//------------------------------// // Ch. 1 Every Night Must End // Story: Brave By Default // by TheGoldenDragon //------------------------------// Deep within the Everfree Forest, a crumpled mass of black metal shifted slightly followed shortly by a groan. After a few seconds, the metal form rose from the ground as a male voice from it, “Why do I always get the rough landings?” He moved the vizor from his face as he stared into the night sky as if looking for some answer, he then looked towards the horizon, then back to the sky. After thinking for a bit, he muttered to himself, “I landed earlier than usual… I might be able to change things this time.” As he stood up, his outfit changed from the dark metal armor to a dark blue robe and headdress with some gold adornments that might seem common in a desert country. The young man shuddered a bit as he noted this, as if this outfit felt wrong to him. He placed his hand on the sword strapped to his waist, his crossguard was an emerald green while the blade itself seemed more ornamental than an actual functional weapon, it seemed to radiate almost pure magical energy. He took one deep breath to steel his nerves, before bolting for a castle in the distance. He came to a stop only feet from a massive gorge between himself and the castle. He looked over to a small bridge connecting the guard house to the back of the castle. He then took his sword in his right hand and muttered, “Silence” as he waved his left across the length of the blade. The green blade the radiated white smoke and flames that lacked heat. He walked slowly up to the guard house, the head of the current watch walked out to stop the man from reaching the bridge, “Halt Biped, do you have an appointment?” “No!” he responded, his sword flashed towards the equine guard nicking his left wither. The guard tried to shout for backup but nothing escaped his throat. The guard became very distraught and distracted now that he had no voice. The man just walked up the bridge to the castle grounds proper. He carefully worked his way to through the castle trying to avoid another confrontation with the guards and made his way to a seemingly inconsequential garden. When he entered the secluded garden, he heard a voice in his head, “Well aren’t you an interesting creature.” “I’m a human, Discord.” the man said as he walked up a statue that looked like an amalgam of several creatures. “I never heard of a Humandiscord.” The draconequus said, before giggling slightly. “We both know that’s not what I said.” He replied, then muttered “Aspir” and waved his hand across his blade and light blue flames danced across its edge. “Do humans have names?” Discord ask with a hint of what could be mistaken as interest. “Yes, and if you mean to ask my name, it’s Al- just call me Ringabel.” He said before slashing at the statue. The sword left no visible marks on the stone, but a “Ow” was heard in response. “Sorry, if I had the Yggdrasil Staff or any skill in white magic this would be easy, but I don’t! So I just have to try and take away enough magic from the casing for you to get free.” Ringabel responded. “Then don’t cut so deep,” Discord chastised, “And why would anyone want to free me.” “Not that you care, but there is a blight coming that will cause an incredible amount of upheaval and dislocation.” he replied, cutting a few more times. “And you want me to stop this blight?” Discord hissed. “No, I want you out to ensure it takes its course.” The human responded, and followed up with more slashes. There was a cough from behind him, in one movement almost too quick for the eye, he muttered “Fear”, making purple smoke emanate from the blade, and he slashed at the figure behind him, muttered “Sleep” and light pink smoke surrounded the blade, before he slashed the figure again. As his blade came to a stop, Ringabel looked in horror at the figure of the sleeping dark blue furred alicorn with flowing ethereal mane. She was unharmed but crumpled on the ground shaking and with the same purple smoke from before flowing in and around her head. “N-no...” he stammered. “What’s the problem? Let’s finish this up, and get me out of here.” Discord demanded. “No, this is all my fault, why did I have to cause this on this world?” Ringabel began to back away from the unconscious princess, “There’s still several hours till dawn, why did I have to do this?” Discord almost shouted, “Don’t be a wimp. Get me out of here!” “N-No, I have to run. I can’t be here when she wakes up!” he replied, turning for the door and running out of the castle and into the dark of the night. In the morning, Celestia couldn’t even bring herself to cry. There was simply too much on her mind, why had this happened, what was this talk of a miniature hairless minotaur attacking, and why was the enchantment encasing Discord beginning to weaken ever so slightly? She had hoped that an investigation of the grounds would lead to the answers she needed. It was not too long before a guard returned from searching Luna’s quarters with a note in his magic grasp. “Your highness, I found this in her room, It was the only thing not torn to pieces.” He saluted, and went back to searching the grounds for any other evidence. The note read: Dear Sister, As I write this I can feel my mind slipping into the shadows. I must inform you of what I believe has caused this incase I do fully succumb to my fears. I saw a bipedal creature that called itself a ‘human’ it was slightly shorter and much slimmer than a minotaur and appeared to wear clothing from head to hoof, it claimed to be called Ringabel. It was trying to release Discord with some magic it had enchanted on its sword, and spoke of causing a blight to befall our land. I wanted to have it reveal its plans before capture, but when it became aware of my presence it used it’s sword to cast magic upon me that filled me with dread and then put me to sleep. I wish I could tell you more, but even now my quill shakes with rage and fear. Please forgive me for whatever I may have done. Lulu. The writing was almost illegible by the end. As she came to the end of the letter, Celestia was weeping due to both rage and sorrow and she swore that the next time she saw this human, she would destroy it. Only a few seconds later another guard came running, a look of worry on his face. “Princess,” he said saluting, “Two more of those bipeds from last night are at the guard house with something that looks like a breezy, they are asking for your presence.” Celestia’s mane began to smoke from barely-contained rage, and she spat out at the guard, “Take me to them.”