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Unexpected Expectations [Complete]


RexDraco

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@DerpRavener

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At this hour Canterlot was like a graveyard. The silent streets were scarcely lit by the dim, magically powered lamps that lined the pavement. Murders of crows stalked about refuse bins looking for a snack while small herds of ponies, here and there, were bundled up ear to hoof and seemed the only who dared traverse the icy, cobblestone roads as the silvery light of the evening sky illuminated the ice sheets that endangered the morning deliveries. Winter was nearly set in place, the season occupied by ponies preparing for the Hearth Warming in the months to come.

 

At a corner, just outside a local bakery, a few ponies laughed and talked beneath the light of a corner lamp. The shadow of the grand, Canterlot Castle, loomed over the city with warranted authority. It's pristine, white walls were a tragedy to the artistically inclined. The piecing towers of gold produced a rainbow light upon sunrise that would break across the morning sky. Their voices were gushed as to not disturb the denizens of the nearby apartment complexes. Down the way were a few stone homes purchased by those well off, not a noble in sight as they occupied land closer to the castle and the more telling altitude along the mountainous territory.

 

Today a specter ripped across the streets. Through alleyways and across roofs. It's passing creating a whipping chill of wind that caused ponies to shiver and the murders to scatter. From the spectre ran a small being. Paws padded on the ground, sloppy and with little direction. It's body was soft, as if made of the finest velvet. Button eyes were as black as the coal used to stuff the stockings of naughty ponies. The small being passed through the streets, turning corners only to vanish and appear somewhere else. It was as if a Wendigo was at its heels, for whenever it had been, the shadowy creature appeared in a flash. 

 

The small creature came to stop on the property of a certain homestead. Much of its most was concealed by the shadows, but it couldn't escape it's hunter for long. From the dark a pair of red dots lit up, a paw pressing down silently as it stalked its prey. Raised a claw, tipped with deadly talons it moved in for the pounce. A squeak escaped the tiny prey. A magical glow surrounded it, which forced open a nearby window. Leaping through it slammed the window closed as the hunter lunged at it.

 

S L A M!

 

Spooling into a pile of packed snow the serpentine chimera of a demigod found himself tail deep in the pile, fuming. Smoke escaped the top of his head in annoyance, malting the pile in question. Discord hated the cold, and to find himself in such a situation made him cranky. He tried to open the window, but he was disbarred by the creature's own magic. Snorted he shook the snow from the top of his head, manifesting a cap and scarf. His mitt covered paw raised up to knock on the door, glove claws moving to cross with his retreating arm to cross it over his feathery chest.

 

"Well this is a fine predicament." He complained.

 

Inside the homestead the critter scurried off into the dark to hide.
 

 

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On 12/19/2016 at 1:59 PM, RexDraco said:

S L A M!

 

Inside the ground-floor apartment, in a bedroom just across the hall, a figure stirred in bed.  “...muh...five more minuzz...”  A yellow leg flopped over her head, brushing away an imagined irritant.  The sleeper rolled over.

 

Wait a minute.  Slim Chance's eyes suddenly snapped open.  Her roommate was out of town right now, and after the one time she invited some ponies over while she was asleep she resolved never to do so again.  So what had made the noise?  She sat up, and spent a minute listening while she rubbed the grogginess out of her eyes with a hoof.  She thought she heard a faint shuffling sound, but that could have just as easily ponies who lived above her, or the wind outside.  She couldn't see anything observably out of place, but she couldn't shake an eerie feeling.

 

Slim Chance threw off the covers and got out of bed.  As she stepped out into the hall, she wreathed her horn in a small, magical flame, which was enough to give her a bit of visibility.  She also appreciated, as she always did in winter, how her preferred light spell generated a bit of heat.  But that was neither here nor there.  She walked over to the window, where she thought the noise had come from.  Nothing seemed to be out of place.  Perhaps somepony from outside?  She opened the window to take a look...

 

Or she tried to at least, but the window was stuck.  Slim Chance frowned at this, and tried a little harder.  She was able to rattle the window a bit, but it wouldn't open.  She contemplated smashing it, but ultimately decided it probably wouldn't be worth the hassle of replacing it or explaining to Cryo just what happened to the window in the first place.  Besides, there was another readily available option: the front door.

 

Moments later, Slim Chance was rounding the corner of the building, which would have her arrive on the outside of the window, the light spell still glowing softly from her horn.  There was a creature of some sort there, though from her angle next to the wall it was somewhat obscured from a snowbank.  “...Hello?” she called out, not afraid, but a little uncertain.

