• Published 28th Jul 2015
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Stargate: Shangri-La - Grey Ghost



Adventures, exploration and discovery continue as the alliance of two great races face the danger and the unknowns that lie within this new network. What secrets will be revealed as a hidden chapter of the Ancient's Legacy unravels before them?

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Gambler's Luck [Part 2]

A day in the life of Jasmine Iwu was a day of hectic typing and ogling alien technology. Much of her time since arriving had been spent integrating the expedition's technology with Shangri-La's systems. With Discord's lockdown of the city's systems, she found herself doing what she had wanted to do since day one: examining the stargate.

Kneeling down by the device, she pulled out her equipment and started attaching it to the inner ring. Somehow, examining the ring always led them to learning more about it. That just gave further testimony to how advanced the Ancients really were.

Recalling Lyra's comment about magicite, Jasmine made a mental note to bring in one of the unicorns. Magic was just another branch of science that humanity hadn't run across before. She felt a rush of ideas and feelings, a raw excitement at new knowledge.

She had to rein herself in, the task at hand came first. Tapping at the screen of her tablet, Jasmine examined the preliminary data she was getting.

"Having fun?" Discord asked, sitting next to her. Lifting up a cup, he smiled. "I brought you some tea."

"Gah!" she cried, struggling not to fall over. "Someone needs to put a bell on you!" Rushing adrenaline gave her courage, enough to put her finger in Discord's face. "You've been causing trouble all over the city! We still haven't gotten all the systems out of your little lock out!"

"Oh please, you've been loving the challenge," Discord dismissed with a grin and held the cup out to her. "You've been wondering if my lockout has self-changing code."

Snatching the tea from his hand, Jasmine held her glare. "It's not a challenge when the one giving it is a petulant man-child."

"That would wound me, if I applied the label 'man' to myself," Discord retorted, reclining in mid-air. "You mortals are always so ethnocentric trying to apply your words to other species."

"What's the proper term then?"

Discord stroked his beard with a grin. "Good question. My species has a name, draconequus.That's with two 'U's, by the way. Draqos for males." He paused chewing on his words. "And Equicos for females."

Iwu glared at him, clicking her tongue. "I'm not in the mood to deal with this." Not wanting to waste perfectly good tea, she took a sip. It wasn't too bad, a hint of blueberry and a pinch of nutmeg. "I have things to do. Important things that don't involve Picasso creatures."

"You mean like collecting that data that's already on your tablet?" the chimerical being inquired, waving his paw at her device. "If you really wanted to know about this lovely gate, all you had to do is ask~."

Glancing down, Iwu found readouts that hadn't been there moments before. "And why should I trust data from someone that doesn't want us here?"

"Because I don't lie, Ms. Iwu. Sure, I pester, I withhold, I tease. But I don't lie." Discord lazily floated around her, gazing up at the ceiling. "I know almost all of this city's little tricks, including those of the gate network."

Iwu unplugged her device and started to pack it away; something gave her the feeling Discord wouldn't let her get any work done. Standing up, she took another sip of her tea. She made that sip last a good long while, wanting to test the creature's patience. Iwu chose to let her mind wander, knowing full well that he could hear every one of her thoughts.

"Enjoying the tea? It's a brew I came up with myself."

"I'm getting blueberry and nutmeg. Mind sharing the recipe?" she asked, finally acknowledging him with a fake smile.

Discord met her smile with a genuine frown. "You don't have to pretend, Ms. Iwu. I'm not going to smite you because you don't like me. To answer your question, I've already put it on your tablet."

Iwu pulled out her tablet again, sure enough, the way to prepare the teabags was written in the notes section. "Huh. Thank you, Discord. I think I'll share this with my aunt when I get some leave. Sharing new teas is a thing we've done since I was a little girl."

"Sounds like a wonderful woman." Discord brought himself to a stop, hovering in front of her. "Now! Since your scans are all done and you have the free time, perhaps you'll consider my offer?"

Iwu's expression went blank and she turned on her heel. "I'm not interested. There's no way your offer's innocent after you threatened to kick us out of this ship."

"Oh come, now!" Discord popped in front of her, his hands on his hips. Or whatever approximated hips on his jigsaw-puzzle body. "Don't be like that. I can be very fun company."

Turning around again, Iwu planned a route to the nearest teleporter booth to get anywhere Discord wasn't. An exasperated sigh escaped her as she walked into Discord's chest. Stepping around him, she continued her walk down the hall. "Honestly, is not taking a hint a universal trait amongst sapient males?" she muttered.

"Maybe we just choose to ignore it?" Discord suggested, his image slithering along the wall next to her. "Ever consider that?"

"I have, and that's the worse alternative," she shot back, running a hand through her hair. "Though, most guys I've dealt with can't teleport willy-nilly."

