Rumor told of a terrible creature. A ghastly beast. An unnatural beast. An abomination veiled by half-truths. It was ridiculous at first. Rumors always started that way. A harmless tale to frighten young ponies, and the occasional geezer. Most rumors come and go. Forgotten among the laughter.
But this one?
This one spread like a virus without a cure. Rumor told of a terrible creature. A rumor that passed from one pony to the next, hushed in their tones, cautious of what may be listening. In earlier days, only few believed. But as time passed? As more and more villages lay in ruin? As ponies who avidly spoke of such a creature fell by the wayside? They all believed.
And so did Celestia.
She knew the whole time, really. Even before this ‘rumor’ grew into a cautionary tale, Celestia believed. And on this day, she would prove it. She would prove that this creature existed. Whether her little sister liked it or not.
“Tia, please,” came a meek voice behind the alicorn. “W-We shouldn’t be here. What if… What if it finds us?”
“That’s the idea, Luna,” Celestia replied, her little hooves shuffling through twigs and fallen leaves. “I told you that already.”
“I-I know but…“ Luna’s skin jumped at a rustle in the brush. She walked closer to Celestia. “W-We’ve never been outside the castle before.”
“I know. Isn’t it great?” Celestia grinned, and leaped onto a pony-sized rock. “I can’t believe Mother didn’t want us to see any of this.”
Luna’s eyes swung to and fro, hearing the growling predators that may—or may not—have hid in the bushes. “B-But the Everfree Forest? You’ve heard the stories, Tia,” she squeaked.
Celestia turned to her sibling, pink mane whipping about. “Yep! And so far it’s all just a bunch of horse-apples!” she said cheerfully. Maybe too cheerfully.
Luna recoiled at the language. “Tia!”
Celestia’s eyes rolled. “Look, stories are stories,” she said, hopping down before her shivering sister.
“But-“
“And there’s only one that really matters.” Celestia turned away and continued on.
“But… But…” Luna’s head hung low. And she followed. “Okay.”
A faint laughter echoed through the air. Both fillies stopped in their tracks. And Luna flung herself around her frowning sister.
“This was a bad idea! We need to go!” Luna screeched.
“That was it,” Celestia mumbled, ignoring the protests. “That had to be it!”
Luna fell to the ground when Celestia bolted ahead. “Wha-? Tia! Wait for me!”
They galloped as fast as their legs could carry them, the laughter growing louder, deeper. Celestia’s face split into a grin, and her tiny wings fluttered all their own. But that all ended when her hoof caught on a stump. The world turned and flipped, and the ground became a little too close to her face. With a shriek, Celestia crashed nose-first in dirt.
Between her sister’s fuzzy cries, and a warm rush in her nose, Celestia heard the continued laughter. Louder than before. Only at Luna’s piercing scream, did Celestia lift her face from the dirt. Staring into eyes of yellow and red.
“Boo.”
“GAH!” Celestia screamed, scurrying back with rampant eyes.
More laughter ensued. And a serpentine form rolled in twigs and leaves. “The look! On your face! By Faust's holy quill, I can’t breathe!”
Celestia simply sat there, eyes nearly bulging, breath haggard and sharp. Dimly it occurred to her, as that warm rush assaulted her nose, and stray crumbles of dirt fell off her face, that she was being laughed at. Fraudulently.
“Hey! That wasn’t funny!” Celestia squeaked.
The strange creature wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh? Hah! I think your cohort disagrees,” he said with a wry smile.
No sooner after Celestia’s shoulders tensed, did she whirl around to see her sister, chuckling behind a dainty hoof. “Luna!” Celestia admonished.
“He’s…” Luna tried in vain to steady herself. “He’s standing on your head.”
Celestia’s spine froze solid. And when she looked up, the new stranger was indeed standing on her head; somehow a lot smaller than before. Grinning all the while. With an angry shriek, Celestia whipped the little menace from her mane. He fluttered harmlessly to the ground, his normal size returned.
“How’d… H-How’d you do that??” Celestia stammered.
“Ah-Ah-Ah. Least of your worries, my little pony,” he said, waving a furry finger.
