Chapter 1: A beginning

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A unicorn mare was sleeping peacefully on the soft white sand bed of an unknown island. When she opened her eyes, she lifted her head and looked down at the sand. She stretched her hoof and started moving the sand with small strokes. The mare was intrigued with her surroundings, and wanted to know more. She gazed down at her side, she turned and watched behind, and she put a hoof to her head and felt her mane and its smooth feeling. She also felt the warmth of the sun above. Her mind then processed and understood everything she saw like it had been already experienced.

She didn’t know how or why, but she had full knowledge of what everything around her was and what to call it by. Her mane and tail were the colors of the early morning sun. Her coat was was a beautiful pale orange, and her eyes matched the colors of her mane and tail.

She trotted about the beach and smiled as she galloped giggling, watching at all beautiful scenery. The sand texture was soft which gave a cushiony feeling under her hooves in which she galloped around in circles smiling and expressing her joy for what she had felt. She gazed up at the clouds and stopped her galloping. She watched as the clouds moved madly about the skies. Some moved horizontally, others moved vertically, and a few others moved diagonally through the skies.

"Hmm... The sky doesn't look well at all.” she said as she looked at the sky in its entirety. The oddest occurrence for her was that the Sun had shone down on one side, and the Moon had shone down on another.

She rubbed her head and trotted off into the jungle. She was aroused by the varieties of leaves, trees and birds the jungle had offered. Going through and stepping on giant leaves, she was intrigued with the crackling and swishing sounds that were made as she traveled about the area. The further she traveled, she only noticed more birds and interestingly shaped trees that were embellished all about the area.

After traveling for sometime, she came upon a forest. She was quite confused as she scanned her surroundings. Trees floated about the air, and chunks of earth were levitating about the forest. The forest even lacked the level of oxygen for proper breathing in some parts.

“What could this all mean?” she thought as she walked about the forest despite its confusion.

She traveled for hours through the forest and noticed more and more things that just didn’t seem in order. Her instinct told her that not everything was in its proper order.

Upon further traveling, her energy started to wane. She fell to her side, and as her consciousness was fading she thought of why was she so tired.

“It feels so, peaceful here even though it looks out of order.” She look over at tree that was fully grown and straight and the ground below wasn’t levitating. “I guess it’s not so bad after all.”

Just then as she was about to fall into a deep sleep, her eyes narrowed over at a creature who laid on its side near a tree surround by bed of flowers. She got up from the surface her slumber and walked over to the pony. When she got close, she realized it was a stallion.

“Umm... Hi?”

The stallion heard the words of the mare, opened his eyes, and rose to his hooves. He had the mane and tail of the night sky. His coat was dark blue, and his eyes were as the stars in the night sky. He looked at the mare and then scratched his head. He looked as though he was trying to remember why he was here as well.

“Hello,” the stallion replied. He looked around then gazed back at the mare. “I don’t know… why am I here?”

“I don’t really know,” the mare said looking down at the ground. “I don’t have answer for that,” she said as she laid back on the flowers and looked up at the night sky.

The stallion sat back on his haunches and watched down at her. His starry eyes gazing upon her eyes of morning light.

“Umm, why exactly are you here? My name is Astrim by the way, what’s yours?”

“Astrim, what a nice name that is… my name… my name is Lucena…?,” the mare said as she laid back on the ground and gave out a sigh of bliss. She felt so relaxed and so free.

“Lucena… So Lucena, where do you come from?”

“Come from?”

“Yes,” Astrim replied as he looked up at the night sky.

Lucena put a hoof to her chin and thought for a moment. Then she arose and sat on her haunches.

“I don’t really know… All I remember is that I woke up on the beach, then decided to do some pioneering, and then met you.”

“Well, I want to fix this whole mess, but… when I got this place felt like drifting off into dreamland,” Astrim said as he laid back down on his back and gave off a sigh of happiness.

“Yeah, me too. It really puzzles me how funny order can be in certain areas,” Lucena said as she looked up at the night sky through the trees of the forest. “I don’t like seeing the sun and moon dividing the sky.”

“Well that will not be solved by sitting here,” Astrim said looking up at the divided sky.

“So are you going to help me then?” Lucena asked as she looked over at him.

“Sure, why not?” Astrim replied as he looked back at her.

Lucena slowly rose to her hooves and a little smile adorned on her face.

“Ok, well let’s go then. The sooner the better.”

“Well then, I’m right behind you,” Astrim said with a smile.

Lucena started galloping off further into the forest, and Astrim followed. They traveled about the forest and the deeper they traveled the crazier and more confusing it looked. They didn’t see other creatures at some point. All they saw were trees, plants and small chunks of earth were levitating awkwardly about the areas. The clouds were heavy with rain but didn’t pour. They floated about the sky without any control. The wind patterns also got more confusing. They traveled through in all different directions with great force.

After a certain point, there no more trees, but large chunks of earth that hovered about. The chunks appeared as though they were rooted from the land below and some sort of sorcery was keeping them afloat. Heavy sound waves were heard no to far off from them. One wave sent them off their hooves falling back on the loins.

“What could be causing these terrible waves to come about?” Lucena asked as she rose to her hooves.

“I don’t know, but when we find out, we will know,” Astrim said as he also rose to his hooves.

They made their way to the area where the wave of sound came from. As they neared the area, two other ponies were seen facing each other. One was an earth pony, and the other was a pegasus. When they reached the site, they looked at them both standing over a chunk of floating earth staring at each other.

“Umm, what are you guys doing?”

The pegasus mare frowned and grunted. Her mane was green and brown in some areas, and her eyes were green also. Her coat was a pale brown.

“Well, what does it look like we’re doing?”

“I don’t know. It just looks like you two are staring at each other.”

“Very good. Looks like someone is learning,” the pegasus mare said.

Astrim eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and then continued.

“Alright, I could see that… Why are you guys staring at each other so intently?”

“Well dear friend, we are have a contest to see who could control this piece of land we’re standing on better,” the earth stallion replied. His mane and tail were of bright red, and his eyes were as blue as the clear skies. His coat was dark brown.

“Yeah… Do you know where that last huge sound wave might’ve come from?”

“Oh, well came from us my friend. Our powers are mighteous indeed. You should probably run while you still have the chance.”

“What do ya mean?” Astrim said frowning “What could possibly happen with you two-”

A powerful sound wave explosion from both their powers causing massive damage to a great part of the forest. Astrim and Lucena stood up on their hooves and glared at the two ponies.

“Okay, that is enough. You two must stop what you’re doing now. We should all be trying to figure out how to get this place back in order. It’s not normal as you guys already see.”

“And just who are you?” asked the pegasus mare as she furrowed an eyebrow of disapproval at the unicorn mare.

“I am Lucena.”

“Ooh Luceena… I’m sorry, are you the queen of this world?”

“Never said that.”

“Well then go and figure it yourself.”

Lucena was very irked at the thought of those words. She stomped her hoof.

“Take look around, take a look at the sky! Doesn’t this whole world look out of order to you?!”

“Well I don’t care! If you haven’t notice… I didn’t create the world, neither did I put it like this.”

Lucena grunted and stomped her hoof again, and the earth trembled.

“Your lack of thinking angers me.”

“Is that a challenge I see?”

Lucena’s horn lit up a bright orange. Astrim cut in between them both.

“Stop! Why can’t we settle this in more civilized way?”

“STAY OUT OF THIS!” the both mares cried.

“Ok, no problem,” Astrim said as he trotted back to the side.

“The kind fellow is right, I think we should settle this like-”

“SILENCE!” both mares shouted back and immediately hushed the earth pony.

The two mares glared at each other. Even though Lucena’s horn was lit, she didn’t care enough to think of how was she able to make her own horn light up. All of her focus was on the mare that stood in front of her.

“Why won’t you care, just for a little bit, about your surroundings?” Lucena said as she huffed and stomped the ground once more.

“Because like I said before, I didn’t make it the way it is!” the mare said. She stomped up two boulders. The mare then stood up on her hind hooves and punched both boulders and sent them spiraling towards Lucena. Lucena’s horn lit up, and she quickly disappeared and reappeared in another spot. Astrim was amazed at what Lucena performed.

“Wooh, how did you do that?”

“Do what?” Lucena responded with a perplexed look on her face.

“You just disappeared and reappeared, It was simply amazing!” Astrim said as hopped about in a circle.

“I don’t really know… Oof!”

Lucena fell to the ground after being struck by a rock to the face. The mare flew over and stood over Lucena. She put a hoof on her neck and started to choke her. Astrim quickly knock her hoof aside in total shock.

“Get off her! Why did you do that?!”

The pegasus mare responded by the frenzied throw outs of hoof-punches. Astrim dodged them all, turned around, and knocked her back with a kick from his hind hooves.

“Knock it off! Who are you, and why are you doing this?! This just doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well tell that to her, she’s the one that started it.”

“No I didn’t whoever you are!” Lucena spat back. She spit some blood down at the ground.

“Hey, that’s Vulcanaria too you missy! I don’t care about this place, and I don’t care about you! If you want to fix the way it looks, then do it all by yourself!”

“Ladies, that’s enough now,” spoke the earth stallion as he made his way to them.

Lucena teared up. She turned around as tear dripped from eyes and quickly galloped back into the forest. Astrim glared and grunted at Vulcanaria. He then ran off into forest after Lucena.

“Lucena, wait!” Astrim yelled.

The earth stallion looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

“What?”

“You know what.”

“It wasn’t my fault!”

“Look, no matter how much you say you don’t care about this place. The fact is if we don’t find something to ensure its order, it’s only going to get worse, and you know that.”

“Well what do you want me to do? It’s not like she knew what to do herself anyhow.”

“You’re probably right, she may not have. But we could’ve at least offered some additional help instead of rejecting her. That is all I’m saying.”

Vulcanaria dropped down to the ground. Her anger was washed down by thoughts that made her feel gloomy. Silence filled the air and she could feel was the presence of the earth stallion that stood behind her. She closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tears from flowing, but she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry alright… I’m sorry for rejecting her. I… I just didn’t know what to do, how could I help with what I don’t know?”

“I’m glad you have said this, but I’m not really the pony you should be saying this to.”

Vulcanaria stood up and looked at the stallion.

“I know… I’m going to go tell her that now. See you later, Vulganaris.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Astrim galloped across the forest calling out to Lucena, but he didn’t hear any response. He continued further as he struggled hoping over levitating grounds, and on some levitating trees.

“Lucena, where are you?”

“Lucena?” Astrim yelled as he looked all about the forest.

He galloped a little further and slipped on a rock which sent him tumbling down a long slope. When he hit the bottom of the slope, he slowly ascended to his hooves and scanned the area.

“Wow, that was one tumble,” Astrim said as his whole body shuddered a bit.

He was quite surprised to see a small white animal with long ears hopping about the forest. As he tried nearing the animal, it hastened its hops and scurried into the bushes.

“Odd… but interesting. I have to find Lucena, but I would really like to know just how many of those furry little animals are there.”

Astrim started to paste about in back and forth as he thought of what he would would decide to do.

“I have to find Lucena… but I want to see that furry animal went.”

He then looked up the long slope. His ear slopped, and his expression of excitement washed away leaving him crestfallen.

“It’s gonna take forever going up that slope. I think just follow after that small furry creature.”

With that in mind, he stopped pacing about the area and continued through the bushes and deeper into the forest. He noticed something different as he traveled about that part the forest. It was more alive. Small creatures would either crawl, hop, or fly about the forest. Everything seemed to be in a certain order. It was like as though it was supposed to be that way.

After traveling for some time, he reached a cliff, and the forest was bright as the vibrant colors of all the beautiful plants, trees and flowers were seen as he watched out into to the distance. He was stricken with amazement at what he saw. A beautiful pegasus whose mane and tail was like the beauty of the forest. Her eyes resembled the color and elegance of the shiny rivers that ran throughout. The pegasus’s coat and wings were alluring with its fallow brown color. She laid comfortably near the edge of the cliff along with many furry animals of all sorts, both big and small.

Astrim slowly trotted over to the beautiful mare.

“Hello?”

The mare looked straight at him. She was surprised as him to see that another pony exists.

“Sorry to bother your moment of silence, but we do have quite a problem with the forest being all chaotic and wanted to know if you could help us-”

“Help us eh, who is us?”

The loud roars of thunder came from a giant cloud above. Astrim watched as it descended upon him enshrouding the area with smoke. In the midst of the smoke opened two glowing eyes and the rest the figure became clear as he walked closer to Astrim. Astrim yawned in boredom, his eyes narrowed.

“Well, us meaning me and three others. And for the record that entrance wasn't impressing at all.”

“What do you want of us? What do we have to offer you?”

“Your abilities. You two would be great for helping us get the rest of the forest back in order.”

“Hmm... something is telling me not to trust you,” said the pegasus as he came ever so closer Astrim.

“Look I would like to talk more, but we need to get whole chaotic setting under control,”he said as he backed away from the pegasi.

“He’s right,” the pegasus mare said in soft tone of voice.

The stallion pegasus turned back and glared at the mare.

“So you believe what he says?”

“And Astrim is how you refer to me.”

“And what if I said I didn’t care about your name?”

