//------------------------------// // A Tear in Reality // Story: A Series of Chaotic Events // by Cadiefly //------------------------------// On this particularly dreadful day, we find ourselves somewhere on the outskirts of Ponyville, lamenting over one young individual, Tim, whose presence here is undeniably unfortunate. There are many ways which one can count the events, each more absurd than the last, leading up to his appearance in Equestria. Whether it be the blinding lights enveloping him or the shifting of gravitational forces around him, he is now disoriented, torn from his home. To believe that his untimely arrival should solely hinge on a tear in the time-space continuum is nigh inconceivable. He now stands before a dark and foreboding forest, which has been coined as 'The Everfree Forest'. The name is inapt, for there is positively no reason life should thrive here without intervention and all things extraordinary lured to it. Likewise, and to further irony, Tim is anything but free. Plucked from his own reality and displaced in a world so different from his own, his very existence, in mind and body both, has been altered. Alack, he has become trapped within the very confounding confines of The Everfree Forest, and as he has yet to discover, this occurrence has paved the way for a series of chaotic events. My job is to catalogue these events in the hopes that nothing unfortunate like this should befall someone, or pony, in the future. A splitting headache was the first sensation Tim felt upon awakening. He couldn’t remember what happened to him, but from the way it throbbed, he surmised that he had a concussion. The incessant ringing in his ears overshadowed his ability to recall the event. He tentatively raised his hand to his head. When his hand made contact, he immediately became aware of two things. The first was that the touch did nothing to abate the growing pain, which caused him to recoil. The second thing he noticed was the texture of his hand. The extremity was rigid, lacking the digits he was accustomed to. Additionally, despite his careful application, the force exceeded his expectations at least two-fold. He opened his eyes apprehensively, stricken with fear by what he might discover. A raised hoof was there to meet him instead of his hand. He watched it mimic his every gesture as he waved it back and forth. After casting a downward glance, he saw that similar alterations had affected the rest of his body. The entire spectacle was as fantastical as it was disturbing, for he had been utterly transformed. A flurry of thoughts ran through his mind all at once. The jarring experience of expectation versus reality left him in a state of disarray. He struggled to regain his bearings, wobbling on unfamiliar hooves as he stood. Reflecting upon the situation raised a startling question: was he even the same person anymore? There was no quelling the sudden anxiety that took hold inside of him. His whole world had been turned upside down in the blink of an eye. He was desperate to look anywhere but at his new body. It was in this way that he took stock of his surroundings. Before him stood the tallest trees–a densely packed thicket, which cast an ominous ambience that sent shivers down his spine–he had ever seen. They shaded everything underneath them in the setting sun. The rustling of a nearby grove of bushes caused Tim to quiver with fear. Though he wanted to run, his legs were rooted. He might have just fallen instead. Overwrought with fear, there was nothing he could do but wait for his demise. A tiny bunny stepped out from the bushes, extinguishing his fear of the unknown. It stood on its hind legs, looking up at him dispassionately and rapping its foot impatiently against the ground. It gestured for him to move aside and let it pass. It seemed annoyed, which wasn’t a trait he normally attributed to an animal. Curiosity replaced his weakening fear. He stepped aside to give it room to walk, then studied its reaction. Once it was on the other side of him, it raised a brow and scratched its head in wonder. This confirmed his suspicions of the animal’s intelligence. With a menacing glare and a stomp of its foot, the bunny startled Tim into falling down. When Tim was fully prone, he mentally berated himself for being scared by the cute rodent. The bunny clearly possessed a heightened state of self-awareness, something completely foreign to anything but his own species from home, but that shouldn’t have prompted him to be scared by it. Now that he was no longer frightened, the bunny’s intelligence piqued his interest. He wondered how deep it ran, and as he walked up to it, he reached a hoof out tentatively to pet it. The gesture had the unintended consequence of vexing the bunny into slapping it away. Tim