//------------------------------//
// Council, Counsel 
// Story: Guardians of Light: A Shadow Rises 
// by Alphadude007 
//------------------------------//


Guardians of Light: A Shadow Rises

Chapter 4-Council, Counsel


-Malakh Kingdom: 10,000 Years Before Discord's Imprisonment-

Morning Light surveyed the circular council chamber with an assured smirk. Each malakh had brought their ideas on how to properly conduct the annual Worship ceremony that was to take place in a few weeks. He knew that his idea would be chosen. How could it not be? Anyone could, and would, identify his plan's brilliance.

Across the reflective onyx floor, a single malakh in a white toga stood up from his gold seat. "Seeing as how all of us are present and accounted for, let's get started, shall we?"

"Agreed, Councilor Concord," a second malakh, Councilor Lighted Path replied. "Any volunteers to present their plans first?"

Morning repressed the urge to stand up first. Well let's see what the others have in mind first. Wouldn't be much of a discussion if I presented the best one first.

"I would like to try first."

All ten heads turned to the southern side of the circle of chairs to see a curly black haired malakh raise his hand.

"Very well, Clarity." Coucilor Path addressed the youngest member of the Apostolate. "What is your proposition?"

Clarity stood up from his seat and scanned the faces of the councilors as he spoke. "I propose a feast in celebration of the One's glory. Foodstuffs and drinks from all corners of creation; grapes, cranberries, exotic meats, boiled jongi eggs, yuka milk, all the richest consumables can be presented as an offering to the One. Showcasing the things He has created and praising him for it at the same time."

"Magnificent," Concord spoke up. "Now I'm hungry for some lunch."

"Ah, but Concord, the day is still quite young," Morning reminded his fellow councilor. "It'd be unwise to eat a second meal so soon after the first."

Concord's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "But Clarity's proposal sounded so delicious!"

A few chuckles were heard around the circle of councilors at the exchange.

"As much as a grand feast sounds, councilor Clarity, I think I speak for the rest of us when I say that such a display would not be enough." Councilor Path looked around at the other council members and was greeted by agreeing nods.

Clarity sat back down in his seat with a slightly disappointed look on his face. "Very well."

The malakh sitting next to Clarity, one in a brown cloak and a leather tunic with matching leggings gave the despondent malakh a kind look. "It was a fine idea, Clarity. Just not what the others had in mind."

Clarity shot the malakh an appreciative grin. "Thank you, councilor Benign."

Benign Judgment nodded back at the young councilor and then turned to address the others. "Is there anyone else that would like to present their ideas?"

Morning Light slowly raised his hand with a soft yet confident smile on his face.

"Councilor Light, you have the floor," Concord gestured to the eager malakh.

Morning rose from his seat and looked around at the councilors. "My dear friends, we all know the grandeur of the annual Worship ceremony. Feasts, delights, songs, and plays have become the norm. Something that I wish to change for this year." Morning inspected a few of the intrigued faces among the councilors before continuing. "This year, the Worship will have a certain gravitas attached to it. The One's creation of the universe is no simple feat, so it seems frivolous to me that such a grand accomplishment be met with simple parties. Nay, I say! This year, we will reciprocate His creation with creations of our own. Gifts of appreciation for the One rather than mere indulgences on our behalf, I believe, would be the best way of expressing our thanks."

The proposition was met with a brief period of silence as each councilor thought over Morning's idea while the malakh sat back down. Moments later, several began clapping. Then a few more joined in agreement. Soon, almost all council was applauding the plan, albeit with hesitation from a few.

"That is certainly going to be a hard one to beat," Benign Judgment, one of the few to not applaud, spoke up as the clapping died down. "Is there anyone else that would like to offer their ideas?"

A sheepish hand from Councilor Silent Night rose up.

"Yes, Councilor? What is your plan for Worship?" Morning asked while trying to hold back a satisfied smile.

"Well… it's not as grand as Clarity's idea nor is it as meaningful as Morning's," Silent murmured bashfully while she absentmindedly twirled a lengthy strain of her raven black hair. "But I suppose it's kind of related to Morning's."

"So speak up, then," Morning encouraged. "What is it?"

Silent's soft purple eyes darted back and forth as he looked at the faces of the awaiting councilors. "I suggest that the One create a new world. A world with living creatures to enjoy His creation and praise Him for it, just as we would praise Him for giving the opportunity to so many creatures to revel in his work. We were created to serve and praise the One, so why not create more beings to praise Him?"

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder shook the council chamber. All council members looked around the room the One's response filled the chamber.

"So it shall be," a thick and authoritative voice echoed throughout the room.

The thunder instantly subsided and left the councilors to wonder in the wake of the One's approval.

"I guess that settles it, then." Councilor Concord finally broke the silence. "We will happily await the day in which the One will reveal a sample of His power once again, this time with the creation of a new world. And seeing how any further debate would prove useless, this council session is adjourned."

