The pitch black nothingness lasted a moment before the environment built itself around us like self-repairing glass. Each completed part of the memory added sound. Talking. Clinking of glass. Muffled steps on carpet. Ponies with shadowed facial details dressed in high society clothing faced my direction. Well, ‘my’ direction.
Chrysalis and Discord appeared next to me as I witnessed ‘myself’ seated at the table with a griffonness whose face was obfuscated by shadow. The other me wore a red military dress shirt with golden straps and buttons, while the griffonness donned a silver sleeveless dress and bangles.
I facehooved.
Oh. Oh no. Not this.
“Well, well, well, lookie what we have here!” Discord beamed. “Hot date with a griffon? Didn’t realize you were into other species.”
“Wouldn’t say he’s enjoying this particular date,” Chrysalis pointed at the past me, whose face screamed uncomfortably awkward.
“This was the first time Cadance tried to set me up on a blind date.”
Discord and Chrysalis’ heads whipped in my direction.
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “I was one of the only guards who wasn’t looking to, um, get it on with a nice mare. Personal reasons. Cadance can be… well, imagine a mad scientist who was really passionate about hooking ponies up.”
“Oho, this is just juicy! Although…” Discord scratched at his beard. “Her face seems to be covered in blank spots.”
“Memory gaps,” Chrysalis answered. “No memory is perfect, so situations such as these will arise where some details are hidden even to you. There might be an entire event hidden somewhere in your mind where you would never know to look.”
“Huh. Now that you mention it, I can’t remember what this griffon looked like or even her name. Kind of a shame. It really wasn’t my date’s fault the evening was awful.”
“I can help with that.”
I snapped my attention to Chrysalis. “Whoa, really?”
“Memory gaps in your subconscious are difficult to recover on your own. I can aid you in filling your memory gaps. Granted, you can only remember things you’ve actually seen or experienced in some way. You still have to put the memory back together yourself. I’ll just make the sure that process goes a little smoother.”
“Alright. Go for it.”
Chrysalis’ horn ignited brilliant emerald. I turned my focus to the shadowed faces. Almost immediately I caught a sensation clawing at the back of my mind, the kind where the answer burned at the tip of my tongue.
I started piecing together details with what I could remember. How a number of the ponies in the restaurant had graying manes. The gaps on some of their faces formed out of melding glass shards. Just barely could I mentally reach for those details, stringing them together like pieces to a puzzle: an elderly pony with thick black frames for glasses. A stallion who rubbed his hoof while staring nervously at his date. The older couple who rolled their eyes at me. Everything was coming together.
Soon, the atmosphere of the restaurant came to life. The patrons, clothing, classical music, smell of robust pasta sauce wafting the air, I could recall it all. Especially my date.
By griffon standards, she was attractive in a tough girl kind of way. Details rushed back to my mind. I’d always thought the purple mascara and those piercing gold eyes would’ve been a turn on if they didn’t seem to be perpetually set to ‘scowl’. Her fur was also a nice shade of brown and looked soft to the touch.
Discord nearly fell over. “Cadance set you up on a date with Gilda?!”
“Wait, you know her?” I asked. The only answer I got was a fit of hysterical laughter. I frowned. “What? What’s so funny?”
I patiently waited for Discord to calm down. After a minute, he wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh. Oh wow. Just… when we get out of this, you gotta tell Rainbow Dash. I need to see her face when she hears about this!”
“For what it’s worth, I know nothing about Gilda. I do have a question though,” Chrysalis pondered. “Why does Cadance think you’re into griffons?”
“It’s because of my dad, and no, this is not the time to talk about that. Let’s just go on to the next memory. Malice clearly hasn’t messed with this one.” I moved away from the scene.
The vision ended.
The universe twisted and restored itself. I shook off the dizziness, noting that Chrysalis also needed a moment to regain her senses. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Discord was unaffected.
“I really hope I don’t have to experience that with every single memory,” I groaned.
“Hard to say. I’m not sure which memory Malice could’ve possibly anchored,” said Chrysalis.
Discord took a quick glance of the area. “Malley isn’t what I would call a delicate flower. There likely will be signs of influence out there.”
