Guardians of Harmony: Rise of the Knights

by Postwarmonkey50

Chapter 4: A Prince's Tale

Author's Note:

Hey everyone. Sorry for the very long hiatus. Our buddy Chrome ditched me and DragonKnight so there was no one to edit our story. Thankfully an old friend, ShootingStar, was able to edit them for us. Special shoutout to him. If you wish to read more of his work, here it is. https://www.fanfiction.net/u/12928985/Iroa19

The Knights of Harmony is back.

Sure enough, all humans were in the same dining room near a fireplace. They had proper food before them, though it was initially a bit awkward that they were served meat, considering that they were in a room for Herbivores. Still, they were reminded that they were also allied with the wolves, and though the wolves would come by for shelter, they would have meat ready and sorted for them in case they needed something to eat.

The Caribou were amused by their appetite; it was as if they had never had meat before.

“Wow,” said Thorin as he watched them eat. “You eat as if you’ve never eaten meat before.”

“Can you blame us?” said Bolt with his mouth full, but he was able to swallow his food and said, “We landed in Equestria, a land that doesn’t eat meat, and the ponies used to freak out when we told them what our diets used to be. For most of us, it’s been years since we had meat.”

“Then you guys should’ve landed here,” said Daisy. “You could’ve had tons of meat here. They have non-sapient animals that the wolves and dragons in this land eat meat, so it’s not a problem here.”

“I’ll say.” said Lizzie “Though from what I see from all your figures, Equestria seems to be treating you well.”

“Well, we try.” said Bucky “The lot of us had fallen into hard times when we used to live in our world.”

“Yes,” said Thorin as he held onto Daisy. “Daisy told us that she died of cancer and somehow ended up here. We were thankful we rescued her from her prison and brought her here. She was quite resilient when she wanted to join our cause.”

“Yeah,” said Bucky, “It was hard for me.”

“And from what Daisy told me, “Said Thorin as he had a concerned look on his face, “Your parents treated you like you were a mistake, and they broke their promise about loving each other and you.”

“Yeah,” said Bucky as he looked down, “Death has a funny way of changing someone after they were gone.”

“And how did all of you end up here in this world?” asked Thorin. “I would ask Daisy, but I think I would prefer to hear it from all of you.”

“If you want answers, talk to Beau.” said Frosty after he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “He was the first human to arrive in Equestria. We would say the first human in this world, but Lizzie has that title.”

“Very well then,” said Thorin as he looked at Beau first. “You may start.”

Beau cleared his throat and said, “It started like this….”

Beau told them that he wasn’t close to his family and that during his youth, he became a prodigy after spending so much time studying through books and everything else. And because of his isolation from studying, he never bothered to form relationships with others or even find a loved one. Then one day, he spent time at a nearby lake, enjoying some time swimming. But during his swimming, he ended up being sucked into a raging whirlpool and was pulled into the water. Before he realized it, he drowned. Before he knew it, he was somehow in Equestria or at Ponyville near a lake. That’s where he met Princess Twilight. And he made a bad impression by calling her a humanoid horse, and she threatened him, causing a ton of laughter to go all around. She soon took him in and had a hard time living.

The two of them bonded and were slowly getting to know each other. After Celestia welcomed him in Equestria and helped make him a citizen, he realized they had much more in common. She became his first friend in time. But a month later, they became a couple and had a daughter named Moonlight Sparkle.

Bucky then had his turn. He explained that he and his sister were very close when they were little, and their parents sometimes spoiled her over the years. But in due time, Daisy was diagnosed with cancer. After she died, their parents blamed him for what happened to her and ended up disowning him. As a result, they never even showed up for his graduation ceremony. And after having a hard time finding work, he ended up saving a kid from a moving vehicle and got hit by a hit. He then woke up in Equestria, but in Ponyville and the farm called “Sweet Apple Acres.” He met Applejack there, although when they first met, she thought he would steal her apples, and she ended up lassoing him in the process, which Daisy couldn’t help but laugh at. Sure enough, as he worked on the farm, he began to bond with the Apple Family.

Then one day, as they were working, their house suddenly caught fire, and Applejack’s little sister, Apple Bloom, got trapped inside. He ended up running inside and saving her without a scratch, but the fire mostly affected his lungs because of the smoke. Applejack thanked him for saving her sister. Then two ended up having a moment as they kissed. Four months later, he asked her out. After a few dates and a special night, they became a couple. But they chose to get married at the Apple Family Reunion because that’s when the entire family would come together. Silver spoke next. Like Lizzie, he came from a very rich family. They loved their parents very much, and no amount of money would ever replace them. However, fate took them away from him when a drunken cab driver killed them.

Though Silver won the case and the Driver got arrested, losing them left a huge hole in his heart, and the loneliness began to consume him. So, he left for an isolated spot where no one could ever find him until the plane he was on malfunctioned and crashed, killing him instantly. Next thing he knew, he woke up near Carousel Boutique, where Rarity had found him, and she took him in to help him reduce his temperature.

