Discord's Family Reunion

by Mister E

Part 3

Part 3
The First to Rule

And it came to pass after several hundred years that the ponies of the world gathered to elect a leader for them all. One whose wisdom would help guide the various races, and help them achieve great works together. For although Zacherle resided amongst them, she refused all enteritis to lead them, saying that they must choose their own destiny. All of the pony tribes across Equestria sent their wisest and their best to the largest city in the known lands, the city where Zacherle herself resided, Equinity. The ponies all gathered before Zacherle, and asked her who in all of ponidom should be chosen to lead them. Zacherle looked into the hearts and minds of all those around her, the wisest and the brave. Then she broadened her vision to the city, then the countryside, then to the entirety of Equestria.

"The one you seek,” she intoned, “is not amongst you here. She is on an island far to the south. Seek her in the apple orchards of Brumby. Her name is Charity.”

And so it was that the swiftest of the pegasi were sent to the island of Brumby. After several days of inquiry they were directed to a small apple farm being tended by earth ponies. And there amongst the fields bucking apples from the trees they found her. Charity was quite surprised to see the pegasi, for few had ever visited her village, and even further surprised to learn why they had come.

"There must be some mistake,” she said demurely. "Surely I cannot be the one to lead us all?" But the pegasi told her that hers was the name given by Zacherle herself, and that at the very least she should return with them to be sure. So saying goodbye to her parents and sisters, she left the apple tribe, and returned with her escorts to Equinity.

Fluttershy hits the pause button on Discord's remote. " Um, excuse me, but am I the only one who thinks that Charity looks a lot like... Applejack?"

"Well it's no surprise my dear,” Discord responds, "Applejack is descended from the tribe that eventually left the island and wandered across Equestria."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that I am descended from the family of the first queen of all of Equestria?" Applejack inquires, her voice trembling in shock.

"Oh don't be so shocked, at this point you are like two million, three hundred, and forty-seven thousand, eight hundred and thirty-fifth in line to the throne. This was a long, long time ago, and Grandma ma had quite the large family."

"Grandma- WHAT?!?"

"(Sigh), listen if your all going to keep being shocked every five minutes, this is going to be a long, long, movie. We can all have a nice Q & A when it’s all over, ok? (Reluctant nods around the room). Is that ok with you... cousin?" Discord inquires smirking at Applejack.

Applejack begins shaking her head. "Oh this ain't right... this just ain't right... Me? Related to a Draconicus?" Then she looks over at Spike, "well, I guess that wouldn't be SO bad... All right... {shudders}... cousin... lets get back to it."

"That's the spirit cuz!" Discord says excitedly, "just think! You’re about to learn about so many of your relatives! I'll make you a copy to take to your granny. Won't SHE be surprised?”

"Yeah... surprised... that's one word for it. Uh, Spike darlin, why are you looking at me all funny like?" Applejack asks, noticing Spike gazing upwards at her, his eyes wide.

"Um, doesn't this technically make you... a princess?"

"Oh no, no way, just hold it right there! I draw the line at sparkly crowns, fancy gowns, and big drafty castles... No offense to ya'll of course.”

"None taken" replies Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor, all at the same time. They glance at each other and giggle.

"Spike" Applejack says, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "All I am, is what I am. A farmer, and an earth pony... and I'm proud to be both. That's plenty enough for me.” They all share a smile.

"Okay, enough with the mushy stuff, lets get on with it!" Rainbow Dash says moodily.

"Fair enough" and with that Discord resumes the story.

The pegasi wasted no time in returning with Charity to the manor where Zacherle resided. Word had spread at their approach and as they landed several dozens of ponies came hurrying up. Upon seeing Charity, they all began speaking amongst themselves, none of them believing that this young earth pony could possibly be the one Zacherle spoke of. The pegasi approached Zacherle.

"Oh Great Mare" the senior of the two spoke, "We have searched the southern isle of Brumby, and this is the only pony who bore the name of Charity, that we could find. Please tell us, is she the one we seek?"

