The Wanderer of the North

by Alaxsxaq


4. The Twin Goddesses: Part 9. A Different Sort of Cruelty

4. The Twin Goddesses: Part 9. A Different Sort of Cruelty

Princess Celestia echoed a low groan, letting the pages of brief gently land on her desk. Levitating off her reading glasses, the Sovereign of Equestria eyed the document once more, gazing at that long solid black line for far too long. A piece of legislation had been prepared for her by the Office of the Royal Cabinet, approved by Parliament. All she had to do was sign.

Celestia grumbled some more; she did not like the words on this piece of paper. She did not like the coalition of representatives that had drafted it. Many of their ringleaders irked her to no end. And of course she especially despised the Members who agreed to the vote against their purported alignments.

She began tapping her hoof on the desk, staring at her pen’s nib. The proper thing, the expected thing would be sign the paper. Celestia could not in good conscience do so; as she saw it, to endorse this sort of policy would betray her vows as Queen…sacred and inviolable vows made long ago, but still just as relevant and revered. No…no a memorandum would do. Taking a clean sheet, Celestia gracefully composed a short statement in her beautiful writing clearly outlining the Crown’s stance on such a bill.

Centuries had eroded the preeminence of the Sovereign in Equestrian government, but Celestia still had the right to dissent.

Drying the ink with a gentle blow, Celestia folded the page and placed it within an envelope. Marking the hot wax with a royal seal, she then placed the memorandum on the top of a small stack of correspondences. Properly addressed, the letter along with the bill would first thing in the morning find themselves on the Royal Secretary’s desk to be typed and presented to Parliament.

And if by some chance the serpents conspired to overrule her royal veto, then a few more…calculating maneuvers could be made.

The alabaster alicorn sighed, taking a moment to reminisce. The tellings of tales of past deeds and adventures, of the days when nobles wielded swords and Princes led armies…a bitter nostalgia crept up to annoy Celestia further. It took another moment to remind herself she did in fact enjoy her work as the ruler of Equestria, and would be lying if politics did not intrigue her in ways few other things could. She had spent the last thousand years tirelessly serving her ponies and country, and if she should find herself with a thousand more, Celestia would continue with the same toil.

Still…as her eyes wandered to the elegant but dormant furnishing of Eónadin on her chamber’s wall, Celestia got the oddest thought that the sword itself might be a tad restless. Swords and lances have since given way to cannon and powder; intimate workshops to vast mechanical manufactories.

A cruel laugh left her lips: a mare of the Old World was perhaps being slowly left behind by the newer one she helped create…

A knock at the door broke her brooding. “Please come in,” Celestia responded, internally elated—she knew who it was, and was excited to distance her attention from the droll proceedings of state.

And naturally through the opened door trotted that little purple winged unicorn. Bright-eyed, grinning and brandishing her ever-trusty tome and quill. She made herself comfortable, as Twilight was wont to do after four nights of this routine.

“Please excuse me, Twilight; I have just a little more work to finish before we can begin,” Celestia mentioned as she looked over a few dispatches from various ministers.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” the lavender pony said, herself looking down at that book, “I can do some adjustments here. And….here.” After that, faint etchings of pens controlled the ambience of the room.

Sealing the last envelope and closing her message box, Celestia removed her spectacles and retired from the work of statecraft for the night. She then allowed herself a small glass of wine, offering a measure to her protégé. Twilight of course respectfully refused, the younger mare preferring her mind as sharp as possible.

Loosened up and a little happier now, Celestia sat herself on that large reclining pillow. Stretching out her great white wings, the Princess groaned in a quiet relief.

“Lovely day out, wasn’t it?” Celestia asked, referring to their morning activities. With a mind to enjoy a little bit of leisure, the two had caught Princess Luna at the tail end of her “watch”, convincing the dark alicorn with minimal effort to postpone her retirement to bed.

Because around ten o’clock that morning the three opted to go bowling, and Luna loved bowling. Some months ago Celestia’s sister had gone to Ponyville and joined Twilight Sparkle and her friends’ team at their behest. And the lanes were a perfect place for Luna to retreat should she find herself with little to do during the quiet night.

Princess Luna learned the rules quickly, and developed a talent for the game. Armed with her own custom dark-blue bowling ball and wearing the shirt that Rarity had made, Luna undoubtedly commanded the two games they had played that morning. She’d even managed to score a triple-strike—a turkey in the parlance of bowling.

Twilight Sparkle did well enough; she too donned the trappings of her team and competed with her own ball. Celestia however had not bowled since…well wooden balls and dirt lanes were used. A minor quip about the “Gutter Queen” was muttered by a certain somepony, and Celestia’s place was a distant and faint third.

Nevertheless, Celestia did not mind; she’d gone to have fun, not to win. Centuries of hard life experience taught her that one didn’t have to come in first all the time—just most of it. Besides, Luna finally got a chance to shine. Once the midnight Princess overcame the whispers and watchings of ponies surprised by their rulers coming down to their level and doing an activity as mundane as bowling, Luna glided gracefully into her status as champion, dazzling onlookers with strikes and even a pickup of the dreaded seven-ten split.

Celestia spotted several times her baby sister get the most adorable smile—three gutter balls was worth that.

And between frames, Twilight was able to engage in her studies of alicorn. It really amazed Celestia, truly, how intelligent her student was. With an iron will and determination, Twilight could put her study skills to the task of learning just about anything.

Armed with probably the only Equestrian-Alicorn dictionary ever published and an alicorn grammatica actually written in that ancient bygone tongue, Twilight progressed through her studies with great earnest; in addition to all her other duties and obligations.

Consonant mutations appeared to still give Twilight a measure of trouble, but…foal steps.

