Chapters The hardest part about being an Alicorn isn't the agelessness, or the godly power, or even being a royal everyone looks to for guidance. No, the real problem was being all three of the races at once.
The normal pony, race regardless, has the five basic senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. However, each subspecies had potential of a sixth sense. The Pegasi could sense and tell weather patterns, be they magical manipulations of the weather or completely natural. The Earth Ponies could sense various things in the earth and plant life: Was the ground fertile, was there a reservoir nearby, was the volcano active, was the mountain stable, were the plants healthy, and so forth. The Unicorns, even if they were robbed of their own magic, could detect magic like a metal detector and even 'read' it: see the intent and emotion put into a work of magic.
But when you interlink all three of these senses, giving an Alicorn eight senses, it created a much greater awareness for the nigh-immortal equines, practically a ninth sense onto itself. From their castle, they could sense many great events or disturbances in the world with ease, be they magical or natural. Sometimes these sensations came so clearly that they dreamt of them as 'visions'. While they couldn't see or tell the future in the truest sense, they were aware of some things that were going to happen before they inevitably did.
Right now, the assault on their senses was simply mind numbing, as if a great earthquake was rattling the very foundation of their inner worlds.
If not for the seriousness of it all, Celestia would have laughed a bit when she teleported directly into Luna's room, making her already alarmed younger sibling jump about in shock and nearly blast Celestia through at least five castle walls. As it was, Luna stood there, au naturale before sighing in relief and discharged her horn as she registered it was merely her sister. Normally, she would have apologized for being jumpy, but the unsurprised look on her sister face said it all: They didn't have the need or time for apologies in this instant.
"Did you sense that as well?" Luna asked, her eyes still a bit wild from just waking, even as she used her magic to don her royal regalia. If they were to depart like she expected they would, it wouldn't do to cause a panic if there was none yet by making all the ponies wonder why their princess was walking around in the nude.
"Yes, Sister, though...I'm not sure what to make of it," Celestia answered with a frown as they came to the window, both staring out at something a mortal eye could not perceive..
"We should depart for Ponyville, to ensure HE is not setting malevolent mischief upon the Element Bearers," Luna suggested with a frown. While she did support the idea of attempting to 'reform' Discord, she was skeptical of it ever going smoothly. After all, turning someone from evil to good was simple, if difficult. Trying to make chaos work and coexist with harmony? That was complicated. Like the little puzzle cube she had discovered some months ago: the V-9 cube, if she remembered correctly.
"It's not his mischief I'm concerned about," Celestia said evenly, her sister nodding in understanding.
Every ability their senses granted them culminated into a rather interesting skill: they could read a pony's mood, personality, and etc without even actually meeting them, all by the texture, nature, and behavior of their magic- all of which painted an image of the pony in their minds.
Twilight Sparkle: A twinkling light of curiosity and dedication that shined and dimmed with her mood swings.
Applejack: A steadfast and firm tree bearing fruit for any that would reach for it.
Rainbow Dash: A lightning bolt that flipped through colors of emotions as quickly as it could run, or fly in this case.
Rarity: A thin blanket of snow, sharing a beautiful look with the world while not smothering it.
Fluttershy: A small and gentle light that was so easy to miss but so soothing once found.
Pinkie Pie:...Strangely, a piece of pink gelatin that could be off putting, but watching it jiggle could make anyone smile.
Celestia and Luna both pictured one another as gentle rivers of, respectively, gold and silver under their appropriate celestial orbs.
Discord, on the other hoof, was a hurricane. A massive cyclone that dwarfed everything and anything that approached it, ripping apart all that was built in his wake and turning every pony's world upside down…a storm with no eye, no calm at its center, and seemingly no end. It was, in a form, chaos itself. Just like him. Merely being in his presence the first few times had been disconcerting to them, ages ago. Over time, they had grown used to the mental cyclone they endured when combating him, to pushing their way through utter madness. Even in his stone prison, they could still sense the edges of the contained storm, lurking about for their true freedom.
And now it felt like nothing was there. Not changed, not subdued, not even fading. Something like Discord didn't just blink out of existence entirely, not to their extra senses.
"Ready?" Celestia asked to Luna, who nodded wordlessly as they crossed horns. Normally, they would go by chariot, but this was far too important and possibly too dangerous for delay.
With a great flash, they teleported to the outskirts of Ponyville, with a small concealment spell to keep most ponies from noticing them.
And regretted it the instant they arrived.
They had been wrong, so very wrong.
Discord wasn't gone, nor was his presence. It was just that his presence radiated...nothing. All the mischief, all the insanity...it was all gone. But just because the aspects of the hurricane had vanished, didn't mean it was truly gone.
No, in retrospect, that was too simple.
It was as if the storm had suddenly stopped, for no real reason. And with it came an uneasy and oppressive feeling, like the mass of the storm was condensing and bearing down on their mental fortresses…as if all that hundreds of millions of tons of metaphorical clouds was now trying to press down on the Alicorns from every angle.
It was like the Hurricane turned into an Ocean right before their eyes, waiting to see if they would be crushed or suffocate first.
Not that most ponies could sense it, thankfully.
Still, these two, so in tuned to their mystic senses, could only share an uneasy stare and wonder just what had happened to their greatest and oldest foe.
"Sister...," Luna wheezed lightly as they started to acclimate, a layer of sweat forming on her brow.
"I'm fine...," Celestia said through gritted teeth. Her taller frame actually seemed to work against her in this case, with more area for the...ocean to bear down on.
After a few minutes, the shock had worn off, leaving them lightly panting. They were used to the Hurricane. The Ocean was something new.
"I don't like this," Luna said with a scowl, looking in the direction of Fluttershy's cabin, just up a nearby creek and through some bushes. Their teleportation was a bit off, "Discord has never felt like this before."
"And yet, it is definitely him," Celestia said with a frown, eyes hard as she tried to find the source of this presence. As always, there was none. It simply was there, without cause or end, "Just like water and ice are the same substance in different forms, this is definitely Discord's power."
Neither of them liked that. Suddenly changing an Immortal, a long lived being who had found a state of mind they were comfortable with was nigh impossible without a serious event in their life- very hard to do to someone that has seen common and strange things for many thousands of years. Sure, the levels at which they did things might change, but the sisters always knew that Discord would be a creature of Chaos until the ending of time. They just didn't think he was dead set on being a creature of Disharmony.
So, in the short time since she had left Discord in the hooves of the elements...what had happened to him?
They braced themselves as they neared the cottage, preparing themselves for whatever they might find.
To their astonishment and unease, everything looked strangely normal, at first glance. But it became increasingly obvious that this was not so. Fluttershy's home was also home to numerous woodland creatures that would normally be scurrying about the grounds or sitting up in the trees. But there was not a sign of any of them. The quiet was eerie and foreboding, as if a great predator was nearby. As they reached the house itself, they scowled in concern as they heard something though the door.
The soft sobbing of a young mare.
With a tentative knock on the door, they waited. It opened to reveal, not Fluttershy, but a very somber looking Applejack. She blinked in momentary surprise before frowning sadly. She knew what had happened, it seemed.
"Applejack? Who is crying? Where is Discord?" Celestia asked in concern. The farmmare decided to show instead of tell, opening the door a bit wider.
Inside the small cottage, three other mares were busy comforting a distraught Twilight Sparkle, drenching the floor with her tears. Pinkie Pie, her mane deflated, was giving her a weak, half hug. Rarity was stroking her back, occasionally wiping some tears away. Rainbow Dash was sitting just in front of her and to the side, placing her forehead against Twilight's in a silent show of support
"...Twilight?" Celestia called in concern and shock.
