“Discord, can you tell us exactly what drove you to become a director and leading figure in the production of today’s media?” a young griffon squeaked, through the crowd of reporters and fans, her top feathers highlighted in a bright green.
The draconequus in question turned in both interest and surprise by the sudden mention of how his career began. Looking at the griffon with a warm smile, Discord stroked his beard as he trailed back to how he had started the both crazy and life changing events that had transpired and brought a new light to a rather dull world.
“Well, my dear...I would say I began when I was moping in my house,” Discord mused, the griffon shocked that he had noticed her question. “While the beginning is somewhat fuzzy, it was when I started to brood about my relationship with my equine friends…”
“Oh for the love of,” a serpentine creature bellowed. His variety of animalistic body parts spasmed due to his anger. “I can’t take this anymore!”
The odd creature fired a yellow bolt of...magic towards an electronic box. Upon hitting the screen of the box, instead of destroying it the device grew legs and moved sideways along with the moving pictures that were being displayed. Watching in a seething rage as his latest mishap ran through one of his house’s walls, the creature slapped a furry golden paw onto its face and groaned in indgitation.
Getting up from his orange sofa, it walked over to the...upside down staircase, giving a little hop and finding itself upside down as he walked up it to the second floor of his abode. And upon reaching the upper side of its house, the mismatched creature stalked...no, waddled in anger over to the balcony and stared out into the endless void that was his chaotic dimension.
“Waddled!” he snarled as he heard the change of description in his walking habits, signaling to the narrator that he should probably watch his step around the enraged draconequus. “Do I look like Sparkle’s little dinosaur to you!?!”
“I am not ‘enraged,” the...diverse master of chaos argued, smoke blowing out of its nostrils. “I’m just…”
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|Embittered, frustrated, irked, displeased, disgruntled, discontent--|
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“Irked is probably the best way to explain it,” the tired draconequus replied, giving the box of words an annoyed glare, clenching the railing on the balcony tightly and the sound of crunching metal rung out. “But why should you care about how I feel?”
Looking back, the draconequus was once a powerful, if not megalomaniacal, dictator over the very fabric of reality and all of the inhabitants of the world outside this terrifying dimension. Things such as ‘friendship’ had not immediately cured old wounds or exciting plans, especially ones that dated back to a thousand years in stone. After all, the show that the draconequus and his trusted ally were preparing must go on.
“Yeah, no,” the chaotic entity snorted, slithering back into his bedroom, the railing completely crumpled due to the anger the voice’s words had fueled in powerful creature. “I’ve worked with too many who in the end betrayed me. Besides...I don’t need the attention of love for chaos, I have my dear friend who provides all the love I need!”
Of course, the draconequus has realized that love and toleration does not equal admiration, something that he had always lusted for from those around him. Long ago when the draconequus was but a child, he tried to impress the creatures of Equus with his fascinating physiology and marvelous magical prowess. They in turn scorned him, chased him out not because they feared him, but because they were filled with jealousy.
“It wasn’t that awful,” he muttered, flinching at the memory of the furious faces of those that lobbed objects at him. “They were just surprised that I could--”
There were others like him, while lacking his magnificence, that shared in his pain. Griffons with powerful wings could outlast pegasi in the sky, underwater equines that could command forces beyond unicorns, and reptilian creatures whose determination and knowledge of the earth allowed them to grow more and greater crops than any earth pony. And yet even with their gifts and kindness, the ponies still drove them out along with the draconequus.
The odd creature snarled in remembrance at the hostility and poor treatment the now friendship loving equines had displayed to those more skilled and different than them. And when they were finally thrusted out of lands that never belonged to the ponies, the three tribes turned on each other. But he took a deep breath, calming himself, for such things we long in the past.
“They are much different, and their goals and dreams seek to bring happiness to all walks of life,” he smiled, giving the voice of the person he could not see a raised eyebrow. “I have seen it, experienced it. They are better, kinder, and I will not wreck that for my own petty love for chaos... I am not the Spirit of Chaos anymore!”
