The Mark of a Golden Guardian
Angel Bliss looked out of the window of the library staring at the stars. She loved looking up at the millions and millions of twinkling orbs like they were just a blaze of love. She started humming to herself as her brother sat down beside her. "Looking up at the stars again, their beautiful but their a celestial beauty only to be looked upon from afar, unlike the beauty of the nature around us it is an immortal beauty that will last out the ages to come" Angel Bliss looked at her brother, her know it all annoying brother, yet still the sweetest and kindest brother any pony could want. She knew that she annoyed him too but they both would always love each other.
"Yes, but there is a beauty far more majestic and immortal than the stars brother," She giggled at his confused look glad to have stumped him for once, "Family is forever brother and family, no matter how bad they can be, is beautiful" Soul Spark sighed knowing his twin, the ever naïve Angel Bliss, had just made her first wise answer. "Yes no matter how much each family member hates the other love is still there deep down, as you put it, family is forever."
They both looked up at the stars before Soul looked over at his sister with his smile of annoyance, "You should know better by now Blissie, not every pony is nice or good friends, that Diamond Tiara for instance, she is just out there to hurt ponies with jokes and making them feel inferior" Soul was a very protective brother but Angel Bliss didn't mind she was an easy target "Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, those three would make great friends, so tomorrow while I am out with Twilight in Everfree forest, why don't you spend some time with them"
Angel Bliss nodded thinking; they had wanted to include her in their next attempt at earning their cutie marks. She then started to wonder what her special talent was. She enjoyed caring for animals and tending to injured animal. She was good a few things but none of them were exceptionally great, they were just hobbies of hers. She looked at her brother and smiled remembering he had been observing the butterflies of the Canterlot gardens. She yawned and looked over at her bed. "Good night brother" She said before she tipped hooved over to her bed trying not to wake Twilight.
"Good night sis" Soul wasn't read to sleep just yet he had this strange surge of energy as he thought of a certain filly. He wondered why his mind was on the yellow filly Applebloom, but he didn't understand the emotions in his heart at the time, he was after all not familiar with the feeling of love. He yawned and looked out the window before he began to wonder what he would be doing tomorrow in the Everfree forest. As his mind wondered he drifted off to sleep.
As the sun rose over Sweet Apple Acres Applebloom packed her saddlebags. She was glad today wasn't a school day because she could spend the entire with her friends, all three, yes three now. Applebloom had made friends with Angel Bliss and she had gotten her other two friends to agree on letting the new filly in town join in on their cutie mark crusade. She giggled as she thought of what fun they would have out searching for their special talent. Now all she had to do was meet up at their club house in the secluded area on her family's farm. She hoped Sweetie Belle remembered to get Angel Bliss from the library.
The thought of unicorn was rushing to get ready herself and she knew she needed to pick up their new friend. She packed her bags and rushed out the door heading for the Ponyville Library. Angel Bliss yawned as she finished her breakfast and got her things ready for the day "Bye, brother you remember to stay close to Twilight, our big sis knows more about those woods than we do" She was protective too but not as much as Soul was towards her. Soul looked up at his twin with a slight grin, "As you wish sister" He turned his saddle bags already packed and ready for his trek into Everfree forest, he had everything he would need from the two books on flora and fauna of the region to his own journal to write his observations down in.
Angel Bliss hugged her brother just as a voice form outside called out. "Hey Angel Bliss, you ready go and discover our cutie marks?" Angel Bliss looked to her older sister, and Twilight smiled and nodded for her to go. "I am on my way out now Sweetie Belle" She called out to the pony waiting outside. She dashed out and laughed in excitement as she came to a stop next to the other unicorn. "Alright lead the way Sweetie Belle" She smiled and trotted after the whitish gray unicorn.
Soul Spark watched his twin sister dash off towards Sweet Apple Acres, he sighed with happiness. Maybe just maybe she could make friends this time, he thought as he trotted up to his big sister and smiled "You ready Twilly, because I am far beyond ready" He laughed as Twilight sighed. "What have I done, I have created a monster that's going to tear apart Everfree forest just to research the life styles of the various flora and fauna" She whispered sweetly joking with herself. "Um Twilly, if we're going to observe the forest we need to go" Soul Spark was a little impatient as he tried to push his big sister out the door.
