Gateroom staff had a history of experiencing some intense moments. Most of it, oddly enough, revolved around things exploding. The ranting of an enraged pony was a new one to everyone. It had begun as soon as SR-1 went into their debriefing with the general, with no clear end in sight.
"I could've killed innocent people with my stunt!" Bon Bon barked, stamping her hooves in front of Higgs. "I get making sure your teams are ready, but this was insane!" Whipping around to Carter, she snorted. "How the hay could you sign off on this insanity!?"
"We've used this sort of training before," Carter replied, her tone even in the face of Bon Bon's rage. "It's proven effective at showing the potential of our recruits."
"You used live ammo on us!!" Bon Bon seethed, stamping heer hooves hard enough to crack the floor. "The hay is wrong with you!?"
"That wasn't live ammo," Higgs cut in. "We used non-lethal weapons that we took from a Goa'uld training camp years ago."
"We were using intars, as you were," Carter elaborated, outwardly displaying a face of calm, although her eyes focused on Bon Bon's hoof. "The SGC upgraded them exactly for these sort of training exercises."
"I have to agree with Bon Bon," Devon said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Between Floyd's magic and Bon Bon's explosives, some of the troops could've died. Train us all you want, but this wasn't the way to do it."
Higgs shifted, gesturing to Bon Bon. "We weren't expecting you to peek behind the curtain and find Oz. The plan was for me to walk you through a hostile situation, to see what stuck."
"Right because when put in a situation where we're afraid for our lives and given reason to distrust our squad leader, everything's gonna go according to plan," Floyd shot back, his head still killing him. "Next we should walk into an enemy base, unarmed, for peace talks. Nothing bad could possibly happen."
Despite getting his amulet back, his body was still reeling from the disconnect. He had already taken the maximum amount of painkillers, left only with a constant throb. Sunburst had offered an explanation for his reaction, though Floyd hadn't been paying that much attention.
"I'm with the others on this," Lyra spoke up, looking between Higgs and Carter with a frown. "This was a terrible idea for a training exercise. Imagine if you did this with a squad containing a pegasus. People could've been hit by lightning, which I don't think humans can shrug off."
"And don't forget dragons," Devon pressed. "I don't think they'd hesitate to charbroil those soldiers if they felt their lives were on the line."
"You make very excellent points," Carter relented. "We looked at this exercise from a human perspective and neglected to take into account the abilities of our new allies. From now on, we won't make that mistake."
"Considering the damage Bon Bon caused, this will be the only one of these exercises," Higgs followed up, glancing at the mare in question. "We'll just have to come up with another graduation test."
"How about one your cadets actually know is a test," Bon Bon snapped, turning on her hooves. "If you need me, I'll be in my room."
"There is one last thing, Sweetie Drops," Carter replied, her voice neutral.
Bon Bon turned around, a blank look on her face. "Yes, General?"
Carter held her gaze for a moment before speaking. "You far exceeded our expectations, all of you. Get some rest, your first mission will be assigned in the next few days. Make sure you're prepared."
SR-1 snapped a half-hearted salute and turned away from the general to go to their respective rooms. Their irritation dissipated as they walked, exhaustion taking root. Floyd allowed Devon to support him, taking slow, careful steps. As they walked, Floyd's head finally started to stop throbbing. It made their journey easier and he eventually assured the other man that he could walk on his own.
The group split up once they reached their rooms, Devon following Floyd just to make sure he was okay. Once Floyd was in his room, he collapsed onto his bed and sighed. Staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the test he had been told he'd passed.
"What a shitty test..." he grumbled to himself, putting his hands behind his head. Closing his eyes, Floyd allowed his head to sink into his pillow. "I don't get paid enough for this." A yawn escaped his lips and he didn't bother trying to fight the urge to sleep. "Just glad Ember doesn't have to take it. Devon's right, she'd burninate all those soldiers," he muttered before drifting off to sleep.
Floyd's dreams took a strange turn; one moment he was on a set directing the best horror movie he could imagine, and the next he was in a misty white plane with a sea of stars above him. Before he could question what was happening, Princess Luna stepped out from the mist, looking regal, as always.
"Greetings, young Floyd," she said, bowing her head. "I hope your training has been treating you well."
