//------------------------------//
// A Meeting of Forces 
// Story: Discord Rising: The Order of Chaos 
// by sverd abr sundav 
//------------------------------//

     The sounds of the forest echoed and surrounded a small chestnut colt, from the screeches of the birds and the howling of the timberwolves, to the faint roars of a chimaera off in the distance. The colt was wearing a black cloak that covered where his cutie mark would have been, and despite the many frightening sounds around him, he never paused. He kept walking, no sign of fear on his face. If anything, he seemed amused. His form was indistinct, as if there was a heat haze covering his entire body. The colt was walking along a scarcely used path. It looked as if nothing had touched it for decades, but he seemed to know precisely where he was going. 

The colt had been walking for two days without break, never drinking, never eating, and never resting; he just kept walking. There was intent in his gaze. He sought out something or someone in particular, and cared little for the dangers of the Everfree forest around him.

There were always things moving in the shadows; some large, some small, but the colt blended in with the forest so well nothing seemed to take notice of him, almost as if he couldn’t be seen at all. However, not all creatures rely on sight. A pack of timberwolves caught his scent. They followed him for hours, and he pretended not to notice them.

After all of his walking, he reached his destination. It didn’t seem anywhere important or special, merely a large clearing in the middle of the forest.There were a few flowers growing in it, but mostly it was just some short grass and low shrubs. The clearing was lined mostly with black-birch and maple trees, not too common in most of the forest, but the clearing allowed enough light for them to thrive. 

The colt stood in the middle of the space, waiting, and after several minutes, the timberwolves’ bark covered bodies bounded up to him, not aggressive, but curious. They had surrounded him and began to circle, but the colt seemed not to care. With a small laugh that reverberated around the forest he said, “Greetings, my creations, how lovely to see you.” The colt spoke in a voice too large for him; it was silky and sly, but dry from misuse. The timberwolves had a wave of recognition come over them. They knew the voice speaking to them, for it had spoken long ago. One seemed concerned by the colt’s presence and growled half heartedly. Without a change in expression, without a single hint of his intent, the colt looked at the worried wolf and its bark-like skin erupted in flames. The other wolves yelped in surprise and the one burning, howled in pain, and the timberwolves’ cries caused the forest to erupt into sound. Screeches and caws and yelps and warning calls reverberated around the forest, but the colt just laughed. His laugh was dark and terrifying and cast a shadow deeper than any darkness through the forest, illuminating the forest clearing far brighter than the feeble moonlight. As suddenly as the fire started, it stopped. The wolf’s skin was charred and blackened but somehow, it had survived; yelping and whining with every movement, but alive. 

The forest quieted, almost as if it had been muffled, and creatures began to emerge from the darkness to the moonlight of the clearing. Chimeras, Serpents, creatures that had no name, and even a small dragon came to see the mysterious colt. He just laughed his unnatural laugh. Walking from creature to creature, he inspected them and often made comments. “Ah, my chimaeras. You were my first attempt and my largest mistake. You were from the days when I was unrefined. I tried to create a creature like myself, but instead just made a monstrous brute. You’ll serve me well enough, however, when the time comes.” The chimeras seemed to understand his meaning. They shrugged and pawed at the ground eagerly. Next, he walked in front of the dragon. His tone changed, almost to respect when he spoke to it. “Greetings, dragon. What brings you to the forest, and what does my humble self have that interests you?” Clearly, the colt had some respect for the dragon, but his tone was thick with sarcasm regardless.

The dragon spoke in a rolling voice that seemed to carry through the clearing, “I know what you are; I have heard the tales. I may be small, but I am old and wise. You are not alone. You work with your brothers.”

The colt seemed unsurprised by the dragons knowledge, “Of course you know, though I fear your knowledge is somewhat... lacking.” and he said this last word with a silky slither. The dragon seemed confused and the colt continued, “You have never seen my brothers, have you?”

“No, nor have I seen you before.” The dragon replied, still confused.

“Well, of course. You see, my brothers and I don’t so much work together, as eventually cross paths. For the time being, I am having my fun all alone, though I suspect Thanatos - Death, as you might know him - might be helping to further certain... mutual goals.”

The dragon understood the implication. The colt was an enemy all his own, and he was dangerous on his own.

“What is your name, dragon?” the colt asked, pretending to care.

