Equestria Origins: Voidera

by Jacoboby1

Chapter 1: "There and Gone"

Chapter 1

“There and Gone”

Voidera walked out into the dawn. He'd been living in his tower for nearly seventeen years, but he never got tired of watching the sun rise. His red eyes looked toward the horizon as the sun began its journey up into the sky. He always loved the warmth of the sun, he could never explain why. He had almost no memories of his life before Lunard brought him to the tower. Somehow the warmth of the sun made his stay here bearable.

His ears perked up when he heard chirping. Smiling a little he walked towards a nearby gargoyle. Nestled in the mouth of the gargoyle was a baby phoenix. It chirped a cheerful tune upon seeing Voidera. Voidera was very happy this little bird came into his life. It got very lonely in the tower.

Voidera smiled at the bird, “Good Morning, Philomena.” The bird chirped happily in response. The dark stallion looked out towards the horizon, “Are you going to fly today?”

The phoenix looked towards the horizon then back at Voidera and shook its fiery head. It chirped out a protest causing Voidera to frown. “You’ve been here for nearly a month, Philomena; all your friends have left already.” He reached with a hoof and the bird hopped on his leg. He smiled at the young bird, “You don’t want to be stuck here like me. Go on and try it”

The bird gave a sad note and nuzzled Voidera a little. He chuckled at the firebird “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. You just go and find your friends.” The bird hopped off his leg and walked to the railing of the balcony. She gave one last look at Voidera before spreading her tiny wings. Voidera gave her a gentle nudge with his muzzle and the bird took off. Voidera watched as she flapped madly at first trying to stay in the air. Then the wind caught the bird’s wings and she soared into the horizon happily chirping all the while.

Voidera waved a hoof goodbye at his small friend. He knew it was for the best, Philomena would’ve had to leave eventually. That didn’t stop the pang of sorrow from hitting the dark alicorn in the stomach. He shook his head and turned around to head back into the tower “It’s for the best.”

He stopped as he heard shouting from below. Turning back to the balcony, he looked down. There in the town outside of the royal palace a town crier was shouting to anypony who could hear. “Hear ye! Hear ye! King Lunard has announced that all able bodied stallions are to report to the nearest recruitment center for assessment to join the royal army!”

Voidera heard the crowd protest a little. Many were not happy to give up their sons in the ongoing war against Discord and his armies. For a long time Alicorns have fought that war against this mysterious being but Voidera was never told the reasons why. This reminded him of what he planned to ask Lunard when he visited today. “I only hope he will see reason this time,” Voidera said to himself.

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Celestia looked at herself in the mirror as her mother brushed her long flowing pink mane. She hated it when her mother fussed over her like this. She could handle brushing her own mane, but she wasn’t about to say that to her mother. Solara was already under enough stress running a kingdom, to worry about her daughter’s preference in how she wanted her mane done.

Solara sighed, “You’ve grown so much Celestia, why it seems only yesterday when I would snuggle with you at my bedside.” She gently nuzzled her daughter in the back, smiling. “Now here you are almost ready to be shown to the public”

Celestia knew that today was the summer sun festival. Today was when she would make her public debut to the whole of the kingdom. To say she was nervous would be like saying the sky is blue. Her violet eyes looked at her mother in the mirror, “I just hope they won’t find me unworthy”

Solara stopped brushing and nuzzled her daughter gently, “Do not worry, Celestia. You’re no ordinary alicorn; you are a princess. They will love you, no matter what you do”

Celestia gave a small smile then decided to change the subject, “Where is father?”

“He’s heading up to his tower today, dear,” Solara stated simply, as if talking about the weather.

“He goes up there very often,” Celestia observed. “Has he ever told you what he does up there?”

Solara gave a small tut, “Celestia, it’s not polite to pry. If your father wanted you to know, he would tell you”

Celestia frowned. She hated it when her father kept secrets from her. The tower was the biggest secret of them all. Nopony was allowed to enter the tallest tower except for her father. Celestia had tried for years to head up to the tower, but every time one guard or another caught her. Asking her father directly only gave her a cold stare and silence on the matter.

Both mares’ ears perked up when crying was heard from the next room. Solara smiled at Celestia, “Looks like Luna has awoken from her nap.” The alicorn queen got up and left the room.

Celestia smiled and followed her mother. Solara was holding a dark blue alicorn foal in her forelegs. Celestia gazed adoringly at her sister; Luna smiled upon seeing her sister and reached for her with her tiny legs. Solara chuckled, “She just adores being around you Celestia”

Celestia smiled down at the tiny filly. Luna was only a year old, but the two may as well have been sisters for ages. Celestia loved her sister dearly and wished she could spend more time with her. Unfortunately, royal duties would take up whatever time she had to spare. Celestia hoped beyond hoped that she would find time for her little sister.

