“Damn kid, this place of yours is a dump! I mean you felt my power right? You think a guy like me who should live like a king, will be staying in a shack? Nope, we are gonna give this place a complete makeover!” Grey was still there as he felt the power surge through his body again and Discord showed off a bit of what he could do, smirking and rolling up his sleeves as his hands sparked. He masterfully raised the entire shack and maneuvered it around, causing Grey to slight freak out at the idea of his stuff being trashed. Discord only offered a chuckle to the boy’s concerns before he expanded the building until it was the size of a real house if not a strange one that most would have called insanity. The chimney resembled a corkscrew and one side of the building was taller than the other making it seem as if it was leaning on the other side, It was hard for his mind to see how the house could honestly work in the inside.
“H-how did you? This place is too big for one person! THINK OF THE TAXES!”
“Relax kid, I got this and there are two of us in this body now. So you’ve lived here alone? Aren’t you a bit young for that?” In his mind, Grey’s consciousness took form and he rubbed his arm as Discord was also there, sipping tea and seating on a chair that wasn’t there.
“I’m alone… no family left. I was all I had and I worked to keep my lifestyle going with some help from Principal Celestia. She gave me a well-paying janitor job at the school.” Discord crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
“Ugh, so she is here too? I shouldn’t be surprised that the princesses would have been reborn in this world but not me?! Blasphemy! Does explain why things are so boring though.” Discord took on nearly a kind or pity expression at the familiar feeling of loneliness flooding this boy. “So we’re both alone huh… last one of our own. I guess that’s another reason this body feels right, we’re not so different. Both wanting power and change in our lives, well you should get to feeling better now. After all, I am here now and with me by your side things around this place are about to change.” Discord walked into the new house and snapped his fingers to turn the inside of the house from it’s grey coloring to a vibrant array of colors with no reason nor rhyme to their patterns.
“Dear god it’s like an insane five-year-old with a chest full of crayons painted my house.”
“I was going for more professional six-year-old.” Grey gave a confused look at Discord and wondered if the being was dumb or a genius. “But never mind all that for now, I want to see what this world can offer someone like me.”
“I don’t think Canterlot City has ever had someone like you… but I suppose that I can skip my nap to try and… SHIT I’M GONNA MISS THE BUS AND BE LATE FOR WORK!!” He took back control of his body just as Discord was about to eat a sandwich and he left it there as he ran out of the house.
Discord spoke in his mind, an irritated tone lining his words. “And they call me evil? You sir just abandoned a legendary lunch!”
“It was a sandwich.”
“A legendary sandwich!!” Grey ignored the urge to facepalm and waved his arms as the bus began to leave him and blew dust in his face as it left. He sighed and dusted himself off as he sat down on the curb. “Wow, that bus driver hates you.”
“I spilled hot coffee on him once when I was pushed…”
“You know what could make you feel better right now?”
“You using your powers to get me to the school?”
“Nope, a sandwich.” Grey sighed and put his head in his hands before finally giving in.
“If you get me to school I’ll let you eat all the sandwiches you want.”
“Deal! Hold on to your… what are these uncomfortable things on my crotch? Hold on to those.”
“I really hate you…” Discord retook control before magically making a stack of notecards appear out of nowhere and flipped through them wearing a tiny pair of glasses. “Uhhh what are you doing!?”
“Shush I’m looking through all the ways that I could get you there, ooo this one includes a flamethrower and a rubber duck!”
“No even gonna ask but I need to get there fast please!”
“Fine fine gosh you are just no fun.” Discord grumbled as he flew up and looked around the city and sped down to the school, spinning, twirling, and actually enjoying the wind through his hair. He let Grey in on the fun as he gave the boy his powers in mid-flight. He panicked but at the last second before hitting the ground he started to fly and he opened his eyes in awe at how fast the world seemed to go by him before tilting his body up and shooting into the sky. Grey laughed looking down before going through a cloud and letting himself fall back to the earth, saving himself last moment and feeling his heart race from the thrill. He shouted his joy out as he flipped and landed on the ground behind the school as it looked empty. “Now look who was having fun, we might save you yet heh.”