"I was just tricked into thinking that my trainers had turned on us and didn't approve of Hallan SGC members for the sake of making sure we were ready for real combat," he answered flatly. "My biological processes went off the rails when they took my amulet and I'm still dealing with it."
"Hmm, we will have a word with General Carter about this training method," Luna assured him. "I am sorry you had to go through such an experience."
"You don't owe me an apology, Princess," Floyd assured her. "So, what brings you to my dreams? I was kinda in the middle of the big horror scene when you showed up. Peter Cushing was about to banish Cthulu to the ninth circle of hell."
Luna blinked owlishly, regarding the young man with utter confusion, "I have no idea what any of that meant." Clearing her throat, she gestured to his chest. "I came to see how your training with Sunburst is going. We can't have the world's only magic man be taught by a loser."
It was Floyd's turn to be confused. He stared blankly at the mare, trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly. "Uh, excuse me, Princess? What was that last part?"
"I-I have no idea why I said that," Luna responded, her muzzle scrunching up. "It seems I really don't have a clue at all."
Doing his best to ignore her strange outburst, he answered, "My lessons have been going well. Sunburst is patient with me even when I struggle with something basic."
"Excellent!" Luna's face turned uncomfortable as she struck a pose. "We won't have to banish that goateed dropout to the moon! He has staved off our wrath for now!"
"Princess, are you feeling okay?" Floyd questioned, stepping over to her and putting the back of his hand to her forehead. "You're not acting like yourself at all."
"That's because she's a filthy little backstabber," a male voice responded. "She'll stab any family member in the back, even the ones she conspires with!" Rising out of the clouds was Discord, looking exactly as the gatestaff had reported. "Isn't that right, Lulu?"
"You took my memories from me, how am I supposed to answer that question?" Luna answered flatly, glaring at the chimeric mess.
"How about you take some time off and think about it, okay?" Lifting Luna up by her mane, he held her at arm's length. "Floyd and I have some things to talk about. So why don't you be a good little filly and run along." Unzipping the air, he tossed Luna through and sealed the rift. "Now then! Just us guys now!"
"So, you're Discord, huh?" Floyd inquired, tensing up as he tried to size up the draconequus. "Not to be rude, but I'm kinda getting a Q from TNG vibe from you."
"You know, that's what General Carter thought." Discord grinned curling around the young man. "See, my boy, we have much to discuss!" Discord pushed Floyd back into the therapist's couch, taking a seat across from him. "Now, tell me about your mother."
For some reason, Floyd felt it was best that he played along. Something along the lines of defying the chaos spirit's expectations. Letting out a sigh, he rested his head on the couch. "Doctor Discord, I think I have some deeply held resentment for her. What should I do?"
Discord nodded, writing on a notepad. "I think I should get better acquainted with you. Nurse, restrain the patient please."
A version of Discord in a blonde wig, bright red lipstick and a stereotypical nurse's outfit popped into existence besides Floyd with leather straps in his hand. "Right away, Doctor." With a wink towards the original, the copy strapped the young man to the chair before he could even twitch.
"Now, remain still, I'd rather not have to reverse a lobotomy." Cracking his knuckles, Discord reached his claws over, sinking a talon into Floyd's forehead. "Hmmm...mmmhmm... Oh my! You are quite the trouble maker, aren't you?" Floyd attempted to speak, only for a random string of gibberish to come out. "Ah, that was rhetorical my boy; I've got my talon pressed down on your frontal lobe so speaking is going to be beyond you."
Floyd cringed, flinching as Discord removed his talon. "You dick! You can do anything, and you pick the worst way to read my mind! Just tell me what you want so I can enjoy my sleep, you Sheogorath knock-off."
"Oh, that's just mean," Discord replied, pouting pitifully at Floyd. "I'm chaotic, not crazy. Plus, I prefer sweets over cheese." Reaching into the young man's ear, he pulled out a ball of cotton candy. "Care to have some?"
"No, I don't want to eat your weird brain candy," Floyd replied, glaring at him. "Are we just gonna do this all night? Why don't you go troll someone else?"
"Oh fine, rain on my parade." In a flash of light, a rain cloud appeared over Floyd's head and began to downpour. "I'm here because of the little trinket around your neck." Getting into Floyd's face, he stared into his eyes. "I told the General I wouldn't interrupt your little war games, but now you're here and I'm not holding back."
"And why do you care about the amulet?" Floyd inquired, his hand going to his neck.
