//------------------------------// // Everfree // Story: Breaking Free // by Nrdygrl //------------------------------// Chapter Three “Everfree” The two alicorns stood firmly on the mountain top, hooves crunching into the ground with anger. They glared at the purple draconequus that stood tall and proud before them. Eris folded her arms and sneered at them. "Really, now, what took you so long?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "I would've thought alicorns were quicker than that....at least you seem to think of yourselves in such high regard, I would assume....." "Silence!" Orion bellowed at her. "That's quite enough out of you! Let's get to the unsolved problem." "Of course," said Eris smirking. Celestia jumped down from her mother's back and stayed at her side. Luna jumped down and hid behind Orion. "How did you return, Eris?" Solina questioned. "This is impossible!" "You equines just don't realize how dumb you are," Eris replied, holding her sides in laughter. "Why...when I was....ahem...set back by you..." "Defeated," Solina argued. "SET BACK..." Eris growled, "...I knew exactly how to manipulate you alicorns. If you recall, I begged you for mercy and you decided to form a magic deal that stated my eternal banishment. You were weak and soft of heart. A very strong weakness, I might add...." "Compassion is the greatest sign of strength and restraint," Orion shouted. "It defeats the hate and anger one might have. You wouldn't know this, but I would." "You didn't choose the darkness, Orion," Eris replied. "But...it chose you, as you are more vulnerable." She raised herself up high and stared down on him. "Weak." she sneered. Just then, she glanced over at the tiny blue alicorn hiding behind his leg. "Oh...she takes after you, my king," she said with a toothy grin. "What is your name, dear?" "Leave my daughter out of this," yelled Orion with blazing eyes. "My demands of the children coming were met," Eris replied. "But they must participate as well." "Stop blackmailing us!" shouted Solina. "This is childish and cruel!" "Have we met?" said Eris smirking. "I ask again...child...what...is...your...name?" "L....Luna...." a small voice squeaked. Luna stepped out from behind her father and stood tall. She analyzed Eris, looking up and down. After a moment, she spoke in anger and fear. "Why did you take away our home from us?!" she said, her knees wobbling. Her eyes narrowed at Eris and her nostrils flared in furry. "You are...are...EVIL!" She trembled in rage and began to cry again. "Luna...shhhh...calm down..." said Solina, walking over to her and nuzzling her. Eris chuckled at her. "She's feisty, now, isn't she?! She'll be trouble someday..." "ENOUGH!" Solina screamed in rage. "Leave our children alone! This has gone too far, Eris! Just let us make an agreement and solve this issue!" "Oh...we have all the time in the world to do that..." said Eris yawning. "This is the most fun I've had in years." She crawled over to Celestia and examined her. "Hm...you are just a blossoming little beauty aren't you, child? Oh...but you are not a child anymore, are you?" Celestia swallowed and looked away, narrowing her eyes. "I sense a strong compassionate heart in you. Now...tell me your name." "You don't have to answer her!" said her mother, coming over to her. "It's okay, mother...." Celestia replied quietly. "I am Celestia, Eris. And I really don't see what you hope to gain from all this." She glanced up at Eris angrily and then down when she noticed movement. There was another creature trying to hide behind Eris, but he didn't seem afraid of them. If anything, he looked as if he really didn't want to be there or have any part in this. Eris turned her head to look at him. "Why are you hiding?! I told you to participate in this!" The creature grumbled and slinked out from behind her. He looked like his mother, except for having legs, which made him bipedal. He was mostly brown, but his body parts, which represented other animals, were different colors. He stared at the ground and scowled. “Why? You don’t tell me anything…” he muttered. “DISCORD!” his mother snapped at him. She pushed him forward in front of Celestia. Celestia cocked her head at him, wondering why Eris wanted him involved in all this. She thought he looked very strange…unlike any creature she had ever seen. “Now, my little alicorn, don’t worry,” said Eris turning to Celestia again. “I am gaining quite a bit from this.” She looked up at Solina and Orion. “Now, to continue. This magic deal, like all deals, always have a loophole somewhere. They cannot truly be permanent or eternal. I knew this. I knew I could find a way to return.” She smiled and glanced at Discord. “You see…at the time of that deal, I was pregnant with this one. And…the banishing spell you preformed on me, of course, could only be performed on one of a dark heart. My heart is very dark indeed…but…the rule is broken in the case of another pure heart present when