Magi Chronicles: Fires of Equestria

by Xeadin

Chapter 4 -- Breaking Ice

It had only taken a few days since the fall of Marcovi for the bulk of the civilization to fall into the grip of fear and chaos, once conquered by happiness and peace. The upper echelons of the Council were fast approaching the tightrope of fate, as their last-minute options ran thin. It would only be a matter of time before the rest of the civilization fell into terminal pandemonium, without the aid of the Council.

What kept that from happening was a small, yet essential, part of the civilization. It was a very basic, well-known concept that was first educated to the most astute scholars; now, just about everyone knew about the legends. It was the notion that all worlds were governed by a single, powerful force that kept all of the worlds in close connection to each other. The Elements, the driving force behind the veil of the cosmos, played a key role in keeping the civilization in check—even in the face of unfathomable odds.

Light and Dark were the foundations that drove the elements in to existence. The creation of more worlds prompted the creation of a greater balance to keep the bonds of Light and Dark in check. The Elements of Nature were created, sealing the bonds between the worlds and comforting the balance between the greater domains. Guardians were elected from the cosmos to become the soul defenders of the individual elements.

~~~~~~

Mar’xem, the Guardian of Fire, is an individual of invaluable courage and unbreaking fortitude. He was first deemed as a cursed soul with a gift of unstoppable fury. He had learned to control his fury at an early age, following an incident that had nearly decimated his own hometown. He is well-disciplined, but still carries fragments of his rage—a burden he holds with his element. He is a great speaker, often carrying his own voice across great distances to be heard. Sometimes, he can be a bit of a mouthful. He is claimed to be too much of a talker, and is sometimes blamed with speaking on behalf of his siblings more often than not.

Aaron, the Guardian of Ice, is an interesting individual. He is considered the wisest of the brothers, but is also the most soft-spoken. He is a man of few words and almost never deploys himself into diplomatic or political disputes. He usually lets his brother, Fire, do most of the talking. Ice, like his namesake, has a more isolated personality, but he does not lose his grasp on the element he represents. He holds a strong connection with his siblings, often extending his wisdom at key moments. He speaks few words, but people listen to him when he does manage to say something relative to the situation.

Kendan, the Guardian of Lightning, is an individual of astounding valor and insight. He is the most active of the siblings, and his element reflects his personality almost like a mirror—spunky, quick-minded, and noble. He is quick to attract attention on a dime, and uses his own wits to his advantage. He is certainly not the most social of the brothers, but he still has quite a bit to say. His intuition is an invaluable skill that, unlike his other siblings, grants him the knowledge to adapt to a given situation even before it occurs. He does not use his insight to gain any unfair advantages, as he is aware of his own limits.

Emily, the Guardian of Wind, is an individual of delight and motivation. She favors the nostalgic energies of nature that glide along the worlds within an orderly flow. She has learned to keep herself in sync with the energy, due in part to the element she represents. Her personality reflects her element, in that she is self-disciplined and will never leave anything to chance. She has a delightful desire to let her own knowledge flow freely through the twisted bands of the elemental sea.

Erika, the Guardian of Water, is an individual of breath-taking beauty and unparalleled elegance. She is the most elegant of her siblings, and her benevolent nature offers soothing comfort to those in her presence. She is considered the Healer, and as her element suggests, she is rhythmic and gentle in her knowledge. She has a way of communicating with others; often times, her sweet melodies attract the noble and the worthy before her.

Crystalle, the Guardian of Earth, is an individual who exemplifies strength and tolerance. She is considered the most rash of her siblings, but she usually does not show her true colors unless she truly felt it necessary. Like her element, she holds a steadfast personality and is highly social towards others. She always stands her ground even if it may be unnecessary. Like her brother, Ice, she withholds a great amount of wisdom, although she does not hold nearly as much experience as her outspoken brother.

~~~~~~

The House of the Elements, a refuge where the six guardians carry out their duties, is a place sought out by many who could only dream of walking amongst the righteous. It is a place even the most noble would dare not approach; to a normal outsider, it is a forbidden place. Strangely, the House of the Elements is not a typical castle retreat surrounded by a large colony like in the old stories of kings and nobles. Instead, the House lies in a substantially large canyon floor, surrounded by overgrowing foliage and large, spectacular waterfalls.

The place, itself, looked more like a cottage carved into the canyon wall. It was a fairly large complex, with enough room to hold festive ceremonies and large gatherings. They did not use the space for such occasions. It was their home. The elements had strong ties here, and they used the large ceremonial hall as their focus point to sense the cosmos beyond the civilization. They were the chroniclers of the balance of the elemental forces that fed the worlds and beyond.