Her faithful student flinched at her own name before raising her tear drenched face. Luna breathed sharply, seeing the hoof-shaped bruise on Twilight's cheek. But that wasn't what had Celestia concerned. It was Twilight's expression. It was an expression she had come to know over the years of teaching her protégée. It meant: I'm so sorry, I bucked up big time and I can't fix it, please don't hate me.
"Princesses," A soft but upset voice called, prompting Twilight to bury her eyes in her hooves once more.
The Alicorn turned and saw Fluttershy, having come from around the corner of her home. They stared at each other for a moment, the immortal mares taking in the unfamiliar steel and anger in Fluttershy's kind eyes. She motioned for them to follow her and walked off, slowly. They glanced back at the group in the house, Applejack nodding for them to go. Her green eyes said it all: They had to see this.
With growing unease and dread, the two followed after the ground-preferring Pegasus. She had stopped briefly after walking out of view, waiting on them obviously. She silently led them down the stream running beside her home, their unease skyrocketing as they saw the center point of this situation.
Discord sat at the edge of the stream: Upright, elbows against knees, head in his hands, tail lying lazily on the ground, wings unmoving. He just sat there, his back to them, staring at seemingly nothing.
Fluttershy fearlessly walked up to him and patted him on the back.
"...Discord," Luna called after a few seconds of patience.
Celestia narrowed her eyes when he failed to respond.
"Discord?" Luna asked, louder, confused by him ignoring her.
Celestia carefully took in the image of Fluttershy, shivering as she held back her own tears.
"Discord!" Luna yelled, glaring lightly at his back.
Celestia's eyes went wide as Fluttershy gently nudged him, "No...," She whispered in denial.
"Hmm?" Discord called, raising his head from his hands, holding his neck straight and high as he slowly turned to face them, standing at his full height as he towered over them. Both sister's felt the Ocean trying to condense itself on their backs as they took in those hollow, mirthless red orbs that had a distinct lack of yellow sclera.
All Fluttershy did was keep her head bowed with a pitying smile
After what felt like an eternity, he spoke four words that would haunt them, "Do I know you?" He asked in cold annoyance.
"Discord...is that you?" Luna asked in disbelief.
"So everyone keeps telling me," He answered carelessly, crossing his arms as he watched them carefully.
"Discord...these are the Princesses, Celestia and Luna," Fluttershy answered softly, motioning to each respectively.
Celestia was actually a bit perturbed with the way Discord's eyes lit up with recognition and...anger? "Oh, so that would make you the one I have to thank," He mused darkly, sarcasm dripping from his tongue, "For sicing on me that psychopathic little horned menace who ripped my brains out?"
Celestia was only faintly aware of them moving back towards the cottage. Discord always made sure to walk behind them, keeping everyone in view- even Fluttershy. He did not fly, float, or anything else. He simply walked, his cloven hoof and draconic claws leaving their unique prints in the ground. His scowl was ever present and whenever he caught the sisters looking at him, it would deepen. It was disturbing, almost unnatural and abnormal to see him acting so natural and normal.
"I'm not taking another step closer to that little manic," Discord declared loudly while they were still a fair distance from the cottage. Loud enough for Twilight to hear and let out a choked sob.
"Was...is that really necessary?" Luna asked slowly.
Discord tensed in rage as his tail snapped about, circling around a nearby fence post and crushing it violently.
Celestia and Luna stared with wide eyes at the outburst. Fluttershy didn't so much as flinch.
The other five mares ran out the door to see what had caused the commotion, Twilight's eyes red and running out of tears.
Upon seeing the violet unicorn, Discord's tail pulled itself off the fence, his scales grinding off sawdust before breaking the entire thing in two.
Twilight gulped and lowered her head while Rainbow flew up in outrage, "Hey! You can't just go around destroying Fluttershy's place!" She yelled in anger.
Discord raised an eyebrow, looking down to the other Pegasus, "You're Fluttershy, right?" He asked tonelessly. Fluttershy nodded calmly, "...Sorry," He said after a moment.
"It's fine, I needed to replace it anyway," Fluttershy answered, sighing as she sent a look to Luna.
"But-" Rainbow Dash spoke up, only to get the beginnings of The Stare directed at her.
"It's Fine, Rainbow," Fluttershy repeated, emphasizing each word.
Rainbow plopped down, a bit subdued, looking between Fluttershy and Twilight with a conflicted look.
"I'll...help ya repair it in the mornin, 'Shy," Applejack offered absently.
"Thank you, Applejack," Fluttershy said with a small smile.
"...It's kind of sad when the guy with forced amnesia knows that a conversation is getting nowhere fast," Discord pointed out dryly.
Twilight took a deep, ragged breath as she took a few steps forward, "Discord, I-" She started, only to stop as she saw that Discord purposefully move a step back for every one she moved forward.
"Anything you want to say, you can say it from there, Koprophage," He spat off with a glare. Celestia and Luna had to suppress a shudder as they felt the Ocean pressing down harder.
"Enough," Celestia spoke up with a firm yet gentle voice. Discord raised an eyebrow, as if contemplating challenging her, but let the silence reign. The solar monarch sighed as she turned to her faithful student with sad, concerned eyes, "Twilight, please. Tell me what happened," She urged on, feeling Discord's gaze on them. Thankfully, Luna was keeping an eye on him while Celestia kept her attention on Twilight.
Twilight kept her head bowed in shame, looking more miserable than she had since the Canterlot wedding, when no one believed her that the fake-Cadence had been evil. After a moment, she finally spoke, "I...I came over with the girls, to see how Discord was improving. He wasn't-"
"He was," Fluttershy interjected, sharp and cold, leaving no argument.
"I thought he wasn't," Twilight changed quickly; "He...wouldn't stop changing everything, causing chaos like he always did. All the while, he tried to play it off as nothing. E-eventually, I thought that Fluttershy couldn't change him, so...so...-" Twilight shook as she struggled to go on.
"She used a reforming spell on him that she brought along," Applejack stated bluntly. She sent Twilight an apologetic look, but news like this was best told bl-
"You did WHAT?!" Luna asked in disbelief, nearly sending them flying, her head snapping back as Celestia's eyes went numb and wide.
Discord rose a brow, noting to not get his ears too close to her.
"A...reforming spell, the Lanthanapping one to be precise," Twilight answered, her voice subdued.
"Why..." Luna cut herself off to look to her sister, "How did she even get access to THAT spell?!" She asked in disbelief.
"It was in a rare book for memory spells, one I gave her to help retain knowledge better," Celestia asked automatically, "Twilight, why THAT spell?"
Twilight shivered under those eyes, those disbelieving eyes that would condemn her if not for their relationship, "He...he was eating all the other spells! I barely managed to copy down this one before the page vanished, let alone read the full warning!" She explained desperately.
"Umm, Princesses?" Rarity asked respectfully, "Forgive our ignorance, but I know that "reforming" spells are used to help ponies forget horribly traumatic events or help criminals change their ways...and while it is normally willing, I doubt that in this case of extremes, that a lack of consent is the only issue at play with this particular spell," She said curiously.
"Lan-tha-nap-ping," Luna said in distaste, drawing out the word, "It was, in my time, a spell that was only used in the most unredeemable and foul of cases: Rapists, cannibals, filly molesters, mad wizards of great power. Beings that were either unable or refusing to change their horrid ways. It was an...attempt to avoid the death penalty and find something less cruel than Tartarus."
Celestia sighed deeply as she gathered her wits, "This...spell is a complete and utter memory wipe of a creature."
"So...he has amnesia?" Rainbow summed up.
Celestia shook her head, "No, amnesia is curable. Memories are forgotten or blocked, but they are still there. This is a complete clean state. It was used for a short time before we began to realize that it was essentially an execution and reincarnation all in one blow," She stated, looking down at Twilight with disappointment.
