//------------------------------// // World 5: Chapter 13 // Story: The Worst of All Possible Worlds // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// Griffonstone, on the map, remained a sanctuary of clothing and fashion. All the trees, mountains, homes, and Sunset assumed, griffons, were transformed into clothing. Like the dragons becoming food, she hoped to find and help the species against Rarity. As with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight, she knew Rarity would be a villain. But upon reaching the city, she found no trace of the griffons. Instead, she immediately located Rarity, sitting atop a throne of clothing, laughing manically. She understood then why going to the Not-So-Bad-Badlands first was a terrible idea as Discord had announced. Rarity, unlike some of the bearers, completed her lust for power and had already won. Had I gone north first, perhaps I could’ve stopped her. But then, what of Ember and the dragonuts? Unlike the other four, however, Sunset took Rarity into custody immediately. Though the unicorn fought, the sudden and abrupt capture ended in Sunset's win. “I have her, Discord,” she spoke aloud, declaring her victory only a few minutes after her arrival. As she waited for the draconequus, she examined the land, eyeing the flannel roads, scarf trees, and homes of sweaters and jeans. “The Red Brick Wall!” a memory yelled as Discord appeared. I wonder if I’ll ever get to meet her again. “You little miscreant! I’ll break your mind when I get out of here!” Rarity yelled the hollow threat down from above, and the other bearers echoed insults and tantrums. “Well that was quite an easy feat you pulled off,” Discord commented. He stood straight, staring with a paw playing with his beard. “Of course, if you were to be fooled once, and fooled twice, a third, fourth, and fifth time does not seem likely. Ah, well.” He bent down, becoming eye level with the alicorn. “I suppose I do not need to show you another world, do I? Not like you would have gotten the joke.” A ball appeared on his hand written with a five in black. “Nothing more than a gag, showing you this world and all you have accomplished. Well, no matter. You still have one to go.” For some reason, though he was quirky and a little rude, Sunset was growing fond of the draconequus and his odd speech pattern. “Rather an unsatisfying win, don’t you think? After the nightmare that was Twilight, I expected Rarity to be the real need of the lifelines.” “They cannot all be winners, Sunset. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made, letting go for the things that matter,” he replied. “Though there is one to go. Surely you will not give up now, not when you are so close.” “Except I don’t know where to start. You’ve given little hint as to where Fluttershy is. And since you’re not the Discord from my Equestria, it leads me to believe that—well, to be quite honest, I am unsure as to why you’d separate Fluttershy. Do you Discords share a common bond, caring for Fluttershys regardless of world?” “Is that a question for a lifeline?” he answered her question with his own. “No, I already know the answer. It’s not about you.” With a grunt of rebuke and a flip of his paw, the draconequus turned away. “I will leave you to it then.” Alone, Sunset stared up at the five cages. Each of the bearers looked down at her with contempt, though the degrees of hatred varied. More so, Pinkie and Rarity, while Twilight’s eyes showed pain as well. Discord called this a game, yet he’s been incredibly helpful all throughout. But with no reference, he’s making Fluttershy the hardest to find. I’m so close, yet so far. Raising to stand bipedal, Sunset put her hooves on the table, lighting up the map. The five cutie marks centered in Ponyville. Her eyes meandered the cities and landscapes, wondering if the sixth cutie mark remained incredibly small or pinpoint. Yet nothing appeared in the form of pink butterflies. Sticking her face low, Sunset became entranced with scaling every pixel. She lost all the world around her, completely devoted to the map, and ignoring the ugly deformed rat who stood staring across the table at her. “’Ey, toots.” The terrible greeting startled Sunset so much she slipped from the table, smacking against the ground with her backpack softening the blow. “I see you got that fifth gal lickety-split. I’d of joined you in the Crystal Empire too, but I had better things to do.” Rising and glaring, the alicorn remained as civil as she could. “You’re lucky you weren’t in the Crystal Empire. I’d have used my Charm’s hands to clean you.” Her eyes shot back to the map, avoiding the bloodshot stare tilting from behind the engulfing sunglasses. “Not to mention you avoided a terrible villain. You and that one girl must’ve known not to go there.” “Eh? Who? You mean her?” The rat pointed out the swirly-eyed mute mare standing directly behind