Outside on the porch, near one of the waterfalls, Ice and Earth were focusing on a small strand of power that was felt through a passing wave of energy, taking in as much knowledge and information as they could. It was hard work memorizing and categorizing fonts of information. Such is the way of a vast world, and they knew they had to keep up with the worlds to ensure that the proper balance was maintained.

Fire stepped out from the hallway and out on to the porch. He took a good, long gaze at the two, feeling their presence in the air. He felt the energy as well, although it didn’t feel as strong to him. He took one small, quiet step forward.

Ice wrinkled his nose—he kept his eyes closed. “All is well, brother?” he spoke with a calm, collective voice.

Fire halted, standing still as he examined the two siblings. It was clear that Ice had felt his presence even before he stepped outside. He chuckled and rubbed his nose briefly. “For the most part, we have felt nothing of unusual happenstance,” he spoke in a kind manner, holding his hands behind his back. He took a few steps forward once more, letting the trail of energy flow across his fingertips as it gradually became stronger and more prominent. “I’m guessing there’s not much to note about this strand?”

Ice tilted his head slightly. “I suppose it’s not too exciting. There is still some use with this knowledge.”

Fire extended his hand. He could feel the faint presence of a young girl running through a beautiful meadow, letting her absorb the majestic wonders of the life force that surrounded all living things. The life force was the essence of the elements—the driving power of the civilization. It was what enabled the Magi to utilize the powers of the elements. He brought his hand back to his side and studied the two siblings in their embrace. “Have I told you how stunning you two look?”

Ice only managed to smile. Earth brushed back her bangs. She managed to giggle lightly to her brother’s remark, and spoke in a light, harmonic voice. “That wouldn’t be the first I’ve heard of that claim.”

All three of them smile and chuckled towards one another. A familiar voice could be heard echoing throughout the complex. It was Lightning’s voice.

“Brothers! Sisters! Come quick!”

Ice and Earth opened their eyes and had quickly let go of the strand. They focused their attention to Lightning's call—there was a sense of urgency hinted by their sibling. Fire had already made his way to the temple forum, where the other three siblings were. Ice and Earth were the last to arrive.

Water stood in front of a dish of water that was illuminated with a bright blue brilliance. She held her hand over the dish, not expending a flinch.

Fire spoke in a tone of concern. “What is wrong, brother?”

Lightning turned to face his brother. He held a worried expression. “It’s not me. It’s her.” He gestured toward Water, who was beginning to breathe harder and faster. It took about a minute or so when she gasped for air and ripped herself from her focus. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.

Ice stood forth and bowed to his sister. “Is everything alright, sister?”

Water, knowing full well about what she had felt, looked up to her brother and gave a bitter frown. “I’m afraid not, brother. I fear something may have happened to the guardian.” She looked up through the skylight above and analyzed the skies above. “I cannot feel his presence.”

Everyone stood back in fright. Wind gasped. “The precursor guardian?”

Fire held a hand up to his chin. “You can’t feel his presence?”

Water nodded. “I’ve only noticed a slight change in his powers a few days ago. Between then and now, his presence started to fade, little by little. Now, I cannot see past the veil of the elemental division.”

Ice stepped forth and loomed over the dish. “Perhaps he is still fine. It may be that he has reached the edge of the elemental bonds. Who knows what could lie beyond the threshold of the known worlds?”

Earth stood next to Ice, contemplating about his mixed feelings he had displayed. She knew Ice had concern over the boy, but she also knew that he had a subtle tone of clairvoyance. He wouldn’t let the boy’s sudden disappearance get the best of him. “While we were delving deep into the banks of a passing elemental stream, we noticed a strange power—some sort of strange energy. We felt the boy’s presence, and as you described it, sister, his power was waning further towards this force.” It was at this point everyone drew their attention to Earth. “I believe he’s headed toward the one place we have not spoken of for a long time. This may be his time of trial that we have all been waiting for.”

The others looked at each other, taking in what their sister had said. It was a lot to process, but the explanation helped draw out some confusion. Everything began to fall in place.

“Brothers and Sisters,” Fire said, extending his arms out to his side. He tilted his head up towards the hole in the ceiling, which had illuminated the observation room which they were all standing in. “Let us come together and open the door. The time has come to extend our reach beyond the edges of the civilization. Let us spread the light of hope and defeat the shadows of fear. Let us uncover the hidden secrets of the worlds beyond, which had plagued us with concern for many eons.” The others joined him and encircled the observation dish, which then began to develop a dome of multicolored light above it. “Let us reawaken the spirit of harmony within ourselves.”

