Chapter 20 Trip to Filly part 3
“That was incredible!” Twilight exclaimed almost too loud, “I mean, I’ve seen my fair share of blinding speed from Rainbow Dash and Pinkie here, but that stone was actually moving faster than the eye can see. I even slowed down the video and still couldn’t follow the moments between impacts.”
“We’ve used are most advanced magic and recording devices to try the same thing, but still have trouble getting a clear image of its movements,” Maud said in response, “not that we can risk repeating that particular test.”
The three mares now sat at a patio table outside a restraint a few blocks away from the university. Twilight and Maud sipped some tea while Pinkie Pie gulped down her third milkshake while watching a street performer a few feet away.
“I don’t suppose I could I could get in the lab and…” Twilight paused for a moment, “I don’t know, run a few tests of my own.” She clasped her hooves together and gave a wide nerves grin.
“We’ll you are the Princess of Friendship and Celestia’s personal student,” Maud replied, “I’m sure if we asked the dean, he would be more than happy to let you run any number of tests.” For the third time, that day the purple alicorn beamed like a young filly, “That is if we still had access to them.” Twilight cocked her head confused, meanwhile, Pinkie waved over a waiter “Today is the last day the university will have the elemental stones, I’m sure they’ll be loaded onto the trucks to be said back to the loaners by the time we get back.” Twilight gave a very un-princess-like groan of disappointment that Pinkie stifled a giggle too, just before taking a sip of her fourth milkshake, which finally gave her a long overdue brain freeze.
“So, any idea when you’re friends are going to join us?” Maud asked as pinkie fell to the floor twitching at the odd numbing sensation in her head.
“Oh!” Twilight said, almost completely forgetting that Jax and Discord had run off to the art district. “I almost forgot about those two, knowing Discord, Jax is probably getting pulled into every store with a big enough sign to catch his attention.”
“Speaking of Jax, what’s he like?” Maud asked as her sister continued to twitch on the floor. “Pinkie makes him sound like a character out of a mystery novel, always hiding things and working around questions. She even told me how he got around answering your brother's questions.”
“Right…” Twilight said drawing out the word as if not knowing what to say, “Well… he certainly is secretive, we really don’t know all that much about him. We know he used to travel a lot, and a few places he’s been, but we really don’t know anything else.” The alicorn said shrugging her shoulders.
“Really, Pinkie also made him sound like a really nice guy.” Maud said, “Works at Apple Jacks farm, go’s to Pinkie’s parties even though he hates being in crowds, even helps pick up Rarity’s and Apple Jack’s sisters from school. I would think that somepony so willing to be nice would be much more open about themselves.”
“I know right!” Pinkie somewhat shouted in response having finished her brain freeze. “I mean, you would think he would at least open up to Twilight.” She exclaimed gesturing to her purple friend, “anytime he’s not working with Apple Jack, or buying supplies for when he goes off traveling again, he’s sitting in Twilights library reading one book after another.”
“Gathering supplies?” The gray mare asked confused, “So he still intends to go back to traveling?” Twilight shrugged in response. “Any idea where he’s going to go?” Pinkie shrugged, “But he’ll write letters and visit won’t he?”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said, “In the few months he’s been at the castle; I’ve never seen him write a single letter. You would think he would have at least a few friends in china that he would want to talk to, he did help build a town there after all.”
“He helped build a dragon town?” Maud asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.
“Oh no no no…, he helped build a pony town,” Twilight corrected.
“A pony town?” Twilight nodded her head to Maud, “I took a class on Chinese cutler a while back, and there are no pony towns in china except…” Maud eyes shot wide as she paused for a long moment, frozen in thought.
“Maud,” Pinkie said trying to call her sister out of a trace. “What is it…?”
