Incarnate

by Revel Montaro

Chapter 12

Princess Twilight stumbled down the stairs from her personal chambers. Spike, as instructed, had awoken her the moment Fluttershy had arrived at the castle. Twilight glanced out the window and found that the sun was rising, although it did not appear as bright as it usually did and it had nothing to do with clouds or fog.

Against her objections, Twilight had been forced to try and get some sleep. After Celestia and Star Swirl had departed, Twilight had attempted to summon Discord, The Lord of Chaos, to ask for his help, only to receive an auto-return letter saying that he was unavailable and to try back later. Five laps around the Cutie Map and various other stress relieving exercises later, she had received another floating letter that said the exact same thing.

Spike had offered Twilight some of the quick fry oats and salad he had whipped up for her and Starlight Glimmer along with cupcakes Pinkie Pie had dropped off without making a single comment about the damage to the castle. Starlight had tried to be reassuring and calm her friend and teacher, but the platitudes were just not sticking.

Twilight had given up on waiting for Discord to respond and given up on eating after a few bites. She tried to take just a quick nap to calm her racing mind, but that had apparently run all the way to the next morning. Starlight teleported herself and Spike to Fluttershy’s cottage after they were certain the princess was down for the count. If there was one pony besides Twilight who knew how to get ahold of Discord on short notice it was Fluttershy. She said she would try sending a message and would stop by the castle as soon as she had news.

Twilight pulled Fluttershy into a hug, “I’m so glad you’re here,” she then frantically looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, “but what took so long?! This is a matter of life or death!”

“I’m really sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy practically wilted and Twilight let out a calming breath and tried to straighten the feathers she had ruffled. “I had just gotten back after spending some time with the kirin, you know how they see Applejack and I as sort of heroes, even when we ask them not to.

“Anyhow, I was told by Autumn Blaze that Spiro had a homemade remedy that would help with the painful cramps that Brutus the Bear has been suffering through. I had to retrieve it right away, then time got away from me because many of the other kirin heard I was in the village and wanted to say hello and talk and talk. They all love to talk so much now it’s difficult to get back. By the time I got Starlight’s note it was late and I was so tired. I did however get a message out to Discord first thing this morning through the wormhole box he left me. He should be here soon.”

“But why could I not get ahold of him? Where has he been… and what the heck is a wormhole box?!”

A giant Discord colored number 1 appeared to float before the two ponies. “Well! To begin with, I was surfing the infinite cosmos of the universe, watching stars be born and black holes do that thing that black holes do. Chaos at its finest!” His body twisted and reformed into a number 2. “You could not get ahold of me because that little summoning spell you and Celestia came up with doesn’t work if I am not in the same star system equivalent, I know, I tested the limit of it.” Discord returned to his more familiar form and held an unmarked can in front of Twilight’s nose. “And finally, this is a wormhole. Say hello, Slimey.”

The top of the can opened and a large worm with a smile and happy eyes said, “Hello!” in a squeaky voice to Twilight. The alicorn recoiled, sticking her tongue out. Discord made the can disappear then began to float about the room.

“And what was sooooo important that you had to pull out all the stops to get ahold of little old me? Somehow I doubt it was to confirm my request to host the next Grand Galloping Gala. If I had to guess, Princess Sunbutt has been deliberately ignoring my requests.”

“Actually… you may get your wish.”

Discord stopped floating and flashed a toothy grin. “Ohhhh, well this just got more interesting. Do go on.”

Twilight sighed, she still felt sore and exhausted after yesterday’s incident. A pick me up potion or salve may be needed later. Twilight shook her head to focus. “Do you want the long version or the short version?”

“I prefer the fun version, put a spin on it.”

“Ugggghhh, fine! Sunset Shimmer and I figured out there was something wrong with the portal to the human world so we tried to fix it with a spell that was supposed to disconnect it. Everything has gone to Tartarus from there. Star Swirl is a jerk, Celestia is a bad mom, Sunset is trapped between dimensions and if we don’t find a way to get her out and I mean right now, she will die a slow, painful death and I will feel like it is all my fault, okay? Okay! So? Do your thing and Celestia will give you something really great, maybe the Gala, maybe a whole town! I don’t know, ask her… We should totally ask her right now! SPIKE! Send a letter, tell Celestia she is needed here, Discord has arrived!”

