//------------------------------// // Chapter 1. The Beginning of the End // Story: Resuscitatio Artium Magicarum // by Xomniac //------------------------------// A.N. Well, here it is: My first story on FIMFiction. I hope it impresses everyone, because I intend to delve into some seriously uncharted waters. Thanks to Cade YYZ for being my beta! And here, we, go. -o- “Equestria.” “Home of the Princess of the Sun, Celestia, the Princess of the Moon, Luna, the Elements of Harmony, and Ponykind in general.” “For centuries and centuries and centuries, Equestria has been peaceful. No war, no conflict, the people want for practically nothing. Truly a utopia.” “But it wasn’t always like this, you know.” Discord continued aloud as he gazed down at the land arrayed before him. After a moment of silence, the draconequus smirked sardonically. “Oh, what’s with that look on your face? Surprised that it was me giving the introduction? That I’m actually speaking to you directly? Oh, or maybe it’s the fact that I’m speaking so calmly, so serenely.” Discord shrugged. “Well, what did you expect really? I’m the spirit of chaos! If I did everything in a predictable manner, I’d be right out of a job!” He snapped his fingers and fell back into a conjured reclinable chair. “Ahhh, comfy! Anyways, where was I? Ah yes, I was telling you about the old times!” He sighed nostalgically. “Believe me, those were the days. I can remember it clearly: The time before my imprisonment, stretching back even before the unification of the three tribes! Can you believe it? The time before Equestria itself!” He summoned a cup of tea and began swirling it idly, staring into the murky liquid. “Back in those days, chaos was everywhere. But it wasn’t ME who caused it, oh no! This was the chaos of nature! Magic was WILD with life and possibilities around every corner! One day might be sunny, but the next could be a hurricane or a snowstorm, or what have you! Some places would be barren, others overridden with plants, and no one could control it! If you think the Everfree forest is impressive now, you should have seen it during it’s glory days!” He took a sip from the cup, taking out a good chunk of the porcelain, before tossing it over his shoulder. “And the creatures!” He cried dramatically. “Oh, the creatures! Far more then there are now, and far more powerful to boot! They were magnificent! You could watch the chimaeras hunt in the fields, explore the ever extensive mines of the dwarves, why you could even take a stroll through the forest on the shoulders of an ent! I remember every month I’d go beneath the sea to sing  with the merponies, racing through the water on sea serpents and laughing as we played tag with the water nymphs.” Discord  smiled as he stared off into space, lost on memory lane. Then his smile turned into a melancholy frown. He stood up, dismissing the chair. “Things have changed since then. They’re all gone. Sleeping, hidden away from prying eyes. I’m one of the few remaining things left from that glorious time. They didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not their fault...” His eyes narrowed menacingly. “No. If it’s anybodys fault...” He twisted his neck around and glared at the distant figure of Canterlot. “It’s theirs. Oh, sure, they didn’t want to hurt anybody, they did it all to protect their ‘precious little ponies’, but at what cost!?” He swept his arms out, gesturing at the world below. “Look around! The wild beauty that was once nature! The essence of liberty that was once magic! Shackled! Chained and imprisoned! No longer do the winds blow on their own, singing as they dance across the land! No more do plants grow where they will, spreading their beauty to the rest of the world!” Discord sneered in disgust. “Now that brand of life is reviled. Look at the Everfree! One of the last bastions of wild magic in the world, nature incarnate, hated and feared! Branded as dangerous, ‘unnatural’ of all things!” By this point, Discord was shaking with rage. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and calmed down. “Well, you know what? I say no more. I’m the spirit of chaos! It’s my job to shake things up every once in awhile, to maintain a sense of balance! Harmony’s had it’s fun, now it’s time we get back to the good old days!” A familiar wry grin played over his lips. “And I know just how to do it.” He snapped his fingers again. Suddenly, he wasn’t in the sky anymore. Now he was in a cave. Dark, pitch-black, and vast. He was hovering in front of a pair of stone doors. They were huge, gargantuan! Stretching up and off into the darkness, they were covered in runes and symbols, ancient letters and words of immense power. Securely fastened across the doors were equally massive chains, holding the gates shut. At the foot of the doors slumbered a giant dog. It had three heads, each snoring away, oblivious to the intruder that was so close to the gates they were assigned to protect. Discord smirked