The Book of Ages. Volume 1. Harmony and Immortality

by Rune Singer

Cataclysm

For seven days and seven nights the survivors from Marelantis witnessed a miracle. Later is would become legend, then myth and even after thousands of years within inherent memory the Cataclysm was never forgotten.

The first morning after that gigantic wave had crashed over the dome, deafening all ears, ponies rose from their huddles and hiding places seeing churning waters and debris hit the walls. Every now and then an immense piece of rock or a parts of a building but slowly be hurled against the dome, thunk with a reverberating sound and be swept away. It was a good thing the water would remain dark green and rusty with soil as there was more than rubble hitting the dome. Livestock and bodies would inevitably be sighted and Harmony wanted to avoid any more desperation and horror.

Holding vigil aside the spell that she had created, she was grateful for the menial work of repelling unsightly objects from the barrier. It was not easy but it could be done and it gave her time to think.

With the pool of memories and combined knowledge of three ponies, she was starting to form a stratagem. She had an immediate responsibility for the lives of these ponies. Setting a creeping sentiment of guilt aside, she had to take care of them since she saved them in the first place.
It was fortunate that the ships she saved always carried food and water and basic supplies, in case of an immediate deployment. Also, since many earth ponies had taken refuge in the Tesserakonteres, they had stocked it up with linen, metals and valuables. She already mourned the fact that there was no time, or thought, to have saved any scrolls, artefacts or mementos from their sunken homeland.

Survival aside, they had no home. Looking behind her, she saw ponies already having set up tents, connected the ships to each other with gangplanks and as well as lit cooking fires.

“Life always finds a way” was the old expression she remembered, “but they are not living a natural life right now. The natural way was for them to have drowned.” She shook her head and returned to perusing the waters that churned less, but rose steadily.

A shaky mare’s voice came startled her from her thoughts, as apart from that one stallion, no pony had dared talk to her. Surely a plate of food had been left reverently in the radius of her vicinity but ponies avoided even her gaze. Harmony turned slowly as not to startle the pony with her other-worldliness.

“I know what you are doing your majesty” no other than the earth pony crone that resided over the rites, spoke without fear.

“And it is a good thing. Ponies should not be exposed to such horror as the sea can cause. But have you no spell for that, to find some time and speak with an old pony?”

Harmony’s eyes opened wide at the sincere and intense conviction, smiled warmly and set her horn aglow with a spell that would simply repel what was dead. Stepping down the rocks she made the habit to stand on, she found the pony picking at cooked yams from the bowl that had been brought to her before.

“Won’t you eat these? They are good” the crone said and offered the wooden plate.
Sitting next to her on the ground, Harmony found herself practically looming over the pony. She fidgeted and haunched her shoulders. The pony next to her munched on the cooked yam, boiled to a mush and laughed.

“You fear your size scares me, hmm? Pony! I’ve seen centaurs in battle and those where fearsome. Smacking Harmony’s sides with her spoon she spat, cackling

“And don't slouch! All you young ones slouch so much, you are too tall to slouch like me! I wont let you, until you’ve grown a few years. Now eat!” and smacked the spoon once more.

Startled Harmony straightened her back and ate without a word. Chewing on the lightly salted food, she felt tears trickling down her cheeks. Those words, like a cook or servant charged with watching her, that warm uncaring of her status hit too close to home. She continued chewing, swallowing and then sobbing for a long time. Harmony savoured each bite because it was from home and because her ponies, her ponies!, made this with love, despite the pain it cause within her heart.

When the food was eaten, Harmony felt the bowl being gently taken off her hoof ans she looked to the side.
“Thank you old mother, thank you for many things. May I know your name?” the Alicorn inquired. The old priestess cackled once more and spoke with broad gestures of her hooves.

“Aye…I have forgotten it by now my sweet, because it does not matter! WE matter majesty. Our stories and songs matter. The pictures painted and the things we create. THEY matter…”

Harmony followed the gestures and tried to envision Marelantis, her Marelantis as it was…
“Yes old mother, but it is gone now and so little remains. We will forget, wherever we flee to and Marelantis will die…”
“Then let it die.” The pony said causing Harmony to gasp. The priestess relentlessly continue her teaching. She seemed to the Alicorn as if wound like a toy to produce the same lessons over and over, yet, she felt a sense of purpose within those words. As if the pony was mean to guide her now, was taught by priestesses before her and them as well for generations. Listening to her does not mean I will follow what she says, she thought and turned fully to ask the crone.

