A Discorded Christmas Carol

Discord heaved a sigh as Pinkie bounced out the door, her cheerful goodbye still ringing in his ears. I will never understand that pony...,he thought, putting his paw to his forehead. Discord looked up at the clock above the door, deciding it was time for him to make his leave as well. He put on his coat and hat, and headed out the door.

Discord walked along the streets, snow coming down lightly around him. Sure, he could be at his home with a snap of his finger, but he preferred to walk sometimes. Walking helped him think, and at this point, Discord had plenty on his mind. Turning a corner, he saw three fillies playing in the snow together. He sighed and marched past them at a fast walk. Looking around, Discord could see all sorts of lights and decorations, which made him narrow his eyes. Ponies waste their money, and on what?! Pointless holiday decorations?! They don't even have much to spare on it!, he thought, looking at the lights in disdain.

Eventually, Discord made it to his home. He looked up at the tall, castle-like mansion he lived in. He didn't envy other ponies for their small, slim cottages. Slipping a key out of his pocket, Discord walked up to the door and unlocked it, walking into his home. Hanging up his things yet again, Discord made his way to the living room, where a couch sat in front of a large fireplace. Lighting the fire with a quick flick of his claw, the draconequus flopped down onto the couch.

"It's nice to see you again, Discord.", a familiar voice sounded next to where Discord lay. He jumped up, looking around, and saw the form of Celestia sitting on the couch in front of him. She looked a bit different though; she was paler, and Discord could see the couch through her.

"T-Tia?! But..You're d-dead!", Discord gasped, backing into a chair.

The spirit sitting on the couch simply shrugged. "I may be dead, my old friend, but I was summoned here."

Discord tipped his head. "What?! How? And why?!"

"You need to be taught a lesson, my friend."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Celestia stood up and walked up to Discord, facing him with a pale, but serious, stare. "Listen closely. You will be visited by three spirits tonight. Spirits of past, present, and future. They will tell you everything else you need to know..", the dead alicorn's voice trailed off, and she began to fade away.

Discord's eyes widened. "I still don't understand! Don't leave me, Tia!", he begged, sadness filling his gaze.

The spirit said nothing more, and faded away completely. Discord looked around cautiously, then sat back on the couch. He thought about the "ghosts" that Celestia had mentioned, doubts about them plaguing his mind. Ghosts? Please! That was probably just a prank by some stupid foals... After a while, Discord drifted into sleep.

Roughly an hour later, Discord woke up with a start. He'd dreamt a horrible nightmare; Discord remembered seeing his own tombstone, and other, horrible future images. He heaved a sigh. Tia's sudden visit must have frightened me. Nothing to worry about, Discord!, he thought, shaking his fears away. A cold hoof then planted itself on Discord's shoulder, making him shiver. He turned, trying to spot who was there, but he saw nopony. Celestia's voice whispered in his ear.

"Don't doubt us spirits, Discord.", she whispered in a icy voice.

Discord heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Doubt you?! Ha! You're not even real! Just some illusion!", he retorted to the voice in his ear. Discord puffed his chest and stared around in defiance.

Celestia's ghost appeared behind Discord. She lifted her hoof off of his shoulder, causing Discord to whip his head around. Something new was on the spirit that wasn't there before: chains. Each of Celestia's hooves were wrapped in cruel, metal chains. Something was different in her expression as well; her eyes were narrowed, and her lip was curled in a snarl. One of the chains rushed towards Discord, wrapping itself around his neck, slowly choking him.

Discord's eyes widened in terror. Celestia was face-to-face with him now, her muzzle almost touching his. She eyes blazed in fury, as the chain wrapped tighter, closing off Discord's lungs to air.

"Think this is just an "illusion" now?!", she growled in a terrifyingly quiet voice.

"N-no...I d...d-on't..", Discord croaked, hardly able to breathe.

The chain around Discord's neck quickly loosened. Celestia's form began to fade, for good, this time.

"That's what I thought.", she spat triumphantly.