> The Dream of the Draconequii > by ScarxofxMine > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- He was running, that much he was aware of. The hazy buildings around him were passing by with blinding speed, but they were still noticeable, so he was not teleporting to his destination like he normally would. He could not remember the reason for his sudden betrayal of his chaotic nature as to simply run, but a deep feeling of frightened urgency gripped his heart, and he knew he could not stop. Whatever he was running to was more important than chaos, difficult as that was to say. As he ran the buildings and scenery alongside him became clearer and clearer, even though he could not make out anything in front of him before he passed it. The buildings were not normal, at least not by pony standards. To him they looked downright fun and clever. That one he just passed was half cave dwelling and half tree house, with a tiny pond floating in mid-air by the front door. If such a sense of urgency had not had such a strong grip on him, he would have definitely stopped to acknowledge the intense creativity of each of the unique designs he passed, but his feet would not stop moving. The longer he ran the more his calves ached, both the goat and the dragon parts of him screaming silently in overuse. These parts were usually only used ten minutes a day, tops, and now he had been running for who knows how long. Mentally grumbling to himself, he contemplated attempting to stop again, to Tartarus with running manually… …and that’s when he heard the screams. He had not realized that up until that point he had heard nothing but his thoughts. All had been unnaturally silent, even to nature’s standards. Neither his footsteps nor his breathing had caused a vibration of sound waves to hit his eardrums, until now that is. The noise came cascading upon him, like someone had snapped their fingers to suddenly bring back the sound; and dear Celestia did he wish that they had not. It sounded as though he was in the midst of a battlefield. He could not see anyone yet, but nothing else he had experienced in his over a thousand years of existing could bring those kinds of agonized screams and burly yells. It was coming from in front of him, and as he turned his head, it was like a veil had been removed as well. A grand, yet chaotic castle stood just seven hundred yards before him, and the two hundred yards before it was giant field in which a colossal battle was taking place. He could not make out who was fighting, but the urgency within him swelled as he saw featureless beings fall from the sky in waves. Whatever was happening, he was supposed to be a part of it. He ran faster and faster, hardly caring that he could hardly feel his legs anymore. There was someone he needed to get to, something he needed to say. He was a hundred and fifty yards from the field when the first wayward magical blast caused him to flinch. It seemed that both sides were fighting with magic and, when the magical prowess was equal, brute force. For some reason he could not seem to summon anything other than a simple shield spell, which he used to deflect the increasingly numerous blasts heading his way. It was a bit absurd that none of the blasts were stronger than his shield, especially since those fighting seemed like they were going for the killing blow every strike, but his luck held and he did not question it too much. War was chaotic and chaos was in his blood. However, as he stepped onto the field, any inkling of joy at seeing the chaos this war created vanished from his mind. Not even when he ruled Equestria was there this much chaotic evil. The battlefield was a hot mess of unruly energy. The still featureless beings on both sides were fighting with all of their might while the wounded lay around them, lunging out and still trying to attack. It was a mad house, and not a good one. Everyone was moving so fast that he doubted he would be able to tell them apart even if he could make out their characteristics. Magical blasts were being flung everywhere and there were so many blood curdling screams of pain that it was all he could do to keep his thoughts focused on his mission. He just had to get to the middle of the field, he had to get to her. Panting heavily and feeling more fatigued than he could ever remember, he came upon the center of the field. That’s where he saw her, participating in the most intense of battles with an adversary that was just as skilled as she was. He still could not make out her features, but he knew that she was the one somehow. As he tried to summon some magic to help take out her foe, she turned her head to him. For a split second he saw her face… …then she hurled magic at him and everything went black. Discord bolted awake with a gasp and sat up quickly. He glanced around the room and sighed, he was in Fluttershy’s and now, by marital extension, his cottage. The mare in question was still sleeping peacefully by his side in their comfy bed as always. Discord ran his claw through his mane as his heart rate steadied. His fur and scales were drenched with sweat, so he gently rose out of bed and went to the bathroom. As he splashed water on his face he contemplated. The nightmares had begun shortly after he had been released from stone the second time, and at first he had merely thought of them as a shenanigan of his brain, as his brain often liked to play tricks on him. However, in the past few months the nightmares had gotten steadily more vivid. Fluttershy had suggested going and seeing Princess Luna, but he had waved off the concern, it was not that big a deal. Everyone has nightmares, even reoccurring ones. Just because he was the Lord of Chaos did not mean he was immune. Discord glanced into the mirror above the sink as he splashed his face with chocolate milk a few times. There were literal brown satchel bags under his eyes and his face was ashen, literally falling to pieces. “Tch, leave it to my body to be dramatic,” he quietly snapped his fingers and his features righted themselves, but he was still pale and tired looking. “Maybe Fluttershy is right, maybe I do need to go see Miss Lulu Moon about these nasty little dreams.” “..Is..cor?” came a quiet voice from the bedroom. He quickly splashed himself with some actual water and dried himself before going back into the room. “You o’ay?” Fluttershy was still half asleep, and no wonder, judging by the stars it had to be about one thirty in the morning. He had not even been asleep four hours. Discord settled back down on the bed, curling up around her. “Yes dear, I just needed to go to the restroom. You know I shouldn’t have eaten that bowl for supper,” he lied through his teeth, and word bubbles broke through his teeth as he did. Discord only hoped she was too asleep to notice as he quietly snapped the bubbles away and his teeth fixed themselves. Fluttershy mumbled incoherently in response, so Discord gently shushed her. “Go back to sleep my dearest. As much as I'd love to chat you have dreaming to do,” and with that Fluttershy settled back to sleep. Discord kissed her forehead before laying back and thinking about what to do next. Certainly he should try to sleep, but he really wanted to try and figure out what the dream meant. His eyes scanned the room as he thought and thought and thought. Finally, after about half an hour of this his eyes landed on Fluttershy again. Discord chided himself and curled tighter around her, contenting himself to focusing on watching her sleep in an attempt to help himself fall asleep. Slowly his eyelids drooped and, at about three twenty-two according to the stars, Discord drifted off into a restless sleep.