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The spirit was becoming aggravated in the cold. For creatures with the ability to alter the temperature of their environment they seemed quite masochistic to drop the temperatures within their own environment. He tucked his forelimbs tight against his chest as his feathers tucked tight trying to keep him warm amidst the chilly crosswinds. Icicles seemed to be dripping from the ends of his antler's prongs, his shivering inducing a melodic chime that was reminiscent of the bells cruel foals sometimes tied to his tail, as if he were a delivery Caribou. They reminded him… his delivery from Ponyzon was late. He really despised the holiday season. Just like a scrooge.

 

Letting out a sneeze the icicles popped off his antler and clattered into the snow. The door cracked open giving the spirit hope of a moment of warmth, but he had to remember why it was he came here. In the dead of night no less. He wasn't one to really sleep much, or keep track of the days, but it was the thought that count, right? At least he wasn't leaving it for a good hundred years, only to return later, having forgotten about it. Oh boy did that cause a mess with the Plunder Seeds. Not that it was a terrible mess. He was more terribly distressed he had forgotten! All the fun he could have had!

 

A click was heard, the door opening finally. Behind the barricade was the distinct sensation of magic sparkling. Discord arched a brow, the scarf around his neck slithering out to raise up to his muzzle as it slowly transformed from one object, to the next.

 

Chhhee huuu. .  .  Chhhee huuu...

 

Heavy breathing could be heard, as if the air was being cute led through an apparatus of some sort. Standing at the door was the full height of the draconequus, give or take given his natural slouch. Though, as it was now, it was neither the form of a pony nor the familiarly peculiar shape of the chaos god. In a yellow suit made for heavy waste disposal and a mask made for breathing, the spirit had taken a costume that could be utterly terrifying in the middle of the night. In his rubber glove covered paw and claw he had a net, one designed for capturing rather elusive butterflies.

 

"Madam," he began, between that heavy breathing. "It seems your home has a pest that requires removing." He held up the net, only to vanish and reappear behind the unicorn. 

 

Now out of that silly outfit it was easier to see just who, or what, it was now invading her home. Well there was certainly a pest in front of -- behind her, but it was not the one the chaotic chimera of a draconequus mentioned. He floated towards the window and gave it a tap with his claw, face thoughtful, thoughts mindful of the situation he was now in. He lowered to the ground and settled on his hind legs, forelimbs crossing over his chest as a dire look came over his face.

 

"Yup, looks like you have yourself here a Spookius No-Good Plushicus loose in your place." He looked over to her. "A cursed doll." Oh, well that didn't seem all that -- what?!
 

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Slim Chance had seen a lot of things, for her age, but this...this was something else.  It was in fact a literal creature of myth standing before her now.  She would know, she'd read a few of those stories as part of her training.  Reading about him was an entirely different experience from seeing him in person however.

 

And none of the books mentioned the rubber suit.  It covered the creature head to toe- and it did in fact have toes, unlike almost everyone else in Canterlot- and it brought to mind the henchponies of the villains she'd reach about in the occasional pulp-adventure novel Slim Chance read.  She always thought that whenever that one professor wore such an armour.  That she'd seen such a thing once or twice before, meant she was more baffled than scared by Discord's current appearance.  So distracted was she that she didn't 

 

Not that it mattered for long, as only moments later Discord teleported behind Slim Chance, reverting to his usual appearance.  Slim whirled around, just in time for Discord to keep blathering on.  The words actually registered with the unicorn this time though, something about a 'cursed plush' in her house.

 

Hold up.  “Cursed plush?” Slim Chance voiced the question aloud.  Alright, strictly speaking this wouldn't be the first time a dangerous magic item had made it's way into the apartment.  This one wouldn't even be her fault!  There was still plenty wrong with this picture though.  She started to walk back towards the door, a cursed plush isn't something she'd just want to leave alone to run rampant.  That didn't stop her from asking questions of Discord along the way.  “How did it get into our apartment?  And why would you know that, anyhow?”

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He seemed nervous. Though the way his body was was built could be considered an oddity better displayed in an art gallery he still did manage to move with a clear and distinct emotions. Discord was many things and emotional was one. His paw and claw clasped together as his brows furrowed. The way his ears pinned back and head held low looked to take on a distressed state of emotion. The end of his tail twitched as he fidgeted about in the air. His hind legs were raised up, tucked against his body. The mare seemed to finally catch up on the situation and questioned his presence.

 

He poofed out, appearing on the ground. The flamboyant male held out his claw, bowing as his paw tucked behind him. "Pardon the late night intrusion. Prince of Chaos, Discord." He grinned. 

