//------------------------------// // Meeting Discord // Story: Snickers: The Royal Colt // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// Snickers sat with Laxxie in a corner of the Canterlot Castle Royal Library, reading one of two books he’d found about Discord. A chill sent a feeling of dread through the colt and Laxxie lifted her head from the picture book she was looking at.  “What was that?” Snickers asked no one. “I wouldn’t know. But, whatever it was, I’m sure it’s nothing for you to worry about,” Laxxie said in a masculine voice. Snickers blinked and stared at his wooden child. “Is… this a new ability, Laxxie?” Laxxie chuckled deeply and long. “Why, my boy, it sounds like you don’t know what’s happening. Perhaps I should introduce myself,” the voice said and Laxxie vanished in a flash of light, Discord reappearing where she was, standing proud. “Discord, child of Discordance. Lord of Chaos. Master of mayhem. The yin to my creator’s yang… here to enjoy the partial freedom I’ve been granted for all it’s worth!” Discord hissed and a snake tongue flicked from his mouth, wrapping around the book Snickers was reading, making the colt scramble back in fear. “What have we here? A little light reading about me?” Discord asked, casually. Snickers let the book go and cringed from the muscle that darted towards him with vicious speed. “Don’t touch me!” “Oh, hush. You are in a library, after all,” Discord said as he looked at the cover of the book and snapped his fingers. He glanced at Snickers and his eyes narrowed. “Hm, so what might you be up to, young Snickers? Planning to defeat me like the mares you hate so much, or maybe trying to find a weakness that doesn’t exist.”  Discord moved from Snickers’s sight and appeared on the colt’s muzzle, getting him to scream. “Darling boy, do you have any idea how much you mean to Celestia? Why, if anything were to happen to you,” he snapped his talons, “hmph, I wonder what she’d do.” Another snap, then another. Snickers watched as Discord floated back and grew to his normal size and bared his teeth. “Help! Help!” Snickers shouted. A librarian rushed around a corner and skidded to a stop, the hush on her lips turning into a scream. Discord snapped his talons and the mare was dressed like a clown. The red ball on her head stayed in her now yellow puff of a mane while her shoes honked with each step as she tried to take to escape. Discord turned his attention back to Snickers and growled. He snapped his fingers and snorted. “Well, it seems you’re a true Avatar. Let’s see what we can make of that?” The lights around them turned off with a thunk and a spotlight turned on over Discord, who was standing by a chalkboard. Discord wore a lab scientist coat and held a magnifying glass to his eye, examining Snickers. “Hmm… yes… I see,” Discord hummed and lowered the glass, his eye remained the same size. Snickers shrieked at the giant eye, peering at him with its slit red pupil and yellow sclera. “You know,” Discord said, blinking his extended eye back into his head, “for the main character meeting the Lord of Chaos, you aren’t really saying much, now are you? Why, the impertinence and disrespect of the author is without bounds. Perhaps a little more chaos,” Discord snapped his paw and balloons began to fall around them. One popped and confetti scattered, the next sent red paint. Then they all began popping across the area, smothering the books with jelly, icing, taffy, chocolate cream, and maple syrup that were certain to stick if they weren’t cleaned up by magic. Snickers looked at the books and frowned. “Hey, you can’t just ruin books like that. What if there’s something important in there?” Discord held up a bowl of paper and the lights returned to normal. He licked out some shredded paper while staring at Snickers. “Paper is quite full of nutrients, though. The ink adds some nice flavorings, too,” he said. Snickers stood up and looked up at Discord, who dispelled the bowl from his grasp. “Oh, are we feeling upset?” Snickers turned around and bucked his hind legs as hard as he could into the unsuspecting draconequus' belly. The bowl vanished and all the changes reverted as Discord fell to his knees and held his gut.   Discord coughed once, then again, the third time a small bike horn came out, followed by a roll of toilet paper, streamers, several pens, a dozen left socks, and a ball that bounced down the length of the room. Discord wiped his lips and pouted at Snickers.