"I grew up here, this was my home." The blank mindscape shifted, transforming into a lively Shangri-La gateroom populated by darker skinned humans in tunics. "These were my family, family that I cared for deeply." Discord pulled back, looking out over the balcony. "Why wouldn't I care if some little snot went grave robbing?"
Floyd's head whipped around, taking in the scene around him. Several of the people passed through him, causing him to shudder. "I don't know why I put the amulet on, it was like the thing... called out to me. I know that sounds lame but its the truth."
Discord snorted, putting his hand on Floyd's head. "The thing is, Floyd, they aren't here. I am. Which means, I'll be the one deciding if you can keep that little trinket or not, mmkay?"
"Uh, can you please let me keep it?" Floyd asked, gulping. "I've already dealt with magic withdrawal and it is not fun. What do you want me to do to prove I deserve it?" How was he supposed to talk down a Chaos God? Trade witty insults? Granted, Discord probably had a lot more experience in that department.
"Ah, now that is an excellent question." Discord coiled around Floyd again, poking his forehead. "See, I've already poked around in all your memories. You're a man after my own heart." Reaching into his chest, he pulled out his beating heart. "But, that's not exactly a good thing when we're talking about inheriting something as important as that necklace."
"So you're just gonna take it from me?" Floyd questioned, a pit forming in his stomach. "There have to be ascended Shangrians. Why don't you just ask their opinion. They don't seem to have a problem with me having it."
"They don't want to talk to me." Discord snorted, filing his talons. "They never bothered to visit during my time as a lawn ornament so I don't see them popping in for a chat any time soon. As it stands I'm the only one who has any real claim to Shangri-La."
"That's a bit bipolar, isn't it? They probably didn't visit because they knew you were in time out and didn't want to interrupt." Floyd raised an eyebrow. " And are you sure about that? I mean, didn't Celestia and Luna grow up here too? Or is that a part of your 'tortured' backstory?"
"Keep it up and I'll turn you into a weasel on top of taking the amulet," Discord warned, leveling a glare at the human.
"Not very harmonious of you, now is it?" Floyd retorted, glaring back. "Just tell me what I have to do so I can get you out of my head. I have better things to do than talk to Frankenstein's reject."
Discord ignored the insult, snapping his talons. "Oh, I think you'll have an idea of what I have in store for you once you wake up. A little, teeny weeny surprise, just for you Floyd."
"What the hell does that me–" Floyd didn't have a chance to finish his question as he felt the pull of consciousness on his mind. Though when he woke up, he was greeted by darkness and a weight over his entire body.
"The hell did that monster do to me!?" Floyd growled, wriggling out from under said weight. Each movement was just wrong. Everything was wrong with his body and he had no idea why. It was like the joints in his arms and legs were bending the wrong way. Plus, there was something agitating his forehead and he couldn't quite place why. He tried flexing his fingers and toes, only to get no response.
With a grunt, he freed himself from his prison, finding himself in his room... if it had been resized for a giant. "He shrank me?!" Shaking with anger, Floyd pushed himself to his feet, only to topple over. He tried it again, only to meet similar results and wound up sprawled out on his bed.
He was ready to let out a growl of frustration, only for the sound to die in his throat. Right in front of him where arms should be, he was instead greeted by tan hooves. Glancing up, a pair of antennae hung down into his vision. A scream tore out of his mouth and he reached up to tug at the antennae on his forehead. He failed to get a grip, only succeeding in making them bob in his face.
"What the hell am I?!" Floyd cried, struggling to get himself upright. "Discord! You mismatched asshole! What did you do to me?!" Shakily, he managed to get onto his new hooves and swore he could hear the faint sound of the chaos spirit laughing at him.
Taking a breath, Floyd did his best to rein in his anger. Exploding wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Step one, get some help. Where'd I leave my comms?" He took a few moments to examine his room, looking for his walkie. Groaning, he saw that he had left it on his nightstand. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but with his diminished size the small gap may as well have been the Grand Canyon.
"Okay, how the hell am I supposed to get up there?" Floyd stared at the nightstand before touching one of his antenna. "If I have these... Maybe I have wings?" Deciding to take a chance, he tried flexing muscles on his back where wings might be.
