.

 

Meanwhile, Bahamut struggled with the golem, the shining armour he wore was busted and beaten, his hammer shattered. It was a war of attrition, the golem was just as strong as the dragon but had the advantage that it could never grow tired. Bahamut though was becoming winded, he wasn’t sure just how much longer he could last out against the automaton and the bandit’s gloating laughter was getting increasingly more obnoxious. He wasn’t sure which was worse.

 

The bandit’s laughter though grew from simple gloating to malicious exuberance shortly though. As from the remains of the other golems a rumbling came. The rubble and remnants of the broken golems started to rise and piece together into a singular one. The bandit thought it caused by the first, that soon they would join and leave a dragon shaped splatter on the ground of the temple and he could get away scot free!

 

His happiness however was short lived, as with a resounding crash, the composite golem punched through the power core of the one that Bahamut battled, shattering it to pieces. Both the dragon and the bandit were struck with confusion and panic. The bandit more so once the golem picked it up in its grasp before knocking it out and placing it on the ground next to the still confused Bahamut.

A moment later the rubble golem collapsed to the ground again and out leapt of the stones with a happy grin on her face. A long confusing talk would be had by the two. But for now they had a long trek back with a knocked out bandit, a book, and a dagger ahead of them.

 

 

What Has Fallen May Rise Again:

Spoiler

 

In the time that followed their return to Equestria, Rosetta had learned new ways to use her newfound form. Forging and controlling armour and weapons made of thaumite for Bahamut to use, using plates the metal to change her form, how to change or stop the flow of magic. But as new and exciting as this was for both Bahamut and Rosetta, there were things more exciting still that had happened in Equestria. The return of the Moonlit Knight to the side of good after her defeat at the hands of a new generation of heroes. The awakening of even more new heroes...and villains...followed in the wake.

 

This stirred feelings of hope and excitement in the both of them that they had not felt since the heyday of Hopesguard! Hopesguard...That was a thought! Perhaps now, with the help of these new heroes, Bahamut and Rosetta could not only stir the hearts of their friends who had given up on hope and reunite the team, but also finally free Marionette and bring Black Haze to justice once and for all.

 

It will be a long road fraught with challenges and strife and pain. But so long as a glimmer of light shines, even the darkest hearts will know fear. With this thought in their hearts, the duo make their way back to the Equestrian Heartland, and soon to Canterlot. Their dream alive once more.

 

 

 

 

Notable Allies: (These allies are members of Hopesguard. Unless otherwise stated they're currently not played and I'm absolutely fine with others apping them! If a race isn't listed for one, feel free to do what you think fits!)

 

Eira: One of the founding members. An impressively strong and tall caribou with an equally big heart. Their powers involve healing and super strength. To some she's toted as the reincarnation of Odýrr themselves.

 

Flashbang: An Earth pony stallion with the ability to create concussive explosions of energy in localized areas. A founding member as well.

 

Provenance: A former librarian in Canterlot, joined in on Hopesguard as one of the founding members, originally to help them keep records straight, but their ability to control paper proved surprisingly capable on the battlefield.

 

Tegan: A peryton doe, founding member, and one of the key scientific minds behind the various technologies implemented for Hopesguard. Such as combat suits for those who joined without powers to defend themselves, communicators, and more. A key contributor to the creation of Marionette.

 

Marionette: A highly advanced, highly powerful 'Super AI' built by the various scientists of Hopesguard in the form of small dragon. Where it not for the obvious balljoints and puppet like looks, Marionette could easily pass as a real dragon. While childlike and peaceful in nature, she was built to house a database of not only the team's adversaries, but to counter the powers of the team should they go berserk, betray the team, or otherwise be unable to control their powers. However since The Fall, Black Haze holds the core that controls her actions.

Stable Loop: Though he wasn’t a member of Hopesguard, Rosetta’s older brother often came to the aid of his sister and her friends on more than one occasion. This diamond dog is gifted with the ability to travel time and between realities.(Claimed by Windwright)

 

Various Other Team Members: Hopesguard gathered a hefty number of allies of all walks of life, super powered and not. Just because they're not listed here, doesn't mean you can't make a member! Just ask me first! Just as a general idea, the youngest members would likely be around 16-20s and the oldest members probably in their 40s (You know, not counting dragons who obv age weird, or those struck with some kinda weird thing where they don't age or what have you).

 

Notable Adversaries: (Like with the notable allies, unless stated otherwise, these adversaries are free to play by those who'd like! Just give me a holler if you're interested!)

 

Faultline: While not a villain per se, this golem had been on again off again trouble for Hopesguard. Not evil by any means, the pony like stone creature has little understanding of civilization and how to act within it.

 

Black Haze: The unicorn known simply as Haze was once a member of Hopesguard. While not one of the founders he was a very early member and highly trusted among a vast majority of the members, though Smolder always had doubts in his mind, he trusted his fellows judgement. However these concerns proved to be false when Haze revealed his long time ruse. Haze's primary power works on feeding on an emotion, similar to a changeling though it happens to be despair, to gain stronger magic. When Haze stole Marionette's core and subsequently used her against his former companions, they were shocked and dismayed as one of their seemingly trusted friends turned against them. This grave defeat, followed by some in fighting broke the team apart, just as Haze had wanted from the beginning. So long as Haze holds Marionette's core, the chance of Hopesguard reuniting is slim to none.

 

Various Other Villains: A team as large as Hopesguard has faced a number of villains over the years big and small. If you want your villain to have some ties to Hopesguard or Bahamut and Rosetta directly, just hit me up!

 

General Notability: The Hopesguard for a great deal of time where a household name. Newspapers and comics alike regaled citizens with their heroic tales. Many and more knew their name even if they may not know every individual. Bahamut, being a field hero was well known among citizens, while Rosetta was known more in the circles of diehard fans who wanted to know everything they could about every team member.

After the fall of Hopesguard though, they slowly became a thing of the past. Still touted as one of the greatest hero teams ever, their absence left a void, a wound that never truly healed among some. While you’ll still find some that will easily remember the team, few really recall all of the team members by name. But in the bigger cities, Canterlot especially, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of them. Soon, they hope, everyone will remember the strength and light that Hopesguard once brought to the world, and shine it brighter than ever before.

[RainbowFoxxy]

[Pretzelparty]

This also has my approval for the AU.