Discord's Family Reunion

by Mister E

Part 21

Part 21
Discoveries and Revelations

The next few weeks were a period of exhaustive activity for the chaos lord. Cordial wasted no time in putting his new omnipresence to use. Working outwards from the castle, he used his viewer to scour the lands of Equestria, trying to make right his actions from almost a decade ago. In places where wells had gone dry he created springs. In places crops would no longer grow, he altered the soil and climate, and conjured enough food for the villages to subsist on until new crops could be harvested. He dredged ports and canals, changed the course of mighty rivers, and in other places drained flood waters away. And always, where ever he went, he collected chaotic ash. Knowing of nowhere to safely dispose of it, he removed the chaos from it and took it into himself. The then harmless ash he could transmute into something else. This had the added benefit of making him even more powerful. There were days he was positively saturated with it. But there were other days when he reached areas where he was too late. Areas where the chaos had already seemed into the soil and become forever part of the land itself. These places he tended to avoid, for they saddened him, knowing there was nothing he could do. The Everfree forest was one such place, and it was for that reason that Keil, and his family went unnoticed by Cordial, on his ever widening crusade. Unfortunately, that was soon to change.

“My Dearest Keil,” Harmony wrote,

“It is with great joy that I write to you on behalf of the efforts being made by my brother Cordial. Ever since he has mastered his viewing globe, he has been working tirelessly on behalf of the kingdom. Indeed the former sorrow that I mentioned that was generated by that shameless hussy Snowblossom, seems to have been all but forgotten. The citizens are calling him a hero, and any lingering resentments over his mistakes are rapidly being eroded away. I say with confidence, that if things continue as they are now, that I will be calling for you all very soon. It seems that the concerns Zacherle spoke to me of in regards to the danger Cordial poses, were unfounded. As were my own. Despite his outward appearance, my brothers behavior could only be called exemplary. I look forward to writing you before much longer, with news that you all may return. All of my love to Lulu and Sunny, and you as well.

Always yours,

Harmony”

P.S. As mentioned in my last missive, I too have a viewing globe, and look in on you often. It wouldn’t hurt to remind the girls of that when they decide to be naughty. Just tell them Mommie may be watching.

Harmony seals the letter and sends it off by fire. And then since her royal duties had been completed for the day, she settled in for her favorite new found activity. First she rang for her afternoon snacks, and settling into her favorite chair, she began to work the remote on her viewer. Her chamber maid arrived moments later with a selection of fruit wedges, as Harmony was busily changing locations.

“Ah, Pumpkin Spice, your timing is perfect as always, shall we settle in?” Harmony asks.

“Well, if you insist your highness,” Pumpkin replies, sitting down without a moments hesitation. “So has Fastback finally proposed to Jessebelle? Or did she find out that it was his twin brother that actually was the one that saved her when she fell in the well? And what about that dun colored stallion from Saddle Arabia that you had your eye on? Can you believe the size of his... ahem, harem,” she said with a giggle.

“Ah, Pumpkin, whatever did we do without this wonderful invention? So many ponies, so many stories to watch. Why I scarcely have time to rule the kingdom.”

“Hmm, perhaps when your brother gets finished with ‘saving the world’, you can give him the job? Then you can retire, and just relax.” Pumpkin Spice suggests.

“That idea has some merit,” Harmony replies. “But of course by then my husband and children will be back home. I doubt I will have time for other ponies dramas, despite the size of their... harems.” She says with a giggle of her own. “It will be so good to have them back. It’s been far too long.”

“Now mum, too much thinking down that road will make you sad,” Pumpkin says in a mock serious tone. “I think what you need at THIS particular moment is...” and with that she takes the remote from Harmony’s hoof, and changes the location to one she had been watching in her off hours, while the princess had been working.

“Oh my!” The princess says, her face coloring. She fans herself for a moment before continuing. “So this is the pony you’ve been going on about! Why I had no idea he was so very... flexible.” She says, taking a long gulp of fruit juice.

“What exactly are they-” Fluttershy begins to say, but Discord cuts her off.

“Oh just some silly thing my sister has a fondness for, let’s just move on,” he says hurriedly changing the channel.

