Discord's Return

Chapters

Chapter One: Request
Chapter Two: Imprisonment
Chapter Three: Theft
Chapter Four: Discovery
Chapter Six: Death and Chaos
Chapter Seven: Fallen
Chapter 7.5: Consumed
Prologue: Disguise
Chapter Five: Nightmare

Chapter One: Request

Chapter One: Request

I turned in a circle as I heard a twig crack somewhere to my right. My cloak shifted slightly as my hidden wings fluttered quietly. My black hooves took a cautious step forwards and I lit my horn to peer into the darkness of the Everfree Forest that was my home.

“Show thyself!” A large creature stepped out of the forest and stared at me.

“Rosie, don’t you remember little ole me?” I recognized the mismatched monstrosity as Discord.

Sighing, I muttered to him, “How many times must I tell thee not to sneak up on me?”

“None, it won’t make a difference!” Discord took a step forward and whisked off my cloak. “I see you haven’t changed. Except, when did you get that beauty?” He stares at my cutie-mark. It is a circle, half of it is black and the other half white, in the middle of them is a dot of the opposing color.

“‘Tis my cutie-mark. It came after thy’s last ‘request’ of me. ‘Tis the ying and yang symbol from the native lands of the Zebra kind” I retorted.

“Why art thou alwayseth speakingeth in oldeth englisheth?” Discord inquired, quite rudely I might add.

“Because, I have not been in the company of those who speak in the modern tongue as much as thou have. After thou tricked me, I fled into yonder grove,” I tipped my head to the east, the opposite of where my home really was. “Why art thou here, Discord? I want nothing to do with thee.”

Discord pretended to look hurt. He stepped closer, causing me to back up a step, “I have a request to make of you, Broken Rose.” I shivered at the sound of my real name coming off of the tongue of Discord, a creature who had never failed to call me by a most annoying nickname. He stroked his eagle’s talon across my spiraling of red fur, accenting my otherwise plain, white coat. I fluttered my wings, causing me to fly backwards a few steps.

“I want nothing to do with thee or thy requests, Discord. Last time I did one, thou had me kill my own brother!” It came out in a rapid burst, what I meant to say to the wretched beast, and what I was really thinking.

“But you never finished the job! Celestia was still alive, and managed to seal me into a stone prison, even with only the Elements of Magic and Loyalty being represented. Now, they are once again weakened.” He paused as I started to leave, not wanting to kill another pony ever again, “Wait, Rose! I’m not asking you to kill her, just to bring her to me. I’ll do the killing!”

I spun around and started screaming, “NO, you won’t! You may strike the final blow, but dost thou forget who must actually reap the filly’s soul? ‘Tis me, not some freak of nature that ‘tis jealous of a petty foal!” I turned and leapt into the air before Discord could stop me.

I paced the castle of my memory, I walked in the same hoofprints that I had walked over a thousand years ago. Walking the path that I had been led to believe took me to a plain gray unicorn, which had been Discord’s warped version of my brother. He had twisted my mind to make me see my brother, not as the tall black alicorn he once was, but a short and pathetic gray unicorn. I had killed him with one blast of magic. That was when Discord’s spell had broken and I saw who I had really killed, numbed by the atrocity I had committed, I helped Celestia to seal the chaotic creature in stone. A crash resounded throughout my small home and I galloped to the front of my cottage. In the middle of my living room, surrounded by confetti and other various bits of chaotic material, was the one and only Discord.

I took a step forward and glared at Discord, “What art thou doing in my home, Discord? Thou hath no right to simply barge in!” I cleaned up the draconequus’ mess with a flick of my horn.

“Oh, Rosie. We both know you love me!” Discord threw his lion paw around my neck while twisting his tail to knock over my armchair.

I wrested myself out of his grasp and levitated my armchair back to its upright position. “What is it thou wants from me? I will nay accept any more of thy’s requests for me. I owe thee nothing.”

“I didn’t come to force you to kill anypony! I would never do that.” My dark green eyes narrowed as he went on, “I simply wish you to obtain the physical Elements of Harmony. That should keep them from being used against me.”
I thought about this new request. I looked Discord in the eye, “And should I refuse, what would thy do?”
“I would get on my knees and beg you to help out an old friend, of course!” Which he then proceeded to do, somehow making his eyes twice the size of his head. I raised an eyebrow at this.
“Nay.”
Discord stood up slowly, his eyes a stormy field, “What did you say?” He almost whispered the words.
“I said, nay. In modern tongue that means, no”
“Well then, I lied.” I tilted my head in confusion before my vision went black.

Author's Note

I realize that this chapter is short. I will try to make them longer from now on, unless you want them short.

Chapter Two: Imprisonment

Chapter Two: Imprisonment

I woke, staring at my blood red mane waving in front of my face with a mind of its own. I brushed it out my face with a hoof. Looking around where I had awakened, I saw that I was trapped in a cage made of, was that…cotton candy? I leaned forwards and took a small bite, it was! I ate an entire bar and squeezed through the new space. Immediately I was teleported in a swirl of chaotic pink and purple into a different cell. This one with stone walls on three sides and iron bars on the last, there was no door.

Discord appeared in front of me with a flash of light. “Now, you've gone and put yourself in the bad- pony prison.” He grinned and snickered as my mane flared up.

“DISCORD!! Thou art a fool to think thee can imprison me!” My horn began to glow before disappearing in a burst of confetti that rained down and got tangled in my mane. “Hey, give that back!” I whined.

“No, bad ponies don’t get horns. Or wings for that matter.” My wings then floated off of me and out towards Discord, where they vanished with a small puff. My mane and tail grew to fill the entire space as I felt rage flow through my veins.

I roared, “Give unto me that which is mine, spawn of chaos!” The bars of my prison shook with the weight of my voice.

Discord merely laughed and zipped my mouth closed. “Not until you agree to steal the Elements of Harmony.”

I snarled and unzipped my mouth, “I’d rather die!” I screamed at him.

“Then you can stay in here until you decide to be nice.” He stalked off sulkily, my furious mane snapping at his heels.

After Discord had left me to my own devices, I sat down on the cold, stone floor of the cell and cried. I didn’t care if Discord heard me, once I started, I couldn't stop. I watched the teardrops splatter onto the ground below and stood up slowly, still dripping water from the corners of my eyes. My white and red flank was stained brown and grey by the dirt beneath me. My tears made it hard to see and blurred the world around me so that it looked like something out of a nightmare. I curled up as far from the entrance as I could get and closed my eyes, hoping to wake up back home in my cottage.

I woke to screaming coming from somewhere above me. I looked up at the bars and stone walls, wondering where I was for a brief second before remembering Discord and his cruel tricks. Just as I remembered the events of the previous day, Discord came strolling down the stairs that led up to what I assumed to be his living quarters.

“Aww, the itsy-bitsy pony’s woken up already,” Discord materialized a tray of food out of nowhere, “Here’s breakfast,” he added, throwing the tray through the bars and into my cell. I bent down to look at it. ‘It’ was hay with a glass of water. I sighed and attempted to use magic to levitate it before realizing that Discord had removed my horn, the confetti evidence was still on the cell floor. I bent down and buried my muzzle into the hay and ate slowly.

When I am done I lift my head and look directly at Discord, my eyes drilling through him. “What was all the screaming about, Discord? Did thou murder somepony?”

