//------------------------------//
// Origins 
// Story: Twin Blades 
// by Craigulus Twinblade 
//------------------------------//

	Craigulus awoke with a sudden gasp.

"Show yourself!" he screamed whilst frantically pulling his pocketknife off the crimson counter next to him.

"There is nothing to fear, Craigulus."

Craig looked over to the entrance where an empathetic princess Luna stood whilst drinking her morning tea. Twas the finest, most expensive tea in Equestria.

"Craigulus, I made tea for you. Do you want a drink of it?"

The human didn't really enjoy tea all that much, but out of respect to his superior he grasped the handle of the cup and began to drink. It was a truly amazing beverage and if he didn't think tea tasted good before, he did now. Turning to the princess, he gave his thanks.

"Thank you my liege, I am truly grateful for this."

Luna remained in silence. Bowing her head, a single tear ran down her cheek. Craigulus began to wonder if his awakening had upset the princess and he began to feel terrible about the way he handled his dreams. The funny thing is that he didn't even see his dream because it past by his mind so quickly but he still felt the emotion of it. Craigulus started to question if she had been able to see the dream herself.

"My liege, please forgive me. I did not mean to upset you."

Luna looked up at the human, then back down to the floor.

"It is alright, you're sudden awakening just reminds me of the days before becoming Nightmare Moon."

A sudden chill crept into Craig's bones. Could this mean something for his future in Equestria? Is it a sign of something terrible coming his way? Millions of thoughts circled around in Craig's head.

"Before I descended into darkness, I kept waking up in the same fashion you just did. I couldn't even see my own dreams those days. I'm just worried about you and your future here in Equestria. I'm afrai-, afraid you might....."

Not being able to control it anymore, Luna burst into tears. Her past was emotionally tough for her to even chat about and it seemed that every time she did talk about it, depression would set in. Craigulus rose from his bed and began to slowly drift to the alicorn.

"Everything is okay, Luna"

Luna felt the embrace of her new student. It was a slow warm embrace that she had never experienced before. It seemed as if time stood still to her, but to her disappointment it ended. The embrace slowly loosened and Craigulus placed his arms at his side.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes. Far better than before. We should make our way to the library though, because my sister awaits our arrival."

Craigulus nodded in approval and joined Luna in the walk through the palace. They left the bedchamber and entered the hallway, slowly drifting by the various paintings and stained glass windows. It was almost uncomfortably warm in the hallways because there was a lack of open windows. Reaching the end of the hallway, the princess opened the door to the foyer. They began to ascend to the top of the main stairs and once they reached the top, they climbed a spiraling staircase. Atop the spiraling staircase was the library, where the princess of the sun was writing in a notebook.

"Sister, our student is ready for the history lesson." Luna informed Celestia.

"Craigulus Twinblade." Celestia closed her notebook and turned to face her student.

"My sister and I have to explain to you why you're here."

Celestia's horn began to glow, as did Luna's. Craigulus looked around the room bracing for it to change and sure enough, it did. The room started glowing brighter and the light began to blind Craig so he immediately covered his eyes. Confusion clouded his mind as the princesses began to shout in unison.

"MAY THE SECRETS OF EQUESTRIA, DARK AND BURIED BE REVEALED TO THE KEEPERS OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE!"

Craigulus opened his eyes and noticed that he was in space! It was similar to the Magical Mystery Cure episode where Celestia sang to Twilight but this time, things seemed a bit different. There were many glass bookshelves and paths around this place. Luna glanced at Craig and spoke.

"Welcome to the secret library, my subject."

Celestia levitated a book toward him and he opened it cautiously. A bright flash of light occurred and the scene had changed yet again upon the opening of the book. The alicorns and the human were now floating above five islands.

"Craigulus, welcome to the dawn of world history. In the beginning, two beings were trapped underneath the island of Eden. One was an alicorn known as Galaxia, whose use of the worlds energy was unstoppable. The other being had no name but was a centaur whose physical might was unmatched. With Galaxia's energy and the centaurs might all in one chamber, the earth gave in and a massive earthquake ripped open a path into Eden."

