A/N: Another chapter up.
I actually have a story idea in mind for another franchise that I have been getting into. It won't be for some time yet, as I am quite eager to wrap up on this story as quickly as possible. As much as I would have loved to keep the story going, these things just happen along the way.
Coming up this August, I'll be seeing KISS in concert for the third time this Saturday, and for Fan Expo this year; I will have the honor of meeting Tara Strong for the second time. Hopefully she remembers me. A friend of mine did go to BronyCon this year and I am happy to say that he got a picture signed for me by Lauren Faust, the one behind Friendship is Magic in the first place.
Yes, I have watched the remakes for both Aladdin and The Lion King.
"This is the spot!"
Me and Ann stepped forward towards a field that was close to one of Equestria's great lakes near Ponyville. It had a great view of the lake from down the hill with more fields of grass that led to the nearest dock where others would go and catch fish for the seasons. Only thing that stood out from our sight was the grown tree in which the leaves blew silently and slowly from the gentle breeze.
I had the Song of Order on my back, ready to be sheathed for training whenever Ann felt ready to do so. She has her new staff on her back, the Song of Nature, which powers I have not yet seen with my own eyes and neither has she until she uses it. My hand which is holding hers slowly lets go, and I turn to look at her.
"This will give us a good spot to concentrate, and I will start you off with the basics of being able to handle the staff you've been given." I said to her.
"I've never held a weapon or actually fought before..." She says, her tone sounding a little nervous about proceeding with this training. "I know that it asked me to get you to train me. But I have no knowledge on defending myself when it comes to magic."
"That is why I am here to guide you, Ann," I said to her, placing the both of my hands on her shoulders. "It's all scary, I know, but you'll find that it will help you in the long run when the powers of darkness surround you and want to keep you weak. With our power and the friendships I've made, I know we'll never be alone in battle."
"Because... being alone is a lonely path."
"Loneliness can lead down many roads, to the destiny of darkness. I know it has taken Rebecca, but as you've said to me, we can get her to snap out of it. There are always second chances."
I remove my hands off of her arms and place them onto the Song of Order's grip, sheathing it out and revealing it's silver colored blade with the writing etched into it, glowing. She gets out her staff, only a small bit of glowing is seen on the top of it where the butterfly is. I feel as ready as she is, even if she is new to this.
From the Song of Order and Nature's connections together, I can feel around me, the calm winds from reality beginning to go to a silent halt. The humming of the blade is heard around us, even with Ann turning her head and looking around in confusion.
"What is that humming noise?"
I chuckle for a moment. "Well, I think the magic in the staff and claymore have brought us to this peaceful realm where we can just be us, as long as we stay here."
The gold visible aura began to cover the sky and land around us, keeping everything visible in its mystic field with time appearing as if it was slowing down. I release the blade and allow it to float, looking at Ann as she hasn't released hers from her hands.
"You can let it float, Ann," I said to her. "It's alright."
She listens, letting go of the Song of Nature, watching in amazement as it floats over next to the Song of Order. There is a small shine among the two of them, which dies down after a few moments.
"Hello again Brayden," The Song of Order's mystic voice spoke out to me, Ann looking surprised to hear it speak for the first time. "I see you have brought another wielder of one of the Songs, to defend all of Equestria."
"Brayden... is that blade talking?" Ann asked.
"Yes. You must be Ann. I felt you and the Song of Nature's presence when you first placed your hands onto the staff itself and brought it back from the sleeping dreams."
"So this explains why the staff is talking to me."
"Much like I have a connection to Brayden, the spirit from within can speak to you to help you in times of trouble. I won't hear the voice of Nature until all of the Songs are present at the same time, but of course, Brayden won't hear it either."
"Bummer... I was looking forward to talking with it." I said to the spirit of the blade.
"I believe that a good warm-up should be a start for Ann when it comes to training. All you must both do is close your eyes, breathe... and clear out the troubles that bother you to give you the will to protect Equestria from evil."