“You just want problems, don’t you.”

“I’m Seasoris, and I will clear these skies when I want!”

Astrim and Searsoris glared at each other. The The pegasus mare slowly walked passed them with her eyes closed.

“Are you two going to stare at each other all day, or are we going to move and get about putting order to our planet? I certainly don’t think staring into each other eye’s are going to solve anything.”

“Fine…” both stallions replied.

“Umm... if you don’t mind me asking, what is your name?” Astrim asked as he followed behind both pegasi.

“My name is Seasonaria. I have an idea of what my role and purpose is but not in its entirety. I still have plenty to learn, but I think I could help a bit with returning some order to the forest.”

“That’s great. The more help the better. At least that’s what I tell myself,” Astrim said smiling.

The three ponies kept trotting till they had reached the slope in which Astrim had tumbled down on. The two pegasi looked up and smiled. Astrim however glared up and then shook his head. He knew it would take him forever to climb such a steep slope.

“Uh... guys?” Astrim asked as the two pegasi turned back at him. “Think you guys could give me lift?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back on the shores of the beach, Lucena sat there alone. She looked out at the beautiful sea and how beautifully the sun had shone down on its surface which gave it a mystical shine. Thoughts soon came back about what had happened with her and Vulcanaria. Tears started dripping down her cheeks.

“Why doesn’t she care about the world... Why is she so mean… Why can’t I just figure this out by myself?”

Because you can’t…

“Who said that?” Lucena asked as she looked all around her. All she heard was the whistling sounds of the breeze and the melodic sways of the ocean. The voice didn’t sound like any of the ponies she had met. She turned back at the jungle only to hear the voice again come from behind.

You can’t figure it out alone…

Lucena became afraid. Her senses heightened, and she started looking all about the beach watching and suspecting the worst she thought possible.

Don’t be afraid young one… Turn up to the skies, and you shall see who I am…

She looked to the skies and bright light had shone down on her. The light shining so bright covered the mare’s vision completely. Lucena close her eyes in fear of being permanently blind.

Open your eyes, my child…

When Lucena opened her eyes, she looked around only to find everything was white. She kept turning all about her. She kept her eyes open, and her ears up.

“Look up here my child.”

Lucena eyes averted upwards towards the face of a giant white horse. Upon seeing this figure, she immediately leaped backwards. The horse creature made her way closer to the young mare.

“My child, why do thou fear me?”

“Wh- Who are you?”

“I am your Mother.”

“My Mother?!” Lucena responded gaping up at the giant celestial creature.

“Yes. I am your Mother, the first empress of all the galaxy. I was in control of the twelve realms of the galaxy but no longer. After the conflict I had with my brother, I had not the strength to fully control all twelve universal realms, so I sacrificed myself bringing about the birth of a new world. You are my children and from this day you will take my place in keeping the universe in perfect harmony.”

“So what happened to your brother?” Lucena asked as she sat back on her haunches.

“We used to rule the entire universe together. We both shared the control of both realms equally. He and I had an equal amount of power and space to rule the entire universe in harmony. But it wasn’t so long till the greed which he had build within himself took over and had consumed the one I once knew as my beloved brother. In order to save the universe from utter chaos I had to imprison him.”

“So where is he now, and… what is my role and purpose in this universe?”

“He is on a distant planet far away chained away to four other planets that bear no life.”

Her mother showed her the planet where the dragon was on. Lucena looked all around her and was quite confused at why the entire place was dark.

“Mother, why is it so dark?”

“Look above my child.”

Lucena looked up. Her pupils were dilated, and her ears flopped down. Her body began to shake uncontrollably staring up at the mighty, ancient dragon, the overlord of darkness.

His very presence made her experience fear in its truest form. He overshadowed them blocking the light of all the stars for thousands of miles. His aqua blue eyes radiated extreme levels of anger and hate. The chains wrapped about his limbs and scaly neck left severe burns and scars which had him struggling about in pain ever since.

The elder dragon stopped and scowled down at them with deep hate. He breathed through his nostrils blasting them with thick plumes of black smoke. Lucena put a hoof up to her mouth and started coughing as the area was cloaked with its breath of darkness. When the smoke had cleared, both stood amidst a giant eye. Lucena closed her eyes and clenched her teeth tight. Her body became stiff.

“Ah… Sister… How long has been since we’ve last met? Oh yes… Over ten thousand years…”

His voice was powerful and trembled the entire planet they stood on. The great alicorn trotted past Lucena and stood in front of her. She glared into the eye of the great dragon and spoke using the royal voice.

“Don’t waste your time in counting the years brother, this place is your home for all eternity.”

“Ah… I see you haven’t lost your voice of all the twelve realms… And I take it that the little one is your offspring… The one who is now in control over the universe in your passing…”

“Yes, she and her fellow brethren now possess powers to protect the world and the universe from your evils.”

“Hmm… It won’t be long till I have retribution within my grasp dear sister. You will soon meet your true demise, and all of your offsprings will perish away with the bringing of my rulership throughout the entire universe. Your offsprings are worthless and they will only be extending the time of your own death. Mark my words sister… I will have my revenge,” the elder dragon said with his ever calm voice.

“Silence, you… you creep!” Lucena spat back as she breathed deeply. She arose to her hooves and glared up at him with all the bravery she had inside.

The elder dragon frowned at the small unicorn that was all but a tiny pebble to his enormous galactic mass.

“Hmhmhm… And you have the audacity to tell me when to silence!”

The unicorn stumbled backwards onto her lion letting out a small squeal for help. The alicorn quickly rushed in front of her and spread forth wings.

“That’s enough! We are done here brother.”

A white veil of light came about the alicorn and Lucena. As they were slowly being teleported from the plant, the dragon roared about the planet. His roar rung loud in Lucena’s mind, and she started shaking slightly. Her mind couldn’t take the trauma, and she immediately became unconscious.

Deep within her mind, she was surrounded by all these strong levels of evil. Each one snapping at her with their sharp and hideous teeth. They would come one after another roaring, laughing madly, and grumbling words of hate. All she could’ve have done was curl up and close her eyes tight.

Lucena felt something touch her head, and she immediately started screaming about and squirming. Lucena opened her eyes and realized she was again back in the zone of white. The alicorn came to her and embraced her with love, holding Lucena in her hooves, comforting her like a mother would a foal who had slept through a terrible nightmare.

“Are you alright, my child.”

“No Mother,” she responded as tears trickled down her face. “It was horrible. The darkness forces formed out of nothing into these horrid shapes and started eating away at my body. And. And.”

“Fear not my child, for I am with thee. I will never leave my children’s side. Never forget that.”

“Yes mother,” Lucena said sobbing into her chest. After some time, the alicorn pulled her forearms from around her filly and arose to her hooves. Lucena sat and looked up into her mother’s eyes.

“Lucena. I’m now going to show you how to control the sun. It is important for the balance of the world and the inhabitants there of. You must also be careful and aware of how much time the sun must stay above the sky.”

The mother alicorn walked a few inches away from Lucena. She opened her wings and slowly rose and stood on her hind hooves. Her eyes started to glowing, and she began levitating as a white aura encompassed her body.

“You must feel the powers of sun flow within you, my child. You must one with the nature of what you’re trying to control.”

“But how do I get the powers of the sun to flow within me, Mother?”

The mother alicorn took Lucena’s hoof into hers and smiled.

“Let me show you, Lucena. Arise, and that will be your first step to learning how to control the movement of the sun.”

Lucena’s horn lit up a bright orange. She tried to float just like the mother alicorn, but she somehow, no matter how hard she tried, rise off the ground.

“Ugh, it’s not working Mother. I can’t raise myself of the ground.”

“Relax and Focus. If you’re not in neither of those stages, you cannot unlock the connection to all other powerful forces in the universe. You must focus well and be at ease in order to do so.”

“Alright, I’ll try again.”

Lucena relaxed and focused as best she could, slowly breathing in and out. The mother alicorn descended back to the ground and sat on her haunches, and waited for Lucena to understand the connection between the realms and herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Astrim and Seasoris laid on their sides trying to catch their breaths from a series of races throughout the forest and the jungle.

“Ha, I beat you... in that last one... my dark friend,” Seasoris said coughing afterwards.

“I you kidding me? I had you... in that last one… by far,” Astrim said as he glared over at Seasoris while trying to catch his breath.

“Are you guys done competing with each other yet?” Seasonaria said slowly approaching them from the forest. “Thank the heavens there is nothing on beach for you two to do other than-”

“Do you joke?” Astrim said as he got up and wore his competitive smirk. “There’s plenty for us to do here and beat this guy in.”

“So it’s another race I hear?” Seasoris asked as both stallions rammed their head together and had his eyes meet Astrim’s eyes.

“One more beating it is then.”

Seasonaria quickly wrapped them both around in vines and trotted passed them.She closed her eyes and trotted straight not looking them once.

“Try seeing who could get out of those first.”

Both Stallion glared at each other and struggled away at trying to free themselves from the vines, tossing the sand about.

“I’m. gonna. break. first,” Astrim said as tried his best to break free from the vines.

“No. You. foolish. Stallion. I. will. break. first,” Seasoris replied.

“Would you two please stop? You’re both acting really foalish right now,” Seasonaria said releasing them from the vines. She then pointed a hoof at the mare who levitated in the distance.

“Astrim is that your friend?”

“Lucena!” Astrim said as he raced across the beach to meet her.

“Look at the sun,” Seasoris said pointed a hoof at the setting sun.

“She is able to set the sun?!” Seasonaria said as she gaped at the sun which had now went down completely below the horizon.

Astrim reached in front of Lucena and started panting as she came down. Her eyes closed but she stood in front of Astrim. He trotted up and started to look all about her. He then stood straight in front her after finding nothing unusual about her.

“Lucena, are you alright?”

As he finished his question, she started to mumble a few words.

“I fully understand now, Mother.”

Lucena fell to her side and everything around her went into a blissful silence as her head hit sand…

Chapter 2: A Chained Darkness

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Lucena was still in a deep sleep. She was once again haunted by the dark figures that moved about her. She lay there in the midst of a dark ocean of evil monsters all by herself.

Why can't I just wake from this dream...?

Why am I surrounded by all this darkness...?

"Who will save me?" she thought as the pool’s black sludge pulled her down slowly.

Suddenly, a light appeared above Lucena. From the light came a hoof, and Lucena could hear her name being called from above.

Lucena, are you awake yet?

Relax, friend, she'll be fine. Just give her some time...

Many thoughts raced through her mind as the light grew brighter and swallowed all the darkness around her. She opened her eyes only to meet Astrim's hoof on her shoulder.

"Aaaah!" Lucena screamed as she scrambled up to her hooves within moments.

Astrim leaped backwards, alarmed by Lucena’s reaction.

“Are you alright, Lucena?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Mother wants to speak to you.”

“Mother? Who?”

Lucena trotted up to Astrim and placed her hoof on his muzzle. His eyes closed shut then shot open bright with light. She stepped back as a part of her basic instincts, but there wasn’t anything that took place at all.

Astrim stood in front her like a statue. Lucena placed her hoof on his chest, but his body didn’t move a muscle.

“Hmm, strange…” Lucena said as she began to notice her friends coming closer.

“Hi, fellow friend of ours, how are you, and what happened to Astrim?” Seasoris said as he waved his hoof in front of Astrim’s glowing white eyes.

“Mother wants to speak to you all. She has an important message for every one of you,” Lucena as she came closer to Seasoris.

“What in the world…? Hey Lucena, are you okay? We don’t have mothers. You should check out your-”

Seasoris became stiff as Lucena placed her hoof on his head. Seasonaria took a bow before her closing her eyes.

“Please, take us to our mother. I would love to know how to use my powers to help bring to an end this chaos and create a better world.”

Lucena had also placed a hoof on her head and Seasonaria immediately froze in position with her eyes glowing bright white. She then looked over at Vulcanaria who was amazed by what she saw.

Vulcanaria looked at her then down to the ground and said, “Lucena, I just… I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry for earlier. I didn’t mean any of what I said I-”

Lucena placed a hoof under her chin and looked at her with a cheerful smile.

“It’s alright, my sister. I don’t want your heart to be heavy. I want to know that it’s light. I forgive you, but Mother has something important to tell you. You must go,” Lucena said as she removed her hoof away from her chin and touched her horn.

“Thank you.”

Vulcanaria froze in position also and her eyes began to glow a bright white. Lucena sat down on her haunches and looked up at the night sky.

“I’ll wait here for them till then,” she said lying on the ground and then closing her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ah, my child, I see you wanted to meet me indeed,” the great alicorn said as she neared her foal.

“Well, even though I’m quite confused as to why I’m here, I do want to learn my purpose and role in the world,” Astrim replied, giving her a sweet smile.

“Hmm, are you ready to learn how to use your powers to help save and keep the universe?”

“More than ready,” he replied looking at his mother as she started to fly up above him.

“You must first connect with your powers and the universe,” the great alicorn said, tossing a boulder in front of him.

“Umm, what should I to do with this rock?”

“Move it.”