“I-I flew!! I really flew!! Oh my gosh, that was the most amazing thing ever!! Ahh the wind, the excitement, I never wanted to come down… Thank you Discord for the help…”
“Don’t mention it, kid… besides if I didn’t help I would have to hear you complain all day and it’s still my first one here so not the way I wanted it to go.” The two shared a laugh as he went into the school for work.
. . .
Celestia was not a very nostalgic person most of the time, regardless of what her children would say, but there were times that she needed to look back. She sat in her office and grabbed a large tomb that was special to her among the dozens in the room. In the book’s first pages, the old photos were yellowing in the corners and depicted a mother and father holding two bundles. Twins were a shock, shown by one of the photos showing the father had fainted. Writing was under the photos and the words always made the woman smile. “My sweet love was less ready for the second one than I was! Luckily, girls, he was only down for a minute before getting back to his feet and wanting to hold you both. He even came up with the first name when he fainted, Celestia. I tell you two, he comes up with his best ideas when he isn’t fully conscious hehe.”
The next image showed Celestia and her sister whose name her mother came up with, “I saw her starry eyes and beautiful face and I knew my little Luna could be the light in the darkest skies.” and the two seemed to be happy in their parents' arms. The next images flew through the years and showed them all growing as a family, going through the ups and lows. He laughed seeing her old school photo where she had braces and Luna had gone through a goth phase in her life. The next photos showed a drastic change as the years past by much more quickly and Celestia felt guilt stab her heart as she remembered that they had rejected any photos as they got older. Finally, she came to the image of them graduating and leaving Canterlot City as their parents looked on with tears. By the time the sisters returned their parents had passed peacefully and Celestia used to want to burn this book but then something incredible happened.
She turned the page and saw herself in the hospital with a bundle of her own. The writing under the image was her own. “My sweet baby… she was so small and filled with life. I felt something then that I never knew was possible, absolute and unbridled love. I felt like I could move the whole earth if my girl asked me too. I wish you could have seen her mom. Luna was so happy she held her up and announced her name would be Cadence.” The next pictures always hurt her as her only love arrived late to the birth but would be there all images after until finally, the last photo of him smiled back at her as he held their girl in his arms. The pictures may have stopped there if not for a special someone. The next picture was the family again, Celestia hugging Cadence and playing with her hair as next to her Luna was giving Spike a nuggie. “A family, a broken and small one, but together we are all we need.”
The four were unbreakable as a family with more photos than ever until more faces entered the photos, more recent ones. The family’s first meal with Shining, where Celestia accidentally spilled hot gravy on the man’s pants, them all at a festival that was in town, the group at an amateur concert, and the latest one where the family had grown beyond what the mother thought possible. Behind the group, fireworks exploded but they were all facing away for the moment. Three girls were in front, all smiling wide as they leaned on Spike’s head while he looked annoyed, the middle one had a candy apple in her mouth, the left was smirking and had sparklers, and the last one had a party popper ready to blow. Behind the girls was Cadence and Shining who were sharing a kiss. Celestia holding up a drink, (it was a celebration cut me some slack!) while looking red in the face while Luna was holding her up and smiling. The last member of the group was a girl wearing glasses as she watched her brother’s kiss and was caught in the middle of her fangirling.
“I’m proud of them, all found their place together even if some still question it.” he put the book down at a knock on her door and the voice reported he was coming in to work. Celestia shouted back that she would catch the time and smiled lightly. The poor boy had no family or friends but he insisted on doing all he could alone. He had a good heart if not a stubborn one. She only hoped that her helping him would eventually get through to Grey Matter. She hoped the boy would one day open up to others and make some friends. If her son and Twilight Sparkle could do it, anyone could.
. . .
Grey worked the halls and cleaned up many of the classrooms that were empty. Most of the students that were still there were mostly in the library with a choose few in classrooms with teachers for tutoring. Discord was proudly many things but patient was not one of them. He complained and whined about how boring this was but soon enough found himself staring more at the humans around him and how familiar they were. Grey talked to him about their history and listened as Discord spoke about his home but neither was paying attention to where they were walking until they crashed into someone.
“Hey! You brat watch where you’re walking!” Grey rubbed his head and looked up as fear gripped his heart, standing there dusting herself off was the scariest girl in school, Sunset Shimmer.
“I-I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to…” Sunset glared down at the boy before rolling her eyes and began walking away from him.
