Land Once Forsaken

by DracoPony

Trouble on Hearth's Warming Eve

The snow of winter covers everything outside, the white fluff is serene yet reminds each one of us that food will be rationed until spring comes. Children are outside playing, even though I have no idea how they are actually throwing snowballs with hooves. The stone alterations on the house helped fireproof it, but it can’t keep the cold out; without my fireplace I would be freezing. Everywhere in town everypony is busy hanging decorations for Hearth’s Warming Eve, and my friends will be performing in a play showcasing the history of the holiday. I want to go see them all perform in Canterlot but I have been feeling weak as of late, maybe I should get some cold medicine before the sun sets. Putting on my winter coat, scarf, and hat I trot out the door heading down the street to the pharmacy. A sharp wind attacks me from behind, chilling me to the bone slowing my pace making it a much longer trip than I intended. I’m am exhausted as I reach the pharmacy, expending this much energy just to walk a short distance isn’t normal for me. Stepping inside the store reveals that only the pharmacist is present, walking up to him I feel a bit weak but brush it off to the cold outside.

“Do you have anything that will fight off a cold?”

The pharmacist steps behind the racks of medicine behind the counter, disappearing for a few minutes. The shelves rattle some as he searches for what he thinks can help me, returning with a single bottle.

“Take one of these each night, it should give you more energy as well as take care of that cold.”

My vision beings to blur some, making it hard to concentrate, I have to get home soon to get this medicine working. Opening the door, a brisk wind sends a chill down my spine as the cold wind saps the strength from me, making my walk home more arduous. Walking home, the energy is completely drained from my body; my vision fades as my legs buckle under me sending me crashing to the ground. Awaking in the Creation Realm again, but something is different since I was last here; a sense of dread hanging over me and I can’t help but feel like something is watching me.

“Well well well, look who came back to us. Why do you torture yourself so much, don’t you know this time of year is bad for you?”

“What do you mean it’s bad for me? I caught a cold and got careless about taking care of it, that can happen any time during a year.”

I don’t like how the black stallion plays tricks on me, he always tries to bring out my emotions.

“It’s quite simple really, a being of chaos such as yourself cannot hope to have any power on a holiday that is your magical polar opposite.”

I don’t like the tone he speaks in, but is what he is saying true?

“So I’m getting sick because of this holiday and it’s harmony magic?”

The space thunders with his laughter, echoing endlessly.

“Sick? HA! If you don’t get away from this ridiculous holiday you’ll be drained of chaos magic and die, the best part is you won’t have my other half to save you this time.”

This holiday is killing me?! Are chaos and harmony that destructive to each other? I’m unable to speak, everything he says may be a lie, but why tell me I’ll die if it was?

“Enjoy the time you have left, you’re almost too predictable it’s almost sad.”

His voice echoes in my mind as everything fades from sight, the murmuring of voices awakes me from that realm. Opening my eyes I spring up in my bed only to be held down by AJ.

“Whoa there, you gotta lay down and rest sugarcube.”

Looking around it seems I have been brought back home. The sound of hooves downstairs making their ascent directs my attention to the door, Fluttershy and Twilight are walking through my door with a bowl and the bottle of medicine I got earlier. Fluttershy puts a thermometer in my mouth as she waits for Twilight to put the bowl down next to my bed.

“You gave us quite the scare, good thing Twilight found you just after you passed out.”

After some time, Fluttershy pulls the thermometer out but a pale look comes over her face worrying Twilight a great deal.

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong? Is he running a high fever or something?”

“Um.. no, that’s the problem...”

Twilight takes hold of the thermometer bringing it to where she can read it.

“That’s impossible!”

“Can somepony explain what the hay is goin’ on ‘ere?”

Twilight begins shoveling what I hope is soup down my throat after reading the thermometer while Fluttershy whispers to AJ.

“Well dun just stand there, somepony call for a doctor!”

AJ makes it to my door before I can stop Twilight from shoveling me soup.

“Stop! A doctor can’t help with this... No one can help with this...”

All three of them look at me with confusion, they are silent as they wait for more.

“When I passed out, I was pulled into the Creation Realm again. The black stallion told me why I’m weak.”

Twilight puts the bowl down on the table next to my bed and AJ returns to the right side of my bed while Fluttershy hovers over me.

“What did he say? Did he tell you how to cure it?”

Twilight gazes at me inquisitively, half believing my words. None of them are prepared for what I have to say, I can’t make them worry about me.

“Since I was transformed into a being of chaos, the harmony magic of Hearth’s Warming Eve is draining my body of strength, he didn’t tell me a cure if there is one.”

The conversation with him rings in my head even now, if I don’t get away from the harmony magic I’ll die. If there was a way for me to escape this holiday I don’t have the strength anymore to achieve it now.

“Lets go talk to Zecora, she might be able to help ‘im more than we can.”

AJ and Fluttershy leave the bedroom, but Twilight pauses at the doorway. She’s standing there silent, her body shaking. Did she figure out what I was trying to hide? After a short while she gallops out of the room, the sound of them leaving the house echoes throughout the house. If what he said was true then I’ll die in two days, forgive me. Sadness of leaving my friends creeps over me as I turn my head towards the window. Peering outside, the falling snowflakes bring me some calm as the lack of energy forces my eyes closed. A vision of a snowy graveyard invades my dreams, all my friends encircle a grave on a hill. As they move away from it, the lettering of my name is clearly visible. Maniacal laughter screeches out of the somber scene as a long slender shadow rushes across the hill. The scene goes quiet as a voice I haven’t heard yet penetrates my mind.

