Ch.1 “why? Just … why?”
It was just another beautiful day in Equestria. The sun was shining, white fluffy clouds adorned the sky, and there where absolutely no conveniently 1000 year old villains to pop up and threaten their very way of life … again. That is until .. a 4000 year old villain popped up to threaten their very way of life.
High in the mountains of skyrim, in the crumbling ruins of Skuldafin legions a Dragur fought to protect their nine masters, the eight dragon priests and Alduin himself, from Dovakiin. The dragonborn was a nord clad in ebony armor dual wielding ebony swords, one enchanted with frost and the other fire. To say the Dragur death lords where having difficulty keeping him at bay would be an understatement. Bodies flew as the dovakiin let loose his mighty thu’um. This was heard by the dragon priests and Alduin as they gathered around the portal to Sovernguard. The other priests urged Nahkriin to finish his ritual and open the portal. Nahkriin lifted his staff up but before he could plunge it into its proper place an ebony arrow whissed by clipping and taking a chunk out of the ancient staff. Nahkriin payed it no heed, he could sense his master’s impatience and fear, after all the ebony clad dovahkiin was fast approaching. As the staff met the hole the portal started to open up. Alduin flew up and dived into the hole.
“Everyone on me!”
The priests complied with their master and plunged into the portal with him. Nahkriin then pulled the staff back out and the portal started to close. He hoped to buy his master some time, but that was not to be. He was tackled from behind by the ebony dovakiin and both where sent careening into the portal as well just as it closed leaving Skuldafin as silent and dead as it once was before for 4000 years.
In those clear blue skies of equestria the pony populace of ponyville looked up at the sky in shock as a blue/white portal ripped itself open in their skies. They were even more surprised to see a black dragon and nine odd looking creatures fall out of it before it closed itself. Alduin himself landed on his back dead center of Ponyville town square, blowing down several stands as well as crushing the fountain. His priests landed on his belly so they wheren’t splattered on impact with the ground. Dovahkiin wasn’t as lucky. He was rendered unconscious when he hit the ground despite the ebony armor. Alduin thrashed tearing into buildings in order to right himself. As the great dragon got on his feet his head shifted left and right surverying the land. Wherever this place was it wasn’t Sovernguard. The dragon made a snap decicion as a bunch of small pastel colored animals ran around in a panic. He leaned over to speak with the eight.
“Eyfur wah hir ven ahrk lahvraan ol pogaas frahzogin ol korasaal.”
‘Scatter to the four winds and gather as much information as possible.’
The priests now had a mission and so they left to get what their master wanted. Alduin watched them go with a devious smile. As he surveyed the destruction and hysteria around him he noticed an orange mare with a blonde mane and what appeared to be a branding of three red apples on her flank, she was glaring at him. He locked his hellish red eyes with her’s and leaned in his muzzle mere inches away from her’s. He opened his jaws and roared at her blasting the seston hat off her head and making her mane blow back, as well as splattering her with his saliva. As he did this Alduin spread his midnight wings and took to the skies roaring as he did so, his call heard throughout equestria.
About an hour later the three princess’ landed in Ponyville square. Repairs where already underway but they needed to know what exactly happened to cause such a rift and the resulting destruction. Twilight Sparkle the youngest of the princess’ broke off from the trio spying her friends. She rushed over as fast as her hooves could carry her. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, AppleJack, Pinkie Pie, and even Spike where repairing stands and cleaning up destroyed merchandise.
“Guys! What happened here?”
Twilight’s friends greeted her with tired smiles. AppleJack trotted up first to greet her.
“Well howdy Twi. Ah was jus’ standin’ here sellin mah apples ahn suddenly this great big hole opened in the sky! Then ah swear to ya a dragon blacker’n’ night n’ meaner’n’ a rattle snake fell out with a bunch of these .. things. They scattered faster n’ roaches when that dragon spoke sum funny language to em. Only one left is tha feller there.”
