The Paladins Return
Sunny never felt worse in her life.
She regretted everything she just said to Keith.
She was just so… so frustrated that nothing she did ever seemed to work. Finally, when she couldn’t run any farther, she took a moment to look around. Except she had no idea where she was going, only that she’d rather be lost in the deepest, darkest wood than to ever face her brother again.
That is… if he still considered himself her brother. She wouldn’t blame him if he thought otherwise.
She stopped by a large widow tree and cried against its trunk. Either it was the hard forest floor or her own heart, all she knew was that she no longer had the energy to keep going. All around her, the trees formed a natural canopy, shielding the sun, save for a few rays of light peeking through the leaves.
“Sunny! Sunny!”
Keith’s voice echoed through the forest. She had to be hearing things… except she wasn’t. The voice was getting closer, compelling her to look up… and there she saw it. Keith Kogan, riding atop Zipp alongside the Princess Allura. He jumped off while Zipp was in mid-air, landing upon the ground like a skilled acrobat and rushed towards his sister.
Sunny didn’t hesitate to let Keith hug her, she could feel his tears as he cried onto her back.
“Sunny, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean any of the stuff I said! You’re my sister and I love you. I’d trade all the magic in the world for you.”
“I’m sorry too Keith!” Sunny sobbed loudly, hugging her brother. “All I ever wanted was for you to not be so scared to show who you are.”
Keith drew away from Sunny, just to have the space to wipe her tears with a single thumb.
“I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks of me,” Keith said. “They can hate me all they want. Your friendship is enough for me, always has.”
“But… the world’s still broken. We haven’t done anything to fix it.”
“That’s not entirely true, Sunny,” Hitch smiled. “You did something no pony, nor any elf has ever done before.”
To which he gestured toward everyone around them.
“You brought all of us together.”
“He’s right,” Hunk nodded. “I mean, I didn’t even want to come. High stake adventures? Facing wild animals? Outdoor bathrooms? No thank you! But… there’s something awesome about having met other ponies and elves. So… I’m glad I didn’t stay home.”
Izzy showed Sunny the very drawing she and her father made years ago.
“It all started with this letter,” Izzy said, handing it to Sunny. “And now Katie and I have more friends than ever.”
“I’ve always been a woman of science and not this whole… ‘destiny’ and ‘fate’ mumbo-jumbo,” Katie admitted. “But just this one time… I honestly have no other words to describe this wacky turn of events except for… extraordinary!”
“But you’ll never get your magic,” Sunny sighed sadly.
On that note Sunny turned towards the Pegasus sisters and the fairy siblings.
“And you… you’ll never be able to fly.”
“We don’t care about that anymore,” Zipp said, wrapping a wing around Sunny. “Sure, it’s what I wanted at first. But after thinking it over, if I ever had to choose between flying or my best friend…”
She turned towards Allura, smiling at the princess.
“Well… that’s a no-brainer.”
“I believe magic was never the answer either,” Allura added. “It was… ‘all’ of us. Just coming together. Putting aside our prior misconceptions and just getting to know one another.”
“For once, I agree with my sister,” Lance nodded. “Actually, I don’t even get what we were all so afraid in the first place. I mean Earth elves and mages are basically fairies… just without wings… one having jewels on their foreheads… but so what? Who cares? It doesn’t matter! Never did.”
“Lance and I had billions of followers,” Pipp said. “But calling them ‘friends’ is kind of a stretch. You guys are the first real friends we’ve had besides each other.”
“And we don’t care what anybody else thinks!” Izzy smiled.
“We just want to keep being friends,” Zipp added.
“With or without magic,” Katie stated proudly.
Sunny didn’t know what to say… all this time, she thought magic could finally solve everything. When in reality, the true answer was the simplest one: Stepping out… and meeting others. Sunny always had that courage, now she and Keith inspired that very same courage in others.
