Long ago, a few months before Luna's Banishment...
This clearing was about to become a battleground, Celestia could sense it.
The silence was intense. Only the rustling of leaves among the trees caused by the wind gently rushing down from the nearby foothills dared to make a sound. Moments before, birds were chirping, squirrels were chittering, and the forest seemed to be full of life.
But now they were quiet.
Perhaps they also shared the princess' sense of unease.
She sighed, taking a breath to calm her nerves. Unlike the animals, she was not about to run. She had never backed down from a fight, and she was not about to start now.
Her eyes were restless, darting back and forth, analyzing each bush and tree. Her other senses were also attuned, carefully awaiting any sign of her foe. If he was not here yet, then he would soon be.
Around her, four guards stood vigilantly, looking nervously at the dark forest surrounding them. Their armor glinted in the sunbeams that managed to breach the green canopy above. They held their spears at the ready, prepared to fight in spite of their fear.
In contrast, the princess stood firm, doing a better job at hiding her unease. Despite her young appearance, she had centuries of experience to draw from, and dozens of vanquished foes. In her mind, she tried to reassure herself that this one would be no different.
A tree branch snapped somewhere in the distance, shattering her sense of security. They all flinched and faced the source of the disturbance, staring with a mixture of suppressed fear and apprehension.
Any comfort her self-reassurances were providing were gone now, and she remembered why she was so nervous: In all of her six centuries of living, Celestia had never faced a foe she knew so little about. She had always been careful to study her enemies before fighting them, if possible. Given her track record of defeating each of them, including Discord, that habit had never let her down.
But she knew very little of the foe she was seeking. After years of trying to hunt him down, she had only just gathered enough knowledge to find the general area where he might reside.
Having such scant knowledge of him made the prospect of fighting him a daunting one, in spite of her fighting prowess.
Meanwhile, the eerie silence resumed. Celestia slowly relaxed after a period of time, and motioned for the guards to do the same.
It was probably the wind.
They slowly breathed out in relief, lowering their weapons. Then the senior guard, the captain of the royal guard, spoke.
'Your highness, are you certain our information was correct?'
Celestia turned her face towards the captain and nodded. 'Yes. He is around here.' The princess faced away, and they fell silent once more.
More time passed, and the captain spoke again. 'If I may, why did you think that we must fight him here? This is a perfect place for somepony to set an ambush.'
'We must face him here, because we cannot find him anywhere else, captain.' The princess sighed, sounding exasperated. 'This is his home, the one place where I know he can be found.'
'But why must we fight him at all?' The captain asked. 'He has not done anything to indicate that he is an enemy.'
'Excuse me?' She asked quietly, turning her head slowly to the side, looking at the captain once more. Her eyes were narrowed, glaring ominously at him. 'Are you questioning my command?'
He took a step back nervously, realizing that he had overstepped his bounds. He began to try explaining his position, stumbling over a few of his words. 'I-I only suggest that maybe fighting him is not- not necessary, c-considering that he hasn't-'
'Silence!' The princess barked, to which the captain simultaneously froze and fell silent. 'Have you forgotten that he is the descendant of Hightower the traitor?'
The guard shook his head in response as Celestia began to stride intimidatingly towards him. He broke eye contact and looked downwards as she approached to within inches of him, not daring to look her in the eye.
'He also violated the terms of his ancestors' exile, and continues to fulfill his family's agenda; to dethrone me and my sister, and leave Equestria in a state of anarchy. We have spent years tracking him down, and I finally have a chance to eliminate this threat to my kingdom's security once and for all!'
The captain kneeled before her, breathing shakily. She paused, seeing that she had instilled enough fear for him to see the error in his judgement. It was time to calm down and finish putting him in his place. Celestia took a breath, and used her foreleg to brush her flowing pink mane away from her face, revealing a calmer, more dignified expression. Then she spoke, this time in a softer manner.
'I have no intention of letting him slip away, not again. So, understand your place and follow my command, am I clear?'
'Yes, your highness.' The captain said meekly. 'Please forgive my insolence.'
