"They say a pony's life is measured by how he sets his hoofprints in the soft mold of the world. I guess by that logic you could say life is like...art. Yeah...art. Sometimes art is beautiful...while other times it is horrifying. Could you say that...maybe, the world...the universe maybe, is like a big giant museum? What...an insane concept that is. How in the hell did it ever come to th-

"Captain Kolokai, you're needed down below!" shouted a heavily armored Pegasus from behind. The pony gulped as he watched his Captain stare quietly towards the black horizon, the calm autumn wind lapping gently at his greying mane and soft, weary face. The two of them were standing on the roof of a tower attached to a small stone fort below, spotlights and torches flickering along the walls and battlements of the edge. Even in his late years of life, Captain Kolokai of the Sulvega Solar Flare was still considered by his soldiers a fortress of a stallion. A brutal warrior standing ten feet tall, his emerald eyes so dark in color that some may very well mistake them for black. His entire body was plated with the pearly white armor of the Sulvega, patterns of the sun's rays etched into the plating that gave off the impression of a beautiful sunset, or a warm sunrise. Along the back plating, near his flank however, one feature stood out from the rest. A feature more prominent and even more majestic (in his soldier's minds at least) then his giant, light-brown wings that rested comfortably against his side.

Talley-marks...numbering  themselves across his back and flank at least a hundred strong. To the Pegasus watching him, the marks were a display of many things, honor and glory the largest of them all. He could even go as far as to recall specific marks in his armor as a few of the battles he had participated in with the Captain. The mark eight inches down from the base of his tail...the Battle of Stalliongrad. The mark four inches to the left and down six from this...the Battle of Aegis Island. As the soldiers eyes trailed over his commanding officers campaign, the stallion let out a deep, gruff sigh and whispered to the wind "Seargent Sura...what is the statis..."

Sura, armored in a smaller version of Kolokai's armor, cleared his throat and tore his eyes from his Captain's crude 'medals'. "Perimeter is secure, as always. Lights are operating at maximum usage but the generator will cave within an hour...no sign of the Lunar Sh-"

He was cut off by the rough grunting of Kolokai's throat, followed by his loud, overbearing words "I am aware of the situation concerning the force, the defenses, and the enemy who even now watches us and circles us like merciless griffons chasing a wounded deer. You know that I did not ask about this." Sura blinked for a moment before silently opening his mouth and making a quiet 'Oh...' with his voice.

The sergeant tapped the ground in front of him nervously for a moment before he spoke. The edge in his voice was apparent...an edge that Kolokai knew instantly, as fear. "Private Volokai...um...he's down below. He's requested your presence down below sir."

"Ah..." Kolokai whispered, a smile stretched out on his lips "My wonderful son...I presume Lady Selena is ready?"

At this, Sura nodded and growled "Yes sir! It is time, and the enemy seems to have sensed it as well. Our unicorns are detecting movement just beyond the walls...they are coming."

Kolokai nodded slightly, turning his head towards the Pegasus and shouting "Lead the way soldier! The stars are aligned in our favor tonight and by the Goddess's I will not be denied this now! Life shall be born amongst this death tonight, and I will NOT let these demon worshiping bastards take this last shred of happiness I have left away from me!"

As the two descended down the stairs of the tower, an overwhelming loud cry of a siren blared out over the fortress. "The siren!" Sura shouted, running behind the Captain "Somepony's got to hear that! Please somebody hear that! It's the only way we can call for reinforcements!!!"

Kolokai burst through the bottom door of the tower and into the courtyard, his voice roaring over the sound of the siren "FORM UP! Form up into your defense groups! Lines Alpha through Delta, the central keep must NOT FALL! Lines Echo and Foxtrot, defend the Spellweavers! They will only have enough time to lead our innocent through their conjured portal before it collapses!"

