//------------------------------// // Alliances // Story: The Book of Ages. Volume 1. Harmony and Immortality // by Rune Singer //------------------------------// "Take my paw and trust in me When you learn to yield. See my teeth they rend so deep Your bane I am and shield." Rune Singer 2014 Her hooves echoed off the granite as the unicorn cantered over the pathway connecting the Unicorn Keep and the Hall of the Mages. Veering to the right she passed that and slowed her speed to a walk just as the Acolyte Dormitories. Fixing a rogue strand of mane behind her ear, she straightened her posture exactly before the Stallions Dorm. Finding the door still shut and no stallion mage in sight, she slumped and mumbled something akin to “Just my luck!…oversleeping snobs” and went on to the Mares Dorm. Banging on the door unceremoniously and with complete disregard for any sleeping student, she shouted when the pony within did not come fast enough for her. After a few minutes princess Concordia opened the door halfway through with a dishevelled mane and grey rimmed eyes. She yawned widely, focusing on the mare before her. “What…is it, its too early…I hardly slept three hours…” “I was wakened earlier than thou, oh high and mighty” came the ironic reply “You mother will be waiting for you at dawn” . Concordia looked back into the room to the enormous hourglass by her writing desk and shouted after the leaving mare. “Its an hour before dawn, what the hay Violet Charm, I had astrology class till four in the night you ass!” The other unicorn was a first degree student who was willing to stay for a little longer in contrary to what was customary for a mare. Concordia suspected she had an eye on a mage there and tried to impress by standing out. She stomped her hoof and shouted again at the figure that had stalled by the opening of the outer corridor. “You are just miffed that I stay at the mare’s dormitory and you get to do chores at the keep.” “Oh yeah?” Violet Charm taunted “Oh yeah!” Concordia said smiling wickedly and taking position to defend from a spell. In the building next to hers, the stallions dorm, a door opened a crack and a sleepy head poked out. “Ladies would you care doing this further up in the meadows…we’re trying to get some shut eye over here…” Violet Charm turned on the spot and with an “eeek” vanished. Concordia rubbed the back of her neck uttering an apology before turning in herself for a three quarter power nap. An hour later she was a corridor away from her mother’s study when the earth shook. Bits of plaster fell from above and Concordia looked out through the arced window with concern. The earth moved more often lately even though there hadn’t been any of the traditional portents or warnings whatsoever. After a few seconds the ground was still again and she resumed walking to her destination. Before opening the double doors to the study she heard her mother conversing with some pony within. “I KNOW the earth shakes, the earth shook just now! Our historians, our experts in the very land of Marelantis, even any granny down in the villages can tell you the traditional signs of a greater quake. In fact why are you bothering me about that at all?” the queen spoke irately giving no leeway. The pony talking to her was barely audible so cowed did he sound “…whenever we addressed this in court we heard the same answers”. Something heavy clanged against the desk surface, the sound of a seat being pushed back and her mothers shouts came roaring through. “Dare you presume that my word would be different in private than that of my husband, YOUR King before the court and the whole of Marelantis?…………not another word unless its to request real help for real problems. OUT!” One door leaf slammed open as not one, but two ponies fled from the wrath within. Concordia bit her lower lip as she waited a moment before entering. Her mother was righting the stool she had let fall as Concordia greeted her and slumped onto a cushion bench. “Morning Mother. What’s the rush…you know I was up all night…” “Ah good morning dear…” Upon sitting Queen Rhea looked up to her daughter for the first time and took in her state “oh my, I did not know…but it cannot be avoided now…you know how they are with their training and schedules…” “I would know if you told me mum…” said she and lifted her chin from a pillow momentarily to add a wide yawn. Her mother rested her head against a hoof and yawned as well. “Oh my…it seems we both got too little sleep. Its your aunt… and some training…oh I had it here…” she spent a few minutes rummaging through scrolls and crumpled sheets of reed paper. Finding what she sought she lifted it up and read for a few seconds. “Ah this is it. Let me see where your part is…here! You are to spend a few of your mornings training under lieutenant Aeolus and Aneris off course to get some hands on experience defending against attacks from air.” “Mother… I have been trained with aerial targets for ages now… I mean we shoot clay pots every Sunday for fun and…” she stopped herself when she saw her mother’s stern gaze. Oh boy here it comes… she though and braced for a Pegasus tirade about Pegasi matters. “Daughter! I do not have a pair of these for show “ rising she fanned out one of her wings and intoned every next word by punching a hoof against the underside of the other hoof “I was trained as brutally, as ruthlessly and with the same disregard for status as my sister.” She rested back onto her seat and went on “the Pegasi out there, at least the ones living are my brothers and sisters in arms and I am ready any time to join them in battle. I would believe as my daughter, you would know that a clay