Discord! Under His Rule

by Takarashi282

[Archive] Chapter IV - Magic

▒Celestia▒

Chapter IV
Magic

The village of Canterlot scrolled to their left and right, guards rushing toward the commotion in the city hall. The clanks of their armour took backstage in Celestia’s rushing mind. How was he able to do that? she thought. The exploding orbs he’d conjured and how long he was able to sustain them… how powerful is his magic? Celestia glanced at Angel Down, his head hanging and his eyes drooping.

“I… I don’t even know how that happened, mi’lady…” he said. “It was as if everything went dark, and only instinct remained.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I acted out of place.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Celestia was surprised at the words that came out of her mouth. She continued, carefully picking her words, “You did us a favor, but don’t pride yourself in that action. From now on, if we’re attacked, you wait for my order. Understood?”

“Sister…” Luna groaned.

“Understood?” Celestia repeated.

Angel nodded slowly. “Understood.”

“You three!” a voice yelled. A guard, one of the gatekeepers, galloped up to them, his armour clanking with every hoofstep. “What are you doing here, near City Hall? Commotion is stirring up there.”

“Escaping certain death,” Celestia grumbled.

“What?” The guard’s eyes widened, his horn lighting. “In the name of the Stewardess, stand dow—”

In a bright flash, a figure burst halfway between Celestia and the guard, blinded by the grey aura that was sizzling into thin air. Star Swirl glared at the guard. “I will take this from here, thank you,” he grunted.

“Excuse me, old coot,” the guard spat. “These three have committed a criminal offense! They have attacked the Stewardess and her stationed troops, not to mention property damage on top of murder!”

Star Swirl looked back. Celestia puffed out her chest in pride as an apparent disappointment shaded his eyes. “Really?” he sighed. “Well, you had better stand down, soldier, unless you want to be the recipient of my criminal offense.”

The guard’s lifted an eyebrow. “You must be daft, old man!” He sniffed, cringing. “And drunk, too! Step aside, and let me do my part.”

Star Swirl scowled. His horn burst in swirling grey aura, sending a shockwave all around him. “Do you remember me?” Star Swirl asked. “Or do you want to try that again?”

Celestia lifted her eyebrows. Star Swirl usually liked taking the appearance of a sixty-year-old, but during this bout of anger, Celestia was surprised when the light around him made him seem in his mid twenties—around her age.

The guard didn’t even hesitate to run. He reared, eyes wide, and fled. Celestia glared at the guard as he soared past her. The colt has no idea who we are, she thought. Has over three thousand years led them to forget?

The guard stared blankly at Star Swirl, then continued on his way a bit faster than when he first approached them.

“Celestia.” Star Swirl gestured ahead of him. “A word.”

Reluctantly, Celestia followed. She didn’t know if it was a habit of childhood, but her gut twisted in anxiety.

They went to a more obscure corner of Canterlot, where nopony was roaming around. It was near the cliff overlooking the valley, the hills below rolling like waves on the earth’s surface. The light of a nearby lantern shined near the cliff, their shadows dancing off the jagged rock. The dry but sweet smell of night surrounded them, beckoning their eyes to grow heavier.

Star Swirl walked to the edge of the cliff, leaving only inches before he would plummet of its face. When Celestia followed him, she looked into his eyes. He looked weary, and the lines of age once again appeared on his face. His eyes were deep, ones that have experienced much more than Celestia could’ve hoped to achieve.

“Do I have any reason to doubt that you’ve done anything rash?” Star Swirl asked, looking over the cliff.

Celestia sighed. “The stewardess and her forces attacked us, Star Swirl. We were merely defending ourselves.”

“Oh?” Star Swirl glanced over at her, eyes narrowed. “And whatever did she do that for, if not for your arrogance?”

“Discord has come in contact with her,” Celestia explained. “I don’t know how, but it happened. He’d threatened her with the loss of the village.”

Star Swirl nodded gravely. “He’s thought ahead. Exactly what I was worried about.”

