117 YEARS LATER

13th March, 605 BNM

Dawn

Imperial Pandina, Shicuan province

Shicuan mountains

The month long trek across the immense mountain passes to the west, meeting Sherpa tribes to aid their passage, then crossing the lower, more treacherous mountain ranges, the two Wizards had taken up camp on a ridge at the edge of the mountain range.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes as he emerged from his tent, one of many items he and Siral could carry in a shrunken form with their magic, Starswirl stopped as he saw the sight in the massive lowlands before them, a few miles away.

The dawn mist was boiling off, and already the frigid night air was giving way to the heat of the sun. Down below, the long expanses of green forests at the foot of the mountain range's edge stretched on for a long way, bamboo making up the vast majority of its greenery to the north and west, more normal darker coloured forests to the south and east.

Up ahead, as the internal prompting by his prophecy memories told him, the small city kingdom of Shenghu beckoned, with the rice paddy fields and farms surrounding the sizeable city for a mile at least in any direction.

Behind him, a rustling sounded as Siral had already begun packing up his own tent, shrinking it as he folded it with his magic.

"I sometimes marvel at the world's beauty, this place is so much different from Romane. The green forests down there, and the mountains, everything."

Siral looked over the sight, his own normally harder gaze slacking at it. In some wistfulness, Siral remarked:

"Better than Romane was when we reemerged a month ago."

Starswirl looked down slightly at this, before he straightened his robes, remarking: "We should get moving, if we wish to enter the city before it's too close to noon."

"Why? We took a month to get here, a few more hours may not impact the Magic be-" Siral reasoned, before Starswirl retorted politely:

"If I wasn't getting a feeling besides one I have to go now, I would agree with you there."

There was a difficulty in explaining how the prophecy Starswirl was operating by 'prompted' him in hunting down these 6 beings, this being the 2nd one so far in history. But all the two wizards knew was that they were vague, but correct.

It had already served them well 117 years prior, but that era had long changed for them.

The two wizards were on the road to Shengdu, down the mountains and into the Bamboo forests leading to its rural outskirts no less than 5 minutes later.

In the city, on the day of their arrival, there was a festival in the works, a celebration of noble visitors, whose exact reasons for being there were not entirely known by all.

But like the Romane empire of old, the Hain dynasty in Pandina held many different races, and again, some clearly superior to others in standing.

And yet, for some, as upcoming events would show, even that wasn't enough.

There was truth to Siral's blunt statement, as in the 117 years since their time in Romane with Mashri, the mighty empire had finally crumbled, as barbarians pressed on all fronts that had expanded further than the empire could grow to manage. The unstable culture as a more monotheistic faith, contrary to the 'god emperor' ideals, undermined their own authority, as the new faith began to dominate, impose and create infighting within the empire's other subservient cultures only served as a catalyst for the breakup.

Remnants of Romane's greatness remained in the great city state and empire of Dasyntium, but it was a mere shadow.

Here though, in the Pandina empire, the Hain Dynasty ruled strong and proud, though Shengdu, like many cities, was more or less self-operating anyway, adhering to the Emperor in more desperate times.

13th March, 605 BNM

Late Afternoon

Imperial Pandina, Shicuan province

Shengdu provincial capital.

Main square

The brown and yellow thatched wooden, sloping roofed housing and merchant buildings that formed the city's structure were covered in festival decorations for the few days the Lantern Festival took place.

Dogs and Cattle milled around, many couples and families either enjoying the various wares being sold, entertainers on show, or themselves fulfilling these roles in the festival.

The Bamboo forests nearby guaranteed a large Panda presence, and there were many easily distinguished in the crowds by their black and white coats and burly figures, mostly among the ones enjoying the festival.

Wandering amidst the crowds, noticing the odd looks they were getting due to them being Unicorns in travelling cloaks, Starswirl spoke lowly to Siral over the bustle of the crowds and music playing in many places in the busy market.

"I can't sense where the one of magic is, but they are in the city for certain."

Siral took a quick look around, remarking as he and Starswirl saw a few stalls offering fortune readings, sorcery, and even a stage being prepared for a display advertising, in the local language they magically could understand with some spells, magical acts.

