Daylight shone through the thin, scruffy curtain at the rear of the room—not that day and night meant much with Discord at the reins. Ustiarius stretched out on the floor not unlike a cat, while Starswirl rubbed his eyes and smacked his dry lips. Peering up onto the bed, it seemed that Celestia was already awake and currently reading some book that had been left in the room.
Studious as ever, the wizard thought with more than a little pride.
Wanting to know how long they had been asleep, Starswirl cast his time-keeping spell, only to realise that he had nothing to measure it against. He had never appreciated just how important raising the sun and moon on time was when you're working to a schedule. According to his spell it was a couple of hours before lunch, though how long they had actually been asleep was anypony's guess. Personally, he could do with a few more hours, but there were more important things to worry about right now, namely whether the chaos had reached them yet. Nothing appeared to be floating around the room, so it was safe to assume they were still in the clear, for the moment.
Starswirl groaned as he stood up. It had been many years since his joints were up to sleeping on hard surfaces like this, though it wasn't much worse than falling asleep at his desk, which he was no stranger to. Ah, his desk, surrounded by a wall of books in his tower... How he would miss that homely turret and its view.
“Good morning, Your Highness.” Celestia didn't reply to his salutation, though she was more likely just embroiled in her book, rather than continuing to harbour a grudge against him. Despite her currently absent attention, Starswirl spotted that Luna's mug of milk had been emptied, presumably by Celestia tending to her sister's needs while they slept. Even in dark times like these, the simple act of caring for a sibling warmed the old stallion's heart. With a smile creeping to his lips, the wizard instead turned to the stallion sprawled out on the floor. “And you, Ustiarius?”
The younger unicorn spread out his limbs with an equally stiff moan before standing. He was still sporting his recoloured brunette hair, though the obscura spell on his horn had worn off during the night. The bags under his eyes were telling, though he seemed in better shape than when they had laid down, at least.
“I've had better,” he strained, audibly cracking his lower-back as he stretched. “Sleep, that is.”
Starswirl tapped his own horn, prompting the guardspony to check the mirror and re-cast the obfuscation spell. As he looked into the mirror, Ustiarius began to absent-mindedly preen his fringe, causing the wizard to roll his eyes in contempt before addressing the room.
“Well, fillies and gentlecolt, we appear to have survived the night. I suggest we make haste and away, lest this minor victory be short-lived.”
Celestia seemed to pay attention this time, while Ustiarius gave an affirmative nod. Replacing the accessories of his disguise back on his head, Starswirl shunted the stallion out of the way to adjust his beard in the mirror. He was well aware of how lacklustre his disguise was, but improving it now would only draw attention to their clandestine mission. Satisfied that everything was back in its place, the self-appointed leader turned back to his roommates, ready to begin the day on the right hoof.
“Now, let's head downstairs and get some food for the journey. Celestia, if you would?”
The old wizard pointed to the silken sack they had arrived in, to which the small princess wrinkled her nose in contempt.
“Again? This is so unfair!”
“It is an unfortunate necessity of the situation, Celestia. Please, it is for your safety.”
With an exasperated growl, the filly got up from her comfy spot on the bed and stomped over to the bag, beside which lay Luna. Expelling an overly-vocalised sigh, she picked her sister up and stepped into the cloth, shot a pouty glare to her mentor, then closed the sack over her head with her magic. The two adults shared a wry smile before Starswirl gently lifted the sack up and placed it on his back. Taking a deep breath in and out to ready themselves, the pair headed out their room's door. Arriving at the downstairs drinking area of the venue, the duo of disguised unicorns walked over to the bar, still staffed by the same landmare as the day before. It was unclear when—or even if—she had slept that night, though the hardy nature of these rural earth ponies was far from surprising. It was actually a little unnerving just how unphased they were by the rapidly changing day-and-night cycles outside.
“Mornin', lads,” the bartender called from her side of the worktop.
“Mornin', ma'am,” Ustiarius replied, immediately back to his adopted accent, impressing Starswirl once again.
