> A Family In Shambles
>  by Coffee dot exe
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Between The Two Of Us
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Miss Cyclis, you have another suitor!” 

Good Word, the small, frail advisor for the Wind Princess, practically galloped into the massive throne room. Cyclis, the aqua colored alicorn princess with a snow white flowing mane, was seated at her throne in the main hall of the kingdom’s palace after taking a short nap. It was a slow day in the Eastern Kingdom of Zephyra, an island nation off the east coast of the much larger Kingdom of Equestria. She smiled at her advisor, “Who’s the hopeful boy this time?” 

The excitable advisor pointed his horn to the massive doors of the entrance to the palace and smirked. “He’s not the kind of prince you’d expect to see everyday. He’s from Canterlot. Apparently he’s got a flair for the... Chaotic...” 

The doors swung forward to reveal the new suitor. For what happened next, Cyclis could never have prepared herself. The glint of yellow and red eyes full of fun and mischief shone from beyond the doorway. Without a moment’s notice, in slithered the strangest thing the princess had ever seen. His mane was cut short and even, save for a few hairs too long. His head bore the horns of both a goat and a deer. A lion’s paw drummed its fingers on his thigh while the claw of an eagle waved to Good Word happily. As he walked, the uneven click of his one hoof rang through the main hall. As the hoof hit the ground, the other scaled, reptilian foot treaded softer. None of these mismatched oddities were what caught Cyclis’s eye though. She noticed one thing and one thing only: that sincere snaggle-toothed smile.

“Prince Discord, madam, and might I say this castle is magnificent!” His voice was smooth, yet it accented at the most random of times. 

She smiled and extended her hoof to him, “I am honored to meet a prince of Eques-” 

“Hello, Gorgeous Prince!” The sudden shout from the creature made the princess flinch and the advisor jump suddenly. “Hello, gorgeous prince!” The castle echoed loudly back. “Oh, stop it. You’re too kind!” Discord chuckled as he waved his hand, pretending to be flustered by the complement. "I do enjoy the echo!"

Good Word dashed up and stuck his nose right in the mad prince’s face, “You will NOT interrupt the princess in such a manner!”. The sound of laughter caused the two of them to swivel their heads toward the throne, where the princess was giggling loudly. “Are you alright ma’am?” Good Word stuttered as he tilted his head, looking surprised. 

“I’m fine, Good Word!” she managed to spurt out between giggles. “Don’t worry, his interruption is pardoned with good reason.” 

“Good reason?” the advisor queried, looked confused. “What good reason is that?” 

She wiped away a tear, smiling ear to ear, “He made me laugh, Good Word.” 

Good Word looked up at Discord, who turned to him and smiled cheekily. The advisor snorted and walked out,  “Well, alright then, ma’am, I will be on my way. Call if you require any assistance!”

The princess returned her attention to the strange creature before her. “May I ask, Discord, was it? What exactly are you?” 

He smiled and and replied cheerfully, “I, your majesty, am what most ponies call a Draconequus. I share the body parts of many other creatures.” 

The princess smiled softly. “I can see that. So Mr. suitor, what plans did you have in mind to win me over?” 

Discord raised one eyebrow and chuckled. “Plan? Why would I have one of those silly things? Plans are for those who are afraid of what the world has to offer.” 

She tilted her head, intrigued. “Well then, what do we do now?” 

The Draconequus smiled wryly and simply said,“Let’s just play it by ear.”

Cyclis first led Discord through the palace, informing him on the history of her Kingdom of Zephyra. She explained how Her kingdom has thrived on such a small island by itself for its entire existence. Even though it wasn’t far off the coast of Discord’s native kingdom, Equestria, Zephyra has never tried asking for outside assistance. 

“How old is your kingdom exactly?” inquired Discord. 

Cyclis blushed, knowing this would also reveal her age. 

He frowned. “You’re not embarrassed about your age are you?” 

She looked up and away, hiding her red cheeks. “It is not a usual question to be asked of a mare...” 

He laughed softly. “Your highness, if it helps comfort you, I can’t even remember when I was born. I am as ancient as I am strange. Come to think of it... I might be even stranger than that!” 

Cyclis's cheeks faded back to normal and she let out a quick sigh. “My kingdom was founded close to three and a half centuries ago.” 

Discord raised eyebrow. “Three centuries? You don’t look a day over two centuries!” 

The bashful alicorn giggled and looked away, trying to hide that she began to blush again. They carried on to continue her tour of the kingdom.

As Cyclis and Discord walked through the streets of the city outside the palace walls, citizens of the island stared with curiosity and confusion at the royal Draconequus. 

The eccentric prince glanced at them, hearing the whispers of gossip. “I’m guessing a wide array of creatures don’t reside on the island, right?” He noticed the majority of the citizens were but earth ponies and unicorns. 

Cyclis let out a soft sigh and shook her head. “I’m afraid so. We live a sort of isolated lifestyle. Seldom do ponies visit our kingdom, and even rarer do our citizens leave. We enjoy the lives we live here. No one has ever needed to leave.” 

Discord shrugged and watched the home-stuck ponies go about their lives. “Personally I could never stay in one place for long. Too consistent for me.” 

She looked at him and smiled sincerely. Suddenly a loud growl is head. Discord's stomach was begging for food. Cyclis couldn't contain her laughter and grabbed something off a nearby market stall, making sure to leave money on the counter for payment. She handed the prince a fresh apple. “Eat up. you haven’t eaten since you arrived.” 

“Ah, I love apples! Thank you ma’am!” he happily accepted the Zephyrian fruit and sunk his teeth into it. “Thith ith delithith!” He sputtered as small chunks of apple flew out of his mouth and just about landed on the princess. He quickly covered his mouth and turned away. “Thorry!” 

Cyclis smiled and grabbed herself an apple. “It’s quite alright!” She claimed, taking a bite out of her apple. 

He turned to face her, only to be sprayed with chunks of apple himself. He flinched at the sudden barrage of chewed fruit. 

He wiped the chunks off his face and glared at her. Her togue was stuck out in a playful manner, but she quickly pulled it back in when she saw his look of disapproval.

They both stared at each other blankly for a few seconds before Discord burst out into laughter. The confused princess cringed at the sudden crack in the silence. After a couple seconds of his giggle fit, Discord was struck with a case of hiccups. He was unable to stop and Cyclis started laughing back at him. As his hiccups dissipated and her laughter calmed , they decided it was about time to head back to the palace. 