At the conclusion of their two games, the trio retreated to a nearby ice cream parlor. When that was finished, Luna finally bid Celestia and Twilight farewell and went to bed, spirit light with fond memories just made. Twilight trotted off to the castle library, while Celestia was left with a “free day”. She’d informed the castle staff that she intended to take a personal day, but after an hour or so of light reading the Princess became bored and restless. That same fiery energy that enabled her to lead vast armies and rouse whole lands to her banner in olden days still burned.

So it was back to ruling, and making appearances, and signing orders. But that was all over for today.

Twilight placed down her cup of water, using the lull in pleasant conversation as an opportunity to title the newest page in her book. With her big violet eyes shining, the winged unicorn gazed up at Celestia, prepared to etch away as the first words left the alicorn’s lips.

“Right,” Celestia began, a twisted half-smile forming at her mouth, “I should get to it, then.”

Almost by habit, Celestia placed her hoof over the little silver necklace she always wore, fiddling with the ancient sun cross. A wave of unease and hesitation found the solar diarch. She was stalling; she knew where the story was. There had been much unpleasantness thus far...time to dive back into those hostile waters.

“There we stood: myself, Luna, and our Uncle, along with the three leaders of the Great Horde. Before our eyes was a sight that had not graced this world for millennia; a fell being bonded in flesh that had shattered the very foundations of civilization in his day.

“It slithered, it writhed. It cackled and grinned. A whole world set before it, before Discord, a being that saw all creation as mere entertainment. A cruel child playing cruel games, yet wielding a power only those of the soberest discipline should have the right to.”

Twilight didn’t blink as she wrote down her notes. She didn’t speak or interrupt or even lay in a snide comment. A growing sense of both dread and anticipation squeezed her heart. Discord had been malicious when Twilight had met him—in that brutish age of Celestia’s prime, what sort of monster could he have been?

“At the moment Discord was freed from the depths of the underworld, no longer a mere wraith of passive influence, the War for Harmony had begun. How it could be won…none of us knew. A god had emerged and declared for our enemies. The ponies of Equestria had no such aid. Allfather did not come; the champion of the gods Lionheart did not come to finish what he’d started in the myths.

“Nor even did the Alicorn God, that peculiar formless and nameless concept, raze the sea or crack the earth as it had done in our stories. And as I looked into Discord’s eyes, I realized…what could mere mortals do against a god who had existed longer than the ground I stood upon?

“What hope was left for us?”

*――――――――――S――――――――――*

The serpentine fiend hovered over the plaza, surveying what was to become the epicenter of its new dominion. Touching down with nothing but the dainty sound of his claws hitting stone, Discord spread out his mismatched arms wide and proud to receive the adulations of a thousand devotees.

It had been quite the journey, but after so many tortured souls selflessly gave their precious flesh, Discord could finally feel the ground beneath his feet. He relished each slow, plodding step as he awaited the impending cheers for his glorious return.

He paused, raising an eyebrow. A snap of bird-like fingers caused his ears to grow large; had voices become higher in the millennia he’d been gone from the mortal world? A few moments later he discovered that they had in fact not. Discord frowned, taking note of the six individuals cowering before him.

Quite the welcome: a large minotaur and five little ponies. Discord rolled his asymmetrical eyes, “Where is everyone?”

The voice wasn’t laced with a cold brooding tone, but instead an affable and jovial sort. The six were thrown aback by the unexpected turn. A dread god was envisioned to be a tad more…covered in blood? Wrapped in iron chains? Wielding unfathomable horrors? They did not know how to think…

“I did not disappoint, I hope,” Discord added, arms crossed and foot tapping.

None responded. Frustrated, the great Draconequus leaned in closer to the minotaur. A slight tremble captured the bull. Discord curled his index finger and let go, thumping King Aurýx on the head like a misbehaved child. “I find your behavior very rude.”

Aurýx immediately dropped to his knees, groveling with a mark of humility heretofore thought incapable of the minotaur. “Forgive me, Great Discord!”

“Hmmmm…,” the fell god replied, stroking his chin, “I’m not sure. Your crimes warrant a fitting punishment. Should I burn you at the stake?” A snap of his fingers, and a wooden stake appeared over a fire pit, Discord holding a lit torch. “Or flay you alive?” A second click and he instead was holding a giant razor blade. “Ooooh, how about boiling??” and a clap signaled a bubbling black cauldron of pitch sitting before the minotaur, its immense heat radiating harshly onto his skin.

Shaking, terrified, and utterly without words, Aurýx was about to lose all his composure. Then Discord dispersed the conjured pot and burst into a giant guffaw. A forceful smack to the bull’s back knocked him over. As he hobbled back to a kneeling position, the shrunken king let out nervous laughter.

“We all went through a lot of trouble for me to be here tonight; how about that welcoming?” The minotaur nodded and grabbed the signaling horn hanging from his belt. He blew in it, and the sound alerted the warriors now comfortably in their lodgings for the night. A second boom, and they began to wander outwards into the area of the plaza.

Minotaurs, mustangs, thestrals, zebras, and even dragons all marched in, clad in a panoply of adornments and equipment. Most had been roused from their slumber, and could not have been more irritated. Low grumbles and faint complaints whisked about, dozens asking in their manifold tongues what had prompted this disturbance.

The queries and frustrations died when the horde wandered into that open plaza, presented by the towering sight of something none had ever seen before. A thousand brisk paces cooled to a lumbering awe. When the first ranks reached their leaders kneeling before the newly-retrieved god, they followed the gesture, and like a wave the warriors moved forward and then low, showing due reverence to their begotten Deliverer.