Celestia once again used her magic to reveal a different scene. The centaur with his long black hair and his blue eyes, and the alicorn queen with her extravagant crown and starry mane, were now sitting atop a golden monument which resembled that of a Mayan pyramid. The monument had always been surrounded by thousands of their offspring, which were alicorns and centaurs. They danced and prayed to queen Galaxia and the centaur whom was now reffered to as 'The God King'.

"They all look so happy and comforted." Craigulus spoke in a calm, but joyous manner.

Luna's voice switched to a much darker tone.

"Yes, but it would not remain this way. Over the thousands of millenniums of co-existing with each other, the centaurs grew jealous of the energy that their alicorn counterparts used. This energy, which was now referred to as 'magic', had paved a path of jealousy in its wake so strong that even the rulers of Eden themselves were fighting over whether magic or pure strength was better. One day, the God King decided to embrace the magical energies for himself out of pure hatred and desire for power. This is the origin of the dark side of magic."

Luna had taken the honor of changing the surroundings again. The God King was now delivering a speech to the centaurs. Certain features the centaur had were rather unnerving. His eyes had gone black as the night sky and a vertical red scar had been marked on his left eye. The sky was filled with black clouds as well.

"Centaur brethren! Bow down and listen to your king!"

He began to raise a black spear and shield to the sky as the centaurs chanted 'God King' for a good 2 minutes until they were silenced.

"I have found a way to slaughter the alicorns! I have unlocked a whole new level of magical energy that is black as smoke and as terrible as the monsters in the sea! It is a power I wish to bestow upon any of the centaurs that will join me in the great purging of the alicorn race. Join me or die, the choice belongs to you and you only!"

The army of human-horse hybrids screamed and as they did their eyes began to emit a blue haze. This seemed to indicate that the newly found dark magic had been delivered to them. The God King smiled devilishly and rose his spear once more before trotting into his palace.

"What happens next!?!?" Craigulus frantically questioned Celestia.

Celestia sorrowfully bowed her head and spoke.

"The 'First War' began."

The scene was changed yet again. The sky was divided between light and dark as if the night and the day were fighting each other. The flames of war had spread across Eden and the other four islands as the centaurs and alicorns were now engaged in brutal combat which went on for thousands of years. Magic had been slowly destroying the islands little by little as no living creature wanted to let their enemies win. Craigulus watched as one centaur had used his sword to cut an alicorn's stomach open, thus letting her insides spill onto the grass below her. There was also a centaur who was set on fire from an alicorn spell and he ran around screaming in pain as he burnt to a crisp. Meanwhile, the God King and his wife were circling each other atop the old, golden monument. The centaur king had another new feature about him because he had grown a single golden wing which emitted darkness. Craigulus recognized the wing instantly and his mind developed a brief flashback to the vision he had in the canterlot courtyard.

"Oh my God, it's him!" Craigulus whispered in horror.

Neither Celestia or Luna responded. Instead, their eyes were focused on the rulers of Eden who were staring each other down whilst walking in a circle atop their monument.

"Galaxia, this is where I win. THIS IS WHERE YOU DIE!"

The centaur charged and thrust his spear toward Galaxia's neck only to have it blocked by her horn.

"I am with child and yet you rebel against me? You are nothing but dishonorable scum, you traitor!"

With that, she used her mighty wings to lift herself into the air and send a beam of pure energy down upon her foe. The corrupt king retaliated by pointing his spear toward the queen sending a wave of black magic to hopefully, overpower his adversary's attack. Both waves collided with each other, thus sending the islands into chaos. The islands began to shake and crumble, thus sending many alicorns and centaurs to their watery graves. The epicenter of the two magical energy's had been blasting waves of raw power to cause this mega-disaster.

"Such immense power." Craigulus marveled under his breath.