Maud took a breath before looking down at her tea and then back at the others. “Ten years ago, Celestia sent a request to set up a small settlement for ponies in China, to promote better relations between our two countries. The request was approved a few years ago and a bunch of ponies went to go start the small town off in the countryside, not too far from a major city. A lot of the local dragons didn’t like the idea of ponies living so close by, and would cause trouble there.” With that said, Twilight and Pinkie realized it, Jax didn’t just help a town start, he had helped start the first pony town in China. They imagined the green stallion directing construction and fending off dragons just like in Griffon Stone, but less like a friend, and more like a leader. But Maud was not done speaking, so the two let go of their imaginations for a moment wanting to hear more so they could ask their friend about it later. “Eventually, with some help from local dragons who didn’t mind the idea of ponies in their country, the town was finished in only a few months. They had started a farm, built a lot of houses, and even a few stores. Every was going well until…” Again Maud paused, this time looking off in a dais as she remembered what she read.
“Until what?” Twilight asked, her smile beginning to turn to a look of worry.
“When the main construction projects were finished,” Maud continued, “the appointed mayor wanted to award a few select ponies and dragons for their contributions, writing their names down in the town hall as ponies that made it all happen, becoming a permanent part of the town’s history. From what Pinkie told me about how Jax helped in Griffon Stone, I bet his name would be among the others… if the town was still there.”
“What do you mean?” Pinkie asked as her ears began to drop down.
“A ceremony was held to honor those who would become part of the town’s history,” The gray mare said, “everypony and even some dragons gathered in the town square for it. It would be the first town gathering… and the last. According to the textbooks, moments after the ceremony started… the town was attacked.”
Twilight's ears dropped and shot back up, “But what about the dragon guard, there must have been some there? And Jax knows how to fight? Surely they wouldn’t shut down the whole town just because a few dragons… attacked.”
“No pony shut down the town…” Maud said which helped Pinkie and Twilight release a deep breath they didn’t know they were holding, “the town was destroyed… with everypony, and dragon's that attended the ceremony.” The two mares went pale at those words, looking at Maud as if she just said someone important to them died. “No pony knows exactly what happen, but by the time the dragon guard got there the town had been burned to the ground along with everypony and dragon in attendance to the ceremony. As far as anypony knows, there were no survivors.”
“Twilight…”Pinkie said with a shaking voice, “do you think Jax knows? should we really ask him about… this?” she asked, emphasizing the last word, not daring to say allowed anything that would describe what she had just learned.
“No Pinkie…” Twilight said turning to her pink friend, her eyes filled with horror, “I don’t think he just knows, I think he…” she paused as a chill ran up her spine, “I think he was there…”
Pinkie’s eyes went wide, “But… But that’s not possible, Maud said there were no… that everypony…” She dared not finish here sentence.
“I don’t know how but I think he did survive it somehow, it would explain a lot,” Twilight said as she analyzed the past few months in her head. “How quiet he is, why he's so used to hard work, how he know so much and why he travels around all the time. But more than anything, it could explain his nightmares. Pinkie… I think Jax is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.”
“Post-traumatic what?” Pinkie asked, praying she had heard wrong and it did not mean what she thought.
“Post-Traumatic stress syndrome,” Muad said, “It’s a psychological condition, in which a victim of a traumatic event experiences intense emotional and mental distress. Constant nightmares are one of the symptoms, as well as anxiety and horrific flashbacks to the event in question.” She continued, confirming her sister’s fears. “It’s a common condition for ponies who have been victims of a violent crime or even soldiers coming back from war. Whenever something triggers the memory of what happen, the victim can recall the event in such vivid detail; it’s almost like their reliving it. Some describe the whole this as reliving the same even, over and over again.”
Pinkie fell back in her seat with a look of confusion and worry. She had only known Jax for a few months, but for as long as she'd known him, he always seemed like a strong pony, and not just in body. With his strength, he could have sent those griffons packing in Griffon Stone, but he never raised a hoof to them, not once. To see him angry or worried was so rare; she had to think hard to remember what it looked like. For the most part, all she could think of was that gentle smile he always had, so kind that even his red eyes couldn’t make him look scary if he tried. The pink mare looked through her memory for anything, a single moment that would confirm Twilights suspicions.
“I'm sorry I'm not so quick to share my nightmare's” Pinkie’s head shot up as those words echoed in the back of her head, she turned to twilight, who, by the look on her face, was thinking the same thing. It was true, even with what little the two mares knew, all the evidence pointed to one thing. Jax must have been at that town in china, he witnessed the massacre of both ponies and dragons and was reliving it every night since then.