At those words, the elementals closed their eyes and spoke ancient phrases to themselves. These phrases had a profound effect on themselves and to their surroundings. The dome of light intensified and shot a shaft of brilliant multicolored light up through the crack and into the open sky above. Their powers caused a shift in the elemental sea, which brought in streams of elemental magic right through the center of the pillar. The ethereal movement created a current of swirling energy that renewed and replenished lost portions of power from the fallen worlds.

A familiar world, lost in the mists of time, had resurfaced. The guardians were the first to realize, though they were not alone. They were still unaware of the circumstances that were burdened upon the rest of the civilization. Things would change drastically once they found out that the situation was much more grave than they had anticipated.

---

The winds blew on the frail, withered leaves of the maple trees, covering the ivory walkways of the castle courtyard. Canterlot, one of the few refuges of harmony, was a city unlike any other in Equestria. The grand facades and castle towers loomed over the skyline, portraying their beautifully crafted stone work. Their awkward shapes helped keep them from succumbing to the fiercest of severe weather patterns. Just about the entirety of the castle was hewn from hardened sandstone and ivory, and a lot of the sandstone surfaces were lathered with decorative patterns in many colors and variations. The tops of the towers held the most exquisite and intricate designs—sometimes even representing the spirits of the sun and moon themselves.

The inside of the castle held the fruits of the inhabitants’ labors. Tapestries and fine arts lined the ballrooms and hallways, setting a perfect spacious atmosphere where even the most skilled artist would be left at awe. Several statues stood idly along the edges of the Grand Hall—the crossroads of the castle grounds. The grand hall was a remarkable sight, with red linen carpet spanning all across the floor to the four entryways. One archway led out to the courtyard, another had followed a staircase, which split in to two separate directions. The final archway led into another, smaller hallway with a spiraling staircase that led to the upper part of the main complex.

Out in the courtyard, several tall towers were supported by an array of reinforced stone supports. The towers themselves hung out over the cliff, which would easily give the faint of heart anxiety. For those who braved such heights, it was a spectacular view to see everything above and below. Most days were spotless in the weather, yet there were a few extreme days in between. Strangely enough, the castle itself wasn’t cold, despite being placed near the top of a mountain.

Princess Celestia, the princess of the sun, held an astonishing role within the walls of Canterlot. She was a gorgeous individual who held herself true to her words. She was an honest, respectful, and wise mare, and she never flaunted her duties. Her flowing mane sparkled with the spectrum of the softest lights, and her white coat reflected the sun’s radiance off of her, giving her greater visibility while standing in the light. As she was a princess of the sun, she held her own wonders within Canterlot, but at the same time, she was also burdened with the hardship of monitoring and caring for the land of Equestria.