To his utter amazement, he got a response. Though he didn't seem to have the shelled wings of something like a beetle. When he turned his head, he was greeted by the sight of garishly-colored butterfly wings.
"Right. Wings are a thing. Now I just have to teach myself to fly..." Taking a deep breath, he continued to flex where he had before, hoping to make some sort of flapping motion. Instead of a flap, all he managed to achieve were some weak twitches. Grunting, he continued his attempt to move his wings. "This'll have to be good enough," he grumbled, moving towards the edge of the bed.
"One... two... three!" Beating his wings, he jumped off his bed, flapping as hard as he could. "God, this sucks," he muttered, managing to grab onto the ledge just as his wings gave out. Heaving, he pulled himself onto the nightstand. "Whatever this body is, it's worthless."
Shaking himself out like a dog, Floyd made a beeline for the 'transmit' button. With a heave of strength and a few muttered swears, he managed to turn it on. "Yes! Finally, things are working out!" Once he heard the device crackle to life, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Higgs! This is Floyd! That Discord creep turned me into something! I'm some kind of pony fairy!"
There was another crackling on the other end and Higgs replied with, "A what now? Hendrix, you sound like you've sucked down a canister of helium."
"Just come help me! And don't swat anything that flies up to you!" Floyd commanded, buzzing his wings in agitation. "I'm not spending another second like this!"
"Alright, don't get your panties in a wad," Higgs responded before the other end of the line cut off.
Looking around the room, Floyd grumbled to himself. Everything looked too big. "He freaking turned me into Tinkerbell! That son of a bitch better hope I don't get my hands back!" He didn't know if it would be possible to choke the chaos spirit, but damn if it didn't feel good to imagine.
A knock interrupted Floyd's ranting. "Hendrix," came Higgs' voice through the door. "Your skinny ass still alive in there?"
Rolling his eyes, Floyd hopped onto the talk button of his radio. "Yeah, I'm still alive. I'd greet you at the door but these wings are shitty. Come in, I'm on the nightstand."
With a grunt of acknowledgement, Higgs stepped into the room. "How are you on the nightstand?" he asked, glancing around the room. His eyes caught movement, landing on Floyd's tiny form. "Well, I'll be damned."
"Yeah, not exactly happy about this," Floyd replied, still using the radio. "Just pick me up and get me to Discord so I can be normal again."
"Right." Gingerly scooping Floyd up, Higgs tapped his comms. "General, this is Higgs. I'm taking Hendrix to the infirmary. Can you meet us there, over."
"What the hell is a doctor going to do for me?!" Floyd squeaked, whipping his head up at the man. "Just take me to Discord and let me be me again." A growl escaped his lips as Higgs ignored him.
"Look Hendrix, we gotta make sure that Discord left you in a stable body," Higgs told him, exiting the room. "What if the bastard left a nasty surprise like a disease or bomb in you?"
"Bah!" Throwing his hooves up, Floyd mentally checked out of the situation. Glaring at nothing in particular, the former human fumed in impotent rage. Reality didn't reach him until Higgs placed him down.
"Doc, we've got a bit of a problem here," Higgs said, looking at the man in question. "One of my squad got turned into a pony fairy."
The doctor turned, confusion overtaking his face as he regarded Floyd. "Put him on the scanner," he stated simply. Already pulling a pair of gloves on, he spoke a few orders to his nurses. "Floyd, how are you feeling?"
"Not exactly the right question to ask right now, Doc," Floyd deadpanned, his antennae twitching. "I don't feel like I'm about to die, so I guess that's something." His mood only worsened as Dr. Juan poked at his head. "Doc, I'm not a damn toy!"
"I'm just examining you, Mr. Hendrix," Dr. Juan assured, pulling his hand away. "A lot like so many other things that we've encountered on this planet, you're unlike anything I've seen before."
"Maybe one of the ponies would know something?" one of the nurses suggested, placing a tray of tools next to Floyd. "He does appear to be some sort of subspecies."
"I'm on it," Higgs said, tapping his walkie talkie. "Bon Bon, do you copy? Discord turned Floyd into some kind of tiny pony with butterfly wings."
It took a moment for the mare to respond. "Discord turned him into a breezie?"
"If you say so," Higgs told her, taking his hand away from the radio. "There you go, this really is something native to the planet."
"I don't care what a breezie is, I don't want to be one!" Floyd snapped, allowing the doctor to examine his wings.