“Then there’s no time to waste. I’ll take point,” I started towards the corridor with them in tow.
Walking through an area where I subconsciously imprisoned my own memories left a bad taste in my mouth. Discord and Chrysalis’ curiosities didn’t help matters. Half of the trip involved me chastising them repeatedly for getting “just a peek” at my memories, especially some of the more ‘questionable’ situations I’ve either stumbled or acted upon.
I knew we were going the right direction when we encountered more signs of Malice’s presence: thicker sheets of frost, icicles hanging on the ceiling, and drops in temperature that left my teeth chattering.
“What’s with Malice and this ice stuff? Couldn’t he have a more summery vibe or something?” I grumbled.
“If you got the energy to complain, you got the energy to get through it,” Chrysalis shot.
“I never said I couldn’t deal with it. The Crystal Empire is in the northern hemisphere, after all. At the very least I wouldn’t mind it being a little more… wait a second…!” Channeling the spark, I conjured a thick white cloak to throw around my shoulder. Damn I’m gonna miss being able to do that.
“I would certainly appreciate getting one of those cloaks,” Chrysalis said.
I smirked. “If you got the energy to complain, you got the energy to get through it.”
I ignored Chrysalis’ glare, but welcomed Discord’s chuckle. It didn’t take long for Discord to seize the opportunity and wrap himself around Chrysalis. There was no more complaining after that.
Down one particular corridor was an open prison gate. Icy winds howled at us as we drew closer to the prison, beckoning us towards the drifting layers of sleet. Unlike the other crystals, this one sent a prickly sensation along my skin. The pulsing energy that flowed from this crystal drilled a migraine into my skull. I turned my head to catch grim looks on Discord and Chrysalis’ faces.
There was no doubt; this had to be one of the primary sources of hatred Malice corrupted.
Chrysalis nodded at me. “You have to stay strong and face this. It’s the only way we are going to get to the root of Malice’s magic.”
“I know. Let’s go.” We delved into the memory.
“Ladies and gentlecolts, stomp your hooves for our next contestant; Flash Sentry!”
The thunderous applause from the crowd rooted me in place. My past self stood trembling behind the curtain, breathing through shaky pants. My pupils shrunk.
“A-alright. Here we go,” past me muttered to himself before striding to the center of the stage, guitar strapped on his back. The heat of the spotlights followed him all the way to the center stage, sweat pouring off him in waves. Rows of faceless ponies gradually hushed as he placed himself on the stool in front of the microphone.
“So was this some sort of side gig before you decided to become Celestia’s metal punching bag?” Discord asked.
I glared at Discord for a moment before looking back at my past self, staying silent.
“Oooh, now I get it!” Discord beamed. “You flopped the contest and got boo’d offstage. Pretty weak for the big bad secret Malley’s holding over your head.”
“Shut up and watch,” I seethed under my breath.
“H-hello Manehattan!” past me called out, voice shaky. “I want to thank you all for coming out today and for taking part of the biggest moment of my life. The prestige and honor of performing for you all and having a chance to play for our princesses is everything I could ever hope for. But there is one other reason I’m here,” I strummed the guitar for dramatic effort. “Love.”
I glared at Chrysalis, who made a gagging notion.
Past me continued. “There is a mare in attendance tonight who I wish to dedicate this song to. Somepony who has stuck by me through thick or thin and has been a constant source of happiness in my life. My confidant. My muse. The love of my life.”
Past Flash pointed in the crowd. On cue, a single spotlight turned on, centered right over the mare in question. My heart skipped a beat.
The orange mare was rooted to the seat, green eyes wide like a deer caught in train lights. Her head slowly looked around, though whether she was registering the fact the crowds were looking at her or seeking an escape route I couldn’t tell.
Discord went slack-jawed. “No way! You and Sunset Shimmer were a thing?!”
I kept my mouth shut, focused solely on the memory.
“Sunset,” my past self continued, “it is thanks to you I can be up here today, doing what I love. So allow me to show you what I’m made of.” He strummed the guitar again, starting the song. “Let me show you what’s in my heart.” his eyes closed.
