Chapter 8
It was almost as if Alan had completely disappeared.
Twilight tried to keep herself from grinding her teeth as she was searching for that slime ball. Leaving her and Orion, how dare he?!
It was almost as if all he cared about was Harmony, and for his sake, she hoped that was the case. Mostly because she'd murder him if she found out there was another mare involved.
Continuing to stomp down the Canterlot hallways, her eyes scanned the walls as an unsettling feeling of being watched began to creep up on her.
Shaking her head, she refocused on her husband. She needed to find him for another one of those pointless marriage counseling meetings. Cadence wanted to talk with them today, and Twilight and Alan were going to sit down and listen, no matter how useless it was. It was a meeting, and Twilight kept her meetings.
“We’re going to be late…” she muttered.
“Late for what?” a voice asked beside her.
She leapt, startled as her eyes fell on Harmony, who stood, leaning against a wall.
“Oh, Harmony, hello…” she said as she gathered herself. “Sorry, you startled me.”
“My apologies,” he said, before coming around behind her, “but now, I’m curious....What are you going to be late for?”
“Oh...I have a meeting with Alan and Princess Cadence, but, Alan’s disappeared on me,” she said, adding the last bit with an annoyed tone.
“A meeting?” he asked. “What kind of meeting?”
“Just...it’s a little marriage counseling. We’re kinda in a rough spot…”
“Oh, don’t say that…” Harmony said. “That’s simply terrible.”
“It’s what happened,” Twilight said.
“How long has been missing?” Harmony asked.
“Since yesterday,” she grumbled.
“Yesterday?” Harmony asked with a smile.
“Yeah, he went on a walk the other night, and never came home.”
“How horrible,” Harmony said, smirking as he stood behind her. “How have you been making out, dear?”
She gave an irritable sigh. “I’ll be fine. He’s the one that’s going to be in trouble.”
Harmony smiled. “Do go easy on him dear...He’s just doing what he’s told…”
<<<|Ω|>>>
Alan walked forward, head down stalking his prey.
They’d believe him this time.
They’d have to.
The hero is always proven right on the second try.
They’d have to…
<<<|Ω|>>>
Day three of Alan’s disappearance was marked with an even angrier Twilight Sparkle.
She continued to stomp from one end of the room to the other, trying to get her day started, when a knock sounded on the door.
She grumpily walked over to the door, and was surprised to see Applejack standing on the other side of the door. “Howdy, Twi! Is Al here?”
“Um...hi, Applejack. No, he’s not here…” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Celestia wants to take us out for a brunch to thank us for stickin’ around and all that.”
“Hm…” Twilight began. “Well I haven’t seen Alan for the past two days. This is day three, now?”
Applejack’s brow furrowed. “Wait, really? ‘An yer not worried?”
Twilight sighed. “No. No, I’m not. Come on, let’s go see the Princess,” she said, before pushing past the farmer, Orion in tow.
“Uh, Twi, what about Al?”
“What about him?” Twilight asked, bitterly.
“Well, Ah mean, shouldn’t we go find him?”
“He clearly doesn’t want to be found, Applejack,” Twilight said.
“But...Twi, are you sure?”
She did not answer.
“Twi?”
The unicorn kept silent, walking forward towards the throne room.
“Twi?”
<<<|Ω|>>>
Cadence walked towards the throne room her mind clouded with worry.
It...it didn’t make any sense.
Alan and Twilight loved each other, she could feel it, and Alan would do anything for her.
So why didn’t he come?
Why didn’t he come to counseling?
Surely he wanted to keep their marriage intact, so why?
It didn’t make any sense.
“Something wrong?” Shining asked.
The Princess of love sighed. “I’m...I’m worried about Alan and Twilight. I think something bad’s going to happen.”
“You too?” Shining asked.
Cadence looked to her husband. “Yeah...what are you worried about?”
“Well, Al has been incredibly focused on Harmony lately. Too focused. You know how we haven’t seen him since the Gala?”
“Yeah?”
“I think that’s because he’s been watching Harmony the entire time.”
“Oh...wow…”
”Yeah.”
“That…” Cadence began. That would make sense…
She never said that aloud, though, leaving it to echo in her mind as she stepped into the throne room, where Princess Celestia waited.
She did not wait alone though. As she stood by her throne, Luna and Harmony stood with her, along with Twilight and her friends, the boys, and, well, everyone but Alan.
“And you haven’t seen him since?” Celestia asked.
