Chapter 5 - A Life of Chaos
For Whom the Twilight Falls
Chapter 5 - A Life of Chaos
Celestia peered through the trees, before glancing up at the thick tree cover. The shadows loomed, even though it was almost noon. In the distance, she could hear birds cawing. Though…they didn’t sound like normal birds.
“You sure this a good idea, Luna?” She turned to her sister. “Doesn’t seem safe.”
“You heard Miss Bloom,” Luna lit up her horn, lighting up the darker areas around them. “The Tree of Harmony’s in the Everfree Forest. If we can find it, we can retrieve the Elements of Harmony and prevent whatever’s about to happen.”
“This isn’t a good idea,” Philomena insisted from Celestia’s back. “Too much chaos magic here. Your magic isn’t going to work properly. My magic sight is starting to fade, and even now I can only see a few ebbs.”
Luna hesitated. “We only have a day left before whatever’s supposed to happen, happens,” she murmured. “We’ve gotten no further in discovering what’s plotting against Equestria, and our ice cream break with Discord yielded nothing more.”
“So we risk it for the biscuit,” Celestia summarised. “And head into the Everfree to try and find the greatest weapon Equestria has ever had.”
“The Six had a perfectly good reason to plant the Tree in the Everfree,” Philomena protested. “They didn’t want it to be found. There’s bound to be something preventing us from just taking the Elements away from the Tree.”
“That’s just it,” Luna turned to Philomena. “Why would the Six, whose ranks included Starlight Glimmer, the greatest mind, and the most powerful mage after Princess Twilight to exist, choose to plant the Tree of Harmony in a place like this? I doubt they wanted to make it so difficult that they themselves wouldn’t be able to retrieve the Elements. No, I think the Forest grew after they planted the seed.”
“You actually might be right,” the phoenix admitted. “The Tree is over a thousand years old. The magic here is…younger. I don’t know how I know that, so don’t ask.”
“If we’re going to do something,” Celestia rolled her eyes. “We better do it now. Four hours in, four hours out. We’re not staying past sunset. You heard what Discord said last night - the creatures are getting skittish and more agitated. They’re more likely to attack us now than ever before.”
“Fine,” Philomena grumbled. “But if we get into trouble and need someone to bail us out, I’m blaming Luna.”
“About that,” Luna looked sheepish. “Mena, I need you to head back to the library and wait for us. If we don’t come back in eight hours, I need you to be out there and able to send a letter to Princess Sunset to come and get us.”
“For once, a sensible plan,” Philomena nodded. “I’ll see you back in eight hours, no more. Don’t disappear on me, will you? Mother would never let me hear the end of it.”
“Of course,” Celestia promised.
“Good luck!” Philomena said, before she lifted up into the air and flew back in the direction of Ponyville.
“Truth be told, I think she’s relieved to get out of here,” Celestia snickered as soon as Philomena was out of sight. “Remember her fear of the dark?”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Bit ironic for a bird that can literally glow in the dark with fire whenever she wants. Eh. You got the supplies?”
Celestia lifted a bag full of apple goodies that they had gotten from the Apple Family the day before. “Yeah. Wouldn’t forget it for the world.”
“Oh, those ponies could cook,” Luna smiled at the memory of the lunch they had eaten at Sweet Apple Acres. “Gah, we should suggest them to Princess Sunset the next time she needs a caterer for a banquet or something.”
“Perhaps,” Celestia grinned. “Off we go then.” With that, the two sisters plunged into the forest side by side.
Discord sipped at his Everfree coffee, relaxing on the old and battered couch he had found in the ruined cottage.
Long ago, when he had initially gone on the run, he had discovered this old gal, sitting in the deepest corner of the Everfree Forest. It was close to the greatest source of Harmony he had ever felt before, but that was fine. He was only half-draconequus, the Harmony magic wouldn’t affect him.
He had investigated, initially. Who had been this crazy to live in the middle of the Everfree? He had found signs that it had been a pegasus, with several pale yellow feathers left on the ground. He had also found a torn photograph that showed only a rabbit and bear in it, and what looked to be the cottage in its prime. Though, at the edges, if you looked carefully, you could see the tip of a yellow wing.
The occupant had vacated a long time ago. In a haste, too. There were still clothes strewn all over the place, along with a moldy half-open briefcase left on a bed. The owner of the cottage had left without their belongings.
