At around lunchtime, Discord had snapped up a meal for the royals while he conjured up a sandwich for himself. He sat by himself and only took a few bites of his sandwich. The group saw that he was troubled and Spike and Sunset went to talk to him after lunch. They told the girls to play nicely with Snowbutt McTwinkles, but Snow Pea sneaked behind the grown-ups and overheard their conversation.
Discord thought to himself, Oh, Hope…What happened to you all those years ago?
Spike and Sunset walked up to them and the dragon said, “Hey, Discord.”
When the spirit turned to face them, Sunset said, “I’m sorry you didn’t find your friend.”
Discord turned away from them and said, “She’s gone. That vision I had told me she was gone.”
Spike said, “What about the Water Necklace?”
The draconequus gave a wry chuckle, “I doubt it’ll ever be found again.”
Sunset asked, “Did the crystal give you a vision about what happened to your friend?”
He thought for several moments to choose his words carefully. He then said, “It was…sort of fuzzy. All I know is that she might be gone forever. Belladonna’s darkness prevented me from knowing more.”
The unicorn asked, “So the darkness overwhelmed the vision?”
“Yes. Yes, you could say that.”
Spike then asked, “What was your friend like?”
Discord sighed, for he knew that it was time he told them about his friend, not the monster she had become. He said, “Believe it or not, but I was friends with Princess Radiant Hope herself.”
Spike and Sunset were agape at this.
Spike then exclaimed, “Whoa! You were friends with Radiant Hope?”
Sunset asked, “Why didn’t you tell us it was her?”
Discord replied, “Well, I didn’t want to be accused of kidnapping Hope!”
The unicorn said, “But it was a long time ago! How can you be accused for kidnapping somepony who’s been gone for years?”
“Believe me, that case isn’t as cold as you think. If I had suddenly told ponies that I knew Hope, they would label me as a suspect.”
Spike said, “So how did you know Hope?”
Discord sighed and then said, “Well, it’s like this. After I lost my kind in the blizzard, I wandered blindly in the blowing snow. I eventually found the Crystal Empire and found it to be a refuge. But as soon as I got there, I saw I wasn’t like other ponies, so I decided to change myself into a colt and cause harmless mischief.”
Sunset looked at him dubiously, “’Harmless’?”
“Okay, okay! So I may have gotten carried away…”
Years ago, when Discord discovered the Crystal Empire and changed into a colt, he decided to have some fun. He tested out his powers on the playground and created a lot of havoc. He was enjoying it until two Crystal Guards intervened.
“You, young colt!” one guard said.
Discord’s head whipped back in surprise.
The other guard said, “What do you think you’re doing?”
The “colt” nervously chuckled, “Officers, there’s no problem here. I was just having a bit of fun, that’s all.”
The first guard said, “Where are your parents?”
Discord hung his head and glumly said, “I’m…afraid I lost my parents in a blizzard, sir.”
The other guard said, “You have our sympathy, young one. But we have to take you to the orphanage.”
Not knowing what an orphanage was, Discord gulped, “The orphanage? Oh, I can’t go there. Have mercy on a poor soul!”
The first guard said, “We are giving you mercy by taking you to the orphanage.”
Discord said, “Then you’ll have to catch me first!”
He then sped off at the speed of light and zigzagged through the streets of the Crystal Empire. He found that he kept stumbling by running on all fours.
Discord muttered to himself, “Oh, this will never work. I might as well change back to my original form.”
As he did, however, he crashed into an apple stand! When he came to, a filly’s voice asked, “Are you okay?”
When Discord emerged from the pile of apples, the filly gasped in surprise. He looked at her and saw that she had a glittering, grayish heliotrope coat and a light grayish arctic blue mane.
The filly breathed, “Wow…You look strange.”
Discord said sarcastically, “Thank you for noticing.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. What I meant to say was that you don’t look like other ponies. What are you?”
“Well, I’m a draboniquid. No, wait. Draconebiss? Drafonokit?”
The filly giggled, “Don’t worry. I’m sure there’s a book in the castle library that will tell you what kind of animal you are. Come on.”
He said as he got out of the mess and followed her, “Is it like a personality quiz or something?”
She chuckled, “You’re funny. What’s your name?”
