“Tell me... princess... did you create the world, or didn’t you?”
“Discord,” Celestia said, calm but with authority, “if I did, why would I tell you? And If I did not, why would I tell you?”
“Mhh... yes, why indeed? Perhaps because I will leave you alone.”
“I’ve endured worse. I can endure you, and I will if I have to.”
“If you did not,” Discord said, “surely you must have wondered who did. How curious, that our records don’t go back that far. What was the beginning of our dearest princess?”
Celestia said nothing. Trying to leave would not be smart, so her options were limited to things she could do in her personal chambers. Without wasting another look at the draconequus, she levitated the book she’d been reading from her night stand, opening it where she had last been.
“Perhaps the one who did is still alive? Perhaps... he is right here?”
Her blood froze.
No. Not that. Many time she had considered this question, pondered who had caused Luna and her to wake up on their first day, who had put the will in them to rise and eventually take control. But she had thought it couldn’t be him. That she could not have been made by the embodiment of chaos. That he could not be the one who had created the world, and surely not in his image. But if he had, if it truly had been him, what did it mean? What did it mean for her subjects, and for Luna and herself?
Horrified, she let her gaze trail back to Discord, who for a strange reason was pressing a paw to his mouth.
What a moment, was this-
“BUHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!” DIscord jumped into the air, holding his stomach with both limbs as he laughed so loud that, were it not for the spell isolating her chambers, it would surely alarm the guards. “HAHAHAHAHA! HOHOHOHOHUHUHUHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA!! Snnkt... hehehehe... HAHAHAHAHA!! Ohh, you should see the look on your face, dear princess! Me, the creator of the world! Priceless! What a pleasant thought! Priceless! Just Priceless! Hehehe... hehe... HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
Celestia slowly closed her eyes, sighing in relief.
“Mhhh,” Discord made. “But here is something true for, you princ.... princess... hahaha... HAHAHAHA!!! Ohh, you know, I took your memories ages ago. Do you think I wasn’t curious myself? I took them the first time we met. This, I swear to you, is the truth. I know everything about how you woke up and what came then, but nothing about what came before. Those silly ponies did even manage to record a proper history! Just another demonstration of the failures of harmony... although...” He coughed. “... of course, I am still perfectly reformed and...” He snored. “... stuff. Anyway, well, it’s true that they did not have the best functioning harmony, back then.”
“You took my memories,” Celestia repeated, “and I did not even notice?”
“Yes, well, it appears I am more powerful than you,” he said in a demonstrably bored tone of voice. “Ohhh... what news!” He did some silly transformation with his body to showcase the rolling of eyes. “Anyways, thank you kindy for making this afternoon so very delightful! I’m afraid I have things to attend now, but perhaps we can talk soon? ... what, are you not even going to say goodbye?”
“Goodbye, DIscord,” Celestia murmured, and with a wink, he was gone.
A trillion miles above Equestria, there is a large crystal sphere.
The rift is not widening. So why does the spreading of chaos accelerate?
The answer is the mathematical principle of exponential growth, that even the sphere must abide by. Every node that is damaged affects another node for every line it sends. A nice, smooth, natural, exponential curve. A shallow slope at first, but steeper by the hour.