Giddy, Discord smiled widely at the love and appreciation he was being shown. Unable to contain his excitement, the god clapped his hands together and began giggling. “Thank you so much for joining us tonight!” he spoke in a curiously sincere tone, “I’m sure you must all be rather confused.”

Snapping all his fingers in a bizarre cascade that should have been impossible, Discord acquired a new outfit. An earth green minstrel’s costume covered his long winding body, complete with giant pleated trousers, jingly shoes, and a gaudy hat with an oversized feather. A clap later, and he conjured up a golden lyre, wholly different and unique from the kind any had seen before.

Instead of a simple frame tied with strings, Discord’s lyre by conviction had to curve and curl and twist upwards into a ridiculous parody of instrument-craft. The strings too could not simply travel down one end of the frame to the other; instead they had to draw shapes and patterns. Discord began to strum it, producing a sweet progression of notes that exemplified the good theory of concordant music.

That would not do. Wiggling his fingers into the strings, Discord caught a few and began to twirl them into proper tune. He then split his avian fingers like the branches of a tree, and once more tangled them about and began plucking. The resulting “melody” lacked all manner of harmony or rhythm. It could only be described as a terribly unpleasant noise, yet Discord played on with the same composed and dignified expression of a musician of far higher talent.

He cleared his throat, “This is a little something I’ve had prepared for a long time, and I hope you all enjoy it.” And thus he began to sing.

I’ve really lost count, over these many years,
Just how many days I’ve wasted in boredom and tears,

It really became too much, all the doom and the gloom,
I wanted to stretch! There was simply not enough room,” he pantomimed being trapped inside a box, the lyre still playing be itself.

But a little prick, and a little blood here and there,
A dash of magic, and I’d get to enjoy the fresh air.

And now you all have done so well,
And now I have been broken from Hell.” A line of fires erupted behind him.

So I shall be very plain,
Against hail, snow, and rain,” and precipitation fell over Discord and the immediate crowd.

You’ve all the pleasure of first sight,
To a new world of chaos and blight!

Everything you know, everything you thought was certain,
Put it away, lock it up and draw the curtain!

You’ve been all very kind, releasing me from my bonds,
And we shall go and right those wrongs,” Discord sang while broken chains hung from his wrists.

The ones who put me away,
Their children, they laugh and play,” he made a cute face, batting overly-lashed eyelids.

We give them a visit, we pay them in kind,
We break the body, we poison the mind!” The Draconequus’ singing became more forceful and violent, laced with a malice that had been repressed for ages.

We tear down their world and leave them for dead,
Tarry and watch the flames as we paint their towns red!” He conjured a brush and splattered crimson paint into the air.

Treasure and land and glory be yours,
As we cleave from here to distant shores!

Witness the dawn of a new age, you at the top!
Rape and pillage and plunder, oh you shall never stop!” Now he conjured a series of doppelgangers, all playing large brass horns along the side of the plaza.

Rules and orders, they’re things of the past,
Really, were they ever meant to last?

So know upon this rock on which I stand,
A freedom sublime shall grace this land,

From this day forth the world shall never grow bored,
Because finally unfettered and unleashed we have Discord.” The last few notes were lowered to a dark pitch and held. The serpentine hell-spawn curled his mouth into a devious smile.

“Thank you! Thank you!” he began to shout, bowing as generated roses were thrown at his feet. The copies he’d made put away their horns and began cheering and clapping. The rest of the plaza was silent.

Another snap, and his costume and copies disappeared. That smile though never did. “I’m sure you are all very anxious! Soon enough we’ll go over to Equestria and…give them a nice greeting.” Discord began to move forward, the great crowd clearing a path for His Chaotic Eminence, “Burn and steal, and kill to your heart’s content. I, the Great God of this world, give you its riches!”

He allowed some moments to pass. The horde started to ease up, now over the initial shock of this primordial entity made flesh. Random cheers popped up, soon followed by more cohesive chants.

“We’re going to have a new way of doing things,” he then looked up at the sky, “Here’s a little taste!” Clouds rolled in from nowhere, hiding what had been a crisp clear night sky. A crack of thunder, and it began to rain.

At the front of the crowd, frozen in terror and confusion, three of the five ponies Discord had noticed earlier grew increasingly apprehensive. They had stayed too long, and now that they started to process the strange creature that had crawled forth from that portal, it dawned on them the gravity of their situation.

The tallest one, Dame Wintermail, panicked internally, finding herself in the midst of the horde. If they dawdled any longer, these three alicorns would not be able to escape. “We have to leave,” she finally spoke to her two companions.

Henarion and Lady Stellara nodded. They could run forward, where the crowd wasn’t standing. Aurýx, Jasicus, and Noblesse Oblige could hopefully be distracted long enough for the alicorns to slip past. By the time they were noticed missing, enough ground could be put between them and Mareposa.

The raindrops then started to irritate Wintermail, and she arced her head upwards to the sky. A few landed upon her lips, and the taste migrated to her tongue—it wasn’t water.

“It’s raining beer?” Henarion thought aloud, spotting the crowd cheering and laughing as they got drunk on the weather. No time for fun; Stellara nudged them both by cocking her head to the side, and the alicorns lightly stepped away towards the emptier and darker portion of the city ahead.

A lone shouter caught their attention. None of the three could hear the individual’s exact words, but they seemed to be dissidence against Discord’s new regime. The fell god plucked the creature—a minotaur, from the crowd like a newborn kitten, eyeing it with his sickly misshapen eyes.

“So…you don’t want all your comrades to achieve glory and conquest?” With a condescending creak, Discord pouted, “That doesn’t seem very friendly. Let’s see what everyone else thinks.” With a meek and frankly dismissive flick he threw the minotaur back to the horde warriors. From the wrenching and screams and cracking, the bull who’d dared speak out was bludgeoned to death or ripped to shreds.

