//------------------------------// // A Hat with Class // Story: Mad as a Hatter // by squitxl //------------------------------// (Past: During the reign of Discord) Discord and I talked about a few things that were happening or had happened in the world so far. It was about as much as I'd imagined. A cutesy and tame world was not this one. "So you're saying that while the three tribes are separated they've a ceasefire between each other as long as the pegasi fight the gryphons?" I paraphrased what Discord had explained. "And the princess' don't actually have any power as of yet, since their subjects are just ponies that want to privately back them." I looked towards Discord levitating to my left. "How do you make it sound so...devious?" He gave me a look as if I saw the world in a different light. "Their subjects are just supporters that want to unite the three pony tribes." "Or...the subjects wanted to gain power a different way and are trying to turn them into puppets." I have him a flat glace to which he looked down. "Dissy my boy, ponies may seem like the happy life to you, but nothing is ever as it seems." He looked up at me with an eyebrow raised. "Dissy?" He questioned my name for him. "It's your nickname. It sounds childish, but childish means less threatening which is what ponies need to see." Logic was my forte, or at least I believed it was. "Let's not get off topic. How do you know them exactly?" I gave him a look of suspicion. Discord looked down and a awkward silence fell in. I believe I already know how they know each other, but the way he's acting he makes it feel like it's like a secret that must never be known. "They...we were..." His indecisiveness is starting to annoy me. "You were friends with them when you were younger, right?" I twirled my hand in an attempt to move this along. My guess must have been close seeing as his face was like I found his dirtiest secret. "Please Discord, it's not a hard to think that in the past a king of one side and a queen of another were close." His face softened at my verbal train of thought. "We were very close friends not to long ago." He looked up into the sky and reminisced. I gave him a few minutes with his memories until he finally looked down at the ground. "This is going to be a long story." He wanted to warn me. Great, a childhood friend love story. "I have a feeling he's going to be explaining more about the world with this." Hat gave a try at keeping me interested. While I agreed with Hat I also had a feeling it was his story, which filled it with information that was irrelevant. Discord collected himself and started. "My father and I lived up in the north, in a city called Blacklife. Blacklife was surrounded by a powerful barrier that kept out the freezing temperature. Magic let the city live in protection and warmth." Sounds like Dalaran if it wasn't floating in the sky. "The magical technology of Draconequus is far above all else, but that didn't stop them from disappearing." "Wait, what? What do you mean disappearing? Do you mean they're dead? Or just that no one knows where they went?" His story had intrigued me to no end. "I don't know if they died, or if they're still alive." He looked down wallowing in his dark past. "My father's job was to dig for magic infused crystals, and since my mother died he had to take me with him when he went to collect them. On one such day my father and I were coming from a cave on the outskirts to find that the barrier was down and the city ablaze." Discord looked up reliving his memories. "Father told me to go back to the cave while he flew towards it and find out what was going on." He started to tear up. "After what seemed like forever the city exploded into a multitude of colors making me shield my eyes. When I opened them Blacklife was gone and a huge crater was in its place." I let him cry as I gave this some thought. It doesn't sound like the place just exploded. The colors might be some sort of magic, seeing as Discord can control the colors of things and the sun and moon. What truly happened in that town? "We will need more information if we want the truth." Hat must have felt the same way I did. My gaze returned to Discord wiping his face with his hands. "Discord" he faced me with eyes that were red "we will find out what happened that day, don't you worry." I gave him a confident smile. I must know and none will stop me. "Are you alright?" Hat asked in concern. Perfectly fine... A sly sneer on my face. Shortly after Discord's explanation we neared a small village which Discord wanted to avoid. I did too because I didn't have a concrete explanation for what I am and why I'm here, but I wanted to know why he would avoid a town in his own kingdom. "Isn't this place in your kingdom?" I raised a valid point. He looked towards the town and then down at the ground. "It is...but I think we should avoid it." He looked at me with pleading eyes. I could piece together that he wasn't very welcome, even though he was the king. "Fine. Are the princesses' castle near here?" I gave a look around. "They're in the Everfree