Astrim closed his eyes and focused his magic around the rock. He tried to lift it, but the rock didn’t move an inch. He tried moving it sideways, and he tried pulling it. He even tried using his magic to move it forward, but the rock simply wouldn’t move. After trying those methods over and over again, he stopped and collapsed on the surface.

“Argh, hmm… I must say, this is quite the rock,” Astrim hummed as examined the boulder.

“Yeah, quite the rock it is if you don’t know how to properly use the magic within you. You need to reach within yourself and connect with the magic of the twelve realms of the universe.”

“Right. So… what are the twelve realms of the universe?”

The great alicorn looked down at him and showed him her ever-flowing radiance of white beauty. Then she took a kneeling position and placed her wings around Astrim.

“Close your eyes, and I will guide you to them.”

Astrim obeyed, closing his eyes. He soon felt a soft breeze pass through him. His body started to feel light. His mane and tail started to whip about as the breeze became stronger. Soon everything felt normal. However, after a few moments, he noticed that his hooves were not planted the ground. Instead, he still felt light and felt his body floating about like a bubble in the wind. When he opened his eyes, he was in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in outer space.

He looked around at all the stars that shined from far away, and the planets which offered the beautiful mixed colors different sizes and unique shapes. He was able to make out more than fifty constellations that the universe had to offer, bringing pleasure to his eyes. The sight of it all was good for the exploration therein.

“Where am I…” Astrim asked still breath taken by the beautiful scenery presented before him.

Well, you’re in an unknown area of the universe! Well, at least your mind is.

“Who just said that?” Astrim asked as he began turned his head about in frantic manner looking all where he could’ve to see who was talking to him.

Fear not, little brother.

“Little brother?! What do you mean? Where are you?” Astrim said as he continued turning around in the same manner.

Suddenly a giant creature appeared before him. He had the head of lion, complete with the crown of fur on its neck. His eyes were green, and he had razor sharp teeth. His coat was brown and he had the hooves of a pony. And on his rump, he bore the sign of the fifth realm: Leo.

“Hello,” the creature said.

“Aaaah!” Astrim yelled as he tried his best to scurry away from the pony giant.

“Fear not, little brother, I will not hurt you. The name’s Torlock. You could call me Tor if that’s fine with you,” Torlock said as he smiled, showing his carnivorous teeth.

“Heh heh, of course. Torlock sounds fine to me,” Astrim said with his eyes focused on his teeth.

“I, being one of the twelve realms of the universe, have the responsibility to keep the universe forever in harmony and peace, along with your help. That is one of your main duties along with protecting the world,” Torlock said as backed away a little from Astrim.

“Mother sent you here to learn your connection between us and how to use us along with your powers, right?”

“I believe so,” Astrim said as he tried to keep himself standing straight, which was difficult since there wasn’t a platform for him to stand on.

“Hmm… Hey! Everyone! Come and teach our brethren how to use his powers,” Torlock said with a loud but friendly roar.

“There are more of you?”

“Why of course, dear brother. You’ll see them in just a moment,” Torlock said, smiling.

“Another one?” a large pink pony said as she appeared from the depths from galaxy trotting up towards them.

“I guess so. Maybe Mother had yet another to show us,” a large blue pony said, running up alongside the pink pony.

“Hmm, so she shows us yet another one? I wonder how many she has.” A large brown pony with two horns that protruded from his forehead landed from above next to them.

“Where are the others?” Torlock asked the other realms.

“I guess they weren’t supposed to be here for him,” the brown pony said as he exhaled through his nostrils.

“Was everyone here for Lucena?”

“Nope, only Sarah, Teza, Lia, and I were there for her,” the pink pony responded.

“Okay, let’s not waste any more time. He needs to know his roles right away. So, Astrim, are you ready to know what your purpose is and how to connect with us?” Torlock said looking down at the foal.

“I guess so,” Astrim said holding up a hoof.

“Good. First, let’s just create a platform for you to stand on.”

Torlock placed his hoof underneath Astrim, bringing together small fragments of destroyed asteroids, which made a smooth platform for him to stand on.

“Wow. Much better.”

“Alright, now I want to begin with you,” Torlock said leaning his head forward and closer to Astrim. “Do you know who you are and why you even exist?”

“Now that you mention it… No, not at all.”

Torlock raised his head back and the dark brown stallion began to speak.

"Before I say what I have to say, let us make ourselves known to you, brother. I am Azar of the second realm, Taurus. Pleased to meet you, brother."

The twin ponies swarmed around Astrim for a while, giggling before they went back into their positions.

"Hello Astrim, I'm Karla."

"And my name is Sarah."

"We represent the third realm of the universe which represents Gemini," Karla said.

"And now to move on with who you are," Azar said.

He leaned in towards him and looked at him with a serious expression.

“You are the son of Mother Faust, a brother of the twelve realms, and a guardian of the universe. Your purpose and responsibility is to help us keep the universe in check. That means keeping yourself and all the inhabitants of the universe in harmony and peace with the help of our powers and your fellow brethren.”

“Do you get everything I have said so far?”

“Yes, perfectly,” Astrim responded. “I was wondering if you would be able to answer why the island looks so chaotic?”

The four realms looked at each other.

“Yes… that,” Azar said as sighed showing a slight frown.

“I figured maybe we were the keys to completing the creation of the world or something.”

“You’re responsibility is protecting it. It is already done with its creation,” Azar responded.

“Then who could’ve created such chaos?” Astrim asked.

“The Draconequi,” Torlock responded.

“Who are they?” Astrim said, turning to Torlock.

“Those creatures brought complete discord to your world. They stop at nothing to turn order into chaos. Even as we speak, most parts of your world are controlled heavily by those damned creatures.”

“Then what are we to do to restore the world and keep the balance?” Astrim asked giving a slight frown.

“You have to terminate them!” Karla said with malice.

“You must show them who rules around here,” Sarah said, pointing her hoof at Astrim.

“Alright, we will,” Astrim responded as leaned his head forward respectfully.

“This means war against the Draconequi, my young brother. These creatures are part of a group called “The Parliament of Chaos” which hosts seven of the most powerful Draconequus to have ever existed, Azathoth being the ruler of it all,” Azar said as he slowly stepped back a short way from Astrim.

“Azathoth…”

“That’s right,” Torlock continued. “You six must defeat the great chaos that holds a powerful threshold over your world.”

“Now for your powers,” Torlock said as he moved his hoof right over Astrim. “Can you lift anything?”

“Well, no. I don’t even know how to use magic.”

I may be able to help with that… a voiced echoed from the universe. Suddenly, a large white unicorn mare with a blonde mane and tail, decorated with the beauty of a rainforest, her eyes as blue as the sky appeared in front of him.

"I am Teza of the sixth realm, Virgo. I shall help thee make known thy power. And thou shalt understand its use."

She looked at the other realms and continued speaking.

"I will return him to Mother when he gets ahold of the magic."

She lifted the platform and trotted off with Astrim into the depths of space.

"Have a great time, brother," Torlock said, waving to him.

"Excuse me, where we going? And why are we moving so fast?!" he said as she skipped past many planets like lightning.

"You shall see, brother."

When they arrived at Teza’s realm, she placed Astrim in a beautiful garden of lush grass and thick trees. The sun shone down beautifully on both Astrim and Teza. A nice breeze would constantly pass through, and he liked the breeze going through his mane. All the feelings were of great pleasure to Astrim, but Teza quickly set two boulders in front of him so that who wouldn’t get lost within the mesmerizing sensation of ease the world gave all the inhabitants.

"Where am I now?" Astrim frowned a little at the two boulders.

"You are now on my home planet, Sumalia. But we have no time to show thee around for thou hast not come here for that."

"Right," Astrim said as he frowned at the two boulders.

"Let us start."

“Before we begin we must first meditate.”

“Meditate?”

“Yes young one, you must so that you can understand your magic. For behold you will see who you really are.”

“Okay…” Astrim said flatly sitting back on his haunches. Teza had done the same, and they both stared at each other.

“Close your eyes, Astrim and breathe in and out,” Teza smiled. He did as he was told and within moments of doing it he felt like he was slowly drifted away into another universe of its own.

Do not stop…

Do you feel anything happening yet?

“Well, I do feel, different…” Astrim opened his eyes and quickly looked down at how large his magic aura was. He was all alone in a dark open space.

Amazing, he thought. He continued marvelling at his great aura of magic.

Do you see your own aura yet…

“Yes.”

Then let me have a look…

“Where are you?” Astrim looked up, and his eyes almost popped out of his head. The area lit up at bright peach shade and Teza’s giant face descended before him. The sudden shock broke Astrim’s concentration and he quickly backed away from her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why were you so large?” Astrim said breathing heavily. Teza began laughing.

“Well young one, we’ve been around for many years protecting your planet. Did you not think that our powers wouldn’t be more massive?”

Astrim remained silent, and his ears flopped down.

“Well, you don’t have much time now, so we will move onto your first lesson.

“The first lesson, would be “Magic Concentration”.

“This is where you learn to focus your magic on the item you are trying to do anything you desire with, whether it was to lift, or throw, or crush it. That power lies within you once you master how to grip your desired point with focus.”

“Got it,” Astrim said.

“Well then, focus and lifted up at that rock then.”

“Okay, here it goes,” Astrim said looking on at the rock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Astrim had finished his training and understanding the basic uses of magic. He was back in front of his mother.

“So, are you ready to move this “small rock” beside me?”

Astrim looked at his mother and then back at the boulder. A purple glow emanated from his horn. Finally, with a gust of magic, he lifted the boulder and tossed it so far into the distance behind him that it vanished into the white.

“Very impressive,” the white alicorn said as she clapped her hooves together. She arose and walked away from Astrim. “Keep practicing, child, and one day you will be able to perform more powerful magic.”

A white glow emanated from her horn. The light became brighter, and suddenly Astrim wasn’t able to see his mother. She fired a powerful beam into the whiteness. Suddenly Astrim was covered by the radiance of the magic light.

After the light disappeared, Astrim lowered his hooves from his eyes. He looked straight at his mother as she hung her head and looked at him.

“But for now, that is wonderful that you can do such thing. Now, there is something I want to show you. I have already shown Lucena, but I want you to see him as well. So that you will know who desires your destruction.”

Astrim and his mother warped away from the white realm into an area that was filled with darkness. Astrim couldn’t see much, but a giant eye opened in front of them. As it rose higher, he was able to make out the dark image of a dragon.

“Who is that?”

“My brother, the mighty elder dragon of darkness.”

“So you return to me again, sister,” the elder dragon grumbled, glaring down at them. The darkness emanated from his scales. The giant chains tied to him shook around as he placed his claws onto the cold dark earth.

“This is the creature who you and Lucena must keep chained. He must never break free from these chains.” She looked up into the eyes of her brother. “But as long as I stand here, I will make sure that the chains only stay tighter upon you.”

“Hmhmhm…” The evil and contorted laughter made Astrim’s body shiver. “Do you really think you have the power to keep me like this? You’re slowly aging away with my ever increasing power of great darkness. Soon, you won’t have the power, and I will overpower and consume you, sister. Your time is nigh at hoof,” the elder dragon pushed his body forward at them against the chains that were wrapped around him, burning his scaly skin.

“Your hopes die right now, sister.”

“What do you mean?”

The breath of chaos blew from the elder dragon’s mouth, covering Astrim. Soon the two were enshrouded with his breath. The air caused the white alicorn to lose her control over the chains, and Astrim coughed from breathing in the terrible air of chaos.

“Got you right where I want you, sister,” the elder dragon said as he ripped one claw free from the chains, but before he could crush them both, the alicorn mustered a spell that teleported Astrim back to the white realm.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. The light was too bright for him to see where he was. But the light had dimmed down and suddenly he was in front of his friends.

“Astrim, are you alright? What happened?” Lucena looked into his eyes. Astrim’s eyelids began to get heavy. His eyelids closed shut and all became dark...

Chapter 3: The Response Of The Parliament

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Astrim's eyes had shot open and his gaze met the eyes of Lucena.

"Astrim, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Astrim rose to his hooves rubbing the top of his head, "Mother is not fine however. I wanted to help her, but the dragon was far too strong. I couldn't even breathe."

"Do you remember what happened to Mother?" Seasoris said.

Astrim fought hard to remember what happened to Mother Faust in that moment, but couldn't see past the thick black smoke that was breathed upon them. Every time he tried remembering what happened, the black smoke would wash over his thoughts, drowning them in a dark mist that would then almost force him out of thinking completely.

He strained as best he could to see thought in such blackness, but couldn’t remember nothing but that moment when Mother Faust forced him back into the white realm.

"All I remember is that she was tricked and kneeled at the mercy of the elder dragon. When I was able to see again, I was forced back into the white realm."

They all looked at each other and back to Astrim.

"So, what happens now?" Vulcanaria said.

"I'm not sure, but we have to defeat Azar and the draconequi in order to save this world from their rule over us by chaos.

"So they are the rulers?" Seasonaria said.

"Yes, but they are not the rightful rulers for this world. Even still, they are why we can't correct some of the chaotic parts of the forest," Astrim bent his head forward and looked to the ground for a moment, but then looked back at all of them with an expression of confidence. "But if we defeat them, we would once again have the world restored to the way its suppose to be, for the good of us all."

