The Exiled Angel

by Bigshot232

The Past of the Alicorn ruler Part 1

Chapter 7

The great expanse of the cosmos hung in the sky above, its lanterns of life shining down from the blanket of eternal night upon the clouded surface below. Yet as dark as the sky seemed, soft light radiated from the structures of the sanctum.

I gazed at clouds as they pasted, flying through the air, pumping my wings as I flew by. A nearby cloud passed before me, giving off a faint reflection of myself as I continued on my way. As serene as it was beautiful, I simply did not have the time to take in the sanctums sights, flying with haste to my destination.

"Alert, Legion breach detected. Angels of Love are to report to the launch platform immediately," a raspy voice filled with static repeated again as I pushed myself harder to gain more speed.

The hangar appeared over a hill, standing tall and wide with the doors fully open, showing the gathered mass of angels within. Aligning my wings, I flew downward into the hangar, before coming to a landing a few paces from the rest of my unit.

The angels themselves were clad in golden armour, covering their heads, chests, upper legs and lower arms, along with boots reaching up to their knee caps. The armour was decorated with various lines and etchings over the wrist guards, helmet and chest, with the most prominate feature being two hearts side by side with a Amethyst jewel at the centre.

The others had made note of my arrival, stepping aside as a very short angel with a violet flamed halo made his way over to me. His name was Arthur, the Archangel of Love. For an angel he was very small, like a child. Despite being so small and all the jokes made about him, he still had a heart of gold.

"WHY ARE YOU 13 MINUTES LATE!!"

Well most of the time.

"Sorry sir, won't happen again," I spoke trying not to laugh to the best of my abilities.

"WELL, HURRY UP, cough* we're behind as it is."

Nodding my head, I raised my left hand and pressed it onto the button clasp on my right shoulder, it erupted in a light I still could never get used to, even after all these years as my own armour was bestowed on to me.

"NOW, since some lay abouts took their sweet cake filled time getting over here," Arthuer prattled on as I got into formation, "lets going over the briefing 'again'."

"Approximatly 2 and a half hours ago, a disturbance was detected in realm 232. Raguel went to investigate and reported back a legion gateway and a large at that. The rest of the Justice chapter was sent in along with the Angels of Harmony to quell the incident and close the gate. However they have been unable to detain the situation and Raguel has requested addition support. Unfortunately for reasons unknown we have been delayed before departing to said conflict," Aruther's voice took on an edge at the last section of his sentence.

"As such, said party can look forward to appropriate punishment upon return. NOW LETS MOVE OUT!"

* * *

The world around seems to fade away into blackness as new memories comes to life in its place.

* * *

The roar of the conflict could heard far below as I followed Arthur to a cloud mass where another two angels stood. The smaller of the two I didn’t recognise, but judging from the armour he worn, he was an angel of Justice. The other I knew all too well. Standing tall with brown hair and eyes of autumn stood the Archangel of Justice himself, Suryan.

Each type of angel had their own types of armour, varying only through the path they have chosen. For the angels of love, our armour was light and flexible, giving us more manoeuvrability at the cost of less defence.

The angels of justice were there to protect and up hold, their armour representing them as such. The shoulders were so large that they came up to the mid section of their heads and stretched down just above their elbows. The leguards and boots interlinked with rounded edges to maintain footing on any terrain. They were also the only unit to have scaled wing guards. A bracket was attached to each wing from the tip to the joint on their backs and at a moments notice, a curtain of scales would drop around their wings and encase them in their own shield of armour. Doing this limited their flight capabilities but provided the users with a shield and tactical weapon.

But Suryan was different.

Before he became one with the order, he was a smith on his home world. His people had signed a treaty with another race long ago known as ‘Gnomes’ and together built something grand. The Gnomes researched and developed new ways to incorporate machine life into defences while his people, the Dwarfs, made these visions come to life, and Suryans armour spoke volumes as a result.

Every portion was altered and outfitted with cogs and machanary that amplified his strength to levels close to an angel using soul, without so much as breaking a sweat.

He spotted us and sent the angel on his way back to the battlefield. As we touched down and gave our solutes, the archangel of justice addressed us of our mission.

“Alright, the situation has us in a deadlock wit the legion near the gateway. They are unable to break through but we can’t push em’ back. The Harmony sealers have been injured and have been evacted to safety,” Raguel spoke in his usual dwarfan accent.

“We need the angels o love to aid the combatants in the battle and its sealers to close up the gate when they’ve been pushed back. Arthur, take a squad and join up with Nova, I’ll take the sealers and join the rear.”

