Creation’s Folly

Discord withdrew from Solus’ mind, scratching madly at his scalp as he sifted through the screens of memories floating in front of him. His form shimmered like water as he withdrew into the shadows of the newly formed realm of chaos where there was once a peaceful forest glade. But before he vanished entirely, he paused to think, grumbling to himself. I just can’t make him break. What makes him tick, feel so confident with that little trickle of his soul flowing into the child, that he can take me down? What can I do to conquer his will and speak?

The lingering remnants of Solus’ soul taunted him, like an enigma puzzle, and Discord hissed. “Do you really think you can hide where you’ve sent him forever?” He said maliciously. “That your precious Aurelius, your last hope for salvation, can possibly hope to help match his elder in sheer experience?”

Solus didn’t answer, lost in his reliving of ancient memories, which filtered out like a fog into Discord’s hand. “It’s only a matter of time until I find the memories I am looking for. I will twist him, break him, and either bend him to my will or consume him entirely, you filthy puddle.”

Discord smiled, floating gently over to the rotting corpse of his brother. “Just imagine it: the legacy of YOUR father will burn in a fire hotter than any sun he crafted, your dreams and ambitions a mere figment of nothing. Tarnished, forgotten. When I find him, I will turn whatever poorly failed cobblestone you hid him on into dust and make its inhabitants become my most loyal of maddened followers.” He gripped the putrid face, bringing it into his gaze. “And together, we will bring about unending chaos, all in your name. Every breath he takes, every step he takes, will bring him closer to my embrace where he belongs.”

Discord’s laugh filled the void, the one sound that echoed through Solus’ shattered mind. “As for you, I will make sure every shred that once was the person I called Brother is forgotten, scattered to the winds. Ashes to ashes and all that. I’ll pervert every shred of dignity that you once had, while you watch from a pitiful little cage cast out into the void. You will be nothing, Solus, but a god who failed.”

In an instant, as if rewarded by his own malice, Discord sensed a flicker, a brief moment of clarity in Solus's tangled mind. There it was—the single branch of Yggdrasil where Aurelius was hidden. Discord's eyes gleamed with triumph as he sent his magic surging toward it, ripping through the delicate web of protections Solus had spun. The barriers barely budged under the force of Discord's will, cracking like glass against the onslaught of his power, enough to let in a single piece of his essence. It shuddered as it felt an influx of unbelievably harmonious magic, worming along the branches of the World Tree searching for its target.

—-

Far away, in the statue of the draconequus deep in Canterlot's garden, a crack sounded. A faint fissure appeared on the stone surface, as if the sculpture itself responded to the summons to awaken. Discord's laughter resonated through the darkness as the ancient wards around the statue began to falter, releasing a whisper of his chaotic essence into the world once more.

—-

“So that’s the branch you hid him upon…” Something about the feeling of magic radiating into his core felt familiar, as if battles that had taken place between the two gods left a stain upon the realms within. “It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but soon, brother, I will have my revenge. Just a little more and I’ll find out which leaf he sits upon.”

—-

I sat upon the edge of Twilight’s bed, trying to untangle the knots of anxiety and excitement from the night. I pushed my hair out of my eyes, as if the subtle motion might help me make sense of the night. The aftermath of it all drained me more than I realized and confused me. Was the whole thing in the hallway and ballroom just hallucinations or premonitions of something more? I couldn’t think clearly with how tired I was.

Twilight swirled around the room, still energetic from the party, her dress as pristine as when she first donned it. “You look like you were having fun out there, Twilight,” I said, my voice sounding strained to my ears. I wasn’t sure how talking would make me feel, but it couldn’t hurt to try and get my mind off of it all.

Twilight paused her motions to turn to me, a grin glued on her face. “Oh it was fantastic! I got to meet so many ponies I had only ever read in tabloids! Sapphire Shores, famous griffon chef Jacques Von Prisionette…” She smiled constantly. “And the speech Princess Celestia gave? It was so heartfelt and touching, I felt my heart might burst!”