"You have done well Bright Armor" Zacherle warmly replies, her voice falling lightly upon the ears of her creations like a melody, " This is indeed the one I spoke of, she who is best suited to lead the ponies of Equestria."

The magistrate of Equinity then strode forth, "But how can this be Great Zacherle? She is little more than a filly, an apple farmer, can she truly possess the wisdom to lead us all?"

Zacherle laughs, the sound like tinkling bells.

"Well, if you doubt MY judgment, then please judge for yourselves. Let all the wise amongst you gather together, and make a list of any ten questions you would put to her regarding how she would lead. If any of the answers fail to satisfy you all, then I will bow to YOUR wisdom, and we shall find another." Zacherle settles back into her chair. A look of amusement on her face as the wise and the learned all begin talking at once amongst themselves. Charity gazes up at her, with an awestruck, and yet somehow pleading expression.

"Fear not my little pony, this test will not be to show THEM that you are qualified to lead, this is merely so that you can see for yourself. Look at them all, see how funny they can be as they argue? And yet each of them alone is quite wise, each in their own way. You see my dear, a wise pony can make his own way in the world, but a herd cannot see past the pony in front of them. Only the one in front, the leader of the herd, can see their way clearly to guide them. Ah, the turmoil is dying down already, let's see what the... wise... have to teach us. Are you ready with your questions already gentle colts and mares ?"

"Yes, Great Zacherle. After a somewhat... spirited... discourse, we believe we have devised a list that should determine the merits of a good leader. We shall put before her situations that might occur in a ruler’s reign, and we shall judge whether her decisions' in regards to them are sound."

"Very well. May I see this list of questions?"

"Of course Great One.”

Zacherle studies over the list of questions and smile approvingly.

"Yes indeed, you all have proven yourself among the wise. Each of these will indeed show the character of a ruler."

"Thank you Great One,” the spoke’s pony responds.

"Charity? I charge you with this task. Answer all of their questions truthfully. And we shall see if my faith in you is misplaced or not."

Charity trembles slightly, "Y-yes Great Zacherle, I will of c-course be truthful.”

Zacherle hands her the list. Charity studies the questions upon it intently. The crowd which has by now grown quite large, all wait silently. Several minutes pass, and Charity doesn't speak. She reads and rereads the questions put before her. Suddenly she bursts into tears.

"Oh Great Zacherle,” she wails, "I have failed you. I cannot answer ANY of these questions!".

The crowd begins to talk excitedly amongst themselves. Several ponies who had helped to make the list, were beginning to say things like 'you see, there was no way that SHE, could be our leader.' Zacherle lightly stomps down with one hoof. The sound rings through the crowd with the force of a dozen steeple bells.

"A moment of silence, if you please. You've all put forth your questions, now I wish to add one of my own. Charity, please answer this one last thing truthfully, and so all can hear."

"Y-yes Ma’am," Charity responds barely able to speak at all.

"Now tell us Charity, in full detail, WHY couldn't you answer their questions?”

Discord pauses the remote. Rainbow Dash cries out "Hey what'd you do that for?"

"Oh I just wanted to build a bit of suspense. This is my FAVORITE part.” {Snap} a tub of heavily buttered popcorn and a large soda appear in Discord's lap. "Now you princesses pay close attention here. Grandma ma, is about to give you a lesson in leadership. Anyone need to go? Now's the time... Everyone good?"

"Get on with it!" all the ladies shout.

"Sheesh, tough crowd, tough crowd." He says with a heavy lidded grumpy expression, as he clicks the remote.

"M-My lady" Charity stammers, "I am but a humble apple farmer, there are words here that make no sense to me."

"I see,” Zacherle responds in a grave tone, "What words do you speak of my child."

"Well,” Charity begins, "five of these questions have to do with owning land. For example the first one asks, if a farmer has an apple tree whose branches hang over the land his neighbor owns, may the neighbor claim the apples that fall upon it. Great Zacherle, how does one ‘own’ land? Where I come from, the land is the land and is used by all. Do you grant ponies land of there very own? As a reward for service?"

