Birth of a Draconniquisby InkywellChaptersChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter OnePage Turner sat, as he usually did, among the books of the Canterlot Royal Library. The volumes reached to the ceiling in many places, and the smell of dust, mildew, and paper invaded the nostrils in a not so unpleasant way. He smiled and, using his magic, flipped to the next page. The book he was reading was one of the hundreds he'd read before, ancient and falling apart. But this one was different, this tome had what he wanted: Draconniquis. Page had been studying the legendary race of creatures for what seemed like eons, but time passed slowly when he was knee deep in literature. He had always felt a sort of kinship with the books. They held the knowledge he sought and he was willing to give them his time. This wasn't his first book on this topic though, he had looked through several different ones about the fauna of Equestria. Luck was on his side it seemed. As he began to read the section titled Draconniquis his enthusiastic smile descended into a frown. His brow furrowed and he felt his eye twitch. The book had a particular smell, as thought the spores inside had died and now stunk even more awful, or perhaps it didn't, and he just wanted it to smell bad. The chapter on his target was vague to be generous. The only example of the draconniquis was Discord. The ancient lord of chaos made things very difficult for him. Because of him, books from before his rule were reduced to dust. Nothing was known about him before his time in charge, and no attempts were ever made to find out. "Page? You alright back there?" said Ink Writer, the librarian and court wizard, "You haven't crushed yourself under mountains of text have you?" "No," he said, his voice nearly cracking, "I just haven't found what I need yet." "Go out and get some fresh air boy! If you lock down in here day in and day out you'll go mad." "But I-" Page bit his lip, he couldn't think of a good reason to stay, "Right. I'll see you again tomorrow Ink." "See ya tomorrow," the older unicorn said while returning books to their shelves, "And Page?" "Yes?" "Get some rest. You're no use to anypony exhausted by your work. Celestia counts on you more than you know," Ink moved a book from a higher shelf to a lower one, "Take a walk in the gardens then get to bed." "Of course. Have a good night my friend," Page mumbled dejectedly on his way out. As Page opened the heavy wooden doors to the library with his magic he felt the breeze from a nearby window. It caressed his face with it's icy fingers and drew him toward a balcony overlooking the city. The sight was always fantastic from the castle, but there was a certain charm from this particular point. It was just after dusk, and several lights from inside houses were still lit, they illuminated the streets. From here it looked as though veins of light ran throughout the town. The ivory towers that dotted the area, with their awe inspiring architecture, seemed like nodes for the veins. These thoughts comforted him, and even though the frustration from mere moments before continued to linger. He found solace in the near night atmosphere. That was when he noticed the figure down below. An Earth pony mare, white coat with brown mane, that was tied up in a fancy bun tonight but would usually be in a simple albeit beautiful natural style. A cutie mark of a heart shaped box of chocolates decorated her flank. She carried a blue parasol over her shoulder and walked through the hedges of the royal gardens. "Weiss!" he called down at her. She looked around confused for a moment before meeting eyes with him. "There you are Page! Hurry down here, I've been waiting for you." It was unusual for her to come meet him here. He could spend hours upon end in the library and there was no certainty that he'd have been out any time soon. He knew the layout of the castle well, and after several winding corridors and a few nods to a guard he took the final turn that lead to the gorgeous outdoor area, and the even more gorgeous pony who was out there. "It's so strange for you to meet me like this, nice though. I hope you had a good day my love," he nuzzled her. He felt a slight bit of resistance from her as she returned the gesture. "Is something wrong?" "Wrong? No. I-I just wanted to see you at work. You spend all day here and I barely ever see you during the week," she said. It seemed like she was avoiding something to him. She began walking the cobbled path while Page responded. "Huh. Well you know that I spend every minute I can with you,that makes you happy right? I wish I could take off some time to spend with you some more, but you know," he rolled his eyes, "she keeps us working day and night." Weiss stopped quickly in front of a statue and turned around wide eyed, "She?! Who's she?!" He was taken aback, "Whoa! Princess Celestia! Who else?" "Oh, yeah. Of course that's who." "Uh, is there something you want to talk about?" Page asked as subtle and polite as he could. If she thought he was cheating with another mare he needed to straighten her out. "No I don't want to talk about anything. I'm fine, thank you!" she said defensively. Page heard a small cracking noise. "Are you sure? You know you can trust me. I'm here for you Weiss. Don't shut me out, if you need help I'm more than happy to-" "I don't need your help. Just..." she stopped for a moment and hid her face from him, "Just come see me tomorrow, my father wanted to talk with you." He put on a fake smile, "Perfect. I have tomorrow off so nothing should get in my way. I'll meet you at Carnation Corner like usual?" "Yes. Goodbye for tonight, you can go back to work now if you want," she said giving him a quick peck on the cheek before trotting away quickly. What the hay was that? He thought. He turned away from her and sat against the statue. Did she think he was seriously cheating? There was no way. She always seemed to have the right of things. For every single one of the 26 months they had spent together she had seemed content and comfortable. Why in Celestia's name would this start now? "Poor little colt, you cannot see it can you?" He shot to his hooves and searched frantically for the source of the voice. Unless the hedges had gained the ability to speak he was completely and totally alone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, he suddenly had a terrible feeling about this garden at night. "Up here." He spun around and in a moment of terror realized exactly where he was. Discord, or at least the petrified body of Discord, stood on the stone slab he had leaned against. His logical mind argued against the notion that it was the stone that spoke. "I've seen this before, maybe ages ago but I remember as though it was yesterday. She's hiding something from you boy, something that will break your heart." There was no doubt in his mind, the statue of Discord was speaking to him. A small crack ran up it's leg, but structurally it seemed secure. It occurred to Page that the cracking noise from before must have been the statue, and it had happened when Weiss tried to hide her feelings. "Discord?" he asked quietly. "At your service, although I doubt I can be of much help besides a talking paperweight. You should watch her Page, I remember..." said the statue in response. "You remember?" "I remember all those centuries ago, back when the world was new. It seemed