As they made their way up the winding path to the palaces gates, she spent some time thinking about the day they'd spent together. He was calm and sweet one second, yet loud and lovably childish the next. He made her feel beautiful, young and like she was the only pony that mattered in the world. That's when Cyclis knew this wasn’t just another date. She could tell Discord and her were destined to sit at the throne together.

By the time the two of them had reached the main hall, the sun was already setting along the oceans horizon. They made their way to the balcony over looking the west coast of the island.

Cyclis looked up at Discord, who was getting comfortable in a lounge chair. “So, tell me, what is Equestria like?” 

Discord looked back at her and smiled. “It’s quite a large country. In the very center of the country, a tall mountain range stretches across the sky. On a plateau on the side of the largest mountain lies the city of Canterlot, Equestria's capital city. There, many high class ponies reside and live their fanciful lives.”

“Are you the only mythical being in Equestria?” She asked him, sitting in a chair next to him. 

His expression changed drastically, showing a serious side of him that she didn't expect, but it wasn't an unwelcoming attitude. It was as if he was reminiscing on thoughts of his childhood. “What? Oh no, my two sisters are Alicorns, actully. They're also the true leaders of Equestria. I'm the youngest so I'd only take the throne if something happened to both of them.” 

Cyclis raised her eyebrows. She had found out how he fit in with the royal family. “You have sisters? And they are alicorns?” She was intrigued as to how such a family could exist.

Discord nodded. He sat up and gathered his thought before responding. “Well, there’s no true family connection, but none of us had family when we were born, if 'born' is even the right word. It was more like we all just, appeared a long time ago. A few years after the pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies came to colonize Equestria. To be honest, I don't even remember any of this. I only know as much as I do because Celestia and Luna, my sisters, have much better memories than I. They had appeared a long time before I did, and by the time I came into existence, they had already started their paths to becoming the princesses. When I finally showed up, no one really wanted me. My appearance came as, well, frightening to most ponies. But both Luna and Celestia thought I was perfect, so they decided to adopt me. They’ve been like big sisters to me ever since.” A smile stretched across the now very vulnerable prince's face. When Cyclis looked up at his gleaming face, she saw more than happiness in those uneven eyes of his. She saw love. The real kind of brotherly love one only has for someponies who have always been there for him.

A similar smile made its way onto the smitten alicorn's face as she nuzzled against his neck. “Well aren’t you just a big old softy?” 

Discord tried holding back a giggle, her head playfully tickling his neck. he gazed over the ocean towards his home and replied, “Yeah I guess I am..." Noticing the last of the sun disappear behind the vast ocean, he stood up slowly. "Anyways, it’s almost nighttime, I must return to Canterlot." The lanky yet graceful prince took a bow towards his date. "I would be honored if you would allow me another chance to visit your kingdom. I very much enjoyed being in such a wonderful place.” He said politely. 

The princess smiled and bowed back. “I would be honored if you would return. I enjoyed your company.” She gently nuzzled his neck before giving his cheek a quick peck. 

He raised his eyebrows before blushing and smiling. “Farewell Princess Cyclis.”

“Farwell Prince Discord.” She said, noticing Good Word enter the hall from a side door. 

As the guards shut the palace doors behind the ecstatic prince, Good Word approached the princess. “So how did the day go?” 

Her cheeks were red as she thought of all the kindness he showed her throughout the day. “It was... fun.” As her smile grew, Cyclis turned and headed toward her bedroom, giggling like a school-mare. 

Good Word glanced back at her, seeing how happy this prince has made the lonely princess of Zephyra. He smirked. “Shall I prepare for his return?”
> Where'd You Go?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Light shone through the eastern window of the lavish palace bedroom window, blinding the alicorn princess just as she opened eyes from a short night’s sleep. Her ghost white mane was knotty and messy from a long night of sleep. She was struggling to keep her red eyes open as the morning sun glared straight into them. This combined with her sleepiness only made the situation more unpleasant. She sighed and muttered under her breath, “I could have sworn I closed those last night...” The curtains drew to a close with a spell. She lay her head back down and began to drift back to sleep.

“You’re no fun, Mommy!”

The shout startled Cyclis. She raised her head to find the origin of the squeaky voice. The world was a blur after only having a very short nap, but slowly, she got her thoughts together. When her vision refocused, she finally noticed the young pegasus foal with the messy brown coat at the foot of her bed. His mane was black with random streaks of grey. It looked as if it was in a permanent state of bedhead. His tiny wings fluttered happily, levitating him from the mattress every few seconds. Cheeky, dandelion yellow eyes shone in the morning light. The princess smiled and greeted her child, “Good morning, Shambles. Sleep well?”

“Good morning, Mommy! You said we could have hay pancakes this morning, right?” He sat his butt on the bed, an eager smile across his face.

“You’re right, sweetie. Just let me throw on my robe and we’ll have those pancakes ready in no time.” Cyclis began to make her way out of bed. She could tell he was over excited, but the first day of school should be an important event for a mother and son. As her little foal bounced out of her room, towards the kitchen, she smiled, happy to see him this excited to learn and meet other young ponies. She pointed her horn at the door and it swung forward to reveal her robe hanging on a hook on the other side. Using magic, she slid the robe around her body and made her way out of her bedroom towards the kitchen.

With each pillar the princess passed, she recalled how the ceilings throughout the palace used to seem like they were endless. That they just continued up and up until they faded into infinite darkness. She also recalled the way the wind howled through the halls naturally, which gave most ponies the illusion of being outside. At night, if it was breezy, you could look up and imagine flying through the night sky. She wondered to herself if Shambles felt this way too. She laughed softly as she pictured her baby run through the halls, wings spread wide, pretending to soar through the sky.

Upon entering the impressive palace kitchen, the princess witnessed Shambles struggle to fly across the counter with a bag of flour in his mouth. She pointed her horn to the bag and lifted it with magic. Shambles felt the bag lift and closed his wings and fell, allowing himself to hang from the bag by his teeth. Cyclis giggled and lowered the bag so he could drop safely.

Shambles plopped to the floor. He got back on his legs, rushed over to his mother, and cheered, “I got the ingredients mommy!”

The sleepy alicorn bent down and kissed her young pegasus. “Good job, sweetie, I’ll have those delicious pancakes ready in no time at all,” she said as she made her way to the stove to ready some hot tea.