“You specifically said just now, that Marelantis is within us, with all the songs and traditions and memory. And that it is important to keep those but now you tell me to let Marelantis die? Make sense priestess!”

An upturned brow looking at her and eyes deep with awareness made Harmony stop.
“The land itself is dead!” the pony said aloud “but aye, its soul is within us all.” She stood on creaking ligaments and poked a hoof in Harmony’s chest “it will be a hard lesson, yes a hard one, for you for me and for them.”

“What lesson? You confuse me, and realised by the touch she knew her name,”Sage Tea! That is your name”

The earth pony stood immobile for many moments and Harmony feared she damaged her mind somehow when she drew back at the loud outburst.

“HahAAAH! Sage Tea aye that be me.” She said and unceremoniously went about to inspect Harmony as if she was a chicken primed for selling. The priestess unfurled a wing, a task not easy for her, slid her hoof along the pinions and feathers. Then she forcefully made Harmony to bow her head as she felt along her horn. Harmony shuddered all over at the intrusion, especially the horn.

“O..Oh..Old Mother! Please..this tickles” and gently;y pried herself the old pony off.
“What happened, why did you do this” she asked looking to the side noticing that many a pony had watched the weird display.

Sage Tea turned, raised her hooves and called.
“She is a pony just like us, of flesh and blood, born not made! By Feather, Horn and Hoof she is our princess come of the Lodestone.” And bowed reverently.

“Our Princess!” came voices through a susurrus among the ponies that left anything they where doing and bowed as well, smiles and faces of hope apparent to Harmony.
“She knew her name, I heard her speak it!”
“If the priestess vows so, it is do”
“She will save us!”
“Hail the Princess!”
“Hail Harmony!” was the repeated word then
“Hail Harmony!” it came louder “Hail Harmony!”

“What do I do” harmony whispered to Sage Tea at her side.
“For now, accept their joy, celebrate if they want it and then…” The pony looked back towards where their sunken homeland must be, pressed her lips together frowning. “Then we mourn the dead. When the pain has gone past, you steel their hearts with the memories of Marelantis and guide them to a new home… To a new home.”

“Them?” Harmony asked while she waved shyly and dipped her head in thanks fort he cheering. “Are you not coming with us?” But she saw in astonishment that the crone had fallen asleep, probably exhausted. With her magic she gently lifted the frail body, diminished with age, and found in dismay that she had passed away, a serene smile on her face.

Walking thought the crowd that kept cheering and expressing joy and relief, tears ran unabashed down the Alicorn’s cheeks, towards where the dead had been prepared for burning.

---

Over the next two days the waters rose to cover the dome.
“Where has that water come from?” asked many ponies and she could only tell them in passing. How could she describe what she now knew from the lodestone’s memory. That far, far away at the western most point of the Mareterranean sea, the rocks of Zebraltar stood, separating sea from ocean. These did erode slowly and steadily, but the last, pony made earthquake broke that brittle balance. The ocean flowed into their sea until their level was equal. Harmony also did not want to put the pictures of flooding coastal cities, many more deaths and catastrophe, into her subject’s minds. Thus she led them make up their own myths and think not in detail about the true physics.

She also wanted to fly as high as possible soon, to see the extent of the flooding and most importantly in what direction to actually set sail to. The matter of reaching the surface was one of magic and that was relatively easy to manage as well as that other one…the grim one.

Harmony swallowed once, pressing her eyes shut to stifle tears, because among the bodies, now cocooned in magic shrouds, her parents where also found. As soon as they broke surface, the cremation of the dead had to be held and the the course for home taken.
“What home? To where?” she thought in anguish.”If only the waters would stop rising”

On the fourth night she was woken by a whisper.
“Princess…Princess wake up”
Harmony groggily stirred from the cot she slept in. She had been given the largest room there within the Tesserakonteres and was left alone. She hated that fact, why had she so much space when otherwise the ponies had to sleep five and eight to a small room, hammocks emerging everywhere during nightfall.
She rose and saw a young mare beckoning.
“Princess you must come!” she urged and went out the corridor, dashed upon the narrow steps to reach the upper deck. There many ponies stood looking up and pointing to the topmost area of the dome.
A streak of moonlight pierced the surface and illuminated the dome floor. Perhaps a diameter of 4 meters of sky was visible, stars twinkling. She sighed in relief. “The waters were retreating” and looked about at the tired but elated faces of her ponies. “They have been through so much, but life wins, their needs, their families and everyday life keeps them from going into shock…and they find joy in so many small things” looking back up at that beautiful piece of sky, she knew myth would make it a sign, but she cared not because it fit well into her design.
“Yes” she vowed to herself “ I will find a home and a way to reach it. A safe place. No! I will MAKE it safe so that they need not worry and live comfortable, happy lives.”

