Cursing her luck for what seemed like the hundredth time this week, Applejack slipped into the uncomfortable lantern harness. By her own relatively flexible schedule it was morning, perhaps earlier than she normally liked, but the sky remained dark without even stars, making use of the jerry-rigged contraption a necessity.
Finally getting the repurposed saddle belt tightened around her midsection, she struck her steel horseshoe against a piece of flint and cast a spark into the lantern sitting on the floor. Unlike most ponies who went barehoof or wore stylishly fitted shoes and boots, Applejack preferred to keep these old-fashioned ones semi-permanently affixed, renailing them herself as necessary.
Years of practice paid off yet again as the wick caught on the first try. Bending to the floor, she slid the extended polearm of the harness into the lantern’s handle and lifted it off the floor. The harness shifted to one side under the added weight, so she readjusted to keep the lantern steady and high, then donned her favorite wide-brimmed hat.
Stepping out the door into the dark, she headed for the barn. There was some sort of intermittent commotion coming from out that way, and she only hoped it was something relatively innocent, and not another timberwolf attack. Even though the barn was reinforced and mostly secure, memories were still raw from the last incident.
It had been a particularly chaotic season that year, even though Applejack’s family farm was carved out of the Everfree forest to take advantage of the less-chaotic magical atmosphere. Unfortunately, the tradeoff was the increased risk of natural predators. The barn, built with timberwolves in mind, had one of its reinforced walls randomly replaced with spun cotton, and an older cow had been killed before the wolves were driven off. The others knew it wasn’t anypony’s fault, but Applejack still lost a fourth of her regular milk suppliers over it.
Thankfully, the closer she got, the less it sounded like a timberwolf attack. There were some angry and painful shouts coming from the main floor, punctuated by an occasional round of rowdy laughter. It reminded Applejack more of a saloon brawl than anything.
She unlocked the barn door and slid it open, and quickly saw the cause of the noise. At least a dozen cows were circled around, laughing and carousing as three or four of them wrestled in the center of the floor.
Applejack approached the cow nearest her. “Clarabell, what in tarnation is goin’ on here?”
Clarabell turned and grinned lopsidedly. “Oh hey Applejack! We were getting up and ready, and Marlene accidentally knocked over an old crate. I didn’t know you kept your cider stored this long, but it turned out nicely!”
She passed over a familiar-looking jug of Apple family cider. Applejack turned the jug around and did a double-take.
“Clarabell, this stuff is leftover from last year’s cider harvest,” she exclaimed. “It should’ve been sold right after bein’ pressed! Y’all consider yourselves lucky it fermented alright instead of goin’ rotten.”
Clarabell giggled. “Oh, whoops. Guess we got a little carried away and didn’t think .”
“I’ll say,” Applejack responded. She began collecting the remainder of the cider jugs from the disappointed cows. “Alright girls, party’s over! No milkin’ today, but y’all need to sleep this off so ya don’t tip over on me tomorrow.”
There were a few protests, but none serious. The cows wrestling in the middle of the floor stopped and got to their hooves as well, and followed the rest back to the sleeping stalls. Applejack noticed one of them was limping.
“Darla, you okay? Ya seem to be favorin’ your leg there.”
Big Darla half-smiled. “Oh, it’s nothing, just a bit sore. Bessie Mae fell on me, is all. ”
“Looks like ya done bruised or sprained it pretty bad,” Applejack said, examining the red and swelling leg. Thankfully, no bones were compromised. “Nothin’ dangerous, but ya better stay off it. I’ll need to get some herbs and a wrap for ya so it heals up quick.”
She led the cow to her stall and instructed her to lie down, and not put any weight on the bruised leg. Big Darla agreed, and Applejack headed back to the farmhouse.
On the way, she gathered the fermented cider jugs and poured them in a patch of weeds at the corner of the house. A small sip revealed it wasn’t half-bad, but definitely not something she would sell without proper preparation. Fermentation could be a fickle process, prone to bizarre failure more often than not due to Chaos, and wasn’t something she had the proper equipment for anyway.