Celestia smirked, sensing an opportunity to further stroke her ego. 'You know, I had your predecessor replaced for a lesser transgression.' She said condescendingly. 'You are fortunate that you still have my favor. For now.'
The captain nodded, indicating that he understood perfectly. He stood back up, still not daring to look the princess in the eye.
Celestia turned back around, feeling some degree of mirth at having reminded one of her underlings to stay in his place. It was addicting, the sensation of being able to command others and coerce them into fulfilling your will. This was one of her guilty pleasures, and a perk of being at the top.
But more importantly, it was vital to ensure that everypony knew who was in charge, and that her authority was the only one that mattered in this kingdom. Sure, Luna ruled alongside her, but she was not mature or strong enough to lead. Celestia was certain that this meant that it was all down to her to call the shots and to keep everypony in line.
Still, a doubt sown by the captain's remarks was now nagging her. Is fighting this enemy really the best way to deal with him?
What the captain had said about him was true; he did not offer much reason to treat him as an enemy. Indeed, he was actually responsible for saving a few villages from attacks by wayward dragons as of late. In fact, he had even garnered a name among the populace: The Warden.
Despite these heroic acts, he was still guilty of an unforgivable act of treason in her mind: Disobeying her command.
What she had said about him a few seconds ago was also true; he was the descendant of an enemy of the throne, and part of a family that was notorious for trying to overthrow alicorn rule. Not only that, but even though this family was exiled beyond Equestria's borders, this foe was residing in this forest, well within her domain, and defying his exile.
This act of open defiance far outweighed any good he had done.
She was the one and only Princess of the sun. The brilliant, graceful, and beautiful alicorn that all ponykind depended upon for their survival. Her authority was unquestionable, her word was law. It was her destiny to rule Equestria, her right to the throne was absolute. To defy her wishes would be to commit treason.
The Warden was guilty of this crime, this much she knew. He needed to be punished, and she was more than willing to exact the consequences on him.
A jarring howl, unnatural and mechanical in tone, destroyed the uneasy stillness.
The princess jumped a little, having been startled out of her train of thought. She and the guards frantically looked up towards the treetops, where the unnerving sound had come from.
What they saw was a most menacing sight. It was a metal-clad figure, looming over them on a large tree branch, looking down upon the five ponies below.
Celestia's heart skipped a beat, out of fear. It was him.
He had a form that resembled that of a Pegasus, complete with wings. However, from head to flank, he was encased in metal armor, wings included. In fact, there was no visual evidence that suggested that there was even a pony underneath.
The armor was unlike anything she had even comprehended before. Plates of thick armor covered his limbs and critical areas on his body. These plates were smooth and followed the form of his body, clearly a work of a skilled craftspony. Although these plates overlapped each other and covered most of his body, there were some areas that the plates did not cover. But even these open areas were covered by what appeared to be an inner layer of segmented metal, lying beneath the heavier plates.
On his flanks, there appeared to be cutie marks painted onto the metal plates. The marks were a hollow, grey pentagon, with perfectly symmetrical, polygonal protrusions jutting from each outside corner of the shape. What exactly the mark was supposed to be was completely unknown to the princess, much less what it was supposed to mean.
This armor had been engineered to provide uncompromising protection and mobility, Celestia had no doubt. But her marvelling did not end there.
Several irregularities existed on the outer plates, looking like various devices and gadgets of some sort. What these did, Celestia could not quite imagine.
The wings were also strange as well. They were folded at his sides, but in such a way that was not characteristic of pegasi. They also appeared to be made of metal, and no feathers were to be seen. Oddly, they were angular, not being very aerodynamic in shape.
The helmet caught her attention as well. It completely encased his head, and certainly provided no small amount of protection. It appeared to be composed of multiple parts. One such part covered his snout and mouth, another covering the upper half of his face, and the last part covering the rest of his head. On top of the helmet was a short, wide fin that ran from the top of his head down along the back of his neck, resembling a buzzed mane. Two blisters also sat on top of the helmet, resembling a set of lowered ears. Where his mouth would be, there appeared to be several small slits, running vertically down the end of the lower piece.
