"Expulsion from Paradise" (Malcontent Origin)
Expulsion from Paradise
By
DarkMalcontent
Proofs by Ali
Editor with Wing Envy: Brawny Buck
Creative Consultation by The Pony Think Tank( Alden, Kyle, Spencer, Floof)
***
Puffs of clouds and gusts of cold winds swirled about the world. From the top of the spirals of cloud towers topped with ice to the low level fog that coated everything, the world as he knew it never changed.
Generations of his kind, the Windigos, had lived in peace and relative harmony in nature. No one wanted for food or sustenance, yet no one felt an over abundance of anything either. The world was perfect for his people. Not once had anyone in over two generations questioned the peace that radiated across their high atmosphere existence.
For all the complacency, this wasn't always the case, a fact that ate away at him. The older, ancient ones would speak of the early times. Times when the land creatures would be cattle to be fed on, their negative emotions providing enough energy for his people a hundred times over. It was so much that great storms would follow in their wake as the excess energy would burn off, and the animals below would hide from the very presence of their artic power.
Then a great unification occurred in the dominant species of the lands. The ponies were the first to embrace a life aimed away from conflict, the war like flying races moving to control weather while the magic using and earth kind alike walked among each other as equals. Such an existence was of no use to his people.
So they withdrew. Content to simply survive, they were not capable of physically provoking the ponies, so little in the way of alternatives remained. They ran to their high cloud cover and began to reside themselves in an almost hibernating level of existence. During this time, several high ranking elders kept spinning ideas of how to send the new unified races against each other to stir the emotions again, but no plan seemed secure enough. Time passed and it became obvious that the emotions they always fed on were not a necessity, so attempts to re-engage the races with each other simply stopped.
The Windigo species was now content to live an utterly peaceful but equally mundane society. Though even the most calm of waters is capable of hiding troublesome creatures.
***
"You can’t leave well enough alone, can you, brother?"
The question grated on his nerves as much as the topic it was concerned over. Blue eyes narrowed at his fellow Windigo, a look of contempt as he tilted his head towards him. “‘Well enough’ is hardly what I’d call it. Scraping by perhaps is a better term.”
The two conversed as they floated through their native land of the high clouds. Once a race entirely dependent on negative emotions of the land animals, the Windigo race had all but withdrawn from feeding on the ponies below. The generation before had been the first to have not fed on emotions. The existence was not as glorious as the tales of the pre reformation, but it wasn't horrific either.
Herds of gathered Windigo conversed in their native tongue, heard only as ghastly wind or blowing snow by non-Windigos. The sound was easily disguised as normal weather patterns, making any inspection by Pegasus or Alicorn trivial. The race was self contained and sought no more than what they had, save a few discontented minorities.
"What I mean to imply, brother, is that despite not understanding the magic that the creatures below wield, we must respect it." The first resumed. "We get along fine as it is."
"Tell me my dear brother, what is it you see when you cast your gaze across the great expanse?" the purple hue of the Windigos eyes sizzled in distaste. He motioned with his head, the regal cloud mane he wore wafting around with him. The countless groups of Windigo, all identical save their eye colors, reached for what appeared to be miles in the distance.
"I see a great race, perfect in their own world. Wanting for nothing." His companion answered.
The purple eyed one sneered, a snort of contention sounding again. "Many a lesson from the so called elders have you had it sounds." He turned to look across the great expanse of clouds. "I see a stagnation that will eat our race. A slow, grueling death of isolation brought on by ancient fears." He fluffed his chest with a final sigh. "One I'm powerless to help fix as long as our elders refuse to embrace changing winds."
"We get along fine, but we could be much more." His companion spouted back. "Stories the old ones told us of powerful storms, and equally powerful emotion to feast on."
"At the expense of the harmony of the ecosystem below. Our mere presence was deemed intrusive." His wispy clan member chimed back. "The Great Reform was in response to the magic the ponies unleashed on us. Had we not withdrawn we would have been extinguished."
"A smite we have yet to repay."
"Nor should we." A third floated over, his flowing mane of cloud much more lush than the other two. "Young one, you would be wise to listen to your others." A gust of wind picked up around them, each glowing brighter as its power touched them for a moment. "As you can see the residual negative emotion still sustains us. We need not stir up more and risk annihilation with returning to the ancient ways."
"Old one, I agree to one end." The first pushed his chest fluff out. "We need not use the old ways." Taking the moment to circle the two as he spoke, he left trails of purple vapor behind him. "You see, only a fool excites food visibly. The food inevitably bites back when its had enough."
"As the ancient times declare."