so flawless, now I know, that no perfection's ever true." the statue didn't move but Page could have swore he saw the stone sigh, "I can only tell you to watch her." "I know your legends! You're tricking me! You're scheming for freedom or something!" shouted Page. "Believe what you want, I'm telling you the truth. I tell you that even though I plan and plot deceit and chaos, you have to listen to me so you don't make the same-" A beam of light shot from somewhere above Page and struck the statue in the scar upon it's surface. He turned around to the sight of Princess Celestia floating down using her wings. Discord spat out one final word before his only connection with the outer world was cut, "mistake." "Silence you!" the Princess shouted. When the statue returned to complete lifelessness she went to Page's side, "Are you unharmed?" "Yes my princess," he responded with a kneel, "Discord only spoke to me." "Then forget all he has said," she frowned, "His words can only bring pain and suffering." "Y-yes my princess." Satisfied with the problem being solved, she flew back onto the balcony above and retreated into the palace. Page turned back to the statue one last time. He could swear that, if he focused hard enough, the wind around it seemed to whisper, "I loved you." He shook his head. Today was proving to be too much. He dusted himself off and wandered to the exit. From the ground the roads didn't look like veins, and by the time he was safely back in his home he didn't care. Discord's words whirled around in his mind like Weiss's. He needed to sleep, and luckily he had a bed he could fall into. Sadly that didn't matter, the Lord of Chaos' had uncovered doubts that crawled in his skull. He wouldn't sleep that night, no matter how hard he tried. Chapter TwoSleep abandoned Page that night. Eventually he stirred from his grey colored sheets and drew the blinds. A torrent of light filled the room and he could do little to protect his sensitive eyes besides lifting a hoof. When his retinas finally adjusted to the daylight he realized just how long he had sat in bed thinking, it was a little after eleven o'clock. Weiss and him always met around ten. He rushed, forgoing to make his bed, and stepped in front of his mirror. His mane was short and therefor didn't require much work, but the black circles around his eyes were more than noticeable. He cursed under his breath as he looked around for something that would hide the fact that he hadn't slept. He lived on his own, so there was an absence of most cover-up products that female ponies would have kept close. After over two years together Weiss still refused to move in with him, even though his house was larger than hers, if he didn't feel like he was about to collapse he may have tried to connect some dots. Something slammed against his bedside window with a sort of splat noise. He peered over at it, hoping to Celestia that the little delinquent colts from down the street hadn't taken to throwing eggs at his house again. His fears were unfounded, instead a charcoal grey owl sat on the sill outside. He sighed with relief and opened the window wide. The feathery creature hopped gleefully inside. A slow creeping chill followed the owl, and Page understood why he was happy to be here. "Who!" said the owl, lifting it's left talon. There was a scroll of paper tied to his leg. "Thank you little messenger," he said, gently removing the note and rolling it open, "I wonder who'd send this?" Dear Page Turner, I have great news! After speaking with you last night I stumbled upon a book that has exactly what you need. Your research will benefit greatly from reading it, but you must hurry. I fear that for reasons unknown, a mysterious unicorn is lurking the hallways searching for a way to get the book from me. She doesn't seem dangerous, but she has inquired about this book by name. I would prefer to see it with you than her. I'm afraid I cannot stall her for long, she is threatening to bring Princess Celestia into the situation. Apparently she has complete and unlimited access to the library. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, she has left only for a moment, and I don't think she'll remain patient long. Your friend, Ink Writer Ink had found a book? This could be his one and only chance at learning about his topic. He looked at the confused little owl with a grin and patted him on the head. "Who?" "Ink Writer! Haha! I knew he'd come through with something! I've gotta go now, before this unicorn can get to the book first," he grabbed his saddlebags. "Who!" He had almost forgotten the owl was there, "Oh, sorry little guy." He looked around and found a small amount of bread on his desk, "Here, you deserve a reward for this. I'm sorry he had to send you in day time." The tired bird ate the offering happily. He then jumped back out the window with a "who" and flew up into the roof's shadow, presumably to take a nap. Page closed the window behind it and dashed out of his home. He galloped down the streets, attempting to avoid the many high-class ponies that littered them at this time. The castle didn't seem nearly as far away as it usually did. "Whoa there colt! Where do you think you're going?" said a royal guard as he tried to get into the palace. Page groaned at the delay, "I'm Page Turner, and I'm doing research for Princess Celestia. She must have told you to let me into castle grounds whenever I need." The guard held up a hoof, "Yes she mentioned you. You're free to go in, but it's odd to see you here on your day off." It hit him like a freight train. He had forgotten about Weiss that easily? He was already late, but what to do? If he left now he could still meet her, but the book wouldn't be there when he got back. There had to be a way... "Page my colt!" shouted a familiar voice. He looked up and the choice was made for him. There stood Ink Writer, with heavy saddlebags, undoubtedly still carrying the book. "Let him by, I have to speak with him," Ink said to the guard. "Go on in, and have a nice day." "You too," he mumbled as he went to his friend's side. If Weiss found out that he was here she would be furious. "Good, you're here. This is the book I was talking about," he spoke softly as he lifted a large tome from a saddlebag and placed it in Page's. "You cannot leave the castle with it. If that unicorn Twilight Sparkle doesn't get it by day's end she'll know I gave it to somepony." "How does she even know it's in the library?" Ink shook his head, "I can only imagine Celestia told her. If so, than you'd better read quickly." "Here? Now?" Page asked. "Yes, there's little time. If Sparkle is in the library you'll never get a moment to yourself, being a researcher on the same topic as the book and all," Ink whispered and fell onto a bench beside a window. Page sat next to him and flipped the book open. There were many different sections on myths of Equestria, and one was devoted to the Draconniquis. He quickly turned to that section and began to scan the pages for any valuable material. He heard hoofsteps approaching and Ink nudged him in the side with a muffled 'hurry'. He looked even more frantically and picked up a few words: love, jilted, deceit, hate, confusion, betrayal, transformation. "Hey! There's that book!" shouted a voice from behind him. He was startled when a purple magical field surrounded it and tore it from his vision. He spun around