Wintermail’s pupil’s shrunk. Stellara and Henarion joined the white alicorn in full gallop. Pushing against their bruises and aches, the battle-worn ponies single-mindedly charged to their destination, lifting off shortly after beginning to hopefully not attract attention by the clopping of hooves.

Discord must have had very astute hearing. Leaping back to the site of his emergence, the serpent slithered and curled through the air and twisted into the path of the ponies. “Why in such a rush? Stop! Take a rest; enjoy the festivities!” The Draconequus snapped his clawed fingers and produced three goblets, each decorated with some horrid macabre face of agony.

First smiling widely, like a longtime friend, Discord’s grin vanished when he bothered to take a closer look. The goblets immediately exploded into metal shards and spilled drink. Raising an eyebrow he inched his head closer to the largest pony. “Alicorns?”

Wintermail hovered in the air, frozen as nothing had even in deepest winter. “I’m…very surprised there are still some of you left.” Disappearing, Discord reappeared back at the plaza, using his body like a giant shovel to push the three apparent leaders of the horde forward. A minotaur king, a mustang chieftain, and a rogue Equestria prince all once again met the visages of their hated alicorn rivals.

Discord stood between the two groups, tapping his foot, “Fine job. I believe one of the tasks I relayed to your acolytes was to wipe out the alicorns. Oh they get under my skin!” Hearing no response or excuses, Discord leaned forward into the intimate personal space of Aurýx, “Weeeeell??”

“They are a stubborn race,” Noblesse Oblige blurted out, boring his red eyes into Wintermail. “This shall be quick,” he then drew his newly-acquire blade Hordebreaker—perhaps in need of a different name.

Aurýx, though still reeling from the first round of combat, took up his glaive and snorted, “I will take more than her horn this time!” Wintermail trembled silently, unsure if she could fight again, and against this new hell-spawn.

“You seem angry,” Discord teased, seeing the minotaur was missing one of his horns. A mocking chortle escaped his chest, punctuated by the chimera clutching his sides, “Don’t tell me; she did that to you? An alicorn? One of this dispossessed, landless, paltry peasant race managed to harm a mighty King?”

Remembering the new hierarchy, Aurýx knelt to his new god, “I ask your permission to kill those alicorns.”

Prince Noblesse copied the gesture, “As do I.”

Discord furrowed his bushy brow, then looked at the mustang, “What about you?”

Jasicus took a time to answer, focusing his eyes on the alicorns, “I’ve no bad blood against them, but you are my Lord.”

“Hmmm…this must mean a lot to you both, eh?” Discord giggled, “Alicorns, you’re free to go!”

The six others gaped in disbelief, none more than the three flying above. Discord continued to laugh, “Go now, and let everypony know all the fun and joy we’re going to bring to your country!”

What?? No! You cannot let them leave!” Noblesse Oblige’s voice erupted, his face lost to malice and hatred, “If—“

An agonizing scream left the unicorn’s lips when Discord pointed a finger at him and let loose a bolt of lightning, “Do not interrupt me.” Blowing out his smoking talon, Discord resumed, “Tell your princes and all your little ponies that I’ve come to stay. Close those shutters, latch those doors; I have quite the entourage right here, and they’ll be headed your way,” he practically impaled Wintermail with a poke to her belly. She had to cough and reorient herself in flight.

“Equestria’s age is over, the days numbered. This world belongs to me now,” he conjured a large piece of paper, a faux deed to the Earth, “And I think I need to make it more homely. Now go! Tell them what glorious future awaits! Oh big changes are coming, and they cannot be stopped!

As he cackled to himself, the alicorns still stayed put. Discord shooed them with a materialized broom. They fled like frightening birds, cheeping and fluttering away. As they became smaller in his vision, Discord managed a few final words, “But I’m in a good mood tonight! So rest assured that you’ll be around long enough to see the final gasp of your decrepit, vestigial sort! That’s a Discord promise!” The Draconequus rolled over in a fit of laughter more hearty than had been seen before.

Once done, he stepped down on the ground beside his new lieutenants. Prince Noblesse mustered the courage to speak up. “My Lord, great…Divinity, the Chaotic,” he spoke waveringly.

“Mmmmyes?” Discord replied, taking more interest in his nails than the unicorn.

“If I may…”

Discord stopped and leaned in close to Noblesse, “Get on with it.”

“I think it…misguided that we let them go. I our element of surprise—“

“Oh I love surprises!” A small wooden box then appeared in front of Noblesse, out popping a paper dragon in a myriad of colors. The Prince felt his heart stop. Discord then pushed the dragon back into the box and pulled a section of his brown furry chest out, somehow revealing a pocket that he stuffed the box into. “Sometimes, though, that isn’t the right course.”

A clap later and the Prince found himself tied to a large wall, limbs spread out. A panic setting in, he wrestled with his bonds. Discord cleared his throat, “Now take for instance if I were to distract you with idle talk, and eventually engage you. You’d eventually become easy, and know there’s no harm here. Right?” The unicorn nodded as the dread god traveled behind the wall.

“And consider while I’ve got your attention, a couple little hands appeared,” Noblesse felt his head being cupped by such things. Discord’s voice lowered to a sinister quiet, “And I were to simply…snap.” The Prince’s heart was now pounding. The serpent squeezed with slight pressure, but soon let up. “It’d be quick, unexpected…a surprise.

Moving to the front of his plaything, Discord stepped away and watched Noblesse continue to struggle. “But, if I just left you there, and told you someday I’d crack your neck…how would you feel? You cannot move and you cannot run away. All you can do is thrash and scream and shout…as that day becomes closer and closer.”

