Chapter 7: Disharmony
Discord's eyes narrowed as his serpentine body twitched lightly. The lord of chaos seemed to be torn between disbelief and disappointment. But his jovial nature soon replaced his grim expression. Discord gave him one last glance before whispering: “Very well.” With that terse remark, Discord vanished in a flash of light and a burst of white mist, leaving him once again alone in the middle of the Everfree Forest. “I've got to get back to the others!” He muttered. Turning on his hooves, he dashed back towards where they had split up at a speed that would have made Rainbow Dash jealous. As he ran, his mind flew through the information that had been so rudely crammed into it these past few days.
Twilight Sparkle was the logical, intelligent one. She would not make rash decisions, and always thought things through. However, she lacked the social skills necessary to truly be successful in the real world. She was also quick to resort to magic, even for simple tasks that did not require it. Her dependence on magic perhaps represented an underlying need to impress others. As the Princess' protege, she would be pressured to constantly do things "better" than others. As time passed, the excessive use of magic may have become a deeply ingrained habit.
Rainbow Dash was a rash, impulsive pegasus. She acted on instinct, preferring gut decisions over thinking things through. She seemed to be a talented athlete however, and seemed to be a loyal friend. She may be temperamental, but despite that she was actually very naive. Although she often made fun of others, such behavior is often an indicator of insecurity in oneself. This idea is also affirmed by her frequent boasting. She may have been made fun of when she was younger. Her decision to get revenge through becoming stronger than the ones that once made fun of her instead of hurting them was admirable, but once again showed that her mindset was very naive.
Fluttershy was an extremely quiet, timid pegasus. She was kind, and would always be willing to help others, but was often too shy to ever say no. Although having such a personality was probably safe enough in Equestria, it was still too easy for others to take advantage of her. Her future may be a grim one if she does not learn to assert her own opinionis more strongly. Her inability to refuse other's requests seems more to be a result of a lack of social interaction. Her home, situated on the outskirts of the town, confirmed that she did not enjoy the company of other ponies so much as the company of her animal companions.
Rarity was a slightly pompous, marshmallow looking unicorn. She was generous, even if she could act a bit overly dainty sometimes. It was understandable, as the type of store she owned required that she present herself as formally as possible. After all, if the owner of the store cannot appear aristocratic, how can she make her clients a dress to achieve that purpose? Despite her outward behavior, she still deeply cares about her friends inside. Although she adores jewels and gems, she would be willing to give them all away for the sake of her friends.
Applejack was another one of the more athletic ponies. She apparently worked on a apple farm. Her accent and attire gave off a distinct cowboy personality. Indeed, she, like Rainbow Dash, had a more tomboyish personality. And like Rainbow Dash, although she put forth an outwardly boyish act, she too seemed to be more innocent than she may first appear. Her inability to lie without significant effort showed that she was never exposed to the harsh realities of life that have forced so many to become liars and decievers. Perhaps it is for the better, for there are not enough honest people in the world anymore.
Pinkie Pie was crazy. Absolutely, completely, crazy. Well, that's how she appeared from the outside anyways. She enjoyed throwing parties, having surprise celebrations, and saying hi to strangers. All-in-all, she was still crazy. But sometimes you need a little craziness in your life. There is no fun in a life of order and perpetual structure. Pinkie Pie provided something that was very important to any group of friends. Laughter.
He was now trapped in the body of a Pegasus, stranded in a land of what at first appeared to be only sunshine and rainbows. And yet, it wasn't quite the Utopia it seemed. Perhaps it had been a land of peace and happiness before he came, and yet through his actions, he unleashed an ancient and powerful being that was bent on twisting the world into his image. He would not call him evil, for he understood why the being did what he did. But he could not call him a hero, for he himself said that heroes are merely the victors, for they are the ones who write history. He grit his teeth. If winning is what it takes to be a hero, then that's exactly what I'll do.