I smiled at the unicorn, her excitement cheering me up. “It was something, alright.” I nervously took a breath and laid back against the fabric of the bed. “What a night…”

Twilight jumped up on the bed to lay next to me. “So, how was your night?”

I guess it’s time for a shave some time soon, no? I brought a hand up to scratch at the stubble forming on my chin. “Well, I got to meet the Princess for the first time tonight, out in the gardens. It was… interesting.”

That prompted Twilight to turn over and lay on the bed like a schoolgirl. “Oh, do tell! What did she say!”

“Nothing much, just kinda asked me to look around the garden and tell her what I saw. She sort of admitted to seeing what kind of person I was, but other than that she-“ I remembered my question. “Actually, she seemed a little off when I mentioned somebody to her. Somebody named ‘The Alchemist’ that I heard in a dream.”

“The Alchemist?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anypony named that, even in the thousands of books I’ve read. Are you sure that’s a title somepony uses?”

“Nah, it’s just like I said, how I heard it in a dream. It’s bugging me since I had that weird one I told you about way back when.” I rubbed my temple, the memory starting a headache again. “ I was so weird. I know it was just a dream, but I feel like I’ve met the person who told me that before. Like I’m forgetting something important everytime I try to remember his name.”

I sat up to go get a cup of water from her bathroom sink. “And if I’m being honest, that’s not the only weird thing that happened tonight either.”

Twilight shifted on the bed, concern brewing on her brow. “What do you mean?”

I hesitated, unsure of how to explain what happened at the ballroom during Celestia’s announcement. “I mean it’s kinda fuzzy now that I think about it, but I remember you looking at me all funny while I felt nauseous. Then, I turned to find a trashcan to vomit into, wiping my eyes and finding they were streaming with blood.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “And there was some spooky laughter, then I was back in the crowd, watching everyone cheer for Princess Luna.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed in thought. “That sounds really strange, Aurelius. Are you sure this isn’t some kind of dream you had? I know you slept a while on the train ride.”

I shook my head. “That’s the thing, though, I was talking to rarity not even like ten minutes before out in the hallway. I even told Spike in the ballroom that I was going to talk to him about this later. But then again, this isn’t the only time I’ve had a weird dream about the strange man. I know last night he showed up and he just kind of sat there, watching me practice with Princess Luna, and she didn’t even seem to notice him. For the last week, he’s been there, like he’s trying to tell me something, and I just can’t hear him.” It was like the dreams were pulling me into something that I wasn’t prepared for.

Twilight eyes softened with understanding. “Hm. I know there is some research that has been done linking the dreamworld and reality together here in Equestria, but I’m no expert on this. Sometimes they can be visions of the future and sometimes they can be a way of you facing your fears. If anything, you should bring this up to Princess Luna the next time you see her in your sleep tonight.”

“It could be some kind of warning from someone that you know. You said he seems familiar?” I nodded. “What does he look like? Maybe talking more about him will remind you.”

I thought about the figure, the way he exuded this sense of peace and tranquility. “He felt familiar in a way. I just can’t explain, like someone important to me.” I remembered seeing him in the hallway. “Actually, yeah, I saw him in the hallway after Rarity rejoined you all in the ballroom. He wasn’t there for a second, something like a ghost or a shadow, and then he vanished.”

Twilight’s face grew more concerned. “That’s… not normal. If there’s a connection between your dreams and what happened tonight, we need to figure it out. Dreams can sometimes reveal truths that our waking minds can’t comprehend. If this figure is trying to communicate with you, it might not be for a good reason.”

I swallowed, feeling the weight of her words. The hallucination, the laughter, the dreams—none of it made any sense, but the growing unease inside me refused to be ignored. “Do you think it could be some sort of magic affecting me?”

“It’s possible,” Twilight said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Magic that affects dreams isn’t unheard of, especially if there’s a powerful force behind it. Whoever this man is, he might be trying to influence you, maybe even reach you through your dreams.”

The thought made a chill travel down my spine. As magical and peaceful of a place as Equestria was, I couldn’t help, but feel that something darker was lurking around the corner in my near future. I didn’t really want to think about it much anymore, so I thanked twilight for her time and helping me get all of this off of my chest, then dismissed myself to Spike’s and my room for the night.

