//------------------------------// // The Bend of Time // Story: The Mare, the Dragon, and the Draconequus. // by TDR //------------------------------// Stories in Stone The Mare, the Dragon, and the Draconequus. By TDR The Bend of Time The faint shuffle at the door told him some one was coming. He couldn't help tense up, his hoof sliding to the side for his blade before he forced himself to relax. He was not in danger here and more importantly his son was not in danger. Well at least they were in less danger than where they had come from. He glanced into the small basket holding the newborn, flinching at the thick bandages and scars running across his back where his wing used to be. His mother would be disappointed that he allowed the injury to happen. The door opened with out so much as a knock, only one being here would do such a thing. [“I thought you were returning to your empire?”] he snorted. [“It is safer if I do not for the time being. Besides I will know if anything happens there.”] The mare stated with a small smirk, filled with fangs. [“I've come to speak with you about something.”] The look unnerved him. Here before him was a true monster. One that had more power than any one creature had a right to posses. And yet.... [“I want no part of what your ponies have gotten themselves into. I simply wish to raise my son until he can care for himself, and then find an honorable way to die.”] [“You'd die for her, but you won't live for your son. Pathetic, I hope I never fall for a stallion who thinks as you do.”] [“If you came here to belittle me witch, you have done so, now depart.”] [“I came here because we need your help.”] [“You have a funny way of asking for that witch.”] [“Do not even try to play that card with me fool. I am the only reason you are even here now and why your son is still alive!”] The mare snarled. [“ If not for me your own race would have destroyed your son by your own law and they would have done the same to you for trying to stop them.”] [“My wife is dead and my son is a cripple because of you witch!”] [“Your wife would still be alive and your son would still have his wing if you trusted me. If you had followed the plan I gave you nothing would have happened, but you had to ignore the safe way of things simply due to your damn pride. I lost six good ponies because of your idiocy and if you and your son were ANY one else I would have pulled the rest out and left you to die.”] The mare snapped spitting out the last lines of zebra like the language had a foul taste before switching to pony as she leaned forward seeming to tower over him and be far too close to him at the same time. “YOU. OWE. ME!” The zebra winced at the shout, sparing a glance to his son who had not woken from the noise. “Your son is getting the best care that Canterlot can give, which is a far sight better than any where else on Equss short of the Empire. No one knows who you are but me, to them you are just another refugee I rescued from a war torn land. I am keeping you here because there are only a few Zebras in Canterlot and none of them were raised in the Zebra land or know about the laws you set down. That is likely for the best as none of them would like the idea that you sanctioned the death of foals. Better you start speaking Equestrian as well, I know you know it, Starlight barely spoke any Zebra when you wed her.” The Zebra said nothing simply staring at the crib and the red stripes still showing on his sons exposed back around the bandages covering his left side. “I did it..... because it was the proper thing to do at the time.... had you helped us I would not have had to.......” the zebra muttered in perfect Equestrian. “I helped all I could Warlord Gray Hoof. I risked repercussions from a number of nations just finding a way to supply you with the star metal ore for you to fight your masters. If anyone knew I did even that much, it would start all sorts of wars all over again. I would say you owe me for that as well, but at this point that matters not. You freed the zebra lands from slavery, that was the goal all along for both of us. “ “Do not call me that.” “Hmm? Call you what?” “Do not call me Warlord, I gave that up when I fled my home. And do not call me Gray hoof I lost that name as well. I never deserved to keep it since all I have brought to the world since I earned it in the pits has been calamity and suffering.” “Then what should we call you?” The zebra looked up at the Princess of Ponies, The Changeling Queen Crystal. He lowered his head again looking back at his sleeping son before turning his gaze back up to look at her again. “Call me Ruin. It is as fitting a title as any. Now what is it you want me to do?” “I need you to do what you do best. Kill a god.” Crystal stated flatly. ============================================ I could count the number