Is this how it ends?

by Slick Dash

Maybe I tilt the scales too much...

“TAKE ME BACK!” I yelled quickly before it was too late, I clenched my eyes shut; dreading what the decision I just made would mean. Silence rang out around me. All I could hear was my own panicked breathing. I couldn’t even hear discord moving around. Eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime, the Draconequus spoke.
“It’s been a year...” He whispered.
“I know.” I whimpered miserably.
“A lot of them will have begun to move on...”
“I know!” I said loudly.

“Rainbow could have even found somepony else...” It was impossible to hide the mirth in his tone. I stayed on the floor, I didn’t move. My mind raced with the images of Rainbow with a faceless pony, getting married, having children, growing as old as Granny Smith together. My heart ached at the images, but it didn’t matter, I’d give anything to be in the same world as her again. Even if she had moved on, how far I’ve come from the young man who would rather leave than be told he couldn’t have her.
“...I know...”

“Well!” There was a huge flash of light, and I was on my feet looking at the chimera and the car. He smirked at me, clicking his fingers. Both the passenger and the driver’s door opened, “Shall we get going?” Now? Was it that simple? Could I get back simply by sitting in the car and letting the Draconequus drive me there? I moved to the passenger side, reaching out to clamber in as I did. “I’m sorry, but this is my seat.” The chimera cooed as he slid in between me and the door. He stuck his thumb out in the direction of the steering wheel.

Ok then, I had to take us there. Discord’s words began to sink into place. “All I have to do is channel it through your mind.” So while I drove, Discord would channel magic into me and allow me to get back to Equestria? It didn’t make much sense, but then again I WAS trying to get back to a world full of talking ponies –One of whom I loved- Sense had pretty much gone out of the window a long time ago!

I moved to the other side of the vehicle and sat behind the wheel. It was new, not a fast model, but brand new. I felt the leather of the steering wheel, it felt smooth and soft. My hand began to itch and burn again, now nestled on the wheel I was able to watch as the patch of skin on the back of my hand as it grew a harsh red colour. The I understood why the sensation was so familiar. A year ago... sorry...two years ago now. I had left Ponyville, and driven away as fast as I could, that night my hand had burned just as harshly. It had been my cutiemark arriving, if I was feeling it again maybe it meant the return of my mark and discord had said my not having it meant I was supposed to belong to earth.

I decided, that when my mark arrived I would know I belonged in Equestria, nothing would tell me otherwise. I looked to my side, the god of chaos looked almost comical sat in a car seat. I stopped myself from laughing as to not insult or offend the chimera. He was my only way back home after all! I asked tentatively, “The keys?” He shook his head silently, raising his hand he snapped his fingers. I flinched dreading what he would do to bend reality this time.

Nothing happened, I relaxed and looked at him for a moment. Slowly, my mind began to realise he had been showing me what to do. I looked down at my hand, the tips of my fingers were beginning to tingle again. With a shaking hand, I raised my fingers in front of my face. I thought as loudly as I could inside my head. “Take me to Rainbow Dash!” I snapped my fingers. And the engine exploded into life!

“There we go!” The Draconequus clapped happily, “Now all we need you to do is drive fast. You think about Ponyville, and I’ll do the rest.” I nodded, forcing my breath to go slower and steadier. I took my left hand and caressed the gear stick, feeling the shape of it within my palm searching for the best place to take hold of it. The vehicle almost seemed to rev louder as I caressed her insides. Was that my magic working, or just my mind playing tricks?

I took the car into first gear and moved slowly into the corner of the car park, turning the wheel to make the cars dipped headlights to reach to opposite corner. The longest distance I could have to gain speed.

“I’ve grown quite fun of your brand of chaos boy, so make sure you think of home as hard as you can, I’d rather not have to scrape your remains off of the walls!” Discord laughed menacingly. He closed his eyes, his horns began to glow. It was different to that of unicorn magic. Instead of a misty cloud of magical energy, they simply began to blur, almost as the horns were beginning to stretch abnormally. Maybe they were stretching! He was trying to bend the walls of reality!

I began to think hard, Sweet Apple Acres, the sun making the orchards glow like gold.
Sugar Cube Corner, its constant scent of baking bread and frosting!
The library, the smell of freshly printed pages.
Rarities boutique, the sound of machines stitching and scissors snipping.
Fluttershy’s cottage, the slight smell of furry creatures and the sound of scampering feet.
Mine and Dash’s home... the smell of her coat, the warmth of her breath on my face when we kissed, the sound of her laugh and the sight of her smile. These were all the things I loved about my home. Here I come!

Keeping the thoughts close in my mind, I floored the accelerator. The wheel screeched, the front of the car tried to veer off to the left. With a simple flick of my index finger the car came under control again, always helps to have magic on your side! I slammed through each gear in quick succession, the car didn’t look it but it was powerful!

The opposite wall rushed towards us mercilessly. My foot remained an anvil pushing the pedal to the ground, I couldn’t hesitate or I somehow knew the process wouldn’t work. The library, Twilight, the boutique, Rarity, Sweet Apple acres, Applejack, Sugar Cube corner, Pinkie, the cottage by the woods, Fluttershy, Equestria, Dash! We were only feet away now, the lights beams bounced back and blinded me. It wasn’t working! We were going to die! My hand burnt white hot, I screamed out of fear and pain as the wall reached the bonnet at over eighty miles an hour.

