//------------------------------// // Truth // Story: Discord's Patchwork Adventure // by Comicizzum //------------------------------// A pony, yak, griffon, changeling, dragon, and hippogriff; different nations, united together with the clear indication that they were friends.  Discord would have to be an idiot not to know who they were. “Well, well, well,” he muttered, stroking his beard. “So that’s your play, is it? How very interesting.” Twilight asked the Rainbooms to restore Starswirl and Mistmane, leaving Sunset Shimmer in charge, before marching the six students back towards the Leaders’ Tent. Not about to miss out on what he knew was going to be a delightful reprimand, Discord slithered down the tree and teleported next to Fluttershy’s side.  “Discord!” she cried, leaping into his arms before assessing him. “Are you okay?”  “I’m fine,” he assured, accepting her hug. “We can talk later; it looks like there are six troublemakers that need your attention.” Fluttershy glanced at the students and frowned. “Twilight is not happy. None of us are.” “Well, there might be more going on here than any of you realize,” he said, carrying her into the tent where the others were waiting.  The second the flap closed Twilight let loose her fury. “You stowed away?!” she shrieked, bearing down on her six international students. “What on earth were you all thinking?! Do you have any idea what this could do to the alliances Equestria has made with your kingdoms? How did you even get here anyway?" "We knocked out Sprinkle Glaze. Don't worry, he's fine," Smolder assured because Fluttershy gasped in shock. "After that we left the bakery and slipped past the guards when everycreature was running around. Hiding in some stock barrels was tricky-" "But we were right that Discord would snap them along with the army," Gallus finished, smirking. Twilight was not amused. "And you, Yona?" The yak scuffed her hoof against the rug. "Yona hid in yak supply cart. Prince Rutherford not happy when he found Yona had broken rules." "What about you, Sandbar?" asked Starlight.  The green colt shrugged. "I was only doing what I was told to do. This white alicorn appeared in my dream and told me to follow the Pillars so I did." "She appeared in Yona's dream too!" the yak exclaimed. "Yona only did what she did because Yona was told it was for the sake of Equestria." "Same as us," said Silverstream excitedly. "We all had similar dreams!" Discord smirked. I knew it! So this is the fourth group. Hmmm, they're a lot younger than I was expecting. Fluttershy lightly nudged Discord but he discreetly shook his head and mouthed “later”. The pegasus nodded and pretended to be just as surprised as the other mares present. “A white alicorn?” Rarity repeated, her confusion mirrored on the others’ faces. “Princess Celestia?” “No,” Yona replied, shaking her head, her hair loops flapping back and forth. “Yona seen Sun Princess before. This princess white all over.” “Yeah,” said Sandbar, “Her cutie mark was a rainbow circle not the sun.” “Amity,” Twilight whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.  “Who?” a few of the young ones asked. “Amity? Why does that- wait! Discord, you’ve mentioned her before!” said Rarity. “He did?” said Twilight and Fluttershy together. “Right after Fluttershy was ponynapped,” said Pinkie Pie. “Discord told us he has an opposite, the Lady of Order and Harmony! Apparently each of us has a piece of her inside us!” “And she’s an alicorn? You failed to mention that,” said Rainbow Dash, looking up at the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony who was suddenly playing chess with Cordy Two.  “Ooo, nice move,” Discord muttered, staring at the white knight Cordy Two had just played. “I do love moving in angles; especially ones that aren’t anticipated.” “Discord!” Applejack snapped, stomping her hoof. “Hmmm?” “Amity,” Twilight prompted. “What can you tell us about her?” Discord magicked up a nail file and started sharpening his talons. “I can tell you that we may have crossed paths once or twice.” Fluttershy frowned but respectfully kept silent, much to his appreciation. “Anything else?” asked Applejack, annoyed. Discord ate the file and turned to Cordy Two. “Take five?” The double and the chessboard vanished.  Snapping up a picture of Amity and a pointer stick, Discord tapped the image and addressed the students. “I assume this was the star of your dreams?” “Yeah, that’s her!” said Smolder. “She’s beautiful,” said Fluttershy. “Beautiful? More like absolutely stunning!” cried Rarity. “Look at that flawless coat! And her eyes! Why, she’s as pure as the brightest star in the heavens!” “Yes, yes, she’s quite pretty,” said Discord with a wave of his paw, “You can be envious later. Anyway, Amity, my little ponies and creatures -as stated before- is my opposite. She works through what she calls Champions, splitting her power into pieces that, when combined, create the ultimate threat to every dark creation.  “Having been on the receiving end of that creation thrice, I can tell you it is the one thing any creature should fear if they were caught doing something wrong. Now, her power works only when harmony is achieved and it would seem she’s been slowly gathering all of her champions to right the wrongs Tirek has committed.” He stopped to point at the Bearers. "That would be the six of you, obviously, the Rainbooms, the Pillars” -he paused, frowning at the mention of them- “and you six students. Each of you have found favor with Amity and it is your combined groups that will ultimately help us win the war.” “Wait, us?” cried Ocellus, pointing at herself. “We’re champions?” “I thought that was obvious since Amity appeared to each of you individually and summoned you all here,” he said. “Hold on just an apple-picking minute!” Applejack snapped, stomping her hoof. “They’re students! They’re too young to fight!” Discord shrugged. “Not according to Amity.” "But why would she pick them now?" asked Twilight. "She already has three sets of Champions. Why not let the others grow up a bit before thrusting that kind of responsibility on their shoulders?" Discord sighed. He really didn't want to get into the whole balance conversation but it was clear he'd have to at least give them something. "Tell me, Princess Bookworm," he said, suddenly standing in front of a classroom with the others all seated in individual desks, "What happens when you take a pitcher of water and pour it into a cup?" "It fills up," said Rainbow Dash before Twilight could. "Everypony knows that." "Um, can somecreature explain how we got here?" asked Gallus. Ignoring the griffon, Discord applauded Rainbow Dash's answer. "Correct, Dashie. Now, what happens when you don't stop tilting the pitcher?" "The cup overflows," said Twilight, eager to answer first this time. "I'm sorry," said Applejack, "but how is any of this relevant to Twilight’s earlier question?" "Patience, Applejack," Discord tsked, "We're getting there. Now, replace the water in the pitcher with dark magic and the cup with Equus." He waited for the moment to click. Everypony's eyes widened and he nodded. "This world is saturated in so much dark magic that Amity needs all the firepower in her Rainbow arsenal to restore the balance." "Um, Discord?" Fluttershy asked, raising her hoof.  "Yes, my dear?" "What would happen if we failed?" He sighed, shaking his head. "The simple answer? Armageddon." Every creature stared at him in disbelief before Rainbow Dash and Gallus started laughing. When nopony else joined in, however, they stopped.  "Oh, come on," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "You can't tell me you wouldn't just snap your fingers and fix everything if that were about to happen." Discord frowned. "I wish it were that simple, Rainbow." "What do you mean?" she asked, her earlier smirk disappearing. "Tirek's handiwork has created a massive supply of chaos and disharmony in the world. While I am thriving in it, harmony and order are disappearing. The more strength I gain-" "The weaker Amity becomes," Twilight realized.  Discord nodded, successfully hiding the worry he truly felt. "Amity needs all the help she can get. Yes, these six are young," he gestured to the students, "But Amity will need their help to return the balance scales between us." "All that Rainbow action won't hurt you, will it?" Surprised and moved by Twilight's concern, he shook his head. "I would only be affected if Amity were to obliterate every ounce of chaos and disharmony infesting the land. We have a line we don't cross." He cleared his throat and added, "Well, unless one goes over it and has to be imprisoned for a thousand years in order for balance to be restored."  "Your time in stone," Rarity guessed. Discord cleared his throat. "Yes, well, you all know about that so why dwell on the past, hmmm? Let's move on!" He snapped his fingers and they were back in the tent. "I'm sure the other champions will be arriving soon and will be wondering what they’re all doing here. I'd rather not be around such a powerful harmony charged atmosphere so" -he turned to Twilight- "I'll leave it up to you to inform the allies of why their little subjects are needed." "Gee, thanks," she said as he pet her withers.  