Chapter 1
Father of a Monster
“HEY! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE!” the lead guard roared at the stallion. He merely groaned in annoyance.
“I’ll have you know that I can be wherever I wish, and it is here that I wish to be,” he informed the group of guards thusly. “Such amazing architecture,” the stallion thought to himself, “Celestia truly does know how to live.”
“I SAID GET OUT, OR I’LL MAKE YOU GET OUT!” the guard yelled again.
“Perhaps a demonstration is in order,” the stallion sighed. His horn lit up briefly in a bright flash, when it dissipated the stallion was nowhere to be seen.
“Well that takes care of that,” the guard muttered.
“Just because I’m not seen doesn’t mean I’m not here,” the stallion told them, his voice reverberating off the walls, “I do so loathe violence of all kinds, despite it’s constant necessity in my rather strange life, and would ask you stand down before this gets embarrassing for you all.”
“Show yourself!” the guard demanded, to no avail, “That was your last warning, now I’m taking you in!”
The stallion’s sigh was heard throughout the room. He didn’t waste any time bucking the lead guard in the nose as he reappeared, then repeatedly disappeared, reappeared, and just beat the guards into submission one strike at a time as he did. As the last guard fell to the floor the stallion appeared and finally stayed in sight. The stallion ignored their collective groans of pain as he trotted about the room for the next several minutes, still admiring the architecture.
“What’s going on here?” the powerful female voice asked. The stallion looked over to see a midnight blue alicorn—princess Luna of course—looking at the near unconscious bodies of her guards, then himself.
“I was merely admiring the elegance of the room until these ruffians barged in ordering me to leave until my hoof was forced,” he explained to the well known lunar princess, “I’ve had my fill of eye candy now and was just about to take my leave.” As he attempted to trot past Luna extended a wing, blocking his path.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“My dear, it’s not about who I am, it’s about what I was,” he explained as he stepped back and bowed, “You and I and aren’t too different, both individuals powerful beyond reckoning. Mortals fear what’s more powerful them than them, often they say that it’s evil, that it needs to be destroyed. What I am, at least now, is a stallion of wealth, a creature of culture, and unfathomable power.” He remained just as regal a stance as the princess herself.
“What is your name?” she demanded. The stallion smiled softly, careful not to offend the princess of the night during her domain of all times.
“I’m sorry, but before I answer that question, you must first ask the correct questions,” he told her softly
. Luna was about to demand an answer to her question, but quickly decided that it might be easier to play along when a thought occurred to her. This thought, if voiced correctly, may very well be the question the stallion before her wanted her to ask. “You…you’re not a pony are you?” Luna asked curiously.
He smiled brightly in response, as if she’d lived up to his expectations. “Yes, and no,” he answered cryptically, “Truly it is a matter of perspective, as it is with you my dear. However I cannot say the same of all beings on our level, but I digress. I am a pony in body and heart, but in mind and soul, perhaps we could be considered something else. Though that isn’t to say you and I are the same, despite the fact that I could easily will it to be so.” The cryptic answer confused Luna further, raising more questions than it answered, though at least she was getting somewhere. The last statement stood out however.
“What do you mean you could will it to be so?” she asked.
He shook his head. “All in due time, but for now you must ask the correct questions,” he answered with his soft smile. Luna thought about it a moment longer.
“What is your purpose?” she asked finally. He lit up again, even more brightly this time.
“That my dear: is the correct question.” He tilted his head mischievously forward ever so slightly, “However it is not the time to be answering that question. I am sorry.” He hung his head. “but before I answer certain conditions must be met. In the meantime…” He trailed off and trotted off.
Luna once again stopped him to his confusion. “Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded.
“I told you already: I will answer the question when the time and conditions are met,” he repeated with a frown, “I am sorry for the delay.”
Luna narrowed her eyes. “You have broken into my castle, my home, and attacked my guards,” she informed him, “I hereby place you under arrest.” The stallion looked at her and merely sighed.
***
“He just went with you?” the guard asked his princess. She nodded.
