Discord's Family Reunion

by Mister E

Part 27

Part 27
I Just Can’t Get You Out of My Head

The weather was warm and clear, as numerous portals began to open around the edge of Discord’s garden. Before long, ponies began to arrive, to be greeted by the wonderful aromas of freshly prepared victuals. In the center of the garden’s clearing, a large buffet table had been erected, and several picnic tables had been placed around the periphery.

Twilight stood in front of the kitchen door, greeting her friends as they arrived. None of them knew why, but there was a sense of... relief, coming from Twilight. As if she had been waiting to see them all again, despite they they had parted company less than half a day ago.

Finally every pony had arrived, and Twilight motioned for their attention.

“Um, it’s really, really good to see you all again,” she said with once again something that seemed like relief in her voice. “Um, Discord, and Fluttershy will be out in a moment. We talked a few minutes ago, and decided it would be best if I explained a couple of things first before you saw them.”

This statement aroused both confusion and concern in many of her friends faces.

“Good heavens, is everything all right?” Rarity asked.

“Oh yes, don’t worry, they are both fine. Better than fine in fact.” Twilight replies.

“Question. Is it okay if we start eating? I’m starving!” Rainbow Dash asks.

“Just bear with me for a minute Rainbow. This is kinda important.” Rainbow settles back down, somewhat moodily.

“Okay, first and MOST important thing. You all trust me right?” she asks, looking around at the gathered faces of her friends.

Nods, and responses of “of course”, come from all assembled.

“Good. I want you to remember that. Later on I’m going to ask you to trust me on something, and I really NEED you all to do so, without question, okay?” she asks yet again.

Celestia approaches Twilight with concern. Without a word she bathes her student with the light from her horn. “You are indeed Twilight Sparkle. You are not a changeling, nor is your mind being controlled. Nor do I sense any type of compulsion. I think I may presume to speak for all of us when I say that if asked, that we would trust you without question, if the need were to arise.” She looks back at the others and can see them nodding in agreement. “What is this all about Twilight?” she asks puzzled.

“All right, well first thing is, I went and spoke to Harmony after we left yesterday.” Twilight says, expecting what the response will be to this statement. And she was not disappointed.

“Have ya lost your mind, sugar cube?” from Applejack.

“Twilight, that’s crazy!” from Rainbow Dash.

“Did her voice sound all crystal-y?” from Pinkie Pie.

The consensus was, that most of her friends, with the exception of Pinkie, thought that Twilight had made a huge mistake. Twilight let them all speak for a few minutes more before gesturing for silence once again.

“Look, I know you all don’t approve.” Twilight begins.

“I’m okay with it,” Pinkie says.

“Thanks Pinkie.” Twilight says rolling her eyes. “But I want you all to know, that Harmony IS NOT, going to harm either Fluttershy, OR her brother.” Twilight lets this news sink in for a few minutes before she continues. “We talked for a long time, and everything is okay now. She is NOT mad at Fluttershy, and she is NOT mad at her brother. In fact they have been inside all morning talking to each other and getting along just fine.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Rainbow says, making herself heard above the rising din. “Are you telling us that Harmony is HERE? Right NOW?” she says, her eyes wide.

“Yes Rainbow,” Twilight replies calmly. We decided that I should come out and speak to you all first, to help avoid any misunderstandings. Discord and Fluttershy were quite shaken up when we first arrived, and I didn’t want a whole group of extremely capable ponies jumping to conclusions and sparking off a fight or anything.”

Her friends all looked at each other, and then back at Twilight.

“Well, I reckon I could see where that might just have a chance of happinin” Applejack says. “We do tend ta have a history of leapin’ before we look.” She admits.

Celestia and Luna step forward.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia begins. “If I had not confirmed for myself that you are indeed our Twilight, I would be forced to conclude that you must be lying. The idea of our mother giving up on her revenge is, to be honest, completely inconceivable. And yet you claim that after speaking to her for a short period of time, that you have somehow changed our mother’s mind?”

“But she has, my daughter.” A voice as clear and pure as a clarion bell rings out across the garden, as Harmony emerges from the kitchen, followed by a smiling Discord, and Fluttershy.

All the ponies assembled fall into a hushed silence as the rays of the morning sun gleam off of the brilliant crystalline coat of the Mistress of Order.

