Sealed Within

by Shroomkin

Prologue

---

A Day to Remember, A Victory to Behold

N’hir Vhanna. A land made by the Primes of old, with great magic imbued within by the two eldest of the Primes. Where the corruption of cryogems were halted by the very Primes who made the continents and oceans, who made the Northern and the Southern winds, who made the first flames of old.

Each representing an element, the Primes demanded absolute order amongst the citizens of this new world. Draga, the eldest son, guardian of the holy Element of Light. Raggoth, the second eldest, master of the mysterious Element of Darkness. Oronos, the wisest and the adviser of all of his siblings, the third eldest dubbed the "Sun Gazer" by his siblings, represents the ever free Element of Wind. Tirge, twin brother of Taal and oldest amongst the twins, ever wrathful, holds the might of the Earth. Taal, ever vengeful as the younger one, lashes with the power of the Water. And finally, the youngest of them all. Eliana, ever cheerful, the foundation for all her siblings, she casts the Element of Fire. Together, they have built the foundations necessary for beings to live amongst the cursed planet. And together, they developed unity amongst those who made their kingdoms after their images.

With the Primes' ever growing presence, they have decided to transform to their true bodies for all to witness, Elder Dragons, as some call it. Draga, the ever radiant serpent-like dragon, with four limbs and no wings, and a long slender body, with horns that of a reindeer. Raggoth, the definition of a wyvern, with the arms connected to the wings and the legs powerful enough for landing. Tirge, a massive land drake with a huge club on his tail and massive spikes amongst his back, living amongst the volcanoes of his own territory. Taal, a massive lindwurm, with powerful flippers to traverse the oceans with ease. And finally, Eliana, who despite being the smallest has the most powerful fire breath. She wasn't known as the Element of Fire for nothing, after all. She was, like her older brother Raggoth, a wyvern with beautiful colorings that matches her personality. It was only Oronos who did not bother to show his true form for he did not need to as he has found peace living like his people, as well as peace gazing upon the sun.

It was a land of harmony. The different kingdoms guided by the six creators, the six Primes gave the people wisdom and gifts. They have succeeded in defending the kingdoms from the threats of the Elgs, fierce beings who decimated lands in search of cryogems. It became a land of peace soon after when the Elgs were vanquished once and for all with the use of the combined strength of the siblings and the might of the armies.

It was a peaceful land...

It was, until the Great Death. Everyone was in mourning, for Eliana passed away into the realm of the dead. The one who brought happiness and joy to the brothers, who her smile has touched even the wrathful heart of Tirge, one who loved her people so much that she gave them a land far from the reaches of the Elgs, has perished. It was not a natural death, no, it was an assassination. No one has ever killed a Prime, no, no MORTAL has ever struck down a Prime, let alone kill one. By this logic alone, each individual brother demanded a reason not to kill each other, for they themselves are the only ones who knew how to kill a Prime. With tensions rising and suspicions lurking, the eldest of the brothers decided that a meeting shall take place in his kingdom, Irunia, where they then proceeded to cast multiple barriers so the mortals can never hear what they talked about. There, the brothers spoke of truth, and the tensions between all of them died down to some extent. It was then that the eldest decided to outcast himself from the very people he pledged to protect, in fear that the mortals may betray him soon. He advised everyone of his brothers to do the same, in order to minimize the potential outcome of death.

Prideful, however, are the twins, as they wish to gain terrain from the same areas for petty reasons. Oronos, on the other hand, never really interacted much with his people, rather, he spent most of his time indulging upon philosophies and written texts made and offered by his people. As such, he had the easiest way to "escape" his own kingdom, by simply walking amongst the commonfolk as if he was one of them. He vanished later on to the unknown regions of the Desert Isles. Raggoth, on the other hand, despite being the bearer for the Element of Darkness, was kind to his people and loyal to his older brother. Because of this, he gave his people one final gift, the Orb of Protection, to ensure that his people would be protected even though he is gone. And thus, Raggoth left and hibernated in the dark abyss he made as his own territory.

It was then that wars finally struck with the rest of the kingdoms, demanding an explanation as to why the Primes are disappearing, with each kingdom blaming the other, asking why only the Tidal Prime and the Mountain Prime remain. With misunderstandings happening, the skirmishes of Taal and Tirge were not helping the cause. They were far too preoccupied with their own battles that they did not realize that these battles were affecting not only the welfare of the other kingdoms, but also the inner thoughts of the people. That was the breaking point for some. With their Primes gone, it was time to take action. Kings and Queens ordered their men and women for battle. Lands were taken in an attempt to gain resources. People were denied passage if it meant dealing more damage to the enemy kingdoms. It was no longer about their Primes. It was for greed and power, for the strength they were willing to show in order to make the cowards flee.

