//------------------------------// // Order and Harmony // Story: Lessons From a Draconequus // by Terrasora //------------------------------// Discord yawned, stretching slightly as he and Twilight Sparkle stepped out into the bright sunlight. The draconequus cast a bored eye around the serene, green fields and wonderfully quaint thatched-roof cottages. Canterlot Castle shone off in the distance. A pair of butterflies flitted above the grass. How drab, thought Discord. This place could use a fresh coat of Chaos. “It’s... Ponyville,” said Twilight with slight disappointment. “Of course it’s Ponyville. What better place is there to exemplify the terrible boredom of Order?” Discord conjured a bar of chocolate, popping it into his maw without taking off the wrapper. “I can’t even eat creatively here.” “But why Ponyville? I love the place to death, but shouldn’t Canterlot be the example of Order?” Discord turned towards the alicorn. “Twilight Sparkle, if there is one thing I’ve learned in my millenias of living, albeit some of that time in stone, it’s that there is no orderly capital city anywhere.” He pushed off the ground slightly, floating aimlessly over the glade. Twilight scribbled down a few notes before trotting off towards the draconequus. “But Ponyville isn’t always the most peaceful place. Hardly anypony living there can get a decent insurance rate.” Discord yawned again. “What a perfectly orderly observation you’ve made. This town has been destroyed multiple times, many of which were caused by you and your friends, and the worst that’s come of it is a bad insurance rate. By all rational thought, Ponyville should be deserted and you should have been ostracized.” The draconequus rested his head in his claw. “But that would have been too exciting for little ol’ Ponyville.” “I never thought that I’d hear you talk about ‘rational thought’.” Discord stopped in surprise. “Good point. And I never thought that you’d actually listen to me.” The alicorn looked down at her growing pile of notes. She frowned slightly. “Neither did I.” A few moments pause. Then Discord shrugged and continued his floating. “Well, that’s Order for you. Always unpredictable, always surprising in its changes.” Twilight knit her eyebrows together, having to trot slightly to keep up. “Says Chaos incarnate.” The draconequus turned, slowing slightly so that Twilight could take a more comfortable pace. “Chaos does not attempt to be understood; change happens on a literal whim. Order tries to maintain its superior attitude as it turns everything on its head.” Twilight Sparkle was trying to rap her own head around that idea. “I thought that Order was supposed to be... orderly.” Discord shook his head. “Not at all. Order is little more than Nature, and it is every creature’s nature to change in an attempt to better suit itself. That change is gradual, but everything is constantly shifting.” He did a turn, taking in the horizon. “A kingdom is lost.” The draconequus took in the sight of Ponyville. “A single family settlement grows into a town.” His eyes returned to Twilight. “A unicorn grows wings. You see? Order is far closer to Chaos than most believe.” The alicorn frowned again. “Oh, don’t look like that! How else could it have worked out when Chaos and Order are siblings?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Yes,” said Discord. “Chaos comes from Nothing, and so does Order. In a sense, Chaos provided little more than the framework to the world. Order filled in the blanks. The ground became the ground, the sky became the sky. Day and Night started playing nice, the animal pieces started matching up.” Discord picked up a blade of grass, only to drop it again with a huff. “The grass turned green. And the clouds started to rain water! Water! Oh Twilight Sparkle, it was a crime against Chaos itself!” The draconequus summoned a napkin, loudly blowing whatever constitutes a draconequus’s nose. He dabbed at his eyes. Twilight Sparkle gave him a sideways glance. Discord threw his napkin into the air and it vanished with a slight crack. “Anyway, this concludes your lesson. Please, try not to bother me again. Unless you have chocolate, or Princess Celestia has taught you her binding spell.” He blinked. “Don’t ask Celestia to teach you her binding spell.” Discord held up his talons, poising them for a snap. “That’s it?” asked the alicorn. The draconequus turned. “What do you mean, ‘That’s it?’” Twilight grasped for the right words. “I mean... is that it? After everything you said about Nothing and Chaos, Order gets a few words and then we’re done?” Discord snorted. “What am I supposed to teach you about Order? You’re an alicorn, for Chaos’ sakes!” The Princess of Equestria turned her head. She spread her wings slightly. “But,” she began in a quiet voice, “what is an