"Cross my heart and hope to fly,
stick a cupcake in my eye!"
Pinkamena Diane Pie
The vision dissolved so abruptly that Twillight needed a moment to even remember that she was not really there. In Marelantis of old. She would have asked so many questions but the story had her in its grip. Hurriedly she rose, addressing the Voice.
“Then?” Twilight asked in earnest worry “Did they make the princesses reveal the garden…and Discord?” Magical time travelling book aside, time going on different speeds even, what felt them most weird, was the fact that she witnessed a child form of her Draconequus friend. A very vulnerable one at that.
“I can hear your concern my dear” the voice answered “yet forget not that these events have happened and what your world right now is like, is because of these events. Especially Discord. Let those events now speak for themselves.”
"But Voice! Wait! I need to ask...."
And so Twilight was again a disembodied witness to what happened afterwards.
No admonition or punishment per Se followed the immediate days, let alone the first week after the finding of the princesses. If staff changed or been excused from service, or more guards posted to even more positions, even the placement of more magical shields and barriers, the twins where too young to have noticed. It was done subtly, without any commotion and such matters do escape the notice of younglings who’d gone through a recent fright.
Their lessons though did pick up pace and especially the ones on separate locales they had to attend, lengthened in duration. On some days the sisters met only for dinner and for some -chaperoned- play time within their room. Even though conveniently Concordia took her lessons in the same keep the royal family resided in , Aneris had to either be flown to or had to stay overnight in the Pegasi Keep on the ground. The privilege to walk up above in the Cloud Keep was reserved for when she earned her place as a warrior, whatever her status of birth.
As all young ponies, lessons always felt like a compulsory thing, taking away time from playing and exploring and lazing about. For that time being though, nothing too hard was expected of them apart from endless repetitions and never did they feel forced.
In the span of two weeks they had met Discord only four times, not that he seemed to mind. The concepts of timespan and it taking long did not affect him as it did to them. He had simply told them he was always aware if they were near.
On such a day the princesses had managed to squirm their way out of a joint lesson in the Earth Pony fields. As it was a day of celebration, it was expected the fillies would join their teachers in the fair of the Earth Keep. Everypony wanted to see the Seasonal fair and the Earth ponies knew how to make it best. Despite the long journey to the middle of the Mareterranean Sea, traders and travellers ventured to Marelantis. All inns where packed to the rafters and even the Keeps opened their lodges to quests.
Due to the very reason that folk of all shapes and sizes walked the streets for a fortnight, the princesses met with a very bashful looking Hippogryph at the edge of the forest. He walked between them his eyes darting about. Aneris had to pinch him twice when a pair of Griffin ladies zoomed by chattering loudly, to prevent him from turning back to his original form or Lodestone forbid, turning THEM into something else.
“I’m telling you Discord, you look fine!” Concordia said reassuringly “and no, your colours are not wacky!”
“You should see what the Ambassador from Poneighdonia looks like when she comes over to visit mum. Ha! Her mane is painted four different colours each day.” Aneris added “and remember, no magic whatsoever OK? You can ask us anything you don’t understand and anything you’d like to eat or have, tell us to get it for you, our father will pay the merchants.”
“Can’t I look like you? You even put on these things.” said he, pointing at Concordia’s horn necklace and Aneris’s jewelled wing-clips. “I feel weird”.
Discord looked quite the normal Hippogryph colt and under the insurances of his friends, he started to feel at ease.
Soon the path met the main road that circumvented the Lotus lake. The stone paved road was flanked with well tended patches of fragrant flowers and bushes on both sides. Every hundred meters or so, steps hewn from the very rock led down to the lake shore where a wooden promenade forming a half moon, was used to moor small lake boats. The lake depending on the seasons was used for irrigation or planting some of the rarest water-plants brought ages ago from the mainland. On Festivals though the boats where reserved for the folk to ride in. Especially during the nights the place would become breathtaking with lanterns on the pathways and on the boats.
It was the first day of the Summer Festival and though it was morning still, the road was quite crowded already. Weather permitting, small stalls where allowed on the roadside, so as long as no plants where disturbed. On this the earth ponies where very adamant about, because due to its limited supply of, cultivated land was precious on Marelantis. The twins took turns explaining all that to their friend.
Suddenly Discord stood stock still and pointed one claw forward, very excited.
“Can we eat the circles?” he asked.
“Circles?” both ponies asked.
“Those” he said and flew a few meters ahead landing in front of a stall, taking the spot in frond of the line of ponies waiting already.
Relieved that nothing had happened, Concordia inclined her head politely and apologised for their friend’s impoliteness.
“Forgive him he’s new..”