to the sight of a light purple unicorn with indigo colored hair that sported a single violet streak. She was wearing a black robe and examined the tome carefully. When she was certain it was the right book she nodded and kept it floating beside her. She looked over to the other two unicorns and her eyes widened. Her breathing became shallow as she tried to spit out a few words, "Y-you aren't Page Turner are you?" "Yes I am, and that book is important to my research," he said, his lack of sleep beginning to catch up with him. "Oh no. No, no, no. You didn't read this did you?" "I got a few words in, but I'd like to finish the chapter I was on," he felt himself getting grumpy. "No. I must go to Princess Celestia right now. Excuse me," she said galloping off toward the throne room. "You got a little out of it right?" asked Ink. "A few words. Not enough to make to much sense of." "Lucky for you I read some before she barged into my library. It talks about how there were two lovers long ago, and one left the other because of their work. They had been greatest of friends, and the one left behind felt betrayed and confused. He grew to hate and wish chaos on the world, and so he transformed into what is today called a Draconniquis," Ink explained, there was a thundering sound, much like a strike of lightning, that echoed from somewhere on the palace ground. Ink hadn't seemed to hear it. "PAGE TURNER!" Ink and Page turned their heads to the hallway that Twilight had run to. There stood Princess Celestia. She was tall and intimidating, and her mane whipped as though the gentle breeze that kept it moving had turned into a gale force wind. "From this day foreword if you are seen on palace grounds you will be removed forcefully. You disobeyed my direct order and read that book, so I cannot allow you to escape without a punishment. You are dismissed from my service," the Princess said, looking down at Page the entire time. "B-but Princess we were only-" Ink tried to interject. "And you! Influencing the poor colt! Only because of your knowledge of the library and it's contents are you even allowed to stay!" Celestia growled at Ink Writer, "Go back to the library immediately, I shall be by later to continue the lecture on proper treatment of your students." "Y-Yes my Princess," Ink said, sulking away. "Page, you have an hour to leave the palace grounds. Perhaps one day you will be allowed back, but not for quite some time." "Of course Princess Celestia," he hurried off in the direction of the gardens. He thought while he walked. Why had she reacted so badly? What was in that book that she didn't want anypony to see? It didn't truly matter, this actually gave him more time to spend with Weiss. Maybe she wouldn't be too angry with him for showing up late. "Hello again my colt." Page had forgotten that he was in the palace gardens. Somehow he knew that the crack of lightning wasn't really that, but the crack of stone. He turned to the statue of Discord, which now bore an even larger scar that ran up the leg and into the torso. He felt his stomach twist with the thought that he might be free once again. "Discord. I've been banned from the palace grounds, I won't be able to speak to you ever again after today." "That's where you're wrong. Fate moves in awful, sometimes hilarious, but usually awful ways. Your fate is already decided, and despite the circumstances, I see it as tragic," said the statue. "You can see my future?" "No, but the way things are going says that I'm right. If things continue how they are, chaos and discord will reign, and there is nothing anypony can do about it." "Well, if that's the future I'm sure the six from Ponyville will stop you again," he was already late, nothing was to be gained by talking with Discord, it was like the Princess had said, his words only caused harm. "I'll see you in a week then, my forecast says it'll be raining cats and dogs with a slight chance of a distortion in gravity," the statue ended in laughter as he moved out of earshot. He wouldn't be around Discord anymore, so he imagined it would be better to forget about him. In a way, this was one of the best things that could happen to him. Now he didn't have to split his time between work and Weiss. Perhaps she would stop with her paranoia about him cheating and instead they could live in peace for once. Carnation Corner was an informal bistro. The waiters had thick Istallian accents, and the food was cheap but filling. This was the place where he and Weiss had gone on their first date. It hadn't changed much since then. The red and white cloth awning was in pristine condition, and the metal chairs and tables seemed bleached white. The table in front of the window where pies and fresh bread were displayed was their usual spot. It was nice to say the least. The smell of the pie would keep you hungry until your food arrived, even if you ate the entire basket of soft crusted bread they would place on your table right when you arrived. They had frequented it so much that some of the waiters could simply tell by their moods what dish they wanted. "Monsieur Turner," said a voice from his left. It was a new waiter, one he hadn't had the chance to meet yet, "Your marefriend left this note for you." Not good. She was already gone. He opened the note and sighed, he had to get to her house soon. Chapter ThreePage was half asleep when he knocked on the door to the Chocolate Family household. It was now two in the afternoon, and the sun shined on his back. The warmth wasn't making it any easier to stay awake, and had the door not opened right then he would have fallen asleep at their doorstep. Mr. Chocolate, Weiss's father was a large stallion. He had once been in the Earth Pony section of the royal guards, and his personality reflected it. He was fiercely loyal, stood on tradition often, and was protective of his daughter to an extreme. The only reason he had ever let him near Weiss is because he had the guts to stand and declare his love for her. Since that day he had tolerated Page's presence, mainly because he made Weiss happy. "Page. My daughter's upstairs. You'd better have a good excuse for standing her up," he said gruffly. "Yes sir. I remember her mentioning that you wanted to speak with me. Is something wrong?" Page asked, hoping that his memory of the event would do him some credit. "Yes, but not now. Go to her first, then we'll talk." "Of course," the unicorn nodded. He knew the Chocolate household almost as well as his own. He navigated through the kitchen and toward the stairwell. Mrs. Chocolate was a baker and a good one at that. There was evidence that she was recently at work in the expansive kitchen. A cake, that smelled like it was right from the oven, sat on a platter in the center of the counter. He hoped that he could work things out with Weiss, if not for their relationship then for a slice of her mother's famous cake. The hallway upstairs was dark. The door to Weiss's room was open though, and provided the only light in the entire corridor. Page stepped as quietly as he could over to the light, but stopped short of walking straight in, choosing to spend a moment imagining what she might say. He could think his way out of most situations he came up with, hopefully she didn't have a curve-ball in store for him. He knocked on the slightly ajar door and it swung open enough for him to see inside. Mrs. Chocolate sat beside