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// Chapter Seventeen—Opens Locks and Solves a Riddle 
// Story: Tirek's Shadow 
// by LiterarySerenity 
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Fluttershy.

Discord could still hear her lovely voice, filling him with a peace and wistfulness the draconequus had missed. Foolish ponies might have remarked there was nothing extraordinary about the melody or language, so soft and simple many took for granted its compassion wrapped in ordinary garb—but this made both singer and song all the more precious. It touched him deep inside, and he yearned to curl in a tree once more near Fluttershy’s home in the evening to watch over the pony while she rocked the animals to sleep.

Suddenly, his dream forest seemed empty and dull in comparison to the Everfree Forest during those moments when the yellow pegasus had inadvertently serenaded more than a few woodland creatures. If Discord stayed here, it would not be the same, and he might never see Fluttershy again—unless Tirek had his way and she got trapped here as well.

She was in danger. As was Twilight, of course. Without the Tree of Harmony, or the other ponies to activate the Elements, they could not access the Rainbow Power that had vanquished Tirek before. Twilight also had had only fleeting experience with chaos magic, which caused Discord a twinge of guilt and caused him to wish he had somehow had the foresight to try and teach her more about it. The princess had looked so pleased the other evening, at the prospect of learning from him.

What had Discord been thinking, hiding in here?

And then there was still the matter of their friends already imprisoned in the dreamscape, whose questions the chaos spirit had tried to avoid—which had only led to a headache and apparently ended the communication link between Twilight and him through the card, where only the riddle Tirek had posed to him remained in thick ink.

Very well.

Discord would not hide anymore, especially when these ponies kept chasing him down. There was nothing left to him except the truth and self-reflection, although the last was an intimidating prospect. So before his assembled friends could speak, the draconequus broke the silence hanging thick in the glade, although he did avoid looking at them directly—choosing instead to focus on the forest trees and the refrains from faraway Fluttershy.


“You are right, about everything.” Discord began, working to keep his tone steady. Despite these efforts, a quiver threatened to disrupt it. “I suppose I have trouble admitting these types of things to any pony, and especially to myself. But since the incident occurred with Tirek, and perhaps a long while before then, I have been restless and aimless.” He shuddered, and glanced at his eagle claw—flexing the talons. “For centuries, I wandered the land wreaking havoc where there was too much order and thinking of no pony’s pleasure but my own. Going around and spreading chaos came naturally, even if—in hindsight—something always seemed to be missing.”

The silence was so thick. No pony said anything, and the chaos spirit took a moment to compose himself enough to keep going:

“Then you ponies came along with the Elements, and Fluttershy introduced me to how good friendship felt. And I realized how lonely the centuries until that point had been, regardless of the power I wielded or things I could create. But even then it was more like a curiosity, and a new way to play around with ponies. My urge and tendency was to use my magic to make things just a little harder for every pony, with an exception or two.” Discord heaved a sigh that shattered flocks of birds throughout the forest. “Until Tirek offered me friendship and the ability to cause unlimited chaos, and I betrayed all of Equestria thinking it was possible to have both without consequences. He used me as a tool and played with my mind—giving me a taste of my own foul-tasting medicine.” 

The draconequus smacked his lips slightly, for he had an awful taste in his mouth now at the very thought of the incident. “Finally, I learned the true importance of friendship. Still, that does not change what I am as a Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. No matter what form I took, my real identity and true nature would eventually come to light and cause agony for those I am around. I cannot keep from being chaotic.” He bowed his tired head. “And I keep making mistakes that cost my friends dearly. So I fear I am diabolical as Tirek accused me of being, and my magic is just as bad. This is the truth of it.”

Now all Discord could do was await judgment, half-expecting (in spite of it all) to hear more chastisements or the hoof falls of his friends walking away. Yet nothing of the kind happened.


Instead, he got a consoling hoof on the back.

“Oh, Discord.” Rarity said, taking his confession surprisingly well. “We had no idea you were feeling that way.”

“I got hints of it a bit earlier when we talked in the Zap Apple orchard.” Applejack interjected. 

“It’d been too long since you smiled, like over five minutes!” Pinkie Pie volunteered. “It was terrible. I knew something was wrong then.”

Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to put in something, but a curt clearing of the throat from Rarity was enough to stop her. The results reminded Discord of one of Fluttershy’s “stares.” Then the well-quaffed unicorn went so far as to make the other ponies take two steps back at a mere gesture of the hoof.


“What I meant to say, Discord, is you shouldn’t feel bad about your special talent.” Rarity comforted, while their friends looked on.

“My talent?” Discord scoffed. “Somehow, I would not expect you to praise wreaking misery wherever I go.”

“Oh, darling. Your special talent isn’t causing misery.” Rarity said, then she gave a bit of a reflective pause. “Perhaps you haven’t realized it yourself, but I do—and I can understand where you’re coming from.”

