The Broken One

I stormed into the castle furiously causing guards to scurry out of sight. The two guards posted outside the throne room shook slightly as I strode up to my mother and stood there with crossed arms. Tears still glistened in her eyes when she turned to me.

“I’m so sorry about-“

“Don’t”, I interrupted coldly. “When did Discord escape?”

“This morning”, she replied quietly.

“Any sign of where he went”, I asked angrily.

“Ponyville.”

“I should’ve known”, I growled as I turned from my mother. “Your granddaughter is in the nursery.”

I walked out of the throne room and ordered the guards to do whatever my mother or Cindra asked of them. They saluted and I left the castle taking to the air to get to Ponyville as quickly as possible. It didn’t take long to find signs of my deadbeat dad, considering I spotted Applejack slipping and sliding on roads made of soap. I swooped down and lifted her into the air right before she would have crashed into a massive briar patch.

“Thanks, sugar cube”, she smiled as I set her down.

“Yeah”, I muttered as I returned her hug.

“Are ya alright”, she asked as she held my shoulder with her hoof.

“No”, I sighed before shrugging her hoof off and taking to the air.

Do these brain dead fuckers actually think I would be okay the day after losing my wife, I thought as angry tears ran from my eyes.

I spotted the rest of my friends in the middle of town and adjusted course. When I got closer I could see the cause of my distress. He was standing over the Elements of Harmony gloating about their impending defeat when I made my entrance.

“DISCORD”, I bellowed as I landed and slid to a stop between him and my friends.

“Ah, the great Prince Jackson”, Discord chuckled gleefully. “So good of you to leave your fortress of solitude and join me for a little fun.”

“Fun”, I scoffed as I looked around.

I saw patches of cotton candy clouds dumping chocolate milk on the ponies of Ponyville. Long legged rabbits stampeded around town. Several buildings appeared to be made of rubber.

“Okay, that actually looks fun”, I admitted as I pointed at three familiar fillies bouncing around inside the local schoolhouse.

“See”, Discord grinned.

“That’s beside the point”, I growled as I took a step toward him balling up my fists. “You’re fucking up my town and you picked the worst fucking day to start your shit.”

I threw my arm out and blasted him with lightning so intense he left a smoke trail as he flew through the building behind him. Amid cheers from my friends and other ponies I launched myself after the draconequus with murderous intent. When I caught up to him I landed on my feet and slammed a fist into his gut carrying all of my momentum into the punch.

His breath left him in a rush and his eyes bulged. He seemed to fold around my fist before his feet or whatever they were left the ground and he was sent hurtling through the air again. I took off right behind him and followed him as he came crashing down in the middle of a wheat field.

“Now now, son”, he groaned as he held his paw and claw up.

“FUCK YOU”, I bellowed as I kicked him in the face and he rolled a few times. “WHY DID YOU CREATE ME?!”

“I figured it would be obvious”, he smiled with his one fang. “I’m planning to retire.”

“You seriously expect me to go around fucking shit up?!”

“Well, we can’t let things get boring now, can we”, he grinned as he stroked his gray goatee. “Besides, your wedding was quite entertaining.”

“You were there after all”, I said evenly as I balled my fists up.

“Yes, I was”, he replied as he kept smiling. “You two make a lovely couple, Jackson. Those eyes, though. Speaking of which, when will I get to meet my lovely daughter-in-law?”

Fresh tears welled up and a primal scream of rage ripped from me as I leapt on top of him and began pummeling his face and throat. I tried my hardest to rip his throat out with my bare hands as I let my anger, hate and sorrow fill me will coldness. I slammed his head into the soil beneath him and formed a fireball in my hand which I slammed into his head.

The resulting explosion launched me backwards through the air and I turned in the air to avoid landing on my wings. I hit the ground and rolled to my feet. Through the clearing smoke I saw Discord slowly rising from the ground. He turned his yellow eyes to me and began to walk toward me.

“You’re quite strong for a soulless manifestation of madness”, he said darkly as he stepped clear of the smoke. “I think I may have made you a little too strong.”

“That’s where you fucked up”, I snarled as my sword flashed into existence in my hand. “You’re dead!”

I launched myself at him and in motion he created an almost identical sword to mine, deflected my blow and spun to strike me across the face with his tail. I spun with the strike and tried to stab him but he parried and backed away.

“Do you really think you can kill me”, he asked in a deep growl.

I almost thought I heard a hint of hope in his voice but I honestly didn’t care. This creature before me was responsible for all of my heartache in the first place. He feinted to the left and spun to strike from the right landing a glancing blow across my left shoulder. I shouted in pain before lunging forward and slamming my other shoulder into his stomach.