 

If she took his claw he would give it a vigorous shake, if not he would make a bit of a face before floating backwards. Hovering again he would hold out his paw and claw, sighing as his head turned away. That beast had to be around. Discord sighed and crossed his forelimbs over his lap. He looked to the mare.

 

"Alright, I'll be honest with you. I may or may not have cast a certain spell out of curiosity and lost control of the medium." He scratched at his cheek. "I was chasing it through the snow and it got into your place. You haven't felt weird have you? Like a curse has been placed on you. You don't have a desire to make the lives of ponies miserable?" Or was that him?

 

Pitter patter tap tap tap

 

The sound raced across the darkness followed by clattering dishes. Discord flinched and was suddenly behind the mare in catch all armor made of ordinary kitchenware, such as a fashionable sieve hat that allowed his horns to poke through and a flashlight in paw. His only weapon was a golf club. He waited a moment before standing and letting the outfit hold a moment. He cleared his throat.

 

"Right, well. As I was saying. Cursed. Probably should get some salt, a few walnuts and a crowbar. And not in that order." He promised.

 

Whatever it was it did not give off any magic, nor didn't seem to be easy to see in the dark evening. A doll seemed easy enough to find, right? It just seemed out of the ordinary, but wasn't that the definition of chaos? Though there seemed to be no time to awe in wonder of the majesty that was a demigod in your foyer. Another clatter.

 

"Oh dear, you don't have any sharp kitchenware, right?" Oh geez it didn't find a knife or anything, did it?

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Slim Chance was one of the few who had in fact known about Discord prior, making the introduction somewhat irrelevant.  It was still nice to have however, having only ready about the chaos spirit and his reform, this would be the first evidence Slim would see first-hoof that he actually was friendlier that his historical incarnations.  It also gave her a chance to get her bearings.  When Discord extended his claw, she offered her hoof in turn, after a moment.  “Uhh, Slim Chance,” she said, “and I've read a little of your...exploits.”  It was the best term she could think of for the tales she'd read in the history books.

 

With introductions out of the way, Discord cut right to the chase.  He was trying out some kind of spellcraft, when went wrong.  How does the lord of chaos lose control of magic?  Wouldn't 'losing control' only make him stronger?  Slim Chance had little time to consider these ideas before the next question was asked.  “Er...no, I've had curses before, and I'm pretty sure I'm not cursed now...”  She'd had training in this sort of thing as a matter of fact.  She was still a novice in that regard, but she had the basics down.

 

They'd been walking back toward Slim's home, when a distinctive pitter-pat could be heard from inside the doorway.  Slim Chance froze.  She didn't keep any pets, and her roommate wasn't home at the moment.  Just what was that in the house?

 

With a glance Slim Chance noticed that Discord was hiding behind her, wearing some...makeshift armour.  Apparently, she would have to lead the way if anypony were to.  She shot him a lopsided grin.   He did realize, than anything which could get the best of him would likely be more than a match for her.  “Ahh what's the big deal, it's just a little curse, right?  Shouldn't be too hard to take care of.”

 

She had just strode inside the building when Discord brought up knives.  That gave her pause.  “Well, we've got a kitchen.  And we make food sometimes.  So there's knives, and pots for that matter.”  Okay, so cursed object wielding a knife.  That would make things a little more complicated.  Still, not too bad with little preparation, right?  She disabled her light spell, as she prepped another, very different spell.  The rooms were dark, but a few candles were still lit, which Slim had done after she was suddenly woken up.  She crept into the building, watching the shadows for...actually what was she looking for?  “Say,” she said to her companion, who she hoped was still behind her, “what does this thing we're hunting look like, anyways?”

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Ever the showpony: Discord liked making a grand entrance, but on this chilly night his entrance was more an omen than a sign a pony was to win the lottery. Unless that lottery was in creepy cursed dolls, it wasn't an event one could find pleasure in. To say the spirit was troubled was an understatement. His greeting was meant to diffuse a situation that could be volatile. Not many points were so relaxed be being solicited by the god of chaos at the dead of. Night concerning a chance to hunt cursed artifacts. It was a chilling reminder that reformation wasn't easy!

 

There would be bumps along the way, to be sure.

 

He fluffed up a bit at the mare's comment. Him? "Well I am rather famous, though there were a few scandals here and there in my time, I've come to do right by them. Who would have known hurting ponies with violence was the same as mentally manipulating them and ruining the fabric of their reality in a vengeful fit." he laughed and slapped  knee other his paw, claw over is stomach as his sides all but split in laughter, though he quite literally split in half, at the self induced hysteria as he rolled around mid air. 

