Beyond the Borders

by Spice of Life

Chapter 1

Beyond the Borders
By
Spice of Life

Princess Celestia listened to Twilight as she recounted her latest adventure and what it taught her about friendship. As Celestia listened she looked over Twilight and her assembled friends. Spike was stealing glances at Rarity as she looked in admiration at Celestia. Based on what she had heard from Twilight, Rarity was most likely dreaming of creating some kind of lavish dress for her. Looking past Twilight and Spike she noticed Fluttershy doing her best to hide behind Rainbow Dash without looking like she was trying to hide, while Dash looked up at the sky, probably eager to return to it. Celestia couldn't help but giggle to herself as she saw Pinkie Pie who, was doing her best to stand respectfully still. She would shake and bounce every now and then while Apple Jack gave her annoyed glances. Celestia enjoyed the time she got to spend with Twilight and her friends. Being royalty had its perks but left a pony with very little time for any kind of a deep friendship, Twilight was probably the closest thing she had to a best friend in a very long time. However Celestia did wish they would be less formal around her.

Celestia's normally happy face suddenly fell into a frown for a split second before it returned. She hoped that none of the ponies surrounding her had seen her momentary lapse. She had felt something coming, fortunately it seemed to be moving slowly so she was happy to take the time to finish listening to Twilight's report. Once Twilight finished she said in her softest, happiest voice "Thank you and your friends for your wonderful report on the magic of friendship, I'm glad to see you all learning so much".

"Thank you princess" Twilight replied as Celestia stepped onto her chariot and was lifted into the sky by her pegasus guards. Celestia took one last smiling look back at the assembled group as her chariot carried her to Canterlot. Once she was sure Twilight would not be able to see her any longer she said "Take me to the gate"

Her guards looked at each other before turning the chariot from the white towers of Canterlot to the wild Everfree Forest. The chariot swiftly flew over the hills and plains surrounding the Everfree forest before the tree line rushed by beneath them. Princess Celestia looked down as the tree line rushed by beneath them. She was about to look away from the quickly passing forest when she spotted a colorful shape quickly moving through the trees. It appeared to be a blue pony with a long red mane and it was running from something. She followed its trail back and was surprised to see a large hydra chasing the fleeing pony.

"I wonder how I missed that" she said, lightly chuckling as her horn glowed with magic.

The hydra was angry, this... thing had invaded its territory and taken something from it. The hydra didn't know what was taken and it didn't care, it was the hydra's and no one would take anything from it. All four of the hydra's heads focused on the fleeing blue creature as it darted around trees and bushes which the hydra just crashed though. Two of its heads reared up to strike at the blue thing before one of its heads noticed a flash to the side of it followed quickly by a loud BOOM. The other three heads turned to where the sound had come from just long enough for it to trip over a fallen log. All four of the heads searched for the source of the light and sound but could see nothing, its previous objective forgotten as it kept searching before finally giving up and turning around to return to its den.

The pony looked around when she stopped hearing the sounds of pursuit. She did a quick scan of her surroundings to make sure the hydra had really given up and seeing herself alone she checked her saddle bag to make sure the herbs she had gathered were still there before she closed it and continued on her way.

Celestia smiled. She was glad she could help but wished she could do more than just distract the monster. Long ago she and her sister had tried to make a perfectly peaceful city place for ponies where all their needs were met. It had not ended well. Without anything to struggle against, the ponies had either become very violent with each other or just given up on living. Fortunately she and Luna had been keeping a close eye on the city and were able to stop it before things got too bad but it still pained her to think of what happened to the ones before they had become aware of the problem. At least it had taught her to be much more subtle in making sure her ponies were fed and sheltered. It took almost 300 years to get to the point where her ponies had no idea how much she did to keep them fed and housed. She hung her head and tried to shake off the memory as the chariot raced above the forest canopy.

In the distance Celestia could finally see the gate to Tartarus. She looked at her guards and wondered if she should call for more, only four pegasus might not be enough. She hated to think of her loyal guards like this, but since they were not strong enough to help defeat the creatures, they ended up as distractions. She decided that having a few more guards would be a good thing. It would also be easier to get them to retreat and be healed if they got injured. Celestia was about to send a message to Canterlot before she let out a laugh.

"Oh how could I be such a foalish? I'm not alone anymore, I have Luna with me now. Both of us might be a bit much considering this one doesn't feel that strong but she should learn how to combat these creatures, and they have surprised me before." Her guards were a bit surprised to hear their princess talking to herself like that but the idea of having both princesses against whatever horror they would find in this place gave them a burst of confidence. The gate to Tartarus grew bigger as the chariot sped towards it. Celestia's horn glowed with magic as she sent her message to her sister.

"Dear sister, please meet me at the gate to Tartarus. I need your help." Celestia finished the message and her horn flashed as the spell ended, just in time to see the gate to Tartarus looming before her as her chariot touched down a short distance away. Celestia looked at her guards as they shifted uncomfortably before the giant columns of the portal. She knew that the lava and fire they could see though the portal didn't help. She gave the front two guards a reassuring pat on their heads as they unhooked themselves from the chariot. She looked up just in time to see Luna's chariot approach and touch down a short distance from hers.

