//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 – Discord Twilight Dash // Story: Fragments of Memories // by Starwin //------------------------------// Fragments of Memories By Starwin Chapter 12 – Discord Twilight Dash “Get out of our head!” screamed Twilight Dash. They pressed their hooves up against their temples as if trying to squeeze the unwanted presence out. “Is that any way to talk to your new roommate?” “No, uh-uh, no way!” “We want you gone! Right now!” “There is hardly enough room in here for us as it is!” “Yes, it does feel a little cramped. Do you mind if I move some things around?” “Don’t you dare!” The door to the room burst opened and Twilight Dash froze mid struggle. They were hanging half out of bed with the blankets wrapped around their hind legs. Sky, their father – they couldn’t remember whose father - stood at the door. His eyes were wide in panic and he looked at them as though they had gone completely mad; which, at this point, might be true. “Is… is everything alright in here?” asked Sky sounding unusually concerned. “We heard shouting.” “No!” “Yes!” “Maybe?” answered Twilight Dash. “I’m going to get Doctor Heart…” interjected Night Light. His horn glowed and the door swung quickly closed. The arguing outside resumed, although the tone was much lower and Twilight Dash could no longer make out any of the words. “Great, now look what you’ve done,” said Twilight Dash to themselves. “What we’ve done? This is your fault!” “Oh, how can it be my fault, isn’t it our fault?” “No, YOU aren’t US. Now get out!” “Sorry, no can do!” Twilight Dash’s front leg suddenly jerked sideways. They quickly grabbed it and held it tight. The leg struggled in their grip. It felt like their muscles were spasming out of control. “Stop that!” cried Twilight Dash in distress. “It certainty isn’t easy to get around, is it? None of your limbs want to behave!” Their left eye suddenly started blinking, or maybe it was winking, and one of their back legs bucked at the mattress. “Is there a manual for this thing? What if I try…” they grunted in concentration. A moment later one of their wings began to flap, buzzing like a humming bird. They lifted very slightly out of bed before crashing back down on their side. They panted, slightly out of breath. “Well, this body just doesn’t seem to work at all!” declared Twilight Dash at last. They shot themselves an angry look. “And you looked so promising from the outside. You two really haven’t been trying very hard, have you?” “Yes we have!” “And it’s none of your business! Now get out!” A broad smile spread across their face. At the same time a terrible shiver ran down their spine. Their arm stopped trying to move on its own and their wing ceased its buzzing. However, the eye twitching continued, although less frequently and their leg continue to buck on its own every now and again. “Oh no, I’m not going anywhere,” said Twilight Dash matter-of-factly. “My old body is stone. Completely and totally worthless. Sure we had some good times, and I’m going to miss it. But this body, oh! What power! What potential! And true delightful chaos! We just have to work out some of the kinks. But I think I am going to be here for a very long time. How does forever sound?” “WHAT? No way!” “Because forever sounds like fun to me! By the way, how long do ponies tend to live again? I always forget. It’s in the thousands of years, right?” “When Luna finds out what you’ve done…” began Twilight Dash threateningly. “Ha! You’re not going to tell her!” “And why wouldn’t we?! WE don’t want YOU here!” “Because it’s not that simple to remove me,” explained Twilight Dash to themselves. “As I’m sure Twilight would be all too happy to explain. Oh, that is strange, I can feel her thoughts turning, wanting to answer, you really can’t help yourself, can you.” “What, yes I can. And stay out of my thoughts!” “Anyhow, Luna can’t just pull me out. So, the only other choice she has is to turn us to stone! We would make quite a set, sitting motionless in my garden prison.” “Fine,” said Twilight Dash. “What, Dash, you can’t be serious!” “It’s better than having this maniac loose in our head.” “Oh, no, we totally agree with you… us… That wasn’t me, I mean us, we mean… Discord, that was Discord… We would rather be stone then let him run around in our head.” “ARG! This whole thing is making our head hurt!” cried Twilight Dash. “Just get out of…!” They were abruptly cut off as the door to the room opened once more. For the briefest moment they expected to see Doctor Heart – and for some reason they also expected a talking watermelon. But it was not the doctor pony (or the watermelon). It was somepony that, at the moment, made them shiver. “Guards, ensure that we are not