//------------------------------// // Chapter 62 // Story: The Last Descendant // by Cup of Coffee //------------------------------// A haze hung over Hollow Shades. Both the village and the forest were covered in mist as dew slowly began to evaporate, and the sun rose early in the morning. Sunlight pierced the fog occasionally, creating beams of light which highlighted houses and trees, a warm orange glow slowly forming as more and more sunlight illuminated the village. Accompanying this lovely sight on a fall morning was the song of birds. An idyllic setting to be sure. This view was not wasted to Magnus’ eyes, even though he was sleepy. Turning the hours back to being awake during the day hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d predicted, but a lot of short naps and coffee by the gallons over the course of three days had helped. He was seated on a bench at the train station, patiently waiting for the morning train to arrive. By his side sat Brilliant, clad in her shawl and wool blanket, dozing lightly, and further down the station stood several other ponies. Some were wide awake and some slept while on their hooves. Bat ponies were certainly not early birds.  Magnus and Brilliant had worked together to prepare for the journey, turning the hours slowly around by going to bed earlier and getting up later as well. Although Canterlot was somewhat lively at night, it was still a city for those that were awake during the day, so being a night person in such a city meant that one would miss out on things. Brilliant had mentioned errands and things she wanted to do while in Canterlot so naturally she had to be awake during the day. Her meeting with Celestia was one of them, one of many. Magnus yawned and stretched his arms. He looked at the clock that hung on the wall of the station and concluded that the train should be here by now. No sooner had he finished the thought that he heard the distant sound of a train whistle coming from somewhere deeper in the forest. Mere minutes later, the train came into view, smaller than that of a train on Earth. Its colour scheme would probably make any train enthusiast scream in abject horror. Ponies certainly had a thing for pastel. Gently, Magnus nudged Brilliant. “Brilliant, the train’s here.” The old mare jerked, her eyes going wide as she shook away her drowsiness. “Oh, goodness, did I fall asleep again?” She levitated her glasses off and rubbed her eyelids for the second time that morning. “It’s been such a long time since I was awake during the day. I forgot how difficult it is to turn the hours around.” “Hopefully you can get some sleep on the train then,” Magnus replied as he stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and bent down to pick up Brilliant’s two suitcases. “I’ll take your luggage for you.” “Thank you. Such a gentlecolt.” After the train had come to a complete stop, ponies began to exit the passenger cars. There weren’t many disembarking; Hollow Shades was not a tourist destination and neither did it have anything special that made ponies want to visit. But twice the number began to board the train and a variety of boxes, barrels and an assortment of cargo were loaded into the boxcar near the back of the train. After boarding, Magnus and Brilliant found a pair of empty seats for themselves. There weren’t many passengers on the train, so they could pick and choose as they liked. After stowing their luggage, they sat down and got comfortable. “Not many traveling this early.” There were only a handful of ponies of different varieties. Two ponies—a mare and a stallion—kept staring at him and looked away whenever he caught them. It didn’t really bother Magnus. However, they looked distinctly different compared to the others in that their coats, tails, and hair appeared nearly flawless. Their coats were so well-groomed that they almost shone, and their manes and tails were intricately styled and almost seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that now shone through the cars windows. “There rarely are, but those two over there are a rare sight in Hollow Shades,” Brilliant responded with a nod of her head towards the two sparkling ponies. “Those are rare? How come?” Since those two obviously took so good care of their appearance, they could be models. “Crystal ponies," Brilliant replied. "They rarely leave the Empire. They have a lot of history to catch up on, and the world has moved on since their days.” Crystal Empire. That two-word sentence told Magnus a few things. The ‘city-state’, if it could be called that since it was a tiny nation, north of Equestria. Also, the Empire that Princess Cadenza and Prince-Consort Shining Armor ruled over. “Then that means that those two are over a thousand years old!” said Magnus, much louder than he intended. Luckily, the two crystal ponies didn’t seem to hear him. “Mmm, that they are. But I heard they and the entire Empire were banished. How they did not age is beyond my understanding.” Brilliant