He laughs at me, “No, somepony just saw the ghost of the recently deceased grandfather.” I freeze, unable to believe my ears. Ghosts aren't supposed to be able to stay in this world, how had I missed somepony? My magic always… I trail off realizing the problem.

“Discord, thou must return my horn. Without it life and death cannot retain their fragile harmony!”

“You will get it back when you accept my proposal. Remember, you don’t have to kill anypony, simply retrieve the Elements of Harmony from their respective keepers.” He smirks at me, sure of my response.

“Thou knowest I cannot do that. `Twould break the cycle of harmony.”

“Don’t ghosts and stillborn foals break the cycle of harmony or whatever?”

“Yay and nay. The Elements keep some semblance of harmony. Without them, even I cannot function properly.”

“Argh!! Just say yes already. I won’t destroy them, if you want you can even keep one or two!”

“NO! Doth it take a million years of me saying the same thing to thee? Art thy ears broken? I will not help thee!” I know I should, it’s what Ashen Tree would have wanted. But I cannot say yes to so foul a creature, it goes against my very nature.

Discord growled loudly, “Fine, be that way!” He stormed off trailing angry pink clouds in his wake.

He came back many times over the next few days. He always asked the same question, ‘Will you agree yet?’, I always had the same response, ‘Nay, thou knowest I cannot.” Until, after what I suspected as three days of my imprisonment, Discord played his trump card. He came down to the cell and said two words, “He’s back,” I lowered my head in submission. “What is thy proof?” my voice was slow and sad, I could not bear to think what this might mean.

Discord merely stepped aside to reveal a shimmering ghost of my polar opposite. Ashen Tree was black, with ice blue swirling patterns and white hooves. His cutie mark was an ash tree in full blossom, a symbol of the life my brother once stood for. He stepped through the bars into my cell, “Sister, thou must stop this foolishness. Just do it already! The cycle is broken because of thee.”

“No, dost thou know what the demon wishes of me?”

Discord looked up at us, “Hey, I’m still here you know!” My brother and I gave him twin stare’s of disapproval before Ashen looked back at me.

“I know, Rose. He asks you to steal the Elements of Harmony. `Twould not be so bad, at least the cycle of life and death would be restored!” I lowered my head before looking up at Discord.

“Very well, Discord. I shall do thy bidding,” I returned my gaze to my lost brother, “I am sorry for what I did to thee. I shalt miss thee, brother.” He touched his horn to my forehead as my horn and wings shimmered into existence.
As our horns met for one, last, brief moment, my brother sent a thought stabbing through my brain, burying itself deep in my subconscious. Then my horn glowed a bright, red and every ghost throughout Equestria screamed as they dissipated into mist and every stillborn foal burst to life, startling many ponies that were in the process of mourning for their dead children.

“Nicely done, I knew you'd come around and see things my way!” Discord took a step towards the now meaningless cell as my horn’s triple glow faded to merely one.

My coat was slathered in sweat from my burst of intense magic. I teleported myself out of the cell and walked up the stairs. Discord followed, turning into a gray pony halfway up the stairs. I walked into a large and comfortably furnished living area, to my surprise there was no sign of chaos anywhere in the house. I looked out the window and did a surprised double-take. The view through the window was that of Ponyville, specifically the large oak tree that served as Ponyville’s library and the Element of Magic’s home.

“Discord, where the hell are we?” My voice was quiet with surprise and I stared at the pony Discord.

“Oh yeah. Did I forget to mention that I am now a respectable citizen of Ponyville? I have a job at the library, taking of care of any ponies in need of a book!”

My vision once more went black as I fainted.

Author's Note

If you see anything wrong with this chapter please leave a comment to tell me! Thank you for reading this.

Chapter Three: Theft

Chapter Three: Theft

I woke with my head throbbing, propped up on a lush couch in Discord’s living room. I swung my hooves over the side of the couch and landed shakily on my hooves before they gave out under me. I felt soft fur grab one of my forelegs and claws grasp me around the belly. I look into Discord’s yellow and red eyes, startled by the concern I see there. I shake off his help and stand on wobbly legs.

“So,” I begin, once more looking out the window, “Thou art a subject of the celestial princesses? And thy has a job at the residence of the Element of Magic. Why doth thee not steal the element thyself?”

“Because, I didn't feel like it.” Discord turns away from me.

My mane begins swirling about, filling up the room, “THOU…” I prepare to vent my anger upon the draconequus when he grabs me and thrusts his paw over my mouth.

“Disguise yourself, Rose.” He whispers urgently in my ear. My horn glows red and in my place is now a brilliant white unicorn with a dark red mane and tail. The image shimmers and then solidifies as a knock sounds at the door. Discord thrusts me onto the couch and calls to the guest, “Come in,” once he is, again, a pony.

A purple unicorn with a blue mane and tail that are both streaked with purple and pink steps into the room. She looks at my bed and steps towards me worriedly, “Hello there, are you Joker’s cousin that he was talking about, um, I’m sorry, I don’t think Joker told me your name.”

“Oh, mine name be Brok-” Discord nudges me discretely, “My name is… Broken, Shadow. What is th-,” another nudge from Discord, I glare at him crossly, “What is your name?”

“My name’s Twilight Sparkle! Nice to meet you, Broken Shadow. Joker, I need you back at the library. Come on, you can come too Broken Shadow, if you want.”

“Okay, but first I need a word with my… cousin.”

Twilight left and, as soon as the door shut, I turned to glare at Discord, “What was that all about? I am not thy cousin, and thou art no Joker.” I then glanced at his cutie mark, and it was indeed, a playing card with a joker on the front. I sighed loudly.

“Ah yes, that. I told you I was a respectable citizen of Ponyville!” Discord grins, I merely bury my muzzle in my hooves.

“Very well, but why wouldst thee not allow me to use mine name?”

“Twilight knows your name. She’s Celestia’s student, she has access to the records of your brothers death. Couldn't take the risk that she would know about them.”

“Very well, I shall accompany thee to the library.”

“Just remember to talk normally, please.”

“Thy forgets, this is my normal,” I grin slowly, “But I shall speak the modern tongue, for now.”

Discord and I head out of the small house and trot over to the great oak that stood for the town’s library.

I knock on the door to the library, a small purple dragon opens it. I look down in surprise as Discord invites himself into the library.

“Hey, Joker! Twilight’s in the Daring Do section helping Rainbow pick something out,” Discord nods and walks towards a part of the library, currently occupied by Twilight and a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. I was guessing that this was Rainbow Dash. The purple dragon looked up at me, “Hi, my name’s Spike, I’m Twilight’s number one assistant!”

I smile, “I’m sure th-,” I freeze, trying to remember the proper term, “I am sure you are.” I find it hard to wrap my tongue around these strange words. Thankfully, Spike does not seem to notice, “My name is, Broken Shadow. You can just call me Shade though.”

“Come on then, Shade. Let me show you around the library!” The baby dragon races off to show me every aspect of his home.

Close to the stairs that lead up to what looks like living quarters is a glass case. In it are five necklaces and a pretty tiara. I notice that the star on the tiara is the same one as the cutie mark on the purple unicorn, ‘What was her name again?’. I pause, staring at the case whilst I try to remember.

“Twilight! That’s her name,” I mutter under my breath. Spike turns around to see me staring at the case.

“What did you say?”

“Oh, um… I asked what is in this case?”