Noblesse now gazed at his new ruler, eyes filled with absolute horror. As he trembled, Discord kept the same look of reserved poise, like that of a university lecturer. “Tomorrow? Next week? A month? Who could say? Maybe I wake up in a poor mood, or perhaps you start taking up too much space. Or maybe I just get bored.”

Gracefully slithering through the air, Discord closed the distance with the unicorn. Then a snap, and the wall and bonds vanished. “Understand?”

All four hooves on the ground, free to move as their owner dictated, Noblesse simply nodded and craned his neck downwards. An uncomfortably long time passed while the humbled princeling regained his composure.

Discord didn’t pay attention; he instead starred at the night sky, thinking to himself how it could be improved. Still…a nagging thought kept bothering him. He looked down at the plaza stone, tapping his single hoof. “Although,” he mused, cupping his mouth, “Perhaps I did let them leave a little too easily. I think they deserve a little parting gift.” A toothy, deranged smile shined from the plaza, and Discord leapt off as his comical wings caught the wind and propelled him forth. How rude a host who does not give his guests a token of his hospitality!

King Aurýx, Warchief Jasicus, and Prince Noblesse all watched their new master depart. The minotaur observed with a cruel grin of his own, tightly clutching the long alabaster horn he’d won in fair combat. The two ponies, one earth the other unicorn, possessed however far more anxious dispositions. They exchanged fearful glances. For the remainder of the night, and some nights thereafter, they would ponder what exactly they had done to achieve their goals.

What sort of blood pact had been signed, and what sort of mercenary had they bought?

*――――――――――S――――――――――*

A dense fog covered the expanse beyond Mareposa, clouding all but the nearest proximity of the three travelers. They found themselves now cloaked in the silver mist, the blackness of night the only thing discernible past what little the moonlight illuminated.

No landmarks, no sight of the river or city; nothing to navigate by—even the stars provided no help hidden by the dark clouds. The chill of night too had set in. Wisps of hot breath left the Wintermail’s snout.

She paused and looked down at her feet. The only thing to be seen with certainty was the dirt beneath her hooves; where now were they to go? The breach through the walls they’d entered was on the west side. Which meant where the alicorns had flow over was the southern side. And as they’d been traveling a straight line since, then to the left would be east—if they journeyed far enough in that direction sooner or later the trio would reach Equestria.

“This way,” Wintermail said, trudging bravely through the mist. It was cold, but with no wind their cloaks and fur coats sufficed enough. Yet as they trotted further and further, the air grew colder; almost unnaturally so. The grass around them soon formed small bits of frost. Winter had ended…this fog was the work of magic; not of a pegasus sort however. The fog became thicker. “Stay close,” Wintermail commanded, telekinetically drawing her companions closer.

More and more they walked, but the fog only turned more opaque. “He’s hunting us,” Henarion said with a grimace. Wintermail could not have looked more frightened. She turned her head left for reassurance from Stellara; something like a smile from her baby sister, anything to give her mind something happy to focus on.

There was no such sight. Wintermail’s heart plummeted—nothing but a blanket of pale grey. Stellara was gone, and not a sound had signaled her departure. “Taby?” the white pony called out, terror piercing itself into her spirit. No answer. “Taberanyn!” she shouted; if this were some juvenile prank… “Lady Stellara! Now is not the time!” Nothing.

Wintermail turned back to her right to speak with her uncle. A realty contemplated but not accepted then made itself irrefutable: Henarion was gone too. The fog was now so thick when the mare looked down her hooves were lost in the shroud. If she could not feel them, Wintermail would have been certain they’d disappeared as well.

The Knight was now trapped, confined in a wall-less prison. “Henarion! Uncle! Taby! Anypony!” No responses greeted her, and a slight tear ran down her cheek. Alone and lost, Wintermail stood helpless, no doubt being stalked by a manic fell spirit. Isolated and despondent, she’d be easy prey.

Then a nagging voice, ever-present in her mind, spoke up. Blood of Kings and iron-willed, Nikóleva could not give in. She had a mission here, and now was the time to complete it. Dame Wintermail would bat away this accursed fog, find her family, and bring them back home. She’d sworn an oath to the Alicorn God, in view of her Sovereign Lord—this could never be reneged.

First, however, she needed a moment to think. After crashing her foreleg into a nearby rock and belting out a series of curses, Wintermail decided to use the stone was a resting spot. Having overcome the trembling in her bosom, the alicorn released a heavy sigh. Then, closing her eyes the mare remembered a spell that might come in handy.

The action generated in her mind’s eye, her long white horn glowed yellow and released its energy, curling with the loose moisture of the fog. The shroud began to recede, and once again Wintermail felt comfortable enough seeing the immediate several feet beyond her person.

The alicorn jerked her head back, a sharp pain digging into her forehead. The spell was abandoned and the mist returned in great force. Rubbing her ache, Wintermail sneered—an uncommon and powerful magic controlled this fog.

“I have to get out of here,” Wintermail thought out loud.

“Oh…but I’d miss you,” a creaky voice cooed. The alicorn gasped and rose to battle. She drew her sword, and spun around in a slow but constant fashion, trying to catch any sight of her foe. Eónadin’s blade glowed bright white, and she could feel the magic pining for release.

“There won’t be any need for that,” the voice continued in a pale echo, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

“Show yourself!”

“You wouldn’t play nice. That’s a pretty trick you’ve done there; an alicorn blade?” Wintermail growled, still checking her surroundings. Soon a measure of the mist retreated again, forming a circle around the mare. A spot of it swirled together into shapes, then to resemble the face of that fiend Discord. A low din of a laugh accompanied his crooked smile, “And why would you want to leave?”