up at the gates tauntingly. “The Gates of Tartarus. You read the summary, you know what’s inside. A being, a human, possessing immense power. Capable of resetting the status quo, returning the world to it’s natural state. He was imprisoned by the princesses for intending to do just such a thing, locked away from the rest of the world so that their subjects might continue to enjoy the existence they do today.” Discord was silent as he stared up at his goal. “...you’re probably wondering by now, ‘Discord, if you’re so all powerful, why on Equus don’t you just snap your fingers and let the magic loose yourself? Why go to all this trouble?’” He bowed his head, hiding his face in shadows. “Well, you’re right on that point. I could do it.” He raised his hand, claws poised to change the world. “All it would take is a single snap, and bang! Everything goes back to how it once was. Everyone wakes up. The world is never the same. Just. One. Snap.” Discord was silent a moment more before whipping his head up, a mad smile affixed upon his visage, hands splayed wide. “But where’s the fun in that!? That would be too easy! Why, I’d even go so far as to define it as cheating! Suuuure, I love to absolutely overwhelm the opposition at times, but hey, again, CHAOS!”  He snapped his jaw shut and clamped his hands over his snout. He glanced down. Cerberus was still sleeping soundly. Discord heaved a sigh of relief and wiped his brow. “Whew! That was a close one! Anyways... I want a spectacle! A show like no other! And this guy?” He jerked his thumb towards the doors. “If he can’t deliver, I’ll eat my tail! But, well...” He tutted and shook his head. “I’m not just going to snap my fingers and let him out! No, that would be boring! All I’m going to do is set the stage...” He snapped his fingers again and teleported back into the sky. “Now, before I do that, let me answer a question you’re all wondering: ‘Discord, when exactly is this all taking place!?’” The draconequus chuckled softly. “Well, dear readers, I’ll tell you. See, if you squint a bit and tilt your head just so...” He pointed towards the ground, where five minuscule figures could barely be seen leaving Canterlot. “You can make out little Twilight and her friends returning to Ponyville, intent on reclaiming the Elements of Harmony and re-imprisoning moi! “So basically, right now we’re at the start of, what, Season Two, was it? I wouldn’t know. I don’t watch it that often, spoilers you know. Anyways, I’m about to start filling the world to the gills with my personal brand of chaos, but the mayhem I’m causing? Well, it won’t just be visible! Sure, what I’m doing that can be seen will be bad, but what is not seen?” Discord chuckled malevolently. “That’s what will really shake things up.” Discord raised his claws, fingers prepped to snap. “As the great northern poet Robear Frost once said, ‘Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice.’” Discord paused and grimaced. “Wait, Ro- what?! Hang on a second!” He whipped a script out and began flipping through it. “Let’s see, let’s see, blah blah blah, ‘great northern po-’ I, just, what!? A polar bear pun!? And it’s not even good!” He shook his head in disgust as he tossed the script away. “Ugh, who the hell writes that kind of drivel!?” Discord dusted his hands off before smirking again. “Anyways, what I was trying to say is that some people think that the world will end with a whimper, others with a bang or fire or ice, but do you know what the beginning of the end of the world begins with?” He grinned maniacally, holding his claws up. “It begins with this.” SNAP! The world around him shifted. Roads turned to soap, the sun and moon went haywire, Ponyville itself fell into madness. But unseen, the consequences were far more dangerous. The latent magic of the world, long since frozen and immobile, cracked. Places went wild, nature kicking itself into high gear, arcane forces warping the very fabric of reality in a manner invisible to the naked eye. However, as dramatic as these changes were, they did little to compare to the most discreet changes of all. Nobody anywhere could possibly have watched as the pieces were set in motion that would end the world as they knew it. -o- Behind the gates of Tartarus, the sole cell was a huge cavern, as deep and as wide as the Canterlot ballroom. Strung across this huge area of empty space was an extensive array of chains, crisscrossing and connecting in seemingly random ways. In the dead center of the room, a humanoid figure was bound by the chains. They encircled every part of his body, suspending him high in the air with his arms splayed wide. There was no slack, no give, no means of struggling. The figure was well and truly trapped. He was clad in dull grey monk robes, the cloth hiding every inch of his body. Upon the robes were written line after line of rune, each alien and complex. Beneath his hood, his face was obscured by shadows. All that could be seen were a