Prologue: Divinity's Deal
Prologue
Divinity's Deal
The regal, majestic equine gave a weary, almost exasperated sigh, her unicorn horn giving off a bright gold glow, which also enveloped a set of ornate ivory gates, inlaid with gold. Her magic parted the massive gates, the only opening in a vast wall that surrounded the regal pony's vast, spiritual paradise of Canterlot.
Canterlot itself was a strange place. While it did exist in a physical sense, it was inaccessible to all mortal ponies living far below the precarious mountainside the city was perched on. A pony's soul could only be granted entry upon their death...and even then, only those who were considered worthy could enter...those with a pure, good heart. It was a paradise, a final utopia most ponies aspired to eventually reach when the mortal life came to an end.
But as the Alicorn...a pony in possession of both the magical horn of a unicorn, and the majestic wings of a pegasus...opened the gates to the heavenly paradise...her heavenly paradise, as she was the alicorn deity who ruled over it...she was not there to welcome a new pony to her private little utopia. Instead, she was here to deal with somepony she though she had dealt with a long, long time ago.
Sighing, the Alicorn stepped out onto the grassy cliff-top that was situated just beyond the gate, taking a moment to relax, her slim, white-furred body stretching slightly, her wings spreading as she sought to ease the few cramps she could feel. She may be an immortal deity, but she did not abuse her powers, preferring to at least take on all the sensations a physical form provided, both the positive and the negative. It helped her relate to the ponies she watched over within Canterlot, so she was better able to keep her paradise exactly as they wanted it.
She did not have time to relax for long though...it appeared the one she was here to meet had been waiting for her to appear for some time. “Ah, Princess Celestia! At last! I was starting to think you had cancelled our appointment!”
The jovial voice did little to help Celestia's mild irritation at having to meet it's owner. The creature before her was like nothing Equestria had ever seen before...it was certainly no pony. It's head was definitely equine in origin, but there all similarities to a pony ended. It's long, thin, serpentine body was covered in fur that was grey at the head and neck, yet faded to a deep, muddy brown from the shoulders down. The fur stopped at the base of the creature's long tail, similar to a dragons, and was covered in crimson scales, ending with a tuft of white fur.
He had similar white tufts of fur for eyebrows, and another one on his chin, creating a makeshift goatee. Sprouting from the top of his head were two mismatched horns, the right resembling deer antlers, the left seeming to be a goat horn. His right arm was covered in short, dusty coloured fur, ending in a large paw...clearly a leg and paw from a lion. His left arm was gangly, yellow, and ended on a set of sharp talons...an eagle's claw. His legs were just as mismatched, the right being that of some kind of green lizard, while the left was of a tan-furred goat. Even the wings sprouting from his back were uneven, one feathered, like most pegasus ponies, and one having the leathery skin of a bat. The short black mane atop his head, trailing down the back of his neck, was equine in origin, as well, completing his jumbled, chaotic appearance.
The creature was one Princess Celestia knew well, having dealt with him several times before...Discord. He was a Draconequus, a strange creature made up of all sorts of mortal creatures. He had once been part of the collection of deities Princess Celestia had trusted to help her watch over her immortal paradise here in Canterlot.
Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Celestia gave Discord a disapproving look, clearly impatient and irritated at having to take time out of her work to deal with him...again. “Unlike you, Discord, I am a creature of my word...though I am not pleased at you interrupting me, yet again. We have been over this a thousand times Discord, and as much patience as I have, you are starting to wear it thin.” Celestia's voice was totally calm...but with an icy edge to it that betrayed her irritation, and sent Discord a clear warning that she was in no mood to deal with his antics today.
Discord, however, seemed undeterred by her cold reception, smiling at her. “Oh, come on, Celestia,” he scoffed, though did not seem to have any malice in his tone, oddly. “Don't tell that that not even a small part of you wanted to see me today...lying to yourself is not healthy, and you know how I hate it when you lie to me.” He finished off by offering her a smile...one full of an awkward kind of devotion that gave the Princess pause.
Surely he can't still be holding out hope...not after all this... she thought to herself. But the evidence was right in front of her, and Discord was clearly refusing to move on. The realisation nearly made Celestia growl in frustration; for a creature known for spontaneity, Discord was surprisingly set in his ways regarding this issue...one that he had been annoying Celestia with for what felt like an eternity to the alicorn deity.
