Canterlot high. A school of teaching, learning, sports and teenage hormones. Usually a quiet school, or well at least it is today. Yesterday a student almost ripped the walls between two worlds apart, but that was yesterday and today had arrived.
The ringing of the school bell reverberated through the empty halls of the high school like the ridiculously loud alarm from an aging clock. Not more than a few seconds went by before students emerged from every classroom, flooding the hallways like water escaping a dam as they chatted amongst each other.
Among these students was one named Twilight Sparkle. Sporting her plum colored Crystal Prep Academy uniform that completely went against the green high school’s halls supposed to the cold blue of her old school, already an indication that she didn’t belong. With her outfit alone, she also stood out from the other students, having just transferred from Crystal Prep Academy where they normally wore uniforms, it was hard for Twilight to fit in.
As she walked down the hallway, she noticed there were other students glancing at her and whispering. Walking by, she even heard her own name being said and she could feel her arms clutch the books she was holding tighter. She knew what they were whispering about. Not more than a day had gone by since she almost tore a permanent hole between the human world and Equestria. Just thinking about it made her head fall, focusing on the ground. Still, it was hard for her to understand what she had almost done, and despite it, she still felt a nagging in the back of her mind. A nagging Twilight felt regularly and she usually welcomed it, but in this case it almost terrified her. She still wanted to learn about the mysterious and incredible art that was magic. What wonders she could accomplish if she knew how it worked. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone call her name.
“Hey Twilight!”
Twilight turned and was greeted with the sight of Sunset Shimmer having just exited from a classroom and walking towards her. Twilight smiled at her friend and began to walk towards Sunset, hoping that the nagging, her craving for knowledge, would seize.
But a problem to one may seem like nothing in comparison to others. For problems, as with so many aspects of life, are only as bad as the individual makes them. To some, it is the end of the world to get a drop of blue paint on a white dress where as other may see it as the dress becoming more colorful. Problems vary from person to person. What some may see as a catastrophic event of enormous proportions may simply be a regular Tuesday for some people...or ponies.
“Ugh…” Twilight groaned as she entered her room and faceplanted onto her bed. Today had been confusing to say the least, being caught in a time travel loop was an exhausting process. Her tired eyes caught the sight of a book on her nightstand. The book was around the size or an average dictionary elegantly covered with brown silky leather, a sun crest on its front, implicating its previous owner. It was glowing purple and vibrating. Twilight’s eyes widened and she felt a smile dawning on her lips as she remembered her human friends. She sat up, opened the book and read the message she could only assume was from Sunset Shimmer.
She read the rest to herself, eyes widening as she finished. She slammed the book down, racing towards the library where a familiar mirror stood waiting.
She reached the library and began powering up the mirror to travel to the human world, when she heard a familiar pop ring throughout her castle and a flash of white light behind her. Twilight froze instantly. Oh, no, not him, not now…
“Why hello, Princess Twilight,” a deep familiar voice sounded behind her.
Twilight slowly turned and was greeted with the one creature she didn’t want in her library. She scowled, “Discord…”
The draconequus in question floated in the air above her with his usual mischievous smile plastered on his face. The same expression shifted into one of offence when he saw her expression. “My, my is that a way to greet a friend?” He landed on the crystal floor and coiled around her like a snake. “You don’t call, you don’t write, and your chaos factor has gone down by over seventy-eight point nine percent over the last two seasons!”
“Seasons?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. She was promptly ignored.
“I must say, I’m very disappointed in you, Miss Sparkle.” Discord snapped his talon and a white light engulfed himself and Twilight.
Twilight appeared behind a school student desk. In front of her stood Discord sporting a brown tweed jacket and a red tie while wearing ridiculously big glasses, a blackboard behind him.
“I’m afraid you need some guidance from the master himself and while I try and find him, you will sit here and write me an essay on chaos theory with a page requirement of 1,337.” A piece of board chalk wrote on the blackboard by itself all of what Discord said. “You have twenty minutes, and if you fail—”
“Alright Discord that’s enough,” Twilight interrupted and was about to exit her chair when she heard the words that made all rationality go out the window.
“—you will be sent back to magic kindergarten.” Discord finished.
As soon as those words exited Discord’s mouth, Twilight froze as an enormous stack of paper appeared beside her desk, so large it reached the ceiling of the crystal castle along with a pen to write with. She instinctively gulped and raised her hoof into the air. Even the thought of going back to magic kindergarten made Twilight shiver. There were no books...no learning...just sleeping and socialising!