 

Pulling himself together he listened to the pony's introduction. If not for the pattering pitters to nearly frightening him out of his fur Discord would have easily gone  over the fence with his tirade. He looked to Slim chance, ears pricking up beneath the sieve. "Well aren't we a brave little pony." He transferred his sieve helmet to her head with a spark of magic. "Giving it any sort of advantage may be troublesome. We just got done reading a most frightful book about dangerous dolls and I think they've taken a liking to the idea." Though it was likely more complicated than Discord was letting on.

 

Discord stood on his hind legs, turning to describe the doll. In the kitchen the ten inches in height, easily fit into his manticore's paw. It had grey skin, patch worked by age and wrinkly by the nature of its bean-filled belly. It was shaped like a pony, or a very disgruntled mule, quote hard to tell given its near featureless form. If not for the little horn sewn into the center of its head the fact it was designed after a unicorn would have been missed! Its mane was little more than single coils of off-green yarn with a blue ribbon to indicate it's femininity. Black, button eyes gave it a hollow look. It's muzzle was stitched along to give the appearance of a mouth, but there was an unsettling comparison to a whispering fiend.

 

"I may have miscalculated the advantages of giving a doll life independent from my magic." He admitted sheepishly.

 

With a clatter the doll's direction became clear. It was in the hallway leading towards the bedrooms!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/30/2016 at 11:17 AM, RexDraco said:

"Well I am rather famous, though there were a few scandals here and there in my time, I've come to do right by them. Who would have known hurting ponies with violence was the same as mentally manipulating them and ruining the fabric of their reality in a vengeful fit."

Slim Chance raised an eyebrow at Discord, and stared openly at him for a moment.  Part of that was a mild shock at how casually he could talk about ruining a pony's well being or sanity.  Even if she knew, rationally, that creatures like him were so dangerous precisely because they viewed ponies as toys or insects rather than thinking feeling beings, it was still a very blatant expression of such a stance.  Meanwhile, the other part of her was just as surprised to hear what sounded like an honest to goodness attempt at reform, even if it still sounded like a work in progress.  Who would have thought an eldritch creature like Discord could be convinced to behave?  The concept alone boggled the mind.  The fact that he seemed to be making the attempt at all was perhaps something not thought about too deeply, then.

 

Which was just as well, Slim Chance supposed, as they had other things to worry about at the moment.  Perhaps not bigger, but certainly more immediate.  Discord reminded her of such when he magicked the sieve from his head to hers, and explained a little more.  Apparently he'd been reading a book on curses applied to objects, and thought it would be a good idea to try it himself.  Slim Chance considered a few snarky responses, but settled on something a little more diplomatic.  “Well, you wouldn't be the first not to realize giving life to things is a bad idea.”  She grinned at him.  “I have some books to lend you once we've sorted this mess.”  Just because most of them were fiction didn't mean one couldn't learn a lesson.  Slim Chance turned forward again, and started cautiously advancing toward where she thought the doll was, and taking a moment to remove the sieve and set it down.  She needed that to eat later, and now she'd have to wash it out.  “I should be fine though, I've got a knack for dealing with unlikely situations.”

 

Slim Chance didn't make it far before there was a clatter of falling dishware, followed by the pitter-patter of little fabric hooves scurrying along the ground.  It sounded like it was heading towards-

 

“MY ROOM!” Slim Chance cried out, and suddenly abandoned any sense of caution as she galloped down the hallway in a desperate attempt to give chase.

She was too late.  There was a strange sort of humming, whooshing noise as two diametrically opposed magics connected with one another, and unleashed a wave of energy which warped the walls, causing cracks to appear on the walls of her room specifically.

 

A crash could be heard as the doll was catapulted through a window, and out into the night.

 

Slim Chance herself was flung backwards, down the hall, and colliding with the far end in an ungainly heap.  Tumbling through the air had left her dazed, with her back making a slight dent in the wall, and her rear hooves dangling above her head.  She couldn't tell what happened to Discord.

 

She sat there a moment, slowly recovering her wits.  “...Anypony get the number of that train?”

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It was often the problems with creatures who had spent milestone after milestone in isolation from the finite being. In a sense the chaotic harbinger had been around countless species, through countless lifetimes, but this has perhaps been the first where he stayed bound by a base desire: revenge. Envy, jealousy, and his foalish, spoilt nature had come about due in part to never being denied, never having an equal in mind and power to match him, to question him. The other part was born of a creature with phenomenal cosmic powers and no place to use them beyond his own amusement. While chaos did balance itself in a way, he may not have had anypony to balance him in a long time. Who was the Harmony before this? The cumulated loneliness was a feeling so vile that he stooped to the seediest and most unkind acts to exert his superiority over a race who was still, comparatively, so young.