alicorn?” Discord started. He considered Twilight Sparkle for some time. Twilight looked up, locking eyes with the draconequus. “There’s no books on them!” she said defensively. “At least, nothing comprehensive... or even credible.” “Ask your Princesses,” said Discord coldly. The alicorn nodded slowly. She turned slightly, beginning the trek to Canterlot. Discord sighed. He also turned towards the castle. Snap. Twilight was seated in a very familiar plush armchair. Discord sat on the couch, once again in the business suit he had conjured for himself. The draconequus sipped whatever liquid he had placed in his teacup. They were back in Discord’s room, but, for all intents and purposes, they were in Fluttershy’s cottage. Even the teapot that the pegasus always put on for guests was in its place. Said teapot levitated slightly, pouring itself into a teacup that slid to a stop before Twilight. “Fine, Twilight Sparkle. I will indulge your search for information. If only to twist whatever story Celestia and Luna will tell you about the alicorns.” The alicorn nodded, hiding a smile behind her teacup. “You’re really taking a shine to this tutoring business.” “I despise it with every fibre of my being and I am offended that you think I’m enjoying this.” Discord finished the rest of his tea in one scalding motion. The teacup refilled with hot chocolate. Twilight Sparkle nodded and sipped at her tea. “In any case,” continued Discord, “I will quickly get through this explanation if only to get you out of my hair.” He tossed the teacup into his maw. “An alicorn is to Order what a draconequus is to Chaos. Each of our races represents the epitome of the force they command. The main difference is that I came with Chaos while alicorns came from Order.” Discord paused for a moment, partly to sort through his thoughts and partly to allow Twilight to take her notes without straining herself. “Well,” considered the draconequus, “there’s also that matter of Harmony. But that’s it.” “Harmony?” asked the alicorn. “Honestly, Twilight Sparkle, is there anything you do know?” replied Discord, hiding his amusement behind a snide glare. The taunt had its intended effect. Twilight bristled. “A lot of things! I’ve read books on every subject I could get my hooves on, which is quite a bit since I live in a library!” The draconequus held up his mismatched arms. “Simmer down, Twilight Sparkle. You’re beginning to look like this teapot.” He brought a single talon down on the kettle and a steady stream of steam spurted from it, complete with a high pitched whine. Discord smirked. “You sound like it too.” Twilight scrunched up her muzzle, leaning back in her chair with a resounding ‘humph.’ Discord was rather pleased with himself. “But yes, Harmony,” said the draconequus as he poured another tea of cup. “This is... a bit more complicated. It’s not like Nothing or Chaos, nor is it like Order or Day and Night. Harmony isn’t,” Discord paused for a bit, turning his arms in circles in an effort to think of the word, “Harmony never ruled anything. There was not time of Harmony as there was for Chaos or Order.” Twilight nodded, scribbling something in her notebook. The draconequus shook his head. “Perhaps an example would be more effective.” Discord thought for a momen. He snapped his talons, lifting up three small spoons. He took the teapot in his mismatched claws, effortlessly making the spout stretch before levitating the kettle above the spoons. Discord tilted the teapot, and an impossible amount of tea fell from the spout, falling around the spoons, making contact with the floor and quickly disappearing. “Say that these three spoons represent the history of our world. Nothing, Chaos, and Order. Harmony is the tea. It flows around this current time of Order in the same way it did when the world was Nothing.” Discord snapped again. The small aura levitating the spoons dropped. The spoons however, didn’t. “Harmony provides shape, Harmony provides support for this world. Harmony gave you and every unicorn and alicorn their magic. It gave pegasi the ability to fly and earth ponies the ability to grow. If Harmony ever disappeared.” The tea vanished and the spoons clattered to the floor. “Well, you get the idea.” The draconequus narrowed the spout again, pouring another cup of tea for himself. Twilight looked horrified. “And you… you wanted to get rid of Harmony?” Discord gave her a toothy grin. He winked. “Wouldn’t that be more interesting?” “What?!” The alicorn’s eyes flared. “No! That… you just said that that would have destroyed the world!” The draconequus looked at her from over his teacup’s brim. “Nothing so melodramatic. Everything would have simply fallen into disarray. No more harmonic framework to support the world. All that’s left is, well, discord.” Twilight Sparkle scowled. “But