She offered him a job because he suddenly had the mind of a fashion designer. And during their work, an old rival named Suri Polomare walked in, and she and Rarity ended up arguing. He put a stop to it, and he helped uncover why Suri did what she did. After sorting things out, Rarity grew close to him, and the two fell in love. After the past three months, they shared a special moment at Las Pegasus, and they were closer than ever.

Genus explained his past too. He told them that he worked at an animal shelter back in his world, where it was his responsibility to help stray animals on the street, help nurse them back to health, and ensure they had a good home. But after he returned home to his dog Trusty, the two rested on the couch; however, they ended up coughing and feeling light-headed. He was too late to realize that his dog accidentally opened a gas valve, causing the two of them to die of gas poisoning. They both woke up in Equestria, near a cottage outside of Ponyville. There he met a Pegasus named Fluttershy, who looks after animals for a living. He admitted that she looked like an angel when he met her, which caused some to chuckle at that. During his stay, he was able to help her out with her tasks.

The two of them shortly fell in love during his stay. Over time, their relationship continued to grow and blossom at every turn. Sure enough, Genus asked Twilight for advice, and before they knew it, he proposed to Fluttershy, and the two got married shortly after and gained a child, naming him Warm Breeze.

Bolt took a turn after Genus. He told them of how he struggled to find his place in the world growing up, but also during that time, he had to survive his life through his abusive father but was later sent to prison when his mom filed a divorce and complaint against him. While working a few years after graduating, he lost his footing on a ladder, fell hard on the floor, and hit his head. Before he knew it, he woke up in Equestria. But everyone laughed out loud when he mentioned the part where he jumped out of the window the first time, he met Bucky’s wife because he had a hard time grasping where he was.

But it was during that time he met Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty and the fastest Pony in all of Equestria. As he ran through the town, she tackled him and was able to calm him down. The two of them became friends shortly. However, everything changed one day during her Wonderbolt performance. She suddenly boasted and ended up hurting her wing. As she fell, he acted out of instinct and ran towards her, caught her, and was able to break her fall. She was surprised by the act of bravery that he showed her. Then two months later, she ended up having feelings for him, and the two ended up dating later.

But after a visit from her parents, Bolt ends up teasing her about being cute, and she gets embarrassed and ends up yelling at him, and it turns out she has trouble showing her feelings and has a ton of insecurities. He soon apologized to her, and she accepted it. After their night, they got closer, and soon they had a son, which Rainbow called Bolt Jr., which was quite adorable.

Frosty and Emily came up next. Both explained that they lost their parents in a bank robbery when Frosty was just a child. Emily had to be the parent and look after him. It was a hard time for him, and he couldn’t smile at anything, no matter how hard anyone tried. And while Frosty visited Emily, a sudden Earthquake came. The building they were in collapsed, taking their lives in the process. They somehow teleported to Equestria, where Genus and Fluttershy were about to get married, and Frosty still felt embarrassed that they would interrupt a ceremony like that.

Sure enough, Twilight offered them a place to stay, which Emily accepted, but Pinkie wanted Frosty to stay with her, to which they agreed. Pinkie became obsessed with throwing them a party, but Frosty couldn’t smile. Life was cruel, and he lost his will to be happy. But after much struggle, Pinkie was able to make him smile finally. On the other hand, Emily spent most of her time with Twilight’s dragon assistant, Spike.

He had a crush on Rarity, but it came crashing down when she fell in love with a human and had a child, so Emily spent a lot of time with him to cheer him up. Before they knew it, Frosty ended up having a romantic relationship with Pinkie Pie, as did Emily with Spike.

“And that’s how we all got here.” said Beau.

“Interesting.” said Balin as he leaned in. “So it’s just you lot?”

“Not really,” said Bucky “Turned out more and more humans arrived after we did.”

“Really?” said Lizzie. “I didn’t think it would be possible.”

“Who else got here?” asked Daisy.

“There are three humans who came to Canterlot,” said Bucky. “There’s Platinum, who was close to being blind, But Princess Celestia was able to heal his eyes, then fell in love and got married and gained twins.”

“Then there’s another named Nebula,” said Silver. “He had narcolepsy, but Princess Luna cured him of that. They also got married and have a son.”

“Then there was another named Fortis,” said Genus. “He met up with a model named Fleur de Lis and got married.”

“Then came a human named Blade,” said Bolt. “He married Princess Cadance, which is somewhat strange because she’s already married to Princess Twilight’s brother, so they did a harem wedding.”

“Is that even a thing?” asked Daisy.

“Eh, never gave it much thought.” said Bolt.

“Then came another human named Ignis,” said Frosty. “He met up with Sunset Shimmer, a former enemy who used to be Princess Celestia’s student, but she was able to redeem herself and is now a good pony. Those two also got married.”

“More and more humans arriving,” said Thorin as he thought about it. “Interesting.”

“Now then,” said Beau as he leaned in, “Our origin story aside, what about you, your lordship.”

Thorin rested his elbows on the table as he rested his head on his hands, thinking hard.

“I’m sure Balin has told you a bit about humanity?”

“That we used to live in this world?” said Beau, which surprised the rest of the humans.

“We were?” said Bolt.