“Was there any doubt?” Celestia asked. “You yourself said that he has a cunning mind. Along with that cunning, he would have to be careful.”

“That he would.”

Silence. Already, Celestia felt the tension ease. Star Swirl had a knack for doing that. “It’s been a while,” she said finally. “It honestly feels good talking to you again.”

Star Swirl nodded again. “Why, you are my student, Celestia. I see great potential in you.” He shrugged. “Gods above, if I didn’t say I considered you a daughter to me, I would say adieu to truth. Well, more than your father has in the past millennia.”

Celestia didn’t want to smile, but she couldn’t prevent the corner of her from lip turning upward. There, in that twinkle in his eye, was the old Star Swirl she knew, the Master Star Swirl she was eager to meet every day in her childhood to learn more of magic. It didn’t help that he was a bit short-sighted in thought, a problem that all males seemed to have that she adamantly disliked. But that was the Star Swirl she came to know, but fell short of loving. Most of the time, back in her childhood, Star Swirl would be energetic and jovial, teaching her much of magic, and how to manipulate magic herself to create her own.

In an instant, that glint of hope was snuffed out, and the colder, harder Star Swirl returned. “Though I do admit your occupance of the throne was a bit premature.”

Celestia shot her eyes at him. “What?”

“Think about it,” Star Swirl said. “Dictatorship is not the best way to rule over a previously free people.”

“They’ve never been in such order before now,” Celestia defended.

Star Swirl laughed harshly, as if out of frustration. “Celestia, you are very ambitious. So ambitious, in fact, that you’ve completely forgotten your role.”

“‘To protect, contain, and preserve the Everfree’,” Celestia grunted. “I know my role, Star Swirl.”

“Controlling the natives directly as a demagogue is not preserving the Everfree Forest.” Star Swirl scowled. “Neither is sexism.”

“When will your grudges ever end?” Celestia snapped. “I was doing what you asked of me, and claiming what was rightfully mine—”

“Unjustly!” Star Swirl boomed. “Unless it is your desire to die in infamy as a tyrant, you MUST change!”

In a blind rage, Celestia stomped off. I will not stand his judgement any longer, she thought, the cliff retreating behind her.

Celestia wasn’t about to apologize to some coot trying to undermine her leadership. She needed the throne back. Discord would abdicate the throne by force if she had her way.

Star Swirl called her name one last time, but she deafened her ears to the sound of his voice.

---

The first thing that Celestia saw out of the village gate was Luna and Angel Down. The hill they stood on grew a dark shade of green in the twilight. Stars shone through the clear night sky, the moon emanating its gentle, cool glow. Luna stood beside Angel Down, who sat down against the gate. Her eyes glew a vaguely familiar, happy glow before they turned down to the earth.

“I’m surprised that no guards have come to arrest you,” Celestia muttered, heart still bound with stones.

“Word has spread of Star Swirl’s threat,” Luna half-managed. “At least they remembered not to mess with him.”

Celestia sighed, “Indeed.” She looked around. The sun had come down earlier than she was used to. The summer solstice was two months ago, and the start of autumn was finally taking its toll. The leaves on trees hadn’t changed shades, but by the increasing cold in the air, anyone could tell that the icy, dead breath of winter was once again at hoof.

She nodded to the valley. “We must move on. I doubt they’ll fear the old coot that long.”

Luna nodded, looking back to Angel Down. She turned, offering him a hoof. “Here. Can you stand?”

An incomprehensible sound escaped Angel’s lips, more of a whimper than a supposed, “Yes,” as he stood, taking Luna’s hoof.

Celestia, as far as she herself was concerned, had every right to cringe. But rights and decision never always correspond.

In a moment, they were off, descending down the foot of the mountain. They followed a paved path down from the village, but then curved off onto a switchback into the valley, the path becoming progressively steeper. The cliff face towered above them, the rock starting to jut out of an overhanging as they became more and more level to the valley floor. Sleep stung at Celestia’s eyes when the path finally evened out. Her legs ached and she was gasping for air when she welcomed the even ground.

