Tempest took a reassuring breath, and then lifted her head, horn lighting up as she tore open a hole in reality. At least, that was what it looked like. In reality, it was simply a portal to Discord's chaos dimension. Though she still wasn't entirely certain it was based in reality. Well, no matter. Fluttershy has apparently come and gone without any negative side effects, so Tempest should be safe in it. She lifted her box and carried it through.
She stepped out onto grass and saw a rather nice cottage, but there was black void instead of sky above it, and when she looked around, she saw that she was on a floating chunk of land. Strange objects floated through the air around it and she could see other platforms in the distance. Her hooves were firmly planted, yet at the same time, gravity seemed optional. She decided not to think about it too hard and closed the portal, walking over to the cottage.
She gave the door a few knocks and waited. When there wasn't a response, she rung the doorbell. Rather than the chime she was expecting, it made an awful squawking noise that made her jump. But she got a response.
“I'll be right there!” a familiar voice called. Tempest shifted her ears forward and just managed to catch the sound of a shower turning off. That was so mundane that she found herself laughing.
After a few moments, the door opened, revealing Discord with a towel around his waist and a shower cap on, carrying a rubber ducky. “Oh, I wasn't expecting you.”
“Who were you expecting?” Tempest asked.
“No one, actually. I don't get many visitors. I scared away the scammers ages ago and oh, I just got the Celestia's Witnesses to leave me alone a couple weeks ago... Honestly just tell them you follow the Path of Tartarus and they go scampering! Hahaha! Well, what can I do for you?”
Tempest laughed at the image of Discord terrifying poor missionary ponies and said, “Well, I um... I wanted to bring you something!” She lifted the box, which was carefully wrapped in golden wrapping paper with a black bow on top.
“A gift? For me?” Discord's bath effects disappeared from his body among sparkles and he gleefully took the present.
“Yeah, what you did for me was incredibly kind and I just wanted to repay you,” Tempest replied.
“Aw, that was as simple for me as picking up a spoon is for you. But thank you for the gift. Can I open it now or shall I wait for Hearth's Warming?”
Tempest laughed. “Hearth's Warming isn't for several months. Go ahead, open it now.”
“Oh goody!” Discord unwrapped the bow first and proceeded to tie it fashionably around his neck. Then he tore the paper and opened the box. “Okay, let's see... more paper! Oh you shouldn't have.”
“Heh. The paper was just cushioning. Go on, dig into it.”
Discord reached in and pulled out a handsomely bound book. “Alright, let's see... oh! An Ogres and Oubliettes guidebook! They've published so many of these but... oh, this is a magical spellbook! Honestly I like to improvise but it's good to draw from the guidebooks, that way you know exactly your damage stats and species resistance!” He opened the book and began flipping through.
“Fluttershy told me all about your game nights with Spike and Big Mac,” Tempest said. “I figured you would get some use out of an O&O book. But that's not all I put in there.”
“Hm?” Discord tucked the book under his arm and reached back into the box.
“She also told me about your character,” Tempest said with a smile. “So I did some painting. I'm not that good at it, but...”
Discord extracted a canvas and stared at it for a good few moments. Then he turned it around, showing Tempest the painting on it. “You drew this?”
“Heh, yeah.” She stepped forward, examining it. “I've never drawn a draconequus before but like, see, I drew you in the tunic with the flowing blonde hair, and your bow and arrow, I know my proportions are kinda awkward but...”
“I love it,” Discord replied, turning it back around. “You've really captured my heroic look!”
Tempest blushed. “Oh, thank you!”
“You know, I think with some practice you could become an amazing painter.” Discord looked more closely at the painting. “You even drew me wearing the ring of bolstering! I just recently won that in our campaign!”
“Yeah, Fluttershy told me. Apparently you never shut up about your amazing campaign.”
“It's a good one, Spike has really outdone himself! Right now we're just about to challenge the Dreaded Cerberus! See, the dreaded class is really strong compared to his awoken class minions.”
Tempest was growing interested in this game. “Oh, really? So, what are the awoken like?”
