Author's Note
After my........ something, that was Logi, I wanted to make something that was better. I wanted something that I knew I could make. So I give you Upon The Cursed Throne.
Curious Curse
The Kingdom of Fosai was dead. Long before Discord, long before Celestia and Luna, and even longer before Grogar, Tirek and Scorpan, Fosai was a kingdom of a pragmatic species. Beings that walked like giants, working with the wilds rather than tame them like the modern pony. Fosians were once nomadic, but settled their kingdom in the deepest heart of the Everfree, and it has since stood there since time immemorial. The oldest being known to ponykind, Discord has stated he had met the only Fosian to exist before it passed away. It sat on the throne, a husk of its former self, and just before a word could be spoken, it fell to dust. No bones, no skin, no blood, only a memory of it inside the crazy mind of a Draconequus. That was the last time anyone had ever heard of the Fosians.
"...So then I said, 'I wouldn't touch those with a ten foot pole!'" Discord said, finishing what must've been a really good joke, as the six ponies were currently laughing their flanks off. Rainbow was the first to gain her barings.
"You know Discord, it's hard to believe," she said between chuckles, "it's hard to believe we were at each others throats three years ago. I wish Fluttershy made friends with you earlier; you're a riot!" She said, succumbing to laughter. Discord thought for a moment, and he looked at Fluttershy, who just blushed at the praise.
"Y'know she's right." Discord prodded her sides, causing the shy mare to let out a small 'eep!' and a giggle. "Had it not been for Fluttershy, I'm sure I would be chasing Celestia and Luna while they wore clown make up or something!" He said, holding up his chocolate milk, and ate the whole thing. As he crunched the glass however, his eyes widened and he grabbed his throat. He was choking? He launched up from the table, as the laughter stopped and they all ran to his aid. He gagged at the contents in his mouth and with a contained burp, smoke began to leak the corners of his mouth.
The smoke began to cloud around above his head and the image of a young Discord running through the forest came into view. Something familiar about this image was stirring his-- He quickly waved the smoky memory away, but the young Discord reached out of the memory and stayed his own hand. The real Discord, still unable to talk only shook his head. He pulled out a sign. "Why now?! Why here?!"
The memory Discord smiled sinisterly, showing rows and rows of teeth. "Our agreement." He said in deeper voice. Real Discord's eyes widen in fear, after all those years, how did he forget THAT? In the memory, young Discord slithered through a ghost town of a kingdom. The walls once a smooth stone, now tattered with holes. Tapestries, eaten by moths and other various insects. The ponies stared in awe as the memory played. Ancient walls crumbling, streets covered in moss and grass, but the one thing that seemed to captivate them the most was where the memory ended. A throne of thorns and spikes against gnarled roots, climbing to what seemed to be forever. The memory officially ended when the younger Discord laid his eyes upon the emaciated figure upon the throne.
Fluttershy was the first to speak. "Discord? What... what was that place?" She waited for him to speak, but was shocked to find him shaking with fear, a fear she didn't understand.
A fear that was so powerful, that it gripped his heart and yanked it out. Almost quite literally. His arms were pushed to chest, of which was in great pain. "...un..."
"Discord?"
"RUN!!!" He exploded, his chaos energies flying out of him like windigoes on a rampage. Using what little sanity he had left, he tethered himself with his own magic and created an inescapable barrier to prevent anyone from becoming hurt. The ponies, now churning with a similar fear, ran to the nearest place they could, the Everfree Forest.
"What was that?!" Rainbow shouted as they continued to run away. The vision of Discord just suddenly turning into chaos incarnate was... It made her skin crawl.
"I don't know! Maybe if we ask Celestia about it--OOF!" Twilight said before getting cut off by a large branch. "Ow..."
"You okay, sugarcube?/ Are you okay, dear?" Rarity and Applejack said at the same time. Twilight winced at the pain in her head, feeling her horn. Slight pain, nothing to it, but holy moly was that super close; any higher and it would've taken her horn clean off.
"Yeah, woo... I'm- I'm fine, anyways... Maybe Princess Celestia knows what to do about... it..." She trailed off as the view in front of her became more clear, a pathway to an old, old sign came into view. A very old sign on top of that.
