One year later…

Star Swirl grunted as he intercepted the blade of his opponent with his own, his mind struggling to resist the force exerted by the telekinesis blade inching its way towards his throat from above him. From his sprawled position on his back maneuvering options had become severely limited rather quickly, though he had to admit the technique behind the ambush spoke volumes of the skill of his attacker. He blinked his eyes in concentration as another burst of sparks flew from the meeting place of the two weapons vying for power.

In a last second attempt to survive he heaved the blades aside as he fired a bolt of condensed stun into the fog covered bushes in front of him, resulting in a cloaked stallion flipping up and away before the spell could find its mark. On instinct Star Swirl rolled to his hooves and brought his weapon to bear once more just fast enough to catch the other’s blade en route to his skull.

With an ear splitting clang the blades kissed once more only to instantly separate and clash together on differing edges, refracting the dim light of the swamp as they clashed again and again. Each time Star Swirl would lose ground, finding himself severely outclassed in this duel of blade and mind. He needed to change tactics, now.

Parrying away his assailant’s blade Star Swirl quickly fired off a burst of telekinetic energy directly at his opponent, tossing him up and away at great speed. He quickly began to charge a powerful sleep spell that would certainly ensure his victory, only to watch dumbfounded as his supposed helpless victim maneuvered his weapon behind his rear hooves and kicked off the blade, propelling himself right back into the fight. Before he could move to react the flying pony slammed into him and together they tumbled backwards through the brush and over an embankment.
Switching instantly to hoof blows the pair tumbled down the flora covered slope, trading blows and locking limbs as they rolled to a stop in the center of a small mud wallow. The attacker recovered first and stood to deliver a final blow as his blade flew from behind him and angled for Star Swirls chest, it was all over. His own blade was coming, but would be just a second too late. As he sank further into the mud it became clear, he had lost.
In a blur of motion a third blade flew from the surrounding foliage and intercepted the descending deathblow with a deafening clang. “Eldershade?” Star Swirl whispered with astonishment as he watched the rune covered relic force away the other with a violent twist. The screech of the metal grating to the pony’s ear.

A heartbeat later the blade’s partner hurtled through the air and landed a double hoof kick to the cloaked pony’s head, knocking him away into the bushes with a cry of both surprise and pain. The new comer rolled to the ground and sprang up in a pirouette to face back at Star Swirl, her blade pinning the other to the ground along with a fore hoof.

“Shadow Depth? What are you doing here?” Star Swirl gawked, accepting the offered hoof that then proceeded to haul him from the muck of the wallow. The pitch black mare looked over him once with a cold calculating glance from her green eyes before turning back to look where their enemy had gone.

“I believe it to be commonly known as helping,” she stated flatly with not even the slightest hint of emotion. “I calculated my chances of winning a fight against this opponent alone to be no greater than yours, therefore. It would be in both our interests to work together, agreed?” Shadow stated more than questioned. Even being as small a mare as she was, she was still more than just intimidating.

Star Swirl gulped as he watched the pinned blade begin to squirm under her hoof, the mare placing down additional effort as it did so. “Agreed,” he mumbled as its motions ceased, before it was teleported away in a flash of silver magic.

Her demeanor seemed to warm slightly at his words. “Good,” she said, scanning the surrounding foliage for the threat. “Now, be on your guard. He has concealed his power signature and I am unable to sense his blade.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than the cloaked pony descended on them from the treetops above, a shower of strobing multicolored sparks joining him, blinding his prey below.

It was all over in moments, the stallion landed in their midst, blade flashing forward for a double kill with all three ponies lined up perfectly. Not noticing the series of vines that lay concealed below the thick mud. With a loud snap a thin sapling was felled, releasing the heavy counterweight attached to the opposite ends of the vines. The weight fell from its precarious position just outside the view of the clearing that contained the mud pit, and the carefully constructed net hidden under its surface.

With loud shrieks of surprise the three combatants were hoisted a dozen feet in the air like a sack of squirming potatoes. Each one hollering at the other two, trying to figure out exactly what had just transpired. Seconds later a fourth telekinesis blade shot from the shadows and passed effortlessly through the mass of struggling ponies, bisecting each one cleanly in the chest, silencing their cries. It was over.

