Celestia and Luna fight Discord and all goes according to plan. All except the female draconequus formed from the Element's magic. The ruling siblings take her under their care to ensure she isn't a threat.
Chaos and Harmony. Opposite forces and yet one cannot exist without the other. Discord, the spirit of chaos. Celestia and Luna, princesses of Equestria and original bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Their battle was inevitable. However, neither side could've predicted the effects of the elements. Discord became split into two beings. One, the Discord they know, trapped in stone. The other, female and by all appearances lacks the maliciousness of the Discord the world knows. Is it the chaos spirit's last trick, or is it part of a plan by the elements themselves?
Celestia and Luna stood defiant against the mad lord, Discord. At their sides were what they had dubbed “The Elements of Harmony.” Discord didn’t seem fazed at all by their appearance, happily munching away at a bag of snacks.
“Oh this is so much fun!” Discord slapped his knee, leaning back on his throne. “How about a game of 'Pin the tail on the pony?’” he grinned, holding up a shimmering rainbow.
Celestia gasped, looking behind her to see that her tail was missing. “Playtime is over for thee, Discord!”
Discord rolled his eyes, gesticulating. “Oh I doubt that.”, Grasping a pawful of seeds, he popped them into his mouth, scattering a bunch on the ground. “Hungry?” he offered, watching a seed or two bounce off their angry faces.
“Suit yourselves.” Shrugging, Discord popped another handful of seeds into his mouth. “Oh!” Discord tossed his bag away, noticing that the pair had a series of jewels floating in their magic. Interest piqued, he leaned forward, placing a hand on his chin. “What have you got there?”
“The Elements of Harmony,” Celestia answered plainly, while the jewels started to spin around them, encasing them in a translucent purple sphere.
"With them we shall defeat thee,” Luna added.
Discord burst out laughing, sprawling across his throne. “You should see your faces right now.” Righting himself, he kept his smirk. “The expressions on your faces. So intense. So sure of yourselves.” He threw his head back, letting out a long laugh. “Hilarious!”
Celestia and Luna didn’t say anything, they only touched their horns together, channeling the elements’ power. Letting the energy of the elements mount, the pair rose into the air. After a few moments, a beam of rainbow light shot out from the sphere and struck Discord in the chest. He became encased in a burst of white light, vanishing from their view.
A figure exploded out if the light, tumbling along the ground. It finally came to a stop, laying limp in the dirt. A groan came from it, visibly shuddering as the power of the elements washed over the land, reverting it to normal.
Celestia and Luna landed, the pair walking over to examine the figure. It resembled Discord, though didn't have his great height. The creature was a little shorter than them, slender, and if its features were to be any clue, it was female. “What art thou?” Celestia asked.
The creature whimpered, covering her head. “D-Dont hurt me...” she pleaded, refusing to look at them.
Luna turned to Celestia, an unsure look on her face. “Sister, dost thou think that this might be one of Discord’s tricks?”
Celestia watched the creature, frowning at its fear. “No Luna, the Elements undid all of Discord's tricks.” Peering over her shoulder, she spied the tyrant, frozen in a moment of riotous laughter. “It seems the Elements pulled this creature out of Discord.”
Luna followed Celestia’s gaze to the statue and her look softened. “By all appearances, that does seem to be the case. If this is true, then what should we do with her?”
“We cannot leave her here.” Conjuring up a blanket, she draped it over the female’s back. “That shall do, until we can get thee decent.”
“No, even if she is some form of trick, we cannot leave her be,” Luna agreed, flinching when she heard a whimper from the creature. “Though we art hopeful that is not the case.”
The creature peered up at them, sporting Discord's red and yellow eyes. “Y-you aren't going to hurt me?”
Celestia shook her head, kneeling down and putting a hand on the creature’s shoulders. “Of course not, we have no reason to bring harm to thee. It is quite clear that thou art a separate entity from Discord.”
The creature smiled, standing up shakily. The blanket slid off her, giving them both a good look at her bare body. “Thanks...”
Celestia coughed into her hand and forced her eyes away from the creature’s more sensitive body parts. “Thou art welcome. Dost thou have a name?”
“Name?” the draconequus asked, tilting her head. “Um, Discord?”
“We think thou should give thyself a name separate from his,” Luna offered, levitating the blanket back on to the female’s shoulders.“That will help ponies see thee as thy own being and not the creature that tormented them.”
The draconequus blinked, looking confused. “I don't get it.”
“If thou uses his name, ponies may jump to conclusions about thee,” Celestia explained, waving a hand towards the statue.
“But, that's me,” the draconequus argued, pointing at Discord.
“Didst thou want to torment ponies?” Luna pressed, giving the female a hard look. “To warp the land and make it unrecognizable?”
“No...” The female shook her head, frowning. “I-I don't understand...” Hugging herself, her ears pinned to her head. “I'm Discord, right?”
Celestia pulled the creature into an embrace, stroking her white hair. “Dost thou wish to be Discord?” She sighed, the female’s only reply being a whimper. “Let us return to the castle.”
Luna levitated the statue, nodding. “We believe that is the best course of action.” Lighting her horn, she teleported the group to the castle. “Come, we shall get thee proper clothes.”
The female tilted her head. “Why would I want clothes?”
Celestia shared a look with Luna, glancing down at the female. “It is not proper for one to go bare. Ponies wear clothes to cover themselves.”
“But I’m not a pony,” the female said, waving a hand over herself. “And what’s so important about being proper? That sounds boring.”
Feeling a headache coming on, Celestia ushered the female inside. “CROW!” Her voice boomed, augmenting it with her magic. “HAVE THE SERVANTS DRAW US BATHS! AND INFORM THE ROYAL TAILOR HE IS REQUIRED!”
A white pony with a black mane kept short walked into the room, bowing. “Of course, Princess, I shall alert them at once.” She turned on a hoof and rushed out of the entrance hall.
“Why did you yell at her?” the female draconequus inquired, looking to the door Crow had run through. “Did she do something bad? Are you mad at her?”
Celestia chuckled, shaking her head. “No, that was the royal voice. It was to get her attention.”
“Oh, okay.” The female nodded, swishing her tail. Her gaze finally drifted to her blanket. It was a plain, green color made of what looked like wool. Scrunching her muzzle, she snapped her talons. The blanket changed color, a bizarre mix of dots and swirls of color. Pleased with her work, the female hugged it tighter around her body.
Celestia smiled, pleased with the female’s higher spirits. “Wouldst thou like the royal tailor to make thee something similar to that?”
“Why didst thou do that?” Luna eyed the blanket, a little on edge at the display.
“Because it was too boring,” the female answered, a smile on her face. “This is way more fun to look at.” She did a twirl to show off her handiwork. She visibly deflated, seeing a few servants giving her glances.
“Excuse us a moment,” Celestia said, patting the female’s shoulder. She walked over to the servants and talked to them, though the female couldn’t make out what was being said.
“What's she doing?” the female asked, watching with interest.
“We believe she is assuring them that thou art friendly,” Luna told her, giving her a soft smile.
The female focused on one of the servants; a younger pegasus mare. Feeling an urge come over her, she snapped her talons. The mare’s wings flashed, now in the form of butterfly wings.
“What has happened to me?!” the mare cried, stretching out her new wings.
The draconequus beamed, looking up at Luna. “Aren't they pretty?” Waving at the mare, her tail wagged like a dog's. “See? I'm nice!”
Luna was about to tell her off when the mare’s expression softened and ran her hand along her new wings. “They are rather pretty, and they seem just as sturdy as my old ones. I think I could get used to these.”
This only brightened the draconequus more, the female bouncing in place. Unfortunately, the castle shook with each bounce.
“Please stop thy bouncing!” Luna pleaded, using her magic to stay upright. “The castle cannot withstand this!”
The female froze in mid air, looking down at Luna. “Sorry.” Shrinking down, she pulled her blanket around herself. She went quiet, floating there in her cloth hideaway.
“T’is fine,” Celestia assured, putting a hand on her back. “Just refrain from celebrating in dangerous ways in the future.” When she got no reply, she guided the female towards the baths. “Come on, we shall get thee clean.”
The female let herself be led through the halls, not leaving her hiding place. When Celestia pulled off her blanket, the female was normal sized again. Allowing Celestia to ease her into the water, she said nothing.
Celestia frowned, grabbing shampoo and conditioner in her magic and undressing. She eased herself into the water, taking a seat next to the female. “Are you alright?”
The female stared at her reflection. “I’m Discord...” She spoke, frowning. “But I'm not Discord.” Rising up, she slammed her hands into the water. The spray of water stabbed into the walls and ceiling like spike's. “I don't understand!”
Celestia pulled her into an embrace, shushing her. “T’is alright. Thou dost not need to understand it all at once. Even ponies struggle with their identities. Take thy time and do what thou believes to be right. It will make sense eventually.”
“But I don't make sense!” the female pouted, leaning on her. “I'm not supposed to make sense.”
“Then embrace thy chaotic nature,” Celestia offered, stroking her hair. “Be true to thyself and everything shall fall into place.” Levitating a bucket into the water, she poured it over their heads. “Just as long as thou take others’ feelings into account.”
The female nodded emphatically, holding onto Celestia tighter. “I don’t want to hurt anypony or make them feel bad, I just wanna have fun!”
“Good.” Lathering her hands up, Celestia began to wash the female’s hair. “Thou still need a name, shall We give thee one?”
The female leaned into Celestia’s scrubbing, a gentle purr escaping her throat. “I guess,” she muttered. “What did you have in mind?”
“A few things. Disarray, Bedlam, Calamity, Chaos?”
“Chaos seems too on the nose,” the female said, pulling a nose with ‘Chaos’ stamped on it from under the water. “And Bedlam sounds like a boy’s name. I'm notta boy!”
