Fifty-eight
Fancy Pants
“Almost two weeks, and no sign of him.” Fancy Pants comments, breathing a bit easier. “Ciella must have done a really good job at delaying him. How fast are we going right now?”
“We are still riding the shockwaves of the Green Sun.” Ashunera answers. “I should be able to keep up that pace until we reach Tellius, which should be… around another three weeks. Normally it would take years to make this journey, but normally, we wouldn’t have this amount of energy at our disposal.”
Fancy Pants nods. “Dirk!” he yells after Ashunera walks away. “You and I are sparring today.”
The members of the team spend the better part of the day training against one another, making sure their skills are sharp. It is agonizing business waiting and preparing for an enemy that could appear at any time.
Fancy Pants sits at the edge of the Prism, spy glass held aloft by magic and rifles at his sides, when Discord is sighted. His ability to teleport seems to have been stripped from him after his foolish attack against the Green Sun, but he still moves fast enough to catch up.
He briefly considers shouting to the others, alerting them of Discord’s approach. Someone would need to slow him down. None of the others know he is here yet.
Fancy Pants sighs and nods. He places Leeroy’s guitar on the deck of the ship, a clear indication of what he’s decided, and launches himself from the ship, directly towards the approaching demon. He equips a bladed rifle, and it clashes with Discord’s weapon shortly.
“Come back for round two, eh?” Discord taunts. “I knew you couldn’t resist me for long.”
“What can I say? I’m a completionist. I don’t like leaving an enemy undefeated once I’ve fought him.”
Discord laughs. “Fine then! Let’s see if you can keep up your same pace! There’s nowhere your friends can run from me.”
_____________
Ivoire and Equestria arrive at their new home, the planet of Tellius. Eryngi assists Derpy in removing the time lock from her world, and she goes about rounding up the Children of the World to a section of land that could be moved from one planet to another. No one quite knows where Fancy Pants had gone. Most assume that he spotted Discord approaching and left to fight him himself, without telling anyone. They hadn’t seen any sign of either since he vanished. Derpy had been simply trying not to think of it, just as she was with Doc. Surely they’re both still alive. They have to be.
The operation of combining the worlds is one of careful precision, removing the salvageable pieces of Equestria and Ivoire and keeping them intact upon impact. Equestria proves the most difficult, being one large continent as opposed to Ivoire’s new status as a series of islands, and takes the joint cooperation of all the heroes present. Ivoire proves easier, and soon two islands are being moved at a time. To the heroes, it is a task, but to the people below, it was surely a miracle to behold; new land and peoples delivered upon Tellius by gods themselves.
Once the world is settled, Ashunera and Eryngi go their separate ways from Derpy and the others to tend to their people. Derpy, Dirk and Xekora stand upon a small sandy island, closest to Equestria but secluded from all land.
“What will you do now?” Dirk asks. “Will you return to Eclipse and guide your people as you did before?”
“Doing that didn’t save them last time.” Derpy says. “I… I failed them last time. I failed to protect them, and without Doc and Fancy Pants at my side, I doubt I’ll be able to guide them now. I doubt I have that right…”
“Your people would come to embrace you again.” Xekora assures her. “You’ve not turned them against you yet; I know from experience when that point comes. They’ll forgive you yet.”
“Maybe… But Discord will come back. And the people of Equestria will be in danger again. I can’t let my guard down until he’s stopped, and… I think that might mean staying distant from the people I’m trying to protect. I think Discord still wants to rule this world, which means the heroes here are the only thing standing in his way. We can’t put the innocent people between us and him.”
“Hate to say it, but I think you’re right.” Dirk confirms. “I overheard the other two saying much the same thing. Eryngi says he’s got a decent place of seclusion. Ashunera says she’s going back into her tower, where she can watch over her people but be as secluded as can be.”
“That’s what I want.” Derpy says with a nod. “To watch over them without endangering them.”
“Perhaps something can be arranged.” Xekora says thoughtfully. “This island is in a good location.”
“What about you two?” Derpy asks hesitantly.
