//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: Midday in the Heart of Equestria 
// by Wheller 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 8


Oberlander Cromwell had not expected to survive the fall that he’d taken from the top of the mountain city; he had not expected to hit water at the bottom. Cromwell forced himself to the surface gasping for air and paddled himself to the shore of the... lake?

That was the problem, Cromwell knew that he was somewhere in Whitetail Wood, though exactly where, he could only guess. Cromwell pulled himself out of the water and onto the shore, breathing heavily. He had expected himself to die, he had accepted it, and yet here he was, still alive. Clearly, the Long Road had more in store for him. Cromwell sat up and looked down into the lake, intended to splash some water on his face, he stopped himself, however, when upon looking into the lake... he had not one reflection, but three. And only one of these reflections was of an earth pony, the other. He glanced behind him, he was the only one here, and then back down towards at the lake.

‘What in the...?’ Oberlander Cromwell questioned.

‘Welcome to the Lake of Circumstance’, the reflection of the pitch black earth pony said.

‘We have much to discuss with you’, the pitch black Pegasus added.

‘Who... who are you?’ Cromwell asked.

‘We... are the Lake of Circumstance; it is you who determined how we appear to you’, the pitch black unicorn said. ‘You have much work to do Cromwell’.

‘The earth pony race is in trouble. There is an Island, east of here, across the Orientem Ocean’, the earth pony said.

‘If you want to save your race, then you will lead them there’, the Pegasus pony said.

‘It is a one way trip, you and the ones that you bring with you can never return, for if you do, they will be killed’, the unicorn said.

‘Are you willing to do what is necessary to ensure their survival, Cromwell?’ the earth pony asked.

Oberlander Cromwell nodded. He looked back up at Canterlot and in the midmorning hours, saw that the king was doing. He knew what the reflections were saying was true, and he knew exactly what to do.

Cromwell turned and galloped away, picking up the road south. He needed to make for Fillydelphia; the earth pony port city would have everything he needed.

...

Celestia and Luna had heard the commotion from outside and trotted out onto the balcony, shielding their eyes from the early morning light. Then, just as quickly, the sun seemed to go out. Of course, it wasn’t really out, rather something was blocking it. That was when they saw it; many of the buildings were hovering in the air, upside down. The unicorn town ponies were out in the street en masse; CPS CO19 riot police were doing their best to maintain order, and were failing in the process.

And then, it began to rain.

Brown water began to fall over the city of Canterlot, or at least, they through it was water, Celestia stuck out a hoof, allowing some of the rain to land on it and then gave her hoof a lick. ‘Luna... it is raining chocolate’.

‘Do you like it? I think it’s a vast improvement over stuffy old Canterlot, don’t you?’ said a voice from behind them. Celestia and Luna turned, and looked up. Lying on the roof above them was a creature that they had never seen before, and obviously the culprit.

‘Who are you?!’ Celestia cried out. ‘What have you done!?’

‘Celestia! Please, you hurt me with your words, don’t you recognise me?’ the creature said.

Celestia thought about it for a moment, and then she recognised it, his voice. ‘Father?’

‘In the flesh!’ the creature said. ‘I asked you again? What do you think of my beautiful masterpiece?!’

‘This... this is horrid!’ Celestia cried out.

‘Oh boo, whine whine whine, just like you always do, “oh status quo! Satus quo! I want everything to stay the same!” Well that is just too bad; you can’t always get what you want! I wanted my queen to get better; did I get what I want?’ Discord asked, hissing at them. ‘No I did not’.

‘Tia’s conservatism aside’, Luna said. ‘This is not right!’

The draconequuis snorted at them and then sat back on the roof of the castle and pulled out a glass from seemingly nowhere and held it up, allowing it to fill up. ‘Then do something about it’, he said, taking a drink from his glass.

Celestia needed no further invitation. She grabbed Luna and pulled her back inside, the two of them raced down the hallway to the lower level.

‘Tia! Where are we going?’ Luna cried out.

‘I have an idea! You’re not going to like it, but I don’t think we have any other choice!’ Celestia said. She burst into the throne room, dashing past Duke East Wind who was standing at the window, staring out watching the madness unfold.

‘There you are!’ East Wind cried out as he looked to them. ‘What is going on out there!?’

‘No time!’ Celestia cried out as she galloped up the stairs towards the throne, going past it and opening up a hidden compartment on the back wall.

Sitting undisturbed for who knows how many years were five stone talismans, the elements of harmony, powerful magical artefacts that had been the heirlooms of the royal family since taking power in Equestria so many years ago.

‘The elements? But Tia... the prophecy!’ Luna said.

‘I know, I know, but we don’t have time to wait around for the true bearers to come around and claim them! We might not be able to utilise their full power... but hopefully there should be enough to...’ Celestia did not get a chance to finish the sentence, for Discord came crashing through the glass windows overlooking the city.

‘Hmm... I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d think to try that’, Discord said with a chuckle. ‘Celestia: default to magic!’

East Wind turned and looked over towards the creature that had just invaded the castle. ‘What in the name of Gaia?’ he asked.

‘The spirit of chaos, you can call me Discord’, Discord said with a toothy grin, and reached out with his lion’s paw and batted East Wind away, sending him flying into the wall and knocking him unconscious. ‘I’m disappointed, Celestia, I would have expected better of my children, surely you could have thought up a solution better than this’.

‘You are no father of ours, Discord!’ Celestia cried out. ‘We will fight you’.

Discord could only chuckle. ‘You can’t beat me, not with those’.

‘Maybe not’, Celestia said. ‘But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to try!’

‘Oh, you’re funny! Well tell you what?’ Discord said as he cackled loudly. ‘Hit me with your best shot!’ Discord proceeded to strike a pose, one that you would expect a statue to be made into. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other nervously, and allowed their magic to flow through the elements of harmony.

Celestia’s eyes shot open, she felt the power of the elements coursing through her. Her body began to change, she and Luna sprouted wings, their manes grew longer and began to flow and wave in the air though there was seemingly nothing to cause it. A wash of colour flowed throughout the room and shot out of them towards Discord, striking the creature and in an instant, turned his body into stone.

Celestia and Luna collapsed to the floor and began panting heavily. It was over, they had won, and everything returned to normal.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other and over their new appearance. The Elements of Harmony had empowered them as Alicorns. They had earned their right to become the new rulers of Equestria.

‘No one must know the truth’, Celestia said, looking towards the statue of Discord. ‘Our parents died noble deaths. The public can never know the truth’.

‘I never thought I’d be saying this Tia... but I tend to agree’, Luna said. Luna rose to her hooves and enveloped the statue of Discord in her magic and began to pull it away, out of the room.

Celestia trotted over to where East Wind lay unconscious, and nudged him with her hoof.

‘Huh? What?’ East Wind said. He looked up towards the Princess above him in confusion. ‘Princess Celestia?’

‘Discord, the ancient enemy of chaos and strife has been defeated. He took advantage of my father’s grief over my mother’s death, and used the opportunity to strike, Discord killed my father and tried to take his place’, Celestia said. ‘Luna and I are the rulers of Equestria now’.

‘Of... of course our high... your Majesty’, East Wind said.

‘No. Your Highness will suffice’, Celestia said. ‘In honour of my mother and father’s memory, Equestria will never again have a King and Queen, by my authority as ruler of this land, I hereby declare the Kingdom of Equestria dissolved, and establish the Principality of Equestria in its place’.