The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: And Meanwhile...

Titan loved his siblings. He adored his older sister, Sol, even if she could be cruel and ruthless and pushed everyone around her far too hard; even when she was at her worst, he saw her best qualities, always shining in her. And he saw that she was only ever so harsh because she was still suffering terribly.

He loved his sisters; his younger sibling, Morgan, tried so hard, poured so much of her heart into taking care of others and looking out for the world, even though it seemed so often like the world wanted nothing to do with her. Her dark powers, after all, struck fear into the hearts of many ponies, and Titan knew that Morgan herself sometimes wondered if one day she would be sealed away or executed, like so many other dark entities they had fought and defeated over the years.

Titan did everything he could for his siblings. He was always there, to make them laugh, or smile, or to do anything else that he could for them. He thought that all they both needed, in their own way, was compassion and understanding: he knew that the world was moved by such things, even if Morgan only ever smiled at him like he was saying something she direly wanted to believe, but couldn't, and Sol simply rolled her eyes and told him that war was won with words and swords, not hugs.

Titan continued to persevere in his beliefs, however: he thought that the entire world could be won over, if only it could be shown a little more love and understanding. And that was why he was good, and gracious, to everypony he met: because of his purehearted want for the entire world to be one big place of friendship and happiness. Because he believed that even beasts could be tamed by love and understanding better than they could by whips and chains.

There was nothing that Titan wouldn't do for his sisters, and even a stranger, Titan would give the world to. Should an enemy cry for mercy, Titan would give it to them, freely and without any strings attached; should an enemy ask for help, Titan would help them, with kindness and love in his heart. For all his strength, and his grand title of the Horse of Stone, Titan's heart was anything but hard: there was no purer hero, nor any more worthy of adulation and respect for the mercy and the compassion that Titan always worked to show.

And that, perhaps, was why Titan was selected as a go-between by Sol: he would travel happily to Veliuona's camp, making conversation with the living dead as readily as he did with any normal pony. He also worked to keep the peace between the armies of the living and the dead, saying that they had a much greater foe to fight, and that as of now, they were all friends, and allies.

Yet Titan also was no fool: he saw the living dead, and studied Veliuona's armies. He read the runes scrawled upon their bones and noted the formations that her soldiers took in combat. He memorized what he saw of their training, and took note of who the commanders were, and how they bedecked themselves. He knew that one day, perhaps, they would be enemies, and they would be forced to do battle.

And all the same, Titan did not merely watch, but sometimes assisted: he corrected training errors, even knowing such skills could be used against him in the future. He helped repair their weapons and their armor, and taught the smith skills they could use to better edge their blades, and strengthen their shields. And he showed them how unity, and teamwork, could bring down even the strongest of aggressors... and reminded the living dead that their numbers would always be their greatest strength, so the better they learned to harness their hordes, the stronger they would be.

Titan taught, and aided, even as he watched and kept the peace, because Titan did not merely see monsters who could one day be enemies. Titan saw only what he had always seen, when he placed his eyes upon another: his fellow pony.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Shade And Shadow

Sol had taught Morgan that all darkness was darkness. That evil powers, even if used for good, were nonetheless evil. That the magic of corruption and shadow, even when used for the brightest purpose, was all the same still the stuff of terror and destruction, and it could not be excused. That even if evil was used or tricked into serving a good purpose, it all the same was still evil, and still deserved to be pushed out or punished or sealed away, once its purpose was complete.

Morgan was aware that many of her powers were of darkness and shadow. And she knew that she excelled most in arts that were considered to be that of cowards and the wicked. That her powers stemmed from the night, and from evil. Sol had taught her that she could bind these powers, and use these abilities for the greater good... but also that one day, she would have to learn to contain all this evil inside herself.

Darkness could serve a purpose, though: that was what Morgan truly believed. And sometimes, when she looked past the blind love and devotion she had to Sol, and when she listened to Titan, who gave her love and encouragement and spoke of balance in all things, and that evil and shadow had their own purpose in the world... she thought that her darkness was something different. That perhaps there was not evil, and evil alone, but darkness came in different shades, and shadows.

As she studied under Veliuona, she found herself feeling a strange amiability with her. An almost eerie understanding of the goddess, as a matter of fact: there was honesty in the words of the Goddess of Cursed Shades when she spoke of her empire, of wanting to protect her countless servants and minions. Except she spoke more of them than simply as her minions as well, and somehow that resonated with Morgan: the way she spoke about her Velites was not merely as some great goddess who was amused by her cult of fanatics, but with an almost maternal pride.

Veliuona said they were not so different, and Morgan did not like that she was forced to agree. They were both creatures of darkness... and yet Veliuona showed more compassion for her deathless servants than Morgan had seen the forces of the light show for their own citizens, be they foal or fierce warrior. Perhaps the darkness could be more than suffocating... it could embrace, as well. It was capable of love, a love that the light would either never understand.

Shade, and shadow: different aspects, different depths of darkness. Just as order could kill and suffocate, just as she had learned that the laws of the land were sometimes not used to pursue justice, but instead to aid prejudice and blind hatred... couldn't the darkness be used for good? Couldn't this deepest, most terrible of sins and evils, this black magic she was learning... be used to protect, and maybe even help those who were suffering, to protect others?

Morgan wanted to believe that she was right. And it made her all too willing a student to a goddess all too eager to teach her new disciple how best to harness her powers of the night.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Night Magic

Morgan followed Veliuona into her encampment on the second night of the Goddess' visit. She shivered as her paladin strode nervously behind her... but it was not fear of either Veliouna or her countless thralls. It was discomfort at the strangest sense of familiarity she felt as she walked into this conclave of the dead.
The young paladin, of course, was far less comfortable. He was terrified of the undead abominations, fearful of what they would do, revolted by how they looked and acted. And at the same time, there was a bitterness in him, a jealousy of his beloved as she walked with her head high in the wake of the great and terrible creature striding ahead of them, who seemed to know no fear of the dead world around her or the things that lurked within it.
Veliuona took Morgan to her tent, then halted here: she invited the mare inside, but told the stallion to wait, or to leave. Morgan smiled, and tried to encourage him, reassuring him that the dead would not harm him and he could leave if he so desired.
The words had not even left her mouth when the stallion fled, to the laughter of Veliuona... and to the frustration of Morgan. Certainly, she did not hold his fear against him... but all the same, she had expected at least a goodbye, or for him to leave with as much boldness as he had first entered the camp... not that he had been very bold at all, she reflected.
Morgan turned towards Veliuona, and the goddess seemed to see her unhappiness on her face, as she mocked that her thralls knew no such fear. She bragged of their loyalty, and their superiority, but was cut short by Morgan's angry interjection that they were also soulless, mindless, worthless abominations.
But Veliuona was not angered: no, as a matter of fact, she was pleased. For while Morgan spoke the Sun Warrior's words, it was only parroting. In her eyes, and upon her heart, she saw written very different things. And likewise, Veliuona tasted something further, too: interest, however unwilling Morgan was to admit it. For were the undead not fascinating in their own way? Was not there something romantic in creatures who had not just died for you, but now continued to serve, to love, to fight in your name after the warriors of every other nation had long given in to the eternal slumber?
Veliuona smiled at Morgan, then asked her what she would prefer to learn: to banish the dead, or to summon them to her aid.
Morgan opened her mouth to answer... and yet couldn't form the words. She knew what Sol would want her to say, what Sol would want her to do... and yet, as Veliuona smiled at her, she also knew what she wanted to truly learn. What truly compelled her, and called to her.
And before she knew it, she had spoken her answer... and it was a lesson Veliuona would be all too happy to teach.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Death And The Warrior

It was strange, how much Sol found she had in common with Veliuona. They both were direct, cunning, and favored many of the same methods. The largest divide in their thinking came from their thoughts on the undead: to Sol, they were merely abominations and horrors, while Veliuona thought of them all as 'her children,' and treated those she had converted into Velites and servants of darkness as if she had saved them.
In spite of their attempts to remain peaceful, soon Veliuona and Sol began to debate this point. Sol said they were nothing but drones, constantly in pain and sorrow. Veliuona countered that she left the free will intact in her loyal servants, and that they no longer felt pain, or hunger, or tiredness. She made them stronger and took away their need to rely on the kindness of the world: Sol responded that she had also taken away their ability to give birth, to find meaning in life, to experience the joys and pleasures that only the living could.
Veliuona snapped that the living most often regretted living. Sol retorted that the dead were left regretting the life they didn't live and their eternal undeath.
Then Titan interrupted them by declaring that he would happily see if Veliuona was more alive or more dead, because she was as pretty as a flower.
This short interruption halted the arguing between the Goddess of Cursed Shades and Sol, at least for the moment. Instead, they turned their attention to other things, as Titan happily trotted along behind them, and Morgan and her paladin followed last. The paladin hid behind his love, while Morgan began to feel less fear, and more fascination with Veliuona. She exuded a dark magic... but it was not entirely evil, she thought. Veliuona herself, she was undecided on, but her presence was not as terrible as Morgan had expected.
When they sat together with the Baron and several of his mages and advisers, Veliuona was quick to take charge of the conversation, laying out a plan for a direct assault on a Wyrm nearest to her territory. Her plan was crude, but would be effective... yet all the same, Sol countered that Veliuona's armies of the dead could hold back the Wyrms there for now. Instead, they should focus on securing several important trade routes that at least two Wyrms appeared to be heading towards, likely drawn by the easy prey that merchant and transport caravans would provide.
Veliuona eventually relented... but Sol thought it was too easy to convince her. She suspected, in fact, that Veliuona had only opened with her initial plan of attack in order to test them. A popular negotiation tactic: open with a demand, allow the other party to argue it down, and then later, when the other party felt confident and comfortable, like it was controlling the table, slip your real demands forwards.
And as she had expected, it wasn't long before Veliuona made her real request, and one that Sol had not expected.
Veliuona smiled at Morgan, and asked her to accompany her back to her camp, so she could teach her the true magic of the night. And even though Morgan looked afraid, and Titan looked uneasy, Sol's mind leapt at the opportunities it would provide... even if in her heart of hearts, she feared what places agreeing to this request might lead to in the future.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Veliuona's Gambit

Veliuona, the Goddess of the Cursed Shades, proved to be more sly and cunning than Sol had thought: for it was not long after their alliance was forged that the ruler of the undead sent word that she desired to meet with Sol and her siblings, face-to-face.