“Weakling, couldn’t even stand up for yourself for a moment before groveling.” He lowered his head and gritted his teeth as a tiny bit of Discord’s magic flared and Sunset looked back as something in her backpack glowed. She turned back to him but Grey was already gone. “Impossible…”
He ran down the hall and sat in front of his locker, rubbing his eyes as tears filled them. He waited for the taunting voice of Discord but it never came, the other being in his head was silent. “A-aren’t you gonna laugh or make fun of me?”
“No… I don’t see much funny about this right now. I… can feel what you’re feeling and it’s strange. A deeper sadness than what I could feel on my own, we draconequus are meant to find happiness in chaos and fun in insanity but being stuck in you, my emotions are off what they should be.”
“What’s a drac-”
“Hey, wimp!” Grey groaned and sighed as he looked up and saw the Diamond Dogs coming to him and long-held anger filled him again, Discord inside beginning to get affected himself. “Oh, man are you crying back here? Looks like you’re slacking off your work, you have to earn us our wages boy or do you need a reminder of why you pay us for our ‘protection’?” Grey didn’t answer as he only gritted his teeth, this pissed off the thugs as they tapped his forehead to get a reaction and again nothing. Then he punched the boy’s stomach, knocking him to the ground and began to kick him as all the insults came back at once.
“Orphan, Trash, Pathetic, Idiot, Weakling…” He spat out blood as he forced himself to stand again and when another punch was thrown at him, he grabbed it easily.
“No… Never again!! I am not weak!” He looked up with burning tears in his eyes as one was a manic yellow and red. His hair stood up as power filled his body and he threw the bully into the lockers hard. The other two rushed him but he waved his hand at them as they were sent flying and crashing into the walls. “I will never be treated like this again, I am not weak and I will show the world that!! They will pay for ignoring me and my pain! You all will pay!!” The leader of the bullies tried to run but felt a magical grip around his throat as he struggled and choked.
“Hey!” The boy turned with a snarl as Sunset Shimmer stood there holding a scepter in her hand and she glared at the boy before shooting out red electricity that dropped the bully. “That power… it doesn’t belong to you and I will take it back!” Grey roared and shot a blast of energy at her but she used a shield and sucked up the power before shooting it back at him. He slammed against the lockers and could hear more people coming, looking up he found her holding the scepter at him. “You’re too weak to have that much power, you’re just a human.”
“Weak… you called me weak!?” He yelled and shot both his hands out at her before she could react, sending her smashing through a classroom door with an explosion of power. Some of the students rushed to her side and some screamed at the sight of him. “You all ignored me… you never cared and so you will bow!” He sent a wave of magic at them and all felt their bodies contour and fall into a bowing state. He walked through the hallways making everyone bow, except when the principal and her sister stepped up to him.
“Grey Matter… what have you done? I don’t know what is happening to you but please, don’t do this to everyone! Think of those that tried to help you!”
“Y-you did… you two did your best for me… I’m so sorry, I hope your dreams give you peace.” He struck the two with magic and they lightly fell into a deep sleep. He sadly put them into one of the empty classrooms before hearing someone nearby moving…
. . .
Sombra had been taking some time off his campaign to return to his job as in case he lost to Filthy Rich than he would still have a job. He was teaching the kids how crystals were created and how they had electric power in them and the benefits they had over other alternatives. The lesson was interrupted when they all heard shouting from the hallway and Sombra had the children put their heads down as he went to check it out, just to see one of the students was surrounded by a strange aura. Sombra couldn’t resist the smirk growing on his lips as he had seen the magic before on tapes butseeing it at work in person was a entirely different beast. He could feel the power from where he stood and immediately ran to his desk and pulled out his phone and making a call.
“Starlight, get to the school and quick! A student here must have come into contact with an object and is- Ack!!” The phone fell from his grip as he felt himself being choked from behind and started to float in the air. He struggled and glared as his students cried out for the torture to stop.
“I always like you Mr. Black, a good teacher if not a dense one. Now the rest of you will join the others in the hall or hurt your teacher more, your choice.”
“Y-you can’t control… this much power…” The teacher’s words sparked rage again in the boy as he pulled the man close.
