The story of an ordinary stallion who goes on a quest of self-discovery, adventure, and a mission to save his friends and Equestria.
When one of Cobalt's closest friends, Blazing Storm, comes down with a mysterious sickness, Cobalt must track down an ancient and powerful relic to cure his disease. When they get more than they bargained for, they must help defeat one of Equestria's most ancient and powerful evils. However, one question remains: will it be too late?
Sidenote: Even though the tag says complete, I will continue to add updates to the chapters that already exist. These are things such as detail and description.
For Cobalt and his friends, Onyx Storm, Blazing Storm, and Platinum Haze, the day started out rather normal.
"Find anything interesting in the mines Cobalt?" Onyx looked over at Cobalt inquisitively. Onyx is a dark gray, almost black, stallion with a mane that has no apparent pattern to it, other than it's black, as well as his tail. His cutie mark is an arrow laying next to a bow, showing his skill in archery.
"Nah, haven't found anything interesting since that ruby a few weeks ago," Cobalt replied, rather down. Cobalt is a blue unicorn stallion with a red mane and tail, styled with an uneven cut. His cutie mark is a pickaxe, symbolizing his skill in mining.
"Hey, Blaze! You alright? Haven't heard much out of you," Platinum commented. She didn't get a response. "Blaze?" Platinum is a gray unicorn, and the only mare in the group. She has a gray mane and tail which has a black streak through the middle. Her cutie mark features an anvil, showing her skill at the forge.
Blazing, nicknamed Blaze by his friends, is an orange Pegasus stallion with a brown mane and tail. His mane is spiked up while his tail was rather flat and straight. His cutie mark is an orange lightning bolt with a red wing coming off of the top of it, featuring his flying abilities.
"Cobalt, Onyx, Platinum? I have something to say to you guys," Blaze looked at each of his friends in turn. Without waiting for a response, he continued with his explanation. "Remember that hike I went on the other day, you know, to get some quiet after Platinum decided it would be a good idea to make an alarm out of frying pans, " Blaze was interrupted by an eruption of laughter from his friends. After they composed themselves, Blaze continued. "Anyway, I found this strange plant. It was mostly yellow, but it had green that was spread across it. Not only that, it had jagged-edged leaves..." Before he could finish his sentence, he fell to the ground with a perplexed expression, which never changed.
"Anypony care to explain what just happened to my brother?" Onyx looked both angry and worried, which is odd for him.
"A yellow plant... a yellow plant.... I don't have an explanation, but maybe I have something in my house. I'm not promising anything, but you guys know I have some interesting books in there," Cobalt offered
"Well, we don't have much time to figure it out, I'm not sure how well he can fare in this condition, so let's move!" Onyx ordered.
Platinum picked up Blaze with her telekinesis and the group was on their way to Cobalt’s house. The road there went straight through Ponyville, from their current location close to Platinum’s forge.
“Cobalt, why do you have to live in the middle of nowhere!” Platinum shouted over at Cobalt.
The group passed several residents of Ponyville, dashed across town, and Cobalt’s house came into view. From the outside, it didn’t look like it should even be standing. Cobalt’s house, even though old, sufficed for the little time he spent in it. He was either out in the mines or with his friends.
The three ponies, with Blaze being levitated by Platinum, rushed into Cobalt's house in the outskirts of Ponyville. "I'll look around, you see what you can do for Blaze."
Cobalt’s house was rather big, despite what it looked like from the outside. It had three rooms: the main room, his bedroom, and what looked to be a kitchen. Each room had bookshelves lining the walls. The bookshelves also seemed to be the only form of decoration, besides common furniture. The floor was stone, and cold underhoof. Looking rather worn, the walls were made of wood, and had evidently been there for quite some time.
Platinum and Onyx immediately started searching surrounding bookshelves. She looked over at Cobalt, who didn’t seem to be having any better results than she was.
“Got anything Onyx?” Platinum called over to him.
“Nope. I did find something interesting though. It’s a book on a dark lifeform, called a shade. It looks like Cobalt has a section bookmarked here,” Onyx then motioned Platinum to come closer.
“Listen to this: It says here that there were three original shades. The names of the pony they possessed lost in time, but the three shades got a reputation of being The Deathbringers. Those who stood up to them were never seen or heard from again. The strongest of the three, Dread, created many shades from her own spirit. Destroying herself, she created many more shades that were disguised amongst the normal citizens of Equestria the eldest, Midnight, sought to destroy all that opposed her, like her mother before her. However, she never got the chance. She was defeated by a warrior who was never named, but she sought her revenge,” Onyx stopped reading as Cobalt stormed back into the room.
