Camp Orion

by Meemie7

Chapter 21: Group

Luna: Star Swirled the Bearded was there.

Discord: …yes.

Luna: Did you know him before?

Discord: If being my captor counts as “knowing”, then yes.

Luna: He captured you? Why?

Discord: …what do you know about Star Swirled the Bearded?

Luna:…He was a talented wizard that documented the foundations of magic and made many discoveries.

Discord: Correct. One of his “discoveries” was chaos-based magic. While it’s a powerful magic, it cannot be learned by anypony. Only one being was, is, and ever will be capable of such magic.

Luna: You.

Discord: So, if I’m the only one who wields that magic, the only way to study that magic was to….

Luna:…I’m sorry.

Discord: Why are you sorry? You didn’t lock me up and punish me if I tried to escape.

Luna:…Well…I did the former. I did lock you up in stone…

Discord: It’s not a problem, now.

Luna: Yes, it is. You’ve spent over a thousand years locked away in stone. I know exactly what that feels like and it’s a horrible, horrible experience.

Discord:…I…I’m not going to argue with that. It was horrible.

Luna:… I…I often wonder how we’re still sane.

Discord: What?

Luna: We’ve been locked away for a thousand years. We were frozen, trapped in time with no escape. Then, it all ended. How are we still sane?

Discord: …have you ever considered that we are not sane?

Luna:…

Discord: I can hardly remember what I was like before. I can remember the past, but it’s not through my eyes. I’m not myself when I try to remember. It’s like I’m observing the past, but I never lived in it. It’s like… all those years locked away in stone were erasing my former self until I had nothing but what was left.

Luna: What was left?

Discord: When I broke free, all I thought was to make the whole world immersed in chaos. It was the one of the only things I could remember about myself.

Luna: I…I think I understand. Sometimes… I can’t really imagine why I was so upset when I turned into Nightmare Moon. I can empathize with the situation, but I don’t remember feeling that way… All that was left afterwards was that unyielding feeling of guilt.

Discord:… It’s kind of ridiculous, how they did that. They sent us away and expected us to pick up right where we left off…

Luna:…But, you can’t pick up where you left off when you’re somepony else entirely.

Discord:…

Luna:…

Discord: Hf. I just realized how hard this is going to be.

Luna: How so?

Discord: Everything that we’ve clung onto since returning after a thousand years, identities that have had a thousand years to solidify… we have to change it all if we want to let it go.

Luna:…

Discord: I think… I have an actual journal to write for Snowheart this time…

Luna: Isn’t that due tomorrow?

Discord: It is.

Luna: You want me to stay up with you?

Discord: …Only if you want to.

Luna: Sure…By the way, during the dream…you said my name for the first time.

Discord: …hm. Must have slipped my tongue.

Luna: Heh. I like when you say my name.

Discord: If you say so, Luna.