“I think it’s best that Thorin can explain,” said Lizzie. “He knows about this world’s history more than any of us.”

“Indeed.” said Thorin. He looked at them and said, “Long ago, long before Equestria. Long before the Pony Tribes. And Long before Caribouria. Many creatures lived in this world in peace. Humanity is among them. For many, it was paradise. Everyone is living in harmony more than they could ever imagine. That was…until monsters started to appear. We have no idea why, but we knew that every race would not survive against them. So, we consulted with the Power of Harmony itself with another kingdom of Cunabula. With their help, we could create powers of Harmony throughout certain parts of the world. Each was bearing the Tree of Harmony.”

“Wait, what?” said Silver as he stood up. “The Tree of Harmony wasn’t the only one in Equestria?”

“Indeed.” said Thorin, “And you must not tell anyone of this. Princess Twilight and her friends need to sort this out independently.”

They looked at each other, then at Thorin, and nodded in agreement while Thorin continued with the story.

“They placed a Tree in the territory where the ponies would reside. Then one in the land of Zebras. Then one in the land of the cats. Another in the land of the dogs. And in the skies of the birds, another in Caribouria, as well as many others.” said Thorin

“And along the way, we helped chose to bear their elements, each one representing the elements.”

“Whoa,” said Frosty. “That sounds amazing.”

“But wait,” said Emily as she realized something. “If there were other trees worldwide, why didn’t anyone know about it?”

“I was getting to that.” said Thorin. “After the trees were placed and the element bearers were chosen, they, in turn, ended up having special warriors to help protect them, being the first and last line of defense.”

“Until one day,” said Balin, “We uncovered that all of the trees were destroyed and the Element bearers were destroyed worldwide. We feared that it would happen to the trees in Caribouria, Equestria, and the trees from the Zebra, Cat, Dog, and Bird territories. That was until we uncovered a horrible truth.”

“What’s that?” asked Bucky.

“We were betrayed by our own.” said Thorin.

They were surprised to hear this, with Thorin saying, “We discovered that a handful of Knights had grown out of fear, thinking that harmony, as well as friendship, would bring their downfall, so they ended up killing and destroying everything. All but the six that we chose to hide to ensure that no one would destroy them, but the element bearers had to sever their links to conceal them further. We uncovered that the knights betrayed and sold them out to the Legion of Monsters, led by Grogar and his brother Salazar. The Knights united and launched a full invasion led by Gusty the Great. They soon destroyed them. But…it came at a price.”

“The Changelings being turned into what they were during Chrysalis” reign.” Said Beau.

“And the humans who were the unfortunate victims of their slaughter.” said Balin “So to ensure that everyone would remain safe, we had to erase all existence of the trees and the knights, including the humans, who all were forced to leave this world and reside in the world all of you live. Half of them became Pilgrims, the first settlers to settle in what you call America, while the other half left and resided in the rest of the world to ensure they would remain safe.”

Now the humans, sans Lizzie and Daisy, were taken aback by this, for they couldn’t believe that the first settlers and others once resided in this world.

“Now then,” said Thorin, leaning towards them, “Promise me you won’t say anything until the time is right.”

The humans looked at one another, wondering if they should keep it a secret. But knowing Equestria, considering they faced many threats, they didn’t want to take any

chances until they were no longer threatened. They looked at him and said nodded in agreement.

“Now then,” said Beau, “Back to the matter in hand.”

“Yes,” said Thorin, “But before that, we’ll tell you more about our kingdom along the way.”

He leaned backward and thought about the glory days of Caribouria “Like every other kingdom, our kingdom was the pinnacle of perfection.”

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The country of Caribouria was more beautiful, greener, and beautiful than anyone could imagine.

“Our kingdom was unlike anything beyond our borders. Long before the other kingdoms had been formed, ours had existed the longest, even during the older days when humanity once resided on this world.”

In every village, town, and city, every citizen was happy.

“Every citizen of Caribou of Caribouria were at peace with one another, happy with one another, and enjoyed the peace and prosperity that the heavens had granted us since the beginning of our ancestry. Even the creatures from different races who chose to stay in our kingdom had enjoyed the harmonious life they all shared.”

Among them was King Dorian, who led the kingdom with honor and just, and the royal family had special powers.

“Our family had been the protectors of our kingdom for centuries. My Uncle was King Dorian, the High King of Caribouria. Every citizen loved him for the peace and love he had given them. But among them, besides his sons, were six brothers, each who had received the blessing.”

From atop the capitol was the Great Light of Caribouria. The Great Light from atop our capitol signified our family’s rule and showed that as long as a member of our family had gained the blessing and the light shining from the top, there would always be hope.

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“You mention the blessing.” said Emily “What purpose does it serve?”

“The blessing is when a member of the family is at the age of eight,” said Balin “They bring the child towards the fire of Caribouria, the purest source of magic our kingdom has ever wielded. When a family member gains the power, they receive the power of all the elements and can protect our land from even the greatest dangers.”

“And your uncle, King Dorian, received the blessing?” asked Beau.

“That’s right,” said Thorin. “But the power had long been passed ten years before I was born. As did some of my other family members. The reason for that was because it was time for the young to watch over the kingdom, considering the old could no longer watch over Caribouria.”