of times I had been rendered speechless in my life on one hoof. Seems I needed to add a second hoof to the count because standing before me and casually trying to start a conversation was a supposedly long dead pony. Not only was it a long dead pony, it was a creature that shouldn't exist. Pegicorn's were nearly unheard of, but they just looked to be a cross between a stunted unicorn and a stunted pegasus, rarely could they do much magic or fly and often they were pitied if not outright killed for for their deformity which would clearly hamper them from ever having a normal life, a kindness really. This stallion was far far beyond that. He towered over Andrew, seemed built like he threw villages around for a hobby, and the power I felt from him I couldn't even begin to imagine what the limit was. I had not felt this envious since my father had given my grandmothers spell book to my eldest brother, stars rest his soul. Not my doing, I had yet to successfully kill a family member, one of my fathers rivals had gotten to him before i could. Still if there was a way to gain power like this I had to have it or at least have it on my side. My father wouldn't even be able to even touch me, nay more than that, he would be forced to do what I said. The very thought of getting the old goat to do my bidding amused me more than simply the ideas of killing him. “Are you alright Miss. You seem to have spaced out.” Starswirl asked. “What are you.” Andrew voiced, thus taking the brunt of the ignorance for me. I had wanted to ask the question myself , but his askance made me seem less concerned about it than i was. “Hmm? Oh the wings and such.... I’m what is known as an alicorn. One of the Gods of the pony race. Each race has it's ruling deities, I'm sure you've heard of them if you know anything about the world beyond Equestria.” Starswirl explained. “ I'm what you get if you take a little bit of Earth Pony, Unicorn, and Pegasus and mix them all together. Sort of the pinnacle of the race so to speak.” “You're a god?” Andrew asked moving slowly around the stallion. “I am ageless, powerful, I never get sick, and I’m nearly impossible to kill thankfully. To be honest it's also insanely boring, and rather tragic if you find yourself caring for any mortals, I simply can't recommend it.” Starswirl stated with a small chuckle. “ I really should write a pamphlet for this or something, I'm always asked this sort of thing. I can title it 'Twenty questions you want to ask a god but didn't know one existed to ask.' Alright then, what do you want ?” I asked, desperate to regain some semblance of control after my shock at the revelation. “Ahh see there in lies the issue. What I want is a peaceful end to our situation, but that doesn't seem likely. Had I known that things were going to go this way I never would have cast those spells, let alone given them to Storm Front.” I frown, his words meaning nothing to me at all, I knew no Storm Front nor did I know about any sort of situation. It irked me to be ignorant of something that might be important enough to try and gain aid from my father. Still as one of my teachers once said, 'you cannot learn something if you do not ask.' “Sorry ...Starswirl.... but you are going to have to explain a few things and some what less convoluted than that. Who or what is Storm Front, what spells, and why exactly are we here?” I ask with a bit of a sharper tone. “Hmm oh yes sorry. I am used to speaking with those who are more aware of the world rather than their own small views.” He states plainly ignoring my grinding teeth. There was a flash of magic and a map appeared in the air before us. He lifted a hoof pointing at a spot in it that was marked with what looked like mountain. “ This is where we are now at the summit of Mt Maneterhorn in Canterlot. The lands ponies have control over encompasses this small area here between the sea and the breadth of the unicorn range. “ He gestures and a small portion of the map lights up in blue, a fairly narrow swath running from the mountain to the west until it reached the sea along the sides of a river. “Those are all the pony lands with a few small settlements beyond those borders. To the south are the wilds, untamed forest that are predominately controlled by the Elk, Buffalo, and a few other races. Beyond them to the far south.......” The map lights up in green showing a large section of forest and scrub lands listed as the wilds. Then another very large section of the map that nearly takes up the whole bottom of the map lights up in red. “...... are the Zebra lands. Currently there's some issue there but even with the split factions the whole land is still theirs, I’m not going to try and figure out the exact borders they change too much. To the South East.......” A small section of the map that crosses over into a few