The Taxonomy of the Lower Reaches of the Discordian Dimensions

Starswirl looked up at the clock in the castle hallway. The sun had set hours ago, and there had still been no sign of the draconequus. His ears flexed as he heard the sound of the door latch. Fluttershy had just walked in. She put down her saddlebags and nudged them into the corner so they wouldn't be in anyone's way.

"Angel Bunny can get so cross when he isn't fed on time," she said. "I know I was only ten minutes out, but goodness!"

She nearly bumped into Starswirl, whose ears flattened when he saw her.

"Sorry, m'dear. I thought you were Discord."

"You mean he isn't back yet?"

Starswirl shook his head. "I'm hoping it's just that boy's penchant for being tardy, but I must admit I'm starting to worry."

Fluttershy thought of the note. Discord had seemed sincere. Was there cause to worry? It was so difficult to tell with him. He could still be out feeling heartbroken, or maybe...maybe he was gone.

She felt as if something sharp had poked her in the chest.

Starswirl saw the worried look on her face. "Come, my dear. Let's go join the others for dinner. We can discuss this matter with them. It could be nothing. Perhaps he's just sulking."

Fluttershy nodded, but she wasn't sure. Discord's note hadn't sounded like sulking; it had sounded like someone who was deeply sorry for his actions and who now felt almost completely alone in the world. The pegasus had come to learn over the years, that not everyone was as empathic as she was. Whether she liked it or not, she seemed to be more finely attuned to the reactions of ponies and creatures around her. Once when she was a filly she'd found a bird that somepony had killed with a rock. Fluttershy could deal with the death of animals from old age or accident; that was unpleasant but just part of nature. This, however, had her wailing as if she could feel the bird's pain herself. She had sat there, sobbing until the sun went down, willing the bird to chirp or show any signs of life.

"Fluttershy," said Twilight, pulling the pegasus from her memories. "Is Discord with you?"

"No..."

Applejack looked up from the table and sighed. "Let's face it, sugarcube. He's gone."

"Gone?"

"Eyup. Fluttershy, sorry to be the one to tell ya this, but Discord's just selfish. It ain't your fault. He's heartbroken, an I'm sorry for him, but he can't expect you to give him everything he wants."

"Yeah, Fluttershy," said Dash. "It's pretty clear he left because you don't want to go out with him."

Twilight looked at the four mares and Spike sat at the table. Pinkie and Rarity looked unsure, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked angry, no doubt with Discord. Fluttershy bit her lip. She hadn't told everyone about Discord's encounter with Scriptum yet, and she was sure if she did they would see him in an even worse light. But she was beginning to feel something hot brewing in her chest. It took her a few seconds to realize it was anger.

"We're your friends, Fluttershy," said Spike. "And we won't abandon you like he did. Right everyone?" Everyone nodded, though some nodded with more vigour than others.

Fluttershy exploded.

"How dare you!" the small mare shouted.

Spike jumped so hard at her voice, that his plate of food ended up on his head.

"All of you! You're so quick to judge him! No wonder he feels like he has no one but me when this is the way you all think about him!"

"Sugarcube, we aren't the ones that left."

"Did you ever stop and think that maybe he didn't leave?" said the pegasus. "Maybe something else has happened. Maybe he needs time alone, or maybe it's a draconequus thing, or maybe..."

They all stared at her wide eyed. She felt pale. No...no!

“Fluttershy, I'm really sorry,” said Twilight. “But perhaps Applejack is right. Maybe Discord needs to be on his own. Maybe he needs to go away. I don't like it, but we know in the past when he lost the love of...a mare, he was very upset.”

Fluttershy looked even angrier. Pinkie drew back, even though Fluttershy was at least ten feet away from her and there was a table between them.

“None of you get it, do you?! Discord didn't just get upset because a mare didn't love him! He got upset because he thought nobody cared about him!He thought Princess Celestia and Starswirl were his friends and when he thought he had lost that he lashed out. It's not just because of me that he's upset! It's because none of you can accept him! I know he's made a lot of mistakes, but so have we! And when we do we have our friends to help us through it! Does Discord?”

The room was silent. Then Applejack spoke:

“When you put it like that, sugarcube...I...I...never thought about it that way. Wait...what was that about Princess Celestia and Discord?”