Wintermail slashed her great sword across the misted face, but only a puff of air followed. Another appeared as easily as the first. Discord’s avatar raised an eyebrow, “Here I am trying to have a nice civil conversation, and you try to cleave my head in two! I just regenerated my face, and I’d like it to last at least a couple hundred years.”

Taking stance, the knight gnashed her teeth, “Where are they?”

“The other ‘Triple-Kin’? Around…getting a break from somepony so serious.”

“Bring them back to me, and we’ll be on our way. If you’re truly as polite as you like to think, you’d do this courtesy.”

Discord smiled widely and leaned his mist-form closer, “Oh I am. And it would be most inappropriate to interrupt their ‘soul-searching’.” He fluttered conjured fingers about to dazzle the mare. “Perhaps you could stand to do some of your own.”

She remained unamused. Discord eyed her further with those misshapen orbs set in his skull, “You wish to stop me, right? What did I ever do to you? I even let you go.”

Wintermail was caught off guard by the comment, but recalled her mettle. “You’re…Discord, the spirit of chaos. You’ve set a marauding horde against my homeland. I think I understand well enough what your coming means, and as an upholder of the law and justice, I cannot allow you and your ilk to wreak such havoc over Equestria.”

Discord groaned, “So high and mighty. Typical alicorns; so absolute, so self-assured. You’re an intolerant bunch, decrying heresy against any god that isn’t your precious jealous ‘unseen and unknowable’ deity. How do you think that makes me feel?” he pouted, pressing a hand to his serpent’s chest.

“I think it makes you want to usurp Lórian.”

“Hah!” A burst of mist revealed the true Discord in his earthly vessel, “That old stuffy god can have its clouds and angels and…vague somethings. I don’t want to rule.” Wintermail kept starring at him, not liking any of his words but still choosing to listen.

“Too many taxes,” he said, conjuring a small coin chest and stacks of books, “And dull court sessions of listening to boring, uninteresting peasants complaining about they’re boring, uninteresting lives,” he sat on a broad throne dressed in regalia, half asleep with his head resting on his lion’s arm. It all went away, and he curled upwards into the air with shocking enthusiasm, “No! What I want is a world where we don’t have to deal with being bored! All these rules and regulations and orders and ‘go there’ and ‘do this’…we don’t need that.”

He leaned in closer, mindful of the sword she wielded, “Tell me, alicorn; if you could nap or drink all day, wouldn’t you do it?”

Wintermail thought for moment and the grinned, “I rather enjoy my position and purpose. I tend to become restless when idle.”

Discord started to laugh, “Oh of course! ‘Purpose’! Every pony, every bird in the sky, every fish in the ocean, every pebble in the dirt…it all has a place in the grand design of the alicorn god!” The Draconequus sneered, “But woe betides he who steps out of bounds.”

He spotted the small silver necklace Wintermail wore, “Why do you wear this?” She immediately placed a hoof over it; Discord smiled. “You praise a god that destroyed your kind? The alicorns are a dying race, all because they dared to strive for more than they’d been settled with.”

The alabaster mare furrowed her brow, “They grew proud and cruel. Their greed and lust for power forced God’s hand.”

“Is that right? Did that blessed isle sink when they enslaved their enemies? Was it sunk when they wiped out civilization after civilization? The greater dragons were far older, but even their age didn’t win them any mercy.” Discord’s speech was now vicious and biting, “Your people ravaged the world and its inhabitants for millennia, and what did your god do?”

Wintermail gave no answer.

“Sit high in his cushy little heavenly kingdom. Only when ponies outgrew such an indolent king, and threatened his lofty comforts, did he act. What can you say to that?”

She gulped and breathed quickly, pressing harder on her necklace. Oséo Yenemë, Oséo Maiënucanemë, Oséo Oncasnatosemë. “Nothing.”

“Because you can’t argue it. All I want to do is break the chains, and you want to remain shackled.”

No. No; Wintermail would not allow his trickery to break her. Her word was her bond, and she was a servant of Canterlot, a defender of the innocent and meek. And Discord threatened the security knights and guards like her fought for.

Discord watched her face as she wrestled with her thoughts. From unsurety to realization to resolve, he could tell she was of a stronger sort. He cracked his knuckles, “Hmmm…well whoever your lord is, he must be very pleased to have somepony as loyal and acquiescent as you. It seems I can’t dissuade you from fighting against the one who’s trying to liberate you. But what can one do?”

He feigned leaving and opened a door made out of the mist, “I suppose you should go gather your friends.” He stopped, grinning evilly while Wintermail could not see his face, “On second thought, better let me do it; such a sensitive matter needs a...certain finesse.” Her eyes gave it away. Discord knew the type, she was like an egg—a strong hard shell; crack it, and the gooey vulnerable yolk dribbles out into a puddle.

He turned around, swimming eel-like through the air. “You’re a powerful warrior, aren’t you? Vanquishing the big monsters must be second-nature to you, yea? The mighty White Alicorn with her magical blade and spells cannot be assailed!” he bellowed in a grand herald’s voice.

“Big things can be solved easily, right? Yet…the little things, maybe they tend to get away from you,” Discord was now swirling behind her, groaning voice right beside her ear. “They are so hard to see, sometimes they seem of little importance, right?” He rose, putting some distance between them, “But little things can mean so much to the ones we love. You’re large and clumsy; stick with the big matters.”

Wintermail was tired of his endless self-aggrandizing soliloquies. She pulsed magic into her blade and slash at the fiend, missing by a mere hair.

“Oh ho! Careful now. With a temper like that, no wonder they took a break from you.” The mare’s face was growing angrier and angrier; right where he wanted her. She enflamed her sword with magic fire.

