They appeared in a desert. A very dry and sandy desert. It was also very dusty, which made both Fluttershy and Spike cough. Once they regained their composure, they were stunned by what they saw. “Pyramids? Where did you take us, Discord?” the dragon asked.
Before Discord could answer, Fluttershy barged in. “I think I remember this place. It’s where you took the Cutiemark Crusaders and me on that time travel, isn’t it?”
Discord nodded. “Anugypt. Just that this time, we didn’t travel through time. Baast, Anubis, all of the other ones, they are long gone.” He walked towards the pyramid entrance. “Just like their civilisation. Buried under the sand, lost and forgotten to all but the most ancient beings. Your generation may know about the pyramids, but nocreature knows how it really was, back in the days.”
“Sooo...what you are saying, Discord, is, that you and maybe the Princesses are the only ones who could tell us about them. That it is you who could teach us about the past. Teach us, why we should care about them the way you do.” Spike flew beside the draconequus.
“That’s not what I am saying. They are gone. They aren’t important anymore. What good would it bring to teach the world about them and their culture? And we will all have to face the same fate. One day, all of us will be forgotten, buried by the sands of time. They were a part of the past, just like me. And the future has no place for the past.”
“But they aren’t forgotten, are they, Discord? You remember them. Because you care about them.” Fluttershy smiled at him.
But Discord scowled, throwing his hands into the air. Quite literally. “No, I do not. I left them once it grew boring. They eternalized me in their scriptures, as an ally and as a traitor. But I didn’t care. They were nothing more than toys to me. Remember what Baast said, Fluttershy: ‘I know you don’t have friends.’ And it was true. I didn’t do friends at that time. I did whatever was the most fun. And if that meant first helping a tyrant rise to power and then stealing his favorite bone, then that’s what I did. And kinda causing a chaotic rebellion at the same time was just an added bonus.”
They entered the pyramid. Hieroglyphs lined the walls, and a soft wind blew the sand into their eyes. Spike looked around in amazement. “By Celestia, this place is perfect for some adventures in Ogr- I mean, I am sure Twilight would like to know everything about this place. I should take some more notes about this!” He got out a sketchbook and started copying the signs on the walls.
Fluttershy and Discord chuckled a bit and shook their heads. Their eyes met for a second, and Fluttershy smiled at Discord, seeing him happy for the first time during their reunion. But as soon as Discord realized this, his smile faded again. “Maybe you didn’t care back then. But you brought us here to show us something. To tell us something about your past. You learned that friendship is magic. You can care about them now.”
Discord sighed. “You don’t understand anything, Fluttershy. They are gone. Nopony, nocreature will ever know how they were. I know a bit about their culture, sure, but I didn’t care about it back in the day. I only learned what I needed to know. Their time has passed, and this is why they are forgotten, unimportant to the present. I came here to show you why I should be forgotten too. The past is the past, the present is the present, and the future is the future. And the future has begun with Twilight’s rise to power. I am a being of the past. It was nice to see the present, but I am not made for the future. In some ways, I was stone even before Celestia and Luna defeated me the first time.” His head hang low.
“Still, you managed to change your ways. You made friends. You helped us overcome villains. Only time will tale how much else you will do for us. Discord, being old doesn’t mean being obsolete. Being old means being experienced, and there is nopony with as much experience as you.”
Discord materialized a cane and a long beard on his face. “What you are saying is that I am the oldest being around, young filly! The youth of today!” This got a giggle out of both his friends, and even he had to smile again.
Spike had finished some drawings of the hieroglyphs and looked up at the draconequus. “You know, you aren’t the only one feeling that way. There are others who had to adapt to living in a new world. Some took to it faster, others needed a guiding hoof. But they all managed to find their way. I’m sure there are a lot of things you could do too.”
Discord laughed, but it was a dry laugh. “Oh, yes, sure. Maybe Twilight will invent a new position for me. I know the story of Rockhoof. What would I become? Royal Canterlot Jester? Running around, doing tricks with my chaos magic? I may enjoy spreading chaos, but it's always on my own terms. And that’s where the problem lies.” He snapped his fingers, teleporting them again in a bright flash.