He was already asleep on the bed by the time I came in, slumbering, as if there wasn’t a care in the world. It amused me, and I thought I would join him and dreamland.

—-

“Concentrate, Aurelius,” Luna commanded, her voice a perfect blend of old-world grandeur and modern strength. “Feel the magic coursing through thy veins. It desires to obey thy will, to be of service. Thou must not fear it but embrace it. Make it thine own.”

The dreamscape was different tonight, reflecting an olden style of classroom, with Luna the teacher. Between the rolling starry sky outside and the burning twist of my own internal magic, I thought myself centered, if that’s the right word. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to follow her instructions. My breath came out ragged and sweat poured off my back like a river. My body trembled at its own might, my muscles failing to listen to me as the pools of magic glowing in my hands vanished. I collapsed to the floor.

“It’s no use.” Though this was just a dream of my own making, I couldn’t master making my magic listen to me, as usual. Inside, I felt like a cauldron bubbling over, threatening to consume me. Though my magic responded to all the calls I made upon it, it didn’t feel like it wanted to listen, rather it just wanted to do its own thing.

“Just breathe, easy, Aurelius,” said Luna, as she put her hand up on my back, rubbing in a small circle. We know how you feel, the sense of an adequacy, like you’re not matching up to your own expectations.” Her presence was like a cool breeze, comforting me in my trial. “Listen not to the doubts that plague thy mind. You are more than capable, as demonstrated before.”

“Feel the eagerness of your magic, its desire to be set free into the Etherium.” I tried to refocus myself, to meditate and feel the well of magic in me, but all I could feel was the pounding of my own heart. My insides twisted, and nausea rolled all throughout me.

“Aurelius,” Luna’s voice cut through the chaos firmly, “I sense the turmoil within thy heart. Thy emotions are a tempest that threatens to consume thee. Speak to me. Unburden thy mind, that thou might find clarity. For until thy heart is at peace, thy magic shall never truly be thine.”

I sat on the floor, listless and tired. “Since you opened up my chakras and set right my immature CAM, I haven’t felt right. Like at any moment when I try to use magic, that it wants to consume me. Couple that with all the weirdness that I told you about last night, and I feel like something terrible is going to happen if I keep trying to be something I’m not.”

I swallowed hard, the taste of bile still lingering in my mouth. “I don’t know how to face it. The man in my dreams, the laughter… it feels like they’re waiting for me to slip, to lose control. What if I can’t keep this power in check?”

“Then it shall consume thee,” Luna said plainly, her voice like a blade cutting through my doubt. “But that is not thy fate, Aurelius. I see the strength within thee, the potential to rise above these shadows. Let thy fears become the forge in which thy resolve is tempered. Speak thy truth, bare thy soul to me. Only then can we confront the darkness together.”

I closed my eyes again, resuming the meditation techniques. I could see clearly in my mind‘s eye the demon that was my anxiety. “I’m afraid, Luna. Afraid of who I’m becoming every time I tap into this… Raw power.” It was like something was there, staring back at me. Watching, waiting, expecting. “ I think I’m afraid of becoming something that I dread. I’m afraid of becoming something that I don’t recognize and lashing out to hurt people. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Then don’t,” Luna sat down behind me, leaning up against my body and running her hands down my arms to lock fingers. “ I sent greatness inside of you, Aurelius, the strength to rise above your own inner demons. Thine fear is the prelude to what I can see you becoming.”

I stared at her, the moonlight filtering in through the illusionary windows with a silver glow that shrouded us. She felt like a Sentinel, keeping watch over me.

“There’s something inside me,” I began, my voice shaking. “Something that feels ancient, like it’s been waiting forever. It’s… hungry, almost. And there’s this laughter. It’s mocking me, taunting me to give in, to let go. It’s like it knows my weaknesses and is just waiting for the right moment to strike.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed, her expression thoughtful yet stern. “This force thou speakest of, it is not merely a figment of thy imagination. It is real, as real as the magic that flows through thy veins. The laughter, the presence—it is a manifestation of chaos, seeking to destabilize thee. Chaos feeds on fear and doubt. But thou must remember, Aurelius, fear is not thy enemy. It is a guide. Let it show thee where thou art vulnerable, and then use thy strength to fortify those places.”

