Prologue

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“Whose is this thought, the fleeting one,
The stars only know.
What will it wake, the slumbering one,
Time only knows.
For like it, everything ebbs and flows.”
Rune Singer~2017

Before the break of a chilly and slightly misty dawn, a tawny owl flew out of the Everfree Forest carrying his prey and alighted upon one of the numerous turrets of the Castle of Friendship. Gobbling the morsel up, Owlowiscious, after preening his feathers for a moment, looked around and with a long hoot, flew off and around the castle top in a wide arc. In his descent his right pinion only slightly touched one string of beads hanging from the side of the Tree that supports the castle, causing the white crystals to hum ever so faintly. Satisfied with this antic the owl glided through an open window of a winding staircase. At its base he accelerated with a single silent wing beat to cross a long corridor. Spreading his wings abruptly the owl halted and landed above the door of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s bedchamber. Owlowiscious nudged the ornate glass-work window with his beak so that it swivelled on hinges unseen.

In the soft blue shadows of the room within he spotted Spike curled up in his basket bed. After flying down the owl hovered over the young dragon and released a small gem he had in his talon all this time. He often found small gems in the warrens of his prey and brought them to Spike as a token of good will. Spike, still asleep, clutched the gem, mouthed a “Thank you Owlowiscious” and turned to his side to fall deeper into slumber. The Owl then landed on a perch next to Twilight’s bed, settled into a comfortable pose and watched the last of the setting moon with half lidded eyes.
A muffled grunt and mumbled half words rattled Twilight’s pet out of bliss, his hoot sounded more like a drawn out question of “Whooo?”

Within her dream Twilight Sparkle stood in the middle of a council hall filled with ponies, non pony friends and even faces she did not recall. In the pews that seemed to reach up endlessly whenever a voice spoke up, their owner was lit garishly as their harsh words blamed, accused and slanted her. She was ignored whenever she attempted to reply and tried as she might no magic she performed could change her predicament.

At some point the setting changed to that of a stone amphitheatre, the faces now of total strangers. Their voices called down in languages she half understood or not at all, while their adornments and mane styles spoke of a bygone era. The scene flickered in and out from the amphitheatre to that of a bay, with her standing on the waters and the voices now whole crowds of ponies. No longer herself she stood in the hooves of a young Alicorn. The scenes flickered faster and Twilight shut her eyes as the voices coalesced into crumpled sentences :

“Are … mortal … immortal … cannot … can … love … friends … lost … they.”

A voice asked “Whooo?” from far away and Twilight fell backwards into an abyss just as Princess Luna found her way into the nightmare. But even she, Protector of Dreams, was soon swallowed by the dark as Twilight fell and fell.

Her descent ended without impact on a swampy floor where unnamed shadows moved under thick liquid.
A book hovered ominously before her just out of hooves reach, its solid binding seeming to be of wood and its weight more of a feeling than actual physical manifestation.

The one page that started to turn had her terrified and stepping back she was sucked violently out of the abyss, out of the dream into wakefulness, to immediately forget what she had dreamt.

The feeling of dread remained though and a stirring,an awakening alluded to things very old and life-changing …

To those acquainted with the nature of that awakening the stirring was felt across Equestria and beyond.
In Canterlot Princess Celestia stood facing her bedroom door waiting for her sister’s arrival. As soon as Luna appeared out of a portal, they nodded knowingly to each other. With a pained expression Celestia averted her eyes, centuries of memories passing by.

Uttering “So the time has come for her at long last” her wings folded tightly to her sides and she hung her head mournfully. Luna draped one wing over her sister comforting her as best she could.

“We knew it was going to happen Sister. It always happens to one of us”

“Yes… yes it does”. Celestia whispered, leaning against Luna.

Farther to the North in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence awoke to that stirring reminiscent of just a few years before. Her husband and foal were sleeping serenely next to her. Cadence was almost guiltily glad for a moment yet after glancing towards little Flurry Heart felt the familiar pang of fear and knowledge of pain. Placing a kiss on Shining Armour’s cheek, she hugged her Alicorn daughter closer to herself, her horn glowing pink as she covered the three of them with a blanket.

Even further, one in hiding among her brood, another imprisoned in Tartarus and one in banishment, the Fallen -but still Alicorns- perceived of the same stirring. Envious the one seethed, hating the other strengthened his resolve and the banished, unable; did nothing.

Lastly in a different dimension altogether a manifestation of chaos awakened to an ice cold rendering within the fabric of his being. In less than seconds the Draconequus was at the side of the one being, among the living, that understood him the most. Appearing outside Fluttershy’s house, he refreshed all his secretly placed magical wards,despite knowing she was not in danger. Blinking out and reappearing within, he looked about and flew up into his friend’s bedroom. Indeed Fluttershy was sleeping serenely surrounded by many of her animals she took care of.

As soon as he took the sight of her in, her calm breath, her natural beauty, even the kindness with which she made space for all the animals sleeping with her, the rendering from before became mere pain, but pain nonetheless spanning Centuries and Millennia.

She stirred, and Discord was startled, afraid he woke her. Yet as one knows their lover is near, even in deep slumber, she turned on her back, smiled and beckoned him to her.

The draconequus diminished his form just enough to be able to lie with her and snuggled into her embrace. Without turning or opening his eyes he gently glided the sleeping critters into various beds and baskets with his magic. Then turning slowly on his back her let Fluttershy settle against his chest. They sighed in bliss almost simultaneously and only after Fluttershy’s breath settled back to a steady rhythm, did Discord’s smile diminish. If only the rest of his friends would forgive, understand and accept him as Fluttershy did. But it was not to be, soon yet another would judge him, rightly, for his past actions and would probably change their view of him altogether.

He knew precisely what had awakened, what it contained and how he would be reminded of his past in the eyes of the one who would read: The Book of Ages.

Letters of unrest

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"Daemon on the windowsill
What does you message bare?
Is it word from homeland
The calm, the loving and fair?
Spirit on the windowsill
Your lies believe I not !
For long now I’ve known
My homeland’s began to rot."
Rune Singer~2017

Twilight Sparkle nursed her second cup of Vervain tea that morning while trying to go over her to-do list for the day. She grunted at how noisily Spike had pushed the study door open with his foot while managing a teeter tottering pile of books in his short arms. With unsteady feet he managed to set the pile next to a small ladder by the shelves lining the larger wall. Grasping the uppermost book and stepping up to place it he calmly asked over his shoulder “Had a rough night? You feeling all right?”

“Thank you, Spike, I know I rested but I am certain I dreamt of something important even though I forgot it as soon as I woke up” she answered kindly looking over her scroll and helped Spike by pushing the book he could not place deep enough, with a swift spell. Her tone turned to a frustrated staccato as she floated letters from three different piles around and replacing them a bit too forcefully.

“And I wish I knew the reason these ponies keep sending me advice, complains and all these invitations. Look Spike! look at this” and unrolled a scroll until it touched the floor.

The dragon hopped down the ladder and read the title aloud.
“The wishes of the Winged Coalition? Who are they?”.

Twilight rolled her eyes to the ceiling and raised her front-hooves to it.
“I don’t know OK? I read the thing and its the most hollow amount of text I have ever read apart from these from the other groups”.

Stomping it down with a rock paperweight the second pile was declared as nebulous dribble and the third she held down with the teapot and named it wooden language at its worst.Spike rolled up the scroll and placed it next to the first pile.
“So this is where you sent everyone off to huh?”

The scroll was levitated in the air as Twilight also magically raised a bust of Starswirl the Bearded, placing the former on its counterparts on the third pile and ungracefully letting the latter fall upon them. She answered yes with emphasis and wondered, Their letters should be arriving soon if I am not mistaken.

Spike had already gone to continue his book sorting when from on top of the ladder he glimpsed out of the window. “And here they come Twi! I see Derpy flying over and Pristine Delivery is almost at the door himself” he said brightly and hopped down rushing to the door “I’ll go get them!”. As soon as he had gone out a loud burp sounded from outside and a small hand waved a magical scroll through the door. “This came…” Spike added and as soon as Twilight levitated the scroll off his grasp, the hand disappeared and the sound of his footsteps diminished swiftly.

Twilight opened the seal and immediately another scroll popped out and at the sight of its sender she visibly brightened, her cheeks reddening as her eyes darted to the door. She set the second scroll down and opened Princess Celestia’s letter.

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
Within enclosed as aforementioned is Sunburst’s letter from Seaquestria. In a letter to us he has given a report about his progress with an Arcane knowledge exchange with Queen Novo’s magicians. He also informed us about the situation regarding the possible relocation of a significant number of Seaponies to their ancestral mount Ares above Seaquestria, as that percentage is interested to live as Hippogryphs again. The establishment of ground and air trade routes through Abyssinia has also been mentioned and as it is too soon to speak of any expedition to find the Stormking’s Island, no rumours have yet circulated on that front.
On a different note, I am concerned at a rising number of the Canterlot populous displaying a favouritism towards leaving the Capital if they don’t belong to the Unicorn race. Small factions have always existed in our history -I am sure you don’t need a history revision from me- and this now is like its predecessors, namely insignificant. Nothing of greater importance has arisen so far and thus I and Luna wish you a great day.

Your Mentor and Friend

Princess Celestia Victrix Omnium

Upon reading this Twilight paused in thought. Celestia has almost never named her pupil by full title apart from ceremonial or formal occasions, let alone mention it in a private letter. Besides that, Twilight has never read Celestia’s full title in a signature either. Victrix Omnium - Conqueror of All- was a title, literally, set in stone under a statue of the princess and was not being mentioned in either ceremonial nor formal occasions. She started to worry that some very important event was afoot, and her gut told her it was something Celestia and Luna had gone through before. But all previous thoughts vanished as she remembered Sunburst’s letter. After pausing a fraction in bashfulness, she broke the seal and a magical breeze flew out, caressed her cheek and vanished. Twilight giggled in delight her wings hugging around herself. Yet just as she read My lovely Twilight… Spike burst in, carrying two letters. The pony quickly rolled the scroll back up, bound it tight with string and sent it off flying into a random drawer.

“Spike! You brought the letters” she said in a squeaky tone.

“Yes I brought the letters Twilight” said he raising an eyebrow at her suspicious manner.

“Can I have the letters please?”

“Yes here you are, but what’s wro-”

“Nothing! her eyes darting about “Nothing is wrong all OK, its… the… the books fell and I had to put them back up” brushing imaginary sweat with her hoof she added “Phew, its hard work doing that all at once.” Grabbing the uppermost letter hastily she exclaimed “Its from Rarity and Applejack!”.

Spike held the edge of the desk with sudden interest, previous suspicion at her hiding something forgotten.

“Rarity? What does she say!”

“Shh I’ll tell you in a bit, let me read Spike!” she cut off.

Dear Twilight,
Applejack and I have had a marvellous time here in Manehattan, at least for as long a she was free from her task. What ever did you send her on these “Affiliation” meetings anyway. Seems to me as if its a complete waste of time when Applejack would have plenty of tasks to perform at home or at least take a relaxing vacation here with me. She has returned each of the last three evenings completely exhausted and can tell me nothing coherent enough to warrant the effort. Oh I almost forgot, be a dear and ask my friend Tailor Made in Ponyville to stop sending me all these invitations to join a peculiar club of sorts concerning unicorn Fashion designers moving to Canterlot permanently of all things. The nerve! Other than that I will let Applejack write the next lines herself and give you her own point of view. Its a grand shame you all cannot be here though, Manehattan is just SO stunning this time of year. Anyhow, stay well and do send a kiss to my Spikey-wakey.

Yours Rarity.

Here Twilight looked up at an expectant Spike and added “Rarity sends a kiss” and went on with the same letter whose next paragraph was written in hasty block letters, not seeing how Spike’s cheeks flushed before he turned away.

Howdy Twilight,
This is some pickle barrel you’ve dunked me in I say!
These ponies are talking my head off evenin’ after evenin’ after evenin’. While most stuff they talk about in the beginning of their meetings is about how strong and talented and how many us Earth Ponies there are in Equestria, these other folk who go up the soap box next go on and on about stuff in the history of Equestria that I swear we never heard in school. Then the other night a few ponies read news out loud ‘bout unfairness towards Earth Ponies and such. They have these lists on the walls of teachers and shops and merchants that are all Earth Ponies and advise but not prohibit -as they say- to visit other tribe shops n’ places. Twilight these folks give me the creeps! I can never get a hold of any in private to ask what they are on about and the ponies listenin’ say that its nothing serious, its just harmless truth. See I don’t want to make any bold suggestion here but there’s a bad brew brewin’ here and no-one’s seeing it. Good thing is I’ve done my piece and I can return home.

See you soon Twilight.

A.J.

For a long moment Twilight found herself at a loss. She expected the letter Spike was now perusing, from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy who went to Cloudscape on a similar errant, would be of similar content. Indeed Spike’s brows grew more furrowed as he read on. Finishing it he looked up and slid the letter over the desk.

“Twilight, this is wei-”

“Weird?” she cut him off, “Militaristic and separatist? These and all of those -pointing first at the letters then at the scrolls- ARE about the same thing!”

“You mean Pegasi wanting security patrols but not an army and a new city but not a capital?” Spike answered a tad perplexed.

“Say what?” Twilight now forced the letter to unfold and stay rigid in the air.Her head went frantically from side to side while her eyes grew wider “The Winged Coalition? I don’t believe these horse-apples!” Crunching it up she sent it hurling across the room to drop in a crystal cruet, a gift from Discord. Spike watching the trajectory of the paper ball added that the matter did sound quite discordant and whether they should look into it. Twilight shook her head as she had the gut feeling the reason was lying somewhere else.

So it went for an hour or so, both trying to find an explanation less dramatic since Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s report was more upbeat and Starlight Glimmer’s -who was in Canterlot- had not arrived yet. At times Twilight glanced down to the drawer where Sunburst’s letter sat waiting. Her anticipation about the content and her worry about the situation that might as well be nothing but hay in the wind had her losing her trail of thought. She startled when Spike pushed a full cup of tea next to her hoof.
“I…-”

“Don’t mention it Twilight, since you did not answer the third time I asked about an idea, I thought you got too tired. Why don’t you call it quits for today huh? I got stuff to do you know!” and added while gathering up cups.”This castle does not run by itself” and left the room.

In a heartbeat Twilight opened the drawer and hugged the letter against her chest. She stood for a moment not deciding whether to go out the door or teleport out. With a little giggle she swooped out the window and beat her wings strongly a few times to fly high into the sky still hugging the letter close to her heart. Up there she took a few good breaths and set course for a place she knew she could find solace, and privacy.

Beyond Ponyville the River Saddle glistened in the noon light making her squint a little. Yet as soon as she was over the outskirts of the Everfree forest, the light dimmed. The sun did not dim per se, though the light was less bright as -in typical Everfree fashion- the forest soaked in the surrounding illumination. Being able to avoid crossing the forest on foot was a grand advantage and thus she flew East from the Bogg, following the Everfree river towards the Castle of the Two Sisters. Landing before the gates she sighed looking at the two restored towers midst the otherwise ruined castle. She remembered of how difficult it was to find workers willing to travel within the Everfree forest to start with the reconstruction, whatever fee she offered. At least the two towers got finished last year before the winter came, she thought and teleported to avoid the known by now traps within.

For just a split second she appeared within a dark room a bit akin to the private reading room of the Sisters but dark and uninviting. A stand with a book was just visible from the left corner of her eye, glowing with its own pulsating light. Turning to look at it she was ported away before she had a single glimpse and appeared at her initial destination.

“That…that was weird?” she mused aloud and dismissed it as just another of the castle’s quirks. This castle was a prime example of decaying and rampant magic that never seized to astound those who tried to understand or control it. Even the most powerful among the magic users found it futile, since its existence was now intertwined with that of the Everfree forest, magic and all.

The room Twilight was aiming for was inaccessible to those without magic skills or those not in contact with a magic user. Sunburst and she had stumbled upon it during one of their research meetings. Shrugging off the event in the unknown room as one of the numerous quirks of the decaying castle she looked about the room. She blushed remembering how .Long talks by the fire, deep into the night whether this castle was sentient or caught in a decaying loop of jumbled magic turned to a more personal nature. Research meetings became magical dates, and spell experiments enabled them to discover a common romantic interest.

This relationship was but few weeks old and had not been revealed to their friends yet. There is no reason yet is there? she mused, we aren’t doing anything wrong and no one of our friends is being neglected nor our duties and responsibilities. She really felt she wanted to keep this small thing to herself a bit longer and completely shut out the day’s news and all outside world issues. This was their own private haven.

Even if they mostly met to see each other, they still unwound, relaxed and forgot the world outside. And they still did what they loved to, study and research magic, they just realised that it was even better and more fun, together. This fact filled them with happiness and fulfilment.

Twilight trotted over to a pile of pillows and throws on the floor and lied on her back, wings stretched out holding Sunburst’s letter above her face. She giggled again and biting her lower lip, unfolded the scroll.

My lovely Twilight,
I can hardly wait to tell you about this visit here in Seaquestria. The sights, the music the sheer volume of history and magic to be studied humbles me and intimidates me a bit. Promise me we shall visit together next time an exchange of knowledge is arranged, it will be the most magical time ever. The Sea Ponies and Hippogriphs -some want to stay while others wish to shed their aquatic form- are so friendly and eager to learn. Trust is key here and I believe without the Stormking’s hindrance, alliances will soon flourish between them and Abyssinia.
But now to you, how I miss you!I..you know me, I am not used to such desire to be stronger and bolder for somepony. Yet I find myself achieving more and discovering more about myself. Why yesterday while I decanted the essence of Glassroot we prepared the last time and added it into Dittany powder, it turned such a shade of purple that it reminded me of your eyes! Thinking of you I was inspired to add this to a flask of Shadow Silk oil. Oh by Celestia, a field of magical concealment of about two hooves appeared and remained stable for about thirty minutes. I simply must show you in person as I…
…darn it, got carried away.
I want to see you again and hold you in my arms OK? I think about you all the time and miss you a whole lot! There I wrote it…
And this makes the next bit of news ever the better. A summons from the Royal Sisters has cut this visit short and I will be in Canterlot tomorrow at noon the latest. I believe your whole day will be all about reports and a meeting of the Princesses. The whole affair wont take longer I believe and we will have the evening to ourselves. Shall I find you in our room then? Please be there.

Missing you every moment,

Yours, Sunburst.

“He will be here tomorrow!” Twilight intoned every word looking gleefully at the painted ceiling.
Birds and deer where skilfully drawn among myriads of flowers and winding branches. Her eyes followed the whimsical deigns, smiling at nothing, when she stood up in attention shouting “TOMORROW!!!”. Thus started a speed cleaning of the place, a righting of the books and alchemy equipment, a replacement of candles in their holders and wood in the fireplace.

The throw rugs and pillowcases needed a good washing, so these Twilight bundled up and without any interruption this time, teleported out of the Castle. Another magical leap and she was in her own one back in Ponyville.

Having appeared in the laundry basement she set her burden to wash in a laundry tub, adding water and detergent while causing the whole thing to move centrifugally with a spell, having first created a purple barrier above the container.

Something flew in with great velocity and smacked her right in the back of her head disrupting her concentration and lowering the barrier. Until she got to stop the moving waters, everything was soaked and soapy. Swearing something about yak dung and rotten fruit, she set about drying the place and starting the laundry spell all over again. At least the laundry hall is cleaner than ever, she thought as she wrung her mane noticing a scroll floating in the air towards her, wringing the water from itself. By releasing the spell that compelled it to seek her out, Twilight recognised Starlight Glimmer’s magic by default. The message within conveyed worry and anxiety.

Twilight,
I was initially going to write a lengthier report of how my progress with the fillies in the School for Gifted Unicorns is going ahead. But matters marginally related to this came to my attention that could not be set aside. Even though I have spoken to the Sisters about my discoveries, they are convinced this is a trivial matter that comes up once every decade or so.
Nevertheless I’ll start from the beginning:
My first week here was really interesting and entertaining. I must admit teaching fillies magic is not what I ever imagined myself to be doing but it has led to many a productive day. Princess Celestia has been an amazing mentor to these young ones but sometimes I think she lacks the tenacity to be a bit more stern when it comes to experimentation. Yes I can hear you already “not experimenting? Not going head first into action? Are you sure you are yourself Starlight?” and yes that is what I mean by progress. Anyhow I have gotten to know my students by name and their parents have started talking to me more than just politely thanking for the lessons, when they come to pick up their foals.
This Saturday though I was invited to join the most peculiar of meet-ups. Having lived here you must know of the establishment Fleur-De-Lis’s family has sponsored. There I was welcomed on stage as a quest of honour for my contributions to teaching the youngest generations of magic users their rightful art. I kid you not Twilight, that was what I was being honoured for: hardly a week’s worth of supplementary magic tutoring. The hall was packed and everything from the food to the entertainment was brought to us with the compliments of the --Magical Amalgamation--. As the evening went and most of the ponies had gone, the curtains where lowered over the windows and the doors closed. I initially thought a show was to start when several unicorns succeeded one another in presenting speeches on Unicorn rights, superiority of the Race and boycotting non-unicorn businesses. I hand it to them this propaganda was portrayed as mere ideas and suggestions but it was propaganda nonetheless and if I cannot recognise it as such then don’t call me Starlight Glimmer.
Princess Celestia assures me the capital is full of secret societies with ideas of grandeur and that I should see the piles of correspondence she receives from them for myself to understand their frivolity. I even approached Princess Luna and she laughed heartily after telling me how many disgruntled ponies dream of revolutions, wars and changing a system they don’t really understand.
I was not approached again and I don’t sense any change in my student’s parents behaviour either yet now that I am aware of it, more Unicorns walk the streets of Canterlot than any other race lately.
Be that as it may, after your pressure and mine added to that, the Princesses HAVE called on a meeting of few, as you must know by now, so we’ll discuss this in detail tomorrow.

Your friend Starlight Glimmer.

Twilight who was already heading towards the cutie map room turned to walk back and up to her study. Retrieving the balled up message from the cruet, she headed back to her first destination. The Cutie map was not responsible for her sending her friends on these errants -she would not call them missions before, but she sure felt like it now. Nor was the map displaying anything at the moment either.Thinking deeply she retreated to her throne and sat into it. Her right hoof under her chin she looked from place to place upon the map, where her friends must be. Only Starburst and Pinkie Pie had gone on ambassadorial duties and the current issue did not seem to include other races.

Even though she had picked up the message from her Pegasi friends she was not really in the mood to read it. What more or different than the others would it contain? she thought.

Not coming up with anyone else to bounce ideas off she thought of pursuing Spike’s thought of Discord possibly having involved a talon…or paw in this. With Fluttershy away Twilight did not really know how to call or find Discord. The Draconequus was either there on not and that was that. Despite this knowledge she headed towards Fluttershy’s cottage wondering on the way about whom the pegasus had left to mind her animal friends.

After thumping on the door several times when ringing the bell did not bring results, a slurry voice answered the door. Tree Hugger greeted her with her customary calm demeanour and invited her to join their Forest Seance. After looking in, Twilight declined politely. No she was really not in the mood to join the animal parade arranged in a circle on the house floor that was now covered in foliage, besides Discord was clearly not there. Poor Fluttershy had a great mess to clean up when she returned.

It was early evening when Twilight returned home after having bought a treat for Spike and Owlowiscious in Town. Spike had already hung the laundry to dry and was waiting for her in the library, having lit the fireplace against the chill. She informed the little dragon about them going to stay in Canterlot for a night or two and that they’d leave early after packing the next day. The rest of the evening was spent in quiet reading, Spike moving on with his current favourite “The Tales of the greatest Heroes” and Twilight engrossed in Lavish Peony’s latest romance “Magician in Love”, albeit her book camouflaged behind a cover of “Medicinal Compounding in Buffalo History”.

All was well with her world and Twilight despite her worries, felt it was all in somepony else’s hooves for now. If needed she and her best friends, even adding the aid the princesses, Discord and the Changelings, would all save Equestria again. As always.

Meetings

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“…dread may gnaw and fears may rend…
For friends we will fight
until the bitter end.”
Rune Singer ~2014

The following morning, while exiting their favourite Canterlot inn alone , Twilight did notice Starlight Glimmer’s mentioning of more Unicorn ponies on the street. Not only there but within The Frog & Cauldron Inn only the innkeeper’s wife remained the only non-Unicorn of the regular staff. Less shops where open as well making her wonder if the same is happening in the other cities the rest of this trend have their base of operation. Eager to find out more, she trotted up to the castle and paused at the base of the main stairway, looking back in thought. Oh!I hope Spike is all right on his own after the way he was ordered to stay back. I don’t mind staying in a Inn either, but is the Castle so full with guests? Looking up to the Royal Castle she wondered what could have caused such cautious and abnormal behaviour on Princess Celestia’s part. Especially since she found all our concerns trivial.Well…there is only one way to find out. Twilight thought as she politely greeted the guards on top of the outer stairs and let herself in.

Almost halfway through the empty reception hall she recognised Starburst cantering towards her from an adjacent room. Retreating half a hoof back she visibly reddened and looked around for onlookers.
“Twilight!” was all Starburst said before he hugged her and drew his head back to briefly touch foreheads with her. They had not seen each other in more than a month, and his presence now filled her with anticipation and joy.
Starburst's eyes shone as he slowly bent his head seeking to kiss her.

“I-” was all Twilight could answered when with a flash Princess Celestia appeared before them. The couple had just time to part stepping back in haste and looking abashed. The Princess looked stoic and tense. Nodding curtly in Starburst’s general direction she gave him no heed and turned her attention to her protege.

“Follow, I have gathered the others already and we are waiting to start. We did have an important issue to discuss with you, yet circumstances have changed the situation.” She said regally all the while looking down at Twilight with stony eyes. Briefly they flickered to sadness or was it stress, Twilight could not tell. Twilight did step up to follow Celestia turning her head quizzically to Starburst. The stallion simply shook his head slowly, sharing her perplexion. He then moved his chin forward to urge her on and set to follow himself many paces apart, thoughtful.

Within the throne room seats had been drawn for all present and as soon as Celestia flew up and over the congregation, Twilight ran to where her friends sat already rising, running or flying to meet her. A confusion of “Hello, Howdy, Hi” and mixed words about what has been going on followed hugging and a small loop de loop in the air from Rainbow Dash. All seized when a loud “ahem!” turned all heads in the direction of the thrones.

Princess Luna had stepped up and loudly -but careful not to deafen the audience- proclaimed
“You will have plenty of time to chatter after the meeting is adjourned. If you please be seated we could begin” and pointed at the seats.

Walking back the ponies whispered to each other.

“Chatter? We have not seen each other for ages!” Rarity mouthed, eyes wide open at the admonishment.

“Whaaat’s up with them?” Rainbow Dash wondered, sitting into her seat with a plump.

Applejack simply walked but before Twilight went by her, she nudged her shoulder to shoulder, winking to reassure her friend.

Fluttershy was back-stepping slowly but treaded right onto Sunburst who had just entered the room.

“Yaouch!” he shouted a tad too loudly and as Fluttershy started mouthing quietly “I am so so sorry, are you hurt? I am so sorry!”

Starburst helped Fluttershy settle into her seat and then looked about for one to sit in himself. Finding none he placed himself behind the row of occupied seats, where Starlight Glimmer already stood, having no seat of her own as well.

Princess Celestia, having surveyed the room once, then spoke, her voice overshadowing everyone “You may stay Sunburst, I would not have it but this does concern you” turning her head towards Starlight Glimmer she added “you as well since you’ve concerned yourself already.”

Starlight was taken aback but tried to hide it. Celestia had never talked to her in this manner before. What had they all done? Was what seemed to be written on her face as she watched her newfound friends sitting, faces attentive towards the Royal Sisters.

Twilight felt mortified for reasons she could not fathom. Taking a breath to steady her thoughts she decided to rise from her chair and move a few paces towards the dais and confront the matter.

“Princesses, I might not know what it is that we have done but I am sure we can all try to rectify the situation. Pleas-” she was cut of by Luna’s unfurled right wing. Luna nodded for her to stop and furling her wing back, turned to her sister, an unspoken agreement in their eyes. Luna then stepped forward and addressed all.

“We greet the Princess Twilight and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the latter being connected to this meeting by a voice-only portal spell. We have already been informed in detail about the enquiries Princess Twilight has sent the Ladies Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to, as well as the findings of Starlight Glimmer. My sister and I must apologise for not taking the matter seriously but we assure you that skilled ponies acting as spies, members and even supporters of these upstart groups have been sent and are in constant contact with us.

The Lady Pinkie Pie is still abroad on ambassadorial duties and we wish for her to remain in situ, placing her there as the first of a number of envoys to our allied nations. Unless Princess Cadenza wishes otherwise we strongly urge towards sending the Royal Crystaller Sunburst back to Seaquestria to resume his function there."
She seized the flow of words abruptly to pierce Twilight with her gaze.
"And as we see a Princess here itching to ask her questions, you may proceed Twilight.”

Twilight immediately ceased her nervous trotting on the spot and looked about whispering sorry! Her head tilted slightly to the side, she walked forward a few paces more as if trying to shield her friends from the Sisters. Composing herself and also to add severity to her words she thought I can play that tune as well, if formal they want then formal they’ll get, and After clearing her throat she spoke

“Royal Princesses, I and the Ladies of my court acknowledge your apology though it is unnecessary. We are glad the severity of our findings in these three situations has been taken seriously although is it not a joyous matter. I have not had time to confer with my court about the details yet and we have not come to a unanimous decision as to how disrupting or even dangerous the situation is. I-” again she was interrupted by an outstretched wing.

This time Celestia’s. Twilight was rewarded with a smile from her mentor albeit it did not feel warm.
Celestia spoke coolly then.

“It pleases me greatly that you have come to address your court as what it is and before I continue, I would ask you to join us here by your throne. Your station and status is not just a name or mere advancement; it is a function and to function correctly you should stand at your correct place.”

Twilight made as if to heed the order, to follow and stand next to the regal sisters and… do what? She thought in what could only be thought of as retaliation. What was this pompous show of etiquette all about if not to intimidate. But intimidate whom? Anypony who was here, knew Celestia and Luna already. Her friends are important ponies in their right and especially did not require any intimidation or impressing. Why now of all times did princess Celestia especially, choose to use titles and segregate her and her friends by status. This is absurd and no pony is talking about it! she almost spoke aloud.

Not moving she then stomped a fore-hoof softly on the carpeted floor.
The princesses slightly tilted their heads almost in unison at this, looking at her.
“Curiously the Princess Twilight chooses to take her time to come up here.” said Celestia in cold jest.

More spiteful Twilight thought, Is she goading me to lose it and get mad? What will that achieve? She chose to take the moral high ground and spoke back.

“Curious! Actually I am curious about two things but lets start with this! Why if the initial problem is one of a separatist nature and in this case, if I am not mistaken by your deployment actions, of a right out DIVISION among the pony races, why -I repeat- should I divide myself from my friends and join you up next to the thrones!”

These last words slipped out more garish than she wanted but she was starting to lose her temper.

“Because you ARE separate from them Twilight!” Celestia intoned her eyes stressing the fact.

Twilight was now completely positive that Princess Celestia, her beloved mentor, was goading her.

“Is it my Alicorn nature? Aren’t we ALL different then? The ponies, the dragons, the Changelings, need I go on?” Twilight answered, losing the trail of her thoughts among the current problem and this irritating, alien and utterly disrupting behaviour of the royal sisters. What was separating her so much from the others and why was it so important now?

“Immortality!”

The word was deafening, heavy with meaning but did not come from the direction everyone expected it to. Celestia whose mouth could possibly have been ready to utter the same, hung open. No they came from Discord who for once did not appear with a flash or bang of bizarrely transmogrified inanimate objects. He had just appeared, leaning against a column next to the throne dais. He walked slowly on two hind feet, picking up a bit of bravado and his usual loony ways.

“You see dear Twilight, my Friend -” and interrupting himself turned completely around to face Celestia squarely in the eyes. There in their gaze, seemed a moment at which a minuscule war was waged and then retracted by both parties and Discord turned about, sitting next to Fluttershy in mid air, going on.

“-as said before, as a friend I do advise you to take my answer and keep the escalation of this delightful drama for the conversation the Royal Sun a’ Moon up there have in store for your ears only. Indulge those poor old dears in their Royal game and do go on with your second enquiry”. Disappearing and reappearing right next to Twilight he leaned close and said in but a whisper “…for all your Friend’s sake”.

Twilights eyes opened wider at that but found Discord had shooed her off by levitating her hind-legs a bit. Twilight was about to stumble but caught herself and looking once back to her friends and once more at Discord, spoke in a voice slightly shaken.

“Right, where was I, eh, am also curious as to what has caused you to change your mind about the actions of the new factions not being trivial.”

Celestia was silent and Luna stepped in and answered “We were just about going to tell you. While...”

She was interrupted though by the up to that point, silent and unresponsive ponies forgotten in the audience.

“Before you asked to separate herself from us!” this from an assertive Rarity who stepped next to her friend.

“Or made her speak to you in fancy speech and all!” Applejack added also stepping next to Twilight.

“Yeah she did all the work sending us places and warning you a hundred times!” Rainbow Dash said loudly, landing next to her.

Sunburst forgotten in the back, looked to and fro his friends, Twilight, the royal sisters, even Princess Candace in her portal and felt inhibited to speak out. He also had some hash words in the defence of Twilight and hated himself for not being able to speak out. Next to him Starlight Glimmer also visibly longed to spring forward and defend her friend. As she looked ahead with worried eyes, he thought "She has it worse than I! While I am being held back by decorum, she is haunted by guilt. How sad we two stand here, like side characters..."
Watching her profile he found that his childhood friend had positively changed the past year. She had grown and expanded her horizons. If only situations like these did not hold her back from finding herself a niche in Equestria. Turning to watch the confrontation before them he spoke in a low tone only for Starlight's ears.
"All we can do now is support our friends with our thoughts and later, with the best we can do..."

Princess Celestia had just stood there unmoved, throughout all the accusations Twilight’s friends had hurled her way. In a trance like state she appeared to listen and take note, but also being far away, in thought. Twilight did for a fleeting second think that her mentor must have been through this before. But that does not excuse herself from not speaking up, not explaining to them. Was it her fault or her friend’s that in her lifetime she’s been though it before?

Luna who was looking from one speaker to another, tried in vain to speak up, confused at this breach of protocol. This was a royal hearing, not a country club! Her eyes seemed to express.

Fluttershy had gone up to Twilight as well and was just about to speak her piece when Discord clapped his hands audibly “Ladies! Ladies! Do try to keep it civil. Speaking of that aren’t we all tapping around the subject of Civil War?”

“Civil War?” Fluttershy spoke up.

Discord put a paw under her chin and spoke calmly and kindly.
“Indeed dearest, and if Miss Victrix Omnium up there is to be believed she knows ALL about wars.”

At last the Princess spoke up, seeming have to come back to the present while she was in her thoughts. Dismissing Twilight’s friends utterly she had her eyes only on the Draconequus.

“Don’t you start Discord. If you not wish to help then don’t interrupt. You were summoned in all formality for a later meeting. The last thing I need right now is one of your disruptive activities.”

“You meant this?” and materialised a tattered envelope, waving it in the air “I thought it was spam!” and turned it into a can of spam. Rainbow Dash snorted and Applejack tried to keep a chortling herself. Discord smiled warmly at the laughing ponies and after shortly looking over his shoulder at a smouldering duo of princesses, he sighed and bent his back forward in mock dejection.

In the first show of any usual emotion, Celestia brought a fore-hoof to the bridge of her nose, and moved her head slightly side to side. “Discord please…” she uttered frustrated.

Discord moaned audibly as in a tantrum and rolled his eyes.
“Oh but I am being disruptive, let me sulk in a corner and watch the wall” with those words he transformed his ears to those of a cat and chased an invisible ball of yarn. Stopping at a far corner he stared up into nothingness.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack giggled silently while Rarity and Fluttershy intoned an “aww” his way. Twilight was looking about, seconds away from an exclamation of “what is going on!” when she caught Starlight’s and Sunburst’s eyes, both looking about confused, perplexed.

Up at the thrones, Luna was whispering in her sister’s ear, causing her to momentarily frown, almost blush and then compose herself, albeit not standing so unapproachable as before.

"Twilight you may stay with your court if they so wish it and Sunburst ? if you may, bring forth the map." Celestia intoned with a little less hostility, causing him and the pony next to him to look up at the dais. Even her stature seemed to have softened a bit, breaking the ever-present tension in the room slightly.

The up to this point silent and forgotten stallion conjured a map table in the centre of the circle of chairs. This seemed to ground everypony’s temper and so Twilight and her friends turned and went back to their seats silent and watching the moving symbols on the elaborate map of the entire world. Equestria was depicted at its uppermost left corner and the view shifted to it including the lands up to Abyssinia and Griffonstone.

Celestia went about explaining the indicators that started to appear in the forms of arrows, circles and crosses.

“Before our own investigations three simple but vocal groups had started to organise. The Affiliation of the Earth in Manehattan, The Winged Coalition in Cloudsdale and The Magical Amalgamation in Canterlot. For the moment these groups have members and followers spreading rumours and falsehoods but also helping select few in need to help them out for the sake of face. We are certain this will not stay at mere words though, discrimination is next and then outright civil unrest. This has happened before in pony history. Even before my and my sister’s lifetime and two times so far within it.
Regions will splinter apart and defencive measures will be taken. For the present our sources can confirm that: The Affiliation of the Earth -A.E. for short- continues to spread and organise forces in the Southeast from Manehattan to Appleloosa.” Pulsating green arrows showed a dispersion from the cities and over each one hovered the old quarterly banner of the Earth Pony Tribe.
“The influence of The Winged Coalition -W.Cl.- has reached from below Cloudsdale to Rainbow Falls while Las Pegasus has stayed out of the game and most probably will” Celestia continued while above the cities and villages mentioned, the old Pegasi banner became visible.
“Lastly The Magical Amalgamation -M.E.- is not centred in Canterlot but in Vanhoover” respectively the old banner of the Unicorn race came to view.

The map dimmed visibly and everypony’s eyes turned back to the Sisters. Celestia showed a small amount of worry and Luna continued the speech.

“If left to their own devices the groups will depose ponies from their homes and cause economic instability. The next step is an establishment of capitals, leader’s regimes and formulation of an army. If by then riots, individual unchecked squabbles and downright violence had not claimed any victims, the imminent conflict of mentioned forces is inevitable.” Luna was going to continue what started to sound like war council albeit in a matter of fact tone, if not for Rainbow Dash.
“But what can we to do now? We cannot go up to people and tell them believe this or that!” She intoned.

Here a loud huff sounded from Discord’s corner. Rainbow continued after looking his way momentarily “Or send them to Tartarus for organising this”.

Two loud huffs from Discord’s direction this time.

Celestia replied “Luna did say that if they were left unchecked the outcome would be thus. And as stated before, we have seen Equestria safely through similar instances. Ponies have risen to question the balance of powers before but I'd have thought by this age, they would feel satisfy, sheltered and engaged enough. Never-mind, the past is not the issue today and thus with a heavy heart I will have to order you, as Guardians of Harmony, to return and act in favour of your Races faction respectably. You shall-” But all hell broke loose.

Shouts of what, where, you cannot do this, sounded all about but one stood still. Twilight who looked across the loud group to a silent Stallion, smiled briefly and used the Royal Voice herself.
“Quiet!”

All commotion stopped. Neither Luna not Celestia, nor Cadence through her mirror had spoken. All eyes where upon Twilight. In a normal tone now Twilight said “Enough all, please, this is necessary and I have to agree with the Sisters. How else can we prevent this getting our of hand, surely not by having simple spies around. I believe, if I understand this plan, we must bring all the ponies to a confrontation. I mean at some point gather them together and talk this out.”

Every-creature continued to look at her, expecting more.

Applejack put her chin on her right hoof and then spoke up.
“Won’t it just cause them to fight it out a day earlier? You cant think this will go just like the Founders summit, they had a Blizzard to fight against and unite them, what have we got?” she asked.

The ponies paused in thought.

“We’ve got you!” Celestia answered in a heartier tone, startling all and filling them with admiration. All apart from herself, Discord and perhaps Cadence, although Twilight did not know the workings of that particular portal mirror. The rest seemed to have been taken back to adoration and attentiveness by the sheer charisma in Celestia’s voice. Twilight stood corrected in so many ways as she realised the subtle nuances of an alicorn’s powers, powers she had as well. If Celestia could woo them just like that, she thought, then why had she not done so from the beginning, why that display from before that they must have forgotten by now, by this charisma in her voice. Was it…for me to see? To…learn? To learn to…use?? Why doesn’t she talk to me, why did she use my friends and why now!

She came to from her thoughts only when Starlight, who had silently approached her, slightly touched her hoof. The sensation cleared her mind and grounded her. In his eyes she saw that he had picked up, at something being different by only the slightest bit. His magic is not on par to an alicorns after all,where the others have nil resistance he might have a bit, perhaps through our… bond. She thought again while searching for Starlight Glimmer to gage if she with all her immense magic potential could resist that amount of charisma. When Twilight spotted her, she found her as attentive as the others, not mesmerised per se, but not as aware as herself. Still Twilight felt slighted. It seemed as if her mentor weaselled herself out of an awkward situation and it did not fit her role in Twilight’s eyes.

Celestia continued unperturbed, addressing the ponies before her. Her kind eyes full of faith in their abilities, inspiring them to act, shocked Twilight, as she had once been the target of such a praise, such trust. Nevertheless she listened, unbelieving that her mentor was faking her emotions, yet not knowing how to perceive them.

“You have been approached by the factions for a reason, its quite obvious if you ask me. Everypony knows how important you are and even though the Pillars are now among us again, they have kept decisively hidden in places only my sister and I know.” Celestia spoke aloud, looking at each face earnestly and kindly.
Raising her head to shout above the group of ponies she said to the other end of the room, “And before you huff a third time Discord, the Pillars have requested it themselves! I did not banish anypony away!”

Looking down to the ponies but in a way excluding Twilight she said in the most kindly way she had sounded all day “You Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Starlight Glimmer are hereby appointed to take leadership of your factions, prevent violence and the most of collateral damage. Most importantly you have to rise to the call of joining a last conference of sorts that we will coordinate amongst ourselves. If you may now please move on to the adjacent hall, Luna here will guide you through this. Be assured that We will not abandon you and you shall never be without allies hidden or otherwise.Now go with my blessing”.

No one expected Celestia to bow down deeply, wings outstretched in the most submissive of bows. No one knew what to do but Luna passed her still bowing sister and ushered the mentioned three on-wards. As soon as the door closed behind them Celestia rose and turned to the rest “The allies that we are short on communications with are: Seaquestria, Yakyakistan, Griffonstone and the Dragon Lands. The Changelings have even less to gain from joining a faction than the Kirin, Abyssinia and Saddle Arabia. Thus at least they are for now not to be concerned with. Starburst and Pinkie Pie are already ambassadors and can continue their tasks. Shining Armour -as Flurry Heart would hardly stay back from her mother- will be most fitting to handle the aggressive character of the Griffins. Fluttershy’s mission is to stay secret to all but my sister and I. And that leaves you Rarity, to take the difficult task of accompanying Spike to the Dragon Lands.”

Rarity seemed ready to faint but Twilight steadied her and nodded her encouragement.
“Go now with my Blessing” Celestia intoned and bowed again, normally this time.

Sunburst had already positioned himself to the door opposite the one the other three ponies had gone out from. He cleared his throat and opened the door indicating that the rest should pass through.
Twilight began to follow Rarity when she turned to ask “What about Spike? He is back at the inn.”

A small voice answered from the door they were heading to “I am here Twi, the Princess had sent for me after you left”, he sounded worried and afraid. Twilight felt completely sidestepped at that moment. Everything up till then was panned and executed without her presence or council. The Princesses must be fully aware I don't succumb to the charismatic spell that calms the others. So all this was done with me to watch it, and now even Spike is taken from me without my opinion Twilight started to move to hug the little dragon but a command from Celestia held her back. Twilight stood still, her eyes closed, her back to the Princess.

“Twilight! You were not excused. Stay back” Celestia repeated sounding cold and unapproachable again.

Rarity returned and hugged her friend for reasons even she did not know. “Remember Twilight, friendship is worth fighting for and we will never be apart.” She said when they parted and levitating Spike to sit astride her she hurried into the other room. Fluttershy hugged her as well, eyes watering but seeming calmer and before leaving told her “Don’t let anyone talk you down, you’ve got this!”.
Lastly Sunburst walked the few steps forward and gave a short bow with is head. In an undertone he reassured Twilight that they would meet later which brought a tentative smile to her face. She watched him leave knowing not what to do.

When the door shut leaving her, Discord, the mirror and the sisters alone.
Twilight turned and walked, her head hanging low but stopped when she bumped against Discord, who suddenly stood in the middle of the room. Looking up she smiled at him. In this moment she still had the most unlikely friend, but one nonetheless to stand by her. Raising her head she looked at Celestia and throwing all caution to the wind, she said her piece, come what may.

“Can you perhaps now tell me what I have done wrong? Why you orchestrated all this pompous talk and show, only to… to charisma them into adoring you. What was this about? What are you showing me, without telling me? Why did you send everyone to important missions and left me behind like a school-foal in detention. I understand the whole impending doom and stuff but why act as if I did something you are afraid I might make worse. At least TELL me!”
By now she panted and did not realise she was speaking louder than normal.

Celestia measured her with her stare.
“Don’t you know or are you not telling?” she said, spreading her wings high. Biting her teeth at her body’s betrayal of her emotions.

“Telling what?” Twilight shrieked.

Celestia also seemed to have lost her temper and her voice boomed causing the very light to flicker. “Has it appeared or not?”

Next to her, Twilight saw Discord’s fists clench with a grating sound as if stone bit into stone.
He knows she thought.

“You know too?” she asked him timidly, moving directly between him and Celestia, facing him with a pleading look. “Tell me, please, because I don’t know a thing you two are talking about!” tears were forming in her eyes as she looked up at him, seeing that he was still staring into Celestia’s eyes, holding himself back.

“Tell me!” she cried out and Discord looking down, placed both paw and talon on her shoulders, showing her an expression he reserved only for Fluttershy. He wiped a running tear off Twilight’s face and said “The book little pony. The book that spoke to you?”

“A book? No book SPOKE to me…” said she now wiping her own tears with the back of her hooves.
Discord’s eyes opened wider and blazed crimson for a second. He sidestepped her and pointed an accusing talon at Celestia, practically shouting.

“She does not know yet! If she is biased it… it will all your fault! Couldn’t you have waited?”

Twilight was stunned with that outburst. Discord rarely expressed so much pained emotion and certainly not for her sake. He shook his head and sounding quieter but more menacing, continued “no you couldn’t Celestia, you and I have made more mistakes than any, but this one I wouldn’t have made, not even if you’d hand over your reign to me for eternity.” He let his arms fall to the side still looking ahead, almost dejected. His fists clenched yet again and a growl escaped his teeth.

Twilight stood aghast turning to see Celestia hastily wiping a tear of her own with the bend of a wing. Luna had approached her sister again and now they conferred visibly disconcerted. Yet Discord was not to be stopped, it seemed to Twilight that he was deeply involved with that book of theirs and she could hear the hurt in his outrage. His eyes slitted and his voice dripped taunting words, startling the sisters out of their council.

“Don't weasel out of this Celestia! Did you WANT the book to perhaps move on?” he added spitefully “to go to Changeling-Prince-Bumpkin or even to little Flurry-hurl-y? That must be it eh? You wanted it to skip Twilight altogether… but no Celestia, you and I will see them ALL read it…we will pay for this mess of ours for eternity!”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia bellowed, again the light all about dimmed.

Discord paused and asked quietly no-one in particular “You know what? I wash my hands of all of you!”. He then turned and was stopped by Luna’s bellow when he was next to Twilight.

“DISCORD! Remember your promise!” Celestia shouted more in fear than outrage.
The draconequus stood looking at Twilight, his back to the sisters and mumbled, knowing it would reach their ears.

“That promise was not made to you even through you presume to control Her choices as well…” To Twilight he added “You know how to call me if you need me. But NOT about the book” and vanished. Just vanished.

Celestia stifled a cry and teleported away herself, leaving Twilight alone in the vast Throne room. When she galloped over to the mirror, she saw Cadence’s face, tears streaming down her cheeks. Startled the other looked up into twilight’s face but could managed only “I… I can’t Twilight, its…I don’t know how to start, I am so sorry…” and let the portal fold into itself causing her to feel even more useless and alone.

She looked once to the left where Discord had vanished, once to the right at the doors that took her friends and turned about to gallop out of the Castle, aloft in seconds, heading to the one place she hoped she could find some shelter. By the time she arrived at the old Castle of the Two Sisters she had been crying out loud and was short of breath. She teleported into her secret room and upon seeing him, she ran straight into Sunburst’s arms sobbing loudly anew.

An indistinct time later she found herself still in his arms but he had moved her to the duvet on the floor. He rocked her gently levitating tissues to dry her face. Twilight saw that the fireplace was lit and tea was being kept warm in a heat bubble. Looking up she saw Starburst looking into the fire and fell in love with him even more for these quiet ways of his. He noticed her moving and looked down at her. “Do you feel better dearest?” he asked blushing even as he said it. To Twilight it seemed he might have tried to rehearse words of endearment for her sake, but the fact that he wanted to say them mattered more.

She smiled warmly and rubbed at her eyes catching a cup of tea that he held aloft towards her.
“Yes, so much better. Thank you. I did not tell you-”

“Shh” he interrupted “you cried for a long time and I made out the most of it though your sobs. And no, I have no idea what Book they were talking about. I was thinking about it right now.”

“Any ideas?” she asked, her rising mood falling a little.

“No, love, and you know? I think it does not matter, well yes it does, but it does not matter since the Book is bound to appear and it seems Celestia really expected you to have met it by now. For all intents and purposes she cannot meet it herself and it might be needed now for Equestria’s problem.”

At that they both fell silent contemplating.
“You think so?” she asked doubting herself.

Sunburst leaned back into the pillows and cupped her chin.
“Twi, why else keep you away from any other mission. I trust this is it. Wait for it to appear for you or help out those it will find and stand by them. I bet my beard you have the most important task. And you know what?” he smirked at her.

“Whaaat?” she laughed

“I loved it when Discord called them dear old ones!” he added laughing.

