A Family In Shambles

by Coffee dot exe

Careless Whisper

The sun had set on the mountains of Equestria and The princess of the sun had settled into her bedroom. She looked out the window at the view she had created and smiled. It had been a nice day in Canterlot. A ball had been held in the castle to celebrate the Wonderbolts victory in the National Pegasi Race.

A strange noise from outside her room caught the princess’s attention. It sounded as if it came from down the hall, towards the main staircase. She patiently waited on her bed, the sound getting louder. Her bedroom doors flew open to reveal her sister standing in the doorway.

“Luna?” Celestia was surprised. “What brings you here? And what would bring you to open my doors so... dramatically?”

“It is not we who brings us here,” said the moon princess worryingly. She stepped to the side and their Draconequus prince stepped into the doorframe.

Celestia raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Oh, hello, Discord. What brings you here? Is there trouble in Zephyra?”

The prince’s eyes narrowed and he stepped into the bedroom. “No, the kingdom is fine. I, on the other hand, am not.”

“What troubles you, brothe-”

“Do NOT call me that!” Her brother shouted, both of the sisters flinching. He sneered at the both of them.

“What troubles you, Discord?” Celestia asked, correcting herself.

Discord approached the princess’s bed. “Luna, join your sister on the bed if you’d be so kind.”

The azure alicorn lowered her head and sat next to her off-white sister. She gave Celestia a saddened look, indicating she knew what Discord was about to ask them. Celestia looked back, troubled.

“Earlier today, I took Cyclis on a date to the western areas of Equestria and discovered something... interesting to say the least,” he said cooly.

Celestia kept her calm and asked, “What did you find, bro-”

The Draconequus bared his teeth.

“Ahem, Discord. What did you find?”

“Ruins,” He answered. “Strange ones at that. They didn’t seem to make any sense. They were, Chaotic.”

The sisters looked at each other, both fully realizing what this talk was about.

“At first, Cyclis and I found them interesting. We explored them. We had fun looking around. The architecture was something behold. I saw all sorts of shapes and designs. There were western styles, eastern, northern, southern. I even saw some designs that reminded me of Zephyrian structures.” He turned to the window, watching the full moon rise. “But then, my wife stumbled upon a statue. It was a statue of a creature. It had a very strange body. One not unlike my own.”

Luna raised her head. “Brother, we did not mean to-”

“DON’T YOU INTERRUPT ME!” He shouted again, claws extending from his paw. He growled at them. “Why were there statues of things that looked like me in those ruins? Where did they come from?” His eyes began to water, his claws retracting. He dropped to his knees. “What am I...?”

The sisters stood and frowned at one another. They approached their “brother” and sat to either side of him, wrapping their wings around him.

Celestia leaned in to speak to Discord and said, “The Draconequui were once a thriving race of creatures. they were more ancient and powerful than ponykind. We can’t be sure where they came from or when they appeared. We knew one thing. They dwelled in chaos. For millennia, ponies lived in the eastern section of Equestria, known as just Equestria, while the west side, known as Disarria, was home to the Draconequui. One day, their race decided to cease the peace between themselves and ponies and proceeded to invade Equestria, their chaotic powers dwarfing pony magic. Seeing the Draconequui as an abomination, ancient ponies prayed to the Elements of Harmony to bestow them with the ability to stop the takeover, but their prayers were not answered. When all hope seemed lost, two Alicorns appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Alicorns are normally born just as regular ponies are, but these two appeared as fillies. Those Alicorns were Luna and myself. We were created by the elements as vessels for their power to rid the world of the Draconequui. While the elements of harmony must never be used to inflict pain on any living creature, the ancient ponies were desperate and angry. They forced us to commit genocide upon the creatures. It was a day my sister and I prefer to forget. After the deed was done, the ponies saw us as a blessing and made us their leaders. We accepted knowing that we could help Equestria forget about what happened and usher in an era of peace. As the ponies began expanding Equestria to include the now ruined Disarria, a baby Draconequus was discovered in the ruins. It was you.”

