A Forgotten Past

by Protocol

As One Door Closes

As One Door Closes

The standard evacuation procedure in Canerlot consisted of three steps: First, gather at the available gates in an orderly fashion. Second, exit the town to a prepared set of safe zones in a calm and orderly manner. And third, wait in the safe zones until the all clear was given, signaling the ok to return to home.

The standard evacuation procedure went to hell as the northern gates burst open with a blaze of green fire.

Obsidian rampaged through the streets of Canterlot, throwing bolts of magic at anyone who got too close. The buildings were on fire, coating the scene in tongues of red and orange. A small portion of the city had already been razed to the ground, with more to follow shortly thereafter. People were screaming and running around in terror, trying to flee the danger that was in their city.

A pink pegasus colt was trembling, petrified at the changeling king less than thirty steps away from him. Obsidian hurled a green, crescent bolt of magic at him, and the child cringed in preparation of the worst-

Except it never came. When the young pony opened his eyes, he could see that the bolt had scorched the ground a short distance off from where he was standing. No, that wasn't quite the right term. Looking up, the colt could see that he wasn't in fact standing or flying, but was being held by a large white mare. Princess Celestia.

She let the colt free in the air, leaving him to fly off to find his parents. Obsidian reared his head to face her, looking like he was ready to destroy her very essence.

"You ponies are even more devious than the changelings! Not even a member of my own hive would engage in such coward like acts before the war has even begun," he spat, seething with anger.

"I see no cowardice here, Obsidian. Merely false bravado. Do you truly believe, even as powerful as you are, you could stand to take the whole of Equestria's capital alone?" Celestia replied, misunderstanding the changeling king's words.

"Do not play games with me, swine! I command you to return her to me!" Obsidian roared.

"You are hardly in the position to make threats," said Celestia. "My sister is on her way with the Elements of Harmony as we speak."

The changeling was clearly not in a mood to chat, which Celestia found out the hard way. Roaring in anger, he flung a massive bolt of energy at the alicorn, aimed at her head. Instinctively, Celestia raised a barrier. However, her magic shield would have been no match for Obsidian's raw power.

Unless Discord had been there to slice the fireball in two with his claws, Celestia may have gotten scorched. "I'm getting real tired of seeing your face," he grumbled.

"Draconequus!" Obsidian hissed. "You're in on this too?"

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Discord asked, dodging as the changeling lunged at him.

"Dad!" the single word pierced through the scene, and everyone turned their heads to face the speaker. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad?" Celestia asked. She was about to question further, but a coy finger to the lips from Discord told her to keep her mouth shut.

The moment Obsidian saw his daughter standing in the fray, all his anger and hatred disappeared. He ran up to her and tackled her in a tight hug. "It's all right, my child. I'm here to rescue you."

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore. I'm all grown up…. And what do you mean 'rescue'? What makes you think I need rescuing?" Cassandra asked, pulling away from her father.

Obsidian put on an incredulous expression. "Cassandra, you were teleported into the capital city of enemy territory. You're not exactly safe."

"Oh, but safe is exactly what she is," Celestia cut in. "Cassandra came here by her own choice."

"I felt foreign, non-changeling magic teleport my daughter a two-day distance into Canterlot," Obsidian shouted back. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"It's true. Well, close enough, I guess," Cassandra added, before Obsidian could say otherwise.

"But… but, why would you do such a stupid thing? You're lucky you didn't get shot or speared down on the spot!" Obsidian stammered, shocked.

"It was… a spur of the moment thing," Cassandra replied, looking to a seemingly innocent Discord, who waved back in response. Celestia just sighed.

Obsidian turned to face Celestia. "Well, no matter the reason for my daughter's foolish behavior, I give you my thanks for not causing her harm."

Celestia wasn't impressed by the king's humility. "How can you say that, after blatantly planning an invasion on our country not only two days in the future?"

Obsidian tried his best to sound like he hadn't been planning out the destruction of the entire country. "Well, who can really tell what will happen in the future? And anyways, things have changed." He put a hoof on top of Cassandra's head. "Thanks to this one here, I've had second thoughts last night. I've actually had some changelings analyze the life energy that we feed off of, and I've come to the conclusion that my daughter was right. We can gather the energy in other ways than killing ponies."

"So… you're going to cancel the invasion." Celestia pressed, hoping the reply would be a yes.

She cringed when Obsidian declined, but paid close attention to his explanation. "Oh, no, the invasion will happen. My hive has been starved for too long. However, I can assure you that nopony in Equestria will be harmed. You have my word. The whole thing won't even be noticed by many, I assume."

"How can an army of thousands of changelings not be noticed?" Celestia asked.

"We'll make sure to be very careful," Obsidian replied with a grin. "Now, Cassandra, let's return." He turned around to leave.