“Of course Raguel, may Michael’s light guide your efforts,” Arthur replied with a bow.

“And may the sanctums strength protect you and your followers,” Suryan replied back, bowing as well as Arthur and the other angels leapt off the cloud surface and descended to the battle below.

“Ye know,” Suryan spoke as he turned to me, “I was kind of expecting ya about tem minutes ago,” a smirk appearing on his face.

I could only giggle like I had been twitterpated like some young adult, trying to keep a straight face.

“I guess you’ll be on guard duty for a while,” He said looking over a scaled replica of the ongoing battle below.

“For a few months at least, but it wasn’t my fault,” I shot back trying to defend myself.

“Its what you always say lass, sign* ye just like him in so many ways,” the giant angel took note that the gate was causing seismic activity of the land around it.

I was a little confused be what he meant.

“What do you mean? Who’s like me?”

“He likes to watch the mortals any chance he gets, always the same wit him. After practice, after lessons you name it. He’ll just sit over looking the edge and just… watches them, getting all excited at any ol trivial thing.”

I never could quite place it, but he seemed… proud. Even now the sight I saw still fills me with wonder. Suryan shrugged off the feeling and looked at me and the sealers who had remained behind. Placing his helmet on his head, he gave us the go ahead and we flew into battle.

* * *

The battle had gone on for hours, but we were pushing them back. We were still out numbered 50 to 1, but that mattered little. What did matter was what happened next.

Through all the fighting and conflict, no one seemed to take notice of a lone serpent like legion fleeing the battlegrounds to the sky. I looked around but no one else broke formation to pursue the target. Seeing little choice, I flew after it.

We broke free of the realm, flying off into the space between. Every chance I got when I closed the gap, it would evade me, weaving between asteroids and get ahead of me again, all the while laughing at my expense. I can’t remember how far we went, but I know it was too far for myself. My armour sent off warnings I was leaving the sanctums influence and my wings were slowly becoming unresponsive.

In a last ditch effort to halt its progress, I gave one final burst of speed.

It looked as if I would catch it there and then, but at the last moment, it turned and struck me in the chest laughing its head off. My vision was clouding and my strength dwindled as I plummeted to my death.

Before darkness embraced me I saw a light strike the darkened figure I assume was the legion. It fell from the heavens at a faster rate than I to the realm below.

The last I recall the same white figure was making its way to me as the sleep took hold.

* * *

When I came to, I found myself in the middle of a forest. There was life all around me from birds to small animals making chatter just beyond my vision. It was sunny too, shafts of light coming through what ever break in the trees there were.

My head was swimming as I tried to get to my feet.

“Don’t get up, your flow is low and you need your rest.”

The voice caught me by surprise. I look up to see Nova, Archangel of Harmony by my side with her hand on my shoulder. Her long red hair flowed over her blue eyes as she lowered some water in a flat cup to me. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was till the liquid touched my lips and drank greedily from it.

After I finished I brought up the question that was most on my mind.

“That… that thing, has it been vanquished?”

Taking the empty plate away, Nova looked towards the sky before speaking back.

“No, he is still out there, but he is weakened,” she said in a neutral expression, “He won’t be able to leave this plane, but he is still capable to carry out any legion intent once he is strong enough.”

“What are we waiting for we have to find hi~ hgh!” I tried to get up but a sharp pain in my chest knocked me back down.

“Easy now. You have to recover before you can do anything this else.”

“But we can’t do nothing with it on the loose!” I shot back.

“I understand young one,” Nova gestured to the surrounding area, “But the target fled the area when it landed without use of legion power, to track it would be too difficult until then.”

“What do you expect me to do, just sit back and do nothing.”

“I know this seems difficult, but please try to stay calm and get some rest,” Nova unfurled her wings taking her leave through the clearing, “I’ll scout the area and shall return with food and shelter shortly.”

With that she was gone.

I was infuriated. How could she be so calm, a run away Legion punk had escaped, doing who knows what to anything in this plane that comes across it and they were lolligaging about just waiting for it to hurt someone, or WORSE.

There wasn’t much I could do about it at the time so I reigned myself to wait till I was feeling better. No matter what Nova said, I would find that thing and end its joy ride on this plane.

* * *

It had been three days since we’ve been here. I was feeling much better, my flow had returned to normal and I was moving again. It was midday judging the position of the sun and Nova was out mediating. I could see no better chance than to begin my search of the area.

