//------------------------------// // Chapter 179 - Discord's Reasoning and the Third Charge // Story: Dadonequus Discord (Book 2) // by CrazedLaughter //------------------------------// “...So then, one could surmise that the Storm King appeared around here, in the Everfree Forest, along with the large shards of porcelain.” Discord said as he pointed at a floating map he produced, even circling the spot with a red marker. “I can’t believe you nearly let Anon get slaughtered. If you knew they were fighting, why didn’t you do anything?” Twilight said, shooting a scolding look towards Discord. “Ahrm, princess, that isn’t the point of this meeting.” Discord said as he calmly stood there, like some college professor. “No, but I’m starting to see why I was so mistaken. Anon, I’m sorry, I really am. I didn’t know things were like that.” Twilight looked over to you, seriously apologetic after hearing about your fight with the Storm Ravager. “Yeah, well, that’s my ‘dad’. Either training me for chaos or using me as some sort of experiment.” You reply as let out a soft sigh. “This is the kind of stress I gotta deal with.” “I can see. I can see now that Discord has seriously impacted some of your decisions, not to mention not clearing up issues when he had a chance. Discord, didn’t you learn anything from being betrayed by Tirek?” Twilight looked back at him, disgusted with his behavior. "You shouldn't play games with others' lives!" “Excuse me?! Weren’t we all discussing the staff? I’m pretty sure that was the whole point of me telling the truth of the situation. Why is this all suddenly my fault?!” Discord asked, he seemed genuinely surprised. “Dude, you basically let Anon get into a fight for his life, and then you didn’t even make sure the Storm King, or Ravager, or whatever was gone. Look, the point is, Anon may have smashed him with all that stuff, but he was literally not in the right mind to make sure it was all done. It sounds like, to me, the guy being irresponsible was you. And since you’re doing the whole ‘dad’ thing, not making sure that mess was cleaned up is totally your fault.” Spike explained as he pointed to Twilight. “Seriously, Discord, Twilight was going to lose her mind on Anon.” “Which, I nearly did, not realizing that Anon is not you. I should have known better.” Twilight said, leaning her head down on her hoof, shaking her head from side to side. “Anon isn’t fully without blame, but the way I reacted was way way out of proportion to the point even the princesses predicted how I was going to react. Anon, I really am sorry. I hope you’ll continue attending your classes, and I promise to be more mindful of the situation, and not jump to conclusions.” That’s all you could ask for. You just wanted Twilight to stop losing her shit whenever you did anything. Yes, ok, this time was a damned big deal. But, well, you already went through it with her so… “It’s fine, Twilight, you’re ok. But yeah, Discord, seriously. Then again, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you wouldn’t have made sure he wouldn’t have been a problem. Do you honestly understand how big of a headache this has been for me?! Geez, you do, don’t you?! Didn’t even bother to come back me up at all when Twilight was yelling at me, just because it's you.” “So this is what is happening now? Everypony is suddenly just going to blame me for everything that has happened?” Discord said, annoyed, crossing his arms as he looked at all of you with an insulted expression. “Yes” All three of you respond. “Despite the fact that the imprisoning of the Storm King is Anon’s fault?” Discord said “Dude, you were basically treating it all as a game. Even if you’re pretending to be Anon’s dad, you’re still like, super older than him anyway, you gotta show some responsibility.” Spike responded. “What?! But I’m not actually his father! So what, now we want my whole ruse to actually mean something?! Since when?!” Discord growled, honestly surprised by Spike’s words. “Since you’re the one who wanted to pull this ruse in the first place, Discord. Actually, no, Spike is right. As Anon’s friend, and somepony who should care about making sure Equestria doesn’t burn to the ground, you should have done something instead of letting it go on. Yes, you should have actually been a father right then and there, but instead you just decided to let things go on because you have to have your own immature kind of fun.” Twilight said, crossing her forehooves herself while giving him a hard stare. Discord just narrowed his eyes towards Twilight, then looked towards you. “Do you have anything to say?” “Yeah. Jimmy cracked your corn and he don’t care. Other than that, I agree with them. Especially on making a gamble on what I was gonna do instead of freaking backing me up. I would have blacklisted you if I had a nightclub, just saying.” You saying, just laying back, annoyed with him, but enjoying the backlash against him just a tad. “Now can we continue? What happened to the staff?” “Now you hold on, I still haven’t asked him.” Discord said as he pointed to a clone of himself suddenly sitting next to you. “And what say you, handsome gentlecolt?” “I agree with those three. Do you think Anon would have done any of that to you? Oh, and what of poor Fluttershy? How do you think she’d react knowing you could have prevented so much? Bad