“Personally, I’ve had enough of the secluded life.” Xekora explains. “I’ve had enough of being that strange guy lurking in the shadows. I’ve been offered a new start here, and I’m going to take it. I’ve always thought the life of a bard was an admirable one. Going around the world, trading stories and information… That’s a life I’d like to try. Of course, I don’t plan to lose contact with any of my allies. I’ll make sure to check up on you all periodically.”
Dirk takes a moment before answering. Finally, he begins: “Some old friends of mine came from a world that knew it was going to face trouble one day. There was a person who watched over that world, preparing it. When Armageddon arrived on that world, they were ready for it. I think that’s what we need now. We need to make sure this world is ready for Discord’s arrival, so that when it’s go-time, we can survive it. I want to stay with the people of this new world as well, and make sure that they are strong enough to persevere.”
“So that leaves me to wait…” Derpy thinks out loud. She knew that this would be the case, but the prospect of being left alone is still less than ideal.
“Yes. But maybe not alone.” Dirk says. “I don’t think your friends are dead. And if they’re still out there, they’ll track us down too. I’ll keep an eye peeled, and if one of them turns up, we’ll send them your way. Who knows, there may even be some mortals who could prove trustworthy.”
“Maybe…” Derpy replies. Despite her tone, a small fire of hope flares in her chest. Maybe her new life doesn’t need to be one of total seclusion. “In the meantime though, we should prepare ourselves. We have no way of knowing when he will arrive, so we should assume it could be any time. If I’m going to stay on this island, I’ll need a place to live.”
______________
Time passed. The world grew and changed, the three formerly independent worlds adapting to their new neighbors. Though a hundred and fifty years of peace reigned, swords remained sharp and the arcane arts flourished. The people were preparing for something, though they knew not what.
Discord’s arrival was quiet, unlike his previous entrances. Before, he had been a beast of power and destruction. In a century and a half, he had apparently learned something of subtlety and tactics. Three countries existed in Equestria by this time: Dusk, Dawn, and Eclipse.
It surely wasn’t a difficult task for the demon to exert his dark influence, pushing those people in power to do as he wished, until a violent civil war had erupted. The reigning houses of each country called upon its lesser houses for support, and one by one, the countries became more and more united against one another.
Four years after the war began, House Apollo was among the last to remain neutral in the conflict. Through pressure from the Queen of Eclipse and increasing ferocity of attacks from Dusk and Dawn, the two sisters at the head of the house persevered.
However, they would not be able to evade conflict forever.
One evening, a fortress guard entered the throne room and bowed, bearing news. “Lady Celestia, Lady Luna,” he said, “a man has come seeking audience with you. He claims to be a bard, and wears no emblem of any of the three kingdoms, but appears well-armed.”
“One cannot survive in this world without a trusty blade.” Celestia commented. “Even travelers of peace and lore must be prepared for a skirmish, I suppose. Bring him here, we will hear what he has to say.”
The guard nodded and left, and a new figure entered the chamber a moment later. His hair was a wild, dark mess, and his clothes were built for travel. A large sword was slung across his back, and his nearly black eyes sparked with both an unpredictable danger, and a sort of kindness.
“My ladies.” he said, a strange lilt to his voice. “It’s an honor. My name is Xekora, a wandering bard and self-proclaimed merchant of information. I come to you as the latter, as I have some vital information that you should be aware of.”
Luna frowned. A merchant of information? Most likely an agent of espionage for hire. Celestia seemed to come to the same conclusion. “If you’re here to offer us information on the war, we want no part of it. Apollo will remain neutral in this conflict.”
“I’ve information of the sort, yes.” Xekora started. “But not in favor of any of the three. I’m on your side, mistresses of Apollo. I want this war to end, and I have the information that can stop all of this.”
“A secret that can bring all three to their knees?” Luna asked, fear in her voice.
Xekora shook his head. “Quite the opposite. This secret can bring all three to peace. There is a being living in this world, whose influence can be found in the hand of all of the acts of this war. Tell me, who can say what started this conflict? Who can say what caused the three countries of Equestria to despise each other so? There was a clear line, a point at which the countries were at peace and would not dream of war. After that line, after the arrival of this being, this war was on the horizon.”
