"So that is what I saw on that unfathomable day, it's not a tale I have ever shared with any creature, although I made no vow I have disrespected Celestia's final wishes," Discord dismissed the projector, using such magic was draining him, "I do not however regret my decision to divulge, as I doubt even the sisters would have foreseen what would of become of the land, this isn't chaos it's just destruction and suffering without hope," changing his tone Discord continued, "Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it, whether they made the right choice? But that will all change now! Today is the day the sun will rise again, So Spike now you're here, what say you to an adventure, one that if we return we and the world will not be the same!"
Discord's moods were all over the place, for want of a better word they were chaotic. Still hung up on what he has just witnessed Discord's flare rubbed off on Spike, Discord had a strange ability to lighten the mood no matter what if he so chose, a fact that wasn't lost on Spike.
"Good to see some things don't change,"Spike thought to himself, but something was still nagging at the back of his mind, something didn't add up,
"If Discord was going to tell me anyway why wait till now? It would of been easier to piece together and fix this mess early on, he would of know that and it's not in his character to wallow in self-pity let alone for twenty-five years, oh that slippery!" Spikes eye's narrowed, growing distrustful at the sudden realization.
"Whats your angle Discord? Telling me now, rather then when all this started doesn't make sense, you were always decisive even without a plan, you would of made the decision to tell me a long time ago, back when it would have made so much difference, back when it mattered, the truth Discord, now!" Spike demanded with and accusing tone.
"Very astute, Twilight would be proud," Discord frowned, but Spikes gaze told him he would not be able to side step this one, "Very well, I am dying," an eerie silence fell between them both, Discord raised his paw to his side emphasizing his point. "I am dying," Discord repeated.
"I am a being of magic, the very same that used to run through the land, it sustains me as it would of Celestia and Luna, but they are gone now, just as they chose to imprison me in stone and Tirek in Tartarus, why do you think Celestia could never destroy Luna on that night over a thousand years ago? Sisterly love yes, but those two are two of the original beings, the progenitors of Ponykind, they could not slay each other even if they desired nothing else, it would fracture the balance of the world and the magic would fade sending all of us down a path to oblivion!"
Taking a deep breath Discord continued, "What you see around you now is just the beginning of that fate, far worse is to come if we do nothing!" The sternest in Discord's manner was overbearing, Spike felt like a child compared to this ancient being, all he could do is sit there flabbergasted.
"Nothing to say? Dear Spike I am still the same guy, you wouldn't treat Celestia and Luna differently now would you?" Discord probed with a much softer tone.
"I er..." Spike stuttered.
"It was rhetorical," Discord spoke, "I am so old now and I've seen so much, I have seen enough, my wish to survive or to save the princesses is not selfish, it is for the future of Equestria and all that dwell within, admittedly the new found friendships I have built I beg to retain, but I do this if not for them but for every pony else, it is as you would say my duty as an ancient."
Finally coming to grips with Discord's revelation Spike had questions that need answers, "You've been playing me and everypony else along, we must seem so small and insignificant to you, and what of that shade that called itself Pandemonium is it an ancient being?"
"No that's not true, you and your friends have shown me something else that has been missing from my life for thousands of years, you were never small," Discord retorted, "But that thing the princesses and I have heard only in whispers, or at least i thought, no pun intended Celestia knows how a portal to its domain got into the vaults of the Castle of Two Sisters."
Discord pondered for a while, "When the world and I were young, Celestia and I wondered the lands with Luna but also sometimes with other ancients, trying to find our place in the world, how we all got here, all we found was references to some group of beings that were beyond space and time, they visited barren worlds spreading life, our planet is one of those worlds," Discord paused for Spike's benefit, "As we delved deeper into our origins we kept finding references to one of those creators that had broken away from the others, it thought they had all made a terrible mistake in spreading life among the cosmos and set about rectifying their mistakes, it would seem either Celestia was keeping a terrible secret or this world's turn has come."
"But if she knew all about this why did Celestia sacrifice the balance of the world and if you knew as well what have you been doing for the past twenty-five years?" Spike asked, his mind racing.
"I don't think she knew what it was, it was so long ago, Pandemonium had almost passed beyond memory, we're not perfect, I also never had the chance to tell her my suspicions before we closed the portal, something I regret now, as for what I have been doing, believe it or not I have been devising a plan, I know, me, a plan!" Discord chuckled, "For the past few decades that I've been stuck here with my powers waning I have been triangulating the locations of the mirror fragments, I believe they hold the key to returning the princesses to us."
"That is all very well but how will we get to where you believe they are," Spike said sarcastically, "There is no transport or safe route to anywhere these days, It was a massive strain for me to even get here from Canterlot and that was before the war, I'm assuming you can't teleport either?"
"Well that leads into interesting story!" Discord exclaimed, "You see as you know, after Luna's banishment Celestia had to take to raising the Sun and the Moon, in principle she could do it, but her power isn't limitless, she couldn't maintain the day and night cycle all on her own and she had to find a source of power to maintain the balance, now, back when I and the other ancients were searching for our purpose we discovered a series of tunnels that led all over the globe, filled to the brim with pure magical energy, these tunnels ended in focal points all over the place, for example where Canterlot once stood is one them.
During Luna's banishment Celestia redirected the flow of magic to Canterlot so she could keep raising the moon and the sun, I myself have been redirecting the flows of magic or rather whats left to Canterlot and the Crystal Kingdom to help maintain them, these tunnels still exist in parts but most of the magic is either used or left with the princesses, however you threw a spanner in my plan Spike, your abdication meant I could not delay any longer, as such I have only been able to plot a path through the tunnels to one of the mirror pieces, the others are as far as I can tell inaccessible this way, oh and no I can't teleport far normally let alone without most of my powers."
"Okay so your plan is we go underground to one of the pieces, then what?" Spike inquired unsure of the integrity of Discords plan.
"That I don't know, we will just have to see, it will be like something to look forward too, I do love something to bring a team together!" Discord happily replied.
"And where do we find the entrance to these tunnels Discord?"
"Oh that's the easy part!" Discord slammed his fist into the marble floor, "We are already right on top of one!"
Discord's cackling mad laughter echoed through the air as the marble floor groaned and cracked beneath Spike's feet till soon nothing but a gaping chasm remained with the thrones rimming the circumference. Discord hovered above the hole with a disturbingly silly grin on his face, almost immediately warm air rushed upwards out of the hole, blowing Discord's fur taught.
"Oh, I forgot to mention I did store a little magic for myself and since Canterlot doesn't need its share anymore, I thought it might come in handy," Discord cried out gleefully, "Behold the power of the ancients!"
A warm glow of pure white started climbing its way up the hole, accelerating with great speed it threatened to obliterate anything in its path including Discord.
"Discord!" Spike cried, reaching out a claw with worry.
But it fell on deaf ears, Discord had raised his limbs ready to embrace the white light, it was already too late. The light grappled Discord and had soon completely engulfed his lean figure, it twisted and contorted him causing Discord to cry out in anguish. Then there was silence.
As quickly as it has started the light was gone, Spike slowly shielded his eyes blinking at disbelief at what he saw before him, there was Discord, right as rain, all his wounds healed, his fur and mane all neatly restored lying in a deckchair shipping milkshake, sunglasses adorning his brow.
"Ah," Discord gulped, "That's the stuff."
Gobsmacked Spike just started at Discord, "You are so completely mad!"
"Well thank goodness for that because if I wasn't this would probably never work!" With that Discord grabbed Spike to his side and sent them both along with the contents of the throne room tumbling down, spinning round and round into the darkness, cackling all the way with madness.