//------------------------------// // Bad End // Story: Head Full of Cotton Candy // by TheManWithTwoNames //------------------------------// The following chapter is optional story-canon, and has more plot holes in it than a book about Swiss cheese. Take it seriously at your own volition. THEY SHRUNK MY T-SHIRT IN THE WASH! I’VE BEEN BETRAYED! There was a stillness across all of Equestria, and the smell of petrichor was heavy on the land and air. The tempest of Discord’s chaos had passed and Harmony reveled in the calm after the storm. Flight came easy to her even without any draft carrying her wings. She was alone in the sky, but the brief sequestration was not unwelcome. She did not enjoy over-crowded social gatherings as much as Celestia and Luna, neither did she feel that the celebration was justified. The six mares wielding her elements were not the heroes they believed they were, and the hardships they suffered were only a fraction of the sacrifices made by the true heroes. The tragic fate of the loving mother still weighed heavy in her heart, but Harmony continued to rise upward as the craggy mountain grew closer. She ignored the small shiver that traveled through her veins. The lack of sunshine was likely just making her feel a bit chilly. It was odd that the skies would be still choked with clouds, but she humorously dismissed it as her brother’s world’s flair for drama still lingering and carried onward. Miles away from civilization, in sealed by stone inside a long-abandoned dragon’s den, the unsung martyr of Equestria waited patiently in his prison for his earned reward. Discord’s shell would remain imprisoned and alone forever, but his spirit would finally be able to rise above the hurt and the strife that had followed him for all his life. The draconequus had not spoken a word to her or Brother Love after Screwball was given her peace, and Love had excused himself to find his fiancé soon after. Harmony watched alone at a distance as Discord spent the last few hours of his mortal life in his world of chaos, laughing emptily as prank after horrid prank was sprung on the hapless ponies. She couldn’t have asked him to undo it, not after losing Screwball. With her gone, he only had chaos left to fill his broken heart. She circled around the base of the mountain, climbing higher until she reached the summit, where a pile of boulders standing on a ledge were stacked against the outside of the mountain. She flew through the stones as if they were made of gas and entered her brother’s tomb. Not even the dimmest ray of light from Celestia’s sun or Luna’s stars would would ever enter the cave. She did not imagine that Discord could tell the difference between any light or darkness, but the princesses did enjoy making a point. With only the slightest exertion, Harmony’s feathers began to glow like embers. Soon she was like a small comet in the cave, casting shadows across her petrified brother’s face. She was fearful for a moment. She knew Discord had his face stretched in fear, but the glow of her half-light warped his features to something hideous and wrathful. Forcing away as much of her fear as she could, she dimmed her light and perched on Discord’s outstretched arms. His shadow-crossed and hateful eyes looked fixed on her. She was unable to rationalize it to herself and began the spell to free his spirit. After many seconds, it became clear that something was very wrong. She had opened the door for Discord to exit through, but he did not come. He was undoubtedly still mourning the loss of his mother, but he should not be left alone. In some cases, people who were left to be consumed by their grief could become self-destructive. She bobbed back and forth on her feet when she imagined feeling the statue throb under her. She looked around her, as if she expected to find someone ready to help her. Foolish old girl. She didn’t need anyone else for this, she could do it on her own. Her feathers bristled as she took a deep breath in preparation for entering her brother’s prison. She closed her eyes, and Harmony vanished from the world. It felt like she was drowning in an arctic sea. The blinding darkness around her sapped away at every ounce of her strength, threatening to steal her away forever. She swam, she flew, she fell, she fought with all her strength to escape the numbing emptiness around her. Eventually it took her, and Harmony drifted through the blackness entirely apart from herself. It was not frightening anymore, but it was still strange. She felt like she was a spirit again, moving through the void just by willing it. Her body was still with her, but it was as if she was dragging a puppet behind her rather than controlling it. Is this how Discord felt for all those centuries? She sluggishly moved her head side to side as though it would bring her more clarity of mind. Finding Discord was the whole reason she had come here. She needed to find him and get back home to Love and the others. The Princesses. Them. Equestria? The dark was fuzzy around her, like a big black mat of fur. It sloshed in her ears, slipping in and out and taking everything with it. She was Harmony. She was there to help someone. It was who she was. “Hello?” she called into the darkness. “Is anyone there?” She craned her neck without moving it, tilting to the side to listen to the soft hissing leaking in the distance. “...seND... AwAy... anD nOw... gaME... They ARE... Time To sHow... MakE tHem... STaRt...” The leak dripped out her ears and she could not remember. “Is there someone there? Anyone? I think I’m lost. I’m looking for a way out. Can you hear me?” The hiss dripped in every direction. It never got louder. But the longer she listened, the clearer the idea became. It had to be what she was searching for. She followed after the leak, unsure if it was moving away or coming closer to her. “ThEy maDe me... HER... fOrever... theY thiNk The... is Over... WrONg... whAt real ChAoS is... feel what I feel... CeLeStia’s fAUlt... with... HER.” Harmony stopped breathing. The leak was staying where it had always been. It was all around her. “H-hello?! W-where are you!?” “Very. Close. By.” Even in the numbness, she could feel the crushing pressure as fingers laced around her throat and chest. She could not move, she could not think, she could only wait. “I think that I will stay a little longer. I owe Celestia something. I owe all of Equestria, really. A present. And I think that I’ll give it to you, first. Sister Dear.” Flesh and bone twisted. And Harmony vanished from the world. The Chaos Continues...