form, Discord, bad form.” The clone said, rubbing his paw along his talon to show shame towards Discord. Almost as if Discord himself was admitting his guilt, without admitting it at all. Discord’s eyebrows nearly went aflame as he raised his talons and snapped the clone away. “No one appreciates anything I do, I swear, even if it is for the betterment of Anon’s chaos training. But fine, whatever.” Discord took out a pointing stick and slapped it on the map, showing the place where the staff was last ‘seen’ “As I was saying. The staff was here, in this spot. In fact, it was sitting there for quite some time. A few days I’d say.” “Days?!” Both you and Twilight let out in synchronized spazzed surprise. “Ew, now you’re really becoming more like her.” Discord said with a shudder. “Because you said days! DAYS?! DAYS! IT WAS THERE FOR DAYS AND YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT THING CAN DO, RIGHT?!” Like holy fuck, how could he let that happen?! “I’m perfectly aware. And take note, I said only a few days, maybe even less, I didn’t care to count the seconds. As for what it could do, I’d say about fifty percent of what I could do. In other words, hardly a threat.” Discord said nonchalantly, treating it as if you were overreacting. “Hardly a threat?! You know what, I agree with Anon, because that kind of power nearly blew up Canterlot! You know that, Discord! How could you just let the staff sit around where anypony could grab it!” Twilight yelled out in surprise, demanding an answer. Discord put his head on his paw and shook his head. “The ignorance from the both of you is almost mood uplifting. Yes, I said hardly a threat, because that is the truth. The staff had absorbed quite a bit of chaos, enough to become something utterly new. Interesting, to say the least, even if it’s beneath my notice. Either way, nocreature in Equestria would be able to wield its power without going insane and transforming from the chaos flowing into them from the staff. In other words, properly using the staff is impossible for chaos challenged beings.” Your eye twitched from those words. How could he be so wrong?! “Excuse me?! The Storm King was using that staff just fine the first time. Not to mention when he became the Storm Ravager and became even MORE powerful! How is that not properly using it?! He seemed perfectly sane the entire time!” Discord let out a chuckle as he rolled his eyes in amusement. “You know, I do feel better now that I realize I truly am the best at all things chaos, at all times, everytime. But yes, explanations are in order. Well, first of all, the Storm King, if I am correct, only had the power of your wings, correct? Barely a smidgen of my power, mixed with the power of three alicorn princesses, that can be quite a doozy indeed. And while it still caused him to transform, the corruption to his mind would have taken some time, and that’s assuming he could handle the paltry amount of chaos that was actually coursing through him. As for when he became the Storm Ravager, well, I shall repeat myself, he was more staff than anything else. Having been a part of Jimmy, the form he gained was granted to him by the staff as his own body laid dormant within it. Mix that with some gained chaos resistance and Jimmy taking the brunt of the mental effects when the chaos was drained from him and you have a seemingly sane minded Storm Ravager. Of course, that sanity would have only lasted so long. He was a novice at actually handling chaos, he had no true understanding of it, and therefore his sanity would have lasted a few days at most. In fact, separating from the staff after that ‘crushing’ defeat would have, or at least should have, fractured his mind. Fifty-fifty chance and all that.” “Ok, but then, what about the staff?” Spike asked, wanting Discord to get to the most important part. “What happened to it?” “I was just getting to that! Ugh, so impatient.” Discord said with a groan as he began to explain. “So, the staff. The Storm King mentioned that the little filly took his staff, and she was working with somepony else in the process. Well, let me tell you, that is impossible.” “I mean, I know that.” You say, tense that you could be wrong, and hoping Discord’s explanation could put you at ease. “But why is it impossible?” “Simple, because the staff released its power and then vanished when it was touched, taking the one who touched it with it. As I said, the staff disappeared, it collapsed on itself most likely. Even the best staff can’t hold on to chaos for long. Some poor sap must have touched it, probably around the time the Storm King was able to find the staff himself, and when that filly arrived. To me, the order of events must have followed. Storm King loses his staff and gets lost in the forest, looking for it in the terrible and delirious state he’s in. Meanwhile, some schmuck who was most likely taking a deep hike in the woods noticed the staff and decided to touch it. Coincidentally, the filly was there following with the compass you gave her, leading her to her first ‘friend’. While all that happening seems nonsensical, and I do like my nonsense, I know for a fact somepony touched that staff before I could no longer sense it. And given the filly is still here, and says she never saw the staff, then I’d say my theory is rather sound. Unless anypony has