Sunset. This, much like the rat’s appearance, startled Sunset enough to slam into the table, her backpack once again softening whatever tumble might have befallen her. “You!” She shot a look between the mute mare and the rat. “I’ve never seen you two in the same place, now that I think about it. Except maybe the courtroom, but I don’t think that counts.” “Well, in Discord’s chaos, it’s nice to get a break from her,” the rat replied. “Not like she needs me anyway.” Squinting, Sunset realized it was the first bit of information about the mare she’d received, other than the strange riddle that often appeared with the gal. The riddle! “Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left?” Sunset asked herself, repeating the riddle she’d read several times. “This some sort of trick?” The rat gave a snort, spitting the contents from his mouth. “It’s the fire.” Tumbling onto his front paws, he fell flat on his stomach and laid in front of the two mares. “There’s no way it’s the fire,” Sunset replied. “Is it fire?” she asked, unsure if the rat wasn’t right. The swirly-eyed gal didn’t bother moving, the answer incorrect. “If I got the chance, I’d burn you,” Pinkie said in a threatening low tone. She snapped her teeth, much like a cat hunting its prey. Sunset, of course, ignored her, and the others spoke their own opinions. “The front door,” Rainbow Dash answered next, giving a shrug if it was the wrong answer. “I mean, if you burn everything down all that is left is the walls and doors.” “If we are talking literally,” Twilight eventually answered, “It could be ash. Charred remains. Mementos, fragments of the past, scorch marks.” All of the words seemed to have no effect on the silent mare. “Literally my hide,” snarked Applejack. “The question is what’s left? Well, the homeowner! Shoot, she burned all our stuff, and we’re still here. Not sure why we’re helping her anyway.” “Help.” Sunset thought on the word. For some reason, she pictured Discord. “Help… a lifeline.” The question then popped into her head. “Of course! I could use the lifeline to get him to tell me where Fluttershy is!” She then retracted the statement, “No, wait. He could just tell me Equestria, or on the ground, sky, or some other asinine statement.” Her eyes debated between the rat and mute mare. “It’s funny, actually. I’ve got two riddles and no answers. It’s just like these worlds. How do I get home and what is calling me? Two riddles, no answers.” “Seems to me like there’s one genetic mutant with all the answers, you’re just not willing to ask,” the rat snidely chastised. “Because I don’t know what to ask,” Sunset shot back. “You’ve got a riddle right in front of you and you’re tryin' to figure out what to ask. I'm almost envious of your lack of sense." The rat rolled his eyes, and then muttered, "Geez, I wonder how your mother carried you around as a baby, what with you being so dense.” Rolling her eyes, Sunset ignored the rat, only for the insult to sink in like a spoon in cereal. “It can’t be that simple?” she asked the mare. “Can it? Could he have planned it like this?” Pacing, she walked away from the table, then back again. “Isn’t he the one who suggested heading for the Not-So-Bad-Badlands? Instead of going north, he wanted me south. Could he have planned it all?” “Only Discord can plan for a pony from another world,” the rat replied. To Sunset’s surprise, the five caged mares agreed with the sentiment, all chorusing insults and praise to the chaotic spirit. Turning to the mare whose riddle appeared as nothing more than this world’s distraction, Sunset noted exactly why it was this mare followed her. “She can’t be found with this map because she isn’t here,” Sunset mumbled, a realization striking through. “Discord. I’d like to use a lifeline, if you please. The last lifeline, for the last bearer of the Elements of Harmony.” A moment passed before the draconequus floated down from above, two balloons of white and blue in his grasp. “The last, you say? If you truly figured it out, I would be remiss to say it took you so long. So, I will not. A lifeline for one truthful answer, is it not?” Sunset eyed the balloons. Both were Celestia and Luna, though tape covered their rubber mouths. “You planned it all out, Discord. How could you? How is it you knew everything I’d do, when I’d do it, and how I’d do it?” “Time is so fickle. Of course, those are three questions, all of which share the same answer. Is that what you wish to use your lifeline on? Knowledge of the how and why of your existence through my ever pressing gauntlet?” “No. I’ve got a riddle I’d like answered truthfully.” Leaning an elbow on the terrible rat, squishing the rodent, Discord let out a chuckle. “Very well. You only get one shot.” “Burn the living room, burn the kitchen, burn the bedroom and the bathroom. What is left?” Snapping his fingers in the ear of the rat, Discord chuckled again