 

In his current state, one could be assured the spirit of chaos was reformed, but he would never openly admit his defeat. Not yet. He did hate losing games. His heart was still scaled over with the remnants of his anger. Dreams of grandeur and conquering Equestria, if only to win his game, still perverted his dreams. He was a beast tamed by the temptations if camaraderie. Diluted was his tempter with the threats of isolation. So bold was he to alter the world, but gently so he did as to not disrupt the essential fabric of pease that has kept Equestria standing for so long. At least the illusion of peace. Once the wheels of chaos began to then not even he knew where they would stop.


His ears pinned back at the comment. Spinning around he let a jackcoat of red hand from his shoulders, boasting black pants and a shirt beneath. A sleeve of armor laying over his paw's limb. "Well pardon me for lacking the expertise needed to being life to inanimate suits of armor." He protested, transforming back. 

 

Though in this case it was a doll. Lucky nothing as cumbersome and frightening as a suit of armor! Slim Chance declared her expertise with such matters, causing a grin to paint over his his muzzle. How delightful. This may be fun, mistake aside. The mare suddenly took off running, as if her tail was lit on fire. Feeling no sense of urgency, though arose the question of Discord's capacity when it came to feeling anxiety or any form of distress at the same moment, he floated after the unicorn, ears pricked forward. He opened his jaws to speak only to lock up when a distorted blast of magic erupted from the room.

 

The spirit threw up his paw and claw, eyes wide and fur raised. "It wasn't me!" He irresponsibility declared. 

 

Though on some, cosmic level it was totally his fault. The spirit was blasted back, uselessly flapping his wings to maintain thrust! Of course he used too much so when the blast died down he flung forward and hit the doorframe of the bedroom. He stood up from the ground in a train conductor's uniform, the classic overalls with blue and white pinstripes along the fabric. "Well, about time to hit that ol' dusty trail." He looked at his pocket watch, gears bouncing clear out, clattering to the floor.

 

He reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out a long whistle. He would float over Slim Chance and inhale deeply before letting out a sharp tweet. Letting the vestments on question vanish he would look towards the broken window, the chilly winter air cutting through his thin fur. Once again he let his cap and scarf appear over his head and neck. Breed too chilly. 

 

"I think we've got a situation." Now it was outside, instead of in. With a knife. "Get back here!" He shook his fist as the doll hobbled away with weapon in tow. That wasn't good! "What did you dooo?" He begged the mare in horror, holding strong to an innocence that was not there.

 

Floating out the window his hind legs supported him as he set upon the snowy ground. Well at least they had its pod prints, the doll being heavier with the knife so easy to track! It looked to be heading towards the park. If there was one warning to maintain in life it was to never go to the woods, park, or anyplace with more trees than pony. What choice had they now? That was a bit frightful.

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Slim Chance's return to consciousness was celebrated by a whistle blaring right in her ears.  In ordinary circumstances she might have been annoying, but these were probably the least ordinary circumstnaces she could think of at the moment barring...actually, now that she thought about it she couldn't come up with anything stranger off the top of her head.  Besides, they had bigger issues at the moment, and as much as the noise hurt Slim Chance would soon be thankful that the shock to her senses was enough to get her moving again.  For that however she needed to be fully awake once again.

 

Slim Chance stood up with a jolt.  “Wha-ha!” she cried out, as she whirled around a few times.  Then she recollected what just happened, and spent a moment regaining her composure.  If there was one thing the Society had impressed upon her above all others, it was that panic almost never made things better.  When she recovered, she ignored the chaos spirit for a moment and jogged over to her room.  Inside was a reinforced backpack, laying knocked over with a few of its contents, little plates of metal or rock with runes engraved on them, strewn about the floor.  Several of them glowed or hummed, and if you stuck your ear right next to a few of them you might even hear faint chanting.  They seemed to be intact, though Slim Chance supposed the damage would have been much more extensive and obvious had one of the runes detonated.  She let out a sigh of relief.

 

On 1/8/2017 at 10:21 PM, RexDraco said:

"What did you dooo?"

Slim Chance finally started noticing Discord again.  “Me!?” she snapped back at him, “speak for yourself mister 'I animated a killer doll and lost control of it'!”  She scowled at Discord for a moment, before blinking, taking a breath and regaining her composure again.  All things considered, even if Discord was the main cause of this, it seemed far less deliberate than his previous exploits.  And really, it wasn't as though she hadn't done anything that turned out like this.  “Sorry, sorry.  I think being tired and property damage are a bad mix.”  She stared at the backpack for a moment, before deciding the runes might actually be worth carrying, if they could react to the doll.  Maybe they could be used to corral it, if things came to that.