All of her protests, trying to tell others to ‘be friends’ just because… that was never going to work. She ‘needed’ the proof, concrete evidence that it was possible. If she had only stepped outside Maretime Bay sooner, maybe she would have learned that. And perhaps maybe… Keith could have afforded to be more flexible, instead of being ruled by fear.
And now… this was the result. Together they made true friends: Fairies, Pegasi, mages, unicorns, earth folk… all friends. They were all in this together, all the magic they needed all along. No glowing horns or wings that worked. In the end, none of that could compare to the warmth and love that came whenever they were all together.
Sunny continued to cry, only this time they were tears of joy. She embraced each and every one of her new friends. Altogether, just as it should have been and always will be.
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Sunny gasped and everyone stepped back.
“Pipp, was that you?” Zipp asked her sister.
“No,” Pipp shook her head.
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
“There it is again,” Keith said, looking around.
“O-O-Oh man…” Hunk shook. “N-N-Nobody told me this f-f-forest was h-h-h-haunted!”
“Keep quiet,” Hitch ordered quietly.
Together they waited for the sound to appear again.
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
It sounded like… a woman… harmonizing. So eerie, and yet… ‘alluring’ at the same time. This voice left a different effect on each of them.
For Lance, Pipp, Allura, and Zipp it was listening to their mothers singing them to sleep every night when they were younger.
For Hunk, it was like a warm summer day where his family would have their yearly barbecue.
For Hitch, it was the warmth he felt whenever he helped someone in need.
For Izzy, it was like she just drank a large cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s night.
Katie felt like she was experiencing one of Izzy’s many warm hugs.
For Keith and Sunny, it was haunting… and yet something deep in their bones sensed that, in a way… it was a good feeling. Not safe… but still good.
They all collectively agreed that following it was the best course of action. Even Hunk wasn’t afraid for the first time in his life. Hitch should’ve been suspicious, but the melody just compelled him to keep going. And the music just kept going.
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
The voices grew louder, and the group followed until they reached the entrance of a cave.
“Whoa!” Izzy gasped. “I’ve never seen this cave before.”
“Ooh kay… this is starting to get freaky!” Lance commented.
“I think we passed freaky a few steps back dude,” Zipp remarked.
She and Allura were the first to step into the cave. The singing merged with the sound of water droplets and the thin trails of water traversed downwards from the opening all the way towards the showering darkness.
The group ventured on, despite Hunk’s trembling as he bit his nails. He was just starting to regret doing this, but most of his worries faded the moment he heard the singing again…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
“I think we’re getting closer,” Sunny said.
Keith nearly tripped and leaned against the cave wall for balance. He soon noticed the formation of the cave was slightly cold and moist.
“This… doesn’t feel like any normal cave,” Keith observed.
“You’re right!” Katie said. “Look at this formation. It looks as if it were just carved.”
Hitch twitched his ears, picking up the sound of rushing water.
“I hear water. Must be a river up ahead.”
“Wait!” Pipp spoke up. “What exactly are we looking for?”
“She’s got a point,” Hunk agreed. “Maybe we should turn back.”
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.
“Is that an earthquake?” Izzy asked looking around.
With a yelp, Katie wrapped her arms around her protectively.
“We need to get out of here!” Keith declared.
“I second that!” Hunk raised his hand.
But they never got the chance. The ground broke apart and everyone fell deep into the darkness. They screamed as they slid down a large, natural water slide. Every elf grabbed hold of their respected pony, shielding them from the rapid waters and incoming tiny rocks that could poke their eyes out.
Katie screamed, while Izzy threw her hooves in the air. Hitch slid on his hooves, with a brave face, while Hunk screamed and cried all at once. Pipp’s high-pitched voice nearly made Lance go dear, but still he held her close and shielded her head with his arm.
Allura and Zipp followed Hitch’s lead, balancing themselves along the running water. Spreading their wings to keep their balance, the speed slammed against their faces. Yet somehow it ignited their lust for adrenaline so much, the two princesses laughed.
