I took in the scent of the forest, gliding down through the quiet night, passing between the thick trees, banking around a heavy branch before my hooves landed on the ground.
Folding my wings, I took a deep breath, listening to the sounds of the animals, the brushing wind, the sound of the village above and in the distance.
I took the chance to get down to the ground to see how it felt while Luna was busy with a meeting with our small astronomers guild. Okay, so it was just one unicorn doing it so the guild might be stretching things a bit, but still.
Not to say that the ground levels were anything approaching safe, plenty of things the size of ponies that thought we would look tasty.
So solo excursions were still discouraged but I wanted to feel what it was like for a little bit.
In a couple of days survey work would start along the river. We could start expanding.
I took another deep breath, listening before I felt something and turned my head towards the left, “...Discord.”
The draconequus poked his head out from behind a thick tree, “You noticed me!”
I smiled and nodded, “Heard you I think,” I said and turned towards him.
Discord floated out from behind the tree, shrinking as he moved closer to keep looking the same size.
“Almost never had a pony notice me,” he said, “Well, there is Pinkie Pie.”
“She’s a special case,” he then continued, growing to full size, “I‘m surprised my main monkey. You don’t seem unhappy to see me?”
I shrugged my wings, “I know you've been around Nocturnis since the beginning.”
Discord looked at me in surprise, his eyes growing several sizes, “You do!?”
I smiled at him, “Of course I do. Fluttershy lives here, I know you have been staying with her since she got her own place.”
“Oh.”
“Besides, nothing to be angry about,” I said and looked at him again, “If our roles had been reversed, I’m not sure if I would have been as restrained about things. Seeing somepony we live afraid like that, needing to hide…”
Discord didn’t say anything, he just watched me before he nodded, “Chaos magic is no longer working on you.”
“I guessed that,” I said and sighed, “The decursing, right?”
Discord nodded, “Yes,” he said and floated up again before smiling, “This means I can stop hiding!”
“This is not a license to cause chaos for my ponies,” I told him firmly, “They have enough difficulties as is. Fluttershy has found a place she’s happy, don’t ruin it for her.”
He paused and then floated back down, “Oh.”
I sighed and shook my head, “Discord, I’m not saying stop being you. Just don’t riskponies’ lives. This place is dangerous enough as is.”
Discord flashed out of reality and I blinked before looking up to find him curled around my horn like a snake, “Ah, but wouldn’t that be predictable?”
“Not really, you don’t really hurt ponies,” I said and then shook my head to shake him off, “Just consider if what you do will make Fluttershy sad or not.”
He flashed back to his normal form, landing with a flip, applauds appearing from somewhere as he bowed.
“A good point, battsy!” Then he snapped his fingers and were gone, leaving me in the dark forest.
Discord.
To say that he worried me wasn’t even half of it. Yes, he was much better now, especially with Fluttershy around but…
…Fluttershy wouldn’t be around forever.
Or maybe she would. If Discord had anything to say about it Fluttershy was likely to outlive all of us, Alicorns or not.
That’d be interesting.
…Sunset…
I glanced up towards the direction of the village. If Discord could help Fluttershy, could he do so for Sunset as well?
I’d give him anything.
But it was all a theory. I had no real idea if he could do anything like that in the first place.
Pushing that thought from my mind, I took another deep breath, taking in the scent of the forest. Nothing dangerous, but…
Being on the ground like this definitely made me nervous. Quite a bit actually. I spread my wings and threw myself into the air and landed on a branch a couple of meters up.
That’s better. I immediately felt safer.
I really hope that doesn't develop into a phobia or anything. That’d suck.
There was a buzzing of wings and Amber landed before me, “Sir.”
“Amber,” I said, giving her a nod, “I think I’m about ready to head back now. I didn’t detect anything, nothing around.”
Amber shook her head, “Nothing dangerous.”
I had of course asked her to make sure the area was empty of predators before I went down. I’m not quite that dumb.
With you, we never know.
Huh, Discord having a heart to heart was unexpected. I liked it. Imortality is neat but 'anything' is a dangerous word...