Jax stood outside a two-story building at the end of the street, a few blocks down from the last performing artists where the art district ended and a string of restaurants began just across the way. The building was much like a warehouse with large windows that were placed more for ventilation rather than appeal or lighting. There were no signs on the structure, and if he had not been told that it was open, Jax would assume it was a closed down old building. However, a few ponies walking in and out, carrying small bits of artwork and supplies crafted out of metal, told him that it was not only open but wildly successful, seeing as all these ponies knew where to go with little more than the buildings address just above the door, to tell them they were in the right place.
Jax walked up to the door just as it flew open with a mare on her way out, he stepped aside like a gentle colt and held the door for her, to which she smiled and thanked him. Inside looked more or less like a standard office with a waiting room and a desk covered in papers. Posters were plastered all over the walls of ponies wearing black goggles and pounding away at red hot pieces of metal with hammers that varied in size. Some were crafting what looked like plants and ponies out of the metal, others were forging medieval weapons, and some looked like bizarre pieces of abstract art that Jax could only hope to comprehend. Just behind the desk was a framed calendar that showed various times and dates over the course of the month, each one labeled with one event after another, gallery showing, crafting lessons, even a time, and date that the facility would be open for public use.
The office, however, was far from all there was to see; to the left of the desk was a doorway that was left wide open bearing a sign that read, “Crafts ponies at work”. Oddly enough, there were no other ponies to be found. Taking a breath Jax walked to the doorway and entered the back room, a table sat just to the side of the doorway with another small sign, “no belongings on the floor please,” Obliging by the written request, the stallion shrugged off his bags and cloak placing them on the table. He shook himself a little to loosen his normally covered green coat and took a step onto, “the floor” as the sign called it. The floor was a large open space with serval anvils scattered across it, each one with a set of pliers, clamps, hammers, a bucket of water, and other tools that were used to work metal, all of them encompassing one of five massive steel cubes that acted as the forge to heat the metal that would be used in a ponies craft.
Walking up to one of the codes, Jax placed a hoof on the side wanting to see how hot they were, to his surprise, it was cold to the touch. Opening one of the little hatches that cover all for sides of the forage, a blast of hot air came out, and he quickly closed the small compartment as he realized the strange forge was magically insulated. “Is this really how they craft their metal in this country?” The stallion questioned out loud. Hearing nothing but the subtle roar of the forge's in response, Jax suddenly became aware that he was the only pony in the building. Moments ago, one pony after another walked in and out of this place, but now there was no pony to be found inside. “Maybe they're closed for the day?” he thought to himself as he looked around a little more.
Just as he thought of leaving, Jax saw something in the back of the facility that practically called to him, a classic forge that looked hoof built out of stone with a large chimney that reached up and out of the building. The tools that surrounded its base were scattered and messy, as well as much larger and more worn than any others he had seen so far. The closer Jax got to the forge, the hotter the air became, from only ten feet away, any pony would wince at the heat and step back. Not Jax, the warm air called to him, inviting him to come closer, with every step the sound of an open roaring flame became clearer, as did the view of the red hot coals. Five feet away would normally bring a hot sting to other ponies, but for Jax, it was the most relaxing feeling he had ever known, the tension of his body began to melt away and his eyes closed as he took a breath, breathing in the hot air that burned his lungs in a familiar and delightful way only he could enjoy. From just two feet away, Jax could feel the hot draft that could only come from an open forge like this one, his head swayed slightly with the breeze, enjoying what other ponies would describe as an unbearable feeling. Eyes still shut as he walked, the stallion did not know how close he stood to the forge, but he knew it was much closer than any pony would dare, do to the heat or the fear of getting burned. His ear twitched to another familiar sound, sizzling fibers. It was his mane and coat; he was hanging his head mere inches away from the blazing red coals, so close that the tips of his mane and fur were burning slightly, but not enough for any real harm.
Jax wore a look of absolute bliss as he reviled in the heat of the forge, tilting his head gently, wanting to feel as much of the heat as he could on every inch of his face. After a long moment, the stallion finally began to feel the light sting of his skin burning and reluctantly pull away from the forge taking two steps back so that he could still bask in the warmth.