Discord raised an eyebrow but other than that kept looking professional. “No time for questions,” He looked at a nonexistent watch on his arm. “Your time begins...now!”
Twilight did not waste any of the precious time given. Without thinking, Twilight had already grabbed the pen in her mouth, grabbed her first page and begun writing. Her writing was sloppy and incredibly fast and she honestly had no idea what to write, but she wrote anyway. By her estimations, her own average word per page count was at four-hundred-fifty-three words per page. With some quick math Twilight figured out she had to write 650,661 words in twenty minutes which in total was 30,283 words per minute. It was completely impossible, but that didn’t keep Twilight from trying. Her pen was practically on fire as she wrote page after page. She slowed down to a stop when she realised something.
“Wait, he can’t send me back to magic kindergarten…” She muttered. She deadpanned, dropped the pen and looked up only to be met with a draconequus rolling on the floor clutching his stomach in laughter.
“Oh, that was priceless,” Discord laughed and wiped a tear from his eye. He heard hoofsteps and looked up. His eyes were met with a scowling alicorn princess glaring daggers at him. “Uh, hehe… No hard feelings Twilight. You’re just so easy to… Wait, what are you doing? ARGH! Twilight, let go of my tail!”
Discord tried to drag himself away from the mare that had gripped his tail in her purple magical aura, but to no effect. With a quick thought he snapped his talon and appeared with his back against the ceiling.
“Get down here, now!” Twilight yelled angrily and fired a warning shot from her horn. It landed beside Discord, leaving a soot mark.
“Celestia’s flankus gigantus I will!” Discord replied with a distressed expression.
“Do you even know how big a pain in the flank you are?!”
“I wouldn’t know about that,” Discord scratched his beard in thought. “But I can assure you that I don’t intend to be a ‘pain’ in your flank.”
His words calmed Twilight a little, that is if he had stopped talking there.
“If I wanted to be a pain in your flank, I would have made my introduction with a friendly bite in it. Or maybe changed your cutiemark into me doing acupuncture on your flank. That would have worked too. Actually thank you, Twilight. Now I know how to announce my presence around you.”
Twilight didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or furious.
Discord looked to the weird machine attached to a mirror behind Twilight. “And what is that by the way?” He pointed to the machine. “I’m pretty sure it’s new.”
All thoughts of embarrassment and fury completely disappeared from Twilight’s mind as Discord pointed to the machine behind her. She smiled sheepishly, “That thing? I, uh, found it? Yes! I found it in the... basement!” She blurted out.
The draconequus looked oddly at her. “Twilight, firstly, you don’t have a basement, I’ve checked. And secondly, even if you did, where could it have come from? I’m pretty sure the Tree of Harmony doesn’t create anything that isn’t made of crystal.” He slowly descended from the ceiling and landed before Twilight, eyes having shifted to the machine.
“That’s… Because I…” Crap! Twilight, think of something! He can’t know that it leads to—
“Is that one of Starswirl’s Otherworld Mirrors?” Discord walked closer and began inspecting the mirror attached to the machine and tapped it with his talon. “Huh, haven’t seen one of these since I began the Discordian era.”
Again every thought about what Twilight was doing and what she was trying to prevent went out the window. “Wait, you know about the mirror?”
Discord looked at her, almost in shock. “Of course I know about the mirrors.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “‘Mirrors’ as in plural?”
“Although I’ve always found these mirrors to be a bit primitive.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Primitive?!” She gawked. “You’re calling perhaps the greatest invention Starswirl the bearded ever built primitive? I don’t even understand how that mirror works, so what does that make me?”
Discord patted her on her head. “It makes you a pony, my dear.” He began shifting his gaze between Twilight and the machine for a few seconds before smirking. “Ah, I see what is going on here. You were going to take the portal to the other world that it leads to.”
Twilight was about to deny and then hung her head in defeat. “Yes I was…”
“How very irresponsible of you, Twilight.”
Twilight shifted her hooves uncomfortable and kept her gaze on the crystal floor.
“Do you know how dangerous it can be to go into other dimensions? What horrors could be waiting beyond that mirror.”
Twilight was tempted to defend herself, but kept silent.
“And I bet you didn’t even tell your friends.”
Twilight could feel her stance getting lower as shame washed over her.
“And most importantly, you didn’t invite me.”
Twilight’s apparent shame disappeared instantly. “Huh?” She looked up once more and was greeted with Discord’s smiling face.
