Chapters The Tale of Discord and Pacer
CHAPTER 1: Beyond the Dream World
CHAPTER 1: Beyond the Dream World –
It was a peaceful night in Equestria and all the ponies and creatures in the land were snoozing softly.
Especially in Ponyville where Twilight, her friends and even Starlight Glimmer were resting in Twilight’s Crystal Castle. Everypony in their separate beds and guest beds dreamed happy dreams that Luna watched over.
Twilight dreamed about a re-enacted scene from a book she was just reading. Spike was once again dreaming about an ice cream house for him and Rarity (but this time, with vanilla and mint). Applejack was dreaming about the biggest apples, carrots and oranges being shown off at a fair. Rainbow Dash was dreaming of Daring Do (again). Pinkie Pie was dreaming of Maud Pie making cakes with Gummy. Fluttershy was dreaming of helping Applejack herd sheep (and bunnies). And Rarity was dreaming of dating Fancy Pants for a day!
As for Starlight Glimmer, she dreamed the same dream she’s had for a while: what would have happened to herself if Twilight hadn’t stopped her. She knew Twilight did, but she couldn’t help but worry about her past actions. Then Luna visits quickly to say, “Maybe you can tell Princess Twilight about what’s on your mind so she can help…” And with that, Starlight agrees, as she has realized how much of a friend/mentor Twilight has become to her life.
Luna leaves with a smile, and is about ready to help her sister lower the sun. But then, once again, she sees a special section of the Dream World that she cannot access (yet). It’s considerably small, but Luna keeps wondering what’s in there. But each time, she reminds herself to go back to reality and wake up Equestria!
__________
Unknown to her and Celestia, that area they can’t access is a section of the Spirit World! The Spirit World is so close to the Dream World because bodies and dreams are connected to the souls of those dreaming. And the most popular creature in the Spirit World was none other than the Star Swirl the Bearded!
In the Spirit World, Star Swirl, who was as old as he looked, led a spiritual academy of magical animals that have also moved on to the Spirit World. Star Swirl was waiting for his next session of magic training, and was humming as if he were meditating. Star Swirl takes deep breaths and smiles. “Finally, I once again have inner love, hope and peace.”
But just as he says that, a harpoon grazes his wizard hat and hits a tree just right behind him! “Great,” Star Swirl groans. Then as a second harpoon rushes towards his face, Star Swirl leaps onto his front hooves, blasts the first harpoon into pieces with his magic and catches the second to break it in half.
Star Swirl looks up and smiles to reply, “Brimstone Abalone, we meet again.”
At least a mile away from Star Swirl stood on its hind legs a dark brown elk with gold-like horns and ENORMOUS white wings! He even wore a black captain hat on his head, a black and white cape on his shoulders and a grey belt on his waist. “Star Swirl, old friend,” the winged elk replies slyly.
“You and I both know our battle ended in reality five-thousand years ago,” Star Swirl reminds Brimstone.
Brimstone growls, “Well now I’m ready to end it here.”
“About time,” Star Swirl giggles.
Brimstone then launches himself at his opponent, soaring with the help of his wings. Then a mountainous crystal flies in front of Brimstone, but he doesn’t slow down! He swipes his wings and slices the mountain-like crystal in a perfect half! Then Brimstone slams down on Star Swirl’s piece of land, but misses him by a second!
“I can tell you’ve gotten stronger,” Star Swirl complimented as he summons a gust of wind that hits Brimstone.
“Five-thousand years of banishment in the Nightmare Realm, you learn a few things. And if you wonder how I got here, I had a little help,” Brimstone replies. “In fact,” Brimstone adds, “with their help, I have captured the souls of every creature in the Spirit World!” Brimstone gestures to a fiery cage full of magic creatures. “And soon I’ll capture you too!”
Star Swirl gasps in shock. “When will you learn, brother?” And with that, the great unicorn waves his horn in the sky and summons a tornado that engulfs Brimstone sending him spiraling out of control into the sky!
But Brimstone quickly got back on track and summons lightning bolts that shape into stars that surround Star Swirl himself! Star Swirl dodges all but one electric star, which paralyzes his body completely (except for his face). Star Swirl struggles, but it’s no use!