the spell is cast. I was with child. An unborn child’s heart is the purest of all hearts. Therefore, the spell was broken when he was born.” “How can this be?” Orion questioned. “How could we have not sensed it?” asked Solina. “You alicorns have your Achilles’ heel,” Eris replied. “You are not as strong and in-tune with magic as you think you are. I waited for thirteen years to make you believe I was gone forever. During that time, I trained him and taught him many things. He knows much, but still has much to learn as well.” The alicorns all stared at Discord. He crossed his arms and glared back at them. “It’s not polite to stare!” he said scowling. Solina and Orion looked at each other worriedly and then back at Eris. Celestia didn’t quite understand what had happened, but she tried to pay as much attention as she could. She tried not to stare at Discord, but he was so different…it was amazing her. She didn’t know if she was afraid of him or fascinated by him. He was strange, peculiar, and….different. She herself had a hard time finding adjectives to describe him in her mind. She could gather that he was the son of Chaos himself. She had only seen drawings and paintings of Chaos, and he was terrifying. Discord didn’t seem terrifying, though. Celestia herself didn’t understand why, buy she could sense he was good. She just knew it. It was an innate instinct she could not explain to anyone. “Now,” said Eris at length. “Here is what I’m going to do. Contrary to what you might believe, alicorns…I have a soft spot in my heart. This little weak flame of sympathy and compassion will not dwell in me for long, so I suggest you listen to this little proposition I have. Equestria will be spared from my power and I will leave you be….if…” She paused for effect. “….you cut off a section of your land that will be mine for the taking. In this land, I will be free to use my power and rule as I please.” She stretched and yawned. “In fact, I may not even rule for long. I still have some dragon in me, and a…oh…a ten-thousand-year-long nap sounds mighty fine.” She glanced at Discord. “Oh…but I wonder what will become of him! I do not suppose he could remain here, could he? Alicorns make lovely babysitters, I trust.” She let out a belly laugh and started rolling on the ground. She held her sides and cackled. The alicorns stood stunned and speechless for a short time. “WHAT?!” the king and queen bellowed incredulously in unison. This made Eris laugh even harder. Discord stared up at her, dumbfounded. His jaw dropped and he blinked his eyes in complete shock. “You want us to give you a piece of our land and take in your son while you remain there?!” said Orion in sheer surprise. “How…DARE you!” He reared up in anger. “You DARE you blackmail us like this and treat your own son with such inhumanity!” “What kind of a sick, cruel, insane person or mother are you?!” Solina shouted, stamping her hoof roughing on the ground. Her eyes blazed in furry and her mane morphed into glowing flames. They billowed behind her into the nonexistent wind, and the fierce flares sharply licked the air. Celestia never really saw her mother become this angered. It wasn’t easy to set her off, but she loved justice and was passionate about solving injustices. Eris stopped laughing and stared with great surprise at this last comment. She cowered down just a little bit in front of the intimidating alicorn. Discord was nowhere to be found. He was hiding behind a nearby boulder. Celestia herself didn’t blame him. Her mother’s slight change of form was a bit frightening. “This makes absolutely no sense, Eris!” Eris’s lips curled into a grin. She raised herself up higher again and leaned down towards the female alicorn. Her green eyes glowed just a little bit in a sinister fashion. “My dear Solina…” she said lowly, in an intimidating, echoing voice that sent shivers down Celestia’s spine. “What fun is there in making sense?” There was a silence after this. Solina sighed and she turned back to normal. She turned to Orion and talked quietly with him for a brief moment. Celestia couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could tell they were desperate. She looked over at Eris. She was consoling a frantic Discord. He seemed very angry and hurt by what she wanted. It seemed she was trying everything possible to calm him down and reason with him of why this was the best thing for him. Celestia thought it was very cruel of her to want to leave Discord here in Equestria with them. However, she figured there must have been a strong reason why. She thought perhaps if Discord stayed here, it really would be the best thing for him. After all, he had Eris and Chaos for parents. At long last, Solina turned to Eris and said, “Very well…have it your way, Eris. We will agree to your demands, as it seems we have no choice. However, we must negotiate certain rules and regulations regarding this new land. Therefore, we must call up somepony who understands