It was only when the desolation of their sister's kingdom, Tha'Ruel, reached the brothers that the two stopped their war, though, the damage has been done. Casualties can be seen amongst the once pure lands. Soldiers drowning amongst the waves, cities burning and people famished. The wars affected millions of innocent people. With this revelation, Tirge and Taal decided that their war shall linger no more. They looked upon their people with guilt upon their eyes. Soon, the eldest came down upon the heavens to speak upon the brothers, and to scold the mortals who fought not out of love for their Primes, but for greed and the power that they can take, for the lands that they can conquer, and for the people that they can gain. It was here that the eldest took the brothers away, saying that they shall return once more for the glory of N'hir Vhanna. And the people cheered upon their missing Primes, and they swore to bring peace for their masters' return. And then there was peace yet again, with the Elgs no longer a threat, with cryogems no longer a source of corruption, with no Primes to lead.

It is a peaceful land...

---

Twenty thousand years have passed. The tales of the Primes were long forgotten, and a new Evil has risen amongst the people. One who has decimated the lands out of pure spite, he who has burned down farms to destroy the food supply of the Commonfolk, he who watched as the sacred forests of Eldenuur collapse under his great rule; the bringer of death to the Dwarves as he commanded his dragons to purge the mountains of KhaLagris and the ruler of the once proud nation of Irunia, the ancient city bestowed upon the people of Draga.

Known as the Emperor of All, the Great King of the Draens, demonic beings with powerful magic who were never united until his rule, the Scourge of All Kin, the Desolator, he has amassed a number of deaths upon his name. The very utterance of his name stirs the hearts of people with fear, no matter the race. He is known simply as-

"OMNIDIAH THALION!"

A loud shout echoed from the now open doors of the throne room. There stood six figures, each with different weapons and armor. The eldest among them, a Commonfolk Wizard, spoke once more. "THALION, SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARDLY SNAKE!"

Just then, flames upon the torches start to appear, each light growing upon the dark throne room. Then, a pair of deep red eyes appear before them. Slowly blinking, it spoke, "Another challenger ready for their demise? How intriguing." The figure stands upon its seat, slowly walking towards the end of the stairs of the throne. "It appears you have defeated some of my more... disposable warriors. Your strength is remarkable. Alas, like all who thinks that the prophecy talks about them, you will perish." He grins ever so slightly, the being now known as Thalion walks with pride, his horns ever so sharp. His claws can be seen from the robe he was wearing, making it look like sharp blades drenched in blood. His tail ever moving slightly, like a wyvern ever ready to pounce upon its target. The six figures ready themselves for a fight they may not survive.

"Hmm... An Elvish Archer? Your silly little group truly is prepared. I've heard of the abilities of such-" he ducked as he was interrupted by a passing arrow. "We are not here to talk, we are here to end you!" said the Elvish Archer with spite upon her tone.

"Eager, are thee? Very well."

With a slight flick of his wrist, a loud screeching noise came upon his fingers. His claws grew as he charges upon the insolent fools who dare challenge him. He first tackled their Dwarvish Paladin, that of whom has the armor to survive the most hits, magic and physical wise. As the Paladin falls upon the ground, he focuses upon the Commonfolk Wizard, who despite his age, has more magical power than the rest, and as such, could definitely cast a powerful spell that can hinder him later. As he charges though, a few arrows fly across his face, merely dodging moments before it hits their mark. That Elvish Archer was prepared, rather, has prepared her high ground. A worthy challenge indeed. As he gazes upon the Elvish Archer, a loud roar from the Lionkin Warrior broke the contact. He swung his axe in continuous motion, not giving much time for Thalion to move past and attack the Wizard of the group. He then hears the chants of a young Wolvenbred Priest, or rather, Priestess, healing the fallen Paladin. As much as he wants to interrupt the Priestess from healing the Paladin, and as much as he wants to harm the now casting Wizard, he is currently being pinned by this barbaric brute. He dodges and dodges, yet this brute is still upon him. He backsteps, placing his hand upon the ground, causing spikes to emerge, hoping that it would pierce this Lionkin Warrior. It only tore a bit of his pauldrons, much to his dismay. Just as he stops casting such a thing though, more arrows fly, barely missing its mark; his head. He has seen five already move, yet there was one missing.

"The Assassin..." he murmured to himself before quickly dodging more of the combined attacks of the Archer and the Warrior. Just then, he noticed a snare trap, albeit, too late, as the snare catches him off guard. However, much to the disappointment of the Commonfolk Assassin, Thalion recovered too quickly, and thus proceeded to counterattack. He flicked the arrows with his claws and proceeded to rake the Warrior across his chest, scratching through his armor as if it was a hot knife through butter. The Warrior staggers as blood rushes upon his chest. Thalion then gazes on the Wizard, who at this point was still casting, with the Paladin rushing through with his shield ready to bash.

