The Tyrant That Was A Hero! Twilight Sparkle Sees The Truth!
Discord wondered if it was always leading up to this moment. All those eons of mayhem and chaos, turning all manners of creatures on each other, causing and watching the fall of nations, of seeing so many species rise to prominence and then become extinct.
All that time of never knowing or even caring where he had come from, who he was or how he came to be, had it all been leading to this moment?
It had all been so simple; He had been reveling in his victory, over the end of Harmony and turning all of the bearers of the Elements on each other, when he decided to 'checkup' on Twilight Sparkle. Maybe give her a "lift" out of town? Maybe with Pinkie Pie's party cannon? It had been a thought, right up there with getting an Ursa Major to ride a giant unicycle upside down while juggling a few Ursa Minors with its hind legs…or maybe Hydras? Maybe both, depended on how many cubs the first mother he found had.
It was on that particular note that he popped up right in front of Twilight Sparkle. Right as she was performing a memory spell on Rainbow Dash.
There was a very fleeting yet long moment where Discord decided that Twilight Sparkle was a true idiot. This particular memory spell was all kinds of dangerous for a mortal mare like herself. It had a big chance for her mind to be contaminated with some of the personality and memories of her target, and she was using this on five ponies? Then again, the Elements and them being friends probably either helped dull the effects or somehow turned it into a positive thing.
Now, unfortunately, Twilight was getting a flash show of his mind and life journey. He could literally feel her mind cracking under the sheer magnitude of his mentality and memories. Sure, it wasn't like she was seeing everything in crystal clear detail. If anything, it was in fast-forward, or fast rewind rather, but it was infinitely more than she could have ever prepared for.
Oh, and she just got by the ice age when he ran with the colossal and corporeal ancestors of the Windigos…fun times.
He might actually apologize to Celestia for this one. All jokes aside, he never had any intention of breaking Twilight Sparkle. Well, more like no intention of shattering her mind into a deranged, catatonic, or comatose mare, but his point still stands. Everypony, actually, everybody was boring when they got like that.
And now she's crying from mental overload. Swimming. Oh, and how ironic, she was getting into a lengthy aquatic phase of his life. He could still taste the salt water.
Actually, this is probably how a bookworm like Twilight wanted to go out: a mental collapse under the weight of too much knowledge being absorbed at once. Sure, it was knowledge obtained from his experiences, but she was getting to see what the world was like before modern ponykind. She got to see things she couldn't even dream of in her last conscious moments before her mind broke.
Ahh, now they're getting to the earliest days of his memories...Actually, he really hoped this spell didn't make him revert back into that form, now that he thought about it. Sure, the look on Celestia's face would be priceless as he bloated out the sun with his mass alone, but it would probably kill everyone in Ponyville and in the Everfree for that matter. Seriously, sentient life these days was far too fragile.
He chuckled in his mind as he saw Twilight fall through the maelstrom that was his life and hit the solid wall of nothingness that was his past. Maybe that would snap her out of whatever break down she was having before it was too late. Ohhh, if he played his cards right, he might end up making her into HIS protégé. While he wasn't out to steal students like that, it'd probably be for the best now if Twilight came around to his way of thinking. And he could stand to have an assistant- he would have placed more bets on Luna or Pinkie, but Celestia's 'golden mare' would do.
*Crink*
Hmm?
Discord rose a curious mental eyebrow as he look back at Twilight, seeing her lying flat and motionless against the solid black barrier to his past. He never knew what lay beyond there, but after it resisted some moderate attempts to unlock it, he never felt the urge to find out. After all, he couldn't change the past, one of the very few things outside his power and this way he could give any back-story to himself without technically lying under the Schrodinger rule: Until such time he remembers his past, any version he gives is both true and false.
Still, why wasn't she moving? Why hadn't she faded away from his mind?