“Sleep well?”
“As well as could be hoped.” Starswirl forced another smile, pulling his hat off his head. “Could we trouble you for a meal before we leave? And some provisions to go, if it's not too much to ask.”
“Sure thing, honey. Grab a seat.”
Setting down the plate she was wiping, she placed both hooves on the counter, apparently waiting for something. With embarrassed realisation, the wizard hurriedly levitated the coin purse out of his hat and hovered it over the bar. It was only as he began shaking the contents out that he remembered he had emptied it in their room the night before. An awkward moment of silence passed as the two looked up at each other—the barmaid slowly raising her eyebrow.
“I... uh... There was an accident upstairs, you see. I left a pittance... in the room...”
With no more than a snort and a dry smile, the hostess turned and left for the kitchen, as if to say 'tourists'. Ustiarius gave the older unicorn a withering glance, not needing telepathy magic to tell him 'great job', which was an assessment Starswirl could only agree with. The two turned back and sat at the same table they had the night before, this time placing the priceless blue bag beneath the table. As the pair waited for their food, Ustiarius recognised a couple of faces scattered around the room from the night before, again unsure whether they had even moved—let alone slept—since then.
“Star-” The wizard interrupted him sharply with a loud cough. “Oh, uh, I mean—Whitebeard.” The young unicorn leaned in, lowering his voice. “I was thinking about what you said last night, about alicorns.”
Starswirl, or as he had asked to be called, 'Whitebeard'—showing his aptitude for scholarly pursuits was not mirrored in his creativity—looked around shiftily, making sure no one would hear their conversation before meeting Ustiarius at the centre of the table.
“The two princesses... I never really thought about it until seeing them up-close, but they're unicorns, aren't they? How are they going to become alicorns?”
The wizard huffed. “That is monarchy 101. Did you not attend school?”
“I did. Briefly.” He smirked, knowing that it would irk the stallion, to which he received a disapproving grunt. “I know that alicorns are born from great deeds of kindness, but that's about it.”
“This is hardly the time or place for a history lesson... but...” The opportunity to taut his knowledge was just too appealing, even if it was elementary. “Alicorns are a unique state of being achieved by—as you say—great deeds of kindness and empathy. Many forget that Queen Starshine was a descendent of the original earth pony settlers, instead associating alicorn magic with unicorns, despite each race having their own brand of magic.”
Ustiarius raised an eyebrows, not quite expecting the lecture he had got himself into.
He continued, “Whenever a pony of any race consistently proves themselves to be pure of heart, putting the happiness of others before their own, the magic inside of them blooms, elevating them to the state we call 'alicorn'. Not quite a race of its own, but a unification of all the pony magicks given to only the most exemplary individuals. It really is quite fascinating, one of the last true unknowns of our world.”
“But I've known all sorts of kind-hearted ponies, why aren't alicorns more common?”
“Ah, well these acts go far beyond what one would expect from a typical pony. Self-sacrifice, actions that improve the lives of an entire village of ponies, even the mere intention to make large-scale, positive changes to the world... It is this grand scope that explains why royalty are by far the most likely candidates for ascension. They are, after all, the very best of us.” At least in theory, he thought to himself. “But it is by no means exclusive to royalty.”
The guardspony sat back, wide-eyed; a new realm of possibilities opening up before him.
“So you're saying that if I was a good enough pony, even I could become an alicorn?”
Starswirl scoffed. “It is possible. Highly unlikely, but possible.”
Just as they finished talking, the landmare approached the table with two steaming bowls of warm oats and some buns. After thanking her, Starswirl casually deposited the loaves into his bag for Celestia, unintentionally raining them on the young unicorn's head, much to her chagrin.
