//------------------------------// // Truth // Story: Seeking Truth // by Razorcat //------------------------------// Seeking Truth-Ch.5-Truth It was dark. The kind of dark that was created when the sun was blocked out by the clouds. Seeker looked up and saw that that was indeed what had happened. A giant storm had gathered above the mountain on his which he stood. A storm made up of sadistic black clouds that spewed sickly green lighting, and boomed deafening thunder. Looking away from the storm above, Seeker realized he wasn't alone. On his left was a female Gryphon dressed in chitin armor, and staring out over the horizon. Seeker looked ahead of him and saw what she was seeing. A massive army of Ponies, coming straight toward the mountain Seeker and the female Gryphon were on. Seeker turned to the other Gryphon and asked her. “What is this?” At first there was no reaction, then, slowly, she started laughing. At the same time her laughter started, Seekers arm suddenly exploded into pain. He looked down at it and saw it being transformed into the same kind of rock that the mountain was made out of. “What is This!” Seeker asked again as the female Gryphon's laughter grew louder. “What is Th...” “Ah!” Seeker awoke from his dream and found he was still in his room at the Cloudsdale inn. He reached up to his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly, he started breathing slowly to calm down his heart, then laid himself back into the cloud bed in an attempt to calm his mind. As Seeker lied there on his warm aetherial bed with the sunlight shining in through his window, he realized that this was the second time in recent history that he had woken up in less than ideal circumstances. After mentally cataloging the dream away for later, Seeker noticed that it was almost noon. He cleaned up both himself and the room, then headed back to Ponyville. 'Knock' 'knock' 'knock' “Twilight, are you awake? It's me, Seeker.” Twilight quickly answered the door and ushered Seeker in. The Gryphon quickly took in his surroundings, and saw that the library was in much better order than it had been in yesterday. All of the books were put away except for one about Discord, which was still sitting open next to his bracelet. “How's the research going?” “Great.” Twilight said in cheerful tone. “In fact, I'm almost done.” “What!” Seeker said in shock. “I've had that thing my entire life, and you're telling me you decoded it in less than a day!” Twilight was startled by the Gryphons outburst, but quickly regained her composure. “It wasn't that hard, the inscription was short, and I had a book with the entire Discordian language translated.” Seeker buried his face in his talons and groaned in frustration. “I'm not mad at you Twilight, I'm mad at my own species for not having enough books on Equestrian history.” Twilight started to chuckle, causing Seeker to look back at her. “What?” He said. “What's so funny?” “Well,” Twilight replied. “It's just that, you kind of remind me of myself.” “Oh, really?” “Yeah, I mean, Zecora told me you were a scholar, and I haven’t seen anyone freak out like that since I was a student in Canterlot.” This time it was Seeker's turn to laugh. “You went to see Zecora huh, what uh, what exactly did she tell you about me?” “Enough to make trust you, and I was really Impressed when she told me about how you handled that Manticore.” “Thanks, uh, do you mind if I..” Seeker walked around Twilight to the table she had been working on. He picked up her notes and quickly found the bracelet's translation. “By now you must think you're close to the win.” “But In order to complete this puzzle of fate.” “Simply...” “A suitable stopping point I suppose.” Seeker set the papers down and turned back to Twilight. “Has Rainbow Dash showed up yet?” Twilight's expression changed from one of joy, to one of confusion and shock as she processed the Gryphons question. “No, but, why are you asking that?” “Oh boy,” Seeker thought rolling his eyes. “I've made her suspicious of me again.” For about two hours Seeker & Twilight talked back and forth about a number of topics. From Seeker's race with Rainbow Dash, to Twilight's meetings with Zecora and Pinkie Pie, and finally to just general topics relating to the Gryphons and the Ponies. “So you're really Celestia's apprentice?” Seeker said In disbelief. “Yep,” Twilight replied proudly. “ever since I was just a little filly, she saw my magical potential and decided to help me lean how to control It.” Twilight quickly doubled checked her writing before flipping the page in the Discordian history book. “What about you, did your university have any system like that?” “Unfortunately no.” “However, that's not to say I didn't work intimately with a teacher every now and then.” “Really, what you study?” “Mechanical engineering.” Seeker said absent absentmindedly flipping through his book. “Do you, have that here in Equestria?” “Well, actually...” Twilight's voice faded off as she stared between her notes and the reference book. “Twilight?” Seeker asked while he was getting up. “Seeker, I think I just finished the translation.” The