“Well, now that was something…” a unicorn stallion said as he walked out of another side room Jax had not noticed before. “Never seen a stallion get that close to the forge before, let alone enjoy it so much.” The stallion was a rusted red color with no mane standing a foot taller than Jax. Everything about this pony echoed strength with each step he took, Jax could not see his cutie mark, as it was hidden under a protective robe so to avoid burns, but he suspected it was something to do with smithing. He also suspected that this hoof build forge was the stallions personal work space, a space that he had completely invaded without permission.
His suspicions were proven accurate as the unicorn took hold of a set of iron clamps in a glow of purple magic. “I… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to intrude…” Jax stuttered, feeling as if he had offended the smith.
“Wow, calm down friend, no harm done,” The unicorn said as he guided the clamps into the forge digging it into the hot coals. “Normally I don’t let anypony near my forge,” he added as he pulled out a steel rod that had been covered by the coal, “But somepony of your caliber, I think I can make an exception.” The stallion continued placing the rod in a nearby tub of water, causing Jax ears to twitch again to the familiar sound of red hot steel hitting ice cold water, a twitch that did not go unnoticed by the smith pony.
Jaz shocks his head slightly so to tare his mind from the wonderful sound of cooling metal and the delightful warmth of the forge. “What do you mean by “a pony of my… caliber”?” Jax questioned pausing before the last word.
The unicorn raised an eye brow in disbelief as he dipped the clamps back in the forge pulling out another steel rod. “You’re kidding right, everything about you right now says it,” Jax tilted his head in confusion, “Don’t play dumb kid, you’re a blacksmith, aren’t you?” The stallion said as much of a statement as it was a question.
“What?!” Jax questioned, “No, I was just… umm…” Jax looked back and forth, desperately trying to think of a reason a normal pony would stand so close such intense heat with no fear of catching fire. Before Jax could say anything, the unicorn smithy smiled as he slowly dipped the second steel rod into the tube of water, prolonging the sound of sizzling water for as long as he could. Jax eyes closed as his ears twitched again at the sound, all the while, his once worried expression turned to one of delight. Only after the sound had stopped did he realize the trick he just fell for, and the look of the still smiling unicorn was more than enough to tell him how well it had worked. “So… that obvious huh?” Jax asked with a sheepish grin and his ears drooping down, looking as if he had just lost a children’s game.
“Gramps always told said,” The stallion started reaching for another steel rod, “You can tell the skill of a blacksmith by how comfortable he is around the forge.” If there’s any truth to those words, then you must make me look like an amateur and my family has been nothing but smithies for eight generations.”
Jax smiled bashfully at the compliment. “I’m really nothing special, I know my way around a forge, but I haven’t had the chance to craft anything in a long time.”
“Modest to? Now that’s a rarity,” the stallion responded, “how long has it been?” He asked.
Jax hesitated to answer, but saw no harm in it, “I’d say around seven years by now.”
“Say what!” the stallion said shocked and nearly dropping his clamps in the forge, “That’s way too long, no wonder you’re all twitchy with just the sound of cooling rods.” The unicorn took hold of a large iron hammer in his magic and levitated it over to Jax with such ease; one would think it was light as a feather. “Here you go kid, grab some scraps and forge something for yourself, on the house.”
Jax looked over the large hammer, thinking for a moment how he could use the old tool. “This would be good for forcing curves in the steel,” Jax muttered under his breath, “If done right, there would…” He shook his head banishing his instinctive thought of smithing. “Thank you, really, but…” Jax said, having to force the next few words, “I’ll have to pass…”
“You sure kid?”
“Yeah,” Jax said, “It would take all night for me to make anything worth the effort, and I’ve got some friends that are waiting for me.
“And here I was hoping you were looking for a job,” the smith pony said with a hardy huff, “So then, what can I do for yeah?” Jax looked around at the mass quantities of tools and variety of tools and gave a smile.
“So you’re sure this is the one you want?” the sales pony asked Discord for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Oh yes, I’m quite sure this time,” The draconequus said with a very content smile.
“You’re not going to change your mind again at the last second?” The pony said with the thick sarcasm he had developed over the last hour and a half while Discord went back and forth with one tea set after another.
