Cynder is 'not Spikes special somedragon'

By: Black--Soul

Inspired by:
harlock5399 now Silas5399

From the story: Reborn as a dragon

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Chapter 28 - Meeting Harmony, face to Tree 1/3

The meeting with the merchant sure was something to remember him by. Discord seem to have made a new friend that was quite the mystery to him as he was to others, that sure would help keep the chaos god entertained every second monday, when they meet for tea and consumable dishes are supposed to happen in the future.

But more interesting to Cynder was the idea what Discord and the Merchant come up with to visit the 'Tree of Harmony' the eternal rival and friendlier nemesis of chaos and change that was Discord in all his mix of aspects.

Discord would guide the Alicorns and the Apple-Pear family with Cynder to the tree semi secret location by hoove.

He could collect chaos magic while they traveled to their destination, further would it be a good time to catch up with what happened over the last millenia.
Save to say he was rather miffed at least if not absolutely livid inside without showing it to mutch In his outside apperance, that his wife Nightmare and sister in law Luna got a 10.000 isolation banishment on the ash filled moon. With only one another to keep themself sane and entertained, so Discord new it was quite the madness inducing experience.
Unlike him, they would have suffered consequences very undesirable, therefore he would see the situation sufficiently mended in retrospect.

He vowed in the future when he had recovered to have already made their stay more bearable and less straining, back when they where banished on the Moon.
Nightmare and Luna shuddered as if a ice cold wind had blow right underneath their fur coat, seconds later they had a nose bleed for about 12 seconds before it stopped thanks to their Alicorn healing factor.
All of a sudden did Celestia notice how Luna and Nightmare body language showed a more open and outgoing personality, what had her wonder if he literally had changed the personal past without effecting the general future.

With so reality bending power did the Alicorn of the sun wondered why he never undone his defeat and imprisonment in the past?
Unless he did change his personal past like he did with her sisters past, but still keep the general present intact. It was frightening to know someone could play with time, yet due to precise and subtle manipulation and careful considerations managed to do it without anyone noticing.
Further how did she know he changed the past in the future, remembering both versions?
Making paradoxically thing happen seem so effortless for this reality bender.

All this power, yet he only used it for their family and its residing nations benefit? Her father/brother in law Discord was indeed a frightening entity, yet it was very assuring that her future would be a bright one, even if bad things would come to happen.
Or he could affect them sufficient enough to make even bad outcomes bearable.

As if to confirm that he would in the future do it or rather having already done it in the future past... these time manipulation sure messed around with ones time perception, while already having done it...
A visibly more recovered Draconequus that was noone else than Discord himself, give his past self a notebook and a bro talon through a spontaneous opening portal, though it would probably be a highly calculated and planned in advance portal placement... right beside the walking contradiction on legs leading their group through one of the most dangerous places in Equestria.

Celestia started to get a headache trying to make sense of it all. Though it was quite a different headache than for example dealing with the stupidity of Canterlots Nobel ponies.

The portal that could be seen through, allowed surprisingly a view into a background that showed Equus from a out of space orbit, to be looked down or up to, depending on the viewpoint.

Damn Discord was deliberately now messing things up to keep it complicated.

It give away a space station or space craft feeling, though he said it was on the moon?
Maybe it was like from that science fiction Subnautica novel she read currently?
A underwater base, but instead of being build as a trading station for Seaquestria, it was on the Moon and give her sister all the creature comforts and a lifestyle they usually would have lacked for 10.000 years of banishment on a to ash burned moon surface.

Something everycreature present was curious to learn about, before Discord waved it off as 'spoilers of the past future', for later.

Celestia facehoof at that, making sense of this literally reality and timeline bending entity was madness. As well knowing that a 'later' might meant never.

Discord directed everyone currently with him walking member of the party thoughts towards the offical past, since the future was yet to happen.

Cynder double face clawed at Discord not to subtle way of obviously being clever about leaving things as they are... now... until later?
Whatever...

She was interested to hear how the origin of this world and some of its history played out over the millenia.
Cynder did wonder what happened to Faust, when Discord had ended his oneshot recollect not bigger than a one chapter story.

What ever it was meaning to hint at.