“You hit me, Celestia never hit me.” Snickers stuck his tongue out. “I’m not Celestia.” Discord smirked. “I can see that.” He stood up and was suddenly wearing boxing gloves. He punched the air with a spirited one-two combination. “But, it’ll be a cold day in winter before I lose to the likes of you. Have at thee,” he challenged.  A pair of solid lead boxing gloves appeared in front of Snickers and the colt stumbled back from them. “Get lost, I don’t wanna fight you. I’m only a colt, I can’t fight a growed up!” In a flash of light, Discord held the lead gloves and peeled one of them like a banana, showing a plate covered with noodles. He spun the plate on the tip of his talon and his lips touched the plate, slurping it as it spun until the noodles fell onto his hand.  Discord balled the noodles and tossed them at the window, which hopped from the wall and fell onto the ball, leaving the wall it was at blank. An open portal to the outside now resided on the floor and Snickers couldn’t help but crane his neck to try to see out of it.  Discord’s head popped up from the floor-window, terrifying Snickers, again. Snickers turned from the scare and ran into Discord’s lion’s paw, freezing up when he was lifted from the floor and held at eye level with his captor. “So, this is Harmony’s new plaything? I was expecting… more. Let’s see what my chaos magic can do to you, and those you love, shall we?” Discord asked and lifted his talons, ready to snap. “Discord?!” Celestia’s voice bellowed from behind them. A golden pile of bricks dropped from Discord’s tail as he spun around. “Celestia! What a treat to see you in person. After listening to your late night activities - and might I mention you moan like the goddess you are, it’s so nice to see the mare behind the noises that tickled my ears on so many nights while I was stuck in stone.” Celestia didn’t blush, instead glaring sternly. “You are supposed to be in Ponyville, with Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” “Ah, yes,” Discord said and snorted steam from his ears. “Those mares you had defeat me after I was freed from your stone prison, and then free me again just a couple hours ago… I know more about them than you’d think. Them and your lost little foal.” Discord swiped his arms across one another and an image appeared in the space between.  The image was of the mares Celestia had sent his statue to, mutely talking to another Discord disdainfully. The group was deliberating on what to do when Discord waved his hands and the image dispersed. “You see, I’m right where I should be. This is just a copy of the true version,” Discord said, looking into a scrying mirror he’d created and picking his teeth with his talon. The Discord in the mirror was currently at a tea party with the six mares, none of the mares seemed to be having a good time.  Rainbow Dash was standing on the table and shouting something, but it was interrupted by the Discord in front of Celestia and Snickers standing between the image and the viewers. “Not that you could tell the difference. I think I’m slightly better looking,” he said as the image leaned out from the mirror, looked at Celestia and nodded.  The mirror image of Discord cracked and shattered with the mirror he held, falling to the floor and turning into ants that crawled up his legs and into pants he was now wearing. Celestia was not impressed. “Leave, and leave my son alone. If you even try to harm a hair on his body, I’ll turn you back to stone and hide your statue on the moon,” she threatened. Discord held his paw to his chest. “Whyever would you be so mean? I haven’t, and wouldn’t,” he mumbled, “and can’t… harm a molecule on his person. Why, I bet if I tried, then nothing would happen. I can sense the balance within him,” Discord sniffed the air and pulled a flower from nowhere, “and it’s sickening.” The flower wilted and turned to dust that Discord slurped up loudly.  “Snickers, get behind me,” Celestia ordered, no kindness in her voice for once. Snickers moved quickly, but was picked up by Discord as he passed. “Let him go!” Discord pet Snickers and held the kicking colt close to himself. “Awww, what a precious little babe. Why, perhaps I can just take him as a pet while I’m being reformed,” he laughed mockingly.  