A/N: Onwards.
A/N the second: All grammatical errors seen in the Lord of Chaos' sections are intentional.
Disclaimer: I own nothing pony.
Chapter 3: In Which Magic and Chaos Chat
When it came right down to it, the whole thing had been incredibly difficult. Now, Discord certainly did not plan on telling anyone that. Oh, no, no, no; definitely not. One day, when one of his future adoring subjects asked him to recount the harrowing tale of what was about to unfold, he'd launch into an inspired telling that would omit that little detail. Oh, of course he'd make it all seem properly daring; there was no question about that. How could he not? All those dreadfully dull little ponies would surely appreciate a suspenseful story, and he'd make sure the tale of his second escape did not disappoint. The truth, though? The real, honest truth?
The truth was that whatever awful throe he'd been in at the time... what had it been... anger? Despair? That nauseating confusion? Perhaps even a rare tryst with joy? A sick mix? No, no... oh, but who wanted to remember those awful throes now... had barely released him in time to notice that faintest wisp of otherness just stealing through his prison. Even then the effort he'd had to exert to bring his trembling focus to the edge of his cell was astronomical; if breathing was still an option, he'd have been completely winded. As it was, the only reason he'd managed it had very little to do with his own power;it had much more to do with dear Twilight Sparkle. Not that the energy was strong, or even particularly focused, oh no. It was only a breath of anger, really, just a little burst of petty indignation, admittedly weak and quickly forgotten. If it had been anyone else... well, he doubted anyone else could manage to project any amount of energy into his prison, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Twilight's particular brand of magic had somehow grabbed what little attention he still possessed almost immediately, and he had pounced. Ah, but perhaps "pounced" was not the best word. "Pounced," he had to admit, suggested some sort of coordinated grace, and by the time he'd wrested himself from... oh, it had been despair! Yes, yes, that had been it! Or... or maybe... maybe not. Maybe... ah, what was it? Go back, go look, try to remember. Yes! Yes, yes, yes, go back to look! Except... no, too much of a pull, too much, too much, and he had to focus... whatever, he'd only been composed enough to clumsily fumble at that barest whisper of her annoyance. Still, he'd fought. He'd fought absurdly hard, and he likely would have been fairly embarrassed by how difficult it all was if he hadn't been so mesmerized by the result.
Twilight Sparkle's little burst of fury had been brief, sure, but oh, oh, it had been something different! Something different, something other than the sick twisting of his own fragmented thoughts, something other than the self that he'd been stuck with since... when? How long had it been since he'd been imprisoned in that forsaken hunk of rock? How long since he'd had the relief of something to look at, something to examine, something other to touch and test and caress? Eons, it must have been. It felt like eons. It would always feel like... eons? Oh, perish the thought, must have been only a few seconds! Or days? Maybe a couple of hours? No, certainly decades, yes, yes, definitely a fortnight... forever, but...
Well, no matter. Best not to dwell on that now, not after he'd worked so damnably hard. Pulling oneself out of a throe, see, was no simple task. Not for him, at least. Not when all of that energy, all of that fantastic chaotic energy turned around and... oh, but when he'd finally managed to grasp it, wrap his consciousness around that little sliver, what a miracle! That was all that mattered, in the end: that he'd done it! He'd giggled and chortled over it, pulling and pushing and twisting and caressing until familiarity with every nuance was his. Then, oh then, he'd listened to it, that cheeky little smidgen of indignation, listened to the ghost of Twilight's voice in its echoes. He'd listened, and he'd sighed and he'd... relaxed. Only for a moment, of course. All of that energy would only let him relax for the tiniest moment, but he'd been here before, and he'd known how to make that moment count. Thus, in those precious seconds of relief, Discord had plotted.
He was proud of what he'd managed in such a short amount of time, and with such dismal limits imposed upon his abilities. Granted, his mind was almost ridiculously quick, but he'd had, and still had, precious little to work with, not to mention the... obstacles. The gap in his prison was small. Infinitesimal. Minute. Microscopic. Nano-sized, mini, itsy-bitsy... small. Small, small, small, focus, it was small. Yes. Let's just say it was a small opening, and as far as he'd been able to tell, it went to Twilight. Just Twilight. That was limiting enough, needing to fit energy through such a tiny hole that only Twilight's consciousness seemed able to reach through, but that was not the half of it. Probably not even a fourth or... oh, maybe an eighth? A sixteenth? Let's see... how to measure this little... ooh... maybe one six hundred and eighty-third! Or maybe... no no no no focus focus focus!