“But how do I master what feels like an integral part of myself? How do I keep such chaos at bay?”

“By remembering the people who hold you dearly,” Luna said. “Thine relationships with your friends is not some mere figment of your imagination. Search your feelings and let the emotions your friends draw forth the center you need to calm your storm.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and imagining my deepest thoughts. I felt the core of my magic drifting like smoke in the wind, slipping through my fingers again and swirling up into a storm. Sweat beaded on my brow and I could feel my muscles clenching again against my will. The power pulsed rapidly, responding to my attempts to call it, but erratic and outside of my control.

“Good, let the magic move freely. Focus on your friends, how they make you feel and you them.” I did just that. The mass of magic seemed to like the direction I was going and I felt my hands ignite in the familiar soft, golden glow.

“Recognize that the power within thee is not thy enemy, but thine ally. The man in thy dreams, the laughter—they are tests, challenges to be overcome. They are as much a part of thee as thy fears. Accept them, Aurelius, and they shall no longer hold sway over thee.”

The storm surged and started to coalesce into a refined spinning sphere. It felt warm, less like the fire from before and more like a sunbeam. My muscles eased their tension and I felt I could breathe easier than before. I stood up and opened my eyes, reaching my hand out to the pillar holding a cup, gripping my hand as though I were grabbing it. Ever so slowly the cup wiggled before being bathed in its own faint field of golden light. I lifted my hand and so too did the cup follow.

I lost my concentration afterward and jumped up into the air, laughing triumphantly. “Hahaha, I did it! I levitated the cup!” I rushed to hug my teacher as tight as I could, my energy renewed to its peak. “Thank you so much, Luna! I feel confident I can accomplish this in the waking world just as easily now!”

Luna returned the embrace with a small smile, her dark wings folding around me like a protective cloak. “Well done, Aurelius,” she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of pride. “Thou hast taken the first step towards mastering thy power. Remember, the magic within thee is tied to thy emotions. As thy confidence grows, so too shall thy control.”

I basked in the afterglow, buzzing with excitement. The golden light around my hands faded, but I still felt the telltale tingle of magic moving underneath my skin. “It felt so natural, just like you said. It really was waiting on me to acknowledge myself.” I felt breathless beyond words, as if the small feat of levitation were a work out.

Luna nodded, her eyes twinkling with approval. “Magic is not a force to be tamed, but a dance to be learned. It seeks harmony with the wielder as much as any skill. When thou art calm and thy mind focused, it shall answer thy call. But remember,” she warned. “It can just as quickly turn into a savage beast, a danger if wielded recklessly.”

The reality of her words sunk in like a fishing weight. “Understood, Luna. I promise to never use my power for anything dark. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

She seemed content with my response, her mirth warm and comforting. “That is all I ask of you, Aurelius. Yours is a path that will be all the easier with remembering to stay true to thineself. Thy friends are a stepping stone. Stand upon them as you would any stair and they will rise you to greater and greater heights.”

I continued to practice long into the night, accepting guidance on many more basic spells and finding it easier with each one. Levitation, Shield, Light, and detect magic were all easy enough to learn and I felt myself growing ever stronger because of it.

Luna waved her hand for me to stop meditating and summoned a table, chairs, and tea set for us. “Come, let us talk about these dreams you had during the Gala. From what little you’ve said, they appear to be more unusual than normal?” I nodded. “Hmm… What about this strange ‘man’ you mentioned? What do you make of him?”

I explained the dreams in their entirety, how sometimes he would appear half complete, other times he would wordlessly mouth something I couldn’t quite hear. Matter of fact, I couldn’t remember any but two times he actually spoke at all. “It’s weird, he never does anything but either watch or try to talk to me.” Weird didn’t even begin to describe how creepy it was. “Actually, one of the two times he talked, he told me to go to Canterlot and seek out someone named ‘The Alchemist’.”