"Hopefully you won't be one for long," Higgs assured him, stepping back towards the door. "We'll talk to Discord right after this. Though, given the General's briefing, he'll probably need some coercion."
Floyd shifted on the scanner, gritting his teeth as the nurses continued their work. "Apparently that guy doesn't like that I put on the amulet. Says it used to belong to his teacher." A touch at his side made him jump. "Hey! Watch where you're touching!"
"Sorry," the nurse quickly said, retracting her hand from his side and gently patting his head. "I realize this is rather unprofessional, but you are just freaking adorable." She smiled, scratching his ear with the tip of her finger.
Floyd's back leg thumped against the table, making him feel more like a dog than anything else. "H-hey, cut that out! Just get this over with so I can track Discord down please!" Fluttering his wings, he put a bit of distance between him and the nurse. "So keep your hands to yourself!"
"Yeah, Floyd here's understandably in a bad mood considering he can now sleep in a matchbox," Higgs commented, looking at the nurse. "Still, Floyd, drop the attitude and let the medical team do their job."
Grumbling for a moment, Floyd snorted out of his nostrils. "Fine, I'll try to keep myself in check." Floyd kept his eyes closed, focusing on anything but where he was in that moment. Wherever Discord was, it wasn't going to be far enough.
Sergeant Hamura patrolled the halls, the jumper hangar her destination. The new trainees were still coming back from offworld. Luckily, the message had been relayed after SR-1's incident. Nothing like what they did was going to happen again.
"Must have been one hell of a party," she muttered to herself, imagining just what exactly had happened off-world. "Must have been something to piss that pony off."
"Oh it was a blast!" A voice chimed in, an odd popping sound coming from behind her. "And I mean that literally!" Something coiled around her and a pair of eyes dominated her vision.
"What the fuck are you!?" she shouted in a panic, thrashing her limbs. "Get offa me!"
"Aww," the voice pouted, revealing itself to be a chimerical nightmare. "But your shoulders were so comfortable."
"Get off me!" she repeated, attempting to free herself from its grasp.
"Fine," Discord relented, slinking off of her. "Hello, Hamura. You and I need to talk."
Hamura responded by drawing her side arm. "I don't know what you are but the only talk we're having is the one where I do all the talking."
Discord yawned and snapped his talons. In a flash of light, Hamura's handgun changed into a daisy. "This is why you military types are so boring! You only ever have one answer to anything."
"You snuck up on and put your hands on me," Hamura argued, tossing the flower to the floor. "In most situations, not reacting like that would get me killed."
"Oh come on, can't a guy have some fun?" it asked, feigning insult. "And I had such a nice day planned for you, too."
"A nice day planned for me?" Hamura repeated, crossing her arms across her chest. "Can you start saying something that makes sense?"
"As unfun as it is, I will, simply because you asked nicely." Brushing himself off, he gave her a big smile. "Discord's the name, making desires reality is my prerogative. And I've taken an interest in yours."
Hamura waved him off, turning on her heel to go down the hall. "I don't have time for a huckster. Go find some gullible idiot."
"My dear, time, space and reality are my playthings." Snapping his talons, the daisy at her feet grew, becoming a living cartoon. "Sing us a tune, ol' chap."
The daisy produced a top hat and cane, grinning at the two. Then, it started to sing and dance, making sure it was a grandiose display. Tipping its hat, it winked at Hamura and finished with a flourish.
"Just because you've got fancy magic doesn't mean you aren't trying to pull a fast one on me," Hamura pointed out, offering some applause to the cartoon flower. "I'm not taking some Monkey's Paw deal."
"Madame, you wound me," Discord replied, gasping. "I have the paw of a lion, not a monkey." He held his paw in front of her face and wiggled the digits. "You have nothing to fear, no backfiring wishes will be had."
"What's the deal then?" Hamura asked, quirking her brow skeptically. "I assume this is gonna cost me."
"Absolutely nothing," Discord assured, patting her head. "I'm here to please, Sergeant. Just let me peruse your mind and we'll get started."
"Let me rephrase that," Hamura started, taking a step back from Discord. "Is there a cost at all to this?"
Mulling over the question, Discord stroked his goatee. "Nothing that you need concern yourself with. For you, this is all pro bono."