Unfortunately, a thorough perusal of the farm’s medical supplies also revealed they were out of Zecora’s famous medicinal poultices, and Applejack didn’t have the right ingredients to make them. She could just do a simple wrap, but it wouldn’t work nearly as well, and Big Darla would need her leg healed up quickly in order to stand for milking.
Cursing her luck for the hundred and first time this week, Applejack prepared to go out again. “Apple Bloom, you awake?” she called from the front door.
“Yeah, I’m up,” came the delayed reply, as a sleepy-eyed filly came into view. “Whatcha need?”
“Big Darla bruised her leg last night, and we’re out of herbs. I’ll be goin’ out to Zecora’s to fetch what we need for a wrap. You okay to hold down the fort ‘til I’m back?”
“Sure thing sis. Want me to make some breakfast while you’re gone?”
“That’d be great,” Applejack replied. “Wake Spike to help you, an’ just don’t burn the house down, ya hear?”
“I won’t!” Apple Bloom said indignantly. “That was once, like, months ago.”
“Alright, I’m just playin’ with ya,” Applejack chuckled, donning her saddlebags. “Be back in a bit. Love ya, little sis.”
“Love ya too big sis!”
The bedroom ceiling filled Twilight’s vision, softly lit by the four or five flickering candles that were starting to burn low. The warmth of Rarity’s blanket still wrapped around her, and she felt it yet again to remind herself it was actually there.
Rolling to her left, Twilight picked up her journal and read again what she’d written earlier.
I can no longer am not Twilight Sparkle the organized, secret harmonizer. I will be Twilight Sparkle, Agent of Chaos, Bringer of Discord, regardless of what anypony thinks of me. I will forsake petty desires in my quest to spread the will of our glorious Emperor. I will
~~~
When I got into Ponyville earlier yesterday, I should have known something was wrong. We have measures of time, and although the heavenly orbs rarely follow them, there’s at least an average where light and dark even out. A constant pitch-black sky might happen for a few minutes at most, but hours? The inhibition of the local Chaos effects should have been my second warning. Why couldn’t I recognize the control magic until I was right on top of it?
I’m still frightened TERRIFIED from last night, though. After Rarity, Zecora, and Fluttershy followed me to the old castle, I’ll swear to my grave the statue of the Night-Mare turned to look at us. I still can’t explain who or what might have caused it. Later, I had a dream where she visited me and spoke of wanting revenge. On who, I’m not sure.
What’s worse, I don’t know if it was actually a dream or not. I don’t remember bringing Rarity’s blanket to bed. I don’t even remember exactly when I fell asleep, either on the library floor or in the bedroom. I’ve tried to convince myself it was a chaotic event. Perhaps the blanket dragged itself upstairs? No, that doesn’t ring true. At the level of chaotic inhibition I’m sensing, at very best roses might change to daisies, or chocolate to taffy. I just don’t know.
Twilight reached the end of the entry and sat the journal down. She journaled to exorcise her demons, make logical sense of that which could not be simply conceptualized in her brain. Yet she’d written that entry over an hour ago, and her mind was still clouded, swirling with thoughts and emotions she could not reconcile.
These thoughts revolved around her one-time friends, mostly. Rarity’s incredibly generous offer of forgiveness and acceptance in the face of total betrayal. Fluttershy’s tender kindness as she willingly washed a traitor’s wounds. Zecora’s knowledge and ability for discernment, belied by her pithy rhyming couplets.
But Rarity’s final words on the dark path last night were like knives, and try as she might Twilight could not ignore them cutting through the scars Discord had left in her soul. All she could hope to do was answer somehow.
She picked up the journal and quill again.
Rarity asked me last night: What am I? Discord’s pawn? A confused mare caught between worlds? A heartless deceiver? Maybe all three.
The few weeks I previously spent in Ponyville were some of the best of my life. I made friends, when I didn’t even know that such a thing existed. Having other ponies who not only accept me for who I am, but provide stability and somepony to turn to when life gets too bizarre… It goes against all the things I’ve been taught, but it felt so right.
