A Journey Unthought Of: Revival of Chaos

by Hustlin Tom

Chapter 14 - Discord

Deep below Canterlot Castle, in a chamber sealed off from the outside world, sat the immobilized form of Discord. The room in which the draconequus was imprisoned was a large domed cavern about one hundred feet across, with only one way in or out. The large hangar like doors that sealed the chamber were two feet thick reinforced carbon steel plated with Arcanium; not even a full grown dragon could escape this chamber if it were locked within its walls. Due to the exceptionally powerful and unpredictable nature of their prisoner, a twenty four hour surveillance crew was set in place by the RSD to constantly monitor Discord’s prison. As most could imagine, the job of staring at a statue for six hour shifts straight lended the officers on duty ample time to create new ways of relieving boredom. The two guards on this morning’s shift were talking to each other about their upcoming weekend; what plans they had for partying, how do to deal with the missus, how to get in better touch with their kids, and other mundane conversation that could be made to fill the dead air. Discord had grown tired of this drawl banter within the first few microseconds of being placed in his new home, and it had proven to be a growing source of agitation for him.

By all the wonderful forces of chaos, why must I continue to listen to this? He tried to look up toward the hidden skies above, but his movement was, of course, restricted. Oh yes, I’d forgotten; imprisoned within a shell of friendship produced concrete.

The chimera internally sighed as he mused to himself, I miss the old days. Thousands of years ago I was free to do as I pleased. I could just cause volcanoes to erupt on a whim, earthquakes were my fancy, and floods were my afternoon plaything! Sure it was fun having the humans worship me for a couple thousand years, and even having them try to stop me was entertaining! What I cannot stand, no, what I absolutely detest above all else is this idle conversation! I need something real; something right out of the blue! What I need to keep me from driving myself sane is a great big-

At that moment, Discord felt something unlike anything he had ever experienced before; a part of the balance of the world was now heavily damaged. Where once there had been a constant, unchanging force of the immediate universe, there was now an empty void, abandoned by its keeper. Something, or someone, had just checked out from their little cosmic cubicle. As he unintentionally reminded himself that he could not physically look upward when he realized he couldn’t move, again, he reached out through the web of reality around him. Wherever there was chaos, whether it be physical or metaphysical, there he could witness the outside world. His extrasensory perceptions brought him to the source of the enormous universal disturbance. A cloud of golden particles lazily floated along on the air currents.

Now what have we here? he thought to himself, Well aren’t you just a pretty little nebula of arcane energy. Did you lose your owner? Hmmm, this little dust cloud feels a lot like dear, sweet, horridly consistent Celestia.

Discord’s astral presence tried to reach out to the cluster of floating magic, and he was met with no response. He tried agitating it, whispering sweet nothings to it, even threatening to beat its beloved second cousin with a sack full of capybaras, but he received no answer of any sort. Now this isn’t like you at all. Only I’m allowed to be the unpredictable one in this relationship! You’re tearin’ me apart, Tia! The cloud slowly began to dissipate into the air, and as each particle left the whole, it extinguished.

Discord screeched to a halt midair as the realization of why there was no response came to him. You’re dead! How, though? After all these years of immortal life, you just up and die on me? Discord stared accusingly at the cloud, until he suddenly shrugged and smiled, Oh well, it doesn’t matter; my playmates aren’t allowed to die unless I make up my mind that they can. I still haven’t decided after all these innumerable eons of existence if Schrodinger’s cat is actually dead or alive, and I’m not about to go and change my mind on a whim! That is, unless I do.

Discord funneled his mental essence back into his imprisoned body. When he knew he was ready, he reached out to the entire universe with all his influence, from the dark corner under a nearby filly’s bed, to the vast seas of dark matter millions of light years away in space. Although I can’t access all of my delicious entropic might from within this form fitting cell of yours, he mentally strained with as much effort as he had to physically reshape the walls of his prison from the inside out, I am chaos, and chaos is god; I always find a way to do what is impossible to others!

Moving at an agonizing crawl, Discord’s stony eagle-taloned fingers drew closer and closer together. With the effort that in his unhindered state he could use to implode a medium sized star, Discord was finally able to snap his fingers. Red energy playfully crackled through his claws until it dissipated into the air. After the deed was done, Discord projected himself back out to the golden cloud. A strong gust of wind now blew it along, while it simultaneously bundled up the fading energy.

Now what you need to overcome this temporary case of dead is a nice, relaxing vacation, Discord confidently declared to the cluster of energy. He put his arm around the area near the cloud as he strolled along beside it. Allow yourself some time to loosen up, unwind, and pull yourself back together before you try to return. Now now! There’s no arguing with me, young lady! Listen to your elder, and take some time off! If you’re worried about your little kingdom, I’m sure Loony Luna will take good care of it! Besides, I’ll have things unstraightened out like they should be soon. You see, some practical jokes take time. Discord’s projection nudged the cloud in a playful manner, Of course, I wouldn’t have expected you to know that! The essence of Princess Celestia was as silent as ever.

The cloud and Discord’s apparition flew far up above the skies of Ponyville as they made their way to the boundary of the Everfree Forest. As they passed over the gloomy trees and dank hollows, Discord mused aloud to himself as he stroked his Billy goat beard, You know, I’m surprised that I didn’t offer this place more of my attention when I was active last; it’s a raw canvas waiting for my exquisite taste to spice it up with a little bit of my perspective. Just imagine it: cheese fondue pots as far as the eye can see, a grove of rubber chickens growing next to the pool full of gelatin, and ferns that grow neckties!

The two entities arrived at their destination; a spatial anomaly several feet above the ground. The wound to the fabric of space-time had been repaired several months previously by the two Princesses, the Elements of Harmony, all the nearby ponies of the land, and two beings that Discord was having trouble knowing for some reason. The one of them doesn’t seem to have a name, he explained to the Princess’ dormant form, and the other is..fuzzy, for some reason.

Remaining just outside the Spatial Tessaract’s reach, he shooed the golden cloud towards it, Oh don’t worry; go on! It’s time to go down the rabbit hole, little Alice. Who knows where it could lead? Well, I suppose I could! Discord tried to reach out for the knowledge he sought as he so easily could do in any other instance, but when he tried to find out where the hole did lead, though, his mind came up blank. Now that’s never happened before, he thought without a hint of amusement. He tried to reach out once again, but he gained nothing from his efforts. Something is blocking me from my usual fun. Discord looked on the hole with another case of dawning knowledge, Unless..there’s nothing out there. The largest nothing; the Void between planes.

The golden cloud drifted towards the hole until it was caught by its attractive force. Discord tried to reach out to grab Princess Celestia’s essence, but in his current state he couldn’t fight the Tessaract’s pull. Quickly improvising to ensure the survival of his most favorite playmate, he cast a bit of his power into her, ensuring that she would survive a long trip in the eternal blackness. The golden cloud circled and circled the hole, until at last it was finally and completely absorbed by it. Wherever you’re headed, dear Celestia, Discord frowned at the hole in reality, You’re even beyond my reach, all on your own. I’m sure that you’ll find your way back to us, though; I’m counting on it, in fact.

As the chimera waltzed back into his immobilized corporeal form, he thought to himself, We’re in the middle of the joke now. It won’t be all that long until we reach the punch line; and that, fillies and gentlecolts, I will deliver in person.

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[Alan Smithee]

A sack full of Capybaras...
That's our Discord!