Dismay Turned Discord

by Reedling

Chapter 10-Descend

Grue had been travelling for some time, his eyes ached for a quick rest and Grue obliged by resting his hooves in the stream he had spent the rest of the night searching for. “How ironic that I end up right back here, Hofu was right. I don’t belong with The Zebra.” Grue sighed. His legs stretched out as he laid back. The soothing sounds of the water teased his ears as he remembered how hungry and thirsty he was. “Maybe you were right Fahdil....I might even eat some poison joke with how hungry I am.” He groaned.

“That’sSss nonsensSsse...Look here...Food!” The snake from before whispered to him. Grue turned his head to a safou tree.

He didn’t need his body to growl once before he had already eaten a whole fruit,tossing the pit as he stuffed his belly. He had been eaten so many of the fruit that his belly gave a pleasant gurgle. He flopped lazily to the floor. “That’ssssSss a good Grue...Now take a nicCce Resst.” The cobra morphed into a rattlesnake and began bobbing it’s head to a soothing rhythm accompanied by synchronized rattles. It was overkill to Grue’s consciousness that already yirned for rest. If it wasn’t for the beautiful view which would be the first sunrise Grue would witness, he would’ve fell fast asleep.
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“Celestia? Wake up dear.” Astrum asked. She knocked softly on the door to Celestia’s room.

“It’s dawn already?” Celestia yawned. She opened the door with her magic to greet her mother,only to stare at the white unicorn behind her.

“who is-”

“This is Pan’s Daughter, Chrysalis.”

“It’s an honor to meet Her Serenity, Celestia!” Chrysalis gave a respectful bow, leaning her body as she did. Celestia blushed,her eyes moved to her mother since she wasn’t sure what to do. Astrum gave a light pat to Chrysalis’ shoulder, she added a gentle cough just to make sure she would end her bow.

“Would you mind if Chrysalis watched you raise the sun? Living in the forest she’s never seen one before.”

“Of course not.” Celestia smiled. She motioned an inviting wave to Chrysalis, who squealed with joy as she entered.

“Wow....This room is-is....certainly fit for Your Serenity!”

“Oh. Ah, thank you. You can have a seat on whichever pillow you like.”

“Wow! What a view!” Chrysalis’ muzzle dropped in awe. She zoomed to the balcony. Celestia only watched as the white filly’s head turned in every direction gasping and giggling. Her eyes looked out to the sun finally peaking it’s warmth. Celestia started to hum a calming tone, even Luna wasn’t this hyperactive. She wasn’t sure why her mother wanted this other pony to watch her, raising the sun was hard enough to do without a loud pony giggling at the view! Maybe it was a lesson in concentration?

Celestia was trying her hardest to concentrate, but Chrysalis’ voice began to grate on her nerves. “Can’t you oogle at the view after I lift the sun?” Celestia whined.

“Oh....I’m sorry Your Serenity!” She zoomed back to a pillow to watch. Celestia took a deep breath, lifting her head to the sky. As she moved her head her horn shimmered with a yellow aura. The sun rose sluggishly to wake up all who dared to sleep in its warm glow.

“That’s amazing Your se-”

“Just call me Celestia, please. “

“But...I am not royalty.”

“You’re my friend, also your related to Pan right? Pan is the reason my family is royalty...he’s practically my foalfather.”

“Wow...he’s like a foalfather!...” Chrysalis guessed they shared a close friendship, but not that close.

“What’s it like in the forests?”

“Well the animals don’t get too close to me, but I’ve seen my father straight up hug an ursa before!”

“Whoa! Was it a big bear?!” She gasped.

“The biggest! Other than that it’s pine needle air, clean water...and completely boring.” Chrysalis giggled.

“What about that rundown castle?” Celestia grinned. She finally had somepony who could tell her about the stained glass murals.

“Father doesn’t let me explore too much of it...I have seen some of the beautiful murals he made.”

“Really what were they of!”

“I-I can’t say! I promised my father..I’m sorry.”

“Oh-well okay....” Celestia sighed.

“Is there a reason you have to stay in your room?”

“It’s my punishment for making an eclipse...and going to the Evergreen forest.”

“They punished you doing stuff on your own? That’s sounds odd.” Chrysalis tilted her head bemused.

“Did they punished Her Se-I mean Luna as well?”

“You do know what an eclipse is, right ?”

“Oh...I guess Luna raises the moon then?”

“It seems only fitting, she’s my sister after all.”

“Don’t you ever get scared?” Chrysalis’ eyes turned to the princess as she fiddled with her tail timidly.

“Sometimes...I wondered if I’ll have to take up my mother’s responsibilities. I mean I was given the task of the sun...to help ease the burden put on my mother. There are nights I truly get scared....What if they are teaching us their roles because they want us to take over?” Celestia’s eyes stared out the balcony’s view. “I have never heard of a King or Queen keeping their kingdom forever. There’s always a greedy dragon or evil witch that wants what others hold dear.” Celestia mused.

“But princess those are just fables, They are made up to excite and enchant.” Chrysalis reasoned.

“...I guess. But when you live in a castle yourself, are called princess and have seen a few dragon migrations. I guess you can easily mistake what is real or fake.”

“I can understand that. Like the first time I met my father...He seemed almost unearthly. He can become any creature he creates,and make whole trees with his magic. Not to mention the fact he talked with the magic pony, Aeaeae!” Chrysalis smiled widely. She loved talking about her father ,though this was mostly due to the fact he was the only pony she knew ‘til now. Celestia’s head turned with such speed her neck gave a *pop*

“Aeaeae! Daughter of Aethereum....The creator of the world?!” Celestia screamed.

