//------------------------------// // Beginnings // Story: Rise of Discord (Short Story) // by Shining Crescent //------------------------------// The wind rushed quickly the tides rose far in the distance. I could hear the swelling of each wave as the anger unknown grew out of control. The skies drew a drape of darkness with the wind's power backing the charge. All of it orchestrated in a horrendous but beautiful way, art. The rise to the broken throne has begun... Dreven opened his heavy and dream ridden eyes as the sun just outside was determined to wake him. A new day had come, but the nightmares had come back in force. The only thing he could compare it to was a possible apocalypse. Whatever it was it was last nights problem and the day ahead needed his usual and routine attention. The sun already high in the sky indicated it was already noon or so. Time telling devices were a luxury in his world, hell, technology was rare in every sense. Other than carts, stoves, and basic electricity only the royal and rich owned machines. As for Dreven himself he was a magic user. In the smaller degree of course. Mainly he used his spells to carry things for him or turn pages of his countless number of books. The young man always wished he had the chance of the royal spell casters. To attend the University of the Magi in Canterlot, the capitol of his country. Oh the things he could learn, the spells and incantations of old magi and witches. A true dream to never come true. Dreven laid his book on old mythology down as he sat himself at the local diner's patio and sat back waiting to be served. The village was small, but it held a homely type of beauty. Everyone knew everyone, Diane the young pastry baker was especially social. She had memorized the birthdays and anniversaries of each man, woman, child, and pet in town and threw a party for each. Her hair held a unnatural, but rather beautiful "poofiness" all the time. Eccentric to say the least but always a woman to put a smile on anyone's face. As Dreven thought of all this he was the least bit surprised when he heard her perky and always-gonna-be-happy voice sound out as she plopped down in the chair opposite of his own. "Howdy! How are you today Drevy?" Diane laughed at the end with a very innocent giggle. "I'm doing fine Miss Pie. How's the shop holding up with the two new additions to the cake family?" Dale and Marie Cake owned the pastry shop and Diane Pie was their niece living with them. Fitting the last names were, almost scary really. "Oh the babies are just wonderful! They love to play as much as me! Too bad they have to take naps..." Diane's face was childish near the end as it formed into a very obvious pout. "Well at any rate i'm glad they do-" The girl's face looked confused and on the verge of hurt, "-because it leaves me some time to spend to my best friend of course!" Feeling he had dodged a bullet as her rosy face lit up with the light of imaginary fireworks going off inside her head. "Of course! So, yah wanna throw a party?!" My look of 'are you kidding me' changed were question almost instantly to, "What are you having for lunch?" We talked, or I more listened to the rants and laughter of a girl with too much sugar in her DNA for nearly an hour before I realized I had an appointment with a book at the local library. With a hard goodbye I left Diane with a small cupcake and headed on my way. Smiles were all around, laughter around every corner and happiness filled every crack of the town as he walk through it. Truly an example for peace and tranquility. The last war to be waged among the people of his country was nearly a century ago when the princess of night betrayed her sister the princess of the sun out of jealousy. Ending with banishment by magic the war ended and day reigned supreme. The library in the distant came over the horizon. The book palace was in the form of a hollowed out, yet living tree. Upon arrival Dreven prepared to knock but was halted by the door opening to a younger man with green hair looking up at me with a tired glaze, "Oh hey there Drev, come to get another book?" the question was almost impossible to understand due to that it was said through a constant line of yawns. The boy let Dreven in and walked aimlessly over to a small cot passing out on arrival resulting in him falling over like a rag doll. Poor guy must have been worked all night helping Twilight. Foot steps on solid but creaky oaks steps caused his eyes to look and see the young woman with purple and pink hair. Her face stuffed in a book as she slowly made her way down the stairs. Soon Dreven realized due to her lack of awareness that she didn't even notice he had arrived let alone was standing within striking distance of her, "Uhh, Twilight?" his voice was notably deeper and more distinct than that of spikes so naturally she jumped back, "Oh! Dreven, uhm, hey! I din't know you would have already finished the book I gave you on Equestrian Evolution of Magic and Mythology." From his bag, Dreven rose the book and slid it into the empty spot on a shelf far above them, "It was simply too good to put down. You sure do know what books to recommend Twilight." Simple laughter and conversation ensued and soon he had already picked out another book, "Well Twilight have fun-" before shutting the door and being on his way, Dreven turned and smiled, "Oh and try not to work the poor boy to death" he said this while looking at the drooling and snoring spike. With a laugh and a nob of agreement the young man went on his way. A familiar wind rushed past his face. A darkness of his dreams appeared in the distance. Looking up from the shadowed pages of the book about old gods he had just retrieved from the library he saw a beast of a man. Face of a dragon, and a smile of sarcasm. Dreven's nightmare had become real, there before him mirroring himself in the book's picture just below stood the old god of chaos, Discord.