//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Fallen Solar Stallion // by GaleWind //------------------------------// 1,000 years ago….. The war between the forces of the sun and the moon has grown fierce by the day and both sides are refusing to back down. On this dreary night, one lunar stallion sits down on his haunches and mediates on the affairs that have led him to this point. For you see, he was once a solar stallion general despite his young age, His name is Burst Spear and this is his story. “I know thou art there, Arcane, reveal yourself,” Burst Spear said calmly, without turning around and opening his yellow slitted eyes as he heard the sickening chuckle of the lunar unicorn stallion as he approached him. “Thou sensitivity to magic truly astounds me Spear, even though thou art an earth pony, you know when I am near,” said the gray furred unicorn. He smirked when Burst Spear turned his head to look at him and growled, showing his razor like teeth. Arcane was on of Nightmare Moon’s top unicorn generals. He was one who wielded an assortment of different types of spells and enchantments, the kind that delved into the depths of the dark arts. He chuckled to himself as Burst Spear continued to glare at him. “What. Does. Thou. Want. Arcane,” Burst Spear snarled while trying hard not to attack the sinister unicorn as he was within inches of him. The dark grey stallion chuckled and said “Be careful Spear or you know what would happen if you disobeyed. However, I know you understand and I brought you an old friend with me to give thou some spirit, I had just gained it back from the blacksmith after the last battle,” he said as he levitated a solid black staff with white markings on it towards the angered stallion. Burst Spear got off his haunches and stood on his back hind legs, balancing himself while grasping the staff in his right front hoof because it was his staff. Burst Spear studied the way the creatures that mined gems, known as diamond dogs, fought while he was a …solar stallion. He wondered if he could fight like that so, he practiced for countless months until he could keep his balance on his hind legs and fight while wielding a weapon. The stallions thought it was pointless and odd to fight like that but, after countless battles and seeing Burst Spear fell numerous enemies with his unique fighting style, they quickly accepted him as a calm, collective, and caring general despite his age. It was also because of these accomplishments in battle that Princess Celestia herself promoted him to the rank of general. Not that any of that mattered anymore now. He sighed and said with a defeated voice “What is the mission that Nightmare Moon has asked of I?” Arcane raised an eyebrow. Burst Spear corrected himself “I mean, what dost the queen of the eternal night ask of her faithful follower,” he said with a hint of sadness through the pledge. “That is better and thy queen has asked for thou’s appearance in her throne room for thou reward on thy’s latest accomplishment and next assignment,” he said with a smirk crossing his muzzle. Burst Spear groaned “Very well, I shall meet with her excellence,” he said as he slid his staff through the slot on his back of his purple lunar armor he wore at all times. “Just remember, follow the orders that are given and I shall return what thou treasure the most in all of equestria as of that one. Single. Night,” he whispered into Spear’s ear as he walked past and out of his private quarters. Burst Spear looked back at him with anger and rage in his eyes but, he knew Arcane was right. To save what he cherished above all else, he had to turn his back on everything he stood for and defended. As he ventured through the halls of the old castle, he heard the snickers of numerous lunar stallions as they saw him. Burst Spear had taken up different titles from both sides of the war, none of which he had acknowledge. There were ones such as “Silent Spear”, “The Collected general”, “The Fallen Solar”, and “The Swift Striker”. But, there was one that both sides knew him as: one the night army reveled and the solar army despised. “The Traitor”. He stopped at the throne room doors flanked by two Pegasus lunar stallions on both sides of the doors. The soldiers saluted him and he saluted them back. One Pegasus knocked on the door signaling their queen that her soldier has arrived. “ENTER, BURST SPEAR,” said a dark and regal voice from behind the doors. The stallion nodded and walked past the lunar Pegasus, entering the throne room while the doors were held open with dark blue magic. The door closed behind him as he walked past and there sitting on her throne was the one he never thought he fight for and obey. There she was, the alicorn queen of the night, Nightmare Moon. She was twice as tall as him with a dark blue coat and long legs, a mane and tail that looked like the starry night flowing in the wind by magic, wearing a regal like armor and in the center of her chest plate was the sign of the night and her cutie mark: a crescent moon. She smiled, showing her razor like teeth “WELCOME BURST SPEAR, I TRUST THY KNOW WHY I HAVE SUMMON THOU,” she said with a hint of evil. “Yes, what is it thou need of me, my queen,” he said. “FIRST I MUST GRANT THY REWARD ON THOU’S LATEST ASSIGNMENT ON BESTING TEN SOLAR STALLIONS BY THYSELF,” she said as she spread her wings and levitated a silver medallion to the stallion and dropped it into the stallion’s right front hoof. Burst Spear had acquired multiple medallions over the past eight months since he defected from the solar army. He could care less for them and gave them to the soldiers he had