Bringing his mental form to her side, he went physically and mentally wide eyed at the sight. Twilight's horn had pierced the wall, leaving white cracks around it. Her eyes were wide with a distant and glazed over look to them, but no longer were they overwhelmed by the raw information she had tried to process. Instinctively curious by his very nature, Discord gently grasped onto Twilight and pulled her back. Her horn slid out with ease, making several glass-like shards of the white-edged black material to break off and float weightlessly with the still paralyzed Twilight, who was half way curved in on herself.
All this time and it only took the mental projection of a unicorn horn to pierce this? Well, a unicorn that was the Element of Magic and personally trained by Celestia since she was a foal and...Discord suddenly realized, of course Twilight Bucking Sparkle would be the one to do it. It couldn't have been more fitting even if she had been an Alicorn.
Discord studied the hole for a moment, contemplating his next action. Then he shrugged with a grin as he plucked out his left eye with his eagle talons, "Well, time to sneak a peek at my past!" He decided as he stuck his arm through the hole, "Hmm, a sewer? How boring," He drawled with a bored frown as he moved his blinking eye around to take in the dreary and damp mindscape, "Really, I could take a hellscape, but a sewer? No wonder I blocked off this place- should have put a stinky note in case I forgot why it was here. Still, is this some kind of cosmic joke that my material is shit?" He asked with a scowl before smiling widely, "Actually, I like that: it means the universe is sharing its sense of humor with me," He joked with a chuckle, "Still, Celestia Junior must have sensed something in here to keep her from breaking do-"
"Lo-...No...-obe."
"Nar-...so hap-...-sed...-ch"
"Ga-...took...-ough."
"Bos-!...-ack!"
"Trou-...-some."
"Won-...-av-...-kage."
"Nana-...-sama...-derful...you."
"...What in Tartarus?" He said with a scowl as he heard numerous voices echoing through the unexplored area of his mind…many...happy voices, at that. They were almost...familiar. But there wasn't anyone in his memories who would speak to him like that. As if he were a...friend, "Me, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, have friends? Pfft, yeah right. As if that would ever happen," He scuffed under his breath, almost looking offended by the concept as he pulled his arm back and plopped his eye back in, glaring at the hole, "And even I did, it wasn't me. It wasn't Discord. It was...whoever I took over for..." He grumbled with his arms crossed.
He suddenly shook his head, looking annoyed with himself, "Oh, get a grip Discord, old boy. So you found buried memories to go through. Save it for another time. Counting Spark-Siri here, go of roku elements had been restored, dattebayo! You...need..." His voice came to a crawl, his eyes wide, "Nani...what did I just say?" He asked himself, his tail twitching nervously as he wiped his lion paw over his face, "I...I think I need a drink," He muttered as he puffed himself a glass of chocolate milk.
Or, he thought he did. The instant it touched his lips, he realized something was wrong. The glass was much too large and rounded and its content was hot with a meaty flavoring. He blinked as he looked at it and saw it, "...Ramen?" He asked in surprised, "You know...I don't remember the last time I had this stuff. Or when I ever tried it to begin with," he mused to himself, pausing before looking back at the hole.
Somehow, he wasn't surprised to see a blue eye peeking through the hole and staring back at him.
Actually, strike that, it wasn't looking at him. It was looking at the whirlpool of memories howling past him. Discord smirked at that, glancing over his shoulder at that, "Yeah, you missed a lot, Jiji-me," Discord joked, scowling as his words registered again, "Darn, my tongue is treacherous today. Have to get that fixed later," He mused, cocking an eyebrow as he heard a small chuckle from the entity, "Oh, so I did always have a sense a humor. Good to know," Discord commented with a chuckle of his own, "Still, as interesting as this is, you'll have to sumimasen, I have to make sure this little mare doesn't try to put me...well, us, back in ishi," he said with a wave before turning to Twilight, no longer caring about his changing tongue, "Now, let's have a look at just how much of your chisel is left," He mused with a dark smirk as he placed a talon on her head...and blinked as he saw it.