The God King's power began to overtake Galaxia's beam. Black magic began to consume everything in the surrounding area as his wife's power slowly diminished. Her eyes were sealed shut as she braced for the inevitable ending of her life. The king thought that his victory was secured.

"You're absolutely nothing to me now! Are you ready for your demise, my love?"

Celestia then smiled as she began to speak her next words.

"Then, something beautiful happened.

Galaxia opened her eyes that began to glow a bright, golden light. This almost blinded the God King who was clearly surprised at this new level of brightness that had been brought into the world.

"You.....have no idea.....WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH!"

Galaxia had sent a shock-wave that ripped right through Eden which disabled all magic usage for a full five seconds, thus stopping both energy beams.

"Wake up, my children!"

The sky flashed violently for what seemed like a minute and after the light show, two round objects appeared in the sky. One of the objects was hard to view, as it shined brighter than any mineral known to Eden. The other object was white with dark spots riddled all over it and the glow of the object seemed to emit a mysterious vibe.

"Sun! Moon! Grant me the strength to destroy my enemies and bring balance back to the world. Deliver unto me the power of your ECLIPSE!"

Magic had once again lingered through the God King's veins and his expression turned from surprise to pure rage.

"I don't know what you just did, but I've had enough!"

The fallen king charged his attack. Black strands of energy poured through his fingertips and the tip of his spear began to surge with energy.

"Goodbye, idiot!"

Pointing his spear in front of him, he unleashed his attack. All the darkness in the world had been unleashed toward Galaxia but due to the energy shield she conjured up, the darkness deflected into everything else thus destroying even more of Eden.

"Damn you!" The God King screamed at the top of his lungs.

Light enveloped the queen and lightning began pouring into her horn as the worlds first eclipse had begun.

"What the hell is happening here? Please explain this to me!?" Craigulus pleaded to the Equestrian alicorns.

Celestia turned her attention to Craigulus and began to explain these happenings.

"This is what happens when your relationship with magic becomes extremely deep and emotional. Only a select few have been able to reach this level of magical mastery and those who do are destined to do amazing, heroic acts! Saving entire countries, even the entire world as we know it!"

Craigulus's eyes widened.

"what do you call it?"

Luna stepped in and her eyes began to glow as she spoke in the royal Canterlot voice.

"Inner Eclipse form!"

After a long transformation, the lightning ceased along with the noise. Those who were still alive now had their attention set on the summit of the monument. Galaxia's mane was glowing gold and she had a bright aura surrounding her as she death stared her husband. The centaur began to back away slowly, stuttering as he spoke to the queen in disgust.

"Y-You're a f-freak, you know that?!?!"

Galaxia spread her wings and lifted herself into the sky one last time. She began to glow brighter as her horn began to spark fiercely, she immediately began to smile.

"I'm aware of that, my love."

In that moment, Galaxia poured everything she had into her attack and unleashed the most devastating energy that the world had ever seen. Gigantic beams of light tore through the God King as he screamed in pain for the last time in his life. The hills and mountains of the islands crumbled and destroyed everything under them. The earth cracked open violently and killed many more of the alicorns and centaurs.

"Our mother was a great leader." Celestia smiled.

Craigulus wasn't surprised about the new information. Galaxia literally created the sun and moon so why can't she be the mother of Celestia and Luna?

"So, I guess that makes you two the daughters of the God King as well?"

"Yes, but we aren't exactly proud of it." Luna scoffed.

The beam died down and so did the inner eclipse. Galaxia used her power to sense how many were still alive but to her dismay, only a small handful of alicorns survived. The centaurs had gone extinct and it was mostly her fault for destroying them. She set herself down next to her husband, placed her head on her husbands cold, lifeless torso and wept. Eden was now a lifeless wasteland aside from a few surviving trees.

"Why did this have to happen? I loved all my children and you, but the very energy that held this world in harmony has destroyed an entire race and endangered my own. I should never have been created!"