"I...Princess, I didn't know! I swear, I thought...I thought...," Twilight pleaded, but could feel her own self disgust over the matter take hold.
Pinkie Pie, mercifully, produced a bucket for Twilight to vomit into, the others leaning away in surprise.
Celestia took a deep breath as she turned to Discord, still standing there with his arms crossed…still as a statue, ironically enough. He watched Twilight, completely unaffected by her sorrow, probably taking some minor enjoyment out of it. With a shake of her head, Celestia did the only thing she could think of, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to go like this. I never thought she would do this, or that you wouldn't be able to stop her," She apologized.
"I'll take that as a compliment to my...former skill, I suppose," Discord said with a sigh as well, "Can you tell me where my home is?" He asked tiredly.
Luna shook her head as she walked up to them, "As you may have ascertained, your prior self was not on the best of terms with us," She explained sympathetically, "If you had a dwelling to call your own, it is unknown to us."
Discord raised an eyebrow, looking at them cautiously, "What does that mean for me, exactly?" He said warily, looking ready for a fight or flight situation.
Celestia and Luna shared a look, nodding in agreement, "You past actions never warranted this, Discord," Celestia assured solemnly, "Between this and everything else, you owe Equestria nothing."
"However," Luna spoke up, "Due to the nature of your race or powers, we would request that you stay in our kingdom while you retrieve your bearings," She requested.
"My race OR powers?" He asked blankly, wondering if he should be offended by that.
"We're not sure if they are linked or not, to be honest," Celestia answered honestly, "You may not realize it, but you can do great harm to others or yourself. We merely want you nearby to aid in preventing and minimalizing...accidents," She warned, partially lying. She doubted his powers would turn on himself, even by accident, but she couldn't be too sure.
Discord remained very suspicious of them for a moment before nodding slowly, "And where do I stay?" He asked cautiously.
"You can stay here, with me," Fluttershy spoke up, joining the three with a small smile.
"Thank you, Lady Fluttershy, that would be of much help," Luna said gratefully.
Discord raised an eyebrow, looking at her cottage skeptically, "I'm surprised I even fit in that thing when I awoke," He commented.
"It's not as small as it looks," She assured gently, "Now, I need a moment with my friends...," She added on, a frown forming on her face as she turned back to her cottage, Twilight no longer expelling her breakfast, thankfully.
"So...no cure?" Discord asked evenly to the Princesses, his gaze daring them to lie.
Luna shook her head in apology, "While I am not as up to date on all modern advances as I would like, the mental realms have always been one of my specialties: If there is a reversal, Equestria does not know of it yet," She explained.
He hummed, seeming to mull over her words for a moment, "Then how, exactly, do I still know how to speak and walk?" He asked, one part skeptical and one part curious.
"A mercy of the Lanthanapping is that it only erases memories, not actual knowledge," Celestia explained with a dry smile, "But as you don't remember learning or using any of it..."
"I'm not actually aware that I know it," Discord said with a sigh of annoyance.
"Meaning you may stumble back into knowing how to use some of your powers with time and practice," Celestia added on comfortingly.
"Though, your vocabulary seems a tiny bit off," Luna informed to Discord's interest, "You called Twilight a Koprophage, an insult from the more ancient language of Dragreek. While I am not encouraging the use of the word, the modern term is "Shit-Eater,"" Luna explained.
"Did you HAVE to explain that part to him?" Celestia said with a sigh.
"Well, I thought it best to inform him his terminology might be a bit irregular," Luna answered with a shrug.
"...I have many questions, but I can't bring myself to care at the moment," Discord admitted after a moment.
Twilight, meanwhile, flinched under the hard stare of her normally kind friend, "Fluttershy, I-" Twilight started, only to have a hoof over her mouth.
"Stop," Fluttershy said with a tense breath, "Twilight, I understand what you were trying to do and I still consider you my friend. That said, I don't think I'll ever forgive you," She said sternly, making Twilight wilt a bit, "Regardless of who it was or what he did, you took a creature under my care, the home I made a sanctuary to all creatures that need it, and decided that since my method wasn't progressing fast enough, that you had the right to do something so violating and scarring as to force him to change everything about himself. And in that sense, you killed him," Fluttershy said without remorse.
"But she didn't-!" Pinkie and Rainbow spoke up, only to get a low-grade Stare sent their way.
"The Princesses said it themselves: An execution and reincarnation. Everything that he ever was and everything he could have been is gone," Fluttershy reminded with a scowl, "Discord, as we knew him, is essentially dead. We may not have liked him, but we don't kill another sentient being just because we don't like them," She chastised before looking down at Twilight, her sternness melting into sadness, "Twilight, the only reason I am still your friend...is because you already know what an awful thing you did," She said softly. Twilight gave her a thankful yet broken smile, "Now please, go home," She requested, glancing at Discord out of the corner of her eye.
Twilight nodded as she rose shakily, Rarity and Applejack helping her up. The unicorn looked at the pink maned Pegasus with more shame than all the naughty fillies in the world, "I...I didn't want this, Fluttershy. I just...didn't want you to get hurt...," She apologized as she slowly trotted away. Rarity and Applejack gave Fluttershy brief nods as they walked the unicorn home.
Discord all but growled in his throat as he moved out the way, keeping a good amount of space and even the princesses themselves between himself and the mare, who was painfully aware of his actions.
Pinkie gave a small, sad smile as she looked at the three immortals, "Normally, I'd say it's time for a birthday party, but...well, I guess this isn't the time for one," She said awkwardly.
"A birthday party?" Discord asked with a raised eyebrow.
Pinkie chuckled sheepishly, "I'm a party pony, but...it's no fun if no one will be happy. I-if you want a late one later, just give the word!" Pinkie Pie added on, trying to sound cheerful, "No-now, I think I need to go check on the Cakes..." She said as she walked, not pronked, away.
"...You all make it sound like I wasn't a nice guy, but all of you seem really down about this," Discord noted in confusion.
"I will not sugarcoat it, Discord, I have hated you at times," Luna spoke up with a sigh, "As have my sister and these mares. But we have never had the desire to kill you, or for you to suffer in such a fashion," She assured.
He nodded idly as he watched them leave, "...What's going to happen to her?" He asked coldly.
Celestia took a long, suffering sigh, "Discord, I know you are angry, but that mare is my student and like a daughter to me. I will deal with her, I promise, but please give me time to process all of this," She requested, almost desperately.
The flash of sympathy on his face, something that the real Discord would have never shown, made the situation all the more real to her, "Oh...," He said awkwardly, before scowling, "Fine, I have plenty of free time, apparently," He allowed as Celestia nodded in gratitude.
"Sister? I'm heading back to the castle. I think I need some time alone," Celestia said with a sigh.
"And I need to return to my slumbering. I shall be with you shortly," Luna assured with a smile as Celestia walked off a bit before vanishing in a flash of teleportation.
"...You sleep in the day?" Discord asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Nocturnal, I take care of the kingdom at night," Luna answered without missing a beat.
"Hmm, must get lonely," Discord mused conversationally.
"...It used to, but there are more ponies up and about these days," Luna answered with a scowl at her own memories of the past, "Discord-"
"You keep calling me that, but my brain just doesn't react to it," Discord commented offhandedly.
"If you had another alias, you never mentioned it," Luna informed with a raised eyebrow, before continuing, "We'll be checking in soon to see how you are doing. Please be a good guest for Lady Fluttershy," Luna requested before vanishing as her sister had.
Discord snarled to himself once he was alone, "If she comes at me again, I'm taking her horn."
