...What Dreams May Come?
When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
-William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene 2, Lines 30-31
“If it isn’t Discord, the great traitor?” Tirek growled as he pronounced the name. How dare he come here? After what he did? After he bent his knee to the Princess of Friendship! Just speaking the title of that insolent child sent shivers and fire through Tirek’s spine. “Have you come to taunt me?” he snared, “or has the great Princess taken even that simple freedom from you?”
He knew why why Discord was here. How could he not? As soon as the once-great Draconequus had first turned him into Celestia, as soon as he was thrown into this inconceivable cesspit of failure, he knew this day would come. It was inevitable. As much as the rising of the Sun, or the victory of Equestria. Celestia would see to that, just as she would see to this.
“Well? Are you just going to stand there and stare at me? Faust, you’ve become another Luna. How unfortunate. You had such potential.” Discord’s grimace told Tirek he had hit a nerve. Good. Even if he had lost the battle, the war, his will to live, Tirek still had something: his dignity and his anger. He would never lose that; never have that taken away. Unlike another monster he knew, Tirek knew who he was, and what he wanted. Power was his call to action. Celestia can have her duty, Luna her loyalty, and Twilight her friendship. In that sense, he supposed he was similar to them. They all had their agenda, their want. As different as they were, they all held onto their dignity and their sense of self. Discord, though, the poor bastard, he wasn’t even allowed that.
“Get on with it!” he screamed, staring into the yellow eyes which bore back into him. Those eyes that once held such life and chaos were now home to nothing. Not even regret. No, he assumed the years had taken that from his one-time ally as well. He almost pitied Discord, unable to even have his own will. Almost was the key word, though. Discord had more than enough power to escape his prison, yet he remained chained and stagnant, and for that, Tirek hated him. How fitting for Tirek to think that, how fitting for his final thoughts to be ones of bitterness and jealousy.
“Goodbye, Tirek.”
A blinding light and screeching yell, one more at home in the mouth of a primal dragon than a strength-deprived Centaur, filled the cage. The only evidence left of Tirek in his final resting place was a single scorch mark, roughly the size of a cannon ball, placed where he was not five minutes ago. The mark was all that remained. It sat there, staining the stone floors of Tirek’s cell.
That mark would plague Discord for the rest of his life.
XXXXXXX
"Thank you for seeing me today, Princess. I understand you are quite busy during this time," Fluttershy placed her tea on the engraved table. I hope she doesn't think I'm worrying over nothing, Fluttershy thought. Maybe I am?
"Please don't fret, my little pony," the Princess' honeyed voice settled Fluttershy's nerves, as usual. "You are, after all, an Element of Harmony. I am never too busy to hear from you. Now, tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I am worried about the Everfree Forest, Princess." Fluttershy said.
“Yes I have heard some troubling reports of ongoings from within the forest as of recent, though I doubt their authenticity. As an Element of Harmony, your testimony would be invaluable,” Celestia smiled at Fluttershy, and Fluttershy felt herself melt in her chair and smile in contentedness. “What can you tell me?”
“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” the mare answered. “The entire forest has been restless and violent lately.”
“Restless? Violent? How so?” Of course, Celestia already knew what Fluttershy spoke of. She had sent numerous reconnaissance and scouting squads into the area over the past month or so. Troubling reports, to say the least.
“Well, the animals in the area have,” Fluttershy focused her eyes down at the floor before once again raising them to Celestia, “changed, I suppose the term for it would be. As you know, I operate as a sort of caregiver and protector of much of the animal life in the region.”
“I am aware, yes. What do you mean by they have changed?” Celestia asked.
“Their behavior, they’ve become much more aggressive. I can’t even count the number of bloodied and bruised animals that have found their way, whimpering up to my cottage, “ she replied, “within just the past week alone.”
“In fact,” Fluttershy continued, “those animals who are new to my cottage, as well as ones I’ve been taking care for long periods of time, have all been spending every night screaming and yelling out into the distance,” she yawned. “It’s been keeping me from getting much sleep recently.”
“I can see that,” Celestia giggled, noticing Fluttershy’s restless eyes. “Is that all you’ve noticed?”