Spike, efficient as always, had a scroll and quill in claw and then handed Twilight a cup of something to drink. “Magically infused herbal tea, Starlight says it will help calm you and does wonders for hangovers.”

Twilight drained the cup. “Thanks.”

Spike settled in and prepared to write. “Ready when you are.”

“Pfffft, how inefficiently quaint,” Discord said before snapping the fingers on his lion paw. Before Twilight could object, she, Spike, and Fluttershy were standing in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. The doors had just swung open behind them to begin the usual minutia of day court. The guards who had been standing vigilantly if albeit bored, snapped to attention and moved their pikes to the ready at the unexpected intrusion. The commotion caused Celestia to look up from her throne on the dais where she had been sitting with her eyes closed.

“Sorry, not sorry, but I’m on official princess business so line cutting has been approved! Please address all objections to Princess Twilight Sparkle where she will read each complaint thoroughly before recycling your waste of paper. Cheers!” Discord snapped his fingers again and the doors closed in the faces of the waiting nobility and petitioners. His red eyes took on a shine and his snaggle tooth extra large as he smiled. “Sooooo, Your Highness! I have been made aware that you need MY help in rescuing Sunbutt junior from a little dimensional hopping mishap. Isn’t that just like kids? You give them a little freedom and they get stuck in limbo.”

Celestia did not smile. “I see you have been made aware of some of what has transpired, but understand that Sunset Shimmer is not trapped in a realm of puppies and kittens. She was drawn into the in between by a dark entity.”

Discord stopped doing the backstroke in midair. “Ah. When Twilight had said, ‘trapped between dimensions’ I didn’t think she meant it quite so literally, my bad.” Discord pulled out a dictionary from behind his wing and opened it to the word, “Literal” where there was a picture of Twilight picking at her nose while reading a book. “Then again, this is Twilight we are talking about, so that’s on me.”

“Truthfully, I find many of your antics, enjoyable, but we have no time for games today. My daughter is in danger and I need your help to retrieve her.”

Discord crossed his arms. “That’s all well and good, but the in between is not some afternoon joy ride, as you know. Mortals are not supposed to be able to find their way there to begin with. This will take a great deal of concentration and energy and even then, the only thing that may be there to find is a wounded and tormented soul without a body.”

Celestia sighed and nodded, trotting down the steps to join the others on the red carpet covered floor. “I am aware, and if all we can do is recover her soul so that it may rest then so be it, but I will not leave her to suffer or be consumed into nothingness.”

“Princess, I don’t understand, recover her soul?”

Celestia nodded to Twilight sympathetically. “Sunset, for as powerful as she is, is no match for the cosmic forces that make up the universe as we know it. If time has not been on our side, the chaos energy will have transformed her body, twisting it, changing it, and then quite literally, tear it apart piece by piece until only her unbreakable soul remains.” Fluttershy gasped and Twilight staggered. Discord made a pony sculpture out of a potato and then smashed it to mush.

“Yes, and that is likely as horrible as it sounds, but we still have not discussed what I get out of this little endeavor and arrangement?”

“Isn’t helping a friend enough?” asked Fluttershy sweetly.

Discord melted for a moment, but quickly recovered. “For you, dear Fluttershy, absolutely. For Twilight Sparkle? Eh, negotiable. But I don’t actually know Sunset Shimmer that well beyond the fact that I could tell she was different from your average unicorn, though at the time I could not quite place why. She has never once said, ‘hello’ to me. Let alone stayed in this dimension long enough to become my friend.

“In fact, did you know she used to make faces at me to prove to others how brave she was when I was still playing the part of Celestia’s yard ornament in the gardens. She always did strike me as a bit spunky. Not like the other foals who were terrified to even look upon me.”

