Guardian of Legends - Return of the Sage

by The Hero of Harmony

Chapter 1 - Prelude

---

Castle of the Royal Sisters, Equestria

1000 years earlier

---

The two royal sisters of the land of Equestria stand outside of their castle, surrounded by the forest known as the Everfree. The dawn was rising, as Princess Celestia and Luna stood before a tall, bipedal figure garbed in deep crimson. The sisters bow their heads slowly to the figure with soft grins.

"You have our deepest gratitude for helping stop this evil. We will never forget it." Princess Celestia said softly.

"Without thy help, Equestria... Nay, our world would have been lost to that foul beast..." Princess Luna added.

The figure said nothing, standing at attention, his hand resting on the pommel of his sheathed weapon, a sword.

"So, what will you do now?" Celestia asked.

The figure remained silent a bit longer, before looking at Celestia and answering.

"The darkness was purged from this realm, meaning I feel the doorway back to the Rift nearby. With my task here now complete, I can continue my search for my world." He replied.

The sisters nod in understand, though couldn't help but feel a bit saddened that their friend, their ally, and the hero that helped save their world, has to go.

"Mm..." Celestia murmured.

"Surely thou could stay a bit longer...? After that fierce battle, thou likely needs more rest from injuries thou sustained..." Luna frowned.

It was clear the princess of the night was more saddened than Celestia. The figure just chuckles.

"Heh. Fret not you two, even though I am going back down the river that flows through space and time, I can always come back. Having been in this world for some time... Well, it does feel like another home away from home. One day, I promise I will return to see how things are, but I really need to return to Gaia... I still have to see if my family is still around and if they are aware of my disappearance." He replied.

This did cheer up Luna a bit.

"And while I am gone... You better continue to train. Last thing I want is to see Her Highness rusty with a blade... After all, it is entertaining to see you try to close the gap between us, only for me to only move further." He laughed.

"HA! Then thou better be prepared for the next time we cross blades, sage. Thy will give thou a spar not like any other!" Luna declares.

Celestia simply giggles, shaking her head softly.

"So, I take it is good-bye then?" She asked.

The sage shakes his head.

"Not good-bye, just more of... 'see you later'." He replied.

He approaches the two, and wraps his arms around the necks of the alicorns and embraces them. The two were surprised by this, but gently placed each of their hooves around his back and return it.

"Good luck out there, my friend. I truly hope you will find your home..." The sun princess said gently.

"Never forget us... We look forward to the day thou returns." The younger moon princess added.

The sage could only smile, eyes closed with a feeling of content and ease.

"...Thank you, my dear friends." He said softly.

They let go of the hug, as the sage turns around before slowly walking forward toward the bridge. Without looking back, he raises his hand up in a wave as he continues forward.

The two sisters waved in return, a calm smile on them.

"Til we meet again... Crimson Sage Kurisu." Luna said softly.

Six months.

It has been over six months since that day for me.

Shortly after leaving the world that Equestria rested on, I was taken aback that after almost 15 years of wandering through what was known as the Interdimensional Rift; a nexus of sorts that leads to other worlds and dimensions...

I finally found my way home to Gaia, after so long, it felt like my journey was at an end.

I traveled to so many worlds, helped so many lives, allied with warriors blessed with light...

I often still don't know why fate swept me away on that fateful day... The day I left Gaia against my will through the Rift, and awakened to find a crystal.

A crystal blessed with a gentle light.

From that day forward, I was given the title as a Warrior of Light, and journeyed to find my way home, as well as to purge the darkness that would bring destruction and ruin to the world.

Even after all that, I was finally home...

I should've been happy.

I should've been relieved.

And yet...

---

Lindblum, Gaia - Industrial District

Six months later...

---

Kurisu stops writing in his small journal, as he sat at corner table in The Phoenix Pub. During the Battle of Lindblum, 17 years prior on January 25th, 1800, a large portion of Lindblum suffer heavy damage when Alexandria attempted to take over the continent's most powerful city and succeeded when the late Queen Brahne was able to summon the Eidolon known as Atomos, a large monster that was able to control the power of gravity and sucked a good portion of Lindblum up, leading to severe damage and loss of life, and allowing the Alexandria Forces into occupying the city after it was over.

The Industrial District, one of the city's four major districts, was completely destroyed from the attack. The pub Kurisu is in was in this district, then known as The Doom Pub and was also destroyed as a result. Shortly after the Second Battle of the Iifa Tree, several months later in March, Lindblum was back in control and repairs to the city began now that peace was restored.

