• Published 6th Jan 2014
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Writer's Training Grounds Entries - Yukito



My entries into Equestria Daily's Writer's Training Grounds.

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Prompt #17 - Origin of Chaos (OC, Discord) [Tragedy]

Prompt: Another pony (not necessarily a unicorn) is somehow imbued with the Inspiration Manifestation spell. What happens?


This is the story of Entropy, a researcher who sought out new magic to use for the good of all ponykind. At only twenty years old, this unicorn possessed a brilliant mind that earned him the title of Master in Princess Celestia’s Royal Court Magi, and by the time he had turned thirty he had obtained the title of Overseer. Though this pony was well renowned throughout the growing land of Equestria, he had little time for friends, save for the two princesses whose attentions he had gathered from an early age.

One day, on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, Entropy was working late one night, attempting to decode the ancient writing found on a rusted, old treasure chest that was excavated from the land that would soon become the second-largest city in all of Equestria.

His assistants had already left, and Princess Luna requested he join her for the festivities, but Entropy politely declined. He was close to finally unravelling the mysteries of this ancient chest; he could feel it.

To whomever has found this chest, heed our warning thus:
Do not open. Leave the contents inside untouched.
If the wrong hands do posses this magic, a great calamity will arise,
For this was a magic not of this world – a great disaster in disguise.

“Finally,” Entropy said with a smile. “Finally, I have decoded the writing. Another prophecy of doomsday? Heh. If I had a shilling every time I saw one of these…”

Entropy disregarded the warning, chalking it up to mere superstition, or perhaps a trick to deter treasure hunter from plundering whatever may lie inside. Upon opening the chest, Entropy found but a single book resting inside. A book made of stone, no less. Surely, this must have been a relic most ancient, perhaps from a time before the segregation of the three tribes.

Entropy took the book and opened it. He was surprised to find that the writing was modern. “From in the head to out in the world, every thought to action. Hold close this book and through its spell, you'll start a chain reaction, projecting forth whatever beauty you see. Only when true words are spoken will you finally be set free.”

At first Entropy did not understand, but later that night something astonishing happened. Whilst sitting at home, reading his favourite book by candlelight, Entropy wanted to get a glass of water from his kitchen. As he made to get up, he found a glass of cool, fresh water sitting on the table to his left, where there had surely been no such thing earlier. That was when Entropy finally understood the meaning of the ancient tome he had uncovered earlier. It was a spell, one which allowed the user to create something from nothing.


The following morning, Entropy decided to test the limits of his newly-found powers. He started by repairing an old antique vase that his nephew had broke three months prior. The vase returned to its previous, un-shattered state, with not so much as a single scratch to indicate that it was once broken. However, the patterns on it were also different. Rather than a pattern depicting flames along the side, this new pattern was one of ice, similar to the pattern that Entropy had pictured in his head, thinking it would look much better.

Entropy then realised that not only could he create something, not only could he essentially turn back time on a certain object, but he could also change something that already existed. To prove this theory, he took out a random book and used his magic to change the hoofwritten text inside. The hoofwriting was undoubtedly the same, but the contents were altered.

Entropy had stumbled upon something amazing. What was more, he didn’t even feel tired from using the magic multiple times in a row. Without hesitance, he knew that he had to inform the princesses right away. With such magic, Equestria could enter a golden age of peace and prosperity. No more will poverty-stricken ponies be forced to fight for a decent meal. No longer will ponies without homes have to sleep out in the cold rain. The threats coming from the Everfree Forest would tremble at the might of an army that could be conjured up in only a minute. Disease would be a thing of the past. Even death seemed like it could be revered at that point.

Needless to say, Princess Celestia was sceptical of Entropy’s story at first. That is, until she found her royal tent in Canterlot had become a palace, in just one flash of light. With mere flicks of his horn, houses arose all over Canterlot, market stalls became live-in shops, and the magic crystals sitting outside the town had become ponies.

Princess Celestia was left speechless. Princess Luna was overjoyed. Entropy was glad to be of service, and the citizens of Equestria gathered to offer praise and tribute to their benevolent rulers.


Several days later, Entropy awoke to find himself in the hospital. He recalled that Princess Celestia, ever the paranoid mare, requested that Entropy hold off on his new-found magic until she was certain that it was safe. Of course, that wasn’t to say that he was strictly forbidden from casting any spells. But when Celestia finally decreed that he was free to use his magic for the greater good, Entropy’s excitement came out in full force. Perhaps it was a little too strong, as Entropy awoke with one leg missing and a concerned princess at his bedside.