Ah, yes. The greatest issue was and always would be the lack of that nifty little thing that he liked to think of as his ability to focus on one thing for more than a millisecond. That commodity was in drastically short supply here in the insipid land of Granite Statue...topia? -tan? -ville? -stan, -ton, -burg.. focus! Focus, he had to focus. That was the most pressing issue, to put it mildly, and after trying in vain to calm the chaos... ha, calming chaos? What an utter joke, and not even a properly hilarious one! As if that was even... after struggling with all of those built up energies, he'd realized that that limit was not negotiable. Pity, really, but it was what it was, and Discord could not afford to mope over such matters. He had no time for melancholy, no time and no chances to take ...don't fall in again, don't fall in, focus, think now, focus, focus... so he'd done all that he could do: he'd focused what energy he could at the break and... well, thrown it. That was the best term, he supposed. At that point, whatever concentration he'd managed to glean from the brief moment of respite her "gift" had given him was swiftly swallowed up by sweet chaos, and so grabbing and throwing energy at that hole and through that connection was all he could do. He'd had absolutely no idea what he was sending her, but he hadn't cared. Energy was energy, and all he'd needed it to accomplish were three things: first: widen the hole. Second: reach the unicorn. Third: focus. Blindly pelting the gap with whatever energy he been able to gather was probably not something he would detail in his future autobiography, but it had served its purpose. The more energy he'd used, the wider the gap had grown, and using that energy to widen said gap kept it from tearing at his tenuous hold on sanity: a clear win-win. As he'd came back to himself more and more often, he'd chuckled in satisfaction at what was clearly a growing success.
The more he'd worked, the easier it had become. A tedious process, to be sure, and not one he'd ever willingly admit to using, but now he possessed the faculties to detail his sparse machinations further. The gap was a much more respectable hole, and while he still couldn't properly examine the energy he was sending through, he could recognize the next step to freedom... at least generally. He had to use Twilight Sparkle somehow. Oh, how he wished he could come up with something more interesting than "use Twilight, duh," but even now, with some of the energy nibbling away at his prison instead of at him, he couldn't be too careful. Too much effort, too much complexity, and everything would turn on him at once, and then... well, then the unpleasantness would prevent progress for who knew how long. Not affordable; definitely not affordable. Simple was how it had to be, and while that was not his preferred modus operandi, he wanted out... out out out must get out get out get out... and simple led to out faster than complex did. That, and loathe though he was to admit it, it really was all he could manage in this dismal state. Simple it was.
Thus he pondered, schemed, planned. Twilight Sparkle: the leader of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle: the only one he could reach, probably because she was that lead Element. Twilight Sparkle... Twilight Sparkle was... Twilight was... was yelling at him? He found his gingerly-arranged thoughts suddenly interrupted by the burning ire of a consciousness other than his own. For a moment, he came dangerously close to falling back in again, letting the chaos latch onto his shock and morph it into another throe that would tear at him for who knew how long. He paused; he floundered; he gasped for a mental breath. She couldn't be... was it a memory playing back again? Had his precious chaos gone and... no. No, it really was her, standing before his statue again, glaring with undisguised viciousness at his stone form. At least, that was the image his mind conjured up for him. In reality, he couldn't see her at all; he could only feel a seething rage seeping in through the now plenty-large gap in the barrier surrounding him.
Here was another pivotal moment he'd have to "improve" upon for history's books. One day, everyone would read about how he had cleverly anticipated the moment of Twilight's arrival, meeting her ire with honeyed words and effortless guile, skillfully manipulating every action to his advantage. The reality? Again, the reality was a far cry from such fanciful imaginings.
That he was not ready was an understatement vulgar in its magnitude. The moment her magic burst through the newly widened space, it... he... He'd pounced the last time. This time... this time his mind fell limp with a relief made greater only because he'd forgotten he could feel anything like it. The exquisite uniqueness of it, the myriad shifts and edges of thought noticeable now only because it was so powerful... they were like a balm soothing the invisible wound created by all that abysmal effort to keep everything together. For a few seconds he forgot that effort, forgot everything but the beautifully stark contrast of her unbridled fury against the dead black of his lifeless world. He bathed in it, basked in it, reveled in it; what divinity it was, this fury with all of its subtle flows and facets! All there was left to do now was watch it, caress it, curl up in its heat and just forever and ever and ever so pretty so nice Twilight did I ever tell you your anger is like pop rocks and moonfire and chocolate velvet all at once and oh what a calamitous rectification what a delicious morsel of compound anxiety no stop stop no no NO get up get up GET UP GET UP!
He awoke again, and if there was some way for a mind to tremble, his did. Too close, that had been, far too close. Even now, he could feel how near the edge he was, how easily he could just reach out and touch her flame and fall... no! No, no, this was what he'd been waiting for; another chance like this might not come again. Not if he ruined this first all important contact. No, he had to pull together. He had to do this, because this meant out, out, out out out...
All right. All right, this was simple. Easy. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy. Haha! Exactly. Exactly exactly. He could do this. This was fine. Nice and easy. There we go... reach out, do not frighten too much, do not. No... just reach out nice and friendly; be nice, be nice or she'd leave and then and then and then...
Discord spoke. He spoke in a mind-voice so calm, so collected, so normal that it almost sent him into cracked peals of laughter, but he kept it together. He pacified the boiling energies by latching onto her next delectable emotion, onto her creamy fear, and that kept him steady enough to realize a very, very important thing: he had absolutely no idea what to do next.
If Discord had not planned his next move, Twilight hadn't even considered the possibility of needing one. The idea that giving his statue a furious blast of magic would somehow grant him freedom had never occurred to her, not even in the most fanciful of nightmares.
The result was a very stunned, very scared mare whose thoughts struggled to come up with something other than ohmygoshohmygoshDiscord'sbackhe'sbackhe'sbackomygoshohmygosh. She stood there, quivering and panting and wanting to run but unable to, stood there waiting for something... his claw on her face, his voice uttering some sort of awful riddle, the feel of his breath heating the nape of her neck... Frozen, she waited and... waited?
Twilight hadn't realized she'd squeezed her eyes tightly shut until she finally forced them open, driven by a pang of confusion when her anticipation was met with... well, with nothing. She looked around, searching the waving grasses of the meadow for her enemy. Nothing. She turned her face to the sky, but no slithering draconequine form blocked out the twinkling stars.
Fear slowly relinquished its hold, and frustrated confusion swiftly filled its place. She knew she'd heard Discord; that voice was utterly unforgettable. She could not have been mistaken. Impossible. Stiffening her legs in preparation, she called out the moment her voice was working again.
"Discord! I know you're here; show yourself!"
Nothing.
Twilight snorted, anxious and angry. "Discord! You jerk, you- wait. That voice... that voice was in... in my mind." She abandoned her rigid stance, moving forward to examine the statue again. Just as she'd seen before: unharmed. So that meant...
It was just a hunch, one that she feared she'd regret in a few seconds, but she followed it anyway. The soft glow of her horn signaled the beginning of a simple communication spell, and with that magic she wove a delicate strand of consciousness that reached out, probing, prodding, feeling... there! And with that, she was through. With that, she spoke again, but this time her voice was outwardly silent.
D-Discord?
A flash of amusement; she could almost hear a throaty chuckle lurking about behind her thoughts.
The one and only. I see you've finally found your tongue; civil, to boot. A welcome change, I assu-
Twilight withdrew contact, sitting down heavily in the tall grass. Her breath came in harsh pants, and for a moment, she felt she might actually pass out, so great was the shock of what had just happened.
For the love of all things Equestrian, she'd just spoken to Discord. Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Monstrosity who had nearly destroyed her friendship. No, no, scratch that. He had destroyed her friendship, and she'd had to fight hoof and horn to get her friends back. This couldn't be happening, not like this, not... hold on, hold on... something was off. As she sat in night's quiet, fear nudging her closer to accepting the idea of running back to town, she realized that she was sitting in essential silence. No creepy voice. No Discord. A second epiphany made her gasp, and curiosity won out against fear as she reached out once more.
-must stop doing that, Twilight Sparkle. Incredibly rude, if you ask me, to constantly fall silent when I am trying to have a conversation with you! Honestly, do they teach nothing in those unicorn schools nowadays?
She was breathing fast again, but this time fear's influence had little to do with it. Her little hypothesis had been proven true, and the little burst of satisfaction at a question answered dulled her terror significantly. So, for that matter, did the answer to said question: Discord could only hear her, and she him, when she established a magical connection through... through...
Through this beautifully crafted statue, dear, yes. I thought it was rather obvious myself; took you quite some time to figure it out, didn't it? And here I thought you were supposed to be something of a prodigy...
Well, if his thinly-veiled sarcasm was good for anything, it was good for loosening the final grip fear had on her mental voice.
I didn't figure it out because it's not supposed to happen! You are supposed to be a rock!
Even while snapping back at him, she swiftly constructed a mental wall and, with some difficulty that she'd later eliminate with practice, partitioned off much of her mind for safe-keeping. His last remark made it rather obvious that, while contact existed, he had access to any thoughts lurking near the surface of her psyche. The fact that she'd felt his amusement a few minutes ago suggested she had the same access.
I do believe I am still a rock, Twilight. In fact, I believe you've checked that a few times already, yes? Ah... yes. Haha; rest assured, I can't actually see you, but that little thrill of... what was that? Shock? Fear? Befuddled terror? Ooh, yes, let's go with that last one. Anyway, that told me that I was right on the bit with-
If you're stone, how can I talk to you? How are you talking to me? What did you do?
A mental sigh. Honestly, Twilight. First you just randomly stop listening to me, and now you interrupt. Why in the world should I tell such an ill-mannered unicorn anything, hmm?
If you don't tell me, I'll... I'll...
You'll what? Go tell your precious Celestia on me? Oh, I'm sure that'll go just swimmingly. Why, I bet-
What did you do to her?!
He paused. He paused, and if she had been less consumed by her growing fury, she might have actually realized it. Instead, she gave in to the ire that she'd pushed back behind those mental walls, letting it finally rush free and take control. How could she not? The moment Discord mentioned the princess, Twilight remembered why she'd come, why she'd hit that wretched statue in the first place. The memories shook themselves free of the cloak of fear that had hidden them, rising to the surface and fueling her indignation to the point of blindness. So it went that Twilight did not notice Discord pause, and that was just as well for him, for if she had, it may all have ended right then and there. Instead, she pushed headlong into a rant.
This is all your fault! First you nearly destroy Ponyville, now you're messing with the princess, and with me! You think you can get away with this? You think I don't realize what's happening? You think you were just going to sneak those horrible things into my dreams? Those horrible... horrible... memories? Thoughts? Ugh, whatever they were, you think you could just use them to hurt us?