But Fluttershy was barely listening. Terrible thoughts flew through her head as she began to worry about Discord's welfare. She willed the dead bird to chirp and felt terror that it might never do so again.

So why did she hear chirping? Pinkie looked up at the window. There was a tapping sound and the chirping came again.

"It's a birdie!" Pinkie exclaimed. She climbed up onto the back of her chair and reached up to open the window. The bird flew in and landed awkwardly in the middle of the table. It looked exhausted.

"Oh the poor thing!" exclaimed Fluttershy, and she rushed forward to check it over. It seemed okay, just tired. Perhaps it had a long flight.

"Would you like some water?" asked the pegasus, and she poured some from a jug into a shallow bowl. The bird nodded gratefully and stepped into the bowl, washing itself and drinking. Fluttershy waited.

After a few minutes, the bird stepped out of the bowl and preened its feathers, then it looked up at Fluttershy and began to chirp.

"What?" said Fluttershy.

"Oh, no!"

"What?" said Rainbow Dash. "What is it saying?"

"He knows where Discord is!"

Discord struggled and snapped wildly at the black, shapeless creatures surrounding him, but no matter how hard he struggled they had him firmly in their tentacled grasp. At first he had assumed that they were trying to eat him, or drain his power, but when the initial panic slowed a little he realized they were transporting him somewhere.

They floated for hours through the chaos dimension and every now and again the draconequus would cry out in rage and frustration. He had been so close. So close to going home to his friends and now this was happening, whatever this was.

Discord was immensely strong. His weasel-like body was packed with wiry muscle and he was extremely flexible and fast, but no matter how hard he twisted his body and thrashed around, the jelly creatures held on with a death grip. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a green, undulating shape.

"Smooze!" he shouted. "Smooze! Help! Find the ponies! Find Flut..." his muzzle was suddenly tied shut by a tentacle. He growled dangerously but his eyes were filled with panic as he watched the Smooze get further and further away.

Discord winced. His muscles ached from trying to fight off the creatures and he was silently kicking himself. Why did he do this? If he had just left Fluttershy alone to date other stallions maybe none of this would have happened, and he'd at least still be at her door every Tuesday for tea. And she would be happy. He closed his eyes as he felt sadness wash over him. The creatures tightened their grip instinctively.

When the draconequus opened his eyes again he felt very confused. I'm pretty sure my brain just commanded my eyelids to open he thought. He tried again, but everything looked the same as when he had his eyes shut. He twisted his head in case it was blocked by one of the creatures. He furiously batted his eyelids to make sure they were working, and that was when he realized he was in complete darkness. If his paw had been free he wouldn't have even been able to see it waving in front of his face.

He felt the grip on various parts of his body relax as the creatures let go. Instinctively he flew off in one direction, but in the complete darkness he realized he had absolutely no idea where he was. He couldn't even orient himself. For all he knew he could be upsidedown.

"The buck is this?" he shouted.

He shot off in a different direction. He figured eventually he'd find light somewhere. He even tried making some, but the darkness seemed to absorb it. "Okaaaaay," he said. "That's very interesting. Anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

There was no sound and the darkness seemed to stretch on forever. Discord could not smell or see anything and he could feel the feathers on his back beginning to stand up in panic.

Then there was a great, booming voice.

Well done for bringing him to me.

"Whoever you are," said Discord. "You are the rudest host ever, kidnapping someone without invitation and not bothering to buy any light bulbs."

Ever the prankster. You don't fool me. You are shaking.

Discord reached down and felt his tail in the darkness. It, like the rest of his body was indeed quivering.

And I think you know very well who I am.

"Nooope. I think I'd recognize your voice since it seems to permeate everything."

I'm not even meant to have a voice. But that will all change soon. Soon there will be no voice, no conversation. The world will be exactly as it should be. In fact, there will be no world.

A shiver shot up Discord's long spine.

You know who I am don't you?

"No."

I think you do. After all, I got to know you quite well when you were a statue.

"No!" Discord's ears flattened against his head.

Yes. And I was so close, until that trollop Celestia decided to free you and all my plans were for nothing. Well, that and your little friends have been a pain. Harmony...chaos. Makes no difference. It all needs to go. But you have always been my biggest obstacle. Until now.