Ah~ Now that was an idea. Turning another corner, Iwu slipped into one of the transporter booths. Hitting the button for the engineering level, she felt the familiar weightlessness of teleportation. The doors opened, giving her a good view of the opposite wall.

"So, what are we going to do here?" A voice from below her inquired. Looking down, Iwu groaned at seeing that Discord had replaced her shadow with his own silhouette. "Want to see if we can soup up the engines? We can take this ship to plaid!"

He gave her a little wave. "It was a good idea, at least. But it's not hard to piggyback onto a matter stream. Now, if you had used the Astria Porta, that'd be one thing, but these tiny teleporters are very pedestrian."

"And how would we use the stargate for something larger than the ring itself?" Iwu asked, stepping into a dark corner of the room to get rid of her shadow.

"Hm? Oh, I was talking about trying to avoid me," he responded, appearing on the wall. "Not whatever you were talking about."

"Do I have to use the stargate to get away from you?" Iwu grumbled, staring blankly at the draconequus.

"And where would you go, hm?" Discord questioned. "You've only scouted what, two planets?"

"So even if I did, you'd find me pretty quick is what you're saying?" she guessed with a sigh that was becoming distressingly common while speaking with Discord. All Iwu wanted was a normal workday. To get her hands dirty and maybe make a few discoveries. She didn't need a clingy eldritch abomination pestering her every second of the day.

"I'm so glad you're a quick study!" Discord beamed, pulling himself out of the wall. "Now, are you ready to hear me out?"

Iwu sighed again, propping herself against the wall by an arm. "If I hear you out and say no, will you leave me alone?"

Discord stroked his beard, pursing his lips. "If you hear me out, I might be inclined to give you space."

"I don't listen to maybes from guys, Discord," Jasmine shot back. "Give me a straight answer or I see just how far you'll go to get my attention."

"Fine. Yes, I'll leave you be if you say no. There, happy?" he asks, crossing his arms. "Now, can I make my pitch or not?"

Smiling smugly, she gestured for him to proceed.

"Well then, my fine lady, do I have something for you!" Discord set up a small screen, a few images displaying on it. "You see, while you Terrans have been busy little bees and plundered so many secrets, you haven't found all of them."

Several slides moved over the screen, displaying snapshots from Daniel and Sam's memories. Mostly of great discoveries the two had been involved in.

"Is this the part where you offer me a timeshare?" Iwu asked, recoiling at the slides. It was creepy how Discord could not only read minds, but display it openly.

"No, this is where I offer you something amazing." The images changed, this set of slides showing off stargates in various states of completion. "I understand you found one of Destiny's seed ships, but you had it for what? A few hours, a day or two at most. I'm offering you a stargate production facility."

Iwu scoffed, turning to Discord with a critical eye. "And how the hell are you offering me that? Even if you knew about past facilities, there's no telling what's happened to them in that time."

"Are you saying you don't want to see the inner workings of the gate system?" Discord walked around her, letting his tail brush her leg. "Just think about it: Terran-made gates, placed wherever you want. You wouldn't need to steal them from other planets for your crazy ideas. Galaxy bridges. That's actually more than a little impressive, I will admit."

"Again, how are you offering this? A derelict facility isn't guaranteed to give us what we need on gate production. Hell, I think the Ancients never kept records on the actual process."

Discord chuckled, leaning his face into hers. "Because I know a fair amount of gate addresses. You've had Atlantis for how long? A little over a decade? And how much have you gotten out of its archive?" Tapping the side of his head, he grinned wolfishly. "Most of the addresses in this network are in my head. I know the purpose of each associated planet. I can give you more than you've ever managed to get on your own."

"And why would you give us this info? You want us away from Ancient tech."

"I never said that, you silly human." Discord booped her nose, finding her reaction more to his liking. "I just don't want you here. There's a big difference."

"And why should I trust you?" Iwu crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because contrary to what my four-legged acquaintances say, I can be very harmonious when I choose to be."

"That's not filling me with confidence," she retorted, her irritation growing. "You antagonized us and locked us out of the city. Why would you start giving us things?"

Huffing, Discord thumped his tail against the floor. "Do you want the trip or not, Iwu? Don't drag this out more than you have to. Either a yes or a no, please."

"No. You're as trustworthy as the offspring of a used car salesman and a demon. Any deal you offer me would blow up in my face."

"Now that just hurts, Iwu." Discord frowned, holding a broken heart. "I'm a very trustworthy person. I'm not the one who tossed out the Shangrian's teachings just because they left, like some people did."

Iwu quirked a brow, regarding the draconequus as a pregnant pause filled the air. Despite his expression, she could sense there was something deeper there. "Sounds like someone's got a chip on their shoulder."