“He said he was displeased with the situation, but would comply out of respect for me,” the princess explained to the many guards that the new prisoner had incapacitated, “A strange stallion indeed, but I thought you should be informed on the situation due to your involvement.” The guards nodded as she left.
Luna couldn’t have been more confused on the whole situation. As she trotted back to his cell she wondered why he had insisted upon being there to begin with. Did he truly just enjoy the sights of the castle? There were much easier ways to gain access, rather than breaking and entering.
“Luna?” the cell guard addressed her, “He’s gone.”
Her blood ran cold. “What?!” she demanded as her eyes glowed.
“H-he said to tell you he apologizes for the indiscretion, but there were things he wanted to attend to,” the guard explained quickly, “He also said he’d see both you and Celestia soon enough, and that he wanted you to, well, repeat everything you two said to her. I think that means he wants her in the loop or something.” Luna mentally sighed at the modern slang “in the loop”. She thought it was just easier to say “keep informed”, not to mention less vague. She mentally fumed while she thanked the guard for the message.
***
“Then he escaped while I explained to the guards what happened,” Luna finished explaining to her sister, “Apparently he plans to answer my question when the both of us are present.”
Celestia gave a small “hm” in thought. “What did he look like exactly?” Celestia asked her younger sister. Luna closed her eyes and thought back.
“He was a…moderately sized unicorn stallion, small build, light tan coat, jet black mane tied back in a small ponytail like some nobles, and blue eyes that…” she momentarily trailed off, but finished before Celestia could prod her, “blue eyes that seemed to momentarily shine like crystal.” Celestia thought about it for a moment herself, picturing the stallion in her mind.
“The flash of his eyes is what tipped you off correct?” Celestia inquired.
Luna nodded. “It seems as though he has a distaste for the guards, yet a greater distaste for violence. His patients is hard to gauge however,” Luna continued, “What puzzles me is that he said he respected me. It was not like the respect of a subject though, rather it seemed to be on a personal level.”
“This is all rather unsettling, although hardly cause for alarm,” Celestia thought aloud while Luna nodded in agreement, “He is powerful, though it does not seem is if he is a threat to Equestria or the castle specifically. He’s also stated that he plans to see us in the future, near I would assume.” As she spoke she looked out over the city, while setting the sun into its daily schedule.
This was one of two brief periods of the day when both princesses were awake, a time which was normally spent in the company of one another. This time was never interrupted under any circumstances, especially when discussing personal matters such as this. Luna joined her elder sister on the balcony, looking out upon the morning twilight. A moment of silence was spent in unspoken agreement of the sky’s beauty during that time, as it always was, as they always had for countless years, until they were interrupted by a pegasus guard.
“My apologies madams, but—“
“You dare interrupt our personal time?” Luna growled.
“You told us to tell you when the stallion came back, and he has requested your presence in the sculpture garden,” the guard explained before Luna had a chance to fry him with her readying magic, “We tried to bring him to you, but that didn’t work out well.” He winced as he thought of it. Luna had calmed herself begrudgingly. She couldn’t just punish him for following orders. She was the one who put it on top priority after all.
“You said that didn’t work out well,” Celestia repeated in mix of curiosity and slight nervousness, “What did you mean by that?”
The guard landed on the railing and shuffled nervously. “We, um… one of us is a baby duck,” he answered awkwardly. The princesses looked at one another sharing the same thought. Had the Lord of Chaos returned? The two decided to waste no time getting to the garden as soon as the thought crossed their minds.
***
“Ah, the sculpture gardens, so detailed, so elegant, so passionate!” the stallion breathed, taking in the glory around him until he stopped at Discord’s stone prison, “Far too good a place for you to spend your days.” He almost glared at the statue, but kept his stature intact.
“HALT!” he heard behind him, followed by the shuffle of many armored guards. He sighed as he turned to find many guards, ten of each breed to be specific. Earth ponies stood ready to charge, pegasi float in the air ready to do the same, and unicorns stood with magic at the ready.
“What is this for? Are the gardens not open to the public?” he asked his “captors”.
