A Life Long-lived

by Night Music

Chapter 1: Apples

"Run for your lives! It's a monster!" a cream colored mare shouted before galloping away, causing every pony in the vicinity to look towards the commotion. What they saw made their blood run cold. Marching towards the market was a behemoth of a creature. It's face hidden by darkness that was supplied by a brown fur hood and the only tell to what it was, was the horns that poked out beyond said hood. The fur draped over the creature and dragged lightly on the ground around it. Hiding its figure. But even if they didn't know what it looked like underneath the fur, they could tell that it was big. Standing over three times the height of a regular pony, and with the width of two large ones, it was an understatement to say that the creature looked threatening.

As the creature marched forward, more ponies ran at the sight of it. It's destination known, a small apple stand. The only apple stand in the market, run by a pony known as Applejack. The blonde earth pony was behind the stall at the moment, but was not paying attention as she had been relaxing, waiting for a customer. With the market empty besides the two, the creature stopped in front of the stall.

"Are you the one known as Applejack?" The creature spoke with an echo to its voice, breaking her out of day dream. She looked up at him and her eyes went wide.

"Uh y-yeah," she said, her voice wavering as she spoke. "H-How can I help?"

The creature reached up to it's hood with its silver claws and grabbed whatever was under the hood. With a twist of his arms, she heard a click sound of from under the fur. Pulling his arms away from himself, Applejack saw that he had removed a mask of some sort, but he stored it away under his fur cloak before she could get a closer look. Raising his claws back up to his face, he grabbed a hold onto his hood. Pulling it back he revealed his sun-kissed face with a flat muzzle. She looked up to his horns and saw that it connected to the rest of the mask had been wearing, the rest of it being on the back of his head. A head of bleached hair resting underneath the horns. Smiling down at her with closed eyes, he spoke with his strange looking muzzle.

"I'd like two apples, please," he said in an accent that resembled a posh Canterlot noble.

Before being body checked by a blue blur from his left.

---

It was dark. Very dark. This was all Twilight could tell about her dream. One moment she was blissfully unaware that she was asleep at all. But that changed when something changed. She couldn't tell what, but she knew something happened.

"You thought you could escape me Sparkle?" A deep voice echoed. She turned to the source and only saw the silhouette of some... thing. As it drew closer, she noticed the horns. The only pony she knew with horns was... Tirek!

"Tirek?!" She shouted. Confused as to how he was here in her dreams. It seemed though that he had ignored her.

"Time itself couldn't stop me from getting what is mine," his voice rumbled as he stopped just out of arms reach. What looked like lightning seemed to arc from where his eyes were. "I'm back," he whispered with a throaty chuckle. Raising a fist and thrusting it towards her face.

In that moment Twilight's eyes snapped open. She was back in her room. She squinted as she noticed the sunlight that peeked through the crack in the curtains.

"Twilight!" Somepony shrieked in her ear. Letting out a yelp of fear, she tumbled out of her bed, along with the blanket. Slowly, her head poked from underneath the blanket, looking up to her bed she spotted her pink friend, rightfully named Pinkie Pie. Who was currently bouncing on her bed like a foal hyped up on sugar.

"Pinkie," Twilight croaked, using her bloodshot eyes to peak at the clock on her room's wall. Her eyes widened. It was already lunch time why hadn't Spike woken her? She shook her head and focused on what was before her. Pinkie.

"Pinkie what are you doing?" Twilight croaked once more. "Not that I don't want to see you but... did you have to wake me up like that?" Nodding her head to keep her eyes on Pinkie as she bounced.

"Of course!" She giggled. "Discord is gathering us all up, apparently he has a surprise for us!" She said as she continued to bounce up and down.

Discord? A surprise? Why did this sound like some sort of prank. None the less, she would humor him. Twilight cleared her throat. "Give me a moment please." Using her magic, the whole room was filled with a bright light, after it dulled down everything was back in place. Pinkie wasn't bouncing but next to Twilight as the blanket had taken her place and was neatly tucked into the bed. Twilight's mane was less of a mess and her eyes weren't bloodshot anymore. She took a deep inhale and held it for a moment. Before exhaling and turning towards he friend. "Okay," she said, bowing her head. "I'm ready."