“Oh they have more HP, or health points, than the angered class, which we fought the beginning. Plus the awoken are faster! So when they attack, we have to roll for dexterity to avoid them, and we need a higher number to pass the check and dodge. Really, the best way to deal with them is just hitting hard and fast. They're weak to ice type attacks.”
“Ohh, I see. So this dreaded then, what's he like?”
“Hah, well, nearly three times the HP of the awoken! And with a tougher hide which means he can withstand stronger hits, and I've heard he even has a resistance to ice, so we'll need a different strategy! But I think we have a pretty good plan. You know what, while you're here, would you like to come in for tea and sandwiches?” Discord held the door open.
“Oh, alright.” Tempest walked in. The house was strange, with some of the furniture attached to the ceiling, and doors didn't seem to actually lead into rooms. Plus she was certain that staircase over there didn't go all the way up to the second floor. But she decided not to look too closely, going over to one of the couches that was on the floor and sitting down. With a wave of his hand, Discord set out a platter of mini sandwiches, two teacups, and a teapot.
Tempest picked up her cup and found that it was bright pink and covered in flowers. She made a face and looked up, only to see that Discord was drinking from a matching one. She couldn't help but laugh. She poured herself some tea and took a sip. “Mm, minty.”
“Fluttershy loves this one,” Discord said. “So, have you ever played O&O?”
“No, I've just heard of it. I used to think it was silly but I've kinda lightened up recently. It sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It really is, you can be so creative! There are rules, sure, but they're very flexible. You can choose from a ton of classes and species. You don't even have to play as a pony if you don't want to. You could be a gryphon, or a dragon! Different species have different advantages and disadvantages, different natural skills, and it's up to you to design a character with attributes that take full advantage of those things. You collect experience as you play to level up, and you gain more powers and attacks, and you can increase the amount of points in things you have like dexterity, perception, or whatever else suits your playing style. Like, I'm an archer, so I put most of my points into dexterity! Plus I'm sneaky, so I work on improving my light armor skill. See, heavy armor makes noise and that's not very conducive to sneaking! Meanwhile Big Mac is a warrior so he pumps points into strength.”
“Makes sense. So, there's no actual playing board or anything, right? It's all just imagination?”
“Pretty much. Although, we play it a little differently. See, I can actually bring the game to life, so there's not much imagination going on. Spike tells me the plan and I can generate an environment to match it. But, you know, the normies just use their imagination. And figurines usually.”
Tempest snorted. “Nothing wrong with that. Well, I'm glad you have a game you're passionate about. It sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It is, you should join us sometime! Once in the O&O world I can even generate whatever cool fantasy outfit you want! Oh, I wonder what class you would be!” Discord summoned over a book that Tempest recognized as another guidebook. “Let's see. You could probably play a magic user, but oh, Spike is already a wizard. Would you be interested in being a cleric? They tend to be more religious-based but hey, it's just a game. Their deity gives them strength and you can be our healer!”
“Hm, maybe. What else you got?”
“A druid? You harness the magic of nature. You can commune with animals and even have a particular animal companion that can aid us in battle. You could have a hawk, or a snake, or anything really.”
“That sounds cool.”
Discord flipped the page, and chuckled. “Or you could be a bard. Oh but Pinkie sometimes joins us and she's a bard. Might be kinda weird with two of you. Hm, you could be a sorcerer. They're similar to a wizard but have different powers, and usually their backstory would be different too.”
Tempest rubbed her neck. “This seems pretty complicated now that you're talking about all this.”
“Just wait until I start telling you about attributes! I hope you like math!”
“Maybe I can make a character some other time.” Tempest sipped more of her tea, finished the cup, and poured another.
“Alright.” Discord picked up a sandwich. “It's so nice having company. Fluttershy visits sometimes but usually I have to open a portal and let her in, since she can't get in herself. But unicorns can just come and go I guess. Hm, maybe I should give Fluttershy a talisman or something that she can use to open the portal. Anyway, thanks for visiting. It can get lonely here.”