“Oh those,” the dragon comes up to stand beside me, “Those, are the Elements of Harmony. They've been kept here ever since Twilight and her friends defeated Discord.”

“Interesting, they are quite beautiful.”

At that moment, Discord finishes helping Twilight reorganize the library. He comes up to me and nudges my flank.

“Come on cuz. We should get going, you have to be on a train tomorrow.”

I nod at his hidden message and step away from the Elements. Thanking Spike for the tour and nodding my goodbye at Twilight, I head out the door, following Discord to his home next to Sugarcube Corner.

Back at Discord’s house, I relax on his couch, unable to fall asleep. I stare at the ceiling, knowing that Discord expects me to steal the Elements of Harmony and be gone by tomorrow morning. I sigh, swinging my hooves over the edge of the couch and standing up.

“You’re finally going.”

I look up to see Discord standing in front of me, looking awkward as he wrings his paw.

“Yes, I am going. The Elements will be in mine possession by the time dawn breaks. Thou might collect them from my home in the morning. I trust thou knows the way,” frustrated sarcasm drips from my voice, “After this, any debt I owe thee is paid in full.”

“Deal,” Discord turns and walks into his bedroom, throwing one last glance over his shoulder at me.

I wait before going out the door, debating whether or not to disguise myself with a glamour. I decide against it, instead throwing over my cloak to hide my glowing fur.

I walk over to the library, keeping to the shadows. The door creaks slightly as I open it. I freeze in panic, straining to hear any sound of life. No noise comes from the bedroom of the purple unicorn and her assistant. I slip over to the case containing the Elements of Harmony silently. I open the case and place the Elements in my saddlebags before closing the case quietly.

“Hey, who are you? Get away from there!”

I turn to see Twilight on the edge of the steps staring at me as her horn begins to glow. I gallop towards the door, ignoring the pony’s cries to freeze. When I reach the door, I feel my cloak snag on something. I turn to see what and notice an owl tugging on the end of my cloak. I snarl and unclip it, letting it drop behind me. I hear Twilight gasp as I stretch my wings wide and take off into the twinkling stars of the night. My tail spreads a streak of blood across the sky as I fly.

Chapter Four: Discovery

Chapter Four: Discovered

I paced in circles in the entrance way of my cottage, waiting for Discord to come and collect the Elements of Harmony. I looked out the window and stared at the rising sun. It made me think, what if Twilight Sparkle had informed the Princesses of my theft. Luna would surely hunt me down, if only to see if I truly was another alicorn.

I left my pacing and unlocked a door, hidden behind a bookcase. Trotting down the steps, I lit the torches that lined the stone walls. I reached the bottom of the stairs and walked through another door, sealing it behind me. I stared at the shrine around me. In pride of place were six small statuettes with a painting hung behind them. The original bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Celestia and Luna, of course, the only ones who went down in history. Then there was my brother and I, nopony ever knew we bore Elements once. Then, two ponies that had been corrupted by darkness and the lure of the Elements power, Discord and Sombra. Celestia was our, one-time, leader, as the Element of Magic, she was the center of our powers. Luna, always so sweet, the Element of Honesty. My brother, Kindness and I, Loyalty. Sombra and Discord were Generosity and Laughter respectively.

We had even had relationships, love that bound us together. I used to always tease my brother for crushing on Celestia. Luna and Sombra would often sneak out on hidden trysts. Discord and I, well, he tried to win me over. Once upon a time I lived for the parties he threw, and afterwards, the romance we hid so desperately from the others. Then he tricked me into killing my brother, and I helped to seal him in stone, before leaving Canterlot, leaving Celestia alone, to write the history books as she wished.

“Brings back memories doesn't it?”

I spin around to stare at Discord, standing in front of the open door. I sigh and merely nod my head at him to follow me as I walk up the stairs. “Come, the Elements are this way.”

Discord nods and follows me slowly up the stairs. I levitate the Elements out of their hiding place and place them in Discord’s mismatched hands.

“Broken Rose, are you really there?” A voice interrupts Discord and I. Discord vanishes in a soundless puff as another alicorn walks sedately through the door. “It is you, where have you been, Rose?”

The dark blue alicorn wraps her hooves around me, fluttering her wings in delight. “Hello, Luna. Art thou here to arrest me, or bring greetings?”

Luna looks at me in surprise, taking in my weary expression and drooping wings. “Are you telling me that you really did steal the Elements of Harmony?”

I look out of the open door and shout, “If thou wishes to hear what I have to say, simply come inside, Celestia. Where we not once friends?”

The white alicorn steps into my cottage, her pastel mane flowing out behind her. “Hello, Broken Rose. Why did you take them?”

“I had a debt to pay. I am still loyal to my friends, no matter how cruel they may have become.”

“Is that what you called loyalty, what you did to your brother?”

“I have told thee many times over. `Twas dark magic that twisted my mind and made me see mine brother differently. I know I deserve to be punished, why doth thou think I left Canterlot.”

“Stop it you two,” Luna glares at us, her smaller form seeming to expand with the amount of energy coursing through her veins, she turns to stare at me, “Who did you owe a debt to, Rose?”

“Discord,” one name that is destined to be my downfall, and the downfall of Equestria if fate has its way.

“Discord is sealed in stone, tell the truth!” Celestia’s mane slashes my side, ripping open a gash that bleeds rapidly.

“I am, try to kill me if thou wishes, you know thy cannot,” my legs shake and I collapse to the ground in a disorderly heap. I raise my head in defiance, “I am the only true immortal here, and thou knows it.”

“You can’t die, but you can still be tortured!” Celestia’s mane whips around me in fury. I cast a single glance at Luna, standing to the side, seemingly afraid of her elder sister.

Luna runs into the fray, “Big sister, stop it. You know it’s wrong, just stop!”

Celestia glares at her sibling, as if she is about to attack, then the fire of battle dies in her eyes and she stops her relentless beating. Both alicorns stare at me, now covered in fresh wounds, a pool of blood around me, melding into my mane.

“It was Discord, he is back and he’s somewhere in Ponyville.” I lower my head and close my eyes, looking forwards to a long rest.

My eyes open to the ceiling of my bedroom, I look to my right and see Luna, gently sleeping in one of my reading chairs, an open book on the ground in front of her. I slowly examine my body, despite the beating Celestia dealt it, it has managed to heal itself quite fully. I sigh and crawl out of my bed, casting longing glance at the warm covers as a cool breeze slices through my bedroom. I flutter my wings and wince, letting out a gasp of pain as I realize that my wing is still broken.

Luna sits up suddenly, staring first at my bed and then at me, before flapping her wings and landing on the floor of my room.

“You’re awake, are you feeling okay?” Luna steps up to me. For every step forwards she takes, I take a step back. Eventually, Luna stops trying to advance.

“Thine sister dealt me a fair beating. Was it she that healed mine wounds?”

“Yes, my sister felt guilty for attacking you unjustly. She just, didn’t want to believe that Discord had returned. She’s in Ponyville right now looking for him. Rose, I… want to ask you something.”

“What?”

“If you are so loyal to Discord that you would steal the Elements of Harmony for him… why would you tell Celestia where he is?”

“I am not loyal to Discord. Just because I stole the Elements of Harmony for him, does not mean that I wanted to.”

Luna looks confused, she remembers how stubborn I was from before she was cast to the moon. “How would Discord get you to do something you didn’t want to?”