woods over there." Discord pointed to a forest bordering the village. "We're just a ten minute walk from the castle." "Then let's get moving." I started the trek to the castle. Near the forest I could see ponies on in the town doing hard labor. It seemed that there weren't any upper class among them. I could only guess the closer we got to the castle the richer they would be. I checked to see a path that connected the small town into the forest. "This is the road that leads to them." We both stared down the path. The pause being over, I started walking in only to notice my companion had not followed. I looked back at Discord to see him zoned out most likely in deep thought unmoving. "What's wrong, aren't you my guide?" I interrupted his concentration and he looked at me with a splice of dread and alarm. "You're going to have to go on without me, I have to take care of something." He turned away from the road and muttered "and me being there will only make it worse." I raised my hand to ask him to wait but he was already wisped off somewhere. "Great, I didn't think he would go all the way but this is still pretty far off." I sighed. A clop of of hoof on cobblestone made me tense. "Halt! Who goes there?" I turned to see a pony in armor that looked like a veteran. He was a light gray color with a charcoal mane. The pony looked at my face and became spooked. He unsheathed a blade and held it in his mouth, waiting to attack. I need to wear a mask of high class, someone who believes they can even lay eyes on a princess. I closed my eyes and everything slowed, at least in my mind. I am better than the normal man. These insects believe they can speak with me? I am the rich, the powerful mad hatter. And I am better then all of them. I opened my eyes a new man. "I have business to conduct with the princess." My voice was as if I was offended by the guards actions and attitude was arrogant but not enough to warrant a blade. The guard seemed confused, but he sheathed his sword. "I will lead you to the castle." He must have wanted little to do with me because he didn't ask any more. "See that you do." I lifted my nose into the air. He turned around and went down the way he came with me close behind. We reached a newly formed rope bridge where a guard was stationed. The lightish red pony with a rose mane, who I assume was a mare, spotted us coming. She didn't look like she knew what to do. "Sir?" She stood proudly near the side of the path. "Sweet Aegis. You are to lead this visitor to the princess." He pointed at me with his hoof while the mare looked confused and intimidated. "But sir-" "That's an order Sweet." He gave a stern look that made her she wince. "Sir yes sir!" She replied and the guard turned and went back out into the Everfree. Not before giving me a distasteful look. I looked back at Sweet whose bravery was rapidly degrading. I stood there after getting dumped onto his subordinate guard waiting to be brought over the bridge, while she just stared at my like I was going to attack. "Well? Are we going or are you going to make me wait longer?" I had almost forgotten myself that I was still in character. Her fear turned into guilt as she looked towards the ground in front of her. Even I started to feel guilty watching her. I'm not this heartless. Maybe if I try to give her some confidence she'll at least smile. While she was looking down to the ground I started towards her. Her matters are not your own, do not be swayed by this simpleton. I blinked a few times. "Why are you talking to yourself? Just sitting here and doing nothing isn't going to change anything." I stared at her, wanting to say something. I took a deep breathe and saw the flustered mare. "My name is Mad Hatter. It's nice to meet you." I spoke soft to be less intimidating. The mare finally looked up at me. I gave her a warm smile. "My name is Sweet Aegis." She started to open up a bit. "I've only just got this work." "Do you live in the small town outside the forest?" She looked like a lower class, unlike the other guard. "Yes...I could only get this job through a recommendation. My grandmother made the best confections that even the lords in the castle would partake." There's lords in the castle? I guess all the rich sit near the throne. The mare became depressed again. "When she passed, the head of the guard who was a friend of hers gave me this job." "She sounds like she lived a happy life." I didn't know what would cheer her up anymore. "I'm sure she would be enlightened to know her granddaughter is a proud guard for the princess." She had a small smile on her lips. "Oh, We should head to the princesses quickly. The sun will set soon." She whipped around and we headed across the bridge. "Thank you, for saying that." "I spoke only the truth." (3rd POV) The scouts sent out were giving their reports about Discord's rampage across the land. A young Celestia sat upon the throne looking righteous with her little sister to the right of her barely able to stay awake. On the sides of the room were high class pillows which the nobles sat on. They whispered among