//------------------------------// // A Fated Meeting // Story: A Forgotten Past // by Protocol //------------------------------// A Fated Meeting Cassandra awoke in the dead of night. The cold, night breeze chilled through to her bones as she gritted her teeth, marching onwards to the top of the tower. Making her way up the spiral staircase, Cassandra felt tired of these events. How many times had she gone through this exact same routine? How many raids on the ponies' villages had her father made her observe? Yet… she had no choice. She was, after all, going to become queen of the changelings, one day. Her father, Obsidian, had called this 'training' for the young princess. Cassandra rolled her eyes at that. It was no secret that the king delighted in watching others suffer, and wanted to raise Cassandra to be the same. Making her way into the viewing platform, the changeling heard her father's voice call out to her. "Ah, Cassandra! You've arrived. Why don't you have a seat?" Obsidian's voice was filled with ecstasy as he motioned for his daughter. The king impatiently turned his gaze back outside. "Come on, Cassandra, it's about to start. You don’t want to miss this, do you?" "No, father," she said, without any particular feeling in her voice. She sat down on the chair next to her father and looked outside. From there, the two could see a village of ponies close by, and a squadron of changelings lying in its outskirts. Obsidian shot a green bolt of sparkling magic into the air, and it lit up the night sky for a small moment as it exploded, signaling the beginning of the end. The cluster of the black creatures dispersed into smaller groups, each targeting a different house. It was a sight Cassandra had seen countless times before. The darkness of the night would provide perfect cover for the invaders. The ponies wouldn't suspect a thing as the changelings charged into their town. Tonight would end the same way as countless others had. Tonight, there would be no survivors. A thunderstorm may not have been such a cheerful occasion for some who enjoyed a more docile day. Not for Discord. The lone wanderer had stumbled upon lightning, and to him, it was the finest form of entertainment. Catching glimpse of a cloud spewing electricity, he had tried to produce a spark from his claws, succeeding with a spectacular outcome. The resulting phenomena was a display of red, a current of crimson branches shooting forth with unparalleled power. Amidst the red sky, Discord stood in solitude, a madman’s grin spread across his face. A crack of the crimson whip set the ground ablaze, engulfing the plant life in tongues of flame. A stray bolt of lightning whizzed its way towards a small brown house. With a flash of red and a resounding crack, the main support pillar gave way, making the flimsy structure lose all of its stability. The walls caved in as the building imploded, collapsing in on its own burning remains. Yet as all this went on, Discord failed to notice, drunk off power and excitement. What startled him out of his hysteric stupor was a shriek that pierced the night sky. The sorrow in the voice was unmistakable, brought to life by a weeping child. A scrawny figure in the scorched earth, unmoving near a pile of stone and wood. The wreckage obviously held a significant item to the boy, as he could be seen sifting through the debris. This scene was very interesting for Discord to watch. Maybe I should help him out a little bit. Channeling the chaotic energy, Discord snapped his fingers as he twisted reality to his will. The pile of rubble was now restored in its former glory, forming a house in the blink of an eye. Out from the structure, the boy's father walked out, dazed and disoriented. The small colt rushed forward to greet him with a hug, relief overcoming his features as his father's safety was assured. What little part of his face that could be seen was buried in the parent's coat, tears smearing drying themselves in the ruffled fur. Discord drifted down towards the pair of ponies. They were nothing like what he'd seen so far. These new creatures were not only living beings, they seemed to be able to speak a language that he strangely recognized. The father saw a strange being approaching. As his memory jogged itself, he remembered the last sight he had experienced. A creature that spewed lightning from its fingertips. A demon. "Stay back!" he shouted in panic. He stood poised in defense, ready to protect his kin to the extent of his abilities. "Wait, dad!" This time, the young one spoke. "He's the one that saved us! He may have caused the lightning, but he also fixed everything afterwards," he commented. Confused, the father's neck swiveled around as he took in the surroundings. Sure enough, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The green pastures and their home's unharmed walls gave away no sign of the carnage that had transpired. The pony's mouth hung open in disbelief. just WHAT exactly had happened here? "What are you?" he asked, eyes filled with bewilderment. "Discord." he replied, still eyeing the two creatures in front of him. "I am Discord. Tell me, what kind of animal are you two?" The son popped out from behind his parent, speaking excitedly. "We're ponies! Thank you for saving us and our home, mister