“Oh yeah? How’s this for control!?” He pushed the man away and he slammed hard against the wall and crumbled to the ground. The students did as they were ordered and went into the hall as Grey continued to search the school and take everyone he felt had a place in his vengeance until he reached the library. He again took all the students but he saw one that was hiding under a table and her eyes stared back at him in fear. Pain and guilt stabbed his heart as he stared at Marble Pie and he left her alone as he shook his head and rushed out of the library, not able to keep seeing how the girl’s kind eyes had turned into fearful ones. “N-no… they’re the ones at fault… they did this to me and hurt her. I am not the monster here!”
Marble held out a hand as the first friend she had made ran out and left her all alone. She cursed herself as she had let her shyness and fear at the sight of him keep her from even speaking his name. Why did she have to be like this? Why couldn’t she be like Pinkie? The two were twins yet nothing alike. Pinkie was funny, pretty, always able to stand out and make a person smile no matter how bad their day but she was quiet, timid, frightened of being the center of attention. “N-no more… He needs me. This is going too far! I h-have to help my friend!”
Grey was heading for the front door so all the town would feel his wrath when three girls stood in his way. He gritted his teeth and aimed a hand at them causing it to glow. “Stand aside, I do not wish to harm you.” The three stood strong and when he struck at them he was shocked as they held each other’s hands and a shield reflected his spell back at him and he glared at them. “How dare you!”
“Ah think this as gone on far enough!”
“She’s right! Look around you! Is this what you want?! To be feared and hated!?”
“You think you’re the only one who has felt like this? Like they were deserving of something more? Well, get used to it! You can’t just force the world to be what you want!”
“I can do anything, I have all the power and will not be stopped by the likes of you!” He zapped them with more and more power as they fought back with their shield, the three pushing themselves past their limits as electricity sparked between the shield and power. The three shouted out as Grey pushed them all out of the front doors to the ground and flew into the air before looking down at them and lifting several other objects and sending them to crush the three. Another energy project came from the three this time taking the form of a sword which sliced the objects and protected the three. He roared and blazed to the brim with magic as he fueled on more and more hate and rushed at the three, the sword swinging at him and he punched it with all the power he had resulting in a explosion. The three girls reached out for each other despite their pain, their sword laying broken on the ground before vanishing, but felt gentle hands grabbing them gently.
“You three know you should have just waited for us after you called us but I knew you would never be able to stand aside. So stubborn and brave… maybe you’ve been hanging around Twilight too long…” Their vision cleared to see Spike and Twilight had finally arrived and both looked up at the boy as he laughed and the very sky above turned a dark red. They stood to face their foe but Sweetie Belle grabbed the boy’s hand and he looked down.
“Be careful… he’s strong than anything we faced before. He even got your mom and aunt…” Spike’s eyes widened and he made her look at him as he pleaded with her to tell him where they were. Sweetie didn’t answer but Scootaloo did as she was standing while holding up Applebloom. She told him where they were and Spike rushed to the school, Twilight grabbing his arm.
“Spike! I know you’re worried about them but we have a bigger problem! If he gets to town it would be havoc!!” Spike looked at her eyes and back at the school before taking his arm and looking away.
“I’m sorry… but she’s my mother…” Spike shook his head and ran into the school, leaving a shocked and hurt Twilight behind as she looked away to face Grey on her own, or rather she would have been alone if someone didn’t just arrive. Starlight Glimmer jumped out of the passenger side door and ordered the driver to leave as she ran beside Twilight.
“Sparkle! What is going on?! My father called saying that a student had found magic and looks like he had gone crazy!! I know you don’t trust me and I may not even like you but we have to do something!” Twilight stared at the girl before she looked at the place Spike ran off to and nodded if she let this madness spread then she could be dooming her home and friends. The two shook hands just as a third person joined them, holding the bloodstone scepter in her hands. The girl’s normally perfect look was now ragged and dirty, her red and yellow hair sticking out in several places. “Sunset Shimmer…”
“Who?”
“Yeah, and who are you two? What?! The scepter senses magic in you both… I don’t have time to deal with you, I want that runt!” She shouted pointing at Grey. “Why are you two after him?”
“He hurt my father.”
“For the safety of my city and best friend. You?”