They appeared in a wide, open space. At first glance, it could have been a nice plain with some hills, but instead of green grass and flowers, they were surrounded by a patchwork of green and violet squares, as far as their eyes could see. It looked like Ponyville during Discord’s reign, although without the accompanying chaos. “Discord, where are we?” asked Fluttershy, her eyes flitting from one side to the other. “Is this a part of your realm? Or did we travel through time?”
“No, my dear Fluttershy. This is-” Discord was suddenly interrupted by Spike.
“This is the Sight of your last battle! It is where Celestia and Luna defeated you, isn’t it? I’ve seen it on some maps before, but...isn’t it quarantined? I hope no guards are on patrol here right now! Is there still some of your magic around, toying with anycreature crazy enough to go inside the area? Please, I like the way I am!”
Discord sighed. “You are right, Spike. It is here I was turned to stone the first time. The battle against the two sisters was quite intense. My chaos never fully vanished from here. But no need to fear, although the ground didn’t recover, it isn’t dangerous, little dragon.” He sat down, patting the ground on his sides. “Come, sit down, you two. It is a lovely sight, isn’t it? A bit of chaos amidst the orderly world.”
They did as he asked. “It is, Discord. It is so...you. Why didn’t you show this to me earlier?” Fluttershy put a hoof on his lizard claw. “We should visit this place more often!”
Discord shook his head. “And again you don’t understand anything, dear Fluttershy. This place may look beautiful to the two of us, yes, but imagine what it looks like to everycreature else.”
“I too think it looks interesting, to say the least,” Spike chimed in.
“Thanks, I guess. But it is also a reminder of my first reign. A reminder that I could take over Equestria whenever I feel like it. That’s why it is quarantined. To protect me from their hatred.”
“But Discord, it is also a reminder of another thing. Sure, you brought chaos over Equestria. Which wasn’t very nice of you, but that was your old you. And still you didn’t do it to destroy anything. You didn’t hurt anypony, at least not excessively so. Remember when you came back the first time. You could have brought the elements to any place. You could have thrown them into a volcano. But you didn’t. You placed them somewhere we were bound to find them. You even gave us a riddle which, if we would have understood it the right way, would have made us find the elements without any problem. Most villains want to win because they are evil. You play a game. And ever since you became our friend, you did so to teach us. Even when you betrayed us, and I am sorry to mention this, you helped us defeat Tirek.” Fluttershy put her hoof on his chest now. “You are showing us things from your past. But we aren’t friends with past Discord. We are friends with present Discord.”
“Yeah! And we want to be friends with future Discord too! I mean, Guys’ Night was always fun with only Big Mac, but with you, it reached a whole new level. And I am sure everycreature likes you the way you are now.”
Discord shook his head. “But my past is what defines me. And once all of you are gone, people will forget the good I have done. They will look into the history books and see all the evil I have done. Like they always do. Evil will always stay in mind more than good. Look at Princess Luna. I may have been stone before she was banished, and I came back after she was redeemed, but I have heard the stories. Nopony remembered her. Not even the history books our beloved bookhorse read mentioned her. Only Nightmare Moon. And she was a benevolent ruler before that. I am naught but a trickster. A troublemaker. If Luna can so easily be reduced to the evil she did, what about me?”
Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to shake her head, although with a smile. “You are right. Luna was forgotten. But unlike you, she was gone. You are here. You can forge your legacy. You can show the ponies that come after us that you are good. That you learned about friendship. You can tell the ponies about US. Make sure that neither you nor we are ever forgotten.”
A single tear fell from Discord’s face. “But what if I can’t? What if I fail, and your legacy will be setting a monster free? I don’t know what I should do.” His head hang so low, it nearly touched the ground.
Fluttershy looked at Spike, and they both smiled. “I think we may have an idea how you can figure that out.” They hugged their friend.