Discord had been cast out of Canterlot's watch...the Angels, as mortal ponies referred to them as in their myths about her paradise...after it had become obvious he was neglecting his duties. Princess Celestia had eventually learned that Discord, rather than putting his efforts into maintain Canterlot as a paradise for ascended ponies, was working to improve it in ways that were supposed to be for her benefit. As thoughtful as it was, that was not why he was there, so Celestia had done some more digging.
She had been shocked to eventually learn that Discord harboured some deep-seated feelings for her...romantic feelings. He had become so devoted to her, and her alone, that he had shirked his duty to tend to Canterlot itself. No matter what the Princess had tried to get his focus back on his primary task, his devotion remained on her alone.
His obsession saw him start to think of the ascended ponies as being lesser than them, and that Canterlot should be a paradise reserved for the deities of Equestria exclusively. At this point, Celestia had been forced to put her hoof down. After failing to convince him that his devotion should be focused on the Ascended, and not her, she had been forced to cast him out of Canterlot, declaring him an Archangel; a fallen, disgraced Angel of Equestria.
But even exiled from Canterlot, Discord's scorn of mortal ponies, and love for Celestia, had not died, once more leaving Celestia to deal with him as he pleaded for a second chance in Canterlot.
Giving a heavy, exasperated sigh, the alicorn tried to reason with him. “Discord, we have been over this time and time again. This has nothing to do with us...this is about the ponies you shun, the Ascended you ignore, and would see cast out of Canterlot for your own selfish desires.”
Discord gave what seemed to be a heavy, exasperated sigh, as if he believed it was Celestia who was missing the point, and stubbornly refusing to see his point of view. “Celestia, don't do this to me...don't do this to yourself. Is it really wrong for us to indulge in an exclusive luxury or two? We are the guardians of all that exist, after all.”
Celestia just gave Discord a hard glare in return. “And as the guardians of Equestria and all that exists, it is our duty to watch over, protect and guide the mortal pony, so that they may, if fate and chance smile upon them, become one of the Ascended, and join us in eternal peace in Canterlot. Our powers were not given to us so that we may practice exclusion and self-indulgence, however you may try and disguise it, Discord.”
The alicorn's firm rebuttal seemed to have left Discord at a loss for words, only finding his voice as the Princess turned to return to her paradise city. “But...Celestia, don't you understand? I would do anything, anything at all, just to take my place back at your side. I don't belong out here...”
But Celestia, by this point, was done listening, she had heard his false pleas too many times to count now. It was always the same; that he would do anything for her...that he loved...that they were destined to be together. But every time, he was incapable of doing the one thing she asked of him...to turn his focus away from her, and instead give his affection to the mortal ponies they were tasked with watching over.
“Enough, Discord!” she snapped firmly, looking over her shoulder at the silenced Draconequus. “I have your pleas and lies too many times, and I pray...likely in vain...that this will be the last time. Until you learn the error of your ways, and rectify those mistakes, I will not allow you to re-enter Canterlot. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some ponies who are much more deserving of my time than you.”
Turning her back on Discord once more, Celestia had to suppress a sigh. If she was honest with herself, she hated having to be so harsh on him. She had once considered him a friend, and some small part of her still did...but she held no romantic feelings for him, hence why his advances had been constantly rejected. She wanted to be gentle with him, to try and guide him towards a behaviour more fitting of somepony of his station, but when she had tried that, he had mistook it for affection, forcing her to become more and more forceful in her dealings with him, lest he get the wrong impression.
But Discord did not seem to be quite finished just yet. “You mean that mortal Unicorn in the world below you are so fond of praising, Celestia? What was her name, Dusk? Eclipse?”
“Twilight. Her name is Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia corrected, her tone sharp, yet wary. She did not like Discord's tone when he inquired about the pony she admitted was her favourite of all the millions of mortal ponies in the land below. He was planning something...but what?
Discord did not leave her hanging for long. “Twilight, of course! Such an example of mortal perfection in your eyes...such a righteous heart, inquisitive mind, loving soul. But still mortal...vain, gullible, and corruptible, just like all other mortals.”
As Discord's words started to sink in, Celestia's glare grew more and more ferocious...she was a hard pony to anger...which just meant her temper flared all the brighter when she was finally pushed beyond her limits, which she was rapidly approaching. “Discord, I swear on my magic that if you lay a claw on Twilight...”
“Relax, Celestia, I have no intention of doing any such thing,” Discord interrupting, surprisingly calm in the face of Celestia...he even seemed to be smiling, which only put Celestia further on edge. “I simply wish to propose a deal...a little bet of sorts.”