Such a title never meant anything to the draconequus, for it was but a label placed upon him due to what his magic would do at his will. But he was Discord, the last of his kind... and while the ponies’ goals had changed, his still existed. Not to cause chaos, but to be admired, to be looked at with amazement.
“Until you grow bored,” Discord accused, jabbing a finger in anger towards the invisible force that was speaking. “You make a story for me and then change it to someone else’s after it becomes too repetitive, you always do this!”
“But I won’t fall for your or anyone else’s tricks, not anymore!” he snarled, his pupils barely pinpricks as the tiny red dots illuminated and his eyeballs flashed a sickly yellow. “Now go away! I will no longer be part of your cliché ideas. It will only end with me in stone, beaten, or hated!”
Unfortunately, all these things can come to pass when many others tried to bring Discord into their stories. He becomes boring, overused or hated, and is awfully predictable and weak. Tirek was but a mere example of how much he was truly valued as an independent and powerful character, which is practically nothing.
“Sh--shut up!” Discord shot back, pulling earplugs out of thin air and shoving them into his pointy and fluffy ears.
However, this won’t be a ploy for revenge on the draconequus’ part.
“La-la-la-la la la,” the mismatched creature said loudly, trying to drown out the voice that was attempting to sway him. “I can’t hear yoooooou!” Discord sang.
Nor will it be one where he once again betrays his friends or attempts to make their lives miserable. For they already find his antics unbearable half of the time, so such things would merely make him more unlikeable and would paint him as an antagonist and they the main characters.
“Which is why all of your ideas are awful,” the draconequus snarked, still pretending to not listen to the reasonable voice. “The mere gall that you believe that one of your plans won’t end in any of these outcomes is silly.”
No, this scheme will not involve the harm of his friends, nor will it be boring or overused. This plan will make Discord the hero, someone everyone will admire and strive to become. He won’t be looked upon as some annoying factor in the lives of the Equestrians, and all thoughts of his past sins will be overshadowed by his heroic deeds!
The Spirit of Chaos perked up at last, now becoming interested in whatever was being suggested.
“Go on…” Discord hummed, raising an eyebrow at the statement.
In order to become the hero, there must be some villain that can cause trouble for not only Equestria, but all of Equus. Someone who will willingly play the part of the antagonist, but not actually attempt to wreak evil upon the world. One would need to coax them with something they would want of course, but an idea was already formulating in the back of Discord’s mind.
“Hmmm,” Discord pondered, now mulling over the matter with interest. “This could work...but I would need to set a few things up and wait for the right opportunity.”
Not to mention the choice on who this ‘partner’ in crime would be. For while Discord would need a suitable villain that would require the Mane Six’s need for help, but also someone who won’t betray him or go full on evil. He would need an actor, someone who can play the part perfectly and not show a sign that the whole matter was fabricated.
With a snap of his fingers, a projection of the world appeared before the draconequus. Widening the globe to a flat plain, basically a map of the world, he moved pieces around and he started to come up with a brilliant plan. Each piece represented a part of the play, whether it was a creature or item, and each one would have to be in the right position for this to work.
When that was finished, he snapped his talons once again at the map flew into his ear, causing him to shake and wobble a little before the information settled into his brain. A wide smile plastered his face, and rubbed his lion paw and eagle talon together and chuckled.
“Now for use to find my star,” the patchwork creature jumped giddly, clawing in the air and making a rift that traveled through time and space.
His eyes danced as he watched various realities pass by so fast that the normal eye would not be able to keep up. He looked intently for all the key components his ‘villain’ would need in order to fit the part perfectly.
“They’ll need to be open and bold, yet mysterious and unpredictable,” Discord hummed, tapping a claw on his chin. Some red X's marked certain candidates off his multiversal list. “And not to mention durable, they will need to take some punishment...but not too much so that they can actually be defeated!”
More X’s crossed out potential actors for his skit, causing the draconequus to give out an exasperated sigh as it was not enough for him to find ‘the one’.
“They will also need to share some of my...personalities, we don’t want one of those boring ‘serious’ villains that just make the heroes snore at their dialogue,” he hummed, more beings getting crossed off his list. He beamed, for now he was making progress.
