The Alicorn Chronicles: The Fall

Chapters

Prologo
Ch I: Aeternum Liberi
Ch II: Tenebrae
Ch III: Excito
Ch IV: Duae Sorores
Ch V: Quae Facit Rex?

Prologo

Author's Note

Luna's Fallen Hero by Psychgoth (title unrelated) was my inspiration for the Prologue and seems fitting to set the mood.

Prologo

A steel-shod hoof broke through the surface of the upturned gravel. It desperately dug into the dirt before it and the ground shifted, once, twice, three times. Then on the fourth and final push, the muzzle of a stallion burst forth. The growing mound burst, revealing the behemoth of an equine that promptly threw himself panting onto his belly. Shock rendered his thoughts a muddled mess. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed the hell he found himself in, a foreboding cloud of dust hung in the still air. Absent was the mountainside, that had led to the rockslide that had buried them all alive. Two whole armies...gone, in the blink of an eye. Was this the cost of peace?

The stallion that was none other than myself, known to all as Indomite; untamable, ungovernable, unsubdued, unrestrained… That is what they used to call me, a name that meant all of those things and yet none of those things. It hinted at a wild fierceness, a force that cannot be denied. Even still, that does not capture who, or what I was. Perhaps…perhaps that was the point? How does one name another that inherently cannot be summed up succinctly? Perhaps that is why I was Indomite.

Once, a lifetime ago, or so it seemed, my brothers and I stood tall. Defiant against the world, we fought to write the wrongs that were laid upon us, we fought to honor our kin, those both living and dead. We fought because it was right. In our every battle, plate-steel gleamed under the sun, declaring to all who saw it that we would not fall without a fight. That Equestria would not go quietly into the night! Outnumbered and overpowered, we not only fought, but we won. Battle after battle we won, but the longer we fought, the more apparent it became that we never neared victory. In hindsight, it’s amazing how quickly the years pass into decades, when fighting for one’s life, running from one battlefield to the next.

Now, dirty lids squeezed tightly over emerald eyes. It was as if they were closed tight enough that everything wouldn’t be. That the pervading pain and loss would just simply vanish. The stallion that was once Indomite had become a creature so thoroughly beaten that it had forgot its purpose, even its name. All it knew was pain. There were no tears left to shed as it trembled, cold and alone on the last battlefield he had ever known. Now Equestria would know peace…

My head hung low, my tattered mane concealing my once proud face as I swayed gently from side to side with each irregular step. Somewhere along the long road behind, my right-rear shoe had come undone and was discarded without thought. Fighting for survival was impossibly hard, though it was not the weight of such struggle that weighed down my shoulders and harrowed my steps. Nor was it the rough cry of grinding steel that seemed to be the only sound that filled the air, as the abused plates that remained of a ruined suit of armor, sang a macabre song of shared pain and woe. The matching helm had long ago been discarded, I had no further need of it.

Ponies of all walks of life stopped in their daily business to regard this broken soldier, a thing they had never before seen, sheltered by the magnificent solar-regent. I was just another casualty of a war unseen. Our fight, like the noble sentiments of war we lived and died by, lay somewhere hundreds of leagues behind, on a distant field with my fallen brothers. They were the true heroes of this forgotten war, those who gave all they had without complaint. Honor, justice, righteousness? None held meaning any longer. Like all the miles behind me, they meant nothing to me now. They were simply steps between me and my past. A past that I would rather forget.

I took no heed as the course beneath my hooves turned from the dirt roads of the country, to the cobblestone streets of Canterlot. Likewise, I paid little notice as they changed once more to the polished sheen of the white marble floors of the castle. Even as I entered her hall, I did not take notice of the golden armored guards that stared at me in awe, amazed that anyone survived, let alone walked away from that battle! Indeed, none had - the stallion that emerged had long since become numb to all feeling. Dead save a beating heart. It was only when I felt plush velvet under hoof that I finally paused. The gold trimmed, red carpet beneath my hooves was the first feeling of comfort that I had known in such a long time, yet so exhausted was I, that I scarcely took notice of the soft sensation caressing my naked back hoof. All the fight was gone in these hooves, spent on more battlefields than I cared recall.

It was with a great, heaving sigh that I looked up from where I stood, to her position high upon her throne, a great and glorious symbol of the radiant sun. My dull and aging vert eyes beheld her youthful, and unspoiled violet ones. My dark earthen coat a stark contrast to her pristine white. A time ago, she might have smiled at me, and I at her. However, I doubted that I could even muster such a gesture again.

“It is done…” I sighed defeatedly; the last survivor of an army that once stood so defiant against the world, was now no more.

She regarded me with a pleased smile and rose from her seat, languidly striding down the dais where she sat. As she made her way toward me, each and every one of their faces came flooding back in a wave of bitter agony. That smile of hers had cost me everything, and now, it brought me perhaps more resentment than I had felt ever before. Yet, I couldn’t blame her. As much as I hated her, I knew, had our roles been reversed, I would have done much the same…

Ch I: Aeternum Liberi

My nostrils flared, taking in the cool, slightly damp pre-sunrise air. Leaning forward, not unlike a cat, I stretched out all my tired and eager muscles at once. As I got back up, I rolled my head about, causing my neck to crack loudly. A quick check over each shoulder confirmed that both wings were indeed ready and eager to take to the air. No preening was necessary this morning. I smiled cheerily as I looked up, into the empty, peach-colored sky. I could tell by instinct that the pegasi were right, today would be a nice day, with only a few puffy ‘napping’ clouds in the sky. That knowledge was all I needed. With a quick nod, I took a few bounding steps forward and threw myself off the stone balcony, and into the air, whipping my dark, earthy mane to free it of most of the bed-head that I had acquired the night before. I reveled in the feeling of the wind blowing through my long hair, as I defied gravity. I thought if I lived another century, it would never get old!

Raising my chin, my mighty wings flared even larger than they had appeared before and I began to rise ever higher. Everfree below faded slowly. The metropolis and her defenses melded into a grey splotch, the fields of wheat blended into a bed of gold, and the forests at the feet of the mountains became little more than green fur for the grey peaks that towered into the sky. Looking to the golden horizon, I redoubled my efforts, racing to meet the sun. Up and up I went, passing cloud after cloud, until there were no more. So I continued, rising until I reached the coldest air that I had ever felt and only then, when the air became too thin to support even the lightest of clouds, did I know that I had risen as far as I could.

Momentum was all that carried me upward as I pulled my wings in tight against my body. At this height, flapping my wings was pointless, I would generate no more lift, only waste energy. Thus, I rolled slowly, lazily onto my back. The sky above was no longer blue, but black as night. Tilting my head back, downward toward the ground below, the earth fell away to either side. I regarded the sun as it sat low in the distant horizon, taking its time to slowly rise to crest the Equestrian horizon far below. Once, a long time past, Equestria was a much different place. The sun and moon rose, and fell, upon their own accord. The weather needed no regulation. Magic flowed through all things. Ponykind lived much closer to nature. And I? Well I hadn’t a care in the world…

“Oh, my friend, why do you hang upside down?” I chuckled as much in humor, as from the tickle of the ice-crystals forming about my muzzle and along my chest, where the morning light failed to land. Passing the apex of this flight, I felt gravity once again asserting its hold over me… “Well, it seems that our time today is at an end. I will see you below!”

With a whoop of ecstasy, I threw my legs forward and forced my roll to continue. By the time my nose once again pointed toward ground, my descent was quickening steadily. From this height, everything was still little more than an abstract painting – sweeping strokes of blue, green and grey, under a sea of white clouds. For several long minutes, I fell faster than any living being had any right falling.

Finally, as I neared the upper-most layer of clouds, I slowly opened my wings little by little, fighting the building air pressure. At that moment, magic and air fought for control over my form, heating my flight feathers hotter than any forge I had ever laid eyes on. Though I could not dare a glance backward, I knew that they were red-hot. If any of my winged kin had tried such a maneuver, they would not have wings at the moment. It made me thankful for that particular gift, of my singular heritage.

The faint whipsnap crack of air, indicated that I was now low enough to the ground to hear my own echo, as my large wings vainly continued to slow my equally large form from supersonic flight. However, I was not yet ready to slow to a complete stop. Though these upper-clouds looked comfortable, I needed the thicker, moisture laden clouds below to cool my scalding wings. These thin, icy clouds would only fizzle into nothingness…so I shifted my weight to dive once more!

The final leg of my flight was composed of long, winding, split-S maneuvers. This allowed me to fly through the largest, coolest clouds I could find. Their moisture was a welcome relief to the muscles that now burned with a gentle ache of exertion. After a few passes, I was joined by a dark-purple stallion, with a fiery-blue mane and piercing grey eyes. The smaller pony flew circles around me, metaphorically, before coming in to glide off my right wing-tip.

“Starfire.” I greeted him as a close friend would, simply and without embellishment.

“How long until sun-up?” He asked me playfully, glancing straight up from whence I came.

“Maybe an hour? Probably less...” I remarked, beginning a slow turn toward a particularly comfortable looking cloud and Starfire turned to follow.

At lower altitudes, maneuvering was a chore that required much more effort than flying high-up. There were a few ponies that trained to fly high, trying to emulate myself, but none of them quite managed the extremes that I could. Most of my winged kin prefered to stay low to the ground, where the thicker air allowed them to maneuver more easily. For me, my mass made the same dreadfully difficult.

I flapped my large wings hard, before bellying down in a particularly bulbous, fluffy cloud and relaxed into the makeshift, floating pillow. My still hot primary feathers hissed for a long moment with diffused heat. It was only whence they ceased their audible complaints that I lifted them to see that they had returned to their usual coppery-crimson appearance. I patted the surface of the cloud a few times, before pulling a great deal up against my sides, so that I might completely relax my wings in a half open position, as I awaited the rising sun with lidded eyes.

Below me was the world into which I was thrust, the land that was known as Equestria - the land of the equine, and within that, was the Everfree Plateau. It was same that the settlers ended up in soon after arriving from the distant ‘Lands Beyond’ the Rainbow Bridge. Of these settlers, there were three-tribes... The majestic Sky Kings, heirs to the Great Pegasus himself; the sagely unicorns, perhaps the most noble and ancient breed; and finally, the industrious earthbound, a simple and hard working, humble folk.

In those days, all ponies could use magic in some form or another. Unicorns studied the nature of magic itself and its many applications. Through practice and discipline, they channeled mana through their horns to shape the world around them in whatever way they saw fit. The Sky Kings felt magic like none other, the air itself was their instrument and through pure force of will, using both voice and emotion, they manipulated their environment. Earthbound ponies, lacking both wings and horns, were forced into using the very earth that they are bound to for their magic; with both iconography and glyphs, they could summon the earth itself to do their bidding! Moving soil and stone with the same ease that they nurtured plants into magnificent feats beyond mere tending. It was with the combination of these magics that the three tribes formed a magnificent pact, joining them eternally. The sharing of magic also meant the sharing of blood. If one tribe were to suffer, the prodigy of the others would be born as the ailing cast, thus maintaining balance. Never again would they stand apart...never again could they stand apart. If any of the three tribes ever tried to usurp the others, the magic of their bond would work against them, hobbling their efforts and returning order. Thus the first great peace was born, the Pax Equestria.

Several minutes passed before Starfire completed his own morning routine and the muted rustle of feathers and a slight shift in the balance of the cloud revealed that he had joined me. The smaller stallion prodded the underside of my wings with his own wingtip.

“No, I will not stop doing so…yes, the heat is uncomfortable, and you of all ponies should know that I can feel your thoughts.” I grumbled before he could speak.

“Indomite, can anypony surprise you?” He asked me incredulously.

I opened one emerald eye to regard the stallion. “If any can, none have yet to do so.” I stated matter-of-factly, “I’m not sure if that would make them a master of deception, fooling me into thinking I can’t be...or highly inept for not actually doing so?” I mused.

He snorted dismissively at my antics. “Yeah, yeah…”

I pondered the thought in silence, while enjoying the familiar company of one of my most intimate companions. The decades since my crowning had long since turned into centuries. Memory prompted me to look down, over the edge of the cloud. Below flowed the same river I was found floating on, in a wicker basket as a foal. An aging pegasus mare and an equally aged unicorn stallion, had wandered down to the water’s edge near where the herds had stopped to rest.