According to Princess Celestia, Entropy had cast too many spells at once, not paying attention to what he was doing, one of the crystal trees he had created on an unstable foundation toppled over and crushed him. In order to free him, his legs had to be amputated.

Entropy was not concerned, though. After all, what was one leg to a pony with powers rivalling that of a god? Heck, he could just create his own leg to replace the one he had lost. A strong leg, like what the earth ponies possessed… In fact, why stop there? Why should it be a leg belonging to a pony? Entropy always did think that goats were pretty cool. They were his favourite animal.

Celestia gasped. In a flash of light, Entropy’s stump was gone, replaced with a thin, brown goat’s leg. Entropy seemed excited, whilst Celestia seemed disturbed. “Don’t worry,” Entropy said as he tested out his new leg. “It’s just an image change. I’m still me.”

Celestia remained unsure, but Entropy truly did seem to be alright, and happy, so she simply smiled and let the matter be. “Well then,” she began, “I must be leaving now. My sister and I have a lot of work ahead of us. You’ve been making a lot of changes around Equestria. You should give us all a chance to catch up.”

Entropy was upset, but he reluctantly agreed. He could see that ponies were still taking their time getting acquainted with their new home, and he had missed out on so much reading lately, so perhaps a break was in order.

Unfortunately, that though only lasted for one afternoon. Try as he might to set his mind elsewhere, Entropy could not ignore the itch that had started to bother him ever since he had returned to his home. Entropy was hardly a child. He didn’t have to always have a toy in his hand to play with lest he’d start fidgeting. However, this urge was driving him up the wall.

He had to use his power. He had to change something. He had to have some fun. But no. He couldn’t inconvenience anypony like that. He couldn’t just go around doing whatever he wished to other ponies or their possessions. It wasn’t right!

“Wait, I can’t do what I want to others… but to myself, I have free reign!”

Entropy decided that just one little alteration would be fine. He had always wondered what it would be like to fly, so perhaps a pair of wings, light-blue to match his coat…

The itch was relieved, but only for a moment. As Entropy fluttered in the air, examining himself in the mirror before him, he couldn’t help but feel that he could have done something more. An idea passed through his mind. He used his magic to turn one of his wings into a bat’s wing.

“Still not enough,” Entropy grumbled as he performed a flip in the air, the irritating itch really getting to him. “How about an eagle claw? I could see what it’s like to have talons… To hold something in appendages…” Entropy cast his spell once more, replacing his left foreleg with that of an eagle’s. “That feels nice…”

Entropy saw his appearance in the mirror and laughed. He looked ridiculous. He looked preposterous. He looked like something out of a children’s horror story. A freak. A wonderful, wonderful freak, who could become freakier still!

The next thing to change was Entropy’s other foreleg, become a lion’s leg instead. Only one more leg left. He was thinking something green… green like a lizard.

His horn wasn’t quite big enough. He could really make it stand out. ‘Goats have wonderful horns,’ he thought, and so he changed his plain old unicorn horn into a large, wonderful, blue goat’s horn.

“Oh yes! This is wonderful!” The itch was finally starting to leave him, but he was running out of body parts to change. Looking around, Entropy found that he still had an entire house that was his to alter as he wished.

Instead of a table with a small cake on it, why not a table that was a cake… with a small table on it, just for added effect! Entropy laughed at the silliness that he had created. Instead of a large, frilly bed that he would have to climb a flight of stairs to reach, why not just create a hammock right there in his living room? With an apple cider dispenser to its side!

The walls were too straight, and the paintings not crooked enough! Symmetry was everywhere, and his books were arranged alphabetically! Everything was neat, neat and boring! What purpose did order serve, what reason did he have for tidiness, when the whole world was at the tip of his new talons? He was free to do as he wished, to create what he wished! He had no reason to conform to the norms of society. He was society. He was the world! If anything, others should get used to his way of thinking, to his way of life!

Why should somepony with infinite power care what the world thinks of him? If he wanted to, he could change the world to be like him!

“Who says a pony only needs one horn?!” A single deer antler sprouted from Entropy’s head, beside the already-existing goat horn that was there. “This body isn’t nearly flexible enough! I want to move with as much freedom as I can! A snake! A snake’s body to show them all I am free!”

Flash after flash of light filled Entropy’s house. Entropy’s body changed quickly, new parts sprouting out and old parts changing shape, until soon only his head remained from his original body. Entropy admired his new form in the mirror and was quite pleased with the results. “Well well. I look pretty good. Though that colour is a little tacky…” Entropy snapped his talons. His old red mane was replaced with a long, white mane, resembling that of Starswirl the Bearded’s.