With a quick snap, a mirror appeared before Celestia, who shrieked again. “I… You… Look what you’ve done!” she shouted, lifting a shaky hoof to her bloody nose.
“Well. I hardly think it’s my fault you couldn’t watch your stump—STEP! I meant… I meant-pfffffft-WUAHAHAHA!”
Celestia opened her mouth, but was stopped by another fit of laughter behind her. She scowled and again turned to Luna, who pursed her lips shut. When she turned again, her face met the mirror… with an entirely different reflection.
“What the-“
“Oh, you two are simply wonderful!” the strange creature cheered. He slithered out of the mirror, and coiled his large, maroon body around the alicorns. One frowning, one smiling. “I’m compelled to introduce myself. I am Discord.”
Fondly, Luna’s eyes followed the circling stranger. “I’m… My name is Luna,“ she said with a slight bow.
Discord paused, and turned his eyes to the other filly. “And what about Sourpuss, over here?” he teased.
Celestia lifted her nose with a pouty lip. “My name isn’t ‘Sourpuss’,” she said.
“Well, it could be worse. I mean, your name could be ‘Celestia’. Blek! Can you imagi-…“ Discord stopped all movement as a white face became oh so very red. “Ooh…”
Luna coiled back, whimpering at the heat blasting from her sister. “Take. That. Back,” Celestia hissed.
Then her cheeks were pinched by a lion paw. “D’aww, it’s okay. My parents hated me too,” he grinned.
With a shrill huff, Celestia tore away from Discord. She turned on her heel, and trod away from the scene, teeth gnashing together. “This is stupid! You’re stupid! Come on, Luna, let’s go!” she ordered.
“W-Wait, Tia!” Luna called out, unsure whether to follow, or to learn more about this fascinating creature.
An eagle talon pressed her lips shut. “Shh. Get a load of this,” Discord whispered. With a snap of his fingers, Celestia vanished without a trace.
Luna drew a sharp breath. “Tia? Tia?!”
“Tut-tut-tut.” Discord silenced her. “Give it a second…”
On cue, a little heap of pony tumbled from a nearby tree, legs hogtied from the lowest branch. With screams and curses that made Luna whine, Celestia struggled against her restraints. And what did Discord do? He laughed, of course. Long and loud, with youthful abandon. But when he looked down—beady eyes staring back up at him—he sighed.
“Fine,” Discord said with another snap.
As though she’d never left, Celestia found herself near her sister again. And worse, in this horrible cretin’s presence. Whatever she was about to say—anything polite, that is—was swiftly replaced by words unfitting of royalty. She may have very well hurt her own ears because of her screeching volume. And what did Discord do?
He laughed.
Of course.
“Oh we are gonna the best of friends, you and I,” Discord chuckled. He lifted a paw to his gray, bushy goatee, stroking it in wonder. “Say, now. I have an idea…”
And with another snap, the Everfree Forest was left silent again.
**********
“-and what’s with the stupid ‘deer antler’ and ‘goat leg’, anyway?! What are you, some kinda fre-“
Celestia’s words fell dead when she opened her eyes, jaw slacked. Her ears flicked at her sister’s shallow breaths. And, instantly, she was at her side.
“Deep breaths, Luna,” Celestia said, caressing the other alicorn’s back. “Deep breaths.”
Celestia’s eyes scanned the area, not entirely certain if she’d gone mad. But they were indeed far from the Everfree Forest, and now standing just outside a flourishing town.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” came a familiar voice.
Both fillies looked up, and saw Discord floating idly, his wings completely still. Celestia’s jaw nearly fell through the earth. “H-How are you—your wings aren’t—when did you…?“
“Tell me, younglings. What do you see?” Discord asked, pointing ahead.
Almost automatically, their gazes lay upon the town. Luna tilted her head, an eyebrow raised. But Celestia expressed the opposite. “It’s… quiet?” she inquired. “Empty too.”
“Why, yes. Yes it is,” Discord answered, slowly floating to the ground. “And why do you suppose that is?”
Luna lifted her eyes to the strange creature. Surprised. “You haven’t heard?” she asked.
“I’ve heard many things,” Discord replied, staring blankly at the town.
Celestia rolled her eyes. “Obviously not, or you’d know about the Monster,” she chided.
