20 - Make
Chapter 20: Make
It had been a couple of years since I had first enrolled in the school. I was getting more used to transforming between a pony and a human. Though it had been initially disorienting, I learned to appreciate the tutelage on hoof-writing. Though she didn't look it, Ms. Sweetberry was a bit more accommodating when it came to teaching me how to write with my hooves. She didn't ask questions as to why I preferred my hoof over my mouth and I didn't bring it up, not wanting to make it an issue. Magic was coming along slowly, but I was getting used to pulling at my reserves. Turns out most creatures have a limited pool of magic. I hadn't had enough tests done to determine whether I fit into that category.
Discord seemed to learn fast under Star Swirl and everyday we'd fill each other's gaps with the knowledge we gleaned from our respective mentors. Between us, I managed to keep ahead in theory classes and Discord became increasingly useful to Star Swirl everyday. I knew that soon Discord would become an invaluable asset to Star Swirl, he just didn't know it yet.
Today though, I found myself sitting in front of Tempora, discussing issues that had cropped up, mainly to do with lifespan and such.
As if I hadn’t had enough on my plate.
“So you’re saying I won’t die?” I asked her carefully, struggling to contain my anger. Anger doesn’t help, it makes you feel good in the short term, but ultimately it doesn’t help.
Tempora nodded slowly, tears glistening in her emerald eyes.
“It’s just one thing after the other," I muttered and Tempora flinched at my tone. I took another steadying breath. I’ve been doing that a lot.
“Anything else I should know about?” I grated out, as Tempora shook her head doggedly. I clenched my fist, feeling my fingernails bite into the palm of my hand. The pain helped me concentrate away most of my rising impulse to smash something.
“The thing I want to know is why you don’t tell me these things earlier. It would be an easier pill to swallow if it were laid out to me like that," I stated, locking eyes with my stepmother.
Tempora shied away from my burning gaze, electing to study the floor in intent detail.
“I wanted to tell you, I really did, but I could not," she croaked, drooping her head.
I slammed my hand on the tabletop making her jump.
“Queen Tempora," I whispered menacingly, she flinched when I used her title. “Let me repeat myself. Why. Did. You. Not. Tell. Me!” The last part came as a thunderous roar.
Breathing heavily, I saw her frightened eyes looking into my own.
“Because I was afraid you would act this way! Pulling Max here had already made him ageless and pulling you here has too! I-“
She looked away again, biting her lips.
“I thought that Max had explained all of this to you," she offered meekly. My unimpressed gaze was all the answer she needed.
“But that doesn’t excuse my actions," she murmured and I nodded, forcing myself to speak in at least civil tones.
“My Dad will get what’s coming but at least I can understand how he works, he doesn’t tell me anything but at least he’s my family and I have some measure of trust for what he does. However, you, have yet to earn that trust. Almost everything I’ve seen from you has been a series of misguided decisions. Logical, maybe. Time and time again I have told you that things could easily have been resolved by just talking to me.
“You once told me that you would like to speak to me, as Harmony, your son. All you’ve shown is how you act as a ruler. To be obeyed without question, for me to accept things as they are because this is your world. I’ve tried to play along but this is where I draw the line and you, Tempora have crossed it.”
I reigned in my temper slightly during the ensuing silence, then continued.
“I am a very trusting person and I like to see the good side of things. Lately though, you have been making it very hard for me to accept you as you are. How can I trust you if you keep these sorts of things from me? How can I be part of your family if you treat me like your subject, or worse as I’m starting to realise, like your little pet project, or plaything?
“I am not one of your ponies. I am not one of your subjects. I am Harmony and I intend to be myself.”
I rose from my seat.
“I hope that you can see yourself out," I finished coldly.
As I headed to the door I could hear the sniffles and the small creaks of the chair as Tempora sat there listlessly. She had probably never been told such things in her life. What a sheltered life that had been. I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Heading out the door I saw Discord playing with the grass beneath himself morosely.