smiled, although it was brief. “But horrible what they went through nonetheless. That tyrant Sombra. Thank Faust the Element Bearers dealt with him.” After a few minutes, the train conductor blew his whistle, and the train slowly began to pull out of the station. Little houses near the train tracks and beyond the trees began to fade from sight until there was nothing to be seen but the forest. ‘Goodbye, Hollow Shades, until next time,’ thought Magnus, smiling at the memories of his time in the little forest village. Despite some setbacks, he had enjoyed his stay, and the possibility of another visit was highly likely. After all, Brilliant had said that they were invited back for a Christmas-like holiday called Hearths-Warming Eve. An hour or so passed with nothing in view but trees, the occasional stream and river and little lakes, but then the trees became sparse and suddenly they exited the forest and entered a vide plain. To the north was a snow-capped mountain range with a wide pass through them, and to the south was the vast plain that made up central Equestria. Brilliant had already fallen asleep by the time the train headed south towards Canterlot, which left Magnus alone with his thoughts. His head resting on the palm of his hand, he simply admired the view that passed him by.  Vast green plains, a hill here and there, little forests, rivers and streams cutting through the green landscape, lakes big and small, and dirt roads crossing the tracks on occasion. From time to time, Magnus saw tiny settlements in the distance as well as distant farms, and a few times the train stopped at stations in the middle of nowhere where ponies boarded the train or left. He concluded that these small stations acted like a local waypoint between villages and settlements instead of building tracks to each and every one. Equestria was a beautiful country, no doubt about it. Even though fall was here, the land held its charm and grace as the grass had begun to die and the leaves had fallen, and Magnus didn’t understand why his mind chose this particular thing to focus on, given his dislike of fall. It was different from Earth, yes. Still, the colours seemed so vibrant. Was it perhaps the lack of pollution from factories, maybe no engine exhaust that turned the air grey, or perchance it was the fact that there wasn’t a single billboard in sight along the tracks or the many small roads they passed that obstructed the view and advertised for some mass-produced crap? Or maybe, just maybe, it was the distinct lack of human interference and all it brought with it that slowly made him reconsider certain things that had happened in his life in recent months. This world was slow, peaceful, and not yet industrialized, and perhaps that was why it appealed to him. After all, Magnus preferred untouched land instead of cities, and seemingly untouched land was abundant all around him. “You know, you smile a lot ever since you came to Hollow Shades.” Magnus was quickly torn back to the present, not because of someone speaking to him, but rather who the voice belonged to. “Hello, Discord,”  Magnus said wearily and looked around. “Being an invisible shit again?” “And there is that foul language again.” The disembodied spirit of chaos laughed. “I should give you a thesaurus, broaden your language a little, bolster your repository of colloquy.”  “Good idea, I can probably find some new words that can describe you,” Magnus said sarcastically. Discord laughed, his voice clearly conveying amusement. “So, why are you here, if you are here at all?” “Can I not visit my little brother?” “A visitor would usually reveal themselves.” Magnus looked around; a few ponies looked at him. “Ponies can hear me, and probably think I’m going crazy sitting here talking to myself.” “Crazy is just fine, as long as you function in your daily life and do not hurt anypony. But fine then.” A flash of magic later and Discord appeared around Brilliant’s neck, wrapped loosely like a boa, the tiny spirit himself greeting him with a crooked grin. “Better?” “Not really, now would you get away from her?” Magnus hissed, leaning forward to grab a hold of the prankster spirit. In response, Discord slithered around her neck and away from Magnus’ hand. “I like it here, little brother. And besides, your dear granny is slee—” Discord got no further as a crimson aura of magic suddenly grabbed a tight hold around his neck and brought him up face to face with Brilliant. Brilliant was wide awake and didn’t seem the least happy.  “Long ago, I lived in a place filled with snakes,” she said, her lips drawn into a thin line. “I still wake immediately if I feel something slither around my neck, just in case it is a poisonous snake. But today, I have caught a much more dangerous viper.” In Discord’s defence, he didn’t seem bothered at all being grabbed by the neck. Instead, he did the last thing Magnus expected. “Enchanté, Madam Star,” he said politely and with a tip of his horns. “A pleasure to meet my little brother’s grandmother.” “I cannot say the same, Spirit of Chaos,” Brilliant replied without a smile, her grip tightening slightly. “But I oh so wish I could have repaid you for the chaos you caused in Hollow Shades, not to mention my home, and when you betrayed Equestria for that horrible Tirek.” “Tirek? The centaur? Why? What did he do?” Magnus asked, genuinely curious. By now he was well aware that the day Discord escaped from his stone imprisonment, he had caused chaos all over Equestria, and Hollow Shades could not have been an exception.  What he had not heard in detail of was how Discord had teamed up with the magic-eating centaur. Discord grinned, disappeared in a flash of teleportation and appeared next to Magnus, dressed up in a straw hat, sunglasses, a gaudy Hawaiian shirt, and a camera which he used liberally to take pictures of the landscape, ponies on the train, as well as Magnus. “Oh look, a tree! And a monkey! How fascinating!” he commented, acting like a tourist, obviously not wanting to say anything. Brilliant merely glared at Discord. “Treehouses turned upside down, bat ponies found their wings attached elsewhere on their bodies, and sometimes not even attached to their bodies at all, their fangs growing so large they left furrows on the ground, ponies acting like animals or even plants, little birds the size of dragons—every madness you can imagine and not imagine. And in my castle, I was woken up midday by the suits of armour displayed around my castle holding a running contest through the hallways. Imagine the ruckus!” “Oh come now, it was just a bit of fun,” Discord replied innocently, displaying his lopsided grin. “Fun?” Brilliant raised a brow, staring daggers at Discord, her lips tightening even more. “I thought I had become odd when I heard voices coming from the gallery. The paintings of my ancestors had come alive on the walls! They spoke nonsense! Some spoke as if they were town criers, some acted like the speaker at a sports game! And the photograph of my father, mother, and herdmothers, and my late husband and wives...” Suddenly, the anger Brilliant displayed faded and she actually smiled, despite what she had gone through. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and low.  “Although my father spoke nonsense about the price of bread to be paid in stars contained in a bucket, and my mother insisting that walking canes was a cure for headaches, and dear Gossamer Mist and Beauté bickering about how to make proper Chocolate Pot Creme dessert with brown paint or paint pretending to be brown…” Her voice trailed off as she took a shaky breath. “And my lovely husband Evening Wind, dancing in his photograph, in the frilliest dress you can imagine. He always acted a bit silly when he tried to cheer me up, but in all my life, I never could imagine him in a dress.” She laughed, her eyes shining as she looked away from Discord. To Magnus' surprise, Discord wasn’t wearing his patented shit-eating grin, instead looking very much taken by surprise. “And Midnight Flower and Mossflower,” she continued with a faraway look in her shining eyes, “dancing so beautifully together again to the tune of an orchestra of elephants using their trunks as various brass instruments while reciting Saddle Arabian style poems about planting birds eggs to grow dentures that glow in the dark…” She slowly trailed off, her final words hanging in the air for a few seconds before she looked up at Discord and smiled. “I… missed seeing them alive again… my mother and father and herdmothers, and my husband and herdwives. I missed their voices, and… it was nice to hear them speak again, even if it was all nonsense. Thank you.” “Oh! Eh, well, you are quite welcome,” Discord replied. For the first time, Magnus actually heard Discord sound surprised and embarrassed. If it was his plan to tease Brilliant, then it had backfired slightly. But Brilliant’s little smile faded again, and although her eyes normally looked and felt warm and kind behind her half-moon spectacles, now it seemed as if a fire burned behind them. “And then you came back with that monster!” she almost snarled. “What happened?” asked Magnus as he looked at Discord, quite certain it had to do with the magic-eating centaur. The chaos being himself had gone from looking uncertain to guilty. Brilliant looked from Magnus to Discord, her fiery gaze intensifying every time she looked at the spirit. “A talent show was held by the school in Hollow Shades; every filly and colt was there along with their families. In the middle of a colt’s magic act, Discord appeared on stage, mocking the poor colt for even trying to impress the crowd, then stating he had a better show to give. Then he introduced Tirek, whose very appearance frightened many and made children cry. And if that wasn’t enough, he helped Tirek by shutting the doors so nopony could escape, and laughed as we were all drained of our magic.” Magnus’ initial desire to know