"We'll...make sure she knows to try and avoid you," Rainbow Dash said nervously, making Discord jump around, forgetting she was still here. His tail nearly took her head off, "Easy, easy! Sorry!" She said quickly, seeing from the wild look in Discord's ruby eyes that he was very much on the defensive. She flew slowly up to him, sighing as he barely relaxed, "Discord? Er...whatever you're going to call yourself? I know you don't know me, so I just want to make something clear," Rainbow said, looking conflicted and upset over all of this, "I don't approve of...whatever the Tartarus Twilight did to you. None of us do. But I'm Loyalty, and that is something very important to me," She said with a stern face, "So even if I and the others take Twilight's side in future argument, don't think we're agree with this...please?" She requested.
"...I'll try to remember that," He said with a raised eyebrow, watching as she flew off at a steady pace.
"Thank you," Fluttershy said as she stood near him.
"For what?" Discord asked, tilting his head.
"For not lashing out. I know you have every right to, but...that wouldn't help anypony right now, least of all you," Fluttershy said soflty.
Discord let out a long, suffering sigh, "Fluttershy, I'll be honest? At this point, I'm just too tired to stay angry," He informed in resignation.
Fluttershy nodded in understanding, "Well, come along inside then. I'm not sure if you'll sti- if you'll find the couch comfortable, but it's the best I have for something of your...size," She informed, motioning to his great height. With that said, she gently took his hand and led him back to the cottage.
Discord had an even line for a mouth as he stared at his lion paw, being pulled by the equine hoof. She was an interesting one. The other four had stayed with his mind-butcher and the Princesses seemed to be still processing it, but this one stayed with him constantly. She genuinely seemed to care about him, for whatever reason, despite that his former self seemed to have a bad reputation.
Of course, he noted how everyone, even Fluttershy, seemed to dance about the topic of who "Discord" really was and what he did that was so bad.
Something he'd have to look up. Along with what the bukko his species actually was.
Author's Note
And there we go, first chapter of Strife. Discord, regrettably, is essentially dead for now. For now because he's Discord, he's a Chaos God, and he's Discord.
So, yes, the soon-to-be Strife is very, very cautious due to Twilight's mindrape- cause the only other word for that is mind-death. Still, he isn't lashing out at everyone right now, just at Twilight. Not to say he trusts them, they're just on his wait and see list. Over the next few chapter, we'll be seeming him adjust to his new life while Ponyville adjusts to having him around and the Princesses deal with the lose of one of the only constants in their long lives.
One of the biggest things in this fic is going to be Discord's, not Strife's powers. More exactly, him rediscovering them which will lead to...interesting things.
Discord remembered. Or rather, he remembered being able to remember.
That night, he slept and he dreamed. He dreamed of falling, for what felt like an eternity while the wind of the void ripped and tore at him as he fell. And as he went on and on, he had the feeling of everything, every last detail of memory that defined who he was being stripped away from him.
Then he stopped falling. He hit the bottom. And when he looked up, all he saw was HER. That purple pony looking oh so smug, calling him a name he didn't even remember as his own.
"Discord."
The amnesiac god's eyes shot open and glared hatefully at the source.
To her credit, Fluttershy didn't flinch.
The mismatched being softened his gaze at his concerned host, the tension slowly melting from his body. She had been nothing but kind and hospitable to him, if not protective, since he...came to, he supposed.
"Bo-qer," He muttered in greeting as he stretched on the offered couch.
"Hmm?" Fluttershy asked patiently, tilting her head at the foreign word.
Discord raised an eyebrow before understanding flashed through his eyes, "I said Morning. Sorry, I'm still slipping into other languages," He apologized, tapping his paw against his head in annoyance.
Fluttershy was almost disappointed that no goofy noise echoed out of his head.
"That's okay. I just wanted to know if you wanted any breakfast. I'm having a salad, but I can make you toast or something else if you want," She offered with a smile.
He had next to nothing to compare her against, but this mare seemed more and more like a saint to Discord.
"I'll take the toast," He answered simply, remembering at least that that was an easy thing to make. He wasn't exactly starving or anything.
Fluttershy nodded as she headed back to the kitchen, leaving Discord alone again.
Almost alone, he reminded himself, glancing down at the bunny named Angel, sleeping on the pillow near the couch
Pausing for only a moment to crack his neck, Discord slowly picked up the pillow and gently rolled the bunny onto the couch. The hare seemed rather annoyed about him taking the piece of furniture as a bed last night, so he'd let him have it now.
The little fellow grumbled and squirmed a bit before falling back to sleep. Satisfied there wouldn't be an issue with his host's...pet, he lumbered on toward the kitchen.
Lumber was the right term too, as his every step was very audible. He wasn't trying to walk heavy, his form just was that large…at least for a pony-based home.
"Note to self: if I move, find a taller species," Discord grumbled, ducking down to get through the doorframe.
Fluttershy scowled briefly in thought, recalling how Discord- the original Discord- was often floating or had his head craned down. She quickly chased that thought away, "I-is there anything you want on your toast?" She asked curiously.
"...Surprise me," He answered with a shrug, not sure what he'd like if anything.
Fluttershy nodded understandingly and added some cinnamon to the fried bread before passing it to the serpentine male. Discord took a curious bite out of it before nodding with a small hum of approval. Fluttershy smiled before turning back to finishing up her salad.
Being used to large creatures in and around her home, she didn't notice Discord walking out of the room, his ears twitching slightly as he walked to the front door.
He opened it, leaving a rather startled Applejack standing with her hoof raised to knock and a satchel filled with tools, "...That's just a mite bit spooky," She commented awkwardly as he watched her evenly, taking another bite of toast, "...Is 'Shy in? I'm here to fix up the fence?"
Discord raised an eyebrow, glancing out to the broken woodwork and then back at the farm pony......
"Thanks for the help, Discord," Applejack said as she held a hammer in one of her hooves, the amnesiac sitting on the other side of the fence and holding up a new rail as she pounded the nails in.
The chimera shrugged uncaringly, "Might as well, since I broke the thing," He grumbled, looking mostly uninterested in the task at hoof.
Applejack finished with the last of the nails, deciding to stay away from the topic of WHY he broke it, "So, how's stayin at 'Shy's been treatin ya?" She asked curiously.
"Fine, I suppose," Discord answered uncaringly.
"Ya suppose?" Applejack inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you want, a song? I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach and a nice host. I got nothing else to compare it to, so fine is the best I can say on it," He responded, snapping lightly as he glared at her, his tail twitching in irritation.
"Sorry, sorry," Applejack apologized, holding her hooves up in surrender.
The Draconequus glared a moment longer before deflating, "Nein, that was my fault," He relented as his tail sagged to the ground, "I'm...on edge, I suppose. I'm not exactly fond of you...but you're a friend of Fluttershy and I suppose I shouldn't be taking this out on you," He added on with a scowl on his face.
Applejack stood there, curiously studying the shell that had once been Discord the Spirit of Disharmony and God of Chaos. A strange knot filled her gut, realizing how true Fluttershy's words had been. The Discord they knew was dead while this new one was lost, confused, angry and obviously a bit scared. He wasn't exactly nice, but with how he was justified about not trusting most ponies at the moment, the bit of hostility wasn't unexpected.
"It's fine. I...can't really begin to understand what this is like, but I can imagine if I woke up some place strange and unfamiliar. I'm a bit paranoid about some newcomers in town, so I'd probably be even worse there," She mused, offering him a small smile.
He didn't return it, but he wasn't scowling anymore. She'd take that.
"Applejack, Discord! I brought you some drinks!" Fluttershy called as she trotted up to them, a tray on her back with three glasses on it.
"Thanks, Fluttershy. Fence is all done too," Applejack informed as she took a glass of apple juice.
"Thank you again, Applejack. Discord, I wasn't sure what to get you...," Fluttershy warned, using her wings to offer him a glace of chocolate milk.