SMASH! My eyes are shut, there’s no pain. Not in my hand or anywhere else through my entire body. I heard the cleaver chuckle of Discord still sat next to me. He gasped over dramatically at the site of my shut eyes.
“OH NO! You thought we hit that wall? The thought had never crossed my mind...” I felt his lion paw take hold of my chin and steered it to look ahead. “Open your eyes! Nobody except me has seen this site, so it’s once in a lifetime opportunity...or two in your case.” I squinted out from behind the comfort of the dark lids that covered my sight.

The wall was nowhere to be seen, in fact no solid objects were anywhere to be seen at all! We were moving at an unbelievable speed, or maybe we were standing still and everything else was moving fast, it was all too hard to tell. From within the car I could see a constant stream of colours, blending and mixing together as they passed over head. It was beautiful.

The Draconequus coughed, almost awkwardly. “You know, what you’re seeing is the boundaries of all worlds. As you can see from the constant mix and flowing of each colour, you see the worlds in balance with each other, always in a mix of chaos and harmony. This balance is kept in check by each world. If the balance in one world is wrong for too long, then the constant flow will cease. Without the flow, the worlds will drift apart, ripping reality itself apart. And if that were to happen, then all existences would stop.” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. What was his obsession with clicking his fingers?

I stared out into the beautiful colours how could something so beautiful be so dangerous. Another hint as to why Discord was helping seemed to fall into place, he was right, it was like a guessing game. As time moved on I realized more and more about him. “That’s why you’re taking me back? You already said going there would create chaos, so you need it to keep balance in Equestria?” The chimera tapped his nose with his long eagle talon toped finger. So I was right. “S-so is that why you do all of this? Make so much chaos, just to keep the universe in existence?”

“...No one has ever worded it like that.” The chimera whispered, for once he sounded sincere. He dipped his head under the front window to gaze into the swirling mess above us. “I don’t complain about my task. I love it with all my...heart do you call it? I love the thought of chaos, and so I always tip the scales to my favour whenever I’m able to...” He sighed, what was this creature beside me? It wasn’t the Discord of the legends I had heard in Equestria, this was a complex creature beyond imagining. Tasked with so much, and understood by so few peop-ponies.

He closed his eyes and let the coloured lights dance across his eye lids. “Maybe I tilt the scales too much sometimes... Celestia is after all, the other side of the coin. If I bring too much chaos into the world, she needs to bring extra amounts of harmony, and I suppose that’s more difficult.” He slumped into the chair, “Maybe that’s why she puts me in stone, to Stop me from ruining everything. Trapped I’m only able to alter small things, but when I’m free I can rival any being in any reality.”

The chimera looked at me, his expression was odd. “You seem to bring out the more emotional side of me boy. Maybe poking around her head to find her memories gave me a little insight to her feelings as well...” The strange comment struck me, whose memories? Whose feelings? But I knew if I asked he would merely tell me it was no fun if I didn’t guess.

He finished with a simple statement. “Maybe when you’re there I’ll feel better, the chaos you’re going to cause should fill me up a little. Then I’ll just wait only ninety-nine years left, and then I’ll have some real old fashioned fun.” It felt strange being in such an informal convocation with the god of chaos, but a question burned inside me and I had to ask, while this strange colourful world(or lack of a world) had him in such a talkative mood.

“What happened? When I died, what happened to create enough chaos to make you return?” He didn’t reply, he simply gazed out into the distance. (If there was one!) I persisted , “You were talking about someone’s memories, you’ve been learning about me so what happened? You did something didn’t you?”

There was another moment of silence, I waited for a response from the Draconequus but it didn’t seem to be coming. When I opened my mouth to speak again, the dragon suddenly looked at me sharply. His smirk had returned, I recognised the deviousness in the grin. I looked ahead, knowing he had seen something. I saw what seemed to be a window, light seemed to be pouring out of it bringing in the sights from beyond. Were those houses? Yes! Little cream and brown cottages, surrounded by a cobblestone road! It was Ponyville!

I turned to the Draconequus one last time to see him fading away like a mirage. He opened his mouth, and though it was nearly completely gone, his words rang out loudly. “Don’t go visit your beloved Dash first! I‘d suggest you visited the other places that mean so much to you first. Leave home until last. That’s all the hints I’m giving you...enjoy the game...” He was gone.

A flash of light! The tires hit solid ground again! They screech! I look outside the window to see the central plaza of ponyville. Ponies all scream and run at the site of the car. I glance at the speedometer. 70mph. Uh-oh! I slam my foot on the brakes! Twisting the wheel to avoid any straggling ponies. With all my power of though I think the word ‘STOP!’My magic works, and the car halts before ploughing into the grocery stalls ahead of me.

Dust began to rise all around the car. All I could hear was the sound of my own thumping heart, and the muffled sounds of the shouts and cries from the ponies outside. I sat there panting for a few moments, I leant forwards and rested my head against the steering wheel. I’m ready now, it was time to get out of the car and find my friends. I’d play along with Discord for now, I wouldn’t go straight to my house. I’d go to Sweet Apple Acres and surprise Applejack first! Out of all my friends, she would be the most understanding!

I reached out for the door handle, and as the dust outside began to thin and let the sunlight into the car, the light caught something. Bright and colourful, it rested on the back of my hand. I looked down for a moment, and grinned like a child! There on the back of my right hand, blurred, followed by a streak of fire, and set against a colourful rainbow, sat my cutiemark. As beautiful as ever, it glinted in the light. I belonged here, and this time, the universe knew it!