“The PRINCESSES!” One of them exclaimed “No no, its our fault we did not know he was your guest!” and gesturing meekly forward said “please have my place in line”.
Now all the ponies witnessing bowed shortly and stood aside even though the twins insisted on waiting their turn. The stall owner offered the solution as he felt honoured by Royalty gracing his stall.
“What would you like my princesses?” he asked rubbing his hooves. “My ware is humble but of the best grain!” pointing to one of the simplest types of bread ever. Turning to look at Discord who was eyeing the circular shaped sesame seed covered bread rolls and seeing how enthused he was, they shrugged and bought three.
They were thanked with more bows and blessings by the stall-owner as now word would spread that the princesses preferred his sesame bread rolls above all else! They walked ahead of Discord trying to mingle into the crowd while he munched happily on his circles.
Soon it became obvious that Discord would simply not pass by edibles without sulking, thus Aneris had the brilliant idea to buy a pair of saddle bags that they slung comfortably over his back. Thus all sorts of food could be added to the pack. Discord was not to be stopped from eating them and Concordia after thinking for a second proposed an idea.
“You know what is a fun thing to do?”
“Whaa?” asked Discord while chewing on candied figs.
“We should buy food and toys for a celebration of our own!” she answered in delight.
“Wait wait” Aneris chimed in “lets make it Discord’s Birthday party”
“Ma Birfday?” he seemed to say trying to swallow his mouthful.
“You are right Dia’!!! Come on Discord you keep saying you don’t know when your birthday was, so why don’t we make it on Midsummer’s Eve, thats in two days!” she almost squealed.
“Yeah lets do this every year!”and hoof in hoof they danced a jig around their friend.
Stopping, Concordia shook a finger in front of his beak. “And if you promise you don’t eat all the stuff we buy today, we’ll show you something awesome when we get out of the fair.”
Looking over his shoulder, Aneris wondered sceptically “although I don’t think those bags can hold a lot for a party…”
At this the Draconequus’s eyes lit up and after snapping his fingers the bags visibly deflated.
“What did you do?” both of them exclaimed.
“Nothing really, the stuff is still there, the bags can just hold more now. LOTS more” he said proudly and walked forward “Come on show me that Keep, the smell coming from there is wonderful!”
It took them more than half an hour to get to the lavishly decorated gate where priestesses of the Earth lodestone handed out necklaces they had woven themselves with the blessings of the season. Discord took the one given to him and placed it in his bags, to eat it later, having declared that the necklace’s magic would make it a delicacy.
After passing through the crowded gates the trio stopped, were halted by unicorn guards who had been posted there for the sole reason to spot the twins and escort them. Tried as the might they could not convince them that they were only going to look at the shops and return home by evening.
Discord had whispered into Aneris’s ear whether he should make them float but was told against it by a hard “no are you crazy?” from the filly.
They introduced Discord as a hippogryph friend they’ve made that day and both he and the guards made an unspoken agreement to not bother with each other. It was soon obvious that Discord easily got jealous when ponies took his friend’s attention from him. He did make Sage Tea’s hat fly away when she would not leave Aneris’s side to go check out dresses and he did cause Teal Knotwork to lose his orientation and walk into another alley because he would not stop chattering to Concordia. A few of his antics where noticed by the sisters but most he managed to do behind their backs.
Another rising issue was that the draconequus did not fancy loosing in games. He won all three prizes at horseshoe toss, caused all other tortoises to fall asleep at the tortoise race and even juggle more balls in a minute than the juggler did. After the dart game the twins thought they needed to have a talk with their friend. Discord managed it so that do that no pony after him could play at the "Hit the Hydra" dart stall ever again. At least not until the poor minotaur had his stall wall repaired. The dart Discord was given, cut the moving wooden heads right off.
After convincing their guards to have something to drink, they sat at some benches in a less crowded area.
“Discord” Aneris said “you cant do these things, ponies will notice and we will get into trouble!”
“Yeah” Concordia continued “and why were you mean to our friends? We do not get to see then so much any more and now they probably think we did those mean things to them”
He frowned at them not understanding.
“You are my friends and you were with me! I am bored of doing everything by all these rules! You must this you mustn’t that… it makes me itch all over and then I have to do something not…not with rules you know.” He floated up a little bit forgetting he had to beat his wings as well.
“And if… if your father punishes you I will make HIM float” he uttered, a bit darkly.
“Get down” Concordia said pulling him by the tail.
“Please Discord” said Aneris “our father is a very powerful Mage and…” an idea struck her “I know lets show you that thing!” and winked at her sister.
She nodded her head vigorously having remembered the surprise. “Wait here she said, I’ll tell the guards we’re going to the earth temple to pray.”
“To pray?” Discord asked a bit wistfully.