AppleJack pointed a hoof towards the unconscious dovahkiin. Said Dragonborn was being tended to by Nurse Redheart while Celestia herself oversaw it. His ebony armor and weapons were removed and his cuts, bruises, and gashes were being tended to. Twilight and company trotted over to investigate.
“What do you suppose it is Celestia?”
Celestia looked over at her curious student and most likely successor with a puzzled look of her own.
“I’m afraid in all my years I have never seen one such as this. Its upper body suggests it is of minotaur lineage, but even so there are plenty of bits that don’t add up.”
Celestia was interrupted by a mint green unicorn running in circles in the background screaming about ‘The humans are coming to take over Equestria!’. Her mate Bon-Bon simply facehoofed and tried to take her home before she stoked the flames of paranoia. But it was too late as Celestia put a golden hoof to her chin.
“That mare maybe very well correct.”
Twilight’s pupils’ dilated to pinpricks as her jaw slowly slid open.
“You can’t be serious Princess!”
“Calm my faithful student. Think about it clearly, he matches most of the legends and myths of old about these ‘humans’. Not to mention all myths have some truth to them, wasn’t it you who made a point to prepare for the return of Nightmare Moon?”
Twilight blushed at being reminded of the incident and her own hypocrisy of questioning of the myths. With her student now pouting and a red blush across her face Celestia merely giggled and patted her student on the head.
“Now AppleJack what was this about a black dragon?”
AppleJack gave Celestia a respectful nod and retold her story.
“Now these ‘things’ you mentioned that fled when the dragon spoke to them?”
“Well they were like him, only they didn’t look to peachy. They looked like raisins left out in the sun to long.”
Celestia raised a brow to this. She was familiar to undead because of the wars with both Sombra and Nightmare. Necromancy is a staple of dark magic, but how can a dragon preform magic? Or are these corpses at all? Perhaps a different species of human? So many questions swam in Celestia’s head.
“Well then my little ponies perhaps we can discuss this over dinner. Fluttershy can we perhaps eat at your place? I am curious as to what Discord has to say in all of this.”
The shy Pegasus gave a small nod and Celestia gave her a warm smile. A few hours later everyone was gathered at the cottage prepped for the pleasant meal ahead. Fluttershy allowed the princesses and her friends inside. Discord himself was entertaining himself by putting on a play with his food. Hamlet only literal. Discord sighed and shook his head.
“You had to make that joke didn’t you?”
“Discord.”
The draconequus looked up from his play and a slow grin slid across his face.
“Oh my, what brings my dear Celestia here? Am I that truly irresistible? Because truly I will be frank I find your sister far more entertaining and enjoyable to be around.”
Luna blushed and Celestia grimaced. Discord merely groaned and rolled his eyes.
“Yes, yes I know. I have nothing to do with it. If you actually took the time to investigate where the portal was you would find that the magic used wasn’t my own. Granted it has trace amounts of chaos magic but there is also dark magic mixed with a touch of necromantic magic and finally touched up with some good ol fashioned raw magika. For some reason that gives the portal a snozberry taste.”
Discord’s meal then proceeded to bow and lay back down on his plate. Celestia only grimaced and sat herself down. The other ponies did much the same as Discord snapped his claws and plates of food began flying around and serving themselves. Discord himself propped his elbows on the table, folded his paw and claw and rested his chin on the bridge that was now his hands. A slow grin spread across his muzzle.
“Does that give you the information you wanted?”
“Close but we still don’t know how it happened of what we are up against.”
“Perhaps you should ask your man when he wakes up?”
“Now that you mentioned it do you have an idea what it is?”
Discord chortled.
“Isn’t it obvious? He is a human of course!”
Twilight slammed her hoof onto the table.
“But that goes against all reason and logic!”
Discord merely raised an eyebrow at her.
“Twilight my dear, you are living in a world filled with magic. A world where I exist, hell a world where Pinkie exists!”
The pink pony let out a squee at being mentioned. Twilight sat down with a grimace and huffed. She hated not being able to explain things, but perhaps they might get something out of their new ward.
To be continued…