“I wish,” Fluttershy sighed. “The real reason these developments have me concerned is the animals who seek my cottage’s eyes.”
“Their eyes?” This was the first report Celestia would hear on the animals’ eyes. Her squads had reported their strange behaviors, and injured states, but no mention of their eyes was ever brought to her attention.
“Yes, your highness,” Fluttershy repeated, “their eyes. They’ve become soulless and void of any kind of emotion. The eyes of my animal friends from the Everfree are usually so full of emotion,” she began. “Even if they are less positive emotions like anger or fear, emotion is always there. It’s why I’ve come to love them, they never run out of things to feel. The eyes of these animals, though, they show nothing. It’s like they’re eyes painted on dolls. They’re completely unmoving.”
“Yes, this is quite troubling,” Celestia said. And it was, truly. Celestia, and all other practicers of advanced magic, knew that magic that affected the eyes like that had to be ancient, and complicated. They were the kind of spells that would have been crafted long before Celestia would have even been born.
“What of the plant life?” Celestia asked. This shall be a good opportunity to confirm those reports, she thought.
“The plantlife has also been affected by whatever is happening in the Everfree, Princess. In fact, it’s is one of the main reasons I wished to talk with you.”
The princess leaned forward in her chair. “Please, do continue.”
“As a caretaker for many animals, I often go collect different types of herbs for my animal friends, mostly for healing properties and for Angel, my bunny’s, own special meals.” At Celestia’s nod, Fluttershy continued. “Recently I’ve noticed that the plants and herbs that are usually in abundance throughout the Everfree are dead. All of them. Of the several dozen plants I routinely pick, none have survived whatever’s happened to the Everfree.”
“That is concerning,” Celestia said. “But, I can’t help but wonder, what’s happened to your friend that actually lives in the Everfree, Zecora, I believe her name was?” Celestia asked, tilting her head to the right.
“I don’t know,” Fluttershy responded. “Nopony's seen her in at least two weeks.”
XXXXXXX
After her meeting with Fluttershy, Celestia found herself yearning for solitude, a place to think on everything. Tirek, the Everfree, Discord, it was all getting to her. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and everything would fall apart. Celestia had very carefully forged her reputation, her reign, her city, her family, her everything. Nothing was ever left up to chance when she had been involved. Order had been the usual state of business, not like it had been before. Discord, the Windigoes, the Great Pony Clan Wars, they had brought chaos and uncertainty. She brought stability and order, she brought peace. Or so you tell yourself, she could hear Discord whisper to her. She truly never would be able to escape him, would she? No, no matter where she was, what she was doing, Celestia could always tell Discord was always watching, making his quick little quips. Was it really him, or her own mind acting of its own accord? Who's to say? She supposed it doesn't matter, the result was the same.
Her thoughts distracting her, Celestia hadn't been aware she was moving, entering her own private room. As usual, the only thing that stuck out about the room was its blandness. The roof, walls and floors were all made from the finest polished steel, painted a royal purple, long a symbol of her empire. The large queen-sized bed’s foundation was made of the highest-quality wood and her sheets the finest silk imported from Saddle Arabia. The entire room was made of symbols of her most productive and wealthy reign, signs of superiority and sovereignty. Celestia hated it.
She never was a fan of the room, it was too elegant and soft. She felt no love, no connection to anything inside of it. Well, except for one thing. Celestia found herself staring at the large golden bookshelf across from her bed. It has been a while, she thought, and some solace will do me good.
Making her decision, she moved towards the bookshelf. Her golden aura grabbed a large anthology placed right in the middle of the shelve. It was quite the standard book, nothing particularly unique about it. It had a dark brown coloring, neutrally-colored and indistinguishable in that manner from the works placed next to it, was in acceptable condition for its age - all its pages were still firmly intact and no stains to be seen - and its leather binding was strong and firm, standard for books published during the ancient days, and even today, for the most part. The Tey, the cover read. Suddenly, Celestia heard a familiar click, a sound a younger Celestia found comforting, though now it filled her with a certain kind of regret.