themselves about what the scout said or the next order of business. "We received notice that the southern encampments art plagued by shadow walkers. They hast injured a few of the inhabitants but thither hast been nay casualties." The guard stopped and waited for a response. Celestia never took her eyes off the guard as he spoke, in deep thought after hearing the news. "Send five of the high class mages with the knights and destroy the shades. Ye art cashiered." The guard bowed and exited. "It would seem that Tartarus hath let loose moo of its beasts upon us." One of the more bigger unicorns spoke from the group. "I believe we shouldst hast guards stationed at the gate all year round. Cerberus would seem to be nothing but a dribbling mongrel." "I am sorry Mighty Dusk, but we doth not hast enough knights to doth such a thing." Celestia stated to the lord. Mighty Dusk ignored her and went back sipping his glass of wine. Celestia looked towards Luna and saw her head bobbing so near to sleep. "Sister, if you wish to retire for the day you may." This remark made Luna's eyes go wide open and she rubbed her face with her front leg. "Nay sister I am a princess as much as thou, and I will stay until court is ov'r." Luna had a very serious look on her face. Celestia looked past Luna and few of the nobles chuckle at her remark. Celestia turned forward and frowned from this. She knew the nobles thought Luna as nothing more than a child who thinks they have power, but she could not say against it without undermining the progress. There was a commotion heard from beyond the doors. The guards must have been quite loud to be heard through the doors. The lord's and noble's conversations stopped as all eyes were on the doors. The talking could be heard and then it went silent. A few of the lords looked between themselves in confusion. The doors were opened to the two guards stations at the door with another guard and a bipedal creature in a suit behind them. "Thy Majesty, a Lord Hatter is hither to speak to thou." One of the guards holding open the doors announced. Celestia looked at the creature with interest. It looked similar to the fel demons of Tartarus but smaller and wore a top hat. It acted like one of the average lords sitting on the sides, arrogant and conceited. It took a few steps forward with its nose raised. The guards holding the doors watched hesitantly waiting for a slip up and having to detain it. On the other hand the guard behind him stayed close to him, but not showing any emotion. The creature slowly lifted its hand towards the hat and took it from its head to form a bow. "Your most great and powerful highness, I, Mad Hatter, come to bare only a greeting. Due to magic that was beyond my control I was sent here and I only wished to tell you of my circumstance, in case one of your stalwart knights happen upon me." He, assumed from the voice, had changed completely from an normal lord seen in the castle to a chivalrous knight of honor. Celestia caught herself from letting her jaw drop. On the other hand most or all of the members present were shocked by this being's way of speech. It was like a cross between formal and common. Celestia glanced at Luna again to see her wide awake and wide eyed, with grin of delight. "Thou only came to betoken us this?" Suspicion was heavy in her tone. Mad Hatter returned the hat to his head and stared her in the eye. "I may have also wanted some information about this world, as I am not from this place, I thought I would need to know about any enemy I would do to avoid." He spoke in a composed tone as to not commit the same mistake he did with Sweet. "But I do not wish to trouble you or your esteemed guests with my trouble." His voice emphasized that part and Celestia picked up on it. She did see out of the corner of eyes most of them had a face of superiority. She went back to full attention on the being before her. "Tis not ado to say a few things to be weary of. The demons that thou may encounter escaped from a gate to the north east, past Foal Mountain. The guardian of the gate, Cerberus, may watch the gate but can be overwhelmed at times." She paused to reflect back on the previous news, but became serious and continued. "The other monster thou will hast to look out for is the embodiment of chaos that calls himself Discord." Luna turned to her sister wanting to say something, but stopped herself and looked down. Hatter upon hearing the name showed no surprise and kept a stoic expression. "He is the tyrannical king that lives in the castle to the north west." Celestia took a breathe and the seriousness in her appearance left. A soft smile replaced her face. "I will hast our cartographer give thou a simple map to help." "You have helped me immensely, I would not ask of you any more, dear caring princess." Hatter bowed once again and left with the guard mare behind him. A few minutes later Luna spoke up. "I believe I will take you up on your offer to retire early." She stepped down from the throne and left out the main doors. Celestia watched her the entire time and only frowned.