She joined in and watched him, delighted.
“I think that was one if his best jabs at them so far” she said chuckling anew, falling back onto the pillows.
His laughter was cut off as he remained still, looking down at her, her mane strewn wildly over the cushions, her eyes mirthful, she looked almost otherworldly at that moment.

“You know what?” she said managing to grin and blush at the same time.

“Whaaat?” he asked, blushing himself.

“You called me love…” she said and bit her tongue playfully

“I… I meant to...” he stammered

He did not have time to come up with an appropriate reply because Twilight lifted her face a breath away from his.
“No… I liked it…” and kissed him deeply.

In her dream Twilight was back in the throne room for the meeting. She had just turned to watch her friends and saw them smiling and laughing at something funny. She could hear nothing at first and only when her friends pointed hooves at her, laughing mockingly did she perceive the muffled echoes of their taunts. Their smiles turned toothy and stretched grotesquely, as Twilight strained to move and failed. When she succeeded, it felt as if her hooves trudged through mud, each step being drawn down to the floor as if magnetised. After managing a few steps away from the ponies that morphed more and more into something horrible, Celestia’s voice came loud and clear, repeating her words from the day prior.

“Twilight! You were not excused. Stay back”

When Twilight did turn, her mentor looked down at her as if she was a blemish in creation. The alicorn’s nose was tilted abnormally high and her eyes where large and menacing. These eyes became blanc like scrying pools and then lit up. Within them Twilight could see all the instances where Celestia treated her differently than what she was used to. All the times where she was reprimanded, diminished and ordered around. Every moment where her view of her beloved mentor was ruined and replaced with that of a tyrannical, uppity and fearsome ruler. As with her friends, Celestia’s form was loosening, moulding to downright ugly, a lopsided mouth not stopping for breath.

“You will have plenty of time to chatter with your friends Twilight.”
“Because you ARE separate from them Twilight!”
“Has it appeared Twilight?”

Twilight looked around, for Discord, Princess Luna or Princess Cadence and remembered her friends. Upon turning to see them, she collided with a material akin to cardboard. Shoving the surface back she realised it was cardboard after all, in fact a cardboard figure of Applejack. Beyond the figure which was now face up on the floor, her friends also frozen in cardboard figure forms, toppled one after another.

Behind her Celestia cackled shrilly and Twilight strained against the pull to turn and see how the princess looked now. At the pivotal moment when she would have seen anything, her view was parted like a knife through taut fabric. Through the rift, Princess Luna stepped in and with beat of her wings dissolved everything from Twilight’s dream-scape, leaving it to that of a soothing stars strewn night.

Twilight was frozen in place, aching to externalise what she felt but being unable to. Only when Luna surged forward uncannily did she fall into her embrace.

“Oh Luna” she sobbed strangely tear-less “what is happening, why has she changed, why..”

“Shh” Luna quieted her “calm now. It is all gone and banished” and looked far into the distance. She then scoffed once, her words in mock irony “I swear, the dreams of you young ones are getting more vivid and demanding as the generations pass. I mean… Tia, tyrannical? She will love the lopsided mouth once I tell her…”

“Don’t…” Twilight whispered, sitting back with her head bent.

“What was that?” Luna asked kindly.

“Don’t tell her, please Luna.” Twilight looked up beseechingly and when she met with Luna’s smile, her words tumbled out, “She has been so mad at me and I… I don’t know what this book is and I… why is this all demanded of me…all this that I don’t know of… why does she not trust me, why is she so evil…”

Luna stopped her by gently touching Twilight’s cheek. She paused a few times, to find the right words but it seemed to Twilight that Celestia’s sister was meaning to have this talk either with her or with Twilight.

“Now now Twilight. My sister… ah… I am struggling to avoid speaking of matters that are not mine to convey. First and foremost, though Celestia has literally thousands of years of experience as a ruler sometimes even she is bound to falter.”

“Falter in what way Luna?”

“She… I don’t say she has done this often, but when it comes to protecting those she loves most, Celestia tends to clam up and rather not converse at all than steering them towards the wrong direction.”

“You mean that book. THE book?”

“I…yes. At least now you know that you are supposed to make your own impression of it and draw your own conclusions without any influence. Elaborating further would negate its purpose, yet I do not entirely agree with not at least offering some words instead of shunning you.”

Upon seeing Twilight's eyes tear up again, Luna hugged her again briefly. Upon releasing her awkwardly, Luna watched the imaginary nebulae swim by. She continued more seriously leaving Twilight with a strange feeling of foreboding.

“What I can tell you is that usually the book… occurs instantaneously and afterwards the alicorn has read it, they and the older alicorns know of the same… content and all is settled. In your case we all felt it appearing and thought it… that you… read it. The sheer uniqueness of this situation amidst the current crisis no less, has Celestia shunning you. She… you…”

Luna bit her lower lip and looked away. When Twilight inched closer, she was startled by Luna’s abrupt turn of her head. Her expression was pained and sad.

“I mean you must have felt it a little… Celestia thinks of you not only as a pupil, you have become somepony akin to a surrogate daughter to her. A matter so deeply paining her that she never allowed her feelings to surface before… before meeting you.
She loves Cadence as much but not so truly like a daughter as you.”

Twilight stood without meaning to, causing the cloud they sat upon to billow in small flurries. Addressing Luna but mostly talking to herself she spoke anxiously.
“This wasn’t what I wanted to hear… I mean, I was her pupil and I sort of… grew up with her but… if she feels this way… then why is she acting so different now… I understand she…and you… have seen problems like the ones I am facing many times before… but why don’t you talk to me…why don’t we sit down and TALK. I also understand that she feels like a parent when I make choices and rule my own kingdom and face dangers…”

Princess Luna drew back a bit, and waited for Twilight’s voice to tone down.
“Forgive me Twilight, but you don’t understand. You perceive yes, but you don’t understand. She fears for you so much, she would rather lock you up and keep you hidden. Being the wise pony that she is, she has given you all manner of freedom to make your own choices. Just… this new matter is harder to live through, especially since you have not read the book and know not of the same events…”

“What events?” Twilight exclaimed but raised a hoof “No, no don’t. Sorry. I understand this much and wont press for what you wont say. But haven’t I been sent blindly into quests before? Why did she not just tell me that she cant tell me anything and that this is another test. She has been unambiguous before you must admit. Sometimes it even feels she does not want to have responsibility of the events. You know what I mean?” The last part Twilight said in jest but recoiled at Luna’s unamused face, looking away.

Luna shook her head slowly, twice.
“Do you think it should have been?” she asked.

“What do…” Twilight strained to understand as her eyes opened wide at the pain, of all things, in Luna's face.

“Everything! Should everything be her responsibility when you are also a ruler now, as you put it? What do you know, in the span of less than a lifetime, about the right way to rule. Its easy isn’t it? Its so easy to hurl accusations of tyranny, mistreatment and ruthlessness at the mere touch of assertiveness.”

Twilight swallowed trying to gain some ground.
“Luna she has not been assertive, she mocked me. Celestia was distrusting and unfair. She used us all as tools and then vanished when Discord put her in her place” she said panting from exertion.

Luna shook her head again, visibly trying to indulge Twilight but still remaining stern.
“Again you speak of matters that you don’t know of. Honestly Twilight, you are putting Discord before Celestia? Think back for a moment, with your logic and not with your feelings. Celestia is one of the few of her age and calibre that never fell from grace. Discord is reformed yes, but reformation does not fall from the sky and transforms one. Its a continuous conscious process. Discord could return to his old ways in a heartbeat, I can take Nightmare moon within my soul anytime, and your friend Starlight Glimmer can betray you as well if she chose so, we all could if we chose so.
You have not the knowledge nor the experience to understand the compromise Celestia, Discord and I have come to. That event is also in the book. What you saw was not a putting in one’s place, but an old argument about the fate of Equestria, whom both want to keep safe, believe it or not.
I must admit now, witnessing the amount of events you know nothing of, that experiencing this book, is very important to understanding many a thing and conveniently, in a very small amount of time. Neither of this anguish and misunderstanding would have been necessary if it would just have appeared for you as it had for others so far. Its an important event in one’s life… oh what is the word…”

“Rite of passage?” Twilight added.

Luna looked up and turned to look Twilight deeply in the eyes. Smiling she nodded.

“Indeed. To the point in fact. What best to describe the amount of information and experience gained than within...a rite of passage. I am afraid it is one that none of us can control. And I include all the races upon Equestria and beyond.
Now I know we could talk endlessly deep into the night yet I have a duty to more than just you you know…” she booped Twilight’s nose and then went on

“One last word upon rulers. Celestia, more than myself I have to admit, has been a benevolent ruler since she and I took up the stewardship of Equestria. Not once have the ponies rebelled or contested her. At least not enough to warrant an uprising against the rulership of Equestria. Not out of fear, not out of necessity, but out of love and thankfulness. Equestria is a happy, peaceful and mostly protected land. Its abundant, free and has seen little anguish since Discord’s rule was thwarted. Its safety and survival have always been first in my sister’s priorities, as are the quality of life, the serenity and uninterrupted lives of her subjects.
Other than a misplaced manner to keep you from making the wrong choice, my sister has started to treat you as an equal. Your alicorn nature cannot be changed and I know you are not one to shirk responsibility, yet you have to come to terms with not expecting to be guided and coddled any more.”

Rising she shook her mane and offered Twilight a hoof to help her up.

“Be at ease for now as much as it is possible. At least my sister has not changed nor has she stopped loving you, she did overdo it I must admit. Her actions hurt her more that you can imagine and she regretted every word afterwards. We all must focus on finding a solution to the current issue of Equestria. If you are composed, she will feel no need to lose focus over you.”
Seeing how Twilight’s heart softened a little, she stroked her cheek and shone a gentle light over her.
“Sleep now my friend.” She whispered and spread her wings wide.

Twilight felt a warm drowsiness surround her as Luna flew away into the star scape. A soothing, falling sensation brought her briefly into reality as she found herself within Sunburst’s arms. The cushions were warm and fluffy and the duvet covering them felt like a soft barrier, shielding the two of them against everything else.

Divergence

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"Forlorn and lonesome here I stand
Time seeps by like grey- scale sand
My time is forever, yours is soon gone
The more of you I meet, the more I am alone."
Rune Singer 2017.

A month later Twilight felt to her core what it was to be alone and still have life all around her. The few ponies working in her castle and the folk of Ponyville just outside the gate where clearly alive, vibrantly so in fact. She found herself watching life around her in greater detail, in greater depth and not for the sake of science. No she felt she needed to breathe in life, because all around her it went on. What was a mere distraction here and there, turned out to become a form of involuntary procrastination. She still interacted with her acquaintances on a daily basis let alone the escalating situation at hand, that warranted the reading and replying of correspondence. An ever growing sentiment of guilt was filling her because of this. Her friends, ALL of them, where currently strewn all over Equestria and she was musing about life? Discord’s word “IMMORTALITY” crept in from time to time but she kept this behind a string of excuses and half-baked explanations to none other than herself. The subject just hadn't come up yet to have talked about it with anyone, nor had she felt inclined to. And right now was absolutely not the time. First in line, Celestia and Luna who would know all about living forever and who was or wasn't immortal, talked to her but it was always in sheer formality, cold and absorbed. Who blamed them, her own existential discomfort should be second before the fate of Equestria shouldn't it? Secondly her best friends where incognito now, they were playing roles to their fullest and the success of the plan depended on all of them playing their part. Their relatives? They could not even be told what was going on and they were being dragged along with whatever her friends would force them to one way or the other. NO, she cannot whine and lose sleep over what she might be feeling or what life around her felt like, not when on a daily basis more and more innocent bystanders where led to choose.

It was not so that she had empty hours to muse and waste, nor was she unoccupied now that she hadn't her best friends around. New problems where creeping up at an alarming rate. The first of what Luna had warned them of, the relocations of the common folk, had happened quite voluntarily albeit with sorrow. But nothing close to tragedy. Not until four days ago with what history would remember as The Neighara Tragedy.

A caravan of mostly Unicorn families, among them some Earth ponies and just a couple of Pegasi travelled, on foot and pulling carts, from and villages about the area of Neighara Falls towards Canterlot. They where intercepted by a Winged Coalition patrol and under uncertain circumstances, for the moment, the caravan and the W.Cl. Patrol met with disaster. None survived, a forty three in all. The aftermath was not as explosive as it might have been if not for the upcoming emergency meeting of the faction leaders and herself.

All things aside this was going to be very difficult to pull through in a believable manner. Twilight would walk up and down her halls muttering her speeches, her questions, even acting in-front of the mirror so as not to betray anything when the time comes. Princess Celestia had proposed that her former pupil read the correspondence sent to her, side by side, to gauge how her friends would react and contrary to Princess Luna’s reports about their dreams, Twilight would not believe her friends were changing. She was on her way to do that now in the cutie map room. The map stood silent and unmoving either way, a mere fancy table as if it was offended at the current state of Equestria. In neat rows the letters where spread in chronological order and on the newest of each Twilight had left a sheet written with the most important facts.

Under the title Winged Coalition stood the name of the former leader and the current one, Rainbow Dash. Beneath those came excerpts from her messages.

From Rainbow and Fluttershy’s trip:

“…I thought they wanted a demonstration about Wonderbolt awesomeness, I mean we are all Pegasi so why talk about it more. I am glad they don't want to talk too much about history, not that I don't mind buuut you know, everyone knows about our history ,so what gives?

…They take it all too seriously If you ask me. We are already apart from everypony else, us in our clouds and all and we kinda do have a lot of power over the weather, so yes here I agree, Pegasi are important. But we are not good in growing stuff or that awesome with other magic and that’s what I keep telling them, we need everypony else…”

From the letter dated a week after joining the Coalition:

“Princesses of Equestria,

Hereby I declare my acceptance to lead this noble Coalition of my Winged brothers and sisters. The pony formerly in my position, Sand Twister has gracefully offered the services of his secretary to formulate all my correspondence…”

“…we state that we shall not send anypony away from their homes below the areas that are of Pegasi preference. We also state an act of non violence for all leaving the territories that we believe must be controlled by winged ponies to keep Equestria in balance…”

“…Upon the re-education of young fillies we will soon supply you with our training manuals…”

“…all Pegasi from any place are welcome to join us…”

Attached note, hastily written in Rainbow Dash’s hoof:

“I don't think I’ll be able to pull this off again Twi so listen carefully. I am constantly being watched and everything I say or write gets changed to formal. I don't think Sand Twister is totally retired and for now I will do my best to keep ponies calm. Especially the patrol ponies are getting more aggressive by the day. My main goal is to replace them with ponies I know and try to recall all of the former ones already out there. Warn the others, those patrols have not heard of the non aggression thing…”

From the letter dated two weeks later:

“Princesses of Equestria,

I Rainbow Dash, raise our Banner high to declare total control over the areas that are already under Pegasi occupation. I do not say this lightly, for I am a mere voice uttering the wishes and hopes of all. The weather is our birthright and not even the powers that be upon Canterlot’s throne have the expertise and inert force that keeps the weather patterns in balance.

Therefore as we provide the balance that enables Earth ponies to grow crops and Unicorns to live in comfort, we expect a fair share in return. All ponies that contribute to our cause shall be declared workers of the Coalition and will carry the symbol of our banner about their necks.

Soon all ponies will understand the value of what it is to be a Pegasus or be an ally of one…”

From an announcement poster found in Cloudsdale,Vanhoover, Luna Bay and outskirts of crystal empire

From message dated three weeks later:

“…as stated on this map these are the territories that have agreed to live under our protection and abide to our laws. ”

From message four days ago:

“We are appalled and enraged about the incident in Neighara Falls.

No patrol of ours would dare go against the laws of the Coalition. This is a clear violation of our beliefs and we are fully prepared to defend our kind.”

Twilight frowned setting her notes aside and picked up those she made about the Affiliation of the Earth :

From the letter dated a week after joining the Affiliation:

“Leaders of Equestria,

after joining my fellows and taking the reigns of our noble goal to make Equestria rich, strong and healthy, I can say I am proud of the work Cushaw Gold and Cushaw Green have done to pave the road ahead.

I am not good with fancy talk and have given this responsibility to another pony…”

“…As working hard is our creed, anypony willing to work with their own hooves is welcome to live here, in the lands most suited to be used by Earth ponies…”

“…what school is to be concerned about, we will soon send over what fillies need to learn to become productive and useful members of a new, kind and hardworking force.”

Attached note, sent to Sweetapple Acres via Applejack’s pet:

Whoever reads this please send it to Twilight imme…ely. Poor… Winona, Luna had told us it might come to this, not trusting anyone that is. I am sending Winona on a …t with supplies heading towards Ponyville. The is som…ing more than fishy going on and it has to do wit… not feelin… control… -rest is illegible due to damage from the trip-

From the letter dated two weeks later:

“Equestria heed our call!

If one of the upstarts dares hoist the cloth they call a banner, then ours must always fly higher!

Our symbols of earth’s power, her gifts, our strength and endurance must be taught to all of Equestria…”

“… The earth is our responsibility and its power is ours by birth. The true power lies not in riches of coin, it lies in land, fertile land to feed all and as we feed Equestria we demand what is owed us…”

“…Anypony of any race willing to lay down their flight and magic and committing to using their hooves to better all of our lives, shall proudly carry the Affiliation’s design upon their necks…”

From an announcement poster found in Manehattan, Fillidelphia, Baltimare, and Appleloosa:

From message dated three weeks later:

“…to us it is obvious what lands are our own, but as the ones who are ignorant of where their food grows, need a bit of help, we send you the map with the lands that are our sacred duty to protect…”

From message four days ago:

“It is a sad day when Ponies would turn on their own! Especially when ruthless Patrols are set upon innocents. If all do not rally to punish the Pegasi who caused this then you are also responsible. The act of no aggression has been violated and no further transgressions will be permitted."

This time after setting down the notes Twilight was starting to get angry “How come no one noticed this before, these sound the same! I’ll read the third one just in case but I have a pretty good idea of what is going on..” And levitated the last note paper to read.

From the letter dated a week after joining the Affiliation:
“Honourable princesses and esteemed unicorns,
Not since joining the ranks of my fellows, have I so discerned the need Equestria has for order. Our communities live with loosely formulated rules and laws and our policy on foreign affairs even more so…”
“…our race’s birthright has been staunched, from professions to status…”
“…all unicorns have the right to expand and amplify their magic, schools nowadays put all races together, and they lack in magic tutoring…”

From the letter dated two weeks later:
“Unicorns beware!
The other races have thought it as prudent to differentiate themselves instead of following the right path to a better Equestria. Heed not their words or indoctrination…”
“…Order and Law are our calling, magic is our medium and brithright! …”
“…In our cities any unicorn but also any allies will find shelter, wok and food…”

From an announcement poster found in

From message dated three weeks later:
“…as ignorance and illiteracy abounds, we deem it necessary to display our clear boundaries in the following maps…”

From message four days ago:

“Enough is enough!” twilight exclaimed “Some pony has been pulling our legs all along and we’ve got to find out who!” and without her notes, without so much as a booklet on pony politics she ran out of her castle and flew straight to Canterlot as fast as her wings could take her.

It was obvious from afar that entry into the city through conventional means would be impossible. The sheer number of ponies gathered surpassed that of three simple delegations. It seemed as if the entirety of Equestria connected with the three parties was present. They must have been gathering for days!

On the northern side above Canterlot, half of a wing of pegasi flew in formation and the rest stationed on clouds watched any and all movement.

To the west, in the fields about the Capital but cutting off any access from the ground, a battalion of Earth Ponies stood, more crowded than the ordered ranks of the pegasi but still a formidable force to the smaller company of Unicorns that guarded the last plateau that lead into the city. Despite their numbers, the position the Unicorns held, had them at an advantage against both the other armies.

This is bad, this is way way bad! She thought in fear and sudden anger.Teleporting herself directly to the throne room Twilight found Celestia ready to leave.

“There you are, I was just about going to summon you. Follow” Celestia told her, sternly and started walking purposefully.

“Princess I have come to the conclusion that t-”

“That your friends are being coerced or threatened to act as they do?”

“Yes, but more as in controlled I think and I-”

But she had no time to continue as they had gone out into the front balcony overseeing the whole castle avenue and quite a lot further into the country beyond the city.

Below, the city streets where packed with Unicorns mostly facing the city walls. As soon as princess Luna flew down to the balcony, she looked at Twilight searching for a sign or a change of sorts and seeing none, turned to her sister. Celestia just shook her head and with a grand leap, flew up high above the city to be in view of all the ponies below. She took a deep breath and shot a blinding light to all directions, like a pulsating star it was made clear to all who was there. Immediately everything, every noise, chatter and commotion was seized, as if waiting for a misstep on the Princesses side, as if wanting someone to pin the imminent disaster on.

“Ponies! I see a congregation not gathered since the day of the summit. Alas your intentions are clear although I do wish a conflict to be avoided and protocol states that formal negotiations be taken place. I and my fellow princesses shall listen to a delegation of few, within the hour, in the theatre at the Canterlot Lake”

With that the radiant light shot out into all directions and Celestia flew straight down without fanfare or a majestic descent before faithful subjects. Down wards like a kingfisher diving for pray she went, and landed with a fanning out of her wings, on the balcony she’d alighted of. Not waiting a moment she turned and walked back into the Castle followed by an uproar from the crowd. No happy celebration that, but a general din of angry voices.

“That doesn’t sound good” Twilight said after sliding the huge window panes shut.

“Fear not the Timberwolf’s howl” Luna said and beckoned her closer and when Twilight was within earshot she was given the kindest words she had heard in a while.

“Listen, my sister and I will not be speaking much later on, other than the usual as it is upon you to mitigate this confrontation. My sister especially cannot appear in favour of any faction not even ourselves.”

“Ourselves?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, we might feel we belong to no race and all at the same time, but they “ she indicated outside with the pinion of her right wing “they don't see it the way we do. We pose a threat and an unimaginable unattainable power that breeds malcontent and envy among the wicked. We shall not leave you alone and do our part when the time comes, our trust is with you.” She seemed as if she would add more but sensing Celestia approaching she turned towards the window and said no more.

Twilight watched her and ached to ask for more advice or guidance but whenever she opened her mouth she stopped, closing it, as if to take the very thoughts back. Finally she asked more to the room than Luna in particular.

“What about princess Cadence and the others in the foreign lands I wonder…”

The answer came from Celestia who stood now in the doorway to the foyer in full ceremonial armour, all in gold and white etching from neck to chest to hindquarter. Although decorative, Twilight did not doubt for a moment it was not enchanted or battle worthy.

“They, Twilight, are in the safest places in Equestria at the moment. Since no trace of influence has been reported, this is strictly and internal affair.And” she turned towards the other “Luna?”

“Yes sister?”

“Get ready too, I will keep Twilight company” and watched her as she left.

With that Celestia and her former pupil sat there in silence. Twilight glimpsed over to Celestia siting on a recliner looking at a patch of sky currently not filled with Pegasi. The Alicorn almost did not seem alive, stoic and timeless.

“Will I turn just like her? Watching time run out of the ponies around me, but never for myself. Will it feel like their time is running out or that I am running out of their time…”

Not long later Luna came in on silent hooves, dressed in dark blue and black regalia, posing a stark contrast to her sister’s white and gold.

She magically called a trunk over with Twilight’s crest upon it.

“I had this made for you not long ago for a rather ceremonial occasion but it does not matter now, it will have to do. Besides, only Luna and I should pose threatening and otherworldly. You on the other hand stand for friendship, and that hardly is symbolised by battle attire.” We shall wait for you at the door.

After they had gone out, Twilight looked wistfully at the wooden chest opening it. Within lay clothing in dark purple accented with metallic silver pieces. She dressed hastily, for the very thought that the two princesses stood waiting at the castle door made her twitchy. Finished and putting on assorted hoof boots she realised her attire was a caparison cape without a hood. Not SO friendly after all, but she could hardly appear in a gown. Clasping the silver woven Belt that came with the ensemble around her waist she rushed out and down the main stairs to where the other princesses waited.

“We shall fly there Twilight and speak to no pony until we are at the Lake.” Celestia indicated and nodded to her guards to open the main doors. The three alicorns flew off flanked by six pegasi guards. The group flew over the castle courtyard and veered left over the main entrance to Canterlot. Twilight could see the unicorns below parting to the sides of the street to let a single pony and her retinue pass by them.

“That is Starlight Glimmer!” she thought and almost broke the loose formation she was in, to fly down and greet her friend. The moment passed as Starlight walked under the gates and Twilight choked off an exclamation. After flying over the gate she could not longer see behind her well enough without tumbling over in flight and making a fine spectacle of herself. Somehow she felt not one soul would laugh if she did clown this up and that realisation was infinitely sad.

The road leading down from the cliff the city stood on, forked to the left in direction to Ponyville and to the right leading towards an open air theatre with a stunning backdrop of a waterfall that rivalled those of Neighara and Paradise Falls. In the shape of a half octagon, a good five hundred ponies could be seated in the hardwood benches and miss nothing of the spectacle. Flying along the road the group landed where the rows of benches began and walked the rest down wards to the half circular centre.

On cue twenty or so Pegasi drew a wide arc over the lake and theatre, displaying their prowess in flight as well as how battle ready they were. Not one pony was unarmoured and the main weapon of preference seemed to be the lance. Rainbow Dash flew in the spear point of the group herself, carrying an enormous banner on a pole. The banner had been changed with the addition of “Winged Coalition” in shining letters underneath the bust of an ancient pegasus. The banner looked besmirched to Twilight and did not like it that Rainbow’s pride got the better of her. She guessed the strutting about -in flight- was meant for her troops but this wasn’t a parade! Or was it? If one could land pompously then that was what happened. As if on pre marked spots every single pegasus landed precisely on the benches of the far left side from the Princess’s point of view.

As expected due to the distance Applejack and her Earth Affiliation Representatives had to cover to reach the area, the next to arrive were Starlight Glimmer and her Magical Amalgamation …acolytes she called them? Horns shining with magic and held high, the unicorns appeared around the bend of the road. The whole group of them stopped for Starlight to gain a bit of distance, she not having stopped, and followed suit by giving her the distance of a royal. Everypony wore cloaks or robes but none was more intricate than Starlight’s. She walked purposefully somehow avoiding to make eye contact with the sisters and Twilight even though she looked straight ahead. Arriving at the top most row of benches she guided her retinue to the farthest right side, as far from the Pegasi as the theatre allowed.

Twilight could not decide whether the tension between the pegasi and unicorns broke or grew when Applejack arrived on cart of all things!It was pulled by two enormous stallions. Half expecting pitchforks and other farming paraphernalia she was astonished when most mares and colts carried bows of all sizes and quivers upon quivers of arrows. Many held the Earth pony banner on poles and others in addition to the bow and arrow, hatches and some even long axes.

When even they sat in the remaining space between the other groups, Celestia stood a little straighter, perhaps in lack of being able to shake or stretch from the wait. The Princesses stood and where apparently going to remain standing to Twilight’s dread because the tension and stress started to cramp her up.

Her friends, now that she could see them almost up close, where changed. No such a change cannot but have been involuntary, because before her Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Starlight looked taller, with eyes full of hate, jealousy or greed respectively, but still empty. Their mane colours where dimmer and their coats almost greyed as if their souls turned into stone. She found no recognition of her in their eyes and always the same emotions seeming to seep out of them to the ponies around.

Not needing the royal voice due to excellent acoustics, Celestia took a step forward. Rising on strong hind legs she kicked the air with her forelegs in clear show of strength, let her horn shine similarly to the unicorns and unfurled her wings broadly apart, in mockery of pegasi bravado. Her hooves landed with a deep thud that reverberated in the cliffs up above and began the proceedings.

“I greet you ponies of Equestria, for that is what you still are for me and everyone. I have not acknowledged the division you have all but enforced upon the rest of the population but as you see I have not gone against it either. I had hoped this would come to peaceful negotiations but as I can see, all of you are laden in preparations, bringing war to Canterlot’s doorstep. Have my Sister and I wronged you in such way that you’d cast away a peaceful life for a conflict whose consequences will amass to more than just loss of life? Nay, I do not, at this moment presume to understand any of your actions. Yet, as the laws of my fore bearers demand, laws -mind you- that you never contested up till now, I will listen to you one last time. May your leaders come forward and state your purposes now.”

Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Starlight Glimmer came forward almost at the same speed and ignored each other. At Luna’s nod, Starlight Glimmer was shown she was to speak first.

Twilight found that the sisters had stepped back and she was now smack in the middle of a sea of faces. A dreadful feeling washed over her, she was terrified and anxious but she did not expect to feel she had experienced this situation before. This clearly felt like precognition even though she felt it for the first time.

Starlight Glimmer glowered at her, her greed more an invisible band around her rather than within her empty eyes. Her voice was shrill and rough as if she was shouting for a long while.

“Boldly spoken, your princess’s words, Twilight, but she is not OUR princess. We abolished crowns and embraced an oligarchy that will raise our birthright above all. We are not the same and we are not equal with you. Only unicorns have the right to be equal amongst their kind. You are all abominations” she pointed at each group “you with unnatural wings, you hornless digging in mud and you? The greatest abomination of all, Alicorns” the word came out slimy. If you have nothing to say for your arrogant dismissal to include your abominable kind, Twilight Sparkle, I have nothing to say.”

With that she turned and left. Twilight wanted to sprint after her, shout her frustration into Starlight’s face, to wake her up somehow. But she couldn't. She did not even allow herself to show tears as she knew she had to listen to everyone’s opinions before speaking herself and bridging a dialogue. Now before she had time to digest any word of Starlight’s, Applejack stood before her, a jealous taint seeping around her.

“High and mighty you all speak so far but nothing fruitful comes outta your maws.” She stomped her hoof with each following word “The simple TRUTH is THAT PONIES WERE MURDERED”. Taking a moment to let that sink in she continued calmly “..and no one seems to care, lives where taken as greedily as the fruits of our toiling and efforts is eaten away by all of you. You build and prance and play war upon land. LAND! Soil that is needed, earth that is feeding and clothing you, yet you waste it away. Metal for Armour and weapons is excavated to do what? Raid to feed more soldiers. I say none of that, we feed you, we rule you. Until you step down from your mighty place, Twilight, you will hear nothing new from me”

She also left at once. Twilight shook slightly and stomped softly in place to shake it off, but it was too late, because under a pitying stare, Rainbow Dash mocked her.

“All that wing span and you cannot stand a few moments in place.” She shook her head.”That is what is wrong with all of you. You lack discipline and a pride above all. You can magic anything you like but our control of the weather is above you. If we take that away, you have nothing” now she pointed at the others “no precious fields to dig in for you, no lofty towers to hide and scheme in for you and you, you? Ha! Alicorns are so few, you are but a number, but pegasi are legion! We will bring you down and claim the REAL Pegasopolis.” She indicated Canterlot up above them with a grand gesture. “Pony up twilight! ‘Cause no amount of swirly decorated metal will be enough against our steel”

The hate she left behind almost brought Twilight to her knees but she did made something clear to herself. “These are NOT my friends, they are being possessed or controlled and I will wake them out of it!”

When all settled again Twilight hovered a bit above from the ground in order to raise both forelegs in a gesture of welcome and peace.

“Showing off we got wings are we?” a voice came from the right. Immediately she landed, trying not to look apologetic but some snickers and snorts came from the centre and left. Taken aback she almost panicked and then raised her head with a smile,struck with inspiration.

“I was not showing off and I am glad that some humour still is among us, even if in spirit.

Now, I will open a dialogue by trying to investigate the unfortunate events of Neighara falls.”

A shout came from an unicorn mare “No dialogue will bring back the dead!”

“No” Twilight answered “But we ca-”

“What about OUR dead? Our fellows sacrificed themselves to protect your caravan” an Earth pony answered.

“And our patrol tried to save you from drowning!” said a pegasus pointing with his hoof.

“You deliberately swelled the water to drown them!”the earth pony shot back.

“Please, one at a time” twilight tried to say loud enough, walking from one end of the theatre base to another. “Please listen! LISTEN” she said voice magically amplified.

Ponies turned to look at her, not so much startled but looking as if rudely impertinently interrupted.

“Abomination!” a Unicorn shouted. “See how she cannot even control her own power, this is power” and made her horn glow.

“Oh I can do that and more” Twilight spread her hooves apart but stopped before she could cast anything, by Celestia’s voice.

“Twilight don’t give in to taunts. I will-” but she also halted in mid sentence as she looked all about her. ”My magic it, its gone!” and sagged to the ground succumbing to sudden fatigue.

“I …cannot… either…” Luna struggled and then she froze, staring at something behind Twilight “what…is… this…”

Twilight still feeling magic within her, performed Starburst’s experimental spell of concealment. Immediately a wave with the consistency of smoke was visible, coiling and touching all over the surface of the dome protecting her. Actually it was a sphere and she discovered that, by the vibrations beneath her hooves. The smoke was coiling underneath her as well. She had no clear vision, just three spots of darkness coalescing into three shadows as the ponies came closer. They were her friends, now more controlled than ever which was distinct in their eyes. The opened their mouths in unison and spoke, yet Twilight could not hear from behind her spell. When they spoke within her mind, it felt as if scalding liquid had breached her skull. Three voices combined into one in her mind as Starlight Glimmer being the one in the middle, raised her hooves slowly, achingly, to reveal an oblong sphere that was not entirely whole in the world. It looked as if it was on the verge of emerging into being and reminded her uncannily of other stones of power. She strained to remember from where but the voice prevailed.

“Soon the emergence will finish and an avenging will take place that has been long overdue, I know not what keeps us from sapping you dry but it wont last. We can see it in your eyes.”

“Twilight go away!” Celestia shouted from somewhere beyond her limited line of sight.

“Vanish” Luna shrieked “you must WANT it!”

Twilight tried to teleport away, anywhere it did not matter, but failed. Before her the oblong stone filled up in colour, a sick green with a core of purple, as if it once was pure. Its glow intensified and she found she could not look away.

“I must go, I must go, I must go” she kept hammering against the hum that filled her mind, and willing, wanting it more than anything she ever asked, wished or demanded she brought out words in a primal scream “Damn it all I WANT IS TO GO!”.

She had gone. And on the other hoof she had stayed. She felt, in between and she also felt a numb knocking beside the pressure of the stone’s hum against her mind. She could not possibly fight against that too and it passed through, like a trickle to the stone’s torrent.

“Quickly” a gentle voice fresh as an early summer morning, soothing like a breeze through a herbal garden “I cannot keep time so slow more than a second, let go and I will take it from here”.

There was not much she could have done in terms of resistance anyhow and Twilight gave in. She felt as if lifted on ethereal arms as if by a mother who picked up her foal after she scraped her knee.

“Nowhere Twilight Sparkle, you are still where you were, I am merely slowing us down. Your spell came not a second too late since you did not answer my call.”

“Who..where are you taking me…, my mind?”

Words came with great difficulty through the soupy fog that her thoughts felt like. The only anchor was that voice. It spoke calmly and steadily to her, a mare’s voice, adult but not old.

“Good, then I don’t need to explain how to anchor yourself to me. If you felt it then it is done and can only be undone when you have found what you needed.”

Twilight within the arms she imagined, dare to open the eyes of her mind instead of her actual ones because doing that she saw only the ever coiling smoke, its tendril moving slower and slower. She saw the opposites of colours and the opposites of shapes as they travelled through a corridor of sorts. It reminded her of the limbo between worlds that Celestia’s mirror took her through.

“Don’t worry, you mind is not travelling from your body. This would be a very cruel thing to do and I can only perform the magic I was meant to do either way. Ah! There we are, finished.”

They emerged in the room that Twilight had briefly teleported through in the castle of the sisters. The one with the book.

“Lets make this more hospitable shall we? When I am in slumber I rarely control how I appear and this castle is so warped!”

Twilight squealed as the swampy floor vanished for a moment and then reappeared solid, wooden. All around the dark walls disappeared as well and a nondescript study formed. She moved and touched the wall, the desk and then lifted her head in memory. She turned slowly, an imagined shiver through her, towards the book that stood on a low stand.

“Are you…is the voice coming from there?”

“Yes Twilight Sparkle, I kept calling for you. It is time.”

“Wait, wait a moment” she stepped back, as if looking into the book would seal some pact or downright kill her. “Please answer me before I go insane, out there…“ she waved her hoof nervously “…back there, it was…time was going slower, and before that you stopped time. Was that real?”

“Yes that was very real. It is the one thing that made my creation so unique, once a call is answered I slow down time for the one called. Time cannot be stopped though, we came to a speed very close to that though and that was almost impossible. Although I accelerated us very little, the next second will not pass until you return from where I will take you.”

Twilight looked around speaking to the air finding it uncomfortable to address a book.

“Are you doing this as well? It is amazingly real.” Then she looked up, an idea just having come to her.

“This is time viewing! Somepony incorporated an…a… whatever you are -extremely hard magic mind you- , into a book that takes the reader into time view mode. Am I right?”

“Almost” the voice chuckled “I am a near perfect clone of a soul. I say near perfect for one of the few things impossible is the cloning of a soul. My emotions, my responses are all a copy and I dare say I am very very masterfully done.”

“So, you are that book, Celestia’s and Discord’s?” Twilight asked a bit annoyed, her next words coming out faster “I should have seen you over a month ago and I suppose, I am biased now and the world will come to an end! Because you know, out there, my body is under a dome that will collapse and creepy shadows that have taken over my friends WILL CAUSE WAR!”

In the silence that followed she could only hear herself panting. She was too tired of being pushed from one event onto another as if by a string. She was afraid about everypony…out there, about what would happen when her awareness returned to the proper time and now worried about trusting that imaginably complicated construct. Taking a deep breath she decided she had no other choice than to approach the still closed book, and addressing it.

“You helped me out back there and I would like to know what you ask in return…uhm…you…book”

“Call me voice if it feels simpler, for I may not tell you the pony’s name whom I am made from yet, but I can tell you this, I was created to appear before you without a reward. Not even energy is needed from the one reading me as the magical dept was payed long ago. Shall I also tell you what I can do for you so as not to waste any more time. Time being our only precious commodity at this instant.”

Surprised at having the answers to what she was going to ask, she merely nodded.

“Excellent, please make yourself comfortable and fear nothing, no thirst or hunger nor any danger will befall you here. As mentioned I am a construct, existing only to give answer to the desired query of an Alicorn at that time when they most need it. This occurrence will happen only once in a lifetime and only to Alicorns. My call is answered by a need, by the strongest desire for an answer that Alicorn will ever have. It is quite obvious that you seek to resolve the conflict that befell what is now Equestria. The second reason, is directly connected to the answer you seek. The one wish my creator had, was to retell the past accurately, to write down in memory what happened because of how important it was, is and will be without fail. The answer will be found in the memories and those will inadvertently change you.”

Twilight shot up from where she had reclined.

“So there is a catch! I do not wish to be changed, take me back now. I will fight this alone.”

“Alas I cannot take you back until I’ve done my duty. About change, doesn’t every next moment change you from the you that you were a moment ago?”

“Yes but my being ME has not changed unless I make a choice!” Twilight answered pertly. Debating philosophies has been one of Celestia’s pet project for ages.

“Correct! I am glad we can be so clear about this. No changes unless you make a choice. Shall we begin? Your vision might feel a bit unfocused after having travelled from one mind scape to another, but it will pass as soon as you immerse yourself into the event. And always remember, the events I show you, unless stated, are sealed from change. No amount of time travelling can harm that past with a paradox. See, learn and remember. Safe travels my little pony.”

Twilight soon found out that unfocused was a understated description.

A first Vision

View Online

"Temporal i stand but ageless I sing.
An internal brand yet externally I cling.
What am I if I never was?
Found my mind and lost its cause."

Rune Singer 2016.

Twilight remembered when Princess Luna demonstrated the correct way to enter and cross the corridor of a portal, after her return from the first encounter with the mirror that lead to the human world. Luna instructed she was to fly through, to resist the forces that just tumbled her around the corridor walls. She recalled she had to keep her eyes closed so as not to get nauseated by the strobe like colour and light configurations as time and matter compressed and decompressed around her. When Voice took control of her mind, it almost felt like a physical crossing through a portal corridor with the dizzying distorted display dimmed somehow, that and back then she was able to keep her eyes closed.

This time Twilight had to endure not only her mind being taken on a ride to the past, but she was somehow unable to close her eyes, in fact she felt no physical sensation at all. She had only Voice’s promise to rely on that she was safe and at that moment she did not feel secure at all. The last physical sensation she remembered was that of being lifted up over the book and then her essence breaking apart into little particles. Ink she had thought I am becoming ink in this book. After that she could only see, if seeing so completely, so fully could be compared to vision. She could not just look, she was a 360 degree vision, and what she saw where stars!

Everything was full of stars, burning brightly or twinkling as far as she could perceive. If she could have, she would have wept tears of all encompassing joy at being among the stars. A hypnotic sound came gently in waves, from the closest of the celestial bodies. When the flash from a meteor tail shone brightly, she made to follow its trajectory. Suddenly though she could no longer control the direction of her vision. It became frontal and that limitation felt for a moment alien, until she heard Voice speak again. How long had she been watching the stars?

Voice, soothingly said “Don’t lose yourself now, do you recall who you are?”

It took Twilight a fraction of a moment to comprehend and then memory settled her back to who she was, an entity, an organism with a soul. For a moment there she mused I think I was not even a singular being.

“Yes indeed” Voice agreed “you are very unique in this, not all Alicorns that have been within the book could ever break lose from their anchor to me. Worry not though, you anchored yourself and this time it wont give way, unless both of us will it to.”

Twilight’s vision now in the control of Voice again, was centred to a planet below her. She flew towards it, its shape enlarging and after breaking though the first layers of atmosphere, her route took an orbital path over a massive body of ocean. A few moments later a continent was visible with a high mountain range. Her flight decelerated to a near stop over the centre of that continent and she recognised it.

“That is the Quillinian continent, and to the west the Mareopean and to the south the Zebraan, meaning that to further west over the Celestial sea is…” her voice almost caught “…Equestria!”
“Yes dear one, but look closer…there” said Voice and guided their vision towards the body of water between the first three continents. Here is the Mareterranean Sea…”

“But it looks so different from our maps” Twilight interrupted.After a pause she asked “Voice…when is this? When are we?”
Voice did not answer immediately but took them just a bit closer.

“Ah, this was before ponies reached the land you now call Equestria, before their migration and dispersal throughout the world, even before the cataclysm. What events will unfold here before you, happened during the peak of the Marelantian civilisation.”

The mind view now plummeted abruptly and closed over a large island almost in the centre of the Mareterranean Sea, its geography true to the legends, horseshoe shaped as if a titanic pony hoof left an imprint of land before flying away. A grand harbour was filled with large Triremes, ships of the ancient ponies that were dwarfed but the one moored next to them. The fabled to have been the largest ever built, a enormous catamaran galley, the Tessarakonteres took on two thousand warriors to row it and one thousand Pegasi on the deck. No race and no country could boast such naval feats as the Marelanteans had. And thus they were respected and feared by all.

Twilight’s vision caught a sudden magenta emanation of magical light from the three stones that guarded the entrance to the harbour. They were made entirely out of the the same light the core of the green stone held by the entities that possessed her friends.

“Look further up on the island” Voice said “There stand another three of these Lodestones, power and blessing to the ponies here. In all they are six, but truly they are still one, having been extracted from the same mother stone.”
Twilight wanted to take everything in, to be able to record all that was thought to have been mere legends in the future, in her time. But now even her mind was steered further down. Closer to the island, passing over the harbour and almost toughing the enormous masts, past a harbour city shining brightly white in the sun, towards lush green cultivated fields...

Marelantis 2000 B.E.(Before Equestria)

Morning prayers had finished and the earth priestesses clad in green tinted cloth descended the steps from the temple of the east lodestone. Unlike the other two on the island, theirs was at the topmost of the precious fields. Here the gathered waters of Lotus Lake were given new Life by the magical stone, ensuring that each and every crop was strong, nutritious and abundant. Thus the group had to walk a longer distance than their counterparts of the other Temples and had to step up if they did not want the early Mareterranean sun, burn their backs. The youngest always stayed at the back of the line trying to buy time in order to get a few glimpses into the main Earth Keep and perhaps see a shop or even a handsome stallion. One of the senior ones never being too far ahead, charged with keeping them in line would turn to shout them on. A mare with an orange hide, just two years into her mark gathered the few stragglers up and cantered them ahead of the group. The had to curb their speed to cross the small bridge over Mother river and thus passed under the arch of old-Taproot’s terrace garden. The group had to walk softly now so as not to disturb the teacher within, at his work. Through the carved stone shutters Taproot’s voice old but still deeply melodious, sang the story of the lodestones, to his students.

As a filly’s whining voice broke the steady rhythm, it was joined by another’s, the tutor groaned in outrage. The group outside the enclosed garden made haste towards their destination, not wanting to hear the teacher tell off his charges.

The garden within boasted an ancient olive tree whose branches covered a radius of five meters. A small fountain trickled away in a corner and on a stone bench near it sat a wizened light ochre stallion, his back bent with age and in his hoof a teacher’s baton, that was now swished in the air threateningly.

On a bench opposite his, sat two fillies of ten summers, a pegasus and a unicorn. No mark on their flanks yet, their identical light olive green coats identified them as twins.

Taproot as bard, had taught countless fillies and colts, presided over hundreds of ceremonies and boasted a grand repertoire of his own epic poetry. He had retired from his position over five years now and accepted no students whoever. He did take it upon him though to instruct a last pair of ponies and really had no choice than to accept the royal request of to teach the twin princesses of Marelantis their history.

Now though he was tempted to break his creed of never punishing a student with violence. Fillies these days seemed to have no patience nor any sense of wonder at the feats of their ancestors! He whacked the baton against the bench and shouted.

“If you make that noise one more time Aneris,I will make sure your father conjure a ban against the gardens! For the both of you!” he said in a booming voice that seemed unlikely to have come from such an old pony. He looked at the twins, Aneris her wings drooped and Concordia head hung low. Resigned they would now have to hear the whole thing again until their ears would fall off. They knew how to push the old one so far that he’d throw them out, but risk a ban from the gardens? That was the worst punishment for them and was the only thing that worked as a warning. Everypony who lived, taught or served the twin princesses knew it. Taproot knew better than to overuse this threat and was sure he was now free to finish his piece.

“Why don’t you pick your harp Concordia? and you Aneris your flute. We will make this a lot more pleasant for everyone!” as the fillies picked up their instruments, resigned to their fate and struck the beginning chords. Taproot waited for the right moment, took a deep breath and sang anew:

Fleetfoot Stormwaker’s son,
found the stones,
after the quake they rose.
SeaPine Firstblind,
cut the stones,
to his will they parted.
Farseer his brother,
sent the stones,
with magic across the bay.

One piece stood sentinel
By the bay forever more
Us protects the lodestone
from lands beyond our shore.

Farseer’s magic grew,
Given by the Northern stone.
For his he planted high in his tower home.
Seapine blind still,
Grew fields as none before,
For wisdom gave him abundant the Eastern stone.
Fleetfoot with valour filled,
Bravely flew against all foe,
For strength blessed him with, the western stone.

One piece stood sentinel
By the bay forever more
Us protects the lodestone
from lands beyond our shore.

“That’s well enough for now. Well played my Princesses!” he said seizing his singing.

“But teacher Taproot” Concordia asked in bewilderment, “we have not even reached the third verse…”

“That being?” he asked, eyes closed and leaning against the white wall.

“Uhm look, it goes on telling how the Three built the Keeps and how they married and…” Concordia said.

“You now Aneris, what next?” asked Taproot interrupting her and addressing the pegasus.

“Uhm uhm…” she hesitated and looking over to her sister, saw she was making a rounding gesture along her belly, “yes they had children! After that came that problem of choosing a king, and the Guardian Lodestone chose, allowing King Ambrosius to walk over the bay waters. He actually walked on the water! ” she added in triumph.

“Excellent!” Taproot clapped his hooves, opening his eyes and shooing them off “now spit spot pack up your instruments and leave me in peace! I am too ancient to sing all day and my old bones need the sun.”

The young fillies needed no urging to hastily pack and gallop out of their old Teacher’s garden, giggling and already planning their next mischief.

Taproot heavily dependent on his gnarled walking stick, reached the little gate of his retreat that was far from all matters of nation and Crown. He watched the fillies, already little more than silhouettes make for the little bridge, but then turning right into the Gardens. The main woodland area of Marelantis, full of tall pines and Cypress trees was where in ancient times old temple gardens were kept, most ponies though called them plainly The Forest. Said temple, now only a ruin on the precipice of the northern cliffs was abandoned over half a century ago. The princesses love to play there and explore the crumbling stone ways or find odd statues half buried in the soil.It was well known to all that If not found in the kitchens or knee deep in trouble, the twins would be in the Gardens.

Go little princesses, Taproot thought, sighing at the innocence of foals, enjoy the sun, the sea and this blessed land while you can before you get to witness the dark nature of the world…

“Did he see us?” Concordia huffed out of breath, as they had entered the forest. Aneris flying up in small leaps rather than lifting off, tried her best to spy through the branches.

“He wasn’t even there, old fart must have gone down on the food Mother makes us bring.” The Pegasus added while landing again needing a breath herself. Her wings were not strong enough to lift her off for longer periods of times and she was not allowed to fly as high as she wanted either way. A Pegasus guard was always around to carry her down in their Mother’s home and the Keep where the Royal family lived together was never constructed for flying. It being a unicorn palace that is, because King Cronus even if he loved his Queen’s skill in flying acrobatics, was still a Unicorn Mage.
Concordia took a deep invigorating breath of the pine forest air and started walking.

“You thing we can do it this time Aneris?” she asked, biting on her tongue as she tried to conjure up spheres of light and juggle with them. They sizzled off over her forehead seconds after she set then spinning. “Horse-apples!” She swore.
Aneris was trying to hold laughter in and did a small loop in the air.

“See? I am in top form. I even trained flying with a sack full of stones!”

“How many stones Aneris?”

“Ehh.. A few? But what about you, can you reappear where you want or will you AGAIN land in your crib.” The pegasus said jabbing at her sister’s embarrassment.

“It happened only once! Stop laughing! It was horrible, the baby room was all dark and dusty and father summoned the keep’s guards to look for me, when I disappeared from Magician’s hall.”
Yet seeing her sister was rolling on the pine needles laughing loudly she retorted: “I’ll show you, you‘ll see!” and concentrated, legs spread apart, vanishing with a pop.