“Guys! I think I found something!” Cobalt yelled as he came running into the room. “Look at this, it’s similar to what Blaze was starting to describe.” Sure enough, a picture portrayed in the book looked to be exactly what Blaze was starting to describe. It was an ordinary looking plant, for the most part. It was mostly yellow, with a little bit of green scattered across it. The leaves were a bright yellow and had needle looking spines surrounding them. “According to this book, it’s called Ohine. When it makes contact with a pony, it causes a state of paralysis within 72 hours. There is no known cure, but I think I have a solution for that.”
“I’ve been reading this book for a while, just let me go grab it. I hope I still have that section marked,” Cobalt then went back into his bedroom, which was now covered in books.
Returning with a red book, Cobalt opened it and read a bookmarked section to his friends. “Before the banishment of Nightmare Moon, there was an order dedicated to ancient magic. They were called The Guardians of the Rune. They created 10 runes, each with a different purpose and guardian. The names of the guardians were lost in time, but the runes are a legend that has continued to prosper for millennia. The first and most powerful of runes was The Rune of Wisdom. It had the ability to grant knowledge to the holder. The next was The Rune of Valor. It gave the holder incredible bravery in combat. The third was The Rune of Solitude. It was the most confusing rune and gave the holder the power of advanced teleportation. The fourth was The Rune of the Dead. It gave the holder the power to see the spirits of their ancestors. The fifth rune was The Rune of Fate. It gave the holder the power to see the future if current events weren’t altered. The sixth was The Rune of Chaos. It allowed the holder to wreak havoc on the world. The seventh and one of the least used runes was The Rune of Divinity. It gave the holder the power to cleanse others of impurities. The eighth and most used rune was The Rune of Contagion. It allowed the holder to create and transmit diseases. The ninth and most mysterious rune is The Rune of Misfortune. It’s powers are unknown, as it caused the guardian to die before he could identify its purpose. The last rune is The Rune of Truth. It would cause a target, designated by the holder, to speak the truth when asked to.” After he finished reading, he closed the book and turned to his friends.
“Guys, if we can find The Rune of Divinity, we can cure Blaze. However, there is one problem. I have no idea where the runes were taken after the guardians split up.”
“Well, we don’t really have any other choice, so we better get to it. Let’s ride!” Onyx got up and was ready to run when he was stopped by Cobalt.
“One more thing: try to pack some weapons, as we might need them for our journey. You know highwayponies have started to attack around Trottingham. It would help if we could fight them off.”
Onyx nodded and ran off to get his stuff. “Platinum, would you also bring along some of your creations? We might need them for what we’re going to do.” Platinum smiled at request and replied “You know, I have been wanting to try out some of my creations. See you in town!” With that, she dashed out of his house. In all the confusion, Cobalt missed Platinum levitate out Blaze. “Well, guess I better get to it.”
When Cobalt was told that Blaze’s condition had worsened, he galloped over to Ponyville Urgent Care. “Platinum! What’s happened?!” Cobalt shouted as he ran into the room.
“Well, I’m not really sure. All I know is that his heart stopped beating and his breathing stopped. I don’t think he’ll make it if we take him on our trip.” She replied.
Cobalt sighed. “Well, there goes curing him once we find The Rune of Divinity. On the bright side, I’ve found a way to find the guardian of The Rune of Solitude. Her name is Solus Storm. If we can get the rune, we can travel anywhere in Equestria. There’s only one problem, though.”
“Problem? Doesn’t that fancy book of yours tell you her location?” Platinum inquired.
“No, it only tells me the location of the old headquarters. When the guardians split up, Solus disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. Nonetheless, I may have a solution. The only reason the Guardians split up is because the holder of the Rune of Wisdom died. If we can find that rune, we may be able to find Solus’ location.”
“Well what are we waiting for? My brother is dying in a hospital bed and all you two can do is talk about old legends!” Onyx was furious, no doubt panicking.
The three ponies then rushed out of the hospital, and to a legendary journey.
“So Cobalt, any idea where our first stop is?” Onyx questioned
“Actually, yes. Our first stop is the old Guardian sanctuary in a secluded spot in Canterlot.” Cobalt then stopped talking and started galloping.
Most of the trip was in silence, except for a brief skirmish with some mercenaries. In total, there were three. One, notably the leader, had a red mane and tail, as well as a black coat. His eyes were an ice blue color, which seemed to stare into your soul. His cutie mark, as was the other’s, was hidden by his armor he wore. He carried a sword upon his back that had undoubtedly been used before. The second of the three had a gray mane and tail with a jet black coat. He wore considerably less armor, making his cutie mark visible. It was a star tipped arrow loaded into a bow.
“Hey, you! You’d better go back where you came from, Midnight doesn’t like visitors.” The leader of the three mercenaries was definitely not going to let Cobalt through without a fight. “You asked for it!” Cobalt nodded towards Onyx, who launched an arrow at one of the thugs.
