Light poured into my eyes as my consciousness came back into existence. They slowly drifted open as the blinding brightness gave way to a large room. My mind and thought processes weren’t completely back yet. I remained deadpanned as I stared out at no particular thing.

“You see? He’s waking up now, just as I had said,” a faint male voice rang. My hearing must have dulled for a bit because whatever the voice said immediately after that was muffled before my hearing finally returned to hearing him say, “…nd, grayish coat, charcoal mane, brown eyes,” he was speaking as if he was reading off of a description sheet, “cutie mark, three gusts of wind and a sword-“

“Yes I can tell most of this by looking at him,” a more familiar voice said somewhat impatiently, “what I want to know is if his family history shows anything of importance. Do the prison records reveal anything?”

I heard the sound of several papers being shuffled around. “Not really, both parents were farmers, same as theirs; it’s mostly the same past that, except for a blacksmith.”

“I see. Will he be all right to move then?”

“Yes, but don’t push him too much now; he took a hard hit. I’m surprised that he managed to not break anything.”

“Good, I will need to speak with him immediately. And you needn’t worry about that, but some things must be discussed now, for it is a dire time.”

“I was here last night too you know.” The unknown voice began to trail off in the distance as he finished speaking before I heard the sound of large doors shutting.

The entirety of my senses were coming back to me again as I began to really recognize where I was. It was clearly somewhere inside of the castle. Royal embellishments and decorations gave away that much. But the walls and the rest of the room itself were noticeably damaged from the assault.

I heard the sounds of hoofsteps coming towards me as Empress Celestia’s voice asked, “Are you feeling well?”

“Not really.” I replied honestly. I then looked beside me to see the empress herself standing before me. I must have been dead. I would have believed it too if she and the rest of the castle wasn’t clearly battle worn. I never really imagined Aetherius to be an exact replica of Equestria.

“Yes,” the empress said as if she were affirming it to herself, “the gods truly do have an interesting way of presenting fate to me.”

“What?” I asked somewhat deliriously.

“I will explain in a second. Are you able to stand?”

“I don’t really know.” I tried to do so and gradually removed myself from the bed that I was laying in. My first two legs touched the ground and seemed stable enough, then the other two as I fully removed myself from the bed. I was a bit wobbly, but managed to hold myself up. I was still unsure as to whether or not any of this was real.

“Forgive me, I forgot to make a formal introduction. It may not be an appropriate time, but I feel it to be necessary. As you probably know, I am Empress Celestia of Equestria and the empire of the provinces surrounding it.”

“I am Steel Wind.” I answered as formally as I could despite the fact that she more than likely already knew my name.

“Well then, Steel Wind, now that we are properly introduced, we have much to discuss.” She cleared her throat as she shifted subjects. “I had saved you from that fall to see if I what I had seen last night was right and, if I am correct, you will become of great help in these coming weeks. When I saw you last night, I had also seen the great potential inside of you, the potential that tells me you are more than just a lesser pony. My sister and I both share the ability to see the amount of potential within all, but those with the potential for something greater are much more visible to us. And seeing you last night, I believe that we have found the one who we’ve been looking for to aid us in this crisis.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean?” None of it made any sense still.

“All of our greatest champions have revealed themselves to us in similar ways, though maybe not as excitingly as you did. Most were ordinary, simple ponies that showed the same potential I can recognize, even my greatest champion Twilight Sparkle.”

She seemed to stop momentarily as she said that name, but continued so quickly though I had barely recognized it. “But some come from a lineage of those who have had importance to Equus. Since you appeared to us in such an unorthodox manner that is what I had originally thought, but your family history did not reveal such a thing, showing that the gods can still manage to surprise me even after so many years. We also receive visions from the gods as well, as we are their intermediates, chosen out of necessity to watch over Equus after uniting it more than a thousand years ago to maintain the barriers of Oblivion. Occasionally events will weaken the barriers, and action must be taken to restore them. They show us images of things such as this to come and possibly brief glimpses of those who will aid us in overcoming those obstacles. Our recent visions have been especially troubling though. We have known of something to come for weeks, and yet this still took us by surprise. The Daedric cults are moving against us.”

She motioned towards the door, and we began to walk together. Even after her explanation though, I still didn’t feel right about all of this. The day before I had been nothing but a prisoner, and now I was apparently supposed to drive fate. Things were happening much too quickly for me to fully comprehend.

“I…I’m not sure that I’m the one you need. I just don’t understand.” I spoke truthfully.

“It is hard to explain the Divine’s plans. You will see in time, but you must remain focused. All will become clear.”

