State of Lincoln
Cloverdale
Fluttershy's Cottage
7:38 AM
Discord hummed Nessun Dorma as he finished up in the shower, eventually slipped open the curtain, and wrapped a towel around his midsection. Once he opened the door he could smell potato pancakes cooking over the stove, along with apple compost. His mouth practically drooled while he slipped into his room to change, coming back out in a form-fitting dress shirt and tie. Looking in the mirror briefly to ensure he didn’t have any cotton candy stuck to the seat of his pants he nodded his head, making his way to the kitchen. To which he found the source of the wonderful smells, a butter yellow pegasus who seemed to be humming along with him.
“Morning Fluttershy.” He hummed warmly making his way over to the one wood stove. Peeking over her shoulder, avoiding the bandaged wings, as he eyed the potato’s sizzling in the skillet. With the jammy sweet near-caramelized apple topping bubbling nearby in a separate pan.
“Morning Discord...” She looked up at the chimera with her mismatched eyes before going back to her cooking. “Sleep well?”
“Mhm, I see you’ve been busy.” He took a deep inhale of the wonderful aromas.
“Just want to make sure you eat well before work.” She said softly while beginning to plate up the food. “Why don’t you help yourself to some coffee.”
“Mind if I turn on the news?” He asked as he started to pour himself a cup of coffee.
“Of course not.” She said while setting the plates of food on the table.
He reached over to the small tv near the table settling it on a news channel as he sipped his coffee. “Grim news from Europe today as Pro and Anti EU forces clash in Munich. Casualties are measured in the thous-“ The newscaster was cut off by a butter yellow hoof switching it off.
“I think... that’s enough of that...” Fluttershy said nervously to which he just nodded, she was such a delicate thing at times.
“I agree...” He nodded his head as he grasped a fork and started to dig into his potato pancakes. Sighing in relief as he brought the morsel to his mouth and enjoyed the flavor. “Delicious as always Flutterbutter~.” Looking at the clock he quickly finished his breakfast and coffee, before leaning over and giving her a tender kiss on the cheek. “I better head out, my carpool will be arriving soon.”
“Have a good day Discord.” She mumbled out smiling as she started to clean the dishes.
“Will you be alright on your own?” He looked a bit worried.
“Yes... I think a quiet day in the garden is all I need...” She smiled back at him before returning her attention to the dishes.
“...If you say so...” He sighed slipping out taking a moment to look out at her from the door before hearing a car horn honk. The large black SUV sat on the dirt road, engine humming as he walked over. Taking a moment to straighten his tie and brush off his pants he slipped into the back passenger seat.
The group of humans surrounding him nodded there heads in a mildly friendly way that was expected of coworkers. The car rocked side to side as it moved down the road. Leaning against the window he looked out as they pulled away from what could very well be the last intact pony constructed dwelling in the state. The dirt road slowly gave way to asphalt as they pulled into the forest along winding road curving between the old growth. In the past such a journey would take an entire day on foot, now it takes just over an hour.
The driver eventually switched on the radio switching it to a news station. “RIHS forces have successfully attacked Ghawar Oil fields in Saudi Arabia today, torching much of the equipment and setting the wells alight. Hold on... we have just gotten word that the RIHS have released a statement about the attack...” The radio went silent for a few moments before whatever tape they had was put on.
Eventually, an accented voice started to speak, the audio wasn’t ideal but it was understandable. “Oil was placed upon this earth by Allah as a test of man's greed, Mohammed bin Salman and his followers have failed this test. Growing decadent and sinful of the cursed resource, their hearts as black as the crude they pump from the ground. We will prove to God our will and faith is strong when we march to their palaces of sin and hang them from rooftops.” The recording came to an end with a resounding click before the newscaster spoke up again.
“This attack and others like it will likely too continue put further pressure on the Middle East’s crumbling economy, as current oil reserves have been outed as being much lower than previously reported. With Iraq’s famous Majnoon oil field currently less than 5 years from complete exhaustion, fuel for the Anti and Pro EU forces are expected to continue to dry up.” The radio would continue to drone on about this depressing news before thankfully switching back to some relaxing music.
It was a long drive ahead and right now all the mismatched creature wanted was to nap. Eventually dozing against the window of the car as it rocked gently down the road. Soothing him just enough to fall into a dreamless slumber. Thankfully one of his coworkers would wake him up once they arrived.
