A Forgotten Past

Chapters

The Hut in the Woods
Day and Night
Identity Crisis
A New Threat
The World Tree
Table for Two
Dreams Cut Short
As One Door Closes
Day of the Invisible Invasion
Prologue
A Fated Meeting

The Hut in the Woods

The Hut in the Woods

"There was once a time long past, a time of chaos. Legends spoke of a red cloud that came to the land and wreaked its havoc upon the world, until one day it mysteriously vanished. Peace returned to the land, and the chaos was soon forgotten in time, the legends along with it. Yet, the chaos remained, slumbering outside of civilization, waiting for an opportunity to return…"

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Dusk. The daytime's liveliness and cheerfulness had fallen into slumber, replaced by the quiet serenity of the night. Creatures hiding from the light had come out to thrive, embracing the dark. The forest seemed filled with new life, from the towering heights of the trees to the lush fields lying underneath.

It was here that a young, skinny earth pony stood, trying to wake the unconscious body of his mother.

"Mom? Get up, mom. You have to wake up."

The two had lived with a father and a newborn brother in their previous village, living humble but happy lives. While the colt and his mother were out on a picnic, the town was invaded by timberwolves. Thirsting for blood, the ravenous creatures tore apart the villagers, leaving the town empty and the streets flowing with red before departing on full stomachs.

By the time the two had returned to their village, they found nothing but corpses littering the houses. Possessions were broken and unusable. The mother decided to gather all the salvageable supplies for a trip to the East, seeking help and refuge for her and her son.

There was not much food left. The wolves had already devoured and clawed most of the food to pieces, leaving only a few vegetables enough to last one pony a week. The grown mare figured that if they hurried, they would be able to make the trip in about five days.

This left the pair of survivors with a dilemma: one of them wouldn't make the trip; there simply wasn't enough food. On the other hand, if they stayed, they would be finished off by starvation or the timberwolves, if they returned. The ponies gathered their things and trudged onwards to the East, left with no time to grieve or lament over the loss of loved ones.

Even with what had happened, their spirits were not broken. The two tried their absolute best to reach their destination, to find help. Be that as it may, they simply shot through their food supply much too quickly. The mother stopped eating after two days, giving her portions to her son. She was desperate as to not lose anyone else.

After another excruciating day of travel and near starvation, they were in a forest clearing, with their food finally run dry. The mare was travelling slower than her son, deprived of food to fuel the journey. The young colt looked back at his companion, and screamed her name in shock when she collapsed in the field.

"Mom! Mom! Mom…" His voice grew into a whisper, seeing her breathing lightly on the grass.

"Leave me. You have to… you have to get… to next town… get help…" Cut in pieces by a rasping voice, the mare's final words to her son urged him to survive, speaking with a parent's love. With the last of her breath, she whispered, "You have to… live." Her eyes closed shut, and her head hung limp. The colt knelt down next to her, tears streaming down his face.

He continued in choked sobs, "Come on, mom, wake up. We have to get to the town, right? Mom, please, Get up." He stood there for a while, trying to rouse the sleeping corpse. The colt was tired as well. Days of continuous travel left his body worn, fatigue seeping in through his bones. Too shocked and numbed to do anything else, the colt curled up next to his mother, crying himself to sleep in denial of death.

The forlorn colt awoke in a wooden hut, covered in blankets. He didn't recognize the place, nor the surrounding animals. They looked similar to animals he had known, but their coats were grey, and each of their left eyes were larger than their counterpart, leaving a stream of red glow in their wake.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you," said a voice behind him. "They've just changed appearances, they're still only animals."

The colt turned around to face a grey, black-maned unicorn with an eye patch over her left eye. She seemed to be in the same state as the other animals around the hut.

"What's your name, young one?" she asked.

"Hope Seeker," he replied. "What's yours?"

"My name is Star Charmer. You can just call me Star."

"Well, um, nice to meet you, Star. Where exactly am I?"

"You're in my hut, a little ways off from where I found you. You were lying unconscious in the forest fields yesterday, near a corpse. Was that your-"

"Mother. So, I guess that means she's really…"

"Yes. She was already gone when I got to you. I'm... sorry for your loss." Star didn't seem to know what to say; she just looked away with a downcast expression.

Hope Seeker lay in a melancholic state, mourning over the death of his mother, and the rest of his village.

"Here, have something to eat." As she said this, the unicorn levitated a tray of food in front of the grieving colt. At first, he felt too depressed to eat. Yet, when the smell of steamed carrots hit his senses, he began to wolf down on the grub greedily. He had been starved, even through his mother's last portions of love.

"You seem pretty hungry," said the mare. There was a pause as Hope spared no time to talk, inhaling the food as fast as he could. The final carrot disappeared down his gullet, and the colt coughed a few times, getting small bits of orange dislodged from his windpipe.

"Thank you," Hope said. "I haven't had a proper meal in days…"

"What exactly were you doing out in the middle of nowhere, anyways?" the grey pony questioned.

"My mother and I came from a village that was attacked by timberwolves. We were trying to get to another town east of here, and find a place to live." As the child recited these short sentences, memories came flooding back. A wave of sadness washed over his face.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but there is no village to the east," Star stated, with a morose voice. "At least, not anymore. The timberwolves had struck first in that town, before moving onto other villages."

The brown earth pony's mind filled with alarm, eyes darting around outside. "But, doesn't that mean they can come to this place, too?"

The unicorn pointed her head to a pile of pans and pots to the side. "Sharp, loud noises such as the clash of metal will frighten off the wolves. It’s a pity that nopony else managed to figure it out yet."

Hope settled down. "Oh..."

Suddenly, the conversation took a turn. "I'm sorry to say this, but you can't stay. It is not a place for the likes of you. You can sleep the night here, but you should leave first thing in the morning."

"What? But, but I have nowhere to go. You said the nearest villages were attacked by timberwolves. It would take too long to get to the next one. And besides, I-"

Star Charmer felt a pang of guilt. "Do you have anyone else that you know left?"

"…Not anymore."

The atmosphere turned hesitant, as the unicorn debated whether to let the colt stay or not. Eventually, her conscious won the battle. "Fine. You can stay. But only for a few weeks, until I can pack you enough supplies to leave. You can live here until then."

The sorrow melted away from the young pony's face, thankful that he had found a place to stay, if only for a brief time. "Thank you." The conversation concluded, and the two began their new lives together.

At first, Star Charmer was very distant and cut off from Hope. However, with the various activities and mishaps the two shared throughout the week, she opened up to him, treating him like part of her family. The once somber mask of the unicorn was now more color-filled and lively, and Hope got to see the first of her smiles after a few days. The threat of kicking Hope Seeker out was soon forgotten, and Star got accustomed to Hope just as the colt had gotten used to the strange glowing eye and the eerie fauna around them.

Once they had become friendly, however, the caretaker noticed that her colt was still feeling down about his village. She often noticed him in trances, bird watching near the lake. One day, she decided to try and cheer him up.

Hope was deep in thought. The misery of his losses were all too clear. All his friends and family were killed by the timberwolves, and his mother had- "Ackpthhh!!" The pony was jolted sober by a splash of ice cold water in his face. He looked up to see a laughing unicorn in front of him.

"What was that for?!" the wet colt cried.

Still chuckling, Star Charmer replied, "You shouldn't be so sad all the time. It's not right for someone your age."

Anger and shock faded away, replaced by a grateful smile. "Thanks, Star. I guess I needed that."

"Don't mention it," she said back, as she turned around and walked away. Hope cupped some water from the lake and threw it in her direction. He was rewarded by a shriek caused by his target.

"Got you back!" he said, snickering at the unicorn.

Turning around, the mare put on a look of amused determination. "Oh, it is on."

The two spent the day pulling numerous different pranks on each other, getting more extreme as the other did something even more spectacular. What started out as sneaking up on each other and shouting "Boo!" or placing bugs on each other manes gradually escalated as the pranks involved hiding tools or making the other fall into a puddle full of mud. The last prank involved a net, which didn't go so well for either the planner nor the victim.

As the young colt set up a net to snare the unicorn, Star Charmer noticed him plotting. Not seeing the net, she snuck up behind him, planning to give the other pony a scare. She lowered her head down to his head and whispered into his ear, "So, what are you doing?"

"Eep!" was the reply as Hope lost grip on the taught rope holding the net from deploying. The encompassed area of a few feet sprang up, dropping leaves as the net revealed itself. The ponies were both caught off guard as they rose two into the air, a heavy rock replacing their weight on the floor.

Squished and uncomfortable, Hope looked to his fellow captor with an indecisive smile. "Maybe I should have thought this through."

After many unsuccessful attempts, the two were free of their roped prison. "I still can't believe you managed to set that up, Hope," said Star Charmer, clearly annoyed but impressed by the young pony's endeavors.

"My father used to work as a colt scouts leader, and he taught me a few tricks," the brown pony responded, shaking the green leaves out of his mane. "Say," he asked, "why does every animal around here except me have grey coats and a glowing red eye? I've been wondering about it for awhile, now."

The grey coated mare gathered her thoughts. "Do you know what 'chaos' is?"

"It's when everything is messed up and unorganized, right?"

"Well, I guess you could say that. It's actually the absence of order and harmony. It spawns something that shouldn't exist in any society, but is still there nevertheless," she explained. "Near this region lurks the living embodiment of that chaos, which I call Discord. Discord is a red cloud brimming with electric-like chaos currents, and the cloud moves and shapes itself as if it were alive."

"It sounds like a monster to me. Clouds don't come to life, do they?"

The reply was set in a very serious tone. "This one does, and trust me, it's not just some monster. It is what caused every other monster and animal around this area to have the traits that make them stand out."

"How does that happen?" the question was simple and inquisitive, but the answer was grim and frightening.

"Chaos is not part of the natural harmony. If any living creature ever so happens to touch that cloud, its color will fade and it will lose its left eye to the chaos; the organ itself along with its vision."

"Aren't you worried that you might lose your other eye, too? I mean, you'd be left completely blind!"

"Look around, Hope. Do you see any animals missing both eyes? No. This is the extent of the change. We are confined to the limits of a perimeter around Discord, but we still live our lives normally."

Star Charmer continued, "but you must never come into contact with Discord. When ponies are affected by Discord, the results are different. When the red cloud touches a pony, the chaos will try to take over. The pony sometimes ceases to exist, turning into part of Discord forever."

Chills ran down the earth pony's back, and another question popped into his mind. "What about you, then? You're a pony, and you seem to have come in contact without becoming part of it."

"There is one way to counteract the takeover. You must remember."

"Remember what?" Hope was clearly confused about Star's statement.

"Remember anything from your past life. Remember your family, your home, or even just a name. It doesn't have to be yours. This is the only way to escape from the Discord. I have learnt about it from other ponies who were affected like me."

An arrogant reply followed. "Well, that doesn't seem so hard. I mean, you just have to remember anything? It sounds almost impossible to not remember."

The unicorn reprimanded him back with a stern voice. "Don't be so sure of yourself! I have seen many a pony fall to Discord. Once it reaches you, your mind becomes like fog. It is hard to grasp onto reality itself, much less memories. And, what's more is that whatever you can't remember, you forget forever after the cloud leaves you. There is no cure for a memory taken by Discord."

The earth pony gulped back his cockiness. "I'm sorry…"

Star Charmer regained her composure. "It's all right; you didn't know. Now, go to bed. It's getting late." With that, she got up and walked into her own room, leaving the small brown pony to dream of grey animals and red clouds.

Hope Seeker awoke in the middle of the night, to a squeal of a boar nearby. He opened the door and stepped outside, seeking the source of the noise. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a boar in a bush. It too was stained with the grey coat and the blood-red eye of the local fauna. The colt assumed that its leg was caught in the brambles and thorns of the bush, and trotted over to help it out.

He was within less than ten paces of the animal when he realized something was wrong. The pig started to squirm uncontrollably, breaking most of the branches in the bush. Then, its remaining eye began to emit red light from it as well. Writhing and thrashing the plants around it, the boar itself rose into the air and glowed crimson. It burned brighter for a short moment before bursting into a sanguine mist. The mist reformed itself, compressing into a cloud. Hope could see sparks of electricity igniting within the cloud, before it darted off into the forest, being consumed by the main body of Discord which was now visible. The cloud, with the boar assimilated into it, floated away maliciously, having taken another life.

Stunned by the spectacle he had seen, the pony walked back slowly to the wooden hut. He was greeted by a worried unicorn, standing outside the front door. "Where were you?" Star asked. "Don't go off by yourself like that in the night. You might get hurt, and-"

She was cut off by an angry Hope Seeker, who spoke through teary eyes. "The reason there aren't any animals missing both eyes... is because once they lose their other eye, they disappear!" Stupefied by his outburst, Star Charmer stood there with her mouth agape. Losing his anger, the colt asked with an expression of pain, "Why?"

The unicorn snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but I could never bring myself to do it. It's just that, well, I loved seeing you laugh and smile. I couldn't take that happiness away from you; it was just too cruel." In the pale light of the moon, Star charmer looked pitiable, frail and broken.

"Will you disappear as well, then? Become part of Discord?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," she stated sadly. "I've studied for ways to prevent the transformation, but have only managed to find ways to delay it. The animals I tried to save lived longer, but all eventually succumbed to the chaos. I, too, am running out of time."

Desperate for love, Hope pleaded with his caregiver. "Please, don't leave me alone again, Star. Please, stay with me."

Star Charmer turned away, too pained to look at the earth pony. "I can't do anything about it. I thought I'd come to peace with that fact a long time ago, but your coming here… it's made it more difficult."

"But-"

"I'm sorry, but you must leave now. As I've said before, this isn't a place for ponies like you. I hardly have any time left myself. There's food for your trip in the back shed. Take it and head South."

Having lost the will to speak, Hope turned around and started to circle around the house. He halted when he heard Star Charmer's words again. "Hope, I just want you to know… even though you've made things difficult for me, I've genuinely enjoyed every moment we've been together. Thank you."

Sobs could be heard from both ponies, and Hope broke into a gallop as he bit back his tears. He came to the back of the hut, and picked up the saddlebags on the floor. He looked back one last time before departing the place he had thought of as a home.

Hope was dead. Or maybe not, but he might as well have been. The last pony he had called friend had cast him away, staying alone by herself to die a dog's death. He had nothing in the world left to live for. The colt cursed at himself for not being able to do anything. These thoughts were interrupted when the earth pony noticed a red haze nearby. It was Discord, come to try and claim him as his own. Hope Seeker ran away from the red beast as fast as he could, propelled by the sheer fear instilled by his witness of the boar's death.

When he turned around to see its position, the sinister mist had disappeared, nowhere to be seen. Hope stopped in his tracks, relieved that the danger had gone away. A memory came to mind. The cloud was right next to the mountain pig when it had died, proximity letting the lightning streaks devour the creature. If it was here now, and heading back to its feeding grounds, it could only mean that-

"Star." The shock of realization hit home hard as the colt remembered the unicorn's words: I hardly have any time left myself.

Running back in the direction of the house, the colt was flustered with panic. 'Hardly any time' couldn't mean this very night, could it? But then again, who knows? Star might actually die.

Ditching the heavy saddlebags weighing him down, Hope sped up, fruits and vegetables spilling out on the grass behind him. He no longer cared about them. All he wanted was to help Star Charmer, even if it was an impossible feat.

Panting from lack of breath, the colt arrived at the scene dripping in cold sweat. He could see a red light at the door, and a grey unicorn standing still in surrender, ready to accept her inevitable fate. The tendrils lowered down upon Star Charmer, as her body started to dematerialize and change into part of the mass.

"Star, NO!" with the cry, the colt leapt into the air, hoping to knock the unicorn out of the thing's clutches.

Drawing ever so closer to her demise, Star Charmer turned to the charging pony with widened eyes. "Hope? What are you doing?! DON'T-"

Hope Seeker crashed into the unicorn. Literally into her, as Star Charmer warped into the swirling red mass, and the young child was swallowed up into the cloud.

"What have you done!?" the horrified consciousness that had once been Star Charmer cried out. "Now you might be lost in here as well!"

The disillusioned colt couldn't see anything out of the sparks of chaos generated in the red backgrounds. "I… I've already lost everyone else, I don't want to lose you as well!"

There was a deep, malevolent laugh echoing within Discord. The voice that spoke next was not one that either of the ponies recognized, brimming with venom and hatred. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? A child trying to reunite with one of my victims? How sweet. You can both spend eternity together within my being. Fuel my body so I can have my revenge on those who call themselves 'Harmony'."

The roar of thunder rolled around the scene. "No!" declared the silhouette of the unicorn, "You may have taken me prisoner, but you will NOT have the child! I will not allow it!"

A mocking cackle could be heard. "You? Oh, that's just rich. Alone, the keepers of reality couldn't stop me! What can a single pony like you do?"

"I can try. You never know what'll happen for sure, really." Even the young colt could see through the hollow threat, as the shadow's horn produced a green overglow. Waves after waves of magic tried to puncture the vapor, dissipating into thin air shortly after rebounding back.

"See? Neither you nor the colt can escape this place. Just accept your fate and be cast into the abyss."

"If magic won't work, maybe a sacrifice will." The form of Star Charmer was almost gone, blurry as a whole and patches of body missing pierced by the mist.

"And what can you possibly sacrifice to save yourselves?" the voice taunted.

"There is no way to save myself, but I can at least give the child a chance from being consumed by you. I sacrifice myself. As long as Hope is alive, I will make sure you cannot take him."

The voice of Discord seemed to waver for the first time. It slowed down to a whispering threat. "You wouldn't dare."

The silhouette broke into an incantation, her body evaporating as she chanted.

"I give you my being, my essence of fire,

To protect you from evil and harm.

Let it be a shield to guard away demons,

The monsters and powers of dark.

I give to you, my great sacrifice,

To pay for all of life's tolls.

So take my last gift, and treasure it well,

My friendship, my love, and my soul."

When the recital had ended, and Star Charmer had disappeared entirely, the red veil was invaded by a light green hue, cutting deep into its fabric. A void opened up inside the haze, and Hope Seeker could see the outside world.

"Go" The voice of the unicorn still remained. "I can hold this for a little while." Hesitant but urged to survive, the brown colt bolted out the exit, finding himself once again in the forest. The hole in the cloud sealed itself almost immediately after, still battling with the last sacrifice that Star Charmer had made.

As the child began making his way back to his saddlebags, Discord sparked and roared. Its voice was audible now, furious and vengeful. "YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?! I WILL DEVOUR YOU ON THE SPOT!" The cloud somehow seemed to be weakened, producing sparks of chaos less frequently and its size smaller considerably. It was now approximately the same size as the young pony, but still held all of its evil intents. With a last attempt at revenge, it lashed out and tackled the colt to the ground.

Already, Hope could feel his essence being drained away. He felt too weak to stop Discord, but a voice rang through his mind. "Remember, Hope. Remember your past life. Remember anything. It will keep Discord unable to destroy you."

So, Hope Seeker tried to remember. He tried to remember the life he led in his village, playing with friends and spending time with family. He attempted to recollect the faces of the people he had known, loved, and who had loved him back. Yet it was impossible. Discord knew exactly what his thoughts were, and he covered every memory, name, and person in his past that he tried to call up in fog. The pony could not remember. He started to fade away, just like countless victims before him had.

He clawed frantically at his mind, trying to find something, anything that would spare him the fate. He found nothing. It was like his brain was emptied of every single event in his past, drained of all its cherished remembrances. Then, out of the nothingness, a word was thrown to him, by someone who cared about him deeply. A name. He caught that name, and held onto it with all of his strength. The demonic entity tried to rip it away from him, but the colt's consciousness held it firm. The attack seemed to last for hours. Maybe it was more, maybe it was less. It was hard to tell. When the relentless assault finally ceased, the equine was left weak and almost powerless, but alive nonetheless. He fell into a deep slumber, giving way to the fatigue of the flesh.

As the dark hours passed away, the dawn's faint morning rays crawled over the plains. The creature awoke from his slumber, having survived the long night. Survived…? He thought to himself. What happened last night? I can't remember… anything. Anything at all.