“M-mother.” Celestia stammers. “You are here. You are REALLY here.” she says in shock.

“Mom?” Luna says, not quite believing what she is seeing. “MOM!” she cries, running forward and flinging her forelegs around her mother’s neck. “Oh mom. I’ve missed you so, so, much. I-I’ve done some... bad things. But Twilight and her friends helped make me better! I was gone when you came to visit last time. I’m... I’m so SORRY!” Luna wails, tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Oh Lulu, I’ve missed you too.” Harmony says soothingly, as she strokes her daughter’s mane. “Twilight has told me all about it. Hush now, everything worked out. Everything is fine! Your mom is very proud of you for being strong enough to face up to your mistakes, and regaining the trust of the kingdom. I love you very much Lulu!” Harmony says, smiling at her daughter as she buries her head into Harmony’s shoulder. “And what about you Sunny?” She asks, turning her head to face her eldest daughter. “Is my Sunny too old to giver her mother a hug,” she asks, extending one hoof, while cradling her younger daughter with the other.

“NUH-UH!” Celestia says with a shout galloping forward, and nearly knocking them all off their hooves, as she buries her head in her mother’s other shoulder.

Twilight feels something wet on her cheek, and realizes that it is her own tears. “When was the last time I cried?” she thinks to herself. A warmth long forgotten begins to spread in her chest, and for just a second she feels something else. “Was that? No, it couldn’t be,” she thinks as the sensation passes.

Harmony and her daughters finally break their embrace, as the rest of her friends begin to gather in closer. Celestia and Luna begin to introduce everyone to Harmony, as Twilight drifts back to Discord and Fluttershy.

“Well, I think that all went very well.” Fluttershy says to Twilight.

“I have to admit, it was rather daunting speaking to all of my friends again after such a long time.” Twilight replies without thinking.

“But Twilight, we all saw each other less than a day ago.” Fluttershy says confused.

“Ah, really. It um, seemed like so much longer.” Twilight responds while rubbing the back of her head. “You seem awfully quiet Discord,” Twilight says looking up at him.

“I still just cannot believe it.” He says, shaking his head. “I never, and I mean never, expected this day to come. I had no plan in place for this occurrence.” The chaos lord says.

“Well, we can’t plan for everything.” Twilight replies, studying Discord’s reaction.

“I... suppose.” he says slowly, rubbing his chin in thought.

Twilight begins to make her way through the crowd, seeking out her four other closest friends. She pulls each of them aside in turn, and whispers in their ears, and then makes her way back to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, could you come over to where Applejack and the others are standing? I need to talk to you all about something.” She says.

“Okay Twilight,” she says. “I’ll be back in a moment dear,” she says up at Discord, who is still lost in thought.

“Mmm hmm,” is his distracted reply.

“Okay Twilight, ya got us all here. What did ya need to talk to us about?” Applejack asks.

“Girls, you remember earlier, when I said there was something I was going to ask you to trust me on? Well, this is it. In a moment something is going to happen, when it does, it’s really important that none of you do anything. Don’t move from this spot, okay?” She asks, her face filled with concerned.

“Alright darling, Rarity responds. “But I do hope that you’ll tell us what this is all about.”

“Yes I will,” Twilight responds firmly. “I’ve been wanting to do so for quite some time.”

Twilight looks across the crowd and catches Harmony’s eye. Without a word Harmony separates herself from the others to come stand beside Twilight. Both she and Twilight turn to face Discord, as the others around them fall silent sensing that something was going on. It was the silence that caused the chaos lord to finally look up from his own thoughts just as Twilight began to speak.

“Cheshire! Target Omega level threat, designation Dis-cordial, activate neural disruptor, maximum output!”

“By your command Mistress.” A disembodied voice declares. Suddenly on the grass in front of Twilight a sleek metal cat the color of fluid mercury appears. Her back arched and the tip if her tail pointed over her head and facing Discord. Suddenly all can hear a metallic whine emit from the feline, and Discord falls to the ground clutching his head.

“Now Harmony!” Twilight yells.

Harmony turns and faces Twilight and her friends, who all have remained grouped close about her. Her horn emits pure order and a beam of ebony night envelops Twilight and her friends. Harmony quickly turns and focuses the beam on the prone form of Discord. After a moment, the beam fades, only to be quickly replaced by a spherical barrier of order surrounding the chaos lord.

