Notes

by DerpyStarlet

What's Been Lost

Outside the coffee shop, snow rode the wind in blasts. Bit of blue sky peeked between the grey clouds but they soon disappeared as the storm continued westward. Discord’s breath froze as it whispered through a brown scarf wrapped across his mouth. Even through the snow he could see the yellow and orange glow of the coffee shop through its large windows. His toes were numb in his shoes. He bent his head down against the wind and pulled on the icy metal handle of the door to let himself in, accompanied by the next wave of snowflakes.

Barely anyone glanced up at him as he pulled his scarf down and breathed into his hands. Most of the patrons sipped steaming cups of coffee or hot chocolate. Those sitting by the doors Almost everyone has a screen of some kind in front of them.

Discord stomped the snow off of his shoes and brushed his jeans clean. He could feel blood tinting his wind-bit face as he approached the counter, rubbing his hands together.

“What can I get for you?” the girl behind the counter said with a smile.

“A large Peppermint Frost,” said Discord, knocking some stray flakes out of his dark brown hair.

She raised an eyebrow. “Really? On a day like today?”

He laughed. “Why not?”

She gave the storm outside a quick glance. “ Would you like anything else?”

He shook his head, examining a hangnail while he retrieved his wallet. “Nope.”

“Alright then. That’s $4.19.”

He handed his card to her and she swiped it. Paying for stuff was easy when all you needed was a bit of plastic and a fake identity to sign off with. With a rip of the receipt and a brief scribble, Discord finally looked up at the brunette behind the counter.

Taking the receipt he had just signed, she gave him a sales slip. “Your order number is 328. We’ll call the number out in about five minutes at most.”

“Thank you,” he said with a smirk hinting at the right corner of his mouth.

“Um...”

Discord slowly looked up from the wallet he was putting his card back into to glance at the hesitating barista. “Yes?”

“I see you in here a lot.”

“And?”

“You’re always by yourself but you keep staring at that redheaded girl when she comes in.”

“Your powers of observation astound me,” he said as he zipped his wallet shut and shoved it into his coat pocket.

“Are you stalking her?”

“Yes, but I’m afraid you’re not going to do anything about it,” he said with a wink as he snagged a newspaper from the rack by the counter.

“So, your order number is 328. It should be done in about 5 minutes at most—where’s your...?”

Discord waved the sale slip to show her she had already given it to him. She glanced at the slip dispenser and wrinkled her brow.

“I... thought it hadn’t printed yet... I... Nevermind. Ever have one of those days where your mind just derps?”

“You have no idea,” Discord said with a smirk.

“I could have sworn there was something I was going to ask you...”

“I’m sure if it’s important, you’ll remember it,” Discord laughed, tucking the newspaper under his arm and heading towards his normal chair.

“Yeah,” she sighed a bit. “Have a nice day!”

Discord nodded as he tossed the paper onto a small end table next to an overstuffed maroon armchair between the girl who was on her laptop and the boy who had fallen asleep. Celeste wasn’t here yet of course but Discord was in no rush. He casually removed his coat, scarf, and gloves. Instead of sitting immediately, he glanced at his watch until his order number was called a few minutes later.

Funny, she’s usually in here by now. He mused as he settled down in his seat. At least this particular coffee place had plenty of newspapers to keep him occupied. He took a sip of his drink then thumbed through to the comics.

Traffic might be bad coming from the library. It is rather snowy right now. After the first three comic strips, he glanced over the top of the paper without changing position. Finally, when he had hurried through Dilbert, he sat back and watched the snow outside, letting the newspaper drop a bit in his hands.

The door opened as people streamed in and out. The girl on her laptop came down from her tall chair and left. The boy was still asleep, and starting to snore. Two girls chatted excitedly about some scandal that probably came from a TV show. Discord watched the window and allowed his brow to furrow just a little.

Even on a Monday she is never this late... Especially on a Monday.

Discord’s brown eyes ducked back to reread the Dilbert strip as he snapped the paper up again. Celeste entered the shop in another blast of cold outside air. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that she didn’t move to the counter. He risked glancing up again.

Celeste stood by the bulletin board and pulled off her mittens before reaching into her messenger bag, not even bothering to tuck her long, red hair behind her ear like she normally did to get it out of her face. She slid a bright orange paper out and searched the board for pins.

The newspaper crinkled noticeably as Discord folded it up. By the time he was pulling his gloves back on, Celeste was pushing the last pin into a small poster with a picture of a girl taped onto it.