“No,” Twilight answered in a deadpan. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll turn up somewhere.”
The mares looked at each other worryingly.
“Well, very well, Mrs. Twilight. If you say it’s not a problem,” Harmony said.
“It won’t be,” she insisted.
“Let’s go then,” Harmony said, leading the herd out.
The others began to follow, heading down to the outdoor table Celestia had set up.
Cadence followed, keeping her eye on the odd creature before her. She hadn’t seen Discord when he reappeared in Equestria, and this was her first time seeing him up close. He was a strange thing, to be sure, made of odds and ends, but...there was something about him…
“You haven’t seen him either?” she heard the others saying behind her, whisper back and forth.
“Not for the past few weeks.”
“Where has he gone?”
“What’s with Twilight?”
She took it all in, in passing, focusing on the Draconequus.
There was something...familiar about him…
<<<|Ω|>>>
They all sat outside, enjoying the morning air as they ate brunch. Harmony sat near the head of the table, left Celestia and right to Luna.
He smiled as he watched the others eat, and checked the time.
It was almost time.
He took a second to look around at the table.
No one other than Cadence gave him a second look, and not even the Princess of love was going to suspect him of this.
Right about now.
“Please excuse me, I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, as he pushed away from the table.
As he did though, his eyes locked onto the back of Celestia’s head. His hand went back behind him.
“Stop right there!” A voice roared.
The crowd at the table spun, just in time to see Alan charge forward, sword drawn. He roared, bringing Judgement around, the blade digging into table next to the draconequus.
“Alan!” Celestia cried.
“Pendragon!” Luna roared. “Explain yourself!”
Alan ripped the sword out of the table as things quickly began to spiral in panic. “You are a liar and a traitor!” he roared, pointing at Harmony.
“Alan!” one of the ponies cried.
“Silence!” Celestia shouted, getting the attention of everypony gathered. “Alan! Explain yourself!”
Alan’s mane was a mess, hair sticking out in wild directions as his heavily bloodshot eyes danced crazily around the garden.
He also rank of three-day-old stallion.
“He wants to kill you! I have proof!”
“What?” Harmony asked, confused.
“Proof?” Celestia asked.
“He was speaking with a pony on the walls three nights ago, I was walking by when I heard him.”
“Were you spying on him?” Luna asked. “After we ordered you to cease?”
“Luna,” Celestia said, “later. Your proof Alan?”
“He has a knife! One he said was made from the stars, stones from the abyss, and shells!”
Celestia blinked. “D-do you have a knife, Harmony?”
“Um...not one made of...what was it again?” Harmony asked.
“He said it was a blade that could hurt Celestia!”
Luna glared at him, before saying in a deadpan. “Yes...because normal iron won’t do…So, Pendragon, other than a weapon from a fantasy novel, what other proof do you have?”
“He...he has the knife!” Alan said, confusion creeping into his voice.
“You are free to search me, Celestia, I have no knife.”
“He could have teleported it away!” Alan argued.
“I will be able to tell, Alan,” Celestia said as her horn began to glow.
Harmony was quickly surrounded by Celestia golden glow, but Alan’s brain didn’t wait, it had already given its verdict.
“They don’t believe you, Alan…”
“He has no weapon on him, Alan, and there is no residual magic either,” Celestia told him. “He doesn't have anything on him.”
“But...but I heard him! He said he was going to kill you today!”
Luna gave a growl. “Well perhaps you heard wrong.”
“They don’t trust you.”
“But...but…”
“He’s going to take everything, and no one will try to stop him.”
“He’s...He’s lying! Why can’t you see that?!”
Celestia’s eyes began to widen. “A-Alan…”
“They think you’re crazy.”
“I’m not crazy! I know what I heard.”
Shining stood, his eyes as round as saucers while keeping his voice calm and soothing. “Alan, Alan calm down.”
“They’re not listening to you.”
“Why won’t you listen?!” He roared, unaware of the purple smoke that was leaking from his eyes. “He’s evil! He’s still evil!”
Luna spread her wings, and got ready to pounce, slowly and cautiously circling the unicorn.
“Why can’t you see that?!”
“They’ve been turned to his side.”
“He’s turned you all against me!” Alan yelled.
The other stallions began to circle their friend while the mares began to back away.
“Why don’t you trust me?! Why won’t you listen?!”
“They question your motives.”
“I know what I’m talking about! I just want to keep you all safe! Can’t you see that?!”
