Dark Conflict: The Solaris Chronicle

by Six Quills

The First Step Forward

High noon found Solaris and his friends gathered in a small clearing amidst a forest sitting at the base of the mountains. Sunlight crept through the canopy, bathing the group in the soft shadows of the trees. Solaris, Selena, and Vortex sat encircled with each other, Gaia had found a nice bed of moss to settle onto, Crimson paced back and forth, Aislin lay silent near Solaris, and Aurora happily pounced about the border of the clearing.

"It probably would have been smarter if we had figured out a plan before we left the Sanctum," Crimson interjected. "I still can't believe how quickly we just hopped out of there."

"I agree," added Gaia. "Not too bright on our part. And all this hanging out in the open where anypony could come along at any time? Not feelin' too comfortable 'bout that, although this moss sure helps." The entire group turned their heads and gave him a sarcastic look, except Solaris who rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Yes, we've had a minor setback," Solaris said. "But at least we've made some progress. So far, we've all agreed that in order to defeat Malicious, we will need an army. However, that's going to be very difficult. We don't know where to begin our search, not to mention the only thing we have to help persuade ponies to our cause is a prophecy which we're pretty sure almost nopony has heard of."

"It does seem rather impossible," Vortex chimed in. "But we can't lose hope. Fate us bestowed this task upon us, and we must find a way to make it happen. Now, the first step is to find a good place to start. Do any of us know of any resistance groups that already exist?"

"None come to mind," Crimson replied as he ceased his pacing and collapsed to the ground. "The Emperors done a good job at keep those from forming."

"Well," Aislin whispered. "There is the Crystal Empire. Could we maybe convince them?" Vortex paused to consider the option, but responded with a shake of his head.

"I don't think they would help. Ever since the Emperor took control of Equestria, they shut themselves in behind their magical shield. They wouldn't even take in ponies who tried to escape from Malicious. It's very doubtful they would assist us." The group dropped their heads in dismay, except for Aurora who continued to hop around the clearing's edge. However, her hopping suddenly came to a halt, and she froze in place.

"Hey guys?" Aurora asked; her normally joyful tone of voice replaced with a quavering one. "I can't explain it, but I sense something's here." The group, though puzzled, jumped to their feet and circled up. They stood still for half a second as they felt a magical force begin to fill the clearing. Their attention was drawn towards the center, where a figure appeared to fade from nothing into existence, taking the form of a tall pony-like figure, completely covered in a black hood and cloak.

The pony was easily identified as an alicorn by its shear height alone. The large black hood covered its head completely, except for a pale white muzzle. Solaris and his friends backed away in shock. It stood perfectly still for a few seconds, staring at them from beneath its veil, before finally speaking.

"Do not be afraid," the alicorn said in a soft female voice. "I will not harm you."

"Who are you?" Solaris questioned insecurely.

"It is best I do not tell you my name," the female alicorn answered. "Just know that I am here to help you. I have information that will guide you on your quest." Solaris hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly took a step forward.

"What can you tell us?" he asked cautiously.

"I have information straight from the castle of the Emperor. Malicious has ordered his armies to cease hunting you. However you are now more unsafe than ever, as he has sent an elite General to track you down. He is very skilled, so you must remain ever cautious. He has also ordered General Sombra to assault and destroy the Crystal Empire, and his army is en route as we speak. He has given Sombra enough power to break the magic that protects it, and when that falls it is only a matter of time before the crystal ponies are conquered. Go to the aid of the Crystal Empire, and you will acquire your first ally," the mysterious alicorn spoke.

"How do you know this?" Solaris asked , starting to slowly approach her.

"I cannot stay," she replied stepping backwards. "Go to the Crystal Empire!" She bowed her head as her body began to fade into nothing; disappearing in the same manner as she had arrived. Solaris and the others immediately re-circled facing each other.

"What just happened?" Crimson asked excitedly.

"A mysterious stranger just gave us the answer we've been trying to find for hours... in a matter of seconds," Gaia replied with utter surprise.

"Well, can she be trusted?" Selena inquired.

"She sounded genuine to me," Aislin quietly added. "At the least, we at know it's impossible for Malicious to have already conquered the Crystal Empire, so it can't be a trap."

"Perhaps I was wrong," Vortex interjected. "Although I still can't see it, maybe the Crystal Empire is where we should start." The group turned to Solaris.