Luna gave a small cry and Solara walked off with the young filly to feed her. Celestia turned back to the mirror. She undid a part of her pink mane to allow it to cover one of her eyes. Her mother didn’t like it when she did that, but Celestia always liked her mane that way. She then heard a chirping and looked over to see a phoenix flying outside. She walked to the window and opened it.

She looked out to see a baby phoenix flying for the first time. She smiled at the little thing, “I guess today is a day of firsts for everypony”
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Voidera finished carving his latest creation. Woodcarving had always been a means to pass the time in his tower. Today he finished carving a figure of the local baker. He would always yell at his mate whenever the bread needed to made. The dark alicorn shook his head bemused “At least he can have a mate."

Just then he heard familiar hoof steps coming. He quickly went to work, setting up a small table and a set of chairs. He’d been planning this whole conversation for weeks on end. He made sure the table look immaculate. Lunard entered the room levitating a basket “Voidera, up early as usual”

Voidera smiled at Lunard, “Uh yeah, I love seeing the sun rise”

Lunard nodded. He rarely showed emotion in his face even with Voidera around. Voidera wondered if he always looked like that. Lunard then took a seat at the table, “You’ve been keeping up with your studies, I understand?”

Voidera nodded and took a seat opposite Lunard, “Lunard…I want to talk to you about something”

“Let us review your studies first, Give me a summary of the Alicorn Kingdom”

Voidera sighed, as much as he liked learning about the world around him; this was only going to delay what he needed to say. A stern look from Lunard forced the young stallion to begin reciting what he learned, “The Alicorn kingdoms were established hundreds of years ago when Faust declared the Alicorns to be the dominate race of the world. Since then, the kingdom has been prosperous. Right now the Alicorns control the vast majority of the known world”

“Very good," Lunard smiled proudly at Voidera. “You’ve been paying attention” The Alicorn king opened the basket to reveal some food that he levitated towards him.

“Listen Lunard…”

“And your magical studies?”Lunard interrupted, "How are they going?”

Voidera tried not to groan. This was not going how he thought it would at all. He put on a fake smile and rubbed the back of his head, “Uh, I managed to work on that spell you asked me to do”

“Show it to me”

“Yes, Lunard,” Voidera’s horn began to glow bright red. In a flash of red light, Voidera disappeared. He suddenly reappeared, upside down, in the air. “Ah!” he cried, as he fell on his back with a heavy thud. Sheepishly, he worked to get himself back up, “I guess I still need practice”

Lunard shook his regal head and smiled encouragingly at the young stallion, “Combat magic was always your specialty anyways”

“Lunard, I need to ask you something,” Voidera began shyly.

“Well, speak then, Voidera” Lunard replied, finally letting Voidera get word in. “What is on your mind?”

Voidera sat down slowly as Lunard took a bite of the food. “I…I was wondering if I could join you in fighting Discord…”

Lunard nearly choked on his food. He coughed loudly, and then wiped his lips with a napkin. “Excuse me?”

“Well, it’s just that you need every able bodied stallion to help, and I thought…”

Lunard shook his head “Voidera, I'm sorry. I cannot allow it”

“But Lunard! You said it yourself combat magic is my specialty! I can fight! I’m old enough!”

“You are a twenty year old colt who can’t control his powers under stress,” Lunard stated, rather coldly. “How could I trust you to handle yourself in a combat situation?”

Voidera’s eyes looked pleadingly at the king, “I need to help,”

Lunard gazed at the dark stallion with compassion. He wanted to let the Alicorn help, but the risk was too great “No, Voidera I wish it could be otherwise, the risks are just too great…”

Voidera’s shoulders slumped. Lunard walked to the young alicorn and put a hoof on his shoulder. “Maybe when you have mastered how to control your powers… Until then, I simply cannot risk you”

Voidera sighed sadly. He hated to admit it, but Lunard was right. The dark alicorn was a walking time bomb. His mind flashed back to the burning village where Lunard found him. The burning…the screaming…the cries for his blood. It all left scars on the young alicorn. He slowly nodded, “I understand, Lunard. I’m sorry I asked…”

“You are forgiven” Lunard said as he turned to leave. He stopped and looked back at the young alicorn, “Remember Voidera, as long as you are here you are safe; and so is everypony else.” He walked down the steps, his head hanging low in sorrow.

Voidera ran a hoof through his short white mane. His chances of ever leaving this tower to help were gone. Lunard would never let him leave. The dark alicorn walked back to the balcony and looked down at the ponies below. It was then that he heard chirping. He looked down to see that Philomena was flying in a circle over the castle grounds. That was when he saw, her….
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Celestia looked up towards Philomena and saw somepony out on the balcony of the tower. He was an Alicorn about her age maybe a little older with a dark coat and a short white mane. Celestia had never had reason to look up at the tower that her father spent so much time in. Now she was staring up at the strange Alicorn looking down at her on the tower balcony. His most striking feature though, was those red eyes of his. They shone like two rubies in the sunlight.