“Alan…” Celestia said, her voice cautious. “Why don’t we all just take a deep breath and—”
“Calm?! I’m trying to save you! Trying to save all of you and you’re pushing me away!”
“Alan,” Celestia said, raising a hoof the the red-eyed, grey-coated stallion, “why don’t you just…” she laid her hoof gently on his shoulder.
Whap!
“Don’t touch me you ungrateful wretch! I-I...I…” Alan blinked. “I…”
The mana hand he just summoned faded away, leaving the red hand mark on Celestia’s face as the only evidence that it had been there.
“Princess,” Alan said, “I…”
He suddenly felt very small.
Her face snapped to his, and Alan withered under the furious gaze of his Princess. “Alan Williams Goldenhoof,” she said, her voice filled with power.
And anger.
“Your sword,” she demanded.
“Princess, Princess, I’m—”
“Your. Sword!”
Alan stopped.
Then, with the ring of magic, Alan’s mana hands carefully popped the buckle of his baldric, and he lifted Judgement into its sheath, before wrapping the scabbard in the belt.
He hesitated, looking down at Judgement before handing it up respectfully.
Celestia snatched it up, and took a step forward, towering over her Pendragon. “Alan Williams Goldenhoof,” she roared, “for your actions you are to be stripped of your titles, your privileges and your authority until such a time as you are proven worthy to wield them once more!”
Alan said nothing.
He had no defense.
He merely hung his head.
“Guards!” the Princess called.
Two guards quickly ran up, trying to keep the surprise off their faces.
“Take Mr. Goldenhoof to the dungeons. He may leave when I call him.”
They nodded, before approaching Alan tentatively.
He walked forward, not even looking up at the Princess as he passed.
There was utter silence as Alan walked away.
At least he walked away with dignity.
“Shining,” Celestia called, once Alan was out of earshot.
“Yes, Princess?” he asked.
“Make sure he’s taken to one of the nicer cells, and everything he needs is taken care of. He probably just needs some time alone.”
“Yes, Princess,” he said, before running off to follow the guards.
Celestia looked down at the blade she now held. She felt...wrong for taking it.
The sword felt like it was angry.
But...it was just a blade, wasn’t it?
She sighed.
Well, this completely ruined brunch.
<<<|Ω|>>>
Alan sat in his cell.
This was his new home until...well...whenever…
He glanced over at the cot along the left wall.
He was just so tired.
Three days without sleep would do that.
“Oh, Alan, you’re an idiot,” he thought to himself. “You should’ve gotten some sleep, should have been more collected. Instead…” he sighed, “instead you’re here…”
So far they had treated him well. Fed him, made sure he had everything, even gave him a rubber ball to bounce around to help pass the time.
Of course, he still had to wear the magic inhibitor ring, but they tried to let him keep his dignity.
He knew what had happened.
He had been played.
Harmony had been tricking him since the start. There was no surprise, and there was no knife.
And now, here he was.
Trapped.
No one would believe him now.
No one would listen.
He had done everything Harmony needed to get full reign of the castle.
Harmony had betrayed them all.
No...not Harmony.
Discord.
A door opened, and a guard walked down the hallway. The increasingly loud heavy clank of armor announcing the guards presence.
“Mr. Goldenhoof?” the guard said.
“Yes?” his voice croaked, tired from his long watch.
“You have a visitor.”
He knew who it was.
Everyone else had already come by to check up on him, ask him how he was.
All except her.
She was the only one left.
“Send her in,” he said.
The guard nodded respectfully, and backed away, armor chinking all the way.
The door opened, and there was mumbled exchange that Alan could hear before the door closed and the sharp clop of hooves could be heard coming down the way.
Alan tried to peek down the hallway, and managed to see his wife coming towards him.
“Twilight, I—”
“No!” she said, angrily. “Not a word out of you!”
Alan blinked, surprised at her viciousness.
“You left me! Honestly left me for three days without a word!”
“I—”
“Shut up! You left me, alone with Orion for three days to go off and come up with some stupid, fake proof that Harmony was out to get you!”
“But—”
“You were off in your own world while I walked down to our marriage counseling appointment! Did you forget about that while you were off in Middle-Earth?”
“No, I—”
“Oh! So I’m not worth it then?”
“No! Twilight, I—”
“No! No! I’m sick of it, Alan. I’m tired of you. I’m tired of not being able to trust you!”
“When have I not been trustworthy?” Alan asked.