He pulled out a clump, played with it, twisting it this way and that before tossing it to the side. I sat down beside him, pulling him into a hug, saying nothing. Discord stopped playing with the grass and placed his head on my side. He was bigger now, he probably wouldn’t be able to lie on my shoulders, like before.
After a while sitting on the grass and listening to the sounds of nature I felt a small touch of wetness on my shoulder and I turned in surprise to see Discord shedding tears into my shirt.
“Hey," I said gently, prying him from my side and sitting him in front of me.
“What’s wrong?”
Discord sniffed a bit before answering me in a hoarse voice.
“I’ve never heard you yell like that," he replied in a small voice. I stroked his mane softly, feeling a pit of regret over my outburst. I should have thought about that, it’s never good to yell in front of children though Discord was growing up to be quite the man. No, not a stallion. That would make him one of them. I paused with that thought, angry at myself. No, no, no! That sort of thinking is what made Tempora what she is. I was better than that, not all ponies were like that. Runner, Wavey and Golden were good friends, the often times I saw them they would prove that fact, again and again. Celestia and Luna were bright young fillies, even though I hadn’t seen them for a while, they were always busy, the rare times they did always cheered me up with their antics.
Ponies were like people. Some were good, some were bad.
I sighed.
Do people change, though?
Discord nudged me from the side and I smiled, changing the subject.
“Well I don’t think you’ll ever hear me angry again, at least, I will never get angry at you," I began, tussling his mane. Discord let out an affirming sound and I grinned toothily.
“Okay, buddy, what did you learn from Star Swirl this week?” I asked as Discord bounced up happily to his hooves and claws.
Excitedly, Discord got up on his hind legs and screwed up his face in concentration. A clawed hand snapped but it was much more louder than I could have made with my own fingers. A small seedling appeared in the centre of his paw and he held it out to me. I gaped at him at first, then scooped him up in a hug.
“Discord, that’s amazing! A conjuration!” I exclaimed, twirling around as he giggled. “You learned to do magic like me but how?!”
As I put the draconequus down he shrugged modestly.
“I saw you do it a couple of times and then I figured it out by myself," he meekly explained. I laughed heartily.
“My man, the mage!” I shouted, whipping out my hand. Discord high hooved/fived me cheerfully.
I examined the seedling in my other hand.
“It’s good to see another non-horned creature be able to do magic. I knew it was a matter of focus and channeling, I don’t know what sort of propaganda these unicorns were spouting about unicorns being the only ones that can do magic," I rambled as I positioned the seedling on a patch of soil.
I cleared my throat.
“Watch this," I said, concentrating. I brought forth the image in my mind and flowed mana through my core to the tips of my fingers.
SNAP.
Discord looked at the seed expectantly but when nothing happened he howled with laughter.
Disgruntled I shoved him over and he toppled in the grass still in fits of mirth over my ineptitude.
“Oh quiet, you," I growled, bringing forth the image again. Maybe it needed more power.
I concentrated on my core again, drawing more mana this time.
Something felt different this time, the spell wasn’t taking my offered mana but drawing from it. Panicked, I tried to shut off the thaumic flow, shifting my focus to halting the spell before it could do any damage. I read about this before, I was about to go into magical fallout.
Not good! I thought desperately. Stop! Stop! Stop!
The pressure was becoming greater and greater, the spell was pulling yet more of my reserves into itself. Discord looked at me with wide eyes, he knew there was something wrong. His leg twitched but he didn’t know what he could do.
He glanced at the seedling and then glanced back at me. He advanced as my eyes widened in realisation.
“No!” I shouted through gritted teeth. “Discord, don’t!”
He ignored my pleas, clamping down on my arm. I felt a chilling prickle work its way up my forearm and into my shoulder. He was sharing my pool, trying to calm my rampant spell. He held out his paw and I nodded, it was too late now, we were both committed.
At the same time, we snapped our appendages.
Through the field, there was the sound of thunder. We both screamed as lancing pain shot through our core. I could feel Discord’s pain as if it were my own, I could feel his feel his fear… I could feel his desperate love…
I don’t want to lose you, I heard in his swirling thoughts.