“No one else lives here?” Tempest asked.
“Nope. This is my own personal pocket dimension. Completely isolated from the rest of the world!” Discord spread his arms dramatically. “When I was younger and more angsty, this was perfect! But now I've come to appreciate friendship and it's grown lonely. Maybe I should just give it up and move to Ponyville. But then, you know, I'd have to get a job or something. Why bother when I can just live in my own house of my own creation that I don't have to pay bills on? If I want electricity, I make it! I want running water, I make it! I have everything I could ever need right here.”
“Except your friends,” Tempest said.
Discord's ears drooped. “Yeah. Except my friends. But hey, you're welcome to come here whenever you want.”
“Thanks, I might just do that. Heh, it's funny. When I first saw you I wasn't sure I could trust you, but you're actually a really cool guy.”
“I understand, draconequus are the big bads of legend, we're dangerous and foul-tempered, we just want to ruin the lives of the sweet, innocent ponies living in... I don't know, the crystal glades or singing mountains or whatever sappy happy place they made up so you feel even sadder when it gets destroyed. But honestly, countless stories have been written about what I in particular did to Equestria a thousand years ago. I don't blame you for being distrustful. But I'm glad you took the time to get to know the real me.”
Tempest picked up a sandwich, and opened it to find that it was slathered in mayonnaise. She made a face. “Yes, you've changed a lot since a thousand years ago. And yet, hardly at all, I see.”
“More of a mustard pony I presume?” Discord asked, offering her a different sandwich.
She took that one instead while he took hers. “You've got that right.”
“I've reined myself in but I still have some fun every once in a while,” Discord said. “What's the point of harmony if you don't have chaos to compare it to? Life is boring without chocolate rain and long-legged bunnies! Luckily my friends have gotten used to my powers, though they still sometimes get upset if I just teleport into their houses without warning. Prudes.”
Tempest grinned. “Oh yes, how dare they want some privacy.”
“I know, right? Ah, but I've done my best to learn their schedules so I don't bother them at inopportune times. And now Twilight and the other bearers of the elements have that school of theirs so they're more busy, which leaves poor old Discord to find other ways to amuse himself. I've taken to talking to myself, don't you know? Not that I don't appreciate my own company, but ya know, I like some variety.”
Tempest nickered. “I bet.”
“Oh and that's not me being clever, I mean I can literally talk to myself.” Discord waved his hand and a clone of himself appeared, sitting next to him. “Hey, pal.”
“Right back at ya, pal!” the clone said in the same exact voice, and they shook hands.
“Oh man, I don't know what I would do with a clone of myself,” Tempest said. “I'd probably drive myself crazy.”
“You'll never know until you try,” Discord said, vanishing his clone but making one of Tempest appear instead. The new one immediately pranced back nervously. Then she approached the original, and the two examined each other, their expressions matching perfectly.
“It's like looking in a mirror,” Tempest said, tilting her head. The other did the same. “Except the reflection is wrong, somehow.”
“Well, you're not looking at a reflection. You're looking at your own face, the way it appears to everypony else. Of course it looks weird. You've never seen your own face quite this way before.”
“Huh.” Tempest tapped the other's muzzle. The clone Tempest blinked and booped her back. They both laughed. “Well, that's cool, but kinda weird.”
“Yeah, it takes some getting used to. I'll get rid of her.” Another wave and the clone was gone.
Tempest straightened. “What um... what happens when you make them disappear? Isn't that like... killing them?”
“Oh heavens no. She was literally just a projection of your own thoughts. She's no more dead than you are. Just like your dream self doesn't die when you wake up.”
“Oh. Okay.” Tempest wasn't sure but she wasn't going to argue.
“So, Twilight has told me a little about you but there's still so much I want to know. Tell me about your childhood.”
“Heh, well... I had a pretty normal life growing up, I had friends, and I was told I had a lot of magical potential and perhaps I could even get into Celestia's school for gifted unicorns... until I ran into the Ursa Minor.”