“He smashed me through a door.” The three stared at each other, none really liking the others much at all but decided they would work together for now. Sunset spun the scepter and jumped onto a bench as it was swept up by the spinning storm of magic Grey was causing. Twilight levitated stones to create stairs up to him and Starlight slipped on two items she brought just in case, a pair of shoes and two bracelets. The shows sprouted wings and which she struggled to keep herself steady she did start flying towards the others and yelped as a table caught in the powerful winds was heading for her but as she blocked, the table snapped in half. She looked down at the bracelets and cheered that they really worked, her father thinking they should have at least one or two items of their own for protection and they kept the wing shoes and the bracelets which increase strength and durability.
Twilight barely ducked under a stone that he threw at her and Sunset was jumping from one piece of debris to another. She looked around and then saw Starlight in the distance. “Glimmer! You are the only one that can fly! Distract him so we can get closer!”
“Of all the dumbest… fine!” Starlight grabbed one of the pieces of debris herself and used her strength to fling it at Grey, smashing it against his back. “Yeah take that!” The boy turned his head to glare at her as his eyes glowed yellow and he focused all his attention and magic at her. She gave a nervous laugh and waved before cursing and flying erratically to make sure he couldn’t hit her. The two others slowly got closer with Twilight helping save Sunset once as the debris under her shattered and she fell, but using her powers she got her to the next piece. The two shared a look but refocused on their goal. Grey had started tearing up entire chunks of earth up and throwing it at the three, one piece going straight at Twilight before it was destroyed by a violet fireball. Sunset had used her scepter. “We have a bit of a problem!!”
Starlight shouted as he manipulated the earth he had brought into the air into the shape of a hand and grabbed Starlight, pulling her close as she began to squeeze. “Any last request pest?”
“Ugh, yeah… punch.”
“Punch?”
“Punch!” Grey looked away as Sunset Shimmer jumped at him from above, punching him in the face while Twilight created a ground under them and Sunset uppercutted the boy away. His hold on the rock hand weakened and Starlight busted out and the three began to attack him all at once, every time he managed to block one or two the third was able to get in a hit. They were pushing him back and causing real damage before a shout made them stop.
“Please! No more!!”
. . .
Spike ran through the halls ignoring all the students before he reached the classroom and found his aunt and mother in a deep sleep. He cradled their heads and hugged them, apologizing for not getting there sooner and even thinking of trying to wake them with his flames. He shook his head and laid them back down as a sound behind him caused his arms to burst into flames in case it was an attacker. The girl squealed and hid, shivering so bad that he could feel the vibrations in the ground. He immediately extinguished the fire and sighed as he slowly walked to her, slowly as to not frighten her anymore.
“I-I’m sorry miss… I just thought you were attacking me.” The girl looked at the boy and shook her head before finding some of her courage and taking a deep breath.
“I-I’m Marble Pie… those p-powers you have are like the others! Like h-h-him… you have to help me! Please!” Spike looked back at his family and wanted to stay but the next line she said made something in him stop. “If we don’t stop them the girls could kill him, please he’s my friend…” Spike blinked as he thought about that. She was willing to go straight into the eye of the storm for a friend and here he was only worried about his family instead of trying to actually save them.
“I’m such a bonehead…” He chuckled imagining Twilight’s voice and kissed his guardians on the forehead before facing Marble and nodding. “I’ll help you after all my mother told me that we Novas help everyone we can.” Marble smiled and nodded before climbing on the boy’s back and they ran for the front door. The two exited to find the magic storm had gotten much bigger and taken on the look of a twister, pulling and tearing the earth into its grips. Spike rushed to Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle as they were protecting the school best they could with their shield and sword. “Girls! I’m sorry for leaving like I did but I have to get up there.”
After a very tiny planning period that took thirty seconds, the girls came up with an idea. “Ready?!” Spike and Marble were looking very unsure as they were crouched on top of the girls’ shield and they prepared to knock it with the sword right into the storm.
“No, this is a horrible plan!!”
“What he say? I can’t hear because of the winds!”
“Ah think he said to do it!”
“Finally! Maybe I can finally get a hole in one!”
“Wait wait NO!” Spike shouted as Scootaloo slammed the shield as hard as she could and they flew right into the storm. Marble was screaming and holding Spike in a death grip as they flew and Spike was forced to shoot fire at anything that could hit them. They landed on a piece of the street as the looked up and saw the girls beating on Grey.