“I’m Discord.”
“’Discord’? That’s a really…” She then re-thought her words so she wouldn’t insult him. “…interesting name. I’m Princess Radiant Hope.”
Discord’s eyes widened in wonder, “You’re a princess? Wow…I’ve only heard about pony royalty.”
They kept talking until they got to the castle. Radiant Hope led him to the dais and said, “This is the Crystal Heart. It can show you what’s inside your heart. As an added bonus, you can see your future if you look at it closely enough.”
“Well, I’ll give it a go.”
Discord then peered into the Crystal Heart, but the vision was as jumbled as his body was.
Hope asked, “Well, what did you see?”
Discord answered, “It was a weird jumble, really. All I could make out were cotton candy clouds and the color yellow.”
Just then, a voice gasped, “Upon my word…A draconequus!”
Before I knew it, I was face-to-face with Princess Amore.
Amore stepped forward and looked at Discord in amazement. She said, “I didn’t think there were any draconequui left.”
Hope asked, “Is that what he is, Mommy? A derconi…?”
Amore chuckled, “A draconequus. You’ll get the hang of saying the word.”
Discord asked, “Excuse me, miss? Am I really the only one left?”
Amore answered, “I certainly hope not. It’s just that we can’t find any other members of your kind right now. However, I’m keeping hope that you’re not the only one left.”
Hope said, “Oh, I hope you find your friends someday.”
Discord gazed to the side and said uneasily, “Well, thing is…I don’t really have any friends, not even the ones of my kind.”
“Well, I’ll be your friend.”
Amore smiled, “And I will, too.”
Discord felt all warm and bubbly inside when the princesses said that.
I grew to love the Crystal Empire now that I made friends with the princesses. However, Amore insisted that I stay at the orphanage. The reason I had run off in the first place was because I thought the orphanage was a horrible place, like a dungeon. When I got there, however, it didn’t seem so bad. The ponies were startled and even afraid of me, sure, but Hope always made time to visit me and play with me. Despite it all, though, I still missed my family and cried about them sometimes.
One night, Hope invited Discord to sleep over at the castle. They had a lot of fun and played many games. When she was drifting off to sleep, however, she heard sniffling and weeping. She lifted her head from her pillow and saw Discord in his sleeping bag. She knew something was wrong because his body was shaking and his head dug into his pillow.
She asked softly, “Discord, what’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?”
Discord lifted his head and Hope saw trails of tears streaming from his eyes. He answered in a choked-up voice, “I miss my mom and dad. I wish I wasn’t the only one left.”
Hope got out of her bed and stroked his fur to calm him. She soothed, “Maybe you’re not. Maybe there are others out there. Maybe you could find them when you’re old enough.”
“Well, that blizzard seemed pretty bad. I don’t know if I could ever find them.”
“Well, if you don’t, you’ll always have Mommy and me. We’ll be your friends, through thick and thin.”
“I like that.”
Hope and I had a close friendship for many years. When I became older, I decided to have adventures out there. I would then come back to the Crystal Empire and share my stories with Hope. Of course, I omitted details involving my mischief-making. At the time word reached the Empire about all the trouble I had been causing, I went to visit Hope just before her coronation.
“Oh, Hopey-poo!” Discord sing-songed as he entered the room bearing gifts. “Look what I brought you!” When he saw that she was sitting on her bed and facing away from him, he grew concerned. “Hope? What’s the matter?”
Hope said in a whispery, pleading tone, “Tell me it isn’t true.” She then faced him with teary eyes and magically held a photo while she desperately pleaded, “Tell me it isn’t!”
Discord’s pupils shrunk when he saw the photo. It was of him riding a fake bull and twirling a lasso in a western town warped by his chaos. He gasped and then muttered in an awkward tone, “Ohh…”
Hope’s voice was dusted with anger as she said, “Reports have been coming in about reality-bending mayhem in Dodge Junction! Every ruler has been informed about this! How long has this been going on?”
Though he was panicking on the inside, Discord said in a nonchalant tone, “Oh, Hope, you have nothing to worry about. I only used a little bit of my magic.” He then muttered in an irritated tone, “Of course, if that cowpony insulted me further, I would’ve…”
Hope asked in a stern tone, “Discord, what happened?”