any objections.” Discord said, waiting for any objections. “Seems kind of weird that would all go down that way, but I honestly can’t figure out any other way that could have happened.” Spike said as he thought about it. “Me neither. Cozy even said she never saw the staff, nor did she seem to know anypony else who might have seen it.” Twilight notes. But you have to give it a little more thought. The Storm King didn’t seem too out of his mind before you threw him into that rift. But if Discord is right, and the staff really did disappear, then it took whoever touched it with it. While that proves Cozy is innocent, you still found yourself in that tug of war with your mind. Like, what if that coincidence wasn’t a coincidence? What if Cozy was with this certain someone, she had them touch the staff to test it, things went bad… But then, that doesn’t make sense, the Storm King said she was still working with said person. But the compass led her to him. If the staff was there at all, who touched it and got vaporized with it? You knew Chrysalis had nothing to do with this either. Think, Anon, think! Discord could have missed something just due to him not caring, but, what? Or maybe he just knew all this time, and didn’t care at all. Which, then… “Ok, I can see how that could be a thing. I can’t really think of anything else that could have happened. And as Spike said, it could lead me to blaming Cozy Glow when that itself would be a trap. But then, why weren't you worried about someone successfully using the power of the staff. I mean, if they could.” “Why would I be? In fact, I was hoping whoever did find it would have tried, I don’t know, something other than blowing up between realities.” Discord said as he put his arms behind his back and looked away from you all. “I have to admit, having that little spar with Anon made me feel like I needed a real fight. Somepony who might have at least been some kind of challenge when it comes to chaos. But alas, that didn’t work out for me either.” Discord then looked over to you all “But then again, it means you all don’t have to deal with it. So it all works out in the end.” Wut? “Wait, are you telling me the real reason you didn’t say anything was because you wanted to flex your skills?! That’s why?!” “Yes, that’s why. No offense to you, but if I was to use my full power, you wouldn’t last ten seconds. And you must remember, Anon, I like you, so I’d never to utterly destroy you. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I’m too lenient on you.” Discord said Huh? “What do you mean by that?” “The horn, Anon, and I don’t mean the amount of charges and whatnot. See, you have natural built in chaos resistance due to your humanity, we've gone over that before. Even further, your mastery in chaos has grown, as has that very resistance. But as we’ve seen before, resistance isn’t immunity, and you can and have been affected by the will of chaos. Though, I admit, sometimes that was me working my own spells into you. Anyway, my point is, the horn has always had a filter on it, to prevent most nasty ramifications of your usual misfortunes when you use chaos magic. But, I admit, had I let you deal with everything raw, you may be at at least a little more than half my level by now. But no, the filter doesn’t let you experience any of the harder negative effects chaos can have on one like you, which means you’d never come to be fully immune to it as quickly as you should. Anon, I really am surprised you never questioned it at all. In fact, I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed the chaos being filtered when Chryssi used the horn that one time on her former captain, she didn’t change at all nor lose her mind. That didn’t make you even wonder why nothing happened to her?” Discord explained. What in the… “I thought she just knew how to handle it.” “She did, sort of, given the magic she used was derived from human chaos, something she has some affinity to. But even then, unfiltered chaos, as you’ve seen, can have quite an effect on all those touched by it. For somepony like you, if the horn was unfiltered, you’d most likely retain your form, but have a few screw looses in the head. Don’t think of that as a bad thing, as lack of resistance and skill in chaos could cause much worse things. Indeed, with your current skill level, you may have actually been able to handle that staff and use mostly powerful chaos magic at your leisure without having a limit. Ah well, the horn is just as good, well better actually, since it uses my near full power. And again, at your current skill level, the only thing you need to worry about is when you overdo your spells. Ahrm, something I must admit to have had a few problems with myself when trying to use my power for good. But I don’t mention that as a failure on my part, I say that for Twilight, so she may understand that I do do good, even if she doesn’t acknowledge it.” Discord said, looking to Twilight with a smug but humble look. “I know you try to do good sometimes, Discord. But this wasn’t one of those times. I’m trying very hard not to lose my temper with you, because I’m with Anon. your reasoning for not doing anything about it is insane. In fact, I should just tell Fluttershy, maybe she can get you to maybe not try something like that again.” Twilight said, grumbling, trying to hold