"What do we do?" Vortex continued. Solaris dropped his head for a moment; his mind racing over the new information. He considered that perhaps this was a trap, but something in his gut told him that this was the correct path. He raised his head and returned a confident gaze to the others.

"We go to the Crystal Empire."

The group nodded with a smile and hurriedly gathered their packs to begin the journey.

"The Crystal Empire is to the far northeast of Equestria. It will take four days for an army to get there from the Capital, but if we can move quickly we can get there in just two," Vortex explained. "We could get there faster if we fly, but we'll need to keep low to the ground so we're not discovered."

"When we reach the edge of the forest I'll do a quick fly around to scan for anypony else in the skies," Crimson offered. "If it's clear we'll take to flying low across the plains."

The group nodded in agreement as they made haste towards the forest's edge. They reached the plains quickly, and Crimson took to the air and scanned for any pegasi on patrol. After a moment, he gave a signal to confirm the all-clear, and the group immediately took to flight. The plains were relatively flat with the occasional hill and mound, but for the most part is was a nice and easy glide across the countryside.

"Hey Solaris," Gaia called ahead. "If we continue flying straight ahead, I think we'll run into Haven within the next few hours. You think we should stop and see if everypony is ok?" Solaris' mind was suddenly filled with memories of his home village. He had almost completely forgotten that it was visited by the military several days before, and his thoughts quickly filled with dread and a longing to return. However, he also remembered what the mysterious alicorn had said, and snapped his attention back.

"I wish we could, Gaia," Solaris replied after a few moments. "But it's possible the enemy is waiting for us there. We can't risk it. Let's turn northwards and fly close to the mountains until we're well past Haven."

The company shifted their flight northwards towards the mountains, which took only a matter of minutes to reach. Sure enough, just a few hours later, the group had reached the same latitude as Haven, and to their left, Solaris could see the entrance to the mountain pass that took them to Winterspeak. Vortex, too, turned his gaze towards the pass, and peered deep into the harsh winds of the mountains. His eyes filled with sadness as he thought of what tragedy may have befallen his village in his absence. However, he closed his eyes and shook the thoughts from his head. There was no time to worry about his home; they had a mission to accomplish.

The group found a small forested area to stop and camp for the night. Upon reaching a nice clearing they all dropped to the ground from exhaustion; the constant flying having drained them. A camp was quickly assembled and a meal cooked swiftly, and shortly afterwards they were all fast asleep, with the exception of Vortex and Crimson, who sat by a small, glowing fire.

"I guess they aren't as physically conditioned as we are," Crimson joked as he looked at his sleeping comrades. "They are wiped out."

"That worries me," Vortex replied with concern. "If we're going to help defend the Crystal Empire, it's very possible we'll be going into battle. If that happens, I fear they don't have the strength to fight."

"I can understand that," Crimson responded. "But I believe everything will be ok. He may not realize it himself yet, but I can sense that Solaris is a strong leader at heart. He may be uncertain of his path for a while, but he won't lead us astray."

"You know, I believe you," Vortex smiled. "I think we're going to do just fine."

"Since you brought up the subject," Crimson continued. "Do you have any combat experience?" Crimson gazed at Vortex intently, who hesitated to answer the question.

"I don't like to consider myself a violent or vengeful alicorn," Vortex said at last. "I've always hoped I'd be viewed as the peaceful village leader of Winterspeak, and nothing more. But I suppose I won't be able to hide it forever." Crimson leaned in and turned his ears forward. "Yes, I have experience with combat. As I've already told Solaris, nearly twenty years ago a general of Malicious came to Winterspeak to draft pegasi of my village into the military. I should have been able to stop him, but I froze in fear. If I had tried and failed, I could have put the entire village at risk. As a result, that general made off with many of my fellow villagers. In the days that followed, I found myself shifting from my normally calm demeanor to something much more indignant. I was angry, not as much at the Emperor and the general, but at myself, and it caused me to become very short-tempered, and my leadership began to slip."

"Well, that certainly doesn't seem like you," Crimson responded as he leaned back with unease. "Sorry, continue."

"Not much longer after I began to slip, a strange unicorn stallion entered our village. He was covered in a blue cloak from horn to hoof, and we never saw his face, but he offered to help me. He stayed in the village for the next few weeks, and every day him and I would travel into the storms. He taught me to focus my anger and my aggression into magic. He helped me learn several spells, and even develop a new one all on my own. We spent those few weeks fighting each other, not with physical combat, but with magic. He was never all that powerful a fighter, but his knowledge of magic was incredible. After he taught me what he could, he showed me the way to the Sanctum, then left. I haven't seen him since, nor did I ever know his name. " Vortex laid down beside the fire as he finished explaining.