The elderly white mare’s name was Cloud Walker, a rather ironic name, all things considered. She had been born into captivity in the Lands Beyond and because of her bindings as a filly, she was rendered flightless. Her small, delicate, porcelain-looking wings sat ever motionless at her side. It was only by chance that she was freed by one of her captors during the Equestrian-Uprising, when all of ponydom rose up against their would be oppressors and captors, known as the Conundrum Creatures.

The unicorn stallion was Starswirl the Bearded. He had been a wanderer of sorts and never really spoke of his past, beyond his interest in time magic. He had one true passion in his life and that was his study of magic, one that he would cultivate to a lesser extent in his adopted son.

All the mares and stallions, fillies and colts gawked at my young form. After all, I was the first of my kind they had ever known; neither unicorn, sky king, nor earthbound. A little of each, but at the same time, neither. The three tribes’ debate as to my origins and what should become of my young self, quickly turned into a squabble and then into an all out shouting match. Hooves would’ve likely followed, if it weren’t for the deafening cries of one baby alicorn. Never before had they been so quickly and effectively silenced, and the ponies took it as an omen. It was then and there that the three tribes decided to set down roots and build their first city; the city of Everfree – a defiant proclamation against their past.

A hoof prodded me in the barrel, jolting me back to the present. “Indomite, are you alright?” Starfire asked with some concern.

I nodded softly. “Just slipped into memory, that’s all.”

“Nostalgic, are we?” He sniped playfully.

I merely snorted and rolled my eyes, with a gentle shake of my head. “I am more than six times your age.”

“Sometimes you have to remind us of that fact.”

“Oh, do I?” I chirped, “Come ‘ere!” With that, I pulled him close with a wing and held him tight, as I ruffled his mane with a hoof, “Noogie! Noogie!”

He chortled with laughter, as he vainly tried to fight off my hooves atop his scalp. Finally, after several moments, I relinquished my grasp on him and allowed him to jump back. He shook his head, trying to subdue a smile, but I knew it was there, even if he didn’t show it. Rather than fix his mane, as I had assumed he would, he leapt at me, tackling me roughly off of my comfortable spot and into the air.

“Didn’t see that one coming, eh, did you?” He cackled as he came to float next to me as I righted myself.

“Burst!” I barked.

He did not sense the magic imbued in my voice until it was too late, recognizing his peril just in time to look up as the cloud above him ripped open and poured its contents upon his head. By the time the localized downpour had stopped, he could only hover in place, looking like a wet dog. I, of course, broke into a fit of laughter…

“Oh, you’re gonna get it for that!” He growled playfully.

“Only if you can catch me…” I trilled back.

“It’s on!” He declared, before lunging at me.

Given that I am admittedly not the fastest pony in wing, nor the most agile, owing to my larger size, I would otherwise be at a huge disadvantage against a Sky King at low altitude. Save one fact, my larger wings allowed me to dive and climb in a dramatic fashion that none of my kin could ever hope to match! What ensued, was a fantastic game of cat and mouse. Only that in this case, the mouse was larger than the cat and more interested in taunting his competitive friend.

When we both settled down on the clouds at the outskirts of Pegasopolis, the majestic cloud city of arches and pillars, we shared a good laugh. Both of us enjoyed a good challenge and neither of us ever failed to deliver. I think that’s what made him so endearing.

“Well, I have a class to preside over. You know, standing like a statue for hours on end…” He complained, in that serious tone that he only ever used to taunt me.

“Come on,” I said, ruffling his mane with my much larger wing, before he batted it away with his own, “...it’s so exciting!” I exclaimed jovially, my wings twitching unconsciously, “Ooh, I can’t wait!”

“Yes, yes, today is flight day…” He finally conceded and returned with a grin of his own, before looking thoughtful, “I wonder how many stallions will join the Manticores?”

“Is that all you can think of? Your air-wing and your future soldiers?” I glared at him, a slight twinge of chastisement in my tone, “What of the fact that these youngsters will embrace the air and take on their mantle as the future Sky Kings?”

“Isn’t it the young whom are to be idealistic and romanticize flight?” He enquired, “Sometimes I wonder if I am not the old sire and thou the young stallion?”

“If the years have taught me anything, it’s to never grow old. The day you stop enjoying life, is the day you die.” I remarked sagely.

He snorted, giving me a hoof to the shoulder, which he could only barely reach. “There’s the old stallion.”

“Har-har.” I pretended to chuckle.

“Aren’t you going to join me?”

“Shortly.” I replied enigmatically.

He shook his head and sighed, long since having learned that trying to find out what I had planned would be fruitless. “Alright...I’ll see you before long?” I responded to his question with a nod before he took flight, leaving me alone upon the edge of the cloud city.

“I’m sure that standing stoic before that many potential recruits must be terribly difficult for him...” I chuckled to myself.

I regarded the golden horizon with a bittersweet remembrance. Centuries of life give a stallion much to remember. The losses never became any easier, they never do…but there are always reasons to not only continue to exist, but to enjoy life. Such as the anticipation of days like today. It’s truly days like these that make life worth living!

* * *

Though Starfire kept his stoic façade as he watched dozens of young pegasi - the future students of the junior flight academy - take to the skies one at a time for their first flight, he couldn’t help but feel giddy. He would never admit it to his friend, but seeing all those colts and fillies take to the skies brought him no end of reassurance. So long as his kin continued to produce healthy young fliers, none could hope to eclipse the majesty of the sky-kings. Truly, though he staunchly denied it, he was a hopeless romantic like his ageless friend…

“Commander?” One of the mare instructors that stood next to him, whispered in his ear.

He glanced to her, before following her eyes to a lanky, tan colt that stood shaking next to the edge of the clouds, not daring to look over them. The poor boy was so frightened that he never heard the larger, warrior stallion trot up next to him.

“What’s the matter?” Starfire asked gently, his sudden appearance causing the young one to jump a little, “You’re not afraid, are you?”

The tan pegasus’ eyes glanced back and forth quickly, before looking up into his elder’s. “Y-yes…” He mumbled, before averting his eyes out of shame.

“You want to know a secret?” Starfire bent down a little and whispered to the colt, earning a cautious nod of his head, “I was terrified too.”

“Really?” The colt gasped in shock; even at his young age, he knew of Commander Starfire, he was perhaps the bravest pegasi since Commander Hurricane himself!

The Commander simply nodded his head. Though it was a bold faced lie – he had been the first in his class to jump into the air – he knew that knowing others shared your fear, often helped to overcome it yourself. He also knew that’s what courage was, not the lack of fear, but the conquering of it. He too had swallowed his fear and joined with his wingmates to topple a Manticore when his time had come. Such was what it meant to wear the leather armor of the air-wing, to be a Manticore!

“Will you spread your wings with me?” Starfire asked in a straightforward manner.

The timid colt looked back to his wings, small as they were, with trepidation. Then, casting aside all fears, he looked up to his elder with a determined twinkle in his eye. “Yes.” He stated determinedly.

Attaboy. “Well then?” Starfire flared his wings, looking to his junior, who glanced back at him blankly for a moment.

“Right.” The colt finally nodded and opened his wings.

“Axios!” The two shouted, diving off the clouds’ edge in unison.

Starfire glanced over his shoulder, as he adjusted his speed to match the youngster’s. If the colt’s smile was any indication, he was positively ecstatic! It took him almost a dozen flaps before he had a halfway stable flight profile, but when he did, he glanced over to his right at Starfire and nearly went sputtering out of the air. Instantly, Starfire snapped his head to the side to see Indomite flying in formation beside him with a huge grin that ran from ear to ear – not literally of course.

“Axios.” The alicorn nodded, before playfully swatting his wingtip with his own and rolling over the two, to end up beside the young colt.

That morning, the winged ponies shared their love of the air with the many young colts and fillies. To the ponies of the Kingdom of Everfree, Indomite was not only their god-king, but the embodiment of the kinship that flowed through all ponies, of all races. To them, he symbolized everything that they were; Kindness, Wisdom, Strength. Defending, encouraging and enlightening his subjects. For the sky-kings he was a reminder that so long as they had their wings, they were their only masters. Such is it to be a sky-king…forever free.

Ch II: Tenebrae

Weeks had passed since the graduation of the last class of pegasi and their first flight. Were it not for the events to transpire, this day might’ve been forgotten in the centuries following it, merging into the monotony that was a calm, peaceful existence. After so many years, only the truly important days – those that change one’s life, the ones that define who and what we are, remain. However, so long as I remain, I shall remember this day evermore…

* * *

I was the first to stir beneath the warmth of the new day, waking with the rising sun. Stretching my limbs and shaking off the sleep of the night before was my first task. Over the years, it had come to be an almost religious act; the cracking of my back, the limbering of the wings and stretching out the leg muscles. Oh, such divine relief first thing in the morning! Surveying my perch, I was unsurprised to be surrounded by still sleeping dragons, indeed they were the reason the mountain had such a name. I often slept atop the mountain, especially when there were no previous engagements planned for me, which mercifully was often. There was something oddly right about sleeping on the hard ground, high in the air. As much as pegasi loved sleeping on clouds – and who could blame them, considering the luxurious comfort they provide – for me, there was just something about sleeping upon the highest point of stone and earth. I could see why both dragons and griffins did so.

It was now always this way, I remembered. In ages past, ponies rightly feared dragons. Though that changed as I neared the half-century mark, when I came into my own. Over the decades I physically grew quickly, almost twice as fast as a normal colt. Though because of my stature, the fact that I grew twice as much, to the point where I towered over even the largest of my earthbound kin, it took me longer to reach what would be my young-adulthood.

I was instructed by some of the greatest minds of the age, including Commander Hurricane, Ariscotle, Princess Platinum and of course, my father, Starswirl the Bearded himself. All in all, I grew up a very privileged colt, as the city of Everfree rose up from humble beginnings, into a great and prosperous city.

Throughout my childhood, I was the ‘perfect’ son, taking in everything that I could, about nearly every subject imaginable. However, as the second generation of native ponies matured and discovered their marks, my flank was still bare. Such a thing stung no small amount. Though none of the stallions and mares that moved about around seemed to notice - or at least did not speak of it - I began to fret more and more; anxiety and impatience took root shortly thereafter. What was I good at? What was my special talent? In the years before, I had seen the stallions of Everfree unite to fight back a horde of demons, before creating an eternal prison that would become Tartarus. Formed out of bedrock and flames, it was buried deep into the base of a mountain and protected by spells that were powered by the earth itself! Though I had assisted Starswirl in forming the gates to the prison, knowing the potential I had only made me evermore eager to prove myself, perhaps far more than I should’ve been.

It just so happened that at nearly the same time, an upstart king came to power over the Dragon Horde and their traditional migration route took them directly over Everfree. Now I’d like to say that my first meeting with AuNor was peaceful and civilized, but it was in fact anything but. Citizens and guards alike scattered and fled, while the two of us clashed in the air high above the city. Dozens of dragons watched in rapt fascination, as a single pony managed to fight the most powerful and cunning dragon to a standstill in their traditional single-combat. Truth be told, I was a failure at the combat arts. I had never really felt the need to pay much attention to them. Nevertheless, I stood defiant against the massive - though noble - beast of fire and scale, until he fell from the sky in defeat. It was upon his belly that he conceded, at which point, he offered me his throat – his life. Though I was too naïve to realize it, dragons that lost duels rarely lived and if it were a king, he never lived. Thus it came as a great surprise to them all when I spared his life. However, the biggest surprise came when another claimed him to be weak and sought his throat. Only I defended him, standing between the exhausted red-dragon and his smaller, green-scaled challenger, proclaiming that; “Any who sought to fight he, would have to fight me!” And after the display in the air above them, his challenger backed down and none were willing to take upon that challenge.

Our two peoples, once mortal enemies – they being predators and we prey – were convinced to put aside their differences to live side by side, with no small bit of coercing on my part. Though I will admit that it was not an easy feat, nor did it happen overnight. With the assistance of the young king that would become one of my closest friends, dragons and ponies would come to live, and indeed thrive, under the cooperative spirit. Before long, I was thrust into the position of ruling over all of Equestria as an unenthusiastic god-king. Of all the things I wanted, power was not among them. A mark, a cute alicorn filly, sure...but a crown?

Despite my lack of desire to rule, or perhaps it was because I did not lust for power, Equestria came into a golden age. Everfree’s mighty walls of stone and gold rose from the fertile lands that the earth ponies tended, reaching into the sky where dragons and pegasi flew side by side. All manner of outsiders came into our lands to trade and found themselves in awe of our splendor. Zebra, Griffin, Ibex and scores more lost to the sands of time… Wealth flowed through our halls, and none knew want. Only the darkest, foulest of beasts even thought to terrorize us – the new arrivals to the region – and the few that tried in the intervening years, quickly found themselves in Tartarus. Though they truly were few and far between indeed!