Discord simply snapped his fingers and brought into the world a long stick, capped with an apple he began roasting over the fiery weapon. “How many promises have you broken? How many ponies let down by your lack of self-control?”

Her rage built up further. Another slash and a wail of fury, this time sending a lob of fire at Discord. He twisted his long body into a circle, and let the fireball pass through the opening. He then rang a gong and laughed. “How many?” an aggressive shout asked, “of those you pretend to love have you hurt?”

That most painful regret bored its way to the surface, flashing each terrible image in her mind for all her conscience to behold. Her will wavered, and the fire died out. Wintermail’s breaths became sharper, and her eyes reddened.

“No...I’ve made mistakes, but…I’ve done right by them,” she muttered, more to herself than Discord. “She loves me, and I love her—we’re sisters.”

The Draconequus wrung his hands together with a sadistic giddiness, “You think you could ever make up for them? Ponies hold grudges, it’s their nature. And for somepony as impulsive as you? Everypony starts so patient, but eventually that runs out.”

Wintermail looked up, her eyes swollen. Taby…had forgiven her, right? Why was this even a question?

“After all, how much mercy is in your heart?” Like an arrow through the chest, Discord’s final statement pierced deep. He was right. Wintermail fell to her knees, a loathsome despair taking hold. If Taberanyn still held resentment, could Nikóleva blame her? And to make matters worse, she’d dragged along her sister to this den of monsters, where very likely they could still meet their end.

For what? Some vainglorious quest to validate herself in the eyes of lords? A way to prove she was worthy of her own bloodline?

“Well like I was saying, I’ll go retrieve your friends. Stay here, and try not to break anything.” Discord then bolted off into the mist, cackling all the way. And Wintermail did stay there, feeling smaller than ever before. Once again she was a mere peasant girl, playing games she did not understand, in way past her depth.

An empty ache filled her chest. Had she simply stayed away, her sister and uncle could be living peacefully at their homestead. Henarion could raise his son and love his wife, and Taby could find a husband and settle a family of her own. Even when trying to do right, Wintermail only brought her loved ones out here to the most dangerous place in the world, and put them right in the midst of a spirit who valued their lives like discarded toys.

For the past year Wintermail felt she’d grown a great deal, learning more about herself and her abilities; slowly turning her youthful arrogance into a more mature confidence. But lying upon the ground, she asked herself a poignant question: had she really?

*――――――――――S――――――――――*

“Nikól! Henarion!” A dark blue alicorn called out in the fog, growing ever more uneasy in this bleak landscape. Quite a while she’d wandered about this surreal place, certainly not of a mundane devising. She’d called out her sister and uncle’s names to no avail before, and nothing much suggested this time would be any different.

Lady Stellara sighed; What was this all for? Had Discord released them only to murder them out here in the wild, isolated and afraid? To be sure, it’d be good sport, all the better being cruel. Another soft crunch of frosted grass, and Stellara walked further through the shroud, picking her direction on a mere whim.

But then, a dark spindling shape broke through the mist. A dead tree, its naked branches creaking in the chilling wind. Stellara frowned; trees deserved to be lush and full, a pure expression of nature’s beauty. Old pines were her favorite, kept their needles—kept their green. Approaching the blackened trunk, she knocked a hoof against the crumbling bark. Dry and hollow, probably infested. Well, it’d burn easily, and she could use a warm fire.

The sound of rushing water then caught her ears, and not far from the tree the land descended down to the bank of a wide river that once gave Mareposa life. Coming to the edge, Stellara dipped her hooves in the water and splashed a measure on her face. Levitating out a small cloth from her pack, the alicorn removed some of the dirt and dried blood.

The water was deep blue and clear; had the stars been out tonight they’d shimmer spectacularly on the surface. She took her canteen and dipped it. Stellara drank down the water, feeling almost like she had been dying of thirst. Satisfied for now, she refilled the canteen for later and replaced the cork.

Still standing at the river, she could not help but see her reflection. In it Stellara gazed at a bruised and rough alicorn, lost and frightened. This journey hadn’t gone like she’d hoped, but then again what exactly had she expected? She’d gone along to look after her sister, but Nikóleva was a knight, a trained soldier. Lady Stellara had only gotten her position at court by virtue of her bloodline, which six months ago she hadn’t even known about!

“What a fool I’ve been…,” she murmured, running a hoof through her disheveling mane.Some small pebbles and dirt still found their homes in between the strands of hair. Her eyes were sore and her body ached…she could light a fire with the dried wood of the tree and rest for the night. She let out a sardonic laugh; maybe the fog would clear by morning?

But if she worried about Henarion and Nikóleva, Lórian knew they could only feel the same concern ten-fold. She couldn’t give up now—she’d just taken a break, and it was just about over.

“Where have they gone?” she mused out loud, looking around at the same utterly dull fog.

“They’re already a couple leagues away.” Stellara practically jumped from her skin. Slowing her panicked heart, she turned around and spotted something reclining on the branches of the tree. Like a grand loafing cat, Discord was perched atop the upper reaches of the tree, his scaly tail waggling about.

Resting his head on his lion’s paw, the chaos god smiled, “You just missed them; already set out eastwards.”

Stellara drew Ailéránen and Nocadecoë, ready to tear into this “draconequus”.

“I see you’re a mare who appreciates the finer, pointier things.” Discord kept that smug grin.

“Do not lie to me; I’m in no mood for your games!” Stellara watched him, looking for the slightest reason…the slimmest cause.

“’Lie’? No, my dear: they’re gone.” Before the blue pony could retort or curse or say something “brave”, Discord mimed pulling on a thick cord—a cord connected right to Stellara’s head.