her daughter, and seemed to have just been talking with her. They both looked up at the sound. When they saw who stood in the doorway the mother hopped off the bed and walked toward him, while the daughter simply stayed seated. "It's good for you to show up dear. She just needs some reassurance. Come down when you've settled things, as you probably saw I just finished one of my cakes," said the older mare, brushing past him on her way out. As she went, his eyes were drawn to a single photograph illuminated in the hallway. It was an old picture of what must have been Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate's wedding. In the image she was smiling only slightly, and he wasn't at all. "Page. Where were you today?" He had forgotten she was there. He walked inside the room and tried to focus his vision. Sleep was one of the biggest things on his mind right now. "Sorry, there was a huge breakthrough at work. Once in a lifetime it turned out-" he was cut off by her. "You went to work when you knew that we had something planned for today?" He bit his lip, "I wouldn't have gone if my mentor hadn't sent an urgent letter, I swear." "How do I even know you were at work? You could have been off with some other mare!" she shouted, nearly falling off her bed. "This again? I already told you. Even if a mare existed who was more beautiful or more clever than you I would never cheat! I love you for who you are Weiss, I just want you to remember that!" he said, his lack of sleep was starting to make him lose his temper. He stumbled a bit and regained his footing, but not before she took notice of it. "What were you doing last night? You left work early didn't you? Why are you so tired?" she questioned him. "What? No. I stayed up all night because his-," he cut himself off. He didn't want to mention Discord having spoke to him. He pretended to stumble again, hoping he could play his slip of the tongue off as exhaustion, "Because your words kept ringing in my head. I was trying to figure out what had you so upset so I can help you. I love you, and I want to protect you." "Protect me? By standing me up? You have to try harder than that." "But... but it's the truth," he whimpered. At that moment something inside him clicked, something that sparked him awake. He made the connections and realized just what the future Discord had spoke of meant. A lover who feels betrayed when their partner leaves them for their work. Who loves the other with her whole heart. By Celestia! That was why Discord had said to keep an eye on her, his actions were going to turn her into a draconniquis! He fell to his flank and sat in bewilderment, she looked at him quizzically, "Are you left speechless? Or are you about to pass out on my floor." He was thrown back into reality by her voice. He wouldn't let that happen, not on his life. He looked up with a smile and chose to alter the truth, "I quit work in the castle today." She was shocked to say the least, "You mean-" "Yes, whenever you want and wherever you want. I'm free to spend time with you. I thought that it was unfair that I couldn't be with you as much as you wanted. I have the rent on my house paid off for the next year already. Hay, if you want you could even move-" "You quit your job in the castle... for me?" she asked, why was she still confused about it? "Yes." "W-well then... thank you... I've wanted to be with you so much lately, that I've been inventing the worst possible thoughts to try to rationalize things," she said with a small smile. "I'm here now, don't worry," he spoke softly and moved close. He took her hooves in his and sat on the floor, "Do you want to do something tomorrow maybe?" "Well there's that orchestra playing in the Canterlot Theater-" "Say no more!" he said with a smile, things were looking up for once today, "Do you prefer to sit close to the performers or farther back?" "Oh, tickets at all would be nice. I've loved orchestral music since I was just a little filly. Maybe if I had been a unicorn like you I would have ended up playing a violin or cello," she said, imagining being on a stage with a classical instrument. "Don't give up on a dream just yet. I know that one Octavia filly you like is an Earth pony also, and she plays the cello. Maybe you can too," he was so very glad that the conversation had come down from a boiling point to this comfortable temperature. "Yeah," she watched him stumble again, "Maybe you should get home and get to bed. I...I'm sorry if what I said yesterday kept you up all night." "No problem, I haven't passed out yet you know!" he said shakily. "See you tomorrow then?" "Yeah, see ya tomorrow," he responded and shared a quick kiss. He left the room smiling like a deranged idiot. He had not only gotten his love to see the light, but he had also began his quest to see that she never became a draconniquis! Everything was going according to plan and Discord wouldn't escape again. He almost walked right past Mrs. Chocolate without a word. "Not going to stay for cake dear?" "Sorry, I have to get my hooves on some orchestra tickets. Then I'd really like to get home, I was kept up all night," he responded. He felt as though his legs would give out underneath him. "Oh, well be careful getting home dear. Perhaps I can send a slice over for you," she said while stirring a pot of boiling vegetables. "That would be nice Mrs. Chocolate." "So I take it you and her worked things out?" she asked, looking away from the vegetables for a moment. "Yes ma'am. She was glad to hear that I quit work at the castle," he spoke, trying to readjust his vision. He hardly even saw her approach, but felt her wrap a hoof around him. "Thank you dear, you don't know how much that means to her. She's always so worried about you." He began walking toward the exit, "I'm as happy as she is, I've missed spending the kind of time I used to with her. Now we won't have anything stopping us." "Well I won't keep you any longer. Go on home and rest, you deserve it." "Thank you Mrs. Chocolate. Have a nice day," he said, opening the door with his magic. "You have a nice day too Page." He stepped out into the afternoon sun and sighed with relief. Everything had gone much better than expected. He started to make his way to the local theater, but before he was even steps away from the house he saw something in a nearby puddle. It reflected the window to Weiss's room. He spun around and looked at the window himself. Inside was Weiss's shadow and one other. The other was tall and bulky, almost definitely her father. They stood there for several minutes and Page could do nothing to understand what they were talking about. He saw Mr. Chocolate's shadow move toward the door and open it, but before he exited he turned to add in a last remark. When Mr. Chocolate did that, and ear bursting sound filled the air, and Page spun on his hooves to find the source. He watched in disbelief as a purple cloud appeared over the castle and a red lightning bolt shot down and struck a place in the gardens. He knew the exact place where it had struck too. His breathing became heavy and he had to stop himself from dashing to the palace. Somehow Discord was still getting closer to freedom. He had to get in contact with Ink, he would know what to do. He would send him a letter, and hopefully get some information. Things would be alright, they would work themselves out and Weiss would be fine. For now he had to focus on getting those tickets.
