Sneak preview for later chapter of No Escape From Yourself · 6:06am Mar 6th, 2015
So I lied when I said Discord was off probation by the time he went to the moon.
I actually have this whole chapter written now (when I was supposed to be writing other things, of course), but I won't be able to release it until I actually get to that part. So here is a sneak preview.
Discord,
The moon is not Ponyville. Care to explain this?
-Princess Celestia
Tia, do you really need me to explain to you why the moon is not Ponyville? I'd think that would go without saying. You should consult with Twilight if you really want to know.
-Me
Discord,
The explanation that I will require if you expect that you will not be punished for this is steadily growing more complex and difficult to produce. Return to Equestria at once. This is an order.
-Princess Celestia
You used the O word. Such language!
-you know who I am
Thou foul misbegotten miscreant,
Dost thou believe for one moment that We cannot perceive thy doings up there? Thou art desecrating Our moon with thy hideous chaos, and it is visible from Equestria, to the naked eye. Cease and desist forthwith, and remove thy presence from Our moon, or it shall end with thee weeping bitter tears that thou ever left the safety of stone.
-Luna, Diarch of Equestria, Princess of Dreams, Lady of the Night
Luna, Luna, Luna, using so many titles only makes you look insecure, didn't you know that?
-Discord, Lord of Chaos, Grand High Poobah of Nonsense, Spirit of Disharmony, Beezix of Fun, Former Watchbagel of Equestria
-see I have even more titles than you, or wait, how do we do that again, ah yes: Seest thou, verily We have more titles than thou dost, therefore nyaah nyaah nyaah-eth
BASE SNAKE-TONGUED SON OF A DISEASED DRAGON WHORE-DAM, REMOVE THY FOUL PRESENCE FROM OUR MOON IMMEDIATE BEFORE WE REND THY SPINDLY MALODOROUS BODY LIMB FROM MISMATCHED LIMB!
-LUNA, DIARCH OF EQUESTRIA
That's rude, Luna. I smell like popcorn and peppermint. It's not my fault you're a weirdo who doesn't like popcorn and peppermint. And don't you think 'yo mama' cracks are beneath your dignity?
And what's wrong with a snake tongue anyway? Your sister never had any complaints.
-Discord, Smexy Chaos Beast, Best Dance Moves In Equestria 600 years running
Discord,
I'm honestly not sure how much longer I can persuade Luna to restrain her temper. I don't think I need to remind you of what happened the last time she was consumed with mindless rage. Is your need for knee-jerk defiance so great you would endanger her sanity, and all Equestria? I very much doubt Fluttershy would approve.
Return home at once.
-Princess Celestia
You say that like I have a home, Celestia.
Look, if it's upsetting Luna that much, I'll move to the other side where ponies can't see. But don't you understand, it's better this way. You demanded that I stay in Ponyville so I could feel shame every time I run into some pony who hates me for what I've done, but did you ever stop to think about what you were doing to your ponies? Why would you want to inflict the presence of a creature they hate and fear on them, while they're trying to recover from what I helped Tirek do to them? Are you seriously telling me you're prioritizing my moral development over the well-being of your little ponies? For shame, Celestia, you should be looking out for them first.
I removed myself from Ponyville so that no pony would have to endure my chaos. I tried living without it first, but that didn't work. Reformed or not, I don't have that much self control and I never will. You wouldn't have any better luck ordering Rarity not to make dresses or Rainbow not to fly or Applejack not to brutalize perfectly nice trees who never did anything to her to make them give up their babies to her.
For what it's worth I'm sorry I couldn't stick to the probation you gave me, but I'm not doing this to be defiant, as you seem to think. I'm not even doing it to annoy Luna, though I admit she's hilarious when she's angry. I'm here on the moon so that ponies don't have to deal with me or worry about what I might do to them, and I don't have to worry about slipping up and doing something else to upset them.
I'll come back once everypony I betrayed who isn't an alicorn or a dragon is dead, how's that?
-Discord
THOU PIG-SWIVING DUNG BEETLE, WE ARE NOT DECEIVED! THY BILIOUS CHAOS RESOUNDS THROUGHOUT THE THAUMIC FIELD OF OUR MOON REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THOU UNLEASH THY VILE AND THUGGISH SORCERY UPON THE VISIBLE FACE OR THE SHADOWED SIDE. WE KNOW THOU ART STILL THERE. REMOVE THYSELF NOW OR SUFFER CONSEQUENCE UNENDURABLE!
-LUNA, PRINCESS OF THE MOON
Consequence unendurable? Oh, the horror! You're going to make me watch foals performing skits from Improving Tales For Youth, aren't you? No! Anything but that!
Or, you know, you'll continue sending me hilariously foul-mouthed diatribes from Equestria, because you can't get to the Moon without the Elements sending you here. So how exactly are you going to cause me any consequences, outside of maybe cracking my ribs from laughing at you too hard?
