A Heavy Burden
By: Ink Well
Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful, thing…
Discord sat upon an ebon throne overlooking his glorious kingdom. Across the realm chaos reigned supreme. He laughed at the misfortunes of the mortal races.
He scanned his lands with his blood red eyes, taking a gander at the tribes of ponies who were struggling to survive. The clouds of the pegasi became storm clouds which threatened their very lives; Discord found their startled jumps from the thunder hilarious. The mountains would shake violently at random times, crumbling the foundations of the unicorn castles perched on the slopes. The poor earth ponies faced attacks by the various monsters which roamed beyond their lands; Discord had a way with beasts. All of their misery and pain put him in a drunken state of laughter.
“Dance my puppets, dance! Know what it feels like to lose everything,” he cackled. Atop one of the highest mountains in the realm, Discord created a dark keep comprised of jagged onyx crystals and decorated with dark blue flames. It was a gloomy place indeed; he loved it. The sorrow it brought made his mind cynical, and the more cynical he became the more elaborate his hexes were.
He himself resided on the spire in the center of the keep. From there he could see everything. The charred forests, the cracked mountains, the blackened rivers; it was beautiful in his eyes. He bore a wicked grin that sent shivers down his own spine.
“Goodness. Did I do that?” he laughed. “Oh I am good.” He got off his throne and walked over to the ledge. Peering down, he noticed one sight that was for sore eyes. It was a pristine castle far off in the distance beyond his boarders. It was the only place where the sun and moon light touched the earth. It was where she lived.
“Bah!” he spat out. “Who needs order when there is chaos, the divine way of things?” He couldn’t stop staring at the castle. He noticed it was night time as the stars were visible over the towers of his former home. Discord hated the sky, it reminded him of them. When his rule began he shrouded the realm with a black cloud; the only light given was from the fires of hearths and burning houses. His mind wondered to his old life.
How long has it been? One, two, maybe even three decades?
He thought back to the castle where he was raised, he remembered every detail from the marble floors to the high columns to the golden trims on the banisters of the staircases. He remembered the various characters who roamed the castle from maids to guards to royal advisers. Then he thought back to those who influenced his life. There was Tia and Luna, his best friends, and their father; Discord hated their father. There was that one unicorn that played with him when he was lonely; he forgot her name. Then another pony crossed his mind, the one who raised him, cared for him, taught him everything; his…
“Father,” he whispered. He had almost forgotten his own father.
How could I almost forget?
His father was the only one who actually cared about him. He tried to remember him, but his face seemed to be shrouded. His memories were foggy since he took power. He didn’t have the time or the will to remember his life in full detail. He spat over the ledge and walked back towards his throne. Half way there, he heard a voice.
“Having fun, son?” Discord stopped dead in his tracks. He looked behind his shoulders and saw a stallion in a cloak. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, son?”
“Y-You!” Discord shouted. He couldn’t believe it. Standing before him was the pony that raised him and taught him everything from manners to magic. He stood there in disbelief.
“So my son, what have you been up to?” the figure asked in a playful tone. Discord cringed at the pony.
How could you not know you old fool? Look around you!
“Can you not see? I have been perfecting this land! I am returning it to chaos!” He was floating in the air as he shouted. Discord’s voice echoed through the fortress and shook the black spire, but the figure was un-phased.
“I can see that, Atlas.” Discord’s eyes flared. He felt enraged and wanted to throw a punch towards the pony, but he stayed his hand. However, that did not mean he couldn’t yell at his former master.
“Don’t call me that! I’m Discord, not Atlas!” He was breathing heavily as he resisted the urge to lunge at the stallion. What he heard next surprised him. The cloaked pony began to chuckle.
What the… Stop laughing! STOP!
“Forgive me, I forgot that you took over, Discord. I still see my son in there. Atlas is just lost, that’s all.”
What is he playing at?
“But I know, deep down, that he is not dead. He still resides inside you, Discord.” Discord raised an eyebrow at the shrouded figure. He didn’t know why he was saying such things.
“What are you talking about, old pony? I am Atl… I-I mean—.”
“You’ve left your former identity behind, Atlas. I know.”
“I said don’t call me that!” Discord was shaking. He wanted to attack him, but stood his ground. It was proving to be more difficult than looking at the castle, remembering her.
