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// Chapter 1: The Journey 
// Story: Discord's Gift 
// by Skyfire1298 
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Chapter 1      The Beginning of A New Life          
I was walking in a forest one night late in the afternoon, maybe five-thirtyish. The moon gave off a brilliant white and blue light as always, but tonight felt … different. My evening strolls always take me along the path through our towns’ well known forest, but tonight I decided to spice things up a bit even if it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be at the time. I strayed from the path. Even though I always walk along the path, I know this forest like the back of my, but I came across a clearing I haven’t noticed before.
So being the typical curious human being I was, I decided to check out this, possibly, never-before-seen area of the forest. I was walking for about twenty minutes before I came across something that puzzled me. An ancient Mayan Shrine of sorts. It was still surrounded by well-lit torches on rock pedestals. As I inched closer, I was able to make out some carvings on the walls of this shire. At first they looked like horses, but I noticed one of the “horses” right next to another carving of a human being, and the height difference led me to the conclusion that these were not horses, but ponies.
"Strange … I never noticed this shrine before, and I know this forest like I grew up here! Even stranger is why are there carvings of ponies on this shrine? Interesting … weird, but interesting,” I said to myself. Then, as if it came from everywhere yet nowhere, I heard a noise. It boomed through my head and it seemed to go through the forest.
Wind began to pick up in a certain area in front of me. I stood back and held my hands close to my face, to protect my eyes from dust, or items floating around due to the wind. The wind pick up even more creating a vertical oval in front of me. Lightning began to spark from the oval shape, and it began to darken. I saw the carvings on the shrine glow, and the oval shape in front of me opened like a door, and out came a creature that was a mixture of many animals.
“What the hell?” I said, being the most confused I have ever been.
“Well what have we got here? A human? I haven’t seen one in ages!” The creature said while circling me like a hawk. “Hmm? Skinner then I expected …”
I guess going on that diet kind of did make me a bit skinner that targeted, but I mean come on! Why does everyone always have to point that out first!? I thought to myself.
"Mind if I ask what you are?” I said to the creature now looking at me while stroking a goatee I have just realized.
“Oh! Where ARE my manners!?” He said while walking up to me, and shaking my hand. “Names’ Discord, Lord of Chaos, and owner of Pillow Emporium,” He told me.
“What? Pillows?”
“Ok, that last part was a lie, but the rest is true I assure you,” he said while smiling. “So, what brought you here human? No one ever visits me anymore. It sure is lonely out here, but I make up for it by making figurines of someponies I know that foiled my plans. I just stroke their manes,”
“Well there was a clearing that I have never” Discord cut me off.
“Doesn’t matter! Somepony high up wanted me to go to this shrine to see who was trespassing. She also informed me that if it was human, to treat it with respect,” I decided to cut him off.
“Stop calling me it! I am a living breathing animate object!”
“Calm down there Mr. Shorts-In-Winter,” I looked down to realize I was wearing my shorts all of a sudden.
“How the-? How did you do that? I was wearing pants! If you have powers, they don’t make sense!”
“If they did make sense, then what’s the point in having them?” He said with a smile. “Anyway, because this is the first real conversation I’ve had in a while I give you a gift in appreciation of not running away, or locking me up in stone,” He started to twirl his finger in a circular motion at the ground.
‘Wait what?” I noticed the same wind pick up from before, but it was bit more forceful this time. I felt weird. I felt as if I was shrinking, and my legs became heavier. I fell on all four, and started to groan in pain. “This is a gift!? It’s more like torture!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
“Just hang on there buddy it’ll be over in a bit,” My nose felt as if it was growing longer too. I look at it to see a snout in replace for my nose!
“What are you doing!?” The pain was starting to fade away, but the heavy feeling in my legs was enough to make me plop to the ground. I was out of breath for some reason, as if someone punched me right at the lung. I then noticed something about the ground, it felt different. The dirt ground that was surrounding the shrine was now soft grass. The bare trees of winter were now full of life. I looked at where Discord was standing to see the same creature looking down at me.
“Give it a couple of minutes and you’ll be strutting around here like  everypony else,”
It wasn't until I looked down and realized I had turned into a blood red Pegasus with a black mane.