Down Twisted Paths
Chapter One - Curiosity
Twilight's horn lit up, an assortment of books flying off the shelves at her command. For it was re-shelving day at the castle, a commitment that she could absolutely not dismiss. Most of her friends were busy that day, leaving the purple alicorn the time she needed to work.
"Let's see..." Twilight whispered to herself as her eyes glanced at the different titles. "The Elements of Harmony official guide, the Journal of The Two Sisters... These better go right in to history."
She gave a satisfied grin as she began to properly place the books where they belonged. For Princess Celestia had just delivered another set of books from her personal library in hopes to help Twilight be more comfortable with her new home. It certainly worked, and always gave Twilight something to do. Whenever she received a new set, the alicorn would re-shelve everything just for the heck of it. Most titles were already familiar to Twilight, but it was nice to get other copies from the ones that she had lost. After all, she was without a doubt going to reread everything.
One by one, the books were magically set upon the shelves first by genre, and then alphabetical order. She quietly hummed to herself, casually looking through the wide variety of books before her. It was a pretty ordinary day, that is, until a peculiar book came in to her view. Most books that were given to her by the princess were in wonderful condition, seemingly brand new from a store. This particular one, however, was well worn down. The corners of the cover were nicked, and the pages seemed to be a sickening yellow from age. The brown cover lacked a title, and it overall just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the books that were given to her.
"What the...?"
Twilight pulled the book closer, dropping all of the others to the floor. Curiosity to the mysterious book had caused Twilight to sit right in the middle of her floor rather than her usual reading chair. She didn't hesitate to open it to see what was inside, and a gasp escaped from her lips as she saw StarSwirl the Bearded's signature below an unfamiliar title that read:
"The History of Draconquui"
The purple princess realized that this wasn't just some reprint of anything that she had previously owned, but an original work from her idol from the past. The thought of other Draconequui had never crossed Twilight's head. There was Discord, and only Discord. From what she understood, he was the only one left. Twilight realized that this book contained information that she had never even thought about figuring out before, and a burning temptation to learn more about Discord's kind became her new number one priority for that day. She very eagerly turned to the next page.
"Oh my! Where ever did you get your hooves on such a relic?" A familiar voice appeared behind the alicorn, causing her to loose her focus and jump in surprise. It wasn't another moment until Discord reached his claw down, snatching the book before Twilight could even read the first written word.
"Discord!" She yelled in protest. "Give that back to me! It's mine!"
He gave a chuckle, placing the book in his underarm before returning his eyes to the infuriated Twilight before him.
"Why, that's peculiar. I don't happen to see your name on it." He replied, seemingly oblivious to Twilight's sudden hunger for more knowledge.
The purple pony sighed, taking a deep breath before addressing him again. She wasn't going to get anywhere with him by yelling.
"That was a gift to me from Princess Celestia. I'm actually quite curious about your species, Discord. I'd really appreciate it if you gave it back." She said through clenched teeth.
Discord was silent for a moment, almost as if he was slowly processing the words Twilight said. His eyes stared at her in disbelief.
"Princess Celestia gave this to you..?" For some reason, he didn't seem to believe her. For a quick second, Twilight thought she saw pain flash in his eyes. However, whether or not it was actually there was debatable.
"Yes, she did. May I please have it back?" Twilight asked eagerly, holding out her hoof. "I'm actually pretty curious about your origins."
Discord's normally humorous personality vanished, a much more sour tone ringing in his deep voice.
"No. As the only draconequus left, I should be able to decide whose eyes see this. Yours certainly do not qualify for this much information." He replied flatly before snapping his eagle talons to make the book vanish, probably somewhere where he kept his other belongings.
"Well... Can you tell me about your species? I mean, I never gave it any thought before, but now I've actually grown really curious." Twilight asked, hoping for some sort of new information.
"Sorry Curious George, I don't do back stories."
"Curious George..?"
Discord gave Twilight a gentle pat on the head, a smile returning to his face.
"That's a nice nickname for you. It really suits your personality and looks." He gave a chuckle, obviously realizing that he was the only one making any sense of that joke.
"Can't you at least tell me a little bit? Or just read one page from that book? Please?"
Discord rolled his eyes, lifting his body off the ground with his wings.
"I thought friends didn't push their friends in to doing something that they didn't want to do. Besides, I'm busy."
"Busy doing what? Snapping in to other ponies' houses?"
The draconequus laughed, patting her on the head once more.
"Actually, yes. I have somepony I need to talk to about that journal that you received."
Twilight tilted her head, another question about to spill out of her lips before Discord interrupted.
"Well, I'll see you around, friend."
With a snap of his paw, he vanished, leaving an unsatisfied, knowledge-hungry Twilight alone in her castle.
The fact that Discord didn't want her to know about his species only caused her to become more curious about the subject. Celestia had entrusted her with keeping an original, one of a kind Starswirl writing, and she had just lost it to an obnoxious draconequus. Though it did seem reasonable that he should decide who can read it and who can't, she was bothered by the unknown facts.
The purple alicorn's wings opened, quickly deciding that talking to the princess would be the best option. She quickly flew out her window, cold sweat dripping down her forehead as she worried about what Celestia would say. In the air, it didn't take long at all to get to Canterlot, and the guards surrounding the castle didn't hesitate to let other royalty through the doors. Panic began to rise deep inside of Twilight. What if Celestia never trusted her enough again to give her such a novelty item? What if she all around just stopped delivering books?
Twilight quickly opened the doors to the throne room, skidding to a stop before the throne. Discord was beside Celestia, and both of them quickly looked at her.
"Well, that certainly was quick." Discord replied, taking note of Twilight's gasps for air.
"Y-You're returning the book to her?" Twilight asked, still trying to catch her breath.
"Actually, Twilight," The princess explained. "It wasn't really mine to give in the first place... It is rightfully Discord's... I'm not sure how it ended up going in the pile of books I've been sending to you."
"Isn't it a one of a kind Starswirl the Bearded original piece!? Shouldn't that be yours!?" Twilight asked in disbelief, on the contrary to what she was hearing.
Discord watched her, seemingly amused. "It is my species. Honestly, Twilight. This isn't rocket science."
"B-But he.. You.. It.. His.." Twilight frantically looked from Celestia to Discord, and then Discord to Celestia. She tried to think of an excuse as to why the irresponsible draconequus shouldn't have such a valuable piece of the past. Even though it was his species, it wasn't necessarily about him.
"Well, while you sit there practicing your mumbo-jumbo talk, I'll just be putting his back to where it belongs." Discord replied, giving a quiet chuckle.
"Goodbye, Discord. I apologize for the inconvenience." Celestia looked at him. For a short moment, they stared at each other, not saying a single world. It was hard to read what they were thinking, but it appeared that Discord was either upset or angry. Perhaps a little bit of both.
Without replying, he snapped away, leaving the two princesses alone in the throne room. Twilight trotted closer to the princess, desperate for at least the smallest detail about Discord's origins.
"Can you tell me...?" Before Twilight could even finish her questioning statement, Celestia replied.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. It isn't in my place to tell you anything about Discord's past. He's fairly sensitive about the topic."
Twilight wasn't pleased with that answer. "Just a little bit of information? I mean, I know about you and Luna's past, along with Starswirl's, but Discord's is a complete mystery! Surely you can tell me something?" The purple alicorn begged.
"I'm afraid that over time, some history books have lost quite a bit of their accuracy. Some things a better left in the past rather than brought up again. I do not recommend bringing up this topic again."
Twilight's pupils shrank. What information did she have wrong on the subject? How much of what she learned was a lie? Why was the past so important to keep secret? Not sure of how to reply but still desperate of information, Twilight tried to form the right words.
"But... I...."
"No buts, Twilight. I know it might be hard, but believe me... It's better to not to speak about anything concerning the past. Especially to Discord. Focus more on your future."
