//------------------------------// // Let's Take Calm Breath, Relax, and Prepare For What is About to Come // Story: The Greatest Treasure // by Evowizard25 //------------------------------// Okay, what happened. No seriously, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!! One moment I was gloating in front of my foes and the next I’m laying down in the remains of the wall I was thrown right through. I...I have no idea how this came about? “I can, but I want you to go through the motions yourself.” ‘Alright, I attacked Sophia.’ “Yes, even though I told you to wait.” I challenged Celestia.’ “Even though I told you to wait because we aren’t strong enough yet to face her.” ‘And then...Smaug punched me through a wall.’ “You’re lucky I had enough magic to keep him from killing us. This is why you need to listen to me. Dragons, although stupid, are especially strong. A single strike can kill us in this state and I don’t think I can keep us going after a few more good strikes.” I growled. She was right, but I was still a bit confused. Everything was so blurry. It was almost like I was completely forgetting about something. Oh well, not important. I just need to get up and take my vengeance on them all. I’ll take the drake’s head, drown Celestia, and put Sophia’s head on a pike. A lovely image if I ever thought of one. “Lucky shot!” I shakily stood back up. “But my minions…” Were all unconscious. “Oh yes, because about thirty staggering, mind numbed villagers can take on a dragon and a god. Such a tactical genius.” ‘Not helping!’ “I was trying to help when I said don’t attack yet. You didn’t listen to me.” ‘SHUT UP!’ “A minor setback,” I snorted and balled up my fists. “I can still win. I’ll beat you and your dragon...WHERE IS HE?!!” He wasn’t in the town square. I was so sure that dragon would try and continue the fight. They are blood thirsty beasts. They can’t resist a fight. “Now, now,” Celestia smiled. It wasn’t a mocking smile. It was almost like she was trying to be nice. I was going to tear that look off her face. Literally. “We can’t control what he does. He’s a dragon. Besides, this is between us.” “Me too,” Tilda piped up. “Yes, her too.” I furrowed my brow. “What does she have to do with this fight?” “Fight?” Celestia asked, before snapping her fingers. A rope of light magic snaked its way out from her and before my other half could do anything, it constricted around me. I fell on my rear end. “You were a fool to come out so soon, Nightmare. An even bigger one to possess a good person such as Sigrid.” “Good?” I laughed. It felt like it was more of my other’s laugh than my own. “You obviously don’t know me, Celestia. Just like you don’t know that dragon of yours. You think you can tame me? Him? You are deluded. As much as I hate his kind, we’re alike in many ways. We will destroy you, no matter what you say.” Celestia was quiet for a moment. She just kneeled beside me and gave me a look of pity. I will kill her for this! “I don’t believe that. There is good in everyone, Nightmare. Even a spirit of darkness has a sliver of light hidden beneath.” “Such naivety,” I snorted. “Yes, it is naive of me.” She chuckled and booped my nose. “When you live as long as I, you pick up a few things. Naivety, as you put it, has paid off more than not. While I hate you, Nightmare, I will not let my hate cloud my judgement. Nor should you or Sigrid.” “How about lust, hmm?” I remarked. Or rather, the other me did. She knew more about this than me. “That’s why you delude yourself with the drake, thinking you can change him. He won’t change, Celestia. They never do.” “There is always a chance,” she narrowed her eyes. “Delusional fool,” I chuckled. “We’ll see who’s the delusional fool,” she remarked. She then sniffed the air and looked around. Low and behold, a lone man was reeling in a cake. He was rather oddly dress, something I’d see more on the eastern ponies back home...Wait, that wasn’t my home? This is...You know what, I don’t care if Nightmare replaces most of my memories. This place stinks. “Finally,” Celestia grinned and stood up. “It’s been over a year. Far too long.” She walked on over. “One slice please, Mister Rower.” “My name’s-” The man started. “No one cares,” I growled. “Just shut up and leave us, you insignificant mortal.” “Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” the man muttered and cut up a slice for Celestia. The decriped mare sniffed the cake and sighed. “Lemon cake.” She held her fork out and made to cut it up. However, she never did. The man jumped back as a giant boulder came crashing down, smashing the cake into the lake. Celestia just stood there. She just looked at the hole in the floor. “Tilda?” “Yes, Miss Celestia?” Celestia did something I wasn’t expecting her to. She hoofed over the last slice of cake to my sister and patted her head. “You can have it.” “But this is your cake,” Tilda was a sweet girl and that’s why I loved her so much. “You should have it.” “I’ve waited a year so far,” Celestia turned and walked off. “I can wait a few more days.” “Where are you going?” I shouted. “You can’t leave me like this!” “I can and where I’m going