A Forgotten Past

by Protocol

The World Tree

The World Tree

The receded curtains had shed some light to the interior of the building, and the strange creature inhabiting it was revealed clearly. In his left talon, he held a piece of leather-bound parchment, which he placed down on a small coffee table next to him with a pair of dark-rimmed spectacles. "And just in the middle of a good read, too," the figure sighed. Looking over, the princesses could make out the gold cursive lettering of the title.

Celestas read the words before her out loud as her mind processed the information. "Étude d’Amour... You can’t possibly be serious."

“Oh? And why not?” replied the figure as he lifted an eyebrow.

“You’re telling me... that as Equestria is being taken over by carnivorous plants... you were sitting here, reading a trashy romance novel written almost half a century ago?”

"Excuse me?" The creature sounded offended. “Étude d’Amour happens to be an excellent read. You ponies just don’t understand its brilliance.”

“Right...,” said a skeptical Celestia. “Either way, is there any real reason you’re reading at a time like this?”

There was a pause as the creature cocked its head and thought for a moment. “Well, you see, I’m very new to this world. I'm not very knowledgeable about this place I live in, or its inhabitants, or the quite recently discovered subject of romance. The simple ink and paper is my mentor, my database of the world, and this library is my humble abode."

Looking around them, Celestia and Luna took in the surroundings. What had looked like a small, highly uncomfortable and cramped tree for anyone to live in from the outside had revealed itself to be quite the place of residence. The walls were adorned with natural wooden patterns from the tree they were made of, and shelves upon shelves of ornate scrolls and thick-spined, colourful books were carefully stacked in arrangement with each other around the room. The papers told fantastic tales of all sorts of topics, from astronomy and magical theory to social sciences and philosophy. In the center of the crescent of bookshelves was a small set of furniture. a carved wooden table, chair, and a bed to the side.

"I don’t understand you. What would you have to gain by learning about the world if you’re going to destroy it in the first place?" Luna interjected.

"I’m sorry?" Asked the confused creature. "Destroy the world? Moi? I don’t believe I ever tried to do something as drastic as that. Although, it might be fun, depending on what kind of approach you take…"

Ignoring the latter remark, Luna pointed a hoof through the cavity that had once been the door. “Then what about THAT?” she exclaimed.

“The forest? Oh, don’t be silly now, I didn’t create that thing. I just live here.” Nonchalantly, he walked past the sisters, stepping into the forest clearing.

"Then explain why the plants around here don't attack you!" Celestia objected.

He gave an uninterested yawn as he shot a disapproving glare back at her. "I hardly feel obliged to explain myself to two rude intruders who ruined my front door without even telling me their names or answer my questions."

With a growl from Luna, Celestia gave a deep sigh. "Fine. I'm Celestia, and the one growling at you over there is Luna."

"I assume you've come to investigate the forest?"

"Correct. Now would you kindly explain to us why you remain safe from the very plants that attack every other living thing in this place?"

"Well," the figure replied, "They weren't always so docile towards me. They went after me, too, a little while ago. I found it extremely annoying and disruptive to my readings, so I stopped them."

Celestia was stunned. "You stopped them? How?"

At this, the creature stepped further into the forest, leaving the dome that the forest had created around his tree. "Like this, of course." A swarm of vines lashed out at him, writhing in the air. The draconnequus grew no alarm, and dismissed the thought with a snap of his fingers. The vines were instantly drained of their vigor, falling limp on the ground before dissolving into earth.

The figure turned his head over his shoulder, looking back with a grin. "It's simple, really."

The two were speechless at this act of magic that not even they could perform "What… what are you?" asked Luna.

"Some call me a draconnequus, some sort of extinct species, as far as I know. You can call me by my preferred name, Discord."

---

“... And that’s why we're here.” Letting out a deep breath, Luna finished explaining the situation at hand.

“I still can’t believe that this thing has spread so far without my knowing,” mused Discord. “Still, it would make sense. This is quite a strange and unpredictable forest we’re dealing with.”

"Yes," agreed Luna, "and it's also threatening our land. We must stop it at all costs, even if it means losing our lives. If you can just teach us how to do what you just did to the plants, then I'm sure we at least stand a chance."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's possible. No one I've come across understands how my abilities work. I'm not even sure of them, myself."

