The Act of Discord
It was a quiet evening in Equestria. The sun was setting by one of the princesses, birds flying back to their nests, and squirrels running back to their homes in the trees, or to cottage that is owned by a pegasus. As for the ponies, all of them were going on with their lives. Doesn't matter where you go, ponies are either going to work, leaving from work, or finding work. Discord knew all of this. Discord, although not "fully" reformed, was able to fly around Equestria on his own. During his time cruising Equestria, Discord learned a spell on his own while visiting an abandoned castle in the Everfree Forest. This spell was able to make Discord appear invisible to other ponies. With this technique, he can fly in close to ponies and stand by them, oblivious of his presence there. Of course Discord had the occasional urge to bring some "disharmony" or "bad luck" to some ponies' lives.
Just the other day, Discord "witnessed" a pony's dress in Canterlot get caught by the edge of the door while on her way out from a theater. It was a two for one. Not only was the pony crying over her new dress ruined, the maker of the dress was bawling over her hard work she made on it.
On the same day, Discord visited one of the casinos in Las Pegasus. One stallion was trying to get a young mare back to his place for some "fun" time. Now if it was anyone's job to bring some "fun" time to ponies' lives, it was discord; just the "fun" stuff that comes after: heartbreaks, deception, the usual stuff. At the blackjack table, he switched the order of some cards to let the cocky stallion lose his hand and five million bits to the casino. It was spare change to him anyways.
Today, Discord was doing one of his casual flying throughout Ponyville, as well as seeing which ponies needed some of his "help". Nothing in particular caught Discord's eye. A couple of fillies were leaving a bakery after spending their allowance on sweets and are already regretting it. Nothing to do there, Discord thought to himself. Meanwhile, Discord saw a schoolhouse was being built outside of Ponyville. I'm all for "bad luck", but I can let this not be tampered yet. Maybe when fillies are there, I can "haunt" the classrooms. Going back into Ponyville, the town library was closing with the librarian locking the door. Well I'll be. I didn't make it in time to "see" some books fall off the shelves and cause a ruckus. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I'll check in again. Saddened by the event, Discord decided to fly outside of Ponyville.
As he was flying through the outskirts of Ponyville, he noticed a pair of ponies walking towards a house, beyond Ponyville's farm. Like a materialistic unicorn attracted to any diamonds or jewels, Discord drew in closer. He wanted to "inspect" this pair up close. After flying close, the pair was a mare wearing a dress and a stallion wearing nothing but a red rancher hat. However, as he spent another minute with them, the mare appeared to be walking awkwardly next to him. Is she drunk? Discord thought to himself. This will be exciting to watch go down.
"We'he ahmost home honey," said the stallion, "just ah couple more yahds."
"Thank Celestiah," the mare replied.
"Awww, she not drunk," Discord said to himself. He decided to listen in and follow them anyways, nothing else happens under the night sky.
"Ah was beginin' to think we wouldn' make it by nighttime!" the mare continued, "Le's not go to anymore parties, especially with mah condition, ok?"
"Not even with mah brothahs?"
"Not righ' now," the mare said, taking in a deep breath. The couple continued until they reached the front door. "Look! There's somethin' on our door!" Discord drew closer and saw a folded paper with a stamp on it taped to the front door. The stallion walked up and grabbed the letter.
"It's from youh mothah," the stallion said, opening the letter, reading quickly and mumbling the words to himself.
"What does i' say?" she says while both of them walk into the house.
"She says... she says that she wants us to visit youah pahent's fahm fo' ah month."
"Wha'!?" the mare uttered, surprised. "Doesn' she know the stage you and Ah are in?"
"She wants us to go and celebate one of you sistahs' one yea' old foal."
"Bah! Ah'm too weak to travel across Equestria." She sits down on the couch that's in the living room. "Also, we don' hahve the bits to make it through tha month. Unless you hahve been gahmblin' with your brothers again."
The stallion kissed the mare on her head. "Ah only do it twice a month now darlin'. Just be glad Ah don't do it weekly."
"Such a charmer you are," she says, giving him a kiss back. The stallion walks into the kitchen while the mare lays down on the couch to rest. "Mah hooves are barking from that long walk. You know, Ah've been craving something all evening. Could you go get me some-"
"Some apple pie?" he said, coming out of the kitchen with two slices of pie.
"Ha! You know me too well darlin'." The couple sat down together on the couch the mare was resting on. The stallion handed over a slice of pie to his lover and started to enjoy some apple pie together. "Y'know, our 6 year ahnniversary is comin' up."
"What? Did you expect me to forget?"
"No, no. Well... maybe," she said with a giggle.
"Here you ar' expectin' very little from me. At least Ah stuck with you while mah friends went out with other mares every week."
"That's why Ah love you darling." She gave him a kiss and took a piece of his slice. "And this apple pie," she said with a smile.
"Hey! Mah slice of pie!"
"So, did you get me anythin' yet for our anniversary?" she says, ignoring his expression.
"Ah got you pregnant didn't Ah?" he replies with a smirk on his face.