"A magic user in this city? I can't say that makes it much easier."

"Many of these are illusionists, not true magic wielders." Starswirl remarked, while Siral took an interest in one sorcerer stand offering potions for sale:

"Magic, no, but some of those potions appear genuine."

"Of course, potions can be done by non-magicals, if they have the knowledge and skill." Starswirl consolidated this fact, while Siral stood aside as a panda child ran by excitedly, the chiding parents apologising to the cloaked Unicorn as they sauntered past him.

"Perhaps we should get somewhere quieter?" Starswirl suggested with some humor, Siral himself not as amused by the crowds around.

Market square, seating area

Among a few tables set up for patrons, Starswirl and Siral now sat, having got some quick meals of rice, and bamboo shoots with some various sauces dressing them dishes, and some vegetarian dumplings.

As Starswirl thought to himself, eating a slightly spicy dumpling, Siral mused aloud as the black furred, white maned Unicorn looked about the festival:

"Remind me, what did the Prophecy state of this one we're looking for?"

Starswirl was quiet for a second. He had indeed told Siral everything, except for the line about watching for any friends that follow him.

"A restrained one, that's who we're searching for as a Magic exemplar."

"Restrained. Perhaps that's why you're struggling to find them." Siral thought. Swallowing the dumpling, Starswirl put a hoof to his chin, thinking for a moment as he remarked with some longing:

"If only they were as public as Mashri was…"

"Before she was convicted of brief treason." Siral finished, but as that joke had left Siral's lips, Starswirl smacked a hoof slightly on the table in a eureka moment:

"Mashri, hmm, I was all for restraint back then. Perhaps Siral, on this occasion, making a public scene of some kind might be a good way to go."

"What happened to not messing with destiny?" Siral asked quizzically.

"This time both of us will be aware of taking more proactive steps. But let us go to the top and prove our skills in a public setting for maximum influence." Starswirl remarked, jabbing a hoof at Siral. He was still mixed about Siral's tactics of arranging situations to force Loyalty's exemplar to display her potential, but this time interfering actively was necessary.

Magic attracted others that had potential for it after all.

Evening/Dusk

Shengdu palace

The leaders of Shengdu, like a great many cities in Western Pandina's region, had ties to the great Eastern Dragon clans. In this case, the leaders themselves were Eastern Dragons, one of a fair few families that split peacefully from the other Eastern Dragon clans in the mountains to interact, guide and even lead the more numerous races of the many eastern lands.

It wasn't uncommon for a strong family to be head of cities largely made up of other races in the Hain Imperial territories, and Shengdu was under the guiding hands of the strong Eastern Dragon family, the Honshai family.

Front plaza balcony

Parades and bright red and yellow colours decorated the lanterns and marques, and the various animal costumes in the parade waving as they advanced along the line shook like golden waves amidst a sea of red in the main street part of the plaza.

As the distant music of folk music, refined or 'common' echoed up to the plaza, the leader of the family, the Elder male Eastern Dragon, Jaio Honshai, laid the claws of his large, 20 foot long green and red scaled form on the railings. Like so many Eastern dragons, who all had a higher affinity for magic amongst dragons, they could regulate their sizes at will, and not just with greed impulses as other Western Dragons or Fire Drakes could.

"Husband. A word please?"

Turning around, the green and red serpentine dragon saw his wife and mate, dressed in a set of robes that, like his, had openings in the back for her wings. Kei-la Honshai, once of the Ju-shia Eastern clan, and his mate of 55 years now. She had a troubled look on her face, and Jaio suspected he knew why.

"What has she done now?"

"Nothing, but she has fallen ill again with a fever, the doctor has treated her. Her magic is acting out again."

"...She must power through this, this is necessary, otherwise she won't be able to fulfil her duty to this family."

"Must she go through this? Might she be a more desirable wife for any of the other Dragon families across the regions if she still can-"

"No, this family has enough sorcerers, our sons. Yu-shai is my heir, while Peng and Shung can fulfil the Emperor's call for magic wielders against the Muttgolian attackers in the north. We must have Hinai marry one of the provincial princes, but they-"

"Won't want a powerful wife, but an obedient wife. I understand, but why must she suffer the pains of restraining her magic as she blooms into full maturity?"