He fell backward and I slashed diagonally across his chest leaving a red gash across his body. He turned and sent forth a spout of black fire which I rolled under and hit him with another round of lightning. He struggled against the contractions in his muscles and used his blade to disrupt the stream of lightning ultimately sending it back into my own body. I fell to one knee when my body stopped convulsing and gasped through the pain.

How can he take this much punishment, I wondered as I coughed.

I looked back up and was greeted by the red irises of my father’s eyes as his sword pierced my shoulder. I screamed in agony and grabbed his blade with my other hand. He pushed the blade in further forcing me onto my back. With a mighty heave he sent the blade through my shoulder blade and left wing into the ground beneath me.

“It looks like I win this round”, he huffed. “Pity. However, I’m wondering why you were so quick to attack me. I’m not even sure what I did to antagonize you. But you are the Prince of Chaos, so that should be enough of an explanation.”

“I don’t owe you shit”, I groaned through the pain.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that”, he grinned as he tore my shirt open to stare at the scar on my chest. “Magnificent, simply magnificent! Anyway, I created you. In every sense you owe me your very life. Tell me, what have you been up to?”

He dug the tips of his claws into my skull and I screamed as the chaos seeped into my brain. I fell through time and space revisiting past events. One moment I watched as four bodies squirmed around in a massive bed and the next I was walking into my wedding reception with a beautiful vampony on my arm. Tears came freshly as I watched her kiss me lovingly. I could smell her scent as surely as if she were holding me now.

I saw myself waking up in the forest naked. Fluttershy’s burning cottage loomed behind me as I watched a deceased bear being carried out. I saw myself training with the night guards in armed combat and watched as I helped Twilight make the leg braces I wore still. I saw something I didn’t remember involving my aunt and foalflower. The guards’ shouts rang in my ears along with Discord’s laughter.

I heard an intrigued murmur as I watched the Grim Reaper fall to my sword but then I let the tears stream freely. I stood helpless as I sat on the bed cradling my quickly fading wife. My heart shattered all over again.

“Oh my”, Discord sighed as he removed his claws. “My dear boy, I’m so sorry. Nopony should have to experience that.”

To my surprise his sword vanished with a snap of his paw and he pulled me up into a hug. My sword fell from my hand and I couldn’t do anything other than stare straight ahead. I heard a single sniffle before he released me from the hug. As I stared past him I saw six ponies floating in the air as light surrounded them.

“NO”, I shouted but I was too late.

The different hues of light combined into a rainbow and slammed into my father turning him into stone instantly. I stared at the statue before me and reached out to touch his shoulder. For some reason tears began to well up as I fell to my knees gripping my wounded shoulder.

I felt familiar warmth flowing through me and I lifted my head to see Twilight’s horn inches from me. I hung my head and let her heal me as I cried quietly. None of them said a word as I stood up and patted Twilight’s head. I spared one last glance at my newly imprisoned father before silently taking to the air and heading toward my castle.

My mind was elsewhere as I came within sight of my estate and as such I flew right over the wall and was subsequently forced to dodge a few spells. I slid to a stop in the middle of the courtyard and shouted for Silver Lance. He was at my side in an instant and nodded when I told him to send a message to the magic academy requesting Lightning Hoof’s presence.

I made my way to the throne room first and as expected Cindra was up on the dais. I felt a spark of humor as she yawned really loudly and stretched. She arched her back first then rolled her shoulders and neck. She stretched each of her limbs and buzzed her wings as she stared at the ceiling.

“I hope master gets back soon”, she sighed. “I could really use a nap.”

I leaned against the door frame and just studied her. Her left ear flicked occasionally but her right ear never moved. I watched in amusement as her tail quivered before she growled about “that damned itch” and she actually chewed on her tail! Her nostrils flared and her eyes slowly rose up to me.

“Master”, she gasped happily as she lifted into the air and buzzed toward me.

“Hi, Cindra”, I smiled slightly.

She flew into my open arms and we hugged each other tightly before she stepped back to look me over in shock. I glanced down and realized why she was staring with an open mouth. My clothes had been wrecked in my fight with Discord and they were stained with blood.

“What happened to you”, she whispered fearfully.

“Got my ass whipped by dad”, I sighed. “He got turned to stone again.”

“Isn’t that a good thing”, she asked.

“I guess”, I sighed. “Where’s… Aliya?”

“Laying down for a nap”, she replied as she shifted nervously.

“What happened”, I asked cautiously.

“She kinda set her crib on fire accidentally”, she squeaked as she shrank back.

“Well, fuck.”