Ember's Endeavors: Apocalypse

by Inferno Agner

Mending

Ember’s Endeavor

Mending
~Ember Matriax~

Some think Queen Chrysalis evil. Others follow her every command. All I can say is that I know what she’s been through, and have felt similar pains.

Ten weeks it had been since the events during Princess Cadence and Shining Armor’s wedding took place, and nine since I had dispelled a second attack on Canterlot. Very little happened between then. I expected the wait, and so took the time to create my HQ. It was beautiful. A square ivory building emblazoned with golden statues depicting recent history: The return of Nightmare Moon, Discord’s escape from his stone prison and the chaos that ensued, and the aforementioned Canterlot catastrophe.

A large bell toned from somewhere above my head, signaling company. Despite it’s deafening ringing, I stayed still in my quarters. It rang a total of fifteen times. On the thirteenth, I finally lifted my head off the velvet pillow. I could hear muffled voices from far below, somewhere beyond the main doors. I walked quickly, not wanting to displease my guest.

The door opened before it was within my reach.

“Ember? Ember Matriax?” a familiar voice asked from outside. “Are you there? Princess Celestia asked me to visit.”

“I know why you’re here, Queen Chrysalis,” I replied. I looked directly into her eyes. My Empathy activated, and I could hear her every thought: “How does he know? Did she tell her already? He’s staring at me. Why?” Dozens flicked into her mind and through mine before I dared to move my gaze. “You are here to seek counseling , I can feel it. Also, no, Celestia didn’t give me notice. Come with me.”

I flicked my tail over my head like a scorpion’s. It wrapped around her, stretching and swirling around to balance her weight on it. It quickly retracted, drawing her into my hand-crafted hall. I shook my head and mane, looping a small strand around the large blue stone door, and pulled it back, slamming it shut.

“We’re going to the highest room, to the housing quarters,” I informed her. A look of shock flashed briefly over her eyes.

“We... are?” She seemed confused. I looked into her eyes again, and my Empathy began to draw information from her. Once again, thoughts began to wash over me.

“He must like me. Why? No one ever liked me.” I could feel her emotions as clear as I could see her face. She felt afraid. Trapped. However, I could also feel her desire to belong, so much like so many before. And I felt her fear. Oh, she was afraid. Too afraid. I began to sift through each thought, each feeling, and found... something. It might have been anger, or protectiveness. I could see her past. She had been through so many trials, rejected by so many, harmed and fought by so many more. I didn’t know how, but I knew. I knew she was feared, loathed, by all who met her. All but two: one, Discord; He was trapped in stone, yet I could feel she felt his presence, and she knew I knew. The other, Me. I am the second to know her pain. How sad.

“Your past is marred with chaos, fury, rage, fear, and pain, Chrysalis. I know this because I can see your past,” I finally said after a few minutes. She had never moved her eyes away, nor turned her head to escape the fear she felt looking at me. She was still afraid, more confused. “Young one, do not fear me, I know all too well how you feel. Now come, you need to see your quarters.” I began to walk towards the large staircase.

We were traveling through the numerous corridors that connected every part of the building to one another. Static began to hiss in my Comm. for the first time since I had began building. I flicked it off.

“Her past is scarred with pain, I had said. It seemed like she had known of Discord before he started his chaos. Strange, I seem to remember reading an incredible fanfiction similar to what I saw... who was the author again? YouJellyFish... yes, that’s his name. How ironic, how beautifully quaint,” I thought. YouJellyFish, a name I remembered then and now; he was an author on Equestria Daily, who wrote ‘Beneath the Skin of Monsters.’ I had read some of the stories on that website from my Internet connection, which led to my discovery of sentient premonitions just days before. I had spent over an hour sifting through works both poor and incredible. I had read My Little Dashie, which which my Commanding Officer had de-briefed me on when and where it’s timeline would happen. I read it, and honestly spent the next thirty minutes struggling with emotions, crying all the way.

I pushed open a smaller wooden door, and held it in place to let the Queen through. She stopped, then reluctantly trotted in, hole-ridden hooves tapping softly against the alpine floorboards.

“How much do you know?” She asked me.

“I know you knew Discord as a youth. I know you spent your time around Ponyville while the princesses were fillies. I also know just how the alicorns, Celestia and Luna, imprisoned Discord. I will free him, but I will also maintain the world as you saw it. You and Discord will protect this realm alongside me, Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and the mane 6.”