“Shh” Aneris said “you’ll see, it is something amazing!”
Having told the guards to meet them outside the temple in half an hour she returned triumphantly, giggling.
“Whats so funny?” her sister asked
“You know, I think Jewel Shield has the hots for Scabbard” and giggled some more behind her hoof.
Her sister rolled her eyes “All mares give Scabbard the goo goo eyes, yuk!” and started pushing Discord forward “come on, lets go pray”
By Mid after noon the Earth temple had more crowds leaving it than ponies willing to trudge along the fields in the scorching summer heat. When the temple was in sight, Discord stood for a moment and asked
“What is in there? Do we have to go?” he looked about a bit nervously
“What is it silly, it magic OK? A lot of magic in one place! “ Aneris said trying to push him again.
He dug his hind legs into the dirt road.
“I thought you liked magic, found it good enough to eat.” Concordia pointed at him.
“Not this kind of magic! What if I make this place explode” Discord now sat on his haunches crossing his talons. “I wont go, you cant make me!”
The twins looked at each other and then sat each to one side of him.
Concordia said more calm now “Look we really thought you’d like it. Scholars, visitors even kings and queens from other lands come to see the lodestones.”
Discord’s ears prickled up at that.
“What…what colour are they?” he asked tentatively.
Aneris answered this one, a dreamy look in her eyes. “Oh they have the most amazing purple light that glitters so amazingly bright.”
Concordia continued her sister’s words equally adoring of the stones “When I come of age and have my mark I will be able to look into ours up in the Unicorn keep and gain the Sight!”
Discord suddenly got up and started walking in the direction of the temple.
“Wait up” Aneris shouted after him when they caught up asked “I though you couldn't be made to go and that the world would explode!”
“Nonsense!” Discord puffed up his chest “Its a purple Lodestone, its not like me”
“But please don’t eat it OK?” Concordia asked wistfully.
The Earth pony temple stood on a hill overlooking Lotus lake, as it was used to enhance the land’s fertility and productivity as well as that of the lake waters. Every visitor expected a structure of sorts built to enclose the precious Lodestone but was amazed to find a copse of the largest Trees in the known world. Enhanced by the magic the pines grew to a prodigious size, and for hundreds of years priests and priestess braided the branches with each other to form a perfect living structure for the lodestone. Even the mysterious Qilin revered this site and many of their race took it upon themselves to undergo the perilous year long pilgrimage to Marelantis.
Under the elaborately braided archway two fillies and a young hippogryph walked marvelling at the decorations that had not been carved but coaxed out of the tree. The inner architecture was in the form of a spiral that lead to the lodestone with alcoves set along the way, each one depicting a part of the history of the earth lodestone. First came The Blinding of Seapine where the earth pony having conversed with the magic within, gained the Sight despite being an Earth pony. Next came a scene of The cutting from the mother stone, followed by The Planting on the hill, where the stone was set to its final place. After those came texts upon text describing quotes, edicts and core creeds of the Earth ponies and their faith to The Earth. The texts as with the decorations where not etched on the wooden plaques but magically coaxed into the wood and filled with its own resin, that pulsated with magenta light.
Only when they took the last bend did they realise that none had spoken so far.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Concordia asked.
“And you did not want to see it” Aneris mock scolded him.
Little discord was so distracted that he had lost his control over his disguise.
“Oh no” Concordia said and waving her hoof in front of the draconequus’s eyes.
“Ane! He is not responding, go watch if somebody is coming!”
Aneris stood lookout while anxiously glancing to where her sister tried to snap Discord out of his staring the Lodestone incessantly.
“Its…talking to me…and it has a-” he whispered in awe.
“Drats! Somebody is coming Dia!” Aneris shouted stomping nervously on the spot.
Concordia shouted loudly into Discords ear distracting him for a moment.
“Whaa…?” he asked his eyes unfocused.
“You have to change back to a hippogryph quickly!”
He sounded tired and dreamy “I don’t think I can”
“Oh no…” Concordia said and stood before behind him trying to hide him in vain.
When a loudly talking Aneris came over with the their two guards she stopped.
“Where did he do Dia?”
“Where did who go? Jewel Shield asked humoured. “Your friend? I think he must have left.”
“Speaking of which” Scabbard said after the guard mare “Its high time to take you home. Come on princesses” and walked ahead
Aneris looked at her sister questioningly but received only a bewildered shrug.
When Jewel Shield popped her head and said “who wants to be levitated home?” and disappeared playfully behind the bend.
Eyes rolling the twins made to follow, Concordia muttering “Does she think we are babies?”
At the last bend before the exit a conspiratorial “psst” was heard to their right and to their amazement the fillies saw a figure moving in the depiction of earth ponies kneeling before the lodestone. The little wooden pony waved them closer and laughed.