“It seems I’ve misjudged you, Twilight. Perhaps your chaos factor hasn’t gone down after all, but we can discuss that later,” Discord picked up Twilight and slung her over his shoulder. “I’ve been meaning to take a vacation and this is the perfect opportunity!”
Twilight felt a shiver go down her spine at those words. “Wait, what?!”
“Now onwards for chaos and glory!” He announced and began sprinting towards the mirror.
Instinctively Twilight lit her horn and encased Discord in a magenta aura where in which he stopped on the spot. She managed get herself out of his grip, remembering she has wings and landed in front of him as a poison yellow aura engulfed Discord and Twilight’s disappeared. “Oh, come on, Twilight. Don’t be such a sourpuss.”
“Discord, I am not letting you through that portal.” She said defiantly.
Discord tilted his head and shrugged, “Eh, suit yourself.” He snapped his talon and a rumble went through the crystal castle.
Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Wait for it.”
The door to the library blasted open and a wave of chickens came crashing in.
“What in Celestia’s...ARGH!” Twilight didn’t get to say more as the surge of chickens washed over her,bawking all the way. It took a few seconds for Twilight to dig herself out, and when she did, she met with a horrible sight; Discord waving at her as he walked through the mirror. As his tail was about to get engulfed by the mirror, Twilight focused her horn, took aim, and then a chicken knocked into her head, shaking her aim and a magenta beam shot from her horn, but instead of the tail, it hit the top of the mirror.
Twilight was practically fuming in anger at the, now absent, draconequus. “Discord, when I get my hooves on you… Hey, get away from my books! They’re not chicken food!”
The sound of something emerging from water was heard as a tall man stepped out from the marble platform that also acted as the footing of a now destroyed horse statue. The man began inspecting himself and his form. From the brown turtleneck sweater to the black and green shoes he was wearing.
“Hmmm...very nice,” Discord concluded as he kept inspecting his new form. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at what was in front of him. A very large plum colored building with golden horse statue heads at each corner around the top of the building. His expression turned into a deadpan when he noticed an orange sign at the entrance saying ‘Welcome to Canterlot High’
“Seriously, a high school?” Discord blurted, No wonder Twilight wanted to come here, this must be like a candy shop to her. To say Discord was disappointed was the understatement of the century.
He heard noises that resembled that of a weak party horn behind him and turned. Once again he raised an eyebrow as a machine with wheels drove by on a dark grey road, having just set off a student. An automobile? Haven’t seen one of those in over four-thousand years. Of course, Discord has visited many dimensions through his long life. And even among those, automobiles were surprisingly rare.
Discord took one of his new arms and scratched his goatee in thought and watched the student as she advanced towards the entrance. So I’ve landed in some sort of dimension with beings that resembles monkeys… well except for the fact that they wear clothes and aren’t hairy except for their heads. A thought struck Discord and he looked down at himself once more. Wait, why am I wearing clothes? He felt something move in his pants and he froze.
Noticing the tall man standing by the statue frantically looking over himself the female student approached. The girl stopped in front of the man as he had begun spinning around himself like a dog chasing its tail. “Ugh, excuse me, sir?” She asked.
Discord stopped chasing what was in his pants and looked up at the girl. She was about two heads smaller than himself, wearing a light turquoise shirt, dark blue jeans, her hair turquoise as her shirt with a mix of white, her eyes were orange and she was looking at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity. “Yes?” He managed to answer before he felt the same thing move in the back of his yellow pants and tried to grab it.
“Is something wrong?”
“AHA!” Discord said loudly, making the girl flinch. “I got it!” He announced proudly with one hand clenched hand in the air, the other placed firmly down in the back of his pants.
At least that is what it looked to for Discord. For the girl, it looked like the tall man in front of her had grabbed something on or in his ass.
“And no, nothing is wrong, my dear.” He said calmly with an awkward smile as he felt the thing in his pants move again. Looking over the girl he asked, “You look familiar, have we met before?”
“I don’t think so,” the girl answered. “I’m Lyra by the way,” she held out her hand for Discord to shake.
Wanting to shake her hand, Discord held out his own, noticing it had long golden hairs on it, only to take it back on his buttocks as the thing in his pants moved again.
Lyra looked confused at him.
What in the world is this thing in my… a thought passed by Discord and he facepalmed. “Of course!” He announced. “Give me a moment.” He proceeded to take down his pants and with it, a long red dragon tail rose from the bottom of his back. “Annoying little…” Discord snapped his fingers and his tail disappeared in a white light. He pulled up his pants again and shifted his attention back to Lyra, her face being redder than a tomato. “Is something wrong, my dear?”