Discord swirled around a small blast of golden energy Celestia sent his way. When the energy went through the ring his body created, it bent around itself and was redirected back at Celestia, turning to tapioca pudding that splashed against a shield the mare created and splotched to the floor. “Really, dear Kay-kay? You’d risk harming your little darling Aquelis, would you?” A halo appeared over Discord’s head, which he used quickly to close Snickers’s mouth. Discord then held Snickers between them like a shield as he smirked innocently.  Celestia sneered and glared with rage she hadn’t felt in centuries. “Let him go,” Celestia commanded with a voice that brokered no negotiation. “Don’t you dare say his name. Give me my son, Discord, or else.” Celestia’s horn glowed and her eyes took a fiery red hue. Her pupils changed, becoming slitted like her sister’s for a second. Discord didn’t miss that effect. He held Aquelis out to her. “Here, take the little stinker,” he said, smirking as Snickers now wore a fitting diaper with his tail hanging out of a hole in the back. “Well, it seems I can affect something about you, just not you, yourself. That darned magic of Harmony seems to be interfering with the fun we could be having.” Celestia quickly took Snickers and set him beneath her while her attention never wavered from Discord. Discord touched a talon to her bottom lip and flipped it down, but she still didn’t move.  “Leave, Discord, and don’t return without the blessing of the Elements of Harmony.” “On what authority?” Discord asked, slyly; wiping his finger onto a paper towel. “You have no power over me, Child of Order,” he scoffed. Snickers looked at Discord with fear evident on his face, but he was emboldened by being under Celestia. “I do, and I am telling you to pickle the salmon out of here!” Discord laughed loudly. “Oh, that’s rich. Look here, little mutt,” Discord began to lean down to play with Snickers in his own way, but leaned back and hovered in the air when Celestia reared up and stomped the floor between her son and the draconequus. “Do not speak to my son, Discord. Luna is on her way and we’ll deal with you like we should have long ago.” Discord smiled and leaned down to meet eyes with the alicorn. “If I could, I’d turn you into a mouse and cage you for what you represent, just on principle. As it is,” he said, standing tall, “but as I can’t, I’ll have to settle for playing with your little friends and minions, until I can gain my freedom once again… and the opportunity is fast approaching, it seems,” he chuckled darkly. Snickers backed up until he couldn’t see Discord and bumped against Celestia’s hind legs while Celestia lowered her front and horn, aiming at Discord. “If you try to escape or--” “Hush, hush… it’s happening,” he giggled and narrowed his eyes at Celestia. “I’ll be seeing you again soon, Celestia. Free to do as I please and without the shackles you insist I wear.” Discord held his arms up and a set of chains binding him vaporized into a cloud of butterfly wings. When they dispersed, he was gone. Celestia immediately turned and encircled Snickers with her body in a protective pose, looking down on. “My dearest little star, are you okay?” Snickers sniffled and nuzzled Celestia. “Yes, Celestia. Thanks for scaring that meanie away… he was so scary I thought… I didn’t know what he was gonna do to me, but I’m so glad you showed up. Where’s Auntie Luna? Is she going to be here soon?” Celestia finally relaxed and nuzzled Snickers. “No, she wasn’t coming. She’s asleep after a long night performing her duties in the dream realm. I was bluffing… but I don’t care about that, only you. Are you going to be okay? Once I heard from the guard a librarian was assaulted with Chaos magic, I rushed here. “I had no idea you were here and in such danger,” Celestia’s eyes watered and she hugged him close to her, “if I’d known, I’d have gotten here even faster and would have--” “Done something reckless, I’m sure,” Snickers said as he basked in the affection. “You did just fine with what you had, don’t worry about it.” Snickers pulled back and pushed Celestia off of him so he could look behind himself, then exhaled loudly. “No ‘being foalnapped mark’. I guess that’s a good thing, huh?” Celestia snorted a laugh and a sob, her eyes finally spilling tears down her cheeks as she was wracked with sobs. She encircled them both with her wings and cried over her son like she had once done two hundred years