The Past Catches Up to Us
Now, let it be clear that ah’ve never been to Canterlot before. Hay, ah rarely leave Ponyville apart from some neighborin’ towns. Usually, Applejack is the one deliverin’ our apples to them city folk. Which was fine with me. The city aint no place for somepony like me.
Ah always thought Canterlot would be some overly fancy place, full of fru-fru upstarts. Pretty much a city full of Rarity’s without any of the niceties.
Seein’ it with my own eyes…Was somethin’ else entirely. Canterlot wasn’t fancy.
It was magnificent!
The whole place was like steppin’ through perfection. Tall white towers pierced the sky. The city on the mountain was exactly like Applejack said, but words couldn’t exactly grasp its awe inspiring might. The paved roads felt like perfection under my hooves. Ah don’t know what else but to describe it like that.
Course ah couldn’t enjoy any of it. Not ‘cause of the ponies here. No, what should have been busy streets were nearly empty. Ponies closed their windows and the few ‘brave’ ones gave them a wide birth. It was quiet, too quiet….
“They see me coming~ They hiding~ ‘Cause they know I’m the god of chaos~”
Ah groaned.
The owner of the voice and said reason the place was nearly empty was usin’ his tail to walk. The rest of Discord’s body hung in the air. A royal red and white cape was hung from his shoulders and a golden crown upon his brow. He was strummin’ non-existin’ strings on a golden scepter and somehow producing sounds. He was wavin’ to anypony he could see, causin’ the poor ponies to flee in terror.
“Aww,” Discord lamented. “My adoring subjects. Can’t you just feel the love, big red?”
“Feels more like fear to me,” Ah replied honestly. No point in sugar coatin’ it.
Discord chuckled. “What you call fear, I call adoration. I am the god of chaos. I thrive on fear.”
“Like the fear ya are causin’ Applejack?”
Frownin’ he went back onto his paws and hooves, flashin’ away his kingly items. “You misunderstood me. When I say ‘fear’ I mean ‘caution’. I don’t like it when ponies are complacent or ‘feel stable’. I like spicing up their lives,” he teleported to my other side. “Surprising them, catching them off their guard,” his right paw turned into a sword and he swung it about in a defensive motion. “It’s short, sweet, and no one gets hurt. Just some harmless fun.” His arm went back to normal with a simple flick of his wrist.
Ah snorted. ‘Harmless is stretchin’ the truth mighty thin.’ Now ah knew nopony had been seriously harmed by the serpent. Scared out of their mind, yes, but us Ponyvillians still remember the first time he broke out.
Never in my life did ah want to find out how a prairie dog lives.
So yeah, harmless isn’t the best word to describe his brand of ‘fun’.
“Applejack needs a little ‘spice’,” Discord flicked his fingers, causin’ red sparks to fly about. “-in her life. Don’t you agree?”
“She has enough spice to deal with, thank ya kindly,” ah snorted. ‘Like savin’ the world.’
Discord nodded. “True, true. Saving the world time and time again, the constant heroic celebrations, hanging out with her friends, that must be exhausting work. I would be surprised with how she still manages to find time to buck her beloved trees, but this is Applejack we’re talking about. I think she’s too stubborn to listen to something as boring as ‘fatigue’.”
Ah chuckled. “Eyup.”
It didn’t take us long to reach the castle gates. Two Canterlot Guards, decked out in thick golden armor, stood at attention. Their spears held firmly in their hooves.
Ah couldn’t help but feel a little pride upon seein’ ‘em. It did my heart good to see ponies willin’ to fight for our country. Celestia only knows what sort of disasters would have happened without the Guard there to stop it.
Before we could enter, one of the spoke:
“Halt! Who goes there?”
Ah had to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Now ah know it might be customary to ask that question, but with the present company included?...’Oh boy.’
“Who goes there?” Discord glared at them. “Who goes there?” He teleported out of his harness and in front of the guard. “Sonny colt, do you know who I am?” His voice was much more menacin’. It kind of sounded like his first rampage a year ago.
The Guardpony, to his credit, was doin’ well under the pressure. Most ponies would be cowerin’ before the god, whimperin’ and pleadin’ for their lives. He just took a step back, sweatin’ like a dog. “Uhhh….”
‘Poor guy.’
“Do you not remember my exploits?” Discord growled, towerin’ over him. “Do you not recall my tails?”
“Errr….” The guard tried to say somethin’, but he was too scared out of his wits to do so. He kept glancin’ over to his pal, who remained silent. Though he was shakin’ somethin’ mighty fierce.