"Right," Lucena nod her head forward.

Seasoris jumped up, spread out his wings, and flew away into the forest.

"Let's get started then. No time to lose," Seasoris said as his voice grew distant heading into the forest.

Lucena and Vulcanaria smiled and trotted off into the forest following Seasoris.

"Don't go too far from us now, Seasoris," Lucena said.

Astrim and Seasonaria nodded their heads smiling and followed behind.

They all traveled back through part of the forest and met Vulganaris who made his way towards them after being concerned for them.

"Hello my fellow friends," He said smiling, and they all gave their greetings.

Seasoris slammed face first into a tree branch. The impact had sent him spiraling down from above. "Look out below!"

Vulganaris leaped back while Astrim received the full impact of the crash leaving a huge cloud of smoke.

The smoke had cleared with Seasoris right on top Astrim whose hooves were crossed wearing a frown expression.

"It must be me that receives the blow," Astrim mumbled.

"Sorry there, my friend. Didn't mean you any harm. Tree branches are not my best friend when flying through the forest I guess. I’ll just fly higher next time," Seasoris got up from on top Astrim.

"Guess somepony needs to fly in the air more," Seasonaria chuckled along with everypony else.

"So where are you all headed?" Vulganaris said.

"We are not sure, but we have to focus on defeating Azar and The Parliament of Chaos. The sooner we do this the better for us and the rest of the world," Lucena said.

"Very well then," Vulganaris replied. He then turned around and trotted onward and the rest followed while Seasoris took flight to the skies and traveled above the group.

They traveled through the chaotic forest for hours.

The ponies enjoyed themselves, looking at the beautiful trees and plants, and they admired how the sun had shone down on them and created a mystical green glare throughout the forest.

All, but Astrim…

He kept on trying to remember all that happened between what his Mother had told him and her evil brother had said. No matter how hard he had strained his mind, the thoughts he really wanted wouldn’t come clear.

Why can’t I remember his name? I could see his eyes, but his name... what was it? Astrim stopped and held a hoof to his head. He thought on the moment he saw the Elder Dragon. So large, so dark, he thought as he opened his eyes and walked onward to keep up with the rest of the group. He then remembered when they were covered in his black breath.

What was that black breath he breathed on us? Why me? Why isn’t anyone having this much difficulty remembering as I am? Astrim pondered these questions making his way behind the rest of the group. Even though he couldn’t find the answers he sought for, he was determined to seek their meanings no matter what. It was not long before the six ponies came upon a lake.

It sparkled beautifully in the sun. All the ponies were excited and headed for the lake, but Astrim still kept his same moderate pace and stopped at the shore, still pondering his memories, searching for answers he still had no answer to.

Lucena hopped right in and Seasonaria followed.

"You all want to rest here for now?" Astrim sat near a tree.

"Yes, I could use a rinse," Vulcanaria joined in with the others by performing a cannon ball into the lake.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," Vulganaris hopped into the lake and caused water to splash on Astrim.

Astrim shook the water himself and glared at Vulganaris, who was smiling.

"I didn't want to get wet," Astrim grumbled.

"Oh come now, friend. Why don't you cheer up and have a good swim with the rest of us?" Vulganaris laughed then dived under water. Lucena and the others agreed as they splashed water on each other enjoying their swim.

"Did you not hear me say, I didn't want to get wet," Astrim's eyes narrowed. He despised getting his mane unnecessarily wet. He loved to watch his mane of many stars from time to time and couldn’t see them when it was drenched in water.

He looked around for a few seconds before he heard the second rumble.

Astrim became concerned. He looked down at a puddle near his roof hoof and watched it shake as he felt the third rumble.

He became quite curious to see what could've been making the earth move.

"Hey guys?" Astrim said looking everypony enjoying themselves.

"Yeah? What is it?" Vulcanaria said popping up out of the water.

"Is something wrong?" Lucena said looking at Seasonaria knocking out water from her right ear.

"I just want to check something real quick, I'll be right back," Astrim said walking off deeper into the forest.

"Don't trot too far now," Lucena replied. Astrim didn't respond and kept trotting onward.

Astrim trotted through the forest figuring out where could have the rumble been coming from.

He trotted on for a little while before he heard the powerful quake again. Astrim looked around at all his surroundings and still found nothing happening out of the ordinary. But with everything appearing normal to him, he couldn’t help to stay on the alert, the roars were too close for Astrim to trot any further. However, he stood on the alert for anything that might rush up on him from wherever he was not paying attention.

After a few moments of checking around, he heard more loud roars and a rumble that shook the earth beneath him. The roars came in multiple sounds, and Astrim frowned taking a step backwards.

“Who goes there! Show yoursel-”

Three loud thumps shook the ground beneath him and caused him to fall back onto his rump. He quickly rose to his hooves and gazed up at the tree that was about to fall on him. He gasped and immediately dodged to the side of the incoming tree.

The crash created a small cloud dust that clouded Astrim’s vision, and as a result he coughed from breathing in the dust. He still looked around expecting for the worst to rush up on him.

Something very large stopped right in front of him. He placed a hoof on the giant object only to have saw it slide back. Astrim’s eyes widened when he looked into the eyes of the giant pony. The giant pony was mostly covered in moss. He covered his nose smelling the stench that came from its body.

Great mother of light, what in the world am I smelling, he thought backing away from the giant pony.

Two other giants came to its side and looked down at Astrim. The three giant ponies roared in unison. The mighty soundwave sent Astrim off of hooves and back into a nearby tree.

“There’s… three of you,” Astrim struggled up from off the ground and looked at the giant ponies who started rushing towards him. The first giant hoof stopped right in front of Astrim, breaking up the ground and sending Astrim even further back.

His loin rammed against yet another tree. Astrim looked up and scurried away and barely escaped the giant pony’s hoof.

These ponies are fairly quick for their size, Astrim said as he increased pace leaving the ponies behind. If they reached the pool before me, the others would be killed under their weight. Just at the moment he crashed right into the hoof of one of the giant ponies behind.

They all rushed passed Astrim and headed down the path to the lake that wasn’t too far off from where he was. He got up from his haunches and dashed up behind the giant ponies.

“No, I will not have you crush any of my allies,” he galloped under the middle giant pony. It became tricky for Astrim to outpace the ponies: the ground wasn’t even in certain areas. He looked forward at the front hooves of the pony and dashed on just past them. They pressed into the ground and propelled Astrim ahead of them.

“Alright, now to warn the others,” he hastened onward and kept the focus of the lake in the distance as the apple of his eye. The giant ponies roared and caused another powerful sound wave which caused few tall trees to fall no to far down the path from Astrim.

He quickened his pace and leaped over the trees, landing with a thud onto the ground.

“Ach, that was terrible,” Astrim painfully rose up onto his hooves and started again on his way to the lake. The giant ponies broke through the fallen trees with no effort and continued on, maintaining the speed they had prior, towards the lake.

Astrim galloped on down a small slope at an uncontrollable speed.. He slipped and tumbled down, stopping just before entering into the lake.

“Everyone!” Astrim said heading to the lake. “Get out of the pool, Now!”

Vulganaris and Vulcanaria looked over at Astrim who was trying to catch his breath.

“Slow down fellow stallion, no need to kill yourself to say a few words,” Vulganaris said. Lucena and Seasonaria popped up out of the water behind Vulcanaria. They both pounced their heads having the water pour out of one of their ears.

“Astrim, what is it?” Lucena said.

“Giant ponies are coming this way. You all must come from out of the lake before they-”

Huge rumbles shook the earth and Astrim fell onto his face. He got up and quickly turned to see the giant ponies walking in the near distance. The rumbles became more constant, and it became difficult for Astrim to remain on his hooves.

“The stallion is right! We best be getting out of the lake before we get flattened by these creatures,” Vulganaris got up from out of the lake and trotted off to the side.

Astrim turned back, and his eyes widened when he saw that the pace had ever increased.

“Come, you all! We must go now!” Astrim ran to the side and hid behind a tree.

They all made it successfully out of the path of the giant ponies, and watched as the giant ponies entered the lake. And they began taking giant slurps of water and sprayed it up over their heads and loins creating a mist around the three giant ponies.

“I guess there’s a lot that this world has in store for us,” Vulganaris began laughing while the rest gazed in amazement at the size of the giant pony. Seasoris shot him a glare, and he smiled sheepishly.

“Do you think it might’ve seen us by some chance?” Vulcanaria said.

“Who knows,” Astrim took a step back and trotted off deeper into the forest.

“Alright, I’m going onward. We have to find a safe spot for rest before it gets dark.”

“Agreed,” Vulganaris said.

“I already found a spot, follow me!”

Everypony looked up at Seasoris who came down on a cloud in the midst of them.

“I know a decent place for all of us to get a good rest for the night.”

They all followed Seasoris through the forest to the wide open space of grass and trees that stood in a circle around it. What made it quite a unique spot for sleep was that they could look straight up at the skies, unlike many other areas of the forest.

Lucena lowered the sun while Astrim raised the moon. The six ponies afterwards then prepared their resting places and began to sleep.

---

It was in the middle of the night when the rustling of the bushes awoke Lucena.

“Hello?” Lucena looked at her friends who were sleeping sound in their respective spots.

She then looked afar at the bushes rustle in the distance.

“Hey Astrim, Vulcanaria, wake up. I think we’re being watched.”

Vulcanaria lifts her head up from the soft bed of lush grass and looked around the open space. She then let a huge yawn.

“Who did you see, Lucena?” Seasonaria asked looking all around the bushes.

Lucena turned around at the bushes which were rustling about from behind. Her eyes widened as she saw two timberwolves appear from out of the darkness, growling and glaring at Lucena and the others with their sinister green eyes.

“Come together everypony,” Vulganaris turned and watched a few more timberwolves come out from the bushes behind him.

“Apparently these creatures don’t know who I am,” Seasoris said as the six came back to back, surrounded by the hungry wolves of the night. The stench of their breaths filled the air. Lucena and Seasonaria put a hoof to their muzzles.

“Oh goodness, their mouth could really use some cleaning,” Seasonaria said.

“I don’t think they would take your words to heart if you told them anyhow,” Astrim responded keeping full focus on the approaching timberwolves. He charged his horn with a dark purple spell and fired at one of the timberwolves.

The timberwolf exploded into multiple wood fragments on the ground. Lucena fired at another two timberwolves and they crumbled into heaps of wood on the ground.

The rest came at once to attack Seasoris and Vulganaris. One of the wolves’ teeth ripped into the right wing of Seasoris, and he let a small yelp. He kicked the wolf away into another three coming at him from behind.

Two wolves approached Vulganaris from the front. He shoved his right hoof inside the mouth of one timberwolf, and with his strength he lifted the wolf over himself and smashed its body onto the ground. The impact of the force caused the timberwolf to fall apart. The other came and sunk his teeth into his side.

Vulganaris cringed at the pain. He then quickly took up the timberwolf and hugged it tightly with his strength crushing the body of the wolf in half.

“Is that all of them?” Astrim looked around at the heaps of wood on the forest floor. He was shocked as he looked closer at a heap of wood that was quickly forming back into a timberwolf.

“No way,” Vulcanaria looked at three wooden piles form into a larger timberwolf.

She back away from the approaching giant timberwolf. Astrim charged his horn and fired away into the eyes of the giant wolf. Two timberwolves bit into Astrim’s hind legs, but Vulganaris came on one side and tackled one into a nearby tree, while Seasoris came down from the other side and hindkicked it into the sky, exploding into small wood fragments.

All of them glared up at the large timberwolf which howled away at the moonlight. It then raised a giant paw at them. Astrim and Lucena charged their horns, Vulganaris was prepared to charge right into its legs, Seasonaria and Seasoris were also prepared to do damage to the creature.

But in that same moment, a giant black figure ran from out of the dark of the forest and into the moonlight. He then slammed the large timberwolf in its side. It exploded on impact into tiny tiny wood fragments.

The six ponies covered their faces from the wooden debris. Three cloaked ponies rushed out from behind.

Astrim opened his eyes wide and looked at the beast turn its head towards them. It was a very large black bear. It roared at the six before it transformed back into a pony stallion.

“Who are you pony folk?” the beast that was now a pony said.

“We are,” Astrim responded scratching his head.

“We are... a group,” Vulganaris trotted forward. “Who are you?” he leaned his face forward to the morphing stallion. “What, are you stranger?”

“A shifter…” the stallion responded in a low and dull voice.

“And what is a shifter?”

One of the cloaked ponies walked forward from behind the shifter. Lifting the hood revealed a brown mare. The mare’s long dark mane flowed down from her neck.

“Why are you all out here in the middle of the night?” the mare said looking up at the night sky then back at them.

“We were on our way to hopefully a nearby city, but we couldn’t make it before night fall, so we decided to sleep here for the night,” Astrim replied.

“In the middle of a forest?” the mare retorted. “You six must be ruthless barbarians then. This forest is dangerous for even a momentary rest, let alone a full night’s sleep..”

The six ponies frowned at the mare’s remark. Lucena trotted up besides Astrim and put out her hoof.

“We don’t want any trouble. My name is Lucena.”