paced around the herbivore and studied its body language. It followed his motions, confusion evident in its eyes, but it otherwise remained still. He then wondered how it would respond to his own aggression, so he snarled inaudibly as he stepped forward. He was awarded a deadpan stare by the bunny for his troubles. Because of his failed attempt to scare it, he wanted to be able to communicate with it now more than ever. For all he knew, the bunny held a boon of insights that were locked away. To the surprise of both of them, the bunny suddenly morphed, its muscles modulating to gain mass. It grew to outlandish proportions within moments, gaining at least six inches or more in height. With one of its feet bigger than the other, and one arm so long that it rested haphazardly on the ground, it hardly passed for a rabbit anymore. Its buck teeth, reshaped in the form of fangs, looked ready to chomp down on him as it opened its mouth. Terror seized Tim. He opened his mouth to scream inaudibly, carefully retreating from the grotesque sight. The animal's growth spurt had to be faster than any documented development in a mammal ever. There was no amount of knowledge he could apply to make heads or tails of this phenomenon; it just didn't make sense! Just as spectacularly, a tall slithering creature popped into existence seemingly out of nowhere. This was possibly the weirdest event he ever witnessed. It possessed the head of goat, the tail of a dragon, and a mismatched set of wings and appendages from various animals. Without so much as a flutter of his wings, the stranger floated in mid air, contrary to the laws of physics. He held his stomach and guffawed as he relished in the display of Tim's anguish. "You should have seen the look on your face. Pure gold!" A slab of gold in the shape of a pony’s head suddenly materialized before Tim. He arched his brow and stared at the hovering object in disbelief. How was any of this happening? The statue and the floating creature boht were gone in a flash. "Why the long face," a voice came from behind him, "It's just a gag. You do know what a gag is, right?" Spinning around, Tim came face to face with the bizarre goat-headed being holding a flower up to him in his paw. Water sprayed onto him without warning; he was sent hurtling through the air into a nearby tree by its immense pressure. The collision did not bode well for Tim’s concussion. He glanced weakly up through blurry vision at the floating monstrosity. He was also aware the rabbit was missing, although he couldn’t be sure where it had run off to. At least it would be spared from further nonsense. "That cracks me up every time,” he said with a chuckle, completely unaware of Tim’s agony. "You haven't spoken much since I've gotten here. Cat got your tongue?" He continued when his laughter faded. He then disappeared and a cat appeared in his place. He bobbed the toy tongue up and down in his paws. Tim wanted to turn and hightail it out of there, and he would have under normal circumstances in order to escape from the antics. A sneaking suspicion about the extent of the hybrid’s abilities stopped him in his place, however. He let out a wistful sigh, rolling his eyes and pointing at his opened mouth before giving a noncommittal shrug. After he finished making the gesture, the cat gave a moment of pause. The cat smiled and wiped a tear from his eye before returning to his previous form. "Really? You're mute? Oh, this is priceless! Who would have thought that I, Discord, could have picked the perfect pony to play with. Now I know I can trust you to keep a secret. I bet everyone lines up to tell you all sorts of juicy stories." Tim now had a name to associate with the 'impossibly wacky abilities', though he wasn’t really interested in making his acquaintance. His statement, however, caused him to reflect upon his memories to recall anything that was shared with him over the years. He shook his head when nothing came to mind. Discord seemed only slightly disappointed before he promptly lost all interest with the conversation. "Well, it wasn't as if you had anything meaningful to say anyway." Discord then laid onto a levitating bed that had popped out of thin air. He yawned boisterously and snuggled into the comforter. A flock of sheep leaped overhead, and they exploded deafeningly into a puff of white smoke on the other side of him. The total lack of respect left a bitter resentment on Tim’s tongue, and he glared at the misshapen creature with unveiled ferocity. There were plenty of interesting things he could talk about, if only he knew how to convey them. He tried not to let his anger get the best of him. He should be looking for a way out of this situation rather than be taken in by the insult. With Discord’s attention being diverted by