Celestia looked to Discord, who had finally lifted his head at what she had just told him. “You looked malnourished and you were crying. Luna and I could not bring ourselves to kill a baby, so we adopted you. Though the ponies fought our decision, by the time we had found you, we were technically princesses and our word was final. So, we raised you, and as you grew, the old ways died out and new ponies accepted you. So we made you part of our family.”

Discord’s head began to shake with anger. His tears poured faster. He shot up suddenly, pushing his sisters back. He was shaking all over. “Is that what I am? A monster??” He cried to them. His fists were clenched tightly, blood began to stream from his palms.

Luna cowered behind her older sister. Celestia stepped forward to her adoptive brother. “We never saw you as a monster. Nopony else does either.”

“Nopony even knows about the Draconequus kingdom anymore,” said the younger sibling timidly. Discord shot her a dark glare and she backed behind her sister once again. Her eyes fixated on him, afraid to let her guard down.

“So, you drive my race into extinction, adopt the only living one left, and raise me to believe I just APPEARED? And you cover up that this genocide ever happened? Like it’s some sort of ‘oopsy daisy, my bad’? You two sicken me.” He glared at them. Their eyes were filled with regret and sadness. His glare lessened and he slumped his shoulders and sighed, “No, you two aren’t completely to blame.”

Luna’s jaw quivered as she looked up to Celestia, who kept her gaze towards Discord. Celestia stepped forward again and asked, “Then who do you believe is to blame?”

“Them,” he replied, raising his claw to point towards the bedroom window. “All of Equestria. They prayed for a weapon to rid the world of my kind. They could have used your powers to drive them back into Disarria, but they chose death instead.”

Luna jumped forward suddenly, her wings spread. “You can’t kill them, Discord! They did nothing! It was their ancestors!” She cried.

Discord turned to his faux-sister and gave her the most unnerving smile either sisters had ever seen. “Kill them? No that would make too much sense. I am a Draconequus am I not?” He paused to give the Alicorns a chance to answer him. They only watched him in silence. He shrugged and continued. “I am. And my race was known for reigning chaos, so I will do the same.”

“We can’t allow you to use your powers freely, Discord!” Celestia barked, her horn glowing in preparation for any tricks her adoptive brother might have planned. Luna slowly stepped forward, working off of Celestia’s courage and readied a spell as well.

“Harmony versus Chaos, how delightful!” Discord clapped giddily and snapped his fingers. The sisters collapsed suddenly.

“What happened, sister?” Luna uttered, her head feeling light and strange. She looked to Celestia and gasped in terror. “Your horn!”

Celestia turned to Luna in response to her cry. “Your horn is gone, Luna!” She cried back. They stared at each other in shock. They resembled large pegasi to each other. The elder sister shouted at Discord, “What did you do to us?”

He leaned back against the window and waved his finger at them. “I just made sure you two didn’t try to use any of that ‘Harmony’ funny business. It’s my time to rule Equestria!” He clenched his fists and gleamed madly. “Or should I say, New Dissaria?” With a flash of light, the Draconequus vanished, leaving the magic-less sisters gawking at where he once stood.

~

Cyclis lay in her bed, waiting patiently for her husband’s arrival. She wished she could have gone with him to Canterlot to support him in his confrontation with his sisters. She had never seen him so upset before. He was practically fuming when they found that Draconequus statue among those ruins. She wanted to follow him to the castle so badly, but he was adamant about going alone, claiming this was a very personal matter and he must attend to it himself. She understood, but it still hurt her that he wouldn’t want her by his side. She sighed before finally laying her head down into the pillow, hoping he would find his way home eventually.

“Asleep, so soon? But the night is young, dear.”

Cyclis opened her eyes to see her husband standing by the balcony doors. “Discord! You’re back! What happened?” She asked frantically, hopping out of bed to embrace him.

He accepted the hug and softly pushed back so they could speak face to face. “I talked to Celestia and Luna. They told me what I really am.”

She looked into his eyes, confused. “What do you mean? What are you?”