“It is quite fascinating,” Starswirl eagerly continued, no longer worried of being overheard due to the general nature of the topic. “This inherent magic within all ponies—sometimes referred to as the 'sixth element'—and its influence over transcending to a higher state of being... Many ponies—philosophers—have spent their lives researching it, seeking to harness that power for themselves, yet still nopony has grasped the concept completely. Not even alicorns could tell you what it is—it would be like asking somepony to explain how they keep their heart beating. Perhaps it is the very act of seeking it out that makes it so elusive? Such pursuits have had unintended breakthroughs though, such as the creation of one particularly powerful artefact nicknamed 'the philosopher's stone', said to bestow a regular pony with the longevity of an alicorn. It is a mere piece of the puzzle, but the discovery alone is remarkable in itself. Alchemy is a fascinating science, I highly recommend it as a hobby.”
Ustiarius slowly spooned food into his mouth as he stared at the table, wide-eyed, already too overwhelmed with information to take anymore in. Starswirl proceeded, entirely for his own benefit.
“But were one to fully understand and harness the power of this sixth element... it could spell a new era of peace throughout Equestria like it has never known. A ruling class of alicorns, watching over the whole world for centuries with the speed of the fastest pegasus, the intelligence of the smartest unicorn, and the strength of the strongest terran. An aristocracy of perfectly pure-hearted ponies, devoted to spreading kindness and protecting our community. ”
The guardspony shook off his daze, realising he had completely lost touch with the conversation. “Wait, did you say 'ruling class'? Like, a whole army of alicorns? What if one of them goes rogue? I can't imagine the damage an alicorn as powerful as the King could do.”
“No, no, no. Are you not listening? The very prerequisite of ascension is a pure-hearted and noble soul. The very thought of an alicorn being any less than a beacon of virtue is- it is simply impossible.”
“Well, if you say so, but the idea of an all-powerful ruling class? It just don't sit right with me.”
“Are you-” Starswirl paused, leaning in. “Are you serious? You are a royal guard working almost directly under the King! There has always been an all-powerful ruling class, regardless of its size. It is just the way of things!”
“Not anymore it's not.”
Starswirl sat back, blind-sided by reality. He was right, of course. In his fervour, Starswirl had completely forgotten about the situation they were currently in. The King was gone, the monarchy was gone, society as they knew it was gone, and yet here they sat in some run down, backwash tavern, chatting and eating like nothing had happened. It had become their job—like it or not—to bring order back to the capitol by spiriting the princesses away, and they weren't going to help anypony by sitting on their hooves in some middle-of-nowhere dive.
With fresh determination on his face, Starswirl hastily finished his bowl, picked up his bag, and walked directly out the front door. A little flustered by this sudden exit, Ustiarius rushed to return the eating utensils to the bar, thank the matron, then hurry out after him.
“Safe travels, boys,” the landmare called out after them, still silently amused by their exploits.
“You too!” Ustiarius shouted back, immediately regretting the nonsensical sentiment.
Now outside the Prancing Pony, the ex-guardspony found Starswirl already dumping his hat and cape back into the enchanted chest. The princesses sat on the back seat of the cart, still half shrouded in the bag and with a bun sticking out of Celestia's mouth.
“That was a bit rude, don't you think?” the young stallion asked, approaching the wizard.
“Equestria does not have time for pleasantries,” the elder unicorn replied, not even turning to face his companion. “We do not know how far ahead of the corruption we are, and unknown variables are unacceptable. We must leave immediately. We should not have stopped at all.”
It felt like whatever bonding may have accidentality transpired between the two during this interlude had suddenly vanished, leaving the old stallion as gruff and unapproachable as he had been before they arrived.
“Yes sir,” the stallion growled through grit teeth.
The ex-guardspony stomped over to the bushes where he'd stashed his royal armour the day before and levitated it over to the enchanted trunk, far too frustrated to care about the pretence of his disguise any more. Returning to his woefully familiar spot at the front of the cart, the brown-haired stallion began strapping himself in just as the sound of clacking hooves began to approach from the direction of Canterlot. Starswirl looked up from his box just as a young, pale-green earth pony passed the trees bordering the inn. The wizard swiftly yanked the silken bag back over the princesses' heads as the traveller made a sharp turn into the parking area, almost tipping his cart laden with farming tools and various household items. Was he moving house? The young stallion skidded to a halt, spraying a wave of dirt out in front of him as he slid right by the two unicorns and their cargo, coming dangerously close to careening straight into the wall of the inn.