more quickly turned to anger and he turned to Discord with a grim look on his face and teeth grinding behind lips drawn taught. There was much he could tolerate, but a being as powerful as Discord bullying a child, and laughing at ponies when they were helpless? For a while now, Magnus thought Discord was mostly goofing off most of the time, but hearing how cruel the reformed Spirit of Chaos had acted absolutely pissed him off. “Can you imagine how it felt being so helpless, so drained… empty?” Brilliant’s eyes now looked as if there was a roaring blaze behind them. If Magnus thought she was angry before, now he had absolutely no doubt. “No.” She shook her head. “No, you can’t. You can’t feel. Creatures like you can’t, because they have no remorse, no compassion, and no empathy. They, like you, are evil and nothing but evil. But you got what you deserved when Tirek betrayed you in turn. If only you would have been left as helpless as we were, forever, Equestria and the world would be a much safer place,” she finished with a satisfying grin. That part Magnus hadn’t heard before! Discord was in turn betrayed by Tirek? That was news to him. The betrayer was betrayed. By now, Discord looked very uncomfortable, wringing his eagle talon and lion paw together. “I… regretted my decision immediately after. And I still do my best to avoid disappointing my friends. I never wish to do so again. I promised my best friend.” Then he suddenly smiled and perked up in the blink of an eye. “But I have—” “Not good enough!” Brilliant exclaimed angrily, pointing a thin foreleg at Discord. “Now, if it was up to me, you would spend the rest of the lives of the ponies and creatures your actions affected, doing everything in your power to make it up to them in any way possible.” Whatever Discord was to say, in defence, objection, or apology, was left hanging in the air, and all he did was let out a sigh and gave Brilliant a final arrogant frown. “I know when I am not welcome,” he said, bringing up his lion paw. “Best I leave before we both say something you will regret.” The next moment, he was gone in a flash of magic. Brilliant slowly lowered her hoof and she leaned back on her seat, her anger quickly fading, leaving her looking annoyed.  Meanwhile, Magnus looked to where Discord was seated moments ago and then to Brilliant. The old mare never showed a single second of fear or discomfort when faced with a being of powers equal to a deity. Nope, she was angry at him! Furious even! She had even shouted at him and never wavered for even a second! “I didn’t know Discord betrayed Equestria,” Magnus said after a few moments. His respect for Brilliant had increased a few notches more. “Everypony knows; it’s rarely spoken of. They just want to move on with their lives. That, and some ponies are still afraid of him,” Brilliant stated, staring out the window and the passing view. While Magnus could believe that, he felt as if there was more to it. Celestia and Luna seemed to tolerate Discord quite well, and the Element Bearers—and Fluttershy especially—called him friend.  “I don’t like Discord either; he’s a di—jerk, annoying as a mosquito swarm, and his mindset is something I can’t even begin to fathom, but it sounds as if you have more than a normal dislike of him.” Brilliant scoffed and remained silent, but eventually she sighed and turned to Magnus. “I may be old and the poorest noble in Equestria, but I have my pride. More so, I have a duty, a responsibility towards Hollow Shades and all ponies who live in the forest. I may be a lesser noble, but I take my duty seriously, even if it means protecting them.” ‘Did Brilliant seriously mean that she would go up against Discord, at her age?’ “Discord leaving me powerless to help was one of the lowest points in my life.” She turned to look out the window again.  “What could you have done against Discord? I mean, he can force reality over his knee and spank it if he wants.” His joke had the intended effect, evident by the snort and smile Brilliant showed. “Probably nothing, but it is a matter of principle,” replied Brilliant as the two fell back into silence.  The old mare yawned, smacking her lips. “I’m still a bit drowsy. Can you wake me when the train begins the climb up Mount Canterhoof?” Magnus nodded. “Of course.” And with that Brilliant was out again. While the old mare snoozed away, Magnus sat staring at the old mare, pondering his newfound knowledge. Discord as a betrayer? Oh yes, he could believe that. Chaos was much, at least the sort he knew of, and betrayal could certainly be chaos. And speaking of betrayal, could Discord be trusted with anything?  Magnus dug into his pocket and took out his phone. The little techno-chaos being sat curled together, pressing the touchscreen on its chest. Flappy Bird, now a heavily pixelated figure of Discord flapped around on the screen, dodging long-legged ponies instead of pipes. “Can I trust you at all?” asked Magnus, low enough to not wake Brilliant.