What I Became

by Symphony

Chapter 1 - Ensnare the Sun

In a quiet peaceful meadow a pony sighed contently and basked in the serenity of her surroundings. The young alicorn Celestia was enjoying a quiet day out on her own. Unbeknownst to the teenager, gold and crimson eyes watched her every move.

She spread her regal wings and allowed the chill breeze to stroke them. The action sent a pleasant shiver down her spine, and she sighed contentedly. Once again she contemplated if she should head back to her younger sister. Before she could finish making up her mind though, a heavy thump echoed from behind her. She whirled around with her horn blazing, ready to defend herself from any danger stupid enough to attack her.

When she saw the beast standing there, scratching its lion arm sheepishly while trying not to look straight at her she took a defensive step back. She had seen this... thing before, but never this close to her. It crouched down and snatched a few flowers from the field, straightened them out a bit then and was now holding them out for her with a small, innocent smile.

“For... For you...” The creature muttered quietly. Celestia noticed by its voice that it was male. The flowers were apparently for her.

Celestia’s jaw fell open at the realization. “You want me to... with you?” Images of indecent things filled her thoughts, and she suddenly found herself shaking uncontrollably in her rage. For its part, the creature shrunk back like it had just been hit across the face.

“I... I...” It stuttered, taking another slow step away from her.

“What could possibly have given you this idea?!” Shouted Celestia, gesturing angrily in the things direction, “I'm a pony while you're a-a... Chimera of some sort! I'm an alicorn! Do you really think I would be interested in being with some monster?” Celestia snarled. She firmly pushed the creature to the ground to emphasize her point. Turning around and spreading her wings, she looked over her shoulder one last time to say in a harsh whisper, “Leave me alone...”

She took off, leaving the monster in the dust behind her. She flapped her wings faster than ever before, more than eager to get away from the field as fast as possible. Looking over her shoulder one last time, she could see the creature get up from where it had fallen, release the flower and turn around to walk away, its shoulders slumped and head lowered in apparent dejection. A sudden rush of regret muddled her senses, but she shook herself and focused her magic, teleporting away to the safety of her home.

---

The young draconequus groaned as he tried to fight back the emotions regarding what had happened bare minutes ago. ”Everything... Everything was perfect... Why didn't she see through my exterior?” Discord thought bitterly. He wandered towards a nearby forest, failing to notice or indeed care. ”No one ever looks past my exterior. So what if I'm not like her? She... She could have... I...” He clutched his talons to his face and sighed miserably, slumping down against the trunk of a nearby tree.

”Is that too much for me to ask?! Am I not allowed a little happiness!?” He cried out, hoping that the universe might give him an answer.. Unsurprisingly, no answer was heard except for the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. Discord began muttering to himself dejectedly. ”Oh it’s just so obvious isn’t it? She's a pony, an alicorn at that… while I'm just some stupid patchwork beast... Why would she ever care about me?” He sobbed and broke down, hugging his legs tightly to his chest as tears slowly descended his face.

”Poor, poor Discord...” An ominous voice echoed from the shadows of the forest, causing Discord to stiffen, ”…Poor, stupid little Discord.” The voice rasped. Discord stood up and frantically jerked his head around to survey the area around him, his breath catching in his mouth.

”w-Where are you?! Come out!” Discord raised his talons, attempting to ward off his assailant. ”I-I'm not s-scared of you!” He puffed out his chest in a futile attempt to seem bigger.

”Oh believe me, I would if I could...” The voice said venomously. Discord gulped. ”I've seen your memories, boy... So much pain and suffering... I love it! Why not drop this little façade of yours? Embrace your true self because of what they did to you! But of course, that would only happen if you weren’t a spineless little wimp.” The voice taunted him.

Discord shook his head. ”No! What do you mean by my 'true' self anyway?”

”Tut tut, do you really still believe you can fit in amongst the ponies?” Discord opened his mouth to reply, but his voice betrayed him and he eventually looked down in defeat. ”As I thought... Your true self… your destiny, your life...” The voice chuckled.

”Why, your very existence is for nothing more than to cause chaos amongst the species.”

The young draconequus shook his head in denial. ”You're lying! I can do anything I want to do! I can do many great things! I just... I just need to be careful...” He scratched his lion arm nervously.