The mare punched him with her hoof on his shoulder. "That doesn' count!"
“OW!” he yelled in pain. He jerked back from the impact. “I swear on my horseshoe that all that sugah is going into your front legs and not just your buttocks!”
The mare punched him again. “Tell meh the truth, did yah get me anythin'?”
“Don't worry honey. Ah got yah somethin' alright.”
“Well? What is it!”
“Isn't thah point of aniversahry gifts is to get them on our aniversahry day?”
“But you're suppose to spoil meh!” she said with a tantrum.
“You took an extra bite of pie from meh!” The mare put a sad face when she stared at her empty plate and the stallion’s little piece of pie. “Fine. You can have the last-” she ate it before he can finish, “-of mah pie.” She gave him a big smile.
“Um... Ah love you darling?” she said with an innocent smile.
He gave her a kiss. “Ah love you too.”
*********************************************
Two days later, Discord visited the couple during the day to see what they were up to. He never seen much of ponies having a family until after the birth. Let alone the ponies in the cities always cover themselves up to hide the pregnancy.
When he arrived at the house, he saw the stallion outside in the front of the house hammering at a cart’s wheel. Still wearing the red rancher hat. The mare was under the porch, staying under the shade watching the stallion doing his work.
“There!” the stallion said, hammering the last nail. “It’s finished darlin’!”
“Aw, it looks jus’ so beautifal!” she yelled, admiring the work he made. “How did a mare like meh get such a stallion like you?”
“Well,” he says while walking back towards the house, “you said you sah meh and thought Ah had money.”
“Ah was just kiddin’!” she yelled at him. “Ah said tha’ like five years ago!”
“And is it still true?” he asked. She gave him an angry expression. “Ah’m just kiddin’! Jeez, that pregnancy took the sense of humor out of you.”
“So, when am Ah goin’ to get mah present?” she asked with a smile.
“Ah’d reckon another week, considerin’ she’s still in yah,” he said rubbing her stomach.
“Gosh darlin’, stop makin’ me wait.” She gave him a kiss.
“Ok, Ah’ll give it to you.”
“Yay! It’s about time!” she said, dancing in the chair. The stallion went inside the house and came back out a minute later, holding a small box.
“Here yah go honey,” the stallion said, handing it over.
“Aw, Ah thought it would be bigger,” she said with a sad face. She looked up at the stallion with a smile on her face. “Ah’m just kiddin’!” She opened the present and inside was a bell with a ribbon tied to it.
“Ain’ it neat?”
“It’s a bell. What is it for? A cat?” she questioned.
“It’s for the cart darlin’. Ah’m sorry, but your present didn’ come in time,” he says with a depressed face. “Ah even payed for overnight shipping, but it wasn’ fast enough.” The mare kissed him on the forehead.
“It’s ok honey. Ah forgive you. For now…” The stallion looked back up to her. “Ah’m kiddin’!” The stallion grabbed the bell and walked towards the cart. He went to the front and tied the bell on the railing and rang it a couple of times. It gave out a high pitched ring. Loud enough to hear from a block away.
“There we go. Now the ponies can hear us when we are rushin down the street to the hospital.”
“It sounds beautifal honey. Ah love it.”
*********************************************
About a week later, Discord was flying back to Ponyville. He was coming back from one of his weekly sessions of reformation from Celestia. Or speeches according to Discord.
“If I have to hear another speech from that pony again, I might as well be turned into stone,” Discord said to himself. “Now where is… Ah hah!” he said, seeing Ponyville in the distance. “There it is!” He flew towards Ponyville to see what everypony has been up to. As he enters Ponyville, he hears a ring. Scratch that, multiple ringings. “Sounds like those winter ponies ringing for the holiday sales. But it isn’t even winter yet.” He followed the sound and just soon after, he sees the source. A stallion in a red rancher hat pulling a cart with a pregnant mare laying inside.
“OUT OF THE WAY! MAH WIFE IS IN LABOR!” the stallion announced, still pulling the wagon at a running speed. Discord follows them to the front of the hospital. As he looks inside the cart, he sees the mare laying down with a small box next to her. “Come on darlin’! We are here!” he says opening the door of the wagon. A couple of nurses come out the hospital to help the married couple. Just then, Discord feels a force. A force that even him gets chills by.
“What is this? Who is making me cold?” Discord says to himself. He tries to ignore it as he follows the married couple inside the hospital. He sees them taking the mare through some doors and down the hallway into a room, where there is a bed waiting for the mare. The nurses help the mare onto the bed while keeping the stallion away from the bed so they can “do their job”.
“Wait here until I get the doctor!” one the nurses says, running out of the room.
Discord stands there. Well, more like hover over the bed. He sees the stallion holding on to the mare’s hoof. The small box from earlier is sitting on the table next to the bed. However, Discord feels a small tickle. Something inside him that he knows something is going to happen. Something beyond his control. He can feel his fingers trembling and his knees feeling weak. He hasn’t felt this long before he was reformed. As the doctor comes into the room, Discord lifts his hands. Casting a spell that starts to cover the whole room. Invisible to any eyes but Discord’s. The doctor then starts to help in the delivering of the foal.