Sol knew what this was: a test, and a trap. They could not reject Veliuona's request: to do so would be to risk making themselves seem weak, as if they were afraid of the goddess, and it would invite trouble from both sides. Likewise, inviting Veliuona in was dangerous: she would be able to see Canterlot for herself, explore their sanctuary, and if she so chose, attack them within their own walls. Sol highly doubted she feared retaliation from the Baron, after all: it was all too clear that her only concern was with her, and her siblings.

Still, they had no choice... and Sol trusted that if Veliuona was cunning enough to make this move, she would also be wise enough to forestall any attempts on their lives. After all, Veliuona could neither reason with nor fight the Tyrant Wyrms even with her armies of the dead: from what they had heard, the terrible words sung by the monsters were as devastating to her forces as they were to the armies of the living.

Titan, always seeing the best in others, always full of hope and kindness, said it would be good to speak with their new ally face-to-face. Morgan was concerned, and her worries were amplified, not soothed, by the whispers of her paladin in her ear. She loved him, and blinded herself again and again to what he did: it seemed, to Sol's frustration, that no matter what the paladin did, no matter how she reflected and thought, Morgan continued to give the stallion chance after chance, chose to trust in him instead of punish him or turn him away. Sol thought it a sign of weakness, and was worried about what it would cost.
Sol was neither soothed nor put off by the reactions of her siblings, however: she knew what she had to do, and she was not willing to back down from her course of action. And what further prompted her was the fact that there were rumors of the Tyrant Wyrms beginning to push inwards throughout Equestria, as if hunting for something... or worse, perhaps only expanding their territory. Either way, it was worrisome news.
There was no denying that even with their shaky alliance, Veliuona was an evil that would have to be eradicated in the future. She would have to keep a close eye on the Goddess of the Cursed Shades. But all the same, Sol had to admit there was a certain... eagerness to meet this creature, to have the rare chance to be able to face this dark goddess in a different sort of battle than a physical altercation, to study Veliuona and perhaps see the way that Veliuona would study her as well.
And when Veliuona came, fearless, with only two attendants - who, powerful as they were, were also subservient, and clearly there as thralls to their goddess' whims - Sol met her, with her siblings on either side, and the paladin hiding in the shadow of Morgan. Veliuona and Sol faced one another, their eyes locking, the great and dangerous and powerful goddess from a distant land staring down into the eyes of a ruthless, fearless warrior.
Veliuona bowed her head first, and that was Sol's first victory against her. But it was not a victory that Sol savored: instead, she bowed her own head to the goddess, and so was sealed their tryst.
However temporary it would prove to be. 

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Other Fronts

Sol had come to expect the unexpected in life: many things had happened to her, after all, that she had never predicted would come to pass. She had a family she never would have imagined; she had come to respect and even enjoy the company of ponies whom, in the past, she never would have spared a second glance. She had put down her most cherished weapons, and taken to using the power of magic and body alone to defend a world that, in the past, she would have never, ever gone to such great lengths to protect.
But she would never have expected an emissary of Veliuona to arrive, begging for aid.
Help was not something that Sol felt comfortable with offering the so-called Mistress of Cursed Shades, but Titan said that if someone was asking for assistance, then they had no right to turn them down.
Morgan was suspicious, but as always, her brother's compassion inspired her, even if she was trying hard at the same time to show her sister that she was learning from her, that she could be logical and astute. She hesitantly said one of Sol's own teachings back to her: that while the enemy of their enemy was still their enemy, if two opposing forces could be guided against one another, why shouldn't they take advantage of this?
Titan disapproved of the wording, saying that they need not be enemies no matter what their past, and Morgan began to squabble and bicker with her brother, in spite of however not-so-secretly she seemed to agree. Perhaps it was for Sol's sake, perhaps it was simply because Morgan liked to argue, but for the moment, Sol simply tuned them both out.
They both had a point, although likely not the ones they thought they did: Titan was right, that they would not benefit from turning down this request for help. Morgan was right that they could use the Tyrant Wyrms and Veliuona against each other. But the key point for Sol was that they would not benefit if Veliuona was destroyed at this juncture: right now, she could serve better as a possible resource for them to exploit, or a sacrificial lamb for them to use as bait for the Wyrms.
Knowing full well that for the ambassador to approach them had to mean that the Tyrant Wyrms had either rejected an offer of alliance from Veliuona, or perhaps attacked her outright, Sol decided to prove the emissary for information: what could the Mistress of Cursed Shades offer them, and what was she willing to concede? It was no secret, after all, that the living dead often hungered for the spirits and vitality of the still-alive.
But that, of course, was among the first promises that the emissary made on her goddess' behalf; while they were allied, no minion of the dead would raise a claw or hoof against the living. If any souls or lives needed to be taken, then the guilty or condemned would be harvested, or those of wild monsters, but not the living ponies of Equestria.
It was a dangerous deal to make, and Sol knew that ultimately, Veliuona would betray them. But all the same, it was a deal she made without fear or hesitation, knowing that the consequences of ignoring this chance would be far worse.
And as Sol shook the hoof of the deathless emissary, she only hoped that she was able to not only defeat these Tyrant Wyrms, but figure out a way to outsmart a cunning goddess whom she knew would be both their greatest ally and worst enemy in the days yet to come.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Planning

Sol marched what remained of her forces hard, bringing them swiftly back to Canterlot. The few gangs and  marauders foolish enough to get in their way on the path back were quickly and cruelly disposed of, without slowing their pace.
They arrived, exhausted and battered, and once there, Sol immediately made for the castle. The Baron received her, eager to hear her report... but he was surprised when instead of meeting with him, instead, she made her way directly to the Magic Academy.
Titan was left to try and act as diplomat, to explain what had happened and reassure the worried Baron that they were going to do all they could in order to protect Equestria. But he also advised that the Baron reach out to the others: in times past the baronies had often waged war against each other, making battle both in the field and at the political table, but now they had a common enemy. An enemy that would not be pacified by land or money or anything else, but would require all their strength to defeat. And that strength would only come with unity.
While Titan spoke to the Baron, Morgan and her lover slipped away. Morgan wanted to help, but did not know what she could do: her paladin did everything he could to reassure her, to soothe her, to make everything better... but even as Morgan took solace in his words and allowed herself to be comforted, she felt uneasy. The paladin spoke, all too often, of slipping away from the battle... of things that sounded so sweet and comforting, like how he would whisk her away from all this if he could, and yet as they turned over and over in her mind, she heard the secret meaning in his promises...
She asked him if he wanted to run away: the paladin, of course, responded vehemently that he did not want to. But then, in gentler tones, he whispered that he wanted to see her safe, and he wanted to be safe with her.
He whispered beautiful words to her, but as pretty as they were, as happy as they made her... at the same time, Morgan wondered if they weren't laced with poison. A sweet, numbing, happy poison, but a poison nonetheless, and one that was trying to twist its way through her mind and compel her to do things she never would have considered in the past. To flee from the battle, and leave, and be happy with her paladin, and pretend that he was strong and fierce and that he could protect her when really, he was still a young stallion. Still uninitiated in battle, afraid of being hurt, unable and perhaps unwilling to put his life on the line to protect others. Who gloried not in the honor of his order, but in the honor that came with being part of the order. Who did not understand that there was more to service than simply the armor, the sword, and the rewards. That duty, in and of itself, was reward.
Morgan, for the first time in many days, drew herself away from her paladin, saying she needed time alone. She left her paladin, and climbed to the top of a high, lonely tower of the castle, gazing out into the beautiful night, at the moon and stars suspended in the sky, raised by the unicorns of Canterlot.
Morgan sat, and thought, and wondered silently if it would not be better if she simply lived her life with only her family at her side.
Titan did his best to mend fences, to convince the fearful and the meek and the proud to work together, to fend off the coming evil, even while the Baron continued to dawdle and fret and make up excuses.
And Sol planned, and forged weapons and armor, and developed dangerous, devastating enchantments and traps. Tools of great power and great risk, that she knew would serve well in their battle against the Wyrms... but after the beasts were destroyed, could very well be claimed and used by ponies for their own cruel designs.
But as the three had learned, nothing in life came without cost and consequence.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Far From Over

There were more of them.
Suddenly, it was all Sol was hearing about: great black dragons, showing up here and there across Equestria, causing chaos and making sport of outposts and villages. They were tearing their way through the nation, killing, murdering, destroying... and none of it with any point that Sol could discern. They weren't using strategy, going after weak points: as a matter of fact, there were reports that a mountain garrison had actually managed to destroy one of the Wyrms, albeit mostly through the fortune of the Wyrm falling victim to an avalanche that had carried it down into a ravine. No, they were attacking solely for... the sport of it.
It disgusted Sol. Disgusted, and worried her: these beasts were already so dangerous that she and her siblings had narrowly been able to destroy one. And even knowing their vulnerabilities, she had the terrible feeling that the Wyrms, so far, were only playing with them: they didn't seem to fear death, after all. In fact, they seemed almost to welcome it. She feared what this meant: it told her that the Wyrms either had some cruel strategy in wait, or they were only the expendable servants of some greater evil...
Titan was worried as well. And Morgan had her own concerns, but many of her worries were blurred by her Paladin, who focused on how the garrison had destroyed one of the beasts by themselves, simultaneously praising his fellows while trying to excuse them from the combat. All he could think of was staying as far away from the terrible beasts as possible: Morgan, in her love for him, couldn't help but wonder whether or not he was right, and they should focus not on marching across Equestria to combat these beasts, but instead on getting their own forces back to safety and securing Canterlot: surely, Sol had been able to learn something that would allow the ponies to defend themselves from these foes...
Titan tried to encourage Morgan, to sway her back towards the fight, but to his surprise, Sol agreed to return to Canterlot: she said that first of all, they had to regroup, and preparations for the days ahead had yet to be made. They needed equipment, and to heal, before they could think about going out on the march again: a decision that worried Titan, but at the same time, he was forced to respect.
It was with a heavy heart that he followed his siblings, though, afraid of what the days ahead would bring... and only hoping that Sol would not again turn her mind to cruelty to win against these creatures, any more than Morgan would allow love and selfish desire to blind her to what must be done to save the rest of their nation, and all those innocent within.