The mare placed her hoof in Lucena’s hoof with a smile, “My name is Silver Paw. We are of the Abbey Tribe, peace unto you and your friends. Come with us to our tribe to ensure your safety through the rest of this night.”

Lucena and Astrim gave each other worried looks. The others wore concerned expressions.

“Hmm…” Astrim looked down at the ground.

“Worry not, we are a kind folk. We surely don’t want you putting yourselves into more danger. Besides, the dawn will be coming soon,” Silver turned from them and galloped off into the bushes.

“Come my friends.”

The six ponies looked at each other, then turned and followed them into the forest.

After traveling through the forest for some time, the group came upon a tribe. There were huts with smokes coming up through the peaks.

Silver Paw lifted her hoof and took slow steps into the tribe, hoof by hoof. She turned back to the group and said “You six, come with me, and I will show you all your place of rest for the night,” she said trotting off to a near by hut. “The rest of you may return to your huts.”

The rest of the group quietly went their separate ways.

The six ponies followed Silver Paw to an empty hut. She trotted over to the side of the hut entrance and signaled them to enter inside. She then looked over at Vulganaris’s right fore hoof but noticed no bruises.

I was almost certain I saw their wounds, what happened to them?

She quickly smiled when she noticed that the six ponies were staring at her.

“Umm, sorry for having you all waiting, please make yourselves comfortable. You all should rest well, and we shall talk in the morning.”

---

The morning had come to the six ponies sleeping away in the hut when a light was revealed upon them.

“Is it really this far in the daybreak already?” Seasoris placed a wing over his eyes. Astrim, Lucena and Seasonaria began stretching and Vulganaris shot up and began making his way to the light.

“You have not much time, the elder awaits us,” Silver Paw said trotting off to the highest hut in the small village.

“I still feel a little weak,” Astrim said slowly trotting out of the hut.

The six ponies followed Silver Paw up to the chief’s hut. She rushed ahead and opened the hut pusher head inside for a moment and when she pulled her head back out she turned back to the six ponies, winked, and disappeared from their sight.

Vulganaris went forward, but then stopped as he was unsure of his decision to enter into the chief’s hut. He looked back at Astrim and the rest all with perplexed expressions on what they were suppose to do.

A few moments passed when an old voice called from within the hut.

“Hello?”

“Come in, come in my young warriors, come,” an old pony in a dark cloak spoke.

The six ponies looked at each other and entered inside the chief’s hut.

“Come and relax my warriors. We have much to discuss," the elder stretched his hands out at the spacious hut.

"Hello chief," Vulganaris sat down not to far off from the chief. The others sat down as well creating a circle round about the village chief.

"Hello, young warrior," he replied with a smile. "Yes, yes, much pleasure in seeing you all. My name is Elder Night Paw, but I wouldn’t mind if you called me Night Paw or Night. No need in being formal all the time, eh?”

"It has been many years since we had anypony much less any other equine willing to rebel against the draconequi. Many have bravely tried and have met horrible fates.”

“I’m indeed curious as to how the draconequi took over the world?” Vulganaris said.

"Well, let me tell you. Over two millennium ago, the draconequi came as large swarms among the lands of the entire world.

They killed off many of the inhabitants with their great, great strength.

There were six equines that rebelled against the mighty six, but sadly met their fates by the draconequi and thus the world was put under the iron claws of the great Azathoth.

Ever since that time, the world has torment under the reign from skies above down to the soil of our hooves."

"But why didn't they succeed. What difference would we be against them?" Lucena asked.

"The six leaders of the time had the courage, but they didn't have the strength to match it. As for you six, I see great courage and strength in you all, and we shall see now if you are all able to stop the reign of the draconequi," the elder druid rose up and walked out of the tent. "Come with me my young warriors."

They followed the elder druid from out of the tent and trotted with him away from the small village.

Listening to the great tale made them all curious of many things, but Astrim was curious enough to come out with the question.

“Where did the draconequi’s come from?”

“Hmm… good question,” the Night Paw said trotting on the trail to their destination. “I’m afraid I have not an answer for it that’s true. However, there are many tales revolving around how they may have came to be, but the creature for answering such a great question would be the draconequi themselves.”

Tales? Why are there many tales? And no one has come to a solid truth of where these evil monsters come from? Something just doesn’t sound right… Astrim thought on while trotting behind the group when the image flashed through his mind. It was the blue eyes of the elder dragon. He stopped trotting as he thought deeper on that image.

Could it all be his doing? Astrim looked on at the group and started trotting off. Hmm...

They traveled with the elder druid down a lone trail through the forest and unto a shrine which was surrounded by eight tall cedar pillars and were decorated with thick vines. The elder druid stopped.

"Here we are," Night Paw stretched out his hoof to the lake.

"What is this place?" Seasonaria trotted up to a pillar and passed her hoof down some vines.

"This is the zodiac shrine. It was used by ponies of long ago to connect with the twelve realms of the universe.

With this shrine, we were able to keep away evil from the world."

"Was this somehow halted by the draconequi?" Lucena asked as she walked up besides Night Paw.

"Yes. After the battle between them and all the equine races, they made sure to seal all the twelve shrines so that no pony or any other race would be able to use the power of the zodiacs against them."

"Damn those creatures of evil," Seasoris said as he stomped his hoof firmly on the ground. "I swear to Mother Faust when I see them, not one will be spared for this."

"All the seals must be opened for us to even stand a chance against the draconequi," the elder druid said.

"Then we must start with this one if we are to stand against them," Astrim said as he trotted up to the lake. He turned back to the rest. "Let us begin."

Vulganaris came on Astrim's left side and Lucena on his right, and the rest followed and also stopped at the lake.

As the six ponies entered in and stopped at the middle of small lake, a breeze rushed passed them. Three trees began swaying response to the sudden change in wind patterns.

The six ponies looked up to the skies when they heard thunder roar across the skies.

The clouds started to spiral above the shrine.

"What is going on?" Seasonaria yelled looking back at Night Paw.

The elder druid kept his stare up at the spiraling clouds.

"This is it! The seal is breaking!"

"Which zodiac does this shrine belong to, chief?" Vulganaris yelled.

"Taurus."

The spiraling clouds began to spread outwards opening up a great eye revealing the stars above.

A large sum of rocks suddenly rose from the earth and formed a circular seal which was broken apart by the crushing force of the giant dual horned pony galloping downwards from the hole in the sky.

The great force had sent Night Paw off his hooves.

When the pony landed before them, a great light came down from the heavens and the six ponies including the dual horned pony had disappeared from the shrine.

Night Paw trotted away from and continued in a brisk manner back to the village.

Now that the seal has been broken we may have another chance at winning against the draconequi. Finally, after so long.

---

Everything began twirling, colors began mixing in between themselves, and then only one color remained, black.

But then in a few moments all was white, and their were our six heroes floating about as they madly tried getting their own bearings.

“What’s going on?” Vulcanaria said.

“This doesn’t feel safe,” Vulganaris said. He was awkwardly floating along with the others.

The ponies were floating in a white space, but after a few moments gravity became normal for them and they landed on an invisible platform in the open space of white when a giant pony figure had appeared in front of them.

A large brown pony was before them. His size was of on a colossal level and they were as grasshoppers compared in size. He was very muscular, but his most noticeable feature, the black red tipped horns, were very large. Their length represented the mighty strength of Taurus.

He exhaled sharply from his nostrils, clear smoke, on the six ponies.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t notice you all were so close,” the brown pony looked down at them.

“Hmm, Azar of the second realm. Pleasure it is to see you,” Astrim said looking up into his giant yellow eyes.

“Ah yes, it’s you Astrim. Same for you. We don’t have much time here, but I would like to thank you all for being here and finally breaking the seal around these lands of the world. So long has it been since I had full grip with my role on protecting this planet, and I’m sure the others are longing for their grip as well as I.”

“How did you lose your grip?” Lucena said.

“Yes, that would be interesting to know indeed,” Seasoris said afterwards.

“I can’t tell you everything, but over two thousand years ago in the raid of the draconequi, the king of the draconequi named Azaf came and sealed us away and silenced our protection over your planet.

“The black flute he carried on his side when he plays it the listeners become insane and disrupts all levels of harmony, so closing of the shrines wasn’t a difficult task for him at all.”

“Where did they come from?” Astrim quickly spoke up.

“Teza says that she saw them appear through a portal-”

“A portal? What did it look like?”

“It was a portal in which we have no knowledge of where it connects to, but whatever is on the other side of it is certainly not a friendly creature. Oddly, Teza didn’t say that Azaf came from the same portal as the other ruling draconequi which makes me wonder where exactly did he come from?”

Astrim ears flopped down and his calm expression turned into one of frustration.

This is nonsense. It sounds as though he was in this world long before most things…

But just how could that be… if what he’s saying is right then… something doesn’t sound right.

His ears lifted up, and they all watched Azar step back. His muscles became tighter, and the veins in his neck became thicker. His eyes had turned white, and he finally let out a loud wail that went on for a great distance.

“MOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Great rendering sounds were heard periodically throughout his roar. After a few moments of powerful winds and great trembles that came from his burst yelling, his eyes had turned normal, and he looked down onto the six ponies who were on their faces, one on top another, from such a powerful noise he had created.

“You must now go save the village for they are in grave danger.”

The surroundings got brighter, and Azar began to fade away in the bright light all around them.

They need your help...

---

Night Paw reached his village to his kind frozen and shivering with fear.

Night Paw dashed through the frozen crowd.

"What's going on?" the elder druids eyes widened when he met the void gaze of a lich upon the back of its skeletal dragon.

Its skull was crowned with several necklaces and two more around its neck, and a rusty red covering adorned its mouth. It wore an old dark grey cape with a few holes and tears at its edges.

It hopped off the its dragon and onto to ground creating little clouds of dust by its hooves.

The lich took a few steps away from the dragon and then it spoke with a mare's voice to all the druid ponies.

"Who here has opened the seal?"

The lich turned her head all around, her void gaze meeting the eyes of the frightened crowd.

"You all know the price for such crime," she summoned a dark scythe. “If none will speak, I will be forced to take all of your worthless lives. I could care less, either way somepony will pay with their lives today.”

No pony answered the lich mare. She used her magic and grabbed up a colt from the group and brought him near the scythe.

“Wait!” Night Paw held out a hoof to the colt. All eyes of the shivering ponies around were on the elder. He continued to glare on into the void eyes of the skeletal lich mare. “If you are to take anyone’s life, then take mine. I’m the one that opened it.”

The lich dropped the colt on the ground and he dashed back right in through the crowd.

“Gladly,” the lich said as she reeled back the scythe with her magic. “Any last words before your judgement? We are careful to write down the last word of every foolish hero who dare tries to oppose the great leaders of the world.”

Night Paw stood up and kept his focus on the lich. “None.” The scythe went spinning forward straight at him. Night closed his eyes ready to meet his fate, but he opened them again and looked at the scythe just inches before his very face held by the magic of another pony.

Night Paw then looked over at Astrim who held a vicious glare at the lich mare and held the scythe from ending his life.

“If you wanted to test your strength, why don’t you use it against some pony who has the power to send it back,” Astrim sent the scythe spiraling back at the mare, but she quickly stopped its motion and moved it behind her back.

“Hmph, you don’t look like the rest. Maybe you have not met me.”

“I don’t care who you are,” Astrim trotted over to the skeletal mare. “Tell your leaders that we will break every last seal and then it will be them.”

“You listen here and you listen well, child. You will try and then you will fall like all the others,” She pulled up five crowned skeletal heads of different equine races from the dragon’s loin. “These were five foolish kings who you equines deemed great. They went up against the draconequi and now they are dead. Would you like to be added to the collection?” She magically placed the heads in front of Astrim.

“You know, in fact, there was a foolish one, like you.” She raised up the skeletal head of a minotaur. “I forgot his name… oh well, he was, according his people, the strongest of equines. They say none could compare with his strength, and he took down any small and great beast that opposed him.

“Sadly, that wasn’t the case when tried his might against the great Mad Octopus. He was just another sad statistic that foolishly tried challenging the mighty draconequus and it didn’t really end well. Hence the reason he’s in my hoof facing you.”

The skull started moving while the lich made the puppet sounds, “Please don’t challenge the draconequi. It’s foolish and you’ll just end like me, please reconsider your ways, ple-” the skull was smacked from out of the lich mare’s hoof.

“I don’t count your words of fools. We will silence them all and save the world from it being ruled by your filthy hooves. Now leave the ponies alone and go back from whence you came.”

The lich stood and said nothing. She shrugged and moved the scythe to her side.

“Hurrr, I guess your fate couldn’t be helped then.”

She swung the scythe as fast as she could in the effort to take off the dark unicorn’s head, but Astrim backed away as quickly as it came. Vulganaris quickly rushed out from the crowd and tackled the lich mare and caused her to skid along the ground. The lich used her magic and teleported back near her pet dragon who laid and waited patiently.

Her jaw was on the ground next to Vulganaris. He breathed out sharply through his nostrils and kept his glare. Astrim however held a glaring expression but with some mixture of fear from nearly losing his own his head to the lich.