Kei-la repeated the often remarked reasons, as she understood her husband's desires, and in fact, so did Hinai as she suffered from the magic restraint induced fever, but the fact that steps to take to ensure Hinai's magic never fully developed pained the mother to see. Every child in their family had strong magic, and unlike herself, Hinai was told to restrain hers if any of the dragon princes wished to marry her, as all of them too could wield magic already.

Jaio walked over to his yellow and green scaled wife, the Eastern dragon holding her hands delicately in his similarly clawed ones: "If I had my way, she could have learned with her brothers. But for the sake of the populace and the city, links must be maintained. Hinai knows this, I tell her it every time she recovers."

In truth, it pained the Dragon father that his daughter was having to be restrained so her powers would never fully manifest, as she clearly had much potential. But the provinces needed to band together to keep the Hain dynasty strong, and her marrying would be easier if she wasn't see as such a spirited, powerful magic wielder like her brothers were.

When Eastern Dragons had conformed to the customs of the people, and vice versa, some respect of strength regardless of gender had to be diminished.

As Kei-la looked out, the first fireworks of the night flew into the sky, and she remarked with some sadness as the first red sparks flew in the sky:

"Such a shame. Hinai always loved the Lantern festival."

A fond memory of a young Hinai riding on his back, marvelling at the pretty coloured bursts in the night air, came to Jiao's mind, while he stood watching the display on the palace balcony with his wife.

Down below, other fireworks readied, but in the crowds, 2 cloaked figures emerged unnoticed, waiting for their opportunity. The 2 Eastern Dragons were their target audience, and Eastern Dragons were guaranteed magic wielders.

As the next, and last round of fireworks flew up, both Unicorns began to shine their horns, the show about to unfold a guarantee of their magic.

One firework shot into the sky, a colourful green stream flying skywards before it burst into many smaller green stars.

As a second, larger yellow firework shot upwards, the sky itself flashed a very slight hue of blue, and at that very moment, the green firework bursts suddenly glowed even brighter green, and shot inwards towards the yellow firework.

Colliding, the yellow rocket exploded larger than normal, a myriad of orange greens, yellows and reds blasting outwards, before each of them morphed into a series of multi-coloured flashing animal shapes. Pigs, Phoenixes, Dragons, Eagles, Bears and Scorpions, all hued in blue.

As more of the planned rockets fired, a different grey hue caught them midair, moving them in the air unnaturally to the air high above, before they all exploded together in a fountain of colours, raining down like shooting stars from much higher than normal, before settling into a hypnotic spiral of lights around the now prancing or spinning animal shapes lit up high above.

The circling lights moved faster and faster, as the crowds below drew quiet, and even no more planned fireworks were being sent up. As they moved faster, the lights moved inwards, the sparkling animal shapes dissolving into rapidly spinning, blue hued mutlicoloured forms that grew brighter and more compressed, before the rapidly circling halo of sparkling grey hued lights finally met them.

The blue hued orbs and grey hued orbiting lights suddenly lost their outer hues as they collided, and a massive disc of light and sparks of red, yellow, orange and white light burst outwards with a tremendous band, every spark shooting upwards and outwards in a neat arc, before arcing down and out to sweep out across the skies, dissolving like waves dissipating on the seas.

As the sparks faded, the crowds picked out the 2 Unicorns that had been responsible for the event's alterations, but the interruption and display was greeted with immense cheers.

The booming crowds praised the 2 Unicorns, one blue cloaked and the other grey cloaked, while up on the palace balcony, Jiao couldn't help but remark in some awe:

"Very impressive. Unicorns? They must have travelled very far."

"And the commoners seem to love them for the display." Kei-la noted, the yellow and green scaled Eastern Dragoness. She already had an idea brewing as another goodwill gesture to the people, to keep them on side for good face and giving back to their subjects.

"Perhaps we should reward their heroes of the night? Our two younger sons are up north, so there is room for them at the banquet table tonight." Jiao proposed, on the same page as his wife.

Later Evening

Shengdu Palace, dining room

The ornately decorated dining room of the Shengdu palace was adorned in gold and jade fittings, and many colours of red and yellow across the floors, ceilings and pillars at corners of the room.