Happy Nightmare Night

Tonight is Luna's night. Well, I mean. Technically every night is Luna night but. Tonight is special Luna's special night.

She is very special. In the head.

Ouch. There is now something large and pointy sticking out of my head.

Happy Nightmare Night, everyone. I will resume the story of Sol, Titan, and Morgan as soon as I can. For tonight, though, well... let's all just enjoy scaring people and eating candy.


~Scrivener Blooms

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Splinters

The paladin had fled. Of all the things that could have happened, somehow this felt like the worst to Morgan: her paladin had become frightened, and abandoned the battle.
Part of her was outraged. Part of her was ashamed of him, and of herself for having been so adamant that the stallion come with them. And part of her - perhaps the worst and best part of her, she reflected - wanted to forgive and reassure him.To tell him that everything was all right, to bring him back into the fold, to let him know that she did not blame him.
But that would be a lie, in many ways: she found herself seething and stewing, just Sol was disgusted and angry, and had already lectured Morgan on her 'choice of companions.' Titan, meanwhile, tried to be reassuring, and to point out that while they all felt young... they themselves were ponies who had many, many years of experience, while the paladin was a young stallion who had yet to grow strong, who was not yet ready to face the evils it was second nature for they three heroes to endure.
Morgan agreed with this wisdom, for she loved the paladin deeply. She believed he was truly a good pony, and he would be strong, given time and chance... even if part of her was troubled, and angry, and feared that this was only the first in what would prove a long string of disappointments.
She found the paladin back at their camp. He was ashamed and dishonored, doing the duties of an apprentice as one of the elders of his order berated him. For he had carried the weight and nobility of the Templars with him when he had strode into battle... then promptly dishonored them when he'd fled, crying, from the Tyrant Wyrm.
But Morgan came to his defense, asking for her paladin, and telling the elder that he had been brave and strong when they had first entered the battle. That his help had been invaluable and he had faced great evil. The paladin was  embarrassed, but grateful, and Morgan smiled to see him happy... even if part of her twisted in shame as she felt that she was deceiving both herself and someone else.
She helped her paladin finish his chore, then took him aside. She meant to chastise him and speak to him; instead, they kissed, and shared romance and intimacy in the privacy of the forest.
She loved him. He loved her.
But love can make the very best of us blind.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: The Second Encounter

The Tyrant Wyrm was waiting for them.
It reclined upon the mire, stretched out and mocking them, watching as they approached. It grinned, not threatening them, not attacking them, but instead letting them come to it: but it held the advantage here, and it was confident enough to know it. It was arrogant, and yet at the same time, Sol knew their only chance to defeat this beast was to take it by surprise... and hope that she was right about this monster's terrible powers.
They stood before it, and the Tyrant Wyrm looked at them, mocking and cruel. Titan bared his teeth in anger unnatural to him, as the poison beneath his hooves tormented the nature he so loved. Morgan pretended fearlessness, but she could not hide her trembles, and her paladin lover was half-hiding at her side, whimpering and afraid. And Sol stood, not confident, not unafraid... but angry. Filled with bloodlust, and desire for revenge.
There was no exchanging of words, no offers of surrender or parlay. There were only four ponies, facing one foul and terrible beast, before Sol leapt forwards and struck the first blow, blasting it with fearsome holy fire.
The Tyrant Wyrm almost laughed, even as its head was knocked backwards, and then it struck forwards, clawing, and biting, and breathing out terrible poisons. But the ponies were swift, running rings around the Wyrm, pelting it with magic from all angles as they weaved back and forth around it.
But the Wyrm was undaunted: if anything angered it, it was that its prey refused to stay still, refused to fight it directly. The creature clawed and snapped at them, but soon enough lost interest in the game of cat-and-mouse, instead raising its head high and roaring those terrible Black Verses to the sky.
The words reverberated through the air, shocking the ponies, making them stumble... but then, fearlessly, Sol whirled and called upon her magic, bringing great meteors down upon the head of the Tyrant Wyrm. One after another they smashed into the beast, surprising it, halting its cruel recitation: the Wyrm was driven down, and immediately, Morgan and Titan converged upon it, striking without mercy at its neck.
The beast's head was severed, in a great spray of blackness and blue smog... and yet still, the monster climbed back to its claws, gurgling in fury from all that remained of its throat. Its severed head roared soundlessly even as it turned to nothing but slime and porcelain and clay, while the body stomped and stormed back and forth, sightless, and yet the neck already beginning to regenerate.
The Paladin fled in terror from the sight; Morgan fought on, only because of fear of this creature, and fear of her siblings; Titan struck, harder than he had ever dared strike before; Sol called upon every spell she knew, raining hell and destruction upon the creature.
But it was not until a lucky blow tore through the chest of the beast that it finally collapsed: even with most of its back torn to nothing but jagged ruin, even missing a tail and a leg, it had continued to try and regenerate until the fatal arrow of magic pierced its dark heart. But once that struck true through its breast, the creature fell... and yet even then, it seemed to laugh, as it rotted away to nothingness. Even then, it seemed to taste victory, and not defeat and failure, in its own death.
And as Sol removed the plugs from her ears, she could still hear its poisonous words in the air... and found herself wondering if there was any chance to save this land at all.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Hesitations

Sol was determined. But neither Titan nor Morgan knew what to do.

For Titan, it was because of what nature and his own instincts had told him about the beast: he knew that if they attacked too soon, they would have no advantage against the Tyrant Wyrm: it had more weapons at its disposal than just the terrible verses it sang, or the way it rotted and poisoned the earth beneath their hooves.

And Morgan had experienced, for the first time, true fear: never before had she been so afraid of marching into battle. For this beast, this enemy, did not only go far beyond anything they had ever faced before, it also seemed to have no goal except for rampant destruction. It seemed to have no loyalties, no ties to anything on this world... and if it did serve something else, Morgan was afraid of what that must be.

Morgan's fears were not alleviated nor reassured, but instead compounded by the whispers that came from her lover. Her Paladin meant the best for her... but he did not have her warrior's spirit, which wanted to surge forwards in spite of how afraid she had become of the monster. But the young Templar of the Order had never been truly tried in fire: patrolling highways in groups and fighting bandits was far different from fighting the living dead and monstrosities like this.

He spoke to her in fearful tones, assuring her there was no cowardice in hiding from the fight, not when faced with a foe so great and evil. He made her feel guilty over the fallen, and begged not to see any others put at risk. He used his love as a lever, to tilt her convictions into his favor, to make her believe in words that from any other, she would consider to be nothing but foolishness and weakness.

When Sol came to fetch her siblings, she found neither of them wanted to risk the battle, and was infuriated. Her passion knew no restraint, and nor did her anger: all of her blood sang for revenge against the Tyrant Wyrm, and she felt herself more than a match for its raw power on the battlefield, if she was able to block its fearsome verses.

Titan reasoned with her, and pointed out that their soldiers were in no condition for journey and adventure. Many were still wounded, and not their minds, their bodies, nor their hearts had healed as fast as they three warriors had from the battle with the dragon-beast. 

Morgan had no reason, no logic: her arguments appealed to the emotions, and to fear. Her few useful points were ones that Titan had already made, but this only served to further infuriate Sol. She was disgusted with Morgan acting like a frightened foal, and more, it only proved the further to her that Morgan's love for her Paladin was weakness.

In spite of anger and bloodlust, however, Sol eventually decided to negotiate with her siblings: she knew they had to strike soon, and Titan agreed. But the three of them would strike together against the beast together, in one coordinated effort, after a day of rest and preparation. Titan and Morgan both didn't think it was enough, but Sol thought it was too late: and as Sol had learned, a true negotiation was left all parties wanting.

And so, their path was set: the next day, they would make their strike against the Tyrant Wyrm.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Words Of Power

Sol had no name for what they were facing, for the evils they were dealing with. It had all the shape and size of a dragon wyrm, but no wyrm had ever been so terrible as this. It had the powers of death and poison, and yet it lived, and drew strength from the corrupted earth. It spoke in a voice that had destroyed the minds of those around it, and yet it itself had stayed whole; but how could such a beast wield all these tools of destruction, and yet itself live?
How could anything be so terrible, so evil, and yet act like it had some sinister, ultimate purpose?
Sol did her best to focus on one thing: that this awful creature had forced her and her siblings to retreat. That this beast had made a mockery of her: it had ruined her plans and her army, it had made her look weak and foolish and arrogant. And with that in mind, and her rage focused, Sol poured all her efforts into discovering how they could deal with this living calamity... especially since the rumors they had heard had not spoken of just one such black terror, but several.
Sol first gathered all those who had survived, and from their number, she culled: she removed not the weak, but those who were strong, and faithful, and obedient. Instead, she looked for the weakest, the cowardly, the most infirm: those who should have died first on the battlefield, and yet for some reason, had not.
All of them, of course, had fled once they saw the foe they were faced with. But then again, not only the weak had fled from the beast, the strong had as well. But in particular, one stallion caught her eye: he was elderly, and he was wounded, but his wounds were purely physical ones. He was stoic and disappointed in himself she saw... but he lacked the trembles, and the lingering fear and anxiety and emotional scarring that many of the others had possessed.
He was deaf, she realized. He had literally not been able to hear these poisonous words. Poisonous words that still echoed in Sol's mind, poisonous words that she knew were still eating away at the spirit and psyche of every soldier around her...
But the solution was simple: if the words could not be heard, they could not hurt. She wondered if the creature, the Tyrant Wyrm, as she had learned it was entitled, was deaf itself, or somehow otherwise protected itself from its own dark language, its... Black Verses.
Still, she had found a way to fight it. And even if Morgan and Titan were both concerned about daring the monster's wrath again so soon, Sol was hellbent on fighting the beast. She didn't care about the innocent lives it had taken, or that it was a threat to Equestria: what she cared about was that it had wounded her pride, more than her body, and she was willing to do anything to prove that she was superior even to this beast.
To prove again that they had not called her the Dragon Slayer for nothing.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Tyrant Wyrm

The creature found them, long before they found it.