"Yet, if one can rile up their food, its taste is that much more exquisite when the food doesn’t realize it's being poked and prodded." He finished, a smile laying across his cloud muzzle as his eyes burst purple magic.
"You speak as if you know better." The older of them responded, the mane on his head flaring with a gusty of snow. "Food never stays stupid for long. That's why we do not let it see us anymore."
"We hide here eating scraps when we could be ingesting power hundreds of times greater. Ruling the land animals from our sky domain as it once was!" The first grinned back.
"I was there. I know of these glorious times. They had their price."
"But you do admit it was glorious." He snaked his head from behind the elder. "So much glorious emotion one didn’t know what to do. Hunting parties. Great feasts. Laughter and life in the sky domain!" he continued, pecking away at the stalwart elders will. "Not this meager existence where Windigos creep about and mutter about the good old days?"
A silence came over the three, their looks contrasting the other. The instigator wore a half cocked smile, letting his words dissolve at the elder, much to the other ones surprise.
Wincing at the memories of the old days, the elder lost his composure, his size dissipating and his eyes dimming. A Windigo fed on negative emotions even their own if turned inward, which was what he had wanted of the elder. Not to change his mind immediately, but to make him question himself.
A doubtful leader is far more dangerous than a headstrong general any day. He thought, watching in silence. Time to let him think.
The elder turned to leave, scoffing as the two stood still. Pushing past a few other young ones that gathered when the commotion drew them in, the upstart took notice of their interest.
It seems all are not lost to a humdrum existence. A sly smile worked on his muzzle.
"You truly think we can be as great as the stories once said we were?" a smaller Windigo floated close to ask, taking a few nervous glances around.
"My brothers and sisters," he cleared his throat, a puff of cloud swirling out. "Our race is capable of anything with the right leadership." He let the words linger a few moments. "The real question is are you ready for change?" he wafted fluff from the ground. "Or are you all content to lumber about like the sloths below?" the fluffy substance disappeared as his words grew stricter. "Are you willing to simply sit by as your so called betters determine what's the right thing for each of you to do?"
Several more joined him, now a gathering of about a dozen, settling in to listen to his words. More affirmations of his ideas sounded from the group, each time getting louder.
From his perch above the small group, he glimpsed a set of elders, now watching not with interest, but with what he could only surmise as fear.
I may have just painted a target on my head. He thought. But if I'm to make any change for the good, risks must be taken.
***
He continued each day to speak to a growing number of listeners. Each time he would bring forward the idea of returning to the old ways, and each time an elder would be watching. He noticed it was not the same each time, but never more than two at a time.
Finally, the day came when the entire council of elders arrived during his speech.
"Young one. We would speak with you." The elder female said, her wispy mane flourishing in the winds.
"Ah, the council wishes to silence me no doubt." He turned to his followers, their whinnies signally disapproval to the coming arrest.
"We do not plan on causing any trouble." A male next to the lead elder said, his eyes an artic blue hue. "Nor will we allow it to be stirred up."
"What I seek is not to stir up trouble among us." The ground flailing up in tufts of cloud with each turn, the distinct Windigo tail barely grazing the ground from his levitation. "But trouble among the game down below."
The elders seldom saw anyone in a gathered fashion, so the collective group of them together had begun to bring in spectators. Windigos were a race of observers, only bringing storms and frostbite when those creatures around them stirred up the emotions. Being observers came a natural element of curiosity, and that brought a small herd over to watch as the young upstart continued.
"Young one, you have excelled in learning the mystical arts." Another female elder chose to address him. "Your teachers tell me you may have surpassed them, especially in the fields of demonic spirit comprehension and the prevention of dark magic." She adjusted a wispy pair of glasses that immediately vanished. "Which confuses me further."
"I would be happy to enlighten the elder." The smug tone grated on several onlookers and elders.
"I have no doubt you would. But my confusion comes from how such a gifted student, one well on their way to being a teacher themselves, can be so obtuse in the dangers in returning to the savage times." She floated closer as she spoke, turning her back to him. "Clearly you do not embrace history as much as you claim to worry about the future."
"'The Savage Times', as they are described need not be a blemish on our race, but part of our evolution." He retorted, knocking mist up as he turned. "If we follow a different path in the same direction, greatness can be ours again."
"Or we could fall into disarray when Puddlehead and the rest united so long ago." Another elder moved forward to the floor, his aura a pale green. "Lest you forget that the times we all but starved. We lost many."