"Why does everyone think that?" Discord punctuated the question by brushing a spray of potato chips from his shoulders. "I'm perfectly adjusted, thank you very much."

Rolling her eyes, Iwu turned on her heel. "Well, I listened and said no, I'd better get going."

"Hold on there." A hand stretched out, catching her by the shoulder. "I said you had to listen to my pitch, I never said it'd just be the one."

"Now you're just milking my good will," Iwu replied, crossing her arms. "Go on, say what you have to say already."

A flash of light surrounded Discord and a moment later he was hovering in midair milking a cow labeled, 'Good Will'. "Hmm, did you say something, my dear? I was too busy pushing it to the limit."

Iwu wanted to groan, but she only had herself to blame. There was no way the chaos spirit was going to pass up such an obvious joke. "Fine, just talk."

"I can see that just talking about an Astria Portia factory isn't good enough for you," Discord began, coiling around Jasmine. "But you know what they say, seeing is believing." Grinning, he snapped his talons.

Before Iwu could protest, the pair disappeared with a 'pop'.


Iwu didn't feel the normal disorientation gate travel brought, nor the strange weightlessness of a teleporter. One moment she was in Shangri-La and the next she was standing in a humid hallway. Glancing around, it was obvious they were in a building of Ancient design. Not a city or even a seed ship, no, the place had a far more spartan feel to it. This wasn't a place for long-term habitation, with only some of the spiritual feel that Shangri-La had.

"I didn't say yes!" Iwu hissed, turning to face Discord. It took her a moment to realize that she had free movement once more. Even longer to realize that the draconequus seemed in no mood to continue his antics.

His fur seemed to have lost a lot of color and the scales on his various body parts lacked all luster. The most disconcerting though was that his smug grin was overtaken by a contorted visage of discomfort.

"I have made... a terrible mistake," Discord groaned, rubbing a spot between his eyes. "Very... very bad."

Iwu's irritation fell away and she let a hand rest on Discord's side. "Discord, what's wrong with you?"

"A lot of things are wrong with me, Iwu." Pulling away, he took in a long breath. "Magic. Not focused. Just... a whirling vortex of roiling magical energies."

"If you're not in control, lead me to the gate here and let's get back to Shangri-La. You said you knew plenty of addresses."

Stepping forward, Discord held his head. "Y-yes, I know most of them."

Stars. Digital stars lit up the room, filling Discord with wonder.

"This is the Concordia galaxy, little one. So vast, yet so small compared to the universe itself. That is the first lesson we Shangrians take to heart. Everything, people, planets, stars, all small parts of a larger whole."

"It looks like glowing sand!" Discord chirped from his perch on Zaeed's shoulder. His tiny face shined in wonder at the spinning image. "Can I make shapes out of it!?"

Zaeed chuckled, patting the little draconequus's mane. "I offer you a lesson and that is the question you ask. I often forget the imagination of youth."

Discord pulled away from Zaeed, hovering above the image. He let his tail dangle into the image, swirling its contents with his tail. "Ooh! Maybe we could turn it into a drink! I bet it'd be tasty!"

"If you mean real stars, I somehow doubt fusing hydrogen would be very tasty. And if you mean the image, it's nothing more than a hologram," Zaeed said with a chuckle.

"It tastes like... candy," Discord mused, already chewing on one of the galaxy's edges. "Really bland candy too." Making a rather exaggerated face, he pulled away from the galaxy. "Can you make something tastier?"

Zaeed's eyes widened for all of a moment before he settled down. "Ah, it seems I've underestimated your abilities once again. I promise to get you some sweets once our lesson is over."

"Aw, okay." Discord moved back to Zaeed's shoulder, settling in.

Clearing his throat, Zaeed continued with the lesson and pointed to the various parts of the galaxy. Discord's tail wagged happily, absorbing Zaeed's words. Every once in a while, he would try to snack on a random star, only to make a face and put them back.

Tapping at the control panel, a vast swathe of the galaxy fell away, leaving only a spider-web of connected lines. "These, Discord, are all the planets in this galaxy where we have placed Astria Portia. Each one carries with it a seven symbol key used to connect to other planets in the network."

"Why seven?" the young Discord asked, his head swiveling around to see all the points on the map. "Why not five, or thirty-two?"

"A very good question. Astria Porta only need to know six points in space plus the location of the receiving Porta. Of course, to travel to other networks, one requires an extra symbol, but for now, we're only talking about Concordia."

"What are the other networks like?!" Discord chirped, beaming at Zaeed. "Can we go to them someday?"

Zaeed gave him a sad smile. "Perhaps one day, Discord. If our Lantean brothers can find themselves again, then we shall welcome them with open arms. Until that time, it is for the best that no one leaves this network."

"Didn't you say that there were those other creatures that looked like you, Zaeed?" Discord questioned, floating up to the edge of the map. "Will we open the network for them?"

