Interlude: The Voice of Living Stone
Dear Diary,
Ugh, that’s atrocious. Do ponies really begin journal entries this way? It feels so ugly. Why would I address my personal writings to a diary, of all things? They’re mindless, senseless, inanimate objects. Let’s try this again.
My dearest Fluttershy,
Is it any stranger to be addressing my journal to a pony who’s been dead for almost seven hundred years? I don’t think so. I’ll dedicate this journal to you, Fluttershy. You’re the reason for who I am now, and the pony I intend to become. So where to begin? How about recent history?
The first thing I noticed when I ‘woke up’ was how much time had passed. My first turn as a statue lasted a millennia, and my second a couple of years. I could instantly tell that this one was different. I wasn’t nearly as aware, in my sleeping state, as I had been before. The trip through time left me weakened. I am not the creature I was before; not even a tenth part of my power remains. That means no more chocolate rain or cotton candy clouds (sorry Pinkie!). No more detaching limbs, no more summoning humorous props ex nihilo. Not that I feel very humorous these days.
The world is a nightmare. Equestria is a disgusting mockery of what it was before; full of hate and fear. They call it the ‘Holy Equestrian Diarchy’. I know that things have a way of changing over the passing of time, but this is ridiculous.
There is a religion now. A cult. They’ve twisted everything you all ever did into a dogma of hatred and fear. And you and the others are worshiped as Saints. I wish I were making this up. They’ve changed every part of your stories that doesn’t conform to their narrative.
You remember the problems Princess Twilight was having in Canterlot, after Rarity disappeared? It looks like those political ignoramuses really went nuts with their ideas. All their talk about ‘unicorns are dangerous’ and ‘unrestricted magic is a threat’ have become full blown religious imperatives. They hate unicorns, and chop off their horns when somepony is born as one. They’re told the unicorns go to ‘relocation colonies’ to live out their lives in peace separate and safe from the rest of the population. It makes me sick.
But it’s not just unicorns. Once they got the population terrified of the magical threat of the unicorns, they could control all sorts of things. They hate everypony who’s even a little bit different. They hate ponies who don’t think the way they want, they hate ponies who don’t read what they want, who don’t believe what they want, and even who don’t love the way they want. Any number of imaginary offenses, from ‘blaspheming the Diarchs’ (that’s Celestia and Luna, though it’s illegal to say their names out loud) to ‘public nudity’ (everypony wears clothing now all the time. Weird.) to ‘sexual deviancy’ (that’s anything sexy happening outside of a heterosexual marriage) is punished with public humiliation, banishment, beatings, or even execution.
And the worst part of it is, they commit all of these atrocities in your names.
And I can’t even say I’m entirely blameless. If Twilight Sparkle were still around, maybe none of this would have happened. And it’s my fault she’s not around any longer.
I’m so sorry.
I’ve taken the form of a pony. It’s one of the last things I could do with my magic. I’m a unicorn now, and I will be for the foreseeable future. I don’t know if I’ll ever regain my old draconequus form, and even if I did, I don’t think I could ever be trusted with that much power again. Not after what I did.
But I’m a completely different creature now. Sadder, more serious, more introspective, I guess. But the spark of Chaos is still there. And I’m going to bring it to Equestria. I’m no hero, and I’m not saving the world. I’m going to make the Diarchy burn for what they’ve done in your name. Maybe, just maybe, real heroes will come along again and rebuild in the ashes I’ll leave behind. I’ll be happy to help them.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m never going to play the villain again. I’ve learned my lesson. But I’m too guilty in all of this to ever be the hero that saves the day. I’ll do what I can to make them hurt, but leave it to others to rebuild.
I don’t know how to end this entry without using the damned Diarchy’s system for dates. Everything is based off of the supposed date of their founding, but even that is a lie, manipulated history from the date of Twilight’s ascension. The year is 693 After Founding. That is six hundred and ninety three years after Twilight became a princess.
I am so tired.
Journal entry dated 693 AF.
Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck! Discord is that Knight Discordant with the heterochromia! I thought he was affecting a John DeLancie-esque cadence in his speaking!! Oh, this is going to be good! I got my own theories about is going to happen next (Emberglow finds the Element of Magic in Manehatten and ascends, then finds Sunbutt and Moonbutt in Old Canterlot, is told to head north with Tia and Lulu to speak with Empress Mi Amore Cadenza/Princess Flurry Heart) but I cannot wait to see how you take this.
Okay yeah having this at the beginning would have dumped on all your excellent organic worldbuilding. Placed here, it confirms much that was alluded to already while also foreshadowing what is to come. What happened between Twilight and Discord? Why did Rarity disappear? You have me on the edge of my seat.
I like this RepentantFuckup!Discord so much better than what we got in the last season. Feels nice and organic.
You sir (and your friends on this project) has done an excellent job at world building.
Thanks for all of this, best wishes.
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Spoilers!
D'ya mind putting a spoiler tag on all that?
6k words only this time. Curses.
Introduction of stealth and recon spells. Useful. Wonder if those will show up again later. Would be helpful for a flier and poor fighter such as Emberglow, but her specialty is still healing. Expansions on the spell gauntlets add further potential to further conflicts in the setting, with many tools at the disposal of very clever ponies. Clever ponies like Emberglow. IF they learn them.
I suppose i'll skip a bit to the important thing. Damn. Dead huh? Really didn't expect that. What with the emphasis on her father being captured, and her wanting him back possibly being a motivation for Emberglow to secede or go off on a negotiation mission was a thing in my mind. Plus, you know, this throws a wrench in many things. So definitely was a surprise to be sure. I can see this doing so much to push her over the edge. On top of everything else, damn. What a culmination.
Now in the future Ember will need to reconcile this and come to terms with it if she'll ever want to get romantically involved with somepony again. Layering on more troubles for your love of forbidden/ difficult romances huh?
Something darkly funny is the juxtaposition last chapter of her friend going on an exciting new mission, and having her project approved. And here Ember is covered in blood on Hamburger hill. Amusing contrast between the last cheery adventure and this living hell. I wonder how she'll reconcile this with her parents. Perhaps her dad will have some familiar experiences.
I'm surprised she took out a Heretic. And a unicorn at that. What a clever technique, and it doesn't come off as contrived or unbelievable, so good stuff. His little dying moment quips were pretty sobering. War is hell after all, and it add a bit of a sad edge to the circumstance despite what he just did. Her just holding him for a bit was pretty poignant, with all going on around them.
I have to say the direction her character is taking is incredibly interesting. Defiant. Cracking under the pressure, and changing. Doing what's right, in a more pressurized environment compared to before. She seems to be doing the right thing, in the eyes of the world. It definitely has me interested now that she was knocked unconscious, in the envoy of heretics.
It's frustrating in a good way. I ABSOLUTELY can't wait to see what comes next. These past few chapters have been INTENSELY interesting. So many things happening.
Aaaaaw!!!! I wanted discord to be himself.
Dammit...well i still have a few hopes I hope this story doesn't change. And even if they do, its an awesome story!!! I love it.
I have a feeling even weakened he will be the thing he doesnt believe he can be. He will be a Hero.
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Think she will find something else. She will find Rarity. and her world will never be the same again.
Well, here I thought the Discordant Leader styled himself after Discord, clearly I wasn't mad enough.