interrupted,” said Luna sternly. The two pegasus guardsponies nodded. Luna made to enter but stopped. “Unless it is Doctor Heart.” “Of course, my princess,” answered one of the guards. While Luna stood in the open door, Twilight Dash had just the briefest glimpse of their parents looking almost completely terrified. Then Luna entered and the door swung shut behind her. A flicker of magic sealed the door, as it had no locks. Her focus turned to Twilight Dash. “I am thankful you are not inj… what are you doing?” asked Luna with a raised eyebrow. They had been so caught up in their internal argument that they hadn’t considered how odd they might look. The blankets were tangled up around them. One of their wings still twitched slightly, not to mention their eye’s constant winking. And they were still tightly clutching their arm as though it might try and escape at any moment. “Nothing,” said Twilight Dash in unison. “Stone for sure,” they whispered to themselves. “Shut up!” “Is… is something wrong?” asked Luna with genuine concern. She moved closer as if to examine them. “What did Discord do to you?” “I didn’t… I mean HE, yes, he didn’t do anything to them-us, yes, us,” said Twilight Dash. They scowled. Luna didn’t seem to know what to make of this strange new behavior. “I am reluctant to burden you with anything more,” said Luna. “If this were anything else, I would say it could wait. But it has waited too long already, and you have a right to know where my sister is and true reason I asked that you come to Canterlot.” “Wait… sister? You have a sister!” cried Twilight Dash in surprise. Luna frowned with concern. “First Discord and now you?” “You… you don’t remember Celestia?” asked Luna quietly. “Of course they… we, yes, we do!” said Twilight Dash. “Now I want to hear about… what’s-her-name.” “Wait, you don’t know it either?” “Of course I do.” “Oh yeah, then what is it?” “You know, it’s that sister-pony-something…” “Ha! You don’t know either!” “Maybe this isn’t the best time,” interjected Luna. She looked towards the door. “Perhaps I should wait until you’ve had some more rest.” “No,” begged Twilight Dash. “Please don’t go.” “Why did you want us here in Canterlot if not to help us?” “That is what I want,” answered Luna firmly, leaving little doubt that she had any other motives, until she spoke her next words. “But there are other reasons we need you here… You asked me about Harmony before. Do you still want to know who she was?” Twilight Dash nodded, forcing their mouth shut and choking down the comment that was trying to escape them. They resisted the very strong urge to shake their head. They silenced the voice that wanted to say ‘no.’ Discord might be here, but he was just a guest. They could feel his annoyance with them, but there seemed to be little he could actually do when they put their hoof down - so to speak. “I have… met her before, a long time ago,” said Luna. “Ha, met her,” sneered Twilight Dash, as they let their guard down. They forced Discord to be silent once more. Luna seemed taken aback. Quickly they tried to cover up the unbidden comment. “Why did you never tell us before now?” “I have met many… unpleasant… creatures over the long millenniums,” said Luna. “To tell you of each would perhaps take your entire lifetime. But there is another reason I have never mentioned her before. I thought her destroyed, thousands and thousands of years ago.” “Des… destroyed,” said Twilight Dash. Something like a smile spread across their face. “Yes,” said Luna. “She was a terrible enemy who struck at a time when my sister and I were… not speaking. In that era, we did not call ourselves princesses. We traveled the land bringing day and night to all the world and helping where we could. “And then, one day, something came down from the northern mountains,” recounted Luna. “It moved slowly at first, crawling across the landscape, consuming it, changing it.” “Changing it into… what?” asked Twilight Dash. “Crystal,” said Luna. “The Crystal Empire was not always as it is now. Its landscape and its denizens were once normal ponies, until the Crystal Mist came.” “The… what?” asked Twilight Dash. “Sounds made up to me.” “Shsshhh” “Don’t shush us!” “It was a weapon, made by Harmony,” explained Luna. “She was consumed with making the world perfect, balanced, ordered. When ruling over every aspect of the ponies’ lives beneath her was not enough, when even her powers could not make things fit her order, she decided instead to freeze it. To make it perfect, forever. “I did not arrive for many weeks,” said Luna sadly. “When I did, the mountains, the cities, the ponies had all become motionless crystal. I sought out whatever had done this. Yet I found someone I had not intended to meet.” “Oh, oh