But most striking were the eyes, or rather, the visors. Two circular, glowing, green plates of what appeared to be glass were staring directly at her. No emotion was conveyed by these, simply appearing lifeless and ominous.
Celestia felt tingles run along the length of her spine, a sensation that she was unfamiliar with. He was far more menacing face to face than he was in the numerous rumors and tales that surrounded him.
With two mechanical clacks, he outstretched his wings. Proportionately, they were larger than a pegasi's, being more akin to Celestia's own. Each wing was divided into two main segments, each making up either the inner half or the outer half. More strange though were the numerous slots and holes cut into the wings, each one placed in perfect symmetry with another in the other wing.
The mechanical howling resumed. What appeared to be small, green flames shot out of several of the holes in his wings. He jumped off of the branch, and began to come down. He didn't flap his wings like a pegasi either, only moving his outstretched wings to control his descent. He landed across from Celestia with a resounding thud that could be felt in the ground. The guards took an involuntary step back, quite intimidated. The howl then faded away, the flames receded, and the Warden's wings folded to his sides with metallic clacks.
He looked around at the five ponies before him, silently analyzing each of them. With the howling gone, Celestia could make out slight clicking and whirring sounds coming from the Warden as he moved his head, and she wondered what sort of mechanism was making the noise.
After a few seconds, the Warden stood up straight. Then, with a deep voice tainted with a mechanical undertone, he began to speak.
'Well, you've found me.'
Celestia gathered her thoughts. If she was not careful, her fear and uncertainty would be seen. She needed to respond in a manner befitting a knave such as the Warden.
'No 'your highness'?' She asked, feigning indignation while hiding her nervousness. 'That is no way to address your ruler.'
'You aren't my ruler. You aren't worth following.' The Warden fired back.
This statement caused Celestia to feel a wave of anger mingle with the fear within her. She took a few steps forward, straightening to her full height. She stood at roughly one or two feet taller than the Warden, her slim yet muscular frame also causing her to appear larger than he. Yet, he did not flinch, not intimidated at all.
'You clearly are not one for courtesy, are you?' She asked, sounding sarcastic this time.
'Why should I be?' He retorted. 'You're the one who barged in on my territory with hostile intent.'
'Your territory? You forgot who rules Equestria!' She declared, motioning around her before pointing a hoof at herself. 'This is my domain, and you are trespassing.'
The Warden tilted his head. 'This was not Equestrian land when you exiled my grandfather all those decades ago.'
The princess glared at him, her deep, purple eyes slicing mercilessly into his soulless, glowing visors.
'The terms of Hightower's exile was that he and his descendants remain beyond Equestria's borders. That means if Equestria comes to you, then you must move.' She said, putting on an arrogant tone. She needed to set a strong image, and hiding her true anger was the way to show that the Warden was a mere nuisance to her, and nothing more.
The Warden sighed, and spoke in an angrier manner.
'I have no reason to leave, least of all because of your command.'
This blatant disregard for her authority really got to Celestia. She felt her fur bristle a bit and a surge of burning anger rush through her core. Her fear, while still present, was steadily being replaced with rage.
'I was considering simply offering a word of warning for your disobedience.' She said nonchalantly, struggling to veil her rage as she took a few more steps forward, almost putting her within reach of him. 'But I suppose I could simply put you in your place instead.'
She smirked. If that wouldn't intimidate him into submission, nothing would.
The Warden took a step forward, compelling the princess to shuffle back a little. Clearly, he was still not intimidated, much to Celestia's invisible dismay.
'Actually, you're the one being warned.' He said firmly. 'I have too much here for me to simply abandon. If you want me to move, you will have to kill me.'
'Is that so?' She said, her livid anger being barely disguised by an air of dignity. 'Then I suppose I have no choice, then.'
'I will warn you only once.' The Warden said, taking another step forward. 'Leave, or harm will befall you, and your pride shall forever be crippled.'
This time, Celestia held her ground. She was far too angry to back down now. In fact, at this moment, she wanted nothing more than to beat him senseless.
'Is that an invitation for me to show you the consequences of your behavior?' She scoffed. 'If so, I would love to oblige.'
