//------------------------------// // Introduction // Story: Conversations with a Draconequus // by ObeySaturnGod //------------------------------// Inside the majestic halls of Canterlot Castle, the sinking sun cast its glow through the numerous stained glass windows that lined the chambers and foyers, making the castle shine with a brilliance befitting the royal princesses that inhabited it. Each window told of an ancient story, most of them celebrating the defeat of a long forgotten enemy or recounting a time of peace that, when it had occurred, had no equal in sight. More than a few were dedicated to the exploits of the princesses themselves, though not all portrayed a joyous occasion. As one would expect, the saga of Nightmare Moon was an important if regrettable excerpt from history, and it was not safe from having its tale told to those who viewed its glass pages. Princess Luna hurried past these windows, doing her best to avoid glancing at the stainings that accused her of evil every time she walked by them. She passed the empty throne, its sovereign having vacated it to attend to the lowering of the sun, or so Celestia would like everyone to think. Luna quickened her pace, silently fuming to herself. How could Celestia take this risk? Did she not know or simply not care of the danger she was putting herself and all of her subjects in? She had taken gambles guided by nothing but pure instinct before, it was inevitable when governing an entire country, but this time it was not only an unnecessary risk, it was a downright foolish one. Her steps echoed throughout the grand halls as she navigated towards the bed chambers, still turning these thoughts over in her mind and searching for a counterpoint – or however many she would need - that would convince Celestia to abandon her rash idea. She knocked lightly on her sister’s decorated chamber door when she came to it, listening for any sign that Celestia had heard. Seconds passed, continued to pass, a full minute with no answer. Luna knocked again. “Celestia? Are you in there? I want to talk with you.” Silence. She was alone, her only companion the echo that traveled through the castle’s halls. She sighed and carefully pushed on the door. Surprisingly, it gave way. She was expecting more resistance, but with this stroke of luck, her hopes rose a small bit. She entered her sister's chambers to find Celestia in a meditative pose. She sat on her haunches in the middle of her royal room with several books scattered about her. Some were open to diagrams of anatomy, some with intricate illustrations of magic spells, still others were filled with nothing but long lines of text. Celestia’s eyes were closed in deep concentration and her horn emitted a faint golden glow. “I was wondering when you would come,” Celestia said without opening her eyes. “Please excuse the mess, I’m going through a few last minute preparations and I haven’t had the opportunity to return these.” “You know why I’m here, Celestia.” Luna said, ignoring Celestia’s excuses and wasting no time. If she were to stand up to her bigger sister, she would have to act fast and deliberate. “I do not believe this is a good idea.” Celestia opened her eyes and smiled warmly at her sister. "I know you don’t, as you’ve made very clear.” With a wave of her head, the books on the floor closed and set themselves back on the various shelves that lined the room. “I appreciate your concerns Luna, but I am more than capable of making decisions for myself, and should something happen, I can defend myself just fine.” “You do not know what he is capable of!" Luna cried out as she could feel the courage worked up inside her start to dwindle. Even after all this time, acclimating herself back into a world that had all but forgotten everything about her save her nightmarish persona, conversing with her bigger sister was the most troubling of all. "We do not know how strong he is in his own realm! Trapped he may be, but his recent escape should be more than enough to show he has at least some of his magic remaining. And there will likely be effects on yourself, intended to weaken you or disrupt your magic. I realize you have faced him before, but that was in Equestria, where we knew exactly what we were capable of. There is no telling what his realm will do to you." Luna gazed down grimly to the floor, strands of her hair hanging down on both sides of her head. "If you do manage to transport yourself there, there is no guarantee you will return..." Celestia sighed wearily and regarded Luna with warm eyes. For all they had been through, Luna still acted like a frightened child whenever Celestia was about to do anything remotely dangerous. This exact scene had played out more times than Celestia cared to admit. She loved her sister, there was no denying that, but she wished Luna had more faith in her whenever Luna questioned her judgement. She crossed the room and laid a gentle hoof on her sister’s tense shoulder. Luna gazed up glumly at her touch, her bright eyes hidden behind her dark mane. Now holding her sister’s attention, Celestia gently brushed the hair out of Luna’s face and kissed her forehead. “Do you remember when we were fillies and I was learning to fly? You were still very young, so you may not recall, but you would sit in the courtyard and watch me for hours as I practiced my loops and laps.” Luna was silent for a few seconds as she took in Celestia’s words before a flicker of recognition passed through her eyes. The extremely faint beginnings of a smile tugged at the end of her lips as she spoke. “You