I close my eyes, not even peeking over at Ann with the vision closed. I take in the usual deep breath in and out for a few times, allowing the stress of what had been to clear up into the nothing that my mind wouldn't reach far into. I can hear her nostrils breathing so I am thankfully she is hearing what either the Songs of Order or Nature are telling her.
"Very good, both of you," The blade commented proudly on our warm-up. "When it comes to basics, I believe that Brayden can show you the ropes since your Song is magic-based itself in that form of a staff. Then there will be a challenge with or without my guidance."
"Challenge?" Ann asked with a wondering tone, taking the Song of Nature in her hands. "Hopefully not... too difficult. I'm still new to this."
"We'll see how you do with the basics." The Song of Order said to her, saying nothing afterwards when I take the blade and walk over towards her.
"Alright Ann, with the basics, I am going to teach you how to ready yourself for battle in case the enemy in front of you becomes hostile and essentially... wants to kill you." I said to her.
"Like a battle stance to intimidate them?"
"Exactly."
Ann turns and looks at her staff for a moment. "It can be completely your own, or in many cases, like myself - improvise." I continued as she has an expression on her face that she is thinking about it.
She looks up towards the landscape ahead of her, placing one foot slightly back on the grass, releasing the staff into one hand and her other hand, freely open which would look exactly like she is prepared to use magic to defend herself against a Manticore. I look really surprised, seeing her expression act like she is ready for a fight, despite never having fought before.
"How is this?" She asked.
I laughed for a moment. "You don't have to go all out, Ann," I said to her. "Just be you. Who you are, you don't have to look that angry otherwise the enemy will think you're trying too hard to scare them."
"Oh..." She says, a little bit disappointed, removing herself from that battle stance she was in.
"Hey," I said to her. "Don't worry, you're still beginning. You'll get the hang of it."
"What about fighting, using spells from this staff?" She asked me.
"We could start with that, think like we are in a duel for a moment," I said to her, smiling. I hold the blade in a defense position. "All you would have to do is strike at the blade."
Ann looks a little cautious. "What if I miss?" She questioned.
"Don't worry, if anything, you should trust me that you would never hurt me, as I would never hurt you either," I assure her with a calm smile. "Do you trust me?"
"I... I do."
She raises her staff, keeping a firm grip on it. She goes forward, striking the blade with the top of her staff. I held the Song of Order firmly in the position, trying not to drop it from how hard she had hit the silver on the blade. I smiled when she retracts the top of the staff, holding onto it again, a surprised look on her face.
"I did it... I striked something." She says surprised but yet proud.
"I knew you could do it," I responded to her. "If any enemy gets too close, don't be afraid to whack them over the head. By how the top looks, it's sharp enough to blunt in a foe's head if they try to bring harm."
"What about your blade?"
I look at the pommel that featured a musical note encarved into it. "I use this end if the blade doesn't reach it or they are behind me."
To our right, targets appear floating in the air for Ann to practice her spell-casting, ready whenever she was. I knew that the Song of Order gave me these powers when I wielded it. Ann turns to the targets, knowing her anticipation for the staff granting her the power from its spirit to give her any kind of magic it can offer.
The spirit of the blade spoke again. "You can use any attack spell to cast at the targets. All you have to do is picture the element you wish to cast and aim carefully."
Ann nods, listening to what the blade has said to her. She closes her eyes, thinking for a moment on what she wants to use for the first target. I watch as she opens her eyes, moving the staff forward, conjuring a ball of ice and using it on the left sided target from her vision. The ball of ice flew through the air, swiftly missing the target it was supposed to hit.
She looks a little disappointed that she has missed. I place my hand on her shoulder, her eyes turning to look at me hosting that calm, gentle smile on my face. "Try again. Maybe this time, you'll be able to get it. If not, take in a deep breath and relax the pressure before trying again."
Ann casts another spell at the same target, but this time in the form of a rock which I can tell is the element of Earth she used. She misses again, but giggles for a moment, turning to look at me. A few moments of glancing at me, she looks ahead again, closing her eyes and breathing in. A few moments, she breathes out and focuses on the target again.
"Keep focus on the target, try maybe aiming left of it's center point." I suggested to her.