Celestia was immediately wary. Since Discord had been cast out of Canterlot, there was no way of determining exactly what had happened to him since...but she was starting to get the impression he was more twisted and devious than ever before, leaving her highly suspicious of his proposed bet.
But she hesitated from refusing him on the spot, allowing Discord to capitalise. “It's simple, really. You're so confident that your mortals are so much better than me...so much purer, so let's test that, shall we? If I can convince Twilight to give me her soul...willingly, of course...then you must allow me to resume my place in Canterlot, by your side.”
For several moments, there was silence. Celestia had no words for the proposal Discord has just offered to her, leaving her to just gape at him. Surely he did not think she would actually take him up on such a bet, did he? It was ridiculous, even as confident as she was that Twilight would never willingly give her soul to Discord.
Discord seemed to sense Celestia's shock and hesitance, and after a moment of thought, spoke up again. “Alright, Celestia, let's even the stakes a little...if I fail to claim the precious soul of Twilight Sparkle, for whatever reason, then I vow to end my efforts to return to Canterlot...I will leave, and you will never hear from me again.”
This sweetening of the deal for Celestia allowed her to regain some sense of coherence once more, recovering from the stupor his bet had put her in. Unfortunately she was still shocked, and her next words came from her mouth unchecked. “That's not good enough, Discord...you are playing with the soul of a mortal very dear to me, you punishment...should you fail...should appropriately match the horrific nature of what you are attempting.”
Discord's smirk was undeniable, now...he had the Princess exactly where he wanted her, and she had walked right into the verbal trap. “Very well, then, Celestia...what do you propose?” he demanded, giving her a pointed look. Now that she had brought it up, he wanted her to see her thought through to completion...without any prompting from him.
Celestia stared the chaotic creature down, though, matching his smirk with a small one of her own as an idea came to her. She doubted he would be very comfortable with this. “If you fail, you will be punished as any guardian would if found to have tampered with the soul of a mortal; condemned to eternity in the deepest reaches of Tartarus, never to leave!”
Celestia could not help but feel a slight surge of smug satisfaction as her declaration saw Discord's smirk vanish, clearly caught off-guard by the severe price Celestia was offering should his gamble backfire. Tartarus was a deep, underground hell-scape...a prison for many vicious mythical beasts and creatures of immense power. It was a necessary evil...as only the most brutal environments could contain and break the beasts who were powerful enough to destroy all of Equestria should they break loose. It also housed the immortal criminals of the world...creatures that would not be daunted or held back by a conventional prison, and who needed to be sealed away from the world for millennia at a time, if not longer.
To be condemned to an eternity within Tartarus was one of the worst fates that anypony could have thrust upon then. On very rare occasions, a mortal who had committed unspeakable evil during their lifetime had their souls bound there for a time to have the error of their ways forcibly pointed out to them.
For several moments, Discord was silent...Celestia's counter seemed to have dulled his enthusiasm for the bet, giving Celestia a moment of relief. He would back down and sulk away quietly, leaving her to get on with her duties back in Canterlot.
But then Discord finally found his voice...and his smirk...again. “Alright, Celestia. If I claim Twilight's soul, I rejoin you in Canterlot. Fail, and I spend eternity in Tartarus. Do we have a deal?” Discord offered out his paw, still smirking the entire time, leaving Celestia gobsmacked.
He actually wanted to continue with the bet, despite the immense risk, and price of failure? She could hardly believe her own eyes and ears, and once more hesitated. Discord clearly thought he had the upper hoof...that he knew something she did not...some way of corrupting Twilight that she had not thought of.
Discord's smirk only increased upon seeing Celestia's hesitancy, unable to resist the opportunity to goad her. “What's the matter, Celestia? This was as much your idea as it is mine, now. You made the ultimatum regarding Tartarus, so why are you backing down? Just how much faith do your really have in Twilight, hmm?”
That snapped Celestia back to the present, once more directing a glare at Discord. She now realised she had been manipulated...rather cleverly lead into a trap. If she agreed, there was a chance that Discord could win, forcing her to let him back in to Canterlot, where she would have to deal with his presence. But if she backed down, then it would show that she held no faith in Twilight, and by extension mortal ponykind. Either way, the situation looked grim, and her reputation looked set to take a hit, which could detrimentally affect the quality of life the Ascended had in Canterlot.
But then, she had been watching Twilight ever since the unicorn was just a little filly...she knew more about her than she guessed even her own parents did. If she could not place her faith in Twilight, then who could she trust?