“Don’t worry I’ll follow you invisible, only you’ll hear me”
“Be careful though” Concordia whispered back “if they sense you I don’t know what they’ll do”
He move around the other figures for a bit and then disappeared.
While they were walking behind the guards, Discord kept them giggling at a hilarious commentary they only could hear. To any passer by they were just too little ones enjoying a private joke. Soon the lanterns where being lit along the roads so that it could be seen snaking off around the lake, towards the forest.
Suddenly the guards stopped ahead and beckoned the twins to go between them. Horn lighting up ready to draw steel, Scabbard called ahead “who goes there?”
The voice came before the appearance of a hooded unicorn, his cloak camouflaging him in the coming evening light. “At ease commander, you hardly need those toys against me, I merely came to escort the princesses home”
The guards relaxed visibly but did not relinquish the children yet.
“Crystal Quill your lordship, responsibility to bring the princesses home lies with me and Jewel here. Unless with royal decree I cannot go against my orders” Scabbard said curtly but sternly.
Crystal Quill visibly sneered “Whose orders, your Captain’s?”
“The King’s” Jewel Shield intoned.
“Ah! Then this changes matters. Allow me then to accompany you the rest of the way. The more the merrier don’t they say?” and sweeping his cloak up with his hoof bowed to the princesses. “After you my ladies”
Aneris and Concordia were always unnerved under the shrewd stare of their father’s most trusted adviser and colleague since their studying day’s in the academy of the centaurs far away on the mainland.
He took a step forward smirking as with some inner dialogue but then without warning stood alert.
“Show yourself! I sense you!” he challenged into nothingness.
The twins before him cowered fearing for their friend.
“My lord?” Jewel asked perplexed
Crystal Quill shrugged her comment off “Nothing, probably an afterimage of a spell.” His eyes darted left and right though, as he slowly brought his right hoof down from where he touched a talisman within his cloak. Seeing then everypony else watching him he called irately “On wards guards lets not be late…”
What the Magus did not know was that Discord managed to whisper a message to the two fillies before escaping. “I’ll meet you in two days”
The day before the culmination of Midsummer festivities started well enough for the two princesses. One of the fillies from the families working in the castle had her birthday and thus there was cake for breakfast. The great mess hall beneath the kitchens echoed with the joy and general din fillies produce. An extra boon was that almost an hour was cut from their joint lessons with the other fillies, meaning their later private tutoring with Taproot was the only thing for the day. Aneris and Concordia exchanged ideas for games and how they would decorate the secret garden, if they could.
“Oh I wish I could teleport stuff better, then I could be in and out a couple of times and no one would know I even took a bit of ribbon or a paper lantern…or two” Concordia complained
“Sounds more like we would need more than two sis’…the garden is huge!” her sister added and then her eyes lit up “you know what? We could ask Discord to change stuff for us into decorations. Imagine what wacky things he’d throw out of the portal. That would be fun!”
“You …are… so …right!” Concordia exclaimed, turning a few heads their way.
If the twin princesses weren't so occupied in their own private world, they would have noticed a change in how the other fillies they had practically grew up with, avoided them lately. Sure enough, there had always been a distance between offspring of royals and the foals of servants and guards but the separation due to status was normally going to happen a few years later. No, the twins where being avoided as if being with them brought on little accidents, bad luck and general dread.
Not noticing the looks around them and how they turned away immediately after, the sisters where silent, thinking. Concordia, leaning her cheek against her hoof, was playing with her spoon and the remnants of cake and Aneris was galloping their cups against each other.Not moving, Concordia asked
“What will you gift be Ane?”
Her sister left her game and leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially.
“Come I’ll show you” and flying over the table,landing on the other side next to her sister, dragged her along. The other fillies looked after them for a moment and then resumed their conversations.
“Where are we going Ane?”
“To our room, quickly!”
Avoiding the notice of anyone who might be searching for them to send them off for lessons or… a bath, they reached their playroom where Aneris shoved a pile of toys aside to reveal a small box, not bigger than two hooves. Opening it with slow deliberation she displayed a misshapen wooden article that vaguely reminded someone of two ponies.
“Its… its… good” Concordia tried to be nice about it, turning her head to the side, trying to fathom what her sister had clearly made herself.
Eyes rolling Aneris groaned
“You don’t understand art. This is the battle of Bright Moon against the Piratess Copper Wings. I haven’t painted the metal hooks on their wings yet but its my best carving ever!”
Concordia nodded carefully parting some books to the side to reveal her gift.
“Look at mine! I used my best spell to make it dance!”
A small unicorn doll made of leather tried spasmodically to exit its box and stand on one hoof to twirl around. Sparks shot of here and the from its limbs and it constantly failed to keep its balance.