“Well, considering that he might be older than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I can’t blame him.” said Bolt, causing Beau to jab his elbow at him hard, making him wince as he said, “What, I’m just saying.”

“No, it’s true.” said Thorin as he chuckled. “My Uncle had been the ruler long before Equestria had been formed, so it’s understandable.”

Thorin looked down and said, “But by the time I turned around eight, I was about to receive the blessing.”

“Wait, why at such a young age?” asked Emily.

“Because when you’re eight years old,” said Lizzie, seeing that she had learned a bit of Caribouria’s history when she first came here, “You gain certain attributes that allow you to become something important. Either a wizard, a soldier, an agent, or an important politician. In the Royal family’s case, they would receive the blessing that would allow them to become protectors of Caribouria to protect them from the greatest of threats.”

“That’s right.” said Thorin.

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At the age of eight, Thorin walked through the capitol streets while looking around in awe.

“Though I was born in a different part of the country and spent most of my life in the high mountains, walking through the Capitol of Carinthia is a marvel I couldn’t believe. The people were happy, the city was prospering, and the light above the city was as beautiful as the stories had described.”

The Honor guard escorted Thorin and his family to the royal flame chamber.

“From what the stories have also told me, the Flame Chamber happens to contain the eternal green fire, where a member of the royal family would gain the power to protect the lands.”

The doors opened, revealing the room. From within, beautiful glass windows and tapestries were decorated all over the place, each dictating the history of the Caribou and all the creatures. They chose to live in their kingdom and remained great neighbors while the rest of their kind left to find a kingdom of their own. And right at the center appeared to be a beautiful shrine, holding the eternal green flame as the colors alone was more beautiful than anything anyone could ever describe.

“The Flame Chamber was unlike I have ever seen. From within the room were beautiful tapestries and stained glass windows that decorated and depicted our entire kingdom’s history, coexisting with those who chose to stay within the kingdom instead of leaving it like half of their races. And from the end of the room was the eternal green flame, shining beautifully from its shrine, as all who would be attended would be granted its power to help protect its kingdom from its greatest threats.”

King Dorian gestured for young Thorin to go to the flames as it continued to shine as bright as a star. Thorin walked over to the flames and marveled at what he saw.

“The flames were unlike anything I have ever seen. Even from the stories, I could feel the strength of our people and land through it, like I was connected to it, like true harmony beaming through it.”

Soon, Thorin stood near the eternal green fire. At the same time, his father, his uncle Dorian and other uncles, his cousins, family members, the Captain of the Royal Guard, and more watched with Pride as Thorin was about to receive his blessing.

“Like my ancestors before me, it was traditional that once a member of the royal family gained the blessing. Once they bathe in its fire, they will gain the power to protect their lands from the greatest dangers.”

Thorin reached both of his hands towards the fire.

“I was about to receive the gift…until…they came….”

Within a split second, they heard screaming from their guards outside, gaining

everyone’s attention as they quickly turned around and looked at what was happening.

The Honor guard quickly stood in position to protect the royal family, with Thorin

hiding behind his father while King Dorian stood ready with his sword unsheathed.

Within a second, the doors opened, causing two Caribou Guards, now dead, to be launched through the doors and landed near them, causing them to look at the entrance.

From the entrance, four figures appeared as they walked through the doors.

“There were five individuals who entered the room of the eternal flame. Five that we thought we would never see or hear from again.” The first was a large crow with a black hood over his head, bearing the symbol of the Crow and brandishing his spear.

“There was Poe, the leader of the Crow Tribes. He was once part of the Griffon Empire until he and his people were exiled for personally bringing them to ruin because he lusted for greed and power, as well as attempting to kill the Griffon Elders.”

Then came a large dragon, whose scales were as black as coal, eyes as green as the murkiest swamps, and bearing its sharp fangs, wearing armor that nearly resembled Dragon Lord Ember’s, but with armor that was as black as its heart, bearing a scepter/sword in his hand.

“There was Smaug the Terrible. Once a powerful Ruler of the Black Dragon Eye Empire until the Dragons overthrew him and the dragons who were loyal to him, including the rare Ice Dragons. After that, they were banished from the Dragon Lands by the newly appointed Dragon Lord.”

Then came another, who was as uglier as the most deformed wolf you could imagine. His yellow eyes were so menacing that they could pierce through ones soul, with sharp teeth and Leather armor that appeared to be stronger than it looked, wielding a double-bladed sword.

“Then there was Azog the Defiler. He is a leader of the mightiest horde and enemies of Caribouria, leading his Warg army, a large group of Werewolves who are just as vicious as their sense of hostilities.”

Then finally, a large bear was among them. He was more muscle than brain and wore armor resembling the Persian Empire. His eyes were just as yellow, and his teeth were the mark of a savage.

“And finally, there was Mor’du, a large bear who’s the strongest. His goal is to be stronger and kill anyone in his way. My father defeated him long ago, and thus, he was banished from Caribouria.”

“What is the meaning of this?!!” shouted King Dorian as he and his brothers stood in front of their loved ones, with Thorin’s father, Thrawn, standing next to him.