The creature's memories were nearly blank, and his bewildered and half-conscious state left it as an unsalvageable wreckage at the bottom of his mind. Still lying on the grass, the figure looked up to see the morning arrive. The stars were fading past his vision, being covered up by the sunlight. Out of the countless dots of light hanging in the sky, the creature noticed one in particular. A small green star, burning brighter than the rest until it too, winked out to make way for the day.

A pang of hunger left the figure awake and sober. He sat up and clenched his fists. When he opened them up, the figure was greeted by two handfuls of small, red berries. Was that normal? Who knew? He had no memories of the past left. Maybe it was always this way. He satisfied the hunger from the fruits, chewing away at the sweet red orbs.

The battle in the dark had ended disastrously, both sides suffering heavy losses. The creature once known as Hope Seeker was no more. His memories had been stolen by the chaos. His flesh and blood was mutilated, changed beyond recognition.

In return, he gained a new power: the power to bend reality to his will. The spirit of chaos had exhausted itself trying to take the child's life, but could not win against Star's soul. During its final attempt at murder, the red cloud had been destroyed, and sealed away inside of the victim he had targeted. The body became a prison for the spirit, but wisps of chaos seeped out of it in the form of this new power the creature had gained.

After he ate his meal, the creature took another dive deep into his mind. He tried to find something, anything that could tell him who he was. But the memories were blank, as blank and unmarked as a sheet of fresh snow. As he swam through the depths of his thoughts, the creature thought to himself, Who am I? As he went deeper and deeper, he became even more discouraged. There was nothing there. Nothing except-

"A Name," the creature spoke. He had found only one recollection of the past in the blankness of thoughts, and it would become the foundation of what shaped his identity. "My name… Discord." Spreading his wings, Discord leaped up into the air. His serpentine form slithered through the sky, propelled by mismatched wings. With his hair flowing in the wind, he glided across the sky, towards the sunrise. Towards a new beginning.

Day and Night

Day and Night

"Friends with a Changeling?" Cassandra scoffed. "You must be new here."

"But you say you're not like the others," Discord replied.

"Well, while that may be true in this case, you'd be better off being less trusting of others, especially a changeling. These are very unpredictable times we're in."

"Unpredictable? How so?"

"Well, the war between the Solar empire and the Lunar republic is nearing its peak; Rumor has it that both parties are moving in to end the battle once and for all. Almost everyone is taking a side in the war. They make use of propaganda, undergo espionage, and even enlist in the armies to try and get on the good side of the victors."

Discord wore a stoic expression on his face, nodding slowly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Cassandra was stunned. "How do you not know about the war between the two forces? It doesn't just affect Equestria, but the whole world as we know it!"

"Well, then," he smirked, "I must be new here."

"To the world?"

"It seems so."

"Well, then, let's take it from the top." Gathering her thoughts, the changeling began her explanation.

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From long ago, there were two groups of ponies: One that worshipped the bright day's sun, and another that found joy in the serenity of the night's white moon. Their ideals lead to the formation of the Solar Empire, and the Lunar Republic."

As the parties lived together, the drastic differences in their beliefs led to conflicts, small at first. But as they grew in severity and amount, the conflicts escalated, and they inevitably led to war. On each side, a powerful kind of pony that call themselves alicorns led their own armies.

The Solar Empire's Ivaldi could raise the sun, while the Lunar Republic's Glephnir commanded the moon. They would struggle to keep their symbol of power over the sky. But the two were so equal in power, however, that neither one could best the other. They formed a truce for the time being, switching back between day and night in a state of constant tension.

Then, twenty years ago, on the summer solstice, something happened in the Solar Empire. Using the strength of the sun at its peak, Ivaldi created another alicorn, a white-coated mare by the name of Celestia. With an heir to his throne and another potential powerhouse on their side, her existence could break the stalemate and win the war for them.

The Lunar Republic, after learning about Celestia, made plans of its own. Six months later, at midnight of the lunar solstice, the fourth alicorn was brought into existence. With a dark blue coat and a mane of a lighter shade, the night's child Luna was created for the same purpose as Celestia.

After a decade of raising and training their respective heirs, the cults of light and dark were ready to bring things to an end. A week had passed since the lunar alicorn Glephnir broke off the truce, and zboth sides relentlessly battled in the fields of the forest of Everfree. Once a peaceful location, the warring forces shed rivers of blood and magic unto the land. The result was devastating, mutating the local flora and fauna into deadly traps and demonic monsters. Now, the ponies who venture in have more to worry about than just the battles.

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"And so, the sun and the moon have been fighting for control each day." Discord turned his gaze to the sky. He could make out both a dulled sun and the faint outlines of the moon. Both seemed like they had seen better days, but the moon was on the verge of collapse, almost invisible aside from a ghostly circle in the sky.

The changeling followed Discord's line of sight into the air. "It looks like Ivaldi has Glephnir driven into a corner. He is currently holding siege to the last of the lunar forces' castles in the Everfree forest."

"But doesn't that mean the war is pretty much over?" Discord asked.

"Glephnir must not be taken lightly. His forces were outnumbered by the Solar Empire two to one from the beginning, and both sides have dwindled to a fraction of their former might. The alicorn of the dark is a master tactician, who may still be able to turn the tides."

"So," he said, "what happens now?"

"Who knows?" Cassandra replied, with a coy smile directed to the pale sun. "But I have a feeling we're about to find out soon."

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Several Weeks Ago:

In the midst of the room filled with ornaments of war, a perturbed alicorn sat around a table with a group of gruff soldiers, listening to dozens of theories and possible outcomes of a skirmish yet to happen.

A young stallion maintained the discussion with a tone of confidence. "…And if we take control of the western front here, in Everfree, we will be able to break through the weakened defenses. The rest of the battle may as well be won."

I honestly couldn't care less, thought the sun goddess. Her thoughts had managed to go adrift from the conversation almost from the moment it had started, but her face betrayed nothing.

A reply drenched with sarcasm shot back at the idea. "Be that as it may, Emerald Helm, I think the Lunar Republic may just be aware of their largest weakness in their formation" The retort came from one of the senior members, obviously growing tired of the youth's enthusiasm.

I wonder what's for lunch today? The thought ran past Celestia's concentrated-looking expression. I could go for some daffodil cake, too. Haven't had that in a while. With her mind anywhere but the conference at hand, the mare was having a miserable time.

"Well, all I'm saying is that it looks to me like our strongest form of attack towards the Republic." Irritated, the green coated stallion consulted an external member. "What are your thoughts on this, General Celestia?"

Still lost in her daydreams of dessert, Celestia's poker ace broke momentarily in shock at the mention of her own name. "…Hmm? Oh!" Reality kicking back in, the delusions of sweets slipped away from her. "I have… certainly seen this break in the Lunar Republic's western lines before. And, while it still may be a valid opening for the offense, more precautions should be taken when dealing with a mastermind such as Glephnir. And…" Celestia was running out of things to say. "Um, we should all just sleep on this issue for tonight, and we'll come back to it for the next meeting. Council is adjourned!"

With the patter of hoofsteps as the soldiers left the room, the alicorn let a sigh escape her lungs. Maybe I can finally enjoy some peace and quiet, Celestia imagined, as she sent for her lunch and dessert.

The morning had been exhausting, but now Celestia had the privilege of solitude for the first time in weeks. Ivaldi had been busy with preparations for the start of the war, although the weight of this had yet to hit Celestia. She had been trained for the fight since she was born, both in battle mentality and in magical power. I'm sure everything will be fine. With the carefree muse, the alicorn stepped outside of the castle doors and spread her wings.

Within seconds, the wind raced around her frame, and the landscape grew distant. Flying off slightly to the North, the princess took in a deep breath, inhaling the clean air. Flying at breakneck speeds, she reached her destination quite quickly. The food she brought on her back stayed put as it was firmly held by glowing magic from her horn.

Celestia's wide wings allowed her to land softly without a sound on the lush fields of the cliffside. This was unmistakably her favorite spot in Equestria. Far apart from both the territory of the Solar Republic and Lunar Empire, the lone ecosystem had been left untouched. From the peaks of the cliff, she could see far into the country, surrounded by the grandeur of mother nature. She didn't visit the location as much as she liked, though, due to her duties under Ivaldi.

Just as she was about to lie down, the mare saw a figure rush past in the corner of her eyes. Years of battle training kicked in, and Celestia flared her wings and whipped her head around. "Who goes there?" The sun goddess' voice rang through the air, magic amplifying the sound tenfold.

From behind a tree nearby, a presence emerged. It stepped into the light, wings also outstretched. The pose looked like a mirrored version of the sun goddess herself, if not for the dark blue coat of fur and mane. "Be you Celestia, of the Solar Empire?" the mare spoke, bearing a tight face. The horn on her head was now clearly visible now under the light of the sun.

"Luna, of the Lunar Republic, I presume." Celestia folded her wings, and turned to face the dark alicorn in a more natural manner. Luna did not follow her actions. "Oh, come on, loosen up. Technically, we're still in a truce," she offered lightheartedly.

Luna finally dropped the glare. "That's true, I guess. I was just surprised when another alicorn dropped by when I came here to enjoy some fresh air." A small smile formed on her lips. "So, what brings you here?"

"Same reasons as you, really," Celestia answered, bringing forth and unwrapping the package on her back. She took a small bite out of a sandwich, chewing slowly. "I happen to really like this place. Care for some lunch?"

Following an hour of talking while eating sandwiches and cake, the two mares were getting along very nicely. They started to loosen up to each other, like two old friends who had been reunited.

"That was some good cake you brought with you, Celestia," said the lunar alicorn, lying down in the pasture with a satisfied smile.

"It sure was. I'll bring more next time." Celestia was sitting beside Luna, staring off into a lake below.

"Yeah, but who knows when that'll be?" the dark alicorn asked with a deep sigh. "I'm sure you've been busy with the 'preparations' as well."

A short silence hung in the air. The smiles faded into downcast eyes.

"We're really going to war, aren't we?" said Celestia, breaking the tension.

"I wonder what it'll be like."

"Well, It certainly won't be very nice."

"I just wish… we wouldn't have to fight, that's all. I mean, what reason do we have for all of this?"

"You know the answer to that question, Luna. The sun and the moon are complete opposites of each other. We were pretty much destined to oppose each other."

"But are we really? Look at us, Celestia, we're not so much different from each other. All we want is a peaceful life, without any of this war stuff going on here."

"We're… different, Luna. We're not even real ponies, just sources of power created through magic." For the first time during their conversation, the white mare looked sincerely saddened.

"What does that have to do with being real? We're here, are we not? We desire the same things as the other so called 'real' ponies, but we just see things a different way. There's no proof that the others' ideals about the sun and the moon are even correct." Luna's voice grew more agitated as she spoke. "I mean, who are they to speak of the sun and the moon? It's not like they're the ones with their souls linked to them, and yet they speak of the other's evil as if they knew everything!"

Having vented out all of her anger at the trees in front of her, Luna turned back to face the white alicorn. "After meeting you today, I'm not so convinced about the Lunar Republic's doctrines anymore. Celestia, tell me, what about you? Do you still truly believe that the moon and the night are evil?"

She was unprepared for such a direct confrontation coming from those piercing eyes. "Luna, I… I think-"

Her ramblings were cut short by an intense flash of light and a deep, authoritative voice. "So this is where you've been all afternoon long, Celestia."

The goddess of the sun froze up, instantly recognizing the voice of- "Ivaldi. What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to take a break from my royal duties as emperor of the Solar Empire, when I found out that the princess had been sneaking off outside," Ivaldi hissed with an edge in his voice.

"I wasn't doing anything wrong. I've finished the council, and I was just out to have some lunch!" Celestia pleaded, growing fearful of Ivaldi's wrath.

"YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG?!" the emperor's voice boomed. He pointed a hoof at Luna, who was remaining silent in fear beside Celestia. "Do you even realize who this is? THIS is the literal embodiment of the Lunar republic, of everything we stand against!"

Ivaldi took long, condescending strides toward the two mares. "Celestia, come back to the castle with me. We will have a word about this later. As for you…"

Luna was scared out of her with as Ivaldi's eyes and horn started glowing. "What are you doing? We're in a truce, remember? You can't do this!" Scrambling backwards, the frightened alicorn hit a tree behind her. With nowhere left to run, she curled up in a ball and trembled before the emperor of light.

"Ivaldi, stop!" Celestia cried out. However, it was too late. The alicorn of light waved his horn, and a condensed bolt of magical light shot forward, aimed at a screaming Luna. With a loud bang, the bolt hit its mark. The ground below made a crater, sending fragments of earth and dust flying. As the cloud of dirt settled down, Celestia prepared for the worst.

Instead, she could see a dark barrier around an unharmed Luna. As the dome glowed with a sheen, a black smoke sprouted out of the ground, solidifying a pony's body from the bottom up. The emperor of the night had arrived.

"Well, there you are, Luna. What a surprise. I take my eyes off of you for one moment and you almost go and get yourself killed." The black alicorn speaking could only be Glephnir of the night. "I think some punishment is in order."

"Please, Glephnir. I was just-" Luna's plea for mercy was cut short as she was teleported away in the orb of darkness that acted as her prison as well as her shield.

"Well, Ivaldi, it seems we've come to an agreement. With our daughters being caught trying to spy on one another, we now have a legitimate excuse to start another war."

Celestia couldn't believe her ears. "What? No! We were just having lunch together and-"

"And they ended up at each other's throats, almost killing each other before we two intervened. Or so the story goes." Celestia was so stunned she just stood there, jaw hanging open. It was Ivaldi who had just spoken. "Now, we can gain support from the citizens of Equestria outside of our forces, as well. No more need for this paltry peace treaty, don't you think so, Glephnir?"

"Indeed," said the black emperor, a devious grin plastered onto his features. "Farewell, Ivaldi. We are now officially at war."

"Wait! You can't be serious about-" unable to voice her opinion a single time in the discussion, Celestia was once again silenced as the emperors transported themselves and Celestia back to their respective castles. This… Can't be real. Celestia trembled once in her room before fainting on her bed.

=========================================================

Present

Everything was all too real. The fighting, the suffering, and the deaths. Death was the only thing occupying Celestia's mind as she strode through the former battleground. She could see not only the corpses of soldiers, but nearby citizens and innocent bystanders who had died in the crossfire. These were ponies who used to be mothers, fathers… but none of that mattered now. Now, they were no more than simple sacs of lifeless flesh. Their hearts gouged, their limbs torn. They were dead, swarmed by crows. All that remained now was a foul sight and a foul stench.

Celestia contorted her face, wrinkling her nose at the odour around her. This was but one of many towns that suffered the fate of serving as a battleground in the war. At least it'll be over soon, she thought, as she walked along in her regalia armor. The princess of day had no love for war. She didn't even want to finish off the Lunar Republic in the castle her Solar Empire was holding siege to, but she knew she had to. The proof was all around her, in the form of rotting flesh.

Celestia could hear the sound of trumpets in the direction she was headed in. It was time. The end of the war was finally here. She could see her soldiers at the main gate, breaking down the last of the castle's magical barriers. As she approached, a crack formed in the dark sphere surrounding the castle. The crack ran down the side of the dome, splintering and breaking pieces of enchantment off at a tremendous rate. When the entire barrier had shattered into pieces, it dissolved into a musty smoke, leaving only the naked fortress.

Ivaldi, who had helped take down the barrier, waved his horn. Celestia had witnessed this magic before, and knew of its destructive power. The door exploded with a loud boom, and Ivald] ran through. "CHARGE!" The command echoed through the air, reverberating in the soldiers' ears. Celestia let out a soft sigh. Wearing bright armor and dark expressions, Celestia's troop stormed the castle.

Within minutes, the Solar Empire had taken control of almost all parts of the castle. The already weakened Lunar soldiers were no match for an army led by Ivaldi. All that left was the throne room, where Glephnir had locked himself shut. "Coward. It'll all be over soon," spat Ivaldi, as he approached the doors of the throne room. They opened abruptly, as though the Empire's army were being welcomed in.

Celestia steeled her mind. It's now or never. Ignoring her fear, she strode in with Ivaldi and his troops. "Careful, even though Glephnir's down to zero soldiers, he may have something planned," said the emperor of light, caution in his footsteps. He turned around to view the surroundings, only to find that a group of his soldiers lay still on the ground. He leaned in to check their vitals.

Instead of finding signs of life, however, what was discovered was a glowing patch of dark purple in each of the stallions' coats. The patches grew, enveloping the ponies. When the soldiers were fully coated in a magenta mist, the stain lifted from their bodies, leaving nothing left but bones and armor.

"What is this?" exclaimed the captain of the soldiers, taking a step back. But it was too late. Every soldier in the room was covered with the foreign substance, powerless to stop it as they screamed until their lungs dissolved.

Ivaldi bellowed, "SHOW YOURSELF, GLEPHNIR!" A cackling laughter could be heard in the background, as the patches of mist clumped together to form the dark alicorn. "Have we walked into a trap in the room without knowing it?" the light emperor uttered.

Glephnir's reply was one of delight. "Oh my old friend Ivaldi. There was no trap in the room, nothing at all! What really killed your troops was the enchanted blood of my slain soldiers.

Ivaldi was disgusted. "You sacrificed your own troops?"

"They wouldn't have died, if you hadn't killed them. And now their blood has come back for revenge. Of course, an enchantment of that much power wasn't enough to affect alicorns such as ourselfes and our daughters, but with this, the odds are now even."

"So be it, Glephnir. Somehow, I always knew it'd come down to just the two of us." With a fierce roar, Ivaldi charged at the alicorn on the other side of the room. "Long live the light of the sun!"

"May the night last… forever!" With his own battle cry, Glephnir did the same, galloping towards his foe with wings outstretched and horns and eyes glowing.

Celestia always thought she'd be prepared for this moment. She had been trained all her life for this moment, and had even slain a few soldiers on her own during the last stretch of the war. But in this clash of titans, she simply couldn't keep up. Not even her eyes could follow the collisions of horns in the air. Her magic, enough to raise the sun itself, paled in comparison to what she was beholding. Blades twirled in the air, bolts of arcane flew back and forth, and thunderous explosions littered the throne room. Celestia could do nothing but sit back and watch things unfold in front of her.

Eventually, the two kings drew to another stalemate. Both alicorns fell to the sides of the room, exhausted and heavily wounded. "Now…. Is your chance, Celestia," Ivaldi spoke in ragged breaths. "Finish… him off."

Even at the brink of annihilation, Glephnir couldn't surprises a grin. "Go… ahead and try, young one. I still have more than enough power to destroy you at my disposal… Come forth… Luna." From behind one of the chamber's pillars, a smaller, dark blue alicorn stepped forth. The fear was still deeply embedded in her eyes.

What happened after she was taken away? Celestia wondered, as she saw Luna's knees shaking as she approached. Glephnir must have put her through some harsh punishments. The princess of the night held six small gems around her, circling the area. She teleported herself right in front of Celestia, and the two prepared for battle. Meanwhile, the emperors themselves were pushing their abilities to their extent, fighting with what little strength left in their bodies.

As the princesses clashed with outstretched blades of magic and steel, Luna finally spoke. "Do you know what these gems around me are, Celestia? These, are Glephnir's secret weapon. It holds powers of unknown origin, and they are strong enough to defeat Ivaldi or Glephnir in a single blow."

"Lies! There can be no such power," Celestia denied. "If this is true, then there would have been no need for the war to have happened."

"That's because Glephnir does not hold the knowledge of the gems' activation. But I do." The two broke off from their skirmish, circling each other slowly.

"Then why not end it now?" Celestia asked. "Why must you continue all this violence?"

"Because, Celestia, I need you to activate them with me," Luna said. She outstretched a hoof, and three of the gems followed. They hovered in front of Celestia, who was unsure of what to do. "These are called the Elements of Harmony," Luna continued, "They come from ancient times, composed of honesty, loyalty, kindness, generosity, laughter, and magic. Together, they can defeat any evil. But they can only be awakened by beings who possess all of these traits. Please, Celestia. Help me end this once and for all."

"But… But I'm your enemy! You should be trying to kill me!" replied the sun goddess, perplexed by this strange turn of events.

"Do we really have to fight each other? Or is that just what Ivaldi and Glephnir have been telling us?" Luna asked. "All we truly want is happiness, Celestia. A little bit of happiness. That's not too much to ask for, is it?"