"Kiitos," He said as he took the refreshment and gulped down half of it- mostly because a pony-glassful seemed a bit small to him, "Not bad," He murmured with a shrug, pretending not to notice the two mares watching his reaction closely.
His former self must have liked it. Or hated it, but Fluttershy didn't seem the type to give something she thought he wouldn't like.
As he returned the glass, he noticed the two sharing awkward glances, "If anyone needs me, I'll be at the stream," He informed, getting up and walking away from the two at a steady space.
"Watch out for the turtles! They bite when they're scared!" Fluttershy called after.
"Peas in a pod," Discord muttered to himself as he flicked his ears back, still walking away at a steady clip.
"How are the others doing?" Fluttershy asked in concern.
And like that, he stopped listening. If it got into the topic of that purple menace, he'd just make himself angry again. Besides, the stream had its own calming ability...
"Rainbow is abou like me, not sure what to say or feel exactly. Pinkie is depressed still even if she tries to hide it. Haven't seen Rarity much since then. Same with Twi, but...well, she's obviously not takin this well still," Applejack answered with a sigh, "How's he been?"
Fluttershy took a moment before answering, "He's reminding me of a lot of scared animals, Applejack. He doesn't really trust me; he's just being polite because I'm treating him well. He's so unsure of everything...if he had any idea of where to go or how to survive, he probably would leave right now," She informed.
Applejack shook her head solemnly at that, "Can't exactly blame him. And the Princesses more or less said he could go free once he's okay with his powers and all that."
Fluttershy sighed, "I'm worried about that as well. He has no real way of knowing anything about the rest of the world, let alone where he'd like to live," She reminded.
Applejack shrugged, "I imagine the princesses will help him out with that a bit," she pointed out.
"Indeed we will."
The mares jumped in surprise as they turned to face a certain lunar diarch, "Princess Luna!" They exclaimed, bowing in greeting.
"Arise my friends. I have come to speak with Discord to assure he is doing well," Luna returned with a smile.
"He's over by the stream," Applejack informed, nodding in the direction he left.
"Um, Princess Luna? Is Princess Celestia okay?" Fluttershy asked in concern.
Luna scowled sorrowfully at that, "My sister is most distraught over these events. As always, she blames herself for too much. Still, as always, she shall persevere though I am unsure as to how the matter of Twilight Sparkle will play out," She explained solemnly before moving on.
The two mortal mares shared a look as she went, "I'm...going to go check on Twilight," Applejack decided, getting a nod of understanding from the pegasi.
Luna hummed as she strolled around the cottage, looking for any sign of Discord. To her displeasure and concern, she found none. It was only after coming to the edge of the stream that she spied the tale-tell mismatched tracks that could only belong to Discord. She raised an eyebrow as she saw that they led to the Everfree Forest.
Not good, at all.
Discord without his powers was one thing…Discord without his memories was another. It was true he still had his knowledge, but there was no telling how much or when that would kick in while traveling through such a hazardous place.
With a teleport, she was on the edge of the forest, following the tracks inward. She was both reassured and troubled as he went deeper and deeper into the trees, hearing very little disturbance in the forest activity. That meant Discord either was already being eaten or had yet to cross pass with a significant predator.
She looked reluctant before she allowed her extra sense to become active once more. It was not a practice she or her sister often did, dampening their Alicorn sense, but in light of the new Discord's presence, they had little choice if they were to stay near him for prolonged meetings.
With eyes dilating and labored breathing, she fell to her knees as the weight of The Ocean was once more fully on her back.
Quickly using her magic to block it out again, she inhaled deeply. Discord was definitely alive, no doubt about it.
"...."
And he was standing right behind her, she realized with a twitching eye.
"What are you doing?" Discord asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Looking for you," Luna grunted as she stood and regained her composure.
"In the ground?" He asked, only half sarcastic. For all he knew, he could tunnel underground.
"No, never mind that. What are YOU doing out here though? Do you not realize that this forest is dangerous?" Luna asked as she turned to face him-
And the Timberwolf standing next to him.
*ZAPPP!*
Discord jumped to the side in alarm and horror as she instinctively blasted the creature in shock, "...WHY THE CAZZO DID YOU DO THAT?!" Discord yelled in anger as he reeled on her, not knowing that his eyes were glowing.
Luna almost buckled under it, but managed to hold steady with a confused look, "D-discord, that was a d-dangerous creature! Its kind attacks anypony that enter this forest!' She explained quickly, being sure to hide the strain his rage put on her Alicorn sense, even dampened as it was.
The rage evaporated as he stared at her blankly, as if he suddenly found her too stupid to be hateful with, "Then please explain how come I just got done playing with him?" He asked in displeasure.
The snark almost reminded her of the old Discord. Almost, "...Wait, you did what?" Luna asked curiously, looking to the pile of twigs and branches...which was quickly reforming, relatively.
"...That normal?" Discord asked in surprise and curiosity as the head took shape.
"Yes, Timberwolves naturally reform, though this is quicker than expected," Luna answered with a raised eyebrow, "Did you really play with it?"
Discord let out a sigh that unintentionally almost sounded like a growl as he went to sit on a log, "Yes...Fetch is where you throw a stick and they bring it back, right?" He questioned with a head tilt.
"Yes...would that not be like catching their own limbs?" Luna asked in jest as she came closer to him but only up to a respectable distance. She was fairly sure he was still displeased with her.
"I think it's more like they literally are what they eat," Discord mused, completely serious as he watched the body finish itself up, leaving just the legs, "Why are you here?"
"To see if you are doing well. I'm...sorry if I soured your day, but I do not know Timberwolves to be friendly," Luna mused, watching cautiously as the canine of wood finished healing itself. It seemed to glare at her mistrustfully before heading back over to Discord's side.
"Perhaps you all just don't know how to handle them," The Draconequus mused as he pulled off a piece of the log's wood with his lion paw, causing a snap to ring through the area. With a casual throw, he sent the tree piece deeper into the forage, but still in sight.
Luna blinked as the Timberwolf went after it. Unless she was mistaken, Discord had pushed a decent amount of magic into the timber when he held it, likely without even knowing it. She watched in fascination as the wolf picked up the piece with its mouth, biting off a small chunk and adding the new piece to its body while adding to the magic that sustained its existence.
Somewhere in that ancient skull of his, Discord knew how to tame Timberwolves.
Devoid of his memories and without awareness of his own powers, the Lord of Chaos still seemed to defy the common sense and knowledge ponies had gathered over the ages.
"You said this place is dangerous?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, still looking straight ahead, tossing another piece of wood for the wolf.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Timberwolves are the least of worries: There are also manticores, ursas, cragidiles, hydras, and even some dangerous variety of plants," Luna explained as she refocused her attention.
"And yet, there's a town right at the edge of it?" He asked with some skepticism.
Luna chuckled briefly, "Ponyville has a sturdy stock of stallions and mares. Besides, my sister and I originally had a castle on the other edge of the forest," She informed with a smile.
"Originally. As in used to. Past tense," Discord observed pointedly.
Luna looked away at that, "The circumstances of that had naught to do with the wildlife," She assured with a leveled tone.
"..." Discord didn't say a word, just raising an eyebrow without looking at her.
Luna sighed at that growing silence, "Disc-"
"You know, the more I hear that name, the more I don't feel it," He commented idly.
"...Do you have any suggestions for a name?" She asked, getting a head shake, "I shall change how I address you, but I can only do so if you have a replacement to offer," She pointed out patiently.
"...Next time, perhaps," he answered, looking up thoughtfully.
"Discord? You are the victim in this. We are all adjusting to this event, yet none of us have bothered to ask a simple question we normally ask all who have been wronged in the eyes of the law," Luna started off, getting his full attention. He turned to face her, his red eyes staring into her blue ones, "What do you want done in regards to Twilight Sparkle?"
