11 - The
Chapter 11: The
I really wanted to get back home. Not because Equestria was a horrible place. Not because I didn’t care for Discord, or Celestia, or Cadance, or Luna… I just missed humans. One or two days would have been fine. Meet other ponies, get to know them, marvel at the culture clash and then part ways again. It would have been fun. Being permanently stuck here would be vastly less appealing. If I knew my Dad though, it’d probably wouldn’t be much trouble to find a way to get back, though. As much as I had my differences with the way he conducted experiments, especially those without my permission that ended up altering our house or space or time, he was a genius.
Still, a little too eccentric for my liking.
I think it would also suit Discord as well. The poor kid has never really had the best experience with ponies and without the added tag of the ‘bringer of chaos and madness’ he might even be better treated on Earth. All it would take was some careful planning with the media and we would be living in the lap of luxury as celebrities. Entertainment was power.
I would have to talk about it if I ever got my hands on my Dad. For now though, breakfast was to be had.
“What’s this?” Discord asked as I served the tomato soup with toast.
“It’s spiced tomato soup. You’ll like it," I replied dunking my toast into my own tomato soup and munching on it. Discord mimicked my action, slowly chewing on the toast.
“T-This is good!” He yelped, downing the toast and the soup as fast as he could possibly.
“Don’t go too fast or you’ll-“ I started.
*cough* *hack*
“-choke," I finished belatedly, pushing a glass of milk in his direction. Discord downed it greedily, taking a deep breath after consuming the cold beverage.
The beginnings of the sun’s rays were starting to leak into the room I set my watch to be roughly 6:00 AM, it would have to do until I could find a better time standard around here.
Discord finishes his meal with a light burp.
“Done?” I ask, reaching for his bowl and plate. He nods as I gather it all up. The bowl has been licked clean and even the toast crumbs have been cleaned up. I felt a small pang of sadness wash through me. The little guy must not have been getting much food out in his forest home.
We still had quite a bit of time before my meeting with Tempora and then Star Swirl. I rubbed my eyes. It was too early. Wait. What was that unicorn doing in my house that early in the morning? Surely it knew I would be asleep. My eyes narrowed as I considered the implications. Taking advantage of my hospitality and my pre-coffee awake state, how dare he?
Discord tugged at my leg and I looked at him in surprise.
“Are you okay?” He asks, looking at me in worry.
I broke out into a smile.
“Yes, I’m fine, nothing you need to worry about. Just got to have a chat with someone.”
I paused. Seems like my list of people I need to talk with just keeps getting longer and longer everyday.
What to do, though, what to do?
I turned to Discord with a toothy grin.
“Ever been in a Nerf war?”
——
I tensed up as I heard a soft rustle in the bushes to the right. A surge of glee made its way through me as I stealthily approached the bushes. Discord may be a quick learner, but he is not a veteran like I was. I carefully picked my way through the small shrubbery and coiled up like a spring, ready to pounce.
I was about to launch myself into the bushes when a careful click behind me alerts me to another presence. I whip myself around but it is too late.
POW!
Oh! A fatal wound. I clutch my side and find the white-tipped dart protruding from my side.
“Why?” Is all I can say, collapsing to the ground. Discord’s mouth is fixed in an ecstatic grin.
“I have become the master now!” He cheers, dancing around and clutching his projectile weapon. “I’ve finally beaten Harmony!”
“No!” I groan. “The abject humiliation!”
He shoots me again.
“Okay, okay!” I growl, pulling him into a bear hug as he giggles and I tickle him. “You win this time.”
After a few breathless moments the curiosity gets the better of me.
“I’m impressed, how did you get me?” I ask.
“Threw a branch," Discord replies, beaming. I tussle his mane.
“Excellent, you have the markings of a great tactician, I may have to keep an eye on you, or I will lose my throne," I announce imperiously, gathering up Discord. I place him on my shoulders as we scrounge around for the Nerf darts we left lying around.
At first, after teaching Discord how to shoot and load the Nerf gun, we had a friendly shooting match, trying to hit various bricks on the side of the house. When he was comfortable we decided to play a modified game of tag but with the Nerf guns, instead. The only warning I gave was not to aim for the head because I didn’t want either of us to go blind but other than that it was fair game.
Though it was friendly, I tried my hardest not to let Discord win. Although it seemed a little mean, I continuously taught him new techniques and urged him not to ever give up.
At a particularly bad loss, I consoled him with a hug.
