//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Clover Chronicles // by Sollace //------------------------------// After taking a short moment to catch his breath and, shaking what water he could from his mane, Clover set off to find the exit. The cave proved to be far smaller that it initially appeared. Other than the main cavern with the pool there was just one small tunnel leading to the surface. After a fair bit of wheezing, puffing, and struggling against gravity Clover was eventually met with the light of day. He stuck his head out of the cave but was immediately sent ducking back in by a loud buzzing from behind. There was a loud flutter and Clover was shocked to witness a large flock of flying apples and oranges whipping past the cave opening. “What the hay!?” Clover crouched down just inside the entrance for a moment and waited to see if there were any more surprises for him outside. After a couple minutes of silence he stuck his head out once again to observe his surroundings. It was day, no it was night, no, right the first time, day, wait, night, either one of the two. Whoever was in control seemed to be unable to make up his mind as the sun and moon both dance around each other in rapid succession. After a very disorienting display they settled for something in-between, with both hovering just off the horizon bathing the land in a combination of blue and orange. To his left Clover spotted a small settlement, or what was left of one. Many of buildings that were still standing were painted in garish colours and many more were in the process of floating away from their foundations. As he got closer into town the faint screams of panicked ponies became apparent and Clover noted several groups running past as he got closer. Clover took this as his que to break into a gallop and head in the direction they were all coming from. In town square there were yet more panicked ponies, “Somepony help!” One shouted. “It’s the end of the world!” Another continued, all the while running past each other not noticing Clover’s presence. Clover shouted all he could but none of them so much as gave him a glance. Eventually getting sick of the ponies ignoring him, Clover jumped into the path of a brown and green Unicorn as she dashed past. But instead of slowing or swerving out of his way the pony simply continued straight through him. She stumbled and stopped a few feet behind him, shivered, and shook out her mane, and then continued on her way. “Hm” Clover watched as the ponies ran around. He seemed unable to interact with them in any way. They couldn’t hear him, nor could he touch them. He was like a ghost. Clover decided to take refuge in one of the discoloured houses; a small quill shop tinted his favourite colour, green. The doors and windows were boarded but they proved no hindrance to him as he quickly discovered that it wasn’t just ponies he’d phase through. He walked through the front door, quite literally. He mentally noting the subtle tingling sensation as he seemed to break every know law of physics and sat down in the middle of the empty shop. Okay, let’s see here… I’m definitely not in the right time period, that much is certain. I also can’t interact with, well, anything. Clover absentmindedly scuffed a hoof against the ground as he though androlled onto his side to get more comfortable against the hard wood floor, But how did I move the rock before? It must be limited to some materials. Clover looked around at the contents of the shop. It was dank and musky, the shelves around them were all bare save for the occasional cobweb and the over abundance of dust. Nothing here I can determine the current date, but, given the state of affairs out there… I’d have to put this somewhere during Discord’s reign. But now how do I get to the right time then? I presume by retrying the spell but I’ll have to fix my predicament first. I know I was able to move that boulder, I used my magic so maybe… Clover looked around the shop for something to test his theory on, he settled for an empty crate in the corner. He lit his horn and watched as the box took on an emerald glow, and as expected began to levitate across the room. Right, so I can’t interact with physical objects directly, but I can use magic. “Discord!” The sounds of more ponies screaming broke Clover out of his thoughts. He jumped to his hooves and rushed to the window. Outside there was the god of chaos himself, Discord. Clover jumped back to his hooves trotted to the window to get a view of what was happening outside. He couldn’t see much, due to the planks across the window obstruting his view, but he did catch a glimpse of more ponies running around. They seemed to be looking at something in the air but Clover couldn’t tell where it was from his vantage point. He leaned forward against the window to get a better view, but was caught unaware as fell forwards and landed in the dirt outside. His entire coat tingled for a moment. ... of course Clover mentally kicked himself for forgetting what he’d learnt literally seconds ago. He slowly got back up and was dusting himself off when a large shadow was cast over him. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Discord’s voice rang out behind Clover and he spun around to find the Lord of Chaos floating in the air, upside down. Clover did a double take, “Wait, you can see me?” “Of course I can!” Discord sneered. “I’m Discord, the Denizen of Destruction, the Master of Disaster, the Crafter of Chaos, the Lord of Ludicrously, I am sensitive to all things magic; and I can feel the fabrics of space and t-” “That’s great!” Clover shouted excitedly cutting Discord off, “Then perhaps you can help me with my little problem?” Clover looked up waiting for Discord to respond, he simply floated there in silence, his eyes narrowing. “I can’t believe you interrupted me, not cool man.” He huffed and folded his arms, as he tried to float in such a way that put his back to Clover. “Oh, uh, I’m sorry” Clover apologised, “You can start again, I won’t inter-” Discord shook his head, “No, no, it’s too late now. The moment has passed. Quite a shame too, I had a whole speech prepared and everything.” To illustrate his point Discord pulled a scroll out of nowhere and promptly tore it up. “Now what was this problem you were talking about?” “Well I can’t touch anything, for one. My magic works fine but my body just phases through anything, or anypony I touch.” “Oh, sounds like you’re stuck on the wrong dimension, the aether by my guess. Yeah, I had that problem my first time as well.” “Well can you fix it?” Discord smiled, “Well there’s nothing simpler! I could show it to you in a heartbeat.” “Really!?” Clover’s entire face lit up and his ears perked forwards as he waited for the draconequus’ directions. And he waited. Discord continued to nonchalantly float on the spot. He lay back and conjured up a nail file and began tending to his claws. “Um...” Discord looked up, “What?” he asked. Clover dead panned, “You were going to help me?” “Oh no, I said I knew how to do it. Not that I would help you.” Clover sighed and face hoofed. “Fine, then I’ll find my own way out.” and he turned to leave. Discord simply gave a friendly wave and smile, “I wish you luck then” and returned to cleaning his claws. Clover rolled his eyes and ignored him. Clover was trotting back to his ruined book store when he cursed under his breath and commented, “I’m starting to get why the Princesses blasted him.” “They blasted me?” “Gah!” Clover jumped in fright, a tiny version of Discord had spoken up from beside his ear. He twisted around to where the voice had come from, but in doing so lost balance and toppled over. The mini Discord simply jumped off Clover’s shoulder and, with the assistance of a tiny umbrella, slowed his descent in the air as the pony fell. “My, my, an excitable one isn’t he?” There was a white flash and Discord returned to his full self and stowed his umbrella in a rather convenient hole in reality before zipping it closed. He then snapped his fingers and another flash returned Clover to an upright position. “Now tell me,” Discord pulled Clover to his side and pointed his ears, all six of them, towards the pony. “What is this about blasting?” “Hmf” Clover pushed the Draconequus away, “I shouldn’t tell you” Was his only remark, and resumed walking. Discord took flight and trailed alongside Clover. “Oh come now, you’ve peaked my interest. I simply must know!” “Well how about a trade?” Clover stopped mid stride and turned to face Discord. “You tell me what I want and I’ll tell you something you want. Do we have a deal?” Discord paused and considered this for a moment, “All right. You have a deal.” “Tell me how to get back to the physical plain.” “Fine, do you see these rifts in space-time?” In all truthfulness Clover did, all the time. He’d learnt to see them and many other non-euclidian constructs during his time outside of time. Why right at this moment he saw hundreds of them swirling around Discord, a new swath of them formed every time the Draconequus does so much as lift a claw. Discord’s magic is constantly ripping space apart and stitching it back together in ways that it would assuredly object to if it had a voice. Clover nodded. “Good. Then all you have to do is find one big enough to fit through, and I recommend you take a note”- Snapping his fingers, Discord summoned a notepad and ink quill into Clover’s hoof. “Take three lefts, a right, another left, two rights” Punctuation each direction with a wave of his arm, “and then you snazzle down the wiggluwamp and you should be there.” “Snazzle?” Clover questioned. Discord waved a claw, “You know, North, South, East, West, Up, Down.” As he said this he pointed a claw in each direction to illustrate, “Snazzle, Wazzle, Google, and Fruggle, all the ten cardinal directions!” Clover wasn’t sure where Discord pointed for those last four, but he was certain he broke something in the process. “… you just made that up.” “Well what do you expect? I’m Discord.” He leaned closer and rapped his claws together menacingly, “Now tell me about this blasting.” “Well, have you heard about the Tree of Harmony?” “Bleh” Discord stuck his tongue out and made a show of gagging, “Sounds dreadful.”