"That's incredible," Crimson reacted with astonishment. "It always fascinates me what you learn about other ponies. I'm glad you managed to return to your composed self." Vortex nodded.

"What about you? I remember you saying something about being from a family of dragon tamers?"

"Hmm, well," Crimson started. "It's an ancient profession, being a dragon tamer, and even the word 'tamer' is improper. Millennia ago, dragons were far more aggressive and violent than they are these days and were thought to be evil. Some unicorns and alicorns, the ancestors of my family, learned to use magic to capture them and tame them. They would turn dragons into loyal beasts, either to simply stop them from destroying or use them to do their bidding. Eventually, my ancestors realized that dragons were not merely mindless, evil beasts, but creatures that had thoughts and feelings just as ponies do. Since then, dragon taming has been taught merely as a 'defense-against-wayward-dragons' art. It's a very physically and magically demanding profession. That's where my experience comes from. I've wrestled with a few dragons in my short life."

"Not bad," Vortex said as he nodded his head in approval. "Rather impressive."

"Thanks. We should get some sleep now. There's still a long flight tomorrow, but we should reach the Empire at least a day before that army shows up." Crimson replied as he lay down beside the fire; Vortex nodding and laying his head down as well.

Morning came quickly, and the group was up at the first light of sunrise. Just as the day before, Crimson did a quick fly-around to scan for anypony else in the air, and when it was all clear, the alicorns took to flight once again. As he flew, Solaris kept his gaze sternly forward, his mind focused on the task at hand. The rest followed suite, taking little to no time to chat or discuss the possibilities of what might come next. Although the flight was only a few hours, it seemed to pass by in less than one, as the group swiftly found themselves within eyesight of the central spire of the Crystal Empire. The group came to a halt upon a hill, overlooking the empire before them.

"Lets continue on hoof from here," Solaris instructed. "I think our wings could use a rest."

"So how are we going to get in?" Selena asked as they progressed down the hill.

"Still working on that," Solaris replied. "I guess we'll just have to talk to whoever is guarding the shield."

Eventually the group found themselves at the edge of the empire. Immediately, on the outermost rim of the fields surrounding the city, the magical shield could be seen as a faint, blue bubble sitting overtop the empire. Just past the shield, filling the fields that surrounded the empire, were various stone barricades and bunkers, teeming with crystal pony soldiers, ready to defend the empire with their lives. From beyond these fortifications, the Crystal Empire shone brightly and vibrantly, shooting luminescent beams into the sky. Solaris and the others stared up into the skies with awe and wonder; losing their train of thought at the sheer beauty that reflected off the clouds.

"HALT!" came a deep roaring voice. "Stop moving and stay where you are!" The voice was coming from a crystal pony soldier, stationed just up ahead behind the shield, hiding within a bunker. The alicorns froze in their tracks; their attention snapped back to what they were doing.

"State your names and your business here!" the solider demanded.

"I am Solaris, and the alicorns behind me are named Gaia, Selena, Vortex, Crimson, Aurora, and Aislin. We've come from the Sanctum to warn you of an impending invasion from the forces of Malicious Shadow."

The guard seemed to turn his head as if talking to his comrades, leaving Solaris and the others to stand in silence.

"The Sanctum?" the guard replied after a short while. "Then you would have heard of the prophecy?"

"Wow," Gaia whispered. "This prophecy thing is spreading like wildfire!"

"Shh," Solaris quietly hushed Gaia, then turned his attention back to the guard. "We have..." Solaris bit his lip and hesitated. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I am the one that the prophecy speaks of. I am the one destined to defeat Malicious."

Another silenced followed, as the guard again turned to talk to his fellow soldiers. Solaris stood frozen; his heart beating heavily. He turned to look at his friends, who returned an approving nod.

"You may enter the Empire," the guard finally shouted a reply. "Proceed forward, and a guard will take you to the palace."