“Why aren’t the cooks up yet?” Shambles asked, looking around the empty kitchen.

After putting the teapot on the stove to boil the water, the princess rustled her foal’s mane. “I told them to sleep in.”

“Well, why would you go and do that, Mommy?” The young pegasus asked.

His mother smiled down at him and said, “Because I wanted to make breakfast for my angel on his first day of school.” Shambles groaned at the sentiment. “Shambles, would you be okay making your own lunch?” Cyclis asked.

“Sure, mommy!” Shambles replied, making his way to another counter.

She smiled and added, “I asked the cooks to leave food out for us to pack today, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting your lunch. Let me know if you need any help, alright?”

Shambles rolled his eyes and nodded. “I’ll be fine, Mommy!”

The princess turned to start making the hay pancakes. Shambles watched in awe as his mother used her magic with ease to acquire just the right amount of every ingredient without measuring cups. She broke the eggs perfectly and mixed the ingredients together into a fluffy, off white batter. She lit the stove and placed a pan on top to heat. Cyclis turned to face Shambles and saw he was slack jawed, amazed by her multi-tasking magic abilities. “Are you going to pack your lunch or not?” she said, smirking.

“Oops,” replied her young foal, and he returned to readying his lunch.

“Don’t pack any sweets now. I don’t want you getting sick,” she scolded, after seeing the foal try to sneak a few cookies into his bag.

Shambles pouted and put the cookies back. He grabbed an apple and a few slices of bread and slid them into the bag instead.

After the hay pancakes were done, and the princess had her morning tea, the two of them sat down in the dining hall to eat. For most of the meal, Shambles went on and on about how much fun he would have at school. When he had finally calmed down, he looked at his mother and asked, “Will you tell me about daddy again?”

The question caught her off guard. It’s not that she hadn’t been asked it before, but it always bugged her to answer it. She especially didn’t want to answer it on a day where she had planned to spend quality time with her foal,  but the look of anticipation on the foal’s face reminded her how important this story was to him. She finally let out a sigh and asked, “You mean ‘The brave knight of Zephyra’?”

Shambles nodded his head, eager to hear his favorite story. “Yeah, Mommy!” He propped his elbows on the table, leaning in to hear the legend.

His mother couldn’t help but smile at that look of wonder he had on. She readied her thoughts, preparing the lie she’d been telling the young pegasus for years. She took a deep breath and began her story. “This is the tale of a courageous knight born in Zephyra. He was a strong stallion who had a knack for fighting. He spent years training to be the kingdom’s best warrior, holding brawling contests, and eventually joining the royal guard. After years of service, he and the princess fell in love and decided to marry. One day a fierce dragon found its way to the island and threatened to destroy their kingdom. The knight- turned prince had no choice but to don his armor again and confront the beast. After days of battle, the dragon was slain. But it came with a price, the prince had perished while delivering the final blow. The princess lived alone from that day forth, until she was gifted with a single foal. A foal that would grow to become a new prince, and that prince... is you!” The princess tickled her little prince with her horn and he let out a squeaky laugh.

“Now now, it’s almost time for you to get to school, young one!” called a voice from the entrance to the dining hall. The mother and foal turned to see the kingdom’s aged advisor, Good Word, sporting a bright sea foam green jacket and thick glasses.

Shambles hopped down from his chair and trotted over to Good Word.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Called his mother’s voice.

The foal spun around and saw his sack lunch at Cyclis’s feet. He hurried over and picked it up in his mouth. “Thankth, Mummy!” he called through a full mouth.

“Ah, ah, ah, forgetting something else?” she asked again.

The tiny prince groaned and stuck his head out for a goodbye kiss. He felt his mother’s kiss against his mane and hurried to the door again.

“I love you, sweetie! Be careful alright?” He heard her call from the table.

“I luf oo too, Mummy!” Shambles exclaimed, following Good Word out of the dining hall.

As he rounded the corner and out of sight, Cyclis sighed heavily. Her stomach lurched from filling up on pancakes. The princess knew she had to lie down, so she made her way back to the main hall. As she seated herself at the throne, memories flooded her mind. She remembered the day she had to create that lie. The day she forced an entire nation to rewrite history. All for the sake of a single foal. Her mind began slipping into unwanted memories.

“Are you alright, Princess?” said a familiar voice.

“Good Word?” Cyclis’s mind cleared suddenly, bringing her back to reality. She saw the advisor standing before her, a look of slight confusion on his face. “Why are you home so early? Where is Shambles?” She asked, almost frantic.

Good Word frowned and answered, “Miss Cyclis, It’s been half an hour since I left. I took him to school and I just now returned.”

“Oh, of course,” the princess replied, trying to collect her thoughts. The rush of memories had given her a piercing headache.

“Are you alright?” he asked, repeating the question.

She looked down, speaking softly, “Yes, yes. I just need some rest is all.” She closed her eyes tight and opened them again, trying to alleviate some of the pain. She climbed down from her throne and slowly trotted off to bed.

Good Word watched her as she practically slumped to her bedroom. A look of concern crossed his face. He hadn’t seen her like this since he was a young pony. He shuddered at the thoughts that crossed his mind and decided it was best to just go about his day. He could see the princess was under enough stress as it was. She didn’t need him making things worse.

Cyclis finally reached her bedroom. She dropped her body onto her bed. As the sudden release of pressure on her hooves sent a rush of relief through her nerves, she rolled onto her side and looked out towards the window, seeing the never ending plains of blue.

As the hours passed, it became increasingly difficult for the princess to sleep. Her guilt hung over her like a heavy mist. She thought about how many times she lied to her little foal. She saw how happy those lies made him, but she couldn’t bear to tell him the truth about her past.

Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t stop remembering. Images of the days she spent with Discord burned themselves into her brain. She felt like she was reliving every moment with him. She could hear his smooth voice. His words formed in her mind. The words slowly grew into quotes. A feeling of familiarity filled the princess as she tried to associate these quotes with a specific memory. Then it came to her. Her heart sank as she realized which night she was recalling. The tears began to pour from her eyes as she remembered more and more of that night. She sobbed quietly, her heart weighing heavily inside her.

Minutes passed, and after she had cried until she could cry no more, Cyclis felt her body begin to weaken, and she knew sleep was upon her. Her eyes began to shut and she lay her head down. The tears on her face dampened the pillow beneath her. As she fell into a deep slumber, she felt her dream form around that amazing, terrible night.