A bipedal race of mystic apes blessed with wisdom and ignorance, peace and war, in equal measures. He saw the giant beasts they formed alliances with, the sentient creatures of pure magic they tried to weaponize, the way they could wield the elements and enhance their bodies. He saw everything.
But why this? Why did his memories focus on this little village with faces carved into the mountain behind it? Why this old man with a white and red hat, or the other old one with horns? Why this cyclops with a hidden face, or the dead eyed red head? Why that scowling duck-haired male with the pink haired female and the dark haired ape-filly? Why this pale eyed woman? Why this blond man with...blue eyes...
Was that him? Was this his home? Was this his...
Why...why did...why did he...
Why did he feel so empty all of a sudden? Like he was missing something?
*CRACK!*
Discord went wide eyed again as the entire black barrier behind him gained a spider web of white cracks, the shards filling the void between the barrier and his memories. And all the while, that blue eye watched him.
Actually...it wasn't looking at him anymore.
He turned around, slowly...and was immediately head-butted by Twilight Sparkle.
Meanwhile
To the outside observers, it all happened in a split second. One minute they had Rainbow Dash tied down and secured, the next Discord popped right in front of Twilight's spell, both of them staring wide eyed at each other.
Before they could react, however, a dull hum filled the air and all at once, a shockwave erupted from the point where Twilight's horn touched Discord's forehead. The wave of orange and purple energy sent them flying as it spread over the land, dispelling Discord's chaotic alterations to the land in a great gust of wind.
"What the buck just happened!?" Applejack exclaimed as she rolled over, scowling at the loss of her hat but putting that aside for now, the dust still clearing.
"Oii...what happened?" Rainbow Dash groaned as she sat up on her haunches.
"Dashie! You're not grey anymore!" Pinkie cheered as she glomped her instantly.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the pink mare before looking to Applejack, "...Were we fighting a really messed up looking dragon-horse-chimera with chaos powers, or did I just drink too much cider?" She asked slowly.
"I'm afraid it was real, Dear," Rarity assured, brushing some dirt out of her mane, "Going to take all night to clean this all out..." She muttered.
"Does anyone see Twilight? Or Discord?" Fluttershy asked in concern.
Applejack trailed closer into the dust, squinting her eyes as she tried to make out a shape. She soon came across the unconscious and serpentine form of Discord, the seemingly omnipotent being looking defenseless, "I found Bucktooth!" Applejack called, scowling down at the chimeric body, "Lousy varmint," She muttered, contemplating kicking him.
Rainbow Dash didn't bother contemplating it though, "Ha! Not so tough now, eh ya mismatched flankhole," Rainbow Dash taunted, about to give him a good whack upside the head, Fluttershy too far away still to stop her.
"Hotto..."(Leave...)
The familiar voice, in a strangely angry and wild tone, was enough to halt Rainbow's assault, making her and the others look up to see Twilight Sparkle coming out of the smoke, her head low as she glared ahead.
"Twilight! You're okay!" Pinkie Pie greeted happily, "And look, we didn't even need the elements to stop big old meany pants!" She pointed out, moving to hold up Discord's head by the horns for emphasis.
Pinkie went wide eyes when she looked back to Twilight, only to find the mare charging her, slamming into the party pony and sending her flying several feet back with a pulse of magic from her horn, "Hottoke-yo!" She bellowed, almost as great as the Royal Canterlot voice.(Leave him alone!)
"What the Tartarus, Twilight?! Why did you do that?!" Rainbow yelled as Fluttershy and Rarity ran to check on Pinkie.
The unicorn just glared at the Pegasus, standing protectively over Discord's neck, daring her to step closer, "Baka Niji," She muttered in distaste.(Idiot Rainbow)
"Baka Niji? What the buck does that mean?" Rainbow asked, glaring in confusion.
"Twilight, what in tarnation was that? Ya just attacked Pinkie!" Applejack said, Twilight turning to all but growl at her.
"I'm okay! Just a little...spinny...," Pinkie assured, her eyes spinning about before she righted herself, Fluttershy checking her for wounds.
