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//Story: Whats Left of Us
//Author: Graybard
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//Prologue: Who we were and what we Became
Once upon a time...
So many stories have started this way, stories of princesses guarded by dragons in towers, of chivalrous knights and their struggle agaist tyranny, or simply a boy and a girl who fall in love and have a happily ever after. If it were really that simple, then in my eyes this story wouldn't be worth telling.
This is a story of a race of Dragons, unlike those mostly know, these are Dragonkin, a bipedal wingless breed of dragons.
Its said that our origins are in the lab of a mad magican as an experiment gone awry, others believe we were summoned from the eathreal plan. The last one at least sounds plausible do to our inherant ability to detect and control magical laylines in the universe, but most likely we simply came about along with every other species in the world.
But I digress...
Our species is rare, so rare in fact that in earlier times our survival depended on either the best possible relations with our neighbors, or winning the savage wars that came from not-so-good-relations. We were nomadic, so most thought us wild. That could never have been farther from the truth.
We were scholars, who seeked for knowledge in every nook and cranny we traveled too. And knights, who followed all things ritous and good. It was we who created The Codex of the Righteous, the book that defined what being a hero meant.
Its contents were a monument to Heroes, all the greatest achievements that had ever been done were written there, from the Rising of the Banner of Guardians, to The Great Dragon War, to the Fall of Lord Discord, and The battle between the Sun and the Moon.
Its why the Dragonkin finally settled on the top of the worlds greatest and tallest mountain, Heavensgate. So we could look down over all the land and see evil wherever it rose, and there we would be to stomp it out.
We became known as the Guardians.
We were an army of the finest smiths, engineers, warriors, wizards, scholars, and diplomats that this world had ever known. We were the apex of all the technology and teachings our planet could provide. Our name alone was more terrifying than any army. We were for all intents and purposes, the caretakers of this world and all its inhabitants.
Our goal was to create an everlasting peace, no easy feat. War after war smashed our order like the tide against great rocks, but we held fast to hope and courage.
The years passed, kingdoms rose and fell and after so many years of war, destruction and chaos, we finally had it, all of the lands near and far celebrated almost one thousand years of peace and prosperity.
It was on that day, the day when shadow blotted out the sun, that my people fell.
//Chapter One: The Standard of Champions
There it was, a shield with a tall powerful silver tree with four large branches brazened across its front, each branch carrying a symbol at its end. This was the standard of the Guardians.
The dragon-boy couldn't help but want to reach out and touch the glass.
"Orpheus!" the sound startled the boy, making him fall away from the stand, it was is father Thraseus that spoke "What have I told you about touching that hmm?"
Orpheus had always been overfearful of things around him, but he still had heart, that was enough for his father.
"But papa I wasn't gonna touch it!"
"Oh, you weren't were you?" Thraseus asked with a mocking smile
"No I was just gonna..." little Orpheus' voice trailed off as his father stared down at him, he rubbed the light blue scales on his snout as a sign of nevousness. He knew he was busted, and even if not, he couldn't think of an excuse.
"That is priceless, and not for playing with."
"Why is it so valuable daddy?"
"Well...that son is a long, long story." Thraseus picked up his son "It was your grandfathers, during the War of Sun and Moon."
"In the final battle your grandpa stood on the hill before the dark princess Moon. It was he who battled her, for time, time for the Great queen of the Sun to reach the hill with the great elements and smite her. It was this shield," Thraseus pointed to the glowing symbol "that deflected her mightiest blow against him, when all his weapons had failed. And it was this shield that Moons sister, Celestia the Sun, appeared behind when it was lowered. The suprise was all hers, and with it she..." his voice trailed off, as if he had heard something.
Orpheus looked on, dieing in anticipation of what would happen next "What! What happened next, daddy!?"
"The whole story..." he continued "Is too long to tell now. Go on, you need to finish your studies for the day."
Orpheus couldn't help but look on in dissapointment "And if you do, I can tell you the whole story at bedtime."
Orpheus' face lit up in excitement, his heart jumping at the mere thought of a good story. He ran of to find his scripts and finish the days teachings. Thraseus called after him "And remember, tomorrow we start out to find you a combat trainer!"
Little Orpheus couldn't hear him, his mind focused on finding his tome and reading. He loved reading, and spent every minute he could doing so. There was just something about a good book that the boy couldn't quite shake.
...The branches of the Great tree stand for the circles of power. The farthest left stood for the parchment and quill, which meant knowledge and diplomacy, the first of all things that should be used by those who believe in good.
The second from that stood for the shield and sword, which meant protecting the innocent and standing fast for the battles needed to secure the peace. This was the tedious duty of those who had sworn the oath to justice.
The third stood for the void of the eather, which meant magic, in its purest form. It was magic's infinite power that formed this world and the founders who used this awsome might to forge our society.
The final branch stood for the hammer and gear, which meant metalwork and enginuity. It was these that gave us the tools to defend civil and just, and to thwart those whos wicked ways would leave us in ruin.
These were the tennants of all Guardians. The boys eyes laid heavily as he imagined these at work, sword and shield in the hands of a brave knight or the eather at the command of a wize old wizard, in some far away land doing battle with a evil king. Or the gears turning on a trebuchet as it vollied heavy boulders at an evil monsters magical keep.
His focus changed, Orpheus could feel something was wrong, someone was...angry, fustrated even. Orpheus had these premonitions from time to time, his father believed it to be a possible magical talent.