territories lights up. “….The Diamond Dogs and to the North West.....” A section of the map even larger than the red section lights up in orange. “….. is the Dragon Empire and to the North East.......” The map lights up in purple a section not quite as large as the Dragons selection but larger than the Zebras and any others on the map. “...... are the Griffons. And of course anything water belongs to the Seaponies, but I digress. There is where the problem is, not the Seaponies. This is what a god needs to watch over, we cannot soly be focused on our own race, we need to keep relations with others to remain independent. While Ponies are not a new race, we have been through some very hard times and there are far less of us then there used to be, keeping the other races placated or distracted is the key to our survival. The Zebras have their own issues and the Dragons mind their own as do the Seaponies. We have a deal with the Elk and the Buffalo are fine so long as we stay out of their lands. The Diamond dogs generally keep to themselves but are not beyond raiding us or trading dependent on which pack is encountered. The Griffons however.....” Starswirl muttered. “ Well that's where things sort of come to a boiling point.” “The griffons have been pushing south and west into other territories.” I state getting a look from Starswirl. “My father has received a number of reports of cities and towns vanishing as well as a few trade caravans. Because so few of them have been Unicorn settlements or endorsed caravan's he's not cared in the slightest. It's something that my grandmother would have looked into, but likely my father never even read the reports a word past what the primary race for each settlement was.” Starswirl snorted as Andrew nods lightly. “You are correct about the expansion, though hopefully not about your father. In any event the Griffons are for all purposes in a cold war of sorts with the Dragons. The power that Storm Front has doesn't bother the dragons in their caves one way or another. Gems need neither sunlight nor the moon to exist and Equss has it's own volcanoes and such to keep them warm at least the ones that don't prefer the cold. However the Griffons are pushing south into our territories as well, enslaving or killing any in their way. They have expanded their borders far enough that we have lost over a quarter of our own territories. The only place that is keeping them at bay is the Crystal Empire.” He Gestures and a silver glowing spot appears on the map. The size of it was tiny, but it was nestled in a spot in the mountain range that the Griffons needed to go a long way around to get past if they wanted. “The what?” I despised sounding stupid again, but I could not recall anything about a Crystal Empire. “Hmm oh I suppose it has been hidden for nearly ten thousand years now. The Crystal empire is the only pony settlement left in the north and in truth it's not really a pony settlement Certainly there are ponies, but it is mostly inhabited by the Crystal Ponies and Changelings though most of the latter are in a place Called White Tail Woods.” I was starting to get annoyed. While I didn't profess to know everything about the world this .. .'alicorn' sounded like he was making up things now to seem smarter than he was. The Crystal Empire I could buy and the Crystal ponies lived in the empire sure, but what the deuce where Changelings? Honestly I was getting tired of asking questions . Still my annoyance seemed to be noted by him and the smile he gave me was both calming and condescending. “I may have gotten ahead of myself. I do apologize for the information dump.” Starswirl stated. “My ….. sister I suppose should be able to explain better. You will need to accompany her to the Crystal Empire in order to see the situation first hoof in order to report back to your father.....” “That's only because he won't let me grab your father by the neck and drag him up to the Empire shake his fat flank around and tell him to look at what is coming.” States an angry feminine voice from the other side of the room. I turn my eyes widening at the sight of the mare striding out of the darkness. She was tall, taller than Starswirl with a glossy black coloration to her fur. Sections of it seemed bald and shiny until I realized that she had various spots of armored chitin covering her form. Her long green mane and tail whipped in an unseen wind . The ends of her hair shifted and rolled around certain spots, leaving them clear of her flowing mane as if there were holes in it. Her limbs were the same though her legs had a number of holes in them that I could see clearly through. A pair of green gossamer wings lay flat against her back and a gnarled horn rose from her temple. Her green eyes were slitted like a cats and she had a clearly visible pair of fangs protruding