Bygone Specter inclines his head to the side as he stared at the construct before him. Fairly simple ~ A cradle for the large gemstone with glowing runes carved all around the chamber! Of course the gemstone hadn't been placed into the housing, but he decided it would be best to leave that to last since it did have quite the... signature... Oh yes ~ this was probably going to be his best creation yet! And it will be to help ponies! If anypony was around to listen they'd hear the slightly off-kilter giggles that were currently coming from little Bygone. He just had a few more runes to carve into the housing!
Princess Luna found her bed all too comfortable once she awoke. After staying up an entire night and day the previous.. day, she'd had no choice but to pass out for this long. Her little filly's body just didn't have the endurance. At least such a decision helped fix her sleep schedule, for now it was her usual waking time, right before she brought the night- oh. Her eyes sprang open and she sat up, awake at once and no longer listening to the temptation to remain there. Luna looked around her room before sliding out from beneath her covers and off the mattress. Though.. it struck her once her hooves were on the floor that she had no strength to pull the moon up. She'd have to go find Discord to let him know- something he'd probably already done the previous night. Luna straightened her mane best she could and went scurrying down her tower's stairs.
Discord Draconequus had a most wonderful resolution to his conflict with Tia. Since she was soooo intent on him keeping himself busy he would train the little kirin. She was naive, crumbled at the sight of authority, and was one of the few ponies who were different and did not mind to suffer change. It made him rumble in his throat as he floated around the halls, slipping from space, to space. It was a strange habit. Sometimes he was somewhere, other times he was elsewhere at a completely different time. He viewed things before they happened and after they occurred, but never the same. He lowered himself to the ground, mind dancing about the possibilities. His ears perked as he looked behind him. Bygone has been acting strange. He felt something weird crawl along his spine, causing his wings to flex. He had thought it was the stretch of path he walked in his thoughts, the taste of chaos, but this was different.
Discord Draconequus: pushed off the ground and floated toward the deeper halls, which led toward the princesses rooms. The paths would split. One way toward Celestia's Chambers, the other to Luna's. He rest his talon and hoof on the ground, forelimbs pressing to his chest as he stood. His body curled as his head turned upward. Ears pricking he would hear the soft clip clops of a wee filly just rousing from her slumber. he spotted the periwinkle mass pandering out her chambers and eventually toward the steps. "Hooo well if it isn't wittle Woona~~" His seriousness quickly squashed by her pleasant predicament. Why did it amuse him so? Some parts revenge, some parts finding it adorable seeing her learn herself all over again.
Bygone Specter sat in that shorter but somewhat abandoned tower while he carefully worked. Just a little more, and then everypony would be forever happy in Canterlot, ponyville, and however far the range would go! Of course the little changeling didn't know what would happen outside the sphere of influence... He'd been working on this almost non-stop for quite some time now! With the proper reference he had a great deal of information to work with! But... There would still be time yet, no? Nopony came up here that he knew of... Well, save the cleaning staff but he doubted they'd be up here for a while yet!
Princess Luna barely made it down a few steps when she heard Discord's voice back above. It seemed she wouldn't have to go all the way to the ground floor to find him, and end up tripping on her stubby legs in the process. She carefully turned around and climbed back up, spotting the draconequus once she was back in the hall. "There you are! I was on my way to find you." Luna chirped, scurrying towards him. "It is soon the moon will rise and I need a little help with that, if you do not mind of course."
Discord Draconequus put his claws to his lips, letting out a little titter. Poor Luna, though it wasn't very fun when he had to suffer it. The multilimbed beast stretched his wings a bit before slumping down to a laying position, floating inches from the ground. "Why little Woona~ All you had to do was call." He bade in a mocking jab. he reached out his paw to boop her muzzle, equine ears swiveling back as he glanced up. "Well I very much do mind Princess. It is an awful lot of work to do this..." But than again Tia would catch wind of his tomfoolery sooner than he would have liked. Oh he had something in store for sassy miss saddlebags! "But I suppose this once I can be gracious enough to help you." He, once again without her permission, picked her up and vanished. After a moment the two would appear seated on a pink could of cotton candy just above her tower.