Discord smiled at that. “’Monster’, you say?”
“Y-Yes. Everypony knows by now.” Luna added, shivering a little. “It comes out of nowhere, tormenting innocent ponies.”
Discord gasps. “How terrible!”
“It stalks around when nopony expects it. And it...” Celestia swallowed a thick thump in her throat. “It’s killed ponies.”
Discord gasps again. “Ghastly!”
“A-And it’s even destroyed our villages.” Luna added, frightened all over again.
By now, Discord lifted a dainty paw to his forehead. “Stop! Mercy! I can’t take it anymore,” he cried. Then he raised a scraggly brow. “Wait. Is that why you two were in the forest?”
Celestia nodded fiercely. “Yeah! We were super close to finding it! So close to proving it wasn’t just a rumor!” Her brow flattened when she realized how excited she’d gotten. “Then we found you…”
“Quite. Quite,” Discord said, twisting a pinky in his ear. “Well, perhaps I can help.”
Both shot a look toward him. “You can??” Celestia was beaming, bright and eager. Luna was… not quite as excited.
“But of course, little ones,” Discord concurred. He turned to the alicorns, a strange smile pulling his lips. “I just need to ask one question.” Two pairs of eyes gleamed up at him. And his smile grew. “When this creature destroys a village, does it look something like this?”
Discord whirled around, and faced the town again. He shot his arms forward, both shaking and tensing. At first, Celestia and Luna raised a brow at him. But the ground began to shake. The air became deathly thick. And their necks bristled at a strange, chilling wind. They tried to speak, tried to breath, tried to do anything, really.
But they could only stand there, listening to deep, earthy cracks.
Watching the town shake apart.
Then, the screams came. Ponies, once confined to their stores and homes, burst into the open, confused. Buildings crumpled where they stood. Trees toppled upon the scattering populace. Pointy hills shot from the earth.
Discord’s smile grew impossibly large. And as he lifted his arms, ever so slowly, the entire town lifted along with them. Suspended on a crumbling hunk of land. As the screams of doomed souls wracked the very sky, Discord’s hands curled like dead tree branches.
And finally, with a crackling clench of his fists, the hovering mound burst like a rocky balloon. Boulders, ponies, and architecture fell. Showering the ground with a dead town’s remains. And what did Discord do?
He laughed. As debris crashed onto every spot—except his and his company’s—he laughed. Long and loud. He only stopped, when the rocky rain did. Clouds of dust and smoke choked the air. Discord waved his wrist, and the debris instantly cleared.
Smile remaining, he turned to the now trembling alicorns. “Too much?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth, Celestia jumped in front of her sniveling sister. Her legs stood parted, ready to… Well, Celestia didn’t know what she was ready to do. Not after what she’d seen.
“You… Y-You’re… It’s been you the whole time.” No matter how hard her teeth grinded, Celestia could not stop her tears.
Discord sighed. “Sometimes, I think you ponies get paid to state the obvious,” he said. Then he smirked again. “But yes. The hat’s out of the bag now?”
“There… There were families. Ponies just like me and Luna. With parents, a-and friends. And you… you...!”
“Well,” Discord interrupted, “I don’t always lay a population to waste. But when I do, I leave witnesses.” A gusty breath escaped his lips, and he wiped a sweat bead away.
“But… But… Why?” Celestia tried so hard. So very hard not to break down and cry.
“Well, how could I properly rule a kingdom if nopony knows of me?” Discord chuckled. He grunted uncomfortably, and wiped another bead of sweat from his brow. “My, my. Is it hot out here, or is it jus-pffft! Dumb question.”
A skin sizzling flash erupted where the town once stood. As Discord turned to it, he shielded his eyes, growling a little. But then, he smiled.
“There you are…”
Another light flashed behind him, and he just knew the fillies were gone. From within the blinding light, wings as wide as the day was long, waved slowly. And within that light, narrow blue eyes locked onto Discord’s. His wings expanded on their own accord, and he gladly returned the glare. Smile never fading.
There they remained. Seconds seemed like hours. Molehills seemed like mountains. Dust seemed like boulders. Sliceable tension. Thick and unbearable. And Discord loved every second of it.