this is the really good part!” said Twilight Dash. “Shusssh!” “Humf, well I never.” “Discord,” said Luna darkly. “At first I thought the spell was his doing. But he seemed as angry and revolted as I was at what we had found. It seemed that the one thing he disliked more than anything else, was order. Not surprising really.” “Well it goes against my… I mean, his, very nature,” said Twilight Dash. “With his help, we found and destroyed the weapon,” said Luna. She went very quiet. A sad, hopeless expression spread over her face. “We also found Harmony. Before I could decide what to do with her, Discord… he…” “Killed her!” said Twilight Dash with an almost gleeful tone. Luna seemed taken aback by their words. “Yes,” confirmed Luna with a small nod of her head. “However her death was not the end of her magic. Six-hundred years after her passing, the Crystal Mist returned. It came from the western shore, sweeping over what is now the Glass Sea. Nine-hundred years after that, it appeared again in the east, changing the whole of the Amber Cloud Empire. “Each time my sister and I have used the elements to push it back, to restore… chaos, to its order. But whatever it touches remains crystal. Forever.” Luna paused taking a long, deep breath. “The mist has returned again. My sister is holding it back right now in the south, but without the Elements… without you… we cannot hope to stop it.” “What about Discord, his magic could stop it,” said Twilight Dash. They clamped their hooves over their mouth. “We cannot trust Discord,” answered Luna, shaking her head. “His treachery the last time… his actions with you.” Luna shook her head. “No, we need the elements. Only they have the power to stop the Crystal Mist from covering the entire world. That is why you are here in Canterlot. Not just to get better, but to save us all.” “So… no pressure then,” mumbled Twilight Dash. “Wow, you guys really do get a raw deal!” “Are you sure, that everything is alright?” asked Luna. “Your behavior has been most… odd, all throughout our conversation.” “Fine!” said Twilight Dash. “Everything is perfectly, completely…” “Fine?” “We have to tell you something too!” “Yes, you’re a big poopy head!” “What, no! That’s not it!” Luna’s eye narrowed with concern. “What we want to say is…” A loud knock came at the door and words sounded like a name. Luna’s horn glowed and the door swung open. Wild Heart stood just beyond. “Please come in Doctor, I believe you have arrived just in time,” said Luna. Wild Heart stepped inside and the door sealed once more behind her. “Twilight Dash was just about to tell me something very important.” “No we weren’t,” said Twilight Dash very quickly. “Oh, look at the time. I think we had better go to bed, why don’t…” “Can it! Princess we have to…” “La-la-la-la-la they can’t hear you.” “Something-“ “EVERYTHINGS FINE, NOTHING IS RUINED!” “DISCORD! HE’S HERE! INSIDE OUR HEAD!” The room went suddenly silent as the last words hung in the air. “Oh, well, great, now look what you’ve gone and done,” said Twilight Dash waving a hoof. “Discord,” whispered Luna, her eyes fixing on Twilight Dash. “Discord!” She growled and leaned in very close to them. Luna glared into them as though she could see the god of chaos deep within their eyes. Twilight Dash felt suddenly very afraid. All of them. Perhaps Discord had been right. Maybe telling Luna was the worst thing they could have done. What if she actually did turn them to stone? Oddly, the seemed to feel okay with that. “Now you’ve done it,” whispered Twilight Dash. “But how is this possible?” asked Wild Heart. “Are you saying… Discord’s mind is inside you?” They nodded, shook their head, nodded some more and finally lay back down, feeling very dizzy. “TD…” “Actually, we were thinking of DTD now,” said Discord Twilight Dash. “No we absolutely were not!” “Don’t be ridiculous.” “Look, I’m just saying I’m here now too, so maybe I need a little more recognition.” “Twilight Dash,” reaffirmed Wild Heart sternly. “Well that’s just rude,” mumbled Twilight Dash under their breath. “Does it actually feel like another mind is in there with you?” asked Wild Heart. “Does it feel like it did when you two first merged together?” “No,” said Twilight Dash in surprise. “Actually, we don’t really ‘feel’ Discord here at all. Not the same way I can feel Dash.” “Yeah, it’s like there is a fly buzzing around our head or something.” “Did you just call me a fly?” “Yeah, I did! What are you going to do about it?” Their hoof suddenly leapt up and slapped them across the face. “DISCORD,” roared Luna. The room became very dark, like Luna had scared away all the light. “Don’t you dare ever do that again!” “Ha, a slip of the hoof,” said Twilight Dash. “Jerk.” They rubbed their