———————————————————-
Discord was woken up to the gentle shaking of his shoulder, letting out a jaw cracking yawn he opened his eyes to see the destination. It wasn’t much to look at, just a big ugly grey government warehouse in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Surrounded by high electrified chain-link fences with barbed wire, with the occasional security guard keeping a lookout. Supposedly, it was a dumping ground for all the IRS’s paperwork for the young state. Which no one questioned, since it looked boring on the outside, surely it must be equally as boring on the inside.
Stepping out he showed his ID and made his way to the metal door attached to the building. The inside of the building was plain, just high metal shelving filled to the brim with boxes and boxes of tax returns and old paperwork. But his eyes focused on a single vending machine in the far corner of the building. Just some cheap older price of crap with a few off-brand snacks. The words Out of Order scribbled on a piece of paper stuck to the keypad. Once he was close he lifted the paper and started to type in a code, far longer then what would be needed to get a power bar from the machine. Then he placed one of his talons into the change slot, seeming to wince before pulling it away. He would continue to shake his hand as if trying to shake the pain away, while his coworkers input their codes and respective fingers into the machine.
Once they were finished the machine stood silent before slowly opening to reveal a waiting elevator. They would all step in, watching the doors close before they started to rapidly descend. He could already feel his stomach ascending his throat after a few moments before it finally stopped. The doors slide opening revealing a vast concrete tunnel system, with a security checkpoint just before the elevator. Several guns pointing at the group as they slowly made their way through the scanner and were patted down.
The walk through the labyrinth of tunnels could be dizzying at times, the confusing nature attributed to the complete lack of windows or natural lighting. Only the white number and letter designations on the walls offered any hint of direction. The walk took at least 30 minutes, turning down several different causeways avoiding the electric transports carrying equipment and personnel. A few even nodded with friendly smiles as he passed to which he responded with a slight nod. Finally, in the distance, he could see his final destination, the vault, a massive steel door with more safeguards than a Swiss bank. Stepping in front of the vast circular door he pressed his talon into the scanner while looking up at the camera. The sounds of massive bolts and bars moving out of place before slowly opening inwards.
“Morning Discord.” An elderly man looked up from his computer consul with various data readings.
He let out out a small yawn. “Morning Doctor Engelman, how’s is she today?” Discord asked peeking over at the man as he stood up from his computer, straightening his lab coat.
“She’s... steady but I’m not sure for how long, much of this is this black box to us, too many unknowns.” The elderly doctor mumbled gently while Discord turned his attention to the faint glow inside the containment room.
“I best go in, not much else I can do but sit and wait for her to come to me.” Discord said while straitening his outfit. “Make sure to have the cameras working this time. I’m not sure how many more of these meetings she has left, we have to make the most of them.” He said with a deep frown, as he started to walk down the steps, passing by other scientists as they looked over various sensor data before it was fed into a vast supercomputer.
“Alright, well start going through the checks, head to the decontamination room. We’ll be ready by the time you're finished.” The doctor said before he started to read through the checklist, numerous cameras, microphones, infrared, and so many others. All designed to catch even the most infinitesimal pieces of data in an attempt to understand what was behind those heavily reinforced frost coated windows.
It took an additional 30 minutes in the cleanroom to get him ready, they didn’t want to risk even the smallest bit of contamination. So even pores were forcibly scrubbed clean, leaving the poor furred serpent rubbed raw. Doctor Engelman looked through the glass as the airlock opened inside of the containment room. The draconequus walked out in thick winter gear, his boots cracking against the thick frost on the stone floor while dragging a plastic chair along with him. Then stopping as he set up the chair and sat in front of perhaps the last and most important relic of the pre-Convergence era. The Tree of Harmony... or at least what remained of it, the once-proud glowing crystalline tree, turned tree house had seen better days. Reduced to a sickly looking sapling settled in the ice-covered floor. They had only rediscovered it because of the Chimera's unique magic sensory abilities, as the sciences were still in their infancy.
As a creature of chaos, being this close to his natural opposite was trying at times. Rubbing him all the wrong ways, but for whatever reason, he was the only creature Harmony would talk too. Even then the meetings were short and often unfocused, as either do to its reluctance or its poor condition. All they could do was record and hope there was some sort of hidden meaning to it all.