Spitting out his bit in a panic, the lad called over to the pair, “Run! Don't go North, just run! South! Go!” before dashing into the tavern, likely to spread his message further.
Starswirl and Ustiarius looked at each other for a moment, silently agreeing that the younger unicorn should see what was going on. Peeking in through the pub door, Ustiarius spotted the green pony doubled-over, trying to catch his breath.
“Woah, woah, woah,” the landmare cooed, remaining her calm self behind her bar. “What's happening now? Try again, slowly.”
“The- The whole of-” the stallion wheezed, taking a few more deep breaths before standing back up, a look of genuine fear in his eyes. “Canterlot is gone! Ah was there, deliverin' goods, and it just- it just-”
“Hold up now, Little Cobb, whaddya mean 'gone'?”
Based on his age and the barmaid already knowing him by name, Ustiarius suspected the young stallion was the son of a regular here—likely a farmer too.
“It's just gone! Chaos! Pure chaos! The whole world started going wonky! Ah was gettin' ready to leave after after sellin' our goods, then some firework spooked the townsfolk, and then some've the buildin's started floatin', and the dirt roads got all sticky-like, and everythin' went completely loopy! Ah'm telling ya', we all gotta git!”
Ustiarius furrowed his brow, having not seen any of the effects of this 'chaos' himself. It looked like it was just as bad as Starswirl had said, though none of the patrons seemed impressed by the lad's tale.
“Well just hol' up a minute there, Little Cobb. What you're saying is just plum crazy. Ain't nothing like that happenin' to a town full'a fancy-pants unicorns and their magic.”
“Ah'm tellin' ya! It's real! Ah was there! And it's spreadin'! Ah packed up me and pa's things from the farm, laid a cart, and ah'm here to get 'im! And ah reckon y'all should get out too, while ya can!”
“This is crazy talk, Little Cobb. You can't just come in here, screamin' an' hollerin', scarin' mah customers-”
“Please, Mrs. Applecore, just tell me where Pops is at!”
The landmare sighed, presenting a troubled frown that Ustiarius couldn't have imagined on her mellow face. It was hardly surprising that she didn't want to believe the lad's tale, though it seemed Little Cobb wasn't known for lying either. The tension throughout the bar was becoming palpable.
“He's sleeping off his ale in room six-”
“Thank you!” he interrupted, rushing towards the stairs and tripping up some as he went.
“But I swear, Little Cobb,” she shouted up after him, “if this is some kind of joke, your Pops won't be the only one havin' words with you!”
The patrons began to murmur amongst themselves, despite the apathetic atmosphere of this 'backwater hophouse', as Starswirl had called it. It seemed that they were beginning to piece together the strange behaviour of the sky with the boy's story. Ustiarius backed out of the doorway and returned to the cart.
“So?” the wizard asked, turning his attention from the rustling bag containing a quite frustrated Celestia.
“Seems it's about as bad as you described it. The strangeness spread at least as far as Canterlot, and he seems to think his farm is in danger too, which can't be too far from here. I dunno how many made it out of town, but if this pony did, there's hope that others did too.”
Starswirl scowled, still feeling responsible for his mistake affecting so many lives.
“Nothing has changed. We continue with the plan to go South.”
“But Canterlot-”
“We cannot do anything to save them right now. We must escape, regroup—know our enemy before we make a move.”
“And how many will suffer alone while you prepare?”
The wizard turned his full body towards the guardspony, a grim look on his face.
“Fewer than if we fail.”
