Identity Crisis
Many days have passed since I first met Discord. By this time, I am quite intrigued by this strange individual. More than where he came from, nobody even seems to know what he really is. Although, I have a theory as to what he could be, holding the features of many species. If my suspicions are right, then Discord is a…
"…A draconnequus!" Cassandra chirped.
"Am I supposed to be offended by that?" Discord asked.
"What? No! I read it about it in the changeling records. Draconnequus were chimeras, from a long time ago. They shared limbs and features from all sorts of different kinds of animals, the very first of its kind being a mix of dragon and pony, which is how they were named. The description fits you perfectly."
"Maybe…" said discord, still not convinced. "But that still leaves a lot to be explained."
Cassandra sighed softly. "I guess you're right, Discord. But still, aren't you-"
Discord cut her off with a bored attitude. "Can't we just stop all this whole 'trying to figure out my past' thing? It's awfully boring and pointless to me."
The two had spent the afternoon talking about possibilities of Discord's origin, as well as potential causes of his amnesia. Or rather, one had spent the afternoon talking about it. The other just sat there looking bored and made small comments from time to time. It wasn't really that the topic itself was boring, as Discord would not admit, but the fact that they hadn't gotten anywhere with it had annoyed him.
"Say, Discord…"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I think it's time you could try interacting with ponies again."
Memories of the past came back into mind, and Discord remained in thought. "You really think so? They don't seem to be such a trusting bunch, if you know what I mean. They wouldn't even leave their houses when they saw me the last time."
"Yes, I remember," said Cassandra, thinking back to their first meeting all those days ago. "But things are different now. The war is over, and the ponies have had time to settle into a peaceful life. They have no reason to be cautious of spies anymore." Cassandra's horn pulsed green as a spiral of magic swept over her skin. In her place stood a young, female unicorn with a black coat and green eyes.
"What are you…"
"Don't worry about it," she said, flipping back her light green mane with a wink and a smile. "I'll be there to help you out. A little ways off from here, there's a small village called Ebra. I've been there in this form many times, and most of the ponies know me as a friend. I'm sure I can convince them to give you a shot at civilization. Come meet me in Ebra tomorrow."
"Another shot at friendship? Heh… that would sure be nice." Friendship. A relatively new word to Discord, but his favorite word nonetheless. It must have been nice to be born a pony, free of all the contempt, hardships, struggles, and discrimination that creatures outside of the norm were burdened with. To know the meaning of the word friendship to its fullest. And now, Discord would have a chance to learn how it felt to be a part of that community.
Without warning, Discord's vision swam. Everything fell into vertigo. The world around him fragmented and shattered like a glass pane, leaving the lonely creature in the void of nothingness. He heard a faint voice. …Stop this. You shouldn't go with her. It was a familiar voice. His voice. Or so it seemed, until he heard it again. The voice sounded similar, but there was just something about it that didn't feel right. It felt full of darkness, of negative emotions strong enough to cast themselves into a pit of despair. You can't listen to her. The ponies will never accept you.
Who are you?
I am you. Beneath the surface, dwelling deep within your subconscious.
If you are me, then who am I?
Someone that doesn't belong here. Not in Equestria, not anywhere. Not with the living and sane.
I… No. You're wrong.
Am I?
I have a place in this world. It is right here, with my friend. With Cassandra.
You believe she is your friend?
More than anything in the world.
She is a changeling.
Why does that matter?
They are deceitful creatures that trick others into their doom. She will seek after your life one day.
She's different from the other changelings.
You will be betrayed.
I trust her.
Yet she does not trust you. She keeps a dark secret hidden from you, child. She will stab you in the back when you are the most defenseless, leaving you to bleed out on the ground.
Shut up. You know nothing about her.
So you will hide from the truth. I will acknowledge your choice… But I promise you, it will bring you no pleasure, Discord… Discord… Discord…
…
"Discord. Discord!" Calling out to him didn't seem to be working. Then again, maybe she would try just once more. Cassandra grabbed his ear with both hooves, and put her mouth right next to it. She screamed as loudly as she could into it, "DISCORD!!!"