Discord." Another new word. "Home? What is a 'home'?" "Home is the place where you live. It's the one place you belong in, no matter what!" he beamed. "Where's your home?" Discord replied with uncertainty. "I don't know... if I have a home. I don’t remember much, you see. Not places, people, or events." “Do you have any friends, mister?” the little pony asked. “People you spend time with and share a bond with? I’m sure they could help you remember.” Once again, Discord felt like an outcast. “Not that I know of, really.” He turned away, covering up a disheartened face. Throughout the conversation, the protective father realized that this creature was not a real threat to him and his family. Perhaps he was just like them, wanting friendship and attention. At this point, the stone faced father finally decided to open up to him. “Well, that must get very lonely, sometimes.” Discord regained his composure. “Well, who knows? I don’t have any experience in dealing with it.” "What do you plan to do from now on?" the father asked. "To be honest, I don't know," Discord replied. "I think I'll get to know this world better, satrting with the people. I'll make sure to visit once in awhile, if I can." After saying his goodbyes, Discord once again became a wanderer. As his wings whisked him away with the wind, a single thought drifted up and lingered in his mind. I never got their names. Cassandra stood in her chambers, looking over her body in the mirror. With almost no effort, she cast a layer of shapeshifting magic over her body . She had learned how to do it at the age of four, when her father had shown her the magics a changeling could perform. While shapeshifting magic was often cast aside for spells with more destructive power, Cassandra found it to be extremely useful in covert operations, such as sneaking in and out of places. The simple spell had proven its worth many times over when Cassandra used it to sneak by ponies and changelings alike with a simple disguise. “Perfect," she said to herself, as she gave a small twirl. The princess was now an exact replica of any soldier changeling, which would give her the excuse of making rounds to leave the palace. Trying to make as little sound as possible, the disguised princess opened the doors ever so slightly. Squeezing through the newly formed crevice in her chambers, Cassandra used her magic to guide the wooden panels as they slowly clicked shut. She turned around to depart from the building, when a voice rang out from behind her, stopping the princess dead in her tracks. "And just where do you think you're going?". It was Legion, captain of the militia. Cassandra knew him quite well, thanks to her father. Every day during the evening, the captain would give the day’s military reports to Obsidian. He occasionally stopped by to say hello to Cassandra, as well. She was in quite a sticky situation. Legion was under oath of loyalty to the king. If he found out about her escapades, word of it would surely reach Obsidian. She would then no doubt be facing severe reprimandation from an annoyed king. Stay in character, Cassandra told herself, as she turned to face the changeling, trying to keep her calm. Cassandra opened her mouth, and spoke in a gruff voice that was not hers. “What seems to be the problem, Captain Legion?” “The problem? Well, let’s see.” With that, the changeling slowly circled around Cassandra, throwing a few suspicious glances around her disguise. Cassandra stood frozen in place, unable to move even her eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. After walking a full circle around her, the skeptical soldier seemed satisfied. “Hmm, I guess there’s no problem here at all. You may go.” Cassandra let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Regaining her composure, she resumed her walk towards the castle’s exit. Just as he was about to leave, Legion stopped and called out once more. “Ah, one more thing, Cassandra, could you be back before dusk? I wouldn’t want to have to explain anything to your father.” Cassandra's head whipped around. Her voice reverted back, as frustration loosened her control over the disguise. "You...you knew all along, didn't you?" An amused grin crept onto Legion's face. "Please, Cassandra. I'm the captain of the militia. It's a position I wouldn't be in if I were the type of person to fall for a teenage changeling mare's childish antics. Nonetheless, the disguise was quite excellent. You might want to work on the voice a bit, though. Not many changelings have a voice that deep. Now if you were disguised as a PONY guard, however-" The monologue was cut short by a confused princess. Cassandra spoke slowly as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. "Wait, so you're NOT going to tell my father?" Legion replied back with a friendly smile. "Well, I don't particularly see why I should, as long as you return on time." Shocked, Cassandra stuttered. "W-wow, I... I don't know what to say," she told him, "I thought for sure that you would have ratted me out. I guess I may have misjudged you, Captain." Aside, she thought to herself, Loyalty might not be as frigid as I thought. "Don't mention it," he said nonchalantly. "And I guess I do come off as very strict from time to time. The military does approve of following