“Shut up and take my money,” Discord said dropping a bag of bits on the counter.
The pony shrugged and started counting bits from the bag while Discord impatiently drummed his fingers. Moments later Jax came walking back through the front of the store, “You’re still picking out a tea set?” The stallion asked in disbelief.
“For your information, I just finished picking out the perfect set for me and flutter shy to use during our weekly get together.” Discord said rather proud of himself, “And besides, I told you I wanted your opinion, but you wanted to go off and do… whatever it was you were doing.” Jax looked past Discord and saw he had selected the exact same tea set he had shown the crazy spirit in the first place.
“You purchase sir?” the sales pony said after packing the set in a box full of bubble wrap for safe keeping.
“Thank you my good stallion,” Discord said in a gentle colt manner before heading for the door to join Jax. “Well it took all day, but I finally got Flutter Shy the perfect gift,” the mischievous creators boasted marveling at his purchase. “And… I suppose a thank you is in order,” Discord said lazily glancing at Jax.
“Oh? For what exactly?” The stallion asked eyeing the stores as they headed back down the artists street.
“As much as I Hate to admit it you were… helpful,” the draconequus said reluctantly, “If you weren’t here, I would have gotten Flutter Shy that little mail turtle that you just know that little fur ball would have chewed up the second he got the chance.” Discord added shaking his fist at the thought.
Jax raised his eyebrow at his friend’s statement, “Not a fan of rabbits?” he asked.
“Just the one,” Discord replied, “If I had my way about it, I would have done away with that furry miscreant a long time ago.” he continued creating a small copy of Angle bunny and throwing it into a nearby trash can. “Honestly, I know Flutter Shy is the Element of Kindness, but why she puts up with such an ungrateful brat I’ll never understand.”
“Well he does seem to have some control issues,” the green stallion said, somewhat agreeing with Discord. “By the way, speaking of Flutter Shy’s element, what are the Elements of Harmony?” Jax asked grabbing Discords full attention, “I mean, I’ve read about them from Twilight’s books, but I haven’t actually seen them.”
Discord thought for a moment, “Well I suppose I am an expert on the subject, seeing as I was trapped in stone because of them for a few thousand years.” He paused for another moment to think, “I suppose you could think of them as something to supercharge magic, and not just unicorn magic, earth pony and pegasuses to.”
“Yeah I got that much from the book’s” The stallion replied, “but where did they come from? I mean, it’s not like crystalized forms of super magic grows on trees.”
“Well…” Discord said in response.
“You’re kidding me…” Jax said
“It’s called the tree of harmony,” the draconequus continued, “No one knows very much about it, not even me, what we do know is that it’s where Princess Luna and Celestia got the elements when they first came to defeat me. Other than that and how it spit out a strange box with even more magic, there’s not much to it.”
“Next, you’re going to tell me it made somepony an alicorn,” Jax replied.
“No, nothing like that,” Discord said, “but the element of magic was part of her crown when she first ascended.” Jax gave an unexpected laugh to that, quick and short, it reminded him of another ponies laugh, a creation Pinkie unicorn. She would make such a laugh at what at first would seem like the most awkward of times after somepony said something usually, and in memory served, that pony would tend to be wrong about… whatever it is they were talking about. It was a laugh that said, “I know something you don’t”, and Discord hated being out of the loop. “Say, why the sudden interest in the Elements of Harmony anyway?” He asked.
“No reason really…” Jax said looking down the street with a smile, “it's part of the country’s history, so I was curious.”
“Really,” Discord asked doubtfully, “Just curious?”
Jax stopped walking and looked to Discord, still smiling, “No Discord, I’m an ancient ruler of a thousand-year-old kingdom that has returned from my banishment to concur Equestria.”
Discord frowned, “That’s Luna’s story…”
“Ok, ok, you got me,” Jax replied motioning for Discord to calm down with his hooves. “I’m a Tartarus escapee; I was hoping to recruit you in helping me steal everponies magic so I can take over.” He finished, the stallions smile becoming slyer.
“That’s Tirek,” the draconequus said more sternly narrowing his eyes.
