Anon x AJ - Chapter 2: Rude Awakening

Chapter 2: Rude Awakening

>Rapid knocks on her chamber door pulls Celestia from her sleep.
>With dreary eyes she staggers to her feet.
>Heavy rain rattles against the windows of her private quarters.
>Quickly and methodically donning her regalia, she spares no time to answer the door.
>Nop0ny would come knocking unless it was of the utmost importance.
>She sends a spark of magic to the door, making it smoothly slide open.
>A light-grey unicorn with a billowing white beard, wearing a drab wizard's hat, greets her on the other side.
>He bows deeply as she walks through the door.
"Archmagus Greyzag?"
>"Princess, please forgive me for waking you at this hour but your royal sister insisted you be made aware..."
>She gives the old magician a concerned, quizzical look.
>"We have a situation."

====

>All snuggled up under the covers, warm and toasty like a freshly baked cinnamon bun, Twilight flips the page of her book.
>She sighs longingly to herself, "Oh, if only I could meet a colt like you..."
>Suddenly a voice chimes in from the foot of her bed, "A colt like who?"
>Twilight shrieks in surpirse at the intrusion of her personal moment.
"S-Spike... You're still awake?"
>"Well duh."
>The baby dragon crawls out of his bed and walks up to her.
>"You're reading another one of those romatic novels again, aren't you?
>She smiles bashfully at him.
"Maybe."
>Spike points a finger down his throat and makes a mock barfing sound.
>"Well, do you know how hard it is to fall asleep with that magic candle burning?"
>Spike points an accusing claw at the brightly burning candle on Twilight's bedside table.
>"Can you please just blow it out and go to sleep already?"
>She forces a nervous chuckle.
"He-he, sorry Spike. You're right, let's get some sleep."
>Her bedside candle extinguished, Twilight drops her weary head onto her pillow.
>Despite being exhausted, she doesn't give in to sleep easily.
>Her mind is too preoccupied thinking about the remarkable colt in the story she read.
>Maybe, tomorrow she could--
>Her thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a green flash.
>For an instant, the entire bedroom bathes in the eeire green light.
>A strangely familiar burping noise fills her ears.
>Then, as soon as it appeared, the light was gone again.
"Spike?"
>"Yeah, that was me."
>"I... I think I got a letter from the Princess."
>In an instant, all the candles in the room go alive with magic flames and Twilight has leaped out of bed.
"Oh no, a letter in the dead of the night?"
"Do you realize what this means Spike?"
>"Err... That The Princess is up past her bedtime?"
>She gives the dragon a deadpan glare.
"The Princess has never sent a letter at such a late hour before!"
"It means that something must be seriously wrong..."
"Oh, what could it be?"
>Spike rolls his eyes.
>"How about you actually read the letter before you start to panic?"
>Without a word, Twilight magics over the letter and unfolds it.
>Her eyes pass quickly over the words.
"Spike, get my things ready."
>He looks at her questioningly.
"We have a situation."

====

>You slowly crease your eyes open.
>Rainfall against your bedroom window testifies to the persistence of the foul weather.
>It's still pretty early in the morning, far too early for any reasonable man to get out of bed.
>As you close your eyes once more you suddenly realize that something is amiss.
>The pillow in your arms embrace is... breathing?
>Surely you must be imagining things. Right?
>Recalling the strange events of last night, you begin to wonder...
>The "pillow" stirs.
>As a strange, horse-like creature with giant eyes and a petite snout cranes it's head at you, you're too dumbfounded to do anything.
>"Mornin' Sugercube" it mumbles at you with a soft, feminine voice with a warm southern-drawl.
>Well, now you know for certain that you must still be asleep.
>This is too absurd to be anything but a dream.
>Still snuggled up in your arms, the creature, which is apparently female judging from the voice, closes her eyes and yawns lightly.
>As she opens her eyes ones more, her bright greens meet your dull greys.
>Her eyes go wide.
>"Whut the hay?!" she shouts as she frees herself from your arms and rolls off the bed.
>Jolted by the sudden movement, you sit up to better survey your home intruder.
>She has to be the most peculiar looking thing you ever laid eyes on.
>While much resembling a horse, she's much smaller.
>She has a long, flowing blonde mane, appearing more like human hair than a horses mane.
>Her tan fur almost glows with colour, and seems far smoother and softer than that of a regular horse.
>Her head seems unproportionally large compared to her tiny body, same goes for her hooves.
>It reminds you of something out a cartoon; bright pastel colours, big head, big eyes, big hands and feet.
>All in all, you have to admit she's sort of cute... For a horse.
>Or at least she would be cute, if she wasn't staring daggers at you.
>"Whut in tarnation are ya doing in ma bed?"
"What?" you blurt out, still utterly perplexed by the situation.
>"Listen 'ere."
>"Ah dunno what sort of monster ya are, and Ah sure don' want anp0ny getting hurt, but ya'll best creep on back home to the Everfree forest before Ah send Big Macintosh on you".
>She grits her teeth.
>"Understand?"
>Monster? Everfree forest? Big Macintosh?
>What is she on about?
"Uhh... What are you talking about?."
>She narrows her eyes at you.
"This is -my- house."
>With a shocked look on her face, her eyes dart across the room.
>Shortly, her eyes settle on you once more, taking on a look of terror.
>"Ya'll kidnapped me to yer filthy lair?"
"Kidnapped? Filthy lair? What are you--"
>"Ah ain't having none of yer sorry excuses, monster!"
>Before you can get another word in, she swiftly turns around and bucks her powerful hind legs at you.
>You try to dodge the incomming hooves of doom, but to no avail.
>A pair of hooves to the face and you're out cold.

====

>Discord clasped his hands behinds his back as he smiled to himself.
>Standing alone in the old, decrepit ballroom, a haunting from his past, he watched as The Element of Honesty took the human down for the count.
>He lowered a claw into the bowl before him, from which the scenery was being projected.
>Slowly he stired the bowl, making the imagery distort and warp into a new view, Canterlot gardens.
>His satisfied grin broadened as he saw the worried look on Celestia's face as she stared at his statue.
>He graciously moved his claw above the surface of the bowl, gently brushing her image.
"Aaah, Celestia... Have you missed me?"
>He chuckles lightly; it's been far too long since he felt this giddy.
>In fact, this was probably the first time since his imprisonment in Tartarus that he felt such excitement.
>At the flick of his tongue, the imagery of Celestia ripples and fades, leaving behind an unassuming looking bowl of chocolate milk.
>Things were good.
>Better than good even.
>All the pieces have been laid out.
>The ball was no longer in his court.
>All he had to do now was wait for chaos to unfold.
>Today, the fun begins.
>The desolate hall echoed with his deep, menacing laughter.