So for the next few hours, he would sit in wait for her to come to him, it was mind-numbingly dull for him. But thankfully it paid well, which was what mattered now, at least to him. Closing his eyes as he leaned into his chair, he started to make himself comfortable. A little half-lidded nap wouldn’t hurt while he sat waited for Harmony to speak. Leaning a furred cheek into his mittened lion's paw, closing his eyes as memories started to come back.
“Tsk tsk tsk... Failing your lessons again? We’ll just have to discipline you all over again. Let’s bring out some flogs, make sure to avoid that handsome mug boys.” Discords eyelid twitched faintly hearing that sarcastic voice in his head.
“Do it again, do it right, or you get the brand again!” His gryphon arm twitched and he shuttered minutely.
“How dull must you be? You know all you have to do to make the pain stop is to find it! Bring the combs, his fur is looking a little scruffy.” His whole body seemed to shutter, almost as if he could feel the iron combs digging into his skin again.
“Still nothing? I must say her royal highnesses description didn’t do you justice, so few have lasted as long as you. You’ll be my crowning achievement yet, but it seems alternative methods are necessary.” His mouth twitched as that voice spoke again in his mind.
“I have a special surprise for you today Dissy, can you guess what it is? It’s somepony you know very well, she’s gonna help you be better.” That sickenly sweet voice rang around in his skull, his throat vibrating under the jacket as if letting out a silent growl.
“Ohhhh, just look at her, hard to believe Photo Finish ever saw anything in her. Just look at her wings, hehehe so wretched. Just look at what’s happened to them and all because you can’t find it for us!” The voice screamed at him in rage, his ears spraying back out of instinct.
“Why do you still resist? Can’t you see what it’s doing to her, I suppose we’ll just have to continue, won’t we? I wonder if she needs both eyes to use the Stare? Why don’t we find out!” Just as he remembered that day he nearly jumped out of his skin, feeling the familiar touch of... her.
Opening his eyes he gazed blankly at the specter, unamused at its habit of borrowing Twilights visage. Though differences had started to manifest, perhaps to mimic its sorry state. A greying mane, wrinkled face, and thinning coat made Harmony look like a mare long past her prime. The tired eyes staring into his own before she finally spoke to him.
“Hello, Discord...” She smiled tiredly as she slowly lowered to flanks into a sitting position.
He blinked, that was new, normally she didn’t speak directly to him, acting as if he wasn’t even there. “Harmony? Can you hear me?” He asked not quite believing she was addressing him directly for once.
“Yes Discord, it’s taken me a long time, but I have managed to piece what remains of myself back together.” She nodded her head while he just took a moment to process what she had said.
“It’s been a long time...” He said softly looking melancholic as he shifted in his frosted chair.
“It really has, how long have we played our game?” She asked tilted her head curiously.
“....I would say...” He stroked his goatee attempting to remember. “Since Megan harnessed you in the form of that locket. Dates are so hard to remember now...”
“That’s expected with age.” She nodded her head. “You’ve grown so much... It’s hard to believe you started out life as an abstract.”
“Grogar is to thank for that...” He said solemnly, staring off into the distance.
“We rarely choose our fathers... or how we are birthed. What’s important is that you found the right path, despite his influence. You never lost that innocent mischievous nature of yours, remember when you would set those little problems in motion. Whispering faintly in their ears, just to set the board against me?” She cuddled softly.
“You always won in the end.” He smiled sadly.
“That’s where you’re wrong Discord. We always won.” She looked up at the windows far above them, though she didn’t look at anything in particular.
“That’s preposterous, your Harmony I’m Chaos, one of us always loses. No matter how much I metaled they always found their way back to you.” He shook his head thinking her mind matched her appearance.
“Without you, they would have never learned. You offered them new lessons and ideas, Harmony is meaningless without chaos, I am meaningless without you, baby brother.” She leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek causing him to flinch with surprise. “But, you're not here to catch up on times long past, you have questions they want to be answered.”
Once he overcame the embarrassment he opened his mouth to respond. “...Yes, your connection to the Ley Lines that permeated Equestria means you are the best chance of piecing together what happened. Most importantly, why this all happened.”
“Along with whatever information I can give about Magic’s current state in their universe?” She raised an eyebrow to which he just nodded his head.