 

Slim Chance explained as she put the runes into the backpack.  “We just got back from an expedition.  I'd been holding onto some of the more volatile things we found for safekeeping, until they could be properly categorized and put away.”   She looked forlornly at the cracks in her bedroom wall.  “I guess this is how that turned out.”  She shook her head, and now that the bag was once again filled she put it on.  If nothing else, with the window broken it would be safer to take them with her than to leave them here.

 

Discord had already floated away- quite literally floated away, she saw as she glanced up- by the time she had finished packing the runes up.  Slim Chance contemplated following him out through the window, but thought better of it.  Unlike him she couldn't just swim through the air, and there was no point taking the risk of broken glass when there was a perfectly good front door to get through.  It did require a little running, but running was something she was used to.

 

Discord was already following the doll's tracks, although he appeared a little hesitant.  It was unusual seeing a creature with Discord's reputation so spooked, but that was something she could ask him about later.  For the moment, they had a task.  And by looking at him, Slim Chance could believe that he actually might need or want the help.  She stepped up next to him and smiled.  “Ahh, I'm sure it won't be so bad.  C'mon, we have a doll to find, before anypony gets...seriously hurt.”  Keeping a wary eye on the trees around them, Slim Chance strode forward.

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He had tried an unusual spell out of curiosity, and no cats had been injured this time around! There was a sense of wonderment that came with owning a doll as long as he did, as did an interest in its collected growth. He has had that doll a while, much longer than he could recall not having it. He was not sure if that in itself was just a mesh of idle negligence in his own passing days. He wanted to know it's experiences, a toy burdened with time. In truth the possible memories gathered on it could be more than any ordinary foal's toy experienced in its lifetime, wear and tear usually shredding them up by the second or third generation. There was something about them that allowed those memories to become feelings that comforted it's owner, memories given to them by the owner prior. It was a myriad of contrary possibilities he sought to attain. But it came with an unexpected price.

 

The mare snapped at him, causing him to reel back a bit. He wasn't one much for conflict so her reaction was a bit -- startling to say the least, especially in the dead of night. At such an hour, while not totally silent, it was devoid of the early day cacophony of bustling ponies and wild chatter. Hoof traffic comes to a near standstill and the stars that light up the streets are always accompanied by the daring silver moon that watches over the streets as far worse entities seem to play on the edges of shadows, using the darker cover of night to shield their more nefarious activities. He watched her face twisted up in a disapproving scowl, causing him to sheepishly grin and shrink a bit. It was not as if he had done such a thing on purpose! But he also didn't calculate the many variables that could easily turn the venture into a misadventure. 

 

She apologized and began to explain her situation, and the cause for the explosion. It was good to know the doll wasn't actually capable of something so discreditable, but that did not mean it hadn't other informal skills that the spirit had not meant for it to gain in its animation. he zipped out to chase after the doll when she seemed to calm. While she lamented the need for a new window pane the spirit had already set forth to stalk after the critter. Hoof and talon hobbled through the mounds of snow before he reached the somewhat cleaner edge of the cobblestone street. His hesitation to follow was mostly of braving the cold at such an hour, but twice over -- if it really was 'alive' did that mean it know his secrets? His habits? Well none of that mattered because he had none of those! Hardly, what was concerning was that it had a very violent response to Discord, not once, but twice. Were any of its memories 'good'? 

 

The duo would have made their way to the park with little trouble, but that warning caused Discord's face to scrunch up. "After it escaped me, broke into your place and is now brandishing a knife..." He counted off on his paw's digits, looking over to her with an exaggerated expression of suspect, he manifested a pipe that blew bubbles and a bowler cap as he presented a wholly fake Trottingham accent. "My dear Sherlock, can you be sure? The evidence seems overwhelming --" He sent away the props and used a normal voice. "It is pretty aggressive already." He pointed out.

 

As they walked it seemed a few trees had 'slash marks' just at about its height. The doll's little podprints seemed to lead into the park's main area where a few benches were positioned around a fountain, which had been shut off for the night. The lamp posts were dimly lit, some having lost their glow for some reason or another. The doll did seem to have an aggressive streak, but it was mostly out to hunt the spirit of chaos himself. Since Discord woke it up hours prior it had been Tartarus-bent on scaring the spirit out of his feather coat. It seemed to be reenacting conflicts from the past, though wether they were Discord's or not was yet to be revealed. In fact the park began to take a very different shape. Instead of wood benches, now sat old tree stumps, the landscape shifting as they were bubbled into a very unfamiliar zone of magic.