Celestia giggled, patting her head. “We art aware thou art not a boy, thou showed us exactly what was under the blanket we gave thee.”
The female huffed, puffing her cheeks out.
Celestia poked her cheek, her smile widening. “We have one more name in mind. How dost thou like the sound of ‘Eris’?”
The female rolled the name in her mouth, the letters floating out of her mouth in a big, white bubble. “Eris,” she repeated slowly, applying it to herself. She smiled brightly, nuzzling Celestia. “I love it! From now on, I’m Eris!”
“We art glad.” Celestia resumed her task, washing the shampoo from Eris’s hair. “Now tell us, Eris, why didst thou change Light Breeze?”
Eris was quiet, moving her mouth like she was going to answer. Finally, she spoke. “I felt something, something that wanted to get out. The world wanted to be different, but couldn't. So, I helped.”
“We do not know if we fully understand, but we cannot argue since Light Breeze seems to like thy work.” Grabbing a washcloth, Celestia began to clean Eris’s body. “Though, we don't know if she can still be called a pegasus.”
“How does flutterpony sound?” Eris offered, giggling and bending her body to help Celestia clean her. “Cuz she’ll flutter like a butterfly!”
“That is a wonderful name for a new tribe of pony,” Celestia agreed, scrubbing Eris’s stomach. “Just consult with ponies before thou change them.”
Eris nodded, purring loudly. “Can do! Gotta make sure not to freak them out after all. Plus I want everypony to like the new them like Breezy does!” Throwing her hands up, her sizable chest bounced, hitting Celestia’s hands.
Celestia blushed, her wings twitching on her back. She forced back any untoward thoughts, continuing her scrubbing. “We art glad to hear that, Eris.”
Eris giggled, sticking her tongue out. “I bet spider ponies would be cool!” Her lower half shifted into that of a spider. “Grr! Be afraid!”
“We hath not been afraid of spiders since we were a filly,” Celestia replied with a giggle. “Though we art sure that somepony would enjoy being a spider pony.”
“I hope so.” Eris changed back, leaning against Celestia. “Thank you, for being nice to me.”
“Thou art welcome, Eris,” Celestia replied, resting her hands on Eris’s shoulders. “Thou hast done nothing wrong. Thou seems to be the part of Discord with a healthy conscience. We would be a fool to punish thee.”
Eris purred, nuzzling against Celestia. “You make me feel nice. Discord never felt nice.”
Celestia smiled, using her magic to scrub her fur to avoid moving away from the embrace. “We shall strive to continue making thee feel that way. We want thee to be happy and successful, Eris.”
“Really?” Eris tried so they were facing each other. “Why is that?”
“Thou art under our care now, that is our wish for all of our subjects,” Celestia answered, giving her a bright smile.
Wrapping her arms around Celestia, she nuzzled her neck. She didn't even notice the burning blush on Celestia's face. “I like this a lot.”
Celestia turned her head, trying to think the least pleasing thoughts possible while her wings threatened to spring out. “Then we can make bathing like this a regular occurrence while thou art living in the castle.”
“Really? I'd like that!” Eris swished her tail in the water, her purr reverberating through Celestia’s chest. “You’re comfy.”
Celestia giggled, the purring almost tickling her. “Just try not to turn us into a bed pony.”
“Zzz...”
Peering down at Eris, she found that the smaller female was out like a light, big 'Z’ shaped clouds emitting from her mouth. Celestia rolled her eyes, deciding to let the draconequus sleep for a little bit.
“Thou certainly are an interesting one.” Celestia petted Eris’s head. “Much more enjoyable than that cur Discord.”
This brought a small smile to the sleeping Eris’s face, burying her face deeper into Celestia’s fur. She didn't stir as Celestia got the rest of her clean. She then stood up, gently picking up Eris in her magic to avoid disturbing her sleep. She quickly got dressed and wrapped the blanket around the draconequus once more.
“Sister,” Luna greeted, emerging from her bath. “We see the chaotic one is asleep.” Her eyes lingered on Eris, studying her face. “She is quite the handful.”
“She is rather spirited,” Celestia agreed, adjusting her dress. “But she has a good heart and wishes to do good in the world.” Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh, and she has taken the name Eris now.”
“As fitting a name as any,” Luna replied, nodding her head. “We have been thinking on what to do with her.” Leading Celestia towards their chambers, she continued. “We believe she should remain here, under our care.”
Celestia nodded, opening a door to an empty room and gently tucked Eris in. “In that, we art in agreement. While she does not seem to be a danger, we think we should be around to curb her enthusiasm, so to speak, and prevent ponies from unjustly persecuting her.”
“That might happen regardless,” Luna pointed out, standing by the door. “ We can only imagine what the staff think because of Light Breeze’s changes.”
“Then we shall do what we must to help ponies understand Eris,” Celestia replied, closing the door behind her. “It is abundantly clear to us that she is not the same being that tormented this land.”
“On that we agree, though she seems to be just as frustrating.” Luna eyed Celestia, a mischievous smile growing across her face. “We hope thou didn't get too handsy.”
Celestia blushed, her feathers ruffling. She huffed and turned her head away from her sister. “We assure thee that our actions were completely chaste and innocent.”
Luna giggled, nudging Celestia with her wing. “Then why art thou blushing? Tell us, didst thou get a feel of her bosom? It is quite large.”
Celestia’s face exploded into a blush as she remembered the events in the bath. “O-of course not. She is in no place mentally for that sort of behavior.” She coughed into her hand. “We simply spent too long in the bath, we must be coming down with something.”
“Of course,” Luna agreed, though she didn't believe it. Stopping at her room, she gave her sister a warm hug. “Good night sister, may thy dreams be full of buxom draconequui.”
Before Celestia could retort, Luna slipped into her room and closed the door. Celestia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Little sisters are the most vexing creatures on the planet,” she grumbled.
Turning into her own room, she removed her regalia. Placing them into their proper places, Celestia stretched out her limbs. “Today certainly has been interesting.” Replacing her dress with a nightgown, she climbed into bed. She let out a long yawn and settled into bed, ready to enter the world of dreams.
The first thing Celestia noticed when she woke up were someone's arms around her waist. Groggily peering over her shoulder, she noted Eris was snoozing away next to her. Celestia blushed, looking forward again.
“She is truly making it difficult to keep our thoughts innocent,” Celestia muttered to herself. “Eris, art thou awake?”
Eris’s only reply was to murmur in her sleep, pull Celestia closer and nuzzle the princess’s neck. Her tail draped over Celestia’s waist, swishing slightly.
Celestia sighed, settling into Eris’s embrace. “We art sure that she shall wake up on her own soon enough.” At least cuddling with Eris was pleasant, as long as she ignored the two mounds pushing into her back. Celestia gulped, her face heating up as her mind fixated on the soft pressure being applied to her back. Her wings twitched, the only thing holding the appendages at bay was the draconequus attached to her.
“It's as if thou art tempting me on purpose,” Celestia grumbled, shaking her head.
There was a yawn and she felt something plop onto her shoulder. “Hey Tia, sleep well?” Eris’s groggy voice asked.
“Yes, Eris we slept well. Why art thou in our bed?”
“Oh, I woke up alone and couldn’t get back to sleep,” Eris answered, moving her hand to rub at her eyes. “So I found your room and tried to see if holding you like we did in the bath would do the trick again. Obviously,” she waved her talon over the two of them, “it did.” Purring, Eris nuzzled her neck. “You’re just so cuddly and warm!”
Celestia couldn’t help but smile at Eris’s innocent answer. She turned around so the two could face one another and wrapped her arms around her waist. “We suppose that comes with being the princess of the sun.”
Eris leaned forward, licking Celestia’s nose. “Discord never cuddled with anyone. He was too mean for that.’
Celestia’s face exploded into a blush, unable to form a response to Eris’s statement as her mind was sent spinning.
“You make silly faces.” Eris giggled, resting her head under Celestia’s chin. “You’re a lot funner than Discord thought you were.”
Celestia finally managed to recover, rubbing Eris’s back. “We tend to be fun around nice people.” Realizing that Eris was still naked, Celestia cleared her throat. “We must raise the sun now, Eris.”
“Aww, can’t you do that while in bed?” Eris asked with a pout, tightening her grip on the solar princess. “I like snuggling.”
Celestia rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep a smile from her muzzle. “We shall attempt to raise the sun while in bed.” She lit her horn up, closing her eyes as she established a connection with the sun. It greeted her with it's usual warm energy, allowing her to guide it up into the sky. She opened her eyes and flashed Eris a grin. “There, it seems we are able to raise the sun from the comfort of our covers.”
This got a purr out of Eris, who closed her eyes. “I wonder if Wuna is fun to cuddle? I bet she’s super cuddly!”
“Hmm, I’m pretty sure there’s only one stallion that Lulu wishes to cuddle with at the moment,” Celestia said with a mischievous grin. “A tall, dark and handsome one that lives up north.”
“But I'm not a stallion,” Eris pointed out. “So she should have no problems cuddling with me!”
Celestia opened her mouth to argue, only to clamp it shut when she remembered the teasing she had received the night before. She put on an innocent smile and patted the draconequus’s head. “Thou art right. Perhaps thou should try to cuddle with her right now?”
“Good idea!” Eris poofed away in a cloud of glitter.
Celestia giggled, getting up out of bed and getting ready for the day. “And that is why thou dost not tease thy big sister, Lulu,” she mused, humming to herself.
She was just putting on her crown when Luna’s shout of surprise reached her ears.
“What art thou doing in our bed!?” Luna cried, her voice rattling the walls. “What dost thou mean 'cuddling?!’”
Celestia burst out laughing, clutching her sides as Luna continued to rant and rave. “Oh little sister, we think thou dost protest too much.”
Celestia continued to get ready for the day, stepping out into the hall to see Eris being levitated out of Luna’s room and dropped onto her rump.