A muttering came from behind the young one, signaling him he had lost momentum in the crowd's favor. He narrowed his eyes, turning to face the new voice. "Look around us, old one. Life is not worth living if we just survive on the paltry emotions from everyday life below." He turned to face the gathering crowd. "I speak not of conquest, but merely symbiosis. Imagine for a moment, those that can." He stared back at the elders. "The great Windigo species in a decade. Maybe two. Subsisting on petty squabbles and domestic violence. I see a bleak future as our numbers increase. Surely the elders see our numbers increase as I do. We grow larger each generation and soon…" he turned dramatically. "I perish the thought of what could become of the youngest generation."
The crowd broke into a loud discussion about the future as the speaker moved from the floor, letting the younger ones move closer to the elders with their questions. The growing mob seemed to gain more momentum the longer it was allowed to maintain, making the elders all move back. The largest of the council stood fast and their eyes lit up with an electrical discharge, silencing the noise.
"Silence!" they roared. "We will not have this council that has stood for generations be brought down by fear mongering and unsubstantiated nonsense!"
Moving to the front again, the upstart seemed to pulse with the negative energy around him, the purple in his eyes intensified as he fed on it all. "You hear them? They fear the future so much they won't even listen to possibilities. They wish to silence anyone who opposes them." He grew in fluffy size. "If there was no problem with change, why would they not hear us? Answer our questions!" he continued, the crowd growing in anger and questions.
The mob took further advances as the upstart grew in size, his eyes crackling with purple energy as the sentimental turned furious, each Windigo growing more angry and desperate for answers. The resulting feedback loop on them, making the crowd even more desperate and hungry for food and answers.
"My clan, those we have seen fit to lead us have remained silent despite our pleas." He shouted, rising up above the mob. "Should we be, as this body of elders wishes, and remain cattle grazing on what we find…" he rose higher, the winds and snow building around the cheers he began to hear. "...or should we be the predators we once were!? Not bound and held down like slaves by those we proclaim as leaders!" he grinned wide, a swirl of followers cheering loudly. "Powerless should any real threat approach our sanctum!"
Snapping his head back and staring at the growing mass of support below him as his words rang loudly, he hit the stride of his plan. "Who's with me?!"
A loud thunderclap and lightning broke the pace of his words, followed by several shots of the same energy hitting him in the chest as he turned to look.
To his surprise, the largest elder and two others stood defiant to the coup, channeling power to their leader as they shot more at the discontent Windigo. The sheer energy blew him apart, had he not been made of atmosphere, would surely have killed him. Reforming to his usual size, the upstart was clearly in shock as he turned to flee.
Several elders cut him off, their eyes gathering power as they cast more spells, containing him from leaving. Each elder now contributed to the field that held him, all moving forward to settle near the wall they were casting, save the leader, who had turned to the mass that had not fled.
A look of astonishment and sheer fear filled the face of the contained upstart, his spells bouncing harmlessly off the interior. Forced to relent and listen, he scowled as the words echoed from the leader.
"As you can see," they spoke. "We are not as helpless as you would be led to believe. We need not feed on those below for this power," they bellowed. "The energy we can siphon from below is indeed powerful but it comes at such a cost." They turned to stare at their prisoner. "Even now he, and most of you who supported him, can feel the withdrawls, small as they are. They get much worse. Until it's all you can think about."
The mob said nothing in response, many already leaving in silence, several with their heads down as the leader spoke.
"The price of power you speak of was making our race a savage, hunger-induced species. That price was deemed too high. We would simply burn ourselves out if we couldn't get more energy." They turned back, eyes flailing with energy. "So it was decided we would seek not war on those below, but isolation. We turned to devote ourselves to greater things then satiation…" they turned to glare at the young one. "Lest we become what nearly drove us to extinction. Lest we become like this one."
A silence filled the crowd, several began begging for forgiveness as others began to berate the prisoner. The large elder stood in front of the cage now.
"You are all forgiven, for only in mistakes do we truly learn. Do not trouble yourself with this one. His fate will be swift but decisive."
As the last of the crowd dispersed, the elders stood silently, two holding a smaller cage on the would be king while his fate was discussed.
Finally the largest elder addressed him. "You have been found guilty of contempt and an attempted coup." They boomed. "This is not your first transgression and we believe it will only continue a vicious cycle if you are allowed to continue."
"Death then?"
"No. A Windigo cannot harm a Windigo." Another elder answered. "Despite what venom you spewed, we have no intent in euthanizing anyone. Ever."
"We will do what is needed for the greater good." Another said and a moment later the landscape around him changed and they were far from the gathering spot he had been at. Looking around in confusion, the upstart flared his nostrils in contempt to the elders.
"Ahh. So what is this wise and powerful council hope to do. Contain me?" he laughed. "You can't contain an idea. Change is inevitable."