“So sorry, Discord. But every time I look at you, I can’t help but remember my son, Atlas. You know him, don’t you?” He chuckled again. Discord cringed. It wasn’t that his laughter was evil, far from it. The stallion’s laughter made Discord feel warm. However, he hadn’t felt the warmth of his father’s love in a long time, and every time he laughed, Discord’s memories would flood back into him.
“Why are you here?” he managed to ask. His voice was soft and his throat felt dry. For the first time in years, Discord felt nervous.
“I’m here to talk some sense into you, Atlas.” Discord’s eyes flared, but he remained silent. “Do you not see what you are doing? You are making everypony’s lives miserable. Look into your heart, Atlas. What does it tell you? Does it say that this is the real you?” the figure asked as he pointed a hoof at the charred lands of chaos. Discord looked up at the broken kingdom and smirked.
“This is my legacy, father. I am the ruler of this world now. Chaos reigns!”
“And who are you doing this for, Atlas?” Discord’s smile went away. He wasn’t angry at his former name being mentioned. He was thinking.
I… I’m doing this for someone? D-Did I forget… Wait…
In that moment, his memories started to come back in a rude awakening. His mind flashed to different moments of his life. He saw the scornful gaze of the King, Chronos, the worried look of his father and the sorrow stricken face of…
“Tia…” he whispered.
“Oh, so you do remember?” he asked in his playful tone. “Do you even remember your former life, Atlas?” Discord remained silent. His eyes began to water.
What… What is happening? W-Why am I… A-Am I crying?
“I remember long ago, Atlas,” the figure continued. “Take a seat, son. This is a long tale.” Discord obeyed his father’s request. He stumbled onto his throne and listened.
Why am I listening? I… I don’t want to hear this story… r-right?
“It was forty years ago, if I remember correctly. I was walking through the gardens on the castle grounds as I did every morning. However, I was met with an unexpected sound. A cry was heard from the bushes to my right… or was it left? Anyway, I took a gander at the shrubbery, and lo and behold, I found you, Atlas.
“I didn’t know how or why you were in those bushes, but I did know this, you were abandoned. I picked you up from the greenery and waited in that garden for an hour, but no one came. I was stricken with sorrow. How could anyone leave such a bundle of joy alone in the gardens? I did the responsible thing and took you in. But I was stopped. The guards saw you, my son. They wondered what manner of creature I possessed and I told them I was carrying a child. They did not respond so well to that.
“I was taken before the king, Atlas. He too wanted to know what I had found. I defended you as best I could. I even pleaded to keep you, to raise you as my own. There was no way in Tartarus I was going to let them take you away, Atlas. However, it was the Queen who had pitied you, and allowed me to keep you. You remember Queen Asteria, right? Sweet mare she was. It was her who convinced the King to let me keep you. I do hope she’s still alive.”
Discord was struck with a vague memory of the Queen flying into a dark storm cloud and never returning. He didn’t understand what it meant, but decided to ignore it.
“Do you remember why I named you Atlas?” he asked. Discord’s eyes widened. He had forgotten why his father would give him such a ridiculous name. However, he didn’t interrupt and instead shook his head.
“I named you after an ancient myth. Atlas carried the burdens of the world on his back, and I knew you too would carry your own burdens. And I knew that you were strong enough to carry those burdens and stand tall. You are named after a legend, Atlas.”
Discord had forgotten the Atlas myth. He had forgotten a lot of things. He sat there silently, awaiting the rest of the tale. Discord didn’t know why he was so enthralled by his father’s tale, but Atlas knew.
“Some years went by, and I noticed a rather peculiar form of magic inside you, Atlas. It was a power which I haven’t seen in a long time. I knew you’d need a teacher to help you learn control and mastery of the magical arts, so I took it upon myself to teach you my craft. It was bitter work, and I’m sure we’ve blown up more than a dozen towers in the process…” he chuckled. Discord drooped his ears and blushed.
What the… Why am I blushing? I’m not embarrassed… Am I?
“But the results were worth it. In fact, I had molded you into a very powerful being. One which I knew would bring peace to this land. I saw it, Clover the Clever saw it, and of course, Tia saw it.”
“Tia?” he whispered. “S-She saw great things in me?”
“Aye, she did. We all did. But you didn’t even need to know magic to impress her, Atlas.” He chuckled. “I remember how you would always ask me to teach you magic tricks to impress her. She was a sucker for magic. Yet every time you’d ask, I would tell you over and over again to simply follow your heart, and the magic would work itself out. And lo and behold, you’d return every time with a smile on your face and a tale about how you wooed her with dancing flower beds or cotton candy clouds or even luminescent waterfalls with rainbow colors. I believe you were happiest when you two were together.”