Sol was startled by the intelligence of the fiend: it waited until they had come across ravaged ruins, where the frozen earth had become corrupted here and there into sickeningly-warm, toxic mire. The poisonous muck exuded a malice all its own, and when they tried to cross the mire, every pony there felt a miasma spread through them, a terrible ache spread through their minds and hearts. And before even Sol could adjust to that paranoia, that confusion, the creature had attacked.

A great and terrible black dragon had torn its way out of where it had hidden itself beneath the very earth, ripping up in a great splash of muck and mud. It had swept mercilessly into their ranks, laughing, laughing; the beast was intelligent and cruel enough to take pleasure in what it was doing, in causing destruction as its first attack alone nearly decimated their ranks.

Titan was the first to react, while Sol stared at the monster, mind trying to analyze it as her body refused to move. But her brother swept in, and met the dragon's strength with his own, catching a leg as it swept out before he slammed the great beast down on its side, then twisted - and in that single move, nearly tore the beast's leg off.

Titan was shocked himself by how easily he had damaged the creature's limb... except the dragon only laughed. It laughed, as ponies scrambled for safety, not to get into rank and formation, but only to get away while they had the chance, panicking in the poisonous bog.

And then horror only grew as the creature's limb tore completely off... but in moments, the muck and toxic sludge of the mire began to heap upwards as the shattered limb rotted away into porcelain. In moments, a new leg formed out of dark mire, quickly becoming flesh and scale, and the creature grinned. 

But the true horror didn't begin until the creature spoke: it spoke, in words of terror, in words of pain and darkness, in words of the Void. It spoke, in words that made the minds of even Sol and Morgan and Titan ring with agony, before it started to chant.

Nothing could describe what happened from there: Sol was barely aware of what she was doing, as psychic pain tore through her mind, as blood ran from her ears. Her eyes blinded and bled, and she saw terrible memories, of terrible places. She saw Helheim, gaping, and she saw betrayals she did not know the truth behind. And for the first time in her life, she truly felt fear, and she truly felt helpless.

Sol, Titan, and Morgan barely escaped, broken and bloodied, escaping with less than half their army. The monster left them go, mocking them in its dark language, laughing at their pain. It had destroyed their army: it would languish in the dead and dying, it would accept the sacrifice of these soldiers to appease its hungers for now. It knew the three heroes would return after being so thoroughly bloodied and humiliated: in fact, it looked forwards to it.

For now, though, all Sol could do was lead the escape, madness wreaking havoc on her mind, pain pulsing through her body at every step. All she had learned from this encounter was that they were in no way prepared for this fight. That, and a single name that echoed through her mind:

Tyrant Wyrm.

I will resume shortly.

Because I am not lazy like Luna says I am.
Posts will become more scattered, though, because time is hell.

Time is hell.
Time really is hell.
That sounds too poetic for it to be original.

I have to go bandage an awkwardly-large cut on my rump, now. Please don't ask.
No, it's not from Luna. She leaves bruises, not cuts. At least on that particular part of my anatomy.


~Scrivener Blooms

Delay On Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan

I'll still try and post something when I can, but uh... Luna and I have hit kind of a snag with some things and I unfortunately don't have the time I need to do a decent job with the story right now, and I really want to try and do justice to the Tyrant Wyrms. But I suppose that helping Luna with her adventures battling undead and monsters and trees come first.
Don't ask about the trees. It's pretty horrible.
Anyway, with luck it shouldn't be too long. Just long enough to take care of some things, since I'll be away from this computer. Luna said I should bring it and she would just shoot it with electricity to make it work, but... I think this only proves that she still doesn't understand how technology works. She probably never will, either.
But uh. At least no one can say she's not supportive. You know, because hitting me and forcing me to do things I don't want to are all definitely signs of affection.

~Scrivener Blooms

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: The Bloody Meadow

They were not prepared for what they saw.
Sol had expected to see something terrible. But she had not expected to see anything as terrible as this. There was no more farmland: the land had been scarred by poisonous mire, turned so toxic that she shivered at just the sight of it. Her siblings felt the same, although Titan was the worst affected by this poison: he quaked with disgust at it, and felt nature's true pain and fury... and a mutant, awful, insidious life in that toxin. Something that stank of corruption, pure and simple.
There were no more farmers here, no ponies left alive: they had all been taken by these things, whatever they had been. Darkness had stained the land from mountain to meadow, and winter itself had been driven back by this stinking mutant heat that now permeated the world.
Their enemy was greater and far more dangerous than Sol had anticipated. Their enemy was... something terrible, far more vile and evil than Sol had thought. And powerful, too, if this was but a sample of what it was capable of doing. The thought twisted Sol's heart... but filled her very soul with fury, too. And perhaps as well, a sense of battlelust. A desire to face such a powerful and dangerous foe, and test herself against it, to see who would triumph: to understand for once and for all, if honor and virtue was really worth pursuing, if it could overcome the alluring strength of raw, selfish power. Of power that was without restraint and without law, and without regard for others... of power, free of the tethers of friend or family or loyalty.
That was what they were faced with: something that destroyed, it that came from a place beyond, with no purpose in mind but hatred and destruction. And Sol was ready and willing to pit her family against this, no matter what this force was, no matter what the cost would be, in order to test both herself, and to understand what the bonds of friendship and companionship truly meant.
She would see if the words, spoken to her long ago, were true or not: she would test for herself now, if by working together, ponies could truly overcome any obstacle and foe in their path... or if that, like so many things in life, was nothing but an illusion based in stupid fantasies, and weaknesses like hope and compassion.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Difficulties

The journey north was arduous, but not dangerous: it seemed as if all the competing evils of the world had decided to lay their weapons aside for now, in order to flee from whatever wretched darkness had crept into their world and was denned near the northern mountains.
It was not a good sign, even if many of their soldiers took heart at it, believing that their army of warriors was great enough to frighten away the goblins and the monsters that usually patrolled these mountains for prey. But even if they were a strong and resolute force, Sol  was well aware by now the battle they were marching into would be like no other they had fought.
More than that, she had a terrible creeping sensation, an instinct that something was going to go wrong, and very shortly. No, worse than that... more and more, she began to think the signs leading them north were all too obvious, that they could very well be marching straight into some kind of trap... or maybe some kind of test. They knew too little about this foe to be sure of anything...
What other choice did they have, though? Sol knew that all they could really do was hope they would learn more from this enemy than this enemy would from them... and all she was truly sure of right now was that this was only the beginning of their battle against this dark and terrible new evil.
While Sol was busying herself with planning and preparation, Titan was spending time with the troops, trying to keep their spirits up and energize them, helping with the morale of soldiers who were confident in their strength, but still unhappy to be on such a long march into alien territory... and those who weren't arrogant in their beliefs were either frightened or anxious.
Titan tried to reconcile these emotions, to bring confidence to the worried soldiers, and caution to the arrogant. But it was difficult to find the balance: they had brought so many soldiers that not even the stallion's legendary wisdom and cheer could sway the crowd. And more than that, Sol's silence seemed to encourage them: they were an army without a leader, expected to take care of themselves, left in the too-few hooves of officers who were often young and brave and bold... but those were not always good things in a soldier who was supposed to keep his fellows not just proud and dedicated, but aware of their own flaws,  and of the dangers that were waiting ahead.
Morgan, lastly, had her own worries: she and her paladin lover had had an argument. It was a silly thing, small and unimportant, and yet all the same it distracted her, and made it difficult to work with not only him, but his entire order. Soon, she knew, they would reconcile: Morgan's passions burned like fire, quick and hot and fierce, but always cooled in time, and her paladin was meek-natured for all the boldness and bravado he tried to put on. It would be easy for them to swallow their anger at one another with the passage of time.
But for now, it was making it hard for Morgan to even be in camp... and what frustrated her further was Sol's anger at her for allowing her emotions to interfere with her duties. And even worse than that, was knowing that Sol had every right to be angry. Hadn't Morgan promised that exactly this would not happen? And she knew, in her heart of hearts, how foolish this was: letting a bit of spite and emotion get between her and her duties. But, she supposed, even creatures such as she had hearts, and hearts were difficult things to mend.
And yet still, the army marched on... too few realizing that fractures were already beginning to form among the ranks of an army that already was striding to the very edge of oblivion.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Premonition

During their travels north, the three siblings each were victim of a powerful premonition.

Titan, although bearing no magic, was linked to mother nature and had perhaps the most powerful instincts of all of the three siblings. He was most loved by nature, and so nature told him as much as she could, and shared with him not only her worries for the present, but what she feared would come to pass in the future. And Titan, with his openness and attunement to nature and the world, was ready to accept that these visions might be truth, and was able to delve the deeper into them for that.

Titan saw a great black beast, a wolf of Helheim itself, waiting for him in the future: Titan saw that these lizard-beasts waiting for them ahead were not dragons, any more than they were living and sentient creatures: they were true monsters of the Void, entities of destruction that were more synthetic and mechanical than they were living and alive.