"Please, you have to at least try! Otherwise, we're doomed!" Celestia pleaded.

"Well, there's not much that I can do for you personally, but you do seem to have something that might be of use." As Discord snapped his fingers once more, six glowing orbs dropped out of the sky and landed in his hands.

"The elements!" Celestia exclaimed. "But they're still at the castle! How did you- Most ponies don't even know of their existence!"

Discord paid no heed to the thought, brushing over it casually. "That's hardly important, now is it? The point is, these things are immensely powerful. Powerful enough to burn through these weeds. However, they can't be used too often or you'll offset their balance and they'll need time to recharge. So, instead of using the elements to destroy the plants, if you channel your own magic through them…"

Discord handed the orbs to Celestia, who took a telekinetic hold of them with her horn. Brows furrowed, the white alicorn shot a bolt of magic through the ring of spheres, which amplified itself in size and shot forwards as a cobalt ball of fire. Striking a seemingly innocent branch nearby, the magic burst into a blue blaze, incinerating the plant where it stood.

"It worked!" shouted Luna.

"Yes, but the way things are now, the forest will grow faster than you can cut it down. It's already got one heck of a head start." Discord mused.

Celestia replied back, "We have to try. The fate of Equestria rests in our hooves."

"Actually…" Discord continued, as Celestia and Luna were alert once more. "That may not be necessary. I think I know another way to stop the forest other than painstakingly cutting it down, one weed at a time."

---

Luna let out a sigh of disappointment as she trotted onward. "I still can't believe that Discord refused to come with us."

"I don't understand him," Celestia agreed. "But still, I suppose he has his reasons. I'm just glad that we actually have a good chance at saving Equestria."

"How did he even know of the elements, and the forest itself? Does he have a stronger connection to them than we thought?"

"Well, whatever the case, we don’t have time to think about it now. Let's focus on the task at hand for now."

"Agreed."

The two kept walking down the recently created tunnel through the brambles, thinking back to what Discord had told them earlier.

"A little ways off from here, there's another strange tree. It's what the Forest of Deceit was born from," he had said. "My guess is that if you destroy her, the forest will disappear, or at least stop growing. I'll help you get there by clearing the path, but that's all I can do, I'm afraid. Something tells me that if I get anywhere near that tree, it would spell out absolute catastrophe…"

After an undecipherable murmur, Discord had snapped his fingers, and the brambles covering one side of the forest vanished into thin air - along with Discord.

"We're here." Luna steadied her posture as the two of them approached another, much larger clearing at the end of the pathway. At the center of the area, there was a lone, immobile tree. This one did not move around like the vines and branches that they had seen before. It seemed like a perfectly fine tree, but it was eerily out of place. Surrounded by the thicket of carnivorous plants out for blood, the plant looked hardly natural. In fact, it looked too perfect, too healthy for a tree grown without any sunlight. Lunar plants were always either darkened, or blue or purple in colour. This tree had leaves that shone bright green, and an earthly brown trunk covering it. The two stopped right before entering the area, and Luna signaled towards her sister.

"Get ready." Hiding behind a boulder, Luna charged her horn with energy. Celestia followed, horn glowing with all her might. and the two of them leaped out. Shooting blasts of searing hot flame, the whole clearing was engulfed in an inferno of heat.

When the simmering heat cooled down, the scorched earth glowed dimly through smoke and flame. Smoke clearing, the sisters could see nothing left of the tree that had once been there. In its place sat a pile of ashes and blackened earth.

"Wow, I can't believe how easy that was." Celestia smiled, congratulating themselves on a job well done.

Out of nowhere, a dome of white surrounded them. From far away, at the edges of the clearing, the eerily coloured plants sprang up, weaving themselves into a steeled wall. Curling up towards the air, the white tendrils closed off at the tip, erecting a barrier around the two alicorns. The only light in the enclosed dome came from the dimly lit horns of the sisters, who were pounding and blasting away at the walls of their prison. To no avail, it seemed, as both physical assault and arcane spells failed to scratch the white surface.