“That…is…fine magic sis.” Aneris said laughing, “Lets pack them up!”
Placing them in the bottom of their musical instrument bags, they slung them over their backs and went for where they would probably meet their mother to kiss her goodbye and run to their history lesson. When they reached the small study their mother often read in, they found three other ponies with her as well.
Glancing up, the Queen smiled at her daughters. “Good morning! Come in my dears”
Aneris and Concordia halted in their tracks and walked in slowly. Queen Rhea stood up, walked around her desk filled with maps and scrolls and introduced the ponies next to her.
“This is Stone Bark, his brother could not attend this meeting but it does not matter. They will be your new teachers at the Earth pony temple, come winter.”
She indicated a tall in stature but awfully thin stallion whose coat was dark brown. His sugary smile unnerved them more that that of the Stallion next to him.
“Of course you know Lord Crystal Quill and your aunt Azure Gale”
The latter bent down opening her arms beckoning.
“And is there no hug for your auntie you have not seen for so long?” she pouted humourful.
Partly out of the awkwardness fillies feel when gazed upon by older ponies and partly due to having missed their Aunt, since she had left on a mission at sea, the twins ran into her beckoning hug.
Concordia looked up at her aunt wonderingly
“But auntie Azure, are you not Ane’s teacher either way?” she left out that Crystal Quill was occasionally her teacher as well.
Azure Gale, her coat almost the same colour as her sister’s, save for her brilliantly azure mane, kissed both her nieces on the cheek and stroking Concordia’s mane said very kindly.
“Yes my dear, but the time has come when your lessons should become more important in your life. Its just about the same time that I got my mark as well!” turning to Aneris an appraising look in her eyes said
“And you my little rascal, wouldn't it be nice to get those wings nice and strong and fly a patrol with us? I just bet your mark will be something great!”
Aneris’s eyes glittered with delight, imagining how she’d soar as high as she could breathe and plummet down over the harbour. Concordia sharing her sister’s delight suddenly asked.
“Mother, what about lord Taproot’s lessons?”
“Well, that is kind of you to ask. Taproot is a very old stallion and has been complaining of rheumatisms lately, further lessons would be too taxing for the poor old soul. He has assured me though that you have learnt and mastered enough of our traditional songs and your voices are well groomed.”
The twins looked at each other apprehensively. One nodded to the other and Concordia spoke.
“Wh…when do we start with the new lessons?”
Their mother mistaking the question for eagerness, delightedly answered
“Why, in a week’s time you’ll receive your curriculum and join a specialised class with ponies your age. I just know it in my heart that you will receive your marks at the same time!”
Pausing she nodded to the earth pony.
“Now follow Stone Bark here and he will take you for an introductory lesson to the earth temple”
“But…” the twins intoned after leaving their aunt’s embrace. But seeing the stern glare their mother gave them, bowed their heads courtly and disheartened followed the earth pony who had in turned bowed shortly to them as well.
While walking after him the fillies spoke no words. They were used to strangers and ponies of importance but some, like the Magus adviser, had this aura about them that seemed to seep out and reach for something they wanted,badly.
As he walked before them Stone Bark briefly looked to the side to be heard and in a gentle but hard voice said
“It is good that you have brought your instruments as well. Singing is an integral part of communing with the land and the waters. Digging in the mud is not what we do all day you know.”
At that the fillies reddened with shame as that derogatory expression was a favourite one. They soon had left the rooms and corridors of the royal family residence for the more stark and simplistic ones of the rest of the castle. And stood amazed for a moment when they reached the foyer before the main doors leading to they courtyard. Two stunningly beautiful earth pony mares stood in waiting , holding a folded garment each. As soon as the three approached, Stone Bark stood to the side and announced to no one in particular and moreover to the unseen.
“Hereby we honour the Royal Children with blessings of our Land”
He pompously walked forward and turned to face the twins, bowing low.
Walking forward Concordia murmured to her sister
“Why do they act like that every time? It so funny.”
“Yeah I know, the speak to the air and the plants and water is all holy and such. Weird.” Her sister added.
They were startled for their whispering when the mares unfolded the cloths they held and the room brightened visibly from the two marvels of pony craftsmanship. The cloaks where finely spun and dyed in the most brilliant green hues the had ever seen.
“May I present your ceremonial cloaks my princesses.”
And took the cloaks from each mare, draping them over the fillies and clasping them in the front.
Doing that the continued in a sing song manner
“When the time comes and you have mastered all our traditions, knowledge and mysteries you shall be of the very few non earth ponies to carry the Master’s Broach. Both your parents have honoured our clan greatly by upholding our sacred art and keeping Marelantis safe.”
