//------------------------------// // Events Long Foreseen // Story: Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms // by Alphadude007 //------------------------------// Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms Chapter 11-Events Long Foreseen -Hall of the Guardians, beneath the desert of Saddle Arabia- What is this that I feel? The cloaked figure thought, looking up at the Saddle Arabian night sky through the circular hole in the ceiling of the cave. Bright stars and a full moon filled the night sky, casting a bright silver glow through the hole, illuminating the hall atrium below with a soft light. The cloaked figure looked down at the sand beneath him. I haven't felt this feeling in a very long time. Not since the day the moon concealed the sun. His thoughts trailed off, his mind taking him back a thousand years in the past. The falls of King Prodigal and Princess Luna, the rise of Celestia, the Banishment, the Mare in the Moon… it all came back as clear as the sky above him. Hmm. But how can he still be here? That monster was destroyed… unless they used the Elements. If they did, that would solve several questions while creating even more. The cloaked figure thought as he began to pace along the sandy floor, his black cloak dragging behind him. However, Starswirl's prophecy must be completed. The figure reminded itself, memories of the unicorn magician coming back to its mind. The figure looked up at the sky above him, remembering the prophecy. "From out of the frozen north, an ancient evil shall come forth." He said in a gravely tone, uttering the first two lines of the prophecy. The first lines are about to be completed. The figure concluded, closing its purple eyes in sorrow for what will occur. The ancient Shadow has returned. The Guardians must be awoken, lest this world will be plunged into darkness. It thought, turning to face the atrium wall to its left. On it hung four tapestries, each one telling tales of great things the Guardians did and the evils they fought. The first one depicted four ponies, a unicorn, a pegasus, and two earth ponies, each wielding a hoof blade on their forelegs. The second showed a great black dragon and one unicorn holding a scroll using its magic. The third showed two pegasi. One wielded a spear while the other had a hoof blade strapped to its leg. Behind the pegasi were five griffons. Each was a tale of heroism, sacrifice, and honor. Three of the four tapestries had already happened. The fourth and final one had yet to occur. The final tapestry depicted a red banner with the same symbol as the one that represented the Elements of Harmony, except the colorful jewels of each Element were not present. It was only the circle with eight arrows in gold thread, the background of the Elements' symbol. The signs were there. Pieces of an ancient puzzle were falling into place. The Long Night is coming. Taking a deep breath, the figure let out a mournful sigh. "This is the last one." -Starswirl the Bearded Wing, Canterlot Archives- Luna and Celestia ran about the archives, looking from book to book to find the one particular book that would solve their dilemma. They'd been from the arcane enchantment section to the alchemy section to Starswirl's personal library and everything in between. "This is hopeless!" Luna exasperated as she began her search through the Enchantment section. "Just keep looking! I'm sure his journal is here somewhere!" Celestia shouted from Astrology. Even though she wouldn't admit it, Celestia had no idea where Starswirl would have put his journal. Just as Luna was looking through the section on enchanting inanimate objects, a low laugh sounded from the ceiling above. It didn't sound threatening, but Luna looked up just to make sure. Instead of seeing an intruder, she stared at just the purple painted wall with random swirling designs etched in gold lace. "Tia? Did you hear that?" Luna asked from across the library wing. I recognize that laugh anywhere. But what's he doing here? Celestia wondered with an annoyed sigh. "Yes, I heard it!" Celestia called back, walking towards the center of the library where a large hourglass stood in the middle of the room. Standing next to the hourglass, Celestia looked up at the ceiling. "Discord! I know you're here! Now come out and stop messing around!" Celestia shouted at the ceiling where a large skylight was above the hourglass. "No need to shout at the ceiling, Celestia. I'm down here." Discord's voice sounded from below her as Celestia looked down at the floor. There, with a stupid grin on his face, was the embodiment of chaos himself, or at least his head. Discord's horned head was poking out of the floor, looking up at her. "And might I say, you look lovely from this angle. It really captures your regality." He commented. Celestia gave the draconequus an irksome look. "Stop fooling around, Discord. Come up here." Celestia said irritably. Discord's grin faded and was replaced with a pout. "Oh fine, Celestia. Ruin my fun, why don't you?" He said, his head disappearing in a white flash and his full body reappearing in front of the sun goddess. "What's going on over-? Discord?" Luna began to question but then was taken by surprise at Discord's appearance. "Oh and hello to you, Luna. What are you two doing here? I wouldn't have taken you two to be the bookworm types. That's more Twilight's job." He said, folding his arms with an amused smirk on his face. "We could ask you the same thing." Luna said warily to the spirit of chaos. Discord's snake tail flicked in irritation of her dodging the question. "What? A draconequus can't stretch his legs around here by going for a stroll?" He asked. As he said "stretch" both his goat and dragon legs extended to four times their normal length. Luna stared