Discord daughter with Faust in the past that happened somehow in the future, that Draconequus sure loved to mess with time and making it hard to follow his explanations about how easy thing could be if time wasn't as wibbly as it was wobbly.

Further that by no relation what so ever, if they see statues that moved in the blink of a eye, they better don't blink and if able take to the sky to safely put distance to them.
Though he was sure he fixed that problem in the future to save their past for the present safety of everyone.
Cynder realize that she probably had to intentionally ignore what made no sense to her and remember only the important bits of information that confusing godly entity was giving off verbally, assisted by occasionally weak illusions to illustrate what he mention.

Making sense of Discord sure was a mental hazard... probably something to ask the royals another time when she remembered to ask how they coped with him over the millenia.

But a long story with very complicated and partially contradictory details later... he just said that they are fine and unfortunately they would not meet in Cynders lifetime, unless something very unplanned happend.
As in world ending unplanned.
He seem to think about something after telling her that, pulled a thick book and a little booklet out of nowhere, skimmed through it, shaking his head and just muttered about that being a bad example for them.

Cynder started to get a headache from trying to make sense if and of Discords verbal diarrhea.

He apparently shortly tried to be specific in details, that had everyone trying to follow along, give up shortly after. How Nightmare Moon was coping with that guy in her life was a mystery to Cynder.

From what Discord at least 5 minutes tried to explain had drastic spoilers that could be used for everyone benefit, unfortunately noone payed to mutch attention to the details, due to him giving them headaches trying to follow him in detail or any understanding matter.

But what they take away from what they understand at all:
These kind of changes that even he would have to worry about would be avoided if possible by his direct intervention.
What happens so rarely that it almost counted as never happening, even if he was doing it all the time... stupid genius contradictory Draconequus.

Cynder was sure that trying to make sense out his non sense was just wasted time and effort.
The headaches even as mild as they are, would not be worth it for her to try it again for quite some time.

He was literally something to be ignored half of the time and simply accepted the rest of it, by simply nodding and agreeing.

Unlike the normal or not so normal mortal and immortal, did the Tree of Harmony noticed all the changes in the past and was really tempted to wipe that smug face of Discord through a mountain or three, but unlike him, it would do so with style... where did she misplaced the Crystal Empire for later use again?
The tree hoped that Sombra might be a nice way of paying back that infuriating chaos god with the Umbrum Kings existance.
If Discord was messing with the timeline, than she would show him how it is done right.

How mutch of the original timeline could be salvaged by the end? Harmony dreaded the uncertainty of free will and unbound by fate and destiny.

As they walked through the Everfree Forest, did the predators of flesh and blood had enough self preservation to behave themselves, when confronted with overwhelming telekinesis against them for the more aggressive specimens.

What was rather entertaining would be what the Alicorns did when predators like Manicores omegas of a pride and Parasprites in general come towards them.
The Apple-Pear family clan parents prepared intern for a fight when ever one approached them and wasn't stopping by one of the royals, while Luna just walked up to them and showed how these terrifyingly looking predators could be like attention needy house pets.

Nightmare Moon feeded the hybrid carnivores that look like a tamer version of Discord in variation, with fish and pork meat that she apparently had prepared before hoove, something that made her wonder if their spontaneous adventure into the Everfree was really not planned beforehoove by them.

While Luna was giving ear scritches and hugs to some of the usually deadly creatures of the forest, did Celestia apparently preferred giving belly rubs.
Cynder got to fear visual diabetic attacks more than the wildlife as it appeared.
With the Alicorns using obviously unknown magical to her means, to keep the usually deadly wildlife passiv in behavior.

Unfortunately did Cadance and the other didn't get to cuddle the wild animals, since the Alicorns and the Draconequus guaranteed that it wasn't really save to interact with Manticores even when they are playful.

There seem to be a magic spell the Alicorns used to passively keep them relaxed and in a playful mind set and they tried to give the predators insensitive to not see the ponies and Griffon that accompanied them as food, since their alphas would protect their smaller younglings.

Further did Discord collected in the time they walked through the deadly forrest enough chaos magic to very subtle change these primitive creatures mind set.
So Ponies and Griffons be their food providers, rather than being a food animal for them to hunt.

Harmony wouldn't like that change... but that was future Discord problems.