Part of me really wants to accept her offer and reconcile with the others if they’ll let me. But then where would I fit in? Rarity’s right, why do they want to be my friends at all? I don’t know what I can bring to them, so why bother?
As much as I hate to consider the possibility, maybe these ponies and I are not ourselves. Harmony breeds control, and both magics are present in the old castle. All the mares I’ve met who hold to the ideals of Friendship have also been to the old castle at some point or another. Perhaps we’re simply under the influence of the Tree of Harmony, in which case I would be doing all of us a favor by destroying its power.
It has to be that. Their feelings, the same ones I feel, are merely a temporary panacea blinding them from truly understanding chaos, and I must help them see that, no matter how much it hurts. Ponies forsook Harmony long ago because it only led to control and dictatorship under the two sisters, or so the legend goes.
Additionally, I can’t simply ignore everything I’ve learned. We give ourselves to the will of Chaos so that nothing can submit us to that control again. I swore to uphold Chaos and bring its magic to all I meet. I’ve faltered, I’ve disappointed my mentor, and I must now make good on my vows.
I am Twilight Sparkle, Agent of Chaos, Harbinger of Entropy, Bringer of Discord. I will forsake my own petty desires to spread the Magic of Chaos and fulfill the ideals of our glorious Emperor, and I will start by destroying the Tree of Harm~
The quill broke, tearing the page and smearing ink. Twilight cursed at herself, but in truth the entry was more-or-less done, and new quills were easy to come by. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and rationalized the strain of reading and writing by candlelight was probably to blame.
Twilight left the journal open on the nightstand to avoid any smears until the ink dried, and climbed out of bed. By her estimate it was morning, although there was still not a light to be seen in the sky. She gazed out the window across the intermittently-lit town, toward the Everfree Forest. Deep within it lay the old castle, the Tree of Harmony… and the Night-Mare.
She felt the clutch of fear in her gut, but she forced it down. Specter of dreams or not, she had a mission to fulfill. Although the thought of entering the Everfree in the dark again gave her no pleasure, she’d been in there once already and nothing had attacked her besides a thornbush. She could probably find the way easier too, now that she’d done it once. She’d get to the castle, sneak to the caves just in case something was waiting to sic an animate statue on her, plant the Seeds of Discord around the Tree of Harmony, and be on the next train out of town.
On a whim, Twilight reached into her saddlebacks with her magic, fished around in them until she found the little burlap sack tucked safely at the bottom, and brought it before her. She noted the subtle yet intricate and complex enchantment embedded deep in the fibers of the bag, probably to keep the seeds from growing prematurely. A gentle tug at the drawstring opened the bag, and she levitated one of the seeds out.
Visually, the seed was unremarkable. Small and black, somewhat misshapen, it could pass for any normal plant seed, to the untrained eye.
What surprised her most was the magic. The seed was practically bursting with a powerful cocktail of spells, deep and old, more than she could possibly hope to unravel. It was unsettling. Even as she held the seed in her magic, it seemed to visibly cloud the bubble of telekinetic energy suspending it…
She dropped the seed into the bag and cinched it tight again, then released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Whatever magic had created these, it was more than she wanted to know. She tucked the seeds deeply into the saddlebag again.
Twilight sighed. No sense putting it off any longer. The quicker she got this done, the quicker she could leave and forget the whole business.
Slipping on a light jacket to counter the growing chill in the air, Twilight grabbed a light breakfast and headed out the front door. After checking more carefully to make sure she wasn’t followed, she headed off in the dark toward the Everfree.
“This will be the last you need,” Zecora placed the final bundle of herbs in Applejack saddlebags. “And the wrap for Darla should succeed.”
“Thanks a heap Zecora,” Applejack said. “Should be enough to last me a couple months at least, providin’ the cows don’t get into any more old cider or somethin’. I tell ya, sometimes babysittin’ them ladies is tougher than keepin’ ‘em milked.”
“That any cider was left, I’m quite appalled. If Rainbow Dash knew she would have taken it all!”
