Chapter 11 - Heartbeats
Discord sat through his Saturday class without a word to the handful of students sitting in front of him. He had written an assignment on the board and contented himself with scowling at them the whole period. When the class finally ended he watched the students file out until he was completely alone. He continued to sit. And wait.
And wait.
And wait.
But nothing happened. Twilight would have come to visit by now. Discord tensed up in anger and annoyance at himself when the thought occurred to him. She was just a student who had given him unwanted, unnecessary attention and pestered him without end. For what? His friendship? Discord gagged at the prospect. The whole concept frustrated him and he refused to believe there was any possibility of it.
The more he thought about it the more it seemed that Twilight was pushing Celestia's agenda; using the power of friendship, something Celestia insisted was the most powerful force of all, to reform him. To make him docile. To bend under the alicorn's will. He would have none of it.
"It doesn't matter what her motivations are," he grumbled to himself. "I'm putting an end to this. All of it."
Twilight had done exactly what she told Luna she would do. She went back to her dorm took a proper shower, settled down in her covers with a book and read herself to sleep. Her rest was long and dreamless and when she woke she welcomed the new day. Saturday mornings were her favorites. She could lounge about, warm in her covers for as long as she wanted before starting the day with a hot cup of tea and a frivolous novel.
As she pressed her cheek into her pillow she found her mind drifting backward to certain events from the night before. She deliberately steered her memory away from its target and landed squarely on the memory of Discord. She was certain he'd be furious with her. She was expecting a referral or a detention or a scolding, but nothing came. He had been so calm.
"He didn't even seem surprised," she mumbled. She thought that perhaps hundreds of years of life made him calmer, more considerate of his actions. At the very least they must have made him tired.
Twilight lost patience for lounging and rolled out of bed to start her day. She retrieved her saddlebags and loaded them with books. It was going to be another beautiful day and she thought some fresh air would be nice. When she finally stepped onto the lawn, however, she suddenly noticed how everypony who had witnessed her "incident" was probably enjoying the fresh air too.
Without allowing her mind to remember the event specifically she opted for the cozy nooks of the library.
Mahogany greeted her with a pinch more warmth than usual. She had obviously heard about the dance and was concerned, but she never asked about it and Twilight was thankful.
The librarian let her study in peace the whole day. She even brought Twilight a cup of tea around lunchtime.
Twilight tried her best to occupy all of her attention with the library, but memories of the previous night kept bubbling up. She would push them away each time but they would always return twice as stubborn as they were before. She thought about Discord again.
He hadn't punished her. He had gone to find her when she ran away. He turned on the water and washed away the red. Discord cared about her. He was her friend.
Something in Twilight's chest fluttered, and she felt happy. A friend. The only friend she had ever had was her big brother, Shining Armor. She never thought she needed anypony else, and for the most part she still felt that way. Being away from Shining Armor must have left an empty space without her noticing, and Discord had suddenly filled it up. It felt nice to have someone there, a new big brother.
Twilight chuckled silently. No, not a brother. Discord was something else. A mentor? No, something more than that. A father? That made her chuckle more. Definitely not. Just a regular friend? It didn't seem to fit, like it wasn't strong enough.
What then? Twilight pondered, no longer paying attention to the book in front of her. More than a brother, stronger than a friend. What could possibly-
Twilight's ears suddenly grew hot. Why were they hot? Her cheeks blared red and she dunked her head back into her book.
"Don't be silly," she snapped at herself. "That's just silly." She realized her heart was beating a little harder. "Stop that." She hissed. It didn't listen.
The feeling gradually faded as the clock ticked on and on. Twilight focused on A History of Political Fidelity in Cameloo as long as she possibly could. She wanted more than anything to forget what she felt, but when she dared look back on it an image of Discord came her mind, and the feeling just came back. She banged her head into the pages.
"Stop that," she told herself. "That's completely, utterly unacceptable!"
Twilight was familiar with the concept of crushes and always dismissed them as silly passing fancies, but acceptable in young fillies. Twilight wouldn't have minded if she had suddenly taken fancy to one of the colts in class; she could have dealt with that. But this was a teacher. This was an immensely powerful being possibly more than ten times Twilight's age. This was Discord.
When did I stop calling him Professor? She whimpered inwardly. She got up and shook herself harshly.