Silence, but she kept going.
Well, it didn't work on me, Discord! And I don't care what horrible things you've shown the princess; once I've spoken with her about this, we'll defeat you once and for all! We'll gather the Elements again, and we'll-
Laughter now, laughter that didn't lurk about under the surface but bubbled shamelessly over it. Twilight nearly broke the connection again, emotions turning almost violent at the sound of his merriment. The only thing that kept it intact was a sudden flame of defiance, a need to prove her will against what she understood as the most evil thing she had ever faced. Trembling but resolute, Twilight waited for his mental guffaws to cease, eyes unconsciously narrowing when he spoke again.
Oh, Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. You really do think you have everything figured out, don't you? Honestly, I could just go on and on about that healthy sense of arrogance dear Celestia has cultivated in you, but since I'm such a wonderfully charming fellow, I think I'll answer your questions instead.
She automatically scoffed at the statement. Undaunted, he continued.
To answer your first question, I have done nothing with your princess. As we have already established, I am currently residing in this charming hunk of rock. Rather cramped, actually, and I have the most awful crick in my neck, but that's neither here nor there, I suppose. As for what I've shown you...
Another pause, one that Twilight actually noticed. She also noticed, to her chagrin, that he'd put up the same mental walls she had; additional probing yielded no clues regarding his words. Whether he could feel her investigation was a mystery Perhaps he couldn't, for he continued without comment.
Seeing how incredibly boring it is in here, why don't you humor me, my little pony? What do you think I've shown you?
Twilight felt the shortest hairs of her mane bristle at his question, and her mind immediately scrambled for an answer. Was this some sort of trick, another crafty riddle designed to make her stumble, fail, and throw her world into terrible danger all over again? She remembered the last one well, that was certain. She remembered how she'd fallen prey to his silver tongue, how he hadn't even lied, just talked circles and postured until he'd had her precisely where he wanted her. Then... oh, by Celestia's mane, then everything had fallen completely to pieces, and their lives had nearly been shattered forever. No, she could not let it happen. She would not allow him to exploit her a second time; never again.
Twilight struggled for her next words. Her anger bled out from behind her mental wall; she knew he could sense it, but she did not care. Rather than blinding her, anger gave her strength, and she finally answered with a ferocity that Rainbow Dash would have been proud of.
It doesn't matter what I think you've shown me. It's a trick, all of it! And I'm not saying anything to you. I'm going straight to the princess, and that's that. Good bye!
Now, wait a minute! Wait!
By all rights, she should have kept her word. She should have turned her back on his voice and his petrified form. She should have followed the moonlight back across the meadow to her home and worked up a sensible plan from there. Instead, she found her anger waning again. His voice, rather than being laced with its trademark amusement, carried a current of desperation that reached past her ire and tickled at curiosity once more.
Certainly her entire being remained focused on the idea of an impending trap, but oh, it was difficult. At her core lay that insatiable curiosity, and it vied with her caution and anger for control of her actions. Really though, how could she not be curious? She had heard Discord speak in a good number of tones, but this was something new, something she'd never even conceived of. So different, though... it had to be a trap! A trap staring her right in the face, and here she was reaching back out in response. Foolish. Idiotic. Shameful.
She did it anyway.
What can you possibly have to say that I would want to hear, Discord?
It took a couple of seconds for an answer. When his voice came, the tone was normal, if a little whining.
Come now; I'm only asking for a little fun; is that so wrong?
Wrong? Anger won out for a moment, and her mind's voice came shrill and vicious. Wrong? You think that giving me such horrible nightmares about the princesses isn't wrong? You think hurting Princess Celestia isn't wrong? If that's what you call "fun," then you're more of a monster than I thought.
Twilight Sparkle, I'm shocked! A monster? Really? Is that any way to treat someone who wants to help you? Here I was, all ready to assist you with your little princess problem, and you're saying such nasty things! Why, I don't think any amount of entertainment is worth this much rudeness. I think this conversation is over.
Wait!
Now it was her turn to sound frantic, and behind her walls she cringed in shame. Here was the trap; it didn't take a genius to recognize it. It was so obvious, it was almost laughable. In fact, it was laughable, and she had the absurd urge to giggle as she mulled over his words. Help her with the princess? Did he honestly think her so foolish as to fall for something so obvious? Insulting! And yet...
And yet she couldn't leave it be. She couldn't break away from him and run. The sudden possibility of finally gaining information about the princess was too tempting to ignore. The danger inherent in dealing with Discord seemed so much less, so insignificant, when compared to the knowledge she might gain to help her beloved mentor. Thus Twilight wavered, and thus she called out to the chaos spirit she knew sought to harm her. The effect was immediate.
Ah... a change of heart, then?
Twilight swallowed nervously; how she handled this now was crucial. Maybe... maybe if she was careful, really careful, she could gain something without losing too much.
I... what do you mean, help with the princess?
The laugh that answered her was dark enough to nearly make her regret her words. Nearly. Once he had his fill of mental cackles, he continued with words that only increased her indecision.
