//------------------------------// // 25. Storm of Chaos // Story: The Unbroken Spear // by Jamis //------------------------------// Another day with a blue sky and a gentle breeze. Pretty common in Equestria, when you control the weather it makes very little sense to have more than a just a little rain in a city. Especially in Canterlot, where the sun and moon were strongest. The controllers of these were in Canterlot, the city was white, structured and orderly. Funny given what it contained in its walls. A complete and utter incarnation of chaos, disorder, insanity, change, and unsymmetricality. Raw unchained strength and power. Unchained, uncaged, but not free. For this chaos was encased in stone, a living hell, a cold, stiff, eternal, and waking hell. Discord the spirit of disharmony and chaos, a smooth yet angular face was the forefront. The draconequus had a small goatee that fluffed from his face. His teeth were normal, if one counted the razor pointed yet straight row he possessed to be normal. That in addition to a larger snaggle tooth which protruded from his top row. The spirit’s head held mismatched horns, an antler, a coil of horn which was rather unique. Wild and unkept hair which did almost nothing hide his pointed and slightly furred ears, which were similar to a fantasy elf. His clothes were a suit and would have been quite nice, if not for their random patchwork of cloth in odd areas. Two different types of wings protruded from his back, a bat wing and a bird wing, similar to a Thestral and Pegasus. The wings were much larger than a ponies though, currently spread as they were in his pose it created quite the imposing and majestic figure. At the moment a group of young ponies of all the main tribes tribes walked through the royal gardens. The fillies and clots were accompanied by their teacher and supervisor. As they walked on their tour the group came across the statue of the spirit. After a few moments a trio of fillies began to wrestle from an argument, the group of friends in that moment of time created something. In their quarrel the young ponies became an example of disharmony. Their fight a source of chaos, in such close proximity it was a gold mine of renewed strength for the draconequus. The spirit to drew on this generated source. The already weakened prison of stone became brittle, Discord drew upon his new found strength and began to destroy the stone from the inside. Even as the group of ponies started to leave that part of the garden, they were unaware of what had happened. ... In the training yard Atreus stood in full armor with his weapons hoisted onto his back and a critical look was clear in his eye. The warrior was overseeing a group a new guards in their drills. The night guard had become much larger in recent days, more ponies had joined though the majority was still Thestrals. New promotions were handed to those that showed potential and skill. This resulted in many of the squads under Pantheon's control being assigned to new officers. Being under Pantheon's control/leadership was a sort of boarding house for a while, Atreus was quite happy that he could focus on something other than paperwork. He only took on the responsibilities of those squads because he was technically an officer. The official term/rank for the position he held was quite funny. In the paperwork that the royal sisters had done when they had given him the job, they had to create a new entity within the Nightguard yet outside of its control. Under the command of Luna, yet also a fail safe against her. The reason he had volunteered for such a position was to give him purpose in line with his oath, and to help the sisters quiet dissident nobles who held distaste for Luna. And the term the sisters had chosen? Pantheon, it was a title after all. Many ponies both in and out of the guards thought Atreus' name was Pantheon. After all, that was what the princesses has said during the ceremony of his initiation. But only a few knew that Pantheon was his title and even less knew his name. The list of ponies who did was as follows: the royal sisters, the element bares, Spike, and Shadow Wing. Atreus frowned, some of the new recruits were a bit sloppy. The man moved and corrected their movements and stances. A nod was the only sign to the recruits he corrected that they had done it properly. After a half hour the drills switched and the officer who had been assigned this squad of fresh blood returned from the meeting. In only related to lower level officers, therefore Atreus had decided to make sure that the recruits didn't get relaxed. A nod passed from the man to the officer and he saluted in return. Atreus moved through the castle till he had messenger run up to him, "Sir, the princess request your presence immediately.” "Where are they?" the warriors voice asked in an almost surprised tone. The two of them would not have sent a messenger if it wasn't serious, it would have been a servant or the message a less pressing constraint. "The throne room, they asked you hurry sir." the voice of the messenger was calm but he didn't hide his expression of concern. Pantheon nodded before he began to run down the hall at a steady yet fast pace. He