Gryphons eye's grew wider, but he made no other reaction to Twilight's words. “May I, may see It.” “Of course but, I don't think It's what your expecting.” Twilight finished jotting down the complete translation, then levitated it over to Seeker, who read aloud. “By now you must think you're close to the win.” “But In order to complete this puzzle of fate.” “Simply make your words go back again.” “And avoid the trap with the obvious bait.” Seeker turned and let out a long breath. He then closed his eyes and ran his talons though his mane. He knew that getting mad would not help anything, It was one of the first thing he had learned at the university. “Seeker,” Twilight asked. “are you okay?” “Yeah Twilight, I'm fine,” He said turning to look at her. “I just wish the master of chaos could have given us an answer instead of a damn riddle.” Twilight sighed before replying. “Well, riddles were never my strong suit, but I may have a few Ideas.” She went back over to the table and started writing something down. “Make your words go back again.” Seeker thought. He felt the gears turning around in his head, that verse reminded him of what people said when they rewound a recording. They simply made the film go back to It's point of origin. That other part though, “Avoid the trap with the obvious bait.” It must mean that he should avoid doing the first thing that came to mind, but did Discord mean the first thing that come to his mind, or to the average ponies mind? “Hey seeker?” Twilight pulled the Gryphon out of his thoughts and continued with what she was saying. “Okay, I think first ans most obvious, we should try saying the poem backwards.” Seeker looked at her for a moment then walked over to the table and picked up his bracelet. “No, Twilight, I think I know what the answer is.” “You do?” She said surprised. “Yes, I'm going to say the poem over again, and I want you to check the bracelet for any magical activity while I'm doing It.” Twilight was skeptical, but she decided to go along with Seekers plan. He repeated the poem then looked to Twilight for her report. “I felt something, a small pulse of energy, I think your right Seeker!” The Gryphon smiled and started reciting the poem again. After three sayings the bracelet's gems were giving off a brilliant blue light. Seeker repeated the poem once more with a sense that this would be the last time. “And avoid the trap with the obvious bait!” With that final saying, the bracelet unleashed a surge of blue energy that quickly consumed Seeker. His muscles seized up and he fell to the floor, not breathing. “I'm dead, I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead I died I'm dead.” Seeker slowly opened his eyes to see if he was correct in his assumption. The first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in the library. The second thing he noticed was that it very dark and very cold. Seeker got up slowly and surveyed his surroundings. He was currently stating upon barren cliff, the ground had patches of rock sticking out from the dead weed chocked dirt, and the terrain beyond the cliff stretched out into a restless gray sea, finally, the sky was a somber ash gray color, that seemed to also have sort of strange grainy effect swirling through it. There was also a complete lack of any clouds, stars, or sun. “Am, am I really dead?” Seeker asked as fear and sadness started to well up in him. Before he could even begin thinking about a rational explanation, laughter suddenly started echoing around him. “Not dead my dear boy.” A voice from no where suddenly sounded out. Seeker turned around, alarmed, and tried to find who or what had answered him. “Who are you? Show yourself!” More laughter. “Very well, If that's what you want.” A large serpentine form suddenly appeared in a puff of scarlet smoke. As the haze cleared, Seeker realized that he was staring at a Draquonius, but not just any Draquonius, He was looking at the orchestrator of the series of events that had lead him to this point. “Discord.” Seeker said. “In the intangible flesh.” The spirit responded as he waved a hand through his midsection. Discord suddenly put on a quizzical face as he began studying the Gryphon in front of him. “I'm surprised it took you so long to figure out the bracelet.” “'humph', Well maybe you shouldn't have written the activation phrase in ancient dead foreign language.” Discord shrugged before replying. “You figured it out didn't you.” He started floating away from the cliff, motioning Seeker to follow him. “So what is this place?” Seeker asked looking around. “This place,” Discord announced with a hint of flare in his voice. “Is the bracelets memory storage, as perceived by you mind.” “The bracelet's memory, so you mean, I'm not dead?” “'Ah' No my boy, you're not, dead. Well, at least your consciousness isn't.” “What!” Discord sighed and waved his had through the air, creating a tear in-front of them that showed the library, and Twilight standing over Seeker's body. “Right now your mind is trapped inside the bracelet, which means that your body is currently just an empty shell.” “What!” Seeker growled