The two unicorns stared each other down for a moment before the inn's door unexpectedly creaked, prompting both to turn towards the noise. It was the young stallion—Little Cobb—exiting with his head hung low and a look of defeat on his face. He didn't acknowledge the two outside as he dragged his hooves over to his own cart and picked up its bit in his mouth.
“Was your dad not there?” Ustiarius called over, feeling a little guilty that he could not corroborate the boy's story.
Little Cobb emitted a brief shriek of surprise, dropping the bit back to the ground, clearly lost in his thoughts after what the guardspony assumed was a harsh chastising.
“Y-You're still here?” He turned to the pair, the fire gone from his eyes. “Ah told you it ain't safe here. Not that anypony listen' to me.”
“Do not worry about us, youngling,” Starswirl replied. “We can look after ourselves, and I encourage you to do the same. You cannot save everypony.”
“If ya believe me, then how can ya be so calm?”
“We were just-” Ustiarius began, almost immediately cut-off by Starswirl.
“We would not believe such claims to be made in jest. Canterlot is to the north-east, correct? Then perhaps the north-west would be safer?”
“Ain't no knowing, sir. The things ah seen up town—ah just ran as fast as mah legs could carry me. Ah was almost too scared to sleep, though ah had to after a while, what with the awful distance. Ran back home first, but Pops weren't there, so ah packed up what ah could and made way here. Pops is a reg'ler, see. Oft come here from workin' fields.”
“Oh, so your dad was here?” Ustiarius asked, beginning to feel somewhat invested in his stallion's day.
“Oh, yes sir. He gave me ah right seein' to after all the hootin' an' hollerin' ah done, coming in there all outta mah head. Done deserved it, ah guess. Said he'll be down shortly and take meh home. He ain't none happy, ah can tell you. Ah'll be cleanin' the barn fer months after this.”
“You came from the North, correct?” Starswirl asked.
“Aye sir, small farmin' village just up yonder called Ponydale. If yer headin' north-west, you'll see it f'sure on yer way, if it's still there t'all. Ah told mah pops it ain't safe, told 'em all, but they just t'weren't listenin'. Ah don't wanna go back. What if that weirdness' spread to th' farm? Or what if it comes later, when we're 'sleep? Ah don't wanna go, but pop's main' me.”
The boy bit his lip, trying to stifle the shaking of his legs, clearly terrified.
“Hey, come on now, I'm sure you'll be fine,” Ustiarius reassured him, not believing his own words. “Your dad will look out for you, I'm sure—whatever happens. He might be strict, but I bet he cares about you deeply.”
Nopony knew how hard is was for those words to leave his lips, but this was for the boy's sake, not his.
“Yer right... Ah just...” He trailed off with a sigh, swallowed by dark thoughts.
“Listen, lad-” Starswirl stepped down from the cart, holding something in his hoof. “It's not much, but why don't you hold on to this?”
Ustiarius was starting to notice that the wizard's formal speech softened when he was trying to connect to someone. To his surprise, it seemed the old coot had taken a liking to the young farm-boy too. Holding out his hoof, Starswirl placed an equally-sized object in Little Cobb's sole. It was a smooth, flat, slightly off-blue stone featuring a jagged spiral etched into its face. It would probably catch pretty good air if you skimmed it, Ustiarius thought.
“What's this?” the pale-green pony asked, looking down at the odd item in his grasp.
“It's a beacon—nothing fancy—but if you ever find yourself in serious trouble—and I do mean 'serious'—then you will be able to contact me. I may not look like much, but I know my way around a spell or two. Just say the word and I'll be there.”
“W-Wow, you'd do that for ah stranger? That's awful kind, sir, awful kind indeed!”
The young earth pony seemed to perk up now he had some kind of a backup plan. Starswirl smiled just as the door to the inn opened once more, this time revealing a much larger, dark-green workhorse. He was heavily built, sporting dark stubble and a ploughing collar cutie mark, who Ustiarius recognised as the pony who had passed him in the corridor the night before.