commanded with her permission. But, he decided to tie to his staff as a show of respect towards the queen of the night. “I accept your grace, now I must ask, what is thy’s next assignment for me,” he said. “YES IT IS A SIMPLE SCOUTING MISSION TO THE NORTHEN REGION. REPORT BACK TO ME ONCE THY HAS FINISH WITH THE TASK AT HAND,” she said. Spear saluted and was on his way to complete the task he was given. Two hours in and Burst Spear has found nothing as he entered a clearing. He sighed and was about to head back until he heard a voice from above, a voice he hoped he would never hear again. “STOP RIGHT THERE, TARITOR,” the voice said. Burst Spear turned around and there hovering a few inches above the ground was a solar Pegasus stallion, eyes full of rage and flanked by two solar unicorns. There he was, Blitz Shield, his brother. “Blitz Shield,” Spear said. “You lost the right to call me that the moment you killed your family and betrayed us. I have been given the order to bring you back alive to face execution or kill you where you stand!” he said in a voice full of rage. Burst Spear thought “Has it really come to this, Spring Flower,” he said in his mind. The two unicorns levitated their swords from holsters while Blitz Shield took out his trademark circular shield with the image of the sun in the middle. “Your choice: death now or later,” he said. Burst Spear sighed and stood on his rear hooves as unsheathed his staff. He stamped the end of it on the ground and with a flash, a white spear head with a swirl in the middles going up to the tip appeared on the top of the staff. “Death it is then. ATTACK,” he ordered and the two unicorns nodded and began their attack. They both swung their blades with magic intending to finish it quickly but, both swords were blocked by Burst’s spear and pushed back. The unicorn on the right jumped into the air and swung his blade down but, it missed its target as spear jumped to the side and with the momentum used the blunt end of his spear and with a loud “CRACK” knocked the unicorn in the back of the head with it, at the base of the helmet where the neck was exposed, rendering the stallion unconscious. The second unicorn shivered, wondering how to bring down this fearsome opponent, he was brought back to reality with a thump noise and before he could react, Burst had retracted his spear tip and used quick thrusts for a rapid assault of hits on the stunned unicorn. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. Blitz Shield glared at the two fallen unicorns in front of him. “I heard reports of you shedding less blood than your comrades but, it does not change the fact that you have killed your fair share of solar stallions by brunt attacks and stab wounds. Now you will fall!” Shield flew straight at Burst with his shield in front planning to bash his skull in. Burst brought his spear tip back out and the two weapons collided sending sparks everywhere. Blitz Shield growled and flew up to come down on him from above but, Burst reacted quickly and used his spear to vault himself above Blitz before he got too high and in rapid movements, slashed the ends of the Pegasus’ wings and shifted the spear to use the blunt end and hit the base of the wings shattering the joints. Blitz Shield yelled out in pain and plummeted to the ground. He hit with a loud crash and burst landed on the ground on his hind hoofs, grunting from the shock. He composed himself quickly and calmly retracted the spear tip of his staff by slamming the blunt end on the ground. Burst Spear placed his staff back onto his back and settled back on all four hooves. He walked towards Blitz shield, unconscious and battered. His wings were knocked out of place and bleeding. “I destroyed the sockets and slashed the muscles; a medic will be able to repair the damage but, your flying days are over for the next six months. …I’m sorry little brother, I really didn’t want it to end like this,” he said and began to leave the area but, not before hearing another voice in the air, a voice that made his blood run cold with fear. He looked up and there she was, hovering above him. She was just as tall as nightmare moon, if not a little taller but; she had a pure white coat and a pink flowing mane and tail just like her sister. However, the main difference was her cutie mark: the Sun. There she was, the ruler of equestria, the princess of the sun. “Princess Celestia” “THOU BETRAYAL ENDS HERE, BURST SPEAR, AND NOW YOU WILL FACE JUDGEMENT,” she said in a regal voice with no hint of kindness he remembered she had. “Wait princess, let me explain…,” he was silenced before could finish his sentence by a bolt of magic fired by Celestia. He was sent back by the force of it and landed on his back. He struggled to stand back up on his hooves and before he could run he felt his legs become like stone. He looked down and to his horror, his legs started to become encased in stone and it was spreading. His eyes went wide and looked up to see the princess levitating the three solar stallions around her. “I HAVE CURSED THOU, BURST SPEAR, FOR AS LONG AS NIGHTMARE MOON EXISTS, THOU SHALL BE ENCASED IN STONE. YOU SHALL BE DOOMED TO FOREVER HEAR THE WORLD AROUND BUT, NEVER TO INTERACT WITH IT. THY NAME WILL BE TOLD AS A TRAITOR AND KILLER AND THOU STORY WILL BE KNOWN AS A SCOUNDREL. FAREWELL,” she said as she teleported herself and the three unconscious soldiers away. Burst Spear could only bow his head and cry as the stone spell began to crawl up his body. Before his head was encased by the spell, he said one last phrase filled with sadness, sorrow, and regret. “Spring Flower, Rose Tip, forgive me”