//------------------------------// // Chaotic Mornings // Story: Launching the Last Star // by The Real Darkness //------------------------------// Arctus woke with a start, unable to lift himself up from the heavy alicorn who laid atop him. The room smelled of his sweat and something else entirely. That's when he noticed his armor laying on the floor, the decorated metal was undamaged. A couch sat in front of a fireplace. Fireplace? His room didn't have a... Right, he paid ponies to move his things from his quarters to Celestia's. He was married and joined now. Arctus didn't pay any heed to the slight headache he had, but looked out of a window, turning his head, to see the shield bubble still standing. The city was quiet now. And there would be a lengthy clean up being conducted in the streets. He gave himself over to alcohol, then battle, and sinful pleasure from the looks of the room and the white alicorn laying with him. So he resigned to sleep in, Strong Stitch could make her way to the post in the South just fine after she had her weapon forged. Arctus awoke again to find Celestia gone and a note on the door, he would read it in a moment. His gear was the first thing he had done every morning. After spending all day in a rather noisy set of armor that was now properly placed on a stand, he was happy to wear his usual equipment again. We have an issue, don't open the door, leave using the balcony. ~Celly Of course, his spear was already in hand while he walked to the open balcony doors to find...the city Canterlot above. Above? "I didn't drink that much," he mumbled out while he craned his head everywhere before he realized. The room had been turned upside down, that included gravity. So he leapt, "Asarele!" No bird. "Asarele!" Still no bird, so he rubbed the wards in his boots and began a fast sprint down the side of the tower once he attached to it, slowing himself down and reaching the ground safely. Something had to be very wrong. And something very wrong stood in front of him. "Ahhh hahaha, miss your icy flying friend, do we?" A deep condescending tone came from this amalgamation of things, "oh, I see your curious eye. Don't worry, talking about me is my favorite subject." He completely forgot how it felt to be regarded as an inferior being, "you have limited time to explain yourself, I recommend you wat-." "-ch my words," a toothy evil grin spread across its face, "you can call me Discord, draconequus, Lord of Chaos and Disharmony. And you...I owe you something." Arctus lunged, his spear shooting far out, but the creature teleported faster than any unicorn he had seen. Now it was floating above him. "Such fury in your attack." "Where is Celestia?" His expression grew cold. "Oh, she's fine, I haven't done anything to her. I imagine your wedding was wonderful, considering how your evening and night of chaos, hedonism, and minor debaucheries awoke and empowered me to escape my prison." And that stung a little. "And that," Discord pointed to his face, "I had not seen that look in so many many many years! The stone face of a killer, a slayer, a murderer, a genocidist." Arctus was very annoyed at whatever this creature was. "I hope you like what I've done to the place, I thought you might considering you're almost as good as me at causing disruptions," he laughed. "Are you done spouting? I'm tired of hearing you fail to glorify yourself." "Those teeth, yes! Trying to bite me. I came to make a deal," he pointed to a section of the castle courtyards, shrubs overgrown in the maze, "I need something from you, rather I need you do not do something for me." "I see you've met Discord," Celestia's voice called as she struggled free from vines that were clung to her while she moved about the castle grounds. Arctus' eyes followed the trail of plant life. Up the castle walls, around benches, over statues, through the gates, in and out of windows. There was something incredibly wrong about today. "I assume this isn't a dream." "It's not, I know not where my sister is, but Discord is the reason behind all of this." Discord spoke, "oh come now, Celestia. I'm just having a chat, striking a deal with your husband." "Take anythi-." "Bakta," Discord uttered a single word and Arctus leapt, attempting to swipe at him just for the chaotic being to teleport again. "I have both of you listening now. Good. I know Bakta, I've met him." Arctus was beginning to grow more violent, he wanted to slash and impale this creature, but it escaped his attempts. "You know, Celestia. I never knew you'd have the hots for a creature capable of such hate." "Say your piece," Arctus demanded. "Fine, fine. I need you, Master Scout, to keep your nose and spear out of the ponies challenge today," he gestured to the overgrown maze again, "and in return. I'll summon his star, Bakta's, I'll even allow you to get my understanding of him to help you attune." "How