pot is not the same as a windygo, a harpy or invading griffins. A clay pot does not think, it does not change strategies and it does not feel passion or fear…” after yawning herself she added “…I guess, I hope… you will hear this again today and you should consider yourself lucky, that you will only be watching today and train tomorrow…you can go” As Concordia rose, stretched and was almost out the door, her mother added to her back “You are to report at the training grounds beneath the Citadel Cloud in two hours… I will retire now…let you father deal with the next pony complaining about the sky falling…” This time Concordia teleported directly under her bed covers. Two hours later and after a minuscule bite to eat plus a restorative potion, Concordia teleported by the south road out of Windswept village. Further south the Pegasi lodestone’s light was visible and a kilometre before it would be the ground training area beneath the citadel. Concordia was used to the sight and did not need to look up and marvel. Any other visitor was instinctively drawn to look up and feast their eyes on the wonder that was the pegasi citadel upon its everlasting cloud. Cloud was an understatement, it was the size of an islet with a city built on top. Everything above though was ruled by pegasi magic. No other pony race could walk on the surface of a cloud and non winged visitors if ever, were brought up by chariot. The only exception was the rightful King of Marelantis who despite race, if given the mandate of the Lodestones, could walk on pegasi clouds. Teleportation was prohibited from the area of where she stood now up to the entire south of that cape, for safety reasons purely. Unicorns learn teleportation at a more reasonable age than foalhood but many a hard lesson was taught when a unicorn appeared out of thin air, right in the middle of a pegasi landing path. Gruelling stories always circulated within classrooms and filly gossip about ponies dying in horrid ways, and not few parents used the gossip as threats to try to reign their foals in. Needless to say after seeing the etching of a pegasus on the tall rock before Concordia, any pony knew that beyond that point, There be Pegasi. Nearing the training area on hoof she expected a lot fewer ponies at that early an hour. It seemed two different groups flew at that time, one in formation and one very low, in pairs and threes. Keeping to the road and then to a well trodden path along the oval area marked only by how shorter the prairie grass was cut there, she sat on some wooden benches placed next to a series of low ceilinged wooden huts. Looking around her first she realised how cleared not only the immediate area was but also as far as she could see. Nothing taller than pony high bushes was allowed to grow and rocks were left to stand only if they were too big and too heavy to move. Straight ahead over the expanse of the training field, a pegasus was training younger fliers with what seemed abrupt lifting off exercises. She watched how not simple and matter of fact that was to achieve, for the fillies where straining and pushing their wings to achieve height and speed. Before she had time too look up in search for her sister, a quartet of ponies flew her way. She did not have a moment to think to move aside when they where already hovering above her, their spread wings having blown her mane back. “Whoa! That was fast” Concordia said marvelling. One of the pegasi, a stallion pointed and laughed “and that ladies is how you stun a grounder.” They were all pushed of balance by one who flew by with such speed, no one could have seen her coming. Concordia smiled knowingly, somehow aware it was her sister. Flying back towards the group the latter said “And that everypony, is how you stun sitting ducks!…come on sis” She landed sending her subordinates away with a single look and walked with her sister along the path surrounding the field. “Don't blame them too much Dia’ they did not know you were coming and they always pick on…” “Grounders?” Concordia added “Yeah that. Its…you know a derogatory term of sorts…don’t pay too much attention to it.” “They seem a lot younger that us.” Concordia wondered looking up again and squinting against the sun. “Don’t do that too often and shield you eyes better, and yes they are about four years younger, them and another four are the youngest upstarts we have to train lately. Believe me its not an easy job, they think they know everything already.” “You teach as well?” “I…I’ve been promoted to squadron leader after Aeolus” Aneris’s cheeks reddened at that. “Hey you did not tell me, congratulations!” and hugged her sister. Aneris suffered it very briefly and tried gently prodding her sister away. “Err…I… look, Dia can we…I mean… please don't hug me like that in front of everypony, we…we don't do that” Concordia tilted her head a bit, smirking “you mean you don't hug. So when a daddy pegasus and am mommy pegasus love each other very very much, they just fly over…” “Noo…” Aneris shushed her sister, bumping her to the side. They laughed heartily then but it was cut short, a small thorn in their sides. Concordia broke the silence “so mum mentioned the importance of live target practice. Who is the target going to be, me or you lot?” Aneris seemed to ease a little bit at the memory of many a lecture from their mother. “Oh shoot, I got it the same way round. I had the whole blah blah from her when I had to fly all the way to your keep in the middle of the night after a very long patrol… After we are done here I will have the honour to be trained by your lot in evading magic attacks and whatnots. I told her we have enchanted