//------------------------------// // chapter 24. Discord // Story: Becoming Fluttershy // by Hope //------------------------------// “What are we going to do today, Discord?” John asked slyly. “The same thing we do every day, John.” The god replies with a dark grin as he spins to face the human. “Take over the world.” As the lights fade out, John mutters; “I don’t think I appreciate this reference.” Lauren sat awkwardly in the back of a large van. If only she had made Celestia the same size as the rest of the ponies, she might be able to ride in a normal car. Lauren had spent the past several days trying to get over crippling headaches and an ache she could only guess came from a build up of unused magic. The second morning she had woken up to a note in elegant script that read; “Try not to use magic, I will do my best to keep myself contained to your subconscious, I am so sorry. -Celestia” Lauren could guess the reasons for most of the note. Using magic could quite possibly empower Discord, and after her first meeting she felt quite powerless against the chaotic being already. Celestia, according to the story Lauren had created, was thousands of years old. A mind like that clashing with her own could destroy her, or change her significantly. The one part she could not understand was the apology, why would Celestia apologize? None of this could be her fault, Discord had done this. The pastel magenta eyes flicked up from the carpeted floor of the van, looking to the driver who was also one of her assistants. “Thank you for your help, Andrew.” She said, the regal and powerful voice that came from her made her feel like she was demanding something from the man even by thanking him. “Not a problem, Lauren, I figure you need as much help as you can get.” He said with a chuckle. Lauren closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her wings flicking agitatedly. “What did you do with Andrew?” She finally asked, eyes opening with a dangerous gleam as she surrounded herself with a glowing golden shield. “Oh, darn. What gave me away?” The more gravely voice of Discord said through the man’s lips in the driver’s seat. “Andrew is fairly new. He has called me Mrs. Faust no matter what I do for weeks.” She said, glaring at the small image in the rearview mirror. “Oh well, I didn’t intend to keep it up for very long anyway.” Discord chuckled, revealing himself with a snap of his fingers, the illusion ripping itself apart with a spray of fake blood that smelled and tasted of strawberry jam. “What are you going to do to me? I know you can’t touch me directly. I wrote the show, I know your limits.” She pointed out as the van pulled off the freeway and down the main road for some insignificant town. “Oh dear Lauren. You don’t even know what is happening, do you? Celestia hasn’t bothered to explain things? I don’t need to affect you directly. Not here.” The van picked up speed as they began down the road towards a bridge that spanned a deep gorge. “I can save myself. Celestia’s magic is far beyond a drop from a great height killing her.” Lauren retorted. “No, but once again, I don’t think you see the big picture. I don’t need to affect you directly here. Because here, Celestia is no longer untouchable. Here the one in charge of her body has weaknesses.” He glanced back at her with a malicious grin. “To be more specific, a single, ruggedly handsome weakness.” With that, the god of chaos vanished, allowing the van to smash through a guardrail and plummet to the stream below, exploding comically into a fireball as Lauren floated above the bridge, panic in her eyes. “Craig.” She whispered in horror, and with a bright glow she vanished, to appear with another flash in her home. She didn’t care how much magic she burned through now. She may be a novice in the use of these powers, but nothing would stop her. She tore apart her home in a rage, screaming her husbands name as she blew doors off their hinges and tore open boxes. She wondered if Discord had turned Craig into something, hidden him as a joke. She couldn’t find him. She sat in the middle of their bedroom, staring at a picture she had inadvertently smashed, A picture with her own face in it, smiling, under the reflection of Celestia’s terrified face in the glass. “Looking a little grey there, Lauren.” Discord’s voice growled from right next to her. The white alicorn lashed out, slamming the mismatched figure to the floor and pinning him there. “I will end you, Discord.” She hissed, eyes wide and full of panic. He frowned. “No you won’t. Let me tell you what is going to happen. You are going to let me up, you are going to sit down, and you are going to let me do what I want. You know why?” Lauren just snarled. “No, of course you don’t. You are going to do all that because I have your precious husband. Until you start doing what I want, he is watching you die. A hundred times. You know me, you know explicitly what sort of being I am. I won’t kill him, but I will make him wish I had.” Lauren glared at him as she slowly backed away. Discord stood, brushing dust off him that turned to sparks and faded before touching the floor. “You know, it is almost sad to use something so base as kidnapping to gain this victory. Oh right! there was a bit I forgot.” He moved towards Lauren as she backed away, frightened. “As I defeat you, as I take over this world in all it’s chaotic glory, I want you and your precious princess to realize something. Those walls of calm and collection can’t last forever. When they fall, your mind will be torn apart