"AAGH!" With a startled yelp, Discord jolted, flying up into the air and landing face first on the ground. "Oof… What was that for?" Rubbing his temple, Discord turned his gaze to Cassandra. Her expression was one filled with worry.
"Discord… Are you all right? You've been sitting still here for half an hour. You didn't say anything when I called out to you…"
Discord searched for the voice, who was no longer speaking. "I'm… I'm fine. I was just tired. Guess I'm going to leave now, see you tomorrow."
It was a poor excuse, but it let Discord leave without another word from the concerned changeling. He just didn't know anything for certain anymore; that voice had deteriorated his perception of reality before his very eyes. And Discord couldn't do anything about it, but hide from the pain and the uncertainty that he felt inside.
Obsidian was not in the happiest of moods. The recent fall of Glephnir and Ivaldi had led to a whole slew of problems. His week had been littered with hordes of paperwork and discussions with annoying old changelings. He was reading the reports brought up by the changeling militia in boredom, when he came across something interesting.
"…And at this time last week, in the fields and forests to the east, there have been sightings of a creature whose descriptions can only be matched to the age old draconnequus. Hmm," Obsidian said aloud, "A draconnnequus? I always thought they were extinct."
An idea popped up into mind. One that would give Obsidian an excuse to break his political shackles for once and relive the thrill of the hunt. Hunting the ponies had gotten too dull for him lately; they couldn't do anything about it but run. Here was a creature whose strength had far surpassed that of even a changeling's magic. Prey that would fight back. "If the draconnequus are supposed to be extinct, then extinct they shall remain."
The voice hadn't returned since yesterday. At the present moment, Discord was making his way to Ebra. Even though it was his first contact with normal ponies in quite some time, he couldn't shake a feeling of uneasiness about the eerie thing in his head that had spoken in his voice.
But that issue would have to wait for the moment. He had felt a presence nearby ever since he took path through the forest. "Why don't you come on out?" Discord said clearly, calling out around him.
"You're certainly a strange-looking creature," said a voice from nearby. A young, blue-coated unicorn with a green mane trotted out from a thicket of trees in front of Discord, looking him over with curious eyes. "What's your name?"
"Before that, why have you been following me around?" Discord asked cautiously. He was very skeptical of the pony standing before him.
"So you've caught on," said the pony. "You know, it's not that easy to trust someone, especially these days. I mean, with the battle between the sun and the moon over, who knows what'll happen next? I just had to check you weren't some beast that was going to attack me. Say, do you happen to be a draconnequus?"
"Maybe. What's it to you?"
"Well, from what I know, the draconnequus are extinct. Are there any more of you left?"
"Not that I know of."
"I see. Well, it's been nice talking to you." The pony turned away, walking back to the field.
Surprised, Discord asked, "What, going away already? You've been following me for quite some time."
"Oh, I've got all the information I need. I don't need you anymore," the pony said. He stopped in his tracks. "Oh, actually, now that you mention it, there is one more thing you could do for me… Please die here for me, if you don't mind."
Discord looked down at a magical knife jutting out of his chest. Drops of red ran over its blade, trickling over the hilt and forming a stain on the ground where they fell. "Why did you…"
A wicked sneer greeted Discord as he looked up again. "You, know, it's not that easy to trust someone," the creature replied mockingly, shedding his disguise. A coat of blue was burned off by magical flames, revealing a black interior. His voice dropped to a lower tone, dripping with sarcasm and snark. "Especially these days. I mean, with the battle between the sun and the moon over, who knows what'll happen next?"
Discord coughed out blood. "You're a changeling?"
"Yes, how very observant of you. Name's Obsidian. And you happen to be a draconnequus, I see. An extinct species. The dead should really stay dead, don't you think?"
Discord flew away into the air, but it proved fruitless as Obsidian sprouted insect-like wings that buzzed in his pursuit.