Discord spat out, “Look, it wasn’t my fault, okay?! I don’t belong in Equestria! Can I help it if I look nothing like them?! And they certainly don’t appreciate my gifts of chaos! They always look at me as a freak, a villain!”
“But you’re not a villain! You’re my best friend!”
“And I still am, Hope! I still am! You’re the only one who appreciates me for who I am!”
Hope sighed, “Look, I know that you haven’t found anyone of your kind yet, but –“
“You don’t understand, Hope! Every draconequus but me died in that blizzard!” His voice then choked up, “I’m the only one left!” He then calmed down and continued, “I’m an outcast, Hope. And I always will be.”
“You’ve never been an outcast to me, Discord. But if you keep doing this, you will alienate yourself from everypony else.”
Discord scoffed, “And let my talents for bedlam wither away? What kind of friend are you?”
Hope gave a steely glare as she said, “The kind who looks out for you.”
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t need anypony looking out for me. I can handle myself out there, and I don’t need some prissy princess to act as Big Sister.”
The “prissy princess” bit stung Radiant Hope and tears welled up in her eyes.
Discord continued, “But if you’re so worried about me, I’ll be in Ponyville having the time of my life. Sayonara.” Just like that, he vanished into thin air…
In present day, Discord wrapped his arms around his body as he finished, “I’ve regretted that day since. While I was in Ponyville, Celestia and Sombra found me and turned me to stone. When Fluttershy freed me, I learned of Hope’s disappearance and decided to look for her. I searched for her for days and I deeply hoped that once I found her, I would tell her just how sorry I was for souring our friendship. But…like my kind, I couldn’t find her. And now I know what happened to her.”
Spike asked, “What?”
“Belladonna took her. She practically erased her from the face of Equestria. Now I might never see her again.” He whimpered as he closed his teary eyes.
Sunset said, “Hey. At least you can fix your past mistakes by confronting Belladonna.”
This filled Discord with new confidence. He straightened his back and said, “You’re right, Sunset. It’s time I showed that I’ve put my past behind me.”
He then stood up and began to sing, “Power…was all I desired…But all that grew inside me…was the darkness I acquired…When I began to fall…and I lost the path ahead…that's when her friendship found me…and it lifted me instead…
“Like a phoenix burning bright…in the sky…I’ll show there's another side to me…they can't deny…I may not know what the future holds…but hear me when I say…that my past does not define me…'cause my past is not today…
“Ambition…is what I believed…would be the only way…to set me free…But when it disappeared…and I found myself alone…that's when they came and got me…and it felt like I was home…
“Like a phoenix burning bright…in the sky…I'll show there's another side to me…they can't deny…I may not know what the future holds…but hear me when I say…that my past does not define me…'cause my past is not today…”
In the Umbrum world, Belladonna walked into her chamber with a burlap bag. When she got to the vanity, she placed the bag on it and pulled out the Crystal Heart with her magic. She set it down in front of the mirror and gazed into it. The image disgusted her. The reflection that looked back was a Crystal Princess with a coat of grayish heliotrope and a mane of light grayish arctic blue. Belladonna was looking at Radiant Hope, her former identity. She remembered how she cast aside her former self and took on her current alter ego…
Back when Radiant Hope was young, a young Sombra visited her in the Crystal Empire. They were very good friends and played with each other often. However, she never told him about Discord. To her, it was her little secret. As the years passed, she developed a crush on Sombra. It was further fueled by talk of who might be Sombra’s future wife. Many ponies thought it was going to be Hope.
One day, though, Sombra stopped by the Crystal Empire again. Hope swore that she had never seen him happier.
She chuckled, “What’s got you all excited?”
Sombra sighed dreamily, “I couldn’t help myself, Hope. The moment she walked in, I instantly fell for her.”
Hope’s heart dropped as soon as she heard that. She asked, “’She’?”
“Princess Celestia.”
Hope had heard of Princesses Celestia and Luna. She knew that the same blizzard that took Discord’s kind also took every alicorn but the two sisters. Years ago, they were coronated as princesses and protectors of Equestria.
“The Princess Celestia?”
“The one and only.”
