Story of a Stick

by Xinrick

Interlude IV

“Damn it!” Luna throws up her hooves, hating how she lost the friendly bet. “I know nothing important was at stake but still.”

“Woo!” Discord did the same dance he did way back when he was on top of the glass paned Twilight Sparkle’s head.

“I can’t believe that actually happened…” Celestia sighs out.

“Explosions in the Everfree and roaring at Sweet Apple Acre’s? Can I get a break!?!” Twilight shouts, the three having heard it from the mirror.

“Oh don’t worry so much about that. I fixed it up before it got any worse anyways. Now I get to annoy Celestia and the nobles later. Also Luna I’ll be needing those scales.” Discord mumbled to himself.

“I only said a scale Discord.” Luna sighs out. “But I’ll be off to find her…” She says, getting up and teleporting away.

“Hm… Wait…when did you get here Twilight… Wait never mind my imagination… or maybe I could see through the veil of reality.” Discord mused to himself

“The mirror panned to Twilight.” Celestia says, pointing a hoof to the mirror, showing the frantic mare trying to figure out what in the wide world is going on.

“Now it’s time to see what happens to the Stick Figure.” Discord conjured a portal showing the Stick Figure falling into the Badlands.

“Wait...Chrysalis is there…” Celestia frowns, already sensing something bad is going to happen.

“Well, well, well… Two birds one stone I guess. What do you think Twilight?” Discord poked the mirror and Twilight yelped when she felt the talon press her nose.

“What the buck!?!” Twilight yelps, wondering how her nose got poked.

“Well...all I can hope is that the Badlands don’t turn into the Wastelands…” She sighs out, fearing for the changelings safety here and she saw the stick figure getting up and dust himself off, pulling out a bo staff and using it as a walking stick as he started traversing the new environment.

“Princess? Can you hear me?” Twilight asks.

“Oh, yes Twilight.” Celestia nods.

“Did you get my letter princess?” Twilight asks.

“About the stick figure?” Celestia asks, already having a good feeling about what she sent her.

“How did you know?” Twilight asks, Celestia starting to read the letter quickly.

“The guards said you met one not too long ago.” Celestia says honestly.

“I wonder if they actually met or she was flabbergasted from seeing a mountain be destroyed.” Discord snarked out as he floated in the air and watched as several changelings were looking around the stick figure’s impact site. With a flick of his claw the stick figure was invisible to them for another few minutes.

“I asked him who he was...but a guard basically attacked him.” Twilight says. “He was probably panicking...and when I saw him fight that weird creature...and Discord told me of my mistake…” Twilight sighs out.

“It’s alright Twilight.” Celestia says gently. “But did he hurt anyone or anything?”

“Discord hurt Applejack with a bill.” Twilight said, causing Celestia to glare at Discord.

“You charged Applejack for fixing her orchard?” The solar princess asks the draconequus.

“Yup a little prank to keep her on her hooves. I wasn’t actually going to collect.” Discord guffawed as he rolled around trying to keep his laughter to a minimum, “The look on her face. Priceless! I even took a photo of it. Now on the embarrassing faces of the rich and famous I’m putting it next to the Twilight one I took a few days back.”

“Sweet me…” Celestia sighs out. “But what do you think of this stick figure Twilight?”

“He’s a hero for one...but because he panicked about being so different to us all the guards think he’s a villain for literally no reason.” Twilight frowns.

“Was it no reason or an amusing set of circumstances that spiraled out of control because word choices which shouldn’t be said to an officer of the law in any position could get you arrested anyways because of suspicion. Probably cause is a pain in the flank sometimes.” Discord mused as he saw his invisibility spell on the stick figure fade.

“Can’t you and Pinkie just leave it ‘was it this or that’? Please? It’s honestly getting annoying here.” Twilight sighs out. “But it started off with a random ‘he ran’, so it started off as no reason, then the guards said because he ‘destroyed’ Whitetail woods, which most of it involved that monster, then he said he killed a monster…” She shakes her head. “Oi vey...guy can’t get a break.”

“I understand Twilight.” Celestia tells her.

“And then Pinkie, in some random act of violence, decided to shoot him and another stick figure with one of her cannons. Why? No idea!” She says bitterly.

“SHE DESTROYED APPLEJACK’S TREES!” Pinkie Pie shouted from somewhere off screen.

“Then why am I seeing all of Applejack’s trees perfectly fine?” Twilight deadpans.

“Yo!” Discord raised his talons.

“Of course…” Twilight sighs out.

“So he did really destroy Whitetail and I still haven’t got my parade Celly.” Discord pouted. “I have been fixing a lot of things and not even charging a bit. I say that deserves some recognition.” Discord laughed.