"I…"

"All that stands between us is them. The ones who created us for their selfish wants, the ones who keep forcing us to fight, to kill. So, what'll it be, Celestia? Will you join me and earn your freedom, or continue your 'fake' life of imprisonment under Ivaldi?"

Confused beyond belief, Celestia didn't know what to say. "I… don't know about this. Ivaldi is… the hope and light of so many ponies out there. It's the same for Glephnir, too. How will they be affected by this?"

"What they don’t know won't hurt them. We can say that they both killed each other in their battle, and we can continue to give hope to the people of the country."

"Then… What happens if we fail?" Celestia asked.

"Failure? Failure means death, for the both of us. They will hunt us down upon their survival. They have no plans to risk keeping around another alicorn who has enough potential to surpass them in power one day."

The thought weighed down Celestia's mind heavily. After a short silence hung in the air, she gave her answer with a gentle smile. "I'll… do it. Let's create a new Equestria together, Luna."

Luna's expression finally relaxed. "Thank you, Celestia. I knew I could trust you. From this moment on, we shall no longer be strangers to one another, but sisters. Sisters not in blood and heritage, but siblings in soul and in heart."

"Yes, Luna. I welcome thee into my newfound life of freedom."

Celestia took the three gems of magic, and poured in her own power into them. They heated up, emitting a bright white light from their spherical forms. Together with Luna, their eyes glowed brighter and brighter until they too, were enveloped in an intense spark of light. They turned their heads towards the scene of the emperors, who were still to drunk off of hatred and violence to notice them.

"Let us end this once and for all. Goodbye, Ivaldi."

"This farewell shall not be one of sorrow, Glephnir."

By now, the magic built up in the Elements of Harmony was enough to distract the elder alicorns from their fight. As they turned their heads, they saw Celestia and Luna, side by side, preparing an all out attack on them.

"What do you think you're doing, Celestia? You dare betray me?" Ivaldi bellowed.

Meanwhile, Glephnir recognized the magic that was about to be cast and accepted his defeat. His next words were seething with wrath. "Luna, remember this. You may have won this time, but mark my words, I will come back for you. And when I do, I will destroy everything you have. Your freedom, your loved ones, your soul itself. So fire away, Luna. Until next time."

Luna was frightened of the stallion who stood beneath her. Even weakened and about to die, Glephnir was an intimating foe. She knew that she could no longer stop. Celestia felt it, too. Together, they shot forth beams of light from the elements that spiraled around each other, merging their power and forming a river of magic. Not even an immortal such as Ivaldi or Glephnir could withstand their raw power.

When the torrent of energy subsided, the two mares descended back onto the ground. Where Ivaldi and Glephnir once stood, there was nothing but a large crater full of ashes. "They're… dead," whispered Celestia.

"There was no other way," said Luna. "They were too powerful to imprison, and risking their survival by not putting in enough power would have been foolhardy."

"Nonetheless, Luna, their blood is on our hooves."

"Yes. That's true." Luna turned her back to the remains of her mentor, the one who created her. "But now, we have something else to live for, don't we?"

"Yes, Luna. Now, we have ourselves."

"We have Each other."

"And we can work towards that better tomorrow."

"Maybe we can start with some daffodil cake?" said Luna, opening a fortified hatch underground and taking out a small cake. Celestia just stared at her companion. "What?" said Luna, "It was used to store the Elements, but once I took them out, there was this perfectly good hiding place in the ground that had just enough space for some dessert."

Celestia snorted lightly, quickly dissolving into a fit of giggles. Luna soon followed, and both of them ended up laughing hysterically. Gasping for air, Celestia finally replied, "Sure thing. I know just the place to enjoy ourselves.

The pair of alicorns stepped outside the castle, out of the ruins and into the sky. Dimly lit by both a pale sun and moon, the sisters flew off towards a familiar cliffside.

=========================================================

From behind a thicket of trees, a black figure silently observed the alicorns fly away. Making sure they were gone, he stepped into the ruins of the former Lunar Republic's castle. He stood still, staring at the huge crater in the middle of the ground. As he saw this, a dark sneer rose to his lips. Glephnir is dead, he thought. Ivaldi is destroyed. It is time for us to strike. An emerald curtain of magic covered the figure, and when it lifted, he was gone. Along with the two dozen changelings surrounding the castle.

Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

Many days have passed since I first met Discord. By this time, I am quite intrigued by this strange individual. More than where he came from, nobody even seems to know what he really is. Although, I have a theory as to what he could be, holding the features of many species. If my suspicions are right, then Discord is a…

"…A draconnequus!" Cassandra chirped.

"Am I supposed to be offended by that?" Discord asked.

"What? No! I read it about it in the changeling records. Draconnequus were chimeras, from a long time ago. They shared limbs and features from all sorts of different kinds of animals, the very first of its kind being a mix of dragon and pony, which is how they were named. The description fits you perfectly."

"Maybe…" said discord, still not convinced. "But that still leaves a lot to be explained."

Cassandra sighed softly. "I guess you're right, Discord. But still, aren't you-"

Discord cut her off with a bored attitude. "Can't we just stop all this whole 'trying to figure out my past' thing? It's awfully boring and pointless to me."

The two had spent the afternoon talking about possibilities of Discord's origin, as well as potential causes of his amnesia. Or rather, one had spent the afternoon talking about it. The other just sat there looking bored and made small comments from time to time. It wasn't really that the topic itself was boring, as Discord would not admit, but the fact that they hadn't gotten anywhere with it had annoyed him.

"Say, Discord…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I think it's time you could try interacting with ponies again."

Memories of the past came back into mind, and Discord remained in thought. "You really think so? They don't seem to be such a trusting bunch, if you know what I mean. They wouldn't even leave their houses when they saw me the last time."

"Yes, I remember," said Cassandra, thinking back to their first meeting all those days ago. "But things are different now. The war is over, and the ponies have had time to settle into a peaceful life. They have no reason to be cautious of spies anymore." Cassandra's horn pulsed green as a spiral of magic swept over her skin. In her place stood a young, female unicorn with a black coat and green eyes.

"What are you…"

"Don't worry about it," she said, flipping back her light green mane with a wink and a smile. "I'll be there to help you out. A little ways off from here, there's a small village called Ebra. I've been there in this form many times, and most of the ponies know me as a friend. I'm sure I can convince them to give you a shot at civilization. Come meet me in Ebra tomorrow."

"Another shot at friendship? Heh… that would sure be nice." Friendship. A relatively new word to Discord, but his favorite word nonetheless. It must have been nice to be born a pony, free of all the contempt, hardships, struggles, and discrimination that creatures outside of the norm were burdened with. To know the meaning of the word friendship to its fullest. And now, Discord would have a chance to learn how it felt to be a part of that community.

Without warning, Discord's vision swam. Everything fell into vertigo. The world around him fragmented and shattered like a glass pane, leaving the lonely creature in the void of nothingness. He heard a faint voice. …Stop this. You shouldn't go with her. It was a familiar voice. His voice. Or so it seemed, until he heard it again. The voice sounded similar, but there was just something about it that didn't feel right. It felt full of darkness, of negative emotions strong enough to cast themselves into a pit of despair. You can't listen to her. The ponies will never accept you.

Who are you?

I am you. Beneath the surface, dwelling deep within your subconscious.

If you are me, then who am I?

Someone that doesn't belong here. Not in Equestria, not anywhere. Not with the living and sane.

I… No. You're wrong.

Am I?

I have a place in this world. It is right here, with my friend. With Cassandra.

You believe she is your friend?

More than anything in the world.

She is a changeling.

Why does that matter?

They are deceitful creatures that trick others into their doom. She will seek after your life one day.

She's different from the other changelings.

You will be betrayed.

I trust her.

Yet she does not trust you. She keeps a dark secret hidden from you, child. She will stab you in the back when you are the most defenseless, leaving you to bleed out on the ground.

Shut up. You know nothing about her.

So you will hide from the truth. I will acknowledge your choice… But I promise you, it will bring you no pleasure, Discord… Discord… Discord…

…

"Discord. Discord!" Calling out to him didn't seem to be working. Then again, maybe she would try just once more. Cassandra grabbed his ear with both hooves, and put her mouth right next to it. She screamed as loudly as she could into it, "DISCORD!!!"

"AAGH!" With a startled yelp, Discord jolted, flying up into the air and landing face first on the ground. "Oof… What was that for?" Rubbing his temple, Discord turned his gaze to Cassandra. Her expression was one filled with worry.

"Discord… Are you all right? You've been sitting still here for half an hour. You didn't say anything when I called out to you…"

Discord searched for the voice, who was no longer speaking. "I'm… I'm fine. I was just tired. Guess I'm going to leave now, see you tomorrow."

It was a poor excuse, but it let Discord leave without another word from the concerned changeling. He just didn't know anything for certain anymore; that voice had deteriorated his perception of reality before his very eyes. And Discord couldn't do anything about it, but hide from the pain and the uncertainty that he felt inside.

=========================================================

Obsidian was not in the happiest of moods. The recent fall of Glephnir and Ivaldi had led to a whole slew of problems. His week had been littered with hordes of paperwork and discussions with annoying old changelings. He was reading the reports brought up by the changeling militia in boredom, when he came across something interesting.

"…And at this time last week, in the fields and forests to the east, there have been sightings of a creature whose descriptions can only be matched to the age old draconnequus. Hmm," Obsidian said aloud, "A draconnnequus? I always thought they were extinct."

An idea popped up into mind. One that would give Obsidian an excuse to break his political shackles for once and relive the thrill of the hunt. Hunting the ponies had gotten too dull for him lately; they couldn't do anything about it but run. Here was a creature whose strength had far surpassed that of even a changeling's magic. Prey that would fight back. "If the draconnequus are supposed to be extinct, then extinct they shall remain."

=========================================================

The voice hadn't returned since yesterday. At the present moment, Discord was making his way to Ebra. Even though it was his first contact with normal ponies in quite some time, he couldn't shake a feeling of uneasiness about the eerie thing in his head that had spoken in his voice.

But that issue would have to wait for the moment. He had felt a presence nearby ever since he took path through the forest. "Why don't you come on out?" Discord said clearly, calling out around him.

"You're certainly a strange-looking creature," said a voice from nearby. A young, blue-coated unicorn with a green mane trotted out from a thicket of trees in front of Discord, looking him over with curious eyes. "What's your name?"

"Before that, why have you been following me around?" Discord asked cautiously. He was very skeptical of the pony standing before him.

"So you've caught on," said the pony. "You know, it's not that easy to trust someone, especially these days. I mean, with the battle between the sun and the moon over, who knows what'll happen next? I just had to check you weren't some beast that was going to attack me. Say, do you happen to be a draconnequus?"

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

"Well, from what I know, the draconnequus are extinct. Are there any more of you left?"

"Not that I know of."

"I see. Well, it's been nice talking to you." The pony turned away, walking back to the field.

Surprised, Discord asked, "What, going away already? You've been following me for quite some time."

"Oh, I've got all the information I need. I don't need you anymore," the pony said. He stopped in his tracks. "Oh, actually, now that you mention it, there is one more thing you could do for me… Please die here for me, if you don't mind."

Discord looked down at a magical knife jutting out of his chest. Drops of red ran over its blade, trickling over the hilt and forming a stain on the ground where they fell. "Why did you…"

A wicked sneer greeted Discord as he looked up again. "You, know, it's not that easy to trust someone," the creature replied mockingly, shedding his disguise. A coat of blue was burned off by magical flames, revealing a black interior. His voice dropped to a lower tone, dripping with sarcasm and snark. "Especially these days. I mean, with the battle between the sun and the moon over, who knows what'll happen next?"

Discord coughed out blood. "You're a changeling?"

"Yes, how very observant of you. Name's Obsidian. And you happen to be a draconnequus, I see. An extinct species. The dead should really stay dead, don't you think?"

Discord flew away into the air, but it proved fruitless as Obsidian sprouted insect-like wings that buzzed in his pursuit.

The voice returned. I told you so. You don't have a place in this world. You are unwanted.

… It's you again. What do you want from me?

Why, I only wish to help. I could give you strength, you know. Just lend me control of your body for a little while. I can make someone like him taste true power. Destroy him completely after toying with his life like the frail thing it is...

I… don't want that. I don’t want to hurt anyone.

You don't want to hurt him? Ha. Don't make me laugh. I can see the darkness swirling inside you, Discord. After all, I am you. I can see your innermost desires. To kill. To cause suffering. To create chaos.

I have no such wish. Leave my body.

Then leave things the way they are. I'm sure you'll be fine. After all, you have my life force to keep you alive. Although, I'm not too sure about your friend over there.

Who…? Discord noticed a figure on the ground below them. It was Cassandra, in her pony's disguise. She must have gone looking for Discord when he didn't show up.

"Discord, what's going on? I heard screaming! Who is-" She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes caught wind of the other changeling at the scene. "Oh no."

"Stay out of my way, worm!" Obsidian spat, turning her way. With another wave of his horn, a sickle of magic spun towards her, drawing blood from her front shoulder where it struck. Cassandra, unable to stand, lost consciousness and crumpled on the ground.

"NO!" Discord shouted. "You…" He could feel the rage building up inside him, ready to explode. His pupils dilated, and his consciousness went blank.

Yes, the voice said, Lose control. Give in to the chaos.

"You BASTARD!" With a roar that shook the heavens, Discord unleashed chaos. The clouds darkened, and the sky itself took on an unholy shade of crimson. Electric sparks of shot across Discord's body, as his fur turned disheveled and his eyes left a trail of light.

That's right, the voice encouraged, Tear. Crush. Kill. Obliterate. Everything in this world is ripe for the picking. Everything and everyone, yours to toy with. Hehehehehehehe… Hahahahahahaha! The insane shrieks of laughter continued, as Discord produced a downpour of lightning from his hands once more.

"Finally getting serious, eh?" Obsidian smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I know what your species are capable of. You are no match for the king of changelings. Let's end this now." With that, Obsidian flew back, positioning himself a fair distance from Discord. His horn spat out a torrent of green sickles, shooting out in a narrow cone. The projectiles hit their mark, exploding in a burst of fire and smoke where they hit Discord. Within seconds, Discord's body was completely hidden behind a cloud of explosions.

Obsidian frowned. "Humph. That was more boring then I expected. Maybe I should have held back a little."

A blurred figure burst out of the smoke. Before he even knew what had happened, Obsidian found Discord's talons wrapped around his head. "You claim your paltry power can kill me? Hah! You are naught but the king of fools. And that mistake will cost you your life."

Discord flew downwards at a breakneck pace. He dragged the stupefied changeling behind him with a firm grasp to his head. At the last second, Discord flared his wings, throwing Obsidian headfirst into the ground. The impact felled several trees, and left Obsidian in a barely conscious state. Any other creature would have died several times over. The only thing that kept him alive was his source of potent changeling magic sewing his limbs and organs back together at an extreme speed. But even that would run out soon.

"I am more ancient than you could possibly imagine. I have seen thousands of civilizations fall, each more advanced than the last."

Obsidian scrambled for breath, trying to regain composure. Panting, he desperately tried to fly away. "What's… going on… draconnequus don't have this kind of power..." Something was definitely different about the creature he had encountered. He had been on the brink of death, and within moments he became the most powerful creature Obsidian had seen. His voice had sounded different that time, overlapped with echoes like there were three of him speaking at the same time. His eyes had such fierce killing intent behind them now, glowing with a hunter's pride. For the first time in his long life, Obsidian felt… fear.

Looking back to the place where Discord was moments ago, the changeling found nothing but empty air. Obsidian felt two hands wrap around his wings from behind. "Taste true power," he said with a wide grin of crazed ecstasy. "Disappear." Obsidian's felt a hot, burning sensation in both his wings. They crumbled away, like fine grains of sand, to be scattered in the wind. The only sound in the air was the screams of the changeling as he fell into the eroded pile of earth below. Then everything was silent.

Descending slowly, Discord landed. Taking long strides towards Obsidian's crash location, Discord snapped his fingers. He raised his other clawed hand up, and a red ball formed above his palm. It grew larger, maintaining a steady size when it was the size of his own head. Sparks of energy occasionally shot out from it, scorching the ground where they hit. With death reflecting in his eyes, he brought his arm forwards, aiming the orb of light at the unconscious Obsidian.

"NO!" A cry rang out as Discord's hand was knocked to the side, the bolt of magic arcing off and hitting the cliffside. Clinging to his side was Cassandra, in her changeling form. The patch of dried blood and her stifled sobs indicated she was alive and well at the moment. "Please, Discord," she said. "Stop all this. You're scaring me."

Seeing her, Discord formed another bullet, spiralling in his palms. "Dissapea-"

You will not harm her. An intense pain shot through Discord's head.

"Heh… Just… When I was… Free again…" the ball of arcane dissipated into the air, and Discord fell to one knee, gritting his teeth. His fur fell back down to his sides, and the glow of hatred faded from his eyes. "Cassandra, get out of the way," he said, getting up.

"Please, Discord," She begged. "Don't kill him."

"Why not?! He was trying to kill me. He almost got you, too. I should finish him off right now, before he gets the chance to hurt anyone else," Discord growled angrily. He pushed Cassandra aside and walked towards Obsidian.

"Discord Stop! Obsidian is… He… Obsidian is my father!" Cassandra cried out in desperation.

Discord stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" he whispered.

"I'm sorry for not telling you before, Discord." Drops of moisture welled up in her eyes. "I was afraid… afraid you'd leave me, just like all the others did when they found out."

Discord remained silent.

"Do… do you hate me now?" Cassandra asked. "If you do, then that's okay. Kill me instead! Just let him live for now. He may have done some horrible things, but he's still my father." The tears were streaming down her face now.

Discord turned to face her, wearing a solemn expression. He extended a claw towards Cassandra. She closed her eyes, prepared for the worst. Then, she was caught off guard as the arm went around her and pulled her in for an embrace. "What are you…"

"I could never hurt you, Cassandra," said Discord, in a gentle voice. "It would be the last thing I want to harm my close friend. You're special to me, Cassandra. If you want to let him live, then I will stay away from him now."

The changeling's knees gave in with a relieved sigh. "Thank you," she said. "But… there's still one more thing I don't understand. My father was the most powerful changeling to ever live. Rumors say he was enough to rival the two alicorn deities. How did you take him down so easily? What was that… transformation?"

"I'm not sure I even remember what had happened. When I saw you fall, I was so afraid. Afraid that I would never see you again, afraid that I wasn't able to protect you. I needed strength, and someone… something offered it to me. I accepted, and everything went black."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"To be honest, I don't know. He seemed… familiar. But I have no idea who it was."

"Well then, we'd best be on our way before Obsidian wakes up."

"You're leaving him here, mortally wounded? I thought you wanted to save him."

"Didn't I tell you? His strength is said to rival that of Ignis and Glephnir. Since you didn't deliver the final blow, he'll heal up quite quickly. Let's get going."

From the debris of stone and crumbled earth, a black leg broke through, dragging a torn and tattered body of broken limbs behind it. Obsidian crawled out of the wreckage of the mountain, trailing green drops of blood behind him. His voice came out in rasping breaths. "That… is no draconnequus… That… is a monster."

=========================================================

Many a week has passed since then, but I still look back on that day. Many would agree when I say Discord is quite a curious and unusual individual. But the most curious part about him is…

=========================================================

"…How curious indeed," said Cassandra, as she gently placed the quill on the table after a moment of thought. Examining the open pages of her entry, fond memories returned once more. She exited her chambers, shutting the door behind her.

A New Threat

A New Threat

Everything should have been over with the defeat of Ivaldi and Glephnir. The war had ended. The monarchs were gone. The world should have gone back to its old, peaceful ways, basking in the feeling of freedom and peace. Reality was, though, almost everything had taken a turn for the worse.

Celestia and Luna were nowhere near the kind of rulers or alicorns that their predecessors had been. Even though they had been with them all their lives, the princesses had no actual experience in maintaining the kingdom. And they were not accepted as the new rulers of Equestria by many of the population. The extremist sides of the country refused to believe the old rulers were dead, and still held onto the ruins of the castles of night and day. Others simply thought that the country needed a more capable pony running things, and the juvenile alicorns didn't match that image.