As the red rune covered blade came to rest, a second hooded pony emerged from the shadows, a smirk on her face as she flipped back the covering with a toss of her head revealing a vivid orange mane. Her pink eyes sparkling at her success as she approached the pile of corpses. “Amateurs,” She said with a smile as the world around her began to swirl and blur together.

A vibrant golden light entered the visage of swirling colors and slowly coalesced into the sight of a well-known chamber, the training room of the Star Order. Seeming as nothing more than a poorly lit basement by those ignorant to its true nature and intent. Standing across the space over nearest the stairs, was the hunched graying form of the high master, Luminescent Star. The light from his horn fizzling out as he cut power to the projection runes carved into the walls and ceiling of the space, simultaneously lowering the others to the floor and dispelling their isolation spheres as their hooves touched the wooden ground. He nodded approvingly as he ambled forward. “Excellent work, Star Shine, my apprentice,” he said tiredly, watching the final traces of the projection glow leave her eyes. “Truly a great test for them you have made. Perhaps tomorrow they shall prove ready for the sands of the great Wash Tar Desert,” he wheezed before looking up at her with a wry smile, a face that seemed to defy his age.

Star Shine took a shallow bow of respect as she approached. “Perhaps master, or may haps the rocky crags of the Razen Coast would be a more favorable spot,” she said standing from her bow. “Fewer sand sharks,” the mare turned with a smug face as she waited for the duo sprawled on the floor to raise woozily to their hooves.

“By the crown Star Shine,” Silver Spark growled as he shook his head from the spells effect of being ‘killed’ during the exercise, a loud buzzing ringing in his head. One of his eyes still glowing a bit. “Just once, you couldn’t have let me win just once? I had them. I completely had them,” he scowled reaching up and removing a golden ring from around his horn and tossing the magic modifier over to Luminescent, who deftly caught the magic tool and blinked it away in one fluid motion for later use.

Star Shine closed the distance between them and leaned against him, leaving her mouth inches from his ear. “Whatever is the matter dear? Oh that’s right, how silly of me to forget that you hate losing. And to a Mare of all ponies. How, tragic,” with that she bopped him on the head with a hoof and kissed his cheek, muttering something about him being ‘her dork’ as she spun and headed for the stairs, tossing her ring to her master as she went. A moment later her blade lifted from the ground and followed, its dull sun orange metal glinting subtly in the pale light of the room. Before she could even reach the stairs her horn flickered, and she was gone. Blade and all.

Standing stiff as a statue Silver Spark simply stared silently, confounded by the vexing creature known as his mare friend. He had spent several years fawning after her yet, now that he had her attention, he found himself without a clue as to how it happened. So blindsided was he that he couldn’t even hear Star Swirl standing beside him, speaking right into his ear.

“Mares,” Star Swirl muttered, staring at the spot that had just been vacated by “the pony who shall not be named.” He turned away from the failed attempt to break Silver out of his stupor, it was futile to try getting his attention when he got like this. Instead he looked back over his shoulder as Shadow Depth finally joined them on the floor, muttering angrily as Luminescent released her from her bubble.

“Still not fast enough… Strong enough…” Star Swirl heard her hiss under her breath as she passed him by, pausing to quickly bow to the master and hoof over her ring before trotting briskly up the stairs in a stiff, nearly automatic way. No wasted energy, simple elegant efficiency, the manner in which she seemed to do almost everything, her light silvery blue blade already sheathed snugly to her side.

Shaking his head Star Swirl left his still wall eyed friend to stare into space, no longer finding the need to pity him. He approached Luminescent and gave a polite bow to his teacher, earning a smile from the old stallion as he removed his own ring and presented it for collection.

Luminescent nodded approvingly at his student. “I believe praise to be in order, Star Swirl. Thy technique has improved greatly over the past season,” he said, breath coming slowly as he formed his words. “Perhaps it be time for an advancement in training for you,” he continued as Silver Spark finally broke free of the “spell” Star Shine had placed over him and trotted past them, placing his ring in Luminescents’ hoof as he went.