the rules to a point where it’s set in stone. But remember, things aren't always what they appear to be." The princess took this into consideration. ”I’ll... keep that in mind. Thanks, Legion.” The changeling put on an inquisitive expression. “Which reminds me, Cassandra, why do you venture outside? This is probably what, the third time this month? You seem to have a perfectly good life back here at home. Why do you risk disrupting the peace of that lifestyle? You do realize that if Obsidian learns of this, you’ll be put through severe punishment, correct?” Taken aback, Cassandra spoke. “I... don’t understand. What do you mean?” “Cassandra, you are a princess. You enjoy the finest quality meals, surround yourself in luxury, and you don’t have to worry about the menial tasks at hand for other changelings. Yet you still insist on spending time in the ponies’ civilization, where our enemies thrive. There, you are treated as no more than a commoner. What I want to know is, what drives you to do this?” The captain gave away a hint of jealousy in his voice. Clearly, he found the lax life of royalty quite attractive. The changeling princess sighed deeply. “Legion, take a look around us. What do you see?” Legion looked to all sides, looking for something out of the ordinary. When he found nothing, the response was, “I see the castle walls. Nothing stands out, in particular.” “Exactly. This place is so... dull. Full of grey. When I look at the people, things aren’t much different. Most of them are enlisted in the army. They go on hunts and raids on the ponies’ towns and villages, seeking excitement and adventure. Which is perfectly fine for them, I suppose.” There was a pause, as Cassandra tried to find the right words. “But, it’s different for me. You see, I’ve never experienced any sort of pleasure coming from killing or watching others kill. To be quite frank, I don’t care for the stuff at all. However, the ponies are different. They’re colorful, playful, and friendly creatures. And maybe that’s just what I need in my life. A bit of color to brighten up this grey world of mine.” The changeling colt looked very intrigued. “I see,” he began, “I may not fully understand, but I think I get the general idea. Well, if it makes you happy, then I’m not going to stop you.” “That’s very nice of you. Now then, I’ll be on my way.” Cassandra trotted over to the side of the building. Climbing on top of the window ledge, she leaped into the air, wings buzzing with a low hum. Cassandra disappeared into the distance, leaving the marshal to go back to work. The gentle breeze swept through the tattered wings as Cassandra flew over the forest, approaching the village border. This place is a little quieter than I remember, she thought to herself, as the roads and houses came into view. Not a single pony was outside, giving the place an uncanny appearance of a ghost town. Out in the street, the only things she could see were the occasional insect and arachnid. Along with one more person. As Cassandra approached closer, she could make out the mismatched detail of the creature. A pony’s head, an eagle’s talon, a goat’s beard... its entire body was like a big jigsaw puzzle that a child had unsuccessfully attempted to put together. Maybe this is why nopony’s out right now, thought Cassandra. The creature whirled its head around, catching sight of her. “Halt!” she cried. “Who goes there?” The creature stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. The silent gaze appeared to hold a meaning, until it was broken with a smile and a reply. “My name is Discord.” “Cassandra,” the changeling responded. “Are you a pony as well? You seem to resemble one,” Discord commented. “No. I am a changeling,” Cassandra replied, ”We are like the ponies in some aspects, but also have our differences.” "If you are not a pony, why do you make yourself look like one of them?" he asked. "The ponies fear me for what I am. To them, all changelings are a source of mystery and darkness. Many a pony has been slaughtered by one of my kind, you see." "And have you done the same?" "No," she replied, with a note of exasperation, "But the ponies don't know that. To them, I am just another monster. These creatures... they fear the unknown. I suppose that we're all the same in that aspect, though," "I don't understand," Discord shot out. "What reason do they have to fear you if you haven’t done anything wrong?” “Sometimes, fear is not rightfully placed,” Cassandra replied, giving a smile that almost reached her eyes. “It’s probably what happened to you, isn’t it?” “Yes,” Discord replied, “When I came into town, the ponies all seemed to avoid me. Fear is truly a powerful emotion.” Cassandra imagined what his entry to the village must have been like. After a small chuckle of amusement, she “We are alike, you and I. Both shunned for what we are, feared for reasons we cannot control.” “That’s one way of putting it.” Discord gave her words some thought before speaking once more. “Cassandra, is it?” he asked. “Well, you seem to be an interesting person.” “Now do I?” she eyed the creature while giving a slight grin. The spark in her eyes was almost unnoticeable. “In fact, I think I’d like to get to know you better,” he said, while extending an open hand. “Why don’t we be friends?”