//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Discord's Apprentice // by JP Jackson //------------------------------// Draw focus from confusion, courage from fear, and energy from apathy. Eris remembered these lessons well as she stalked her prey. A small rabbit, one grown just out of bunnyhood. She focused her magic to it and pounced! The bolt of energy hit the rabbit before it even knew she was there! it screeched in terror as a fifth leg sprouted from it’s chest. It flopped onto it’s back, unable to move with the weight of the hoofed leg sprouting from it’s stomach. Eris rolled on the ground laughing hysterically watching as the creature struggled. “Hmm, not bad,” A voice said from behind her. She turned smiling with recognition at the pointed face of her master. “Evening, Mr. Discord,” she said smiling as the Draconequus slithered into full view. He looked pleased, which was fortunate, usually when he came to visit her in her little hideaway in the Everfree Forest his face was contorted with frustration. ‘Those blasted ponies and their friendship!’ He would say referring to the current Guardians of the Elements. ‘Every day I have to deal with those nincompoops!’ For hours he would rant about past transgressions and new ones. But today his horse like face was marked by a smile. “You have far exceeded my expectations in your studies,” he said, examining the struggling rodent. Eris beamed with pride. Prase of any kind was rare from her master. And more often than not it was backhanded or sarcastic. “But you still lack a major factor in your spell casting!” “What’s that, Sir?” She asked, eager to please her teacher. Then pointing his finger at the struggling rabbit he said: “Creativity.” The middle leg sprouted wings, it’s ears began flapping wildly carrying it up. As it flew up into the sky it’s cries of fear turned into a harsh donkey's bray. Eris collapsed to the ground, whooping with laughter, watching as the rabbit soared high into the sky. “Remember,” her master intoned “Causing others pain is perfectly fine, so long as you gain joy out of it.” “A great truth indeed, Sir!” Eris coughed between laughing hiccups. After her giggling fit had subsided she turned to her master. “What has you in such a good mood?” He grinned wider, showing uneven bizarrely angled teeth. “Those foolish ponies have surrendered their Elements!” “They’ve put them back in the Tree!?” Eris was ecstatic! If what her master was telling her was true, this could mean that he would finally be able to begin his conquest of Equestria! “Indeed they have.” He said with his wonderfully menacing grin. Eris bounced around Discord, she was so happy she felt like singing! “OH! I can’t wait,” she sang jumping with excitement. “I’m going to wreak so much havoc!” “Well I’m afraid that will have to wait.” Eris froze mid jump and floated in the air for several seconds before collapsing to the ground in a dejected heap. “What! Why?” “Because, even with the Elements gone that Twilight Sparkle is a powerful foe, she’s potentially stronger than Princess Celestia and Luna combined!” “WOW! That’s like, four times as strong as you!” Said Eris. Discord glared at the little brown unicorn and turned away. “Don’t worry though, you’ll have your chance to wreak chaos and destruction soon,” he said returning to his grinning self. Eris groaned. She disliked very few things, popcorn, rabbits and the color puce were some minor irritants of her’s, but one thing she could never stand; was waiting! “But, while rampant destruction will have to wait, you will not.” he continued. Eris looked up at her master excitedly. “What do you mean?” She asked her eyes widening with excitement. Discord smiled wickedly looking down at his young pupil. “You will go on ahead of me, to Ponyville, you will scout out Twilight Sparkle and tell me what her weaknesses are.” Eris gasped with excitement, to be trusted by her master with such an important mission! “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” She bounced around Discord but was promptly stopped by the master of chaos by a levitating taloned hand. “Now you listen here,” he said, his levitating limb moving independently from the rest of his body waging a single clawed finger. “As we already know, Twilight Sparkle is incredibly powerful, more powerful than a runt like you will ever be, but you are more clever! If I've trained you right anyway. You must trick Sparkle into believing that you are one of her ‘Friends’ that way you will be able to find the weak point in her armor, then we may exploit it!” Eris Saluted. “You can count on me Sir!” she said, puffing out her chest. “I won’t let you down!” “See that you don’t,” he replied. *** Eris slunk into the town under the cloak of night. Pulling the cloak tighter around her, she snuck into the shadow of a building. Looking around the corner she could see several of the vermin milling about in the town square. “Disgusting…” she moaned her horn glowing with a dark purple light. “They’re so drenched in Friendship that my magic won’t even work!” This mission would be much more difficult if she couldn’t use her Chaos Magic and had to be limited to natural unicorn spell-craft. She pulled of the cloak abandoning it’s invisibility magic. And began to sneak around the side of the building. “Why are we sneaking?” A voice hissed into her ear. Eris jumped straight up into the air and landed flat on her flank, her head spinning wildly to try and identify where the voice had come from. The voice let out a snorting laugh. “What’d you go and do that for?” Eris turned behind her to face her assailant, a pink mare with a pink mane the shape (and, Eris assumed, the consistency) of cotton candy. Just as Master Discord had described! “The Guardian of Laughter!” “Guardian?” The mare asked letting out a snorting laugh. “I’m not a guard! I'm a baker, my name’s Pinkie Pie, what’s yours?” “Um…” Eris was unsure about whether she could trust the mare. She was one of the Guardians after all wielder of one of the most powerful arcane artifacts in Equestria! Although, if what Discord had told her about the six was true, this one would be the easiest to fool into trusting her. “Eris,” she said finally offering her hoof to Pinkie as discord has instructed her to. “Nice to-.” Her sentence was cut off as Pinkie dashed in and began squeezing her violently. What was this? Had she found out? Did she know? “UNHAND ME!” she shouted, trying to