Morgan, too, had terrible dreams of darkness: a darkness where she was alone, and had been betrayed. A darkness where there was no one left for her to depend on: not pony, not creature of the night, not sibling nor friend nor ally. She was alone... and there was something terrible here. Something evil, and vile, and monstrous. It was the master of not darkness, but destruction; it brought with it a killing light. It had goals, and objectives, and a terrible plan for them all...

She would remember little of her visions when she woke up, except for a lingering fear of order, the realization that even 'good things' could be terrible and evil... and a worry that something terrible was waiting for them, only playing a game with them for now with these terrible creations.

And lastly, Sol had a vision that she would not share with the others, even after both Titan and Morgan confessed their worries to her. What Sol saw, though, had nothing to do with the darkness in the north, or the monsters that might await them in the future. She did not worry for the enemies that were waiting for them, or the fiends that had yet to raise their heads, or whether or not they were only pawns in some grand, cruel game.

What Sol saw was herself, standing atop a castle in the future, alone, after losing her brother, and having been forced to calm her own sister's darkness. What Sol saw was that one day, she would be alone, just like she had been born into this world. What Sol saw was what she feared most: that in spite of all she was trying to do, in spite of everything she was trying to give to the world... she was going to end up alone. She was going to be betrayed and abandoned.

And what she feared most of all, was what she would become when that time came.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Going North

This was not their first time heading north, but it was the first time that Morgan could recall Sol had prepared them so heavily. Even when they had traveled in a caravan, and even when they had been gathering the army that would now follow in their wake, there had never been such a focus on preparation. Before, Sol had been satisfied to lead and to leave the soldiers to tend to themselves, clearly more interested in them as a representation than any actual united front, but now it was far different. Now, Sol seemed to expect something much more from them than simply a face of unity.
Titan was unnerved by it: part of him worried that this was Sol falling back on old habits, wanting to use pawns to do her fighting for her. And Morgan was almost insulted: she had absolute faith in her own abilities as well as that of her siblings, after all, and believed wholeheartedly that they should be the ones to do all the fighting, if it came to that. In fact, she had grown eager to test herself against these threatening new monsters that had invaded Equestria, whatever they were: her blood boiled for battle, and demanded that she fight these monsters and prove her worth and superiority.
But Sol was neither planning to use these soldiers as merely pawns, and nor did she have ultimate faith in her own family's abilities: for the first time, she found herself questioning whether or not this was a foe they could defeat. For she sensed grave and terrible things, and felt a magic in the air that made her skin crawl and her very soul shudder: there was something poisonous and malicious about this presence, and the more she had studied it, the more worried she had become.
And as they made their way closer to the source of this darkness, this evil, Sol could feel her sense of foreboding only growing greater and greater by the moment. Yes, this wasn't like anything they had ever faced before, and she felt they would need the help of every pony: and not merely as fodder or distractions, but their actual aid in defeating this terrible new enemy.
Sure, Morgan dismissed many of the rumors, and Sol felt like there was no point in trying to correct her: at best, Morgan would scoff, and at worst, her paladin coltfriend would spread rumors into the ranks that they were marching into the battle they could not win, and Sol could not have her forces losing morale and confidence here and now. The rumors that they did hear as they made their way north was bad enough: if the soldiers found out that their mighty leaders, these three legendary heroes of Equestria, might not be enough to fight off this worsening storm...
Sol didn't want to imagine the consequences. No, it was better to bide her time for now: to wait, as they went north, and only keep her soldiers prepared as best she could. Titan trusted in her, and Morgan, even if brash, would always be ready to fight. And this foe, whatever else it was, would require all her cunning and all her strategy to best... not just all of their raw strength. It would require teamwork, and unity... and for a prophecy she had once been told many years ago to come true...
A prophecy, that stated that if they found a way to bring their three races together, ponykind would be unstoppable... and would finally conquer this wild, untamed land of Equestria.

The Legend of Sol, Morgan, and Titan: Preparations

There was much to be done, if they were going to march north to try and meet this new threat: the soldiers would need to be marshaled, allies would need to be called upon, and equipment prepared. But Sol had already seen to much of this, and even sent scouts ahead to find out what they could about the enemy.
All they had received so far were strange messages, and impossible claims from the few survivors: things like how the mere presence of these creatures had been enough to kill. But Sol did not believe that such powerful evil could exist: there was always a root, a cause, a trick to the power of the foe: there was nothing in the world so powerful that it could kill by presence alone.
Titan was less sure: he felt a great malignancy in the earth, and heard mother nature crying out that she had been infected, poisoned. And the stars and night spoke of great and terrible evils to Morgan, but with the sweet distraction of love swaddling her mind, it became harder and harder to pay attention to these complex signals, and instead only revel in the tenderness and warmth of her paladin. Her paladin, who was always so kind and warmhearted and loving, and told her again and again that he would be by her side, fighting by her and her siblings, ready to do anything and everything it took to help defend their proud nation from the fury of these unknown and vile beasts.
Sol disliked the way Morgan's attention was lured away by her paladin lover, but what she did enjoy was being able to make good use of the templar's connections to his order. He was young, but noble and of growing renown, an officer who was steadily proving himself, and had been granted privileges inside his order: privileges and promises that Sol used to her advantage, calling in favors and urging on the holy knights towards defending their nation, their faith, and most of all, their pride.
The baron was uneasy, but at the same time, relieved: after all, the fact that Sol was raising an army of her own to take north meant that his own army would be able to concentrate on defending him and his territory. He recognized how dangerous Sol was as a leader, even more than as a warrior, but he also recognized that these three heroes were no threat to him so long as there were evils to be vanquished, and he continued to offer his aid freely: perhaps this was why he was glad to not only provide the carriages and transports that Sol asked for, but in fact offered a contingent of his own servants and soldiers to escort them.
It was an offer that Sol gladly accepted: and so, along with her siblings, and an army composed mainly of templars and holy knights, Sol began the long journey towards the edge of the Gray Mountains... a place where, for the first time in her life, she would come to understand the meaning of fear.

The Legend of Sol, Morgan, and Titan: Dark Tidings

Sol knew that something was wrong long before the messenger arrived, as did Titan: for Titan heard it in the earth, and while Sol had distance herself from nature, she all the same heard the cries of the world itself, rebelling against the evil that had taken root in it.
Even Morgan, despite the fact that her newfound romance had left her attention lesser than usual, saw the signs of rising malevolence in the night sky, was warned of the evil by the stars as much as the earth beneath her hooves. Her paladin lover seemed blind to it, but he was young and naive, believing more in the laws of his Order than the powers-that-were that his Order was supposed to serve.
But that was not to say all were blind to the menace: no, for even as monsters withdrew from the lands around Canterlot, mages and others gave grave warnings that a great and terrible evil was coming. And news and rumors came from far and wide about swamps growing larger, and crops failing, and sightings of great wingless black dragons that left rot and death behind them.
Whatever it was, Sol understood that this evil had to be taken care of: whatever it was, it seemed to be threatening all of Equestria, with no interest in anything apart from destruction. But Sol found this hard to believe: what could possibly exist that truly desired only destruction? What kind of living creature would want to hunt its prey to extinction, and leave itself no home, no food, nothing but barren wastes?
Even the undead, she knew, had their goals and aspirations: Veliuona's lieutenant had craved power, but also gaudily decorated herself. The undead that had served under her had been neat and tidy: perhaps not disciplined, but not the mindless, restless dead that many Equestrians were more familiar with. They had goals, and more importantly, they had the minds to work towards getting those goals done.
Dragons hoarded gemstones and glutted themselves on ponies, but they were known to seek out other prey when ponies became scarce or worried: they didn't risk themselves or their food unnecessarily. The same held true for most other beasts, whether intelligent or not.
But whatever these new monsters were... all three of the siblings felt they did not just know no remorse, and no mercy... they also would never stop, until they had spread their malice far and wide. The night warned that they had no souls; nature said that they were nothing of her creation; and the briefest scrying showed that they had enough power to destroy Equestria if they were left unchecked.
And then, the message came: these rumors had become reality as the creatures had crawled out of the Gray Mountains, and slaughtered everyone in their path. Entire villages had been reduced to ruin, and crops painted red with blood, and the ground rotted away to black mire and poison. They came, and the few ponies who had survived had gone insane from whatever they had witnessed: they could do little more than cry and hallucinate, clutching their heads and claiming that they could still hear the voices of the beasts in their minds.
Sol knew this was both a great threat as well as a great opportunity: she would rally friends and allies together and form an army to take north, to combat this threat. But Titan was afraid that this was not the time for politics, and this would only lead to ruin and the death of many friends; he found little support in Morgan, however, who was torn between her loyalties. To Sol, to Titan... and now, to her paladin lover, who declared that he and his fellow soldiers were ready and eager to fight beside the three siblings.
But none of them could have ever been prepared for the hatred and the suffering that they would face when they finally encountered their first Tyrant Wyrm.

Today Luna Learned...

That even though the computer is powered by electricity, you cannot simply shoot it with lightning to turn it on. That is very bad and causes the computer to die.
I guess we'll have to see that crazy mare about this. The one who's even more butch than Luna. That should be fun, really.
I have this horrible feeling I'm going to regret this. And end up either on fire or electrocuted. Or both. Probably most likely both.