“Watching you disobey the laws of Harmony will be entertaining, do make sure you survive long enough so I can enjoy this popcorn.”

The vision of my dream fades to white as sounds of my name being yelled echo in my ears, getting louder and louder.

“Blaze! WAKE UP! You HAVE to wake up!”

My eyes are almost too heavy to lift, the energy I have left is about drained. Focusing my sight in front of me the sight of Twilight, Zecora, Luna, and Celestia in my room surprises me. Using what’s left of my strength to fight off closing my eyes, if I fall asleep again it will be the last time I wake up.

“This is bad! We have to do something or we’ll lose him.”

The trembling in Twilight’s voice tell me she learned the secret I tried to keep. Trying to apologize to her proves pointless, almost all the strength has left my body .

“Coming across chaos magic in Equestria will be quite the quest, perhaps we should try healing him in the Everfree Forest.”

My body feels so heavy, the air cold as I cling to the last bits of strength I have left. The feeling of my body being levitated sends chills down my spine as I float over my bed. Blankets are wrapping around me as we hurry outside into the cold winter night, rushing through Ponyville towards the Everfree Forest. Twilight holds me in the air with a spell while Celestia and Luna follow behind flooding my near dead body with their magic as we speed past Fluttershy’s cottage. My eyes can’t keep up anymore as we enter the woods, everything becomes blurry as the trees fly past us. The feeling of cold hard stone is felt on the back of my head, as the glow of magic blinds me. Laying there blankly staring at the ceiling my vision sharpens, revealing the ruins of the old castle. Using what little I have of my strength left I move my head around seeing the mares pour as much magic into me as they can. Suddenly Luna stops casting her spell, galloping up to a pair of statues just down the hall, standing in front of them her body quivering from her emotions and the cold air.

“FATHER! If thou want to take him from us... from me... thou shall have to take my soul with his!”

The old castle walls shake as a loud booming laughter is heard from every direction.

“Luna, you would sacrifice much for some human who doesn’t belong in this world. He will die tonight, the harmony magic in the air is like poison to him.”

Twilight stops her spell as well, standing up with a large smirk on her face.

“Well sorry to upset you, but I am talented in all forms of magic including Discord’s chaos magic. I wasn’t just sitting around while he was wrecking havoc on Equestria!”

She turns towards me casting a spell, completely engulfing me in a fire of many colors. Celestia and Zecora back away quickly so they are not sorched by the flames of chaos. The fire is warm, but it doesn’t burn me as I thought it would. As Twilight keeps pouring fire at me the energy I had lost before is pouring into me.

“No! Leave him to his demise!”

“No Father, his fate is ours’ to help guide. We will protect him from thou!”

“Fine! Have the boy this night, but it will not stop his fate. Prolong his death however much you want, it changes nothing.”

Twilight continues to pour fires of chaos onto me, giving me the strength to sit up again, wobbling a bit sitting on the floor trying to keep my balance as I escape death this night. Chaos magic made me come to this world and made me into this dragon pony and harmony magic about killed me tonight, will I be able to survive in this world if my body rejects harmony so violently?

“Thank... you Twilight...”

The amount of effort I have to put into each word is staggering, almost sending me back to the floor.

“ all of you... if you hadn’t been here... I wouldn’t have survive this night.”

Celestia glares at the statues down the hall, with my vision focusing they look just like the stallion and mare from the other realm. Are they really the parents of Celestia and Luna?

“Seems Father wished to take your life tonight, he’s not supposed to meddle in our affairs from his realm. He knows something we do not, and if we do not figure it out the next time could kill you. There has to be something we can do to block his influence on you.”

The wind blows through the ruins, sending cold air swirling down the hall. With some of my strength returned to me by Twilight we are able to walk slowly home but the feeling of being watched comes over me. Turning around quickly I see a blurred image of the white mare.

“Good luck. You may yet survive this trial.”

Her voice is clear, speaking directly to my mind. No matter what he has planned for me, I will survive to protect these friends I hold so dear.

Comments

[Pegasister1209]

If he becomes weak from the harmony magic, shouldn't he have died a long time ago? And why does Twilight suddenly know chaos magic when they enter the Everfree forest? Why not in Ponyville?

[DracoPony]

1092016

All will be revealed, he isn't 100% at the end of the chapter and there are more forces at play here trying to kill and protect him than I have revealed to you. You'll see why soon enough, but the why not for Ponyville, simple. The Everfree Forest is the one place not ruled by their harmony magic. Giant monsters and chaos envelopes the forest constantly. Flowers that play jokes, monsters, magic as old as time.

[dakingofmuffins]

interesting very interesting indeed im looking forward to what happens next but i know shit is about to go down but... i dont understand... why are they trying to kill him?

deque.com/wbcntnt928/wp-content/dquploads/rage-guy-deep-thought.jpg

[DracoPony]

1106320

First off please edit your comment instead of posting that many times, also I haven't had the time with college coming up to edit my proofreader's work. I'm using a proofreader outside of the MLP universe so they do not know.

[DracoPony]

1269479

That may be, I'm still writing for this, I'm just really really busy with school and this new podcast I'm doing. I will post a new chapter about this sometime soon