Table for Two
Table for Two
With a swing in her step, Cassandra galloped down the woodland paths. Seeing the familiar oak tree in the middle of a clearing, she slowed down, and regained her composure. With a flick of her hair and a gentle clearing of her throat, the clearly overexcited changeling gave a series of three short raps to the door. The faint sound of footsteps could be heard before the door opened, revealing a pleasantly surprised face inside.
"Discord!"
"Cassandra! I haven't seen you in ages," remarked the draconequus. "What have you been up to all this time?"
"Oh, Obsidian's been keeping me locked up in the tower, putting me through battle training."
Discord cocked an eyebrow. "Battle training? What for?"
"Well, there's recently been rumors going around about a certain dangerous draconequus lurking around here, so the changelings camps surrounding the towns are all on high alert. Unfortunately, that includes yours truly. Ugh, it's such a chore, really."
The reply came laced with sarcasm. "Oh, I'm sure being the princess of the changelings is such a tiring life."
"You don't know the half of it." Meeting his gaze with confidence, Cassandra smiled innocently, before the two of them burst into laughter. Cassandra turned around, leaving Discord staring at the back of her head as she sighed lightly, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "But sometimes, I wish I could just live a normal life, away from all this… war and fighting. The suffering. The pain." She twirled around again, perking up with a sing-song pitch. "So~?"
"So…?"
"So, I was thinking, now that I have the day off, and since you don't look like you're doing anything terribly important, why don't I show you around town, like I promised you a while back? Our last trip was rudely interrupted, and we never got to go sightseeing in Ebra. How about it?" Question posed, the changeling was brimming with excitement.
"Well, I'm shocked! You just happed to assume that what I do around here is of no importance?" replied Discord, looking hurt.
Taken aback by the response, Cassandra wasn't sure of what to say. "I- I'm sorry, I just, I-" She was broken out of her daze by an overjoyed hug, squeezing the air out of her lungs.
"You assume correctly! I've got nothing better to do, lead the way!"
Cassandra brought a hoof to her face, shaking her head slowly. "…I don't think I'll ever understand what goes on in that head of yours, it makes no sense whatsoever."
"Oh, but where's the fun in making sense?"
=========================================================
"Can't you just change me into a pony or something?"
"I told you already, changeling magic doesn't work that way. I can only change my own form. You're going to town as is. Oh, don't look so worried, you look fine. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them you're with me."
The annoyed draconequus walked alongside the white unicorn, Cassandra's alternate identity for her friends in Ebra. She had kept as much of her changeling look as possible, save for the dead giveaways like the holes in her body, her hard exoskeleton, and her clear wings. She still retained her flowing teal mane, and her bright blue eyes. Her thin, curved legs and figure were complemented beautifully by the natural sheen of her brilliant white coat. To other ponies, Cassandra was quite the looker.
The two stopped in front of a sign that read ‘Welcome to Ebra - Population 247’. The small town stretched out before them. "So then, what do you think?” Cassandra looked up in expectancy. “My home away from home."
Discord scanned the town, taking it all in. "Pony civilization… so that's what it looks like."
"Do you like it?"
"It's fantastic. All these ponies, living their lives, running their businesses. I've never seen anything quite like it."
"Oh come on, now, it's just another, normal day! This is what they do every day of their lives," Cassandra replied, amused at Discord's reaction. "Although, I do see what you mean. It's amazing that their lives are so simple, so blissful. They don't have to fight a war, they don't have to have that responsibility thrust unto them by others… Sometimes I wish I could live a carefree life like that. But that's why we're here, isn't it? To do just that."
"So then, what now?"
"Well, why don't we go for a cup of coffee? I know a great little place just around the corner." Beaming, Cassandra led the draconequus through the town, receiving the occasional look from strangers' eyes. Some were because of Discord's unusual appearance, while others were more interested in the stunning beauty who he was accompanying.
The couple eventually made their way to the front of a small curtained stage, where a series of round tables were arranged in a ring around them. Four empty chairs were set at the center of the stage, and Cassandra led Discord to a front row table for two.
"This is a café? Doesn't seem like the types I've read about," mused Discord.
"This place is… special. Unique. You won't find a place like it in all of Equestria." Cassandra gave her usual, gentle smile, looking up at Discord with a cocked head and bright, sparkling eyes. "That's probably why I like it so much."
From behind the stage, a grey stallion wearing a black suit and a pleasant smile walked up to the pair and spoke in a soft, refined voice. "Madam Cassandra, so good to see you again. And I see you've brought a friend today!"
