//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 - Discord's Gift // Story: Dadonequus Discord (Book 2) // by CrazedLaughter //------------------------------// You fell onto your bed after falling through the portal, letting the map fall on your chest as you let out a heavy breath of relief. “Wow, she’s really touchy about that word. Maybe she really did want to fuck Trixie and was too embarrassed to admit it… Hot” You hopped off your bed and put away your map as you approached your portal door. “Ahh, Anon! There you are!” You suddenly hear a voice from behind you. You look back to see Discord, dressed up in a shirt with your face on it, wearing a blue cap with the word “ANON”. There you were? What about him? He had disappeared after the dragon attacked to go brag about you. “Yeah, I was busy. What about you, Discord? What’s with you bragging about me all of a sudden?” You really did have to wonder about that. Was it really to boost his own rep and ego? “Well, I had two reasons for that. But I assume you already know one of them” Discord said as he walked over to your bed and plopped himself on it, resting his head on his arms as he looked back at you with his usual arrogant grin. “Considering you didn’t do shit to help me, I don’t think you really deserve to be acknowledged at all for something I did.” He really didn’t, and then there was that thing with Mrs.Rich “And then there’s the fact that something is going on with my training tomorrow. Considering Mrs.Rich is involved, whatever that something is isn’t good for either me or Scootaloo.” And you slowly began to put it in perspective for yourself that the situation within itself is not good for you at all. “Discord, I know you don’t realize it, but you really screwed things up for me tomorrow.” And upon that thought, you also realized… “I’m actually upset at you.” “Pffft! What?! I bet you didn’t even put any real thought into any of that until you saw me just now.” Discord scoffed, poofed behind you, and used the digits of his paws and talons to pull your mouth into a smile. “Well, if that’s the case, the second thing I have to tell you will be sure to brighten your evening!” You swat his arms away as you look back at him, annoyed. “Yeah? And what’s that?” Discord reached into his cap and pulled out a small gift box, a simple white box held together by red ribbon, and held it towards you. “Anon, you may not realize this, even after all this time, but with our friendship and our whole family thing, I have come to be proud of you whenever you pull of feats of valor, or make Fluttershy happy, or generally do something that makes us look good in general. But this? This was different. This gift isn’t even for defeating the dragon, no, it’s for your near perfect game of bowling. I admit, I did take in as much glory as I could for you defeating the dragon. But the way you handled the ball, the way you managed to surpass my own brilliant form of rolling the ball, without even the use of your horn might I add! That deserves a gift. I’m proud of you Anon, for your skill, for making Fluttershy happy, and for being my friend. So this is for you.” You just raised an eyebrow at him “Yeah, no, that’s a trap” Discord gave you a scowl, as if he was actually insulted, while still continuing to hold out the box “Don’t make me take this back, Anon. On this rare occasion, my word holds true.” Ouch, the way he was looking at you, he actually looked really insulted. But you knew better, he was very good at faking his emotions if he really wanted to. “Sorry… Alright, let me see what this is” You took the gift box, acting apologetic as you slowly and cautiously removed the ribbon, and then lifted the box. You were prepared to throw it back at him at the slightest sign of it being a bomb. But upon taking a look, you saw not a bomb, but some sort of glowing orb. “What is that thing?” “Anon…” Discord sighs, leans down, and puts his paw on your shoulder as he looks to you with a gentle and parental look. “Before I tell you, I really want you to know this. I truly, with all my heart, am proud of you. I’m afraid I haven’t been truly honest with you on that, I mean, how could I?” Discord lets out a weak chuckle as he says that “Our friendship isn’t of the normal sort, it lives and breaths chaos. But, for this moment, I must treat it as if I truly was your father. Now then, the true reason I’m proud of you, aside from the things I said, is the fact that you had saved Fluttershy’s life while I was away.” Away? He meant during the Storm King’s invasion. But… That had happened some time ago, why does he now suddenly care so much? “I mean, I couldn’t let her get hurt, Discord. I couldn’t let anypony get hurt. Besides, it was a team effort too. And even then, it happened some time ago. I don’t want to sound like an ingrate or anything, but...Why now?” “Hmmm…” Discord let’s out a tired sigh. “I suppose talking to Fluttershy while you were away has something to do with that. In truth, she already let me know that my bragging was rather