He is torn on who to take on first. Clearly the Wizard is casting a much more powerful spell, but if he turns his back around the Paladin, he would surely be tackled, much like how he tackled him early on. While the Archer can no longer shoot her barrage of arrows due to the Wizard, it would only take one arrow for her to find her mark. If he focuses the Archer on the other hand, there is a chance that the Wizard would cast and bring him down with one spell. And since he does not know what spell the Wizard is casting, it makes it all the more risky, yet if he manages to take out their most skilled comrade, it would be a risk he should take as that would leave everyone open. As the Paladin is slow with all his armor, he could take him down, but it would be a stupid move as he would leave himself open for the Archer and or the Wizard. With thoughts running amongst his brain, and with barely a second to think, he chose to attack the slow casting Wizard. He risks it. He knows that if he stops and tries to cast a spell, he would be shot, that alongside the mostly hidden Assassin, it would not be a risk he would take. So, he went on the physical aspect and tried to stab the Wizard.

He was closing the distance.

A few meters, and the Wizard is still casting. Arrows fly by as he dodges by feeling the air around him, a technique taught to him while he was blind for a few days.

The Paladin was almost there, shield in hand, he was almost upon the side of Thalion.

He can hear their hearts beating fast.

"Rein Athal'Phete!"

He stopped. His claws mere inches upon the Wizard. He noticed as the Assassin now has a few mages behind him. He glances upon the Wizard, who sighed in relief, expelling the magical circle upon his feet. The Priestess, a smirk upon her face, let out a huge sigh of relief.

"What is this?" Thalion said as he tried to move. It then dawned upon him. He was stuck!

"Looks like our plan worked. I knew you were more cautious of me..." The Wizard slumped down, tired after spending all that mana, yet something didn't seem right. "You spent ALL that time to cast a simple Locking Spell... WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING?!" Thalion asked angrily. "It is not me you should ask", the Wizard glances at the now blushing Priestess, "it is her." The Paladin huffs, "You know, before putting that spell on me, I really wanted to at least land a hit!" The Dwarvish Paladin laughs as he hugs the Priestess, making her even more embarrassed. "It was her who casted the Locking Spell. All the Paladin needed to do was to get near you." The Wizard states, with pride in his voice. Thalion then realized why the Priestess was slow in healing the Paladin. Of course, he thought that she was still a novice brought along for minor healing, but now he understood it completely. "Now then, allow me to demonstrate what I had casted." He points at the glowing floor, a large hexagon with runes upon the outsides. Thalion then noticed that the sides of the hexagon had arrows. "Sealing arrows..." Thalion said, allowing his voice to be heard.

"We know that we can't kill you completely, otherwise, the previous adventurers would've been branded as Heroes. Instead, we opted for a smarter approach. To seal you for eternity!" As the Archer said that, the mages and the Wizard started to chant, each one of them positioned upon the points of the hexagon.

"No... NO!". Thalion shouted, dread upon his eyes. Is this really happening? "I BRING A CURSE UPON YOU! RELEASE ME NOW!" His words were in vain as they continued to cast. Suddenly, chains started to pop out of the ground, clasping his arms and then closing. "With this spell..." the Warrior huffs as he holds his chest to prevent more blood to spew, "you will... be forever trapped in this... miserable tomb. Free of charge... heh heh..." The Priestess then came over and gave the Warrior a Spell of Healing: Cure Wounds.

Thalion was lashing out, spewing every curse in different tongues. "How the mighty have fallen!" The Assassin mocks.

"You will rue this day... DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU WILL RUE THIS DAY THAT YOU HAVE CONFRONTED ME!!" Thalion, enraged, did not notice another magical aura that soon enveloped him and this "new" tomb of his. However, the rest did not and thought that the one they captured, this ruthless monster, is now casting a spell. And in their very eyes, this new magical aura engulfed the now roaring Thalion, disappearing right before they finish the spell.

"No... NO! That... thing! Did he disappear? Was that part of the ritual?!" The Archer asked, readying her bow, as did her other comrades. Before the Wizard can talk though, a mage spoke out. "Yes ma'am! It was supposed to happen, though, not in a bright light. Perhaps the God of Light has shone upon us!" While the Wizard wanted to rebuke the younger mage, he was too tired to do so, and thus, accepted it as an act of the Gods. And with that, they cheered. Victory, something that they didn't even believe in when they first got here, is at their grasp. Where they thought that death awaits them, after years of agony, years of losing friends and comrades to a war against evil, after years of treacherous journeys towards the center of evil. Finally, sweet victory... Though, the Wizard was still wary, for that was not the intention of the spell, however, he knows when to stop. He joined his comrades, with one last look behind the castle, and thought to himself, "I hope that the young mage is right about this being an act of the God of Light and that all of this wasn't for naught..."