Before she could speak, the four guards rushed in between her and the Warden.
'Your highness,' The captain whispered urgently, 'this can get out of hoof very quickly. This is not an ideal situation for a fight with a foe we don't know enough about. We should cut our losses and try again when the odds are in our favor.'
The princess' jaw became set, and her eyes flashed angrily.
'Watch your words, captain!' She said loudly, her anger finally surfacing. 'Another word out of you, and I will exile you like this traitor in front of us!'
The captain stiffened and stared in shock at the princess, unable to believe how harshly she had treated him. But momentarily, he nodded and turned back towards the Warden, who was looking on with his head tilted, obviously processing what had just happened.
'Wow.' He said bluntly. 'Here I was thinking that you possessed enough sense to not abuse your source of protection.' He shook his head, and continued. 'Then again, I should have seen this coming from a pony who rules like a conceited brat.'
Celestia was caught off guard by this daring provocation. 'What?' She uttered slowly through gritted teeth, in awe that he made such a remark.
'You heard me.' The Warden said. 'You are beneath the delusion that your actions have no consequences, merely because you have placed yourself above everypony else.'
'Do you wish to die?' She hissed, her posture displaying an immense urge to lash out. 'If so, then by all means, keep talking.'
The Warden inhaled slowly, and to her consternation, he continued.
'Being a petty dictator is bad enough, but do you know what really gets to me?' He asked. 'The way you treat your younger sister like she's some sort of parasite.'
Celestia was legitimately taken aback. Her eyes widened, and she made a quiet, angry growl.
'Oh, please.' The Warden remarked, noticing her reaction. 'It's no secret how you suppress her popularity because of your inflated ego. It's pathetic.'
This callout was too much for Celestia to stand. He was hitting a very sensitive nerve, and her anger flashed out of control. Her eyes began to glow, flames practically jumping from them as her horn aggressively sparked to life, glowing with a fierce golden aura. Then, using her magic, she shoved the guards out from in front of her, much to their surprise.
'Enough!' She bellowed, using the full volume of her royal Canterlot voice, causing the smaller tree branches above to bend and break and for leaves to rain down from the canopy. 'You shall die here for your insolent defiance towards your rightful ruler!'
Her mane and tail began to float in an unnatural manner, her wings became outstretched, and a sphere of pure energy manifested at the tip of her horn. Her eyes began to glow even more intensely than before, and the sphere began to grow in size.
She had no intention of holding back. All he had done since he had first spoken was stir her ire. His defiance was infuriating, and with every word, he undermined her authority. He needed to die, no question about it.
The sphere grew about as large as she was, the light and heat radiating from it causing the guards to recoil further from the princess.
Yet, the Warden did not move, still staring at the princess with his lifeless visors, unflinching.
Even when faced with the prospect of having the flesh blasted from his bones, he still stood in defiance. Celestia noted this, feeling her hatred hit an unforeseen height as a result.
With a cry of rage and sheer effort, she concentrated the sphere into a beam of energy, braced herself, and hurled it at him with all the strength she could muster.
The beam engulfed the Warden in an instant, causing him to disappear in the immense light. The grass on the ground withered and shriveled in the heat, and a few trees directly impacted by the beam shattered and burst into flame, sending flaming fragments of wood shooting into the forest. The guards stumbled backwards while shielding their faces, awestruck at the intensity of the fierce attack.
Celestia felt her energy and focus drain swiftly; she would have to end the attack after a few seconds. But it would not matter. Surely, the Warden had been annihilated.
She gradually let off the attack, the beam faded away, and the forest fell silent once more.
Celestia had to take a moment to catch her breath, dropping her head and kneeling. Even for her, that attack was exhausting. However, it most certainly got the job done. That attack could melt iron, Celestia knew from experience. There was no conceivable way that he survived. She silently laughed to herself; surely he had been reduced to nothing more than a charred mass.
'My turn.'
That was the Warden's voice.
Her gaze snapped back to the source of his voice, and her mouth fell open in disbelief.
He was still there, standing among the smoldering remains of the plants that once grew there. However, his armor was different.