“He stole mine horn,” I turned into the doorway and walked out of the room.

Luna chases me out and careens to a stop as she stares at the doorway. I turn my head and stare at what I see in the entrance to my home. I crane my head down low, my eyes never leaving the figure in the shadows of my hall.

“Luna, go into the kitchen and leave through the back entrance,” Luna stands still, her legs locked in place, unable to move. “LUNA,” my voice is hoarse from my attempts to whisper loudly, without alerting the intruder.

Luna starts and begins to creep towards the back of my cottage. I hear the back door open and take a step forwards to mask the sound.

“What art thou doing in my house again, Discord?” The mismatched figure turns around and steps into the light of my main room.

“You sent Celestia after me. I saw her in town, she was looking for someone. I had to call in sick to Twilight to avoid her. Didn’t matter anyway, she found my house, walked right through the front door.”

“Sounds like someone else I know. Thy should remember, she and Luna interrupted our meeting,” I leave out the part of Celestia attacking me, Discord does not need to know I am weakened.

“So, you told her where I was to save your own skin?”

“Thou remembers Celestia’s temper, she does not suffer fools or liars gently.”

Discord comes all the way into the light and I see gashes and wounds all over his body. One of his wings looks like it is broken, I look at my own wing and sigh in relief when I see that it is not as noticeable as Discord’s broken wing. I sit on one of the armchairs in the room and Discord does the same, wincing as his wing touches the back of the couch. He leans forward and rests his head in his paw.

“I did not realize Celestia had attacked thee. Did she find the Elements of Harmony?” I hold my breath, hoping that the answer will be a ‘yes’.

“No, I hid them in our secret place,” Discord smiles at me, “You remember that. Where we went to hide from your brother and Celestia?”

I smile at the memories of hiding in the mountain cave, a whispered laugh escapes my lips. “I remember. I did not realize that our clubhouse still stood.”

Discord laughs loudly at this, “You try bringing down a mountain!”

My smile dies as some of Discord’s wounds seem to flicker out of existence suddenly. “Discord, art thou using a glamour to gain sympathy.”

Discord’s laugh dies and his eyes grow cold. “Guess I let my guard down, my bad.”

I get off the chair and begin to canter towards the door. Discord’s magic piles up a wall of furniture in front of me. Instinctively I open my wings and flap once to get over the obstacle. In my panic to get away however, I forgot my broken wing. It betrays me and I hear a loud cracking sound in my right wing as I fall to the ground screaming. I see Discord’s face leering at me as my vision turns into a tunnel and my brain turns off to save me from the pain.

Author's Note

Please leave a comment if you see anything you want me to edit or fix. Thank you for reading!

Chapter Six: Death and Chaos

Chapter Six: Death and Chaos

I woke slowly, for once having a night not filled with nightmares and fear. I look around myself and attempt to stand before noticing the warm, serpentine body curled around me. I feel Discord’s eagle claw wrapped protectively around me. Having no other choice but to stay, I relax and snuggle closer into the warm body. I feel Discord’s body move all of a sudden, disturbing a piece of paper and sending it spiraling around the room. I grab it in my magic and place it on the bed that Discord and I were curled up next to.

“You’re awake, Rose. Did you sleep well?” I stare at Discord, surprised at his concern until the antics of last night return to me.

I smile, blushing lightly, sure that it makes my cheeks look like cherries, “Yes, Discord. I slept well, I thank thee.” I stand up, wincing as my tense muscles get stretched out. Discord steps to my side and puts one paw around me to help me stand. I shake off his help, embarrassed that he thinks I need it. A blush still present on my cheeks, I nod my thanks to Discord who steps back with a small comment made indecipherable by the fact that his head is down and he scrapes his hoof across the ground.

I step up to the embarrassed draconequus and nuzzle him softly, “ I thank thee, Discord. Wouldst thou mind showing me around thine abode?” Discord looks up hopefully before magically producing a pink and green suit to wear and an orange top hat.

“Right this way miss, to the strange and wonderful land of the marvelous draconequus, Discord, the master of all things chaotic!” Discord sweeps his arm down and beckons me out the door. Smiling I exit, only to freeze and blink wildly at my surroundings.

“Discord, wherefore art we? Is this thy home? `Tis more chaotic than thyself!” Indeed the crazy, epilepsy inducing halls around us where more chaotic than Discord. I pull my gaze away from the insane halls, stairs leading to nowhere, and doors that seemed to lead into different dimensions, and stare at the draconequus in question.

“This, is my home, Rosie! To crazy for you?”

“Yes! I feel as if I shall faint from all the insanity.”

“You wound me.” Discord’s voice seems to drip sarcasm and false insult. “Come on, let me show you to your room.”

“Where we not just in it?” I stare up at Discord in confusion.

“No, we were in my room. Don’t you remember, this is our old clubhouse, our den of iniquity!” I laugh at Discord’s use of the term, at the fact that he brought me somewhere safe. I freeze, remembering more of the night Luna and Celestia came to visit.

“Discord, what didst thou do to Luna and Celestia? I heard Celestia’s voice, and Luna was in mine cottage when thou came to visit. Are they alright?”

Discord sighs and teleports us outside, to stare at the sky above while resting us on a soft, pink cloud. “You know, I wasn’t lying to Rainbow Dash when I said that these clouds were plush.” I laugh, knowing that Discord is stalling, but also knowing that he will get to the point eventually. “You’re right, Celestia came into the cottage not long after you collapsed. I think your scream may have attracted her’s and Luna’s attention. She came at me, saw me and… well froze.”

“Froze? Discord, what dost thou mean? Celestia is not one to freeze at the sight of anything, be it danger or an old friend turned into a demon from Hell.”

“Well, umm…” Discord seems to shrink before my eyes. I prod Discord and glare at him. All of a sudden Discord’s words come rushing out in a fierce onslaught, “I was standing over you and it umm, probably looked… weird!”

I stare at Discord, confused by his obvious discomfort. “Why wouldst thou be embarrassed at this?”

“Well, umm. It’s just, I don’t want you to think that… Oh, I don’t know how to talk to a mare!”

I laugh at the ridiculous reason behind Discord’s embarrassment. “Thou wert great at it when we were still bearers for the Elements of Harmony. At least, I thought thou were.” My white fur must be permanently turned red by the amount of blood rushing to my face.

Discord merely smiles and wraps his serpentine body around my curled form. Together we stare at Luna’s night and relax beneath the silver moon. For so long my life has been turmoil and pain, but now, with Discord, I feel as though I don’t need to be afraid anymore. I feel like, if anything happens, Discord will take care of me. I stare up at his elongated face and smile, thinking, ‘Nothing can ruin this, nothing’. I sigh, sure of my place in his world and close my eyes, exhausted from the labyrinth and admitting my love for the draconequus beside me.

I feel a writhing body swarming over my wings and a large talon scrape past my ear. My eyes snap open and my horn glows to prepare a spell for whatever danger dares to awaken me. I stare up at a gray serpentine body, standing protectively over me and a red-scaled tail lashing back and forth. My horn’s glow dies and try to wiggle out from underneath Discord.

It is to no avail and I begin to try to attract Discord’s attention, “Discord… Discord!! Discord, get off of me!”

“DISCORD!!” An all too familiar voice booms out from around me, echoing throughout the air, “What have you done with Broken Rose? Answer me, Monster!”