The view now displays Cordial himself, seated comfortably before a viewer of his own. The large red crystal reflects a distorted view of his own features, making him look even more draconic than is usual. The viewer instead of displaying any particular area is instead showing the entire globe itself as it slowly spins before him. Overlying it, Cordial has placed markers showing all the ares he has visited, some in green showing completed works, some in red showing contaminated areas he cannot fix, and various other colors indicating states in between. Less than half of the globe remains dark, and these indicate that Cordial has not yet been there in person.

“Let’s see, I believe Prance is next,” he says to himself zooming his view to scan the city. “Hmm, seems to be in remarkably good shape. Some minor flooding along the channel, but they seem to have gotten it under control. Of course it has been over ten years, I suppose it used to be much worse.”

Suddenly, just as Cordial was panning across the city an interesting scene had caught his eye. Two street preforming mimes were both preforming theirs acts at the same time, each of them trying to draw the increasing crowd away from the other. Both of the ponies were going to further and further extremes. Inevitably the competition became a brawl, but no matter how much Cordial increased the volume he still was unable to hear the combatants. It was moments later before he realized that he could still hear the spectators. He laughed uproariously upon realizing that both mimes, despite giving and receiving a flurry of blows, were still remaining in character, and perfectly silent. Eventually they exhausted themselves, and sat down side by side, only to receive a thunderous applause from the crowd who had all assumed it had been part of the act. The two looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and stood up on wobbly legs to take a bow.

“That was hilarious!” Cordial said aloud. “One of the funniest things I had ever seen! Oh how I wish I could see that again!” he says as he settles back in his chair. Suddenly the image on the viewer stops, and before Cordial’s astonished gaze, rewinds itself back to the beginning of the situation and proceeds to play it all over again.

“By the Gods! This viewer can view events in the past?!?” He looks questioningly at the remote. He snaps his claw experimentally. There now appears a rewind button on it. He snaps again, there is a pause and a stop button. He rubs his chin for a moment and snaps it one more time, now there is a forward button. “No... no way. I can see the future?!?” Cordial hesitantly pushes the forward button, the images on the viewer quickly catch up to present time, then they move forward, but after going several minutes into the future suddenly the image splits in two, then four, then sixteen, then two hundred and fifty-six, then it just shows a blank. “Amazing!” Cordial says to himself. “Apparently after a few minutes into the future the different possible futures become too many to view all at once. Ah, but the past is fixed... at least I think it is.” And with that he changes the view back to the castle as he focuses on his tower.

Cordial taps the rewind button and events in the tower rewind at a faster pace. In moments he sees the events of the night of his betrayal in reverse. Once they reach the point where Snowblossom unlocks the door for her brother, Cordial pans the view to follow her backwards as she descends the stairs and emerges from Cordial’s room. He let’s the scene play in reverse until it gets to the point where she quietly opens his door, then Cordial allows it to play at normal speed forward. He watches as Snowblossom enters his room, and quickly makes her way to his nightstand. He watches as she quietly picks up his tower key, and then pauses to pick up a picture off of the stand as well. He looks at her as she stares at a portrait of himself, his sister, and Keil, made right before the events that sent him to the island. She smiles sadly at his former self, then she looks down at the sleeping form of Cordial and frowns. She silently slips a wicked looking dagger from the folds of her robe, and presses the tip to the sleeping Cordial’s neck. The Cordial watching on the viewer unconsciously raises a claw to his own neck and rubs it absently. Snowblossom looks once more at the portrait of her once handsome prince, and somewhat reluctantly places the dagger back into her robes, and silently makes her escape. Cordial pauses the viewer and lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

“All this time, and I had no idea. She almost tried to kill me, and I had no idea. By the Gods! What ELSE don’t I know?” He says, thinking for a moment. “Cordial,” he tells the viewer, and is suddenly looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself. “Day one.” He says.

Now on the view screen he sees his mother, her face contorted with strain, and suddenly a newborn colt comes into view. The midwife cleans him briskly as his first cries echo across the room. Then she wraps him in a clean blanket and hands him to his mother who waits with an outstretched hoof. The other one already occupied with a cute little newborn filly. Moments later his father is ushered quickly into the room as Boots leaves.

His father approaches and sits on the stool beside the bed that Boots had just vacated.

He smiles down at his wife, who is gently embracing their two offspring. “Twins,” he whispers, “now you're just showing off,” he says chidingly.