The stallion sighed, “Well looks like your too smart from me Discord, you really want to know the truth?” Discord tapped his claws on his arm impatiently wait for the answer. Jax looked back and forth and then motioned for his bizarre friend to lean in. Discord obliged and moved close enough for Jax to whisper in his ear. “I’m actually an ancient spirit,” he whispered, “I got out of my stone prison and am planning to turn Equestria upside down.”
Discord shot up with steam coming out of his ears, “Why you… that’s me!” He shouted, annoyed with Jax games. He watched as the stallion held back his laughter, covering his mouth with his hoof as Discord loomed over him groaning.
“Oh come, that was funny,” Jax urged while Discord stood over him, his claw and paw resting on what he assumed must be the draconequus’s hips. “Ok, ok…” he took a breath and spoke calmly, “I’ll tell you the truth…” The look in Jax's eyes, how his poster changed to be standing upright, everything about the stallion had gone from humorous to serious in a single moment. Discord leaned over again not as close, but close enough to hear if his pony friend decided to whisper again. Jax took one more breath, and spoke, “I’m a changeling spy, I’m trying to figure out when the next royal wedding is so my queen can impersonate the bride and take over Canterlot from the inside.” Jax gave a devilish smile that Discord had only ever seen in the mirror.
The draconequus fumed with anger and annoyance as he watched the pony that got under his skin walk off down the street. He wanted to twist the green little annoyance into a pretzel until he confessed everything about himself but withheld himself. Partly because Flutter Shy would disapprove, and party because he thought it might not work. Frustrated and slowly getting a headache, Discord excepted defeat and just floated by Jax as he walked. It was an unfamiliar feeling, being out whited in the same way he was known to use on others when he did not resort to magical pranks. Deep in thought, Discord looked for a way to outsmart the pony; after all, he was just that, a pony, nothing special, nothing new, what could possibly make him any different than any other pony he had met up till now. The most interesting pony he had ever met would have to be Celestia herself, while she would never admit it, his sense of humor and hers were more like than one would expect. Discord could get under anyponies skin, even Cadence, the quiet, patient; Princess of Love was all too easy to get frustrated once the right boutons were pushed. Discord thought and he thought hard, and then he remembered, the one thing every pony hated, was when you messed with their friends.
As this dawned of the draconequus, Jax stepped into another store, it took Discord a moment but he recognized it as the store he tried of the fur coat in. He joined the green stallion and found him at the counter talking to the store mare. “You know, I was just thinking,” he said floating up to Jax as the store mare went to the back. “Rainbow Dash should really stop trying for the Wonder Bolts, I mean, if she was really that great, why isn’t she the one who saved Flutter Shy back in Griffon Stone.” Discord smiled waiting for a response as Jax sat in front of the counter looking at all the odds and ends.
“I don’t, why didn’t you Mr. I can bend reality,” was all Jax had to say, his mood remaining calm and collected.
Discord frowned realizing how he had just walked into that remark, “Fair enough,” He said with a sour taste in his mouth from the words, “Well… at least her flying is better than Rarity’s fashion sense.” The mischiefs spirit added quickly.
“Are you implying no pony has their own opinion?” Jax said as he stretched his neck.
“Beg pardon?” Was all discord could say in his confused response.
“You’re foulishly trying to get under my skin by making fun of my friends…” Jax stated plainly calling out the draconequus who was dumbstruck by his forwardness. “It’s the oldest trick in the book that normally only works fouls… well, that or meat heads who barely know left from right. Everypony has their own opinion Discord, when you except that, little tricks like that are nothing more than a waste of breath. Plus it works even less when you know somepony is doing it to annoy you.” Discord’s jaw dropped as he realized that this was not just any other pony, something, somehow made this stallion different. Discord mild over everything he could think of in his head, trying to think of another way to annoy the stallion. Asking about his past, he would just pull more jokes, poking fun at him or some pony else didn’t care. He couldn’t do anything physical either with the risk that Flutter Shy would not approve. Suddenly Discord remembered why he use to hate ponies.
The store mare came back with a small red box and passed it to Jax, who took in graciously and placed it in his saddle bag, “What’s that?” Discord asked still in a foul mood.
“Just something I left here before,” Jax said as he turned to leave. As he approached the door he noticed a stand that was not there before. “I didn’t know that was out yet,” he said looking back to the store mare.