Silence. Absolute silence.
*WHIIIIIRL *THACK!*
Luna didn't flinch as Discord threw another piece of wood far away, likely breaking it against a tree or rock. As the Timberwolf ran off, Discord scowled at the Alicorn, "What do your laws even say about this?" He asked with his arms crossed.
"I'd have to double check the specifics, but I know that dehorning, sealing her magic and even execution were once suitable sentences," She explained, watching him carefully for a moment. She was a bit reassured by a lack of glee in his eyes, but she was also troubled by the lack of concern or alarm, "In this era, however, the death penalty has been outlawed. Dehorning I believe is consider barbaric due to its potential lethality. Sealing her magic with a potential prison sentence or banishment from Equestria are likely sentences a normal pony would face."
"And being your sister's student makes her special?" Discord asked her with a raised eyebrow.
Luna shook her head, expecting that one, "Twilight Sparkle and her friends are national heroes, having saved or helped save Equestria on several occasions," She elaborated carefully.
"...The entire country?" Discord asked with a raised eyebrow.
Luna nodded firmly, glad he accepted that without issue, "They are also the reason I am able to stand before you, and why my sister still reigns free," She explained vaguely, not letting him know that she and him were each responsible for one of those occasions.
"...I suppose that would grant some leniency," Discord acknowledged, if not bitterly.
It almost pained her how reasonable he was being, "I doubt she would request or even accept it, and my sister and myself have done such things that we did not wish to in the past," She informed solemnly.
"...What do you want from me, exactly, Princess?" Discord asked suspiciously.
His guard was up now…he was almost like a snake ready to strike, "That is what I asked you, remember?" She countered softly.
"...Would you be angry if I said her head?" Discord asked, all but snarling on his words.
"No," Luna admitted with a bow of her head. There were few things that ponies as a whole truly saw as unforgivable, but what Twilight unknowingly did to Discord was likely one of them. Worse still, it was magical irresponsibility, using a documented spell without reading its full effect, let alone that Twilight should have known it was a forbidden/dangerous spell just by what part of which book it was in, "But that does not mean I could condone you doing so," She warned.
"I didn't think you would," He admitted with a sigh "...I don't want her dead. At least, I don't think so"
Luna almost smiled at that before she caught herself.
"...What is this about, exactly?" Discord asked curiously.
"You are angry, confused, don't know what to do and feel wronged on a level beyond common understanding," Luna answered with a sympathetic smile, "In my experience, talking it out will help clear your mind."
"...Thanks," Discord said with a tired look, "That little mind breaker is your problem for now, you and that sister of yours. As long as she doesn't come near me, I won't do anything to her," He promised.
"And if she does?" Luna asked cautiously.
Discord gripped his arms tightly, his expression distant, "...I can't promise what'll happen after that."
Luna stared at him for a long, long moment, "I understand, Discord," She acknowledged as she rose to leave before pausing, "...My sister and I were hoping that you...the former you could learn to become a friend and ally of ponykind," She informed, very unsure if she should say this but knowing there was no going back now, "While, as my sister said, you owe us nothing after what has happened...I do hope that this does not harden your heart to ponies all together or other races for that matter."
Discord scowled thoughtfully, blinking as the Timberwolf came up behind him and poked his arm with its muzzle, "...My heart's not hard, Princess, just...a mess," He informed with the ghost of a smile as he rubbed the creature on the head, getting growls of approval.
"Don't you mean broken?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
Discord managed a small smirk at that, "I was trying not to sound too cliché."
Luna smiled as her eyes lit up. Old or new, Discord's mood had improved a little, "I wish you all the luck in whatever you do, Draconequus."
Discord smiled before scowling, 'Hey! What exactly was the plan with me?" He called after her curiously.
"Fluttershy," Luna answered simply, hoping that would answer itself.
"Oh...that explains a few things," Discord admitted awkwardly, "...Thank you."
"You are most welcome," Luna answered with a nod before heading back out of the forest.
Discord waited until he heard the sound of what he remembered to be teleporting before turning to his companion, "What do you think, Tim?" Discord asked with a head tilt, getting a bark, "Yeah, she's not telling the full story either," Discord mock agreed with a drained chuckle, "Note to self, go find a bukem later," He decided as he rose from his seat, "Well, that mare is probably getting worried about...me..." He trailed off before face-palming, "Ponies think this place is dangerous- of course she's worried about me!" He realized in exasperation as he headed back to the cottage at a brisk walk.
Could he run on all fours? Or fly?
Not a good time to try either of those, really, but he'd have to figure it out eventually.
Author's Note
Beta: DragWiz91
Well, that happened. Discord- well, Strife really- settling with Fluttershy a bit, unknowingly taming a timberwolf, and having a therapeutic legality talk with Luna about what might happen to Twilight down the line. And yet, he still knows that none of them are giving him the true story.
Still, he's got a friend now. Fluttershy might be happy yet jealous that he tamed a Timberwolf.
Next chapter or two, Discord will formally take up the name Strife.
Until next time!
"Will You All Stop Breaking Tim!"
Rainbow cringed at the frustrated voice of a certain draconequus. "I'm sorry, okay! How was I supposed to know you could make Timberwolves behave?!" she apologized in exasperation, said wood-creature reforming to shake itself while glaring at her.
Fluttershy meanwhile, took cautious steps towards it, eyes filled with dying fears and growing awe. "Is it really...safe?" the pegasus asked, somehow both timid and excited.
Discord rolled his eyes, reaching down to pet the canine on the head, who panted in a comically happy manner. "Yes, he is, just like I told the Mani Drottning befo-"
"Many Drought what now?" Rainbow attempted to repeat.
"The Blue Pegacorn! How many languages are in my head!?" Discord growled out in frustration.
"Pegacorn...?" Rainbow muttered, idly noting Fluttershy was indeed rubbing the belly of a pacified Timberwolf. Because of course she would be. "Ohh, you mean Princess Luna! Yeah, that's called an Alicorn," Rainbow explained idly.
"Nar-Pony, the amount of bucks I have to give are dwindling rapidly," Discord warned with a blank expression.
"...Nar-Pony?" Rainbow murmured, trying to telling if she was being insulted or not before shaking her head rapidly. "Look, I didn't come here to cause trouble; I just wanted to make sure everything is going alright? And in case Fluttershy needed me to help with any freaky weather," Rainbow explained, turning sheepish by the end.
"Freaky weather?" Discord repeated, glancing up at the clear blue sky and pretending not to notice how uneasy they were about the subject. 'Was I some kind of weather-wizard?' he wondered to himself before looking back at Rainbow Dash.
"Don't worry about it," she said with an awkward chuckle. "So, um, I guess I should be off than," she said, turning to speed off.
"Wait."
She grimaced at his call, almost dreading what he might have to say or ask. But looking back, she just saw a look of interest and reluctance.
"Could you...teach me to fly?" he requested awkwardly.
The pegasus stared for a good long moment before she comprehended the words. "Huh?" Rainbow questioned intelligently.
Discord rolled his eyes at her. "I have wings and no idea how to use them. You're a very fast pegasus. Can You Teach Me?" he asked slowly, obviously feeling self-conscious about this
"Umm, sure, I guess. Is now a good time?" Rainbow offered, confused yet always interested when her best element was involved.
They both looked over at Fluttershy, who had apparently taught Tim how to play peekaboo with his paws. "I'd say yes," Discord answered wryly.
"Well, I work best by trial and error, so show me what you got and I'll tell you what you're doing wrong," Rainbow instructed, settling into the role of kickass teacher rather well.
Discord made a face, but flapped his wings as he came off the ground…for all of three seconds before hitting the ground with his face. Fluttershy winced and Tim whined, but by their lack of further action, Rainbow assumed this wasn't the first time Discord had tried this.
