//------------------------------// // The Garden // Story: Lament of Two Immortals // by InksWell //------------------------------// Chapter 1 The castle was quiet, the guards at their posts, and the garden was illuminated with the glow of many candles. A dim and usually eerie glow but tonight it was welcomed by the Princess of the Sun. Her usual flowing and swirling mane was a dim and dusty pink, her crown was missing from her head and she had a white flowing robe around her body. She looked up into the moon and gave an almost silent sigh. She took a seat on a rock bench that was against a gate and closed her eyes before hanging her head. She opened her eyes and smiled bitterly. Immortal, a word she hated to think of. Immortal, when she would lose the one she loved most of all? In two years? In two minutes? She laughed tiredly with a hint of bitterness then rubbed her eyes. She was stronger than this. It was for the greater good too. No one wanted to watch the one they loved die but she couldn't stop the process of age. It was all up to her father King of the dead, Solaris. She shook her head then got up and took in a deep breath of crisp night air. "Thinking Tia?" She turned around slowly then smiled lightly at her younger sister and Princess of the Moon, Luna. "Yeah Lulu. Don't you have royal duties to attend too?" Luna rolled her eyes then trotted over and looked up at her. "That can wait. How about we take a walk? You seem... spacey." Celestia nodded and both of the princess sisters trotted down the path of the gardens. They looked around the dimly lit gardens and Luna smiled tenderly at Celestia. "Tia. How about we visit the statues?" Celestia cringed lightly and looked down at Luna then nodded slightly. She personally hated that place but her sister was pleading with her with her eyes and she knew she couldn't deny her. The statues were large and towered over them set high on pedestals. Towards the heavens, more symbolic than providing an actual reason. Symbolizing their status in their hearts. Luna trotted up to the first one statue and smiled. Celestia trotted over to her then looked up high and frown slowly twisted her face. The statue was of a young mare nuzzling a baby rabbit. On her head was a horn and two wings rested folded to her sides. Her hair was done together like vines as was her tail that was pulled into a low ponytail. Her eyes reflected a soft spoken and kind attitude, her face looked happy, obviously she loved to be near her animal friend. Her cutie mark that of a planet, the planet they rested on. Celestia watched a bit distant as Luna placed her hooves on the side of the pedestal and nuzzled the muzzled of the statue. "Do you ever miss her?" "Yes Lulu. I miss them all." Celestia looked to another statue with misty eyes and smiled, not happy but one of age and weariness. The statue she focused on was of another alicorn. Her mane was cropped short, a little past her chin and pulled into a high pony tail. Her tail was cropped the same way and she was standing on her hind legs, her wings splayed out, and her fore hooves up. Her cutie mark was of the clouds and wind styled close to a certain pegasus of the Harmony Elements. Celestia sighed then looked to Luna. "Lulu. You have your duties and I must be getting to bed. Come along." Luna sighed sadly but nodded then moved back. They turned to leave and gasped silently when they found a cloaked stallion standing at the opening of the statue garden, his head turned to the Discord statue. Celestia let her magic flow into her mane and it turned into it's flowing and swirling mass. "Hello?" He looked to them and snorted softly. "Hello." "Are you lost?" He shook his head then cocked his head to the side. His face was hidden by the cloak but Celestia knew he was smirking. She could feel it. He oozed confidence but confidence in what she didn't know. "So I finally get to see you both once again." Celestia felt a cold sensation enter the pit of her belly at his mildly frightening voice and frowned slightly. This was new sensation. "Who are you? We've met before?" He laughed, a cold and dead laugh, and moved away from the statue. Strutting around it before getting to the front of the Discord statue and blowing a raspberry at it. "Yes we've met and my name is Chaos." "Chaos?" Echoed the princess in confusion. The stallion pulled back his hood and smiled at them. A slightly crazed and frightening smile. "Exactly. My name is Chaos." Celestia frowned a bit deeper before walking forward slowly. "Mister Chaos, I suggest you head back now. Somepony must be looking for you." "Oh you mean the dead guards? Or the dead maids?" She paused before glaring at him. "Just why are you here? How do I know you?" "Oh just saying hi to my dear daddy." Celestia raised an eyebrow while Luna snorted and chuckled. "Who?" "Discord." "Impossible." Luna said before laughing. "Well two thousand years makes you forget about some stuff huh?" Celestia frowned once again, looking at him in confusion. "You're not making any sense. Who are you?!" He snorted before rolling his eyes, smirking lazily at her as he magically lifted his cloak from his body. Celestia froze in shock, her eyes looking to Discord's statue then the young alicorn. Back and forth for a few minutes. "I-Impossible." "Not when papa Discord has his way. Should I call you Auntie?" Her eyes hardened and she snapped out, "Why are you here?!" "So pushy. Fine. I'm here to take Daddy's statue and summon him, then steal his power and kill you both." They looked at him in shock and he smiled crazily. "Didn't expect me to tell you the truth huh?" Celestia tossed her head then growled at him. "I will not allow that. You must be insane." He smirked then encased her with his energy. "I can hold you off until my minions do my work. Plus if I'm the child of Discord of course I'm insane!" She broke the energy surrounding her with a toss of her head and snorted. "I don't boast often but when I do I say that I'm an immortal goddess. You may be immortal yourself but that doesn't mean you have the skill to take me on." Chaos smirked slyly then shot a blast at her, prompting her to duck under it and charge forward. He smirked then melted into the ground and she slipped, sliding down the stone path before crashing into a gate. She quickly regained her bearing and turned just in time to watch as he blasted Luna in the stomach and into the statue of the nature alicorn. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she shot her own blast of energy at him. He easily dodged it then yelled, "Now Dusk!" She frowned in confusion before gasping in pain as the back of her head was hit by something very heavy. She pitched forward but caught herself and shook her head violently to clear it. She looked back quickly then gasped in shock at the stallion behind her. He was dark lavender coated with a short bowl cut style purple mane with two streaks through it. She was shocked into silence since the stallion resembled her number one student, Twilight Sparkle. She slowly got to her hooves and the copy smirked. He shot a blast at her and she dodged it but was tossed through the air and into a tree. She rolled over to her hooves and gasped at the rainbow maned stallion smirking down at her. He floated an inch or two above the ground, his wings flapping lazily. His grin seemed to widen as the lavender stallion galloped towards her at full speed. She quickly got up, bounced sideways and grabbed the stallions in her energy. She tossed them back then looked to Chaos, who was instructing two more copies. "Who are these stallions?!" "Oh just my Elements of Disharmony." He smirked as the Discord statue landed on the ground and disappeared, he waved his hoof lazily. "Come along boys." He shot a blast at Celestia, who dodged, and used that as a cover to run. Celestia growled in anger before looking to Luna and rushing to her side. She used her magic to place her on her back and took off as fast as she could out of the gardens. Luna needed medical attention. This was really REALLY bad!