"Life is change, young one. But seldom can we mold it to our selfish design as you seek to." Another said as they floated up.
"I seek only to better my people! To bring them up from this muck of mediocre life. To bring life back to the corpse that is our new way of life!" he growled back.
"The change you seek comes at too high a toll." One said to him.
"You are not the first to try and convince the masses that a step backwards is required to move forward…" a female elder spoke at him, her chartreuse eyes wisping.
"...Nor will you be the last." The high elder finished. "But in order to maintain the peace we as a race have enjoyed.."
"...The occasional correction and clean up is required." Another finished, surrounding him in a near perfect circle.
"...What treachery is this?" he asked, uncertainty about his voice for once.
"The negative emotion you seek will be yours. At least the amount you've stirred in the clouds today." The high elder spoke, their eyes flashing bright with dark magic.
As he moved to speak to the council, he was blown back a few few by their magic hitting him. Unable to move, he felt a familiar sensation overtake him, the same boundless power he had felt moments ago as the fear and rancor built from his people.
"In order to ensure no one follows in your absence, the hints and tastes of negativity will be purged from the race. As it always has been when upstarts persist too long." He heard the female say, the hatred and fear filling him, expanding his size, and sending sensations he had never felt before through him.
"You...you do this whenever it pleases you. To keep the world under your control!" he spoke, the reality of the situation contorting inside his warped manner of thinking.
"As we extract any and all negativity from those you've tried to inspire, we cast it into you. You are its vessel." The final member said, joining the ritual.
"Such...power!" he laughed at the thrill and energy as it ravaged his essence.
"The vessel is full. We will now pass judgement and never again speak of such things…" the high elder announced. "..until such time another cleansing is required of our race."
He puffed his form to a larger size, about to unleash what powers he felt in him when again he was bottled up by the impressive magic of his superiors. Bright yellow tendrils lashed onto his form and restrained him as the female from earlier spoke to him.
"It is the decision of this council that you be exiled from the high clouds to the surface. There you will be stripped of your magics, save enough to contain your new corporeal form." She emphasized the new state of matter he would be holding. His species was never entirely tangible to the rest of the world. The very thought was alien to him, and as such, his eyes widened in fear. He quickly narrowed them, determined to deny the council their prize of his baser emotions.
"Live among the ponies?" he laughed. "I'll have them feeding me before the week is out."
"You may find these sheep you wish to feed on have quite a shepherd watching over them now." The leader said. "Regardless, you have no place among us anymore." The elders began to gather power again, each color connecting to the leader as they pooled their magic. "We cast you out, you who would see fit to destroy all our race has achieved! A trouble maker! A malcontent!"
***
As he shot through the sky like a morning star, Malcontent felt the ground impact him. A normally lethal impact, the last of his incorporeal magic cushioned him as it dissipated, leaving him settled on the ground.
The next thing he felt was a combination of burning and tingling. He felt the magic he had been granted to shape himself begin to push from his form, waiting for his vision.
Concentrating through the sheering pain, he cursed the fact that he’d only known a pony’s shape from stories in oral tradition. Thus shaping himself was proving to be difficult, especially with the rage of his banishment and the confusion of how he’d failed heavily taxing his concentration. But things started to come together as he settled on the form of an earth pony with a pale white coat and coal black hair.
Arching his back, the bones and muscles formed and snapped into place with a sick, cracking sound of finality. Then he knew that he’d been too hasty with his coup, and would have to work subtly from the shadows going forward. Taking a corporeal form was new to him, but as pupiless eyes formed a bug-like sheen, clarity and stability took hold in both mind and body. The purple eyes he formed began to pulse with magic, trying desperately to manifest more around him. He flailed with his legs giving out from under him as the spell vanished.
Left in the darkness of the world, he barely registered he was in some sort of forest. Steady in his attempt to stand, he perked an ear as the most delicate of voices broke the silence. Turning to the source he saw a unicorn, her timid look suitable for her mousey voice as she took a step forward.
"A-are you ok?" she asked, oblivious to what had just occurred no doubt.
Waves of panic and planning swept through his mind, turning and walking the best he could in a new body. Tripping on his front two legs, he stumbled to stand straight. "I'm not entirely certain."
What primal form of transportation these creatures have. I'd much assume move as I had. He thought, still unsteady. If I'm to rule these peasants, I must first master their bodies.
"I seem to have had an accident." He quickly lied, squinting his newly formed eyes to see a unicorn, her coat a dirty brown.