“But, cuddles!” Eris pleaded, pouting up at Luna.
Luna’s only response was to slam the door, causing Eris to wince.
“Well, fine! See if I cuddle you again!” Eris stood up, crossing her arms.
“Thou art always welcome to cuddle us,” Celestia offered, holding her arms open. As Eris accepted her hug, she winced upon seeing Luna’s guards trying not to stare.
Celestia cleared her throat, causing the pair to turn their heads and stand at attention. She rolled her eyes, looking down at Eris. “Perhaps we should take thee to the royal tailor now? We need to get thee proper.”
“If you insist,” Eris huffed, pulling away from the hug. She snapped her talons, covering herself with her blanket. “Better?”
“T’is a start,” Celestia said, motioning with her hand as she started to walk down the hall. “We art sure thou will adapt to wearing clothes.”
“If you say so,” Eris said, floating by Celestia’s side. “I still don’t see anything wrong with going bare, it’s more comfy. Discord never wore clothes.”
“Discord never cuddled either,” Celestia pointed out. “Dost thou truly wish to emulate him? Besides, thou dost not have to wear clothing in thy room.”
“I guess that’s true,” Eris conceded. “And if I get to make them look like whatever I like, then I guess it won’t be that bad.” Laying across Celestia’s neck, she shrank to the size of a scarf.
Celestia smiled, petting the top of Eris’s head. “It is good that thou art keeping an open mind. We promise thee that thou shalt love the royal tailor’s work.”
“If you say so,” Eris responded, not sounding all that convinced.
Celestia continued petting Eris’s head, leading her into a room where a white stallion with a well coiffed purple mane was adjusting mannequins. “Greetings, Elusive, we have someone that is in need of thy work.”
“Hi.” Eris waved, watching him closely. “You have a nice hairdo.”
Elusive smiled at her, adjusting his mane with his hands. “Why thank thee, fair maiden. I am a firm believer in presenting myself at my absolute best. If I did not, then how could others believe the quality of my work?” He grabbed a measuring tape, looking her over. “Tell me, fair maiden, how can I help make thee feel beautiful?”
Eris floated away from Celestia, returning to her normal size. “Um, I dunno.” Giving Celestia an unsure look, she gave a non-committal shrug. “I've never tried to be beautiful before.”
Elusive chuckled, levitating several of his tools in his magic and starting to take Eris’s measurements. “Come now, fair maiden, surely thou knowest what thou wouldst like to wear? I am a stallion that always aims to please the one I design for. Let thy imagination run wild and I will attempt to bring it to life!”
Eris thought for a moment before holding out the blanket. “I want em to look like this. Well, not like this. I want to look like me!” She gestured to herself. Something clicked and she gave him a grin. “I don't wanna make sense!”
Elusive tapped his chin, looking over his fabrics. “Not exactly a concrete suggestion, but I have worked with less.” He flashed her a smile, jotting down her measurements. “I shall make thee a dress that thou shalt love!”
“Yay!” Eris hopped from hoof to lizard foot, her grin almost bigger than her head. “Thank you so much!”
Elusive smiled, grabbing an empty mannequin, a quill and parchment and beginning his work. He sketched away, occasionally looking up at Eris.
Eris struck a pose, not bothering to cover up again. Elusive didn’t seem to be bothered by Eris’s nudity, finishing up his sketch with a grin. His horn lit up and his equipment whizzed around the room.
Enthralled by all the work, Eris nodded her head in approval. “He's got a lot of chaos,” she remarked idly, wagging her tail.
Celestia turned to her, quirking an eyebrow. “Has a lot of chaos, what dost thou mean?” She glanced at Elusive. “He does not seem very chaotic to us.”
“Up here.” Eris tapped her head. “He's gotta lotta chaos in here! That's how he can make up all this stuff!” Throwing her hands out all of Elusive’s outfits came to life, dancing away.
Celestia chuckled, nodding. “We never thought of creativity as chaotic, but it does make sense to apply it.”
Elusive wasn’t bothered by the outburst. If anything he was delighted by it, occasionally pausing from his work to grab a dance partner. “Thou certainly knows how to liven up a room,” Elusive complimented, winking at Eris.
Eris giggled, floating around the room. “Why thank you! Those pretty outfits were just begging to boogy!” Moving to unheard music, Eris started to dance, her body moving in ways that shouldn't be possible.
Deciding she didn’t want to be left out, Celestia started to dance, finding her own rhythm. Before she knew it, she was dancing with Eris. Taking the draconequus’ arms, Celestia guided her around the room. The princess pulled out all the stops, twirling Eris this way and that.
“This is fun!” Eris cheered, wrapping her arms around Celestia’s waist. “You do this with all the girls?”
“Only the fun ones,” Celestia replied, dipping Eris down low to the floor. Her body locked up as Eris leaned in and licked her cheek. She tried to collect herself, quickly pulling the two of them upright once more. Stumbling back, she fell into a chair, pulling Eris with her.
“That was fun!” Eris giggled and nuzzled Celestia beneath her chin. Purring, Eris curled up in her lap, wrapping her tail around her leg.
“Agreed,” Celestia said with a sigh, rubbing Eris’s back. “We’ll have to be dance partners at this year’s gala.”
“Your Majesty, if I may say, thou looks very happy.” Elusive grinned, pulling away from a sundress. “I’ve rarely seen thee so content.”
“Well, Eris’s energy is rather contagious,” Celestia offered, looking up at him. “Wouldst thou not agree?”
“Certainly, but thou seems to have found a... kindred spirit, shall we say?” He gestured to the hand that Celestia had placed on Eris’s hip.
Celestia blushed, only for a wry smirk to spread on her face. “We suppose thou art the expert in such matters, thou seems to find a kindred spirit every fortnight.”
“I am merely happy your Majesty hast found somepony to share thine bed with,” Elusive countered, sitting at his desk. “Lady Eris, thine dress will be finished in no time.”
“That’s great!” Eris beamed, her tail wagging against Celestia’s legs. “You sure work fast, Elusive!” Laying her head on Celestia's chest, Eris hummed in delight. “Celly is the best cuddle buddy!”
This caused Elusive to smirk at Celestia as tools flew around his head. “Really? What is her glorious Majesty like in bed?”
“Snuggly and warm!” Eris replied instantaneously. “She’s super comfy and nice. Her fur is so soft.” She demonstrated, nuzzling Celestia’s neck.
Elusive’s smirk grew and a soft chuckle escaped his lips. “I am well aware, I have felt it while getting her majesty's measurements.”
“And she has really nice breasts!” Eris proclaimed, giving one a nuzzle.
Elusive bit his lip, unable to prevent a snorting laugh from passing through his muzzle. “I dare say there are hardly a better pair in the kingdom.”
“I just dunno why she hides ‘em under all these clothes!” Eris tossed her hands up in exasperation.
“Perhaps to keep lesser endowed mares from being consumed with envy?” Elusive offered, covering his muzzle with his hand.
“Well, they are really nice...” Eris rotated her head, looking up at Celestia. “Um, Celestia? Are you okay? Your face is like, really red.” Holding her paw up, she put a tomato next to Celestia's head. “Even redder than this!”
Celestia coughed into her hand. “Perhaps we art coming down with a small cold, nothing to worry thyself over.”
“A very warm cold,” Elusive teased, waggling his eyebrows.
Celestia frowned, shooting a look at the stallion. “Do we need to remind thee who had to pull thee off that guard at the last Hearth’s Warming party? Thou art lucky she was in a good mood.”
Elusive tsked, adjusting his mane. “Canst thou blame me? Her armor could hardly contain her assets. Mulled wine always turns me into a fool. Besides, many mares find my hands very pleasing.”
“Oh we know, thou hast made that offer to us before,” Celestia reminded, a smirk on her face.
“Perhaps Lady Eris would enjoy my hands?” Elusive asked, sending the draconequus a sultry look.
Eris tilted her head. “How would you use your hands? Would you wash my back like Celly did?” Pausing for a moment, she looked between them. “Is he talking about that thing ponies do to make more ponies?”
Elusive had to hold back a laugh while Celestia’s blush returned. “Y-yes, that is what he is referring to,” Celestia replied, her voice shaky. “Hast thou ever...?” She gestured with her hands weakly.
“I mean, I was technically born yesterday so no, I’ve never done that,” Eris answered, shaking her head. “But if you mean Discord; no, I don’t think he ever did.”
“That might explain a lot of things,” Elusive commented, cutting off his magic.
“Like what?” Eris asked, holding onto Celestia.
“Like him lashing out at everypony,” Elusive answered, hopping down from his desk. “Wouldst thou like to see thy dress?”
“Yes!” Eris popped into his face, manically pressing her head into his. “I wanna see!!”
Elusive chuckled, using his magic to bring a mannequin into view. The dress on the mannequin was thin looking and seemed as though it would only reach Eris’s knees. It was a patchwork of colors, each of them converging on the center of the dress and blending together.
“It’s almost perfect.” Suddenly, Eris and the mannequin switched places. “How do I look?” she asked, twirling a bit. “I think it needs a little something...”
“Ask and thou shalt receive, Lady Eris,” Elusive said with a bow. “What can I add to make thee the perfect outfit?”
Eris responded with a snap of her fingers. The sleeves on the dress lengthened and shortened. The left sleeve went down over her hand, while the right only reached her elbow. “Better, much better!”
Elusive nodded, looking the dress over. “Very unorthodox, but something I will have to remember for future dresses.”
Celestia smiled, watching Eris twirl around the room in her new dress. After a few moments, she stood up and held her arm out. “Shall we head out and show off thy outfit?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Eris saluted, locking arms with Celestia.