dummies and stuff, but noooooo father said this and that…” She rolled her eyes so dramatically that Concordia warmed up to her as well. “Anyhow” she continued “today you’ll see what we do with the dummies, each made to shoot off a different spell, and then Captain Az…I mean Aunt Azure will speak to you tomorrow about what she’s got in mind for you to do.” “Cool, where do I stand today?” Concordia asked looking around. Turning and looking to their right, Aneris indicated a spot. “See those canopied benches? You can sit there, its not only the best place to watch but we rest there during pauses and you’ll get to meet my comrades. But, go around not through the field will ya? By the time Concordia had gone around and sat under welcoming shade, the younger pegasi had been moved to some other training elsewhere and her sister and her Wing started pushing and pulling heavy mannequins vaguely resembling ponies, centaurs and other possible enemies. “Why don't they make them lighter, I’m sure that would make the job faster” she mused aloud. “That would make the warriors lazy and weak!” came a comment from the far side. Their aunt sat there arms crossed leaning to the back. Concordia rose and went to sit closer to her aunt. “Aunt Azure! Hi, how are you?” The pegasus not turning to look, her eyes darted from pony to pony as they flew, darted away or even clashed with each other using wooden poles. After a moment or two, she blinked to the side once as if that was acknowledgement enough and answered sternly “Good day niece, I know you are not used to ranks and your studies are ehm…more self- ruling. But as of now your rank will be -even if temporarily- Cadet, and I am to be addressed as Captain. Is that clear?” “Uhm..yes aun-…I mean Captain Azure.” “Captain is enough…oh and one more thing: Independent actions is a right reserved for the trained and capable. As soon as you stand in line with the others, my rule is law. You sister is a fine warrior of Marelantis and will carry our legacy proudly into the future.” Concordia nodded, not sure if the Captain saw her or not. After sitting awkwardly in silence, she scooted to the side a few times leaving more distance between her aunt and herself. It felt more a pushing away from the other pony than a desire to move out of her regard. The need to warrant some amount of approval from the stoic pegasus was growing to a desire. Concordia felt that and understood, besides her aunt’s numerous deeds, even if a little why the latter received so much respect from her subordinates. Soon a few other pegasi of rank landed near their captain, their ranks evident could be seen by the peytral each wore, protecting their necks. Among them, Concordia recognised Aeolus, her adoptive cousin, who after a word from his stepmother, looked up to her and started walking towards her. Aeolus had grown to a fine stallion, tall and strong. He always walked straight, almost regally and it did not seem forced. On the contrary his very step was calculated by instinct. Over his brow was a small wavelike tattoo, as was customary by the ponies of Marelantean colonies. Halting at about a meter from her, he nodded curtly, causing the two earrings on his right ear to click shortly. He spoke in short matter of fact sentences making her feel she was not only greeted out of courtesy but that this was the only reason he greeted her at all. She sensed no admonition or disregard from him, but a lack of distinct disinterest. “Greetings Cadet Concordia. We saw each other at the funeral. You sister is an excellent warrior and I am proud to have her as comrade and friend. Today I will be occupied with other duties but a very capable pony shall explain what is going on. Tomorrow I am charged to guide you through the drills you shall help us with. Report here an hour before dawn. Wind to your wings Cadet.” With that he nodded a form of salute, turned and left, flying lightly over the benches. Below he met with a tawny pegasus, ordered him about something, indicating her with his hoof and resumed his flight. The new pegasus flew to her, landing closer than Aeolus did. He greeted her quite normally and sat next to her. “Greetings prince… sorry” he rubbed the back of his neck “Cadet Concordia, I mean…its an honour to meet you and…” While he spoke of pleasantries and then went on and on about the training field around them, what the drills being performed above them meant and even the weather that day, Concordia mused Aeolus’s words. They seemed more downgrading than she initially received them, by the minute. While she found it pleasant to have her sister given some dues, helping them instead of receiving training herself was not what she thought was going to happen. What would she be the next day, a conveniently living and thinking magic-puppet? And what was that about wind and wings, he either was preoccupied and did not notice her lack of said wings, or he downright mocked her. There was something the revered and celebrated stallion was trying to wall everyone away from. “…and there she is, isn’t she absolutely lightning fast?” Concordia was brought to reality as the pony next to her, Bright Pinion she thought his name was, shot his hoof out in frond of them and waved it around following the path her sister took above them. “Look! Look! She means to pierce the target the other ponies there are holding and…” he tugged at her shoulder, as if she had any difficulty following what was happening. This adoration was starting to feel very annoying, what was so amazing about ponies punching their lances through targets… Her thoughts seized immediately as a shrill whistling of sorts, chilling her to the bones