“Wow…” She then said uneasily, “It sounds like you’ve got it pretty bad.” Not wanting to act like a bad friend, she asked, “What’s she like?”
“Oh, Hope, she’s beautiful! Her face shines brighter than the sun she raises. And her courage! I have never seen her more determined to fight for what she believes in. I am very glad that she accepted my proposal.”
This surprised Hope as she let out an accidental gasp, “Proposal?”
“Yes. That’s what I came to tell you. I’m getting married to her in a few months. I thought I’d ask you to be the mare of honor. Luna will be presiding over the ceremony.”
Hope was flabbergasted, heartbroken, jealous, and tongue-tied at the same time. However, Sombra was a dear friend of hers, even if they could never be together at this point.
Like the princess she was, she said in a gracious tone, “I would be honored to be the mare of honor.”
Sombra gleefully said, “Thank you, Hope! You are a true friend.”
Friend. And that’s all she would ever be. It still nagged Hope that they could’ve been something more, but once he saw Sombra and Celestia deeply in love with each other, she decided to let them be happy together.
Her heartbreak was just a small wound that still pained from time to time, but it reopened when Discord gave up on their friendship. She was lethargic from the heartache of it all: the news about Dodge Junction, Discord’s anger at her, and his abrupt departure. She wept every time the thought of him hating her crossed her mind.
Days later, Amore entered Hope’s bedroom and said in a remorseful tone, “You don’t have to worry about Discord anymore, dearest. He’s been…taken care of.”
Radiant Hope faced her and asked, “’Taken care of’?”
Amore regretted saying it, but she nodded and said, “Yes. They…found him in Ponyville and they…turned him to stone.”
Hope jerked in her bed and cried, “What?!”
“He is still very much alive, but encased in stone. You have to understand, Hope. He was becoming a dangerous threat to Equestria. He had to be stopped.”
“But you were his friend, Mom. I was his friend! He leaned on both…” She then realized something. She asked her mother, “How did you know he was in Ponyville?”
Amore sighed, “I heard you and Discord shouting and so I thought I’d find out what it was about. That’s when I found out he was going to Ponyville.”
Hope glared at her mother and said, “You sold him out!”
Amore retorted, “I only did it for the good of Equestria! As a princess yourself, you should know this.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want to be a princess anymore!”
It cut through Amore like a knife. However, she calmly said, “I think we need to cool down for a bit. We’ll talk when you feel like it.”
When her mother left the room, Radiant Hope let out heavy sobs before she calmed down. As she lied on her bed, a million ideas popped up in her head, but one was most prominent…
Hope stole away in the dead of night and trotted towards the Frozen North. She figured that nopony would ever look for her there, and it would’ve been all for the better if she…
“Ah-ah-ah…Ah-ah-ahhh…”
Hope heard vocalizing in the distance and decided to check it out. When she found a large, red crystal, the vocalizing grew stronger…and more hypnotizing. It was just so beautiful that Hope couldn’t resist. She put a hoof on the crystal and drew it back in surprise when it nearly disappeared in the gem. She knew it was a portal, so she decided to venture inside.
She trekked down the stairs and found a shadowy but beautiful land. It didn’t have much color, but just the view of it took Hope’s breath away. When her eyes caught the enormous castle, she was astounded by it. She was about to walk away when she heard it again.
“Ah-ah-ah…Ah-ah-ahhh…”
With caution, she went inside the castle. It was large and almost bare. It almost intimidated her to see just how dark and foreboding it was. She thought, Who could ever live here?
Just then, she saw a red glow shining from a room. She then heard voices singing, “Come to us, princess of crystal…Come to us, princess of crystal…”
It disturbed her, but she couldn’t help herself. She went forth and walked in the room. She was surprised to see three sirens facing their vanities. She could also see reflections of their faces in the mirrors.
The yellow siren said, “Welcome, dear princess. We were hoping you’d arrive. It’s not polite to stare, you know.”
The purple siren said, “Yeah, unless you want to turn to stone.”
When Hope gasped, the blue siren smiled, “Don’t worry. She’s just kidding. We don’t turn ponies to stone.”
Hope looked down and crossed her front hooves as she said, “Somepony I know has already turned to stone.”