However, as I woke amongst the dragons that day, a strange sensation drew me to the edge of the precipice. It was the oddest thing, a compulsion to look to the east and what I saw sent a shiver up my spine. A foul looking black cloud of fog hung just over the eastern marches, seeming to hide from the light of the day, in the crags of the mountains. Even from the distance I stood apart from it, just the sight of its slowly moving mass made me feel unwell. It was as if a part of me was imprinted with an innate loathing of whatever it was, and I could tell that it was not of the land. It was something foul and retched, beyond that, I knew not what it could be. All I knew for sure, was it was not something I would stand for within my realm!

Before long, the council of the tribes, representing the three tribes of ponydom and the King of Dragons assembled in Solstice Hold, the mighty keep of Everfree. My long-hall was built tall and proud, with spires of stone towering far overhead. Wood was grown into elaborate and questionably organic shapes to decorate the vast hall, hold the blazers and torches for nighttime light, as well as to provide easy points to hang the many flowing banners of red and violet, edged in golden streamers. However, today was not a day to admire the architecture of the mighty keep that had stood for nearly two centuries. No, today was a day of politics, or as well I knew, a day of bickering…

* * *

“…but this is outside our borders, in the far mountains, why not just let it sit there?” The raspy voice of an aging earthbound stallion drew me back into the conversation.

“Lord Ferros, do you honestly believe that this shadow will be content to stew in the mountains? No, we fly! We raise our spears and drive it off!” The ironclad hooves of Wing Commander Thunder Clad resounded like their namesake throughout the hall.

“We have no idea what this being is, or if it even is a creature at all.” Princess Platinum V drew all eyes upon herself with her smooth voice and wise words, as usual, “We have no idea how to react to this dark-cloud whatsoever. What will you do if your aerial wing approaches it and it refuses to simply blow away like an ordinary thunder-cloud?”

“Are you questioning the wings of a Manticore!?” Commander Starfire joined his subordinate with his hooves upon the table before him.

Oh goodness, just like the Windigos… I roughly massaged my temples as they continued. Long ago, I had learned that they were far more manageable if they argued with each other a bit, before I spoke up. The councilors were then less likely to argue with myself and more likely to agree.

“Starfire, you know that’s not what she meant at all…” The mighty voice of Lt. Commander Granite resounded soothingly, his large, grey head rolling slightly to one side with a look of frustration.

I sent the stallion a look of understanding. We were very much alike, neither of us really much cared for the bickering and squabbling of the council, but there was little else that could be had, or done without them. I knew him, and even if I didn’t feel the tingling in his hooves, I would’ve known it was there. All he wanted to do was to go out and buck whatever this thing was square in the face. However, he was no foal. He knew he was dealing with a foe that would not so easily be beat, so he bit his tongue and let the mages and pegasi determine a plan of action. It was a sad fact that the earthbound were largely looked down upon by the other two tribes…unable to fly and with an aptitude for magic that was limited to cantrips in comparison to even the youngest unicorn, it was no real surprise. I did much to remind the others not to discount them and I did it as often as I could. What handicaps the earthbound faced, were more than surpassed with a practical attitude and unmatched determination. Indeed trying to uproot an earthbound stallion upon his land was a practical impossibility even for a Minotaur!

“Honestly, the lot of you!” The irritated voice of Maredred silenced the entire room, “If you were not so overly predictable and so irritatingly clamorous, I might’ve thought I missed something…” The talcy-grey mare looked to me respectfully and bowed her head, “Please forgive my tardiness milord, the night was long and this hour has come so very rudely.”

“’Tis understandable, Arch-Magnus,” I gestured toward the table where the remainder regarded the aging unicorn skeptically, “What light do you have to shed on the subject?”

There was a reserved chuckle from herself, which was then followed by the others. It was no secret that many believed her to be a practitioner of the dark arts, for even what little her raven-black robes revealed of the form beneath, appeared unspoiled by the rigors of time for one of her age. Indeed, the mare was nearly as old as Solstice Hold and almost a third my age, yet for a unicorn, she scarcely looked thirty. She was never openly accused of anything foul, nor did I actually suspect such a thing from her, despite her obvious skill in the arcane. For her part, she took the rumors in stride, allowing others to think of her what they would. Although, even I must admit that her pet blackbird did almost make her a perfect example of the stereotypical black-magic witch that everyone thought her to be. Sitting at the table, she promptly withdrew a pony-sized tome from within her robes and dropped it to the table in front of herself with a thud, once again silencing everyone. Even I had to admit that particular ability of hers, seemingly able to summon books into thin air, appeared eldritch. With a brush of her hoof, she instantly had the page open to the one that she searched for.

“This miasma outwardly appears to share many traits with a particular kind of being written of by your late-father, Starswirl himself…” Maredred looked to me for permission to continue, to which I gave her the subtlest of nods, “I found note of the creature only once in all the manuscripts and even that was a second-hoof account. Starswirl recounted the tale from a land in the far north, our now sister-state in the frozen lands…”

“The Crystal Kingdom, yes. I remember its discovery shortly after the formation of the Gates of Tartarus.” I nodded, before looking to her intently, “What does the City of the North have to do with this miasma creature at our threshold?”

It was her turn to nod. “Well, you see, while in the north, Starswirl recorded an inscription of an ancient relic. The Crystal Heart…”

I interrupted her. “I have seen it, and it is much more than a mere relic. It contains within it perhaps the greatest amount of magic I have ever witnessed.”

“Aside from yourself, of course,” she said flatteringly.

“No, I am sure that whomever made this artifact had magic that far surpassed even my own. Anyways, please, continue…” I prompted her with an outstretched hoof.

She looked ready to contradict me, however, she finally nodded her head. “Of course, as you say.” She pawed at the page briefly, “As I was saying, the account was recorded atop the Crystal Spire at the center of the city, or at least what was left of it. At some point in the structure’s distant past it was the center of a great magical exchange, the likes of which had never been seen before or since. Much of the city appeared to have been damaged in the battle of mages…though who they were, has been lost, as there was no evidence left behind of whom resided there previously.”

I rose from my seat, walking toward her side of the table. “I can remember him ranting about it upon his return, though I honestly remember little of the specifics…” I smiled in fondness of the memory, “I was just glad to have him back.”

“I’m sure,” she said kindly, “However, I did have a conversation with him about the subject prior to his passing.” This drew everyone’s attention, “You see, in what remained of the original spire was a testament of sorts. The final thoughts of one of the city’s defenders, etched into a pane of silver glass. It said; Power from Harmony.”

“You mean, Starswirl translated an ancient language singled-hoofedly?” Thunder Clad exclaimed in surprise.

“No, I mean, this mage had literally inscribed his final thoughts into the crystal material.” Maredred shook her head, “Whomever he was, this mage died fighting back a literal shadow with the power of harmony.”

“Not a very reassuring prospect, if you ask me.” Lord Ferros quipped, drawing the attention onto himself, “I mean, look at the Crystal City. When our grandsires, or for some of you youngsters, your great-grandsires…found this city, it was a ruin. Their foe had reduced its defenders to nothing. I don’t think it would be too much a stretch to assume that they had all died. After all, if some were yet alive, why then was the city a ruin?” He shook his head dismissively, “I don’t like it. My bones tell me that this is all wrong.”

“I think your old bones just don’t want to work.” Starfire said with a chuckle, earning the elder-stallion’s ire.

“Starfire, that was uncalled for. Show some respect for your elders.” I rebuked my friend, sometimes that stallion could go too far…

“I-I’m sorry, Ferros.” Starfire apologized, much to the shock of the old-earthbound pony.

“I…it is alright, I suppose. No harm done.” Ferros looked to me, both appreciative and surprised that anyone could get Starfire to actually apologize – the sky-kings were not known for their manners, but their honor-code.

“Well, to me, it sounds clear. We have the advantage.” I looked around the table with a confident grin, “We know our enemy’s weakness. We know its position and we have each other. Surely, the harmony of the three tribes and the noble dragon kingdom are more than this shadow could’ve imagined. All those in favor of rallying our forces to meet this foe and drive it back over the other side of the mountains?”

“Aye.” Was the resounding reply.

* * *

In no time at all, a great host of unicorns and pegasi and ponies of all shapes, marched up the winding roads, into the Eastern Marches. Above us flew the largest of the elder dragons and the few griffin sell-swords that could be relied upon. We were sure that our unity could defeat any foe and could overcome any obstacle!

Up and up we climbed toward the boundary between Everfree and the Eastlings, where only the heartiest of ponies dared to trot beyond the protection of Everfree and her king. As we grew nearer and nearer to the shadows, the ponies became increasingly discontent and agitated. There was always one more...one more sideways glance, one more mistook gesture, one more accidental nudge. Tribal rivalries centuries old, but usually well checked, quickly boiled over and it was not long after the first racial slurs were exchanged that they came to blows. Such a thing shocked me, I knew of their past, but never before had I seen anything this serious. Pegasi diving upon unicorn, only to be outnumbered by the masses of their earthbound kin. All the dragons and gryphons could do was watch on from above, unable to do anything.

I barked out orders to my subordinates, trying to regain control of my army, but they too were finding it impossible to rein in their ponies - those whom had not joined them in the fray. I then turned to magic, struggling to use all my magic to calm my brethren and relieve them of this madness that had fallen over them, to reassure them that we would defeat this darkness. Only my magic had little effect on the ponies, for as soon as I released them from my grasp, they would almost instantly return to squabbling and fighting. In the end, no matter how I tried, my people fell apart before me and before I knew it, chaos surrounded me in more ways than one.

It was as I stopped, desperately trying to catch my breath and draw on more of my magic, that I did realize a veil of darkness had overtaken us. I could no longer see the beautiful sky, nor feel the warm sun on my flank. All that existed was an oppressive shadow and a terrible cold that leached my will to nothing. The powerful magic that usually coursed through my veins had withdrew, leaving me feeling far weaker than I had ever felt before. Then I heard it, the voice…

A quiet chuckling grew into a rumbling, disembodied laughter that filled the entire valley between the peaks. “Look at them, look at the little things, so full of strife and conflict! So eager to tear out each other’s throats!” He laughed darkly then, a chill running up my spine, “Don’t you like it, young alicorn?”

“Who are you? Show yourself!” I demanded in a booming voice that could shake the very foundations of the earth, daring my foe to reveal himself.

The laughter stopped, only to resume briefly with a morbid sense of amusement. "I'm all around you..." The voice sneered.

At that moment, all the ponies that had been fighting slowly turned toward me, their beautiful hides' had become grey and their eyes empty. Ponies that I knew since foals turned on me with a hate that I had never known. All other feeling was gone from them, save malice. It was as if they had been warped, as the world is warped through a droplet of water. I stood, frozen in confusion and paralyzed with fear. It was as if they knew something about me that I did not.

I spun my head back and forth, desperately seeking the evil that could do such a thing. The evil that would do such a thing. All that greeted me were the cold, empty eyes of ponies not quite there any longer.

“What sort of foul demon are you!?” I cursed.

“Demon?” The voice called out, a dark miasma floating back and forth just at the edge of my sight. Ever present, but not… “Do you not know your nemesis when you see him? Did your mare never warn you of the shadows that linger in the light?”

“My...mare…?” I stammered a dull pit eating itself deep within my gut.

The creature lurched to a stop and for just a moment came into my vision, a glowing orb of yellow making itself known. The laughing resumed then, stoking the coals of my anger. “Don’t tell me, you’re alone?”

I inhaled sharply, a dagger of cold piercing my heart. “Alone… Am I-am I alone?”

“You’re alone, all alone.” He replied menacingly, his voice dripping with malice and saccharine in equal measure, “Let me aid you with that little problem and lead you back to your herd…”

All of a sudden, they lunged at me, hundreds of ponies descending upon me in a wave, kicking and biting. I held them off so long as I could, until finally, they had me by the fetlocks and the wings, and I could barely move at all. The dog-pile just got larger and larger, as more and more piled on…

"Enough!" I bellowed from within the mound of swarming bodies.