in any more outbursts. “Waaaaait, wait. Hold on, we needn’t go that far. I admitted everything to you, haven’t I? And let us not forget I already suffered some punishments, that being the loss of a wager and the blacklisting from a certain nightclub. Telling Fluttershy is a little excessive, don’t you think?” Discord said as he suddenly began to panic, folding like paper. “Look, let us be reasonable. We’re the only ones who know, so why make things more complicated?” Twilight shakes her head at him. “Because you need to learn that you shouldn’t do things like this, Discord, you could have gotten everycreature hurt. Either you let me tell Fluttershy, or…” Twilight looks over to you, then nods. “You accept a punishment from Anon.” “What?!” Both you and Discord let out “What? Why not? I was originally going to punish you myself, but it’s obvious now that it would have been a mistake. But, given you wronged him, and he’s obviously more mature than you are, then really, he should be the ‘father’ of the situation and punish you. I’m sure Anon has something in mind that should work out. Right, Anon?” Twilight asked, looking at you, letting you take charge, feeling the maturity she has now seen from you is more than fitting for punishing Discord.  Hm… “I, er, do have something in mind. So, basically, I think the punishment is to just give me a full recharge on my horn, and a permanent third charge. How does that sound?” “Anon, what?! That doesn’t sound like a proper punishment at all! That’s just selfish!” Twilight said as she found herself astonished by your words. “Look, I know it sounds pretty selfish. And it is. But it’s still a punishment, simply because I now think Discord doesn’t want anypony matching, or perhaps surpassing, his skills, despite him ‘training’ me and wanting a 'challenge'. Giving me an extra charge will give him something to really think about, simply because if something like this happens again, he knows I myself can become more powerful from it. Call it, well, educational chaos. Everytime he screws up, it’s either we tell Aunt Fluttershy, or he gives me another charge.” Sounded pretty ok to you. Discord wanting a 'challenge'? Nah, he just wanted someone who might be close enough in his skill just so he could flex his powers and have an excuse to go full chaos mode. “Anon, no. And that explanation? That sounds like blackma-WHA!” Suddenly, Twilight is interrupted as Discord picks her up and begins to shake her. “Do you hear this madness?! He’s blackmailing me, Twilight! Me, his own adoptive father! The one who brought him here in the first place! You’re not going to allow this, are you?! No, what I say you should do is punish him as you intended, not tell Fluttershy about it at all, and make him do five million hours of community service so he can understand what being a hard working pony is like! Oh, you should also give him much more homework than you would the other students! He’s trying to manipulate you, can’t you see? Oh, and don’t forget tar and feathering! Just say the word, Twilight, and we can make sure he never acts like this again!” Discord says frantically, shaking her. Wut? “What’s with the overreacting? What, you really don’t want to give me the third charge that much?” “Not at your leisure! You are supposed to earn my favors naturally! Doing it this way may seem fine to you, but what is three charges today could be four charges tomorrow! I refuse to play that game.” Discord said as he turned his head to face you. You just smirk right back at him. “Naturally? I dunno, that doesn’t sound very chaotic at all.” Discord’s eye twitched in anger as he spun around and pointed Twilight at you. “Do you hear this blasphemy?! Accusing me of not being chaotic?! Twilight, you must give him the ultimate punishment! Forcing him to take part in a Hearth Warming Eve play!” You were silent as you just looked upon Twilight, who was starting to turn red, her anger rising. And yet her voice, it was soft, and calm sounding. Not a good sign. “Discord, do you know what I’m going to do?” “The things I told you to do?” Discord replied. “No, I’m going to take you to a bar.” Twilight said in a harsh but low tone. “Oh? Well, this has taken an unexpected turn. I hope I didn’t give the impression that I’d actually date you or anything of the sort.” Discord said, confused by her words, but also not wanting anything to do with her romantically. “Oh, it wouldn’t be a date. More like I’d lock the door, with you and me inside, alone.” Twilight continued. “Oh my, this is sounding very odd now. Do you think Spike should be hearing this?” Discord asked. “Yes, he should, because then I’d get very close, and use every fiber of harmony in my body and soul to turn you into stone without the elements.” Twilight continued, her voice growing ever darker. “...What?” Discord said, utterly confused. “Yes, and then I’m going to get a chariot, and have you taken to the farthest reaches of Equestria, where I will personally beat you up a bit with a shovel before burying you for a thousand years or so.” Twilight said. “Woah, Twilight, you’re kinda sounding scary there.” Spike replied, his ear fins folding as he hid behind an old dusty recliner. Even Discord seemed surprised, and even a little timid about it. “I-I see. I would…” But then he realized something, and chuckled to himself. “Oh, I