Brimstone drains the magic from Star Swirl’s ghostly body and smiles evilly, “With your magic, I’ll make it back to the Dream World where I will get even more help! And from there, I’ll get back to reality and rule it AS A GOD! And this time, you and Pacer can’t stop me!”
“What about the other guy?” Star Swirl replies boldly yet weakly.
“What about him?”
“What will you do to him?” Star Swirl finishes.
“Easy: he’ll meet the same fate!”
Just then, Brimstone finishes draining the magical abilities from Star Swirl, and then Star Swirl himself turns to ashes!
“Well, as a tardy pirate would say: See you guys later!” Brimstone calls to demonic laughter just as he slams his fist down and sends of a light that would even blind Celestia herself! He was going to the Dream World!
__________
Meanwhile, Discord wakes up shaking. It was just his magic sixth sense sensing what had just happened in the Spirit World! “That can’t be right…Woah, Déjà vu!” Discord didn’t see or feel the exact details, but he did know something big is gonna happen. Until then, he needed to be prepared…
The Tale of Discord and Pacer
CHAPTER 2: Starlight Meets Discord
CHAPTER 2: Starlight Meets Discord –
At Twilight’s Castle, Starlight woke up last at about ten AM. Which makes sense, since she was up until eleven PM that night (with all those sad things on her mind). Starlight was in the guest bedroom and bed and when she got out, Pinkie Pie burst out with streamers and balloons!
“Happy one month anniversary, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie screamed.
“What the- huh?!?” Starlight replies surprised and baffled at this “jump-scare.”
Rainbow Dash comes over smiling, “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”
Starlight swats the streamers out of her mane and replies with a giggle, “Maybe. But what anniversary?”
“Duh! The one month anniversary of you joining our friendship castle and group!” Pinkie shouts with joy.
“Oh, right,” Starlight says, finally remembering. “What else do you have in mind?” She adds, going along with Pinkie’s Partying Mood.
“Well, basically each pony here has a different surprise for you to show how much we appreciate your friendship with us,” Pinkie explains. “I obviously showed off my PARTY CANNON!” And with that, Pinkie lets loose another streamer and balloon blast from her signature Party Cannon filling Starlight’s now, frizzy hair, with more streamers than before!
“And I worked with applejack for your next surprise!” Rainbow Dash adds. “Race you to the bottom!”
Rainbow Dash then zooms down the stairs, as fast as a lightning bolt (as usual) and made it to the bottom. But then turns her head to see Starlight was already there. “Oh, I thought I felt a strong breeze going down……Anyways, follow me outside.”
Starlight came out with Pinkie Pie and saw everypony else with a tarped over gift for her! She went to Applejack and Rainbow Dash first who pull their tarp off and revealed a large barrel.
Starlight looked at it, but shrugs and uses her magic to yank over the lid. She looked in and smiled as wide as her tail. “Fresh Apple Cider! Courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack nods.
Rainbow Dash looks in as eager as Starlight and points to it while turning to Starlight. Starlight could tell this look meant, “Can I have some too? So she rolls her eyes and replies, “Go bananas.” Then Rainbow sticks her head in drinking as much as she can! Applejack almost yelled something at her, but then, Starlight stops her with her hoof.
She then went over to Rarity’s tarp and was pleased to find underneath it a pretty blue, green and purple dress with beads connecting like a spider web. Rarity explains, “It’s the last dress I had after working at Sassy Saddles Boutique in Canterlot. It’s old, but it’s just what felt right for a gift.”
Starlight hugs the fellow Unicorn and smiles sweetly, “It’s perfect, Rarity.” And with that, Rarity returns the smile and hug.
Twilight waves to Starlight and unveils a photograph of she took of her with Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle and Night Glider! Starlight tears up and Twilight nods to her new friend. Starlight quickly hugs the photograph and turns to a concerned looking Twilight.
“Sorry. Long night,” Starlight explains.
“Oh…You can explain later,” Twilight assures Starlight.
“But, thanks for the photo anyways.”
Starlight then notices Fluttershy had something under a tarp too, but it was smaller than the other gifts she was given.
“Fluttershy, what’s under yours?” Starlight inquires.