“How about when you did this?!” She shouted, before pointing to one of the cowlicks of fur on her chest.
A scar.
One he gave to her.
Alan went silent.
“Or how about back during Shining’s wedding, when you broke the laws of war and murdered a surrendered changeling?” she asked.
“I…” Alan said, dropping his head.
“Or how about today? You know, when you slapped Celestia of all ponies?”
Alan hung his head, and did not look at her.
There was silence for a long second.
“You’re dangerous Alan. Too dangerous. I can’t trust you, and I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner.” There was silence for a second. “I just won’t raise my child in the same house as a ticking time bomb,” she said.
Ting! Ting….ting…
Alan’s eyes snapped opened as he heard the noise.
It was right there, right in front of his nose.
Her earring.
He looked up at her, mouth open wide as he looked at her.
And then he saw something horrifying.
Her eyes were grey.
“Goodbye, Mr. Pendragon,” she said, and then turned and walked away.
“Twilight! Twilight, come back! This isn’t you, Twilight!” Alan pleaded.
She did not hear him.
“Twilight! Twilight, come back! Please, Twilight, please!”
She did not turn around.
“Twilight! Twilight!”
The door at the end of the hallway slammed shut.
He kept calling, kept screaming, kept trying to make her come back and take her earring back.
She did not come.
And then a chuckle filled the air.
Alan’s head spun to the source of the noise as he heard a very familiar voice speak to him from the shadows.
“That was better than I thought it would be,” the voice said, before the draconequus stepped into the light.
“You!” Alan snarled.
“Correct, Mr. Pendragon, correct as you always were!” he said with a pleased smile. “It’s amazing how much ponies will trust you based on eye-color.”
“Discord, when I get out of here—”
“Wrong!” the monster said, closing the gap between them suddenly, and shoving his head through the bars. “I am not Discord! Discord is a layabout! A child playing games! I am something far worse than that disgusting mutt!” He paused, letting his anger subside for a second. “Discord is what happens when Harmony and I mix. Right now, he’s sitting in a cell not unlike yours in the back of my head, watching everything he loves getting torn away from him.”
The thing pulled his head back, regarding the pony before him. “If you insist on calling me anything, call me Chaos. Although, it won’t really matter since we won’t be speaking again.”
“Then why bother coming down here in the first place?” Alan asked, growling, and wishing that the ring was off his horn so he could stab this monster.
Chaos smirked. “Because watching your misery is simply too delicious. You know what that’s like, don’t you?”
A stray memory from when he tortured the changeling queen came back to him.
“Now, for dessert,” he said with a mirthless laugh. “I’ve come to let you know something, Pendragon. If it had not been for you, none of this would have happened! If your sword had not touched me, I would still be that child! But I am here now and I’m going to make you suffer for it!”
Alan gripped the bars, grinding his teeth. “You mean you haven’t already?”
“Not yet!” Chaos said.
“What more can you take from me?!” Alan yelled.
“Just wait! You think she’s gone now, just wait!” Chaos laughed. He turned and began to walk away. “Just wait, Pendragon! Your world is about to come to an end!”
“I’ll get you for this, Chaos!” Alan roared. “I will get you, do you hear me! I will get you!”
He roared and screamed for a long time. He didn’t know how long, but once he was sure no one was coming back, he turned back to the floor, and the small, golden earring that lay there at his hooves.
He picked it up slowly, and carefully, tears running down his face.
“I...I’m sorry, Twilight...I’m sorry…”
He clutched the earring tight, holding it close it his chest as he climbed onto his cot.
“I’m so sorry...please...please come back…”
--------------------------------
And the spiral begins…
“Wow, Miner, that was just mean!”
So yeah, my dear readers, the train is about to leave the station and there ain’t no breaks!
“And you’re our crazy conductor?”
Yup!
“But I wanted to be the conductor!”
I’ll let you blow the whistle~
“Deal!”
Leave us the usual, guys!
“We’ll see you next time!”
Bye!
As bad as the situation looks, somehow I am not surprised. Still, Miner hasn't exactly followed the rule-book before, so now I'm wondering when the formula will change, and if the 'Draconequus on the Equestrian Throne' is 'Repentant' then what does that make 'Chaos' 'cause he sure isn't repentant. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
And this makes the number of chapters that made me feel like shit to a total of two...
So, for how much of the story is Alan going to be hated by Twilight? I'm seriously considering just waiting until some appropriate all-clear to catch up, because right now every chapter just pisses me off more and more.