"It is our hope that one day, they will suceed us." Zaeed put his hand on Discord's head, scratching his ears. "That is why we have allowed only one outside connection, from Terra to this city."

"And what will we do if they come to our city?" Discord asked, visibly vibrating with excitement. "Will we welcome them with a candy feast?!"

"Perhaps not with candy, but I imagine we would indeed have a feast." Another series of taps and the hologram changed to the symbols of Concordia's gates. "Now, these are the symbols we use for this network..."

Reality came back to Iwu like a freight train. Stumbling back against the wall, she tried to make sense of what she had just seen. Counting her heartbeat, she quided herself back into some form of control.

"You didn't mean to show that to me, did you?" she finally asked, daring to look at her companion.

Discord shook his head, glancing around at the walls. "No, I didn't. Like I said, I'm not in control. There's something in the air here, interfering with my magic." Glancing at her, his demeanor changed. "How are you feeling? Any tingling, strange feelings of ennui or paranoia? Jamais vu?"

"Maybe a little tingling, but that might be because you just brought it up," she answered, rubbing the back of her neck. "We really need to get out of here."

Stepping forward, Discord stroked his beard. "Come along then, Iwu. We shouldn't dilly-dally. And do keep me informed if you start feeling strange. Magic radiation isn't something to sneeze at."

She didn't need to be told twice, coming up alongside the draconequus. Taking the relatively silent walk down that hall to organize her thoughts, Iwu took stock of her situation. A renegade, and obnoxious, higher being had taken her to an Ancient factory. A stargate factory, at that.

Reining in the urge to double down on that thought, Iwu reminded herself that the place was radioactive. Magically radioactive. Whatever that meant. She herself didn't feel anything but...

Sneaking a glance at Discord, her focus shifted from the excitement of discovering Ancient secrets to a more underhanded goal. If Discord's memory episode was repeatable, she could theoretically uncover whatever had turned him into such an unlikable jerkass.

The only problem, she had no idea what prolonged exposure to magical radiation could do to her. If it was anything like normal radiation, then her plan could easily lead to her own painful death. Her mind drifted to the images she had seen of the Japanese 'survivors' of Fat Man and Little Boy. There was no way she wanted to wind up like that.

Clicking her tongue, Iwu made up her mind. "When Princess Cadance and her friends first appeared in the city, I got to give her a hug. First time I met royalty, and I got to cross two items off my bucket list! What about you? How'd you meet the princesses?"

Discord didn't answer, giving a sharp look to Iwu. "I don't want to talk about it," he finally grumbled, walking faster.

"We have more than a while, Discord," Iwu pushed, keeping stride with him. "What else are we going to talk about? Unless you want to hear about some of the more tedious routines in my work day. I mean, just the other day I was cleaning some of the control crystals in one of Shangri-La's engine rooms."

"Did you remember to go along the grain of the crystal?" Discord asked her absently. "You get an extra shine to it that way."

Iwu's nostrils flared. "Who do you think I am? That blowhard McKay? When I do a job I do it right. I did such a good job It wouldn't surprise me if a princess wanted to decorate themselves with those crystals."

"I'm sensing someone owned a plastic tiara in their childhood," Discord joked. "Did you also doodle horses on all your schoolwork?"

"I'm not the one who personally knew princesses," Iwu shot back.

"I thought I did," he muttered darkly.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" she pressed, reaching out to put a hand on his side.

Discord pushed her hand away and he had to resist the urge to grit his teeth. "Do you think you're crafty? I know you're trying to make me project another memory. It's not going to work, Iwu, I promise you that—"

Travel across Shangri-La was trivial for Discord. A simple snap of the talons took him anywhere he wished to be. So long had he stalked these halls, he didn't even need to remote view his destination. Every inch of the city was etched into his memory, down to the slightest scuff on the floor.

It was one of the many benefits of having caused terror in the city for so long. How anyone got any work done with him around was beyond him. So many dozens of centuries in the city had turned Discord into just another part of it, like the control crystals or the transporters.

"Discord," one of the Shangrian leaders of the city called over the speakers. "Would you mind coming to the conference room for a moment?"

Ah, just as he was about to pop into Sita's dining hall. Never one to slack on a call, Discord began to phase through the floors and walls of the main tower, waving to passing Shangrians and native Shambalans as he did so. Not that they really noticed. Well, they did. But the wonder they once held at his antics had worn away like so many things from childhood.

Before long, he was sitting in a chair and smiling at the leader who called him. "So, any reason why my lunch is being delayed? Did you find that stink bomb I hid in one of the control room consoles?"

"Fortunately, we did not," Kimar said, looking over at Discord. The small mousy man was Zaeed's grandson, far enough removed that Discord never bothered to recall the amount of greats. "We have some new residents joining us today."