Now sat at the table, the two Unicorns had their hoods down, and as the tales [abbreviated and edited for no mention of time travel] that Starswirl and Siral had were shared, the other occupants took a great interest in affairs beyond the Pandina territories.

The eldest son, Yu-shai, was a red and golden coloured male Eastern dragon, adorned in red and white robes befitting a local prince, and as first in line, he made the polite, but offhanded remark as the tales from Equestria, unknowingly from much further back than told, were regaled:

"It's often told that while Unicorns lack the raw magic power our kind has, they have great skill in using the art of it for many different feats."

"As was certainly displayed tonight by you two, much to the embarrassment of the fireworks artisans." The local Queen, Kei-la, the Green and golden Eastern dragoness remarked, while King Jiao quietly laughed at the fact that two outsiders had outdone the local fireworks 'experts' by hijacking their display.

While Siral hid any emotion as he ate the much more delicious food at the table, him and Starswirl being the only vegetarians eating here, Starswirl remarked with some honesty: "You can tell them we meant no harm to their reputation, and that they contributed to it with their fireworks."

At the other end of the table, there was 1 other Eastern Dragon male, and a tiger, both visiting from the lands to the East, closer to the Imperial capital. The dragon had a dark orange set of scales, with dark black and yellow alternating stripes vaguely marking his spine, one of the Imperial Royal Sorcerers. The Tiger male, Delegate Jai-ming was a respected delegate from the neighbouring Fa-ghing provincial kingdom. Looking around, the Tiger male finally asked the question about the empty seat and lack of plate for a usually occupied seat area:

"Might I ask where your daughter is tonight?"

"Princess Hinai will not be joining us, she has recently contracted a fever and must have some rest." Jiao remarked, while Queen Kei-la gave a slightly sad look, and Prince Yu-shai inwardly had some thoughts about the matter himself. None of this was missed by Starswirl, while Siral himself was giving a very subtle series of looks towards the other Eastern Dragon male, the Imperial Royal Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer then gave the slightly disappointed reply at this: "A shame, she was always pleasant company I heard, and a prodigy just like her brothers."

"I'm afraid she lacks the skill capacity for magic like her brothers, her duties to her people won't require them thankfully. She is losing her magical abilities from lack of use as it is." King Jiao remarked, but as this was stated, Starswirl picked up on the very vaguest of slight lies with that last sentence. He chose to keep quiet about that, as he then asked:

"I didn't realise your kind lost their magic potential if underused."

"Only at the age approaching maturity, much like how our more savage Western ancestors can have greed induced growth spurts instead of natural slow growth at their maturity ages." The Eastern Dragon Sorcerer, named Ghung Chian explained to Starswirl, not noticing the slightly narrowed gaze Siral shot at him before he returned to finishing his bean bun dish.

Turning the conversation away from this family matter, Queen Kei-la asked Siral now: "You have been quiet this evening, Siral is it not? Is something the matter?"

"Forgive my apprentice, he is somewhat shy, but very capable and knowledgeable, rivalling me already in some areas." Starswirl remarked.

"What else of Equestria's magical endeavours can you tell us?" King Jiao replied, while Ghung Chian listened with polite interest.

It would be a fair few minutes before they all retired to their rooms, and Starswirl and Siral had been granted at least one night's stay in the guest rooms of the palace as a gesture of goodwill.

Later Evening

Starswirl and Siral's guest room

Settled into their guest room, Siral had cornered Starswirl as the slightly older wizard readied for rest.

"Apprentice?" Siral demanded indignantly.

"I'd rather you be interpreted as shy rather than your true abrasiveness amidst these dragons, especially if any of them is the one we're looking for as I feel." Starswirl remarked.

"Like the Princess Hinai?"

"I have doubts. She was said to not have much potential, and they were only lying about her willingly not using it. She must want to use it, but clearly not be good enough for it to be useful, hence more politics than Sorcerer in her future."

As Starswirl finished, he then recalled the dinner: "And what was the cause for your suspicions towards Ghung Chian tonight?"