My horn's light pierced forth, through the darkness, haphazardly throwing back the possessed ponies into piles about the rocky mountain path. The darkness shuddered momentarily, its plan had failed…or so I thought, until a tightness in my chest drew me to the ground. An ache ran through my heart, as I looked down at the ponies about my hooves. Their already grey coats shifted and dulled further, until they were a pale, ash-grey and their chests ceased to rise. It killed them! It drew the very breath from their lungs and killed them! Without mercy, or remorse, it slaughtered them unceremoniously at my hooves…each and every one of them! I found myself looking into the glazed-over eye of the deceased, young pegasus-colt that had just barely learned to fly. I remembered the pride on his face, but mere weeks before, as he took to the air and shared in the joy of flight with Starfire and I for the first time. I shook my head in despair, how could anyone fight against such unbridled hate?

As my tears flowed, the dark voice shattered the sound of silent sobbing. “Control is an illusion, young alicorn.”

Glancing up, the darkness had congealed into a semi-solid miasma before me. Its form a hideous, bipedal one that seemed to admonish my own existence in every way possible. Glowing predatory eyes screamed of the futility of my struggle, the inevitability of my demise. Its words drew the strength from my limbs and sapped my will to resist. Its mere presence seemed to spell my doom and call for my end. The futility of it all caused me to drop my head down upon the neck of the dead pegasus-colt. But there was something that kept me from succumbing, one emotion. It formed a tight ball in my chest, urging me on, demanding justice against the monster that had killed so many. A flame rekindling the heat in my limbs, beating back the words as lies, rebelling against its calls for my premature extinguishing. Rage.

"No..." I murmured, so quietly that it never heard me, "Never again." I stated with finality, my head rising from its morbid resting place to bore into the shadow creature, “Never again will you harm one of my kin!”

"You-you think you can stop me?" It hesitated, only to laugh even harder, "Priceless! The little colt thinks he can stop me!"

I slowly took to my hooves, rising up one hoof at a time, until I stood defiantly before the shadow being. Already weakened and largely drained of my magic, there was only one thing left to do. One desperate alicorn, with one forlorn hope and no plan to speak of…

"I name you." I said, my voice flat, but behind it was the ringing of pegasus’ magic, "From now henceforth, you are Discord."

"Discord?" It hummed, "I rather like that..."

"But with a name, you become tangible. You gain definition. My foe." I again stated in the same monotone voice, the thread of magic just behind it growing.

"Is that supposed to frighten me? Sounds rather boring..." Discord said dismissively.

My words coursed with a building power, a dark and powerful magic, spellcraft of a kind unknown to any of my kin. It was more than the mere power of a pegasus’ voice. More than the mere intuitive magic of the unicorn. More than the practical, subtle magic of the humble earthbound. There were the subtle threads of each of their magic, but not a one of them could’ve known what it was that I was doing, because even I refused to use such arts. Until now. Now, I felt as if I had no choice.

"Discord, now you pay for your crimes!" I trumpeted staunchly.

With that proclamation, I closed my eyes in concentration. My silver aura danced about the surface of my being, arcing across my obsidian-horn, causing it to glow once more. The darkness shuddered. A power I had drew upon but once before and only in extreme duress, coursed through my veins. This was the magic of my linage, one fueled not by wisdom, nor by intellect, but instinct. It was a knowledge of magic that even the most sagely of unicorn mages could scarcely understand at a theoretical level, even after an entire lifetime of study.

The very same magic that cost Starswirl his life.

"What spell is that? What are you doing!?" Discord shrieked.

Only now, as the spell began to manifest itself, could he sense the power involved. For a brief moment, it frightened me too. As the power grew, sickly purple orbs of living magic, coated in thin membranes of green, churned and popped along the length of my horn. Dark, arcing bolts of energy occasionally breaking loose, slowly joining and replacing my own silver magic. I don’t know who it frightened more, him or myself? However, I brushed the fear aside. At this point, I couldn’t care less what it did to me. I would protect those that yet lived and avenge those he slew, even if it was the last thing I did!

"Defeating you." I declared dryly.

My eyes snapped open then, revealing that they had become bright green from lid-to-lid, faint purple wisps emanating from the corner of each eye, flowing in an ethereal breeze. With a mighty cry of exertion, I dropped my head, bringing my horn to bear. Without remorse or regret, I shot the putrid looking substance of living magic at him, which enveloped his form in a bright, yet contrastingly dark, explosion of purple and black magic.

One day, a pony would ask me what the power of a god felt like and for a moment, as I stood over Discord, I indeed felt like a god. To stand over everything, to lord over existence like a tyrant with his own personal sandbox, to be the big-fish in your own, little pond in the grand clockwork of the universe. “It’s sublime, zen, nirvana…but also despair, mind-numbing terror…”

The shadow being was gone, but Discord yet stood, if hobbled. Stretched out in his new, even more grotesque, serpentine form, his entire body seemed cobbled together from seemingly random parts… He stood on all four of his mismatched legs, one of a lizard and another of a goat, the paw of a lion and the talons of a giant eagle. The long and slender body ended in a dragon’s tail at one end, and a hideously misshapen head at the other, with a deer’s antler and a goat’s horn. Those glowing yellow eyes, now with piercing, misshapen red pupils stared up at me, as he slowly rose upon his two back legs. A look of confusion, pain, surprise, revulsion and contempt was plastered over his face as he glared at me. What had at first seemed to be a move to stand on two limbs, quickly turned into a lurching and convulsing spasm that sent him tumbling back, a slave to gravity. His maw opened wide, revealing a serpent tongue and a mouthful of uneven teeth that did not seem to belong to any one creature, especially that one oversized fang of his. Then my ears splayed back as Discord screamed in world rending agony, and though he was my foe, I couldn’t help but pity him as he writhed on the ground at my hooves like a snake. Perhaps I was soft, or perhaps it was mere empathy, but that wailing gnawed at me and made me feel like a monster. It was a painful reminder that I had done that to him, and a part of me wondered if that made me any better than he?

But sympathize with him or not, I couldn’t just let him escape, not after what he had done. I looked down at the colt beneath my hooves and my reservations disappeared. Discord had to be stopped at any cost. As I looked at the trembling creature of darkness, I felt nothing but the pure motivation of a parent protecting their child. I felt unstoppable! I felt invincible!

I watched as AuNor, no longer blinded by Discord’s wretched shadow, swooped down to alight beside me. His red scales bathed the valley with a faint red glow that bathed me in a familiar feeling of comradery. We regarded each other, both kings in our own right, the two of us, masters of our universe. A subtle nod between us spoke more than words could’ve hoped - relief, confidence, determination… With a mighty roar, the majestic king challenged our foe and it was he that made the first move as Discord struggled to rise to face us, his face painted with a greater rage than our own. The dragon swatted at the smaller being with his massive wing, only to send the serpent rolling across the rough gravel valley. In the process, he struck his wing upon a bolder and snarled in a pain that I couldn’t help but empathize with. I had lived a long and adventurous youth, enough to have broken a wing or two in my time.

As AuNor lunged at Discord with his jaws set to rip him to ribbons, I took to the air. I was not really very proficient at hoof-to-hoof combat and added to that fact, one did not want to be next to a dragon when they fought upon the ground. They had this nasty habit of lashing their tails back and forth and using their wings to stabilize their hulking bodies upon the ground. Also, in the air, I could rain down spells from relative safety, so I assumed, given my doubts that Discord could fly at this venture. And that is just what I did…

However, as new to his form as he was, or perhaps because of it, Discord proved difficult for the dragon to engage. The serpentine beast dodged with a speed far surpassing the dragon’s and even as clumsy as he was, before AuNor could ever hope to clasp his gaping maw upon our foe, he would always have moved out of the way. Even still, it was little more than writhing for his life. There was no counter-attack, no move to gain superior position. Just pure desperation. However, Discord was fighting a predator and no amount of luck would save him from one simple fact; no one’s luck lasts forever, eventually everyone makes a mistake. A fact well known to dragons…

Finally, with a morbid crunch and an equally disturbed grin, AuNor closed his maw around Discord’s midsection. Ignoring the high-pitched squeal of excruciating pain that came from having teeth longer than one’s hoof wide buried deep into their flesh, the dragon whipped his head back and forth like a dog with a rabbit. Discord’s lion’s paw clobbered AuNor upside the head, the blow resounding across the mountainside as it struck armored plate that likely rivaled castle walls in terms of sheer toughness. Even still, such a blow was ignored as the dragon’s prey lacked the mass to even phase him.

The next I knew, I was knocked to the ground, the air taken from beneath my wings. I woozily shook my head and looked up from the opposite side of the mountain where I had smashed into the ground with enough force to actually make a small crater in the gravel. The thrashing, black-blood bleeding form of Discord first drew my attention, as he shrieked in anguish. My mind was slow to process the form immediately next to him, as the warped and twisted, soot caked form burned from within. A hollow pit formed ever so briefly, before I regurgitated the contents of my stomach onto the ground before me.

Looking up, I made to defiantly rise to my hooves, in a desperate bid to charge the murderer of so many I had cared for. Only, before I could, he saw me first. In a skittering, haphazard slithering fashion, propelled more by his oscillation than his scrabbling limbs, he charged me. An enraged cry was cut short at the last moment as his claws closed tightly around my throat. I tried in vain to fire off a shot of magic at him, to ward him off, only for it to go wide as he dodged.

“What did you do to me?” He cried in terror, his pupils narrow as pinpricks, and I mutely screamed as his black-blood burned my hide like a hot iron, “What did you do!?”

I felt my own blood leaking from my neck as his claws dug deep into my flesh. In desperation, I lashed out with both forehooves, one of which being lucky enough to strike him in the side, eliciting another set of screams from both of us as my hoof found purchase in one of his open wounds. This time my whole limb seemed to be on fire, as his blood coated it. However, the pain was short lived as Discord’s narrowed eyes fell upon me with malice. With that, he drew his talons across my throat in one vicious swipe and threw me aside.

Soaring weightlessly through the air, I flopped onto the side of the mountain where one of the piles of pony bodies happened to be. My head limply flopped back, to blankly regard what I knew to be the single dragon corpse, flayed unceremoniously before my sight. My vision began to blur and my limbs became heavy, as I felt my life flowing away in the form of silver tears from my neck. Then, as everything grew dark and cold, and the world faded from sight…even as I felt myself slipping away, I reached out a hoof to my fallen friend in the form of the dragon king. I knew at that moment that I had failed, Discord was unbeaten and now there was no one that could stop him. My hoof fell limp and my head lulled back as my eyes slid closed, my lips silently forming a desperate plea…

“Someone, save my ponies.”

A pure light erupted forth, from every inch of my body. The sky darkened in the presence of a second sun forming on the side of the mountain, drowning out everything in its pure light. I was everywhere and nowhere, there was no beginning and no end. Time had no meaning here, in this state, both infinite and finite. For a moment, what seemed like an eternally long moment, all of existence ceased to be. I became one.

...and the world was rewritten.

Ch III: Excito

The next I knew, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from my chest. Without prompting, my lungs drew breath and warmth filled my limbs once more. Sensation returned to my stiff body, much as it would with a sleeping limb. My whole body felt cold and heavy, as if it were made of lead. I snapped awake with a gasp, as the realization flooded over me that I was dead. Not near death, but gone. This fact left me almost totally disorientated for a few moments, a terrible aching still residing in my gut.

As I panted, trying to recover my breath, I desperately tried to rise to my hooves with the aid of my wings, but they had gone numb and would not respond. Looking back, I found that they were not numb, but absent altogether. My beautiful wings were gone! Disorientation fled, leaving panic in its wake. I mewled a disbelieving cry of despair. Even when I had broken my wings in the past, I knew that they would heal in short order and I would be back in the air in no time. Now… I slammed my eyes shut, grinding my teeth wishing to be anywhere but here. Someplace where this hardship could not find me, somewhere where I could hide. In hindsight, oh now like a wounded animal I was, seeking shelter from an unseen terror that I just knew was coming for me. I tried in vain to cast a spell, any spell, to remove me from this cold stone pedestal, but it was hopeless. I could feel no spell matrix, no organized magic heeding my call. It was only then that I realized my horn too was was numb and with a brush of my foreleg through my mane, I came to the world shattering realization that it too was gone. There was little now separating me from an earthbound pony, save my size…

I was cold, I was alone, and maimed as I was, I felt naked to the world. Without my horn, I could not fight to defend myself. Without my wings, I could not even flee should there be the need. At that moment the fear overtook me and I felt a compulsion to run anywhere, but the here and now. I once again tried to rise to my hooves, but the smoothness of the marble plinth where I lay caught me unawares and I toppled over the edge to the stone floor below muzzle-first. Even as a foal I had not been so hapless, nor had I ever felt more vulnerable in my whole life. As I lay upon the floor, cradling my head, I did what anyone in such a situation would do, I curled into a ball and wept like a foal.