rounded a few corners before he came up to the throne room. Atreus entered and saw Luna and Celestia were talking. The pair turned to Pantheon as he came up to them. "What is the situation?" before he had even fully stopped the man asked in a voice of hardened calm. It was a sort of professional voice that one would expect from a boardroom meeting. "An old player has entered the game, I have sent word to the element bares. They will be here shortly, you will be briefed on the way to the Scrying chamber and Luna will be searching for Discord while you guard her. If she locates him, report to me and we will send the elements to him. Confusion was clear on Atreus' face and stayed there till he and Luna walked through the castle at a fast pace. As the pair walked Luna began to describe how Discord was once the ruler of Equestria. Before the sisters were princesses they had simply been gaurdians of Equestria. After the death of the three founders of Equestria, Discord the draconequus lept to the stage and showered Equestria in chaos and madness. Discord declared himself the ruler of Equstria, and the spirit of chaos bent reality to his whims. Only after the sisters had found and used the elements of harmony on Discord, did they become the rulers of the recovering nation. After a thousand years of imprisonment in stone Discord had escaped, the sisters were alerted by a patrol guard that his statue was gone. This of course was far more important than the guard had realized. Once the two of them reached the Srcying room Luna explained their role more in depth. "Between me and my sister, I have the most talent with Scry magic. Which is used to locate a something or sompony. The only problem is that the spell is magic intensive, the Scrying room helps counteract the cost of the spell by generating a large amount of mana from the air with the help of enchantments. Once I find Discord you will inform Celestia and the Elements will go and engage him." "Why hasn't he attacked yet?" Atreus asked, his question was met with a nod as the diarch put her hands on a crystal orb. "We don't know, that is the worrying part. And we don't know where he is." both her horn and the orb glowed as she channeled her spell. She began to search for Discord as well as any chaos magic. He had a unique signature but it was in a almost constant state of flux. Luna’s brow furrowed and she frowned in confusion, “Something is wrong, the only source I’m finding for chaos magic is in this room. Something must have damaged the enchantments.” Atreus nodded in understanding before he paused, almost visibly, he did not move a muscle. “Where in this room?” Pantheon’s voice was calm and showed no sign of change, if only meager curiosity. Luna’s frown deepened in further confusion, she motioned behind her to her right with one hand. Her gaze never left the orb as she asked, “There, why? What are you thi-“ Before she could finish her sentence the warrior whipped around to his right. He grabbed the spear from his back with his left hand and as if one fluid motion, the spear was thrown at the corner. It travelled with blinding speed and the sound of metal ripping through the air. It impacted into the wall and nothing else. That mattered little however. For it would have struck something else if it had not moved. Or more properly, someone, seeing as the creature that dodged was not a pony the pronoun made sense here. As if a chameleon was just there, Discord seemed to have materialized out of thin air. A pleased grin split his features, his red scaled tail moved like a serpent with the tuff of fur at the end of it caressing the spear. This ended once the spear shot from the wall and back into Atreus’ hand. Princess and Pantheon both were now turned to face the lord of chaos and disharmony. “Well isn’t that, just the warmest of greatings!” The tone was one of amusement and interest, “Quite the arm you have there. Though not as impressive as those weapons, I haven’t seen the like. And don’t think I haven’t forgotten you Lulu.” Discord began to float in the air, he leaned back as if in a seat, “You look as lovely as always, though I must admit I always did prefer your sister in terms of looks. You’re a looker, but you sister is as hot as the sun she-“ Discord was cut off by a blast of magic from Luna. He dropped several inches to avoid it, his body never shifted and raised an eye brow at her. Discord spoke in a calm and humourless voice, “That and you always had the worse temper.” the draconequus waved his finger back and forth before he lost his grin. “Really now, for royalty you should have better manners.” “Discord, what are you doing here?! And more importantly what are you planning?!” Luna’s voice was one which fell into an accusatory fashion. “My my, somepony needs to learn how to ask questions more politely. But if you must know, I have some plans for your elements of harmony,” as if in a flash the elements’ chest was within Discords hands and then it flashed away, “more specifically, the bares of the elements. You see I need to set them down some trials to get my plan to work, and I can’t do that if they aren’t here. Therefore I needed to stop you from finding me and telling