The two strode out into the castle hall, Elusive bidding them farewell with a smirk on his face. Turning back to his desk, he spied all the dancing clothes had fallen to the floor. “Ah, a small price to pay for the princess’s happiness.” Smirk transitioning to a smile, Elusive cleaned up his workshop, wondering how long it would take for Celestia to acknowledge her feelings.
Celestia tapped her fingers on the arm of her throne, her face displaying a mix of disappointment and anger. “And thou assaulted Light Breeze because of her wings? Didst thou think We would allow thee to go unpunished?”
“Your Majesty!” a well-dressed green stallion snarled, struggling against the shackles attached to his arms and legs. “That wench has been tainted by that monstrosity thou art keeping a close eye on!”
“Lady Eris is not a monstrosity.” Sitting forward, Celestia gave him a glare. “She has been nothing but kind since she arrived. How many times must We say that she is harmless?”
“Surely thou are not fooled by her act!” the stallion boomed, pointing at her. “She is a trick by Discord! She will turn on thee the instant thy guard is down! We will all suffer for thy blindness!”
Celestia stood up, spreading her wings as she stepped towards the stallion. “Thy warnings fall upon deaf ears, for to Us they sound like the tribalistic rants that nearly wiped out ponies from this world.” She stopped a few steps away from the stallion, towering over him. “We shall treat Eris as a guest as We have been.” Flaring her wings out, she amplified her voice. “Hear Us now! Light Breeze retains every right and privilege she had before her transformation. Anypony who brings harm upon her will be met with swift justice!” Focusing on the stallion, she snorted. “Therefore, We hath no choice but to give thee the strictest punishment possible for thy crime.”
“Captain Stalwart, take this criminal from Our presence.” Retaking her throne, Celestia watched as her guard captain ordered her men to drag the stallion out of the throne room. She huffed, doing her best to let the agitation drain away from her. She turned to her assistant. “Crow, remind Us to pay Light Breeze a visit once Day Court has concluded.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” Crow nodded, bowing her head. Crow Feather was a young pegasus, barely out of her twenties. Her midnight black coat was broken up by her snow white mane, and a spot of white fur on her cleavage. Her garments matched Celestia’s, a white robe with the solar alicorn’s cutie mark emblazoned on the front.
Celestia’s mood brightened slightly and she leaned back in her throne. “Thank thee, Crow. We suppose there is no reason to delay Our next petitioner.” Nodding at the guards by the door, she put on her mask of calm.
Celestia deflated when she saw a noble mare step into the room. She was wearing a deep purple dress and had a matching hat sitting on the side of her head, her horn poking through the front. The mare’s fur was a dark gray and her mane was a soft lavender. If Celestia recalled correctly, her name was Twilight Twinkle. Though what stuck out to Celestia the most was the sour expression on the mare’s face.
“How may the crown help thee today?” Celestia asked, watching the mare carefully.
Twilight stopped at the end of the carpet, smoothed out her dress and cleared her throat. “Your Majesty, I believe I speak for all nobles when I ask why thou art allowing that dreadful beast to roam free. She has already changed a maid and caused a dreadful earthquake.”
Holding in her annoyance, Celestia took a deep breath. “We assure thee, thou hast nothing to fear from Lady Eris. She is merely a harmless mischief maker. We hath already explained to her the rules of living in the castle. If she breaks them, then she will be punished accordingly. But only then.”
“I would hardly call creating a new type of pony and nearly destroying thy home simple mischief,” Twilight scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. “Imagine how Equestria would look, if she’s allowed to just alter ponies!”
“And what is wrong with creating a new type of pony?” Celestia questioned, already feeling her dislike for the mare growing. “Light Breeze is still herself, merely her wings have changed. It would only be a problem if she changes somepony without asking, or did not return them to normal if asked. Light Breeze likes her new appearance, and is rather excited to be the start of a new tribe.”
Twilight scoffed again. “Wouldst thou be so flippant if thou had been the one altered by her magic?”
“If she did not change Us back on request, then no, we wouldn’t. Light Breeze can regain her original form whenever she wishes; all she must do is ask Eris.”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak again, only to shut it and turn on her hoof. “I believe I hath made my peace, thank thee for thy time.” With that, she huffed and quickly exited the throne room.
Captain Stalwart cleared her throat, getting the princess’s attention. “Forgive me your Majesty, but I am afraid I must agree with Lady Twinkle, thou dost not seem to be treating Eris with the proper caution. Thou allows her free movement, when she has the power to alter the world to her whims.”
Celestia smiled, leaning forward in her throne. “Well Captain, think of it like this. There are two distinct possibilities regarding Eris’s origins. The possibility that We believe to be true, that she was the more positive parts of Discord, brought into being by the elements. Or, she is a trick of Discord’s and he dodged any ill effects of our greatest defense. In either of those cases, what good would there be in attempting to restrict her movement?”
“Even still, Your Majesty, thou shouldst take precautions.” Captain Stalwart Diamond was a slightly older earth pony, bearing a light blue coat and deep blue mane. Her armor was perfectly polished and maintained, enough so that Celestia could see her reflection. “Doing nothing leaves us open to any machinations she may spring on us.”
“Then what wouldst thou recommend, Captain?” Celestia inquired, putting her arms on the rests of her throne. “Feel free to speak thy mind with Us.”
“I think it would be best if Eris were escorted by a pair of guards,” Stalwart offered, gesturing to her subordinates. “If only to assure the populace that we are taking their worries seriously.”
Celestia tapped her fingers on the arm of her throne, mulling the idea over. She released a breath through her nostrils, looking between the guards in the room. “Very well, choose thy most trusted subordinates and create a schedule.”
“Thank thee, Your Majesty.” Captain Stalwart bowed before taking her leave. Celestia could think of no other mare she’d trust her safety to, barring her sister.
“Was Lady Twinkle the last petitioner?”
Crow looked over her scroll, tapping her quill against it every so often. “Yes, now thou hast a bit of free time before thy next duty.”
“Excellent.” Rising from her throne, Celestia smoothed her dress out. “Come, Crow, we shalt visit Light Breeze. Eris has been tending to her since the morn, and I doubt the mare can endure her much longer.”
Crow bowed her head, taking her place behind Celestia. “Lead the way, Your Majesty.”
The walk to the infirmary was quiet, with most of the staff busy tending to their duties. Their trip was short enough to justify not teleporting, only a straight shot down the hall the throne room fed into. Crow and Celestia stepped into the room, and were greeted by the head of staff. The infirmary itself was fairly large, tended to by the best physicians and apothecaries in the nation.
“Greetings, Your Highness.” The head physician was an old unicorn stallion, one Hawkeye Cure. Despite his liberal drinking, he had well earned his position as Celestia and Luna’s physician. His mane had grayed and his tan coat lost some of its luster over the years. “I hope thy day has been going well.” Clearing his throat, he gestured across the room, to the only occupied bed. “Thy guest has been ‘entertaining’ my patient since she came in.”
“We hath been dealing with essentially the same complaint all day,” Celestia told him, adjusting her wings. “And we had the displeasure of punishing the one who assaulted thy latest patient.” Following his gaze, her eyes fell onto Light Breeze. Eris hovered around the mare, chattering her ear off, though Celestia couldn’t hear what about.
She stepped over to Light Breeze’s bed, catching the end of what the draconequus was saying. “...’bout now? I can try to heal you! All I gotta do is go snip snap!” Eris demonstrated, turning herself into an alicorn for a moment. “See?”
“Thou dost not need to go out of thy way for me,” Light Breeze weakly assured, watching Eris with her good eye. The other was swollen shut and looked ready to bruise at a moment’s notice. “I just need some rest and I will be ready to return to my duties.”
“But he hurt you!” Eris exclaimed, shifting back to her natural form. “I can’t let you stay hurt!” Spotting Celestia, she waved her other. “Celly! Help me talk sense into Breezy!”
“Art thou sure thou dost not wish for Eris to heal thee?” Celestia asked, crossing her arms beneath her bust. “Eris is quite clear that it would be no trouble for her.”
“I am fine Your Majesty, truly,” Breeze assured with a smile.
Celestia frowned, noting the stains of reddish brown that dotted the bed-ridden mare’s white fur. Her butter yellow mane was unkempt and parts of it seemed to be torn out in places. “Thou are not fine, Light Breeze. Thou will not return to thine duties until thou hath healed.”
“I will recover swiftly,” Breeze replied, sitting up in her bed. “My injuries look worse than they feel.” Her left wing had a large tear in it, though Celestia couldn’t tell if it hurt or not.
“If that is what thou truly wishes,” Celestia relented, a sigh escaping her lips. “But thou must promise Us that thou will take it easy.”
Breeze nodded, letting her head hit the pillow. “I shall not lift a finger until I am deemed fit to work,” she promised, still wearing her smile. “I have to set a good example for future flutterponies, after all.”
Celestia managed a small smile of her own and took one of Breeze’s hands in hers. “That is a wonderful attitude. We promise thee, We shall ensure that thy new tribe flourishes.” Her smile grew when Eris put her paw on their hands.
“Yeah! No one’s gonna bother your future family with Celly doing her thing!” the draconequus cheered, tossing confetti into the air. “And I’ll help too!” Eris saluted, now garbed in guard armor. “No one's gonna hurt your family!” She snapped to the right, marching back and forth in the air.
Breeze giggled, looking between the two. “I could not possibly feel any safer. With safety well taken care of, I will have to start looking for a suitor.” Closing her eyes, she let out a content sigh. “Thank thee both, for caring so much about somepony like me.”
Celestia gave Breeze’s hand a squeeze. “Of course We care about thee, thou art one of Our precious subjects.” A very precious one, as the first of a new kind of pony. “We are afraid that thou will have to worry about other ponies’ reactions.”
“I am sure that I will grow accustomed to it,” Breeze retorted, a hard look on her face. “So long as they do not react so,” she spread out her wings the best she could, “physically.”