“I haven’t done anything with her, you won’t take her away again Celestia!” Discord’s angry voice reverberates through his body, shaking me slightly.

“Wouldst thou allow me to speak?” I gently poke Discord in the underbelly, unwilling to go out and face an angry Celestia. Neither of them seem to notice.

“You leave me no choice, Discord.” I see a flash of yellow magic and hear Discord’s agonized scream. I watch in horror as the draconequus tumbles off of me and falls, leaning over the side of the pale gray cloud, I watch as Discord’s scorched body hits the ground.

“NOOO!!!” I scream, tears falling to splatter on the ground beside Discord’s broken body. I see Celestia straighten and stare at me in astonishment. I leap off the cloud and fall to the ground, spreading my wings at the last moment to land safely. I collapse on the ground to rest my head against Discord.

“Broken Rose, is that you? Where did you come from, how did you get here?” Celestia lands next to me, still staring, not seeming to care about the fact that Discord was dead.

I turn to stare at her, my tears still not ceasing, I step up to the white alicorn, “Why?” My voice is so quiet, even I could barely hear it, “Why did he have to die? He wasn’t doing anything!” By the end I am screaming at her.

Celestia looks astonished, “I didn’t kill him, I…”

“STOP, LYING!” My horn begins to drip blood and glow with the same terrible radiance that the me in the maze had. The spell that Solstice had taught my brother, and, in return, me, raced through my mind. I heard a faint voice calling out to me. I blocked out all sound as a bolt of red light raced towards Celestia, frozen in shock.

I black form raced in front of the bolt at the last second, screaming, she vanished. I froze, the red light fading from my eyes, and the blood ceasing to drip from my horn.

Celestia stared at the spot where just seconds before, her younger sister had raced to stop my attack, “LUNA!!! NOOOO!!!” Celestia’s light purple eyes seemed to burn as she glared at me, “What have you done! How could you. How could banish Luna to the moon again?”

Sure enough, when I stare up to the moon, the shape of a mare is back. I stumble backwards, falling over Discord’s broken body. Collapsing next to him I shake, astonished at what I did.

“I… I didn’t mean to! I was, just trying to…” I refuse to go on.

Celestia steps up to me, her horn gleaming like the sun it raises. I shake, then, I stare at Discord, broken body all that remains of the creature I was beginning to trust once more.

“Thou killed Discord. He was trying to protect me, and thou killed him!”

Celestia stops in her tracks, “I didn’t kill Discord.” Her voice washes over me like ice. “He is using his magic again, isn’t he.”

Celestia steps up to me, horn still glowing. I back up as far as I can, “Celestia, what art thou doing?” I scream in agony as Celestia’s horn pierces my forehead just below my own horn and begins to glow once more.

“I am sorry that it hurts, Broken Rose. It’s the only way to clear your mind.”

My vision begins to fade in and out before Celestia removes her horn and watches me closely. Her horn glows once more and heals my wound. I turn suddenly and stare at the ground, Discord’s body having vanished. I look back at Celestia and open my mouth to demand an explanation, when a sight freezes me. Celestia lays at the feet of Discord, a gash along her side and her horn and wings missing from her body.

“Well then, you keep escaping my mind powers. Let’s see if this works.” Discord steps over Celestia’s still body and places his eagle talon on the top of my head. I feel my mind being torn in two, one half overwhelming the other, the half that I thought was destroyed in the labyrinth of my mind emerges. I stand completely still as Discord teleports the three of us, Celestia included, to the town square of Ponyville.

“Ponies of Ponyville! I have an announcement.” Ponies stare at the sight of Discord standing over the broken body of their sunny princess. I feel their gazes travel over me and watch their confusion grow. “I have decided to make Ponyville the chaos capital of the world.” Only I hear Discord’s next muttered words, “And this time, nopony will stand in my way.”

I watch as the purple unicorn steps through the crowd, “Discord, what have you done to Celestia and Luna?!”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything to dear Luna. Rosie hear did that for me! Why don’t you take a look at the moon?” I can feel my face remain blank as the ponies scream in horror as they realize that both their princesses are defeated. Discord’s next words are for me alone, “Rosie, why don’t you try your hoof at some chaos?”

I nod my head with robotic actions and see my horn drip blood as the plants and animals in Ponyville attack the ponies. Rabbits grow fangs and begin to grow a taste for pony blood. Roses expand their thorns and trap ponies in cages that constantly change shape, causing many ponies to bleed onto the ground and attract the vampiric rabbits.

I feel Discord’s lion paw on my shoulder and look up at him, “Don’t kill too many, than who will appreciate our beautiful chaos?” I nod slowly and end the spells, returning Ponyville to normal as Discord laughs and summons two thrones out of nowhere. Banishing Celestia to some dungeon he guides me to the thrones and seated me down, before sitting down and causing more of his specialized chaos.

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long, I might not be able to pump out chapters as fast as I was.

Chapter Seven: Fallen

Chapter Seven: Fallen

Every day was the same, I wake up, curled up in Discord’s coils, sneak out of the bedroom to prepare Discord a breakfast of paper and make myself an oat sandwich while Discord wakes up and comes downstairs. Then, I inspect the Chaos Capital of the World, Ponyville, now renamed Pandemonium, from the safety of my new cloud home with Discord. After that, I sit next to Discord on my throne and do whatever he asks of me, whether it be keep a pony alive or kill a dissenter. All this I do with the same, unfeeling, blank stare.

The only day I got any reprieve was the day I saw a unicorn pony that reminded me of my brother. With a black coat and white mane and tail, I thought I was seeing a ghost. I approached him to ask him who he was when I saw his cutie mark, a white crescent. I knew he wasn’t my brother, but I was beginning to break the spell Discord had cast. Then, Discord had appeared and taken me back to the castle, reinstating the spell and adding an early warning system should I ever seem to be breaking the spell again. That moment haunts me still, Discord’s eyes seemed to glow and…

“Rosie, are you alright?” I turn to look at Discord and the memory fades, his spell strengthening its hold and blinding me to the world around me. “Why don’t you take some food down to dear Celestia, sweetheart,” Discord claw lifts my chin up before dropping it as I nod emotionlessly.

Stopping in the kitchen to grab a tray with a loaf of old bread and a pitcher of dusty water I walk into the dungeons of the cloud palace. Looking out one of the windows on the staircase I see the massive scar in the earth that used to be Canterlot up on a large mountain. Levitating the tray in front of me I continue on my path down to Celestia’s cell. Entering, I place the tray on the ground and watch Celestia rouse herself from the pile of rags she was sleeping in.
“Broken Rose, is that you again?” Celestia’s bleary eyes stare up at me as I place the tray in front of the wingless and hornless mare. Her white coat had been turned brown and gray from the many weeks she had spent imprisoned. She sees the food and drags herself up to eat it ravenously.

“Broken Rose, why are you doing this? Why are you helping Discord.” Celestia stares at me, at my dull, red eyes. “No, Discord is brainwashing you again, isn’t he.” My face holds no emotion, no reaction. I can no longer feel anything but loyalty towards Discord. Of course, I can no longer talk unless Discord permits me to.

“Rosie, what’s taking so long? Come back,” Discord’s voice echoes down the stairwell, I levitate the half-eaten tray towards me, Celestia makes a desperate dive towards it, managing to knock the remainder of the bread and break the pitcher of water. Leaning down she licks the food off the ground, I do not seem to notice. Locking the cell door behind me I slowly walk up the stairs towards the impatient draconequus.