Shaking some dirt off his face, the amnesiac looked up at Rainbow with an expectant scowl. "Well?"
But Rainbow was giving him a thoughtful expression; unknown to him, not a normal sight on the speedster. "Do that one more time?" Rainbow requested, rubbing her chin.
Discord's eyebrow twitched, but seeing her seriousness, decided to oblige her. Sure enough, his face became very intimately familiar with the ground. "You better not say third time is the charm," Discord grumbled as he pulled himself up.
"No, I just wanted to be sure what I was looking at," Rainbow admitted, rubbing her mane. "Normally, I'd say there is only one right way to get flying down, but you're not exactly normal," she stated unashamedly.
Fluttershy gave her a slight reprimanding look, but Discord just nodded in admittance. "I've seen my reflection, go on," he acknowledged with a wave.
"Well, Pegasi usually use a bit of our flight magic in our tails and mane to balance us out in the sky. Like a, what's the thing you put on a hot air balloon?" Rainbow questioned with a scrunched brow.
"Zavorra?" Discord tried as a guess, getting no comprehension for his answer.
"Ballast?" Fluttershy suggested helpfully.
"What she said," Discord added in, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in her direction.
"Yeah, that!" Rainbow answered with a grin. "You could try that, but it'd be a lot more in amount and complexity since you're kind of like a snake. Long body and all that," Rainbow explained, looking upwards in thought. "You could also keep expelling flight magic from all over your body, but that's a bit on the wasteful side. I mean you could probably do it fine, but that's a given," Rainbow admitted without thought as Discord narrowed his eyes briefly.
'So I have a relatively vast amount of magic? Definitely some kind of wizard,' he deduced, tilting his head at her. "Any third ideas?"
"Well, Twilight is out of the question, so you might have to ask the Alicorns about this next one," Rainbow forewarned sheepishly. "It's a bit like cheating in my opinion, but I'm an athlete. That in mind, you could always look into gravity magic."
"Gravity magic?" Discord acknowledge with a hum. "Well, let's see how well this works."
The pegasi and Timberwolf watched with rapid attention as Discord stepped off the earth. He hovered for a moment with his limbs moving back and forth uncertainly before he fell forward, but instead of hitting the ground, he spun upside down. "Buck, buck, buck!" Discord cursed under his breath as he thought hard about what he wanted: Magic expelling from his wings to right him, his wings stabilizing him as his internal mana evened out his balance.
"Umm, dude? Open your eyes!" Rainbow called with an excited voice.
Discord did, looking down in surprise to see he was hovering rather well. "This is...taking some figuring out," Discord murmured softly as he floated back down with a rather ungraceful thud, glancing to the prismatic mare. "Thanks."
"No problem! Somepony as awesome as me can't just leave a fellow flier high and dry when they don't know how to take off," Rainbow answered with more than a hint of smugness.
"How do you afford to feed that ego?" Discord asked blankly.
Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, but bit her lip and swallowed it. "Oh, if you could remember right now," she muttered under her breath, too low for most to hear.
'Huh. Guess I was full of myself too. Charming,' Discord thought with a hum. "So, ponies, there's a small issue I need to address."
"What's wrong, Discord?" Fluttershy asked in concern.
"I have fangs," Discord stated simply, tapping his snaggletooth. "Do I eat meat and should I be concerned about where to find some?"
Fluttershy looked alarmed, curious and uncertain all at once yet did not provide an answer.
"I...doubt that'll be an issue," Rainbow stated flatly. "But if it is, you can always just get some fish."
"Okay?" Discord answered awkwardly, feeling like he was missing something important.
"We never saw you eat much," Fluttershy explained civilly. "Besides some candy."
Discord frowned in confusion, glancing down at his slender form. "I must have a great metabolism."
"Well, if there is nothing else, I have to go check on my cloud duty schedule for the week. Good luck with the flying and with...Tim," Rainbow stated, the Timberwolf giving her an annoyed looked before she flew off. "Bye Flutters!"
"Bye Rainbow!" Fluttershy called with a wave.
"Hm. She seemed nice," Discord granted idly, glancing back at Fluttershy. "But high energy. How'd you two become friends?"
"We went to flight school together as fillies," Fluttershy answered simply.
"Ah, okay then," Discord accepted, drumming his talons on his arms. "Well, I had a moment with the farmer and the speedster each, along with the Moon Mare. And I have a pet that everyone keeps breaking. Interesting day so far."
"Ponyville tends to be like that," Fluttershy acknowledged fondly.
"We all have horrible blunt naming schemes, don't we?" Discord mused with a scowl. "I guess if I pick a new name it should be like Discord."
"A new name? Why would you need a new one?" Fluttershy asked in concern.
"Because every time someone calls me Discord I just don't...feel it. I don't feel like I'm the one you're talking to," Discord answered in frustration, scratching his head.
Fluttershy watched him with sad, apologetic eyes while Tim whined again in sympathy. "I understand."
She didn't. They both knew she didn't, but knew she was trying to and knew that this was what he wanted. And that was good enough.
"So, what now? Is there anything I can help with?" Discord offered curiously.
"Oh no, it's alright. I'm use to taking care of every creature here," Fluttershy said with a wide smile.
"Fluttershy, I'd rather not be too much of a leech," Discord said with an eye roll. "Look, just point me to the physically heaviest things you have to do."
"Well...I did order a lot of food for the animals in bulk," Fluttershy mused, flying over to the side of her cabin.
Discord and Tim followed her. Despite Tim's former lack of higher awareness as a Timberwolf, even he seemed a bit startled by the large bags of nuts, seeds, carrots, and other foodstuff. Each bag was easily twice as big as the mare that had ordered them. "I...why did...how did you even move them?!" Discord asked, trying to rationalize this tiny, land-preferring Pegasus moving these oversized and overstuffed supplies of food.
"I thought they'd just send more of the usual sized bags, not the um, ultra-special deluxe size," Fluttershy said in embarrassment. "If it's not too much trouble, could you move them to the shed?"
"Assuming they don't rip? Yes, I can do that," Discord agreed, as the bags were still relatively small to him. At least, he hoped they were. "Won't these carrots go bad soon?"
"Oh no, it's Angel's birthday the day after tomorrow, so all of the rabbit and other carrot-lovers are going to an all-the-carrots-you-can-eat party," Fluttershy answered with a giggle.
"I can't tell if you're a mahdollistaja or a kynnysmatto," Discord stated as he hefted up one of the bags without issue.
Fluttershy smiled despite the possible insult. Discord, or whatever he was going to be called, was adjusting rather well for his first day. But she was mildly concerned. Well, she was very concerned to be honest, about a lot of things, but there was one that nagged at her.
Originally, she had been worried about Discord doing magic on accident, how they would explain it to him and how they could help him relearn to control it. Or if they even could help. But besides the brief flight attempt, he didn't seem to be using any magic at all.
That was...strange. She heard baby unicorns had accidents with magic, so it only made sense that an amnesiac Discord might have an outburst or two. Yet despite several emotional moments, there was nothing.
Was that good or bad? Had being stripped of his memories weakened him in some way? Or was Discord's magic just that much different from a pony's?
She'd have to ask somepony eventually. Twilight wasn't an option. Fluttershy still considered her a friend, but she wasn't ready to speak to Twilight more than she had to. Rarity might be some insight, but her best option might be asking Spike to send a letter to Princess Celestia for advice.
Oh well, that was for another time.
Meanwhile
Luna was not at all surprised to find her sister sitting here once court had ended for the day.
They were in front of one of the windows depicting Equestrian history; namely, their defeat of Discord.