in surprise at Discords elongated legs, but Celestia was in no mood for jokes. "Actually this does concern my loyal student in a way." Celestia said, barely holding back her anger. "We received a letter from her assistant, Spike, asking for help and we arrived to see her in a comatose state." Discord's eyebrows rose as his legs shortened to their normal length. "Well that doesn't sound very good. You don't think I had anything to do with it, do you?" "Should we think it was you?" Celestia asked, giving the draconquus a skeptical stare. At this Discord chuckled. "Me? Do any harm to the Elements of Harmony a second time? Yes, I'm sure we all remember how that went over for me." He spoke in a bitter tone as he folded his arms indignantly. Being trapped in stone for a thousand years and then some after being set loose and captured again a couple years ago, Discord had nurtured a small grudge against the solar princess but kept it under control. Celestia had to admit to herself that even Discord knew when to not push boundaries too far. She sighed and began to describe the state of her pupil when she saw her. "Well concerning my student, she seemed to be under some sort of trance. She was lying on the floor, her eyes were a bright yellow-" "Stop right there." Discord said, putting a lion paw in Celestia's face. Normally she would have been outraged that he had done such a thing to a princess, but Celestia was too focused on helping Twilight to care. Discord leaned down to look the sun goddess in the eyes. "Did you just say bright yellow?" Discord asked, his voice sounded cautious. "Yes. What is it to you?" Luna said, answering his question for her sister. "Bright yellow with slit pupils?" Discord asked, pushing for details. Shoving away Discord's paw, Celestia answered. "Yes. Why do you ask?" Discord sighed. "Then I know why you are here. You seek Starswirl's journal." He said, pointing a clawed finger at the two celestial sisters. They seek his journal. If they are, then that means… Oh buck. He thought, his eyes widening at the conclusion to his thoughts. "Yes. Do you know where it is?" Luna asked, raising a tentative hoof. "I do." Discord said in a grave tone. Celestia was taken aback at Discord's sudden lack of silliness that he usually had. "Well where is it?" Luna pushed. Discord's mouth changed from a frown to a slight smile. Aw ponyfeathers, he's not going to make this easy is he? Celestia thought. "I'll tell you two, but I'll tell you my way." He said with a grin, disappearing in a white flash. "What you desire is below the castle, a feat not very facile." Discord's voice sounded, echoing off the archive walls. Celestia and Luna looked around the room, looking for the source of the voice. "There you will find the wizard in the case, Starswirl's final resting place." Discord said again, this time his voice coming from a single source. The two sisters looked to the hourglass to see Discord in the bottom of the glass, holding his hand out to catch the falling sands. "But be warned that when the mountains chime," Discord said, turning his hand to let the sand grains slowly fall to the hourglass bottom "You will be out of time." He said, finishing his riddle as the last of the sand in his hand poured onto the bottom of the glass. With a white flash, Discord disappeared from the hourglass and from the library all together. "So the journal is in Starswirl's final resting place beneath the castle?" Luna asked. Celestia turned to face her sister. "Yes, but getting there won't be easy. The way is riddled with traps to avoid grave robbers from getting to it." Luna put on a determined look. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get it." She said, turning to leave, but Celestia held her back with a hoof on the shoulder. "We can't. The way can only be opened by a full moon. When is the next full moon?" Celestia said, Luna's confidence dropping at hearing this. "I believe the moon will be at its fullest in three days time." Luna said, holding a hoof to her chin. "So that means we just have to sit here and wait?" She asked in an exasperated tone. "Not entirely." Celestia said. "We will wait, but we will be ready for when the time comes." Luna turned and looked at the hourglass, staring angrily into her reflection. "Well this is just great!" Luna shouted. She looked back at Celestia. "That ancient monster could come back at any time during those three days and we can't do anything about it." "That's why we'll make ourselves ready for when that time comes." The sun goddess said in a determined tone. "Warn the guards to be extra alert and open the armories. Tomorrow, we make ready for the Shadow's return, whenever it may be." -A cloud hovering outside the Canterlot Archives- Discord lay on his stomach, watching the two sisters through the library's skylight. The soft fluffiness of the cloud on his stomach did nothing to help him feel any better. He is about to return. Discord thought, looking down on the Canterlot streets below. Ponies bustled about to and fro, each one carrying out his or her business. Some shopped, others ate at the cafés, and others rode in carriages down the street. Discord looked sadly on the equines below and sighed. These poor ponies. They don't know what's about to happen. He thought. Having ruled over the land of Equestria once, he knew what it felt like to have total control over them. But the chaos that he wrought on them during that time would be mere child's play compared to what the Shadow would do. Discord had seen what the ancient being could do and what suffering he could bring about on the land. The simple thought of what he would do made Discord shudder. Putting on a determined face, Discord stood up on the cloud. Well if he's coming back, I know just who to warn. He