Memories drive everyone
Yet all memories change
Does this mean that when they do
Are the goals we made the same?

Castle of the Sisters

Twilight, was lost in a river of emotion. Happiness in this time of darkness was hard to find. Princess Celestia and Luna had found a lost family member. It worried her that she didn’t know who this stallion was. He had made a claim that none had ever made in the past. Yet he stood before them confident. This gesture and utter confidence in himself set her at ease though. Inclined to give Princess Celestia and Luna a moment of peace. Smiling, she motioned for her and the other elements to leave the other rulers to have their special moment.

As they began to move, the embrace between them stopped. Quickly composing themselves, Princess Luna stayed near the stallion, while Princess Celestia retreated to the throne.

Without waiting any further the stallion introduced himself. “I am Volaren Arclite, Gray Paladin, and this is my beloved student, Daring Do.”

“Greetings to you princess’s and elements” daring gave a low bow as she spoke.

A bolt of lightning went off in Twilights head. Memories of discovering the origins of this stallion. So many questions filled her head. But first and foremost was curiosity about how he could help the ponies of this land she so cherished.

Nothing made sense to Twilight at this moment. Her mind was muddled and she desperately wanted to excuse herself.

“In light of recent information, I would like to put a hold on our meeting, is that agreeable uncle?” Celestia spoke in a soft voice.

Both Volaren and Daring gave a slight bow and proceeded to leave the throne room.

With an echoing boom the throne room doors returned to their original position. The silence that followed clung thickly in the air. Twilight once again motioned for the elements to leave with her. Making use of one of the side doors. Taking one last glance at the other princesses she saw that they were deep in thought.

Volaren had separated from his student. she had left towards the garden to be alone. knowing nothing would come of it, and knowing she was safe. He allowed her to go off on her own.

The corridors were the same as he had last remembered them. He was not here when this castle was finished being built, yet he had been here when construction had been started. These halls started by the late King and Queen, tracing a path of a much older castle. Following the twists and turns, always taking an easy to follow route, as Gray informed him that he was being followed.

After one final turn, he found what had once been his. A large banner of a sword and crown. As old as the castle itself. Adorning the ancient hallway, like a pair of guardians to the unknown, a set of doors proudly awaited him beneath his banner. Pushing open them fully open, he came into a bedroom. Almost the same as he had left it. Yet this time on the bed. Oblivious to the world, sleeping peacefully on top, was a small foal.

As he came closer the mysterious foal was identified as a filly. She stirred as the hoofsteps came closer. Bleary eyes looked up at Volaren. Oblivious to who he was, and still quite asleep, she reached out and grabbed him in a hug.

Whispering harshly, as to not wake up the filly, Volaren replied “This is not the time for jokes, I have absolutely no idea who this filly is.”

Several moments passed as he tried to free himself from the sleeping fillies grasp. Slowly her grip loosened till finally he was free. Resting her head on the pillow and covering her with the blanket, Volaren went back to his original purpose of coming here.

Looking out across the room he saw what he had come here for. An ornate door, what lay behind it was his true reason for coming back to the castle. Taking his time, he quietly trotted around the bed as too not disturb the filly and the guest that had been following him.

On silent hoofsteps, the Prismatic Mare kept pace with the infiltrator. Her princess who tasked her with this granted her two spells. They made her silent as the night and bent the very light. It made the job of tailing the infiltrator so much easier.

It was an easy feat with magic. It was made even easier as her prey walked slowly, waited for her after he turned corners, and held doors that he went through open longer so that she might pass as well. The Chromatic Mare was happy with the progress she had been making.

After he had left the filly on the bed she came closer to check on her. The infiltrator had been kind enough to tuck her in. The Visible Spectrum Mare thought it was to throw her of his trail. He had even been nice enough to put her head on the pillow. Satisfied she followed him around the bed.

Once again he was holding the door waiting for her. It was almost as if he knew she was there. She laughed it off and walked through the door. She had magic on her side. He was an earth pony. There was no way that he could possibly know that she was following him. Yet here he was holding the door. He had even bowed the moment she walked through.

Sensing a moment of chills she turned her head. Standing next to her was Volaren.

“Welcome to my armory. Very few souls have seen what is on this side of the vault doors. Even less were let in uninvited.”

Letting her concentration slip, which had been keeping her princesses magic working, the Kaleidoscopic mare dropped her mask of invisibility and Rainbow Dash was revealed.

Volaren continued his speech as if nothing had changed. “I was once the most combat ready stallion in this world. This most likely holds true today. I have faced down horrors that would leave nightmare in their wake at the mere mention of their names. I have destroyed that which should have never been destroyed, and saved that which couldn’t be saved.”

Rainbow took in every word he said. Not many ponies treated her with such respect. Even her friends thought she was a little childish. Even if she was used to it and could brush it off, it astounded her that she wasn’t being judged or thought less of because of her actions.

This time he was looking at her. “Loyalty at its core is one of the strongest elements. But it also takes the longest to build. However when it is broken by betrayal it is also one that is never built the same again. I understand your mistrust of myself, Miss Dash, yet there are other things you should be far more worried about than whether or not I am worth trusting.”