The book case she had just been staring at sunk into the floor, and in its place, stood a large steel door, at least 5 feet tall and just as wide. Engraved on the door, were two words, written in an old tongue, one only herself and Luna even remembered. Revak Kein, it said. The door was enveloped by Celestia's golden magic aura, and pushed open. A large, dark staircase made of ancient stone faced her. She placed her hoof on the first of the stairs, and slowly made her way down the passage.
XXXXXXX
"These lands have embraced the reign of unholy,
Its ending races towards us, no longer slowly."
"You mean the Everfree? You think this is some type of warning?" Twilight Sparkle glanced at Zecora as she spoke. Half of her left ear had been chewed off, and blood stained her entire face. Two days ago, the Zebra trotted into Ponyville, blood-stained and barely able to even walk straight. Always looking to help anyone in need of a friend, Twilight offered her home to Zecora. It had seemed that she had wanted to speak to Twilight ever since her arrival, attempting to speak to the Alicorn several times, before simply turning away in embarrassment every time. It concerned Twilight, the Zebra had never been known to be at a loss for words. That night, however, Zecora had approached Twilight right before she left for her bedroom to turn in for the night.
Twilight knew what Zecora's answer would be to her question before she even said it. Of course it was some kind of warning, some type of deliverer of what was to come. What else could it be? The Everfree had become increasingly dangerous, a place of horror and death. She had never seen anything like it. She hoped she never would again. It did concern her, though, that even Zecora seemed frightened of what was to come for the forest.
"I see no other reason for this coup,
I fear these days will be ones we may rue."
The certainty with which Zecora spoke her words made Twilight shiver. As much as the blood and dirt staining Zecora's coat, or the urgency of her words, frightened Twilight, it was her eyes that really spoke, or screamed rather. There was a single word she could use to describe them: void.
"I need you to tell me, as precisely as you can, what happened in the Everfree. What have you seen?" Twilight sat her tea down, unable to drink. She had a feeling that Zecora's response would do little to revitalize her appetite.
"My own observations come in but threes,
These sightings have wrought in me much unease."
XXXXXXX
Finally, Celestia thought, those damned stairs are behind me. They always were the most troubling aspect of the Catacombs, but she supposed they were necessary to help shield it from the public. Most believe Celestia and her sister settled upon Canterlot for the view. While it had been a nice bonus, the true reason was a bit more complicated. The land Canterlot rested upon had, for many millennia, been home to some very ancient and well-kept secrets. The Canterlot Catacombs, as some old friends of her's had once called it, were one such secret. An ancient place this was, and one she felt a strong connection to. Maybe it was the Old Blood that flowed through her veins, or maybe it was the time she spent in here as a young mare.
As expected of a place older than ponykind and all three tribes it is made of, the Canterlot Catacombs have a long and storied history. One full of mystery and passion. In all honesty, even Celestia wasn't aware of all the questions it raised, let alone their answers. Only one thing was certain to her: this was where Those Who Came Before were laid to rest. Alicorns, Dragons, Draconequui, Windigoes, all of them.
The Catacombs themselves were one giant corridor, extending for hundreds of miles, wide enough to hold a battalion and long enough to take one from Canterlot to Stalliongrad, a fact Celestia used liberally during that city's sacking. The floor itself was made of a fine, glossy, Ebony-like material that never seemed to age or decay. No matter how many tracked through this floor, or how much blood was spilt here, or how many eons it passed through, these floors remained flawless. The Ebony itself felt smoother than Silk, and seemed to make all who set foot on it want to melt from pure comfort. In all honesty, Celestia doubted that the floor was even made of Ebony, it simply looked identical, and when she sent a sample of it through one of the most thorough chemical analysis spells in existence, it seemed to be structured identically.
The roof itself was also a thing of beauty, and terror. As far as one could tell by looking up, there seemed to be no end to the void above one’s head. As expansive and unknowable as the furthest reaches of Outer Space. There had to be one, though, Celestia knew. More than likely, what those who stepped foot in the Catacombs saw when they looked up was an illusion. She hoped it was, anyway. She had spent many years researching this place when she was young, before her duties as a ruler had overtaken her duties as a scholar. As far as she could tell, however, there seemed to be no end that could be determinable. It was, seemingly, endless and void beyond comprehension, much like the concept this place existed to honor: death.