"Oh, then forget I said that," Discord replied, snickering. "And what do you mean new residents? Are we taking in another stray?" He patted himself for emphasis.

"Must every sentence out of thy mouth be so uncouth?" Starswirl asked, annoyed. He stood tall and lean near the upper left corner of the room. A short black beard hung from his jaw, groomed with care. Several bells hung off his hat, part of a rather silly costume, in Discord's opinion.

It was a test of will, but Discord managed to keep up his smile. He'd never say it in front of Kimar or the other Shangrians, but he had the feeling that Starswirl was a racist prick. If it weren't for the advanced tech of the city, Starswirl would likely want nothing to do with them. "Ah Starswirl, my favorite pony. How are you doing today?"

Starswirl regarded him impassively for a moment before gesturing behind him. "I am in good health. But we aren't here on mine account." He stepped to the side, revealing two smaller shapes behind him.

The first was slightly taller than the other and had snowy white fur. Her long pink mane obscured one of her light purple eyes. The other was a deep navy blue with teal eyes and a short light blue mane. However, the most striking thing about the pair was that they had wings and horns.

Discord phased through the table, hovering beside Starswirl. "And now who are these two? I don't think I've ever seen ponies like them before."

"Their names are Celestia and Luna," Starswirl replied. "We've taken to calling them alicorns, the first of their kind."

The white filly stood protectively in front of the smaller filly, almost glaring up at Discord. The smaller peeked out shyly, her eyes glimmering in wonder.

Discord lounged in midair, rolling onto his back to look down at the white filly. "Now, now, why are you giving me the evil eye, little 'Tia?"

"Starswirl says thou art tricky," Celestia responded, spreading her wings and puffing her chest out. It was classic Prega'sur behavior, puffing oneself up to look bigger. It looked rather adorable on her.

"Tricky is a decent word, though I doubt he meant anything good by it," Discord commented, stroking his goatee. "I simply play harmless pranks with my friends."

"Art thou a chimera?" Luna asked, cringing back behind Celestia when she had Discord's attention.

"In the classic sense of the word, I am chimerical," Discord explained, pulling off one of his legs to examine it. "But no, chimeras are a separate species from me. They have three heads with individual personalities."

"Liberum konatura is a draconequus," Kimar explained, moving to stand beside Discord. "One of only two known, in fact. There's no need to be afraid of him."

"Do you have to call me by the nickname in front of the new residents?" Discord whined, though he smiled at the smaller man as he pulled himself up to sit cross legged. "I have a professionalism to maintain here."

Kimar just smiled, patting Discord's neck. "Celestia and Luna will be studying here in the city. It is Starswirl's hope that they will be the key to solving Shambala's rotation."

"And you want me to teach them, am I right?" Discord guessed, nodding at Kimar's words.

"I do not think it wise to allow such a thing," Starswirl spoke up, narrowing his eyes at Discord.

"Hmm? And why would you say that, Starswirl?" Discord inquired. "I have much more experience than you when it comes to magic. Not to mention better social skills with children."

Kimar held a hand up, cutting off Starswirl's response. "There's no need to argue. We still haven't decided on the young ones' curriculum. Whatever is decided, both of you will be a part of it."

"I can live with that," Discord relented, sinking into a chair, literally. His eyes wandered back to the fillies, feeling the smile grow on his face. "Would either of you like a drink? Some candy maybe? I know a pretty good Dia'doma rock candy recipe."

"Don't we have to stay for the meeting?" Luna chirped, speaking softly and uncertain. "How canst thou make us candy and stay here?"

Discord waved his paw and stuck it out in a flourish. He brandished a small tray, presenting the two with a small selection of snacks and a pair of drinks. "I have my ways, little Woona."

Both sisters' eyes lit up as they regarded the colorful candy. Before Luna could light up her horn, Celestia stopped her with a hoof and took a piece for herself, sniffing it carefully. "'Tis fine, Luna. It should be safe."

"Oh come now, I'd never hurt a fly," Discord scoffed, putting his hand on Luna's head. "No matter what Bellboy says."

Ignoring the assurance, Celestia took a bite of her candy. Her eyes widened and she smacked her lips. "Delicious! This is utterly delicious!"

Seeing her sisters reaction, Luna took a bite of her own piece. "Indeed!" she proclaimed, flaring her wings out. "'Tis the best candy I have ever tasted. Many thanks, drakonacus!"

Discord smiled and patted both their heads. "No need, your reactions were all the thanks I require."

It would take a bit to get whatever Starswirl had told them out of their heads. Despite the Shangrians' best efforts, there was always one. They popped up from time to time amongst the various races of Shambala; thinking that only their race was good and pure. He'd be damned if he let Starswirl infect them too.