practiced for hours because you wished to be the fastest flyer in the whole castle.” Celestia covered her mouth and chuckled as Luna’s smile slowly expanded. “After six months, you could even beat Fleetfoot in a race around the obstacle course.” “You could never watch me fly in those races. You always warned me against going into corners with too much momentum or flying too low to the ground. ‘You’re going to crash one day’, you’d say, ‘and I’ll have to be the one to carry you to the infirmary!’” “You did though!” Luna said, no longer bothering to hide her smile. “You crashed directly into the vegetable garden and we were in need of broccoli for weeks!” Celestia smiled sheepishly. “I never did enjoy broccoli, and you knew how well I could fly at that time. Did it ever occur to you that I might have crashed on purpose and simply lied about it?” Luna sat in stunned silence. The mere thought of Celestia doing anything so juvenile was completely foreign to her, even when they were at that age. She was a picture perfect princess, through and through. “I suppose it is possible, but I fail to see how the past relates to the issue at hand,” was all she could say to the patiently waiting Celestia. “This has been a crude example, I admit, but I mean to say that every time you’ve worried for me, your fears have proven unfounded. I know what I am doing, Luna. I realize very clearly the dangers of submitting myself to Discord, but that does not mean I am going in blind. We have faced him before, we know his tricks and how he uses them, and most importantly, we know how to overcome them. Give me the chance to prove myself, dear sister, and I will return to you as soon as I have found what I seek.” Luna opened her mouth to argue, but the last vestiges of her courage had fled her. She had to admit it, Celestia was right. Luna had always played the worried one while Celestia faced every challenge that came to her in stride, and every time she had come out stronger and wiser than before. Perhaps she was too fearful. She should have had all the confidence in the world that Discord would be nothing more than the latest in this series of obstacles set in Celestia’s path, one that she would hurdle without the slightest hint of trouble. Yet, with all that had been said, she still felt a strange unease that she couldn’t explain… “Luna? Are you okay?” Luna realized with embarrassment that she had gone silent while Celestia had become the one burdened with concern. “Ah, yes! Yes, I’m fine. My apologies, I was merely deep in thought and lost myself for a moment.” The look on Celestia face made it obvious that her worry hadn’t been laid to rest. “I am fine Celestia. There is no need for either of us to worry more than is necessary.” “If you say so,” she replied, though she still held a wary gaze on Luna. “In any case, I cannot delay any longer. I must establish contact with Discord soon, or I will lose this opportunity forever.” “How do you know such a thing?” “I… don’t, to tell the truth. It’s merely a feeling, or instinct, but I believe in it. Something is happening soon, Luna, and I fear Discord is the only one who can shed any light on it.” Luna stared at her for a moment before trotting past her and climbing onto the bed, tucking her hooves into her body and watching over her sister as Celestia’s guards did on a daily basis. “I cannot stop you, I realize that, but allow me to stay by your side in case you require help. You must concede that much at the very least.” Celestia chewed her bottom lip as she mentally wrestled with herself. Luna meant well, but this was too important for any mistakes or slipups, and the chances of that happening were dramatically increased with her in the room. But Luna didn’t appear to be going away any time soon, and if they wasted enough time here, it could have unfortunate consequences. With a sigh, Celestia knew her answer. “Very well. You may stay, but under no circumstances will you attempt to interrupt the spell. This is extremely volatile magic I must control, and the simplest disturbance will have dire effects. Do you understand?” Luna nodded. “Good.” Celestia smiled. “I love you, Luna.” “I love you, Celestia.” Celestia closed her eyes and focused her magic. She felt it flow through her as she called upon every magical reserve she possessed, calling it to life as she mouthed the spells that would sweep her away from her home and into the unknown. Unbeknownst to her, her body started to radiate with the same golden light that her horn produced, filling the room with a soft, brilliant radiance it had never known before. Sweat broke on her brow as she concentrated harder and harder as her body brightened even further from the immense magical energy coursing through her every vein. She could feel herself slipping away from the room, from Luna, and with a final burst of energy that magnified the brightness her body emitted into such a blinding flash it resembled the sun she controlled, her mind was whisked away to an uncertain future. … “…Celestia?” Luna uncovered her eyes to find her sister a dull, motionless figure sitting completely still in the center of the room. “Celestia!” Luna nearly flew off the bed to Celestia’s side, but her sister’s warning against such an action echoed in her mind, and she was forced to settle for pacing around her anxiously as she waited for Celestia to return. She tried to tell herself it would be no more than a few seconds, but the truth was she had no idea how fast or slow the passage of time was where Celestia had gone, and it could be days, weeks, or