//------------------------------// // Row, Row, Use Your Power // Story: The Greatest Treasure // by Evowizard25 //------------------------------// “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T MADE MUCH PROGRESS?!!” My voice shook the entirety of Canterlot. I didn’t care. I didn’t care one bit. My anger and frustration had been steadily growing for several months now. Then this happened and I am justified in snapping. Wave Length was at the center of it all. It was a testimont of his magical skill that he was able to form a magic barrier to keep him safe from my shouting. Creatures have been known to be shattered by my voice alone. The cowardly peasant still shivered and his barrier fizzled out as he lost concentration. Typical of these ‘scientist’ types. No backbone. “St-Starswirl was a genius, my lady.” “I know that,” I shouted. “Tell me something I don’t know. Preferably something that can locate my sister.” I did not want to rule alone for a thousand years. How my sister managed to do it for that length of time, both the night and day court and keep Equestria safe is beyond me. She was always the better multi-tasker. “It’s just that his some of his spells are, well,” Wave scratched the back of his head. “Hard to replicate. He was rather vague in some details and we don’t have all his personal records.” “Of course,” I sighed. Starswirl was a trusting fellow, but he was no fool. He kept many spells to himself. Dark spells. The only one he confided in was my sister. I couldn’t just ask her now however. This added to my anger. She kept things from me. They both did. A thousand years ago, I was furious because of this. Now I can see what a spoiled brat I was. If I had known their secrets, I may have won the battle against my sister. I thank them for that. It didn’t help me now though. “We have the basics of the spell down,” Wave said, nodding to a few other of his fellows. They shrunk under my gaze. Good. If they feared me enough, they’d get their rumps in motion and find my sister. They are lucky beheading is ‘out of style’. Strange phrase, but a lot of this age is strange. “But we need, well, a few coordinates and the power output we’d need to get anywhere other than the few portals we have is….astronomical.” He gulped as I glowered at him. “W-we’re working on it, Your Highness.” “How long until you finish it?” I was past the point of no return with my patience. If something didn’t happen soon, I was going to blow up. Those nobles were in uproar. My sister has been gone for more than a year. How am I supposed to cope with such inane nobles? To keep Equestria alive? It was frustrating. I wasn’t ready to cope with this stress. Actually, I never wanted to do this on my own again. One day was enough, but a year? I just want my sister back. She always made me smile when I was frustrated. “We have the basis of the portal already prepared,” Wave said. “We just need to finish analyzing the energy signatures Celestia used to teleport herself. It was a very faint signal and was only present during a short span of a few seconds. It’s amazing we were able to get anything from it.” “How long?!!” I shouted, pushing him back a few hooves. Wave Length gulped in fear, shaking like a pitiful leaf. “T-The amount of energy required would, at this rate, be….ten years?” He leaned away from my ever closer snout. “A-And it might take a few tries to find the world.” “TEN YEARS?!!” My shout shot him to the wall and I pulled him out of the hole with my magic. I shook him about. Unlike my sister, I was not one to still my hoof in my anger. “I will not wait ten years to see my sister again. I’ve barely been back two from waiting a thousand years to see her face. My sister means everything to me and I have to wait ten more years to see her?” “P-possibly long,” Wave gulped and then started crying. “Please don’t kill me!” I threw him to the ground and roared in rage. “I will not wait! I want my sister now!” I stomped a hoof on the ground, shaking the castle once more. Cracks ran about the polished marble and would cost a pretty bit to fix it. I didn’t care. I needed somepony with a large energy source and a mastery of bending it to suit their needs…….. I need him, don’t I? Yes, yes I do. Why? Why fate? Why do you do things like this to me? I sighed and teleported to Sweet Apple Acres. If the stories were to be believed, and I was skeptical even if I did see the duo dance together, Discord frequented fair Applejack’s farm. They were in ‘love’ apparently. Discord is a fickle thing. He’ll probably break her heart and then I’ll finally have my reason to kill him. “DISCORD!” The Royal Canterlot Voice comes in hooffy when you’re looking for somepony. “COME OUT CRETEN!” “You don’t have to shout,” Discord popped his head out of a bush, wearing what appeared to be fair Applejack’s hat. “With a voice like that, you could kill someone.” “Discord,” I could hear fair Applejack’s voice whisper from the bush. “Be nice.” “Fair Applejack,” I called. I honestly didn’t want to think about what they were doing. “Discord, I need your help.” Applejack grumbled and marched out of the bush. She looked frazzled and was very red in the face. “We weren’t doin’ anythin’, Princess.” “Hmm?” Discord leaned over, craning his body like a noodle as he twisted his form around and looked her in the eyes with his head upside down. “You call that nothing? Well, I’ll show you something on our wedding night.” Applejack turned even more red and pulled back. “T-that’s not...Too soon, Discord.” Discord huffed and crossed his arms. Did I seriously walk into one of those dramas my sister loves so much? If so, I could tell this is going to get stupid. That was a given with Discord around. “I love you, my dear Applejack. So I’ll wait to propose…” He tossed up a little box. “And keep this just in case you need it.” “Shut it,” Applejack, rightfully, punched his side. “The Princess is here.” “Listen,” I spoke, interrupting their little quarrel. “I need you, Discord. Your power is the only one that can bring back my sister.” "Why don't you use Sombrero?" Discord took off his ear and turned it into a phone. "His edginess could pierce the heavens. I can call him up quick