came from higher above but soon almost around her. “Oh oh here it cooomes…” shouted the colt next to her, hooves bunched up with glee. Concordia’s ears twitched to all directions and she felt a numb shiver. In the meantime her sister was still flying towards the target, her lance -a real one- shining like a sharp lightning bolt. The shrill sound became more perversive and before the target, a pegasus shot up, wings opened wide, some metal barding around the shoulders blinding the advancing mare. Concordia had only time to see the pony who flew up also held a lance, thrusting it forward with the intent to skewer the other. She was up on her hooves a silent cry in her mouth as the pegasi collided with a deafening sound, and an impossibly strong gust of air, bursting from where they met. “Yes! Whoa! They are AWESOME! Sit Princess.. E Cadet, sit there is more!” Bright Pinion almost hopped with anticipation. Above, her sister and Aeolus of Tirre engaged in combat for earnest. At least that is what Concordia felt, because what she saw all around her where pegasi cheering and watching with amazement and envy. She asked the colt beside her more to get comfort than out of interest. “But, tell me ehm…ensign?…what rank are you?” Bright Pinion did not look at her, his eyes fixed on the spectacle, but he answered joyfully nonetheless. “Oh no, I am just a Cadet like you.” “Oh all right…so tell me, what was that whistling sound?…and this cant be so innocent can it? They are fighting with real sharp weapons and oh by the Lodestones, did he just kick her away?” She rose again,stomping her hooves hard on the bench below her, in protest. Many eyes turned momentarily towards her retort, mellowing her to sit back, setting her jaw against words she might have to say about brutish ways and vulgar spectacles. Looking back up she felt a pang of enjoyment as her sister swung the butt of her lance deosil against Aeolus’s left flank , causing him to veer too much to his right.He closed his eyes because he just gave his opponent an opening, bracing for a forceful slap on the forehead with the flat of her lance as Aneris swung it back. He raised his hoof high, shouting angrily “I yield!” Aneris seized her defensive stance and swooped forward to support him under his right wing. She tossed her lance to one of the ponies that held the target aloft, and grabbed that of Aeolus, sending it also over. Slowly they descended to the field. Concordia was up and ran over the benches towards where they landed. She was stopped by Bright Pinion as he landed in front of her, his hooves against her chest. “Whoa, easy, they are fine. Don't interfere, its bad blood.” “But, but I gotta help…” she struggled for a moment to push him out of the way, finding it considerably hard to not use magic. Stopping she asked “wait what?” “Bad blood” the colt said matter of factly, looking longingly towards the pair as Aneris checked her opponent’s forehead, briefly clasped hooves, said something like an oath and retreated a step to let another pony between them. The latter carried a pair of saddle packs and seemed to Concordia to be the equivalent to a Unicorn apothecary and nurse in one. Bright Pinion continued. "See they check each other for injuries they caused they caused, taking responsibility, then they ground all anger to our Lodestone. This is what we do, this is how we trust each other with out lives. And that whistling sound? See those pauldrons? The have got these holes drilled in them and as the pony flies down they produce this sound. Its scares the hell out of griffins!” “Oh” Concordia said, thinking about it, “Unicorns do the same you know. We ground all our negative aura into our Lodest…” But she saw the colt having shut her out, as he leaned forward on the peripheral fencing that divided the benches from the field. Rolling her eyes she noticed her sister and her comrade having left. She thought she saw her tail end disappear to the left behind the canopied seats. Escaping the notice of her guide, she hurried to follow, leaving him behind while he bumped hooves with his friends, discussing the spar that occurred. She really was not in the mood to watch what enchanted dummies there would be on display and how the ponies would pummel them… To the back she noticed simple tents into where some ponies entered in an out. Smaller ones where to the side and she glimpsed her sister enter one, before throwing one of her pauldrons at Aeolus as he went to another, the farthest apart from hers. Concordia smiled and went to her sister’s tent, letting the flap fall behind her. “Ane! That was…ehm intense! You got him good” she said grinning. Aneris was bright eyed and pumped with energy. She spoke while taking off parted of the hardened sea serpent leather armour she had strapped about her in many ways. “Yeah that was some good sparring…” turning and clasping her sister’s shoulders she exclaimed “he sparred with me without having arranged it…he just…it was so great…you know what it means?” Concordia smiled crookedly as she took in the musk of sweaty serpent armour, not really understanding and seeing her sister in a different light. Her excitement was almost vulnerable. “Erm…Ane, there are so many pegasi things who’s meaning eludes me…I-” “He likes me idiot…” Aneris said smiling, and sat back on a canvas covered box. “…he…he answered me with this fight” “What did he answer Ane?” Concordia asked while sitting down next to her and taking her hoof into hers. She knew her sister had a year long infatuation with their step cousin, but this was stronger. Aneris grasped a towel that was hanging midway over a deep bowl of water, wrung it briefly and began wiping down her arms. “The warriors, us, don’t train here unless we have to show the cadets and ensigns something specific. Even then its not done here but at the south cape. The winds are stronger there, more diverse, consider it a nursery over here. So you see?