Chapter OnePage Turner sat, as he usually did, among the books of the Canterlot Royal Library. The volumes reached to the ceiling in many places, and the smell of dust, mildew, and paper invaded the nostrils in a not so unpleasant way. He smiled and, using his magic, flipped to the next page. The book he was reading was one of the hundreds he'd read before, ancient and falling apart. But this one was different, this tome had what he wanted: Draconniquis. Page had been studying the legendary race of creatures for what seemed like eons, but time passed slowly when he was knee deep in literature. He had always felt a sort of kinship with the books. They held the knowledge he sought and he was willing to give them his time. This wasn't his first book on this topic though, he had looked through several different ones about the fauna of Equestria. Luck was on his side it seemed. As he began to read the section titled Draconniquis his enthusiastic smile descended into a frown. His brow furrowed and he felt his eye twitch. The book had a particular smell, as thought the spores inside had died and now stunk even more awful, or perhaps it didn't, and he just wanted it to smell bad. The chapter on his target was vague to be generous. The only example of the draconniquis was Discord. The ancient lord of chaos made things very difficult for him. Because of him, books from before his rule were reduced to dust. Nothing was known about him before his time in charge, and no attempts were ever made to find out. "Page? You alright back there?" said Ink Writer, the librarian and court wizard, "You haven't crushed yourself under mountains of text have you?" "No," he said, his voice nearly cracking, "I just haven't found what I need yet." "Go out and get some fresh air boy! If you lock down in here day in and day out you'll go mad." "But I-" Page bit his lip, he couldn't think of a good reason to stay, "Right. I'll see you again tomorrow Ink." "See ya tomorrow," the older unicorn said while returning books to their shelves, "And Page?" "Yes?" "Get some rest. You're no use to anypony exhausted by your work. Celestia counts on you more than you know," Ink moved a book from a higher shelf to a lower one, "Take a walk in the gardens then get to bed." "Of course. Have a good night my friend," Page mumbled dejectedly on his way out. As Page opened the heavy wooden doors to the library with his magic he felt the breeze from a nearby window. It caressed his face with it's icy fingers and drew him toward a balcony overlooking the city. The sight was always fantastic from the castle, but there was a certain charm from this particular point. It was just after dusk, and several lights from inside houses were still lit, they illuminated the streets. From here it looked as though veins of light ran throughout the town. The ivory towers that dotted the area, with their awe inspiring architecture, seemed like nodes for the veins. These thoughts comforted him, and even though the frustration from mere moments before continued to linger. He found solace in the near night atmosphere. That was when he noticed the figure down below. An Earth pony mare, white coat with brown mane, that was tied up in a fancy bun tonight but would usually be in a simple albeit beautiful natural style. A cutie mark of a heart shaped box of chocolates decorated her flank. She carried a blue parasol over her shoulder and walked through the hedges of the royal gardens. "Weiss!" he called down at her. She looked around confused for a moment before meeting eyes with him. "There you are Page! Hurry down here, I've been waiting for you." It was unusual for her to come meet him here. He could spend hours upon end in the library and there was no certainty that he'd have been out any time soon. He knew the layout of the castle well, and after several winding corridors and a few nods to a guard he took the final turn that lead to the gorgeous outdoor area, and the even more gorgeous pony who was out there. "It's so strange for you to meet me like this, nice though. I hope you had a good day my love," he nuzzled her. He felt a slight bit of resistance from her as she returned the gesture. "Is something wrong?" "Wrong? No. I-I just wanted to see you at work. You spend all day here and I barely ever see you during the week," she said. It seemed like she was avoiding something to him. She began walking the cobbled path while Page responded. "Huh. Well you know that I spend every minute I can with you,that makes you happy right? I wish I could take off some time to spend with you some more, but you know," he rolled his eyes, "she keeps us working day and night." Weiss stopped quickly in front of a statue and turned around wide eyed, "She?! Who's she?!" He was taken aback, "Whoa! Princess Celestia! Who else?" "Oh, yeah. Of course that's who." "Uh, is there something you want to talk about?" Page asked as subtle and polite as he could. If she thought he was cheating with another mare he needed to straighten her out. "No I don't want to talk about anything. I'm fine, thank you!" she said defensively. Page heard a small cracking noise. "Are you sure? You know you can trust me. I'm here for you Weiss. Don't shut me out, if you need help I'm more than happy to-" "I don't need your help. Just..." she stopped for a moment and hid her face from him, "Just come see me tomorrow, my father wanted to talk with you." He put on a fake smile, "Perfect. I have tomorrow off so nothing should get in my way. I'll meet you at Carnation Corner like usual?" "Yes. Goodbye for tonight, you can go back to work now if you want," she said giving him a quick peck on the cheek before trotting away quickly. What the hay was that? He thought. He turned away from her and sat against the statue. Did she think he was seriously cheating? There was no way. She always seemed to have the right of things. For every single one of the 26 months they had spent together she had seemed content and comfortable. Why in Celestia's name would this start now? "Poor little colt, you cannot see it can you?" He shot to his hooves and searched frantically for the source of the voice. Unless the hedges had gained the ability to speak he was completely and totally alone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, he suddenly had a terrible feeling about this garden at night. "Up here." He spun around and in a moment of terror realized exactly where he was. Discord, or at least the petrified body of Discord, stood on the stone slab he had leaned against. His logical mind argued against the notion that it was the stone that spoke. "I've seen this before, maybe ages ago but I remember as though it was yesterday. She's hiding something from you boy, something that will break your heart." There was no doubt in his mind, the statue of Discord was speaking to him. A small crack ran up it's leg, but structurally it seemed secure. It occurred to Page that the cracking noise from before must have been the statue, and it had happened when Weiss tried to hide her feelings. "Discord?" he asked quietly. "At your service, although I doubt I can be of much help besides a talking paperweight. You should watch her Page, I remember..." said the statue in response. "You remember?" "I remember all those centuries ago, back when the world was new. It seemed so flawless, now I know, that no perfection's