Fluttershy turns to Starlight surprised and shyly (as usual) says, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I lost track of time. My gift, is actually something very close to me that I just know you’ll enjoy too.”
“Is it jewelry?” Starlight asks walking over to the yellow Pegasus. “Because it’s oddly small, honestly.”
“Well, not exactly. And you can’t exactly keep it either,” Fluttershy explains.
If everypony wasn’t confused before, they certainly were now. “Why is that?” Starlight questions.
“Oh, you’ll find out,” she smiles as she unveils the tarp to reveal an orange!
“It’s not jewelry! It’s an orange!” Starlight states bewildered.
“I know,” said the orange with two yellow eyes and a toothy mouth! Then it shakes and pops open to reveal Discord himself in a jazz hands position with oranges raining from the sky! “ORANGE YOU GLAD IT ISN’T!!!”
“DISCORD!” The five other ponies cheer.
But Starlight was so surprised and so shocked and scared that she fell over frozen.
“Oh dear, too much?” Discord nervously asks Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looks at the others looking at and helping up Starlight and giggles to her friend, “Maybe just a little.” But Discord couldn’t help but giggle too.
Discord goes over and helps up Starlight, who continues to stare at him shocked. “Hello my dear Starlight. Name’s Discord. Flutershy brought me to meet you.”
“Discord?” Starlight asks putting her hoof on her chin. “I feel like I’ve heard of you before."
“I’d be surprised if you hadn’t,” Discord replies.
“You see,” Twilight explains to Starlight, “Discord here was once an adversary of ours like you. He even tried to ruin my friendship with the others! But like you, he was eventually reformed.”
“It’s true,” Discord adds next to Twilight. “I WAS the demon of chaos and disharmony, but now I’m trying to understand friendship just like you!”
“That’s why I invited him here as your ‘gift.’” Fluttershy finishes.
“Well…” Starlight thinks. She seemed uneven with the idea of a strange and crazy creature like Discord as a friend.
Suddenly, Discord shakes his body.
“Again?” Discord asks himself.
“Again what?” Rainbow Dash asks, getting up from the cider barrel and trotting over.
“You know how I can sense magic disturbances sometimes? Well I’ve been feeling something oddly familiar in my systems lately,” Discord explains.
“What kind, sugarcube?” Applejack inquires (the first time she’s called Discord that before).
“No idea. Just something I feel is important but don’t know how so,” Discord replies.
“Well, maybe I can help,” Starlight offers. “After all, you seem to have a strong sense in magic.”
“Oh yeah,” Discord agrees happily. “I know lots of things about magic. But I can’t remember how…”
“What?!?” Everypony gasps.
“You mean you have all this magic and you can’t remember where it all came from?” Rarity inquires.
“I know…It’s just, that was over a thousand years ago! Before even I came into power before Celestia!” Discord answers.
The ponies looked at each other with confusion. But Starlight decides, “Well maybe I’ll help you kill two birds with one stone.”
“What?!? Why kill those poor birds with a stone???” Pinkie weeps.
Everypony smacks their face, but Discord bursts out laughing along with the pink pony.
“Anyways,” Discord adds, “Shall we go to my place?”
Starlight walks up to the Draconequus and nods in agreement. Discord grabs her hoof and Starlight asks, “So where do you li-”
Discord poofs himself and Starlight away. As Twilight and the others remember where Discord lives, Pinkie states, “Oh, I get it!”
The Tale of Discord and Pacer
CHAPTER 3: Discoveries and Returns
CHAPTER 3: Discoveries and Returns –
When Starlight opened her eyes, she found herself within a large library full of flying books and odd looking animals.
“What is this place?” Starlight inquires the Draconequus.
Discord smiles, “My library of course. I may live in a small house in the fourth dimension alone doing chaos, but that doesn’t mean I don’t read!”
“That’s true,” Starlight realized. “So what do each book have in them?”
Discord looks around replying, “Oh, not much. Just a few enchantment books, diaries and journals, maybe a few time-travel scrolls-”
“What?!?” Starlight interrupts. “Why do you have time travel scrolls?” Starlight examines the scrolls. “And they’re the same kind that I got from the Star-Swirl section of Canterlot!”