The forest was easy enough to navigate despite the thickened foliage. Seeing the denizens of the woods as I hooped from branch to branch, to get a better view of my surroundings, I needed to find the tallest tree or some kind of incline.

My search was quick as I found a hill. Before I could reach the top, I heard a sound. It was soft and whimpering, sniffling every so often.

My curiosity got the better of me and I started to seek out the source of the noise. It did not take me long to stumble upon what I sought.

It was a small clearing, a little brighter than the rest of the forest. A trail leading in and out of it was present on the other side and at the centre stood a dwindling tree.

The crying was coming from beside it, my heart stopping when my gaze fell upon her.

She was so small, hugging the tree tightly in her little hooves and tears falling from her eyes as she wept silently onto its bark. It was a pony of a night blue coat and a lighter blue mane, a foal by the looks of it. She didn’t seem hurt, but her quiet sobs pierced my heart in ways I had never imagined possible.

She seemed so sad that I wished to comfort her, but I held back. The Order forbade personal contact with any mortals.

So I watched.

I watched as she opened up herself in that clearing, forgetting my mission in an instance. I watched her for hours, unmoving till her sobs died down and eventually stopped. The sun was going down and it was then that the little filly decided to leave the clearing, but not before giving the tree one last hug.

* * *

For the past week I had checked the clearing, telling Nova I was simply scouting the area. Every day I would stop by at the same place, and everyday the same filly would be there. She didn’t cry every time, but tended to the dying tree as best she could.

She would water it, care for it and even placed tree sap from other trees at any nick in its bark. Whenever a leaf fell she panicked and the one time a branch broke she had cried some more.

It was odd to see one care so much for the nature around them, if only I knew why she cared so much for this tree. Something inside me pulled me from the hiding place as I slowly made my way onto the clearing.

When I caught her eye I saw nothing but fear. She screamed and tried to flee, but the poor dear got tangled in her own hooves and hit the ground and I rushed over to help. Before I could get near her she said something.

“________________”

I had no idea what she was saying, so I tried to clam her down.

“Sshhhh, It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you,” I said softly.

“________,___________________!”

“Don’t be afraid, please, I only want to help.”

“…_______”

She seemed to be calming down a little, perking her ears up in my direction with a curious glint in her eyes.

“What are you doing out here little one?”

“______._________,___________?”

She got back to her hooves and was tilting her head at me, trying to figure what I was exactly. She circled me looking me over and gave me a little push with her hoove. As gentle as the nudge was, it knocked me off my balance and I tried to steady myself on the tree.

“_________!_________________!”

She was yelling at me now, trying to swat my hand away from it as a large amount of tree sap and bark broke away with it.

“________!_________?________ *hic* ________”

Oh no, she looked upset. If only I understood what she was saying, maybe I could help.

When she started crying again, I placed my hand on head and reached inside with my flow. Letters, words, syllables were filling my mind as I learnt her language as quickly as I could.

“___________nd now we will lose thy tree and hic* and…”

“Hush now little one, why art thou crying so,” the words rolling off my tongue with the new found language.

She looked at me in surprise with her puffy eyes. She stared for a little while before her eyes watered up again.

“Thy tree hic* twas our fathers and he *hic trusted that we *hic would look after it, but we hic* couldn’t help it hic* it slips away as we speak.”

I looked at the tree in which she spoke. It scarcely had a leaf left that wasn’t decayed and brittle. Most branches laid bare or broken and the bark was much paler than the rest of it’s foliage brethren.

I rested my palm on the dwindling plant, feeling what little life was left within. For all I could tell, the tree was not sick nor was it hurt, it was simply fading away as it’s time had come, the life within having run its course. It was no wonder that what ever this small filly did, the plants life continued to decline as the sands of time had taken their toll.

Looking back at her, she had laid on the ground with her forelegs covering her face, tears overflowing from her eyes and down to the grass. I could only think how much she cared for her father if he was the one who entrusted her with looking after this tree. I couldn’t help but wonder though. If this father had told her to care for the tree, why had he not shown up in the past week, the filly had been out here for most of the day, certainly he would have come to see her at least once, or at least take notice his daughters feelings seeing how much she cried over it.

I hoped if the burden was lessened, it may help improve the little ones mood. All it would take was a little boost to bring around the tree, nothing too fancy.

Steadying myself, I place my hand onto the bark once more and closed my eyes. My flow moved through my arm and poured into the dried banks of the plant. I could feel the revitalization of its strength immediately as it grew stronger with each drop of my life’s energy. I could hear the bark strengthen, leaves growing rapidly and a sudden absence of light.

When all was done I looked upon my work. The tree was once again restored. It looked healthy with its vibrant green leaves and darkened bark. The tree also seemed to bear fruit, apples from the looks of it. They didn’t seem like ordinary apples though, looking as if they were made out of pure gold, possible from my touch, I could never be sure. It was only then I noticed that the crying had stopped.

I turned my gaze back to the filly only to see her wide eyed and slacked jaw, marvelling at the apple tree before her. Without warning she ran up to me and hugged me.

“Th—Thank you”

It was so warm and sincere, it made my heart swell with joy. Just as abruptly she tore away from me looking a little embarrassed.

“Um please forgive us, we have yet to introduce our selves,” She did a little bow, “We are known as Lu-lu.”

“And we are known as Tia,” I replied in return with a smile.

* * *

Raguel watched as the memory faded away, left in the blackened void as he digested what he had seen. Beside him stood Celestia with a neutral expression, the same one she used when meeting the angel for the first time. She had shown him her last day at the sanctum, the meeting with Suryan before the battle and how she came to this realm, leaving at just the moment she had met a small filly that looked remarkably just like the other Alicorn he had met today.

He remembered that day too. The day when he wasn’t known by the name of Raguel, the day he first went to battle.

The day Nova disappeared.

Regaining himself he looked to Celestia.

“You still haven’t shown me what became of Nova, why she’s locked away and how you’ve become…” he said gesturing her figure with his hand, “This.”

“All in due time Raguel, All will be revealed soon.”

The void came to life once more as memories past by at a much slower rate. These memories featured mostly of Lu-lu, from playing, to tending the tree and even at night as the little filly slept in Tia’s lap. Nova appeared more and more as well, sharing in the laughter as days flew by.

“We anticipated that the legionite would attack at some point, but we didn’t know when or where. While we waited, we grew… close with Lu-lu. After she told us one day that ponies in white said her farther was ‘sleeping’, she had devoted her time to care for the one thing she thought would make him proud when he awoke,” She paused letting the notion explain itself, “We didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise.”

“We looked after her as the days turned to weeks, then months, till that faithful day, almost 5 months after we had met, did things change forever, for her, for us and this entire land.”

The memory’s slowed as that faithful day long ago stirred to life.

* * *

Author's Note:

Got a blog about this sort of stuff. Read that if you want.

Comments

[Delta Asada]

an angel in equestria how interesting i tink i will read it and give it an upvote

[CamoBadger]

Reading this specifically because the cover uses the face from "The Winter People". I don't regret it. Good work.

[Bigshot232]

2624204
LOL never knew that just googled it.
lousybookcovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/winterpeople.jpg
I actually just googled 'dragon' and thats the image I went with. It was meant to be a place holder till I thought of something else to do, but I never got around to it

[danail24]

2624014 Oh you did make it clear on the wings! I wasn't finished reading through it when I wrote this commnent.
Also don't be shy to look for people to edit your story! What with it being put in the featured box, you can easily ask people to volunteer to edit it by writing the request in your last chapter's author's notes section! That's how I got 2 people to help me with my most famous story! I'm sure you'll get at least a couple of comment replies on that!

[Bigshot232]

2624795 Wait, this was in the featured box?

[Cold Spike]

Glad this story isn't dead. MOAR!

[Terrahex]

2624933

It's not my place to tell you that you're wrong, only what I think you can do better. If you believe it's the right choice, then I suppose I can't argue, but we authors have to help each other. :D

oh, and yes, this was featured.

[Thraxus908]

Not bad. Grammar and such could use some work, but I like where the story is going so far.
One glaring error that I saw: "why ist thou crying so" is basically saying "why is you crying so," It ought to be "Why art thou crying so," "why are you..."
Keep up the good work.

[Bigshot232]

2627113 Cheers, we have never been good with our royal we's

[danail24]

2624803 I think so!

[xbox432]

Ah, glad to see this has updated again. It seems that Raguel will have a bit of a connection with the Sisters once this little flashback is finished. Keep up the good work.

[Thraxus908]

2627414 Yeah, check this out. It explains things pretty well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou
It also says some stuff (in the history section) about when to use 'you' and when to use 'thee' or 'thou'.

[AtTheCrimsonFckr]

2624227 i hate you because there's no more chapter but you still get a watch and a fav

[More Dakka]

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