> I Will Follow You Into The Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“This is kind of a big deal, sweetie. Are you sure your citizens are alright with this sort of decision?”

Princess Cyclis was pacing around the throne room as she discussed the pressing political issue with Discord. The months had passed since she first met him as a simple suitor and had since become a royal couple. Discord had become a friendly face among the citizens of Zephyra, as Cyclis had with Equestria. With both kingdoms closer, the idea of a union between the two nations was an ever- looming thought in their minds.

“Everypony in the kingdom has been thinking it, and now is as good a time as any to actually say it,” The princess stated, ending her pace. She made her way to a window, peering out into the courtyard. 

A sea of ponies had flocked to the palace to witness Princess Cyclis’s speech concerning the state of the kingdoms. Reporters from both Zephyra and Equestria stood eagerly at the front of the crowd, cameras pointed towards the podium that had been set up at the palace entrance. The chatter of the citizens hummed from the outside. This was the most important decision their leader had ever made.

Discord walked over to his partner, placing his paw on her the back of her neck. He kissed her cheek and smiled. “Well, if you feel they are ready, I’m with you every step of the way.” He said warmly. “You have your speech memorized?”

“I do,” she answered, smiling back to him. “Let’s go.”

The doors to the courtyard opened slowly and light flooded the throne room. The couple were greeted to the roar of the crowd as they made their way outside. The citizens cheered and stomped their hooves. Once the princess had reached the podium, the royal guard overseeing the event stomped their hooves in unison to silence the restless ponies. 

Cyclis gazed over her faithful citizens and smiled. “Thank you all for coming, fellow Zephyrians and I extend my welcome to the ponies of Equestria!” she said, her voice booming with the aid of magic. “I have organized this event to make a very important announcement. As I’m sure you are all aware, Discord, prince of Equestria, and I have been together for almost a year now. We have become acquainted with one another’s kingdoms and are welcomed with open arms by each nation's respective citizens,” she said, pausing to allow a small applause. 

“After much thought and discussion among the councils of both kingdoms, Princess Celestia, Luna, Discord, and I have come to a consensus.” The crowd goes completely silent in anticipation. Cyclis clears her throat and takes a long breath. She looks out at the sea of eager eyes and announced, “We have decided to make our beautiful land of Zephyra part of the great Kingdom of Equestria!”

The crowd erupted with applause. The princess glanced back at Discord, her face beaming with happiness. Discord’s mouth curled up into a proud smile, giving a small thumbs up to his sweetheart. Cyclis turned back to the audience. She waited until the excitement had died down before continuing her speech. “If you have any fears on what will become of me, do not worry, I will remain your princess. This agreement simply opens us to trade with Equestria and grants our kingdom a seat in the Equestrian main council.”So rejoice everypony, on this unforgettable moment in our history!” 

The crowd cheered once again and Cyclis bowed to them before turning to join her companion as they entered the throne room again. As soon as the doors behind them shut, She burst into excitement. “We did it, Discord! We did it!” She reared onto her hind legs and fell into a hug with him, giggling with happiness.

“No, you did it, love,” Discord replied happily. He picked her up and spun her around before setting her back down. “You made this possible.”

Her cheeks went red as she shook her head. “This union was your idea, sweetie. You deserve credit,” She corrected. She turned to write to Princess Celestia about the successful announcement. As she wrote, Discord made himself comfortable in a large cushioned chair against one of the walls. 

He looked over to her as she casted a spell to send the letter. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “So when should my sisters and I plan the party in Canterlot to celebrate the union?”

Cyclis turned back to him and replied, “I just asked her what day would work best for her and Luna.” After a few minutes, a letter appeared before her. “It’s from Celestia. That was certainly fast!” She said, answering Discord’s question before he asked it. “She says that she has already begun making preparations for Saturday. But, that’s only three days from now!” She yelped, slightly worried.

“Well, that leaves no time for dilly-dallying. I guess that means I should return to Canterlot.” Discord said, hopping up from the chair. “Don’t get all panicky, love. You’re a princess! Everypony will make sure you’re prim and proper for the ball.” He walked over and gave her a short kiss. She smiled up at him.

“I’ll try my best, sweetie,” she said softly. 

“Then I will see you Saturday. Farewell, my princess,” Discord said, bowing as he made his exit. The doors shut behind him, and Cyclis sighed, heading for the tailor’s quarters to prepare.


~


Once Saturday had finally come, Cyclis was in the tailor’s fitting room, getting the final touches finished on her gown. “This has to be my greatest work to date!” the tailor proclaimed. She was double checking the measurements of the princess’s flank. “We don’t want this dress to suffocate you, or Celestia forbid fall off during a dance.”

Cyclis smiled as she took another look at herself in the mirror. She turned her head to her tailor and said, “I put all of my faith in you and your talents with every piece you’ve made me, Needle Eye. There’s not one job you couldn’t handle.”

Needle Eye shrugged and finished her last look at the dress. “It is my job your majesty.” She backed up and smirked. “And viola! We have ourselves a work of art!” 

The Alicorn spun around slowly, admiring the subtle craftsmanship of the dress. The gown mirrored a cloud flowing along with the wind. Thin white silk that seemed to float along with even the slightest breeze. Streaks of blue silk wove themselves through the white to give the illusion of movement when the gown was still. 

“Oh, Needle, it’s beautiful!” Cyclis exclaimed, spinning in place on one hoof, the gown fluttering softly with her. “Thank you so much!”

The lavender unicorn shrugged. “This is my job, dear. And my passion. I’d choose no other path in life,” she admitted. “You look gorgeous, your majesty. Discord is a lucky prince.”

The princess felt her cheeks warm as she blushed a deep crimson. She looked out the window and saw the sun draw closer to the ocean. “Oh my, is it afternoon already?” Her tailor looked out to the sky as well.

“So it is. Shoo shoo now Miss Cyclis. Off with you!” Needle Eye proclaimed. She smirked and waved her hoof at her princess. “You don’t want to be late for your own ceremony!”

The princess nodded in agreement and left for her chariot, being careful to not step on her own gown.


~



“I said put the banner above the Garden entrance, not the Kitchen entrance!”