“Why do you know so much? How will you keep him from returning the world to the way it was before? Will you stop the strife that occurs even now between me and my subjects?” Her questions came in a torrent, and I answered as calmly and evenly as I had before. She wanted to know everything. She needed to know. Even without my Empathy technique, I knew. She was lost in that day that Celestia and Luna triumphed, just as her friend was lost in a stone prison. She felt that pain.

I looked at the blanket on the cherrywood bed, and commanded it to lift itself into a fold.

“Rest, Queen Chrysalis. I will endow you with peaceful dreams,” I bade her. She obeyed without question, sliding under the fabric. It was not long before she closed her eyes, drifting into the realm which my father’s brother, Abysstura, preserved. I whispered a word of prayer, and left.

The trip to Canterlot’s garden was incredibly short. With my preparations, it only took three minutes. I could’ve made a sandwich in that time. When I arrived, I could see the intricate hedges cut into wonderful shapes: rectangles, cubes, spheres, pyramids, and many different animals; flowers dotting their surface. At the center sat a granite statue of a Draconequis. Discord.

At once after landing, I vigorously began working at the barrier between him and the outside world. I could feel the sheer power emanating from it, and realized it was the Elements of Harmony.

“Intriguing. So this is the power the Elements of Harmony possess?” I chuckled. “I’m sorry Twilight, but this is something I have to do.” I hardened my features and braced my emotions, then began to focus. A sharp pain tore through my mind as I began to pierce the magical wall.

“Discord, Lord of Chaos, hear me. I am Ember Matriax. I have come to free you, under one condition,” I thought, sending the words through the gap. I could feel a reply widening the weakened portion.

“Ember Matriax. Quite quaint. What do you seek of me?” Discord thought back.

“I have found your old friend. What you did was not ethical, but neither was what Celestia and Luna attempted. Return to the world of ponies. Right wrongs from ages passed.”

“You found Chrysalis? How? Why? Do you think she is a monster?”

I chuckled to him. “Ah, such questioning thoughts I have seen in her. Yes, I found her. She attempted to conquer Canterlot, twice. The second attempt I stopped singlehandedly, and now she sleeps in my guest quarters, somehow waiting for you, if that answers your questions.”

“You... how have you done such?” His confusion shone bright as the sun when his questions reached me. My Empathy told me his story as well, Discord had been born of earth and water. He had found who he was days before finding Chrysalis, and just like his long-lost friend, Discord felt the pain of losing a beloved person.

“My true form is that of a Phoenix deity, do not doubt me.”

My mane flashed like a red whip, smashing the solid granite prison to dust while I mentally held Discord to my mind. When his body fell to the ground in a heap, I let my mind blossom around his, my memories becoming a part of his. He could see my beginning. He saw the Great War my father had fought, and felt the pain I felt on the front lines. He saw my men fall to swords and axes, fists and stones. He felt every waking moment of my suffering, and for once, someone other than myself knew. I was here for one thing: to save him and his friend from a torment worse than life in hell.

“Now you know. Before we return to my headquarters, we must meet Celestia and set things right. Just know that thievery is a crime I disdainfully will punish, and one that set the series of actions that occurred so long ago in motion. Now, awake!”

I retracted my mind from his, letting him slowly rise.

He groggily began to slur out a couple of incoherent words, then finally managed to form a complete sentence.

“Climb-b on my b-back, I’ll teleport us there.” Before I had time to say anything, he forced my flank onto his back, just below his wings, and unleashed his magic. I could feel a tingling sensation as his energies washed over us.

In a split second, a blinding white flash appeared then faded, leaving the image of a royal bedroom. We had teleported to one side of the circular room. It had one window with gold and silver trim, covered with purple velvet curtains wrapped around a golden post decorated with spires at the ends. Across the room was a large wooden door with handles in the shape of lion heads. The walls were purple, the floor pink. In the center of a circular indent sat a purple-and-gold mattress, curved to fit the middle of the bowl-like floor. Around it was a transparent violet veil. Under this veil was a sleeping, 16 hand white alicorn with a four-color mane.

I gingerly stepped up, careful not to make too loud a sound. I brushed her flowing mane aside with a deep red-brown hoof, and leaned in to whisper “Wachen” in her ear. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing sea-green eyes.

“E-ember? Discord?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Discord quietly replied.

“Why are you here? Wouldn’t my castle be made of chocolate pudding or something?”

“We’re here to make amends and to get an apology, Princess,” I said, slowly nodding my head to calm her. “Discord is here to get an apology for your harsh treatment and hasty judgements when the lot of you were young; however, he’s also here to give one right back for his display of chaos.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but we couldn’t get any food for our own.” He wrapped his scaled and hairy arms around her, pulling her tightly into a hug.

