//------------------------------// // The Last Straw // Story: Change in Perspective // by Quicksear //------------------------------// Discord was taken aback by just how angry the Princess was with him over this little joke his. " Oh come now, Celestia, they don't think we're real or anything, I just-". "YOU SHOWED THEM OUR WORLD DISCORD!" The Princess shouted. Guards appeared, looking distrustfully at Discord. Celestia calmed herself and dismissed them; They couldn't hear this, this was too big for regular ponies to know. Discord smiled and tried to defuse the smoking-mad Princess. "Celestia, they think we're myths, stories for children. In fact they think you to be quite entertaining. I thought that it would be amusing to show them how things work in our world-" "So you meddled with their heads, making them believe that we are the invention of their own imagination?!" Celestia cut him off again. Discord sighed patiently before continuing, "It was actually quite impressive, if a do say so myself. The first time I tried, before you and your sister were even born, I overdid it a bit, so I had to quit for a while. Then you and your sister found those Elements of Harmony and..." he grimaced, "put me in stone. anyway, by now they've nearly completely forgotten about us, so I tried again. Now you're a novelty in their world, nothing they think of as real.". Celestia turned away in disgust."You will cease these meddlings at once, Discord" "Oh, but of course, on one condition..." Celestia, had a feeling this could not end well. "Let me show you some of their world first." ***** San-Marie had decided that Marc was too weird. Maybe it was hearing that story from Gale. Maybe it was Marc's quiet manner, the detached air he had. Either way, San-Marie was was more than happy away from the man, getting drunk. She spent the rest of the night chatting to other guys...but her drinks still went to Marc's tab of course. Now she was flirting with one of the men in the corner room; Johansen Smith. Odd name, but he was good-looking, if a bit grabby. After a while, a fizz got in the way of her thinking, but she didn't mind at that point. Neither did Smith. By midnight they were making out on the far side of the room. Not at all private, but she didn't seem to care anymore. This was just fun. And then he was there. Marc tapped San-Marie on the shoulder and said in a quiet tone, "San? C'mon, we're taking you home." She looked at him in disgust. "What, you see me with a real man and get jealous 'cause you can't have this?" she spat, slurring out of her high class accent. Marc looked Smith straight in the eye. "You drugged her." Johansen laughed as he walked away. Everyone who frequented any club in the city knew that man as Mr EyeDrops. But San-Marie didn't go to clubs that often. Now she near passed out while trying to hit Marc. "Why'd you chase him away! Freak!" He merely caught her as she fell. He half dragged, half carried her to the bar, where he called to Gale and paid the tab. He grimaced at the amount, but said nothing. Marc drove them across the city; Gale had had one to many herself. Luckily they all stayed in the same roughly the same part of town: The Grand Banks, where only the wealthiest families or organizations could afford a place. All was quiet for the first ten minutes. Then San-Marie remembered something. "So, Marc, who nearly beat you to death, huh? Angry papa? I wanna see those scars-" The car jerked to a halt. Marc looked straight at Gale. He was angry. Very, Gale turned and slapped San-Marie into silence, a silence that became eerie as Marc turned the car around and headed straight to where Gale had picked him up. He drove up the long, dark drive, pulling up to the gate. The guard was nowhere to be seen, his shift having ended hours ago. Without a word Marc got out of the car. Gale did the same, intending to talk to him, something! But he stopped her. He leant down and kissed her on the cheek. She sighed in relief; It was okay between them. But then San-Marie called out again, "Wow, Marc, that's a huge house! you're so lucky!" Marc turned and left, walking back to the huge stylized manor that made up the building. Gale watched him go, misery seeping through her. Then she turned, opened the door, pulled San-Marie roughly out of the car and shoved her against the brass plaque on the gatehouse wall, shouting as she did, "READ THE DAMN SIGN, YOU HEARTLESS IDIOT!" San-Marie, frightened, leant away and read, mortified into realization: "S-State Psychiatric Orphanage" ***** Marc didn't know what happened. San-Marie had seemed so nice, sweet, the ype of girl one might like to bring home to one's... And then in the space of a few hours, it all went to pot. She tore him up. He sighed. it wasn't her fault, after all. But he just wished he were away from here, this world, with its indifferent and complicated society. Not that he expected it to actually happen. ***** Discord moved himself into the new dimension when the Princess paused after his ultimatum; That was close to a yes, right? Anyway...He was not sure how best to turn this situation to his amusement, but he decided to take a miserable human. Yes, that would work well; imagine it's face when it saw Celestia! That's when he felt it: a wish to leave the world...not really a sincere one...all the better. In fact, this was perfect. Marc stared at the creature in front of him, the most hideous mismatch of creatures he could have ever imagined. and it just laughed at him. "Hahahaha! Oh your face! I wish you could see it! Now, you just wished to leave this world, correct? Your wish just came true! you're leaving! Forever, I might add!" What? Marc stared. No. "No! NO!" But was too late. the creature snapped its...tail? and with that, Marc was gone. Discord grinned. What a good morning.