A Second Chance

"So, where do you want them?" Josh asked Twilight, holding a stack of books. He was helping her out with a study of family history.

"Just beside those scrolls, please don't knock them over" Twilight replied, as she read a section of a book before putting it back on a pile. She got up and reached for another, only to be surprised when Pinkie Pie was found hiding behind it asking what she was doing. Causing Twilight to scream in shock, and throwing her book.

""Aaagh" yourself! But that doesn't answer my question, silly" Pinkie said, getting out of her little hiding spot behind the shelf.

"Just some genealogical research" Twilight replied, picking up the book she had thrown.

"Ohhh..." Pinkie said, before leaning over to Spike who was carrying some scrolls "I don't know what that is" She said in a whisper.

"Genealogy is the study of family history. Y'know, where ponies come from and who they're related to" Spike answered as he added the scrolls to a stack.

"Ooh, fascinating" Pinkie said aloud, looking at the tower of scrolls.

Josh placed the books down, "It’d be a lot cooler if-" He turned to see Pinkie about to take a scroll from the bottom of the tower. "Wait, take one from the-" He quickly began saying before Pinkie took one 2nd from the bottom, leaving the rest somehow balancing. "top..." He turned to Twilight and Spike who looked just as surprised. "How does she do that?" He asked as Pinkie unrolled the scroll and began reading. It somehow was long enough that Pinkie began walking backward down some stairs reading it.

"What?!" Pinkie yelled, as Twilight opened a window and the trio saw her standing quite the distance away outside of Golden Oaks. "This is the most amazing thing ever! Why didn't you tell me how amazing this is?!" She asked, while dancing around in different poses, at one point even suspending herself off the ground. "Genealogy is better than cotton candy on top of a fountain of chocolate!" She said, as reality kicked in and she fell to the dirt. "You'll never believe who it says I'm related to!" Pinkie said, before trotting away.

"Did she just ask us a question and then leave?" Josh looked at Twilight and Spike. "Just when you think you've seen everything, am I right?" He joked, as the stack of scrolls finally fell. "Right, I'll go clean that up" Josh said as he walked over, re-stacking the scrolls.

Josh would continue helping Twilight along with Spike, organizing, reading, jotting notes. Until they finally finished for the day, and Josh had some free time. "Alright, later!" He said, walking towards the front door.

"Later? Where are you going?"

"Just out for a walk Twilight" Josh replied, opening the door "Maybe something interesting will happen today, who knows"

"Alright, just don't go crazy" Twilight waved him off.

Josh walked through Ponyville, he didn't have much of a plan besides enjoying a nice day. Though he did wonder where Pinkie ran off too, but that wasn't his business. He soon found himself sitting down on a bench when suddenly.

"Ouch!" Josh yelled, jumping up. "What the hell was that?" He looked at the bench, only to find a pin where he was about to sit. He could hear the sound of laughing coming from above him, looking up he spotted Ponyville's local Draconequus sitting atop a cloud.

"You should have seen your face!" Discord said, rolling around laughing.

"What do you want Discord?" Josh said, rather annoyed while rubbing his butt.

"Oh common, can't a God of Chaos have a little fun?" Discord asked, floating down from his cloud.

"Well, last time you had "a little fun" you turned the wild life evil and flooded Sweet Apple Acres" Josh replied, as Discord now stood in front of him.

"Well technically, the first time was when I tried to retake Equestria and almost split apart Twilight and her friends. But that's neither here-" Discord said, as he appeared on Josh's left. "Or their" Another Discord said, appearing on Josh's right.

Josh looked at the two Discords before one slapped him in the face with a pie, blinding him for a second. "So what? You just want to have fun?" He said, clearing off his face

"Who doesn't want to have fun? I mean, the author of this story is writing this for fun!" Discord said, now back as one.

"The what?" Josh asked.

"Oh you know, the author!" Discord pointed Josh's face towards no direction in particular "Him!" He pointed.

Josh just looked down the street where this supposed author was. "Discord, I think you've lost it"

Discord just moved back and shrugged. "Anyway, Fluttershy said I should try to make more friends!" Discord moved behind Josh, putting a pair of sunglasses on himself and then on Josh. "Who better than a fellow loner?"

"Fellow loner?" Josh asked, taking the glasses off.

"You know, both of us are the only ones of our kind. Me the only Draconequus as these ponies have named me, and you the only human!" Discord said, as a light shined on Josh and confetti rained down.

"Just because I'm the only human, doesn't mean I'm a loner.." Josh replied, shaking the confetti out of his hair.

"Oh be honest, outside of Twilight and her friends. You couldn't make any new friends" Discord said dismissively.

"One, rude. Two, not true. I've made plenty of friends outside of Twilight and the bunch!"

"Name them" Discord said, crossing his arms.

"Well, the CMC for starters-"

"Apple Bloom is related to AJ, Sweetie Belle is related to Rarity and Scootaloo is their friend. They would have been friendly regardless" Discord cut him off.

"Okay...How about Lyra and Bon Bon?" Josh asked.

"Lyra has an odd obsession with you and Bon Bon is with her so..." Discord casually replied.

"Okay...uhhh, Derpy?"

"Oh please, how much have you actually interacted with her? Same with Zecora because I know you were about to say her name" Discord said, as he laid back in a hammock.

"Well...what about....huh.." Josh was out of ponies he could name. "Well, just because you think they take pity on me because of the fact I'm stuck here. Doesn't mean I can't make new friends if I wanted to!"

"Then go ahead, prove me wrong" Discord replied, summoning a Coconut with a straw in it. "Go over to those ponies, and make some friends" He pointed towards two ponies talking.

"Alright, I will!" Josh said, walking over to the two ponies. "Hello, how are you two doing today?"

