Eris' game

by Java Joe

The Aftermath

The next morning Rick awoke to a rare sight, Twilight was still asleep next to him. Usually she awoke first and would go off to do whatever she wanted and let him sleep a little while longer. He had no idea what time it was, but it was already light outside and he decided it was time to get up. He slowly tried to get himself out of bed without waking up his wife but she chose that moment to throw one of her rear legs over him and grab his right hoof in hers effectively trapping him there.

"That's just great, " he mumbled to himself.

"Glad you like it, " Twilight said with a giggle and opening her eyes.

"So how long you been up?"

"Not long, " she said releasing his hoof and gently running her hoof over his face. "I just woke up and wanted to watch you sleep for a bit. You always look so peaceful when you're asleep, like a little foal without any problems in the world." She smiled and kissed him good morning.

"So we never got to really talk about where we'd wind up, " Twilight said.

"Yeah, I know but I meant it when I said that wherever we decided to wind up the only thing that really mattered in the end was us being together."

"And if that means staying in Equestria?"

"Then so be it."

"Does that include you staying as a pony?"

Rick sighed. "Up until it happened, I never gave it much thought. I'll admit I like having fingers but there are advantages to being like this."

"What about what you're giving up?"

"Babe, you gave up your entire life for me. Seriously you wound up choosing to become a human, permanently, and living in a world you didn't have much experience with or ties to. Can I honestly say that I could do any less for you?"

Twilight reached up and kissed him before snuggling up next to him.

"What about your movies?" she asked.

"I've seen most of them and most are not the kind that I'd necessarily want to see more than once. I'll admit for the most part it was a collection that I just got to see how many I could get."

"Technology?"

"As much as I like it, I sometimes feel the world might be better off if there was a little less of it."

"Coffee?"

"Yes please, " he said with a grin. "But honestly it's more of a habit than anything else. If I can't get it here I'll just have to live without it." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I won't lie and say that I'm not going to miss my world, my friends and family but none of that means anything if you're not there to share it with me."

Twilight just smiled at that and she had to agree with him. Earth or Equestria didn't much matter. True, she preferred Equestria with all her friends and everything and would gladly stay here forever if it meant staying with him. Earth also had its advantages but either way this was not a decision to be made today.

They just lay there, wishing that they could just spend the rest of the day here in bed with each other but sometimes it's necessary to get back to reality and this meant getting cleaned up and getting ready for breakfast.

All cleaned up, the two ponies decided to head out to Sweet Apple Acres for a bit of breakfast. There was no food left in the library, most of Ponyville was still in the process of getting cleaned up and they wanted to see how everypony was doing there. As they were trotting through town, Rainbow Dash came to a screaming halt in front of them, a huge smile on her face.

"Oh my Gosh! You guys have to come to the Farm like right now! Cadance just foaled! You guys have a niece!"

"What?!? Really?!?" Twilight asked excitedly, a huge grin on her face.

"Yeah, really! C'mon!" and with those words Rainbow Dash threw herself into the sky and rocketed back in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Race you there!" Rick said with a grin.

"You're on big guy!" Twlight responded playfully and both ponies ran straight for Sweet Apple Acres to meet the newest member of their admittedly extended family.

Not long after, Rick burst through the gate at Sweet Apple Acres with Twilight hot on his hooves. "Yes! Victory is mine!" he said as he started to do a strange shuffling kind of dance.

"That's only because you have a longer stride. And what in Celestia's name are you doing?"

"Victory dance!" he replied as he did a few steps backwards.

Twilight shook her head and said, "it's a good thing I love you otherwise you'd just be too weird."

Rick finally shook his front hooves in the air but looked a little disappointed. "Yeah, jazz hooves just doesn't work for this. Oh well, let’s go see our niece."

They entered the farmhouse and everypony was gathered in the parlour around a proud looking Shining Armor and rather tired looking Cadance who was holding a tiny wrapped bundle in her hooves. She smiled when Twilight and Rick arrived and the ponies let the two newcomers pass to pay their respects to the newest little pony.

She was an alicorn, pink like her mother but with her father's blue mane. Currently she was sleeping peacefully.

"What's her name?" Twilight asked with a gentle smile.

"We're not quite sure yet, " Cadance responded. "I wanted to call her 'Morning Light' because she arrived with the dawn. But her father wants to call her 'Dawnstar'."

Rick looked at his brother-in-law and said in half-jest, "so I'm guessing you're going to be calling her Morning Light then?"

There was assorted laughter from the assembled ponies and while he didn't agree with it he didn't deny it either.

"I know it's not my place but based on what you just said, maybe you could call her 'Venus'."