ever true." the statue didn't move but Page could have swore he saw the stone sigh, "I can only tell you to watch her." "I know your legends! You're tricking me! You're scheming for freedom or something!" shouted Page. "Believe what you want, I'm telling you the truth. I tell you that even though I plan and plot deceit and chaos, you have to listen to me so you don't make the same-" A beam of light shot from somewhere above Page and struck the statue in the scar upon it's surface. He turned around to the sight of Princess Celestia floating down using her wings. Discord spat out one final word before his only connection with the outer world was cut, "mistake." "Silence you!" the Princess shouted. When the statue returned to complete lifelessness she went to Page's side, "Are you unharmed?" "Yes my princess," he responded with a kneel, "Discord only spoke to me." "Then forget all he has said," she frowned, "His words can only bring pain and suffering." "Y-yes my princess." Satisfied with the problem being solved, she flew back onto the balcony above and retreated into the palace. Page turned back to the statue one last time. He could swear that, if he focused hard enough, the wind around it seemed to whisper, "I loved you." He shook his head. Today was proving to be too much. He dusted himself off and wandered to the exit. From the ground the roads didn't look like veins, and by the time he was safely back in his home he didn't care. Discord's words whirled around in his mind like Weiss's. He needed to sleep, and luckily he had a bed he could fall into. Sadly that didn't matter, the Lord of Chaos' had uncovered doubts that crawled in his skull. He wouldn't sleep that night, no matter how hard he tried.
Chapter TwoSleep abandoned Page that night. Eventually he stirred from his grey colored sheets and drew the blinds. A torrent of light filled the room and he could do little to protect his sensitive eyes besides lifting a hoof. When his retinas finally adjusted to the daylight he realized just how long he had sat in bed thinking, it was a little after eleven o'clock. Weiss and him always met around ten. He rushed, forgoing to make his bed, and stepped in front of his mirror. His mane was short and therefor didn't require much work, but the black circles around his eyes were more than noticeable. He cursed under his breath as he looked around for something that would hide the fact that he hadn't slept. He lived on his own, so there was an absence of most cover-up products that female ponies would have kept close. After over two years together Weiss still refused to move in with him, even though his house was larger than hers, if he didn't feel like he was about to collapse he may have tried to connect some dots. Something slammed against his bedside window with a sort of splat noise. He peered over at it, hoping to Celestia that the little delinquent colts from down the street hadn't taken to throwing eggs at his house again. His fears were unfounded, instead a charcoal grey owl sat on the sill outside. He sighed with relief and opened the window wide. The feathery creature hopped gleefully inside. A slow creeping chill followed the owl, and Page understood why he was happy to be here. "Who!" said the owl, lifting it's left talon. There was a scroll of paper tied to his leg. "Thank you little messenger," he said, gently removing the note and rolling it open, "I wonder who'd send this?" Dear Page Turner, I have great news! After speaking with you last night I stumbled upon a book that has exactly what you need. Your research will benefit greatly from reading it, but you must hurry. I fear that for reasons unknown, a mysterious unicorn is lurking the hallways searching for a way to get the book from me. She doesn't seem dangerous, but she has inquired about this book by name. I would prefer to see it with you than her. I'm afraid I cannot stall her for long, she is threatening to bring Princess Celestia into the situation. Apparently she has complete and unlimited access to the library. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, she has left only for a moment, and I don't think she'll remain patient long. Your friend, Ink Writer Ink had found a book? This could be his one and only chance at learning about his topic. He looked at the confused little owl with a grin and patted him on the head. "Who?" "Ink Writer! Haha! I knew he'd come through with something! I've gotta go now, before this unicorn can get to the book first," he grabbed his saddlebags. "Who!" He had almost forgotten the owl was there, "Oh, sorry little guy." He looked around and found a small amount of bread on his desk, "Here, you deserve a reward for this. I'm sorry he had to send you in day time." The tired bird ate the offering happily. He then jumped back out the window with a "who" and flew up into the roof's shadow, presumably to take a nap. Page closed the window behind it and dashed out of his home. He galloped down the streets, attempting to avoid the many high-class ponies that littered them at this time. The castle didn't seem nearly as far away as it usually did. "Whoa there colt! Where do you think you're going?" said a royal guard as he tried to get into the palace. Page groaned at the delay, "I'm Page Turner, and I'm doing research for Princess Celestia. She must have told you to let me into castle grounds whenever I need." The guard held up a hoof, "Yes she mentioned you. You're free to go in, but it's odd to see you here on your day off." It hit him like a freight train. He had forgotten about Weiss that easily? He was already late, but what to do? If he left now he could still meet her, but the book wouldn't be there when he got back. There had to be a way... "Page my colt!" shouted a familiar voice. He looked up and the choice was made for him. There stood Ink Writer, with heavy saddlebags, undoubtedly still carrying the book. "Let him by, I have to speak with him," Ink said to the guard. "Go on in, and have a nice day." "You too," he mumbled as he went to his friend's side. If Weiss found out that he was here she would be furious. "Good, you're here. This is the book I was talking about," he spoke softly as he lifted a large tome from a saddlebag and placed it in Page's. "You cannot leave the castle with it. If that unicorn Twilight Sparkle doesn't get it by day's end she'll know I gave it to somepony." "How does she even know it's in the library?" Ink shook his head, "I can only imagine Celestia told her. If so, than you'd better read quickly." "Here? Now?" Page asked. "Yes, there's little time. If Sparkle is in the library you'll never get a moment to yourself, being a researcher on the same topic as the book and all," Ink whispered and fell onto a bench beside a window. Page sat next to him and flipped the book open. There were many different sections on myths of Equestria, and one was devoted to the Draconniquis. He quickly turned to that section and began to scan the pages for any valuable material. He heard hoofsteps approaching and Ink nudged him in the side with a muffled 'hurry'. He looked even more frantically and picked up a few words: love, jilted, deceit, hate, confusion, betrayal, transformation. "Hey! There's that book!" shouted a voice from behind him. He was startled when a purple magical field surrounded it and tore it from his vision. He spun around to the sight of a light purple unicorn with