Discord hovers over and looks saying, “Woah. Haven’t seen these in a while! I guess I need a filing cabinet like Pinkie sometime soon.”
The two giggle and Starlight moves a ways to find a journal labeled, “STARSWIRL THE BEARDED HISTORY.”
“Star-Swirl? You seem to have a lot of items from olden times around here,” Starlight says, confused.
Discord rummages through a crate and answers, “Well I have been around for a while and have been a big collector of rare and dangerous spells and books……Not that I’d use them for evil, mind you.”
“So what was it like to be a demon of chaos and disharmony without any friends or cares in the world?” Starlight asks, honestly. “Is it something you miss? Is it something that would happen again?”
Discord gets up and replies, “Not a day goes by when I wish I hadn’t taken friendship AND magic for granted.”
Starlight nods and then says, “I on the other hand am glad to have Twilight, Spike and the others as friends. I was too mad with power and too scared to lose something that I just couldn’t control myself without their help. You know that feeling?”
“Yes. All the time,” Discord lowers his head.
“Well for what it’s worth, from what I can tell at least,” Starlight smiles, “You’re not as bad a guy as you look.” She holds out her hoof to his lion paw and the two smile.
“So how long have you known about these powers of yours? Or at least had them, I should say,” Starlight inquires.
“For as long as Celestia’s been riding the air-waves! Before that is for some reason a blur at the moment. Any ideas on why?” Discord inquires back.
But it is all stopped by a letter popping up into Discord’s hand. It was one of Spike’s letters!
“Hold that thought.”
Discord reads the letter in Spike’s handwriting. “The princesses at Canterlot are asking for all of Twilight’s friends, including you and Starlight, to come at once. Can you make it here ASAP?”
Discord writes back, “We’ll be there in a few.”
Blows multicolored fire out of his mouth and into the letter sending it back to Spike.
“First of all, what was that fire you just blew?” Starlight asks confused.
“That was Rainbow Fire,” Discord replies. “Strongest kind, even above the blue kind. Only reptiles of great magic can blow it. I just usually do it alone.”
“Hmm. So what was the letter saying?” Starlight asks next.
“We’re needed in Canterlot with Twilight and the others. I’ll take us there. We’ll have to continue 20 questions later. Hold on tight!” Discord takes Starlight’s hoof and they poof away!
__________
A few seconds later, Discord and Starlight were outside the Princess’ throne room. Shining Armor and Flash Sentry were standing guard.
Shining Armor steps forward stating, “The princesses are waiting for you inside.” Discord nods, but then Shining Armor whispers, “I’m watching you.”
Discord goes in past the door Flash Sentry opened with Starlight close behind.
“Hi everypony,” Starlight waves. Then she gasps as she sees the infamous Princess Celestia look before her right in front of Discord.
“Welcome you two. And it’s a pleasure to meet Twilight’s new friend and protégée,” Celestia smiles.
Starlight was welcomed to go sit by the others who waved to her.
Rarity looks at Discord’s head and says, “You could have at least come with a cleaner appearance at the throne room.”
Starlight points out, “We were just recently looking through his library outside his home.”
Twilight jumps smiling, “You have a LIBRARY?!?”
Discord nods but then focuses on Celestia, Luna and Cadence. “Plus, Spike told us to come right over ASAP. So what happened?”
Everypony turns to Luna, who had told her sister to call everypony there. She replies, “A section of the Dreamscape HAS BEEN SHATTERED……”
Everypony in the room gasps at the mention of this.
“Was it Tantabus?” Fluttershy whimpers.
“I thought we took care of that thing months ago!” Applejack adds.
“It’s not that,” Luna replies.
“Then what was it?” Discord finally asks.
“That’s why we called you here,” Celestia answers.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Rainbow Dash interjects, “You called DISCORD for dream advice???”
“I know it’s strange, but, we just need him this time for answering something that even we have never heard before!” Cadence explains.
The seven ponies and dragon shrug and nod to Discord to look into the dream situation. He steps forward and asks, “Whose dream was attacked?”
Celestia holds up a photo of two orange and teal foals.
“Snips and Snails?” Spike inquires confused.
