Celestia sat strong and proud her throne room, empty except for the handful of guards stationed at the entrance and at the bottom of the staircase which led to her set of power. Her sun was high and burned hot. Not to much longer before Luna has to set it. The princess stood the sun was setting. Luna was doing her job well within the year she had been returned even though Celestia had only just recently returned her duties as the moons medium.
The day went on and her appointments entered and exited after having completed what they came to request or complain. Normal drag things, a animal eating crops or stolen property, noisy neighbors, ponies asking for invitations to the next Gala.
She let out a long breath after her final appointment of the day had left the room. She slouched in her seat and stretched her back, a guard came to her side with a glass of water levitated by his magic. Celestia gladly took it and took a refined sip of the liquid before letting it drain down her throat. She let it float to the floor. The guard who had brought it then lifted it and taken it back to were he had gotten it.
As he left another guard burst through the giant wooden doors. His wings fluttering from having just landed, He slid to a halt in front of the staircase that led to the throne.
“Princess Celestia!” The guard removed his helmet and bowed his head. “There’s a problem in appaloosa.”
“What is going on?” Celestia asked sounding hurried.
“A series of fires has spread throughout the city.”
“Has the reservoir been drained of water? Why has nopony taken care of them?”
“Ma’am we think it’s a curse. We cannot put them out, and no unicorn can set it right. Soon the apple supply will be burnt to a crisp and half of Equestria will have an apple shortage. “
The princess pulled out a pen and a piece of parchment and began to write. The letter was burnt and was sent through a window. Not a minute later the door burst open, Glitter Shine. The court unicorn rushed to meet the guard who had caught his breath. His brown orange mane and grey coat just cleaned to go to bed but instead called out to help his country.
“My princess you called?”
The sun goddess smiled and spoke in her calmed voice.
“I need you to travel to appaloosa and help put out these fires, you are authorized to use level 1 element spells and also find out who started them.”
“At once your highness.” And with that, he walked out.
The guard replaced his helmet and stared at Celestia waiting for orders. None came for few moments, until Princess Luna walked through the Giant doors next.
“Hello sister it is our time to watch over the land, please rest.”
She nodded and stepped off the throne as her sister stepped onto it. The guard had decided to just go to the barracks and sleep after what he had seen.
3 Hours Before.
The city of Appaloosa is a nice city. The sun is high and scorching hot. The old timey city was busy ponies carrying things that looked heavy from this distance, some ponies chatted while snacking on their lunches. The National Bank of Equestria was looking like it had better days, a guard should be posted there at all times.
There seemed to be an odd amount of ponies out for such a small town, and how this town small town can produce enough apples to supply half of the country is beyond me. But the grumble in my stomach is enough persuasion I need to go down.
The walk took about half an hour and the number of ponies out seemed to decrease as I got closer. Good. The desert that this town was in was burning my already dark coat. My white mane and tail swished with the little wind offered by the harsh climate.
The town even though it was packed and bustling they all looked over at the new face.
‘Dark gray coat, snow white mane, cheek bones that can cut paper, and a cutie mark that even I don’t understand? What’s not to want to look at?’
The saloon was filled and loud sound of glasses smashing into each other sounded, somepony must be celebrating with a alcoholic drink. I stepped through the dual panel doors and every eye turned to me. Just like one of those bad western movies, the biggest and toughest looking ponies glred at me for some reason, while the most drunk were still snickering at a joke that was told before I entered.
‘I should just back out before any trouble happens’
I began to listen to my head when my stomach uttered his reply, so I walked to the counter.
“Hi’ya there what can I get cha?”
‘The southern accent is strong with this one.’
I snickered at myself with that thought. But now isn’t the time for jokes, now the jokes wold have to wait after I got a plate of hay fries and a flower sandwich.
“A plate of hay fries and a flower sandwich please.”
He punched a few tabs on a register.
“ That’ll be 7 bits”
‘Il need a drink also.’