Discord’s interest had piqued at that point. All the signs pointed to a pegasus who had lived a rather interesting life. Digging further into the cottage, he had found faded letters, bags of what looked to be seeds, although he couldn’t be sure, they were too old to tell properly.
He had read the letters. Piecing words together, he found that they were from well-meaning friends who had been inquiring as to the recipient’s mental wellbeing, living alone far away from civilization. In one of the letters, the hoofwriting was neat and orderly, he noted, similar to the uppity nobles at Canterlot. That and there was a seal of some noble house left at the bottom of the letter.
Discord sighed as he put the cup down. He would have dearly liked to meet the owner of the cottage. But that wasn’t possible now. The dates on the letters were over a thousand years ago, the pegasus who lived there was surely dead by now, struck down by old age.
Although, he mused, time travel was still an option. He groaned and pushed away from the idea almost immediately as it came. Discord had learned his lesson messing with chaos magic and time. They never mixed. And if he attempted it, he would have more Royal Guards chasing after him than he already had.
Speaking of royal… he suspected the arrival of Princess Sunset to the forest to be imminent. The aura that had been radiating in the Forest, causing the creatures to be skittish…he recognized it. Memories of the stories his parents told him floated unbidden to his mind. Stories of the First Draconequus, and the princess who had helped him fall in love with a yellow pegasus.
Princess Twilight. The princess who had disappeared a thousand years ago. Discord may have never felt her magic before, but he was sure that the aura that was flooding through the Forest was hers. For who else had such ancient and powerful magic to them? It also had felt a little familiar, the memory of that magic ingrained in his very being, originating all the way to the First.
Discord shivered a little at the thoughts. If the aura was truly Princess Twilight’s, she was twisted beyond belief. The stories his parents had told him were of a kind and benevolent princess who had worked tirelessly to unite Equestria. The aura he felt was filled with hatred and anger, seeking to hurt whoever it could.
A yellow pegasus… he turned his mind to the stories once more. It might have been possible that the said pegasus was the same one who had lived her. There were certainly clues that pointed there, along with trace amounts of chaos magic more ancient than the forest. Discord looked towards the ceiling, gazing at the drawings that had been drawn there.
A drawing of a pegasus and what looked to be a draconequus, holding hooves in the midst of several animals. He recognized a bear, a rabbit, a turtle…was that a manticore? Discord wasn’t sure what these drawings meant.
“Gods,” he muttered to himself. “I’m getting sentimental.” He turned his thoughts to the present.
The two mares he had met in Ponyville. Luna and Celestia Solaris. Two very curious and interesting mares. He chuckled at a memory of them bickering in the library as he watched through a window. They had assumed that he had left, but he was just watching.
They interested him more than the previous owner of the cottage. Celestia had a phoenix with her, and the only phoenix he had heard of before going on the run was the phoenix that belonged to Princess Sunset. Radiant Flamefeather, She Who Watched. He had never seen Radiant with his own eyes before, but he knew that the phoenix he saw wasn’t her. Radiant was much older.
So he had assumed that it was the spawn of the ancient phoenix. Celestia must have been important, then, for a phoenix to choose to hatch for her. Luna, on the other hand… he didn’t know who she was past the fact that she was Princess Sunset’s chosen student, along with her sister. Discord didn’t like not knowing. He didn’t like being in the dark.
So he had introduced himself. Talked to them. They proved more curious than he originally had anticipated, immediately drawing conclusions from the statements he slipped out and asking him about them. Clever mares. He had vacated the area then. If the aura he felt was truly Princess Twilight, he didn’t want to incur her wrath.
That night, they met for ice cream. He kept his guard up, and remained evasive for every question they asked him about the Forest. They had new information. Stories about the Tree of Harmony. Stories about Knight Applejack. He concluded that they had met one of the Apples who were currently residing in Ponyville.
They were good company, though. Having not chatted to ponies for a long time, Discord felt himself yearning for their company, even though he had only left them for, what, half a day? Discord groaned to himself.
“Getting attached to ponies who could easily turn you into the princess,” he muttered, snapping his fingers and summoning a newspaper from a few years before. “Not a good idea, Discord.” He looked at the front page, where Princess Sunset was captured in a photograph addressing a crowd. Beside her were a younger Celestia and Luna, who clearly didn’t want to be there.
‘Princess Sunset introduces her students!’ the headlines screamed. He read the article in question. They had both been extremely young when chosen to be the Princess’s students. Interesting. They must have had talent and skill for that to happen.