As the two exited the castle, they were greeted with the group right outside of the door. There was Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Discord floating above them.

"Discord?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on? What's this surprise? Pinkie didn't tell me much."

"Oh isn't it wonderful?!" He raised his arms to the sky, before slowly floating to the ground. "Please girls, walk with me," Discord said as he walked towards Ponyville. The friends looked between each other, their eyebrows raised, and confusion in their eyes. Shrugging they began to follow the Draconequus. Catching up to him, the girls looked between each once more.

"Uhm, Discord?" Fluttershy spoke softly.

"Yes Fluttershy?" Discord asked, craning his neck back with a glee filled smile on his face.

Everypony but Fluttershy reared back their heads at this, they knew Discord was weird, but, why was he acting so normal? So collected? And why did they find that even weirder?

"I don't mean to be rude but, would you mind telling us what is going on?" Her face contorted with worry. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh nothing is wrong dear, but if you all wanted to hear what the surprise is, all you had to do was ask," Discord said before going silent.

"So? What's this surprise?" She asked, growing tired of the repeating of the question.

"Oh nothing but an old family friend coming to visit," Discord said nonchalantly.

"A friend? Wait, you have a family Discord?" Twilight asked, the first time hearing about Discord's personal life.

"Yes yes I have a family, where do you think babies come from?"

Twilight sputtered. Discord used to be a baby?

"Well Twilight, when a stallion and a mare love each other very much-"

"Discord! This isn't appropriate at the time!" Fluttershy squeeked, her face flushed and red.

"-The stork delivers them a baby, parts already assembled but batteries not included." Discord turned to his left, turning a corner and heading into the market. Every one of the mares besides Fluttershy stared at the back of Discords head with gazes that asked 'What?'

"But yes, I do have a family. And I consider this friend of mine to be a part of that family," Discord said with a small smile on his face. "Even if he did only come to be trained in the ways of chaos," he coughed quickly into his loin paw.

Another pony who was just like Discord? Twilight dreaded to know what it would be like to have not only one but two Discords living in Ponyville. She shuddered at the thought. Looking forward, she could see the market square. She could even see Applejack's stall from where she was. In that moment, seeing the horned figure in front of the apple stall. One thought came to the forefront of her mind.

"Tirek?!" She shouted, not actually meaning to. This caught the attention of her friends as they all turned their gazes to her, and then to where she was looking. Twilight heard a growl from above her and was blinded as her wind was blown into her eyes. She opened them and saw that Rainbow Dash had already taken off, speeding towards the centaur.

Raising a hoof. Twilight called out. "Rainbow Dash, wait!" But it was too late, she had already collided with the horned figure.

---

Diamond Dignity, or Damon as he was known by his friends. Was a strange one. Being born from a pony family and taken to the royalty of the Griffin capitol, he lived a life of luxury. At a young age he resented his biological parents for abandoning him. But grew to understand why they had done what they did. He was a strange creature, one that no one had ever seen. They wouldn't have been able to take care of him in the first place. So he was given to the Griffins. With a family that was so different from him, his mind went from resentment to curiosity. Could he find people that were like him? Over the years this curiosity grew, going from finding his own kind, to finding a place that he would fit in. So, at the age of seventeen he set off to adventure the world. Wandering, living with the different races and cultures that populated the planet. Gaining friends and family everywhere he went.

"Ah, Ponyville, I remember you," Diamond said with a sigh. His voice echoing in his mask. A piece of Minotaur craftmanship. The front half was a shiny silver with angled eye slits and square holes near the mouth for breathing. While the back half was of the same material but with gold leaf trimmings. The horns welded to the top of it. The gold spiraling around the bases of the two ivory made horns. Both of which rose from the top of the two piece helmet and jutted forward just over the front of the mask, and tapering off to a fine point as they turned towards the sky once more. His yak fur cloak covering his body along with his gear.

"I think we're gonna love it here, nice, quiet country town, eh?" He looked down at his traveling companion with a raised eyebrow. On the grass covered ground was a small jet black figure. With four hooves planted in the grass and fins adorning each side of its head. Looking up to lock gazes, the infant Changeling looked at his mask with her own pair of massive sky-blue eyes. A moment of silence passed before the infant raised her hooves above her head and gave a bubbly giggle, laughing at the funny looking creature. A single fang in her otherwise toothless smile.