… I was here by chance and he fought me, he intercepted me in front of everypony without a prearranged challenge. Ah!” Sighing she fell back onto the canvas, the towel over her face. Concordia took away the cloth laughing softly, her sister’s glee affecting her as well. “So…in common pony talk he…” she twirled her hoof Aneris got up, rolling her eyes and snatched the towel. She wrung it in the water once more and started wiping down her torso. “Eh! You and your complicated unicorn ways. A pegasus states her intent, I confronted him during a patrol and privately asked him…” the towel was bring wrung needlessly by now”…I told him what I felt for him.” “What did he say then?” Concordia asked, taking the towel once more “here let me help you with your back” Aneris looked ahead with a frown “oh you know Aeolus, he…he does not talk much when…when its complicated. He thinks a lot you know and either way, a quick answer would be stupid. A pegasus answers with his actions.” Clasping her hooves to her chest she closed her eyes “and he did…sweet lodestone, he did, in front of everypony! He…” while she took up the various discarded armour pieces, she turned to her sister. “Uhm Concordia, can you…I mean, I couldn't…Can you go over wherever Aeolus went and get my pauldron. We must take care of our own armaments and I’d be in a heap full of trouble if I lost my pauldron. Can you sister mine?” He enlarged stare was too much for her Concordia and laughing she promised she’d go right away. As she exited and the flap of the tent falling once more, she herd Aneris call after her “I’ll meet you at the ground mess hall…that is where we eat with dumb no wing ponies” Concordia stuck her tongue out at the jab and went on smiling. Now she was at a loss for the grounds where quieter at the moment and all the tents flaps lowered. It would be imprudent to just pop her head into each and they where too many, and three rows of them to boot. Having walked along the front row she enter the second row and met with an exiting pair of mares, who stopped their hushed conversation as she neared them. “Uhm…Aneris sends me to fetch some…something from Aeolus’s tent?” she looked at them with what she hoped politeness. The mares exchange a non-verbal communication and one answered smirking. “Off course she would, wouldn’t she, lucky git.” “Hey! Its my sister you called a git. We are still princes-” she was hushed by the other’s hoof “Here missy, this is pegasi ground, Captain said you are one of us for the three days and as bizarre as it is, those are her orders. So if I say your sis is a git then she is one.” Concordia would not let that pass and her own training to command troops kicked in. “Well,” she craned her neck to see the mare’s peytral “guardsmare! You just called a squadron leader a git for requesting a piece of armour from your Wing commander…but then I am but a mere Cadet. So bizarre as it may be, where is his tent?” The mares straightened and indicated the furthermost tent in the third row. Concordia left them behind, trying not to show her rising contempt. Arriving at the third row she found all of them, but the last, with open flaps and empty. Approaching the last she herd a muffled conversation and alerted by something she did not fathom, sneaked into the one adjacent to it. Crouching she tried not to make a sound as she unwound the bindings of the tent flap with subtle magic. It became considerably darker within and she could see the slight outline of silhouettes against the canvas. Horse apples! She thought, I am in the same tent, this is just a divider! Oh I’ve got to get out of here…but then a familiar voice spoke. “Not here Peregrine…we’ll have all the time later. Haven't I told you to stay at the barracks when I see her?” Aeolus’s tone was innervated and also annoyed. “There is nobody around, everyone has gone off to the mess hall.” A stallion’s smooth voice answered. “We can just be quick”. “No…Peregrine…look I cant…I have to be there to eat with her sister” Aeolus said sternly if not with a bit of disappointment. The other stallion’s voice changed completely, his tone tinged with what must have been an ongoing argument. “In the ground mess hall? Beloved why…is it not enough with what you pulled off today? Do I have to be parted from you even when you eat?” Concordia shifted inaudibly to see through a tear that had been clumsily stitched up. Immediately she looked away, so embarrassed she felt she would burn up on the spot. Within, the stallions where completely disrobed and lying on various cloths upon the floor. The stallion, Peregrine, was helping Aeolus clean with a towel, as she had with her sister, but he wasn't cleaning the other’s back. Pressing her hooves against her mouth she tried not to shriek, but the discussion next to her was becoming more heated. “Peregrine if you can just…” Aeolus must have gotten up because his voice sounded from the other side of the tent, and Concordia ventured another look within. “Look, if you stick to our plan, if you follow everything I tell you”, Aeolus was packing his armour in a crate similar to her sister’s and turned to caress Peregrine’s cheek “then we will have many long years to each other.” Then kissed his lover. Concordia could not look away even if she felt dirty for watching such intimacy. When the couple broke the kiss Peregrine held Aeolus in a close embrace. “Yes, forgive me my