“Heh, now ye know I never be doin things by halves. Why be ye so surprised?” Cordial’s mother responds. “So, since there be two of em, how about we each pick a name?”

His father smiles warmly.”Very well,” he says, and looks thoughtfully at his little filly. “I shall call her Harmony.” He says with quiet pride.

“Heh. Harmony eh? Oh I'm sure a daughter O' mine will live up ta THAT name just fine!” Cordial smiles quietly at his mother’s response.

“And what will you name our little colt then?” His father asks, “Rambunctious? Unruly? Spite? Discord?”

“Don't be daft,” she says in mock irritation, “What kind o' life would he have bein stuck with a name like Discord? This is my son we be talkin about! His name... is Cordial.”

“Heh, so Pop was considering naming me Discord? Seems pretty appropriate at the moment,” Cordial says to himself. He spends the rest of the afternoon forwarding his own life story, pausing every so often to view certain events, and things that led up to such events that he never knew of before. “Oh that little goat!” Cordial says aloud again. “I knew it was her that stole Mr. Flopsy. She hid it under her bed the whole time! Oh, just wait until I see her at breakfast.” Cordial mutters to himself, as he moves forward once again.

Several hours pass as Cordial relives his life at speed, culminating in the islands explosion and him with it. Then it skips ahead ten years as he comes to the point to where his body reforms. “Wow.” he says stunned, as he hits stop. He stretches in his chair noticing the time. “Almost time for bed,” he thinks. “What a shame, there is so much else to be learned. If only I had more time...” Suddenly he pauses mid thought. “I wonder,” he thinks to himself. He reaches for his hourglass from off of his bed stand and flips it over. He watches for a moment as the sand begins to pour into the bottom bulb. He snaps his claw and the sand stops. He takes a moment to look out his window in confirmation. A bat is frozen in mid flight, and down below a guard is paused in mid-step. He snaps his claw again but nothing happens. He tries once more, still nothing. “Okay,” he thinks to himself. “I can pause time, but not reverse it for some reason, even though I can view past events...hmm.” He snaps his claw again, and the bat continues its flight, as the guard becomes mobile again.

“All right, lets see what ELSE is on,” Cordial says aloud as he stops time again, and picks up his remote. “Zacherle, day one,” He says as the viewer changes its display. The vast emptiness of space spreads across the viewing crystal. Suddenly, a tear appears in the fabric of space itself. What look to be four sets of small pink tentacles force themselves through the tear, and with two sets on either side force the rip wide open. Then two strange beings emerge. Their heads are oddly shaped and flat, with ears on either side instead of on top, with tiny muzzles. One of them has a close cropped mane and facial hair with a neatly trimmed beard. The other has a longer mane and its face is clean. They stand erect with two front legs hanging down from either shoulder, the ends of which each have five of the strange tentacles on the ends of them. The one with no facial hair has two prominent udders, beneath a strangely made blouse. This one seems to be female. The other is broader of shoulder and flat chested, this plus the facial hair seems to indicate he is male. Two legs taper down into oddly shaped hooves covered in shoes from both of them.

“Eww, aliens!” Cordial says with a shudder. “Makes me look positively handsome by comparison,” he says to himself.

“Um Twilight?” Fluttershy asks in hushed tones. “Don’t they look remarkably similar to one of your new house guests?”

“I noticed that,” Twilight replies in a whisper. “But his coloration is much brighter, and he’s all angular, like the beings from that other world I visited. These two look paler, and their bodies are much smoother. They look, I don’t know how to say it... more real? I don’t think they came form the same place.” Fluttershy nods in agreement.

“We made it,” the female of the two says, out of breath, hanging in the void beside her partner.

“Indeed so,” the other replies, equally winded.

He grasps a small crystal vial attached to his neck by a slender chain, and waves one of his appendages at the gaping hole in the void. Within moments it has sealed itself closed and vanished.

“Hmm, what have we here?” Cordial says as he pauses the image and zooms in on the vial now hanging loosely upon the male creatures chest. Inside the vial itself Cordial sees a single solitary grain of what appears to be sand or stone of some kind. As he zooms out and resumes play, he notices that the female is wearing a duplicate around her neck as well.

The male speaks again. “That was the most suicidally reckless thing I have ever done. You had no way of knowing for sure what would happen if we used the power of the Siege for our own ends. The fact that you had unearthed that ancient tome, and that it was purportedly penned by Myrddin Wyllt was scant evidence to bet our lives on.”