Luna choked at the mention of his name, dropping her teacup to add her on the floor and beating her chest violently. She just about jumped across the table with how close she got into my face. “And you are certain this is who he told you to find? He named the Alchemist specifically and nopony else? You’re sure?!”

“Positive.” Luna slumped back down into her chair, a look of absolute horror creeping up on her face. “Why? Is that a bad thing?”

Luna’s sudden reaction was unlike her, unbecoming of one of her station. She was a Princess, someone who was expected to be prepared for even the darkest circumstances and lead her people through it. For such a fierceness to be replaced with fear and sorrow, it must’ve been a name that held terrible memories for her. She turned her head away from me, biting her lip as she stared out of the windows into the stars.

I could feel the tension radiating off of her, that she was wrestling with whether or not to speak with me about it. “Luna, who is the Alchemist? Why do my dreams know about someone I’ve never heard of?”

She took a shaky breath, and when she finally spoke, her voice was strained, barely above a whisper. “Aurelius… The name of the Alchemist is one not spoken lightly, not in jest nor in passing curiosity. He is not just anypony; he is a figure of great power and great mystery, shrouded in legends and old stories better left long forgotten.” Luna’s eyes flickered with a distant light, as though she were peering back into ancient memories, ones filled with half-buried secrets and shadows that stretched across centuries. “What I am about to tell you is not to leave this dream, for fear of consequences even I can’t fathom.”

I swallowed my saliva, bitter with anticipation of the metaphorical hornets nest I kicked. Luna hesitated to speak, grappling with the importance of hearing a name nearly forgotten to time. “The Alchemist is… hard to describe, but one word is used by the scholars who know about him. He’s, by all means, a God.” My eyes widened and my mouth dropped. “He is an alicorn of incomprehensible magnitude, a being older than even Equestria itself. A master of the arcane in arts long since forgotten, with which he could bend even the stars to his will in a way I can’t today. Some knew him to be the founder of the Pony species, others say he was merely a guide to lead the souls to the afterlife. But to Celestia and I… he was our Father.”

—-

Thousands upon thousands of years ago, a great and powerful being visited the world of Equus. A dormant, sad little thing it was, devoid of atmosphere or even the light of its long dead star. He took pity on this once thriving planet, stirring the very cosmos into turning back the clock for its star, igniting it in a blaze of cosmic fusion. And he saw that it was good.

Taking out a vial of solid darkness, he poured in his will and a light shone within it, eager to break free of its prison. He poured out the vial on his hand and held the planet in his palm, covering the now dead oceans and continents. With a squeeze, the planet burst and magma flowed from its now vibrant core. The planetoid swelled up three times its original size, flourishing itself with the greens and yellows of life

The Alchemist looked upon his master with glee, appreciating the beauty of the new life on the planet. Whatever had struck it down, was long gone and now it danced happily in a proper orbit. The Alchemist took his wife’s hand and drifted daintily down to its surface, waving goodbye to their new home’s creator. He promised he would put to use the pure souls of life in his pocket, gifted to him by the God who watched on with satisfaction.

As the moons went by, the planet blossomed forth sapient life, with the Alchemist there to guide it. The alicorn smiled at his work, gazing from far above at the griffons, minotaurs, ponies, and other races enjoying the peace and prosperity. There was not a shadow of hatred in any of their hearts, nor were there thoughts of betrayal or evil. And the creator saw that it was good. But all would not be peaceful forever. During the Sixth Era, roughly six thousand years before the present day, my sister and I were born to the Alchemist and his wife, Faust.

It started with the first ever death during childbirth. The being of chaos known as Discord discovered the creator’s naive and innocent world, and saw fit to rule it as a king. He brought forth terrors the like of which Equus had never seen before: bloodshed, war, disease, rape, and all manner of evil to despicable and innumerable to name. It descended into chaos, the world nearly burning in a nuclear fire as the resisting peoples of the world fought tooth and nail to fend him off.