BE WARNED!!
This kingdom has long since been dead, the throne has sat empty for thousands of years. Would be reporters are to steer clear and any other creature is advised to WALK AWAY!
It was Fluttershy who spoke up. "This... This is Discords writing." She said tracing her hoof over the molded wood. No sooner as she touched the sign, it broke causing her to jump away in shock. The paper was still there, floating only for a second, before new words burned upon it.
"A strong spirit is required to take the throne of Fosai."
Twilight perked up. "Fosai? But it's just a myth, a very old one at that..."
"So was Nightmare Moon." A voice called from the darkness. Turning, the group came across...
"NIGHTMARE MOON?!" Everyone shouted. "But-but-but how?! You were--"
"Striped, pulled out of Luna and given my free will. I thank you for that, however I've come to warn you. The Kingdom of Fosai was never meant to be found. If anything, it was made to be forgotten. A realm of giants once ruled this land, and now none survive. Well, ONE is alive, but is being controlled. Twilight and friends, I implore you: stop the new king from ascending to the throne."
And with that, Nightmare Moon vanished with the wind. Twilight looked to her friends and they all nodded in confidence, and she too did the same. As they took the first step into Fosai, suddenly there confidence quickly turned into fear. So ancient was this place, that a simple breeze could know over the walls, yet there was no breeze. The snarls of the forest suddenly stopped, and even the crickets chirping fell silent. Fosai was as the paper before said: A dead kingdom. They didn't know they were supposed to take 'dead' quite literally though.
Rarity and Fluttershy hung to each other for comfort, Rainbow and Applejack kept watch around their surroundings. Pinkie, while trying to keep a happy mood, seemed to be giving into her fears. Twilight Sparkle was trying not cry, not for history, not for the lost knowledge. No, she cried because she could feel it; the pain of thousands of beings ending in this very kingdom. Soon they came across an open courtyard, where a pair of once golden doors now hung a pair of molded wooden doors, barely staying on their hinges.
As Twilight and her friends carefully moved the doors, what was once a throne room was now a mess of tangles, gnarled roots, and sharp thorns. The six ponies carefully navigated themselves through the roots to find themselves face to face with the Throne of Fosai.
Cursed, was the dread chair, steps leading up to it held small thorned roots, each step holding a small amount of what seemed to be blood. Looking at the actual throne itself, they all saw it; or rather saw him. Twilight, having been in the human world once before knew what they looked like, but even then some features weren't right. Eyes too small, his mouth had bright pink lips, and... all of his features just seemed smaller. The roots seemed to be growing around his arms and his legs, locking him in place, but he knew he showed no signs. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling...
"He's asleep." Applejack pointed out. Rainbow Dash the ever-so adventurous one, decided to test that statement, only to be smacked away by one of the roots. The roots writhed with a contained anger before laying dormant again, falling in the same spot they had originated.
"Do not touch our grand patriarch..." An old, withered voice sounded from behind them, and what they saw was no less terrifying than the dead kingdom. A being with its skin dried and sunken, eyes naught but an eerie blue glow. Its bony hands held onto some sort of walking stick/staff that seemed like the only thing keeping it up. "Do not touch him, you are impure." He said clutching the stick tightly.
"Impure?" Pinkie questioned.
"Yes, sullied by those of the outside. Fosai has no need for outsiders, we only need our king," he knelt on one knee. "Oh, please awaken my grand chosen king. It has been too long since Fosai had life, please breath life back into this once dead kingdom... Let us destroy those of the outside who call us mere myth, or legend." He said with a smile in his voice. The ponies jumped back and the elder creature rose with surprising speed and turned towards them. His robes had fallen off, leaving only his chest bare, if one could even call it a chest. A large, gaping hole where his heart once was occupied the space. Upon his neck was a small green jeweled necklace and using his staff he beat on the floor twice. The jewel glowed, and a roar echoed through the land. A roar they were familiar with.
An explosion of debris happened in front of them, and now standing in front of them was a true and primal Discord. On all fours, wings larger than his own body, and his limbs looking more real than cartoonish, he reared back and let out a whinnying roar that was just as much pain as it was anger. "Now then, Discord. As per our agreement..." He slammed his staff twice and Discord reacted violently, thrashing around like a wild beast. "Kill the intruders."
