It's a warm summer day in the town of NieghBurg and everypony is out and about going on with their day. The mailpony going from house to house delivering the mail, the fillies and colts playing outside with their friends without a care in the world while their parents sat on their front lawns chatting with each other about the plans they had made for the weekend, and all the while, one particular teen-aged unicorn colt was walking around with a big smile slapped on his face. The reason he was in such a good mood today was because it was his birthday, but it wasn't just any birthday, it was his 16th birthday which meant that today not only was he going to start to be treated like a young stallion, instead of a child, by his family, but he also was finally the age where his parents would allow him to inherit the family amulet, the Heart of Light; an artifact that is said to allow the wearer to convert those possessed by evil back to good, which ,in his eyes, was somewhat ironic considering his name was DarkHeart. Though to him it didn't matter whether or not it was ironic, because all he cared about is that he thought is that maybe the heart may finally show him what his special talent was, cause as you may not know DarkHeart has yet to get his cutiemark; but he has yet to let that, or the constant teasing from his schoolmates, bring him down especially on a day like today.

" I have feeling today is just going to be all kinds awesome between it being my birthday, finally being able to inherit the H.O.L., and potentially finding out what my special talent is; and I do know that last one is extremely skeptical but a guy can dream can't he, nothing could put a damper on my mood today." DarkHeart had said wanting to express his joy to the world.

DarkHeart had been in this kind of mood ever since he had awoken this morning. He actually was so excited about today that he felt that he couldn't stay in his house long enough to eat breakfast, which his stomach sought to remind him about now."Oops, guess I forgot I didn't eat breakfast this morning and it is time I did leave the house without telling my parents where I was going so I should probably head home." With that said he started his trek back home to get some food in his belly and to check in with his mother and father. As he walked down the path that lead to his home, DarkHeart suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot across the back of his head as images started to force their way to the front of his mind. The images had depicted a strange figure whom he had never seen before now, it had appeared to be a pony but he was unable to see any distinguishing facial features on it, besides the tip of its muzzle, for its face as well as the rest of the creatures form had been covered in a cloak of darkness, a strange looking weapon perched on its back, claws that looked sharp enough to cut through steel like paper and eyes that glowed with a soul piercing blood gaze that looked to be fixated down at the ground below it. As DarkHeart looked upon this figure with an intense curiosity, a bright flash appeared before him, as his vision was recovery from the sudden burst of light, DarkHeart simply stood there wondering what actually the figure was and why had his mind suddenly showed him a vision of them.

After he had finally regained his sight from the flash, DarkHeart had decided to just continue on home but not without the vision that had appeared before him coming back to the forefronts of his mind; DarkHeart had the feeling that he knew who this creature was but yet he was sure that he had never seen it in his life. Being so preoccupied by his thoughts, Dark Heart hadn't noticed that he was back home "DarkHeart!" , his mother, Star Dust; a unicorn mare who was approximately 5'9", wearing a navy blue shirt and jeans that showed off her hourglass figure, with a dark violet coat, palatinate colored mane, that ran freely down her back, and tail with black and dark grey streaks running through them, looking at him with her magenta eyes that were filled with kindness, called to him noticing that he appeared to be lost in his own little world. "DARKHEART!!" She called to him once again, this time shouting out his name so as to try to snap him out of his self-induced trance. He started with a jump as he finally heard his mother call to him from the front patio of their home and taking him out away from his thoughts.

" How has your day been DarkHeart, cause by to look on your face it hasn't been all that great," Star Dust asked her son.

"Well if had to be honest with myself not really, but it's not like I got all that many friends to hang out with like, ever" DarkHeart responded still distracted by the vision he had earlier.

"Well it would probably help if you actually showed ponies the good side of you that me and your father see everyday," his mother said in her usual motherly tone.

" Yeah right, why should be nice to them when they all treat me like crap," retorted DarkHeart ; his mother just let out an exasperate sigh at her son's comment.