He grinned wildly and clicked his tongue. Suddenly the rug beneath them turned into grass, the night sky shone deep crimson, and the window began to make sneezing noises.

Cyclis practically fell from being frightened by the freak show unfolding around her. She watched as the brushes by her make up mirror grew blades from their handles and sword fought each other. She turned to Discord and asked with a terrified tone, “What... What’s going on?” Her eyes darted frantically.

“This, my love is pure, unexpected, chaos.” He replied, still grinning madly. “It’s quite beautiful really. I never expected my powers to reach into these boundaries. I used to only be able to cause minor disturbances in reality. But now that I know what I am, I can bend reality to my own whim. Oh, the power is gorgeous!” He cried happily, twirling around the literal madhouse he had created.

“Stop! Please!” Cyclis cried. Discord stopped instantly. He saw the fear in his wife’s eyes. He frowned and returned the room to normal and approached her slowly. “I’m sorry, Cyclis. I did not mean to upset you. I only wanted to show you what I can be.”

“None of... that,” she said, motioning with a foreleg to what she just witnessed, “Was at all enjoyable.” She galloped to her love and wrapped her wings around him. “I want you to tell me what happened in Canterlot. What did Celestia and Luna tell you?”

Discord look down upon the fearful face of his wife and sighed. “My kind were once a large thriving civilization. A civilization that tried to conquer the area inhabited by ponykind. Ancient ponies prayed to the Elements of Harmony for a way to stop the Draconequui. The Elements gave them Celestia and Luna to wipe out my species. They found me after the mass extinction and decided to raise me out of pity.”

Cyclis gazed up to her husband’s eyes. She saw contempt in them. She leaned in instinctively and kissed him. All she wanted was to comfort his tortured soul. He returned the kiss with deeper passion. He didn’t feel pity in his wife’s touch, only love and desire for his happiness. They couldn’t tell who broke the kiss first, only knowing that they wanted to be together. Cyclis slowly backed onto the bed, Discord following slowly. They pulled the covers up and embraced once again. They continued with their moment of passion.

Only one light remained lit throughout the entire palace that night; the royal couple’s bedroom.

~

Discord and Cyclis awoke hours later to their bedroom door being bucked open. The doors flew open to reveal a large group of Canterlot guards, fully clad in combat armor, some with wings spread, other with their horns aimed at the Draconequus. Cyclis clutched her husband tight, afraid to look away from the guards. “What is going on, Discord? Why are they here? What did you do?” She whispered.

Her questions were answered as the Equestrian princesses entered, horn-less. Their eyes were dead set on Discord. “You are under arrest for assault on the princesses and fleeing the scene!” One of the guards barked.

Cyclis’ jaw dropped as she let go of Discord, backing away from him. “No, no, Discord wouldn’t do that. You’re not violent. I know it!” She whimpered, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I didn’t hurt them, I swear!” Discord pleaded. He threw the covers off of himself and walked towards his wife. Guards cut him off and shot at him with lightning spells.

The prince flinched as the spells shot at him. He heard a cracking noise before opening his eyes once again. He didn’t feel the spells hit him. The guards stared in shock. Discord stood before them, unscathed.

“What in Equestria...?” A guard muttered.

“Again! Attack him with stronger spells!” Another shouted

More bolts shot at Discord. He did not flinch the second time, wishing to see what would happen. The bolts flew towards him. Just as they made contact with his skin, the same cracking noise rang out as the bolts evaporated as if they were made of water.

“But, that doesn’t make any sense!” A guard cried.

Discord smirked and Dashed at the guard. He got face to face with the unicorn guard and hissed in his face, “Now you’re getting the idea.”

He snapped his fingers and a cloud of fog surrounded the guard. As the smoke cleared, everypony gasped as a pile of armor was all that remained.

“He killed him!” Another guard shouted.

“Ah, Ah, Ah. Like my loving wife just said, I am not violent.” He pointed at the pile of armor. A small rustle of movement is seen under the helmet.

“Impossible...” Said a guard, marveling at the baby unicorn foal that crawled out from under the gilded helmet.