”Boorish lout!... Do you even realize the full extent of your powers? You have the raw power to move the sun and moon like a foal kicking a ball!” The voice snapped, ”You’re the spirit, no, the Avatar of chaos! You have no love, you receive no love. What is keeping you back? Do you still believe that little snob Celestia will answer your feelings for her? Oh, don't make me laugh!”

Discord felt his determination deflate like a popped balloon at the mention of the alicorns name. He closed his eyes and managed to fight away the dark thoughts growling, ”You keep her out of this!”

The voice laughed even harder at Discord's raised voice. ”Ohohoho, so you do believe that she'll notice you one day! You are a stubborn one! This is just too rich... You are nothing more than a nuisance to her! She's annoyed at your very existence! But who am I to jump to conclusions? Let’s take a quick flashback of your last encounter shall we?...”

Discord couldn't even protest before his vision flared white and he felt himself slowly slipping unconsciousness. It felt like reality itself was bending around Discord, attempting to pull away from him. All he could see now was the blinding white and nothing else. He attempted to clutch at his eyes, but felt nothing… not the movement, not the contact, not even the pain he knew was there. No longer did he hear the sounds of the forest he was first in. After what felt like a millennia, he faded into the darkness.

---

The darkness faded away to reveal a clear blue sky above him. Discord's heart leaped, only for it to plummet like a rock again as he recognized the place where he had talked to Celestia earlier. His heart fluttered as he noticed the regal alicorn walking peacefully in the field of flowers surrounding her, creating an ambient glow around her. He almost felt his hope rise again.

Almost...

He noticed a shadow pass over her, which she didn't see. He saw himself touch down behind her, careful not to startle her. His expression was a mix of fear, doubt and obvious infatuation. She turned, and he got a bad taste in his mouth as he saw himself bend down and quickly collect a makeshift bouquet of flowers. Discord tried to look away as he saw himself offer them to the alicorn, but he couldn't turn his head. It was being held there by an invisible force.

He tried to close his eyes, but his eyelids wouldn't answer his commands either.

”Why ever would you want to look away now? The fun is just beginning! Let's watch, hm?” It was the same voice as before. Discord tried to shudder, but was again held motionless. He had no choice but to live through it again. He couldn't hear their voices, but Discord could read her lips, and he already knew by heart everything she had said...

”You want me to... With you?! I'm a pony while you're a... chimera of some sort! I'm an alicorn! Do you really think I would want to be interested in being with some monster? Leave me alone.” Discord felt his tears well up in his eyes as she pushed him down. Turning away from him, she took off into the skies, leaving a beast to clean up his own mess.

The distant Discord stood up and dropped the flowers, which lazily drifted away in the breeze. His head down, he turned around and tried to embrace himself as he trudged away from the field slowly, glancing back once to see that she had disappeared from view. He sighed heavily and fought back the tears of a broken heart.

”I... I thought she'd know what I deal with... I thought she would look past my appearance... I... I don't... I thought she would understand me...” Suddenly free to move again, Discord sat down and allowed silent tears to roll down his cheeks. He had a distant, almost void look in his eyes. He laid down and spread his mismatched wings so they might provide him with some comforting warmth. ”I was wrong...”

”Oh, boo-hoo...” The voice drawled, ”You really are a wimp, you know that? You’re an unlovable, disgusting little creep who got over-confident. Pathetic, if I say so myself.” The voice said with a certain edge.

”Shut up...” Discord whimpered, covering his ears with his talons. ”Be quiet, I don't want to hear it...” Discord shivered, ”Everything will be fine... I can continue without her... I don't need anypony...” His right eye twitched and he swallowed a lump in his throat.

The voice chortled. ”If you say so... but it's only a matter of time before you see, and succumb to the darkness which is reality... I am here to merely watch the progress as it unfolds, as it were. Now let's take you back, shall we?”

Once again, Discord wasn't even able to reply as the same sensations as before flooded his mind, returning him to consciousness.

---

Discord woke up and he immediately noticed that night had fallen, as a barely visible orange line hovered over the distant horizon. ”Was... Was it just a dream?” He thought.

A dark chuckle diminished those thoughts though, and he shrunk back. ”Good luck trying to get rid of me... I'll always be here, watching. One day you'll see… one day you will embrace your destiny. It's inevitable. On that day you’ll become the very thing she sees in you. Goodbye for now, Discord...”

