//------------------------------//
// Hope from the Ancients 
// Story: The Fall of Valencia 
// by Etherium-Apex 
//------------------------------//

High above in the safety of his tower, Marcus stood and watched his citizens. He could see archers at their posts in the ramparts of the outer wall, and troops moving through the city.

"The strength of the Empire is waning," he lamented. "Who now could stand against the armies of darkness? It is folly."

He returned to the comfortable dark of his hall, observing the painted portraits of his predecessors. His brow was troubled, his expression grim.

"Why must they leave me with this demise? This ghost of a city, this ragged house of rubble... We have no hope for victory. Our world will fall, our cities to ruin. Magnus has failed us."





Felix followed Marcellus outside, back into the golden warmth of the setting sun.

"What is our first priority, Captain?"

"I will not allow the shadow army to bring harm to our ponies. We must keep them safe."

"Shall we evacuate, then?"

"Where will they go? Into the hills, to be torn asunder by timberwolves? Into the nearby villages, now blackened by demons? No, we have nowhere to go. But we do have one thing - the old magic of our ancestors. A protective shield that lies dormant in our city."

"The Aegis Clypeus? Marcus will never allow you to activate it!"

Marcellus could only grin. "Then I will not seek his permission."

Felix lit up in response. "You... You mean it, sir?"

"I mean it, and please, just call me Marcellus. You may be my subordinate, but we've been close for far longer than our enlistment."

"Oh, right, of course!" Felix smiled.

"Now, come with me, we need to get to the top of the high tower to activate the shield. And we mustn't be seen."

"Perhaps we should forego our armor then," Felix said. "It will make a frightful bit of noise, and it would weigh us down."

"A very good point..."

They returned inside to store their armor within the barracks, leaving them in nothing more than their skin. It was fortunate that the sun fell below the horizon, leaving them covered by darkness.

"The dark should hide us from my father's peering eyes," Marcellus commented as they made way to the tower.

"Of course. Though, I wonder why you would decide now to defy him. You've always done everything you could to win his favor."

"The brink of war changes many thoughts, Felix. I promised him that I would do what I can to protect the city, and I am. Besides, he never did say that I couldn't activate the Aegis."

"Sneaky."

"I prefer 'crafty'."

As they approached Marcus' tower, Felix looked up towards the top. He spotted a rather interesting crystalline structure at the very highest point, glinting like the many stars above it.

"Is that it, up there?"

Marcellus looked up as well.

"Yes, there it is. The Aegis Clypeus. The city-shield. Marcus likes to look down at the city from his high perch, and his enchanted eye sees all. We will need to stay under cover to avoid his gaze."

"Why would it matter if he saw us? He doesn't know of our plan."

"We are not at our posts, either. It would certainly arouse suspicion."

"That is true. So, how do we activate the Aegis?"

"I studied on it in my youth. The craftsmanship of the Aegis is otherworldly; rather than any key or switch, the Aegis merely requires the touch of an individual who carries great desire in their heart to protect what they love most, even to their own detriment."

"We both desire that greatly. Shall we both touch it then?"

"Together."

Hidden in darkness, the two stallions quietly made their approach through the city, covered by various structures. A number of passing ponies gave them odd glances, recognizing them, but they paid no mind.

“Marcellus, there is a curious thought growing in my mind. Given our circumstances, do you think a ‘white spirit’ may come to help us?”

“A ‘white spirit’? You mean the Aurum?”

“Is that what they are called?”

“Timeless spirits, here since the dawn of creation. Bringers of light, of hope, protection, and guidance. They carry great power, even able to restore life from the threshold of death. As much as we may hope, I don’t expect one to grace us with their presence. They have many matters to attend to, and they are quite scarce.”

“One can hope, indeed.”

As they reached the tower, Marcellus gave pause.

"We will need to scale the walls of the tower. Marcus could be anywhere inside. Hmm, this could be a chance to test our levitating abilities..."

Felix sighed. "Why don't you just face him? All of this runaround. Marcellus, I know you. You avoid him, don't you?"

Marcellus recoiled slightly, looking away. "I... can't. All I've ever wanted is his love. But he can't even give me that. I don't want to distance him even further by facing him."

"You will need to when we're done here. You know that."

"Let's just focus on the task at hand, alright?"

"Alright, then."

At the base of the tower, Marcellus focused on their destination. It was such a height, one could worry that they would pierce the veil of the cosmos if they reached it. A height that could make one lose their balance. He closed his eyes, and his horn was alight with the fiery hues of his magic.

His hooves raised from the ground as he was lifted into the air, an aura of light surrounding his strong form. Felix lit his horn as well, his cyan magic floating him above the ground.

"Hey, it's working!" Felix exclaimed, looking ecstatic.

"Indeed! But, try to focus. If we forget ourselves, it will be quite far to fall. Onward and up, my dear friend."

They began to rise higher above the ground, rising higher up the tower. From their vantage point, Marcus would not be able to see them from his balcony. The city fell below their feet, growing ever more insignificant as they rose into the heavens. The Aegis grew near; a beautiful structure of sapphire crystals nestled into the apex of the tower. As they reached the top, they rested their hooves on a platform surrounding the structure.

"It worked! Marcellus, look at it! It's so beautiful..."

"It is... One would wonder why such a divine creation would go forgotten. At the whim of a madman, even the most precious of things can become refuse."

They approached the center of the structure, where a large monolith glowing with a deep blue light awaited them, humming idly.

"What do you think will happen when we touch it?" Felix asked.

"We will take a great step forward in protecting our keep."

Marcellus pressed his hoof against the crystal monolith, and at once it came to life, shining its light into the sky and vibrating loudly. Felix added in his hoof as well, and the Aegis doubled in power. A vibrant blue light burst upward into the clouds, which then split apart and spread across the night sky. A shower of cerulean shards which melted together as they reached the ground, until they formed a perfect dome of protective light around the city. The two stallions looked around them, their faces lit with joy, as they watched their achievement.

"Have you ever seen such a sight..." Felix was taken aback, in awe of the shield's beauty.





Marcus saw the deep blue light descend from the sky as he looked through his window, listlessly watching the city. It immediately alerted his senses, and his face twisted into anger as his heart raced. He knew what had happened.