Vulcanaria and Lucena trotted from out of the group of scared ponies, Lucena having her horn charged with magic and ready to release at any moment the lich tried to attack. Seasoris also came from out of the crowd, his cloudy beard and mane extended down to his hooves and out past the hooves of Astrim and Vulganaris. They all stood before the lich who was using her magic to twirl the black scythe above her head.

The lich summoned two spears and sent them spiraling at the Vulganaris and Astrim. Vulganris rose on his hind hooves and used the power from his fore hooves and crushed the incoming scythe and afterwards it had turned into a cloud of dust. The second scythe was stopped by Astrim’s magic which was then moved underhoof that came down and crushed the scythe into cloud of dark smoke that quickly vanished into thin air. The follow up spear was noticed by Lucena who quickly fired at the beam at the scythe, the tip just seconds away from Vulganaris’s eye melting it all to dust that vanished away.

Vulganaris slowly trotted towards the lich mare, Astrim followed. Both stallions wanted to finish the enemy by breaking all the bones of the lich and bury them in the ground.

The lich mare eyed each one of them and started backing up to her dragon as they came closer to her.

I’ve never seen any equine with that sort of strength. Could they be the protectors back from the dead?

No but that would be impossible… That’s too long ago for them to be standing before me now, unless… No, be even still… But what if they are? Hurrrr….

The lich quickly got up on her pet dragon’s loin and took flight. The bony dragon’s wings began to flap, the dusty winds began enshrouding the ponies and within moments the lich and her dragon was gone.

“She better clasp her hooves together and pray to her leaders we don’t meet her again,” Vulganaris glared up at the spiraling clouds that became calm as the lich fled away from the island.

“Our meeting will be inevitable, but I doubt she will do it anytime soon,” Lucena said. Vulganaris looked over at Astrim who was still shivering. He placed a hoof on his shoulder and Astrim quickly turned his attention to him.

“No need to fear, she’s gone for now.”

Astrim let out a small sigh. He then turned away and trotted off to face the crowd, “I know.”

The whole tribe rejoiced in the lich’s defeat. The six ponies were called “saviours” by the tribe.

---

Layers below the world, down at the last level of a desert wasteland where the creatures who commited the most heinous crimes known to all equine kind rotted.

Tartarus.

The Leaders who sat on the might seats of such a dreadful place are seven of the most powerful draconequi the equine world has ever witnessed since the beginning of time.

The centre in which they resided was called the Parliament of Chaos. However, each have their own dwellings. The lich flew off into the dwelling of the Great King of Chaos.

The lich who has fled from our six heroes has come into the presence of the mighty king. The lowest level of all of Tartarus, Dies Solis.

The lich and her pet dragon landed and bowed in the circle of the great king of chaos who was playing an ritual tune of insanity with his black pipe in which the chaotic dancers of the zodiac danced.

She looked around the mighty circular room. The ceiling designed in ancient symbols of the sun. The patterns run down from the ceiling and onto the golden floors of the room. At the center of the room, the sun pattern around the black throne glowed yellow. None of the other patterns were glowing because it was not his sacred day.

The lich shook her head and focus on up at the great king of kings.

“My great king, Lord Azaf, the saviors have finally come. They are able to control celestial bodies and are fierce in their strength against us, my lord.”

Azaf kept on playing his insane tune, and the dancers kept on moving maniacally around his throne. The lich is confused by the non-response.

Azaf aimed the direction of his insane playing towards the lich and began playing forceful tunes. Instead of the dancers moving around the black throne in their usual ways, their eyes glowed a dark red and there dance patterns changed, twisting their bodies in ways not seen.

The lich was able to hear the great king speak his words of chaos.

SSSO THEY COULD CONTROL THE CELESTIAL BODIESSS…

Yes, my L-Lord, the lich said answering the king within her mind.

HMM… WARRN THE OTHERS AND HAVE THEM DISPOSED OF THEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLEE…

Yes, my great king, the lich responded riding away with her dragon in silence.

The eyes of the dances became normal once more and the insane symphony of the great king continued.

Her travel from one circle to another within the mighty caverns of the underworld to three days. Upon that the lich and her pet dragon had entered into the layer of Discord.

She quick landed in his presence and bowed.

“My king, lord of chaos. The saviors of the equine has come to this world from nowhere and seek to end our mighty reign over the lands of this world,” the lich said as she looked up into the eyes of the great Discord.

“Hmm… that doesn’t sound good. Even though I’ve only been sitting bored in this uncomfortable throne for over two thousand years already, I still enjoy bringing chaos over my terrified equine slaves,” Discord with the snap of his fingers caused his throne to levitate. He moved above the lich and down behind her.

“Where did you meet them?”

“They were near the edge of “Hoof Island” when I saw a light protrude upwards from the center.”

“And why couldn’t you handle them yourself?”

The lich turned and looked up to the mighty lord of chaos holding her hooves together.

“I’m deeply sorry my king, but these rebels are one of a kind. Their strengths, magic, and the ability to control the heavens separate them from all the rebels we have put down over the many centuries. They are even called the ‘saviours’ by the inhabitants of the island.”

“Oh?”

“They also unlocked Taurus’s shrine.”

“Hm?” Discord had his eyes fixed on the lich mare. “Hmm… the ability to control the heavens? And they somehow managed to break a zodiac seal? That’s new. Seems like I need to really, pay them a visit. Never heard of my little equine friends able to do such things… Maybe they must be part draconequus!” Discord slid down from his floating throne onto the dusty grounds of his layer and caused his place to shake greatly.

“I just love making whole place shake like it wasn’t attached to anything, so fun that is. I mean, after sitting in this chair for so long you… nevermind,” Discord stretched his limbs. “I guess I could use the exercise of finding them myself.”

“Hmhmhmhmhm, may I come along Nyarli? I want to see them too,” a purple draconequus floated up behind Discord, massaging his shoulders and pressing her face against his.

He slapped her claws away and shot her a glare.

“I thought I told you not to call me that. I like to be called-”

“Discord, I know, but I wanna call you Nyarli! There could only be one Nyarli after all, and that’s you dear,” the purple draconequus said rubbing his chin.

“Would you stop doing like that,” Discord grunted.

“Why, is it the part where you don’t like being called my dear or the part when I’m rubbing below your chin? Stop complaining and just be happy,” Shudds pulled on his cheeks and made as many funny faces as she could before Discord slapped her claws away and quickly summoned a sword in which he stabbed her with.

“If I ever wanted to be happy or corrected, I most certainly wouldn’t need you to do such.”

Shudds quickly popped and reappeared giggling behind him.

“Oooh Nyarli, you’re always gonna make me laugh with that old trick of yours.”

Discord grunted again before calming himself. He glared down at the lich mare and then walked off leaving them behind as he began smiling, “I’m going to search for these so called “saviours” and shall cast great despair upon them.”

“Why not just kill them?” the purple draconequus flew away with perplexed expression.

“Well, where’s the fun in that, Shudds. Plus, I want to make it well worth it having been down here for so long and for sooo many years. I would like to entertain myself and could definitely a bit a moving. I haven’t tried out my powers in years,” The throne started to dance around Discord. Annoyed as he already was, he snapped his fingers and the throne reappeared back in its original place.

Discord twirls around himself and disappears. Shudds looks around and only finds the lich messenger looking up at her.

“Don’t tell any other draconequi, especially not Mad Octopus. Or my little cutie pies will have you for lunch! You hear me?!” Shudds looked down at the lich rubbing her belly.

“Y-Yes, my Queen!” the lich bowed and dashed back onto her pet dragon.

And with that, Shudds had disappeared from the area. The lich flew away from Discord’s layer into another part of the great caverns of Tartarus...

Chapter 4: The Chaos Play Of A Mischievous Draconequus

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Our six heroes started on their great journey to unlock the connections to the twelve zodiacs of the mighty realms. Thus, bringing about true harmony that would reach and connect with the hearts of all the fellow equines of the world.

Four druids from the tribe have also traveled along with them to the wide open seas to build a boat for them to travel abroad to find the shrines.

---

While Vulganaris and the others watched on at the building of the boat, Astrim sat on the stand and stared out at the sea. He couldn’t stop to think what did Elder Druid Night Paw mean when he told them of their adventure…

“Be very careful my young warriors. You opening the first seal has awoken these mighty fiends from a great slumber,” Night Paw sighed. “If you manage to unlock anymore of the zodiac seals, their awareness would only increase and they will know who you all are.”

“We’ll be ready for them,” Astrim said. The others bowed their heads in support.

“I see fire in you dark one. A spirited fighter you are, but I still must see how far you will get for me to have any confidence in those words.”

Astrim looked over to Vulganaris and back at him. “I don’t understand. We have come to take back what was ours from over two millenniums ago.”

“Long before you, warriors have many try rebelling against these monsters of chaos. Each hero that was brave enough to dare go against the higher powers were put to death in the most terrible ways.

“They were made as examples for us not to ever challenge these draconequi for as long as we live. However, I don’t think that message will ever sink into our skulls.”

Astrim glared down at the white sand.

Just how terrifying were they? Our we the ones? Are we able to conquer these fiends that have caused acts of unspeakable evil to our world? What if we fail like the others?

Will the rest of the world go on living in hopelessness and despair like Elder Night Paw?

“Astrim!”

He looked over at Lucena who was calling him from on board the ship that was ready to set sail.

I didn’t know they could build a boat so fast. Really impressive.

Astrim began galloping towards the ship. The druids began returning back to the forest waving their goodbyes at Astrim and the rest.

“Look, they even gave us a map for where the twelve realms would be,” Seasoris spiral up in the air and slowly came down onto the boat with a confident smile. “How can easier can this get? All we have to do is just go to them together and will unlock them all in a moment’s whim.”

“Hmhm, not so easy their my blue friend?”

They all looked over at two druids which came spiraling in the side of the boat. The force from whatever had tossed them at such rate caused their built ship to sink away to the bottom of the sea.

The six ponies had swam to shore and began looking all along the beach for anything strange.

Astrim glared all around but didn’t see anything that appeared to him as unusual.

“All right, drop the silly plays who ever you are. We don’t have the time for it,” Astrim growled.

Oh my, I thought you all would at least have been more welcoming than the others have shown in the past. At least, they wanted to know who I was.

“Show yourself to us that we may know who you are if you’re not afraid that is,” Vulganaris said moving his eyes from side to side.

Okay, just hope I don’t get a bunch of surprised looks.

The clouds above stopped in movement, and the sky turned from a cyan blue to a darkish gray. The clouds then began spiraling down to earth forming a tornado right in front of the six ponies.

From the white cloudy spiral, a form began to appear. A lion’s arm came into view first, then afterwards the claws of a griffon’s arm.

The rest of the creatures body came into a view as the smoke evaporated and the clouds returned up to the gray skies above showing his sinister yellow eyes and his two crooked horns. His body represented their very nature of confusion.

The six ponies were frozen and agape at the creature’s appearance.

“Hello my wonderful wonderful dear ponies or should I say saviors? I am Discord. A mighty draconequus, I am for one and a master at displaying such beautiful sceneries. Just look at the beautiful skies,” he said raising his hands to the gray sky.

Rain suddenly began pouring down onto all the land.

“Hey, we could definitely use a rinse every ten or so minutes. It keeps us nice and cle-”

“Silence,” Astrim stood behind the group glaring up at the draconequus. “I have heard enough of your filth.”

He trotted up to the draconequus.

“You disgusting filth. Having tormented and killed our equine kind for all the centuries, and you dare have the nerve to smile and make a mockery of us on top of having us work as slaves in misery and despair while you mess up a perfect world?”

Astrim fired a large energy ball up at Discord’s face. The impact caused a plume of smoke to form around the draonequus’s face.

“Well, that was very crude thing for a pony to do to a creature he has never met before. And here I thought I could’ve made new friends.”

“Save the rest of your filth for someone else. You are no more than a target that must be cast down to Tartarus.” Astrim’s eyes widened, and his body began to shiver.

Not even a step back? Or a twitch? ...H-How strong could they be? Astrim had never felt such fear and despair before an enemy other than what he had seen in the darkness beyond the White Realm.

“You know, in fact, I actually live down there. It’s quite peaceful there, hearing whips go back and forth, and hearing the beautiful orchestra made from the wailings of all the ponies and other equines being tormented day after day.”

Discord took a step forward, and Astrim took a step back, his body still shivering. His horn had lit again to fire another shot.

“You ugly mon-!”

Astrim was held up by the powers of Discord. He began fluttering his hooves, but the magic grip around his body made all the kicking and squirming of no use.

“You really thought defeating us would be this easy? With that level magic, the best you could’ve done was to kill a fly.” Discord tossed Astrim back onto the shore line.

“Astrim!” Vulganaris and Lucena said, turning their heads away from Discord.

“Let’s see how good you are at confronting us in the blinding mist!” Seasoris tried to use the clouds to form a mist round about the draconequus, but it didn’t seem to work. “What’s happening? Have we lost our powers?”

Seasonaria ran over to Astrim to help him get on his hooves.

“No, we didn’t.” Vulganaris charged straight at Discord. “He going to fall here and now.”

“Oh?” Discord began to levitate off the ground.

Vulganaris jumped up at the draconequus and knocked him back into the forest. The force rooted up some trees.

