//------------------------------//
// The Birth of Discord 
// Story: Mythquestria 
// by Starlit Skies 
//------------------------------//

		Discord, or chaos, is one of the two driving forces of nature. It is contrasted with harmony, or order. While harmony can be harnessed through use of the Elements of Harmony, no such thing exists except in legends that can control Discord (the force, not the creature). The origins of chaos are unknown, but some scholars believe that it has been around since the very beginning of the world.

Discord is also the name of the sole draconequus in Equus. He is said to be a god, but he has been imprisoned in stone by Princess Celestia for over a thousand years. As a result, the extent of his powers are unknown. The only known effective force against Discord is The Elements of Harmony. Almost nothing else is known about the creature Discord.

—Excerpt from Forces of Equestria

“How interesting. While I’ve read numerous myths on how the constellation Orion came to be, it’s nice to know the truth.” Mrs. Dewey mused, leaning back in her comfortable rolling chair.

“Forget that, Princess Luna— Mmpfh!” her rapidly growing in volume voice became intelligible from the hoof that suddenly appeared in her mouth. She looked up to see the librarian glaring at her.

“This is a library, in case you forgot. And I don’t think Princess Luna would appreciate you yelling out who her first marriage was with.” With one last glare, she withdrew her hoof from Twilight’s mouth, still watching carefully to make sure she had calmed down enough to not freak out again. “In response to your next question, yes, the Princess had a few more marriages over the years.” After pausing to once again silence the alicorn with her hoof, the librarian continued. “You were not the only one to know of the existence of Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna. Now, I would recommend that you go and ask her yourself instead of continuing to nag an old mare. I’m sure she would like to hear one of these myths again.”

“Okay Mrs. Dewey. I’ll go over there now.” Twilight was looking at the ground, somewhat in shame for getting to excited and almost violating the cardinal rule for library patrons throughout the world. She started to head out the door on her way to Luna’s quarters when the old unicorn stopped her.

“And Twilight? Whenever you finish that book, I would love to hear about more of the stories contained within.” She gave her former pupil a smile and was pleased to see it returned. Waiting for a moment to watch her round the corner and disappear, the head librarian of the Canterlot Library and Archives opened a small drawer under her desk. Levitating out a key, she turned around to a small door behind her and unlocked it, disappearing into the forbidden depths of knowledge contained inside.


*


Reaching the top of the tall spiraling tower, Twilight knocked on the wooden door emblazoned with a blue crescent, only to have it slowly swing open to reveal the room beyond. 

“Princess?” she called, peering around the almost pitch black room. The setting sun through the heavy black curtains illuminated a crescent bed that dominated the center of the room where an unmoving shape lay covered by blankets. At the sound of Twilight’s voice, it stirred and groaned.

“Oh, if you’re still sleeping, I can go and come back later,” she said nervously, starting to back through the door.
“Nay Twilight, stay thy hooves. We would have been awoken soon, so ‘tis no matter,” came a drowsy voice, followed by another groan as the blankets were surrounded by a blue glow and thrown off the bed, nearly hitting one of the fully stocked bookshelves that ringed the room.

“Well, I can still come back later if you want me too…” her voice dwindled off.

A ruffled alicorn head rose from the bed to give her an are-you-serious look. “What is thy question?” she asked as she levitated a small glass of water over to her.

“Well,” said Twilight, still standing in the stone doorway, “I was wondering if you were actually married to Orion.”

Luna’s eyes widened and spat out the water in surprise, making her cough. “Wait, what?”

“I was just wondering if you were actually married to Orion.”

Now that her brain was actually thinking, Luna’s eyes narrowed in something between anger and annoyance.

“Oh, I’m sorry Princess Luna, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ll just be going back now.” Twilight continued to back up until she was starting to go back down the stairwell backwards. She was almost to the point of running when Luna called her back.

“I meant thee no ill harm. Our anger was directed at our sister, not thee. I apologize Twilight.”

Her head stuck out around the curve, looking questioningly at the alicorn, who had by now propped herself into a sitting position on the bed. “You do?”

“We do.”

She breathed a deep sigh of relief and trotted back into the room. “Then could you try not to use the royal ‘we’ and talk like a modern pony?”

Luna thought for a moment, then responded “You will have to give me a break, as I just woke up. Now in answer to your question, yes, I was at one point married to Orion. I assume that my sister saw it fit to give you Starswirl’s collection of myths?”

“Yes, she did.”

Luna tapped a spot next to her with her hoof. “Then come over here. I’ll find an interesting myth that will probably also explain a few questions.”

“But, Celestia rearranged the chapters in the book.”

“Then read me whatever she has in there next. It has been a very long time since I set eyes on this tome.”

“Does that mean it’s real?” Twilight practically leaped at the chance of finally getting a straight answer.

“All in due time Twilight,” Luna chuckled.

“Alright then. The Birth of Discord. Wait, is that the Discord?”

“Read on and find your answer.”


***


	There was a time when all was peaceful and the ponies were in harmony with nature and each other. The gods had returned and watched over their subjects below, their chosen council managing the affairs of the world from the birthplace of knowledge. All was well and Equus prospered.

Then, in the council placed by the gods, a schism occurred. A simple matter, but it took root in the world and upset the perfect harmony. The schism caused turmoil and anger, growing and growing. Because the council was at one of the three roots of the world, it quickly took root. And the seed of discord was planted.

Still, the power of the immortals of the council prevented the seed itself from growing, but it exerted its influence and afflicted the population of the world, those closest the most.

Tensions among the immortals grew and they fought. A war broke out, a war that ended soon after it began. But its repercussions stretched farther and further than even the gods could have guessed. Without the council, order dissolved, revolutions began, and small empires started to rise. And the force that suppressed the seed of discord was taken away.

The seed, alone on the Island of Knowledge, gave birth to a creature. 

The creature was weak and alone, powerless to stop the island from fracturing underneath him from the forces of chaos. But he was spared when a pegasus mother found the island and the creature on it, saving his life by bringing him with her back to where she lived with her two daughters. 

The creature of chaos grew into the creature known as Discord, the embodiment of the very thing that would have destroyed him alone in the ocean. He turned his back on those who raised him and became the monster that ruled over every living thing.

And so a legend was born: the legend of the fracture of the world and the creature of chaos.