“Don’t worry, you’ll beat me eventually. When you do, you’ll feel much, much better. Come on then, one more game?”
Discord’s eyes changed from disheartened to determined. I knew he had a plan that round. That was when he nailed me with the distraction. I couldn’t have been more proud.
“To the victor, goes the spoils!” I announce, carrying him on my shoulders as he walked around the forest. We ended the game there on a high note and Discord lead me around the ‘secret’ areas he had found during his stay in the small woods.
He’d found a small clearing with flowers, a babbling brook that tasted absolutely clean and pure and delicious, a bird’s nest, a rabbit hole and many other little things that I haven’t seen before.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, I recalled my meeting with Tempora.
I didn’t want to leave Discord behind alone in the house.
Bah, I’d bring him along. He was my responsibility, after all.
I trudged towards the castle, this time seeing a different pony guarding the gate. Instead of a white coat, this one had a grey coat, although he still sported the same armour and the same coloured eyes. Strange.
“Halt!” He called out. They really liked that phrase.
He trotted forward, immediately spotting Discord.
“By order of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Tempora, no draconequus is permitted within the castle grounds," he stated flatly, glaring at Discord. I feel a slight tightening of Discord’s claw on my neck.
I felt a familiar wave of anger rise out. Before I could release a verbal lashing that we would both regret, a voice I recognised called out from behind the gate.
“Private! Didn’t you read the notices? Anypony accompanying the humans are to be immediately let in, no exceptions!”
The guard addressing me whipped around and saluted.
“Yes, Sir!” He turned to me. “Apologies for the error.”
I nodded slowly, walking past the guard and spotting Steady Lance from behind the walls next to the gate.
“Thanks for that," I said as he trotted up to me.
“Not a problem, Sir," he replied, giving me a wide grin.
“Just call me Harmony, Steady Lance," I shot back casually.
“Bless me, you remembered!”
I tapped my forehead, giving him a lop-sided smile.
“Blame my father, it’s in the genetics," I replied, then glanced at my watch.
“Okay, I’ll have to take my leave, I’ve got to meet someone, perhaps I’ll see you later?”
“No good, Sir I’ll be engaged the rest of the day, but you have a fine morning!” He called back, giving us a jaunty wave before trotting off.
Discord relaxes as the guard disappears.
“Don’t like the guards?” I asked softly but Discord shook his head.
“He likes you but he doesn’t like me," Discord explained. “I don’t know if I don’t like them too.”
I remained silent for a moment and then I stole a glance at the pulsing red orb above us. I felt my frustration die off slowly.
“Anger is overrated," I chuckle, taking a lesson from Discord. “It’s better just to have fun.”
“That’d be nice," Discord replied. “If we could have fun all the time.”
——
Reaching the inside of the palace, I was greeted by the Royal Seneschal again.
“Hello List," I called out as she approached us.
“Good Afternoon, you are a little early then scheduled, would you like to wait in the Reading Room?” She asked, giving us a polite bow. She seems more carefully neutral than she was with the princesses. Was it because of Discord? I found myself prickled with little needles of annoyance. I mentally push them roughly to the side. Making a scene wouldn’t serve a purpose anyway and that may not be the reason why she was acting this way. Got to look on the brighter side of things.
“Yes, please. Lead the way.”
We made our way again through the complex turnings of the hallways. I tried to memorise the layout but again it became a too confusing of a mess for me to remember and I gave up trying. We came to a small doorway tucked into a side hall that I would have never noticed if List’s hoof wasn’t pointing it out.
We entered the Reading Room and I gasped. What had seemed innocuous on the outside had been a vast and ornate library on the inside. Books and tomes lined every shelf, scrolls and parchments were stacked neatly in their respective crevices.
My gaze shot to the centre of the room. Dominating the epicentre was a familiar double helix supporting a skylight that bathed the centre of the room in a calm, serene glow. A small plinth inlaid with six crystals drew my eye.
I approached the plinth with a mixture of awe and wonder. I reached out, the tips of my fingers brushing the upturned stones. I saw the markings on Celestia and Luna’s flanks carved as a background relief to the six flat gems all of different colours. A ruby, a sapphire, an amethyst, an emerald, a garnet and a topaz, all surrounding a brilliant white diamond in the middle.
List approached me from my left, her voice whispers reverently.
“Queen Tempora had this memorial built for the late King Spatium," she conveys sadly, a hoof traces small words I’d overlooked.