Tia.” “Then you were foolish to reveal yourself to us, you will not get farther in your schemes.” Luna declared. Discord began to lightly chuckle Atreus brought he shield forward and step semi in front of Luna. “I’m afraid it doesn’t matter that I have shown myself to you. Because there is nothing you can do leave here.” as if on queue the walls, doors, roof and floor all shown with a dark rainbow light. “I have reinforced the room and for all intents and purposes you don’t exist to the outside world. You are trapped here till I leave." "Then we shall face you till you flee." as Atreus finished his words he leaped forward and stabbed toward Discord. Luna began to channel magic around her body. The lord of chaos spread a mananical grin that made him appear insane, the serpent like spirit summoned forth a thin silver dueling sword. He deflected the sword and counter attacked with a quick and precise stab aimed toward the neck. The tip of the sword was caught on the warriors shield. Atreus bashed the sword away from his body and brought his spear down in a slash. Discord floated back, his body was just a couple inches off the ground. Discord was untroubled by something as minor as proper footing, all he needed to worry about was attacking. Several more slashes and stabs were exchanged and avoid by both sides. However discords large grin quickly turned to surprise as he dashed away from Atreus. Where he just was, was a dark metal sythe. Luna stood beside Pantheon in her full armor. "Oh, this will be fun!" the grin returned in full, Discord moved forward now with another sword in his off hand. The armored pair returned the draconequus' charge, the lord of chaos block their weapons before he pushed them both back. The strength in his lithe figure was uneven, but no the less great in each arm. His aggression turned to Luna and began to onslaught her with a flurry of blows. Her blocks were often unsuccessful, though his attacks were wild and couldn't penetrate her armor. Discord flipped away once Atreus leaped to Luna's aid, as Discord moved away he flipped back to an upright position. Only then did he see a spear was flying to his face. He preformed a limbo dodge and rose again to block an impaling strike from Luna with both swords. The spear returned to Atreus' hand the moment he shield butted Discord's swords down. The lord of disharmony moved back but he was not fast enough to avoid damage, instead of striking his chest he was struck in the arm. He fell to the ground in pain. The arm at the elbow was severed, Atreus used the momentum from his bash to strike out with his spear and catch Discord in the other arm. With the sound of burning flesh and a scream from Discord, he was left without either of his hands. "Surrender Discord! You can not defeat us in combat." Luna stated triumphantly. Discord looked at the pair as they stood above him, he was on his knees. He bled on the floor from both of his arm though not much considering. Dicord's eyes had yellow sclera, red irises and black stitted pupils. The pupils narrowed and a grin spread on his face, "I admit I am rusty, but there is more to battle than combat." As if by some sick joke the tuff of his tail formed a hand and in a moment snapped. Though the pair didn't see what he had done done they felt it. Each looked down to see Discord's arms grasped onto their legs. After a moment they felt inexplicably weak, each collapsed to the floor, "For starters, misdirection." The two held enough strength to look up and see Discord re-attach his arm like one would with a toy. The lord of chaos flexed his fingers experimentally, be broadened his smile, "You should see the looks on your faces right now, ahhhh priceless. But I suppose I can't stay long, I can feel my ears burning." Almost as if to illustrate this his ears caught fire. "I am needed in another part of the castle, if I am to make my superb entrance on time." The lord of madness leaned down and plucked the helmets from both their heads before he tossed both away. "You will never win Discord, my sister and the element bearers will stop you!" Luna raged against her body for succumbing to Discord's magic. "Oh we shall see Lulu, as for- oh my." Discord tilted his head to see Atreus on his hands and knees, the lord of of draconequi moved face to face with Pantheon. "Still trying to fight are we, kinda pointless no. Your beaten." Atreus looked up at Discord with a look of determination, "I fight until the blood takes the spear from my grasp," voice matched face in a show of persistence, "until I can only crawl. And even then, you will not defeat me, even then," a pause before Discord felt a warm slimy feeling on his cheek, "I will spit in your face!" Discord raised his brow as his grin turned to a neutral expression, he wiped the spit of his face with his hand. He brought the hand up to his eyes to look at it. Discord used that hand to backhand the man across the room. He landed on his back against the wall. "Atreus!" Luna shouted she attempted to get up to no avail, Discord snapped his fingers. "I'd love to stay and chat but I am needed elsewhere, don't worry though I'll leave you both some trials of your own. Wouldn't want you to feel left