summon any whisper of her magic to fight against the assault, but to no avail. “What’s the matter?” Pinkie asked loosening her grip. “You never been hugged before?” A hug? Was that what it was called? She had heard about hugs from Discord, one of those nasty things Friends do! being constricted to the point of near suffocation! How in Equestria could anyone find this enjoyable? Eventually the ordeal was ended and Pinkie let go of her. “So,” the pink mare began. “Are you just passing through or are you staying?” “I’ll probably be staying for a while. Anywhup-!” Eris was cut of as Pinkie assaulted her with another hug! “HEEHEE! That’s awesome! I can’t wait to get to know you!” Pinkie let go of her and Eris immediately gasped for air, if this is what she had to deal with for just one of the Guardians, how on earth would she survive all six?! Pinkie began bouncing away. “Come on!” she said excitedly. “I’ll show you around the town!” “Oh no…” *** Several hours later Eris dragged herself across the ground and collapsed. She couldn’t take it anymore! The post office, the town hall, the church, even the damn wishing well! Pinkie had indeed given her a thorough tour of the town. “This pony,” she moaned. “How does she have so much energy?” As she spoke Pinkie bounced up behind her, still as energetic as she had been when she first assaulted her in the alley. “AH! Perfect!” She said Ignoring the collapsed Eris and looking up at the building in front of them. Eris followed her gaze up to the bizarre construction that sat in front of them. They were standing in front of a colorful building decorated to look like a giant cake. It even had a roof made to look like gingerbread. “This,” Pinkie began proudly, puffing out her chest and stepping in front of the building. “Is Sugar Cube Corner! The life blood of our little town!” Eris pushed herself up and turned to Pinkie. “Thank you for the tour, but I should probably find a place to stay.” “Well you can stay right here with me!” Pinkie squealed. “NO!” Eris shouted startling the little pink horse. “I-I mean,” she blustered, damn it! You have to make them consider you a friend! be… uhg… nice. “You don’t have to do that.” She said, putting on a forced smile. She had barely survived the morning with this pony, how on earth could she survive however many months it took to make friends of all the Guardians! Pinkie took her by the hoof and dragged her inside the bakery. “It’s no trouble at all!” she said happily, “I’m always willing to help out a friend!” “A Friend?” Could it be! Had this stupid little pony already let down her guard and accepted her as a person she could trust? If the others were half as easy as this one she could be out of her by the end of the week! As Eris was thinking this Pinkie burst through the doors with a hearty. “Were heeeeeeeeeeeeerreeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Eris examined the room, it was set up in a bizarre fashion. The tables were covered with fancy cloth and large colorful inflated orbs hung around the room on strings. Eris had never seen such a sight in all her life! Was this some kind of chaos magic? “You could be a little more excited!” Said Pinkie “We threw this party just for you! It doesn’t look like anyone’s here yet though.” A party? Yes, another one of those thing Friends do she remembered. As she was examining one of the inflated sacks several other ponies walked into the room. “Quite the short notice, Pinkie,” said a pegasus with a rainbow mane. “Yeah, what’s this here emergency you were tellin’ us ‘bout?” Questioned an earth pony sporting a cowcolt hat. “It is the biggest most exciting thing ever!” Pinkie shoved Eris so that she was in full view of the five mares. “This is Eris, she’s new in town so I thought we should throw her a party!” “What a great idea!” “Let’s get partying!” The party lasted well into the evening and it was a long time after that that everyone went home. Pinkie introduced Eris to all of the guest, Rainbow Dash, the local weather pony. Apple Jack, a farm mare who worked on the local apple farm. Fluttershy, a shy quiet mare who cared for the local animals. Rarity, a fashion designer who owns a local shop, and… “Twilight Sparkle,” Eris looked at the young Alicorn. With docile eyes, a gentle voice and bookish manner she didn't look very powerful. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said smiling. Eris wasn’t sure how to respond. How could she convince her that she was nice, to trick her into thinking she was friendly? Then she remembered. She reached forward, front legs stiff and attempted to hug her immortal enemy. If Master Discord could see her now… She broke from the hug and stepped back. Twilight it appeared had an expression mix of shock a repressed laughter. “Um, thank you, I guess.” Eris flushed with repressed rage and embarrassment. Quickly Twilight changed the subject sparing Eris. “Are you going to be here long?” she asked. “As long as it takes.” She replied. “As long as what takes?” Twilight asked. BY THE OLD ONES! Eris drove her hoof into her face in frustration. She had to learn to be more subtle! “Umm…” she trailed off, what in Equestria was she thinking! If Sparkle learned of her true intention it would risk everything Master Discord had worked for! “Until my studies are done.” She finally said “OH! Are you studying magic?” Twilight asked excitedly. “Yes actually,” she said wiping a droplet of sweat from her muzzle. “Bramerian or Star-Swirlian?” The two of them continued to talk about magic for a long time. Each presenting their own opinions and theories. Eris trying desperately to hide the fact that she was a chaos magic user. She could tell from the way she spoke about the subject that Sparkle was very well versed in magical lore and literature. Twilight in turn was impressed of what seemed to be Eris’ ‘unique’ views on magic. “Do you have a place to stay?” Twilight asked, breaking the conversation. “Well Pinkie was going to let me sleep here... but…” Twilight let out a little laugh. “She can be exhausting can’t she?” The two mares shared a laugh then Twilight turned to Eris. “You can stay with me if you’d prefer.” YES this is perfect! Living with Twilight would give her ample opportunity to study her. She would be able to watch her constantly! Even when the foal Alicorn was sleeping! She looked at the little purple Alicorn, oh the naive expression on her face! “I would enjoy that.” She said smiling.