Discord was day dreaming though the stallion’s tale. Every wonderful memory with the princess came flooding back to Discord. He remembered the fields of tall grass they’d frolic through and the waterfalls they’d sit behind, the skies they’d fly through and the forests they’d hike in, he even remembered the times they’d run around the castle playing hide and seek. Discord’s eyes were half closed and he bore a warm smile. He hadn’t felt that way in years.
“Which is why I can imagine your pain… that fateful day…” His smile turned into a frown. His eyes widened only to glare at the figure in anger.
“She rejected me… She hated me! She said she didn’t love me!” he shouted. Discord removed himself from the throne and charged at his father while yelling. “How could she do that to me? I… I loved her! And she turned me away! She doesn’t love me, no pony does! Not even my parents loved me!” Tears rolled down his cheeks as he roared with anger. He picked up the stallion with his magic and looked straight into his amber eyes.
“She did love you, Atlas,” he said in a calm voice. “They all did. Your parents did, I did and Tia loved you most of all. How could you possibly believe you were not loved?” Discord lowered his father and moved backwards, his gaze still full of rage and pain.
“If you remember so much, then tell me, old pony. Why did she reject me? Why did she say it was not meant to be?” The figure hanged his head and sighed. Discord could tell he wouldn’t like the answer and prepared himself for the worst.
“She did love you, Atlas. She wanted to be with you, really. But… her father…” Discord’s eyes flared. He didn’t need to hear anymore. He knew why.
“He never liked me… he wanted me gone. Every day I spent with his daughter made him hate me more. Why did he hate me!?” he shouted.
“He didn’t hate you, Atlas. He was thinking of his kingdom. He knew the ponies wouldn’t accept you… a-as their king.” Discord’s eyes flared at his father. Before the figure could say another word he was picked up by the throat and lifted high in the sky.
“You mean I can’t be loved because I’m like this!?” he shouted, pointing out his Draconequus form. “Because I’m a FREAK!?” He threw his father across the spire and into an onyx pillar. His hood fell off, revealing a light blue unicorn with a copper mane and a tuff of hair on his chin. His amber eyes cracked open to look into Discord’s.
“I-I’m sorry, m-my son…” he coughed out, trying to regain his breath. “I-I tried… b-but you can redeem yourself. T-Tia still loves you, Atlas. B-But you must give up on this… this folly!” he croaked out as he panned his hoof over the land.
“I-If you continue this… y-you will never be with her… s-she will never wish to speak with you. Please, Atlas! Stop this before she gets here.” Discord froze in place.
“What did you say?” The stallion’s eyes grew wide as he realized his mistake. Before he could say anything, Discord began to channel a spell which left the pony writhing in pain. “You were stalling, weren’t you? You were preoccupying me long enough so I wouldn’t escape her wrath! You… You…!”
“Stop!” shouted a voice from the distance. Discord ceased his spell casting and looked around frantically. His gaze fell upon two alicorns standing side by side with their backs to his throne. It was Tia and Luna. Discord couldn’t stop staring at Tia’s divine rose hair and her violet eyes which burned his soul. He didn’t know whether to be happy, sad, angry or scared.
“T-Tia?” he whispered. “I-Is it really you? H-Have you returned to me?”
“Not to you, Discord.” He cringed at his false name. “For you. Both of us have. We’ve come to put an end to your reign.” Discord was stricken with sorrow.
She… she’s here to end me?
“T-Tia… I… I can explain…”
“Save your breath, Discord. You cannot talk your way out of this.” Discord’s eyes began to water. He wasn’t facing the mare he knew and loved. He was face to face with a princess, with authority, with order… with his doom.
“T-Tia… Please? I… I-I’m sorry.”
“Nothing you can say now will change my mind, Discord.”
“But Tia… I-It’s me… Atlas.” Luna’s eyes widened. Discord wasn’t expecting that, nor was he expecting to call himself Atlas.
“Sister, perhaps he’s not who we think he is. Perhaps Atlas has returned.” Tia glared harshly as her sister.
“Do not be fooled, sister. Atlas is dead. Discord ensured that. He is no longer my love.” With that, Discord fell to his knees sobbing. His love, Tia, had made the ultimate rejection.
Father was right… I… I’ve lost her, and it’s all my fault!
