It was snowing over Ponyville. While the concept was odd in itself, as the weather ponies hadn’t scheduled it to snow, but what it was exactly snowing.
Much to the delight of many a young colt or filly, it was snowing sugar. Yes it was snowing sugar.
Courtesy of Discord, who at this moment was out in the middle of town square, dancing alongside a very hyperactive and very happy Pinkie Pie? The pink pony was the first to discover to sweet tasting snow and had bounded into the streets, only to bump into its maker.
After presenting her with a bouquet of paper flowers the draconequus spent a good five minutes explaining his actions to her and begrudgingly apologised for turning her gray in past events.
For you see, Sunset had finally decided to get off her ‘lazy arse’ as hse would put it and actually work towards being a neutral presence in Equestria. She did this by working out a compromise between Twilight and Discord.
He would cause (mostly) harmless chaos and she wouldn’t get her friends together to turn him to stone. Of course the actual argument that took place was long and very immature.
Here’s what happened.
Sunset returned from the bathroom to find…something happening, she deadpanned as she listened to the conversation.
“Discord you can’t just go around Equestria causing chaos, it’s not right”
“Oh really Sparkle-butt? What are you going to do, turn me to stone?”
“With the way you’re acting, yes!”
“Uh guys-“Sunset stated but was left unheard.
“Twilight, you just can’t expect me not to cause chaos, I am the spirit of chaos of disharmony after all”
“But that’s no excuse to go around taking things to such extremes!”
“What else do you expect me to do hm?”
“Discord I really think-“Sunset tried again.
“Not now Sunset I’m busy” he dismissed her.
“I expect you to show a little self control!” Twilight snapped.
“Seriously guys chill ou-“Sunset tried to intervene again.
“Now now Sunset” both arguing parties replied.
Now when it came to friends arguing (as she saw Discord as her friend, whether he liked it or not) Sunset usually tried to be the voice of reason. She was used to being ignored, she was used to others not listening to her that was true, but the one thing she could not stand for, was being interrupted.
She HATED being interrupted.
“WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP ALREADY?” Sunset yelled in frustration.
Discord and Twilight looked over at the very irritated blue chimera. They tried to reply to the outburst, but Sunset continued to glare at them.
“Right...now then I think I have an idea, Twilight would you be ok with Discord creating chaos that was harmless and ponies could enjoy?” Sunset suggested.
Twilight nodded.
Discord looked offended.
“Don’t you give me that look Discord, since you brought me here to cause chaos, we will cause chaos, except we do it my way, we could oh I don’t know, make it snow sugar or something”.
“Snow sugar? That’s impossible” Twilight stated.
“Snow sugar? That sounds wonderful!”Discord stated with a grin.
“Good, maybe if you caused fun chaos, you could gain the ponies favour” Sunset said.
And that lead us up to Discord dancing with the pink party pony.
“He he! This is the best; you know what this calls for?” Pinkie asked.
“What?"
“A party of course!”
“A party? Whatever for?” Discord asked.
“It’s snowing sugar! What better reason for a party that this!”
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Sunset watched the festivities as they kicked into full swing. DJ PON-3 had been called in to provide music, Mr and Mrs Cake had supplied picnic tables laden with treats, and ponies from all over Ponyville had come to have a good time.
She was sitting out of sight in a tall tree, keeping a eye on the Draconequus and those around him. She spotted Twilight and Spike talking animatedly with their friends, most likely about their recent change of heart about the Spirit of chaos and Disharmony.
She smiled softly; her plan was working. Soon the ponies would forget she had ever been here; she could leave for Canterlot and talk things over with the Princess. She would find a way to let Discord live and cause chaos to his heart’s content, ponies would enjoy it, and although things wouldn’t be as smooth as the fairytales would be, some sense of perfect balance between Chaos and harmony would be achieved.
“Where is she? Where is she?” Rainbow Dash’s voice rang out amongst the celebration.
The music stopped as the crowd looked at the rainbow maned Pegasus.