“How could you? You’re the Element of Generosity. You give things to ponies all the time, whereas I’ve only taken or changed things to cause trouble.” Something in Rarity’s manner stopped Discord then. He could not have said whether it was the seriousness that darkened her mascaraed features or simply her rigid body language that brooked no further argument.

“Not too long ago, I agreed to use a spell that gave me the power to make whatever I wanted a reality. Poor Spikey-Wikey found it for me because of some inspiration troubles for a festival. But matters quickly got out of hoof.” Now Rarity looked embarrassed, and somewhat guilty. “I commanded such great powers, and it terrified yet excited me. But I didn’t have any control or idea of the consequences of my actions. I thought I knew what was best for every pony and turned Ponyville into something it was not. Only when Spike told me the truth, of how I was making things different but no better, did I get freed from the magic.”

Well, that was a shock. Discord must have been elsewhere, touring the lands beyond Equestria or another land during these events. This was the kind of thing he would definitely have remembered. 

“So I can see how easy it is to lose control or become fearful of having reality-altering magic like you do.” Rarity said.

Did Rarity sympathize with or pity him? Discord had trouble telling.

“But, the circumstances are also different.” Rarity persisted. “You have a better grasp of how to control powerful magic that can change things on that level, and more experience with the consequences caused by your actions.”

“Yes. By making one mistake after another.”

“Every pony makes mistakes, darling. My special talent is dress-making, but I still make errors in judgment and other such things. You just have to learn from them and move on.” Rarity said, striking a resolute pose—chest thrown up and head held up high. Discord almost felt inspired himself.


“Mistakes help you to grow into a better pony.” Applejack said, easing into the conversation. “I can’t count just how many things I’ve done that I’m not proud of, or wanted to do differently. But you shouldn’t let that cause you to stop from being you. You just have to make the decision of how to use what gifts you have in the right way.”

“Yeah.” Pinkie Pie grinned. “And like Granny Pie once said, ‘doing what you love is the key to happiness’. I laugh over it every day.”

“Besides, if you ever mess up again, we’ve got your back.” Rainbow Dash vowed. “We’ll also knock some sense back into you when necessary.” She smirked. “You just have to strive to be awesome, like creating incredible thrill rides.”

“Or putting together amazing parties and fun jokes.” Pinkie Pie said.

“Or making delicious Zap Apples.” Applejack winked at him.

“Creating things.” Discord said, gazing from his friends to the forest once more, with all its splendors and wonders. “Creativity.” He felt a slight spark from inside again, or perhaps just a crackle of magic from somewhere. But the draconequus liked the thought of it. 

Then he paused.
“Why?”

“Why what, Discord?” Rarity asked.

“Why would you do this for me? How can you be so kind and understanding after all the stunts I’ve pulled and things I’ve done?” Discord hadn’t realized how much these questions had bothered him until then, but this seemed like the time to get it off his chest while he was bearing his soul to the ponies.

“You’re supposed to help your friends.” Pinkie Pie said. “Especially your best friends.”

“Besides, friends are family.” Applejack offered, at which the other ponies nodded their heads in full agreement. “And you’re part of that now, Discord.”

***

Twilight had thought the connection through the card had been severed. However, a strange thing had happened as she began to work upon the shadowed chaos around the lock. While her magic flowed, the princess had started to hear Discord and her friends again—which perhaps had something to do with the contact the dark tendril had had with her horn. It was almost like she was there, listening to the chaos spirit confess his deepest worries, or to her friends when they consoled him.

This story played through her mind, vivid as the tale the draconequus had shared the other day. So powerful and thoughtful.

Twilight smiled, because everything was so clear and her theories had been correct. And she thought about her friends, and the experiences they had been through together. The princess could feel a certain energy welling up and flowing free. It was a warmth similar to Rainbow Power, brought on by thoughts of her friendship bonds.

Whatever magic this was came from deep inside Twilight, and she had the impression of feeling it before a few times in the past during moments when the princess had made important realizations about her friends. In some ways, she knew it to be the energy that flowed through the Elements, although this existed inside her rather than the gems themselves. Even now, it was a wondrous yet mysterious power. This was something she did not fully understand, but that was all right. For Twilight knew how she must use it at the moment.

Discord had worried his magic was something terrible, or evil. But this was not so. In fact, hearing the discussion between the chaos spirit and her other friends had made it clear his was not the type of magic Twilight needed to repel. She just had to shape it, like a mold—even if it was slippery and responded in bizarre ways at first.

Then when the rainbow-like energy came through, and Twilight heard Applejack tell Discord they were family, it radiated through her horn and mixed with the chaos magic around the lock. The dark tendrils lightened, and rather than dispel Discord’s energy, the two powers joined and took the shape of a lockless door handle.

Ah.

“How do you solve Discord in discord?” Twilight said, turning the handle. 

It clicked open.

“You bring him into Harmony, of course.”

Twilight and Fluttershy entered the guestroom.