I drew a painful breath, urging my mind the shape the raw mass of mana that had accumulated for what was supposed to be an innocuous growth spell.
Reaching out I strangled the flow, pushing it into the earth below us and anchoring it to the heavens above.
Grow, I thought. Have Life.
Crackling energy stormed between the two of us and inexplicably I saw the sky darken with an ominous thunder. I screamed again as magical energy tore through me, pouring into the fractured spell matrix. Discord only whimpered, tears flowing freely down his eyes, matting his fur in clumps.
I don’t know how long we were out there but after what seemed like an eternity I felt my vision was beginning to darken. The rumbling flow of magic seemed to slow and exhaustion worked its way up my legs. Discord and I collapsed to the ground, we were no longer able to support ourselves.
Oh stars, were we really going to die here?
“Harmony," I heard Discord mewl. I struggled to draw breath.
“Hang on, Discord," I slurred with the last vestiges of my strength.
I heard a patter of thumps behind me.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, things were getting hazy.
“The… flow… stopped… can… over… Star Swirl…” I could barely make out any more words as the flow of magic extinguished and I fell into the darkness, clutching Discord’s claw.
——
I awoke to see my Dad’s look of disapproval.
“That was very foolish of you," he growled, corners of his mouth creased downwards. I pulled a shuddering breath.
“Tried to show off my magic," I croaked, ashamed. “Pulled Discord into it… is he alright?”
My Dad narrowed his brown eyes, giving me a level look.
“That’s not all who you dragged in," he said pointedly and I closed my eyes.
“Wh-“ I started but he cut me off.
“Tempora, who’s heart you crushed not moments ago, rushed out to save you both. If she hadn’t fetched Star Swirl and half the unicorns in Equestria, I sincerely doubt you would be alive right now.” The last bit came out a bit choked.
“Harmony," he said, tears welling. “Please don’t do anything so rash again. You’ve given me a heart attack.”
“The Tea Time world wasn’t scary enough?” I joked dryly but I felt a stab of guilt. My Dad didn’t say anything, he just wrapped his arms around me. I buried my head into my shoulder as he calmed down. I patted his elbow awkwardly with my left hand. My right hand felt numb. I didn’t want to think about it, I was afraid.
There was a knock on the door. Dad broke apart from me and opened the door to admit a bedraggled Queen. My eyes widened as I took in the disarray that Tempora was in. Her mane was a mess, her eyes had deep bags and she walked with an unsteady gait. My father whispered something in her ear, placing a hand on her chest to restrain her. Tempora resolutely shook his hand off and walked up to the side of my bed.
“Harmony," she greeted wearily, giving me a nuzzle. “It is good to see you well.”
I was at a loss for words for a moment.
I recovered as Tempora swayed and my Dad rushed forward with a cushioned stool. Tempora sat down but couldn’t maintain her balance and she laid her hooves down on the side of my bed, near my right hand.
“I’m sorry, Harmony," she continued with a husky tone. Her lime orbs went cloudy.
“And I don’t mean about my unkempt appearance," she added wryly and I opened my mouth to protest.
Tempora gazed at her hooves, her mouth opening, then closing several times. I slowly subsided, waiting patiently for Tempora to find the words to express herself.
“You were right, Harmony. About everything. I’m surrounded by my ignorance and I thought I was trying hard to break out of my mould… I found that being a ruler had indeed made me a horrible mother. Do you know? When you had left me in your house, I had gone immediately to see my daughters? I wanted to see my little fillies and feel assured that I wasn’t what you told me I was, that I was every bit the type of pony that I wanted my daughters to be.
“When I saw them though, they immediately bowed. I hadn’t seen that before… I hadn’t even noticed it before… I asked them how they were going in school, to get to know them better. I thought, ‘I’m taking an interest in their life’.”
Tempora barked a harsh, ironic laugh.