Her eyes tilt, looking half-closed as she focuses on the target she is facing. The top of her staff begins to charge with magic. Bringing the staff forward, she sends out a burst of lightning towards the target, striking it not in the center point, but slightly to the right from it. The target having been hit, disappears.
She looks rather impressed that she managed to land that spell from luck itself. She turns around, astounded at that moment when her eyes have been laid on me. She turns back, looking at the other target, casting another spell at the one in the middle with an elemental spell of water, the water ball hitting below the center, but successfully with her getting a hit. For the third and final target in the sky, she uses a fire ball cast from the staff directed at it, slamming right into the center and blowing the target into pieces that disappear as they weren't real.
"Very good Ann," The Song of Order tells her. I listen as the blade talks with her. "You are starting to get the basics of the Song of Nature. Over time as you get more used to it, you will earn more powerful spells to cast that you, yourself will be able to figure out and master."
"Hopefully those aren't the only spells I have at the moment." Ann says to the blade.
"Other than the elemental spells, you have one defense spell that will temporarily create a bubble shield around you if you are surrounded and the enemies are too close. It really gets them to back off and will protect you for a second."
"The Song of Nature is telling me to slam the bottom of the staff into the ground, which will create the bubble around me for that moment. You might want to stand back, as I don't know if it'll hurt you." Ann says to me. I nod to her, taking a few steps back to allow her to cast the spell.
She places the staff down onto the grass, slamming the bottom onto it. A clear, yet blue colored bubble surrounds her for that moment, popping afterwards, the spell worn off after that.
"The defense spell can be useful when those with bad blood or hostile are close to you or have a grip on you from behind," The Song of Order says to her. "With all of these basics, we certainly can put you and Brayden to the test regarding teamwork."
"Teamwork?" I asked the spirit in the blade.
"Remember when I was teaching you on fighting the timberwolves? Now you can help her and fight together against the timberwolves I will create. As these are not real in this realm, they will not bring you harm but will give you a sight on what to expect."
"We're dealing with timberwolves?!" Ann asked, really surprised that the Song of Order would test her on this, especially with an animal she knows of, but has not dealt with before.
From behind us, there is the sounds of growling that get both myself and Ann's attention. I turn around, seeing a couple of timberwolves along with a few alphas to guide them along. They look to have me and Ann cornered there up on the hill. I grip both of my hands onto the Song of Order, turning to look at Ann who really looks a little nervous about facing off against this many timberwolves. Even if they weren't actually there.
"Work with me on this one Ann," I suggested to her as she holds her staff in defense. "Remember the basic spells that you've used."
She nods to me and both of us look ahead at the timberwolves. Their mouths are snarling, drooling as they see us as quite a snack for them to munch on. Unafraid of us, the hunted, a few of them bark at us threateningly, ready for a fight or for us to give in as their food.
I knew what the answer was, we fight them.
[Play Kingdom Hearts 3 -Working Together- Extended]
I hop upwards with my wings spreading open, flying straight down towards a few of the timberwolves, slamming my blade into the head of one of them. A few other timberwolves surround around me in a circle, taking an opportunity to jump me all at once. I duck down when they are about to slam their heads into each other. I raise up the blade, knocking them into the air for a hard landing to follow afterwards.
I can hear one timberwolf alpha growling behind me. I turn around, swinging my blade at its side to cut into a piece of its side. The alpha is knocked to the ground, but gets back up as if my attack was nothing to it. I jump backwards, landing on top of a timberwolf, driving the Song of Order through its wooden skull.
I check up on Ann for that quick moment, seeing that she is surrounded slowly by timberwolves, but is using the magic from the Song of Nature, casting a fire spell onto one of the alphas. The timberwolf is lit up on fire with a few others getting back to avoid being set that way as well. The alpha struggles around, doing all it can to put out the fire. No use for it though as Ann continues to fight the others around her.
I can feel a hard force pushing me forward down onto the grass with paws gripping onto my arms tightly with no release. "Brayden!" I can hear Ann scream, worried as I can hear the breathing of the timberwolf behind me, who is ready to feast on me alive.