“No, wait! I…” A pregnant pause filled the air as Discord hesitated, looking up with a hopeful expression. He asked “What is it that you think she sees in me?”

“A monster.”

Silence.

Discord considered what was just said. ”No... I will not change who I am just for her... She's… She's not worth it!

Right?” Sleep didn't come easy for the youngster that night, as his mind was busy processing everything the voice had said to him that day. It had been right on a few points, one of them being that he was alone and unloved.

Confusion and slight fear entered his mind. ”What if I actually become a monster like he said..? What... What if he was right about me being born to cause chaos?” Discord rolled over onto his side, eager to get the tainted thoughts out of his mind by falling asleep.

Inside the depths of his mind, a certain entity grinned sadistically and prepared to be unleashed into the world in answer to his true calling.

---

Discord woke in a cold sweat a sharp gasp escaping his lips. He looked around in a panic at his surroundings, only to find himself in a strange room. Scrambling to throw off his sheets, he succeeded in falling heavily to the floor.

Now jarred into full wakefulness, he at last remembered where he was. The knowledge was only a small comfort. He was still in Canterlot, having been released and 'reformed' only a few weeks ago. This was the room he’d been given in the castle.

He dragged himself up from his ignominious position on the floor, and stretched his back slowly before sitting on the bedside. He snapped his eagle talon and summoned a cup of tea to help calm his nerves. Sleep didn't come easy for the draconequus, as nightmares from his past haunted him constantly.

“It's always the same nightmare... I am quite sure that little Luna isn't the one causing it, as I've placed a spell on myself to keep intruders out of my mind, but... No, it must be my memories playing the fool of me...” He concluded with a heavy sigh. Drinking the cup and depositing the tea through an open window, Discord decided that it might be best to forget the dream for now, and take a little stroll through the castle.

Walking out into the hallway, he allowed himself to walk up the wall and onto the ceiling. He laid his arms behind his back as he walked, thinking deeply about what was to become of him. Even after Celestia had accepted his presence and allowed him to wander the halls freely, he still noticed an air of uncertainty around her. He snorted at that… Discord had trouble trusting her as well, since he knew that she could easily sic her dogs on him.

“I still can't seem to look her in the eyes. I have no clue what it is she keeps me for, though...”

Discord looked up to the floor below him to watch a frazzled Luna walk down the hall, a sour look on her face. He decided not to interfere, since Luna could be quite feisty when she was angry. She paused and looked up at him, so Discord waved at her with a goofy grin on his face. Luna grumbled and trotted down the hall with her ears splayed back and fire in her eyes.

“And then there's Luna...” He rolled his eyes, all trace of goofiness gone as quickly as it had appeared, “Always the moody little brat...” He was certain that Luna didn’t see Celestia's point in keeping him around either. Did it give her some kind of sick pleasure to see him submit to her? He shuddered, frowning at the thought. Discord stopped momentarily when he realized where his steps were taking him… Would it be a good idea right now to visit the solar princess? He took a deep breath and continued walking. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from the visit.

His wanderings eventually led Discord to the gigantic gilded doors of the throne room. Falling lightly to the floor in front of it and startling the sentries stationed there, He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the coming encounter. With a push of his magic the heavy doors glided open and Discord strolled inside, his talons behind his back.

Immediately he heard a few gasps coming from the ponies who didn't know that he had been released. They quickly descended into mutterings. One foolish mare in the crowd huffed and decided to express her opinion out loud, “Why would the princess allow that ghastly thing to roam around? One would think it should be leashed.” Discord gritted his teeth and snapped a claw, turning the scarf the mare was wearing into a living over-sized gummy worm. The mare shrieked and passed out on the spot. Discord quickly swallowed his chuckles once he saw Celestia's cold glare directed at him.

Not to be cowed, Discord clicked his tongue reprovingly, “You know, for being the monarch of something incredibly warm, your glare is quite cold, your highness...” He grimaced. Both of the immortals glared at each other for a few tense seconds, until Celestia addressed the crowd.

“I apologize on his behalf. Discord can be quite unruly when he doesn't get what he wants.” Celestia said nonchalantly. Discord's eyes narrowed as he found something new to grimace at. “Now, I am quite sure that many wonder why he is allowed to roam freely after his last escapade. The answer is that I felt like him being trapped once again after thousands of years in stone was too much of a harsh punishment. Do not fret, my sister and I will keep a close eye on him.”