I was still unsure, but continued to follow her through the castle’s now run down and weary corridors nonetheless. I knew that I was no champion like Twilight Sparkle. The history of Nightmare Moon and the six champions of harmony was one that I knew well. It was almost a hundred years ago, when Empress Luna had become corrupted by dark magic, supposedly Daedric, which had driven her mad, turning her into an abomination that rose up against her sister and vowed to shroud the world in darkness. But Celestia’s apprentice, Twilight Sparkle, along with the other five element bearers—Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity—faced Nightmare Moon and defeated her, freeing Empress Luna from the corruption and restoring peace to the land. The old element bearers had long passed now, and the elements themselves had returned to the empresses once more. I was nothing like them.

We stopped abruptly at the end of several corridors in front of another set of doors. The empress quickly opened them with her magic, and we proceeded through into a circular, tower-like room. There were many tall bookshelves lining the edges of the room, the books themselves mostly scattered about the floor due to the attack, with two sets of tall windows on opposite sides looking out over the devastated castle grounds. Bodies were still lying about sparingly across the field along with multiple weapons and destroyed barricades. I turned away from the window.

“The cultists’ forces were much stronger than we thought. How so many could blindly worship the Daedra…” She trailed off and seemed slightly unsettled.

“Just what is going on?” I asked, trying not to sound imposing.

She refocused. “As far as we all know, we were attacked by the Daedric cults. Most of the time they are separated from each other and do little harm to anyone else, but recently they’ve all banded together as the Cult of Daedra, and had since been building an army that managed to remain unknown until just recently. What I do not understand is how they got so many to follow them short of mind control. They had originally attacked the city as a diversion to the get another force into the castle, but we managed to keep that force mostly outside. The two you had seen yesterday were some of the few who did make it inside. It was clear that they were going for both the elements and my sister, for what nefarious purpose, I don’t fully know, but I have a good idea. If history serves correctly, they wish to somehow enact the same events that transpired a century ago, to what end though, remains unknown to us. We managed to route them back outside of the castle, but they got to the elements first. What they did not know is that we have a failsafe spell that we can use to disperse them throughout Equestria and the other provinces to designated locations for safeguarding to ensure that, if nothing else, they are never used by the powers of evil. We felt it necessary since the one had dropped her guard for the moment, allowing us to cast it, as they were too close to actually escaping. That is why we are here now.”

She turned to the center of the room where only a single large pedestal stood with a map on it. Upon observing it closer, I had instantly recognized it as a map of Equus. Equestria was the large, diagonal shape in the center surrounded by the other provinces: Rockfall to the Northwest, the High Peaks to the North, and Zebrab to the west. The empress, with the use of her magic, revealed several glowing spots on the map, one being near Rockfall’s capital of Kezi, another near Summit in the High Peaks, another slightly further from Desert Hold; Zebrab’s capital, and one more in both Southwestern Equestria and Canterlot. Looking over it again, I had noticed that it had only amounted to five. The empress must have noticed it too as she looked at the map with surprise.

“This cannot be right…”

As if on cue, another voice spoke up from the room’s entrance. “Sister, you were right; one of the elements is missing. The one meant to be given to me is nowhere to be found, and I cannot sense any other elements within the castle besides yours.” Empress Luna began to make her way into the room as she spoke, ending beside us.

“This is strange indeed.” Celestia conceded.

“What do you mean?” I asked, not completely sure as to what it meant.

“When the failsafe spell is cast by us, it is meant to scatter four of the elements across the provinces while returning two to us, but only mine had returned to me, and I feared that the cultists had somehow managed to still steal one of the elements and escape with it in the confusion following the failsafe spell’s triggering. It had also given me a glimmer of hope that if it were the case, then we may ultimately be able to use it to our advantage and discover the location of their stronghold. But it would appear that we can only see five elements, though they may somehow have a means of masking the magical energy that the elements emit, allowing us to sense their presence.”

“Is this the one you have spoken of?” Luna asked quickly after Celestia had finished speaking.

“Yes, I can sense the potential within him. Can you not?”

“I can.”

“Then you know why he can help us. Time is growing ever short Steel Wind; we must ask of your help. Fate has led you to us, and now it is up to you to decide whether you shall aid us or not.”

The pressure of the entire world felt as if it were coming down upon me. To accept a task from the empresses themselves was no simple gamble, but a test of fate and potentially the world itself, and it would seem that it is all pinning down onto me. I was truly unsure whether or not to accept their call for assistance simply because I did not know if I could do what they would ask. And I had a fairly good idea of what it was going to be.

Then the memory of my life returned to me, my self-proclaimed disappointment. Until now my life has had virtually no meaning, but fate itself has directed me to this point. I could perhaps finally achieve something and have meaning within it. To deny fate or the will of the Divines, I would have to be mad. It was something that I must do. Even Twilight Sparkle supposedly had no experience or knowledge of what she had to do to defeat Nightmare Moon.