A bright light filled the expanse, its source from the ashes of the fallen tree. The ashes danced in the wind, spiraling up with leaves and branches that clumped together in an equine form. In the midst of the wooden frame of what Celestia and Luna assumed to be its face were two glowing, golden slits. The creature opened its eyes. What lay behind the irises of gold and black was the burning hatred of the ones who had set it ablaze. Its voice hissed throughout the clearing, although the thing lacked a mouth.

Who dares disturb Yggdrasil, keeper of the world?

"Well, shit," Celestia cursed, furrowing her brows and slapping a hoof to her forehead.

"Sister, when will you learn?" Luna chided. "It's never that easy."

---

After sending Celestia and Luna off, Discord was alone once again. No, that wasn't quite right. He was never alone. Not really. The draconequus lay down in the air, swinging from a hammock made of fluffy white clouds. It would have been quite an enjoyable experience if He weren't there as well. Him. Discord. Well, the other Discord. Or maybe they were both one and the same. Discord didn't know. Then again, maybe he did. The voice that Discord heard next was laced with a wicked sarcasm, mocking his fall from sanity.

You must have a lot of questions left unanswered. How does it feel to have the knowledge, but not the understanding?

"You…" Discord's head spun, as the creature fell into unconsciousness. There was no escaping Him outside the realm of reality, either. Discord's subconscious produced the shadow of a disembodied head, its only real features glowing red slits that left a trail where they went. The mocking hiss continued.

That's right. Me. Good old me. I'm back, old friend. Did you miss me? I missed you.

What are you doing here? You haven't been back since the changeling attacked me…

Well, to put it simply, something troublesome has come up.

…What do you mean?

I'm sure you're clever enough to put it together yourself. Enjoying your new memories?

Realization dawned on Discord. Back there… talking to those ponies… that wasn't me. That was… you.

Bravo, my dear friend. Although I had tried to be as subtle as possible with your subconscious, you still managed to see through it.

You're not fooling anyone. You're only full of malice and spite. I don't want to have anything to do with you.

Oh, but I am you. We are two sides of the same coin. Light and darkness. One cannot exist without the other, for if we were to separate, both of us would lose our meaning. And look on the bright side. Back then, if I hadn't taken over, you and your friend would have been killed by that changeling for sure.

…...

The voice coated itself with an exaggerated pity. Don't be like that. Why, I'm just trying to help.

Please, you're just a snake. I know you well enough to know when you're trying to coax me into something. You're just in it for your own twisted purposes.

Hehehe… that may be true, but you forget. You need me. Without me, what would you have done when you were attacked? For that matter, without me, what are you going to do now?

What?

As we continue to speak in our happy little limbo world, those ponies from earlier are walking into a trap that I set up for them. A fatal one.

But… but you weren't lying when you showed them the power of the elements. I could feel it. They held unrivaled power. Nothing could possibly defeat them.

Absolutely correct. Nothing can defeat them. But what if the ponies' enemy resonates with them?

Resonate? That's impossible. That would mean they come essentially from the same essence as the-

Discord was cut off by an sharp, overjoyed hiss. Exactly. Hehehe… You know, there are still a few memories I held back when I showed you the information we told the ponies. A vivid image of a white mare made of branches flashed around them.

Yggdrasil…

Indeed, Yggdrasil. Keeper of the world, and keeper of harmony. Someone who the elements cannot harm.

But what is she doing here?!

Haven’t you figured it out yet? Yggdrasil is harmony. We are chaos. She's searching for us; gathering enough energy through the forest to end us. And when she finds us, she will hunt us down.

After she kills those ponies.

Oh yes. In fact, after she possesses the additional power of two alicorns and the elements of harmony, she will most likely be able to kill us. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Or rather, what can you do about it?

Discord’s voice died down to a whisper. Nothing...

That’s right. You can’t do anything by yourself. But I, being as generous as I am, have decided to help you. You see, you've only experienced the bare minimum of my strength. You've scratched the surface of my endless abilities. And I... have decided to let you use them at your disposal. Whatever you desire at your fingertips, whenever and however you see fit.

What’s the catch?

You let me take full control of this body, for just one hour, on one future occasion of my choosing. Any. Future. Occasion. What do you say?