love, when I saw how brilliantly you did the declaration today, how handsome you were…I got so jealous, I wanted to be in the harpy’s place.” Aeolus disengaged and driving his hoof through the other’s mane he said lovingly “You shall be, I vow this My All, I will fly such a declaration for you it will cause the skies to weep in envy. After the wedding I will fly with you to Tirre and we shall rule it there together.” Wedding? Concordia thought in disbelief and knowing perfectly well whose wedding they spoke of. Same gender matings where not uncommon in Marelantis, but this was adulterous even before a matrimonial ceremony was performed. It was almost treacherous. If… “I hope once a month would be enough to get a foal in her belly” Peregrine added as he lifted a pauldron off the floor. “Is that hers Aeolus” “Yeah, give me that, I’ll toss is outside the tent, let the princess have a bit of a hard time for once. And you know what Peregrine? I might not even have to go through with getting a foal with her.” His grin was fearsome, chilling Concordia to the bone. “Oh what do you have in mind you wicked colt?” Peregrine almost shone with nemesis. “She just needs to get drunk enough…” and laughing wickedly the exited the tent. Concordia could have exploded the tent around them, so angry was she. She was biting down on one hoof to stifle an outburst. That was treachery, that was abysmal, she had to tell her sister at once! Looking cautiously out from the side of her tent flap she saw no pony, she exited. Wiping the tears that fell in a stream, she noticed the damnable pauldron that brought her there. Lifting it she hugged it closely, that smelly bit of leather was what brought the truth to surface. Concordia looked forward then, her expression hardening. “Oh I will bring you down, all of Marelantis shall see you dishonoured for this!” she whispered. Aneris had already left, but the armament box was still in the her tent. Placing the pauldron inside, she trailed a hoof on her sister’s mark where it was embossed on the chest piece. “Oh Ane’ I hope this won’t scar you…” she said and left towards where she thought the dumb ground pony mess hall was. Arriving at a wooden construction that was more of a simplistic pavilion, mostly younger pegasi sat and ate. Most faces kept turning to what must have been a rare sight for the young trainees. Aneris and Aeolus sat at the centre table, visible by all, almost ad if they were the ponies of honour on a celebration. And indeed weren't they, revered and looked upon by so many eyes, ready to jump to their command. “He is playing a fine game” the unicorn thought as she smiled at her sister. “He has loyal followers already!” Aloud she nodded to both and asked “Sister, Aeolus, may I join you?” Aneris swallowed her bite of seaweed cake and whispered “Ranks Dia…ranks” “Sister, my help is given for today. I join you out here of mere courtesy. I shall honour the loaned rank again come tomorrow.” Concordia said looking briefly into the stallion’s eyes. He screwed up his eyes not expecting such a jab and looked back into hers with intent. Concordia could not continue such a confrontation and not recall the words uttered not so long ago“…harpy…get her drunk enough…” she looked away, forcing herself to drink of an offered cup of grape juice. The tartness of it forced her to swallow hard and she used that to look to her sister. “Ah this is sour!”she exclaimed “But refreshing! Have some more” Aneris poured her some and then looked briefly over at Aeolus “you?” “No thank you, I should be going.” He stood up and stretched, disregarding or trying to disregard the wonderment Aneris was displaying unabashedly. The more he ignores her the more she adores him. Bastard! Concordia thought, gripping her cup tighter. “Where are you off to Aeolus? Somewhere fun?” she asked with mock interest. Aneris kicked her foot from under the table. Aeolus not showing the least sign of having noticed, drank his cup dry. “Some of us regard our duty as enjoyable, Mage!” he said, looking briefly sideways and then ahead. I will be off on patrol Squadron leader. Wind to thy wings!” ans he walked off, bending his head to avoid the low wooden roof, spread his wings majestically and flew off. He was soon joined by his wing ponies. “Concordia what was that all about?” Aneris said clanking her cup on the wooden table. Noticed by all Concordia titled her head to the side indicating she wanted to talk elsewhere. “No I can talk here!” said her sister angrily. “Oh no you cant, lets go, this dump pony needs to tell you some things!” Concordia went first, hoping her sister followed. Quite further away, where the cropped grass gave way to the customary unbending shrub land, Aneris found her sister waiting. She also found her crying and breaking to sobs, holding her hooves up to her cheeks. “Concordia? What is it?” Aneris ran forward to kneel beside her sister. “What, what happened? Did anyone bug you? I will rip their feathers app-”she stopped when her sister grabbed her by the shoulders and stammered “Ane’ you’ve got to…oh mother…its terrible…” “Concordia? Please tell me” Aneris now shook her. Concordia saw then how concerned here sister was and her resolve broke…how could she just say what she saw. Was she even going to be believed? She wiped her tears again, swallowed and looked into her sisters eyes. She decided then, she would ease the news. “Look Ane’ I know you’ve liked Aeolus for a long time but so do to her mares…” “What? Eh…why” Aneris drew back not having expected that. Concordia raised her hooves “no, no that came out wrong, I meant, you know how the other mares all over pine for him right? You and I