“I know an authentic sixth century tome when I see one Charles.” The female replies in an annoyed tone. “And we both agreed that by that point we had nothing left to lose. As for me, I found the voyage less fearful than actually removing even two grains of stone from the Siege Perilous itself. But Myrddin spoke the truth. The limitless power of the Siege can be directed, with the proper preparation. To think, we now exist outside the known universe. Our own place, to mold and shape. Free from the evils of men. Free to create the living paradise that we had longed for, for so long.”

The two hung in the void for some time, discussing plans and details. Cordial lightly taps the forward button, and all bear witness to the creation of the world itself. First the planet and its moon, then the stars and the sun. Muenchinger spent a few hours adding other planets and solar systems, while Zacherle set to work on the landscape of Equestria itself. Before too long, as these things go, they had both approached the point of creating life. Here the two paused.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Muenchinger asks, “at the moment it is as balanced as Earth was. We really don’t know what effects tinkering with the chaos/order balance will have in the long run.”

“Charles, we’ve been over this a thousand times already. We both agreed that most of what was wrong at home could have been avoided if it only had been less chaotic from the start. And we aren’t removing all of it, just about two thirds.” Zacherle says, preparing to wave an appendage.

“Now hold your horses young lady, I never agreed to two thirds.” Muenchinger says grabbing her arm. “That’s far too much. You’ll end up with a planet full of machines. Dull flat and lifeless. I’ll go just half less than Earth’s but that’s my limit. Too much order is just as bad as too much chaos, Bonnie.”

“Fine.” Zacherle says giving in.

She waves her arm and chaos begins leeching out of the freshly created planet. Muenchinger gauges the amount, and creates an island in the middle of the ocean upon which Zacherle allows the chaos to funnel down onto. Then both working in unison they create a mighty barrier around the island, gently push all the nearby isles away, and create an are of calm sea around it, with winds constantly blowing away from it in all directions.

“That should keep it safe from the looky loo’s” Muenchinger says, as he settles into a freshly conjured chair and begins going over designs for the planets inhabitants.

“So we agreed on a pony based universe,” Zacherle says pulling up a chair next to him, as he hangs in the void. “But perhaps something a bit... cleaner? We don’t want to end up with another planet of the apes, style thing.”

“A planet ruled by the descendants of apes? That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.” Twilight interjects.

“Hush,” Discord admonishes, “and it’s more common than you would think.” He says returning his attention to the viewers.

“I was thinking a world in the style of that one who did Foster’s,” Muenchinger muses. “Can’t recall her name, but you remember right?”

“Oh yes!” Zacherle exclaims. “Not bad at all, yes we can go with that,” she says nodding her head in agreement. “But don’t forget about that bet I won before we left.” She adds.

“Are you really going to go through with that? We have a whole new clean fresh universe.” Muenchinger says in exasperation.

“Oh, don’t be a sore loser, Charles.” Zacherle snipes. I happen to like her voice. You know perfectly well that if you had won, you would’ve gone through with adding that ‘Leeroy’ character to every generation. So you’ll just have to get used to there being a purple unicorn born once every generation who has the same voice as ‘Juliet’, from ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’.”

Twilight reaches over and pauses Discord’s remote. “Wait, let me get this straight. THIS is how you make a universe? THESE are the supreme beings? No all encompassing plan? No omnipotent and omniscient beings of fathomless wisdom? What was that bit we saw at the start? They seemed a bit more... godlike then.”

“That was the short and sweet version. Call it the ‘accepted’ version. This is more of the unedited ‘director’s cut’. Discord replies.

But... but, they seem more concerned with the style of their creations, than the actual creations themselves.” Twilight says flustered.

“Oh but Twilight, one simple MUST take style into consideration.” Rarity interjects. “And I quite agree that if one is able to make one’s universe less grubby, then one should definitely do so.”

“And what in Equestria is ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’?” Twilight asks moodily.

“I’m sure I have no idea.” Discord replies. “By the way could you say ‘Bring the funk?’ for me? Just one time?” he asks, snickering to himself.

“Any idea what he’s talking about?” Twilight asks Fluttershy.