Discord hissed, feeling the sting of tears biting at his eyes. "Damn you, Iwu! I did not come here to play recorder for you!"

"No, you wanted to play Faust with me," Iwu shot back, keeping her hand on his side. "So I figured turnabout's fair play."

"Just... stop," Discord said softly, rubbing at his eyes. "I don't need this right now." That was the worst part of having what was most likely perfect memory. Everything was so crisp and clear, even the emotions of the time burned into this very being.

Sighing, Iwu nodded. "Alright, let's get out of here. I won't press you further."

"Good." Discord sucked in a breath, making a show of flaring his nostrils. "Now let's just find the gate and..." His words stopped as he turned the corner, his eyes locking with those of an umbrum.

The shadowy unicorn sneered at him, its features twisted in a look of bottomless agony. It's features contorted further, erased from existence as the whole of its body was evaporated. The space it occupied glitched and stuttered, rewinding itself. The umbrum barreled down the hallway before it met its fate once more, and again, and again, and again.

Iwu watched in horror, unable to move a muscle. "What's wrong with this place?"

"Magic," Discord whispered, watching the scene repeat again. "Some kind of magical accident that warped the fabric of reality here. Think something like, uh..." Clicking his tongue, Discord frowned. "Well, I have a good comparison but I don't know if you and Floyd share the same hobbies."

"Try me, I'll take anything to help me wrap my head around this," she pleaded.

"Ah, well, there's a book series about post-apocalyptic Moscow. After nuclear bombardment, the world seemed to break, a bit. That's what's happened here. A place where the laws of physics, nature, time, what have you has been thrown out of whack. Hence the anomalies like this poor fellow."

Iwu groaned, rubbing the side of her head. "I don't get the reference, but I think I get what you mean. Magic, as we're calling it, is the ability to tap into subspace like a ZPM. Messing with that can alter physics as we know it."

"There's just something about Concordia that makes it all possible." Discord began to walk again, studying the hall in greater detail. "The Shangrians could never quite figure out what it was. But it's woven into everything here."

He perked up, stepping close to the wall and pressing his body against it. "Here. Make yourself as flat as possible and shimmy along the wall. I'll tell you when it's safe to move away."

Iwu did as she was told, doing her best to avoid looking at the grisly scene. She ran through an old story in her mind, a favorite from when she was a child. A story about how the heron got the crick in its neck. This helped, if only a little, the image of the umbrum fading from her thoughts.

"It's alright, we passed it."

Discord's voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. Stepping away from the wall, Iwu swallowed dryly. Swallowing a few times, she bent over, bracing herself on her knees. Taking a few deep breaths, she centered herself and straightened up.

"Thanks, Discord. I really hope we don't see more scenes like that."

"I'm afraid that's more than a little optimistic," Discord replied, cracking his back. "Something like this? It's only going to get worse the closer we get to the epicenter."

Iwu sighed, having to hold back a shudder. "I was afraid you'd say that." Looking ahead, she gestured vaguely. "You're the expert here. What do you know about this place? Beyond stargate production, I mean."

"It was home to some other research as well," Discord answered, leading her down the hall. "I believe this is where amulets like Floyd's were first developed."

That piqued Iwu's interest. "Do you think there are any left? We can't really study Floyd's, I heard from the medical staff that taking it from him causes all sorts of problems."

"Since apparently the umbrum were here, you'd likely only find bits and pieces at best." Discord led her down the corridors, until they reached a large attirum. "Stay close to me, Iwu. Things don't feel right here."

Iwu frowned, what had once been a bustling atrium was now a dead and crumbling shell. She stuck close to her guide, a tingle running down her spine. It wasn't until they were half way across that she noticed the shapes.

Spread out across the open expanse, dark silhouettes lingered and flickered. Shadows with no source, Iwu swore she could hear whispering amongst them. She tore her eyes away from the shadows, reasoning that it was just a side effect from whatever had gone wrong so long ago. That didn't stop the whispers from reaching her ears.

"Lingering spirits," Discord explained, looking over at a cluster of shadows.

"I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it for myself," Iwu shuddered again, looking up at Discord. "Though, reading up on SGC missions tends to make you rethink old superstitions."

"Whatever happened keeps them here," he further elaborated. "Their essence, the foul, black misama that it is, is trapped here."

"What can cause that sort of thing?" Iwu asked, using her questions to block out the voices of the spirits. "This doesn't seem like a typical thing, even for this galaxy."

Discord stopped, staring at one of the flickering, equine shades. "If I had to guess, it was something the umbrum did. Messing around with things they didn't understand." Turning back to Iwu, he spoke again. The words poured out of his mouth, unbidden from his mind. "I hate them, you know. In every conceivable meaning of the word in every possible language. And yet, that very fact disgusts me."