“Surely it can’t be that simple.” Celestia argued. “One being who instigated an entire war, that’s claimed the lives of thousands already?”
“You underestimate this one.” Xekora warned. “He has strange, terrible powers that even the Gods of this world live in fear of. Such an act is not beneath him or beyond his power.”
“Who is this being…?” Luna wondered aloud.
Xekora hesitated only a moment. “He is called Discord. I know both where he is, and how to stop him. And the price of this information is only the promise that you will help me do it.”
Luna looked to Celestia. This could still be a steep price to pay. Celestia’s eyes were alight, though. Luna understood. If there was a way to end the war with peace, she would do what it took. She turned to Xekora again. “How can we be sure that you speak the truth? You have made some bold claims, but have you anything that can earn my assurance that they are true?”
“I do.” he confirmed. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a perfect white sphere that fit comfortably in his palm. “This object is one of Discord’s weaknesses. It is sometimes called a ‘Magic Cue Ball’, and by others it is simply called an Oracle. Regrettably, it cannot be weaponized to inflict any harm upon him- at least, not that I’m aware of- but he cannot touch this, and possessing it provides a protection from his influence.
“I show you this because it has another power. To those who can see beyond its outer shell- and I’ve little doubt that you can do so, Lady Celestia- it can offer the answer to any question you present it. Please, take it. Ask in your heart if my words are true. I’m certain that it will show you what you need to see to be convinced.”
Celestia nodded and took the object in her hands. She closed her eyes for a moment, then gazed at the sphere. “Who is the one who orchestrated this war? Who is to blame for the loss of these countless lives, and the conflict that threatens to rip Equestria apart?”
Luna watched as her sister gazed upon the ball, her expression changing from one of skepticism to one of horror. The surface of the sphere didn’t seem to change to Luna, but she could almost see reflections of images in her sister’s eyes. Finally, Celestia squeezed her eyes shut. “I… I’ve seen enough.” Luna frowned, concerned. Her sister was clearly quite shaken. “I’ve seen the truth… So tell me, Sir Xekora, what can we do to stop this monster?”
Xekora smiled, but there was little joy in his expression. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. It won’t be easy stopping him, but there exist several artifacts that we can find and employ. I believe they will give us the power to do this.”
“You believe?” Celestia asked, once again skeptical.
“Discord is unpredictable. These artifacts should be capable of sealing him away. Almost certainly. But we can’t know for sure until they are put to the test.”
At length, Celestia sighed. “It’s our best shot, I suppose. What are they?”
“The first can be used by you, Ladies of House Apollo. They call it the Quest Bed. It will give you both a great amount of power, and if you learn to utilize that power together, you will be nearly invincible. The other, the Elements of Harmony… This will require us to find a few others. There are six warriors- two each from Eclipse, Dusk and Dawn- who are meant to wield the power of these artifacts. The Elements are very picky, you see.”
“Are they anyone we would know?” Luna asked. “It’s difficult to not be aware of the key warriors involved in the war.”
“Two of them are famous.” Xekora confirmed. “The others are not. I’m sure you’re familiar with the revolutionary magician Starswirl. He is one of the two from Eclipse. The general of Dawn’s army, Madeline, is another. The others are a gambler, a mage of a lesser renown, a knight of civil defense, and an assassin. I’m confident that it won’t be difficult bringing them together.”
“What of these Elements of Harmony, and the Quest Bed?” Celestia asked. “Do you know where they can be found, and how to use them?”
“I know where they can be found.” Xekora answered simply. “And I know how to operate the Quest Bed. I did it once, long ago, and it’s hard to forget. I will explain when we get there. First, we should locate our allies.”
Celestia stood and approached Xekora. She placed the Oracle back in his hands. “I am entrusting the life of myself, my sister, and quite possibly all of Equestria with you. I pray that you do not give me reason to regret this.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Xekora says with a smile. “I recommend we travel to Eclipse first. That’s where we’ll find Starswirl. We may be able to locate our assassin friend, Surprise, while we’re there. From then on, we’ll have to travel discreetly, as our path will take us to Dusk and Dawn. I doubt they’d appreciate the Ladies of a house of Eclipse, even if you maintain neutrality.”