Solaris nodded, and the group began a slow approach. As they arrived at the shield, a unicorn guard let a small spark leak from his horn, which caused a small opening to appear in the shield, allowing the alicorns to walk though. The guard then motioned to follow him, and they took off towards the palace. As they passed the many ramparts and bunkers, numerous crystal pony soldiers would poke their heads out to catch a glimpse of the prophesized savior. Solaris cringed and held his head low to the ground, trying to hide himself from the stares. Gaia, noticing his friend's discomfort, looked over to Vortex and motioned with his head to stand on either side of Solaris to block him from view. Solaris, realizing what his friends were doing, smiled and released a quiet 'Thank you'.

The group soon found themselves passing a strange, heart-shaped crystal that stood at the very center of the empire. The crystal spun upon a pedestal, releasing a blinding brilliance.

"Is that what I think it is?" Crimson asked quietly to Aislin.

"That's the Crystal Heart," she replied. "It's a mysterious, ancient crystal that the crystal ponies draw their magic from. It is the source of the shield that protects the empire." The group stared in fascination, but were forced to continue walking by the guard.

They soon arrived at the gateway into the palace, where the guard halted them.

"Beyond is the Emperor of the Crystal Empire: King Lucent" he spoke. "You may enter and speak, but do not introduce yourselves. He already knows who you are." They nodded and turned to the slowly opening door, proceeding inside. The interior of the palace was just as bright as the city outside; crystal everywhere reflecting blue and turquoise colors. Ahead of them was a long stretching pathway that lead to a staircase made of crystal, and atop the staircase sat a throne made of the same crystal. Seated upon the throne was a unicorn dressed in bright blue robes; his coat shining the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

"So," Lucent started. "You are the prophesized one? The alicorn whom every seer across Equestria won't stop talking about? What brings a hero such as yourself to my humble empire?"

"I am here to bring you warning," Solaris stepped forward. "We were told that Malicious has an army en route to the Crystal Empire as we speak, lead by a General Sombra, who has been given a power to break the shield that protects your citizens."

"I am already aware of the army that approaches," Lucent replied. "We have scouting parties that spotted them just yesterday. Thank you for your concern, but we have things well in hand. Malicious' generals have never been able to break the shield before, and they won't now. The Crystal Heart has proven its power too great for any evil, including that of Emperor Malicious. Now, is there anything else you need of me?" Solaris looked up at King Lucent and gulped heavily.

"I've come to ask for your aid. When the time comes, we will need a rebellion to overthrow Malicious. I ask that when that time comes, you will offer your help." Solaris bowed, but the King shook his head.

"I'm sorry, young alicorn," he spoke sadly. "But I will not risk my soldiers by sending them beyond the barrier. Ever since Malicious took Equestria, I have been able to make them feel safe by barring any passage to and from the empire. I will not take that away from them." Solaris lifted his body, but kept his head low. He tried to speak, to argue his case with the King, but his fears kept him back.

"You may stay here in the empire as long as you wish, but I'm sure you must continue your journey soon. The guard will show you where you can stay." Lucent waved for the guard, who promptly showed them out, leading them to a mansion-like complex just outside the palace. Given a floor all to themselves, they settled in and gathered in the central living room.

"That didn't go so well," said Solaris, overcome with discouragement.

"Let's try again tomorrow!" Aurora replied with a vibrant smile. "Who knows, maybe tomorrow he'll change his mind!"

"He seemed rather set in his ways," Selena responded despairingly. "As well as confident that the shield won't be broken. Yet that strange pony told us it would. Who do we believe?"

"I suggest that we stay until the army arrives," Vortex interjected. "Once we've seen that the barrier won't collapse, we can move on. But if it should fall, King Lucent may ask of our help, and if we give it, perhaps he will change his mind."

"See? There's a bright side to everything!" Aurora gleefully shouted as she began her signature hopping, at which Solaris cracked a small smile.

"You're right Aurora. Things just may turn out. However, if the shield will hold, we'll need to plan our next step, and I find it unlikely that another mysterious alicorn will appear to give us the answer."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," spoke Crimson as he picked himself up off the floor. "For now, it appears we're honored guests here at the empire. Let's tour the city! I'm sure there's plenty to see!"

The group agreed and dispersed, leaving the complex to begin their night on the town. Only Solaris, Gaia, and Selena remained, the latter having retreated to her room.

"You know," Gaia spoke quietly to his friend as he looked out into the empire through a window. "The city sure is beautiful with all of its glowing crystals. Quite a romantic setting. And for the first time since Haven, it appears we have some recreational time. I think it's the perfect time for you to come through on our bet."