"Alright Soul alright, we're going alright" She sighed and started out the door turning towards the Everfree forest, a good hour or so walk from Ponyville. Soul dropped his indifferent shell completely as he enjoyed the morning air and the fact he and his sister were going to do something they both enjoyed, studying the things they did not understand. He was a totally different pony when the shell was down.
Twilight smiled as she watched her true to his nature little brother. She giggled as he ran forward to the edge of Everfree forest. "Now that's the Soul I remember not the indifferent pony that doesn't care." Twilight smiled again as she came up beside her excited brother. "Hmm I haven't seen you this pumped for anything since I came home that one time." Soul looked up slightly embarrassed "Well I haven't had a chance to get a good look at the wildlife of Equestria in some time" The young colt said just before he dashed off into the forest "Oh wait up Soul, its dangerous in there" Twilight dashed right after him.
Soul ran all out just to get to the part of the forest that spoke of unobserved wildlife. He had totally forgotten to stay close to his sister but he did remember soon that he knew nothing about the Everfree forest and was soon lost in its vastness. "Uh oh, Twilly umm" He looked about, he wasn't scared but he knew he was hopelessly lost. He walked a little bit away for the tree to hear a distant but distinct roar, the roar of a Manicore. He was without his older sister and he couldn't find a path even when he retraced his steps.
Twilight panted with a bit of exhaustion but she couldn't stop, not after the Manicore roar, she had to find Soul and fast. She followed Soul's tracks but she soon was in the darkness of the forest making it harder to find the tracks.
Applebloom looked out the window of the club house and spotted her scooting friend. "Hey Scootaloo, have you seen Sweetie Belle and Angel Bliss?" Applebloom called out with some worry, Scootaloo was normally the last one here even when Sweetie Belle was late she was always her before Scootaloo. "Oh yeah I did they were helping Fluttershy with some shopping, they said they would be here in a little bit." As Scootaloo said it the two mentioned ponies came trotting into the area.
"Oh sorry we're late Applebloom, Fluttershy needed some help" Sweetie Belle called up to her friend and looked back at Angel Bliss "You ready to join our crusade?" Angel Bliss nodded with enthusiasm. Applebloom rushed down the ramp and skidded to a stop in front of her friends. "So you guys ready to go tracking in the Everfree forest?" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded eager to be on their way, but Angel Bliss wasn't so eager "Umm isn't it dangerous in the forest" She asked and all three shook their heads yes but it was Applebloom who answered "It is if your alone, but if ya go in a group most creatures leave ya alone"
It soothed Angel Bliss's worries somewhat but she was used to having her brother with her when she went on trips like this one. She gulped as her three new friends started off towards the Everfree forest. She followed even though she thought it a bad idea. Applebloom lead the pack for a few minutes before she fell back to Angel Bliss's position. "Hey is something wrong, oh wait I know, you're scared don't worry we aren't going that far in." Applebloom smiled reassuringly and let Scootaloo take the lead so she could hang back to talk with Angel Bliss. They were not running or trotting, they were going a bit faster than a walk but still slower than a jog.
"So how do ya like Ponyville?" Applebloom was making small talk just to ease Angel Bliss's nerves, and unease. She was just trying to be a good friend to the new filly in the group. "It's a great place, but you don't have to try and calm me Applebloom, I am just use to having my twin brother with me, alone we are just regular unicorns, but together we make a much stronger set of magical weapons" Angel Bliss only repeated what her big brother, Shining Armor, had called them. "Umm okay, but you're not a weapon, you're you, a kind and sweet pony" Applebloom said as they came to the edge of the forest.
Soul sighed as he wondered around the forest though he did keep ending up in a similar clearing. He didn't mind being lost after all it left him time alone to think, he enjoyed solving puzzles and mysteries. His mind caught on something that surprised him to no end, his mind keep going to a yellow earth pony. He wondered if his sister was having fun with that earth pony, "Huh why does she interests me so, what power does Applebloom hold over me that makes my mind go to her most of the time now." He didn't understand why Applebloom interest him by pony standards she was just an average earth pony. He thought on that mystery for a while.