“Ahh, Rosie, I was worried something had happened to you.” Discord picks me up playfully in his arms and rubs my mane with his lion paw. The only reaction I give is to drop the tray and settle comfortably into his grip. Discord snarls unhappily, “Why don’t you do anything anymore? You just sit there and do anything I tell you to!”

I blink once slowly and then drop to the floor in front of Discord. I begin to bend into a compliant crouch. ‘Why are you kneeling to a creature like that? He just told you to do something other than just standing there!’ A new and yet, familiar, voice interrupted my thinking. I stared around in confusion. Discord stared at me and took a step closer to me.

“Rose, are you okay?” Discord reached his lion paw out to tap me on the horn.

‘Are you just going to let him do that to you? How sad. You should have listened to me when I tried to make you an offer. Now, come with me.’ I hear a loud thud and look behind me. I scream, but Discord makes no reaction, because I am no more than a ghost, floating over my collapsed form.

“What, I… who?!” I stare around wildly before noticing her. It was the mimic, she was just sitting on air, staring at me. “How… I killed thee. Thou should be dead!”

The mimic laughs, it reminds me of horrible things, that sound. “Didn’t you know little Rosie? I told you, didn’t I. You can’t kill me.”

“Thou wert lying, I turned thee into black ooze and squashed thee beneath mine hoof. Thou art dead!” I am screaming, clutching at my head as tears wrench their way out of my eyes.

The mimic walks up to me, putting her hoof on my head, she gently strokes my mane. I stare up at her in horror. “The only way you could kill me now is if you, yourself died.”

I stand, shoving the mimics hoof off my head and backing away from her, “How did you survive, creature?”

She stops and thinks for a moment, “You know, we really should be on first name basis. How about you call me, Melinoe. Did you know, in old times she was revered as a goddess of ghosts?”

“I remember, she was but another name for me.”

“Us, another name for us. We’re one and the same you know. Anyways,” Melinoe continues, oblivious to my indignation, “the answer to your question, I slipped in through the cut on your foreleg. Honestly, you’d think the pony that invented that idea would know about it.”

Memories from another time bombard my brain, I snarl in veiled frustration. “Why didst thou bring me here? What is it thou wants?”

Melinoe chuckles, “I wanted to warn you. Discord’s manipulated you into thinking he’s such a great guy. I mean, really, would you normally bow to anypony?”

“I guess not. But if he is then, how do I stop it?”

“You’re waking up, gotta go. Just do the same thing to Discord that you did to poor, sweet, little Luna.”

My vision faded back into reality as I watched Discord pick me up off the ground. I shook him off and glared at him.

“Discord, thou hast lied to me for the last time.” I stare at Discord and whisper to him.

“Rosie, what are you talking about? No, no… Rosie! NOOOOOOO!!” My horn drips blood one more time as I prepare the same spell that sent Luna to the moon.

“I am sorry, Discord.” I lower my horn and rest it on his chest. White marble spreads from where my horn touched him and grows to cover his entire body. The marble is slowly stained dark as I curl up beside the fallen statue of Discord and cry. Cry for the times that could have been, the times that were lost. I cry, remembering what Discord had been like before he turned evil. Before he saw what evils the Elements of Harmony were capable of.

I stand and step slowly over Discord to stare out at the night sky. Blood now coats my horn and leaves a trail along the floor as I cast the mimic spell once more, vowing that I will never do so again. I see the moon flash once brightly before a black figure comes crashing out of the sky and Celestia gallops up the stairwell with her horn and wings restored.

“Broken Rose, what happened? How did… LUNA!!” Celestia’s focus vanishes from me and becomes solely revolving around her little sister. I smile and stare at the sisterly love of the two alicorns. Celestia then turns to me, her wing over the smaller alicorn, “Tell me everything.” And so I do, starting from the first time Discord approached me in the Everfree Forest and watch as Luna conjures a scroll of paper and a quill and writes down every word I say.

“You do realize that ponies will want justice for the things you did. You will be sent to court and tried. And Discord, he will be turned to dust.” Luna gasps at Celestia’s cruel words.

“Nay! Thou shalt not destroy him! He has done nothing wrong, not really.” I do not know why I say these crazy things, but I do. The only thing I know, is that Discord’s statue cannot be turned to dust. “He was overwhelmed by the Elements power, just as Luna was, just as Sombre was. Thou did not kill thy sister, thou shalt not kill Discord.” Celestia’s eyes remain cold, emotionless, “Please, Celestia.”

“We will see,” is all she says before turning to the window and raising the sun, causing cheers to undoubtedly erupt across all of Equestria. I stare at Luna as she follows her older sisters example and flies back to Canterlot Castle. I give one last, longing look at Discord and follow them. To Canterlot, and to undoubted exile into the Badlands on the edges of the fertile land of Equestria.

Chapter 7.5: Consumed

Chapter 7.5: Consumed

Discord snarled mentally in frustration, ‘Why was it, that every time he started getting everything he wanted, he got turned to stone!?’.

“I am so sorry, Discord. I never wanted to hurt thee, I never wanted to turn thou to stone.” The white alicorn stands and stares at the screaming statue of the ancient draconequus. “But thou always tries to manipulate me. Dost thou not understand what I would do for thee?” Now, Broken Rose’s voice is quiet and scared, almost afraid to talk.

Her voice fades away as hoofsteps walk back towards wherever she came from. Discord retreated back into his mind, the only escape from the stone prison he was encased in. ‘And Luna complains about being trapped in the moon.’
A checkerboard sky took form in Discord’s imagination. Rabbits with long legs and carnivorous appetites galloped across the landscape. Discord sighed and returned to listening to the outside world as Celestia came to gloat over her victory. He wondered how much longer this would take before he was free again. He gave in to the darkness that whispered in his ears, secrets and mysteries would soon be his. A minute crack appeared in the stone.

Was anypony there to notice?

Author's Note

I know it's short but I just wanted to take a little break from writing big long chapters and to get back in the swing of things. Just so you know, the events of the nex chapter take place before this interval chapter and after chapter seven. Thank you for reading!

Prologue: Disguise

Prologue: Disguise

Discord looked at the checkerboard sky and sighed. It’s so much fun to spread chaos across Equestria, he thought as he sat on his throne overlooking Ponyville. The newly crowned Chaos Capital of the World, Ponyville was full of his glorious work. Discord’s personal favorite was the pony who sneezed and knocked over all of the buildings around her. On his throne he felt safe from the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, they had been changed into their opposites anyway. Approaching hoofsteps brought Discord out of his chaotic thoughts. He looked up to see the Elements of Harmony returning, they had already tried once, he felt safe that they would fail again. Then he noticed that the blue mare with rainbow hair was there, they all looked like their old selves. He froze in a moment of terror. Had that pesky, purple unicorn managed to reunite her friends? Twilight Sparkle, the annoyance that she was, glared at Discord.

“You’re going down Discord!” She closed her eyes and fired up the Elements of Irritation. A rainbow began to slowly circle each of the girls before going to Twilight. The purple unicorn opened her eyes wide, now a glowing white. A rainbow shot from her crown and streaked towards Discord, he pressed his back into his throne in a desperate attempt to escape. The rainbow hit him, it burned his skin as he screamed in agony and it… tickled? Something was not right, Discord opened his eyes and saw that the rainbow was not quite right. One of the Elements is not trying to hurt me? Could that really be it? But who… Discord pondered this question as he looked around the six ponies who were trying to imprison him in stone once again. He saw one pony whose face was not as determined as the rest, Fluttershy. The rainbow was weaker and paler around her than the others. Discord smiled slowly, then letting out a great cry of false agony, he vanished, leaving in his place a stone statue of himself and returning the world to normal. The six hovering ponies floated gently to the ground, cheering when they noticed that a tear was trickling down Fluttershy’s muzzle.

Twilight stepped up to her, “What’s wrong Fluttershy?”

Rainbow Dash joined her, “Yeah, don’t tell me that you liked that stupid dracone- whatever”

Twilight looked up at Rainbow, “Draconequus”

Rainbow snorted in frustration. Fluttershy looked up at them, “Oh no, it’s… it’s not that. I just… he sounded like he was in so much pain. I feel sorry for him, that’s all.”

“Anyway ya’ll should hurry up, we need to get this over Canterlot before Discord breaks out. Again” Applejack’s countrified accent interrupted Rainbow and Twilight’s argument. A purple glow wrapped around the draconequus’ statue and Twilight’s magic levitated the statue into the air as two pegasus guards come to land in front of them with a chariot hooked to their back. In the chariot was Princess Celestia. Her pastel rainbow of a mane flowing over her back as she walked slowly over to Twilight and her friends.

“Well done, Twilight Sparkle. You have made me proud once again, as have your friends.” In the background the soldiers loaded Disord’s faux statue into the chariot. Celestia led the way as the three ponies flew back to Canterlot, the guards to put Discord back into the garden, Celestia to arrange a celebratory feast. As the six mares and Spike walked back to the newly restored Ponyville, nopony noticed a small gray colt materialize where Dicord’s statue had manifested.

“Now, it is time to observe these pesky little ponies.” With a smile and a maniacal laugh Discord teleported away in a small puff of confetti.

Author's Note

I hope that you all like it! This is my very first story, so if you see a typo or something that you want me to correct please tell. Also, I plan to write more so keep an eye out for that. I got the idea of Discord not being defeated by the story 'Bride of Discord' by DisneyFanatic23. Thank you for the idea, if you ever see this! :)

Chapter Five: Nightmare

Chapter Five: Nightmare

“Rose... ROSE! I... Discord... Rose. Where are you Rose!?” I hear Celestia’s voice fade in and out of my mind as the dream world solidifies around me.

A labyrinth takes shape in front of me, the silhouette of a pony standing in the entrance. The figure takes a step towards me and I flutter my wings in panic and paw nervously at the ground. My wing moves with ease and I realize that it is not broken in this strange world.

“Hello, Broken Rose. I have missed thee.” The form takes on shape and color as a solitary tear trickles down my face. I hear my hooves beat against the earth as I gallop towards the familiar pony.

I stop right in front of him, my momentary joy turns to anger. Anger at myself, and anger at the dream pony, “How dare thee. How dare thy torture me. How long will thee stay this time? Until I wake up, or just long enough to give me a taste, before dragging thyself away?”

My brother puts his horn on my shoulder and displays his wings, “I never wanted to leave, don’t thee remember? Thou couldn't send my spirit on, couldn’t fully kill me. So thy let me stay, and now I wander the world, trying to keep mine little sister safe.”

“A poor job thy have been doing so far, Ash.”

“Thou try taking care of someone thy can only see when they are dreaming, or when the entire world is seeing ghosts or stillborn foals.”

“I see thine point. I am sorry, Ash. `Tis mineself I am angry at, not thee.” My wings extend, but freeze only partway off my body. Ashen Tree reaches forward and hugs me tightly. I hug him back just as fiercely.

When we are finally able to pull ourselves away from the warm embrace I look at Ashen Tree, and he looks at me. Both of us trying to imprint the other in our minds before we are forced apart once again. I am the first the look away, staring at the enormous labyrinth.

“What is this place, Brother?” He turns to stand beside me, staring at the large, green structure as well.

“`Tis a labyrinth sister, a labyrinth designed out of the twists and turns that form thy mind, Broken Rose.”

“What is in the middle though?”

“Thy heart, and the answer to the riddle.”

“What riddle?” I look at my brother, stunned to notice that I can look right through him. “Brother, thou art fading!”

“I have very little time left. The riddle!” Ashen Tree’s face gets scared as he begins to flicker in and out of existence. I run up to him and try using magic to hold him in place. It does not work, my brother fades into naught but a shadow, “Engraved… Stay true… thyself…” My brother’s voice begins to fade in and out of my dreams, scarily like Celestia’s. As his body fades almost completely, I hear his voice say two last, treasured words, “Remember… Solstice”

“NO, BROTHER!!” Tears pour out of my eyes, some part of me knowing that this is the last time I will ever see my beloved brother. My hoof grasps at air as my brother vanishes into the Ether World, that place of in-betweens.

I sit down, unable to move as a puddle forms between my hooves. I cry, and cry, I feel as if I have shed more tears than the oceans could hold. When the ground in front of me is completely soaked in saltwater, I stand. My legs shake, my voice breaks as I whisper my brother’s very last words.

“Remember solstice?” I have no idea what my brother was talking about. I search through ever memory I have. Nothing came to mind. Ashen Tree had been to many a solstice, both summer and winter. No special memory was in accordance to any of the ones I could remember.

My head low, I drag my hooves towards the entrance of the labyrinth. I look up when I reach the archway that marks the beginning of the maze. I stare at a stone set into the ground, words are carved onto it. I read aloud:

Path through labyrinth, there is one.
Choose wrong and you shall perish,
Choose correct, and ancient heart, shall yours be.
But test shall come, and mystery may,
forget not your past, or Death will come.

I laugh quietly at the last line, ‘Death will come’, how can I come for myself? But ‘ancient heart’ and ‘forget not your past’. They sounded important, and tantalizingly familiar, but I couldn’t place the feel of the phrasing. I put a hoof over the plate and into the maze. With a quick flap of my wings I go into the maze fully. A slamming sound echoes around me, I turn around and stare at the green hedge that has risen up and blocks the exit of the labyrinth. My path chosen for me, I step forwards.

My hooves pound down a freshly beaten trail, walked by myself only moments before. I turn my head to look behind me, staring at the ghostly image of Discord, chasing me in a desperate attempt to disconnect my head from my shoulders. As my head is turned from the path in front of me, a large tree root looms up in front of me and trips my hooves. I stare at the horrifying replica of the Spirit of Chaos. As his eagle reaches down to claw out my eyes, my horn powers up and shoots a beam of bloody light at Discord.

It hits him in the chest, an enormous crumbling sound echoes around us. A gray shape begins to show out of Discord’s chest. It hits the ground, almost crushing one of my legs beneath its weight. I recognize the shape as Discord falls backward and turns into many floating gray feathers. It is a stone heart. I stand up and levitate with my magic. Glancing around to make sure there is no danger coming at me again I relax slowly. I spin the heart around steadily to see every angle of the heart. Towards the back of it I see a pale, glowing, pink light shining out of a crack in the stone. I press one green eye close to it and look inside of the stone. Images race past my vision, images of me and Discord. Of Celestia and my brother, of times before Discord was turned to stone. I rear back in surprise, almost dropping the stone.