“Not a clue. He gets like this sometimes. Best to just ignore it.” She replies sagely. “He spent half a day once trying to teach Angel Bunny to say ‘What’s up Doc?’ for some reason.”

“My POINT is, that these two don’t seem to me to be the types I would associate the word ‘God’ with.” Twilight says crossing her hooves.

Discord looks at her sadly. “And now dear Twilight you and the rest of our friends have become privy to one of the great hidden truths about our world. It was created by beings like this,” he says lowering his head and waving his claw toward the screen.

On it the two are excitedly discussing various ideas.

“So wait,” Muenchinger says, causing a writing tablet and pen to appear as he frantically begins scribbling notes. “That’s normal ponies, unicorns, pegasi, something called a sea pony, and flutter ponies. That last one was like a butterfly winged pegasus? And they can all use tools like us, but don’t have any hands? Right, magic all around for that then. But I draw the line at pockets. I mean really, theses are ponies, not hybrid kangaroos.” he says in exasperation.

“Fine then, no pockets,” Zacherle says. “But make them all pretty colors. None of that earth tone theme. So boring.”

“Sigh, fine. Pretty colors. But in return I get any other mythological creature I want.” Muenchinger adds.

“How is that fair?” Zacherle retorts.

“Look, if I’m going to be flying around having to look at pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows, then I also want some dragons, manticores and griffins thrown in the mix.”

“They’d be ‘pegasi’ dancing on rainbows, and all right fine.” Zacherle says, as Twilight puts her head between her hooves.

“Please no more,” she asks. “These are not the answers I wanted, when I think about the mysteries of the universe.”

“Sorry my dear,” Discord says, patting her on the shoulder gently, “that’s the luck were looking at.”

And he starts to forward quickly through Cordial’s view of creation. Eventually Discord gets to a certain point and resumes normal play. The ponies can see that Cordial had been riveted to his own viewer taking in all of the creation of his world.

“And now for that one last thing that will allow us to enjoy eternity on our new home.” Zacherle says looking over at her partner.

“I suppose we should do each do the other,” Muenchinger replies. “Just so that we aren’t biased in our editing.”

“What did they mean ‘do each other’,” Twilight says perking her ears up.

“Hush Twilight, this is important, and not what you are thinking.” Discord says zooming in on Cordial’s crystal.

Zacherle grasps the pendant at her throat and points at Muenchinger with her other hand, closing her eyes. All can see a thin stream of black and red shot with midnight blue begin to issue forth from Muenchinger’s nose and mouth to coalesce into a ball between them. As the flow trickles to a halt, Muenchinger grasps his own crystal, and does the same to Zacherle, adding her own darkly colored stream to the growing ball between them.

“Much, much better.” Zacherle says as the last bit of dark energy leaves her. “I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

“I felt the same,” Muenchinger concurs. “My thoughts are so clear and calm.”

The two gesture at the orb between them and send in down into the island that is currently housing the excess chaos of the world.

“Locked away safely forever. And now we can begin our lives. An eternity of peace and happiness.” Zacherle says, beaming at her companion.

“FOOLS!” A voice booms behind the two. Cordial quickly pans his view around to face the source of this interruption.

A hooded figure stands before them both. Although none of his features can be seen, it is clear by his shape that he comes from a world with the same physiology as the other two.

“You had a chance. I sat back and gave you a chance, and just like almost every member of your race, you just have to trip up right at the finish line.” The figure rants, waving at the two.

“Who are you?” Zacherle asks.”How in God’s name did you get here?!?”

“Hush Bonnie, I know who he is, and you don’t even want to think about making him mad.” Muenchinger says.

“A bit too late for THAT!’ The hooded being says. “What were you thinking? Do you realize what you’ve done just now?”

“We made ourselves better people,” Zacherle responds with an air of justification.

“What you’ve DONE, is to take most of your negative emotions, lump them together and seal them on an island filled with raw chaos. What do you think is going to happen next? Please tell me.” He asks in mock sincerity.

“Not to misspeak sir,” Muenchinger says trepidatiously, “but they are only negative emotions, not our actual selves. Really no more than thoughts. There is no mind left behind them, really no more than a symbolic representation, of our cleansing ourselves.”

The cloaked figure rubs his temples, trying to hold in his anger. “Let me make this monkey simple for you. Self IS thought. Thought IS energy. Chaos IS energy. Therefore, and this is the part you need to pay attention to, Chaos plus Thought Equals SELF.”

