The Man who Sparked a World
"Hey, Pete. Did you watch the Friendship is Magic season finale yesterday?"
"Yeah, but to me it didn't feel any different from a regular episode."
"Really? But it was in two parts."
"That's about the only difference, in my opinion. I guess I was just bugged by the 'suddenly, Twilight's brother'."
"You didn't know? It was all over the internet, about a good two weeks before the episode actually aired."
"I knew, but I'm just a bit disappointed in Hasbro."
"Why?"
"Suddenly, Twilight has a brother she cares the world for, and yet there wasn't even a hint of it in any episodes prior. It's like she had forgotten all about her 'BBBFF'."
"I guess that makes sense, now that I think about it. Still, that shouldn't be enough to keep you from actually enjoying the episode."
"It's probably only me, but the whole thing seemed...Predictable. Boring. Y'know?"
"No...I guess it is just you."
"Well that's nice to know..."
"Hey, I gotta go. My sister wants me to babysit for her."
"Okay, see you tomorrow, then?"
"Sure."
Peter Melborne, or just Pete, hung up the phone and stretched. His computer screen stared at him, filled with row upon row of digits and letters that spelled gibberish for anyone who didn't know how to program. After giving up on his fanfiction career, he started learning how to build games; everything he could learn about everything had been poured into his latest pet project. Dubbed the 'Equestria Project', it was his attempt at recreating the titular realm of Equestria and all of its nuances. It was well on its way to completion, many pieces having been to be built on sheer imagination since the show wasn't exactly all-encompassing.
There was another project going on within this one, but this one was a secret. It held the possibility of revolutionizing the gaming industry forever. This, he called AI; a play on 'Artificial Intelligence' that really stood for 'Actual Intelligence'. The NPCs in this game could actually respond in an intelligent manner. They could recall earlier discussions with players, discuss things with multiple players simultaneously, and even interact with each other - all in such a way that it seemed that they were actually real. Pete had been working on this system for upwards to two years, and while many people would criticize him on his personal choice of genre for its unveiling, they wouldn't be able to poke fun at the system itself.
Pete continued to observe the interactions between the NPCs. He had taken the liberty of programming nearly every aspect he could imagine dealing with ponies into the game. They were a bit of a technological miracle; they maintained their own weather, their own economy; even the sun and the moon were consciously kept in tune by the NPCs. He saw Twilight Sparkle leaving the Ponyville library with Spike in tow, presumably to buy more parchment or ink. Rainbow Dash was asleep in the clouds, seemingly undisturbed. Applejack was doing what Applejack did best, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were out exploring Ponyville. They served as both an interesting test of his AI system, and as a comic relief of sorts. He had dedicated an entire event log to just their collective activities, and never once did they repeat an action made in an attempt to get their cutie marks.
His thoughts were interrupted by a clap of thunder, and a flicker of his workroom lights. He wasn't worried about losing anything, he had taken the liberty of buying as many surge protectors as his budget would allow, and now every outlet in his house was protected. He kept working, his eyes glued to the monitor. Lines of code and text filled the screen in a beautiful pattern only he could appreciate. Another clap of thunder, this time louder. Suddenly, his monitor froze. He swore softly as he gave his modem a slap. He knew enough about technology to know that slapping his modem would solve nothing, but old habits die hard.
"Stupid...Must've overheated again."
He shut it down, and started to open the modem when he remembered that it was still plugged in. He deigned to unplug everything and haul it out to clean it. Looking at the mass of wiring protruding from the back was enough to satisfy his need for an excuse; proper cleaning would take too long. While he wasn't held to a proper deadline, he wanted to finish this project as quickly as he could. He opened the modem and grabbed the nearby can of compressed air, which he used regularly for cleaning. He pressed down on the nozzle and...Fizzle. The can was out of air. He let out another curse as he heaved the can away. He tried rebooting his system to no avail; it needed cleaning, and he was too lazy to do it properly. His eyes drifted to a nearby antique feather duster, ironically covered in dust, and he heaved a sigh.
"It'll have to do..."
He set the modem sideways and started working. As he swished the dust out, it began to find its way into his nose and eyes. Pulling his shirt up to act as a dust filter, he began working again. Lightning flashed and thunder roared in Pete's ears. The lights flickered. Pete found he could no longer feel his arm, and knew something had gone amiss. His hand wouldn't let go of the feather duster, and he knew he was being electrocuted. He felt a pain in his chest and he stopped breathing shortly after. He couldn't think. He didn't recognize where he was. The last moments he had were spent in loneliness and confusion. His vision clouded, and he felt cold. And sleepy. *
His mind floated in nothingness for what seemed a small eternity. He knew he was dead, but didn't know what being dead actually felt like. Yet his mind persisted. He started to feel warm again, and he found he could hear, if only vaguely. His chest rose as he filled his lungs with air. It seemed cleaner, fresher...More vibrant. He could curl and uncurl his fists, and he found that light now reached his eyes. He opened his eyes to a brightness that seemed almost intrusive...And found himself the center of attention of a crowd of pastel ponies. He opened his mouth to talk, when one in the crowd gave a horrified shout.
"Discord! Everypony run!"
Almost as quickly as he found himself awake and surrounded, he was alone again.
* Yes, I realize that (1) nobody would be dumb enough to keep their computer plugged in while cleaning it, and (2) that it's highly unlikely to die of electrocution via feather duster. Plot-inspired stupidity, my friend.
A/N~ This was just a random idea I had one night, and felt like typing up. I tried to keep it short and sweet, but also to make it actually worth reading. My goal here wasn't to create a literary masterpiece or anything of the sort. I was just exploring a new vantage point of Equestria. Maybe I'll add more. And to satisfy the mods, Pete was Discord and vice-versa.
Also, just like to clarify. 'If Pete was Discord the whole time, how did they already know Discord?' Pete's Equestria Project was based off the show, and used the show's lore. Sorry for any confusion.