The task of maintaining the sun and moon didn't help. The sun was a pale shadow of its former self, unable to poke its head out through even the lightest layer of clouds. The night was no longer the time of serene beauty it was with Glephnir's moon and stars. All that remained was a faded crescent of light in the middle of a bleak, black sky. New factions arose all over Equestria, each demanding a new ruler and a new era. Even with the majority of remnants from the old Solar Empire and Lunar Republic at their sides, the princesses were finding it exceedingly difficult to deal with the problems at hand.

However, politics and rebels were the least of the country's worries. With the two most powerful beings in the land gone, new threats began to arise, ready to invade and plunder after their suppressors had disappeared. Monsters and beasts grew bolder, attacking the towns and cities within reach. Slumbering behemoths, long since forgotten, slinked back out of the dark and reared their heads once more. Neighboring countries and races had already begun planning their invasions. No matter how you looked at it, Equestria was on the brink of annihilation.

=========================================================

This was the case three weeks ago. Through the combined efforts of the princesses and their forces, they had managed to keep Equestria intact. Wherever troubles arose, the princesses would send soldiers or fly to the locations personally to resolve the matters. The towns in danger had been assigned soldiers to protect them from lingering threats, and the new political leaders had come to a ceasefire to hold off the invaders. A ray of hope shone through the thick veil of despair, and for once it looked possible that Equestria was going to make it through this turmoil in one piece. But as quickly as that ray of hope was revealed, forces out of Celestia and Luna's control were hard at work to patch it back up.

=========================================================

A lone mare walked through the palace halls of Celestia and Luna. She word the new uniform of a black suit layered with white and golden armor on top. She carried a pile of papers in her saddlebags and a sheathed sword in her belt. Tilting open the doors of the princesses' chambers, the mare slipped in the crack and sealed the gate once more. She faced forwards and spoke in a deep, clear voice. "You must be wondering why I called you here today, your majesties."

Two alicorns sat before her, at a flat marble table. Beckoning for her to come join them, Luna replied, "Yes, have a seat, Riposte. What is this urgent matter that must stay so secretive that you must not let even the high council know of?"

Riposte leaned her neck backwards, grabbing the saddlebags and sliding them forward on the smooth marble surface of the table.. "These are last week's reports from my squadron, positioned near the East border patrol."

Celestia and Luna spread out the papers in their hooves, skimming over the general information. "The forest of deceit…" Celestia murmured.

"That's what the soldiers have nicknamed it. Beautiful on the outside, deadly on the inside."

Luna continued to turn pages. "I don't understand. What could possibly be so dangerous in a simple forest? This report says the forest has no beasts or bugs of any kind in it." A thought struck the princess as her eyes narrowed and she flipped back a few pages until she found what she was looking for. The alicorn pointed to the passage with an outstretched hoof. "Wait… 'no beasts or bugs of any kind'? Surely you meant to phrase this differently?"

Riposte leaned forward, straightening her front legs on the solid stone. "That's the thing here. Nothing in the forest lives, save for plants. The place has become a jungle already."

"How is this possible?" Luna asked.

"The vines, the branches, the grass, and the leaves… they've all turned into deathtraps. They lash out and kill, ensnaring and trapping the creatures deep underground after tearing them limb from limb. Back when we first discovered the forest, a wing of fifteen pegasi and ten unicorns were making their way back to base through a path that crossed it. One of the pegasi returned crippled, missing two legs, his lower jaw, and half a wing. He'll have to live the rest of his life in a constant medical care, being fed mashed up food through a tube."

The princesses winced at the vivid image in their heads. "The others… they weren't so lucky as him."

The extended silence was broken by Celestia. "Have you attempted to destroy the woods?"

Riposte shook her head. "No can do, ma'am. We've tried using everything. Our weapons don't cut it, our flame doesn't burn it. Magic only seeks to agitate it further. So many were lost trying to fight it… and we couldn't even get past the edges of the area."

"Yes. The pegasus mentioned earlier managed to scrawl what little he remembered of the forest onto a piece of parchment. He says there is a strange tree in the middle of the forest, where the plants no longer move. His notes said it was fashioned into a house. This is the only part of the woods that differs from the rest, and the plants did not attack."

"Have any of our forces ever gotten into that dome?"

"That's impossible now. The forest is growing, and it's growing fast. A week ago, upon discovery, it was roughly the size of this castle. Now, it covers the entire northeastern front. At this rate, all of Equestria will fall in a month."

The sisters' jaws fell open, hanging in the air as Riposte continued. "We've already evacuated the ponies around the area under pretenses of war, but we can't do that with the rest of the country's population. If word were to spread of a rising land of death that nopony could stop, mass panic would break out. Equestria would be deserted within a month, and the country's future would vanish with its people."

"This is too dangerous. Until countermeasures can be developed, let no one approach the forest, not even the military." Luna commanded.

The lone pony snapped back, "Then what are we to do here until then? Just sit around and wait, knowing our land's being eaten by killer plants?! We have to stop it NOW, or all of Equestria is endangered, possibly even more."

"I won't have my subjects die pointlessly." Luna replied. "My sister and I will head into the forest to deal with it. You should prepare the evacuation of the citizens, in case we fail to return."

Riposte was taken aback. "You mean to jump right into the middle of that forest, just the two of you?"

"We are alicorns. Our magic is far superior to that of a unicorn's, and I assure you we will not die so easily." Luna smirked. "And what's more important, the lives of two stubborn alicorns that the country doesn't accept, or the future of all the ponies in Equestria?"

Raising her front left leg, Riposte brought it up to the side of her brow in a salute. "Godspeed, your majesties. Godspeed."

"Godspeed," replied Celestia and Luna, as the royal sisters exited the room, leaving behind the comfort and safety of the palace walls for a forest where life and death were uncertain.

=========================================================

The Forest of Deceit spread out before the alicorns, covering the horizon in a shade of green. “It looks... so normal, so peaceful,” Celestia commented as they flew towards it.

“Beware, sister. This was named the Forest of Deceit for a reason,” Luna replied, as they came ever so close to the edge of the woods. As soon as they passed over the border, the vines and branches of the trees whipped up without warning, snapping at their hooves. The sisters flared their wings, ascending into the sky where the plants fell short.

Bolts of magic shot forth from both Luna and Celestia’s horns. They burst in flashes of white and purple, striking the plants head on. The tendrils were knocked back by the sheer force of the magic, but other than that they seemed unaffected. “This isn’t working,” called out Celestia. “See if you can spot the tree house from here.”

"Riposte said it was near the center of the forest," Luna replied, rolling and weaving her way through the green tendrils grasping for her blood. Her voice was partly lost, carried away in the high speed air currents. "We have to fly further in! Come on!"

Drawing closer to the center of the center of the great forest, Luna caught something out of the corner of her eye. "There it is!" she called out to her sister. "I see the house!"

They stopped in midair, hovering over the location of the house. "All right, let's dive." As Luna signaled, the sisters flapped their wings, pushing themselves down to the forest. The forest couldn’t keep up with their speed, vines and branches shooting out only to grasp thin air. With the wind pressed against their faces, Celestia and Luna broke through the layer of branches, flaring their wings immediately after for a close landing.

"We're here," said Luna. "Riposte's soldier was telling the truth. The plants around here are perfectly harmless."

"What I want to know is," said the other alicorn, "Who would live in a place like this?"

"Well, we're about to find out." The sisters met each others' gaze. With a single nod from Celestia, the two fired a bolt of magic straight at the door of the small house. The wooden frame didn't stand a chance, as concentrated magic reduced it to nothing but ashes with a loud zap. Cautiously, the sisters walked in through the smoldering remains of the entrance.

The interior of the tree was dark and quiet. "Do you see anything?" whispered Luna.

"I can't see anything in this blasted darkness," replied Celestia.

"Well, I see two unfamiliar faces standing in front of my former door," came an unfamiliar voice from the dark, who seemed quite irritated by this turn of events.

The alicorns both cried out in unison. "Who's there?" Jumping back and flaring their wings, both of them stood, ready to fight.

"Well," said the voice, drawing the curtains back from the side of the room. The light pouring in revealed a strange creature that neither Celestia or Luna had seen before. A hybrid of many different creatures, from an eagle's talon to a goat's beard to a lion's paw. "Name's Discord. Though, shouldn't I be the one asking these kinds of questions? You are intruding on my property, after all. Let's start with this: would you two possibly be so kind as to tell me who the bloody hell you are and why you felt it was necessary to vaporize my front door and let this awful draft in?"

The World Tree

The World Tree

The receded curtains had shed some light to the interior of the building, and the strange creature inhabiting it was revealed clearly. In his left talon, he held a piece of leather-bound parchment, which he placed down on a small coffee table next to him with a pair of dark-rimmed spectacles. "And just in the middle of a good read, too," the figure sighed. Looking over, the princesses could make out the gold cursive lettering of the title.

Celestas read the words before her out loud as her mind processed the information. "Étude d’Amour... You can’t possibly be serious."

“Oh? And why not?” replied the figure as he lifted an eyebrow.

“You’re telling me... that as Equestria is being taken over by carnivorous plants... you were sitting here, reading a trashy romance novel written almost half a century ago?”

"Excuse me?" The creature sounded offended. “Étude d’Amour happens to be an excellent read. You ponies just don’t understand its brilliance.”

“Right...,” said a skeptical Celestia. “Either way, is there any real reason you’re reading at a time like this?”

There was a pause as the creature cocked its head and thought for a moment. “Well, you see, I’m very new to this world. I'm not very knowledgeable about this place I live in, or its inhabitants, or the quite recently discovered subject of romance. The simple ink and paper is my mentor, my database of the world, and this library is my humble abode."

Looking around them, Celestia and Luna took in the surroundings. What had looked like a small, highly uncomfortable and cramped tree for anyone to live in from the outside had revealed itself to be quite the place of residence. The walls were adorned with natural wooden patterns from the tree they were made of, and shelves upon shelves of ornate scrolls and thick-spined, colourful books were carefully stacked in arrangement with each other around the room. The papers told fantastic tales of all sorts of topics, from astronomy and magical theory to social sciences and philosophy. In the center of the crescent of bookshelves was a small set of furniture. a carved wooden table, chair, and a bed to the side.

"I don’t understand you. What would you have to gain by learning about the world if you’re going to destroy it in the first place?" Luna interjected.

"I’m sorry?" Asked the confused creature. "Destroy the world? Moi? I don’t believe I ever tried to do something as drastic as that. Although, it might be fun, depending on what kind of approach you take…"

Ignoring the latter remark, Luna pointed a hoof through the cavity that had once been the door. “Then what about THAT?” she exclaimed.

“The forest? Oh, don’t be silly now, I didn’t create that thing. I just live here.” Nonchalantly, he walked past the sisters, stepping into the forest clearing.

"Then explain why the plants around here don't attack you!" Celestia objected.

He gave an uninterested yawn as he shot a disapproving glare back at her. "I hardly feel obliged to explain myself to two rude intruders who ruined my front door without even telling me their names or answer my questions."

With a growl from Luna, Celestia gave a deep sigh. "Fine. I'm Celestia, and the one growling at you over there is Luna."

"I assume you've come to investigate the forest?"

"Correct. Now would you kindly explain to us why you remain safe from the very plants that attack every other living thing in this place?"

"Well," the figure replied, "They weren't always so docile towards me. They went after me, too, a little while ago. I found it extremely annoying and disruptive to my readings, so I stopped them."

Celestia was stunned. "You stopped them? How?"

At this, the creature stepped further into the forest, leaving the dome that the forest had created around his tree. "Like this, of course." A swarm of vines lashed out at him, writhing in the air. The draconnequus grew no alarm, and dismissed the thought with a snap of his fingers. The vines were instantly drained of their vigor, falling limp on the ground before dissolving into earth.

The figure turned his head over his shoulder, looking back with a grin. "It's simple, really."

The two were speechless at this act of magic that not even they could perform "What… what are you?" asked Luna.

"Some call me a draconnequus, some sort of extinct species, as far as I know. You can call me by my preferred name, Discord."

=========================================================

“... And that’s why we're here.” Letting out a deep breath, Luna finished explaining the situation at hand.

“I still can’t believe that this thing has spread so far without my knowing,” mused Discord. “Still, it would make sense. This is quite a strange and unpredictable forest we’re dealing with.”

"Yes," agreed Luna, "and it's also threatening our land. We must stop it at all costs, even if it means losing our lives. If you can just teach us how to do what you just did to the plants, then I'm sure we at least stand a chance."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's possible. No one I've come across understands how my abilities work. I'm not even sure of them, myself."

"Please, you have to at least try! Otherwise, we're doomed!" Celestia pleaded.

"Well, there's not much that I can do for you personally, but you do seem to have something that might be of use." As Discord snapped his fingers once more, six glowing orbs dropped out of the sky and landed in his hands.

"The elements!" Celestia exclaimed. "But they're still at the castle! How did you- Most ponies don't even know of their existence!"

Discord paid no heed to the thought, brushing over it casually. "That's hardly important, now is it? The point is, these things are immensely powerful. Powerful enough to burn through these weeds. However, they can't be used too often or you'll offset their balance and they'll need time to recharge. So, instead of using the elements to destroy the plants, if you channel your own magic through them…"

Discord handed the orbs to Celestia, who took a telekinetic hold of them with her horn. Brows furrowed, the white alicorn shot a bolt of magic through the ring of spheres, which amplified itself in size and shot forwards as a cobalt ball of fire. Striking a seemingly innocent branch nearby, the magic burst into a blue blaze, incinerating the plant where it stood.

"It worked!" shouted Luna.

"Yes, but the way things are now, the forest will grow faster than you can cut it down. It's already got one heck of a head start." Discord mused.

Celestia replied back, "We have to try. The fate of Equestria rests in our hooves."

"Actually…" Discord continued, as Celestia and Luna were alert once more. "That may not be necessary. I think I know another way to stop the forest other than painstakingly cutting it down, one weed at a time."

=========================================================

Luna let out a sigh of disappointment as she trotted onward. "I still can't believe that Discord refused to come with us."

"I don't understand him," Celestia agreed. "But still, I suppose he has his reasons. I'm just glad that we actually have a good chance at saving Equestria."

"How did he even know of the elements, and the forest itself? Does he have a stronger connection to them than we thought?"

"Well, whatever the case, we don’t have time to think about it now. Let's focus on the task at hand for now."

"Agreed."

The two kept walking down the recently created tunnel through the brambles, thinking back to what Discord had told them earlier.

"A little ways off from here, there's another strange tree. It's what the Forest of Deceit was born from," he had said. "My guess is that if you destroy her, the forest will disappear, or at least stop growing. I'll help you get there by clearing the path, but that's all I can do, I'm afraid. Something tells me that if I get anywhere near that tree, it would spell out absolute catastrophe…"

After an undecipherable murmur, Discord had snapped his fingers, and the brambles covering one side of the forest vanished into thin air - along with Discord.

"We're here." Luna steadied her posture as the two of them approached another, much larger clearing at the end of the pathway. At the center of the area, there was a lone, immobile tree. This one did not move around like the vines and branches that they had seen before. It seemed like a perfectly fine tree, but it was eerily out of place. Surrounded by the thicket of carnivorous plants out for blood, the plant looked hardly natural. In fact, it looked too perfect, too healthy for a tree grown without any sunlight. Lunar plants were always either darkened, or blue or purple in colour. This tree had leaves that shone bright green, and an earthly brown trunk covering it. The two stopped right before entering the area, and Luna signaled towards her sister.

"Get ready." Hiding behind a boulder, Luna charged her horn with energy. Celestia followed, horn glowing with all her might. and the two of them leaped out. Shooting blasts of searing hot flame, the whole clearing was engulfed in an inferno of heat.

When the simmering heat cooled down, the scorched earth glowed dimly through smoke and flame. Smoke clearing, the sisters could see nothing left of the tree that had once been there. In its place sat a pile of ashes and blackened earth.

"Wow, I can't believe how easy that was." Celestia smiled, congratulating themselves on a job well done.

Out of nowhere, a dome of white surrounded them. From far away, at the edges of the clearing, the eerily coloured plants sprang up, weaving themselves into a steeled wall. Curling up towards the air, the white tendrils closed off at the tip, erecting a barrier around the two alicorns. The only light in the enclosed dome came from the dimly lit horns of the sisters, who were pounding and blasting away at the walls of their prison. To no avail, it seemed, as both physical assault and arcane spells failed to scratch the white surface.

A bright light filled the expanse, its source from the ashes of the fallen tree. The ashes danced in the wind, spiraling up with leaves and branches that clumped together in an equine form. In the midst of the wooden frame of what Celestia and Luna assumed to be its face were two glowing, golden slits. The creature opened its eyes. What lay behind the irises of gold and black was the burning hatred of the ones who had set it ablaze. Its voice hissed throughout the clearing, although the thing lacked a mouth.

Who dares disturb Yggdrasil, keeper of the world?

"Well, shit," Celestia cursed, furrowing her brows and slapping a hoof to her forehead.

"Sister, when will you learn?" Luna chided. "It's never that easy."

=========================================================

After sending Celestia and Luna off, Discord was alone once again. No, that wasn't quite right. He was never alone. Not really. The draconequus lay down in the air, swinging from a hammock made of fluffy white clouds. It would have been quite an enjoyable experience if He weren't there as well. Him. Discord. Well, the other Discord. Or maybe they were both one and the same. Discord didn't know. Then again, maybe he did. The voice that Discord heard next was laced with a wicked sarcasm, mocking his fall from sanity.

You must have a lot of questions left unanswered. How does it feel to have the knowledge, but not the understanding?

"You…" Discord's head spun, as the creature fell into unconsciousness. There was no escaping Him outside the realm of reality, either. Discord's subconscious produced the shadow of a disembodied head, its only real features glowing red slits that left a trail where they went. The mocking hiss continued.

That's right. Me. Good old me. I'm back, old friend. Did you miss me? I missed you.

What are you doing here? You haven't been back since the changeling attacked me…

Well, to put it simply, something troublesome has come up.

…What do you mean?

I'm sure you're clever enough to put it together yourself. Enjoying your new memories?

Realization dawned on Discord. Back there… talking to those ponies… that wasn't me. That was… you.

Bravo, my dear friend. Although I had tried to be as subtle as possible with your subconscious, you still managed to see through it.

You're not fooling anyone. You're only full of malice and spite. I don't want to have anything to do with you.

Oh, but I am you. We are two sides of the same coin. Light and darkness. One cannot exist without the other, for if we were to separate, both of us would lose our meaning. And look on the bright side. Back then, if I hadn't taken over, you and your friend would have been killed by that changeling for sure.

…...

The voice coated itself with an exaggerated pity. Don't be like that. Why, I'm just trying to help.

Please, you're just a snake. I know you well enough to know when you're trying to coax me into something. You're just in it for your own twisted purposes.

Hehehe… that may be true, but you forget. You need me. Without me, what would you have done when you were attacked? For that matter, without me, what are you going to do now?

What?

As we continue to speak in our happy little limbo world, those ponies from earlier are walking into a trap that I set up for them. A fatal one.

But… but you weren't lying when you showed them the power of the elements. I could feel it. They held unrivaled power. Nothing could possibly defeat them.

Absolutely correct. Nothing can defeat them. But what if the ponies' enemy resonates with them?

Resonate? That's impossible. That would mean they come essentially from the same essence as the-

Discord was cut off by an sharp, overjoyed hiss. Exactly. Hehehe… You know, there are still a few memories I held back when I showed you the information we told the ponies. A vivid image of a white mare made of branches flashed around them.

Yggdrasil…

Indeed, Yggdrasil. Keeper of the world, and keeper of harmony. Someone who the elements cannot harm.

But what is she doing here?!

Haven’t you figured it out yet? Yggdrasil is harmony. We are chaos. She's searching for us; gathering enough energy through the forest to end us. And when she finds us, she will hunt us down.

After she kills those ponies.

Oh yes. In fact, after she possesses the additional power of two alicorns and the elements of harmony, she will most likely be able to kill us. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Or rather, what can you do about it?

Discord’s voice died down to a whisper. Nothing...

That’s right. You can’t do anything by yourself. But I, being as generous as I am, have decided to help you. You see, you've only experienced the bare minimum of my strength. You've scratched the surface of my endless abilities. And I... have decided to let you use them at your disposal. Whatever you desire at your fingertips, whenever and however you see fit.