The voice returned. I told you so. You don't have a place in this world. You are unwanted.
… It's you again. What do you want from me?
Why, I only wish to help. I could give you strength, you know. Just lend me control of your body for a little while. I can make someone like him taste true power. Destroy him completely after toying with his life like the frail thing it is...
I… don't want that. I don’t want to hurt anyone.
You don't want to hurt him? Ha. Don't make me laugh. I can see the darkness swirling inside you, Discord. After all, I am you. I can see your innermost desires. To kill. To cause suffering. To create chaos.
I have no such wish. Leave my body.
Then leave things the way they are. I'm sure you'll be fine. After all, you have my life force to keep you alive. Although, I'm not too sure about your friend over there.
Who…? Discord noticed a figure on the ground below them. It was Cassandra, in her pony's disguise. She must have gone looking for Discord when he didn't show up.
"Discord, what's going on? I heard screaming! Who is-" She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes caught wind of the other changeling at the scene. "Oh no."
"Stay out of my way, worm!" Obsidian spat, turning her way. With another wave of his horn, a sickle of magic spun towards her, drawing blood from her front shoulder where it struck. Cassandra, unable to stand, lost consciousness and crumpled on the ground.
"NO!" Discord shouted. "You…" He could feel the rage building up inside him, ready to explode. His pupils dilated, and his consciousness went blank.
Yes, the voice said, Lose control. Give in to the chaos.
"You BASTARD!" With a roar that shook the heavens, Discord unleashed chaos. The clouds darkened, and the sky itself took on an unholy shade of crimson. Electric sparks of shot across Discord's body, as his fur turned disheveled and his eyes left a trail of light.
That's right, the voice encouraged, Tear. Crush. Kill. Obliterate. Everything in this world is ripe for the picking. Everything and everyone, yours to toy with. Hehehehehehehe… Hahahahahahaha! The insane shrieks of laughter continued, as Discord produced a downpour of lightning from his hands once more.
"Finally getting serious, eh?" Obsidian smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I know what your species are capable of. You are no match for the king of changelings. Let's end this now." With that, Obsidian flew back, positioning himself a fair distance from Discord. His horn spat out a torrent of green sickles, shooting out in a narrow cone. The projectiles hit their mark, exploding in a burst of fire and smoke where they hit Discord. Within seconds, Discord's body was completely hidden behind a cloud of explosions.
Obsidian frowned. "Humph. That was more boring then I expected. Maybe I should have held back a little."
A blurred figure burst out of the smoke. Before he even knew what had happened, Obsidian found Discord's talons wrapped around his head. "You claim your paltry power can kill me? Hah! You are naught but the king of fools. And that mistake will cost you your life."
Discord flew downwards at a breakneck pace. He dragged the stupefied changeling behind him with a firm grasp to his head. At the last second, Discord flared his wings, throwing Obsidian headfirst into the ground. The impact felled several trees, and left Obsidian in a barely conscious state. Any other creature would have died several times over. The only thing that kept him alive was his source of potent changeling magic sewing his limbs and organs back together at an extreme speed. But even that would run out soon.
"I am more ancient than you could possibly imagine. I have seen thousands of civilizations fall, each more advanced than the last."
Obsidian scrambled for breath, trying to regain composure. Panting, he desperately tried to fly away. "What's… going on… draconnequus don't have this kind of power..." Something was definitely different about the creature he had encountered. He had been on the brink of death, and within moments he became the most powerful creature Obsidian had seen. His voice had sounded different that time, overlapped with echoes like there were three of him speaking at the same time. His eyes had such fierce killing intent behind them now, glowing with a hunter's pride. For the first time in his long life, Obsidian felt… fear.
Looking back to the place where Discord was moments ago, the changeling found nothing but empty air. Obsidian felt two hands wrap around his wings from behind. "Taste true power," he said with a wide grin of crazed ecstasy. "Disappear." Obsidian's felt a hot, burning sensation in both his wings. They crumbled away, like fine grains of sand, to be scattered in the wind. The only sound in the air was the screams of the changeling as he fell into the eroded pile of earth below. Then everything was silent.