"I sensed something about him, deceit in every word he spoke despite not lying, somehow." Siral remarked. Pausing, Starswirl remarked, both laughing and serious somehow:

"I did too, but what I don't know. I suggest we be cautious tonight, alert. The Prophecy prompting me here on the onset of trouble won't be a first time event."

Midnight

Shengdu Palace, living quarters

Princess Hinai's chambers

The Princess, a Yellow and mixed Green/red striped Eastern Dragoness, was awoken by a horrific feeling, both natural and magical in senses.

Her head pounding, Princess Hinai's pink amethyst eyes shot open, as the faint whispers of magic from an unknown source were detected. Her fever had almost gone, yet another outburst of restrained magic she had to keep down at her own health for her future family duty's sake.

Stumbling from her bed, donning the white and faint pink dress robe as quick as she could, she silently stumbled out into the hall, bracing her clawed hand on a doorframe as she slid open the frame.

On the ground, as she felt the mystical incantation sapping her strength somehow, she saw the faint blue aura trail almost feeding slowly off her, though ever since she became more alert, it was less strong.

Outside though, the 2 Dog guards were unconscious, as if drugged by the faint blue mist.

The mist trail ran to her other family's rooms, and Hinai began to panic as she made a dash down the hallway, the darkened halls of her own home seeming to echo oppressive, malevolent demons feeding on her.

She feared this was another panic attack, brought on by her constant restraint of her magic to serve her family as a humbler powered being. But her panic attacks hadn't caused guards to drop unconscious or weaken her.

She saw the blue mist had made her elder brother's guards fall unconscious too, and as she wrenched open the doorframe, she almost screamed at what she saw, what fate she avoided by waking up at sensing it before it could really start.

Blue mist surrounded Yu-Shai in bed, as the Red and Golden Eastern dragon writhed and moaned loudly in pain as scales and what looked like white essence from his mouth and nose, and even his eyes, began to be leached from him by the blue smoke.

As he gasped, turning to face her in a levitated state, she saw his face seeming to shrink inwards, as if he were being consumed from within, his bones showing as his flesh began to sink and wrinkle.

"Yu-Shai!" Dashing forwards, Hinai was shocked as the blue field seemed to burn her, a dragon, as it finished the job. Slumped and clearly not breathing, Yu-Shai's corpse, sunken eyed and seemingly drained, came to rest.

Hyperventilating, Hinai tore out of the room, knowing her parents may be next.

Queen and King's bed chambers

Gasping, King Jiao writhed as he felt something eating him from within, and could only gasp with horror and desperation as he saw Queen Kei-la's shuddering green and golden form give one last writhe before she fell still, her skin and scales inking in as the blue mist finally released her, no longer alive.

He felt it, his strength going, as if he were continuously using high level magic. This spell that sapped his every bit of magic was also killing him.

"Father! Mother!"

"H-HINAI!" Jiao gasped, and the King barely clawed his way out of bed, the blue smoke around him relaxing slightly as he was actually moving. From outside, his daughter burst in, her clawed hands flying to her mouth as she saw what happened to her brother having finished her mother, and was finishing her father:

"You must get away from here! Before it gets you!"

"Father, you-"

"GO!" Jiao bellowed, as he strained under the consuming blue smoke encircling his tiring body once more. Tears staining her eyes, Hinai turned and ran, her wings flexing as she clearly was ready to fly as soon as she was out.

"Let her find help, by gods…" Jiao breathed, as he felt his last strength sapped, the consuming blue smoke finally rendering him a dried out dead husk, like his eldest son and wife.

Shegdu palace, Guest Living quarters

"MOVE SIRAL!"

Starswirl bellowed, as he leapt over another unconscious guard, while Siral fired off another spell at the blue smoke trying to catch them. It was tailored to Eastern Dragons, and wasn't fully effective on them, but had a weakening effect on them.

Getting too close, Siral slowed, as he felt his very magic being sapped from him. Turning back, Starswirl fired a large surge of blue magic, blasting the blue aura smoke back while also pulling Siral through the air towards him.

"We have to go, now!"

Turning aside, Starswirl fired a blue beam at the wall, blowing it out onto the rooftops before he leapt out, Siral slowly regaining his motor skills as they ran across the night shone rooftops of the Shengdu palace.