"Well you look like you need a helping hoof. Harmony Falls isn't far from here." She lit her horn up with a simple lantern spell. "I-I can show you if you want?"
Helpful to a fault. It's always been these creatures weakness. Thoughts swirled in his head as he took in her features, the rose colored eyes made him nauseous. How can they stand their own reflections? He mused. This one seems especially stupid. Approaching a stranger let alone offering help without even a request for reward. He narrowed his eyes. Time to exploit that stupidity. After all: one beings faults are another's advantages. He thought back to his early schooling.
Malcontent smiled slowly. "A useful piece of information." He finally answered. "I could use a place to rest. I was afraid the place wouldn't be very…hospitable."
"Oh no need to worry about that mr...er…"
Ugh. They are still using names. What was it the elders called me? A malcontent? He quickly formulated an answer. "Mal."
"Mr. Mal. After all, Friendship is Magic."
Such naive outlooks and yet they somehow destroyed our empire eons ago. I'm offended. He bit his tongue as he heard the motto. They moved silently for a moment and he answered back. "We shall see if that holds true, won't we?" He chuckled. "Lead on, and why don't you tell me a bit about yourself." He began to keep pace with her. "I'd love to repay your … asinine-" he almost said aloud. "...kind behavior." He finished.
"Oh well, I could use some more ink and parchment." She thought aloud, stepping over a fallen log.
"An architect are you?" he asked, taking care to mimic her walking as he got the hang of it.
"Oh Celestia, no." She laughed. "I just...have a lot of ideas for the town! There’s so much we could do to make things better! It's so dull sometimes." She tilted her head. "...but no one listens to my ideas."
"Perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement?" he smiled broadly, a purple glint in his eyes as the two disappeared into the darkness of the forest. "I'm told I have a gift for words myself. You probably just need a few pointers."
"Golly, I've never been much for spoken words. I always. I always sort of mess up." She gave a cheerful and hopeful tone. "Oh but I should do something for you too!"
"Why that's right." He gave a bit of a false thought gesture, tilting his head a moment. "Why I know! You sound like you know the town a bit, this Harmony Falls?"
"Sure do!" she nodded back."I know a bit about everypony in town thanks to my job! But lately everypony has been so grouchy."
Just grouchy? I can work with that. Mal thought. "Fascinating." He smiled, looking forward as the towns wooden sign came to view, the only sound their out of step hooves. "I'm terrible with meeting new folk...I'd love to hear each and every little thing you could tell me about every...pony." He adjusted his speech pattern to match her word usages. Better to blend in quickly. He thought.
"Oh. I guess that sounds ok!" she cheerfully responded.
"Well then." He stopped and stared at her, he extended a hoof as a manner he had learned of in culture studies. "Do we have a deal?" he gave a reassuring yet almost intimidating smile.
She paused a moment and realized what he was doing, shaking hooves with him and smiling eagerly. "Deal! I can't wait! This sure sounds like it'll stir things up!"
Mal resumed walking as the two entered the town limits. "Oh you can rest assured." He narrowed his eyes, a faint glow coming from them. He felt the smallest twinge of new emotions soar in from the town. "They won't know what hit them."
***
End of episode
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Wow, Mal was a wendigo this whole time.... That explains his sick, twisted way
9973205
It certainly sheds some light on it :D
9973207
Indeed it does
Yeah, this definitely explains a LOT.
9976542
Do tell ;)
9976773
With his personality type and all, it makes a lot of sense that he'd be a Windigo. (And honestly, that also makes a lot of sense about why he and Aria shack up - I sometimes wonder if there's some connection between Sirens and Windigos in Equestria, given the whole "emotional parasite" thing they both have...)
Well that certainly was a surprise to find out Mal is a Wendigo, though it does help explain a lot of his behavior, not that all Wedigo are the same mind you, but he definitely enjoys giving it to his base desires. I feel that both the elders and to an extent, Mal had good points. I suppose the new generation hears the old stories of days past and revel in the glory, seeing it through rose colored lenses without having lived it, thereby lacking knowledge and insight. I also liked that the elders weren't afraid to take decisive action to preserve their way of life. At the same time, Mal made a good point about population vs. food stores. Are the elders actually sentencing them to a slow death? As for him being banished, I feel scripture would be apropos if not a bit on the nose here. But we get a glimpse of how he brought about descent in a peaceful little town by taking advantage of a well-meaning pony.
A simple but still powerful look into the mind of Equestria City's most dangerous.
9984529
Thanks for the Input I always want to hear everyones thoughts.
Though what part of scripture do you refer to?
9985603
Partial exert from Revelation 12:12 : "Woe for the earth and for the sea because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger"