//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Discord // Story: Camp Orion // by Meemie7 //------------------------------// I dance along the stone pavement of the streets of Trottingham, watching the rain crash into the ground. Well, not exactly rain. More like… yarn. The plush, colorful strings fall into heaps on the ground. Almost all of the stone road is covered in multicolored yarn. Ponies are taking cover in their houses, eyes wide as they stare up into the sky or stare at the Draconiquis dancing in the streets. I don’t usually come out to play in my little secret chaos springs as I call them, but today is different. I grin a toothy grin as I hear the guards behind me. I pirouette around to find a troop of ten guards plowing through the yarn. “Halt! You’re under arrest!” “Shouldn’t you catch me before you put me under arrest?” I mock. I always did enjoy a game of tag, especially when the stakes are high and chaos is abundant. And what a glorious day it is for chaos! I wave my lion paw and the yarn piled on the ground begins to move on its own. They tie and weave themselves together in no time, forming a very large serpent with a menacing, toothy grin. The guard at the lead of the pack unsheathes his sword with his magic and the rest follow suit. The serpent whips his tail at the guards, bringing down the destructive force of a ten-foot heap of wool. Some guards react fast enough to dodge the blow. Others were not so lucky. They stumble backward, their swords crashing to the ground. I laugh as I turn the corner of a tall building. It’s been a long time since I was hunted by the royal guards. I forgot how fun it could be! I hear the clash of metal against cloth from behind the building, but I also hear the flapping of wings. Large wings. Large, white wings of an alicorn… My long neck cranes to look up at the sky and, sure enough, the white underside of Celestia’s wings as well as the midnight blue of Luna’s wings soars across the clouds. Well, things just got interesting. I spread out my own wings and fly up to meet them. It does not take them long before they notice me. “Discord, what are you doing?” Luna snarls. “This is unacceptable!" “Oh, but look how comfy and colorful it looks! Plus, this town won’t have any shortage of knitting materials for a long time.” I grin. Luna grimaces and Celestia sighs. “Discord… why? Answer me honestly.” Celestia speaks with her voice like silk. I shrug my lion shoulder and my eagle shoulder. “Does it matter? I just did, that’s all.” I reply with nonchalance. “You know we will have to arrest you, correct?” I snort. I expected that much, yes. But, knowing Celestia, she wouldn’t keep me custody for more than a day. Regardless, I have tea with Fluttershy tomorrow and I would prefer not to look like I spent a night in prison. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop and go home.” Luna bows her head low. “And how can we trust that you won’t be out again?” “You know where I live. If you catch me again, you’ll arrest me. Yes?” “Why shouldn’t we just arrest you now?” I fly forward to where the princesses hover and trace my eagle claw along Luna’s chin. “Oh, just give me another chance. I’ll behave.” Luna pulls away, glaring at me like a snake. Celestia whirls around to face me. “No, Discord. I want to know why. Why did you do it? You seemed content before… why now?” I just glare at her, not saying anything. What right does she have to know my motives? “Discord, if you won’t tell me, I will put you under arrest.” I let out a sigh. I could just run, but where would I go? Maybe camp out in a cave somewhere, but I’d eventually have to go home. I eye Celestia, her brows furrowed. “I just wanted to have some fun. That’s all it was.” “I don’t think that’s all.” “Well, I told you my reasoning, regardless of whether you think it is correct or not. What do you want, a contract?” I snap my fingers and a scroll of paper pops up next to me reading “CONTRACT” in big, gothic letters at the top. Celestia grimaces, but shakes her head. “No. It’s fine. I’ll take your word for it.” “But, sister…” Luna protests. “He’s fine. He won’t bother anyone again, Luna. Let’s go home.” I grin and wave my paw at the growling Luna, shooing her away. With one last look, the princesses poof all the yarn in the town gone and they fly off towards Canterlot. I fly off in the other direction to my own home. I have won, but I don’t feel like I won. It might just be me, but in that last look Celestia gave me… it was a knowing look. One that suggested the wheels in her mind were turning and she had something up her sleeve.