The sirens turned to face her and the yellow siren said in pity, “We’re sorry to hear that. Oh! We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Adagio Dazzle, and these are Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. We grant the desire of any being that comes to us. So tell us – what is it you wish most?”
“The only thing I want right now is to get away from my royal life. Ever since my mother ratted out my friend, I didn’t want to be a princess anymore.”
Sonata chirped, “Oh, that’s simple!”
Aria said, “The only way to get what you want is to become another pony.”
Hope gasped, “Can you do that?”
Adagio said, “My dear, sweet princess. That’s what we do. It’s what we live for.”
Sonata said, “To help unfortunate ponies like yourself.”
Aria said, “Poor souls with no one else to turn to.”
The sirens then sang, “We admit that in the past, we’ve been just nasty…They weren’t kidding when they called us, well, witches…But you’ll find that nowadays, we’ve mended all our ways….”
Adagio sang, “Repented…”
Sonata sang, “Seen the light…”
Aria sang, “And made switches…”
Adagio sang again, “True? Yes…”
All three sang, “And we fortunately know a little magic…It’s a talent we always have possessed…And here lately, please don’t laugh, we use it on behalf of the miserable, lonely, and depressed…”
Aria whispered to her associates in disgust, “Pathetic.”
The sirens all sang, “Poor unfortunate souls…”
Adagio sang, “In pain, in need…”
Sonata sang, “This one longing to be thinner…”
Aria sang, “That one wants to get the mare…”
Adagio sang again, “And do we help them? Yes, indeed…”
The sirens all sang, “Those poor, unfortunate souls…So sad, so true…They come flocking to our cauldron crying ‘Help us, sirens, please!’ And we help them…Yes, we do…”
Aria sang, “Now it’s happened once or twice…”
Sonata sang, “Someone couldn’t pay the price…”
Adagio sang, “And I’m afraid we had to rake ‘em across the coals…”
Aria sang, “Yeah, we’ve had the odd complaint…”
Sonata sang, “But on the whole we’ve been just saints…”
Adagio sang, “To those poor, unfortunate souls!”
Adagio then said, “So, here’s our deal: we will transform you into another pony so you’ll never get hurt again.”
Aria said, “But there’s a catch.”
Hope asked, “A catch?”
Sonata shrugged, “Oh, it’s not really much. Just a token, really. A trifle. You’ll never even miss it.”
Adagio said, “What we want from you is…your magic.”
Hope said, “My magic?”
Aria said, “You got it, princess. No more zapping, zinging. Zip!”
“But without my magic, how can I…?”
Sonata said, “Don’t worry. Magic will be the least of your problems. Changing your looks will make a total colt magnet!”
Aria sang, “The colts out there don’t like a lot of sparkle…”
Sonata sang, “They think a mare who glimmers is a bore…”
Adagio sang, “Yes, it’s really much preferred for ladies not to say a word…And, after all, dear, what is all that makeup for?”
Aria sang, “Come on, they’re not all that impressed with gleaming beauty…”
Adagio sang, “True gentlecolts avoid it so they bolt…”
Sonata sang, “But they dote and swoon and gaze on a lady without blaze…”
Adagio sang, “It’s she who’s just normal who gets her colt…”
The sirens all sang, “Come on, you poor unfortunate soul…”
Aria sang, “Go ahead, take your pick…”
Adagio sang, “We are very busy sirens and we haven’t got all day…”
Sonata sang, “It won’t cost much, just your gift…”
Aria sang, “Ya poor, unfortunate soul…”
Sonata sang, “It’s sad, but true…”
Adagio sang as she pulled out a contract, “If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet, you’ve got to pay the toll…Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and sign the scroll…” She whispered to the sirens, “It’s the moment. Now we’ve got her, girls…”
All three sirens then sang, “Sirens are on a roll…This poor, unfortunate soul…”
As the sirens sang the last verse, Radiant Hope grabbed the quill with her magic and signed her name on the contract. When the sirens grabbed the paper, they all grinned wickedly.
They summoned a whirlwind as they sang, “Blast of snow, Windigo… Come, snow from white hills glorious …Cranial appendage…Et max incantation…Magia to us!”