“Very little bit helps.” Shrugs his shoulders. “Still, it’s good to see you sister.” He smiled softly.
“My memories are damaged but I do remember a few things... years before Convergence Celestia was damming Ley Lines throughout Equestria.”
“Damming them? Why?” Discord pressed while leaning forward.
“It was rerouting the magic that permeates through Equestria directly below Canterlot.” She rubbed her chin seemingly in thought.
“She was preparing this?” He tilted his head. “Was she responsible for Convergence?”
“I’m unsure, but the amount of energy was considerable. Just being near that much energy is dangerous even for the likes of alicorns.” She said.
“It must have been agony for you, sister...” He looked more sympathetic as he sighed. “I should have done more...”
“You did all you could and more. But it wasn’t just for me was it?” She gave him a knowing look.
“I don’t know what you're talking about.” He denied avoiding eye contact.
“You wouldn’t give up my location not just for me, but for her.” She leaned over and nuzzled his cheek.
“That’s insane... because of me Fluttershy was tortured by that mad mare.” He looked down seemingly looking at something beyond the ice-covered rock below.
“Because you knew as much as she was hurting... it was nothing compared to the pain she would feel if others suffered because of her...” She hugged him tight while looking up at him.
He nodded his head again, struggling to swallow. “...Even when her eye was being carved out of her skull, she begged me not to tell, for the sake of everyone else...” He shook as the memories threatened to resurface again.
“She’s changed you so much...” She smiled gently.
“Hmm?” He looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve evolved... far beyond me, beyond what I thought was possible.” She rested her ear against his chest, waiting a moment to hear his heartbeat. “You are alive... flesh and bone... you’ll be able to experience what I can’t of this world.”
Discord blushed in response. “If I can do it... surely you can sister.” He hugged her back tightly.
She seemed to take a moment to enjoy being close to him. “No... I can’t...” She frowned pulling away and sitting down. “I’m scared Discord...”
“What could you be scared of?... you were the most powerful force in Equis...” He smiled but his eyes betrayed his worry.
“Exactly... Equis... and perhaps our little pocket universe... but those days are long past....” She looked back at the faintly glowing withered crystal construct behind her.
“You can’t possibly be telling me... that after millennia of existence your...” He looked frightened at the idea of losing his only family.
“Dying... the trauma from the Ley Line damming, then having to retreat deep underground, and going into stasis took a lot out of me.” She sighed sniffing a bit, a tear leaking down her cheek. “You know what this place is don’t you?...”
“Y-your n-not dying sister! Don’t be silly abstracts don’t die, we might change but we never trusty vanish.” He shook his head refusing to even consider what she was saying.
“In that lies the reason they study me.” She sniffed and looks upwards to the windows where a faint outline of a figure could be seen.
“They're trying to understand magic...” Discord said weakly struggling to steady his breaths.
“Of course they are... they are trying to understand what magic is becoming.” She smiled sadly at him.
“Becoming?...” He looked confused sniffing again.
“You haven’t felt it? Your as in tune with the magic of Equestria as I am... you can’t tell me you don’t feel it...” She pressed while Discord went into thought.
“It feels strange... it’s not disappearing it’s...” He tried to think of a way to explain the instinctual feeling.
“Being converted...to things more in line with our current universe...” She said causing him to look back at her.
“But that would mean...” His eyes widened realizing the full extent of her condition.
“Magic as we know it is fading...” She smiled sadly at him.
Discord just froze, as he attempted to process what he had heard. “H-how long?....” He finally managed to ask, unsure what else to say.
“I don’t know... I hear things throughout this place.... arguments saying it’s half-life ranges from 50 to 200 years.... but the end result is the same... magic is fundamentally incompatible with their universe... and so am I...” She frowned.
Discord just sat in the chair his soft off irregular heartbeat reaching his ears. “What’s going to happen....” He finally asked. “That much energy being suddenly introduced into a system so suddenly can’t be good....”
“Your right... the Cloudsdale Weather Corp explosion was only a taste of what’s to come. Abnormal weather patterns and natural disasters will only become increasingly prevalent, the likes of which have never been seen before... I don’t know what the future holds... but all I can say to our hosts... is prepare...” She looked back upwards to see the silhouette staring at her through the glass.
Discord was about to speak before Harmony started to glitch, briefly reminding him of television static. She stumbled a bit and shook her head. “I-I have to go...”