“Darn tootin’!” Applejack agreed, as both ponies shared a hearty chuckle. Then her voice took on a more serious tone. “Speakin’ of Rainbow, have you seen her ‘round here lately? I ain’t caught hide nor hair of her for more’n a week now.”
With a shrug, Zecora locked her outdoor herb closet and walked with Applejack toward the house. “Not even a hint of color have I seen; she’s gone without a trace it would seem.”
“That there’s bothersome, I tell ya,” Applejack said. “She ain’t been quite the same since that whole Twilight Sparkle thing, and it’s done got me worried.”
Zecora’s countenance darkened. “Then there is more that should be known: Twilight is here, her face she has shown.”
Applejack reared back in surprise and stomped her hooves as a sudden surge of anger welled up. “Whoa there nelly, did you just say what I think you said?”
“Yes, Twilight Sparkle is in town, she arrived yesterday after the sun was down.” Zecora motioned to the dark sky.
The mares reached the house. Unspoken understanding dictated that Applejack would not be coming inside as she needed to get back to the farm, so they stopped on the porch instead.
“Well, did she say why she was here?” Applejack tried to keep her voice neutral; the flash of anger had not dissipated, but was growing in her chest.
“To learn her purpose, we certainly tried,” Zecora said, shaking her head in resignation, “but I fear for our efforts she has only lied.”
Zecora briefly summed up yesterdays events: Rarity meeting Twilight at the train station, then visiting Zecora and Fluttershy, then the three of them following Twilight to the old castle in the forest, and finally the frightening experience with the statue of the Night-Mare and the mysterious magic at the castle. She took special care to emphasize Twilight’s behavior, and with each subsequent revelation, Applejack’s jaw tightened.
“So she says she’s ‘studyin’ more magic’, huh?” Applejack mused when the story was finished. “Gotta say, that don’t inspire much confidence.”
“She’s hiding something, this much I can see,” Zecora agreed, “but her motives are a mystery to me.”
“I could just hog-tie her and buck her teeth in if she don’t fess up,” Applejack said darkly.
“You certainly are most welcome to try,” Zecora replied with a snort, “though you should keep it secret from our poor Fluttershy.”
At the mention of the tender pegasus’ name, Applejack released the tension in her jaw and shoulders. As angry as she was, it wasn’t worth hurting another pony just to try and make herself feel better. Fluttershy had taught her that much.
“No, I reckon that wouldn’t do,” she said as her emotions cooled slightly. “Fluttershy might never forgive me if’n she found out, and breakin’ teeth never set anypony’s problems right.”
“Then what of a plan, what should it be? Do we care what she wants in the old Everfree?”
Applejack shrugged. “To be frank it ain’t really our business, ‘cept if she’s tryin’ to do harm, more’n what’s already been done. I’m still mighty curious though...”
Zecora suddenly looked past Applejack, then reached up and shrouded the porch lantern. “Applejack, look that way and douse your light; I can see something moving out there in the night!”
Applejack blinked in confusion, but turned around and did as instructed, blowing out the wick on her harness lantern. She’d learned long ago that when Zecora spoke, it was well to pay heed.
The porch was plunged into darkness aside, from a slight glow behind the window shutters. Applejack squinted out toward the invisible horizon, but nothing caught her straining eyes. “What? I can’t -”
“Be still a moment and give me your trust,” Zecora said, “you must wait until your eyes adjust.”
Applejack sighed and continued staring, then realized what Zecora had seen.
The cabin’s placement on the edge of the Everfree Forest did more than afford a lesser influence of Chaos magic. The forest was massive, but its boundary only curved gently around where Ponyville had been built, and it was possible to see at least a mile along the treeline in either direction when the light was right.
The light at this moment was far from right, but fortunately the line-of-sight was not otherwise impeded. It took a minute, but once Applejack’s eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she was able to faintly see a tiny circle of purple magic, dancing far away along the edge of the forest.
“Well, I’ll be… Zecora, how in tarnation did you see that?”