“Oh, my apologies, your highness,” said Poe in a sarcastic manner. “We are just here to attend the blessing. After all, it is a special day, is it not?”

“You have no business here!!” shouted one of Dorian’s brothers. “Who allowed you here?!!”

“I did.”

Everyone looked at the door and saw a fifth. The fifth walked in, bearing black armor with gold stripes on his chest, legs, arms, and fists, bearing a black hood, wielding a mighty axe that none had ever seen before, and stood next to the enemies of Caribouria.

“And we learned too late that he had returned.”

The mysterious figure removed his hood, revealing a face that one would never want to see again, a face that made the older royal family gasp as they recognized the very Caribou from a long time ago, bearing a sinister smirk with a left blind eye. At the same time, he had a scar over it too.

“Lord Dainn”

The Caribou looked at King Dorian and said, “Hello…father.”

The older family gasped in shock, with the fourth brother saying, “That’s impossible. He had his memory erased.”

“Not anymore, Uncle.” said Dainn with a wicked grin. “I remember everything, from the ponies of Equestria, including my untimely banishment from the kingdom.”

“Why are you here?!!” shouted Thrawn. “You have no business here anymore!!”

“Oh, but I do,” said Dainn, “To retrieve what is rightfully mine.”

“You have lost all right to be part of the family and kingdom after what you tried to do to the sovereign rulers of Equestria long ago, Dainn!” said the second brother.

“You were going to drive our kingdom to a perpetual war!!” said the third brother

“One that would bring shame to our subjects and ruin to our kingdom!!”

“And that is why I have returned,” said Dainn. “To finish what I started, to take back what is finally mine!!”

“This kingdom does not belong to you anymore!” said King Dorian. “You are no longer heir to this kingdom or have any right to be called a Prince anymore!! Your brothers will be the rightful rulers, but only I will choose who will succeed me where you have failed.”

However, Dainn didn’t seem to be phased about it one bit. He suddenly pulled out what appeared to be a bag from his waist belt and held onto it firmly. But from below the bag, there appeared to be blood dripping, which caused some to be concerned about what was in the bag. Without making a face, he tossed the bag toward them. But the moment the bag reached the ground, it instantly opened, causing three heads of Caribou citizens to roll out in front of Dorian. To their shock, it was none other than three of Dorian’s other sons who were beheaded and without their antlers. The Caribou King looked at Dainn in shock. Dainn grinned as he showed his true wrath to his father.

“Not anymore.” said Dainn. But as he took a few steps forward, his armor instantly closed his face, forming a helmet that looked like the skull of a Caribou.

“We realized too late that it was a coup.”

And from the entrance were many dragons, crows, wargs, bears, and Caribou who were corrupted with darkness because of their yellow eyes. But it wasn’t just there; from the corners of the room and secret entrances, many more came out, surrounding the royal family and their guards, blocking their exits.

“It’s a trap.” said Thrawn as he looked around.

“Defend yourselves!!” shouted king Dorian as he and his brothers, along with the royal family and Honor Guards, drew their swords and armed themselves. At the same time, they fought with courage and might against their adversaries. But at the same time, Thorin quickly hid behind one of the pillars, scared out of his mind, not knowing how to defend himself from such an enemy.

And thus, the great fight had begun. The Honor Guards and the Royal Families fought against the attackers. Though the Royal Family put up a spirited defense, they were no match for Dainn and the others.

“Though my family and our guards had put up a spirited defense against the attackers, they were no match for the power that Lord Dainn and his followers displayed.” From his hiding spot, Thorin spotted how the fight began to fair, and so far, it didn’t look good.

Dainn deflected one of his uncle’s attacks with his axe, then he used the axe to drain the energy out of him, causing him to scream, then turn skinny and grey, making him collapse onto the ground.

Azog used his double-bladed sword to swing at two guards with a mighty swing, causing the sword to go right through their weapons and slice them in half, making them drop limp onto the ground.

Mor’du used his mighty strength to punch his enemies away with great strength while grabbing one of them, lifting it in the air, and smashing him hard onto the ground. Two more Thorin’s Uncles tried to attack the mighty bear, only for Mor’du to grab the two of them by their necks and instantly snap them while dropping them onto the ground lifeless.

Poe used his spear like a baton and a bo-staff as he spun it around and used it to block his enemies” attacks while also killing them as if he was an expert Shaolin Monk. But at the same time, he used his spear to summon a crow-like swarm, causing them to go to the guards and rip them all to shreds.

Smaug used his Sword/Scepter to kill his enemies easily, moving his blade around, even using its blaze ability to swing its flaming sword around and slice them to pieces. He ended up fighting the Captain of the Guard. Though the Captain nearly gave the dark Dragon a run for its money, Smaug breathed his fire, burning the captain alive as he collapsed onto the ground.

Thorin watched from his hiding spot, helpless as he watched his family and their guards being slaughtered.

“My father and Uncle Dorian fought their hardest and did their best.”

King Dorian fought with all his might, using his sword and staff to fend off the Assassins. Thorin’s father, Thrawn, also took up a spirited defense. But at the same time, just as King Dorian turned around, Dainn stood in front of him with a grin.