Hmm? A colossal female draconequus rose up from far with the forest over the trees. Seasoris landed down and stood, gaping at the height of the draconequus.

The six ponies watched as the colossal draconequus swallowed a few of the druid ponies of the village, some hanging from the edge of her mouth. They heard the cries of the villagers from under the draconequus. They watched a helpless druid pony dangling in the air for dear life over the its mouth, and their heart sank to their stomachs as he was dropped inside the mouth of the draconequus. She then looked down at Discord, who laid on the ground.

Oh my beautiful Narli! The draconequus flew over to Discord. “Are you alright?”

Discord remained motionless on the ground. She glared over at the six ponies.

“You all shall pay for hurting my lover and rot within in Tartarus for causing offense against the Parliament, you filthy little equine pests!” the female draconequus arm glowed a bright purple aura that covered around her wrist, but it immediately dissipated when Discord places his hand on her wrist.

"No," Discord looked at Vulganaris getting prepared for another attack. He then walked away from the fellow draconequus. "I wanted this to be fun, remember Shubbs?"

"This is where your parliament falls Discord," Vulganaris charged again at him.

Discord chuckled a bit before giving a swift hook to his jaw and in an instant had disappeared from the area.

They were all shocked by what took place. Discord stood up smiled down at them.

"Hmhmhm, now this is where the fun begins. The fun I've been waiting quite some years for."

"What do you do to my friend!" Seasoris flapped his wings and darted straight for Discord.

"Seasoris!" The four had called out in unison.

Moments before he came into contact with the Discord, he too had disappeared from the area.

"Now I'm sure the rest of you would a little smarter than those two and actually listen to what I have to say.

I'm going to play a little game of 'Find each other in this wide wide world'. It would be interesting to me how you find each other after I separate every one of you."

"You won't separate any of us. We will-"

Vulcanaria's voice was muted by the snapping of Shubb’s fingers.

"Now off the rest of you go."

"Wait!" Astrim said, but everything became very dark. He could see his three friends, but their colors were gray, and with everything else they faded away into the blackness.

Astrim was soon after overcame by a peculiar drowsiness. Everything was dark and only one question had remained.

What is happening?

Chapter 5: Into The Hole

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Astrim and his friends were scattered to different places around the world.

All a devious plan by the order of the parliament to silence the resistance from taking back the rule of their world.

It was only yet a slight warning to them not to tamper with the prince of darkness...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Astrim opened his eyes to find he was nowhere he had remembered being. He rose up from desert ground and looked around.

My friends. All gone.. forever, Astrim looked down at the sand. He was confused and lost at what he should do.

He looked down for a long while. His mouth tightened at the thought of not being able to defeat the draconequii.

Do not anger my child, a voice said. Astrim quickly recognized the voice which had spoke.

"Mother?" Astrim looked around, but he saw no one.

Yes, my son. You cannot see me now. The great dragon has greatly clouded your higher sense of sight.

When you see a draconequus or any beast from Tartarus, your imagery of them would be with haze.

"So then how will I be able to see them clear again?"

The voice did not respond for a short while.

You need not worry about that now. What needs to be done at this time is opening the shrines.

It is necessary that you do it with haste for the draconequii have plans of their own. Them succeeding would destroy all creations that was made for good.

You six are the only hopes we have of keeping the balance, the voice grew weaker and died away.

"Wait, Mother!" Astrim had called but did not hear a response.

He trotted on through the desert not sure of where he will find the next place of rest, where the next shrine will be, and what part of the world was he in.

Despite knowing all of these uncertainties, he still kept on trotting across the desert. All he saw were heaps of sand, not even a cactus. This was when spotted three hooded individuals traveling towards him. He tried looking for a clue to give him an idea of what creatures they were, but there were none.

Looks like I'll just have to stay focus, he thought.

The three hood figures began speeding up towards him. Astrim charged at them. All he wanted was answers. The three drew closer to him drawing out thick black clubs from under their cloaks read to swing at him. He quickly hopped over the three hooded creatures and landed back onto his hooves, glaring at them.

"Who are you?" Astrim said. He looked at the three closely and watched down at their pawed feet.

"Get that pony! Attaaaack!" one yelled out pointing its finger at Astrim. The other two hooded individuals, one being very large and the other being very small, charged at him with their clubs.

Astrim turned around and started running from them. The smallest one jumped onto Astrim's back and pulled his hood off, "Stop running now, pony!"

"Never!" he quickly stopped on his forelegs and had his loin propel the diamond dog forward over his head and onto the ground. The large hooded diamond dog tackled him to the ground and held the club above his muzzle.

"Stand down, pony and no one gets hurt," he said. Astrim used his magic and tossed the large diamond dog back on the sand.

The medium-sized diamond dog jumped at the black unicorn, but was knocked back by the club Astrim held. Astrim quickly got up from the ground and his eyes began to glow white.

"You dogs are going to regret threatening me," Astrim came over the medium diamond dog lying on the ground and placed his hoof down on his chest. "Goodbye, fool," he looked up and his horn began to glow.

"Wait pony, please!" the diamond dog cried out. Astrim stopped charging the magic in his horn and glared down at him. "We only wanted to find more help to dig our caverns. Don't tell, Master Octopus!"

Astrim raised his hoof from off the diamond dog, and he got up and bowed before him.

"What is your name?" Astrim demanded.

"S-Stone, Stone!" the diamond dog said shivering before him. Astrim looked over to the other two diamond dogs who were also shivering. He sighed as he looked down back at Stone.

"Tell me, Stone, who is this "Mad Octopus" you speak of?"

Stone's ears shot up, and he quickly looked up at Astrim holding his head tightly, "You! You! You don't know who the mighty Mad Octopus is?!"

The other two diamond dogs looked at each other in shock. The glow disappeared from Astrim's eyes,"Now look I don't have time for this. I need to find the nearest shrine from this point, where can I find it?"

"W-We just came from that dreadful place. Nothing but slavery and death. Why there?" Stone said as his ears had flopped down.

"Yeah, only death a-and slavery," the large diamond dog said.

Astrim glared at Stone, "I'll go myself then. Where is the place from here?"

Stone rose to his feet, "You pony! You dare go there and you'll die!"

"Are you going to tell me where it is or drag me on more with your blabber about how he's going to slay me?" Astrim glared at him. He dropped down the club besides Stone.

Stone barked,"No pony! You listen to this story now!"

"And that's Astrim to you, Stone," Astrim snorted and looked down at the ground.

"Fine," Stone responded, "Long ago, we were happy, happy diamond dogs. We go in and out of our happy holes and looked for all of the good gems we could find. We all lived near the edge of a giant cliff.

"But one day, Mad Octopus and a few other terrible monsters came down from the sky turning it red. They came down, all seven of them and he said unto our kind that we are to reveal the shrine to him so that he make locked it up along with the others. The elders said told them no, and the Mad Octopus grew to the heights of the heavens. With one arm, he boar open a hole deep within our caverns revealing the shrine.

"F-From that time, we were tasked to build up the surroundings of the shrine. Any who went against his will would be placed on an alter near the shrine and burned up by the eye of Mad Octopus himself as a sacrifice."

Anger began to show on Astrim's face,"Who would place you on the alter?"

"The minotaurs," Stone responded.

Astrim turned around and began trotting when Stone ran up to him and said, "Wait p-, I mean, A-Astrim, there's more. The minotaurs are not normal. We diamond dogs believe that they are possessed. They don't talk. They do what they must to stop anyone from opening the seal, even going near it."

Astrim stopped and looked down at the ground,How could they be so powerful? Does mother really expect us to defeat beast of such power? ...All I really am is just a unicorn.

"If you want to go, w-we won't stop you. But we will show you where it is," Stone said waving his arm over at the other two diamond dogs. "Come, let us go, Boulder and Pebble."

"Yes, boss," both diamond dogs responded grabbing up their weapons.

They started on their way back to what was once their home. The paste was slow to keep their energy on the travel through the desert. It was a long way and after traveling for a few miles the group became quite weary, but they could not stop. The beast of the desert wouldn't spare an equine's life a few hours in the desert less a few days.

"Goodness, how long is it till we get back to the caverns?" Astrim let out an exhausted sigh.

"Not too long... Not too long," Stone said.

The group came up to a small crater that had three giant eggs within. Boulder and Pebble went down into in the crater to get a closer look at the eggs.

"Ey, Boss, these eggs are warm," Boulder said placing his paw on the harden shell of the egg. Stone was quickly able to read the design of the egg.

"Uhh, get away from those, now!" Stone said hopping madly up and down on the sand. Astrim looked at him with perplexed expression.

"Hey Stone, whatever is wrong you?"

"Whatever is wrong with me!" Stone yelled grabbing him by his cheeks. "Whatever is wrong with me?! Those eggs belong to the great moving sand dune! If we are caught, we are dooomed!"

Astrim quickly moved his paw from off his cheeks, "Alright I get it!" Stone began sniffing the air, and Astrim became a little annoyed, "Okay, why are you sniffing the air?"

Stone kept on sniffing around, ignoring his question. Astrim then put a hoof to his muzzle. After a few seconds of sniffing, Stone's eyes had widened, and he turned around and watch down at Boulder and Pebble, climbing from out of the ground.

"Hurry, it is here! We must flee, Now!" Stone said as he picked up his club started on his was around the crater. Astrim began looking around for any sign of the beast, but saw none neither did he feel any rumble. Boulder and Pebble quickly followed behind Stone.

Astrim felt completely confused about all of this. He then started on behind them, but stopped when the air began smelling sweet.

This is a very sweet smell, he thought. He wanted to know where its source was coming from, but that's when he began feeling a strong vibration of something large. Astrim galloped away to the three diamond dogs when a large exploding sound happened behind him, pushing forward onto his face. He quickly rose up from the ground and turned to face the beast, but what he thought was big took a new meaning when he gazed up at the height of the giant sandworm.

"Oh, now I see what they were talking about," Astrim said still staring up at the colossal sandworm. The great beast let out a loud and screeching roar that had all the hair on Astrim's body rise up. The wind power that came from the war was very great, pushing Astrim back onto the sand. He quickly recovered and darted away from the worm, catching up with the diamond dogs.

The worm quickly burrowed into the sand and began chasing them through the desert. The diamond dogs and Astrim began running as fast as they could to keep away from the sandworm, but it was gaining on them every moment that had past.

"I told you something was coming, I told youu!" Stone yelled trying his best to go faster. Boulder and Pebble looked back behind Astrim, and they saw the worm rising slow from out of the sand. It led out another large roar having Astrim and the group speed up in the chase.

Dammit, I didn't think it was going to be this big, he thought, galloping as fast as his hooves could carry him.

The neared the giant crater that marked the fist mark of Mad Octopus. They had no time to prepare but to take the leap of faith. The three diamond dogs and Astrim had fallen deep in the crater. Astrim was unconscious as soon as his face had it the ground.

For a while it was nothing but the haunting silence of darkness. It was all around Astrim. He knew a strange presence was there, but he couldn't see beyond the darkness that covered his eyes. He got up from the ground and before he took his first step, he felt a strange presence come before him.

Gyere gyerek , gyere . Használd az erő , és akkor mindent legyőz.

"What?" Astrim asked, trying to understand the saying.

Használja nekem drága gyermekem , és szentélyek lesz a pata megnyitásához.

"I cannot understand your speech," Astrim said unsure of what to do. The voice would keep repeating itself over and over in his mind. He put his hooves to his head, trying concentrate his thoughts on where he might have been.

He opened his eyes. His eyes were met with flesh and bones of corpses unknown. He looked around and saw giant chains which ran up from the ground up into the darkness above. He quickly rose up, his heart raced, and his ears twitched.

"Where... am I?" Astrim asked, staring up at the dark void.

Two sky blue eyes opened up from the void looking down at him. The ground below Astrim's hooves began to rise up. He suddenly came closer into the innocence of the eyes.

"Gyere gyermek használja én gyermek , és a világ a tiéd."

Just moments after it spoke. A huge disturbance took place and everything became dark again.

"Who are you?" Astrim asked, wanting an answer even though he couldn't see anything but the blackness that surrounded him.

...Imong Inahan.

Another budge was felt and Astrim awoke from his sleep.

"Uh... what?" Astrim mumbled rubbing his head. He looked up and found a diamond dog guard who wore a plated armor with broad rock shoulder pads.

Astrim got up and began to trot through the bar gates of the cell room which were made of bronze. He looked back and saw Pebble, Stone, and Boulder connected to him from behind.

"Move it pony!" the guard tapped his side. Astrim turned and glared at the guard.

"Move it!" the guard slapped his rump. Astrim jumped at the guard and tackled him out through the cell entrance. He then quickly moved over him and hoofed him in the face.

"Stop Astrim!" Stone said as he and the two diamond dogs came and tried to restrain him from doing any further damage to the guard.

"Why are you holding me? Let me go!" Astrim yelled, trying to shake off the diamond dogs.

"If you don't calm down he-"

Stone's speech was interrupted by powerful quakes of something large walking down the dark hallway. With every step there was a quake. The diamond dogs began hiding behind Astrim as he looked on into the darkness. For a moment, he saw the blue reptilian eyes of the figure he saw in his sleep. A miasma crawled out from the shadows and came around his legs, and he wondered if he was hallucinating.