It wasn't going to happen today though, I use my legs that haven't been gripped onto, kicking the timberwolf off of me. It jumps back, unsurprised by the amount of strength I put into my legs. I roll around, facing upwards and jumping back up onto my feet, throwing another slash towards the timberwolf, creating a scar across its wooden head.
I brought my hand forward, sending out a burst of magic towards a few of them, knocking them back and creating loose wooden parts for the green glowing eyed timberwolves as they fall apart. Ann who is about to get mauled by a timberwolf, slams her staff into the grass, creating a bubble around her, sending that timberwolf back when it's head slammed into the bubble itself.
The bubble disappears and I watch as Ann uses her staff to slam the top of it against the skull of the creature, cracking up the wood. The timberwolf's glowing green eyes fades to black, pretty much the sign of it no longer alive before disappearing like a hologram itself. She hops backwards, casting a spell of ice on a few of the timberwolves, freezing them in place.
I drive the Song of Order behind me, the blade crushing through the chest of a timberwolf itself. I turn around, combining both magic with the blade to slam it into the ground with a magical impact that created thousands of pieces that it possibly could not come back together again.
I open my wings, flying over to join with Ann as more than many timberwolves surround her. She casts a wind spell at a few timberwolves, blowing them back, with not much effect on them.
I slash forward at a few of the timberwolves charging up towards us. With a few others left for us to fight, this would be a good time to use some magic combined into the Song of Order. With power flowing into the blade itself, I swing at the oncoming few timberwolves and release the blade from my hand, allowing it to swing by itself at the timberwolves, carving off more wooden pieces and then coming back to me like a boomerang. I catch it by the handle, swinging around and cutting the head of one of the alphas.
There is only two more left on the field for us to take on, so I look at Ann and she looks at me. She nods her head, turning her head along with me to look at the oncoming timberwolves who aren't giving up their hunt just so soon. They sprint forward, hopping forward, biting onto the Songs of Order and Nature in our defense.
I throw one back, opening my wings and flapping them heavily for them to struggle on the field to get to us. I hop upwards, ready to come down at them.
"Here it comes!" I shouted at the timberwolf, coming down with the essense of fire added to the silver blade, lighting the beast on fire when I drove the weapon into it.
The timberwolf on fire struggled around with the fire that encovered it, even from the inside. It runs into the last remaining timberwolf other than itself, setting it on fire as well with them running about in their attempt to put the fire out. Being surrounded by the flamed being who see us as a last attempt to kill, I turn to Ann, placing the silver blade onto the top of the Song of Nature.
"See ya!" Ann says to them, powering a spell of flames around us which destroy the last two remaining timberwolves in their failed attempt of getting one of us on fire with them.
All of that remains of the timberwolves fade off into nothing while both myself and Ann stop to catch our breath from all of that fighting. I was impressed with Ann, and the fact she now like me, is a wielder for one of the Songs that book mentioned that I read.
"Excellent work, both of you," The blade compliment our teamwork in taking out the timberwolves. "There is much more training for both of you to take, if you want to master the power of the Songs."
"We'll make sure to do this again soon." I said to Ann, smiling proudly.
She has caught her breath, giggling. "We should. I'm still working it out, but I know I can succeed with it as long as either your blade or my own staff trains me or us together."
"If the other wielders for the other Songs were here, it would be a huge training with all of the new wielders or current ones that know their skill."
"Then wait... wasn't I supposed to train-" I said, interrupting myself when I realized something from within.
The Song of Order's spirit chuckled. "I'm your voice, so I helped you with what was necessary to train Ann the basics." It says to me.
"The other lessons, they will teach me more advanced parts with the staff?" Ann asked.
"As much I would teach you more, I think somepony is coming and I must end it so abruptly. I believe it is for you, Brayden." The Song of Order tells me, going silent afterwards.
"Wait, what?" I said, a little off-course on what he meant.