Cadance looked at him and asked, "why's that?"

"With everything we've been through recently it just works. In the legend of Eris, the one from Earth, Aphrodite was the one voted fairest of them all. She was the goddess of love and beauty. Her Roman name was Venus and co-incidentally that's the name of the brightest planet in Earth's sky and is also known as the morning or dawn star. And just look at her? Is she not the prettiest foal you've ever seen? A foal conceived by the literal Elements of Love themselves and born when the very planet of love is in the sky. You can't get more specific than that."

Not a pony spoke for a few moments and Rick was afraid that maybe he had done something wrong like broken some unwritten rule of pony etiquette. He glanced nervously at Cadance and she just smiled and said, "that was very poetic, thank you Rick. But Venus just isn't a pony name. On the other hoof I'm sure she wouldn't mind if her Uncle calls her that."

Rick chuckled and said, "I never question the wisdom of a mother."

The ponies talked, laughed, ate some apple goodies and generally admired the foal as these gatherings usually entail. Fluttershy was making goo goo eyes at Big Mac. She had helped to deliver the foal, saw the joy that such a young life brought to the parents and was thinking of how cute their foals would be. Big Mac was feeling a little uncomfortable with this but bore it with good grace. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were also admiring the foal while casting glances at each other and smiling. Rick saw this and wondered which one of them would get pregnant first and which stallion would do the job for them?

Twlight sat with Rick over in the corner, a bit of a wistful look on her face.

"You want one don't you?" Rick asked.

"Hmmm what?" Twilight said as she broke from her reverie.

"You're thinking what it would be like to have a foal of your own aren't you?"

She was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't know. I look at them and they're so happy, and I'm happy for them but I wonder if I'm ready to have a child yet. Besides, we still haven't talked about whether we stay like this, or are able to go back to Earth. I don't think we should make any plans until we know what's going on."

"Sometimes the best plans are the ones you don't make."

"That doesn't make any sense, " Twilight chided.

"Actually it does. Babe, when I walked into Equestria what were your plans for me? You probably wanted to pump me for information, learn as much as you could but somewhere along the line that plan no longer mattered. You and I became an item, we dated, you became a human and came to Earth, we got married and wound up back here in Equestria as ponies. Somehow I doubt any of that was planned but do you regret any moment of it?"

"Of course not."

"And that's what I mean. We did something that neither one could have planned for and look how it turned out. Had you followed through with your original plan, after a month or so when you had gotten all you needed from me that doorway would have disappeared and none of this would have happened. Trixie would not have gone nuts but events led to her possibly being reformed, Dash and AJ wouldn't be getting married, Flutters and Big Mac wouldn't be a couple and Spike would just be mooning after Rarity. You and I are responsible for all of that and I know for a fact that none of it was planned."

"I hate it when you make sense like that, " Twilight said.

"And look, I never said this before because I didn't think it mattered but remember when you were in heat last time? After it was done, I was glad because you wore me out completely but part of me thought that it was a bit of a shame that I couldn't get you pregnant. I know I wasn't ready for kids at that point but the idea especially with what we've gone through recently has made me think that it wouldn't be such a bad thing. I still don't know if I'm completely ready for this but I do know that you're the filly I want to have my foals."

Twilight said nothing for a few moments. Rick turned to her and said, "you okay Twi?"

"Just shut up and kiss me right now buster!" she said pulling him in for a kiss which he gave her gladly.

When they finally came up for air Rick asked, "any reason for that? Not that I'm complaining mind you."

"I just wanted you to know how amazing you really are..."

Any other words were cut off at that point by a new voice from the entrance. "I hope I'm not intruding?"

The gathered ponies there were surprised to see Princess Celestia standing there, a quick look out the window revealed her personal chariot and guards were also there.

"Princess! This is an unexpected honour you showing up in my home!" Applejack said with more than just a little surprise and shock in her voice.

"Please child, it's I that should be honouring you. You and your friends have saved Equestria once again. I and the rest of the ponies are in your debt."

"Well shucks, thanks Princess, that means a lot to me."

"Think nothing of it. But that wasn't the only reason I'm here. First, I'd like to see my grand-niece if I could?" she walked over to Cadance who struggled to stand up, but Celestia gently pushed her back down. She smiled at the tiny alicorn who was still sleeping peacefully in her mother's hooves. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Morning Light, " Shining Armor said. Cadance looked at him with a smile.

"A lovely name for a lovely foal. Hello Morning Light, " Celestia gently nuzzled the foal who then opened her bright blue eyes and regarded the monarch of Equestria with a serious expression before closing her eyes again.