The rolling hills that once seemed small from the top of the cliff now seemed gargantuan. Their steep curves to the crest ran to five times Celestia’s reared height. Somehow, the green grass thrived on the giant humps, a sight that made Celestia sure that she was witnessing the impossible.

“Have we not travelled through here before?” Luna asked, climbing through the trough between two hills.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, but from above.” She wiped the sweat from her brow. “Let’s see if we can continue any farther this night. I would like to make it out of these hills before we rest.”

It irritated Celestia that she had a ball and chain strapped to her, keeping her from soaring on ahead. Exactly what I don’t need, she thought, tasting metal at the back of her throat. She glanced back at Angel Down, who was walking like a drunkard: swaying and meandering behind Luna. But I’ll never get the end of it from Star Swirl if I leave Angel Down behind.

Then came what seemed to be ages of climbing up and over troughs between hills. Whenever Celestia thought, This is the final set of hills, three more seemed to pop into existence, one after the other. When the moon was at its apex, they managed to pass the solitary peak Canterlot was situated upon, and instead of the cliff face, a dark forest spread to the east.

Celestia narrowed her eyes. Ever since the Everfree rebels had escaped, she’d been rather paranoid of any other forests. No matter how she wanted to escape its sight, however, her hooves gave out beneath her. Her chin hit the ground like a drunken lover to her significant other.

Celestia scrambled up back onto her hooves. “We rest here for tonight,” she said, Luna sighing for relief and Angel Down flopping onto the ground like a ragdoll.

Celestia flinched as her heart seemed to flatten, sinking into her stomach. “Luna,” she managed, the words coming cold out of her mouth, “I must speak with you first.”

Luna’s eyes widened for a split second, then she bowed her head, slowly nodding. They went a little ways out, so they were out of earshot of Angel Down, but so they could see him laying on the ground. “Here,” Celestia said. “I don’t want to lose sight of him.”

Celestia sat down hesitantly, then waved her hoof to bid Luna to do the same. “Luna…” she said, gulping. She sucked in a deep breath. “I understand that you know things you shouldn’t know.”

Luna sat, nodding slowly, eyes upon the earth.

Celestia let out a silent sigh. “Luna, I know you meant well. I know you were trying to protect me.” She shook her head. She heaved out a reluctant huff. “But dark magic isn’t the way to do it.”

Luna gulped, turning paler under the already pale light of the moon. “Sister…” she started, clenching her gut. “I… I’m sorry…” Luna’s lip began to quiver, her eyelids fluttering. “I’m just… s-so frustrated.” She shook in her hooves, her eyes clamped shut. Silvery tears flowed down her cheeks. “Th-this is the first t-time in years that this has h-happened! Why did I have t-to fall again?”

Before either of them knew it, Celestia had pulled Luna into an embrace. “You haven’t fallen, Luna,” she said softly as she gently nuzzled her sister’s cheek. “You just slipped, all right?”

Luna heaved a sigh of frustration. “Wh-what does that even mean, s-sister?” She took a shaky breath. “I made a promise t-to you! I made a p-promise to Star Swirl! I broke that p-promise…”

Celestia slowed, picking her words carefully. “You did,” she admitted. “But I forgive you.” She nuzzled Luna’s wet cheek again, stroking her mane. Celestia could feel herself choking up, the back of her eyelids beginning to sting hot. Regardless, she continued clearly, “You didn’t understand, Luna, and that was the issue. I’m sorry that neither Star Swirl nor I have taught you otherwise.

“But it isn’t the end of the world because you tripped on the path to escape that magic. You tripped, and for the gods’ sake, it wasn’t intentional. The only intent you had, Luna, was to protect me, yes?”

Luna nodded.

“Then it was nothing else,” Celestia concluded. “Don’t doubt yourself because of that.”

Luna sniffed. “H-how will I be able to… to prevent it from h-happening again?”

Another pause. “Just be more careful. Pick up your hooves. If you trip again, come to me, and I will help you up again and brush you off so you can continue. You can make it through this, Luna. Don’t doubt yourself for a single second.”