Hamura stared at Discord, mulling over his offer. "Let me think this over. A deal like this? Seems way too good to be true." Glancing at the flower, she paused. "You can just do whatever you want like that?"
"Absolutely," Discord replied, a glass of chocolate milk suddenly in his talons. "Whenever an idea pops into my head, I can just make it a reality. And if used correctly, my power provides an endless amount of fun." Slithering up to her, he put on a winning smile. "Why, is there something you'd like to see me do with it? All you have to do is let me take a look at your mind~"
Hamura's face scrunched up in thought. "Prove you can look in my head and I'll think about my answer."
"Just hold still~" Discord touched a talon to her forehead, humming softly. His eyes began to spin like slot machine reels, her life playing out on their surface. "You had quite the interesting upbringing my dear."
Hamura shuddered, whether from the sensation of the talon or what he was saying she couldn't tell.
"And done!" Withdrawing his hand, he offered her a cup of tea. "That should soothe your nerves, Hammy."
Hamura shook her head, trying to unmuddle her thoughts. After a moment, she felt comfortable enough to speak. "So, what did you learn?"
"Enough to know you're not happy at all with your position." floating around her, he tossed a stuffed beetle into the air. "You don't want to be stuck on this backwater planet, talking to pastel ponies. You want to be on Atlantis, fighting those scary bugmen."
Hamura blinked, keeping her eye on Discord. "Okay, so you can read minds."
Discord grinned, rubbing his paws together. "How about a taste of what I can offer?"
"So a test before we finalize a deal?" Hamura guessed, uncertainty creeping into her tone. "That... sounds good..."
"Alright," Discord said, suddenly towering over Hamura. He reached down, picking Hamura up by her collar. "Get a feel of your desires." With that, he casually tossed her down the hall, forcing her to close her eyes.
Hamura came back to the world with a stumble, her senses reeling from the experience. Shangri-La's slick walls had been replaced by thick web like substance and spongy flesh-like material. A P90 rested in her hands, finger poised to pull the trigger. The building was dark, only a few beams of light around her illuminating the derelict passage.
"The hell?" she muttered, her head moving on a swivel.
"Eyes forward, Hamura," a voice snapped in a harsh whisper. "Anything moves, light it up."
"Uh, yes sir," she replied hesitantly, forcing herself to be on high alert. She clearly didn't have time to be confused about her current situation. "Don't see anything so far."
"That's how the Wraith like it," another feminine voice commented from behind her. "They prefer to have you lay your eyes on them once they've got their hands on your throat."
"Cut the chatter," the first voice hissed. "Eyes forward, stay frosty."
Hamura nodded, putting her head on a swivel once again. She wanted to question what they were doing, but decided against it.
"Feeling a little... out of your depth?" Discord asked, appearing on her shoulder in the form of a hawk. "You keep focused and I'll give you the plot set up. You are Lt. Hamura, on assignment with AR-7. You've been sent in to rescue a group of colonists from wraith clutches. There's even a chance you'll run into AR-1, isn't that exciting?"
"Certainly didn't throw me in the kiddie pool," Hamura muttered, not taking her eyes away from her surroundings.
"Now, now, you wanted to be in the thick of things," Discord reminded, starting to preen his feathers. "Just make sure those bug-men don't get a hold of you. My power's stretched thin this far out, so, the fear of death is very real."
"Is that why you're something small?" Hamura questioned, hating how dead everything looked. "To conserve energy?"
Discord scoffed, slapping her with a wing. "Are you implying my powers aren't as great as I make them out to be? For shame, Hammy."
"You're the one that said they're stretched thin," she grumbled, her eyes darting around the hall. Movement brought her eyes to the left and her finger to her trigger. "Wraith, 8 o'clock!" Opening fire, she was met with the featureless mask of a wraith drone. The drone tanked the shots, leveling his own weapon at her. She dove, managing to get behind cover before she fell victim to the paralyzing ray.
"Weapons free!" the commanding officer shouted, adding his own spray of bullets to the oncoming drones.
A group of wraith moved into the hall, firing stunner blasts at the intruders. Hamura pressed herself against a wall, a stunner bolt whizzing by her. Hamura gritted her teeth, popping out from her cover and spraying in the area where the stunner bolt had come from.
