It was another beautiful, summer morning in Equestria’s capital. The sun was starting its long journey across the sky, casting it in a brilliant pink-orange light. The ivory towers of the castle shared the colors of dawn in the early hours of the day, most ponies were still asleep at this hour, but those who were awake witnessed the beauty that Celestia created every morning to start each new and wonderful day. It was at this time that the unicorn, Guiding Light, was most at peace, being Celestia’s most trusted advisor tended to make one’s life stressful. Not just anypony could be her adviser; it was Guiding Light’s cutie mark that earned her position. It was the Equestrian symbol of wisdom, three circles aligned to shape out a triangle with three crescent moons hugging the interior of each circular dot; all joined at the center creating a single, blue, image.
The normally busy Canterlot streets were in the proverbial ‘calm before the storm’ that was the Canterlot elite. Guiding Light was just leaving her castle suite to catch an early breakfast before her royal duties called. She let the early morning breeze tussle her blue mane and cool her pale yellow coat; it was the perfect way to start the day.
Guiding Light was on her way to the castle kitchen to sneak a biscuit when she was stopped by a familiar voice. “Up early as usual eh?”
“Hello Valor” she sighed “you know I have to get to the castle early.” Valor was the most respected knight in Canterlot, that and he was the best at his job. Having the Equestrian symbol of courage, a large green crescent moon with a smaller one inside of it and a circle inside of that one, certainly made being a knight look easy. Guiding Light and the green pegasus met in the Canterlot Sculpture Garden each morning and Valor would walk with her to the castle. That is, he did when Guiding Light’s cousin Iron Curtain didn’t find him. He was very protective of his little cousin, which would be expected out of an earth pony. To top it off, he was the highest ranking officer of the Equestrian Armed Forces. His cutie mark, the Equestrian symbol of power, three red wavy lines with a circle attached to the right side of the upper wave and the left side of the lowest wave, definitely qualified him to own such a position.
“VALOR!!” came a heavily accented Stalliongrad voice that both of them knew very well. “Valor, I specifically told you NOT to flirt with Guiding Light!”
“I wasn’t flirting, we were just talking.” Valor defended, matching the red giant’s anger
“Ya ne zabochus!!” he shouted back, slamming his huge, armored hoof to the ground.
”I’ve told you hundreds of times; I do NOT want you around my cousin!”
“I'm not a filly anymore Iron, I can be the judge of who I can and can’t hang around!” both Valor and Iron Curtain gave her a startled look, not expecting her to enter the argument. “He’s the most respected knight in Canterlot, what do you expect him to do?”
“I uh…” Iron started before he was cut off again by his cousin’s attack.
“Exactly! So shut your pie hole!”
“Um Guiding, you don’t need to yell at him, he was just--” Valor started before she turned to give him his own scolding.
“And you!” the raging unicorn stated. “Don’t think for a moment that you’re not fair game! Every time you two fight, there were several points where you could have been the better pony and ended it but chose to keep on fighting about me!”
Valor stood silent with his ears folded back, he knew better than to argue with the mare when she got into one of her moods, as did Iron Curtain. With a pointed “humph” she trotted off in a huff.
Once Guiding Light was safely out of earshot, Valor looked up to Iron Curtain “I think we just barely escaped with our lives.”
The red giant slowly nodded “da comrade, she can be quite wolatile…”
***
The two of them were always arguing over pointless things, it frustrated Guiding Light to no end. She stomped through the Canterlot Sculpture Garden, grumbling the whole way. She stopped at the statue of Discord, no longer looking quite as heroic as he used to, Guiding Light looked up at Discord’s submissive position and sighed. “I guess I should calm down shouldn’t I?” she asked nopony in particular. “I should go apologize.”
“Excuse me?” came a voice from behind she hadn’t heard before. “can you tell us how to get to the Canterlot Airport?”
Guiding Light turned around to see a green unicorn stallion and a grey pegasus mare, most likely married. “Yes of course, it’s at the other end of Canterlot,” she said pointing to her right “a few miles down the road after Donut Joe’s place, you can’t miss it.”
The green unicorn looked to the pegasus “Told you I could ask for directions” the unicorn told the mare next to him smugly.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Ok fine, you win.”
Guiding Light couldn’t help but chuckle “where you two headed anyway?”
The blonde pegasus immediately answered “we’re going to Prance for our honeymoon!” her voice full of excitement
“No kidding? Congratulations”
“Thanks!” she was still excited about their destination, she let out a squee then added “ooohh I can’t wait. Common Crafter, the sooner we get to the airport, the sooner we can start our honeymoon!” she let out another squee and pulled her husband off in the direction of the airport.
Guiding Light shook her head and chuckled, it warmed her heart to see the excitement of a newlywed couple. After watching them canter off into the distance, she decided her apology could wait and made her way to the royal kitchen to get her breakfast.
***
“There you are Guiding Light” Valor called just before she entered the throne room. “I wanted to apologize for this morning, you’re right. Your cousin and I had a talk and he is willing to ease up his overprotective side so long as I don’t try anything.”
“Wait. He what?” Guiding Light had never heard of her cousin changing his mind about something so important to him like that. “are you sure it was my cousin and not a changeling?”
Valor chuckled “yes I'm sure. Now let’s get in there, Celestia won’t let us live it down if you go in there without me.” Guiding Light and Valor walked in with each other every morning, Celestia gave them both a good humored earful if one was without the other upon entry. It was an unspoken law that the two of them be together when she arrived for work.