BTW, I found your crater full of rude words about your sister. I hope you don't mind that I added "CELESTIA IS A POOPY HEAD" and "CELESTIA FARTS RAINBOWS THAT SMELL LIKE SOCKS" to the list.
-Discord, who's howling, on your moon, at you
Discord,
It was not your decision to make. I am the ruler of Equestria, not you; I assigned your punishment, and I told you it was your last chance. You had no right to take it on yourself to assign yourself a different one.
And no, staying up there until every mortal you betrayed is dead is not acceptable. Are you even for a moment considering anyone else's feelings? Do you truly intend to stay up there until Fluttershy is dead? Have you considered the possibility that she misses you? What of Twilight? What of Pinkie?
As for your last missive to Luna... you are aware that two alicorns can create and hold open a spatial wormhole, aren't you? It's not a spell I was confident that Cadance could support me in, but either Luna or Twilight could support me, and allow the other one to go through. Shall I send an alicorn after you, Discord? Luna, who draws her power from the body you are currently defacing with... whatever that orange and green substance is? Or Twilight, who called you a friend and freed you from Tirek, saving your life? Are you so very eager to face one of them in battle?
This is nonsense. Your assertion that you're doing this to benefit ponies is a transparent lie and I don't know why you think I'd believe you. Come home. Now.
-Princess Celestia
Discord,
Princess Celestia says you're on the moon, and she and Princess Luna have both sent you letters asking you to come back, and you won't.
Mind explaining why not? You told me you agreed to Princess Celestia's terms for your probation. Why are you violating them now?
I want to believe you have a good reason for this. I want to believe this isn't one of those stupid whims of yours like "I know, I'll pretend I'm sick by infecting myself with a real disease and then exposing myself to a creature who suppresses magic that my own chaos made large enough to harm me, so that I actually do get sick; that'll work great!" Or, you know, "I'll sell out my real friend for a guy I just met who I happen to know is totally evil, because I really, truly believe that totally evil guys who say that friendship is a weakness are absolutely willing to be my best buddy and not planning on stabbing me in the back at all after they're done using me! Sounds like a plan! Why, it's not like I have experience with backstabbing and betrayal, I'm only the Spirit of Disharmony, after all, how would you expect me to know anything about that?"
Please tell me that for once you have a rational reason for what you're doing and you're not breaking Fluttershy's heart and throwing away your reformation and your future out of some stupid plan that a five year old foal would see the holes in.
Also... come home. I can protect you from Princess Celestia, maybe, if you have a good excuse for what you're doing, but not if you won't come back.
-Princess Twilight Sparkle
Ooh, a letter from Princess Twilight Sparkle! I'm getting all tingly inside!
Tell me, isn't it supposed to be part of 'being good' and 'reformation' and 'friendship' to not enjoy gratuitously causing the suffering of the ponies around me?
Yes, I have a good reason for this and it is called 'trying not to hurt anypony'. They hate chaos. They hate me. And under Celestia's rules I have to live with them and if I cause any chaos it can only be where they'd have to see it. My continuing presence upsets every pony in Ponyville except you six and probably some of you six too. And I can react to that with delight, because I really got to them and woo, I still got it, but I'm reliably informed by a certain purple princess that taking pleasure in the suffering you cause others is evil and I am trying not to be evil. So instead it makes me miserable. And if I'm being made miserable by me making them miserable then isn't the friendly thing to do, the correct thing to do, the thing the very emotion of guilt was invented to make me do, to stop doing that thing?
Sorry, can't stop existing. Suicide out of remorse is just so clichéd and jejune. If I was going to end my existence it would be for a good reason, like that ponies no longer make or want to eat jellybeans. Now that would be worth killing myself for. But short of ceasing to exist, the only way I can cause my presence to stop distressing the ponies of Ponyville is to remove my presence. If Princess C is going to get herself in a tizzy over it because she told me not to do that, well, tough. What part of "Spirit of Chaos" sounds like "Spirit of blindly following orders he knows are wrong and are hurting ponies?"
She can get over it or she can send Luna up here to assassinate me. Apparently she needs your help with that, though. So I guess it's up to you. Is trying to spare ponies the trauma of remembering my actions every time they see my face worth turning me to stone for? Please let me know, if the verdict is for statueification then I have to pick out the perfect outfit to spend the rest of eternity being gawked at in.
-Discord, who would rather not be a statue, but apparently that's not my call either
Princess Celestia,
It was so my call to make. You are the ruler of Equestria; I am the Lord of Chaos, which is everywhere in the universe and much bigger than Equestria, therefore I outrank you. Nyaah. I don't take orders because they're orders, I take orders if I agree with them, and I don't agree with you anymore. I tried it your way. It didn't work.
And I'm sorry if Fluttershy misses me, but she's a big idiot who ought to have seen it coming. You don't make friends with the Spirit of Chaos. Really it was cruel of you to make her think she could, particularly after your experiences. Didn't our past teach you better? Or does misery love company? Looking for a mare friend you can dish dirt on how awful I am once I break her heart and ruin her life?