“We are under orders to bring you in, from princess Luna!” a unicorn told him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Were you actually ordered to bring me in, or were you ordered to inform her of my appearance?” he inquired.
“The latter, but tomato tomato,” the unicorn said the words in different pronunciations as he attempted to close the distance between himself and his target. The stallion shook his head as a warning, but was ignored.
“Perhaps a demonstration is in order,” he sighed. His horn flashed momentarily, blinding the guards. When the flash subsided where once stood an armored stallion now stood an armored baby duck.
“What the buck?!” several of the guards asked as they took a step back. They stared at the stallion in a mix of fear and disbelief. He glanced at the duck of a stallion he had created, then back to the rest of the guards.
“Next time I’ll put some imagination into it,” he warned them thusly, “I request a formal and private audience with the princesses of night and day respectively. It would be wise to comply rather than repeat your friend’s mistake. A situation I shall remedy on the fulfillment of my request.” One of the pegasi immediately flew off to get the princesses. The duckling/guard pulled at and ate some of the grass in the mere minute it took for his companion to return with Luna and Celestia.
“What is the meaning of this?” Celestia demanded.
The stallion smiled, now being in the presence of his desired audience. His horn flashed once again and the duckling took his correct form once again, albeit he quacked in confusion a few more times before regaining the correct state of mind. He looked at what he now considered his worst nightmare and scampered off. Nopony could blame him.
The stallion looked at the multitude of guards and frowned. “I would prefer my private audience be private,” he said sternly, “Your presence here is not required, welcomed, nor tolerated. Leave at once.” Several were going to protest, but were dismissed by a quick nod from Celestia and Luna both. Finally alone with the two mares he had wished to speak to, he picked up the conversation where it had been left off.
“Now that the time and conditions have been met, I shall answer,” he told them with his light smile, not at all unlike the one Celestia normally wore, “My purpose is simple: to make up for family history, ironically, made by the future generation.”
Luna had to suppress a groan. She had to convince herself that he would answer all the growing questions she had for him with each passing second. At the very least he had a kind demeanor.
“I believe I should ask the next question,” Celestia cut in, getting an encouraging nod from the confronted, “What family history do you speak of?”
The stallion’s smile faded, his head hung low in dismay. “That my dear, is the correct question,” he answered solemnly. He picked his head up to glare at the contained form of Discord, his irises shining like crystal, only to spit upon it, “A truly vile creature, undeserving to be put on display for all to see in a place of such pristine culture and beauty, with the company of refined ponies, and the sound of pleased and amused foals. Nay. Ye should be locked away in a dank and disgusting basement, with nothing but the company of diseased rats to keep you company, and only the maddening sound of leaking pipes for the countless ages to come.” He spat the venomous words at the monster that likely couldn’t even hear him with a spite unrivaled even by Celestia’s loathe for the creature, which served to shock and confuse both mares.
“I have never heard such unrivaled hatred,” Luna gasped, “Even from my sister or I! What could you possibly have against the Lord of Chaos so personally to have surpassed even our hatred of him?”
The stallion almost shot her a look, but reminded himself to treat her with respect as he gazed upon her. Although he smiled it was a solemn one. He was obviously holding back tears. “Both of your questions have a common answer,” he nearly sobbed, “My name is Chaos, and I of the true lord of it. Discord is my son.”
This new information answered everything, and to say it hit like a ton of bricks would be the understatement of all time. This dignified and respectful creature, no matter how powerful, was the true Lord of Chaos and father of Discord? It was preposterous!
“Inconceivable,” Celestia breathed. Luna narrowed her eyes and prepared to attack.
Chaos managed to calm himself, but still smiled solemnly. “That is truly futile and furthermore unnecessary I assure you princess,” he assured her softly, effectively convincing her to drop her magic, “This form I take is that of a mere mortal, true, but I myself have the sort of power that makes Discord look like the child he truly is.”
“That he is a child makes perfect sense,” Celestia nodded, “What of you though? What is your true form?”