“Tale Bite.” the dragon responded shortly. It seemed the fear that the colt struck was not enough to stagger the dragon’s pride.

“How fun. Now, Tale Bite, I must ask. Have you come merely to ask questions, or do you intend to be of use to me?” The colt treated the situation like a joke, despite the dragon being ten times his size.

“What would something like you need help with?” the dragon said with a snarl.

“Well you see, I’ve found myself in an unfortunately unmoving situation several times now at the hands of Equestria’s beloved Princesses. I’ve grown weary of this game and feel that things need to be spiced up. So, I intend to change the way Equestria is run - and by that, I mean it won’t be.” and at this point, his tone turned to excitement and anticipation of some future event. “No, I intend to let the world unfold into a much more fun place. But sadly, to do that I must kindly dethrone our dear rulers.”

“You intend to overthrow the Princesses? Defeat Equestria?” Tale Bite asked, incredulous.

“If you want to put it that way, I choose to think of it more as freeing Equestria from the burden of harmony.” the colt said with a malevolent smile.

“That is a risky proposition. What would I get out of it?” 

“Once Equestria is free, you may have whatever you wish. I hardly care about things.”

Tale Bite smirked. “I think we have a deal.”

The colt continued his smile. “How wonderful.” He walked on to the timberwolves in order to speak to them again. Many more had joined the original pack. “Ah, timberwolves. You always were some of my better work, if a bit lackluster in ability.” The timberwolves growled despite one of their brethren’s punishment for doing so. It seemed that they understood the colt’s meaning. “Good, you still have the ferocity I gave you. I’m glad this endless fair of harmony hasn’t tainted your nature.” the wolves calmed at the words. “I’m sure you’re all ready for blood.” The wolves howled and barked in ferocious anticipation, ever seeking for an opportunity to indulge their savage nature. The colt just smiled satisfactorily and moved on to the collection of various serpents gathered there. Some were intelligent creatures. Some were purely instinctive, but all were ready to listen. “Ah, you were my attempt to create something akin to the dragons. I didn’t quite succeed, of course. Regardless, are you ready to do what you were made to?” The dragon snorted in amusement at the colt’s comment as he walked away from the clearing.

The various serpents hissed and gnashed their teeth. Some had legs, some did not, but all moved their bodies smoothly. One of the particularly large blue water serpents said smoothly, “Whhhaat, do you ssseeek from usss?”

“Your considerable talents of... persuasion.”

The blue snake’s eyes seemed to thin, “Whhhaat do you mean?”

“What, have you never noticed how very often your voices quiet others? My, clearly I failed greater than I thought with you.” 

The snakes hissed  harshly and the large one said, “Weee arre not thingsss for you to mock asss you wisshhh.”

The colt’s tone became condescending, “Of course you’re not. Why here I am, merely the source of your very existence, and I’m sitting here...making jokes.” He said the last words with a sort of malevolent joy.  

Something of the colt’s tone seemed to affect the various serpents gathered. They suddenly all looked concerned, as if they were all remembering a horrible nightmare, and the large blue serpent backed away, just a bit. He spoke apprehensively, “Verrry welllll, whheeen you callll, we ssshhhhhaallll assssiiisssst howeverrr it isss that you wiiissshh.” 

“How excellent.” said the colt. At that, the serpents withdrew. By then, the timberwolves and manticores had done the same, leaving the clearing somewhat emptier. Despite that, the clearing was still quite full of various creatures. Some had started to nod acceptingly at the colt’s words.  Many said words of acceptance, agreeing to assist him. Some left the clearing, others stayed to see him talk. At least one of each race stayed behind to hear him and after convincing all that had appeared, he began to talk to them all. “You know, I’ve been absent from Equestria for far too long. First that obnoxious thousand or so years, then this past year. Most have forgotten how fun life can be when you’re free from that old restriction of order. I intend to remind the world of such things and all of you shall assist me. With that, you shall be free from the restriction of Equestria’s precious ‘harmony’. This last word came out mocking and angry as if it had slighted and hurt him personally. “Now, I do hope you’ll spread the news of this little meeting. I’d hardly want you to have all the fun. Run along and tell your many little friends.”

The various creatures started to turn their separate ways when one of the smaller serpents - this one without appendages - said, “Aannd hhhoww willl we know whhen you wiissshhh for ussss to come and whhhaat you whhisshh for usss to do?” This snake was an emerald color and had an even more stunted tone as if it was unfamiliar with using such language. The rest of the creatures seemed to realize that they didn’t know the answers themselves, and so they waited for the colt’s response.