“What was father doing up there?” Celestia said to herself. Then a bright flash shone behind her. She turned quickly to see two hooded figures there. Celestia’s horn glowed a bright gold as she went into a battle stance that her father taught her, “Who are you? How dare you invade my room?!”

One of the figures chuckled, “Oh Princess, we are not interested in you. We’re just here to make sure you don’t get in the way.” A soft glow came from under their hoods and from their dark blue robes they drew swords.

“What do you want?” Celestia asked, trying to sound brave before these two armed men.

“By now our comrades will have recovered what we want,” the other figure said laughing maniacally.

Celestia’s ears perked up as she heard crying coming from Luna’s room. Celestia growled at them, “You dare to touch my sister?”

“Do not worry yourself Princess.” The first figure said in a low and menacing voice, “We will not harm her, but we do have great plans for her."

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Voidera heard the words from his place on the balcony. Lunard told him his hearing was better than most alicorns but that didn’t matter. That female alicorn was in trouble. He remembered how many times he would hear a female cry as she was pulled into some ally in the town. He didn’t want that to happen to this female.

He focused his magic into his horn. He hoped and prayed to Faust that the teleportation spell would work this time. He couldn’t fly down there as he knew some guard would mistake him for a monster. No, he had to be subtle about rescuing the female.

He disappeared in a flash of bright light and he found himself standing in front of two hooded alicorns with the female behind him. The figures stepped back in sheer fear at the sight of an alicorn appearing in front of them.

“What the hell is that thing?” One shouted raising his levitated sword at Voidera.

“This changes nothing! It’s probably one of Lunard’s guards!” The other said raising his own blade at the dark alicorn.

Voidera looked behind him at the astonished female. Her violet eye peeking out from behind her pink mane just stared at him. He gave a small smile “Don’t worry, I’ll handle them.”

She just kept staring at him as Voidera spread his dragon like wings before the assassins. He growled low as he advanced on them. One of the assassins charged the dark alicorn and swung his blade at him. Voidera dodged the blade and fired a blast of magic at the hooded figure’s side. His partner was about to assault him from behind but the female fired a blast of magic of her own at him.

Voidera looked over at the female. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head “They’re going to take my sister! Come on!” She suddenly ran past him and out the door. Voidera knew he should head back to the tower, but the female needed him right now.

As he ran after her, he noticed the palace was deserted, “Where are all the guards?”

She looked back at him but kept running “If they’re not dead or drugged then they’re at the summer sun festival. Either way we are Luna’s only hope now!”

Voidera fell into stride beside her, “I’m Voidera by the way”

“Celestia,” She said quickly, as they rounded a corner.

____________________________________________

Luna squirmed in the grip of another pair of hooded figures. Voidera busted down the door just in time to see the pair of kidnappers put Luna inside a basket. Celestia glared at the figures, “Let my sister go!”

The figure holding the basket spoke in a smooth baritone voice, “She has a destiny to fulfill. You cannot stop us now”

Fury rose slowly inside Voidera. The filly kept crying…fillies abandoned on the streets…nopony to call mother…just left like garbage.

Celestia’s horn glowed bright as the sun “You will let my sister go now!”

The other figure drew a sword, “The moon will rise on your blood princess.”

Voidera’s eyes only saw more red. He couldn’t believe they would threaten somepony so small and helpless. Had they no honor at all?

Celestia looked over at him, “Voidera?”

Voidera slowly advanced on the figures, seeming to grow bigger with each step. The figure with the sword faltered, “What is that thing? What monster has Lunard created?”

“You dare call me a monster when you threaten a filly?" Voidera spoke in a low menacing voice that wasn’t his own. His red eyes glowed with rage, “You will not leave this place alive for the crimes you have committed!!”

The figure with the basket suddenly had the good sense to teleport away. Voidera tackled the figure with the sword. His red eyes and horn glowed blindingly. The figure let out pitiful cries for mercy, but he would have none from the dark alicorn.

Celestia saw that Luna’s captor had teleported away. She looked over at Voidera, “Voidera! Stop this! Luna is gone!”

The dark alicorn ignored her and kept his glowing red eyes on the assassin. “Prey that Faust has mercy on your sick black soul!”

Celestia didn’t know what would happen if Voidera unleashed all that magic he was building up. She knew it couldn’t be good. She tackled Voidera and her horn glowed a bright yellow. It was reckless but she had to get Voidera as far away from anypony as possible.

The two teleported away in a bright flash of gold light. The assassin was left alone babbling madly at what he just witnessed.