MLP: The Old Magic

by The Grimm Reaper


Chapter 1

1st Person: Discord

Smiling at the unsuspecting Ponies as they all played and giggled together, talking of dull subjects, no doubt; I slithered like a snake between the shadows of the books, my eyes alight within. My last encounter with these young mares taught me not to act so playfully towards them. As I crept closer, I overheard them talking about Celestia. I stopped and listened to their views on that mare.
“So what was it like being her student growing up?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Yes darling, we simply must know. Surely you met some very important ponies when you weren’t busy studying.” Rarity added. Twilight cleared her throat and leaned away from her probing friends.
“Uh, well I don’t know about that Rarity, but being Princess Celestia’s student was… it’s difficult to explain. I don’t actually have the words for it.” She said, rubbing her head quizzically. Suddenly, the door to Twilight’s tree opened and said Princess emerged with an umbrella large enough to cover her from the stormy rain that had begun outside two hours prior. Stunned by Celestia’s sudden and unexpected arrival, all six ponies and the little Dragon rushed into a line before her and bowed, greeting her in unison.
“Princess Celestia, welcome!” they all said. I rolled my eyes as Celestia acted majestically towards them all, delicately removing her umbrella mount and placing it on the stand as she replied to them all.
“Good evening, my little ponies. I thought I should come and tell you myself: Discord’s statue has gone missing again and I fear the worst.” She said, cutting straight to business. Every pony in the house began to shake at the news and I smiled gleefully as news of my resurrection inspired such fear and displeasure.
“Princess, we’ll go and find him straight away, stoned or not.” Said Pinkie Pie. I laughed, the sound echoing through the walls of the house, waves transparent along the windows and doorways which disappeared, replaced by wood of the tree. I emerged before them all in a bright light with a drug in my mouth.
“Way ahead of you, dude!” I said, chuckling. Every pony stepped up to me and prepared to fight. I snapped my fingers and the drug disappeared, as well as my stoned expression.
“Now, now girls… and boy. I’m not here to fight. I’ve come to take my revenge on you in a different way. It just came to me as I heard you all talking about the gorgeous Celestia here.” I said, floating over to her and stroking an eagle talon along her back. Twilight snapped at me.
“How dare you touch the Princess in such a fashion!” I chuckled at her outburst as I recalled something from a long time ago.
“Ah, Déjà vu… gives me goosebumps.” I mused, resting my elbows along Celestia’s back, which warranted an even more aggressive response from Twilight.
“Whut ‘n tarnation do you want now Discord?” asked Honest Applejack. I hopped up onto Celestia and rested along her as if she were a couch.
“Well let’s see, there are a lot of things I want. But from you girls, all I want is your attention. But first, a question for Miss Sparkle.” I replied, hopping off of Celestia. She suddenly shook herself, as if just then realising I was on her.
“What do you want to ask me?” Twilight asked, her anger forgotten due to the bewilderment. I floated above her and then lay down on my stomach on the ground beside her and Fluttershy who froze solid. I lifted my head, arching my neck so I was level with them.
“How much has Celestia told you about her past?” I asked her, pointing a finger at the Princess.
“Discord, no! I know where you’re getting at and I won’t allow it.” Celestia spoke up. I gave her an amused look and snapped my fingers. The floor boards snapped upward and wrapped around Celestia’s legs like vines.
“Oh come now Celestia, did you really think you had a choice? Now you’re a big believer in the rights of your subjects as I recall, yes? Then how about their right to know who it is they serve? You’ve brainwashed these girls into thinking that you’re all sweet and innocent of any true crimes such as murder. Yet not even a single book, other than that dreary tale of your sister’s descent into darkness, which I don’t really like, surprisingly, describes your actions. You’ve constructed Equestria with an incomplete story, you naughty minx you. What’s the phrase? ‘We’re not so different, you and I’.” Celestia grew her displeased face as I spoke.
“I know that face all too well. Shall I tell these girls who you really are? What the true princess of the Sun is capable of?” I suggested.
“Discord, I swear, if you tell them, you will regret it.” She threatened. I clapped my hands as she began to reveal herself on her own.
“Celestia, what a mouth. What are you gonna do, banish me to the moon like your sister? Or will you actually do something worthy of an old friend and kill me like you did Starswirl?” I asked. Twilight gasped, stepping up to Celestia.
“Princess… You… killed Starswirl the Bearded?” she asked. Celestia frowned at me and looked to Twilight.
“No, my dear student. It was Discord who killed him, not I.” she replied.
“True, it was my mismatched hands that ended Starswirl’s life, but the blood was still on your hooves, my dear. It was under your order that I kill him.”
“Don’t Discord! They can’t know about our past.” Celestia said, her voice wavering. I shot towards her and wrapped an arm around her neck.
“Oh but Celestia, it was one for the books. It would certainly render any thought of criminal activity unimaginable if they knew what their ancestors were sentenced to after committing crimes themselves. And let’s not forget the little ones who lost their mommies and daddies.” I pretended to sound like an empathiser as I added that last part. Celestia turned away from me, her eyes shut.
“Princess, is this true? Were you really what Discord says you were?” asked Twilight, her hoof raised slightly as she took a half pace towards the Princess. Celestia refrained from answering.
“Oh my, I think I broke her. Wonderful! This is better than any revenge I could have thought up. Genuine guilt and fear of rejection. Oh, it borders on the edge of chaos, which I retain is a wonderful thing.” I said, flashing out of existence. My voice still remained. And as the floorboards released Celestia, I spoke.
“If you want to know more about your precious Princess and grant me my revenge, meet me in the Everfree Forest, where you first discovered the Elements of Harmony.”
“We’ll never turn away from the Princesses’ rule!” Twilight screamed at me. I had the urge to put her in her place, and so I did.
“As I said to Rainbow Dash the first time we met: We’ll see about that.” And I was gone, my voice never speaking to them again.
I waited for them at the Castle ruins, where the six ponies faced Nightmare Moon, the transformed state of Luna. I began humming a tune which I’d grown up with as I waited. As I suspected, it wasn’t until the next day when the storm had passed that the ponies showed up. Surprisingly, with both Princess Celestia and Luna. My enjoyment spread at that moment as I saw Celestia’s colours had faded slightly and she was looking a little grey.
“Ah, my dear friends! I feel like I can call you that now. You accepted my request and only friends do that, or potential friends. Sometimes, old friends turned enemies.” I said, flashing in front of them. They gasped in surprise as I appeared in a different form.
“You see, My little ponies, this is my original form. Not very different, though my wings were draconic and I had evenly sized teeth and eyes. My transformation from this to what I look like at present is yet another cause of the rule that was Celestia and Luna’s.” I said, reverting to my current form.
“We came here to learn about the Princesses, nothing more. We don’t just yet care about your story.” Said Twilight. I scoffed at her.
“Well you’ll have to hear my story to hear hers. They are connected after all.” I said. The ponies, besides Celestia and Luna looked directly at me, their attention completely fixated on my every word.
“Where to begin?…”