“W-what... is... this?” The chaos asks weakly, still rolling on the ground clutching his head. “Y-you... promised,” he gasps, strain evident in his voice.

“I promised that I would never hurt my brother,” Harmony says with disdain. “But I will take great pleasure in helping to put an end to YOUR machinations, WORM!” she says setting her hooves deeper in the soil and focusing all her will on the barrier she has erected.

“The rest is up to Twilight and her friends now.” Harmony says quietly...

“I DEMAND to know what is going on!” Celestia says, striding up to her mother. “Mother what have you done!”

“Mommie is a little busy right now trying to contain the greatest evil this planet has ever known dear. Twilight has... ‘programmed’, I believe was the word she used, this cat to explain it all to you.”

The cat in question, responding to the chain of events that has just occurred has turned to face the crowd that has gathered before them. Her tail still unerring faces Discord, and continues to emit that strange sound which seems to be keeping Discord at bay.

“Attention please!” Cheshire says. “I have a message for you all from my Mistress, Twilight Sparkle.” Cheshire’s eyes glow green, and suddenly before them all, a life sized projection of Twilight comes to life and begins to address all those assembled.

“Hello my friends,” the projection of Twilight says. “If you are viewing this message, then the fourth part of our plans has met with success. This means that Cheshire, my robotic K.I.T.-E. is currently keeping Dis-Cordial from using his powers while Harmony is keeping him encased in an order shield. You will also have noticed that myself as well as Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, are currently not to be seen. This is because Harmony has used a very rare spell to send us all deep inside the mind of Dis-Cordial.”

“Inside his mind? What is this all about?” Celestia asks.

“I am assuming you all will have questions,” The projection of Twilight continues, “and I will now answer as many as I am able. To begin with, Discord is more than he appears. Quite without his knowledge, he has been harboring the last elemental of chaos known as ‘Sorcery’, ever since the final battle they fought long ago on the island of chaos.” This statement is met with shock and alarm, for all those assembled, and many of them take an involuntary step back from the barrier containing the chaos lord.

“I had suspected that something wasn’t right ever since we watched Cordial return.” The hologram of Twilight continues, “there were numerous anomalies in the events that we witnessed concerning his behavior. His baiting of Sombra during their fight, his shock when the chaos bolt struck the statue of Keil, his viewing orb perfectly matching that of the one Sorcery used, his initial reaction of being called Dis-Cordial, and many other hints that had led me to the conclusion that Cordial had been subverted. My suspicions were confirmed yesterday when on my way home I was met on the road by a being called ‘The Doctor’. He also knew of Sorcery’s subversion, and knew the horrible plans that the dragon had in store for the future.

Sorcery had been letting Discord have his way freely ever since his body reformed. Only interfering when he needed to give Cordial a ‘push’ in the direction that the dragon wanted him to go. He has been waiting patiently for one thing, and one thing only. For Discord to father a child. As soon as this occurs, he plans to slip out of Discord’s mind, and take possession of the child while it still in the womb. He would then have a clean blank slate to use as his new body, when he emerged, and nothing would stop him from quietly disposing of those strong enough to pose a threat to him, and later, from taking over the world.”

Cries of horror echo across the garden at this revelation.

“The Doctor had been laboring for a very long time on a plan to remove Sorcery from Cordial’s mind, and defeat him once and for all. And now the culmination of that plan is at hand. Even as we speak myself and my friends are making our way deep into Dis-Cordial’s mind. I intend to use the powers of our Elements of Harmony to free Cordial from Sorcery's subtle control, so that he may finish the task that he had begun so many years ago. The task of unmaking the elemental known as Sorcery once and for all.” The hologram of Twilight seems to pause a moment before resuming. “I realize that this is coming as a complete shock to you all. Many of you will be upset that I hid my suspicions, and did not share them with any pony else. Please understand, it wasn’t because I didn’t trust any one. It was solely because I had no idea if Sorcery had begun to spy on any of us with his viewing crystal. I felt I could not take the risk of him finding out that any of us knew that he was still alive. If not for the Doctor’s arrival, I would still have no idea how to stop him. As for who and what the Doctor is, I will ask you all to wait until this is all over and then I will explain. This is in case we were to fail. If we do fail, Sorcery as yet still has no knowledge of the Doctor’s capabilities. So far this has been the only advantage we have had. If we do fail, and do not return, it will be up to you all to find a way to succeed in our place. Please know that all that is being done, is for the safety of all Equestria itself. All will be explained when/if I return. In the meantime, I can only ask you all to please TRUST ME.” And after this final statement, the image of Twilight fades, leaving all of her friends in stunned silence.