It took little over nine to ten years to restore the Industrial District, and the bar was rebuilt and renamed 'The Phoenix', after the fiery Eidolon bird of rebirth. Since then, the place has seen a lot of business given the amount of workers that worked in this district, namely under the Regent of the City, Cid Fabool IX, as it was here when the steam-powered engine for airships was developed, eliminating the need to rely on the Mist to fly airships, given that the Mist, which cam from the Iifa Tree and was a catalyst for the large influx of monsters that roamed the lower parts of the continent.

Since then, all airships were converted to run with the steam-engine as the Mist was no longer existent, and even if it was, the engine proved to be superior in travel as now airships can move freely around the world, no longer tied to the Mist Continent as a result.

The sage sat there, and thought back when he managed to find his way back home six months ago. A lot has happened, however it was met with hurdles.

Upon coming home, Kurisu made way for his family's house located outside of the city in the countryside. It was because of this Kurisu, who was nine at the time, and his family were spared from the Battle of Lindblum and survived Atomos's attack. When arriving, he found that the house has since been abandoned, as if nobody has lived there in years, yet most of his family's belongings were still there, gathering dust.

When he went to the city to investigate his parent's whereabouts, it felt as if was stabbed in the heart when he learned that his parents were killed in an ambush from monsters while traveling around the Outer Continent around eight years prior, and that his younger sister, a girl named Sasha, was nowhere to be found and was written off as either abducted by the monster that attacked, or fled for safety when their parents fought to protect her.

Kurisu was devastated at the news, as he never got the chance to tell him what happened to him. No doubt his family figured he was faraway, someplace else in Gaia and was never able to write to them, despite the Mognet mail system being a reliable means of getting letters sent out worldwide, thanks to the moogles that operated Mognet.

He learned where his family was laid to rest, and went there to pay his respects. He prayed for their forgiveness for not being there to help then when they needed it most, given his circumstance of being pulled from the world entirely and into the Rift. After finding out where they were attacked, Kurisu needed to go search for Sasha, as there was a chance she could've survived and be living elsewhere.

Reaching the Outer Continent, he searched about the vicinity of where his family was attacked, eventually happening upon a strange, dead looking forest. Wandering around, he found he was going in circles as the grove was like a maze. That was until he stopped and saw some owls lead him down pathways that eventually lead to the entrance of the Black Mage Village, home to a group of sentient Black Mages that were once produced by Brahne as part of her forces to take over the Mist Continent, now have since made a small community to live among themselves.

When he arrived, he was 'greeted' by a small child. A young girl around ten to eleven years of age and sporting a Red Mage attire, but having a small pinkish hue to it. The child demanded to know why he was there and if he was a threat, but when Kurisu asked if he knew someone named Sasha was around here, and asked why the child looked very reminiscent of his younger sister.

The child was shocked when he knew her name, and it hit Kurisu in the face, figuratively, when the girl asked how she knew her mother. The girl was Sasha's daughter, Satomi and was taking the mantle as the village's guardian. He was happy, to know his sister had a child, and that the linage wouldn't die, but when asked where her mother was, she was solemn when he was told Sasha perished several years prior, protecting the village. Satomi was only a young babe at the time, but she was old enough to know what happened to her.

Kurisu was just struck another blow emotionally, realizing he lost not just his parents, but his little sister too, who was likely a young, mature woman and protector to the village of mages that resided here. Upon learning Kurisu was her uncle, her mother's older brother, she was shocked and thrilled to know she still had a family by blood out there. She explained that the group of mages here took her mother in when she was younger and raised her to be one of them and since lived in the village and over time, become the guardian of the village.

Kurisu was at least thankful that Sasha was kept safe over the years and had those to rely on when their parents were killed, but it still didn't help him that he wasn't there to help his sibling, who likely forgot about him as Satomi never knew she had an uncle. Kurisu did leave home when he was around 14 years old to go out into the world, and Sasha was still a young girl so it was possible she forgot about him overtime.

Vowing to make sure he does not fail again, Kurisu decided to stay in the village for the next couple months, namely to help train the young girl in becoming a better mage, given she was a Red Mage. He wanted to teach her all he knew, but wanted to be easy on the girl and not overflow her mind. He got to know the family that took care of Sasha, and Satomi, and was impressed a small village like this could get by over the years.

It was just a few weeks ago that Kurisu said he would be returning to Lindblum for the time being, promising his niece that he would come back in a few days. During that time, Kurisu was contemplating on what he could do now that he was home, and while he was alright for the idea of just taking it easy now, knowing he still had family, his mind goes back to the years he was gone from Gaia.