“The throne is mine.” said Dainn, causing him to use his axe to drain his life force. Within mere moments, Dorian ended up becoming skin and bones while dropping onto his knees, with a look of death on his face. He moaned like a zombie as he looked up at his former son.

And in his final words, Dainn said, “Long live the king.” and swung his axe against his father, killing him as his crown fell off his head and rolled over to the floor near where Thorin had been hiding.

At the same time, Poe and Mor’du attacked Lord Thrawn, but he proved to be more than a match for them as he backhanded Poe against the wall while he stunned Mor’du, making the bear warrior collapse onto the ground.

Thorin saw his chance to run until Dainn suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbed him by the throat, lifted him to his face, and said, “You are unworthy.”

Dainn tossed Thorin hard onto the ground, causing the young Caribou to feel pain. Thorin turned around and saw Dainn slowly approaching him. At the same time, Thrawn had drawn his famous dual swords and held them in position. He fought Smaug and Azog head-on, clashing blades and moving like water until he overpowered them as they collapsed onto the ground.

“Why?” said Thorin as he crawled backward, afraid to fight him, let alone face him as fear had taken over his body. “Why?”

“Because you’re weak.” said Dainn as he lifted his axe.

But before Dainn could finish the job, Thorin’s father, Thrawn, tackled the demented Caribou over, trying to pin him onto the ground. Thrawn instantly looked in his son’s direction and raised his left hand, causing it to glow green. And within mere moments, a portal opened somewhere far away from them, gaining Thorin’s attention. He looked at the portal as it had opened to a location Thorin recognized, but he looked back and saw his father still fighting, not wanting to lose him.

Thrawn punched Dainn, trying to subdue him, with him looking at his son and shouted, “Thorin, run!!”

Thorin did just that as he ran toward the portal while Dainn managed to push Thrawn off of him. As Thorin ran and was halfway to the portal, he suddenly tripped over one of the fallen guards, while Dainn backhanded Thrawn as he fell on his back, gaining Thorin’s attention as he stood up. Dainn stood over Thrawn and lifted his Axe. As Thrawn screamed, Dainn dealt with a finishing blow, killing Thrawn in front of a horrified Thorin.

“My father. He died trying to save me. I never saw him and the rest of the family again.”

Thorin made his way to the portal and jumped through it, allowing it to close to ensure that nobody would follow them.

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The said visiting humans, namely Beau and the others, stared at Thorin, horrified by what had happened. Thorin looked down, not wanting to think about certain things further, while Lizzie (Silver noticed) held onto Thorin’s hand to cheer him up.

“My God.” said Emily as she couldn’t believe what he had gone through.

“And by my guess,” said Bolt as he tried to piece things together, “That you couldn’t fight back because you didn’t receive the blessing in time.”

“That’s right.”

*********************************************************************

*********************

And from a different location, Thorin had managed to jump out of the portal and was at least two miles away from the capital city, with him standing on all fours and panting out of fright.

“After I got out, I realized what happened wasn’t in secret. It wasn’t just a coup; it was a full invasion.”

Thorin looked back and was horrified, for he saw their entire city, Caribouria itself, was set in flames as a building or five fell to pieces while screaming could be here from the innocent suffering Dainn’s wrath.

*********************************************************************

********************

“They killed everyone in the city?” asked Beau.

“It was genocide,” said Thorin “The entire city got reduced to ashes within mere hours.”

*********************************************************************

****************

A distraught young Thorin kept looking at the city, then to the top as tears ran down his cheeks.

“I wanted to help my people more than anything, but I was powerless, as was Caribouria itself.”

He watched as the Great Light of Caribouria, the symbol of hope for the kingdom, slowly faded away as if it were a candle, further spelling doom for the entire kingdom.

“Without the family line, the Spirit Sages that kept the light alight sensed the active family members were gone, so it couldn’t stay alight forever.”

Thorin then walked away, lowering his head in shame as if he had just been exiled, heading to the nearest High Houses to warn them of Dainn’s return and his coup.

“And because of that, the magic of our lands died out, along with its hope and future.”

*********************************************************************

**************

After his story had ended, every human present was horrified by Thorin’s tale and the fall of his family and kingdom.

“The power of Caribouria faded away.” said Thorin. “That’s why I didn’t have the power to help save my people when they needed a protector the most.”

The humans had no idea how to respond to this. All of them were speechless at this news.

“Damn,” said Bolt, “This is worse than we thought.”

“How long ago was this?” asked Bucky.

“It happened…during the time Ponyville was founded.” said Balin as he thought about it.

“But wouldn’t they have attacked Equestria by then?” asked Silver.

“They would,” said Thorin. “But thankfully, I could go to each house and warn the rest of our people and allied houses of the news. There was panic at first, but the Houses began to fortify their positions so that we do not lose our homes to the monsters. We tried as best we could to stall them, but morale was dropping low. Back then, others joined our cause, and we had fifty thousand strong fighting alongside us, but with all of our Cells destroyed in half the country, there’s only ten thousand left.”