Luna had found herself here on a few occasions herself. A thousand years ago, she did it just to remind herself that their victory had not just been a dream. Then as a place to think back and ponder on days long passed when she and her sister were not princesses. Since her return, she looked upon it to remember friends and allies long vanished to the grip of time, as Discord's Defeat was one of the last great events before her descent into Nightmare Moon.
Now she sat, wondering what her sister was pondering as she looked upon the likeness of their greatest foe.
"You want to know a secret, Luna?" Celestia asked softly.
Luckily, Celestia part-timed as a mind reader.
Luna waited patiently, which Celestia took as a sign to continue. "There was a point after you were sealed, where I sat here. I think it was seventy years afterwards? Eighty? Not yet a century," she mused thoughtfully before sighing. "I sat here and thought for the first time: I missed Discord."
Luna turned to her in surprise, eyes wide. "Sister, do you mean...?!" she asked in disbelief.
"Oh, nothing scandalous like that, Luna," Celestia denied with a roll of her eyes. "Discord was the hardest to fight, but the one who caused me the least stress. When we fought him, we didn't have to worry about...almost anything, compared to other villains: deaths, injuries, property damages, famines, plagues? Discord took no joy in inflicting those things on ponies. Anything he did was washed away when he left. The aftermath of Discord was always surprisingly simple. And after decades of facing threats, major and minor, who made myself wonder how Equestria would recover from the aftermaths? Facing down Discord again almost sounded appealing in a strange, half-insane-from-anxiety kind of way," Celestia explained.
Luna stared for a moment before looking back up at the window. "I suppose you are correct in that manner. Discord may have treated ponykind like toys, but he didn't like to break his playthings at least. Other villains, the same cannot be said," she accepted. "How many times did you think that?"
"About five or six times. In fairness, two of them were because of the nobles," Celestia said with a smirk.
"I can only imagine," Luna said with a giggle.
The silence that followed swallowed whole all of their momentary happiness, the ocean of Discord's powers pressing against their senses still something they could not truly ignore, even all the way in Canterlot. That oppressive, all-encompassing feeling that reminded them that Discord was out there yet...he wasn't Discord anymore, not really.
And all because of one mare.
"Before my banishment, I would have called for Twilight Sparkle to be dehorned," Luna stated with a scowl.
"I know, Sister," Celestia answered, looking down solemnly. "I might have agreed under other circumstances."
"You do realize that if she had done this to a pony...nay, any mortal at all, it would have erupted into a nationwide scandal?" Luna pointed out.
Celestia nodded softly. "It would have been depicted as me excusing her crime either because she is a noble, however minor, or that she is my student."
"If not for having saved Equestria more than once, she would have been in the dungeons already," Luna continued.
"I know, Luna!" Celestia snapped, shutting her eyes closed as she fought back tears. "Why do you think I'm here, missing battling a nigh-unstoppable foe, if not because I hate having to think about what Twilight has done! That I might have to pass judgement on her! And all because I didn't keep a closer eye on our attempt to reform Discord!"
"...Do you remember why you decided to try that, Celestia?" Luna asked softly. "Why you decided to risk freeing Discord so soon after his defeat?"
Celestia didn't answer for a moment. Luna wouldn't blame her if the original reasoning had been lost amongst everything. "Because he had been in stone for a thousand years," Celestia said with a sigh. "I considered freeing Tirek more than once, but he always tried to absorb a pony's magic before I could even offer to just exile him to his homelands. Chrysalis? I honestly thought she was dead. You were freed from the moon after a thousand years and given a second chance. Discord had to force himself out. I often wonder, if I couldn't have avoided his second reign of chaos just by freeing him and asking him for terms. So I thought he at least deserved a chance, deserved someone who wanted him to have a chance."
"And with so much history between him and ourselves, we could never attempt such a thing without tainted waters on both sides," Luna agreed with a nod. "I do not wish to be cruel, Sister. I just want to know: what do you want to do?"
"I love that mare, Luna," Celestia said sorrowfully. "I don't know if she is like a daughter, granddaughter, or something else; I just know that I love her. So is it wrong that I actually...do NOT want to just sweep this under the rug?"
Luna smiled in understanding. "Nay, Sister. It is a quality I have always admired of yours: you wish to see the right thing done, even if it is hard. Even if it hurts. Letting Twilight Sparkle go without punishment is not the right thing. Even your student knows that, if her reaction to her own deed was any indication."
"But be that as it may, Luna, she is a hero. Does that not earn some leniency?" Celestia asked with a troubled frown.
"I can attest that even Discord does not entirely disagree with that," Luna stated, giving Celestia's confused look a small smile. "I spoke with him. He also unknowingly tamed a Timberwolf."
"A Timberwolf?" Celestia repeated, almost smiling at the image.
"He calls it Tim," Luna confirmed before scowling softly. "I gave him the shortest summary of Twilight and her friends being national heroes. Angry he might be, he doesn't desire Twilight to die. In...less than pleasant words, he said she is our problem to deal with so long as she stays away from him."
Celestia took a short breath. "What do I do, Luna?" she asked helplessly.
"I can...only suggest, Sister," Luna started delicately. "I have no full grasp of how the law has changed in my absence, but I am sure you have a clear memory of something similar to this happening in the past few hundred years."
"...Yes," Celestia agreed, looking concerned with where this might be going.
"Then I propose recalling what those sentences were. Then reducing them a step or more," Luna explained.
"...The last time I can recall, Luna, I sentenced two unicorns to dehorning and severed the wings off a pegasus," Celestia informed tonelessly.
Luna raised an eyebrow, morbidly curious about the inclusion of the pegasus, but chose not to pry. "I thought Dehorning was outlawed?"
"No, just...it's illegal for anyone but the courts to do it. And even then, only by a professional. We managed to...solve most of the issues that made unicorns die from complications after the deed," Celestia explained unpleasantly.
Luna nodded slowly. "Then simply seal her magic for a time-"
"There were...mitigating circumstances, Luna," Celestia said with a wince. "The ponies didn't know what the spell would do in that case. It was purely accidental; mistakenly translating an old text to think it was a parlor trick, a short term hypnosis spell. They never even knew it was incurable until the trial. If they had fully known...it was the first time ponies were demanding an execution in five hundred years, Luna. If they had come forward from the start, instead of taking advantage of what happened, they would have only found themselves choosing between a long time in prison, banished, or their magic sealed. Twilight didn't mistranslate; she just chose to rush with the spell she could memorize before Discord took it from her; which, with any other creature, could be called self-defense on his part. And seeing as it worked, I suppose it was self-defense for Discord. So I can't argue Twilight is less at fault than them, Luna. If anything, it's more. So, what fits the crime? Dehorning, or making her choose how to spend the maj-" Celestia rambled, stopping as Luna quickly embraced her into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Sister. I know this hurts you," Luna whispered tearfully into her neck.
"Luna...I..." Celestia paused to return the embrace. "I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I could force myself to give Twilight that judgement."
"Sister, I don't mean to sound cruel, but...I don't know if you and Twilight Sparkle will ever have closure from this event if it is anyone but you," Luna said, sympathetic yet honest. She held her sorrow ridden sister for a long moment as the next words hung heavy in her chest. "But, if you desire...I shall take on that burden for you."
Celestia stiffened in her hold, but made no immediate answer...
Author's Note
Okay, there we go! Sorry for the long, Long wait. Had writers block on this for a while, and a...lot of bad shit happened in my life for the past couple years.
Anyway, yeah, "Discord" got some lessons from Rainbow and Celestia is brooding. That's the shortest version of this chapter. XP But seriously, I hope you all enjoyed this. And I'm trying to make it clear that the Twilight-Situation is...complicated for all involved. And "Discord" is steadily piecing together who he WAS while deciding who he IS.
Well, that's it for now.