//------------------------------// // Finding the Fool // Story: Learning Friendship Through Disharmony // by Junkponi //------------------------------// “Oh, what a grand day today has been,” said the odd anatomical creature, backstroking just above the ground and hovering his way from the premises of a tranquil looking cottage. “It’s just so pleasant to visit my favorite pony once in a while. But still…” “Discord,” came a soft voice from an innocent looking yellow pony with a pink mane that flows gracefully over her head while she trots casually out of the cottage. “Hmm?” answered the draconequus in mid stroke as he snapped his claws together disappeared and then reappeared upside down in front of the yellow pegasis. “Yes, my dear Fluttershy?” chimed Discord. “You almost left this behind,” replied Fluttershy as she smiled picking up a little brown paper bag, bulging from the content within the bag. “Why thank you, now how can I forget those sweets you made so hard for our little tea parties. Can’t let these go to waste.” Discord picks up the brown bag of goodies and deposits it into his open cranium like some kind of cookie jar. “I will enjoy these later,” he commented to Flutter’s gesture of kindness. “But for now, I must say adieu.” Both Discord and Fluttershy waved each other goodbye as Discord comfortably floats his way down the same dirt path on a cloud that he magically caught with a lasso. Now free of any disturbances, Discord returned his attention to his train of thought earlier that gave him a sense of perplexity and emptiness. It has been some time now since Discord became a ‘good guy’, for the most part, from his rehabilitation with Fluttershy. He even believes that this is for the best but from time to time Discord finds himself reminiscing those glory days of wrecking chaos at his own delight. Oh how fun it was causing unnatural disasters and comical mayhem before he was imprisoned in his cold, marbled form… twice. But that was in the past and this is now. Discord is content with his new lease on life where he is free to do anything just as long he doesn’t get into whole lot of trouble. Most of all, he cherishes his friendship with Fluttershy and hopefully, more to those that wish to befriend him. “Friendship…” Discored muttered to himself as the word brings sparks of wonderment. This ‘friendship’ that brings comfort in others, yet holds a power like no other. The very same ‘friendship’ that defeated Discord by Fluttershy and her friends. “Surely, there has to be more to this phenomenon?” Discord asks himself bemused on his cloud that gently floats near the edge of a town where its citizens were happily going on with their lives. As if on Que, the answer came to him when he spotted a certain lavender unicorn, accompanied by her baby dragon, going towards a quaint store called Sofas and Quill until the purple reptile abruptly belches a letter. ‘Just another message from Celestia for her most prized pupil’ Discord blatantly thought when a glaring light bulb pops over his devilish smiling face. “It’s so simple, why didn’t I think of it before?” Discord exclaimed. “I’ll get myself a prodigy of my own. This guinea pi-I mean student will have the pleasure of researching this ‘friendship’ and report any findings to me.” Shuffling through the cloud Discord takes out an enlarge magnifying glass and looked through the giant lense from his fluffy sky perch. “But where am I to find somepony foolish enough to be taken under my wing? They would have to be cunning but not too smart, somepony who can take orders but most of a trouble maker such as myself.” Discord vrooms through the peaceful skies over the little town looking for some innocent fool to be called his own. He looked for all kinds of ponies ranging from age to size and even personalities but couldn’t find anypony that were up to his standards. Admitting defeat, Discord slumps into his comfy nimbus to pout about his predicament. “Maybe I’m not looking in the right place-” Discord strokes his goatee before getting up and magically opening a hefty looking door out of nowhere “-maybe I have to look somewhere no pony has been before, somewhere a little more chaotic.” Looking into the black abyss of the magic door, Discord steps through without any hesitation. The door silently closes behind him with a loud ‘CLICK’ and then fades from existence. Discord slithers in the black void with the intent of finding any sign of kind of getting out of this nothingness. Only the sound of his breathing can be heard in this dead space and the silence was leaving him a bit concerned until Discord sees far up ahead of him a faint twinkle in the darkness. With the destination ahead of him, he quickens his pace towards it. The closer he got to the twinkling light, the brighter his surroundings became. Soon Discord arrives at his destination to find the source of the light to be a little white orb emanating a weird aura of light. “Ha ha ha…” “Hello?! Anypony there?” Discord turned at the deep snickering murmur that surprised him that a sound other than him produced is heard. After a long silence of waiting for a reply, he just shrugged it off as his head playing games and went back to looking at the shining ornament. Discord then touches the orb with his paw. The orb felt warm to the touch, radiating a heat of its own. Suddenly, a flood of light engulfs Discord while he looks away to protect his eyes from the intensity of the light. When Discord came to his senses, he finds himself hovering in the warm midday air. Taking in the new environment, Discords takes note that he is surrounded by a community of concrete and buildings with little vegetation evenly distributed throughout. ‘Interesting,’ Discord thought and then flies off to explore this alien place. Discord flew silently through area while cloaking himself invisible to the naked eye and scanned the area to learn more about the place. He noticed that the habitants are some kind of naked monkeys with tufts of hair on top of their heads that wore clothing, busily scurrying with their lives. Discord