"Damare!" Twilight yelled with a scowl, sending a pulse of magic out that ruffled Rainbow's feathers and almost blew away Applejack's hat. She seemed oddly unsatisfied with that.(Shut up!)
"...AJ, you think the big guy made Twilight a little screwy?" Rainbow whispered to the farmer.
"Best guess I got, partner," Applejack said with a shrug.
"Urusai...," The disgruntled voice of Discord said with a groan as he started to move, Twilight quickly stepping aside to let him sit up shakily.(Noisy...)
"Oh horsefeathers, he's awake!" Rainbow cursed, tensing for a fight, "Twilight, come on, we need to use the Elements!"
"Damare!" Twilight yelled again, facing Discord calmly, "Nemui?" She asked with a smirk.(Shut up! Sleepy?)
"Baka!" Discord snapped unsteadily, his tail slamming with a resound smash onto the floor. She didn't even flinch, "Anata wa nani shite kuretenno!" He yelled angrily, clutching one side of his face.(Idiot! What have you done!?)
"There's that word again," Rainbow muttered, eyeing Discord warily, "Anypony got ANY idea what they're saying?"
"Rars? That some really fancy talk by any chance?" Applejack asked hopefully.
"Unfortunately, none that I know of," Rarity admitted, watching the situation with a bit of fear for Twilight. The look in Discord's eye did not bode well for them.
Twilight chuckled a bit as she bowed her head in respect, "Hajimemeshite, Kono Yo no Kyuseishu," She greeted with a smirk on her face.(Pleasure to meet you, Savior of this World.)
Author's Note
Oii...okay, for the record? The majority of Twilight's and Discord's lines out of the mindscape? I went to a lot of research JUST to make sure those lines were accurate. That said, it gave me a massive headache. Thankfully, most of Discord and Twilight dialogue after this chapter will be like Discord's towards end of the mindscape- English with some Japanese bits thrown in there, which I actually find fun to do. Most fully Japanese conversation will be for their own privacy- or by accident on their part- and I'll be using Google translate more often if only for the sake of my brain.
So, yes, Discord is in fact Naruto, who does not remember being Naruto, and still does not fully remember that life. However, some of it is leaking through, such as the language.
Move on, Twilight, among other things, is now very protective of Naruto-Discord. Why? Well, that's for later, beyond wanting to help him. She's also developed a new mindset after seeing what the world use to be like.
There is going to be a bit of angst, but it's mainly Discord dealing with memories, and others coping with the change in Twilight.
This is mainly a prologue, setting the stage. Next time we'll get a surprise event from Discord and
Twilight, followed by Celestia meeting her changed enemy and student.
PS For Discord's partial-Japanese lines, I'm fairly sure the meaning of the words are obvious in context. Say so if not, I'll consider putting in translations or something.
PPS WHY is this the only Naruto is Discord idea I know of?!
The Pony in the Memories! Discord's Denial!
Twilight Sparkle had no idea where she was. Her mind had been close to mush, as it strained and failed to process the many ages of life Discord had lived all at once; Ages without civilization at all, the rise and fall of race after race, the world changing unrecognizably. It was too much, too much, too much!
And, all at once, it stopped. It was as if the memories had swung her head first into solid stone. Her mind had cleared, but only barely as a great ache formed through it.
She raised her wobbling head and saw that she was...in a playground?
Looking around, she did indeed see that she was in a playground. Though, where she was beyond that was not something she could guess. This town or city didn't look like Ponyville and some of the buildings were strangely cylindrical. She could also spy a large rock formation of some sort not too far away.
And the sun was setting. Had she been out that long? Or was Discord messing with her again?
Her ears twitched as she heard it…crying.
Turning about, she spied a lone figure in the park, sitting on a swing. That wasn't what shocked her though. He was...something. Some form of odd, furless bipedal. But he was short or very young. Blonde hairs on top a face held in his hands, tears sobbing through the little fingers.