Discord felt sick. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. He wanted to be back at the castle with Fluttershy, Twilight, Starswirl and the others. The darkness closed around him like velvet and he whimpered with terror and rage.

Soon there will be nothing said the voice.

"Thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice, Dr. Zygoma," said Twilight.

"It's no trouble, Princess. Now, what is it you needed to see me about?"

All eyes turned to Fluttershy.

"Um..." she began.

Twilight gave her a warm, encouraging smile and she relaxed a little.

"Well, you see. We were wondering if we could have the creature back and um...free it."

Dr. Zygoma looked at them all as if their heads had fused together. "What?! Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"This creature is part of a collective," said Fluttershy. "It has a homing instinct and will want to return to its swarm. The same swarm that has kidnapped our friend."

"But this creature attacked someone! How do we know it won't do it again? Furthermore, your antibodies only work on the other form of creature. If this one hurts someone else we have no cure against it!"

Twilight spoke up. "We realize it's risky, Doctor, but we have no other means of getting into the chaos dimension. This creature may be our only pathway to doing that."

"I can't allow this. If it attacks another pony I won't be held responsible."

"You're right, you won't," said Twilight. "We'll take all responsibility and I assure you that there won't be any repurcussions against you."

"That's not enough. Morally I can't allow this creature to be on the loose. You're asking me to let a contagian loose on a city!”

“Not loose,” continued the princess. “Not really. We'll make sure that it's released far away from any populated areas. In fact, we think we know whereabouts our friend was kidnapped.”

“If you know where he was taken then why do you need the creature?”

“There's no portal open. If the creature needs to get back to its swarm then it has to go through a portal to get back into the chaos dimension. Please, Doctor. We don't have much time.”

After a moment Dr. Zygoma sighed and said “this way.”

She led them down a hallway past a pair of double doors.

“Put these on,” she said, gesturing to face masks and surgical scrubs.

Starswirl raised an eyebrow. It seemed the medical staff was taking no chances with this thing, even though ponies seem to have only been infected by direct contact.

Dr. Zygoma pushed open a door and led them into a laboratory area. On the far side of the room was a tank containing the creature. It swam around endlessly in circles.

“Well, here it is,” said Dr. Zygoma. “I don't see how you're going to get a thing that lively out of here and into the world while still retaining some measure of control.”

“It's pacing,” said Fluttershy.

“What?” asked Zygoma.

“It's what animals do in captivity. Especially social animals. It wants to be with the swarm.”

“You're not asking me to feel sorry for it?”

Fluttershy sighed. “It's just an animal.”

“Fluttershy, we could argue that Chrysalis was just an animal. That doesn't make her not evil,” said Twilight.

“No, this is different. This animal isn't the leader. It's part of something larger.”

“The swarm?” asked Starswirl.

“Maybe. I don't know who is controlling the swarm though.”

The other ponies stared at her. It had not occurred to them that something else could be behind the creatures. Something perhaps more sinister.

“How can there be creatures that sap Discord's magic in a chaos dimension?” said Fluttershy. “Discord's the Master of Chaos.”

“Maybe chaos is so chaotic not even Discord has a grasp on it?” suggested Rarity.

“And why is there more than one species?” continued Fluttershy. “The darker one here was able to hurt Discord and lighter one was able to hurt the pony.”

Twilight and Fluttershy both seemed to come to the same conclusion simultaneously.

They both began talking at the same time excitedly but Twilight acquiesced to Fluttershy.

“This creature can't hurt us,” said Fluttershy.

“What on earth do you mean?” said Dr. Zygoma.

“It's not the same creature as the one that attacked me and the pony. It feeds on chaos magic, which is why it made Discord sick. None of us have chaos magic.”

Starswirl looked worriedly at Pinkie.

“I wouldn't know about that,” he said. “But if we definitely remove anyone from the equation who has a link to chaos we might stand a chance.”

“Hang on, this is all guesswork!” cried Dr. Zygoma. “There's no way of testing this.”

“There is,” said Fluttershy. She took a deep breath then ran for the tank.

“What are you doing??!” shouted Zygoma.

Fluttershy didn't stop to reply to her. She flew up to the top of the tank and opened the lid. The creature instantly swam out towards her. She felt fear grip her heart but stood her ground.