slightly red cheek. “Look, I’m just getting used to my new body. It doesn’t react the same way.” “Well don’t get too used to it, you aren’t staying long! Right, Doc?” Wild Heart did not answer right away. She paused for a long moment, looking them over as if considering her options. “Right?” pressed Twilight Dash desperately. “I do not know,” said Wild Heart at last. “I need to know more about the magic involved before I can say for sure.” “And then you can get rid of this guy, right?” pleaded Twilight Dash, before they stuck their tongue out at the golden unicorn. Quickly their hooves reacted covering up the rude gesture. “Sorry.” “It’s alright,” said Wild Heart with a slight nod. She turned towards Luna. “I think we should try and speak with Discord again.” “I’m right here,” said Twilight Dash waving a hoof. “You can ask me anything you like! Ask about my favorite color, it’s pokidot.” “That’s not really a color.” “The other Discord,” said Wild Heart sternly. “The one frozen in stone.” “Oh you won’t get anything out of him, me… it? This really is confusing isn’t it,” said Twilight Dash. “You have no idea,” they grumbled to themselves. “Well, I guess we better get going then? Don’t want to keep me waiting!” “No,” said Luna flatly. “You will be confined to this room until we can remove Discord.” “What?! But this room is so boring!” exclaimed Twilight Dash. “Yeah I agree. There is nothing in here except books! And not even fun books!” “Dash!” “What, it’s true, just cuze we don’t want him here doesn’t mean he can’t be right.” “Thank you.” “You stay out of this!” “This is no joking matter,” said Luna sounding a little irritated. “Promise me that you will not attempt to leave.” “Of course we’ll stay here,” said Twilight Dash with a bow. “I guess,” they added lamely. “I promise that I won’t not maybe probably leave this room.” “I will leave the guards outside,” said Luna. “If you need something, they can get it for you.” “And our parents?” asked Twilight Dash. “Oh yes, I so want to keep talking to mommie and daddie!” “I think for the moment, it might be best if they stayed away,” said Luna. “At least until we know more about the situation.” She turned to leave. “But I will be back to check on you later.” The door shimmered with magic once more before opening to let Wild Heart and Luna out. Twilight Dash could see their parents standing just outside, eagerly awaiting any news. Whatever Luna told them, Twilight Dash did not hear as she closed and re-sealed the door behind her. “Well, this is just great,” whined Twilight Dash. “I’m soooo glad we came to Canterlot.” “We could always play a game of…” “Discord, shut up.” Spike balled up the pristine parchment in his hand. His whole body was shaking very slightly with anger and frustration. All that work, all that time, wasted. The Princess hadn’t even bothered to give him a proper answer or help them get into the castle! With a roar of frustration, Spike lifted the crumpled up reply in his claw and incinerated it with his fiery breath. Flakes of ash tumbled out into the air before being swept off by the breeze. “That’s it,” said Spike angrily. “I’m done waiting!” Spike marched over to Pinkie’s tent. Faint music was coming from inside and whirling colored lights flashed across the fabric. Spike could just make out the party ponies outline against the lights. It looked like she was dancing, sort of. Her head was hanging down, and her front legs – instead of their usual flailing – were swinging slowly back and forth at her sides. It looked sort of like a slow dance but something about it seemed almost… depressing. “Pinkie,” called Spike as he knocked a claw against the fabric. “What are you doing in there?” She didn’t answer right away but after a moment the flap to the tent unzipped and she stuck her head out. Strobing party lights flash behind her from within the tent. It was like she had some kind of night club in there or something. The paper party horn that she had blown earlier was still in her mouth, but even it seemed to have lost its luster. “Just finishing up my pity-party,” said Pinkie half-heartedly. “I think it’s starting to wind down.” “Please tell me there aren’t any rock ponies or sugar-bag party goers,” said Spike rubbing his eyes with a claw. “Nope, just me,” said Pinkie. “Unless you want to join.” “No,” said Spike shaking his head. “Look, this party’s over. Pack up. We’re leaving.” “W…what?” cried Pinkie. Somehow, the music suddenly stopped playing, as though somepony had bumped the record player. “But, we can’t abandon Twilight Dash! They need us!” “We aren’t,” said Spike. “Start packing up the campsite. I’m gona go get Rarity.” Without arguing any further, Spike marched off towards the spot that Rarity had been