When it all began, he found himself in a void, with the clothes on his back, the sword at his side, and the small green crystal shard that he has around his neck now: a shard of the Wind Crystal. He then found himself in a new world, not unlike home, but it was still something new to him. It was here, the Sage's journey began with that prophecy:

The world lies shrouded in darkness.

The winds die...

The seas rage...

The earth decays...

But the people believe in a prophecy, patiently waiting for its fulfillment.

'When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come.'

After a long journey four young warriors did at last appear...

...and in the hand each was holding a crystal.

He, along with three other warriors each had their own piece of a crystal, one that represented water, fire, and earth, while he carried one that represented wind. The moment he was tasked by that king to rescue his daughter, a princess named Sarah from a once respected knight of the kingdom, Garland, Kurisu's destiny was set.

As time went on, he would get stronger, gaining more wisdom, skill in combat, learn new forms of magic, and explore new worlds and meet new allies, each with a cause of their own. He would want to help them, in the hopes to help restore peace to their world, be there for his allies when they need it most.

And then there was Equestria...

Kurisu has often thought back on how things were doing since he left the land months ago, thinking about how Celestia and Luna are doing, if harmony is still in balance, and if the two sisters continue to maintain the lives of the ponies. He wouldn't lie and said he missed them, given how much he learned about the culture of ponies and how their magic works, and how it differs from his magic in terms of power and scope.

Sure, they were familiar with arcane magic, something that only the most skilled of unicorns or even the princesses themselves could do, but it is an ancient art, and not many ponies could use it, safe for the two princess's teacher, Starswirl the Bearded, however he disappeared along with a few other ponies that made up what was known as the Pillars of Olde Equestria, when they went to combat a pony corrupted by dark magic, known as the Pony of Shadows. After that, they vanished without a trace, and they couldn't be found since that day years prior.

It was a shame, he would've loved to meet the old unicorn and possibly gain more insight on magic.

Then, his mind flooded to the evil that nearly destroyed the world, the darkness that came from beyond, and even a foe he himself had troubles dealing with: Vexis.

It was thanks to Celestia and Luna that they were able to drive back the darkness with the help of the powerful relics the two princesses harnessed: the Elements of Harmony.

While the Elements themselves couldn't hurt the dark being, Kurisu became a catalyst for the creation of a new Element, taking the form of a sword of light: the Harmonia.

With the blade, and the Elements empowering it, the three were able to defeat the darkness, purging Vexis from existence. He would then set the blade to rest, feeling it would be safer there and to help keep the six Elements in check, uniting the six into one. That is the Element in which Kurisu represented: unification.

Unity.

Closing his eyes, his mind was made up. He closed the journal, putting it in one of his pockets as he pays for the drink and food he ordered and left the pub as he walks through the busy district of Lindblum.

It was time for the sage to return to Equestria. But first, he had to return to the Black Mage Village, and let Satomi know of his trip away from home, once more.

Author's Note:

Hey all.

I know its been some time since I posted anything here, specially within GoL: Unity and how that basically has fallen into more or less a story driven limbo, as I tried to write out the second part of the Season 2 Premiere, but my writing muse fell stagnant over the months since the first part was written and posted.

My mind wandered to Crimson/Logan, and how my muse in the RP scene has been for him over on tumblr/Discord and thus I been wanting to focus a bit more on him. I was originally going to add side chapters between Unity to go back into depth with his character, but after a bit of time, I felt that doing a separate story would be the most fitting and the most logically as how he and Silver are different in personality.

So, I decided to do this 'gaiden' story as it is a separate continuity from in Unity, and basically be more focused on Crimson/Logan over Silver as I been having a strong muse for him, and how he would be for the flow of the story. Now, I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea when I plan on continuing Unity, as its been almost a year since I last posted a chapter and while I have part 2 written, some what, I just haven't had the drive to continue as I struggled to come up with more to the chapter, and then outside life been taking over so I haven't had any drive to write at all.

But I want to see if I can get back into it with this side-story, and then who knows...

I am still following the same formula as Unity, but its going to like be more streamlined as not many episodes will be involved here unlike Unity, I would only try to do episodes that Crimson/Logan would fit more in as he has his own thing going on, considering the amount of time that has passed since he left Equestria after Vexis' defeat, so we'll see how the calm and collective Sage from out of the world of Equestria thousand years later.

Hope you give this one a bit of a chance, as some of you seemed interested in it, which btw thanks for the favs for this story I really appreciate it.

Until next time.