Discord contemplated the pros and cons of this exchange. One one hand, he knew the untapped powers of his other self were enough to save the alicorn sisters from Yggdrasil, and they would become an invaluable asset to him in the future. But then again, He was a slippery one. Even being part of Him, Discord could never understand the gears of the thought process turning behind the ghost-like voice. He was planning something.

The voice pressed onward. Oh, I wouldn't mull over this for too long. Time is of the essence.

I...

The silence only lasted a moment longer, before Discord awoke. Fingers tinged with a red magical aura, his lips parted, and three words escaped. “It’s a deal.”

---

Celestia and Luna were being pushed to their limits. Their bodies were weary; their supply of magic barren. The six orbs lay on the ground, dull and coated with dirt.

"The elements… They didn't work," Luna coughed, a trickle of blood and sweat running down the side of her bruised cheek.

Yggdrasil took another step forwards, tendrils of unearthly magic floating around her. All branches of harmony sprouts from the same tree. Harmony cannot destroy itself.

Celestia drew a magical blade from the air; a thin, clear longsword with a dim glow around it. "Then we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way!"

Exhausted but desperate, Celestia lunged at Yggdrasil's head with the fiercest battle cry she could muster. As she thrust the blade forwards, however, a barrier formed in front of the blade's tip, pushing it to the side and making the blade miss the immobile pony by a hair's breadth. Yggdrasil swung her foreleg, batting Celestia back to where Luna was. Her back hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

You still don't understand, do you? Yggdrasil hissed. There's no need for you to get involved. I only seek the life of the anomaly. He must be destroyed, for the sake of this world.

Luna smirked through her drowsiness. "I don't know who this guy you're after is, and I don't care. All that matters right here and right now is the fact that you're endangering this country that we've worked so hard to protect. And we're just not going to stand for that."

You do not need to fight me, young ones. You have witnessed my power. You know that there is no hope of victory. Lend me your power to defeat my foe, and you will have your peace once again.

"But then what of Equestria?" Luna pressed. "What of the people, the land, or the forest you've brought into our world?"

The beast cannot be killed, for it is immortal, like myself and my creators. The forest shall serve as its imprisonment, Yggdrasil responded. It will stay to keep the beast away from the world for all of eternity.

"So that means Equestria will be left like this, engulfed by a carnivorous forest… Sorry, but that idea doesn't exactly fly with me."

Then you leave me no choice. You've had your last chance. Flee or die.

The sisters stood firm. "And if we choose neither?"

So be it. Your answer is clear. I shall have your power, whether you are willing or not.

As Yggdrasil took a step forwards, a series of crunches came from above as the dome was ripped open. Through the hole he had created, Discord dove in, landing his feet on Yggdrasil's back. His claws were a blur as they shredded apart the remainder of the weakened immortal. The white, glowing branches fell piece by piece until no clumps formed an intelligible form.

Although without form, the voice of the world tree remained. You cannot kill me. I am harmony. I am immortal. I exist to protect the world from your kind… As the ramblings continued, The branches glowed more intensely, and the light brought them closer together, to form the flesh of Yggdrasil once more.

"Ah, but you forget. You are not the only harmony. And there are other ways of dealing with those who cannot be killed." Discord snapped his fingers. The six dulled elements disappeared from their resting place in the dirt, and fell out of the sky into the magic branches. Already, the effects could be seen. The shrapnel of wood stopped glowing, but instead sent out wisps of smoke that swirled around the orbs. Yggdrasil's voice grew softer and softer until it was silent, and the branches were no longer glowing at all.

Celestia approached him, tired and barely conscious. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, haven't you read any of the classics?" Discord replied with a smile. "The hero always shows up at the very end." With a sweep of his hand, Discord scooped up the elements, now with six distinct patterns engraved on their sides. He tossed them over to the alicorns.

The natural harmony of the elements seeped through the air to the sisters, rejuvenating their bodies and minds. Celestia's wings were slowly clean from any wound, and Luna regained her previous vigour. "Wow!" said Luna. "This is amazing! What did you just do?"

"Yggdrasil and the elements are both items of harmony. Harmonies can amplify each other's powers, and they can also act as containment."

"But why would harmony be trying to destroy Equestria?"