The jelly creature stopped when it was a few inches away from Fluttershy, then turned and swam in the other direction. Fluttershy sighed with relief, but it was short-lived.

Starswirl saw what was coming and flung open a nearby broom closet. He shoved Pinkie into it before she could ask what was happening and slammed the door just in time as the creature pawed furiously at the door with its tentacles, making a rasping snarl.

Twilight's horn glowed and the creature froze.

“I would say that's pretty cut and dried,” said Starswirl, his voice shaking.

“Can somepony tell me what's going on?” came Pinkie's voice from the broom closet.

Discord's next reaction to being trapped in darkness was to rage at it. He tried all the magic he could think of, (which was admittedly limited since he only had Starswirl's powers) he beat at it with his fists. They hit nothing but air, which infuriated him even more and he cried out in anger. In the end, the only weapon he had was his voice and brain, so he began to talk to the voice, but not in a convivial manner.

“Pathetic,” snarled the draconequus. “So insufferably boring. You could have at least picked out curtains or something.”

You think humour tells me you're not frightened, chaotic one?

Discord laughed. “You think grand, booming voices and spooky, inky blackness makes you some kind of theatrical evil? Foals use the same techniques during school plays.”

I do not think any of those things. I do not care about good and evil. I only want things to be as they should be. To be as they should be until you came along.

Even though it was dark, Discord licked his paw and slicked back his mane haughtily. “I know I'm important,” he said. “But there's no need to write love poetry about me.”

Soon you will realize just how unimportant you are.

“Why the delay? If you're going to kill me why haven't you done it yet? Is it because you can't? Because I think that's the reason. That or you just don't want to admit it, or the fact that you're falling madly in love with me.”

You will see.

“I can't see a damn thing in here.”

“You know,” said Rainbow Dash. “Pinkie doesn't have to be the one who stays behind with Spike. I could stay in her place.”

“Quit yer belly-achin'” scolded Applejack. “You know full well why Pinkie has to stay behind. Starswirl explained it to us already.”

Dash groaned. The thought of going back into that disorienting place made the pit of her belly feel cold and hard. She knew she would be going anyway, despite what she had said. Though she felt terrified, her loyalty to her friends was stronger.

They were on the deck of one of the boats Princess Celestia had lent them. It was a strong but suprisingly light vessel. Just what they needed, really. The jelly creature sat in a jar in the middle of the deck.

The bird had pointed out the exact place Discord had been taken by the swarm, and the boat sat directly in front of it.

Twilight had a spell book open in front of her.

“Do you think this will work?” said Rarity.

“I hope so. I'll admit I don't know much about tracking spells, but this one seems quite straightforward.” The tracking spell wasn't the problem. The problem was Twilight needed to combine two spells in order for their plan to work. She had guessed, correctly, that once the creature was loose and tried to get back to it's own dimension, that the window of having an open portal would be a rather narrow one. There wouldn't be time to push the boat into the chaos dimension if there was only mere seconds. She needed to not only put a tracker on the creature, but use a freezing spell to keep the portal open.

She wished Starswirl still had his magic. She could have really used the help right now. And yet she still felt the need to prove herself to him.

“Is everyone ready?” she asked.

The ponies took their places on the boat. Starswirl stood over the jar, ready to open it. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were behind the boat, getting ready to push. Rarity and Fluttershy watched the area the bird had pointed out, getting ready to call out when the portal opened.

Twilight's horn began to glow, and Starswirl pulled the lid off the jar.

The creature was lightning fast and shot instantly to the site of Discord's kidnapping. There was a humming sound and the air before it began to change.

“Now!” shouted Rarity and Fluttershy in unison.

Twilight gritted her teeth and a blast of light shot from her horn, hitting the creature from behind. The tracking spell was on. She just needed the portal to open the full way before using the freezing spell. She started to prepare herself, then she realized with horror the creature was already slipping through.

“No!” she cried. “The portal's not wide enough!”

Starswirl looked panicked. In his haste he tried lunging for the creature, but he missed it by a tentacle's width.

“No,” he whispered. He felt as if he had been kicked in the chest. He looked back and saw that Twilight's expression mirrored his own. Fluttershy had her muzzle buried in Rarity's mane as the unicorn held her.