Celestia let out a long breath before looking into Discord’s eyes. Her resolve was unshaken despite what she was about to offer. “I will give you exactly what you always wanted. I will give you one day to do whatever you want. Anything goes, as long as it does not cause physical harm to my little ponies. One day, each year to cut loose and show the world some truly spectacular chaos. Is that sufficient?”

Discord tapped his chin. “My own Discord Day?”

“I will even let you pick the day, as long as it does not conflict with any other major event or existing holiday.”

“Having it on the same day every year is not very chaotic, just so you know.”

Celestia smiled politely, but her eyes were becoming hard and the temperature in the room noticeably spiked. “The details can be finalized, but after we save Sunset, who I must remind you, is dying as we speak.”

“Very well, we have a deal.”

Celestia nodded. “Good. Now, we need to hurry to have any chance of finding her at all.”

“Mmmmmm,” Discord made a face as he hesitated, his form swapping to that of cargo handler for the train or airship station. “Going to have to pause there for a moment, princess. This flight has a very strict baggage weight limit.”

“I am in no mood for jokes about my eating cake, Discord.”

“You know what I need to do is going to take a great deal of power as it is, otherwise there would be dimensional holes popping up all over Equestria. We will need to work together efficiently and to do that you will need to leave your body behind.”

Twilight’s jaw hung open. “WHAT?! How? Why? Is such a thing even possible?”

Discord snapped his fingers and all his limbs and various parts fell to the carpet. “Honestly, Twilight, look at me? If I were to do this to you, we would have to kick this story up to a, ‘mature audiences only’ rating and need a mop and bucket for all the blood and organ goo you would leave behind. The body you see that is me is how I WANT to look, but it is by no means a real body.” The draconequus parts disappeared and reappeared as a pony that was near identical to Twilight only that the eyes were still very much Discord.

“The point is, where we are going we don’t need roads and physical bodies are just a burden. Even an all powerful alicorn would spend half her energy and concentration just trying to stay together.” Discord disappeared before returning to his more familiar mixed up self. “So yes, it is possible. I will remove Celestia’s soul and carry her side by side while we search. It’s more energy efficient, which gives us a more power to search and I am willing to bet we will look great in tandem jump gear! However, it does have a few small drawbacks.”

“Which are?” Twilight asked nervously.

“While I believe we will be in far more danger like a worm on a fish hook, I will still need you to remain in constant contact with her body to keep it alive, no matter what, you must not break the connection. You will be Celestia’s anchor from which to return as well as her life support system.”

Twilight swallowed her additional questions and simply nodded. She did not understand what was going on or how, but Celestia was trusting Discord and Twilight with her life. Celestia gently nuzzled Twilight and gave her former student one of her warmest smiles. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Discord pressed both alicorns into sitting positions and draped their wings over one another. A moment later he extracted a glowing thread from Celestia’s side and wrapped it around Twilight, biding it tightly. “Remember, no matter how much she moves, no matter how much you feel an itch, no matter if you really need to use the little filly’s room, you must stay in contact and not break the thread.”

Celestia’s smile disappeared as she closed her eyes and nodded to Discord. He clapped his claw/paw together, which became translucent, and reached into her chest. A ghost like Celestia who lacked her crown and other royal regalia stood and looked back at her own body which sat with no cutie mark and glazed over eyes next to a gawking Princess of Friendship. Discord produced a pair of sunglasses for himself and his passenger. “Time for some cliché one-liners!” The two disappeared a moment later.

----------

“Awaken.”

Sunset gasped and coughed. She tried to take a deeper breath, but it hurt and caused her to cough again, which coincidentally hurt even more. When her eyes began to come into focus, Sunset tried to look about, but every simple movement, be it with her head or her limbs, sent shocks of stabbing pain through her body.

It reminded her of the time she had been riding her old motorcycle and got into some gravel and lost control. As far as accidents it was not bad, no other vehicles were involved. The road rash was mostly negated by her jacket and jeans and only one knee had ended up scarring in the end, but she remembered her body had hurt for days afterwards. Even being blasted with a friendship rainbow had not hurt as much. Sunset took a smaller breath and slowly exhaled to try and focus her mind on anything other than the pain.

“Ah, so you are still alive, impressive.”