Look casual. Don’t let her notice you.

Snowflakes rushed inside as Celeste left the shop, still letting the hair fall over her face a bit. Discord took another sip of his half-finished drink and kept his eyes fixed on the exit before casually glancing at the poster on his way out.

---

Silence seemed to sit impatiently between Discord and Sarah. Discord pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to ignore the random sniffles that came from Sarah as she sat on her bed, wrapped in her comforter. He spotted blood on his finger and rubbed it away quickly, hoping Sarah’s eyes were too teary to see it. Anticipation shook him. Sombra’s raging cries still rang in his ears.

“I...” Sarah began. Discord’s hand quickly shot up to signal for silence. It shook as he returned it to grip the edge of his coat.

“I’m not angry at you.” He paused to trap all he shouldn’t say behind his clenched teeth. “But, do you see now why I told you not to go into Sombra’s room?”

“Nothing happened...”

“Something terrible could have happened. Don’t you understand?” he asked, looking up towards her.

“No,” she said before twisting the edge of the blanket in her hands.

Discord forced himself to breathe slowly. “I can’t explain all of it. But, the way he looked at you when I came in...” He leaned forward and asked in what almost sounded like a desperate tone, “What were you doing when I came in?”

Sarah curled up even more under her blankets. Her voice was defensive. “He had given himself blisters on his wrists from the handcuffs. They were starting to bleed and get infected. I wasn’t going to take them off. I just wanted to treat them so he doesn’t cry so much.”

Why do you have to be so naïve?

“Sarah, Sombra is a master of trickery. I have not seen those blisters before. He can always heal himself with his shadow magic, so I suspect he might just be trying to play on your sympathies.”

“He told me you beat him,” she said with a note of challenge.

“How did he tell you that? Did you take his gag off?”

Her eyes shifted away, but her look was confused, not guilty. “I just heard his voice. It just happened in my mind.”

“Did you let him into your mind?” Discord’s tone was reaching an almost hysterical pitch.

“I–I didn’t know what it was!”

“Sarah...” Discord went and sat on her bed next to her. “Please, if you ever feel him trying to crawl into your mind again, push him out! Letting Sombra in is dangerous. You don’t know what he might take control of. Do you understand?”

Sarah nodded and Discord put an arm around her bundled form, hugging her tightly.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“I’ve just seen a lot of what he can do to a person or pony. I don’t want him hurting you.”

“Ok...” she whispered.

“I’ll be back later, alright?” he said, standing up. A certain metal bar came to his mind.

Discord left the room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. He was half-tempted to lock it but decided it might make things worse if he didn’t give Sarah a second chance to be trusted. He gripped his right hand and a steel rod materialized in his fist.

“Discord?” Chrysalis called from the direction of Celeste’s room.

“What now, Chrysalis?”

“She’s moving.”

He ran, the bar still in his hand, as Chrysalis opened the door for him to see inside the patient’s room. The bar clattered against the floor as he rushed to her bedside.

Celeste Marlowe’s face contorted as she spoke soundlessly. Her head turned from side to side, as if in distress. When Discord tried to take her hand, she ripped it from him and hyperventilated.

“Is this supposed to happen?” Chrysalis asked as a gentle touch to Celeste’s shoulder provoked shuddering.

“No. I don’t know what this is.”

“It looks like she’s in pain whenever she gets touched.”

“Celeste? Can you hear me?” he asked. Her eyes remained shut as she fought her blanket. He pulled it off of her completely and she seemed to calm down. Her skin glistened with sweat. For a long while, Discord and Chrysalis watched her as she continued to sleep and twitch, most likely trapped in a nightmare. Perhaps her muscles had atrophied and moving hurt her? Whatever it was, the sunlight had moved from the middle of the floor to the edge of the ceiling before she relaxed and could stand to have the blanket touch her again. Her breathing finally calmed. She curled up on her side and hugged her pillow.

She could wake up any moment. He glanced at Chrysalis. “I told you to be in scrubs.”

She groaned and turned to the door, reaching for the pipe Discord had discarded. “Fine. You might want to take this out of here too.”

Discord turned in time to catch the pipe as she tossed it towards him. It turned to taffy and he began to nibble at it while he left the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Sombra would be dealt with later. It was time for dinner.

---

Discord stood on his pedestal in the garden and hummed to himself again. It was amazing how many variations of “The Hearth Warming Carol” he could come up with when given centuries to think about it.