“My little ponies, my daughters, my love, my life they-“ she paused “-they reported to me. They listed their grades, their rankings and their good behaviour. They quickly fetched their reports and showed them to me. They didn’t talk about their friends, they didn’t talk about their experiences, they just talked about what they learned. When I asked them about their friends, do you know what they told me? They said that they were making the appropriate connections. At first I was pleased and then I caught myself. Politics? They were still at a foal’s school. I tried to get them to talk to me but they just got more and more nervous. I excused myself eventually claiming I had royal duties. Like I always did. I didn’t go far, just around the corner. They relaxed when I left. They were relieved I was was gone.”
My hand flinched when I realised that tears from Tempora had landed on my fingers. I reached up slowly and placed it on top of one of her hooves. She shifted away.
“No," she said sharply, pulling herself back. “No. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. My rulings have been one mistake after another. I don’t deserve your forgiveness but I will make it up to you.”
With that, Tempora rose up and made it for the door.
I shouted after her.
“No! Stop!”
Tempora paused.
I sighed. Why was this so complicated?
“Stay with me," I said, dredging through my mind for something to talk about.
Tempora hesitated. I forced a smile.
“You’re right, some things are hard to forgive," I started and Tempora drooped at that. “But that doesn’t mean what you did to me excuses what I had done to you too. I got mad, madder than I think I’ve been for a long, long time.”
I rubbed my weary eyes.
“But I was wrong to expect you to act so different, just because I expected it. I don’t think I made our values clear the first time I talked with you.” I cocked my head, giving her a tired smile. “I underestimated the culture clash and sometimes I forget that you’ve been brought up differently, far differently than I can even imagine… My own arrogance is something I’m afraid of as well…”
My head flopped back onto the pillow as I stared at the ceiling.
“I too, delved into something I didn’t understand and I didn’t heed to warnings. Impulsive, reckless and dangerous are apt things to describe what I am right now. Sometimes, I make the mistake that what I do is done with the best intentions and things will turn out right because of that.”
I reached out a hand and stared at it, turning it this way and that. With a snap, a small glowing orb appeared in the air, startling Tempora.
I rubbed her hoof softly.
“I made the mistake of forgetting I was mortal. Perhaps, from time to time, we will need to relearn what it is like to be a mortal… mother," I finished.
Tempora gave me an indeterminable look for a while before breaking out into a rueful grin.
“Perhaps we can start these lessons tomorrow?”
Max cleared his throat.
“What about that meeting?” he asked but Tempora shook her head.
“Nothing is more important than family," she replied, giving him a wide smile. I felt my eyes close slowly. Heartfelt conversations were draining.
“I think we should leave Harmony alone.” I heard Tempora whisper and the soft sounds of hoofsteps and footsteps left the room as I fell into a deep slumber.
——
Max patted Tempora on the flank as he came outside.
“You did well, you both did," he commented in a somewhat patronising tone.
Tempora gave Max a nudge.
“Well, you know me, Harmony is much better with that sort of stuff than I am. All I do is set it up between you two.” Max rounded the corner, with Tempora pouting.
“Oh don’t give me that look, all’s well that ends well.”
Tempora gave a small smile.
“I’m glad Harmony doesn’t hate me," she whispered and Max gave the Queen a tussle on her mane.
“No one hates you," he stated fervently. “Even if there were, those that do, I’ll blast them into space!”
Tempora snorted.
“What if Harmony hates me, what will you do?”
“Harmony doesn’t hate anyone, he’s never hated a single soul. He’s… just not capable of that," Max replied softly.
Tempora nodded slowly.
“I’m beginning to see that finally, and it has been years too late.”
Max gave her a mischievous grin.
“Yeah, not anyone can be as smart as a genius like me.”
WHAP.
“Oww!”
“A genius would know not to provoke a powerful Queen.”
“You say that now, but wait until dinner-“
WHAP.
“Oww!”
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Well, at least she admits she was wrong and apologize, not often you see that in rulers.
I think we've just seen the origin story for "The Tree of Harmony".
Ba-dum, crash!
5146097 My thoughts exactly.
5146334 I guess you'll find out. *wink*
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Good chapter as always.