Aneris panicked, darting around ”Concordia! Concordia? Sis?, I didn’t want to be mean. Please, I’ll never do it again! Please tell me you made it…”. She was just about going to shout even louder when faintly in the distance she heard laughter and a yelp of triumph. Blinking away half formed tears, she galloped full speed towards their secret place.

To get there one had to search for a small opening in the ancient wall of the ruins and slip into what must have been the inner temple gardens. A good fifty ponies could sit here and have a comfortable picnic, so large the area was and the vines and brambles forming a grand canopy over its entirety, gave the reason for it not having been discovered yet any outsiders. They found the place’s existence by chance when playing hide and seek and it was Concordia’s time to count. Before she even started counting, she had fallen through the wall. What lay within was a wonderfully preserved miracle.

At first it had seemed as any magically self irrigating grassy area, yet time after time things appeared or changed in ways the fillies could not explain. The wild flowers that grew in patches had moved to the opposite wall once and the little water fountain in the northern end sometimes spouted water and sometimes dry sand. Most mysterious of all things was that the hole in the wall they came through restored itself every time to built up but still crumbly to the touch state.

The Twins had come to the easy conclusion the secret garden was enchanted and that was that. Besides no one seemed to know anything about it or they’d never be allowed to play in the wood. The Temple ruins were inaccessible from everywhere expect from air and for that Aneris did not have said strength yet. Nopony had any interest or gain from visiting the precariously placed ruins either way, so that secret place was overlooked. Exploring the ruins above the garden had not even crossed the twin princesses minds because what was their main goal for a month now was to reach something else entirely.

Concordia was standing on the rump of a stone sea serpent statue, head held high waiting for the arrival of her sister. The serpent’s branched rack of horns carved out of a different material than the rest, glowed faintly.

“Did you see this? I teleported PERFECTLY! I am a genius!” she triumphed, hopping from coil to coil along the serpent’s back.

The pegasus reached her as the other jumped down on the grass from the glowing green tail of the statue.

“Did you see it yet?” Aneris asked panting but smiling from ear to ear.

“No haven’t tried..lets do this!” and run towards the centre of the area where they had placed an old bucket filled with stones, that sometimes turned to stone itself or a very soft durable material, to mark the spot underneath their goal.

Aneris parted the handles of a rusty fireplace blower, previously filled with sand and pressed them hard to blow the dust into the air above the bucket. Expectantly they both looked, blinking against falling sand, that last time had turned into white flakes that melted into water. And there it was, briefly causing the sand particles to be caught in the perpetual movement of air around an invisible sphere. Or so they thought because only the air moving in a spherical shape could be seen until even it lost the sand in its grip and a became invisible again. The fillies had tried many things in the course of three weeks. Concordia found out that throwing things into it caused them to vanish. It swallowed everything, rocks, flowers, the rain, Aneris’s cuddle toy… you name it.

Aneris had discovered that after a few days, the thing spat their items out, albeit changed to various degrees. They would have left it at that if it wasn’t for Concordia’s magical lessons that advanced to the Introduction to Portal Theory. No, she was decades far from even trying to meddle in these but as she explained to her sister the same night she had that lesson, that portals are like doors to other places.

Over the weeks they contemplated where the portal could be leading and they concluded it probably led to an attic or storage chamber that was rarely cleaned and when it was, the servant threw the things in a waste-basket so they returned here in their garden. Young as they were they did not know enough of portals to know that two of them where needed, if the trash-basket theory was to be correct. Needless to say being young and curious they would have tried even if they knew the dangers.

Their plan was to pile as many objects as they could on top of each other, have Concordia stand atop their makeshift tower and Aneris to grab her and fly them both into the portal. Aneris had tried to fly into it on previous occasions but was bounced back painfully. Her sister was of the opinion that it needed the touch of a unicorn horn to access it and thus their plan. As they could not find enough rope without raising suspicion, the sisters tied the various garden decorations, logs and branches together in a rickety construction. Their last attempt ended up in falling forward touching the portal before the unicorn had even gone half way on it. Needless to say it half broke off and was sucked into the beyond.

For days the fillies expected to hear whispers about a great lot of objects falling into an attic somewhere but nothing was spoken about. It took longer that time for the objects to be spat out and they had almost lost hope they’d ever would return. When they came out, the better half of a staircase made out of a squishy material filled with air was waiting for them, it was very bouncy! That one was put last atop the new puzzle of oddities. Aneris found their rope longer than usual and tasting of mint. This they tied on a convenient loop around the bouncy stairs on one end and the other with great strain on her part, on the very branches of the canopy. This was secure enough for them. Being a few meters away from the portal sphere it would not take much strength to fly over. Concordia could jump halfway and Aneris would propel them across, as they promised to do this together or not at all.

After inspecting their work they rested a few moments and agreed it was time.

Aneris looking flew up and hovered there. She looked down at the base of the construction where her sister waited for the signal. She would fly off as soon as Concordia was close to reaching the top and she’d catch her mid-leap.

“One, Two, THREE, NOW!” she shouted and readied herself. Concordia pranced and galloped up, the objects creaking and shifting under her. After landing heavily on the bouncy stair-thing she was catapulted passed her sister with alarming speed. The pegasus had just time to catch up to her, grab an arm and both flew in an arc across the distance to begin falling down. Aneris opened her wings and steered them approximately into position. Screaming loudly they plunged in as soon as Concordia’s horn came into contact. As expected they vanished leaving the compiled objects teeter tottering in the garden behind.

On the other side it was dark. Dark and missing a floor. The fillies screamed anew, clasping at each other, when they could not step onto the expected floor or any surface whatsoever.

“Are we underwater?” Aneris whispered.

“How can we breathe then doofus!” the other tried to sound brave and superior but failed to do so.

“Can you do that light thing with your horn ‘Dia?” Aneris asked calling her sister like that only when she was afraid.
The other complied by forming a weak yellow light, shining onto nothingness.

“Ane?”
“Yes sis?

“I don’t think this is an attic, the is no door and no trash-basket. What if we cannot go back?” she said, her lips quivering.
“But…but we will be thrown out like the objects! Sure we will, everything returned eventually…”

“Eventually? Mother will send all the guards to look for us and Father will get all Mages out of their houses…”

They started crying.

“I can take you back.” A small voice said sounding as if speaking was a rarely done thing.

Under the dim light of her horn the twins looked at each other utterly spooked, their cries sharply cut off. To them the voice sounded like a young colt as old as they or perhaps younger?

“Did you understand me? I can take you back” he added with perhaps some urgency.

“You..you can?” they said simultaneously.

“Yes!” he added proudly, momentarily forgetting his shyness “I am strong! Did you see how I returned back all the things you threw at me? I can do that!”.

“Can you do it faster?” Aneris interrupted him.

“Can you return us without changing us at all?” Concordia added.
“I…I… I think I can” the voice answered.

“But please do not make us bouncy like the stairs” the unicorn pleaded.
“Or melty cold flakes.” The pegasus begged.

“You mean the snow?” doubted he, “Don’t you know what snow is? Cant you make your own?” he wondered.

“N..No..” Concordia replied being the designated magic user of the two.

“Then how did you come here? You have some magic, yes you do..., but you are not strong like Me” and if he were visible the Twins would have seen him preen and strut about.

“Why cant we see you?” Aneris wondered.

“What is your name?” Concordia tried, winking at her sister.
No answer at any of their questions.

“Are you there?” Aneris asked waiting for what seemed a very long while.

“Y..yes” the voice stammered, “I can make myself visible but I don’t look like you.”

“So what?” Concordia chimed in, “Lots of folk don’t look like us. We are ponies, there are Zebras, Horses, Centaurs, Minotaurs, Dragons and sooo many creatures. Almost any folk who have ships come to our harbour. Grandfather is said to have talked to a Dragon once…” and while she chattered on, a silhouette became visible. A head and mane distinctly that of a horse became visible but that was where the similarities between then stopped. On His head a white dear antler and on the left a blue goat horn appeared.

“Wha..what are you?” the twins asked together.
He smiled, showing that one of his draconic fangs longer than the other.

“I am Discord!” he said proudly and went about making a show of revealing how bizarre he looked, part by part. On a short serpentine body, small forearms, a right one of a lion and the left an eagle claw where wriggled into existence followed by the right leg of a lizard and a left leg of a goat.
“And I am a Draconequus!”

Very small wings, smaller than even Aneris’s, one a bat’s and the other a bird’s, jutted out. Fully formed after ending his revelation with a white tuft on the tip of his dragon’s tail, he flew in loops around the fillies.
They remained opened mouthed and silent, until one started giggling, the other not far away herself until even the creature started laughing as well.

“We are friends now right?” he asked stopping his looping flight.

The Laughter stopped and Concordia feeling awkward again said “Well… we can become friends if we play together and like the same things”.

“Also fight as little as possible and make gifts on Birthdays!” Aneris added.

Discord seemed to think deeply about these words and counted them out on his fingers.

“We played a game when you dropped things at me and I changed them, I also ate of the things you brought and liked them and I have never fought with you.” He stopped his account and flew closer to them making them squeal a bit.
“Tell me what is a birthday?”

Aneris laughed “Its when you are born silly! Then the day is celebrated on the same day every year and you get gifts!”
“Hmm I don’t know about every year but I did get this when I was born…” and he spread his little arms wide.
The twins looked over his arms and around to see what he was indicating.

“This!” he exclaimed “This place, My realm!” and look at them expectantly.
The fillies not understanding the concept of owning a realm, looked unimpressed.

Concordia mused aloud hoof under her chin. ”So if this was your birthday gift, then where is your mum and dad?”
“They left me here!” he said happily.
Wide eyed the fillies looked at each other.

“They LEFT you all alone? You are…you are small like us!We are ten years old, and nobody can leave a ten-year-old alone in the world” Aneris said exasperated.

Discord shrugged it off as nothing special.
“But… but don’t you miss them?” Concordia said, touching his arm with her hoof.

He ran his talon over the spot she had touched and explained
“I don’t miss them, why would I? And if we met, this place would explode and I don’t want that, its mine!…ah… and I am not ten years, I am big, I am …eeeh in years..I don’t know the word”.

Seeing a blank expression on their faces he sighed and continued. “No place can keep more than two… things of chaos and not explode, so when I was born, my mother went with Dad to a new place.”

“Don’t you feel alone?” Aneris asked.

Discord’s cheek blushed slightly but he tried to hide it. “I am not alone, I can hop into all nearby worlds and look at creatures. Besides now I have two friends!” he added enthusiastically.

“We’re not your mfmf…” Aneris’s words where muffled as her sister’s hoof closed her mouth.

“What Ane’ wanted to say, Discord, is that we need to go back to be able to stay friends.” She added, glaring at her sister to understand her spiel.

Discord flew upside down and asked “Why is that?”
“Our parents would never allow us to be friends with you if we did not return in for dinnertime! He would be mad and punish us!” Concordia continued.

Aneris caught up and went on “OH yes and then no going to the garden, no treats and no playing games.”

“All right, I will toss you back through but tell me one thing,… in how many days is it time for dinner?”

“Oh oh…” said the twins.

With a loud yelp, the twin Princesses where dumped out of the portal and fell onto the bouncy surface that must have dropped down by the wind. Discord floated down after them and made them bounce even more. When their laughing had seized, they clambered off the slippery surface and stood to face their new friend.

“Until we explain where we’ve been please wait for us here. I am sure we can return tomorrow… Bye Discord!” Concordia said and started running towards their exit.

“Yeah, and I’ll bring more food and toys! You will like toys very much!” Aneris added and followed her sister shouting “Byeee!” and vanished through the hole in the wall.

After standing for more that a few minutes, watching where his first friends vanished, Discord sighed at the odd feeling in his chest, jumped into the air with a whoop and flew into his realm. He had discovered joy.

Outside Concordia and Aneris started galloping up the hill to exit the trees near the Unicorn Keep, the evening having progressed and shadows started to lengthen. The paved pathway lead from the forest to the eastern gate and on their way they passed a Unicorn raking up leaves. Seeing them dash by the stallion gasped and let the rake drop from the spell it was being moved with. He shouted and waved at them but they were too far away to have heard.

Concordia said, between short breaths “Look how happy he was to see us, we’re not late at all!”

Aneris who was now further ahead answered in dread “They don’t look so happy to me though…” and came to a halt.

By the gate, guards stood and shouted to all directions while up in the bell tower the alarm rung. Pegasi guards landed behind them now as well and not a second later both the King and Queen of Marelantis, appeared with a flash of blue and purple.

Queen Rhea looking dishevelled with red rimmed eyes, ran to them and gathered her foals to herself with her wings. Although Queen now, she was raised a warrior of the pegasi race and kept her beige mane and tail braided at most times. She only wore a long shoal over her shoulders having been roused in a hurry and her mark could clearly be seen, a lance over a rising sun.

“Oh my babies…” she cried and sobbed freely. The twins startled at the sudden onrush of ponies and the loud commands of their Father, hugged their mother tightly. After what seemed to them a while, the King teleported his entire family to the throne room. There, his council abandoned the grand map table to crowd the Queen and the princesses. Their questions seemed endless.

“Who took you?”
“Where did they keep you?”
“Did they ask for ransom?”
“How did you escape?”
“What were they, Earth ponies? Pegasi? Minotaurs?…”

“Silence!” came the command from King Cronus and all stood to attention apart from Queen Rhea.
“Leave us until I call you. All of you!” he added, his concern now visible.

The king of Marelantis, Cronus Supreme stood tall his in deep purple -almost black- cloak marking him as High Magus. He did not wear his regalia or any other adornment at the moment, a testament to how much he had worried all the days his children were lost. Although he was clearly blind by any usual sense, everypony knew that any Magus attuned to a Lodestone although blind, could see perfectly with the Sight they gained by that sacrifice. His mane and tail where cut short, in the traditional manner of the Marelantean Magi Unicorns and had the colour of greyed lilies. His mark, a silver planet with a ring system , stood out against the lilac of his coat.

As all ponies apart from the Royal family left, the Queen draped her shawl over her two foals, kneeling in front of them. Wiping her tears, she took a breath asking them calmly
“Now tell us... where have you been?”

Tear-less sobs had the twins finishing each other’s sentences.
“We went to the old gardens…”
“…we played in the trees…”
“…we forgot all about the time…”
“…then it was late and we ran home.”

The Queen was silent and turned her head around looking into her husbands face, he standing further back at the base of his throne dais. Looking down he turned his head to the side as if to hide his relief. When he turned back and looked down to his foals he looked strained and tired.

“You mean to tell me, you spent the better of five days playing in the forest?”
The Twins looked at each other. “But we …”

“What spell are you under? Who put you up to this?” his tone rising and closing his eyes performed a series of searching spells.

“Cronus...please”, came the voice of his queen, causing him to open his eyes and see that the foals where now cowering in fright. Putting one hoof on each of their arms she asked them anew.

“Can’t you tell us anything? Did it perhaps only seem you were in the forest but something else happened before?”

“We…we ran into a portal…” said Concordia timidly. Causing her father, who was pacing up and down the room to halt on the spot.

“Portal? Whose portal! What colour was it, where did it lead? SPEAK child!” he urged her.

“It lead to no where it was dark and we went out. We did not know five days passed…” she stammered on trying to sound plausible.

“Nonsense! I would have sensed a portal and you don’t have the slightest clue of what you are talking about” he said irately.

She on the other hand stomped her hoof down saying “It WAS a portal, things fell into it.”

All the sleepless nights and the what possibilities and abduction of the princesses meant, took their tall at that moment. He lost his temper and yelled back.

“Things fall into water wells child and come out of one, but you can hardly have gone into a stranger’s portal and fashioned a spell to get out of it! The fact that you’ve received an hour’s worth of portal theory lessons makes this hardly a valid excuse for you to hide from the entire Island.”

The queen having turned around, shielded their daughters with her wings and confronted him.
“Enough!” repeating herself she added calmly “Enough Beloved, I am as worried as you are but this is not helping any of us. Lets have them sleep it off and we’ll see in the morning”.

He conceded, nodded and walked by the trio before him. After the door clicked shut softly behind her husband, Queen Rhea who had watched his exit, turned to the trembling twins and urged them gently to walk in the direction of their chambers. They were not taken to he kitchen for dinner not even for a bath but straight to bed. The queen herself would sleep with them not wanting to stay too far away. While tucking them into the bed they twins shared, Aneris asked
“Mom is father very angry?”.

Concordia having said nothing since leaving the throne room, looked at her sister having her thoughts echoed by her perfectly.

Their mother upbraiding her mane shook her head “No, he was hurting, hurting a lot.”

“But he wasn’t crying, only you cried.” The pegasus wondered.

“Sometimes ponies cannot show their tears, although they’ve been crying within themselves all this time. You Father loves you two so much. He hardly slept an hour each night, joining the search parties.”

This time Concordia broke her silence “yeah but he did not believe me when I said the tru…”

“Don’t be so hard on him my sweet” Queen Rhea admonished “he was willing to set sail to search for you, he was going to suggest accusing the other Races, the other PONIES! Of using you to cause…to cause... fights”

“Why then is he not here with us?” the little unicorn asked again.

“Now you are being petty Concordia! You know perfectly well that as King he must now set everything right. The whole island has been in motion, the guards, the soldiers all looking for you. The trade ships leaving had to be halted and searched. Oh…he’s going to be very busy for the next days.” Seeing her foals look morose and mortified she smiled warmly at them. “Sleep now, we all need a good rest! Who knows your father might join us in a bit.” And blew off the candle on the bed stand.

The King did not join them to sleep. The disappearance of the Princesses only tipped a cup that was for a very long time threatening to topple and spill grave matters. The fillies would come to learn of this only years later.

Birthdays

View Online

"Cross my heart and hope to fly,
stick a cupcake in my eye!"
Pinkamena Diane Pie

The vision dissolved so abruptly that Twillight needed a moment to even remember that she was not really there. In Marelantis of old. She would have asked so many questions but the story had her in its grip. Hurriedly she rose, addressing the Voice.

“Then?” Twilight asked in earnest worry “Did they make the princesses reveal the garden…and Discord?” Magical time travelling book aside, time going on different speeds even, what felt them most weird, was the fact that she witnessed a child form of her Draconequus friend. A very vulnerable one at that.

“I can hear your concern my dear” the voice answered “yet forget not that these events have happened and what your world right now is like, is because of these events. Especially Discord. Let those events now speak for themselves.”

"But Voice! Wait! I need to ask...."
And so Twilight was again a disembodied witness to what happened afterwards.

No admonition or punishment per Se followed the immediate days, let alone the first week after the finding of the princesses. If staff changed or been excused from service, or more guards posted to even more positions, even the placement of more magical shields and barriers, the twins where too young to have noticed. It was done subtly, without any commotion and such matters do escape the notice of younglings who’d gone through a recent fright.

Their lessons though did pick up pace and especially the ones on separate locales they had to attend, lengthened in duration. On some days the sisters met only for dinner and for some -chaperoned- play time within their room. Even though conveniently Concordia took her lessons in the same keep the royal family resided in , Aneris had to either be flown to or had to stay overnight in the Pegasi Keep on the ground. The privilege to walk up above in the Cloud Keep was reserved for when she earned her place as a warrior, whatever her status of birth.

As all young ponies, lessons always felt like a compulsory thing, taking away time from playing and exploring and lazing about. For that time being though, nothing too hard was expected of them apart from endless repetitions and never did they feel forced.

In the span of two weeks they had met Discord only four times, not that he seemed to mind. The concepts of timespan and it taking long did not affect him as it did to them. He had simply told them he was always aware if they were near.
On such a day the princesses had managed to squirm their way out of a joint lesson in the Earth Pony fields. As it was a day of celebration, it was expected the fillies would join their teachers in the fair of the Earth Keep. Everypony wanted to see the Seasonal fair and the Earth ponies knew how to make it best. Despite the long journey to the middle of the Mareterranean Sea, traders and travellers ventured to Marelantis. All inns where packed to the rafters and even the Keeps opened their lodges to quests.

Due to the very reason that folk of all shapes and sizes walked the streets for a fortnight, the princesses met with a very bashful looking Hippogryph at the edge of the forest. He walked between them his eyes darting about. Aneris had to pinch him twice when a pair of Griffin ladies zoomed by chattering loudly, to prevent him from turning back to his original form or Lodestone forbid, turning THEM into something else.

“I’m telling you Discord, you look fine!” Concordia said reassuringly “and no, your colours are not wacky!”

“You should see what the Ambassador from Poneighdonia looks like when she comes over to visit mum. Ha! Her mane is painted four different colours each day.” Aneris added “and remember, no magic whatsoever OK? You can ask us anything you don’t understand and anything you’d like to eat or have, tell us to get it for you, our father will pay the merchants.”
“Can’t I look like you? You even put on these things.” said he, pointing at Concordia’s horn necklace and Aneris’s jewelled wing-clips. “I feel weird”.

Discord looked quite the normal Hippogryph colt and under the insurances of his friends, he started to feel at ease.
Soon the path met the main road that circumvented the Lotus lake. The stone paved road was flanked with well tended patches of fragrant flowers and bushes on both sides. Every hundred meters or so, steps hewn from the very rock led down to the lake shore where a wooden promenade forming a half moon, was used to moor small lake boats. The lake depending on the seasons was used for irrigation or planting some of the rarest water-plants brought ages ago from the mainland. On Festivals though the boats where reserved for the folk to ride in. Especially during the nights the place would become breathtaking with lanterns on the pathways and on the boats.

It was the first day of the Summer Festival and though it was morning still, the road was quite crowded already. Weather permitting, small stalls where allowed on the roadside, so as long as no plants where disturbed. On this the earth ponies where very adamant about, because due to its limited supply of, cultivated land was precious on Marelantis. The twins took turns explaining all that to their friend.

Suddenly Discord stood stock still and pointed one claw forward, very excited.

“Can we eat the circles?” he asked.

“Circles?” both ponies asked.

“Those” he said and flew a few meters ahead landing in front of a stall, taking the spot in frond of the line of ponies waiting already.

Relieved that nothing had happened, Concordia inclined her head politely and apologised for their friend’s impoliteness.
“Forgive him he’s new..”

“The PRINCESSES!” One of them exclaimed “No no, its our fault we did not know he was your guest!” and gesturing meekly forward said “please have my place in line”.

Now all the ponies witnessing bowed shortly and stood aside even though the twins insisted on waiting their turn. The stall owner offered the solution as he felt honoured by Royalty gracing his stall.

“What would you like my princesses?” he asked rubbing his hooves. “My ware is humble but of the best grain!” pointing to one of the simplest types of bread ever. Turning to look at Discord who was eyeing the circular shaped sesame seed covered bread rolls and seeing how enthused he was, they shrugged and bought three.
They were thanked with more bows and blessings by the stall-owner as now word would spread that the princesses preferred his sesame bread rolls above all else! They walked ahead of Discord trying to mingle into the crowd while he munched happily on his circles.

Soon it became obvious that Discord would simply not pass by edibles without sulking, thus Aneris had the brilliant idea to buy a pair of saddle bags that they slung comfortably over his back. Thus all sorts of food could be added to the pack. Discord was not to be stopped from eating them and Concordia after thinking for a second proposed an idea.
“You know what is a fun thing to do?”

“Whaa?” asked Discord while chewing on candied figs.

“We should buy food and toys for a celebration of our own!” she answered in delight.

“Wait wait” Aneris chimed in “lets make it Discord’s Birthday party”

“Ma Birfday?” he seemed to say trying to swallow his mouthful.

“You are right Dia’!!! Come on Discord you keep saying you don’t know when your birthday was, so why don’t we make it on Midsummer’s Eve, thats in two days!” she almost squealed.

“Yeah lets do this every year!”and hoof in hoof they danced a jig around their friend.

Stopping, Concordia shook a finger in front of his beak. “And if you promise you don’t eat all the stuff we buy today, we’ll show you something awesome when we get out of the fair.”

Looking over his shoulder, Aneris wondered sceptically “although I don’t think those bags can hold a lot for a party…”
At this the Draconequus’s eyes lit up and after snapping his fingers the bags visibly deflated.
“What did you do?” both of them exclaimed.

“Nothing really, the stuff is still there, the bags can just hold more now. LOTS more” he said proudly and walked forward “Come on show me that Keep, the smell coming from there is wonderful!”

It took them more than half an hour to get to the lavishly decorated gate where priestesses of the Earth lodestone handed out necklaces they had woven themselves with the blessings of the season. Discord took the one given to him and placed it in his bags, to eat it later, having declared that the necklace’s magic would make it a delicacy.

After passing through the crowded gates the trio stopped, were halted by unicorn guards who had been posted there for the sole reason to spot the twins and escort them. Tried as the might they could not convince them that they were only going to look at the shops and return home by evening.

Discord had whispered into Aneris’s ear whether he should make them float but was told against it by a hard “no are you crazy?” from the filly.

They introduced Discord as a hippogryph friend they’ve made that day and both he and the guards made an unspoken agreement to not bother with each other. It was soon obvious that Discord easily got jealous when ponies took his friend’s attention from him. He did make Sage Tea’s hat fly away when she would not leave Aneris’s side to go check out dresses and he did cause Teal Knotwork to lose his orientation and walk into another alley because he would not stop chattering to Concordia. A few of his antics where noticed by the sisters but most he managed to do behind their backs.

Another rising issue was that the draconequus did not fancy loosing in games. He won all three prizes at horseshoe toss, caused all other tortoises to fall asleep at the tortoise race and even juggle more balls in a minute than the juggler did. After the dart game the twins thought they needed to have a talk with their friend. Discord managed it so that do that no pony after him could play at the "Hit the Hydra" dart stall ever again. At least not until the poor minotaur had his stall wall repaired. The dart Discord was given, cut the moving wooden heads right off.

After convincing their guards to have something to drink, they sat at some benches in a less crowded area.
“Discord” Aneris said “you cant do these things, ponies will notice and we will get into trouble!”
“Yeah” Concordia continued “and why were you mean to our friends? We do not get to see then so much any more and now they probably think we did those mean things to them”

He frowned at them not understanding.
“You are my friends and you were with me! I am bored of doing everything by all these rules! You must this you mustn’t that… it makes me itch all over and then I have to do something not…not with rules you know.” He floated up a little bit forgetting he had to beat his wings as well.

“And if… if your father punishes you I will make HIM float” he uttered, a bit darkly.

“Get down” Concordia said pulling him by the tail.

“Please Discord” said Aneris “our father is a very powerful Mage and…” an idea struck her “I know lets show you that thing!” and winked at her sister.

She nodded her head vigorously having remembered the surprise. “Wait here she said, I’ll tell the guards we’re going to the earth temple to pray.”

“To pray?” Discord asked a bit wistfully.

“Shh” Aneris said “you’ll see, it is something amazing!”

Having told the guards to meet them outside the temple in half an hour she returned triumphantly, giggling.
“Whats so funny?” her sister asked

“You know, I think Jewel Shield has the hots for Scabbard” and giggled some more behind her hoof.
Her sister rolled her eyes “All mares give Scabbard the goo goo eyes, yuk!” and started pushing Discord forward “come on, lets go pray”

By Mid after noon the Earth temple had more crowds leaving it than ponies willing to trudge along the fields in the scorching summer heat. When the temple was in sight, Discord stood for a moment and asked
“What is in there? Do we have to go?” he looked about a bit nervously
“What is it silly, it magic OK? A lot of magic in one place! “ Aneris said trying to push him again.
He dug his hind legs into the dirt road.

“I thought you liked magic, found it good enough to eat.” Concordia pointed at him.
“Not this kind of magic! What if I make this place explode” Discord now sat on his haunches crossing his talons. “I wont go, you cant make me!”

The twins looked at each other and then sat each to one side of him.

Concordia said more calm now “Look we really thought you’d like it. Scholars, visitors even kings and queens from other lands come to see the lodestones.”

Discord’s ears prickled up at that.
“What…what colour are they?” he asked tentatively.

Aneris answered this one, a dreamy look in her eyes. “Oh they have the most amazing purple light that glitters so amazingly bright.”

Concordia continued her sister’s words equally adoring of the stones “When I come of age and have my mark I will be able to look into ours up in the Unicorn keep and gain the Sight!”
Discord suddenly got up and started walking in the direction of the temple.
“Wait up” Aneris shouted after him when they caught up asked “I though you couldn't be made to go and that the world would explode!”
“Nonsense!” Discord puffed up his chest “Its a purple Lodestone, its not like me”
“But please don’t eat it OK?” Concordia asked wistfully.

The Earth pony temple stood on a hill overlooking Lotus lake, as it was used to enhance the land’s fertility and productivity as well as that of the lake waters. Every visitor expected a structure of sorts built to enclose the precious Lodestone but was amazed to find a copse of the largest Trees in the known world. Enhanced by the magic the pines grew to a prodigious size, and for hundreds of years priests and priestess braided the branches with each other to form a perfect living structure for the lodestone. Even the mysterious Qilin revered this site and many of their race took it upon themselves to undergo the perilous year long pilgrimage to Marelantis.

Under the elaborately braided archway two fillies and a young hippogryph walked marvelling at the decorations that had not been carved but coaxed out of the tree. The inner architecture was in the form of a spiral that lead to the lodestone with alcoves set along the way, each one depicting a part of the history of the earth lodestone. First came The Blinding of Seapine where the earth pony having conversed with the magic within, gained the Sight despite being an Earth pony. Next came a scene of The cutting from the mother stone, followed by The Planting on the hill, where the stone was set to its final place. After those came texts upon text describing quotes, edicts and core creeds of the Earth ponies and their faith to The Earth. The texts as with the decorations where not etched on the wooden plaques but magically coaxed into the wood and filled with its own resin, that pulsated with magenta light.

Only when they took the last bend did they realise that none had spoken so far.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Concordia asked.

“And you did not want to see it” Aneris mock scolded him.

Little discord was so distracted that he had lost his control over his disguise.

“Oh no” Concordia said and waving her hoof in front of the draconequus’s eyes.

“Ane! He is not responding, go watch if somebody is coming!”

Aneris stood lookout while anxiously glancing to where her sister tried to snap Discord out of his staring the Lodestone incessantly.
“Its…talking to me…and it has a-” he whispered in awe.

“Drats! Somebody is coming Dia!” Aneris shouted stomping nervously on the spot.
Concordia shouted loudly into Discords ear distracting him for a moment.
“Whaa…?” he asked his eyes unfocused.

“You have to change back to a hippogryph quickly!”

He sounded tired and dreamy “I don’t think I can”

“Oh no…” Concordia said and stood before behind him trying to hide him in vain.
When a loudly talking Aneris came over with the their two guards she stopped.

“Where did he do Dia?”

“Where did who go? Jewel Shield asked humoured. “Your friend? I think he must have left.”
“Speaking of which” Scabbard said after the guard mare “Its high time to take you home. Come on princesses” and walked ahead

Aneris looked at her sister questioningly but received only a bewildered shrug.
When Jewel Shield popped her head and said “who wants to be levitated home?” and disappeared playfully behind the bend.

Eyes rolling the twins made to follow, Concordia muttering “Does she think we are babies?”

At the last bend before the exit a conspiratorial “psst” was heard to their right and to their amazement the fillies saw a figure moving in the depiction of earth ponies kneeling before the lodestone. The little wooden pony waved them closer and laughed.

“Don’t worry I’ll follow you invisible, only you’ll hear me”

“Be careful though” Concordia whispered back “if they sense you I don’t know what they’ll do”

He move around the other figures for a bit and then disappeared.
While they were walking behind the guards, Discord kept them giggling at a hilarious commentary they only could hear. To any passer by they were just too little ones enjoying a private joke. Soon the lanterns where being lit along the roads so that it could be seen snaking off around the lake, towards the forest.

Suddenly the guards stopped ahead and beckoned the twins to go between them. Horn lighting up ready to draw steel, Scabbard called ahead “who goes there?”

The voice came before the appearance of a hooded unicorn, his cloak camouflaging him in the coming evening light. “At ease commander, you hardly need those toys against me, I merely came to escort the princesses home”
The guards relaxed visibly but did not relinquish the children yet.
“Crystal Quill your lordship, responsibility to bring the princesses home lies with me and Jewel here. Unless with royal decree I cannot go against my orders” Scabbard said curtly but sternly.

Crystal Quill visibly sneered “Whose orders, your Captain’s?”
“The King’s” Jewel Shield intoned.

“Ah! Then this changes matters. Allow me then to accompany you the rest of the way. The more the merrier don’t they say?” and sweeping his cloak up with his hoof bowed to the princesses. “After you my ladies”

Aneris and Concordia were always unnerved under the shrewd stare of their father’s most trusted adviser and colleague since their studying day’s in the academy of the centaurs far away on the mainland.

He took a step forward smirking as with some inner dialogue but then without warning stood alert.
“Show yourself! I sense you!” he challenged into nothingness.

The twins before him cowered fearing for their friend.
“My lord?” Jewel asked perplexed
Crystal Quill shrugged her comment off “Nothing, probably an afterimage of a spell.” His eyes darted left and right though, as he slowly brought his right hoof down from where he touched a talisman within his cloak. Seeing then everypony else watching him he called irately “On wards guards lets not be late…”
What the Magus did not know was that Discord managed to whisper a message to the two fillies before escaping. “I’ll meet you in two days”

The day before the culmination of Midsummer festivities started well enough for the two princesses. One of the fillies from the families working in the castle had her birthday and thus there was cake for breakfast. The great mess hall beneath the kitchens echoed with the joy and general din fillies produce. An extra boon was that almost an hour was cut from their joint lessons with the other fillies, meaning their later private tutoring with Taproot was the only thing for the day. Aneris and Concordia exchanged ideas for games and how they would decorate the secret garden, if they could.
“Oh I wish I could teleport stuff better, then I could be in and out a couple of times and no one would know I even took a bit of ribbon or a paper lantern…or two” Concordia complained

“Sounds more like we would need more than two sis’…the garden is huge!” her sister added and then her eyes lit up “you know what? We could ask Discord to change stuff for us into decorations. Imagine what wacky things he’d throw out of the portal. That would be fun!”

“You …are… so …right!” Concordia exclaimed, turning a few heads their way.

If the twin princesses weren't so occupied in their own private world, they would have noticed a change in how the other fillies they had practically grew up with, avoided them lately. Sure enough, there had always been a distance between offspring of royals and the foals of servants and guards but the separation due to status was normally going to happen a few years later. No, the twins where being avoided as if being with them brought on little accidents, bad luck and general dread.

Not noticing the looks around them and how they turned away immediately after, the sisters where silent, thinking. Concordia, leaning her cheek against her hoof, was playing with her spoon and the remnants of cake and Aneris was galloping their cups against each other.Not moving, Concordia asked
“What will you gift be Ane?”

Her sister left her game and leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially.
“Come I’ll show you” and flying over the table,landing on the other side next to her sister, dragged her along. The other fillies looked after them for a moment and then resumed their conversations.
“Where are we going Ane?”

“To our room, quickly!”
Avoiding the notice of anyone who might be searching for them to send them off for lessons or… a bath, they reached their playroom where Aneris shoved a pile of toys aside to reveal a small box, not bigger than two hooves. Opening it with slow deliberation she displayed a misshapen wooden article that vaguely reminded someone of two ponies.
“Its… its… good” Concordia tried to be nice about it, turning her head to the side, trying to fathom what her sister had clearly made herself.

Eyes rolling Aneris groaned
“You don’t understand art. This is the battle of Bright Moon against the Piratess Copper Wings. I haven’t painted the metal hooks on their wings yet but its my best carving ever!”

Concordia nodded carefully parting some books to the side to reveal her gift.
“Look at mine! I used my best spell to make it dance!”

A small unicorn doll made of leather tried spasmodically to exit its box and stand on one hoof to twirl around. Sparks shot of here and the from its limbs and it constantly failed to keep its balance.
“That…is…fine magic sis.” Aneris said laughing, “Lets pack them up!”

Placing them in the bottom of their musical instrument bags, they slung them over their backs and went for where they would probably meet their mother to kiss her goodbye and run to their history lesson. When they reached the small study their mother often read in, they found three other ponies with her as well.

Glancing up, the Queen smiled at her daughters. “Good morning! Come in my dears”

Aneris and Concordia halted in their tracks and walked in slowly. Queen Rhea stood up, walked around her desk filled with maps and scrolls and introduced the ponies next to her.

“This is Stone Bark, his brother could not attend this meeting but it does not matter. They will be your new teachers at the Earth pony temple, come winter.”

She indicated a tall in stature but awfully thin stallion whose coat was dark brown. His sugary smile unnerved them more that that of the Stallion next to him.

“Of course you know Lord Crystal Quill and your aunt Azure Gale”

The latter bent down opening her arms beckoning.
“And is there no hug for your auntie you have not seen for so long?” she pouted humourful.

Partly out of the awkwardness fillies feel when gazed upon by older ponies and partly due to having missed their Aunt, since she had left on a mission at sea, the twins ran into her beckoning hug.

Concordia looked up at her aunt wonderingly
“But auntie Azure, are you not Ane’s teacher either way?” she left out that Crystal Quill was occasionally her teacher as well.

Azure Gale, her coat almost the same colour as her sister’s, save for her brilliantly azure mane, kissed both her nieces on the cheek and stroking Concordia’s mane said very kindly.

“Yes my dear, but the time has come when your lessons should become more important in your life. Its just about the same time that I got my mark as well!” turning to Aneris an appraising look in her eyes said

“And you my little rascal, wouldn't it be nice to get those wings nice and strong and fly a patrol with us? I just bet your mark will be something great!”

Aneris’s eyes glittered with delight, imagining how she’d soar as high as she could breathe and plummet down over the harbour. Concordia sharing her sister’s delight suddenly asked.

“Mother, what about lord Taproot’s lessons?”

“Well, that is kind of you to ask. Taproot is a very old stallion and has been complaining of rheumatisms lately, further lessons would be too taxing for the poor old soul. He has assured me though that you have learnt and mastered enough of our traditional songs and your voices are well groomed.”

The twins looked at each other apprehensively. One nodded to the other and Concordia spoke.
“Wh…when do we start with the new lessons?”

Their mother mistaking the question for eagerness, delightedly answered

“Why, in a week’s time you’ll receive your curriculum and join a specialised class with ponies your age. I just know it in my heart that you will receive your marks at the same time!”
Pausing she nodded to the earth pony.

“Now follow Stone Bark here and he will take you for an introductory lesson to the earth temple”

“But…” the twins intoned after leaving their aunt’s embrace. But seeing the stern glare their mother gave them, bowed their heads courtly and disheartened followed the earth pony who had in turned bowed shortly to them as well.

While walking after him the fillies spoke no words. They were used to strangers and ponies of importance but some, like the Magus adviser, had this aura about them that seemed to seep out and reach for something they wanted,badly.

As he walked before them Stone Bark briefly looked to the side to be heard and in a gentle but hard voice said
“It is good that you have brought your instruments as well. Singing is an integral part of communing with the land and the waters. Digging in the mud is not what we do all day you know.”

At that the fillies reddened with shame as that derogatory expression was a favourite one. They soon had left the rooms and corridors of the royal family residence for the more stark and simplistic ones of the rest of the castle. And stood amazed for a moment when they reached the foyer before the main doors leading to they courtyard. Two stunningly beautiful earth pony mares stood in waiting , holding a folded garment each. As soon as the three approached, Stone Bark stood to the side and announced to no one in particular and moreover to the unseen.

“Hereby we honour the Royal Children with blessings of our Land”

He pompously walked forward and turned to face the twins, bowing low.

Walking forward Concordia murmured to her sister
“Why do they act like that every time? It so funny.”

“Yeah I know, the speak to the air and the plants and water is all holy and such. Weird.” Her sister added.

They were startled for their whispering when the mares unfolded the cloths they held and the room brightened visibly from the two marvels of pony craftsmanship. The cloaks where finely spun and dyed in the most brilliant green hues the had ever seen.

“May I present your ceremonial cloaks my princesses.”
And took the cloaks from each mare, draping them over the fillies and clasping them in the front.
Doing that the continued in a sing song manner

“When the time comes and you have mastered all our traditions, knowledge and mysteries you shall be of the very few non earth ponies to carry the Master’s Broach. Both your parents have honoured our clan greatly by upholding our sacred art and keeping Marelantis safe.”
Stepping back he marvelled at them as if they were his own foals.

“Follow now, the surprises are not finished yet!”

Speechless they exited to the courtyard blinking away the sun. Before them stood a carriage and two earth keep guards in ebony armour, stood ready to pull it. Given it was wooden and very heavy, all knew it also as enchanted and a mystery in how it was made.

As far as the princesses remembered, they have never been on a carriage before and in general carriages were used rarely to carry ponies other than the wounded, the sick or for weddings and funerals. Opening the small door, Stone Bark beckoned them to get in. A few ponies had gone to the balconies to watch the proceedings but the ones who where most absent where none other than the King and Queen.

The Princesses looked around abashed and feeling awkward. They were now apprehensively curious to see where they’d be heading to. When their new teacher closed the door and did not ride with them they felt like fish out of water.

“Don’t look so wistfully your highnesses, we’re going on a small round and you’ll love the scenery from a new viewpoint.”

Given the signal to go, the horses pulled the cart gracefully out of the courtyard, Stone bark trotting beside them. Some of the onlooking ponies waved them away and Aneris smirked and waved back.

“Its like we are on parade Dia!’”
Concordia laughed awkwardly.
“Heh…heh…I guess so” and waved shortly in the general direction of the castle.

Instead of turning to the right, to exit the Unicorn Keep, cross the bridge over father river and head to the earth pony temple, the carriage was pulled to the left. The only way that went was around the Unicorn Castle, to the Unicorn Lodestone.

“Ehm..Stone Bark…sir? Why are we going this way? We see the Lodestone everyday from our rooms…sir.”Aneris asked as she bent over a little.

The earth pony smiled and took a moment. He seemed not so eager to interrupt them as the other teachers did and that felt weird for Concordia. When suddenly one is given freedom to speak after always having to keep their words few, one found they could not find the words to fill the silence, and the expectation of the listener.

“You can call me Bark if you wish, and we are not visiting the lodestone my pupils, we are going further.”
Aneris looked at him over her sister’s shoulder.

“Bark…sir, there is nothing after there, its just the cliff edge and… the cemetery”

Both fillies looked at each other finding it totally weird if the would actually visit the cemetery.

“Indeed, its a joyous day to visit your brother’s grave isn’t it?”

It was not so much a taboo to speak of the young prince as much as it was avoided to do so. Given the princesses where too young to remember and that the new born earth pony lived only a single hour after birth, there was no much to recall or be said about that tragedy.

The King and Queen mourned their son’s death in private but for a whole year Marelantis mourned with them. Apart from relatives the ones who felt struck the most where the earth pony tribe, for he, coming of age would have been the first earth pony king after a long succession of unicorn and pegasi ones. Every year the earth tribe would honour the would be King, when the rest of Marelantis had pushed the memory of him to obscurity.

Despite it being tradition that earth ponies where named before burial, this one was not given a name and Stone Bark’s late father did not contest it.

Thus when the carriage rounded the circular end of the road and halted, Aneris and Concordia meekly followed the serenely smiling pony.

“What is he so HAPPY about?” Aneris asked a bit annoyed.

Concordia merely shrugged as the notion of waking trough a cemetery was not what she’d imagined that day.

The cemetery, to their astonishment was placed almost on the same lever as the ancient ruined temple and could clearly be seen to their right. Curving gently up in a slope that ended abruptly over the northern cliffs, the site was more calming than morose. Each grave had but a small marble plaque with indicating that underneath the deceased one’s ashes where placed in an urn. Each plaque had the mark of the pony on it and perhaps some quote or message. Royal ponies did not receive a different burial custom than commoners, neither where placed in a special place when they passed. Their urn would either be added to their family grave or receive one of their own.

The young prince having died before his parents, was given a place within the grave of his grandfather, the last King. Beneath the name "King Aegeas" where carved the simple words "A son of Marelantis", that being the a honorific for a true soldier.

It was not the first time that the princesses where taken to visit their brother’s grave and they never really felt something was actually missing in their lives. What they felt was the sadness of others around them.

Cloaks fluttering in the strong wind that always blew this high up by the cliffs they walked towards their family’s graves where Stone Bark already had knelt so low, his forehead touched the stone. Rising he procured two small wreaths, summer flowers and thin olive branches, and handed each filly one. Solemnly they placed them on the plaque, joined their hooves in prayer and after a moment stepped back.

At that moment the earth beneath their hooves started wobbling ever so slightly, rising in speed and before anyone could have reacted, seized again.

"Earthquake!" everypony seemed to have thought, from the fillies to the ponies, now waiting for them a the carriage. The princesses hoof in hoof, ran down wards towards the other ponies. Everypony was taught what to do on the occasion of an earthquake. They were actually very common in the Mareterranean Sea region.

Stone Bark, with a religiously gleeful expression on his face, threw his arms in the air, shouting “Even the land weeps before this injustice of life!”
Noticing the two arriving at the carriage, he helped them up and set the course for the castle.
It seemed that lesson was over for the day.

On Midsummer’s day there where no lessons off course, but the princesses where given strict instructions to be present before noon, when the royal family would join the festivities down at the harbour town.
Aneris and Concordia managed to escape the notice of any maid or guard looking out for them and slipped off to get to the forest and their secret garden as fast as they hooves you take them. Upon arriving they found the spot on the wall familiarly closed up again but as always it gave way to their push.

Inside Discord was tumbling in the fountain that now had iced tea in it. To their astonishment, Discord had managed to decorate, although in his own style. Some lanterns where of a peculiar shape and a few of them sang. A tabled was bound to a wall and upon inspection it was also animated and tried to escape, somehow miraculously keeping all the cutlery and plates lain upon it, intact.

When he saw then he flew over and announced loudly “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
The ponies laughed and set they bags down.

“Silly Discord, its your birthday and we get to tell you Happy Birthday not the other way round.” Aneris said.

“Why do you get to say it? Anyhow, look at the table it just wont sit still. Where are we going to ahve the Birthday party now? …” and looked genuinely disappointed.

Concordia gave the solution, “That is why we brought this!” and opened a large tablecloth wide over the grass. “We did not think you had a table , so we got it from the kitchens. We can sit on it and have all the food around. By the way where is all the stuff we bought?”

Discord snapped his fingers and everything they bought the other day appeared on rock plates, for some reason. Candied figs, roasted melon rinds, lotus leaves with rice and mushrooms, you name it.

“I’m so sorry we could not get you a cake…” Concordia said and sat down delicately pinching a fig an eating it.

Discord floated over and folded a rock plate in two, squishing some mushroom paste between and ate the ensemble.

“Delicious! Oh cake? I saw how to make one, looking over your cook’s shoulders. I followed all the steps but it did not really turn out well. Its behind that boulder of there, sulking because I called it distasteful”

“Oh I almost forgot” Concordia said rummaging through her bag “This my gift for you!” and presented him with a box wrapped in crumpled paper.

“And this is mine” Aneris said and handed him hers as well.

Discord looked from one box to another and decided to open both at once. When he saw the handmade items he took them out carefully, looked at them very closely and then hugged them to himself.

“This are awesome!!!They are the best gifts ever, that and they are my first gift ever! Thank you!” and flew a loop in the air. Upon landing he held two new things in his palm with cords dangling from them. Opening his palm closer to their faces, they could see a small crystal on a string for each.

“I found this rock in my realm and broke it in two, it is a twin now like you” and grinned at them.

”You can put it like that around your neck” putting the necklaces on each of them by means of levitation “and you don’t need to tie them around your silly legs.

I don’t get that yet you know, you have four similar legs and does that mean you need four of each things to decorate them…silly I say!” and looked at them sideways, too shy to wait for their expressions.

“We love it Discord” they both exclaimed and hugged him tightly.

Disengaging from them, he added “They are magical you know, I can hear what you are saying if you tap against them so” he demonstrated tapping the stone on Concordia’s neck three times, causing it to feel hotter for a moment “without myself being there so that this mean old pony magician wont sense me again… Who is he anyway?”

Rolling her eyes while eating around a lotus bun, Aneris said annoyed “Oh you mean his Lordship the almighty Crystal Quill… I hate this guy! You see he is our father’s best friend from when they studied abroad with the centaurs and now he is also his best adviser in everything about magic.”

“Then he is the ugliest Centaur I have ever seen” Discord exclaimed, his little fingers pinching his nose.

That brought a laugh out of Concordia who was quiet not daring to talk against one of the strongest Magi.

Aneris though, continued “No he is a pony, but he is very proud and mean when he is not better than anypony else and he’s got this son you see, he is two years older than us and he always has to be there when Dia’ is getting her tutoring.”

“Spell Wright does not like me very much.” Concordia muttered while sipping iced tea.

“That’s his name? Is he ugly like his dad?” Discord said jealously.

“Oh don't be like that…” Concordia said and shrewdly looked to her sister “besides do you know who Ane must fly with all the time?”

Discord turned to Aneris expectantly
“Its a squid isnt it? If Dia has lessons with an ugluy centaur brat the you fly with s Squid!! I knew it. Squids are dreadful fliers!” he said looking aloof.

“No, she has to train with a colt our aunt adopted and he is SO whiny!” Concordia went on.

“Stop is Dia’ its not funny, he was rescued from a colony after pirates raided the coasts of Tirre island” Aneris cut her off.

“Sorry…” her sister said and then looked up “By the way, I read about Draconequi in our library yesterday and there are not many around as far as the book said, they might even be extinct and it also says they don't have any special magic and…oh no!”

“What is it Dia’?” Aneris asked.

“You hear that, that's the Quillins throwing their fire lights in the air. It is almost noon! Discord we’ve got to go OK?”

Concordia said, getting up and before leaving going over to Discord and placing a kiss on his cheek. Aneris did the same saying “ Happy Birthday Discord!” and they left in a hurry.

Discord stood again alone, but rubbed his cheek where the kisses where placed, snapped his fingers to make everything clean up itself or disappear, apart from his gifts.

These he carefully picked up and cradled against his chest before going into the portal.

For two years after, Discord’s birthdays were celebrated in the same way. In being able to listen into most of the priestess’s lessons, the draconequus learnt more about the land of his friends and also how to not interfere -too much- to avoid trouble for them all.