Soul Spark was vastly intelligent but he was naïve to the stirrings of one's heart, he was all brain and action while his sister was all heart and emotional. Soul was thinking that maybe his sister could help him with the mystery after all they did solve things easily when they worked together and when they argued nothing ever was finished or solved. Soul had be so entranced with his own thoughts that he did not notice the fleeing wildlife as yet another Manicore roar was let lose much closer this time, and not just any roar but a predator's roar.
Twilight heard the roar and knew the Manicore was hunting, looking for its meal for the day. She needed to find her little brother fast or he might as well be lunch for the Manicore. She keeps searching for him to no avail. "Oh why does he have to be like me, well besides the athletic part of him?" She grumbled and looked with an increased pace. Her time was running out incredibly fast.
Soul came back when a hurt bear cub fell down in front of him; he instantly looked it over seeing the small signs that it had been attacked by an animal far larger than itself. He looked at the wounds and knew he would be useless in trying to heal such wounds, he knew the spell that could speed up the healing rate of the poor creature but he wasn't strong enough to cast the spell without his twin sister. Magic yes he had it but he was the warrior of magic, he had great potential with offensive magic, but the other kinds like the magic that helped ponies heal faster he couldn't perform without his sister, Angel Bliss.
Angel Bliss sighed as she looked about herself, she and Applebloom had slowed down so much that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had gotten out of sight in the thick forest. The two fillies wanted nothing else but to find their two friends. As they turned into a clearing that was barely a mile from the edge of the forest the spotted something the both feared instantly. A Manicore was in the center of the clearing. The large lion and scorpion like creature was in a small fight with an adult bear. It was strange for Manicores to be out this close to Ponyville but a hunting Manicore would go to the end of Equestria and back thirty times just to get a meal.
"Ah think we should back away very slowly now" Applebloom said with a twinge of fear. Angel Bliss was about to agree when she saw a flash of whitish gray and orange. "We can't Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are over there" Angel Bliss pointed to the area behind the bear and just as she said their friends were there cowering as the two large animals fought for supremacy. "Oh no, Angel Bliss do you know any spells that can help" Applebloom looked at the unicorn next to her "No, I am well I am not a fighting unicorn I am more of a umm healer not a fighter with magic"
Angel nearly cried out for her brother but she knew the spells to help ponies heal faster and a few spells that would stop poison in its tracks, she liked to study the things that saved ponies lives after something happened, while her brother Soul studied everything that can be done to prevent the something from happening. "I am sorry bu…" She bit her lip and knew she was useless here; the tables had been turned on her. Her brother was somewhere in the forest with their older sister and she had to be the one to run into the starving Manicore.
She gulped and decided to do what she had to "Sorry I am not sure what to do but I am going to distract it and you get Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to safety Applebloom" Angel Bliss gulped again and rushed out her magic showing on her horn. She threw a small barrier between the bear and the Manicore, it wouldn't last because she wasn't good at such magic, but it did what it was meant to do. The Manicore roared in rage and looked about for something to strike and spotted Angel Bliss.
Angel Bliss ran making sure the Manicore chased her and not get a glimpse of Applebloom. Her wish for a fun day had gotten turned into the most frightening day of her young life, she knew she couldn't out run the Manicore for long and it was on her tail. Her short life sped by her eyes, the thing that hit her most was how loving her brother was, how much he cared for those he was close to, and the fact he never let anyone see that side of him at all. Tears ran down her cheeks and all she really wanted was to be by her brother's side. She ran into another clearing completely spent as her small body collapsed and her wish to be by her brother's side was granted.
"Angel Bliss what in Equestria are you doing here, I tho…." Soul Spark jumped up and looked at the Manicore that charged into the clearing. He placed himself right over his twin sister and he placed his own barrier over them both, his barrier had a strength in it that Angel Bliss's lacked like it was a true shield that protected the twins not magic, Soul began to pant with the exertion, he may be a powerful unicorn but he was still just a young colt, he was vastly limited in the amount of power he could take and not feel exhausted. He would keep the shield spell up as long as he could and hope that Twilight would find them soon.