All around the palace, guards were unconscious from the blue smoke that had spread everywhere before targeting the full magic users in the palace at the time.

As the 2 Unicorns fled across the palace rooftops, and through the city streets, they were ignorant of the Eastern Dragon female that had fled the Palace in the night, in a distraught state, her silhouette distant in the night sky, heading for the Shicuan mountain range.

For now, the distant Shicuan mountains to the north west beckoned to them as well.

14th March, 605 BNM

Midday

Imperial Pandina, Shicuan province

Shengdu province capital, Shengdu palace

Throne room

"Whoever did this must be found and executed for their crimes!" The tiger delegate, Jai-ming, had awoken just as Ghung Chian had in an uproar, as someone had broken in, magically murdered the King, Queen and Prince somehow, and also kidnapped the Princess and 2 Unicorn visitors, and had unconsciously rendered the guards.

As acting command from the Imperial capital in such an emergency when and if it happened, Sorcerer Ghung Chian gave a stern bow to Jai-ming, sating the tiger's outrage while some guards nearby awaited the Sorcerer's command:

"Whoever did this will get what they deserve, my word upon my honour."

"I must leave for Fa-ghing, my king will want to hear of the terrible news from a witness."

With a very brisk pace, his stuff already packed for the long trip, Jai-ming gave a swift bow to Ghung Chian, before leaving the impromptu 'King' in charge of this kingdom he'd had negotiations planned for today with King Jiao.

As Ghung Chian turned to speak to the local monks about funerals for the dead King, Queen and Prince, his tone low, he felt a surge of strength in his body that he had not possessed the day before.

For now, there were many matters to attend to.

Mid Afternoon

Imperial Pandina, Shicuan province

Shicuan Mountain range, Bamboo forests

Trekking along the mountain trail, amidst a large mountain sloping bamboo forest, the 2 cloaked Unicorns gained their composure and direction after yesterday.

With a fast exit the day before, they had hidden in the mountain for a day to gather their bearings, before deciding to venture out to the mountain paths.

Starswirl was cursing their luck, but also was confused:

"Somepony murdered them!"

"Might you have sensed if any of those killed were the one?" Siral suggested.

"Maybe, but something else is going on for this to happen." Starswirl remarked. As Siral answered with his own thoughts, Starswirl became distracted by something in the distance, walking slowly away:

"That was magic, but nothing I've felt before. We should go back and try and find out what-where are you going Starswirl!?"

Siral exasperatedly called out as Starswirl galloped ahead, the slightly younger, but still middle aged looking black Unicorn muttering a few choice words under his breath.

Deeper into the bamboo forests, Starswirl and Siral now stood over a sight that wasn't hard to figure out.

The Yellow and red/green striped Eastern Dragoness wore what looked like night robes, muddied and tattered from fleeing into these forests, even after she'd likely flown with her wings at first. She was asleep, but troubled, and crumpled as if escaped from something truly traumatic.

"Royal robes, this may well be Princess Hinai." Starswirl remarked wistfully, as Siral bent down to put a hoof to her forehead. Retracting it, he spoke lowly: "Hot, even for a dragon. Fever, just like they said."

"What looks like she slept out here recently didn't' help that." Starswirl pointed out, as he knelt down before the crumpled, sleeping heap of an Eastern Dragon.

Beside him, Siral asked: "So is she?"

With a stiff nod, Starswirl added: "Just like with Mashri, but slightly different in feeling."

Looking at her, Starswirl and Siral knew the first thing to do was find somewhere better for her to recover, before their next move. It seemed that this time, direct interaction was much more guaranteed.

Author's Notes:

The beginning of the Magic Arc, and a change of scenery to the equivalent of Ancient China's Han dynasty.

As for the draining magic, this is a magical precursor of an art practiced by a certain villain in the main show, in a less refined, less precise and ultimately more likely to outright kill form, a rusty first iteration spell/curse.

More on this Harmony Essence being, Hinai, in upcoming chapters.

Meanwhile, this time around Starswirl and Siral are more on the same page, and take more direct action out of necessity. Not always by their own actions though, as fate would have it.