The girl looked away and smiled uncomfortably, trying very hard not to look around Discord’s crotch. “Uh, no…” She began slowly backing away. “I should get going, gonna be be late for class and all that jazz. It was nice meeting you.” Without saying anything further Lyra ran inside the high school, never looking back.
Discord scratched the back of his head in confusion before shrugging. “Huh, strange girl,” he concluded. Looking down the road, Discord fixed his eyes on a few buildings with signs that resembled that of the shopping alleys in Canterlot. He smiled mischievously, “Time for some exploring.”
The sound of clattering school lockers resonated through the halls of the high school as the many students stored books and other belongings before going to lunch. Twilight walking beside Sunset Shimmer, awkward silence lingering between them as they reached their respective lockers that just so happened to be next to each other.
Unfortunately for Twilight, the nagging hadn’t gone away, but she had expected as much. Once it started it usually never stopped until it got what it wanted. Storing her books, Twilight glanced to Sunset several times, wanting to pop the question that kept wanting to be asked, but it was also the question that could ruin everything she had the potential to get. Friendship and acceptance.
Finally Sunset noticed the glancing and closed her locker, looking at Twilight with concern. “Twilight, is something wrong?”
Twilight gulped and opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out. She wanted to tell Sunset about her craving for knowledge on magic, but was afraid of Sunset’s response.
“It’s about the looks isn’t it?” Sunset quickly glanced to some of the students behind her, who were also curiously glancing at Twilight and Sunset.
Instead of answering Twilight looked down in shame, trying to shy away from the prying eyes of the other students. The sudden feeling of a hand landing on her shoulder made Twilight look up and was met with Sunset Shimmer’s warm and comforting smile.
“Don’t mind them, they’ll be over it in a week or two.” She said reassuringly.
Twilight didn’t buy it though. She was used to being an outcast from her former school and expected nothing else from this one.
“Hey slackers!”
The sudden voice ripped Twilight from her thoughts as she saw Rainbow Dash and the rest of their friends walking towards them.
Rainbow Dash gripped both Twilight and Sunset by the shoulders when she came into proximity. “Next up is gym class for the three of us and I heard that we’ll be playing soccer!” Rainbow almost squealed at the name of her favorite sport.
Rarity rolled her eyes and crossed her arms at Rainbow. “Why you find that hideously dirty sport amusing I will never understand.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at Rarity’s predictable response. “Ah come on, Rarity. Sometimes getting dirty can be fun. Just ask AJ.”
Tipping her hat Applejack nodded at Rainbow. “It’s true. There’s nothin better than coming home covered in dirt after a long day of apple plucking.”
Rarity shuddered at the thought.
“Does rolling in flour count as getting dirty?” Pinkie asked, appearing out of nowhere behind Rarity covered in white flour.
As Rarity noticed she squealed in surprise and fright and hid behind Sunset out of fear that her purple skirt would be dotted in the white baking material.
Applejack gave a hearty laugh. “If Rarity squeals at ya like that, then yeah, it’s ‘dirty.’” Rainbow, Pinkie and Sunset giggled at Applejack’s words.
Rarity huffed in annoyance at her friends, stuck her nose towards the ceiling and crossed her arms. “It’s not my fault you girls can’t understand the magnificent and brilliant art that is fashion.”
Sunset rolled her eyes and smiled. “So do you guys have any plans after school?”
All of her friends shook their heads.
“The animal shelter has gotten a lot of new volunteers over the last year, so I’m free.” Fluttershy almost whispered. Her friends beings used to Fluttershy’s weak voice heard her clearly, except Twilight who barely heard a word.
“Nah, I’ve got no plans,” Rainbow replied. “Soccer training’s cancelled after school. Something about coach having an appointment at the hospital.”
“Oh my. I hope he’s okay.” Fluttershy tentatively said.
“Nah, don’t sweat it, Shy. He’s probably just trying to get the day off early or something.”
“Big Mac’s gave me the day off after he fell asleep at work yesterday, so ahm free.” Applejack also replied.
“The boutique is having a pest problem so I’m free.”
Applejack deadpanned at her overly stylish friend. “Ya mean you think you saw a mouse and is staying away until ya cat Opal catches it?”
“A pest problem is a pest problem.”
Applejack rolled her eyes but kept a sly smile. “Suuure.”