indigo colored hair that sported a single violet streak. She was wearing a black robe and examined the tome carefully. When she was certain it was the right book she nodded and kept it floating beside her. She looked over to the other two unicorns and her eyes widened. Her breathing became shallow as she tried to spit out a few words, "Y-you aren't Page Turner are you?" "Yes I am, and that book is important to my research," he said, his lack of sleep beginning to catch up with him. "Oh no. No, no, no. You didn't read this did you?" "I got a few words in, but I'd like to finish the chapter I was on," he felt himself getting grumpy. "No. I must go to Princess Celestia right now. Excuse me," she said galloping off toward the throne room. "You got a little out of it right?" asked Ink. "A few words. Not enough to make to much sense of." "Lucky for you I read some before she barged into my library. It talks about how there were two lovers long ago, and one left the other because of their work. They had been greatest of friends, and the one left behind felt betrayed and confused. He grew to hate and wish chaos on the world, and so he transformed into what is today called a Draconniquis," Ink explained, there was a thundering sound, much like a strike of lightning, that echoed from somewhere on the palace ground. Ink hadn't seemed to hear it. "PAGE TURNER!" Ink and Page turned their heads to the hallway that Twilight had run to. There stood Princess Celestia. She was tall and intimidating, and her mane whipped as though the gentle breeze that kept it moving had turned into a gale force wind. "From this day foreword if you are seen on palace grounds you will be removed forcefully. You disobeyed my direct order and read that book, so I cannot allow you to escape without a punishment. You are dismissed from my service," the Princess said, looking down at Page the entire time. "B-but Princess we were only-" Ink tried to interject. "And you! Influencing the poor colt! Only because of your knowledge of the library and it's contents are you even allowed to stay!" Celestia growled at Ink Writer, "Go back to the library immediately, I shall be by later to continue the lecture on proper treatment of your students." "Y-Yes my Princess," Ink said, sulking away. "Page, you have an hour to leave the palace grounds. Perhaps one day you will be allowed back, but not for quite some time." "Of course Princess Celestia," he hurried off in the direction of the gardens. He thought while he walked. Why had she reacted so badly? What was in that book that she didn't want anypony to see? It didn't truly matter, this actually gave him more time to spend with Weiss. Maybe she wouldn't be too angry with him for showing up late. "Hello again my colt." Page had forgotten that he was in the palace gardens. Somehow he knew that the crack of lightning wasn't really that, but the crack of stone. He turned to the statue of Discord, which now bore an even larger scar that ran up the leg and into the torso. He felt his stomach twist with the thought that he might be free once again. "Discord. I've been banned from the palace grounds, I won't be able to speak to you ever again after today." "That's where you're wrong. Fate moves in awful, sometimes hilarious, but usually awful ways. Your fate is already decided, and despite the circumstances, I see it as tragic," said the statue. "You can see my future?" "No, but the way things are going says that I'm right. If things continue how they are, chaos and discord will reign, and there is nothing anypony can do about it." "Well, if that's the future I'm sure the six from Ponyville will stop you again," he was already late, nothing was to be gained by talking with Discord, it was like the Princess had said, his words only caused harm. "I'll see you in a week then, my forecast says it'll be raining cats and dogs with a slight chance of a distortion in gravity," the statue ended in laughter as he moved out of earshot. He wouldn't be around Discord anymore, so he imagined it would be better to forget about him. In a way, this was one of the best things that could happen to him. Now he didn't have to split his time between work and Weiss. Perhaps she would stop with her paranoia about him cheating and instead they could live in peace for once. Carnation Corner was an informal bistro. The waiters had thick Istallian accents, and the food was cheap but filling. This was the place where he and Weiss had gone on their first date. It hadn't changed much since then. The red and white cloth awning was in pristine condition, and the metal chairs and tables seemed bleached white. The table in front of the window where pies and fresh bread were displayed was their usual spot. It was nice to say the least. The smell of the pie would keep you hungry until your food arrived, even if you ate the entire basket of soft crusted bread they would place on your table right when you arrived. They had frequented it so much that some of the waiters could simply tell by their moods what dish they wanted. "Monsieur Turner," said a voice from his left. It was a new waiter, one he hadn't had the chance to meet yet, "Your marefriend left this note for you." Not good. She was already gone. He opened the note and sighed, he had to get to her house soon.
Chapter ThreePage was half asleep when he knocked on the door to the Chocolate Family household. It was now two in the afternoon, and the sun shined on his back. The warmth wasn't making it any easier to stay awake, and had the door not opened right then he would have fallen asleep at their doorstep. Mr. Chocolate, Weiss's father was a large stallion. He had once been in the Earth Pony section of the royal guards, and his personality reflected it. He was fiercely loyal, stood on tradition often, and was protective of his daughter to an extreme. The only reason he had ever let him near Weiss is because he had the guts to stand and declare his love for her. Since that day he had tolerated Page's presence, mainly because he made Weiss happy. "Page. My daughter's upstairs. You'd better have a good excuse for standing her up," he said gruffly. "Yes sir. I remember her mentioning that you wanted to speak with me. Is something wrong?" Page asked, hoping that his memory of the event would do him some credit. "Yes, but not now. Go to her first, then we'll talk." "Of course," the unicorn nodded. He knew the Chocolate household almost as well as his own. He navigated through the kitchen and toward the stairwell. Mrs. Chocolate was a baker and a good one at that. There was evidence that she was recently at work in the expansive kitchen. A cake, that smelled like it was right from the oven, sat on a platter in the center of the counter. He hoped that he could work things out with Weiss, if not for their relationship then for a slice of her mother's famous cake. The hallway upstairs was dark. The door to Weiss's room was open though, and provided the only light in the entire corridor. Page stepped as quietly as he could over to the light, but stopped short of walking straight in, choosing to spend a moment imagining what she might say. He could think his way out of most situations he came up with, hopefully she didn't have a curve-ball in store for him. He knocked on the slightly ajar door and it swung open enough for him to see inside. Mrs. Chocolate sat beside her daughter, and seemed to have just been