his own devices, this was the best chance for him to slip away. As sheep continued to explode, the resulting sounds the fireworks made ranged from tooting horns to distorted wails of bird cries. Tim shuddered, his thoughts fixated on the possibility that he was already irreversibly scarred. He only hoped that, by extricating himself from Discord's presence, he could pretend these ridiculous events never happened. He edged slowly away from the bed and trotted in a random direction. Tim's confidence grew when Discord didn’t seem to notice. His hopes were dashed by the stranger’s reemergence in front of him. The prediction he made earlier was correct, much to his dismay. "I almost forgot! Seeing as how we're practically the best of buddies already, I have something absolutely confidential that I must confess to you." With the snap of Discord's fingers, Tim promptly found that his lips were fastened together magically by a zipper in spite of the fact that he was already unable to speak. The sensation of his mouth being barred shut discomforted him in a way that he hadn't thought possible; it was almost as if he didn't have one in the first place. His eyes began to twitch anxiously; with the unforeseen lack of a mouth came the false perception that he was suffocating. Trying to breath in through his mouth and finding himself unable to, he panicked and tried to pull the zipper off to no avail. "Whoops! Force of habit, honest." The zipper blissfully vanished without a trace. "The truth of the matter is that it wasn't my place to bring you here. But all the monotony in Equestria as of late has really had me on edge. Then, I got this grandiose idea! what if I brought you here. With your background, mayhem is sure to follow, and who can't enjoy a little chaos from time to time?" The brief respite Tim felt from being released from his binds was fleeting. He demanded the bizarre creature to return him to his home; unfortunately, he didn’t quite know how to use sign language in his new body, and it only appeared that he was flailing wildly instead. It was unsurprising that Discord misunderstood him. "I know, I know. There's no need to thank me. This adventure will undoubtedly be fun for both of us. Why, really it’s just a simple game after all. And the first thing you have to do is... avoid everypony else!" Tim was left alone to scratch his head in befuddlement as Discord disappeared. When the colt didn’t move from his spot, the hybrid’ voice filtered in through his ears. "Hide. If anypony catches you, I can't send you back home." Before he could respond, the sound of a feminine call resounded through the woods. "Discord!" The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar voice set him into motion. Because Discord seemed to be his ticket out of here, he panicked, and he searched for viable concealment, his eyes darting rapidly back and forth. After settling for nearby foliage, he leaped into it. He landed awkwardly on his side, rustling the leaves around him as he strained to peek through the bushes. A winged, yellow-coated pony walked up to where he had been only a minute ago. She was accompanied by the rabbit from earlier, who dragged its elongated arm behind it. She gave a menacing glare into the sky and cried out, "Discord!" The misshapen terror answered her call by phasing back into existence mere meters in front of her. He said in an innocent tone, "Yes, Fluttershy?" "Turn Angel back to normal, please. This is not how you treat animals." The mare was quiet but firm in her request. She stood her ground and stared at Discord with an air of confidence that suggested familiarity with him. "Oh, that is no big deal. It was only a harmless joke anyway. Mark my words, I was going to change him back the first chance I got. As a matter of fact, I was just on my way over to your cottage." A halo formed above Discord's head, and he held up a paw as if he had taken an oath. An unenthused Fluttershy looked at him sternly until he clapped his paws together and returned the white-furred rodent back to normal.  Once Angel had been returned to normal, it gave Discord one last aggravated glance before hopping away from whence it came. The mare’s expression softened after Discord complied with her request. Doubt crept up on her face just as quickly, and she asked, “Umm... Did you see anypony here, by any chance? Angel mentioned you were with somepony in need of help.” "Oh, really? Truth be told, I'd been far too occupied with other matters to eavesdrop on some random pony's uneventful life." With a quick glance around the vicinity, Discord continued, "Odd, there doesn't seem to be anypony around. Are you sure your little pet isn't just seeing things?" Discord’s voice rose half an octave as he half-heartedly snickered. Fluttershy craned