♪Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom,
Two hearts becoming one
A bond that cannot be undone because—
Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
Let’s start a new life and make a home
For us♪
I remembered how my heart pounded so hard I could barely hear my own music. How all I could to pull myself together was focus on the song. Yet, even as a nervous wreck, I was still doing what I loved for someone I loved.
It killed me to know how cowardly I’ve become...
♪Our special day
Let’s celebrate now, the pony way
My love, I’ll always be near
Won't let these moments disappear because—
Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
Let’s start a new life and make a home
For us~♪
The auditorium went silent.
Sunset’s jaw hung open, her eyes conveying a thousand emotions.
There was one last thing past me had to say. The finishing touch.
“Sunset Shimmer. Will you marry me?”
Chrysalis and Discord looked just as stunned as the rest of the crowd. Sunset looked ready to faint.
Her muzzle mouthed to form words, only for nothing to come out. Everyone waited for Sunset’s answer with baited breath. Seconds felt like years.
Without a word, Sunset suddenly got out the chair and made her way down the carpet aisle towards past me. She climbed the stairway onto the stage, walked over to past Flash, and kissed him.
The crowd whooped. Discord and Chrysalis grew confused.
“So… happy ending much?” Chrysalis shrugged. “Looks like everything turned out perfectly. I don’t see what—”
Sunset broke the kiss.
“It’s over, Flash.”
In a flurry of light, Sunset teleported.
Her words echoed among the eerie quiet. Everypony in the audience heard it.
What started as celebratory fanfare ended in confused silence. The same sensations struck me now as did that moment, staring over the murmuring crowd. Panic rose to my chest, strangling air out of my lungs. Strength left my legs, dropping me on my haunches. I tried to look away, but my mind went blank. I couldn’t breathe.
The world spun around me. Hundreds of faceless ponies stared with mixed expressions. Whispers among the crowd grew louder, almost deafening. Condescending. Pitying. Laughing. My heartbeat quickened as terror seized me. Darkness edged at my vision.
The vision ended.
We returned to the memory dungeon in an uncomfortable silence. I couldn’t bring myself to meet their gazes or stop trembling. My breath finally caught up with me.
“I know you two are thinking it,” I eventually said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “This happened so many years ago. It’s only a breakup. That happens to everypony. I should just forget her and move on, right? Only a colt this pathetic would let a breakup hang over his head for so long.”
“Well,” Discord began hesitantly, “my initial thought was Sunny was being a colossal bi–hey!” He jumped at Chrysalis’s elbow to the ribs, which earned him her ‘be sensitive’ glare.
My shoulders slumped. “I hate this. Her. That crowd. All of it. I… I hate not knowing why she left. How pathetic and weak I was.” My voice grew louder. Harsher. “I thought I was finally able to put her out of my mind forever, but Twilight just had to go and remind me how she moved on and found someone while I never… damn it!”
I cut loose and punched the wall with all my might, sending a shockwave of electricity through the air, leaving shards of stone in its wake. Discord and Chrysalis jumped back to dodge the streaks of lightning.
“Flash, calm down or you’re going to lead Malice straight to us!” Chrysalis yelled.
“Calm down? What do you mean? I’m fine!”
“Y’know, I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m gonna take a guess and say you are as far from ‘fine’ as you could possibly get.”
“Shut up, Discord! I’ve had it up to here with your bullshit!” The temperate dropped around us. The wind increased in strength. “I don’t care what you think of me, but if you keep pissing me off, Malice will be the least of your problems!”
“Both of you, enough!” Chrysalis yelled. “Flash, remember what your anger has cost you. Are you prepared to throw more lives away?”
Twilight’s face flashed in my mind.
“I...I just…Gah! Give me a minute,” I turned away and forced myself to take a long breath, motioning my trembling hoof to my chest and pushing out as I exhaled. In. Out. Rinse and repeat.
A warm gust rushed through the corridor. With each breath I took, the breeze ebbed and flowed, tickling my fur. The sensation kept my mind from tipping over the edge, soothing my rattled nerves.