“Good bye, Discord.” He snapped his head up with swollen red eyes at Tia. He didn’t know what to do. Out of panic he tried to fly away but he was stopped by a pain that was unimaginable. It came from his tail. He looked down and saw it turning into stone.
“Tia! Please don’t! Nooo-aaahhh!” Discord was silenced. He fell to the earth with a loud thud and became cold. He could no longer see. He could no longer feel. At first he thought he was dead, but realized he could still think. Only one thought roamed his mind. Two words that would haunt him for the next thousand or so years:
I’m sorry…
~~~~~
Princess Tia ran to the fallen stallion. He wasn’t moving and his breathing was very soft. Princess Luna followed her sister, but was not in as much a hurry. Tia kneeled down to the pony and started to shake him with her fore-hoof.
“Star Swirl… Star Swirl, are you alright? Star Sw- Ah!” she shouted out of shock. Luna came up behind her sister and gasped at the sight of Star Swirl the Magician.
Before the two mares lied an old weathered down pony. His copper hair had turned silver and his tuff of chin hair had become a full grown beard. He had bags under his eyes and wrinkles all over his face. He began to squirm and moan in agony. Slowly, his eyes opened to the sight of the two princesses.
“T-Tia? L-Luna? I-Is that you?” he asked in a shaky voice. Strangely enough, his voice remained relatively the same as it was before his transformation. The alicorns looked at each other then back at Star Swirl.
“Um, Star Swirl? I-I think Discord did something to you,” Luna said.
“What, Luna? What did he do?”
“Star Swirl… You… You’re old. He must have aged you.” Star Swirl’s eyes widened. He lifted his head and looked into the onyx pillar behind him. He could see himself within the reflection and sighed.
“It’s alright, dears. I-I can reverse it. Tell me, what happened to Atlas?”
“He’s dead, Star Swirl,” Tia said bluntly. “But Discord is right over there, frozen in stone.” Star Swirl turned his gaze to the statue of his son behind the alicorns. He forced himself up and ran to Atlas, only to trip on his aged legs and fall onto his son’s frozen body. He began to weep at the sight of his preserved son.
“Oh son… I… I’m so sorry… I should have tried harder… I should have saved you twenty years ago… when you ran away.” He placed his forehead on Discord’s statue and began to cry. Luna felt sympathy for Star Swirl and bowed her head in respect. Tia, on the other hand, did not show such respect.
“We should destroy this statue, Luna.”
“No!” Star Swirl shouted. “He is my son! You will not kill him!” He hugged the statue in defense, as if he could take Tia on in his weakened state.
“He has to pay for his crimes, Star Swirl. He deserves whatever punishment we give him.”
“Then keep him stone. That’s punishment enough. Just please… don’t hurt him… he’s already been hurt enough.” His eyes were swelling with tears. Luna began to mimic Star Swirl as her eyes began to water, too.
“Sister, I agree with Star Swirl. We cannot stoop to his level. He can remain in the gardens close by. We can keep an eye out on him. Just please, Tia? For Star Swirl’s sake?” Princess Tia turned her gaze towards the ground. She agreed with her sister regardless of how much she hated Discord and decided that they were, in fact, not on his level.
“Very well, Luna. He can stay. But I want nothing to do with him. Discord can rot as a statue for all I care. Understand?” Luna nodded. Before she could say another word to her sister, Tia turned around and flew off towards the castle. Luna shook her head in disappointment and moved towards Star Swirl.
“Are you going to be okay, Star Swirl?” Luna asked. He lifted his head and wiped his tears off with his cloak.
“Y-Yes, dear. Thank you for defending Atlas. I know you two aren’t really on speaking terms, but understand this… Atlas is alive. He will come back, I swear it.”
“And what will you do? Now that’s you’re… you know?” Star Swirl got up and trotted to the edge of the spire. He gazed at the castle to the distance and the golden sky that began to rise.
“I will return, dear child. I will see what I can do about this curse, and I will try to find a way to save my son. Of course, I will also train Clover the Clever, but my mind will always be on a way to save Atlas.” He stopped at the rising of the sun and shielded his eyes. Luna walked up behind him.
“The dawn has come, Luna. And with it, the promise of a bright future… our future.”
Meanwhile, flying high above the sky was Princess Tia raising the sun. Her eyes were full of tears as she flew to the castle with her magic focused on the celestial body. She could not face her sister or Star Swirl anymore. She uttered one thing to herself before retreating to her chambers to lock herself away for the day:
“Good bye, love. I’m sorry…”