“A zebra’s eyesight is better than most,” Zecora said with a chuckle. “And of carrots I eat a healthy dose!”
“You must,” Applejack said in admiration. “So I s’ppose that’s Twilight out there, judgin’ by the color of the magic.”
“I would be surprised if it were not her, but that is her light-spell, I am fairly sure.” Zecora unshrouded the porch lantern. “Though to enter the forest is not a crime, I wonder why she would go a second time.”
Applejack blinked a few times against the sudden light, then searched the distance again for Twilight’s spell. Even knowing where to look, it was nearly impossible to see without being adjusted to the darkness.
“Well, now she’s got my attention,” Applejack said, relighting her own lantern. “After what you told me, I wouldn’t figure on anypony goin’ back into that forest in the dark. She’s either crazy, or there’s somethin’ mighty important in that forest.”
Zecora kept staring out into the darkness at the practically-invisible distant light. “Whatever thing she so badly wants, it lies within the old castle’s haunts. I don’t understand what it could be, except for maybe the crystal tree.”
“Must have somethin’ to do with that, at least a little...” Applejack bit her lower lip, conflicted. She knew she had to get back to the farm; Darla’s leg still needed tending, and Apple Bloom probably nearly had breakfast done. On the other hoof, this was a perfect opportunity to find out exactly what Twilight Sparkle was doing back in town, and if they should be worried or not.
“Zecora, can you do me a favor if it ain’t too much to ask?”
“Whatever you request, I will do my best.”
Applejack removed her saddlebags. “This wonderin’ and speculatin’ is just too much for me. Can you run these to the farm and let Apple Bloom know I’m gonna be late? I wanna find out for myself what Twilight’s up to.”
Zecora gave her a look. “In this darkness she is hard to track… will you need my help, friend Applejack?”
“Nah, you’ve been in there once already last night,” Applejack replied. “I can look after myself just fine, and I wouldn’t ask you to go in again after what happened. Besides, one pony will be able to keep out of sight easier than two or three, and I reckon it’ll take some sneakin’ to find out what she’s up to.”
“Then I will do your favor, if you are sure,” Zecora said, the worry clear in her voice, “but take great care; for a lost friend there is no cure.”
The words warmed Applejack’s heart. For all she’d taught them of friendship, Zecora’s straightforward personality and rhyming language sometimes made it difficult to gauge her feelings. Moments like this were little reminders of how much she really did care for her friends, and Applejack treasured every one.
“Will do, sugarcube,” Applejack said. She stepped in and gave Zecora a tight hug. “Now don’t you worry; I’ve been out that-a-way before, gettin’ gems for Spike, and I know the paths well-enough. Have yourself a bite of breakfast while you’re at the farm so it don’t go to waste.”
Zecora thanked her for the offer and left a quick note for the still-sleeping Fluttershy. Once their goodbyes were said and Zecora was trotting off toward Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack turned to the forest, steeled her nerves, and stepped into the darkness.
Even disregarding the previous incident with the rosebush, Twilight’s second journey through the Everfree Forest was shockingly uneventful. She had expected the mostly-nocturnal wildlife to be more active, but it seemed the darkness was unnerving even the vicious timberwolves and self-luminescent constellation beasts into staying hidden and safe.
At a moderate trot, she arrived at the castle quicker than expected. She noted with concern that the magical surge from the Tree of Harmony had not dissipated in the slightest, and was still at the high level from when she’d left.
Conversely, the control magic in the air was definitely weaker, although that still wasn’t very comforting. Twilight’s entire family consisted of powerful magic-users, and any of them (herself included) would have trouble sustaining even a fraction of this spell for more than a few hours without help. The slight weakening was merely an indication the spell-caster was getting a little tired.
She gulped. Whoever was maintaining this spell had to be one of the most powerful beings in all of Discordia, the Emperor himself included.
Although the very thought was terrifying, Twilight managed to convince herself that another visit to the inner courtyard was in order. It was on her way to the dungeon entrance, and she wanted to see if there had been any further effects since she and the others had fled.