“They killing him, even with his powers his body can’t take much more please get us up there!” Spike nodded and was able to jump on one of the rocks that were floating but Marble shook her head. “That one will crumble under our weight go to that one! I live on a rock farm so if there is anything I know it’s rocks…” Spike uses his flames to make his jumps go farther and under her instruction, they reached the top before they could land the final hit. “Please! No more!” The girls stopped as Grey’s eyes shined and he struck them with a blast. He held his hand out at them but the yellow of his eyes vanished as he felt arms wrap around him. “P-please Grey… stop this. No more pain, I know you’re angry but this is not the way. Hurting people won’t make you happy, it won’t cure that pain inside.”
Grey lowered his hand and slowly fell to his knees as he teared up, realizing everything he had done and what he almost became. He looked at the girl as she cried and he lowered his head as he sobbed. “W-why… why do you care so much… I could have killed you…”
“Because my sister told me that you never leave a friend behind. I believed in her words and in you…” She touched his heart and he hugged her as the last of the anger vanished and his powers were gone, Twilight cursing as they began to fall to the earth but with her magic, she kept them all safe in a bubble. The group made sure everyone was okay and Grey stood, his eyes, hair, and voice slightly changing as he looked at the school.
“I’m… sorry to all of you. His anger was something that overpowered my common sense and I was the one who did this. Now I can fix a small part of it.” Discord raised his hands to the school and all the students seemed to be in a daze before talking about the twister that had gotten to the school, all forgetting that magic was involved except for their group. “I am Discord, oh great you two again.” Discord said while rolling his eyes at Spike and Twilight. “Did you come after hearing I was here? Wait… you aren’t the ones I know. You’re not as strong and have subtle differences. So the princesses I get but the universe even let you two be in other worlds? What a joke.”
“We don’t know what you’re talking about but it’s time you leave that body!” Before Twilight could do anything, Grey took back control and pleaded with her.
“Please, I know that I caused trouble and all that I nearly did will haunt my dreams but I ask you to leave Discord with me…”
“Look kid I know the power is addicting but-”
“It’s not the power! I… I was so lonely and never had someone that was willing to be there for me except Marble now but she shouldn’t be counted on to be watching me all the time… but Discord was more of a brother to me than anything. I was to blame for what happened and I’ll take responsibility but please let me keep him…”
“I don’t know… if you lose control again.”
“I have something that may help.” He used Discord’s powers and summoned the statue that united the two in the first place. “This is what serves as our connection, if you break it then we would be disconnected. If I ever lose control again then you can break it, take it but please let me have him…” Spike took the statue and Twilight while having a small meeting.
“I… think he should keep him.”
“But think of what could happen if he did this in the city! People could have died!”
“Yes but this was born out of bitterness and hate, we both can see that this is not what the boy is normally like and if we took him away we could be making a worse monster. Besides, being connected we can use their help for bigger problems, Discord seems to know more about magic than us and that could be valuable.”
“...using my love of knowledge is cheating… He could be a help with that much power… plus seeing the two connected if we give them more friends then Discord would be changed also. Fine…” They returned to the others and agreed to let him keep Discord. He hugged them and turned into Discord as he smirked, pulling all the others into the hug with magic.”
“I see this is the start of a beautiful friendship!”
“Don’t push it…” Twilight grumbled and pushed out of the hug. “You are the first dishonorable member of the PDF…” Discord magically made a plaque of the title.
“I’ll treasure this moment always, I wanna thank the academy, my mom, my second-grade teacher, sunbutt….” Starlight ignored the rest of the speech and noticed Sunset Shimmer had vanished and she smiled as she saw her father coming out of the school, telling him of what really happened and the two left.
“I’m so proud of you Starlight, you are now one of their group. Just a bit more, one last adventure and they should trust us. I do want you to keep an eye on that Sunset girl, she will be more dangerous than ever now that she knows there are others.”
“Yes, dad…”
. . .
“So may I cause some bits of chaos here and there? That is my natural state after all.” Twilight was about to flat out deny it but gave some thought to a conversation from before and looked at Spike as he gave her a smile.
“As long as it doesn’t endanger people… who knows maybe a bit of chaos here and there will make me loosen up some. Take life one day at a time instead of planning everything.” She held her hand out and Discord took it, shocking her with a joy buzzer. She shouted and chased him as Marble, Spike, and the girls laughed.