Sunset’s teal eyes searched about, but the voice sounded like it was coming from all around her. Slowly, she reached out with her right hand and found it to be a hoof again. It came in contact with a grayish barrier that appeared to be surrounding her like a cocoon. Carefully, she fought through the pain to look at what had become of the rest of her body. Much to her surprise and relief, she was intact. Her mane and tail were a mess and much of her fur matted, but yes, alive and intact.

“Who are you? Where am I?”

“I found you and healed you. It took some time, but you were not awake for most of it,” the hollow, baritone voice spoke again, reverberating and penetrating her every cell. Sunset suspected whoever owned that voice had only healed her for an ulterior motive. Of course, that also likely means I’m a prisoner… or someone likes their snacks alive.

The swirling background of colors were broken up by a formless cloud that passed over and engulfed Sunset in her cocoon. She closed her eyes, but felt nothing beyond her attuned magic senses. The being was radiating with a dark, oily power that felt cold as the frozen north. It left a feeling of dread upon her soul causing her to shudder involuntarily before it moved off and continued to orbit if a bit farther away.

“Where? She asks? If this place had a name it has long been lost to time. Time itself has little meaning here from what I have been able to ascertain. Sometimes a day is as long as a year, if such trivial things can be measured at all. Regardless, the creatures that bothered to communicate with me only called it what it is. The Void.”

“Okay, so again, who are you and why am I still alive?”

“So many questions and so disrespectful to the one that saved your puny, mortal life. If you wish it, I can still end you.” The cocoon weakened and Sunset felt the void begin to tear at her body again. She let out a pained scream before the barrier snapped back to full strength. “You are at my mercy and alive because I wish it. You have purpose, Sunset Shimmer, but how you fulfil that purpose is entirely up to how much you are worth to me.”

Sunset growled through the pain and narrowed her eyes. “What the hell do you want from me?”

Two eyes formed in the cloud, red as scarlet and pulsating with green and dark indigo magical force. “On the contrary, I was not after you. No, that is not entirely true. Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning. You do not need to understand, but it has been some time since I spoke to a creature that was not trying to fight me for dominance of this place and we have time to indulge.”

“Maybe you have time, but I need to stop that flow stream from destroying my friend’s home world. So, could we skip story time and just get to where you either tell me what you want or kill me, because if you think I’m going to take a deal to join you against Celestia, be your avatar, or some weird sex toy, you can just go ahead and fuck yourself.”

The creature laughed and it was not a comforting sound. “Such poor manners for a princess. And here I thought Celestia taught you better.”

Sunset growled again, a tear escaped her eye, but not from physical pain, that one was from memory. “I’m not a princess, I’m just me.”

“You are far more royal than half the princesses in your Equestria, child. You are the daughter of Princess Celestia and a powerful unicorn king. I can smell their essence in you. You radiate with potential power. I could help you unlock that potential if you wished.”

Sunset gasped at first, scolding herself for her poor poker face, but given the circumstances, it was hard to maintain calm neutrality. Sunset had no advantages, no leverage, no dirty tricks that would gain her more than a few seconds of freedom. The old bully Sunset would have laughed at such a predicament. Still, just because she was scared did not mean her enemy needed to know that.

“Again, no deals. No power comes without a price, I know that intimately. Go. Fuck. Yourself.”

The creature laughed again and it was as uncomfortable as it had been the first time, making Sunset’s ears fold backwards. It was cliché villainy, maniacal, and dripping with venom. “Oh, you are a fiery one. I find your bravado entertaining to say the least, so let me start again.” Sunset’s prison rotated so that the two were now eye to eye. Sunset wanted to flinch, fighting her trembling and knew deep down she was failing.

“In a parallel universe so very similar to your Equestria lived a kind and benevolent unicorn king named Sombra. His family had led the noble houses of Equestria since the end of the Formation War. Seven generations of unicorn kings, all who had stood against tyranny and oppression, against monsters and scheming political rivals. However, it was only with the last generations had things truly become dire, when a unicorn mare had found a way to ascend to a near godly level of power once only thought to be a legend. She became an alicorn and her name was Celestia and trust me, Sunset Shimmer, she was a goddess of death and destruction.”

