//------------------------------// // Lies and Slander // Story: Blueblood's Ascension Part III; or, Even Alicorns Have Dreams // by MyHobby //------------------------------// Discord twiddled his thumbs as he attempted to drown a goldfish. The fish blubbed happily in the deathtrap the draconequus had constructed for it. There was no escape from the doomed, watery grave. The goldfish wiggled a fin as it munched pebbles of food. “Just you wait, Goldie Pox,” Discord said. “Any moment now, you won’t be able to hold your breath anymore, and then… well…” He shrugged. “You’ll sleep with the fishes.” Goldie Pox blinked his fishy little eyelids. “Stop that,” Discord said. “It’s unnatural.” “You’re no stranger to the unnatural, Discord.” Discord looked up. His room was dark and shadowy, the strange glow of Goldie Pox’s fishbowl the only light. “And dost thou speakest of the devil?” One shadow in particular drifted down. The beaked face of Shadowfright materialized, his purple eyes burning out of the black. “I’m natural enough. I was born. I live. Perhaps one day I shall die. Maybe.” Discord raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know it was even possible for your kind to die.” “Our regenerative properties have been deemed astronomically impossible by the ponies for centuries.” Shadowfright smirked. “But then, nopony’s tried to split my atoms in a long while.” “Well, I certainly hope I’m there for the show,” Discord growled. “I’d be happy to participate.” “Participation is overrated.” Shadowfright slithered up to Discord and wrapped a tendril around his middle. “It’s much easier to take the side path and watch all the pieces fall together. One by one.” Discord tried to stand up, but Shadowfright held him down. He teleported a meter away and stuck out his tongue. “Neener, neener.” “Far be it from me to give out unwanted hugs,” Shadowfright said. “I suspect you get lots of those from your dozens of friends.” “Of course,” Discord said. He crossed his arms. “I’m a nice draconequus now. Friendship is magic, yadda, yadda.” “Certainly, certainly.” Shadowfright glanced at the pile of friendship reports that had been rolled into balls atop Discord’s couch. “No doubt you care for your friends as they care for you.” Discord mumbled something. “I’m sorry?” Shadowfright said. “I will call the princesses if you don’t leave right this second,” Discord said. “Oh, aren’t you the responsible one, now?” Shadowfright guffawed. “I tremble at the Lawful-Good draconequus. A paladin’s paladin!” “Hay.” Discord rolled up the fur on his arms like sleeves. “Them’s fighting words.” “Oh, I haven’t even gotten started.” Shadowfright wrapped his dark body around Discord. “You’re nothing but a failure.” Discord struggled against Shadowfright’s grip. “What are you—?” “You come to Equestria as the conquering King of Chaos, and now?” Shadowfright tsked. “You’re nursemaid to a bunny rabbit.” Discord sunk through the ground, leaving Shadowfright hovering above the floor. The Nightmare floated down as Discord fell from the ceiling. “And they don’t even appreciate your gestures of friendship.” Shadowfright brought his cheek alongside Discord’s. “They treat you like a reprobate. An ex-convict. A nuisance. You’re just a nuisance to these ponies. They aren’t your friends.” Shadowfright shrugged with a sigh. “In fact, I doubt they ever were.” “You quit that right now, you hear me!?” Discord snapped his talon and conjured a thousand swords, which all pointed at Shadowfright’s core. “Fluttershy is my friend. She will be forever. She was willing to give everything up to show me—” “How powerful her control over the weak-minded was?” Shadowfright sneered. “She was manipulating you, Discord. They all were. That’s all they’ve ever done. For a great master of chaos”—he hid his face as he smiled—“you act like a child seeking approval, but unwilling to do the good deeds required of it.” Shadowfright wrapped a wing around Discord’s shoulders. “You’ve just woken up Hearth’s Warming Morning to find bags of coal under your tree.” His eyes shifted to peer at the draconequus. “Now, I’ve been away a while. What do you do with coal, again?” Discord gnashed his snaggletooth. “You burn it.” “Yes, that’s right.” Shadowfright nodded. “It makes for quite the blaze. How did that saying go? ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire?’” “They lied to me,” Discord said. “I fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker.” “Friendship is how the weak seek protection from the strong,” Shadowfright said. “Who is stronger than you?” “Nopony.” A scraggly grin spread across Discord’s face as his eyes burned. “I guess I should have known. They’ve never treated me like a friend.” “It’s so true it hurts.” Shadowfright shook his head. “Tea parties and play dates are cheap.” “Never stuck their necks out for me,” Discord said. “Never showed me an ounce of kindness.” “Mm.” Shadowfright melted into the shadows. His purple eyes stared out of the gloom. “Such a shame to let such delicious bitterness go to waste.” “Well, if they refuse to be my friends…” Discord cracked his knuckles. “Maybe it’s time Ponyville became the Chaos Capitol of Equestria once again.” He snickered. “And they with no little Elements of Harmony to send me back to Rockytown” “Ponyville is nice this time of year,” Shadowfright said. “But if I might make a suggestion?” Discord squinted at Shadowfright. “What do you want?” “I want a door opened.” Shadowfright scowled out of the blackness. “A door to the pit of chaos itself. A door that, when opened, will unleash such devastating chaos that Equestria will never recover.” Shadowfright wrapped Discord in an embrace. “A door to the pit of Nightmares. The doorway of Tartarus itself.” Discord gulped. “When do we start?” Shadowfright wrapped tendrils of Nightmare essence around Discord’s body. It entered the draconequus’ eyes, ears, nose, mouth. Discord trembled. “We just did,” Shadowfright said.