“Oooh, that feels nice,” Discord groaned, stretching his limbs in a dramatic fashion. “Think you can whip us up some margaritas while you’re crying us a river?”
The breeze stopped. Whatever moment of peace I thought I had was thrown out the Celestia-damned window.
“...excuse me?”
“Actually, you’re right. I would rather have a Sunrise on the rocks. And make it snappy.”
“We’re going to die,” Chrysalis facehooved. “We’re going to die because this idiot can’t keep his mouth shut!”
“Look Flash, I know this is heartbreaking and all, but it’s just a mare. There are plenty others out there for you to fawn over. Just in case you missed the memo, ponies and changelings alike have died. Even more are going to die if we don’t stop Malice and, quite frankly, I’m insulted that our lives hang in the balance because you’re too pathetic to get over some girl.”
Fire lit up in Discord’s irises. “I refuse to end up like Twilight because you can’t get over yourself!”
Black lightning arced just past his face. Discord went silent, face ashened as he threw a shocked look at me.
Discord can never know loss like you and I.
My breath hitched, white hoof remained aimed in his direction. I couldn’t stop shaking.
The feeling of losing something important to you. A core part of your soul, gone in a blink. It is a terrible weight for warriors like us to carry. Discord took away from me what he mocks you for. He only cares about himself.
Part of his words rang odd in my mind, yet there was no denying Malice and I were both on the same page with Discord. Sparks of energy rippled and popped around me.
Make him pay for his insolence.
Suddenly, the electricity surged encircled my hoof. The glare I threw at Discord was enough to make even him flinch.
Show him our pain.
My muscles tightened. Discord raised his fingers to snap.
After a moment, I released a long sigh.
...you’re gonna have to try harder than that, Malice. Discord is an asshole, but I’d rather die than give in to you.
Malice’s laughed echoed in my mind. I will enjoy watching your last shred of resistance shatter before me. You cannot ignore who you are forever.
The energy that flooded me faded into small embers.
“I know, Discord,” I lowered my hoof and gaze, despair etched in my expression. “I know. And I’m sorry.”
“H-hey, I didn’t mean…” Discord hesitated. “Flash, I… err… you know what? I’m going to just go to work over here and mind my own business. Good? Good.”
I looked up to find Discord awkwardly moving towards the memory crystal. The stilted atmosphere left a bad taste in my mouth.
Chrysalis approached me cautiously. “Are you always this aggressive? Most ponies are not this violent.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the ‘take sh—crap and do nothing’ type of stallion. But no, I don’t normally throw lightning at someone’s face when I’m pissed off. I just… look, I’ll be fine, just do what you got to do.”
Chrysalis frowned, then turned her attention to Discord. “Discord, did you find what you were looking for?”
Discord let out a whistle. “Oooh yeah, this is a huge catalyst all right. Malley’s been all over this bad boy. No doubt about it; this is one of Malley’s anchor points.”
I perked up and pushed the dark mood behind me for a moment. “Is it enough to deal with him?”
“I’m about to find out.” Discord placed his paw on the crystal. As he slowly pulled back, a sphere of pure black energy appeared around the crystal. “This is a literal ball of hatred pulled from this memory. Hey, didn’t you mention that you tried to hate her?”
“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin,” Chrysalis answered before I could. Her gaze drifted towards me. “You clearly harbor a generous amount of hatred towards her. But from what I witnessed, that’s not the only thing you still feel for her, is it?”
I winced. “No. It isn’t.”
“You poured your heart and soul into that act. You loved the attentive silence of the crowd. Their cheers when Sunset kissed you. Then it was all torn to shreds in front of you, which lead to you resenting music. You came to loathe the performance, the crowd, your past love. They all made you feel so weak and violated, but you also can’t help but mourn all the good things you lost that day. Even though you hate the love you felt for her, you still feel that way nonetheless.
“It seems as if these emotions go hoof in hoof with you, and considering you’re quite the prideful type, more so than the crowd and even Sunset, you must hate yourself for being unable to get over it. If it’s lasted this long, your sense of inferiority and levels of self-loathing have likely turned pathological. It’s no surprise that suppressing all those emotions eventually backfired and became self-destructive—”
“Alright, I get it!” I snapped. I instantly regretted it, reminded of when I snapped at Twilight for poking at my sore spot. Ugh, why can’t I get it together? Stop acting like a brat and grow up, damn it!