It was glowing.
Celestia felt her blood freeze.
'Wha- H-How did-'
Before she could get any further, the Warden took a stance and a beam of magic, just as intense as her own, was fired at her.
She was too exhausted to get away in time. She was overcome by the light, and the pain that followed. Through her clenched teeth, Celestia cried out, the burning sensation of the magic almost causing her to convulse.
Then, it stopped.
In the moment that followed, she came to the realization that she was, for the most part, unharmed, although she would have to take a moment to recover from the pain.
'What was that!?' She thought to herself frantically. It was magic, no doubt. How the Warden managed to use a magic attack powerful enough to cause her such pain was beyond her, though.
Then it struck her. It was almost exactly the same as her own attack, but smaller and more focused.
He had somehow turned her own magic against her!
This implication almost caused her to panic. How was she to gain the upper hoof while the Warden could simply reflect attacks back to her?
Just as the princess looked up towards the Warden again, she saw a metallic blur rushing up to her. Before she could react, the air in her lungs was forced out by a violent blow, unlike anything which she had been subjected to before. She careened backwards through the air for a short distance, before landing on her back.
She hacked and wheezed as she frantically tried to regain her breath, and her vision went blurry for a moment. Her instinct cried for her to teleport away, but she could not muster the focus to do so. As she began to catch her breath, she felt something cold and sharp gently but firmly press against her chest.
As her vision cleared, she saw what was pressing up against her: A blade. It was attached to one of the devices on the Warden's armor, his right foreleg specifically; and it was leveled at her heart. The Warden hung above her, his glowing green visors staring ominously at her.
Celestia then felt something that she had very rarely felt before.
Raw fear.
From dragon lords to ursa majors, she had faced down some of the most terrifying monsters that called Equestria their home. None had ever gotten close to ending her life.
Yet, here she was, completely at the mercy of an unnatural, horrifyingly lifeless being who could quite possibly use her magic against her.
For the first time she could remember, she was completely helpless.
'Get away from her!' The captain shouted, having finally recovered from the effect of the intense attacks. He and the other guards had their spears outstretched, and they were moving towards the Warden.
The Warden simply looked up at him, and tilted his head. 'Stop, or I skewer her.' He said plainly. 'I will let her live if you stay put, captain.'
The captain and the other guards froze, seeing no other option and not willing to let their ruler be killed.
Celestia's eyes widened, and she felt panic begin to set in. Attacking him was not an option. Maybe she could teleport away, but there was no guarantee that he would not react in time. Her chest began to heave as she began to breathe uncontrollably, fully realizing that her life was in the balance, completely at the mercy of the Warden.
'Relax.' The Warden said. 'I will let you go if you listen to what I have to say, understand?'
Celestia closed her eyes, wrestling back control of her breathing. He was giving her a chance to live, and she needed to be level headed. After a few seconds, her panic dwindled and she nodded in response.
'Out with it.' She said, still trying to retain some dignity in spite of her vulnerability.
'Now, I have a proposition for you, princess.' The Warden began. 'I know you don't like me, on account of my lineage. I don't like you either, because of how you wrongly exiled my grandfather. Therefore, I have an idea that is mutually beneficial; we leave each other alone.'
Celestia scoffed, putting on some bravado. 'Seriously?'
The Warden tilted his head. 'Yes, seriously. Also, watch your tone. You are not in a position to negotiate.'
The princess nodded, her expression still somewhat arrogant.
'Now, if you agree to leave me alone and never come back, I will not get in your mane. I won't stop defending Equestria from her foes, but I will actively try to avoid interfering with your affairs.'
Celestia processed this offer. Even after she had tried to kill him and despite having an opportunity to kill her, the Warden was giving her a most generous offer.
'Well?' The Warden asked. 'Do you agree to my terms?'
Celestia's eyes narrowed, and she took a few slow breaths. The humiliation of the position that he had put her in had begun to sink in.
Before long, anger began to get the better of her. How dare he do such a thing to her, the ruler of Equestria?!