“Y-you can’t go! You're finally talking we have so much to talk about!” He said assuming the worst.
“Don’t worry... I’ll be here tomorrow... I just.... need to rest..” She managed to say through her warping projection. “Go home... be with... Fluttershy.... she needs you right now.....” She smiled as she started to walk backwards to the Crystal Tree.
“B-but...” He could only watch her fade back into the faded glow of the tree.
He just sat there for a while staring at it, in some vain hope she would decide to come back to him again. It was hard to tell how much time had passed before the intercoms above him came to life.
“Discord... I think that’s it for today... why don’t you head on home.” The voice of Engelman spoke. “We’ll... go over the recordings...” It was obvious from the tone of voice that despite the doctor's expertise in theoretical physics, his understanding of the humanities was lacking in this sort of situation.
“Ya... alright...” Discord made his way to the exit, stopping for a brief moment to stare back at the tree before leaving.
———————————————————-
The ride home was quiet, the carpoolers unsure of what to say to their grieving colleague. Beyond sympathetic looks, they had decided he needed to be left alone to his thoughts. During which Discord maintained a thousand-yard stare in front of him. Up entail the car pulled back onto the dirt path and stopped before the small cottage. Slipping out he waved at his coworkers sadly before they awkwardly drive off. He stood and watched them leave for a moment before making his way to the cottage. The moment he stepped in he heard the tv, his ears circling a bit instinctively at the sound.
“D-Discord? G-get in here now! You need to see this!” He heard Fluttershy shout from the living area.
Rushing in he found her sitting on the couch hugging one of the pillows close to herself. Her eyes glued to the tv before looking up at him. She shakily lifted a hoof to the tv. “T-there f-finally doing it....” She swallowed nervously.
Slipping onto the couch he watched the screen, a young female reporter on-site at some sort of military base. “This is Mary Isles at Fort Hood, breaking news with the conclusion of the trial of Honey Buns for crimes against sentient life. With the charges of international kidnapping and inhumane experimentation against the Nuremberg Code, with a litany of other war crimes, to which she was found guilty on all accounts. For security reasons we could not get an interview with her before her execution by firing squad.” The camera pulled away to a tan earth pony mare who was being dragged to a post before a wall of sandbags.
The camera zoomed into the muzzled and chained mare, she seemed to look into the camera while the soldiers dragged her along. That look of hers, no fear, just hatred, pure and simple. Just seeing that face caused the young pegasus beside Discord to squeak in fear, old memories coming back to the surface. He quickly wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed her reassuringly. Even though she was over 3,000 miles away, that mare could still inspire fear in humans and non-humans alike. They had frequently compared her to the likes of Josef Mengele, her twisted experiments on humans, and the remaining races of Equis horrifying the world over. Even calling them experiments was too much credit... what she did was torture, pure and simple to feed her irrational xenophobic hatred of non-equine life.
They chained the mare to the post leaving her helpless as a group of soldiers loaded their rifles and took aim. But not once did that hateful stare, or her eerie calm falter. Just staring unblinkingly at the row of rifles pointed at her. A decorated soldier seeming to direct the soldiers as they aimed down their sights. While it couldn’t be heard, the movements of his lips told Discord everything. Within a moment of uttering the word fire, the row of soldiers pulled their respective triggers. The shots hitting Honey Buns were censored but, the jerked movements of the bullets tearing through her could be seen. He bit his lip feeling Fluttershy's hoof threatening to crush his lion's paw. But they weren’t finished... they aimed the rifles again, firing again at the decorated soldier's orders. The limp body wrenching and twisting against the bonds that held it up. Again and again, the rifles fired, her face and body being reduced to scarcely censored red gore, her tan coat being reduced to a dark read. Until they had presumably ran out of ammunition for the old Garands they wielded.
Before the camera could switch back to the reporter a yellow hoof switched off the tv. Leaving the two in silence, neither one spoke a sound, after a few moments whimpering could be heard. Followed by the yellow mare completely breaking down into sobbing. To which her friend quickly wrapped her in his arms tightly, rocking side to side. His grey muzzle pressed into her pink mane letting her sob into his chest. He knew why she was crying, he felt the same way, his own tears mixing with hers. They had hoped to be relieved with her gone, but there was nothing to be had.