“And one of what ever there having.” I motioned my heads to the ponies behind me some went back to chit chatting while some still watched me.
He hit another button. “13 bits.”
“I used my magic to levitate the bits out of my saddlebag, il need to get some more money soon. Good thing this town has a bank.
The clerk left to make my order and was back in a heartbeat.
“Thank you.” I say as he passes me my meal. He poured the glass of whatever I ordered and placed it next to my plate.
‘For a little desert town they can really make some god hay fries!’
While eating I had more time to scope out the bar. Six shelves filled with bottles of different colors, heights, and shapes. There were eight stools five of which were empty, sawdust had been spread on what seemed like oak wood floor. Behind me the colts had went back to there conversation a few of them were dancing on tables singing a delightful toons about blunting knives and bending forks. The walls were covered in lone star’s and country posters of singers and actresses.
In the corner of the bar a mare with red hair was watching me. Her eyes red filled with an emotion I can’t tell at this distance. She took a sip of her red wine and looked away once she noticed I had noticed her.
“Stay away from her.”
I heard the bar keep say.
“What do you mean?”
“Ia mean she’s the town harlot. Aint nopony in this town whos not been with her. And it seems like she’s taken a likin to ya partner.”
I gave a quick chuckle and turned back to my food. The fries all gone and my sandwich halfway done, the drink lay untouched. I took a bite and commenced chewing, the taste was sweet and tender a good sandwich as well as the fries.
I felt a hoof slide down my back and a chill ran down my spine. I saw a set f hooves wrap around my neck in a tender embrace. Skinny, white, refined, it was the mare from the corner.
“May I help you with something?”
She reached down my chest onto my belly I saw a smile on her face from what little of it I can see.
“Not just anypony can buy a 13 bit meal, You must be wealthy.”
‘Wealthy? Ha right whatever you want honey.’
“Maybe I am.” I took another bite of the sandwich began chewing and opened my mouth again.” Maybe I’m not.”
She reached her hoof back up off of my stomach and backed off of me. I finished my sandwich and reached for the drink. It smelled of fermented apple cider, I took a sip and it as well tasted good. I took another then placed it down. The liquid burning my throat, I took a deep breath. The mare was to my left sitting on a stool legs open.
“So sugar you here for long?”
I looked up at her. “No just passing through.”
“Ohh would you like to take in some sights while you’re here?”
I felt a tap on my back and I I turned around. A big red stallion with orange hair, he was one of the last ones to stop watching me. He looks like the most drunk out of the 20 or so ponies in here.
“What ya think you doin boy?” His voice deep and gruff slurred from the alcohol.
“Sitting here drinking cider, how about you?”
He seemed to get angry t my comment.
“Ya think dis ish funny?”
‘Kind of, yes.’
“Well it ain’t I’ve been watching you since you been in here. You waltz in here lookin all fancy buying a a expensive lunch and booze. Then you try to take mah gurl?”
‘He needs to lay off the silly juice’
“A’ve had enough of ya. You unicorn types think your better than us earth ponies cause ya got yur fancy shmancy magics.”
‘This guy had to be kidding himself he wants to fight yet he can barely stand.’
At that thought the colt wobbled in his stance. I chuckled again. Apparently that chuckle was a agreement of battle. The drunken colt lashed out in a fit of punches, almost all missing me. The mare screamed for him to stop as I tried to scramble away. The seats and stalls were flipped by a rampaging red colt.
Food and drinks flew through the air and landed soaking the floor and other ponies in alcohol, the big red one as well. But that got the other drunken ponies angry and soon they realized who it was, me. They joined into the beat down kicking and punching. I covered my face and tried to use my magic to mineralize the amount of damage I was taking.
Protection spells are some of my best kinds. But as I was about to cast a bubble shield the big red colt grabbed my horn blocking the flow of magic.
“Remember my name boy.” Hey knelt down to whisper into my ear. I tried to tell him to let go of my horn but it came as a whisper. “Huh? What was that? Last words?”