Cassandra looked at Celestia and Discord, then back to her father. Putting on a determined expression, she made her decision. "I'm not coming back," she said firmly. "I'm staying here, with the ponies."

It took a second for the words to register in Obsidian's mind. "Sweetie," he began, trying to persuade Cassandra out of it. "think about what you're saying. You're a changeling, not a pony. You belong home, with me."

"Dad, I may be a changeling in body, but I'm not like the others. I don't like to kill. I don't think the way that other changelings do, I enjoy being around the ponies. If home is where the heart is, I think my heart is somewhere else."

Obsidian paused altogether, his face set in a blank non-expression. "You're sure about this?" he asked one last time.

Cassandra stood strong. "This more than anything," she replied.

The changeling king gave a soft sigh. He walked up to his daughter, patting her on the back. "Then, I suppose… there's nothing I can do but support you. Good luck with your new life, and goodbye, my daughter." His eyes grew hot, and tears trickled down his cheeks.

Cassandra had been prepared to argue, to run, even to fight for her freedom. What she had not expected was her father's acceptance. "Are you serious?" she asked, shocked.

"I just want you to be happy," he responded. "I'm sorry I didn't bother to listen to you before. I was just so caught up in running the country, I didn't pay attention to those who I care about the most."

"You did your best, for both your kingdom and your family. You just made some mistakes along the way. We all do," Cassandra reassured. Her posture softened, as she nuzzled her head beside her father's. "We'll still see each other again," she promised. "I'll come visit every so often."

Obsidian smiled, seeing his little girl all grown up. Looking to her, he said the only words that he could. "I know you will."

---

As Obsidian quietly trotted out of the scene, the alicorn princess showed an incredulous smile. "So… princess Cassandra, huh?" Celestia asked.

Cassandra blushed. "Sorry I didn't tell you before, I thought you might try to… you know, kill me. I understand if you want me gone, but please just let me live my life in peace. I promise to stay on the outskirts of Equestria, not causing harm to anypony."

Celestia's face brightened with a smile. "You just prevented an invasion that would have cost this country thousands of lives, if not more. As far as I'm concerned, we're friends now. Feel free to drop by Canterlot anytime. Just try not to let anypony else find out you're a changeling, or they'll freak out."

Discord popped to Cassandra's side, placing a paw on her shoulder. "I told you things would turn out fine."

Cassandra raised a brow. "No you didn't," she replied.

"True, but things did turn out fine, either way, didn't they?" Discord said with a smirk.

"You know, you were pretty cool back there, standing up to Obsidian like that," Celestia chimed, receiving a laugh from the two which she joined in herself.

However, as the trio celebrated the turn of events, a familiar voice rang through the scene. It was heard only by one draconequus and nobody else. It is time… the voice hissed. I've come to collect my part of the bargain. You will surrender your body to me.

Without warning, Discord lurched forward, doubling over in an expression of twisted pain. "Hurgg…" was all he managed to say, as he moaned unintelligibly.

The agonized sounds caught the attention of the changeling and pony princesses next to him. "Discord, are you all right?" asked Celestia. She and Cassandra looked worried at their companion's erratic behavior.

Discord ceased his moaning, uncurling his body. "I'm fine. I just need to… *ahem*, take some time off for myself. I should be back in an hour or so," he said cryptically, in a gruff voice.

"Are you sure? Your voice sounds different… are you sick?" asked Cassandra.

However, before she or Celestia could press further on the matter, Discord snapped his fingers, disappearing in a puff of red smoke.

---

Obsidian sat in the ruins of an old castle, left alone to meditate. Or so he thought. As he was meditating in tranquility, a voice echoed out towards him from inside the castle walls. "What's this? The ruler of the changelings, sitting alone in the broken walls of a castle. How fitting. The ruined king and his throne of ashes."

"Who's there?" Obsidian snarled, snapping open his eyes. "Show yourself!" he spat, commanding the voice to reveal its speaker.

What stepped out of the shadows was unlike anything he had seen before; resembling a snakelike form, but vastly contrasted from any natural animal in the world. The creature’s entire body was covered in a red aura, and Obsidian could not see through the endless darkness that swirled around inside its coat. If he had to describe what he was looking at, the changeling would have called it a fire. A warmthless, lightless fire, incapable of good, full of hatred and destruction.

His mouth was twisted into a sinister grin, fangs dripping with venom. The eyes were the worst part. Black as coal, the pale orbs held no remorse or kindness deep down to their glazed cores. They screamed of despair and murder; enough to drive any average mortal insane. But Obsidian was no average mortal. Even dejected and resting, he was the king.

The unfamiliar face stood before the changeling, chuckling mischievously. "Oh, don’t you recognize me? We’ve met before. Then again, I must look quite different from the last time you saw me, when I was imprisoned within that blasted fool of a mortal. But now, I am me. Nothing but. Purely and only me. Let your eyes bask in my presence."