With a slight tension Star Swirl began to question his mentor, only to be stopped by an upraised hoof. “Before that question I see behind those eyes can be uttered, let me remind you that I see everything that each of you do whilst within the projection, Star Swirl,” Luminescent reminded the young pony, face warming as he watched his reactions. “I saw your mind working, just as I see it working now. I watched you observe Star Shine construct her trap, knowing full well Silver Spark would end you all in a duel of blades, as did she. With this information gathered you then lured Silver into what he thought would be a simple ambush in whence he would quickly be rid of you, and free to win the game. You knew it would almost certainly be the end of you, that however was an acceptable loss for you so long as he lost as well,” Luminescent shook his head as he levitated Star Swirl’s blade over to them and gave it a long considering look. “You are willing to sacrifice whatever it may take, whether you come out on top or not, simply so others may have a chance against odds too big for them to handle. I see why Invictivus chose you,” he said thoughtfully, holding out the dull white blade, its dark gray runes flashing in the light of his magic.

Star Swirl reached out with his mind and grasped the blade, feeling its presence entering into his consciousness, greeting him like an old friend. It was a warm addition to his thoughts, emanating a sense of calming calculation to his surroundings, a subtle increase to his awareness of the room’s detail as if its edges and hidden places were just a little more defined. Their bond was strong. He could sense the power flowing between them as the runes were imbued with just the faintest glow from within as he pulled the blade gently from Luminescent’s magic. “It would be much appreciated master, if Star Shine was not made aware of this. I would hate to tarnish her victory, she despises losing nearly as much as Silver,” he said rubbing the back of his head at the embarrassment of being found out.

“My good colt, whatever could you mean?” Luminescent asked quizzically. “You lost. Did you not?” He said with a warm smile that showed he clearly thought otherwise. “Now, off with you, the evening meal shall be prepared shortly,” the master said motioning to the stairs with a hoof. He watched the young pony hurry away with a fading smile, one that was quickly replaced by a look of resolved finality. Letting loose a sigh at hearing the upper door close he finally acknowledged the hidden presence behind him, concealed by shadow and ethereal magic of the highest order.

“They did well tonight,” a voice said from near the back of the room. “I seem to recall most students of yours failing that test the first go around,” it added as the pony turned an ear to listen, yet never looked away from the stairs.

“True there have been many failures, most students however…” Luminescent trailed off then, a smile tugging at the edges of his cracked leathery lips. Memories of the last few years playing through his mind. “Most Students, are not Star Swirl. They do not understand the truest nature of the test, and therefore think only of winning it for themselves by means of a blade. Not by sacrificing self for the benefit of others.”

“You believe him to be the one then, do you not?” The voice queried from behind, a touch of near excitement hinting at the edge of its tone as the subtle sense of the ethereal entity increased, the wood of the room creaking dully as the words it spoke traveled about the space.

Luminescent inhaled deeply, allowing his lungs to fill to their limits as he mused over the question in his head before squaring his shoulders. Letting the breath out he nodded. “I do. He shall become what is needed,” he said as he headed for the stairs, dimming the last of the lights as he went until nothing but the darkness remained.

“With all that will ride on his shoulders Luminescent, I pray to the Ancients that you are right. We will have only this one last chance to set things straight. To set Infinity back to its proper ways, and do with our brother what should have been done so long ago, when Cromithia fell.”

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

The atmosphere of the large commons room was warm and inviting as the resident members of The Order gathered about the great feasting table near the center of the room, mid-way between the pleasantness of the lively fire glowing warmly in its hearth and the towering shelves of ever growing volumes of works from all throughout the lands. Here there resided a sense of family and connection that ran deeply between the ponies who attended. They all sat around this table, partaking in a feast of foods one might expect to find on the tables of royalty and filling the air with their conversations.

The talk started out light as it normally would, going on of the little things of their daily lives. The recent studies of the students, the weather, bets on the outcome of the next series of tests for the apprentices to overcome.

Inevitably though, it turned to other matters. For many years now the Alicorns had been at odds with one another, finding themselves torn by the wishes of those few who sought to restore their once great city to the skies. Claiming it to be the will of the Ancients that they be once again lifted above the other races of the world, that the Forger had elevated them to a position above the lesser races. Some believed that they were born with such power as to shape the world as they chose, and that to waste it, bordered along insanity.