Voices approached his statue. It was still day, but, at this hour the garden was closed to tourists. From the squeak of Chairpony Jade’s voice, this was probably another unofficial meeting of the cabinet.

“But is not all of this what you desired, Your Majesty?”

Oh ho ho, something is amiss I hope?

“I am afraid that is no longer the case.”

Oh, goody! Discord almost giggled with glee (or would have if he was capable). Having spent weeks without the smallest taste of entertainment made the slightest hint of unrest a delicacy.

“But the plan has progressed well so far,” said another member of the cabinet in a simpering drawl.

Hold that thought for a moment, Discord said, mentally grabbing a bird to scratch an insistent itch on his nose.

“I always wonder if he is the cause of that,” said a third cabinet member after a moment of silence.

“Of course, it’s him,” Celestia grumbled, dropping her normal regal manner. “Just ignore it.”

Ignore me! Are you out of your mind? Discord threw the bird in the vague direction of her voice and with a small cry he knew he had hit his target. The clatter of a crown preceded silence until Celestia cleared her throat.

“As I was saying in regard to the plan,” Celestia huffed, “it has not progressed well so far. There are unforeseen variables which must be contended with.”

“What variables could these be? This plan has been—”

“Sombra’s a monster; that’s what!”

Now, just because he’s playing around with you sister doesn’t — Before the thought ended a small surge pulsed in his chest. It was similar to the night Sombra had asked if he would consider working with him in exchange for Celestia. He could feel his heartbeat. Was something finally breaking the spell on him? Temper temper, Princess Celestia... Please do continue.

“Your Majesty! Please, contain yourself!”

“Who is in charge here? I've told you the plan is off. I can’t go any farther.”

“But, if Sombra is truly a monster, than perhaps your marriage to him could be used to bring him down.”

Marriage? I thought he and Luna—

“I am not vowing to spend the rest of my life with him! I had no idea how much he changed the Crystal Empire— The ponies are chained there! Also, I don’t think an unrestrained cabinet would be an idea he would consider.”

“But you are more powerful than him!”

“Says who? You? How convenient!"

"We have only tried to serve you and Equestria faithfully."

"Serve me? Ha! You’re the ones who gave me the idea to curse Sombra in the first place! You even taught me that love spell so I could do your dirty work for you!”

With each raised decibel of the Princess’ voice, the pulsing in Discord’s chest grew more powerful. It was like the thrum of a bumblebees going about their work, small, but constant.

“Your Majesty, the statue of Discord—” a cabinet member cautioned.

“What about him?” Celestia spat.

“Uh... It’s... I can hear something coming from it.”

Damn it! How could you possibly hear that?

“I’ll handle it. But, as of now, your services are no longer needed.”

“Your Majesty—”

“You may inform the rest of the cabinet that you all have been permanently dismissed. I am going to talk with my sister and see what we can do to fix this little mess you’ve caused!”

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to rule all of Equestria?”

Silence hung in the air, waiting to be dissipated by a response.

“Cabinet dismissed. Turn in your robes to the guards outside of the meeting hall.”

“Your Majesty!”

“You heard me! Now leave me alone!” Celestia shouted as the flap of wings signaled her departure.

“Her mane... did you see that?” Former Chairpony Jade asked.

“Yes. That hasn’t been there before,”

“What’s causing it?” a third pony asked.

“I don’t know. It was all pink when she entered the garden. Now it’s pink and purple.”

The hooves slowly wandered along the path, leaving Discord behind them.

Will somepony PLEASE explain what just happened?

Comments

[Ra1nbowCrasH]

I still have no idea what the fuck is going on.

[Eclipsed]

I am going to read it normally for now, but when it is complete I will read it back to front so my mind doesn't explode. :

[Sejen]

I think I've got it now, I think I've worked out what the storyline is..

Make your paitent think life is a dream and the alternative is a worse dream then offer a way home to the first one which only you control

Sombra has "sub contracted" Discord to pull Celestia into a human world in some fashion.
Discords job: convince her that talking ponies are silly and don't exist
Sombras job: brow beat and bully her into accepting his help... at a price
but Discord (and his helpers) seem to have chosen a third option...

[Alondro]

3277891 Sombra... the growling nutcase who whacks his head against a shield... has somehow managed to overpower DISCORD... who is essentially Q and could snap his fingers and quite literally turn Sombra into a puppet...

I could never believe that. Even if Sombra wasn't a raving nutcase, his powers are miniscule compared to Discord's.