Discord growled. He could easily see through her lie; she had something else in mind for him... He just had to figure out what 'something else' was. He opted to not call her out on her lie now though, he'd wait until later when they were in private. He scoffed. “Gee princess, that sure was kind of you...” He turned around from her, “Now, don't you go around thinking that I haven't noticed your adorable little scrying spell you and your sister put on me. I'll talk to you later, dear Celestia... Arrivederci.” He snapped his eagle talon and disappeared in a yellow flash.

---

“Are you really sure princess Celestia would lie to everypony just like that?” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow as she lifted the tea kettle from the stove with her right wing. “She's always so nice to everypony so I don't really think she'd be lying...”

“Of course you would think that, Fluttershy...” Discord deadpanned. “Believe me, I could see right through her clever little lie. She just said that to please the crowd...” Discord snapped his eagle talon and two cups appeared on the table. “And furthermore I am not pleased that she haven't told me what she need me for yet.” He drummed his fingers on the table in a slow pace.

Discord had teleported to Fluttershy's cottage after confronting Celestia, where he had continued to tell the saffron pony about what had happened in the throne room. “Maybe she will tell you later today? Don't lose your trust in her, she won't hurt you. I think...”

“I would have to trust her in the first place to lose it, silly pony...” He chuckled, but his expression turned grim. “She hurt me enough in the past though but that's a completely different story.” He rolled his lion talon. “Nasty business...” He muttered bitterly.

Fluttershy had finished pouring some tea in the cups Discord had provided for her, and she was surprised to see that they hadn't run away, screamed from the heat or leaked in any way. “I think you should talk to her then. Maybe she'll tell you, or you could try and earn her trust.” Fluttershy shrugged. “I'm just giving you some friendly advice...”

“Oh, I know that you're trying to help and I appreciate it, but me earning her trust and she telling me what's going on won't make up for what happened in the past and make us hop around gleefully in a field full of rainbows, flowers and butterflies,” Discord said dryly “and you know what? I will talk to her later when I go back to Canterlot, whether she wants to or not. But right now I'd like that tea...”

He snapped a claw, and one of the cups whinnied and started running around in a perfect circle for a couple of seconds. When he gripped the cup, it started screaming and a dying wail came from it as he slurped the contents of it. When he had finished the tea and put the cup back on the table, it fell on its side and twitched.

“Thank you for your time, dear Fluttershy but I must be going now. Ciao!” He disappeared in another flash.

Fluttershy stared at the cup he had been using, which was perfectly still now. She reached out carefully and nudged it. The cup twitched and yelped. Fluttershy squeaked and hid beneath the table. Angel bunny was staring at the butter-yellow pony in hiding, then shook his head and hopped away from the room.

---

Celestia walked through the extravagant halls of the castle with two guards by her side, Shining Armor had insisted that she would always have guards near her when Discord was released again. She yawned and stretched her wings. There was a comfortable silence amongst the three ponies, but she didn't expect the guards to say anything.

She sighed when she saw the doors to her private quarters. She walked a little faster and focused her magic on the doors, which started glowing in a yellow aura and opened slowly. She nodded to her guards, who saluted and positioned themselves to stand guard by the entrance. Celestia rolled her eyes, walked inside and closed the doors behind her with another flick of her magic.

She levitated an ornate golden chest from her wardrobe and opened it. She lifted her tiara off herself with her magic, along with the rest of her regalia. Once she was finished, she levitated the box back into the wardrobe and closed it.

After that, Celestia rolled her neck and shoulders. A content sigh escaped her as she felt and heard them crack. She stretched her wings and flapped them slowly while walking toward her bed. “I wonder where Discord left... I haven't seen or felt his presence ever since I talked him in the throne room...” She laid down and turned off the lights.

A sudden glow from two golden orbs in the corner of her room gradually appeared, and mismatched crimson pupils appeared as well. “Discord...” She muttered. His body started composing itself out of shadows somehow, and he took a step forward in his complete form. His eyes were still shining a little, though.