obstructive when it came to your life, but it really was hard to resist letting everypony know how great my fake son is.” Discord shrugged “But… she let me know that it’s not about the glory, the renown, or anything like that. It really is about being proud of you, for all the good you have done. She had mentioned things she was proud of you for, from that Starlight pony, to being a major force of bringing down the Storm King. It made me think of what could have happened to Equestria, to you, and to Fluttershy during my time away. And it also made me realize that I truly hadn’t done enough for you in comparison for what you’ve done for me, Fluttershy… And I guess everypony else. Please, Anon, accept the gift. It’d make me happy to know that you accept it without any suspicion.” He sounded so genuine, so normal, so caring. This was a rarity, even for him. His voice shook whenever it mentioned Fluttershy, his fear of losing her causing him to shiver. Alright...You’d do it. You reach for the orb and give it a tap with your hoof. The orb suddenly floats up in a brilliant white light, forcing you to shield your eyes with your leg. “Discord! What’s going on?!” Discord rose up, arms outstretched as he announced the spectacle of the orb like a grand event. “Anon! Witness the power of this orb as it flows within you! Witness, feel, and become even greater than you are now!” “What?! What do you mean by...OH SHIT!” You started to float up as the orb’s light began to envelope you. You tried kicking your legs, but at this point, it was no use “DISCORD! GODDAMMIT! FUUUUUCCCKKK!” Was all you could say as the orb’s brilliance silenced all sound, sight, and feeling. You didn’t know where you were, when you were, or even if you still existed. All you knew was a form of white darkness. “Anon…” You suddenly hear a voice. “Anon…” “It’s me, Discord. I apologize for the theatrics, but the orb, and indeed, this void of nothingness were merely a distraction. Now, don’t fret, what I had told you before is true. I just needed some actual time to properly create the gift I wanted to give you. You’ve been here for about an hour. Still plenty of time to talk to Fluttershy before she goes, so you needn’t worry about that. As for your actual gift, you’ll be happy to know that your horn has received an upgrade once again. Now, I’m afraid it’s still two charges like before, but this gift I have to give you should be more than adequate enough to match my feelings of pride for you. First, I have taken the map’s ability to take you home, and instead placed it into your horn. After much thought, it seemed more practical to give you the ability to return home at your will rather than pulling out a piece of parchment every time. Now, you still will need the use of water to make said portal, but still, it’s much better than having to rely on an item you may very well lose. The map still has its other function, so you don’t need to worry about that either.” “Now then, on to the second and most important addition to your horn. While I still ultimately feel that giving you too much chaos power could lead to Equestria’s imminent destruction, having no power at all after your initial two charges has led to some bad times for you in the past. So now, even without a charge, the horn will be able to use the basic unicorn ability of telekinesis, along with the power to generate a decently strong barrier. With this little boost to your horn, you should be more capable of handling yourself, especially when mixed with the training you have received from Rainbow Dash. I love you, Anon, as my friend and my son. This is my gift to you, and I hope you use it both responsibly… And chaotically. Now, when you are done with your visit with Fluttershy, please return home, I’ve arranged a meeting with Mr.Rich. Nothing fancy, I just happened to be interested in his wife’s little project she hired over fifty workers for. Now then, it’s time for me to release you from this void.” Discord, his voice, you swear he nearly cracked with sadness during his speech to you. As if waking up from a dream, the white around you began to dissipate as your consciousness began to return. An upgrade to your horn? You could now use very basic unicorn magic, even without your charges? That was actually pretty cool of him to do. And the portal thing? Yeah, after what happened with your adventure with Daring Do, that was definitely for the best. Discord was actually truthful for once. He cared that much. You knew he did, he’s shown it before, but to hear it all like that… What a guy, he truly was the best. “Oh, and Anon, watch your head. You still happen to be floating.” Wut? And before you could even react, your vision returns to the confines of your room. And a split second after, the floor itself came zooming into your face, causing a really loud thud. Or in truth, you ended up falling down and smashing your face onto the hard ground below you. You just groaned as you continued to look onto the hard, cold floor. “I’ll kill him...I fucking swear…”