Seeing this, Keith and Sunny decided to give it a try. Before long, the four slid down the water so fast that their screams turned to shouts of joy. So much so, Sunny challenged Hitch to a race with one gaze and the two ponies slid ahead. Keith and Allura soon followed behind.
“Come on, Sis!” Zipp shouted, her voice echoed. “Try it! You’ll love it!”
Pipp decided to be brave and try her sister’s way. She struggled to keep balance and nearly tripped. But thankfully, Lance caught her.
“Got ya, Pipps-ter!”
“Thank you, Lance.”
The two managed to steady themselves and when Pipp spread her wings open, for the first time in her life, she felt the wind beneath her feathers. And somehow it filled her with an indescribable, unfamiliar feeling.
“Lance! Are you feeling this?!”
“Ha-ha! Oh yeah!” Lance laughed, spreading his wings. “I’m feeling it… and it’s awesome! WHOO-HOO!!!”
Izzy and Katie also joined in, the latter laughing like crazy while Izzy leaned against her leg to aid in her balance. The two grabbed Hunk’s arms, pulling him to his feet.
“Knees apart, big guy!” Katie shouted.
“And spread your arms!” Izzy instructed.
Hunk did just that and though he wobbled a bit, Hunk eventually found his balance.
“Hey… I’m doing it! This is actually… fun!”
The teenagers hollered and shouted as though they were on a roller coaster, sliding by and passing one another. The Skyling royals got a tiny example of what flying might feel like, with Pipp wishing she could soar into the air right now. She finally understood why Zipp always dreamt of flying so much. It was pure freedom.
Sunny and Hitch were in the lead, bumping into each other as they slid side-by-side. Allura reached out to grab Keith’s hand, much to his flustered surprise. Their laugher died down, however, when they saw that the water lead to a waterfall.
“Everybody, hold on!” Hitch declared.
“To what?!” Hunk shouted.
Everybody screamed and their feet and hooves were suspended in mid-air. Soon as they left through the large opening, the waterfall led to a large puddle waiting below. Thankfully, the height wasn’t too much for this rag-tag group. Soon they all landed without any injuries, though not a soft landing even with the water.
Lance was the first to sit upright, shaking the water from his wings. His eyes widened at the sight before him, his mouth opened wide in astonishment.
“Guys… you’ve got to see this…”
After the ponies shook the water off them, and the elves rinsed the ends of their shirts and locks, they all drew their attention towards the marvel before them.
The waterslide led them into a cave with sides that reached upwards, in the very center was a crystal chandelier that looked as shimmering and radiant as thought it had just been installed. Except it was connected by powerful vines that naturally grew all around the cave. Vines which entangled around the other, forming beautiful complex patters like those one would see from a regal dress. The vines were arranged as though someone moved them in the perfect spot to give the cave of sense of both regality and otherworldly beauty.
The walls were all adorned with tall crystalline displays of times long past. Stained glass illustrations of forests, lakes, deserts, and jungles, each with a variety of creatures, some Sunny and Keith had only ever read about in storybooks.
But the grand marvel of it all were the statues encircling the cave, each on a pedestal with individual waterfalls behind them. Each one also depicted five elves: One earth elf, two fairies, and one mage. The fifth had both wings… and a jewel on his forehead. And each elf rode their respected steed. The earth elf rode a Pegasus, the two fairies rode an earth pony and a unicorn respectively, and the mage rode another Pegasus. And the fifth elf rode on a pony that had both a horn and wings, simultaneously.
Keith and Sunny approached the statue of the fifth elf, a handsome young man with a beard riding valiantly on his loyal companion. Sunny rubbed her hoof against a gold engraving covered in moss. The moment it was cleared, she gasped.
“Keith, look!”
Keith bent down and read the words aloud.
“King Arthur and Queen Llamrei, first rulers of Avalon. Leaders of the Paladins of Harmony.”
Keith jumped to his feet, staring back at the statue. The light of the chandelier made it seem to glow as though it were made of the purest silver.
“This… this was their headquarters. The headquarters of the Paladins of Harmony! I can’t believe it… we found it!”