The golden aura around us fades, and I can feel the gentle sound of the wind blowing onto my face calmly. We were finished with training so abruptly, and still it felt so quick within a length of time as I feel time has sped up from being in the magic state of the two Songs. Me and Ann had returned to reality, still in the same place where we stood and trained.
"Brayden! Brayden!" I can hear the voice of a male that sounded like a royal guard from Canterlot itself by the tone sounding gruff like most of the guards I've met were like.
My eyes turn, seeing one of the golden helmet guards, flying over to me as fast as he can. "Thank goodness I was able to find you just in time," He says to me, digging right away into the satchel on his side when he has landed as if looking for something to give me. With his teeth he brought out a letter that looks to have a regal stamp pasted onto the wrapped envelope. I reach forward when he turns to look at me, handing the letter to me. "It was of Princess Celestia's upmost importance that I find you at once."
"Thank you." I said to him, recognizing that it was my mother who had mailed, but why have a royal guard send out for me? I open up the letter, beginning to skim through it quickly with no time to take everything in.
"What is it?" Ann asked, a little curious but worried if things were still bad on that end.
I lowered the letter. "That my mother, aunt and Sunset need me in Canterlot straight away!" I said, very surprised.
I open the doors to the throne room rather hurriedly, seeing all both of them and Sunset as I had predicted in the letter. I went across from the open double doors, approaching Celestia first with an expression on my face as if there was another attack on Equestria from Mortem itself, to which there wasn't thankfully.
"I've read the letter and came as fast as I could!" I said, panting a bit from running. "Something about a discovery? What did you find?"
"My son," Celestia acknowledges me first, trotting forward in friendly approach. "Sunset was able to look through the rest of the clues from the black books that the Dragon Queen had, and we've figured out that it is a map that may very well lead us to the First Alicorn's white book."
I turn my head to look at Sunset. "Great job Sunset. I knew all that research and that journey into Mortem really paid off in the end." I said to her.
"Oh, I'm not the only one. Nightmare really was a great help to me with handling the dark magic contained in the black books," Sunset says to me, trotting slowly towards me and placing her hoof on top of my hand. "I heard about what happened to her... I don't know what to say to you when it comes to that."
"I know..." I said to her, feeling a little sad about losing Nightmare forever in the afterlife. "But I know in my heart, she is safe there and is proud of me always."
Celestia opens her right wing when I turn my head and look back to my mother who is offering me a motherly wing-hug. I move forward, wrapping my arms gently around my mother's neck, feeling the feathers of her wing wrap around me like a blanket. We held the hug for a few moments and then release.
"With the discovery of this hidden map from the studies, we have discovered that it leads to a village lost to the Frozen North, past the home of our allies: Yakyakistan." Luna speaks to me with more details.
"Excellent, I'm sure whoever you send, they will get that book in-"
"You misunderstand, Brayden," Luna interrupted me. "Being that you have made a journey like this before, we believe it just might be right to send you on another dangerous one, possibly a long journey."
"Another journey? You want me to go again?"
"Don't worry Brayden," Sunset says to me with a smile. "You're not going to be alone for this one. I'll be there with you, and I know just a few that will look forward to joining us on this trek as well."
"Who?" I asked, hearing the doors open up once again. I turn around and am very surprised when I saw who were there to join us, and were very brave to do so.
Trotting into the room was Bon Bon, Daring Do, Sonata Dusk from the last adventure I embarked on. To my own surprise, it is my wife Twilight who was joined with them as well. She is surprised as well to see me, especially when the sad expression on my face became present to her that I felt both regret and guilt from hitting her.
"Twilight..." I said her name, her attention already having been brought to me before I even spoke words to her.
She exhales a small bit of breath. "Brayden..." She says to me in return. She turns to everypony else in the room including my mother and aunt. "Can me and Brayden talk privately for a few moments?"
Everypony nods, understanding the situation that happened that night. Twilight turns, trotting over towards the large stained glass window. I turn as well, joining with her at the window, almost scared to look at her after having hit her.
"Brayden?" She noticed that I wasn't looking at her when my eyes were set out towards the window and the view of Canterlot's city outside of the castle with a few clouds rolling through the sky. "Brayden. Please look at me."