“We’re still studying the changes to Light Breeze’s body,” Hawkeye spoke up, gesturing to the desk at the front of the room. “Her magic is similar to pegasus magic, but more refined.” Looking at Eris, he gave her a hopeful look. “I was hoping thou would be able to give more details on that.”
Eris tapped her chin with her paw, leaning in towards Breeze to take a sniff. “Looks like she’s got a bit of chaos magic in her now.”
Hawkeye blinked, a frown creasing his lips. “Thou art telling me you don’t know what change thou made to Light Breeze?”
“Not really.” Eris shook her head, an innocent smile greeting his frown. “I sorta just...did it! It was like Light wanted to be something else, so I let her be something else!”
Hawkeye rubbed his temple, a snort escaping him. “How truly vexing. Perhaps if thou explained more of the machinations of chaos magic, that could be the key to understanding Light Breeze’s new form?”
Eris just stared at him, utterly confused. “If you could understand it, it wouldn’t be chaotic now would it?”
Hawkeye groaned, grabbing a bottle from beneath his desk and taking a long drink. He sat the bottle back where had gotten it and spoke again, “Very well, I shall have to continue my studies on my own. Thank thee, Eris, at the very least we can name the change in Light Breeze’s magic.”
“That’s the spirit!” Eris popped over to him, presenting him with a gold star. “You get an ‘A’ for effort, Ole’ Hawkeye!” Pinning it to his chest, she turned to Celestia and Light. “You two will have to catch up, or Hawkeye will graduate at the top of the class!”
Hawkeye chuckled, tapping the star on his chest. “Could I ask to trade in my star for a bottle of blackberry wine? I am running low.”
“Maybe if you’re a good boy,” Eris replied, backstroking through the air and back to Light. “You gotta make Light better first, after all.”
Hawkeye laughed, resting his hands on his desk. “That thou dost not need to worry thyself over. My staff and I art doing all we can for Light Breeze.”
Crow spoke up from the doorway, getting the group's attention. “I am sorry, Your Majesty, but we must depart. Thou art expected to meet the Yak prince by this afternoon.”
Reluctantly, Celestia pulled away from Light Breeze and stood up straight. She sighed and turned to Crow. “See to it that We meet the prince in a room with furnishings that We would not mind seeing destroyed.”
“Of course.” Crow stepped out of the room, vanishing from view.
Celestia turned back to Eris and Light and gave them a flash of a smile. “We shall return before We must lower the sun, t’was good to see thou art recovering well, Light Breeze.” With that, she turned and left the room.
Eris was floating behind her, resting her head on Celestia’s shoulder. “I’ve never met a Yak before! Can I meet them? Please?” Her eyes grew several sizes, sparkling slightly.
“They are very different from ponies,” Celestia said, waving at the staff as she walked through the hall. “They are quite fond of smashing things. ‘Tis a part of their culture. If one is not careful, they can also be quite easily offended. If thou art going to join Us, thou must be on thy best behaviour.”
“I’ll just be a fly on the wall!” Eris promised, turning into for a fly and buzzing around the princess’s head for a few moments before returning to normal. “You won’t even notice me there!”
“Very well, but thou must promise Us one more thing,” Celestia started, giving Eris a serious look. “No matter what the prince or his entourage do, if I do not react negatively to it, then thou must not interfere.”
Eris nodded and flashed her a bright smile. This satisfied Celestia and she continued down the hall. Crow led them through several turns and hallways. As always, Celestia waved at the staff they passed, only shooting hard looks when she overheard rude whispers regarding Eris. Their trip ended when Crow opened a door revealing a sitting room that Celestia barely used.
The yak prince was waiting for her with a pair of yaks beside him. Prince Ugo was at least a head taller than the average yak male, nearly putting him at eye level with Celestia. His shaggy fur was a deep red, hanging off his body with little regard for grooming. His face had a stern look, forest green eyes turning to the princess as she entered the room. Contrary to his fur, the prince had a well kempt beard, tied off into a trio of braids. Ugo’s outfit belied his princely station, a series of leathers and furs that made him appear to be fresh from a hunting trip.
“Greetings Prince Ugo.” Celestia bowed, gently coaxing Eris into doing the same. “We are pleased to see thee doing well. This is Our assistant, Crow Feather, and Our...protegé, Eris. We hope We did not keep you long.” Taking her seat, Celestia gave him a graceful smile. Crow stood beside her, and Eris sat behind the couch, leaning over the back.
Ugo snorted, leaning back in his seat. “No, We were not kept long. Thank thee for agreeing to Our meeting on short notice.”
“Of course.” Celestia glanced back at Eris. “Eris, wouldst thou be a dear, and conjure us some tea?”
“Does the yak prince have a preference?” Eris whispered, glancing between Celestia and the yaks. “Um, maybe earl grey?”
“That should be fine,” Celestia assured. “Do be sure to have some Yakyakistan honey to go with it, please. The prince would appreciate that.”
“Okay.” Eris snapped her fingers, making a tray of tea appear on the table. A small pot of honey sat neatly to one side, along with some cakes. “There, I hope you like it!”
“Wouldst thou like us to pour thee a cup of tea?” Celestia offered, reaching for the pot and pouring one for herself. “We always find that these meetings go better when everypony has a cup.”
The prince lifted his hand and gave her a noncommittal wave. “If thou insists.”
Celestia nodded and poured the prince a cup, making sure to add a bit of the honey before stirring. She passed the cup to him and smiled. “Enjoy.” Taking a sip, she hummed in delight. “‘Tis good, Eris.”
“I try,” Eris said, smiling as her tail wagged behind her. “Care to pour me a cup too?” She held her paw out, accepting the steaming cup from Celestia. “Thank you.” Drinking it down, she slurped down the cup, leaving the tea floating in her grasp. When she noticed the odd stares she was getting from the yaks, she shrank back a little and shoved the floating tea into her mouth as well. “Sorry,” she whispered to Celestia, “I did something weird without thinking.”
Celestia cleared her throat, turning back to the prince. “We should have mentioned this earlier, but Eris is capable of magic that allows her to do things outside the norm. She did not mean any offense by her behavior.”
The prince shook his head, snorting. “Very well, Our matter is one of commerce. The yak population has boomed recently and there is not enough fertile soil to produce enough crops for Our people. However, we hath other resources that might interest thee. As thou can guess this is a rather grim situation We find Ourselves in. The last thing We wish to do is mandate rations in order to minimize casualties.”
Despite her best efforts to pay attention, the conversation quickly became rather bothering to Eris. Remembering her promise to Celestia, she allowed herself to sink behind the couch and out of sight. In her own little world, Eris conjured up a book, using one of her talons as a quill. She doodled absentmindedly, humming a song to herself.
Eris quickly went from one drawing to the next, ideas popping into her head like rapidfire. A simple pony was sketched onto the page, and then with a bolt of inspiration, she added a fin on their back that resembled a shark’s. Smiling gleefully, she erased the muzzle with a snap of her talons and redrew it with a slightly different shape and rows of sharp teeth filling it. The drawing winked at her, making a show of snapping its jaws shut. With a nod of approval, Eris quickly finished the drawing and the now complete shark-pony struck a pose that showed off its new features.
“You look so cool!” she gushed, giving the drawing a high five. “I’m totally gonna make you real someday.” Eris kicked her legs behind her, brainstorming. Staring down at the drawing, a wide grin spread on her face. “Obviously you’re gonna be made from a pony that loves the ocean.”
Eris hashed out some more plans, the sketch reacting to each of her ideas with either a thumbs up or down. Once she was satisfied, she turned the page and began another drawing. Flicking an ear, she used it to listen in on what the royals were saying.
“...thy offer of weaves and tapestries is most interesting,” Celestia said. “We will consult with Our very best farmers and see if We can arrange a trade for thee.”
Eris rolled her eyes, the conversation just as boring as she left it. Popping her head up, she glanced over the couch. Her eyes locked on Prince Ugo, who was also looking at her. She waved cheerfully, going back behind the couch. She idly wondered what the prince was doing looking at her when he was supposed to be in the middle of talking to Celestia. She quickly dropped that train of thought when an idea for another sketch popped into her head and she quickly set to work on it.
“How about a snake pony?” she asked herself, bouncing in her seat. “Yeah, that's really good~” She smiled, drawing her snake-pony right next to the shark one. She tapped her talon against her chin, looking down at the snake pony. “What do you think, venom, or no venom?” The snake nodded, opening its mouth for her. She smiled and drew two small fangs that would poke out of the pony’s mouth when it was closed. She then giggled and tapped her pen against the sketch’s nose. “Non-lethal of course, can’t have you getting any funny ideas.”
The snake nodded, turning to the shark pony, doing its best to be scary. The shark turned to the snake and returned the favor, opening its mouth wide and showing off its rows of sharp teeth. “Hey.” Eris poked both of their heads. “Play nice, you got it?”
The two sketches exchanged a quick look, narrowing their eyes before reaching out and giving each other a handshake.
“Geez, what am I going to do with you two.” Eris giggled a little, shaking her head. “You know, you two need names.” Her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she scratched the top of her head. A light bulb then appeared between her mismatched horn and antler and her face lit up. “Ooh, I know.” She placed a paw pad on the shark. “I’ll call you, Marina. And I’ll call you, Sarah.”
The two sketches smiled back at her, giving her two thumbs up each.
“Maybe I should bring the two of you out?” she asked, putting her hand on her chin. She extended one of her eyes from her skull, taking a quick peek at the ongoing meeting. She then quickly retracted her eye, causing it to spin in its socket for a moment. “Eh, probably best to do that when important stuff isn’t going on.”
Leaving the book open, she sat back against the couch. “You two are gonna be so awesome out here~ Do you guys wanna be adults, or kids, or what?”