He was able to harness the most of his abilities and found it filled him with joy to have more power to do fun things. What was also curious to feel was the fact that when he did only cause trouble for the twins but instead arrange it so that they could meet in peace, they not only stayed longer with him but also talked about him more.

The gifts they gave him on his second birthday, where a quartet of clumsily knit socks and a knit sweater that looked like dogs had been at a doormat. At least they had fun while learning knit work during that winter in the Earth temple, while he told them jokes through their necklaces. He baked them a cake that was not animated -apart from the toppings, those danced- and had placed enchanted dummies of them outside the secret garden’s walls, so that anyone searching for them would find them studying. That had impressed Concordia with his magic abilities and Aneris with his decoy strategy.He basked in their attention but felt he had less and less of theirs as the years went by.

His third birthday was a very short affair in which Concordia, who had mastered the art of teleportation to the astonishment of all, briefly visited him, kissed and hugged him and left their gifts. As always he treasured them, this time Aneris’s first pinion that shed when her wings grew and Concordia’s old alembic.

He had hoped to impress them when he modified their necklaces so that he could also see what they saw, always if they so wished, by tapping on them. The spell was a feat of magic and alchemical ingenuity, but did not impress them as much as the prospect of watching the customary Quillin fireworks and going out with their fellow fillies.

The winter before what would have been his third consecutive birthday, the twin princess had so many lessons away from the castle, they hardly slept in their old room and hardly met each other.

When they met they’d rather wanted to catch up, spend time with their parents and have fun with friends, other than him. He was still included in their lessons, now also by sight and unbeknown of them his jealousy grew to resentment of certain individuals. Discord put even more effort into perfecting the crystal necklaces so they’d be undetectable, unbreakable and in all manner of ways eternal. Sometimes the sisters even forgot they wore them and what would usually have been a conscious retelling of their day, each night before sleep, became something of a telepathic journal keeping.

The princesses often told him not to be jealous of their co-students and they would or could not understand it when he told them he was not. He thought they understood how he felt when they used to seek him out, to hug him and -he toughed his cheek every time he remembered- when they gave him a kiss.

Whenever safe he went in person always invisible to watch Aneris’s fly, every day better, every day higher, a brilliant smile on her face. Her progress in weapons training gave her strength and agility, she galloped faster than most, surpassing some of her best peers in wit and prowess.

Discord watched over Concordia’s shoulder during her tests, with swelling pride. Concordia developed a remarkable for her age affinity for teleportation, portal theory and defensive magic. Even though her talent in algebraic geometry included her into one of the best among unicorn mares she surpassed even her gender and developed a rare affinity for alchemy.

In short he, let his innocent adoration grow into infatuation. He brooded during the long hours when he was cut of from the crystal necklaces what he could do to impress them.

The answer came soon enough, when during that spring the princesses turned thirteen years of age and he had pestered them so much that they were forced to visit him. They did not want to play games, they spoke of other fillies, of this older colt’s super ability with the sword, that colt’s amazing spell the other day and how interesting hours upon hours of plant grooming and coaxing the trees to take this shape in that.
When he stomped the ground to be noticed and did some with wacky antics, they were called silly and little Discord’s foal stuff.

Discord’s envy grew, never against the sisters off course, and decided to watch the objects of the twin’s adoration closer. In his envy he never took a look at himself and when he realised he felt more the fool. He had never grown, he would not grow if he did not let himself mature. What he knew, almost by bizarre instinct was that if he did, he could never revert to being a young ling again. Some changes were permanent for eternity, but change he would. Nothing easier than that and to accomplish that he had to spend an amount of time in his realm without visiting that of the ponies.

By the time he returned, seven years would have passed over Marelantis and the events that would change everything forever, were rapidly coming closer together.

Pacts and Changes

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"...The years pass, time flows.
To whom shall I tell, what my heart knows?...
Rune Singer 2015"

Twilight broke the narrative even while the scene was fading away, by asking Voice directly this time instead by mistake or in exclamation.

“So he grew himself older? You mean to tell me that a creature of Chaos, alive for an innumerable amount of time before he even met those ponies, did not know of growth?”

“My dear, a child of an eternity still remains a child unless he changes. His kind -and I don’t only mean Draconequi- have to submit to it consciously. The knowledge whether his progenitors could or would have guided him, has never been revealed to me or my creator. What is obvious to you as well, was that he did not know how to recognise specific feelings within him. If you have no parent or even a relative to tell you, to indicate and give stimuli, how would you know you are in love, how would you understand the different forms love can take?”

Twilight wholeheartedly understood that. “I know now what you mean, I was an adult and thought I knew all there is to know of friendship and there is so much left to know still!” being thoughtful for a moment she asked “Before we go on, tell me one thing please, if you know that is. The Discord I’ve known is very different from the one you’ve shown me. I can guess some events later on will change him; but the one I know is a lot crazier than this…”

“He made his choice to change…” came the answer

“Yes, I know that” Twilight felt she was being taken for an ignorant “I saw that. Now show me what I need to save my friends!”

“You do NOT KNOW!” the words seared hot in Twilight’s mind. But after a pause, Voice sounded more pained than angry and continued, gently and hushed “Even though this book exists to give you answers through the past, you will inexorably gain more knowledge than you ever asked for… As you can realise, now we stand at the precipice, at the pivotal stage of things. How have the princesses changed? How had Discord? How will you?”

If she had a body to do so, Twilight would have thrown her hooves up defensively stepping away from the book.
“Whoa! Whoa..hold it one second there. I have been put in this position to see or read or whatever, a retelling of the past. Who said anything about changing me?”

“Doesn’t every trial change an individual?” Voice added patiently.

“A trial, yes. The outcome of one, absolutely. But I am here to have the past read to me. If what you say is true then all Alicorns who read you, were changed. You can’t be serious, Celestia, Luna, Cadence how…where they changed?”
To Twilight the pause that followed felt very heavy with what wasn’t being said.

“Fine… it seems I cannot avoid any of this and instead of getting to the chase I will have to wait for that one big secret that will shock me so much, my mane will turn a different colour right? Or I will wondrously gain a new power to thwart my foes.”

“The aid, the solution if you must, to saving your friends is not what will put choice and change in your path.” Voice went on sagely.

Twilight shouted back “For oat’s sake Voice, I want to find out how to save my friends! Bring the change thing up after that, I beg of you!”

A definite pause again. This time Twilight almost imagined cogs turning within the terms and conditions of the spell that created Voice’s book.

“Would you vow that?” the book asked strained.
“Yes, three times yes!” Twilight answered in haste.

“Then so be it.” There was a distinct notion of a sigh in Voices words “In so far as I am able the past will be revealing the information you need to save you friends. After that, three times will choice and change be put in your path…”
"Oh no! This was not what I meant." was all Twilight could think of.

This time she was sure she would not be able to interrupt the narration again. The book’s magic, at least for her, had changed.

The beginning a Mareterranean autumn is what constitutes a fresh summer on the mainland, its when the incessant heat of summer is broken by lovely breezes and the island humidity just enough to need light bed covers. That morning whether having attended the harvest end celebrations tired him or whether his muse called him to her side, Taproot bard Elder of Marelantis passed away.

He had by far not lived the longest, Marble Grain son of SeaPine himself lived to see a hundred ten years. Taproot who’d been complaining he was dying over a decade ago, lived to an honourable age of ninety nine. He had asked for a simple rite to his memory but Marelantis would have none of that. It did not require a royal decree to grand him the burial rite of a hero. A warrior he might not have been but he braved many an expedition at sea, whether for war or colonisation, to inspire with song and to bare witness. Thus in a long procession, his bier was carried upon the shoulders of four stallions. From the Earth clan, Stone Bark and Viridian Sight bore the weight on the front and at the back King Cronus and Aeolus of Tirre for the Unicorns and Pegasi respectively. A Trireme decorated in flowers awaited its last passenger at the harbour.

Ponies have been filling it with fine cloths, orichalcum armour and weapons as well as scroll messages the deceased would take to their relatives in the Sea Beyond the world. Most outsiders would find the sacrifice of the orichalcum, that extremely hard metal mined only in Marelantis, a complete waste. Yet it was the Trireme, a ship that took years too build, from even a more rare material, Marelantean pine wood, that was the greatest sacrifice. For that ship would be burned and set to drift upon the open sea. A pegasus would then serve as collier and dive expertly down to gather some ashes for the urn. A chant had begun first from a few ponies near the ship and then came from the entire crowd.

From high above on a cloud, Discord looked upon the island below in silent contemplation. He was not going to disturb his friends during a funeral via their crystals nor invisibility, even if he found such a practice unnecessary. For him dead meant gone from existence.

He was eager to see them again though, it was obvious in how he gripped the edges of the cloud, his left arm now longer with strong raptor’s talons and his right one boasting a great lion’s paw, claws sheathing and unsheathing like a slow pulse. His tail, now half his new length swished slowly from side to side with a mind of its own, ruby scales glistening in the sun. Impatiently he stretched his wings that exceeded his previous span by a ten fold. He longed to impress the princesses again, and an inner voice told him he needed to be careful from making the same mistakes.

Thus had been observing the ponies since he returned to this realm the previous night. He had not seen the princesses though and had waited for day when the bells rang all over announcing a funeral.

Now, he watched the proceedings that dragged on, with a certain aloofness, when his ears perked up to the ceasing of the chant. Leaning forward he cupped his chin focusing on who the crowds parted for, now that the dead pony had been put in his little ship. His eyes opened wide and his lips parted in a silent “oh” when he saw one of them.

The unicorn mare that walked down the cobbled street on slender long legs drew each eye with her grace. From forehead to flank she was covered in a translucent garment that seemed more to separate her from the world all together, like the fabled Veil itself. Mist silk they called it and it took the sheen of her light olive green coat. Discord squinted in search for her mark but did not see it, although he saw with joy that her horn was adorned with the three silver rings, serving as proof to all that she had gone through the third degree mage trials. Her mane was braided and held back with unseen pins but what he was drawn to where her eyes. Saddened, considering the situation, but brilliantly ochre gold, they looked ahead while tears streaked down her cheeks unabashed.

Concordia walked down the main harbour town’s street leading to the promenade, passed by the rows a ponies and reached the last four who had carried their friend and teacher. She looked from her father to the twin Earth pony leaders and lastly by the pegasus warrior, the latter being the only one not showing his tears. She took a torch that was placed next to a brazier in which hot coals simmered and ceremoniously lifted it high, still unlit and with a steady voice sang a dirge.

“Gaze a last time upon the land of your youth,
Before on this journey you embark.
This ship shall take you steadfast beyond the Veil,
Fallen comrades await as our lament you hark.
From your pyre
A last token we shall receive
Your memory celebrating
We shall not grieve.”

Dipping the torch into the coals, a scent of laurels and thyme permeated the air. The fire was transferred to the ship where the princess of Marelantis lit the ropes. The flames caught at once and the ship was prodded slowly and laboriously forward by the unicorn’s magic, the ropes holding it to the pier seemed to unravel on their own and an unseen breeze caught the sails furling them taught, sending flames upwards. No pony sang, spoke or even moved as all watched the ship, now steered by the currents, catch speed and reaching the mouth of the bay. It was far from burnt and it would take quite a long time to burn down entirely. That would happen far at open sea, the body within though, wrapped in oiled cloths would turn to ashes soon.

Time seemed not to pass as Discord gazed at his friend, realising now that more than a little time had passed since he had left. How many birthdays… he shook his head …years did actually pass? How old is she?…and where is…

With a flash of metal, something had launched itself from the sky above the sentinel lodestones falling with reckless speed towards the Trireme that had just then left the island entirely. With enhanced sight he made out a pegasus mare clad in orichalcum armour diving for the ship, eyes almost shut against the air and long wings held tight to her side.
It was Aneris!

She also had changed, grown. Her physic was ultimately athletic, yet graceful. Her wings glorious in their armour.

The island and its harbour where protected from the perpetual winds of the open sea but there none but the most adept of fliers would dare pull such a dive, not when the air became demons pounding at the body, not when water became knives that ripped through wings and certainly not when carrying a cast metal fire pot, that could easily take one to the bottom of the dark watery abyss.

“Aneris…no…” Discord breathed the words, recognising who the pegasus was, unable to reach in time even if he tried.

The Pegasus gritted her teeth against the strain of the heavy object she held below her chest. Its weight tugged at her arms, and her wings threatened to open, yet she closed her eyes, took a breath and steered her fall into a dive, flew through the flames of the ship and upwards in a wide arc. The pegasus then spread her wings wide apart and for a moment the rising sun framed her and she seemed a creature born of flames. In her hooves the vessel held coals from the ship below.

A triumphant call came then from all over the island. Onlookers that stood on the cliffs waved at their princess while ten or so pegasi also in armour flew towards her to escort her back. When they were just fifty meters from the pier, Discord shook out of his wonderment and turning invisible flew after them.

When Aneris had landed, her escort flew over the harbour city in formation, to return to their keep. Priestesses of the earth temple had quietly placed themselves at the pier to receive the fire pot and take it where they would oversee the coals burn down to ashes in a overnight vigil.

After the priestesses had ceremoniously walked by holding their charge, Aneris ran to her sister and hugged her tight.Concordia did not care if soot smeared her expensive attire and hugged her back, grief giving way to relief that nothing happened to her sister. Disengaging from the hug, smiling and still panting, the Pegasus walked towards the four stallions that had not moved since. She bowed her head curtly to the pegasus, and her earth pony teachers and then stood before her father. King Cronus briefly touched foreheads with her.

“I am so proud of you my daughter! You did my late friend a great honour.” Seeing his other daughter nearing he beckoned her to him as well and together they walked back to the promenade, and further to the harbour amphitheatre where a customary feast awaited everyone. The crowds of ponies had thinned by now and as tradition dictated sorrow had ended and a subdued joy would commence.

Discord followed the party, flying from building to building reluctant to get closer. When the ponies arrived at the marble amphitheatre, they were welcomed by the queen and other ponies of rank and importance. Music was already being played from ponies siting on one side and soon some would dance in the middle.

Above the last seats, were grassy terraces on which stood old pine trees that gave shade for tables laden with food and many ponies seeking shelter from the sunlight already sat on reed mats, eating, drinking or discussing. Everypony seemed to disregard status that day and thus the royal family sat on a long mat of their own.

Aneris was followed by two other pegasi mares, did not join them yet, going for a nearby tent, apparently to be helped off her armour. Discord flew closer to where the rest sat and carefully climbed down the branches of the tree next to them, his serpentine body coiling around the trunk.

Queen Rhea was pouring some wine into short clay cups. She was speaking about something and when she came to fill Concordia’s cup she raised her voice a tad higher. Discord listened in.

“…and you Concordia looked absolutely stunning. Wasn’t that mist silk cloth Spell Wright made for you amazing? He must have toiled hours over its creation just for you…weren’t you Spell Wright?”

The young stallion she was addressing seemed a little too absorbed in the princess next to him and the queen ever so slightly bumped the jug she was holding against his cup. The stallion snapped out of it and looked at his cup being filled.
“I …yes. It took quite a long time but it is worth the wait…” turning to Concordia he added

“And you do look very beautiful wearing them. I thank you for accepting my gift.”
And bowed his head curtly.

Concordia blushed slightly and looked sideways into his eyes, looking back immediately.

Her mother taking that as coyness, found all was well in the world and progressed with the wine. Her daughter though had turned away for another reason completely, only her twin knew that Spell Wright’s already whitening eyes made her anxious. He was a mage one level above hers, the last before attaining full atonement to the Unicorn lodestone thus from the ever longer exposure to it, he was losing mundane sight.

Discord felt uneasy when Spell Wright leaned closer to Concordia, his hoof inching towards hers.

“What is the matter princess?” Spell Wright asked.

She having leaned just a fraction away from him said while picking up her cup.
“I think I have told you a hundred times already not to call me princess. We’ve been studying magic for years together, I don’t like it, it makes me look fragile before the other mages.”

The stallion drew away his hoof, now waving both in front of him .
“No Concordia, force of habit, forgive me. But…ahem… I’d like to talk to you about something…lets go somewhere less…” he caught her gaze and looked about deliberately indicating he wanted some privacy.

She nodded her agreement and they both rose, excused themselves and walked along the terraces. Discord looked over to where Aneris had yet to appear from and followed the pair walking off. Behind the terraces, a few paths led through shrub lands that never yielded to cultivation, a few wild olive trees grew in thickets, with thorns as long a filly’s hoof.

They walked for a few minutes just far enough till only bird song and the breeze through the shrubs could be heard. They stopped and sat on a stone bench under a few short trees whose branches where so intertwined they cast solid shade.
For a moment they looked ahead into the distance until Concordia turned and asked him with the ease of a friend
“OK, tell me and while you are at it also explain to me why my mother started fawning over you all of a sudden”

Spell Wright only then turned and spoke.
“Well, you see I will soon go into my final trial…”

“I know that, everypony knows that and I am sure you’ll make it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence but I meant I will have to be away on solitary training and preparation and it will take time until I return. Even then it will mean my test will be on, so…I wont see you for a long while.”

“So? I am not going anywhere.” She asked nonchalantly.

He must have taken it the wrong way because he sat a bit straighter taking her hooves into his.

“You meant that? I mean I… oh ouch!” he suddenly grasped his belly.

“Spell Wright! You OK?”

The stallion bent forward once more with a groan “I…perhaps…the berries” and he ran off back to the amphitheatre. Concordia a bit worried but also a bit amused galloped after him. Where they were Discord appeared for a moment blowing on his fingers and rubbed them against his chest, satisfied he got that one’s hooves off Concordia. Invisible again he followed them suit.

Spell Wright ran past a row of tents and disappeared into an outhouse. Concordia was cut off her run when a hoof grabbed her and vaulted her into one of the tents. It was a temporary storage area for wine barrels and a few amphorae of other spirits. It took her a few seconds to get her sight adjusted to the sudden shade within but then saw her sister, now without armour, sitting on a barrel.

“Aneris! What are you doing here?”
“What are you running from?”

The sisters looked at each other for a split second and then laughed.

“I was not running from, but after Spell Wright, but what are you doing in here when everyone is waiting for you out there?”

“Oh Dia’” her sister looked a bit abashed. “Bright Dawn and White Gull where helping out of my armour and chatted incessantly about this and that stallion. How lucky I am as a warrior with all the strong and fast ones next to me and stuff like that. I know I should not pay heed to the civilian gossip, but when they thought they saw Aeolus walking by they wanted to call him in, I lost it”

Concordia opened her mouth but someone else entirely spoke.

“Maybe I should give fly boy out there a bout of diarrhoea as well?”

The Twins turned slowly with a smile of slow recognition.
“Discord!” they exclaimed but did not see him.

“Where…”
“Shh” he cut them off “not here, you will be overheard talking. Meet me at the secret garden as soon as you can shake everyone off”.

The sisters managed to arrive in the afternoon, one having left an elaborate spectre of herself pretending to study in the library and the other pretending she was given orders for a solitary patrol. When they entered their old playground, Discord was already there, leaning against the stone serpent statue.

“There you are!” he flew towards them and hovered a bit above the ground.
The ponies took all the changes of him in, with amazement. He stood three times their height now and and his wingspan about the same as that. Aneris marvelled at his wings while Concordia fussed with how long and complex his horns grew and whether that amplified his magic.

They pestered him with questions of why he left, why so long and how did he change so much. While answering and explaining, Discord absorbed all that attention and felt content. He told them upon being asked that he had to close the portal when leaving to have no external influence from any other realm while he grew and that now he needed none for as long as he had a connection to this realm he’d be able to return.

“You could have told us you were leaving…” Concordia said after a while.
“Yeah…we came over a million times looking for you…and when…” Aneris said and looked away.
“And when we discovered the portal was gone we thought…you had disappeared forever.” Concordia said looking at her sister, remembering how sad they had been.

Discord’s shoulders drooped a little bit and he sat down on the grass, rubbing a hand over his left arm.
Quietly he said “I am sorry. I forgot that time here went on differently.” Looking up he asked more brightly. “Tell me all about you, how old are you now, what happened all this time. And tell me about your marks!!!”
Aneris got up first and strutted before the other two, lifting her wings to show off her flank.

“I got mine when I was fourteen and we flew this patrol over the cliffs to the northeast…”
“There we go again…” Concordia said but stopped herself, enjoying the story every time she heard it.
“…when this galleon was barely visible in the horizon, its sails where ripped and behind came the mother of all storms. Captain Gale, -that is our Aunt if you remember- ordered us to save anyone we could and get the heck out of there before the storm front hit, or we would be squashed like flies against the cliffs. I got the last pegasus off the deck just as the thing cracked in two and sank, but the gale was over us and we were tossed kilometres off course. You could not see anything for miles, no shore no stars, nothing. As the other one was too weak to fly, I found a piece of driftwood along the way and set her on it, flying behind. Somehow I knew in which direction to fly and within a day we were found by a patrol of ours, but by then I had seen the lodestones as well. When touched shore, there is was my mark.” She turned to look at it with pride, a compass star, the colour of the sentinel lodestones.

Discord clapped his hands, his eyes shining with mirth.

Concordia added to her sister’s story, happily.

“She then surpassed everyone of her class and even joined an expedition to the mainland when the Tessarakonteres was fitted out and sent to reclaim the colony of Tirre. You remember the wimpy colt my aunt rescued and adopted, Aeolus? Well he is Aeolus of Tirre now, because he led that mission and won, driving out the Centaur marauders once and for all. Everyone thinks he will lead the Pegasi when our Aunt retires and every mare has the hots for him…”

“Hush you…” Aneris said “why don’t you tell us how you got your mark, miss shine and bright”

“All right, all right” said she and got up, bowing down as if before a stage and said with a flourish.
“I present to you the magical, one and only, trillion gem! “
Aneris leaned closer to Discord and whispered “Trillion is a kind of cut you see, and she keeps saying the colour is so brilliant, when its just…”

“GREY!” Concordia said loudly if a bit foppishly “I know what you said sister mine. But fear not, even you simple minded and small will one day understand that this is not one…but all colours in one” and burst out laughing.
Aneris was already laughing and Discord looked at them in amused bewilderment.

“What is so funny?” he asked “its pretty obvious the colours on this rotate so fast they seem to be one”

For a moment both ponies looked at him and then rolled on the grass laughing.
Concordia spoke between breaths as soon as she could and explained.

“You see…ah…haha…our Teacher…he…is so proud of my mark and keeps telling everypony that dares say anything, about how important it is and that no one understands its complexity. Anyhow… here comes the tale… of how I got it. It was on a dark mysterious night…”

“DIAAAA…” Aneris complained

“OK, OK…I had just attained the second degree so that I slept alone in the mare’s dormitory because most mares leave after the first degree. We don’t have priests and priestesses like the earth clan and mages are mostly stallions. Anyhow, I had the mare’s dorm all to myself, spells kept me safe inside but it was where I wanted to be the most. I had all the time and space to practice spells and methods alone and without anyone breathing down my back and telling me what mares can or cannot do. The colts you see, can practice amongst themselves whenever they can, and each takes over a different element in the various configurations. I always have to wait for lessons to start for the day to be able to practice anything with more than one element and everyone else is always prepared. I was falling behind everypony in anything that needed practice. Crystal Quill constantly looked down upon me and made an example of me to the colts. He used to go “Mares are only good for low magic… and mares cannot do…” So I had this idea that I could temporarily infuse a complex polyhedron with all four of the elements that I needed for a five element configuration, and show that pompous old wizard that mares can do awesome magic. I had everything in line and recited each spell for each element and …fell asleep”

“You fell asleep?” Discord asked a bit worried “but the spell went on…”

“Yup it went on in my brain while I slept and in the morning I had my mark!”

Aneris then added proudly “AND her dormitory was missing a few beds, a wall, and anew lay line was traced from the lodestone all the way to her desk. After that Crystal Bald guy never pestered her again. She earned her third level this way and every stallion adores her…”

“Ane stop it…”
“They do!”
“They do not”

And thus began a chance, the sisters behaving like fillies, laughing and shouting obscenities at each other. They stopped abruptly when the stone serpent’s head fell off, cut cleanly at the throat.

“Discord?”
“I don’t like it!” he said fists clenched “If you want to I can get rid of anyone that pesters you. Aneris’s flyboy, your Bald Crystal and his son…anyone!”

“Discord!” Concordia shouted.

Aneris flew closer and looked at him sternly. “Are you jealous?”

“I am not”
“You are!”
“I AM NOT” and the stone serpent exploded… A second later he realised happened and looked around for them finding Aneris defensively shielding her sister, and Concordia her horn ready with a spell.

“No I did not mean to…I…it just happens” he tried to explain.

“It just happens?” Concordia said loudly, both of them cautiously nearing him. “And Spell Wright’s sickness just happened right?”

“Seven years ago all the mishaps ponies told us that happened when they were with us just happened as well eh?” Aneris added. “You need to stop this or someone will get hurt”

“Look, I…” he stammered
“No you look, you are not even a day back and everything gets complicated again”

“Please, OK I will try to keep this in, I just…it feels I am losing my friends…you… when they get all your attention” he said having turned around, sadness turning him entirely the colour blue.

Aneris went closer and poked the side of his arm.

“Hey you will never loose us… that is what being a friend means…”
“Yeah” Concordia added “see it this way, we share our attention with others.And want to know something very important?”
“What?” he asked looking to the side.
“We never told anyone about the gardens or the portal or you.”
Aneris hugged his arm.

“Even if we never learnt what happened to you when you left, we never told a soul, and we still got your gift” she said and brought her hoof up, looking at the crystal with affection.

Concordia looked at hers too and when her sister inched closer to whisper something in her ear she lit up at the idea.
“Yeah lets do that! Its brilliant Ane’!”

She got up, levitated both of their crystals in the air and enclosed them in a ball of bright light. Air whooshed about her sending rocks and dirt away in an expanding radius.

Discord got up ready to cancel what ever was being done, but Aneris grabbed his paw and pulled him down.
“Don’t worry she is combining the crystals and then will divide them, one for each.”

“But Aneris” he said with worry “this is not simple magic this crystal came from my realm and…”
“Then help her silly!” Aneris said smiling “come on”

Concordia strained to keep the light ball aloft and felt it give way when she saw Discord, arms extended, helping her keep it up. She saw her sister taking place in an equal distance between them and nodding an OK to her. Over the din of the circling air about them she spoke.

“Now will we add a promise to the spell and you Discord help me divide them again.”

“I got first” Aneris shouted and closed her eyes as she was lifted in the air “I promise to never forget my friends and give everything to save them”.
Concordia then closed hers.

“I promise to never forget my friends and give everything for them to be happy”

Discord swallowed hard, the ponies where attempting a conjuring whose repercussions they did not understand. A promise like that might span across dimensions… but then a tendril of light reached him and he was filled with the feelings of companionship, camaraderie and love. Words came with great difficulty, marking his existence in a time line he would normally just have skirted away from. He willingly spoke the words.

“I promise as long as my friends live to never harm anyone, my realm shall be the outlet of my dangerous feelings.”

Sending a piece of chaos into the single gem to balance its counterparts within, he guided Concordia’s will to divide them and channelled Aneris’s inert talent to direct their goals. The ball of light imploded within the three gems, everyone released from its tendrils and falling to the ground. There in their midst lay three gems pulsating with interchanging colours.

Aneris, always the brave one, ventured a few steps forward tentatively extending her hoof to touch one of the gems. The one nearest to her sizzled as if with static electricity and then flew into her hoof as if magnetised.
“That was weird” she said and laughed “it tickles!”

She then looked around the dishevelled garden for something to use as string. She found a piece of leather cord hanging from a stone flag, ripped it from where it was embedded and then looked up to Discord.
“Uhm… how do we hang these around our necks?”

Discord deftly used some metal cups that were half buried in the ground. He levitated the metallic objects, and with swift movements smashed and compacted the material, heating and cooling it. Concordia watched with rising admiration that did not escape her sister’s notice, as Discord motions seemed to order the materials to bend to his will. They sat in silence as Discord made an elegant show of dividing the molten metal into three parts and creating settings for the gems simultaneously.

“They are beautiful Discord” Concordia said, grasping hers out of the air as they floated towards them.
Aneris was already tying hers behind her neck and winked at her sister.

Concordia looked from her to Discord and shook her head. Aneris stared at her and looked meaningfully at Discord who was lying on the grass, watching the darkening sky. He was munching on a stick he had transformed into wriggling candy and counted of each star as they appeared in the sky. The unicorn though opened her mouth, looked over at the Discord, looked away and got up. Discord saw her and her sister rising as well and got up himself walking closer.

“We have to go, lots to do and… well we will be missed.” She then toucher her gem. “Do…do these do what the old ones did?”

“Well, you still need to activate them” Discord said while looking at Aneris who was making gestures in the air, trying to convey that he keep it short “and…and yeah… you dont need to tap them, just think of them going on and off, like mage lights…”

He followed the unicorn to the wall exit, raising his arms to make the hole appear again, walking next to Aneris. When they were outside, the ponies hugged him, their hooves around his torso for he had grown too tall for them to reach his shoulders.

“See you soon ladies” he said, delighting in their chuckle “I’ll make sure the garden is cleaned up next time, looks like…well I don't know how it looks like…so…goodnight?”

“Goodnight Discord” they said and hugging themselves, Aneris flew off to the pegasi keep and with a last look towards Discord Concordia teleported off to her dormitory. He waved them goodbye, stood for a long moment looking around and went back inside, the wall sealing itself behind him.

In the bushes not far from the old walls, a unicorn in a black cloak appeared, panting from the exertion of keeping his shielding spell up. He had seen something he did not believe was possible. The forest…the ancient gardens have been searched and analysed for relics a thousand times.

The pegasi mapmakers have plotted the area to a single piece of wall stone and nothing had ever shown this. He caused the one-use spell scroll to ignite and burn itself, squashing the ashes into the dirt when they fell.

“Whatever, whoever you are, I will bring you down” he told himself, retreating into the shadows.

Alliances

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"Take my paw and trust in me
When you learn to yield.
See my teeth they rend so deep
Your bane I am and shield."
Rune Singer 2014

Her hooves echoed off the granite as the unicorn cantered over the pathway connecting the Unicorn Keep and the Hall of the Mages. Veering to the right she passed that and slowed her speed to a walk just as the Acolyte Dormitories. Fixing a rogue strand of mane behind her ear, she straightened her posture exactly before the Stallions Dorm. Finding the door still shut and no stallion mage in sight, she slumped and mumbled something akin to “Just my luck!…oversleeping snobs” and went on to the Mares Dorm. Banging on the door unceremoniously and with complete disregard for any sleeping student, she shouted when the pony within did not come fast enough for her. After a few minutes princess Concordia opened the door halfway through with a dishevelled mane and grey rimmed eyes. She yawned widely, focusing on the mare before her.

“What…is it, its too early…I hardly slept three hours…”

“I was wakened earlier than thou, oh high and mighty” came the ironic reply “You mother will be waiting for you at dawn” .

Concordia looked back into the room to the enormous hourglass by her writing desk and shouted after the leaving mare.
“Its an hour before dawn, what the hay Violet Charm, I had astrology class till four in the night you ass!”

The other unicorn was a first degree student who was willing to stay for a little longer in contrary to what was customary for a mare. Concordia suspected she had an eye on a mage there and tried to impress by standing out. She stomped her hoof and shouted again at the figure that had stalled by the opening of the outer corridor.
“You are just miffed that I stay at the mare’s dormitory and you get to do chores at the keep.”

“Oh yeah?” Violet Charm taunted

“Oh yeah!” Concordia said smiling wickedly and taking position to defend from a spell.

In the building next to hers, the stallions dorm, a door opened a crack and a sleepy head poked out.
“Ladies would you care doing this further up in the meadows…we’re trying to get some shut eye over here…”

Violet Charm turned on the spot and with an “eeek” vanished.
Concordia rubbed the back of her neck uttering an apology before turning in herself for a three quarter power nap.

An hour later she was a corridor away from her mother’s study when the earth shook. Bits of plaster fell from above and Concordia looked out through the arced window with concern. The earth moved more often lately even though there hadn’t been any of the traditional portents or warnings whatsoever. After a few seconds the ground was still again and she resumed walking to her destination. Before opening the double doors to the study she heard her mother conversing with some pony within.

“I KNOW the earth shakes, the earth shook just now! Our historians, our experts in the very land of Marelantis, even any granny down in the villages can tell you the traditional signs of a greater quake. In fact why are you bothering me about that at all?” the queen spoke irately giving no leeway.

The pony talking to her was barely audible so cowed did he sound “…whenever we addressed this in court we heard the same answers”.

Something heavy clanged against the desk surface, the sound of a seat being pushed back and her mothers shouts came roaring through.

“Dare you presume that my word would be different in private than that of my husband, YOUR King before the court and the whole of Marelantis?…………not another word unless its to request real help for real problems. OUT!”

One door leaf slammed open as not one, but two ponies fled from the wrath within. Concordia bit her lower lip as she waited a moment before entering. Her mother was righting the stool she had let fall as Concordia greeted her and slumped onto a cushion bench.

“Morning Mother. What’s the rush…you know I was up all night…”

“Ah good morning dear…” Upon sitting Queen Rhea looked up to her daughter for the first time and took in her state “oh my, I did not know…but it cannot be avoided now…you know how they are with their training and schedules…”
“I would know if you told me mum…” said she and lifted her chin from a pillow momentarily to add a wide yawn. Her mother rested her head against a hoof and yawned as well.

“Oh my…it seems we both got too little sleep. Its your aunt… and some training…oh I had it here…” she spent a few minutes rummaging through scrolls and crumpled sheets of reed paper. Finding what she sought she lifted it up and read for a few seconds.

“Ah this is it. Let me see where your part is…here! You are to spend a few of your mornings training under lieutenant Aeolus and Aneris off course to get some hands on experience defending against attacks from air.”

“Mother… I have been trained with aerial targets for ages now… I mean we shoot clay pots every Sunday for fun and…” she stopped herself when she saw her mother’s stern gaze. Oh boy here it comes… she though and braced for a Pegasus tirade about Pegasi matters.

“Daughter! I do not have a pair of these for show “ rising she fanned out one of her wings and intoned every next word by punching a hoof against the underside of the other hoof “I was trained as brutally, as ruthlessly and with the same disregard for status as my sister.”

She rested back onto her seat and went on “the Pegasi out there, at least the ones living are my brothers and sisters in arms and I am ready any time to join them in battle. I would believe as my daughter, you would know that a clay pot is not the same as a windygo, a harpy or invading griffins. A clay pot does not think, it does not change strategies and it does not feel passion or fear…” after yawning herself she added “…I guess, I hope… you will hear this again today and you should consider yourself lucky, that you will only be watching today and train tomorrow…you can go”

As Concordia rose, stretched and was almost out the door, her mother added to her back “You are to report at the training grounds beneath the Citadel Cloud in two hours… I will retire now…let you father deal with the next pony complaining about the sky falling…”
This time Concordia teleported directly under her bed covers.

Two hours later and after a minuscule bite to eat plus a restorative potion, Concordia teleported by the south road out of Windswept village. Further south the Pegasi lodestone’s light was visible and a kilometre before it would be the ground training area beneath the citadel. Concordia was used to the sight and did not need to look up and marvel. Any other visitor was instinctively drawn to look up and feast their eyes on the wonder that was the pegasi citadel upon its everlasting cloud. Cloud was an understatement, it was the size of an islet with a city built on top. Everything above though was ruled by pegasi magic. No other pony race could walk on the surface of a cloud and non winged visitors if ever, were brought up by chariot. The only exception was the rightful King of Marelantis who despite race, if given the mandate of the Lodestones, could walk on pegasi clouds.

Teleportation was prohibited from the area of where she stood now up to the entire south of that cape, for safety reasons purely. Unicorns learn teleportation at a more reasonable age than foalhood but many a hard lesson was taught when a unicorn appeared out of thin air, right in the middle of a pegasi landing path. Gruelling stories always circulated within classrooms and filly gossip about ponies dying in horrid ways, and not few parents used the gossip as threats to try to reign their foals in. Needless to say after seeing the etching of a pegasus on the tall rock before Concordia, any pony knew that beyond that point, There be Pegasi.

Nearing the training area on hoof she expected a lot fewer ponies at that early an hour. It seemed two different groups flew at that time, one in formation and one very low, in pairs and threes. Keeping to the road and then to a well trodden path along the oval area marked only by how shorter the prairie grass was cut there, she sat on some wooden benches placed next to a series of low ceilinged wooden huts. Looking around her first she realised how cleared not only the immediate area was but also as far as she could see. Nothing taller than pony high bushes was allowed to grow and rocks were left to stand only if they were too big and too heavy to move.

Straight ahead over the expanse of the training field, a pegasus was training younger fliers with what seemed abrupt lifting off exercises. She watched how not simple and matter of fact that was to achieve, for the fillies where straining and pushing their wings to achieve height and speed.

Before she had time too look up in search for her sister, a quartet of ponies flew her way. She did not have a moment to think to move aside when they where already hovering above her, their spread wings having blown her mane back.
“Whoa! That was fast” Concordia said marvelling.

One of the pegasi, a stallion pointed and laughed “and that ladies is how you stun a grounder.”

They were all pushed of balance by one who flew by with such speed, no one could have seen her coming. Concordia smiled knowingly, somehow aware it was her sister. Flying back towards the group the latter said
“And that everypony, is how you stun sitting ducks!…come on sis”

She landed sending her subordinates away with a single look and walked with her sister along the path surrounding the field.
“Don't blame them too much Dia’ they did not know you were coming and they always pick on…”

“Grounders?” Concordia added

“Yeah that. Its…you know a derogatory term of sorts…don’t pay too much attention to it.”

“They seem a lot younger that us.” Concordia wondered looking up again and squinting against the sun.
“Don’t do that too often and shield you eyes better, and yes they are about four years younger, them and another four are the youngest upstarts we have to train lately. Believe me its not an easy job, they think they know everything already.”
“You teach as well?”

“I…I’ve been promoted to squadron leader after Aeolus” Aneris’s cheeks reddened at that.

“Hey you did not tell me, congratulations!” and hugged her sister.

Aneris suffered it very briefly and tried gently prodding her sister away.
“Err…I… look, Dia can we…I mean… please don't hug me like that in front of everypony, we…we don't do that”

Concordia tilted her head a bit, smirking “you mean you don't hug. So when a daddy pegasus and am mommy pegasus love each other very very much, they just fly over…”

“Noo…” Aneris shushed her sister, bumping her to the side.

They laughed heartily then but it was cut short, a small thorn in their sides.

Concordia broke the silence “so mum mentioned the importance of live target practice. Who is the target going to be, me or you lot?”

Aneris seemed to ease a little bit at the memory of many a lecture from their mother.
“Oh shoot, I got it the same way round. I had the whole blah blah from her when I had to fly all the way to your keep in the middle of the night after a very long patrol… After we are done here I will have the honour to be trained by your lot in evading magic attacks and whatnots. I told her we have enchanted dummies and stuff, but noooooo father said this and that…” She rolled her eyes so dramatically that Concordia warmed up to her as well.

“Anyhow” she continued “today you’ll see what we do with the dummies, each made to shoot off a different spell, and then Captain Az…I mean Aunt Azure will speak to you tomorrow about what she’s got in mind for you to do.”

“Cool, where do I stand today?” Concordia asked looking around.
Turning and looking to their right, Aneris indicated a spot.

“See those canopied benches? You can sit there, its not only the best place to watch but we rest there during pauses and you’ll get to meet my comrades. But, go around not through the field will ya?

By the time Concordia had gone around and sat under welcoming shade, the younger pegasi had been moved to some other training elsewhere and her sister and her Wing started pushing and pulling heavy mannequins vaguely resembling ponies, centaurs and other possible enemies.

“Why don't they make them lighter, I’m sure that would make the job faster” she mused aloud.
“That would make the warriors lazy and weak!” came a comment from the far side. Their aunt sat there arms crossed leaning to the back.

Concordia rose and went to sit closer to her aunt.
“Aunt Azure! Hi, how are you?”

The pegasus not turning to look, her eyes darted from pony to pony as they flew, darted away or even clashed with each other using wooden poles. After a moment or two, she blinked to the side once as if that was acknowledgement enough and answered sternly
“Good day niece, I know you are not used to ranks and your studies are ehm…more self- ruling. But as of now your rank will be -even if temporarily- Cadet, and I am to be addressed as Captain. Is that clear?”
“Uhm..yes aun-…I mean Captain Azure.”

“Captain is enough…oh and one more thing: Independent actions is a right reserved for the trained and capable. As soon as you stand in line with the others, my rule is law. You sister is a fine warrior of Marelantis and will carry our legacy proudly into the future.”

Concordia nodded, not sure if the Captain saw her or not. After sitting awkwardly in silence, she scooted to the side a few times leaving more distance between her aunt and herself. It felt more a pushing away from the other pony than a desire to move out of her regard. The need to warrant some amount of approval from the stoic pegasus was growing to a desire. Concordia felt that and understood, besides her aunt’s numerous deeds, even if a little why the latter received so much respect from her subordinates.

Soon a few other pegasi of rank landed near their captain, their ranks evident could be seen by the peytral each wore, protecting their necks. Among them, Concordia recognised Aeolus, her adoptive cousin, who after a word from his stepmother, looked up to her and started walking towards her. Aeolus had grown to a fine stallion, tall and strong. He always walked straight, almost regally and it did not seem forced. On the contrary his very step was calculated by instinct. Over his brow was a small wavelike tattoo, as was customary by the ponies of Marelantean colonies. Halting at about a meter from her, he nodded curtly, causing the two earrings on his right ear to click shortly. He spoke in short matter of fact sentences making her feel she was not only greeted out of courtesy but that this was the only reason he greeted her at all. She sensed no admonition or disregard from him, but a lack of distinct disinterest.

“Greetings Cadet Concordia. We saw each other at the funeral. You sister is an excellent warrior and I am proud to have her as comrade and friend. Today I will be occupied with other duties but a very capable pony shall explain what is going on. Tomorrow I am charged to guide you through the drills you shall help us with. Report here an hour before dawn. Wind to your wings Cadet.”

With that he nodded a form of salute, turned and left, flying lightly over the benches. Below he met with a tawny pegasus, ordered him about something, indicating her with his hoof and resumed his flight. The new pegasus flew to her, landing closer than Aeolus did. He greeted her quite normally and sat next to her.

“Greetings prince… sorry” he rubbed the back of his neck “Cadet Concordia, I mean…its an honour to meet you and…”
While he spoke of pleasantries and then went on and on about the training field around them, what the drills being performed above them meant and even the weather that day, Concordia mused Aeolus’s words. They seemed more downgrading than she initially received them, by the minute. While she found it pleasant to have her sister given some dues, helping them instead of receiving training herself was not what she thought was going to happen. What would she be the next day, a conveniently living and thinking magic-puppet? And what was that about wind and wings, he either was preoccupied and did not notice her lack of said wings, or he downright mocked her. There was something the revered and celebrated stallion was trying to wall everyone away from.
“…and there she is, isn’t she absolutely lightning fast?”

Concordia was brought to reality as the pony next to her, Bright Pinion she thought his name was, shot his hoof out in frond of them and waved it around following the path her sister took above them.

“Look! Look! She means to pierce the target the other ponies there are holding and…” he tugged at her shoulder, as if she had any difficulty following what was happening. This adoration was starting to feel very annoying, what was so amazing about ponies punching their lances through targets…

Her thoughts seized immediately as a shrill whistling of sorts, chilling her to the bones came from higher above but soon almost around her.

“Oh oh here it cooomes…” shouted the colt next to her, hooves bunched up with glee.
Concordia’s ears twitched to all directions and she felt a numb shiver. In the meantime her sister was still flying towards the target, her lance -a real one- shining like a sharp lightning bolt. The shrill sound became more perversive and before the target, a pegasus shot up, wings opened wide, some metal barding around the shoulders blinding the advancing mare. Concordia had only time to see the pony who flew up also held a lance, thrusting it forward with the intent to skewer the other. She was up on her hooves a silent cry in her mouth as the pegasi collided with a deafening sound, and an impossibly strong gust of air, bursting from where they met.

“Yes! Whoa! They are AWESOME! Sit Princess.. E Cadet, sit there is more!” Bright Pinion almost hopped with anticipation.
Above, her sister and Aeolus of Tirre engaged in combat for earnest. At least that is what Concordia felt, because what she saw all around her where pegasi cheering and watching with amazement and envy. She asked the colt beside her more to get comfort than out of interest.

“But, tell me ehm…ensign?…what rank are you?”

Bright Pinion did not look at her, his eyes fixed on the spectacle, but he answered joyfully nonetheless.
“Oh no, I am just a Cadet like you.”

“Oh all right…so tell me, what was that whistling sound?…and this cant be so innocent can it? They are fighting with real sharp weapons and oh by the Lodestones, did he just kick her away?” She rose again,stomping her hooves hard on the bench below her, in protest. Many eyes turned momentarily towards her retort, mellowing her to sit back, setting her jaw against words she might have to say about brutish ways and vulgar spectacles. Looking back up she felt a pang of enjoyment as her sister swung the butt of her lance deosil against Aeolus’s left flank , causing him to veer too much to his right.He closed his eyes because he just gave his opponent an opening, bracing for a forceful slap on the forehead with the flat of her lance as Aneris swung it back.

He raised his hoof high, shouting angrily “I yield!”
Aneris seized her defensive stance and swooped forward to support him under his right wing. She tossed her lance to one of the ponies that held the target aloft, and grabbed that of Aeolus, sending it also over. Slowly they descended to the field.

Concordia was up and ran over the benches towards where they landed. She was stopped by Bright Pinion as he landed in front of her, his hooves against her chest.

“Whoa, easy, they are fine. Don't interfere, its bad blood.”

“But, but I gotta help…” she struggled for a moment to push him out of the way, finding it considerably hard to not use magic. Stopping she asked “wait what?”

“Bad blood” the colt said matter of factly, looking longingly towards the pair as Aneris checked her opponent’s forehead, briefly clasped hooves, said something like an oath and retreated a step to let another pony between them. The latter carried a pair of saddle packs and seemed to Concordia to be the equivalent to a Unicorn apothecary and nurse in one. Bright Pinion continued.

"See they check each other for injuries they caused they caused, taking responsibility, then they ground all anger to our Lodestone. This is what we do, this is how we trust each other with out lives. And that whistling sound? See those pauldrons? The have got these holes drilled in them and as the pony flies down they produce this sound. Its scares the hell out of griffins!”

“Oh” Concordia said, thinking about it, “Unicorns do the same you know. We ground all our negative aura into our Lodest…” But she saw the colt having shut her out, as he leaned forward on the peripheral fencing that divided the benches from the field. Rolling her eyes she noticed her sister and her comrade having left. She thought she saw her tail end disappear to the left behind the canopied seats. Escaping the notice of her guide, she hurried to follow, leaving him behind while he bumped hooves with his friends, discussing the spar that occurred. She really was not in the mood to watch what enchanted dummies there would be on display and how the ponies would pummel them…

To the back she noticed simple tents into where some ponies entered in an out. Smaller ones where to the side and she glimpsed her sister enter one, before throwing one of her pauldrons at Aeolus as he went to another, the farthest apart from hers. Concordia smiled and went to her sister’s tent, letting the flap fall behind her.

“Ane! That was…ehm intense! You got him good” she said grinning.

Aneris was bright eyed and pumped with energy. She spoke while taking off parted of the hardened sea serpent leather armour she had strapped about her in many ways.

“Yeah that was some good sparring…” turning and clasping her sister’s shoulders she exclaimed “he sparred with me without having arranged it…he just…it was so great…you know what it means?”

Concordia smiled crookedly as she took in the musk of sweaty serpent armour, not really understanding and seeing her sister in a different light. Her excitement was almost vulnerable.

“Erm…Ane, there are so many pegasi things who’s meaning eludes me…I-”

“He likes me idiot…” Aneris said smiling, and sat back on a canvas covered box. “…he…he answered me with this fight”
“What did he answer Ane?” Concordia asked while sitting down next to her and taking her hoof into hers. She knew her sister had a year long infatuation with their step cousin, but this was stronger. Aneris grasped a towel that was hanging midway over a deep bowl of water, wrung it briefly and began wiping down her arms.

“The warriors, us, don’t train here unless we have to show the cadets and ensigns something specific. Even then its not done here but at the south cape. The winds are stronger there, more diverse, consider it a nursery over here. So you see?… I was here by chance and he fought me, he intercepted me in front of everypony without a prearranged challenge. Ah!”

Sighing she fell back onto the canvas, the towel over her face. Concordia took away the cloth laughing softly, her sister’s glee affecting her as well.

“So…in common pony talk he…” she twirled her hoof
Aneris got up, rolling her eyes and snatched the towel. She wrung it in the water once more and started wiping down her torso.

“Eh! You and your complicated unicorn ways. A pegasus states her intent, I confronted him during a patrol and privately asked him…” the towel was bring wrung needlessly by now”…I told him what I felt for him.”

“What did he say then?” Concordia asked, taking the towel once more “here let me help you with your back”
Aneris looked ahead with a frown “oh you know Aeolus, he…he does not talk much when…when its complicated. He thinks a lot you know and either way, a quick answer would be stupid. A pegasus answers with his actions.” Clasping her hooves to her chest she closed her eyes “and he did…sweet lodestone, he did, in front of everypony! He…” while she took up the various discarded armour pieces, she turned to her sister.

“Uhm Concordia, can you…I mean, I couldn't…Can you go over wherever Aeolus went and get my pauldron. We must take care of our own armaments and I’d be in a heap full of trouble if I lost my pauldron. Can you sister mine?”
He enlarged stare was too much for her Concordia and laughing she promised she’d go right away. As she exited and the flap of the tent falling once more, she herd Aneris call after her “I’ll meet you at the ground mess hall…that is where we eat with dumb no wing ponies”

Concordia stuck her tongue out at the jab and went on smiling. Now she was at a loss for the grounds where quieter at the moment and all the tents flaps lowered. It would be imprudent to just pop her head into each and they where too many, and three rows of them to boot. Having walked along the front row she enter the second row and met with an exiting pair of mares, who stopped their hushed conversation as she neared them.

“Uhm…Aneris sends me to fetch some…something from Aeolus’s tent?” she looked at them with what she hoped politeness.