Somewhere in the future was Discord miffed at the stuff he changed in the past to cause him present problems and unwelcome challenges, but in the end he forgive his past self, because he probably had a reason to mess with himself and shovel negative outcomes towards him in the future present.
His past present sure was a complicated time, even for a Draconequus of his caliber.
Especially with how weak he was back than, being nowhere as powerful as he was at that time in history.

The most eventful Manticore beta pack member tried to wrestling playful Celestia to the ground, when the sun monarch overdid it with belly rubs.
Easily showing that even a playful Manticore had very sharp claws, something that Cynder was surprised to see being healed almost passively by Celestia herself.
Alicorns sure are something to behold, making the dragoness wonder why Twilight in the show had to pull all the major events for these powerful beings.

Than again, ruling over a nation certainly was a time consuming and very complicated matter, especially with other nations getting to make things even more complex.

This world was no children cartoon though, so she was rather giddy to think about how the few future events like the big red villainous main event in the kids show would play out in real... could a mortal like Twilight really earn immortality like in the show?
It was doubtful that these mighty beings would be created without historical events and trials, though Cadance as a Griffon cub seem to have somehow managed it.

But how could experienced and millenia of wisdom armed beings let things escalated so drastically that they could not cope and force a mostly untested hero to take national threat practically on her own.

Cynder hoped that everything would work out somehow, this god level clashing of titans would be nothing she could remotely help with.

Harmony noticed a disturbance in the Everfree Forest and sensed Discord warping her perception of the world with his presence alone, what was that desaster on legs up to this time?
Unfortunately did the Draconequus blinded her with his presence in a one mile radius.

At least he could only do so mutch coming closer to her own area of effect presence magic practically sealing his main bulk of abilities.

Maybe the abandoned Changeling Hive in the deserted sand area would make for a good rally point to meet and recruit her villainous pawns for the near and far future?

Harmony continued to harvest the scales of the dead dragon blocking her cave entry, since he refused to served its purpose, now it would make use of it in another way.
The dragon scales should make for a great entry wall with a gate before it.
Why noone had so far closed up the cave entry for the past millenia was beyond clear reasoning.

One would guess that their main defense origin would be better protected by default... or Celestia did more than assign a castle full of Thestral as caretaker of her cave.
At least they keep polishing her regularly and give her a fabulous extra layer of shining to her already glorious crystal nature.

While the Manticore prides and Timberwolves fruit packs that claimed the food dispersion stations had learned fast not to hurt the hooves that feed them, did the less fortunate predator didn't see it so clearly.
Fortunately did the ponies with a Everfree Forest assignment had not been relaying on the wild beasts favor to keep themself safe.
The Thestral soldiers had top of the line armor, weapons and repellent charms that could be activated if necessary and emergency evacuation teleported one time use glyph devices.
Expensive, but nothing wasn't as valuable as the safety of her subjects, especially the ones that take arms up for the protection of land and citizen.

The hungry and less fortunate prides of Manticores and Timberwolve packs of the Everfree Forest inside the chaotic forest are often only to be separated visually and through their body odor, something that often only helped to notice friendly from hostile carnivores way to late.
Giving the Thestral guards the most advanced survivel training of Equestria.

While they had some snacks for encountered wild life on them, did noone wanted to provide to mutch food for the animals to grow accustomed towards the Thestral patrols.

To keep every predator fed, would create future problems noone wanted to deal with.

To many predators breeding out of control due to food situations encourage breeding their prides to higher numbers, would cause food shortage eventually later down the line, while the bigger spread of new packs would eventually overpopulated the Everfree Forest and risk Ponyville and other villages next to it.

Animal misdirection glyph stones only could do so mutch, before the local guard force had to use force on the lethal wild life.

Celestia said that there was a predator training program to use some domestic packs raised from birth for Equestrian forces from the visually distinctive offshoot packs, reinforced the local guards neatly as their territorys since the villages are part of their prides feeding grounds.
A natural coexistence that provided food and medical support for protection.

The most visually and pleasant smelling Sakura Tree Timberwolves near Ponyville or the ones that had fruits growing out of their body, made great natural defensive forces, before glyph defense stones and finaly local guard forces had to become a deterrence for the threats to citizens of Equestria.