from her mouth. She glared down at me as if she was seeing something foul or depressing, I gritted my teeth running through a number of attack spells in my head for the moment this thing made a move. Her expression suddenly softened into one of puzzlement as she stared at me curiously as if I had suddenly grown another head. I heard Andrew move the faint whisk of his weapon as he readied it though a cough from Starswirl brought the tension down a little. “Avianna Platinum, Andrew Pie, this is Crystal Queen of the changelings and Ruler of the Crystal Empire. I suppose you can call her my sister after all this time.” Starswirl stated. “Charmed. Clearly you are not what my brother was expecting. That's fine. We leave in the morning. Ready yourself for travel, if you are not at the gate by the time the sun rises I will leave you here. I have no patience for useless tag alongs.” The same power I felt from Starswirl I felt from this one, but there was also something more. An odd connection that disturbed me greatly. I wanted to feel disgusted that I felt some odd... kinship with this bug creature, but I was more curious as to why the emotion was there. Crystal too looked as if something was odd in regards to me, though she turned and left sparing a glance to Starswirl and frowning. “ This will not do.” She said flatly causing Starswirl to flinch as she stepped out. “Excuse me I need to have a word with her about how to treat guests later. Now did you have any other questions?” Starswirl sighed. =================================================== “And where are you going?” The figure froze in place one clawed hand stuffing a bag full of things. The dark room was mostly quiet save for the pairs breathing and the faint clank of items in the bag resting on the counter. Why Canterlot's kitchens were dark at this time of day was any ones guess. The figure stuffing the bag straightened up, his dark silhouette barely visible in the unnatural darkness of the room, looking back over his shoulder the figure regarded the one who spoke. A vague, if very muscular pony shape, though the light from the hall behind him showed the lines of white fur over black on his back. A zebra? Odd. “And who wants tah know?” “Some one who has the added task of making sure you do nothing stupid.” the Zebra snorts. “ As if my task was not punishment enough without adding foal sitting to it.” “Sounds like you got a bum deal in jobs, no one can stop me from doing something stupid.” “Clearly. I know what you want to do and I question whether you can do it alone. I would say no.” The Zebra comments. “You know nothing John Snow.....” “I know enough to know that, that is not my name and you would be killed without accomplishing anything. From what I have been told you are powerful, but you are not a warrior. Storm Front is powerful as well and he IS a warrior. He would end your life easily.” “He needs to die for what he did...” the figure snapped and glared at the Zebra.” You're not stopping me.” “No, no I am not.” “Ehh?” “One of the rulers of this place has given me a task. A favor called in that honor dictates I must accept. Your goal is my mission and I will admit I could use your.... talents in my mission. You will not succeed alone, and I may not be able to succeed either without you, together we increase our chances.” Did swiss cheese legs put you up to this?” “Crystal? Yes.” “I don't need help.” “You do and so do I. You wish him dead, the smartest thing would be to find others who wish the same. It is not easy to take down a god. I know from experience. I doubt it is easy to kill one even if you are one.” “........................” The figure grumbled. “Fine....... only because I want the odds of my revenge happening to be as high as possible. So long as the end result is Storm Front's death.” “You do not want to be the one to kill him?” “I would love too, but so long as he pays for what he did I’m not too caring on the how.” “Understandable and surprisingly mindful of your limitations. Now then. I am known as Ruin..... what is your name?” the Zebra Ruin asked looking at the creature in the dark. “There's no one left alive who can pronounce my name properly.” The beast sighed. “Then what am I to call you on this little endeavor?” Ruin demanded. The figure snapped his fingers the kitchen lighting up again showing a pair of kitchen ponies and a Diamond Dog chef tied up in the corner with large rubber fish gagging them and blind folds covering their eyes. Some one had also evidently hit them with a number of pies for some reason. The figure in question was an odd one It had the head of a pony with mismatched yellow eyes, a pair of fangs from a snake, a deer antler on one side, and a goat horn on the other. There was a bit of stubble on his chin which looked like he was trying to grow a beard but didn't recall