I care about her very much. So I'm not going to do to her what I did to you. I mean, okay, actually yes I already did it, but then I felt bad about it so I'm not going to do it again. She'll get over me. She's got plenty of friends.
If it makes you feel any better about me dodging out on the punishment you deemed for me... I'm miserable up here. Happy now?
-Lord of Chaos, not Celestia's Pet Puppy
Discord,
I just found out that you're on the moon? I should have guessed it from the moon turning orange and green, but you know I don't go outside at night very much and so I only saw it once, and I thought it was a trick of the light.
I tried sending you letters before, when you disappeared and no one knew where you were, but of course you didn't answer them because they were probably going to where you used to live. Twilight has given me a spell candle to send messages to where you are now.
Please come home. I really miss you. And so does Pinkie, and even Rarity and Applejack are worried about you. (I think Rainbow might be too, but she'll never admit it.) You're upsetting the princesses, and Twilight, and apparently you think it would be better for me if you stayed away? At least that's what I heard from Twilight, who heard it from Princess Celestia, so who knows if something got confused, but if that's true... stop it. It is not better for me to be worried sick about you. It is not better for me to miss you and wonder when I'll see you again.
I know why you did what you did. I won't lie to you; it hurt me. Very much. But I understand why you did it. I thought you wanted to make amends. And now you're talking about staying away from Equestria until I'm dead? That doesn't sound like wanting to make amends to me.
You're hurting me, Discord. If you're really sorry for what you did, then please come home. We can work this out, as friends.
-Your friend, Fluttershy
Celestia, siccing Fluttershy on me is dirty pool. Well played. Hats are off.
Incidentally, what ever happened to Luna and her nastygrams? They were the funniest thing I have to look forward to here. Please tell her to insult me some more.
-Discord
My dear Fluttershy.
I'm sorry. I can't come back to Equestria.
Aside from all the other reasons, it's gone too far and I'm well aware that the moment I set foot on Equestrian soil I'll be outfitted for a stone tux again because Celestia and Luna are seriously mad at me. It's lonely up here but at least I can still use my powers, and communicate through letters, at least. And see. And eat. Eating is a lot of fun, I don't like not eating for a thousand years. Not that I was hungry, but I missed eating.
I am very, very sorry for hurting you. Both before, and now. If there was another way... but unless you want to come live with me up here, I don't see any way for us to spend time together. Not without putting you in the position of choosing between obeying your ruler and being kind to me, and we all know which one you'll pick.
I miss you dearly, Fluttershy. But I don't think I will ever be able to see you again. I'm so sorry.
Your friend, Discord
Discord,
It has been pointed out to Us that Our earlier tirades of justifiable rage at you, while deserved, are bread and butter to the spirit of Disharmony. We shall not "feed the troll" any longer.
Hpwever, your depravity in calling the only pony who would befriend you an "idiot" for doing so is beyond the pale. We look forward with pleasure to making you weep. And it may happen sooner then you think.
Luna, Diarch of Equestria
I'm so sad, Loonie! Don't I get to be a thou anymore? After all we've meant to each other? I thought we were BEF – Best Enemies Forever!
Also, you should have that blood pressure looked at. I'm quite certain that even for alicorns, it is not healthy for a blue pony to turn purple.
-Discord, still your best enemy
Discord,
Twilight has spoken to me on your behalf. She believes you are sincere when you claim to have removed yourself from Ponyville, and the Earth, out of guilt and shame.
That may be as it may be, and I am possibly prepared to forgive your trespass against my directive, if you can convince me that you are sincere. But the longer you remain on the moon, the less likely that becomes.
Come home and explain yourself to me, if you want to be forgiven.
And no, it does not make me happy that your self-inflicted punishment is making you miserable. That was never my intent.
-Princess Celestia
Celestia, in case I hadn't made it perfectly obvious by now, I don't want to be forgiven. I don't know why you think I do.
Not coming home. It's not even home anyway.
-Discord
*Sigh* Discord, i'm... amazed at your intelligence.
Good job
When Discord angsts, he angsts hard. I'd say he needs therapy, but I know he'd never sit still long enough for it, even if he were taking it seriously.
I can see Discord's reasoning. The only way to resolve a sense of empathy and a chaotic mandate is to quarantine himself from ponies. Of course, he can't help but raise his hackles at attempts to assert authority over him. Really, it's like they want him to be unreasonable. Or they're expecting him to react like a pony. Fluttershy is the only one who approaches understanding, and even she isn't going about it in the right way. Heck, I'm not sure what the right way is, beyond massive social change that would decouple "chaos" and "evil" in the equine zeitgeist.
I really need to catch up on this story.
I look so forward to the rest! I like the letter format too!
Looking forward to this one...
Luna's letters are hilarious!
The logical conclusion of this series of letters, of course, is for Twilight and Celestia to open up that moon-portal spell and send Fluttershy through.
Fluttershy will probably be back on Equestria within the hour, and has a better-than-even chance of bringing Discord back with her.