~Scrivener Blooms

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Paladin

When Morgan returned to her siblings, Titan immediately saw a new happiness and a new warmth in her that could only mean one thing. He congratulated her roundly, then teased her cheerfully until Sol interrupted them, to ask if Morgan was going to allow her personal feelings to interfere with their quest.
Morgan forced herself to be as respectful as she could in reply, and yet at the same time, she felt like a chasm had just been cut between her and her sister. As much as she loved her, adored her, respected her, all the same they were very different ponies, after all. Morgan was a creature of passion, and action, and who worked best in the darkness, striking with the ferocity and the directness of a dragon. Sol, meanwhile, was the Sun-Blessed, the Dawnbringer, and a pony who acted coldly and logically, pushing her emotions aside.
And even when Sol gave in to her emotions and Morgan repressed her own, they acted as opposites: in rage, Sol would kill, terrify, demolish, and burn enemy and friend alike to satisfy her bloodlust or need for revenge. But Morgan would act with honor even at her coldest, refusing to harm the innocent, striking with precision instead of cruelty, always putting others above her own well being.
Sol plainly did not like this relationship, nor where it was heading: yet all the same, she grudgingly accepted Morgan's word and said that she would not interfere. Morgan was placated by this, and Titan smiled, hoping it was an honest sign of improvement in their wise and yet stunted sister, and yet at the same time worried that her words were hollow, and she was instead already planning ways to take advantage of Morgan's affiliation with a Templar of the Order.
But for now, Sol had decided to simply watch and wait: part of her was still honestly surprised to discover that Morgan had decided to take on a partner, and moreover, one who was so young, but struck her as fragile and foolish. Mortal lives, after all, were short: shorter still when cowards tried to pick up swords in an attempt to act like brave stallions.
Perhaps it was cruel of her, but Sol thought that Morgan was going through a defiant phase, or perhaps longed to join the normal lives of these mortal ponies around them, who they were all striving to protect. Perhaps she had romanticized them, or perhaps this was even similar to how a foal would want to adopt some little bird or fish or rat, not realizing how fragile and short-lived they were, giving it love and affection only to shortly experience its loss. But sometimes from that experience, a foal could learn about letting go, or to harden their heart against loving such fragile and weak things: Sol hoped that Morgan would learn the latter.
For mortal ponies were weak, and short-lived, and not worth their time and affection. She believed wholeheartedly that the ponies could unify, build a mighty nation, and she would protect that... but what she loved most about these ponies was their ideals, and not the ponies themselves. She would discard a hundred, a thousand, a thousand more of these ponies if it meant it would help inspire Equestria into falling into the step she wanted it to; if it would help these ponies understand how weak and vulnerable they were, and that they needed their protection, leadership, and guidance.
She only hoped that Morgan hadn't started to foolishly care about these expendable servants to her plan for the greater good.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Fate's Fools

For a time, Sol, Titan and Morgan went back to their lives in Canterlot: while they were ever-vigilant for any attack or threat, Morgan and Titan found themselves relaxing, and even enjoying their time in the city. Sol refused to lower her guard, saying that there were threats both within and without, but Titan soon felt a whisper from nature that told him this wicked goddess had met her own troubles, and Morgan said she saw signs in the stars that something dangerous had been awoken to the north... and it most certainly was not some false goddess.

Sol found herself concerned that there would soon be another foe threatening them, but Titan and Morgan thought that if their enemy had made an enemy of something else, it was all the better for them, and all the more reason for them to take this time to relax and put their efforts towards other things. So Titan worked the forge, and spent time both at the bar and on the training field with the soldiers they had recruited, getting to know each and every one of them by name, learning about them and making friends with them.

Morgan, meanwhile, soon grew bored: she took to taking her fun at the Baron's expense by meddling with his trade caravans and his guards, and making other challenges. Sometimes she would be caught, and punished by the Baron until Sol came to her aid to free her from the dungeons. Other times, she would have to escape herself from the guard, or whatever imprisonment she was placed in, be it a cell or the stocks.

Sol would scold Morgan after each of these little events, and Morgan took most of these in stride: but finally, when Morgan had made sport of an important trade caravan and damaged goods destined for the magic academy Sol had hoped to make use of herself, the eldest sibling had punished Morgan like a child, taking away all her weapons and armor and sending her out into the street for the night.

Morgan was able to find little solace in Canterlot: even if her magic could insulate her against the cold of the night, she all the same felt a chill that magic alone could not keep away. The ponies of the city treated her uneasily, for she was known to use dark and dangerous magic as well as for her constant testing of the barony's laws, and the guards were all too eager to run her out of any place she tried to den, or for any excuse to try and fight her or mock her. And Morgan, for all her anger and pride, was also afraid not of Sol's wrath, but of being a greater disappointment to her sister than she felt she had been already; so each time the guards came after her, she was forced to flee and take wing, and each time felt like it added a splinter to her soul.

Eventually, Morgan found herself forced to flee into the holy grounds where the Templars had set up their order: she hid there, knowing the guards wouldn't enter, but at the same time afraid that the Templars would find her and throw her out. 

But to her surprise, when she was found, it was by the young stallion who had seemed so taken with her: he invited her in as his guest, bringing her not to the dormitories or the church, but the building where the captains and the administrators kept their offices and stored the treasures and valuables they had taken over the course of their many successful campaigns. They walked together through the great marble halls and studied the paintings and admired the weapons and busts of old heroes left on display, neither speaking much, but only enjoying the beauty and silence of the empty halls.

They were almost caught by a patrol, but in a flash, Morgan pulled the young knight aside and drew him into another room, then used her magic to conceal them both. They pressed together as the templars passed... and didn't pull apart until long after the patrol had wended on its way. And when they finally did, the young knight tried to steal a kiss, but hesitated too long, and his lips merely brushed the cheek of the mare chastely.

Yet because of his hesitance, his innocence, Morgan found herself drawn to him: she teased him, and then led him out into the halls, filled with warmth and happiness and feelings like she had never had before, for any stallion. In the past, oh certainly, she had adored and enjoyed the company of others, but never had she felt this bubbling euphoria, this unexpected joy.

They ran through the corridors until they ended up at one of the vaults, and there, Morgan challenged the young knight to open it. He was afraid, and hesitant, but all the same he wanted to impress her, so he tried his best to: but he was fumbling and clumsy and soon set off an alarm that rang through the whole building.

He panicked, but Morgan only laughed before sweeping him up, and he was amazed as she used her magic to simply whisk them both away, out of the temple, out of the templar's holy grounds, out of Canterlot itself and into the mountain wilderness.

He was young and innocent and a fool, and she knew then that she loved him for those things: she kissed him without hesitation, and he kissed her back, and there beneath the stars they joined in love. There, beneath the stars, they shared themselves with one-another... and Morgan didn't care that in the future, she knew that time and duty might draw them apart. For now, all she cared about was that she had someone to call her own, and to love as she had never loved anyone before.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: A Victory Better Left Lost

When Sol, Titan, and Morgan returned to Canterlot, they received praise and adulation from the cityfolk as word spread of their deeds, and that the monsters that had plagued the highways and mountain passes had been defeated and driven off.
But very soon, they were called to the castle, and there they did not receive praise but instead cold looks and anger. Morgan and Titan were both confused, but Sol was unsurprised. It was clear that the Baron had disagreed with her decision, which didn't surprise her.
The Baron met with them, and cursed them for fools: he said they would bring the anger of the goddess down on them. Swiftly, before her brother or sister's emotions could get in the way, Sol asked how the Baron could possibly know of the goddess Veliuona, before she also questioned if he had really thought they were going to just walk away... or let themselves die at the claws of the undead.
The Baron was surprised by all this, but he took only a moment to gather his thoughts before he grudgingly admitted that yes, he had known that the Lich was not the true source of the evil. But it was not because of any alliance or meeting with Veliuona herself: rather, she had been slowly but steadily expanding her powers through the swampy territories to the far west, and it was said that at least one barony of Equestria had already fallen to her powers. Canterlot was mighty, but they were in no shape to do battle with an undead goddess and her army of evil.
He had not expected them to fail, nor sent them into ambush: Sol believed this. The Lich had been far too proud of herself for figuring out Sol's identity and had revealed far too much to them for the Baron to have warned her of precisely what she was faced with.
But he had also not expected that Sol would not order a retreat, and nor would she try to palaver, but instead destroy the Lich. And his mood was worsened still more when Sol said calmly that she had actually used the Lich to send a message: she would return to her master and likely be reconstituted.
The Baron asked incredulously what the point of such a brash action was, but Sol countered that it wasn't brash: they were sending a message, and making it clear that they were not afraid of her. She was also certain that Veliuona would not take action against them immediately: instead, she would want to send a messenger, to give a display of power and pride. And Sol would gladly follow this messenger back to its source, to meet the goddess herself.
The implications were clear from her statement: Morgan looked excited, and Titan looked thoughtful, but seemed to hesitate ever so slightly, worried for what unfortunate innocents could be caught in the crossfire, or if Sol was wrong. But Sol projected confidence and strength... enough that the Baron finally grudgingly said he would allow them to continue to use Canterlot as a base of operations, and he would support them however he could until the day that Veliuona contacted him.
He only hoped that Sol was right... and Sol could only hope herself that everything was going to go according to plan, no matter how much confidence she pretended to have.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: The Threat