It was the walls at the sides of Celestia that had been the true reason these Catacombs were erected, though. For the hundreds of miles the corridor extended, looking to her left or right, Celestia saw some giant state of one type or another. All of them were at least 50 feet tall. Some seemed well over 200. Made of the finest steel, seeming to be impossibly sharp and hard, these statues brought a crushing sense of intensiveness and power that have made some of the finest creatures to ever walk these halls weep for mercy. There were, at least, 250 unique statues placed along each of the two walls surrounding Celestia. The statues themselves were of different creatures, all of them belonging to one of the races considered to be part of Those Who Came Before. Among them were the regal Alicorns, the eternal Dragons, the powerful Draconequui, and the unknowable Windigoes. Despite them being etched into the walls themselves, she often felt these statues followed her as a lion follows a lamb. Walking through this hall, Celestia could feel every pair of stone eyes, all judging her worth as their successor.
"Quite the fascinating little morgue, isn't it?" Celestia jumped at that voice. Of all places, she thought.
"Discord. Why are you here? Do you have any idea how long it has been since anyone has seen you?" She rolled her eyes at his indignant smirk. "Six months, Discord. It has been six months. So, tell me, why did you come here? It is not one of your usual hiding spots."
"I felt an itch," he replied, "one that only my- our," he corrected, "ancestors could scratch." Celestia understood what he meant, she had felt the same type of itch, a type of intense yearning and call from what she remembered, to come here during many of her worst days of mourning after Luna's banishment. For some reason, though, she always knew it would be a mistake to let that direct her here. She didn't know the nature of it, but she knew some type of ill fate would greet her if she let this place consume her like she knew it wanted her to.
"Has it satisfied your itch?" Celestia asked.
"I am tired, Celestia. Of the warring, the arguing, the killing, the control, the power, the chains." Celestia sighed; she knew this day would come.
"Well, what do you plan to do about it?" Celestia said, placing all four of her hooves firmly on the ground and lighting up her horn.
Discord gave a short, curt laugh. "No, Celestia," he spoke in the lowest octave she had ever heard from him. "I don't want to fight anymore. Tell me, Princess, do you still dream?"
"You know I don't," Celestia said, scrunching her brow. "Our kind has visions, not dreams. Dreams are a luxury afforded to mortal kind exclusively."
Discord sighed at that. "'tis true, I'm afraid. Our kind doesn't get dreams. It seems the deathless are plagued with the inability to dream. I envy Luna, really," he continued, "she gets to at least see dreams, even if they don't belong to her."
"What are you getting at, Discord?" Celestia yelled, finally releasing the pressure she had been placing on her hooves and deluminating her horn.
"What I'm getting at, your Highness," he spat, "is that I've finally embraced my dream. That final, infinite dream we all chase: the dream of nothing."
The only thing Celestia could see was the blinding, white flash.
XXXXXXX
"The Everfree has stabilized, Princess."
"I told you Twilight, you don't have to address me that way anymore," Celestia smiled at her prized pupil. "We are equals now."
"O-of course, Celestia," Twilight blushed, "Do we have any idea what happened?"
"Discord. Discord happened." Celestia replied, sighing and staring down at her desk.
"Do we need to entrap him in stone again?" Twilight inquired. If only it were that simple, Celestia thought.
"No, no that won't be necessary, or even possible. Discord has moved on from this world."
"He's died?" Twilight cocked her head to the right. I didn't even know he could die.
"Yes, yes he has." Celestia was waiting for the barrage of questions. Instead she was faced with but one.
"Did you kill him?" Somehow, just the way Twilight's old teacher looked at her told her all she needed to know. "Okay."
XXXXXXX
Zecora could feel it, she could feel the power surfacing in her veins. Discord warned me this would happen, she told herself, but he didn't mention the pain. Staring down at the potion she was currently mixing in her shed, Zecora spoke. She knew she had changed, that all the world had changed, and, yet, somehow, remained the same.
"And so the changing of tides lured her,
Me, for I have been plagued the Throne Disorder."