did you go to his world?" Celestia stamped her hoof. "Ooooh, but I didn't. Bakta came to me, wanted to know more about little old Discord," Arctus was tired of seeing that toothy smile, but he had lowered his spear at his earlier words, "I see you're pliable to the idea." "You're not considering his offer? He's the embodiment of disharmony, lying is not beyond him!" Celestia argued. "Celly, is it those six that I witness return Luna to herself? Are those ponies doing something against Discord?" "Yes, they're working to recover the Elements of Harmony." Arctus began to think, looking at the draconequus before him. He had a guaranteed way to Bakta and even going as far as to learn another godhood. Learn another godhood. "Do you know his invocation prayer?" Arctus asked. Discord smirked, "oh, I'll give that to you as well, in fact," the chaotic entity sunk through the air, landing on the ground with his closed eyes. Celestia began to charge her horn until Arctus lifted his spear slightly to assuage her gently. A purple star popped into existence in the day sky above, a pale pink light ushering in over Discord. "Art, how is he able to do this? Is he bluffing?" Celestia's pupils darted to the sky and to the draconequus. "Discord, I have my own condition." His eyes opened again, focusing solely on the warrior in front of him, "oh, but I'm uping the terms on my side as well. You will agree to never oppose me." "He fears you, Art," Celestia didn't find comfort in that at all. Discord was known to be without fear, even from mighty horrors such as Tirek. But he was conscious enough to know that Arctus is a very potential and real threat to the God of Chaos. "Then I'll have two conditions." "Name them." Arctus smiled, "you will never oppose me, we'll call it a cease fire agreement between us. You'll grant me your understanding, the knowledge of Bakta's star, his invocation prayer; everything I need to beseech him for his power. A godhood magic." "Oh Celestia, your new husband is quite the negotiator. Quite the violent murderer as well," he commented. "You do not know him as I know him," Celestia argued back. "Oh, soft heart, valiance, reasons for his actions. I see an Aeternian blessed and cursed with an incredible violent potential," Discord knew quite a lot of his world, "he's a slayer with ambition to rival my own. That's always what he'll be." "Do we have an agreement?" Arctus redirected him. "You've given me quite the things to mull over, but my paws, hooves, fingers, and claws are all still tied," multiple appendages apepared out from his wrists before disappearing in a flash, "you have yourself a deal with Discord, Arctus." "Now I ask you for a small favor," the Master Scout spoke up. "Oooh? A favor as well? If I like the idea, I'll see what I can do." "Your blood, a vial of it," Discord's smile fell before he regained it and he snapped his fingers. Celestia was gone in a flash of magic and a vial appeared inside Arctus' lowered left hand, "don't worry. I just sent her away. You wouldn't believe me yourself without proof." "But from one kin to another, keep this quiet for me," and he was gone, leaving the Master Scout alone. Arctus had waited out Discord, when he was turned to stone everything in the castle was conveniently turned back, he hadn't even seen Celestia for the entirety of the incident after Discord teleported her. But he stood in the cavern at Foal Mountain, holding the vial of red in his hand. "He can't possibly," he uncorked it and poured the blood into the orange magma. The flow turned red and began to rage faster. "Discord is an Aeternian...how?" So he left and returned back to the castle, staring at the statue in the garden by himself, Equestria was not up, down, and all around anymore, but he couldn't help but to stare at the statue. "Why? How?" "Oh, Art, there you are," Celestia came to him, "I understand you made a deal with Discord, that was very risky and we're lucky for things to have come out the way they did." "I know you don't approve of my decision, but I had to attempt." "Did he uphold his end of the bargain?" Celestia sighed. "He did, I was waiting for him to be put back in stone, but I felt the knowledge hit me, the prayer, the emotions, the imagery," Arctus breathed in and then exhaled, "do you still see me as the cold hardened woodsmaster I once was?" "You have been tempered, forged with purpose rather than hammered for the sake of it. Though you may be capable, your actions show that you haven't been that person in a very long time, Art." He was quiet at Celestia's response. "It's odd of you to need reassurance. Did something happen while he kept me suspended?" The Solar symbol trotted closer, pulling his head to her chest as she reared to her hind hooves. "Just questioning what he had said," a half truth. The least he could do to respect a fallen Aeternian was to keep his wishes.