Dash feeling the heat rising in her face mumbled something, turned and began to run. She didn’t wait to see if Volaren had followed her. She was embarrassed and there was another feeling in there that she couldn’t quite understand.

When she stopped running she was in the gardens. Far from where she started. Looking around all that was present in the garden were roses. Dozens upon dozens of roses, in all colors surrounded her. They followed the same pattern as the rainbow, as her.

“You seem to have found the one places that extenuates your beauty greatly.”

Slowly turning Rainbow Dash looked behind her. On the balcony just above her was Volaren. She started laughing. She hadn’t run that far at all. Or more accurately she was just outside of where she started.

“If you are done being quite beautiful among the flowers, if you could come back inside I have something to show you.”

It took a few seconds for Rainbow to collect herself and fly up to the balcony. Landing softly she trotted back into the armory she had ran from earlier. Inside were six sets of weapons and armor. All inside glass cases.

“Look around you Rainbow, these are pieces of your history. These are the last legacies of some of the greatest warriors, scholars and leaders of your history.” Volaren said motioning with a wide sweep to all the sets or armor. Leading her over to the first one he continued speaking. “You will enjoy this first one.”

Following closely she looked into case. It was a set of Pegasus armor. Black as midnight with silver trim. Emblazoned upon the breastplate was a symbol Dash knew very well. A broken circle split with a single lightning bolt. Her family crest.

Immediately she knew who this armor belonged to. She had to be sure, quickly she began to read the plaque placed in front of the armor.

For Gallantry and Service we will always remember,

Commander Frost “Hurricane” Dash

Leader of the Pegasi Mail Brigade

Commander of the First Equestrian air Brigade

Father and Grandfather

May his eternal rest be in peace.

Dash stopped breathing. Before her was the armor of one of her greatest heroes. She stood in awe staring at what lay just behind the glass. Time passed quickly till she heard another noise behind her. It was the sound of metal on metal. Turning her head in the center of the room was Volaren attaching a weird looking plate to his chest. What astounded her was that it seamlessly grafted to the clothing he was now wearing. It looked like skin tight latex, yet just like his sword it had that same otherworldly quality. Suddenly it came to her.

Slowly Volaren paused in clasping his outer armor to himself. Speaking slowly so that she would hear. “That’s because they are alive, or in a sense of the word.” Returning to his armor he continued to attach the hard metallic plates. Back, shoulder and legs. Soon Volaren looked like a walking tank. Rainbow continued to stare at the pony that was transformed in front of her into a living weapon. She watched as he grasped the last part of the armor. His helmet, grasping it firmly he placed it over his head. For a moment Volaren’s face was hidden behind the impenetrable mask.
This changed however when the helmet began to shift and pull back leaving only a plate that ran along the back of his neck.

With that he motioned for rainbow to follow him out. Leaving behind the room of the mementoes of the fallen. Closing the door and leaving the small filly to her nap. They left the room and the hall behind. Heading back to the throne room.

Listening closely she heard it. The sound of heavy hoof-falls coming from beyond the door far out into the corridor. Looking out at the sun, she saw that soon the appointed hour for all parties in attendance to meet and discuss what was happening. The sound of heavy steps continued. They echoed all throughout the chamber.

Next to her all the other princesses were present, yet lost in their own thoughts. Twilight knew that they, Both Princesses Luna and Celestia, were thinking of all the time they had missed with their uncle. He had been a big part of their daily lives growing up. He was everything they had envisioned that they could be. Full of kindness, yet firm when he needed to be. His return embodied all the hope they had for the ponies of Equestria and beyond.

As Twilights thoughts turned to Cadence, she knew the stories of the gray paladins that had appeared over the course of the last fifteen-hundred years. Yet they had no idea of who he was, other than the master trainer of heroes of legend, if even that was true. She thought of all the stories. Every disciple had spoken of their enigmatic master with enthusiasm. They all acted passionately and always followed through with whatever they promised. Even the impossible promises. It was their trademark in every story. They did what they said they would do. It was truly heroic, yet each of them died for it.

All of Twilights thoughts were interrupted as the steps grew and echoed about the room. They spoke of a war that was far more ancient than all of them. All the princesses and the majority of the mane six minus one stared at the door. The noise reverberated from beyond its threshold. Each heavy thud threatened to break the air itself.
Silence, all sound had ceased. The owner of the hoofsteps was just beyond the door. slowly the opened to reveal three ponies. It was easy to see who had caused the sounds of war. Dressed in full armor, Volaren Arclite stood imposing his presence on all ponies in the room. The metallic plates that covered his body scrapped noiselessly against each other. His left shoulder down to the ground was heavily armored. Plates overlapped one another in multiple places. His right shoulder however had very little armor. Instead was free to move about. His chest piece was just like the arm, overlapping and shifting with his body. It continued like this all the way to his hind legs. It looked like he was covered in scales. Far too thick and far too dense. He stood before them in all his glory, dressed to combat the horrors that had troubled them for far too long.

Redemptions Price

by ferrosxlupus

Castle Of the Sister (part 1)(edited)