“Why, you little…” The pony was hit in the shoulder, causing blood to start streaming out.
“Platinum, now!” When Cobalt gave the order, Platinum pulled out one of her mad creations. It was a sword, except the handle was in the middle and blades were on both sides.
Cobalt pulled out the most boring weapon of the group: a pickaxe. “We’re passing, whether you like it or not!” Then all three ponies rushed them at once. Cobalt sent the handle of his pickaxe into the stomach of the leader, then a blow to the head to leave him unconscious. Meanwhile, Platinum was engaged in a flurry of steel as the only uninjured mercenary put up quite the fight. Onyx converged upon the opponent he had struck with an arrow. Giving a devilish grin, he drew a dagger.
“It’s been awhile since I put my torture methods to the test, would you like to be my warmup?” The pony then fled as fast as his injured body would carry him.
Platinum had finally defeated her opponent who, surprisingly, sheathed his sword and shook Platinum’s hoof. “I may be a mercenary, but I wasn’t always that way. Name’s Lunar Arrow. If ya ever need any help, I’m your pony.” With a smile, Lunar then stepped aside and let the group pass.
“They said something about Midnight. Where have I heard that before? Wait, it can’t be!” Cobalt had evidently discovered something. Thanks to Onyx finding the book on shades, the whole group knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Wasn’t she defeated? I mean, how could she return?” Onyx started to go on a rant when he was shushed by Cobalt.
“How about we get to the subject of the mercenaries,” Cobalt was obviously trying to divert the subject.
“Well, now that we’re on the topic I just have one thing to say about that whole encounter. It was strange” Onyx muttered to Platinum. “Never seen an honorable mercenary in my days of adventuring. Then again, they were usually hired to avenge some poor soul that I had a contract on.” Cobalt didn’t understand this comment, but he hadn’t heard much about Onyx’s past from anypony, not even Blaze.
“Contract?” Cobalt looked over at Onyx.
“Oh, uh, well, you see, it’s, well, it’s um… complicated. I have this cutie mark for a reason. I was a, uh, an interesting pony.” Onyx then started to look uncomfortable. “Hey, would you look at that! Canterlot!”
Cobalt decided to drop the issue for now. Even though he was curious about what Onyx had meant, he decided to continue with the main focus of this mission.
They approached Canterlot, knowing that their main goal was in view. Near Canterlot, there is a mountain that was once home to the Guardians. It is now abandoned, forgotten, except for a small inscription that Cobalt noticed. It read:
When good and evil clash,
When one admits his past,
When the shade has withdrawn,
Then will the war rage on.
“Hey guys! Look at this,” Cobalt hollered over to Platinum and Onyx, who were currently inspecting different parts of the mountain.
“It looks like some kind of...prophecy,” Onyx commented, unnecessarily.
Cobalt then brushed his hoof across the words, which then started to glow with an evil glow. Then, a few hundred yards behind them, was a broken looking Lunar Arrow.
“Hey, uh, should we talk to him or…” Onyx muttered.
“Well, I believe it would be handy to have somepony to help us find this place. I just hope Blaze’s sickness hasn’t gotten any worse.” Cobalt replied, rather melancholy.
“Well, here goes. Hey Lunar! How’s it going?” Cobalt shouted.
Upon hearing Cobalt’s voice, Lunar galloped over to then. “I’m glad you guys are here. I broke away from the other mercenaries, something’s happened to them! They’re acting, well, weird. They walk around mindlessly, listening to nothing I say. Not only that, they go and meet with Midnight when I’m not around. Please, you’ve got to help me!” After Lunar’s sudden outburst, Nopony dared to speak. After some time, Cobalt came up with a reply.
“I know what’s it’s like to lose a friend unexpectedly, but that doesn’t mean that you need to panic. The only reason we’re here is to find Solus Storm, the keeper of The Rune of Solitude.” Upon hearing the name Solus, Lunar just stared at Cobalt.
“Did you say Solus? Midnight has a pony wheeling around her chariot named Solus. She had a cyan pelt with a purple, red, and gray mane and tail. Her tail was short and was mostly even, except for the top section had more taken out of it than the rest. She had lightning bolts beaming down at mountains for a cutie mark. Wouldn’t be bad luck if that Solus Storm and this Solus Storm was the same pony! Midnight hates people who try and disrupt her and uh…” Lunar was stopped short as he got surprised looks.
“That’s the exact description of Solus Storm, guardian of The Rune of Solitude. We have to get her away from Midnight,” Cobalt looked around, but he was the only one that seemed ready to face her,
“Look, I may be a good fighter, but that doesn’t mean I can take on someone like that! We don’t even know what she looks like!” Onyx started to get worried.