“I... I’m sorry too. We should’ve treated you better. The only problem is that we didn’t know you had no food, and you wouldn’t tell us. We would’ve understood,” she said, returning the gesture.

“If I may interject, we need to get Queenie awake, my spell won’t end until I break it myself, and we’ll have to go quickly to avoid her sinking into a coma,” I said loudly. Grabbing them both, I singled one image in my mind; the image of Chrysalis asleep in the guest bed. Wisps of energy began to swirl around us, forming a cone of pure energy. In a few seconds, the maelstrom of magic reached from the floor to the ceiling.

“Go!” I yelled to the deafening wind. It created a hole above us, and a great suction sucked all of us into the room where a pony slept soundly. “Pull her out of the covers, this spell is full-body, and I can’t use it fast enough when a large portion is covered,” I ordered.

Discord grabbed Queen Chrysalis by the hoo, while Celestia flung off the blanket. As soon as I had a good view of her entire body, I closed my eyes and channeled my magic into her. Although I couldn’t see her, Queen Chrysalis glowed a dark red, an indication that my magic was working.

“She has three seconds! Celestia, Discord, let her go. Your touch inhibits my magic’s efficiency,” I shouted, not opening my eyes. They dropped her on the bed. I couldn’t feel a response. I was losing her!

“NO! NOT AGAIN!!” I screamed silently. With all the power I could muster, I commanded her to wake up. My power surged forth, striking the spell that held her captive, then waned to a faint spark unfit to light a box. I felt my blue eyes glitter then dim to a navy blue. I, a being of incredible power, had failed.

I fell, defeated.

“She... She isn’t going to make it much longer,” I said sadly, not raising my head.

“But you said... No... No! I am NOT going to let her die!” Discord bellowed. He grabbed the still Queen by her middle and pressed her close. I could feel hot, salty tears building in my eyes. I sighed and rose, turning towards the two lovers locked in a tight, one-sided embrace. I could barely hear her heartbeat. Discord began sobbing, the reality of it sinking in. Celestia softly moved toward them, tears also welling.

“Discord... I’m so sorry. I wish... I wish there was something I could do...” Celestia said, voice cracking with every pause.

He slowly set her limp body on the bed and started after Celestia. He wrapped his long arms around her. He fell, sliding to the ground.

A soft moaning emanated from the bed, barely audible. “Dis...discord...”

I turned. Chrysalis’ eyes slowly opened, as if it hurt to open them any faster.

“Discord... Discord! Get Chrysalis!” I yelled to him, my voice suddenly full of vigor. His head snapped up.

“Is she... awake?”

“Yes! Go, hold her up while she’s recuperating.” I turned toward Princess Celestia. “You may go now, or explore my domain if you so please.”

“Okay, Ember. Discord... take care of her,” was all she said, turning out into the hall.

“Hey, Discord.”

“Yes, Ember? What do you want to say?” he asked, his voice soft but firm.

“I’ll let you two stay here with me, if you want, at least until her castle is complete. Or you can stay here where things are nice and calm, yet still chaotic. Your choice.”

Discord and Chrysalis looked at me, then to each other, and back to me.

“We’ll stay,” they said in unison.

“So be it, I will leave you two to your own devices. Enjoy your stay,” I replied, shutting the door behind with my tail. I returned to my own quarters, listening to the muffled sounds of two long-lost friends deep in conversation, and smiled.

“I did it...” I thought, tears once again welling above my melancholy smile. I pushed open my door, walked over to my hammock, and laid myself face down once again.

Comments

[Crysis Commander]

Well, I gotta say, you have potential as a writer. However, the premise of this fic is so overdone that it has become a complete cliche. Your OC seems like a bit of a Gary Stu since he has the inexplicable ability to turn villains into good guy and is apparently the sole defender of Equestria. A word of advice from experience, if you write a fic about an OC that your account is named off of, people will assume that it's a self-insert and the hammer will be brought down upon you by the trolls and the snobs. Like I stated before, you are good at this, just try to keep your OCs in check as far as inexplicable powers and awesomeness; can't make them too awesome.

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[Inferno Agner]

648305 I get that. I really do. But still, there are things far more powerful than He, which will become very evident in my next entry.
(Spoilers, he actually turns them good so they don't turn out stabbing him in the back while he protects it from powers greater than the EofH. Like a huge meteor or some evil entity. Aside from that, he just sits around, holding the world together.)

[Crysis Commander]

649656
Either way, I'm tracking this one. I guess I'll see where you take it from here.