Creeping as quietly as equinely possible, she made her way to the courtyard entrance. With every step, her heart beat faster in her chest, so loud she was sure it was echoing off the walls. The soft, dim blue light was still present, and she doused her light-spell when it was bright enough to see without it.
She took several deep breaths to calm her heart. She didn’t know what she would find, but she hoped at least the statue was back in its normal pose. Perhaps then she could convince herself it had merely been an illusion. She slowly leaned around the corner, praying it had been a trick of her mind…
The statue was gone.
Twilight’s blood chilled in her veins as she stared, mouth agape, at the empty pedestal. No broken-off supports, no shattered chunks of stone. Only a bit of dust and a few crumbled pebbles adorned the smooth marble surface. It was like the statue had never been there at all.
Resisting the urge to run screaming from the castle again, Twilight pulled back into the hallway and pressed herself tight against the wall, her heart again pounding against her ribs. She hadn’t expected this. Who would want to remove the statue, and why? Just to scare the little ponies exploring the castle? Hopefully keep anypony from coming back?
Then a possibility entered her mind that hadn’t before, at least not that she’d given any serious consideration to. She knew the legend about the Sky-Mares being turned to stone, but she’d always considered it merely that; a legend, an allegory, a parable, folklore filling in what history could not. It was so far-fetched… but what if…
What if the Night-Mare in this castle was the real one? What if the statue was alive?
The very thought nearly drove Twilight into a panic attack, that the terrible god-pony from her dream was possibly stalking through the castle at this very moment… hungry, vengeful… just watching… waiting… planning for the right moment to strike and…
She shook her head and clapped her hooves to her temples, trying to think rationally. It was crazy, she knew, but she did crazy every day, didn’t she? After all, she’d seen cats don nutcracker costumes and perform a Taurinetino-esque version of Mother Griffon’s Stories for Fillies just last week; statues coming to life wasn’t that much different, right?
Of course, this wasn’t Chaos magic at work, like she was familiar with. This was premeditated, calculating magic, cold and sterile as a surgeon’s knife. There was intent here. It didn’t matter if it was a stone statue being controlled by an unknown party, or an ancient physical goddess returned to life after a thousand years of imprisonment; it would not be content to simply dance a little jig and go away.
Part of her animal brain was screaming that she needed to get out of there as soon as possible. Another more logical part was reminding her to complete her task, so she could leave and never come back. That also had merit because the Night-Mare would likely attack head-on, and if she hadn’t already, then it was possible Twilight’s presence was still undetected. Of course, it was still more appealing to simply panic and flee.
The two conflicting parts of her mind battled for a few minutes. Stay a bit longer, plant the seeds and be done, or leave now and hope for a better chance later. Back and forth, each side rehashing the risks and rewards.
After a few minutes, finally the rational side won out and she decided to try for planting the seeds. Twilight managed to get feeling back into her hooves and begin sneaking away from and around the courtyard. Her heart had not stopped pounding, but she had her wits about her again, and that was her greatest strength.
The dungeon entrance was only a couple hallways over, and she reached it quickly with no incident. Though she’d been straining her ears, there were no sounds behind or ahead of her. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and shallow breathing.
Something else worried her, though. The ambient blue light she’d thought localized around the courtyard had not diminished with distance. In fact, it almost seemed to be on the same path she’d taken to the dungeon, and illuminated the descending stairs as well. Twilight began to wonder if the magic was following her somehow, or if it was here for some other reason. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she descended into the dungeons.
The stairs were shallow and steep, making it uncomfortable to walk down. She had to either side-step or keep her back legs bent to avoid tipping forward. It might have been necessary to design the steps this way for some reason, but she wondered if it was more intentional, to instill discomfort in any would-be prisoners as they were led to their cells.
As she reached the bottom and continued past the cell blocks, her mind wandered back in time. What was it like under the Royal Sisters? Would these dungeons have been full to bursting with ponies refusing to be controlled, or had the ponies of yesteryear been more willing to subject themselves to dictators who ruled with iron hooves? What kinds of injustice had been perpetrated on dissidents? Were prisoners subjected to horrible and archaic tortures, or simply left to rot and waste away?