sitting all day long. Even though the day had start with just the faint wisps of white, the sky now swirled with ominous gray clouds. The air had become chilly and a breeze that usually proceeded a nasty storm had started blowing through the camp. As Spike marched along the main trail, he noticed that almost everypony had gone back into their tent. The storm was coming. Rarity was indeed sitting just where Spike had left her last. She was still looking at the castle in the distance. Briefly, he wondered what it was she was looking for. A sign of Twilight Dash perhaps? Surely she couldn’t see Twilight from here. “Rarity,” said Spike. The white unicorn shivered slight as though Spike had startled her. However, she didn’t answer. “Rarity, come on, we’re leaving.” “I’m staying here,” said Rarity. “What?” asked Spike in confusion. A tiny drop of rain splashed on his snout. “It’s about to rain and you are just going to sit out here?” It took a long time for Rarity to answer. “Yes,” said Rarity at last. Spike waited, but she didn’t elaborate. She didn’t move. She didn’t even look back at him. Spike frowned. He knew there was something wrong with her. There was something on her mind she didn’t want to talk about. Ever since the train station she had been distant, disinterested and oddly short worded. He didn’t have time for this. He had given her space all day long and she hadn’t even so much as looked at him! Spike marched forward. He could see Rarity visibly stiffen as he approached. For a moment, he thought she might suddenly bolt, or shout for him to keep away. But she just sat there. At last, Spike stood in front of her, looking at her tear soaked face. “Ra… Rarity,” stammered Spike in surprise. His momentary annoyance at her behavior evaporated away in an instant as he saw her. “Have you been crying out here all day long?” Rarity shook her head, but even as she did new tears were rolling down her cheeks. “What’s wrong,” asked Spike. “Why won’t you tell us, tell me, what’s going on with you?” “There’s nothing to tell,” replied Rarity much too quickly. By the tone of her voice and the look in her eye, it was clear to Spike that whatever was bothering her, it had to do with him. “Rarity,” said Spike, taking a step forward. She flinched. “Tell me what’s wrong!” Rarity shook her head. “No,” said Rarity. “You’ll hate me.” Spike stopped in his tracks, arm outstretched and eyes wide in confusion. “What? I could never hate you,” said Spike. “I will never hate you. There is nothing you could say that would make me…” “I voted for Dash,” said Rarity suddenly. Her eyes widened in fear and she clapped her hooves over her mouth as though she had let slip the most terrible secret. Spike didn’t answer. He just stared at her in shock. The faintest boom of thunder echoed through the sky as Spike and Rarity looked at each other in horror and said nothing. A light drizzle began to sprinkle on them. “You… voted… for… Dash?” asked Spike after a very long while. Rarity didn’t say anything. She didn’t even move to confirm that she had heard. “Why? Don’t you like Twilight?” “Yes of course I do! You know I do!” cried Rarity, unable to stop herself. “Then, why?” asked Spike shaking his head. “I love them both!” cried Rarity. “It was an impossible choice.” She looked down at the ground. “A horrible, unfair, choice. Spike, please, you have to believe me. I wanted them both back. But Celestia made us choose. Spike, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” She reached out towards him. Very much to her surprise, he didn’t push her away. He didn’t sneer or shout. He stepped forward and embraced her as she embraced him. “I’m sorry,” she chanted. “I’m so, so, sorry.” “I know,” said Spike at last. “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry I made you feel this way. I was just so angry with Applejack that I didn’t think about anypony else. I didn’t consider…” Another set of legs suddenly wrapped around Spike and Rarity, crushing them in an even tighter embrace. “Awww group hug!” cried Pinkie. “I love group hugs!” “Pinkie,” said Spike. “You’re squashing me!” Pinkie gave one last squeeze before finally releasing them. Spike staggered back, slightly out of breath. “So… so you aren’t mad at me?” asked Rarity. Spike shook his head. “Like I said, I could never be mad at you,” said Spike. “Besides, you didn’t abandon us. You didn’t abandon them. You’ve been watching over them all day long.” Rarity smiled weekly but didn’t protest. “Pinkie, did you pack everything up?” “Yep,” said Pinkie, patting her trunk. “Wait, we aren’t going back to camp?” asked Rarity in surprise. Spike shook his head, flinging water droplets off in all directions. “Nope,” answered Spike. “We’re sneaking into the castle.”