Harmony gathered her legs and leaped up, her wings beat once as her horn glowed. Penetrating the dome but not releasing it she flew out, taking a breath of cold, clean air. Hovering above the dome she could see how illuminated it was, from the magic of the barrier, the little fires and lanterns of the ponies.

Around there was nothing, only dark sea and above the night sky seeming closer as it was brighter than the waters. With another beat she flew higher but found that she could not do it as easily as before. She could not fly outside the exosphere nor as high as she wanted within the atmosphere. High enough she could discern the curb of the planet but it was not enough to see entire continents. She knew then that she had limits. Holding the dome spell, the smaller spells within, she found that her magic potential was vast, but stretched thin. The impact of that realisation cause her to hover lower, deciding to try again at dawn.

---

When she woke, Harmony let the light blanket slip down her back as she rose. She splashed as little of the precious drinking water she was given as possible onto her face and combed her hair with a small straight comb, intricately carved with marine life on its fragrant olive wood. “Things like these will soon be the only memories we will have”…she thought not for the last time and exited her cabin.

Outside she greeted whomever saluted of bowed to her but rose to the air as soon as she could. Passing safely through the barrier, as she did the night before, she blinked in the bright sun and the clear blue sky. No longer black nor churning, below her the see was dark blue and slightly wavy, as if nothing had happened. Deciding upon a westwards direction, she nevertheless set a beacon of magic upon the dome, so as not to lose it under any circumstances.

Not a few hundred meters did she manage westward when she felt an enormous power nearing her. No, she felt its intent, somehow, and it was going after the dome, after her ponies! Flying as fast as she could she knew the other power was too close and the would inevitably collide soon.

Luckily a significant height above the dome they did collide and harmony knew at once who it was that hungered for her ponies.

“Discord” she shouted with all that she knew about him now. All the images of him within the crystal prison, the malicious intent, the conniving glee and malice with which he let his power be used. From the shock of the collision they had agitated the sea around them and it returned with meter high waves that lapped against the exposed part of the dome. Both had landed on the surface, momentarily dazed.

Like a fabled Lung-dragon of the Quillin, he sprawled on all fours, rubbing his head with his talon. Looking up in astonishment he called “Princess! Its one of you… no your are both, its you!” causing Harmony to feel disgust at the happiness and kindness this creature of Chaos and destruction showed.

“You!” she let her royal voice shout as loud as she could. “How could you let this happen! You caused the worst of all of this, you even enabled the fallen to contribute to the fall… the fall of Marelantis!”

His eyes open wide, clenching and unclenching his claws he shook the water off his back and levitated himself. Beseechingly he looked back at her again and even moved a bit to float towards her.

She bellowed again causing him to recoil and extend claws and talons out in defence.

“Not another meter! What did you expect flying here so fast and hungry? Magic to devour? Don't deny it, I know you like magical items. But you will not have the last hope of my ponies!”

With that she braced sent a vast wave of energy against him.
He was blown a bit back but returned, watching her from higher up.
“Who are you?” he asked astonished as two red gashes where along each forearm.

“I am Harmony the twinned. I know all that passed between you and my brother Pebble and I am both of the princesses you knew. I know also that you spell nothing than trouble for my subjects and I banish you from us. You are aware now that I can best you, creature of Chaos. Vanish and be damned!”

She called thus and every word stung worse than his injuries. He visibly recoiled at each and defeated he fled as fast as he could, as far away as he could from the one creature that was both the opposite and the only equal to him.

To the ones below, it seemed only that their princess fended off another horrible nightmare, returning victorious. They now could trust her with her lives when she spoke of returning to the surface and setting a course for a new home.

Now more than ever, Harmony felt their migration was imperative. Despite the triumph and revenge she felt she had taken by fending off Discord, she locked herself up in her cabin and cried. She cried for the three young friends, hopeful and naive. She cried for a unicorn who had fallen in love with him and a pegasus who thought him her best friend. That Discord was gone forever, broken by the despicable first mage and driven to begin the destruction of the planet itself. A destruction of this magnitude, the sheer time spanning effect, was simply unforgivable.