When I have control of my senses again, I glare at the stone, as if it is the cause of all my problems. I take a deep breath and return my eye to the crack in the stone. This time, images of the present appear before me. I see myself, in a prison cage, crying. I see my cottage, me in the window sitting down to a good book. I feel my heart begin to speed up, hear another heart beat in time with mine. The vision warps in front of me, turning into Discord, when he was turned to stone. However, I can hear him, see his thoughts. Years race by as Discord thinks of only one thing in his stone prison. What he thinks of brings tears to my eyes, because what he is thinking of, is me. Discord thinks of every party, every stolen kiss and every time I almost gave in and admitted to him, admitted to Discord, that I loved him.

The stone falls from my grasp as and I stare at a newcomer to the maze. She looks disconcertingly like me. The only differences are her cutie mark, a dying rose, and her eyes. Where my eyes are filled with light and hope, hiding a deep hatred and pain, hers hold only agony and anger.

“Hello, Rose.” The mimic steps towards me, I back into the hedge wall desperately.

“Wh- who art thou?” I am shaking, fear coursing through my veins.

“Don’t you recognize me? I am you. At least, what you were supposed to be if you hadn’t killed our brother and taken responsibility for life as well.” Scorn drips from her voice and I back away in terror.

“What art thou talking about. I would never be thee!”

The mysterious ‘me’ laughs wildly. She steps forward and lifts my chin up with a sickly white wing. “Don’t you know child. You were always supposed to be nothing but a stone cold killer. What do you think a dead rose stands for, kid?”

“But I wasn’t, so thou hath no place here!” My horn begins to glow red as I prepare to blast the beast with my magic.

“FOOL! You think you can defeat a better you?” The mimics horn begins to drip what looks like black blood, streaked with dark red. I falter in surprise and tendrils of the black liquid wrap around me, cutting into my flesh and making me cry in pain as they sap my lifeblood. The world around me shimmers and the other me vanishes along with the tendrils as I reappear in a bedroom filled with dying plants and black and red furniture.

I get but a brief reprieve before the darker version of me reappears and sends her tendrils at me once more. This time however I am ready and my horn gives one quick blast of red magic, throwing back the enemy alicorn and dissipating the tendrils.

I stand over the weakened me, “Thou art a fool, jealous of the Broken Rose who now holds dominion over this body. BEGONE!”

The only response my threat has on the alicorn is to make her laugh, “You are the fool. Stuck in old ways, with old traditions. You do not even realize the intentions of those who once were closest to you.”

Somehow this creature knows exactly which buttons to press and how. I stagger backwards, stunned that this thing might know anything about how I felt for Discord. “How doth thou know my feelings?”

“We are the same pony, you’re just weaker. I feel the same things you feel, your love at Discord and your hatred. I know how you want to love him again, you want to so much. But you’re afraid he’ll just hurt you again.” She gets up and walks towards me, her movements slow and deliberate. “I can make sure he never hurts you again. Make sure that he does anything you tell him to, give you all the power in the world. Power enough to do anything, fulfill your every wish. I can help you bring back Ashen Tree.”

That does it. My brother’s name, being spoken by a creature as despicable as this. Rage fills my body and my horn glows, redder and brighter than it ever had before. My voice echoes around the room and makes the walls and windows vibrate with its weight, “THOU HATH NO RIGHT TO SPEAK OF MINE BROTHER!!” The windows shatter and glass rains down upon us as I drive my magically reinforced horn through the heart of the wretched creature in front of me.

She gasps and blood gurgles through her mouth as she speaks, “You… can’t kill… me.”

I lean in, my horn dripping her blood onto her pale face, “No, I can’t. Thou art mine past, but not mine future. I choose balance, not senseless death,” I lean back out again. My head arches high and proud, “I DENY THEE!”

The mimic screeches as it fades into shadow and mist, leaving naught but a splattering of blood and a last writhing shadow. I step on it and twist my hoof, crushing it into the ground. I look up as the walls fade into mist and shadow, revealing a pedestal with a scroll on it. I take a step forward, wincing as a shallow gash on my foreleg weeps blood. Opening my wings I fly forward and land softly, letting out a small cry of pain before lifting my wounded leg off of the ground.

Using my magic, I levitate the scroll and open it in front of me. I read:

Hello Broken Rose,

If you are reading this, then that means I have finally passed into the ether world. Perhaps I will be reborn, maybe as your foal, sister. That would be nice, then we would still be together (and related).

I laugh gently at my brothers informal style of writing before continuing on.

Please know that I tried my hardest to stay with you as long as I could. I apologize for leaving you to find a way through the labyrinth on your own. I only hope that I was able to tell you what the poem means. I managed to figure out this maze in the years that I have been here. This is where I was trapped whenever I wasn’t visiting you. The first part is pretty simple, if you choose the wrong path you die. I assume that was obvious to your discerning eye. If you have made it this far, I assume you already know the purpose of the maze. It is a reflection of your heart, at the end is knowledge. Knowledge that will let you do the right thing. To get here you will have had to face the you from before, from when you were jealous and cruel. However, I know that you can defeat her. I will try to pass on to you a memory before I depart to the ether world. A memory of Solstice. Do you remember her? She was Luna and Celestia’s mother. She taught me a spell that can replicate the Elements of Harmony, a spell that I hope she taught you as well. If she didn’t, I buried it in your subconscious that day we met when you were in Discord’s dungeons. I am sorry for not being here today, I should have fought harder.

Love,

Your brother Ashen Tree

“NO, No Ash. Thou shouldn’t have had to have fought harder. I should never have fallen for Discord’s tricks. It’s all my fault!” My voice shatters on the last word and dies to a whisper, “I can no longer blame Discord for my shortcomings. I killed thee Ashen Tree, and I am ready to take responsibility for thy death.”

My head bows, my wings extend and I feel peace. I see a faint image of Celestia and Luna, visiting me through some lingering magic of my brothers. They smile and Celestia nods her approval at my admittance. I stare at Luna and smile slowly before the world around me shatters into a million different pieces and I wake.

I look around a room, familiar and yet strange at the same time. I swing my hooves over the bed, only to crash, screaming into the ground as I realize that my battle wounds from the other me somehow traveled into the real world. I whimper slightly and attempt to flutter my wings, only to realize that one of them is still broken. I curse under my breath and look up at my bed, seeing a scrap of white paper, I levitate down to me. I take one glance at it, my sides begin to heave as tears roll down my face to splatter on the nearby ground. It is the letter that my brother left me.

I hear the door open but can see nothing but a blurry shape through my tears. It steps towards me and asks quietly, “Rosie, are you okay?”

The painstakingly familiar voice sends me into another bout of tears. Discord lays down next to me and reads the letter over my shoulder quietly. I make no effort to hide it from his yellow eyes until he slowly takes it from my magic and lays it on a table. Then, he merely holds me, letting me cry until my throat is raw from screaming and my eyes red from the tears. As the night drags on, my eyelids get heavy and I rest my head against Discord’s serpentine body.

Discord lays his head down on mine and heals my wounds with a snap of his eagle claw. He whispers in my ear, it takes a moment for me to process the words, “Rosie, I… I love you.” I stare into his eyes, remembering the stone heart with the small crack in it. I whisper quietly, “I love you too”. I imagine the crack getting a little bit wider.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy. I am trying out the romance part of the book and I don't know if you guys will like it or not. Please leave a comment! :)