"Because hate goes against the Shangrian teachings?" she said, her expression falling to sympathy.

"It goes against everything they ever taught me." Discord hung his head, the weight of a thousand years of grief smothering him. "I don't want to hate anyone, Iwu, but the umbrum aren't like the rest of us. They aren't even like the wraith, who do what they do because that's the only way they can survive. Grogar made the umbrum. Made them the cruelest, most heartless beings they could possibly be."

"The reports haven't really done them justice then," Iwu replied, thinking on what she had read on the umbrum. "Pair up that sort of cruelty with Ancient tech, and that's a deadly combo. We can't let them get Shangri-La, they'd be able to dial out to Earth or Atlantis."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Atlantis." Turning away, Discord resumed his walk. "The Pegasus network is locked out of this one. The Shangrians didn't want their cousins finding this place. You're an expert in your field, Iwu. What do you think would have happened if the Lanteans got their hands on a unicorn? Or a pegasus? Or, heavens forbid, a changeling?"

Iwu nodded, being careful to follow his footsteps. "Right, that was in your memories. Weren't they afraid some of the survivors would try to dial in from Earth?"

"That's very possible. Perhaps it was pride that kept them from trying. They might not have wanted to come crawling back to their cousins after their own arrogance brought them down."

"Even fools have their pride," Iwu shrugged. "I'd imagine the Shangrians would've given them an earful about the wraith. Or maybe they thought they'd cut Terra off from dialing in too?"

Discord shrugged back, sidestepping another shade. "It doesn't matter at this point. If any of them that ascended were bitter about it, they never showed it. At least to my knowledge."

Click. Clack.

Holding his lion's paw up in the same fashion as the military members of the expedition, Discord put his ear against the exit doors, frowning. "Iwu, you don't happen to have any weapons on you, perchance? I don't like that sound."

Reaching to her side, Iwu pulled out a pistol. "It's standard operating procedure on the Shangri-La expedition to at least have a sidearm at all times, even for the scientists."

Discord never got to make a response, witty or otherwise. The atrium doors were closed one second and the next, he was on his back. He brought his arm up, crying out as a crystalline maw clamped down on it.

Iwu raised her weapon and fired, the shot echoing through the open space.

Comments ( 81 )

Nice to see another chapter of this.

The thing is I agree with Discord but not for his reasons. The humans are gaining access to tech that is much to advanced basicly they are the children with a gun.

9779753
Again, that's not Discord's point at all.

A nice chapter, thanks for continuing. :twilightsmile:

I hope that one of the pieces of data that Discord loaded up, was the Gate Directory, even if password protected, its a lot easier for him in this condition to unlock?

Grogar, Sombra trying to link Magic, Necromancy and Gate Tech together? No wonder the Umbrum. And the Reality glitches.

Trouble is Discord can handle the Chaos in the region, but unlocking himself, would unlock the true multidimentional Chaos, which would spread through the Gates to everyplace connected?:twilightoops:

9779859
What are you even on about?

Crystal shadows. :twilightoops:
Discord: "And Jean Luc thought the Borg were bad ass nightmares. :facehoof:"

Hmm.

Is Discord's issue with the Terrans that he fears they'll succumb to their own arrogance? Because that seems to be a reoccurring theme, Discord taking issue with those that adopt the "mightier than thou" mentality...and seeing the Shangri-Laians were all about equality and humility... :duck:

Only Discord even by accident would transport his friend/love interest (Discord is hard to figure out) into the magical equivalent of Chernobyl mixed with doom and a splash of Metro. Like Jesus, that's an original location for a date here have some wine and cheese while we fight off the horde of monstrosities and extra-dimensional magical horrors. I love this story.

9779906
You're close but not quite there.

Woot the poo is achieving substance. I can't wait to see what happens next.

These memories are filling me with further questions. How did Discord go from giving candy to children to turning the world upside-down for a laugh?

ok something that can heart Discord is something that defiantly needs to be watched out for.

i am happy to see a new chapter for a grate story.

9779907

here have some wine and cheese while we fight off the horde of monstrosities and extra-dimensional magical horrors. I love this story.

Hey, find the right girl and that could be a bangin' time!

I actually feel sorry for Discord now. All his old friends long gone. The ones who taught him to be himself. And then they were gone. He did his best to be friends with Celestia and Luna. Only for them to later turn him to stone. Poor guy never keeps his friends. They either leave or hurt him. Think I understand why he wants everyone gone. He doesnt want them there because they remind him...

I’m sorry one of two!?!?!? !!!!!

Well now.

Seeing Discord like this is humbling to a degree.

9780953
Implied a female, as he named what a female is called, is what I believe

3.6 Rontgen. Not great, but not terrible either.:twilightsheepish:

Oh, wait. It's not 3 rontgen, it's 15,000.:pinkiegasp:

9780953
9781460
Cosmos and Princess Eris have both appeared in the comics as female draconequuses.