“I don’t agree with him often, but he’s right Cobalt. We have no idea if we can even fight someone with no way to know what we’re walking into.” Platinum reasoned.
Cobalt just sighed and gave no reply. “Does he do this a lot?” Lunar whispered to Platinum. “Usually he’s a bit less, well, decisive with things. I think he just needs to come up with a plan.” Platinum whispered back.
“If we don’t know what she looks like, or how to defeat her, how can we get Solus?!” Cobalt then collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. “Done?” Onyx asked.
“Yeah.” Was Cobalt’s reply.
“From that outburst, I gather that you don’t know who Midnight is.” Lunar observed.
“We do, we just don’t know how to defeat her,” Platinum answered.
“Well, in order for me to tell you how to defeat her, I’ll have to tell you what you may or may not know. Midnight is a shade. In other words, a sorcerer corrupt with the spirit of a demon. You can only kill her with a hit to the heart. I fear that she has done something to my friends. They just stand in one place when I’m trying to talk to them, and they do whatever Midnight tells them to. I’m afraid they’ve been, well I think they’ve been possessed.” Lunar then looked at Cobalt with solemn eyes.
“Well, I could get a shot off on her heart if you guys distract her. It would take some concentration, but I could do it.” Onyx replied.
“Well, that would explain how you managed to hit Brave.” Lunar replied.
“Brave?” Cobalt asked, suddenly intrigued. “Brave? As in Brave Steel?”
Lunar looked at Cobalt, surprised. “Well, yeah. That is his name.”
Cobalt then turned to his friends. “I read a book that has records taken directly from what was left of the Guardian sanctuary in Fillydelphia. It doesn’t give the names of the guardians, but it gives you clues. It tells that the guardian of The Rune of Valor had a brave heart that was guarded by steel. I had an idea that his name had something to do with brave, steel, or heart. If my assumption is correct, and I believe it is, Brave Steel is the guardian of The Rune of Valor.”
Hearing what Cobalt was telling his friends, Lunar was frozen in shock. “The Rune of Valor? My father would tell me about it. He told me that I was destined to find the rune, but I never believed him. I will help you. For Brave’s sake, for Solus’s sake, and for our sake. I have just one question: Anypony got a plan?”
When Lunar asked that question, nopony could give him an answer. Until Onyx got a crazy one. “I think I know how we can do this. If you three can distract Midnight, I could aim for her heart. If I succeed, would all the ponies that have been placed under her spell be free?”
“Well, yeah. If you can kill a shade, you remove all that it brought into Equestria.” Cobalt replied.
“Then let’s do this!” Onyx shouted.
“We only have one problem. We have no idea where Midnight is.” Platinum pointed out.
“Well, I do.” Lunar replied.
“Like I said, let’s do this!” Onyx then galloped close behind Lunar. He was later followed by Cobalt and Platinum.
“Do you think this plan of Onyx’s will work?” Platinum asked Cobalt.
“Well, it sounds possible, and none of us have anything better. All we need to do is hold out until Onyx takes the shot. You know as well as I that he could hit an apple from 500 yards.” Cobalt replied.
“Well, yeah. He just seems, I don’t know, different. He’s not a mysterious figure anymore. The old Onyx would have rather put a dagger in Lunar’s throat then let him help.” Platinum said, rather intrigued.
“I know what you mean. I’m not sure if it’s Onyx’s drive to help Blaze, or if this is a permanent change. Either way, I like this Onyx better.” Cobalt commented. Platinum just nodded in agreement.
“Hey! Chatters! We’re here!” Lunar shouted back at them.
Platinum and Cobalt trotted over to Lunar and Onyx. “There she is. Midnight.”
The pony Lunar pointed out was one of the tallest ponies Cobalt had ever seen. She had a dark blue pelt with a solid black mane and tail. Her cutie mark was covered by dark blue battle armor. Her heart was unprotected, thankfully.
“All right, let’s get this over with. You guys know what to do.” With that, Onyx galloped to a vantage point, bow draw.
“Let’s do this.” Cobalt looked over at Platinum, who gave a nod of approval. He then looked to Lunar, who also nodded. Cobalt gave the signal, and they charged into the clearing. Little did they know what they were getting into.
“Hey you! What do you think you’re doing?” Cobalt shouted at Midnight.
“Why, I’m creating evil. Do you mind?” Midnight’s voice echoed when it was spoken. It was deeper than most ponies Cobalt had heard, and it had a trace of evil in it. “Now it’s your turn.” Midnight’s hooves pointed at Cobalt, lifting him up.
“Hey, you leave him alone!” Platinum pulled out her double bladed sword and started slashing at Midnight.