Luna shook her head at the guards as they fumbled to correct the decorations. “The ball is in one hour, you’d think we’d have things in order at this point.” The Canterlot castle was covered in both Zephyrian and Equestrian imagery. Banners, flags, and other various symbols adorned the castle walls. As Luna addressed the last minute fixes, her sister made her way to the ballroom.

“Hello sister, how are things in here?” Princess Celestia asked, admiring Luna’s eye for decoration.

“Just a few more banners and the final touches should be completed.” Luna replied, not looking away from the guards.

Celestia nodded and said, “Princess Cyclis should be here soon, I will meet her in the garden.” She ducked under the banner the guards were raising. As she went through the doorway, The blue alicorn’s chariot was flying over the mountain range. Princess Celestia bowed her head as the chariot landed. 

“Celestia! It’s so good to see you!” Cyclis exclaimed, exiting the chariot. She walked over to her and bowed in return. “I wanted to thank you personally for doing all this!” 

Celestia smiled and turned to enter the castle with Cyclis. “Please, this is a momentous occasion for both of our kingdoms!” She said matter of factly. As they entered, Luna was there to greet the Zephyrian princess. 

“Welcome Princess Cyclis. It is an honor to have you here,” said Luna. 


Cyclis bowed her head and thanked her. “The honor is mine, Princess Luna.” She looked around at the impressive preparations. “This is quite the show you two have planned, but-”

“Is something wrong?” Luna asked, looking worried.

Cyclis raised her eyebrows and answered, “Oh no, not at all princess! I was just going to ask where Discord was. I’m sorry if I scared you!” She smiled sheepishly as Luna let out a relieved sigh.

“He’s up in his room, getting his suit finished up,” Celestia said, answering for Luna, who had walked off to begin welcoming guests. She led their guest of honor to the main hall. “We will hold the actual ceremony in the main hall and once we have finished, the guests will move into the ballroom. After that, feel free to do as you please.”


~


Soon, the guests began to arrive and Cyclis worried if Discord would ever make it. The guests made their way into the main hall, where at the top of a flight of stairs, the three princesses waited to begin. When the last of the guests had arrived, Princess Celestia approached the front of the staircase and began the ceremony. 

“Mares and Gentlecolts, I welcome everypony to the fisrt annual celebration of the wind! Where we honor the day our neighboring nation, Zephyra, joined our great nation in a union that will no doubt strengthen both kingdoms!” Celestia announced. The guests cheered and the white alicorn continued, “Here, I have a document approving the union. Princess Cyclis will sign her name for her kingdom. Princess Luna, Prince Discord, and I will sign for ours.”

At that moment, Cyclis felt a tap on her back. She turned to see Discord standing next to her in the most unique suit she had ever seen. His suit was a cluster of all sorts of designs and materials. One sleeve was made of crimson silk, the other a red plaid made of flannel. The chest was white and the lapelles were leopard spotted. One pant leg bore a summer dress floral design. It’s opposite was pitch black. The button up was zebra striped, and a polka dot tie. Cyclis struggled to contain her laughter at her love’s ridiculous outfit. 

There were whispers through the crowd of the prince’s outfit. Princess Celestia turned to see what everypony was so distracted by. As soon as she saw her brother’s suit, she stifled laughter and went back to continue her speech. Discord smiled smugly, knowing his suit had served its purpose. 

Celestia paused to gather herself. When she was sure she wouldn’t start laughing, she raised a quill with magic. She dipped it and signed her name at the bottom of the paper. She placed the quill back in the ink bottle and backed away for Luna to sign. Once Luna and Discord had signed the paper, Cyclis made her way forward. 

When she reached the stand that the paper lay, she noticed something else sitting on it. A diamond encrusted crown She stared at it for a few seconds, processing what it was doing there. Her questions were answered when her companion stepped forward, picked up the crown, and held it to her. Tears welled up in the princess’s eyes. She nodded nervously before he could even ask her anything. 

“Princess Cyclis,” Discord said, looking up into the tear-filled eyes of the aqua alicorn he loved more than anything. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

She started nodding faster, whimpering with excitement. Tears rolled down her face. She turned away to try to hide her tears and her flustered cheeks. She felt her fiance remove her crown and place the engagement crown on her head. She turned to him and exclaimed, “I love you so much Discord!” She threw her front legs around his shoulders and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss as the guests below smiled up and stomped their hooves in applause for the newly engaged couple. 

As the excitement died back down, and Cyclis had cleared the tears from her face, she finally signed the paper. The four royal leaders bowed as the audience stomped again. Princess Celestia walked forward. She looked over the crowd and said, “Zephyra and Equestria have now ushered in a new era of prosperity!”


~


As the night progressed, the guests had their food and danced. They began having small talk about the engagement and the exquisite marriage that would most likely follow. They wondered if Discord would move to Zephyra to become prince there. It was the talk of the night.
While the gossip echoed the halls of the castle, Discord and Cyclis left the ballroom to stand on a nearby balcony. The love struck princess gazed up at her fiance, tears welling up in her eyes once again. It was the happiest night of her life.

“You can’t look like a sad sob in front of all these ponies, dear,” Discord said, pulling out a mix matched handkerchief for his bride to be. 

She took hold of the kerchief with magic and dabbed her tears away. “It’s your fault for being such a romantic” She snuck a kiss onto his cheek. “I’m surprised you kept your head straight enough orchestrate that little stunt.”

“To be honest, Celestia did most of the work,” He replied jokingly.

Cyclis giggled and nudged him. “You make me happier than anypony ever could, Discord.” 

The prince softly turned his love's head to face him and kissed her lips. 

As they kissed, Princess Celestia walked past the doorway. She smiled at the happy couple. Slowly, the sky grew brighter and when Celestia looked up to see why, she saw clouds moving away to reveal the bright moon. The clouds were being moved by pegasi in black, bat like armor. She looked over to a much higher balcony and saw her sister motioning with her hooves to the cloud movers. Celestia sighed happily and walked on, leaving her brother and fiance to lay together in peace.
> Mad World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Shambles couldn’t keep his eyes open. His head ached. The end was near, and by the time he realized it, he had already accepted his fate.

“Just because the lectures ends in five minutes, doesn’t mean you get to sleep during it, Shambles!”

The shout from his government professor jolted the brown pegasi awake. “The council was founded in the 5th century to ensure fair trade for all Equestria’s sub-nations!” Shambles shouted as his eyes shot open. He blinked rapidly to focus his vision. The entire class was staring straight at him. 