Sol had a plan, and it was one that worried her siblings. Yet all the same, they trusted in her strategy, even if they both feared that the cost might be high. But Sol knew this was the easiest way to their foe, and the fastest, sharpest way to achieve victory over her, whoever and whatever she was.
Sol picked twenty of the Baron's soldiers, while Morgan and Titan modified shackles and manacles and chains: these were placed upon the uneasy ponies, who would play the role of prisoners until the time was right. Next, these soldiers were loaded into two carriages to be pulled by Morgan and Titan, while Sol took the lead, covering her armor and body with a heavy cloak. She could do little to hide her size, but her face and mane she concealed with a cloth mask and veil.
Once everyone was ready, Sol led them to the meeting place that the Baron had indicated, and found one of the strange undead they had encountered on the road waiting for her there. She noticed that this skeleton was slightly different, however: not only was it a unicorn, it had gemstones grafted to its rune-covered bones: perhaps to enhance its power, perhaps as marks of status.
It demanded to inspect the cargo, and Sol agreed, neither bowing nor resisting. She was unsurprised when other skeletons emerged from where they'd hidden themselves, while this lead creature came up to her, studying her intently.
But it made no move to unmask her: and once its minions were done counting the soldiers, the creature stepped away and told her to follow. So Sol followed, undaunted, knowing that they were headed into a trap, but determined to spring her own before her foes could take the advantage.
They were led to the remains of an old temple, where more skeletons awaited them. None of these held much interest for Sol, however: they were nothing but pawns and soldiers of a greater evil. And soon enough, the ruler of this black citadel made itself known: a Lich, a sorceress of vile and terrible powers who had used her magic to give herself an eternal unlife.
She greeted them cordially, and introduced herself as the commander of these undead, which she called 'Velites.' Sol studied her, fearless: she paid little heed to the threats and mockery of the Lich as the hordes of undead moved in around them. Instead, she analyzed how the Lich acted and spoke, and she quickly came to realize that while this Lich was a powerful enemy, she was not the true threat, or the leader of these Velites. Instead, she was likely a lieutenant of some greater evil.
Having learned what she came here for, Sol didn't hesitate to interrupt the Lich with a powerful spell, beginning a sudden and ferocious battle. Both Titan and Morgan leapt immediately into the fray, while the soldiers quickly broke free of their restraints: the manacles and chains had been modified in such a way that they snapped easily apart when pulled in the right direction, and left the soldiers with makeshift whips of chain and weighted bracers around their limbs. These iron implements were crude, but served well against the Velites, smashing their brittle bones with ease.
The Lich was powerful, but no match for Sol alone: with the strength of Titan and Morgan's fearlessness added to the raw magic of Sol, they made short work of the sorceress. She was left broken and beaten, but even as the last of her soldiers were destroyed or driven away, she was fearless: her evil spirit would return to her mistress in death, the Goddess of Cursed Shades, Veliuona
But Sol was unsurprised and undaunted, and she only gave the Lich a message for her mistress: that she would come for this self-proclaimed goddess and destroy her. And then, ruthless and merciless, she crushed the life out of the Lich with one hoof before checking on her soldiers.
Only a few had been killed: all-in-all, she considered it a great success. Morgan and Titan both seemed uncertain of Sol's actions, but all the same, they knew that the best they could do was trust in their sister and her plans for the future, and do what they could to conserve the lives of any unfortunate ponies caught in path of their sister's plans to destroy this unknown evil.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: A Request

Sol and her siblings were welcomed graciously into the castle: that alone was enough to make Sol suspicious about what the Baron wanted. Neither Titan or Morgan were impressed, but neither also seemed to be very interested in what all of the welcoming and hubbub could mean: rather, they seemed most concerned with leaving the castle, and returning to the lives that they had begun to live in Canterlot.
The Baron was waiting for them in the same hall where they had spoken before, safe on his high perch, with his mages standing at the ready by his side. Sol could feel the magic they had prepared, but she also sensed that there was no hostility towards them. Instead, the Baron looked desperate: he was clearly very much afraid of something.
Sol wasted little time on pleasantries, asking him politely but clearly what he wanted from them: the Baron was slow to respond at first, and while his hesitance irritated Morgan and left Titan looking bored, Sol focused on it. She could not imagine what would make the Baron so nervous.
Finally, he spoke to them, and to Sol's pleasant surprise, he chose to speak plainly. He told them that for the last year, he had been paying a secret tribute to a cruel tyrant who had come to these lands, and was choking the roads with her skeletal soldiers. He had been paying her great sums in wealth and accumulated knowledge each and every week, so that she would keep the highways through the barony clear of her mercenaries and monsters, but she had begun to ask for more and more.
She had asked for bodies to be sent to her: the Baron had complied with this request with little hesitation, for there was rarely a shortage of corpses in these wild lands. Then she had asked for living subjects, but the price had been cheap: only three at first. So he had sent her three prisoners who had been awaiting execution.
But the next week, she had asked for five, and the week after that, six. Soon, she was requesting a dozen living subjects to be sent to her, and the Baron had too few undesirables locked up in the dungeon. He had sent them all anyway, with a gift of treasure... and none of his couriers or soldiers had come back alive, and the attacks on the roads had resumed, making it impossible to travel through the barony once darkness fell.
Then, a few days ago, a message had arrived, warning him that a payment of no less than twenty living subjects was expected to be sent as payment, or a great army of the dead would march on Canterlot. The Baron was terrified, and had no one else to turn to.
Morgan and Titan were both quick to volunteer their aid, but Sol fell deep in thought. The Baron waited fearfully for her answer, but it was slow to come. And when she spoke, it was not what the Baron expected:
"Prepare twenty ponies to be sacrificed. We shall take them to this Lich ourselves."

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Canterlot

In myth and legend, the city of Canterlot has always welcomed Sol, Titan, and Morgan with open embrace: but the truth is not quite so generous. No, in truth, it was a very cold welcome that the three received, along with all the warriors they had brought with them.
The Holy Order, at least, had some presence already here in Canterlot: it allowed them to find a small bit of sanctuary... although that did not extend to their other fellows. They said the rules of their order forbade them from welcoming even their leaders onto sanctified ground, unless they took a vow of faith. Sol did not press the issue, however: she knew the real reason for their attempt to stay aloof, and it did not bother her. But it was all the same a piece of information she would file away, and that would later come back to haunt this once so-proud order.
Titan found his way to the smithy, and soon found himself a place to work. He invited his sister Morgan to join him there, and for a time she did. She enjoyed herself, but it was monotonous, and after only a few days began to grow boring. But it was better than staying with Sol, who had found herself a roost in the great libraries of Canterlot.
It was strange for all three of them, however, to have settled into a place: to not just be making camp, but establishing what could almost be called a home. They all did their best to keep busy, but it was a different kind of busy than being on the road: there was no need to hunt or prepare rations, there were no trails to blaze, the scenery around them changed, and yet remained more the same than it ever had.
All the same, they were determined to make the best of what they had here. Sol had great plans, but they required patience, and they had much work to be done before they could leave... and part of that job was making sure that this place became like home to them. It was difficult, with how uneasy the Baron and his people were about the strange ponies that had arrived... but all the same, they were making slow strides forwards, in large part thanks to the fact that Sol was ever reminding her siblings to be patient, and to behave themselves.
But as Titan worked at the smithy, and Sol began to help out more and more at the library instead of keeping to herself and her own research, and Morgan became a common sight around the bars and brothels and throughout the city, the three became known to the ponies of Canterlot. Titan, ever industrious, happy to lend a hoof to even the meanest pony in need without asking anything in return; wise and powerful Sol, who knew things that made even the oldest mage feel as awed as a child in her presence; Morgan, the adventurous and strong, whose exploits made the youthful laugh and the old shake their head in disapproval... and perhaps longing, for the days when youth was able to wash out the stains of foolishness and brashness.
And so their life continued, developed into something more than just an endless journey: so Sol, Titan, and Morgan found themselves a home, a place where they could stay, a place where they began to be accepted, and perhaps even belong.
Until one day, the Baron summoned them, for he had a request.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Arrival

The arrival of the small army at Canterlot was not met with fanfare or great joy: it was not even met with the respect or even the cordiality that Sol had hoped for. Instead, they were met with anger, confusion, and fear: fear not only of this small but efficient force, but of these three heroes, whose exploits had yet to become the stuff of legend, and for now were only tales of three powerful and dangerous ponies who went where they pleased, saving what they liked... and in Sol's case, destroying what did not please them.
But Sol was quick to humble herself, as much as it pained her to do so: she begged an audience with the Baron of Canterlot to explain her intentions, and promised that her forces would remain under the care of his noble guard, at the safety of the city's edge. She and her siblings allowed themselves to be shorn of their weapons and armor, even if Morgan couldn't help but resist when the guards searched her.
The guards asked to shackle them, and the three allowed this: but by mere accident, Titan snapped his manacles like they were so much straw, and soon after, Morgan broke free of her own. The soldiers were stupefied, not knowing what to do... and, tired of the game, Sol easily removed her own shackles without damaging them in the slightest, giving their word that they would not hurt the Baron... and making it clear that had they wanted to, they could have already reduced even this mighty city to rubble.
The guard knew they had little choice: reluctantly, they guided the three onward, understanding that not all the force in Equestria could stop them if they chose to force their way forwards. Taking away their equipment had done little to handicap any of them, least of all mighty Sol, who commanded magic unlike they had ever seen before in the merest flick of her horn.
At the Baron's mighty castle, they were met by dervishes clad in mighty armor and mages with all manner of spell at the ready. Sol paid them all little heed, and Morgan was haughty as Titan only tried to reassure the Baron's forces that they meant no harm. But Titan's reassurances meant little when no bind was able to restrain any of the three, no enchantment seemed to have power enough to take hold on them for long.
They were eventually led to a great and wide chamber, filled with soldiers and with the Baron perched high above, on the safety of a balcony. He asked them what they were doing here, why they had come with such a force, and Sol replied calmly: "To save you."
It was a strange answer, and not one that the Baron had expected: Sol took the opportunity to speak, talking about powerful and dangerous enemies that had taken root in Equestria, and how ponies had to band together if they were to have any hope of survival in this difficult and treacherous world. She spoke of creating a unified Equestria, a country under one banner and not made up of dozens of baronies that spanned from singular cities to encompassing enormous, uncharted territories.
The Baron was little intrigued by the ideas of equality and unity: he ruled the Canterlot Barony, and was envied by all the other rulers for the fact he had taken possession of such a mighty and important castle in the history of the unicorns and their ever-growing rule. But Sol played upon his fears with ease: fear of any threat to his rule, fear of monsters more dangerous than greedy but lazy dragons, fear most of all of these three heroes in front of him, who might turn against him and bring his mighty castle down around his ears.
In the end, he agreed to help, to allow them to use Canterlot as a base of operations, and to allow them the privilege of taking over an abandoned property in the city, to be converted into a garrison for their soldiers. They were little things in the grand scheme of Sol's, perhaps, but important steps nonetheless in their quest; in her quest, to unite Equestria. After all, now they had a place where they could claim residence, where they could stay... and access to all of the vast stores of knowledge hidden here in Canterlot.
Sol, to the surprise of her siblings, promised to be satisfied with the generosity of the Baron, and that she would not seek another audience with him for at least a week. The Baron was relieved by this... but Sol knew that a seed of interest had been planted as well. She would bide her time, and wait for the Baron to summon her again, to ask how her plans were going, as she knew he would: then she would make another request, something simple and small. She would be patient, and calm.
And ultimately, she would see these Barons all ousted by their own hooves, and replaced with someone who could be trusted to rule these ponies and do whatever was in their best interests... no matter what the cost.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: A Brief Reprise