This couldn’t be happening, I told myself, not to me. How could I have failed so spectacularly? It simply wasn’t possible. No, that was the only explanation. This had to be some sort of trick, some sort of hallucination. Though my face protested the idea that its suffering was anything but genuine. I had to find out. I had to know. Where was I? What had happened? But more importantly, was this real? Ponies don’t die and return to life. It just doesn’t happen. Death is the end of this journey and the beginning of a new one. Was it possible? Was it possible that I was...dead? No. The air smelled fragrantly of cooking apples. Dead ponies do not eat, so why would death smell like apples? My thoughts stopped on that point. Why would the afterlife be unpleasant? Why could it not smell like apple pie? Or a freshly cooked strudel? Though, personally, I would’ve preferred the smell of Stratocumulus or that scent foreboding a steady rainstorm. Then again, if this were the way things were to be, I think that I might… No. I could not be dead. I had too much to do to be dead, there were too many ponies that relied upon me, for me to be dead.

I finally dared to open my eyes and look up. I found myself staring at one of the stone walls in Solstice Hold… How had I arrived hereupon? I wondered. Nothing immediately seemed any different. The walls were still of the same mason-work that they always had been and yet there was a part of me, deep within that screamed something was very wrong. Though for the life of me, I could not perceive what it was.

The gentle clopping of a pony's hooves, followed by a startled whinny, echoed forth from the hallway to my right. I promptly hid my face behind my forehooves, wishing that I could simply be invisible at that moment. Go away, go away, go away… I pleaded silently, only for the sound of timid hoofsteps to break over me, the pony drawing ever nearer with each tentative step. Go away, go away, go away, go away!

“...Dominus? Dominus, is that…are you…?” The stallion’s voice ventured nigh on a whisper.

I looked up, just past the edge of my forehoof and through my bangs that had fallen over my eyes, right into the deep blue eyes of a very familiar earthen colored stallion.

“C-Curans?” I stammered quietly.

At the sound of my voice, a palpable sense of relief flowed over the stallion, a smile coming to his face and tears to his eyes. His legs trembled momentarily, before he fell to his rear with an incredulous chuckle and a shake of his head.

“Please fates, if this is a dream, I would not have me wake.” He prayed quietly, his muzzle to the sky above.

I too began to pray, albeit silently and with my eyes slammed shut.

Please be a dream.

Please be a dream!

It was only when his warm hoof broke me from those dark thoughts with a muted gasp that I dared open my eyes. This time I noticed that he looked ragged. His mane was unkempt and his coat looked like it too had seen better days, were those burn marks?

“Dominus, we...we thought you were gone, to the fields of Elysium…” Curans explained, “After Discord-”

Realization washed over me that if I was thus, then Discord must still be on the loose, and a panic seized me. I stretched forward, grabbing the stallion by the shoulders and pulling him forward, almost taking him off his hooves.

“Discord! Where is he!? We must marshal what mages remain-” I was abruptly silenced by a gentle hoof upon the mouth.

At first I thought to strike him for so rudely silencing me, before I noticed the kindly smile about his countenance. “Rest easy, Dominus, Discord has been dealt with.”

A look of utter confusion came over me as I released him, “H-how?” I stammered.

“Thanks to your efforts in giving the miasma substance, we managed to locate the beast and petrify it.”

I sighed and took several deep breaths, letting the relief flow through me, before I smiled gently. Even in my failure I had still won the day, so it seemed. I should not have doubted my ponies as I had. I looked at the jubilant stallion, before placing a hoof upon his shoulder.

“Of course you can take care of yourselves, I should not have worried.” As I spoke, his smile fell and a somber look came about him, his happiness gone, “What? What is it?”

“I…” He started, only to sigh.

“Speak.” I commanded him sternly, perhaps more so than I should have and he jumped slightly, not used to hearing that tone from myself, before I sighed… “I’m sorry. Please, tell me, what is it?”

“In your absence, Everfree…” He took a deep breath, having great difficulty addressing what ailed him, “Discord’s reign took a heavy toll upon us.”

“That bad?” I inquired, only to receive a nod, “Show me.”

“Dominus, I don’t think that’s wise…” He suggested placatingly.

“No, I must see for myself. Please, help me to my hooves?”

With his aid, I rose to shaky hooves, not unlike the first steps of a foal, unsteady and tentative. It was almost like learning how to walk all over again, trotting with my shoulder against his. At the time, I didn’t notice just how quiet the halls were, or how empty the place seemed. Thus, it came as a great surprise to see the Miletas - the heavily armored earthbound stallion, a member of my self-declared personal guard - at the front door stop and gawk. His jaw fell and his eyes nearly leapt from their sockets.

“Dominus...is-is that…? Can it be?” He stammered is disbelief.

“It is, and I am. Open them for me.” I gestured to the doors he guarded.

“O-of course, milord!” He exclaimed, taking to his task with even more gusto than usual.

The pony put his shoulder into the door, opening it to reveal the evening sky, already turning motes of red, pink and orange. In the distance a few wispy clouds painted the sky the color of slate and lilac. It was a beautiful evening. The air was cool and the ambiance was quiet. It was an evening that I wished I could’ve shared with Courtland.

A startled whinny drew my attentions back earthward. “D-Dominus…?” Another Miletas stammered in exclamation, before throwing himself to his chest upon the ground.

What I saw was heartrending, stallions I had known since colthood throwing themselves to the cobblestone and weeping openly. The motes of shock, surprise, exuberance, elation, and disbelief flowed over me like a river over stone. I regarded the growing crowd with nigh overwhelmed awe. That was when it struck me, I had been dead. Not sure what else to do, I gently lifted a hoof.

“Please, everyone…?” I pleaded, only to stop, unsure of what to say at all.

“Everyone back to your duties, I’m sure Indomite will give everyone his blessing once he has rested.” Curans directed firmly, drawing a curious gaze from me, “What? Sometimes a doctor needs to give orders too.”

I nodded solemnly. I think Curans was one of the few ponies that even I would listen to without question. Since the passing of my father, he had always been there when I had needed him most, as a good doctor should be.

As everyone went back to their posts, the two of us walked slowly up the many steps of the nearby gatehouse that lead to the top of the walls of Solstice Hold. I shakily placed my hooves upon the crenelations and leaned forward to regard Everfree and as I did, a gentle breeze blew over the battlements and I shivered. Even if the breeze had been one from a heated oven, the sight below would’ve chilled me to the bone. Everfree...she was scarred. Everywhere I looked there was damage. Bridges, aqueducts, granaries, and the majority of the Eastern Quarter was little more than a heap of shattered masonry. I felt a comforting hoof on my shoulder and I asked the question that I dared not hear the answer to…

“How many…?” My voice came out in a whisper.

“It looks to be a quarter, with an equal number wounded. The mages are doing their best to heal everyone, but there are so many…” Curans replied solemnly, before I collapsed against the cold stone of the fortifications, “Chin up, Indomite, it’s not all bad.”

I turned around with a vengeful glare, “What part of this is good?” I growled.

“Discord is contained and we are triumphant, Everfree yet lives…” He said placatingly, removing his hoof from me and waving it in an equally placating gesture.

I sighed deeply and turned to regard the city once more, “But at what cost, Curans? At what cost…?” I mused, “Where are we to put the bodies?”

“We are burning them.” He replied gently.

“What?” I exclaimed quietly in breathless surprise as I nearly wrapped my head against the stones of the battlements, “The earthbound and unicorns agreed to such a thing?”

“There is little choice. There are so many corpses and too few ponies to dig graves, or cast the spells for entombment.” He shook his head.

“I see. It is just difficult to fathom…” I admitted, shaking my head in exasperation.

“Then Dominus is right with his people, even those of us who survived can scarcely comprehend what has transpired. Hundreds of ponies are inconsolable, broken not physically, but mentally.” He sighed, his empathic pain rolling off of him, “They scream by night and cry with the dawn, only to sleep through the day. I don’t know what to do...?”

“You will find a way, Curans, you always do.” I said with a gentle, reassuring smile that brought a semblance of comfort to him, just knowing that there was someone that believed in him.

“Of course I will…” He said with a weak chuckle that he barely believed himself.

“Of course you will.” I declared more firmly, with a nod.

There was a brief hesitation from him, “Thank you, Indomite, I needed that.”

I merely nodded in response, before turning back toward the city below and leaning my head upon the cool stone. What am I supposed to do now? A thought then crossed my mind.

“Where is he?” I asked hollowly.

“Who?” Curans asked in confusion.

“Discord, where is he?” I replied, pulling myself from the crenelations.

“The gardens…” He pointed a hoof to the practical labyrinth of hedges and shrubbery that lay nearby.

“I need to see him.” I stated blandly.

“Are you sure?” Curans asked me, only to receive a stern gaze reminding him not to question me too much, “If you’re sure…”

I nodded and we were off.

* * *

I no longer needed him to assist me in walking, though my pace into the gardens was only that of himself. I doubted I could go much faster at the moment, I felt drained and weakened in such a way that I never had before. Our silence continued as we entered the gardens. The stone paths through the elaborate hedges and rows of flowerbeds led to the center of the garden where he awaited us. Surrounded by cobblestone paths, stood the macabre statue of Discord, flash frozen in the moment of time that was his defeat. I stood before him, glaring into those dull eyes and he stared back into mine. He was not dead, merely entrapped, encased in a prison of stone. A fact that became very obvious as he loosed a screaming roar of rage.

“You!” His damning voice accused me, “It’s because of you that I’m trapped like this! What did you do to me!?” He wailed.

“What did you do to me?” I shouted back at him.

“I didn’t do anything to you…” He growled promptly.

“You tried to kill me and then maimed me! Look at me, my horn, my wings! What did you do to me!?” I screamed at the frozen monster, throwing my hooves up onto the plinth where he stood, so that I might be closer to his face.

“Kill you I did, but not well enough, it would appear.” He chided, “Because of you, I’m frozen like this!”

“No less than you deserve. Consider yourself lucky, if it were I that had finished you off, I would’ve banished you to Tartarus!”

Suddenly, the voice of Curans spoke up from behind me, “Indomite… Who are you speaking to?” He asked me quietly, a concerned look upon his face.

I promptly stepped back down and turned my neck around to him, “What do you mean, ‘who am I speaking to’? Discord, right in front of me!” I proclaimed, jabbing an accusatory hoof toward the statue. He looked back and forth between us skeptically… “Curans, don’t look at me like that...can you truly not hear his words within your mind?”

“The ponies cannot hear my words.” Discord stated defeatedly.

“No, I cannot.” The earthbound stallion shook his head gently.

“Then fetch me a maul so that I may rid us of his presence once and for all!” I demanded with a stomp of my hoof.

“I can’t do that-”

“Why not?” I glared at him angrily.

“Because your kin said that if it were to break, he would be released.” Curans explained, only I wasn’t really listening to the other half.

“My kin? What do you mean, my kin?” I asked, cautiously stepping toward him.

“The two alicorns that-”

My eyes bulged at his revelation, as I swept forward placing my hooves on his shoulders, “Don’t taunt me, Curans…”

“I do not jest, Dominus. They were within, the last I knew…” His eyes motioned back toward Solstice Hold.

I had been so distracted with events, that as I stormed off eagerly towards the keep, I did not notice that the sun had finally receded and the moon had crested the horizon. Nor did I take any further notice of Discord in his frozen form. Curans was forced into a full sprint to keep up.

"You'll never be rid of me..." His voice laughed quietly to himself.

Though, not entirely to himself…

“What were you and my sister discussing?” The mare’s voice asked sharply.

“Why, I wasn’t speaking to anyone…” Discord spoke mischievously.

Ch IV: Duae Sorores

The dark colored alicorn gave a proud sigh as she completed her ritual and slowly lowered herself back down to the ground, with her eyes closed. Contrary to outward appearance, moving the celestial sphere was a rather taxing task, one not aided by the fact that she actually had to move it, unlike her sister that merely spun the planet round on its axis. It took two good shoves each day for both Equis and its moon, and she was the only one that handled the moon. At least she helped with spinning the planet… The mare quipped, landing on her hooves with a small thud. She wasn’t used to landing on stone.