"Oh, Twilight," she sighed. "You silly, silly, pony."
She glanced at a nearby clock. The afternoon was young, and there were still a few books she wanted to read. She sat down again and noted with annoyance that the fluttering in her chest had given way to a glowing warmth. She shook her head at herself. It was only a little crush. It would surely pass, like all crushes do.
She closed the book she had open at that moment, no longer in the mood for a topic she already knew everything about. She needed something new. Something complicated. Something to distract her from all her hazardous thoughts. She scanned the bindings of the books she had stacked around her. Magical theories, histories, studies, and so on. Unsatisfied, Twilight began scouring the shelves. She scanned case after case, each title not quite what she wanted. She trotted down every aisle, and Mahogany's ears pricked up.
"Do you need help finding something?" The librarian called from her desk.
"OH!" Twilight's head appeared from behind a bookcase. "Yes, please. I'm looking for a book."
"I had no idea." Mahogany didn't get to use her sarcasm often. She was a bit rusty but the remark satisfied her for the time being.
Twilight grinned sheepishly. "I don't actually know what I'm looking for. I want something different from what I've been studying. Something new."
Mahogany tapped her chin in thought. "Something new, huh? Hm..."
She thought a while, then hopped off her chair and rounded her desk to a stack of unsorted books that were piled beside it. She scanned the bindings and tugged a light-colored volume from the stack. She levitated it over to Twilight.
"There you are. I read it over breakfast. It's different, but interesting."
Twilight held the book up in front of her. It had an off-white, almost yellowish cover with a deep blue border and swirling decorations. Spread across the cover in large blue and silver letters was the title: "Constants and Variables: Alternate Realities and Unknown Dimensions of Space." Blue flowers and stars extended from every corner and end of every letter. It was too gaudy, and she could tell by the smooth finish and untouched cover that it was a relatively new addition to the library. It was perfect.
"Thank you!" She said, retreating back to her reading area.
Twilight sat down and cracked the book open. She was a bit disappointed that there was no dust to clear away from the pages, but there was something special about the smell and feel of a brand-new book that was almost equally enchanting. The first page of the book had one line of text:
There are many oceans, but only one shore.
She was hooked.
Speed-reading was a skill she acquired from years of practice, but she only employed it for tests or schoolwork. When reading for fun, Twilight liked to relax and take it slow. However, this new book proved too enticing. It was a small volume, and within two hours Twilight had zipped her way from the first chapter to the last. When she finished the last word, she brought the back cover around and closed the book. She stared at the blank cover for a moment.
Finally she muttered, "Huh," flipped the book around and started it again.
Constants and Variables was a book about metaphysics. Specifically, it dealt with different theories concerning alternate dimensions. For example, the existence of a fourth dimension and what it might be, how one would travel through it, what it could be in it, and so on.
Twilight paused when she reached the fifth chapter and took a moment to find her notebook and quill. She read the chapter again, this time taking notes. By the time she was finished, she found herself uninterested in reading anything else in the book. She returned to the start of the chapter and began to read it again.
The topic was decision-based alternate realities. The book talked about choice. Every choice that is ever made by anyone changes the direction of the world. By definition, when there is a choice, there is more than one option. When one option is chosen, life and time continue based on the effects of that decision. For instance, one day you are walking down a road and you come to an intersection. You have two choices: go left, or go right. You choose to go right, but in other dimensions, a different versions of you chose to go left. Perhaps there is a grizzly bear to the left and you are eaten. Perhaps there is treasure to the right and you go home rich. Both outcomes exist, but in different dimensions, different worlds of space-time.
"Every choice creates a new reality," Twilight said quietly to the book. She thought about the possibilities. If she had chosen not to go to the summer sun celebration in Canterlot when she was a filly, she might never had seen Celestia raise the sun in person, she would have never discovered the wonders of studying magic, and she would have never become Celestia's pupil. Where would she be then?
"What if Mom said no when Dad asked her to marry him? I wouldn't exist at all!" She smiled. This was fun. "If Starswirl the Bearded decided not to share his studies, if Celestia had decided not to send me to Celestial Academy, if I had decided not to eavesdrop on her conversation with-" she suddenly fell silent, suddenly more somber.