The queen sobbed and as she did, her tears began to mix with the flesh and blood of her husband. Using her magic, she created a knife which began to emit the same blue haze that the God Kings minions had about them.

"I shall create three new species so that they can share it with my children, and my children can share it with them."

Galaxia then cut her leg wich bled a sufficient amount for the task at hand. She began to make the three variations of the equine race.

"There shall be two genders, colts and mares. The first of the three species will be known as earth ponies, whose strength will be unmatched among the equine race. The second of the three species will be known as the pegasi. They will be able to fly and also be swift on their hooves. The third and final species will be known as the unicorns. The horns on their head will allow them to channel magic, thus unicorns will be great thinkers and they will be able to continue the use of magic in the world."

Deep down, Galaxia knew that she would be leading her race to disaster if she tried leading them. In her wisdom, she decided to let her species learn to survive while they were divided. One day, when they unite they will be stronger than ever and her children will lead them to glory. This was her ultimate plan and she knew that it would succeed. Sure enough, it did.

"Later, she let her species thrive in the old lands of the pony kingdoms. Since then, our mother has been watching the world from the kingdom of Haven. Haven is the home of the two gods known as Galaxia and Griffthor, the god of the griffons. Haven also houses the great heroes of history, such as Starswirl the Bearded, Commander Hurricane, Chancellor Puddinghead, and princess Platinum." Celestia concluded the book.

"I guess sir Canter is there too, right?"

Celestia's ears flickered a little and she spoke again. "Actually, his soul hasn't ascended to Haven yet. His business as a hero isn't done yet."

A single flash of light occurred which blinded Craigulus for a short period of time. Upon being able to see again, he realized that everything had returned to normal. He was back in the same library where that crazy history lesson started. Celestia and Luna turned to him and they both firmly approached him. Celestia began to speak.

"Craigulus Twinblade, you are the hero that Equestrian prophecy's have been speaking of for the past five hundred years. You must learn more about the ways of magic and unlock your full potential, for the spirit of the God King is soon returning with an army that will be bent on destroying the world as we know it. He will come in the form of the spirit you saw in your vision yesterday. Fear not, for he is only the size of a regular human. I don't know why he seemed so massive in your vision though, it was probably a false intimidation tactic to strike fear into your heart."

Craigulus was frozen. Not knowing what to think, he started having a small panic attack. This seemed to be the only way he could express his feelings before Luna cast an emotion altering spell to calm him down.

"Come, we must show you the armor and weapons you must use."

Luna cast a spell to transport the group to a grand hallway. The red carpet rolled down to an altar made of gold surrounded by diamond pillars. Stain glass windows lit up the hallway and made it glisten gloriously. Upon closer inspection, Craigulus noticed two identical swords propped up on top of the altar. Celestia raised her hoof.

"These weapons were forged by Starswirl the Bearded for Sir Canter to use. They are capable of holding the souls of fallen enemies and channeling magic. Go forth and claim your weapons to begin the path to your destiny!"

The human began the long walk toward the weapons and as he got closer, he realized the shape of the swords. Each sword had been split into to halves at the blade and there was strange markings inside the uniquely shaped weapons which Craigulus couldn't make sense of. Raising his hands, he began feeling the power encased in these swords at his fingertips, and upon touching the handles he saw flashes of history pass before his eyes. The only vision he could really make out was that of Discord staring him down, then screaming in pain as he was turned to stone. It seemed to be a vision from the perspective of Sir Canter. Snapping out of the hallucinations, Craigulus noticed Luna standing at his right side.

"The writing on the blades say, 'Ye who holds these blades also holds the soul of Canter, whom was the greatest general of all'. The language is a peculiar mix of old Equestrian and Griffon. Sir Canter did use these blades before you and his own soul was trapped inside the pommeled sapphire. The other pommeled mineral is a clear crystal which you have to trap the God King inside of. It will turn the crystal red once you do so. These blades also contain the memories of every pony who previously used them. To see the memories more clearly, you have to meditate with the swords in hand."