The two sketches scrunched their muzzles up in thought. They didn’t move for a few before holding their hands out far apart as if to indicate adults.
“Oh! You know, this might be easier.” Grabbing her pencil back up, Eris quickly drew a pair of bubbles, each coming from either of their mouths. “There, now I can see what you say~”
“Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3,” appeared in Marina’s bubble.
“Well that's neat,” Sarah responded, smiling at her bubble.
“Perfect.” Eris’s tail swished behind her as she contemplated her next question. She pointed a talon at Sarah. “What kind of pony do you want to be made from?”
“What, you aren’t gonna make me a real filly?” Sarah asked, crossing her arms.
Eris giggled. “Of course I will, silly. Okay, then let me ask a different question. What kind of family do you want to raise you?”
“If we’re gonna be adults, why would anyone have to raise us?” Marina asked, tilting her head.
Eris let out a small sound of realization, nodding her head. “Huh, good point. Better question then, where would you like to live? Marina should be somewhere with alotta water. Put those gills to good use.”
“Don’t forget tropical! Sharks don’t like cold water too much.” Marina grinned widely, beginning to hula dance. “Well most of them don’t anyway. I don’t wanna be one of those kinda sharks.”
“How about Baltimare?” Eris suggested. “A port city and the water temperature should change around the year.” The scene behind the two sketches changed, reflecting the city of Baltimare. “Go ahead, Marina, take a dip.”
Marina didn’t hesitate, diving down into the water. She disappeared for a few moments before surfacing, doing lazy backstrokes in a circle. “Yeah, I think I could live in a place like this.” Giving a thumbs up, she dived back under the water.
Eris smiled, watching Marina for a few moments before turning her attention to Sarah. She put a paw pad to the top of the naga’s head. “What about you, where would you like to live? The jungle maybe? Or, do you like the idea of warm sand against your scales?”
Sarah tilted her head side to side, chewing her lip with one of her fangs. “Both of those sound really nice. Though no deserts if we’re talking about sand, those places are so bleak.”
“Eris, dear, who art thou talking to?” Celestia’s voice spoke, getting Eris’s attention.
Eris popped up from behind the couch, chuckling weakly as she held up her sketchbook. “Sorry if I bothered your meeting, I was just drawing up plans for new pony types I wanted to try making. The two I came up with are named Marina and Sarah.”
Celestia rolled her eyes, though a small smile cracked across her muzzle. “That’s very nice, but thy muttering is a tad bit distracting.”
“Sorry.” Eris shrank a bit, ears drooping. “I’ll be more quiet. Or, I can leave, if that's what you want.”
Celestia shook her head. “We don’t want you to leave, Eris. Thou art not doing anything bad, We promise. Just try to have thy fun a little more quietly.” When Eris gave a nod in agreement, Celestia turned back to the prince. “Forgive her, she is still learning proper etiquette”
The prince snorted, glancing at Eris as she ducked behind the couch. “Considering thou art orchestrating a trade that will save Our people, We can forgive a spirited onlooker.” Lingering on where Eris had been, he grunted. “What exactly is thine protege?”
“She refers to herself as a draconequus,” Celestia answered. “She is also capable of interesting feats with a magic wholly unique to her.”
Ugo nodded, stroking his beard. “Has she been promised to anyone?”
Celestia fought the urge to quirk a brow, her eyes drifting over to the couch that Eris was behind before returning her attention to the prince. “No, she has not promised herself to any suitors.”
Grinning, Ugo leapt to his hooves. “Eris of Equestria! Thou art the most intriguing creature we hath ever seen! Thou shalt join us, and make our bloodline the strongest in all the world!”
Eris popped her head out from behind the couch, tilting her head in confusion at the prince. “Uh, I only understood about half of that. So uh, thanks for calling me intriguing I guess. But, what do you mean by making your bloodline strong? Is it weak? Do you need to see a doctor?”
Ugo chuckled, striding over to the couch and placing a hand on Eris’s cheek. “Nay, Lady Eris, We art asking thee to be Our bride.”
Eris scrunched her muzzle, looking at Celestia. “I don’t get what he’s asking.”
Celestia’s mind struggled to process what she had just heard, an urge to blast Ugo’s hand with magic bubbling up in the corners of her mind. She took a moment to compose herself, placing her hands on the table and gripping it. “He is asking to marry thee. Dost thou know what marriage is?”
“Nope.” Eris shook her head. “Dunno what that is, Celly.”
Celestia rubbed her temple, unsure whether to be amused or exasperated by the draconequus. “Marriage is a ceremony where two ponies promise to spend the rest of their lives with one another. Most often it is done out of love, but for nobility it is common to do it to unite powerful families for political means.”
Eris mulled it over, looking back at Ugo. “I dunno if that’s a good idea, Prince Ugo.” She pulled away, rubbing her arm. “There's a whole lot about the world I don’t understand, like myself and who I am. I don’t think I’d make a good bride, not at all.”
Prince Ugo shook, snorting heavily as his nostrils flared. “Thou wouldst deny Us?” He turned on his heel, stomping towards the door and motioning for his entourage to do the same. With a huff, he stormed out of the room, knocking Crow out of his way. The last yak slammed the door on his way out, cracking the frame and knocking it off its hinges.
Eris stared after them, wilting like a flower. “Celestia, I did something wrong, didn’t I?” her voice lacked its normal cheer, and all the color drained from her body, pooling at her hooves. “I messed up. I broke my promise...”
Celestia’s face fell and she instantly wrapped her arms around Eris, stroking her snow-white mane. “No Eris, thou hast done nothing wrong. Ugo is at fault for not respecting thy decision. And for that, he ended talks before our terms were set in stone. If he wishes to make a deal with Us, he will first need to apologize to thee.” Celestia gave Eris a squeeze. “We would never ask thee to sacrifice thy happiness for the sake of one of Our deals.”
Eris hugged her back, nuzzling her neck. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come along. I could have just gone to my room and had my fun there...”
“Eris, We already told thee that thou hast no reason to apologize,” Celestia repeated, pulling away to look in her eyes. “Ugo is at fault, do not blame thyself.”
Eris’s color slowly crept back into her, restoring her looks. She didn’t respond, merely latching onto Celestia like a lost foal. Celestia simply held onto the draconequus for a while, whispering reassurances every so often.
Twilight Twinkle sat in her manor’s study, her face a stony mask as she scrawled out something on a scroll. Days had passed since she had petitioned the princess, the meeting still fresh in her mind. It was obvious to her that Celestia was being naive; something that could prove disastrous for Equestria. Twilight knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Her train of thought was interrupted as one of her maids stepped into the room.
“M’lady,” the maid started with a bow, “thy guests have arrived. They have been directed to the dining room as per thy instructions.”
“Thank you, Feather Duster.” Rising to her hooves, Twilight brushed her skirt off. She had elected to wear her best dress, designed by the royal tailor himself. “I’ll see to them right away. You are dismissed.” Walking past Feather Duster, she made her way down the hall.
Her staff bowed as she walked and she made sure to acknowledge them. Normally she’d take a moment to relish in the pride she felt for fostering such a loyal staff. She didn’t even pay any mind to the portraits that denoted prominent members of her family and their accomplishments that lined either side of the halls. She was focused only on the matters she wished to discuss with her guests. She labored over every point she had planned as she sped towards the dining hall.
Opening the doors, she put on a lovely smile. “Good evening, everypony. Thank you for joining me tonight. I hope I didst not keep ye waiting long.” Taking her seat at the head of the table, she gestured to her staff to begin to bring the food out. “We have much to discuss.”
An older green stallion nodded, unfolding the napkin holding his silverware and tucking it into his collar. “Indeed, Princess Celestia has gone mad, she imprisoned my son for rightly distrusting what that monster has done.”
“Thine son was jailed because he assaulted an innocent mare,” a mare at the far end spoke. Boasting an orange coat and purple mane, Flash Fire was very much her father’s daughter. “If he had a problem with what Eris did, he should have taken it up with her, not abused the ‘victim’.”
The green stallion bristled at her comment, shooting Flash Fire a glare and leaning on the table. “That ‘victim’ as thou call her is surely a pawn of Eris, unfortunately she is long past being saved.”
“And thou know this, how?” Flash Fire asked, leaning forward in her seat. “Didst Eris tell thee this? Didst thou find her journal, detailing her plans? If not, than thou art acting on mere prejudice.”
The green stallion let out a derisive laugh, shaking his head at her. “Why wouldst I trust a word that comes from her mouth. Nor do I think anypony could reach any journal she has without magic like hers.”
“So, thou place the sins of another on her head?” Flash asked, leveling her own glare at the stallion. “Is that how we treat ponies now? Blame them for something somepony related to them did?”
“Forest, Flash, please keep things civil,” Twilight urged, looking between the two. “Forest,” she turned her attention to the green stallion, “I know a parent should stand by their child, but thy son did act without evidence. Even if the maid in question does turn out to be an agent of Eris, he is a noble, not an agent of the justice system.” She carefully cut into her meal, stabbing a bite onto her fork. “Though, Eris transforming a pony without warning is worrying behavior. Imagine if she transformed the princesses and left them unable to move the sun or moon.”
“So now you wish to be tolerant of her?” Flash asked, eyeing Twilight critically. “Did thou not bring this to Celestia herself to demand she imprison Eris?”
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “How quickly rumors spread. No, Flash Fire, I did not demand her imprisonment. I merely criticized letting Eris roam freely without escort. Wouldst thou not agree that such a privilege needs to be earned, considering her circumstances?”
“That she was born confused as to who she is?” Flash asked, tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Somepony like that needs guidance, not restrictions. I trust in Celestia’s judgement, as should thee.”