Suddenly there was a humming sound, and everyone looked towards it. A hole opened in the air before them and a green, gelatinous mess poured out onto the grass in front of the boat.

“Smooze!” cried Fluttershy.

The creature drew itself up to its full height and wobbled. It gestured towards the portal as if to say “this way!”

The tracking spell was working, much to Twilight's relief. At least one thing had gone right. Well, two things actually, but the Smooze had been a wonderful stroke of luck. Still, she felt like a failure as she looked out across the Hydapsis river.

“A penny for your thoughts,” said Starswirl.

Twilight's ears drooped. “Things didn't go as planned,” admitted the alicorn.

“They often don't in life. At least you haven't made mistakes like I have.”

She knew he was talking about Discord and Celestia.

“You did what you had to,” said Twilight. “For the good of the kingdom.”

“Was it really for the good of the kingdom? Let me tell you something, Princess. Do not ever lose sight of what is important. I know I was stuck between a rock and a hard place but I could have handled it better. Instead of thinking of what you should do, do what you know is best for your friends. Heck, why am I even telling you this when you're the Princess of Friendship? If anything I should be coming to you for advice.”

Twilight smiled softly.

Fluttershy stood at the bow of the ship, looking out across the chaos dimension.

She just wanted him home. She wanted them to be snuggled on the sofa in front of the fireplace, under a warm throw. He'd run his paw through her mane and as she snuggled against him she would know without having to look up that he was giving her an adoring look. She wanted that more than anything right now--for them to both be safe. She missed the comforting yet stormy scent of his fur and feathers.

"Darling?"

The pegasus looked up, startled. "Hi Rarity..."

"Want some company?"

Fluttershy nodded. "I think I would like that, actually."

The two mares gazed out over the Hydapsis.

"I'm so worried about Discord," Fluttershy said, and Rarity noticed her friend already had tears running down her face.

"Come here, darling." Rarity opened her arms and the pegasus tried to take comfort in her embrace as the unicorn stroked her mane. Fluttershy sniffled into Rarity's coat.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"Yes," came the barely audible response.

Rarity smiled, but the expression didn't last because Fluttershy began to sob.

"I'm so scared, Rarity. What if he..."

"Shhh. Don't think about it, dear. This is Discord. He's been alive for thousands of years, maybe even longer!"

"But he wasn't sick like this, without his magic! And that creature sapped him of all his energy! What would hundreds of them do to him?"

Rarity's heart sank, but she couldn't let her friend or herself give in to despair.

"Fluttershy, if I know Discord, he'll find a way stay alive. Do you know why? It's not just because he's infuriatingly stubborn, which in this case is actually a bonus, but it's because, dearest, he will do everything in his power to see you again if he can help it. He's adored you for years, Fluttershy. He's even come to me for advice about it. I wasn't supposed to tell you that, but given the circumstances, I think I can be forgiven for breaking my word just this once."

Fluttershy looked up. "Advice?"

"Yes. He has really been trying, Fluttershy. And that includes trying to stay away. Until this project that is..."

"Why did he ever start this thing? Was it really just to impress me?"

"Yes."

Fluttershy groaned. "Discord..."

"Yes, dear. We know he's an idiot, but he's our idiot. If it's any consolation, I think you were the catalyst, but Discord has been trying to prove himself to everyone, not just you. It's just that he's in love with you, so naturally he thinks he has to prove himself to you the most."

Fluttershy hugged herself. Then she took a deep breath and said: "Do you think it's right to love him, Rarity? He seems to rely so much on me."

"Once again, dearest, that's because he's in love with you. After all, don't you feel the same?"

"But I have friends to support me if things go wrong."

"So does he. He just doesn't know it yet."

"Rarity, I need to tell you something. But I need your word that you won't tell the others. Only Starswirl knows this."

"I promise, but I did just tell you something about Discord I wasn't supposed to tell you. Still, I wasn't breaking a promise to him by doing that. It was more that he threatened to cover my fall collection in snot...and...oh goodness. Listen to me rambling on. You have my word, Fluttershy."

The pegasus nodded. "Discord...he..."

"Yes, dear?"