Celestia smiled and continued to admire the foal for a moment longer before turning to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"I believe you plan on getting married here in the next few days?"

"That's right."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"Why not? We've got all the paperwork done and the Pony of the Peace has already been hired." Rainbow Dash said with an edge to her voice.

"It's because I can't let you get married here on this farm. Heroes of Equestria need to be married in Canterlot and I would be remiss in my duties if I wasn't the one performing the ceremony."

"What? Y'all are serious?"

"Of course. Tomorrow we will hold your wedding in Canterlot, I've arranged for the train to take you there this afternoon. Then tomorrow at noon, I will perform the ceremony and then you fillies will get a two week honeymoon anywhere in Equestria you wish."

"Princess, we can't accept. It's too generous!" Applejack said, her down home pride uncomfortable with such things.

"Nonsense. All of Equestria owes you this and more for your deeds. Now let us speak no more of this until the wedding."

Celestia then looked at Rick and Twilight and said, "I'd like to speak to the two of you in private if I could." Twilight looked at Rick for confirmation, he just shrugged and they got up to follow the monarch outside.

Once they were out of hearing range, Celestia turned to Rick and did something she had not done in over 1000 years. She bowed. "Rick, I beg your forgiveness for all I've done to you. I was wrong to think that all humans were the same as those wretched souls that raped our land all those years ago. I was wrong to think that Twilight Sparkle would be better off without you and I was wrong not to tell you the whole story when you deserved to know it. You showed great courage and determination in discovering and helping to defeat Discord. In the end you showed me that humans could have a place here in Equestria once again."

"Celestia, could you get up please, you're making me self-conscious."

The Princess rose but didn't speak as she was waiting to see what Rick's response would be.

"Yeah, I forgive you. You did what you thought was best for your people which includes Twilight here. I can't really fault you for acting in what you thought was your best intentions. I don't know what the future holds for either of us, but I hope that we can put all this behind us and that we can count on you to have our backs for the rest of our lives."

"Have you decided to stay in Equestria then?"

Rick looked at Twilight who smiled back at him. "Let's just say that I'm getting used to the idea. I mean it's been a week or so since we showed up here, we missed our cruise, the rental car has probably been stolen and by now somebody is probably looking for us. It would be kinda difficult to show up on Earth now assuming that we could get back in the first place and not as a pony. So yeah, we haven't really decided anything yet but I guess I'm here to stay."

"Would you be interested to know that I could send you back to the same moment when you came through the portal?"

"What do you mean?"

"The portal you came through can be reset so that you would effectively come out on the other side right after you walked through it the first time."

Suddenly, this changed everything. Before Rick was thinking in part of the time difference they had but also of Twilight and how much she had given up in joining him on Earth.

"I don't know. Part of me does want to go back if for nothing else than to tie up a few loose ends. I mean if I just vanished off the face of the planet it would devastate my folks, letting them know that I'm going off somewhere and I'll be effectively incommunicado for the rest of their lives might not be much better in fact it might be worse." He closed his eyes and tried to think of what was the best course of action to take.

"Then perhaps I can make things easier for you, " Celestia said. From beneath her wing she pulled out a feather and gave it to Twilight. Twilight gasped at this action, an alicorn feather was possibly the most magical artifact in all of Equestria. Judging from Twilight's reaction Rick assumed this was a big deal but didn't grasp the significance. Celestia came to his rescue. "That feather you hold is connected to me in a way I can't truly explain to you. What you can do is return to your world and once you have chosen a suitable location Twilight can call on me using that feather and we can create a permanent portal between your world and this one."

"What seriously? That would be awesome. Thank you!"

"You're quite welcome. Now we need to get back to the farmhouse, " Celestia said as she turned and walked back.

When they got back, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were already contemplating where they were going to go on their honeymoon.

"Neighagra Falls, it is so awesome there. Seriously, the updrafts and downdrafts from the falls make it one of the best places to fly!"

"That's nice and all, but what am I gonna do when you're up there flyin' around? How about we go to Las Pegasus. I hear Elvis Palomino is playin' at the Salt Lick hotel."

"Elvis? He's got nothing on Trick Swagger and the Rolling Ponies."

"And? They ain't playin Las Pegasus but Elvis is. That stallion practically lives there now."

"Fillies, " Celestia called. The two stopped talking to let the Princess speak. "Thank you, I shall be leaving for Canterlot now. I've made arrangements for you all on the train leaving Ponyville for Canterlot at noon."

"Princess Celestia, do you wish me to accompany you back to Canterlot? I know I abandoned my post so it's imperative that I head back there as soon as possible, " Shining Armor said.