---

Chaos. If there was one word to describe the situation, it was indeed chaos. Buffaloes wearing tutus while dancing ballet, rabbits with giraffe like legs, houses floating and constantly spinning, pink and white tiled terrain, and a giant house of cards. Chaos, or rather, chaotic. With pies raining down, a sudden laugh can be heard.

"Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing!" The amalgamation said sat upon his throne, about to drink and enjoy the glass of chocolate milk. Just then, a young female voice interrupted. "Not as wonderful as Friendship!" A lavender unicorn wearing a tiara stepped forward with her friends at the back, wearing what appears to be necklaces with different symbols. They were all ready to attack judging by the way they carry themselves. "Oh... This again?" The amalgamation drank the glass of the chocolate milk, tossing aside the chocolate milk and causing an explosion.

"That's right! Yah can't break apart our friendship fer long!" An orange mare with a Stetson said, putting her hoof down. Soon after, her necklace started glowing yellow after being pulled into the amalgamation's grasp of magic. "Oh Applejack, don't lie to me. I'm the one who made you a liar!" The now known Applejack proceeded to struggle from his grasp. As she does so, the beast with a combination of limbs and joints pulls the other necklaces towards him. "Do you ever learn?"

With a bright light embracing the lavender unicorn, she vanished and reappeared in front of the beast, alongside her now floating friends. She casted a bubble of protection, and lifted them back to the safety of the ground. "I'll tell you what we've learned, Discord! We learned that Friendship isn't always easy," her friends then proceeded to stand by next to her as she continues, "but there's no doubt it's worth fighting for!"

A thought came to who we now know as Discord, for he can feel something was... off. As if there was an even greater presence being held captive. Being impatient, however, decided to ignore it and lash out on the six ponies in front of him. "Ergghh, gag! Fine, go ahead. Try and use your Elements, frenemies! Just make it quick!" he said, as he vanished and reappeared back in the seat of his throne. Upon his throne, however, he thought about the presence, and decided it would be a last resort for him, should he ever be harmed by these Elements. He then shrugs and speaks out, "I am missing some excellent chaos here!"

"Alright ladies! Let's show him what Friendship can do!" This was then interrupted by a pink mare, who was drinking from the chocolate raincloud. The look they gave her was priceless. Distracted, Discord took this opportunity to see if he can snap this being into this realm, to try and see if such a thing can be used against the Elements. However, he was surprised to see that nothing came out. Again he tried while he still had the time, and again, it failed to pop up. Was there someone intervening with his magic? Just then, a warm lavender light, that of which looks arcane in nature, shone brightly from the mares. Discord feigned a yawn while the Elements activated. As cunning as he is, he was still unsure as to what is happening with his magic. He snapped again, this time on his tail, to prevent them from ever noticing what is happening. As he was doing so, magic beams with the shapes of the Elements shot out from the necklaces and almost struck Discord, who was still lost in thought. Was there something wrong with his magic? "No" he muttered as the mares soon glow with a light that enveloped them. Their eyes glow with a white yet pure light as they float above the ground. In his desperate attempts to summon the said creature to, at least in his head aid him for his escape, he started snapping, focusing his magic time and time again, but to no avail. And with that last struggle, a bright light with all the colors of the rainbow struck him down, turning his body into stone. And with his body now turned into stone, the blinding lights proceeded to undo everything that Discord has done. Discord gravely underestimated the mares before him, and thus, has payed the price.

"We did it, we did it, we did it!" exclaimed the pink mare with an unnaturally puffy mane as puffy as the clouds above her. "Darn tootin', we did!" shouted Applejack, grabbing her Stetson and throwing it above. "Oh dear, I could definitely go for a spa after this... My mane is all disheveled." They all laughed and hugged each other, not aware of what Discord has done.

For they were not aware that Discord has summoned a being much more terrifying than him.

Deep upon the shadows of a forest, lies a now buried tomb. One that contains what the N'hirvhannians feared. One that they so greatly sealed upon with magic far greater than any mortal has done. One reserved for the likes of a rogue Prime, should that need ever arise. And upon that shadow of darkness, a pair of deep red eyes open...

Author's Note:

And with that, the prologue is done!

*Airhorn noises*

Honestly don't know what to put here.

Comments

[Teraunce]

Fair enough. This seems like a wholly original crossover.

[The_0b5erver]

Okay, so I just finished the prologue and wow, I love your writing style. I will have to re-read the entirety of this later, as surprise surprise - midnght is not the best time for reading big words but even then, I'm really interested to see where this goes. So, all in all: good job, will come back again.