Twilight asked the book, "If she decided to imprison him in stone, instead of cursing him, like she said...how would things be different?" She held the book up a higher. "And there's a reality somewhere for every possible outcome, according to you. 'Many oceans'...
"Is there one where he...Is there a reality where I..." She didn't know what she was trying to ask, but the pesky feeling in her chest returned. Angrily, she held her breath, trying to quell it.
Nope, she thought. This is nothing. These feelings are nothing. Stop feeling things you stupid body!
The feeling died down and Twilight sighed in annoyance. She shook her head and tossed the book away. Maybe she would find more luck on more familiar ground. Obscure Unicorn History would surely do the trick.
Twilight read through the afternoon. Mahogany fell asleep at her desk as the sun sank below the horizon and she woke later in darkness. Flustered at having forgotten the time, she quickly closed up the library. So quickly, in fact, that she forgot about Twilight reading in the farthest corner and locked the door with her still inside. Twilight had dozed off too and only woke when she heard the heavy library door shut with a loud noise.
She stood and stretched, not at all afraid of the gloom. The moonlight filtered in through the windows and painted the library with an ethereal, if not ominous, glow. She felt comfortably cool in the dark, and levitated her books and bags together without worrying about her mixed up feelings about Discord. She smiled when the flutter in her chest was almost unnoticeable. It was already fading away, like she knew it would.
When she found the front desk empty and dark, she noted with anxiety how far past curfew it was. She glanced out the windows and determined that the moon must have been considerably high in the sky.
"I'm surprised I dozed off for so long," she whispered to herself. "I better get to my room before anypony catches me out here."
She pushed the door, but it held firm. With a small grunt of frustration her horn illuminated dimly.
"Now I have to add illegal lock-picking to the list of rules I've broken this semester."
There was a soft click and the door swung open, and Twilight flinched as it produced a loud creak.
She poked her head out and scanned the hallway. No one. Twilight crept out of the library and silently closed the door behind her. The campus was particularly quiet that night, and she soon felt safe enough to relax and enjoy her walk around the edges of the courtyard. She decided to take a quick detour to investigate a gardened area that she hadn't had the chance to see yet.
The garden was a considerable distance from the fountains of the main courtyard, so she was surprised to find Discord sitting there when she arrived.
The moon was high, and the shadows of the leaves and sleeping flowers were deep and dark. Discord was silhouetted in the light, his form outlined in a shimmering band of silver. The fountain of this garden was quite different from the others. Instead of having an elevated bowl, the main basin was cut directly into the ground. It had two other tiers, and crowning the topmost one was a stone disk, etched with the image of a crescent moon. It was obviously the oldest garden in the school with slightly overgrown bushes and cracking stone with moss and vines clinging in the crevices.
Discord was facing away from Twilight. He sat on a wooden bench and observed the water as it tumbled around in the fountain, as usual. Twilight hadn't been particularly happy all day, but seeing him made happiness seem more familiar. She knew he could already tell she was there, so she didn't try to hide.
Her first step towards him was cut off when he said quietly, "And so she returns."
"Good evening, Professor," Twilight greeted. She trotted to his side and frowned when he failed to even glance in her direction. She began to feel worried when she realized he wasn't just gazing into the water that night. He was scowling, more furiously than ever, the lines under his eyes deeper than she remembered.
"Professor?" she asked. "Are you okay?"
"Go home." He didn't shift his gaze. Twilight moved between him and the fountain, and he looked away. "I said go home," he grumbled again.
"Sir?"
"Didn't you hear what I said?" Twilight jumped at his suddenly intimidating tone. "I don't want you here anymore. Not tonight, not tomorrow night, nor any other night for as long as you attend this school."
"But-"
Discord finally locked his scarlet eyes on her. "I'm sick of your meddling. I'm sick of you pestering me. Leave!"
Twilight smiled. "You've tried to get rid of me before and it didn't work. You really should just-"
Discord's eyes flared up in fury and his lips parted slightly to reveal a row of clenched teeth.
"You don't have any idea who you're dealing with, do you?" he hissed.
"I-" Twilight faltered. "I know who you are-"
"Who I am?" Discord's was dangerously close to shouting. "You barely know what I am. You have no idea what I've done."
Twilight was stunned at how much malice filled his voice. "But I-"
She jumped back when he suddenly dropped from his seat onto all fours in front of her, bringing him closer to her level. He advanced threateningly, and Twilight backed away. He followed.