Allura removed the moss from another of the statues, the one with the fairy woman riding an earth pony.
“Zipp, look at this one!”
“Queen Morgana, wife of King Arthur, and Lady Circe, Earth Pony representative. Guardians of courage and wisdom!” Zipp read aloud. “Allura… that’s your ancestor!”
“And her friend was an earth pony!” Allura gasped.
“So cool!”
Pipp gasped and flapped her wings when she read the words of the statue depicting the male fairy Paladin riding a unicorn.
“Oh my wings! Lance, honey! Come see this!”
“No way!” Lance gasped, in disbelief. “Lancelot and Nimue. Guardians of honor and truth.”
He and Pipp grimaced over that last part, knowing they had lied to their subjects and fans for years. Lance studied the unicorn closely, while Pipp dropped her wings with a crestfallen gaze.
“Nimue… was a unicorn?” Lance spoke softly.
“We never learned that in school,” Pipp sighed. “So much for defending the truth.”
Katie and Izzy looked toward the statue of the mage and Pegasus. The mage was a woman with beautiful long hair, while her Pegasus was equally beautiful, with a curly mane nearly identical to Izzy’s.
“Guinevere and Titania,” Katie read. “Guardians of knowledge and creativity.”
“Ooh! That’s so us!” Izzy said cheerfully.
Hunk tilted his head when he read the words of the earth elf statue, riding on a Pegasus.
“Bedivere and Perseus,” He read.
“Guardians of humility and kindness,” Hitch read the rest.
Hitch turned his head towards Hunk, smiling. As if he realized the words on the stone described his friend flawlessly. Hunk, to the contrary, didn’t fully get it right away.
“Why are you looking at me for—OOH! I get it. Aww, thanks buddy!”
“But what does it all mean?” Zipp asked.
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
The voice carried in the air, followed by a collection of tiny leaves spinning around, created a trail that fella round a stone behind the statue of King Arthur and Queen Llamrei. Sunny saw something peeking from behind and stretched out her hoof to reach it. It was old and leathery to the touch, still she managed to yank it out. What she found was the last thing she or Keith would’ve expected.
“This is… Dad’s traveling journal,” Sunny realized. “The one he took during his last…”
But Sunny was hesitant to finish the sentence. Keith gently took the notebook and flipped through the pages. Within it were notes, some maps, and sketches of the very cave they were in. Not to mention a few loose pictures, some wrinkled from years of being slammed between the pages of the book. And yet every bit of information written there were still intact. Keith felt tears swelling in his eyes, struggling to wipe them with his palm.
“This was the place he was searching for when he left,” Keith choked up. “He was looking for proof that the Paladins existed.”
Sunny cried too, overwhelmed by the reality that not only had their father’s journey not been in vain, but now they stood in the very stopped he may have stepped on when he first arrived.
“You were right, Sunny,” Hitch said, catching Sunny off-guard. “Everything you and Argyle said… was all true.”
“Told ya so, Sheriff,” Sunny smiled, lifting her chin.
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
The singing soon returned, accompanied by a breeze that seemed to appear out of nowhere. There no other openings, so a sudden wind current was impossible. The crystals on the chandelier collided with one another, generating a hypnotic sound which filled the air.
The stain-glass illustrations radiated with color and a light struck the crystals above their heads, creating a rainbow spotlight. A mist suddenly took form, filling the cave with a sweet smelling aroma.
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh…
Ah-ah, oh-oh-oh-oh…
The singing transformed into an all-out chorus, with a multitude of voices singing in perfect harmony. The rainbow colors sparkled and from the mist seven figures appeared. One looked like an elf woman but with large feathery wings on her back, stepping out of the rainbow. Soon as she emerged, everyone agreed she was more beautiful than words could describe.
Her skin was dark and smooth, a well-toned body. The wings matched the color of her skin with feathers shifting from green to aqua to blue at the tips. They resembled Pegasus wings. She wore a long flowing dress that swayed like ocean waves in an eternal dance. She was barefoot, the dress wrapped around her shoulders, the material adorned with dust that made it resemble as though the dress itself were sprayed onto her body.