The mares exchange a non-verbal communication and one answered smirking.
“Off course she would, wouldn’t she, lucky git.”

“Hey! Its my sister you called a git. We are still princes-” she was hushed by the other’s hoof
“Here missy, this is pegasi ground, Captain said you are one of us for the three days and as bizarre as it is, those are her orders. So if I say your sis is a git then she is one.”

Concordia would not let that pass and her own training to command troops kicked in.

“Well,” she craned her neck to see the mare’s peytral “guardsmare! You just called a squadron leader a git for requesting a piece of armour from your Wing commander…but then I am but a mere Cadet. So bizarre as it may be, where is his tent?”

The mares straightened and indicated the furthermost tent in the third row. Concordia left them behind, trying not to show her rising contempt. Arriving at the third row she found all of them, but the last, with open flaps and empty.

Approaching the last she herd a muffled conversation and alerted by something she did not fathom, sneaked into the one adjacent to it. Crouching she tried not to make a sound as she unwound the bindings of the tent flap with subtle magic. It became considerably darker within and she could see the slight outline of silhouettes against the canvas. Horse apples! She thought, I am in the same tent, this is just a divider! Oh I’ve got to get out of here…but then a familiar voice spoke.

“Not here Peregrine…we’ll have all the time later. Haven't I told you to stay at the barracks when I see her?” Aeolus’s tone was innervated and also annoyed.

“There is nobody around, everyone has gone off to the mess hall.” A stallion’s smooth voice answered. “We can just be quick”.

“No…Peregrine…look I cant…I have to be there to eat with her sister” Aeolus said sternly if not with a bit of disappointment.

The other stallion’s voice changed completely, his tone tinged with what must have been an ongoing argument.
“In the ground mess hall? Beloved why…is it not enough with what you pulled off today? Do I have to be parted from you even when you eat?”

Concordia shifted inaudibly to see through a tear that had been clumsily stitched up. Immediately she looked away, so embarrassed she felt she would burn up on the spot. Within, the stallions where completely disrobed and lying on various cloths upon the floor. The stallion, Peregrine, was helping Aeolus clean with a towel, as she had with her sister, but he wasn't cleaning the other’s back. Pressing her hooves against her mouth she tried not to shriek, but the discussion next to her was becoming more heated.

“Peregrine if you can just…” Aeolus must have gotten up because his voice sounded from the other side of the tent, and Concordia ventured another look within. “Look, if you stick to our plan, if you follow everything I tell you”, Aeolus was packing his armour in a crate similar to her sister’s and turned to caress Peregrine’s cheek “then we will have many long years to each other.” Then kissed his lover.

Concordia could not look away even if she felt dirty for watching such intimacy. When the couple broke the kiss Peregrine held Aeolus in a close embrace.

“Yes, forgive me my love, when I saw how brilliantly you did the declaration today, how handsome you were…I got so jealous, I wanted to be in the harpy’s place.”

Aeolus disengaged and driving his hoof through the other’s mane he said lovingly “You shall be, I vow this My All, I will fly such a declaration for you it will cause the skies to weep in envy. After the wedding I will fly with you to Tirre and we shall rule it there together.”

Wedding? Concordia thought in disbelief and knowing perfectly well whose wedding they spoke of. Same gender matings where not uncommon in Marelantis, but this was adulterous even before a matrimonial ceremony was performed. It was almost treacherous. If…

“I hope once a month would be enough to get a foal in her belly” Peregrine added as he lifted a pauldron off the floor. “Is that hers Aeolus”

“Yeah, give me that, I’ll toss is outside the tent, let the princess have a bit of a hard time for once. And you know what Peregrine? I might not even have to go through with getting a foal with her.” His grin was fearsome, chilling Concordia to the bone.

“Oh what do you have in mind you wicked colt?” Peregrine almost shone with nemesis.

“She just needs to get drunk enough…” and laughing wickedly the exited the tent.

Concordia could have exploded the tent around them, so angry was she. She was biting down on one hoof to stifle an outburst. That was treachery, that was abysmal, she had to tell her sister at once! Looking cautiously out from the side of her tent flap she saw no pony, she exited. Wiping the tears that fell in a stream, she noticed the damnable pauldron that brought her there. Lifting it she hugged it closely, that smelly bit of leather was what brought the truth to surface. Concordia looked forward then, her expression hardening.

“Oh I will bring you down, all of Marelantis shall see you dishonoured for this!” she whispered.

Aneris had already left, but the armament box was still in the her tent. Placing the pauldron inside, she trailed a hoof on her sister’s mark where it was embossed on the chest piece.
“Oh Ane’ I hope this won’t scar you…” she said and left towards where she thought the dumb ground pony mess hall was.

Arriving at a wooden construction that was more of a simplistic pavilion, mostly younger pegasi sat and ate. Most faces kept turning to what must have been a rare sight for the young trainees. Aneris and Aeolus sat at the centre table, visible by all, almost ad if they were the ponies of honour on a celebration. And indeed weren't they, revered and looked upon by so many eyes, ready to jump to their command.

“He is playing a fine game” the unicorn thought as she smiled at her sister. “He has loyal followers already!” Aloud she nodded to both and asked “Sister, Aeolus, may I join you?”

Aneris swallowed her bite of seaweed cake and whispered “Ranks Dia…ranks”

“Sister, my help is given for today. I join you out here of mere courtesy. I shall honour the loaned rank again come tomorrow.” Concordia said looking briefly into the stallion’s eyes.

He screwed up his eyes not expecting such a jab and looked back into hers with intent. Concordia could not continue such a confrontation and not recall the words uttered not so long ago“…harpy…get her drunk enough…” she looked away, forcing herself to drink of an offered cup of grape juice. The tartness of it forced her to swallow hard and she used that to look to her sister.

“Ah this is sour!”she exclaimed

“But refreshing! Have some more” Aneris poured her some and then looked briefly over at Aeolus “you?”
“No thank you, I should be going.”

He stood up and stretched, disregarding or trying to disregard the wonderment Aneris was displaying unabashedly.
The more he ignores her the more she adores him. Bastard! Concordia thought, gripping her cup tighter.
“Where are you off to Aeolus? Somewhere fun?” she asked with mock interest.

Aneris kicked her foot from under the table. Aeolus not showing the least sign of having noticed, drank his cup dry. “Some of us regard our duty as enjoyable, Mage!” he said, looking briefly sideways and then ahead. I will be off on patrol Squadron leader. Wind to thy wings!” ans he walked off, bending his head to avoid the low wooden roof, spread his wings majestically and flew off. He was soon joined by his wing ponies.

“Concordia what was that all about?” Aneris said clanking her cup on the wooden table.
Noticed by all Concordia titled her head to the side indicating she wanted to talk elsewhere.

“No I can talk here!” said her sister angrily.

“Oh no you cant, lets go, this dump pony needs to tell you some things!” Concordia went first, hoping her sister followed.
Quite further away, where the cropped grass gave way to the customary unbending shrub land, Aneris found her sister waiting. She also found her crying and breaking to sobs, holding her hooves up to her cheeks.

“Concordia? What is it?” Aneris ran forward to kneel beside her sister. “What, what happened? Did anyone bug you? I will rip their feathers app-”she stopped when her sister grabbed her by the shoulders and stammered
“Ane’ you’ve got to…oh mother…its terrible…”
“Concordia? Please tell me” Aneris now shook her.

Concordia saw then how concerned here sister was and her resolve broke…how could she just say what she saw. Was she even going to be believed? She wiped her tears again, swallowed and looked into her sisters eyes. She decided then, she would ease the news.

“Look Ane’ I know you’ve liked Aeolus for a long time but so do to her mares…”

“What? Eh…why” Aneris drew back not having expected that.

Concordia raised her hooves “no, no that came out wrong, I meant, you know how the other mares all over pine for him right? You and I have been laughing about it for ages, Marelantis has been laughing about it for ages.. Do you see?”
“No…I mean I know, but what made you cry?”

“You are like those mares, you fawn over him and it…its almost oozing out of you.”

“Dia what…nothing is oozing out…I” Aneris looked sideways rubbing her wrists nervously.

“Frankly you look ridiculous, don't you see he is totally disregarding you. He mocks you in front of everypony!” Concordia was trying too hard to make a point but Aneris was getting defensive about it.

“Dia aren’t you looking into this with the eyes of a sister? He is our Wing commander, we all respect and look up to him. And…” here she looked at her without embarrassment “and even if he is cold, he did declare his intent today, he returned my feelings! Before everypony!” and instead of Concordia hugging an inconsolable Aneris, the latter embraced the former tightly “Oh Dia, we will find a stallion you will love as much as I love him.”

“But…”

“No buts, you are tired, it shows in your eyes and mother should never have sent you over today. What was she thinking? A tired warrior is useless in training. Besides, you are frustrated, I can tell” Aneris wiped her sister’s tears with such sureness, Concordia wanted to slap it out of her, or even have someone slap the truth out of herself. Why could she not speak up? Her sister continued as she rose.

“…I have seen the wusses you train with. Grown stallions hiding behind their little horns. Pff..Unicorn stallions. Be happy for me today sister! Come on”

Concordia was helped up, and escorted out of the training field. Her sister would have taken her all the way the standing marker stone but Concordia declined the offer. She did not need to feign her fatigue and besides she completely blew her ‘easy’ approach. The unicorn leaned against the rock, looking at the carved pegasus effigy she mused quietly to herself “Yeah here be pegasi la-di-da, how great you are and all…I know, Mother! I’ll speak to her right away!”

She shook her head regretfully, no her mother would not believe a thing. The more she thought about it, the more she recalled instances concerning Aeolus, the pride and joy of Marelantis. Her mother celebrated him as much as everypony else, in fact she remembered expressions and discussions,that now made sense. She wanted Aneris and him to be mate if they wanted to. Touching her necklace instinctively she recoiled and then thought of him and touched the crystal sending all her intent within it. Discord!

“Discord? I need to talk to you” she thought with effort.

“Don’t shout! Oi my poor ears, you’ve never done this before have you…” came his voice within her head.
“Are you at the garden? I’ll teleport over. I need to talk to you now!” she set herself to do that as soon as she got an answer.

“Actually…no, I am flying over the lake with the funny floaty flowers, boring though, I thought you could hop from one to another”

“Wait right there I’m on my way” and so she did.

By then it was about the fourth hour after the sun’s zenith and very few ponies were around. Concordia appeared near a small jetty by Lotus Lake. Contrary to common outsider belief, the lake’s name was not due to the few lotus flowers floating at the shore. It came from the Caucasian persimmon trees, sharing the namesake Lotus, that grew in abundance and gave their plump juicy fruit. The obscure Quillin when discovering Marelantis for the first time, offered their showy aquatic plants in exchange for a pair of lotus tree saplings.

Walking thoughtfully by the path following the lake shore, she stopped under a big lotus tree, its branches hanging low and offering a small shelter within. With a small flash that she recognised, Discord appeared leaning against the trunk. Stooped as he was he looked funny and brought a smile to the unicorn. She ducked under the branches and walked to him as he snapped his fingers audibly.

“There, invisible! What…” but he was cut short by the pony embracing his torso tightly. The draconequus was startled and looked below, his talon and paw twitching once. He had no time to react when Concordia sobbed, but shed no tears. It seemed she had run out of them.

“Oh Discord its horrible, what I saw, and I messed it up, I did not tell her…”
When she looked up, something clenched his heart as those eyes sought something of him, hope? Comfort? An answer? He slowly lowered his arms and touched her cheek with his paw as his talon caressed her mane tentatively.
“Tell me first what happened…”

Concordia leaned her cheek into his paw, resulting in a shiver from Discord. Realising this, she opened her eyes wide and stepped back. Sat down on her haunches covering her face with her hooves.
Discord looked at his palms and once over at the pony and let his arm hang loose. Sitting down himself, but not near enough to toucher her, he folded his arms before him and spoke softly.

“Will you not tell me?…I don’t know if I know how to help but…we are friends aren’t we?”

Getting no response, he tried again.
“You can think it…I will pick it up if you let me.”

Concordia lifted her face, her reddened eyes causing him to frown almost aching himself.
“Think it? You mean with this?” she asked lifting her crystal.

“Yeah just remember it and I will pick it up.”

“Some of it…its embarrassing…I might not want to discuss that part…” she asked talking from under her hooves, her voice muffled.

“Let me see and I won’t ask you to…” he said kindly and curious.

Concordia did that, she clasped her crystal ad imagined, willed it to convey what she remembered, like a picture book, like a living tapestry.

At some point, Discord exclaimed “oh” his entire head turning red as he turned it to the opposite side.
“Yeah…I see…lets not discuss that.”

They sat in silence then for almost an hour. Discord thought of a few possible scenaria, but most drastic ones where completely against his promise to not harm. Killing either stallions would be quick and easy, changing everypony’s memories would be also nice and clean, causing mishaps like he used to seemed childish and ineffective in the long run.
“We could draw out an elaborate plan to have the affair exposed to witnesses and…”

Looking down he saw the pony having fallen asleep against him. He had not noticed and the sensation of her relaxed body against him caused him to smile warmly. He tentatively bent his head, gently blowing away a small leaf that had landed near her horn. The pony shivered slightly and embraced him tighter, nuzzling him under his chin. His claws tensed again at the unfamiliar sensation but relaxed after he found it most enjoyable. He closed his eyes breathing in the scent of some flower water she must have applied to her mane. For that moment he let everything pass by and fell asleep himself, something he rarely ever needed to do.

An afternoon bell was rung six times when Discord opened his eyes, Concordia snuggled against him so that he saw only her mane as he looked down. He vanished from under her, reappearing instantly to ease her down to the soft leafy ground. She started to stir then and he toucher her shoulder briefly to wake her up.

“Concordia? Wake up…you’ve slept for two hours.”

She rubbed at her eyes and yawned.

“Oh my…I did. What where you doing?” she focused on him, straightening her mane
“Well…I watched the floaty plants and the…” he twirled his claws in the direction of the lake “…and the…ponies! Yeah they plucked stuff from the water, in their boats…and such”

He stopped his stammering and looked at her, seeing her cheeks reddening just a hint.
“Look I thought about it, if Aneris loves him so much is it such a…problem if he just leaves later, he would either way if I understand it right.”

Concordia’s eyes hardened and she waved her hooves crossing them twice. “No, no. First of all those beasts…they want to…you know…somepony else to… that is a LIE, that is RAPE. How would you find it if you were dragged by the muzzle like that?”

Discord flinched at that and looked away.
“You are right, its terrible.” He looked up hopefully “but you are twins, there is no younger or older one, if you both marry, the mother Lodestone will ‘decide’ who is to be ruler or this island.”
Concordia raised her head and with what could be called mixed feelings asked him, not understanding herself what answer she wanted.

“You speak about it so lightly Discord.I…I have not thought about marriage, its not something you just look for and decide on the spot…”

“What if you marry someone without…you know…loving them” and he regretted it the moment the words came out of his mouth.

“And create another LIE? I don’t believe you said that Discord” She rose to leave but he stood before her instantly.

“Then you should tell Aneris about her lie before it becomes real”

“I tried” Concordia shouted back
“You did not try hard enough. Just tell her already or I will” he said crossing his arms defensively and staring at her annoyed “what did you ran to me for if everything I say is not the right way.”

The pony stomped he hoofs down, sliding on the leaves. Balancing herself she tried to regain some dignity and irately said “you know what, fine! I will tell her when she comes over for training at the Mage hall” and stomped off.
“Fine” shouted Discord after her and vanished to return to his realm.

He found himself trapped though, as if he jumped into the wrong portal. He felt around for the walls of what kept him and found he had just done that…his portal led him into the wrong place. He gathered his inner strength and fought the walls around him with matter from the pony world, with chaotic matter from his realm and any magic, alchemical or physical means he knew.

Panting he pinched a singed end off his antler to snuff out he smoke. His tail had also warped out of shape and he fixed that as well when the walls of what kept him turned translucent.

Before him stood the first two ponies he had ever hated. The proud Crystal Quill, and his son Spell Wright. Discord was speechless and displayed his fangs, growling slowly. The magic that bound him was astounding and formidable.
“Excellent my son, I must be forgiven for ever doubting you.” Crystal Quill said triumphantly.

“Look at him Father, the last known Draconequus and the specimen is ours!” Spell Wright exclaimed delighted. His father came forward confronting him, his previous appraisal vanishing.

“Fool, this…this entity can take whatever shape it wishes. Its not a specimen, its raw power…” sighing he walked slowly. “Ah, son, you are not attuned enough to the lodestone or you would feel how alien his power is. This is pure chaos and its contained! For as long as wherever he came from exists, his power is ours to harness endlessly!”

“Father?” Spell Wright said tentatively.
“What?” snapped his father.

Spell Wright pointed at the trapped Draconequus “he is speaking”

“I care little for what he has to say, be lucky we cant hear him…Lets go…oh there is so much to do!” and his voices trailed off as they walked into the distance of what was an enormous subterranean cavern, illuminated all around with tendrils of crystalline lines. Lay lines! They converged under Discord’s prison forming a base for what might be a complex polyhedron.

They could not hear his threats and curses, but he heard them. His anger overflowed and he thrashed against the magical walls like an eel in a basket.

Conflicts

View Online

The frigid northern wind announced the advance of the first really cold month of the Mareterranean region. November in Marelantis would come down with a torrent of week long rain and then brightly sunny but icy cold days. That morning required the use of a double cotton undergarment if a Pegasus was to survive the lower currents about the southeast cliffs.

Aneris landed shortly on a cliff outcropping, and raised her goggles over her forehead to have a better look at the sea horizon. The winds where being erratic lately and unpredictable. True it was good sport for training and gave a little flavour to otherwise boring patrols. Aneris felt uneasy to the core of her being, there was something wrong, it felt like a sign that no one saw. Pegasi navigators and elders with weather expertise reassured her and her aunt that these changes happen every so often. They were reminded to not forget the fabled cold October, that froze the vineyards to the root, about a hundred years before. Or even the unique gale that struck an bygone September, ruining crops and levelling villages.

Her aunt had gone with her to the elders, but she was not really interested or took it seriously. Aneris felt it more as a favour that remained non reciprocated on her part. She tried to be extra careful with her duties and drive the cadets harder towards results. Other times she sighed and let it go, as it might be due to her excitement. Even though they nothing was said yet, in person, everypony saw and knew what happened. Aneris kept that as hope and truth, even then when another gust of wind blew her wings almost open, as if to remind her that something was not right with the world.

Another matter was that the sea creatures habits also changed. Very few seals bore their young in the numerous hidden caverns all along the base of the cliffs. No turtles where reported to have lain their eggs in any beach. Although schools of fish where abundant, they avoided nearing the island and very often the gulls that followed them, returned in fewer numbers. She planned to ask the Earth ponies at their temple come next visit. Word on land said its all because of the earthquakes, it disturbed flora and fauna alike. Even the lodestones were rumoured to not attune correctly. Whatever that means she thought. She lowered her goggles thankful for this fine piece of alchemy that protected the eyes during flight, behind a pair of specially constructed, almost unbreakable glass. Also very grateful for the cotton lining she was supplied with the day before she looked about to see if she had been spotted yet. She wanted at least a few of her wing of ponies to learn how to swoop down from such direction that is would force their target to look into the sun.

A pair flew by performing a scissors manoeuvre, both ponies trying to reduce their forward velocity vector, which is their speed along a straight line around which they are both reversing. The winner would be the pony with the slowest forward velocity as he will finish up astern of his opponent. All this would be easy if not for the unpredictable air currents. Shrugging it off as another lesson to be learnt, Aneris spotted Blacktip just the second she moved into her blind spot. Well done she thought. The mare attempted a spiral dive that would have been flawless if not for another blast of wind. Nevertheless she ended her swoop at the right mark. Namely before Aneris herself. Communicating with sign language the flew off on a low course along the cliff line, to act as targets for another pony.

After five more performed amicably, they flew south and rested a moment by Herb Island. Removing leather helmet and goggles, six pegasi looked at her standing in a half circle. Aneris walked amidst them and commented on their performances.

“…oh that Vertical reverse was absolutely gorgeous Bright Sunset and Featherweight?…look…don’t beat yourself up over Cloudancer, his high speed barrel roll cannot be out flown…so, take a moment all, until…”

A mare flew towards them displaying messenger colours and landed skillfully beside the group. She saluted Aneris and handed her scroll tube. “Here is the report on the cadet training…its a good one!” the mare winked, set her packs more comfortably by rolling her shoulders and departed.

“Oh boy” Aneris exclaimed “lets see, I hope my sister did not pull a blunder the last two days” she laughed, relieved that the other pegasi were snickering ass well and unscrewed the light metal tube and unrolled the scroll within, it was from Aeolus. She read struggling not to let her glee show. Even though the report was written in a formal customary hand, she imagined it was just for her and her alone.

“Greetings Squadron Leader,
As of the fourth hour past dawn the special cadet training has finished.
The guest Cadet reported on time yesterday and in satisfactory attire. Even though I did not request unicorn armour, she donned one as well as a weapon. I ordered the latter withheld for this day, due to it not being necessary at this instant. She was instructed to use non lethal attacks from behind magical shielding. The attacks would mark the pony with colourant but would not be harming in any other way. I must admit I did not instruct her as to the colour of the attacks and…your sister took initiative…colourfully.

She performed remarkably well with the simulated light spears, fire bolts and energy bolts in a radial region. Although her stamina lacks after the first hour. Our cadets where just warming up by then. She had supplied herself with restorative concoctions which was a pleasant diversion and enabled her to go on with my instructions to add fire-at-will and some unexpected tactics thrown here and there for good measure. I dare say the utilisation of unicorn troops, correctly trained that is, would be an added advantage to our forces. If only their inert pride could be broken a notch, then we would advance the forces of Marelantis by leaps and bounds.
The second day, I ordered the training to take place at dusk for added stealth and difficulty. The guest Cadet was to erect as many physical shields as she wished, simulating a centaur’s mage potential. Namely, not much of arcane magic at all and mostly elemental. Her fort was to be breached and she captured if possible. Although I view teleportation a most foul manoeuvre, it nonetheless is utilised in war, thus sadly it was allowed. Our ponies were permitted to use whatever means they deemed effective to attack. I am very disappointed to say the least with her performance. The point was to train the cadets and to give her whatever Mages believe a satisfactory victory is. She was instructed to display and act in a simulation of combat, not outwit and outshine.
Make our clan proud on your part of the training and don’t let their ways intimidate you. Remember, within the mage halls you may utilise weather control. I believe this would be of great help.
I look forward to discuss the results of this endeavour, come next joint patrol.
Wind to thy wings
Aeolus of Tirre”

Acting nonchalantly she rolled the scroll tightly and placed it back into the tube. That she secured in a small pack they all carried, strapped underneath their left wings. Within herself she rejoiced. Did he open up his thoughts to her. She was sure he did. He even told me of his wishes and feelings! The pegasus thought. and Concordia…what will I do with her…she really does not understand combat the way we do… wait till she sees this letter. He even looks forward to see me and discuss.

Today was going to her first day of visiting the unicorn keep and she looked forward to it even more, now that she had proof of Aeolus’s devotion. She had to carry her armour and lance, best she decided if she’d wear it and appear like that. “Who said a pegasus cant be a tad vain and look the part” she said to non in particular.

“What was that?” Bright Sunset asked.

More looks where upon her now.

“Well, I thought since I should take my armour with me to the unicorn keep, why not take the orichalcum, they like shiny stuff don’t they?” she strutted around, then flew high and swooped down landing with a thud and a conquerors posture. “…and then I’ll dive down in the courtyard, lance and shield and show them ponies some Marelantean steel!” Cheers and whoops rose to her satisfaction

——————

Aneris knew exactly where shields were deployed above the unicorn keep and calculated her landing to be precise, also allowing the way for a little flourish. Her mother stood upon the courtyard stairs and waited for her daughter to walk up to her. Aneris saluted but was drawn into a hug, armour and all, causing her lance and shield to clatter to the floor.

“Mum…uncool”

“Oh hush Aneris” Queen Rhea said laughingly and bent to pick up the weapon, inspecting its tip.

“Hmm you brought a blunt weapon but you wore the real deal in armour? I did not have you up for the showy type daughter!” said she and continued laughing as she watched Aneris puff up and pout.

“Mum do we have to go through the keep? Cant we go around the grounds, its faster even…” Aneris asked

“Pish posh! I get to see you so rarely honey, and I wanted to have the court look upon you on your visit, its good for morale as to say, especially since somebody got some exciting news!” and elbowed her daughter’s side as she walked on into the keep.

Following her mother into the castle Aneris smiled and thought how lucky she was indeed and then ran up to her mother’s side to ask her directly.

“Umh… how did you find out? I mean I know news travels fast and such but I did not know ponies had such an interest in…in my…”

The queen stopped and looked quizzically at her daughter, then her demeanour warmed and she toucher her hoof.

“Oh sweety, haven't we been over this for so many times in yours and Concordia’s lives? You are princesses, off course you may ahem, have a fling or two, but when matters become more formal lets say, your consort is eligible to be presented to the Lodestones and might be chosen to become King. Your father and I, and off course ponies of the court have always had our eyes on your development as mares.”

She walked onward now, Aneris at her side. Guards everywhere saluted, if perhaps with more vigour, the princess’s fiancee being a wing commander and all. The pair climbed up the stairs leading to the balconies that oversaw the inner courtyard, and stopped by one of the arches, to be in view of all below. To Aneri’s surprise a gentile row of clapping greeted her, along with some outcries of congratulations and well wishes.

The queen having leaned Aneri’s lance and shield against a wall, waved and the clapping subsided. Upon being prodded by her, Aneris waved as well and followed her mother as she went on towards the stairs leading down on the other end of the balcony. Aneris walked silently and thoughtfully, her mother glancing a few times over to her.

“Oh don’t be so silent about it? You have not told me a thing you know?”

“Oh mum I… I am kind not ready to talk about it, it happened all so suddenly…and now I am…”

“Betrothed!” her mother said happily, shaking her head a few times “ah I remember when your father proposed…we thought the world knew nothing, saw nothing but then…banquets, celebrations, visitations…the LOT!” upon seeing her daughter’s eyes open a little wider she toucher her gently above her heart and said soothingly.

“But you will never lose this, little one. What you and he feel will always be yours and only yours, the rest of us just relate. So don’t worry too much, everything you will now endure and go through together, as a pair and a team.”

Aneris nodded, swallowing hard. She felt a pang of the unknown, as if she did not really understand how this world of ‘being a pair’ felt exactly. But she yearned to be part of it, to belong to those-who-related-to-this, to be a pair with Aeolus. I will make it happen, and as long as Aeolus loves me back, it is just be a matter of time until we get this pair thing! she thought and brightened again.

They had gone down the stairs and walked over the path connecting the keep to the Mage Hall. The mossy granite slabs beneath their hooves where slippery with humidity and all around the tall pines dripped with moisture from the night before. About an hour or so the sun would rise over the cliffs and reach the walls surrounding the entirety of the unicorn keep. Aneris remembered how the plumes of condensation rose over the grass and the trees rendering the air even more heavy with humidity. How had she ever liked this as a foal she wondered now and longed for the clear windswept plains she resided in now. Overt humidity was a hassle to flight and a bother to the lungs, a pegasus exerted almost double the energy to breathe in such environment. Earth ponies where much more suited for campaigns in woodland and -she shuddered- swamplands…

The pair rounded a small hill and saw before them an oblong field, perhaps five hundred meters long and half of that wide. In contrast to the pegasi ground training fields this was minuscule, without any benches for onlookers and no tents or pavilions. It was just a grassy field with tall pines and cypresses surrounding it. At first glance the area seemed just another cultivated garden area but then signs where magic had been used, stood out. Here and there small impact craters where naked of grass and in irregular intervals, angular slabs of earth jutted out of the ground.

Queen Rhea broke the silence from behind Aneris when she greeted somepony who must have come upon them.

“Good morning Spell Wright! How have you been, I’ve rarely seen you the last days. Don’t overdo it with your studies, look at you your eyes are hollowed out and dark.” She shook her head all motherly ”Tsk… Tsk… Life is not all about training young mage, you’ve got the attunement to the lodestone in your pocket, take some time to live life, life with the ponies next to you.” Retreating from having arranged his mane as she liked “Ah but I am just an old mare seeing the world from a different angle. Ah to be young and bothered with all these emotions…have a nice time now!” She stopped walking and turned to her daughter with a grin “Get them good Aneris, show them a piece of what those wings can do!” and resumed leaving the two of them alone.

Spell Wright cleared his throat gently and bowed his head in greeting.

“Lady Aneris, we are honoured to have you among us for these days. If there is anything you require to make your stay comfortable, don’t hesitate to ask.”

To Aneris he seemed to look and not look at her at the same time. As if the outside world was an afterthought to be going through as a necessity and another more important one took up his attention. She waved the offer off hastily

“Oh no I won’t we staying the nights, I will be returning to my barracks. My duties you see, do not end just because I will train in another field for a few hours. Our training take us around Marelantis daily and further even.” She remembered then with a fright about her lance.

“You know, I…the queen left my lance and my shield against a wall up on the balconies of the inner courtyard. Do you think somepony can fetch them over so that I wont miss my appointment here?”

Spell Wright smiled curtly at something to do and break the awkwardness they both felt.

“Your appointment is with me my Lady and I will send word at once for your…implements to be brought to you.”

With that his horn shone brightly as he sent a message to another unicorn. Aneris knew from her sister’s tellings that all unicorns who have passed the third degree of their magical studies, could use communicate nonverbally with each other. This was done by gaining a fraction of the attunement to the lodestone their will receive later, thus using that magical source as a conduit to send and receive messages. The stallion’s eyes focused on her now, semi translucent already by the amount of time he spent conversing with the lodestone.

“My lady, today you will not participate in our field training but acclimate yourself to what we do. Tomorrow we will supply you with an enchanted weapon and commence with moving target practice. The last day we will rely upon your expertise with the tactics different flying species use.”

Aneris looked at him sideways trying to decide why everything he spoke of seemed too detached from reality. War, combat is not an embellished book…

“Spell Wright, you don't have enchanted dummies for this? “

“Oh no dear Lady, dummies are sufficient to train alertness and speed yes, but a dummy cant be brutal, it cannot be passionate with rage and…” he twirled his hoof in the air… ”you know, be unpredictable and carnal”

Aneris wanted to add a few embellished words about being called a sub pony and a animalistic heathen but was startled by the on rush of unicorns appearing out of thin air, in a neat group. Does no pony here ever walk somewhere? At least she thought they appear in ranks and positions.

Spell Wright walked up to the group and nodded shortly.

“Good morning everyone. I see that more of your mare classmates have graduated and left.”

The ponies mostly colts and a few mares among them, all wore short cloaks of earthen colours. Aneris knew this indicated the lowest of ranks, and was relieve that she did not have to endure fillies of no degree at all. Spell Wright continued in same tone, walking back slowly.

“It is also good to see that at least two want to try to reach the second degree, unlikely as it might be. If a mare does advance to become a mage then she is a valuable asset to our bloodlines.”

He had stopped and raised the chin of the closest mare, to look into her eyes. He smiled then and went on in a humorous manner.

“Anyhow, you get to hear this from our elders constantly I bet and I think its starting to rub off on me as well. I am not that old and wizened yet!”

Everypony chuckled and some laughed and Aneris tried to chime in but did could not feel where the joke was.

“Mandrake here will lead you through your drill and be good sports will you? We have a princess among us today.” With that he bowed her way and vanished with the toned down flash that unicorns like to disappear with when not wanting to make a show.

Mandrake had a deep red coat and ochre mane with white highlights. He kept his mane long and he swept it back with a flourish as he walked towards Aneris. While he spoke to her, the pegasus watched as he levitated a ribbon while also braiding his mane into a tight running braid. Aneris was mesmerised as the divided hair braided itself and looked about as the other ponies similarly either fixed up their manes and tails or had already started a light canter around the field. Mandrake stepped aside as the two mares came closer to them, their eyes opening wide as they took in the metal armour, and gasped as a unicorn colt appeared holding Aneris’s shield awkwardly and then teleported her lance in as well.

“Will…we be using that today Lady Aneris?” the one with the elaborate diamond woven mane asked eyeing the lance as if it was a snake.

“Err. No, not today.” Aneris answered and brought the tip to the front offering it up for display “besides its blunt you see? Not that it cannot injure you but its blunt, its a training weapon or for parades and such”

The mares went back a step but seemed to want to stay, glancing constantly around for the attention of others. As soon as a few stallions came over they started to pelt her with questions.

“Uhm does the armour weigh a lot? Its looks heavy.”

“We will start weapon enchantments next season, is this enchanted?”

“Do you aim the tip or does it find its target alone?”

“Do you sleep in that stuff?”

Aneris was being overwhelmed by the ponies closing in, not used to such brash breach of personal space. Was she like that we she was younger and living away from pegasi troops? A loud yell saved her from shouting the masses to back off herself.

“Go do your warm up folks, on the double or you get to sit this one out, Lord Crystal Quill always needs somepony to catalogue scrolls for him…”

The area cleared in seconds. The pegasus sighed in relief and joined Mandrake who was now overseeing the cantering ponies. Aneris frowned slightly as the ones who had finished their number of rounds sat on the grass chatting. Was that it? She noticed most where performing little cantrips or forming and imploding little bubbles with their horns.

Mandrake clapped his hooves twice and started sending pairs of ponies to various posts along the field where they awaited. About six of them where placed at the far end where stone rectangles, big as a grown pony stood. They had shallow basins carved into them and at Mandrake’s command filled themselves one after the other with one element each. Water gurgled from one, fire blazed burning no fuel from the next, a small whirlwind moved perpetually in the third and in the fourth animated sand churned like a soup. These were used to draw from for elemental offence and defence magic, apparently so as not to use the surroundings themselves.

At first it was interesting, then as nothing new happened other than whatever combinations of elements the young magicians came up with, Aneris grew bored. She started listening into the conversations around her and a specific one drew her attention.

One of the mares, this one with small crystals braided into her mane style was talking to a colt about her sister.

“You heard the rumours about you know who and their under-captain or whatever getting betrothed? Figures right?”

The colt answered conspiratorially while chewing on a blade of grass.

“Yeah, I only find it stupid they beat us to it. I mean…everypony knows Spell Wright has it in for you-know-too..” Here he laughed at his own pun, while the other finished his thoughts

“Don’t you I know it. Miss brains in the clouds has never seen to ask anypony else out so she must like him right? I like her sister though, not so stuck up as Quill’s favourite.”

The colt drew in closer then to say something almost inaudibly, Aneris perked her ears shutting out all other noises.

“Since Concordia got her mark, Crystal Quill treats her better than his own son you know. Disses him left and right whenever he can, I feel for poor Spell Wright sometimes…when he is the best this place has seen for ages…just saying.” And bumped hooves with his friend who sighed, swooning.

“Ah, Spell Wright, I will gladly have him if she won’t! Call him Lord and everything if he wants to”

“Yuck!” the colt stuck his tongue out and then poked her before getting up. “Come on race you to the drinks”

Aneris followed them with her gaze, her frown deepening. Thirsty she got up herself, wondering why drinks and even food where so readily available during training. She was even more perplexed when she saw the kind of food provided. Most where confections, pastry and glazed fruit. Whatever else might have been hearty was no doubt also sugar laden. Swallowing a small cream filled dough pasty she decided to have a drink and chose the least colourful one. To her confusion it was a mildly alcoholic elderberry drink off course with added syrup. She started to think she walked into a holiday picnic among the court, topped with sport events and gossip.

She would have none of this thank you very much and decided to exit while she was not noticed, perhaps to find her sister. Now that she thought of it, she had not seen her all day… The mage library was off bounds for non initiated into a degree but she could ask around starting from there. Not sure if flying was disallowed, Aneris chose to walk carefully off, keeping to paths she knew since childhood to be less busy. She had only just reached the austere building that housed library and the grandest of the indoor halls ponies had ever constructed in know history, when she saw her sister.

“Dia!” She shouted and flew without thinking towards her.

“Ane!” the sisters embraced and Concordia said apologetically “Good to see you, forgive me for sending mother to welcome you home today. I was held back by Lord Crystal Quill and… Ane why are you laughing”

Aneris had started to snicker trying to hide it behind her hoof.

“I am …pffd… I dont snicker!…pffd”

“Aneris tell me at once what is so funny, is it a prank they put you up to? Its the mares right? Ouuu I am going to singe their manes to a crisp…if only I…” said Concordia annoyed looking about for the perpetrators.

“No Dia…no, hehe” its just so funny that you were busy by Lord Quilly himself when he…”

“Dont call him that! Ane we are not fillies any longer…please don’t make me look the fool.”

Aneris bumped her sister with her elbow.

“I know right, don’t wanna look bad for his dad.”

“What are you talking about. Speak normal will you?”

Rolling her eyes, Aneris spoke matter of factly.

“I mean you an Spell Wright…his father would be your father in law…you getting this?”

“ANE!” Concordia shushed her sister and dragged her along “not here, follow we’ll go to my study.”

“You’ve got a study?” Aneris asked bewildered, disengaging from her sister’s grip, choosing to fly after her.

“I am the only one in the mare’s dormitory so I utilise the empty space as a study. Now come! Down these steps and the second door”

Upon following her sister through the small door she entered in, Aneris looked around in awe. This building could easily have housed fifty or more ponies and was being used by a single one? What a waste of space, especially since from the beds and up the walls where empty as far as the slanted rood. Concordia lit up enormous glass balls that hung from the rafters and the rest of the long one room dorm was revealed. It should have been cold but the temperature was pleasant. Concordia turned and arms crossed looked at her.

“Now, do you think it was funny to make talk like that up?” she asked annoyed.

“Diaaaa…why are you so easy to anger lately? To be honest I did not know till a moment ago that there was anything between you two.” Aneris said defensively.

“Who? You mean Spell Wright? He and I? You’ve got to be kidding me. We spend all day together, we…we;ve been training all these years side by side…he…”

“You see my point?” Aneris looked smug.

“What point Ane?” Concordia’s temper was ready to spill over.

“Come ON! Now you are seriously bugging me! You mean to tell me you have not realised he wants you like crazy for ages now?”

“I…well…I have suspected it…”

“Suspected it? Am I speaking to my sister or a filly of ten years? I happen to have heard, just now and out in the open mind you, two of your first degree’s talking about just that. It did not even seem like old news either!”

“Well” Concordia’s tone changed to a more restrained one “it does show you have been away from court, its gossip dear sister and nothing else. As you have seen, we have only two mares -other than yours truly- in the Mage hall and they are the most stallion hungry pair I have ever met.”

“You could take a leaf out of their book you know…”

Concordia’s voice sounded shrill when she answered

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, only three days ago you broke down when I got…betrothed, what those ponies said was true, you are dismissing any advance a stallion does on you and you seem to have your head in the clouds more than the ponies around you.”

“I don’t have my…wait what? Betrothed? Aneris you are not betrothed yet missy and you know what? I wanted to talk to you about that and I did not have the proper words back then”

“Oh that again…I don’t have to hear advice from somepony who has no concept of romance and intimacy…”

“Listen, I will sit and hear anything, anything you have to tell me about Spell Wright and I promice to even act upon it if you hear what I have to say. Will you Ane?” Concordia’s eyes had started to fill with tears. That and the nervousness she conveyed unsettle Aneris deeply.

“Fine, speak! Try to add more feeling into your words OK? None of that coy stuff you so love.”

“Coy stuff? Never mind, Aneris tell me technically speaking, have you had any intimacy, ever, so far with Aeolus? Or even a private talk?” Concordia asked, and speaking the very name of him bringing up bile to her throat.

“I…we…we cannot…” Aneris looked cornered, but then stood her ground, “we are not so foppish like you here. Drinking and eating candied stuff while hopping like foals on an outing. We follow rules and we cannot…”

Concordia smiled bitterly and said

“You have no idea have you. Well, unicorns need a lot of sugar i their diet to sustain prolonged use of magic. But why am I even telling you this...Do your realise that only you have mentioned your feelings to Aeolus?”

“He has declared his intent before witnesses if you want to be technical about it”

“Did he Ane’? DID HE?”

“Could it be that in all of Marelantis you might be the only one not knowing what that declaration meant?”

Concordia burst out “You fool! He did that for the eyes of everyone else and you bought it as well.”

Aneris shouted back “Why wont you believe me that he loves me, look! Look at this!” and shoved Aeolus’s report into her face.

Concordia took the letter, sniffed and wanting to hope that it contained the most passionate words ever written, read it silently. Disgusted she looked up.

“Its a report you naive pony. Its an uppity report, casting sand into your eyes when he knows you will swallow the bait, hook, line and sinker!”

Aneris snatched the letter back, straightening it and lovingly putting it back in its scroll case. She the looked up with such anger that Concordia recoiled.

“What is the matter with you Dia? What ever do you have against Aeolus? Everyone but you respects and loves him, I LOVE HIM! Tell me now or never speak to me again! Because ask the entire island…he and I will get married!”

Concordia swallowed hard, cornered by the words and how wrong they were. She shook away the trembling that threatened to start in her lower lip and said calmly, looking to the side.

“He is sleeping with someone else, he loves someone else”

The pegasus stood silent. The words being of those no one in love wants to hear. But as she was used to, she did so now, no longer even registering that she was excusing Aeolus again.

“If you have heard anywhere that he…took another mare to his bed…its normal Dia you cannot ask somepony to stay chaste if they don’t chose it…we aren’t earth priests and priestesses.”

Concordia still did not look at her, ashamed.

“Aneris…I overheard them”

The pegasus almost whispered the words like an exhalation “When?”

Concordia looked up trying to show the truth in what she reported

“The first day I came over, in the last tent of them all when I was looking for your stupid pauldron”

Here she started crying again.

“I heard them, he does not love you, he wants to get you drunk on your wedding day and have somepony else get you pregnant. Do you like them apples sister?”

“That is ridiculous Concordia! Why wont he..mate with me?”

“Aeolus needs you to be pregnant. He does not want to touch you though. He is an enemy of the state!”

“I think you misunderstand what a stallion does sister mine…” Aneris tried to sound mature.

Concordia stood up and shook her sister by the shoulders.

“Because he wants to run off to Tirre with another STALLION you stupid lovestruck git. He loves a stallion named Peregrine! There I said it, I snitched.” And began crying harder.

Aneris pulled her sister off of her, walking a few paces to slump against a wall. She turned abruptly and with eyes burning she shouted back

“I know now…I know what is going on. You…heard Peregrine talking about Cloud Cover, they’ve been together for ages.”

Concordia looked down and her crying stopped as if she lost all feeling. A cool chill came over her and she found herself wanting to harm the idiotic pony before her.

“When will you open your eyes and see in earnest? You are making excuses for him all the time, you justify even his mistakes and you revere each word that comes out of that traitor’s mouth like a mandate from a god! Listen you naive mare if he gets a child with you in wedlock but also declares sovereignty over Tirre he owns both Marelantis and the greatest of the colonies”

Aneris heard the words but saw only her sister change before her, seeming cool and uncaring.

“If you care so much for Marelantis Concordia, then why don’t you marry Spell Wright and try him for King” Then she looked to the side, and slammed a hoof into the wall.

“I know now! You are so jealous of Aeolus, you envy the love we all have for him, wanting him to be King but you want it all for yourself. You are the enemy here not Aeolus.”

Concordia’s next words came hushed.

“I will not marry…”

“What was that Concordia?” Aneris shouted out of her mind.

Concordia stood and looked her sister squarely in the eyes.

“I will not marry. You will be queen and Aeolus will be king as he so obviously desires”

“Then WHY do you want to destroy my happiness” Aneris broke down crying herself.

Concordia made to comfort her but she found she could not move a muscle.

“Because I want to protect you. He is a monster who wont even bother to mate with you for appearances sake. He wants Marelantis by means of your foal and then run away with his stud. He wants the basket AND THE APPLES!”

Aneris rushed over and slapped her sister hard, causing her to fall backwards onto her desk. Maroon ink scattered everywhere like blood, Concordia raised her hoof to look at it, dripping. Aneris’s nerves shattered and she turned, rushing towards the door. Upon the doorstep she spoke over her shoulder before disappearing.

“If you won’t love him, you don’t love me…”

She galloped and galloped, through the inner court and around the keep to avoid anyone asking questions. As soon as she cleared the magic barrier that would keep her from flying away, she spread her wings. Aneris did not fly away yet, looking behind her in doubt. Should she go to her mother and ask what she should do? Surely their mother would convince Concordia that she was wrong? But what if this would darken the regard everypony had for the one she loved. No! Aneris stomped her hoof in anger, Concordia is too stubborn, and the only one able to convince her is Discord. With a few wing beats she was off the ground and flying towards east.

“Discord!” she thought with urgency while clutching her crystal “Discord! Can you hear me? Am I doing this right?”

She heard no reply though, not even a warming of the usually cool crystal. Reaching the area where their secret garden would be, she found only grumbled walls and a dishevelled clearing within. The area looked nothing alike what she and her sister knew, in fact it was smaller, no sight of the tree with its magical canopy, the fountain, the neat flowers…

Landing she shouted for Discord, ran to the middle of the clearing in order to perhaps see his portal. To no avail though, the secret garden had vanished. When Aneris heard a distant shout and hoof beats she hid behind a pile of ancient rubble.

“Discord!” Concordia shouted, and Aneris’s eyes opened wide. Not moving she tried to still her breathing and not make any sound.

“Oh no!” gasped her sister who must have seen the change or to be precise the absence of their secret hideout. Aneris would not dare turn to see and relied on her hearing. Her sister must have been attempting to talk to him because she heard her say

“Discord! Why won't you speak to me. I am sorry about walking off like that the other day! So sorry. You meant well and you alone believed me about Aneris. All I did was get mad at you when you where only being honest…Oh Discord where are you…I feel so alone without you…”

Aneris had enough. Her sister had not only made up lies, but talked to Discord about it? She wanted everything and now she wanted their friend to herself as well? Furious she stomped around the rubble to stand squarely before her sister, who looked up surprised. No pony had time to utter anything because then the earth shook.

From the first seconds it was clear this was not the usual seismic activity, the tremors where different. In the region about Marelantis the earthquakes where submarine,mostly originating from the north side of the island, therefore the earth would shake side to side. Now though, the ground beneath them seemed to heave, followed by a infernal grating, a moaning of the soil itself. The greatest fear from an normal event was the birth of a giant wave, from which the island was protected, by the half kilometre high northern cliffs. A quake of such magnitude though threatened the structural integrity of more than a few piers and fishing huts.

Yet the twin princesses had never experienced such a strong earthquake in their lifetimes. The effect to them was staggering, their minds numb and their bodies paralysed. The effects to the environment where quite different as well. To the north the remnants of the ancient temple shook, wobbled and crumbled almost artificially. In places the earth tore a few centimetres and in the distance trees fell.

The ponies had just time to look each other in the eyes and both saw within the other's that they had other priorities. Both Concordia and Aneris had the same thought while they left in different directions.

“She has other ponies more important than me. She loves them more…”

Concordia decided she should teleport to get to the mage hall faster. The barrier would permit her through and there where ponies that surely needed her help. Let her sister think whatever she wanted, pony’s lives where in danger. Arriving at the open area of the training field she found with dismay that the barrier was off. No, it was down all together! She could not begin feeling for its remnants though as she took in the damage to the inner court. In the immediate vicinity statues had fallen and here and there paths looked as if torn up and toppled to the side.In the far distance she could see dust clouds settling over the entrance to the keep a and she could smell smoke. With a pang of recognition, a second tremor began. Concordia ran towards the dormitories but apart from roof tiles falling off, acolytes had congregated in the small clear area. She frantically asked the first pony she saw, while about them the earth calmed.
“I anyone hurt? Who took down the barrier? Where is Spell Wright or Mandrake?”
The colt just looked at her.
“SPEAK!” she shouted, startling him.
“I…I don’t know” he stammered “we cannot communicate…but no one is hurt here.”
Concordia was far from relived but smiled at the pony and placed her hooves on his shoulders.
“Listen, I’ve got to see if I am needed elsewhere. I put you in charge of these ponies here. Keep them in the open and don’t wander off. Somepony will soon come for help. You’ve got this?”

The colt bit his lower lip, but nodded sternly. Everypony then felt the unicorn lodestone’s power return all around them in a wave. It registered then to Concordia that until that surge, she had felt the otherwise omnipresent lodestone’s power not at all but for a trickle, a pulse of magic. With its magic reawakened from whatever had disturbed it before, came an onslaught of voices sending desperate and shouting messages through the link that was cut off. Some ponies had collapsed from the sheer weight that put upon their minds and Concordia struggled, succeeding by a hairbreadth to shut the reception of all messages off leaving only one that burned like a light-tower.

“Concordia! Where are you? Are you both unharmed?” came the urgent message from King Cronus.

Concordia felt lost for words for a fraction of a moment, but opted fort he truth.
“Yes father I’m shaken but well. I am at the inner court, before the dorms.Aneris has flown to the Pegasi Keep.”

“Good!” came the relieved reply “we will establish triage there. Do oversee that everything runs smoothly as possible, there are a lot of injured and more are bound to arrive from Scala.”

“Scala?” Concordia mused as injured where already being carried over “Why from Scala?”
Little did she know that the harbour town lay in waste.

Aneris had just left the forest behind her and was forced to gain height as thick dust and smoke clouds made it too dangerous to fly as low as she did. Below the earth shook once more with less strength and duration. From her new vantage point she could discern where it originated from. Eyes wide, she felt a cold fist in her stomach as she saw the ruins of Scala. The harbour town had collapsed, tier by tier until all the rubble and soil amassed in the centre by the water. The promenade and pier where buried under the debris that spilt into the sea, burying even a couple of triremes under its weight.

The total destruction of any standing structure did not eliminate fires from having erupted and some brave souls where trying to put them out. Focusing on survivors she saw with dread how very few ponies seemed to be about. Bile rose in her throat as she thought of how many where buried under their own houses, dead or dying. Aneris was unsure whether she should land and help out or fly as fast as she could to the pegasi citadel. The powers that be might already be rallying every available pegasus in an organised effort to evacuate and treat survivors. With more guilt than she thought possible she clenched her eyes shut and flew towards the pegasi citadel.

When she arrived at the barracks she stayed in the last years, Cloud Cover by some twist of fate, came running towards her. The mare was anxious and stressed but unharmed, considering the Citadel on its cloud was by default unaffected by earthquakes. Aneris was nevertheless a responsible warrior and cared for those under her command.