her head in suspicion before she scrutinized the forest for anything out of the ordinary. Tim was sure that she had looked directly at him before returning her gaze to her companion. "Are you sure? I don't think Angel would lie to me about this." Taken aback by the mare's statement, Discord said, "You'd take his word over mine? Fluttershy, I'm offended. And here I thought we were the best of friends; I would never lie to you." "Discord..." There was a hint of warning to the yellow Pegasus' tone. Tim lurched forward, adjusting his weight from one hoof to another. He was eager to hear the berating Discord was surely about receive. He leaned too far to one side, though, and lost his balance and plummeted to the ground. The cacophony alerted the mare to his presence, causing her to cut herself off from whatever it was she was about to say. Tim, scared of being discovered, desperately tried to find new cover. The dire consequences of Discord’s rule spurned him into action. He jumped up and dove behind one of the trees in mere seconds. The damaged was already done, however, and the mae staring right at him when he peeked around his hiding spot was all the confirmation he needed. Discord only smacked his head with a paw and let out an audible sigh of frustration. Tim didn’t quite catch what the hybrid muttered afterward, but by the way Fluttershy glared at him, it couldn’t have been positive. "H-hey... A-are you alright?" the yellow mare asked as she trotted up to him. She was so quiet that he had to strain just to make sense of what he’d heard. Even though he understood what she’d said, he still had the problem in being able to convey anything to her. Beyond Discord’s untold rule of requesting for help, which was almost certainly out of the question since he didn’t even want him talking to anyone in the first place, he didn’t even know how to say he was alright. A brilliant idea suddenly struck him. Why hadn't he thought of this before? He could simply treat this as a game of charades. The ordeal was certainly made more difficult by the lack of digits in his extremities, but with some wit, he could still get his message across without alerting Discord. Since Fluttershy seemed to hold some influence over him, he might be able to go home. Tim leaned back on his hindquarters, pointed at his mouth, and crossed his forehooves. He then drew a circle in the air with one hoof, hoping that she would catch on. He repeated his actions to emphasize his point. Other ideas were already forming in his mind if she didn’t, however. "I-I don't understand." The other pony stared at him blankly. She flashed a look of worry over at Discord before dropping her head shyly. "I-is there something the matter? I'm sorry. I would like to help if I can." After reflecting upon his actions, he realized that all he’d really done was draw a circle. It would mean nothing to the unsuspecting soul if they weren’t familiar with charades. He had to try one more time however. He repeated his movements, gesturing animatedly and adding onto it by outlining a door. As he moved his hooves, he saw that she didn’t seem to be getting it. Perhaps he was far too pronounced with his signs, and instead of drawing a door, he drew a mountain. None of that seemed to matter because after she gazed up into the sky, Fluttershy said, "Oh dear, it's almost night-time. You really should be heading on home now, it's not safe here after dark." If he couldn’t deliver a message through charades, then he’d have to look for an alternative. He dropped the idea altogether and did the next best thing: writing into the dirt. After spotting a stick, he tried to procure it, only to find that he didn’t know how to grasp it without an opposable thumb. The stick dropped back to the ground and rolled away. His second attempt yielded a similar result. He tried to ignore the cries of laughter emitting from Discord's mouth. Tim only managed to pick it up when he pressed both his hooves on either side of it. He growled all the while, as much at himself as he did at his chaotic companion. He awkwardly swayed on his haunches as he dug into the soil. The task took all his concentration, and he stuck his tongue out to the side as he fixated on it. This was his last ditch effort to communicate to her. He had to make it work. The stick abruptly snapped in half. There were no words to describe his devastation. Another attempt at communication had utterly failed. He slammed his face into the ground and covered his face with his hooves. Discord's laughter grew more intense, but he unexpectedly halted without provocation, much to Tim's relief. "A-are you okay?" came the sound of Fluttershy's voice. No, there was no way he could give up now. This had to work. He redoubled his efforts, picking himself back up and taking half of the remaining branch. His hooves now completely encompassed his utensil, making his efforts even more difficult, but he was finally successful in finishing his message. 