'I don't appreciate your arrogance, idiot.' She seethed. 'Rest assured, I will see to it that you will get your comeuppance for this disgrace!'
The Warden sighed, sounding disappointed. 'I think that I need to do a bit more to drive my point home.'
Then, he sharply pressed down his blade and drew it back just as quickly. Celestia inhaled sharply as a small amount of blood began to leak from the newly created wound, a small streak of red contrasting with her pure white coat.
Fear had replaced her anger, and she took a shuddering, shaking breath. It finally sank in that she was certainly not in a position to contest him any further.
'I will ask again, princess.' The Warden said slowly. 'Do you agree to my terms?'
Celestia gulped. There was no other option left. She felt her face become flushed as embarrassment at the shameful defeat overcame her expression.
'I agree.' She grumbled.
'Good.' The Warden said, proceeding to point at the small wound on her chest. 'That will leave a scar, princess. It will serve as a reminder to not breach our agreement. Every time you see it, I want you to remember the only time a pony dared to stand up to you, and succeeded.'
Until he mentioned the scar, Celestia had not considered the implications of her wound. It would become a highly visible reminder of her failure, and a massive humiliation! This thought was nigh unbearable.
'Now, I am going to go.' The Warden continued, prompting Celestia to temporarily turn her thoughts back to him. 'You will not follow me, and if this happens again, I will not show mercy. Do you understand?'
Celestia nodded, not saying another word while angrily staring him down.
'Good.' He said. 'In that case, farewell.'
His blade retracted with a sharp click, becoming completely concealed within the box-like device on his forearm. His wings then extended, and his armor began to howl once more.
Celestia barely had time to close her eyes before she was blasted by hot air. The howl briefly intensified, then swiftly grew quieter.
When she opened her eyes, he was gone, and the howl had already diminished to a nearly inaudible volume.
She lay there in complete silence for a few seconds, looking up at the patches of sky visible through the leaves above. The smell of burning wood left over from her initial attack lingered in the air, and broken twigs lay strewn around her.
The guards ran over, now free to check on the princess. The captain extended a hoof to try and help her up, but Celestia swatted it away, electing to pick herself up. Still sore from the harsh blow from earlier, she groaned as she slowly but surely stood back up.
'Your highness?' The captain asked.
Celestia held up a hoof, motioning for him to be silent. She proceeded to brush herself off, flicking her mane and tail, shaking off the dirt as best she could.
Almost a full minute of silence passed, with Celestia staring angrily into the distance, her rage boiling over. Then she gave a furious cry, and shot a beam of magic at a nearby tree, causing it to explode into flaming debris. As the smoke cleared, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she spoke, having resumed an aura of dignity and regality.
'Captain, I want you to not say nothing of this when we get back. If anypony asks, our information was faulty and we found nothing.'
The captain nodded, somewhat fearful of her anger. 'Yes, your Highness. Shall we return at once?'
Celestia nodded. 'Yes. Let's get back before Luna awakens.'
She unfurled her large wings, and launched herself into the air, the four guards following close behind. She led the group in the direction of her Castle in the Everfree Forest, which was far beyond the distant horizon. As she effortlessly cut through the bright skies, she reflected on the whole encounter. Many thoughts and questions swirled about in her mind.
One thing was for certain; she would never forget what had happened here. For the first time since her first attempt at fighting Discord, she had been defeated. Not only that, but she also had a scar to cover up now. Fortunately, there was a golden chestpiece back at the castle with an amethyst gemstone that would cover it up perfectly.
That still didn't change the fact that she had been dealt a humiliating defeat, and her pride was permanently wounded. In her mind's eye, she concocted scenarios in which she could get revenge on the Warden, and regain her pride. But looking down at the bloody streak on her chest, she remembered how he had her completely at his mercy in seconds.
She clenched her jaw, reining in her anger. Revenge was not in her best interest. If she tried to find him again, he would surely kill her.
She sighed as she coasted along, calming down and submitting to rational thought. 'No, he is too dangerous. If he keeps his word, then I have no choice but to keep mine.'
Her thoughts continued to center around the Warden, pondering the encounter as she left the forest far behind.