Applebloom tried to calm her friends but they were too far gonetheir terror. "Girls we need to help Angel Bliss there is no way she can keep ahead of that monster, she needs us" When Applebloom told them their new friend was in trouble it snapped the unicorn and pegasus out of their fear and the chased after the sounds of a charging Manicore.
As they ran an unexpected surprise was in store for them as they ran straight into Twilight Sparkle. "Girls what ar… oh never mind that where is Angel Bliss and have you seen Soul Spark" Twilight looked extremely frantic. "Umm Twilight there was this Manicore and Angel Bliss drew its attention to herself to help Sco…" Applebloom never finished the statement when a very close and bloodcurdling roar came to their ears. "Come on we need to go, my little brother and sister need me, you girls get out of here and get to safety, I.." "No Twilight, Angel Bliss is my friend, Ah made friends with her so easily but it feels like Ah have known her for a long time, and Ah never leave my friends hanging"
Twilight grunted in frustration but she didn't have time to argue "Fine but keep out of the Manicore's reach" She galloped off towards the sounds of a large and angry creature. As she burst out into the clearing she stopped in her tracks at the sight of a very powerful shield spell, and an extremely frustrated Manicore trying to break through the magical barrier. The Cutie Mark Crusaders came to a stop as well but their eyes were not on the barrier or the creature but the source of the barrier itself.
Soul Spark looked completely worn as if he was physically brawling with the Manicore. He was straining to keep the spell up and to keep his twin safe, when it looked like he would collapse from exhaustion he heard his sister whimper and he forced himself to keep standing. He growled and forced another burst of magic putting more strain on his small frame. Soul was not going to let his sister, his other half, the only pony who understood him get hurt.
Twilight tried to distract the Manicore to no avail and the Crusaders were locked in a state of awe, there had never been much magic in young unicorns but Soul spark must have been an exception. They watched as he opened his eyes wide and for some strange reason they were exactly the same color instead of their normal mismatched colors, both were a deep and serene red, not a scary blood red or the dull and drab brownish red, but a shining red spark, a red ruby color.
Soul Spark was almost completely out of magic as he gave off another burst of magic and let go of the shield spell for another spell entirely, a more aggressive spell. The Manicore was pushed back as if a large foreleg pushed it back roughly and was thrown into a tree, normally a Manicore would react with violence at such a thing but this time with it out numbered and already weakened from its fight with the adult bear it fled.
Twilight looked back from the fleeing Manicore to her little siblings she cried out in anguish upon seeing her little brother lying motionless on the ground. Soul Spark had used all his magic and in doing so had placed tremendous strain on his body mind and being, so now he was completely spent. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were over by him with pure worry in all three sets of eyes. Angel Bliss stood slowly and looked down to her brother with pure worry and grief in her eyes. No He did it again he over used his magic she thought and knelt down to her brother and nudged him with her muzzle in the way only a sister could manage.
Twilight lifted Soul up with her own magic and with an accompaniment of gasps as his flank came into view revealing a golden shield and sword, a cutie mark that would make him a prime candidate for the Royal Guard later on, but that was not the only thing a golden staff was placed above the shield and sword. Twilight saw the cutie mark and as if an afterthought she ran the meaning of each of those things in her mind. A shield is a protector loyal to a fault, a sword is a fighter courageous to a fault, and a staff is a wise man valuing wisdom over all else thinking before doing. She did not think of the implications of what they meant as to Soul's talent or his nature.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked on with wonder as Twilight led them out of the forest, Angel Bliss felt like the day could have been a lot worse, and Soul Spark began to snore as he rested on the back of his big sister. None of them knew at the moment what was in store for Soul Spark after all his cutie mark wasn't about his talent or his nature but about something much bigger than both.
End
Author's Note: Well this chapter took me longer than I thought, eh but it was a fun one to write, oh and in case you're wondering ,the last bit about Soul's cutie mark is just a mystery for another story not this one so don't trouble yourselves trying to figure out what I meant, it will be explained later in the Golden Guardians or GG for short, I am working on the first chapter of that one, but it will not be up for at least another month. Now back to this story, hope this leaves some room for you to wonder and remember let me know what you think and what could use improvement. P.s. I am working on a story that deals with another of my OC's, chapter one should be up around sometime next Saturday.