On their journey, much has happened so far: Sol has gone from traveling alone, nameless and cruel, to walking willingly with her family. She protects and loves them... and in some ways, this has made her even more dangerous. Now, she leads a band of warriors towards Canterlot, but her true motives still remain unclear. She is still merciless and vicious in the face of the enemy, and even if she has begun to learn mercy, there is still much for her to learn in the ways of empathy... and always, the danger that she will slip back into her old ways.
Titan walks with a smile, but he is concerned for his sister. Although he has spent many years with her and worked long and hard to help teach her right and wrong, he fears for her. He loves and adores her, but knows that she is flawed; he accepts and knows they all have their flaws. But all the same, he does his best to trust in her... just as he does his best to protect the band of people they now lead, and counsel Sol towards protection and creation, not destruction.
Morgan is the last sibling, and the most recent to join their band, saved from a sacrificial ritual after she had fallen from the sky. And even though she is loved, she also has fewer memories than her siblings, and they have done little to tell her of the truth. But even if she knew, Morgan would love them all the same, so great is her need for her family and so well does she fit in with these two. She is striving to learn from them both, taking after Titan and working to impress her eldest 'sibling,' Sol: she thrills in the adventure, but thrives most from the affection that they give to her.She cares little what they do... yet unlike Sol, she is willing to go to any lengths to save and protect the lives of innocents, in spite of her dark powers.
They walk with members of the Holy Order, a Blood Seer, and many others, heading for Canterlot to try and usher in an era of peace. But there are many enemies that await them, and they are not entirely prepared for the adventures that await. For there are great evils on the horizon, and even unified, these three heroes may be no match for them alone... especially not when their greatest of threats may come from the very allies they have tried to unite themselves with, and not from outside their own ranks...

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Future's Past

The caravan led by Sol did not reach Canterlot without incident: as they crossed into the dangerous range of mountains that surrounded the mighty bastion of pony civilization, they were attacked by a cadre of goblins and pony bandits.

The fight would normally have been swift, but Sol felt it was a good time to measure the effectiveness of those who had come with them. Titan acted disappointed at Sol's decision to let the soldiers fight for them, but he was both pleased and concerned: on the one hoof, to see Sol display trust was a great step forwards for her. On the other hoof, there was the fear that this was some clever manipulation on Sol's part... a pony who he worried more and more had her own ultimate ends in mind again, even if her path was one of good intent.

The battle dragged on: the bandits created an effective blockade that stopped the ponies from charging them, as they hailed down arrows and rocks on the army. In a moment, Sol could end the conflict, and Morgan was frustrated by the fact she was not allowed to fight, even as the minutes bled onwards and the sun began to set in the distance.

But as night began to fall, the bandits began to grow uneasy, and then call for palaver. The unicorn knights ignored their shouts, deciding it must be a sign of weakness, and taking to charge the bandits. Unprepared, the bandits were routed from their hiding spot, and either fled or were killed.

Sol sensed that something was wrong, even as the soldiers celebrated their victory. She said nothing, though, and silenced Titan when he too felt the poisonous malice in the air. Morgan was being dragged along with the victory of the soldiers, however, laughing as the handsome young knight who had become so taken with her tried to woo her: in fact, the only pony who managed to speak up was the Blood Seer, but none would listen to his words, no matter how urgent they were.

When the skeletons emerged from all around them, it was a terrible shock for the company: all the same, they had all the time in the world to react as the monsters made their slow approach, and yet none of the soldiers did. Only the Blood Seer and a few other mages attempted to throw down wards, while the knights sloppily and too late arranged themselves to meet their foes.

There were many injuries before Sol ended the conflict with little more than a flick of her horn, blasting the entire area with holy light and frightening away the living dead. She surveyed her soldiers, and understood that one of two things had to happen: either she would have to prepare these fools for the greatest of evils, or she would have to simply purge all evil from existence. One path would lead them into temptation, would see them staring into evil's face so often it might begin to reflect in themselves; the other path would leave them defenseless, unless...

Sol would think on this. But for now, she gathered her soldiers and told them to assemble. She had seen enough to know who she could trust, and who among their number was brave or at least ready to fight for their lives. And that number was too few: only the Blood Seer had sensed the evil, while the handsome young stallion that had been delighting Morgan had turned into a babbling, scared foal, hiding behind her and even stopping Morgan from properly entering the fight.

There was much to be considered, and still road to walk before they reached Canterlot. Sol only hoped that she would find the right answer before then.

Hopeless

Every now and then I get a "Scrivener Blooms, all your poems are depressing and stupid. Stop being depressing and stupid, write something happy." Which you know, is not all that helpful. Have you ever looked at my emblem? It's not just a rose and a quill, it's a black rose blossom and a raven feather. That should tell you something right there. Furthermore, just because something seems sad and desperate and horrible... just because something is full of pain and strife and awfulness... doesn't mean it is. Sometimes, you have to look deeper. Sometimes you have to look past the outer layer, and gaze into what it's taught you. Life is a harsh mistress - almost as harsh as Luna - but that doesn't mean that you can't take anything away from it. Everything sucks, everything hurts. But you can learn from it. You can use it. No, I can't tell you magically how. But maybe this will offer a little advice and insight.


Hopeless
Scrivener Blooms

Oh, radiant joy, bright and happy:
Sallow sunny day in the unending blue sky.
I have lived for all my life in a world of
 tranquility peace and joy.

All my life has been good,
Flower blossoms and sweet petals,
Taste of springwater in the happy days,
Touch of friend and family, always.

Never have I had to fight,
I know not if I strong or weak, for
Never have I had to test my mettle:
There has never been a test to rise to.

Always, I have smiled, grinned, laughed:
Never has a grimace crossed these features,
Nor tears slid down my cheeks that were not of joy:
What a life I have lived, always this, always this!

I have always been happy, now and forever,
I shall always be happy, now and forever,
I shall never be unhappy, now and forever,
I shall know only happiness, now and forever.

I pity the miserable, the pained, the sore:
They will never know happiness as I do,
And they will never live, day after day in good:
Sad and stray things, outside my bubble of peace.

Yes, I am happy, for now, forever,
And my happiness is all that matters, all I feel:
It is all I crave, and all I have ever known,
Like the air I breathe, familiar as my heartbeat.

This is my natural state. Serene, euphoric, needless.
I am never wanting. I never have to try, to push:
I have no need of strength, I have no need of skill.
I am happy.

Everyone else should be like me, always happy:
My blissful ignorance, where I need not worth,
Where I am unaware of sin and suffering,
Where I rest in my sanctuary, my bed of comfort.

I am happy, without need or compulsion:
With no reason to better myself,
Without empathy or sympathy:
Ad majorem Ego gloriam!

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: The Lamb, The Wolf

The journey was long, but it gave Sol, Titan, and Morgan all the time they needed to get to know their allies. Sol tried to be accepting of all who had come to join them, and to treat them the same, but she found herself soon feeling aloof from all but her siblings. Yet she promised to try and keep the welfare of her soldiers in mind first, and not to think of them merely as pawns.
Titan was friendly with each and every one: every single pony that traveled with them, he came to know and call by name, and he would remember things that would endear most of the company to him, like the names of their loved ones and kin, or why they had joined them in this fight, or a thousand other tiny little things that made all the difference.
Morgan, however, could not find peace with the fact they had a Blood Seer traveling with them. She found herself not just avoiding him, but being hostile and rude to him. It was ironic, she knew, as her own powers were that of darkness, and ponies both loved and feared her for her skills as an assassin and shadow-killer. And yet all the same, no matter how friendly this Blood Seer was, she found herself feeling displeased with his presence, and she couldn't come to trust him.
On the other hoof, she also found herself being drawn towards a young, strong pony of the Holy Order: he was handsome and bold, although he yet had to be tested in the fires of combat. But many of his elders said he was promising, and that he already had a great grasp of magic: he merely needed experience and training, and for some reason, Morgan soon found herself offering to take him on as apprentice, to teach him both magic skills and the art of combat.
The young stallion was strong and eager to learn: some would almost say greedy. He bowed to her every order, and Morgan enjoyed molding him, teaching him, and the way he would listen so readily to her. How he locked every lesson away in his mind like some treasure, committing her every word to memory. He made her smile, and he made her feel strange and warm, in a way that her siblings did not.
Sol disliked this, but Titan encouraged her growing affection for the young stallion of the order. But even had her siblings both been against her decision, Morgan all the same felt as if she may have pursued these strange new feelings: they were welcome, and she was coming to understand that she was not like Sol, who was wise and disciplined and decided in her every move, nor like Titan, who had his own special brand of wisdom, and was always kind and compassionate in what he did. She was more passionate, more brazen, more brash, and more given to following her desires.
And what she desired was this young stallion, as student, as friend... as more, too, but she knew better for now than to rush into her pleasures with him. Instead, she only teased him and trained him and tested him, wanting to better judge him, to know more of his character. And she found that spending time with him and his brothers from the Holy Order also gave her a place where she could go and be away from everyone else, where she could feel connected to a community she had never believed she would be a part of.
But there would one day come a time when she would regret her decision to avoid her other allies, and spend her time and affections with this young stallion. For our eyes and hearts can deceive us at first glance, and make shadows out of sunlight, and see bravery where there is nothing but childishness and cowardice.