Onyx slowly walked through the halls of the Rune Society and noticed that he was being watched by some of the older Rune Masters, which was not surprising they were probably trying to figure out why Onyx was the one to become an Alicorn out of any Rune Maker. The sad part is that Onyx was a cheater, but that was true for all Alicorn, apparently. Celestia had informed Onyx that she and Luna had cheated to create the magic that allowed them to move the sun and moon. Onyx had been surprised by this information. The only ones who did not cheat were Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor. Candance had cheated by piggybacking off emotion-sensing magic. Shining had not even been aiming to become an Alicorn, and Twilight had stumbled her way to the finish line.
Onyx silently snickered to himself because when it was put into perspective, not a single Alicorn was aiming for a throne of power, as it were. As he walked into a room, he looked around in surprise and noticed that no one was yet here for the meeting of Runic Master besides Grand Master Shine. G.M. Shine was looking at Onyx's Runic-covered throne, which was put in the center of the grand meeting hall. Onyx could tell he was trying to decipher how it was made and how the Rune's interacted. Onyx would typically not even be a part of this, but because he is the God of Runecraft, it was a part of his major duties to be here for the yearly gathering of those Rune Lords and Rune Masters that are close to the title of Lordship of Runes. He slowly moved and stood next to his mentor and smiled just happy.
Onyx knew he would end up missing these days in a few centuries when most or all Lords were gone and did not remember that he was a snot-nosed bratling that still did not know anything about Runes. Grand Master Shine looked over at the growing Onyx and looked at the Harmonic magic being released through his hair. Onyx slowly walked forward, slowly set his Runic Pickaxe next to his throne, and slowly sat down. The moment he sat down, he felt his magic connect the throne on a level that not even he was prepared for. Shine looked over his prince and nodded his head because Onyx had found several ways to fight the Filth. The Harmonic Grenade, the Harmonic Rune in general, which can be applied to Weapons, and a couple of other ways.
As much as no one wants to admit, there is probably a good reason that Onyx was picked as the Runic Alicorn. Shine just has not figured it out and slowly walked to his seat directly behind Onyx. Onyx's throne would most likely replace the chair that Shine likes when he completely takes over, but Onyx did not want to lead this gathering because he did not know everything about each Rune Maker arriving in this gathering. As they sat there in silent communication, the criers started announcing names. With every name, another Pony walked through the doorway, each one of them bearing weapons or Armor in the status of Heirloom. Onyx memorized their names what they worked on from what little he had to read, which was their specialty, he was glad to finally put names to the faces that he had read about because a name and picture along with what they worked on does not really help him. Master Shine waited till the last Rune Lord was seated and called them to order.
---Tartarus Aka: Afterlife---
Harmony slowly entered the Afterlife itself and smirked when she realized she had gotten lucky and was currently bearing the colors of her Pony-kind agents. As she walked through the Afterlife, she felt the monsters reach out for her, thinking she was just a fresh soul. She quickly debased them of that notion by shattering them and sending them flying away from her while putting them back together. The souls that were good people were shocked because they watched her change shape into Celestia and then into Luna before turning into different Alicorns, with every step. The souls of ponies, in general, realized that they were most likely looking at either Chaos or Harmony. Every soul in the general vicinity shivered whether they were good or evil in life. There was an exceptionally good reason Harmony and Discord did not really step foot on their planet and Afterlife unless they absolutely needed to.
As Harmony marched forth to the Castle of made of Shadows, every soul was forced to kneel not by anything she did, but her very presence was forcing it now that she was no longer deeply restraining her identity. Whether they were filled with Filth or Chaos or Harmony, all would kneel to a concept that was Harmony and Discord. Harmony healed every soul that she passed by and smirked in amusement when she heard those just out of her restrained range rise in panic and flee from her. Especially those covered in Filth and Chaos. She saw a couple of ponies instead rushing towards the Castle and start pushing the door open for her. She knew that none would interfere with her because every soul knew deep inside of themselves that if she decided to, they would disappear from the Afterlife and become non-existent. However, any Filth being that got close to her was violently purged of her presence and forcibly thrown away by her.