the laws of magic by heart to assist us in these matters.” “Fine,” Eris snorted, rolling her eyes. “You alicorns have to make everything complicated. Always trying to follow Order. Typical.” Solina and Orion faced each other, closed their eyes and their horns glowed. “Star Swirl the Bearded….we summon you!” they both said at the same time. There was a flash of light. The king and queen turned away from each other and waited. In only a matter of moments, there was a great burst of light beside them. A unicorn appeared in its place when the light faded. An old male unicorn with grayish blue fur and a white main tail and beard stepped forward and bowed before the king and queen. He was wearing a wizard’s cloak and hat. Celestia had met him before. He was greatly respected and admired by her parents for his vast knowledge in magic. He had mentored Clover the Cleaver, one of the six Sages. Some said he was not only the oldest pony in the land, but the oldest that ever lived. “Your majesties,” he said. “I received your telepathic call, and I came as quickly as I could.” “Your haste was something to admire, Star Swirl,” said Orion smiling at him. “We always know we can count on you. I hate to say it, but we are in a great predicament. Let us tell you the nature of this problem.” The alicorns then proceeded to tell Star Swirl about Eris’s demands and how she managed to return. The old unicorn didn’t speak a word but just nodded and glanced at Eris and Discord curiously. After the king and queen were finished speaking, he cleared his throat and walked to the edge of the cliff. He nodded his head to the others, beckoning them closer. The party moved closer to the edge and gazed out to the horizon. “Eris,” Star Swirl said, pointing to the forest region of the land. “How do you like that region? How about we say…all of that forest will be yours?” The king and queen nodded in agreement. Eris smiled. “That seems fair…enough…” she said crossing her arms. “But…what’s the catch?” “I will use a strong spell to section off this land,” Star Swirl explained. “This spell will make the land yours. However, whatever you do there…whatever unintelligent, barbaric creatures dwell there…must remain there. They will not have the desire to leave the forest and come into Equestria…unless ponies provoke them and lead them here. Yes…ponies can go into this forest if they wish, but that is at their own risk, of course. This means, Eris…that if you go into this forest…because you are intelligent, you cannot leave no matter what happens. But…you will gain what you wished….a land to call your own…where you will be free to rule as you see fit. Does that sound like a fair deal?” “It does…” said Eris nodding. “You equines drive a hard bargain…but I’ll agree to it. And…my son, Discord will stay here.” “I don’t understand, Mother! Why can’t I go with you?!” Discord said, distraught and frantic still. “Don’t leave me here!” “You have to learn,” she replied gently. “Equines are soft, Discord….a bit too soft sometimes. They will see to it you are well taken care of. Don’t worry…” She smirked. “You will learn….” “Learn what?!” Discord asked, turning his back angrily to her. “In time…you’ll find out…” she replied grinning even wider. She held out her hand and a locket magically appeared in it. “Take it,” she said firmly. “You cannot open this until the time is right. But…when the time is right you will know. It will be when you are ready to find out your destiny. But…be patient, Discord. You will find out what you need to do to become who you really are.” Discord took the locket and stared with disgust at it. Celestia watched this with even more compassion developing in her heart. She felt bad for him. How could Eris be so cruel? She was still trying to wrap her mind around it all. However, she looked at Star Swirl to see what he was doing next. His horn glowed and so did the forest far below them. There was a great flash and then everything was back to normal. “It is done,” he said calmly, as it seemed like an easy spell for him. He nodded to Eris. “This new land will be called Everfree. Eris, this is your safe haven. Do as you please and leave us now.” Eris cackled and rose up into the air. “At last! All this waiting has certainly paid off! Oh…how I will miss you silly equines! However, you haven’t seen the last of me! I will always find ways to trick you foolish alicorns. I will always find a way out of the prisons you continue to contain me in. For now, I bid you all farewell! I am off to reek wonderful, beautiful chaos elsewhere…and then take a well-deserved rest. One of you…promise you’ll wake me up in…oh…ten thousand years or so.” She let out a great thunderous laugh and vanished in a flash of light. The party stood on the mountain top overlooking the new land. A dark cloud formed over the forest. Fear filled the hearts of those who saw it. Celestia shuddered as she looked upon it. And thus…Everfree was born. TO BE CONTINUED…