Professor Scribe gave the prince an exasperated look. “Right. Look Shambles, if my class doesn’t suit your sleep schedule, feel free to stay in your dorm.” He shook his head and returned to his podium. “Now class, what section of the Equestrian Doctrine stated when a council member is permitted to step up and take the princess’s position by force, if said princess is deemed unfit to rule?”

Shambles let his head hang down again, too tired to listen. He was only a few weeks away from graduating from the University of Canterlot, and the never-ending review lectures had taken their toll on his patience. His choice of major, a Masters in Political Science, was especially difficult for anypony to endure. But with a princess for a mother, a job in politics was almost required. 

The exit bell eventually rang and Shambles made his way outside to the bustling campus grounds. Young pony students were everywhere. Some relaxed in front of the royal library, others made their way to later lectures, while some sat under the large oak trees that dotted the massive campus. Shambles took a deep breath of spring air and grinned. It was his final year and he was ready to leave. 

“Shambles! We need another stallion for a game of hoofball tonight, you in?” Called a deep voice to the pegasus’s left. A large, orange unicorn galloped over to Shambles. “What happened to you? You look like you haven’t slept in weeks. Do you still have finals going on?” said the prince’s classmate, Heavy Weight.

Shambles forced a smile, only half awake. “Unfortunately, yes,” he said. “My history final is tomorrow so I gotta head to the library and study up. You going anywhere for summer?” He asked.

Heavy shook his head and replied, “Nah, can’t go anywhere for too long. Recruiting for Canterlot’s professional hoofball team begins soon. I need all the training time I can get!”

Shambles laughed and nodded. “I understand. Well, I’ve gotta head out. Good luck to you!”

“Same!” replied Heavy. “Don’t let your final kill you!”

Shambles entered the massive library. Its massive lavender doors swung open to reveal winding staircases leading to the many upper floors. Ponies were seated throughout the first floor, reading and researching. Many ponies sat by the enormous hourglass that adorned the second floor balcony. The librarian’s desk stretched along the wall opposite to the entrance. Book were stacked all across the desk as the librarian briskly walked back and forth with stacks of book floating in front of her.

Shambles reached the hourglass balcony and began searching for his research material. “A Princess’s Beginning, A Princess’s Beginning,” he whispered to himself, trotting through the aisles looking for the right book. “Here it is.” He pulled out a somewhat large book from a high shelf. It had a fine leather cover with the Equestrian coat of arms indented on it. It was a book with mini biographies on the various princesses of Equestria’s kingdoms. He brought the book to a nearby table and began his studies. 

After a few hours of thorough reading, he reached the section covering his mother’s life, only to notice that there were pages with full paragraphs inked out. Confused, he checked the next few pages. They all had paragraphs inked out as well. 

Slightly irritated, he closed the tampered book and brought it down to the librarian’s desk. when he reached the desk, he quietly cleared his throat and asked, “Ma’am?” 

The librarian approached the pegasi and greeted him in a sleep inducing, monotone voice. “Hello young pony, is there anything you need?”

Shambles cleared his throat and replied, “Yes, I found this book in your upper research section and it seemed to have inked out sections in the later chapters. I didn’t know whether it was intentional or not, so I brought it here for you.”

The librarian pulled the book towards her and opened to the pages. She raised an eyebrow and uttered almost matter of factly, “Right, Princess Celestia herself edited these.”

Shambles had to do a double take at the librarian’s reply. “Wait, what? The princess edited those pieces?”

The peach colored unicorn nodded, returning to her sorting duties. “Well the only living creatures to be alive at the time the events occurred were all the princesses. According to them, the events recorded in these books were highly exaggerated and needed to be amended.

The brown pegasi sighed irritably. “Well is there an amended version? This book is vital to my final paper.” He tapped his hoof rapidly. He just wanted to escape the monotonous presence of the droning unicorn. 

The librarian shuffled over to a stack of books that looked untouched. “This is the new collection we received the other day. If it’s not here, then that is the only copy we have.” 

After waiting for almost half an hour while the bookworm unicorn slowly panned through each book, Shambles finally asked, exhausted, “Ma’am? Is there another copy?”

The librarian turned her head, looking at the upset student surprised. You’re still here?”

“You have got to be foaling me...” He muttered under his breath. He slid the old book into his saddle bag and stormed out. 

As he passed by the food hall, Shambles noticed a group of worker stallions carrying a large stove in through the back. Being in a poor mood from the library fiasco, Shambles found the shouting between the stallions irritating and glared at them. All of a sudden, one end of the stove slipped off a worker’s back and rolled down the road, scaring students towards the sidewalks and causing the workers to go hauling off after it. Shambles chuckled at the incident and continued towards the dorms.

When he reached the dorms, Shambles noticed a small group of ponies gathered by the front door, chatting idly and not showing any sign of moving for others trying to get inside. He sighed and clenched his eyes shut in irritation. “First the librarian now this?” he whispered. 

“Look out!” shouted a high up voice

A splattering noise is heard and Shambles opened his eyes to see one of the ponies by the door, a sapphire blue pegasus  was almost completely colored in lemon yellow paint. He glanced up to see a red earth pony wearing paint stained clothes looking over the roof. 

“I’m so sorry miss! I could have sworn that can was far from the edge!” The painter exclaimed.

The dripping winged mare muttered something about useless lackies and stormed off to what Shambles guessed was her resident building, the other ponies following her closely. 

Shambles looked quizzically at the roof before shrugging and continuing to his room.


~


After studying at his desk for a few hours, Shambles decided one in the morning was as good a time as any to get some sleep. He yawned heavily and shut the book on his desk, bookmarking where he had left off. He walked over to his bed and slid back the blankets. After climbing into bed, he looked over at a picture on his night stand. It was a picture of the one mare he loved more than anything in the world. He smiled and whispered, “I love you, Mom,” before drifting off to sleep.

He heard screams fill his ears. They were the screams of young foals and fillies. The pegasus opened his eyes and saw what he could only perceive as a living nightmare. Dark clouds suffocated the sky. As the horrified stallion observed the city below, he recognized it immediately. He could tell it was Canterlot he was staring at, but not the Canterlot he’d grown up seeing and living in. Houses floated hundreds of feet from the ground, almost as if they had been ripped out and were floating like ice in a glass of water. Mice flew through the sky in pursuit of terrified dragons. Ponies’ heads followed their disconnected bodies almost as if by magic as they ran through the streets in panic. 