What’s the catch?

You let me take full control of this body, for just one hour, on one future occasion of my choosing. Any. Future. Occasion. What do you say?

Discord contemplated the pros and cons of this exchange. One one hand, he knew the untapped powers of his other self were enough to save the alicorn sisters from Yggdrasil, and they would become an invaluable asset to him in the future. But then again, He was a slippery one. Even being part of Him, Discord could never understand the gears of the thought process turning behind the ghost-like voice. He was planning something.

The voice pressed onward. Oh, I wouldn't mull over this for too long. Time is of the essence.

I...

The silence only lasted a moment longer, before Discord awoke. Fingers tinged with a red magical aura, his lips parted, and three words escaped. “It’s a deal.”

=========================================================

Celestia and Luna were being pushed to their limits. Their bodies were weary; their supply of magic barren. The six orbs lay on the ground, dull and coated with dirt.

"The elements… They didn't work," Luna coughed, a trickle of blood and sweat running down the side of her bruised cheek.

Yggdrasil took another step forwards, tendrils of unearthly magic floating around her. All branches of harmony sprouts from the same tree. Harmony cannot destroy itself.

Celestia drew a magical blade from the air; a thin, clear longsword with a dim glow around it. "Then we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way!"

Exhausted but desperate, Celestia lunged at Yggdrasil's head with the fiercest battle cry she could muster. As she thrust the blade forwards, however, a barrier formed in front of the blade's tip, pushing it to the side and making the blade miss the immobile pony by a hair's breadth. Yggdrasil swung her foreleg, batting Celestia back to where Luna was. Her back hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

You still don't understand, do you? Yggdrasil hissed. There's no need for you to get involved. I only seek the life of the anomaly. He must be destroyed, for the sake of this world.

Luna smirked through her drowsiness. "I don't know who this guy you're after is, and I don't care. All that matters right here and right now is the fact that you're endangering this country that we've worked so hard to protect. And we're just not going to stand for that."

You do not need to fight me, young ones. You have witnessed my power. You know that there is no hope of victory. Lend me your power to defeat my foe, and you will have your peace once again.

"But then what of Equestria?" Luna pressed. "What of the people, the land, or the forest you've brought into our world?"

The beast cannot be killed, for it is immortal, like myself and my creators. The forest shall serve as its imprisonment, Yggdrasil responded. It will stay to keep the beast away from the world for all of eternity.

"So that means Equestria will be left like this, engulfed by a carnivorous forest… Sorry, but that idea doesn't exactly fly with me."

Then you leave me no choice. You've had your last chance. Flee or die.

The sisters stood firm. "And if we choose neither?"

So be it. Your answer is clear. I shall have your power, whether you are willing or not.

As Yggdrasil took a step forwards, a series of crunches came from above as the dome was ripped open. Through the hole he had created, Discord dove in, landing his feet on Yggdrasil's back. His claws were a blur as they shredded apart the remainder of the weakened immortal. The white, glowing branches fell piece by piece until no clumps formed an intelligible form.

Although without form, the voice of the world tree remained. You cannot kill me. I am harmony. I am immortal. I exist to protect the world from your kind… As the ramblings continued, The branches glowed more intensely, and the light brought them closer together, to form the flesh of Yggdrasil once more.

"Ah, but you forget. You are not the only harmony. And there are other ways of dealing with those who cannot be killed." Discord snapped his fingers. The six dulled elements disappeared from their resting place in the dirt, and fell out of the sky into the magic branches. Already, the effects could be seen. The shrapnel of wood stopped glowing, but instead sent out wisps of smoke that swirled around the orbs. Yggdrasil's voice grew softer and softer until it was silent, and the branches were no longer glowing at all.

Celestia approached him, tired and barely conscious. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, haven't you read any of the classics?" Discord replied with a smile. "The hero always shows up at the very end." With a sweep of his hand, Discord scooped up the elements, now with six distinct patterns engraved on their sides. He tossed them over to the alicorns.

The natural harmony of the elements seeped through the air to the sisters, rejuvenating their bodies and minds. Celestia's wings were slowly clean from any wound, and Luna regained her previous vigour. "Wow!" said Luna. "This is amazing! What did you just do?"

"Yggdrasil and the elements are both items of harmony. Harmonies can amplify each other's powers, and they can also act as containment."

"But why would harmony be trying to destroy Equestria?"

"You can't blame her for it; Yggdrasil was created for one purpose only: to protect the world from chaos. She wasn't a sentient being, just a machine that followed orders. She was trying to do the right thing, just in the wrong way."

"Then what was the chaos that she was trying to defeat?"

There was a pause as Discord turned away. "…You don't have to worry about that anymore, it's already been dealt with... At least, for now. I'm sure we'll meet again soon, but that's all from me today."

Luna eyed him over, confused by his sullen attitude. "Just one more question, then. How do you know all this? Discord, who are you?"

Discord never looked back, catching the wind on his unfurled wings. "That's a question I find myself asking all the time. As for the answer, who knows?"

=========================================================

Back at the outskirts of Canterlot Castle, things were a mess. Riposte was trying to evacuate the town of rioting nobles, with little success. News had somehow spread about the nearing threat, whose branches could be seen approaching from the base of the cliff.

"WHAT?" Exclaimed a mare wearing a red gown. "You're saying that those two rulers of yours can't even stop a single threat?"

A stallion near her as well as the surrounding ponies chimed in.

"I knew those upstart brats couldn't handle running a country!"

"It's hardly a surprise; this place has never been worse after Gelphnir and Ivaldi disappeared!"

"Glephnir was the only one capable of ruling this country!"

"Those days are over! The Blue Baron should be the one to lead this land!"

"No, the Resistance is the true saviour! You can't trust them other factions!"

"Anything's fine as long as it's not those two incompetent excuses for alicorns!" Shouts of mockery, hate, and objection continued to spew from the crowd's mouths as the news of the Forest spread throughout them.

Without warning, from the center of the Forest of Deceit, a pillar of light shot skyward. The gradient rainbow column pierced through the thick layer of clouds, illuminating the sky. With a resolute boom and a blast of wind, the column expanded rapidly, coating the entire area in a maelstrom of light. Covering the ground where it passed, the great curtains of light flew outwards at a breathtaking speed.

Wherever the light made contact with earth, life was restored. The ground healed, closing up its cratered and broken surface into a rich, healthy soil. New green sprouted from the magically infused earth, uprooting the Forest of Deceit as the demonic plants withered into small black crisps and crumbled away. Grass sprouted tall new leaves, while the trees overshot them and towered above with freshly borne fruits and blossoming flowers. In the presence of harmony, the birds and beasts soothed their minds, and monsters and predators slunk away, knowing the land was protected by strong rulers once more. Like a waterfall, the spreading wave of harmony washed over the land. Within mere moments, Equestria was left shimmering in the pale sunlight, peaceful and pristine like never before.

Half of the sky faded to star-speckled black as the moon rose from the West, taking its place across the sky from the sun. The pale orbs let out one flash of blinding light before their lives ended, the sun disappearing in a final blaze of glory. The moon’s rocks puffed away into dust and were scattered by the breeze, taking the stars with it. The denizens of Equestria hardly had time to react, gasping in shock as the sky turned pitch black. The world was in panic as the world was plunged into darkness, preparing for the worst.

Then, to the East, a crimson-orange tinge covered the horizon. Growing brighter and brighter still, a new orb of fire rose upward. Incomparable to the pale orb of flickering white flame that it had replaced, the new sun was so bright that none could face it without going blind. To the West, another spectacle was unfolding. Too small to notice at first, the specks of light formed out of the darkness to take their place in the sky as stars. Once the black sky was covered with a flood of light, A group of stars fell into place, forming a shape of a crescent. With a gentle glow, the stars merged together, adding more mass and light to the shape until it became a sphere. With a sheen of beauty, a new full moon was borne unto the sky.

The sun dimmed down enough for everyone to see them directly, and projected the image of Celestia’s face. Likewise, the moon bore Luna’s regal visage. Eyes glowing with power, their mouths moved in unison. Their message to Equestria could be both seen and heard from all across the land. Everyone was stunned speechless, jaws agape and eyes toward the sky.

“We are Celestia and Luna,” came the resounding boom of their voices. “Princesses of Equestria, Keepers of day and night. Ivaldi and Glephnir are no more. We are their rightful successors. Let it be known that as long as we live, we will guard the country of Equestria, its people and its land. You have witnessed our powers. We are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. None shall disturb our peace.”

The faces faded from the sky, and the moon descended back beyond the mountaintops. The sun shone rays of glory and hope down on the earth, and the gentle breeze blew across the hills as though nothing had ever happened. But the broadcast served its purpose. Surrounded by the beauty of harmony, and after witnessing the births of a new sun and moon, the citizens were speechless. Even the revolting crowd had gone silent; the world was frozen by shock and awe in that glorious moment.

In that moment, one of the guard ponies broke out in a scoff. “Heh, showoffs.” His mocking words were accompanied by a laugh that broke through teary eyes. He shouted to the sky, “What took you guys so long? I was worried for a second there!”

Riposte took the opportunity to address the crowd. “Fear not! Your princesses have saved Equestria! The Forest is destroyed. The princesses are responsible for its destruction. Equestria is safe once more!”

Once again, murmurs broke out in the crowd, the ponies not knowing how to react to this strange scenario. Riposte ignored them, and raised a hoof to her brow in salute. Her guardsponies did the same, paying their respect to the saviors of Equestria. " All hail Princess Celeistia! All hail princess Luna! Long live Equestria!"

The pledge caught the attention of the crowd, and the citizens looked around at the world that Celestia and Luna had restored. The scene was gorgeous; the animals frolicking, the flowers blossoming… perhaps the princesses weren't as incompetent as the public had once thought. The citizens let go of their pride, and mirrored the cries taken up by the royal army and guards. "All hail princess Celestia! All hail princess Luna! Long live Equestria!"

The shouts of allegiance could be heard far and wide. The citizens had finally given the princesses what they had always held back for so long. Acceptance. Until less than half a day ago, Equestria was falling to pieces with revolts, invasions, anarchies and monster outbreaks. Now, all of the land shimmered with life, happiness and love. The sky was bright, the birds were chirping, and it looked like Equestria was going to be just fine.

=========================================================

Obsidian sat alone at his throne, crippled and furious. Just thinking about his near death encounter with that beast put him in a foul mood. Tensing his muscles, the wounded king took off into the air - only to end up crashing into the floor, painfully reminded of his disability.

He still hadn't gotten used to life without flight. Weeks after the draconnequus had disappeared, his limbs and broken bones had healed up, but his wings had failed to return. No matter what kinds of remedies, medicines or magic he tried, the clear appendages refused to grow back.

"GRWAAH!" the changeling roared, as he blasted a table in front of him to ashes. It was then that he heard a knock at the door. "Enter," he called out, pushing himself up in composure.

A single changeling entered through the doors. "Your highness, the forest has disappeared."

"What?" Obsidian responded in shock. "State your report, soldier."

"Yes, your highness." The changeling spy revealed the information and events that he had experienced, including detail about the mysteriously sudden power of the princesses and the strange creature seen inside the forest.

When the news had been delivered and the changeling left the room, Obsidian was stunned. "It's him. He's back. The draconnequus." Trembling not in fear but in anticipation, the king raised a hoof to his aching shoulder blades. "Thanks to you, beast, I am a pitiful mockery of the word 'changeling'. Because of you, I cannot take flight." A sinister look welled in his eyes. "You took away my wings from me, creature. I will take away from you something far, far worse. Don't think your power or your immortality can save you from my wrath, draconnequus. There are some fates… worse than death."

Table for Two

Table for Two

With a swing in her step, Cassandra galloped down the woodland paths. Seeing the familiar oak tree in the middle of a clearing, she slowed down, and regained her composure. With a flick of her hair and a gentle clearing of her throat, the clearly overexcited changeling gave a series of three short raps to the door. The faint sound of footsteps could be heard before the door opened, revealing a pleasantly surprised face inside.

"Discord!"

"Cassandra! I haven't seen you in ages," remarked the draconequus. "What have you been up to all this time?"

"Oh, Obsidian's been keeping me locked up in the tower, putting me through battle training."

Discord cocked an eyebrow. "Battle training? What for?"

"Well, there's recently been rumors going around about a certain dangerous draconequus lurking around here, so the changelings camps surrounding the towns are all on high alert. Unfortunately, that includes yours truly. Ugh, it's such a chore, really."

The reply came laced with sarcasm. "Oh, I'm sure being the princess of the changelings is such a tiring life."

"You don't know the half of it." Meeting his gaze with confidence, Cassandra smiled innocently, before the two of them burst into laughter. Cassandra turned around, leaving Discord staring at the back of her head as she sighed lightly, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "But sometimes, I wish I could just live a normal life, away from all this… war and fighting. The suffering. The pain." She twirled around again, perking up with a sing-song pitch. "So~?"

"So…?"

"So, I was thinking, now that I have the day off, and since you don't look like you're doing anything terribly important, why don't I show you around town, like I promised you a while back? Our last trip was rudely interrupted, and we never got to go sightseeing in Ebra. How about it?" Question posed, the changeling was brimming with excitement.

"Well, I'm shocked! You just happed to assume that what I do around here is of no importance?" replied Discord, looking hurt.

Taken aback by the response, Cassandra wasn't sure of what to say. "I- I'm sorry, I just, I-" She was broken out of her daze by an overjoyed hug, squeezing the air out of her lungs.

"You assume correctly! I've got nothing better to do, lead the way!"

Cassandra brought a hoof to her face, shaking her head slowly. "…I don't think I'll ever understand what goes on in that head of yours, it makes no sense whatsoever."

"Oh, but where's the fun in making sense?"

=========================================================

"Can't you just change me into a pony or something?"

"I told you already, changeling magic doesn't work that way. I can only change my own form. You're going to town as is. Oh, don't look so worried, you look fine. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them you're with me."

The annoyed draconequus walked alongside the white unicorn, Cassandra's alternate identity for her friends in Ebra. She had kept as much of her changeling look as possible, save for the dead giveaways like the holes in her body, her hard exoskeleton, and her clear wings. She still retained her flowing teal mane, and her bright blue eyes. Her thin, curved legs and figure were complemented beautifully by the natural sheen of her brilliant white coat. To other ponies, Cassandra was quite the looker.

The two stopped in front of a sign that read ‘Welcome to Ebra - Population 247’. The small town stretched out before them. "So then, what do you think?” Cassandra looked up in expectancy. “My home away from home."

Discord scanned the town, taking it all in. "Pony civilization… so that's what it looks like."

"Do you like it?"

"It's fantastic. All these ponies, living their lives, running their businesses. I've never seen anything quite like it."

"Oh come on, now, it's just another, normal day! This is what they do every day of their lives," Cassandra replied, amused at Discord's reaction. "Although, I do see what you mean. It's amazing that their lives are so simple, so blissful. They don't have to fight a war, they don't have to have that responsibility thrust unto them by others… Sometimes I wish I could live a carefree life like that. But that's why we're here, isn't it? To do just that."

"So then, what now?"

"Well, why don't we go for a cup of coffee? I know a great little place just around the corner." Beaming, Cassandra led the draconequus through the town, receiving the occasional look from strangers' eyes. Some were because of Discord's unusual appearance, while others were more interested in the stunning beauty who he was accompanying.

The couple eventually made their way to the front of a small curtained stage, where a series of round tables were arranged in a ring around them. Four empty chairs were set at the center of the stage, and Cassandra led Discord to a front row table for two.

"This is a café? Doesn't seem like the types I've read about," mused Discord.

"This place is… special. Unique. You won't find a place like it in all of Equestria." Cassandra gave her usual, gentle smile, looking up at Discord with a cocked head and bright, sparkling eyes. "That's probably why I like it so much."

From behind the stage, a grey stallion wearing a black suit and a pleasant smile walked up to the pair and spoke in a soft, refined voice. "Madam Cassandra, so good to see you again. And I see you've brought a friend today!"

"Always such a pleasure, Dolce. We'll be having the regular." Seeing Discord motion, she added, "make that two, please."

"Why, the pleasure's all mine, madam. Enjoy your stay, and I will return shortly with your drinks."

"Do you come here often?" Discord asked once the waiter had left.

"Every once in a while, but not enough to get noticed. He probably only remembers me because of how I look; apparently I don't look like a local."

"You think maybe he's interested in you?"

"Oh I don't think so. And even if he was, he's a waiter, I'm a changeling princess. It would never work out."

Discord chuckled softly. "Hahaha… of course."

Dolce approached the table once more, holding a tray of two cups in one hoof. "Your drinks, sir and madam."

Cassandra used magic to make a bag of bits fall out of the sky, and handed it to the waiter. "Thank you Dolce, keep the change. We'll take the other half in ten minutes' time."

"You're quite generous, miss. Please enjoy your stay." Taking a bow, the earth pony disappeared back behind the stage.

"Other half?" Discord asked. "What exactly did you order?"

Smirking mischievously, Cassandra replied, "Oh you'll see. So, then, what do you draconequui exactly eat and drink? I'm guessing you can drink coffee, since you ordered it without a second thought."

"Well, I've tried the dishes that ponies enjoy, plants and fruits and all that, and it was quite lovely. Although I don't believe I require much of it to survive. I've gone days without food at times, but I've never gone hungry."

"Really? Huh, you'd think that magic on your level of power would cost a lot of energy to use."

"Well, about that… I don't like to use my magic much, really."

"Why not?"

The draconequus' voice dimmed down to a whisper. "My magic. With it, I can do anything I desire. But it's a curse. One I paid dearly for. I only got to use them by making a deal with the devil… but that wasn't all. He'd left something out. He hadn't told me that each time I use the powers, it'll try to fight back. Struggling for control, trying to overwhelm my mind. I try to keep it under wraps as much as possible, only using the magic in cases of emergency."

"Ah. Well, then, I won't trouble you about that anymore, then." Cassandra looked to the side, sipping her coffee as Discord did the same. A moment of silence passed between them, and Discord spoke.

"Cassandra, tell me, what are you brooding about?"

"Brooding? I'm not brooding. What makes you think that?"

"Cassandra, I'm not stupid. I can tell something's been bothering you, and I want to help. Will you let me do that?" Discord leaned closer, putting a paw on the table.

Cassandra put her empty cup on the table, producing a slight clatter on the saucer. "I… I was just thinking… about how different you were. You're unlike anyone I've ever met. No one knows where you're from, or are even certain that you're a draconequus, which is spectacular in itself that it's an extinct species. Not even the ponies are as kind or as accepting as you. You've seen what the changelings are capable of, yet you stay by my side. You're the most powerful being I've encountered, and here you are, in the middle of a tiny old town, having a cup of coffee with me at noon. I thought I had you figured out, but then you go and throw something like this at me! I feel like I don't know you. Discord, who are you?"

There was a pause as Discord met the changeling princess' gaze with a look of worry. "I… don't know who I ever was. It's all just a big mystery to me. I don't have any memories before the forest. Cassandra, I'm sorry, but I just don't know."

Cassandra sighed. "What do you mean you don't know? How could you possibly-"

"But, but but…" he began again, cutting her off. "But, I do know this. Cassandra, this is who I really am, right here, right now. The Discord you know sitting in front of you is the kind of creature I am. I'm clueless, eccentric, horribly impulsive at times, but I'm your friend. That's who I really am. And that will never change." Discord took Cassandra's right hoof in his hands, looking into her deep, blue eyes. "I promise."

Her reply came after silence, in an almost inaudible whisper. "… all right. But no more secrets between us. Can you do that?"

"Your wish is my command, milady." Discord did a small bow, imitating Dolce's previous gesture, which broke a small, content smile onto Cassandra's face.

From behind the couple, the red curtains rose without warning. They revealed a quartet of ponies, holding various instruments. There was a brown pegasus stallion with a cello, a green unicorn mare tuning her viola, and a yellow earth pony cuing the violin. Dolce was up there too, with a violin of his own.

The wooden instruments gleamed in the spotlight as the four began to play a song together. Their bows moved in unison, starting at a soft hum, and breaking into a beautiful melody accompanied by harmonics and bass.

"Oh my, look at the time. Has it been ten minutes already?" Cassandra mused, getting out of her seat.

