As the arcane light faded and I was left to take in the scene, some small logical portion of my mind noted immediately just what, or rather where, I was looking at. The wind seemed to carry a faint melody as it whispered over grand mountains, suspended above the clouds with nary a want or care of gravity. From the largest of these, a great lake formed of an endless spring pouring from a mountain, and from that lake rivers ran to fade into mist and clouds before reaching the earth far below.

Perched on that mountainside, a gleaming castle of white and gold, as if a sister to the spires of Canterlot visibly breaking the clouds nearby. My mind's eye could imagine cities on the great windswept plains of grass, but for now, there was only the palace, and the pedestals, much like the one I stood on now. The roar of the falls could be heard even from here, and it seems a few very surprised pegasi were already looking over the landmass that had invaded their domain. Dotted here and there on the landscape, overgrown with just a hint of their previous majesty, ruins could be seen, as if this place was not created, but summoned.

When faced with this impossibility sprawling from the deepest recesses of my imagination, a particularly irreverent thought of "It's bigger than I would have thought," jarred me into unknowingly answering Lyra's question.

"Zeal, kingdom of magic... and my new home." I felt weak, like I was living a dream. Waves of chills rolled over me like the tides of the ocean. I took a step forward, neared the edge of the small Island we stood upon. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined seeing this place in the waking world. This city soared high above the world, uncaring of the goings on of the earth below. This place was Heaven.

“That tells me exactly nothing..... and I don’t care cause this place is pretty.” Vinyl said as she walked up next to me.

I was only barely paying attention to the mares with me. Something was bubbling up inside me. “Eh heh heh.” I heard a high-pitched hum as a walkway of blue light extended out from the island, to connect to the main landmass. Almost unthinking I stepped forward. The walkway felt solid. Must have been a hard light bridge. “Heh heh heh heh...” I continued my low chuckle as my brain slowly came to the realization that Zeal was actually in front of me. I didn’t care about the possible implications of summoning it at the moment. I slowly walked forward onto the light bridge proper.

“Twilight would love this place.” Lyra’s voice caused me to stop as a few brief thoughts managed to stave off my oncoming fangasm freak-out.

Twilight.....

I stopped and turned back towards the two unicorns.

“Yes.... Twilight would love this place.” I said as my gaze fell on Lyra, who actually looked uncomfortable at my words. “Lyra, thank you for defending me with such... zeal.... earlier. It really meant alot to me to know that you cared so much.”

“I’m sensing a but coming.” Vinyl said, glancing at Lyra.

“However.” I began.

“Eh, I was close.” Vinyl shrugged.

“You did go a bit overboard in your defense. You flat out yelled at her. Yes she was yelling at me, but countering by yelling back at her wasn’t the right way to go about it. Twilight was, probably is still, afraid of me. I’m an unknown. An unknown that’s very, very powerful. She doesn’t know what I’m capable of. Neither do I and that’s worrying for both of us. One of her main fears is that I’m mind-controlling or altering her friends in some way. That was validated not once, but three times. Once when I accidentally mind-controlled her to stay in her house (Not my fault because I didn’t know what I was doing at the time but that’s not a good excuse.), once when I changed you on accident, and the final time when you whammied her on purpose. I’ve been trying to be cordial, and yes her neurosis doesn’t help matters, but your speech actually vindicated her concerns about both of us.” I sighed. “Lyra, I think you should go have a talk with Twilight. Not an argument, not a fight about who’s right, because both of you are both right and wrong to varying degrees, but..... Just.... please go down there and try to have an actual, rational conversation with her. If she’s incapable of that, then come back later. Oh and be sure to remove the whammy you put on her. You know, that mind control she was so afraid of? Get rid of that.” I sighed once again. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off a bit harsh. It just feels like today is going to turn out just like yesterday and I’d like some peace and quiet for a few minutes at least.”

“I understand.” Lyra looked a little sad, with her ears pinned back and her head hung low. “You’re right. I’ll.... see you later.” With that she turned around, plodded back to the faintly pulsing circle of light. In a flash, she disappeared.

“Sooooo.....” Vinyl began awkwardly, scuffing the light bridge with a hoof.

“Sorry about that. That was stress leaking, as well as me wanting to tell Lyra off a bit.” I shook my head, my enthusiasm for this place now somewhat dampened. “You’re free to stay if you want.”

“I should probably drop by home. Octy is probably worried about me.” Vinyl chuckled, looking a little embarrassed.