“Now who're ya botherin', boy?” The gruff farmer stomped up to his son and their cart as Starswirl backed off. He didn't seem to be angry, just acerbic and hungover. “You leave them fellas alone, we're headin' home. You's got some barn work to do.”
“Yes, Pop.” The young stallion nodded meekly, managing to fumble his new stone trinket into their cart without his father seeing it as he picked up the bit.
“Sorry if mah boy bothered you, sirs,” the older farmer turned to address the unicorns. “He tends to flights'a fancy, though he ain't never been such a fuss as this before. Don't let him worry you none, though—just an overactive imagination.”
With a nod to the travellers and a click of the tongue to his son, the two began trotting back north to Ponydale, cart in tow. Little Cobb snuck a quick wave back to Starswirl as they left, evoking another clip around the ear by his father.
“You think they'll be alright?” Ustiarius asked as they returned to readying their cart.
“Yes, the father seems quite capable, and the boy has strength of will. Should their village succumb, I believe they will be resourceful enough to survive.”
“Yet you gave him that stone. Awful nice of you. I thought you were an 'everypony for themselves' kind of pony.”
Starswirl stopped what he was doing and turned to the pale-blue unicorn, who was still busy affixing his harness.
“Believe what you like, but I am no monster. I may be rational enough to recognise that we cannot save Equestria single-hoofed, but that does not mean I would turn a blind eye to the suffering of individuals along the way.”
Ustiarius pondered this response for a minute before remembering something the older pony had said earlier.
“By the way, why did you tell him we were going north?”
“Because if anypony were to ask them, for whatever reason, the more misinformation we spread about our whereabouts, the better.”
As wily as ever, Ustiarius thought, scoffing. But where is the line between guile and paranoia?
With the cart prepared and the steed's harness in place, the group was finally ready to return to their journey. With a familiar glow from his horn, Starswirl recast his stamina spell on the guardspony as the group continued south. After an extended period of nothing but the monotonous clacking of hooves echoing among the thick evergreens, the white-haired stallion finally broke the silence.
“You did not have to come with us, you know.”
“What?” Ustiarius shouted back over the wind in his face.
“You could have left at the inn; gone your own way,” Starswirl hollered back. “We seem to have outrun the corruption for now, and I am not incapable of pulling a cart. Why continue with us? Why take the risk?”
A bitter smirk crossed their steed's face.
“Well I came this far, didn't I? And it's not like I've got anything to go back to. No family, no job, nowhere to live. But if there's one thing I learnt during training, it's that a royal guard should lay down their life for king and country. Call it foolish or egotistical, but I simply see this as doing my duty.”
Starswirl reflected on this answer, thinking back to what they had left behind. With the palace and town lost to a reality-distorting madness, what was left for any of them but their futures? Families had undoubtedly been scattered, with many left behind and falling victim to Discord's machinations. Even if they should somehow succeed with his plan to raise the princesses to oppose him, who's to say that the damage he has wrought isn't permanent? All of Canterlot could need rebuilding, taking decades of work... And what of the families fleeing across Equestria? Could they ever be reunited? It seemed like a hopeless task, but it was the only chance they had left to fight back.
As the sun set in the sky, drifting down like a falling leaf, darkness fell over the twisted remains of Canterlot Palace. Amidst the fractured, multicoloured festival of madness that used to be the capitol's symbol of protection and regality, sat the gleefully smug Discord. Slouching on a tall throne of his own design, the evil draconequus had surrounded himself with floating images of his newest conquests, basking in the glorious chaos he had wrought. Snapping his fingers, a bewildered, sky-blue pegasus wearing a lacy maid's costume appeared out of thin air before him.
“I find all this gloating to be thirsty work. A glass of your finest mud-water, s'il vous plaît.”