like oh so much confetti. That will be the true victory, watching my former nemesis and fellow god lay on the floor of an alien building, twitching like a foal. I look forward to it.” He vanished with a zipping sound and Lauren was left alone, tears falling from her eyes to dot the floor, streaking across her light grey cheek. John stood over a cage that held a very angry looking white bunny, who was glaring up at the human. “Oh come on, you really expect me to stand by and not do anything while Discord romps around in my world? I had to get in on it somehow, if that means joining forces with him, so be it.” John said, shrugging. The bunny chattered angrily, stomping a foot a few times in frustration. “Oh, I know it’s all very terrible and bad, but the end goal isn’t all that unpleasant. Besides, he isn’t actually hurting anyone... Too badly.” John smirked. The bunny beat against the cage bars with another tirade of chirps. “Oh Lauren will be fine, I’m sure. I think he said something about tricking her into staying home through it all.” John waved his hand dismissively. With the sound of an unzipping tent flap, Discord popped into existence next to them. “You can understand him?” Discord asked curiously. “No, I just make a rough guess of what he would be saying and usually I am right.” John said. “How did Lauren go?” “She agreed to stay home.” Discord said simply, slithering over to the screens lining the walls. On one of them was a very badly drawn cartoon of Celestia getting beheaded again and again. Discord smirked at the image and turned back to the center screen which showed the dark princess of the night gliding above a layer of clouds, her eyes closed and face creased with worry. “I think I should pay Tara a visit, don’t you?” He said with a grin, before turning off the monitor and vanishing. Tara felt the wind rippling across her wings, and she truly felt them as her wings now. She had spent days meditating and trying to clear her mind until she was able to communicate with the reclusive Luna. The princess had been concerned about the well being of Tara’s mind, but they had managed to gradually close the gap until they were able to think together without crippling headaches. Luna was eager to help defeat Discord, but at the slightest mention of Tara’s concern for her family, Luna had insisted they depart to check up on them in person, or in pony as the case may be. The moon above lent her a sort of calm power she had never felt before, an assurance that she let calm her during her glide over the California hills. She could feel every sleeping mind below her, as though watching a tapestry of small glimmering lights. It was not her place to touch upon the dreams of others, however. This was the wrong world for that. Her own concerns were on the forefront of her mind when she became aware of a dark form gliding silently beside her. She turned to see the Draconequus sipping a drink and peering at her through sunglasses as he backstroked through the night air. “I assume you have already seen to my sister, Discord.” Luna spoke, as Tara watched and listened curiously. “Why would you assume that? I mean, yes. But besides that, why would you assume it?” Discord asked, tossing the glasses to the side to become a sunglass-shaped cloud. “I am the princess of the night. I am often seen as being alone and fragile. I assume you mean to isolate me.” She said calmly. “Oh ho ho, so you’ve actually begun to merge with your host so soon! Very interesting, tell me. Does poor Tara know that you are slowly destroying her mind and soul?” He asked nonchalantly. Silence fell between them as Luna and Tara conversed behind her crystal blue eyes. “That would be a lie, to say we are being destroyed. That she is being destroyed. Altered, yes. But so am I. I would not put anypony, or anyone through this without carefully considering all of the options. This is the least damaging of them.” Luna said carefully. “Oh, so sure of yourself, are we?” Discord chuckled. “Very well then, if this is truly the best option, why am I still here? What is your great plan for stopping me? So far you have watched the other ponies wasting time as you fret yourself over keeping little Tara in one piece.” “I would not tell you my plan, regardless.” The lunar princess smirked. “I am no fool.” “Ah, but that is where you are wrong. You are a fool. If you were not, you would have returned to Equestria and left this world to rot. I have defeated Celestia, I have slowed the gathering of those precious ponies to a crawl, and you don’t even know the best part.” He grinned. Luna did not say anything, simply staring at him. “I destroyed Twilight Sparkle.” He said. “No!” Luna gasped. “She was fine, Isaac was unharmed when we left!” She said quickly. “Oh no, you didn’t notice anything... off? You didn’t realize that wasn’t Twilight? Not all of her, at least. I managed to split her right in two. Broke her like a vase smashed across a tile floor. The second half of her won’t even have enough magic to get herself to your little meet up. As long as I can slow them down, they will get together far too late to stop me. I’ve already won, princess. You are just the final death struggles of a dying world.” He bowed. “Spend some time with your children, they don’t have long before the world turns itself inside out anyway.” and with that he was gone. The dark figure floating alone in the clouds struggled, turning back and forth before finally speeding off towards Tara’s home, the blue in her coat fading ever so slightly to a dark grey.