Discord Draconequus decided instead of using his magic to manipulate Luna he would settle his index fingers beneath her limbs and slowly raise her little hooves. The spirit made it look so easy, the way he toyed with the heavenly bodies. But it was as he had told Tranquil earlier... power as his does not come without a price. The merit of his skill had come with the sacrifice of many others. Twas not his sanity that was lost so long ago -- it was his ability to see the worst in others. He became wise, far beyond his age. He could see the horrors ponies are capable of committing. Twas his innocence he lost, and every bit of happiness to come for there was no joy in a life you could see before it came. Even still nigh omnipotence came with some fun -- you could show ponies to become better than the mortal dreg they were born to be. "Up goes the mother, followed by her children..."
Discord Draconequus he hummed a lonely little lullaby. "Never seen by father who yearned to fall from heaven. Feared by the ignorant and cursed by the blind. Led to a paradise, loss be the price." He smirked as the moon rose, full and beautiful. "So let's play on something hypothetical. Would you do anything, for the sake of another?" He sat perched on the cloud, wings hung idly at his side. Bygone had been acting funny since the evening before. He did not want to think the foal would go and hurt himself with his games, but perhaps he would take heed to Celestia's warnings of boundaries. But where did you stop? "Would you let your own life, be the price, Lulu?" He continued to scan the horizon for any sign of the munchkin. He had a lot to answer to. Maybe far less since Discord had been the one to encourage such limitless games.
Bygone Specter came to a stop and raised a small hoof to wipe his face. How stressing it was to work with these delicate enchantments! Now... to focus a little magic into the rune matrix to check stability! His horn lit up green and for but a moment the 'abandoned' tower might have glowed a little green as well! Yes! He was getting close! The crazy little foal reached into his hat and pulled out a familiar relic gem. The last thing he'd likely need this piece for... He didn't really know what would happen to the architect of this spell! But he didn't really care! Why should he? So long as it worked and everypony was happy in their dreams he cared little what happened to himself!
Princess Luna slid to a halt in front of the floating draconequus, quirking a brow at his little jab. Her face scrunched the moment she was booped, but she remained focused on him- and he'd agreed to help! She aimed to open her mouth and promise him something for it, say, like sweets as a reward, but she was swiftly picked up. This time it beat getting jerked up with magic- in fact, it felt better to be held. Discord teleported them outside where they had a full view of the darkening sky, which became darker with the rise of her moon- all while he softly sang something. It sounded.. nice, and she overlooked his manipulation for it. Luna couldn't help but smile a little, but such a smile didn't last long. His question. In silence she solemnly regarded the moon, which reflected silver in her eyes- though not the eyes of a child. Luna was still everything she was, a thousands-year old half deity but in the limitations of a young form. "Yes." She murmured at last.
Princess Luna. "I would, even if it cost me my life." She confirmed, and finally looked around at him with one teal eye. "Whether it be my sister, a friend, a stranger.. or you. Death for those whose time is not meant to come is.. unjust, and I have taken on the mantle of one of Equestria's guardians. Would I falter in that in the face of danger? No." Luna continued and finished her speech with a, "Why?"
Discord Draconequus leaned his head back, his forearms tucking back against his feathered torso. His haunches were snugly rest against the soft, sweet smelling cloud. It did not melt against one's touch, nor was it sticky. Yet it was edible. It melted in one's mouth, and vanished once one believed it to be a tangible treat. Just like him the cloud was a contradictory existence. His back was stiff, wings keeping him balanced as his spined tail coiled around the outer edge of the cloud. Sometimes like this, one could see the parts of him that were pony, the parts that were dragon, but the more the moonlight pushed through his shadows, the more monster was shown. Crooked eagle's claws, buried against old, brown feathers. A ghastly paw, emaciated when compared to that of a manticore. His right leg was dry, a sickly green and covered in scales, whole his left was the knobby, lanky limb of an ungulate far from Equestria.
Discord Draconequus's tail was even just a heap of crooked, bony spines, ending in a dry, aged tuft of stiff fur. What all kept him pieced together was his pride and overwhelming arrogance. If he could not join them, he would stand above them, on a lonely, pink cloud. Grey ears remained flat against his head. While his posture behooved one so seemingly content with his station, there were places on his body that clearly showed a sense of doubt. "How easily you say such things my wittle princess." He reached out a paw to muss up her mane. A flash of green among the violent ribbons if early evening cut across the horizon. He spotted it, but it had been so faint one could almost submit to the idea that it was an illusion. But fooling a master of illusions was a feat yet to be set. He pushed off his hind legs, his red tail pressing into the cloud. Even when one wasn't small, Discord was quite large, given a look.