pair of large, circular glasses that hid his eyes. For the longest time, he just hung there. He didn’t move. Not even a twitch. Had a person been looking at him, they’d have said without any doubt in their minds that he was a corpse. They would have been shocked beyond all belief to see his eyes crack open. His eyes could only be seen because of how they shined. An unearthly light, flowing out of his eyes and lighting up his glasses, turning them into discs of light that further obscured his face. The figure was silent for a moment, gazing neutrally into the abyss of chains. Finally, unseen to the world, a small smile tugged at his lips. “Discord.” He whispered. “You want a show, huh? Alright. Let’s put on a show.” The man drew in a deep breath, and then exhaled just as deeply. Another moment of silence, before finally, for the first time since it’s creation, light touched the inside of Tartarus. The runes on the man’s cloak lit up, an array of hundreds of varying colors. They began to move, drifting and twirling around the man. Some even lifted off of him, floating ethereally around his body. Some touched the chains and were immediately dispelled, but the rest continued to flow around him. On him. He opened his eyes. Once anew, his glasses lit up, but unlike before they displayed runes, flashing through them at lightning speeds, one after another after another. Any other seeing would have been driven mad trying to follow their erratic patterns. He looked them over boredly as though reading the Sunday paper. The man hummed idly to himself. “This was a good prison, Celestia.” He mused. “A work of art. It’s a shame I have to demonstrate the flaws present in it.” The man’s eyes narrowed, brimming with intensity. “But I have a duty to do. And nothing, not these chains, not those doors, and certainly not you, will ever, ever! Be capable of stopping me from fulfilling it.” The runes floating around him halted, standing at attention, before zipping in front of him. They arranged themselves in a circular pattern, forming intricate lines and designs within the shape. A Runic Array. An ancient method of magic, long lost for centuries, last practiced by Star Swirl The Bearded. At least, as far as Equestria’s best and brightest knew. How were they to know that this man was the most powerful Rune Keeper in existence? The man’s smile evolved into a smirk. “The first flaw in your attempt to imprison a person till the end of time, Lady White-wash? Not checking to make sure that they had a back-up plan.” The Array pulsed, sending out an intangible wave of energy. It would travel far and wide, searching and searching, until finally, it reached its targets. -o- Deep in a forest, untouched by the chaos Discord was wreaking, a pony, a unicorn, slept just off the path. She was exhausted from the long day she had spent walking. So deep was the unicorn’s slumber that not even a roaring Ursa Major could have woken her. So it was to her great surprise that she was suddenly awoken, fully revitalized. She whipped her head around swiftly, trying to find out who had ended her slumber. “Who-wha-!” Suddenly, she snapped her jaws shut in shock. She had caught sight of her hat, lying a foot away from her. But that wasn’t what shocked her. What shocked her was that a light was emanating from within the hat. “Sweet mother of Hecate.” She whispered. “Is it possible?!” In a flash, her horn lit up, engulfing her hat in a magical aura. She began violently jerking the hat around, intent on dislodging whatever was causing the light from it. Finally, the source of the light dropped out. Before the object could touch the ground, she had it gripped in her magic. Her jaw dropped wide as she looked it over. It was a medallion, about three inches across. Made from a gleaming silver metal, the light was emanating from the intricate Runic Array inscribed upon its surface. The unicorn could do little else then stare at the glowing piece of metal. “The Awestruck and Amazed Trixie cannot believe her eyes...” She breathed. Slowly, her mouth curved up into a euphoric smile. “It’s time, it’s finally finally time!” -o- It was a foggy evening in Loondon. There were few people up and about in the cobbled streets. Most had chosen to retire early and sleep away the hours until the sun shone again. One griffin, however, was awake. She was perched on the sill of her apartment’s window, glaring vindictively at the few passerby still out and about, illuminated by the streetlights. More specifically she was glaring at any ponies that happened to pass by, bedecked in their fancy clothes and finery. A fair sight better than most of the griffins that walked or flew by, wearing simple, utilitarian vestments. Her beak twisted into a sneer. She hopped off the window back into her apartment, muttering to herself as she walked. “Damn ponies, damn Equestria. They have no right to be here, no right to have so much. Venti take them, one of these days, I swear I-!” She