HiE - A Hollow in Equestria

by Charlie_K

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

"I'm... really sorry. Could you repeat that, please? I don't think I heard you right."

Afternoon tea wasn't exactly something that Fluttershy could actually take the time to sit down and enjoy every day. An unfortunate and unavoidable side-effect of being the designated animal expert in Ponyville, responsible for all their well being. So many different, lovely animals in her care, and each with their own individuals needs that needed to be overseen. And then there were her own daily chores that needed tending to.

But that was hardly unique circumstances for her; a lot of other ponies probably worked just as hard as her, if not even harder. Why, the amount of time and care that went into overseeing Sweet Apple Acres had to be just as much, if not even more, than what she had to put in to take care of her animals, right?

Honestly, the only reason she could take a break at the moment, was because of the untimely -but honestly not unwanted- arrival of Twilight. She had only just finished watering her plants, and hadn't even set the watering can back down on the ground before being addressed by her friend. And even then, only because she could tell something was on her mind; something perhaps best addressed in a somewhat calmer setting than the outside could offer.

And as long as she was taking time out to talk with a friend, while inside the comfort of her own home, she might as well go right ahead and get some tea ready for them to enjoy.

Although now she wasn't entirely certain that was a possibility.

Twilight shook her head in response. "You didn't hear wrong. I need to speak with Discord. But he hasn't been responding to my efforts to get in touch with him. So with you being on better friendship terms with him than the rest of us, I was hoping you might be able to succeed where I failed," she explained.

As far as requests relating to Discord went, that one was probably the weirdest one she'd heard yet.

"I see," she replied slowly and sipped at her tea as she thought on the matter, uncertain of just what exactly to say. "And what did you need to speak with Discord about?"

"It's a little difficult to explain," Twilight stated, before taking a tentative sip of her tea; almost like she was uncomfortable with talking. "Lately I've found myself facing some difficult questions that I have no answers for. And rather than carry on by myself in a desperate search for answers, wrecking my mental health and annoying others around me in the process, I thought I'd try to seek out help early on. And considering the nature of the questions, Discord is probably the most logical starting point there is to be had. Strange as that may sound."

"Well now, why did you just say so in the first place?"

Both ponies froze in place at the sound of a third voice in the room, simultaneously very close and very far away from their current position at the table.

And then Twilight squirmed as she felt something very warm and fuzzy moving beneath her. Something she found out was actually Discord's lap only too late, as she found him wrapping his forearms around her in a hug, and rested his chin atop her head.

"I can't tell you how nice it feels when a friend actually stops and appreciates you," he continued as he held her close.

This was definitely far closer to Discord than Twilight had comfortably wanted to get, and she couldn't help but squirm uneasily. Were it not for the fact he'd be dragged right along with her due to the close physical proximity, she would've immediately teleported right out of his hold and over to another chair.

But, she had to remind herself, now wasn't the time for succumbing to petty discomfort. She'd come here in search of Discord, in search of answers, and she was going to have them one way or another, regardless of what was involved.

"Y-yes, well, never mind that right now. Discord, I've come to bargain," she spoke up as she did her best to steady her nerves and focus her mind.

"Oh?"

In a poof and a flash Discord was gone, having teleported to a previously absent chair as he sat on the table, propping up his chin on his paws as he looked at Twilight with interest.

"At first you had my interest, but now you have my curiosity. So then, what sort of bargain are you looking to strike with the lord of chaos?"

Twilight gulped uneasily, feeling even more uncomfortable under Discord's gaze than she had been when on his lap. Performance anxiety? Maybe it was. But she knew if she hesitated, she would be lost, so she simply had to plow through it. Now or never.

"I have questions that I need answers to. I need them delivered in as straightforward and direct to the point manner as possible. And I'm willing to let you turn me into whatever animal you need to, in order to offset the chaos/order divide so that's possible."

The silence following her little statement seemed even more uncomfortable than the unease leading up to her presenting her petition. Discord's own quietness as he blinked sideways, and then looking over to Fluttershy, who looked back at him, was seriously starting to make her wish she'd gone the alternate route, even if it was worse for her mental health.

"Oh my," Fluttershy whispered.

"Oh, how delightfully unexpected," Discord replied and grinned in a wholly unnatural way. "I must say, my dear Twilight, this is certainly a unique way to go about bartering for services and favors. I wholeheartedly approve! But, before we get too far along, I feel I should warn you that not all questions carry the same price, unfortunately. I'm afraid that matters like "what is the meaning of life?" or "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" or even "who put the bop in the bop-she-bop" aren't so easily paid with random chaos. No, for something like that, the price tag would be far higher than anypony could reasonably be asked to pay..."

Twilight found herself unable to resist the urge to shudder at Discord's words, and the look he was giving her. Was he deliberately trying to be unsettling or something?

"So now, before we can begin discussing prices for services rendered, let's hear what sort of questions you have on your mind. It'll help me know just how we stand," he continued.

"Flat-footed," Twilight replied nervously, before clearing her throat. "Alright, out of all the questions I could ask you, I suppose the most pressing one is this: Are my friends and I obsolete?"

Discord's jovial -if a bit predatory- mood seemed to evaporate in the wake of the question being presented. It was almost as if he was the one who hadn't wanted to hear what was said.

"I'm... sorry? I don't think I understand what you're asking," he replied slowly as he sat up straighter, his paws no longer tucked under his chin but rather resting on the edge of the table. "When you say "obsolete" what do you mean by that? "Obsolete" in what way?"

"Obsolete in terms of Equestria's continued safety," Twilight clarified, before speaking again and not even giving Discord the chance to respond. "Ulquiorra has been in Equestria for eighty-six days. And in that short amount of time we've been subjected to five crises that had the potential for far-reaching consequences for the nation; far above the national average for such events. The dragon incursion, the changeling invasion, the manticore attack, Nightmare Moon's resurgence, and most recently the reappearance of the windigoes. And in each of those cases, my friends and I who've been tasked with ensuring Equestria's safety, have been caught entirely off guard, unprepared, and unable to amount to any sort of meaningful difference. The only reason we haven't suffered any significant catastrophic events as a result, is solely because Ulquiorra's been present and able to intercede where we've failed."

"Oh," Discord replied slowly, unable to keep the unease out of his voice as he spoke.

Twilight nodded before continuing. "He's been able to do with ease, by himself, what we've been struggling so hard to accomplish as a group. I didn't give it much thought at the time, because we were so busy trying to solve mysteries and such. But now that we actually have a stretch of calm downtime, I can't help but think about these things. And the more I think about it, I can't help but wonder what purpose do we really serve anymore?"

She let out a sigh, before reaching over and picking up her teacup between her hooves to take a sip as the uneasy words hung heavily in the air almost like a stale smell. She'd hoped that being able to voice her concerns would help relieve some of the burden she'd been bearing so far, but that hadn't happened. If anything talking about it had actually made it feel worse to her.

"I look at us, and then I look at him, and whatever we can do when it comes to saving Equestria and protecting others, Ulquiorra has proven capable of doing the same, only much better. He's stronger than Applejack, faster than Rainbow Dash, and smarter than me; there are times we'll be talking, and I swear his mind is performing complex computations at a rate that even I can't hope to keep pace with. And then I look back at all of us and-"

"The Goku Doctrine," Discord interrupted.

Twilight blinked in confusion at Discord's words. "The what?"

"In any long-running work that focuses on the exploits of a central cast of characters, there'll inevitably be times when they simply have to become stronger to face new threats. The main character will always receive the greatest degree of upgrades, the fan favorites will generally receive enough of an upgrade to keep them relevant, while the rest of the cast simply fall behind, all the while struggling just to keep up and stay relevant. Eventually the difference in their respective power levels becomes so insurmountable, there's simply no hope of ever catching up and once-competent characters who could rival the main character, are left by the wayside as their existence becomes more and more meaningless," Discord elaborated as he picked up the teapot and poured a cup for himself.

"... Essentially, yes," Twilight agreed, "bringing back to the original question; is that ultimately where we're at right now? Have we been rendered obsolete to Equestria, now that Ulquiorra is here?"

There were numerous other questions she could ask right now. But when she'd stopped to think about them, they were mostly all derivatives of the first question in one form or another. And right now, asking what was essentially the same question over and over again just didn't seem to have much point.

Discord didn't respond at first, opting to instead focus on his tea as he took a long sip. It was only after he had finished, his head tilted almost all the way back as he drained his cup, before he finally spoke up again.

"You might not like the answer that you get, or the price it'll incur," he warned.

"Answers I might not like are still preferable to not having any answers," Twilight replied as her tail flicked behind her.

"Just so long as you're aware of what you're getting yourself into on this one," Discord confirmed as he picked up the teapot and refilled her cup, followed by Fluttershy's, and then his own, before he turned his attention back to her. "You and your friends aren't obsolete, Twilight; far from it actually. You're all still just as vital to Equestria's defense as you were when you first started out, if not even more so."