The fact that nobody is even contemplating that Discord is mindscrewing people is really frustrating, because it's not like they don't already know that is exactly what he does. Did every single Element Bearer just forget what went down in the hedge maze?
Arrgh.
where is the holy inquisition when you need it.
iam not talking about the Christian inquisiton, no sr iam talking about THIS inquisition encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSw9YT3xMLvV726Ehaf2tRMpZEj26-I0KVhdoF09arwxLZyHZ8d
IT IS ON!!!!
Gah. I agree with 5197770 , How long is Twilight going to hate Alan? This is by far one of my favorite pairings, even though Alan's an OC. Its really paining me to read all of this happening. Not sure how much more of this I can take.
The hype. Is real.
5198195 5197770
I won't tell you how long, but I will say she won't hate him long.
5199221 Guess I'll just have to trust your judgement and suck it up, then.
Yep, and this is why smart heroes and antiheroes blow up the baddies for good.
Anyone even remotely genre-savvy KNOWS you don't let the baddie live!
By the way, that can't be Chaos.
He has ordered plans. He has a goal. Chaos can have neither.
He is Malice. He is Sadism.
5199554
He's also bad at names.
Actually, that's good, may have to take that.
5199771 Can I beat him up some when you're done with him? He's reaaaally frustrating me since I just have to watch for now. I mean, I know what's coming and I'm just seething in rage anticipating it, waiting here needing to brutally slaughter something evil, but all the demons ran away long ago and hid.
*grabs Buzz Blades*
Gonna kill 'im...
*grabs Negotiator*
Gonna kill 'im...
*grabs Panzer*
Gonna kill 'im...
*grabs Darkness Bow and Aurum Bow*
Gonna kill 'im...
*grabs Mr. Zurkon*
Gonna kill 'im...
*grabs Hyper Metal Sonic*
YoU hAd BeTtEr StArT rUnNiNg, ChAoS... TOXIC'S COMING FOR YOU!!!
just......
First of all, not surprised, must mean I am genre savey or something, what gets me is... what is this voice in his head? I had a gut feel at this moment that this Chaos is not really in charge, that someone is pulling his strings as well, and he does not like it. Something is pulling the strings and from what I have read of your first two books, I can say that it seems to be something that wishes to take all that is pure in the world and destroy it and turn it to ash just to spit and have petty revenge against Faust.
All of this is really interesting and it, just what is going on here? What is happening?
What did Cadence see? Will she be the last hope? Will she be able to keep things in tact?
So many questions, so many problems...
You are doing great and I cannot wait till I can say to Chaos that. "You don goof'd that one, now your kingdom, the one you have built up around you upon the ashes of the old shall fall."
I can say this much. Your days are hopefully numbered now. Enjoy them.
Now... a most interesting take, a most interesting event to say the least with Pendragon's actions from the very first book have come back to haunt him. Question, what is the outcome, I mean the short term. I know the long term is peace and all shall rest with Faust, but short term or long term in a mortal sense of the term. What is to come? I do not know and I look forward to that. I look forward to the coming chapters.
5201734 Think about when Alan last lost control. That's the same voice as far as I know. It's the Darkness inside him.
Or I could be wrong. Miner doesn't tell me EVERYTHING
5201850
Close, but no cigar, my friend.
5201872 case in point
5201872
Wow, so I could have a valid idea of the future? WOw... usually my ideas get shot down in the first three minutes of going airborne.
So seeing this living this long is amazing... I look forward to what might be happening next. Even if I am wrong this feels nice.
I must be patient.....
Whoa, that gave me hot flashes, shivers, AND made my skin crawl. that's the first time i'v had that happen, this chapter was a real doozy!
Congrats Twi, you are now my second least favorite character in all of this website. Bravo. But SERIOUSLY, she broke a bond of MARRIAGE off of assumptions and didn't even hear the guy out? Yeah, he was stressed, but if she weren't as blind as a bat on her period, then maybe she would've realized: oh wait! My husband may have a reason for this, and hearing him out may be the wise choice for our relationship. But nope, she just went 'lick my clit, bitch!' and dropped a sacred bond because she was too fuckin dense to be reasoned with! I mean, the hell?! Not to mention she has been a nonstop idiot in the last books, combined with this. The only thing that makes her redeemable is she's being forced into this role by a higher force, but this bitch needs to chill da fuck out! And get a brain, kinda like the one she passed a goddamn gifted program with!