1.7

Luna’s chariot arced across the sky. The torrential storm settled itself as she flew forward through it. Flying slowly but surely towards the storm’s eye, Starswirl explained the nature of their task

“We swiftly approach the Morning Star. An ancient orb of power that gives our crops the light they need to grow despite the eternal night we live in,” Starswirl explained, “It says that it is safeguarded in a temple, presumably defended by powerful creatures and spells.

Luna looked unsure at the beacon in the distance, many thoughts were running through her mind. She missed Celestia, and above all else, it was her goal and task to leave this strange world and go back home to her sister.

“Well it should not be of any trouble for a myself, Starswirl the Bearded and Princess Luna. We are quite an unstoppable company, together we can triumph anything,” Midnight Sky declared.

“I am sure that thou are right Midnight,” Luna said, shooting a smile at Midnight Sky, “But my sister is a powerful pony, no doubt will we be challenged.”

“I hope the two of you are ready,” Starswirl started, “Because I sense evils approaching.”

Luna and Midnight scoured the dark horizons around them for any trace of creature or apparition. The storm rolled louder and louder as flashes of lightning illuminated dark flying creatures in the sky. They looked like black, featureless butterflies with long tendrils trailing out from them and many holes in their wings. Almost like a living shadow of a dismembered butterfly. The sinister spirits flew through the raging storm with impressive speed.

Several spirits rushed passed the two guards pulling the chariot, coming between then and the three and momentarily obscuring them. In the same flash the guards were gone, ponynapped in a brutally fast and dark fashion. The chariot began to hang limp as it began to lose its momentum and began to sink from the sky.

Eyeing one of the creatures, Midnight leaped from the chariot, throwing it to the ground. Luna and Starswirl dodged away from it as fell. As a dark streak across the sky, Midnight charged his magics and plowed straight into the creature. Immediately he felt a strange sense of terror fill him as he was caught in the beast. Almost like quicksand, he began to sink straight into the depths of it.

Flying through the sky at unworldly speeds he struggled to focus the spell he charged. He flipped, dived and spun all while sinking into the abyss of the creature. Finally, he discharged his spell and a brilliant ball of light erupted from him, slowly eating it. Willing it harder he burst it from him and vanquished the creature in a dazzling shockwave. .

Meanwhile, Starswirl’s eyes shone white and he hung in mid-air. Several creatures rushed at him, but were disintegrated by an invisible force field. He then erupted in an electric aura and began to dash around the sky, cleanly eliminating the other threats. He stood in the middle of his sphere, protected from the creatures and the elements.

Luna watched the two of them as she hung in the sky. She raised her hoof up to the sky and channeled her will. Winds started to spin around her at hurricane speeds, forcing the clouds into a funnel as the pressure around her increased to painful levels. The winds were even starting to sweep the other two ponies into the vicious cyclone.

“Be…” She started and then for a moment all hung still, suspended in animation. The funnel cloud around her, obscuring her from vision.

The silence of the moment was merely the calm before the storm.

“STILL….” she bellowed, as a single titanic flash of lightning cackled, illuminating her silhouette in the funnel.

Lightning cracked slowly and then more and more, lashing the ground harder and faster, showing the eerily still creatures. The creatures reflected no light as though they were an endless void until the lightning flashed through the sky making it indistinguishable from day. Some cracks of lightning hit the creatures but Midnight and Starswirl took this moment to jump from creature to creature until they were all dismissed. Leaping across the sky were two parts. One a jagged, dark streak and the other a soft, light streak, together they dispatched them all. At the end of the attack, a blinding flash left them alone but safe.

As Midnight Sky jumped to the last creature to destroy it, he jumped off towards Luna but fell short. Luna went to meet hum halfway and levitated him while they both eased their way to the ground far below. Starswirl had already teleported to the ground and met them there. They looked at each other disappointed.

“I assume we are walking the rest of the way,” Luna said discouraged, looking at the cloud break in the distance.

As the three of them neared the eye of the storm, where the Morning Star lied beneath, the storms intensity increased. Gusts and torrential rains pounded the wills of the ponies. Lighting tore the sky and thunder deafened them. It felt reminiscent of her prison. The whiteness and the deaf ringing of the storm scared her. She winced as a particularly heavy strike shone the sky, which was only the short warning of a deep thunder, which coursed the clouds. She huddled close to Midnight.

“What is the matter Princess?” he asked concerned.

“This storm rages as my mind did during its imprisonment. During it all I wanted was company to save me from it. Now that worry is alleviated by thine presence,” Luna replied, smiling weakly.

Midnight Sky let Luna walk close to him to keep her warm and steady her from the fright.

They reached the eye wall whose winds almost pulled them away with it. Barely breaching the threshold, the three stepped into an eerily calm, perfectly tranquil space. The rage of the storm was silent to them and warmth filled their hearts. Above them, the sun shone down golden light on them, as if placed to be in the perfect center of the circular cloud break. The air was thick and hazy and sparkling dust was constantly settling, giving it the illusion of a dream. Luna breathed lightly, and watched a butterfly daintily flutter across the air. With the storm as a backdrop the weirdness compounded. Luna’s nerves told her that this perfect tranquility was to be feared more than the storm.

Before them was a ruined but sacred temple sitting amoung a vast, overgrown garden in the depths of a forest. It was in a slight clearing and rather underwhelming in size. The ceiling and majority of the walls had given way to time. Many of its arcs and masonry had been covered in a gentle moss and fallen through. It was a an old forgotten temple that should not have been.

Through the missing doors, Luna saw an orb on the pedestal, glorified by the sun’s light.

“The Morning Star, I do not think this is to be as simple as appearances suggest, remain alert,” Luna ordered

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