"Don't you think it would be better if you the bigger pony?" his mother asked." Nope," was all he said. Yet again his mother just let out a sigh at her son's refusal to even try to make any friends at all.

" You know your mother is right son, if you actually made an effort to be kinder to ponies and let them see the side of you, other than drive them away you would have more friends." Star Dust turned around as she heard her husband, Lucky Streak; a pegasus stallion that stood at 6'3", was wearing a blue, collared shirt and denim jeans, that was able to show the muscles he had gotten from him working on the construction sites, he also had a clover green coat, mane, and tail with a gold streaks running through his mane and tail , and blue eyes that felt as though they could peer into your mind, had come up behind her from inside the house.

" Sorry dad, but I just don't see it happening, especially as long as I don't have a cutiemark I'm definitely not making any kind of friends any time soon." His parents looked at each other after DarkHeart's response.

"But if you never go out and try to make friends, then how do to expect to get a marefriend," Lucky Streak asked his son.

" Marefriend!? How the heck do you do expect to get a marefriend when just about every mare I've come into contact with either don't talk to me because they think I'm a freak because of the way I look, or they just flat out ignore me cause I'm not with the 'In crowd', jeez you want to talk about stuck up." Both Star Dust and Lucky Streak look at each other once again for a moment thinking that their son was just merely exaggerating a bit to make a point, but as they looked back at him they saw that they were wrong in this aspect after seeing the pained look in sitting there in DarkHeart's eyes.

" We didn't mean now son, we just meant that, well don't you ever wnat to find your special somepony one day to hold and love each other for the rest of your lives," Star Dust asked.

"No, I think I'm better off being alone for the rest of my life. Well besides visiting you two when I'm off on my own, but other than that, for the most part I would want to be alone." His parents saw that they weren't going to be able to convince their son of the point they were trying to make and decided to leave stop this conversation until a later date, like maybe in a few years when he would be finally heading off to life his own life.

" You know it's almost time to cut into the cake? What do you say we all go inside, forget this whole conversation, and finally hand off the family amulet over to you; sound good?" Star Dust looked at her boys as they both gave their own eager responses to her suggestions, her husband eager to at last being able to get into to cake his wife had guarded like a hawk, and DarkHeart excited at the fact he was finally be able to obtain the Heart of Light and possibly finding out want his destiny is.

The family all made their way inside the house the get on with the small celebration and forget the conversation they had just had. DarkHeart had walked into the living room while his mother went to go receive the cake and his father the amulet. He was just sitting on the couch when suddenly he felt the same pain from earlier come back and the sight of his family's living room once again change to the sight of black cloaked figure from before. Although it appeared to be the same figure from before it's form appeared to be lacking that intimidating aura that had surrounded it before. When DarkHeart had seen the pony earlier it was radiating with pride and power, but now the pony almost looked depressed as the pony's shoulders appeared to slumped and his gaze had soften significantly. The sight of this pony looking like this made him wonder who exactly was this pony and what do they have to do with him.

As he continued to look at this pony he had the pony saying something that was just over a whisper finally figuring out that this pony was a stallion. DarkHeart could just barely make out what this the stallion was trying to say, but if what DarkHeart did hear was correct, then it almost sounded like he was saying 'I'm sorry mom and dad.' But before DarkHeart could continue listening to what this strange stallion was saying, he was thrust back into reality with his mother shaking him by the shoulders worrying that something was wrong with him.

"Darky, What wrong with you!? Please answer me! DARKY!!" Star Dust was on a full panicking spree as she just stood there shaking her son, trying to get a response out of him.

"Mo...uh...huh..ooom, couuuld youuuuu p..p..p..please stooopp sh..sh..shaking me?" DarkHeart tried to ask his mother to stop her incessant shaking so that he could get up off the couch without the fear of being thrown over it considering how hard his mother was shaking him.
"Honey calm down, or else you going to end up shaking his brains out of his head if you don't." Lucky Streak said as he tried to pry her hands off their son before she did end up knocking his brains loose.