Then he heard maniacal laughter ringing in his ears. He turned to face whatever, or whoever was cackling, only to find nothing but more chaos around him. The laughter was starting to bring pain to his eardrums. He had to find the source. He took off through the streets, trying to follow the close but never there laughter. After he’d run until he couldn’t run any longer, he collapsed. The cackles continued ringing in his head. Then it hit him. It was himself that was laughing. It wasn’t his voice, but he could feel it emanating from his throat. He began to hear the voice speak. It was an ancient sounding voice. It had a certain calming tone to it. Even though the voice spoke of things like chaos, insanity, and the end of logic as everypony knew it, its calm demeanor gave Shambles the feeling that all these ideas were for the better. The voice called Shambles’ name. It knew him, even though he had never heard this voice before in his life. The voice sensed the pegasus’s confusion and suddenly became angered. Pain shot through his neck as he felt a presence wrap around his neck. The voice began laughing again, this time with a tone of malice. It shouted Shambles’ name louder and louder, as if to taunt him. His mind began to weaken as he felt the laughter suffocate him. Then everything went black.

A rush of air filled the prince’s lungs as his eyes shot open. Shambles was in his dorm once again. He had fallen off his bed and was looking up at the ceiling. He rushed to his window to see what has become of Canterlot. There was no chaos, only sunshine, trees, and the sounds of morning. He looked over at his clock. It was nine o’clock in the morning. 

He sighed happily. “It was only a dream.” We got back on his hooves. “I was only sleeping.” He smiled for only a second before the bad news dawned on him. “I Was Only Oversleeping!” He shot into the air and flew frantically to gather his writing materials. “Class started five minutes ago!” He rushed out the door, disregarding his bedhead and sleep breath. He had a paper to write.


~


“And with that, we send off the Class of 2012 BC (Beginning of Celestia) to leave their imprint on our world!”

The stadium erupted in cheers as the graduates of Canterlot University tossed their hats in celebration. Shambles stood among his peers, looking through the audience for a familiar face. It didn’t take long to see his Alicorn mother hopping for joy in one of the VIP boxes. He waved up to her, not expecting her to be able to pick him out of the sea of lavender robes. But sure enough, the blue princess spotted the pegasus’s wild black and grey mane and waved to her son.

Memories washed over Cyclis’ mind as she recalled his first day of school, when he went to prom alone (proudly), and the day he went off to Canterlot to pursue his dream of joining his mother in politics. The tearful, nostalgic princess slowly returned to her seat as she followed the graduates with her eyes as they filed outside in a group. She tried to keep an eye on Shambles but eventually lost him. She got back on her legs once the floor had been cleared and proceeded to the exit to find her son outside.

Shambles walked among his peers and looked around at the glee filled faces of the ponies he’d spent years learning with. He thought to himself that he may never see any of them again. Even though he knew he would miss them all, he was as excited as ever, because he knew he would finally be reunited with the only mare that mattered to him. The mare that put up with all his faults. The mare that supported him in every trivial goal he would pursue. As he passed through the main doorway from the stadium, he saw countless parents waiting by the entrance, waiting to congratulate their stallion or mare on their success. His eyes were quickly drawn what could only be a Zephyrian chariot. Ponies were trying to pose in front of it while their parents took pictures, savoring the false moment that the chariot was theirs to ride. 

While Shambles was approaching the chariot outside, Cyclis, protected by the guards who were the drivers of her chariot, walked through the long, cobblestone hallway leading from her box in the stadium to the nearest exit. She glanced out the passing windows every now and then to view the countless families holding their kids close with pride. She wished for a moment like this in her life. She wished she could feel true happiness during touching moments like these with her “family”. 

She didn’t blame Celestia and Luna for what happened. They were simply trying to protect him. She couldn’t blame Discord either. He reacted as anypony in that situation would. He was simply a victim of circumstance, as were the sisters. 

“You can take the monster out of the Tartarus, but you can’t take the Tartarus out of the monster,” she whispered to herself,

“Ma’am?” Asked one of the guards to her side. 

Cyclis cleared her throat and replied, “Nothing, just thinking to myself.”

The guard nodded. “We will ready ourselves for departure, madam.”

The princess realized her surroundings and noticed she was approaching Shambles, who was looking off to the mountains. She took a deep breath and tried to bring her good mood back. 

Shambles turned his head and saw his mother approaching. A sincere grin stretched across his face as he galloped to her and embraced her, not even trying to hide his happiness. 

Cyclis stumbled for a second, but soon regained her footing and rested her head on Shambles’ shoulder. The tears began to form as she felt overwhelming pride for him rush through her. “I love you so much, my prince,” she said softly. She raised her head again as the pegasus released her neck and sat down in front of her. She noticed how even though he was a full grown stallion, she still towered over him. 

“You may be grown up, but to me, you’ll always be my little foal,” Cyclis said, her voice choking up. She was beyond happy. No matter how upset she was, Shambles’ smile would always put a smile back on her face. 

“Don’t get too comfortable, Mom,” The lavender- clad prince replied. “I’m expecting a growth spurt.” he nudged his mother playfully and got back on his hooves. 

Cyclis took a moment to observe her son. She began to sob, thinking of her husband. She hid her face behind a hoof as her cry became audible. She had forgotten she was surrounded by thousands of ponies and did her best to not be too noticeable.

A look of concern swept over Shambles’ face. “Mom? Are you ok?” He reached towards her, in an attempt to comfort his crying mother.

She slowly put her hoof to his, smiling through the tears. “I’m fine sweetie. I was just thinking of what...” She paused to gather an explanation in her mind, “… Good Word would have thought of you.” She stretched her wing and used it to bring the stallion closer. “He thought the world of you. His only regret was not being able to see you become the Stallion you turned out to be.” 

His mother’s comment struck a chord in his heart. It had been almost half a millennia since Cyclis’ advisor had passed, but to the near immortal prince, it only felt like months. Those born with Alicorn blood were burdened with the curse of seeing the ones you love leave long before you.

Shambles shuddered and hung his head low. Good Word was as important to him as his own mother. Good Word was a lot of things to the stallion. A mentor, a big brother figure, a friend. As he recalled as his time spent with the orange unicorn,  he cried silently.