have been laughing about it for ages, Marelantis has been laughing about it for ages.. Do you see?” “No…I mean I know, but what made you cry?” “You are like those mares, you fawn over him and it…its almost oozing out of you.” “Dia what…nothing is oozing out…I” Aneris looked sideways rubbing her wrists nervously. “Frankly you look ridiculous, don't you see he is totally disregarding you. He mocks you in front of everypony!” Concordia was trying too hard to make a point but Aneris was getting defensive about it. “Dia aren’t you looking into this with the eyes of a sister? He is our Wing commander, we all respect and look up to him. And…” here she looked at her without embarrassment “and even if he is cold, he did declare his intent today, he returned my feelings! Before everypony!” and instead of Concordia hugging an inconsolable Aneris, the latter embraced the former tightly “Oh Dia, we will find a stallion you will love as much as I love him.” “But…” “No buts, you are tired, it shows in your eyes and mother should never have sent you over today. What was she thinking? A tired warrior is useless in training. Besides, you are frustrated, I can tell” Aneris wiped her sister’s tears with such sureness, Concordia wanted to slap it out of her, or even have someone slap the truth out of herself. Why could she not speak up? Her sister continued as she rose. “…I have seen the wusses you train with. Grown stallions hiding behind their little horns. Pff..Unicorn stallions. Be happy for me today sister! Come on” Concordia was helped up, and escorted out of the training field. Her sister would have taken her all the way the standing marker stone but Concordia declined the offer. She did not need to feign her fatigue and besides she completely blew her ‘easy’ approach. The unicorn leaned against the rock, looking at the carved pegasus effigy she mused quietly to herself “Yeah here be pegasi la-di-da, how great you are and all…I know, Mother! I’ll speak to her right away!” She shook her head regretfully, no her mother would not believe a thing. The more she thought about it, the more she recalled instances concerning Aeolus, the pride and joy of Marelantis. Her mother celebrated him as much as everypony else, in fact she remembered expressions and discussions,that now made sense. She wanted Aneris and him to be mate if they wanted to. Touching her necklace instinctively she recoiled and then thought of him and touched the crystal sending all her intent within it. Discord! “Discord? I need to talk to you” she thought with effort. “Don’t shout! Oi my poor ears, you’ve never done this before have you…” came his voice within her head. “Are you at the garden? I’ll teleport over. I need to talk to you now!” she set herself to do that as soon as she got an answer. “Actually…no, I am flying over the lake with the funny floaty flowers, boring though, I thought you could hop from one to another” “Wait right there I’m on my way” and so she did. By then it was about the fourth hour after the sun’s zenith and very few ponies were around. Concordia appeared near a small jetty by Lotus Lake. Contrary to common outsider belief, the lake’s name was not due to the few lotus flowers floating at the shore. It came from the Caucasian persimmon trees, sharing the namesake Lotus, that grew in abundance and gave their plump juicy fruit. The obscure Quillin when discovering Marelantis for the first time, offered their showy aquatic plants in exchange for a pair of lotus tree saplings. Walking thoughtfully by the path following the lake shore, she stopped under a big lotus tree, its branches hanging low and offering a small shelter within. With a small flash that she recognised, Discord appeared leaning against the trunk. Stooped as he was he looked funny and brought a smile to the unicorn. She ducked under the branches and walked to him as he snapped his fingers audibly. “There, invisible! What…” but he was cut short by the pony embracing his torso tightly. The draconequus was startled and looked below, his talon and paw twitching once. He had no time to react when Concordia sobbed, but shed no tears. It seemed she had run out of them. “Oh Discord its horrible, what I saw, and I messed it up, I did not tell her…” When she looked up, something clenched his heart as those eyes sought something of him, hope? Comfort? An answer? He slowly lowered his arms and touched her cheek with his paw as his talon caressed her mane tentatively. “Tell me first what happened…” Concordia leaned her cheek into his paw, resulting in a shiver from Discord. Realising this, she opened her eyes wide and stepped back. Sat down on her haunches covering her face with her hooves. Discord looked at his palms and once over at the pony and let his arm hang loose. Sitting down himself, but not near enough to toucher her, he folded his arms before him and spoke softly. “Will you not tell me?