Twilight chuckled, flashing the other mare a smile. “Leave it to the daughter of one of the great Pillars to have great faith in the situation.” She looked at her plate, her smile receding slightly. “I wouldst like to believe in Eris’s tale, truly I would, but her relation to Discord cannot be denied.” She looked back up at Flash, a determined look in her eyes. “Equestria has just regained its freedom from the mad tyrant, I do not wish to see his return so soon. So, for now we must regard Eris with suspicion.”
“Suspicion that she has done nothing to earn,” Flash shot back. “I will not lay the sins of Discord at her hooves. She has done nothing to deserve it, just like that mare did nothing to deserve the beating Forest’s son gave her.”
“Flash Fire, I understand thy position,” Twilight replied, adjusting herself in her chair, “but the possibility remains that Eris could be some form of ploy by Discord. While, like thee, I hope that Eris turns out to be an innocent, we cannot deny that there is a possibility that she could turn against us.”
“Ay, but we shouldn’t give her a reason to.” Flash crossed her arms, her frown deepening. “Which is what thou wilt do if thou keeps pushing to treat her like a monster.”
Twilight nodded, folding her hands in her lap as she looked down at her plate. “Thou hast made fair arguments, Flash Fire. Knee jerk reactions and pitchfork mentality have been the bane to pony society since the days of the three pony nations. The princesses are many things, but fools are not among them. Forgive my paranoia, my lands were among the first to be ravaged by Discord.”
Flash rose up, pushing her plate away. “Thank thee for the fine meal, but I shall be taking my leave.” Bowing her head slightly, Flash Fire turned on her hooves, quickly removing herself from the situation.
“I would ask thee to return the favor, but I do not think I could keep my footing in thy manor!” Twilight called after her, motioning for a butler to help escort the pegasus to the exit. Clearing her throat, she turned to the remainder of her guests. “Well, as we can see, Flash has made her stance on the matter quite apparent.”
Forest rested his arms on the table, a cross sneer on his muzzle. “Abundantly. She is naive to think we should do nothing to see if Eris is plotting against Equestria. If we were to do as Flash wishes, then Equestria could suffer fatal blows before we could even retaliate.”
“That is a worry to be sure,” Twilight agreed, resting her arms on the table. “But the fact of the matter is, the only defense Equestria has against her art the elements at this time. And only the princesses are able to wield them properly.” She tapped her fingers against the table. “But perhaps study could yield us another means to fend off a being like Eris should the need ever arise? I shall look into the possibility.”
“That sounds like a decent proposal,” a new voice chimed in. Twilight turned her head to see a dark blue unicorn with a silverish mane. “Such knowledge could also be used to defend against other threats.” Twilight nodded as she tried to recall the stallion’s name. Her eyes flickered in realization as the name, Hexer Lulamoon stuck out to her. “I wish thee luck in thy studies.”
Twilight bowed her head and flashed the stallion a proud look. “I shall not need luck, the Twilight family pride ourselves as scholars.”
The meal continued on with Twilight trying to convince others to her side. A giddy thrill ran through her as she gently planted the seeds of doubt into each of her guests.
“Come on, Celly!” Eris whined, hovering by the castle doors. “I wanna go explore the woods! It’s full of chaos! It makes me itchy!”
“Very well,” Celestia sighed, rising from her throne. “We can explore the Everfree.” Confetti started to explode around the draconequus and Celestia held her hand up before a full blown celebration broke out. “However, we shall be taking a squad of guards with us and our time will be brief.”
“Aw...” Eris deflated a little, pouting like a child. “If you say so, Celly.”
Celestia smiled a bit, giggling at Eris’s reaction. “Do not fret, we can always make more trips into the forest at a later date.” Brushing her dress off, she cleared her throat. “On the subject of guards, this is a good time to talk with thee. Thou shalt have a pair of guards stay with thee at all times.”
“Why’s that?” Eris inquired tilting her head as a question mark appeared above her. “With my magic there’s not much that can actually hurt me.”
“We realize that, but We are a princess, and it is our job to make the ponies of Equestria safe and happy. Many are still afraid of thee, something We cannot ignore. Captain Stalwart suggested We post guards to thy side, and We agreed.”
“Oh, so it’s to make me seem more approachable!” Eris said, striking her paw gently with her clenched talon. “Okay, if you think it’ll help.” Her eyes lit up and she put her hands on her cheeks. “Am I allowed to play card games with my guards?! That’d be so much fun!”
“Not while they are on duty.” Celestia shook her head. “Thou must keep thine enthusiasm in check, thou can be overwhelming sometimes.”
Eris saluted, brimming with enthusiasm. “Can do, Celly.” She giggled and rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait to make friends with my guards.” Floating on her back, Eris couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
“We wish thee luck in thy endeavors.” Bowing her head, she turned to her assistant. “Please send a summons to Captain Stalwart and tell her to bring a squad with her.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” Crow scribbled a note out and passed it to one of the servants. “Shall I send for Princess Luna as well, or are thou taking Eris thyself?”
“Yes, We shall accompany her,” Celestia informed her. “Which means Luna will be tending to the throne for a spell.” Scrunching her muzzle up, she motioned for her assistant to start writing again. “Inform her that We shall owe her a favor for interrupting her slumber.”
“Oooh, I bet she’ll make you dress like a vampire, or make you take the night shift!” Eris suggested, putting her hands on Celestia’s shoulders. “I bet you’d look good as a bat-pony!”
“A bat pony?” Celestia questioned, quirking a brow at her friend. “What in Faust’s name would that look like?”
Eris stopped blinking for a few moments before bursting into laughter. “I’m sorry, Celly, I forgot that Discord knew stuff that you didn’t. The bat ponies live in a mountain to the north, they look like pegasi but with bat stuff!”
Glancing at her assistant, Celestia said, “Crow, please make a note that We should undergo a diplomatic meeting to the north.” After a moment she added. “And leave a reminder to tease more of this knowledge out of Eris.”
Crow looked up from her scroll, fluffing her wings. “I have already made a note, Your Highness. The only matter would be clearing several days of thy schedule for such an undertaking.” Bowing her head, she continued. “I shall deliver thy message to Princess Luna myself. By you leave?”
“Yes, thou may go, Crow,” Celestia replied, nodding to the pegasus. “Thank thee for thy services.” Turning back to Eris, she had to stifle a giggle at the silly faces Eris put up. “Are We boring thee, Eris?”
“Too much formality,” Eris replied, puffing her cheeks up. “Makes me antsy for some reason. Pretty sure it has to do with my chaos magic; it doesn’t like being around too much order.” Eris coiled herself around Celestia, holding her hands up. “Too much of either and you get nothing. Gotta have the right mix, I think.”
Celestia nodded in understanding. “We think that maintaining healthy balances in life is important. If thou desire help keeping the balance between chaos and order, thou only need to ask Us.”
Eris stared for a moment. “Am I supposed to do that?” Her eyes focusing on a lock of Celestia’s mane. “Discord didn’t do that, he just did whatever he wanted... Is that why I was made?”
Putting her hand on Eris’s chin, Celestia tilted her head up so she could look into the chaos spirit’s eyes. “Eris, thou art not Discord. The life thou shalt live now is entirely thy own. We know that thou do not wish harm to others. And a desire such as that requires temperance and restraint given thine abilities.”
Eris reached up, putting her paw on Celestia’s hand. “But, I don’t have either of those things.”
“And that is what We shall help thee learn,” Celestia replied with a giggle. “Whatever thou need, We shall help thee get it.”
A loud cough cut into the moment, the pair turning to find Captain Stalwart and a trio of guards standing behind them. “Princess, we are prepared, by thy request.”
Blushing, Celestia pulled herself away from the draconequus. “Yes, thank thee very much, Captain. Eris wishes to explore the Everfree due to her sensing chaotic essence from it. We thought it was prudent to let her, at least for a little while.”
Captain Stalwart frowned. “Dost thou think that's wise, Your Highness?” She bit back any comments about Eris, though the way she glanced at the draconequus in question, it was clear what she was getting at.
“Yes Captain, We do,” Celestia replied, giving the captain a reassuring smile. “Our visit will be brief and the instant thou sense danger we will make our departure. We are ready to leave when thou art.”
Bowing her head, Stalwart ordered her guards to take up a formation around Celestia and Eris and led them through the castle doors. It didn’t take long for them to enter into the forest, the sounds of animals rushing over them. Eris floated a bit away from the group, taking in the experience.
Dropping to her feet, Eris laid down, putting her ear against the ground. Listening to something only she could hear, a frown was sent towards the rather confused ponies.
“Is something wrong, Eris?” Celestia asked, motioning for the guards to keep their hands on their weapons.
“The forest is talking,” Eris replied, twitching her ear. “It doesn’t seem to like ponies very much.”
Frowning, Celestia looked around at the surrounding trees. “Did we do something to displease the forest?”
A second Eris appeared, this one dressed in leaves, sticks and other various forest items. “How would you feel if someone came to you and tried to force you to do things their way?”
The gathered ponies looked between the two draconequui, confusion evident on their faces. “Eris, is this the effect of thy magic?” Celestia questioned, settling her gaze on the original Eris.
“She can’t talk, she’s listening to the forest,” the second Eris said, shaking her head. “I’m here to explain it all!” She grinned, suddenly holding a very long scroll. “I can start wherever you’d like!”
“Very well then,” Celestia relented, focusing on the second Eris. “Art thou an effect of Eris’s magic?”
“Well of course I am!” The second Eris rolled her eyes. “I mean really, did you think another Eris suddenly appeared for the sake of a bit?”
Celestia gave the other Eris a flat look. “Could we truly put that past Eris given her previous behavior?” Her look turned into a frown, noting the tense stances of the guards. “Captain? What dost thou make of this?”
“If Eris speaks truly, then she might provide us insight on how to better live in this forest,” Stalwart admitted, her hand drifting to her weapon. “I will not lie, I have always had the sense that this place is… alive in some way.”