They trained them to be watch post support in more wild areas of Equestria as well and even managed to breed special breeds that had a big impact on food products, medical industry and general alchemy ingredients.

For example Timberwolves saliva was dependable on their physical health, useful for different things to boost ponies immune systems with weakend infections shots.
Sometimes preventing things like the 'Common Flu' or more specific illnesses like the 'Feather Flu, to grow out of control due to improved pony immune systems thanks to vaccine shots.

The more exotic breeds that standed visually out that provide fruit and liquids like hard Timberwolve cider, something that was harvested and than fermented to produce high value trading goods. As long someone don't care for how honey and similar products are made, they are a rich support to ones dietary needs, building many farming branches to keep ponies supplied with jobs and well received exotic additional products for countless markets.

Another example would be Manticore venom thinned out or magicaly changed. It was made for magnifying efficient hospital sedatives and other medications that helped creatures with injuries or illness to recover more easily.
Every race be it sapient or sentient could be used with research and investment of cultivation for one purpose or another.
There was always something to be gained after scientists had invested time and efforts to find a use of materials.

More extream useful but hard to obtain things could be thing like:

• Minatour milk.
  Very nutrition rich, but Minotaur heifers didn't part as easily as one would wish them to.

• Ponies seed for artificial insemination.
  When they run out of storage time they make surprisingly potent alchemy ingredients for binding certain chemical reactions.
  Nothing wasted that can be used somehow in pony society markets.

• Dragon baby teeth for mineral harvesting tools.
  Their fallen out scales also had so many uses, often get utilized for stone carving among other things.

• Griffon or other species feathers for fashion items and pillow stuffing.
  Their deceased bodies like pony corpses harvested for meat and other things if the consent to it during their lifetime. Their designated clan or direct families get payed a impressive sum of bits or gems to reward their remaining living relatives, for their big contribution to the greater needs of the multi race society's all over the world.

• Kirin chest fur.
  It could be used as Firestarter or emergency warming blankets.
  Just like their scales made for the best firefighter protective gear if made into heat protective armor.

• Seapony body oil was very good to help prevent water damage to ones fur coat for divers, especially for Pegasus and Griffon feathers.
  One of the few thing that could be magicaly harvested daily in small quantities, that made them over time rather secure in their financial structure.
  Rather ideal for older population groups that are not as activ than they used to be in their younger ages. Able to afford decades of good food and lifestyle by making a living on land where there body need artificial moisturizing, but gives in turn higher body oil yields.

Many other things that probably waiting to be discovered in the future, if species like the reclusive Yak would trade more openly.
Their fur being a great winter gear insulation.

New markets often spring stuff like morality questionable but undeniable helpful to create placebo pellets with nutrition additions for the future to help uncurable thing like magic illnesses, that got effected or started because internal strife made them sick through so called 'hopeless magic'.

A rare occurrence that through mental negativity created magical waste production in a body and created many illnesses that unlike many other sicknesses, could be cured with literally living a happy and fullfilled life.

The power of belive could effect ponies and other creatures for better or for worse. Mental health worked in many unexpected ways, despite medical knowledge being rather advanced.
The body of eatch species had still a treasure dungeon of undiscovered knowledge, but that would be something to consider another time.

New medications and experimental treatments like that really give good plausible deniability with countless minor ingredients discovered in the last centuries to various ways to combine them.
Something to keep the other nations of Cynder and her family as long as possible, while they try replicate Equestrias success in smaller experiments for their own research of curing parasitic dark magic infections in lab conditions.

Cynder was in awe to learn how complex this world was, nothing nearly as complex was to be found in the canon show she watched back than with her granddaughter on TV.

Though she never read the comics that used to be sold alongside the show, so she might have missed things like deeper lore.

Thought they made good progress by hooves, while talking to one another verbally or via telepathy, thanks to being around redicules powerful magic users and good preparation even in short on time as they seem to be coming directly from the hospital and the Merchant first meeting.

But while the time was rather uneventful in the grand sense, they still needed to camp out in the middle of the 'Everfree Forest' one night to reach the 'old Castle of the Sisters'.