"No my child." At this she raises her voice to be heard by all, "I have never given any single pony any of the world I have made. I have made this world for ALL ponies to share. Magistrate! What say you to these questions concerning 'ownership' of land?"

"Well Great one", he responds hesitantly, "I cannot find any fault in your words, these questions shall be stricken from the list for being unanswerable. But if I may ask, what of the rest?"

"Yes, Charity, speak on, what of the rest?"

"Well, four of the other five all deal with something called 'tax'. For example, number seven asks how do you determine what a fair amount of tax should be leveled on a prosperous village, a poor village, and so on. Great Zacherle as far as I know, the word ‘tax’ means to strain, or place a burden upon. Why would anyone choose to burden a village?"

"No young one,” the magistrate interjects, "In this case a 'tax' is an amount of money that the villagers are made to pay to the ones who are in charge."

"Really?" Charity responds, "Are the people in charge poor? Can they not feed themselves? You would think that the people they are in charge of would offer to help them?"

"{Ahem}... Well" the flustered magistrate struggles to respond, "It's not that they are poor, it’s just that . . . well the tax monies are used by the people in charge to help the people of the village. With things like making new roads, or building new schools."

"But if the villagers needed a new road, wouldn't they want to donate money for it? If they needed a new school, wouldn't they want to help to contribute to be apart of it? In my village, we all work together to build roads and schools, not just by giving money, we all pitch in to do the job. Those that cannot work make food, and take it to the laborers, and when we are all done, every time we see it, we can all say we were a part of it."

At this Zacherle looks very intently at the magistrate.

"Very well," he says, not quite able to meet her gaze, "These questions shall be stricken from the record as well. But, what of the last?"

"Well,” Charity responds, “there is only one word in the question that I don't understand. I have never heard this word before, if you will explain it to me, I will try to answer your question. The question asked was, ‘How best to remove the weeds from a society, so that the flowers in it are free to bloom?’ Magistrate I know what a flower is. I love to run through the meadow and lay amongst them when I have finished my chores for the day. But what is a 'weed'?”

"What?" the magistrate responds indignantly, "you live on a farm, you run through the fields, and yet you don't know what a weed is? Great Zacherle, how can we possibly allow this girl to lead us if she doesn't even know what a weed is?"

"Indeed" she intones in a mighty voice, let me make the answer clear to you.”

And with that she stamps her hoof a resounding blow upon the flagstones. And as the sound rings across the square from the point upon which she struck, a wave of plants spring forth, spreading outward to cover then entire square. Dandelions, burdocks, corncokles, white clover, Stinging Horse nettle, and many others spring up full grown and in bloom. Charity stares in wide eyed wonder, her face glowing with delight.

Zacherle's voice rings out again, "Listen to me well, yea wise and learned ponies, look upon the field I have placed before you, you know its contents well do you not? Now see it again, through HER eyes!"

A dazzling light emits from Zacherle, causing everyone to close their eyes from the glare. Such is the power of Zacherle, that all the ponies in Discord's sitting room are affected as well, as is Discord himself. As the light fades away, the assembled ponies open their eyes. All are shocked into silence. Many fell to their knees, lightly running their hooves among the blossoms. The field beneath their hooves hasn't been changed at all by the light, but they now beheld it as Charity saw it.

The magistrate was the first to speak. He turned to Zacherle and humble Charity before her, and with tears streaming down his cheeks, he lowered himself to his knees before them, and spoke these words, "I-I understand now... The weeds... are also roses.”

Zacherle smiled down upon him, and turned Charity to face her. "Do you understand now why it is you, and you alone that must lead them?"

"Yes, oh Great One, I do! To be surrounded by flowers and not be able to see them is a terrible, terrible thing. These poor, poor ponies! I promise you, I will do my best to help them for as long as I am needed.”