—————————————————

During the last days of their stay under the dome, Harmony flew ever further and despaired. From all that accumulated memory she had a map in mind that she would have followed if not for the flooded shores. Since it was no ordinary floor with a few tsunami or even a few consecutive earthquakes, the damage to the shores she had in mind was greater than she could have imagined.
Firstly she had flown in the direction of Tirre, that Marelantean colony that caused so much strife after all. Tirre was gone entirely, from harbour city to the lofty towers in its newly built castle. The rising water had not just flooded the shores, it had eroded parts of the land and rendered it anew and unrecognisable.

On another day she flew eastwards towards Little Kirinia, the long landmass that touched the Mareterranean sea. Nothing was left of the kilometre long beaches and the seasside cities of marble and sandstone. Having been a lad at sea level for many kilometres inland, all that was flooded up to the Grand Kirinian mountain range.
She set aside thoughts of how any creature would no longer be able to cross that natural barrier to reach Kirinia from the west. This was not her concern although the guilt was set in stone within her. “Creatures will find a way, by sea or even land to reconnect trade routes, life will always find a way.” She thought as she noticed little life about the areas she had perused.

In order to reach further she flew higher. Exhausted she had reached the most northern edge of the Kirinian continent, where a sizeable canal separated Mareuropa and Kirinia. This was now a vast sea and to her dismay, at the mouth of that channel sea, rock formations as high as hills loomed. The waters churned and turned in enormous swells to crash against the rocks. Rapids that would swallow a small trireme formed and gushed their contents out in high plumes of foamy sea. No, this would not do for a migration and Harmony was not entirely sure she could manage to control so many individual ships with magic. No, her ponies had to make it on their own with her as guide.

The only two directions left where to the west and south-east. Reluctant to even think about it, she knew that the second direction, southeastern, was where Discord had flown to. Immediately this cause a denial within her and that was the point she took the decision. Westwards, to Albion or even past the rocks of Zebraltar.

That night she called a council of all captains and whoever had taken leadership over certain groups. Inevitably some ponies flocked around certain figures whether for protection or a sympathetic ear. One could not call them factions, but the segregation had already started.

In a wide circle around the central fire, Harmony addressed them all and conferred with them about their knowledge and thoughts. In shock they all heard about the state of the world but their eyes shone when they looked at her. It both empowered and unnerved Harmony, but she swallowed that down. Inner memory helped bring knowledge of statecraft forward and delegated the most prominent ponies to duties such as : reaching a consensus of all ponies, inventory of supplies and damages to the ships.

Her subjects had started to reach out to her as well, asking questions or just picking up conversation. Sometimes they asked the impossible such as bringing supplies into existence without teleporting them from somewhere else, or whether she could rise Marelantis from the depths again. Gently she dissuaded such talk and found that she could use her voice to soothe and direct the ponies around her. So she prodded all thoughts towards reaching a new homeland. Harmony;s subjects now wanted to migrate, they wanted to explore new shores and find the best place to settle.

Harmony waited and saw as her subjects repaired the ships with onboard supplies and whatever debris was within the dome. One irreparable trireme was befitted as a funeral barge and it was requested from her to hold a funeral pyre for the dead before embarking upon their journey. Harmony had expected that and never let go of the preserving spell around the deceased, embalmed bodies. She too needed the release and catharsis of a funeral. Fiercely she wanted to leave, but waited wisely for the ponies to ask it of her, it would not take too much time either way she reckoned as she perused the work around her.

Indeed in two days time everything was as ready as it could have been. The night before departure another council was help so that Harmony could explain how she would get everypony within their ships out of the dome. The captains had expertly divided troops and cargo, reached to decisions on speed, rowing shifts and all that took to command a fleet.

When the last night came to pass, every pony was on board their delegated ships, sleeping their last hours upon land. Somepony had carved a verse upon the rock that had held the mother lodestone, even though after Harmony would let the dome collapse, this islet would also sink beneath the waters. No one would read this testament, but it meant something for the one who carved it.

“Here we, the last of Marelantis
Slept and dreamt of you oh motherland.”

Harmony who took a last walk about the small island, read this and bent her head to touch the letters with her horn. She changed the stone beneath, to shine brightly. She willed it so that the Fae light would gleam forever more beneath the sea.

---

To be continued :
Journey to the Light
The stone travels West
Greatest gift
Harmony restored

Author's Note:

• Upon the theory and evidence that Meditteranea sea was filled in a type of flood https://mappingignorance.org/2014/02/07/how-the-mediterranean-was-refilled/