Meanwhile, Onyx was in a little trouble himself. Right when he was about to take the shot, a hoof knocked the bow out of his hand, causing the arrow to discharge into the leg of the disruptor.
Onyx looked up at his attacker. It was Brave Steel. “It didn’t have to be this way. You could’ve left well enough alone.” His voice had changed. It was no longer a deep stallion’s voice, but the voice of Midnight. After speaking, Brave tried to slash Onyx in the throat. Onyx dodged the maneuver and counterattacked. Onyx drew his dagger and slashed his hooves, causing blood to start streaming out. As he was stunned, Onyx knocked him with the pommel of his dagger, leaving him unconscious. Onyx then retrieved his bow, and sent an arrow straight through Midnight’s heart. Midnight only smiled when Onyx hit her, and she disappeared into nothingness.
In the clearing, things were returning to normal. Solus was not quite conscious, but the group knew she would be soon. They looked up to see Onyx carrying Brave down the hill into the clearing.
“What happened to him? He doesn’t look so good.” Platinum observed.
“We had a little skirmish. It seems Midnight knew we were coming. Which would also explain why Lunar is in the same condition as the others. He was under her corruption as well.” Onyx replied.
“We only have one issue: Midnight isn’t dead,” Cobalt pointed out to Onyx.
“Not dead? You mean, I missed?” Onyx hung his head in disappointment.
Solus stood up and shook her head. “Whoa, that was one weird dream.” Her voice sounded tired, broken. Her eyes had constant expression of sadness on them. They had found her. Solus Storm.
“Solus! Are you okay?” Cobalt ran to her side and helped her up.
Her eyes widened. “How do you know my name? I had hoped that nopony would remember my name after I left.”
Now that the harness that held the chariot to her back was gone, they could see the rest of her cutie mark. There, at the bottom, was a picture of The Rune of Solitude.
“I have some questions Solus, so what do you say we get started?” Cobalt asked.
Solus was about to reply when she saw Brave Steel. “Why is he here?”
“Don’t you guys get along? You are members of the Guardians…” Cobalt was cut off by Solus.
“Get along? GET ALONG?! That coward idly stood by while our leader was torn to pieces by a shade!” Solus then started to calm down. “But I suppose that the past is better to remain in the past.”
Brave stood up, and immediately saw Solus. “Solus Storm! Long time, no see.” Solus actually smiled when she saw her old friend. His voice was deep and had a guttural ring to it. “I just have one question. Where are we?”
The mercenaries and Solus finally looked around at their surroundings. Lunar looked at Platinum, and his expression instantly tensed. “I think our colleagues have some answers for us.” Lunar then trotted over to Cobalt. “At least, I hope you have answers.”
“We can only provide so much, but I can answer one question I know all of you have. Was that ‘dream’ you saw real? The answer to said question is yes. You were possessed by a shade: Midnight.” Upon the mention of the shade, both Solus and Brave were immediately alert.
“Midnight? As in, the shade who slaughtered Solar?” Brave started to get antsy. “One thing though: I thought I was the last Guardian.”
“As did I,” Solus confirmed.
“Listen, the combined power of the ten runes is one of the most powerful powers known to ponykind. It is said that they could defeat the strongest of all shades: Dark Storm.’
Onyx flinched at the mention of the shade. “Onyx? You alright?” Platinum, who had been quiet through the whole thing, asked.
“Well, uh, I…I can’t tell you.” Onyx was getting ready to gallop away when he was tackled by Brave.
Cobalt and Platinum stood in shocked silence at what had just happened. “What is he talking about, Onyx?” Platinum looked over at the nearly flattened Onyx, awaiting an explanation.
“If Brave can let me up, I can explain,” Onyx said, rather hesitantly.
After Brave let Onyx up, he started his explanation. “I thought I would never have to mention mine and Blaze’s past to anypony, not even you guys. Well, here goes. As you two well know, shades are sorcerers with the spirit of a demon inside them. My mother was the first. Her name is Dark Storm. After escaping becoming a shade from the hands of my mother, I became an assassin. It wasn’t steady work, but it brought in bits. Blaze convinced me to stop, to join him in Ponyville. That’s when we met you guys.” After Onyx finished talking, Cobalt trotted up to him.
“Onyx, your mother may be one of most evil ponies in legend, but that doesn’t mean you are,” Cobalt comforted.
“He’s right Onyx, but no more time for sentiment. Why did you help us?” Brave was starting to get antsy.
“Oh, right. We came for the Rune of Divinity. You see…” Cobalt was stopped short when Brave put a hoof to his mouth.
“Whatever you need the rune for, it better be a worthy cause. Otherwise, this pony is out,” Brave warned.