The gardens were especially beautiful in the evening, the way her moonlight danced about the rose petals, and glimmered off of the water in the stream and pond. As such, she spent many hours walking the grounds in the few hours before and after the moon’s rising. However, this evening, she thought heard her sister from afar and it almost sounded like she was talking to…Discord? Approaching quietly, their whispers ceased and she soon found herself alone, before the imprisoned spirit of chaos. Though his eyes could not move, the lunar-princess could not help but feel his ethereal gaze upon her.

“What were you and my sister discussing?” The mare said in an aggressive tone, there was a part of her that wished that her sister had focused the elements of harmony on him in such a way that he would’ve been gone for good…

“I wasn’t speaking to anyone…” Discord said dismissively.

She glared at him suspiciously, her eyes full of contempt and mistrust. However, before she could question him further a heavily-armored stallion rumbled to a halt not but a few paces from herself.

“Princess?” The soldier called her name eagerly, waiting for her to turn around before continuing, “Princess, word spreads that Dominus walks!”

The mare’s teal eyes widened in shock, before she wheeled upon him dramatically, “What did you just say, earthbound?”

The pony hesitantly nodded, “Indomite is amongst the living.” He repeated in simpler terms.

* * *

The taller, white alicorn stood before the marble plinth where Indomite’s corpse had lay that morning. It was a morbid thing to think that someone would steal the regal body of the fallen king, but the alternative was too outrageous to believe. It made her wings twitch at the thought of theft. Already her mind was creating a plan to punish those responsible…

Sister, have you heard?

Turning about at the sound of her sister’s mind, the white mare regarded her darker sister for the briefest moment - teal eyes speaking to violet, and vise versa.

Yes, that the body is missing and it-

No, sister, I just spoke to a pony that said he walks!

The white mare snorted in equal parts surprise and disbelief.

These creatures are more deceitful than I had initially believed them capable…

What if it’s true?

Both stood silent a moment, before the white sister had a response.

Then we call out to him.

With that decided, the two turned and left the depressing, makeshift mortuary.

* * *

Once Curans and myself reentered the walls of Solstice Hold proper, I slowed my pace. A part of it was that I really had no idea as to where the pair of mares would be, though I could always flag down one of the Miletas and have him seek them out for me. That would be the easiest solution. Though, there was apart of me that was ever so afraid. In all my life I had never met another of my kin. What were the mares and stallions of my tribe like? Were they wise and sagely, brash and brave, foolish? Were they considered royalty by their own ponies? Or were they merely commoners, without the weight of a crown? ...More importantly, what would they think of me now? Would they even recognize me for what I am? I knew that I sure was having a hard time...

As I moved through the halls, chatting eagerly with Curans, a tremor ran up my spine and I froze in place. Every hair on my body seemed to stand on end. It was a magic the likes of which I knew I had never felt it before, but deep down I knew what it was. It was the magic of an alicorn. Curans turned and spoke to me, only I could not hear his words. It was as if he was at a great distance.

Indomite...Indomite, where are you…?

The words of the strangers flowed into my mind, their words calling out, seemingly with concern. With them came a compulsion, an insistent tugging toward the throne room. Instinct told me that is where they were. Without a thought, my hooves turned and began to carry me in a new direction.

With a look of determination, I spoke, “This way, Curans…” And the stallion obeyed without question, wise enough to know when I was on a mission.

I slowed once more as I neared the corner, doing my best to quiet my hoof-falls, a task not easily done on stone, most especially without magic. Was this just some cruel trick of Discord? A last act of revenge before his defeat? Well, if it was, I was not about to let him catch me unawares! Yet as I hesitated, I heard a muted conversation between two mares. Without thinking, I rose up to my full height and rounded the corner. There stood the two mares that I had heard, but to my amazement, both were alicorns such as myself.

Without thinking I recoiled, raising a forehoof. "Sister?" Was the one word that escaped my lips in shock.

What of all absurdities had I spoken? I had no sister, this was the first I had ever seen another alicorn! Yet, a part of me felt as though I knew them. Both the elder white mare, with the multi-colored mane, and the younger blue mare, with the mane of the night's sky snapped about in shock. As the three of us regarded one another, I could tell by their expressions' that they too recognized me. It was uncanny, our three reactions, they were so similar. It was odd beyond words to me.

"Indomite…?" The white mare looked to me and spoke in equal parts concern and surprise.

"How do you know me? Better yet, why do I know you?" I glared at the one that had spoken to me, in suspicion.

"Why would I not know the face of my brother?" She cocked an eyebrow.

Part of me rebelled from it. I had no sister! I was the product of this land, born from the hearts and minds of the settler ponies all those years ago! However, a part of my heart knew it to be true and contradicted everything I thought I knew. How could this be? I for some reason turned to the blue-mare that remained quiet. A part of her must've felt my objections, for she spoke...

"Do you not remember the mountainside?" She looked at me curiously, "When you fought Discord?"

“I do…” I answered with a slow nod, bristling in anger - partly toward Discord, mostly toward myself, but also at the world and fate in general - “What of it?” I snapped impatiently.

"Relax, Indomite…" The white mare said, coming up to nuzzle me by the side of the neck. It felt so natural, so right, and caused those self-deprecating thoughts to stop immediately "Discord is contained."

"How?" I withdrew gently to look into her purple eyes.

"Luna and I used the Elements of Harmony and entrapped him in stone." She explained and I couldn't help but glance over at the blue mare...

"Luna?" I asked unsure, to which she nodded, before I turned to the other, "...and you are...?"

"Celestia." She said in a gentle way that sounded reassuring.

"Celestia?" She nodded again at my words, "…But where? How?"

"You called for us and we came." She said simply, as if it were obvious.

"I called?" I repeated, quite perplexed, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "I don't remember calling anypony...?"

"When you realized that Discord would reign, you called out to us..." Luna explained in her soft voice.

“We heard your silent tears.” Celestia revealed.

For a moment I was quite confused, what had she meant? Silent Tears? What are those? Then, as if in answer, a thought flowed to the forefront of my mind, more a memory than anything else. It was my plea on the mountainside;

Someone, save my ponies.

"I died." I stated flatly, partly in revelation and partly in realization, acknowledgement of what had happened. Then the weight returned in full, “I died.”

These two mares were a mirror of sorts, reflecting upon me the world as it now was, how I now was. As I beheld my new visage, as I slowly came to accept the truth, I felt myself die a little on the inside. My jaw went lax and tears came to my eyes. My horn and wings were gone...a pair of my kin stood before me, both were a reminder that everything had not been a dream - nay a nightmare - but reality.

"What of my ponies...?" I murmured, the concern evident even in my hollow voice, betrayed by my paling face, “I-I saw Everfree, but...just how bad was it?”

"It was..." Luna began but could not continue, instead she closed her eyes and lowered her head to the side.

"We did what we could." Celestia said as comfortingly as she could.

Though she had tried being kind, the solemnness of her voice spoke volumes. They had suffered and died because of my failure, the scope truly was as grave as I had feared. I lowered my head in shame. I had failed and ponies had paid for it with their lives. I fought back the urge to weep for a second time that day. There was nothing I could do for them now and that hurt almost as much...no, it was worse.

“I...I need some air…” I stated blandly, before bolting, leaving the two mares and lone stallion behind without any warning.

* * *

I did not recall the land moving under my hooves as I ran, nor the scenery as it moved past me. The first thing I recalled after bolting was the feeling of moisture was running down my face. I pawed absently at my forehead at first, before I realized tears were running down my cheeks. For whatever reason I decided to stop, while I sat in the tilled earth of the hillock, looking down at my dirty hooves, I couldn’t help but find it funny. A wry chuckle escaped. Looking up I caught sight of Pegasopolis burning and a pit formed in my stomach as I watched on helplessly. Normally, clouds could not burn, but infuse anything with enough magic and it practically becomes kindling! I looked back at where my wings had once been, now little more than hairless scars upon my back. They were majestic in their own right, powerful, yet elegant, granting me the ability of flight. I could soar above the clouds, to the edge of the heavens, truly they were wings fit for a king. Despite my size, I may not have been the most agile flier, but in terms of sheer wingpower I was more than a match for any pegasi or dragon…was. That pit turned into a gnawing sensation, as the chuckle morphed into laughter that forced itself out of my throat in painful barks of displaced air. So this is what going mad feels like?

“Indomite?” Luna’s soft voice called out to me, silencing my ugly laugh.

“I’m sorry Luna, I need to be alone right now. I need to think,” I said, not bothering to turn around and meet her gaze.

“Indomite?” Her soft voice finally caused me to turn about.

She stood majestically in the plowed earth. Though she stood on the same ground as I did, she somehow made it look regal and not pathetic, as I did. A time ago, I might have been ecstatic to have her in my presence...I mean, another alicorn? Though, at the moment, I felt anything but enthusiastic.

“What?” I asked, a harsh edge tainting my weak voice. Honestly, I didn’t really care what she had to say. I had important matters on my mind, like losing it.

“The night is not the time for being alone, it is for recuperation.” She gently rolled her head in curiosity, “Whereupon do your thoughts dwell?”

“I’m not thinking on anything.” I lied - rather twisted the truth horribly - and not very well may I add, which I could see upon her face, “It’s nothing a mare need concern herself with.”

“I’m not just a mare, I’m your sister. You can-” She tried to comfort me, but instead received my wraith as I wheeled upon her.

“You’re not my sister! I don’t have sisters!” I barked venomously, “Fates know where you came from, but whatever you are, my sister you are not! You...you are some twisted side effect of my magic gone awry!” I turned away from her, and waved my arms in frustration. When my voice spoke again, it was tempered and quiet, “Equestria aches because of me. Pegasopolis burns and Solstice Hold is quiet. This moment will be a black eye in the history of Everfree… I don’t deserve their praise and admiration.” I sniffled, “Leave me alone…”

I stood motionless with my back turned to her, not daring to risk a move, not daring to steal a glimpse of the no doubt furious mare. Simply overwhelmed and unable to think of a proper next move, my mind spun in circles, at war with itself. Unwilling to accept the reality of what had transpired, but unable to deny the truth that was my new life. My head hurt, my heart ached and my hopes deflated. I was so numb to everything that I never felt her arm around my shoulder.

“Is that really what you feel?” Luna’s breath whispered in my ear as she embraced me.

“Yes.” I growled rather unconvincingly, even to myself, “No,” I admitted, “…I am lost.”

“You are not lost, brother.” She tightened her hold on me, “You will never be lost, so long as you are true to yourself…”

My breath caught in my throat and I found myself brought to tears once more. After everything I had said to her, she did not berate me, nor return the insult. She comforted me and with the last words of my late-father no less. Oh, how I wished Starswirl the Bearded were still alive! He would know what to do better than I. He always was wiser than his son.

“Luna…?” I tried to speak, as she loosened her grasp, but was unable.

As she released my neck, I tried to turn about to face her, but she drew me in with another embrace. This one, however, turned into a kiss, upon the lips no less! My eyes bulged in shock, but promptly fluttered until closed. I felt her horn upon my mane as she broke the kiss, but rather than release said embrace, her mind touched mine. It was the most tender feeling I had ever experienced! It was like the few times that my father had shared memories with me, but this connection was so much more, deeper than I could’ve imagined. Both my blood and magic resonated at her mind’s approach. It was like an angelic chorus singing in my mind. I did not shy away, but embraced it. It had been so long since I had someone genuinely care about me, not as a sovereign or a god, but as a person. It felt good to be wanted, not needed, but wanted.

I let her explore my consciousness… Though she shuddered, both physically and mentally at the pain she found, and the wounds that now crossed my mind, she did not ease away. Nor did she withdraw, when I felt her mind, so pristine and unsullied, though she had seen her share of strife and pain since Discord descended upon Equestria. Somehow she remained untarnished, even with all our kin gone, fallen to the shadows. Even seeing the destruction wrought from yet another shadow first-hoof, all of the dead ponies, she remained unspoiled. If only I had that luxury...

As quickly as it began, we withdrew, as of mutual consent. Neither of us could break eye contact, for what seemed to be the longest moment of my life! Such an intimate action…could she really have done that?

“You don’t regret that, do you?” She finally spoke, her fears breaking the silence.

“Nope.” I replied meekly, still shocked from the experience.

“You look faint.” She observed.

“It’s just-”

“Ah, that’s right, you were raised by Starswirl the Bearded. A unicorn.” She recalled, understanding now, and I nodded in confirmation, “Was that the first time you’ve ever shared minds with another?”