King Terra And his Queen Aeterna had seen the unrest brewing within the hearts of many of their kin, and had made plans to deal with it. One such plan involved the retrieval of dozens of artifacts from the ruins of the one time wonder of the world. Artifacts, that others would soon come to realize. Should never have seen the touch of a pony’s hooves again.

Luminescent quietly excused himself from the dinner, having not eaten a single morsel from his plate as his mind had grown too heavy for such things. His queen was fast approaching, and he would not keep her waiting.

The old stallion slipped down from his perch atop his usual place at the head of the table, bidding the others a good evening he headed for the door. Nodding politely to the gathering, he exit the room, scarcely noticed by the chattering apprentices as they continue to bicker jokingly over who would win the next exercise. As he reached the door he gave a faint singsong whistle, a moment later a small brass lantern floated into view from someplace down the hall. It carried with it on a hanger at its base, a blue wizard’s hat with a well-polished bell on top.

He accepted the hat with a thin smile, then beckoned for the lantern to follow as he donned the newly acquired head gear. Opening the door the pony stepped into the night, walking rather briskly down the trail into the dark.

Sometime later after fair amount of hiking, Luminescent stepped from the shadows of the mountain and found himself on a familiar ledge tucked up away from the elements. It faced due west, so as to catch the last of the light from each setting sun. Near the far side stood a trio of equines, two pegasi warriors, and the queen herself in her shining glory. He approached and stopped before them, noting the slight stiffening of the smaller of the two guards. “Highness Aeterna, always a pleasure it is, to look upon you for my tired eyes,” the stallion said with a deep bow.

“As is your flattery always well received, Luminescent,” the Alicorn tittered as she glanced at her side. “I believe you are familiar with my entourage this night,” she said motioning to the two ponies at her sides. Luminescent nodded as she spoke. “Excellent, I had hoped for as mu…”

“Why has her majesty sought the order this night, Aeterna?” Luminescent interrupted her, eyeing the guards as he spoke. “That which you think concealed smells of old tombs and arcane endowments. It smells, of Cromithian soil,” he finished with a look of distaste flashing over his features. “What relic of a gone by age does this Alicorn bring to us?”

Aeterna held out a hoof to still the guards as they tensed further at his impudence before the crown. Horn glowing softly an item appeared on the ground behind her, it was small, perhaps slightly larger than a foal of a few years and covered in a dark cloth. Now freed from the shrouding spell that had covered it its power was free to flow out into the night, casting a faint purple glow over the gathered ponies.

Eyes widening in near shock, Luminescent approached the cloth. Knowing what lay inside he forced his breathing to slow and pulled back the cloth. What lay before him was a magic tool known as an Index, a special type of crystal that could be used to construct stable pocket dimensions and keep them that way indefinitely. This however was not what held his eye, what captivated his attention was what lay within the Index. A young, preserved, and alive Draconequus child.

He looked back at the queen and slowly shook his head as he replaced the covering over the crystal. “I will not, these creatures deserve life. Same as any other,” he said placing himself between them and the crystal. “Terra made a grievous mistake before, I will not allow another to be made this night,” Luminescent glowered at them.

“A mistake,” she said placing a hoof forward. “Those vile wretches aided in our destruction! They were never even meant to exist!” She thundered, several bolts of lightning arcing around the mountain at her burst of emotion. The ground shaking beneath their hooves. “They are dangerous,”

“As memory serves Alicorns are more so when properly motivated,” Luminescent trailed off. He fixed her gaze for a moment, watching the emotional storm die away before continuing. “We all make mistakes my queen, and in doing so are meant to learn from them. Yes the Draconnequi did many despicable things during the war, I will not argue against this,” he hefted the crystal in his magic and brought it between them. “They became a great face of evil, one not seen since near the beginning of Infinity itself. Now, does this look to be a face of evil to you?” he rotated the crystal so that she could peer in on the form within. She had barely begun to shake her head before he began again. “As he is, he is no more a threat to you than your own daughters.”

“How can you go about this so calmly? There is still such potential for evil within his heart, surely you can see that,” she said cautiously, eyeing him with a questioning look.

“That I can, though looking farther, deeper, there is also a great potential for that of good. Waiting to be nurtured,” Luminescent said calmly, staring in at the child. “Give him the one chance that was denied the rest of them, Aeterna. Give him the chance to prove his kind were not all a mistake.”