"Discord attacked Scriptum. He attacked him because he thought that everyone hated him and that it was all Scriptum's fault, but Scriptum isn't the only pony who jumped to conclusions about finding me and Discord together. Starswirl did too, and...and I know some of you did."

Rarity looked at the ground. "We never should have believed him. He just seemed so nice! And Discord is...well...Discord. Oh, I'm sorry dear. I didn't mean..."

"No, it's fine. I know Discord can be a difficult customer. But I also know he's a good person, Rarity. My dilemnna is that may not be enough. Discord is...sensitive. He'll never admit it but he hurts...a lot, about a lot of things. And he covers it up a lot, with jokes, with false callousness. The statue hurt him. He was...he was so lonely. His mind isn't well. In fact, it could well be broken. But it's never going to heal if we keep insisting he's a bad pony!"

Rarity nodded sadly. "So that's why you're reluctant. Because if he invests everything in you and he loses you..."

"Yes."

Rarity moved forward to hug her friend tightly. "Darling, I promise you that if...I mean...when we find him we will all do our best to be better friends to Discord."

Fluttershy returned Rarity's embrace. "Thank you," she whispered. She still looked worried, though.

"Fluttershy.”

"Mmm?"

“If you're still unsure,” said Rarity, “then ask yourself why you love him.”

“He's...brave. And funny, and very sweet,” said Fluttershy. “He sees me for who I am.” She thought of the evening on the boat when Discord had told her about good and bad. “But he's also very jealous and paranoid. I just want him to know that we aren't going to hurt him.”

“You know something,” said Rarity, putting a hoof on her friend's shoulder.

“What?”

"There's no shame in loving someone with a broken brain."

"Does it make me a pushover?"

"No. Because it's on your own terms. Besides, when has Discord ever been able to push you over?"

That was true. Fluttershy seemed to rule him with a downy hoof.

Fluttershy reached for her saddlebag and pulled out Discord's note. "He left me this," she said softly.

Rarity was silent as she read the scrawled handwriting. When she got to the end of the letter she was no longer in any doubt about how much the draconequus cared for her friend.

“He's growing and learning,” said Rarity.

Fluttershy threw her hooves up. “Why am I even worrying about stuff like this when he could be dead? I should be worrying about THAT instead!”

“No you shouldn't. And I'll tell you why you're worrying about stuff like that.”

“Why?”

“Because you're already planning what to do when you both get to go home safely to each other.”

One of my sentinels has informed me that your friends are on their way.

"Ha!" shouted the draconequus in the inky blackness.

You think this is a good thing?

"Of course it's a good thing. They're coming to rescue me."

The thought made him feel warm.

Actually I have already won. I have you here. They will come for you, and then I will have them. Harmony and Chaos, finally eradicated. Your friendship with them will be the very reason for their demise.

So that was it. Bait. He was bait. He tried not to think about that. They were coming to get him, so there was hope, and he still had time to think of a plan.

“I knew I was important!” he said to the voice. “And here I was beginning to doubt you were going to send me chocolates and flowers.”

Do you do nothing but joke?

“Isn't that what intrigues you so about moi?”

I do not find you intriguing. I find it necessary that you end.

Keep it talking, thought Discord. See what information you can get out of it.

“So, if you are so incredibly powerful and the universe is meant to end into nothingness as you say, then why haven't you done it already?”

Because you are an unfortunate bi-product of events, and still a part of me. This is why my task is not complete and why there is still variety.

“Variety? Heinz 57?”

What.

“Nothing. Do go on. It's fascinating, really,” said Discord in a voice that implied that he really wasn't fascinated at all.

I still exist, therefore there is some variety in me. That is why I operate via a collective.

“Your goal is to not exist?”

I will be the only thing that exists. I will be constant. It will be as before, only this time there will be no you to interfere.

“Look, I think you're confusing me with someone else. I'm pretty sure I would have remembered never-ending darkness with a theatrical voice before.”

You were there when the universe began. Or rather, your essence was. You simply do not remember because you have a corporeal body now. But the power you carry was in a raw state, and then things began to harness that power and exist. It ruined everything. Nature began to exist. She destroyed my work. Planets and stars formed. Galaxies, minerals, water. It was unstoppable. Until now.

“Yeaaaaah, well you still haven't stopped it yet,” drawled the draconequus.

That is because you must give yourself to me willingly.