Discord roared in fury, charging the first pony he could see. Applejack rolled away, and pulled Rarity by the tail to get her to move along with her. Fluttershy and Rainbow flew around, avoiding his swipes and bucking kicks. Twilight on the other hand was trying to find away to defeat this walking, talking corpse. She was going over scenarios in her head. If she attacked, she would be open for Discord, if she didn't then her friends would be defenseless. If she attacked Discord, she would be his primary target and then everyone else.
"ARGH! This is so confusing! How can I... The throne! If I can just get-- No, I can't not after what happened to Rainbow..." She thought to herself, not noticing the elder walking towards her, a veil of dark green magic swirling in his hand. The other six were clearing not having it easy either, as Discords attacks became more erratic and random, attacking one pony then going for one behind him or next to him. All of them went down though, Rainbow caught his tail and fell to the ground, he swiped Rarity and Applejack away, then headbutted Pinkie into the nearest wall. All that was left was Fluttershy, and she stood still for the beast.
"Go Fluttershy! Get outta the way!" Rainbow yelled. Fluttershy was not moving though, she stood in front of Discord defying her fears. Discord reared up with a mighty roar and everypony closed their eyes... only to hear nothing. No snapping jaws, or terrified screams, but instead a pained growling. Looking they saw Flutteshy's hoof on his snout, and Discord's eye going wide.
"Shh... I know you don't want to hurt us." She cooed and even going as so far as to hug his muzzle. His eyes widened, going back their old shades of gold and red before two quick slams forced him back. He shook his head and peered behind him.
"Discord! Do NOT forget our agreement! Destroy those intruders or else..." He hung that threat while holding onto the green jewel. With another two slams, each one stronger than the last, Discord shook Fluttershy off of him and approached her, death in his eyes. He opened his mouth, with the intent of a single bite yet as he had her between his jaws, he could not come to close them. His lower jaw shook, as if holding back his own muscles and yet he could not force them closed.
Another two slams, and then two more. "DISCORD! OBEY YOUR MASTER! KILL HER!" He roared while Twilight used this brief moment to fire a quick spell, only for it be blocked by his staff. Discord's whole body shook now. He had to obey, yet he didn't want to loose his friend... but he had the jewel... and yet she...
Discord forced his head up and his jaws closed around nothing, and he screeched loudly into the air. He leaned down to Fluttershy and purred gently at her touch, but this caused the wizard to grow angry. "You... YOU FOOL! You cannot break our contract, our deal! Once the new king was chosen, you are to act as the kingdoms guardian! YOU AGREED TO THIS!" He barked, slamming to staff down multiple times, each time causing Discord to flinch as the command to kill kept being driven into his head. However, Fluttershy's soothing voice seemed to drown it out. "Grrr... Fine. I'll do it MYSELF!" He said firing a bolt of magic infused with the roots. The roots and magic infused with it ripped through Discord's arm pinning him to the ground.
Another root shot in the other arm, keeping him pinned. Soon, he heard all six ponies gasping for air as green magic circles appeared around their necks. "I'm sick of doing everything myself. You can't even kill them right! I'll show you how to do it." He said grabbing a rat from the forest floor, hovering with the same magic circle. "Watch closely Discord..." He said, forcing the chaos spirit to watch. The ring around the mouse collapsed on itself, and then expanded out. The mouse was breathing, then it suddenly stopped as its little head slipped of its body and onto the floor. The body was thrown away unceremoniously, and the head was crushed beneath his foot. "Who should I start with hmm? The Rainbow haired one, or maybe the farmer? Hmm.... Oh! I know! How about your little girlfriend..." He said, with a wicked smile.
Discord began to panic, knowing what those circles did, he thrashed around, eagerly trying to stop him. He looked to Fluttershy, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He didn't want this. He refused to believe this. ""No... Please..."
"It is far too late, 7000 years too late to beg for your life, worm. Now watch as the love of your life is taken from you for the second-- GAH!!" The wizard suddenly fell, clutching his chest, where his heart should be. "Lacrima..." He whispered to himself as he looked to the throne. The boy, the child was awake and he held in his hands...