and said, “How should I know? Truth can only be given for answers I know, and I certainly never created a riddle like that.” “What!?” Sunset lit up in a ball of fury—her mane almost ablaze, removing any yellow coloring. “Of course, in a world of chaos, the answer may come to those who never thought of it before. In fact, perhaps you already know the answer, and it only takes some more thought to figure it out,” Discord replied. “I’ve already shot out many answers. Even the girls tried. Nothing I can think of has figured it out.” Sunset pulled her mane. “Burning down a house is the most stupid riddle I’ve ever heard!” Her eyes then snapped to the draconequus. “Wait! Maybe everyone was right. An attic, ash, the fire, the front door, and the homeowner. Burn every room—you still have the house! A home!” Applauding, Discord gleefully cheered the alicorn. “No matter what burns down, no matter what hurts. Home is what you make of it. Pieces and rooms may get scorched, but you will always have a place to return.” He leaned forward, grinning his toothy smile. “Home is what you are searching for, is it not?” “It is,” Sunset breathed as she watched the magenta pony with swirly eyes transform. Her coat became yellow, her hair pink, and her face bright. “You spent a lot of days in other worlds—but it took you that long to figure it out?” the rat spat. “Shoot. All the buildup for Discord to hold your hoof to the answer. I was hoping for more. Well, at least she’s back.” Surprising Sunset, the rat transformed too. Glancing at his white paws, Angel Bunny seemed just as confused as Sunset. As soon as he saw Fluttershy, however, the bunny raced to greet her, climbing up to her shoulder. “Oh, Angel? How did we get here? Where are we?” The pegasus eyed Sunset, a warm smile creasing her face. “A princess!” It then faded. “Discord! I remember you!” “That is six of six,” Discord said with a tilt of his head. “Seems like the fun can now begin.” With a snap of his fingers, the five cages released and dropped the villainous five. But his snap altered their appearance. No longer did Pinkie house a cranium of fur, nor Rainbow with her gem-spattered legs. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna also returned to their normal state, though they still were forced to remove the tape from their pony lips. “Congratulations, Sunset Shimmer! Let us give her a big round of applause.” Looking around, Sunset not only noticed the bearers and the princesses, but also the world. No longer did trees and homes float, or clouds pass with chocolate milk pouring out. Placing her hooves on the table, the map revealed Canterlot sat on a mountain, the Crystal Empire settled nicely in the ground, and Cloudsdale returned to the sky. “Discord? What’s going on?” “What? How is it you do not understand?” Leaning on his arm with a hand against his cheek, Discord seemed repulsed by the question. “Did you think I was going to leave the world as it was? You already figured it out. I am not the only Discord.” “And so you are not the Discord of this world,” Celestia continued the train of thought. “That is why you made us as playthings instead of throwing us in Tartarus or somewhere else just as unpleasant.” “Must you always ruin everything?” he chided the eldest alicorn. “Let her figure it out on her own. She has to learn. It is all about her, after all.” Sunset stared up at Discord, her brows pushed together as she contemplated everything. It took Discord waving a hand in front of her face for her to finally snap from the collection of thoughts. “What was the point of all this? I thought you were helping me for a while there, but if this isn’t your world, then…” “With all of my power, Sunset Shimmer, I would like to send you directly to the world that could end all of this.” Placing both hands on his hips, he smiled with a haughty, prideful grin. “Though, more accurately, I am simply setting your friend Princess Twilight Sparkle’s destination. After all, she is the one you are following in the hoofsteps.” “You can do that!?” “Of course I can. I would do that now, but I cannot as there is another blocking my power. A person of great threat, I would say. If you were to defeat them, to remove their power, perhaps I could simply snap my fingers and send you along to the world calling you.” “So it is a world—not the Tree of Harmony—that is calling me?” Sunset examined the words spoken by the draconequus with a fine tooth comb. Pointing at the table, Discord’s laughter leapt from his throat. “The world, the Tree of Harmony, and the map are one in the same. All of it calls you.” He then side-eyed Celestia. “Seriously, you could have told her that one. Saying the words leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” “You make it seem as though I know everything about the Tree of Harmony, Discord,” Celestia replied, a coy grin to her lips. “That’s much credit, coming