"You can't blame her for it; Yggdrasil was created for one purpose only: to protect the world from chaos. She wasn't a sentient being, just a machine that followed orders. She was trying to do the right thing, just in the wrong way."

"Then what was the chaos that she was trying to defeat?"

There was a pause as Discord turned away. "…You don't have to worry about that anymore, it's already been dealt with... At least, for now. I'm sure we'll meet again soon, but that's all from me today."

Luna eyed him over, confused by his sullen attitude. "Just one more question, then. How do you know all this? Discord, who are you?"

Discord never looked back, catching the wind on his unfurled wings. "That's a question I find myself asking all the time. As for the answer, who knows?"

---

Back at the outskirts of Canterlot Castle, things were a mess. Riposte was trying to evacuate the town of rioting nobles, with little success. News had somehow spread about the nearing threat, whose branches could be seen approaching from the base of the cliff.

"WHAT?" Exclaimed a mare wearing a red gown. "You're saying that those two rulers of yours can't even stop a single threat?"

A stallion near her as well as the surrounding ponies chimed in.

"I knew those upstart brats couldn't handle running a country!"

"It's hardly a surprise; this place has never been worse after Gelphnir and Ivaldi disappeared!"

"Glephnir was the only one capable of ruling this country!"

"Those days are over! The Blue Baron should be the one to lead this land!"

"No, the Resistance is the true saviour! You can't trust them other factions!"

"Anything's fine as long as it's not those two incompetent excuses for alicorns!" Shouts of mockery, hate, and objection continued to spew from the crowd's mouths as the news of the Forest spread throughout them.

Without warning, from the center of the Forest of Deceit, a pillar of light shot skyward. The gradient rainbow column pierced through the thick layer of clouds, illuminating the sky. With a resolute boom and a blast of wind, the column expanded rapidly, coating the entire area in a maelstrom of light. Covering the ground where it passed, the great curtains of light flew outwards at a breathtaking speed.

Wherever the light made contact with earth, life was restored. The ground healed, closing up its cratered and broken surface into a rich, healthy soil. New green sprouted from the magically infused earth, uprooting the Forest of Deceit as the demonic plants withered into small black crisps and crumbled away. Grass sprouted tall new leaves, while the trees overshot them and towered above with freshly borne fruits and blossoming flowers. In the presence of harmony, the birds and beasts soothed their minds, and monsters and predators slunk away, knowing the land was protected by strong rulers once more. Like a waterfall, the spreading wave of harmony washed over the land. Within mere moments, Equestria was left shimmering in the pale sunlight, peaceful and pristine like never before.

Half of the sky faded to star-speckled black as the moon rose from the West, taking its place across the sky from the sun. The pale orbs let out one flash of blinding light before their lives ended, the sun disappearing in a final blaze of glory. The moon’s rocks puffed away into dust and were scattered by the breeze, taking the stars with it. The denizens of Equestria hardly had time to react, gasping in shock as the sky turned pitch black. The world was in panic as the world was plunged into darkness, preparing for the worst.

Then, to the East, a crimson-orange tinge covered the horizon. Growing brighter and brighter still, a new orb of fire rose upward. Incomparable to the pale orb of flickering white flame that it had replaced, the new sun was so bright that none could face it without going blind. To the West, another spectacle was unfolding. Too small to notice at first, the specks of light formed out of the darkness to take their place in the sky as stars. Once the black sky was covered with a flood of light, A group of stars fell into place, forming a shape of a crescent. With a gentle glow, the stars merged together, adding more mass and light to the shape until it became a sphere. With a sheen of beauty, a new full moon was borne unto the sky.

The sun dimmed down enough for everyone to see them directly, and projected the image of Celestia’s face. Likewise, the moon bore Luna’s regal visage. Eyes glowing with power, their mouths moved in unison. Their message to Equestria could be both seen and heard from all across the land. Everyone was stunned speechless, jaws agape and eyes toward the sky.

“We are Celestia and Luna,” came the resounding boom of their voices. “Princesses of Equestria, Keepers of day and night. Ivaldi and Glephnir are no more. We are their rightful successors. Let it be known that as long as we live, we will guard the country of Equestria, its people and its land. You have witnessed our powers. We are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. None shall disturb our peace.”