“Ah.” I nodded. “Question, roommate or marefriend?”

“Heh, roommate. Not for lack of trying on her part. I just don’t swing that way.” She responded with a somewhat embarrassed grin. Huh. Interesting. Vinyl’s the straight one in this universe.

“Ah. I see.” I nodded. “Well I hope she isn’t too mad.”

“Thanks. I’ll see ya later Oh, and. we’ll have to play together again some time. You’ve got good taste in EDM.” She grinned at me. Then she turned and walked back to stand on the circle. Like Lyra, she disappeared in a flash.

My nerdgasm train now completely derailed, I turned and walked across the hard light bridge. I stepped from the bridge onto a stone pathway that ran between a large field of grass dotted in ruins and the massive lake in the center on the main island. I sighed happily, not entirely freaking out, yet not exactly meh about everything either. I had the distinct feeling that I’d come home after a long trip. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and simply sighed contentedly, just absorbing the whole place.

The only truly complete structure on floating continent... continents? Islands? The archipelago? Whatever. The only truly complete structure remaining was perhaps the most ostentatious -- the palace of Zeal itself. It wouldn't be surprising at all if, in the kingdom of magic, some intensely powerful spells had been put to work keeping it in tip-top shape. Getting there on the other hand involved a peaceful but somewhat eerie walk along a road that didn't seem so much paved as sculpted from golden-brown stone. Ruins stood here and there, with only the sky way pedestals and half-collapsed domes that housed them still complete. That may have been for the best though, I guess. Pegasi passed by, some (most) shrieking at the sight of me and bolting off to raise a panic somewhere that I don't care about right now. Serves them right for trespassing on my home anyway. Heh.

The palace, beautiful in the flawless alabaster and accented with brass that had, though tarnished green in places, still glimmered in the sunlight as it should. I noticed very early on, however, that ponies were avoiding the structure. As I got closer I could feel a kind of buzzing. Less a sound and more a feeling that itched in the back of my mind.

"Oh shit." I breathed, drawing to a stop and staring at the palace. The feeling was stronger now. Nothing quite so established as foreboding, but more like how after a loud bell rings, and as the echo quiets, you can still almost hear that ringing. It felt like that over my entire body. Picking up the pace, I bolted for the palace, actually propelling myself forward with all eight limbs.

The thing about Zeal was, it had a dirty little secret.

I burst through the front doors, though they opened smoothly as if freshly oiled, into a great antechamber. Like in the game, it seems many 'rooms' and connecting hallways were actually arrayed in an open fashion lacking walls or even supports save where it was artistic for there to be one. There were more doorways and openings of course, as might be expected with an actual palace, but my eyes were focused on one open doorway, a light coming from beyond. Dimly I registered somewhat aged furniture, even books and statues laying as if the owner had merely stepped out for a moment, but my loping strides took me bounding up stairs and walkways that I'm not entirely sure I actually passed. I had to know.

Zeal, at least the one in the game, was magical, yes... but that power was increased to impossible levels by the grace of something powerful. Something that should have been left well enough alone. It was named before time was recorded, and had lived even longer. A parasite, steeped in power and built for destruction, that power was harnessed by a device called the Mammon Machine, which was housed in a special chamber just up those stairs.

Or at least, it had once been housed in a special chamber up the stairs.

The room was impeccable, with a deep, plush red carpet on the floor, ornate sconces still glowing with an arcane light, and... an altar, still glowing with light, and that too quiet, too loud not-ringing. The pit of my stomach dropped too. There, floating above the altar was a small scrap of brass, perhaps the size of a nickel. Deformed, misshapen like shrapnel, it yanked at my attention with that horrible echo, and a very faint sensation of calling. I approached. The closer I got, the louder the call, soon becoming an actual ringing in my... well lack of ears. It wasn't the complete thing, but... the Machine had to have been here at some point. I didn't just create this place after all.

I reached out toward the altar, transfixed before something inside me burbled over, and my outstretched hand launched... I don't know what, but it enveloped that shard of the Machine, and when it cleared, it was gone. The ringing had stopped, and the oppressive sense had faded.

"... Oh shit." I muttered to myself, both at the whole eldritch energy thing, but more at the idea that if the Mammon Machine was real... then the thing it fed from was too, at least somewhere. Suddenly, I was so very, very grateful that in my dabbling with powers beyond my ken (even if they were my own powers), I did not think to create... or summon, the Black Omen.... I needed to go to the throne room next.