Ah had half a mind to help ‘em, but honestly, there aint anythin’ ya could pay me to get in Discord’s way…Other than stickin’ up for my family of course.
“Perhaps you have forgotten,” Discord leaned in, nearly shoving his face into the pony’s own. “Perhaps your memories are a little hazy.” He lowered a clawed hand near the guard’s face. “Maybe you need a little reminder.”
Ah just couldn’t help but stare at the critter. ‘Holy horseshoes, what the hay is he doin’?’ The critter was supposed to be done with this sort of thing. Ah couldn’t help but feel a tad bit scared myself.
“I’m sorry,” the guardspony cried out, fallin’ to the ground. He covered his face with his forelegs and…started crying? “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please leave me alone. Please, please, please. Leave me alone!”
“Steadfast!” The other guardspony rushed to his side, tryin’ to comfort him.
Ah put a hoof to the bridge of my snout. Ah should’ve known somethin’ like this would happen. That Discord would go too far with a joke, or somethin’ like that. Ah don’t blame the guardspony for breakin’ down like that….just surprised is all.
Discord was just standin’ there, awkwardly glancin’ between the cryin’ pony and me. “Uh….Oops.”
“Oops,” ah gave him a mighty stern glare. “That’s what ya have to say to this? Oops?”
“Well that’s the only think I can think of right now,” to his credit, Discord did look ashamed of what he did. “I thought the Guard were over it by now.”
“Over it?” Ah had a bad feelin’ about what that meant.
Discord scratched the back of his head. “Well…I may have played a little game of ‘mind screw’ with the guard during my break-out.”
“Really?” Ah knew he was capable of doin’ it, but to see it with my own eyes? ‘And this varmint thinks he can just woo my sister?’
“Look,” Discord raised up a claw to silence me. “I wasn’t a nice guy back then. In fact, I was a bit of a jerk.”
Ah raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, I was the biggest jerk in the universe,” Discord grumbled and threw up his arms. “What more do you want?”
“Help him,” ah pointed to the guard still cryin’ his eyes out.
“Ummm….” Discord fiddled with his claws. “How?”
Ah rolled my eyes. “Ya want to make up for your past mistakes? Ya want to settle down with my sister?”
Discord nodded enthusiastically.
“Then help him,” ah nearly growled out. Which is sayin’ a lot, since ah like to keep myself as calm as possible.
Discord turned to look at the stallion again. He was rockin’ back and forth, whimperin’ into the other guard’s coat. It was just down right pitiful. Ah couldn’t possibly imagine what Discord did to him, nor did ah want too.
Discord kneeled down, doin’ his best to get to the stallion’s eye level. “Hey,” he said in a soft, calm voice. “Could you, perhaps, stop crying for a moment? I have something to say.”
Steadfast fearfully took his forelegs off his face. “You’re not going to curse me or something, are you?”
Discord shook his head. “No, that’s not my thing anymore. I’m reformed now and….” He sighed. “Look, I’m just going to say this once and I want you to take it to heart…..I’m sorry.”
“What?” Steadfast, for his part, didn’t look as surprised as ah thought he was gonna be. Discord aint the type to apologize often.
Discord’s form drooped. “It was wrong of me to mess with you like that and for what it’s worth, I regret my wrongs. I really do. I’m trying my best to be a better creature and looking at you now…” he stared at his own claws, with a hint of discomfort and disgust. “I still have a long ways to go.”
Steadfast didn’t say anythin’. He just quietly observed the god of chaos, no longer cryin’.
“If you could just find it in your heart to forgive me….”
Whatever Discord was about to say was cut off when Steadfast suddenly lurched forward and wrapped his forelegs around him. At first, ah thought he was tryin’ to kill Discord. Wouldn’t blame him, even though it’d be futile. ‘He’d just trick Death.’ But that wasn’t it.
He was huggin’ Discord.
Discord didn’t move a muscle, too dumbfounded by what happened.
Steadfast pulled back, with a smile on his face. “Apology accepted.”
Discord blinked in confusion. “But…Just like that?” The stallion nodded. “After what I did to you? To your comrades? I didn’t hold back, remember.”
Steadfast chuckled. “If you’re going to be living with us ponies, there’s something you’re going to have to learn. We don’t like to hold grudges.”
Discord was silent for a moment. He just stared at the stallion in bewilderment…before he broke out into laughter. “Is there no end to the surprises you ponies bring?”
Steadfast shrugged. “I guess not.”