As she reached the steps of the Castle and began her climb, she looked at the path that was laid directly to the castle throne room and smirked with amusement because the ponies were not terrified of her at all. It was more accurate to say they were in love with her and could not be happy to have her walk among them, even if they never got a chance to speak a single word to her, they would never forget this moment. Harmony lightly caressed them with her magic as she walked the path laid for through the Castle and was not surprised to see the Alicorn Scáthach standing in front of her throne facing it. As Harmony walked closer to Scáthach, the Alicorn felt her knees start shaking even though she was trying to lock them in place.
What Scáthach did not realize that all Agents of Harmony had a slight resistance to Harmony because she never wanted her agents to kneel, but it was something that she could force if she needed to. Harmony walked past Scáthach as the woman fell to her knees, slowly sat on the throne, and looked down at Scáthach and raised her Eyebrows at the women. Scáthach stayed on her knees and spoke with reverent awe. "How can this one assist you, my lady Harmony?"
Harmony opened her mouth and what noise came out was not actual words, but still, she was understood on a level that no one could begin to realize because Harmony was speaking differently than a vocal level. What she was using right now was a trick she and Discord created, the closest approximation would be that she was speaking Truth. It was not an actual language there were no letters or structure or anything of that, but that did not matter because Scáthach or any agent they talk to understand. It only worked on agents, though, because they had a connection to the two beings. Not even the Filth could understand it was the most secure connection they had to their agents.
Scáthach stood there in awe because this was an utterly amazing thing and nodded her and slowly bowed low, showing that she understood that she was supposed to guard the soul, Mythic Note, and not allow it to escape the Afterlife. She looked up at her lady in question.
Harmony snapped her fingers, and the soul of Mythic Note appeared next to her, covered in chains and manacles on his legs, arms, and chest. Mythic Note looked at Harmony in surprise and hummed while looking down at the Alicorn Scáthach. The one thing about being a pure soul was that they were literally locked in at their point of death. So, if you were corrupted with Filth, you were literally stuck like that what Scáthach had done was not possible if Harmony and Discord did not allow it to happen. Harmony opened her mouth while throwing Mythic in front of Scáthach with annoyance on her face and released a burst of Truth at Scáthach.
Scáthach nodded deeply and watched as Harmony started fading away again. Before she stood up and looked down at the chained-up pony and sighed and spoke with annoyance. "Well, boyo, looks like I am you, warden, for a little while."
Mythic Note looked up at Scáthach with little to no worry on his face and spoke with a tone that bespoke of his annoyance. "And how long will I be your prisoner 'Warden'?"
"Until whatever Filth agent finds one of three beings, which includes you." Scáthach informed the being because it was hard for souls to lie. Mythic looked surprised that one of his brethren snuck into the Afterlife to free one of them. Mythic tried to remember who was close to this location before sighing and remembering the two others that could have been picked.
"Tirek or Sundance or Me, Filth damn it, I hate the two of them." Mythic hummed and complained to himself and could not help but admit in his own private thoughts that if he had gotten out, well, that would be really fun but trust Harmony and Discord to not be dumb. "The fact that our 'boss' needs one of us out of the Afterlife is amusing. It means Equus is hammering the 'boss.'"
Scáthach nodded in agreement and started carrying Mythic to one of the walls of her throne room and chaining him to it. Not even allowing his feet to touch the ground. He looked down at Scáthach in amusement because this was an amusing position that the two beings found themselves in.
---Ethereal Realm---
Harmony allowed her magic to stretch out of her body and fill their private realm in happiness. She looked at the fog-filled realm and wondered where Discord was currently hiding. She looked around for him and noticed that he was watching one of his agents attempt something against the Filth on a different Continent that held no ponies on it. She hummed and went off looking for her own agents when she noticed her Elements scaring each other without even trying to.
Harmony burst into laughter, watching them run around the ancient Castle and freak each other out. She hummed with tears in her eyes and looked at Celestia and Luna going over the paperwork that Onyx had not done but marked as something one of them needed to go over. This is the first time in a while that they have little to no backlog after a festival.
Discord looked at Harmony in confusion before flying back up to her and poking her in question. 'What is so funny?'
Harmony smiled and started playing back what her agents were doing in the ancient Castle of the two Princesses. Discord snorted, watching them run around and jump at things that other people were doing in different castle locations.