As I moved to turn away I got the faint feeling of being watched. Like the feeling you get when someone stares at you from across the room. But, before I could investigate.

“DISCORD! GET OUT HERE! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO CAUSE CHAOS AMONG MY LITTLE PONIES!” The whole building shook from the force of the yell.

Throne room can wait. I’ve got a Tia to deal with first. I stuffed my hands back in my pockets and calmly walked through the palace.

I strode out of the main entrance to see a very pissed looking Tia, hovering off the ground about twenty feet from the palace. Her regalia was gone, leaving her the pony version of naked. Yet that was probably because she was on fire. Like her mane and tail were now angry blue flames, and she was engulfed in a blue-white fiery aura like she’d just went Super Saiyan Blue. I noted multitudes of retreating pegasi as Tia’s eyes (Which glowed like tiny blue stars) locked onto me.

“Hey.” I calmly wave a tentacle at the furious alabaster alicorn.

“I KNEW IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! I JUST KNEW IT! HOW DID YOU DO IT DISCORD?! HOW DID YOU BREAK OUT OF YOUR STONE PRISON?!” She raged at me, flames leaping out of her mouth like small solar flares.

“Tia, can you calm down so we can talk about this like rational people? If this is about the floating islands, I can explain.” I said not too far above my normal speaking voice. “Also I think most of Equestria can hear you, so you might be scaring quite a few ponies.” I had already reached my limit of fucks today and to my best guess it wasn’t even past eleven in the morning. Joy.

Tia blinked briefly before her anger returned in full force. “NO! I LET YOU WON’T YOU IN MY HEAD AGAIN! I WON’T LET YOU TWIST MY PONIES INTO MOCKERIES OF THEIR FORMER SELVES! LYRA HEARTSTRINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY FIRST CLUE!”

“That was an accident, I apologised, and Lyra seems fine with it. Has Twilight sent you a letter yet by the way?” I asked slowly walking until I was within roughly ten feet on the angry Avatar of the Sun.

“RAAAAAAAGH!” Tyrant Sun roared and I saw a bright white light, light a tiny neutron star, appear at the tip of her horn. She threw her head back and the orb septupled in size. Huh. Law of Anime Physics: Anything that explodes bulges first.

“GRAAAAAAGH!” The fiery rageicorn threw her head forward and release her build up of white hot plasma.

“Hmmmph.” I blinked. I pulled a hand out of my pocket, raised it, and simply thought one thing.

Consume.

Upon reaching my hand, the beam seemed to shrink and collapse in on itself as it was sucked into my hand like I was some sort of vacuum. Simultaneously, I got a warm feeling in my stomach like I’d just drank some hot chocolate. Huh. I wonder if this is how Tirekt feels when he absorbs magic.

The light died as the attack was fully absorbed, and like a video game, the scorched surroundings simply reverted back to their original states. I did briefly get a feeling like I’d been sunburned though. Probably a similar effect to when Derpy hit my box house. Which means I’m still connected to this place. Cool.

Tia simply blinked at me in stunned confusion as her everything returned to normal. She slowly floated to the stone path beneath her. She was gaping at me like she couldn’t believe what I’d just done.

I returned my hand to my pocket and I walked up to her. “You done with your tantrum or do I need to smack the sense back into you? I’m not opposed to bending you over my knee and spanking you.” I stated flatly.

A blush formed on Tia’s face as she violently shook herself. “E-Eldritch?! I-I’m so sorry! I-I don’t know what came over me!” She stammered out. “I just saw these flying islands and I thought of Discord! A-and I couldn’t see my ponies hurt in such a way again!”

I put a tentacle on her shoulder reassuringly. ”Hey, hey. It’s alright. I get it. I have some words for that guy too when he finally breaks free.”

Tia visibly slumped, closed her eyes, and nuzzled the tentacle. Then her eyes snapped back open as she realized what she’d just done. She stared at the tentacle, another blush forming on her face as she slowly looked over at me. Oh Me, I wish I could raise a brow right now! Curse having only one eye!

Suddenly there was a swooshing sound as a green-tinted puff of smoke appeared and poofed to drop a scroll to the ground. Tia and I looked at it. “I think that’s for you.” I chuckled. “You may want to read that.”

“R-right.” Tia nodded, and I stepped away as she retrieved the scroll with her golden magic.