“The mirror world Princess Twilight and Star Swirl mentioned.”

“Yes, but the king and his forces repelled this monster as they had all the monster before. Over and over again. For you see Sombra had a been given a special gift by his ponies, they had imbued him with the power of life giving him an extended life span beyond that of other unicorns so that he may continue to protect them from the immortal queen. However, each time she would gain a little more ground, more followers, and leave more destruction.

“Then, one day, by complete happenstance, the good king met another Celestia, so similar to the monster that harassed his subjects and raped his land. She had come through a mirror and she was as benevolent as she was beautiful. This new Celestia had stolen his heart and strengthened his resolve to defend his ponies.”

“I’ve heard this story, can we skip to the part where you have a point?”

The cloud rumbled and the barrier around Sunset lowered again, causing her to gasp for air and attempt to raise her own defense shield against the crush of the void. Sunset’s forehead throbbed painfully as she pushed her power to its limits. If I have to keep this up my horn is going to shatter. As if sensing her thoughts, a tendril of black whipped across her barrier sending a painful vibration through her horn. Sunset screamed as her limbs began to shift again. The gray barrier surrounded her again after a minute of agony. Sunset wanted to spit words of defiance, but chose to glare daggers while she tried to calm her breathing.

“As I was saying, the two royals were in love and even a dimension away could not separate their love. Something I thought you would appreciate.”

Sunset’s heart stopped for more than a beat. How could it possibly know about Twilight?!

“You are wondering how I know your heart’s desire? Simple really, I read your thoughts while I repaired you, borrowed the power granted to you by the geode that is a part of you. Such interesting power you have augmenting your own. Empathy, the ability to understand what one is feeling and give comfort. I had not expected the power I pushed through the gap to manifest in such a way, nor for that stupid human to use them is such a pathetic way, but nevertheless you and your friends made them your own. A form of harmonic transmutation perhaps? I could never confirm. Not that it mattered, you all have done well pulling extra magical power through the cracks to the other world.”

“You?! You’ve been causing the loose magic?! All the possessions all the magical artifacts?”

The cloud grunted. “Not all the artifacts. Some were left by mages like Star Swirl over the ages. But we’ll get to that, child. As I said, the king and queen were in love and tried to balance between maintaining their individual realms and their love lives. Eventually, with the help of her sister, Luna, the Queen Celestia assaulted her mirror counterpart, putting both Equestrias at risk.

“The battle that raged was for the lives of two universes and two hearts, but only one of those Equestrias had the Elements of Harmony. Those artifacts tipped the balance. Princess Twilight had planned to encase the evil Celestia, but the worlds were merging and the laws of the universe were no longer able to tell the difference. So good king Sombra took it upon himself to take the poisonous darkness into himself to try and free his people once and for all.”

“Celestia didn’t mention that part,” Sunset whispered, eyes downcast. “My father died trying to save everypony?” The cloud chuckled and a cold, crawling unease slithered over Sunset’s heart.

“He did not die.”

“Oh, no.” Tell me he’s not going to say it

“Yes. I, am your father.”

Sunset slapped a hoof against her face. “Ugh, he actually said it. Just, ouch.”

Cloud Sombra ignored her reaction as the eyes formed into a grey and black unicorn face with a glowing red horn. “Death would have been preferable to the agony my heart suffered after watching the love of my life slip through the collapsing breach, never to return. Losing her forever? Unacceptable. So, I gathered my new power and I lashed out at the universe itself. It took some experimenting, but eventually, with enough blood sacrifices for a powering ritual, I was finally able to tear a hole open left by the loose coalescence.

“I saw it, a green and lush Equestria, the Equestria I had known under my father’s rule before the alicorns destroyed it. It was beautiful if however fleeting. Even with the power of the universe itself at my command I could not control the tear alone. The tear eventually spread and drew in more and more power. I was consumed, my body contorting and disintegrating and soon after, my entire world. I stopped watching the helpless gasp and die and focused on the one place and one soul in all the multiverse that drove me to commit genocide. I poured all of myself that remained into that singular thought and goal. Celestia, my Celestia would be mine again, no matter the cost. My continued existence in this void is the results of that effort.”