Discord smirked and held his hands behind his back. Celestia flicked the lights on and the glow in Discord's eyes vanished. “Well, well, well, princess...” Discord took a step closer and leaned ominously over the bed. “I feel like it is time for you to tell me what you want me to do. I have to say I am getting awfully bored being cooped up in here on my own, and you know that I don't play nice when I'm bored,” Discord said.

Celestia opened her mouth to retort, but before she got the chance Discord snapped his eagle talon. Her eyes narrowed and she stood up on the bed, matching his height. “What did you do?” She snapped.

Discord polished the talon to his chest, then allowed it to fall limply to his side. “Oh, I just set a nice little soundproofing spell on the room. Nopony can eavesdrop on us.” He crossed his arms. “Now spit it out. What am I here for? Don't even try thinking of a lie, I can read you like a book...”

“I released you because...” She looked away from him. “Surely you know of the events at the marriage last year?” She asked. Discord nodded.

“I do remember. Why, the delicious chaos it caused was almost enough to release me!” Discord grinned. “Too bad the fun had to end prematurely though... It would have been a blast to crash the wedding.” Discord pouted dramatically.

Celestia shuddered. “Then you should also know that I was overpowered by the changeling queen.” She said bitterly. Discord snorted and forced himself to hold back a laugh. “Quiet. Now, Luna was overpowered by the sheer number of the changelings when she attempted to fight the-”

“And your point is?” Discord snapped, interrupting her in mid-sentence. “Is it because you and little Luna finally realized that you're not overpowered goddesses and that you need a little boost?” He turned around and walked in a circle. “All I see when I look at you and Luna are two fillies who are over-confident and trust that their status as royalty will save them.” He chuckled and shook his head. “And what if I refuse to help you? You basically told me that you are weaker now than what you were when you fought me and imprisoned me the first time...” He grinned. “With you and Luna out of the picture, I could easily overpower the Elements of Harmony...”

“Then what about Fluttershy?” Celestia's gaze hardened. “Would you go so far to even hurt her to get what you want?” That effectively silenced Discord. Celestia sighed and rubbed her temples. “Look, we don't have to fight about this... The help I needed from you was that you would become Equestria's guardian as Luna and I attempt to regain our former strength.”

“You mean you don't think the answer to you and Luna's mystery is obvious?” Discord raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“What are you talking about?”

“Ugh... The Elements of Harmony. There's your answer. You and Luna aren't connected to them anymore. When Twilight Sparkle became the Element of Magic, her control of her raw magical power became much better, yes?” Discord said dryly. Celestia's eyes widened.

“Of course...” Celestia muttered.

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner...” Discord mimicked hitting a bell while rolling his eyes. “Now I'm sure you would never wrestle away the elements from your precious little ponies, so you will have to accept the fact that you're not such a divine entity after all...” Discord smirked. “How wonderful... Witnessing a self-entitled goddess turn to a god of chaos to do her dirty work.”

“I never called myself a god!” Celestia pushed him away from the bed and climbed off it.

“You never said that you are one, you strut around the place like you are one.” He snapped his eagle talon once again, lifting the soundproofing spell. “I accept the task you have appointed me to, but don't think that I will help you out of the swamp known as politics...”

Discord shuddered and took a step closer to her, stopping just in front of her. He craned his neck down to her level as Celestia took a reflexive step back. He balled his lion paw into a fist, then thrusted it toward her. She flinched and closed her eyes, but when she wasn't struck she opened her eyes and looked down to see him holding his paw out for her with a playful smirk on his face. “Just shake it, you crazy old mare...” Discord chuckled.

Celestia reached out with her hoof almost hesitantly, but bit down and shook his paw with her own. Discord released her hoof and wiped the paw on his chest. “See, that wasn't too hard...” Discord turned away from her. “Now, get some sleep before I decide to raise the sun myself. Maybe even change it to some nice color... I always liked blue...” He muttered as he disappeared in another gold flash.

Celestia was standing all alone now in her room once again. The thought that she was weaker than before frightened her to some degree, as if something would attempt to invade Equestria she and her sister wouldn't be able to fight it at their former might. And then there was Discord... Celestia shuddered. She'd never know what he could be planning, and despite his childish behavior, he was a force to be reckoned with.

For the first time in several years, Celestia was scared.

Comments

[azednew]

This is gonna be fun~

[BR]

IT'S FINALLY HERE

[Darkluigi]

I like where this is going.