His ears twisted around. Setting down the newspaper, he turned to look out of the window. Something was going on in the forest. Enhancing his hearing with a snap of his fingers, he listened carefully. Shouting. Roars. Familiar voices.
His eyes widened. The two mares. Luna and Celestia. He cursed. He told them to stay out of the Forest! And yet…they had come investigating. He could hear the roars of a chimera. Ugh. Jake. He stretched and stood up. Time to intervene. He couldn’t have the lives of two innocent souls on his conscience. Snapping his fingers, he teleported to the scene.
As the chimera attacked the sisters, Luna was reminded of Discord warning them the night before not to go into the Forest without him. Now she regretted not listening to him.
"I can't," Luna grunted as the chimera slammed into her shield again, before reeling off. "hold the shield for long! Something's interfering with my magic!"
"Luna, watch out!" Celestia cried as the chimera spun around, the goat head now squarely facing them. The goat opened its mouth, and flames came rushing out in a gush, licking away at the shield.
Luna grunted as her hooves dug into the dirt. "I'm almost out of mana," she whispered. "Celestia, run."
"I'm not going to leave you!" Celestia retorted.
"It was my idea to come to the Everfree," Luna was drenched in sweat as she struggled to hold the shield. "I'll take responsibility."
"Luna-" before Celestia could finish her sentence, a mismatch of limbs suddenly appeared, before something brown wrapped around them. As it did so, everything went black.
When the world regained color again, the two sisters were dumped unceremoniously on a wooden floor.
"What were you thinking?" A familiar draconequus leaned into their vision. "I said the creatures were more agitated than usual! I know I'm fun and ponies always want to visit me, but you could have called first-"
Luna was never more happy to see a draconequus. "Discord!" she exclaimed.
“Yes, yes, that’s my name,” Discord grumbled. “Don’t wear it out. Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“We were trying to find something,” Luna admitted.
“Find what?” Discord tilted his head, his eyes unblinking. However, Luna detected a hint of uneasiness in there.
“We’re looking for the Tree of Harmony.”
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Great chapter
Even without Meowofy, you did a good job!
Great chapter! I hope meowofy can get everything in order soon, I know how life can be though.
Hmm, it's interesting how you've meshed the canon lore and your own lore together. And it's interesting how you've taken 'going to the castle' to 'finding the Tree of Harmony.' I like.
I do have to point out:
I'm pretty sure you meant not knowing?
11093252
You didn't see anything.
in this universe, Discord is only a half-dragonicus.
We also know that Fluttershy married Draconicus 1000 years ago.
So it turns out that Discord is Discord's father?
11093385
Nope! The First's name is "Mayhem".
11093393
but I already began to think that they do not have very many ideas with names and usually call their children Discord 2, Discord 3.14, Discord 9 * 3/4, Discord 42 and so on. :D
makes sense.
Time is too orderly.
11094208
I am confusion still.
11095660
I believe that they thought this Discord is the Discord, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Loving the backstory for Fluttershy in this story. Discord is also definitely becoming one of my favourites thus far. Luna and Celestia's bond also continues to be rad. Gonna keep reading this.
oh i adore this Discord discovering traces of Fluttershy, not to mention the Mane Six pets! a really great bit of potential you've gotten out of this AU, being able to give the sense of a world with a lost history that we as the readers can still feel a connection to. and it looks like there are ever more moving pieces of characters trying to piece together the plot and having more information than they let on. of course DIscord had be one of them!
Celestia = laughs
moon = magic
Crysalis = kindness ( or loyalty )
discord = hobby
Generosity / loyalty = ?
Really digging this so far.
A pretty unique take with interesting character swaps.
The og cast being legendary heroes from a thousand years ago is the rarer, good kind of bittersweet.
I'm a massive TwiLuna shipper, but Sunlight is cute too. Sunny and Twi as married diarchs instead of siblings ... I don't think I've ever seen that before; and it's far more interesting - especially with somepony smart like Twi going Nightmare.
Woona as Magic seems like a given, Celestia ... hmmm. She's kind, loyal/supportive, generous and a fun-loving prankster.
A cute and nice 'Princess Chryssy' fits the scenario perfectly. I wonder which element she'll be. Kindness? Loyalty?
Discord seems like a good candidate for Loyalty as well and Chryssy's loyalty might get tested quite a bit in the future depending on her mother's actions.
This is surprisingly exciting to watch unfold.
Off to the next chapter.
Well I got my question answered quickly. damn no princess RD
Anywaaaay Fluttershy's cottage and discord im gonna go cry now<3