I slowly turn my head and look at her, seeing a worried expression on her face when I looked at those violet eyes of hers and her eyes making contact with my brown eyes. I was scared to look at her... what if she was mad?
"I..." I almost struggled to get words out. "...I'm sorry for hitting you and yelling at everypony when my emotions were overwhelmed with such despair. My heart felt so hurt for all that I did. It's... it's all my fault. You're probably still mad that I hit you, just like I felt like a monster for doing such a thing to you."
She opens up her right wing and pulls me closer to her. "You're not a monster. Don't talk like that," She tells me with a tone in her voice that shows that she really cares. "I'm only a little surprised that you did that. When you were gone, I was really worried about where you went off to. I thought something bad happened to you." She gently nuzzles my left cheek with hers.
"I'm really sorry Twilight..." I said, feeling a little bit of tears swell up in my eyes.
She moves her head to remove herself from the nuzzle, seeing the swelled tears now roll down my face. "Brayden, are you okay?" Her voice turned gentle and her expression still worried as ever. I can feel her hoof reach up, placing onto the side of my head.
I closed my eyes for a moment. My left hand reaches, taking and holding her hoof that was placed on the side of my face, not making any other moves. I can only feel as my tears rolled to the end of my cheeks, dropping off of them to leave small streaks of their trail on my face. Other than Nightmare's death or the other times, this was the first time I was overwhelmed with guilt through tears.
"Brayden, please don't cry," She says to me. "Deep down in my heart for real this time, I forgive you."
I opened up my eyes and I pull Twilight towards me, placing my lips onto hers which caught her by surprise at first; but then her eyes closed with mine and I could feel her kissing me right back, my other hand gently stroking her soft and silky mane as I shared this intimate moment with her, feeling warmth from her comfort.
I released from the kiss and opened up my eyes to see her with a smile on her face, seeing that it was really me this time she was looking at. The compassionate winged human that she knew and loved, knowing I would be there to protect her.
"Thank you for always being there to know that inside me, I still cling onto happiness that you and the girls have given me." I said to her, releasing my hand off of her hoof and using them to wipe the tear trails on my cheeks.
"We'll always be there for you, no matter what," She says to me. "If you are ever upset, we'll always be there when you need us."
I smile back at her, the spark of hope gleaming inside me, erasing all other guilt from the situation out of my mind. "So you're coming with us for the journey?"
"Yes," Twilight says to me. "No matter how long or short it is, I don't want to be left out of it like I did when you and the others travelled through Mortem to get the last black book. Seeing an ancient artifact made by the First Alicorn would be history I'd be looking at."
"You and your books." I said to her, chuckling a little bit.
She giggles along with me, turning with me as we join with the group again. Celestia smiles contently, glad to see us and Twilight ready for the journey together with a few of our friends.
"The journey, my little ponies, is very much almost like the last one you made into Mortem. This one is different though, as you'll be looking for the First Alicorn's white book. The only possible thing needed to stop the Dragon Queen and her plans for us and the rest of Equus. From the research that Sunset found, it was a map past Yakyakistan, leading to a village that will supposed carry the white book, lost in the ages and never having been found for possibly a millennium or forever since the creation of this world."
"Princess Celestia," Bon Bon asked, raising her hoof. "Should we dress warm for the journey?"
"I do recommend it. I do not believe that you will run into danger, but that is why I am bringing Brayden along with you as well as my nephew who looks to be running a little late."
"Your nephew?" I asked, realizing who she might be talking about. "You don't mean-"
"I'm here, aunt!" That familiar voice calls out to my mother. I turn and look to see it's nothing more than that snobby nephew of hers, Prince Blueblood coming to join us.
"Oh come on mom!" I complained for a moment. "You're going to invite him along with us for the journey?!"
Celestia nodded, placing her hoof on my shoulder. "I know you and him don't get along too well, but maybe this journey will be somewhat a bit of a test for both you and him to gain respect out of each other in a way hopefully." She says to me.
