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// The First Time I Met Discord 
// Story: A Recollection Of Memories 
// by Rutilus.Luna 
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My granddaughter Penny seems pretty insistent that I work on this...autobiography? Memoir? Journal? To be honest I don't completely know what to call it. A written history of the rise of Equestria from somepony that just happened to be there? Let's go with that for now. I suppose I should start at the beginning though.

I would like to start by telling everypony that chaos is relative. I grew up before the Princesses Celestia and Luna reclaimed the throne and was subjected to the rule of Discord for all of my formative years. Now growing up I always heard my mother and father say this or that about the abomination of Discord, about how he overthrew the king and queen, destroying and warping the land for nothing more than his own twisted amusement. They made him out to be a horrid creature worthy of only scorn and hatred. They wanted him and his chaos gone.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the chaos. What young filly doesn't want to drink chocolate milk whenever they want? Or to soapskate wherever they please? To do a loop while on the way to school each day? Besides, I never knew any different. I would later find that the chaos in that little area of Equestria was quite mild and that other places were hit much, much harder. Penny tells me that I should tell any potential readers a few details about myself before I continue on. Personally I think that's rubbish and doesn't matter, but this writing thing is new to me so I'll give it a shot.

The titular I, in this recollection of memories, refers to Sir Shears Spice the Second, son of Shears Spice the First and Lily Spice. Earth pony extraordinaire; I used to have a charming chestnut mane, it is unfortunately going grey nowadays; my coat an odd shade of dark green. My fellow school fillies would always say that I was the inverse of a tree. Not quite as eloquently of course, but that is beside the point. I was the personal confidant of both Discord and the princesses for many years. I am at a ripe old age of 48, and currently single for any ladies that happen to be reading.

Going back to what's important. Growing up in Discord's rule was fun, and predictable in it's own special ways. The sun and the moon would rise and set without warning and at random time intervals, but you could always trust them to switch eventually. The roads would change material, the topography making no legitimate sense, but the roads would always lead where they were meant to go. The only true danger that I ever saw on a somewhat frequent basis was the wildlife. Nothing is scarier and even more confusing then having a friendly manticore or cockatrice defend you from a violent hare or robin. Even with the cotton candy clouds and chocolate rain so many loathed, ponies found ways to adapt to the environmental changes. In my travels I have found that ponies are remarkably adaptable to change. Why we have a tendency to resist it so much I will probably never understand, but that is a topic for another time.

I had a fairly normal foalhood for the time; although, if you heard it from my mother I was a bit of a mischief maker. I went to school; had friends, made a lot of enemies; had good times and bad, at least until Discord himself made an appearance in our quaint little town. Then it was interesting and terrifying. Discord coming to our town was a big deal at the time, we had never had royalty visit before, this ruling party of one or the previous monarchy. In true chaos fashion he simply appeared in the town square one day. Caused quite the mass panic too; ponies torn between bowing in fear for their lives and fleeing in terror. The mayor ran out into the middle of the square yelling at everypony to stop and remain calm, nopony listened of course, but it wasn't for lack of effort. The oddest part was that Discord simply stood there, watching, waiting for something that to this day I have no idea what it could have been. Looking back I should have asked him when I had the chance. Maybe he was just enjoying the chaos his appearance created. He then summoned and dumped a bucket of water on the mayor's head.

In that simple action my life as I knew it changed...all because I laughed. I couldn't help it, all of this mass hysteria and in the middle of it all our ruling body just poured a bucket of water on the one pony that was supposed to take charge. It certainly didn't help my case that he looked a bit like a wet rat. Everypony stopped what they were doing and silence rang out from all corners of town. Except for my lone giggling, which as soon as I noticed that everypony was caught between looking at me and Discord, I willed myself to stop. It was easier than expected truth be told, I attribute that to being the unwilling center of attention. He then walked up to me, and I will never forget what he said to me.

“You thought what I did was humorous?”

He had the strangest look on his face when he asked me that simple question. Somewhere between surprised and threatening. I swear in that moment you could hear a pin drop from across down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw more than one pony writing me off as a goner with their body language. Even my parents just stood there while I faced this supposed monster. After what felt like an eternity I was able to squeak out a meek “yes” in response. After another eternity length moment of him and I simply making eye contact, he smiled and blinked out of existence. Slowly everypony went back to their shopping and whatever else they were doing at the time. My parents took me home and sent me to my room as if I was in some sort of trouble. It was an odd moment but I figured that life would just continue on and that everypony would forget the entire incident ever happened. That was the first time I ever met Discord, the spirit of chaos. Life changed rather unexpectedly after that.