//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Celestial Chaos // by Audina Puzzle //------------------------------// Within the grand scheme of the cosmos lies the realm of Equestria, a magical land of adventure and heroism where friendship and harmony rule. It was remained this way for ages as the immoral rulers, the royal princesses have safeguarded the denizens of the land from dark forces. However one of the rulers, a being of light and guidance will face a new foe that will test her resolve… Celestia, one of the royal princesses and ruler of Equestria was finally falling asleep after a long day of attending royal affairs, filling out paperwork, and managing to keep her land in peace. She had finally ended her day by lowing the sun belong the horizon. Celestia then lay upon her white linen bed sheets and drifted off to sleep.         Celestia’s dreamscape was not as complicated as someponies believed it would be. It was of her old home in the Everfree Forest Castle where she had lived happily with her sister Luna ages ago. In her dreams she would relive her life as a filly, playing with her sister in the castle’s beautiful garden while there parents watched from afar on an old stone bench.         It was a lovely idea, part dream part memory and Celestia enjoyed it.         Until a noise awoke her from her paradise….         Celestia moved from her bed, starched her neck out and looked around to see nothing. She was about to go back to bed when she heard it again, however the noise was a bit louder and coming out from the hallway. Celestia left her room and begun to follow this mysterious noise.         With every step on the hallway's granite tiles she took the noise grew louder until Celestia could now make it out, somepony was signing, a young stallion’s voice was behind the unfamiliar song. She followed it for a few minutes until she arrived at the Ruby red throne room door. Celestia carefully opened the door to find it dark and empty, but as she stepped inside the candles ignited and illumined the room relived the source of the song.         It was to Celestia’s surprise an alicorn setting on the throne. This alicorn was hard for her to describe, but she could feel an aura of malice coming from this pony. His features were tough to describe as his coat, along with his mane and tail were jet black, his wings were almost like silk fabric covered in black ash, his jagged horn was crimson with black vein wrapping around it, and his eyes were red like demon fire. He wore armor unlike any Celestia has ever seen, as it was light purple and almost dragon scale like, and it had misshapen horns sticking out like they grew from the armor. However what unenvied her the most was in the center of his armor was an eye, not an ornament but a living entity that looked as if it grown on this armor and has looking in every direction erratically. This alicorn continued to sing without even noticing Celestia in the room. As the princess walked closer to this stranger she could now understand what he was singing… “The whispers, the whispers in our minds. They guide the lost and the forsaken, they love the poor and sick, they treat us all equally.” “The tendrils, the tendrils hold our souls, they decimate the wicked, they bring together the good and bad, they bind our hearts together.” “The eyes, the eyes see into our heart, they watch over all the young and old, they see the beyond and the hidden, they see our desires.”         “Come all ye fateful, come little children, our mother calls to us. She lies beyond the great gate, she wishes to keep us and never let go, once she is free the world will change, and we will never be alone.” This song continued until celestia was close to the throne.         “Greetings ruler of Equestria…” the alicorn bowed his head. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?" The princess said, surprised. "Oh, pardon me, where are my manners? My name is Drakath, and I am the embodiment of chaos and champion of corruption."  "But... That's impossible! Discord is the embodiment of chaos, and I’ve never heard of you!" Celestia stammered. "That's because I’ve been hidden among the shadows of the night, beyond the veil of time and space. Honestly, did you really think that fool was the embodiment of chaos? Please." Drakath scoffed "What does it matter? Why are you in my castle in the dead of night?!?" "Simple. I want to offer you ultimate freedom and power. All you need to do is to obey me and submit to the corruption." "What would I need freedom from?! And how would I be free by submitting you and this ‘corruption’ you speak of?!” “You see my dear princess the corruption grants me certain abilities, one of which allows me to see into the deepest part of another beings soul. When I look into your soul I see regret, passion, and a desire to not be bound to responsibilities you never asked for.” “You speak of lies! You cannot tempt me!” Drakath chuckled. "You don't seem to get it, do you? I know how you truly feel about your subjects and your precious sister, and I offer you the key to your shackle, to never again submit to anyone, except for the corruption. Now then, accept my power!" "I would rather be dead then have my land and its ponies ruled with dark magic!  Now leave before I am forced to remove you!” "Do you honestly expect to command me?! You creatures are truly pathetic!" "Very well, you've brought this upon yourself!" Enraged,Celestia gathered her magic into her alicorn horn and shot a ray of pure light at Drakath. Unfortunately for her, Drakath’s powers were not to be taken lightly, as in a flash he disappeared…Celestia frantically looked for the fiend, but didn’t see his attack coming.                 In a flash, Drakath appeared a few mere feet in front of Celestia, and blasted her with his dark magic from his horn, launching the princess out of the throne room and into the hallway. Celestia regained her ground and quickly cast a healing spell, repairing her scratches as Drakath slowly trotted to her. Celestia blasted Drakath with another ray of light at this time managed to hit him, sending Drakath flying into the air.               Drakath rebounded in the air with his dark fabric like wings, then focused his magic to his jagged horn and shot a purple magical pulse wave, sending Celestia barreling though a stone wall into the outside garden. The princess was badly hurt as her head was spinning, but she found the strength to get off the broken ground… Until Drakath appeared out of nowhere in front of her again, striking her down on the ground with his large deformed hoof.                 “You are but a pathetic worm, but if you become chaotic you will have all the power you could ever want!” Drakath circled the fallen princess like a shark circling its prey for the final blow. “You will be the chaos lord of Equestria, the type of creature that can rule this world properly. But, all things have a price. You will turn on your friends, make your loved ones suffer, and destroy all you have worked so hard to build.” He stopped in front of the princess as she finally arose from the ground covered in blood and dirt.          “You can try to fight the corruption, but in the end...the corruption always wins.”   Drakath rammed his twisted alicorn horn into Celestia’s fine neck, slowly filling her with corruption as purple veins appeared all over her body. The princess screamed in agonizing pain as she glowed bright purple, tendrils and crude horns ripping out of her body. She fell to the ground and her vision faded…                 Celestia awoke in a fright, covered in sweat and breathing heavily…It was all a dream. She tried to process in her mind what happened but her head felt like she was hit by a wagon. Celestia levitated a glass of clear water from her nightstand to help calm her nerves and parch her draw throat. Suddenly a guard clad in gold armor knocked on her door… “Princess Celestia, are you okay? I thought I heard a noise.” “Yes, all is well. Please return to you duties.” Celestia arose from her bed, gathered her composure and prepared for the day ahead.                 Celestia walked over to the mirror, putting her crown and jewelry on however she noticed by her neck was…a scar. She looked in the mirror and it was the same spot in her dream where that strange alicorn stabbed her with his twisted horn. It unnerved her but she covered the scar with her neck adornment.                 “It was just a dream…It was just...A dream,” Celestia said to herself in the mirror. Like the darkest shadow of the void, Drakath lurked as a phantom in the castle, to not arouse suspicion to the denizens of this realm. He personally hated Equestria, as it was too pure and wholesome for his tastes. However, Celestia’s corruption would be a well needed change to make this realm more chaotic, even though this world won't be around in the future.