Luna sniffed again. “Th-thank you, sister…”

Celestia nodded. “Thank you for being strong.” Celestia stroked her sister’s mane again, an old lullaby popping into her mind, loving in flavor, solemn in taste. Slowly, she recited it, word for word:

Hush now, my starlight, find peace in my breast,
For the moon calls you softly to gain your sweet rest.
Worry not of the things that are troub’ling your mind,
For I shall be with you, always by your side.

“Our caretaker’s lullaby,” Luna recognized.

Celestia nodded. “Yes,” she said, cold settling in her stomach. “Yes it is.”

They remained embraced for a few more minutes, then the warm hug broke, the heat seeming to dissipate from Celestia’s chest. They made their way back to Angel Down on Luna’s insistence, a warm air of intimacy flavored with a confused wind of uncertainty accompanying them until they bid each other goodnight.

Celestia laid on the cool earth, the foot of a hill at her head. Luna’s going to slip again, she thought with a certainty. I need to be with her after she does.

She glanced at Angel Down, narrowing her eyebrows. He can harness so much power, she thought. But how is it possible that he could cast that magic but still say that he can’t remember anything?

I… I don’t even know how that happened… Angel Down had said. It was as if everything went dark, and only instinct remained.

Celestia looked back at Luna, who flipped herself on her side away from Celestia. Could that be the same thing that happened with Luna? she thought. She just went on what instinct told her to do? She shook her head. That won’t be an issue for much longer. She’ll stop using dark magic… eventually.

Almost as soon as she closed her eyes, she slipped and fell into a deep slip, slowly, then all at once.

---

A hoarse, windy melody played around her. When she opened her eyes, the brightness blinded her. She blinked the dark spots from her eyes. In front of her was a fair mare, looking off a balcony into the clouds below. She had a fluffy milky white mane that was longer than Celestia’s by half a hoof clipping, whereas Celestia’s was relatively short but thick. Her curled, sky blue mane flicked over her shoulder in a dead wind. On her flank was a blue straw cradle, a sheet of starry fabric draped over it.

The mare looked over her shoulder. Her blue eyes that matched her mane gazed affably upon her. Her lips moved, but no sound came.

Celestia knew without a shadow of a doubt that she’d mouthed, “Welcome home.”

A terror swept over her when the scene turned to dust right in front of her. Gravity yanked off her hooves and onto the floor. The tile materializing below her was stone cold. In front of her stretched a grand room, and she was back in her castle. The throne room glared a tint of red. A mess of various animal parts, Discord sat upon the throne, whirling his finger, laughing.

Luna was barely recognizable. She was a mangled mess, spinning around in mid-air, turning into different forms and shapes. The transformation slowed as if about to halt, and Celestia spotted that terrified, pained look in her eyes as she screamed her lungs out, tears streaming down her face.

Celestia reached out, trying to scream to her sister, but couldn’t. Her mouth and throat were burning dry. All she could do was silently sob as her sister was tortured in front of her.

She couldn’t save her. Her throat turned cold when she attempted to wail one final time.

---

Celestia woke, jolting up, but something at her neck kept her down. She felt something drip down the sides of her neck as she realized the stone spear holding her down. Above her, a zebra stood gripping the reddish wood shaft between her teeth. Her eyes were wide, and she leaned toward Celestia, ready to strike.

Celestia didn’t turn her head, but she looked left and right. To her left, Luna and Angel Down slumped next to each other. A line of blood traced down from the crown of her head to her jawline, Angel Down yielding no such damage.

A fire erupted inside her at the sight, and her mind went blank for a split second. She whipped herself to her hooves, the aura appearing around the spear yanking it out of the zebra’s mouth. The zebra’s jaw dislocated with a sickening crack. She readied the spear by her side, and twenty more appeared all around her. They all were nearly brushing Celestia’s coat.

One of the zebras to her side barked out an incomprehensible order that came out guttural and nearly phlegmy. “Ahkten,” he said. “Come along with us, unless we spear you like a wild beast.”