"So this is the 'other half'? Hmm, quite nice. Hey wait, where are you going?" asked Discord, following the wandering mare.

Cassandra threw her mane back with a seductive smile. "I've only ever come here on my own, and I've always wanted to try this here. The music is quite lovely. Care for a dance?"

Startled by the offer, Discord replied with wide eyes. "But… I don't know how."

"Well it's the perfect time to learn then, don't you think? Besides, you're a biped, so it'll be easy for you." Cassandra extended a hoof, and Discord took it in his paw. Standing up on her hind legs, she wrapped his other arm around her back, and kept one to the side, clutching her hoof. "Now, don't let me fall, and follow my lead."

The couple swayed back and forth in the allure of the music, steps and breathing synchronizing to the rhythm. The two were in perfect harmony, matching their steps to each other and the melody. Circling the area step by step, twirling and dancing their troubles away. Discord and Cassandra lost themselves in the music until at last, the sounds faded and the curtains fell.

Discord was the first to speak. "That was lovely."

Cassandra replied, smiling contently. "Only place like it in all of Equestria."

"That wasn't why I enjoyed it."

"I… should be getting back now. Thanks. For coming with me here today. It was… wonderful."

"Anytime. I had fun today, thanks Cassandra. I'll see you next time, then."

"Wait. Discord, if you don't mind me asking, I have just one more question."

"Ask away."

"Well, like I said before, you know what I am. A changeling. You know what changelings have done, what we're capable of. If anyone else found out that I was a changeling, I'd be run out of town, possibly jailed or even executed for crimes against ponykind. Why do you stay with me? Why are you not afraid?"

"I stay with you because you told me that you're not like the others. You've never done anything that the others have. You've never killed a soul in your life."

"But how can you be so sure of that? Discord, changelings are known to be liars. Why do you believe me?"

"Because I trust you. You're my friend, and I've seen who you really are, on the inside. You're not like other changelings, like your father. They're merciless soldiers, they lust for power, their only purpose is to bring destruction and claim the land as their own. But you're not like that. You're kind, caring, and accepting. When I first showed up, the other ponies were afraid of me. They wouldn't come near me. Yet you, you stayed. Because you saw. I wasn't a dangerous monster to you, I was just different. Just like you. And even after you saw me lose control before, you stayed. You trusted me, and I trust you back." Discord brought Cassandra into a close embrace, getting on his knees to reach her eye level. "Thank you for being by my side."

With that, the two parted ways. Cassandra had a flurry of emotion tossing and turning inside her head, while one thought rang clear in Discord's. He had made his first real friend.

=========================================================

The changeling princess returned home to see an army of soldiers, lined up in squads outside of the castle. "What's going on?" she muttered, walking through the main gate. "Father, there you are, I'm back. What's happening outside?"

The black crowned king spoke slowly, each word dripping with malice. "Plans have… changed. We must accelerate the invasion. All troops shall prepare for war. We leave for Equestria in two days' time."

"You're invading Equestria? Why have I never been told of this?"

"Foolish child, haven't you seen our race? The glorious changelings, banished from the land that is rightfully theirs. Forced to scavenge among small villages and towns, raiding shabby huts for food. With Ivaldi and Glephnir gone, and the disappearance of the carnivorous forest, now is the perfect opportunity to strike. Our hunger will be sated. We will claim the lives of thousands. Equestria will fall!"

A group of generals by Obsidian's side mirrored the cry. "Equestria will fall!"

"You can't do this, father! There must be another way! We don't have to kill them!"

"There is no other way, Cassandra. It has always been this way. We hunger, so we must feed. We must feed, therefore we must kill. Neither you nor I can change the laws of nature."

"But you're wrong! We don’t HAVE to kill! I've never killed in my life, and I'm healthier than anyone in this place!"

"You have found an alternative, all by yourself? Nonsense! You require sustenance, just like the rest of us."

"But it's true! We don't need to take others' lives. We can coexist. I've found a new source. All we need… is a little love." At this, the changeling king scoffed.

"You dare speak such blatant lies? Our species needs to survive. For that, we need energy. The energy of those ponies' lives."

Cassandra was desperate. "Father, I beg of you, please reconsider! I can prove it to you, just give me some time."

Obsidian's eyes narrowed. "You are trying my patience, child. Time is a luxury we cannot afford. Our troops seek blood."

Shaking her head slowly, Cassandra let a single tear run down her cheek. "Then I will have no part in this." She broke her gaze with Obsidian, running towards the forest with stifled sobs.

=========================================================

Discord heard a weak knocking at the door, awakening him from his slumber. "Huh, now who could that be at this hour?" Walking downstairs to answer the call, he was surprised by the changeling at the doorstep for the second time that day. "Back so soon, Cassandra?" But there was something different about her this time. Dried tears covered her face and tousled mane, earth and dirt caked on her legs from running in the mud. Her eyes were red and swollen, fresh moisture welling up at their sides.

"What's wrong?" Discord asked gently, receiving an unintelligible mumble as response. "I'm sorry, but could you speak louder? It's okay, you can tell me anything. No secrets between us, remember?"

"I…" she sniffled, shivering in the chilling moonlight.

"Yes?" he whispered, placing a paw on her cold shoulder.

"I… I just left him there. I can't go back now. I, I ran away from home."

Dreams Cut Short

Dreams Cut Short

Discord lay peacefully in the soft fabric mattress, rubbing his eyes as he gave into the urge to yawn. Still lethargic and groggy, he flipped himself over to get up - only to be greeted by the back of a tall, sleeping mare. The only mobile parts of his body were the widening pupils as he froze in place, his mind a jumbled mess of thoughts.

Why is she- Why am I- what happened last night after- … Oh. Right. The sympathetic draconequus' tense limbs relaxed as the memories came back, washing over him with a wave of understanding.

After Discord let Cassandra come in and wash up, Discord had set up a second bedding for himself to use.

"I think you need a warm bed tonight more than I do," he had told her. Falling asleep proved to be a challenge as the silent night was interrupted by muffled sobs under trembling covers, half trying but unable to conceal the runaway's worries and sorrow.

Discord came up to Cassandra from behind, gently stroking her mane as he comforted her with soothing words. "There, there. Everything's going to be fine. You can hold me to that promise." The trembling and the weeping stopped, still insecure but calm at the moment. Discord turned around to leave, when he was stopped by a weak hoof clutching at his side.

"Don't go." The meek words were hushed and frightened. "Don't leave me."

Leaning down on one knee, he grabbed hold of Cassandra's hoof with one hand as he brushed away the hair in her eyes with the soft lion's paw. "It's all right, Cassandra. I would never leave you."

"I… I just don't know what's going to happen next, Discord… My whole world is falling apart before my eyes. What am I supposed to do?" Cassandra sobbed.

Discord's gentle voice stopped her from breaking down into tears again. "Shh… It's okay. I'm right here. I'm with you. I know it looks pretty bad right now, but I promise you, it'll all work out. I'll help you get through this, no matter what."

"Discord…? Can you, can you stay here tonight, in the bed? I just need someone to calm me down. All of this, it's just too much for me to handle."

"Of course," he had replied, and the two had fallen into dreams, remaining in each other's arms until daybreak.

Seeing her resting so peacefully, it was hard to believe the pain and suffering she had gone through… but that didn't make it any less real.

Cassandra woke up from her sleep, wishing that everything had all just been a bad dream. Reality wasn't so kind to her, however, as she was still in the tree house she had escaped to last night. "Here. Have some water." Discord pushed a glass in front of her, giving a gentle smile. Well, I guess reality does have its benefits, thought Cassandra.

Staring at the changeling as she drank, Discord folded his arms in front of him. "So, what's been bugging you as of late?"

Cassandra sighed. "Let's just say I've been having daddy issues." Through stifled breaths, she gave Discord the details of the previous night, as he sat still and listened attentively.

"Invasion of Equestria… Well, I can see why you didn't like the idea." Discord commented after the explanation was complete.

"I'm not asking for him to understand right away. I know that's going to be impossible," Cassandra huffed. "But I just wish he'd listen to me for once!"

Discord was deep in thought. "Hmm… Well, I respect your privacy and all, Cassandra, but there is somepony that needs to hear your story. We'd better be off then, no time to lose!"

"Somepony? Hold on, let me just change into-" Cassandra never got to finish her sentence.

Snapping his fingers, Discord and Cassandra were enveloped in a blinding flash of light, disappearing from the scene. When they reappeared in an unknown location, the first thing that Cassandra noticed was the smell of hot stew.

"Mmm, that smells good, where are we, exactly?" Taking in the scent of warm food, her eyes adjusted to the new light to try and make sense of their location. Instead of a reply, what she heard next was the clatter of a spoon dropping to the floor. Vision regained, Cassandra looked around before her eyes locked onto a single pony in the room.

She looked familiar, somehow. Cassandra had never met this pony before in her life, but it felt like she knew her, somehow. The grand figure, the regal white coat, the long unicorn horn, the large pegasus wings, and the golden… crown… it all clicked together in her head. "Please tell me that isn't who I think it is."

Celestia sat with her jaw agape, her spoonful of stew staining the floor with a clatter after she lost her grip on the handle. She just stared at the creature that had just appeared, who did likewise to her. "What is your name, and what, pray tell, is a changeling, doing in MY chambers?!"

A cheerful voice broke the staring contest between the two mares and drew their attention elsewhere. "Well then, Cassandra, Celestia, I don't believe you've met."

The princesses of both pony and changeling harmonized perfectly, bellowing one word in unison. A single word that could be heard throughout the entire castle, filled with enough rage and fury to summon a troop of guards to barge in with pointed spears, thinking that they were under some sort of attack.

"DISCOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD!"

The guards rushed in to find their princess and a tall, white unicorn seething in rage at a rather peculiar creature, who was grinning like an idiot. Celestia motioned them away. "General, it's fine. Go back to your posts."

"But ma'am, we heard-"

Still glaring at the creature, Princess Celestia spoke five flat words of annoyance. "Go back. To your posts."

The general and other guards didn't need to be told again. When Celestia was in a bad mood, bad things happened to the ponies who were around her. One of the guards shuddered as he ran out of the room as fast as he could, remembering the scorched tail he'd gotten from one of her majesty's magic outbursts.

After the guards had cleared, Cassandra changed back to her original form. "Honestly," she stressed, "I barely had enough time to conceal myself. See, Discord, this is what happens when you do things without explaining."

Celestia still had questions left unanswered. "I ask once again," she huffed, pointing at Cassandra. "What are you doing here?"

Cassandra glared daggers at Discord. "Since I don't know the answer to that question, why don't we ask the one responsible for bringing me to the mare who looks like the only reason she hasn't killed me yet is because she wants to kill him first?"

"Well," Discord spoke nonchalantly, "I don't see what the big deal is, really. I mean, both of you seemed nice enough when I met you."

Celestia held her face in her hooves out of exasperation, still tense from the presence of changelings in the room. "Maybe the reactions sprout from the fact that Equestria is at an unofficial war with the changelings, and you've brought a unique, non-mass-produced drone changeling to meet with the leader of said country, without warning, and without explanation."

Discord raised a brow. "At war? From what I know, the changelings have stayed in the shadows for ages. Why would you be at war?"

"Celestia sighed. "That was under the rulers Glephnir and Ivaldi. The only reason for them staying quiet was because both sides deemed the other as a powerful adversary, and didn't want to suffer the consequences of a clash of powers in the world. Now that those two are gone, and weaker, inexperienced alicorns have taken their place, the changelings don't have anything to fear. They may strike at any moment."

"But, you defeated Ivaldi and Glephnir! Doesn't that kind of make you… more powerful than them?" Cassandra asked.

"That was only because of the Elements of Harmony." Celestia admitted. "Without them, we're powerless against king Obsidian and his armies. We've already confirmed that there were changeling spies present at the scene of the final battle between us four, and that the changeling king knows of our greatest weapon. If he finds a way to stop us from using the Elements, he can overpower us and he knows it. Either way, ponies have never been on good terms with changelings."

Discord broke up the discussion. "Either way, you two are going to have to put your differences aside. Cassandra has something to tell you."

"What could be so dire for changelings to conspire with ponies?" Celestia wondered.

"It's pretty bad, trust me." With grim seriousness, Cassandra told Celestia of the threat that was to come.

"Two days… is there really that little time left?" Celestia asked, receiving a solemn nod from Cassandra.

"Then, there is nothing left to do. I will call Luna and prepare the elements, while we have the rest of the town evacuated to- Aah!" the princess of the day collapsed mid sentence, thrown off balance by sudden tremors in the building. Discord rushed over, grabbing her hoof.

"Are you all right?" he asked, pulling her up back on her hooves.

"Yes, I believe so… That just caught me off guard. Nothing to be worried about." As she finished her words, a soldier ran in, saluted Celestia, and whispered a message in her ear before running back out. Celestia's pupils shrank as she whipped her head towards the east window.

"On second thought, we may indeed have a cause to worry about. Cassandra?" She motioned.

"Yes, what is it?" Cassandra replied.

"You said the invasion was supposed to be tomorrow eve, correct?" Celestia asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"That's right. Even if they wanted to, our troops couldn’t make preparations and travel to Canterlot in less than two days. Only the most powerful of changelings are able to cast speed enchantments or teleportation spells."

Celestia's expression was grim. "Would the changeling king fall under that category?"

"Well, he's the strongest of all the changelings. It's how the successors are chosen. In fact, he's the only changeling I know of who can teleport. Why do you ask?"

Celestia pointed a hoof towards the eastern gate below them. "Because he's outside the castle gates right now, alone and about to break down the doors."

As One Door Closes

As One Door Closes

The standard evacuation procedure in Canerlot consisted of three steps: First, gather at the available gates in an orderly fashion. Second, exit the town to a prepared set of safe zones in a calm and orderly manner. And third, wait in the safe zones until the all clear was given, signaling the ok to return to home.

The standard evacuation procedure went to hell as the northern gates burst open with a blaze of green fire.

Obsidian rampaged through the streets of Canterlot, throwing bolts of magic at anyone who got too close. The buildings were on fire, coating the scene in tongues of red and orange. A small portion of the city had already been razed to the ground, with more to follow shortly thereafter. People were screaming and running around in terror, trying to flee the danger that was in their city.

A pink pegasus colt was trembling, petrified at the changeling king less than thirty steps away from him. Obsidian hurled a green, crescent bolt of magic at him, and the child cringed in preparation of the worst-

Except it never came. When the young pony opened his eyes, he could see that the bolt had scorched the ground a short distance off from where he was standing. No, that wasn't quite the right term. Looking up, the colt could see that he wasn't in fact standing or flying, but was being held by a large white mare. Princess Celestia.

She let the colt free in the air, leaving him to fly off to find his parents. Obsidian reared his head to face her, looking like he was ready to destroy her very essence.

"You ponies are even more devious than the changelings! Not even a member of my own hive would engage in such coward like acts before the war has even begun," he spat, seething with anger.

"I see no cowardice here, Obsidian. Merely false bravado. Do you truly believe, even as powerful as you are, you could stand to take the whole of Equestria's capital alone?" Celestia replied, misunderstanding the changeling king's words.

"Do not play games with me, swine! I command you to return her to me!" Obsidian roared.

"You are hardly in the position to make threats," said Celestia. "My sister is on her way with the Elements of Harmony as we speak."

The changeling was clearly not in a mood to chat, which Celestia found out the hard way. Roaring in anger, he flung a massive bolt of energy at the alicorn, aimed at her head. Instinctively, Celestia raised a barrier. However, her magic shield would have been no match for Obsidian's raw power.

Unless Discord had been there to slice the fireball in two with his claws, Celestia may have gotten scorched. "I'm getting real tired of seeing your face," he grumbled.

"Draconequus!" Obsidian hissed. "You're in on this too?"

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Discord asked, dodging as the changeling lunged at him.

"Dad!" the single word pierced through the scene, and everyone turned their heads to face the speaker. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad?" Celestia asked. She was about to question further, but a coy finger to the lips from Discord told her to keep her mouth shut.

The moment Obsidian saw his daughter standing in the fray, all his anger and hatred disappeared. He ran up to her and tackled her in a tight hug. "It's all right, my child. I'm here to rescue you."

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore. I'm all grown up…. And what do you mean 'rescue'? What makes you think I need rescuing?" Cassandra asked, pulling away from her father.

Obsidian put on an incredulous expression. "Cassandra, you were teleported into the capital city of enemy territory. You're not exactly safe."

"Oh, but safe is exactly what she is," Celestia cut in. "Cassandra came here by her own choice."

"I felt foreign, non-changeling magic teleport my daughter a two-day distance into Canterlot," Obsidian shouted back. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"It's true. Well, close enough, I guess," Cassandra added, before Obsidian could say otherwise.

"But… but, why would you do such a stupid thing? You're lucky you didn't get shot or speared down on the spot!" Obsidian stammered, shocked.

"It was… a spur of the moment thing," Cassandra replied, looking to a seemingly innocent Discord, who waved back in response. Celestia just sighed.

Obsidian turned to face Celestia. "Well, no matter the reason for my daughter's foolish behavior, I give you my thanks for not causing her harm."

Celestia wasn't impressed by the king's humility. "How can you say that, after blatantly planning an invasion on our country not only two days in the future?"

Obsidian tried his best to sound like he hadn't been planning out the destruction of the entire country. "Well, who can really tell what will happen in the future? And anyways, things have changed." He put a hoof on top of Cassandra's head. "Thanks to this one here, I've had second thoughts last night. I've actually had some changelings analyze the life energy that we feed off of, and I've come to the conclusion that my daughter was right. We can gather the energy in other ways than killing ponies."

"So… you're going to cancel the invasion." Celestia pressed, hoping the reply would be a yes.

She cringed when Obsidian declined, but paid close attention to his explanation. "Oh, no, the invasion will happen. My hive has been starved for too long. However, I can assure you that nopony in Equestria will be harmed. You have my word. The whole thing won't even be noticed by many, I assume."

"How can an army of thousands of changelings not be noticed?" Celestia asked.

"We'll make sure to be very careful," Obsidian replied with a grin. "Now, Cassandra, let's return." He turned around to leave.

Cassandra looked at Celestia and Discord, then back to her father. Putting on a determined expression, she made her decision. "I'm not coming back," she said firmly. "I'm staying here, with the ponies."

It took a second for the words to register in Obsidian's mind. "Sweetie," he began, trying to persuade Cassandra out of it. "think about what you're saying. You're a changeling, not a pony. You belong home, with me."

"Dad, I may be a changeling in body, but I'm not like the others. I don't like to kill. I don't think the way that other changelings do, I enjoy being around the ponies. If home is where the heart is, I think my heart is somewhere else."

Obsidian paused altogether, his face set in a blank non-expression. "You're sure about this?" he asked one last time.

Cassandra stood strong. "This more than anything," she replied.

The changeling king gave a soft sigh. He walked up to his daughter, patting her on the back. "Then, I suppose… there's nothing I can do but support you. Good luck with your new life, and goodbye, my daughter." His eyes grew hot, and tears trickled down his cheeks.

Cassandra had been prepared to argue, to run, even to fight for her freedom. What she had not expected was her father's acceptance. "Are you serious?" she asked, shocked.

"I just want you to be happy," he responded. "I'm sorry I didn't bother to listen to you before. I was just so caught up in running the country, I didn't pay attention to those who I care about the most."

"You did your best, for both your kingdom and your family. You just made some mistakes along the way. We all do," Cassandra reassured. Her posture softened, as she nuzzled her head beside her father's. "We'll still see each other again," she promised. "I'll come visit every so often."

Obsidian smiled, seeing his little girl all grown up. Looking to her, he said the only words that he could. "I know you will."

As Obsidian quietly trotted out of the scene, the alicorn princess showed an incredulous smile. "So… princess Cassandra, huh?" Celestia asked.

Cassandra blushed. "Sorry I didn't tell you before, I thought you might try to… you know, kill me. I understand if you want me gone, but please just let me live my life in peace. I promise to stay on the outskirts of Equestria, not causing harm to anypony."

Celestia's face brightened with a smile. "You just prevented an invasion that would have cost this country thousands of lives, if not more. As far as I'm concerned, we're friends now. Feel free to drop by Canterlot anytime. Just try not to let anypony else find out you're a changeling, or they'll freak out."