I mean exactly what I say, my dear Twilight. I have some incredibly interesting information about sweet Celestia that I'm sure you'd find useful considering the current... situation. Why in the world do you think I sent those little samples, worked so hard to call you here, hmm? You think it's easy getting through solid rock, even for me?
Calling her? He'd been calling? That would explain the dreams, wouldn't it? That would explain... but no! There was no way he would have called her here out of any sort of concern or kindness. Definitely not; there was no way altruism could come from such a creature. There was something here, some sort of catch. She reanalyzed his words, his tone, even tried to feel through his own mental walls for some sort of clue, but there was nothing. All she felt was a sense of expectancy, clearly him waiting for her answer. Twilight had no time to come up with a clever retort, so she did all she could: she got right down to the point.
What do you know about the princess, and what's the price?
The price? My dear, dear Twilight, what makes you think I would want something in return?
No amount of curiosity could override the utter disbelief that inspired, and she made it quite clear. There was no reason to block her skepticism from breaching her mental wall.
Oh ho, learned a few things from our last meeting, did you? Well, you always were the smart one, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Fine, fine; let's get down to business.
He paused again, and she took the moment to ready her defenses. Outwardly, it felt as if every hair stood on end in anticipation. Her ears flicked forward, unnecessary but quite unconscious, and Twilight took a deep breath when Discord... began to laugh again. As quickly as she'd tensed, she relaxed. Anticipation became annoyance. Stupid jerk of a spirit; couldn't he take anything seriously?
Hey! If you don't tell me what you want in the next three seconds, I'm leaving! One... tw-
Juvenile, yes. Effective? Also yes.
My apologies, dear. Goodness, keep your horseshoes on! You're just so adorable, all ready to take on the big bad spirit of chaos! Why, it must be one of the cu-
ONE. TWO. THR-
All right, all right. To business. Ahem.
His tonal shift was odd, disturbing, and whether he knew it disturbed she did not know, but it wouldn't have surprised her if he did. It would be just like him to use every possible method to confuse her. Twilight snorted, a sound heard only by herself and the crickets whose chirps answered her. It didn't matter what he tried; she'd be ready.
I propose the following deal, Twilight Sparkle: I will tell you what I know of Celestia and her... issues. In return, I ask only this: you shall speak with me for a minimum of two hours every day.
Twilight thought she'd horribly misheard, or that she'd hallucinated his words, or perhaps that he'd shifted reality in some way. It was only when his silence stretched on into the seconds that she even toyed with the idea that she had heard correctly.
You... you want me to talk to you?
Would you like me to repeat it? You shall speak with me fo-
Are you kidding?
She fully expected him to laugh again, announcing some ridiculous punchline to follow what clearly had to be a joke. So deep was her bafflement that she sat down, muscles going slack as she stared up at the motionless statue. A joke. It had to be a joke.
Do I sound as if I am kidding, Twilight Sparkle?.
When incredulity kept her voice hostage, he sighed.
I may be the spirit of chaos, disharmony, rugged good looks, and fantastic jokes, but that does not mean I am incapable of being serious from time to time. That is my offer. Take it or leave it. And do hurry with your decision, my dear. While I possess many wonderful virtues, patience did seem to pass me up.
Sure enough, with those words came trickles of fidgeting impatience that tickled her psyche. Her mind threatened to come to a panicked halt, a fact that she fervently hoped he could not recognize as she scrambled to come up with some sort of answer. In the end she could only utter one mental word:
Why?
Still he did not laugh, something both oddly encouraging and chillingly ominous.
I'll put it simply: being encased in stone is boring. Being the embodiment of chaos and being encased is stone is excruciatingly boring. Nothing to hear, nothing to see. Absolutely nothing to do, and while my voice does sound quite lovely, even it gets tiresome after a while. So-
So you want me to... to just talk to you? That's it?
She was so surprised, she didn't even notice him chortle at how breathless she sounded.
That's it. You entertain me, I tell you what you need to know. Wonderfully easy, and both of us get what we want. How about it, my dear? Shall we seal the deal?
Her world shuddered to a halt. She was suddenly deaf to everything: his voice, the night sounds around her, the wind rustling the grass, everything but the deep thudding of her racing heart. Here it was at last: the moment of truth, the instance when she committed to fully matching her wits against those of this ageless demon. The question rose up before her, an ominous and daunting monolith that she could not see past.
"Shall we seal the deal?"
By all that was Equestrian, what now? Fighting to keep her anxiety hidden, Twilight took a deep breath and struggled to call up that which had always helped her: logic. Sweet, straightforward, glorious logic. She could do this with logic, order it and dismantle it and pick it apart the same way she had every difficult decision in her life. Identify the pros. Name the cons. Lay every little detail and aspect bare to consider and catalog. Make an organized list. Number them. Add up the values. Rinse. Repeat. Reach a balanced conclusion. Rejoice. Relax with a cup of tea and a good book.
It was a tried and true formula that had helped her innumerable times before, but as she tried to use it now, all she felt was chilling nausea. There were too many unknowns, too many unseen dangers lurking in Discord's seemingly innocent offer.