“...we need it to cure a sickness that Blaze contracted. From Ohine,” Cobalt finished.
“It’s not the worst reason somepony wanted the rune, so let’s give it a shot Brave,” Solus urged her old friend.
“To be fair, you have a point Solus. It’s better than, well, let’s not talk about it. I’m in. Just one thing you need to know: it’s in the sanctuary that lay before us.” Brave said the last part rather melancholy. “Well, why is that a bad thing?” Cobalt questioned.
“It’s a bad thing because the sanctuary became home to Dark Storm, the shade who killed our leader and caused the Guardians to separate. Not only that, Midnight is her sister and it is likely where she went after Onyx’s arrow missed its mark.” Onyx looked away in shame at the comment. Seeing this, Cobalt trotted over to him.
“Onyx, it’s not your fault you missed. To be fair, we could’ve had a better plan,” Cobalt said, very sincere.
“Uh, guys? Shouldn’t we be going into the sanctuary?” Platinum was ready to go, but was stopped by Cobalt.
“That would be the fastest way, but I think it would be nice to have a plan for once. It didn’t exactly go well the last time we didn’t,” Cobalt told her.
“Oh, right.” Platinum then rejoined the group.
“Brave, you’ve seen Dark Storm before, what can you tell us about her?” Onyx questioned.
“Well, you saw Midnight right? She’s the youngest sister. Dark is the oldest. Her powers were enough to defeat our leader, even with his knowledge. His rune is still in there, captured by her. She is rumored to have enough dark magic to rival Discord. I’m afraid it’s all too true. In the battle between the Guardians and the shades, she wiped us out. She left us alive, except for one. His name was Spiteful Knowledge. Despite his evil nature, he fought for good, and he paid for it with his life. The founder of the Guardians, he was a shade, the only who has ever betrayed Dark Storm. When she defeated us, she killed him for his treachery. That’s about all there is to tell,” Brave disclosed.
“You don’t know anything about Dark herself? Just from what you’ve seen in battle?” Cobalt was disappointed.
“I’m sorry Cobalt. Not many ponies even believe that shades exist, much less figure them out. Even I have not seen her in years,” Brave replied.
“Do you know the layout of the sanctuary? It might help us,” Platinum asked Brave.
“I do. In fact, I believe that I still have a map of it,” Brave replied. Brave walked over to his saddlebag and opened it up. He retrieved an old looking paper and brought it over to the group. Spreading it out, it was a blueprint of some kind.
“These are the building plans for the sanctuary. I kept it all these years, in hopes that, one day, we might be able to have it again,” Brave addressed the group.
“Whoa, this looks complicated. There’s all kinds of hidden mechanics in here. Even the castle at Canterlot isn’t this complicated. I mean, not that I would know,” Onyx lied.
Not wanting to press the subject, the group went back to the map. “Well, if there was this much stuff, it’s most likely been converted to whatever Dark Storm wants it to be,” Cobalt warned the group.
“Wow. I’m glad I didn’t just rush into the sanctuary, I would’ve been dead for sure!” Platinum exclaimed.
Lunar, who had been away finding the other mercenary, walked in. “Hey guys! What I miss?”
The group turned to look at the earth pony. By the looks of it, Lunar had taken quite a battering. His helmet was dented, and his chestplate was well worn. Behind him stood the third mercenary, who Onyx had scared a bit too much, even for him.
He wore a chestplate and boots similar to Lunar, but he didn’t have a helmet. His weapon was also much different. Instead of a sword, he wielded an axe. When his and Onyx’s eyes met, the mercenary’s eyes widened.
“You didn’t tell me that he would be here!” The pony was definitely fearing for his life.
Onyx stood up and walked over to him. “Look, I didn’t mean what I said before. We were just trying to get past so we could help our friend,” Onyx assured.
Still looking rather fearful, the stranger introduced himself. “Anyway, the name’s Flawless Cleave. Brave found me as a lone mercenary, but then he offered me a job. Been working with him ever since. Lunar told me what happened to you guys, and let’s just say I’m glad that this guy scared me away,” He explained.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Cobalt, this here’s Platinum, and the terrifying black pony is Onyx,” Cobalt told Flawless, chuckling to himself at the end.
“We could use your guys’ help. We need to find a way to get into the old Guardian sanctuary,” Cobalt told them.
“Sanctuary?” Lunar echoed.
“You didn’t know? I was sure Brave had told you,” Onyx reckoned.
“Brave what are they talkin’ about?” Lunar questioned.
“I’m afraid I haven’t been honest with you two. I am the guardian of the Rune of Valor. Not a title I reveal lightly, but you guys should know,” Brave elaborated.
The mercenaries stared forward in shock, and then Lunar smiled. “Well, I guess that explains a lot.