Finally after a minute or so Lucky managed to pry his wife off of DarkHeart, who's movements were wobbly thanks to being so shaken up by his mother, after a moment or so, Star Dust had finally calmed down and was able to speak without sounding like a screeching banshee, she had looked over at her son and calmly asked him, "What happened to you? Why were your eyes glowing like that?And has this ever happen to you before?"

"Well to answer your questions in order; what had happened to me, was that I was shown a vision of some strange stallion who I had never seen before, I'm not really sure why my eyes were glowing but it's not like I can't exactly see myself when I have a vision, and yes this has happened only once before and that was earlier just before I got home, but other than that I've never really had them." DarkHeart had finished answering his mother's questions and remained silent, waiting for his parents response.

After sitting in absolute silence for about ten minutes finally Lucky Streak had finally spoken up." What did this mysterious stallion look like DarkHeart," he had said in a serious tone.

" I couldn't say he was some kind of cloak that covered his body and face, in fact the only reason I know he's a stallion was because in that vision I heard him say something but he had said it in a voice barely over a whisper so I couldn't really hear him, though he d,"

"What did you hear what he said." his mother had asked, intrigued by the explanation her son was giving them.

" Well I think I did but as said before he said it in a rather low voice so it was hard to make out; but if I recall correctly it sounded like he was apologizing to his parents, almost as if he had done something he will regret the rest of his life."

This got him some raised eyebrows and confused looks from his parents,"Sorry? What was he sorry about exactly and what happened to his parents?"

"I don't know, the vision ended before anything else could happen, but by how depressed he looked I think it would be safe to assume it couldn't have been good," DarkHeart had while remembering the position the mysterious stallion was in before he left.

Both of his parents Hmm'ed at that and once again looked at each other, but only this time it wasn't worry that filled their faces but instead curiosity; for their son had had a vision of some mysterious figure which none of them know the identity of, on his birthday, just a couple of hours away from obtaining the most sacred possession that their family has protected since all the way back to the pre-celestia era. It all seemed somewhat suspicious to the both of them, it seemed as though their son's visions are of something dire to come in the future and this mysterious pony will have something to do with it.

" Well as interesting as that sounds I think we shouldn't focus on it too much, at least until your visions show you anymore than they already have," Star Dust said while looking at DarkHeart with her soul-warming smile.

" Yeah today is your day, and why spoil it with something so trivial anyway, I mean we have only a few details on the matter anyway," his father said, agreeing with what his wife had said.

" Okay I'm fine with that, besides I have a feeling that the answers will become clear to us soon enough anyway," DarkHeart had said with a joy in his voice, but he wasn't going to give up that easily on this. He feels like he's suppose to know you this stallion was, and that he was a part of the puzzle to finding his own destiny, so if found out more about this stallion, he would that much closer to figuring out what he's meant for in life and finally getting his cutiemark.

" So, DarkHeart, are you ready to take the family pledge and takeover the duty of protecting our family heirloom, the Heart of Light," his mother had asked him in a deathly serious tone.

DarkHeart gulped when he heard his mother speak like that; seeing as whenever his mother spoke like this, it usually meant that something very, very bad was about to happen, which made wonder what exactly was the pledge that everypony that had protected the amulet before him had to take. He knows that taking over the responsibility of protecting the artifact was important and all, but the way his mother was speaking seemed as if though it was something that could ultimately affect the fate of the entire world instead of just Equestria. But even so he'd prepared himself for anything and everything that could to make sure he would able to protect the amulet, which was the reason why he wasn't afraid of the pledge itself.

"Yes mom, I'm ready take the pledge," DarkHeart had responded with some confidence in his voice.

" Are you sure you're ready son, because once you take it you can't ever steer away from your duties to protect the amulet." Star Dust responded in the same tone from before.