"I have lived thousands of years," his voice was so much darker than anything Twilight ever expected from him. It was vicious, murderous even, and for the first time Twilight felt afraid of him. "I've ruled over lands you've never even heard of. I've caused unimaginable suffering."
Twilight stopped short when her back hooves suddenly stepped into the water. She glanced down instinctively, and when she looked up again Discord was right in front of her, his dark form blocking the light of the moon and casting her in shadow.
Quietly, he asked "Do you have any idea all of the terrible things I could do to you?"
Twilight was speechless. She was confused. Where was all of this coming from? In truth, he was terrifying her. After a moment, though, Twilight's fear began to subside, and she scowled at him.
"Yes," she argued. "There are plenty of things you could do to me that your curse would allow, but I seriously doubt you would actually do anything."
"Where would you get such an idea? What makes you so sure, Twilight Sparkle? I am chaos. Disharmony incarnate. I've seen countless ages and I've caused endless pain. Mortal pain is my pleasure, I find joy in it."
Twilight felt fear flicker inside her again, and something else she couldn't place.
He continued, "How dare you, a small, insignificant infant, assume you know me when you cannot even begin to comprehend what I'm capable of. I have lived thousands of years without friendship and I will live thousands more. Your pursuit is pointless, naive, and pestering. If you are fond of having your limbs attached to your body, I suggest you stop this nonsense."
Twilight had stepped back repeatedly and had water coming up to her stomach. She couldn't remember how to speak, so she stared for quite a while. Finally she was able to mutter, "Why?"
Discord ignored her and withdrew back to his seat.
"Why," she said louder, fighting to keep her voice even. "Why do you fight so hard against friendship?"
He merely scowled at her and growled, "Go."
She scowled. "If you're so evil, then, why did you help me?" He didn't respond. "Breaking up the party? Coming after me at the dance? I'll bet it was you who put that blanket on me, wasn't it?"
"Misguided actions fueled by sleep deprivation."
"Ha!" Twilight choked. She stepped back onto the stone and headed for the edge of the garden. "I'm leaving," she struggled to keep the heat behind her eyes from pooling into tears. Why were there tears? "But I'm not done yet. You haven't seen the last of me, Professor. Lie and threaten all you wish. There is good in you and I intend to make you see it."
She disappeared down the path, and Discord slumped angrily in his seat. He should have stopped her in the beginning when he had the chance.
Twilight trotted down the path to her dorm. There was a new, unfamiliar kind of pain in her chest. The heat behind her eyelids had subsided but what remained was a dull, dry feeling. She felt hurt. Discord had never yelled at her like that before. It surprised her, and it made her remember there was a reason Celestia put a spell on him. She had forgotten for a while that Discord must have done something terrible in the past to earn his punishment, and now she had an idea of what it was.
Unimaginable suffering. Could it really be true? Twilight was suddenly furious. He was too stubborn, and it was difficult to tell if he was just making it up to get rid of her. She growled at herself in frustration. Despite all of this, despite being blatantly threatened she still wanted to help him.
"Why?" She asked herself angrily. "Why are you such a stupid, stubborn pony?" Twilight was careful not to let her voice rise above a hiss. She noticed he pain in her heart again and paused.
"Stop," she sighed. "Stop doing that." Her body wouldn't comply, and continued to throb. Discord had gone to great lengths that night to indicate he wasn't her friend, that she wasn't anything to him. That he didn't even enjoy her company anymore, or never had.
She insisted the she was not in love with Discord, but the pain she felt at his words was hard to ignore. She was heartbroken.
Without warning, a bush not far from Twilight was shaken to its roots, sending a few of its leaves flying in every direction. Twilight jumped in surprise and scurried into the shadow of a pillar. She had forgotten that she was breaking curfew and peeked out of the shadows to see who was patrolling the campus.
But there was no one. Just moonlight and shadows.
"Discord?" she whispered. No answer. She shook the shock away and mumbled "Seeing things..."
Nevertheless, she crept home in the shadows. When a dark shape darted across her path she froze.
"Hello?" she whispered again. Nothing. "Who's there?" Silence.
She broke into a canter, still being as quiet as she could. She didn't know what she was seeing, but she knew she had to get home, and it certainly prompted her to hurry.