"My phylactery! Sire, please don't do anything stup-- AAARRGH!!" He fell over again, his chest in deep pain. The boy, held the phylactery in his hands, what it was was a heart. A human heart beating in his hands as he softly clamped his hands around it. Each time, the wizard, or rather, the Lich fell in agony begging for the pain to stop.
"You stole me away, locked me here in this gods forsaken place, and expect mercy from me? Do you take me for a fool, Geirmund?" He said, and while he was young, he sounded experienced. He held the phylactery up and poked it softly with a thorn, and the lich writhed on the floor in impossible pain. Yet despite all this pain, he laughed.
"Even if you destroy it, I will live on through my soul essence. It will seep into the nearest living being I would be compatible with, and that would be you! So go ahead, do it!" He taunted. The boy thought only for a moment before plucking one of the large sword like thorns from a root. He positioned the heart over his own and looked at the lich dead in the eyes.
"What say you now? Would you pass on if I were to die with you?"
"W-wait now lets now be too hasty, Sire!"
He would hear nothing of it though. The boy with out a second thought plunged the thorn into both himself and the phylactery. The lich wobbled for a moment before collapsing to the floor and began to crumble to dust, and the king was no longer, as soon as the thorn had pierced his heart, he stopped moving. As the lich turned to dust, his voice rang through the forest. "A Curse here, a curse there. A curse for he, and she, why care. A bottomless curse, a bottomless sea, source of all greatness, all things that be. Listen for the baneful chants. Weep with them, as one in trance. And weep with us, oh, weep with us..."
And then lich was no more. Discord returned back to normal, the rings disappeared and the roots rotted away. The boy who pierced himself on the throne did not move, and the phylactery faded into dust... and soon distant voices were being heard.
"Gone? Gone is the monster?"
"Away, away, to the Earth he returns."
"A curse upon thee, and upon thine kin, and your kin's kin, for evermore..."
The voices came from the trees, and out stepped more Fosians, more humans. All of different shapes and sizes, and out from them all came a wizards, old and wizened, and a long beard hanging from his face. "I thank you, strangers." He said in friendly tone. "The king will be pleased to hear that Fosai is saved." He said walking to the throne, where the dead boy sat. He gently removed the sword like thorn and softly touched the wound. With a small chant, the wound healed and slowly the color came back to the boys face. He blinked around to see the other humans around him and he touched his chest to find no wound.
"Welcome back, my king. Please, relax, I will answer all your questions once I tend to our guests." The wizard said turning back to the ponies and Discord. "My name is Nalagar, and I must thank you again. Come with me, and watch as Fosai springs back to life." He said as his staff clicked the ground and walls rebuilt themselves and unweathered into pristine condition. "The old king, was a kind ruler. He was never angry, fights were disputed via games that everyone enjoyed. Until one day where a scouting team report a dragon destroying a village nearby on the outskirts of our kingdom."
He said grimly as the roads remade themselves, brick by brick. "The king was gripped by fear, something that the throne could detect. A strong spirit must sit the throne, for any doubts within his mind will manifest within the kingdom.
"The kings fear of the dragon manifested as thorns. In places where they should not be, from shoes to food. That sliver of fear was enough for Geirmund to enact his plan." He explained, now sitting at the now repaired golden gates. "Geirmund proposed that our neighbors, the Centaurs and the Gargoyles could be of assistance, and the king agreed. At first, the thorns subsided, but then... They attacked us. Geirmund killed hundreds of their kind, taking the horns and bones and selling them for a profit. Greed consumed him, fear gripped the heart of our king, and we fled to the realm of the spirits. Our king stayed, and as time went by his body withered and crumbled to dust. I believe one of you has seen him already."
Discord stared, remembering the corpse that just fell apart. That was a long ago, when he was still young. "I know of your deal with Geirmund, and I know you thought it would be fruitless. I do not hold ill will towards you, since you were but young." Nalagar said, turn to him. "I forgive you chaos spirit, and I hope our meetings in the future... are more pleasant." He said as the now reconstructed gate closed in front of them. The wooden sign was remade too, and now the paper read only one line.
"The Kingdom of Fosai welcomes all, just knock three times, and we will come and greet you."