"Oh uhhh, hello!" One of the ponies said. "You must be the human who lives with Twilight!" She said, albeit a bit nervous.

"Yep, just stopping by to ask how the day has been treating you!" Josh said, doing his best to be friendly.

"Ohhh it's been good! Yup!" The other mare said, also a bit nervous.

"That's nice to hear! Can't go wrong on a sunny day like this!"

"yeaaah but uhhh, look at the time! I got to go!" One said, before starting to trot off.

"Yeah, same here! Have a good day!"

Josh watched as they walked off. "What was that about?"

"What did I tell you? Loner!" Discord said, passing him a coconut.

"Well, that was one example! I'm sure if we just tried again, I could find a friend!"

"Alright, let's try again!" Discord declared.

So Josh did try, many times but nothing seemed to work. Every time he'd try to strike up a conversation, ponies would make up an excuse and leave. After about an hour of trying, Josh sat down in defeat as Discord passed him the coconut again. This time Josh took it and drank. "I don't get it! What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing, you're just like me! An oddity that ponies aren't comfortable with.." Discord said, hiding the fact he had been sabotaging Josh's efforts by doing all sorts of weird things while he tried to make friends. "On the bright side! You can help me take revenge!"

"Revenge?"

"Yeah, you and me prank everypony in town! That'll teach em!" Discord declared.

Josh thought about for a second, before sighing. "No, that's mean. Not to mention revenge is not my thing"

"Oh common! It'll be fun! Besides it's not malicious, it's just fun!" Discord tried to convince Josh.

"Well, I don't have anything else to do today.."

"Yesss!" Discord was getting excited

Josh let out a sigh, "Alright, me and you can prank a few ponies. But nothing malicious, just harmless. Deal?"

"This is perfect! I like Fluttershy and all, but you are the type of friend I needed!"

"Pardon?" Josh questioned.

"You know, you actually know how to have a good time! Not like all this "Friendship is magic" mambo-jumbo these ponies follow, you are different."

"I'm not that different.." Josh replied.

"Oh please, I've seen inside your head..You are pretty freaky..Although, I find it odd how much you hide." Discord said, rubbing his chin.

"I don't hide anything?"

"Yes you do, you forget I looked inside you and found that magic..and must I say, what I felt was...Just pure evil, I'm surprised you've fooled everypony." Discord said with a shudder.

"Pure evil? I'm not following.."

"Oh common, do I have to enter your mind for you to drop the act?" Discord said.

"Can you even do it?" Josh said, smugly.

"Ummm, Lord of Chaos! I can do whatever!" Discord said, before flying up and doing a loop de loop as he shrunk and flew inside Josh's ear.

"What the?" Josh questioned as he watched this in shock.

"Hello! Is this on?" Discord spoke, his voice echoing.

"Discord? Are you in my head?" Josh said aloud.

"Yup! I told you!" Discord spoke from inside the human's head. "Now, where is that-"

"What are you doing here, Lord of Chaos.." Another voice rang out.

"Who said that? Luna, are you a stallion now?"

"I am no God of the Moon..I am a bringer of true Chaos!" The voice said, booming

"Discord, you need to get out of my head!"

"Oh no I'm not, what in the world is this? You're alter-edgy ego?" Discord spoke.

"I am not this weak boy, my name is Malum and I-"

"Malum? Pretentious much, naming yourself what is essentially "Evil" is pretty-" Discord spoke in his normally sarcastic tone before a slash could be heard.

"I have always dreaded you for how you act, thank you for leaving yourself open to attack!" Malum said he had slashed Discords tail.

Discord quickly moved away from him, "Well, fun talk but oh look at the time time to go!" Discord then zoomed his way out of Josh's ear, his tail regrowing shortly after.

"I told you not to do that!" Josh said, rubbing his ear.

"Okay, what was that!" Discord asked.

"Something best left untalked about..." Josh began walking away but Discord turned him right back around.

"Oh no you don't! I knew I felt something, what in..and I do not say this lightly..What in the name of Celestia was that?"

Josh sighed, "His name is Malum...for sometime now he's been driving me crazy, always hanging out in the back of my mind. From what I can gather he seeks revenge on all of ponykind."

"Revenge for what?"

"Banishment from the physical world, he has a grudge with Luna and Celestia. He keeps trying to get me to join him, luckily he sucks at it." Josh explained.

"Have you told Celestia and Luna about this? They have me freaking out and I'm Discord!"

"Luna, yes. Celestia, not so much..I fear the more he is known the stronger he gets..." Josh then grabbed Discord by the arm and pulled his face in close. "If this is your doing when you "Unleashed the magic whiten me" then so help me god I will-"

"Relax! This wasn't me! I just wanna spread a little chaos, have some fun! That thing is pure evil and destruction!" Discord said, backing up. "And I would watch that attitude of yours, that thing could feed off anger!" Discord then turned around, "Forget hanging out with you, you're a danger to everypony!" Discord then walked through a portal that closed behind him, leaving Josh.

"Damn it, this is bad.."

"You're telling me.." Malum said from inside Josh's head, "I almost had him!"

"No you idiot! If he tells Celestia who knows what will happen!"

"I know, it will ruin my plans.." Malum replied, sighing. "Look Josh, this world will do to you what it did to me...See how strong you could be and throw you away out of fear, just look how all those ponies and now Discord treat you."

"They fear you! You are the evil force!"

"What am I but a part of you?" Malum asked.

"I've had enough of you! Shut up and leave me be!" Josh yelled aloud, getting weird looks.

"Fine..I leave you alone.." Malum's voice trailed off, leaving Josh with his thoughts.

"I've got to get rid of him..Somehow, I'll find away.."