“Yes…well, no.” I shook my head unable to easily find the words, “I have, but it was never that intense. My father’s mind was always so…imposing. We never shared anything but surface thoughts and feelings.”

“I’m so sorry…” She recoiled, but not before I placed my hoof on her chest to stop her.

“No, it’s alright.” I shook my head and smiled a little, “You just caught me unawares is all.”

“You’re not angry? I just forced myself upon your mind!” She looked as if she was going to run away in fear.

“Nope.” I replied with a simple smile.

As if to dismiss the last of her fears, I playfully blooped her nose with my own. She smiled simply and the two of us once again embraced, holding the other tightly. It was a simple, meaningful hug, nothing more. I hoped that moment could last forever, but it could not. As with all good things, the moment came to an end. When we finally released each other, without speaking we gazed upon the stars. It was as beautiful a night as I had ever seen…

* * *

The subtle sensation of a soft, feathery wing brushing over my muzzle stirred me from my sleep. As I opened my eyes, I found myself looking at Celestia and her bright-as-the-sun smile. As I came to, I looked about and found my neck draped across Luna’s, a contented smile on her face. We had fallen asleep the night before watching the stars.

By the time I had looked back to Celestia, she had lifted her head and looked to the east. As if awaiting me, she aligned herself with the Eastern Marches, where the glow of the dawn peaked over the mountains, eagerly heralding the new day. Her horn lit in the warming, golden luminosity of her magic, much the same as the sun itself and that was when I saw it - both the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and the most gut churning, perversion of magic I had ever witnessed - the sun rose over the horizon.

My sister looked back to me with eager eyes, hoping for recognition, or praise perhaps? There was no small amount of awe on my face, but it was betrayed by the look in my eyes. The forcing of the sun to rise made me ill on the inside. What I had just seen was akin to raising the dead in my eyes, it just wasn’t natural. It wasn’t right. It was quite simply painful to watch, for I knew at that moment that we were now dependant on these two, in a way that the day before was unimaginable to me. Though I missed it, as I still regarded the sunrise in complete awe, the pain was visible in her eyes as she only barely held back a tear. She, however, buried her emotions and put on a warm smile...

“Good morning, Indomite.” She greeted me with a plaster facade of cheer.

“A fair morning to you, sister.” I responded with a smile of my own, before nuzzling Luna, “Luna, sister? Come, we should return to the keep.”

“Uh, Indomite…?” She groaned, half awake in the light of the morning, “Celestia?”

“Yes, sister.” Celestia nodded gently.

“I think that would be wise.” Luna yawned as she stood, before looking to Celestia, “Are you coming?”

“Actually, I very much need to speak with Celestia, we’ll join you before too long.” I informed her, as I took to my hooves as well.

“Very well.” She nodded, opening her wings, “I shall see you this evening.”

“Of course.” Both Celestia and I said at very nearly the same time.

We glanced at each other curiously and Luna giggled at the sight. I must admit it was slightly humorous.

“I’m off!” Luna announced, taking to the air.

Luna’s dark-blue form was almost comically cute in the glow of the early morning sun, her blue hide glimmering beautifully with the oranges and reds, and baby-blues of the morning sky. The fact that her mane was disheveled from sleeping on the ground the second half of the night, only served to make her prettier. Celestia noticed the not so subtle smile growing on my face and I in turn caught her glancing at me.

“Our sister really is cute isn’t she?” I stated rhetorically.

“She is.” Celestia nodded in response, regarding me questioningly, no doubt wondering what it was I wanted to speak to her of?

“Now that our sister is no longer here, I must ask. What exactly happened while I was…while Discord reigned?” My usual, stoic face reappeared – I couldn’t very well let her see how much this all hurt me.

“Do you really want to know?” She looked at me critically, at the time I thought perhaps even she might not have wanted to repeat it.

“Is there a choice for me?” I cocked an eyebrow, “Come and tell me…”

I waved a hoof and slowly began walking back towards the keep.

What followed was the heaviest conversation I think I ever had in my life up to that point. Though it had been little more than a week before I had returned to the land of the living, I now knew why Pegasopolis still burned and Solstice Hold was deathly quiet. A lump formed in my throat as I realized what terrors the spirit of chaos unleashed upon my kingdom...my ponies. He had turned the three tribes against one another once more, their destruction was all but assured, until the two sisters appeared and imprisoned him in stone. I found it hard to fathom that there were more graves than ponies to dig them. Even the princesses had helped, a fact that I found startling, shocking even. It was a fact that drew a tear to my eye. However, I was going to need a steely resolve if the Kingdom was going to recover from this tragic loss.

“We will need to see to the reconstruction of Pegasopolis immediately.” I stated firmly, “If the Kingdom should require to defend its borders, their wings will be required. Thus, we can spare no expense in the swift reconstruction of the cloud-city.” I then glanced about, careful that none were eavesdropping, “Plus, the ponies do not need to be reminded daily of the suffering of the past.”

Celestia looked like she had something to say, but chose against it. “I agree. Pegasopolis should be the first priority.” She nodded readily, “Stones and earth do not burn after all, and their losses will merely require time to-”

“Please sister,” I raised a hoof, “...I understand, and don’t need a further reminder of my failure.”

“As you wish.” She nodded languidly.

“What of our allies? The Dragon and the Gryphon Kingdoms?” I inquired, especially curious as to the state of the dragons, with their high-king falling at the claws of Discord.

“The dragons moot atop their mountain, deciding their next king.” She said simply, “We have not heard from the gryphons since your marching and have not had so much as one messenger to spare.”

“The first we have should be sent to inquire as to their status.” I stated simply, “Though, before that, I should pay my respects to the Dragon-King’s heirs. They deserve to know how he fell and that it was not in vain.”

“I do not think that he slowed the spirit much, if at all.” She stated apprehensively.

“Perhaps not, but he died in battle. An honorable end for a dragon.” I informed her, “I forget that you do not know of them, or their ways…”

“So you say.” She admitted, “Shall I call for a chariot to ferry you to the moot?”

I opened my mouth, rather offended at such a suggestion, though I quickly realized that it was not out of spite, but for concern. I did appear to be a mere earthbound pony now…

“No, that is quite alright. I shall walk.” I nodded resolutely, “It will give me time to think.”

“If that is what you wish.” She said dismissively.

“Aye.” I nodded once again, “I shall see you before dusk.”

“Best of luck brother.” She wished me simply, before taking off for the short flight remaining to the keep.

“How do I tell them…?” I thought aloud.

Ch V: Quae Facit Rex?

It was nearly midday when I arrived upon the small, flat plateau along the southern side of Dragon Mountain and I was breathing heavily. For the life of me, I swore that the mountain had grown larger in my absence, but when I looked back down the way I came, it looked no taller. Perhaps this is why I never saw any earthbound climbing its steep face? I thought then that maybe it would be good training for our soldiers to climb the mountain once a month. It certainly would make them tougher...

Looking about, none of the dragons had taken note of my arrival so it seemed. It was no great surprise, seeing as I had hiked the mountain, rather than fly to it. Dragons typically ignored the creatures of the ground, as they had no predators themselves. The large cats of the mountains had long since been driven off and no bear was foolish enough to intrude upon a dragon’s roost. However, my original assumption was proven false as a massive copper dragon alighted before me, upon a rocky outgrowth a few body lengths above my resting spot.

“Hold! What do you think you’re doing intruding upon the Dragonmoot?” He roared in a deep, draconic voice, his words foreign to the equestrian ear.

“Hail, AuRye, It is I, the Lord of Equestria.” I shouted back in draconic, with a voice loud enough that none – save perhaps my sisters – would be able to copy.

His large, coppery head cocked aside, before lowering itself to behold me better. His head, the size of my body, contained ivory teeth two hoof-lengths long and a pair of massive emerald eyes that were as large as a dinner plate. One of those eyes beheld me closely, its narrow pupil opening slightly to better take in my image. I raised my chin proudly, exposing my throat – a sign of respect and trust in dragon culture - for I had known the mighty creature since he was a drake. Still, I could not blame him for his difficulty in recognizing me, I no doubt looked rather different since the last we had seen each other. His long, serpentine tongue flicked out to taste the air, before he recoiled slightly in surprise.

“Stones to skies, Indomite, it’s you!” He exclaimed, hopping down to my level, shaking the ground as he did, “It was said that you fell in battle, a noble death?”

“I thought that too, for a time. However, the spirits have not granted me the honor of joining the ancestors just yet...” I said with a cheeky grin, before bowing my head solemnly, “I am here to shout with you.”

His expression turned serious, or at least that was the best guess that I could make. Dragons always were hard to read by their facial expressions alone, a side effect of having an armored face perhaps?

“So you were there at his end?”

“I was.” I nodded and inflated my chest, “Your father fell upon the mountainside by the claws of a mighty foe, defending both honor and kin. His foe was both formidable and cunning.” I glanced back at my side, “Enough to cost me my wings…”

AuRye closed his eyes, both out of sadness and pride. Losing a father is always a painful affair, but in his death, he brought his son both honor and status, a worthy addition to his lineage and his life-song. He prummed in satisfaction of my explanation, before draping his wing over me – a sign of both great respect and trust, one many clutchlings would not share - I looked up to him with wide eyes and he looked to me with one of his.

“You do us a great honor, brother.” His voice hummed as softly and sweetly as I had ever heard from a dragon, “When I am acknowledged King of the mountain, you may count on my support as you did my Father’s.”

I smiled softly. “AuNor’s legacy shall be added to the histories, as will yours one day, AuRye.” I then leaned upon his scaly side, “Though I may never again take to the skies with you, my heart is as always yours.”

“Come, let us away to the moot?” He gestured with a motion of his head toward the top of the mountain.

“That might be difficult without wings…”

“So long as you are my brother, you will never be without wings.” He knelt and folded up said appendages, “Do not dottle, we mustn’t keep them waiting.”

“AuRye, you would bear me upon your back…?” I nearly gasped in surprise, “What of the other dragons?”

He snorted smoke. “Let them think what they will. You are a hero, a survivor of a great battle, a King of your own making. Let them cajole, it only shows their ignorance.”

I nodded simply and quickly clambered up onto him with only minimal effort. “Thank you.” I whispered to him once seated upon his back.

“You are earning me the crown, I think this is the least I can do to repay you, brother.”

Without another word, he opened his wings, a hundred hoof-breadths each and leapt from the ground, his mighty wings catching air. His armored form was slow to rise, steadily gaining altitude with each beat of his massive vellum wings, but still more slowly than even the most laden sky-king. He slowly crested the top of the caldera, before setting down on the edge of its lip. Within were dozens of the largest, oldest and wisest of their kind. Reds, greens, coppers, a silver and a brown regarded AuRye and his passenger curiously. I promptly hopped off of his back and was greeted by the scowling face of a large, green dragonnell…

“Carrying grass-eaters now are we, AuRye? What would your Father think…?” She taunted him.

He reared up, ready to shout at her, only for my voice to speak up. “You’re as stupid as you are ugly.” I replied in the draconic tongue, only for her to lunge at me. I in turn stood on both back legs to be high enough and hoofed her in the snout. The blow caused her to recoil and before she could act again, I shouted at her, “Lay down, Neera!”

She lowered herself and hissed at me loudly. “I should eat you alive, mudblood…”

“If Discord couldn’t kill me, what makes you think you can?” I retorted with a growl.

The entire caldera erupted into quiet murmuring. Such a combined mass of draconic voices was admittedly intimidating. Sure, I kept the company of several dragons over the many years, but there was something different about standing before one and their entire host - something I had done but a few times...

“You heard him, this is Indomite, King of Everfree, foe of Discord! A warrior of claw and wing so fierce that even death could not bind him!” AuRye bellowed at them to make sure he had their attention, “Look at him, scarred as he is, he climbed the mountain alone. He did this to honor my father and our customs. Now, show my brother some respect!” He growled in challenge.

After a few moments of silence, I decided it was my turn to speak to the moot. “AuNor was my friend. More than that, he was my brother.” I sighed, thinking what I should say next, “I knew him since he was a drake and I, a colt. Long did we share each other’s company, and hospitality. Many times we fought. Sometimes together and sometimes against one another. Regardless of what you thought of him, he was long in claw and sharp in wit, and never a dragon to back down from a challenge.