Twilight sighed sadly, looking down in disappointment. She felt as if she was a filly being scolded. "Yes, Princess..."
Celestia sat up and trotted towards Twilight, lifting her chin with her hoof. "Perhaps you will learn one day, but as of now, I think it is too soon to give you any more information. Be comforted in the thought that you have seen with your own eyes what happened when Nightmare Moon was sent to the moon, and when Discord was turned to stone."
Twilight gave a weak smile. She appreciated that fact that Celestia was trying to comfort her, even if it didn't really work. The smile must have been convincing, because the princess smiled back down at her before nudging her gently towards the door.
"Now go on, Twilight. I'm sure you have more to do at your new castle."
The purple alicorn nodded her head, trotting out the door before sighing under her breath.
"Not really..."
***
The troubled mare returned to her castle, looking at the mess of books on the floor. Re-shelving day was less exciting now, but still had to be done. Twilight picked up the books from the floor, placing them in their correct location. It was only on rare occasions when the book-obsessed pony was not happy when organizing genres.
It seemed like forever before all her work had been finished, especially without Spike around to help. For the young dragon had spent most of his day with Rarity, and by the time he returned it was his bedtime. Luna had already risen the moon, but yet for some reason Twilight couldn't stop thinking about Discord and his species. Everything she had been taught in Celestia's school concerning history could all just be a cover up to the true past for all she knew. The only things she was absolutely certain of was the two events she actually saw happen: Discord's imprisonment and Luna's banishment.
Suddenly, Twilight stopped pacing around in circles. Her purple eyes became wider, and a large smile spread across her face. Zecora had once given her a potion to see small glimpses of Equestria's true history, and it could very well be possible to enhance the formula to show a period of time from further in to the past with a longer duration. Fortunately, the alicorn didn't finish the whole bottle when it was first given to her.
Twilight walked down the long hallway with a steady pace, careful to trot lightly so her echoing hoofsteps wouldn't awake Spike. The potion she searched for was located in a closet, and thanks to her flawless organization skills, she could picture exactly where it sat on the shelf. When she came to face the wooden door, her horn glowed along with the doorknob. Twilight cracked open the door and grinned as she saw the white potion reflecting back the purple aurora of magic that was in use.
Carefully, the Princess lifted it from its place and carried the bottle to her throne, setting it in the middle of her seat. Twilight wasn't one-hundred percent positive if this would work, but her thirst for knowledge had driven her to believe that it would. If she could cast the spell that she used to turn it from purple to white when Zecora first gave it to her, there was a chance that it would increase the potion's already powerful capabilities. After taking a deep breath, Twilight's horn began to glow a much darker aurora than before.
The powerful dark magic she used made her head ache, and the already tired mare grunted as she felt the waves of her magic course through her. Once she was sure she was fully charged with the dark energy, her horn blasted the bottle, causing it to light up. For a moment, it didn't do anything, and a layer of disappointment began to fold over Twilight's eagerness. However, before the discouragement could fully settle in, the potion began to spark as it slowly shaded from a pearly white to a night sky blue.
Twilight shielded her eyes with her large purple wing during the process, and once she was sure that the bright sparks had sheathed, she looked back at the potion. The alicorn couldn't hold back a satisfied giggle, and she bit her lip as she tried to contain her excitement. The potion's new color reminded her somewhat of Princess Luna's mane, for the different shades of blue it contained seemed to be constantly flowing with one another as little white specks floated effortlessly throughout the bottle.
Normally, a pony would've been hesitant to try out a new potion, but Twilight's thirst for the unknowing truth had driven out any sort of fear that she might have had.
"Bottom's up..." Twilight whispered to herself before pressing the opening of the bottle to her lips. As the liquid touched her tongue, she recoiled a bit at the taste and pulled the bottle away. It tasted vile, like stale water with a hint of a burnt flavor. The princess quickly set the bottle down, being sure that she wouldn't drop it while she went in to a trance. It didn't come suddenly like it had before, but instead made her feel tired beyond belief. Her legs collapsed and she fell to her side as her eyelids became heavier, and the sudden amount of tiredness she felt caused her to forget about everything. The room started to spin around her as her eyes began to close, and it wasn't a mere two seconds until she fell asleep on the ground.