Celestia stepped forward and added something to the lesson.

"Sir Canter will be able to hear you if you call for his help. He will help you in times of need, but only to a certain extent. One thing he can do for you anytime and anywhere is provide you with a suit of armor. I want you to test this out for yourself."

Craigulus closed his eyes tight and even though he was skeptical, he just thought that this was just another crazy thing that could happen in Equestria so he just rolled with it. If ponies were sentient beings in this world then speaking with the dead should be in the realm of logic.

........Right?

He began to speak to Sir Canter.

"Sir Canter, please heed my call! Grant me a suit of armor that can protect me from the dangers of war!"

The human, with blades in his hands spread his arms and lifted them to the ceiling. A deep, proud voice ran through his head in response to his plea.

"I, Sir Canter will provide this for you and you only!"

A blue orb zoomed out of the sapphire and began to rapidly circle the human warrior. It spiraled around Craigulus from head to toe revealing a suit of armor as it went. The orb dashed into the sapphire once again and Craigulus turned his head to see his faint reflection in one of the stained glass windows. Sir Canter's magical armor looked similar to that of chain-mail in medieval days with plate shoulder armor. A large, red cape completed the suit of armor which Craigulus thought looked freaking cool!

"On the cape rests a crest which depicts an alicorn with her wings spread. The right wing has the symbol of the sun while the other wing has the symbol of the moon. Also, regarding the blades. If you meditate on the memories within them, you will be able to see those memories more clearly. I think that is all for now so your lesson is over." Celestia concluded.

His mind began to race. It seemed that he had just put the world upon his shoulders by laying his hands on those blades and it somehow felt good to him in a peculiar and mysterious way. Knowing deep down that this was something that he always dreamed of, he had to say something completely epic to top this all off! Turning to Celestia and Luna with pride in his eyes, he spoke with confidence.

"By the end of this, even the gods themselves will know that a human can make them bleed!"

Craigulus began to run whilst thrusting his blades into the scabbards which hung from his back. Swinging the golden doors open, he left the room.

"Sister, it appears we have not made a mistake in finding our savior." Celestia chuckled.

Luna began to blush. "We have not sister. We definitely have not."





Craigulus ran through the palace and out the front gate smiling as he entered the courtyard. The mane 6 started chasing him wondering what was up with him and Twilight Sparkle flew next to him to speak with him.

"So, you seem awfully excited about something! How was your first lesson?"

Craigulus looked at her with a joyful look on his face.

"It went amazing! Apparently, i'm the next hero of Equestria and-"

"I know, I know. The princess and I talked already!" Twilight laughed.

Rainbow Dash flew to the other side of him.

"So your going to be staying here for awhile? Cool! Now I can learn more about hockey!" Dash started to spin through the air in excitement.

"Maybe you would like to go to Ponyville again and visit my boutique? Maybe I could make you some nicer clothing!" Rarity smirked.

"Maybe you could come to my place and visit my animals? I mean, if that's alright with you......." Fluttershy softly added.

"I could use some help on the farm!" Applejack hinted at Craigulus.

OH BOY! WANNA HAVE A PARTY SOMETIME!?!? I WOULD LOVE TO PARTY WITH A HUMAN! Pinkie Pie shouted in excitement, bouncing on all four of her hooves as she went along with him.

The ponies all stopped as he began running to the top of the stairs adjacent to the courtyard walls. They all kept staring at him, growing happier as they thought about all the fun times they were about to have with Equestria's newest inhabitant.

Craigulus began to talk to himself.

"This is it! The beginning of my adventure and the start of my new life in Equestria! And I know deep in my heart that it's going to be something that will ring out through the ages once it's all said and done. This is my story, the story of-"

Craigulus stopped atop the Canterlot courtyard gates and unsheathed his blades.

"The legendary human, Craigulus Twinblade!