"That won't be necessary. Your duty for the next few weeks are to your wife and foal. I will expect you back in Canterlot with the rest of these ponies, but there's no reason you need to go back on duty just yet."

"Thank you Celestia, " Cadance said. "I'll keep an eye on him."

The Princess left and there was a suddenly flurry of activity in the Apple house as ponies rushed to get what they needed done before the train left. The ponies that didn't live there also left with the promise to meet up again at the train station at noon.

As they ran back to Ponyville, Rick realised that they didn't have anything to wear to the wedding. When he mentioned this to Twilight, she told him it was no big deal.

"You're a stallion, a collar and tie works for you. We can pick those up anywhere in Canterlot. As for myself, there's still the dress I wore to the Grand Galloping Gala. I'm sure nopony will mind considering we never actually planned on being here."

"See? You can get away with not planning every single detail, " Rick teased. And with a fresh burst of speed pulled away.

"Oh it is so on now!" Twilight said as she let him think he was winning and waited until he was almost at the library to teleport herself the rest of the way.

"Hey no fair! You cheated!"

"Sorry can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am, " Twilight said as she grooved to her own victory dance.

"You are so lucky I don't have fingers anymore because you're just begging for a tickle assault. C'mon. Let's grab some stuff and get ready. Train leaves in two hours."

They arrived at the train station with their bag. There wasn't much to bring and most of what they could get was in Canterlot anyway. Slowly the other ponies showed up and when they were all arrived, boarded the train.

As they made their way to Canterlot and finally were able to relax, Rick felt they were missing something about the whole way this had gone down. It just felt too easy. Discord was a primordial being almost like a god himself, something that had been given form through the distrust of others. So why was it so easy to have taken him down? Something in all this didn't make any sense. Maybe it was because he was in a host body and didn't have access to his full power but even then, he felt there should have been more of a fight.

"Equestria to Rick?" Twilight asked.

"Huh?" Rick said breaking out of his reverie. "Sorry, I was far away and thinking about something."

"Yeah I could tell, is something bothering you?"

Rick hesitated. They were on their way to a happy occasion, had survived a rather harrowing experience for all parties involved so did he really have the right to voice his suspicions? Maybe, just maybe it was nothing and he was overreacting. He put on a smile, put a hoof around her shoulders, kissed his wife and said, "no, just going over what happened for the past few days."

Twlight smiled, leaned into his embrace and watched the scenery go by.

The problem was, Rick wasn't too far off but nopony realised it. Discord was still alive but reduced even more than he had been before. While before he was in control of Trixie's body which led to him becoming "Eris", he was now trapped and waiting for the next opportunity. But waiting was nothing new to him. He had spent 1000 years trapped in stone. What was another 9 months?

Comments

[Java Joe]

1136386
Oh ye of little faith.

We're just getting started.

[TheMyth]

[Saveer]

I dont see why they dont just blast the statue to make sure he stays in longer

[Umachan]

1137594

You're just f*cking with us now aren't you?
I love your writing, but this sounds like it's moving into dark territory really soon.

[Java Joe]

1137650
Kewl. That was exactly what I was going for.
1137835
He's no longer in the statue. His body might be there, but his mind is free even if it is trapped for a while.
1138069
I'm not farking with anybody, and it's not going to be as dark as you might think it's going to be.

Sorry guys, this one is really taking a long time to write. Updates might be a little slower but I do intend on finishing this.

[Gyvon]

What was another 9 months

...

OH SNAP

[Triv_]

9 months.... why do I have a bad feeling about this?

[Alex Wadegrove]

we can create a permanent portal between your world and this one.
I knew it!

[dalekbrony]

1138914 9 months is the time a baby spends devoping in the woum. so i see a few possibilitys.
1. its just nine months and has nothing to do with reproduction

2.someone is goin give birth to discord

3. looks like not very possibillitys as i thought

[Gyvon]

1144134

Problem is, equines have an 11 month gestation period.

[dalekbrony]

1144424 *goes over to java joes house,breaks in it, ties him up, goes on to his computer, changes it to 11, goes off his computer, unties him, wipes his memory, and leaves*

nope where does does it say 9

[Java Joe]

1144452
Dammit, what happened and why does my butt hurt?

[Umachan]

1144134

If I had to guess, it's not a birth thing. Joeyjoejoe seems to like misdirection. Say something in one way, then have it mean something else.
Or I could be overanalyzing.

[Genesis1212]

o.0 9 months? what now?? ugh the persistance! xD its nice to see celestia take back her biast views on humans ^^