Descending slowly, Discord landed. Taking long strides towards Obsidian's crash location, Discord snapped his fingers. He raised his other clawed hand up, and a red ball formed above his palm. It grew larger, maintaining a steady size when it was the size of his own head. Sparks of energy occasionally shot out from it, scorching the ground where they hit. With death reflecting in his eyes, he brought his arm forwards, aiming the orb of light at the unconscious Obsidian.
"NO!" A cry rang out as Discord's hand was knocked to the side, the bolt of magic arcing off and hitting the cliffside. Clinging to his side was Cassandra, in her changeling form. The patch of dried blood and her stifled sobs indicated she was alive and well at the moment. "Please, Discord," she said. "Stop all this. You're scaring me."
Seeing her, Discord formed another bullet, spiralling in his palms. "Dissapea-"
You will not harm her. An intense pain shot through Discord's head.
"Heh… Just… When I was… Free again…" the ball of arcane dissipated into the air, and Discord fell to one knee, gritting his teeth. His fur fell back down to his sides, and the glow of hatred faded from his eyes. "Cassandra, get out of the way," he said, getting up.
"Please, Discord," She begged. "Don't kill him."
"Why not?! He was trying to kill me. He almost got you, too. I should finish him off right now, before he gets the chance to hurt anyone else," Discord growled angrily. He pushed Cassandra aside and walked towards Obsidian.
"Discord Stop! Obsidian is… He… Obsidian is my father!" Cassandra cried out in desperation.
Discord stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" he whispered.
"I'm sorry for not telling you before, Discord." Drops of moisture welled up in her eyes. "I was afraid… afraid you'd leave me, just like all the others did when they found out."
Discord remained silent.
"Do… do you hate me now?" Cassandra asked. "If you do, then that's okay. Kill me instead! Just let him live for now. He may have done some horrible things, but he's still my father." The tears were streaming down her face now.
Discord turned to face her, wearing a solemn expression. He extended a claw towards Cassandra. She closed her eyes, prepared for the worst. Then, she was caught off guard as the arm went around her and pulled her in for an embrace. "What are you…"
"I could never hurt you, Cassandra," said Discord, in a gentle voice. "It would be the last thing I want to harm my close friend. You're special to me, Cassandra. If you want to let him live, then I will stay away from him now."
The changeling's knees gave in with a relieved sigh. "Thank you," she said. "But… there's still one more thing I don't understand. My father was the most powerful changeling to ever live. Rumors say he was enough to rival the two alicorn deities. How did you take him down so easily? What was that… transformation?"
"I'm not sure I even remember what had happened. When I saw you fall, I was so afraid. Afraid that I would never see you again, afraid that I wasn't able to protect you. I needed strength, and someone… something offered it to me. I accepted, and everything went black."
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"To be honest, I don't know. He seemed… familiar. But I have no idea who it was."
"Well then, we'd best be on our way before Obsidian wakes up."
"You're leaving him here, mortally wounded? I thought you wanted to save him."
"Didn't I tell you? His strength is said to rival that of Ignis and Glephnir. Since you didn't deliver the final blow, he'll heal up quite quickly. Let's get going."
From the debris of stone and crumbled earth, a black leg broke through, dragging a torn and tattered body of broken limbs behind it. Obsidian crawled out of the wreckage of the mountain, trailing green drops of blood behind him. His voice came out in rasping breaths. "That… is no draconnequus… That… is a monster."
Many a week has passed since then, but I still look back on that day. Many would agree when I say Discord is quite a curious and unusual individual. But the most curious part about him is…
"…How curious indeed," said Cassandra, as she gently placed the quill on the table after a moment of thought. Examining the open pages of her entry, fond memories returned once more. She exited her chambers, shutting the door behind her.