“In memory of King Spatium, the most generous, kind, honest, loyal and happy stallion to have given his life for Equestria.”
I brushed a finger along the alien words, letting them sink in by meaning.
“Thank you," I said, gazing at the stones.
A thought occurred to me.
“Why are there only Celestia’s and Luna’s marks on the plinth? What happened to Cadance’s?” I asked.
List looks at me strangely.
“Who’s Cadance?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
939 users online
370,691 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Who's Cadance?
Ooh, that can't be good.
Dun-dun-dun!
Hehe. bum, Bum, BUM!!!!!!
media.tumblr.com/5326a64442314f7438f4302ae7e586be/tumblr_inline_mmdwmxQ6EE1r0v5nb.jpg
First thing I thought when I read the name of the chapter
Dundundun!
SO MAMY FORESHADOWING
Hmm...
So...
Has Tempora actually figured out that Harmony got nearly zero warning yet, or is it still just a suspicion of hers?
You'd think someone would tell him why Discord's kind isn't trusting.
I'm betting that may be the reason why her husband is dead.
dis gon b gud
5097822
5098546
That's okay, I might do something where there's a public pre-read link in the next release so that others can see me write it up real time, if they want to comment on the pre-release they can do it here before I goof up.
Anyway thank you everyone for reading!
DISCOOOORD!!!!!
...Yes, that is all I have to say. Why, were you expecting more?
For a second there, when you introduced Star Swirl I immediately thought that Harmonies dad turned himself into a Unicorn. Crazy scientists.
Random Idea from nowhere... Cadence is Tempora... Other random Idea, Cadence is dead and her soul is there to take her revenge. Wait!!! If Celestia, Luna, and Harmony are the only one's who can see/hear/touch/etc... Cadence must be an imaginary friend.
List of my theories:
-Cadence is Tempora trying to get closer to harmony.
-Cadence is a ghost who wants revenge.
-Cadence is an imaginary friend.
-Cadence is King Spatium.
-Cadence is just a figure of Harmony's imagination representing his lack of D'aaaaws.
-Cadence hides from List so only she doesn't know about Cadence.
-Cadence is hated by her parents so her cutie mark is not seen.
-Cadence is a spy and 'Cadence' is only a codename.
Hmm... none of these make sense... udate this story so that I can find out why Cadence is not known by anypony other than Luna and Celestia... oh, and Harmony.
5099383
Nevermind.
5099383 -Cadance is a time traveler
Cadance is an Elder god
Cadance is an Anomaly
My theories
5101473 my theory (completely not stolen from the fimfiction twin Twilight's) is that cadance is Celestia's clone created using a magic spell and/or the mirror pool.
5101473
Cadence is Love. Cadence is Life...
5101473 Cadance is the 127th Doctor.
5101473 cadence knows the doctor/
5137022
5189905
5101473
Or List could know her as Mi Amore Cadenza, and not make the connection to Cadence...
There were no survivors.
That's like my TARDIS...
I knew it! I knew Equestria had TARDIS technology!
Should've read the guard manual.
I have a List! (Ha! Ha ha. Ha. Sorry.)
1) When you got to the description of the Reading Room, my mind did a gasp! Your writing took a rather sudden turn for the FAR better. I love seeing progress!
2) Discord foreshadowing is trippy here.
3) OM-Celestia. I just realized, what if Star Swirl is actually Max? What if Max was originally Star Swirl, and he came to Earth first? What if Star Swirl was originally Max, and this is just a disguise to hide the plan you alluded to a couple chapters ago? Mind=blown.
4)
Hmm. After I calmed down a bit, I read all the weird and yet strangely possible predictions with regards to this quote. No one thought of the possibility that Cadance is just a secret daughter of Tempora? We know that Max has been going to Equestria for a while now, so what if it's his daughter, who was conceived WHILE MAX WAS STAR SWIRL!!!! Mind=blown. Again.
5) How did King Spatium, whom I presume to be an Alicorn like Tempora, die? Alicorns are meant to be immortal, yes? At least, from the fictions I've read so far, Alicorns can't die unless made to be completely void of magic, and even then they return in time, one way or another (making the prediction that Cadance is Spatium more agreeable). However, Tempora said Spatium would never come back. What on Faust's green Equestria is going on here?
That's all! Again, I apologize for my attempt to be funny.
5099383 Or List is an uptight snoot who only knows her by her real name of Mi Amore Cadenza as opposed to her nickname of Cadance.