"How!?" Twilight blurted out in a less than elegant fashion. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to hear that, but I don't understand it. How can we still be so vital, when Ulquiorra can do more than we can to keep Equestria safe?"

"Because he can't do what you can do!" Discord stated firmly, wearing a look of annoyance as he spoke. "Seriously, I can't believe that I actually have to explain that little detail to you, Twilight; I genuinely thought you were smarter than that, but I guess I was wrong. Yes, Ulquiorra can do much to keep Equestria safe, and he certainly has the potential to eventually become the strongest hero Equestria has ever known, or ever will know. But that's not the same thing as being one of Equestria's greatest heroes; it's not even close to being the same thing."

Over where Fluttershy sat, she was uncertain of how to respond, or even if she should respond. Discord's words had been very unkind, and the blank look on Twilight's face in response to her words left her unsure of just what she should do. Not understanding the content of his message hadn't helped that fact either.

"I... I don't think I understand. What exactly is the difference?" Twilight replied slowly.

"Let's put it like this, Twilight," Discord started in a far calmer, more reserved tone as he spoke. "Boiled down into the simplest of terms and the fewest of words, what exactly did Ulquiorra do to Nightmare Moon, to put an end to her efforts at taking over?"

"He killed her," Twilight answered.

"And what did he do to the manticore that attacked Ponyville while he was off at some party?" Discord asked.

"He killed it," Twilight answered.

"And what did he do to Queen Chrysalis when she attacked Celestia during an exploited moment of mercy?" Discord asked.

"He... killed her..." Twilight answer a bit more slowly as the realization began to make itself known. "And the windigoes. And he would've killed the dragon if Fluttershy hadn't stopped him when she did. And he even threatened to do the same to you at least once..."

"I think you're finally starting to get it," Discord replied and smiled a wavy/crooked smile. "For all of his strength and capabilities, Ulquiorra is still very much a counterpoint to the teachings of Equestria that you and so many others have taken to heart and benefited from; an antithesis if you will. He doesn't yet have the same understanding that you and your friends do, so he can't do what you do so well," Discord continued.

"And what's that?"

This time it was Fluttershy who spoke up and voice the question rather than Twilight.

"Bring hope to others who have no hope themselves," Discord stated as he turned his attention from Fluttershy back to Twilight. "Yes, Ulquiorra could potentially save many lives by killing a threat and being done with them. But you and your friends have the potential to save many more lives than he ever could, because you can actually reach the heart of a villain and make them turn away from their wicked ways. Just like you did with Luna when she was possessed by evil and her own hatred. Just like you did with me."

The answer and following explanation was definitely not what Twilight had been expecting to get out of Discord. Yes, she'd requested something straightforward, and had even offered to pay for it, but even then she'd still expected something heavily tinged with elements of sarcasm and smartass throughout.

"In time you'll come to learn, there are many types and definitions of heroes to be found: superheroes, unscrupulous heroes, nominal heroes, hero sandwiches, etc. Ulquiorra can certainly fit into one of those categories at some point. But right now it's not really an exaggeration, or even an insult, to say that he's closer to being a weapon. An incredibly intelligent, logical, and articulate weapon that can engage in thought-provoking conversations, but still a weapon regardless. Despite his potential, he still very much operates on the principle of identify threat, find threat, kill threat. That's not to say it isn't necessary at times, but killing is hardly the hallmark of what being a hero is about. Especially when it's regarded as being business as usual."

The more Discord spoke, the more Twilight found herself uncertain of just what to be thinking. This was way, way outside of what she'd ever expected to get out of the spirit of chaos. Listening to him talk was almost like listening to Celestia speak.

Discord just sighed, sipped his tea, and set the cup back down on the table. "If I were to describe you in terms of symbols, Ulquiorra would best qualify as the symbol of peace... through superior firepower. He conveys the message 'Don't mess with Equestria or we'll kill you' as it were. But you, Fluttershy and the others would best qualify as the symbol of hope. You convey the message 'Even if you've made mistakes in the past, it's never too late to change and become better.' Optimism rather than condemnation. I know it might not sound like much in context, but I'm sure you know, better than anypony, just how powerful hope can be when all else seems lost. Even I couldn't drive it out of you during my temporary reign of terror, and believe me I tried. Oh how I tried..."

Twilight wanted to smile at what sounded like a compliment from Discord, but at the same time she wasn't entirely certain it was the right thing to do; not just yet anyway. Maybe it was best to simply wait and see what else he had to say, before reaching any conclusions. She still wouldn't put a bait and switch past him.