Discord Draconequus could easily stand on his hind legs, and pander about with the ease of a Diamond Dog, but even if they were not on an uneven cloud of pink -- his stance was as twisted as a Chaos Avatar's could be. "I guess, I'm still a little selfish." He lowered his head to scoop Luna up. Without so much as a warning the draconequus rushed to the edge of the cloud. Forepaws and hind talons met before he kicked off, massive wings spreading to catch the air. While he did not need his wings, a subtle approach given the thousands of possibilities he has met -- it was best. His downward strokes were silent. Even with his size he was like a serpent on the wind. It did not take long for him to soar toward the untouched tower. Construction? Repairs from earlier pranks? When he landed he would stand still, a gargoyle on watch. Could he sense, anything from out here? Was there perhaps an easy entrance. Use of his magic could very well prove fatal.
Princess Luna couldn't help but wait for his response, wondering what she'd end up hearing next. While he was sitting back, she was free to move around on the cloud so she could seat herself more comfortably with the draconequus in full view. Of course, his response was one that said he didn't take her seriously, or.. that he didn't think she'd be so selfless. Perhaps because she, albeit an alicorn, was still a pony. Luna ducked her head away from his paw when it played with her mane, messing up what she'd only just brushed. "I have lived long, it would not-.." Luna was cut off by both his comment and getting picked up. She could only wait helplessly while Discord flew them both down to a tower, and wonder why. Surely there was a reason? Luna made a questioning noise but didn't dare speak aloud.
Bygone Specter sat back and couldn't help but admire his own work! The gentle pulsing of the runes filled the chamber of the tower even as the foal paced around the casing that the relic was set into. He only needed a little time for the arrays to charge, yes? He fell back on his rump with a hoof raised to rest upon the gem. He could taste the magic starting to fill the room with its enticing, and quite tasty, aroma... How much he wanted to just sit here and eat the delightfully converted magic, but... well, he dare not risk disrupting the buffers that converted the mana from the more unknown source it was before! Perhaps dragon magic? He didn't quite know what dragon magic might taste like. It hardly mattered, though! So close he was to making everypony happy! Even he could feel the spells that had been placed onto Azure earlier. Her happiness was just as much of a lie as this dream world would be.... But perhaps she along with everypony else would be able to enjoy the existence inside the dream.
His horn lit up with magic and the pressure of magic intensified inside.... Everypony but the night guard should already be asleep, so this would be an optimal time to cast the hex. Those awake would, of course, be sent to sleep but.... Those already sleep would simply stay asleep thanks to the hex itself. A gesture with a hoof ignited several crystals surrounding the casing with green fire... Perhaps some form of dark magic? Well ~ Something like this would definitely not be a 'light' spell! Not in the least! Even he knew he was doing something momentously stupid, but it was all for the greater good, yes? Using something hurtful to make everypony happy in the end! Just like those explosions that first night he hung out with Dissy! Who knew he could help ponies with explosions! Just like he intended to help everypony be happy now! Fool of a foal!
Discord Draconequus turned his eyes up toward the filly-ized Alicorn. His claw came yo his lips in a hushing motion, only for said claw to grip at the filly's tail to pull her back like a baseball so her head would now face where his eyes were facing. He struggled a bit, the fiend not very agile with crooked bits of other creatures. He seemed to huff, becoming miffed as his own ineptitudes and finally twisted body down toward the surface of the tower's inner circle. Paw and claws hit the stone surface first, his hind legs raised up so he did not clip the edge of the flair. But alas he was too butt heavy, that tail sweeping into a curved arch before his wings flailed to get balance. Thump. His chin hit the surface, feathers and flesh collapsing around the spirit's upper torso as his wings pushed to the ground. After a moment he snapped up, springing toward the trap door which sat at the tower's pinnacle.