out of my master plan now would we." A pop sounded before the pair saw their vision go dark. ... Darkness, emptiness, quite, cold. An unfortunately familiar feeling for Luna, and she didn't like it. it reminded her to much of her time on the moon. She attempted to open her eyes. Nothing she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face, was it in front of her face? She had no sensation other than the cold. She couldn't even hear her own breathing, was she breathing? A stillness and quite was her only answer. This lasted for so long she thought she might go insane. Then something changed, "Hello Luna." If Luna had been breathing she certainly stopped now. She looked up, she knew that she looked up because suddenly she was in a place. She could feel her body and the hard cold stone beneath her. Home, her former home. The castle of the two sisters, she was in the throne room, night clear as glass. But that barely registered in her mind, before her stood the source of the voice she had heard, "You seem surprised." Nightmare moon, dark and terrible with hair to match her own, both flowed in a none-existent wind. Luna stood, "No your dead, your-" Nightmare cut her off with biting cold words. "Dead?! Dead! We are you, you miserable little foal!" her voice was like broken glass, sharp and clear. "For millennia we were one and now that you have had a few months to yourself you think I am dead, we are inseparable." Luna began to move away from Moon out of fear. "You may want to convince yourself that we were separate, that it was the dark magic. It clouded your mind and made you into me. But we both know the truth." Nightmare moved to follow Luna "My actions, my feelings, everything was only enhanced by dark magic. But it never changed your feelings when they became mine." Luna found herself against a wall, Nightmare Moon pointed her finger at Luna's heart "Everything was in you, you and I are the same." Luna's eyes widened as if she had been struck in the face. Nightmare pressed her finger against Luna's breast, a dark shadow started to engulf Luna's body from her chest onward. Luna felt tears of terror and sadness come to her eyes, "No!" flashes however brief went through her eyes, "No, No!" the things she had done, it wasn't a bloodless rebellion she had started a thousand years ago. The damage, ponies she had hurt or killed, the heartbreak in her sister's tearful eyes as Celestia had fired the elements at her, "NOOOOOO!" Luna broke down, despair and regret finally found a proper foothold. As Luna's body was fully engulfed by the blackness and sorrow she retreated into her mind. Cold, dark, and sorrowful, but the quite? Gone, shattered by the screams of those she had hurt. She wept, the tears stung against her skin, pain greater than tears had any right being. She didn't care though, she felt her heart crack and hollow as memories of her mistakes wrapped around her mind. 'I can't be redeemed, I tried to run from my past. I don't deserve to be happy I-' her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, a different voice. "Pressing forward is not the same as running from your mistakes." Luna looked up again, the world was still dark void, and so was her form, but the screams had gone silent. Knelt next to her was Atreus, he didn't have his helmet or weapons, but he was there none the less. "Atreus, I... no I... I did run from it. I wanted to forget and just live my life again without having to pay for my mistakes. I-" the man leaned forward and pressed his hand to her cheek. "You have payed enough, you had your home, life, and family denied to you for a thousand years. It is time you accept what you have done and overcome it. Because we are what we overcome. It is time for you to be you, to move on from your past, to be stronger. If you don't think you have paid enough, then pay with your service. Work for your subjects to repay the debt, but know this. That no matter what they will not see your work as you making the score even, but as love from their princess." Luna had stopped crying, she listened intently. "But my sister I wronged her I-" "She forgave you the moment you were on the moon, she wept for her mistakes from that day on. Your return has been a pray answered for her. It is time to wake, and rise." Atreus stood, his hand extended to her. Luna reached out and grabbed his hand. As the man hoisted her up she felt the dark lift from her form. Nightmare stood there anger clear in her eyes, "You are running again! Don't think some petty words, and little works will ever repay for what you have done! You slaughtered and destroyed the lives of ponies, why would it be any different now?! We are one and the same we-" during Nightmare's rant Luna had moved and embraced her. "We are different now, we are one, I accept that. But everything has changed, and I think it is time that we move on." The castle started to brighten as Nightmare Moon faded into nothing. Luna turned to Atreus, "Thank you," the two shared a hug before she moved from the embrace to ask, "Atreus, I-" He put a finger to her lips. "Save it for when you wake, and for the real Atreus." Luna blinked before she nodded, the castle itself seemed to fade as