"In any given world where sentient life exists, you'll find those who do the most good are often the ones who willingly do the small, necessary tasks that're most devoid of glamor and excitement, but keep society functioning and civil. Or those who willingly put their lives on the line for the sake of others, even though they don't have nigh-invulnerability on their side to protect them. Anypony can be brave when they know that nothing can hurt them. Those that willingly put the well being of others ahead of their own are the ones best fit to be classified as heroes, not those who're never in any danger," Discord stated, before downing the last of his tea and setting his cup back down. "Now then, if you'll all excuse me, this little motivational speech of mine is running far longer than it should have, and now I'm running late for a meeting. I need to go and remind a certain dark lord that, even without free will, life will always ensure chaos exists. And wherever there is chaos, there will always be me. Old stone-face is long overdue for another atomic wedgie. Toodaloo!"

And just like that, with a wave and a snapping of his eagle talon, Discord was gone just like he'd arrived, with no warning whatsoever.

Leaving Twilight and Fluttershy behind in the ensuing silence.

"Well now. That was... something..." Twilight mumbled in response, not entirely sure of what to make from what she'd just experienced.

"Twilight," Fluttershy spoke up softly, "could I ask you something? I know it's really not any of my business, and I don't want you to feel like you're under any obligation to answer. But were you more upset at the thought we were obsolete to Equestria's defense, or by the fact that we aren't?"

The immediate impulse Twilight felt was to play it cool, do her best to channel the essence of Rainbow Dash, and ask what kind of question that was. But one look into those blue eyes had made her defenses crumble before they could even be fully formed. All she could really do was sigh and slump in defeat.

"Honestly? Both of them are kind of bad in their own way," she replied and leaned back against her chair. "If we aren't obsolete, that means we'll continue going on missions where the fate of the world is potentially at stake, putting our lives on the line for the sake of millions, all the while knowing that any one of us could potentially die. Every time a crisis of epic proportion arises, I'm worried that it's going to be the last time the six of us are all together; the last time I'm going to see my best friends alive. I don't want to lose any of you, but at the same time I don't think I could bear to live with the knowledge that I let others die because I was too afraid and too selfish to save them. But then again the alternative really isn't all that promising either. If we were obsolete, would we ever still be friends?"

"Why wouldn't we be?"

The question had been so simple, but it'd figuratively floored Twilight, momentarily leaving her uncertain how to respond.

"Be... because we needed to be friends to make the Elements of Harmony work. They wouldn't have worked if we were at each other's throats and couldn't stand the sight of one another. Nightmare Moon would've won then," she answered as best she could.

"Past tense. That was then, this is now," Fluttershy pointed out with a gesture of the hoof. "Do you honestly think we'd stop being friends with each other, simply because Equestria didn't need us to protect it anymore?"

"I... honestly don't know," Twilight mumbled, "we were all united by a common goal, brought together by necessity while our bonds formed. Knowing that if we couldn't keep the harmony between ourselves, we'd never be able to do the same for everypony else when they needed us. Whether we like it or not, it's been a defining, significant aspect of the relationships we've all maintained with one another. So what happens when that significant aspect is suddenly gone? Would we still stick together regardless? Would we slowly drift apart and go our separate ways as a result? Would we... would we..."

Her cheeks suddenly felt very hot, burning with enough heat for the convection to be reaching her eyes. It was proving to be difficult enough to see straight, to say nothing of being able to breathe properly without it hitching in her throat.

"I've run the calculations numerous times. I've used a chalkboard, abacus, slide ruler, and numerous other tools in my efforts. And no matter how many times I run them, no matter the permutation, no matter what variable factors are introduced, the end result is always the exact same; our friendships ending. The only difference of outcome is whether they're ended on our terms, or by an outside factor beyond our control. But that's hardly a difference worth mentioning when the end result is losing the best friends I've ever had..."

"Didn't you once tell Ulquiorra that friendship isn't something that can actually be scienced?"

The threat of tears spilling down her cheeks was immediately forgotten at Fluttershy's question, and brought her head back up to look across the table at her.

Yes, she had told Ulquiorra something that basically boiled down to that, during his third visit to Ponyville in the aftermath of the changeling fiasco. But she certainly didn't remember mentioning that conversation to anyone else. The only other ones present at the time had been Spike, and Ulquiorra himself. And for the life of her, she doubted either one of them would've brought that topic up in conversation with Fluttershy. She could be wrong about remembering it, what with everything happening as fast as it had been.