Zacherle is the first to respond. “So you are saying that, our excess negative thoughts will merge with the excess chaos, and create life all on its own?”

“And the last pony crosses the line! Very good! We are all on the same page.” The robed figure says in exasperation.

“Then we need to take it back.” Muenchinger says, raising a hand.

“Too late for that now.” The hooded figure says, arresting the motion. “It all merged together as soon as it entered the shield. If you try to take it back now, all the chaos comes with it, and given the amount power you have both absorbed from the Seige, if that were to occur... well lets just say that this wont be the only universe destroyed in the explosion. Simply put, you can never come near it again.”

“Absorbed?” Muenchinger asks, holding his crystal vial away from his neck.

“The moment you used the power in that fragment it became bonded to you. It’s little more than a plain stone now, with only the barest residue still residing inside. No, for good or ill, you both now have the power of God inside of you. Hopefully you can handle it better than Myrddin, it drove him mad you know.” The stranger adds absently.

“Forget about Myrddin, what are we going to do about that?” Zacherle asks pointing down at the island.

“You reap what you sow my dear,” The figure says sadly, “even I am not sure that this can ever be set to rights. But if I can find a solution, I will return. But understand THIS. I’m not doing it for you two. I’m doing it for the countless lives that will one day exist on this world. And know this, anything that happens from this point forward will be on YOUR heads. You two wanted to play gods, now you’ll have to act like ones. You thought you’d just laze about in paradise? No, you just became parents, parents to an entire world. And I expect you to act like ones, because I will be checking up on you.”

“And just who exactly do you think you are to give us orders? You said it yourself, we have the power of gods. Why should we listen to ANYTHING you have to say?!?”

Muenchinger puts a great deal of distance between himself and Zacherle. “Now, let’s not be hasty,” he says, raising his arms toward the hooded figure. “She doesn’t know who you are, and she’s very emotional right now.

The hooded figure doesn’t move, but suddenly there is a blink in the universe itself. Zacherle, her hair and clothes singed, now hangs in the void, her limbs slack, and her eyes wide.

“I-I’m back!” she says, embracing Muenchinger, as she sobs quietly. “It was like an eternity... an eternity.”

“Oh don’t be such a baby,” the hooded figure says impatiently. “It was only a thousand years, you’re an immortal now, that’s only an eye blink. But I trust I’ve made my point?”

“Yes sir. Whatever you say sir. We will do our very best sir.” She responds, grateful just to be back.

“You agree?” The stranger asks Muenchinger.

“Absolutely,” he responds eagerly, without hesitation.

“Then I shall leave you to it.” The stranger says. Suddenly the universe blinks again, and he is gone.

Zacherle attempts to regain her composure. “I-I think I’ve missed some birthdays...” she says, forcing a laugh.

“It’s all right Bonnie,” Muenchinger says soothingly. “I’ve saved you your present.” And with a wave, Zacherle is transformed into the Alicorn that everyone has come to recognize. A moment later, and Muenchinger has transformed as well.

“We can still make it work?” she asks him fearfully.

“I’m sure of it!” he replies, as the two descend to the world they have made.

Cordial stops his viewer and sits stunned. The secrets of all creation have just been laid bare before him. “Our very gods, just refugees from another world. Not all powerful at all. That other being, he was easily stronger than the two of them.” He whispers to himself. “The island, those creatures, my mother... all because of a mistake? All because our gods made a MISTAKE?” Cordial says, his voice rising with his rage.

“Things are about to get bad.” Discord says, looking down at Fluttershy.”Very, very bad.” She takes his claw in her hoof, as they watch the coming events.

Cordial is all but yelling at the viewer. “Summergale, day one of the voyage to the island of chaos.”

Cordial watches the events unfold, his anger increasing at Keil’s practical joke, his mother flying lost, and landing on the island. He himself appearing, then the island exploding. “Zacherle, why? Why couldn’t you just have stopped her before she even got there?” he says aloud, not expecting an answer. But the viewer responds to his voice and rewinds to before Cordial and his family went to see Zacherle, and plays a view from her abode.

Three figures stand around another viewing globe. This one is showing the red dragon, and its musings regarding Summergale. “It begins,” Zacherle says sorrowfully.

