//------------------------------// // Flashback Sequence // Story: A Guarding Light // by LakieLegion //------------------------------// ~Equus - far in the past - 2 years before Diarchy~ It was a peaceful day in Equestria. The Birds were frying, Ponies were screaming while running for their lives and a giant dragon was burning a village to the ground. Okay... Maybe not so peaceful after all... The great and feared dragon known as 'Ripclaw' to all ponykind had decided to do what he does best on this fine day in Equestria... Kill... Ripclaw was known throughout all of Equus as one of the most powerful adult dragons in written history, and it was true, as he had surpassed some of the most powerful in one on one duels. But something... Extraordinary was going to happen on this fateful day... On this day, a hero was going to fall out of the sky... ~Sydney, Australia, Earth - 2015~ My name is Ian Lake... And I am finally on my way to my first con... of sorts, don't really know if the EB Expo is considered a con or not. I had finally gathered up enough courage and money to go to Sydney for EB Expo, and I could not wait! I had always wanted to go, but never really had the courage to travel from Melbourne to Sydney just for this. This year was the year I had decided to go however. I had decided to go all out too, dressing up as my character from Destiny for the cosplay contest. Destiny was a great console based MMO that had come out the year prior and had myself and my friends hooked for good. The plastic armor plating shifted slightly as I looked over myself once more. Upon my chest sat a black plate of plastic, attached to a pack on my back. A tube reached back from the left-hand side of the plate covering my chest to attach to the pack. a golden crown-like crest was painted on the left side of the breastplate. a short blade-like protrusion poked up over my left shoulder from the pack itself. On my shoulders were a pair of black pauldrons, small tanks on them and a small spike giving the a bit of a menacing look. Further down my arms were a pair of bracers, a tank on each facing outwards, white designs were painted on and part of them were a bright sun yellow. On my legs were black greaves matching the gauntlets and their accompanying pauldrons, thick white stripes were painted from foot to thigh on the plastic plates. Upon my waist sat a thick black plastic belt, a tattered and ragged black cloth hung from my right hip, white dots peppering it. Underneath all of the fake plastic armor I wore a bright sun yellow bodysuit. I was proud of my handiwork on the plastic plating, it had taken me a while to get it right, especially the back pack of the Queens Guard Plate. The only things I regret not having time to make were replicas of my helmet and my favorite gun, the Helm of Saint-14 and The Last Word respectively. A smile on my face, I started the walk from my hotel room to the expo, but as I stepped outside my room I bumped into someone else. He wore an eerily perfect cosplay of the Merchant from Resident Evil 4, right down to the red eyes. I apologized quickly, saying that I never saw him there. His reply was said in a perfect impression of the Merchant. "It's quite alright Stranger. Say, you're looking mighty under-armed for a Guardian" he stated, I could just imagine a lecherous grin underneath his face mask. Gulping I replied with a simple 'yeah', this simple one worded reply seemed to make his eyes glimmer. "How about I give you this, Stranger" the Merchant said, reaching a hand into his cloak and retrieving an almost perfect replica of The Last Word. My jaw dropped at the sight of the gun. "How much?" I ask, the Merchant shakes his head as he puts the gun in my hand, his eyes twinkle once more. "Free of charge Stranger, and if you follow me, I shall retrieve another complement to your gear from my room, a helmet" he said, I grinned madly. "Sure! Thanks man, didn't have the time to cobble together a helm or a gun" I said, gratefully bowing slightly to the man as I followed him to his room. ~later~ I woke up with a start, wondering where I was, as I could feel wind whipping around me. My eyes snapped open quickly. My fears turned out to be true. I was falling through the sky, but what I saw far below me really blew my mind. Far below me was a large, black, Leathery-winged being that breathed fire. A Dragon. And it was torching a medieval styled village. I looked upon the great beast in fury as it continued to torch the town, I heard a harsh voice in the distance from down below. "Hahaha! Ag rotmindol ponies, ag! Burn hahaha!" the voice exclaimed in a language that I recognized slightly. I frowned, it sounded like the language of the Dov from the Elder Scrolls V, Skyrim, but this place did not look anything like Skyrim. I angled myself as I fell, my mind slipping from thinking about what happened previously to whats happening now. I angled myself so that I was facing the Dragon before bringing my limbs together and 'diving' through the air, rocketing for the back of the hovering behemoth as it spoke again. "Hi fent pah dir! Nunon med usliik lohiim tol Zu'u lost. Ru los vunek!" it roared as I continued to speed towards the unaware dragon, I was getting close. Using my adrenaline fueled instincts I flipped myself to land feet first upon it's back. The impact was astounding, but I barely felt any of it, if my mind was not adrenaline fueled and acting on instinct, I would wonder why this was, but as I was not, I paid it no mind. A large dust cloud was brought up by the Dragon's impact with the ground, I stood up from my crouched position directly between the Dov's wings and used it's neck as a set of stairs down to the ground. ~Celestia Evermore's POV, just outside Manehattan~ A large cloud of dust was thrown up by Ripclaw's impact with the ground. The dark shape that collided with the immense drake concerned me, I did not know what it was. And as I was already on my way to Manehattan to confront the monstrosity, I redoubled my groups speed. "Princess Celestia! do you really think we are needed to confront Ripclaw? I know everypony states that King Epoch can see the future, but why are we needed specifically?" asked one of my companions, Sombra Dusk, he was quite the meek stallion, but incredibly selfless, always helping when he was needed. His question was valid. "I understand your concern Mr Dusk, but I have learned to trust my father over the years. He is the Alicorn of Time itself, and he can see small glimpses of what can or will be depending on certain choices. I feel that he believes that we are the ones who will provide the better outcome, but quickly, we must reach Manehattan to find out what impacted with Ripclaw" I replied, Sombra gulped, however, he put on a brave face, ready to help in any way possible. ~A minute later - Ian's POV~ A groan sounded from the Dragon I had just jumped off as it raised it's head to look at me. "Wo krilon iidah lot Vulnahkriid!?" it demanded in it's native tongue, I turned to face it, somehow knowing that it asked who dared to attack it, I looked down at my hand, which was still in my Titan gear, I smirked as I looked back to the now named Vulnahkriid, or Dark Fury Killer "I'm no-one special Mr Vulnahkriid... just a Guardian... whose duty it is to protect the innocent."