“I will help you.” I finally concluded to both them and myself, though very tentatively.

“Thank you, Steel Wind,” Celestia responded. “We will need all the help that we can find in the time approaching.”

“I hope that I will be able to do anything I can to help.”

“Then allow me tell you of what we ask. From what we know, the cultist’s attack on Canterlot was ultimately a failure, as they had not gained what they sought. In fact, it would also seem that they have suffered tremendous losses as they more than likely put every resource they had at their disposal at stake for this. It will take a considerable amount of time to recover from such losses, weeks, if not months. So while they inevitably regain their strength, we ask that you seek the elements set about the provinces. They should not be difficult to obtain as their locations are predetermined and should be of relative ease to access. To those who can actually find it, that is. Our primary goal in this is to simply keep the remaining elements from being taken to the wrong side.”

I cringed slightly at what I was guessing that they would ask but ultimately understood it was what must be done. “Very well.”

“I had also noticed that—until last night—you have been a prisoner here for a minor crime; henceforth I am pardoning you of this crime and into my service. I’ve also commended the prison guards for keeping to their duties even in a crisis; otherwise I do not think that you would have found your way to us, but that was more than likely an act of fate. Unfortunately, there is little we can do to aid you in your efforts other than provide you with a standard issue set of armor and weapon for defense. We also cannot spare any troops to aid you, as we need all of them to help rebuild and keep the city secure. But as I’ve said, since you shall know the elements locations, you should encounter little resistance on the way.”

“I appreciate any help that I can receive.”

“I do apologize for not being able to offer more with our powers currently weakened, but there is still one more thing that we can offer.” The empresses turned away from the map and began to move towards the exit; I followed closely behind.

After travelling through several more sections of the worn castle and eventually outside, we had arrived at a large garden behind the castle itself. We made our way further in and eventually came into a surprisingly well kept graveyard, considering the previous attack. The graveyard was in a large circular shape, and the graves themselves were much nicer than most normal ones and contained many names of importance throughout history. Finally, we had reached the center of the graveyard of which all the graves revolved around and stopped before six statutes arranged in a semicircle with pillar in the middle of it.

This was the resting place of the six champions of harmony.

From left to right, the statutes of Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash stood with grace. The center pillar recorded the legend of the Nightmare Moon crisis and of the six in ending it. Such a sight was very humbling to look upon.

“When any adventurers, prominent warriors and mages—or even those under hardship seek help in their futures—they come here to reflect and seek the blessing of Equus’ six greatest champions before continuing on with their journeys. And I tell them all the same: these six are the paragons of virtues that bring about peace and harmony to Equus, each individually representing an ideal that we all should hold true. Since uniting it more than a thousand years ago, this is something we have always strived to achieve indefinitely. We have ruled this land for more than a thousand years, and in all of that time we have never found anyone more virtuous and just as them. They were a beacon of light in a world filled with conflict and now to those who wish to follow the same.” She paused for a second. “I was glad this had not been destroyed in during the attack.” The empress held a very sincere and somber tone as she spoke, clearly attached to each of them greatly. Even Empress Luna looked upon the statutes with a degree of respect. “I shall allow you as well to reflect here before you begin your journey. Once you are done, speak with me again, and I shall have everything that you need ready.”

“Thank you, again.” I said, trying not to sound too repetitive.

“Then we shall take our leave. We must assist with the recovery.” And with that, both of the empresses turned from the statutes and began their way back to the castle while speaking amongst themselves.

I watched them leave for a few seconds before turning back to the statutes, still even now unsure of what to make of any of it. Never in all of my dreams did I ever think that I would have ended up in such a position. I sat down on the fine grass inhabiting the garden next to the statutes. For everything that had happened the night before, it felt relatively calm out, a sunny day with a light breeze in the air. Had I only been here, I wouldn’t have even known that anything had happened last night, save for the deteriorated castle visible to my left.

As I sat there, I kept returning to the question of why. Why did I deserve to be saved from falling to my death and to take up this quest where so many others could have done so in my place? I wasn’t special; at least I didn’t consider myself to be. I was just another common mercenary, a sell sword. Despite what the empress said about whatever she may see in me, I didn’t truly believe that I could ever do what she asked. I looked up at the six statutes as I thought of this, searching for an answer.

The middle pillar began to emanate a faint light. I stood and observed it more closely. All of a sudden, I felt a powerful sensation come over me as I saw myself begin to glow slightly and a wisp of light spiral around me before disappearing. After both I and the pillar stopped glowing, I felt rejuvenated, more confident, and clearheaded. This must be the blessing many obtain before beginning their journeys. It may have been common to obtain, but it gave me the realization I needed. Even if I didn’t understand this divine plan, I knew that I must try and follow what I do know of it as best I could. I no longer had doubts about what I must do.