“Events proceed as they must,” responds Muenchinger.

“I beg you both, stop this now.” An emotional Stonewall interjects. “It is easily within your power. Right now, before this goes any further.”

“They can't!” A fourth figure says, as he emerges from the shadows. His back is to the ponies in the sitting room, and his features are hidden by a long hooded cloak. “They meddled with the balance. Acted like Gods. Now they must face the responsibilities of their actions.”

“And what of yourself?” Stonewall's accusation rings across the vaulted chamber.

“I,” the hooded pony says calmly, “am only doing what I always do. What I've always done. I'm here to fix things.”

“Fix things?!?” Stonewall says incredulously. “They told me what is about to happen. They told me what will happen in years to come. How will ANY of this fix things!” he rages at the figure.

“Stonewall,” Zacherle says quietly. “Please stop. He knows what he is doing. Better than we did... As we are to you, he is to us. We will all abide by his judgment.” She says looking intently at him.

Stonewall bows his head. “As you will it, Great one. If you will allow it, I would return to the castle and gather my things, and visit my friends, before I am called to my 'performance',” he says, pronouncing the last word with a grimace.

After Stonewall makes his departure, both Muenchinger, and Zacherle look toward the hooded figure.

“Are you... sure?” Muenchinger asks hesitantly.

“Yes... It will take a great deal of time.” The figure responds. “But time is the one thing we have in abundance.”

“They knew what would happen? All of them? Even Stonewall?” Cordial says to himself, astonished. Quickly his shock is replaced by an ever increasing rage. “It was all PLANNED?!? My mother gone, my body a hideous beast, all just so I could go down there and fix their MISTAKES?!? Where are they?! WHERE ARE THEY?!?” he rages. The crystal before him dutifully displays the last sighting of his gods before they departed.

“You want me to send my family away? But why?” Harmony asks.

“To protect them,” Zacherle says, as she shifts the viewer back to her brother. She zooms in to a close up of Discord’s face. “Look well my child. This is your brother, but at the same time, it isn’t.”

Harmony spends several minutes looking at the face on the viewer. Finally she says, “But Goddess, even if he looks different, he’s still Cordial.”

Zacherle looks disappointingly at Harmony for a moment. Another sigh escapes her mouth. “So be it,” she says softly to herself. “Harmony,” she begins again, “your brother has absorbed an incredible amount of chaotic energy. In his way, he is nearly as powerful as Muenchinger or myself. And he has no training in how to deal with such power. Also, you can’t be sure how much his... experience... may have changed him inside.” Zacherle says carefully.

“So you want me to send my family away to protect them until you and Muenchinger can help Cordial learn to control himself?”

“NO!” Zacherle nearly shouts. “Neither Muenchinger or myself will be here when he returns. We CANNOT be here when he returns. After we conclude our conversation, both of us must leave. We cannot remain in Equestria any longer. And we cannot return until the situation with your brother is resolved.”

Cordial once again pauses the viewer in shock. “No, it can’t be! It cannot BE! My own sister? She was in league with them? She didn’t trust me? All the time since my return, she was smiling at me, and encouraging me, and all the while she didn’t trust me at all! There was no trip. She sent them all away to protect them from her brother, the MONSTER. She lied to me! Over and over!” Cordial picks up the viewing crystal and prepares to dash it to the floor. His scarlet reflection gazes back at him, face contorted in rage.

“A MONSTER. That’s all they ever considered me. A MONSTER.” he flings the crystal across the room and it shatters into thousands of pieces. With it’s destruction, the flow of time had resumed, and his roar was loud enough to rattle the iron bound door. A chambermaid rushes in alarmed by the sound to check on Cordial. All Cordial can see through his rage filled vision is a pony dressed so much like Snowblossom, entering his room unbidden. Unthinkingly he rears back his head and breathes a gout of fire at the hapless servant. She cringes below the fiery blast and runs shrieking from the room.

“He’s gone mad! The prince has gone insane!” she screams as she flees.

“Mad am I? A monster am I?” I’ll show them mad! I’ll show them their monster. This is a castle of lies and betrayal. Where is she?” he roars, “where is my sister?!?”

The shattered fragments of the viewer dutifully show a thousand small versions of his sister as she opens the door to her chamber. A hooded figure enters and removes his hood.