Celestia’s sister, Princess Luna, also held an important role in Canterlot. She was the princess of the moon, and her true purpose would be witnessed during the night. She was a dream walker, meaning that her responsibility was to take tender care of each and every ponys’ dreams. Her dark flowing mane sparkled with starlight and was much more noticeable in the dark. Her dark blue coat held a pristine sheen that made her a mystical individual, sometimes flaunting her own beauty before her loyal subjects. Luna was well-respected and charming, and she had a way to influence other’s self-esteem. She, herself, had been burdened by her own past, which had influenced her to keep a few personal memories to herself. Her own reserved nature was a telltale sign of her troubles, but many had never dared asking her of her troubled past.

~~~~~~

Celestia’s quarters was placed at the very top of one of the suspended castle towers, and, undoubtedly, one of the furthest away from the main castle courtyard. A dark stone fireplace marked one end of the room and a large oak closet on the other. In between, a large couch with purple velvet covers lined one side of her bed, which, surprisingly, didn’t look too much like one. Her bed was a thin mattress adorned with a silk purple blanket and two white linen pillows. An oak table stood at the head of her bed, topped with only a few candles and a few golden trinkets of her recent travels.

The door opened, and Celestia trotted through with the boy slightly suspended from the ground with her magic. Luna followed shortly, as well as Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. The rest of Twilight's friends chose to wait behind.

Celestia gently positioned the boy on the couch, placing her hoof on his chest and adjusting him to a comfortable posture. She took the silk blanket from her bed and wrapped it around the boy, sealing him—from neck to toe—from the cold autumn air that hung over the castle. Only his head remained visible. He still had his eyes closed, and he continued to breathe in a deep, rhythmic trance.

Twilight held a hoof to her head and hummed in question. “Should we try to wake it up?”

Celestia shook her head. “No. It has been on a long journey from wherever it came from. It needs its rest.”

Luna stroked the head of the boy, parting his short, furly black hair. “It’d be interesting to see what it may be dreaming about. Wouldn't thou agree, sister?”

The thought almost made her laugh. “That would be fairly interesting.”

“Aren’t you able to, princess Luna?” Twilight asked.

Luna raised an eyebrow to the question. “That would require knowledge that is, frankly, out of our reach.” She frowned, continuing to look down on the boy’s relaxed posture. “We do not know what it would do if we interfered with its dreams.”

Twilight continued to hold her hoof to her chin, concocting yet more questions and ideas. It took her a full minute before an idea struck her. “I got it! Maybe the royal library may have some old books and tomes about what this thing may be and, perhaps, where it may have come from.”

The princesses looked at each other, then back to Twilight. Celestia stood forth. “That is a good plan, but I’m not sure the library would even have the knowledge of such a thing. I guess it’d be worth a try.” Luna nodded.

“Then I shall return with answers to many of our questions!” She whipped her tail and sped out to the door. She stopped at the threshold. “Hopefully…” With that remark, she was gone. Only the princesses and Fluttershy remained.

Fluttershy gently tiptoed to the side of the couch and stroked his arm from underneath the blanket. She was surprised at how cold he was—she could almost feel it shivering. “Oh, my goodness. It’s cold.” She had a worried look on her face. She wrapped one of her arms around the figure and caressed him tightly, letting her warmth seep in to the frail boy’s chilling body.

Celestia walked up to the foot of the couch and placed her hoof on the boy’s cheek. Fluttershy was right. The boy was frigid cold. She rushed over to the closet behind the couch and searched for a bigger blanket. She found one of a bright blue color that had been stuffed with duck down. She carried it over to the couch. Fluttershy took the blanket and wrapped it around the boy along with the existing blanket, tucking it underneath him and making sure to cover every inch of his body, except for his head.

The boy breathed out heavily, parting the ends of Fluttershy’s long pink hair. She looked up at him and studied his facial features for a long moment, wondering if he was awake. He still held his eyes closed, and she continued to hold him in a warm, welcoming embrace.

The boy breathe out heavily again—this time, it whispered something as it breathed. It was barely audible, but it was clear that words were being said.

Luna crept closer, trying to hear what he was trying to say. She leaned in close enough to where her ear was inches from the boy’s mouth. She could pick up faint traces of the boy’s inaudibility. It was clear that it was still asleep, but she knew that any amount of information would be crucial to help best accompany him. She made out only a few words, which were repeated a few more times.

"Help… cold... can’t..."

Luna cooed, brushing the boy’s cheek with her hoof. The boy started to move, but, out of spite, was hung up by Fluttershy’s embrace. He moaned quietly, letting himself fall back on to the couch’s cushions. Luna studied him for a moment. “He looks a bit uncomfortable.” She noticed that Fluttershy still had him locked. She cleared her throat. “Fluttershy, would thou'st mind giving him a little breathing room?”

Luna’s words snapped Fluttershy out of her daydream. Almost immediately, she slid her arm out from behind the boy and pushed herself up into the air. Her face blushed heavily, as she was rendered speechless.

The boy turned to his side. Unbeknownst to his own surroundings, he rolled himself off of the edge of the couch. Had it not have been for Luna’s quick reaction, he would’ve suffered great pain from the fall—another issue the princesses did not want to be faced with. Wrapped in an aura of magic, Luna carried the boy to Celestia’s bed. Celestia took the disheveled blankets and gently laid them on top of the boy, with the larger blue blanket going on top of him first.

Celestia hunkered down and planted a soft kiss on the boy’s forehead, which seemed to send him back into a comfortable slumber. She stood back up and walked over towards Fluttershy. “He should be fine now. We’ll stay here with him. Twilight probably needs help finding books about his background.”

Fluttershy acknowledged, and turned around to fly out of the room.

“Oh, and one more thing…”

Fluttershy stopped in midair, turning around to hear what Celestia wanted to add.

“Tell Twilight that she may look in the restricted section. There may be something of use in that part.”

Fluttershy nodded, and flew out of the threshold. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other. Luna looked down at the boy and sat herself next to him, hugging him close and stroking his back. An expression of worry hung between the princesses.

Author's Note:

The first few chapters were made to set up the scenario and to give depth to a pressing situation. Not everything in the future can be done without worry.

The next several chapters will start to see more interaction and development with Equestria and the ponies.

Comments

[PickleSurprise]

I honestly don't see why people are down voting this so much. Its has many good elements to it, such as a well developed plot, proper character development and just all around proper everything. You've created a universe that's unique and I can honestly say I haven't seen before and only feel the need to learn more about it. I look forward to more of your work.