“And I’m not supposed to work until tonight, yay!” Pinkie Pie squealed.
Sunset turned to Twilight who looked back with a confused expression. “What about you, Twilight? Got any plans or do you wanna hang?”
Truly Twilight didn’t have any plans other than the usual: Reading, studying, then reading some more, then going over what she had already studied and play with her dog, Spike. “Uhh, I’ve got no plans so, sure?”
Sunset smiled at her newest friend. “Great.” She shifted looks between the all of the girls she knew as her friends. “So where do you girls want to hang? We could go to the park.”
“Pfft, the park is boring,” Rainbow decided. “Oh, I know! Let’s go to the soccer field.”
The sound of something that resembled a vibrating phone sounded from Sunset’s locker. This went unnoticed by all except for Fluttershy.
“Ya always wanna go to the soccer field,” Applejack deadpanned at Rainbow Dash.
“Of course! The soccer field’s awesome!”
Um, girls?” Fluttershy whispered, trying to make her friends notice the vibrating sound from the locker.
“Why don’t we go to the mall?” Rarity asked, grabbing everyone, except Fluttershy’s, attention. “I’ve heard they have sales on purses and sweaters in Hoity Toity’s!”
“We went to the mall last week, Rarity,” Sunset replied.
“Uh! How about we go to sugarcube corner?” Pinkie asked.
“Girls?”
“Why don’t we ask Twilight where she wants to go?” Sunset asked, looking to Twilight, her friends eyes following.
Twilight instinctively gulped at the sudden attention. The entire hall was completely silent. This of course meant that they could all hear the vibrating sound from Sunset’s locker.
“Hey Sunset, that sound is coming from your locker.” Twilight said, trying to derail the attention from her. She was successful.
“Huh, you’re right.” Sunset raised an eyebrow and opened her locker. Her eyes widened when she spotted an elegantly brown leather covered book in her locker glowing white and vibrating in her locker, a sun crest, half of it yellow the other half fiery red, on its cover, indicating its owner. Ever so subtly she glanced to Pinkie Pie and then to Twilight.
Pinkie just stood there with a joyful expression.
Sunset tried again with a cough and glancing again. Pinkie still didn’t get it.
Groaning, Applejack gave Pinkie a light push in the direction of Twilight.
“Oh!” Pinkie grinned and jumped over to Twilight. “I have something you need to see Twilight, come on!”
Twilight didn’t even think of protesting before she already had been dragged away by Pinkie Pie.
Glancing down each end of the halls, Sunset took out the book she had once used to communicate with princess Celestia, but now used to communicate with Equestria’s Twilight Sparkle. Her friends gathered around Sunset as to shield anybody else from seeing what they were doing. Sunset opened the book.
I’m sorry I haven’t been able to answer sooner but I have been occupied with some very confusing things.
You’re probably wondering why I haven’t arrived to help you girls yet, and that is why I’m writing this.
As I was about to enter through the portal, a “Friend” arrived and insisted on joining. I told him No. As a result he has swarmed my entire castle with chickens. I won’t be able to join you before I’ve cleaned up this mess. Seriously, they’re EVERYWHERE.
But you should probably be on the lookout for my friend. He can be very… Chaotic when left to himself. Oh, and by the way. His name is Discord. And don’t worry, he should be very easy to find. Trouble swarms around him like chickens take over castles…
I can’t believe I just wrote that.
Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.
“This Discord fella sounds like one bad apple.” Applejack scowled at the text.
“Oh, come now, Applejack.” Rarity patted her friend on the shoulder and got a dreamy look in her eyes. “Maybe this ‘Discord’ is a handsome prince just waiting for the right woman to tame him.”
“Uhm, I think Twilight would have mentioned if he was a prince.” Fluttershy shyly pointed out.
“Pfft, BUHAHAHA!” Rainbow laughed uncontrollably and fell to the ground. “Castle swarmed with chickens, why did I never think of that?”
“Ah don’t know about this, girls. Sunset do ya know anything about this…” Applejack and the rest noticed the color had completely drained from from Sunset’s face, her eyes still deep in the text in front of her. “Uhh, Sunset?”
“Discord…” Sunset muttered. She remembered stories her dad used to tell her when she was little. A story of a beast of great destruction by the name of Discord. The spirit of chaos and disharmony. Her blood ran cold at the remembrance of his title and she felt her sight darken.
“Uh Sunset, you okay?”
It was at this moment that Sunset brilliantly decided to pass out.