cut herself off as she passed by a dresser. Slowly, haltingly, she turned her head to affirm what she had seen. Just as she thought. The dresser had something shining in it. Faster than a heartbeat, the griffin pounced on the dresser, tearing into it with her talons like it was a raw carcass. Finally, after much crashing, ripping and smashing, she shakily withdrew her prize. A golden amulet, runes glowing and illuminating her living space. She stared at it in silence, dumbfounded, before finally... “Ha. Hahaha...hahaHAHAHAHA!” She tilted her head back as she roared in laughter. “JUST YOU WAIT, YOU DWEEBS!” She cried joyously. “GILDA BEHERTZ IS GOING TO SHOW YOU JUST WHAT THE GRIFFINS ARE MADE OF!” -o- It was a cold, gloomy night in Stalliongrad. Hidden by the shadows of the buildings around him, a single huge minotaur clopped through the streets, walking silently towards his destination. Passing by an alleyway, he glanced inside. Through the darkness, he could make out three others of his kind, clad in rags and haggard with hunger. They were huddled together against the cold. The minotaur sighed and shook his head sadly as he continued to walk. Suddenly, somebody bumped into him from behind. The somebody turned out to be a shorter, scrawnier minotaur. He mumbled an apology and sidestepped the person he’d bumped into, trying to accelerate ahead. However, before he could start to run, he was stopped by a heavy hand darting out and clamping on to his bony shoulder. “Hang on there, friend.” The smaller minotaur swallowed heavily as he turned around and looked up at the larger being. “P-please, T-tin Hoof is sorry!” He shakily held out his other hand, proffering the bits he’d stolen. “Y-you can have them back, just please, don’t hurt Tin Hoof!” The larger minotaur shook his head. “That’s not why Iron Will stopped you.” The big blue minotaur dug around in his pockets with his other hand. Finally, he withdrew it and holding out a hefty coin purse to the amazed Tin Hoof. “Iron Will stopped you because you forgot the rest.” Tin Hoof slowly reached out and held the coin pouch reverently in his hands. He snapped his eyes back up to Iron Will’s full of awe. “Th-thank you Iron Will! Tin Hoof will never forget this kindness.” Iron WIll grinned widely and flashed him a thumbs up. “Good for you! And always remember: If you can aid others in need, never give in to greed!” Tin Hoof nodded energetically. “Tin Hoof won’t, Iron Will, Tin Hoof won’t!” The smaller minotaur dashed past Iron Will, ducking into the alley. Moments later, the sounds of cheering erupted from within. Iron Will smiled at the sound for a few seconds before his mood grew dour. “May Gaia look after you, Tin Hoof.” He mumbled as he turned around and kept walking. “May Gaia look after us all.” He walked for a few more feet before he became aware of a fact that made him halt in his tracks. Looking down, he stared wonderously at the glow emanating from his pocket. Slowly, Iron Will reached in and drew out a glowing object. He gaped slightly at the glowing bronze disc he held in the palm of his hand. Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around the metal. “Or maybe...” He whispered reverently, “It’s time the minotaur’s looked after themselves.” -o- Beyond the borders of Equestria, deep beneath the ancient Badlands, there lay a multitude of tunnels. For centuries, they had been long abandoned. Not a soul walked through their dark, chitinous walls. Not a hint of light gleamed off the carapace-like surfaces. Until today. Today, slowly, surely, the old lights were re-lit. Ancient sacks and veins of viscous liquid began to glow a sickly green color, illuminating the ancient hive for the first time in many a lifetime. Suddenly, one of the sacks began to move. It shook and shuddered, whatever was inside it trying to escape. Finally, with a loud SQUELCH! The sack split open, spilling its contents onto the floor. Amidst the noxious liquid, a pony-like form encased in a rough exoskeleton slowly clambered to its feet. The changeling chirped and chittered, looking around with it’s big blank eyes. All of a sudden, it’s attention was drawn above itself, where with a SCHLICK! Another burst, letting loose the changeling within. It took a step back, very nearly missing being flattened by it’s falling brethren. The two stared at each other emotionlessly for a second before more noises called for their attention. SQUIRP! SCHLOCK! SQUIRCH! Again and again, with rising speed and intensity, the noise could be heard as the changeling hive saw life for the first time in what might as well have been an eternity, awakening creatures that had not been seen in Equus for so long that they had been forgotten. Amidst all of these rebirths, however, none were quite so dramatic as what occurred at the very heart of the hive. Surrounded by glowing walls of carapace and membrane, there stood a swirled pillar of chitin. a cocoon, glowing with ancient, ethereal power. The