"Always such a pleasure, Dolce. We'll be having the regular." Seeing Discord motion, she added, "make that two, please."
"Why, the pleasure's all mine, madam. Enjoy your stay, and I will return shortly with your drinks."
"Do you come here often?" Discord asked once the waiter had left.
"Every once in a while, but not enough to get noticed. He probably only remembers me because of how I look; apparently I don't look like a local."
"You think maybe he's interested in you?"
"Oh I don't think so. And even if he was, he's a waiter, I'm a changeling princess. It would never work out."
Discord chuckled softly. "Hahaha… of course."
Dolce approached the table once more, holding a tray of two cups in one hoof. "Your drinks, sir and madam."
Cassandra used magic to make a bag of bits fall out of the sky, and handed it to the waiter. "Thank you Dolce, keep the change. We'll take the other half in ten minutes' time."
"You're quite generous, miss. Please enjoy your stay." Taking a bow, the earth pony disappeared back behind the stage.
"Other half?" Discord asked. "What exactly did you order?"
Smirking mischievously, Cassandra replied, "Oh you'll see. So, then, what do you draconequui exactly eat and drink? I'm guessing you can drink coffee, since you ordered it without a second thought."
"Well, I've tried the dishes that ponies enjoy, plants and fruits and all that, and it was quite lovely. Although I don't believe I require much of it to survive. I've gone days without food at times, but I've never gone hungry."
"Really? Huh, you'd think that magic on your level of power would cost a lot of energy to use."
"Well, about that… I don't like to use my magic much, really."
"Why not?"
The draconequus' voice dimmed down to a whisper. "My magic. With it, I can do anything I desire. But it's a curse. One I paid dearly for. I only got to use them by making a deal with the devil… but that wasn't all. He'd left something out. He hadn't told me that each time I use the powers, it'll try to fight back. Struggling for control, trying to overwhelm my mind. I try to keep it under wraps as much as possible, only using the magic in cases of emergency."
"Ah. Well, then, I won't trouble you about that anymore, then." Cassandra looked to the side, sipping her coffee as Discord did the same. A moment of silence passed between them, and Discord spoke.
"Cassandra, tell me, what are you brooding about?"
"Brooding? I'm not brooding. What makes you think that?"
"Cassandra, I'm not stupid. I can tell something's been bothering you, and I want to help. Will you let me do that?" Discord leaned closer, putting a paw on the table.
Cassandra put her empty cup on the table, producing a slight clatter on the saucer. "I… I was just thinking… about how different you were. You're unlike anyone I've ever met. No one knows where you're from, or are even certain that you're a draconequus, which is spectacular in itself that it's an extinct species. Not even the ponies are as kind or as accepting as you. You've seen what the changelings are capable of, yet you stay by my side. You're the most powerful being I've encountered, and here you are, in the middle of a tiny old town, having a cup of coffee with me at noon. I thought I had you figured out, but then you go and throw something like this at me! I feel like I don't know you. Discord, who are you?"
There was a pause as Discord met the changeling princess' gaze with a look of worry. "I… don't know who I ever was. It's all just a big mystery to me. I don't have any memories before the forest. Cassandra, I'm sorry, but I just don't know."
Cassandra sighed. "What do you mean you don't know? How could you possibly-"
"But, but but…" he began again, cutting her off. "But, I do know this. Cassandra, this is who I really am, right here, right now. The Discord you know sitting in front of you is the kind of creature I am. I'm clueless, eccentric, horribly impulsive at times, but I'm your friend. That's who I really am. And that will never change." Discord took Cassandra's right hoof in his hands, looking into her deep, blue eyes. "I promise."
Her reply came after silence, in an almost inaudible whisper. "… all right. But no more secrets between us. Can you do that?"
"Your wish is my command, milady." Discord did a small bow, imitating Dolce's previous gesture, which broke a small, content smile onto Cassandra's face.
From behind the couple, the red curtains rose without warning. They revealed a quartet of ponies, holding various instruments. There was a brown pegasus stallion with a cello, a green unicorn mare tuning her viola, and a yellow earth pony cuing the violin. Dolce was up there too, with a violin of his own.
The wooden instruments gleamed in the spotlight as the four began to play a song together. Their bows moved in unison, starting at a soft hum, and breaking into a beautiful melody accompanied by harmonics and bass.
"Oh my, look at the time. Has it been ten minutes already?" Cassandra mused, getting out of her seat.
