“What do you mean he transformed?” Midnight asked with a look of disbelief.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. After all you will be fighting Nova tomorrow, am I right?” Skyress reminded him with a smirk but Midnight only glared at her. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“A pegasus that can transform without some magical assistance? Yeah, sure, where’s your proof?” Midnight asked, only to soon regret as he saw Skyress smirk in response to his question.

“Well if you neigh-sayers won't be convinced with words... Behold! This is the face of my power!!!.” She declared triumphantly as her body began to glow. She was consumed by a bright green light that seemed to compress into a sphere, which then began to grow and lengthen.

Everypony in the room stared in dazzled awe at the sight before their eyes!. Even Sombra looked at awe. Soon the light dimmed and the pegasus was gone. In her place stood a green dragon with feathered wings, slim body, with yellow eyes. She only stood a head taller than Sombra but was still intimidating yet enthralling with beauty, like the wonder of a rainforest!

“Well?" She spoke in the same voice as her pegasus self, Skyress beaming vainly at the wide-eyes she was getting. "What do ya think?”

"I-I'm... I'm at a loss," Midnight uttered, unsure what to say while Twilight was amazed!

“Incredible! you managed to transform into a dragon without assistance from a unicorn or magical object!”

“Skyress, is Nova capable of this transformation as well?” Celestia asked.

“Yes," Skyress nodded, "as well as the other four guardians.”

“Wait, there are others?” Luna asked with a surprised look.

“Six total," Skyress confirmed. "You see, we the six guardians are tasked to watch over the world and protect it. Each of us has an element and a responsibility. My element is wind and I watch over the skies of Equestria whereas Nova watches over Helios but hasn't been there for a long while since a lot of it's been reduced to a barren wasteland.”

Breaking out of his awe, Midnight spoke up," OK, fine ,you can transform but why does Nova want to fight me?! I've done him no wrong!"

“In order for me to answer that, you must follow me.” Skyress replied cryptically as she raised her claw. Then, Twilight gasped as Skyress appeared to claw a trend of light out of thin air from just above her own height down to the floor, after which the line widened, blinding them all for a moment before it revealed itself to be a portal.

“Amazing...!" Twilight shuddered as Midnight helped her from stumbling over in awe.

“How did you...?” Sombra was too stunned to complete his question.

“Just because I’m not a unicorn doesn’t mean I can’t use magic. Now are you coming or not?” Skyress looked at them expectantly but everypony hesitated for a moment wondering if they should trust her.

“Where are we going?” Luna asked.

“To the Cave of Prophecies..." Skyress answered before slipping through the portal.

“Do you think we should trust her?” Twilight asked.

"I don't trust her at all, but I have to know why Nova wants to fight me...” Midnight nuzzled Twilight before stepping through the portal, and before long everypony followed him through.

They found themselves in a dark cave illuminated by wall-mounted torches going down for miles.

“This is the Cave of Prophecies," Skyress appeared before them in her pony form, her wings spread for dramatic effect, "where every fateful event is foretold."

The alicorns looked around and saw there were large holes in the walls, within each were orbs of smoking light. Approaching one, Twilight gasped!

"Hey! That's us when we defeated Nightmare Moon!"

“Look there, it’s when Discord was defeated,” Celestia pointed with her forefeather as they followed Skyress further down the cave. "And over there, when Shining Armor earned his wings as he and Cadance defeated Chrysalis's invasion."

“I don’t remember him though. Who is he?” Midnight asked pointing towards an image the two dragons battling out.

“The white dragon is Albino and the red dragon fighting him is Nova," Skyress explained with a look of nostalgia, "I remember it like it was yesterday. It took everything he had to defeat that tyrant. Nova was the first of us in over three thousand years to transform.”

“Oh please, you might have some shapeshifting powers but any mage worth his salt can accomplish it," Midnight said with his nose up in the air.

“You might be able to take the form of a dragon," Skyress gave him a smarmy look, "but that hardly makes you a match for Nova."

“What do you mean? I trained under a dragon warrior," Midnight brought up, "and he told me I was among the best students he ever had!"

"Perhaps, but how long did you take to master whatever dragon magic you did? How long did you hone such skills? You might be competent in dragon arts but you are by nature a lunar pony. We guardians embody dragon and pony magic." Skyress said with a haughty tone, "Stick with what you're good at, honey."

“The snide comments aside, I'm inclined to agree, Midnight.” Twilight spoke up. “They're masters of their dragon powers, and if it really comes down to you and Nova, you'll stand a greater chance by using the skills where you truly shine!”