Discord smirked before blowing Fluttershy a kiss. She smiled at him, watching as he swirled up into a ball and vanished from sight.  He was about to reappear in a nearby tree when somecreature grabbed him around the back of the neck mid-teleportation and flung him sideways. Discord yelped as he rolled end over end, coming to the stop at the base of a tree. "Now what hairbrained idiot would-" "Watch your next words, Snickernoodle." Discord's jaw dropped; in two seconds he went from being understandably miffed to nervously spooked.  The menacing blue figure before him was at least fifteen feet tall. His large horns curled around above his head and his glowing yellow and red eyes peered down at Discord underneath a pair of thick white eyebrows. The great ram’s hulking presence was accompanied by a frightening shadow that shifted into all sorts of creatures and seemed to whisper with the mourning of the damned; a testament to his ethereal status.   "Wipe that shocked expression off your face, son," Abysm said, his voice gruff and low. "We have much to discuss." Discord quickly sprung up and brushed himself off. "First Amity, then mother, now you. Was there a family reunion and I missed the memo? Is that why you're all showing up?" Abysm frowned. "Can you blame us for wanting to see your lady friend? She's rather cute, by the way." Discord blushed and cleared his throat. "Yes, she is. But I doubt learning about Fluttershy is the only reason for this visit. We haven’t spoken since I broke out of my stone prison the first time.” “You’re welcome for that, by the way.” Discord tried not to flinch under his father’s accusing stare. “You sound disappointed.” Abysm snorted. “And that surprises you? You were supposed to continue where you’d left off but instead you merely teased your sister and underestimated her champions.” “Not true!” Discord countered. “The only reason I failed that first time was because Fluttershy threw me off. Unlike the others, I had to force her to change.” “And that distracted you,” Abysm snapped. “Of course it did!” Discord retorted. “I’ve never met a creature immune to me before. And, though I didn’t recognize what the emotion was at the time, I felt bad for manipulating her. But I still wrought plenty of chaos before Twilight fixed everything.” “Yet, when released a second time, your chaotic tendencies were focused solely on your future wife.” “She intrigued me! Can you blame me for testing her?”   Abysm frowned. “I suppose not.” Rather miffed by this whole conversation, Discord decided to get down to brass tacks. “Why did you really bring me here, father? Because you're wasting your breath if you're going to suggest I side with Tirek and betray the ponies." Abysm snorted. "As much as I am enjoying the doom and gloom, your mother and Amity will suffer greatly if things remain as they are. I cannot allow that. I am here to show you what will be if you do not reveal your last secret." Discord blinked, finally looking at his surroundings for the first time. The first thing he noticed was the familiar blue and pink checkerboard grass stretching as far as the eye could see. A winding road made of orange jello glistened in the sunlight leading towards Canterlot. The whole city was in upheaval. Buildings stood every which way, the castle was floating several feet in the air, and the distant cry of what could only be wyverns drifted through the wind.  Discord could not believe the chaos he was seeing. He shook his head and turned back to his father.  "What is this?" he demanded. "Total chaos," he deadpanned. "I know what it is!" Discord snapped. "What I can't understand is why it's here." Abysm's horns glowed and they teleported inside the Canterlot throne room. The princesses' thrones had been replaced with Discord's, the antlers and red rubies overhead glistening in the light coming from the stained glass windows. The window depictions had changed, various images of Discord committing rather dubious acts causing the original's eyebrows to raise. The plaid rug running the length of the room clashed delightfully with the swirls of pink and yellow paint dancing on the walls. But all of this was a fleeting observation, for Discord's gaze was drawn towards the throne. He was looking at himself except this Discord held a sinister scowl and a gleam of pure wickedness in his eye. His lion paw was stroking the back of what could only be Fluttershy except the pony once again possessed bat wings and fangs. Her blood red eyes also lacked a sense of sapience his Fluttershy had. The bat pony suddenly sat up in the draconequus' lap and began hissing.  