Diamond bent forward, and with his gauntlet covered hands, lifted the Changeling into his arms, using the tips of his fingers to tickle the sides of the Changeling as he did so.

"Yes we are! Yes we are!" He spoke in baby talk. Earning delighted laughter from her. "Who's my little Aphid? That's right you are!" Stopping his onslaught of tickling he looked down to Aphid and spoke in a regular tone. "Don't worry little one, mother will be joining us soon enough."

Lowering himself to the ground he placed Aphid back down onto the grass. Reaching with a hand he grabbed Aphid's cocoon and held it out to her. It was a small, bed that was meant to close and keep the Changeling in a snug embrace, just as they had back home. The cocoon itself was a transparent breathable material. Aphid raised her hooves to it and pulled herself into it, digging into the fabric of the bed she covered herself. And closed her eyes.

Giving a soft sigh. Diamond closed the cocoon and pulled it under his cloak. Latching it onto the right side of his pack, the spot he had put it wouldn't allow the bed to shake with something as simple as walking, even running.

Raising his hands to his hood, he pulled it over this helmet shielding his head from the sun over head. "It's been how many years?" He asked himself as he walked towards the town. "Just under two-hundred?" He gave a small laugh. "It seems the Apple family is still here, or else I wouldn't have been recommended to buy from them," he said thinking of his last encounter with the Apples. Their hospitality was one of the things that he liked about them. He hadn't stayed long, only a week if he could recall. Even then, he didn't stay with the Apples, he stayed on the plot of land that he had bought. Resting before he continued his trek.

As he entered the town he noticed the ponies that had been farther in. Keeping his pace, he interrupted the sound of his footsteps with a thought. "This town got a lot bigger," he muttered, staring at the admittedly small, but overwhelming amount of houses. A minute later, his thoughts were interrupted by a cream colored mare.

"Run for your lives! It's a monster!" Someone yelled, causing mass panic not a moment later. Not stopping to look at the panicking ponies, he kept walking towards the market. Once he was in the entrance of the market square. His eyes scanned the stalls. Spotting a stall with a red apple painted onto its simple wooden frame. Walking towards it he spotted the mare behind the stall. A blonde maned, orange earth pony, a stetson hat adorned her head. She had a content smile on her face, she was either asleep or just relaxing. He couldn't quiet tell.

"Are you the one known as Applejack?" He asked. Earning the attention of the mare. Her eyes snapping open and being greeted by his hooded figure. Her eyes widened and her ears pushed back into her mane.

"Uh y-yeah," she said, her voice filled with obvious fear. "H-How can I help?"

Oh dear, I'm frightening her. Diamond thought. An idea struck him. Acting quickly he reached up for his mask and unhatched the front half and stowed it away. Pulling his hood away, he gave the mare a smile with his lips, closing his light grey eyes in the process. He hoped the small action would calm the scared mare.

"I'd like two apples, please," his voice brought down to a calm tone, the smile still on his face.

The next moment he felt something connect with his side, sending him tumbling to the ground. Trying to stop his fall with his right elbow. But failing as his arm was zapped with pain the moment it connected with the ground. A loud crunch filling the silence after his fall.

Author's Note:

Just something I thought of. Hope it's okay.

Probably gonna give y'all a case of regret.

Comments

[Curious Thoughts]

Seems good so far. I can't wait to read what's going to happen next.

[djponyfl]

This is a good so far, and I can't wait to read more of it.

[Xzaves]

oh shit, she broke his arm! D:

[RedGlare]

it looks like a good story! i'm anxious to the next chapter

[Hoppa_21]

"Who's my little Aphid? That's right you are!"

Reminds me of the perverted female changeling from 'In A Land Down Under'. At least I think it was the name of the story. Wondering if you took the name from that story, or if it was just a coincidence.

"Just under two-hundred?" He gave a small laugh. "It seems the Apple family is still here, or else I wouldn't have been recommended to buy from them," he said thinking of his last encounter with the Apples.

I wonder if this already counts as Alternate Universe, since Ponyville was founded by Granny Smith's parents, which doesn't lay that much back, but I'm probably interpreting too much into it.

[Greatazuredragon]

Way to go Rainbow...