“Cloud Cover, report! What of the ground facilities and nearby villages? Scala lies in ruins!”

The other pegasus saluted and began in a matter of fact tone to do just that.
“Most ground structures not of stone foundations are flattened. Several kilometres of cliff edge have broken off and taken any lookout tower with them as well as part of the northern trail.”

“The cape barracks?” Aneris asked with dread.
Cloud Cover shook her head biting her lips. The damage was worse than expected if the main refinery of orichalcum and the workshops within that site where irreparable.

“Before you ask Squadron Leader, there has been no time yet to scout for the mines. I was to find you for the first response teams”

Aneris tried not to imagine the manner of death the miners met with, in the deep orichalcum mines, with no escape other than the kilometre high cliffs.
“Lead the way” she said pushing the pictures out of her mind and steeled herself for the grim work ahead.

Division

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"As long as it burns,
we cannot drift apart"
The Heart Carol ©Hasbro

Instead of the smooth clacking of wheels on cobblestones, the royal chariot rounded the bend to the unicorn Keep driveway bumping unceremoniously with an incessant squeaking of dust trapped in loose parts. It and any vehicle at hand was used extensively during the last week from carrying refugees to transporting the dead. The king and queen had declined the offer of it but yielded only after insisting that they fill it to the brim with medical supplies and rations.

The earth pony pair that pulled the chariot unbuckled their harnesses and stepped into the shallow roofed guard post that stood sentinel beside the grand staircase leading up to the outer gardens. Out of the cold wind, they eagerly accepted warmed wine from a unicorn guard who thrust the earthenware cups at them.

“Drink first, news later, get that chill off our bones”

After downing the much watered but soothing beverage the older earth pony swallowed once, and asked.

“Well met. Blaze was it? I remember you”

“Well met friend. Nay, close but close enough. The name is Blaise, Blaise Tune and their Highnesses will be along as soon as the supplies are loaded. I loathe to send anypony pulling a load in such a weather but they would not have it any other way. How fares your end of the island?”

The stallion who addressed him looked about once and then focused his gaze to the remnants of the outer courtyard. What was not hewn from rock directly off the ground, lay collapsed and shattered. The rifts in the earth were deep here but not as deep as those that ripped through Scala town, or so he had heard.

“No, most structures still stand, at least those reinforced with our plant masonry. Yet…” he looked to the ground.

“Yet? I though anything short of fire could bring your magical plant buildings down. What gives, did fires break out?” the unicorn asked concerned.

The other earth pony who was silent up till now, touched his comrade’s shoulder comfortingly and answered.

“Its the blight. Ever since the big shake, our lodestone has been acting up. The…power…its power seems to stop then start up, but in reverse. Where it gave, to grow crops during winter or drought it now takes back. Look, I’m not the right pony to explain it, but instead of just stopping…the magic is…I don’t know.”

He looked helplessly down and started picking at the soil under his hoof, thoughtful.

“It is taking life from things already grown, plants, trees, even the livestock.” the first earth pony finished what the other could not “…ponies whisper it might take from us as well. Why has this happened? We’ve had earth-shakes before! We lost so many good ponies, what if…”

A pregnant silence crept in and the unicorn refilled their mugs.

“Its not only you. Consider Scala, all tribes lost good ponies there, and if something is going on with your lodestone, then its also happening to the others. The pegasi have a huge problem with the weather and somepony told me their lodestone not only shuts off its protection from time to time, but that it started attracting ill winds…”

He took a long swig from his drink and let the cup down with a small thunk.

“That is the deal with this thing today. The King wants to help your priests directly and if it works, he’ll fix the pegasi lodestone too.”

“What is wrong with yours Blaise? Has the King fixed it already? They say the earthquakes came from here you know…”

The unicorn was about to defend the pride of the unicorns in a more aggressive manner but sighed and shook his head, gesturing outside.

“Know what? Your guess is as good as mine. We really don’t know what is wrong with ours but it does not work right either. Magic that needs its power is wonky and about the earthquakes…I don’t know what to believe right now…”

“Guards?” the call came from outside and in the direction of the stairs.

Everypony let thoughts unfinished and went out to help the ones arriving from the keep with their burdens. The earth ponies took over with loading the goods correctly, while still leaving some room for the royal pair. One of them reached out for the next package, trying in vain to find a proper place to wedge it in when a kind voice spoke.

“I don’t need that much space my good pony, here, I can sit on this and the Queen can take place on what she is carrying.” the King of Marelantis said.

Baffled the pony accepted the heavy flat package and set it where he had left room on the seats. He choked an exclamation at seeing that the queen toiled as anypony with a heavy set of packages of her own. He ran to relieve her from at least the sack of grains.
“My lady, honestly who put you up with such a heavy load?” he asked kindly.

“I put myself up with it, and don’t frown so. Is it not bad enough that you will have to pull all this and us on top?” She looked strained and deeply pained, yet she let a small twinkle in her eye show in favour of the earth pony. Smiling she jested kindly.

“I promise you though, at the first sign of your legs giving out from under you, I’ll fly the rest of the way, I’ll push if it comes to that. Ah but listen not to an old mare, I am glad for your aid. All of Marelantis is the better for your tribe’s existence.”

The earth pony looked bewildered but accepted the kind words. “A pegasus speaking with such warmth about earth ponies, what a benevolent Queen indeed…Marelantis is all the better because of you, our beloved rulers!” he thought.

The last packages where brought by the princesses themselves, who were tasked, by their father, with providing the only escort. They kept a distance from each other and exchanged no glance or word. The mares were helped into saddlebags, laden with small packages. Magical instruments, spell ingredients and some scrolls for Concordia’s saddlebags and the meal the party would have, in Aneris’s.

Each sister helped a parent up into the seat, and their looks met briefly from across the carriage. Almost at once, they averted their eyes.

“I will fly low. Gotta keep a lookout” Aneris said and beat her wings once to hover not a few meters above.

“The earth ponies seemed to have strapped in, I will walk beside them for a while” Concordia said in tandem, eliciting a worried glance from Queen Rhea, who looked twice to and fro both her daughters. When she turned to her husband she found him worried as well. Touching his hoof lightly, he smiled slightly, closing his eyes and clasping her hoof in his.

“We will speak to them when we stop to rest. They will work it out my love, haven’t they always?”

Yet though some mother’s intuition, Queen Rhea felt that this was not a simple quarrel. Not with the tension so tangible between them. She let out a breath she did not know she was keeping in, when the chariot started to move.

Rounding the bend, the party took the road straight ahead instead of crossing the bridge Southwest, over Father River. It had finally collapsed in the sequence of small earthquakes that very morning. So instead of crossing the river, head south to Scala and then west towards Lotus lake, the only passable road was south-east and south to the windswept plateau. Only then would they be able to take a western route. The detour and the load the earth ponies would pull, would probably cost them the better half of the daytime, even though the time of departure was early.

Hoods where drawn forward and robes where fastened tighter as soon as they had cleared the part of the road to the unicorn keep, and where flanked by a gust of wind. High stone arches rose along the road interchanging with straight cypress trees. Most had collapsed in on themselves or one taking the other down in a cascade, as if a giant had let her toy structures fall in a neat row.

None of the ponies so much as looked at the damage, since they had seen worse in the last week. What just a month ago would be a topic of talk, was just more rubble that had fallen. Especially since it was just art. The time to ponder and weep over fallen art was long gone and by then no-pony otherwise aloof, was now oblivious of how the others fared. Not since every space available in either keep, was filled with refugees from the destroyed villages.

After a mere half hour, everypony was brought out of their thoughts as Aneris called from ahead.

“Ponies ahead! More refugees I think. Father shall I go look?”

“Yes Aneris. Ask them if we need to send for help and if they have wounded.” King Cronus said matter of factly. This scene, repeated so many times recently served only to add more to his troubles.

Rhea made to stand up and fly after her daughter, but Cronus held her back gently, wearily shaking his head once. This also was a scene repeated.

“Beloved, keep your strength for the work ahead. I will need you by my side.” He said as he had before.

“All right, but only since you insist. I cannot just sit idly” she would answer.

“But you haven't been idle Rhea. We have spent our waking moments coordinating what is within our hooves. Trust in the ponies as long as there are any to help.” The king would reassure her and she would step back from the argument as she did now.

To the front, standing along the earth ponies, Concordia heard the conversation thinking how sadly ironic it was. They were practically able to help, but also could not help out with each minor incident and not exhaust themselves. That is why subordinates exist, yet they could not but bring the same conversation up. They wanted to help each ailing soul so much, it scared her. She dreaded that one day she might feel the same way, to not just want to govern her people, but desire to give her utmost for them. Did they not see how exhausted they were, everypony was by now, but the royal pair looked burdened, their auras faded.

“The princess returns my king” one of the earth ponies called, while Aneris dashed pass them, turned a small arc in the air and hovered behind her parents. She reported matter of factly.

“Yet another scene repeated” Concordia thought to herself. “We all are like wound up puppets, responding to the next emergency, and the next, and the one after that…”

“Father, they ponies ahead are about forty five to fifty heads, no wounded, but plenty ill. They carry little and…seek shelter” Aneris said looking away dejectedly.

“Of course they would seek shelter” the King replied calmly. “ Aneris please fly back and reassure them they will receive help at the keep…” and raised his hoof to silence his daughter before she could say anything. “ I know you know that we simply have no more room. We…” he shook his head “…they will find room for them. And ill you say? Is it the coughing sickness the pegasi had?”

Aneris landed while her father spoke and rose on her hind legs, fore hooves on the railing of the carriage.
“Father, its mostly earth ponies and they have these marks… that blight thing…”

“The blight? They bring the blight here?” Concordia said loudly as she came around the carriage to stand behind her sister, though addressing her father. “Father you cannot allow them to pass it on!”

“And what would he do? We do not leave any pony behind! At least that is the Pegasi way…” Aneris said righteously, still looking ahead.

Concordia visibly bristled, replying while deliberately looking past her sister’s back in the direction of her parents.

“Oh? And pegasi are so leaned on contagious ailments that they presume we can let all of the populous get infected? With winter on our doorstep we are hard pressed to house and feed all of them, let alone if they are all sick. If pegasi had only once heeded unicorn ways…”

“Enough my daughters!” came the King’s voice, not too loud and not unkind. “You are both right and wrong. Even though you might not think it, you make me proud by involving yourselves, concerning yourselves and arguing over our predicament.” Addressing each daughter once he spoke and then turned forward “Aneris, its not the Pegasi way only, all ponies are equal and no pony is ever left behind. Concordia, the blight, this blight is not contagious and all ponies know the same cures and medicines. Trust in our people my daughters. United, you will never doubt.”

In that moment the tired aura seemed to melt away as he held his head high, letting his daughters see the gift of the lodestone power bestowed upon him on ascension to the throne. The mandate, the chrism manifested in an ever flowing mane, twinkling with stars and a visible difference in stature. The stallion, as any King with the chrism was taller, his horn longer and his mark pulsating as if alive.
The princesses stepped back taking the rarely manifested display in, until their father sighed, sat back and let the power reside within him. Diminished he looked, but for the glow in his eyes.

“Now look strong” he called “and greet the ponies as they pass, they need the encouragement.”

Queen Rhea was glad her husband subdued the argument so fairly, but found it more difficult to feel hope than ever before, while the ponies seeking shelter and aid walked past. She had risen and looked kindly into each face that looked up. She encouraged them silently to walk, that they could make it and the would find rest. Indeed the group picked up their pace ever so slightly, their backs less bent, feeling their fate less bleak. When at last only their backs could be seen, King Cronus asked the earth ponies to resume pulling the chariot, while Aneris resumed her glide above them and Concordia took her place beside the earth ponies.

Within another half hour the remnants of Thymari village were visible. It was the first of the villages in the unicorn Keep vicinity that were damaged in the first and largest of earthquakes. Even though it was mostly made of stone, it was the fires that damaged it the most. The incessant winds that would not settle despite the pegasi efforts, bolstered the fires to the point that all effort to quench them was abandoned. Aneris had flown over it now to survey since it was handled by the another division during the initial emergency while she and the other pegasi where sent to Scala.

Though the fires had long been put out, the charred buildings gave off an acrid smell. There was not much to see since everything that was salvageable was already taken or swept away in the wind and the picture of abandonment was eerie in contrast to how recently the village was bustling with life. As she walked next to the earth ponies who now were as silent as the rest of them, Concordia saw the malcontent in he Aneris’s eyes. It was palpable how little her sister thought of the efforts of unicorns in the search and rescue operations. In her mind’s eye a very different scene played out, about the toils and sacrifices unicorns made the night the earth shook.

Thymari village - a week ago

Aided by fourth circle mages, the response teams to lend their aid, teleported using a chain spell, allowing those less inclined to reappear correctly and follow those before them in tandem. The distances where thus covered in three to four teleportation increments depending on how far their destination was. The team in which Concordia followed as second in command, was sent to Thymari village. They were assaulted by the scorching gust of wind and the sky high flames as soon as they had reappeared.
Concordia did not have a moment to gather her wits when the distress call came booming in her mind. It came in waning waves as did all communication through the lodestones since the damage to them.

“Help! Somepony… the…mines. Main shaft…”

“Did you get that as well” she shouted over the general mayhem towards her team. A unicorn healer, Marabella perhaps, answered also shouting back.

“I think so… but you are better at this princess. Who is it?”

Concordia went closer to her to be able to speak without shouting even thought they had to be very loud.
“The mines, the Orichalcum mines…”

Open eyed the other pony whose peach coat started to blot with the falling soot, trotted on the spot.
“The mines? Oh nonono there are hundreds of ponies down there.. But don't they have their own security teams on the spot? Has no one gone there yet?”

Concordia looked quickly at the pony, then the village and assessed most ponies had a job to do and where already evacuating the village successfully. Turing her back to them she braced for a difficult teleportation when the healer called her back.

“Wait!what are you doing?”

“ I am going down there now. We are only support here anyway. Tell our team leader I went to find out”
And before the other could protest further, Concordia teleported to the entrance of the main orichalcum shaft.
And not a moment too soon because after a few steps forward the lip of the cliff collapse completely and took the outer tunnel with it. Concordia had a moments breath to shield herself with a dome of light before opening her eyes to a completely new scene.
The whole roof had gone with the cliff and the first grand hall, excavated hundreds of years before stood open to the sky.
Letting her shield dissipate she clutched her chest momentarily, wide eyed and even wondered briefly how it was possible after all that has happened, to still be shocked.
She then concentrated by taking a deep calming breath and send a thought to all four dark tunnels before her.
“Where are you, which tunnel?”

The call came more coherent, now that she was closer.
“Third corridor, main vein”

Concordia who knew the mine only by approximation chose the third to her right, hoping it was the correct one. With her horn glowing brightly for visibility, she charged down-wards, where it was getting eerily hotter.
As she galloped, she sent her thoughts again.
“How many teams?”

The voice came clearer but oddly calm, as if taking to himself. Almost ponderous at the events.
“All of us…trapped”

Smoke assaulted her and all communication stopped, in fact her light diminished and sputtered off.
Its the Orichalcum interfering with magic she thought as she blindly walked into a barrier that had her bounce off. When a gust from behind her took most of the smoke with it, she saw in amazement and dread that ahead lay another enormous cavern, now blocked with a barrier sustained by a powerful third degree mage.

"Mandrake" Concordia shouted in recognition and growing despair.

The stallion's pensive and abandoned expression turned instantly to worry as he recognised the Princess.
“Go back” Mandrake shouted “ a lodestone tendril has molten the new vein, its has covered the other corridors already. "Go back princess. There is nothing you or anypony can do for us now... My protection from Orichalcum interference wont last long, but I cant let them suffer such a death, I cant..." indicating with a broad hoof-stroke at the ponies about him.

Behind him, sat, stood or lay about a hundred or so miners, of all races, the earth pony miners with their affinity for the metal, the pegasi who worked the pulleys and manned the lifts and the unicorns who traced and coaxed the veins out. All hard working, brave ponies who daily toiled for the renowned Marelantean steel. Steel that covered their ships, made their armours and weapons and was coveted world wide. All of them trapped.
He continued "We shall sleep now, forever."

“Tell me how to help. Please Mandrake!” Concordia shouted as loud as she could, her voice croaking.

Mandrake gravely shook his head and spoke a few words to a group of unicorns behind him. They took up holding the barrier as Mandrake addressed the ponies who all looked up to him, resigned. His eyes glowed a fearsome magenta as he summoned all magic he could muster from any lodestone that would grant it.

Concordia did not believe her eyes. Left only to whisper to herself and then shout, pounding her hooves against the shimmering wall.

“You don't mean to attune now… Mandraaakeeee NO!”

Before her the Stallion shone ever brightly until he was a mere silhouette engulfed in light. A sphere formed around him and energy shot from it towards each and every pony. Encasing them in transparent cocoons, they fell asleep as they were, in complete, oblivious stasis. He had time only to encase the mages holding the barrier, before he himself fell asleep in his own. The barrier collapsed instantly under the very pressure and molten Orichalcum burst through the other corridors sixty meters away from Concordia.
With a intelligible shriek of agony and despair at so many lives now buried in molten metal, she ran up the corridor she came from and then coughing, taking fast shallow breaths and sobbing, teleported away as soon as she reached the open domed first hall.

She came to, at the surface furnaces and metalworking workshops a few hundred meters from the cliff that served as entrance to the mines. The buildings had suffered great structural damage but no fires had broken out and carriages laden with goods where already leaving the area. Still ponies toiled to salvage as much as they could and many unicorns had created a teleportation chain to take as many ponies they could away, while others held beams of buildings in place, so that the roofs would not collapse.
All this Concordia saw through hazy eyes. And stumbling forward, joined a group oh healers who had too much than their hooves could handle.

Hours later, she sat on a boulder, exhaustedly looking ahead but not looking at anything at all. She toyed with her crystal pendant without thinking about it, or she would have noticed not only the fact that it was completely black, but also that miniscule tendrils of smoke flickered tentatively before fizzing out.
She was roused from her torpor when somepony draped a cloak over her shoulders.

“No thanks…must go back to helping…” she muttered shrugging the cloth away.

Strong hooves halted her. Spell Wright stood there, also exhausted, covered in soot and minor injuries.
“You have done enough Princess…”

She turned to look up at him and he recoiled at the despair.
“The mines! Could not help them. All buried! All encased in orichalcum.” she said, managing only a dejected mutter.

Spell Wright offered his hoof to help her up and moved to hug her.
“Brave Concordia, what on earth made you go down there…you could have been trapped yourself. Brave but futile."

Concordia took the offered hoof, but moved away from the hug. Dejected but oddly firm in her command she added.
“Thanks and yes it was futile, a complete failure. I need to tell my father of this. Assist me to teleport there please.”

“Yes” he answered crestfallen.
Would she have cared to look behind her, she'd not see the usual disheartened expression of her admirer, but a lingering ambivalence that might, just have started to become disdain.

Having passed through the village, the group approached Scala town and Concordia was harshly brought out of memory to witness how the town was levelly by the brunt of the earthquake and partly sunken by the grand fissure that had originated from the unicorn keep.
They would have to go by the small road above the harbour town, as there was no possible way to pass through. Concordia halted to see her sister, in mid air watching the ruins below, her face clearly remembering what must have been her ordeal.

Scala town - A week ago
Aneris landed in the midst of mayhem, among a mixed squad of healers, warriors and any able pegasus around, who as willing and able to assist. Her orders where simple and needed no second thought : Find all isolated spots where ponies had started small triages and gather them in one place, namely the Scala Amphitheatre.

Due to its ancient protection spells and the very marble it was hewn of, the massive semi circular structure sustained no damage whatsoever. Its marble, speckled with lodestone dust shone lightly in the dark. That night it seemed to shine especially brightly, either by ancient spell or by a mind of its own, in aid for the refugees.

Those ponies who were awake during the largest earthquake, or those who managed to escape the collapsing buildings they slept in, had already gathered there and now sat, lied or cowered in small groups, bewildered and shocked.

Once Aneris divided her squad into smaller clusters and sent them down into the town, she addressed the numbers filling the seats.

“Ponies! I am Princess Aneris and I need your aid!”

Blanc stares met her, as if she was not there. All around cries and confused muttering continued, muffled voices murmuring and the fires below casting an overpowering light. The acrid smoke wafted up towards them in thick plumes, stinging her eyes. Tears of frustration where coaxed out by trying to blink away the stinging smoke, not helping her convey and image of a stalwart leader. She tried shouting louder, her voice not reaching them when she ordered them to “stand up and help” nor when she thrust a hoof towards the burning town, reminding them that “ your friends are down there, dying!”. Still the blank shell shocked eyes watched her.

Aneri’s chest heaved and she tried to keep a sob in when a hoof touched her shoulder. She shivered involuntarily, turning her head and froze. Aeolus held her fast, looking forward. Bending down he spoke in her ear, his breath tickling and hot, momentarily blocking everything out.

“Together Princess. Fly with me and you will command them!”

Gently he placed his hooves on her waist and hoisted her up. Instinctively Aneris spread her wings wide in synchrony with him as if in a dance.

The two of them rose a few meters up, spread wings with their orichalcum armour catching the red light. All eyes opened wide to see the mirage of a pony of legend. Gleaming blindly in gold and red, two sets of wings on her back, she looked both demonic and godly.

An exhilaration filled Aneris. Her face burned with glee and embarrassment. In the eyes below she saw wonderment and expectation, and understood what she should do. Taking a breath, for a second enjoying the strong hooves holding her, his hooves, she called in a commanding voice. The sound amplified by the amphitheatre architecture reached every pony as if they were addressed personally.

“My people! Your princess has need of you. No! Marelantis has need of you and what do you do? You cower away from those who need you”

Thrusting a hoof towards burning Scala, she seemed to directly symbolically attack it by absorbing its light. All eyes followed and Aneris felt the power within her, the inexplicable force that grips a crowd when one has them enraptured. With a gentle smile she called again, her hooves beckoning the ponies to her and then spreading wide in a benedictory gesture.

“Lend your strength to your Land and together we will be saved, You will save us. To me now!”
Under her benign gaze the crowd stood, and gathered beneath her, their eyes never leaving her, even as Aeolus let go of her he held and landed, sending out commands in her stead.

“Earth ponies! Your strength is key! Assist the teams freeing the trapped and be fearless”
“Unicorns and any versed in medicine, to my right! Help the wounded!”
“Pegasi to Me! my kin, and fear no Darkness!”

In wonder Aneris saw all follow Aeolus’s commands, while always looking at her. Lightly flapping her wings she stayed aloft, her smile turning to a grin. Even as she touched it, her crystal necklace turned even darker, yet she did not notice.
“Together he had said” she thought and started to wonder what she should do. Stay there, a beacon of command? Join the troops below. Her Salvation came to her utmost joy. Aeolus flew straight up facing her and bowing slightly.

“Well done Princess!” and flew away immediately.

Aneris only got a look of his back as he flew eastwards towards the cliffs. Her heart pounding she felt changed, charged with energy and resolve.

“We did this together! He assisted me as if I commanded Marelantis and he were my second… Oh Lodestones…we are meant to rule together! He loves me!”

She was shaken out of her reverie when acrid smoke assaulted her nostrils yet again. Even though she wanted nothing else other than to dash after him like an adoring puppy, she swallowed once and stoically landed amidst the parting crowd. Immediately she was approached by ponies who had some sort of grip on the situation and was respectfully consulted upon her orders.

After Scala, the group stopped for a rest-bit at the border of the forest that miraculously stayed intact. Here the grass stood undisturbed and the surrounding fields reminded of a past time, a time of peace, harmony and happy autumn frolicking. Later they would have to drive down a hillock to arrive at lake lotus and the earth pony fields.
For now sombrely the royal pair laid out a large table cloth, while the two earth ponies rested by the cart, in the shade it provided. Concordia helped her mother lay out a simple meal and as Aneris flew down as well, King Cronus slowly rose and beckoned her to him.
“Aneris? Please walk with me daughter.”and walked a few paces ahead.

Aneris looked questioningly at her mother who was just receiving a cup of juice from Concordia, but got only a tilt of Queen Rhea’s head to follow after him.
Looking to and fro her parents, she swallowed hard and went after her father who had walked ahead down the meadow, where he waited looking ahead.

As Aneris neared him, she realised he was gazing at the border of where everything was as before, and where the blight had irreparably changed the land. It seemed as if the king of Marelantis stood guard to the division between harmony and chaos. Down there the lake was murky and enormous bubbles gurgle up and lazily burst. The surrounding fields lay blackened by something akin to sludge than fire. It was immensely more horrifying that all the reports they heard so far. As she came to halt next to him, she mused,
“Will you and mother be able to fix the lodestone to..to fix everything?”

“Fix it?” said he, his voice almost unbelieving. He shook his head once and turned from perusing the Land, to look straight into her eyes. The depths of his magic saturated eyes held her fast.

“Daughter, do you remember what the Lodestones really are?”

Aneris took a step back but halted refusing to be cowed. She did not expect query test, in fact she did not know what she expected of this private talk. Nevertheless she answered, thinking how Aeolus would like a strong queen by his side, ready to answer anybody.
“Father, I believe we’ve been taught…”

“Indulge me daughter!”

“All right…fine” sighing at yet another pointless magical tirade, she answered with closed eyes, “they are a repository of magic and other things, their power will never run out and they serve us.”
Upon opening her eyes, her satisfied look froze at the King’s disappointment that was barely hidden .

“Really, is that what you have been taught or is that how pegasi talk about it in the army?”

Stalling, Aneris tried to find the correct words. She had long left all this posh stuff behind, what point was there anyway?
“No…its…at least our Lodestone..”

“Your?” Her father’s raised eyebrow said it all and she lost the wind off her sails.

“I mean, the Pegasi one, the one we control?.. Well we use it to teach us and amplify our flight, with it we control the weather, the currents. We protect the island!”

“Don't you know better daughter? You were raised here on the entire island, as a pony among ponies not only as a pegasus, has this land no other lodestones? Are they not connected to each other as all the races are?”

This time Aneris stepped forward incensed. A challenge she could tackle.
“You imply I am against the other races?”

Proudly she tried to stare back at him yet again she had to look aside. In the magenta glow of his silent look, her entire being was reflected.
“..I am not… father you;ve got to believe me, I am not against anyone. Yet there is a certain bias among everypony.”

The manner with which he could stand unmoving and looking at her, through her, cowed her even more.

“And does a daughter of Marelantis, my Daughter, not know to use her stature to thwart such biases? Do you think I do not know what goes on in my own kingdom?” He shook his head twice and continued.
“Honestly I don't know where to begin now, here I was ready to talk eye to eye to a princess about about her role as regent and now this? “

His daughter blushed, looking downwardly. The last thing she expected was all this. Looking up she asked.
“Regents?”

“Ah…in more peaceful times it would have been easier and I see we already have a chasm of topics to breach, oh well, listen. You and your sister are regents of this land.”

“But how..father?”

“Through the lodestones. They don't serve us daughter, they cooperate with us, they are not limitless thought they have abundant magic for Millennia. As in the past the mother lodestone would choose to accept a king or queen, if they took the rite, The path of Kings. The lodestone though does not accept any pony, they accept the one that have the chrism.”
“But the Chrism is just a display, a spell...” and her eyes grew wide as her father looked taller, his horn longer and his mane and tail were studded with glinting gems, translucent the hairs flowed with a movement if their own.

“THIS IS THE CHRISM” his voice came thundering, vibrating and as fast as it appeared, it dissipated and her father took his previous form.
"It's amplified power and I can bestow it on whomever I deem worthy and they could take the rite.”

He had turned back again, watching the land, as if drawn by this duty.
The pause seemed longer that it really was to Aneris, as she took everything in as well. She did not want to be petulent and she did want to be a good Queen to Aeolus, but she really thought he would take care of all this. She did ask the first thing that came to mind though.

“But why are you telling me this now. You and mother are here to fix…err… heal the earth pony lodestone and… I don't understand how the conversation got from a little bias to regency and magical manes…”

He turned to look at her, this time with a paternal expression, almost regretting the harshness.
“I see we misunderstood you. Both of our daughters we have. You see, we thought you knew what you were getting into with this wedding.”

Aneris gasped at the irrelevancy of this comment. “What are you talking about? Aeolus and I…we… he will marry me and be king and… oh!”

King Cronus nodded.

“Oh! She continued her eyes darting about “and you said..in order to be king..you have to…and then he has to… but…” now anxious tears rolled down her eyes. “I am so confused father. Everything was so normal and simple and.. Can't we just get married?”

The king sat next to her pressing his lips together and with closed yes said
“I think I see now what has been going on. That even though somehow its stated that you are to be wed, little has really been talked about between you and Aeolus. This must be rectified before its too late.”

Aneris shook herself angrily and stood in alert.
“Wait, what are you going to do?”

“Do? First my duty to this land, then ask him to ask you directly for your hoof in marriage”

“Why? Father his declaration..it...”

“It means nothing. Have you spoken about it with him? Have talked about his plans, your plans?”

“But,everypony...”

“Stop this at once! Is he even in love with you or are you just fawning over a hero figure? You are being played and I am so ashamed to have found out just now.”
Aneris wondered at how her father could keep these ambivalent feelings so balanced. He turned all angry and accusatory so fast. She whimpered now, flustered.
“Why are you doing this father? What have I ever done to you?”

“Nothing worthwhile that is what." he still sat looking ahead, irking her how much he looked liek her beloved Aunt and commander when she had a bad day. "You are being led by you nose around matters of state and crown and you act as if its a tryst in the bushes.”

“A tryst?!!!” she blurted out, ashamed.

“Have you even had one? Any intimacy whatsoever?” he asked calmly.

“No No! We..father I serve in a military order, we don't”

“You don't… " he nodded to himself "...and that is precisely how your intended is leading the public to form its own view about your relationship. But even if you marry, my chrism will not be given to you, unless you show some spine and merit. Its decided.”

Aneris cried out.
“This is unfair! He is the best and he will be a good leader and everyone loves him…I love him,a nd he chose me for my spine and merrit!”

He stood up, dusting off his flank and look down at her sternly, coolly.

“I see I am no longer getting through to you. Let it be said that you embark upon a political contract that entails more than a candidacy for a single crown. We shall speak of this tonight after I have summoned Aeolus to the castle. Its high time we spoke.”

With that he walked back up the hillock, just as two earth ponies galloped towards his queen and other daughter.

A few minutes before, Queen Rhea just nodded Aneris to follow her father and accepted a cup of juice from Concordia.
The latter also looked from the duo to her mother and asked calmly.
“Mother what is going on?”
The queen drank once and answered in a happy tone.
“Oh don’t be so wary, These are the few happy times within all this catastrophe. Your father just wants to talk to your sister about her new life.”
“New life?” Concordia let her cup down on the cloth and meant to ask more.
“Have you been living under a rock Concordia?” her mother mused “Your sister is getting married to Aeolus…”
Concordia thwacked her fore hoof down on the cloth and her cup flew forward, tumbling into the grass.
“Mother! For once stop this coddling and listen. I know.”
“But”
“No, no one has given me a breaking moment to explain. And your conclusions, all of your conclusions are wrong. This is not a happy time, its a troubling time, my sister is tumbling straight into matters she is oblivious about. No I am not a brave warrior flier, and I don't presume to understand the motives of the pegasi, but I see the cold calculation in Aeolus, in his eyes, eyes that don't look at my sister with love. And Aneris wont listen! She is so enthralled, that it seems a lost cause. It almost feels she is not the sister I knew anymore…”
Queen Rhea touched her forearm to halt her, and nodded gravely. She looked down the hill towards where the other two stood conversing and then took deep breath.
“Oh how could we have been so wrong.I see we have misunderstood you both. We so wish for both of your happiness and its seemed too fitting for your sister to find her love in Aeolus. I know you believe me apart from my fellow Pegasi, but I grew up among them like any other. I know that some displays of affection are different, but you are right. It must be seen into.
Yet I must apologise, you seem far more mature than we expected. Perhaps too much for your young age.”
“Too much?” Concordia was bewildered at the unexpected praise.
“Oh daughter, you have grown so distant from each other that we thought it was out of awkwardness, especially you not feeling comfortable with your sister’s relationship and her maturing into a ruler.”
“Pff relationship..I…”
“Hush, don't you at least have a hope that their mutual agreement to marry might blossom to affection, and love?”
“Hope?” Concordia sounded more disgusted at the words than she thought she was able to “I don't hope, I believe its will never happen! She only believes in what Aeolus does, says or orders her to do. That is no way for a princess to act. She has no concept of ruler-ship. To lead a squadron or what they call it, yes but ruling people? She cannot rule herself, she only believes in her teammates. That is simply wrong.”
Looking directly at her mother, Concordia tried to emphasise that fact that she knew the truth. Yet she met a queen, high in stature, hew flowing mane and tail shining with blinking stars.
“The chrism…” Concordia whispered in awe, and her mother, the Queen spoke in the amplified voice of her stature.
“Then what do you believe in, you, the other Princess of Marelantis?”
Concordia stood as well and stated.
“I believe in Marelantis and its magic, no flimsy feelings and heroic stories”
While her mother let her form diminish, and her mane settle to its normal state she answered, but not as was expected.
“You are wrong. Your sister believes in Marelantis and her ponies, you in the same and its magic. You are both right and wrong again. Concordia, you cannot expect to one day rule an empty land and its magic. The ponies, all the races of them are part of it, with their woes, happiness and flimsy affections as you state them. Don't talk down on your sister as if love was worthless. Its a defining element of what a ruler is. “
“Mother I understand this very well”
“No you don't. You need to live as well as prepare for regency, or even queendom. Life is not being cold towards any advancing stallion or mare”
“Mother!”
“Oh don't act coy. When have you last taken a lover? A simple escapade. You are growing cold, freezing up inside for the sake of magic and a goal you have not a complete picture of. You are already being overshadowed even if you could stand next to one of the most powerful unicorn mages of your generation right this moment.”
“I…who?”
“Do you see it now. You presume to be so open minded but you have not seen how embittered Spell wright grows each season you deny his affection? Yes a political marriage it could seem to be as well, but would it be so bad? Would he b such a bad stallion for you?”
“When did the conversation turn about me? Here you go with this again. On one hoof you preach about love and on the other a marriage of no love is condoned? I need no lover to take the path of Kings. The way I see it, no the way I know it, father will someday bestow the chrism on both of us and if Aeolus takes the rite, then I will as well. And I wont need a male to rape me to walk the Path of Kings.
“Concordia…”

But her words were interrupted as a duo of earth ponies arrived galloping towards them.

Up close it was clear that the twin earth pony priests had come all the way there to welcome the Royal family. They bowed deeply to the queen, curtly to Concordia and then to the King as he arrived briskly up the hillock, with a distraught looking Aneris in tow.
As the sisters stood behind their parents who exchanged pleasantries with the priests and walked them to the cart, Concordia spoke over her shoulder to her sister.
“What? Tears? Did father not swoon over your love life?”
Aneris shot her a look full of malice spouting
“You don’t look as if you’ve had it better sister…”

They were spared further interaction with each other as Viridian sight walked between them, describing what was obvious all around. The blight doing this the blight causing that. Both sisters fumed within their thoughts feeling all the more hostile towards each other, almost oblivious at the catastrophe of their homeland, the very lake they swam in, the fields they ran through. The were also oblivious at the earth pony between them, having realised they were in conflict and not in speaking term. He deliberately droned on and on, their rift playing right into his plans.

Ahead Stone Bark was playing his own little drama for the King and Queen who also seemed preoccupied, yet attentive enough to the earth pony plight. They were being led directly to the earth temple, as the priests stated the lodestone was acting especially volatile today. When the earth pony twins stood bowed and meek by the withered entrance to the temple they watch with slitted eyes as the royal family disappeared within.
Nodding to each other they raised their hooves in unison and coaxed the blackened but still living wood to block the entrance completely. With glee did they watch as the tree bled tainted ichor to seal the door.

"Everything is ready up here brother" said Stone bark.
"Our messiah below is ready as well" answered Viridian Sight.
They clasped hooves as if in benediction and coaxed all the power they could muster, for the tree to unleash the power below, up through the lodestone right as the King and Queen would come into contact with it...

Interlude in three parts

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“Twilight” Voice said, while the scene of the Earth Temple faded away to blurry colours.

“Twilight Sparkle” she repeated, kindly but insistent.

The pony on her part strained to recall that she even was somepony at all, so engrossed was she within the story. She felt her thoughts muffled and could not keep them to form something coherent before another thought began. The struggle to trudge through the quagmire of the specifics of who she was, the how’s and when’s and what’s of her situation, seemed to have taken far too long. At long last, or even not long at all, she could not tell, she replied.

“Yes voice, I… hear you. I mean… I’ve been hearing you all along, but its been difficult to…”

“To come out of the viewing?” Voice offered and went on before Twilight could agree.
“It is harrowing to say the least, especially if you had sat through the entirety of what I have to retell as all the alicorns before you have. Without any interruptions or pacts mind you. In this, you are unique I dare say.”

If Twilight could have physically do it, she would have rubbed her forehead while she spoke.

“Care to elaborate? You mean there is more apart from the obvious outcome of this story?”

Voice’s tome seemed no less kind and patient, yet came through ironic nonetheless.
“Oh Twilight. I don’t appear to every Alicorn, in order to solve their problems. I…”

“Yes yes I know. You appear before us, once in a lifetime and help us through the pivotal time of this… this change, and we come out of it changed… Some not as good ponies as others as you have hinted.”

Twilight wanted to add further to her retort but chose to leave it at that, feeling a bit triumphant. Yet Voice did not take it at heart or ignored her.

“As asked I will elaborate. Yes, there is more to the story as you care to put it. The story, each time I retell it, is of the past until the very time of each alicorn’s present.”

“The whole dang deal?” Twilight burst out “Mind you Voice, any other day I would cherish such an opportunity at our history, the scope, the information that ponies are missing, its… its amazing, but… the whole dang deal Voice? If I came out from the last bit like I did, how will I be when I get to return and save my friends? Save Equestria! They… they were right there, just a hair away to take my magic as well. I can’t be out of it for even a split second.”

Twilight felt faint, stressed, want for air and exasperated all at once. She wanted to vent, to make everything stop, but also to find out what she needed in order to undo what had been done, what was being done to her friends. A small voice withing herself was also curious about the lives she witnessed, what it would all culminate to, yet she was also angry, angry at voice and this pact…

“The pact!” Twilight exclaimed after a long drawn breath. “Voice! We had a pact. I listen until you tell me of the evil that is threatening my friends, my home and how to fight it. Then this… the rest. If that is true then why did you stop the narration now? If as you stated time is slowed then could you not have finished with the story instead of getting me stressed and worried all over again?”

“It was not within my maker’s wishes to have me be or act apologetic. Compassion, kindness and sincerity I can offer though and these you have. Now before you react, let me answer your requests anew. Our pact is not broken, unique as it is, even though I understand that the prospect of the entirety of the past is daunting. Forget not that I have been the tool of this endeavour many times. Alicorns have emerged of this experience traumatised, angry, depressed, shamed yet also strong, wise and more that the sum of their being had been before. In this at least you will find some solace once you emerge, amongst your fellows.
Furthermore I would not have interrupted the retelling for any reason other than that I have found myself at a crossroads. Initially I was going to bring the story to the point where you could discern the solution to your problem. Yet would you understand what to do when you saw it? Luckily you gave the solution yourself by asking it. Namely the manner of the evil that formed the base of what threatens your present. Fear not, for I will only briefly explain the circumstances, adding any interactions my maker could remember.
Only when you will explicitly declare that you know of what you will fight and how to fight it, will the first of our pact’s conditions have been met. As for any interruptions up to that point, I know of only one instance, where every alicorn has needed a minute pause. You will understand I believe, when it happens. Have your queries been seen to Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight paused before replying, digesting the facts as best as she could. Voice, as the “book” that she was, was a construct and therefore preprogrammed with what she could and could not do. Yet she asked herself it would be worth the try, to press for a further request. Without, if she could help it, indenturing herself further to anything.

“Voice, if I may. You have answered very… accurately, but if I could ask just this teensy little thing. I mean… can you sort of shorten the story to the facts? You get to fulfil your… your reason of being and I get to hear the facts that I need. Seems a fair deal right?” said she, trying to sound as meek as she could.

“In truth, no. I cannot do that. I am unable to act against the conditions of what made me. The very fact of my purpose would be null would I was to be used as an encyclopedia to be riffled through for information. These are the facts Twilight sparkle and this is your current predicament.

“But… I never asked for this. For any of this. Why…” Twilight’s voice dwindled to a hoarse whisper. She felt as if her whole being bent its back and let the gloom swallow her. Yet some defiant part had simply had enough and her voice csame out croaked.

“I was going to stop myself from asking why “me” but I don’t want to anymore. Yes Voice, why in the name of everything does it have to be me! Why should I sit back again and be drawn into another plan, be a cog in a predestined scheme and fulfil yet another “destiny”… again. I don’t want to know of all these sad things. I don’t want to see what depressed other alicorns, what shamed them even less… Those alicorns are my friends as well don’t you see? Why cant I be what I was, simply solve friendship problems, do what I am asked to do and that be enough…”

“Oh don’t despair so Twilight” Voice seemed to try her best to help her. “Is it not comfort that I was made a clone of my maker’s soul with a voice to talk, with a semblance of emotions to relate to? I could just as well have been a cruel spell, meant to convey the same facts in a entirely different yet gruesome and intrusive manner.
And its not as if it is only you. All your fellow alicorns despaired at the prospect of what it ultimately means to be what you are. It is a step further than simply coming to terms with responsibility, immortality and yes even the stewardship of an entire race. Steel your resolve and stop pondering why it is you that has to take up responsibility. You are an alicorn, it will always be you.”

Twilight felt as if she had been hugged only to be slapped afterwards. Why did this… this book with a voice presume she had no sense of responsibility, that she know nothing of being a princess? Yet she started to fear she knew only the surface of things. Even that it was her fault, the fact that she never looked further than what was simply the good and the bad of being an alicorn. Had she perhaps for so long, just worn the horseshoes of an adult never really grasping that life had changed? Then where were those to guide her through this new realisation. Why did it feel so clear and painful… and lonely. Twilight longed for her closest friends more than ever, yet not to have the cushion the blow. Sunburst appeared in her thoughts beside them. A confidant, a trustee and a kindred soul, for a strange reason she longed for his presence the most. She would see this through she decided. She would do this and be a better friend and companion to them!

“Go on Voice. Tell your story.” She said more matter of factly than she had expected herself to.

“Very well. I will present you the facts in the form of an interlude, for I will visit the three who comprise the beginning of the trail of events that would lead to the emergence of the evil so far in the future, and so far away from where it began.”

Part 1 Chaos imprisoned

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“Lodestone
/ˈləʊdˌstəʊn/
noun
1. A magical crystal of legend, said to have existed upon
the fabled island of Marelantis. Cirqa 2000 B.E.(Before Equestria)
2. A piece of such rock, which was used as a primitive attractor of evil
3. Guiding magic crystal, fabled to have been alive
Coltford Dctionary

Since he was a foal Spell Wright admired his father immensely, following his every hoof-step, especially revering Crystal Quill’s magical abilities. He tried to gain his father’s approval with all his strength, from his first tentative spells to his present actions. During foalhood Spell Wright did not know how to recognise how abandoned he was and such was his wonderment of his father that he did not even compare other foal’s families to his single parent one. No spell could have been so complete as the self-imposed idolisation the son had for his father, completely forgetting even the few years he got to be with his mother before she wasted away from the babesia that claimed many lives that year. Little did the few comments of friends help Spell Wright, that his father was bluntly ignoring him, using him whenever he was convenient.

Crystal Quill on the other hand was thought by the general populous to be an embittered widower and thus his stern and devoid of affection handling of his only son, was forgiven. Despite being aware of what was thought and said about him, he maintained that persona, hiding beneath his hatred for the other two races, especially the pegasi for a reason he had pushed back from his mind, long ago. He never remarried, focusing instead on his attunement to the unicorn lodestone. When his son gained his mark, advancing on the same day to the third degree, in a rare gesture of affection, Crystal Quill included Spell Wright in the plan hatched so long ago. He knew how malleable to his views and wishes his son was, despite being highly intelligent and powerful enough to rival his own potential. Thus was the derelict cavern below the lodestone reopened in secret.

In the beginning, Crystal Quill, second only to the King in knowledge and sheer power, strove to covertly lay the foundations to connect the lodestone in its birth above, to a construct in his cavern below. After the success to form a lay-line, the construct was augmented to encase various summoned entities that failed time and time again to yield any result. Namely to generate earthquakes at will, tapping into the already seismic activity of the Mareterranean region. Spell Wright had never as much as spoken against his father’s experiments, all with specimen that where bought off sailors and traders. When the need for stronger victims came forth, Spell Wright grew apprehensive and after the death of a half crazed harpy runt, he confronted his father on his absence of ethics.

Thus Crystal Quill brought out the trump card he held for so long. He diverted the subject of his own fallacy to how naive and unfocused Spell Wright was. Did he not see that the apple of his eye, the beautiful and talented Concordia, did not even bat an eyelash his way? That despite his status and accomplishments, she gave him no regard? Him the only stallion worthy of her… Slowly and steadily was Spell Wright’s mind poisoned, and using the same arguments that justified all actions of his father, so where his propositions rationalised as well. Yes, he Spell Wright was the only destined mate for Concordia.

Spell Wright took it upon himself to watch and follow Concordia closely. Her sister who usually unnerved him, now was branded as an interloper in his mind. She clearly was going to plot against Concordia when he would marry her and be the rightful King. All the better if his father found a way to bring all pegasi ground infrastructure to ruin, forcing them to bow down to him for aid. Their ridiculous cloud citadel would not save them from starvation, if their surface stores where levelled. So he at first thought it was Aneris who took Concordia away from him, but soon realised it was much worse. For reasons he did not know back then, he had not informed his father about the twins disappearing from view whenever they went to the forest, the forgotten ancient gardens. Foul magic was afoot he had thought and tried to find accusatory proof against Aneris when on that fateful day he saw his rival for the first time. Any initial enthusiasm he might have had in more innocent times upon seeing a live Draconequus, was burned away as he witnessed the affection for that creature in Concordia’s eyes. He did not care how angry his father would be at how late he was privy to the information, but what Crystal Quill would do to the creature began do sound very ethical to Spell Wright.

———————————
Thus he was theirs, trapped like any other silly beast within the crystal prison. Spell Wright paced not unlike his father, around Discord’s prison, delighting in how futile the beast’s attempt to mold, change, transport and explode himself, where. For a week now, the draconequus exerted himself to escape, resulting only in displaying the endless ways that creature could damage itself and survive.

Discord on the other hand had lost all sense of time. By what could have been the third day he had given up on maintaining any facade of what his only friends would call a benign appearance. He took ever more disturbing forms and displayed contorted demonic visages in vain. For an endless amount of time he tried to destroy the walls around him, which always backfired against him. Acid, explosions, bending of elements and rearrangement of his own materia where futile. The more powerful the attack, the worse the backlash. A vicious circle of attacking, receiving pain and lashing out in reaction began, that did not limit itself to the physical. Discord attempted teleporting his body, in whole or in parts to no avail. He applied time transcending magic, but his prison was a rare fixed point in the dimension, allowing no paradox or deviation. He finally tried projecting his mind in order to enter that of his captors. That resulted in an echo of himself in his thoughts, which he erased immediately. That way lay only madness and he somehow knew it would be far worse than one of his rage.

During the hours he was left alone, Discord rested and thought of his friends, first speaking to them through the crystal on his neck but receiving no sign of recognition or being able to see or hear anything. Then he cried, few tears in the beginning, then agonised wails, to end up in long-wound roars and throat rending desperation. Lastly came hate. A loathing for his captors, following a malice against creation around him and ending in a hidden disgust of himself. The crystal around his neck got darker all the while, unable to serve its purpose in venting all of its wearer’s darkness into the Chaos Dimension.

Soon he allowed the backfiring echoes of his own mind to linger, if only to have some company, yet soon he gave them freedom to develop into smaller copy personalities of himself, with whom he toyed, commanded and soon conferred with. They transcendent from mere walls to bounce thoughts off to minions with their own ideas and suggestions. It was these minions of his who subtly cautioned him to shroud himself in darkness, giving less of a target for the worthless eyes of his enemies. From them he also found the soon to become joyful activity of taunting the two stallions whenever they tried to resolve whatever their conundrum was. Discord made his thoughts appear as words against the surface of his prison, mocking and distracting the ponies. Especially the younger who seemed to have less of a stomach for Discord’s more visceral displays than the father, soon became very stressed at what the words would say. Discord perfected this torture of Spell Wright’s nerves the next days to the point that the pony spoke back, trying in vain to defend his father and himself. Not long after, Discord got more information out of the fatigued wreck that Crystal Quill would ever wish him to learn.

When it was clear what the ponies wanted to do with him after all, Discord was both relieved and perplexed. “Let them create an earthquake, he thought, let them cause as many as they wished, let them cause the biggest of all and rend the land in twain! No hide off my back…I will be free and I’ll take my sweet time to kill them.”

Before long Discord found Spell Wright’s malleability so laughable that he had a hard time to keep the source of the pony’s sudden wealth of solutions away from his father. Discord -and his echoes- guided the pony through bringing the lay line to correctly connect to the lodestone above the cavern without the backlash that was the reason the previous specimen perished. The application of stone devouring spell that would bore to where the convergent boundary of the Mareuropean and Qilian teutonic plates met, was a nifty little trick but effective nonetheless. The draconequus kept it to himself how effective it really was, besides he wholesomely enjoyed to see his captors squirm on how to actually activate the generated earthquake and direct it. He laughed and celebrated the fact that it was all just too easy, a mere simplistic incantation would do it. He also gleefully did not inform his ignorant listener that neither the rock-boring spell could be stopped once started nor that there was no directing an earthquake to anywhere.

“Let the world burn and sink and suffer!” he shouted at the ponies, not forming those words on the crystal walls. “You are in the end so inferior, so ignorant that you deserve to listen to my trap…”

“Can you hear me?” came a new voice from no-where and at no discernible time.

Discord had almost forgotten the sounds of other voices beyond his captors and his own echoes.