As the councilors began to leave, only one malakh had stayed frozen in a state of disbelief as he slouched in his golden seat. Morning Light could only process what had just happened. He had the support of the majority of the council, had put more thought into his plan than Silent probably had, and what's more, he wouldn't be able to show the One what he was capable of creating.

Morning shook his head as he got up from his seat. It was going to be a long walk home.

-Canterlot: Present Day-

Celestia wore a stone-like face as she trotted down the hallway that led towards the dungeons. The castle's cells mostly stayed empty nowadays since the crime rate in Canterlot was low, as always, but today the dungeon had two new residents, likely to be permanent residents if Celestia had her way.

Whatever those changelings want, it can't be anything good. What good can come of a changeling anyway? The solar alicorn thought with a sneer. They should be kept down there like the no-good, deceiving, love-draining parasites they are.

Celestia approached a finely polished wooden door at the end of the hall. Her horn lit up bright yellow for a moment and the magically-encased door swung open. The door gave way to a view of a stone staircase that descended into the bowels of Canterlot's castle.

The solar princess' grim visage remained as she started down the staircase and closed the door behind her. Canterlot castle's ornate walls and decorations were instantly replaced by crumbly and ill-maintained stone masonry as Celestia resumed her journey to the dungeon. Flickering torches illuminated her path every few yards while their shadows danced along the cobblestone floor and walls. Finally, Celestia reached a second door at the bottom of the staircase and was greeted by a thick iron door. On the both sides of the door were two large handles and in the center was a hollowed out hole just large enough for a unicorn's horn. Celestia's horn lit up once again as the two handles were surrounded in a yellow magical glow. Both handles turned downwards simultaneously as Celestia worked her magic. Letting go of the handles, Celestia then pointed her horn towards the hole in the door. In the same fashion she opened the chamber that held the Elements of Harmony, she inserted her horn into the opening and charged up a particular spell. Just like with the Elements' chamber, only a specific spell could open the prison door. Using that spell, one that only she, Luna, and the prison guards knew, a blast of purple magic shot from her horn into the hole. Celestia retracted her horn and stepped back from the door as the magic did its work, the purple aura extending from the hole and stretching along the doors' crease. Upon reaching the top and bottom, the magic faded out. The heavy doors slowly opened to reveal a long corridor lined with cell doors, one of which Princess Luna was standing outside of.

Luna looked from the door to see her sister walking into the main cell chamber. "Glad you could make it so soon, Celestia."

"Have you talked with the prisoners yet?" Celestia's brow furrowed as she spoke.

"Not yet," Luna replied. "But now that you have arrived, we may begin with the interrogation."

"I don't really think an interrogation will be needed," a female voice spoke from inside the cell through the small barred window in the middle of the steel door.

A field of blue magic enveloped the cell door as Luna pulled the door open. Celestia looked into the room to see two changelings, one standing in the center of the smooth stone room with the other laid out on the ground, sulking.

"Did either of us give you permission to speak, changeling?" Celestia walked into the room, with her gaze hardening at the sight of the insect-like equines.

The standing one spoke up. "No, Your Majesty. You didn't."

Luna's brows rose at the formal address. "What are your names?"

"My name is Cipha," the first one put a hoof to her chest and then pointed it to the changeling that was lying on his belly in the corner. "And his name is Fang."

Celestia's eyes travelled to Fang and took on a curious look at his sullen complexion. "Not having a very good day, Fang?"

Fang's eyes rose at the Equestrian princess' taunt. "Something like that," he grumbled.

"Princess, please. He's been through enough today," Cipha interjected. "Leave the questions to me."

Celestia turned her head to look down at Cipha. "Quite a noble gesture, Cipha. Tell me, what is it that has your companion in such a troubled state?"

Cipha's eyes darted down to the floor for a moment before rising to Celestia's. "That's part of the reason we're here. Believe me when I say we mean no hostility towards Equestria."

Luna walked into the cell and stood alongside her sister. "Forgive our doubting of your words, but an explanation would very appreciated."

Cipha retold how following the failed Canterlot attack, during which Celestia tensed at the mention of the assault, food had started to decline in Chrysalis' hive. How within no more than two years, the hive's citizens were borderline starving. Then Cipha told of how Chrysalis had discovered a creature that promised help to get food for the hive in return for its freedom.

"The Shadow?" Luna inquired, to which Cipha nodded.

"We had our suspicions about the creature, but we never acted upon them until it was too late," Cipha said with a twinge of regret.

Despite being a changeling, for whom lying was a second nature, Celestia didn't detect any falsehood in her words. Perhaps they aren't here to cause harm after all. "Was it just you and Fang that conducted the search?"

"No, Princess. There was a third changeling named Chassis with us." Cipha resisted the urge to see what Fang's reaction was to the traitor's name.

"And where is this Chassis right now?" Luna inquired.

"I was going to get to that part later." Cipha didn't want to dwell on Chassis for any longer than she needed to for Fang's sake. "Can we return to where I'd left off?"

Luna gave a nod. "Very well."