As she deliberated, Celestia finally made a realisation that finally swung her decision, her face now set in a hard, determined...but confident frown, as she met Discord's gaze...reached her hoof out to take his paw. “Alright, Discord...by my power, and my magic, we have a deal,” she stated, giving his paw a firm shake.
As they finalised the deal, there was a brief glow of magic that surrounded them, encasing both of them within a golden aura for a few moments, disappearing as they broke away from each other once more. Their bet was completed, and sealed by an ancient, divine magic. Neither of them could worm their way out of the deal, now...fate itself would ensure that whoever lost would be forced to accept the conditions placed upon them.
“Excellent!” Discord cried, grinning at the Princess, even going so far as to pull her into a quick one-armed hug, that Celestia refused to return. “I am so glad we can finally settle this little dispute once and for all! Good luck, Celestia, and may the best Draconequus win!” he declared, before he snapped the claws of his left hand, and in a flash of magic, simply vanished, no trace of him to be seen anywhere.
Celestia looked around the cliff-top they had been perched on, trying to determine if he was still nearby, watching her. But she could find no sign of him, and finally sighed, turned around and making her way back into Canterlot, grimacing to herself as she went.
She had been foolish and careless, and allowed Discord to goad and manipulate her into a bad situation against her will. He was getting more and more devious than she remembered...and his morals seemed to be fading away, too. If he could get the best of her, the ruling Alicorn of Equestria...then what could he do to a mortal Unicorn?
Shaking her head, she banished those thoughts from her mind, forcing herself to remain positive. She knew Twilight Sparkle...she may not have ever interacted with the Unicorn directly, but she had been watching for long enough. Discord would find Twilight much more difficult to corrupt than anypony could expect of a mortal.
But even as Celestia returned to her paradise, she gave a heavy sigh, directing her gaze down far below Canterlot, to the mortal world below. She really hoped her favourite pony's convictions were as strong as she figured. One way or another, Twilight Sparkle's life was going to be changed forever because of this...the only question that remained was; just how extensively would her life be shaken?
Author's Note
Here we are at last! After struggling all summer with a viciously uncooperative muse, I finally have the first chapter of my latest project done! Welcome to "Memento Mori", everypony!
First off, "Memento Mori" has no relation to "Magic in the Stars", despite the inclusion of Starfall as a character. It is a seperate story arc entirely, and completely AU from even the canon universe of MLP that we all know and love...the extent of this will be made clear in future chapters.
Secondly, I need to give credit where it's due. The story of "Memento Mori" is not mine...the loose concept of the plot of this fic was explored by the band "Kamelot". Their two-part series of concept albums, "Epica" and "The Black Halo", heavily inspired this fic, and aside from it being set in Equestria, most of the elements of this story are sourced from this, so a huge shout-out to them for inspiring this story!
Kamelot's albums were actually inspired by a Victorian-era European theater screenplay called "Faust" (coincidence, or fate? You be the judge there) by "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe", though Kamelot's version of the story is heavily altered from the original to the point of being near-unrecognisable.
And finally, a warning to all readers, especially those who have found this story via their alerts...I have rated this story MATURE for good reason! This is a dark, twisted, unforgiving tale. Warnings include:
-Intense Mature Themes
-Intense Dark Themes
-Intense Spiritual/Religious Themes
-Multiple Character Deaths
-Light Drug References
-Light Drug Use
-Moderate Sexual Themes/References
-Light Sex Scenes
To put it simply, this story will not back down, and while the intimate moments are not exactly clopfiction in terms of descriptiveness, it will be obvious what is happening. So this is one more warning to all readers...if any of the above warnings put you off, or you are considered a minor in your country of residence, I suggest you give this story a miss. Sex and drug themes aside, this story deals with some incredibly deep stuff that younger readers (pre-teens, and possibly younger teenagers) will most likely have a hard time wrapping their heads...I'm writing this story, and even I'm struggling to come to terms with the task I've given myself.
But if all this has left you undaunted, and eager for more, then thank you for giving my latest creation a chance! This story will push the very limits of writing ability, since I have never written anything this dark, complex, or explicit before, and I hope that in the end, I come up with a result that satisfies as many of you as possible!
To all my readers over here, I will continue to post chapters of Magic regularly, so don't worry about that falling behind again. Welcome, once more, to the wild, wacky, and crazy world of my imagination, and hang...it's going to a long, bumpy ride ahead!
UPDATE: I have slightly edited the spacing of the paragraphs as of March 7, 2013, East Australian Time. Hopefuly that will make this chapter easier to read.