“They have to be smart as well, but not too smart so that they can outthink me…” Discord decided, for while the whole point was for him to trust this ‘actor’...that did not mean that he should take any risks.
More X’s signified that he was getting close and weeding out the potential issues in his plan. This caused Discord to smile, maybe due to his own excitement or because of he was delving back into his mischievous actions.
“But most importantly, they have to be willing to play the role of antagonist,” Discord determined, looking at a smaller window of possible choices. “They will need to be able to accept a new body and their part, and actually want to partake in my quest!”
Finally, the candidates were narrowed down to a billion or so, something he could work with. And yet, he saw one in particular that he saw great potential from...maybe it was the childlike nature they both shared, but something felt right about this choice.
“It’s decided!” Discord cheered, giving himself a hug as the list disappeared from view. “I will need to set the stage first, of course, but this one will be fun. And with their help, I’ll become...become...idolized, cherished, wanted!”
With a spring in his step, one that he thought was gone long ago, Discord leapt into the air and vanished with a brilliant flash of light. With him were his hopes and dreams, ones that he had carried and thought lost when he was a child. But now was the time for him to be the hero that everyone loved.
The bakery had never been busier, with tourists from all around Equestria coming to Ponyville to catch a glimpse of the new and luxurious castle that was standing proud before all. While some saw it as an inconvenience and disliked the tourists and the structure, they did not have the heart to relay these grievances to the purple alicorn that had done so much for their small town and country.
A pink earth pony was hard at work, preparing a banquet for the return of Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence as they had gone to the new Caninadian Kingdoms in order to aid in the restructure of the former dictatorship into a working democracy. They had been personally requested to aid the monarchy to help form a constitutional monarchy, for the new prince was far more kind than his uncle, who had brought an uncomfortable reign to the kingdoms.
Her friends were all hard at work, but her job was more methodical, for the princesses had not enjoyed the simple comfort food from their home for many moons.
“Anddddd that’s the last ingredient for the stuffed casserole!” the pink pony cried with happiness, giving a high five to a seemingly mindless alligator.
“I can’t wait for the party! How about you Gummy?” she said happily, giving a beaming smile as she dashed all over the room and worked on the other items for the banquet. “Everypony’s gonna have a blast, and Twilight can’t wait to see her Shining and Cadence again---”
The mare immediately stopped stirring ingredients in a bowl and dropped it, shaking violently as her body jitterd up and down. Once the phenomenon had ceased, she shook her head in both worry and confusion, for such an occurrence had not happen in a long time for her.
“Did you see that,” she practically yelled, her face colliding with the calm face of her pet, their eyes barely apart from one another. “Something really really really bad is going to happen!”
Gummy gave no signs of distress and flicked his tongue out, which caused the earth pony to gasp as the sudden gesture.
“Oh now, what will we do, Gummy!?!” she exclaimed, getting worked up and speaking to the still and silent alligator, who only flicked his long tongue once again.
“You’re right, we have to warn the others,” the pony said determinedly, stamping her hoof down and perking up in suspicion. “But what could be the cause of this, the map isn’t beeping, so am I just imagining it?”
Gummy fell down on his face, earning another gasp and a shake of the head from the party pony.
“You’re right Gummy, this is no fluke,” she decided, growing both worried and angry, something that had not happened for years. “Somepony or someone has messed up big time, and if the map doesn’t realize it...then we’ll just have to fix the map!”
Taking her pet under her foreleg, she was ready to bolt out the door and rush to her friend’s castle, but a violent force shook the entire building and cause her to fall down. As the world around the town shook, the pink mare stumbled out the back door to see what had happened, going wide eyed as black, thorn-like roots started to crawl from their dormant homes. The light from the Princess of Magic’s castle slowly died out, and the streets of was rampant with panicking equines.
“On no!” the pony said is surprise, remembering these vines once again and ran straight to the center of town where the ponies were also fleeing towards as the Everfree forest started to strike the peaceful town once again. “This just doesn’t make sense, I thought we already took care of these vines?!?”
Of course, the pink earth pony was right about it not making sense...but what fun was there in doing that...?