Ostraca

by Reese

Vision of a Discord and Draconequus!Fluttershy Apocalypse (Blog 2019-10-27)

Author's Note:

Random thing that started out as part of a comment on this story and took inspiration from it, this other story (so maybe kind of spoilers for both if you squint... I'll spoiler-tag the author's name below, but other than that, not sure what to do beyond advising you not to follow those links if you think you'd mind), various death worlds in science fiction, general marvelling at ecosystems, perhaps a bit of an impression of early human urban cultures, possibly some other things... and also probably me being rather tired (which seems to sometimes lead me to creativity, and also rambling). Partly because of that, partly because I should really be getting to bed soon (er, probably an amount of time needing a negative number, in fact), and partly because it's just a random thing I'm only making a blog post because I thought I perhaps shouldn't clog up FOME's comments section with, it's kind of rambly and only half-edited and is probably going to stay that way.

Feel free to read it if you like, or not if you don't!

And, of course, throw Discord in, with both of them unchained... chaos of capricious physics and chaos of unrelenting nature, meeting in a friendly but titanic and neverending clash.

Always new and strange creatures for Discord to play with, to take on different roles with, to try and preserve in the face of his mate or destroy himself when they bore him, and in the latter face their novel ways to defeat him in the knowledge that even if they win, they too will be overcome, and he will be saved.

Always a dynamic environment for her life to adapt to, the capricious changes of the guidelines of physics over whole regions of the planet overturning the existing equilibrium overnight and sparking frenzies of new adaption and migration, yet never so much adaption is impossible, whether stopped from within by his forbearance for the game or swatted away from without by his protectiveness of it and her.

Her sapients are overall in love with their lives, whatever strange shapes those may take, between when they adapt sufficiently for it and when the environment changes too much for them, for their live according to their natures, and to be miserable would be maladaptive. On some worlds, it would be possible to escape the eye of evolution, to survive where misery no longer inhibits the propagation of one's traits, but Equus is no longer one of these. To try and step alone from the gaze of the pink and yellow gaia is to sustain something that has not. And to put energy into any sort of art for art's sake is to lack it when something adapted to see natural beauty enough comes calling.

The sapients he makes his own are often miserable, for often they live outside their natures -- and yet, in that, they live. Civilization, he builds, so that he may knock it down one day or watch her overtake it, and in the meantime he takes beings who have grown used to order, for a more pleasing contrast, and subjects them to his own raw power for his amusement. Yet in the spaces between, species may rest; they may slow, they may build and create, they may experience some degree of constancy, and routine. And they are often the beings of the new world most like those of the civilizations of the old, for Discord has his preferences for his baselines and now must inculcate things he once despised, a challenge he relishes. They know the act of reaching beyond their base natures and the good and ill results that may come; they know the crafting of beautiful things merely to look at them, the telling of stories and playing of music simply because they are pleasing. Actions from sentiment, and raising monuments to those passed, which may well still stand even long after their civilization has ended and her realm has climbed and covered them.

For what is the benefit to life in deliberately knocking down a particular stone? As he may be sadistic but offer windows of safety, so she will offer only strife and death, but is never cruel.

And thus pass the eons of Equus, should its timelines lead here.
There are, at least, worse fates that could befall it.
And certainly more boring ones.

Comments

[Wave Blackberry]

I liked this sketch, it reads harmoniously.

[Reese]

10655732
Oh, thank you. :)
Though while I think I get something of a general impression, I'm curious what you mean, more particularly, by "harmoniously". No worries if you aren't thinking of more specific words, though, and no obligation to reply; I certainly know this sort of thing can sometimes be difficult to describe.

[Wave Blackberry]

10656944
It may sound strange, but I've always thought of Discord more as a character, forgetting that this is the spirit of chaos. Therefore, for me your sketch sounds "harmonious": it put in place those things that I did not think about, thank you. It is also well written, so I would like to see it's development.
But I misunderstood one phrase a little: "...if they win, they too will be overcome, and he will be saved". Perhaps I am missing something obvious again and would be glad if you explain it to me, why he will be saved? :)

[Reese]

10658441
(I remembered after leaving my reply that one at-least-hypothesis I've heard for one reason FIMFiction sometimes doesn't notify people of comment replies is the reply being left on a different chapter. So just in case, here's a comment that's just a notification that a different comment (10658663) exists. :))