“Is it really you?” she says embracing him. When I got your message from the servant I wasn’t sure whether to kiss you or kick you!”

“If I have a say in the matter, let’s go with that kiss,” Keil says, making good on his suggestion.

Cordial’s face contorted with rage, gestures as the crystal reassembles.

“You shouldn’t be here. It isn’t safe yet.” Harmony admonishes him. The word ’yet’, only increases Cordial’s anger.

“I know, but it’s been so long, and from what you said in your last letter, it seemed that you have managed to tame your brother, so I thought I could risk a quick, quiet, little visit.” Keil says, stroking her mane.

“Tame me? TAME ME?!?” Cordial roars. But the viewer continues it’s display.

“It was an unnecessary risk. If word got to my brother I would have to come up with some reason that you were here alone. Wait, you ARE here alone aren’t you?” She asks nervously.

“Yes, of course I am.” Keil replies. “You don’t think I’d risk our family coming home unless you were sure that your brother was safe to be around?”

“SAFE? You think I’m so dangerous that I would harm a CHILD?!? Is that what you think of me KEIL? My best friend Keil?!?” Cordial roars, his anger redoubled. “This from the pony who caused all this to happen in the first place?!!! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!” This time his roar was load enough to shake the foundations of the castle. On the crystal, both Keil and Harmony look up in alarm. “That’s right!” Cordial roars again. “I KNOW you are there! I know how you all have been lying to me! My best friend! My family! My very gods have been lying to me. Using me! I’ve just been a tool, a tool the gods cast off after it has been damaged in use. A tool that you’ve put to use yourselves, but can’t abide to look at! Well I’ve had enough! Cordial is GONE! He died the day of that explosion, the day every pony and their gods turned their backs on him. From this day forth you see before you a new being, a new RULER, a new LORD. I will stretch out my claw and enfold this world. You’ll all dance to MY tune from now on. No more lies, no more betrayal. You’ll bow on bended knee to my wishes, to my whims, and I shall rule you all as Discord, the Lord of Chaos!”

Celestia speaks. “In all my years, I’ve never seen you so angry, so enraged.” She says speaking to Discord. “This is the night that it happened isn’t it? The night it ALL happened.”

Discord pauses the viewer and hangs his head. “Yes my niece. This is the night that I destroyed our family. This is the night that I did the unforgivable. And the reason I fear your mother’s coming so very much.”

“Much has happened since that day uncle. But what you did on that night, I,” Celestia pauses and looks to Luna for confirmation, “WE, can NEVER forgive you for. Doubtless our mother feels the same way, if not more so.”

Discord does not flinch from her words, and looks firmly into her eyes. “For what I have done, I can never be forgiven. I would never ask for it.” he says with resignation in his voice. “Look now all of you, who were up until now, my friends. I will understand if, after you view the events of this evening, you never wish to see me again.” Fluttershy grips his claw more tightly in her hoof.

“I will never forsake you.” She says with meaning.

“My dear,” Discord says sadly, “you are about to hate me...” and with that he resumes play.

Author's Note:

Just a quick note for those that didn't already know it. Yes, the voice of Twilight Sparkle is in fact the voice of the chainsaw wielding, zombie killing, cheerleader named Juliet from 'Lollipop Chainsaw'. Rated very 'M'.

Comments

[ViktornovaMk2]

Discord never turned a pony to stone.
Discord never killed a pony, directly.
That doesn't mean, that at his most insane, Discord wasn't responsible for the deaths of ponies.

[ShadowLDrago]

“My dear,” Discord says sadly, “you are about to hate me...” and with that he resumes play.

Oh dear...

[The Dark Prince]

and that just got really deep man... the level of anger and insanity discord was feeling at that moment of his life makes a nuke strike pale. very good work my friend this is a one of a kind masterpiece. keep it up with any other work u do.

[redmar]

Bonnie Zacherle and Charles Muenchinger apparently used information from a book written by Merlin and were clearly chastised by the Doctor for their actions.

[HeartfireFirebrand]

8468328
That makes sense

[Sunkiller]

P.S. As mentioned in my last missive, I too have a viewing globe, and look in on you often. It wouldn’t hurt to remind the girls of that when they decide to be naughty. Just tell them Mommie may be watching.

She sees you when your sleeping she knows when your awake she knows when you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake. I’m really glad I decided to reread this book