Taken

I enter back into the house, making sure to wipe my feet off on the outside doormat. Even though I have no idea how long we’re going to be staying here, I don’t want the place looking like a pigsty.

Though, now that I think about it, Twilight probably wouldn’t let it get to that place, anyways. She seems like she values cleanliness.

Speaking of that poofy purple pony, though… What the hell was she thinking, lying to me like that? Didn’t she have some kind of inkling that I’d someday find out that she hasn’t been talking to her beloved Princess every time she goes into her room and shuts the door?

What has she been doing, anyways?

I go straight to her room and knock on the door. “Twilight?” I ask aloud. “You in there?” Stupid question, dude. Of course she’s in there. Where else would she be? She has nowhere to go, really.

Maybe out to get food, but the food she got has really been lasting us awhile. We have about half of what she got, and that’s still a pretty damn good bit.

“Seriously, Twilight. We need to talk.”

No answer. She might be asleep. I need to check up on her anyways, though. I get the feeling she’s been having more conversations with Discord than just the one that I caught her in.

I try the doorknob. Locked. Of course…

Hmm. Maybe I can look in through the window and find out what’s going on. I go back outside and head over to the window. Just my luck, the blinds will be closed-

Wait. They’re open. Okay, so maybe I can find out what’s going on. I go over to the window and take a peek inside.

Twilight’s sitting up on the bed; it’s kinda funny, she almost looks like a human when she does that. What was that pony’s name that she was telling me about, the one who sits like that all the time? Lyra, was it?

Yeah, ‘cause it was that same pony that I met when I got zapped into Equestria by Princess Luna. The green one with the harp cutie mark. Does she have some kind of knowledge of humans or something?

If so, then it’s knowledge that no other pony has, I think. Not even Princess Luna had seen a human before they brought me there.

I know Discord’s seen one, but then again I’m not entirely sure he was telling me the truth when he said that. I kind of tend to not believe much of anything he says, or at least I take it with a  grain of salt.

Twilight’s eyes are fluttering a bit. Is she asleep? Or in some kind of trance? This kind of thing is way outside my realm of expertise.

“Do you really want to know what your friend is doing?”

That fucking voice in my head again… God damn, he is annoying.

I don’t even bother trying to keep my response in private thought; I know he can hear me, anyways. “It’s only curiosity. It’s really none of my business, anyways.”

“But what if she is talking about you to Celestia? Would you want to know then?”

Why would she discuss me with the sun goddess? Oh yeah, she did say something about being her personal protégé…

“Her discussions with Celestia are none of my business, either. Besides, from what Twilight’s told me about her, I don’t quite like her to begin with.”

His laugh echoes in my head. “Oh, so you are finding that not all ponies are likable? Is that it?”

“I knew that whenever I first met you, Discord.”

“Well, yes, but I am not a pony. I have transcended anything and everything those simplistic ponies could ever even dream of becoming. Even the alicorns, like Celestia and Luna, the one you met… Not even they have the power that I possess.”

Something occurs to me. “You must be pretty powerful, to be able to transport yourself across dimensions while you’re still trapped in that statue.”

“Trapped?” He laughs again. “My dear friend, there is nothing trapped about me. I am as free as I was the day I was made.”

There he goes again, with that “made” nonsense. Though, hold on. I remember reading something about this in an old mythology book I used to have. It was by Edith Hamilton, I think.

“So… you’re a chimera, then?”

“That would be the closest approximation of what I actually am, yes. Though, I doubt my creator had even heard of that term when he fashioned me out of whatever spare parts he had laying around.”

“That would make you more like Frankenstein, then.” Man, what am I thinking? Discord probably has no idea what, or who,  Frankenstein is-

“Ah, that lovely creature. Though, I believe Miss Shelley had her dear anti-hero go about it entirely the wrong way.”

So maybe he does know about it. Well damn. “How do you mean?”

“Well, my friend, think about it. If you are going to create a human being and give it life, why on earth would you even give it the opportunity to leave the confines of your home? It would be much better to make it a slave- completely and wholly obedient to you.”

I think I remember seeing a movie about this once. “Why on earth are you even talking about this to me, Discord? I already know that you have knowledge about our world and customs-“

At this point, I feel something clamp down lightly onto my shoulder. I look, even though I should already know what it is. That damn eagle claw. Which could only mean one thing…

“I am trying to show you something,” Discord says from behind me. “I am genuinely taking an interest in you. If I had no interest in you, then I would just show up every once in awhile to utter some cryptic bullshit nonsense, then fly away and leave you to simmer in your anger.”

Huh. I could’ve swore that’s what he was doing already.