"Oooh, what a nail biter!" Discord ruffled his feathers, perched on Hamura's head. "Nasty things, aren't they? Seems to me, karma got back around to the Atlanteans. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Now really isn't the time to discuss that!" Hamura hissed, narrowly avoiding a stinger bolt as she returned to cover.
"Well, we are here after all, and I'll probably forget you exist after today so... this seems like an appropriate time," he countered, wincing as one of her teammates was hit. "One man down and they just keep coming."
"Discord, please shut up!" Hamura barked, grabbing a grenade off her vest and tossing it into the crowd of drones. "I can't do this and babysit you!"
"I'm not asking you to babysit me," Discord replied, pecking her cheek. "I'm just trying to take your mind off this stressful situation."
Pushing his voice out of her mind, Hamura moved across the hall. Taking cover in an alcove, she fired off another burst of rounds at the drones. "How many are there?!"
"No idea!" her CO's voice replied through gritted teeth. "Just keep your head down and your gun firing!"
Hamura didn't need to be told twice, firing at anything that moved toward her in the dim hall. Her hands started to shake, the pressure of the situation bearing down on her. She focused on her task at hand, she didn't see the drone until it tackled her to the ground. She struggled to push the drone off of her, but its strength proved to be too much. She watched in horror as it brought up one of its hands, revealing the odd suckers all along it.
"That's enough of that."
Even as a scream tore from her throat, Hamura found herself standing in the hall back in Shangri-La. No evidence of her trip to Pegasus remained.
"Hm... probably not the best of demos. You didn't even make it to the part with Ronin. A pity." Discord eyed her closely, stroking his goatee. "So~ Did you enjoy yourself?"
Hamura trembled, unable to answer him for a few moments. She wanted to be angry at the chimerical figure, but the image of the drone forced a damning revelation. "I-I'm not ready for away missions," she muttered to herself. "I need to get better."
"So, that's a no then?" Discord asked, floating around her. "And here I was, planning your itinerary." Holding up a pamphlet labeled 'Atlantis', he tore it up. "Ah, but you should be proud of yourself. You managed to resist my temptations. Through failure, sure, but you still did it."
"And you're congratulating me on that?" she asked, her head snapping to attention and her eyes boring holes through Discord.
"Yes, yes I am." Discord patted her head, pinning a medal onto her vest. "Now, would you rather a trip to the city councilor or a direct trip to the general's office. You can tell her it's 1-0 in her favor."
"Hold up, what's this about the gener-" Hamura began to ask, only for Discord to teleport her away. It took her a moment to realize she was standing in front of General Carter's desk. Despite herself, she snapped a salute. "Ma'am."
"I take it you've met Discord?" Carter asked, looking up from her paperwork slightly surprised.
"Er... yes ma'am. Told me to tell you it was 1-0 in your favor," Hamura explained, dropping her salute.
Managing a smile, Carter put down her papers. "Glad to hear it. And Hamura, tell your CO that I've relieved you from duties for rest of today. I'm sure you've been through a lot."
"Uh, thank you ma'am." Snapping another salute, Hamura took her leave of the general. She frowned, attempting and failing to make sense of it all. "Forget it," she spoke to herself. "I need a drink." Declaration made, she headed to the bar to drown out her experience.
Discord sat atop the tallest spire of Shangri-La, staring out at the ocean. Hamura had impressed him; he had expected her to be stubborn and insist she try again. Self reflection was the first step to growth. A lesson he had taken to heart from his teachers.
"Doesn't always mean growth in the right direction," he added, watching a seagull fly past. "Had a lot of time to think. I'm more than a little unhappy that none of you ever visited. Time out indeed." He huffed, reclining and looking up at the sky. "Really hate how mysterious you've all gotten since you ascended. I bet at least one of you is here right now."
Glancing around, he pouted. "I have half a mind to go up to your plane of existence and give you all a piece of my mind." It was a blast for sure; if they were indeed hiding their presence from him, it wasn't a far fetched assumption to think they had found a way to obfuscate their plane from his perception. He tapped his tail against the roof, his pout growing. "Why all the secrets? You all were so keen on sharing knowledge while you had physical bodies."
A thought occurred to him that made him scoff. "Oh come now! What is this? Testing someone who's giving a test? What if they fail theirs? Going to stop me from kicking them out?" Huffing, he pulled a slip of paper out from his ear. "It doesn't matter. You and I have a date tomorrow, Ms. Iwu."