There should not have been an advantage big enough to even consider making a deal with him. Rejection should have been easy; it should have been her choice the moment she'd heard his voice. She squirmed at these thoughts, for the fact remained that she could not bring herself to outright dismiss the offer.
Information about the princess. A chance to help her mentor. A resolution to all of the uncertainty and worry of the past few weeks. All of these things, these greatest desires, erased any notion of danger from her mind. They begged her to say yes, pleaded with her, and the more she tried to ignore them, the weaker she felt against their might. Logic said no. Logic said run. Love, however, love joined with compassion and caring and need to scream at her in a soundless voice that drowned everything else out. That voice screamed "yes."
Twilight shivered from horn tip to hooves as she felt for Discord's presence once again, calling out with hesitant mind-voice to...
She balked. There it was, just as she'd expected, just as instinct had warned. Apparently even he could not hide it, so true it was to his nature, so strong: a pure, unabashed smugness that made her gag when it touched her mind. No amount of concern for the princess could mask the feeling of slimy satisfaction slithering about in the shadows of their combined unconscious, and the sudden shock of the evil she might have just agreed to made her cry out, mentally and physically.
No!
If her rejection had any negative effect, it didn't show. The emotion he radiated did not change, except perhaps to grow stronger, more vile. He was probably entertained by it, really. She grit her teeth at the thought.
Never. I'll never make a deal with you.
So sure, Twilight Sparkle?
Oh, yes. Definitely entertained. The monster. To think she had even considered...
I can assure you, you will not find a better deal in aaaaaaall of Equestria! In fact, I bet you've already tried, haven't you? Turned your little library topsy turvy looking for a cure for Celestia's crazies, no? Well, Twilight, there is no-
Be quiet! Fury gave her voice a confidence she did not feel. I don't need your help to help the princess, and there is nothing in Equestria that can change that. I will never, ever, EVER make a deal with a... a... a creature that amuses himself by breaking up friendships and destroying the fabric of reality! I am leaving, and-
She had to stop; his laughter, once a soft giggle accompanying her biting words, had climbed into raucous howls of mirth. He was so loud it hurt, and Twilight winced in pain even as she mustered a good deal of magic to yell above him.
Expect a visit from Celestia tomorrow! Unsurprisingly, her threat had little effect.
Oh, Twilight, he managed between guffaws, I'll see you later, my pet. Have a lovely evening! Or morning, or afternoon, or whatever it is out there! That was all he could say before he dissolved into more laughter that was almost hyena-like.
Twilight did not bother with mustering more than a mental snarl in response before breaking the magical bond. The moment his laughter vanished from her mind she was off, galloping with rage-borne speed through the tall grasses towards home. Her decision had been made, and there was only one thing to do when she made it to her tree home: rouse Spike from his sleep and send a letter to Celestia.
When she left, connection severed and silence returned, he did not stop laughing. Oh no, how could he? It was too much, too hilarious, too unbelievably perfect! Why, there he'd been, serpentine tongue tied in anxious knots when she'd wormed her precious little mind through that hole he'd worked so desperately to make, realizing all at once that beyond widening that gap, he'd had no plot worked out! None! Now, could anyone imagine that? Discord, Prince of Pandemonium, King of Chaos, Master of Mayhem, was at a loss for ideas! That in and of itself was the funniest thing ever, but wait! Wait wait wait! There he'd been, frozen in crippling indecision, when Twilight fixed it all! The best punchline ever, and he hadn't even written it: dear little Twilight Sparkle, prized pupil of stuffy old Celestia, had given him everything he'd needed to know.
She hadn't even known she'd done it! In fact, she could have undone it all, so uncontrolled he'd been, noticed his indecision and doomed him while saving herself in the process. It would have all been ruined but for her! Priceless, that was, utterly priceless, how she'd blindly slipped him every little morsel of information that gave him what he needed to form his plan. Oh, it hadn't been easy, just like making that nifty little hole hadn't been easy, but in the end he'd managed! Yes, he'd managed well. He'd baited her a little bit at first, just given her something to talk at. That had helped immensely, helped to ground him and hold him until she spilled the beans like the little foal she was. And oh, by all that was chaotic, what she'd let spill: those few words, that throw-away accusation! What had he done with Celestia, indeed.
Nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing! Ha, if she only knew how completely incapable he was at the moment, that would just make it funnier, but still! She'd been so completely convinced that he'd wrought some villainy, and he'd jumped at that faster than... oh, one of those long-legged rabbits he'd graced Equestria with. Celestia. Something was wrong with Celestia. Celly-nelly-welly Celestia, and as she'd ranted, his mind had whittled away at her words in search of some little kernel of and there it was! He understood so suddenly he felt light-headed. He understood, he knew, and that knowledge immediately reached down with its needling little claws to titillate and tease and torment the memories that supported it. Now that part hadn't been so fun, and he'd put a stop to that as quickly as his limited faculties allowed, but it only lasted a second because she kept yelling and squawking and oh how droll how precious. He'd let her, and when he finally chose to speak he made sure to goad her, for her anger meant fodder for that twisting in the back and that meant he was clear free and clear clear and focused and plotting so nicely. And he'd plotted. Twilight ranted, Discord plotted. Fantastic. Fantastic, but not quite flawless.