"So, that's when we were sent to Ponyville on orders to find a unicorn and bring him or her to the mountain where the creature was being held," Cipha resumed. "We stayed at a rental home for a couple of days during our search and attended a party thrown by… Pinkie Pie, I think."

Celestia nodded. "Yes, she is Ponyville's resident partier. Was it for any particular reason you went to that party?"

"She threw it for us, actually," Cipha answered. "As a kind of 'Welcome to Ponyville' party."

"And that's where you met Miss Lulamoon?" Luna asked.

Cipha nodded. "Yes, we met Trixie at the party and offered her help to catalogue data on experimental pegasus flight patterns in the mountains."

Celestia's gaze burned into the changeling's. "So you tricked her into going with you."

Cipha gave a guilty sigh. "Yes, we tricked her into going with us. But we had no idea what to expect when we got to the mountain."

Luna's brows scrunched together. "So what happened up on that mountain?"

"We found Queen Chrysalis and the captain of the guard, Raspian, there. They led us to the location of the creature's imprisonment whereupon we revealed our true selves to Trixie."

"So then Trixie freed the Shadow?" Celestia asked.

"She did. Kind of loud when she did it, too," Cipha answered, while rubbing her ear with a hoof for emphasis.

Celestia gave the changeling a neutral reaction. "And then what happened?"

"To her credit, Trixie did try to escape in the face of it all. Fang and I took off after her upon being ordered to do so by our queen. When we had caught up to her and wrestled her back into submission, Fang went back to go tell Chrysalis of our success," Cipha turned back around to face Fang, whereupon his features tightened in fury.

Celestia followed Cipha's eyes and looked down at the fuming changeling. "So what did you find there, Fang? Your queen asking the Shadow for her next orders?"

Fang bared his teeth at the assumption. "When Chassis didn't followed us after Trixie, I knew something was wrong. As soon as Trixie was recaptured, I got back to that cavern as quick as I could. That's when I found them."

"Them?" Celestia asked.

"Chassis standing over our queen," Fang replied while his face contorted into a look of barely restrained rage. "With her blood staining his fangs."

Both princesses' eyes widened.

"Queen Chrysalis is dead?" Celestia didn't know whether to feel relieved or deeply saddened by the revelation.

"By her own subject's betrayal," Fang growled. "I ran from that cave and yelled for Cipha and Trixie to get into the balloon and to be ready to leave. As I ran, I heard Chassis screaming after me that he was going to feed on us just like Chrysalis."

Luna gave the changeling a sympathetic look. "And that's when you arrived at Canterlot?"

"Yes," Fang replied. "Not like we had much of a choice with Trixie steering the balloon."

Celestia and Luna exchanged looks.

"Sister, might we discuss this in more detail else-?" Luna asked.

"If you want to just keep us in this dungeon while that traitor remains unpunished," Fang interrupted, "Then you can just say it."

"Fang!" Cipha hissed, before turning back to the Equestrian rulers. "I'm sorry, Princesses. We've been through a lot today. But if your prior experience with our kind influences what you decide our fates to be, then I am fine with that. Then, at least one of our sins would be atoned for."

Celestia regarded the changelings with an emotionless gaze for a moment as she thought, then, with a sigh, Celestia relaxed her face and gave the changelings a soft look. "With the evidence you have presented, I will not keep you here in this cell during your time in Canterlot."

Fang and Cipha glanced at each other in confusion. "Um, Princess...?" Cipha began.

"Rather, you two will stay in one of the castle's guest rooms under house arrest." Celestia's tone grew more serious as she spoke. "Neither of you will leave the room unless given permission to do so, and if you are out of the room, you will be accompanied by an elite squad of the royal guard wherever you go. But if you are caught out of the room without your security escort, let's just say the consequences will be quite dire. Do I make myself clear?"

Cipha nodded. "Crystal, Your Majesty."

Celestia's gaze shot to an unresponsive Fang. "Am. I. Clear?"

"Transparently, Princess," Fang finally answered.

Satisfied, Celestia backed away from the changelings. "Very well. You are to remain here while we fetch a squad of guards to lead you to your room," she said, with a quick glance at Luna. "We will come by your quarters later to see how well you're accommodating."

With that, Celestia and Luna walked out of the cell and closed the door behind them. Moments later, the two sisters were climbing the stairs back into the castle, away from the newly reclosed and magically sealed iron door.

"Have some of the servants prepare a guest room," Celestia ordered as she ascended the stairs.

"Are you sure it's the best idea to keep them in the castle?" Luna asked.

Celestia stopped to look back at her sister. "You know as well as I that these are strange times with troubling days ahead. Those changelings may prove useful in the future."

Luna thought for a moment then nodded in agreement. "Very well, then. Shall I see how Miss Lulamoon is handling things?"

"It would be a good decision to do so," Celestia stated thoughtfully. She'd almost forgotten about the unicorn. "She's probably had a traumatic experience as well. It would do her well to have some company."

"And of Twilight and her friends?"

"I will see to them." Celestia resumed her climb up the stairs towards the door at the top. "We have matters that are in need of discussion."