Discord popped to Cassandra's side, placing a paw on her shoulder. "I told you things would turn out fine."

Cassandra raised a brow. "No you didn't," she replied.

"True, but things did turn out fine, either way, didn't they?" Discord said with a smirk.

"You know, you were pretty cool back there, standing up to Obsidian like that," Celestia chimed, receiving a laugh from the two which she joined in herself.

However, as the trio celebrated the turn of events, a familiar voice rang through the scene. It was heard only by one draconequus and nobody else. It is time… the voice hissed. I've come to collect my part of the bargain. You will surrender your body to me.

Without warning, Discord lurched forward, doubling over in an expression of twisted pain. "Hurgg…" was all he managed to say, as he moaned unintelligibly.

The agonized sounds caught the attention of the changeling and pony princesses next to him. "Discord, are you all right?" asked Celestia. She and Cassandra looked worried at their companion's erratic behavior.

Discord ceased his moaning, uncurling his body. "I'm fine. I just need to… *ahem*, take some time off for myself. I should be back in an hour or so," he said cryptically, in a gruff voice.

"Are you sure? Your voice sounds different… are you sick?" asked Cassandra.

However, before she or Celestia could press further on the matter, Discord snapped his fingers, disappearing in a puff of red smoke.

Obsidian sat in the ruins of an old castle, left alone to meditate. Or so he thought. As he was meditating in tranquility, a voice echoed out towards him from inside the castle walls. "What's this? The ruler of the changelings, sitting alone in the broken walls of a castle. How fitting. The ruined king and his throne of ashes."

"Who's there?" Obsidian snarled, snapping open his eyes. "Show yourself!" he spat, commanding the voice to reveal its speaker.

What stepped out of the shadows was unlike anything he had seen before; resembling a snakelike form, but vastly contrasted from any natural animal in the world. The creature’s entire body was covered in a red aura, and Obsidian could not see through the endless darkness that swirled around inside its coat. If he had to describe what he was looking at, the changeling would have called it a fire. A warmthless, lightless fire, incapable of good, full of hatred and destruction.

His mouth was twisted into a sinister grin, fangs dripping with venom. The eyes were the worst part. Black as coal, the pale orbs held no remorse or kindness deep down to their glazed cores. They screamed of despair and murder; enough to drive any average mortal insane. But Obsidian was no average mortal. Even dejected and resting, he was the king.

The unfamiliar face stood before the changeling, chuckling mischievously. "Oh, don’t you recognize me? We’ve met before. Then again, I must look quite different from the last time you saw me, when I was imprisoned within that blasted fool of a mortal. But now, I am me. Nothing but. Purely and only me. Let your eyes bask in my presence."

Every muscle in his body screamed at him to get away from here, to never speak to this thing ever again. Obsidian turned away, betraying no emotions other than wariness. "Your words convey no meaning, beast."

"If I had a bit for every time I heard that one," the creature grinned, shaking its head. "But that's not the point here. I've come for you, Obsidian."

"What do you want from me?" Obsidian demanded.

A wicked spark lit up in the creature's eyes. "Tell me," he asked, "have you ever heard of the Mirror Lakes?"

The Mirror Lakes. If memory served correctly, an old changeling legend spoke of such things. The Mirror Lakes were ancient pools of water in hidden caverns; they could produce a physical reflection of anything that went through their surface. The water of the pools were said to have come from the magics of illusions and shape shifting that changelings used.

"Most changelings know of their myths. Why do you ask?" said Obsidian.

"The Mirror Lakes are anything but a myth. They're quite real, I assure you. After all, I was the one who created them," the thing cackled, brimming with sadistic pride.

"You created the Mirror Lakes? How?" Obsidian pressed.

"Don't act so surprised, my little changeling. I was capable of quite a lot more than that during my prime, before I was taken by surprise and struck down… I was almost destroyed then, but as you can see I'm a tough rat to kill. Honestly, things might have turned out differently if I hadn't been so careless. Alas, now I am stuck in a truly pitiful state, biding my time…" The creature's eyes glazed over, reminiscing unwanted memories through clenched teeth.

Obsidian shuddered at the thought of something that could defeat the monstrosity that stood before him, whose mere presence sent a chill down the changeling's spine. The king was not easily intimidated, but there was a natural instinct within him that told him to stay away from this monster. Not even Ivaldi or Glephnir could provoke such fear. There was only one other being he had seen before with power greater than his own. "Your enemy… was it the draconequus?" he questioned cautiously.

The creature's expression twisted into confusion, before chuckling in understanding. "No, I was referring to the Keepers, but I doubt you'd know anything about them. However, you've beat me to the punch this time. The draconequus is crucial to my plans. The Mirror Lakes and the draconequus Discord. They are the keys you need to the world you desire."

"What would you know of the world I desire?" Obsidian spat. "What would a creature like yourself know of my pains and my joys?" His expression deepened into an angry scowl.

The figure pulled out another trail of red, this time shifting into a face of a changeling. With long, straight locks and a small, modest smile, a delicate crown rested on top of her brow. "I think I know quite well."

Obsidian couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at the shocking sight before him. "How do you know about-"

The creature cut him off. "You can meet with your beloved, all in due time. But first there's something I need you to do for me." One of the tendrils detached itself from the creature's body, twisting and morphing its shape into that of a red goblet. "In the cave of the original Mirror Lake, there is a cup. Fill it with the lake's water, and add a single drop of the draconequus' blood in it. I don't care how you get it, but you only need one drop. After that, all you need to do is drink from the cup. I will be freed, and you will have your wish granted. Understood?"

Conflicted, Obsidian stumbled backwards, away from the creature. Somehow, no matter how much he stepped back, he felt like he was the same distance from the still creature. "I… no. It's not right. I've just started to change for the better. I'm not going to break my promises for a selfish wish. I won't follow you. You're wrong. Everything about you. I don't want to ever see you again."

From behind Obsidian, a red tendril shot forth from the dark. Silently streaking towards the changeling's almost perfect blind spot, Obsidian had just enough time to catch the thing out of the corner of his eye and jump to the side. He avoided it striking his torso, but the whip left a grey gash along his back legs as they faded from sight.

"Treachery!" Obsidian spat, growling at the grinning creature in front of him. "Now you plan to take my life as well?"

The misty smile only spread wider as the monster chuckled in a sinister laugh. "I assure you, it was not meant to cause you any physical harm, my dear. Since you seem to be so hesitant in accepting my offer, I just decided to give you a little… motivation."

"If I ever see your face again, there will be hell to pay." His horn flashing green, Obsidian disappeared behind the castle walls in a burst of magic. Faint hoofsteps grew dimmer as the king of changelings fled, leaving the creature by himself.

The miasmic tentacles were starting to disappear, and the creature faded into the dark. The last things to go were its stone cold eyes and its sinister fanged grin, like a demented Cheshire Cat.. The raspy voice spoke one last time before falling silent. "Run all you like, my fallen king. Because no matter where you run, every step brings you closer to me."

Day of the Invisible Invasion

Day of the Invisible Invasion

Princess Celestia paced the room back and forth, looking out the window down to Canterlot every few cycles. Nervous beads of sweat lined her brow, and her breaths came out in shallow huffs of exasperation. A clawed talon slid onto her shoulder to comfort her, but it had the opposite effect as the princess of the day jumped in shock.

"Ahh!" Celestia screamed. "Oh… it's just you, Discord."

"I wish you'd stop being so jittery," Discord told Celestia. "Liven up a bit! It's not like it's the end of the world."

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, the changelings are invading Equestria today! It very well could be the end of the world," Celestia huffed.

"Celestia, my father said that he wouldn't harm anypony. Don't you trust him?" Cassandra asked.

"No," came the curt reply.

Cassandra smiled. "Well, I trust him. Do you trust me, then?"

"I… don't know. About this. Even if Obsidian were to change his mind and have his army raze this country to the ground, there would be nothing I could do about it." The solar princess' expression was sullen. "I just feel so… powerless.

There was a rigid series of raps at the door. "Permission to enter?" a mare's formal voice called out.

"Permission granted," sighed Celestia. As the doors opened inward, a pony marched in, whom Celestia recognized as Riposte. "State your purpose, general."

"I've come bearing news from the east. Princess Luna and her forces have been positioned throughout the coast, keeping surveillance on any opposing forces."

"Any sign of the changelings yet?" Celestia inquired.

"None that we can see, your majesty." Riposte replied.

"Very well. Have you any additional news to report?"

"Yes, princess. Actually, there is one more thing-"

"Permission to enter?" a familiar voice called from outside the room.

Riposte froze. "She shouldn't be here…" she muttered beneath her breath.

"Permission granted," Celestia answered, as one half of the gate gently creaked open. "Now, who could that be? Riposte is here with news from Luna, and I've cancelled all appointments for-"

Celestia never finished her sentence, and her mouth hung open. Discord and Cassandra did a double take, shocked by what they were seeing. Riposte remained petrified, a cold bead of sweat running down her cheek. For at the entrance to the room, wearing the same brown saddlebags and Equestrian military uniform, stood a second Riposte.

Celestia turned to the first Riposte. "Explain yourself."

The first Riposte cleared her throat, regaining her much-needed composure. "Well, your majesty, there's nothing to explain. As you can clearly see, the pony standing over there is an impostor."

As the residents of the room turned to look at the second Riposte, they could only see her annoyed and determined expression for a fraction of a moment before she was gone. Dashing forward in a blur, she closed the distance between her doppelganger immediately. That sharp, thin blade of a rapier was pointed at the first Riposte's throat, the handle being attached to the other Riposte's forehoof with a leather strap weave.

"It seems to me that you are the imposter, here." The sword-wielding mare's eyes were steeled and ready to strike. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't drive this through your neck to the hilt."

"Hold!" Celestia shouted. The mood in her room had gone from nervous to formal to confused to death threats at such a fast pace that she couldn't keep up. "What is going on here?!"

Nervously, Riposte raised a hoof in front of her in a sign of nervous surrender. "Heh… I'm… sure that the princess wouldn't want blood to be shed in her chambers, no?"

The other Riposte's tone remained unchanged. "I will do what is necessary for Equestria."

By this time, Riposte, who was clearly not Riposte, jumped back swiftly, out of reach from the rapier. "You were told that the message had already been delivered, and you were to return to your post."

Riposte tilted her sword in a guarding position. "I take my only orders directly from the princesses themselves. If they had changed my orders, they would have sent a scroll with the royal insignia at the least. Your time is up, imposter. I hereby sentence you to death on charges of imitation of government officials and illegal espionage."

Dashing forwards again at a blinding speed, Riposte lunged forward with her blade. The fake's hooves glowed green with magic, and they swerved violently to the side just as the sword was about to connect.

Falling to split ends, her disheveled hair revealed a black, damaged horn, and her tattered moth wings fluttered to her side. Limbs shining with enchantment once more, the not-Riposte speedily slid herself around the curve of the room and behind the real Riposte. Her sword hoof was pressed to the floor, and the fake held Riposte down.

"Now, before we do anything rash, I'd just like to say, Please don't fry me on the spot, here. I come in peace." The not-Riposte held her prisoner between her and Celestia and company, to act as a shield in case they… did something rash.

Without warning, Riposte acted. Still in her impostor's hold, she jerked her entire body inwards. Not expecting the sudden movement, the not-riposte loosened her grip momentarily. Riposte took the window of opportunity to slip her sword leg out of the clutch, and used the flat end of the blade to push her double back on her rump. The situation had reversed, in Riposte's favor.

"Magic doesn't make you special in the world of swordplay," Riposte said, jumping on her fake. Her sword was pressed to her victim's neck and her hoof to the horn, pinning her down effectively and cutting the magic off. "If you say you come in peace, explain the reasoning behind your actions. You have five minutes."

The not-Riposte just lay still for a moment, utterly stupefied that her magic had been bested by an earth pony. Then, as reality finally connected once more, she burst out into a large, masculine laugh. When she spoke again, it was in the voice of a stallion. "Brilliant! Absolutely marvelous! I haven't had that happen to me in decades! Oh, we simply must spar again some other time."

Even with Riposte's hoof insulating the flow of magic to the horn, her prisoner wrapped themselves in a bubble of light and sank through the floor. Riposte fell flat on the floor, and the thing rose up from the ground a few feet back.

"You shouldn't have been able to do that!" Riposte growled, obviously irritated by the impostor's escape from her clutches. "I cut off the flow to your magic. No magic user, unicorn or otherwise, could have magicked themselves out of that!"

"Unless, of course, I am aware of my weaknesses and have trained myself against them," came the simple reply. The room fell silent.

The silence broke. From the back of the room, a draconequus burst out into laughter. "Ahahah! Oh, oh, oh, I love this guy! Isn't he great?" he hollered, pointing at the intruder with a silly, wide-mouthed smile.

"Great?" Riposte shouted. "This pony, or whatever it is, is a criminal!"

"A criminal? I do say, that's a bit of an exaggeration. After all, he hasn't really done anything. We've seen what he can do, and I'm sure he could have done some damage to us or the soldiers below if he wanted to," Discord countered.

"But… but…" Riposte stammered.

"I'm glad someone in this room understands my brilliance," said the anomaly with a smug grin. "I daresay, we are quite alike in our sense of humor."

"Oh great, there are two of them now," Celestia muttered. "Wait, how do you know it's a 'he'?"

Discord raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? Just listen to his voice!"

"Listen to the voice?... Hold on," Cassandra murmured, who had also been standing quietly in the background. "I recognize that voice… Legion?"

A streak of flashing green spiraled around the not-Riposte's body, revealing the changeling underneath. "Indeed," replied the captain.

"My gosh, It's so good to see you again!" Cassandra remarked, surprised and happy, yet confused. "But, what are you doing here?"

"Um, yes, that's something I'd like to know, too," added Celestia. "Also, who exactly are you?"

Legion gave the mares a formal smile. "Captain Legion of the changeling forces, commander of the Equestrian invasion, at your service."

"You're spearheading the invasion? What about father?" asked Cassandra.

"The king hasn't been feeling too well lately. He's been stricken with some sort of ailment. He must have caught it overnight. He's very pale at the moment, but he's been recovering. They say he'll be back up on his feet in a few days, but he still needs some rest. That leaves me in charge of things at the moment."

"So, then, let's get back on topic. What are you doing here? I doubt it's solely for the sake of saying hello to your favourite little changeling princess, hmm?" Discord pointed out, saying out loud what everyone else in the room was thinking.

"Changeling princess? Where?!" Riposte's neck whipped around, scanning the room.

"Oh, I may have forgotten to mention, Cassandra over here is the changeling princess of Obsidian's hive." Discord mused casually.

"What?!"

"Former princess. I left the hive, remember?" Cassandra objected. "I've gotten permission to stay here from Celestia, so please calm down."

Celestia nodded at Riposte, who finally sheathed her sword with a sigh. "I will never understand how government works."

Celestia cleared her throat. "So, captain Legion, have you come to tell me that the invasion has begun?" She tensed her body, prepared for the worst.

The response was something she hadn't been expecting. "On the contrary, I'm here to tell you that it's over."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Mmmhmm, it's come and past. The changeling army came into Equestria, feasted until our hunger was sated, and promptly left to head back to our own territories."

Celestia was at a loss for words. "How… what about the casualties? Riposte, how many ponies have died today?" she asked, frantically turning to her general.

"I, I haven't received any reports of fatalities… I haven't received any news about the invasion at all! What exactly did you do?" Riposte inquired.

"Well, we sure didn't hurt anypony, if that's what you're wondering," he replied, calming Princess Celestia down a bit. "I believe that King Obsidian told you about an alternative energy source we could use more efficiently than ponies' lives? It could only be obtained through not harming anyone."

"And this source would be what, exactly?" Cassandra asked. "I appear to have lived off it almost my entire life, but I'm still not sure of exactly what it is."

Legion clapped his front hooves together in a sappy pose. "It was love," he declared passionately. "We disguised ourselves as ponies, as I did with Riposte, and had the ponies show feelings of affection towards us. We can use our magic to convert it into nourishment, it seems. Isn't that just beautiful? Changelings, vicious killers of the land. The fall of dozens of civilizations. And all we ever really needed was a little bit of love." He finished off, clutching at his heart with his hooves.

The room fell silent, except for a horrified and annoyed looking Cassandra. "That… was the cheesiest, most horrid thing I've ever heard." The rest of the girls nodded their heads in silent agreement, with the same disgusted faces.

Discord, on the other hand, wrapped his arm around Legion's shoulder and started to laugh hysterically. Legion joined in, his position as the captain of changelings virtually invisible as he fell back on the floor and into a fit of laughter.

Celestia, Riposte, and Cassandra all looked at the two idiots rolling on the floor, looked at each other, and covered their faces with their hooves as they sighed. "Ugh… Boys."

Inside the near empty changeling castle, Obsidian sat on his bed. Rather, 'sat' wasn't the right word to describe the changeling king's posture, as he was splayed forwards, doubled over his hip and hind legs. His mane was a tattered mess; his glazed eyes were dull and bloodshot. There was no strength in any of his limp limbs, and his ragged breaths came out in short, fevered pants.

Worse of all, the changeling's entire body was pale. A sickly shade of faded gray, the king's carapace had lost its black luster and proud sheen. With each passing hour, his body would fade paler and paler still, the colour draining from his body through a gash across his hind legs. And no matter what medicines or magics were used to try and treat the wound, there was no effect on the patch of carapace that so strangely resembled a wound.

From outside the locked door to his chamber, a nurse changeling who remained behind to care for the king pounded at the door. "My liege, please! Open this door! You haven't eaten in days! Us changelings may feed on energy, but we still must consume food on a regular basis, especially if we are to recover from being ill! I fear for your health, sir. Please, just open this door!"

Obsidian opened his sluggish eyes, which had been turned almost completely red by how far they were bloodshot. Yet even through the tiny slits, his fear could be seen. The delusional state of mind let him see things that others could not. Things that scared him. The nurse couldn't see them. Or, maybe she could. Maybe she was part of it, the deceptive monster that was coming to get him. With his feeble magic glowing faintly around his horn, he placed another lock on the door and clicked it shut. He raised one of his front legs, and watched it flop back on the bed when he could no longer keep it suspended in the air. Parting his lips to speak trembling words, he hissed a short, weak message:

"…Chaos… is coming."

Prologue

Prologue

Various items lay scattered around the green saddlebags on the bed. Twilight had spent all morning making preparations for the big day ahead. She had previously scheduled to visit the princess and take care of a few errands in Canterlot today, and she didn't want to miss the train. Rarity had asked her to pick up some special ice sapphires sold only in the capital, and Zecora had needed some herbs not found near the Everfree Forest or Ponyville. She put on her saddlebags and made her way downstairs to check off the triple check box on her checklist, trotting past the rusted double doors to her side.

Pause. Rusted double doors? Since when did she have those? And… "Where's the center bookshelf? It's disappeared!" Approaching the frame, Twilight's eyes scanned it in confusion. "Spike! Did you move the furniture without asking me again?" she called out. The absence of response reminded her that she had given the little dragon the day off while she was busy in Canterlot.

"This can't lead outside, it's in the middle of the building… Did the Ponyville Library have another room I didn't know about? Ooh, I wonder if there are any new books inside!" Leaving her belongings at the front entrance, Twilight used her horn and threw open the door excitedly. She would take a quick glance around the place for now and come investigate its reaches more thoroughly later.

Trotting into the unlit room, Twilight lit up her horn to serve as a light - but to no avail. She couldn't even see the floor. "Hmm," she mused confusedly, as she intensified the light. Sparks flying off her magic coated horn, Twilight still couldn't make out anything in the room. However, the light reflecting off her coat proved there was nothing wrong with her illumination spell.

"That's odd," said Twilight, "Is there a darkness enchantment on this place? I'll have to take a look at it later." Turning around to leave, the unicorn realized that the door she had entered through was no longer there. "Huh? What's going on?" Twilight exclaimed, confused. "Is anyone there!" she called out, hoping her voice would reach a passerby. She knew it was unlikely for somepony to visit the library at these hours, but she was desperate. "Hello? Can anypony hear me! I'm trapped inside, please open this door!"