“Where’s the human! I’ll make her pay I’ll—I’ll”
“Rainbow! Calm down, now tell me what in Equestria is wrong?” Twilight asked.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? This is what’s wrong” she replied, shoving a piece of paper into Twilight’s hooves.
“What but this stupid, who would write such things anyway” Twilight declared as she read the letter.
It was from Cloudsdale, a letter from the weather factory, explaining the city was in political uproar from a piece of literature that proposed the idea of live ponies being used to create rainbows.
“It was the human that did this it must be!’
Sunset sighed.
“I’m too young for this shit” she deadpanned.
She leapt down from her perch and walked up to twilight and Rainbow.
"Some pony looking for me?"
"Yeah I am! What gives huh? Are you trying to ruin Cloudsdale?" Rainbow Dash demanded.
Many ponies noticed the blue chimera was beginning to lose some of her colour.
“Ok judging from what Twilight said somepony obviously showed some poor pony the story Rainbow Factory, and before you interrupt Rainbow, No I did not bring it here, I don’t know who did, but I am not responsible” Sunset explained in a flat tone.
“But you know what it is then?" Twilight asked.
“It is a fictional work written to greatly disturb or frighten the reader, otherwise known as grid mark” Sunset deadpanned.
“Well if it’s from your world then who else could have brought it here?” Rainbow demanded.
“Not me”
“Well who else huh? You are a human after all!”
That was the turning point; Sunset began losing her colour more rapidly.
“Oh for the love of- you know what fine! If it pleases you little deluded minds then fine blame me for it! Just because I am a human, just because I know the origin of these things, just because your Princess fears what I could do, does not mean I am the exactly what you see me to be!” she snapped. “I’m right aren’t I? You all thought I’d be as evil and destructive as Discord, admit it! Gah! Some things don’t change!”
With that final outburst she walked off, leaving some very stunned ponies in her wake.
“I-I didn’t mean to- I just thought” Rainbow stuttered.
The sound of slow clapping got everypony’s, and Discord’s, attention.
Manaquire stood nearby.
"Bravo, Bravo ponies you have officially destroyed my better half, you all must be so proud” Manaquire said in a flat tone.
“Rainbow didn’t mean to hurt Sunset’s feelings!” Twilight defended.
“Oh really, then tell me Miss Sparkle, what did Miss Dash just do, go on enlighten me” he stated.
“She just jumped to a conclusion that’s all” she replied nervously.
“Oh no, you see miss Sparkle, what your friend just did was immediately discriminate and harass Sunset just because she was not a pony, just because she was Human, just because of some superstitious rumours that she hadn’t even bothered to dismiss or confirm. Am I right?”
“Well I-“
“Now just hold on a minute there mister, just what do get away sayin’ those things?” Applejack came to the defence of her friend.
“I am glad you asked, you see I am Manaquire, and the poor girl you saw run off is my creator”
“Creator? but I thought she didn’t have any magic?” Twilight stated.
“Let me elaborate, you see when you all hit her with the elements of harmony, the magic within them sought to change her into a creature that could live in this world, try to make her harmless as possible, so then in order to do that they took the negative aspects of her personality, some of which you saw just then, and give it another host, but finding no suitable host nearby, they used a creature from the girl’s own memories and placed that energy within it, bringing it into existence”
“And that was you?” this question came from Discord.
“Yes, I am a character she had created for some stories, and over time, she gave me aspects of her personality that she very rarely showed, but has become part of who she was on earth in the past few years, an example would be depression, pessimism, Paranoia, among a few others”
“But I haven’t seen any of those traits, I should know I brought her here” Discord replied.
“Yes but you haven’t seen her be discriminated, bullied, harassed and looked down upon for who she is, and for how others see her”
“Ok so what are you doing here anyway?” a pony asked.
Manaquire grinned.
“Chaos and harmony, life and death, between each pairs lies a very fine line
Your actions determine if the balance will break, and then you will see
If all you know will lie in ruins or be perfectly fine, such events will become known in time” he answered. “I’m afraid that is all the information I can give you, now I had better be off, I have a teenager to comfort”
With the riddle playing their heads, confused looks on their faces, Manaquire left.