“But the other Houses didn’t offer their support?” asked Frosty.

“We tried at the beginning,” said Balin “The Thirteen Houses were so frightened all of them had closed their doors to us and are defending themselves rather than fighting together. They agree that Dainn is a threat and needs to be stopped, but they can’t agree to do anything about it.”

“The Houses of Dragon, Griffon, Hippogriff, Wolf, and Changelings are among the strongest, but we don’t know how long. The other Houses tried their best, but their leaders and people, even half their soldiers, were captured and taken to a prison that would put Tartarus to shame while the other half of their soldiers were slain. Those

who were able to escape joined our cause, but they’re starting to lose hope.” Said Thorin as he surmised their situation.

“We had hoped Equestria would help us.” said Balin.

“But no thanks to my bastard of an uncle.” said Thorin with a spat and venom in his uncle’s name as he pounded on the table hard, startling a few others around him. “He placed the seal all around our kingdom. If it weren’t for that damned seal, I would’ve asked all the kingdoms to help us in a heartbeat.”

“But yet all of you are here.” said Lizzie. “How and why?”

“How much do all of you know about the Friendship map in Equestria?” asked Emily.

“Few bits and pieces.” said Balin. “We know how they summon any pony out there to go on a friendship quest. The Mane 6 was always chosen, but it rarely summons others to send on a mission like Starlight and Spike.”

“The map ended up summoning us here.” said Beau, which took them by surprise.

“The map called you here?” asked Daisy. “Why?”

“We don’t know.” said Bucky. “It’s a mystery for all of us too.”

“But regardless.” said Bolt as he stood up. “For what purpose we’ve been sent here? We’ll do everything we can to help.”

Thorin sat deep in thought, for if the map summoned them to Caribouria, it must’ve been for a good reason. He looked at them and said, “Very well. We’ll discuss this in the morning. Until then, we have rooms ready.

“Thank you, Prince Thorin.” said Beau as he bowed in respect for the Caribou.

*********************************************************************

*****************

Later that night, nightfall had covered the entire countryside. Though many of the citizens and soldiers were sleeping, the night guard kept watching to ensure that their only place of protection would be safe from any intruders. But from within the rooms, Beau and the others were prepared to turn in for the night, but they chose to make conversations before resting.

“How the heck are we going to help them?” asked Frosty.

“He’s right,” said Silver “We’re in way over our heads with this.”

“We have to find a way to help somehow,” said Emily “The map picked all of us for a reason. I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way before things escalate out of control.”

“And if we don’t stop them,” said Bucky, “Our families and friends will be in danger.”

“He’s right,” said Genus. “Well, we all had already lost our homes after we died; I don’t want us to lose our new one.”

“We won’t.” said Beau, determined as he stood up. “Our wives stood up to evil plenty of times, and we made a promise that we could protect them. We failed to protect them after what Chrysalis did to us. I don’t want us to repeat our mistakes again.”

They looked at one another, then at Beau as he said, “The map picked us for a reason. If we were sent here, it must be bigger than any of us could imagine. The only way we can succeed is by working together. For our families and friends.”

The others looked at one another, then at him, and all nodded while standing up, placing their hands together. “For our families and friends.”

Suddenly, they heard a loud humming noise, making them look out at the door. They slowly walked out of their rooms and headed straight for the noise. They followed it down the hall until they finally made their way to a clearing. When they got out, they were standing on the edge, and taking them by surprise, were the large bonfire from below, which looked like a large forge to create their swords. And from around it were tons of Caribourian citizens, warriors, and elderly, with Thorin, Lizzie, Balin, and Daisy sitting nearby. But what caught their attention was the humming they made, as if all of them were in perfect harmony, never missing a note. It felt so enchanting one could not turn it away, no matter how hard anyone could try. When all of a sudden, Thorin, holding his smoking pipe, stood up and stood near the fire.

(Thorin)

Far over, the mountain home

To green landscapes

And trees so high

We must return

At the break of dawn

(Thorin & Balin)

To find our long-forgotten home

(Thorin, Balin & Caribou soldiers)

The winds were howling throughout the night

Telling our tales of lives of old

The sunshine bright

The moon alight

The sky so blue; alight with hope

The husbands and Emily were surprised by the song they sang, causing some to sit

down and listen to the enchanting song as if they had just been placed in a trance.

(Lizzie)

Far away, the forgotten lands

The blue oceans

And brightened shores

We will set out

At the midday

(Lizzie & Daisy)

To find what has, been taken away

(Lizzie, Daisy & female Caribou)

The storm is coming, beyond the darkness

The waves are crashing

In the bright day

The sun burns bright

The cooling moons

The heart of home, calls us home

Beau and the others suddenly thought about their families and friends, thinking of

them so far away from them, longing for their embrace, making some shed their tears.