that’s all in the past. Friendship is magic, remember?” Discord traced the teacup’s brim, forcing out a high-pitched whine. “I’m all reformed and calm and completely incapable of doing anything short of helping our wonderful Equestria. Like one of you Princesses.” The alicorn frowned slightly and closed her notebook with a snap. “I hope that that’s true.” Discord smiled slightly. “You don’t care for me, do you Twilight Sparkle?” “What gave you that idea?” deadpanned the Princess. “Lucky guess,” replied an equally sarcastic Discord. “Anyway, I’m tired of explaining things.” The draconequus snapped one last time. The room shifted, the comfort and warmth of Fluttershy’s cottage turning into a rather normal room within the Canterlot Castle. “Lesson’s over Twilight Sparkle. You’re free to leave.” The alicorn looked around. Whatever magic Discord had used to manipulate his room had been completely removed. The room was barren. No curtains, no rugs, no posters or pictures. Only stone, a sparsely blanketed bed, and a wide open window that looked out over Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle looked at the draconequus. Discord made a shooing motion with his eagle claw before taking up a lounging pose in the air and closing his eyes. The alicorn trotted away, pausing slightly at a certain historically important door with a certain crayon message written on it. “Thank you, Discord.” The draconequus gave a start. He turned toward the doorway. Twilight Sparkle was long gone, heading back to Ponyville where, unbeknownst to her, Pinkie Pie had gathered nearly the entire population for an Ump-millionth Sigh Party. The party pony promptly scolded that being she had recently taken to talking to for possibly ruining the surprise party, getting side-tracked, and taking forever to write a single chapter of the story. The ‘writer,’ as she called it, headed back to Canterlot Castle in an effort to escape his character. Discord was writhing in laughter. “Oh! ‘Thank you, Discord.’ And ponies say that Twilight Sparkle doesn’t have a sense of humor!” A new wave of mirth shook the draconequus. “H-Honestly Celestia, you raised a comedian of a student!” The eldest Princess of Equestria stood behind Discord. Nobody else would have noticed entrance. Indeed, she could have stood there for hours without making anypony else the wiser. The draconequus noticed. “She wouldn’t appreciate the remark,” said Celestia with a smile. “Doesn’t make it any less true.” The basket of chocolate appeared again. Discord picked out a bar for himself before proffering it towards Celestia. “I know you have a sweet tooth.” “I wonder whose fault that is.” “He must have been a terrible influence. And you two had such a rocky relationship.” The Princess picked one out, quickly unwrapping it with her magic. “How did the lessons go?” “As if you weren’t watching us the whole time.” “I wasn’t,” replied Celestia serenely. Discord cast a disbelieving eye on the alicorn. “You send the youngest Princess of Equestria, who has untold magical prowess and was your personal protege, to a being capable of corrupting any mind and you say you didn’t watch over her?” The draconequus snapped up another piece of chocolate. “Likely story.” “I trust you. Admittedly, it’s a strained trust, but it’s still there.” The draconequus laughed again. He wiped a pretended tear from his eye. “So that’s where little Twilight Sparkle gets it from.” A few moments passed. Two of the most powerful beings in the world silently munched on chocolate bars. “You didn’t tell her everything,” said Celestia. “No, I did not,” agreed Discord. “Why?” “I was tired of tutoring her.” “I think you’re lying.” Discord brought his paw to his chest. “I? Why would I lie?” Celestia laughed slightly. “I think you’re a better tutor than you want to admit.” The draconequus shrugged. “Possibly. Of course, I can do most anything.” “Of course.” Another few moments of quiet. The chocolate, Discord noticed, was running dangerously low. “She didn’t know anything,” said the draconequus. “We haven’t had the time for it.” “You can’t trust me to explain everything. If you try to pawn that task off on me, I promise that I’ll convince her that diamond dogs used to run Equestria.” The alicorn laughed again. “We’ll see,” she said simply. “Is this it, Celestia? Am I done for today?” “You offer a different perspective than can be found anywhere in Equestria. You probably won’t be done until Twilight runs out of questions.” Discord groaned. “Do I at least get another basket of chocolates when she comes back?” Celestia nodded, lifting the last chocolate bar and breaking it in half. She gave half to the draconequus.“Look forward to it.” “Subjecting Twilight Sparkle to more lessons from a draconequus?” asked Discord. “Celestia, you’re worse than I am.”