“I know right!” Chrysalis was practically bouncing as she yelled back. Celestia gripped on to Chrysalis, her hooves began shaking the white unicorn by her shoulders.

“Do you know how old that makes my parents!”

“Uhh....no. Na-aoot rea-eally...” She answered as Celestia shook her.

“My parents...are the first King and Queen of Equestria! Its been over one hundred years since Equestria was founded...Add another hundred years being born, falling in love....How did they manage to bring the three pony tribes together?”

“ And not to be crude, but have time to make your sister and you?”

“You know...I’ve never really asked about how I got here, and why I am a princess.”

The two fillies starred to each other awkwardly. Celestia barely knew this unicorn, and yet she not only wondered new things about Equestria’s past, but her own livelihood. That was just how Chrysalis was. She excited the mind and left the speaker whether friend or acquaintance feeling elated. Pan was always leary of the day that she would cross paths with someone not so cheery as Astrum or Celestia. Celestia looked intently at the filly,as if she would open like a puzzle box. Usually she could read ponies so well, she understood if she had made a mistake and had more time to correct herself.

Chrysalis’ head tilted slightly since she didn’t understand what Celetia was doing. “You’re pretty focused on staring at me. Do... Do you want me to leave?” Chrysalis motioned her body upward, but Celestia gave a soft

“No." Celestia added with a smile. "Why don’t you tell me more about Pan?” Her horn glowed making the pillows span out across the balcony and the princess laid down sprawled out to stare at the clouds. Chrysalis would lay next to the princess, face towards the sky and she told Celestia everything she loved about her father.

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Grue flung his head up, using his hooves to scan the area. He gave a heavy sigh. Last he remembered he had eaten himself full of butter fruit. Now it looked like he was in a house of some kind, the bed he laid on was made of plush cloth, like Maua’s! “Maua!”Grue yelled.

“Sir! The Zebra is awake!” A voice shouted from outside the room. A group of clopping noises headed toward him.

“Are you not the most fascinating Zebra I’ve seen! What’s your name ?” A pony wearing a stethoscope asked.

“Grue...”

“Grew? Do you know you’re in pony territory?”

“...No”

“Hah! You walked right into my house and started scarfing down my food!”

“I thought I ate from a Safou tree?” Grue questioned. His eyes watched as the snake slithered in the hallway, it carried a rat in its mouth. Grue closed his eyes, as he started to whimper in gasps of pain. All the hybrid could hear was the doctor’s yells. “Grew?...GREW...SOMEPONY!”

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With both her fillies grounded Astrum could not only address Canterlot about Morpheus, but keep her fillies from finding out. She told Sir Harbinger that last night’s incidents where Luna and Celestia’s powers developing. Luna had created a bear of stars and Celestia accidentally raised the moon at night. These two incidences would not repeat as it was just them showing they had gained their true calling. She leaned her head to the pegasus and asked. “I need you to help me out. Morpheus is in need of the strongest unicorns. He is working hard on a new spell and needs some insight.”

“I hope he recovers quickly, My Grace. I will send word to every academy, magician and alchemist! They will be here within four days.” The messenger pony could see right through Astrum’s words to the truth. There was a reason he was good at his job.

“Your Grace.” Astrum turned to the voice, smiling to the fruit wine brewer.

“Is that really you Damson?” Astrum chuckled. She rose from her throne to greet him.

“This is quite the castle...I can tell why you chose Midnight Star over me...” He grinned.

“I loved Midnight Star before the war Damson.” She replied.

“Yes...well, No one else really knows that...do they?” his eyebrows hinted to his growing anger.

“Why are you really here Damson? It can’t be to bicker about the past.” She asked plainly.

“No. You are right...I came to tell you, I don’t know what this letter means!” He scoffed. His hoof slapped a note to the floor, it was Sirius Dusk’s note.

“Well I am not usually referred to as Her Majesty...Sirius Dusk, I wonder what he has been getting into. I haven’t seen him since my Honeymoon.”

“Yes when I personally hoofed a bottle of my plum and blackberry fruit wine...That’s the bottle...” Damson’s eyes watched as a cloaked pony walked down the stairs slowly.

“My grace...I...I will come back later.” He galloped out of the room.

“You there!” Astrum called to the cloaked pony, who turned and smiled. She could see Pan’s green eyes. Astrum gave a soft sigh, she headed back to her throne. She knew Pan was trying to stay hidden, and she didn’t want him to feel like a prisoner.

“That Damson is one clever pony.” The pony chuckled. The voice, was not Pan’s. As quick as she turned her head the figure was gone.

Astrum wasn’t used to all this drama and suspense she had been living in recently. She had to second guess if her oldest friends were just a disguised Pan,or a naive Chrysalis following her father’s mysterious plans. How could a single pony stop Crystalline? How did Pan plan what he had? An eclipse that would make Morpheus and her remember their past...Why did he even let them live without knowing that their false paradise could be crushed at anytime? She chuckled to herself as she realized how she was dazing off in question, just like Morpheus did. “Morpheus...” She sighed, as tears reached her muzzle.

Author's Note:

I thought I would release this early, like a happy 2013 present!

New chapters will be published every 3rd and 21st of each month and,
if you see any grammatical errors don't be afraid to post them!