Discord Draconequus tilted his head and gripped the shutter's hatch with his hind talon, pulling it open. He couldn't sense anything -- whatever shelter Bygone made for the BBG certainly blocked the spirit's senses. He looked to Luna, face twisting. "I'd rather be selfish and live forever, but I guess that's no fun." Though the question had only been hypothetical. While the princesses were deities themselves in both power and mortality, Discord had lived as long, if not longer than they. Such things were easily beyond them! So why such questions? The complicated processes of the draconequus were convoluted perception of the world beyond there and here, as well as the underlying theories and practices of Chaos. He reached out to grab the edge of the wall to climb down, but deary me: when he went to move his talon, his hoof decided it wanted to go first! Discord Draconequus's forelimbs than began to argue, bicker! The claw reached out beneath his arm to find purchase on a surface, but that slippery hoof was not made for rock climbing aaaand down he went, falling however much distance to the surface.
Princess Luna found herself placed atop the draconequus's head and settled there, right between his horns. She noted the shushing motion, and she was glad she had the sense to tell beforehand not to speak aloud. Very well, she would see where he was going and what he was up to. She held on as tight as he could while he navigated himself down, with a little failure. Her wings snapped open to keep herself balanced atop his head, and saw where he was moving to: a trap door. Why? She tilted an ear to listen to his whisper, and she supposed she understood- part of it anyway. Death was feared, for nopony knew what happened when it came. For somepony who could live forever, who would give it up? She pondered this while Discord was busy with lowering himself through the trapdoor, and was jarred from thought when he slipped and fell. Her wings fluttered instinctively in the weightlessness and she caught herself midair.. while the draconequus kept falling. It was too bad she couldn't help him. Whoops.
Bygone Specter found himself completely oblivious to the fact that this 'shelter' for his project had been breached! How anypony would ever miss the sound of a draconequus tumbling through the air down onto the landing above was any question. The little changeling's hoof pulled back from the gem as the presence of magic seemed to grow even heavier until there was a chime-like knell. "What a useful gemstone! Wish I could make more..." he simply shook his head and turned towards a second rune cluster and began to unlock the thaumaturgic channeling relays. With a cheerful bounce that was accomplished and the second rune cluster began to glow ominously. He kept an eye upon the relic powering this whole contraption. He'd HAD to have noticed a wee bit of instability at times, but... so far so good right? Now that both were in the tower they would definitely be able to feel the magic!
Discord Draconequus managed to barely, just barely catch himself before making a complete and utter pancake of himself. He pushed his limbs beneath him at the last second, but the rumble of pain on his extremities was not easy to ignore. "...ow." He whispered before shifting his weight a few times to bounce his wings back on his dorsal. After adjusting himself he looked around frantically, even under his back leg before looking up to see Luna was not smooshed. Now -- than, he would have been quite deceased by Tia's magnanimous rump. Passing his fluster the chaos avatar could not easily feel the pungent magic that choked into the room. Hard to ignore it because he knew what that was. That was his relic. You had one job Bygone! Though -- he was pretty sure he was vague about what it had been. What to do, what to do?! There were a thousand ways to meet this end. A thousand ways to meet an end. A thousand ways to lose a friend.
Discord Draconequus did what any prank loving spirit do. He would risk it. Teleporting himself he hung over Bygone's little device. "S'a neat toy you got there By." The spirit barked, lowering his head so he was face to face with it. His mane puffed out, static magic dancing at the ends of his newly grown manefro! "Be a shame..." He turned his head so it was not twisted on his neck, so he was facing the foal. "If something were to happen to it." He parted his jaws over the container and CHOMP. Swallowed it -- whole? Well on the contrary. He did not quite swallow it. What he attempted to do, was to contain it in a pocket dimension. It just looked cool doing it that way. And hopefully wouldn't blow up in his face.
Princess Luna descended slowly, all the while watching Discord between her forehooves as he managed to catch himself. What a relief, and here she thought he was going to seriously hurt himself with that fall. She smirked when he frantically searched for her, and gave him a little wave when he finally noticed her up above. Though he disappeared right after. Luna came to a somewhat clumsy landing, still adjusting to her smaller limbs she was, and sought the stairs to down below. She could sense the magic in the tower now, however dull, and could only wonder what was going on here. She tried her best to keep quiet on her scurry downward, wings outspread in case of a trip, and she was surprised to find what had been set up there. By Bygone himself. These ponies.. ! Discord had already made himself known, so it didn't matter anymore to huff out a, "What in Equestria are you
doing?"