thought, disappearing in a white flash. -The Great Hall, sky above disputed Western/Eastern Griffon Kingdom territory- The Great Hall stood proud in the sky. The tall building was constructed on the clouds above the very center of the once mighty Griffon kingdom, now split between East and West. The Great Hall stood as a large square, stone walls surrounding the perimeter and towers on all corners. Griffon guards in iron armor patrolled the walls and courtyard below, ready to attack any threat that made itself present. Inside the walls and defensive towers was a bronze four-sided pyramid, each side facing a cardinal direction. The sunlight made the bronze cast orange reflections all around the courtyard and along the walls. On the northern side of the pyramid was a flight of stairs that led to a large doorway. Behind the door was the atrium of the Great Hall where the delegates of East and West debated. Griffons from both sides of the border exchanged verbal blows, their angry voices bouncing off the bronze walls of the pyramid. In the middle of the pyramid sat a large square wooden table. On each side, six griffons sat. There were twelve from the West, twelve from the East, each sitting down to try to hammer out a compromise. However, personal agendas and grudges couldn't be pushed aside for such a thing like compromise to exist. "So, Chancellor, where is your pony princess to help settle this little dilemma?" Asked a griffon with a black-feathered head and brown fur on his body. This was the Eastern Minister of Commerce, Golden Claw. "She will be along. I trust in Princess Celestia's delegation techniques. She has assisted me in the past and she won't disappoint me now." Retorted a griffon with brown feathers and grey fur. This griffon was the Western Chancellor, Solaris Cloudrunner. Being chancellor of the Western Kingdom, he was second to only the king himself. "But where is she now?" A yellow-feathered griffon with brown fur asked in a venomous tone. This griffon was Sharp Beak, the Eastern Minister of the Media. "Once again it seems the ponies are all talk and no action." "Well that's a lot coming from you, Minister Beak!" Shouted a griffon a white-feather head and black fur. This griffon was Senator Aeris from the city of Dayguard. "Why don't you go back to your cage and squawk to the masses about what greedy monsters the Western griffons are, you canary!" At this, every griffon got up from their seats and began yelling at each other. Eastern and Western griffons yelled verbal abuse at each side with random insults being flung every which way. However, there was one griffon that hadn't gotten into the fray. Such is the way of modern griffonian politics. The griffon thought with a sigh. How our forefathers would weep at seeing such a spectacle. This griffon had black fur and yellow ochre feathers on his head. This griffon was Cloudius Sky-Shield, head of the last branch of the respected Sky-Shield bloodline. Being in an honorable and ancient bloodline, as well as having combative and tactical prowess, he was held in charge of the military in the Western kingdom. Cloudius watched as the delegates from both kingdoms yelled at each other, their arguments and shouts becoming the norm for these meetings. Sure they'd start out like a normal delegation meeting, but eventually, words would get thrown around and prides would get hurt. It was like watching two children fight over a toy, the toy being usually resources or boundary lines. Cloudius sighed and reached for a dagger that lay in its sheath on the left side of his torso. Discreetly pulling out the knife with a clawed right hand, he decided that enough was enough. Raising the dagger high, Cloudius slammed the dagger into the wooden table, making a loud THUNK as the steel of the knife connected with the hard wood of the table. Hearing this sound, the other delegates looked in shock at Cloudius. In front of him was a steel blade with a gold hilt buried into the table. This alarmed several of the guards in the room as well, each unsheathing swords or readying spears at hearing the sound of metal hitting wood. But after seeing it was one of the delegates, they put their weapons back in their original places. "Is this what we've become?" Cloudius asked angrily to the other delegates. "Have we become so prideful and stupid that we can't decide on anything anymore?" "We have these meetings to try to do just what you said, deciding." Solaris said. Cloudius snorted. "Give it a rest, Chancellor. The only thing that has been decided on here is how to best insult each other instead of actually trying to help our fellow griffons!" he shouted to the delegates. Golden Claw spoke up. "That's what we try to do. It's just that some griffons don't want us to find compromise." He said, darting his eyes over to the Western delegates. "We could find compromise if your pride wouldn't get hurt every time we open our beaks!" A Western delegate shouted. And once again, things descended into chaos and insults. Cloudius sunk back into his seat and looked incredulously at the other delegates. Are you serious? He thought, sighing and putting his head in his claws. Taking his head out of his claws, he reached for the dagger he stabbed the table with and with a hard pull, withdrew the blade from the wood and sheathed the weapon. Up above the delegates, resting on the ceiling, a pair of bright yellow eyes watched the bickering griffons below. The yellow eyes watched as East and West fought amongst each other. If the observing eyes had a mouth, it would be smiling right now. Such petty arguing. Working these birdbrains into my plan will be easier than I originally thought. The creature thought, closing its eyes and disappearing from the pyramid, leaving the delegates to their insults.