 

Discord froze. "Ooooh well this is not good." It looked very much like the Great Leota Forest, a place they definitely were not.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The changes to their environment were subtle enough that someone like Slim Chance, who had never particularly focused on detecting and understanding magic, didn't pick up on them right away.  As well as watching and listening for the runaway doll, she was also listening to Discord babble on.  Animated as he was, she couldn't quite tell what Discord was getting at, so she made an educated guess.  He was commenting on the 'not so bad' comment of hers.

 

Slim Chance replied without looking at him, keeping as much attention on her surroundings as she could without outright ignoring the draconequus.  “Alright, so I broke the first rule of adventuring, which is to never actually say things are going well, or ask if things could get worse.  But it's already a cursed doll.  It's not like a knife make it more dangerous than it already was.  So, we should basically know what it can do, right?”

 

Slim Chance froze, realizing to her sudden horror that she actually had no idea what this curse did.  She looked at Discord.  “We do know what it can do, right?”  She felt stupid for not asking this sooner, now that she'd thought of it.  For one, it might have made the thing easier to deal with, but more than that she just ran after the thing without knowing anything about what it did.  “Umm, what exactly was the curse supposed to do?”

 

Now that she had finally stopped moving, Slim Chance noticed the subtle changes in their surroundings.  Having never been there herself, at least not in the right context, she didn't recognize the place the park was slowly starting to imitate, but she could tell this was not how the park was supposed to look.  She started to hear a faint thrum as the runes in her backpack were interacting somehow with the magic that permeated the air, though she didn't have the expertise that could let her tell how.  Slim Chance wondered if it had been a bad idea to bring them with her, but it was too late to worry about that now.  She was committed.  “We're gonna need a bigger boat,” she muttered to herself, as she looked at her surroundings with wonder and concern.

 

The faint, distant sound of something scraping against bark drew Slim Chance's attention forward.  There it was!  She almost started chasing after it, but held off at the last second.  If were any preparations she could make, she wanted to make them.  Still looking forward, she whispered to Discord.  “You're by default the local expert on this thing.  Any idea what we should do about it?”

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The environment took the appearance of the Leota Forest. Tall oaken trees hundreds of years old grew tall, creating a dense canopy that allowed little natural light through. The forest had compensated by growing glowing moss and fungi that created an eerie luminance mixed between alien blues and greens unnatural when compared to the whitening of Celestia's warm sun. The soils were worn with trodden paths bore between trees and around stones by critters crossing, undisturbed, in their daily lives. Grasses were tall, rich and untamed, reaching to the belly of an average sized pony, tickling shoulders with insects hidden beneath the blades: chirping and singing songs of yore in the hauntingly blustery air. The ghostly whisper of wind crawled down from the nearby mountain range, creating an enclosed environment of many seasons.

 

In one space one would suffer fog, but stepping hoof into a clearing would ring in the heat of summer, while just down a hill a big was lamenting spring. The wintry bite of snow and ice threatened the base of the mountain climb, housing only the sturdiest critters. All in all the forest was all encompassing and created a biome that drastically contrasted the Everfree's dark woods. Some would have you believe it is in due cause due to the contained and quarantined magical scar on the outskirts created by Discord himself in the long past that did to pervert the energies in the forest. While contained and without access to the average pony, it is said that it effects the natural state of the forest.


But what had gave reason for this place to be specifically created?

Present day there were a great deal of mysteries within the Leota forest. It was a place few ponies dared to tread and where the very gates of Tartarus slept. Many critters rove the forest, but its most deadly resident was one of the most elusive of beings in Equestria. Even if it was an illusion: they still proved to be nightmare fuel. It was ominous and perhaps the sole reason it had selected such a venue as its stage.

He looked to Slim Chance, perking his ears as she declared the cardinal rules of adventuring were broken. "Oh well I am sure we'll be fine. It isn't as if we weren't just enclosed into a temporal space by a cursed, knife wielding doll." The smug noodle turned his head away as he manifested a canvas pack with a rolled sleeping bag and other essentials hanging from it: like socks and a paddle with a red, rubber ball hanging from a string! Only the finest of hiking gear!

Look at Slim, asking the big questions! Discord canted his head and tapped his chin. Though he called it a curse, it had not been cast to intentionally do harm! He would never want to cause his friends harm. Far from it! If anything he just wanted to play! 