Adagio said to Hope, “Focus on your magic.”
Hope then concentrated and her whole body radiated a blue aura.
Sonata cried, “That’s it!”
Just then, all the magic that surrounded her body was being sucked into the pendants the sirens wore. The dullness started on her legs, and when it reached her flank, her cutie mark vanished completely! As the magic was being drained from her, Hope’s colors continued to dull until the last of her magic left her horn. She was so weak she could barely stand up. There was no more color in her eyes. Only a gray fog blanketed her irises and pupils.
The sirens began to laugh evilly as they shot dark rays from their pendants. The darkness enclosed Hope and brought out all the hatred, anger, and resentment she kept bottled up. When she emerged from the blackness, she was no longer Radiant Hope, but Belladonna.
As per the agreement with the Umbrum and the sirens, Belladonna went back to the Crystal Empire to steal the Crystal Heart and then unleash the shadow ponies on the kingdom. When she went up to the dais, a voice stopped her.
“Halt! What is your business here?” Princess Amore asked sternly.
Belladonna chuckled as she pulled down her hood, “Why, Mother, don’t you recognize me? Look at the Crystal Heart.”
Amore gasped when she saw the villainess’s “reflection” on the Heart. It was none other than her only daughter, Radiant Hope!
“Hope? Is that you?”
“I am no longer Radiant Hope. I am now Belladonna.”
“What’s happened to you?”
“It was you! And Discord! And Sombra! You all did this to me, so now I’m going to take my revenge and release the Umbrum from their prison!”
“Hope, you can’t do that! The Umbrum are monsters! They will destroy the Crystal Empire and Equestria!”
But Belladonna just chuckled, “’Monsters’? Oh, Mom, you’ve got it all wrong. You’re the only monster I see and you will be overthrown!”
As soon as she said those last few words, Belladonna blasted Amore to the ground. She looked down and saw her mother weak and fragile with black crystals now lacing her horn. She almost felt pity for her, but she pushed that feeling aside.
She told Amore as she encased the princess in crystal, “You are going to pay for what you did to Discord. You will never again rule this Empire.”
Amore shouted before she became completely entrapped, “Hope, noooo!”
After she put the Crystal Heart in the bag and her mother in the dungeon, she went to a secret room and opened the door, unleashing the Umbrum onto the Empire. Her success was short-lived, however. When Celestia and Sombra defeated her, they encased her in a single dark crystal in the Frozen North. She escaped when the solar eclipse broke the crystal that imprisoned her…
Belladonna stared at the Crystal Heart, thinking of the night she defeated her mother and took control of the Crystal Empire. Still, what Luna had said about Amore being alive when she was found still nagged Belladonna. Could her mother have been still alive? And was she still?
She commanded the Crystal Heart, “Crystal Heart, show me what happened to Princess Amore.”
The Heart complied with her order and showed her a scene from the past. Celestia and Sombra were standing side-by-side over Amore’s bedside. Amore’s colors had dulled and her mane was disheveled. She looked like she was about to die.
She laboriously breathed, “My…daughter…”
Celestia said regretfully, “We couldn’t find her, Your Highness. We are sorry.”
“No…Belladonna…Belladonna took her…She has my daughter…”
Sombra said, “We defeated Belladonna. We did not ask for Hope’s whereabouts.”
Amore lamented, “Oh…Then she’s…she’s gone…”
Celestia calmed her, “You must save your breath, Amore.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have much left.”
Sombra cried, “Amore, no!”
Amore said, “The sun has set on my time. There is now only night.”
Celestia said, “We will find your daughter, Princess Amore. This we swear.”
Amore breathed, “Please….Call me Amore. Only…Amore.” She then took her last breath and uttered, “Farewell…my dear…friends…” And with that, her head lowered and her eyes closed for the final time.
Celestia looked with glistening eyes and her hoof flew to her mouth as she sorrowfully uttered, “Oh…”
At that moment, the candle by Amore’s bed went out, plunging the room into total darkness.
Belladonna felt overwrought with guilt. She tried to fight it, but she couldn’t. She hung her head and said, “I’m sorry, Mother.”
Unbeknownst to her, a single tear fell from her eye and landed on the floor, creating the shape of a broken heart.