After channeling the spell, Discord found the source of what is making him tremble. “I can see you, you know.”
A faceless shadow forms where he is looking at. “It has been a while hasn’t it Discord?” the figure speaks out to Discord’s ears.
“I would hate to agree with you on that one.”
“Why is that? Has the little pony princess make you a good boy?”
“Oh, silence you.” Discord gave out a huff.
“So, she has made you go soft. I’m disappointed in you Discord.” Discord huffed again. “And why are you here?” The mare begins to scream in pain.
“I should be asking ‘you’ that,” Discord says looking at the figure.
“But we both know ‘that’ answer now. Don’t we?”
Chills went down Discord’s spine. He looks at the mare giving birth and her husband on her side holding onto her hoof. “Will she be able to see the foal?”
“Maybe she’ll she her for a bit, but that’s just it.”
Discord felt a kick go into his stomach. Why am I feeling this way? Is this the result of being reformed? Caring for another pony’s life other than a life that was close with him? “How long is that?”
“I can’t give the exact time. It goes against the rules. You should know this.”
Discord ponders for a moment.
“It’s a girl!” the doctor announces.
“Hey, do you suppose you could do me a favor?”
“And what is that?”
Discord looks towards the parents and the newborn filly, seeing the mother’s eyes slowing drifting away, desperately trying to stay awake. “Can you spare some more time for this mother?” Discord can feel the figure staring at him from its faceless figure. “I wouldn’t be asking you this if I knew I could do something about it.” Discord can feel his eyes start to water but is trying to hold it back.
“And why would I do that?”
“For old times sake. I gave you the life of another an hour earlier than usual.” Discord looks towards the figure. “Can you spare that hour to this mother of her child?”
If the figure had a face, it would be giving out a thinking face. A hand then forms out of the figure, drifting slowly towards the mother. Discord couldn’t bare to look at the figure take the life away from the mare and looked away. After what felt like an eternity, Discord can still hear the breathing of the mare.
“There,” the figure spoke out. “It is done.” Discord felt the weight of the underworld come off his shoulders. “I’ll be back in an hour Discord. Maybe I’ll see you again,” the figure said, slowly disappearing.
“I hope not,” Discord said after the figure completely vanished.
“So, what are we going to name her?” the mare asked the stallion. “Since it’s a girl, the father should name her.”
*********************************************
For the next hour, Discord stayed with the parents of the newborn filly alone in the room. She had a yellowish cream coat and red hair, the same color as the red rancher hat. But Discord couldn’t keep his eyes off of the mare. Still full of life knowing she was close to the other side. Laughing, crying, smiling, and kissing both her newborn and her husband.
When the hour was almost up, Discord felt the coldness return to the room.
“Hey, haven’t I met you before?” the figure asks.
“Quiet you,” Discord retorts.
“You know what time it is.”
“That I do know.” Discord starts to go out of the room.
“Hey Discord,” the figure calls out.
“Yes?” Discord says, turning around to face the figure.
“You’re not such a bad guy. I’m glad you changed to be honest.” Discord felt a little sick. He never known himself for being good, or at least not bad. “Anyways, I got a job to do. I guess this is goodbye for now. I’ll wait until you leave the room.” Discord nods in agreement.
Discord exits the room. Listening closely to the sounds and voices from room behind him. He hears the father carrying and talking to the filly while the breathing of the mother slows down dramatically. After a few seconds, silence from the mare.
“Now don’ you look cute in that bow little filly,” Discord hears the stallion say. “Don’t you think darlin’? Darlin’?” Less than a minute later, Discord can hear the transition of a happy father to a sad one.
Discord couldn’t bare to look at the stallion without his wife and filly without her mother. Discord starts to leave the down the hallway after hearing the stallion cry for a few minutes. However, he can still feel the coldness emit out of the room. After hovering out ten feet, Discord sees the figure again.
“Sorry to interrupt you, even though I know you don’t want to see me,” the figure said. Discord opened his mouth to speak, but the figure stopped him. “Before you say anything, I want you to meet somepony.” The figure extends out its hand and out of the darkness of the palm of its hand, a white light starts growing larger out of it. Soon, it takes form of the mare that he saw lying on the bed not too long ago. She stands right in front of Discord.
“You are Discord, right?” the mare asks, in perfect language, no slang or accents from the body she had before. Discord is at a loss of words. “I just wanted to say thank you for what you have done. It told me everything you did for us and I can’t say anything but thank you. I never knew something was watching over us and cared so much for us. It pains me to leave my husband alone with our children, but my mother always told me, things happen for a reason, and I know he can take care of them. I’ll be watching over him from the other side, and waiting for him when his time comes.”
“It’s time to go ma’am,” the figure says out loud. “We are going to be late.” The mare figure starts walking back toward the shadowy figure before stopping in front of it. She turns back to look at Discord.
“You know. I’ve heard about how bad you were, but, you are not that bad after all,” she says with a bright smile.
For the first time in his life, Discord felt a little warm and fuzzy inside.