is my own business,” she said ever so cheerfully. “I just need to teach someone a few manners, like throwing giant rocks about town. Someone could have gotten hurt...like that cake.” “But what about me?!!” “Tilda can keep you company till I return,” Celestia shouted back at us. “Family can help heal wounds better than anyone and I’ll be back before you know it.” My sister and I were left in silence for a moment. “Do you want a piece of cake, big sis?” Tilda asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. I sighed. “...Yes.” __________________________________________________________ *Luna* I was tired. More so than I’ve ever been before. Not even fighting the great dragons of the Badlands ages ago made me feel this downtrodden. Perhaps it was because the exhilaration of the battle gave me something to smile about. There was nothing to smile about now. My sister was gone. Discord was making this all the more torturous and Twilight was worrying herself to death over this. The poor mare honestly looks to Celestia like she was her second mother. For so long, I wanted more power. I wanted to show my sister I could rule by myself. She let me do that for one day and I felt like I wanted to destroy the entire country. Now I’ve been doing it for over a year and my spirits have left me. So I wanted to sleep. We immortals don’t really need it, but even we can grow tired on occasions. So tonight I would sleep, perhaps even giving little Tantibus some reprieve. My guilt was still there, but these days I could care less. So I’ve been using Tantibus less and less to the point I wonder why it still exists. I feel sorry for it. I climbed into bed and grabbed a little Celestia doll. My sister was to never leave my side again, even in plushie form. I wanted her to comfort me. Read me stories like she used to and tuck me in. This wasn’t fair. We were supposed to be a family again. Sisters forever. This was just so wrong. I was going to bring her back no matter what. I was going to do that and tear off Discord’s head. Well, if I could. Celestia wouldn’t let me do it. She’d say I was overreacting. I could still rip off his head, but we’re gods. It wouldn’t kill him, just like if he cut off my own. I was stuck with the beast and there was...Maybe I should bring Applejack to the capital. Surely she could do something with him. I heard a little chitter and looked down. My dear opossum, Tiberius. Oh how I adore this little one. He loves me for me and he’s so adorable. I smiled and nuzzled him. “Hello there. I’m sorry for not coming here sooner, but...Discord.” I sighed. Tiberius nodded. He was clever for an opossum, so it was easy to understand him and vice-versa. He pointed to Celestia and I sniffled. “I...I haven’t found her yet,” my lips quivered. “I miss her, Tiberius. I...never really told her how much she means to me.” Tiberius cuddled up next to me and nuzzled my cheek. I pulled him into a soft embrace and cried. That was when I heard something buzz. It was a slight, harmonic buzz. Only one thing I owned could make it. The mirror on my nightstand. It had a light green crystal at the top and it was glowing slightly. I cast a quick spell to clean away my tears and clear my complexion before turning it on the jewel. The mirror’s image opened up to reveal a human like no other. With angelic features framed by long green hair and white robes, she cut a beautiful picture the likes that poets would weep from the mere mentioning of. “Ah, there you are. I’ve been trying to call you all week.” “I’m sorry, mother.” I bowed my head in respect. “I’ve just been busy lately.” “I hope your sister is helping out,” my mother spoke. We were close, but not as close as I knew she wanted. I just didn’t share much in common with her and I knew that hurt her a little bit. It hurt me too. “She is, but she’s even busier than me.” I wanted to tell her what was going on, but she’d get everything all complicated. I wanted to prove to her that I was strong. How could I do that if I lost my own sister? “Sad to hear,” she pouted, before shaking her head. “But that’s to be expected from such fine leaders, such as yourself. A goddess’ work is never done.” “I know,” no really, I know. She says that quite often. “But a goddess also needs her some rest and relaxation,” she sighed. “I don’t want either of you to overwork yourselves. I love you both dearly and the last thing I want is a dead tired daughter. You need to live a little more for yourselves. I know that sounds selfish, but you need to be a bit selfish...Well, not that selfish in your case.” She blushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, my dear. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just...it’s almost like it was a dream. A thousand years without seeing or hearing about my baby girl? I...I…” She sniffled. Oh great. I come in here to cry and now I have to witness my own mother doing it for me. “Don’t cry, mother. We’re doing fine now. Celestia’s been helping me get acquainted with the times and I’ve made a couple of friends.” “I’d very much like to meet them,” my mother smiled. I couldn’t help but rear back slightly in fright. She couldn’t know. The downside is that she’d blow up and things would get out of control. The upside was that Discord would most likely get hurt. A lot. Hmm, that is very tempting, but no. I had to prove to everyone that I was responsible...enough to get Celestia back here and take all that responsibility back. “This isn’t the best time. We’re doing some renovations on the castle and it will be weeks, months, neigh, years before we can have visitors.” “I don’t care what sort of shape it’s in,” my mother frowned. “I’m coming over and snuggling my beautiful daughters. I have this cute little angel that I’m sure you’d love to see. He’s a real sweetheart. Gotta run though. I’m going to cook up some dinner. Bye and remember I love you. See you soon.” The mirror image went out. I stood there for a moment, processing what just happened. “DISCORD!” I teleported near the portal, where he was wearing a country style set of clothes and golfing with cups and hedgehogs. “What is it?” He sounded so bored. I wanted to try and kill him right then and there, but I had more pressing matters at hoof. “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of winning the Golfdom?” “MOTHER”S COMING?!!” “My mother, or yours?” “MINE!” Discord’s eyes shrunk into small pricks. He screamed, his bones jumping out of his skin before falling back into place. That was a tad bit disturbing. He quickly forced his palm next to the portal and it just up and started to work. “You could have done that at anytime?” I wasn't going to kill him. I was going to break every bone in his body as I flailed him and held him in boiling acid. Even that is far too kind to this despicable creature before me. I'm sure he got the image from my intense glare, but it didn't seem to phase him much. That made me even angrier. He nodded, grinning like the idiot I knew he was. “Of course, but I’ve even done one better. I’ve made it so we can do whatever we want in any other world and come back the moment we left.” I was just going to roll with it. “Give me a few hours to prepare my troops. We march at dawn.” “But that’s over ten hours away,” Discord held up a large clock, plucked from a strand of his fur. “That’s far more than a few.” “It’s just an expression,” I’m so going to destroy him after this whole thing is over and done with. ________________________________________________________________ I cannot believe I’m stuck spying on dwarves. When the wizard Sarumon first informed my kin of these dwarves and their venture, I thought them mad. Who wouldn’t? They wished to fight a dragon for simple gold. As if it really mattered. My lord had wanted someone to watch over them. I had jumped at the chance, for I was bored out of my mind. I loved my kin, but other than fighting orcs and giant spiders, there really wasn’t much to do. Well that and Legolas was getting a bit too persistent for my liking. I love him, but more as a brother. He just doesn’t seem to take my hints. I have no idea why. A Cave Troll could see them from a mile away. Legolas is just a bit too stubborn. However, I rather regret my decision. Dwarves are disgusting and rude. I had heard the tales, but to see it in person? I nearly lost my lunch the first few days. I’m glad Sarumon wishes me to still hide from them. The king dwarf would surely have my head if he saw me. That and sleeping amongst a bunch of male dwarves? I shivered in disgust. They would never find me. I was a master of stealth. “What are you doing, hiding in a bush?” A rather tame male voice spoke behind me. I twirled around with a nocked arrow, preparing to shoot. The person was a hobbit, who quickly put his hands up into the air. “Don’t shoot. I mean you no harm. Really, I do. I mean, I’m just a hobbit, rather useless in combat you know.” He chuckled nervously. I snorted slightly and put down my bow. “Never assume anything about anyone, Mister Hobbit. You don’t know who has a trick up their sleeve.” “No tricks up these sleeves,” he quickly showed the inside of both in attempt to assuage me. Honestly, Bilbo Baggins is a ponderous being. I have never met a hobbit and no one really talks about them. It’s almost like they don’t exist to most people. He was nice enough. Clean, polite, and kind of cute. In a Hobbit-y sort of way. I smiled. “I see that,” I stood up from my kneeling position. “I’m sorry for pointing my bow at you. I’ve been hunting bears and they can be quite voracious.” “I can imagine,” he grinned. “I never would have expected to see an elf this far out in the woods. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I would never say such a thing. I’m just a little curious.” “The bear I’m hunting killed some of our livestock, including my favorite cow.” I lied to him. A rather poor one, if I had to say, but it was the first thing I could think of. “I wanted revenge.” A very simple and human reason, but he’s a hobbit. Surely he isn’t aware of most of the world’s business. He’d fall for it. “Well I wouldn’t know the first thing about revenge. Not my sort of thing,” he chuckled, before frowning. “D-did you bring along any friends? Say, friends several times our size?” I frowned. “What are you-”