“Can you hear me?” repeated the voice more faint this time “I am not always awake enough to send my words but I could hear you since you were caught. I know where you are and I am happy you did not die as fast as the other things.”

Discord completely filled his prison with darkness, so as not to let any hint of motion, light or reaction give away the chance that presented itself for escape. Tentatively he asked.

“Where are you then and can you free me?”

“No, I cannot. I have never moved from where I am, and where that is, its below. I am in a place not unlike your own, connected to the Lodestone of the earth ponies.”

“Who are you” demanded Discord impatiently.

“They call me Pebble” answered the voice.

“Pebble. Who are they? Can they free me? Why are you not dead?” Discord’s questions became not unlike the interrogation his own captors tried to subject him under.

“I…” Pebble’s voice seemed exhausted and fading rapidly “…its taking too much of me to send words…so far…so far…I can direct memories…, they are already in the lodestone…not much effort to…let them travel to you…will…speak…again…”
Thus Discord met Pebble, a son of Marelantis who never seized watching over his parents and his sisters.

Part 2 Pebble encased

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Part 2
Pebble encased

Sounds of bells. Many bells and everything was cold and confusing. An earth pony mare slid out of the unicorn keep through a narrow service door before dawn. Slipping through the shadows of the keep gardens she took the western path clutching the tight bundle to herself with one hoof. At the western gate she was halted and ordered to state her business as well as what she was carrying.

With an annoyed gesture she pulled the hood of her cloak back displaying her priestess mark upon her forehead. Her eyes where haunted and she was fatigued to the bone and an unnerving metallic odour came off her.

“If you must” she replied wearily “I assisted in the delivery of the queen’s foal and as you can hear it has not made it to the world.”

One guard took it upon himself to challenge her claim and asked not unkindly.

“My lady…its a dark dawn indeed but unless you can vouch for your self I cannot let you pass…”

All around them the bells of mourning rung. The mare then propped the bundle she held accusingly, towards the guards.

“By all means, take it off me and see the sad creature. I have not dared to tend to my own sisters or myself, the queen’s blood is still on my hoofs and you dare desecrate the honour of the dead!”

The guards backed off at the miasma and bowed reverently, letting the mare to her duty. Earth ponies most often where midwifes due to the connection to growing and nurturing life they held. Yet even they could not perform miracles when a foal was simply not to be. The royal son expired not long after his birth, a feeble albinistic creature, whose mother held him to her for the few breaths he took. He was given no name and handed to one of the lesser priestesses to be taken south east and given the proper vigil and burial rights.

Unchallenged the mare crossed the bridge above Scala town and did not pay heed as one by one, a single candle was lit in each window, as the ponies woke to the bells. It almost eerily seemed that whenever she galloped past a house, a candle came on, as if she was a harbinger of death. Utterly exhausted she was met at Lake Lotus by a group of earth ponies who had set out to meet her. She handed the bundle over and collapsed to the wet grass. Stone Bark, then only a caste below the high priesthood, covered her with his cloak and nodded the group to go on, as he would tend to their sister. When everypony was out of sight, he drew a hardwood dagger from his belt satchel and slid it expertly between her ribs causing the least damage. Muffling her weak gapes for air with his cloak, he waited for her to fade. He then made a small fire, both for appearances sake and to burn the dagger. Saddened he would later claim she died of exhaustion and that he would tend to her funeral rites herself, as one who assisted in a birthing she had to be cleansed of all taint. Everypony was either way too occupied with the loss of the only rightfully earth pony heir that was born in the many generations.

Within the temple, Stone Bark’s twin, Viridian Sight insisted on handling the washing and shrouding of the infant himself as his duty and display of devotion to the rank of high priest he would achieve soon. In haste pre-planned with his brother, he covertly exchanged the foal’s corpse with that of a slain piglet. The twin brothers had concocted this scheme in shock and anger at the lost and long expected earth pony prince. The foal’s corpse was placed carefully in a pod formed out of the roots of the lodestone tree above. The Twins had long abandoned their mostly veterinary projects down there as one after another they failed and their victims expired.

Reverently Viridian Sight’s hummed a song that was more vibration than melody, prodding and leading the roots to spread tendrils that sought out the foal’s navel. Sealing the opening of the leather-like pod with a poultice mixture of chlorophyll and haptoglobin, he closed his eyes visualising what the roots where already doing inside. While the pod filled with an amniotic liquid, the pony communed with the lodestone to send a pulse down in an attempt to revive the foal. Once, twice and thrice was the pulse sent and just when the pony was about to despair at the total loss and desecration of the princely foal, the response of a faintly beating heart came.

Viridian Sight knelt and wept at the foot of the pod, now serving as an extra-uterine system, exhausted, daunted and awed. This would work, it had to! They needed a strong king, but the twins dreamt of one with abilities beyond the simple tapping of earth-bound power, facilitating growth of flora and fauna. Why shouldn’t the earth ponies control the forces actually corresponding to them.

“My prince” he whispered through silent sobs “We will guard you with our lives and grand you powers beyond imagination. Our saviour, the messiah of earth ponies, our King!”

———————
Pebble had connected the jumble of his first memories many years later, after he could make sense of what the feedback through the lodestones meant. Without having attended a school, he received a fine tutelage through the thoughts of ponies who conferred, used or simply lived near the magical stones.

Images of who he was and how he looked like came later as well, once he perceived that the pair of ponies spoke to him directly. Making the connection from their thoughts, through the lodestone to his mind he could picture himself simplistically at first and to great accuracy later. Hence at the age of three he could discern he lay suspended in a hard shell -crystal he found out- tendrils of plant roots connected to his forehead, back, navel and backside. Within the pod he was supported by, more like floating actually, a thin sap-like liquid. His needs where tended this way and to the day he would perish, it would be the only thing he was grateful for receiving from the lodestones.

By the time he was eight years old, he no longer needed the words of the two ponies who visited him, to understand the world around and above him. Either way they lied through their teeth. Stone Bark ever the leader of the two often acted the stern part, while Viridian Sight the friendly and confiding one. Pebble had to just cross check their teachings with what he could find out through the lodestone later and find out what was true. Almost every day the pair visited him, unknowing that Pebble did not need their tutoring. Listening with fervour at the promises and then with disgust at the lies.

“When you are ready, you will emerge to Marelantis above strong and unique!” Viridian Sight would whisper in awe.
“You are the hopes and dreams of all of ponykind! The first and only!” Stone Bark would intone. And so it went on.
“Your sisters wait for you, they ask about you every day…”
“You parents cry every night, your people await their saviour…”

He was disappointed in the beginning, especially upon finding out that nopony knew he was alive. His parents would not wait for his triumphant return, nor his sisters play with their strong and handsome brother. No! In the minds of the ruthless twin brothers, he was an unexpected prize to be moulded and honed for their purposes. When the real experiments started, he hated them. If he would ever survive what was planned for him, and if he would emerge, the first thing he wished to do was strangle them.

The massive tree conglomerate around the lodestone, whose roots supported and fed Pebble’s pod, was coaxed to send more tendrils his way. Painfully and slowly the ones at his forehead and shoulders exited and the new snaked in. For endless hours the colt knew only the different forms of pain in all its colours and accents. His growth accelerated exponentially in the next years and all the while Pebble learnt of the world, stretching his abilities beyond attunement to the earth pony lodestone. He could confer with all three and soon with the very one the former where hewn from. He thus had eyes and ears to wherever the lodestones had reach.

One might fear that he was bound to become a villain, yet in his anger and hate towards the two earth ponies experimenting on him he wanted everything they did not. If they coaxed the roots to strengthen him, he coaxed them to do the opposite. Whenever Stone Bark tried to grow a horn from Pebble’s forehead, the colt made it revert back. Viridian Sight, always envious of pegasi, set his mind to grow wings on the pony’s back. Pebble gleefully thwarted that plan in its not so hypothetical roots.

Completely beyond what Pebble could learn from the vast repository of information the minds of ponies offered, was the fact that his two elder sisters befriended a creature he had no clue of. To his luck the three of them visited the temple above his pod on a midsummer’s celebration. Within the heart of his existence, he could trace the shape of the Draconequus perfectly and enter his mind briefly before being ousted. No other chance to communicate presented in the next years until any news of the draconequus named Discord seized. Pebble’s last hope was his sister Concordia, to whom when she advanced to the fourth degree, he would reveal himself and be free. Or at least be known to exist and thus reunited with his family.

What he mostly hoped to have gained from Discord was any knowledge of whether it was possible for him to be freed and not perish the instant he was released from his pod. Would he be released if he continued to fight what was being done to him? He began doubting it himself and in consequence let the vile experimentation take root anew into his body. If asked Pebble would not be able to pinpoint which supplied the most pain. In category, the horn was the coldest pain, especially after the tree embedded the osteophytes into Pebbles forehead, and was allowed to dig deep into his nervous system. Within a year it had grown to a perfect size.

The wings where another matter. Following the success of the horn implantation and it not being rejected or causing any further demyelinating disorder than Pebble was already born with, the twin earth ponies fervently undertook the same procedure. Whether from Pebble’s own actions to reject them for so long or due to there being no way in the beginning, his body rejected the osteophytes. If the ponies did not care for the inflicted pain of so many years, the had no mercy now when they removed Pebble from where he spent his entire life, submerging his head in a vat of the liquid from the pod, and proceeded to strap his quickly drying body down in order to graft wings on the stubs behind his shoulders. Afterwards he was moved in a bigger pod and was reattached to the tree’s roots anew.The fever following this invasive procedure almost took his life and lasted for days. It was at that time when Discord was trapped in his prison and Pebble spent his waking moments listening to his thoughts and threats.

Stone bark and Viridian Sight revelled in their accomplishments. Their King would soon be transformed completely and if their experiments with various flying creatures could be trusted, all that Pebble’s stunted wings needed, was a greater demand of power from the lodestone. Only a Unicorn could achieve that and that is how the twins came to plan the trap for the royal pair. The king was sure to want to use the nearest lodestone to support his queen and he would thus supply the push needed. The magic would revert the flow of energy from the stone to the land that existed for centuries and it would not only flow down to Pebble, but also take what was needed from the lands itself.

Pebble feared though what the latter would mean. From decimation and miasma on crops and pestilence on livestock to a weakening of the ponie’s resistance to sickness. If he was ever to emerge to the outside and if in all unlikelihood he succeeded to revert the damage, he would play right into the twin brothers hopes and dreams of a messiah King.
————————
“Enough with the sappy story!” Discord replied in a mental shout, but received no reply.
“I care not the least in when, where and in what manner your world will perish, all I want is to get out of here and take my revenge!”

The reply that came eventually showed no sign of its owner having recuperated and Discord worried he might lose his only means of escape, even as feeble as it sounded.

“There is a third…lodestone…Pegasi…she plans…terrible…promise me and …you free”

Discord exploded in mad roars, his care to control his temper long lost.

“You knew how to set me free and you lied? Bastard! Useless thing in a jar! Let me tell you what I know then! If you where ever let out of your flower vase, you will die in moments. No king, no unipegasus dreams, nothing! The greatest earthquake of this world will not be stopped and your famine will descend. All Dead!”

Pebbles voice, even in his state was tinged with a drop of gratification.

“You knew…something, I… knew… something. You…swear…help me…save…my…the…the…ponies, I…tell…way…be…free.”

“I swear all right? Tell me! Do it now!” Discord demanded.
“Pebble?” he asked of the void.
“Pebble!Answer me!” his anger rising again “If I find out you’re playing with me, I swear to do much worse things than what you’ve thought torture is… Answer me!”

Yet no answer came, only another surge of memories. It seemed that Discord would not get his reply despite how much he tried and would be subjected to the expected third lodestone calamity for which he cared the least.

Part 3 The warrior and the Poena

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“A Poena was a spirit of punishment.
Poenae were alleged daughters of a primordial Titan,
who possessed dominion over the weather, especially the winds.
The word poine also referred to the bloodmoney paid to
the victim's family as expiation for the crime of murder.”
Mythology beyond Equestria Tome III

The way in which Pegasi conferred with their lodestone was not unlike what the earth ponies did, and a lot less intrusive as the unicorn’s method. While most earth ponies achieved their attunement through the very soil, food and contact with the effects of their lodestone, the elite priest caste achieve theirs through tonal and tactile contact with the tree conglomerate encasing the magical stone. In turn, unicorns where always in telepathic contact with their power conduit and the elite castes through complete attunement to the stone. Lastly pegasi spent most of their foalhood in the vicinity of their lodestone, receiving an enhancement of their race’s inert capabilities for weather control, spacial and directional awareness and off course the near mystical to other races, ability to fly. Parents where given homes to live in for the first years of their foals and these where built in a superbly octagonal rhymotomy, around the square in whose centre stood the lodestone.

Seventeen years before the birth of the royal twin sisters, Azure Gale, sister to the newly wed Queen of Marelantis watched the frolicking foals, fillies and colts below her cotton white cloud. She hated this duty and wondered why it was even delegated to her. She was a high ranking warrior, one of the best her father had trained before falling to an enemy spear at the battle of Salaneighna, and she was put to watch over young-lings and so near the lodestone… too near…

“Azuuure…” the whisper came riding in the soft breeze.

The pony clutched the woven talisman around her neck and chanted the incantation woven with it. She needed more time and this was the worst place it could happen.

“Spirit your name I know
Poena I name you.
Your hunger does grow
My oath is still true.
Blood payment and souls owed
For lives taken and deeds performed.”

“Azuuuuuure…” the whisper now louder as the breeze took up force, momentarily lifting manes and tails and skirting up sand on the square below. “…your dept! Whennn?”

The pegasus chanted again with more fervour, adding a visualisation of the debt payed. Double the souls and blood for a victory and a future wish, she had promised the spirit and for the moment this seemed to satiate it.

“Its the damned lodestone!” she thought “I am too near and she is attracted to it, damn her” and spotting a patrol flying high above, she left her cloud post and flew to meet them.

They saluted upon her intercepting them and congratulated her on the victories after the battle of Salaneighna. Solemnly Azure accepted the fine words and the condolences of her father’s death. To them the tidings where new, to her and the warriors who continued the campaign against the centaurs, it was three months old. She bowed her head slightly and excused herself on having to speak to the pegasi elders after she asked the patrol to spare one pony for her post.

Azure Gale did not need to speak to the elders. The passing of the torch had already happened immediately after her war party’s ship docked. Her advancement as commander would sooner or later be announced publicly, for now she needed solace to think clearly and most importantly be as far away from the lodestone as possible. Also definitely not by her sister’s side.

Before accompanying her father to the campaign, her sister Rhea had burst out the news that the young King Cronus had proposed to her. All through the harrowing naval battle to recapture the city of Salaneighna, when her comrades quoted kin and kith, she sat embittered, being reminded of her sister and her thwarted secret plan. It was she, herself who was closest to Cronus, they had trained together, shed blood together, not Rhea. She was the most accomplished in all pegasi ways as well as the most knowledgeable of the two siblings. Azure could not fathom when her sister and the King have had the time to know each other so intimately. Rhea had professed more than infatuation from the moment Azure got the news, and certainly the pair to be wed acted all frolic and dreamy eyed. It disgusted the pegasus immensely. On one hand she was glad the King was emotionally weak towards affection, but on the other the loss of becoming Queen stung gravely.

The battle of Salaneighna, of which already songs where sung and its memory would never fade from ponykind’s legends, marked the high-point of the Centaur and Scorpid alliance’s invasion into the pony colonies on the mainland. Although outnumbered and exhausted, the Commander of Marelantis, Themistocles the Valli ant, through subterfuge lured the enemy forces to a decisive battle in the narrow straits of Salaneighna and tried to block both entrances. In the cramped conditions of the Straits, the great Centaur numbers were an active hindrance, as ships struggled to manoeuvrer and became disorganised. Seizing the opportunity, the Marelantean fleet formed in line and scored a decisive victory. No number of Scorpid warlocks atop their ally ships could stand against Marelantean steel. In their retreat, however many of the enemy force that managed to come to shore, still wrecked havoc through the pony encampments. Exhausted to the point of collapse the pony commander mustered as many warriors as were able, in retaliation, loosing his life to an enemy spear. Azure Gale witnessed her father’s death as she flew in aid, and saw from her vantage point as a new enemy force converged from the mainland, fresh and rested, primmed for battle.

In desperation and pain off loss, the pegasus called upon a Poena to claim the lives of their enemies. She would make sure she would pay that debt with more of them. It seem a small price to pay at the moment…

For now, far away from the mainland and its battles and until she found a solution to her debt to the avenging spirit, she dreaded she had to be alone with her secret. Without having noticed, she had flown a long time and had reached the opposite side of the island. Over Pearl Bay she heard chanting and focused below at a earth pony priest, a unicorn mage and four earth ponies who stood by a small pen of animals. Landing out of sight she watched what she knew would happen. It was not a secret after all that meat was needed to be present for visitors, traders and other folk that were carnivorous. Despite the ponies not consuming meat, the art of drying or preserving it was not unknown and as long as it was procured by the most painless way, it was no taboo. A unicorn mage would lull the animal into a comatose state and after an earth pony priest would give thanks to the soul of the sacrifice, the animal would be put down fast.

Azure Gale was about to turn and fly off, when she heard the bleating of a very young animal. Turning back she saw a tiny kit, being led to the mage and priest pair. It was obviously sickly and too feeble to live despite the knowledge, expertise and care the earth ponies possessed. It was a truth of life that some deaths cannot be avoided, especially when its a mercy instead living its last days in agony. The pegasus did not wish to be present any longer and took flight but almost collided with a short tree as she was struck with an idea.
“Yes, this could work” she said aloud in triumph, “some deaths are necessary after all…”
————————————————
Ten years later, Azure Gale, celebrated commander of Marelantis’s entire army, walked along the length of the upper deck of the Tessarakonteres towards the stern of the craft. The weather was on their side for the last few days, needing not the slightest influence of a pegasus. They would sight the sentinel lodestones of Marelantis by the morrow and all was well. Upon climbing down one deck, she closed her cabin door and took off her light armour unceremoniously. As commander, she had the luxury of a bed instead of a hummock and she intended to use it gratefully. She had not been disturbed by the Poena since she had payed off her dept and she longed to sleep without nightmares that follow the first days after battle. The long table in her cabin was strewn with maps and plans, even the epic poetry of their bard. Many of those victories could have been won without the razing of villages and settlements. Azure Gale used her inherent talent to enthral the soldiers under her command with a near magical effect. Her speeches inspired soldiers old and new to claim lives that did not seem so innocent after all.
Only after the last battles did her nightmares subside, guilt finally having been overshadowed by a goal met. She might even let her shield and spear rest for a time and let Aeolus take over her legacy. Yes she did start to tentatively allow herself to imagine settling down… Lulled by the gentle movement of the ship and the cool breeze coming from the shuttered window, she soon dozed off.

Awareness gripped Azure’s mind painfully as the Poena wedged herself within the pony’s mind, forcing her to attention, but not letting her wake.
“No!” Azure cried in horror “I payed my debt, the armies, the villages… Let me go!”
The reply came only intoned with more pain, in the rhyming song of spirits, deliberately intoning sins and deeds, in order to cause more pain and guilt.

“I see a battlefield in mud,
and the dead of your kind.
I feel your sorrow and regret
The prize you did not get.

Your sister got the King and the enemy your sire.
You swore an oath and thrust your hoof in fire.
You cursed and knelt deep in the blood.
I came and all your enemies took the flood.

I took them all with wind, sleet and hail,I expected blood back.
Instead you called battle after battle, in your triumph you got fat.
Azure Gale your debt is growing, these chains alone you wrought.
When will you pay with blood, repay the deaths you bought.”

The pegasus writhed in her bed, her mouth in a silent shriek, and briefly within her mind, she was able to answer back.

“I gave you armies! Entire villages. Cursed abomination, I gave you cubs and foals!”

Azure felt herself wane, she would soon lose consciousness all together and it would be a release in contrast to the pain the spirit was inflicting. Anger and a warriors sense of survival kept her from losing the battle with herself. The Poena’s song droned on, driving the torturing words like lances.

“The battles in my name I did not mind
Yet I demand reward in kind.
Fool you are if you did not know
That my powers not lie in what I bestow.

My gift is the might in which I claim
The song I sing, the vengeance I gain.
When dept is unpaid.
You sleep is flayed.
Waking moments harrowed
Happiness fouled.

And now the kin of the dead summoned me still
In vengeance to act against your will.
How will you counter their wishes prayed
When your debt you have not even payed.”

“What do you want? I gave you all I could!” the pony called.

The whisper that came was worse than the taunting song. It was ice itself.

“What do you love most
That is what their kin lost.
Their sibling, mother and child.
I demand sacrifice of your kind…”

Azure Gale woke covered in sweat and promptly vomited bile and blood on the cabin floor. Through rasping breaths she stumbled towards a table and tried pouring water in a glass. Yet pitcher and glass dropped from her trembling hooves as she realised her demise. Where would she find ponies to sacrifice, how could she find any? And now she had the added bidding of the families of her victims to add to her dept. How did Centaurs and Scorpids even know about how to invoke a Poena against injustice? Moreover where would she find foals and innocents to feed the blood debt.

Slumping against the table, the pony buried her muzzle within her folded arms, then lifted her head as she regarded a map half curled next to her. She read with half lidded eyes what it was of and then stood, stepping back as dizziness took over her. Letting herself fall on a stool she gripped the map as she perused the new and ill advised colonies of Marelantis along the shores of Tirre. Yes, the colonists foolishly took it upon themselves to not only detach themselves from the protection of Marelantis but to declare independence hardly a year after erecting the first towns. Azure’s eyes gleamed madly as she planned how certain pirates and rogue mountain griffins can be bought, only to be eliminated when Marelantis would come for Tirre’s rescue. Yes, a few campaigns and the Poena would be sated.

Yet it was not to be. The attacks against Tirre and the subsequent campaigns to rid Marelantis and the colony off pirates and mountain tribes, took the most of five years to end. Still the Poena declared the debt not payed. Azure gale knew it herself. The campaign of Salaneighna and her own bloodthirsty acts against the Centaurs and Scorpid lands, counted more dead than the raids she bought off. For two years longer the pegasus sated the spirit with little numbers, growing from bitterness to a cold determination that all actions are just if they are meant for the safety of Marelantis. Her only solace and light in life besides a victory, was the colt she rescued in Tirre from her first battle against pirates. Aeolus grew not only become handsome, but strong and intelligent and as cunning as she. He loved and adored his step mother and agreed wholeheartedly with the plan of a political marriage to the current king’s pegasus daughter.

As the Poena demanded the rest of her dues and not receiving the blood owed, she lashed out against Marelantis with her wrath. Namely with the power that created her kind in the beginnings of time. The titan whose daughters Poenae where, commanded the weather and a portion of his power, they wielded. The winds about the island grew erratic, the clouds unbending and unmanageable, the sea became perilous. The spirit did not seize to intone what she did, in her song when Azure gale slept and thus in desperation, the pegasus made her last promise.

“Upon the wedding day of my son, he will walk the trial of kings. You can take as many unicorns and earth ponies as you need, and be damned to the ends of time!”

——————————————————
Discord groaned again and set his minion selves to dance and sing as loud as they could to distract him from Pebble’s memories.
“Even after this sappy part, I do not care!”

He continued his plight, wishing the pony had recovered enough to manage a coherent sentence.

“Speak invalid. How to you presume to free me if you think you are more powerful than I and how do you think to save any of your ponykind when you cannot survive outside your vase nor contact anyone. Pft! I think you cant even do that…”

“Your crystal… transformed I can… channel it to me… I know how…through lodestones.”

Discord had not had any reason to wonder why the crystal he wore about his neck, transformed into whatever he did, even smoke. It might be possible it was malleable to a form Pebble knew to use and channel through the lodestone. His hope rekindled he asked further.

“So you can free me this way. I might let you live for that, my quarrel is not with you.”

“Nor is it with my sisters.” Pebble intoned as much as he was able. “You promised.”

Discord paused his reply and thought of his friends for the first time after a while. Aneris’s laugh and Concordia’s curiosity, their games and kindness but also their inability to be with him, to answer him and help him. He would not harm them if they did not stand in his way, but he was altered by his imprisonment. Friendship seemed petty and small before the power to be free and exact vengeance and so with an audible sigh, he agreed.

“I promise to not harm them. Free me now.”

“Alas, I can’t now. I will free you the moment I have amassed enough energy to do so.”

His roars of outrage would have shook the walls of the cavern, had Discord been free. Pebble tried and succeeded in drowning the noise from his connection to the unicorn lodestone by focusing on the feedback closer to his physical vicinity. While the power he was gathering was to be used righteously, the source it came from pained the stallion more than his ongoing transformation. All about the earth pony lodestone, crops whithered and trees yielded fruit that were worse than rotten. No, seemingly succulent apples, fell apart in one’s hooves, dry as ash while any near well water reeked an odour most foul if not boiled. The twin brothers this time sought out the power to fulfil their goal from the lifeblood of Marelantis. In disgust Pebble began to bring about a quickening of his growth, to at least survive the time needed to warn his sisters. It was a complete unknown when Discord would influence the catastrophic earthquake planned, or the unicorn bring about another seismic action. Not would the Poena cease her manipulating of the Pegasi lodestone anytime soon. The consequences on the land and its population alone where devastating, let alone the massacre planned during the wedding of Aneris and Aeolus. Even if he managed to warn his sisters, Pebble feared his death would not be atonement enough for what the destruction he caused to achieve the warning.

The Fall of Marelantis

View Online

Back at the Earth Temple.

As the gate closed behind the twins, they did not see how it sealed itself only heard it. In the pitch black the slithering, liquid sounds where amplified and frightening. Concordia summoned a small light blob and let it float merrily before them. Even thought their parents where only a few paces ahead and constituted a source of light in on themselves, the little bubble was comforting. Briefly Aneris nodded a thanks to her sister and they walked on.

The walls around the ponies never seized to writhe and coil and they had to be careful to step only where the taint had recoiled from the hoof steps of their parents. The smell was appalling, something akin to sweet rot and magical debris. The thrumming sound was more eerie and alien within the temple, sometimes akin to a hornet nest or a low sleepy heartbeat.

It was obvious that everything the lodestone was previously providing, giving, nurturing and enhancing, it now somehow not only took greedily but also degenerated it.
Aneris whispered more to herself but she was walking so close to her sister that she could have spoken to her directly.

“Why…why has this happened?”
“I don’t know Ane…” whispered Concordia “but I feel a dark purpose. Somepony did this, someone started it at least and it…this “ she indicated with her head all around “ the tree or what was the tree, has had its intentions altered.”

“Yeah…” Aneris mouthed as they rounded the last bend.

Where in the past they would have met with the warm magical energy and be bathed in the glow of the lodestone, now an assault of dark malice caught them like a vice.
Concordia was forced to her knees and wretched dryly, as Aneris steadied her. Together they looked ahead, seeking their parents. But they could only see the dark green and black lodestone until from behind the royal pair shone like twin suns.
A shield bubbled about them, the taint recoiling and the air within clearing. The voice of their father soothingly echoed through.

“Stay there my daughters and witness your birthright. Concordia keep this shield up and you Aneris, steady her as you have been taught, lend her life-force.”

“Father!” Concordia called but got no reply, just felt the spell around them fade and she had no other choice than to take it up, like a relay, and concentrate. At the touch of her sister’s hoof she felt energy filling her, like a second heart pumping new blood. As with any magus linked to a Source, a pony lending life-force, they could now commune telepathically.Concordia sent apologetic emotions through the bond and felt an emotional reply in kind. Perhaps their rift could be bridged, yet it was not to be.

Before them the King must have asked Queen Rhea to be his source, but need no touch to bond with her. A strand of energy connected them, pulsating in lavender and magenta waves. He rose on his hind-legs and touched plummeted his forehooves directly into the taint ooze that sloshed about the lodestone surface. He clenched his eyes tightly then opened them wide as he established a connection to it. Their mother was opened eyes as well, her eyes slowly being replaced with magesight, like a glass being filled, as her mouth opened in a silent gasp. Colour and light, scent and sound, it all visibly reverted back to normal in a wave, whose edge shimmered like a rainbow.

The twins watched in awe around them and then back at their parents. They did it they thought in unison, it will all be OK. With pride they sought their fathers eyes as he turned slowly to look at them. Their father though, looked at both of them with love, smiled briefly and then mouthed “I am sorry!”

Surprise and worry filled the sisters as the shimmering rainbow spell was pushed back, the blight returning en masse. A rumbling from deep beneath them startled all. The very bowels of the earth seemed to stir and roil. Aneris steadied her stance on the ground and send more energy to her sister, as the latter strengthened the spell around them. Panic in both of their eyes they felt a surge of power wafting up, from the direction of the lodestone. In a few heartbeats it was visible, a bright green glow, like a band around it reaching steadily up.

For a moment that seemed all too long, the royal pair repelled that infernal energy, until tendrils that crackled and sizzled with sparks shot out, catching the king by all limbs. Cronus shot a direct, blinding pure light towards the tendrils, which was met by a new tentacle of energy. Briefly the powers met in the middle of the distance but as the taint, so this power won ground.

Concordia felt the given energy wane, as she saw her sister pounding against the shield walls. She shouted “Father! Mother! Get out of there.” With tears running down her cheeks she shrieked at her sister “Dia! Talk to them, its coming, its coming!”
“I caaan’t… words don't get through. Oh no…ah!” Concordia strained as blood trickled down from her nostrils.
Aneris recoiled momentarily and gathered her wits. She braced and touched her sister’s side once more, biting back sudden pain as energy was sucked from her.
Cant you help him? Aneris thought at her sister.
I…no…but! No mother NO! Concordia thought back and that mental scream shot through her sister like a migraine.

Behind them, with a battlecry amplified with the royal voice, Queen Rhea spread her wings and shouted in challenge.

“You will not have him, abomination!” and closed her eyes as she floated up, wings unmoving. She let herself transform as if from within, the same rainbow shimmer as the one used on the taint, appearing across her body. When it left her, her mane had a new colour strand, one gleaming like polished gold to complement the white and cream. Her wings longer, larger where adorned in three hues ranging from aquamarine to sea green and ending in steel blue pinions . A magnificent being of colour and light flew before her mate, right in the path of the tendrils. With a spreading motion she shot a rainbow coloured wave towards the taint and lodestone. It was too late for them though as the tainted energy beam reached King Cronus.

Light and darkness shot out and for a moment there was a complete absence of sound. Air was sucked towards the lodestone as if in implosion and then shot out in a radius. Crystallise! Concordia thought at her spell, before both of the ponies where hurled to the ground as the wave of the explosion smashed against the shield. A deep wail followed, almost a whiny from an infernal equine demon, echoed all about and then diminished leaving the sisters in silence.

Concordia opened her eyes to grey specks falling and and sliding down the dome of their shield, that was singed and partly cracked. Achingly gathering her legs about her she tried to focus, her eyes finding the shape of her sister near her.
“Ane” she croaked with an all too dry throat “Ane! wake up!”
“Gnn Dia..” Her sister muttered.
Inching closer, Concordia asked
“Are you all right? Can you see anything?”
Aneris, perhaps from years of training, got up to a wobbly position remarkably faster than her sister. Shaking her head she also seemed to try to focus. Blinking she touched the shield that was now a solid barrier.

“What are these things, ash?” and then regaining memory she cried out “Father!Mother! Dia take this down!” and thunk the walls anew.

Concordia mirroring the worry, swiftly stood and after forcing nausea down, disintegrated the magical crystal about them. Aneris shot forward and Concordia wanted to shout after her, but her sister’s hoof beats seized only a few meters ahead.

The air about was rife with dust and burned matter and the atmosphere was cool, almost cold. Visibility was limited to about two meters ahead and Concordia made out three body shapes immediately. Surging forward as well she met with a sight she never imagined or wanted to have seen.

The kings’s body, thrown to the side displayed no open wounds, but was exuding heat. His mane and tail where burned to the root. The worst where the masses that used to be his hooves. As a conduit, his horn must have absorbed the onslaught of the energy and it exited from his limbs, leaving his hooves in a horrible magical injury.
Swiftly but gently Concordia propped his head into her arms and touched horns with him, sending a diagnostic spell and soothing thoughts.
“He is alive!” she called in exaltation, as her brows furrowed, finding very little magic within the body of her father. A keening moan was heard to her right and she turned to see Aneris cradling their mother in her arms. Concordia lifted her head, breaking the connection to her father, and looked about. Aneris! Mother! She thought. Straining to look over her shoulder and also to hold her father’s head, she saw with the corner of her eyes.

Aneris was looking ahead hear eyes unblinking and immensely large, making that keening noise, almost bovine. Concordia let her father down gently and crawled towards her sister.
“Diaaa!What is it…is she…does she LIVE?” Concordia called and met with a worse sight. Her sister still keening and rocking their mother slowly, spasmodically.
“Her wings…aaahhh! Dia! Her wiiiiings..aahhh!” was all that was tangible.

The Queen’s body was also strangely unwounded, apart from her wings, or what was left. Only cauterized stumps up to the height of their humerus where left with a sorry couple of feathers clinging to them, fused with sinew, tissue and skin. Upon a quick spell, Concordia found a shallow heartbeat and tended to her sister.

“Ane! Ane!” she shook her until the pony’s eyes focused and looked down to the mother they held.
“Oh Dia! Oh Dia!!!” she looked up and cried, wailing loudly as her sister hugged her,crying as well.

“Daughters…” a dry rasp came from their father’s direction. There was urgency tinged within the word and both sisters where compelled to go to their father.
Aneris reached him first and covered his body with the tatters of her cloak as Concordia clasped his outstretched hoof. His eyes slid open so a mere sliver and he tried to utter words.
“I sense…Help is on its way…”

Aneris shushed him.
“Father..don't speak…we will…”
“No” came a harsh intonation followed by a cough. “Come to me my daughters and listen.”
The twins inched even closer as a feeble light shone from the King’s horn.
Telepathically, the words came easier to him, his inner voice strangely calm.
“My beloved, beautiful,brave daughters. I… your mother and I wont die here, but…we are spent. We cannot…uphold the stewardship or our land. I bestow it upon you and may you prosper and keep us all safe. United…Marelantis won’t fall…” and opened his eyes wide, as that rainbow gleam surged from his horn to envelope his daughters.

When it had passed over them, they looked at each other in wonderment, as the chrism was bestowed and seemed not to fade. Their manes and tails fluttered in current of their own and deep understanding of the land around them was apparent as if it had always been there.

———————————————

An indefinite time had passed, yet both sisters stood up on alert, back to back as soon as they sensed the approach of ponies. A full wing of Pegasi flew down in groups of twos and threes and unicorns started appearing. No earth ponies as of yet, thought their keep was not far away. As if on cue, a strong wind blew and took the misty dust away, revealing an alien terrain. The twin sisters where more surprised at how little the arriving rescue parties concerned themselves with the terrain but more at them. No doubt they must have seen the terrain from above, Aneris thought and looked about along with her sister.

Appart from a looming cavity in the ground, everything from the tree, the pathways, the vegetation and landmarks where gone. They stood upon whitened soil, as far as Lake Lotus, whose surface had seized to bubble like thick boiling molasses. A black rim along its shore indicated a good amount of water having evaporated and a few trees stood blackened or withered. Far in the distance a great crowd congregated about the gates o the earth keep, that was being held back by guards. And in the horizon thick clouds bespoke of heavy rainfall soon.

The sisters where not permitted to move as their parents where already being taken away on stretchers, an entourage of unicorns spiriting them away in a flash. Who ever saw the twins at first, bowed deeply and then stood in awed attention awaiting.

What are they waiting for? Concordia wondered and then saw her sister anew and thought of herself. The Crism! We are stewards of Marelantis now. Off course they stand in attention. Swallowing hard she stepped forward to assume command but was sidestepped by her aunt and off course! she thought glibly Aeolus!

Her Aunt had cut her off rudely and stood as tall as she could.
“Dare you assume leadership, unicorn princess? Who bestowed the singular right upon you?” she spoke loudly, mockingly, demanding the attention of all.
“Aneris!” she called and bowed deeply, opening her wings wide in overt obedience “Come and lead Marelantis!”
Behind Azure Gale, her adoptive sun bowed curtly and pierced Aneris with his gaze. As the latter did not know what to do, her aunt intoned “ah! Off course who am I to call the future Queen to me like a lapdog” and moved behind Aneris, promptly followed by Aeolus. Immediately most pegasi flew or walked past Concordia, to stand by their princess.

Concordia was not to stand long alone, as promptly Crystal Quill, followed by his son Spell Wright, appeared by her side.
“Nor shall that pegasus have sole rule of Marelantis” the first mage called.
Hard stares and a tangible challenge was filling up the atmosphere, while in the back, thunderclaps rang. Concordia was just about to burst out in anger, especially since Aeolus was present but was halted by the look in Aneri’s face. The Pegasus tried to show military stature but was clearly caught off guard by the escalation of events. Concordia was not better off, but Aeolus being there, threatened to bring her emotions overboard. Again Aneris pleaded with her eyes and Concordia sighed, sparing a look of indignation Aeolus’s way.

Slowly the sisters walked forward alone, each seeing each other’s entourage. When at last they met, inaudibly Aneris spoke, looking about almost relieved she had somepony familiar around.
“Concordia I did not plan this, I mean… lets not do this…”

Her sister was about to speak when she glimpsed Aeolus speaking into his mother’s ear, both showing a small grin. When they saw Concordia having seen them, they showed no sign of remorse or hiding anything. On the contrary, Aeolus drew his head high and grinned wider, and Azure Gale smiled. Chills ran down Concordia’s body and as she looked back at her sister, she found her rubbing one elbow and looking to the ground. Rage ran through her but she swallowed it. Equally quiet she said.
“I agree, but please come over to the keep and keep vigil over our parents”

Aneris nodded, looking relieved but then she in turned saw something behind Concordia that had her turn abruptly steel eyed.
“I will, but look not at me with such false love sister! Your troops show me otherwise” and turned proud to join her fellows and giving a short order to fly.

As the pegasi flew off just as fast, Concordia stood utterly the fool, as she only then heard the crackle of spell shields behind her. While the pegasi had waited unmoving and she feeling slighted by their leader, the unicorns had offered a downright hostile display. Concerned at the multiple misunderstandings she joined the unicorns to give them orders in turn, only then realising that all this went on while their parents lay wounded.

From above, Aneris had a short view of the damage below. It was as it seemed from the ground, a blast radius of two kilometres encompassed lake lotus and most of what where the Evergreen fields. The land was not even burning, so flat and clean did it seem. Then she spotted her sister and her entourage where she had left them. Concordia was talking to the unicorns, gesturing behind towards where the pegasi had stood, accusingly and dismissively.

Anger and disappointment filled Aneris as it was obvious at the disgust in Concordia’s face and the actions of the unicorns behind her. That despite the catastrophe, their parents injured, her sister did not trust her and had clearly telepathically spoken to them to attack. A few tears fell and streaked sideways along her cheek. This proves it, she thought, her disgust at me, at Aeolus, her actions… I mean she really wanted to take leadership of Marelantis there and then… I can’t believe it… Averting her eyes, she flew on-wards, surpassing the pegasi, her aunt and Aeolus. Before them now the signalled a spearhead formation and gave high speed towards the Pegasi Citadel.

————————

At the Citadel, she was escorted to a private chamber where Aneris cleaned herself in haste. I want to go back,Father, Mother…please get well she thought as she buttoned up a clean uniform shirt.
A knock on the door interrupted this and at her call, a scribe of the elder court nudged herself in, carrying clothing and a thick scroll. Aneris had never seen him, or rather, they all looked the same to her. Scribes and servants and whatnot, she thought, they all are meekly grovelling at the Elder’s seats, dressed in those sacks they call robes… Indeed the simple attire of those residing in the Citadel and in the employ of the Elder Court of Pegasi, was neither functional nor flashy. The garment permitted simple flying, not that they need it, Aneris thought again looking at the pony in contempt, they almost never fly down to the surface.

“What is this? I must hurry to my parents, don't delay me!” Aneris spoke down to the dark blue pony, who looked ahead, avoiding her eyes. He answered in a stacatto strangelky confused as to what to call her.

“Princess, eerr Regent… The Elders have ordered you to appear before them at once and you should… wear these.“ And propped the garments on an ottoman before Aneris, bowing low, yet tucking the scroll under an arm.

“They order me huh?” Aneris said more as an afterthought. She really hated the rare occasions when she accompanied her Aunt to see the Court. The wizened pegasi, incapable of flight in their old age sat like harpies on a nest, in their alcoves inside a circular spire. Up and up the ceiling went, which really served to awe and cow the supplicant. Supplicant, Aneris loathed the word, we never went to beg there… It is them who stand in the way of simple Pegasi law, with their decorums, ancient rules and traditions…
With a sigh she started to unbutton her shirt while unfurling the brought garments with a pinion. She looked up at the retreating pony and called
“What is in that scroll?”

The scribe halted, turned around on the spot and deftly grasped the scroll from under his arm with a flourish while it started unfurling. Aneris almost rolled her eyesz as the doscument almost reached the floor. In a trained melodic voice the pony started reading.
“ Upon Pegasi Regency of Marelantis.
As established by the esteemed fifth council of Elders, upon the Citadel in the year of our King Ambrosius the second.
Shall any pegasus, of royal birth or otherwise, be bestowed upon with the mandate of the Lodestone, the they shall be equal to any pegasus of leadership. Equal to the council and above all other pony-like folk.
A regent of the CItadel is to act as follows : “

“Ok ok enough” Aneris said quite loudly and waved the pony to seize reading. Annoyed and almost enraged she neared the scribe and pointed at his chest, poking it twice to intonate her words.
“You go now to the elders and tell them that I decided to appear. I am not… your… servant.” The scribe retreated a step, bowed while furling up his scroll and left.
Aneris went back to see herself in a mirror. Astounded she found herself looking regal and majestic. The garments had felt good when she donned them on, but now she saw that they looked good as well.
Upon smooth silk, wafer thin scales of orichalcum, oxidised to an astounding blue where woven. The shimmer of the garment complemented her light olive green coat perfectly. The filly within her rejoiced at looking so princess-like and the warrior within, found the garments awe-inspiring. Looking behind to the ottoman she found the matching hoofguards and a short-cloak that complemented the ensemble perfectly. Returning to the mirror she spoke while raising her head. “Now I am ready.”
Walking out her room, she gave no heed at guards positioned there, and only fleetingly saw that her Aunt and Aeolus also had been waiting. Smiling at how she felt with grasping command and status she walked on through the corridors, her confidence boosted with every bowing pegasus. “This is what Aeolus wants in a bride! I will lead and command all and he will love me!” she thought with anticipation, as aroudn them the incessant wind seized for a moment, before thunder rumbled and clouds blackened the windows. It will rain hard tonight, she thought in instinct as she neared the immense doors of the Council hall.
Her entire attitude almost melted then as she foudn that she did not know what to say, was she to enter the hall. She followed what she knew by default but that knowledge seized there. She was never prepared for such…matters.
To her utmost relief, her aunt Azure Gale touched her briefly on the shoulder. Aneris turned and broke off a salute in mid air.
“Yes Captain Madam…”

Azure Gale smiled briefly and hushed her niece.
“Not any more, Aneris. You are regent now” and the way she said the words, intoning them almost with a breath each, disconcerted Aneris more than calming her.
“It will not do to salute me thus.” Propping her hoof under Aneri’s chin she lifted her head and fussed about her attire.
“Lift you chin, stand steady and oh does this not look lovely on you…” she went on.
Nervously Aneris stepped aside, momentarily having her Aunt recoil.
“Ermm Capt… Aunt Azure” she spoke as she swallowed once and stepped closed to her aunt. “ I would need… I mean, I want to go see my parents and I really don't know what…”

Azure Gale looked prideful and gently at her niece. “Aneris… my Regent… you have nothing to fear. I stand with you and I will speak for you, if you so announce it to the council.”
This seemed to Aneris more an indication than advice, but she would take what she could at the moment. Her Aunt seemed to have everything in grasp and she felt more and more relieved. When Aeolus then stepped forward and took her hoof to kiss it, she almost lost her footing.

“Now walk within, Aneris, Aeolus will escort you and let me handle it all. They would have you speak for days, hollow words and no action. I will curb their mouths and we will confer later with your true council.”

“My true council?” Aneris asked while Aeolus propped right hoof over his, to escort her in all honours within.

Behind them Azure Gale said soothingly

“Why, who else would you have beside you in this hour of need. Marelantis is in a dire situation and your captain” she indicated herself “your Prince” and she looked gleefully at Aeolus “and all your trusted wing-mates” will await you in the map room below.

The conference with the Elder Council took more than two hours after all and all through it, Aneris was in a haze. After she had spoken out for Captain Azure Gale to speak in her stead, she only half heard what was fervently debated about. The high walls turned around in her vision and only Aeolus beside her was a fixed point. Still propping up her forehoof like some precious gem, he intoned bold words when addressed by the elders and spoke clearly and matter of factly. His words where those that Aneris stood in attention for and got her out of the haze.
“Since you do not acknowledge my status beside the princess and regent of Marelantis, I state by my honour and all to hear, that in three days she will wed me and I will walk the path of Kings.”
A gasp among the council, onlookers and even the guards woke her up completely.
Aneris felt all eyes on her, especially those of the elders who now bent forward too look down upon her, as if they only now took notice. One bellowed.
“Is this she? This one is your regent warrior who would lead? I see but a maiden, lost…”
Azure Gale’s hoof clanged in the polish marble floor reverberating, and she turned a haughty stare towards her niece as if saying “there, you take it from here”.
The collar of her shirt seemed too tight and she was unable to look too high up, seeing only the gleaming eyes of the pegasi in their alcoves.”They look like gargoyles. They just sit there talking so much and doing nothing. Aunt Azure is right… They must go down.”
Everypony was poised, waiting for her words. Like an automaton she stepped once forward without needing to, the walls turning about her slowly in her vision and spoke loudly, trying the royal voice for the first time.

“I, Regent Princess of Marelantis, attest to these words. In three days time, I will wed Aeolus of Tirre and charge him to take the path of Kings. Let the Mother Lodestone itself crown him King of Marelantis”.
More than ghasps burst out, cheers came from niches in the walls and the elders could not silence the enthusiasm this time. Bowing curtly, Aneris walked out not seeing that Azure Gale and Aeolus exchanged a worried look. When they met to follow the princess, Azure whispered to her son.
“The mother Lodestone? Why did you not tell her? It should take place at OUR lodestone.”
Aeolus equally unnerved, thought momentarily, then whispered back
“It will be the same, our lodestone, this lodestone, as soon as I am wed to her I will get the chrism and become King!” pausing he the asked “did you get it?”
“Yes” his mother said and signalled a pony with a preplanned order.

The same pony followed the group through a side corridor and appeared before Aneris. Panting in mock exertion her handed her a message.
“Here Regent Princess, from the Unicorn Keep”
Anxiously Aneris opened it and read the simple lines.

“Esteemed Princess of the Pegasi, I Concordia Regent of Marelantis am relieved to inform you that our parents are safe and recuperating. As they need rest and isolation, it is not necessary for you to pay a visit. Marelantis needs a steady hoof to guide it out of this crisis and I believe its best for each of us to govern their own.
With my compliments,
Regent Princess Concordia of Marelantis”

“What?WHAT?” Aneris shouted and ran forward.
Azure Gale ran, only after she smiled conspiratorially to her son.
“Princess! Aneris,what is it?” she called after her.
She reached her niece within the room she had dressed in.
“What where the news Aneris?” she asked again soothingly, almost like a mother.
Aneris stifled a sob and thrust the message into Azure’s chest.
“Here read it yourself”, her tone was angered and with a loathing she did not know she could feel, she looked up at her aunt who finished reading the few lines.
“I don't have a sister any more! I don't care. As long as my parents are…are well…” and bit the back of a fore-hoof.

“What shall we do Aneris?” Azure spoke wonderingly “this is… this is a challenge”
Pacing around Aneris thought, stopped, paced again and then kicked the mirror in frustration.
“Send her something… words… that…I don’t need to visit as she put it. Let her see how she governs when in three days I will be Queen” looking up she grinned. “Yes, aunt say that too… invite her for the occasion”
Azure Gale bowed and retreated.
“Yes my princess I will handle it…”
No pony noticed the darkening of the pendant about Aneris’s neck.

———————————

In the Unicorn Keep, Concordia paced outside the King's and Queen’s bedchanber. As the hall of healers, and in fact any hall and room where packed with wounded, sick and homeless, her parents where being treated in there. Plead she she might, she was not allowed inside. She know it herself, in fact she sensed the multiple layer of healing, protective and nourishing spells that where placed. There was really not much to do and she dared not commune with them through the lodestone. It was still behaving erratic which was no help either.
With a wave of cool air preceding him, Crystal Quill walked towards her. Shuddering at the wrongness that surrounded the First mage, she acknowledged hm with a short bow of her head.
“Princess you need not bow to me! I am to do that from now on.” He thrust his fore hooves upwards in a overt dramatic show “oh what fortune upon you but with what price! To be Regent now when Marelantis needs a King most, and your parents injured and ill!”
Concordia cut him off, feeling utterly awkward around him, her body rejecting the tough of his aura with a small shudder.

“First Mage, I mean… I am not alone, my sister and I will take control of this. Marelantis must not fear. We will keep her safe until father and mother will recover. We need them to get well!”

Crystal Quill nodded sagely, but bent forward to add words as if he’d always spoken to her like that.
“Child…oh forgive me” he waved before him with his hoof as if to shoo his words ”Princess, rumours have it that that all pegasi have withdrawn to their Keep and a council of Elders was summoned in the Citadel…”
Concordia’s eyes narrowed but let herself not be goaded by rumours
“A council is always going on in the Citadel. In fact all they do up there is confer”

“But princess what if a faction rebels and takes power…lets say the warriors, then the Elder’s are powerless before such numbers. What if…”

Annoyed Concordia interrupted him again.

“What is this talk of rebellion.” She gestured at the closed door and then about her “My parents are in there, they almost died, your king and Queen Crystal Quill. This castle is filled with ponies that escaped the danger out there. Yes Marelantis is in ruins and you talk of petty rebellions and old councils.”