“Well, you could start by not trying to make weather here anymore,” the second Eris suggested, sitting on a cloud. “That’s a big peev of the place. If it wants to rain, it’s going to rain.” The cloud unleashed a boom of thunder, raining on a small patch of dirt. “Isn’t that right, Eris?”
Eris’s only reply was a thumbs up as she continued to listen to the forest as it were.
Celestia glanced around the trees around them again, blinking; for a moment, it was if they were...breathing? The sensation went away as quickly as it had come and she returned her focus to the second Eris. “Very well, no more trying to control the weather. Is there anything else we can do to make the forest more comfortable with us?”
The second Eris pursed her lips, counting on her talon. “Okay, we covered the weather... um... oh yeah! Don’t try to tame the animals and no farming!” Reaching into a bush, she dragged out a wolf made out of sticks. “The animals are just fine on their own, they’re strong independent creatures and they don’t need no ponies!”
“We believe that we can make those concessions,” Celestia replied, walking over to the nearest tree and putting her hand on its trunk. “If the Everfree is going to be the seat of our kingdom, than we must respect it. Otherwise, We get the feeling that it will react accordingly to our lack of couth towards it.”
Captain Stalwart stepped closer, glancing between the Erises and the princess. “Your Majesty, even if Eris is telling us the truth, I do not think other ponies would believe her. I’m not even sure I do myself. There must be some way of verifying her claims.”
The captain had a point, Celestia admitted to herself. She might believe Eris, but that didn’t mean her ponies would. “Captain Stalwart has a point, Eris. As much as we would like to, We cannot act on thy words alone. If thou wish to have thy claims accepted, thou must present proof.”
“I got it!” Eris shot up, making her copy faceplant off her cloud. “The forest said there’s a race that lives deep in the trees! It’ll show us the way, just don’t go wandering off the path, got it?”
Stalwart nodded to her men, forming a square around the princess. “Dost thou wish to proceed, Your Highness? I would advise against taking so few guards into the depths of the forest.”
“We believe that it should be fine,” Celestia replied, smiling at her captain. “Contrary to what thou might think, We are not made of glass. Besides, We have our best protecting Us, that should be more than sufficient.”
“I’ll lead the way!” Eris swam through the air, getting to the front of the group. Her clone appeared to have vanished, leaving not a trace. “Right this way!” The forest itself moved, trees shifting, bushes moving, vines retreating; leaving a pristine path through the foliage.
Stalwart wasn’t convinced that the moving of the forest wasn’t one of Eris’s tricks, but followed after her regardless. She barked a quick order to her guards, reminding them not to step a single hoof off the new path.
Eris floated on ahead, swaying to an unheard tune. Turning so she was floating on her back, she waved at Celestia. “Nice day for a nature walk isn’t it? Did you remember to bring the trail mix?”
“Trail mix?” Celestia replied, tilting her head at her friend. “What is that? A snack of some kind perhaps?”
“Well yeah!” Eris responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You can’t go on a hike without trail mix! That’s like peanut butter without jelly or cheese without crackers! Purple dogs without their kind, elderly owner!” Throwing her hands up, Eris put on quite the dramatic display.
“And what is peanut butter?” one of the guards asked, scratching the side of his head.
“I dunno.” Eris shrugged, her theatrics forgotten. “Sometimes I say things that I don’t really understand.”
“Interesting,” Stalwart said dismissively, adjusting her chestplate. “Must be an odd feeling having words leave thy mouth that thou hast no idea where they came from.” Her attention snapped the right, noting a manticore passing by. “Art thou keeping the animals away, Eris?”
“Nope, the forest is!” Eris chimed, not paying the manticore any mind. “It’s giving you a chance to show you want to respect its ways! That means, predators like Manny over there aren’t going to try anything right now.”
“Very well,” Stalwart replied, keeping an eye on the manticore regardless of the assurance it was docile. Her hand drifted to her weapon, but the beast disappeared into the treeline without so much as growling at them. This eased Stalwart’s mind, but she kept on guard, her duty too important to allow anything catch her unaware.
“You should get that stick outta your butt, Stalwart,” Eris teased, popping up behind the captain and holding up a large stick. “There we go, much better!” Tossing it over her shoulder, Eris floated ahead. “Huh... I think we’re getting close.”
“Is that what the forest is telling you?” Celestia questioned, stifling a giggle as she snuck a glance at her huffy captain. “Or can you sense some kind of magic?”
“No, cause I can see a deer hiding behind those bushes!” Striking a pose, she pointed to a piece of foliage off the trial. “I can see you! You can come out now!”
“Thou art sharper than I gave thee credit for,” a reedy voice replied, a deer slipping out of the bushes. The antlers gave away his masculinity and he had little for coverings aside from a thin brown tunic and short pants that matched it in hue. His frame was lithe, though there was tone to his limbs and chest that showed some form of dedication to physical activity. His fur was a snowy white with patches of light brown spattered across his form.
Stalwart put her hand on her sword, eyeing the deer closely. “Who art thou? Why hast thou taken to spying upon her royal Majesty?”
“I am called Evergreen,” the buck answered, bowing his head respectfully. “And I am observing thy party to ensure thou art respecting this forest. ’Tis rare to see ponies not attempt to control the nature here for thy needs.”
“We had no idea that anypony lived in this forest,” Celestia responded, giving Evergreen a smile. “We art Princess Celestia, lady of the sun. Our friend Eris suggested that We should meet thy people.”
“My people are reclusive by nature,” Evergreen explained. “But I could perhaps arrange a meeting if thou art lucky. Thou could start by talking to me and I shall see if I wish to put in a good word for thee.”
Eris appeared between them, pulling them both together. “Now, the two of you get to chatting. Talk things out, ask about the kids. That sort of thing.” Appearing as a school marm, she beamed. “Keep it friendly, alright?”
“We art not opposed to talking to thee, Evergreen,” Celestia stated, flashing him another smile. “Thou hath piqued our interest. It is very rare for somepony to be able to elude Our captain’s detection.”
Evergreen gave Eris a long look before returning his gaze to Celestia. “Thy friend is certainly unique. Thou said her name was ‘Eris’?”
“Yes, she calls herself a Draconequus and she is the only one of her kind, as far as she and We can tell,” Celestia explained, waving a hand to Eris who nodded in agreement. Only to make a trio of herself a moment later.
“The wonderful thing about draconequui is that I’m the only one!” the Eris trio huddled together, giving a grin. “Well, except when I’m not. Sometimes, I just can’t keep myself together.”
“She is what one would call a free spirit,” Evergreen noted, taking a moment to glance at her shenanigans. “It is rather... fetching.”
“We have found Eris to be a fine friend as well,” Celestia agreed, nodding at Evergreen. “We have only known her for a few days, but We have yet to be bored around her.”
Evergreen continued to stare at Eris, watching her two clones merge back into her original body. Scrutinizing her for a moment, he nodded. “There is certainly an air around her. It is like she is at home amongst this forest.”
Grinning, Eris put an arm around one of the trees. “Oh yeah, this forest and I get each other. She just wants to do her own thing. She don’t need no ponies to tell her how she should grow or what weather happens. She can take care of herself!”
“Well said,” Evergreen replied, a smile on his face. “This forest is deserving of our respect, just like any other living creature.”
“That is why We are here,” Celestia answered, looking around at the trees. She tried to picture them with some sort of higher intelligence like that of a pony. It was hard to wrap her head around it, but if Eris had been telling the truth about not exerting her magic on the forest, then it became easier to believe. “Our castle is built in this forest. If we are to call it home, then we wish to go about it correctly.”
“My people are well versed in the ways of the forest.” Evergreen grabbed a vial from his belt, pouring the contents on a flower. Said flower shuddered, growing three times its original size. “I’m sure we can teach you to be the same.”
“We would appreciate that greatly,” Celestia told him, kneeling down to tentatively touch the petals of the enlarged flower. “This is most fascinating.”
“I believe this is all that I needed to hear,” the stag stated, turning towards the brush. “I shall attempt to speak with my own king about your desires to live peacefully with this forest.” In a split second, he disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
Eris floated up to Celestia’s side, staring out at the woods. “That went well.” Wrapping herself around Celestia, she rested her head on her shoulder. “Don’t you think so?”
“If Evergreen’s king agrees to an audience, then yes, this went very well,” Celestia agreed, patting the side of Eris’s neck. “We have heard of worse first contact stories.”
Eris started to giggle, poking Celestia’s nose. “You make it sound like they’re aliens.” She burst into giggles at Celestia’s look. “You know, aliens! The guys who live up there!” she pointed up at the sky.
“Pegasi and griffins?” Celestia questioned, tilting her head at her friend.
This only caused Eris to giggle more. “It’s hard to explain now. I’ll do it in a few centuries.”
Sighing, Celestia shook her head. “Thou art truly vexing at times, Eris. But, with Evergreen’s people potentially helping us live peacefully with the forest, I believe we have accomplished our task today.”
Stalwart’s ears flicked, the color draining from her face as she noticed something. All the incidental sounds of the forest had suddenly stopped. Raising her shield, she put herself in front of Celestia. “Princess, I believe we are being watched.”
“Watched?” Celestia stepped back, looking around. “By whom? What dost thou suspect, Captain?”
“Something or someone dangerous enough to scare away all of the nearby birds,” Stalwart answered, keeping her weapons at the ready. Her eyes scanned the treeline, catching movement to her left.
Springing into action, she pushed Princess Celestia out of the way as a massive snake burst forth. Like lightning, it struck her, piercing her breast plate like it was paper. “Drive it back!” Stalwart commanded, digging her spear into its hide. Blazing pain erupted in her side and her vision blurred. The last thing she could clearly see was Eris flying at the serpent.