Thousands of miles from Equestria, was a red mountain range where very few creatures dared ventured. If one did dare to do so they would travel along the thin pathways that were worn down from a clash of hooves and rain. The view of clashing stone and sky would be breath taking to any pony, but the sight of bones and ruined armor all ages old would ruin any serenity that the place had.
Here a battle had tooken place, one that would of caused the early ponies to never reach their full potential of today if it didn't happen. Old weapons lay crushed under boulders with their masters, while others remain broken on the path of death. Armor from three kingdoms lay about rusted, crushed, unmoved for many years. Heading further in, old bridges have given away and have fallen into the canyons bellow leaving only those of wit and flight to venture further in.
Once one manages to pass through the narrow walls of the range that's when a new yet chilling sight takes hold. Pony like statues frozen in mid attack , some reared up with weapons others broken and crumbled on the floor without a change on their faces. They are of stocky built, hooves cloven and sharp, each one having a horn of some kind. Some have curled horns , others have arched unicorn horns while other have antlers and wings. They all bear the same armor and look of confusion that rest in their stone cold eyes.
Something had caught them off guard here, and turned them into stone before they could deal with it. Some are turned as if they were attempting to flee before they met the same fate as their fellow pony. But none the less they are coming from a cave entrance.
Piles of armor, bones, and supplies are laid out here and there in the mouth of the cave while old dusty piles of wax coat the floor here and there before jars of oil and burnt out torches start to line the walls. Moving further inside the cave the walls here have been worked on, smoothed stone etched with conquests and even maps. Eventually a mural of a leader appears but his face is blackened with dust and soot. More and more statues of these odd ponies are turning up many are confused and in a rush but stopped in time.
Soon fraying banners which have lingered more than their intended time are spotted hanging from the ceiling. Their images are faded but a mark is shown on them in glory of their ruler. He waits with his court up ahead. Stone doors are busted open allowing one to get a peak inside. More stone ponies though many are shattered as marks of a fight are clearly shown. While the fight was long over only one fighter was at the scene frozen in stone.
This one, the leader looked nothing like his ponies. His body was equine shaped but instead of a normal tail there was a dragonish tail with fair hair on the end of it . He had large feathered wings tipped with claws that perhaps when they were folded would of hidden the runes that were carved into his flank. Long legs had feathering as his hooves were also cloven allowing him to be nimble and quick. A wild and determined look was still on his face as he was caught in mid shout allowing two fangs to be visible while the small wisp of hair under his chin was caught in motion. Sitting above his anger filled eyes was a single antler with five points that took the place of a normal unicorn horn.
He was on his hind hooves appearing in mid attack but frozen from doing so.
Or at lest he was for so long. Thunder rumbled overhead the mountains as a heavy storm was starting to come in. Lighting struck angrily at the mountain blacking it once again, but this time when the lightening struck the whole cave shook with such force that many of the statues toppled over and shattered including the leader. But while the stone ponies were nothing more than a pile of rubble the leaders started to have movement.
"That was in bad tastes," a weak voice said as the leaders dark gray coat was now visible as well as a fine layer of dust that was on it. Slowly the leader peaked his head out of the rubble and shoke off the remaining bits of stone that clung to him. His orange eyes stood out from the dark teal and gray mane that went around his different horn. But as they slowly adjusted to the surroundings once again the leader started to pull himself out of the rubble and wobble around on shaky legs. "Turning your opponent into stone and then knocking him over, that's too rude." he muttered as he went to rub his head some not even noticing that no one was actually there.
He flicked his long tail and snorted a bit as he tried to get himself settled. He had a dark gray coat and wings but on his legs there was black that went up almost to his body. As he started to become more and more aware he started to notice that it was raining far above ground and that the cool air coming in when it should have been blistering warm air . A look of uncertainty came about him as he looked around more. "Where are you Moon Beam? It's unbecoming of you to hide during a battle. " he said as he looked around as his ears turned this way and that straining to hear something. But when nothing came he frowned and started to gallop around the grand hall. "Moon Beam get your hide out here before I decide to use it as a coat!" he threatened as his orange eyes darted around looking for the other who was simply not there.
"Fine I'll pull you out from your hiding spot then," he huffed as he stomped his hoof before his antler started to glow before fizzling out making him confused. His ears folded back and he tried once again, "What is this nonsense?" he asked as he tried to use his magic again. But this time as he watched his antler his orange eyes went wide. Instead of the orange glow that he knew he was to have there was a unwelcomed light blue color.
"No,' he muttered as he spread his large wings and took to the air and flew up to a smaller cave entrance that was just for him. Landing he bolted off into the darkness as he kept his wings close to his side knowing what he truly earned should have been in the same place that he left in only hours ago. Sliding to a stop in his chambers, he glanced around for anything abnormal. There were furs of almost any kind of creature piled into a make shift bed while the floor and walls were covered in ruins a pool of water used for a number of things but nothing was wrong here. Or at least from what he could see. Looking at the ruins he noticed that something was off about one line and quickly used his magic to break the seal that had been placed over his own.
Stone shattered as he started to push the stones and dirt out of the way before finding that what was his was now gone.
"The crystal," he muttered as he went through everything not finding anything that resembled such a wonderful stone. He tore through the room looking around before he jumped into the water and stared at it. "Show me the location of what I seek!" he shouted as his antler glowed a faint blue color before it touched the water.
The ripples glowed as they formed and soon the water's reflection changed from that of the leader and the ceiling to that of a colorful place that seemed to be basking in warm sunlight instead of the harsh heat. It was a colorful town, one that had many ponies going about their day most of them mixing here and there. Then there was a place that stacked upon it's self with metal ponies who looked like they were in mid prance without a mane. It was like some gem that stood out from the surrounding buildings.
"What place is that?" the leader asked confused as his ears lowered before he used his magic again only to have golden words appear. '"Carousel Boutique?'" he asked confused as he used his magic once again allowing the blue glow to take over the room. "A land called Equestria?" he asked before snorting. "Where in buckhorn is that?" he snapped before he shake his head about to leave only to have his water come through for him with an answer. Without a word he shock his head and stepped out of the water only to slide slightly making him look down and notice that his cloven hoof was back to normal.
"Moon beam!" he shouted