"Thank you my child. And for being so willing to deny your own happiness, so that you may help so many others, for being so generous and kind and pure, I shall give thee this gift."

Zacherle bends down to the young pony and kisses her lightly on the forehead. Instantly Charity is enveloped in a dazzling rainbow light. As the light fades all can now see that she has been transformed. A beautiful spiral horn springs from her brow, and wings all the colors of the rainbow grow from her shoulders. And on her flank on either side she now bears a mark. An outstretched hoof offering help. The first such mark ever bared by a pony.

Discord pauses the remote. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just... need a moment.” {Snap} a handkerchief appears in his claws, and he dabs at his eyes. Around the room several other ponies are also shedding tears unashamedly. Twilight Sparkle is the first to break the silence.

Lightly putting a hoof on Discord's shoulder she says quietly, "Even the weeds, are roses.”

Discord looks into her eyes and gives her a rare genuine smile. "Yes Twilight," He replies softly, "Yes they are. If only more ponies understood that, think what a wonderful world we would live in. I had forgotten, for so very long. Thank you Grandma ma,” he says, lifting a clawed hand toward her stilled image.

"Sooooo" Pinkie Pie inquires, sticking her head between Twilight and Discord's, "What happened next?"

"Yeah,” chimes in Rainbow Dash, "what DID happen next?"

Discord finishes dabbing his eyes, sniffs once, and then replies nonchalantly, "Oh the usual thing, they made Grandma ma queen. Built her a beautiful castle. She got married, had a son."

"Married? To whom?" Cadence inquires,"

"I would like to know as well," Zecora interjects, "why gloss over this part of the tale you tell?"

"Well, if you MUST know, Grandpa pa has always been something of a family mystery. The tale he told grandma is that he was a physician who came to witness who would be made the new queen. He said he fell in love with her at first sight, and when Zacherle shared her vision with his, he knew he had found his soul mate. He courted the timid queen for months, She seemed to be reluctant, at first. But chapters in her diary told a different tale. Apparently she was just as smitten with him as he was with her. Their love knew no bounds, and he was always her dedicated servant. As the years passed, many ponies remarked how he never seemed to age. She passed from this world suddenly, shortly after their son was born. The physician reigned in her place as regent until their son, my father, reached his maturity. And when he did, he announced that he was abdicating the throne, and that his son, Justice, would now be made king.

Shortly after the coronation, he told my father that he was going away, on a long journey. And that he may never return. They spent some time together, and then Grandpa pa gathered up a small saddlebag, and went to a small blue tool shed behind the garden, that he had always kept locked, and no one had ever remembered seeing him use. He withdrew a key from around his neck, opened the door, walked in and closed it. Then before Justice's disbelieving eyes, the shed vanished, along with Grandpa."

"Whoa... "intones Spike, "was he a wizard?"

"To this day no one knows, he was never propertied to have preformed any feats of magic at court. And whenever anyone would ask Zacherle, she would just smile and say "He was, what he is. And always will be.”

"So your father was named Justice?" Twilight inquires.

"Oh yes,” Discord responded, "And he lived up to the name too. The first male Alicorn in all of Equestria.”

"And your mother?", Fluttershy asks.

At this Discord's face loses much of his normal jovial indifference, "My mother" He begins, then pauses, then starts again, "My mother is... complicated.” He sighs resignedly, "Best to let you see for yourself." And with that Discord changes the channel on his remote, as the ponies gathered get their first glimpse of Discord's mother to be, and later on bear horrified witness to the tragedy that befell her.

Comments

[Phoenix Ash]

DISCORD'S GRANDFATHER IS THE DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DualKitsune]

His grandfather is the Doctor. Huh. Might wanna go to Ponyville and see dear old gramps again...

[Amira Illusion]

I was not expecting it to be the Doctor! But that means that Apple Jack and maybe Pinkie are related to the the Time Lords!

[BarryTheFlashAllen]

7137083 That would explain a lot.

[redmar]

I wonder how many times the Doctor has regenerated since then.