“All of your magic and brute strength is rendered moot as far as I’m concerned,” spat Discord. He laughed maniacally, teleporting everypony in the room to Equestria.

When they arrived in the capital city, everything was chaotic. The castle itself had become a paradoxical labyrinth of broken staircases and ever changing doorways. Ponies ran backwards without control. They spoke in ear piercing shrieks of another, lost language. The language of chaos. The princesses watched in horror as the Draconequus giggled at the bedlam before them.

“Oh come now, don’t tell me this isn’t absolutely hilarious,” he scoffed as he poured an upside down glass of purple lemonade, sipping it as it spillled upward into his mouth.

“You’ve created a nightmare world!” Shouted Luna, stomping her hoof at him.

He looked back at her, unimpressed. “‘Ooh, look at me, stomping my hooves around like a big girl!’” Discord mocked her, using his hand as a puppet while he approached the throne. He tapped it with a claw and it melted away to form a new throne for himself. The top resembled his head, except it had two antlers and the eyes were large rubies. It was made of black and red wood and it had a warm aura around it. He sat in it comfortably and grinned at his adoptive sisters and wife.

“You all are looking at me like I just flipped Canterlot upside down!” He pouted, seeing their terrified faces. He chuckled before snapping his fingers.

All of a sudden, the 3 Alicorns and the guard flew towards the ceiling, stopping abruptly right before they would have crashed. They softly floated to the ceiling and glared up at Discord. He looked up and down at them simultaneously, laughing hysterically. “NOW I’ve flipped Canterlot upside down!” He snapped his fingers again, so the ponies floated slowly to the real ground once more.

“We have to get out of here.” Celestia whispered to Luna and Cyclis, while Discord was distracted by other objects to make chaotic. The other two nodded and began to back away to the doors. Suddenly a circle of entranced guards fazed through the floor around them. Their eyes were the same colors as Discord’s as they stared down the Alicorns. Discord turned from his distraction and smiled slyly.

“Now, now, I can’t have you all running around Canterlot willy nilly! It’s dangerous out there. No imagining what could happen outside!” He protested, seeing the anger in Celestia’s eyes. He then turned to his wife and extended his paw to her. “Cyclis, my love, won’t you join me at the throne?” He beckoned her as a second throne rose up from the ground. This one blue with wing carved out on the side.

The wind princess stood her ground. Discord frowned, “What’s the matter?”

She sneered at him. “I would sit next to my husband at the throne. I see no husband of mine here, though.”

He stared at her, blank faced. It was clear Discord’s mind was gone. All that remained was a soul that desired only one thing. Chaos.

He waved his paw at the trio. “Fine then, begone with you three. To the dungeon!” He pointed to a door that lead to the right of the throne room. As the guards led the princesses to the door, they heard him giggle to himself, “Ooooh, I’ve always wanted to say that!”

~

As the weeks progressed, chaos reigned throughout Equestria, tormenting everypony in any way imaginable. Celestia, Luna, and Cyclis were bound to the dungeon. With their magic stripped from them, they had no way to escape and even attempt to stop the Draconequus.

Celestia gazed out the barred window above her, catching occasional glimpses of the madness Equestria had been forced to experience. She sighed and hung her head, getting ready to sleep. No one could tell whether it was day or night, and the only reason anyone slept was because they were just too tired to be awake.

Luna awoke as her sister was dozing off. She looked hazily to Cyclis, who just sat in the corner the majority of the time, moping around. Luna was the most rebellious of the three. She had attempted escape countless times, all ending in failure.

Cyclis sighed heavily over and over again, much to the annoyance of the moon princess. The more she sighed, the more Luna became irritated.

Luna slammed her hooves down and stuck her face in Cyclis’. “Just because we are stuck in this Tartarus hole, Doesn’t mean you have to make it worse with your incessant moping!”

Cyclis back away in fear, whimpering.

Luna glared at her. “At least I’m trying to get out of here! While you sit there playing princess heartbreak for weeks!”

Celestia stood slowly, being awoken by her sister’s shouts. “Luna, there is no need to raise your voice. We are all going through this together. Cyclis has lost the love of her life. That is not an issue you simply move on from.”