And it was during the sixteenth year of my life that the creator returned. He was sickened by the actions committed by his fellow god, and filled with sorrow. With a single motion, He cut his wrist, throwing the blood deep within the place now known as the Everfree Forest. The sacrifice of a single drop of lifeforce poisoned the forest as it was forced to absorb as much of the chaos as it could hold, in an attempt at purifying it. Discord fought back with his own magic, which ultimately caused the purification to stop before it could be fully completed, the remaining chaos corrupting the forest. And thus began a true war in the heavens.

With the help of the Alchemist, who sought the death of Discord for slaying his wife, the creator concocted a weapon so powerful, it could defeat the Spirit of Chaos: the Elements of Harmony. They hid them deep within that bastion of evil, the Everfree forest, and planted the seed of the Tree of Harmony. Discord, becoming aware of their plans to overthrow him, sought to fight off the creator and the Alchemist in one final battle. In a last ditch effort, the Alchemist physically held Discor in place so my sister and I could strike him down with the elements. And thus, he helped bring about an end to his rule once and for all, at the cost of being turned to stone alongside Discord.

—-

Luna’s eyes darkened as she recounted the end of her story. “And so it was that my sister and I vowed 6000 years ago to remain forever watchful over both of the statues, in hopes that our father will escape and that Discord never does.”

She looked away, tears flowing freely from her eyes, her voice heavy with sadness. “We eventually moved them from their resting place within the heart of that cursed forest, from the ruins of our old castle to the gardens of Canterlot. Discord remains frozen in his chaotic laughter, my father in his calm resolve. Two sides of a coin, yet intertwined by fate. A monument to the price we both had to pay that day and as a reminder of the never ending fight for good.”

“Of the lengths in which we must go to protect our world from devastation.” She sighed deeply, her gaze softening. “That brings us back to you.”

“But what exactly does this have to do with me?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper. “Why am I a focal point for something that happened so long ago?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I do know that fate is a fickle mistress who chooses both her heroes and her villains. You would think that with the embodiment of evil imprisoned, that moral corruption would vanish, yes?” I nodded. “Sadly, it isn’t so. With how long he stood during those sixteen years of my childhood, his ambient magic perverted the minds of many creatures who sought to serve him. Not every one of them was defeated and to this day, Cults of Discord lurk from the shadows.”

“Do you think they could be trying to wake him and he’s reaching out into my dreams to taunt you?”

She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin. “It’s possible, though unlikely. The statue holds a faint chaotic aura that isn’t able to reach out more than a few meters away from its base. Just looking at it up close is enough to instill intrusive thoughts.” I drooped in my seat, dissatisfied with that answer. “No, I think what is more likely is that either these are visions from the future, or potentially something much more sinister.”

My mind rattled with more questions than answers. Why was I brought to Equestria at this time and place? What happened to the creator god? Who is the man in my dreams? I voiced these to Luna, and she didn’t have any more of an answer that I did.

“Why can’t I tell anyone all that you’ve told me?”

Her expression changed to a harder one. “The less who know about the Cults of Discord and the true origins of our world, the better. Belief is another important component of magic, a reason you have had trouble with,” she explained. “Think of it like a mental parasite with magically memetic properties: the more the idea of how dangerous he truly is becomes common knowledge, the more his aura could spread and possibly gain enough power to free himself, or worse create an entity that’s just like him. It is one of the reasons my sister and I have as much power as we do and why my fall to the Nightmare was so dangerous. The faith of all sapient life has power unimaginable.”

I looked once more into her eyes, feeling grateful that she would trust me with that information. “I understand. Thank you anyway for trying to help me find some answers. And for training with me.”

She smiled, a small, proud smile that made me feel like I had already accomplished something great. “I have faith in thee, Aurelius. Thy journey has only just begun, and I foresee great things in thy future. But for now, rest. There is time yet to grow and to prepare. And remember, thy dreams may hold clues, but they do not define thee. Only thou can choose thy path.”

With those words, the dreamscape around us began to fade, the stars dimming, the soft whispers of night drawing me back to the waking world. As I drifted, Luna’s voice echoed one last time in my mind, a quiet vow shared only between us: “We shall watch over thee. Sleep softly.”