It had been touch and go for a moment when she'd tried to leave, and for that moment he had panicked, that frigid blade of emotion cutting him in the way he hated most. That was the worst instant, but he'd saved it in the end, yes he had. Heck, he'd even gone further and had her hint at what he'd sent before, giving him that last little bit he needed to formulate his plan. Brilliant, it had been, in its supreme successful lack of coordination!
Again, even handicapped, his mind was quick, and so his plan came together in what little time it took for Twilight to reaffirm her status as wronged heroine. Yes, nice and easy it had come, growing from poor little Celestia's malady wasn't that sad so sad so unfortunate little Celly oh but don't look at it not yet no no no and feeding upon Twilight's needs. He'd use them both, use them to keep that little unicorn tied to him so that he could watch and rest turn her. Use it to turn her away from Celestia and... oh, heck, she didn't even really have to like him. No, no, no. He just needed to sow the ever-useful seeds of doubt in her nerdy little mind, and that would be it! Voila; poof; shazam: disagreement, confusion, wondrous discord between the dear little Elements of Harmony, just as ordered! And what would that do? What would that accomplish, fillies and gentlecolts?
Why, only freedom! Sweet, blessed freedom! It was simple, dare he say logical ha ha logic oh who'd have ever thought ha ha! The seal only held when those who held the Elements agreed with the spell being wrought, and Elements meant all of the Elements! All of those annoying, order-loving little fillies had to want him sealed. If one of them, just one, strayed from that commitment, particularly if that one happened to be the most powerful, the central Element of Magic... well, he'd be lounging about in cotton candy clouds in no time at all! He could practically taste the chocolate milk as he thought about it, and that had sent him into another paroxysm of giggles.
He'd only quieted when Twilight launched into another tiresome tirade. Honestly, that got so boring after a while and... focus. Oh, he'd used that little offer to worm his way into her doubts and curiosity until, try as she might to hide it behind that admittedly well-crafted wall, he was sure he'd had her. It had all been formalities after that, silly banter back and forth that, while nourishing for him, had only meant that yes, oh yes, he had her. Perhaps he hadn't handled her so well in the last minute, but who could blame him, with that elation marring all else? And besides, what did it matter? He could feel the certainty of it, and even though she'd drawn away and put up the shield of all-powerful heroism, he hadn't been worried. He knew her too well, knew her kind, and he knew that no matter her resolution at that second, there was no solution to what he knew was gnawing away at her beloved mentor. No: she'd be back. She'd be back to sniff and paw at the clever bait he'd set, and so he'd laughed and laughed as she screamed virtue at him, happily dissolved into hysterics when she'd pulled her consciousness away from his. Fine. Perfectly fine. Run, little Twilight. Run, run, run, run run to your heart's content my dear and come back when Her Majesty goes nuts come back I know you will and then...
Then he'd have to bear down. Then... then it would be... well, it would be fun, sure, but because of the angle, because of his approach... it might hurt. Even now, he could sense his weapons, those bothersome little realities, drawing their claws down his psyche, poking their nasty truths and memories where he didn't want them. Discord pushed them away, locked them up as best he could without taxing himself too much, but it was only temporary. Ah, that was the price, of course. The weapons he had in this state were not particularly easy to use. That was the price that, ironically enough, was not Twilight's but his to pay. Unfortunate, yes. Regrettable, yes. Necessary? If this was to be his method, then yes: those were the memories he had to call up, had to use as tools to sculpt her mind into the form he needed for his escape. The real question was not "did he have to?" but "could he?" Could he manage it, wield those finicky, volatile weapons without feeling their bite himself? Hmm... he fought urge to rub at his beard.
Yes, no, maybe so. Ha! Wasn't that just the quaintest, yet truest, answer?
The truth, much as he hated to acknowledge it, was that this could hurt. This could hurt hurt hurt, and there was little to do about it other than take it as it came. After all, what choice did he have, frozen in this rock? Deaf and blind and dumb and whoa there stay back stay back not yet chained as he unfortunately was? This the price he'd be sure to make them all pay back once all was said and done, but for now, he was the payer, and fate was the payee. Ha! He, the embodiment of chaos, forced to endure such potentially dire straits. Oh, that was funny, hilarious even, and despite its darker meaning, Discord began to laugh at the tangled predicament he'd found himself in.
He laughed and laughed, and when that laughter began to slide down into the gaping maw of a throe, why, he didn't bother to stop it. He let that throe rise up, and he let himself laugh until exhaustion rendered his mind still, for in the end, he'd done what he'd set out to do: he'd positioned what few pieces he possessed on his fractured chess board. The game was set; all he had to do was wait.
Twilight was crying by the time she reached the library, tears streaming freely down her face as she quietly opened and shut the door, mindful of the sleeping Spike. Inside, she leaned against the nearest wall, silently sliding down to crouch as the tears continued to drip from her muzzle.