and launched himself at Discord in a fit of rage. It was pointless of course since Discord was just a specter. Seeker groaned in rage and fixed a deathly stare at the spirit before saying. “All right Discord, enough of this, what is going on here?!” Discord laughed and said. “Calm down boy, Isn't this what you wanted?” “What I wanted! I didn't go through all this because I wanted to talk to some crazy chimera in a magic gem while my body rotted in the real world!” “No,” Discord replied calmly. “You came for the answers to your questions.” Discord waved his hands in the air again and a huge white wall appeared in front him and Seeker. “You see my boy, It all started about 1500 years ago, back when I still ruled Equestria.” Black marks started appearing across the wall, they grew in number and complexity till a sketch of Discord presiding over a group of Ponies appeared. “Back then, as miss Twilight mentioned, magic was infinity more powerful that it is today, In fact, that was what first allowed me to manifest into a physical form.” Seeker rolled his eyes but let Discord continue. “Anyway, while I controlled Equestria, I could never keep my mind focused on the present.” The sketch shifted to an image of Discord staring of into space while Ponies ran screaming from monsters. “So instead of looking at the present, I looked at the future.” Discord got a dreamy look on his face. “And what a future it was.” “Uh, I don't mean to interrupt, but can we get to the point please?” “Can we get to the point please?” Discord said mockingly. “Young people are so impatient, but, very well.” He shifted the image again, and it now appeared as Discord over a bunch of strange two legged creatures. “You see,” He began. “In addition to the true future, I could also see every possible future, so being the curious fellow that I am, I decided to conduct a little experiment.” The Sketch suddenly became animated and the Discord on the wall started picking up the creatures below it. The Discord sketch transformed the creatures it pick up into more familiar shapes, Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Gryphons. “You see,” Discord began. “I wanted to see If I could alter the future, but after I figured out I couldn't do it directly, I decided to go a different route.” The Sketch continued to change, It was now showing Discord opening portals, and sending the transformed creatures through them. “I found a world where Equestria was just a work of fiction, a world filled with hundreds of young people desperate for a new existence, and they were all perfect become my little chess pieces.” “Wait,” Seeker said in disbelief “You're saying that, not only am I some kind of being from another world, but I'm also just a damn pawn In some game your playing.” Discord looked at Seeker a moment before coming down face to ace with him. “Now listen you little Gryphon dimwit, this is no game, you and everyone else I dragged into this world is essential to It's very survival! You won't see It In your life time but believe me, you're going to do something Important that will help bring about the best future for this world possible, In fact, that's why I placed all my pieces in prosperous positions.” “The light my parents saw?” “Far enough away that they could have Ignored It, or just missed It, I can't cheat too much.” Seeker back up a bit then ran his talons though his mane in thought. “Why a Gryphon?” He asked. “You could have turned me into anything, why did I become a Gryphon?” Discord shrugged his shoulders. “That's what you said you wanted to be. The, original you I mean.” Seeker laughed, he had finally learned his origins and they turned out to be more incredible than he could have ever imagined. “So what about the rest of your 'Pawns' Who are they?” Discord chuckled again. “Oh, Seeker, where's the fun in spoiling that surprise.” He floated away a bit then ripped another tear in the air, It showed the same scene of the library from earlier, Seekers body on the ground with Twilight standing over it. “Just step through the looking glass my boy, and you'll be returned to the real world and to your body.” Seeker Stepped up to the exit, but hesitated before stepping though. “What will happen to the bracelet when I leave?” He asked. “It'll still respond to the activation rhyme, I'm sure you'll figure out some use for it, As for me, I'll remain here like I always have.” “You're not really Discord.” “Just figuring that out now are you boy, no I'm not the real Discord, I'm a fragment he left in all the recording artifacts. My purpose was to give you the information about your origins, and now that I have, I'm free to do whatever I wish inside this realm.” The Discord copy looked down at Seeker, who worn a slightly concerned expression on his face. “Oh, don't worry, I won't be able to harm you while you're In the real world, and If you do ever come back to visit me, I may just actually decide to help you in whatever undertaking you may be on at the time.” The two of them said their goodbyes, and Seeker stepped through the portal, content with the knowledge that his quest was over.