***
Darkness cleared away, and four strange but young creatures could be seen circling around a fire in the woods. One had pointy ears that resembled an orange cat, and its face looked like that of an alligator's. Brown fur coated up its neck, and it ruffled around its face and ears, making it look like it was wearing a fur suit. Brightly colored peacock feathers sprouted from its back for a tail, while its leopard leg sat crossed over its large spider leg. As he spoke, his voice sounded slightly deeper than one might have expected, occasional voice cracks breaking through certain words.
"My mother keeps telling me I should get a girlfriend. I don't think she even realizes how weak it makes us guys look!"
Another creature with a slightly higher voice replied. "I agree, Urteil! We can't just let some female kiss OUR faces!"
This one resembled a griffin, only with two pointy purple horns pointing out of its head. His arms were thin and bony with dark feathers growing out all over them, and it had a black puffy mane growing along its neck and head. A bushy tail was wrapped around his legs where he sat, keeping his hidden feet warm.
Another voice chimed in, with perhaps the highest voice of them all due to age. He seemed to be younger than the rest of the group, for he appeared to be quite small compared to the others. His antler and blue horn held an extreme resemblance to another creature...
Discord.
"Bruten and Urteil are right! Girls are disgusting! I will never, ever fall in love!"
Both Urteil and Bruten nodded in agreement to Discord's statement, before they were interrupted by the fourth. His voice was the deepest of all of them, and he leaned in close to the fire to give himself a haunting orange glow.
Two antlers sprouted from his head, looking a lot like how a young moose's would. His body and tail copied a kangaroos, including the signature pocket. A frog leg and a hoof took the place of his legs, and both of his arms appeared to belong to two different types of cat. A spiked mane went from the top of his head to the bottom of his neck, and purple sideburns grew on each side of his face.
"You three would be the strongest, most manly of all the draconequui if you are able to keep your heart in your chest. You three don't seem to hold a candle to that title."
He chuckled at himself as he observed the six eyes staring at him. Neither Bruten or Urteil protested against him, for he appeared to be the eldest and therefore the leader of the gathering. Discord, however, did not hesitate to do so.
"Not me! Just you wait, I'm going to be the biggest and strongest draconequus this land has ever seen!"
Urteil leaned in closer to Discord to whisper in to his ear. "Discord, don't challenge Mort... Remember last time?"
Mort stared at Discord disapprovingly, but the young draconequus did not cower.
"You talk a big game, my friend..." The elder draconequus opened his two white bat wings and loomed over Discord, who swallowed his fear and faced him bravely, despite size. Mort gave him a several moments long scowl before returning to his original seated position.
"My mother tells me stories about a creature that is so beautiful, even a draconequus with a heart as hard as stone can't help but fall for her beauty..." Urteil and Brutan stayed quiet, but Discord challenged the one who tried to rank down his position.
"Well my mother tells me that it takes more than looks to capture any heart. I, for one, will not fall for any looks or any personality!"
Mort was loosing his patience with the youngest draconequus.
"Her looks are said to be enchanting, and her eyes alone can burn through a soul. The sun rises everyday to see her beauty, and hers alone... However, this beauty is a cover up... She lures you in with her astonishing gorgeousness, sprinkles in niceness and encouragement... And then.... She snatches up your heart, and keeps it forever, leaving you for the dead."
Bruten and Urteil gasped, but Discord scrunched up his nose instead.
"Why would you even fall for some girl that's going to kill you?"
Mort gave a frightening grin, revealing his sharp teeth that Discord knew all too well.
"She's enchanted... You can't help but fall in love with the lovely maiden."
Discord shook his head. "That's not even true. It's nothing but an old fairy tale."
Mort gave out a low growl from deep in his throat, but yet still wore that haunting grin.
"Eventually, you will loose your weak heart, and you'll look back and see that I was right."