"So this is the 'other half'? Hmm, quite nice. Hey wait, where are you going?" asked Discord, following the wandering mare.
Cassandra threw her mane back with a seductive smile. "I've only ever come here on my own, and I've always wanted to try this here. The music is quite lovely. Care for a dance?"
Startled by the offer, Discord replied with wide eyes. "But… I don't know how."
"Well it's the perfect time to learn then, don't you think? Besides, you're a biped, so it'll be easy for you." Cassandra extended a hoof, and Discord took it in his paw. Standing up on her hind legs, she wrapped his other arm around her back, and kept one to the side, clutching her hoof. "Now, don't let me fall, and follow my lead."
The couple swayed back and forth in the allure of the music, steps and breathing synchronizing to the rhythm. The two were in perfect harmony, matching their steps to each other and the melody. Circling the area step by step, twirling and dancing their troubles away. Discord and Cassandra lost themselves in the music until at last, the sounds faded and the curtains fell.
Discord was the first to speak. "That was lovely."
Cassandra replied, smiling contently. "Only place like it in all of Equestria."
"That wasn't why I enjoyed it."
"I… should be getting back now. Thanks. For coming with me here today. It was… wonderful."
"Anytime. I had fun today, thanks Cassandra. I'll see you next time, then."
"Wait. Discord, if you don't mind me asking, I have just one more question."
"Ask away."
"Well, like I said before, you know what I am. A changeling. You know what changelings have done, what we're capable of. If anyone else found out that I was a changeling, I'd be run out of town, possibly jailed or even executed for crimes against ponykind. Why do you stay with me? Why are you not afraid?"
"I stay with you because you told me that you're not like the others. You've never done anything that the others have. You've never killed a soul in your life."
"But how can you be so sure of that? Discord, changelings are known to be liars. Why do you believe me?"
"Because I trust you. You're my friend, and I've seen who you really are, on the inside. You're not like other changelings, like your father. They're merciless soldiers, they lust for power, their only purpose is to bring destruction and claim the land as their own. But you're not like that. You're kind, caring, and accepting. When I first showed up, the other ponies were afraid of me. They wouldn't come near me. Yet you, you stayed. Because you saw. I wasn't a dangerous monster to you, I was just different. Just like you. And even after you saw me lose control before, you stayed. You trusted me, and I trust you back." Discord brought Cassandra into a close embrace, getting on his knees to reach her eye level. "Thank you for being by my side."
With that, the two parted ways. Cassandra had a flurry of emotion tossing and turning inside her head, while one thought rang clear in Discord's. He had made his first real friend.
=========================================================
The changeling princess returned home to see an army of soldiers, lined up in squads outside of the castle. "What's going on?" she muttered, walking through the main gate. "Father, there you are, I'm back. What's happening outside?"
The black crowned king spoke slowly, each word dripping with malice. "Plans have… changed. We must accelerate the invasion. All troops shall prepare for war. We leave for Equestria in two days' time."
"You're invading Equestria? Why have I never been told of this?"
"Foolish child, haven't you seen our race? The glorious changelings, banished from the land that is rightfully theirs. Forced to scavenge among small villages and towns, raiding shabby huts for food. With Ivaldi and Glephnir gone, and the disappearance of the carnivorous forest, now is the perfect opportunity to strike. Our hunger will be sated. We will claim the lives of thousands. Equestria will fall!"
A group of generals by Obsidian's side mirrored the cry. "Equestria will fall!"
"You can't do this, father! There must be another way! We don't have to kill them!"
"There is no other way, Cassandra. It has always been this way. We hunger, so we must feed. We must feed, therefore we must kill. Neither you nor I can change the laws of nature."
"But you're wrong! We don’t HAVE to kill! I've never killed in my life, and I'm healthier than anyone in this place!"
"You have found an alternative, all by yourself? Nonsense! You require sustenance, just like the rest of us."
"But it's true! We don't need to take others' lives. We can coexist. I've found a new source. All we need… is a little love." At this, the changeling king scoffed.
"You dare speak such blatant lies? Our species needs to survive. For that, we need energy. The energy of those ponies' lives."
Cassandra was desperate. "Father, I beg of you, please reconsider! I can prove it to you, just give me some time."
Obsidian's eyes narrowed. "You are trying my patience, child. Time is a luxury we cannot afford. Our troops seek blood."
Shaking her head slowly, Cassandra let a single tear run down her cheek. "Then I will have no part in this." She broke her gaze with Obsidian, running towards the forest with stifled sobs.