Meanwhile, inside the mind of Discord...

“I see you have all arrived,” a calm voice says, causing Twilight to open her eyes. What she sees before her is... nothing. No room, no space, no blackness, nothing at all. Just featureless white. The only other things in this white void are her friends, who are also opening there eyes, and a young male alicorn.

“Cordial?” Twilight asks incredulously. “You are already freed?” The rest of Twilight’s friends rise to there hooves and all look in the direction that Twilight is speaking. The male alicorn does indeed look like Cordial did before his transformation.

“No Twilight Sparkle,” the alicorn says, shaking his head sadly. “I am only a fragment of Cordial’s mind. You may call me ‘Ego’.” He says with a polite bow. The creature known as Sorcery has allowed me to exist free of his control for all this time to help avoid suspicion that he still existed. But now that you have exposed his secret, I’m sure that it won’t be long before he hunts me down as well.”

“We have come here to free Cordial’s mind from Sorcery’s control, so that he can unmake him as he originally planned.” Twilight says to the avatar known as Ego.

“I suspected as much. As soon as our mind registered an intrusion, I came and erected this room around you to protect you from the forces without, long enough for you to recover, and get your bearings.

“Forces without?” Twilight asks confused.

“Yes Twilight Sparkle,” Ego replies. “To accomplish your task you will have to navigate the mindscape on the other side of this door.” Ego gestures, and an imposing wooden door springs into being. “You must make your way to where Sorcery is holding Cordial’s Super-Ego captured, and free it from his control. Sorcery will then lose his ability to manipulate Cordial’s Id. Once you have freed his Super-Ego, then all three aspects of Cordials mind can reunite and wrest control back from him. But be warned Twilight Sparkle, on the other side of that door, is a terrain of the mind. And it is filled with defenses that Sorcery has been amassing ever since he tricked Cordial into thinking he had been destroyed all those years ago.”

“What kind of defenses are we talking about?” Twilight asks the fragment of Cordial’s mind.

“Monsters from the Id, Twilight,” the avatar replies. “Monsters from the Id.”

Comments

[Mister E]

5245807 Yup, dem t'ings.

[Archivist Nightwatch]

CALLED IT well part of it anyway.

[Retiredwriter]

I'm a bit confused after the last chapter and before this one. Twilight and Who went on a series of adventures. And during those adventures Twilight came across the item to convinced Harmony to give up her plan for revenge, and a robotic cat with the same name as a Alice in Wonderland character and said cat also possessed the same abilities as the TARDIS. And at the same time became distant from her friends and the restocked her family, and know wonders if she should stay with her family or go off with the Doctor?

[Retiredwriter]

Forgive me for any grammar errors I'm using a smart phone to type this. :P

[Mister E]

5247528 Yup.
Although she was returned moments after she had left, she had actually spent years with the Doctor. How many years hasn't been revealed. Since she is an immortal, like the other alicorns, it could have been quite some time. During that time she came to fashion her K.I.T.-E., much like the Doctor's K-9, to compensate for something that will be revealed very soon. Since she came back, she is going through what the Greek philosopher Heraclitus was describing when he said "You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you." In other words, as time relative to Twilight has passed, she has changed with it. Now she is suddenly back where she was before all of those changes took place, and is wondering if she still has any place there.

[Retiredwriter]

>>Quixotic EnigmaOk thanks

[Retiredwriter]

>>Quixotic EnigmaAlso no offense but, Paradox Sparkle is a bit cliché.

[Retiredwriter]

Sorry meant Offense

[Mister E]

5251856 Well, I hadn't settled on a name yet. But Paradox WOULD fit, considering she would be part time lord, part magical alicorn.
I also have an idea brewing for a future story that would make it even more apt.
That being said, throw some names at me, and we'll see if one sticks.

[ShadowLDrago]

Sorcery was in Discord's mind? Damn that guy's good.