Twilight tried waving her hooves around while moving slowly, trying to find the door. "Oh no, I'm going to be late… What am I going to do?" Even teleporting herself was futile, as she ended up in the darkness no matter which direction or destination she set for the spell. Eventually, she turned off her magic and plopped down onto the floor in exasperation. Her head lolled sideways on the ground, her mane falling over her eyes.

As Twilight moved a hoof to brush the hair out of the way, her senses picked up something unusual again. The floor felt strange… it wasn't made of wood, that was for sure. Twilight flipped over onto her stomach, feeling the material with her front hooves. Not stone, it wasn't hard enough. Then again, it couldn't be described as soft, either. It almost felt like… nothing at all?

"Aah!" As soon as the thought fleeted across her mind, Twilight tumbled through the floor, giving a yelp of surprise. Continuing to fall on and on, her descent eventually slowed down and stopped, leaving the unicorn disoriented and suspended in midair.

Twilight desperately flailed around for something, anything, that she could plant her hooves on. Out of nowhere, a voice echoed through the space, taking her by surprise. Twilight Sparkle. I've been expecting you.

"W-Who's there? How do you know my name?" Startled, Twilight considered lighting up her horn so that she could see the unknown speaker, until she was reminded of how her previous attempts had turned out.

Please, don't be nervous. I mean you no harm.

As her eyes started adjusting to the darkness, Twilight could make out faint streaks of blue in between the black. She stared silently, peering into the void. One of the ribbons brushed past her face, feeling light and almost liquid at the touch. Twilight used her hooves to gently lift it higher, letting her pupils scan over it.

When she looked inside, the world came back to view. After a few blinding blue seconds, Twilight was back in Canterlot. The place looked the same as it had in Twilight's memories; even her furniture and belongings were strewn across the floor in the same pattern. The only thing that was missing was… herself. Her body had disappeared, leaving only her consciousness in the otherwise uninhabited room.

Canterlot… Twilight thought, as her consciousness drifted over to the window. She saw two pegasi guards positioned on the balcony to the left wing, a golden chariot behind them. Her vision was drawn towards the double glass doors, where she saw a familiar sight - none other than herself and Spike, boarding the chariot and flying off into the distance.

The world faded back into darkness. The ethereal lace flew away, coiling past Twilight's hooves and face. Things were strange enough as they were. With what she had just witnessed, Twilight was at a loss for words. Raising a cautious hoof, she gently poked another blue strip before snapping her leg back, expecting something to happen. The object gave no other reaction than a slight ripple as it continued on its merry way.

In her focused state of exploration, Twilight failed to notice the figure to her side, barely visible in the dimly lit void. It didn't help that it remained silent, as it scared the daylights out of her when she finally saw it.

"Waah! Who's there?" she huffed, falling on her rear end. The floor had seemingly reappeared, but it was still made of that same, matter-less substance Twilight had trouble identifying. Perhaps it was only an idea. The figure gave a light-hearted chuckle.

"Enjoying yourself, I see." The creature had the voice of a stallion, and Twilight could see it more clearly now that he had stepped closer to her. The only real features she could distinguish were his deep emerald eyes, two patches of bright green wrapped up by the rest of his face. He was wrapped completely by the same strips of ether Twilight had just witnessed, which reminded Twilight of the ancient desert nomads' mummy corpses in Afterlife theories of ancient Equestria.

Even when she tried to pay close attention to the creature's appearance, Twilight wasn’t sure what he was exactly. He appeared to be shaped like a pony, but at the same time, there was more. Twilight could also see some kind of tall creature, with limbs that stretched out and digits like a dragon's claws, but rounder. She couldn't tell which was his real form. He switched back and forth between a multitude of shapes and sizes, yet there was no transformation. One moment he was a pony, and the next moment he was a bird, a faerie, a griffin. No morphing, no changes. He just was.

Twilight cautiously eyed the strange phenomenon. Deeming it to be a non-hostile, the sense of danger in her was replaced by absolute confusion. "What just happened?"

"What you just witnessed was a memory of your past."

"What's going on? Who are you? Why does my magic not work? And-"

"Patience, child. All will be explained if only you wait to hear the answer. I'm sure you're confused as to what is happening. You are no longer in your world, and you feel alien to this plane of existence."

Twilight's brain started working overtime, gears turning furiously in effort of making sense to his words. "What does that mean?"

"It means, Twilight Sparkle, that you are out of time."

Twilight froze in place. "I'm… dead? But that's impossible! I was perfectly fine this morning! I can't be dead! What's going to happen to Spike? How will my parents deal with this? I-"

Her hyperventilating was broken by the sound of laughter. "Hahaha… Sorry for the misunderstanding. Twilight Sparkle, you are most certainly alive. What I meant was that you are literally, outside of the plane of time."

"…Who are you?"

"I have been called many names in the past. Being the immortal embodiment of time tends to make everyone revere you as some sort of god, and stick on an endless amount of honorifics to your title. Now, though, I prefer to go by 'Clockwork'. And you are here to witness the truth."

It took a moment for the words to register in Twilight's shock-addled brain. "Wait wait wait… immortal embodiment of time? That's… that's amazing!" Twilight's eyes lit up in awe. "There's so much to be learned! With an understanding of time and its elements, Equestrian life and technology could advance so much!"

"I'm afraid I cannot give you the information you seek, dear Twilight," Clockwork stated. The unicorn looked crestfallen. "Your world will learn all of the secrets that I hold, in due time. But I cannot go against the laws of the ancients and interact with the mortal worlds. In fact, technically, I shouldn't even be speaking to you right now. There's always the pesky possibility that we may cause the implosion of the space time continuum, as you call it."

"Um… does that mean I should leave, then?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"No, I think it would be best for you to remain here for a while. Although there are some risks involved, there is something your world needs to be prepared for."

"How bad is it?"

"Very."

"Care to elaborate?"

"It's going to be like Discord's return, except without Discord, and the river of red flooding the streets won't come from strawberries this time."

"Raspberries, then…?" Twilight smiled in meek hopefulness, only to be met by a cold glare.

"Ok then, pretty bad. Fate of Ponyville. Maybe even Equestria." Twilight paused, reflecting on these words. "Why me, then?" she asked. "You could have called one of the princesses, or the high council, or anypony in the royal guard, for that matter. Why choose a unicorn filly like me?"

"You underestimate your ability, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia and Luna may be the rulers of Equestria, and the council and guard hold heavy responsibilities, but you are directly connected to Harmony herself. You wield the Element of Magic, and have used it on several occasions beforehand to save your world from destruction. The fact of the matter is, you can make a difference, Miss Sparkle." Clockwork continued, with Twilight listening attentively. "You are also pure. You are untouched by chaos, and you can understand what I am about to show you. You will be the key to change the future."

"But… you can't change the future! I tried to do the same thing a few weeks ago with the time travel spell I found in the Canterlot archives. All I ended up doing was creating a paradox loop, and nothing changed! How can you change the future?" Twilight objected, the scepticism subtle but clear.

"Remember Twilight, you don't know very much about timelines and time travel. When you cast that spell, you weren't coming from the future, into the present. You were coming from your present, into your past. You cannot change your past, as it has already happened, set in stone. The future, on the other hand, is a pile of thread that hasn't been woven yet, and you can choose to shape it any way you want. I will not explain any further than that due to complications with the laws of the ancients, but I assure you this will be different." Explaining calmly, Clockwork plucked one of the blue bandages covering his side, releasing it in front of him. Twilight took it gingerly in her hooves and looked up at Clockwork, hesitant that this tiny thing could change the future. "Go on," he encouraged. "Take a look inside."

Once again, Twilight brought the lace to her eyes. Once again, the blinding blue light covered everything. And once again, the world fell into view.

A Fated Meeting

A Fated Meeting

Cassandra awoke in the dead of night. The cold, night breeze chilled through to her bones as she gritted her teeth, marching onwards to the top of the tower. Making her way up the spiral staircase, Cassandra felt tired of these events. How many times had she gone through this exact same routine? How many raids on the ponies' villages had her father made her observe?

Yet… she had no choice. She was, after all, going to become queen of the changelings, one day. Her father, Obsidian, had called this 'training' for the young princess. Cassandra rolled her eyes at that. It was no secret that the king delighted in watching others suffer, and wanted to raise Cassandra to be the same.

Making her way into the viewing platform, the changeling heard her father's voice call out to her. "Ah, Cassandra! You've arrived. Why don't you have a seat?" Obsidian's voice was filled with ecstasy as he motioned for his daughter. The king impatiently turned his gaze back outside. "Come on, Cassandra, it's about to start. You don’t want to miss this, do you?"

"No, father," she said, without any particular feeling in her voice. She sat down on the chair next to her father and looked outside. From there, the two could see a village of ponies close by, and a squadron of changelings lying in its outskirts. Obsidian shot a green bolt of sparkling magic into the air, and it lit up the night sky for a small moment as it exploded, signaling the beginning of the end.

The cluster of the black creatures dispersed into smaller groups, each targeting a different house. It was a sight Cassandra had seen countless times before. The darkness of the night would provide perfect cover for the invaders. The ponies wouldn't suspect a thing as the changelings charged into their town. Tonight would end the same way as countless others had. Tonight, there would be no survivors.

=========================================================

A thunderstorm may not have been such a cheerful occasion for some who enjoyed a more docile day. Not for Discord. The lone wanderer had stumbled upon lightning, and to him, it was the finest form of entertainment. Catching glimpse of a cloud spewing electricity, he had tried to produce a spark from his claws, succeeding with a spectacular outcome. The resulting phenomena was a display of red, a current of crimson branches shooting forth with unparalleled power.

Amidst the red sky, Discord stood in solitude, a madman’s grin spread across his face. A crack of the crimson whip set the ground ablaze, engulfing the plant life in tongues of flame.

A stray bolt of lightning whizzed its way towards a small brown house. With a flash of red and a resounding crack, the main support pillar gave way, making the flimsy structure lose all of its stability. The walls caved in as the building imploded, collapsing in on its own burning remains. Yet as all this went on, Discord failed to notice, drunk off power and excitement.

What startled him out of his hysteric stupor was a shriek that pierced the night sky. The sorrow in the voice was unmistakable, brought to life by a weeping child. A scrawny figure in the scorched earth, unmoving near a pile of stone and wood. The wreckage obviously held a significant item to the boy, as he could be seen sifting through the debris.

This scene was very interesting for Discord to watch. Maybe I should help him out a little bit. Channeling the chaotic energy, Discord snapped his fingers as he twisted reality to his will. The pile of rubble was now restored in its former glory, forming a house in the blink of an eye.

Out from the structure, the boy's father walked out, dazed and disoriented. The small colt rushed forward to greet him with a hug, relief overcoming his features as his father's safety was assured. What little part of his face that could be seen was buried in the parent's coat, tears smearing drying themselves in the ruffled fur.

Discord drifted down towards the pair of ponies. They were nothing like what he'd seen so far. These new creatures were not only living beings, they seemed to be able to speak a language that he strangely recognized.

The father saw a strange being approaching. As his memory jogged itself, he remembered the last sight he had experienced. A creature that spewed lightning from its fingertips. A demon.

"Stay back!" he shouted in panic. He stood poised in defense, ready to protect his kin to the extent of his abilities.

"Wait, dad!" This time, the young one spoke. "He's the one that saved us! He may have caused the lightning, but he also fixed everything afterwards," he commented.

Confused, the father's neck swiveled around as he took in the surroundings. Sure enough, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The green pastures and their home's unharmed walls gave away no sign of the carnage that had transpired.

The pony's mouth hung open in disbelief. just WHAT exactly had happened here? "What are you?" he asked, eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Discord." he replied, still eyeing the two creatures in front of him. "I am Discord. Tell me, what kind of animal are you two?"

The son popped out from behind his parent, speaking excitedly. "We're ponies! Thank you for saving us and our home, mister Discord."

Another new word. "Home? What is a 'home'?"

"Home is the place where you live. It's the one place you belong in, no matter what!" he beamed. "Where's your home?"

Discord replied with uncertainty. "I don't know... if I have a home. I don’t remember much, you see. Not places, people, or events."

“Do you have any friends, mister?” the little pony asked. “People you spend time with and share a bond with? I’m sure they could help you remember.”

Once again, Discord felt like an outcast. “Not that I know of, really.” He turned away, covering up a disheartened face.

Throughout the conversation, the protective father realized that this creature was not a real threat to him and his family. Perhaps he was just like them, wanting friendship and attention. At this point, the stone faced father finally decided to open up to him. “Well, that must get very lonely, sometimes.”

Discord regained his composure. “Well, who knows? I don’t have any experience in dealing with it.”

"What do you plan to do from now on?" the father asked.

"To be honest, I don't know," Discord replied. "I think I'll get to know this world better, satrting with the people. I'll make sure to visit once in awhile, if I can."

After saying his goodbyes, Discord once again became a wanderer. As his wings whisked him away with the wind, a single thought drifted up and lingered in his mind. I never got their names.

=========================================================

Cassandra stood in her chambers, looking over her body in the mirror. With almost no effort, she cast a layer of shapeshifting magic over her body . She had learned how to do it at the age of four, when her father had shown her the magics a changeling could perform. While shapeshifting magic was often cast aside for spells with more destructive power, Cassandra found it to be extremely useful in covert operations, such as sneaking in and out of places. The simple spell had proven its worth many times over when Cassandra used it to sneak by ponies and changelings alike with a simple disguise.

“Perfect," she said to herself, as she gave a small twirl. The princess was now an exact replica of any soldier changeling, which would give her the excuse of making rounds to leave the palace. Trying to make as little sound as possible, the disguised princess opened the doors ever so slightly.

Squeezing through the newly formed crevice in her chambers, Cassandra used her magic to guide the wooden panels as they slowly clicked shut. She turned around to depart from the building, when a voice rang out from behind her, stopping the princess dead in her tracks.

"And just where do you think you're going?". It was Legion, captain of the militia. Cassandra knew him quite well, thanks to her father. Every day during the evening, the captain would give the day’s military reports to Obsidian. He occasionally stopped by to say hello to Cassandra, as well.

She was in quite a sticky situation. Legion was under oath of loyalty to the king. If he found out about her escapades, word of it would surely reach Obsidian. She would then no doubt be facing severe reprimandation from an annoyed king.

Stay in character, Cassandra told herself, as she turned to face the changeling, trying to keep her calm. Cassandra opened her mouth, and spoke in a gruff voice that was not hers. “What seems to be the problem, Captain Legion?”

“The problem? Well, let’s see.” With that, the changeling slowly circled around Cassandra, throwing a few suspicious glances around her disguise. Cassandra stood frozen in place, unable to move even her eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. After walking a full circle around her, the skeptical soldier seemed satisfied. “Hmm, I guess there’s no problem here at all. You may go.”

Cassandra let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Regaining her composure, she resumed her walk towards the castle’s exit.

Just as he was about to leave, Legion stopped and called out once more. “Ah, one more thing, Cassandra, could you be back before dusk? I wouldn’t want to have to explain anything to your father.”

Cassandra's head whipped around. Her voice reverted back, as frustration loosened her control over the disguise. "You...you knew all along, didn't you?"

An amused grin crept onto Legion's face. "Please, Cassandra. I'm the captain of the militia. It's a position I wouldn't be in if I were the type of person to fall for a teenage changeling mare's childish antics. Nonetheless, the disguise was quite excellent. You might want to work on the voice a bit, though. Not many changelings have a voice that deep. Now if you were disguised as a PONY guard, however-"

The monologue was cut short by a confused princess. Cassandra spoke slowly as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. "Wait, so you're NOT going to tell my father?"

Legion replied back with a friendly smile. "Well, I don't particularly see why I should, as long as you return on time."

Shocked, Cassandra stuttered. "W-wow, I... I don't know what to say," she told him, "I thought for sure that you would have ratted me out. I guess I may have misjudged you, Captain." Aside, she thought to herself, Loyalty might not be as frigid as I thought.

"Don't mention it," he said nonchalantly. "And I guess I do come off as very strict from time to time. The military does approve of following the rules to a point where it’s set in stone. But remember, things aren't always what they appear to be."

The princess took this into consideration. ”I’ll... keep that in mind. Thanks, Legion.”

The changeling put on an inquisitive expression. “Which reminds me, Cassandra, why do you venture outside? This is probably what, the third time this month? You seem to have a perfectly good life back here at home. Why do you risk disrupting the peace of that lifestyle? You do realize that if Obsidian learns of this, you’ll be put through severe punishment, correct?”

Taken aback, Cassandra spoke. “I... don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“Cassandra, you are a princess. You enjoy the finest quality meals, surround yourself in luxury, and you don’t have to worry about the menial tasks at hand for other changelings. Yet you still insist on spending time in the ponies’ civilization, where our enemies thrive. There, you are treated as no more than a commoner. What I want to know is, what drives you to do this?” The captain gave away a hint of jealousy in his voice. Clearly, he found the lax life of royalty quite attractive.

The changeling princess sighed deeply. “Legion, take a look around us. What do you see?”

Legion looked to all sides, looking for something out of the ordinary. When he found nothing, the response was, “I see the castle walls. Nothing stands out, in particular.”

“Exactly. This place is so... dull. Full of grey. When I look at the people, things aren’t much different. Most of them are enlisted in the army. They go on hunts and raids on the ponies’ towns and villages, seeking excitement and adventure. Which is perfectly fine for them, I suppose.” There was a pause, as Cassandra tried to find the right words.

“But, it’s different for me. You see, I’ve never experienced any sort of pleasure coming from killing or watching others kill. To be quite frank, I don’t care for the stuff at all. However, the ponies are different. They’re colorful, playful, and friendly creatures. And maybe that’s just what I need in my life. A bit of color to brighten up this grey world of mine.”

The changeling colt looked very intrigued. “I see,” he began, “I may not fully understand, but I think I get the general idea. Well, if it makes you happy, then I’m not going to stop you.”

“That’s very nice of you. Now then, I’ll be on my way.” Cassandra trotted over to the side of the building. Climbing on top of the window ledge, she leaped into the air, wings buzzing with a low hum. Cassandra disappeared into the distance, leaving the marshal to go back to work.

=========================================================

The gentle breeze swept through the tattered wings as Cassandra flew over the forest, approaching the village border. This place is a little quieter than I remember, she thought to herself, as the roads and houses came into view. Not a single pony was outside, giving the place an uncanny appearance of a ghost town.

Out in the street, the only things she could see were the occasional insect and arachnid. Along with one more person. As Cassandra approached closer, she could make out the mismatched detail of the creature. A pony’s head, an eagle’s talon, a goat’s beard... its entire body was like a big jigsaw puzzle that a child had unsuccessfully attempted to put together.

Maybe this is why nopony’s out right now, thought Cassandra. The creature whirled its head around, catching sight of her. “Halt!” she cried. “Who goes there?”

The creature stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. The silent gaze appeared to hold a meaning, until it was broken with a smile and a reply. “My name is Discord.”

“Cassandra,” the changeling responded.

“Are you a pony as well? You seem to resemble one,” Discord commented.

“No. I am a changeling,” Cassandra replied, ”We are like the ponies in some aspects, but also have our differences.”

"If you are not a pony, why do you make yourself look like one of them?" he asked.

"The ponies fear me for what I am. To them, all changelings are a source of mystery and darkness. Many a pony has been slaughtered by one of my kind, you see."

"And have you done the same?"

"No," she replied, with a note of exasperation, "But the ponies don't know that. To them, I am just another monster. These creatures... they fear the unknown. I suppose that we're all the same in that aspect, though,"

"I don't understand," Discord shot out. "What reason do they have to fear you if you haven’t done anything wrong?”

“Sometimes, fear is not rightfully placed,” Cassandra replied, giving a smile that almost reached her eyes. “It’s probably what happened to you, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Discord replied, “When I came into town, the ponies all seemed to avoid me. Fear is truly a powerful emotion.”

Cassandra imagined what his entry to the village must have been like. After a small chuckle of amusement, she “We are alike, you and I. Both shunned for what we are, feared for reasons we cannot control.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Discord gave her words some thought before speaking once more. “Cassandra, is it?” he asked. “Well, you seem to be an interesting person.”

“Now do I?” she eyed the creature while giving a slight grin. The spark in her eyes was almost unnoticeable.

“In fact, I think I’d like to get to know you better,” he said, while extending an open hand. “Why don’t we be friends?”