how to. He had long rabbit like ears, a serpentine body with a maticore's arm and paw, and a griffon's arm with it's claw. A pegasi wing and a bat wing sprouted from his back and it's legs looked like a minotaurs and a cockatrice leg. The draconic tail that sprouted from it's rump ended in a set of fins like those from a sea pony. Despite the comical nature of the oddity before him, the expression on the creatures face was of one who had experienced great sorrow and had long since set with anger. “Call me what the ponies call me.” The last Draconequus stated. “ Call me Discord.” ======================================= Starswirl sat at his desk informing the rooms other occupant of the rest of the conversation that had happened. “So how did she take the information?” “As well as to be expected given the situation. In all honesty she's taken it surprisingly well given that she learned most of everything she knew was a lie.” Starswirl sighs. “ Knowing her father I expect she knew he was tweaking the unicorn's schooling to make himself look better. They did that in my time too. Where is she now?” “On the battlements comically yelling down the mountain at her father about how wrong he is in his wrongness.” “Seriously?” “Fraid so, though there is a lot more swearing involved however.” Starswirl looked over at the black carapaced mare.” I know what you are planning sister. And I do not like it.” “Pity the choice is no longer yours. You hoped for an army and you got one gifted mage and an escort. I am making do with what I can get. You said yourself that if you failed to raise an army we could go with my plan.” “I never wanted to raise an army. I don't want to fight him.” “I do not plan to fight him either. I plan to simply kill him.” “No.....” snapped Starswirl turning only to find Crystal's face right before his snarling and making him back peddle a bit nearly dumping him from his chair. “Yes! I know you don't like killing or even fighting for the greater good, but that's too bad. This will not end without blood and given my connection with him I will most certainly make sure that it WILL end.” Crystal snapped.” Your constant stubbornness and desire for nothing to change is stagnating everything. You only agree to change anything when there are no other options! Well here's a news flash for you, there ARE no other options. He won't talk, he won't negotiate and we both know the fate of the ponies in the towns he took, if they are not slaves in the mines to be worked to death, then they are food on the table of some noble sometimes both. My Changelings have seen it with their own eyes and yet you sit here in your little tower deliberately ignorant. Do you know how many villages have been abandoned and how many have fled to the Empire? Of course you bucking don't you try to ignore it and hope it will go away. “ The Changeling Queen's expression softens a little. “ What happened to you? You used to embrace change, you loved the idea of new plans and ways of doing things. You created races, you made new spells. You actually lived and now you're nothing like you were.” “Ponies change.....” “And clearly not always for the better. I don't blame you for letting him have control of the spells. He was the Bearer of Honesty. One would think Storm Front might be trusted..... But for letting things get this bad. Yes … for that I do blame you. You may be like my older brother Starswirl, but clearly your time is over. Stand aside and stay with your mare and let some one still willing to change things do so.” “I cannot allow you to simply kill him....” “You cannot stop me. Despite your power you couldn't bring yourself to kill me, and that would be the only way you can stop me from fixing this. My Changlings and our ponies are dying while you sit around nibbling your hooves in stress. I've defaulted to your judgment before, but I’ve seen and learned more of the world in the last few centuries than you have by sitting in your little temple. I will stop this my way.” “He will kill, you you know.” “Then I will die trying to stop him rather than hiding on a cold rock and waiting for the end to come to me.” Crystal growled. “I suggest you pick a successor already, because when this is all over you need to retire. You are no help to our ponies like this, you are simple another disaster waiting to happen.” Crystal turned storming towards the door. “Where are you going?” “I'm doing what I said I was going to do. I'm taking our guests to the Empire.” “Our guests... Why if you don't believe in my plan then why take them?” “Because I know something you do not know about her which makes me question you even further. Had you sensed it you would have pointed it out to me, but you did not. “ She looked at the door frowning.” If I am correct you might get your way after all, but I cannot rely on that alone.”