possibly even months before her return. If she had even made it to her destination at all… No, no, she couldn’t think that. She had to have complete faith, which she did. Of course she did, it was her big sister, the sister who had always excelled in everything. Of course she had made it to Discord’s realm. Yet seeing her sister’s body as it was, completely devoid of any signs of life other than breaths far too short for her liking, made her worry… A faint glow on the door caught her eye, causing her a bit of confusion. Celestia’s body no longer shone with that golden light. If anything, it was the opposite. It seemed grey, lifeless even, certainly not something that would shine. Luna did a quick survey of the room until she looked out onto the balcony and saw a hint of the moon hiding behind the distant horizon. In all the commotion, she had entirely forgotten her duties to raise the moon. Reluctantly leaving Celestia behind, Luna ventured onto the balcony and, without the slightest hint of effort, focused on the moon until it rose halfway above the landscape in the distance. Satisfied that it would now move on its own, Luna quietly studied it, her thoughts turning to, of all things, the window panes in the castle’s main hall. The pane that recounted the tale of Nightmare Moon stuck out at her, and she realized just how similar and, at the same time, different this situation was to then, all those years ago. Though fear of what was to come, anger at her sister, and uncertainty of what her next actions should be all crossed her mind, it was the loneliness that struck her deeper than the rest. Both now and on the moon, she had been alone, but even on the moon, when she plotted against Celestia and planned to take her revenge on the country she now called home, she knew her sister was waiting for her. Now, with Celestia sitting vacantly on the floor like a puppet, Luna was the one awaiting a sister’s return, a return that might never come to fruition. “Please come back to me, Celestia,” she whispered, wanting nothing more than to hug Celestia, to hear her say that everything would be okay, but she knew that would not happen. She could only climb onto the bed to watch, and wait. And hope. ********* Celestia awoke, though not easily. Her entire being was groggy from the strenuous effort of transporting her mind to Discord’s realm, and her head was fogged and disjointed, as if a lead weight had supplanted itself in her mind and brought her mental processes to a grinding halt. With dulled senses, she shakily picked herself up off the ground with all the grace and majesty of a pony who had celebrated with too much cider. After a few moments, her vision cleared, allowing her to survey the realm of chaos she now found herself in. She felt a twinge of panic bolt through her body, for as she took in the lands before her, she was certain something had gone amiss with the spell. A muddled, cloudy dullness was the only landscape waiting to greet her, the land having only the vaguest of shape and certainly not appearing able to support life. The closest example she could think of was as if she had teleported inside one of the numerous puffy clouds that wafted lazily in the sky on a summer’s day. She inspected the uninviting sights more thoroughly, but try as she might, she couldn't find anything in the distance. A creeping feeling of unease slithered its way through her body, but she shrugged it off. The slightest lapse in concentration, and she may very well find herself bending to Discord’s every whim. Recovered slightly from the exhaustion of the spell, she took a tentative step forward, and with a sigh of relief discovered that as strange as the landscape was, she wouldn’t be falling through it anytime soon. Her relief soon became unease, however, as she took another step, and another, until she found herself wandering through the strange land with no sense of where she was or where she was headed. “Something’s gone wrong…” she thought aloud to herself. This was not the realm of madness, she thought with a burgeoning sense of unease. This was not where chaos or order, melancholy or contempt dwelt. Nothing resided here that could hold any virtue true, whether it be good or evil, and this was certainly not where a spirit such as Discord would content himself with an existence devoid of his most treasured inclinations. Had she made a mistake with the spell? No, she couldn't have, she had taken the utmost care in preparing her magic, spent hours and hours going over the incantations until she had them down to the exact syllable. This had to have been her destination. Where, then, was he? The answer came from behind her, where nothing had stood only a few seconds before. “Hello, Celestia. I’ve been waiting for you.” The voice was no stranger. She had heard it countless times before, and every time it filled her ears, a cold hardness came over her. She steeled herself for what would come. This would require her to be completely focused and utterly without fear or hesitation. Slowly she turned around and met him. He stood at a small wooden table with a tea kettle and a cup set on it. A second cup was currently at his lips as he took a sip, looking over its edge at her. Discord set it back down on the tray he held in his other hand and eyed her mischievously, a large canine protruding from the smile that stretched across his face from ear to laid back ear. His gaze never left her, as if waiting for her to fall into some trap he had been planning ever since being encased in stone by the Elements of Harmony, and perhaps even when she herself had trapped him inside his prison. For all she knew, that was exactly what he was planning, but if he was, he was doing his best to hide his intentions, as he greeted her with all the warmth of two old friends who had been separated for far too long. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to pay me a visit!” he said merrily, taking another sip from his cup and smacking his lips in contentment. She noticed it wasn’t the tea he was drinking, but the cup itself as the tea kept its shape unsupported in the air. “It’s bad manners to keep an old friend waiting for so long, Celestia. Honestly, a simple letter asking how I was doing would have been appreciated, but I assume you were too busy with all your royal duties to accommodate me. Though I can’t really blame you, I hear postage expenses all the way out here are absurd.” He shrugged and dismissed the motion with a wave of his paw. “Oh well, nothing to do about that, is there? Goodness knows I can be patient when I want to, as I’m sure you already know.” He ended with another devilish grin that came so easily to his twisted nature. Celestia paid his ramblings no mind. "I've come for a reason, Discord. If you knew I was coming, then I assume you know what that reason is." She spoke clearly and deliberately. If he sensed any weakness in her, he would exploit it without a second thought. "That I do, though why you think you can even hope to comprehend what I do is beyond me." He took another long sip of his cup, exposing even more of the tea. "Though I must say, however low my hopes are for you, it is a very interesting proposition you've brought me, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to hear you explain it in greater detail." "I offer only this. Teach me of the chaos you spread and why you feel the need to terrorize innocents with your cruel games." Discord chuckled as he studied her with devious, red and yellow eyes. "Is it not obvious? I'm the Spirit of Chaos! It's right in the title of the job, my name, even, that I should be livening up everyone's dull existence whenever possible! Life is such a drag when you're always burdened by rules and regulations and, in my case, a snug stone coat. Is it so bad to want a little fun every now and again?" "Your fun is nothing more than an excuse to subjugate the entire population of my kingdom." She stood across from him, commanding as much authority in her voice and posture as possible, though she was painfully aware of having to look up at him to meet his eyes. "Equestria was nothing more than your playground when you ruled, my subjects mere toys for you to play with and discard whenever you felt they had outlived their usefulness." He frowned and his eyes misted. He reminded her of a hurt puppy, in a way, if it had horns and wings. "I'm hurt, my dear. I always made sure to pack my toys away in perfect condition." He put on a good show, Celestia had to admit, but he wouldn't find any pity from her. He returned to normality, the facade gone as quick as it had come. "This is a very intriguing and, if I may say, very dangerous proposition you’re asking of me. You couldn’t possibly want to do this out of sheer boredom, no, you’re too prim and proper for that. Why, then, have you come seeking out the inner workings behind my chaos?" "I want to see the world through your eyes, to understand why and how you use your magic in the ways you do," she answered. He said nothing, and then she added, “I also wish to save you.” He snorted through his nose. "You want to save me, you say? That is very courageous, I must say, though it’s a shame that courage is so misplaced.” He hooked his hands together and stretched them above his head, almost as invested in the conversation as he was in the patterning of the wooden table. “Wanting to see the world through my eyes, is that it? The why and how behind my magic? I can understand that much. It’s only natural for a leader to search for every weapon available to her, even if it comes from her enemies,” he said as he picked lazily at the wood with a long claw. “I never said I wished to wield it as a weapon.” “Nor did you say you didn’t. Semantics aside, the second part of your reasoning, now that is what interests me. From your viewpoint, saving me seems to be much more troublesome than it is worth. Certainly not worth the risks you seem willing to take. Wouldn’t it be more conducive for you and your kingdom if you simply left well enough alone and kept me locked up in that ghastly statue, forgetting I ever existed?” "Quite, but I didn’t go through the effort of transporting myself here simply for you to send me away like a bothersome filly. If you help me, Discord, I will return the gesture and give you anything you desire so long as it falls within the bounds of rationality." He continued picking, flicking a splinter away as Celestia continued. “So I ask you, what is it you desire from me?” "If you are so intent on going through with this plan of yours, then this is what I desire.” He spread his hands apart. “Nothing," he said, smiling. "The fun I'm going to have with you will be a far greater reward than any material possession you could possibly offer me." Celestia had to stifle the response she was about to give him. She was certain he would ask for his release and had been ready to reject him should he have said so, but this was something she hadn't been expecting. Did he truly want nothing, or was this just another plot of his? And what did he mean, when he said his fun would be a far greater reward than anything she