The colt sighed. “You will come when I call and I wouldn’t worry. You’ll know when I’m calling you. As for your orders... well, I can give them to you now. All I desire is that you spread chaos in whatever way you might.” He smiled at that, and the creatures realized they were being dismissed. They all seemed somewhat confused but didn’t dare ask him anymore. Once the many monsters left the clearing, the colt didn’t move. He just stood in place, not even sitting. He merely waited. For hours he waited, his malevolent smile never wavering. 

The colt had been waiting for at least four hours when finally something appeared, a creature in the shape of a pony but not resembling a pony at all. Its body was a cold, black carapace and its horn was twisted and mangled looking. Its hair was a greenish blue and hung down in rags around its face. The creature had wings, but they were translucent and crisp like an insect’s, and the place where it would have had hooves was just more carapace but had clean holes through it. You could see straight through its legs in places. The strange creature approached the colt and said in a voice that had a harmonized buzz to it, “Come.” it said nothing else and immediately turned away, but it seemed that was what the colt was waiting for. He followed, not eagerly but happily. They walked from the clearing into a thick portion of the forest. It was filled with imposing oaks and twisted dogwood. They had been walking for over an hour when the trees began to thin, and soon they stood before a large stone hill covered with holes. The holes had soft glowing lights flickering from them, as if there were torches deep inside. The creature stopped before a particularly large hole and said another single word, ”Enter.” and it gestured.

The colt said  “Why thank you. Such a serious thing you are. Why not smile?” and with a soft glow from his eyes, a wide grin spread across the creature’s face, exposing its sharp pointed teeth. It began to laugh, hysterically, unwaveringly, but it’s eyes were screaming. 

Entering the hole, the colt walked softly. He wasn’t afraid of being heard, but seemed to have an interest in being a surprise. Sure enough, the tunnel had been lined with soft torches and had a subtle decline. It was burrowed out of stone, cold and unfriendly despite the warm glow from the torches. At the end of the tunnel was a large round door. The colt smiled widely and rapped upon it softly.

A loud imposing voice spoke, “Good, you’ve brought him. Enter.” it was distinctly female with the same dual-toned buzz about it. The colt pushed the door open, but when it had opened, he wasn’t a colt anymore, in fact he looked exactly like the creature he had just sent mad. “Where is he?” asked the female that told him to open the door. She was larger than any of the others, and had a small, black growth on the top of her head that resembled a crown. Other than that, she appeared much the same as the others. The door had opened to what seemed like a sort of throne room. It was decorated with various paintings and lined with shelves covered in pristine bones, and there was indeed a large, stone throne that had clearly been dug out of the same rock as the rest of the tunnel and room. There were four of the creatures, beside the large female. Two stood on each side of the throne and had blank, disciplined faces. It seemed they were guards.

The colt, who was now one of the creatures, looked at the two guards at the furthest ends, and his eyes glowed. They began to rock back and forth as if mesmerized and then they both turned and each speared the creature next them with their horns. The two speared creatures immediately fell to the ground, dead, leaking a blue-black liquid that must have been their blood. Still hypnotized, the other two looked back at the colt that was pretending to be one of the creatures. His eyes glowed once again and they fell to the ground with wide grins on their faces. They, too, had been killed. He looked at the creature who seemed to be queen and said, grinning widely, “Surprise!”

The exchange happened so quickly that the queen only had time to gain a look of arrogant displeasure. “You.” she said simply and angrily.

“Oh my Chrysalis, your attitude hasn’t changed one bit. I’d hoped for a better greeting, but I suppose I can forgive your mistake, just this once.”

“I am Queen Chrysalis. Queen of the changelings and goddess of this forest. What could possibly stop me from destroying you this moment, and never having to listen to you again?” Said the queen imperiously. 

“Oh well, what fun would there be in that?” the colt that wasn’t a colt said, quite unconcerned.

“I do not care if you made us, you shall never be welcome in my domain, Discord.”