The old pony retreated a step and sat upon a stone wrought bench. He looked before him, as if conveying troubling news.
“The King’s coterie is now thine Princess. By the crism, you are Regent and you must take control of the situation.”
“Don't think I wont” Concordia intoned coldly. “My sister acts like a dullard, once wild as a banchee and then meek as a mouse.” She stomped her hoof hard on the granite floor.” I have no choice but to take control. Once my parents are…”

“You see Princess… I was going to tell you…” he looked as concerned as possible, a thing Concordia had never seen on him.

“What is it? Speak First Mage!” she ordered.

“Ah..Princess, the King and Queen don't seem to be able to recover. By all magical means and purposes they are bereft of magic. Not even through our lodestone are they recognised as anything other than alive. Therefore, you must confer with the coterie..”

Concordia recoiled and shouted, “I don't believe you. Its too soon. And…”
That was the moment a messenger arrived handing her a letter and a light olive green pinion, its tip dipped in orichalcum.

Crystal Quill rose and gasped.
“That is… oh Lodestones… its…”

Unnerved Concordia read the message.

“To the Princess of Unicorns.
Since no written invitation nor an escort has been sent to bring me in all honours before our parents, nor any message whatsoever about their state, I assume they are well and in adequate care.
In all this tragedy I come as messenger of hope, sister. By the metal tipped pinion I pronounce that a royal wedding will be held in three days forth. My Prince, Aeolus of Tirre shall be my champion and take the rite of Kings.
Rejoice as I will single-handedly save Marelantis and give her a King and Queen. Stay assured that I will govern with a strong hoof, repairing Marelantis’s wounds.

In utmost respect,
Regent Princess Aneris of the Pegasi.”

Concordia almost collapsed, falling back against the wall. The letter slid from her hooves and the pinion fluttered down. She held her head, thoughts whirling “How dare she? HOW? Not even a day’s worth of time and she…she…asks for an escort? And wedding? WEDDING? Our island is in ruins, thousands dead and lost and she thinks to fix it with a wedding! Who does she think I am…Am I not the same as she…”

She did not hear the first mage’s words nor did she realise she started walking, then running along the corridors, confused, overwhelmed. She stopped only when Spell Wright teleported before her, catching her in his hooves.

“There you go Princess.” Bending to look into her eyes, he saw her tears and tried to calm her “take a deep breath now, I heard…I heard the news. So terrible. So cruel.” Catching her eyes with his he spoke calmly “Princess we must clear this up with the Coterie, they know the laws and rules, together we will find a way!”

“Together?” Concordia looked up, seeking reassurance and guidance but found a glimpse of greed as he bowed deeply mistaking her look for sanction.

“Yes together! I will stand by you when we speak to them and speak up when they would ask for your champion.” Thus he drew her up on her feet but she drew away.

“Champion? What are you talking about?”
Abashed by determine to speak up, Spell Wright drew his chest up, tossing his mane once and spoke.
“Yes Concordia, my princess, Aneris has her sent her own to pass the test. He will be King in three days, what can you do other than decree a champion and have a King by your side. I “ he knelt “I wish to be that champion!”

Pulling back her body, lest he took her hoof in his or something. Concordia remembered her mother’s words and how she should, for Marelantis, take a mate.
“I cannot answer yet, Spell Wright, please get up and… meet me with the coterie later, I must clean and dress…” she said quietly almost as meek as Aneris answered their Aunt, a fact that felt her disgusted with herself. She turned and teleported to her bedchamber.

Spell Wright was satisfied even with the avoidance of Concordia’s words. The pegasi brat had played right into their hooves as he was certain that the Mother lodestone was surely to be choose a Mage as King rather than a simple warrior.

———————————

The next two days felt like a month to all. As if spurred on by the news, even though their homes, fields and everyday life was irreparably damaged, ponies of all races looked longingly towards the upcoming wedding. Memories of older ponies became treasure as everypony wanted to know what to expect. No pony expected as grand a celebration as in richer times but all added a sense of hope to it.
Many even expected the land to mends itself and crops to sprout as soon as a King walked over the waters to them. Pegasi expected their lodestone to fix the weather on the Kings single gesture, and make orichalcum burst from the rock. Unicorns where assured that rumours where true, their princess had chosen a champion and he would win the crown, bending the unicorn lodestone to his will and with a surge of magic repairing land and spirit.
A certain urgency to save earth ponies had befallen both unicorns and pegasi, that almost reached the point of a contest. While many wanted to remain in their keep, bleak as the prospect might have been, overlooking a lake of poison and barren flatland, most of the others let themselves be moved.
By necessity it was agreed upon, that the earth ponies where to be house in the tesserakonteres ship, along with anypony who could not be housed in pegasi or unicorn keep. Able to fit three thousand it was adequate for the remaining populous.
Curiously, or thankfully most ponies thought, no earthquakes came forth, nor any sign of the blight re-emerged. This added to the myth of Kings.
Surely the lodestone provides this. They mused in keep and hold as banners and garlands where prepared for the wedding, even though materials of any kind where in short supply.
They skies are clearing for the coming King! They marvelled as no more rain or wind blew their manes away, while they hammered at a wooden pier upon which the candidates would walk to the opposite side of the waters.
Our lodestone shines and is repaired! The sick heal faster! They called as indeed magical power surged over them once more.

Spell Wright walked the halls and was met with bows and curtsies. He was addressed as Prince or Regent at times, but not before the Princess. She was in seclusion, apart from when she coordinated her duties. He was not smiling though. The princess had never actually spoken out the words of championship, she never hinted or alluded to it and spoke against ponies calling him by any other name. Did she do it in jest? He thought or? He was met with a curtsying pair of mares, lavishly dressed. He nodded to them but they cut forward in his way.
“My…prince…we tried on these dresses for the wedding” once said gigging
“They are not much but…do you find us lovely?” the other asked batting her eyelashes.
“How brash, he thought but oh so mm… lovely indeed, if only Concordia would see how ravishing she’d look in one of these… she is so coy” and then had an idea. Walking between the mares and taking them by one arm each, he walked forward enthusiastically.
“Yes ladies you are indeed lovely. Now lets go and have a talk about dresses!”

————
The same night, Concordia had made her decision and wanted to talk about it in private with Spell Wright. It was the only fair to do! she thought. Rounding the bend to his rooms she saw as a mare, scantly dressed and tussle-maned escaped his rooms, giggling while she passed Concordia not having noticed who she was.
Looking after her in contempt she shuddered and peered within the door. Spell Wright was there immediately to close it and startled at whom he saw.
“Concordia! Uhm Princess! What…brings you here at this hour?..please come in.”
Stepping forward she peered within the small living room, opulent and warm. She was about to speak up when she saw the dress upon a mannequin. Layers upon layers of magesilk adorned a gown, studded with gems. Beside it on a cushion, lay a small golden circlet beside the very crown of Marelantis. These where her parent’s. In controlled outrage she pointed at them.
“Spell Wright? What are these doing here? Why are they not in with the treasurer behind lock and key and what is this all about!” she pointed at the gown. She turned to him now only to find not the pony she always could talk down upon. Not at all meek or inhibited he went forward and caught her hoof in vice-like grip.
“Come no Concordia, we are alone now. You may not have said so, but you have not said anything against it either. I understand you more than you yourself. It is alright to be shy and coy. I like this in my mate. You are regal beyond compare, intelligent and powerful. I just thought it a small gesture to offer this gown for you to wear tomorrow when I will take the Path of Kings. Look about you, all your people want this, they want me as King, surely you “ he drew closer “ surely, you want the same don't you.”
Trembling Concordia has heard through his speech, unable to escape the truths she’d been avoiding to acknowledge and infinitely afraid of this male touch she was Fagin stunned. She could not speak again, as if compelled and when she felt his breath upon her lips she shoved her head violently to the side, horn smashing against horn.

“Ah! What…” e said stumbling to the side holding his forehead and now it was his time to be stunned. Before him Concordia let the full chrism shine through, causing her too look larger. In the royal voice she spoke.
“You!you shall never touch me again thus. I forbid it. Yes I never called upon a champion because I have decided otherwise” with a sweeping gesture she levitated the gown and threw it into the large fireplace, where it caught and burned brightly. I also read the traditions and I have found that one needs not be a stallion to walk the Path. I will walk the Path tomorrow and Marelantis shall have a QUEEN!” with that she teleported away, taking the crowns with her.

Shocked and injured Spell Wright ran out his door, knowing that it was futile to go after her. His forehead throbbed and blood had ran from the base of his horn. He then gritted his teeth mouthing “you will regret this, ungrateful whore… I will subdue you one way or the other!” and took the long way towards the secret chamber below the lodestone.

Concordia never saw him alive again.

Harmony the Twinned

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The third morning came bright and gleaming. The sky was clear and the sun shone with an intensity very unlike November, warming hearts and spreading hope. Flowers where reported to have blossomed overnight and the waters of the bay where crystal clear, unmoving with not a single wave. With an enormous amount of effort, most of the debris at Scala harbour had been cleared to the side, with a single road cleared for the procession.
As the amphitheatre high above was still magically secure and untouched, many ponies chose to gather there. At the harbour below, the triremes and Tessarakonteres where brought to anchor in a perfect line, side by side forming a path upon the water.

“There” an earth pony pointed for others to see, “the mother lodestone will let the true King walk upon the waters in that line.”

“How will he do it?” some pegasi foals asked their elder.

Wise words having repeated this numerous times, she rejoiced at the attention.

“Ah younglings, no magic, no trick that be! The King will walk upon the water as if it was sand. The mother lodestone will take him within itself and then he will emerge to return to us. Ah to see a King be made twice in a lifetime! How blessed”
The foals nodded in wonderment and looked ahead. Forgotten where the horrors of earthquake and death and blight. Overlooked where the ruins of the entire town around them. Was it not all to be mended soon?

From the ships many ponies waved banners and cloths in excitement as they must have gotten word. Most ponies in the amphitheatre stood or flew up to see, to be the first to glimpse the candidates. Everything that would happen that day, from their dresses to their words would be recorded in history.

To the multitudes congregated at the harbour, if one ignored the ruins behind them, before them was a spectacle of old. Garlands of glittery fabric, ensorcelled baubles and crystalline flowers shone brightly in the sun. On the first ships before the wooden walkway that slanted down into the water, stood a quartet of musicians. Pegasi with fanfares on the right and Unicorns with blow horns on the left. Almost unseen, diminished as she was with age a ancient looking Earth pony crone waited patiently. She wore earth priestess robes and seemed to mind not the crowds, sun or the wait, so intense was the need of purpose that compelled her.
“A rite is to be be performed here!” she seemed to exude and no pony dare question her ability or knowledge.

The fanfares sounded first as the pegasi could be glimpsed in the distance. The crowds upon ship, harbour and amphitheatre stood up in an uproar.

“Aeolus! Aeolus for Marelantis!” came the shouts as the flying ponies flew once over the entire harbour to land spot on, at the right of the old crone.
Aneris was clad in the attire she was give in the Citadel three days ago and beside her holding her hoof firmly Aeolus stood in full orichalcum armour. The entourage that had followed them had split before they landed and waited on the stone harbour, among the crowds. Behind Aneris stood only her Aunt, Azure Gale in armur herself, and behind Aeolus his comrade Peregrine.

Together, the couple to be wed went towards the earth priestess when the blow horns boomed their call from their left. It signalled the unicorns who appeared one by one on the pier. Everypony looked about for the couple that would arrive on the wooden walkway only to be stunned by the flash of Concordia's teleportation. She alone appeared. No bridesmaid behind her and apparently no groom and comrade either.

“She must have chickened out on everything!How very like Concordia.” Aneris thought in glee and tugging momentarily at her groom-to-be, she urged them forward.

“WAIT!” Concordia bellowed for all to hear, her royal voice echoing in the bay from shore to shore. “Stand aside for the royal pair, Cronus Supreme and Rhea Gale” as she inclined her head and teleported them herself along with two ponies to assist them.

Aneris’s composure faltered momentarily but Aeolus’s grip steadied her. It suddenly seemed more possessive than reassuring and Aneris found a hidden feeling within herself. She wrenched her hoof away and walked towards her parents, noticing Concordia beside her as well.
Their parents where standing, visibly weak and exhausted. Aneris surged forward to hug them and planted a kiss upon each cheek.

“Father, Mother! You are well. Look” she gestured about her “ I am about to marry Aeolus and he will try for King..we will” but halted at the mere nod of her Father’s head.

“Father?” she asked.

“He cannot speak, Aneris” Concordia said sternly while her sister looked behind her and up into her face.
“No one told..”

“He lost his voice and both their sight. Mother will never fly…” but was shushed by her sister’s pleading eyes. Concordia averted her face and them heard as her sister bend down again to ask her parent’s blessing.

In a hoarse unused voice Rhea answered. “Of course you have it Aneris you and your sister, forever.”

Concordia frowned at that, was about to turn but saw her sister walk by to join the pegasi by the edge of the walkway. The crone awaited patiently not minding that her gown was touching the edge of the water as small ripples lipped over the planks.

Raising her gaze she called in trained oratory voice.

“Stand there before us, two souls wishing to be joined?”

“Yes!” answered Aneris and Aeolus in unison.
“Stand there before us any who should wish ill of this joining?”

Many eyes drew upon Concordia, yet she withstood the temptation to speak or move.

“Then speak vows for all to hear and be joined!
Aneris spoke up, no longer in amplified voice but audible nonetheless. From her hoof, holding her beloved’s she looked up into his eyes and spoke through tears.

“My warrior! I have loved you for many years and flown with you into battle, storm and tempest. My loyalty and love its endless and I wish to share that for as long as I live. I name you Prince.”

Cheers erupted yet again, causing Aneris to notice how silent everypony was before. When by a wave of Aeolus the din quieted down, he spoke looking briefly to her the towards the ponies of Marelantis.
“My warrior princess. Your beauty and bravery had captured me as now I have captured your heart! A good companion and a fine prize. As prince I take the right to ascension for Marelantis!” and thrust a fist upwards thrice “For Marelantis! For Marelantis!”

Aneris was shocked and confused. Where where his vows of love and a joined future, he did not even look at her! He held her hoof like spoils of war and almost rattled her as he thrust his fists in a battlecry. She looked over to her Aunt who cheered along the other ponies,as flowers and bits of fabric filled the air about them. Almost in panic she looked back at her sister who returned her with a gaze of knowing disgust.

“I did…not want it so…” she mouthed as she was drawn into a crushing kiss she did not want. Behind them Peregrine instinctively moved as if in protest but with a quick snap, Azure Gale caught him. “None of that” she whispered gritting her teeth.

The earth rumbled shortly and with recent memory of ruin, everypony was petrified in fear. All faces where illuminated when in the distance on its island, the mother lodestone shot a beam of purple brilliance to the sky. The other lodestones on the mainland did the same apart from the earth pony one. A few sparkles exited the gaping whole its remains lay for none to see.

The priestess called again and all settled for what would come next. Everywhere ponies strained to see, with looking glass, spell or crowding at the harbour. It would happen anytime now.

The earth priestess smiling reverence, beckoned as if to anyone.

“Stands there before us an anointed one?”
“I do!” Aneris called.
“I do!” Concordia called as well.

The cheers toned down as everyone expected either a wonder or a confrontation.

The priestess did not seem to mind the fact that more than one has spoken and continued unperturbed.

“By champion or yourself?” she asked.
“By MYSELF!” both sisters called.

“What?” Aeolus snapped, catching his bride by her shoulders “what are you doing?”
Aneris shoved him away with strength she did not know she had.

“You are not King yet” she equally snapped back “and you Aunt, stand aside!”

Concordia had walked, shrugging Aeolus and her Aunt to the side, to stand before the priestess along by sister.
Stoic the priestess almost shrieked to the heavens as if feeling power she could not handle.

“I call upon the Motherstone to bless them and let them pass the abyss”
Ans moving to the side like the lowliest of servants she gestured towards the water that had turned dark all of a sudden. To everyone's surprise, storm clouds gathered where there where none before and blotted out the sunlight.

Trans like, moved by powers beyond themselves, the sisters took simultaneous steps. Hovered a moment over the water and stepped on its surface. Taking one step after the other, not sinking.

No pony knew if to cheer or shout. All stood aghast at what they never expected. The roiling clouds did not help with the general mood, adding it it a foreboding. Where there should have been more cheers, exhalation and joy there was the shock of the unknown. Unable to act, the ponies of Marelantis watched as the sisters walked and walked upon the waters.

No King… No King… came a susurrus among the ponies. It reached Aeolus who had stood equally stunned watching what would happen next. No King…No king
The whispers where enraging and with a cry he grabbed a spear from a guard and fled after the sisters. “NO!” Azure Gale called and drew a long knife preparing to fly. A pegasus flew immensely fast before she could alight and saw no other than her sister Rhea, the former Queen in pursuit of her son.

The twins where almost to the other side, the glow of the Motherstone welcoming and warm, when from behind a battlecry came through the air. In shock both sisters turned to see Aeolus lunging towards them, towards Concordia, spearhead first.
“This is MIIIINEEE” he shrieked the last meters when with a crashing of flesh upon armour, Queen Rhea smashed into him, hurling them both to the rocks of the small island.

Aneris galloped the last meters forward and wanted to them but was halted by Concordia.

“No!” an agonized voice called and no other than Peregrine hurled himself where Aeolus lay, who was pinned down by the spear that was meant for Concordia. Unceremoniously he shoved the former Queen aside and keened, stroking his lovers face.

“Aeolus! Aeolus wake!” he called, tears running down and falling upon the others face.
Aeolus eyelids fluttered and opened a bit.

“Beloved…P…Peregrine?”
“Yes my love I am here” he cooed.
“Did we succeed?” Aeolus rasped, with blood on his teeth.

Yet they were silenced as Azure Gale shot another spear to pierce both her son and his lover, so that inn a last Kiss they were joined in death… for all present to see.

Aneris averted her eyes at the tender spectacle while Concordia took her by the hoof forward, when Azure Gale, crazed eyes and panting landed with a thud before them.

“YOU! Ungrateful spawn! Always! always ungrateful! You murdered my son, my only son, my sister! Dead! And now she is coming!”

The sisters looked about confused and shocked by what used to be their aunt.

“YES! She comes and she will have you all. SHE WILL HAVE US ALL!” she bellowed producing her long knife lunging forward.

Aneris moved before her sister to shield her but the weapon made contact with their father who had appears between them in that instant.

Dropping the knife and looking at her hooves she then snapped her head towards the sky. Her eyes opened wider and with a silent scream she fled as if demons where upon her.

Cronus fell forward sputtering and both his daughters held him, crying, stunned, helpless.

“Take me…take me to her” he asked and without knowing how, the sisters carried their father to his beloved. The rocks had snapped her neck, yet he took her in his arms, caressed her face and kissed her before expiring himself.

At that moment it was too much. Everything was too much for them. The pain had reached its peak, the death and blood all around them, the earth trembling and the air crackling with energy.

They held each other fiercely and called loudly in a primal scream that roiled the waters and stirred the lodestones. In a sphere of energy that surrounded them, they were picked up by the mother lodestone and plunged within it.
The world turned white.

———————————
The night before Spell Wright had stumbled within the secret chamber and awakened Discord in his prison. The creature did not need any awakening, thought it did pretend having been stirred from slumber.
On the surface of his sphere he wrote mocking words, to rejoice in the agony of his tormentor.

“Aaaaah! Has you mare denounced you, little mage? Imagine! The first mage’s son. A cuckold by a princess who would rather have none than you! This is delightful! Tell me more little mage.”

Spell Wright shook.
“Shut up! Shut up!” he called while he swept objects away from tables, hurling potions against the crystal sphere and cursing..
“I will destroy everything she wants, but first I will ne King! Yes, tomorrow…”

An enticing voice came into his mind and the stallion halted to make sure it was not imagine. He had an imaginary voice for the draconequus whenever he read the words, but this wa too real…

“Hmmm…” the voice cooed “I might be able to help…”
“What?” Spell Wright rose and turned to the sphere. “What are you saying worm!”

“Oh I just mused that since you have a one way spell to bring things inside to me, you could reverse it just for me to give you this” and he brought forward the black stone on its string, that one birthday gift he never let go of.
The pony bent forward and then drew back…

“You trick me” he refused.

“Well” Discord spoke in disinterest “ if you do not so something soon enough, tomorrow you will have a new King to find you and your daddy and have you be hanged!”

Spell Wright refused again and spent the rest of the night in thought, drinking of excessive amounts of wine and destruction of objects.

Morning found him watching through a spyglass, wrapped in his cloak and feeling miserable.
A servant apperead too gleeful for Spell Wright to handle and told him the news before galloping away.

“Master Spell Wright, you father has called upon you and said you know where to find him! I am off, we get a KIng today!”
Spell Wright poked his tongue out in disgust and slowly made his way to the secret chamber. Finding everything dark he called

“Father?”
Summoning a mage light that dimmed immediately he descended the stairs and reached the far end where the lodestone tip loomed over Discord’s prison sphere. Walking around the contraption and looking up to see for any messages, he stumbled upon a sack on the floor. Rising and turning to see, reeling from his hangover, he found his father’s corpse. Crying in alarm and dismay he shouted “what happened? Father! Father!”

“Nothing happened that wasn't his doing” came Discord’s voice, deep and matter of factly. He appeared in full draconequus form, toothy grin and talons scraping against the crystal walls.

“Tell… me… how… this… happened! Worm! Or I will kill you here and now!” he stallion shouted.
Discord complied by pointing over at where they previously sent the earthquake spell into the ground. An intricate seal was drawn upon the stones and it pulsated menacingly.

“He found a solution that is all, the spell is still there waiting, but he could not handle it…it killed him in an instant. Quite painless I dare say.”

“Why!!” Spell Wright shouted, approaching the drawn symbols slowly.
Behind him Discord grinned with glee, his voice betraying nothing.

“Oh it was something about not loving the target of the spell and all. Simple actually. When she touches the lodestone and if you love the target, our sweet Concordia, you get the Chrism and you become King…”

Spell Wright neared the seal, hooves outstretched. Discord went on with his hypnotic speech.
“Your father did not love her enough as much as you do. You are the one. Touch it!”

As he said that, the stallion bend forward and touched both forehooves upon the seal. The pony died instantly but not before the seal that was no other than the reseal spell of his prison, let him out.
Crystal Quill who was compelled to appear dead, now stirred and moaned.

“Now to you” Discord growled, taking one pained step after another claws and talon clenching and his teeth extending in a grimace of horror. “I will take my time…”

“DISCORD” the voice came from within the lodestone.

“I dont need you any more Pebble, go whither and die.” The draconequus taunted.

Yet a black tendril shot from within the lodestone and caught him around the waist. Discord squirmed and wondered how it was still possible that pebble resided within the lodestones even after the explosion at the earth pony temple.
“I only wanted that from you!” Pebble’s voice boomed and the tendril sprouted another, plucked the pendant from Discord’s neck and let him fall to the ground.
“I propose you run Creature of Chaos!” Pebble said, his voice dimming.
“Soon one will arrive who can best you!”

At that moment the lodestones erupted in energy, at the call from the priestess far away in the harbour. Rampant spells were triggered and shot everywhere. Worse, the devastating deep earthquake spell came to life again and sent a pulse deep beneath the soil.

White light, everywhere and as far as they could see, met with the two ponies.

Concordia saw her sister in the distance and as the latter already galloped to her andhugged for a long time and separated to look about.

“Doesn't this remind you of that time we met Discord? But only white…”

“Yes!”Concordia exclaimed and shouted about “Discord! Are you here?”

“What are you doing?” Aneris shushed her.

“What he might be here, he might.” And sat back onto her haunches.

Aneris looked at her sister and smiled.

“You really love him don’t you?”

“Who?” Concordia said taken aback.

“You know who…Discord, you like him” she said but not unkind.

“I…” Concordia inclined her head ashamed.

“Does not matter now” Aneris said rising and handing a hoof in aid for her sister “lets find him!” she went about shouting and running around.

“It any pony here?” Concordia said dejected.

“I am!” came a voice unknown to them. While in the far distance a form shimmered.

“Aneris Look!” shouted Concordia and both ran towards the figure. Skidding to a stop at the sight.
Before them stood a stallion, the brightest of white and to their shock was both pegasus and unicorn. His mane and tail where transparent utterly colourless while his eyes the brightest of red. An albino, they both thought, a unipegasus of legend!

“I would prefer the term Alicorn, beloved sisters, Pegasus, Unicorn and Earth pony I am all and none.” With a bow he inclined his magnificent horn, longer than any they had seen on a pony. “You may call me Pebble”

“Sisters?” Concordia asked.

“Yes, I am your brother, taken as stillborn from our mother and a empty tomb in my name.” He said saddened.
“Where are you? Where where you all this time?” Aneris asked astonished.

“I am within the lodestones, I am part of them by now but watch as visions convey memories better than words”
With flourish of his hoof, he brought all his memories forth, for his sisters to see as if they where their own.
From birth to adulthood they saw. They felt his pain and loneliness, were betrayed at the earth pony priests behind this scheme, wept when they saw what their Aunt did to her utter doom and cried in anger as they saw Discord’s imprisonment. A long time and in no time at all, they were privy to each other’s thoughts and now were also aware at the peril of Marelantis.

To the west the poena was already advancing upon Marelantis with a decades worth of hunger and a tempest in her wake. To the east, the blight only momentarily dormant, stirred to surface and to the north… a destructive spell was draining the lodestones and would drain them completely to reach the core of the planet itself.

“The planet!” Aneris shouted
“You mean our entire world? Is this…the end of everything?” Concordia choked and clasped her sister’s hoof.

“There is a way…” Pebbled said as both his sisters looked up.
“Its a choice and a burden…for you see the world is doomed. But it can be delayed, for many centuries at that.”

“I dont care about centuries, eerrm…Pebble, our lands it out there, its ponies dying” Concordia said, desperate.
Pebble shook his head negatively. “Its responsibility for all the ages or nothing! Who knows maybe we can find a solution until the end”

“We?” both mares asked.
Their brother nodded, touching his chest.

“Look at me, I am possible, and within the lodestone we can make this possible again”
“You mean…”

“Synthesis! The three of us with the will of the Lodestone will be one new being!” he said in joy but not with the slightest of greed.

For along time the sisters looked within each other’s eyes and reached a consensus more akin to a feeling and walked towards their brother hoof in hoof. He took each offered hoof into his and closed his eyes. The white world around them winked out, paused as if in thought and returned to white.

“You can you hear me” a voice comprised of many voices beckoned.

With a jumble of combined thoughts and inner voices, the Alicorn can to her senses.

“I hear you, are you the Lodestone?” she asked with a new voice sounding strange to her ears. Her hooves seemed further away than usual ans she felt vast. From within and physically she felt endless, ready to surge up and be born into the world.

“Hold on, young one. As you are you would emerge in a world as it collapses.”

“What must I do” the Alicorn asked, lowering her wings.

“Accept me within your very being. Then, knowing you will be powerless before your mission, compelled and drawn to save the future from ruin do you agree to it?”

The Alicorn nodded.
“Knowing you will live long beyond any of your subjects, do you agree to it?”
She nodded again.

“Then so be it. Accept this minor gift and then bow to me”

“Gift?” she wondered and was struck by a vision. Her sight wrenched from the land, high over water and cloud. Higher higher until she saw only stars. From below immense sail ships immersed and flew away from the world, her world, towards a beckoning star impossibly far. One of the ships, the last one, bore the name “U.E.N Harmony” before it followed in the wake of the others.

When she blinked she was back in the white world and she found she knew her name.
Bowing deeply knowing by the gift of prescience, where she must guide the future to, she opened up her mind and soul to the lodestone.

Like a cocoon the mother lodestone cracked and ripped at the seams. A time wave surged out and froze everything in a single beat of the smallest time unit. The Alicorn breeched the time wave like a membrane and flew arrow straight into the sky. From her impossible height she could see, she felt, the destructive spell having penetrated the earth but advancing at a slow pace. There were no more lodestone and she knew without thinking that she was the lodestones. Thus the spell had very little power to draw on and indeed would takes centuries to even reach the core.
The land was torn though, Teutonic plates where given adequate space to rip the seafloor and the land in three and water had started surging to will the gaping crevasses.To the west, the poena had merged with the tempest she called to her and was a big as a city, grotesque demonic maw gaping to suck in souls.

Finding she could jump in and out the time-wave, the Alicorn surged below to fly across Marelantis, whisking any survivor she could as if she were plucking flowers while running through a field. Not many, eight thousand or less where transferred upon the ships, and the rest upon the small island at the mouth of the harbour. The ships she levitated, a titanic effort but a mere thought, to rest by that island as well, shielding them with a large dome. She cared not that within that dome the time-wave did not exist and ponies where slapped out of their stasis, falling and stumbling wherever they where deposited.

Thousands of eyes saw that a legend of old, a unipegasus was flying out there.

“Alicorn” came a thought into all minds, and all knew it as if it was their own.

Outside, a single enormous wave had been halted, boiling crest moving, at the northern border. “A tsunami! From the earthquake!” ponies shouted and pointed when a streak of light shot from east to west, so smash with a wave of colour against a demon cloud. The Alicorn slashed it with horn and hoof and as it retreated from her attack, she spread her wings wide. Bigger than any pony she resembled the horses from the mainland, and her wings where tipped with brightness. Her aquamarine coat brought recognition to the masses.

“Its one of the princesses! She has been chose to lead!” they cried in joy as the Alicorn swept her wings forward in a powerful beat, rainbow coloured light obliterating the demon cloud, poena and tempest alike. In the space bereft of what was before, winds and clouds swept in, even some waves, impossibly high where sucked to that point. The Alicorn seemed to move slower now, perusing the remnants of Marelantis beneath, seemed as if to sob when she clutched her chest and released the immense wave that loomed ever higher hundreds of meters above ground.

When she entered the protective dome at the islet, her aura alone brought all ponies to kneel. She diminished her aura, her being and power to that of one mundane ponies could handle. Flicking an annoying itch at her throat without taking notice what fell upon the rocks, a near perfect black gem on a string was sent into the shallows among debris and seaweed, forgotten.

The Alicorn alighted upon a short mast and presented herself so that upon ship and island she was seen.
A stallion, she knew his name, she new all of their names!, grovelled forward on the deck and asked trembling.
“Who..who are you”

In the royal voice, for all to hear she proclaimed.
“I am Harmony the Twinned and I will protect you during this cataclysm”

Harmony and Immortality

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“No, no no no no” Twilight screamed and clutched at her chest, in a place very alike the empty whiteness of the lodestone. Was it mental pain? She did not know. But it was excruciating. Almost as if she was going through a rebirth herself she writhed and kicked on the non existing floor.

“Make it stop voice! Pleaaaase!” she begged. The connections, the tangents that where wild information now merged, made sense and formed stories within her mind. Harmony the Twinned - Elements - Tree. It swept through her brain, probing, letting go of possibilities and grasping others. Her mouth started to foam.

Voice spoke and Twilight knew that sound.
“I believe you know that you can stop it yourself Twilight.”

Twilight found the information within her mind, seized it and all pain was gone. The turmoil and rampant analysis shut down or dormant. Straining t get to her feet, sh fond she could choose the hypothetical environment around her and shifter it to that of the outer planetary view. She floated here, in comfortable orbit letting herself settle. How comfortable this was, how soothing and calm. Closing her eyes she felt she could rest. Her eyes opened upon not knowing if she squandered time within the book.

“No time passed” voice spoke.

“Voice, can you please repeat Harmony's vision? The one with the sail ships.” Twilight asked and turned around herself to pinpoint exactly where those ships had left the planet.

“No! No repetitions Twilight” Voice laughed “you will get your own vision in time…”

I had time to think and I know now who you are, or who made you and fashioned you in the likeness of her soul.
“Oh” the other asked

Twilight rose as if she could always stand on imaginary ground, while orbiting a planet. She bowed low, as once Celestia had before her friends and spoke with a voice filled with reverence.

“Come before me Voice, you made of my ancestor Harmony the Twinned.”

Before her she saw a ripple and an Alicorn as tall as Celestia emerged, shaking her tricoloured mane, Ochre, golden and beige. Upon her aquamarine flank Twilight saw what was expected, the combine cutie marks of the princesses, a shimmering gem upon a map’s compass.
“You like it?” Voice-Harmony said while looking at it sideways “it baffled many at the complexity and frankly, from afar no-one could make out the details. Pity!”

Turning her head she found herself hugged briefly by Twilight who drew back abashed.
“Make not the mistake that I am Harmony, young pony. I remain a construct and could change this form if its too disruptive.” The mirage before her spoke.

“Oh no! Its more comfortable this way Voice.”And after looking back, down at the planet she asked” what now? I know now that the pendant down there is the same stone that is out there in my time, holding my friends. Am I right? “

“I shall not deny it Twilight” Voice said matter of factly, shifting the environment back to that of pure vision. “Yet..”

“I know, I know” Twilight said “I must see how it got to Equestria and how to destroy it” allowing her consciousness to be gripped by the book again.

“Oh one more thing! Twilight’s thoughts spurted up, shacking the forming memories a bit “How come the moon and sun rise on their own?”

“You will know in time” Voice uttered.

Cataclysm

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For seven days and seven nights the survivors from Marelantis witnessed a miracle. Later is would become legend, then myth and even after thousands of years within inherent memory the Cataclysm was never forgotten.

The first morning after that gigantic wave had crashed over the dome, deafening all ears, ponies rose from their huddles and hiding places seeing churning waters and debris hit the walls. Every now and then an immense piece of rock or a parts of a building but slowly be hurled against the dome, thunk with a reverberating sound and be swept away. It was a good thing the water would remain dark green and rusty with soil as there was more than rubble hitting the dome. Livestock and bodies would inevitably be sighted and Harmony wanted to avoid any more desperation and horror.

Holding vigil aside the spell that she had created, she was grateful for the menial work of repelling unsightly objects from the barrier. It was not easy but it could be done and it gave her time to think.

With the pool of memories and combined knowledge of three ponies, she was starting to form a stratagem. She had an immediate responsibility for the lives of these ponies. Setting a creeping sentiment of guilt aside, she had to take care of them since she saved them in the first place.
It was fortunate that the ships she saved always carried food and water and basic supplies, in case of an immediate deployment. Also, since many earth ponies had taken refuge in the Tesserakonteres, they had stocked it up with linen, metals and valuables. She already mourned the fact that there was no time, or thought, to have saved any scrolls, artefacts or mementos from their sunken homeland.

Survival aside, they had no home. Looking behind her, she saw ponies already having set up tents, connected the ships to each other with gangplanks and as well as lit cooking fires.

“Life always finds a way” was the old expression she remembered, “but they are not living a natural life right now. The natural way was for them to have drowned.” She shook her head and returned to perusing the waters that churned less, but rose steadily.

A shaky mare’s voice came startled her from her thoughts, as apart from that one stallion, no pony had dared talk to her. Surely a plate of food had been left reverently in the radius of her vicinity but ponies avoided even her gaze. Harmony turned slowly as not to startle the pony with her other-worldliness.

“I know what you are doing your majesty” no other than the earth pony crone that resided over the rites, spoke without fear.

“And it is a good thing. Ponies should not be exposed to such horror as the sea can cause. But have you no spell for that, to find some time and speak with an old pony?”

Harmony’s eyes opened wide at the sincere and intense conviction, smiled warmly and set her horn aglow with a spell that would simply repel what was dead. Stepping down the rocks she made the habit to stand on, she found the pony picking at cooked yams from the bowl that had been brought to her before.

“Won’t you eat these? They are good” the crone said and offered the wooden plate.
Sitting next to her on the ground, Harmony found herself practically looming over the pony. She fidgeted and haunched her shoulders. The pony next to her munched on the cooked yam, boiled to a mush and laughed.

“You fear your size scares me, hmm? Pony! I’ve seen centaurs in battle and those where fearsome. Smacking Harmony’s sides with her spoon she spat, cackling

“And don't slouch! All you young ones slouch so much, you are too tall to slouch like me! I wont let you, until you’ve grown a few years. Now eat!” and smacked the spoon once more.

Startled Harmony straightened her back and ate without a word. Chewing on the lightly salted food, she felt tears trickling down her cheeks. Those words, like a cook or servant charged with watching her, that warm uncaring of her status hit too close to home. She continued chewing, swallowing and then sobbing for a long time. Harmony savoured each bite because it was from home and because her ponies, her ponies!, made this with love, despite the pain it cause within her heart.

When the food was eaten, Harmony felt the bowl being gently taken off her hoof ans she looked to the side.
“Thank you old mother, thank you for many things. May I know your name?” the Alicorn inquired. The old priestess cackled once more and spoke with broad gestures of her hooves.

“Aye…I have forgotten it by now my sweet, because it does not matter! WE matter majesty. Our stories and songs matter. The pictures painted and the things we create. THEY matter…”

Harmony followed the gestures and tried to envision Marelantis, her Marelantis as it was…
“Yes old mother, but it is gone now and so little remains. We will forget, wherever we flee to and Marelantis will die…”
“Then let it die.” The pony said causing Harmony to gasp. The priestess relentlessly continue her teaching. She seemed to the Alicorn as if wound like a toy to produce the same lessons over and over, yet, she felt a sense of purpose within those words. As if the pony was mean to guide her now, was taught by priestesses before her and them as well for generations. Listening to her does not mean I will follow what she says, she thought and turned fully to ask the crone.

“You specifically said just now, that Marelantis is within us, with all the songs and traditions and memory. And that it is important to keep those but now you tell me to let Marelantis die? Make sense priestess!”

An upturned brow looking at her and eyes deep with awareness made Harmony stop.
“The land itself is dead!” the pony said aloud “but aye, its soul is within us all.” She stood on creaking ligaments and poked a hoof in Harmony’s chest “it will be a hard lesson, yes a hard one, for you for me and for them.”

“What lesson? You confuse me, and realised by the touch she knew her name,”Sage Tea! That is your name”

The earth pony stood immobile for many moments and Harmony feared she damaged her mind somehow when she drew back at the loud outburst.

“HahAAAH! Sage Tea aye that be me.” She said and unceremoniously went about to inspect Harmony as if she was a chicken primed for selling. The priestess unfurled a wing, a task not easy for her, slid her hoof along the pinions and feathers. Then she forcefully made Harmony to bow her head as she felt along her horn. Harmony shuddered all over at the intrusion, especially the horn.

“O..Oh..Old Mother! Please..this tickles” and gently;y pried herself the old pony off.
“What happened, why did you do this” she asked looking to the side noticing that many a pony had watched the weird display.

Sage Tea turned, raised her hooves and called.
“She is a pony just like us, of flesh and blood, born not made! By Feather, Horn and Hoof she is our princess come of the Lodestone.” And bowed reverently.

“Our Princess!” came voices through a susurrus among the ponies that left anything they where doing and bowed as well, smiles and faces of hope apparent to Harmony.
“She knew her name, I heard her speak it!”
“If the priestess vows so, it is do”
“She will save us!”
“Hail the Princess!”
“Hail Harmony!” was the repeated word then
“Hail Harmony!” it came louder “Hail Harmony!”

“What do I do” harmony whispered to Sage Tea at her side.
“For now, accept their joy, celebrate if they want it and then…” The pony looked back towards where their sunken homeland must be, pressed her lips together frowning. “Then we mourn the dead. When the pain has gone past, you steel their hearts with the memories of Marelantis and guide them to a new home… To a new home.”

“Them?” Harmony asked while she waved shyly and dipped her head in thanks fort he cheering. “Are you not coming with us?” But she saw in astonishment that the crone had fallen asleep, probably exhausted. With her magic she gently lifted the frail body, diminished with age, and found in dismay that she had passed away, a serene smile on her face.

Walking thought the crowd that kept cheering and expressing joy and relief, tears ran unabashed down the Alicorn’s cheeks, towards where the dead had been prepared for burning.

Over the next two days the waters rose to cover the dome.
“Where has that water come from?” asked many ponies and she could only tell them in passing. How could she describe what she now knew from the lodestone’s memory. That far, far away at the western most point of the Mareterranean sea, the rocks of Zebraltar stood, separating sea from ocean. These did erode slowly and steadily, but the last, pony made earthquake broke that brittle balance. The ocean flowed into their sea until their level was equal. Harmony also did not want to put the pictures of flooding coastal cities, many more deaths and catastrophe, into her subject’s minds. Thus she led them make up their own myths and think not in detail about the true physics.

She also wanted to fly as high as possible soon, to see the extent of the flooding and most importantly in what direction to actually set sail to. The matter of reaching the surface was one of magic and that was relatively easy to manage as well as that other one…the grim one.

Harmony swallowed once, pressing her eyes shut to stifle tears, because among the bodies, now cocooned in magic shrouds, her parents where also found. As soon as they broke surface, the cremation of the dead had to be held and the the course for home taken.
“What home? To where?” she thought in anguish.”If only the waters would stop rising”

On the fourth night she was woken by a whisper.
“Princess…Princess wake up”
Harmony groggily stirred from the cot she slept in. She had been given the largest room there within the Tesserakonteres and was left alone. She hated that fact, why had she so much space when otherwise the ponies had to sleep five and eight to a small room, hammocks emerging everywhere during nightfall.
She rose and saw a young mare beckoning.
“Princess you must come!” she urged and went out the corridor, dashed upon the narrow steps to reach the upper deck. There many ponies stood looking up and pointing to the topmost area of the dome.
A streak of moonlight pierced the surface and illuminated the dome floor. Perhaps a diameter of 4 meters of sky was visible, stars twinkling. She sighed in relief. “The waters were retreating” and looked about at the tired but elated faces of her ponies. “They have been through so much, but life wins, their needs, their families and everyday life keeps them from going into shock…and they find joy in so many small things” looking back up at that beautiful piece of sky, she knew myth would make it a sign, but she cared not because it fit well into her design.
“Yes” she vowed to herself “ I will find a home and a way to reach it. A safe place. No! I will MAKE it safe so that they need not worry and live comfortable, happy lives.”

Harmony gathered her legs and leaped up, her wings beat once as her horn glowed. Penetrating the dome but not releasing it she flew out, taking a breath of cold, clean air. Hovering above the dome she could see how illuminated it was, from the magic of the barrier, the little fires and lanterns of the ponies.

Around there was nothing, only dark sea and above the night sky seeming closer as it was brighter than the waters. With another beat she flew higher but found that she could not do it as easily as before. She could not fly outside the exosphere nor as high as she wanted within the atmosphere. High enough she could discern the curb of the planet but it was not enough to see entire continents. She knew then that she had limits. Holding the dome spell, the smaller spells within, she found that her magic potential was vast, but stretched thin. The impact of that realisation cause her to hover lower, deciding to try again at dawn.

When she woke, Harmony let the light blanket slip down her back as she rose. She splashed as little of the precious drinking water she was given as possible onto her face and combed her hair with a small straight comb, intricately carved with marine life on its fragrant olive wood. “Things like these will soon be the only memories we will have”…she thought not for the last time and exited her cabin.

Outside she greeted whomever saluted of bowed to her but rose to the air as soon as she could. Passing safely through the barrier, as she did the night before, she blinked in the bright sun and the clear blue sky. No longer black nor churning, below her the see was dark blue and slightly wavy, as if nothing had happened. Deciding upon a westwards direction, she nevertheless set a beacon of magic upon the dome, so as not to lose it under any circumstances.

Not a few hundred meters did she manage westward when she felt an enormous power nearing her. No, she felt its intent, somehow, and it was going after the dome, after her ponies! Flying as fast as she could she knew the other power was too close and the would inevitably collide soon.

Luckily a significant height above the dome they did collide and harmony knew at once who it was that hungered for her ponies.

“Discord” she shouted with all that she knew about him now. All the images of him within the crystal prison, the malicious intent, the conniving glee and malice with which he let his power be used. From the shock of the collision they had agitated the sea around them and it returned with meter high waves that lapped against the exposed part of the dome. Both had landed on the surface, momentarily dazed.

Like a fabled Lung-dragon of the Quillin, he sprawled on all fours, rubbing his head with his talon. Looking up in astonishment he called “Princess! Its one of you… no your are both, its you!” causing Harmony to feel disgust at the happiness and kindness this creature of Chaos and destruction showed.

“You!” she let her royal voice shout as loud as she could. “How could you let this happen! You caused the worst of all of this, you even enabled the fallen to contribute to the fall… the fall of Marelantis!”

His eyes open wide, clenching and unclenching his claws he shook the water off his back and levitated himself. Beseechingly he looked back at her again and even moved a bit to float towards her.

She bellowed again causing him to recoil and extend claws and talons out in defence.

“Not another meter! What did you expect flying here so fast and hungry? Magic to devour? Don't deny it, I know you like magical items. But you will not have the last hope of my ponies!”

With that she braced sent a vast wave of energy against him.
He was blown a bit back but returned, watching her from higher up.
“Who are you?” he asked astonished as two red gashes where along each forearm.

“I am Harmony the twinned. I know all that passed between you and my brother Pebble and I am both of the princesses you knew. I know also that you spell nothing than trouble for my subjects and I banish you from us. You are aware now that I can best you, creature of Chaos. Vanish and be damned!”

She called thus and every word stung worse than his injuries. He visibly recoiled at each and defeated he fled as fast as he could, as far away as he could from the one creature that was both the opposite and the only equal to him.

To the ones below, it seemed only that their princess fended off another horrible nightmare, returning victorious. They now could trust her with her lives when she spoke of returning to the surface and setting a course for a new home.

Now more than ever, Harmony felt their migration was imperative. Despite the triumph and revenge she felt she had taken by fending off Discord, she locked herself up in her cabin and cried. She cried for the three young friends, hopeful and naive. She cried for a unicorn who had fallen in love with him and a pegasus who thought him her best friend. That Discord was gone forever, broken by the despicable first mage and driven to begin the destruction of the planet itself. A destruction of this magnitude, the sheer time spanning effect, was simply unforgivable.

—————————————————

During the last days of their stay under the dome, Harmony flew ever further and despaired. From all that accumulated memory she had a map in mind that she would have followed if not for the flooded shores. Since it was no ordinary floor with a few tsunami or even a few consecutive earthquakes, the damage to the shores she had in mind was greater than she could have imagined.
Firstly she had flown in the direction of Tirre, that Marelantean colony that caused so much strife after all. Tirre was gone entirely, from harbour city to the lofty towers in its newly built castle. The rising water had not just flooded the shores, it had eroded parts of the land and rendered it anew and unrecognisable.

On another day she flew eastwards towards Little Kirinia, the long landmass that touched the Mareterranean sea. Nothing was left of the kilometre long beaches and the seasside cities of marble and sandstone. Having been a lad at sea level for many kilometres inland, all that was flooded up to the Grand Kirinian mountain range.
She set aside thoughts of how any creature would no longer be able to cross that natural barrier to reach Kirinia from the west. This was not her concern although the guilt was set in stone within her. “Creatures will find a way, by sea or even land to reconnect trade routes, life will always find a way.” She thought as she noticed little life about the areas she had perused.

In order to reach further she flew higher. Exhausted she had reached the most northern edge of the Kirinian continent, where a sizeable canal separated Mareuropa and Kirinia. This was now a vast sea and to her dismay, at the mouth of that channel sea, rock formations as high as hills loomed. The waters churned and turned in enormous swells to crash against the rocks. Rapids that would swallow a small trireme formed and gushed their contents out in high plumes of foamy sea. No, this would not do for a migration and Harmony was not entirely sure she could manage to control so many individual ships with magic. No, her ponies had to make it on their own with her as guide.

The only two directions left where to the west and south-east. Reluctant to even think about it, she knew that the second direction, southeastern, was where Discord had flown to. Immediately this cause a denial within her and that was the point she took the decision. Westwards, to Albion or even past the rocks of Zebraltar.

That night she called a council of all captains and whoever had taken leadership over certain groups. Inevitably some ponies flocked around certain figures whether for protection or a sympathetic ear. One could not call them factions, but the segregation had already started.

In a wide circle around the central fire, Harmony addressed them all and conferred with them about their knowledge and thoughts. In shock they all heard about the state of the world but their eyes shone when they looked at her. It both empowered and unnerved Harmony, but she swallowed that down. Inner memory helped bring knowledge of statecraft forward and delegated the most prominent ponies to duties such as : reaching a consensus of all ponies, inventory of supplies and damages to the ships.

Her subjects had started to reach out to her as well, asking questions or just picking up conversation. Sometimes they asked the impossible such as bringing supplies into existence without teleporting them from somewhere else, or whether she could rise Marelantis from the depths again. Gently she dissuaded such talk and found that she could use her voice to soothe and direct the ponies around her. So she prodded all thoughts towards reaching a new homeland. Harmony;s subjects now wanted to migrate, they wanted to explore new shores and find the best place to settle.

Harmony waited and saw as her subjects repaired the ships with onboard supplies and whatever debris was within the dome. One irreparable trireme was befitted as a funeral barge and it was requested from her to hold a funeral pyre for the dead before embarking upon their journey. Harmony had expected that and never let go of the preserving spell around the deceased, embalmed bodies. She too needed the release and catharsis of a funeral. Fiercely she wanted to leave, but waited wisely for the ponies to ask it of her, it would not take too much time either way she reckoned as she perused the work around her.

Indeed in two days time everything was as ready as it could have been. The night before departure another council was help so that Harmony could explain how she would get everypony within their ships out of the dome. The captains had expertly divided troops and cargo, reached to decisions on speed, rowing shifts and all that took to command a fleet.

When the last night came to pass, every pony was on board their delegated ships, sleeping their last hours upon land. Somepony had carved a verse upon the rock that had held the mother lodestone, even though after Harmony would let the dome collapse, this islet would also sink beneath the waters. No one would read this testament, but it meant something for the one who carved it.

“Here we, the last of Marelantis
Slept and dreamt of you oh motherland.”

Harmony who took a last walk about the small island, read this and bent her head to touch the letters with her horn. She changed the stone beneath, to shine brightly. She willed it so that the Fae light would gleam forever more beneath the sea.

To be continued :
Journey to the Light
The stone travels West
Greatest gift
Harmony restored

The Book of Ages. Volume 1. Harmony and Immortality

by Rune Singer

Prologue

Letters of unrest

Meetings

Divergence

A first Vision

Birthdays

Pacts and Changes

Alliances

Conflicts

Division

Interlude in three parts

Part 1 Chaos imprisoned

Part 2 Pebble encased

Part 3 The warrior and the Poena

The Fall of Marelantis

Harmony the Twinned

Harmony and Immortality

Cataclysm

Dramatis Personae

Maps and timeline