Is Page immune to chaos magic now? Sounds odd since his Thestral side is given by it...
Fluttershy x Discord = Shychaos prankster?
MEANWHILE IN STARLIGHT'S OFFICE..
Starlight: Discord. Why are you out in plain sight? What did you do this time?!
Discord: Nothing
as of right now. I just got approval from Page. The Lord of Chaos can freely walk among commoners!Starlight: Oh joy..and why you here?
Discord: Tho I am part of Page Shipping Tribunal with Cadance, I need a side hustle job. I'll be your new assistant!
Starlight: Now hold on a minu--
Discord: OR I can tell your bosses all the undocumented uses of mind control on Angel Bunny for unpaid labor? Its what drove the rodent to want to take over Nocturnis in the first place. I am SURE they would LOVE to know how your old evil habits die hard?
Starlight: ...you start on Monday.
Discord: THANK YOU!
Where is the pet houseplant?
11288227
He isn't being affected by a specific bit of chaos magic any more. As in, the deal where Discord turned him into a Thestral in the first place (the one to get Tempest's horn back).
11288268
I love your random little storys ♡
11286562
Page random story here from you in the comment section become classic
11282896
Damn good point. Better remind Hiver of this subplot
11284278
We need to build Page a magic lightsaber. That go with either decoration ♡
I suggest purple
11288292
Sounds unreasonable... Than again its Chaos magic...
"Seeing somepony we live afraid like that" - love?
"riskponies" - one word?
Why do I have a feeling that there is a big pile of dead predators that Amber finished making before she let Page down to the ground...?
I'm curious, what about Fern?
11282896
Back when that statue was introduced, I was waiting for some time travel thing to pop up that would result in Page being the inspiration for the statue, especially with all the vitriol he was spouting toward that unknown alicorn.
The problem with that theory is that as he is characterized, I don't think Page would ever willingly do the things that the temple proclaims.
Honestly thinking about it more, it's better if the ancient Thestracornᵀᴹ was just an unknown someone. It adds to the world to have things happen that don't revolve around Equestria and the main cast.
11288292
That would have returned him to Pegasus. He is still a Thestral.
11288662
I think what they're saying is that the little bit of chaos magic that was in him to change him back when the deal finished was dispelled with the Thestral curse, so he is now a full Thestral Alicorn regardless of Tempest's condition.
11288673
Very neat. Luna will love it ♤♡
11288662
If I recall correctly, Page started as a Unicorn, then ascended to Alicorn when he defeated Tirek. It was later, after the Storm King's attack, and the subsequent capture of Tempest Shadow that he made a deal with Discord to restore her broken horn.
Discord wasn't happy with this, so he turned Page into a Thestral-type Alicorn, as opposed to the Pegasus-type Alicorns that Celestia, Luna, Twilight and Cadance are. A big part of the effect was that Tempest's horn would only remain intact while Page kept the transformation.
The whole leadup to Nocturnis was figuring out why Thestrals were like they were, and the whole blood curse thing. Turns out that removing the curse has removed whatever pact was part of the original spell put on him by Discord, and now his base type is Thestral, as opposed to his original transformation, where he was a Pegasus base being altered by chaos magic to function as a Thestral.
11288694
correct that is some good memory there
11288340
I'm just happy people still find me funny!
11288694
he's kind of hacked things up like being a vampire werewolf in skyrim by getting discord to accidentally magic him into a thestral alicorn then decursing himself to be a true thestral alicorn, though I suspect he knew this would happen all along andused this as an opportunity to get someone to help fluttershy in a way that he couldn't which is to say page being a sledgehammer to society which overall fits his need for chaos
11288425
Hear hear. That's a credo I try to take to heart. It's always hard to make outside stuff happen without looking like deus (or diabolous) ex machina though.
11288694
Perfectly reasonable. One can hope Tempest horn don't go poof because the deal is technical of the table.
Chapter 1-8 very relaxing
...what about the decursing had anything to do with Discord not showing himself?
Midnight Sparkle...
Grammar jackboot, in case these stories are ever edited:
Should be "applause."
A Chaos Theory, thanks for reading!