“Eldritch!” I heard numerous voices cry. freezing in my tracks I turned to see a multitude of ponies charging full tint at me. All of them looked frightened. Derpy and Lyra impacted my chest and stomach almost in unison, causing me to stagger back. Only for Dinky, Button, Pip, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. to slam into my legs, all of them clinging onto me for dear life. Needless to say I was off balance and I tumbled to the ground under the weight of the cuteness.

“What happened?!”

“What did Celestia do?!”

“Are you okay dad!?”

“Did she break anything important!?”

“She didn’t hurt you did she!?”

“Ah’m sorry we ran away from you mister Dritch!”

“We’re sorry that we didn’t talk to you first!”

“You actually weren’t that scary!”

Can’t do it! Too much fluff! Must cuddle ALL the ponies!

“Okay all of you,” I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “One, I’m fine, two, so is Tia, it was just a misunderstanding, and three..... YOU’RE ALL SO FLUFFY!” I cried and I heard a multitude of surprised squeaks and yelps as my tentacles and arms lashed out to hug every pony I could. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough appendages so I had to leave out Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. After a minute of two of pony cuddling, (surprisingly they didn’t seem to mind) I let them go and got to my feet, only to see Vinyl and Octavia sitting not too far away. Vinyl was just grinning at me. Octavia, on the other hand, looked confused and slightly worried. I noticed Twilight quietly speaking to Celestia and both of them looked very emotional. Nope. Not interrupting that. No thank you.

“Dad, what is this place?” Dinky asked as everypony else looked around at my new home in wonder. I raised a finger to speak, then stopped myself. “Hmmmmm.” I looked over and saw a large tree that would make a great place to sit under. I walked over to it and pointed at the ground.

“TV.”

Right next to the tree a large flatscreen TV popped into existence. Next to it sat a SNES already plugged in, with one controller, and a very specific cartridge already plugged in as well.

“Childrens.” I called, getting the attention of the CMC and Dinky, Button, and Pip. “Come sit.”

All six of them came racing over. All of the stared at the TV in wonder, Button nearly drooling at the sight of the SNES.

“What’s Chrono Trigger?” Dinky asked as she levitated the controller in her magical glow.

“Your education.” I simply stated as I turned on the SNES and the TV.

An intro that still gives me chills to this day booted up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqTZfknDVes

“Whoa....” All the foals said in unision.

I rubbed my eye then cleared my throat. “Eh hem. Okay, Dinky plays first, when the party dies she passes it off to someone else. Them’s the rules, no arguing.”

“Yes sir!” chorused the foals. I chuckled as Dinky began to play, then began walking over to Vinyl. Might as well say hello.

Then I got a idea. A wonderful, terrible idea.

“Hey, Tia?” I called out.

The alabaster Alicorn briefly paused her conversation with Twilight. “Yes, Eldritch?”

“Is your sister awake?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Tia blinked. “Probably. Why?”

“Have you let anyone in your castle staff know about me?” This was going to be amazing.

“Yes, but wh-” Tia stopped, as I think she got where I was going.

“Tia, would it be okay if I foalnapped your sister?” I asked nonchalantly. Vinyl immediately laughed her head off, only to be scolded by Octavia.

“Eld, what are you doing?” I looked down at Derpy. Honestly I kinda forgot she was there.

Wait... “Eld?” I asked.

“Eldritch, takes too long to say. I’m calling you Eld.” Derpy smiled up at me.

“You know you’re only giving more fuel to Dinky right?” I blinked somewhat stupidly.

“I know, but you’re dodging my question.” She gave me the cutest glare.

“Fine, fine. I’m going to go get Luna so she can get some natural light, make some friends, and so she can play Chrono Trigger too. I think she’d appreciate it.” I chuckled.

“That.... What?” Derpy looked half-confused, half-shocked. “You’re.... going to foalnap... a Princess?”

“Yep and I’ll need you and.......” I looked around for Lyra. Said Eldritch mare was casually floating over to the palace. “I’ll just need you then.”

“Why me?” Derpy blinked.

“I need to show the castle staff that I’m not a scary monster.” I shrug.

“And if this backfires?” Derpy raised a brow.

“It probably will. Also, I’ve ran out of my allotment of fucks for today.” I chuckled.

“So, Derpy, wanna help me go foalnap a Princess?”

Author's Notes:

Big thanks to Snow for providing a wonderful description of the Kingdom of Zeal, as well as the description of the walk to, and the interior of, the palace.

Edit: After a wonderful conversation (and an even better idea) Schala will be removed so she can have a grander entrance. One she deserves.