“I told you from the start you would have to face your memories. Lives depend on it. Be prepared.” Chrysalis glanced at Discord. “I think it’s about time we got started.”
Discord nodded. His paw and claw maneuvered and tapped against the black sphere. “Alright, Flash. I’m gonna start tinkering with this leyline of Malice’s magic tied to your memory. While I do this, I’m gonna be doing some, well, stuff with my own magic. You will feel some pressure while I work on this.”
“Pressure? What pre-—AGH!”
Pain shot all over my body. Heat coiled through my mind and limbs. Everything felt like it was being torn apart.
Chrysalis’ eyes widened, now in full blown panic mode. “Discord, you’re killing him!”
“Don’t worry, I got this. This magic is just so tightly wound around his emotions and senses. It’s like trying to unstring a ball of yarn if it was made of steel.”
Spots flickered in my dazed vision. Lines of color streaked before my eyes. I swore I could taste the color red. I slumped to the floor, panting and writhing in agony.
“If he dies, we’re done for! Stop it!” Chrysalis screamed.
“No! Keep going!” I forced out. “I—gah—can take it! If you think you’re getting somewhere, go for it.” I took in a few gulps of air, clutching my head.
“Not good,” Discord frowned. “The sphere tightened. I think it’s reacting to whatever he’s feeling. The negative feelings are clutching the memory like its life depends on it.”
Chrysalis cupped her chin, looking between me and the crystal. After a moment, her eyes lit up.
“You have to let her go, Flash. As long as you feel that affection for her, you will always feel the hate as well. One emotion cannot exist without the other, they’re tied together too closely.”
I laughed bitterly. “I’ve been trying to forget her for years. What am I supposed to do? Magically forget her now?”
Chrysalis shook her head. “I didn’t say forget about her. I said let her go.” She took a seat next to me, eyes staring ahead. “If you don’t learn to let go, you’ll end up like me.”
The pain receded slightly. “What?”
“Noble Heart used to preach on and on about simply talking to you ponies to help us survive. Getting food and staying in secret works well for smaller groups, but our hive had grown further than we could manage to sustain while staying out of sight. We’ve been on the verge of starvation. But I couldn’t bare the thought. My hatred for Celestia outstripped my desire for a peaceful solution that involved ponies. I couldn’t move past that, even if peaceful negotiation would’ve had stronger odds than, well, what I had actually chosen to do instead. Perhaps if I had forgone my anger in favor of my changelings’ survival, things could’ve been different.”
A small, knowing smile spread on her muzzle. “It’s remarkable you still hold her so dear, but this memory will bring you nothing but pain. I know that this isn’t something you conquer overnight, nor do it only once, but if you ever want to move on you need to make that first step now.”
I tried to stand, but a flare of pain from whatever Discord was doing drained at my strength. “Kinda wish you thought all of this before you invaded Canterlot. Would’ve saved a lot of lives.”
Chrysalis laughed bitterly. “Indeed. I still struggle with facing that nightmare everyday. When Discord saved me and gave me a second chance, I knew I could no longer be the changeling I was months ago. Nevermind my own survival or sanity, I have to put my changelings and daughter’s best interest ahead of my old, biased ways. Just as you have to put the interests of those you fight for ahead of your own old, biased ways.”
I couldn’t tell what shocked me more; Chrysalis telling me all of this, or that Noble at some point talked about changelings and ponies working together. One truth was certain; the stallion I am now can’t beat this. Not in a million years. I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, digesting Chrysalis’ words of wisdom.
Chrysalis has a point. This can’t go on anymore. Sunset is gone. I’m sure she had her reasons. Maybe I just didn’t know her like I thought I did. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Either way, trying to bury everything about that day clearly isn’t working, and this ‘pressure’ is not making things any easier to think through.
That… leaves me with only one choice, doesn’t it?