Upon hearing his name, Discord changed his form once again. This time he became his natural self; a draconequus, not one creature, but a sickly mismatch of many. While he was, indeed, in his natural form, it appeared somehow not as solid as it ought to be. He still had the haze around him and while he wasn’t translucent, he also wasn’t truly solid. “Well, if you’re going to be like that. I’ll give you a boring, real reason. I’m not really here. I can’t truly escape the stony prison that pesky band of ponies put me in until one of them dies. The elements still tie me to it, so I did the next best thing. I let my essence escape. It wasn’t too difficult, though admittedly I did have to do some of that awful planning that everyone always talks about. You see I’m not here, so you can’t kill me. I’m like a ghost, only capable of much more. Oh, and I’m real. You know that’s something I really must do once Equestria has fallen. I really must create some ghosts out of the dead. They’ll make things very interesting.” He paused, realizing that his point had drifted and smiled at the realization.

Queen Chrysalis frowned, realizing she couldn’t destroy him. Then she said in a tone that was filled with barely held back anger and perhaps a bit of fear, “Why have you come here? What is it that you seek from me, from us?”

Discord smiled, knowing that he had the upper hand, “I do keep having to explain myself, don’t I?” He sighed and began his explanation, “You see, I’ve grown rather displeased with constantly becoming a piece of art in a garden and have thus decided to change how things are run. So I must ask you, are you ready to fulfill what I always hoped you might do?”

“Why should we bother? What good will overturning the peace, love, and harmony of Equestria do for us? We feed quite well. After all, Equestria has provided much love for us to enjoy.”

“Oh my dear Chrysalis, are you really so very straight minded as to believe that love only exists with order? You’ll find that ponies and... others, fall quite happily in love without all of this ‘harmony’ getting in the way.” He said this in the manner of a father patiently explaining to a child why things fall down and not up but with a slightly sarcastic undertone to the whole thing.

Chrysalis paused before responding. She was considering what Discord had said. “So, assuming that what you say is correct - something I doubt I shall ever do - what precisely would you have us do? I remember your words after my creation. You wanted me and my race to spread your chaos throughout the world.”

“Well, I always was rather pleased with your presence. After all, what better creature to spread discord than one that feasts upon the love of others?” He seemed to have pride in his voice. It wasn’t love for Chrysalis, instead it was more like pride for a thing that he had created. “You don’t have to believe me, but you will. I should know; I made you.”
Chrysalis was becoming impatient and sparks of green light were coming off her horn, “Your plans. What would your plans for us be?”

Discord sighed again, annoyed at being rushed. “You know, my one mistake with you was that you are far too impatient. I’d hoped you would learn to enjoy the little things, but I suppose not.” he paused for a second then. “Hmmm, How about this?” His eyes glowed and he pulled his hand out from behind Chrysalis’s throne, an impressive feat given he was in front of her. He thrust his space-bending hand in front of Chrysalis’s face and in his palm were two miniature versions of the Princesses. They were cowering in fear holding each other. The look didn’t seem genuine on either face, but on Celestia it looked particularly out of place. It seemed not to matter to Chrysalis. Her face was fixed upon the two terrified Princesses. For once, a smile spread across her face and as soon as her expression changed, a third creature appeared on Discord’s hand. It was Chrysalis, laughing and casting strange bolts of magic at the two Princesses.

Discord closed his paw and withdrew his hand. Chrysalis looked back upon Discord. “Why did you show me this?” She seemed less angry, but still cautious.

“Well, isn’t that what you want? To rule and conquer Equestria by destroying those two pesky Princesses?” Discord’s voice became silky and sly, but somehow enticing; you wanted to hear all that he had to say and follow every instruction he gave. Chrysalis didn’t move or speak. Taking her lack of protest as a yes Discord said, “Simply put, if you help me, that is precisely what you may have. So long as you don’t interfere with me, you are welcome to rule.”

Chrysalis still seemed wary. “What about you? Why wouldn’t you claim the throne?”

Discord scoffed. “Me? Behind a throne? No, I much prefer to do my dealings more directly. You can’t see the fruits of your labor otherwise.” With those words he grabbed the skull of a pony off of one of the various display shelves in the room. His eyes glowed briefly, and it became an apple. He took one bite and tossed it behind him, and when it landed it scurried away, having become a mouse.

Chrysalis seemed to calm a bit. It seemed that she accepted Discord’s reason as legitimate. “Very well. I must ask again. What would you have us do?” 

Discord released a chuckle, and words filled with malevolent mirth, he said, “Well, I would have you begin” he paused briefly, clearly trying to create a dramatic effect - “the end.”