'Take me home, Discord.' "Oh dear, you don't suppose he's lost, do you Discord? Poor thing. A little colt out in the wilderness all by himself." Fluttershy leaned down to Tim’s eye level. "If you'd like, you can come stay with me for the evening and we can search for your parents in the morning. How does that sound?" Unsympathetic towards Tim's plight, and perhaps jealous at the attention he was being given, the Lord of Chaos begrudgingly said, "I doubt it's as serious as that. There's no need for you to worry yourself, my dear friend. In my capable hands, I'll make sure he makes it back home safe and sound." A second Discord appeared in brilliant fashion. The new Discord, dressed in a butler’s outfit, sensually massaged Fluttershy’s withers. She emitted a sheepish cry. "You must be tired from such long day of hard labor. Wouldn't you like to leave the rest up to me and take a well-deserved break at home?" Discord asked. "It's... mm... no problem at all, really.” A rosy hue adorned Fluttershy’s cheeks as she tried to reason with her friend. “I would love to help him find his family. He must be dying to get back home to his parents. Just look at how scared he is." Fluttershy had misinterpreted the source of Tim’s fright. He shivered and took a step back at both Discords. Having one of them was bad enough, but he didn’t know how to deal with two. "Won't you reconsider? You look so tense." Discord squeezed her shoulders with his paws deeper, working out the kinks. "Just look at all the stress you're putting on yourself." "Are you sure? Handling a foal can be a huge responsibility." The yellow mare shut her eyes as she revelled in the feeling of being massaged. Peace overcame her for an instant before she reopened them in wonder. "Hey, is there something you're not telling me? You seem awfully motivated to send me home." "Whatever do you mean? Aren't I allowed to worry over my best friend's well-being?" Discord seemed anxious as he tried to maintain his facade. "Well, no, it's just you normally wouldn't offer to do something like this on your own. What are you up to?" It was impossible to miss her accusing tone. "Fluttershy." The first Discord picked Tim up by the hooves and said, "We are practically friends already." A spotlight shined down on them as Discord twirled him emphatically. "And I'd do anything for my friends, wouldn't I? This practically calls for a celebration!" As if to prove a point to Fluttershy, the lunatic began emphatically dancing around with him dangling off of his paws. The world spun around Tim as he struggled to reorient himself within Discord's grasp. As soon as his momentum slowed, he realized that behind him a row of Discords dressed in suits and ties had appeared, all dancing in sync as they lifted their legs to the beat of a music he hadn’t yet seen. He was abruptly passed off to one of the slithering horrors at the end of the row; he progressed unwillingly down the line in the same manner. Upon reaching the end, he was flung into the air. Everything became a blur of brown, gray, and green as he sailed higher and higher. The whole experience of falling through the air might've been exhilarating if it weren’t for his impromptu greeting with Discord and his concussion. The rush of wind against his hair as he fell actually felt nice. He knew better than to relish in the feeling, however. It was only a matter of time before he was thrown around more and injured as a result. "Discord! I would appreciate it if you put him down, gently." He heard Fluttershy cry in fright. "Oh, very well," Discord said. Paws pressed against him, slowing his descent until his hooves rested safely on the ground once more. Through laborious breathing he shifted his gaze all around him. Adrenaline, anxiety, and anticipation were dominating his every faculty. He couldn’t help but snap at the absurdity of the situation. Frightened by what may come next, he delved deeper into the forest. Nothing could stop him anymore, for he needed to get away from everything or risk succumbing to the insanity. Fluttershy’s faint cry didn’t deter him in the slightest. He galloped onward even after he could no longer hear them. He felt the lingering sensation of eyes watching him, so he persisted, scurrying around trees and boulders until he was too exhausted to continue. His pace came to a dead stop. He had become thoroughly lost, and as his adrenaline subsided, his head throbbed intensely once more. Dizziness overcame him, and he closed his eyes to escape the disorientation that followed. After laying on the ground to rest, he hardly noticed his slumber take hold.