Brave looked at Lunar in confusion. “What do you mean? Explains what?” “It explains why you always have your cutie mark covered. Only the Guardians would do something like that. I just can’t believe that I was working with one the whole time!”
“Guys, I think I know how we can get into this sanctuary. Look at this.” Platinum told the others.
Platinum pointed to a spot that she thought would come in handy. “Look at this. It appears to be some sort of secondary passage that runs from the entrance to the main chamber. If we can get to the passage, we might be able to sneak past whatever defenses they have set up for us at the entrance.”
Brave then offered his insight into the matter. “Although it is a great plan, the entrance to the passage can only be activated by the Rune of Divinity, as it was Pristine who made it.”
“Well isn’t that just great! The one thing we’re seeking is guarded by an ancient evil, and we have no way to sneak in there. What are we going to do, just run in there and ask for the rune? No…” Platinum was about to continue her loss of hope rant when she was stopped by Cobalt.
“Uh, Platinum? I think I have a way.” Cobalt then directed everypony to the map.
“Look at this: the main hallway branches off into two different branches. If we split into groups, we could try to overwhelm them with an attack from three sides.” After he finished telling his plan, Flawless walked up to him.
“I’ll tell ya somethin. It ain’t a foolproof plan, but it’s worth a shot. I’m in.”
“As am I,” Lunar agreed.
The rest of the group then confirmed their support.
“Platinum, do you have any other interesting weapons for us to use? They may come in handy,” Cobalt asked.
“I thought you would never ask. Let me go get my things together, and I’ll come show it to you guys.” With that, Platinum departed.
“Well, it’s getting late. Maybe we should get some sleep. We’ll need all the help we can get if we’re to succeed tomorrow. See you guys in the morning.” Brave then claimed a spot on the ground and started to go to sleep. The rest of the group did the same. All but one. Platinum pulled a medallion from her saddlebag. After she placed it on the ground, an all too familiar voice started talking.
“So, do they suspect anything yet?” The voice had an echo and was low in pitch.
“I’m all in the clear Dark. Although it doesn’t help that the mare I’ve possessed has quite a strong will. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to hold on to her.” The voice was nearly identical to Dark’s, only it didn’t have quite a low of a pitch.
When Cobalt started stirring, the possessed Platinum quickly put away the medallion and tried to go to sleep.
Cobalt had suspected that something was up with Platinum, but he had dismissed it earlier that night. Little did he know that he had endangered not only himself, but Onyx.
Cobalt woke up in a small chamber, no doubt made of stone, and was greeted by a familiar, yet different voice. “Hello, Cobalt.” Cobalt jumped to his hooves, examining his surroundings. There was a shade in front of him, and it knew his name. Neither of those things were good. His mane was flattened and caked with dirt. His hooves were similar, but they hurt to walk on. He hoped he didn’t walk on his mane. “Amusing thoughts Cobalt, but your humor can’t save you now. You’re trapped in this chamber. Even now, we are turning your friends against each other. Without you, they’re at each other’s throats, waiting for the chance,” The shade taunted him, causing Cobalt to attempt to attack it. Cobalt launched himself at the shade, which turned out to be not one of his greatest plans. The shade smashed her hoof into the ground, causing a spire of earth to rise, smashing directly into Cobalt. He fell to the chamber floor, dazed. Laughing, the shade kicked him with her hoof. “Pitiful. I thought you knew more about us, but I must be mistaken,” she said, before another shade came from behind it. “Silence, fool! I told you not to anger him!” Turning to Cobalt, the shade forced him to his hooves. “Come!” It shouted at him. Warily following the shade, Cobalt looked around. He began to recognize some things from the “map” that the group had looked at earlier. He was in the Canterlot Sanctuary. The shade finally stopped, pushing him into a circular chamber. On the floor, there was some kind of star, and he was standing directly in it. Before he had a chance to react, he had his hooves swept out from underneath him. Too tired to stand, Cobalt just laid there, waiting for what would come next. “Interesting. You seem to be unaware of what’s about to happen, even though you know more about us than most mortals do….” After a short pause, the voice continued. “….or maybe you do, but refuse to acknowledge it.” When it finished, Cobalt felt an intense pain ripple through his body, before passing out.
* * * * * * * *
Onyx woke up to chaos. Brave was running around, barking orders and fighting with Solus. Lunar was still asleep(somehow), and Flawless wasn’t currently there. Then Onyx looked to where Cobalt should’ve been sleeping, only to find his bedroll empty. Upon seeing this, Onyx quickly ran over to where Brave and Solus were shouting at each other.
“You were supposed to make sure no one got hurt, that was your only job! Now Flawless is injured, and Cobalt and Platinum are missing!” Solus shouted at Brave, causing him to pause for a minute.