“Hey Chrysalis,” I called out. “Mind if I… air out some thoughts? Ramble a bit?”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
I sighed. “I can’t think straight with whatever Discord is doing, and keeping this hot mess of thoughts in my head only seems to make things worse thanks to this pathos nonsense. The only solution I can think of is to just let it out.”
“Agreed. Keeping negativity buried under lock and key in this situation will only fuel the tether that is Malice’s anchor. Although I am rather curious; are you sure you sure you want me to hear it?”
“No, but I haven’t gotten anywhere by keeping it to myself. Besides, you’ve already seen most of my life story. The damage is already done.”
Chrysalis smiled. “Good answer. Proceed.”
Alright. Here we go.
“I’ve always been pretty feisty when I was younger. Got into a lot of fights, and I mean a lot of them. Only went after bullies and assholes, though. When Gilford, my stepdad, came into the picture and helped me learn to appreciate music, I knew I found something else I could put my energy into. That music was what brought Sunset and I together. What we bonded over.”
I sighed. The pain began to subside.
“I still remember all those sessions we had where I taught her how to play. She was almost as bad as I was when I started. Between her study sessions with Princess Celestia we would just kick it and have a good time playing together. Sometimes when she came home upset after a fight with the princess, it was one of the few things we could do together that let her vent and calm her down.
“But when, well, that happened, music started reminding me of those times we had together. Everything started hurting again. It was like I was back at that place, facing down those judging eyes, watching the one pony I loved so much just up and go as if those few short years we were together never happened. So I stopped. Just wanted to pretend those days never existed.”
Warm, vibrant energy smothered the agonizing sensations until they were mild throbs of irritation.
“That feeling of… well, guess you can call it inadequacy ended up following me. When I lost my friends in the invasion, all of that anger, fear, and inferiority felt validated. I vowed to never let myself be that weak again and, well, look at me now.” I blinked the wetness out of my eyes. “I’ve never been weaker.”
“Throwing a ‘slain princess’ on the list clearly compounded on that inferiority complex,” Chrysalis said. “The only difference now is the rest of Equestria may suffer if you succumb to this. Knowing this, what will you do?”
“To start, I have to make it through this and get back to my team. I don’t think I’m ready to do the whole ‘forgiveness’ thing or have an answer to deal with all of this, but I can start by accepting that I can no longer run away from it. It’s literally being shoved in front of my face and ruining not just my life, but everyone else’s lives.”
My chest swelled, reinvigorated with my second wind. I rolled onto my hooves and stood up, feeling lighter than ever. I wasn’t sure where this energy came from, but I felt like I could take on the world.
“I don’t have time to throw myself a pity party. I still have a job to do, and I’m going to finish that job by mopping the floor with Malice. I’m still a member of the Royal Guard, and nothing is going to stop me from doing everything I can to protect Equestria. Even if I have to protect it from myself.”
“That’s it!” Discord, who looked like a foal who just experienced their first Hearth’s Warming. “Eureka! I’ve cracked the code!”
I glanced over at Discord to see the sphere in his hands pulse and began to unwound.
“That’s great news! What did you find?” I asked.
“I’ve figured out how Malley’s champion magic works. That little burst of ‘oorah’ you just had was the missing piece to the puzzle I needed.”
I blinked. “Uh, mind filling in the blanks?”
“Alright. So… pop quiz! Why do different species use different magic? Why do pegasi fly? Dragons breathe fire? Chrissy stays grumpy?”
“No idea,” I answered, stifling a chuckle. Chrysalis simply glared at him.
“You’re simply born that way. You can’t breathe fire, teleport, or do anything outside the starter kit you got at birth. What Malley did was upgrade that starter kit into the VIP package, changing up what you can and cannot do. Only catch is that he’s your sponsor, and your tribute is whatever emotion aligns with his modus operandi.”
“So he gives me kickass powers, but in return my anger fuels him, creating a vicious cycle.”
“Bingo! Now, this is clearly old news, except for one tiny detail; I operate the same way, just with a slightly different emotion. I’m all about freedom, creativity, doing whatever I want when I want. You may be thinking ‘chaos’, but that’s just the finished product of what actually gets my juicy chaos powers flowin’.” Discord waggled his eyebrows at Chrysalis, who rolled her eyes. “If you want a name for that emotion, guess you can say inspiration.”