Just then the silence was broken by yelling in the main hall, and the boy snapped out of his trance. He wanted to go see, but was affraid being caught from his studies would get him punished. However as most children are his curiousity got the better of him.
It was most definitely his fathers voice he thought, but the other voice was unfamiliar.
"It is folly to believe that a mere princess can hold both Discord AND Nightmare Moon!" The unfirmiliar voice spoke. "We must keep at least the statue under guard here, where noone can meddle with it."
"I've told you no, this cannot pass, it was our agreement that princess Celestia had the right to decide their fates, and she has decided!"
The voice grew agitated "This is madness Thraseus! The girl is keeping the most dangerous creature know to our kind, as a garden ornament!"
And like the sound of thunder his father spoke "I AM IN COMMAND AM I NOT?!" his every word seemed to spill fire from his mouth.
"Yes Hyperion, but I only meant..."
"NO! I WILL NOT START EVEN THE TINIEST CONFLICT OVER THIS!" his rage subsiding "I've known Celestia almost all of my life! She's as powerful and wise as most of the elders, and damn it if I don't trust her as much as...as much as..." he seemed to crumple at these words.
"I appologize Thraseus. I did not mean to bring your wife to memory."
"No it is I who should appologize Seragi. I'm just so tired of these damned politics."
For a time there was silence, only permeated by the falling of rain that had started outside. Thraseus spoke "Ahh look at the time, I must get little Orpheus to bed."
"I only hope you are right to trust her Thraseus. To me she seems only a youngling."
"She is my friend, and she has every right to both of their fates, please let her have them, in her hands Discord will remain a stone, and Luna is well looked after, she may have been corrupted, but they are still sisters."
And at that Seragi said his goodbyes and left.
It was now as Thraseus tucked his boy into bed, that he remembered his promise. "I believe I owe you a story." He said "One of your grandpa, Ireseus."
"Now, in a far away kingom, there were two sisters..."
"Sun and Moon!" Orpheus said
"Yes, Sun and Moon. Who ruled together, in harmony. The eldest, used her magic to raise the sun each dawn, and the youngest, brought the moon to start the night. As time passed, the youngest became resentful of her sister."
"How come?"
"Well, all living things would relish her sister's daytime, but sleep through her night. On one fateful day, Moon refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. Her sister tried to reason with her, but something had placed dark seed in her. The bitterness of envy fed that seed and it grew into corruption in the youngest's heart. She swore she would force the land into eternal night!"
A blast of thunder outside made little Orpheus throw the covers over his head. He sat there for a moment and shook. His father chuckled.
"Moon then gathered to her an army of darkness, creatures of similar corruption that would plunge the world into destruction and chaos. It was here that Sun called for aid, knowing that what her sister had summoned could not be beaten by her alone. And the Guardians answered."
Orpheus had poked his head back out from the covers. "Where's grandpa in this story?"
"Anxious are we?" Thraseus chuckled again "Grandpa Ireseus was only a young lad then, just gaining his first battle rank among the Guardians. His father worried for him, so he had the Hephesti, or Grand Smithmaster, forge his son a shield from a recently fallen star."
"Woah, grandpa's shield is a STAR!"
"Made from one, yes. And it was enhanced tenfold by special magics known only to the Hephesti himself. To bad, at the time, grandpa could barely hold a sword! At this point the war was getting out of hand, and it seemed as though, even with the Guardians, that Moon was winning. So reluctantly, Sun decided to end the conflict, she must harness the most powerful artifacts known to her kind. The Elements of Harmony!"
Thraseus threw his arms up and waved them about to symbolize the feign shock, which got Orpheus giggling.
"Moon somehow found out about her sister's plans, and to stop her, assaulted Sun's castle with all the forces under her command. The battle was terrible and fierce, and the men were losing hope, they were outnumbered and their lines were collapsing inward. And still Sun was nowhere to be seen, still trying to harness the power of the elements."
"All had seemed lost, and it was then, at this lasting nights darkest point, that light was cast on the battlefield. A light so bright that it rivaled the sun. All there turned to it, looking for some sign of Sun, or her fabled elements. Instead it was a young Guardian, his shield now alight from within guiding all around him forward. He had found hope, and it eminated from the mystic metals inspiring those around him. They charged, battering back the enemy again and again, until the line broke."
Thraseus had gone stonefaced, Orpheus looking on at him intently for the next portion.
"Now some say Ireseus was lost in the confusion, somehow winding up behind the enemy lines. Others believe the dark princess teleported him away from his comrades so she could deal with him herself. Either way it was the same, he stood face to face with Moon. And up on the top of the highest hill, he fought her, the inexperienced welp trading blow for blow with the battlemaiden Moon. He grew weary, soon only with his shield keeping her at bay, holding it high. Then a voice whispered in his ear. Show her my face, lower your shield"
"He complied, not understanding why, and at that moment he dropped to one knee and lowered his shield to reveal Sun, standing behind him in all her glory, the elements of harmony glowing in all the colors of the rainbow."
"What did Sun do? She didn't hurt her sister did she!?"
"No, but she had to remove her somehow, so as pennance for her misdeeds, she was banished to the moon. The elder sister took on Moons resposibilities, and balance in her kingdom has been maintained for generations since. After that, grandpa became a legend among us. And so far we've lived happily ever after."
Orpheus yawned "Will I ever be brave enough to become a legend daddy?"
"Maybe son, but thats up to you to decide..." Thraseus tucked Orpheus in. "Goodnight little hero."
"Goodnight dad."