//------------------------------// // The Beginning of a Legend // Story: A New Hero // by 21latenighter //------------------------------// Fury approached her with his head bowed, and immense respect in his heart. This was the pony who had created the Elements of Harmony, and started him down his path. She smiled as she brought a hoof to Fury's shoulder. “Hello Fury Flight, I've been expecting you,” she said in a voice that brought thoughts of a brighter time to Fury, before he was forced to become a warrior. “And hello to you, Princess Luna, how you've grown..” Luna smiled as she approached, her eyes gleaming like that of a young filly. “I-I thought she would like to meet you,” Fury said nervously. The life bringer smiled and hugged the two tightly before looking back at the Ursa behind them. “How long Urson?” She asked with what appeared to be concern. “I have a few moments my friend,” the Ursa apparently known as Urson replied. “Very well, then we haven't much time for catching up,” she said sadly as she pointed back to the window. Through the window, was the newly released Crystal Empire, and the unicorn Twilight Sparkle. “Tell me.. what do you see?” She asked the two as they looked through. “I see the return of an empire that I banished long ago, one that I should be protecting,” Luna said as she looked through with tears forming. “Look closer..” She said as she guided Luna's sight with her magic. “It's the unicorn Twilight Sparkle, our sister's prized pupil, I-I don't understand..” Luna said with confusion. “Look deeper…” she answered softly, revealing a spiritual realm of the world. “I-is that… a-alicorn magic? But it shouldn't be there..” “Shouldn't it… or has your sister seen something within her… something great..” “She is to become… one of us?” Luna asked as she looked away from the mirror. “In time Luna… in time…. Do you now see the wisdom in your sister's actions?” The goddess asked the princess. The goddess then approached Fury, as he stared longingly towards the castle, once again pristine and white, it was the castle he called home. “What do you see?” She asked. “I see home… but not home… it still looks like the same empire I grew up in, but now it's under new leadership..” Fury said, as he saw the newly wedded couple of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor defending the empire from a threat they barely understood. “Could it not still be home… because since when has Fury Flight let authority stop him… you defied a direct order from your parents and charged into the battle of the black castle…” “It will never be home again… not truly… not without them,” he said as he began to pull away from the mirror, but stopped when the picture changed.. to the image of Rainbow Dash, running in a jousting match with another Pegasus, who was scared to death of what was coming. The image brought a smirk to Fury's face, but as well as he tried to hide it, the goddess still caught it. “She is young… only knowing the love shown by you… a love that you hold back on… because of your past..” “I don't want my past to follow me here and find her…” “You hold back because of fear… fear that you will wake to see her parish… but you have lived in your past for so long that you've never opened them to the present or future… this land is at peace, your parents would be proud to see what you three have made… the peace that they fought so desperately for,” she said as she pulled back from the mirror, its wonders disappearing as if they were never there. She then gestured to the Ursa behind them, who had just awoken from a small nap. He arose and brought forth his claw to welcome the two alicorns. The goddess then used her magic to teleport them to the claw, where they looked longingly at her, hoping to hear more of her infinite wisdom. “Farewell friends, and may harmony smile upon you both for years to come, and may peace reign in Equestria for all eternity…” she ended as the Ursa used his magic to return them to the cave where they had embarked from. As they arrived at the cave, Fury and Luna gently glided off the Ursa’s paw and thanked him before allowing him to return to his slumber. “That was an adventure, was it not?” Luna asked as they exited the cave. “It was sister, and a much needed one.” “Well, shall we return to Canterlot and tell our sister of our findings?” She said as she opened her violet wings and prepared for the journey home. “Yeah, let's go home..” Fury said as he opened his own wings and left the ground. When they arrived in Canterlot, they were informed of Twilight's success in defeating king Sombra, and in retaining the Crystal Empire. Nearly a year later… “... the coronation went splendidly sister, not a single thing was out of place,” Fury finished as he entered the throne room, but the look upon her face spelled trouble. “Wh-what is it?” Fury asked worriedly. “Fury… I have a mission for you, a deep undercover mission, full of danger, and top secret… you may be gone for a long time… a prisoner has escaped Tartarus…” Celestia said with a grim tone. “Escaped… but how?” He asked as he approached his sister on the throne. “A couple years back, Cerberus was found in the middle of Ponyville, having abandoned his post at the gate.” “Cerberus, in Ponyville.. and I wasn't told about it?” Fury said as the information stunned him. “I'm sorry brother, but the incident was taken care of quick enough that we were not needed,” Celestia said as she used her magic to give Fury the scroll that contained his next mission. As Fury read through the brief, he recognized a name that sent chills down his spine… Nightingale. Nightingale was the unicorn responsible for creating the Nightmare spell, the very spell that took conciseness after it was attached to Luna for a thousand years. A unicorn from the village of Spearsound, the last villager to be precise, she was skilled in weaponry and nearly every fighting technique known to pony kind. After discovering dark magic however, she found her true strength. Once Luna's advisor, she was granted close access to her to perfect her spell. “... Nightingale… escaped, when do I leave?” “Immediately, and Fury, try to be safe,” Celestia said with a fair bit of concern in her voice. “I will sister, I will” Fury said as he walked out of the throne room and off to his room on the next level. When he opened the door, he collected the supplies he needed for his mission. He levitated two spell books, one being Defense Against Telekinesis, and the other being a spellbook of his own, containing powerful spells he had learned over the years. He then lifted a couple dozen parchments and a few quills. As he lifted his supplies, he brought forth a single piece of parchment and a quill and wrote a letter to his love. ‘Dearest Rainbow, I'm writing to you because I don't know the next time we'll meet face to face. I'm being sent on a very important mission, one that may keep me for months… or even years. I wanted to tell you that I love you, and I'll miss you until the day I return. Don't do anything rash to try to come with me, and don't do anything dumb to get yourself hurt, and promise that you'll write back, With love, Fury Flight’ With a small burst of magic, the letter left his room and traveled through the world to the town of Ponyville, where it reappeared on the bedside table in the mansion in the sky that belonged to Rainbow Dash. Fury took a second to look his room over one last time before leaving it and the castle in search of what would become one of his greatest adventures… The End...