“Yeah I guess you’re right” Guiding Light sighed and walked in as Valor held the door for her.
“Ah Guiding Light, Valor. It’s good to see you both this morning, are you ready for the day to start?” Celestia greeted warmly as the two entered.
“That we are your Highness.” Valor bowed as he replied, although Celestia and Luna preferred their subjects not to bow, many did it anyway out of respect. “Forgive me your majesty,” he said trying not to laugh “Knight School was very strict about the bowing.”
“Remind me to have them change that part of their curriculum” Celestia said quietly, as Guiding Light took her place besides her, ready for the day to begin. “You ready Guiding Light?”
“Yes your majesty” she replied, playing off of what Valor started.
Celestia rolled her eyes. “Valor, you may let the first petitioner in now.” She quickly said, eager to end the shenanigans before they started.
Adopting an uncharacteristic look of seriousness, Valor opened the door and faced the line that had started to gather. “Celestia is ready to receive the first petitioner now.” He allowed the first pony in line to enter the room, stepping in front of the line and closing the door after she had passed.
The petitioner wore a cloak, covering most of their body. The legs that stuck out from underneath were stripped, indicating it was a zebra. “Greetings, it is rare to see a zebra in Equestria. What can I do for you?” Celestia’s tone was warm and welcoming, as it always was whenever she dealt with the public.
“I come not to petition, but to warn you of evil’s mission” came the gravelly voice of the elder zebra mare, It sounded like her throat was on the verge of disintegration.
Everyone present cast the zebra an odd look. “I'm not sure I follow.” Celestia said “could you elaborate?”
“Two thousand years ago… this land was ruled by an evil foe.” The zebra prophet started, but before she could continue her warning, Celestia shot up.
“How could you have possibly known what happened two thousand years ago!?” Celestia’s voice was stressed and defensive. A tone nopony had ever heard her use.
Guiding Light put a hoof on Celestia’s foreleg, calming the Sun Princess as she sat back down. “Are you ok Princess?”
Celestia gave her adviser a pained smile and then turned back to the zebra that patiently waited for her turn to speak. “You may continue” Celestia said to the cloaked figure.
The prophet cleared her throat, “As I was saying. Two thousand years ago… this land was ruled by an evil foe. With a mind so twisted, thoughts of domination existed. The dark lord plots to return, the entire world he plans to burn.” The zebra’s warning and her knowledge of the past frightened Celestia, but she let the zebra continue. “You must find the Sword of evil’s Bane, or else any attempt to resist will be in vain.”
Celestia’s pupils shrunk and her ears fell flat against her head. How could she know about that sword? I'm the only one who still remembers that far back. She stood up, and gave the zebra a cold stare “how do you know of that sword?” the Princess’s normally warm voice now very, very cold.
Guiding Light cast a worried look to Valor who had an equally concerned look, he took Celestia’s new tone as his hint that the rest of the petitioners outside wouldn’t be getting a chance to talk to her today. He slowly opened the door and walked out to confront the crowd, who would be less than happy to hear that court had closed before it had even really opened.
“It came to me in a dream, the vision was correct so it would seem.” The prophet zebra’s voice remained unemotional, as if such visions were a regular occurrence.
Celestia sat back down and looked at Guiding Light, silently asking if ending court early would cause too much trouble. Guiding Light nodded her agreement, although the ponies in line would be upset, it was rare for Celestia to end court early and they wouldn’t hold it against her. As Celestia looked at the door to tell Valor to inform the crowd, she saw that he had already done so and nodded her thanks to him. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention prophet, I am in your debt.” The zebra bowed and left the chamber, once she was gone, Celestia turned to Guiding Light “I am unsure whether or not to believe her words, I will not lie to you, her knowledge of the past is disturbingly accurate.”
“Is that really true?” Guiding Light asked, she didn’t want to believe that such a pony had ever existed
Celestia nodded sadly, that night still gave her nightmares. “I think its time I let you in on the true story of Equestria’s founding.” She got up to lead the two ponies to a more private location.
Once Celestia led Guiding Light and Valor to her private chambers, she told them the dark tale of the nation’s founding. As much as it pained Celestia to bring up those dark days again, she knew that she had to tell somepony about it.
Valor held Guiding Light in a comforting embrace as she began to shiver in fear, knowing that Equestria had such a bloody founding frightened the poor mare. She was desperately trying to hold on to logic and reason as they fled in fear of such a past, Valor being her only anchor as she leaned against him.
“Surely now you see why I desperately hope that what that prophet had to say is wrong. As accurate as her story was, I highly doubt that my father can escape the Shadow Realm.”
Guiding Light tried desperately to think of a course of action, but fear was slowing her resolve.
“So what I ask of you is,” Celestia continued “what would you recommend I do? I don’t think i am able to tackle this situation alone.”
Suddenly Guiding Light had an idea. “You don’t have to, we must inform the other nations about the possibility of a world wide threat. Have the leaders meet in neutral territory and from there, discus a course of action.”
Celestia nodded her agreement. “It will be tricky to convince the Changeling Empire to attend, as you well know, things are tense between us.”
Guiding Light nodded “This meeting will also serve as peace negotiations between the six nations; after all, if we are to unite against the possibility of annihilation, we need to end current conflict between each other.”
Celestia smiled warmly at Guiding Light “I knew it was wise to appoint you my adviser, I shall construct the invitations right away.”