recalls some time ago of these strange creatures being mentioned in some old texts but he doesn’t remember where and doesn’t care at the moment. Then Discord discovers where he was at when he found a sign that read University Student Parking placed in front of an open concrete building filled with metal carts. “Oh this is just perfect! I’m surrounded by willing individuals ready for the pickings to be educated and trained. More importantly, I find an apprentice that I can use and teach the ways of disharmony. For good, of course…mostly,” Discord snickered and began his search. Hours flew by since Discord began his quest but unfortunately, he’s coming up empty handed. It was always some flaw that Discords keeps on finding with these hairless apes such as one being too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too obtuse, too acute, too ugly, too beautiful, not enough imagination or too much imagination. Discord continued his search wavering in a random plain hallway with a wall covered with different pieces of paper that he happens to come by. Almost carelessly passing through, he noticed an interesting character next to the confetti wall that could be what he was searching for. “No new job posting or internship for today I guess,” I sighed pulling out my cellphone from my jeans to look at the time. It read 12:41 pm. ‘Shit. Two hours ‘til my next class starts. Nothing but time now.’ I thought to myself pocketing the little device back into my pockets and fumbling now for my lighter. It has been a few months since I entered the university life and already I’m running low on funds for essentials such as food and cigarettes. Sure, I get some money once in a while from doing odd jobs but there’s a limit when you’re cutting people’s five acre lawns and cleaning mold out of people’s homes. Honestly, I just want a stable source of income before I graduate and well, do something for a career. I guess this is why I’m always coming to the same bulletin board everyday looking for something to do. “Shit,” I cursed at the empty little white paper box with a single broken cigarette in my hand. Putting the broken possession back into the front pocket of my black hoodie, I turn to the guy standing next to me with his headphones blaring music. “Hey buddy, can you spare a cigarette for a fellow smoker? Please?” I asked respectively to the brown haired stranger wearing a light brown jacket and blue jeans while he was busy writing scribbles on a notepad from the bulletin board. “Sorry I don’t have any on me,” he replied taking an earpiece down from his headphones and holding onto his pad with pen in his left hand. ‘Lying bitch!’ I yelled in my head. 'I just saw you smoking five minutes ago outside and the fact that I can see the pack of cigarettes sticking out your left pocket. Oh well, I did say please…' “Alright, then can you do a big a favor for me? Can you look after my bag while I go into the bathroom?” I quickly asked, abruptly pushing my backpack into him and quickly switching his cigarette pack with mine as he gives the most confused look. “Sucker,” I whispered to myself walking to the restroom around the corner of the hallway and then abruptly bumping into someone. “Sorry about crashing into you,” I instinctively replied backing up from the intruder and wiping the short black hairs from my forehead where I was hit. “It’s quite alright. In fact, you’re the type of pon- er, person I was looking for,” he answered. “What?” I said looking at my crash victim. He appears to be a middle-aged Caucasian man with white hair, a goatee, and piercing reddish-brown eyes while in a Hawaiian shirt get-up as if he just came from some tropical paradise. “I said you’re the exactly the type of person I’ve been looking,” he said circling around me and inspecting. “Yes, not too big or small, a little husky but that can be managed. And from that little scene back there, you show you can be mischievous and crafty.” “Look, I know what it looks like but I didn’t really mean to steal cigarettes from the guy,” I pleaded hoping that this weirdo doesn’t report me to the campus PD. “Yes you did! I saw it my own two eyes and that is why I’m offering an internship to you to be my personal student.” “You have to be kidding me.” I said dumbfounded by what was coming out of this total stranger’s mouth. “Nope. I’m not kidding around, at least this time, but more to the point this job requires you to follow simple orders and to simply learn whatever is given.” “So what field is this in? Mister…” I asked. “Mr. Discord! And yes, this can be in any field that you want it to be! There will be many benefits that come with the job too! You’ll be able to travel to new lands, meet the natives and even mingle with ladies if you get my drift,” Discord persuadably chimed, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and leading me to a broad sturdy door a few feet ahead next to the bathroom. “It all sounds too good to be true,” I said feeling that this whole ordeal is inconspicuous and not sure of it. “But you know, I don’t know if I can travel and stay in school right now. It’ll be a hassle and I’m still not sure of the- “ “Did I mention that you get paid very handsomely,” Discord butted in handing a single gold coin into my hand. I looked down at the shimmering gold piece in my hand and felt my heart skip a beat. Fuck it. “Where do I sign up?” I asked eagerly as he simply smiled and pulled a piece of paper out from behind us. “Just sign here,” Discord replied handing me a pen and instantaneously the document was sign without a second thought. “And now we’ll get into further details of what you’ll be doing for me right through this door.” “Ah, I almost forgot. I didn’t catch your name?” he asked with a smug grin. “It’s John,” I returned. Discord opens the large bulky door and I walked into darkness, only to find that I made a grave error when I find myself falling into the abyss. “FFFFUUUUUUUUCCCKKK!!!!!” “Oh do be careful, that first step is a doozy!” Discord laughed as he followed behind, closing the door behind him forever.