//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: TCB: Divine Wrath // by Dragonlover553 //------------------------------// "She must be punished!" Thundered the Wander from his throne of fire at the corner of the triangulate table. "She has ended so much bloodshed, how is that bad?" questioned the Defender from his throne of steel at another corner. "Civilizations are built through bloodshed husband, it is as essential as air." answered the many-armed 'Witherer', from between them. "Still, the humans of Earth caused far more than most any other, by far more than was necessary." said the Singer,from her tree-throne at the third corner. "All things must go to death with time." stated the Time Keeper from his miniature-mountain between the Singer and the Defender. "For there to be life there must be death, for the balance of the worlds the deed must be repaid!" Proclaimed Spellbinder, from her throne of stone between the Wanderer and the Singer. "That is the Law of Magic!" "What do you know of magic, human?" Sneered the many-armed Witherer, from her throne of skulls between the Wander and the Singer. "You would still be mortal had the Wanderer's avatar not fallen for you." "Are you insulting my wife, Witherer?" The Wanderer accusingly, his slitted eyes filled with fire. "No!" said Witherer quickly, desperate to avoid the Wanderer's wrath. "Good. Remember that though you are mighty, you are but a worm before the rest of us. You hold no power over us immortals." "Are you insulting my wife now, brother?" asked the Defender. "Perhaps. Even if that were the case what could be done? What could you do about it?" Asked the Wanderer. "ENOUGH!" shouted the Time Keeper. "We are wasting time. Precious time." "Time Keeper is correct, a decision must be made." The Singer interjected. "Killing is needed for any life, whether predator or prey, it matters not. The prey will eat the plant, the predator will eat the prey. It is the circle of life. The Princess destroyed humanity for following these very laws, for that she must be punished. Let us not forget she banished her own sister." said the Wanderer. "What?!" shouted Witherer. "Why were we not told of this, and how do you know of it?" She inquired. "I am the Wanderer, Lord of Magic. Fire, Lightning, Chaos. These are my weapons. And my tools. I am flame and I am fire, I am destruction, decay and desire. I am the father of the Elder Three: Nyx, and Tiamat, and their brother Chaos. I am the grandfather of Gaea. I am the Second, first child of the First. I was the Lone One. I am the Eldest Eldritch, the master of destruction and war. Creator of freedom, passion, emotion, and free will. I was ancient before the War that Began Time began, you were but children. I am the elder of all being but one, I am the one who set the stars ablaze. I have my sources." Replied the Wanderer. "You've been watching them forever haven't you?" said his wife, Spellbinder. "Yes." He stated deadpan. "Why?" Asked the Defender, who being the lord of Strength, steel,and stone and the Master of Order, could not understand. "Simple. I could." "Oh haha, brother. Now tell use, why did you really watch her?" "Alright, I'll tell you. After the Time War, I continued Wandering, as I had since the Time Before Time. I eventually stumped upon a realm of utter nothing. No life, no stars, the fire, no free will. You would have liked it. However, I hated it instantly, just a barren world of ice and rock. So I light a sun, created a moon, added some stars and transplanted some dragons. After that I waited a few millennia and added the first mortals. I'm not sure what compelled me to make them as I did but I did it none the less. Small, sentient, technicolor, ponies." "WHAT?!" shouted everyone else. "You created the ponies?!" Cried Spellbinder. "Why did you never tell use?!" Demanded the Defender. "When?!" Shouted Time Keeper. "What could have possible compelled you to keep this a secret?!" said Witherer, still shocked by the Wanderer's revelation. "Please, I am the Wanderer. I was ancient when time began. I am the Mightiest of Them All. I am a Master of Destruction and Chaos. I am not required to inform my younger siblings and their spouses of my doings." "But why did you never tell me?" asked Spellbinder, sounding hurt. "You never asked." There was a collective facepalm on everyone's part. "Alright, please continue." said Time Keeper. "Alright. So, inspiration, having struck, I took a lump of stone and shaped it into the form of a pony. I then to a lump of cloud, and a feather from the great winged horse Pegasus, and combined them, shaping them into a winged pony. Then I took a single strand of the stars I had lit, and shaped that to, into a pony. This time with a horn. Finally, I granted them the fire of life, simultaneously. However the little ponies cried out, for while they appeared the same, and where of the same maker, they were not the same. So, I, answering my children cries, and created more, many more, of each race. Then I departed, for a thousand years. When I returned, I discovered something was missing. So I took the essence of each pony race, and created my forth race upon this world. I named them "Alicorns". Ageless, immortal, and nearly un-killable. Capable of amazing feats of strength, flight, and with an innate talent for magic. They numbered seven hundred. Then, one more, I retreated from that world, for a thousand years. When I returned, mere moments after I arrived, an abomination of immense power appeared, throwing the realm into chaos, and slaying the alicorns. This enraged me. How dare this being, this monster, take my beautiful chaos and transform it into something hideous! I swore vengeance, so, unable to bring my own powers to bear without endangering the remaining ponies. So I created the Crystals of Ma'at, harmony, order when created by mortals of their own free will. Equal parts chaos and order, I wielded these objects against my foe, whom I named Discord. I damned him to live forever, frozen in stone. Then I flew across the realm, there a forest, wild and free. I planted a single seed and commanded it to become a mighty tree. And so it did. I placed the crystals within it's branches and commanded the forest to guard it. Then I departed. As I left, I saw two alicorn foals, the last of their breed. Sisters, clearly. I left content that their race would live on. I knew they would hide in the shadows until the time was right, but just when the time would be right, not even I could know. I have not returned to Equis since." The others gasped, seeing the aura of despair and rage around the eldest and greatest among them. "I created free will, now one of my own creations dares to defile it? Upon mankind, no less? No, this cannot stand! This will not stand! I call upon the Full Council." "Then it is decided. She must be judged." said Witherer calmly. "Yes. Send in the Alchemist. He will herald our return."