“Your move… Your Highness…” Discord muttered. He knew it was enough. He knew she had heard him.
Then, as soon as it had appeared, the light faded. Discord stood stout, staring at the smoldering mark left in a vengeful princess’ wake.
“Your move…”
**********
Wings, white as snow, flared widely. And ageless, domineering eyes hardened.
A sneer that burned. A glare that killed. Blue eyes that commanded obedience with silence that roared, half-curtained behind blood red bangs. Every reason she was respected—every reason she was feared—held in that gaze. And it shook two little fillies to pieces.
It wasn’t fair. She knew that. And her heart would sink with every beat, knowing that. But perhaps the worst of all; not knowing how she’d punish her beloved offspring. She glared on. Unfaltering. Unflinching. Waiting for the excuse she knew was coming.
“Mother, I… I can explain-“
“Then do so, Celestia.” She nearly winced at her own tone, the sharp echo that shook the throne room ever so lightly. “I was quite clear that you were forbidden to leave the castle.”
The moment her oldest daughter reeled back with wet eyes, she nearly broke. She nearly crumbled before her children, and showered them with endless apologies. But they wouldn’t learn that way. She knew that too.
“So explain to me,” she continued, trying shamefully hard to calm her voice, “why it seemed like a good idea to disobey me.”
“Wait. Please, Mommy?” She slowly turned toward her youngest, eyes narrowing even more. “I-It wasn’t all Tia’s fault. I… I-I could’ve stopped her, but-“
“Silence.”
Her ears wilted at Luna’s shriveled squeak, and felt her own eye moisten when she saw those damning tears. “What were you two thinking?” Her voice unsteadied, barely below a shout. “You could have been killed.”
Both fillies sunk to their haunches. Beady eyes stared up at her, begging for mercy. Begging for understanding. With a quivering lip, Celestia tried to speak. “We… I wanted to see if the stories were tr-“
“You are not to leave this castle. “ She had to turn away. She couldn’t look at them anymore. “Ever.”
“But-“
“You are dismissed!”
She heard their shilled gasps, heard their hooves skitter across the ,arbletile. Running from her. Her teeth drove into her lip, eyes tightly sealed. Now alone before her jeweled throne, the princess of Equestria willed herself to stand. Willed her tears unshed. There was no time for tears. Of this, she knew as well as the sun or the moon.
She had a kingdom to rule. Fillies to raise, to teach and nurture. And now, as she turn to face the empty throne room, eyes gleaming from shiny pillars, Tau Sun Flare had an intruder to deal with.
“The aspect of ‘stealth’ eludes you,” Sun Flare said, cold and calculated.
A dim, light chuckle swam through ceiling, swam through the walls, through the mind. Bouncing. Reverberating. Sun Flare’s eyelids lowered shut, deliberate and calm. Her teeth grounded as the laughter continued. Growing. Deepening. Then her eyes opened, stoically gazing at the creature standing meters away.
“It seems I’m losing my touch. Eh, princess?”
Sun Flare didn’t respond. She merely stood there, carefully folding her large wings.
“Don’t like to talk? Fine. I suppose an explanation is an order.”
Sun Flare narrowed her gaze. Just a little. Just enough to send a clear message.
A lion paw and an eagle claw lifted defensively. “Relax, princess. Geez. No wonder you’re single.”
Teeth were bared. And a so came a crooked smile. “Tell me why,” Sun Flare demanded behind her teeth.
Another hollowing laughter escaped gray lips. “I assumed you, of all creatures, would figure it out by now.” His voice was low, chilled as a winter’s blizzard. “You were taking your sweet time confronting me. Had to get you moving.”
A sharp pulsed lifted Sun Flares hoof and dropped it with tile-cracking force. “Hundreds, Discord! Thousands! And for what?!” she shouted, her eyes wide.
Discord crossed his arms. “Don’t know about you, Sunny, but I found that mere ‘words’ fall on deaf ears.” His face pulled back into a wicked smile. “But ‘destruction? Hohoho! Destruction is a language everypony understands.”
Blue eyes widened in disbelief, searching the floor, the walls—anything—for Discord’s meaning.