The moonlight in front of her suddenly went dark, and before she could understand what was in front of her she was dealt a violent blow to the head. She screamed in surprise and pain, but was almost instantly cut off by another blow, and another, and another. Twilight could feel hot, sticky ooze dripping all across her body, and she tasted something metallic. Blood. She was crumpled on the ground now, and something bludgeoning her to death. Skin broke, bones snapped, and Twilight's vision and mind blurred and blackened.
Suddenly, the blows stopped. Shapes and shadows danced incoherently in front of her failing eyes. Twilight was fighting for consciousnesses, and as more and more blood flowed from her wounds, which were deep and irregular, the more simplistic her thoughts became. She began to forget things. Where she was, what was going on, her family, her name, among other things. The only thought she had was escape, although she didn't know why. She didn't have the capacity to contemplate it, and she slowly pulled herself away. Her body was numb, and bit by bit she lost the ability to move until only her forelegs would comply. It felt like ice was forming in her bones. She dragged herself across the ground, her vision growing ever dimmer. At last she lost was little strength she had left and collapsed on the stone floor.
Just before she fell into unconsciousness, she felt herself being lifted and being surrounded by warmth. She could hear a muffled heartbeat by her ear, and felt the familiar vibration of sound tickling whatever it was she was being held against. Someone was humming. There was a peculiar sensation in her skin, and she finally fell away into blackness.
Wow. What a bombshell. I'm sorry, I promised myself that I would never put any author notes in this story, and yet here I am. I was really hesitant about posting this chapter. I had it planned all along, in fact very few things in this story are unplanned, but I just can't shake the feeling that I got something wrong. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I greatly appreciate your feedback
Stay tuned! There's much more to come. Had I decided to organize this story into parts, this would probably be the conclusion of Part 1.
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Oh God, Oh God, I just pressed the Publish button! AHHH!
Damn I hope Whoever attacked Twilight really gets what is coming to them.
Well that's one hell of a cliffhanger.
The next chapter can't come fast enough.
Wow! I just can not get enough of this story.
cliff hangery endings and all
hmmm my guess is that Twilight did not run afoul of the murderer but rather (as Luna put it) ...
Discord does not think he has changed but the Old Discord would have loved every second of the many things that happened to Twilight ...
Oh my gosh! I knew this would happen...noooo...well I kinda thought it would but I was hoping it wouldn't. I thought she would get attacked, not them fighting! Yes, I enjoyed! I love this story.
Great chapter, and good cliffhanger.
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/538/716/7f5.gif
That was unexpected. I look forward to more!
there's the dark tag! I knew he was hiding somewhere, the crafty bastard. excellent chapter, I can't wait for more.
I love this story, and this chapter was no exception.
and within a two hours
Not to tonight, not tomorrow night
1. Extra A. Or you meant within a two hour period.
2. Extra To.
We should have known something like this would have happened and yet even though we expected it, we do not mind and crave for more. You can never hit the publish button fast or hard enough
Who is this mysterious being? Who do we know would be out at night, would chase off Twilight's attacker (I think?), then pick her up? Certainly not Discord. He definitely doesn't hum.
...or does he?
Huzzah, the story continues!
Twilight, use your new injuries to incite compassion from Discord, and proceed to seduce him! 
Okay... maybe I should take a break... 
(Accidentally double posted!)
Excellent chapter, very interesting.
And am I mistaken in thinking that the story pic has changed? Might just be imagining it, but could have sworn it was happy Twilight before.
2723311 I did make a new one recently, but she was never happy in the image. I'm still not entirely satisfied with it and I might change it once again
2723914
My mistake about the emotion, I only noticed the change in posture which made me look more closely at it.
It was kind of appropriate with how it started with Twilight having an alright time, but not easy and having to with with the standard bullies. School isn't all fun and books, my dear. And the crack and hole felt like it fit the bursting of that bubble.
But then with the mysterious attacker and it turning its sights on her, and Discord telling her to get lost and stop visiting him, the story went even worse for her.
Or maybe I'm just over-analyzing it.
2723941 No, that's good! Analyze away! I'm glad you're enjoying it. :)
I just changed it back to the old image just now. I think I like it better.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...*wheeze*
NNNUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!
Also:
YOU LIKE DISCORD, DON'T YOU TWILIGHT?!