“She's right, my student. Dragons are powerful and these guardians seem to focus their strengths to overcome the natural draconic weaknesses." Sombra added.

“You can't actually think they're stronger than us!?” Midnight couldn’t believe they agreed with Skyress, who spoke up before he could protest further.

“We're here. This is what I had to show you,” Skyress gestured to an image of both Midnight and Nova on the wall standing next to each other with shadows above them. Upon a closer look, they saw ancient writings carved into the walls in flourish-style, depicting an alphabet of letters foreign to them all.

“I can’t read any of this.” Luna scrunched her eyes, trying to find meaning in the spidery words.

“I too am unfamiliar with this language,” Celestia was as bewildered as her sister.

“It is a long-forgotten language from a society eons ago." Skyress explained, "Only those chosen by the Angel can instinctively know it. It says that two warriors are chosen to decide the fate of the whole world and its future. One will be its savior, destined to bring peace and prosperity, while the other shall be the rising darkness, doomed to bring this world under a dark oppression from which no good shall ever rise again.”

“So that shadows over us is the rising darkness?” Midnight asked.

“It’s more of a representation of your inner darkness corrupting you. One of you shall make a decision that may cause this chain reaction fulfilling the prophecy here on the wall.”

“Does it say who is which?” Twilight asked, starting to feel dread.

"No," Skyress shook her head. "Nopony will know until it’s happened and the cave depicts the happening."

“What do you mean?” Sombra asked.

“The cave magically expands itself whenever a prophecy is fulfilled,” Skyress said with a shrug. “Don't ask me for more details `cuz I have no idea."

“Incredible but does it at least tell us when this will happen?” Luna asked.

“Hmm I believe so but I’m still learning this language so don’t expect a full disclosure, heh-heh,” Skyress chuckled but when nopony laughed with her she cleared her throat,

"Yes, ahem! ...it says that somepony from one of your guys's past will return to set these events into motion. But it doesn’t say who’s past or when it will occur.”

“So... this is why Nova wants to fight me?” Midnight asked.

“Oops! Got a little ahead of ourselves...Sorry, just follow me,” Skyress directed leading the alicorns a little back the way they came.

“Ah, here we are. This hasn’t happened yet but tomorrow it will.” Everypony gasped and saw a moving image of Midnight fighting a red dragon.

“Is that Nova?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, his transformation has evolved over time, becoming faster and stronger. This is why Nova wants to fight you because the prophecy says so-” Skyress was about to finish until Midnight interrupted.

“But do we really have to fight?!? Surely, there's a way we can settle this more peacefully!

“I’m afraid not," Skyress shook her head apologetically. "Once an event that has yet to happen appears here in the cave it will happen one way or another. I’m sorry, but if it makes you feel better Nova didn’t want to do this either even if he gets some arch-rival out of it..."

“Actually I have been meaning to ask, why does he want an archrival anyway?” Twilight spoke up.

“I can answer that.” Luna said. “When Nova and I last spoke he said that he wanted a rival who can push him past his limits, somepony that can keep promises, somepony he can call a friend. It is strange that he calls it that but that’s how he makes friends.”

“Yes, and it’s also strange that you know so much about him Luna. Is there something you aren’t telling us?” Celestia asked with a sneaky look.

“Umm we...may have….dated in the past," Luna admitted meekly with a blush, those mere words raising her big sister's interests.

“Ahh....! Hehehehe so that’s what you were doing at all those "trips" from the castle last year.”

Soon everypony was laughing while Luna blushed from embarrassment. Even Midnight was laughing he couldn’t blame her though there’s somepony for everyone even if it was Nova. But she made a good point Nova didn’t want this like he did. He just wanted somepony to train with and talk with. Maybe he misunderstood him.

“Alright I think that’s enough for one day.” Celestia said. “Midnight and Twilight, you two can stay at the castle for the night and have dinner in bed if you two like. While I have a talk with Luna alone.”

Luna didn't like the smirk on her sister's face.

“I can send you all home if you like besides I will be meeting with you all tomorrow.” Skyress said with a grin before realizing something. “Oh I almost forgot this is for you, Luna.”

Skyress grabbed a letter from her saddle bag with her wing and held it out to Luna. The Princess of the Night just groaned in embarrassment as she levitated the letter to herself, and only one thought came to her mind.

Why does bad stuff happen to me? she thought as she continued to blush.

End of Chapter. Next Chapter: A Angry Twilight and a Talk Estimated time remaining: 42 Minutes