Finding The Magic (Discontinued)

by Astral_Spectrum

2 Never Had A Friend Like Him

“Honestly, does she really need these books this early in the...” Discord let out a heavy yawn. “...morning. I mean really, I've only had one cup of coffee.” Discord used his hooves to skate along the floor of the castle as if it were an ice rink. Princess Twilight had sent him to retrieve some books from the library in the ruined castle. “I have a report I need to write. Rarity asked me to help her with a dress line today.” Discord muttered mockingly while waving his paw and claw about. It might have been eleven o'clock in the morning, but that was still early for the Lord of Chaos. “Its as if she doesn't know how to sleep inn-nn-nnnn!!” Discord tripped and fell into a heap against a wall, his dragon-like tail draped between his elk and ram horns.

“Ouch. That hurt quite a bit. What did I...?” Discord looked back and saw that he had tripped over a sleeping... someone. “More like who did I.” Discord blew the tuft of hair at the end of his tail out of his face.

Astral awoke from the sound of the crash. Still sore, she sat up and turned around to see the crumpled heap of creature. “Wah!” Astral yelled. “Who... What are you?!”

“I should ask you the same.” Discord stood up, dusting himself off and resetting his small beard and eyebrows to their normal position. “I am Discord: Lord of Chaos! And apparently also delver of ancient ruins.” He said in disgust. He was still upset with not being able to sleep in.

“Well that at least answers the who, and I guess part of the what, too.” Astral replied, still pretty confused as to what the amalgamation of animals was that sat across from her. “My name is Astral Spectrum. I'm a human mage from the world of Azeroth. I was teleported here by accident and I'm not sure how to get back home.” She explained.

“A mage, hmm? So you can use magic then, but can't teleport yourself back? I may be the embodiment of Chaos, but that sounds strange even to me.” Discord laughed. He found the whole situation playfully ironic.

“Its true, I can use magic! Watch.” Astral flicked her wrist to begin casting a spell. A flicker of flame began to form in her palm, and then fizzled out. “What? Why isn't it working?” Astral said confused. She didn't understand why her magic wasn't working.

Discord ceased his giggling. “Wait a minute. You really can use magic, or at least you could.” His tone turned to one of fascination. Maybe she wasn't making this up after all. “You said you were from another world?” he quizzed.

“Yes. I'm from a world called Azeroth. I was searching for some ancient magical secrets when I...” Astral stopped herself for a moment. Did she really want to tell him she was here because she was tricked by a rather obvious magical trap?

“Yes? You what? Go on. I'm listening” Discord replied laying down with his chin held by his paw and claw, eager to hear more of this strange tale.

“I was fighting this huge black demon and it ripped open a portal and flung me through it before I could put an end to his evil and reclaim the hidden treasure! Thats how I ended up here.” Astral said quickly. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either.

“Riveting. Now, how about telling me what really happened.” Discord said smugly. He could see right through her blatant attempt at deception.

“What? How do you...?” Astral sat surprised. “Could this creature read minds? How did he see through me?” She thought to herself.

“Well, for one, that look on your face is a dead giveaway. Second, I'm the Lord of Chaos. I'm pretty confident that I can tell when someone is trying to deceive me. I'm hard to beat at my own game after all.” Discord sat twirling his paw with his chin mounted on his claw. His face wore a smug grin of victory. “Twilight was right. It IS more fun to use my abilities to help people rather than spread chaos!” Discord mused within his own thoughts.

“I...” Astral was stunned. Her mind tried to find something to grab onto. She couldn't make something else up; He'd just see right through it. Finally, she stopped trying to come up with another story. “Fine.” Astral sighed. “I was rummaging through the ancient keep known as Karazhan. I wanted to claim some of the powerful magical artifacts there for myself; more specifically, a journal that held untold magical secrets. I let my curiosity get the better of me and was fooled by a magical trap that dragged me through a portal and dropped me here. Now I'm stuck here and have no idea where I am or how to get home. To top it all off, that portal did something and now my magic isn't working either!” Astral said almost in tears. It physically hurt to say. All she wanted to do was prove she could be among the best, and she ended up messing up everything she had. She let it all go to her head and used her abilities just to gain the attention of those around her, and now it has her stuck in a strange land and in way over her head.

“Now, now. Don't cry. If there's one thing that I've learned, its that while the truth hurts, its nothing like the bitterness a lie leaves.” Discord said almost melancholic. He'd learned a lot over the time he'd been free from his stone prison.

“So, what am I suppose to do now then?” Astral wiped the tears forming from her face. “I can't use my magic and I don't know anything about this place or even where I am.”

“Well, I don't know how to get you home, but I'm pretty certain I know somepony who can find a way to do it, if it exists.” Discord proclaimed. He snapped his fingers and a book on the ground next to Astral popped into his claw. “Since I've found the book Twilight wanted already, I'll take you back to Ponyville with me to see her. If she can't figure this one out, nopony can!” Discord shouted in excitement. He hadn't gotten to extend a hand of friendship to anypony other than Fluttershy yet. This little meeting turned out to be quite fun for him in the end. Perhaps his morning hadn't been ruined after all.

Astral gathered herself and walked beside the strange creature leading her out of the castle and into the forest. He was so strange looking. He had the head of a pony, but his body had parts from a lion, an eagle, an ox, a dragon, a ram, and even an elk. It was as if he was just stitched together out of seemingly random parts from random things that lived on this world. The 'Chaos' part of him started to make more sense to her. Astral continued to look him up and down, trying to figure out each creature that made up his body. She certainly wasn't expecting him to be friendly, but maybe he could help her after all. Suddenly, Discord whipped around and broke her concentration.

“Oh! I have to tell you all about my friend, Fluttershy, on our way back. She's so...” Discord began flitting about in the air around Astral as the pair walked, telling her all about Fluttershy and their friendship and the like. He began to ramble on with little breaths at random intervals. He clearly had quite a bit to say. Astral was curious now as to how this was all going to turn out in the end...

Comments

[kotor511]

Can't pass a decent opinion yet, need more chapters first.

[Nameless cow]

5238759
It looks good to me, still... MOAR PLZ

[Astral_Spectrum]

5239162

Chapter 3 has a draft copy written up already. I'll have to keep going at it then. Glad you're enjoying the story!