So many questions, so few answers she could glean from this short visit. Twilight honestly didn’t care especially for history by itself; rather, she enjoyed learning and discovering things. There was so much she could discover here, but unfortunately it would have to wait.
Soon she reached the edge of the dungeon, where one of the outer walls had fallen to the ravages of time and collapsed into a neighboring cave. She noted with concern that the soft blue light had still not dimmed at all, but remained steady and continued on into the caverns. She couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling that the light was leading her into a trap, but she’d come too far to go back now.
Hopefully it was something more benign or natural, though. The control magic in the courtyard above seemed to gain power from the Tree of Harmony, although whether symbiotic or parasitic, it was impossible to determine right now. The only thing she knew for sure was that the two magical sources were connected somehow, and it made sense for a sort of “pathway” to develop between them.
Even as she moved through the caves, following the pathway, she noted the distinction between the two magics was starting to lessen. The lines were becoming blurred and she could no longer clearly tell where one started and another began. The fields fused in a kind of bizarre synthesis.
The light was changing, too. As she neared the Tree of Harmony, the soft, ambient blue glow combined and gave way to a brighter, silvery-cold light, distinctly emanating from around a curve in the passage ahead.
When she entered the cavern, Twilight gasped. The crystalline tree had physically grown since she’d last seen it. It hadn’t quite doubled in size, but was very close to it. The facets seemed more polished, and six large gems on the major arms were subtly glowing with internal light. Various other smaller gems were inlaid or protruding from the tree, some others had fallen into the dirt. Most of the gems appeared perfectly cut, and many were probably close to fine jewelery standards.
Twilight felt her resolve falter as she gazed on the radiant, sparkling display. How could she destroy such a thing, even considering only it’s aesthetic beauty? Such a glorious specimen deserved more than being hidden in a dank underground cavern. She wanted to bring her friends, study the magic of Harmony that made the tree grow, cultivate it, share it with -
She stopped and shook her head. Bring her friends? Cultivate the magic of Harmony? What was wrong with her?
Then she found it in the back of her mind, deep in her heart. Something pressing… no, it wasn’t pressure. It was beckoning to her, not pulling, pushing, or forcing, but gently encouraging her to come forward, learn more, see the magic of Harmony, the magic of Friendship. It promised laughter, kindness, loyalty, honesty, generosity…
It promised acceptance and love.
Her front knees buckled. Twilight staggered as the familiar longing rose in her chest, and the little unicorn became keenly, painfully aware of how small and hollow she really was.
It would be easy. She could forsake Chaos, accept Harmony. Her friends would forgive her, she knew. She would reject Discord, and -
No.
Harmony recoiled slightly. It seemed confused, but reached out and beckoned again.
Twilight recovered her weak knees and stood again to face the tree. Part of her rose up in defiance, a little steely voice in her heart and mind.
“No,” she said again, out loud this time.
She could feel it now, at the center of who she was, formerly a bright star of naive idealism, now collapsed. Discord had snuffed it out, and replaced it with a dense, impenetrable core, a seed of cynicism, immune to the wrenching, grasping pull of Friendship. Her teacher had shown her, cruel though his methods were, and as the figurative seed grew to fill her hollowness, she finally understood for herself what she’d been taught and had told herself all her life.
Harmony was a temporary placebo, selling order and control as a drug of happiness. It was a happiness that could not last, and Twilight Sparkle’s hardened heart would have none of its lies.
“I know what you are now,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “I trusted you before, and look what it got me; nothing but sorrow and pain, ponies that hate me for trying to show them the truth and save them from you.”
She reached deep in her saddlebags and retrieved the small burlap sack. Even through the protective enchantments, she could feel the magical seeds. They knew, and they were hungry.
“I won’t let you control me, I won’t listen to your promises!” She was nearly shouting now as she untied the bag. “You made me hurt, and I don’t want to hurt anymore!”
Twilight unleashed her magic, and hurled the Seeds of Discord at the Tree of Harmony.