prior. Snickers held Celestia more than she held him for a while, then she stopped and used her magic to clean herself up. She closed her wings and wiped her puffy pink eyes with her golden-shod leg. “I apologize for that, Snickers,” she said, softly. “I think that was just too much to hear from you, just then.” “Why? I thought it was normal for a foal to want their mark,” Snickers said, hugging her giant body as best he could. Celestia moved him back to a sitting position to look at her. “The last thing… Aquelis said to me, was that he didn’t want a mark in his hurting heart.” Celestia breathed in deeply and held it as her eyes widened. She looked down and let her breath out quickly with a ‘huh’. “Was… that it? Was that the closure I needed for all this time?” Snickers looked back into the mare’s large and hopeful eyes, then shrugged. “I don’t think I even know what closure is…” Celestia smiled and hugged Snickers again, then moved to her hooves in a fluid motion that kept Snickers beneath her. “I think we should get you out of this area and into a safer room. Where are your fillies, by the way… and your timberpony?” Snickers’s eyes darted around the room and he pouted. “Laxxie?! Where are you, girl?” … Laxxie looked around the gardens of Canterlot Castle and realized she knew where she was. Her first instinctive reaction was to root herself for a snack, but she quickly decided against it when she realized that Snickers was probably alone. She stood up and her head bonked against metal; that was when she realized she had been caged. Discord looked at her through the bars and hummed. “Well, a forest spirit, bound to a body… bound to a pony… what an odd happening,” he sniffed the air, “and you stink of Harmony’s magic. “There are so many things I could do to you, little spirit. I could pull you from your body and bind you to this garden, never able to interact again.” He chuckled when Laxxie cowered back from the draconequus. “Don’t,” Laxxie whimpered and reverted back to her timberwolf form. “Laxxie is good puppy, won’t hurt a pony. Nope, nope, nope,” she insisted and shook her head. “A good puppy? A good pony? You’re not worth the jokes I can play on you,” he looked up at the guards assembling and snapped his tail, turning all their armor into dresses and their weapons into various soft candies. “You may have the human fooled, but I know you’re worse than I am.  “Harmony’s gifts only benefit itself, unlike its kin. I’ll show you by giving you a punishment; for bonding to a pony instead of the forest you should have,” Discord grinned maliciously and snapped his paw. He vanished with a pained noise and everything returned to normal.  Except for Laxxie.   Laxxie opened her eyes and blinked with eyelids that she’d never had before. A small breeze blew through the area and she closed her eyes and lifted her muzzle as she, for the first time, felt the breeze against her mossy body and through her grassy hair. It was the most delightful thing, second to syrup, she’d ever experienced. Laxxie sniffed the air and more scents than she could explain assaulted her nose. “Wh-what happened?” She asked in a soft and melodious voice. She lifted a wooden hoof to her lips and felt the soft wood give at the pressure, making her gasp in a breath she realized she could feel. “What happened?” She asked again. A sticky wetness was in her mouth and she opened her lips to let her tongue out. A guard giggled at the sight of Laxxie’s tongue dripping sap as she tried to look at the little vine that protruded from her lips. Another breeze brushed across Laxxie’s body and she lifted her muzzle to bask in the sensation, when a single butterfly landed on the end of her muzzle. Laxxie’s eyes crossed and she quietly giggled as the butterfly flapped its wings, slowly; unknowing that the creature it rested on was alive and not another branch it favored. “Hi, I’m Laxxie, who are you?” Laxxie naively asked. The butterfly hopped from her snout and fluttered away. Laxxie waved goodbye, and the guards watched the exchange with smiles. Laxxie sat ramrod straight and she stared into space, then nodded and relaxed after whispering ‘thank you’ to the air in front of her. … Celestia quickly carried Snickers through the halls and back to his room, where Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon hugged by the door, fear clearly gripping their little hearts. Snickers leapt to the