The alicorn belted when the sharp pain erupted from the center of her skull. It felt like a terrible pressure was trying to cave in her head, and blinded with pain she slashed her weapons out, trying to catch her tormentor.

“Just…let it happen!” Discord grunted, yelping when the edge of one of her blades caught his arm. It was too small and shallow to worry about, and sealed up within seconds. Meanwhile the pretend cord he’d been yanking on became a very real tendril of pale blue light. He drew more of it from Stellara’s mind, wrapping it up like gate chain.

The last of it came up, and the tendril finally separated from her head. She collapsed to the ground, left heaving and drying the slight tears on her cheek. She looked at Discord, eyes filled with fury.

“What?? I was just getting to know you, but without all that dreadful…talk.” The tendril was condensed into a ragged book, one that Discord then set about flipping through, “Interesting…hmm…oh that’s a good one!”

Taking her weapons once again, she flashed her already-strained magic and sneered, “Where are they? And no riddles!”

“Dear, put those away: you could hurt somepony.” Discord then closed the book and snapped his fingers to make it vanish, “And I don’t know what you want from me. They are gone! Left! Departed! Elsewhere.

Stellara kept staring brutally, ready to pounce at any moment.

“I know she’s your sister, and sisters stick together.” Discord knowing that, and perhaps even more things about her only enraged Stellara further. “But…she’s also a knight, with a liege; sent on a mission. And it’s her responsibility to report back as soon as possible.”

“She’d a spare a moment.”

“Really? Because I am pretty great; she’s probably at full gallop to tell her lord all about me!” Discord slithered off the tree and laughed, rolling backwards in the air. He stopped suddenly, and his eyes became dead of feeling or mirth. “Though, I know I’d leave somepony behind who got lost while they were right beside me.”

“Because of you!” Stellara shouted, taking a swing at Discord—it missed.

“Oh it’s the weather; you know how unpredictable wild weather can be out here—it‘s why I love it so much!”

“I doubt you can feel love for anything but yourself,” Stellara quipped.

Discord touched on the ground and placed his hands on his hips, “You’re right, and it is a selfish love ponies like you could only dream of.” He stroked his chin, “Although…maybe I could grow to find some affection for that sister of yours.” He conjured a small image of the Wintermail, posed in battle and sword drawn, “Look at her: tall, strong, cunning, and simply…delightful to behold.”

A small vial popped into existence, and Discord splashed its contents onto his fingers before dabbing it on his neck, “Think I have a chance?”

Stellara now felt nauseous, and a small crawling sensation on her back. “Don’t speak of her like that.”

Discord perked up, looking like his interest had gone elsewhere, “Hmm? Oh don’t worry, you’re nice in your own…way. You have a…homely look to you, with a cute name: ‘Little Moon’. You are like…a lesser, more approachable version of her.”

The pony took a deep breath, “I will find them myself.”

“You won’t.” he grinned, “You’re a grown mare; they probably assumed you could find your way back. Oooor they figured you were dead weight; can’t say I blame them.”

“I’m capable enough to trounce you.” Flaring her wings, Lady Stellara hovered in the air, weapons ready to drink the fell god’s blood.

“Like you were back in that cave, all those years ago?” The mare froze, knowing exactly what he was referring to. “Against those diamond dogs? Your sister had it well under control, but you just had to be there.”

A tear dripped from her eye. He knew her life now; that violating, disgusting procedure had made her secrets bare.

“Then, like now you felt needed, but we both really know why you went. And what did it get you?” Stellara recalled those painful memories, things she’d buried deep down. Discord came in close, fanged mouth just inches away from her ear, “You, alone with those curs, completely, utterly—“

Stellara shrieked, and a bright bolt of blue magic shot from her horn, catapulting Discord into the dirt. Her breaths were now quick and erratic.

Discord groaned, smoldering but otherwise undamaged. He rose back up and dusted his fur, “No wonder she left; the Wintermail probably figured you’d be a liability. She wanted to see the world, and all you could do was cut down trees.”

Darting ahead, Stellara flew straight at Discord, slashing both weapons. He narrowly escaped losing some important part of his anatomy. “I understand; I have my own older sibling. My brother; probably heard of him, or seen statues or heard stories. I play one prank on him, and it’s the only thing anypony ever talks about.”

A vile smirk then cursed his lips, “Though, I admit I never killed my mother.”

The blue alicorn stopped, falling down a foot to the ground. A blank stare crossed her face, her eyes unfocused and wavering. “I…I never did that…”

“Pity, really; she loved you enough to go through all the trouble and pains of birthing. And how do you repay her? You murdered her!” he exclaimed, towering over the filly, cackling as he prodded and picked.

Stellara shook her head, raising a hoof to hide her tears, “That’s not what happened.”

“They had something good, just the three of them. And you come and tear that family asunder! I’m really proud of that, actually; I couldn’t wreak that much havoc if I tried!”

“Stop…please,” a quiet sob now came from little Taby.

“Your sister was glad to be rid of you back then—she’s happy to be rid of you now. All you’ve ever done, all you ever can do, is get in the way. How can you be anything more than a shadow, when you even disappear in the dark?” With a cruel swiftness Discord put out the immediately light with thick clouds above. And sure enough the alicorn turned invisible in purest night.

His misshapen, sickly yellow eyes glowed now, and he slithered closer to the crying mare, her head buried in the dirt. Lost to sorrow, this so broken mare was too precious…delicious even. An evil, toothy smile went unknown in the dark, “Good night, Tabóna, because your dreams are the closest you shall ever reach to being somepony special.”

And just for fun, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. He savored the salt of her tears, and receded back into the black mist, his low laugh becoming dimmer and dimmer.

Even after ages of wasting away in the gloomy, miserable pit of Tartarus, Discord hadn’t lost his touch.