"Oh, don’t look so lost, Sunny. It’s quite simple, really. An excellent way to get the name out there. You know? Or haven’t you heard the rumors?” Discord uncrossed his arms and waved them to emphasize his words. “‘The monster that sails through oceans of ruin, consuming all in its wake’. ‘The creature with laughter so dark, it blots the very sun’. Funny how children find these stories so fascinating—“
“Enough!” Whatever sense of decency Solaris had left was cut like stretched yarn. “Publicity? That’s it?! That’s how you justify this… this… THIS!” Her horn went aglow. And with it, with it, came the grizzly images of Discord’s campaign.
Towns scattered in ruin. Lakes desert-dry. Crops rotted away. And fields of ponies… lifelessly spread among it all. The images swirled around him like accusing ghosts, as wavy as the ocean between lands. Discord looked on. Smiling. With a snap of his fingers, the images shattered like frozen glass.
“Play ‘the victim’ to your heart’s content, princess.” Discord tilted his head, holding his crooked grin. “The fault is ours to share.”
“How dare you!” The corridors rumbled with her cry, showering the air with falling pebbles. “Your crimes are your own, draconequus!”
This time, Discord laughed harder, throwing his head back, and holding his serpent belly. “Is that what you think? Allowing this to happen? Watching it for weeks on end? Risking so many lives just to see if it was true? And you think you’re innocent?” Immediately, his laughter died. But his smile remained. “Well wake up, Sunny. I’m real. I’m back. And soon…”
Discord flung his arms out, reveling in energy only he felt. “Soon, all shall know my visage,” he declared. Dauntless. Proud.
“No.” Without her knowledge, her wings spouted, tense as the air that choked her. “They won’t.”
Discord’s own wings sprouted, and a bushy brow lifted. “Oh really? And who should see me fail?” He began marching toward the throne. Slowly. “You? A failed monarch, set in her ways? A dishonored wife? A cruel mother? You’re the one who will stop me?”
Sun Flare could almost hear her teeth crack as they gnashed with every insult. Lips pulled back over her teeth, and she mimicked Discord’s march. Clacking of hooves on tile. Growing louder. Stabbing into the other’s ear like bundled knives. In seconds, they were nose to nose, one sneering, one grinning with a squint.
“Do not test me, Discord…” Sun Flare warned.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I tend to avoid menopausal mares,” Discord replied. “Let’s face it… we both know how this will end.”
By the skies, it would have been so easy. So easy to gore this vile creature with her long horn. Nose crinkled, and white fur needling out, Sun Flare almost did.
“Yes, I can see it all now. Oh the fun I’ll have with my new subjects. The chaos I’ve waited so long to wreak. And the renovations. Oh, the reno-VATIONS!
A flash of light glared into her eye. When she turned her head, every rational thought slipped away. There, wailing in spiked cages, were Sun Flare’s children. Bound by chains.
“I spared you brats for a reason, Sun Flare,” Discord said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Observe the stakes. And choose your next move with care.”
Anything and everything Discord said was but a blur. And so was every thread of logic and reason that came to her. In an instant, the experience honed from eons of rule flew out of her head, out the window, out of the very castle.
And with a throat-stabbing shout, and a blind tackle, so did her and Discord.
**********
Discord snapped awake with a sharp gasp, and immediately, he squeezed his muzzle shut. He looked to the canary-colored pegasus beside him, stirring a bit, but didn’t wake. He sighed quietly.
With a tired *plop*, Discord lied back down and folded his arms behind his head. That dream. That memory. So vivid and fresh, like it’d happened only hours ago. He could still feel beat of his own veins as he grinned at those hateful blue eyes, as Ancient as they were beautiful, as wise as they were deadly.
He could still feel the sharp stab in his ear when she roared at him, the crackling of bones as she tackled him, his flesh melting as she assaulted him with one magic spell after another.
In the same breath, even after all this time, even after his reformation, even after having a taste of goodness, Discord still saw those blue eyes, widened with terror and reverence when he stood over her.
He still felt her broken horn in his grip. He still heard her cries of pain and hatred as he stood over her. He still saw the pool growing around her after the finishing blow. And still…
Still Discord smiled about it to this day.
“Ahhhhh…” Discord sighed. “Good times… Goooood times.”