Every muscle in his body screamed at him to get away from here, to never speak to this thing ever again. Obsidian turned away, betraying no emotions other than wariness. "Your words convey no meaning, beast."

"If I had a bit for every time I heard that one," the creature grinned, shaking its head. "But that's not the point here. I've come for you, Obsidian."

"What do you want from me?" Obsidian demanded.

A wicked spark lit up in the creature's eyes. "Tell me," he asked, "have you ever heard of the Mirror Lakes?"

The Mirror Lakes. If memory served correctly, an old changeling legend spoke of such things. The Mirror Lakes were ancient pools of water in hidden caverns; they could produce a physical reflection of anything that went through their surface. The water of the pools were said to have come from the magics of illusions and shape shifting that changelings used.

"Most changelings know of their myths. Why do you ask?" said Obsidian.

"The Mirror Lakes are anything but a myth. They're quite real, I assure you. After all, I was the one who created them," the thing cackled, brimming with sadistic pride.

"You created the Mirror Lakes? How?" Obsidian pressed.

"Don't act so surprised, my little changeling. I was capable of quite a lot more than that during my prime, before I was taken by surprise and struck down… I was almost destroyed then, but as you can see I'm a tough rat to kill. Honestly, things might have turned out differently if I hadn't been so careless. Alas, now I am stuck in a truly pitiful state, biding my time…" The creature's eyes glazed over, reminiscing unwanted memories through clenched teeth.

Obsidian shuddered at the thought of something that could defeat the monstrosity that stood before him, whose mere presence sent a chill down the changeling's spine. The king was not easily intimidated, but there was a natural instinct within him that told him to stay away from this monster. Not even Ivaldi or Glephnir could provoke such fear. There was only one other being he had seen before with power greater than his own. "Your enemy… was it the draconequus?" he questioned cautiously.

The creature's expression twisted into confusion, before chuckling in understanding. "No, I was referring to the Keepers, but I doubt you'd know anything about them. However, you've beat me to the punch this time. The draconequus is crucial to my plans. The Mirror Lakes and the draconequus Discord. They are the keys you need to the world you desire."

"What would you know of the world I desire?" Obsidian spat. "What would a creature like yourself know of my pains and my joys?" His expression deepened into an angry scowl.

The figure pulled out another trail of red, this time shifting into a face of a changeling. With long, straight locks and a small, modest smile, a delicate crown rested on top of her brow. "I think I know quite well."

Obsidian couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at the shocking sight before him. "How do you know about-"

The creature cut him off. "You can meet with your beloved, all in due time. But first there's something I need you to do for me." One of the tendrils detached itself from the creature's body, twisting and morphing its shape into that of a red goblet. "In the cave of the original Mirror Lake, there is a cup. Fill it with the lake's water, and add a single drop of the draconequus' blood in it. I don't care how you get it, but you only need one drop. After that, all you need to do is drink from the cup. I will be freed, and you will have your wish granted. Understood?"

Conflicted, Obsidian stumbled backwards, away from the creature. Somehow, no matter how much he stepped back, he felt like he was the same distance from the still creature. "I… no. It's not right. I've just started to change for the better. I'm not going to break my promises for a selfish wish. I won't follow you. You're wrong. Everything about you. I don't want to ever see you again."

From behind Obsidian, a red tendril shot forth from the dark. Silently streaking towards the changeling's almost perfect blind spot, Obsidian had just enough time to catch the thing out of the corner of his eye and jump to the side. He avoided it striking his torso, but the whip left a grey gash along his back legs as they faded from sight.

"Treachery!" Obsidian spat, growling at the grinning creature in front of him. "Now you plan to take my life as well?"

The misty smile only spread wider as the monster chuckled in a sinister laugh. "I assure you, it was not meant to cause you any physical harm, my dear. Since you seem to be so hesitant in accepting my offer, I just decided to give you a little… motivation."

"If I ever see your face again, there will be hell to pay." His horn flashing green, Obsidian disappeared behind the castle walls in a burst of magic. Faint hoofsteps grew dimmer as the king of changelings fled, leaving the creature by himself.

The miasmic tentacles were starting to disappear, and the creature faded into the dark. The last things to go were its stone cold eyes and its sinister fanged grin, like a demented Cheshire Cat.. The raspy voice spoke one last time before falling silent. "Run all you like, my fallen king. Because no matter where you run, every step brings you closer to me."

Comments

[eeveeextreme]

You can't escape the red miles!

[Spite]

This is amazing. I definitely like this story.

Discord popped to Cassandra's side, placing a paw on he shoulder. "I told you things would turn out fine."

I believe that he should be a her.

Yeah I've grown a bad habit of pointing out any errors I see in stories.

[Protocol]

2236436 Thanks for pointing that out.