Is it... Is it her again? he thought as the giant figure took a step from out of the shadow, making yet another small quake that traveled down through both sides of the hallway.

A giant club came down, crashing besides Astrim. As the force blew by, his mane fluttering, he glared up at the giant diamond guard whose armor was made entirely of rock. It looks down at the guard laying unconsciously on the ground. He grumbled and glared down at Astrim and the diamond dogs.

"So, you all did this?" the giant guard said raising the club to his waste.

"Bah ha ha ha haa, we're all going to die!" Stone yelled out.

"No, I want to live!" Pebble shouted.

"Oh no," Boulder said as he began whimpering and holding the other two while hiding behind Astrim.

"No, just me," Astrim said as he looked up into the face of the diamond dog. It immediately dropped his club and slammed both of his fist into the floor of either side of Astrim, lowering his face down to his.

"Listen here pony, I let you off on a warning. No touching the guards in this prison. Am I clear, pony?"

Astrim refuse to respond and continued looking on into the eyes of the guard.

"No answer? Fine, next time something like this happens, you better hope I'm not around. I would happily crush your bones. Now get on over to the dining area and quick. You all have less than one hour. Get. Moving. Pony," the giant guard said as he continued to glare at Astrim.

Astrim payed him no mind as he walked down the dark hallway. Stone and the others were still tearing after such an encounter while he remained silent and trotted onward. They were traveling on their way to the dining area where all other diamond dogs on that level would dine together for their break and head back to their work post.

No matter what happens, I will get out of here, and we will take back what was ours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucena woke up in a tropical forest. She heard the harmonious sounds of the birds and animals that were around. Still a little dizzy, she slowly rose up from the ground and held her head to get a hold of her bearings.

Astrim she thought for a moment seeing a vision of him in her thoughts and then began to see the others. Her eyes shot open, ears rose up, and began to look around.

"Astrim? Vulcanaria? Sea-" she looked around but none of whom she called were around,"soris?"

Lucena sighed and sat on her haunches and looked up at the trees. She watched two birds fight over a berry that after a moment of struggle was lost within the ground below.

"I can only hope they are all alright," Lucena said, looking around at the forest. "Now I have to search for the shrines so that we can get the help of the heavens."

She gets up and begins trotting on through the forest in hopes that she may find and open a shrine soon.

Chapter 6: Underground Prison

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Lucena kept her slow pace as she traveled through the forest, watching all around at the trees that seemed to touch the heavens above.

"I've never seen trees that have grown so high before," Lucena said, trotting out into a clear space in the forest. Its grounds covered in lush, green grass and at the middle stood and odd dear-like wooden structure that stood like a statue that stood in the middle of the forest.

She trotted up to the large structure and placed a hoof on its leg. She slid her hoof down the leg and placed it at the ground.

I see you are new here, small creature.

Lucena looked up and then around but saw nothing. She was suddenly surrounded by a gate of thick vines. The ground broke up, and the thick vines grew into a tall stalk, carrying her up the face of the giant wooden figure.

An energy source gathered around the two holes, separating and filling the spaces in the face of the figure. Lucena stood, looking at the figure, clueless of what words to speak.

The head of the figure tilted forward and looked down upon her.

"May I ask your of name small stranger?" The figure spoke in a deep voice.

Lucena took a deep breath and said, "My name is L-Lucena. W-Who are you?"

"I am Arbol the Wise, an elder of the ents. I have lived well over two thousand years even surviving the war of the draconequii, and my brethen and I have been guarding all the major forest of this land from since the beginning."

Lucena remembered talks about the draconequii and wanted to hear more. "What was it like?" She asked. Arbol's eyes became brighter, wind became picking around Lucena, her mane flowing mane began flapping about with the increasing power of the wind. Her eyes lit up, and everything too bright to see anything.

"Gladly, I shall tell you, small stranger," Arbol said.

~~~~~~~~~~~

In the cafeteria of the underground prison, Astrim and his now prison mates were sitting together on a table eating. Astrim was still frustrated of being taken as a prisoner for doing nothing wrong.

"...I hate it." Astrim slammed his hoof on the table, glaring down at the food he was given to eat which was worms with warmed and baked dirt. Pebble and Boulder looked at him, hoping that he wouldn't do anything to get them in trouble.

"Well, what are you to do about it?" Stone asked eating his baked dirt. "Mmm, yummy!"

"I don't know alright?" Astrim smacked his tray of food from off the stone table onto the ground. A griffon flew nearby and took the food from off the ground and placed it in the tray he carried.

"Hey there buddy, if don't want the food you could just say so. I could always take it for you."

Astrim payed the griffon no mind. He continued glaring on down at the stone table as though he was really looking at something.

"Oh! Oh! Quicky, over here!" Stone called out.

The griffon flew over and sat down right across from Astrim, Pebble, and Boulder. Stone, sitting alongside the griffon, pulled up a sharp rock.

The griffon looked at Astrim who happened to meet eye to eye with him. The griffon held out a claw.

"Hey, I'm Quick Claws. You could call me Quicky though. Nice to meet ya, fellow prisoner."

"I'm not a prisoner," Astrim said as he grumbled, looking away from him.

"You're not? Huh, now that's interesting. You're like-"

"No time! We only have a little time before we go to work in the mines for level six prison!"

"Alright, alright, I got it. So what do you want to talk about?" Quicky responded.

"Breaking out of here and destroying this prison along with it," Stone spoke in quiet voice, rubbing his paws together.

"Okay, so how do we go about doing that? You do know that we have four levels to go before we see the light of day, right. Not to meant that once we are finished mining and building up level six, we will all be down there as well," Quicky said as he rose an eyebrow.

"I know, I knooow, let me lay out the plaaan," Stone began drawing a small circle. "If we go get Goro, who is chained on this level we can use his to run through this level, bam. Then, we get him to go up to next level while you and I free the rest of the prisoners causing a great uproar and resistance of prisoners versus guards, bam." Stone draws a wider circle around that circle and an even wider circle around that. Astrim, intrigued by what he saw, looked on.

"When we are on third level, we go in behind the two colossal guards and blind them to get to through to the second level." Stone drew another circle around the others. "Aaannd for floor two, umm..."

"And for floor two? What's the plan?" Quicky said slurping up two worms. Astrim put a hoof on his muzzle disgusted.

"Umm... I don't know how we are going to defeat the warden and the top guards yet! They're too powerful!" Stone said at low voice, holding his head in defeat. Astrim had said nothing. He only kept his eyes steadfast on the circle and the plan that he heard.

"How are they powerful?" Astrim spoke.

"Ah, well from what I heard the other prisoners around here. The warden of this prison was a high ranking mercenary among the Parliament however he decided that since prisoners were escaping this prison much to often to make his long stay here keeping it all in check. All who fought passed all the guards would have to deal with him and were killed upon submission or defeat.

"Ever since his appearance within this prison, no one had dared try to go up through the levels. He's really skilled with his sword art and was even said to have clash swords with the "legendary rainbow sea empress"."

"Who's the sea empress?" Astrim said.

"Her name's Rainbow Swift, the fastest sword fencer in all the seas. When she swings her blade, rainbows sparks come out with every clash. Her sword style is so fluent with her movements that its almost like a dance.

"But enough with the stories, the fact is lads we're not going the that warden without something as skilled as him or better. We have Goro and although he's a Pict, he'll just be blended up into a pile of flesh in front of the warden."

"How about magic?" Astrim said putting a hoof on the chain around his horn. "Is magic something that can be used?"

"Oh yeah, you're a unicorn. We could use it to maybe trick'm or something, but I doubt it will be easy. And definitely if we can't find something to take off those chains.

"We will take of that. I know someone who could do that," Stone said, removing his paws from his head. He began drawing with the outermost circle. "On this floor, we use magic to take care of Warden. That's it. Bam."

"Okay... well that's only getting us out of here. How do we go on with destroying this place? You also now this is gonna anger not only Cthulhu but the whole of the Parliament right?" Quicky said, raising an eyebrow.

"I know! I knooow!" Stone yelled. The whole cafeteria went silent, all eyes on their table. Stone coughed a bit before continuing. "Ahem, I know that."

"ALRIGHT YOU DOGS! GET ON TO WORK!" one diamond guard yelled out. All the prisoners began leaving the cafeteria, some frustrated and grunting about going back their mining posts.

"Welp, I gotta go back to work now, but maybe we could chat about the rest later?"

"Yeah Quicky, we talk later. We must finish the plan soon."

"Yeah, Yeah, hopefully we can be free from this place once and for all," Boulder said.

"I'm reeaally getting tired of being here," Pebble said, walking towards the exit. Astrim remained silent, thinking over the plan discussed but a thought had crossed his mind on the way out.

He looked down at Stone and said, "Hey Stone, what is a... Pict?"

Stone stopped and placed a paw on his shoulder, "A reeeaaally big bovine. With lots of brute power, hahaha!" Stone had walked off, leaving Astrim to think a second before the chain that connect them began to tug and pull. He began to trot on through with the rest of group to Level six.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Many years ago, on the day of Harmonic Restoration, it was a day like any other, when the draconequii and other diabolical beasts came crashing down from the skies like great fire balls falling from the heavens, treading and crushing upon the good grounds which this world was created.

"My brothers, my sisters, and I decided to fight them separately. The skies turned red with fire and the thundering sounds of war, and it was the first time in the history of this world that we have faced such terrible foes. I fought he who was called "Yog-Sothoth" a great draconequii, that with the powers of his multiple eyes, most of my subjects were cast within his "Gate of Doom".

"We rammed head to head, back and forth in the skies, but I fell for his great illusions and fell back greatly upon the earth. When we discovered how strong they were, we ten elder Ents combined together against the powers of the seven powers of all the draconequii race, forming the one of three forest gods, Yggdrasil.

"With our powers combined we were amongst the heavens in our height, and strong enough to fight the draconequii in their massive forms.

"But, more of their foreign friends came and assisted them with their full fledged onslaught against our world. Some of them were known as Demons, others as Skeksis. These diabolical monsters aided in their attack, reigning fire upon our homes. All we had left was to use the powers of the zodiac to bind up the demons and their allies.

"With their lasts moments of their connections, they tossed out the allies of the Draconequii away from this world into many others. By then, most of this world has been under an awful amount of damage. It was in fact the first time, death of nature took place.

"The seven draconequii managed to prior upon my weakened state and separated us back into our smaller selves. The beat down upon us until we were nothing more than torn tree limbs. And..."

Lucena looked confused. She thought maybe it was so long ago that he just couldn't remember it all.

"I'm sorry, small one. I can't seem to remember passed that point. My memory must have faded around that moment."

There was a bit of a pause between them.

"What moment?" Lucena spoke, breaking the silence.

Arbol looked away to the side, his face filled with turmoil, sadness, and despair. "That moment... where I was defeated. I felt so small... so weak. It was the first time I tasted the cup of failure and despair. It was the first time I had something to be afraid of. The next time I woke up here where I was magically bound, my hooves to the ground, for then next two thousand years.

"It is very rare do I get visitors who make there way through here," Arbol said as he looked back down at Lucena.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Arbol. I wish there was something I could do." Lucena looked away to the trees of the forest. "I could try freeing you, but there's a shrine I'm looking for and-"

"I know of one nearby. I used to come often around these parts many years ago. If you free me, I could take you there."

Lucena smiled and lit her horn. Her eyes began to glow, then turned completely bright with light. She felt and broke away the magical binds from around the Arbol's hooves and was free to move about.

"Thank you, small and kind stranger. What is your name?"

"Lucena. My name is Lucena."

Arbol nodded in agreement and said, "Lucena, thank you for freeing me, but there is still one problem. We Ents take a long time to travel and depending on the distance it make take from months to years to reach a destination. With the assistance of magic, we can make it to areas much faster.

"We used to move about this land normally until after the Draconequii came to power. They closed up all of the shrines, leaving us slow moving upon all the land. Without the harmonization of the heavens we are nothing more than stationary trees that can move from time to time."

"You seem to talk at a normal pace."

Arbol remained silent for a little while and then said, "That... is the only thing we can do without harmonization of the heavens."

"Then what must I do now?" Lucena said with a perplexed look on her face.

"You would have lend me some of your magic energy to move through this forest and get you to the shrine, but you would have to get onto my loin first."

The vines took Lucena near the Arbol's loin. She jumped off and over onto his loin and stood there waiting for the next part of his request.

"Close your eyes and harmonize your energy with my own. Once you do that, our energy will move with ease through the forest."

Lucena relaxed as she breathed in, closed her eyes, and pressed her hooves firmly on his loin. At first she saw only darkness, but energy began to come forth from out of the darkness illuminating the area with a bright green light. She curiously trotted forward in the direction of the light as the whole of the space was being filled with that light.

The Known World - Fall Of The Parliament

by LoneUnicornWriter

Chapter 1: A beginning

Chapter 2: A Chained Darkness

Chapter 3: The Response Of The Parliament

Chapter 4: The Chaos Play Of A Mischievous Draconequus

Chapter 5: Into The Hole

Chapter 6: Underground Prison