Luna flared her nostrils. “Of course ‘Miss Lovey Carey’ has to take the angsty princess’s side!” She called, waving her hoof over dramatically at Celestia. “I just want to get out of here, while you two sit around like it’s hopeless.”

“I do not think it’s hopeless, sister,” Celestia persisted, “I just know fighting amongst each other will not solve anything.”

“You look out the window everyday, sister! Do you not see the chaos we live in? If we all live in chaos, why not embrace it?” Luna proclaimed.

Celestia sternly approached her sister, never breaking eye contact. “Because, chaos has no progression. It is random consistency, there is no moving on. Chaos halts progress and harmo-” She stopped suddenly. Her eyes wide open.

“Of course!” She cried, leaping forward and hugging her sister.

“Ummm, sister, I wasn’t serious about embracing chaos,” Luna started, confused by her sister’s sudden happiness. “I was just irritated, please don’t delve into insanity.”

“No, I’m not embracing chaos, Luna, I’ve remembered how we can stop Discord!” She proclaimed, smiling hopefully.

“What is it?” Luna said.

Cyclis rose behind them. “You know how to stop him? Will it hurt him?”

Celestia’s smile faded. “I’m not sure, Cyclis.”

Luna looked at Cyclis then back to her own sister. “I know what your idea is, Celestia.”

Cyclis looked at them both, confused. “What? What is your plan?”

Celestia turned to Cyclis. “The magic you and I and unicorns is known as nu-magic. It was created when the first magical creatures were born millions of years ago. But there is another form of magic, true magic.”

The wind princess tilted her head. “True magic?”

Celestia nodded. “True magic is a force very few know actually exist. Well, exist as a living entity. You and I know this force as the Elements of Harmony.”

Cyclis raised a brow. “The Elements of Harmony are alive? I thought they were just symbolic ideals.”

Celestia shook her head and smiled. “Quite the opposite. When Discord’s race took over Equestria, ancient ponies prayed to the Elements for a way to stop the monsters. They knew that they were living and the Elements answered their prayers by giving them Luna and I, the only two creatures capable of using the power of the Elements. We can use that power to stop him!”

Cyclis smiled, but it quickly faded when she said, “But, he took your horns.”

Celestia lowered her head, eyes shut and began to whisper to herself. It sounded like an ancient language. Luna recognized and and imitated her sister, standing opposite her. Cyclis watched as the sisters whispered in ancient tongues to the air. It sounded like a prayer of sorts. Their whispers grew louder and louder.

“Dos Airif Con Solta Miquen Elaiman Do Armone Aye.”

“Dos Airif Quig Lanta Postem Lo Starastad.”

The whispers quickly escalated into shouts as the air around them grew thick and cold. The sisters opened their eyes. Celestia’s glowed a bright white, while Luna’s were a deep indigo. They chanted loudly as the wind began to flow around them.

“Quetsen Ovetera Nof Ces Halbitie Ostrous Fahn!”

“Unt Farenza Conts Lok Falriat Swek Neel!”

Light encompassed the the two Alicorns as Cyclis flinched. Once the light had subsided, Luna and Celestia stood before Cyclis, both of them with their horns restored and wearing unique crowns. Celestia’s crown was gold with solar designs covering it, with a ruby encrusted in the very middle. Luna’s on the other hand was silver with star designs and sapphire encrusted.

Celestia pointed her horn towards the door. A rainbow colored beam shot out and blasted the door open. As the three princesses made their way out, Cyclis approached Celestia.

“When you confront him...” Cyclis said, “Please do not hurt him. I know what he has done is wrong. But he did it out of sadness. He’s a victim of circumstance.”

Celestia nodded and smiled. “He’s like a brother to me, I would never hurt him.”

The sisters barged into the throne room. Discord sat at his throne, watching a pony’s foreleg juggle the other disconnected limbs of its body. When he saw the three princesses enter the room, he frowned. He snapped his fingers and returned the pony to normal before banishing him from the room.