Luna stepped off her chariot as Celestia approached her with a look of disdain as she eyed her sister's grinning pegasus guards and the dark bat winged chariot they pulled.

"I believe I have found one cause of your image problem dear sister" Celestia said as she trotted up to her sister. "I'm not sure if such a vehicle gives the friendliest first impression" Luna rolled her eyes as her sister stopped just in front of her.

"I know you did not call me just to insult my chariot" Luna said as she pawed at the ground with her hoof "can you please just tell me what this is about? I would like to return to sleep before I need to raise the moon"

"I will I will but first" Celestia leaned forward and hugged her sister "it's good to see you again".

Luna smiled and sighed as she returned the hug. "It is good to see you again also. We do not get to spend nearly enough time together do we?"

"I know, it's so good to have you back" Celestia broke the embrace and looked over at Luna's strange grinning guards. "I don't believe I have met your... guards? Before". She said while walking over to them. They shuffled nervously as the Princess eyed them. They still had the strange grins as they tried to retreat behind their princess to escape Celestia's gaze. "Where did they come from? I do not believe I have seen black armor like this before, and why do they have bat wings?"

Luna walked over to her guards and gave one of them a pat on the head with her hoof. He seemed to calm down a little but there was still fear in his eyes. Luna sighed "I, myself am unsure where they came from. I believe perhaps Nightmare Moon created them but I do not know how she would. They have no magic in them but they do seem to be very loyal." Her guards looked appreciatively at their princess while Celestia stared at the strange guards for a long moment.

"Do they talk?"

"I have not heard a peep from either one".

"Peculiar". Turning back to her sister "But they are loyal and you trust them?"

"...Yes, I believe so"

"Then that is good enough, they shall accompany us"

"We wou... I mean, I would still like to know what this is about sister."

Celestia turned to the gate "I shall tell you on the way".

Luna looked over the large columns of the gate to Tartarus. They were chipped and cracked with age but the marble still shone in the sunlight. However, the view between the pillars did not fill her with confidence. Fire erupted from the ground, lakes of magma flowed, clouds of black smoke filled the sky. This was not a place she was eager to visit. Celestia stopped in front of the gate and looked around. Her guards stood behind her while Luna and her guards moved up behind them.

Luna could sense her sister was confused and was about to ask what was wrong when Celestia said "Oh here comes the guardian". She took a step back and her guards followed her example. Luna noticed what looked like three pairs of glowing eyes staring at their little group from the forest. A massive three headed-beast lunged out of the woods and landed right where Celestia had been standing, its three heads locked onto the groups of ponies as it growled and crouched to the ground, ready to leap. Luna's guards quickly moved in front of her to protect her from the creature as she readied her magic.

"SIT!" Celestia commanded, her magic amplifying her voice so much that it echoed in Luna's ears. The beast quickly obeyed and its faces softened. "That's a good Cerberus." Celestia said as she walked up to the creature. Its red eyes still locked onto the groups of ponies but the anger had vanished. Luna cautiously pushed past her guards and walked over to her sister.

"What.... is that?" She asked, still mesmerized by the hulking beast, almost twice her height.

Celestia smiled at her "That is my guard dog, Cerberus"

"Where did you get such a creature?" Luna asked as she carefully walked around the beast, one of its heads tracking her movement, she noticed that one head kept fixed on her guards, it was the only head that still looked angry.

"He was a gift from the dragons, part of treaty I have with them. They patrol the edges of Equestria and I go into the depths of the outlands to fight the creatures".

"You mentioned these creatures before. When are you going to tell us... me about them? If I am to aid you in combating them, should not I know more about them?"

"It's rather hard to describe them, they can take so many different shapes and combating each one is different aside from a few similarities. I shall try to describe them to you as we go" Celestia finished as she stepped though the portal followed closely by her four guards.

Luna watched them vanish as they stepped though the gate which rippled like a stream from. She looked at her grinning guards, they shuffled nervously and looked to her to guide them. She looked back at the hulking beast, four pairs of beady red eyes impassively watched her while the third head kept fixed on her guards.

"I suppose we must follow my sister" Luna said while she walked forward to the gate. She raised her hoof and reached it forward. She watched the ripples move around the image of fire and brimstone. She didn't feel any heat from it. She stepped forward though the gate.

Comments

[ChangelingLumin]

More. I loved the fic.

[Spice of Life]

998434

I've got most of the second part done, just need to edit it and hopefully not notice anymore little continuity details I'll have to write around. I should have it up in the next few days.

Glad to hear you liked it.

[ChangelingLumin]

998459 I'm writing a fic myself. It's not done though. I also make MLP Fan comics. Go check out my blog for the title, My Gift To You All to get the links to the pages, if you want to see them.