could offer him? Celestia neither understood what he meant nor did she want to, but a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told her she would discover what it was all too soon. "If that is what you wish, then you will not receive anything." She played along, if only to see whether or not he would break down and ask for something in return for his help. "Oh, I do believe I'll receive something I've been wanting for a long time now. It just so happens that you can't simply hand it to me." Discord finished the cup and tossed the tea over his shoulder, his expression completely unlike those he had worn since starting his talk with Celestia. It was serious, grave, unflinching. This was not the playful Discord of just a few moments ago, who had spoken of toys and mail. Despite knowing each other for over a thousand years, she had never quite adjusted to how he could so calmly change his demeanor on the fly. A cold shiver went up her spine, much like the one that hit her when she first arrived in this desolate place. This was the monster that had broken free of his prison once before and threatened the very existence of her world, and the events before that... "I wonder," he said, resting his elbows on the table and bringing the tips of his mismatched paw and claw together, "do you really know what awaits you if you agree to go down this little path of mine? Are you really prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions?" He stared her down, daring her to flinch. "There are things even a princess does not know, Celestia. Things that you might not want to see, things that would disturb and repulse you, perhaps even break you. Does that sound like something you're willing to go through in order to, in your own words, see the world through my eyes?'" Celestia held steadfast. "Do not underestimate me, Discord. I am a Princess of Equestria, and it is not a position that was simply handed to me." Her voice rose ever so slightly, with a touch of pride hidden in it. "You know firsthand what I'm capable of. You thought of me as just another subject you could bend to your whims once, and we both know what came of it." Silence. The princess and the monster glared at each other, unmoving. Not even a gust of wind dared to intrude upon their standoff. Out of the corner of her eyes, Celestia noticed a faint darkness behind Discord. It had come out of nowhere, and unless she was mistaken, it appeared to be closing in on them. She pushed it out of her mind and continued staring Discord down. Cold malice shone behind his eyes, unwavering determination behind hers. Neither would give the other the satisfaction of victory by shying away. The seconds seemed more like years as there seemed to be no end to their silent battle. Then, the crack of a smile, a glint of excitement in his eyes. Celestia showed no emotion as his smile spread like wildfire, and a booming laugh escaped from the depths of the beast. It took more than a few seconds for him to regain his composure long enough to address his opponent. "Ho ho ho, oh my, you really are quite something amazing, my dear. Such tenacity, such ferociousness!" The admiration in his voice was easy to hear as he finally caught his breath and faced her. "Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd assume you were fearless! I'd be in quite a pickle if that were the case." The darkness Celestia had noticed before was quickly converging on their table. A flood of counter-spells raced through her mind as the shadows and Discord both fought for her attention. "I am more than capable of handling anything you could do to me," she said, now keeping an eye on the encroaching shadows. "I have made my decision clear, and I will not waiver now." She heard herself say this to Discord and honestly believed in her words. She would not allow him to lead her astray from her path, not when she had yet to start down it. She extended herself to her full stance, gathered herself for the final blow, and in a booming voice that echoed throughout the deserted plains, shouted, "I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, command you to reveal the workings of your magic and bring to light the order behind chaos!" He merely stood, twice her height, and smiled at her. They were completely shrouded in the shade now, and she had to strain her eyes to make out his figure. "As you command it, Celestia, so it shall be,” he said, and snapped his fingers. The shadows that enveloped them suddenly exploded to life. A crash of thunder, a flash of lightning from high above, and for the slightest of seconds, Discord was aflame in the chaos that Celestia had unleashed. For a brief moment, his eyes were crimson hell fire, his smile a knife that cut through the light, his entire being a manifestation of pure, malevolent evil. Discord had fled from her, and in his place a demon stood ready to rip her very soul apart, piece by bloody piece. In that moment, all of the counter spells she had prepared were suddenly lost as the being of destruction bore down on her with no escape in sight, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, Celestia felt fear coil around her and begin to choke the will from her. Then the demon disappeared and Discord stood before her again, nearly hopping from foot to foot in anticipation for what was to come. The shadows that had caused her grief were nowhere to be seen. "So," he said, rubbing his warped hands together and flashing her his awful smile, "shall we begin? There are so many games to be played, and precious little time to play them in."