The faces faded from the sky, and the moon descended back beyond the mountaintops. The sun shone rays of glory and hope down on the earth, and the gentle breeze blew across the hills as though nothing had ever happened. But the broadcast served its purpose. Surrounded by the beauty of harmony, and after witnessing the births of a new sun and moon, the citizens were speechless. Even the revolting crowd had gone silent; the world was frozen by shock and awe in that glorious moment.

In that moment, one of the guard ponies broke out in a scoff. “Heh, showoffs.” His mocking words were accompanied by a laugh that broke through teary eyes. He shouted to the sky, “What took you guys so long? I was worried for a second there!”

Riposte took the opportunity to address the crowd. “Fear not! Your princesses have saved Equestria! The Forest is destroyed. The princesses are responsible for its destruction. Equestria is safe once more!”

Once again, murmurs broke out in the crowd, the ponies not knowing how to react to this strange scenario. Riposte ignored them, and raised a hoof to her brow in salute. Her guardsponies did the same, paying their respect to the saviors of Equestria. " All hail Princess Celeistia! All hail princess Luna! Long live Equestria!"

The pledge caught the attention of the crowd, and the citizens looked around at the world that Celestia and Luna had restored. The scene was gorgeous; the animals frolicking, the flowers blossoming… perhaps the princesses weren't as incompetent as the public had once thought. The citizens let go of their pride, and mirrored the cries taken up by the royal army and guards. "All hail princess Celestia! All hail princess Luna! Long live Equestria!"

The shouts of allegiance could be heard far and wide. The citizens had finally given the princesses what they had always held back for so long. Acceptance. Until less than half a day ago, Equestria was falling to pieces with revolts, invasions, anarchies and monster outbreaks. Now, all of the land shimmered with life, happiness and love. The sky was bright, the birds were chirping, and it looked like Equestria was going to be just fine.

---

Obsidian sat alone at his throne, crippled and furious. Just thinking about his near death encounter with that beast put him in a foul mood. Tensing his muscles, the wounded king took off into the air - only to end up crashing into the floor, painfully reminded of his disability.

He still hadn't gotten used to life without flight. Weeks after the draconnequus had disappeared, his limbs and broken bones had healed up, but his wings had failed to return. No matter what kinds of remedies, medicines or magic he tried, the clear appendages refused to grow back.

"GRWAAH!" the changeling roared, as he blasted a table in front of him to ashes. It was then that he heard a knock at the door. "Enter," he called out, pushing himself up in composure.

A single changeling entered through the doors. "Your highness, the forest has disappeared."

"What?" Obsidian responded in shock. "State your report, soldier."

"Yes, your highness." The changeling spy revealed the information and events that he had experienced, including detail about the mysteriously sudden power of the princesses and the strange creature seen inside the forest.

When the news had been delivered and the changeling left the room, Obsidian was stunned. "It's him. He's back. The draconnequus." Trembling not in fear but in anticipation, the king raised a hoof to his aching shoulder blades. "Thanks to you, beast, I am a pitiful mockery of the word 'changeling'. Because of you, I cannot take flight." A sinister look welled in his eyes. "You took away my wings from me, creature. I will take away from you something far, far worse. Don't think your power or your immortality can save you from my wrath, draconnequus. There are some fates… worse than death."

Comments

[WrathOfGod519]

Obsidian loves monologuing doesn't he?

[La Vallett1]

And so, the birth of Harmony had come.

[Helrael]

Looks like we have ourselves a King Sombra (funny, it only occurred to me when he roared "GRWAAH!").
Also:

Fingers tinged with a red magical aura, his lips parted, and two words escaped. “It’s a deal.”

I count three

[Protocol]

1960617

Fingers tinged with a red magical aura, his lips parted, and three words escaped. “It’s a deal.”

I don't know what you're talking about.

Also, I have no freaking clue how to deal with the unknown variable that is s3, so I'm going to make it Alt. universe s2 canon only until I can figure out how to deal with it.

[Helrael]

1960738
Fair enough. I remember the introduction of Cadance completely ruining my ideas of alicornhood and Equestria's history.
That's what we get for writing mid-season, I suppose. But yeah, go with season 2, and only adapt it to season 3 if it doesn't compromise your story, I'd say.