cocoon stood, casting an aura of imperious might and superiority, when suddenly- CRACK! -a fissure ran up it’s side. There was a moment of silence- CR-CRACK! -before another crack joined it. KEER-ACK! And another. CRA-A-ACK! And another. Slowly, surely, the cracks cobwebbed across the pillar. Green light shone out of the openings, casting shadows across the chamber. Finally, after years of ceaseless vigil- BANG! -the cocoon exploded outwards in a blast of green energy, casting bits and pieces of chitin around the entire around the chamber. Where the cocoon had once stood, there remained a single being. An alicorn-esque figure shakily ascended to her hooves. Tall, powerful, clad in gleaming black armor. Long strips of membrane hung from the back of her neck, acting as a mane. With powerful, lanky legs, strong insectoid wings, and imperious gleaming fangs, the figure exuded an aura of pure power. For the first time since the hive had fallen asleep, Queen Chrysalis, ruler and mother of the changelings, was conscious once more. Chrysalis panted heavily, trying to regain her balance. “I...I’m awake.” She whispered. “B-but how? I...I felt myself fall asleep... felt... the hive...” She gasped and snapped her neck up. “The hive!” Acting swiftly, she cast her mind out, feeling the psyches of the other beings, her children and subjects that were within her domain. ‘Chitter?’ She mentally cried out. ‘Creeper? Swift Fang? Please, someone answer me!” But for once, the queen’s demands went unheeded. All she found was an eerie silence. Fluttering her wings in agitation, Chrysalis reeled from the implications. “T-they’re still asleep. Their bodies are awake, but their minds are still asleep. L-like revenants.” She shook her head  head desperately and began pacing back and force on the chitinous dais. “T-this doesn’t make any sense! Why!? Why did the hive wake up, now of all times! Why did I wake up! T-the only possible reason why would be...would...be...” Chrysalis slowly trailed off as she took notice of something that she had overlooked in her agitation. She was being illuminated not only by the natural green lights of the hive, but by a white light, shining down on her from above. “I don’t believe it...” She whispered as she slowly raised her head. “It’s not possible...” But it was. There, impressed into the wall, was a huge circle of metal. Five feet across and carved from the darkest of obsidian, the Runic Array it bore shined brightly in the gloom of the chamber. For the longest time, all Chrysalis could do was stare at the disc above her, eyes and jaws wide in shock. Finally, she collapsed, her head bowed as her body was racked with sobs. “T-thank you!” She whispered shakily, tears of joy running down her face. “A-apate, Hermes, N-nyx, thank you!”  The only sound to be heard in the hive was that of the pure elation of the queen, as she cried joyously for the revival of her kind. -o- ‘Well, there you have it.’ Discord thought. ‘The stage is set, the balls are rolling, the pawns are in place, blah blah blah. Now all we have to do is set it to simmer, let the whole thing cook for awhile and BAM! Un fin du monde, fresh out of the oven! That’s Prench for “One end of the world”, by the by.’ ‘Of course it’ll-GAH! ACK! Damn it all, get off of me you stupid pigeon! Off I say, off! Nonono, don’t you even think about and it’s all over my horn, perfect. Well this is shaping up to be a fun time. Eurgh, three guesses where I am, the first two don’t count.’ Discord would have rolled his eyes, but was impeded by the fact that his eyeballs, like every inch of his body, were made of  marble. “Yeah, they got me again. Flashed me stiff and left me to...mildew, I’m going to say they left me to mildew. Feh, what does it matter, anyways? I’ve already set things up so that there’s no way that I’ll be bored! Suuuure, it’ll take awhile, months in fact, before he’s free, but it will happen, mark my words! Hmm? What’s with that look on your faces?...Ooooooh, you thought-hahaha! Ah, don’t worry, I meant months on my end, not yours! For you, it’ll be, eeeeh, two or three chapters? Give or take. Depends on whether or not the author can get off his lazy ass and actually do something constructive instead of surfing the web all day.” A.N. Fuck you too, Discord. ‘Wow, we are just taking a hammer to the fourth wall, huh? Welp! Anyways! That’s it for this chapter, and my part in the story! Don’t worry, you’ll see me again in a few chapters, he couldn’t keep me out if he tried, but for now...’  Had Discord retained any of his flesh, he would have been bearing a shit-eating grin. One acquired from personal experience courtesy of the pigeons. ‘You’re a riot.’ A.N. I try. ‘ANYWAYS! As I was saying...now is when things get serious.’ To be continued... ‘Really? That is such a cliché!’ At that moment, a pigeon happened to fly above Discord’s mouth and relieve itself directly into his gaping jaws. ‘...you win this round, Xomniac. You win this round.’