"I know we've all talked about this before, Twilight, but friendship isn't like a mathematical equation. The outcome doesn't change just because the structure is changed around, or the steps are carried out in a difference sequence of order. Maybe our friendship did receive a teeny motivational nudge from the crisis at hoof at the time, but it certainly didn't define it, it certainly wasn't the sole reason for it to come into existence, and it most certainly isn't the reason we've remained friends through the good times and the bad."

"I-" Twilight started to speak up, only to be interrupted as Fluttershy continued talking, effectively cutting her off.

"What you're basically trying to do is taking a five-gallon bucket of water, dipping out a quart in a glass jar, holding it up, and claiming it's fundamentally different in chemical structure from the water still in the bucket. Along with claiming that its absence fundamentally alters the nature of the chemical structure of water still in the bucket into something else entirely."

Twilight's jaw didn't exactly drop, but she could certainly feel it hanging open somewhat. Not knowing just where this conversation might be going, she opted to slowly close it, lest she end up saying something she shouldn't, at a time when it would be unwise.

"Now, as to the other matter. If there's one thing I've learned in my time as an animal caretaker, it's that nopony and no creature is ever guaranteed tomorrow. We'd like to think we are, we say "tomorrow's another day" but for some that day will ultimately never come. Maybe someday our friendships will end, maybe they won't. Maybe their ending will be of our own volition, maybe it won't. But we can't live our lives in fear of that maybe coming into existence. I know how scary and painful the idea of change can be, and I also know that we can't live our lives in fear of that pain. Because if we do, if we try to avoid that pain at any cost, we don't leave any room anything else in our lives. We might be safe from getting hurt, but we miss out on everything that would otherwise make life worth living."

Twilight couldn't say for certain that she'd ever experienced a thousand-yard stare for herself. But in the wake of Fluttershy's statement, she was fairly certain the look on her face could accurately be described as such, as flashbacks from her time before Ponyville played back in her mind. At the time it certainly seemed like she'd been living the good life as Celestia's prized student, and able to research things to whatever extent her heart desired. But in light of everything she'd experienced since then, it felt more like that time had been mere existence rather than life.

Her words had hit just a little too close to home for her own comfort.

"First It was Applejack, back at the hospital in the aftermath of Nightmare Moon. Then it was Pinkie in the library while we hid from the windigos," Twilight eventually replied as she came back to her senses. "Exactly when did my friends get to be as smart as I am?"

Fluttershy smiled in response at what strongly sounded like a compliment. "Well, you can't really be friends with somepony for years, and not pick up a thing or two from them in the process."

Now it was Twilight's turn to smile in response. That idea was oddly comforting at the moment.

"Now then. I..." Fluttershy paused, before slowly, sheepishly turning her attention down towards the table. "I'm sorry, I don't really know where to go from here."

"It's alright, Fluttershy," Twilight replied as she reached across the table to touch her foreleg with her own. "You've given me a lot to think about. Like how silly it is to be afraid of something that hasn't happened yet, might not happen at all, and can't be stopped at present. There are far more important things to be thinking about right now. Like enjoying my friends while we still have each other."

The table proved problematic in the execution of a hug, but it was easily bypassed and sidestepped by the two.

As much as she hadn't wanted to admit it, Discord had been right about her not liking the answers she'd gotten to her inquiry. But whether she liked the answers, at least now she had them and could stop pondering the matter at night when sleep was evading her.

"Thank you for being my friend."

Author's Note:

Not exactly how I had this chapter envisioned.

Comments

[Emperor of Jurai]

Can't blame a mare for thinking `What the point of me being here` considering things. Good to see Discord set her straight though, crazy guy got a point.

[Black_Knight]

A philosophical chapter. That's a nice change of pace.

[Dirty Bit]

Didn't think I'd learn a term for overpowered protagonists and the supporting cast who can never keep up. The Goku Doctrine has a nice ring to it.

Almost expected Discord to poof back and change Twilight into something. I enjoyed the little Doctor Strange reference.

[byayan]

I love this story more and more. Sooooo discord is mxylptp (whatever it is pronounced)? he is owesome, the ponies beautiful/wonderfull and Ulquiorra a badass.

Hell yeah!

[A Soul In Limbo]

Woo! New chapter! And it kinda addresses the problem made so apparent in the big multi-chapter battle. Fantastic. XD

[Mr_Perlimpinpin]

10797931
This entire fanfic feels like a long, action ridden, phylosophical debat between optimism and pessimism. I can feel myself becoming smarter each time I read it.

[Ghost Pony Rider]

Your author's note often starts with "I'm sorry" or "it didn't came out as planned", that means you're a real artist! 😁