The store mare looked over her shoulder and saw what he was talking about, “oh yeah, I just set that up, started selling books not too long ago and well, I’m a fan of the series. There was a shipping error and I wound up getting those a week ahead of time.”
“How much?” Jax asked picking up one of the books.
A few minutes later Jax and Discord walked out of the store and started heading to the university. Jax bags were heavy, weighed down with all the supplies he had bought that day, plus two small items he did not expect to get at all. Discord was still moping, floating as if sitting in a chair pouting in the corner. “Really not used to losing like that are you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” The draconequus said turning away from the stallion.
Jax sighed, suddenly feeling bad for teasing Discord, “Look, I know you more than any pony won’t care but… I have a reason for keeping to myself.” This caught his attention as Discord turned to face the stallion. “I know I don’t talk much Discord, normally by now, everyone gets sick of how quiet I am and just… stops trying…” Discord caught a word that he rarely heard ponies say, “Everyone” not everypony, meaning that Jax had been around other species for much longer than a passing glance, he was around others long enough to build a friendship. “But here, in Equestria…” he continued, “Why is everyone so nice… so understanding that... I just don’t want to talk? Whatever the reason, I think it’s honestly the only reason why I’ve stayed so long in one place. Normally I would be on the other side of the country by now.”
“Well technically you’re on the other side of the country tight now,” Discord replied, “you just intend to go back to ponyvill anyway,” Jax smiled and for a brief moment, Discord could see it, no jokes no tricks or cryptic wording. For once, Jax was being completely upfront about himself, and Discord just had to take advantage of it. “Fine, I’ll do my best to resist prying into whoever you use to be, but can you at least tell me this. What in the name of chaos itself,” Discord said placing his hand on his chest “could possibly have happened that would make a pony like you little more than a recluse, hiding away from everypony that tries to get close to you?”
Jax stopped in his tracks, his eyes darting back and forth in deep thought. Images flashed in his head voices from the past, including his own, reminding his of places he’d been and the creators he’s met. Then he looked up, Discord was just floating there, waiting, the Spirit of Chaos itself, the best friend to the kindest mare in Equestria, was just there, waiting. “Could I trust him?” Jax thought to himself, “Would he tell anyone… or… when the time comes… could he even help? Would he know how?” “Come back Jax!” Again, so cries of a stallion on the horizon echoed through his mind, the voice striking with sorrow. Jax's chest grow tight at the memory as it threatened to invade the front of his mind, forcing him to relive a moment he never wanted to experience again. Bit by bit it crept out as the smell of the sea began to fill the air.
Just as Jax was ready to submit to the memory, a snapping sound pulled him out of his trance bringing him back to the real world with a shock. “Well?” a voice asked, “Are you going to say something or not?”
“Who are…” Jax whispered before biting his tongue as he remembered the answer to his question. “That’s right… I’m in Equestria…” Jax thought to himself, “this is Discord… we’re in Manehattan with… our… friends…” He looked around to see the area, the street still full of artists and performers not too far from the last store he and Discord were in. Meanwhile, the draconequus was still there waiting for an answer. “I’m… sorry…” Jax forced himself to say, the words coming with heavy breaths, “Maybe… maybe another time…”
“Oh come on,” Discord whined, “You clearly have something to get off your chest, just spit it out.”
“I know,” the stallion said feeling a hint of shame for reasons he could not understand, “it’s just… i…” for a moment he looked up at Discord, pleading In his eyes, but then that passed as it was replaced with a look of confusion. “Is that Twilight?” Jax said cocking his head.
“Now don’t try to change the subject,” Discord said taking a trick from Flutter Shy and pointing a claw like a stern parent.
“No really!” Jax replied reaching up and turning Discords head to look the other way, and surely enough it was Twilight, who for some reason was clinging to the top of a truck for dear life screaming at the top of her lungs. The truck passed and two blurs followed close behind it, one gray and one pink. “This can’t be good…” Jax said as he watched the truck speed away.
“No kidding, what do you suppose happened,” Discord asked looking down at his pony friend, who, somehow was gone, all his bags left behind. “Jax?”