Stepping back he marvelled at them as if they were his own foals.
“Follow now, the surprises are not finished yet!”
Speechless they exited to the courtyard blinking away the sun. Before them stood a carriage and two earth keep guards in ebony armour, stood ready to pull it. Given it was wooden and very heavy, all knew it also as enchanted and a mystery in how it was made.
As far as the princesses remembered, they have never been on a carriage before and in general carriages were used rarely to carry ponies other than the wounded, the sick or for weddings and funerals. Opening the small door, Stone Bark beckoned them to get in. A few ponies had gone to the balconies to watch the proceedings but the ones who where most absent where none other than the King and Queen.
The Princesses looked around abashed and feeling awkward. They were now apprehensively curious to see where they’d be heading to. When their new teacher closed the door and did not ride with them they felt like fish out of water.
“Don’t look so wistfully your highnesses, we’re going on a small round and you’ll love the scenery from a new viewpoint.”
Given the signal to go, the horses pulled the cart gracefully out of the courtyard, Stone bark trotting beside them. Some of the onlooking ponies waved them away and Aneris smirked and waved back.
“Its like we are on parade Dia!’”
Concordia laughed awkwardly.
“Heh…heh…I guess so” and waved shortly in the general direction of the castle.
Instead of turning to the right, to exit the Unicorn Keep, cross the bridge over father river and head to the earth pony temple, the carriage was pulled to the left. The only way that went was around the Unicorn Castle, to the Unicorn Lodestone.
“Ehm..Stone Bark…sir? Why are we going this way? We see the Lodestone everyday from our rooms…sir.”Aneris asked as she bent over a little.
The earth pony smiled and took a moment. He seemed not so eager to interrupt them as the other teachers did and that felt weird for Concordia. When suddenly one is given freedom to speak after always having to keep their words few, one found they could not find the words to fill the silence, and the expectation of the listener.
“You can call me Bark if you wish, and we are not visiting the lodestone my pupils, we are going further.”
Aneris looked at him over her sister’s shoulder.
“Bark…sir, there is nothing after there, its just the cliff edge and… the cemetery”
Both fillies looked at each other finding it totally weird if the would actually visit the cemetery.
“Indeed, its a joyous day to visit your brother’s grave isn’t it?”
It was not so much a taboo to speak of the young prince as much as it was avoided to do so. Given the princesses where too young to remember and that the new born earth pony lived only a single hour after birth, there was no much to recall or be said about that tragedy.
The King and Queen mourned their son’s death in private but for a whole year Marelantis mourned with them. Apart from relatives the ones who felt struck the most where the earth pony tribe, for he, coming of age would have been the first earth pony king after a long succession of unicorn and pegasi ones. Every year the earth tribe would honour the would be King, when the rest of Marelantis had pushed the memory of him to obscurity.
Despite it being tradition that earth ponies where named before burial, this one was not given a name and Stone Bark’s late father did not contest it.
Thus when the carriage rounded the circular end of the road and halted, Aneris and Concordia meekly followed the serenely smiling pony.
“What is he so HAPPY about?” Aneris asked a bit annoyed.
Concordia merely shrugged as the notion of waking trough a cemetery was not what she’d imagined that day.
The cemetery, to their astonishment was placed almost on the same lever as the ancient ruined temple and could clearly be seen to their right. Curving gently up in a slope that ended abruptly over the northern cliffs, the site was more calming than morose. Each grave had but a small marble plaque with indicating that underneath the deceased one’s ashes where placed in an urn. Each plaque had the mark of the pony on it and perhaps some quote or message. Royal ponies did not receive a different burial custom than commoners, neither where placed in a special place when they passed. Their urn would either be added to their family grave or receive one of their own.
The young prince having died before his parents, was given a place within the grave of his grandfather, the last King. Beneath the name "King Aegeas" where carved the simple words "A son of Marelantis", that being the a honorific for a true soldier.
It was not the first time that the princesses where taken to visit their brother’s grave and they never really felt something was actually missing in their lives. What they felt was the sadness of others around them.
Cloaks fluttering in the strong wind that always blew this high up by the cliffs they walked towards their family’s graves where Stone Bark already had knelt so low, his forehead touched the stone. Rising he procured two small wreaths, summer flowers and thin olive branches, and handed each filly one. Solemnly they placed them on the plaque, joined their hooves in prayer and after a moment stepped back.
At that moment the earth beneath their hooves started wobbling ever so slightly, rising in speed and before anyone could have reacted, seized again.
"Earthquake!" everypony seemed to have thought, from the fillies to the ponies, now waiting for them a the carriage. The princesses hoof in hoof, ran down wards towards the other ponies. Everypony was taught what to do on the occasion of an earthquake. They were actually very common in the Mareterranean Sea region.