The other guard coughed. “Yes, well. This has been heartwarming and all, but no one is to see the Princesses today.”
Discord raised an eyebrow, which made a honking noise.
“Royal business,” the guard commented.
“Ah,” Discord teleported himself back into his harness. “But so are we. These fine apples are for the princesses. You wouldn’t deny them fresh fruit, now would you?”
“How do I know you aren’t making this up as a way to get inside?” The guard questioned.
Ah was about to pull out my paperwork, when Discord spoke up again.
“Because if I wanted to do that,” Discord pulled out his large fang and used it to scratch his head. “I would have already teleported myself inside.”
“He has a point, sir,” Steadfast butted in.
The guard glowered at Discord. While Steadfast may have forgiven him so easily, the older stallion wasn’t going to let Discord off so easily. “Fine.” He knocked on the gate with his spear. “OPEN UP! ROYAL VISITORS!”
Without a second of delay, the gates opened. Ah let out a sigh of relief. The past few moments were rather tenuous, but ah was glad they were did and done with. To be honest with myself, ah was glad that they happened. Not because ah wanted to see somepony cry, but because Discord was willin’ to ask for forgiveness and actually seemed to regret his past doin’s. ‘Maybe he is the one for Applejack.’ Ah thought as we strolled into the home of the alicorn diarchy.
_________________________________________________________________________
I had to retract my hidden blade. The scene surprised me wholeheartedly. He had apologized for his in-equine actions. Honestly, I wanted to end him then and there. Steadfast was a good stallion, one of my friends. He still screams at night, sometimes…Remembering what that blasted Discord did to him.
With both grace and years of experience, I expertly kept herself out of eyesight. My armor was enhanced with magic, so there wasn’t anything to fear when it came to Discord detecting me. Though, I had my doubts. He was the god of chaos.
‘He might just catch me for the fun of it.’
Still, I wasn’t one of Luna’s best nightguards for nothing. As a respectful chiropter , or bat pony as someponies referred to us, I wasn’t going to fail her mission. God of chaos or no.
Luna had entrusted me to keep an eye on him and take him out if he so much as sneezed wrong. Well, he was the picture of wrongness, but I had to keep myself calm. Even with my weapons and enchantments, he was still a god. I couldn't take him out myself.
That and Princess Celestia wouldn’t take kindly to it. She had made it known that no harm was to befall Discord. He was to have the same rights as us ponies.
I scoffed. ‘Since when did Discord care about rights.’
I had to report back to Luna. Discord was back in Canterlot and she wouldn’t like that one bit…Still, that red pony was attractive....
It wouldn’t hurt if I watched him a little longer. For observational reasons, of course. He was traveling with Discord after all. Hauling all those apples, with those big strong muscles…and that luscious male and that plot….
This was just for the report which I would give to Luna now….But I hadn’t got a look at his eyes! That’s crucial! I had to keep following them a little longer….For information!
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New chapter! YAY
That can be taken in two ways.
4850106 Or three, if you think about it hard enough!
fimfiction-static.net/images/story_images/103611_r.jpg?1368439287
Oh, well it seems Big Mac has an admirer.
Not that I'd blame them.
4852115 YEP!
I like to keep the same username with my stuff. Helps simplify things. 
Nice to meet you, anyways. I apologize if I don't recognize you immediately.
A second romance has appeared. Big Mac has a secret admirer. I like the development of the story.
A secend romance? how bold, hope you can manage all those characters.
2 things I notes:
surly you mean couldn't
wouldn't that be "referred to us"?
I liked this chapter, Big Mac's head is a fun place to be, and his description of Cantalot was some good character development.
I just wish Discord would have to try harder to be forgiven, I get that ponies are nice, but the guard just hugging him like that seams ridiculous.
This is going to get... saucy. *is licking my lips*
4854077 Well, Equestria is the land of love and tolerance, so there's that.
And he wasn't instantly forgiven like that remember. The other guard still didn't trust him and our mysterious bat-pony still wants to put a blade between his eyes. (Not to mention most ponies still fear him.) So instant forgiveness isn't going to be a thing. (Especially in Luna's case, which you will see soon.)
Wow, Big Mac really doesn't get off the farm much. I like the Discord and Macintosh interaction this chapter.
except all of the apple family and everypony in canterlot, apparantly
Ooh, gay guard pony?
6334178 not sure actually. There's nothing here that seems to indicate a gender
Luna is going to get one interesting report after this.
The fact that it isn't an official song parody is a crime.