Her eyes were of the purest blue and upon her left cheek was a symbol of a blue heart with a green star in the center, which matched the one on her forehead. Her hair was pure white and in constant movement, like she was submerged underwater.
But what really stunned them were her ears. Small and round rather than long and pointed. Was she even an elf? Her wings surely didn’t resemble those of a typical fairy. She even had a star on her forehead instead of a jewel. Just what was she?
All around her appeared six beautiful mares, each one standing tall with long legs and necks, with manes and tails moving as endlessly as hers.
There were two Pegasi, one blue with a rainbow mane and tail, and the second was yellow with a pink mane and tail.
Two earth ponies, one orange with golden hair adorned with apples, and the second was bright pink with a curly dark pink mane with glitter and smelled like cupcakes. Izzy was in awe of her.
Next was a unicorn, with fur white as milk and a purple mane that shimmered like the diamonds sprinkled throughout.
The final mare was purple with dark blue hair with pink and purple streaks. And this one had both the wings of a Pegasus and a unicorn’s horn. On her flank was the same star symbol the paladins used as their official emblem.
Sunny and Keith instantly recognized them, having witnessed their likeness in the stain-glass windows back in Zephyr Heights.
“The Maiden and Mares of the Crystal Lake!” Sunny gasped.
On instinct, she bowed her head in respect. It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do. Keith followed her example, and one-by-one so did the others. The Maiden gazed upon the figures bowing before and merely chuckled.
“Is that what they’re calling us here?” She asked, smiling playfully. “I like it. Though ‘maiden’ is a bit of a stretch.”
“Korra, please!” The purple winged unicorn shook her head. “Show a little class, huh?”
“Hey, two centuries of being a ghost in the afterlife calls for a little humor now and again.”
Keith and Sunny exchanged confused looks. These were the legendary Maiden and her Mares from the legend? Not that they weren’t astonishing, but even so… what was all this talk about them being dead? Only Keith was bold enough to raise his hand.
“Um, excuse me, m’ladies?” He spoke cautiously. “We’re sorry for trespassing—”
“Oh, you’re not trespassing, Keith,” The Maiden Korra spoke.
Unlike her playful demeanor earlier, she spoke with the serenity of a queen (Yet with the warmth of a mother).
“We’ve been waiting for you,” The purple winged unicorn stated. “All of you.”
“Us?” Sunny spoke.
“Hold up, hold up!” Hunk spoke, shuddering. “What’s that you said about the afterlife? Are you guys… dead?”
“At ease, Hunk,” Korra chuckled. “All you need to know is that we came from a world not too different from yours. And during our time, it too was lost to the darkness…”
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11038048
Wait!… was that a Studio C reference!
Wow, great explanation.
Now this is what I call a change in atmosphere. But this definitely indicates that something big is about to arrive and hopefully some additional explanations will be explored as we progress to the next phase of this tale.
11038738
Oh sure, I can imagine why Lance comes off as a crowd favorite. If his playboy side is truly just 'one' layer that defines his character, least later on we do get to see the rest of him slowly reveal himself. In this story, I do find the friendship between him and Pipp believable. The way they have this dynamic together, for how similar the two may be they carefully balance each other out.
I love it! Great job on the chapter! Can’t wait for the next one!
Great job and wow you made it a lot more exciting! And the part where the My Little Pony Legend of Korra and the pony from your old stories crossovered with alternate equestria, wow, you made it great and not to mention the place our heroes found that showed that their legend of their mane 6 and their friends from that alternate equestria world exist, awesome job, keep up the great work
Personally, this is my favorite chapter out of the entire story, since you don't always need magic to solve everything. All you just need is friendship and love to do that. Martin Luther King Jr. had once said, "the time is always right to do what is right."
Holy smokes! Best chapter in this story!
Nice little call out to the Little Pony Legend series there Maggie