Discord cackled at that. “Come again? I think I have some darkness stuck in my ear, because I thought you said that I'd give myself to you willingly?”

You will. As I've said. I've already won.

“Look, I know that you sit there and touch yourself at night when you think of me,” said Discord, “but the idea that I would ever give myself to you willingly? I'm afraid you've gone cuckoo clock. Delusional, even.”

They are here.

Discord was about to ask who the voice meant when it clicked into place. He felt as if icicles were forming on his spine.

“W-What is that?” said Rainbow Dash, pointing a hoof at the blackness before them. The Smooze wobbled in fear and Fluttershy cooed soothingly to it.

“This is where the trail ends,” said Twilight. The creature was now in a fixed place and didn't seem to be going any further.

“Ya mean that thing is where Discord is?”

“Maybe,” said Twilight.

“I don't think we should go in there,” said Starswirl. “It's not just dark it's...nothing.”

He was right. The blackness had no shade to it. It was simply a solid darkness. Then they all pulled back in horror as the darkness seemed to shift towards Twilight.

Which one of your friends shall I take first? said the voice.

Discord was trying not to let any panic show. He knew his friends were out there but calling to them might make them come to him and then the darkness would take them. His tail swished with anxiety.

Maybe the old one. After all he's lasted long enough and is far passed his prime.

“I would agree with you,” said Discord, trying to keep his cool, “But he's so insufferable I think he would give you indigestion.”

Or your little purple princess.

Discord actually felt the darkness shift forward and he knew the entity was reaching for Twilight.

“Um...I...I don't think that's the best place to start, really,” he said. He was babbling now, simply trying to distract the voice. “She's such a bore. It's not like you're getting rid of much variety there...”

“Or this lovely creature?” The blackness reached out there was screaming from several voices and Discord heard a soft whimper in the blackness.

"No!" he screamed.

Ah...you *like** this one* said the blackness.

Discord cursed himself inwardly for giving himself away.

"Discord?" called out the pegasus' trembling voice. Discord could actually smell the fear radiating off her.

"Yes, it's me, Fluttershy! I'm here. Where are you?"

"I don't know!" Fluttershy kicked her legs frantically. There was no way to tell up from down. "Can you follow my voice?"

Discord flexed his ears in the darkness. He couldn't pinpoint where the sound was coming from, but he could smell her. The smell told him she was horrified. A wave of protectiveness came over him as he pictured her trembling, suspended in the darkness. The urge to wrap his arms around her and comfort her was overwhelming. He tried using that to move towards her, swimming through the permeating darkness.

"Call out again!" he shouted.

"I'm here!" she cried. Once again the sound seemed to have no fixed place.

So, Discord.

Fluttershy squeaked in terror at the sound of the voice and Discord's heart nearly stopped beating.

As I said, I've won. Give yourself to me now and I may wait until the natural end of this little filly's life to eradicate everything.

"What?"

If you don't give yourself over I will kill her now.

"No!! No, no no! Please, no!"

Then do it.

"If I do it will you let her live out her life?"

"No, Discord! Don't listen to it. It's not worth it!"

I will. But after she's gone naturally, everything ends.

"Don't do it," sobbed the pegasus.

Discord realized the sound of her voice was right next to his ear. He reached out and felt her soft mane. She yelped in surprise, but melted into his embrace when she realized who it was.  Discord struggled to accept that what he was embracing was real. For once in his life he wished it wasn't.

I'm waiting. The fact that you're holding her won't change my intent.

"Don't..." whispered Fluttershy into Discord's feathers.

He hugged her tightly, and stroked her mane.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Then they were falling through the blackness and the next thing Fluttershy knew she could see the chaos dimension flying past them. Discord was whispering "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry" over and over as they fell, his lion and griffon arm still wrapped around her small frame. Then they hit the deck of the ship with a loud smack. Fluttershy shrieked, but Discord had broken her fall and for all she knew, some of his own bones as well.

She could hear her friends asking her if she was okay, but their voices sounded like they were at the end of a long tunnel. Instead, she looked down at Discord. He struggled to lift his head and reached out to her with a paw. He laid it lightly on her cheek.

"I'm sorry I'm selfish," he whispered. Then he collapsed and was still and the blackness took him.