He finally saw the familiar trees of the clearing where they had entered the Everfree Forest. As he neared, he saw the other ponies already gathered. Smiling, he waved to them and increased his pace. And yet, a feeling of dread rather than relief began gnawing at his mind. Gone was the bright, cheerful, optimistic air that they had gone into the forest with. Now, the air was so thick with tension that he could almost taste it. He couldn't believe that these were the same ponies he had been with just a few moments ago. Even their colors had changed! Instead of their usual, bright, pastel-like colors, they had become drab, grey versions of their original selves. And yet all these symptoms were merely harbingers of one final appalling transformation. When he came within earshot of them, he heard no words of encouragement or confidence. He felt no laughter or joy. What he saw turned his blood to ice and his heart to stone. They were fighting. They were arguing as if they were mortal enemies rather than best friends.
“What's wrong you guys? Discord is still out there! What's our plan?” He tried to intervene. “Shut up, you freak!” The formerly kind Fluttershy snarled at him. His eyes widened. How could they have changed so much in such a short time? He couldn't think of an answer. Fluttershy's words had opened a wound that he had hoped had healed. The worst part was that it was true. He was an outsider. He didn’t belong meddling in their affairs. He never should have returned to this wretched town. He had felt a trace of guilt, abandoning his rescuers like that. But what had they shown him? Only fear and detest. He was like the plague to them. They didn’t care for him. No! He couldn’t let his anger take control of him. The last time that had happened...he shuddered as the memory, unwished for and unbidden, came back to him.
He was walking down the hallway of a new school. Being new was a terrifying thing. Walking down the hallway, he could feel predatory eyes following his every step, just waiting for him to stray or misstep. “Hey, Shrimp!” A burly senior shoved him into a locker with his shoulder. “You new here? ‘Cause all the new kids gotta take a test.” He was terrified and in pain. “Wha-what kind of t-test?” He managed to stutter out. The burly senior grinned. It was a horrible sight. Bits of half chewed food and cavities were clearly visible as his lips parted to expose his yellowed, decaying teeth. When he spoke, great clouds of garbage-flavored breath rolled over him, causing him to retch.
“Well, shrimp, you’re just gonna have to find out, aren't you?” With that, he dragged the boy kicking and screaming into the toilet. Perhaps the teachers noticed, perhaps they didn't. Regardless, no help came to the wretched boy. The bully grabbed hold of his hair, shoving him into a toilet stall.
“I hear it’s your first day here. I’d like to give you a little gift. Welcome to high school, freshie!” He could only stare into the dirty toilet bowl, stupefied by what was happening. Why was he letting this buffoon treat him like this? Well, certainly he wasn't a master martial-artist or street fighter, but it wasn't like he was weak. The senior was all bluff; he was not as strong as he at first seemed. He could feel it in the way that he dragged him. In a fair fight, he was confident that the he could at least hold his own against the senior. But striking back after someone strikes you makes you just as bad as them. So he ground his teeth and endured.
Unfortunately, the senior seemed displeased with his lack of reaction. “Hey you! You little bitch, you just gonna to take that? You're just a wimp after all, aren't you, freshie?”
Although each repulsive word coming from the senior's mouth was like a branding iron, burning the insult into him, he let the bully have his way. “Why yes, yes I am.”
The senior let out an unearthly snarl. “Ha. Fine then. Just for you, I’m gonna make this extra fun.” sneered the Senior. The bully grabbed him by the hair again and slammed his head into the toilet. All he could think about was the amount of bacteria that must be writhing around in this toxic waste dump that they called a toilet. As the toilet flushed, the sound of roaring water drowned out the laughter of the bully.
Sopping wet and disgusted, he lifted his head out of the grimy toilet bowl. The bully grinned. “Let’s try that again, shall we?” the bully prepared for round two. No! He wasn’t going to take this. He was not going to let himself be disgraced by this arrogant bastard. As he remembered each searing taunt that the bully had issued him, his blood rose to an uncontrollable boil. His vision turned red as he seethed with rage. He lashed out with his right foot, blindly kicking behind him. He felt the heel of his foot connect with the flabby abdomen of his tormentor. The next thing he knew, their positions were reversed. Now, he was the aggressor, while the senior was trying to ward off his blows with feeble arm swings.