All around, ponies decked in the same gear as Sura rushed about, forming up in front of the large, square-shaped keep that rested in the very center of the courtyard. Once the formations had been made, and the main door to the keep locked and secured, Kolokai took his position in front of his soldiers and narrowed his eyes towards the walls. The ponies looked around nervously as the lights began to flicker, the spotlights dimming into darkness and the torches blowing out from sudden gusts of wind. The siren itself even began to whir down and let out a long, guttural whine. Sura took his place next to the steady Captain, his breath slightly panicked as Kolokai whispered "Goddess's above...watch over my son and his beautiful wife...watch over the refugees from the North Villages...please let our efforts be not in vain...and by all that is holy please...please let my grandson be a blessing of life amongst the last torrents of death that I shall unleash tonight."

Sura took a deep breath, comforted slightly by the Captain's selfless prayer for his loved ones and their charges. As Sura began to utter his own, Kolokai growled with a menacing, threatening tone and whispered "Goddess's above....they are here....."

~~~

"Push!!!! PUSH!!!! Milady Selena you must push!!!"

"Nnnn...nnnnaaaAARRRRRGGHH!!!"

Inside the keep, in the deep bowels of the basement, a beautiful, slender mare of a light brown color with a yellowish mane screamed and held on tightly to an armored colt and a mare that were situated on both sides of her. A third mare was situated down between her rear legs, her eyes flicking up towards the expecting mares and back down to where even a colt in fresh, undamaged Solar Flare armor could not look. He was a dark brownish color, his emerald eyes looking away as the mare gripped onto his hoof tighter and roared in pain. "V...Volo...baby it hu-ARRRRRGH!!!" Selena screamed, her head tilting back as she cried out in pain. The armored colt, Volokai, winced as Selena wept and tried her best to push as the mares instructed her to.

On the far side of the room, a group of four Spellweavers quickly muttered several incantations and spells, a bright violet glow forming in the center of their group.They were unicorns, and according to his father Kolokai, Volo knew them as the most elite of the Sulvega Solar Flare. It was only a few minutes past since the siren from above died, giving way to the sounds of ferocious fighting above. Sounds of death and slaughter could be heard floating down the stairs, drawing nervous glances from the other four soldiers strewn out across the room who were watching the rest of the refuges huddled in the far corner of the room.

The sounds of the keep door exploding were even muffled in comparison to the horrid screeching of Selena, the mare kneeling in front of her shouting "Almost there! Almost there keep pushing! Oh he's so beautiful Selena keep pushing! He's coming Selena you're almost there, you'll see him soon just give me one more good push!!!"

Volokai jumped as the door leading towards the cellar stairs opened, a bloodied and savaged Sura limping in. The Seargent bucked the door shut behind him and shouted as blood dripped from his forehead "Spellweavers! I need that portal up, NOW! The enemy is breaking through!"

As if on cue, the Spellweavers let out a great shout and jumped backwards as a purple circle gleamed and formed from the floor of the cellar. The refugees were quick to their hooves, rushing towards and into the portal as the guards tried their best to barricade the door. It was just as Selena let forth her final scream of agony that the door started to get pounded from the other side. The dreaded, savage growling hissing towards the defenders on the other side. In the next instant...time seemed to slow for Volokai as the door was blown violently off its hinges, the sounds of a crying, baby pony hitting his ears like a freight train...a board from the shattered door hitting him with a force that could rival even the strongest of bucks. As he fell backwards, his vision blackening....he could hear the faint whisper of the wind through the deep stone cracks of the walls. A voice.....a word....a simple...little word.................a name...

"My son....on this day....the day you were born...your grandfather Kolokai fought to the death to ensure that everypony in that fortress could escape to safety. His sacrifice, was not in vain...as you were born, another son to the great Kurr line. It was if your very ancestors were with us that day...watching over your innocent form and repelling you from the darkness that had sought to destroy us. From the moment you were born...it was if your beautiful, new life repelled the dark, evil death that sought to claim us all. I could hear the wind whisper to me our legacy...your future....

My son....the day you were born, the very forests of the Everfree whispered the name......

Some Brony presents....

Wolokai KuRR...in...