it go brighter. ... Stars, stars all around. A glorious field of view that made even the cold of heart gaze up in awe. A wind of slicing cold and snow, it was the only sound. The true Atreus stood on rock and snow. He stared out from the mountain's peak, a longing to be down there, with his people. The ache of loneliness, he had been gone from his family. His friend and brother Pylas dead. Aiula left on her farm, widowed after Pylas' death. He had left her too, so he could go their protect people from invaders. He never returned to see her, she must have know he had succeeded, but he never went to her. "Why did you leave me?" A voice feminine and familiar. As the man turned he saw Pylas and Aiula. The former couple looked at the warrior with sadness on their faces. "I-" he was cut off by Pylas this time. "Why did I die, and you live? I had a wife, a future, a home. Why did you live to see Targon but I didn't?" his face wasn't angry but it cut into Atreus' heart. "I left to protect you Aiula, you and all our people. The barbarians were closing in on our borders. Pylas I don't know, I don't know why I didn't die instead of you. I don't know why I-" "Why didn't you protect me and my friends?" this voice, he had only heard twice. To the right of Pylas was his wife, and to right of Aiula was... The woman to the right of Aiula wore battered armor and held a burnt shield, "Asos. I tried, I didn't have the strength then I'm not even sure I do now, but-" "Why?" the three of them asked sadly. All of there questions were burning through his heart like starfire, regrets venom formed in his eyes as he felt the warmth on his ice cold cheeks, his face numb. The cold was stronger now, it seemed to envelope him for what felt like an eternity. "Did you give up?"Atreus crack open his eyes, almost literally. The mountain's wilds were a blizzard of white and formed a void. In that dark white void Atreus saw her. Luna sat, legs under her. "What?" Atreus could only choke out one word but she understood. "Did you ever give up, on them, on your purpose. Did you ever fail and not keep trying." the sting of the wind and the sound from its bite was lost. "No, but if-" the lunar princess shook her head and cut him off. "If you had been stronger? Maybe, maybe Pylas would not have succumb to the cold if you had been strong enough to carry him. But you did support him up the mountain, and when he died he wasn't accusing you, not even with his eyes. If you had been there? Yes, you should have gone back, talked to Aiula at least. Her worry settled for a time, and convinced her that you needed to go, to protect others with your strength of will. If you had been faster? If you had gotten to the fight earlier you may have saved some of the Ra-Horak, but how could you be any faster? Even then Asos saw that you were merely a man that day. She chose to save you, and because of that you saved the last of the warriors. Its not a matter of why, but a matter of will. Will you give up and wallow in the past, or will you let the past march with you. Make your self stronger from it and never surrender, to honour their memories,"Luna pointed toward Asos to the the right, and Pylas to the left, "and her loss." he finger pointed to the center with Aiula. Atreus moved to them each with a sad look on their faces, but each of them held a small smile when Atreus put them in a group hug, he looked at Pylas and Asos, "Return home on your shields, my friends, you have earned your rest." The two of them smiled wider and faded, Aiula stood alone with Atreus, "I can not look after you here, I am afraid you will be on your own." Aiula smiled and punched his arm, "I cared for you and your belly aching for months, I can care for myself. I just hope you can do the same for yourself, Atreus." The strong willed women he had fallen in love with over the months she had spent with him faded from the mountain. Atreus turned and saw a smile on Luna's lips. He crossed the distance to her and grabbed hold of her hands as gently as possibly, "Thank you," the slightly shorter princess nodded, "Luna I-" Luna spoke over him, "I think you better save that thought for when you wake up, and see the actual me." The stars seemed to shine brighter until there was only a bright white. ... Luna woke up, she was still on the floor of the Scrying room, she was confused for a moment before it all snapped back like a rubber band. "Atreus!" She quickly looked around to find he was still against the wall. She got up and ran to him, he appeared to be in the middle waking up. He opened his eyes and as Luna sat by his side their eyes met. An understanding passed between them, in someway their experiences were similar to the others'. Their faces and eyes showed one another more than words would right now. Atreus sat up and gently grabbed Luna's hands. She smiled before she rested her forehead against his, she took care with her horn. And the two of them closed their eyes and took a moment of silent comfort that they had both made it through Discord's magic. Discord, as if on queue the two quickly stood and retrieved their helmets. "We have to find my sister and the elements." Atreus nodded as they ran out of the Scrying room.