I motion into the window, making a mental note to ask Discord later about why he’s suddenly using human curse words. “So if you know so much, then what’s going on with Twilight in there? Is she asleep, or something?”

“Oh, no, not in the slightest. She is speaking with Princess Celestia, just as she has been telling you that she’s been doing.”

“But…” That makes no sense. “So she can speak to ponies in Equestria across dimensions now? Can she cross dimensions, as well?”

“She does not know it yet, but yes she can. The power is within her; all she has to do is develop it enough. Then, someday, she’ll be able to escape this world- and leave you behind here forever.”

“She wouldn’t do that.” Or would she?

Discord takes his hand- claw?- off of my shoulder and flies over to where he’s just visible in my peripheral vision. “Matthew… You must realize something. A human will never be accepted in Ponyville, or anywhere in Equestria for that matter. You are not a pony, and thus you will never truly belong.”

I look at him fully now. “I’m not talking about me going to Equestria. I’m talking about me going back to my time, my world. I have a family, too, you know.  Not much of one, granted, but still… I have one.”

“But you did not truly belong there, did you? You had secrets that you did not want to get out, and thus you pushed potential allies away… You made your own prison. If that were me, I would be dying for a second chance somewhere else.”

“You assume I want one…” I head over to the door to go back inside. “I’m leaving now, Discord.”

“Goodbye for now, friend. Remember, I am always but a word away.” I hear a crackling noise behind me, and I turn around just in time to see a white flash of light fading away.

So he can teleport now? Oh yeah, he did that already… When he was flying away that one time. Maybe he’ll teach me how to do that. That’d be pretty-

Wait, what the hell am I thinking? Why on earth would I ever want him to teach me anything? He’s supposed to be the bad guy… Right?

Come to think of it… I really don’t know all that much about him. All I know is what little Twilight’s told me about him, and what even less he’s told me about himself. I mean, I can’t really make an accurate judgment on someone- something, even- if I don’t know enough about them.

Huh. There’s that book that Twilight was all freaking out about. That Changeling book. Maybe, I wonder…

Oh yeah, that’s right. Twilight’s got her room locked up. Which really doesn’t make any sense. I mean, is she that easily disturbed that she can’t have any distractions whatsoever? Or is that just to keep Discord at bay? Well, that doesn’t make any sense, either… He can teleport, which pretty much makes walls and doors useless against him.

Then again, he has magic, so… pretty much everything’s useless against him.

I take the amulet out of my pocket, where I’d stuck it before coming back outside. For the first time ever, really, I take a really good look at it. The design on the front plate is really intricate; it’s almost like my world’s Celtic knotwork, and yet… it’s got some kind of mystical quality about it that the Celts never really were able to perfect.

The background is a rose-colored red, but there are hints of black in it as well. It’s really rather beautiful. I wonder how long it took whoever made this to craft it.

I’m wondering now what’s inside it. I try to open it up, but it’s sealed shut somehow. Magic, probably. Whatever the reason, I can’t get it open. Just something else I’m going to have to ask Twilight whenever she comes out of her magical little trance she’s in.

I go back inside and head to the kitchen. Upon a cursory inspection of the fridge, I find an unopened package of chicken legs. Twilight doesn’t eat meat, as far as I know, so it’s pretty safe to assume she got these just for me. I smile as I set them on the counter.

“You know what would go really good with these chicken legs?” I say out loud to the air. “Spaghetti. I wonder if we have any more.”

I go over to the cupboard and check it out for myself. Success! There’s at least five more boxes of it left. Oh man, I’m gonna eat good tonight…

Night. It’s almost night-time. Or is it? I have no idea what time it is. If my damn cell phone would recharge, I could actually figure out what time it was. That’s not really my main concern right now, though. I’m hungry, and I need to cook myself some food. I fire up the stove and get ready to start cooking.

All of a sudden, I hear some motion coming from inside Twilight’s room. So she’s out of her trance, I guess. I wait a second to hear if the door opens up, but nothing. All I hear is more commotion from inside the room.

What the hell is going on?

I run over to the door and try to open it. Stupid me, totally forgetting she’d locked the door-

Wait. That door locks with a key. And considering she doesn’t have fingers… How did she lock it? And a better question, where did she get the key to begin with?

Man, shit just does not add up with this pony…

I curse aloud and run outside, looking in the window. Holy shit. Twilight is thrashing like crazy on the bed, like she’s having some kind of Grand Mal seizure or something. And-

What… the hell is that thing on the bed with her? Is that… a dragon? But it’s so small…

I don’t fucking care. If that… thing is going to hurt Twilight, then it’s going to have hell to pay. I run back inside, readying my Flame. When I reach the door, I lower my shoulder and use it as a battering ram, breaking the door down.

“You… Step back, now!”