The magic pressure in my horn was building and with his hoof gripping it there’s no way for it to be released. “Let go of my horn.” He gripped tighter.”Applebark doesn’t do no favors.” He squeezed tighter and tighter. A heavy wind gushed though the air knock over many of the already unstable ponies, the doors slammed open and closed and the mare from before screamed.
My horn lit in a supernova of magic, Fire spreading everywhere, covering everything inside of this small room.
They burst into flames being already covered in alcohol. Applebark release my horn being the first to be hit and I placed a protection field around myself the mare from before was huddled under the counter next to the charred body of the bar tender. I placed a shield around her as well, then ran out the back door. Ponies spread in front of the saloon trying to get the fire out, it didn’t work and the guard that was protecting the bank was trying to assess what had happened.
I slipped into the bank and used my magic to break the lock on the vault I slid a bit of money into my bag and ran, ran out of this town and into the arms of another. Hopefully they won’t be as unlucky as this one.
‘Celestia dammit I hate this I can’t go somewhere without misfortune happening.’
“I need to find a place to sleep.”
I walked across the desert for a long while but I could not find any caves or any boulders large enough to provide cover. All I could see was a orange light coming from the way I came, the town was going up in flames but I didn’t care.
I guess you can’t run from what you are. It will find you like a moth to a flame, I guess I shouldn’t run after all Mayhem is my name, and it seems to be all I’m good at.
3 hours later
The city of Appleoosa had almost been burnt to the ground. The orchard was saved, at least the back half of it.
Glitter Shine stood at the epicenter of the flames a small tavern simply names Saloon. There were at least 25 charred bodies in this room. The bottles of liquor all destroyed and the bodies so burnt they probably won’t be able to be identified.
Something cause Shines attention actually two things. The first was a light glowing behind the counter the second lied with the corpses.
“Guards Number 26 and 33!” Glitter called.
Almost on cue two unicorn guards arrived.
“Please arrange these bodies head facing the bar on the opposite wall.”
They nodded and went to work careful not to alter much of the bodies, while Glitter went to the counter. A slight whimper was barely audible from behind the counter the glow was pulsating a rapid pace. Glitter placed his head over the counter to see who was there. But beside a small ball of light there was nothing there. Yet the whimpers continued, he moved his hoof toward the light but was stopped by an invisible field. It rippled like a leave hitting a still lake, a protection spell. Who ever was behind this must have been behind the fires.
“Sir!” The guards calling Glitter back to the bodies.
“Good work boys, now I need to you to leave for a quick moment.”
And with that they were gone. The slightly audible whimper didn’t stop who ever was behind that shield was sad and crying. Maybe regretting burning down the town and cursing the flames? No time to tell, Glitter went to the bodies and examined them all as fully as possible.
His assumption was correct none of them were unicorns, which means they couldn’t have started it. It had to be the one behind the shield.
He hurried passed blackened chairs and tables back to the little white ball. It slowed down its pulsation and now just sat there.
“With just a strong enough arcane burst the shield should burst.”
He focused his magic onto the white ball and emptied his magic pool to break open the prison.
It didn’t budge. Exhausted Glitter had to think of how to break a shield strong enough to withstand a level 1 electric bolt.
“Maybe the princesses will know what to do, Guards!”
Again almost on queue a number of guards filled in.
“There is a protective barrier to strong for me to break hidden here. We must transport this to the princesses for evaluation and spell breaking. Please take this to the palace.”
The guards rolled the shielded being in a large cloth and flew it to a carrier. The carrier than flew to the palace.
Exhausted from his Level 1 failure Glitter Shine passed out on the bench outside of the Saloon
Author's Note
Hello and thank you for reading chapter 1 of Discord's Daughter.I would just like to point out that when the drunk stallion was talking its all misspelled for a reason. I tried to write this story once before but i never continued with it so now im resarting it. Will update when each chapter is finished. Thank you again.