"I'm not just sure, I'm one-percent, without a shadow of doubt confident that I want to take the family pledge and inherit the responsibility of protecting the Heart of Light from any and all who would have evil intentions with its power," as DarkHeart was saying his voice sounded as though it was filled to the brim with confidence, his eyes had the look of unwavering determination within them, and in his parents' eyes he almost appeared to be glowing with a divine light surrounding him.His mother had a smile on her face, seeing her that her son wasn't going to be deterred from the future that laid before him. But, alas her smile soon faded a moment later remembering that now it was the time to officially begin with the pledge and THE INITIATION ; which he was completely unaware of, but it's no surprise considering that no one knows until they take the pledge and have accepted their new duties. Taking the pledge shows that a pony is willing to take on the great responsibility, but completely THE INITIATION proves that they're worthy and that they're capable of protecting the Heart of Light.

" Alright then DarkHeart lets begin the ceremony." his mother said as Lucky Streak brought over a silver ornate box with arcane symbols that glowed with a golden light, and the family crest, a heart with majestic wings made of sapphires, embedded into the top of the box.

Lucky had opened the top to show that it held the amulet within it and Star Dust is going to start the pledge of the Guardian of the Heart, first she had one more thing to say before they start, "Now DarkHeart in order to take you must clear our mind of all thoughts, good and bad, from your head, close your eyes until the pledge is complete, and repeat what I say word for word; you must follow these instructions or else there will be dire consequences to pay do you understand."

" Yes I understand mother," DarkHeart was so excited to finally begin, he was having difficulty containing it, but he managed to keep a serious expression as he answered his mother.

" Good now we can began," Star Dust closed her eyes and her horn started to glow with a red-violet aura, which sent a tendril of red-violet energy that surrounded both the Heart of Light and DarkHeart and once the energy had completely enveloped both, she opened her eyes which were now glowing white with pure energy. " The Light is my guide and the heart is my chariot," Star Dust began, her voice sounding as though there were two different ponies talking at the same time.

" The Light is my guide and the heart is my chariot," DarkHeart repeated in a serious tone, feeling a strange sensation spreading through out his body.

" I will allow the heart to take me across the great path that the light has chosen for me to take," Star Dust's horn was beginning to glow brighter as she poured more magic into it.

" I will allow the heart to take me across the great path that the light has chosen for me to take," the sensation within DarkHeart's body was growing stronger within him as he repeated his mother's words.

" I shall not stray from the path that has been chosen for me, nor shall I chose not to continue the path once it has been presented," Star Dust's voice was got louder as the next part of the pledge was spoken.

" I shall not stray from the path that has been chosen for me, nor shall I chose not to continue the path once it has been presented," DarkHeart was starting to feel as though his body was feeling weightless as it started to slowly fading away.

"And no matter what happens to those around me, MY MAIN PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT THE AMULET THAT LINKS ME TO THE HEART AND THE LIGHT," Star Dust's voice had risen to a voice that could compete with the royal canterlot voice, the glowing of her horn growing immensely as the power of amulet started to channel through it and into DarkHeart, feeling her connection with it fade away as more and more energy flowed out of her.

"And no matter what happens to those around me, nnngh .....," the power that was flowing into him was starting to sent jolts throughout his body, the rest of his body was fading away at a more rapid pace now; he knew that this was it, all he had to do was repeat the last several words his mother had spoken and he would be the new Guardian of the Heart. But the energy that surged through him was bringing him so much pain, and sapping away his strength which was making it hard for him to speak the pain was becoming unbearable for DarkHeart, but despite all that, he mustered up all the strength that he still had left, allowed the phrase his mother had spoken, "MY MAIN PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT THE AMULET THAT LINKS ME TO THE HEART AND THE LIGHT !!!!" DarkHeart had released all the strength he had gathered into his voice as he spoke the final words of the pledge and after the sudden burst of energy that had crashed within him, he had fallen to the ground exhausted after the exertion of all that energy.