Entropy grinned. Now, he could barely even recognise himself. If not for his face, he would be a completely different being…

“A different being…”

He would no longer be Entropy, seeker of peace and order, and valued researcher to Princess Celestia.

“A new agenda…”

There was no longer any need to seek peace and order, for he could now see that chaos was the one true path. A world of fun and games, of ultimate freedom, where nothing was right, and nothing was wrong.

“I am…” The former-stallion snapped his talons one final time. The mirror reflected the new face that covered his old one. Brown fur, yellow eyes, large fang, and bushy, white eyebrows. “Discord.”


It was such a peaceful afternoon that nopony saw it coming. Pink cotton candy clouds in the sky, releasing chocolate rain, large houses being replaced with cardboard cut-outs, the floor being replaced with soap… even the sun and the moon were acting out of the Royal Sisters’ control.

Celestia and Luna both abandoned their duties immediately to head to the source of the calamity. The construction of Manehatten could wait. The first order of business for any princess was to protect her little ponies.

The two sisters could have never imagined what they saw. A being unlike any they had ever witnessed, yet so very familiar to them. So many different species, so many different body parts, all melded together to form the monstrosity floating in the air, laughing maniacally at the tortured ponies running around in a panic down below.

When he turned to face them, Celestia could almost see something in his eyes. She stepped forward, her legs shaking, and asked, “Are you Entropy?”

The creature grinned. “I am Discord,” he said with a bow. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness.”

Celestia’s brow furrowed. That was not Entropy, and whatever reason she had for thinking so eluded her at that time. “Discord… we must have- neigh, we demand that you stop whatever foul magic it is that you are casting right now!”

“Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport.” Discord slithered between the two, draping one of his differing arms around each of them. “Come, let’s all have some fun, together. After all, life’s so short. You should enjoy it while you can.”

“Discord, I am warning you,” Celestia said as the being teleported back to his position, ignoring the alicorn in favour of orchestrating a collection of ponies whose coats had been drained of all of their colours. “DISCORD!”

“Hush now,” Discord shushed as he waved his talons and paw around. The ponies below him began to sing.

Celestia and Luna both exchanged glances and nodded. Together, they charged power into their horns and touched the tips together, aiming the collective magic towards the being.

A snap sounded through the air. Celestia could only blink. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening. That blast had been ready to fire just a moment ago, but then this creature had cancelled it out with but a mere snap of his talons!

Discord yawned and, with another snap, vanished from their sight.

“Sister,” Luna spoke up, looking up to her sister with worry.

“We have no choice,” Celestia said with a solemn look. “We shall have to… take the Elements of Harmony from the Everfree Forest.”


Well, if you had paid any attention in History class, then you should know the story from here. After collecting the legendary artefacts, the Elements of Harmony, from the Everfree Forest, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna combined their powers once more. This time, Discord was defeated. The beast was trapped supposedly forever inside of a stone prison.

Their kingdom return to normal, to the state that it was in before Discord’s mischief started… and before Entropy approached the princesses with his strange, new power.

Whilst Luna was still trying to make sense of what had happened, her older sister Celestia approached the spot where Discord’s throne had been sitting only moments ago.

Beside the petrified body of Discord, a single book lay there in the grass. A book made out of stone. A book that sent shivers down Celestia’s spine just from looking at it.

“Sister, ‘tis the book that Entropy was carrying,” Luna observed. Her sister merely nodded. “… Shall We dispose of it?”

“No.” Celestia reached out with her magic and brought the book towards herself. “I shall… see to this book’s fate myself.”

And so ends the tale Entropy. Or rather, his tale ended long ago. When he felt the itch to use his power, or when he replaced his old leg with that of a goat’s? Or maybe Entropy died the moment he ignored the warning on that old chest and opened it.

Regardless, Entropy’s story is over… but a new story is just starting.


Celestia placed down her quill and rolled up her parchment. She looked up to the stone statue standing tall and proud inside of her room. “Well then, I suppose we had better make our way towards Ponyville.” Celestia lifted the statue with her magic and carried it with her.

Waiting outside was a chariot with her personal bodyguards ready at the front. Another chariot sat alongside it, and she placed the statue of Discord inside of it.

Entropy’s story was over, but Discord’s story was just about to start.

Author's Note:

Check out the other submissions by various authours here: http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/05/writing-training-ground-inspiration.html

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