Cyclis held the pegasus close, feeling his heart beat against her side. She felt his tears stream down her foreleg and continued to comfort him. After a few minutes of silence between them, Cyclis cleared her throat and said, finally, “Shambles, let’s go home,” she said finally. “Almost everypony has left, and there is a dinner prepared for you.”

He looked up to his Alicorn guardian and nodded, his smile beginning to form once again. They entered the chariot together. The guards strapped themselves to the bars and took off for Zephyra. For the first time in years, both ponies felt whole again.
> Careless Whisper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What troubles you, brothe-”

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Draconequus bared his teeth.

“Ahem, Discord. What did you find?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


~


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


~


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“He killed him!” Another guard shouted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


~


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

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

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

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

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

Cyclis back away in fear, whimpering.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What is it?” Luna said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Dos Airif Quig Lanta Postem Lo Starastad.”

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

“Quetsen Ovetera Nof Ces Halbitie Ostrous Fahn!”

“Unt Farenza Conts Lok Falriat Swek Neel!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


~


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I will name my son, Shambles.” 

> Where Are The Heroes?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	His hooves shook with adrenaline and anger as his vision became clear. Shambles felt the ecstasy rush from his body as reality sank into his mind again. Cold air entered his lungs as he breathed in. He shut his eyes tight before opening them to see where he was.

The throne room of Canterlot was in turmoil. Windows were shattered. Under the broken shards lay the bodies of royal guards. He couldn’t tell if they were alive or not. Part of him knew they weren’t. He gasped as he tasted something in his mouth. He spat it out below him. The red liquid splattered at his hooves.

He shuddered in terror. Not just because he saw the blood that had seeped into the carpet below him, but because he realized who the blood belonged to. 

Laying on the floor before Shambles, Chunks of hair missing and blood slowly pooling around her body, was Princess Celestia. The color flushed from his skin as he gawked at the Alicorn's still body. He felt his heart beating out of his chest as his legs crumbled beneath him. He fell to his knees, in tears. 

Confusion and fear ran through his mind as he tried to comprehend what had happened. All he could remember was being at a council meeting in the Equestrian Council Hall. They had taken a recess to give the representatives a break. He was in the courtyard conversing with other representatives about the new trade agreement between Appleoosa and The Crystal Kingdom. He was passing by the courtyard labyrinth when he began to experience a searing pain in his head. He heard a familiar voice in his head. The voice began speaking to him as if it had known him his entire life. It spoke of how Shambles had been in control for so long. It asked if it could take over for a few minutes. It had a cheerful demeanor as it tempted him to lose consciousness. As Shambles fell to the ground, the voice chuckled. He look up to see the statued form of the spirit of chaos, Discord, in front of him. It’s eyes glowed a bright red before his own eyes shut slowly.

That was the last thing he remembered before passing out. His mind was in a state of panic as he began to approach the princess. 

“P-Princess...?” He stuttered. His legs shaking more and more with every step. 

“Are you oka-” He was unable to finish his statement as a sharp blow to the back of his head rendered him unconscious. 

Behind the still body of Shambles, a log held by magic floated behind him. A battered figure stumbled forward. The stallion grunted as he tossed the log aside. 

“Guards!” shouted the figure. “Take this traitor to the dungeon!”

A group of equally bruised guards approached Shambles’ body and lifted it onto their backs.

“Yes Captain Armor!” One guard barked, leading the others to the dungeon.

The white unicorn heaved a sigh of exhaustion. He surveyed the resulting bedlam that was the throne room. He shook his head violently and turned to aid the Princess. 


~


Voices faded through Shambles' mind. Some spoke of treason. Others of fair trial. He couldn’t see much. Every now and then he could make out one or two shadows in the distance. His location was unknown to him beyond the cobblestone at his hoofs. His breathing was short and rasp. He had a metal shackle around his neck and ankles. Chains wrapped over his back, forcing him into a hunched over, bent-leg position on the floor. He could feel his neck and ankles begin to bleed from the constant scraping of the metal against his skin. 

He could not tell how long he had been wherever he was. However long it was, his mane had grown to a long, matty length. He was starving, tired, and aching. He could only listen and squint for hints of what was going on beyond his senses. Soon, his eyes were unable to focus and he fell into a deep, painful sleep.

“Wake up, Scum!” The shout startled Shambles awake. A bright light shone from over-head. He could finally see his surroundings. Hope turned to disbelief when he saw the Canterlot dungeon around him. 

“Why am I in the dungeon???” He asked frantically.

“Shut up, you traitor!” A guard shot back.

“What happened??” He shouted, beginning to lose his grasp on his self control. “Please! Let me go!”

“I said quiet you piece of-” The angered guard snorted before slamming his hoof into Shambles face. “You know what you did!” He began to slam Shambles face down into the stone again and again. 

Blood began to spatter the surrounding floor with every sickening thud. Shambles began to choke on it. Another guard approaches the violent one and pulled him away. “He’s gotta be able to speak...”

The violent guard scowled as he spat on shambles head, storming off. As they exited Shambles’ cell, another, larger figure approached. Shambles struggled to look up. The figure began to appear under the light. 

“Shining...” Shambles managed to sputter. “Help...”

Shining’s stoic expression remained as he came closer. "You've been out for almost 2 weeks. We tried resuscitating you multiple times, but you wouldn't wake up."

"Shining... what's going on...?" Shambles' croaked, blood dripping form his lips.

“Do you know why you are here?”

“What...? N-no...” Shambles muttered. 

A sharp pain shot through the pegasus as bolts of electricity sparked from Shining’s horn into Shambles. “I will ask one more time.”

“Shining... Please....”

The Captain turned towards one of the guards and motioned at Shambles. The guard came to Shambles’ side. Without any hesitation, the guard reached down with his mouth and stretched Shambles’ right wing out. The guard held the wing out and down across the floor. 

“Now...” hissed Shining. His hoof slammed down with a disgusting impact onto Shambles’ wing, snapping the bones like twigs. Shambles screamed and writhed with agony as Shining Armor began twisting his hoof over and over again.

“Do you know why you are here?” Armor's voice growing louder and fiercer with every twist.

“Please.... Stop...”

“You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Princess Celestia. You will remain in this cell until a trial has been organized.” Armor lifted his hoof and motioned for the guards to leave along with him. As they exited, Shambles winced and raised his head to watch them leave. Armor shot him a look of pure contempt. 

“I... attempted to murder the Princess...?”