It was clear by now that the deitys clearly take their time with this journey to spend some time with one another.
Her siblings and parents being willing participants, while being introduced to the royal family more darker side without being put under stress due to one major negative event being on their mind and pressing them forward for a resolution.

The Everfree Forest was one of the biggest and difficult to travel Forests in all of Equestria, unless one wanted to try traveling unpredictable updrafts and downwinds by flight, one does not simply travel to the Everfree Forest or through it in a matter of hours.

At least not for mortals, while even the royals seem to have a certain respect for its wild, dangerous and yet exotic beauty.

When the group finally reached the castle of the Everfree Forest, formerly known as the castle of the royal sisters, did a big group of Thestral guards escorted them inside to rest their slightly tired unannounced guests.
Some Thestral got send out to restock their supplies, Celestia alone would probably require most of their baking ingridiants, before they would leave the castle eventually.

After a decently provided meal and three cakes for Celestia, did the Thestral celebrated the return of their rulers, even if it was just for a passing visit.

The next day after a few hours of celebration, did the royals finally moved on with their business.

Through a secret passage to the 'Everfree Forest Harmony Tree', did they ventured towards their goal.
It was a slight detour, since a dead dragon was currently blocking the natural entrance to the trees cave, somehow that overgrown lizard gotten stuck rather thoroughly on the cave only natural entry and exit.

Fortunately did the Tree if Harmony was undamaged upon inspection and Celestia made a mental note to block of the natural entry to it.

She shuddered to think how a lone nomadic dragon might have eaten this one of a kind tree for a snack.
It had saved them in the past from Discord, Celestia feel ashamed to have not already provided the best protection money could buy.
Something that needed to be fixed the moment she was back in Canterlot, probably diverting attention from it by calling it Everfree Castle renovation work or something like it.

The castle certainly needed a modernization, while it was a nice nostalgic thing to see the castles old kitchen be used to bake more traditional cakes, did she preferred not to wait hours on end for her cakes to be completed.

But she was again focusing on the wrong things.

The only way to access the 'Tree of Harmony' needed definitely better protection even with the Elements of Harmony being inactive and useless to any creature.
Even if Discord had changed for the better, they might need the Elements of Harmony in the future again.

With Discord and Harmony being so close to one another did the clashing of their magic even on a passive level send out ripples throughout the magic of the world in past, present and on occasion the future.
Even if Discord was not messing with the timeline in past, present and future, did Harmony future interactions with the timeline send out distortions that started to damage things that are supposed to hold until the end of the world itself.

And so did prematurely things got sent in motion that would change the world forever more... The in time and space displaced by Harmony Crystal Empire remnants shifted sooner than planned and with them the Umbrum prison, awakening the Umbrum far sooner than they should be.

While the Empire return was to come still many years in the future, did the Umbrum prison already started to shift into this world, with this did also the king of shadows started to free himself.

What would the former Wendigo race, mutated by pony magic to Umbrum do when they freed themselves, but the Empire would still not be within reach to take their vengeance upon the crystal creatures of the empire?

The Thestral ponies showed their superior night vision, as well as how it was not very compatible with bright light others might use.
The tunnels to the tree where surprisingly badly lighten up by magic stones and the occationaly torch on the wall.

Cynder suggested red light to have a middle ground between day and night time ponies.
It turned out to be a impressive good middle ground that surprised the ponies, when day and night ponies found it equally beneficial to use, when Discord used a illusions to demonstrate its effect on the previous very dark pathway to the cave of Harmony.

Cynder was happy that things she learned as human could be used to the ponies advantage on occasion.
The red light idea came from a documentation video about how to develop old style pictures in dark rooms and how submarines used red light to see in the dark interiors, yet protected their internal clock from fluctuations due to daylight conditions effecting their metabolism.

Cynder preferred her own alternative to night vision though. She discover by complet accident that she had some kind of heat vision, when she was on her second ever nom-nom raid for sweets during night raids.

Silver Tongue told her about it once she mentioned it the next day. After she had discovered how to use it reliable for herself, though it was mostly only useful in her opinion during night times when temperatures dropped and body warmth was easier to spot.
Further did she wonder if it wasn't causing problems with natural hot areas where fauna and flora would be more even in temperatures.
Though Silver Tongue insisted that even in the Rainjungle of Equestria a hot and wet region of Equestria showed clear distinction between a plant and a animals body heat.
Making heat vision indeed a major hunting tool.