floor and hugged them tightly. “Discord was here and he told us he was gonna get you, and if we didn’t help him, he was gonna turn our families into mice and make them run in mazes forever,” Diamond said quickly, into his ear. “Discord said he was gonna make us bald and stand on stilts, too,” Silver added. Both their hearts raced at the ideas of what horrors Discord was planning, only to relax when Snickers hushed them as he held them with each foreleg. “It was all lies, he won’t do a thing to anypony, if I have anything to say about it.” Celestia resisted the urge to frown at Snickers’s potential lie, but instead stepped back. “I will look for your pet, and any other mischief Discord may have caused. Stay in here; Discord may have his magic, but it’s far less effective in the castle, and especially these rooms. I’ll be back, soon.” Snickers and the fillies nodded and Celestia closed the door as she backed away from them. She gave one glance at the lone guard in the room conveying the importance of the matter, to which a single nod was the reply. “Don’t worry, girls, I’m gonna keep you safe,” Snickers said. Diamond weakly giggled with Silver Spoon. “Silly,” Diamond said, “that’s the mare’s job, to keep the stallion safe.” “Well, I guess I’m just different, aren’t I?” Snickers asked. Silver backed up from the hug and smiled kindly. “Thank goodness for that. I can’t imagine you being like every other colt.” Snickers shivered and held his head for a moment, startling the fillies and worrying the guard. “Ugh, I feel like I might throw up.” “Do you need a bucket, Your Highness?” The guard asked. Snickers snapped a glare at the guard. “I’m not royalty, you biscuit loving soda drinker! Stop calling me that.” The guard’s ears turned this way and that, but finally she nodded. “Yes, sir.” She stood at ease and her eyes scanned the area while the foals moved to the next room.  Another guard stood by the door, snapped her wings to her sides, and brought her forehoof up in a salute. “Good afternoon, sir, and ladies. No sign of Discord for nearly ten minutes, I’ll keep you abreast of any changes.” Snickers looked at the guard and nodded. “Keep doing good work, uh, ma’am.” The guard smirked ever so slightly at the praise and clacked her hooves to the floor when she returned to a relaxed position. Snickers moved to the couch and hopped up with Diamond and Silver, then rubbed a spot at the apex of his forehead. Silver noticed where he was rubbing and asked, “Are you feeling any better?” Snickers nodded. “Yeah, just feels like I got yanked here, for some reason. Like, someone pulled my fur and skin at the same time, it’s weird.” Diamond began to speak, but Snickers heard a distant voice whispering in the back of his mind. He couldn’t make out what was being said, but he could almost recognize the voice as a filly’s. “...bring some soup to help your tummy, Snickers. Would you like that?” Diamond finished. Snickers shook his head quickly and blinked his eyes. “What? I was out of it for a second there.” Diamond shared a worried look with Silver Spoon. “I think you should lay down. Here, lay on my side while Silver Spoon rubs your back. That always makes us feel better when we feel icky.” Snickers didn’t feel like protesting, and he also felt like the last hour was more stressful than he could deal with at his age. He moved a little and Diamond sat up so Snickers could lay his head on her lap as he stretched on his belly with his hind legs under himself.  He noticed the same arousing scents that would have affected him, and then he mentally thanked Kiwe for making several potions he could take when needed. Snickers rested his chin on Diamond’s thigh and breathed in and out, ignoring Diamond’s sweet musk, but appreciating it all the same.  