Celestia just rubbed her temples, feeling her headache turning into a massive migraine with all this crap. “It hasn’t even been a full day yet and I’m already getting a migraine…” She mumbles to herself.

“Mind if I ask if you know anything about those things Princess?” Twilight asks.

“Stick Figures are harder to explain then Discord.” Celestia states bluntly.

“Ooh ooh! Pick me. I can explain. Though your eyes may fall out of your head. Well such is the price for knowledge eh, Bookworm?” Discord prepared a chalkboard with moving pictures.

“Just give me something to go on besides a book that said ‘they exist’ and nothing else.” Twilight groaned.

“They are dangerous.” Discord deadpanned. “More dangerous than me, Tirek, and Chrysalis combined.” Then he smirked and showcased one of the battles he had with a stick figure long ago and only winning because he tricked them back into their portal.

Twilight stared at the showcase in disbelief. “But...how? How can a being be stronger than a literal manifestation of chaos?”

“You’d be surprised how far the entropy goes when you start getting to my level. And to think I’m only the fourth strongest level of chaos possible.” Discord rolled his eyes.

“Wait what?” Twilight asks in confusion and worry.

“It goes Confusion is first tier, Hatred is second, Rage is third, Discord is fourth, Creation is fifth, and Destruction is final. Or something like that. It gets jumbled in my head from time to time. You’d be surprised how many times purple tastes like cranberries and sky is an orange.” Discord smirked down at Twilight and gauged her reaction.

Twilight took a deep breath, rubbing her temple gently. “Okay then...good to know that.” Twilight says. “But...wait...when did that battle take place?”

“Two thousand years or so Discord?” Celestia asks curiously, wondering if she got the years right.

“Five thousand two hundred and seventy six years, eight months, twelve days, ten hours, eight minutes, forty three seconds ago to this exact moment.” Discord said out loud.

Twilight gasped at hearing that. “That long ago?”

“Yes. During that time Stick Figures were honestly more common than not. But then around two thousands years ago they started dwindling in number, and the day when I banished Nightmare Moon away...they ceased to appear all together.”

“Woo! Go Team Immortal!!” Discord shouted out as a painting appeared showcasing a very badass Celestia, Luna and Discord appeared fighting off an army of Grey Stick Figures.

“I’m still surprised you have that Discord.” Celestia shakes her head. “Too bad we learned that most Grey Stick Figures are literally test dummies…” She sighs out.

“You tell your story your way and I’ll tell it mine.” Discord groused out. “I’m hanging this in the court when I get the chance.”

“I never said they were weak.” Celestia amended. “Those were the days...that I both miss and hate and with a burning passion.” She frowns, loving peace but not having had a good fight in ages made her sense of battle dwindle a lot.

“Don’t give Twilight too much. Poor mare looks like she’s gonna faint from pleasure.” Discord chuckled.

Twilight was drooling at least before she wiped away the drool quickly. “I’m so sorry princess!”

“It’s alright Twilight...I hoped they never appeared again...but hopefully this blue one...Simon...is a hero…”

“So glad I took the picture.” Discord showcased a picture of Twilight drooling and placed it in his memories book. “These are the days we look back on and laugh our flanks off at how foolish everypony can be.” He quickly placed the book far away from where any magic could affect it.

“True enough.” Celestia agreed, enjoying some of her funnier memories as well. “So Twilight, are you glad to hear our history lesson?”

“I can’t believe all that even happened…” Twilight says, her mind going through so much just from the little amount of info she was given.

“HEY LUNA! WHERE’S MY SCALE!” Discord shouted out as the changelings finally looked to see Simon…”Uh oh forgot about the invisibility spell…well what are you gonna do, Butterfingers?” Discord shrugged.

“Oh come on!” They heard Simon shout before running away from the weird bug things.

“Oh dear…” Celestia sighs out. “All of this within a day…”

“Eh, Could be worse. I could be there already having more fun. Also forgot to mention once again, several more portals are beginning to open in different areas of Equestria. So yeah… good luck with that. I have a date with my chaos bed with the detachable spike tops. Bye.” Discord snapped and was gone in a flash.

“And more stick figures are appearing...” She mutters. “What is going on?” She wonders, thinking something bad is just out of sight but just waiting to spring up at any moment.

A note floated down once again from above Celestia and read.

Changelings displaced. After the brutal death of their queen all changelings apply for citizenship in Equestria. Ponies in panic. Maybe...

“Luna! Get ready for a lot of paperwork!” Celestia calls out, only to see Luna walk in and groan, holding a scale from her pet.

“I’ll take that.” A claw burst out of Luna’s mane and took the scale then slunk back in as if nothing happened.

To be continued...