talking with her. They both looked up at the sound. When they saw who stood in the doorway the mother hopped off the bed and walked toward him, while the daughter simply stayed seated. "It's good for you to show up dear. She just needs some reassurance. Come down when you've settled things, as you probably saw I just finished one of my cakes," said the older mare, brushing past him on her way out. As she went, his eyes were drawn to a single photograph illuminated in the hallway. It was an old picture of what must have been Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate's wedding. In the image she was smiling only slightly, and he wasn't at all. "Page. Where were you today?" He had forgotten she was there. He walked inside the room and tried to focus his vision. Sleep was one of the biggest things on his mind right now. "Sorry, there was a huge breakthrough at work. Once in a lifetime it turned out-" he was cut off by her. "You went to work when you knew that we had something planned for today?" He bit his lip, "I wouldn't have gone if my mentor hadn't sent an urgent letter, I swear." "How do I even know you were at work? You could have been off with some other mare!" she shouted, nearly falling off her bed. "This again? I already told you. Even if a mare existed who was more beautiful or more clever than you I would never cheat! I love you for who you are Weiss, I just want you to remember that!" he said, his lack of sleep was starting to make him lose his temper. He stumbled a bit and regained his footing, but not before she took notice of it. "What were you doing last night? You left work early didn't you? Why are you so tired?" she questioned him. "What? No. I stayed up all night because his-," he cut himself off. He didn't want to mention Discord having spoke to him. He pretended to stumble again, hoping he could play his slip of the tongue off as exhaustion, "Because your words kept ringing in my head. I was trying to figure out what had you so upset so I can help you. I love you, and I want to protect you." "Protect me? By standing me up? You have to try harder than that." "But... but it's the truth," he whimpered. At that moment something inside him clicked, something that sparked him awake. He made the connections and realized just what the future Discord had spoke of meant. A lover who feels betrayed when their partner leaves them for their work. Who loves the other with her whole heart. By Celestia! That was why Discord had said to keep an eye on her, his actions were going to turn her into a draconniquis! He fell to his flank and sat in bewilderment, she looked at him quizzically, "Are you left speechless? Or are you about to pass out on my floor." He was thrown back into reality by her voice. He wouldn't let that happen, not on his life. He looked up with a smile and chose to alter the truth, "I quit work in the castle today." She was shocked to say the least, "You mean-" "Yes, whenever you want and wherever you want. I'm free to spend time with you. I thought that it was unfair that I couldn't be with you as much as you wanted. I have the rent on my house paid off for the next year already. Hay, if you want you could even move-" "You quit your job in the castle... for me?" she asked, why was she still confused about it? "Yes." "W-well then... thank you... I've wanted to be with you so much lately, that I've been inventing the worst possible thoughts to try to rationalize things," she said with a small smile. "I'm here now, don't worry," he spoke softly and moved close. He took her hooves in his and sat on the floor, "Do you want to do something tomorrow maybe?" "Well there's that orchestra playing in the Canterlot Theater-" "Say no more!" he said with a smile, things were looking up for once today, "Do you prefer to sit close to the performers or farther back?" "Oh, tickets at all would be nice. I've loved orchestral music since I was just a little filly. Maybe if I had been a unicorn like you I would have ended up playing a violin or cello," she said, imagining being on a stage with a classical instrument. "Don't give up on a dream just yet. I know that one Octavia filly you like is an Earth pony also, and she plays the cello. Maybe you can too," he was so very glad that the conversation had come down from a boiling point to this comfortable temperature. "Yeah," she watched him stumble again, "Maybe you should get home and get to bed. I...I'm sorry if what I said yesterday kept you up all night." "No problem, I haven't passed out yet you know!" he said shakily. "See you tomorrow then?" "Yeah, see ya tomorrow," he responded and shared a quick kiss. He left the room smiling like a deranged idiot. He had not only gotten his love to see the light, but he had also began his quest to see that she never became a draconniquis! Everything was going according to plan and Discord wouldn't escape again. He almost walked right past Mrs. Chocolate without a word. "Not going to stay for cake dear?" "Sorry, I have to get my hooves on some orchestra tickets. Then I'd really like to get home, I was kept up all night," he responded. He felt as though his legs would give out underneath him. "Oh, well be careful getting home dear. Perhaps I can send a slice over for you," she said while stirring a pot of boiling vegetables. "That would be nice Mrs. Chocolate." "So I take it you and her worked things out?" she asked, looking away from the vegetables for a moment. "Yes ma'am. She was glad to hear that I quit work at the castle," he spoke, trying to readjust his vision. He hardly even saw her approach, but felt her wrap a hoof around him. "Thank you dear, you don't know how much that means to her. She's always so worried about you." He began walking toward the exit, "I'm as happy as she is, I've missed spending the kind of time I used to with her. Now we won't have anything stopping us." "Well I won't keep you any longer. Go on home and rest, you deserve it." "Thank you Mrs. Chocolate. Have a nice day," he said, opening the door with his magic. "You have a nice day too Page." He stepped out into the afternoon sun and sighed with relief. Everything had gone much better than expected. He started to make his way to the local theater, but before he was even steps away from the house he saw something in a nearby puddle. It reflected the window to Weiss's room. He spun around and looked at the window himself. Inside was Weiss's shadow and one other. The other was tall and bulky, almost definitely her father. They stood there for several minutes and Page could do nothing to understand what they were talking about. He saw Mr. Chocolate's shadow move toward the door and open it, but before he exited he turned to add in a last remark. When Mr. Chocolate did that, and ear bursting sound filled the air, and Page spun on his hooves to find the source. He watched in disbelief as a purple cloud appeared over the castle and a red lightning bolt shot down and struck a place in the gardens. He knew the exact place where it had struck too. His breathing became heavy and he had to stop himself from dashing to the palace. Somehow Discord was still getting closer to freedom. He had to get in contact with Ink, he would know what to do. He would send him a letter, and hopefully get some information. Things would be alright, they would work themselves out and Weiss would be fine. For now he had to focus on getting those tickets.