I thanked the six champions for their blessing and guidance before starting my way back to the castle. I made my way through it, searching for the empress before finally finding her in the castle’s foyer a few minutes later. Empress Celestia was without Empress Luna again and standing near a makeshift workbench, no doubt being used for helping with the repairs. She was also in her own ornate armor now. It covered almost her entire body, and its golden sheen looked as if it were radiating light, giving her a commanding and even intimidating presence that an empress should have. She wasn’t wearing it the previous night—more than likely because the attack had been a surprise to some extent—but now she appeared as if she could take on an army by herself. Next to her were several soldiers speaking amongst themselves and to her. I walked over and got within speaking range just as she was finishing speaking with them.

“Thank you captain, I will see to it when I can spare the time.” The one that she was speaking to—apparently the captain of the other soldiers—grunted an order to the rest and they all began to disperse towards other sections of the castle.

The empress then turned to me. “Are you finished then?”

“Yes. I received their blessing, and I’m now ready to begin.”

“Good. I have your armor and weapon here, as well as a map with all of the elements locations marked and some saddlebags to hold it. Ensure that it is not lost.”

She pointed at a table next to the workbench that indeed had a full set of standard issue imperial iron armor and sword and shield. There were several variations of weapons throughout Equus. This was the hoof-blade sword, a clamp attached to a sword could fit on any size leg and, when needed, a hard shake would unsheathe and lock it out. This meant getting good at running with only three legs, but that was rarely a problem to many, especially Pegasus troops, as they had more stability when using their wings. There were also hilted swords, which were slightly less common, as they were crafted and used primarily for the Diamond Dogs and their own army, but it was still plausible for a pony to use by holding it with their mouths. They also occasionally made specialized weapons for ponies, such as the double-sided warhammer the dark red stallion cultist had. Zebras mostly used mage staffs to aid in their alchemic and magical pursuits.

Though this was standard issue armor, it was much better than the mismatched set I had as a mercenary. I gradually began to put the armor on over me. I immediately noticed that it was much better fitting than my mercenary armor. I started with the leg guards and then put on the body piece with the saddlebags and map over it, followed by the helmet before finally my sword and shield. It felt good to be back in some armor again; it gave me a sense of security I hadn’t felt in a while.

Once finished, I finally turned back to Empress Celestia. “I’m ready to begin,” I said with small hint of confidence.

“Very well. I wish you luck on your journey. Find the elements and return them before the cultists have a chance to recover their forces. No matter what you do, you mustn’t fail. This threat especially holds much significance with me and my sister due to our position of maintaining the barriers of Oblivion. You must understand, the Daedra has to have as little contact as possible with the mortal plane as possible. It is not that they are inherently evil but merely do not know the meaning of good or evil, contrary to what the churches to the divines may believe. The occasional Daedric Prince that decides to meddle with mortals’ affairs or the barriers weakening after events such as the event that had occurred to my sister a century ago cause enough trouble as is. We cannot allow the Daedra as a whole to pass through with no resistance. These cultists are somehow deluded into thinking that the Daedra will reward them for what they are attempting to do, as the great power of the Daedra can be seductive to all. But enough of this, talks of doom are not what is necessary to fulfill your task. The first element I would suggest seeking is the one sent near the underground capital of Rockfall, Kezi. It is in the most secure location of all and should be the easiest to obtain.”

“Then I will go there first.”

“And if I many ask, which birth sign were you born under?”

The question struck me as odd, but I answered nonetheless. “The Lord.”

The empress nodded. “Then the Lord shall show you the way and be your guide you throughout your journey. Always remember Steel Wind, as I tell all of my troops and lieutenants in the legion: the gods and the stars are with you always. Keep true to your virtues and beliefs, and you shall find the way.”

“I will.” I spoke with a sense of pride now.

“Gods give you strength. I hope to hear of your progress soon.”

The empress was definitely a great speaker and motivator. I nodded dutifully and turned away from the empress and towards the large castle doors that had been nearly obliterated during the assault. I hoped that by the time I was done with all of this, the castle and entire city would be returned to its former glory. I began to make my way towards the door and outside of the castle into the war-torn field. Seeing this gave me another reason for my quest: to keep such a thing from occurring once more, to not have to face the sight of my home burning ever again.

I continued further out into the field with haste, eager to reach and exit the field’s now destroyed gates. As I came upon them, the rubble and torn metal of the gates presented no obstructions to my path as I crossed past them and began my way down the mountain and towards Rockfall.