Sunset gasped, jaw slacked. “You killed everypony, everycreature?! Just to try and get back to Celestia?! She never would have approved of that no matter how much she loved you! That’s not love, that’s… I don’t know what to call that!”

White fangs flashed, proudly. “Yes, I am a monster, but soon I will be a monster who will live forever, merged with the goddess that stole my heart centuries ago. I have searched this place for what has felt like centuries, trying to find any hint of where my Celestia could be when suddenly, I sensed a creature tearing holes in the veil.

“Cautiously, I watched, waiting for the inevitable tipping of the scales and the eventual collapse of a pitiful realm that lacked any significant magic. Then, most surprisingly, I sensed... you. I sensed my own power and I sensed my beloved, sweet Celestia in you. So much power, so much like your mother, I could taste her in your blood. But as suddenly as you had appeared you had healed the wounds of time and space like an angelic alicorn of legend, attempting to trap me out. You were new to your augmented immense power, sloppy, and I had kept just the tiniest of holes left open. Just enough to maintain a connection and pour extra magic through. I let Star Swirl’s mirror do the rest. And here we are.”

Sunset growled pounding her hooves on the shield, “I, will NEVER help you get to Celestia.”

Sombra laughed again, flashing a fang filled grin. “You have already helped enough just by being here. She will come for you, I am certain of it. However, even if I have overestimated her love for you, I can simply consume your soul and that should give me what I need to finally rip my way into your Equestria. Then, she will be mine.”

Sunset could feel her heart burning, the heat spreading to all her limbs causing them to shake. It was a heat she knew well, hatred. Sunset had fueled many of her endeavors and accomplishments on hatred alone and it was a poisonous fuel, but fuel it was. If it took all the hatred she had, Sunset would burn herself alive, become the demon again, and die fighting rather than let the monster break through to Celestia and Equestria.

“See, I told you it was a left turn at Albuquerque.”

Sunset turned her glowing teal eyes away from the Sombra cloud to see a creature she could only assume was a draconequus wearing large sunglasses, floppy hat, and… a Hawaiian shirt? However, it was the alicorn standing next to him that caused Sunset to thrash about, painfully, trying to move herself between Celestia and Sombra. Sunset grunted through the pain, tears filling her eyes. “No,” she whispered, “get away.”

Celestia’s face went through several emotions as her eyes passed over Sunset, trapped in a barrier bubble. She saw the unicorn, amazingly still in her body and alive, struggling against the magic to move closer. Her eyes were frightened, but not for herself. No, Celestia knew that expression, that was the face of somepony trying to protect another. The selflessness warmed Celestia and allowed her to push all her worries and anxiety deep down. Her eyes closed for a moment and opened, settling on Sombra, who licked his fangs, horn taking on a painful, crimson glow. Celestia hardened her expression, mane and tail waving with fire-like vigor. “Let. Her. Go.”

Comments

[The Voice in the Water]

“Yes. I, am your father.”

Called it.

Well, Momlestia's probably going to be on the warpath now, and Somdad has what he wants within his reach. This should be good.

[Revel Montaro]

10323258
I wanted it to be more shocking, but without any description or hints it just kept falling on it's face. So, I thought just go with it, maybe make a groan of an in joke out of it.

[The Voice in the Water]

10323343
To be fair, I had a feeling Somdad would show up when Momlestia mentioned that he was Sunset's father. Comes with being familiar with the source material and spending far too much time on TVTropes.

[Majadin]

ooof. Grumpy Momlestia. *puts on blast helmet and takes cover*

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

“Honestly, Twilight, look at me? If I were to do this to you, we would have to kick this story up to a, ‘mature audiences only’ rating and need a mop and bucket for all the blood and organ goo you would leave behind.

Did discord just break the fourth wall?

[Revel Montaro]

10726036
He's allowed to. 😏

[PearlyDoesStuff]

10726036
That is kinda Discord's thing. Chaos deity and all that jazz.