With another snap of his fingers, the maid pony teleported back to whence she came. Leaning forward, Discord steepled his fingers as he spotted a small farming village barely outside the reach of his influence. A cruel, eager grin curled his lip as he patiently watched his signature checkerboard grass spread towards them. This will be fun, he thought. Ambient chaos was all well and good, but nothing beat watching fresh corruption in real-time—the screaming, the panic, the unexpected results. Oh, it was just too delectable! What would he do to this sorry clump of luddites? Turn the earth to salt? Make their crops carnivorous? Perhaps have the plants farm the ponies? This was all just too much fun! He couldn't help but kick his feet like an excited preschooler.
The Discord-shaped door to his throneroom creaked open as he watched the screens eagerly, allowing the same blue pony from before to re-enter, galloping as fast as she could down the unreasonably long and winding hall, doing her best to not drop the serving tray balanced on one hoof. She skidded to a halt in front of the elevated throne on which her new master sat, offering him the glass of brown liquid in a golden goblet as she gasped for breath.
“Ah! Room service, and just in time for the show! I must say, you ponies are quite obliging. Not quite as fast as doing it myself, but then what's the point in having servants if you don't use them? I'm sure you can relate.”
With a crooked grin, Discord's hand popped off his wrist and floated down to snatch the glass from the maid as she cowered in fear. No sooner had his arm returned, the draconequus scowled at the small, pastel equine.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Go!”
Almost jumping out of her uncomfortable, black, heeled shoes, the small pegasus spun around and galloped towards the distant door.
“WAIT!”
The pony skidded to a halt once more, now frozen with fear as a cold sweat broke across her brow.
“What—is—this?” Discord held out the vessel. “No twigs? No leaves? Not even a cherry on top? I clearly asked for mud-water, did I not? Do you ponies not even know the basics of nouvelle cuisine?”
The terrified pegasus slowly turned to face her accuser, barely able to move from shaking.
“I-I-I-It's ch-ch-ch-ch-chocolate m-m-milk, Y-Your Chaosness. W-W-When you s-s-s-said m-mud-water, I d-didn't think you meant l-literally-”
“Whatlate WHAT?”
The sky-blue pony dropped to her knees as she wrapped her forehooves over her head, quaking in terror.
“You're right, my dear, you didn't think. Next time I ask for something, you had best get it right, unless you and your family want to join the ranks of my ever-growing collection.” Sweeping his arm around the room, Discord drew attention to the numerous pony-shaped statues littering the walls, floor and ceiling in a variety of horrified poses. Some statues had been doodled on, and others painted or dressed up, though such touches only made the haunting scene that much worse. “Understood?”
It was unclear whether the pony was nodding or just shaking in fear, a frustratingly common trait in these useless equines. He sighed before turning his attention to the goblet's contents, eyeing it suspiciously. Taking a delicate sip, he swished it around inside his mouth, analysing the depth of its flavours. Just as the maid dared to open an eye out to see what was happening, he frowned, causing her to flinch.
“Not bad.”
She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, almost collapsing completely to the floor.
“You're lucky that I enjoy surprises, and this is actually not all that bad.” He took another sip, extending his pinkie as he did so. “Not bad at all. Chocolate milk, you say? It's no mud-water, but it will do. Off with you.”
With a dismissive wave of his hand, the draconequus continued to enjoy his mud-water-substitute. The small blue pony stammered for a couple of seconds before realising she was free, jumping to her hooves and making a beeline for the exit. Finishing the liquid and proceeding to take a bite out of the goblet itself, Discord chewed for a moment before snapping his fingers again, turning the maid to stone just as she reached the throne room doors, causing her to topple over from the inertia.
“Still, it would be a shame if the rabble thought I was going soft. Can't let that happen, now can we?” Using his discordant magic, the malicious entity placed the freshly made statue neatly to the side of the door, turning it to face him. “However, as thanks for introducing me to 'chocolate milk', I'll give you a reduced sentence. How does one-hundred years sound? I know, my generosity surprises even me sometimes.”
He cackled, placing a top hat and cane on the carbonised pony, her face forever frozen in a state of hopeful fear. Turning his attention back to the floating vistas, he focused once more on the small farming-village of Ponydale.
“Now, where was I...”