(All)

Far beyond, the great plains of home

The fatherland

And motherland

We will come home

Within nightfall

To finally, be back home

The songs of angels, calls us forth

The people cried

Throughout the lands

Their freedom’s bright

Their love alight

And True Harmony, to Salvation

*********************************************************************

********************

Later through the night, the Husbands and Emily were fast asleep in their rooms, sleeping soundly so they would not be disturbed by the outside sounds. The halls of Moria were all peaceful. The halls a mysterious figure walked down the hallways, wearing a cloak that covered her face while carrying a staff in its hand. The same figure that witnessed them leaving Equestria. She walked straight towards the husband 6 and Emily’s room. She first stood before Beau’s door, used her magic to unlock the door, and walked right in.

There he was, sound asleep in the confines of his bed. She stood near him and watched him sleep as he was dreaming of Twilight and Moonlight; he even mumbled the two of their names. The stranger slowly placed her hand on the left side of his face, rubbing it as he hummed in his sleep. The stranger gave a soft smile and shed a tear for some reason. She soon wiped it away and took a few steps back until she was near the door. She used her staff to tap on the ground a few times, causing a flash in the room, with the rest of the husbands and Emily appearing from out of nowhere. And just like that, they collapsed onto the ground, making them yelp as they collapsed onto one another; while Beau woke up, he shot his head up and looked at the display as all of them exclaimed loudly.

“Get the fuck off me!!” said Silver.

“Get your ass out of my face!!” said Emily.

“You get your face out of my ass!!” said Frosty.

“Yuck, did you even take a shower?!!” said Genus.

“I did take a shower, ya brainless mook!!” said Bolt.

“Will you just get the fuck off me!!” said Bucky.

“The hell?” muttered Beau as he saw the strange sight. That was until he saw the stranger in a hood with her staff and shouted, “The hell?!!”

Beau instantly got out of bed, with the others quickly getting up when they also saw the stranger.

She raised her hand and said, “Peace, fellow humans.” The stranger removed her hood, revealing her face as a Unicorn as she said, “My name is Bright Star.”

They were surprised to see a pony in Caribouria.

“Wait,” said Bucky, “I thought there were no Ponies in Caribouria.”

“There aren’t.” said Bright Star. “I can be unseen, and I can be everywhere if need be.”

“Why are you here?” asked Bolt, as he was suspicious of the Unicorn.

“I know why all of you are here.” said Bright Star. “I know that all of you have been summoned by the Map from the Castle of Friendship to help the kingdom of Caribouria.”

They were shocked that she knew about that.

“How the hell did you know about that?” asked Silver.

“I have my ways.” said Bright Star.

“But it doesn’t answer my question,” asked Bolt. “What are you doing here?”

“I came here to help.” said Bright Star.

“Help us?” said Genus.

“How?” asked Frosty.

Bright Star spoke to all of them and said, “All of you have come here to aid a kingdom under a tyrant’s control since Ponyville was founded. All seven of you are in way over your heads. You may know how to defend yourselves, but all of you have no chance against a power that he controls through his wrath. Even Princess Twilight and the others could not defeat Dainn with the powers of Harmony.”

They lowered their heads, for she was right; there was no way they could face Dainn on their own. They may have learned how to defend themselves when they once lived on Earth, even a few lessons from Shining Armour, but it wouldn’t be enough.

“However,” said Bright Star, “There is a way for you to help.”

They perked up at that as they looked at her.

“When the Trees of Harmony were all planted all over the world,” said Bright Star, “There were special protectors beside the element bearers, all who had vowed to protect the world from eternal darkness. They were known as the Knights of Harmony.”

“Knights?” asked Beau.

“All of them were more than capable of defending their home from threats they had not seen before. All of them were enemies of the Knightmares, led by the council of Monsters, with Grogar being their leader.”

They were surprised to hear this, with Bright Star saying, “The Knights were also led by their founders. I was one of them, along with a human and another Unicorn named

Gusty the Great.”

Beau was surprised that Gusty was a Knight, him thinking Twilight would have a field day if she were to find out.

“And you think that with that power,” said Genus, “We would be able to help this kingdom?”

“Indeed.” said Bright Star. “However, not everyone can claim that power and use them. They must first prove themselves worthy of wielding that same power.”

“Prove ourselves?” asked Silver.

“How do we do that?” asked Bucky.

“I have taken the liberty of placing certain trails and tests for each of you.” said Bright Star. “The paths will be dangerous, and there is a likely chance that not all of you will succeed. The choice is yours.”

The husbands and Emily looked at one another, thinking about their situation. On the one hand, they couldn’t just trust a stranger that offered them something that would be too good to be true, but if they don’t have what they are looking for, Equestria will be doomed if they don’t have what they are looking for Dainn ever succeeds. Seeing that they had no other choice, they each knew what their answer would be. Beau took a step forward, for he spoke for the entire group.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to help our home.” said Beau. “We already lost our old home a long time ago; we refused to let it happen to another.”

Bright Star smiled and said, “Very well. The trials will commence momentarily.”

“Wait,” said Silver as he realized something. “But what about Thorin and the others? What if we’ll be away for far too long.”

“Time will simply stand still in this world while all of you venture to your trails.” Said Bright Star. She lifted her staff and said, “It is time. Good luck, and may the power of Harmony protect you.”

She tapped her staff onto the ground so hard that another light engulfed them. No one was in the room when the light faded away, for all of them had disappeared without a trace.