from you. You really aren’t the Discord of our world.” “Whatever is in my path, it doesn’t matter.” Sunset stood firm in front of Discord, though her eyes looked to the five seated around the table. “Somepony broke time, opening pathways to these other timelines. I’ve made so many friends, so many who I never thought I’d meet. It doesn’t matter who is in my way. I’m going forward. I have to. For them. For my friends at CHS. And for Princess Twilight.” “I cannot wait to see what you do next!” Discord erupted with a fanaticism that would rival Twilight meeting Star Swirl the Bearded. Clapping his hands together, he and the other princesses watched as Sunset levitated Fluttershy into the remaining chair. She wasted no time, hurrying to defeat whoever blocked her path. The crumbling ruins of crystal reshaped. As Sunset put her hooves on the table, her eyes lit up with green, reflecting the portal. Winds pulled her mane, lashing it against her face. As she looked upon the six mares who only held expressions of confusion and fear, Sunset knew she’d done the right thing. She then turned her head, eyeing the draconequus and the princesses, only to be surprised when the spirit of chaos already vanished. Where’d he go? I would’ve thought he’d want to see all his hard work be sent off. With a limp release of her stubborn legs, her body went up and up, entering through the portal. As many times as she’d done it before, this one was the most different. There was no feeling, no pain, and no voice. There was no one speaking to her, no one insulting her, no one mocking her. What became of such a malevolent voice? Did it truly despise her so much that it now ignored her? Who was behind such a voice? Discord? The monster stopping Discord’s magic? Or perhaps the Tree of Harmony, beckoning her, and now silent once its plan exposed? Her loose feeling became a mistake as she didn’t even feel the exposure to the new world, falling stiff on the ground. Coming up with dirt in her teeth, she watched the usual scene of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her companion Spike going through their own portal, disappearing from the new world. Though she knew it would happen, a sigh couldn’t help but leave her lips. This is the world, is it? The world where something blocked Discord’s magic? What could it be? Wiping the dry soil from her lips, her eyes went to the landscape. Almost barren, tree stumps lined fields upon fields aside from the single tree that stood with dark green leaves next to the map. Black smoke frothed from buildings where she could only guess what sort of mechanical menace shredded and cut logs. But her eyes turned to the foreground. The tree unhinged, the last of its kind here in wherever she now was. Two stallions, almost identical in appearance, sat inside a machine that lifted the tree, tearing root and stem. Their handsome features mimicked, clearly twins. Twins who tore the world asunder. “Discord, where in the world did you send me?” she asked the draconequus, though he was in another world, far from here, unable to answer. But he did. “I already told you. I wished not to send you here, I wished to send you to the world that beckons you.” The voice shook Sunset, forcing her to turn in every direction. “I am here, Sunset.” Slithering like the odd snake he was, Discord pushed from her backpack around her neck, eventually sitting atop her back. “Discord? Discord! What? How are you here?” “If I was not here, you would not be either.” He snorted, lifting a single finger in the direction of the two stallion twins who had exited their terrible vehicle. They trotted toward Sunset and Discord, both ceasing a yard away. “A dimension of chaos, you would have found yourself in, were it not for me. Or perhaps, because of me.” “What are you talking about, Discord?” Sunset asked. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer,” Discord said. “A pleasure to defeat you.” Unlike the Discord who sat atop her spine, crushing her backpack, this Discord stood behind the twin stallions. Though they looked alike, one stallion’s upper lip held a red mustache, while the other’s did not. And, like the twins, the Discord who stood behind the stallions also wore a mustache, black as coal. “This is Discord,” Discord introduced Discord. “You would have found yourself in a chaotic thunderstorm were it not for my magic preventing his own.” It was hard to tell which Discord spoke. Sunset stood aghast, inexplicably in shock. “This can’t be happening.” Reaching down with his eagle claw, the Discord who helped her placed it on her shoulder. “I told you once, Sunset Shimmer. Now, perhaps, you will understand the words I say. Listen carefully: If you give up, I win.” Raising his bear paw, he pointed at the opposing Discord. “He is the person of great threat. And unlike myself, there are no lifelines here. I block his power, and he blocks mine.”