for you." "Nay," I snorted. "He may be 'reformed', but he still a vile creature like you. I will not trust that monster." Even if Octavia was a decent mare and I trusted her well enough, Sombra was the last creature I'd put my trust in. "But you'll trust this monster?" Discord inquired, putting his ear back in place. "I...I can't do this without you," I said through gritted teeth. He was the only one I knew who had such great power. I could attempt to open the portal, but that would leave me strained. I didn't trust Discord to protect my nation and the Element Bearers, while useful, couldn't save us from everything. “Hmm,” Discord rubbed his chin in thought. A little ticking noise could be heard as his eyes swayed side to side. “I could help you, but I don’t like you. Not one bit.” I opened my mouth to shout at him, but he snatched it up! I was going to kill him. “Ah, ah, ah. I said I don’t like you-” he returned my mouth to its rightful place. “-but I’m fond of your sister, in my own way. I’ll help you, but only to save her.” I huffed. “That will do. I don’t like the thought of working with you, daemon.” “I am no daemon,” Discord was now in some white robes, white wings and a halo above his head. “I am something far better and much nicer.” “Debatable,” I snorted. “What do you need my help for anyways?” Discord inquired. “I need you to break through the barriers between worlds.” Discord blinked in confusion for a few seconds, before he grinned. His robes and halo slithering up to the tip of his finger and turned into a ball of energy. “Now you’re talking.” _____________________________________________________________________ There are some who bemoan too much of a good thing can be detrimental, or even tiresome. I say neigh to them. Being carried by a male for over an hour, with his hand clutching my butt so possessively, is something I will never be tired of. I couldn’t help but let out little moans every few moments. Perhaps he’d get the message. If not, then I can just jump him later. That could work. Until then, I’ll just relax in these strong arms. Safe and secure. “Smaug?” I quarried. “How long until we reach this ‘dock’?” I was honestly surprised Smaug wanted to take a human mode of transportation. I thought he’d be adamant against anything of the sort, which is why I prepared a ‘walking on water’ spell. It’d be a tad bit taxing on myself, but it would get him to the town without a fuss. “Not far, my precious jewel.” Smaug huffed. It was still obvious he didn’t like this form, with how he twitched uncomfortably. “And why are you so insistent on using a human boat with a human boatman?” “Because I will not use one of my golden boats,” Smaug growled, which was cute in this form. Well, I was growing to find his draconic growl cute in any form. It was so domineering. “I do not trust them.” “But you want them to take you across the river?” I tilted my head cutely to the side. “The race of men is weak,” Smaug stated. “They are nothing but vermin and should be treated as such. They must learn to know their betters and so they will serve me now. Whether they want to or not. Besides,” he paused and looked at me. “You want them to treat you as any other female. I will respect my precious jewel’s wish.” He was doing this for me? Oh, oh Smaug~ My face was ever so read and I had to resist the urge to kiss him. Well, on the mouth at least. A quick kiss on the cheek was enough. I am not some little lovestruck teenager. “Thank you, oh Smaug the dragon dread.” I nuzzled up against him. “...Temptress,” Smaug growled in frustration. I just loved how his face glowed as passionately red as his glittering scales. “You are my tempting jewel. One day you will regret being so strange.” “Oh I’ll ‘pay’ dearly for my behavior,” I smirked and nuzzled his chin. “Be sure to make it long and hard. I don’t want it to be over so quickly.” “My fury never ends swiftly,” Smaug smirked in return. “It burns for ages, thrusting into peril over and over again. I fear nothing and so there is nothing stopping me from ravaging whatever I want.” Blast you, Smaug. You’re getting better at this game. Well, I’ll make you sweat soon enough. My drake is deserving of a few treats….Am I rushing this? No, I can’t second guess myself. He was mine...Though I might be home before then. My inner thoughts were interrupted by Smaug. He grunted and calmly put me down. His hand slid across my rear as he did, causing me to shiver. “Thank you, great Smaug.” I smiled sweetly. “I simply couldn’t have made it here without you.” “True,” he puffed out his chest to seem strong and macho. So adorable! “I am the strongest drake to ever live. Even in this pathetic form, there is no man that can defeat me.” I simply nodded and turned to the dock. Well, if you could call it that. It honestly was just a little wooden thing with space for three boats. Currently, there was only one. A simple man wearing some sort of baggy set of gray clothes. He had a large hat on his head. He was of middle age with short, black hair. We walked right up to him. “Hello,” I called to him. The man just turned away from what he was doing and gave us a bored stare. There was something about it that made me feel like that was his usual look. “Hi,” his voice was monotonous. “It is a good day to be on the lake, isn’t it?” I often like to start up chit-chat. I found that people tend to open up when you talk about the little things first. “Same old, same old.” He shrugged. “So are you new here or what?” “Well yes. Me and my husband are a little lost, you see. We come from a far off land and our carriage was overturned not far from here. We were hoping to go into town and seek help. Can you aid us?” “Whatever,” the man uttered and let us on his rather, small boat. “How dare you speak to her like that?” Smaug growled and took a step forward. I held a comforting hand to his chest. “Now Benedict,” I smiled. “Be nice.” He continued to growl but did nothing else. “Now, what is your name?” “It’s-” He started, but Smaug cut him off. “You’re the rower,” Smaug uttered. “That’s your title. I don’t care what your feeble, human name is. You will row us in silence and that is all.” The Rower sighed. “Whatever.”