“So what does this mean?”
“Remember when you had that cheesy adorkable moment with the ice and music? You used Malice’s magic, but the emotion tied to it wasn’t anger. It was passion. Fun fact: inspiration and anger are best buds with passion. ”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Correct me if I’m hearing you wrong, but are you telling me there’s an emotion that you both feed on? And that emotion is passion?”
“Exactly, and that’s my ticket in. With any luck, I should be able to champion Flash too.”
Chrysalis quirked an eyebrow. “Too? As in, both you and Malice championing him? Would that even work without ripping him apart?”
“No idea. It’ll take me some time to figure out this mess of magic, but the key is definitely in Flash focusing on passion.”
“And what about getting rid of Malice?”
“Not with just one of your major catalyst. There’s an even stronger catalyst somewhere in this prison. If we can take care of that one, there is a possibility I can get rid of him. But even then…”
Whatever gave him pause left a terrible feeling in my stomach. “Spit it out.”
“Well… there’s still the problem that he’s stronger than me. He’s been doing this far longer than I have, and trying to stay hooked up with you and Chrissy while beating back his raging hate boner is a pain in the ass.”
...I swear he’s doing this on purpose. I groaned internally. When Chrysalis facehooved, I knew we were on the same page.
Discord continued. “If worse comes to worse, there’s one thing I can do, but you’re not going to like it.”
“And that is…?”
Discord sighed. “I can sever his connection to pathos outside your body with a little work. I can do this by basically locking Malice in a box by also locking a bit of myself in a box to act as a seal, just like I did to him way back when. But a lock is no good without a container strong enough to keep him in. As you can imagine, I don’t keep a spare spirit-lock-box around for obvious reasons. There’s only one container we have on our hooves.”
That’s when it dawned on me. The good feeling I had earlier was brushed aside by pure disgust and horror.
“Me,” I answered.
Discord nodded. “To be honest, it wouldn’t be foolproof either. I bet even you could put two and two together with what would happen if you let him beat you.”
I swallowed hard. “That… is just a last resort, right?”
“Second to last resort. And no, I’d rather not talk about what the actual last resort is. Either way, we’re not going to get anywhere unless we try to take care of that other catalyst. I’ll stay here and foalsit this one and get everything set up. Rather not try to champion you right now though if I can help it. For all we know, you could explode.”
I paled. “Yeah, how about we don’t test that. In fact, let’s not mention me and explosions in the same sentence ever again.”
“Deal. Now go on and tackle whatever trauma you got left and let me work. Going to need all of my concentration to handle this and play hide-and-seek with Malley.”
With a nod, Chrysalis and I moved further down the corridor. By the time we got out of sight of Discord, my hooves moved with the weight of lead. Best case scenario: I kick Malice out and Discord gives me some new powers to fight him. At worst, everything else from what Discord described.
“Discord knows what he’s doing,” Chrysalis reassured. “He’s a buffoon with far more power than anyone other than me has a right to wield, but he is far more focused and careful than he lets on. He won’t let you die like this.”
I nodded, urging my limbs to cooperate. The rest of the walk was in silence, following the increasingly chilling path. It wasn’t long until we found what we were looking for.
As the end of the third corridor was another open prison gate. Unlike the previous memory, every step towards this one filled me with tension. My heart raced, pressure intensifying through my wings. By the time we stood in front of the corrupted memory, I was ready to lie down and sleep off the ache in my chest and wings.
“No question about it. This is definitely the other anchor,” she said.
Being equally curious and terrified, I moved one step closer. The emotions that radiated from the memory were overwhelming, stronger than anything I've ever felt in my life.
Compared to the intensity of it I felt tiny and lost. Trapped in a cold grip, I couldn't move anymore. My chest tensed up, rendering me unable to answer her.
My wings began to twitch, instincts screaming at me to spread them and flee. However, I knew that my only way was forward. There was just one thing to do.
I forced a trembling hoof forward and triggered the memory.