Weirded out as she was by the new species, she couldn't help wanting to comfort him. He was so tiny and alone. Cautious, for him and herself, she slowly trotted over until she was just out of the reach of his limbs. "Are...are you okay?" she asked gently.
The boy didn't respond, he just kept crying.
"H-hey, can you hear me?" Twilight asked as she reached out to touch him…and nearly had her mind shut down as her hoof went through him.
She flinched back, some primordial part of her fearing this may be a ghost. Her rational mind caught up with her as she recalled recent events. Looking toward the legs of the swing set, she hesitantly placed her hoof on it.
It made impact, feeling the cold steal beneath her hooves stopping her movement.
She scowled in doubt and pushed harder.
It went right through the bars without a sensation.
"I'm the ghost," she whispered with wide eyes as she looked about. "This is a memory...?"
"Nande...?"(Why...?)
Twilight blinked as she heard him speak and turned back to the boy. It was a hoarse, desperate plea. Somehow, she didn't understand the word, but the meaning was broadcasted directly into her head.
She didn't have time to think about that as the full question left the boy's lips.
"Nande min'na watashi o nikumu no?" (Why does everyone hate me?)
Twilight nearly jerked back in disbelief. Child abuse and neglect wasn't an unheard of thing to ponies and every race had orphans. But still, the idea of a foal crying and actually believing that everyone hates him, that was something Twilight couldn't even imagine. But this...ape-colt, sitting out so long after most parents would call them home?
His cry didn't feel melodramatic.
"Naruto-kun."
She nearly jumped out of her fur as she spun around and saw another bipedal. Much taller and older, if the wrinkles meant anything to them. He wore some kind of white outfit of heavy cloth with a formal hate of red and white.
On it was a symbol she didn't understand. Apparently, this translation thing was only an audible aid.
She turned back to the boy, who looked up with tear-stained, but deep blue eyes. "Jiji."(Old Man)
He was clearly happy to see the older creature, but Twilight could almost feel sorrow between them
The "Old Man" silently held out his hand for the "Naruto-kun" to take.
In that moment, Naruto did something that stunned Twilight to her core. He wiped off his eyes, took the offered hand and...smiled.
It was big, it was wide and it was so well faked that it not only broke her heart a little bit...but almost made her believe it. If she hadn't seen the change, she wouldn't have seen through it.
But that wasn't the true revelation…the grin, the wide toothy grin that made it seem like he didn't care. About the world, the people or anything else that hurt him. That being alone wasn't bad.
It was only now did she realize, as the pair walked away, that she had seen that grin.
It was Discord's.
Present
Twilight bowing to Discord; At that point, the mares thought this had to be the most world shattering event they would see all day.
"Ore wa sono otokode wanai," Discord all but snarled at her, his fangs on full display.(I am not that man)
Twilight just smirked as she looked up in challenge. "Watakushi wa ima sore o hakkiri to miru koto ga dekimasu."(I can see it clearly now.)
"What the buck is she saying?!" Rainbow hissed in frustration as they watched Discord visibly reel back with wide eyes.
"Kiden no kurushi kao," Twilight finished, almost savoring it.(Your pained face.)
Discord's whole body shook, looking as though his heart had just been stabbed out, looking at her in disbelief. His claws dug into themselves into his palms as his face twisted in rage.
"I'm going to guess it wasn't nice," Pinkie Pie whispered in alarm as Fluttershy whimpered beside them.
None of the five had any time to react as Discord, with speed that impressed even Rainbow, swung his entire form forward-
-And head-butted Twilight, mindful enough not to stab himself on her horn.
"Twilight!" Applejack yelled as they all started to run to their friend's aid-
"Stay back!" Twilight yelled, her face twisted in pain but refused to move as Discord stare down at her, scowling.
Her words more than anything brought them to a halt. "Twilight? That is you, Darling?" Rarity asked in concern.
"Yeah, yeah it's watakushi.(me)" Twilight answered woozily. She forced herself to raise her head high and grin at Discord sheepishly. "I kind of sore ni ataisuru.(deserved that)," she stated while rubbing the back of her mane.