But he who lands the first blow is pretty much guaranteed to win. Although the senior was much larger than him, he was able to gain the upper hand because the bully had been winded by his initial kick. It was essentially a fight of telephone punches, with no style, no skill whatsoever. Whoever could punch faster, whoever could punch harder, would win.
Gasping for breath, the bully tried to make his escape. But his wrath was not yet quenched. He would make this bucket of lard pay compound interest for what he had done.
The senior whimpered. “Please! Don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean to! Please! Have mercy!”
He chuckled. It was a cold, hollow sound. “Mercy. What a funny word. The word mercy. Coming from you, of all people. You. The bully. Expecting mercy? From me? Sorry, better luck next time, shrimp."
His eyes widened as he came back to his senses. The sanguine haze clouding his vision and mind slowly faded with the adrenaline of the fight. He blinked once. He blinked again. He couldn't believe his eyes. The senior was bloodied and bruised, crawling away like some half-dead animal. What in the world? Did I do that? He vaguely remembered succumbing to a fit of rage, but the specifics of exactly what he had done were unclear to him. He realized the bully was murmuring something. He focused and tried to listen. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm...sor...y..." The bully's voice became an incoherent jumble as he repeated the same line over and over. A broken record playing the sound of abject fear.
His fists were painted with the crimson tide of blood. There's no way. Did I did that? Did I...Did I really hurt someone that bad? He dropped to his knees with his eyes glued to the dark red liquid on his hands. As the bully dragged himself out of the bathroom, and the door shut, his eyes widened. I did that. I didn't even have control of myself. I hurt soembody without thinking. I was laughing. I became a monster. I'm a monster. A monster. An abomination. I don't deserve to live. I should die.
Die.
Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.
DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.DIE.
The resounding echo tore through his sanity, and a scream almost ripped itself from his lips. He clutched his head, running from the room, running from himself. He did nothing but run. He could not do anything but run.
He ran. And ran. And ran. All the way home.
As the terrifying memory faded, he was jolted back into reality, drenched in cold sweat.
“Well, well, well. It looks like they haven’t learned anything from last time at all!” A chillingly familiar voice whispered in his ear. He whipped around. Just as he suspected, the lord of chaos was looming over him.
“What do you want?” He sighed dejectedly.
“Oh ho ho! Look who’s regretting their decision now?”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t regret anything! Just leave me alone!”
Discord smiled. “Now now, there’s no need for heroics. You’re the only one who can see me. We can have a pleasant chat without being noticed by your little girlfriends over there.”
He growled. “Shut. UP!”
Discord chuckled. “Why would I ever do that? I might as well shut down while I’m at it!”
He let out an exasperated sigh. This Discord guy was really getting to him.
Discord continued: “I’m just here to offer a little...proposition.”
He sighed. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice do I?”
Discord grinned maliciously. “No. I suppose you don’t.” He might as well hear him out.
“Make it quick.”
"As you know, the Elements of Harmony are safely tucked inside Celestia’s vault. Since they are still connected to their owners, your little girlfriends over there-”
He snarled. “Don’t. Push. It.”
Discord frowned. “No need to get touchy. Anyway, let’s just say...I accidentally disconnected them from their elements. I-”
His eyes widened. “Is that why they’re acting so strange?”
Discord snorted. “Look who’s pushing it now. You don’t seem to be very bright. Anyway, I owe my release all to you. Normally, someone walking up to my petrified body wouldn’t trigger my release, but all of that delicious chaos inside of you was just yearning to be released. It was enough to give me the strength to escape. The-”
He sighed. “I know this stuff already! Just hurry up and cut to the chase!”
Discord shrugged. “Your loss. Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I now offer you a proposition. Since the Elements of Harmony have been disconnected from their owners, due to yours truly, their power is now insufficient to defeat me. But if they were to regain their affinity for their element, that would give them enough power to defeat me, and that would obviously be bad, right? Now comes the part that I need you for. Celestia trusts you. I need you to get to the vault where she keeps her precious Elements of Harmony, and...well...'fetch' them for me.” He realized where this was going.
“And If I don’t?” He countered. Discord simply shrugged.
“If you don’t, then all of your friends die.