Stone Bark, with a religiously gleeful expression on his face, threw his arms in the air, shouting “Even the land weeps before this injustice of life!”
Noticing the two arriving at the carriage, he helped them up and set the course for the castle.
It seemed that lesson was over for the day.
On Midsummer’s day there where no lessons off course, but the princesses where given strict instructions to be present before noon, when the royal family would join the festivities down at the harbour town.
Aneris and Concordia managed to escape the notice of any maid or guard looking out for them and slipped off to get to the forest and their secret garden as fast as they hooves you take them. Upon arriving they found the spot on the wall familiarly closed up again but as always it gave way to their push.
Inside Discord was tumbling in the fountain that now had iced tea in it. To their astonishment, Discord had managed to decorate, although in his own style. Some lanterns where of a peculiar shape and a few of them sang. A tabled was bound to a wall and upon inspection it was also animated and tried to escape, somehow miraculously keeping all the cutlery and plates lain upon it, intact.
When he saw then he flew over and announced loudly “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
The ponies laughed and set they bags down.
“Silly Discord, its your birthday and we get to tell you Happy Birthday not the other way round.” Aneris said.
“Why do you get to say it? Anyhow, look at the table it just wont sit still. Where are we going to ahve the Birthday party now? …” and looked genuinely disappointed.
Concordia gave the solution, “That is why we brought this!” and opened a large tablecloth wide over the grass. “We did not think you had a table , so we got it from the kitchens. We can sit on it and have all the food around. By the way where is all the stuff we bought?”
Discord snapped his fingers and everything they bought the other day appeared on rock plates, for some reason. Candied figs, roasted melon rinds, lotus leaves with rice and mushrooms, you name it.
“I’m so sorry we could not get you a cake…” Concordia said and sat down delicately pinching a fig an eating it.
Discord floated over and folded a rock plate in two, squishing some mushroom paste between and ate the ensemble.
“Delicious! Oh cake? I saw how to make one, looking over your cook’s shoulders. I followed all the steps but it did not really turn out well. Its behind that boulder of there, sulking because I called it distasteful”
“Oh I almost forgot” Concordia said rummaging through her bag “This my gift for you!” and presented him with a box wrapped in crumpled paper.
“And this is mine” Aneris said and handed him hers as well.
Discord looked from one box to another and decided to open both at once. When he saw the handmade items he took them out carefully, looked at them very closely and then hugged them to himself.
“This are awesome!!!They are the best gifts ever, that and they are my first gift ever! Thank you!” and flew a loop in the air. Upon landing he held two new things in his palm with cords dangling from them. Opening his palm closer to their faces, they could see a small crystal on a string for each.
“I found this rock in my realm and broke it in two, it is a twin now like you” and grinned at them.
”You can put it like that around your neck” putting the necklaces on each of them by means of levitation “and you don’t need to tie them around your silly legs.
I don’t get that yet you know, you have four similar legs and does that mean you need four of each things to decorate them…silly I say!” and looked at them sideways, too shy to wait for their expressions.
“We love it Discord” they both exclaimed and hugged him tightly.
Disengaging from them, he added “They are magical you know, I can hear what you are saying if you tap against them so” he demonstrated tapping the stone on Concordia’s neck three times, causing it to feel hotter for a moment “without myself being there so that this mean old pony magician wont sense me again… Who is he anyway?”
Rolling her eyes while eating around a lotus bun, Aneris said annoyed “Oh you mean his Lordship the almighty Crystal Quill… I hate this guy! You see he is our father’s best friend from when they studied abroad with the centaurs and now he is also his best adviser in everything about magic.”
“Then he is the ugliest Centaur I have ever seen” Discord exclaimed, his little fingers pinching his nose.
That brought a laugh out of Concordia who was quiet not daring to talk against one of the strongest Magi.
Aneris though, continued “No he is a pony, but he is very proud and mean when he is not better than anypony else and he’s got this son you see, he is two years older than us and he always has to be there when Dia’ is getting her tutoring.”
“Spell Wright does not like me very much.” Concordia muttered while sipping iced tea.
“That’s his name? Is he ugly like his dad?” Discord said jealously.
“Oh don't be like that…” Concordia said and shrewdly looked to her sister “besides do you know who Ane must fly with all the time?”
Discord turned to Aneris expectantly
“Its a squid isnt it? If Dia has lessons with an ugluy centaur brat the you fly with s Squid!! I knew it. Squids are dreadful fliers!” he said looking aloof.
“No, she has to train with a colt our aunt adopted and he is SO whiny!” Concordia went on.
“Stop is Dia’ its not funny, he was rescued from a colony after pirates raided the coasts of Tirre island” Aneris cut her off.