Celestia nods and Discord thinks, holding his hand to his mouth. Then, while removing his hand, his removed mouth gets a lightbulb as he says, “That’s it!” Discord looks at the lightbulb next to him and flicks it away.
Discord rubs his hands together and shuffles the photos around and then explains, “We’re about to travel to a vision of the dream and see what’s causing all of this. That means, everyone hold on tight!”
Lightning strikes and Fluttershy holds on to a reluctant Rainbow Dash. When everypony open their eyes, they’re in a vision of Snips and Snails’ bedroom (similar to the vision ability of the white potion Zecora had).
“Almost there,” Discord replies as he activates his magic once again; but this time, they find themselves in a candy corn farm!
Twilight looks around, confirming, “If I know Snips and Snails, this must be their dream…”
“And that must be them out there plowing with mollusks!” Applejack points out to.
Pinkie shouts, “Wonder why they’re-”
“Quiet Pinkie. We’re just here to observe,” Cadence warns.
For a minute or two, nothing odd happened. But then, Luna looks up to see that familiar green glow in the sky from other nights before. And then, without warning……It struck the land like LIGHTNING!
This lightning shook the entire farmland and was ended by not only a tornado of dark magic, but a shockwave of it too!
“DUCK!” Snips yells.
Pinkie looks around, but is pulled down just in time by Starlight!
When everypony gets up, they see Snips and Snails walk over to the lightning crater. The two foals look around and finally see, in the middle, a large elk with wings get up……its eyes open and it glares right at the two! They run for it a ways, but are stopped by the elk soaring and uses its wings to sliced the entire farmland/dreamscape into nothingness, cornering them!
The elk sniffs around and finally, after taking a deep breath, it looks down and puts on his hat on saying, “Where am I right now?”
Snails replies, “Oh, our dream farm of wonderful dream foods!” Snips nods in agreement.
“Uh-huh, uh-huh. I see. But if I BIT YOUR HEAD OFF, would you DIE?” The elk inquires.
This question may have shocked everypony, including the princesses, but Snips replies, “Uh, Yeah! How can you not-”
The elk covers the little pony’s mouth and smiles, “The Equestria Realm……It worked……I’M BACK……” Then the elk stands up in a victorious pose and screams, “BRIM HAS RETURNED!!!”
The princesses and ponies look at each other and shrug. Snips and Snails say exactly what’s on the mind of Twilight and the others: “Who are you exactly?”
Brim turns around and smiles, “Brim. Brimstone Abalone. The Supreme Warlord of the Horizon Empire!”
After a few seconds of silence, “The what?”
Brim thinks and then replies, “Oh! You might know me as the Master of Mischief!”
The two shrug.
“The Being of Confusion?”
The two shrug.
“How about the Perryton of Pain?”
Snails steps forward asking, “Is a Perryton related to a parakeet?”
Snips adds innocently, “Or a parachute?”
Brim smacks his face and replies, grumpily, “Ok, I’ll put it like this: I used to be partners with Star Swirl the Bearded. OK?”
The two foals along with Twilight and her friends finally understand, replying things like, “Oh! Star Swirl the Bearded!” or “That guy I know!” or “That pony is a legend around here!” or-
Brim roars, “SILENCE!” so loud, the rest of the farmland/dreamscape shattered to rubble and shards! Then he growls, “I’m not in the mood for this nonsense. COME MY BRETHEREN!” And with that, Brim summons rainbow orbs and slams them down, summoning zombie-like creatures!
“Go forth and not only find the students of Star Swirl, but especially PACER HOOVES! Bring him to me alive. I need his heart pumping……For now,” Brimstone commands. And with that, the monsters he summoned leapt out of this dreamscape and into other dreams!
Then Brimstone walks over to Discord smiling, “When this is over, not a single creature with remember YOU or Star Swirl even EXISTED!” Brim grabs Discord by the neck and laughs, “Look out, old friend! BRIM’S COMING FOR YOU!”
The dream immediately comes to an end. The ponies look at each other with a panic and the Princesses/Twilight stop everyone with their freeze magic.
“I don’t know what was happening or why, but we need a plan!” Twilight confirms. “Discord, any thoughts?”
Discord replies after a silence, “I have to get ready! You heard him……He’s coming back……”