The Discord in the throne was staring at the door, an expectant expression on his face. "Be still, love," he muttered, pushing Flutterbat back down.  Flutterbat continued to growl. The door opened, revealing four very familiar evil alicorns and a prisoner in chains. Discord and Abysm watched from the sidelines as Starlight Glimmer slightly hobbled forward. Her left foreleg was obviously injured from the way she favored the other. Her magic had been sealed by a cap over her horn and a muzzle prevented her from speaking. The chains around her neck were held by Midnight Sparkle who viciously tugged them every other step, forcing the poor unicorn to awkwardly trot.  "We found her, Your Majesty," Daybreaker stated, bowing low at the foot of Discord’s throne. The tyrant king stared down at Starlight with narrowed eyes. Flutterbat hissed, wiggling under his paw. "Are you sure it's her this time?" he asked, lightly swatting Flutterbat's flank to make her still. The bat pony whimpered, her ears pinning back as she obediently ceased her movements. "We performed every possible identification spell," said Midnight Sparkle. "It's her." Discord smirked and stood up, leaving a rather upset Flutterbat on the throne. He flew down until he was floating in front of the light purple unicorn, a maniacal grin plastered on his face. "I must say I'm impressed, Starlight," he chuckled. "Out of everypony you evaded me the longest." He snapped his fingers and the muzzle over her mouth disappeared. Starlight wasted no time.  "Discord, it's not too late to reverse all this! Please, I know this isn't you. You're stronger than the Darkness! Fight it!" Discord’s cruel laughter echoed throughout the room as he cackled. "Not me? Starlight, you were there. You know that this is my true self." "No. I refuse to believe that!" she said, shaking her head. "The real Discord wouldn't have transformed our friends into wyverns to use them to torture ponies. The real Discord wouldn't have forced Twilight to become Midnight Sparkle again. And he certainly wouldn’t have turned Fluttershy into a beast! He would have listened to her!" Discord's smile quickly transformed into an angry scowl. "Enough!" he shouted, slapping Starlight across the face. "As hard as it is for you ponies to grasp, this is the real me! The Discord you knew was nothing but a weak shadow of my true self. Everything I've done I've wanted to do- and what I choose to do with Fluttershy is none of your business!" "It is my business because she's my friend! Admit it; you couldn't bear the guilt she was making you feel so you reduced her to nothing but an obedient pet!" Discord's eyes glowed with rage. "It was not guilt but boredom that fueled my actions! I grew tired of her incessant pleas for harmony. Besides, I like this feral exotic pony a lot more than the timid fear-filled one she used to be. I've improved her. And I'll bestow upon you the same courtesy." Starlight tried to be brave as she said, "I don't need to be improved!" "Oh, but you do," he countered, slithering around her. Starlight stiffened yet continued to hold her head high. "Then what are you going to do? Change me into a wyvern like you did the others?" Discord's wicked grin had returned. "No, I don't think so. You're much more valuable as a soldier." "I will never work for you!"  His smirk grew. "I recall Twilight saying something similar but now look at her! She's more than happy to do whatever I ask." Tears pricked at the corners of Starlight’s eyes as she brokenly looked at Midnight Sparkle and whispered, "That is not Twilight." Discord shrugged. "So you say. I say she’s the new and improved version. And now, it's your turn." His shadow suddenly moved of its own accord, wrapping around Starlight and consuming her. She began to scream. Moments later, the shadow returned to its rightful place, exposing the newest addition to Discord's army. Starlight's coat was now a darker shade of purple and the tips of her hooves and horn were glowing teal. Her teeth were sharp and the slits of her eyes were devoid of any previous empathy.  She bowed submissively to Discord. "Your Majesty," she acknowledged. Discord waved his talons dismissively and said, "Nightmare, take our newest recruit to Shimmer's office. I'd like her trained as an Enforcer." "As you wish," Nightmare Moon said, leading Starlight away. "What would you like us to do now, Your Majesty?" asked Heartbreaker. Having returned to his throne, Discord began petting Flutterbat's back. "Continue your search for Princess Flurry Heart," he commanded. "I will not allow such a small nuisance to grow into a huge problem. Harmony must remain weaker than I. Return to my dimension and hunt for any possible exit. She couldn't have escaped without help." "We'll send word of our progress," Daybreaker promised before the three alicorns disappeared. Discord scratched Flutterbat's ears. The bat pony twisted around and began to nip at his fingers.  "You like being this way," he muttered to her. "Starlight was wrong. If I'd kept you as you were, the only thing you'd be good for is a garden fountain. You do see that, right? You wouldn't stop crying. I did you a favor. I wasn't lying, you know. The feral mind, the fangs, the bat wings, the rugged mane and tail; ragged beauty at its finest." Flutterbat snapped and hissed at him. Discord scowled before snapping a muzzle over her mouth. She shook her head angrily, glaring up at him.  "Oh, relax," he scoffed. "You're clearly hungry and I’m not interested in being bitten at the moment." Snapping his talons, a large bear appeared in the middle of the room. Flutterbat immediately stilled, her eyes focusing on the ignorant prey. Discord grabbed her before she could lunge forward and laughed as she began to struggle and whine.  "Don't go too fast," he commanded. "I do love watching you play with your food." Flutterbat's whining increased, her flailing limbs thrashing at the air.  "Ready?" He removed the muzzle. "Go!"  The tyrant released her, his evil laughter filling the hall as she snarled and barreled into the bear's side. "I've seen enough," the good Discord said, turning away.  Abysm huffed in agreement, his horns glowing. The two teleported just as the bear released its first wounded scream.  Father and son reappeared in the world they knew, surrounded by a clear and calm forest.  Discord stepped away from his father, failing to conceal the revulsion and pain he was feeling. Watching himself treat Fluttershy like that made his stomach roil. Not to mention his other actions.  "Not the ideal future, is it?" Abysm growled, his eyes trained on his son.  He had shed his Grogar look for that of a giant muscular minotaur with red skin and brown fur. His arms were folded over his chest as he leaned against a tree. Discord pointed an accusatory finger right at his ringed nose. "You made that up! That wasn't real!" "You and I both know that is not true. It is what will be!" Discord adamantly shook his head. "No. I refuse to believe that!" "You foolish boy!" Abysm snarled, stomping his hoof. "Do you not see that if you wait and let things fall as they may the girls will be divided? Fluttershy, bless her little soul, will stand with you. Twilight and Pinkie might as well. But we both know the others won't; not in that moment. They will fight amongst themselves and, as a result, will not be able to create harmony. The Rainbow will fail and all of you will be captured! You most of all."  "But if I tell them beforehand, the result will be the same!" Discord lamented, throwing up his hands. "I figured it wouldn't hurt to wait." "Oh, sure!" Abysm mocked. "Wait until the moment and create feelings so raw there will be no chance in Tartarus they will be able to stand on a united front! That's completely asinine and you know it! Telling them now will buy time- time they will need. Stop being a coward!" "I'm not a coward!" Discord snarled. "Then stop acting like one and TELL THEM!" Abysm roared, his voice actually causing the trees to quake. "FINE! I WILL!" Discord bellowed back, his face mere inches away from his father's. "THANKS FOR THE TALK!" "YOU'RE WELCOME. NOW GET LOST!" Discord snapped his fingers (rather dramatically) and teleported to his original hiding place: a tree above Twilight's army.  It didn't take long for Cordy to find him. "And where have you been?" he asked, plopping down on a nearby branch. "Oh, just another unsolicited family visit," Discord hedged, still silently stewing over the evil he'd just witnessed.  Truth be told, he was feeling rather overwhelmed. It was like his emotions were in a blender, combining into an awful concoction at high speed that left him confused, angry, and, dare he say it, scared. He knew what he needed to do and he needed to do it. Now. But not here. "I need to go somewhere," he said, "And I'm taking Fluttershy with me. If anycreature asks where we've gone just tell them we'll return before sunrise tomorrow." Cordy clearly didn't like the idea but he understood Discord enough to see the draconequus needed to do this; even if he didn't know why. "Alright,” he said, “But if you're not back by dawn I'm going to look for you." "Fair enough." Discord snapped and Fluttershy was suddenly wrapped up in his arms. The shriek she barely started to release was cut off by a second snap as the two were whisked away. They reappeared in a place Discord never thought he’d set foot again.  