see, you’re making a reference to that human film. Adorable, but let us not forget, Twilight, that you’d then receive a letter about being made. And what would happen next as they lead you to your promotion? BAM!” Suddenly a sound of a gunshot rings out, causing you and Spike to duck, but only you and Spike, Twilight remained unmoving. “Darkness.” But then Twilight looked to Discord, and whispered to him. “Discord, I’m already made, I’m the Princess of Friendship. And as Princess, I’ll allow Anon’s punishment, or we’ll just go tell Fluttershy, how about that? Hm?” Oh man, Twilight had lost her patience entirely if she was willing to make that snarky ass threat. It was actually kind of terrifying, seeing her not sperging out, yet somehow so close to a true meltdown. Discord was at a loss of words. He put Twilight down, raised his paw as he began to try to say something, but then stopped, thought to himself, tried speaking again, stopped, then looked to you, then to Twilight, back to you, then Spike, then back to thinking, then finally said. “...Ok, I see I’m not coming out of this unscathed. But can’t we wo-” But Twilight just growls at him, just a low growl, her horn glowing, as if to tell Discord she was just going to warp out of there and tell Fluttershy. “Ok, ok, I can see you’re upset over nothing.” Discord said with a sigh. “Fine, I was just going home anyway. Seems somepony is just too wound up over nothing. But, Anon, I hope you feel proud of yourself.” “I do.” You snarkily reply back. Discord just narrows his eyes at you as he grows silent. But it seems he finally gives up as he snaps his talons, causing your horn to glow as he disappears. Haha! Finally! Three charges a day, baby! Though, poor Twilight, she was at her wit's end. “T-Twilight, are you ok? You look like, erm, you’re gonna explode or something.” Spike said as he cautiously approached Twilight. “I don’t even know anymore, Spike. I actually feel Chrysalis jumping out to attack me right now would have been less stressful than… That.” Twilight said, still shaking, her eye twitching. “Woah, that is pretty tense. Er, wanna go to the spa then? Um, for a few weeks?” Spike said, hoping to do or try anything to get Twilight to calm down. “Months is more like it, but no.” Twilight nerves were shot, even as she sighed and looked towards you, she was twitching. “Anon, as sorry as I am for my part in treating you harshly, I really don’t feel like dealing with anymore zaniness from you or Discord today.” Twilight said to you as she tried to find her center, mentally. “I’m sorry too, Twilight, I really am. And don’t worry, despite, well, heh, my new upgrade. Erm, look, I know you’re sorry and all that, but the truth is I still messed things up too. I really want to apologize to everycreature, especially Cozy Glow. I want to know if they’ll forgive me or not. Because, well, if they don’t. I…” You let out a sigh, as guilt began to creep up on you. “I don’t know. I think I’d stop going to school, for one, just drop out really. In fact, I know Discord wouldn’t like it, and it’d worry Aunt Fluttershy, but I may join Starswirl on that friendship tour thing. I dunno, maybe it’d help me or something, just being away from everypony.” That is how you truly felt. It was just like when you let Scootaloo get mega drained by the changelings, but much worse, as Cozy had suffered a physical injury that could have been really bad. And who knows how traumatized Silverstream was. “No!” yelled an adorably cute voice from the entrance of the library. The three of you look over in surprise, seeing Cozy Glow rushing in, bandages on and around her head, as she rushes over to you crying, hugging onto you and nuzzling her head into your chest. “You can’t! Golly, Anon, why do you think it’s your fault?! It’s not, you didn’t know! You didn’t know the compass would have taken me to him! And I should have told somepony I was his friend… E-even though, I really wasn’t, b-because… He used me. I-I let it happen. You told Headmare Twilight that even Princess Luna knew, right? Then it wasn’t your fault at all if she was ok with what you were doing. I-If anypony should be asking for forgiveness, it’s me. I should be expelled an-”  NO! Dammit Cozy! You snuggle her back, hugging her. “Cozy, no! It was my responsibility, ok? I gave you the compass without making sure I used my magic properly. I should have been there for you more! Ok? I let you get hurt, I didn’t react fast enough. Cozy, don’t cry, ok?” Cozy looked up to you, her cheeks soaked in tears, her eyes shimmering with sadness. “Then pwomise, ok? Pwomise you won’t leave. We’re all your friends, Anon, you can’t just leave.” “I…” But suddenly you feel Twilight’s hoof on your shoulder, as she looks at you with a calm smile. “Anon, I’ll go gather everycreature so you can speak to them. But, I have a feeling Cozy is right. Friends forgive each other, and it didn’t even look like Silverstream was mad about it. So, I think you might be overreacting like a certain purple princess.” Twilight tells you with a cool grin, giving you a wink. “Twilight…” ah, damn man, that put some tears in your eyes.  Cozy, poor thing, she must have been listening in on the entire conversation, probably scared out of her mind something was going to happen to you.  And yet, her reaction. Everything was going to be ok, wasn’t it?