Chaos shook his head. “Discord and I have no such ‘true from’,” Chaos corrected, “We merely decide upon a body of our liking and live out our days in it for as long as we please. My son merely chose the most hideous thing he could think of: a patchwork beast half consisting of carnivorous creatures. Why he chose the head of a donkey I’ll never know.” He shook his head in a mix of disgust and disappointment, all signs of sadness having disappeared.
Celestia eyed him carefully, constantly looking for any sign of hostility. “How do we know we can trust you?” Celestia asked simply.
“An apt question milady, with but a simple answer,” he smirked ever so slightly, “You don’t. After all why would you trust the father of your greatest enemy without ample reason? Dignified as I may be that still doesn’t amount to much on the grand scale of things now does it?” It made sense, but what was unnerving was that it made too much sense. What he said was exactly what they thought, almost word for word. If he was playing a game it was a very irritating game.
“You created Discord, no matter what the circumstances you cannot be trusted,” Luna agreed, “However…you carry yourself in an open light, remained calm and dignified, and have thusly been honest on all accounts so far. I cannot see ample reason to distrust you either.”
“It’s a conundrum,” Chaos simplified as he smiled understandingly, “Might I suggest a third party opinion?”
Celestia’s thought were drawn to what she could only assume was what he wanted her to think, as well as the only logical answer. “I hereby banish you,” Celestia stated firmly.
“Oh? To where? Under what circumstances am I imprisoned?” Chaos asked slyly, already knowing the answer.
“To Ponyville,” Luna finished, picking up on her sister’s train of though, “If you and Discord are indeed the same than the presence of the Elements of Harmony should keep you in line should you have any malicious intent.”
“You shall not be allowed to leave Ponyville without one of the wielders of the Elements present with you, or the Elements will be turned upon you,” Celestia warned.
“Of course princesses, as you wish,” Chaos said with a small smile, obviously this was part of some plan, but what the two could not fathom, “After all: if you don’t trust me yourselves, what better to change your minds than the opinion of the six ponies you trust above all else?” That was the big plan? Certainly nothing diabolical, and soundly structured; a simple plot if it could be called one.
“That’s your big plan?” Luna deadpanned.
Chaos shook his head again. “My, my. You seem to be thinking of my unruly son,” he assured her with his normal smile, “I merely wish to gain your trust, and in time make good on my family history.” He smiled softly, without a trace of any intent other than what he said.
“If what you wanted was their trust in order to gain our trust, why come to us first?” Celestia inquired quizzically.
Chaos sighed happily. “You know, it’s nice having a civil conversation for once,” Chaos told them as he lost himself to the moment temporarily. He quickly regained himself, “The answer is simple: it was far easier to make myself known to the two mares I wanted peace with most, rather than the middle mares. In turn my being in Ponyville is an official order, due to which the six said mares will already know of my existence, connections, and purpose. This was far easier than trying to work this plan from the other end. The two introduce me to the six, rather than the six introduce me to the two. In short you were much easier to gather.” Once more it was sound reasoning, yet still with so little reason to trust him.
“What is the point to all this?” Luna demanded.
“I told you: it is merely to redeem my family history,” Chaos assured her with a meaningful smile, “In the mean time, I’ll be in Ponyville. I do hope you appreciate the gift I’ve left for you individually, and do send word to Twilight soon.” Chaos disappeared in a flash, no doubt headed for Ponyville, leaving two confused and worried sisters to figure out what his last statement intended.
“I suppose we should return to my chambers and send a letter to Twilight informing her and her friends of the situation,” Celestia suggested nervously. Luna nodded in agreement and followed her elder sister through the air to her room. As they landed in the room they noticed something on the bed: two bouquets of flowers, as well as two bottles of wine. One of the bouquets consisted of white roses, while the other consisted of deep violets. The bottles were white and grape wine respectively. A kind and thoughtful gift to be sure, which proved they were worried for nothing. The two shared a smile as they enjoyed the scent of the flowers as well as the taste of their wine before they sent word to Twilight. “Okay, maybe Chaos does deserve a sporting chance,” Celestia thought to herself, “After all, it’s hard to go wrong with flowers and wine.”