“And just how did you lot escape?” He questioned, drumming his claws on the arm of his throne.

“You underestimate the power of the Elements, Discord” Celestia smirked.

“So predictable. It doesn’t matter what powers you possess, I can bend any piece of reality to my whim and render you useless,” he chuckled. He snapped his fingers at her.

She stood there, no changes to her body or self. She smiled wryly at the failed attempt.

Discord raised a brow. “Weird, I knew my powers were random, but not in this manner.” He snapped again. Nothing.

“Fine,” he growled, “I guess it’s mano y mano now. Or should I say Paw-o y hoof-o?” He laughed at his own comment.

Celestia and Luna readied their horns. Discord stood and approached them. “You have these Elements and you think they’ll save you,” he hissed, a dark, joking tone in his voice.

He placed his paw on his chest and stretched his claw out. He arched his back in preparation for attack. A yellow ball began to glow in his claw. “Don’t you realize who you two are dealing with?” He said, his voice deepening. He smiled maliciously. “I am a Draconequus, I control the forces of life itself!” He raised his chin, so he could further look down upon the sisters. “You cannot control chaos itse-”

His speech was cut short by a bolt of multi-colored energy. Celestia and Luna had their horns pointed towards Discord, the beam emanating from them. They clenched their teeth in stress, trying to concentrate their strength as not to hurt their adoptive brother.

“We cannot you hurt you, brother!” Cried Luna, eyes fixated on the frozen Draconequus.

“But we will ensure your plans end today!” Celestia cried as well, finishing her sister’s statement.

Discord’s still form began to morph into organic material. His skin greyed all over, cracks forming all over. He gave a muffled shout as his the imprisoning spell formed around his head. Once the beam had ceased, a cheerful expression was stretched across the statue’s face. Celestia and Luna collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. A burst of energy erupted from Discord’s statue and expanded to cover all of Equestria. Little by little, harmony replaced chaos all over the land.

Cyclis approached the two princesses. She helped them back to their hooves one by one. Celestia smiled softly at her. Cyclis returned a hollow smile.

“I know how much this must have hurt you, Cyclis. I know you loved him. And he loved you. And I know he would have loved to see your future son grow.”

“My WHAT???” Cyclis gasped. She fell and fainted at what the sun princess had just uttered.

“You mean you didn’t...?” Celestia’s statement trailed off before she suddenly covered her mouth with a hoof. Her face went deep red, as did Cyclis’.

Luna smiled widely. “What will you name him? Shall we hold a shower?”

Celestia shot her a dark look. Luna lost her smile and lowered her head. “Sorry.”

~

Cyclis’ head popped off the pillow later that same night, laying in her own bed. Celestia and Luna were by her bedside, looking down solemnly when she turned her head to them.

Cyclis looked at Celestia, shocked beyond reason. Her chest heaved in and out rapidly, unable to cope with the news she had been given before she passed out. She began to sweat.

“I apologize deeply for informing you of your... situation in such a manner,” Celestia said, crossing her forelegs. “If there is anything you require, my sister and I will not hesitate to provide you with it.” She placed a wing around Cyclis to comfort her.

“I just...” Cylis stuttered, trying to find her words. “How? When did this happen?”

Celestia observed the princess’s body. Her horn glowed dimly as she stared. “If my spell is correct, you seem to be a month pregnant. Did you and Discord... do anything that long ago?” She asked.

Cyclis stared blankly out the window, recalling the night he returned from Canterlot before he took over Equestria. “Yes, we did.” she said simply.

Celestia nodded softly. “So, you are to bear a child later this year. As I said before, any form of support you desire, Luna and I would be more than delighted to oblige.” she said, bowing gracefully to Cyclis.

The wind princess nodded, eyes still fixed on the window.

“So, what will you name him?” Luna asked, unable to get an answer the last time she had asked.

Cyclis shut her eyes before turning to the sisters. “I will give him a name that will honor his father. The prince Discord truly was. A lovable, kind, eccentric, exciting prince.”

“I will name my son, Shambles.”