9781796
Actually, it's been confirmed that Cosmos is not in fact a draconequus

I am so happy to see this update! This chapter has a a nice twist to it and I like how much background it gives while still leaving plenty of questions unanswered. Like what stopped Discord from going after the umbrum, because from the sounds of it he really wants to destroy them.

9782952
I am one with the Force Harmony, the Force Harmony is with me.

I am one with the Force Harmony, the Force Harmony is with me.

I am one with the Force Harmony, the Force Harmony is with me.

It's very interesting to see Discord's ancient memories. Very thought-provoking.

9781788 Bah! I can survive a ZILLION roegentergenigummies of Super Death Radiation! So there! (Alondro, King of the Internet Tough Guys)

:trollestia:

9779977 Giving candy to children....

pics.me.me/free-candy-seems-legit-motifake-com-27464914.png

Seems like a natural progression, actually...

You do know Discord is sadly right here. I have seen Atlantis and SG1. The Atlantis crew basically doomed the Pegasus Galaxy. While SG1 really has screwed up. Now I get it the ORi might have shown up before most things happen. Most things that the teams did Discord could really find bad. Like what happens if the Trust do something? I am sure the trust is still around during this time.

What if one of the Priors shows up in Equestria? There is so many things here it's not wise like there is many things that could go wrong. I am sure the remaining Tok'ra won't respect the ponies. I am extreamly sure the Nox won't either. The Jaffa might not even respect them. So there are many bad ifs here.

Like Michele if you even consider bringing him in or Todd. The fact that so much could happen. Heck Sg1 is to blame for a lot.

9811433
This takes place in the year the first chapter was published. The Trust was dismantled mid to late SG-1 and the Ori were wiped out for good in Ark of Truth.

9811614

OH good to know that Ark of truth happen

9811684
Plus why wouldn't the Nox respect the ponies?

9811687

I don't remember but I don't even remember if the Nox showed up after much of the series. I think they just showed up for two episodes.

Enjoying reading the worldbuilding here as always!!

Well at least these ancients didn’t have to deal with the Ori

9813095

I think the Ori would have won.

"Ah, well, there's a book series about post-apocalyptic Moscow. After nuclear bombardment, the world seemed to break, a bit. That's what's happened here. A place where the laws of physics, nature, time, what have you has been thrown out of whack. Hence the anomalies like this poor fellow."

METRO???!!!

9826827
Surely. There are a lot of magic-like, timebending-like and lost souls - like things there.

I hate it...

9783342
Sounds like this to me.

:derpytongue2:

Well this got dramatically better in the last few chapters. Don't think I've seen a bitter Discord before. Hope to read more. :)

Quick question. When in the Stargate timeline does this take place. I’m right at the end of season 10 of SG-1 and just have the TV movies, season 3-5 of Atlantis and universe to watch.

9924085
This story takes place in 2015, four years after SGU.

9924287
Thanks. I’ll wait till I’ve finished before I start reading.

I'm really expecting to start fighting a Umbrun that's sorta broken a spastic like a Taken. Or Ghouls like FOE both the equestrian kind and the fallout kind.

I didn't think I'd catch up so quickly. Damn it; cliffhanger :<
edit: I do quite like this take of Discord.

An interesting take on a stargate crossover and, unlike several others, it isn’t dead. I’m not really sure what I was expecting when I started but it’s turned out really good. Looking forward to more.

I actually enjoyed this series and I will love to see more of it.

I have a question what kind of opening title screen for the series would be if it was animated and what song would be the chosen of this series should be the classic Stargate SG-1 song or I'll be a modified version mixed with MLP and Stargate.

Ok I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I'm kinda hoping the ascended Shangrians aren't as big of assholes as the ascended Lanteans. "We don't want Anubis, so we'll send him halfway back to you. He's causing you problems? We don't care, no longer our problems." "Oh, we created the Wraith and the Asurans. They causing you problems? Doesn't matter, not our problem anymore." "Oh the Ori and their priors are coming to our galaxy? Don't care, not our problem. Deal with it yourselves." And when one of the ascended DOES try to help? They stop them. Seriously, fuck the ascended Lanteans.

I'm hoping the Shangrians will at least have SOME presence or give a reason for their silence. Are they busy actively keeping the city-ship of Tambelon and it's master in Grogar in subspace? If they're just being aloof ascended asswipes like the Lanteans, then they're no better then said Lanteans.

Part of me wonders if this is all an elaborate test by Discord and not a magical accident.

I hope this continues updating someday.

I personally find this story to be really good and exciting. I hope it picks up again soon. And phooey on the naysayers who keep bashing it.

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