…I don’t know if I know how to help but…we are friends aren’t we?” Getting no response, he tried again. “You can think it…I will pick it up if you let me.” Concordia lifted her face, her reddened eyes causing him to frown almost aching himself. “Think it? You mean with this?” she asked lifting her crystal. “Yeah just remember it and I will pick it up.” “Some of it…its embarrassing…I might not want to discuss that part…” she asked talking from under her hooves, her voice muffled. “Let me see and I won’t ask you to…” he said kindly and curious. Concordia did that, she clasped her crystal ad imagined, willed it to convey what she remembered, like a picture book, like a living tapestry. At some point, Discord exclaimed “oh” his entire head turning red as he turned it to the opposite side. “Yeah…I see…lets not discuss that.” They sat in silence then for almost an hour. Discord thought of a few possible scenaria, but most drastic ones where completely against his promise to not harm. Killing either stallions would be quick and easy, changing everypony’s memories would be also nice and clean, causing mishaps like he used to seemed childish and ineffective in the long run. “We could draw out an elaborate plan to have the affair exposed to witnesses and…” Looking down he saw the pony having fallen asleep against him. He had not noticed and the sensation of her relaxed body against him caused him to smile warmly. He tentatively bent his head, gently blowing away a small leaf that had landed near her horn. The pony shivered slightly and embraced him tighter, nuzzling him under his chin. His claws tensed again at the unfamiliar sensation but relaxed after he found it most enjoyable. He closed his eyes breathing in the scent of some flower water she must have applied to her mane. For that moment he let everything pass by and fell asleep himself, something he rarely ever needed to do. An afternoon bell was rung six times when Discord opened his eyes, Concordia snuggled against him so that he saw only her mane as he looked down. He vanished from under her, reappearing instantly to ease her down to the soft leafy ground. She started to stir then and he toucher her shoulder briefly to wake her up. “Concordia? Wake up…you’ve slept for two hours.” She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. “Oh my…I did. What where you doing?” she focused on him, straightening her mane “Well…I watched the floaty plants and the…” he twirled his claws in the direction of the lake “…and the…ponies! Yeah they plucked stuff from the water, in their boats…and such” He stopped his stammering and looked at her, seeing her cheeks reddening just a hint. “Look I thought about it, if Aneris loves him so much is it such a…problem if he just leaves later, he would either way if I understand it right.” Concordia’s eyes hardened and she waved her hooves crossing them twice. “No, no. First of all those beasts…they want to…you know…somepony else to… that is a LIE, that is RAPE. How would you find it if you were dragged by the muzzle like that?” Discord flinched at that and looked away. “You are right, its terrible.” He looked up hopefully “but you are twins, there is no younger or older one, if you both marry, the mother Lodestone will ‘decide’ who is to be ruler or this island.” Concordia raised her head and with what could be called mixed feelings asked him, not understanding herself what answer she wanted. “You speak about it so lightly Discord.I…I have not thought about marriage, its not something you just look for and decide on the spot…” “What if you marry someone without…you know…loving them” and he regretted it the moment the words came out of his mouth. “And create another LIE? I don’t believe you said that Discord” She rose to leave but he stood before her instantly. “Then you should tell Aneris about her lie before it becomes real” “I tried” Concordia shouted back “You did not try hard enough. Just tell her already or I will” he said crossing his arms defensively and staring at her annoyed “what did you ran to me for if everything I say is not the right way.” The pony stomped he hoofs down, sliding on the leaves. Balancing herself she tried to regain some dignity and irately said “you know what, fine! I will tell her when she comes over for training at the Mage hall” and stomped off. “Fine” shouted Discord after her and vanished to return to his realm. He found himself trapped though, as if he jumped into the wrong portal. He felt around for the walls of what kept him and found he had just done that…his portal led him into the wrong place. He gathered his inner strength and fought the walls around him with matter from the pony world, with chaotic matter from his realm and any magic, alchemical or physical means he knew. Panting he pinched a singed end off his antler to snuff out he smoke. His tail had also warped out of shape and he fixed that as well when the walls of what kept him turned translucent. Before him stood the first two ponies he had ever hated. The proud Crystal Quill, and his son Spell Wright. Discord was speechless and displayed his fangs, growling slowly. The magic that bound him was astounding and formidable. “Excellent my son, I must be forgiven for ever doubting you.” Crystal Quill said triumphantly. “Look at him Father, the last known Draconequus and the specimen is ours!” Spell Wright exclaimed delighted. His father came forward confronting him, his previous appraisal vanishing. “Fool, this…this entity can take whatever shape it wishes. Its not a specimen, its raw power…” sighing he walked slowly. “Ah, son, you are not attuned enough to the lodestone or you would feel how alien his power is. This is pure chaos and its contained! For as long as wherever he came from exists, his power is ours to harness endlessly!” “Father?” Spell Wright said tentatively. “What?” snapped his father. Spell Wright pointed at the trapped Draconequus “he is speaking” “I care little for what he has to say, be lucky we cant hear him…Lets go…oh there is so much to do!” and his voices trailed off as they walked into the distance of what was an enormous subterranean cavern, illuminated all around with tendrils of crystalline lines. Lay lines! They converged under Discord’s prison forming a base for what might be a complex polyhedron. They could not hear his threats and curses, but he heard them. His anger overflowed and he thrashed against the magical walls like an eel in a basket.