Bygone Specter simply stared as Discord suddenly appeared. It didn't register for perhaps... a few moments or so... that the draconequus was there and he had yet to cast the spell. So close to! "No-no-no, Dissy!" he'd all but squeak as the Draconequus made that 'neat toy' comment. Why was Dissy here? The tower should have been sealed off and the runes he carved into the rock would have sealed the signature inside this room! And then the draconequus proceeded to 'eat' the power source as well as the container! The little changeling's jaw could only gape as the thaumatic channels sparked and sputtered, the link broken as the mass of runes faded into mere gauges in rock and metal without the power fueling them. The little changeling proceeded to just stare somewhat blankly at where his 'hope' had once been. Without that he couldn't power the hex! No, perhaps there was another way! No, no there wasn't... He'd failed everypony! Now nopony could be happy and it was his fault for not being careful!
Bygone Specter let out a bit of a choked giggle as he tried to pull back the tears of frustration and, maybe, anger this loss of a plan might have provided. "I j-just want everypony to be happy!" he let out a shaky breath and wrangled himself under control again. "Dissy tries to make it look like the way ponies treat him doesn't bother him.... Azure's tried to kill herself, and now she's tried to petrify herself! I-I even got to watch another pony spear themself with an arcane lance and d-die! E-everpony just seems to want to be miserable! Why can't they be happy?! I w-wanna make them happy, is that too much to ask?!" the little foal was starting to lose the battle somewhat. "I don't wanna see Azure l-like that pony...." he stared at his forelegs which very so often still looked faintly red to him. Needless to say the foal had tried to help, but how does a foal help when a pony has a giant hole through them?!
Bygone Specter could only start to shake as tears started to gather and fall. The shaking turned into quiet giggles that he tried to suppress but it was to only little avail as his muzzle split into a grin. "I-I'm also just so MAD at her! I don't know how to deal with that! I don't like to be mad! I just want everypony to be happy, but now some cold part of me just wants to leave so when she does finally manage to do it I won't be there!" he was collapsing in on himself a bit by that point. He didn't like anger! Whether tasting it or feeling it!
Discord Draconequus put his paw to his muzzle as he stifled a burp. Ugh. He hated gems. Curling his lip he felt the container go down the wrong way. Pressing his paws to the solid surface of bits and parts of Bygone's ... neat machine, he bounced down before circling the whimpering foal. Try as he might, the draconequus couldn't understand why Bygone was so upset. Sitting himself down beside the Changeling the spirit allowed his forepaws to tuck between his hind legs. He had an almost regal look to him and, were it not for his insides matching his outs, he could perhaps be regarded as an important entity. All he seemed to be able to do was make little foals cry, and scare mares with chickens. He reached out his paw, only to hesitate and slid it back. He couldn't empathize with Bygone. He wanted to understand what the foal was going through, but for him it was like ticker tape, falling from the sky.
Discord Draconequus had little to no experience with the feelings of other ponies. What little exposure of friendship he has received did not delve into the pain and suffering of others. He knew Envy. He knew Jealousy. He knew the darkest, coldest emotions in a pony by heart -- yet there was no place of pity he could find for pain, that suffering. How many years was his ignored, until he himself came unable to recognize it for what it was. "Well..." His voice was soft, the hum of magic twisting away without the relic in hoof. "It doesn't hurt -- not anymore." he pushed his paw up toward his chest, feathers being pushed away to reveal the skin beneath. Scales. "I don't feel it. Just this cold skin." It used to be warm, but he doesn't remember a time when it was. "Sometimes I pity you Changeling..." He offered. "You feel so much." No pity wasn't the word he wanted to say. He did not pity them.
Discord Draconequus hung his head. "I'm jealous of you." he corrected. "So many feelings, but you forget Bygone." He reached out to brush his paw over the foal's face in an attempt to wipe away the tears. "You can't force others to be happy. It's no different than trying to force them to be sad." So why did he play his jokes? Pull his pranks. "The things I do aren't to make anypony happy. Everything I do is to make them suffer. Though now and again I fail at that, don't I? You've become far too jovial that you don't realize suffering is important." He moved to scoot and face the foal. Much like he had done with Luna he reached out his softer limb to scoop up the Changeling toward his chest. "There is so little bit in there," referring to the sound of his heart. "That the smallest bit of happiness, hurts me." It was always a game. How long would it stay? How would he lose it this time?