=========================================================
Discord heard a weak knocking at the door, awakening him from his slumber. "Huh, now who could that be at this hour?" Walking downstairs to answer the call, he was surprised by the changeling at the doorstep for the second time that day. "Back so soon, Cassandra?" But there was something different about her this time. Dried tears covered her face and tousled mane, earth and dirt caked on her legs from running in the mud. Her eyes were red and swollen, fresh moisture welling up at their sides.
"What's wrong?" Discord asked gently, receiving an unintelligible mumble as response. "I'm sorry, but could you speak louder? It's okay, you can tell me anything. No secrets between us, remember?"
"I…" she sniffled, shivering in the chilling moonlight.
"Yes?" he whispered, placing a paw on her cold shoulder.
"I… I just left him there. I can't go back now. I, I ran away from home."
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2028515 Am I correct in assuming that you liked it?
2028518iambrony.jsmart.web.id/mlp/gif/130461%20-%20animated%20apple_bloom%20macro%20nodding%20yes.gif?1344079163
Obsidian doesn't know what he is dealing with.
This review is brought to you by Authors Helping Authors. (Sorry about the wait)
Grammar Score: 9/10 (a bump here and their but nothing distracting)
Pros:
It's nice to see fresh take on the origin story all fleshed out instead of simply told in passing, and the story itself is thought out and put together well.
Your depiction of Discord is unique without being unbelievable.
The story is well written and easy to understand.
Cons:
You should always start a new paragraph for a new speaker. That's the rule the way I learned it. Any actions or inflections concerning the dialogue should come either in a break between two lines from the same speaker or at the end. This was a problem near the beginning (mainly the first two chapters) that became less frequent and eventually nonexistent the further I read so just a bit of light editing and you'll be golden. (Note: this is a structure issue and not a grammar one so it didn't show in your score.)
Some of the dialogue felt a bit stiff because of an extra word, but it wasn't major so that's a bit nit-picky. (I can't think of any specific places off the top of my head so that shows how minor this one is.)
This one is more than a personal preference than an actual rule, but their were a few places where a word you used felt off. The only specific one I can remember off the top of my head is when you used "shined" near the end of chapter 7. Whiles "shined" technically correct I felt like "shone" would have fit better. Again, that's an opinion so feel free to ignore it.
Note: I really like this story. You've earned a like and a fave and I'm looking forward to more.
Now this is totally optional, but if you find yourself with a bit of free time I wouldn't mind a bit of input on this story. You don't have to leave a full blown review unless you just really feel like writing one. Either way I hope you enjoyed your review.
2033305 I've been wanting to reply to this review for a while, but it seems to have slipped my mind. I was reminded by the addition of another review, 2070285 so let's kill two birds with one stone, shall we?
Thank you both for your observations and critiques. Let's get straight to it, then. Dry, stiff dialogue... my greatest enemy. Truth be told, this story actually started out as an experiment for fiction writing, which I have enjoyed reading but have never gotten the chance to write. The dialogue was something I never really focused on, and I had constant trouble imagining how people, or ponies talked 1000+ years ago. I think the dialogue polishing will come to me with experience, and more analysis of the topic when I am reading.
I'll go back and fix the formatting and grammar errors in the future. Seeing people tell me that my errors were largely in the early chapters, I almost regret writing them on a tiny iPod touch whilst I wasn't able to use a computer over summer. Almost. It still felt good getting the story out there. And, I get to learn where I went wrong. Such is progress. Also, God knows how I even got that far in the blasted heat. I really want to go back and rewrite some of the chapters, but more than that, I want to progress the story. I've come to the end of an arc here in the next chapter, for which I've already written 1000 words for, so I'll probably get that out and then go back to edit the previous chapters. Or not. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will strike me again, distracting my inner editor once more.
Feather: Twilight's not actually going to have much to do in this story; she'll be mentioned in an epilogue and take a major role in the sequel. She acts as a hook not only for this story, but its potential sequel as well. On the other hand, Cassandra is one of my most important chess pieces in my little fairy tale, so I WILL go back to polish her up later on.
Nick: I can tell that this story is what you want people to actually see more of, since you've even bothered to write yourself a sequel for it. Since the word tradeoff of a thousand to about thirty thousand words hardly seems fair to me, I will gladly read and review your piece; maybe even the sequel as well if you manage to catch my interest.
i'm put this on read later because i do have homework but i will read it
note that that may take awhile because my read later list is 131 so yay