"Respect out of each other?!" Blueblood was rather not amused with the choice of being me to go along with him. "I'd rather go back to my garden and enjoy some 'good' food rather than go on an adventure with this human scum!"
"You know, you sound a lot like Councillor Neighsay when you talk about him like that!" Twilight says to him, really disappointed as well that he would be joining us.
"Says the princess who married this scum." Blueblood mutters to himself, but in an audible tone for all to hear.
"That is enough, Blueblood," Celestia says, still calm but yet so firm. "I know you are intolerate of handling a different appearance being that Brayden is not a pony - but as he is my son, you will show him the respect he needs. Unless you want your royal status stripped as a prince."
In defeat by the words from his aunt, Blueblood growls in embarrassment for a moment, turning his eyes towards me with quite a sharp, angry glare. "Just because you are the son of Celestia and that I am being brought on this journey with you, doesn't mean I am going to like you. Just don't talk to me, and there won't be any issues between us." He warns me, not holding back on his word.
"Then, it's a done deal. Just don't call me a human scum." I said to him.
"Pathetic. I'll call you whatever I want to call you. This won't change anything between us regardless of you and Aunt Celestia sharing the same blood, you're still scum to me."
I turn back to look at Celestia, who shows disapproval with her nephew on how he is treating me. "What is the first step to our journey?" I asked her.
She looks at all of us again, ready to give us more instructions. "There is an airship outside that will give you all flight to Yakyakistan. Once you get there, find Prince Rutherford and ask him about the lost village buried in the snow north beyond their village. I'm sure he'll know a way to guide you there easily. Sunset has the map there in her bag, only finding it underneath will be the challenge."
"Sounds like a cakewalk." I said to her.
Twilight turns and looks at me. "Not exactly Brayden, as she said, it's buried underneath."
"Let's get going, shall we?" Blueblood commented. "I'm getting drastically annoyed having not done this task yet."
"You can count on us like last time, Princess!" Daring Do says, rather confident about going on another adventure yet again.
Celestia smiles, nodding her head. "Good luck my little ponies. No matter how long the journey takes, I know deep down all of you will be alright in the end and find the white book of the First Alicorn. Only then, business can be taken care of between Equestria and Mortem on how to stop the Dragon Queen."
All of us nod, and turn around back to the throne room doors, heading for the airship that was waiting for us outside. Another journey was about to begin, and this time, there is absolutely no turning back on what is yet to come...
The Isle of Eden, Near the Breach
The Temple of Ikwyutania
The black coated and hooded figure stood there between the corridor and the main hall where its eyes, shadowed in the darkness take observation of the blood dragon that has been petrified into stone, looking as if he has been tortured for doing something against the will of the Dragon Queen under the command of the olden dragon god.
"The pitiful dragon... He never stood a chance, betraying his own queen."
Underneath the stone-frozen dragon, on that dusty stone pedestal was that of the first artifact to be from creation of Equus in its waking. The white book made by the creator, the First Alicorn. Its content said to contain prophecies that have come true over the years that the land, sea, sky and life flourished and fought over. Such needed in ways on its prediction on keeping the dark necromancer contained forever in his seal.
The figure turns, trotting down towards the end of the corridor, its eyes now pierced onto the carvings on the wall, as well as the seal itself, filled with nothing but stone itself, lost to the realm of time itself in a place where magic has not sparked in. On the wall, the carvings represent that of the dark necromancer whom is the ram himself that everypony in all of Equestria is afraid of mentioning except in tales. Those young, too young to understand will know his name only through stories the old tell of.
His seal once he was put away for that good sake, once shined in the color of a red gem. It's shine is gone, looking nothing more like it was stone the whole time when the Songs of the past united to keep him locked inside forever in his dark realm - preventing him from reigning over all of the planet. Should he return and get his hooves on the Songs, he would certainly mend them all together to create the Aria of Darkness. Without his bell though, lost in the shadows and unknown where... his dreams cannot become reality.
The figure chuckles for a moment, knowing how perfect that plan sounded from what he remembered out of the ram's words when telling him this.
"It's been a few millenniums too long, old friend..."