“Solus, I’m sorry, but this arguing won’t solve much. Flawless is still hurt, and Cobalt and Platinum are still missing. We need to work together to even help Flawless, much less Cobalt and Platinum.” Brave told her, causing her to stay silent until Onyx decided to speak up.
“Uh, Brave, Solus? Can I talk to you guys for a second?” Onyx asked.
Upon hearing him speak, Brave turned to him. “Onyx, good, you’re awake. Now we need to talk. Flawless is wounded, perhaps fatally, and Lunar still hasn’t awoken. Platinum took Cobalt in the middle of the night. Flawless tried to stop her, but he was sliced through the torso by the shade that is now Platinum. Lunar was, well, kept asleep by the shade, perhaps to minimize resistance. The bottom line is, we need help,” Brave explained, leaving Onyx speechless.
They have Cobalt and Platinum. If that’s true then…. Onyx’s thoughts were interrupted by Lunar coughing from his bedroll.
The three ponies rushed over to him, and heard the last thing they would want to hear. “Run,” Lunar wheezed, before his eyes were reduced to slits and he drew his bow.
“Brave, what’s happening to him?” Onyx asked the Guardian, but was answered by Solus instead.
“The shades haven’t possessed him, the results could be catastrophic. They’ve clouded his mind, causing him to kill whatever’s in his way.” Solus explained, before having to dodge an arrow.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Cobalt awoke, and found it was hard to concentrate. He looked around his surroundings, and found that he was in the last place he would want to be in. He was in his own thoughts. He looked around, and then jumped to his hooves. His mind cleared, and he could think clearly, but couldn’t come up with a reason why he would be here.
“Ah, confused, are you? Let me clarify,” A voice sounded, sounding much like Cobalt’s own. “You are a shade. I control these functions now. You are here because you can’t be in your own body, a prisoner in your own mind.”
“I’m not a sorcerer! This shouldn’t be!” Cobalt shouted into the darkness, causing the voice to break out in laughter.
“You don’t know do you? I suppose that is for the best. If you knew, you would’ve been much more difficult to turn.” With that, the voice went silent, and forced Cobalt to watch what was happening, what his body was doing.
The shade had taken full control of Cobalt’s conscious and subconscious thoughts, allowing full control of his body. Cobalt’s head tilted, seeing several shades in dark armor and purple swords. Cobalt was no longer himself, just a small voice trying to fight a booming one. Without control of his body, Cobalt couldn’t warn his friends. He imagined that Platinum was of a similar state.
“You all know the plan, now let’s crush this resistance before it crushes us. Now let’s do this!” One of the shades shouted, undoubtedly the leader. When Cobalt’s body started galloping without his consent, Cobalt’s mind started shutting down. His mind fogged back up, and he fell unconscious, the shade continuing to steer the body.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Onyx drew his bow, and then thought about what he was about to do. An arrow being lodged into Solus’s leg was all the convincing he needed. Onyx nocked an arrow, and fired it at Lunar’s torso. At the last second, he moved, causing it to lodge itself into his cutie mark. Lunar’s entire body shook, before he fell to the ground.
Onyx looked at what became of the Guardians. Solus was hurt, but alive. Brave had two arrows in his torso, both wounds spurting fresh blood. Onyx didn’t suffer any injuries, causing him to immediately consult the wounded. Before he could do so however, ponies in black armor came flooding from the sanctuary.
“We expected a little more, but you’ll have to do,” one told the broken trio.
Onyx launched an arrow at the one who spoke, only for it to be sliced out of the air by its sword, which had black flame flickering around it. Shocked, Onyx knew what was about to become of him, and that he should try his best to take as many as he could. However, he was tackled by a shade before he could even start his plan. Knowing it was over, Onyx just slumped over, before he pulled out his dagger and sliced through the heart of the shade. It gave a glass-piercing shriek and disappeared, leaving the barely conscious Solus out cold.
The group of shades were stunned, but not stopped. They charged the lone pony, throwing all their might on him at once, before realizing that wasn’t a good idea. Onyx teleported behind the shades, causing a few of them to trip when trying to turn. Onyx then launched an arrow at a stunned shade, causing another shriek and more infuriated shades.
Sunset help me, Onyx thought. Moments later, Onyx was pinned by four shades, disarmed.
“No one can help you now, pony. It’s over,” one of the shades told him, and Onyx knew it was right. Brave and Solus fell unconscious when the shades came, the mercenaries were most likely dead, and his friends were shades. A single tear fell from Onyx’s cheek. That’s when an orange streak came from across the sky, causing an ear-shattering noise. The last thing Onyx remembered was somepony calling his name, telling him to stay with him. That’s when Onyx succumbed to shock and blacked out.