Discord Draconequus turned his head to the side to see the foal better. "Suffering... doesn't only mean pain. It also means -- experience. I make ponies suffer, so that they may experience. Azure suffers -- because she is experiencing her mortality. I suffer... because I experience your mortality." This was the boundary. He would reach his claw toward Bygone to remove his illusion. "You went to far Bygone. If something happened to you, I would suffer." He was becoming Celestia. And he hated it. Why were they so weak and helpless. "If you did this... you would have had to be punished. I would have had to punish you. Than -- you would too be afraid of me."
Princess Luna wished she took back her shocked question when Bygone reacted badly to the disappearance of the heart of his.. experiment? Spell? She would guess the latter as the runes surrounding it went dark. Had she time, she could have studied what he was trying to make. Instead, she was focused on the maker for he was crying and recounting what it was that made him so distraught. She knew most, but the last she had never been aware of; she had no idea he'd seen a pony die. Luna approached without thinking, half gliding to cross the distance quicker without her short legs to slow her. Unfortunately Discord was closer, so he was the first to comfort. She landed by them, quietly listening with a little frown on her face until it was all said. "He is correct." Luna affirmed. "I have noticed this in my experience, and Azure especially goes to ridiculous extremes. I have half a mind to fire her for what she has done and continues to do, but that would not solve anything."
Princess Luna sighed and shook her head, sitting back on her black-marred rump. "In my experience, I have not dealt with anger very well myself. It is.. consuming and black. I feel if we are to begin anywhere is with you, Bygone, and her. We will need to sit down and have a very long talk, for I do not think she listens to me no matter what I tell her. Too, I doubt anypony can take me seriously when I am this." Luna snorted, the curl of her mane fluttering. "If she sees how she is affecting you, she may listen; ultimately I cannot control anything, nor should I or you. She needs to see on her own, and perhaps once it is off your chest you may feel better." Luna continued. "I am very sorry you had to experience all of that; the struggles of older ponies should not be yours to bear, for it weighs heavy." To Discord, she tilted her head. "You still feel, it is merely buried deep beneath your defenses. Things will get better, for both of you, but it will take time. I suppose I have a few ideas how."
Bygone Specter closed his eyes for a moment and tried to quell the shaking that was plaguing him so! His ears perked as he looked to Dissy as he began to speak, but his ears proceeded to lower once again when he said he was... jealous? Why would he be jealous? He was about to ask that when the paw moved to brush his tears away. "The sadness... I hate the taste of it lingering so often in the air." he muttered only to be picked up by Dissy's paw. The little changeling took that moment to wrap his hooves around and bury his muzzle in the Draconequus's fur. He was, of course, still listening but he really was taking a bit of comfort form this action. His ears flicked in Luna's direction as Dissy's voice ceased and Luna began to speak. The only thing the little changeling could do would be nod... He did need to talk to Azure, but... how did he breach the topic? He was afraid, that is what it all boiled down to. However; at the same time what 'would' he say?
Bygone Specter let out a quiet "Yeah... You still feel ~ Dissy." The majority of the statement was nearly inaudible mumbling but he found fatigue rapidly catching up to him. Even as the changeling clung to Dissy and listened to Luna he was drifting off. All to the point that he finally was out like a light in the draconequus's hold. His sleep had been somewhat haunted these last few nights... Of course nopony knew about that...So maybe a little sleep would do the little changeling good?
Discord Draconequus rolled his eyes. "Must we talk about my feelings?" Sometimes they needed to cause he ignored them. "Very well." He submitted. "We can all work on our feelings together, tomorrow. At such an hour foals need their sleep." Even if Luna probably had rest, she wasn't going to get much choice in the matter. He would reach to grab the feisty princess, keeping Bygone held. This -- mess, he'll 'clean it up' later. Needn't anyone snooping around. The runes around the walls are extremely dangerous. With a flash they were back in Luna's room. The spirit's egg was already in her bed. When did it get there? It didn't go on the wacky adventure, that's for sure. Two pipsqueaks would be tucked in the covers before the big, scary monster, curled up on top of the bed, rather than beneath it. Though he'd not sleep, he'd rest. For a little. Pah. Feelings. Boundaries probably would need to be set too...
The End.