Discord's eyebrow twitched. "You're a real aho, Siri-Gaki,(fool, Butt-Brat) you know that?" he asked gruffly.
"Glad to be living up to your standards, Dobe," Twilight answered with a chuckle.
Discord's snout curled before he winced. "This isn't owatte(over)," he promised as he closed his eyes. "Arigato,"(Thank you) He added reluctantly, almost as if forced to.
The rest of the main six stared on with wide eyes as Discord disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
The silence was deafening as they were left with their clearly changed friend. "Pinkie," Twilight murmured, turning to face the group again with a neutral stare.
Rainbow and Applejack both got in front of the party pony to block Twilight, "Twilight, I don't know why you're mad, but-" Rainbow started, only to blink as Twilight was gone and a gust of wind went by her.
"Gomen'nasai!"(I'm sorry!)
They turned, while Rarity and Fluttershy jumped in freight, seeing Twilight had gotten to Pinkie Pie.
And was now hugging and crying on the bewildered earth pony, repeating the same thing over and over. "Gomen'nasai! Gomen'nasai!" She wept uncontrollably.
Pinkie blinked before embracing her unicorn friend. "Ahh, it's okay, Twilight, I forgive you! I know you wouldn't hurt me!" she assured, rubbing Twilight's mane.
"Anata ga sore ni haitteinai kagiri," Twilight answered with a sappy yet cheeky grin.(Unless you're into that.)
"That one I can't guess," Pinkie Pie admitted with a grin of her own.
Twilight blushed a bit, realizing what she said, but chuckled as she turned to face the others. "Gomen," she repeated. "My head was a bit all over the place."
"I'll say. Yer talking all funny, deck Pinkie and stick up fer that no good varmint," Applejack said with a scowl. "Twilight, what's going on-and why are you crying again."
Twilight smiled through the tears as she grinned, wide. "I just haven't realized how much I missed you guys after all this time," she answered with a sniff.
"...Twilight?" Fluttershy spoke up nervously. "It's um...we didn't go anywhere?"
Twilight smiled, reminded too much of a certain Hyuuga, "I did, Fluttershy, I did," she whispered before blinking, plastering on a smile. "Now, I'd love to explain the insanity I just went through in that man's head, but that's about all the time I got."
They all shared a look at that. "Whatever do you mean-" Rarity started, only for Twilight to collapse onto the ground. "Dear?"
Everypony was about to panic until Twilight started to snore…loudly.
"What's a "man"?" Pinkie Pie asked with a head tilt at the slumbering pony.
"...Okay, what the buck just happened?" Rainbow summed up with a creased eyebrow.
"I would like to know that as well."
The five turned with wide eyes as they saw Celestia, Alicorn of the Sun, approaching with a raised eyebrow, "Princess!" they all greeted with half bows.
"Could somepony please explain what that magic shockwave I felt was? Along with where Discord's statue is and why my student is passed out?" Celestia asked with a frown of confusion, craning her head down to her student. Her horn glowed golden and blinked. "She was going on sheer willpower and her own magic pushing her."
Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity shared uncomfortable looks about how to explain this delicately.
Pinkie Pie, utterly straight and blank-faced, stared at a confused Celestia and said one fairly firm thing, "Before we get started, I just want to say: I do NOT want to press charges."
Celestia stared; she was getting the feeling this was going to be a...strange conversation.
Meanwhile
Discord practically screamed as he destroyed another mountain, before gripping his skull. He had no idea where he was, just that there was no life to witness or suffer his wrath as a lash of his tail tore a gouge into the earth. He hardly even recalled what he was doing, just doing it to push out those memories.
He was not Naruto! He was Discord! He didn't even know who Naruto was and he didn't want to! He didn't, he didn't!
No matter what Sparkles thought.
No matter how much he wanted to smile at the voices in his head.
No matter how much his tears said otherwise, as he sobbed into the ground…alone as he always was, but truly less alone than 'Discord' had ever known.