He jolted slightly when Silver’s shoeless hooves touched his back and began moving in slow motions from his withers to his dock, back and forth without any intention implied but to help him feel better. It worked better than both fillies knew, because within a minute of silence and being gently tended to, Snickers hummed in his sleep. Diamond waved Silver to move around to her side so they could watch Snickers sleep, and that they did for a minute before Silver spoke to Diamond in a whisper. “He’s so cute when he sleeps, isn’t he?” Diamond nodded. “He’s the most precious thing I’ve ever had in my life. How did I not know that I could feel this way?” Silver draped a foreleg over Diamond’s back as they looked at the colt they both cared for. “All I know is that he really will fight to keep us safe, and that means we have to work extra hard to make sure he doesn’t have to.” They nuzzled one another and both wanted to give Snickers more affection, but they were in the best place and position to just be together and destress, and neither wanted to ruin the moment. After such a trying day, they all needed their rest, and before too long they were all asleep in a much needed nap. … Snickers felt warm, cozy, and drowsy when he began to wake up. His senses were filled with a heady aroma that tingled parts of him he didn’t want to worry about, and when he cracked his eyes open, all he could see was pink fur. He groaned and began to stretch his hind legs, then moved to pull himself free of Diamond’s body. He noticed his head was nestled between her hind legs, her tail was across his back and tangled in his mane; and he didn’t care. It brought a sense of elation to him, that he was so close to such a personal part of Diamond Tiara, and he wasn’t assaulted by the urges and desires that tended to allay him at every third turn. Silver Spoon was laying with her neck across Diamond’s and both fillies were slowly waking up, now that Snickers was moving. Silver opened her eyes and looked at Snickers. “Hey, have a nice nap? Do you feel better?” She asked, sitting up and pulling her braid over her left shoulder. Snickers scrunched his face and moved his eyebrows, then nodded. “Yeah,” he yawned with a cute squeak that Diamond smiled at, even though she still refused to open her eyes and admit her wakefulness. “I don’t have that weird feeling, but I don’t know where Laxxie is.” “Have you tried,” Silver bit her lip, “like, talking to her, in your mind?” Snickers blinked and sighed gruffly. “If I didn’t have you girls, I’d go crazy, I think.” Diamond giggled. “You already did that once, when we weren’t there, too.” “Hush, I need a minute.” Snickers focused his connection and felt his mind searching for Laxxie’s mind, and finally it connected like a snapping rubber band, sending a pang of pain through them both.  Laxxie, where are you? Did Discord hurt you? I will be there soon, Daddy. Just wait to see. Wait and see what? Send me an image so I know where you are, Snickers asked, only to receive silence as the reply. He blinked and stomped a hoof onto the couch. “Dark chocolate with nuts! She’s okay and is gonna be here soon, but she cut me off.” Silver scoffed. “How rude! I think your timberpony Should be kinder to her daddy, right, Diamond?” “Yup.” Diamond simply said. Silver giggled quietly as Snickers nuzzled her. “Why are you nuzzling me? I didn’t do anything.” “Do I need a reason to show affection to my mares?” Snickers replied. Silver and Diamond blushed and then looked at the colt with adoration. The door to the main room opened and closed. Heavy hooves approached the reading room, and Celestia entered with a soft smile. Her billowing tail moved aside and a wooden pony trotted into the room.  “Look, Daddy, I’m real!” Laxxie said in a cheerful filly’s voice that sounded like a beautiful melody. The little herd galloped across the room in seconds and began talking animatedly while encircling Laxxie, looking her over and giving curious prods to her body. “How’d this happen?” Silver eventually asked. “She’s as soft on the outside and hard on the inside; it’s like I heard a…” Diamond blushed brightly and refused to look at Snickers. “...nevermind.” Snickers ignored Diamond and looked at Laxxie, in her glowing eyes. He watched her blink and they both grinned, then they hugged and Snickers felt warmth from his daughter’s body. “What happened, Laxxie? Did Discord do this?” Laxxie shook her head. “Grampa Harmony’s magic did. He told me so, after I kissed a butterfly.” Snickers clenched his teeth and leaned away from the hug. “Harmony isn’t your grandpa, and if he did this…” Snickers looked away and at the floor, “...then I hope it isn’t some new game of his.” Laxxie lowered herself and cocked her head to try to catch Snickers’s attention. “Daddy, no matter what, I’m gonna be fine, okay?” Snickers looked at Laxxie and a smile crept onto his lips. “No, I think we’ll all be fine; as long as we have each other.” A group hug brought them all together and, for a moment, all was right in their world.