And max, someone is being dirty, I think.
I...really hate Max. The asshole is never around to be a fucking father, and then when he decides to show up he SCOLDS Harmony for getting mad at Tempora for being a bitch (which Harmony is justified in, thank you). Meeting Tempora, getting engaged to her, moving to another PLANE OF EXISTENCE, and also BECOMING IMMORTAL--all of that he did without talking to Harmony or GETTING HIS FUCKING OPINION ON IT.
The guy is scum.
EDIT: AND ANOTHER THING. Harmony has AS OF YET sat Max's ass down and YELLED AT HIM for all of the above offenses! WHY!? I'd be pretty fucking pissed in his situation.
5146522 He probably didn't because Max IS his dad and as such Harmony knew he'd have a better chance of getting a large sentient grapefruit to listen.
This is was a really sweet chapter, btw do you have any plans on making a fic or some chapters of this fic be only about Max and his pony Queen? Or make them have a Flashback of how they met and fell in love or something like that.
Good! Someone finally gave her a reality check.
So... will he ever meet da Mane Seeex wen dey be born er wut.
Interesting. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
It was never stated if Harmony got back to Earth and did say his byes as he wanted to.
Drone 104583 reporting for duty, sir!
Why are there spoilers in the authors note? About things in the chapter? I'm on mobile here! I can't see past that stupid black bar!
5147088 This has been planned to be mainly in the perspective of Harmony. However if you want a chapter on the meetup between Max and Tempora, i.e. the crazy first days of romance, perhaps I will write one for an intermission. (This story doesn't really have a romance tag but heck if you want I can give it).
If I hadn't read about the timeskip, I would have been really confused. You should really make that more clear...
Also, Tempora really bugged me this chapter, but I'm glad to see her changing.
5149461 Hmm you're right but I do like readers to arrive at their conclusions of a time skip on their own and then have their suspicions confirmed by reading my notes. That could be me being lazy though, so you'll have to forgive me for that (I thought I had dropped enough hints during the chapter but you know beginner's writer status, I still claim that title for my first year, mwuhahaha!)
5149489 Haha, no worries. Just a bit more of an indication would be nice, as the only thing that I found that might indicate a timeskip was a comment about a few years passing, but I assumed it was refereeing to Celestia and Luna, rather than Harmony.
Mold.
-
And worst of all, COMPLETELY USELESS unless you're tossing it out your window at the tailgator behind you's windshield!
5149818 Sorry, you'll have to put up with my Australian English, as disclaimed in Chapter 8's author notes. Sorry, English is such a finicky language.
5149846
You have no idea. I've grown up speaking it and I STILL don't know all the words to it!
5149945 we excuse me for not having good spelling. Tell it to someone that cares, as a think you i knock you face in......ass
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More...
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5148384 Oh i would love to read someting like that, but only if the other readers would like it as well. Perhaps, if you fel like it that is, you could mention it in a blog spot and have tem say what they Think about it?
Sweet bucking celestia! you're really churning out these chapters! it seems like whenever I refresh the page there's one more unread chapter.
Honestly I think the time-skip is far too abrupt. There should have at least been a paragraph or two bringing us up to speed before shoving us directly into the future. Ahh well, grievances aside, I am still enjoying this story.
5149846
Erm... what?
5242763 And that embarrassing mistake has been erased from existence.
Glad to see you didn't get agelessness confused with immortality. Way to many people can't make this distinction.
Hopefully we get to see Celestia and Luna again soon
O_O
....
Holy sh**. That got intense! I mean.... sh**
Wait, I can barely understand that immortality might be hereditary, but you can inherit it by adoption?
6148027
Because of Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey magic.
6322089 And hey! its The Doctor- oh shit its The Doctor... Oh hey Daleks!
Discord x Harmony foreshadowing as hell. I ship it.
Tree of Harmony foreshadowing as hell. I like it.
Celestia and Luna are terrified of Tempora. I don't like it. Tempora is changing though, that's always good.
Max, on the other hand, is still a hairy butthole.