“Sorry…” her sister said and then looked up “By the way, I read about Draconequi in our library yesterday and there are not many around as far as the book said, they might even be extinct and it also says they don't have any special magic and…oh no!”
“What is it Dia’?” Aneris asked.
“You hear that, that's the Quillins throwing their fire lights in the air. It is almost noon! Discord we’ve got to go OK?”
Concordia said, getting up and before leaving going over to Discord and placing a kiss on his cheek. Aneris did the same saying “ Happy Birthday Discord!” and they left in a hurry.
Discord stood again alone, but rubbed his cheek where the kisses where placed, snapped his fingers to make everything clean up itself or disappear, apart from his gifts.
These he carefully picked up and cradled against his chest before going into the portal.
For two years after, Discord’s birthdays were celebrated in the same way. In being able to listen into most of the priestess’s lessons, the draconequus learnt more about the land of his friends and also how to not interfere -too much- to avoid trouble for them all.
He was able to harness the most of his abilities and found it filled him with joy to have more power to do fun things. What was also curious to feel was the fact that when he did only cause trouble for the twins but instead arrange it so that they could meet in peace, they not only stayed longer with him but also talked about him more.
The gifts they gave him on his second birthday, where a quartet of clumsily knit socks and a knit sweater that looked like dogs had been at a doormat. At least they had fun while learning knit work during that winter in the Earth temple, while he told them jokes through their necklaces. He baked them a cake that was not animated -apart from the toppings, those danced- and had placed enchanted dummies of them outside the secret garden’s walls, so that anyone searching for them would find them studying. That had impressed Concordia with his magic abilities and Aneris with his decoy strategy.He basked in their attention but felt he had less and less of theirs as the years went by.
His third birthday was a very short affair in which Concordia, who had mastered the art of teleportation to the astonishment of all, briefly visited him, kissed and hugged him and left their gifts. As always he treasured them, this time Aneris’s first pinion that shed when her wings grew and Concordia’s old alembic.
He had hoped to impress them when he modified their necklaces so that he could also see what they saw, always if they so wished, by tapping on them. The spell was a feat of magic and alchemical ingenuity, but did not impress them as much as the prospect of watching the customary Quillin fireworks and going out with their fellow fillies.
The winter before what would have been his third consecutive birthday, the twin princess had so many lessons away from the castle, they hardly slept in their old room and hardly met each other.
When they met they’d rather wanted to catch up, spend time with their parents and have fun with friends, other than him. He was still included in their lessons, now also by sight and unbeknown of them his jealousy grew to resentment of certain individuals. Discord put even more effort into perfecting the crystal necklaces so they’d be undetectable, unbreakable and in all manner of ways eternal. Sometimes the sisters even forgot they wore them and what would usually have been a conscious retelling of their day, each night before sleep, became something of a telepathic journal keeping.
The princesses often told him not to be jealous of their co-students and they would or could not understand it when he told them he was not. He thought they understood how he felt when they used to seek him out, to hug him and -he toughed his cheek every time he remembered- when they gave him a kiss.
Whenever safe he went in person always invisible to watch Aneris’s fly, every day better, every day higher, a brilliant smile on her face. Her progress in weapons training gave her strength and agility, she galloped faster than most, surpassing some of her best peers in wit and prowess.
Discord watched over Concordia’s shoulder during her tests, with swelling pride. Concordia developed a remarkable for her age affinity for teleportation, portal theory and defensive magic. Even though her talent in algebraic geometry included her into one of the best among unicorn mares she surpassed even her gender and developed a rare affinity for alchemy.
In short he, let his innocent adoration grow into infatuation. He brooded during the long hours when he was cut of from the crystal necklaces what he could do to impress them.
The answer came soon enough, when during that spring the princesses turned thirteen years of age and he had pestered them so much that they were forced to visit him. They did not want to play games, they spoke of other fillies, of this older colt’s super ability with the sword, that colt’s amazing spell the other day and how interesting hours upon hours of plant grooming and coaxing the trees to take this shape in that.
When he stomped the ground to be noticed and did some with wacky antics, they were called silly and little Discord’s foal stuff.
Discord’s envy grew, never against the sisters off course, and decided to watch the objects of the twin’s adoration closer. In his envy he never took a look at himself and when he realised he felt more the fool. He had never grown, he would not grow if he did not let himself mature. What he knew, almost by bizarre instinct was that if he did, he could never revert to being a young ling again. Some changes were permanent for eternity, but change he would. Nothing easier than that and to accomplish that he had to spend an amount of time in his realm without visiting that of the ponies.
By the time he returned, seven years would have passed over Marelantis and the events that would change everything forever, were rapidly coming closer together.