A valley stretched out before them, the grass tall and gold. Trees surrounded the area and a small river ran along the edge of the valley before disappearing into the woods. About fifty feet away was a ruin that had once been a castle made of pink stone. Large pink boulders, half buried in earth, littered the area along with pale blue pieces of rotting wood; the remains of a roof.  "Discord?! Where are we?" Fluttershy demanded, turning to face him. "Dream Castle," he answered, guilt and regret filling his voice. "The home of the ponies in ancient times." Ever astute, Fluttershy immediately picked up on the raging emotions radiating from the draconequus and gently rested a hoof on his arm. "Discord," she began in a gentler tone, "I was in a very important meeting. You must have a very good reason for snapping us here. What's going on? Is this about Amity?" Discord couldn't bring himself to look at her. How could he? Everything was about to change between them. He might as well remove the ring on his finger and toss it into the nearby river. There was no way she'd want to stay with him after what he was about to share.  "Discord?" He shut his eyes, hating that he could feel the love and concern in her gaze. Her hoof rubbing against his arm wasn't helping.  "Fluttershy," he whispered brokenly, "I did something very wrong. I'm going to tell you a story; one that, when finished, will probably result in my biggest fear." "Okay," she said, her voice torn between curiosity and concern.  Discord snapped his fingers and Fluttershy gasped as all of a sudden the valley before them melted into a hazy transparent vision. The castle ruin was now standing in great glory, its walls practically glistening in the sunlight. Ghostly images of ponies -earth, pegasus, and unicorn- were milling about, enjoying the sunshine in a valley that was now filled with short evergreen grass. Fluttershy watched the past unfold in fascination, her eyes soaking in every inch of the phenomenon. "What you see here happened long before the pony history you are familiar with," Discord began. "Ponies lived simpler lives back then. They didn't have a ruler; they merely lived together in harmony." "You mean there weren't any princesses?" Fluttershy asked with some surprise. Discord shook his head. "And Celestia and Luna weren't even born yet." "Wow. They look so… happy," Fluttershy observed. "I don't understand. Why are you showing me this?" Discord nodded to the vision and her eyes returned to behold the image flying away from Dream Castle into the woods until the base of a mountain cave came into view.  "My home," Discord muttered, "Once upon a time. It was just as deceiving as my current house, as you can see." Fluttershy nodded, smiling at the clear indications of chaos once they crossed the cave's entrance. The furniture on the ceiling, the fish swimming through bioluminescent clouds on the walls, and the odd knick knack here and there; it wasn't as grand as his current home but it was very clear Discord lived here. That being said, there was also the feeling that something sinister was lurking about. Past Discord came into view and Fluttershy couldn't help but gasp. Her fiancé was a very different draconequus than the one she was seeing. The entire countenance of this Discord was similar to what she would see in a nightmare. Cruelty marked his eyes and a loathing scowl pulled at his lips. His whole body seemed to slither about like a vengeful ghost as he moved to stand over what appeared to be a mirror in the floor. "Look at them," he scoffed, speaking to no one in particular. "Stupid little ponies and their hypocrisy. They love every creature -ha!- except for the monster that lives in the woods! Well, I'm through being chased, ridiculed, and rejected. I'm done trying to get their approval! I never wanted it anyway." Through the anger Fluttershy could see the hurt and she reached over to her Discord and held his paw. He squeezed it sadly but refused to say anything.  A sudden wicked grin caused yellow eyes to gleam as the younger draconequus chuckled at the mirror.  "What a brilliant idea," he purred to himself, his voice low and dangerous. "Oh, I can almost taste the sweet chaos we’ll wreak!" His forked tongue slithered across his lips at the thought. "Those ponies won't know what hit them! Oh, this is going to be good!" The image faded away, returning to the valley and the cheerful ponies that once lived there except this time the view was near the edge of the forest. Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask a question but the words died in her throat as Discord emerged from the shadows accompanied by- "The Pony of Shadows?!" she gasped, her head whipping around to face her fiancé. "What is he doing here? I thought he didn't appear until Stygian felt betrayed by the Pillars." “He existed well before that incident, Fluttershy,” Discord revealed. He waved his paw, freezing the image before them in place. “One thing you have to remember is that Amity and I are opposites. That means everything one has, the other has the opposite of.” “Okay,” Fluttershy muttered, clearly not understanding where he was going with this. Discord really wished that somepony else could tell the rest of this tale but, as his father said, he needed to stick with his claim of not being a coward and just spit it out. He decided to start with what Fluttershy knew and go from there. “I told you Amity herself was the one behind the power of your elements,” he said. Fluttershy nodded. “Well, that wasn't the exact truth.” Her brow furrowed adorably. “What do you mean?” “The power behind the elements is a special magic that Amity possesses called the Rainbow of Light. It is her most powerful tool, capable of immobilizing opposing forces and restoring harmony to all living things. You obviously know this because you have wielded a piece of it many times and seen its effects.” Fluttershy nodded again.  Discord rubbed his arm and gestured to the Pony of Shadows. “Well, meet the Rainbow of Light’s opposite: the Rainbow of Darkness; the strongest tool I once possessed to accomplish my vile goals of filling the world with glorious chaos and disharmony.” Fluttershy’s jaw dropped and she stared, wide-eyed, at the image on the screen. “He came from you?” Discord nodded solemnly. “I don’t know if you noticed; back in the cave, did I look a little different? Darker, perhaps?” “Yes, you did. I didn’t want to say anything but…” “Well, that was because the Rainbow of Darkness was still part of me,” he explained. “If you look at this image, you can clearly see that darkness is now missing from behind my eyes. That is because I separated it from myself and gave it sapience." "Why would you do that?"  Discord looked away. "Because I was lonely," he quietly confessed. "Notice the shape I chose for it? The ponies wouldn't accept me so I made one that would." With sad understanding, Fluttershy lay her hoof over his arm and declared, "I accept you." Discord gave her a weak smile and mumbled, "For now." "Discord," she gently admonished, "You honestly don't believe I would suddenly hate you for creating the Pony of Shadows, do you?" He stared at the love still shining in her eyes and dared himself to hope that maybe, just maybe, she would still look at him like that when this was over. "Let's keep going," he said, turning back to the image and snapping his fingers.  Different images began to shift one after the other, depicting ponies committing crime, starting fights, and hurting the feelings of their supposed loved ones.   "We started with basic manipulation," Discord continued, his tone devoid of emotion, "Influencing ponies to submit to devilish tendencies. The Darkness and I thrived in the disharmony and chaos, laughing as the ponies tore their personal worlds apart. This shouldn't be too surprising. You know how I felt about ponies before reforming." "You saw them as toys," Fluttershy muttered, wincing at an image of two ponies laughing at another's misfortune.  Discord nodded. "Yes, but you also know that I had a certain line that I refused to cross. Well, due to that line, Shadow -the Darkness- and I came to a disagreement after the destruction of Dream Castle." "What kind of disagreement?" she asked nervously. "Shadow grew tired of mere manipulation. He wanted to deepen the corruption by poisoning the soul with a touch of his own." Fluttershy’s eyes widened as Discord changed the image from ponies being disharmonious to ponies mid transformation under Shadow's touch. Familiar black tendrils sprouted from the black alicorn's wings, wrapping around ponies silently as they screamed in agony, their bodies morphing into different monsters.  "Shadow used the monsters he created to destroy the valley," Discord muttered, the image showing said monsters raining terror on the remaining ponies who were fleeing the area as fire and magical outbursts ripped Dream Castle and the surrounding valley apart. "I confess that I did nothing to prevent this. I loved the chaos and sat back and watched… until one of the monsters killed a filly that was trying to run for the safety of the trees." Fluttershy gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. "It was only then that I realized Shadow wasn't just tormenting ponies," Discord muttered, unable to look at Fluttershy. "He had no care for pony life. And that was when I first questioned if I'd made a mistake creating him. But I was prideful and unwilling to take full responsibility for his actions. After the valley had been destroyed and the ponies had fled, I commanded Shadow to restore the ponies he'd changed not because it was the right thing to do but because I didn't want to get in trouble with my mother. Shadow reluctantly did as I asked and we moved on.  "For a century we seemed to be on equal terms, causing chaos and upturning the countryside without the loss of life. It wasn't until after my father sent the windigos and chased the ponies into the future land of Equestria that Shadow had enough of playing tricks and inspiring malcontent. He once again transformed ponies into monsters. But this time he was smart enough to only do three.  “I thought the Sirens were created by my father and reveled in the cacophony they brought. It wasn't until later when I complimented my father on the creatures that I learned they weren't his but Shadow's. By then Starswirl had banished the Sirens to the Mirror World and Shadow had bonded with Sygian; it seems the Rainbow of Darkness works best when fettered to a host. "Well, by the time I found him there was nothing I could do for Stygian. Thankfully my sister got involved and saved the day. After that I sincerely thought Shadow was trapped in limbo forever and therefore no longer my problem. But I should have known better. My creation was just as devious as I -if not more so- and had learned how to split himself. At the last second, before limbo claimed him, a piece separated from the host and vanished into hiding until a new host was found." "Who?" Fluttershy asked.  Discord looked solemnly into her eyes. "I think you already know." Fluttershy shook her head but her eyes betrayed her. She knew. Or she at least suspected. Discord sighed and looked up at the sky. "I never thought he would go after Luna but there was honestly nothing I could do to stop him. I was trapped in stone, having suffered my own defeat. Amity had retreated into the Tree of Harmony. With both of us out of the way, Shadow was able to do as he pleased. He whispered in Luna's ear until he'd weakened her enough to submit to him, giving birth to Nightmare Moon. "Celestia’s use of the Elements seemed to have only weakened Shadow but, when it was clear that Luna was about to be banished, he once again broke a piece of himself away and hid in the world. I assume it takes a lot of energy out of him to do that because he didn't strike again until just a few weeks ago." "With Tirek," Fluttershy rasped, tears beginning to fall down her face.  "Yes," Discord confirmed.  "So… everything that's happened," she said, "The princesses, you and I being turned into beasts, all the bat ponies, the pony turned wyverns; it's all been him?" Discord nodded. "And now he's as strong as the day he was born, before he split himself apart. The chaos and disharmony he has managed to unleash has upset the balance to the breaking point. Since he’s part of me, I can't stop him but Amity can. However, with the way things stand she needs all of the Rainbow of Light to do it." "Which is why the champions have all been gathered together," Fluttershy realized.  "Yes." Discord's head lowered to the ground, true remorse shining through his next words. "All of this is my fault, Shy. Stygian and the Pillars, Luna and Celestia's thousand year heartbreak, you being turned into a monster." He closed his eyes and swallowed. "I promise I'm not the same draconequus I once was and that I will never revert to how I used to be but I will also completely understand if you hate me and never want to see me again after all of this is over." Fluttershy was crying. "I-I think I need to be alone for a while." "Okay," Discord muttered. "I'll, um, be over there."  He pointed at the castle ruins. Fluttershy nodded before turning her back to him, her shoulders hunching as the first of many sobs began to rend the air. Discord felt like he'd been slapped from the sound, his whole body wincing as he wandered away from her.  While part of him wanted to keep her in his sights the other felt she deserved as much privacy as he could give so he walked behind a large boulder and sat down. Curling his tail close, he buried his head in his arms and wallowed in misery, the sound of her tears haunting his ears and heart.