"Oh, no Gaia," Solaris replied with dread. "I'm sure this has been pretty hard for her. I shouldn't bother her."

"Come on!" Gaia exclaimed under his breath. "I think a night out would do her good! I'll go hang with Crimson and Vortex, and you spend the evening with Selena. It's perfect bonding time for everypony!"

"Wait here a moment," Solaris said as he turned and went to Selena's door. He lightly knocked on it with his hoof.

"Come in," Selena's voice came quietly through the door.

"Hey, we're all heading out now. Would you like to join us?" Solaris asked as he cracked open the door.

"I think I'm going to stay in," she replied exhaustedly. "I wasn't ready for this kind of 'adventure', and I could really use some rest, but thank you for offering." Solaris gave a small bow of his head before returning to Gaia.

"That was pathetic," Gaia said disappointingly as he hoof-punched Solaris in his side. "That doesn't count even in the slightest."

"I know, but I told you she needed her rest."

"Fine," Gaia rolled his eyes. "Let's go, the others are waiting."

While the male alicorns of the bunch headed off into town and eventually found themselves at a pub, Aurora and Aislin went for a stroll around the palace.

"Isn't this great!" Aurora shouted as she bounded along next to Aislin. "Us girls finally get to get some bonding time!" Aislin smiled as she looked down and away.

"Yes, it is nice. You sure are a cheery pony."

"Well why wouldn't I be?!" Aurora joyfully yelped. "Even with an evil emperor, the world is still just a happy place to be! I make sure to find something to be happy about every day, and most days I find many things to be happy about!"

"I'm glad to hear it," Aislin replied. "I wish I could be that cheerful. It's hard for me to not see darkness everywhere in these times."

"Well don't you worry! I'm gonna have you all cheered up in no time."

Aislin didn't speak, but smiled in response. She stayed quiet for a bit before she finally voiced a thought that had been swimming in her head.

"Umm, what do you think of Solaris?" she whispered to Aurora.

"He seems like a really nice colt to me! Why? Do you have a crush on him?" Aurora smiled wide as she leaned in towards Aislin, who looked away as her face blushed a rosy red.

"Oh my gosh! You do!" Aurora bounded and leaped around Aislin.

"Please don't tell!" Aislin begged. "We've all only just met, and it would make things extremely awkward between all of us." Aislin bowed her head down.

"Oh don't worry, Aislin," Aurora assured her as she stopped bouncing. "Your secret is safe with me!"

"Thank you so much." Aislin lifted her head. "But I guess it won't matter in the end. I doubt he'll ever actually notice me."

"Aww, don't think like that! I'm sure in time he'll see what a great mare you are!" Aurora turned her head to the west. "Oh, looks like the sun will be down soon. We'd better start heading back!"

Minutes later, the six alicorns regrouped at the mansion estate. Solaris and Vortex strolled through the door first, followed by an unstable and disoriented Gaia and Crimson.

"Ooohh looks like you colts had fun!" Aurora greeted them.

"Oh, tons," Solaris replied sarcastically. "Gaia and Crimson had a little too much at the pub, and by 'too much', I mean they only had two mugs."

"Things got embarrassing when they stood on the tables and tried singing," Vortex added. "Needless to say, we didn't stay long."

"Hey!" Gaia hollered as he swayed back and forth. "Youur jus jealous that you can't sssing like me!" Solaris threw his hoof into his own face.

"I'm, I'm gonna go lay down," Crimson said as he wobbled his way to his room. Gaia attempted to follow, but ended up falling onto the ground in the central living room, causing Aurora to burst out laughing.

"Haha," Vortex chuckled. "You young colts can't hold your liquor."

"I choose not to drink," Solaris explained. "I've never really been into that. I also didn't feel it would be appropriate, given my status."

"Wise choice," Vortex commented. "Well, let's get some sleep. If that invasion takes four days to get here, then they should arrive the day after tomorrow. That gives us all day tomorrow to plan our next move."

"Alright then, I'll see you in the morning." Solaris stepped over Gaia and headed into his room, where he dove under the covers of the bed. He turned himself onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

"We've sure come quite a distance in just two days," he thought to himself. "I wonder just how much farther we have to go. Hopefully tomorrow I can convince the King to lend us a hoof. If I can at least manage that, then we're off to a good start." Finding some peace of mind, Solaris turned to the side and swiftly fell asleep.