It was the shock, really, and who could blame her for that? It was not every evening that one conversed with the spirit of chaos all by oneself, and it was certainly not something she'd prepared for in any way. The moment she'd left the field, all of her empowering anger had vanished, leaving only a chilled sense of shock that beckoned halted sobs from between her lips. Shock was all it was, and as it worked its way through her system, as she finally came to terms with what she had just done for the past half hour or so, the tears slowed their trickle. When they stopped, she took a shaking breath and rose. Crossing the room to her desk, she automatically called the tools of letter-writing to its surface.
She'd allowed herself that little breakdown, but now it was time to get to work. All said and done, she had to inform the princess of what had just happened. Residual shame, born of her near-acceptance of whatever sordid plan Discord had thought up, compelled her to do it now, and so she quickly scribbled out a header and began the first paragraph. Twilight wrote and wrote, detailing her visions, recounting her first encounter with the statue, explaining the current night's events... only to crumple up the parchment in a burst of magic a few minutes later. Shaking her head, she blamed the faulty letter on remaining unease and started again. Ten minutes later, the result was the same, and twenty minutes later, she had a third ball of parchment to add to her collection.
Tears pricked at her eyes again, and she bit her lip to keep them at bay. No, she had to do this. She'd given herself time to recover, and now she had to pull together and call for reinforcements before... before what? Before he escaped? Before he contacted her again? Before he continued to wreak his evil upon the princess? She didn't know, and perhaps that was what made writing the letter so difficult. She didn't truly know what to tell the princess, particularly considering the condition the latter was currently in. Should she even mention that? Should she own to her doubts, misgivings, and concerns? Or should she brush those aside, focusing instead purely on Discord's apparent reawakening? For all her intelligence, Twilight simply could not decide how to proceed, and so she sat down again, laying her head on her trembling hooves as she tried to sort her thoughts out. Again, she called upon her logic for guidance.
She listed what she knew, what she'd experienced, but that still didn't tell her what to tell the princess. The obvious answer to that question was "everything," but... oh, but there was still something wrong! Worse, talking to Discord only reaffirmed that idea, and that... wait. Did it really? Did it confirm her fears, or was that a trick, too? Was he just... or was it... or... Twilight groaned and buried her face in her hooves. This was the problem! She had no idea what was true, what was a trick, what was a cleverly-disguised lie. How was she to write the princess a letter about such grave matters when she had no clear idea of what the danger was? Discord was awake, yes, but nothing had ever said that he had to be asleep, either. After all, he was still safely locked away in that statue, that she was certain of. Her probing of the magical fields in that meadow confirmed it, so what was the real issue, then? Was there truly danger here, or... or was the real danger in whatever was wrong with Princess Celestia? Could she risk the princess' feelings and opinion of her by pointing out those concerns? Before, she'd decided she could not. Now... oh, now she didn't know what to do! She sighed, a tiny spark of her previous anger returning. Trust that brute to complicate matters further. Why, he'd probably leap for joy if he knew the miserable position he'd put her in now.
Well, grousing about it wouldn't help matters. She needed a plan of her own. She needed action. She needed- Her encouraging thoughts were interrupted by a loud draconic snore from the loft. Twilight found herself giggling despite her dilemma, only to fall silent when the significance of that snore finally occurred to her. What was the point in writing out a letter whose content she couldn't properly decide upon when her assistant was asleep? Why bother waking Spike up now? Twilight sighed, finally deciding on one thing, at least: there was no sense in ruining her friend's sleep like that, not when she was so unsure. Perhaps... perhaps her own sleep would be best? She cocked her head to the side, trying to reason out her next course of action. Sleep would rejuvenate her admittedly tired mind. Sleep would refresh, maybe give her a new perspective in the morning. Sleep... she shivered. Sleep might bring another disturbing vision with it. Well, that could have its use, too, she supposed, in swaying her one way or the other.
Yes, sleep seemed to be the safest option at this point. No sense in approaching this huge undertaking in such an exhausted state, and tomorrow... her eyes widened. Why, tomorrow, everyone would be up! Everyone, meaning her friends, meaning the Elements, meaning ponies whose advice she could get. Yes, that was even better! Sleep now, confer with friends tomorrow. That was better than going to the princess right away. It would give her an even fresher perspective, maybe even reveal a solution all on its own. Perhaps the six of them could figure out a way to deal with Discord without having to pester Celestia at all.
These new ideas crowding out her more dismal thoughts, Twilight felt immensely calmer, even smiling as she climbed up the stairs to bed. Everything felt better taken slowly, felt more right, and she briefly considered the idea that Discord's last needling comments had actually been designed to spur her to reckless action. She hadn't even thought of that possibility before, but now she giggled softly at the notion. Well, if that had been part of his plan, it had failed. She would wait, would take a second look at everything in the morning. She'd call her friends. She'd put it right.
Getting into bed, Twilight felt the last traces of fear slip away as she closed her eyes. A feeling of almost intense well-being assured her that this was the right choice, and she sighed as she fell into a dreamless, restful sleep.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Comment if it please you.