“When we were younger, and both new to rule, we came to blows. He saw Everfree, a land of plenty and a land of small beings, and upon encouragement took to besetting my domain. An act I do not begrudge him for! Still, you came, ready to ransack my kingdom, lay waste to it and take what you wanted. Only, there was one stallion that would not yield to him, and that stallion was myself. I challenged him to honorable combat, one on one. Some of you here were yet among those that taunted me, chidingly calling me a fool. Still, he met me in the skies over Everfree.

“What followed was a dance of fire and claw, hoof and horn, the likes of which had never been seen before or since, and will never be seen again. For more than an hour we two clashed, exchanging blows like the Titans that formed the world at the dawning of time. Thunder and lightning punctuated our duel, like the drums of war. Eventually he yielded before me, but those of you that were there can attest it was not through lack of trying. By the end of the fight, my armor was destroyed and I bore little of my mane, likewise, his scales had seen better days. Still, as I stood over him in the South Fields, I saw in him something that some of you never did, a strength. Perhaps not of the body, or the mind, but of the heart. He had a vision for the Dragon Kingdom and that vision was of stability, one where no longer would you have to migrate across the world till the end of time.

“Even onto his dying breath, fighting forces that would see you scattered to the winds, to all corners of the world, he kept that strength. It burned brightly within him, as it it now does in his son. It is AuRye that now carries that strength in his life-song, as the rightful heir to the Draconic Crown!”

* * *

It was evening, AuRye and I were laying on one of the stone shelves looking south over the valley that was Everfree. The fields of growing wheat and corn rustled softly beneath the gentle breeze. It was serene in every sense of the word.

“What does orange look like?” AuRye asked out of the blue.

“What?” I replied more than a little shocked.

“You speak of the beauty of the sunset, the oranges, reds, magentas… What do they look like?”

“Why the sudden interest?” I asked him, quite intrigued myself at what had elicited such a question.

“Humor me…?” He looked over at me with a sigh.

I was silent for a long moment, before replying. “They look like a farewell, but not a goodbye. A reminder that you will see one another soon…” I shrugged, “That’s what they look like to me.” I regarded him for a quiet moment, “What does a sunset look like to a dragon?”

“It looks cold.” He replied bluntly.

“Cold?” I repeated incredulously, with a stunned expression.

“The shades remind me of winter, a time to slumber.” I chuckled in response to his words, which only elicited a mildly cross glance from him, “What’s so funny?”

“I suppose it makes sense, nighttime is cold.” I shrugged.

It was at that moment that I saw Luna take aloft from Solstice Hold, in her ceremony to raise the moon and drag out the stars. It was the first occasion that I had seen such a thing. Much like that morning, I watched in awe. Even in my glory, I could not have dared to touch the heavenly bodies, even with all of my magic in one massive effort! Yet, here was a mare that could move them as I would breathe. She made it look so easy…

“Are you alright, Brother?” AuRye nudged me with the tip of his snout, distracting me.

I chuckled airly. “I was just thinking.” I admitted, watching the moon rise, “It’s been one week, one week. Seven mere days for the world to change. Before, Everfree was a thriving civilization. Now, everything feels dead. Our land lays scarred, the weather and the heavenly bodies do not move on their own accord…if it were not for the powers of the two alicorn-mares that have graced us with their presence, our lands would not move. We would stagnate and die…” A few tears gently rolled down my cheek as I roughly rubbed my brow with a hoof - I wept for all those who had paid so dearly for their freedom... “A part of me can’t help but ask if it isn’t the honored dead that are truly free? Have we, kings of our lands, not become slaves?”

“We live.” He stated matter-of-factly.

I turned to him sharply. “Do we? Are we alive, or did we merely survive?” I rebutted sharply, punctuating the question with a snort of frustration.

“That is up to you, Indomite.” He responded sagely, “What do you plan on doing? Are you going to wallow in your own pain and failure, let them consume you? Or do you plan on overcoming what has happened to you?”

I became silent for a long moment, thinking for a response. I had almost forgot that AuRye was more than a century old. When my voice did speak, it was in a whisper. “How am I to heal their woe, just look at me... What if I never recover? How could I ever hope to help my subjects, when I can’t even help myself?”

“It’s simple,” - He declared, earning a skeptical, sidelong gaze from me - “You give them your hope and keep none for yourself.”

“I…” I sat there with my mouth working but no meaningful sounds coming out.

“You bullshit. You give them hope when there is no reason to have it. Have confidence in your subjects and mountains they will move.” The dragon then slapped the stone with a lazy flap of his clawed hand, “A mountain is not defined by its peak, but its roots...so too is a kingdom.”

I grinned ever so slightly. “I hope you know that your father raised you well.” I slowly, gently nodded.

“He also chose well his friends.” He grinned playfully then, “Perhaps not the wisest and a little on the scrawny side…”

I batted a hoof at his clawed hand over my head. “Just because I’ve got no horn or wings now, don’t think I won’t still give you a shiner.” I threatened, putting my hoof playfully on the armored ledge of his face just beneath his eye, “I’ve already punched one dragon today, I see no reason not to make it two!”

“You wouldn’t dare to punch this face…” he said coyly, “This face was sculpted by the Titans themselves, a flawless image of pure draconic beauty!”

I stared at him blankly for a moment and he stared back. Finally, I dissolved into giggles, both forehooves wrapping on stone as I tried not to fall off the edge of the cliff. He chuckled too, happy that he had made me laugh. I doubt that he had ever seen me in such a dark, depressed state of mind. I was usually the jovial, high-spirited one, eager to enjoy any opportunity presented.

“Thank you.” I finally sighed in relief, placing a hoof upon his foreleg, before reminding him, “It is night.”

“So it is…” He nodded.

“Then, let us join together, our voices with those of the ages to warn your enemies of his coming…”

With massive breath, a mighty roar erupted from the mountaintop, his powered by lungpower and mine was amplified by what magic I could still access… A chorus of bellows resounded from Dragon Mountain. Every soul on the face of Equis and those in the hereafter, were sure know of his passing and know to fear him evermore. No doubt the ponies in the valley below stopped dead in their tracks, their evening affairs forgot momentarily, as they regarded the mountain in suspicion and fear. Such an event had only occurred but once in my lifetime, but certainly not in theirs! As decisively as it started, an eerie silence fell over the land as our voices ceased, leaving only the sound of a distant, ringing echo behind…

* * *

It was late in the evening whence I returned to Everfree from Dragon Mountain. The day had long since yielded to night and only the moon remained in the sky, its cool, gentle blues a stark contrast to the bright watercolor painting that was the sunset. The fields of wheat about the north road fluttered peacefully in a gentle breeze. So long as there was still beauty in this new world, then it was one that I could live with. One that, given time, I might grow to like, even love once again.

The warm feelings were muted by the depressing sight of scorched townhouses and lingering damage throughout the city. Everywhere I went I could feel a gentle, aching pain, that in places ramped right up to darker thoughts and feelings that would need to be tended to before long. If I could, I would’ve taken their woe upon myself and bore it all without hesitation, it would’ve been the least I could’ve done to repent for my failure. Though I wasn’t sure how to do so, I was determined to try and help my subjects.

This alone kept me musing even as I entered the gate to the main keep, from the eastern road through the city. A single guard-pony hailed me from the ramparts, eliciting a passing acknowledgement from myself. The fact that there was but one pony watching the gatehouse was a symptom of the devastation that Everfree faced. There was a time where a dozen ponies would be stationed at a gate, even in the evening time.

Opening the great doors to the main hall, the gentle smell of cooked apples wafted into my nose. It seemed too long since I had smelled that sweet aroma…

I raised my head and spoke-up, announcing my arrival as I always had. “Hail, it is I! Whom is present at this hour?” Silence answered me. There were no nobles, or guards, or hangers on waiting for me. I chastised myself for expecting anything less, who would welcome a fallen king? I sighed. “No one, I see…”

“Ah, Indomite?” Celestia’s voice shocked me from my depressed mood, eliciting a quick whipsnap motion of my neck. Looking up, I saw that she had entered from one of the side entrances at the far end of the hall. I must admit that I found it a little perturbing that she could be so quiet. “You have returned. I was beginning to fret.”

“Ah, sister,” I nodded, my heart still racing in my chest, “yes, it took me longer to return than I had expected. I had not walked to and from Dragon Mountain since I was a colt.”

“That makes sense.” She nodded too, gesturing for me to follow her, “Come, let us eat. Luna shall join us as soon as she completes her task.”

“That sounds pleasant.” I nodded one more time, smiling faintly.

I trotted up to her and the two of us proceeded down the corridor from whence she had came, to the feasting hall. It did not take her long to notice the general melancholy that was attempting to reassert itself upon me.

“What’s wrong brother?” She finally asked.

I glanced over to see her concerned face looking back at me. “It’s so empty.” I stated flatly, morosely, “It’s too quiet.”

She nodded sympathetically. “That must be unsettling indeed.”

“Very much so.” I sighed, before taking a deep breath, “I can remember when I was a foal that I had to watch where I played, so that I would not get underhoof. Now I must endeavor to find another soul.”

“Much can change in a century…” She reminded me.

“Much has changed in a week.” I pointed out to her, “Everfree is now so scarcely populated that I now find myself wondering if I am not dead and this is the afterlife of the damned…?”

“I assure you, you’re very much alive.” She said trying to sound reassuring.

“If you say so, it must be.” I replied with a glum, dismissive tone.

Neither of us knew anything else to say, so we continued in silence, Celestia’s eyes occasionally drifting over to me worriedly. Though it seemed a long walk, we arrived at the feast hall readily and the spread was already awaiting us. Luckily, the cooks had not disappeared, if they had, I think I might’ve starved. The tale of my last brush with the culinary arts was still told amongst the staff in whispers, though it had been nearly a century! Needless to say, a disaster of epic proportions, with their King at the center of it all was quite a persistent tale. One I allowed if for no other reason than to remind them that I was indeed still fallible - a lesson I would have to remind them of no more…

Joining us from the opposite end of the hall was Luna, back from raising the moon. She looked slightly stressed, as if something were on her mind? Whatever was bothering her, was quickly eclipsed by a smile upon seeing me. Being preoccupied myself and no little bit naive, I ignored her initial trepidation, figuring that whatever it was she would tell me in due time.

The majority of the evening was filled with light conversation and good food. The three of us spoke of our respective day’s and Luna of the events so far this evening. My sisters found my time with the dragons particularly exciting, a fact that I found amusing, since I spent so much time with them. However, it was my plan to inevitably get around to talking about the recovery and reconstruction of the kingdom…

“Alright, my sisters, I have heard from both of you what has transpired and seen the damage of Discord firsthoof…” I sighed and glanced down at the table at which we sat, the well devoured spread thinner than usual, “I fear for our kin this winter season. We must look to the granaries first, and see to it that the roads and bridges are repaired, so that the outlying farms may get the most of their crop to market. Pegasopolis should be repaired promptly, but we can leave the repairs to Everfree’s homes and defenses for last…as much as it pains me to say so.”

“You plan on living in a burnt city?” Luna responded with a somewhat surprised expression.

“Sacrifices must be made. I expect everypony from the lowest street rat to the highest noble to do their part. That goes for us as well.” I stated determinedly, “It is going to take hard work to heal the wounds of this attack, but I believe that we can reforge the kingdom even stronger from the losses we have suffered here…” I proclaimed defiantly, Discord’s wounds would be short lived and quickly forgotten if I had my say! My proclamation earned even greater expressions of surprise from both mares... “Luna, I want you to do what you can to work with the assessors and surveyors. Coordinating everything will require a sharp mind at the end of the day, when Celestia and I are both tired from our respective tasks.”

“A wise course of action.” Luna nodded in agreement.

“Now Celestia, you and I must see to the repairs of Pegasopolis, and Everfree, respectively. I will oversee the repairs of the roads, bridges and granaries of the capital, while you take wing and assist the pegasi in repairing the cloud-city. Both took inordinate amounts of damage and our first task, after restoring the cities’ most basic functions, will be to clear the rubble and start repairing damage to the housing. The greatest threat to this kingdom right now is low morale.”

“You do not want to repair the walls and gatehouses first?” Celestia wondered curiously.

“With three of us, we alone should be able to repel any threat that should try its hoof, paw, or claw at such a foolhardy endeavor.” I shook my head, “No, we save the defenses for last. Besides, with our allies, we have little to worry about.” I sighed before taking a deep breath and rising from my seat, “The greatest threat comes from dissent. The nobles have always had a hard time working together and if we don’t relieve the malaise of the common-pony, then Discord might succeed, even if he is imprisoned in stone.”