Interesting to know was also that not every dragon had heat vision. Some had a special magic vision instead, a more valuable and rare trait that was unfortunately not in her arsenal of natural advantages given to her new body by birth.

Unless she had it and lost it, what wasn't to unlikely with all the changes her body had to endure even before her hatching.

But it would be useless to morn spilled milk, rather Cynder appreciated what she actually had access to currently. Especially since she mostly used her normal vision anyway.

Before they finally reached their travel target, did Discord seperated from the rest of the group, apparently had he suffered growing feelings of weakness the closer he came to the Tree of Harmony.
He would return to the Castle until their meeting with the Tree was over. Further would he take Applejack, Big Macintosh and Blueblood with him.
This meeting shouldn't have the foals as distraction in the cave, unlike Cadance and Cynder who needed to meet ith Harmony as well.

Nightmare give her husband a parting kiss, while Luna and Chrysalis in her true form parted with him after a heartfelt hug.

When Celestia finally stepped into the cave alone was she saddened to see it only glowing faintly, its magnificent shine nowhere near as when she was last here, to ask Harmony to undo the moon banishment her foolish self had forced upon her family.
Seeing how it had suffered over the millenia since the elements of harmony had fallen into disharmony, due to her actions hammered down how mutch she had failed.

Everyone was listening as a unisex voice spoke up to the sun alicorn:

"Hello Celestia, it has been quite a while that you visited me last. I was rather dissapointed that you didn't come more often to pay me a visit after all we have been through. Though I must say, your ponies in this castle are a delightful company to hold.

I hope you don't come here to ask me again to un-do the sealing spell you accidentally casted with my elements of harmony. While the spell is growing weaker with every year, will it still take at the very least a decade of not three until the spell wears out and they be returned.

Keep in mind that you promised me the Elements return, should you fail to find new bearing wielding creatures. As you can see I start to grow ever weaker and eventually I will need them back.
I don't think I have to remind you who keeps Discord at bay in his statue form, who works to un-do the shadow kings spell that keeps the Crystal Empire trapped and who keeps the land your nation stands on fertile.

Actually if I wasn't as busy to do that and more, I might had the time to tell you how difficult it is to be keeping it all going without as mutch the occational 'thank you' from anyone but your ponies working in the castle above me.
One would think keeping me motivated towards beneficial goal for your nation would be worth some of your time.

Though i am dissapointed in you personally, they have been keeping me company over the centuries, for that I have to thank you.
They are delightful company, despite how fleeting their lifespans are compared to being like you and me."

Celestia had the decency to look ashamed of herself at these words.
This conversation would be a long one, though she wondered how Harmony was unaware of Discords and her sisters return?
Perhaps was the Tree of Harmony in worse shape than she feared.

Harmony was playing dumb, while looking forward to see how mutch Celestia was about to tell her on her own accord. She know of Discord gaining freedom, the moment his presence started to warping her vision within the usual range of him moving around within this world.

She know of Nightmares & Lunas return, when Discord wasn't around to block her abilities to see what happend in the castle, clearing up quickly within hours, when he departed to places unknown.

Would she introduce her darling Blueblood to her? Who could be a better godparent than the god of harmony?

What would she tell about the Griffon deity still growing up. Why was Cadance a Griffon anyway?

Most importantly... What had she to say about that Dragon welp Cynder? That little outsider was quite the thorny deviant, a stone in the gears of her plans that needed removing.

Be it by sending her anywhere else than Equestria or the Dragonlands.
Better yet, perhaps 5 meter underground in a fresh grave. That little troublemaker was almost as bothersome as Discord himself, but unlike Discord the Tree of Harmony would not suffer its continued existence unless given a very VERY good reason... or 5, what would make its existance tolerated, not appreciated.

Author's Note

Enjoy the new chapter my der readers

Next story I update, it will probably be my Necromancer story and than... who knows? The Fimfiction muse gives when it pleases her.

Stay snuggly everyony
✌

At this point I have problems keeping the right time measurements the correct way, so I made it complicated enough to look less stupid about it

Happy new year 👍

Last time edited and improved:
10.04.2024