"Well I enchanted the doll in hopes it could perhaps play a game using the memories it's collected spending time with me." He would have shown his friends! "A bit of a curiosity, and it started off well mannered, but slowly became more ornery. I was starting to think it was becoming a Cragadile!" He was suddenly wearing a tan collared shirt and shorts with matching boots, depicting those stereotypical sorts who wrestled dangerous critters for a living.

While enchanting items was no parergon of his, had had taken a whack at it. As per Discord flair it went completely awry! Discord blinked when the pony suddenly took off. He vanished and appeared above her when she slid to a stop. Him? A local expert? He did always want one of those shows where he could mouth off and tell ponies what to do! He stroked his beard as he dangled in the position. As such the doll cackled and scampered away in their dallying.

"Well as far as I know it has my memories. The only memories of the forest I have are of practicing my magic here." He seemed stumped, face twisting up.

In the distance there was a rushed galloping, but those were no hooves. All around trees shook, leaves molting from the branches. There was an ominous feeling, like eyes watching the pair. Suddenly the trees were forced apart when Cerberus rushed out, reigned and muzzled like a beast. On its back rode the doll. Cerberus was generally good in their temperament, but being lassoed suddenly sent it into a blind fury. Snarling and drooling all over the place the doll would pilot the three headed guard dog toward the pair.

"Oooh… I walked Cerberus once. His owner didn't like that." It seemed a common theme of chaos…


They should probably run.


 

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  • 3 weeks later...

After explaining why he made the cursed doll, which was a dangerous combination of curiosity and boredom particularly in such a being, Discord theorized that the doll was working off of his own memories implanted in it.  As his only memory of this place, or at least the one it was supposed to represent, was of practising magic that could be just about anything.  Slim Chance wanted to inquire further, either to try to jog Discord's memory or so that she had a little more information to work with, but by the sound of things that line of inquiry wouldn't bear any fruit.

 

Slim Chance didn't have to ponder the issue for long.  The thunderous sound of the pawfalls of a large creature, initially distant and but rapidly getting closer, quickly took all of her attention.  She paused, as Cerberus stomped into view, with a crude muzzle fastened around it's head and the cursed doll riding on its back.  Given the snarling, Slim Chance could only assume it was none to pleased with the current state of things.  “What are the odds...” she muttered to herself, and then laughed nervously.  Discord as always was ready with a strange, tangentially related remark.

 

Slim Chance wanted to inquire further, but Cerberus gave them no more time, and charged.  Slim Chance got moving just in time, darting out of the way just as the muzzle came crashing into the dirt right where she had been standing.  The muzzle prevented its jaws from opening, but the impact alone would more than do the job should Cerberus land an attack.  Slim Chance didn't have time to look back, and thus could neither keep track of the creature or check on her companion.  Though admittedly she wasn't too worried about the latter, as the relatively ordinary pony she would be in far more danger than the chaos spirit.

 

After weaving through the trees for close to a minute, Slim Chance heard Cerberus' paws grow a little more distant, and a little slower paced.  She'd gained some ground, and while it wouldn't last long it would be enough.  Slowing down to a jog herself gave her an easier time casting a quick spell on herself, and a moment later she ran straight up the nearest tree, the spider-climb spell keeping her adhered to the bark in a way no hooves could ordinarily manage.

 

Slim Chance stopped at a high branch, finally taking a breather and thinking, hoping that Cerberus couldn't climb.  It seemed to work, for the moment at least.  Cerberus could still be heard running around the base of the trees, but she had at least a moment before the oversized canine picked up on her location.  With her moment to thing, she came up with an idea.  It was a terrible idea, but she had a knack for terrible ideas, and making them work.  If the source of Cerberus' aggression was the doll riding it, knocking the doll off would hopefully help calm him down.  Failing that, it would at least make an extra target to further divide the canine's attention.

 

Slim Chance was pretty sure she'd need Discord's help to pull it off though, and she'd lost track of him in the chaos.  She smiled at that, here they were it what was supposed to be his element and yet he didn't seem to know what to do.  But no matter, now Slim needed him.  She called out as loud as she dared, which worked out to a stage whisper.  “Discord!  I have an idea, but I'll need help to make it work!”

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Sometimes there was a limit on just how reckless one could be. Discord was one to oft cross that line. Being that he was a being of the highest chaos, master and demi god of the element itself, there were simply points in his consorting with ponies could go awry. To him they seemed minor errors that would prompt a titter from his posh neighbor. Barely a drizzle on a spring morning. No this was, perhaps, more than rather: a consistent equivocation of his very existence. While he was capable of understanding the obstacles ponies had to face on the regular, he also could not conceive their inability to firmly reject their reality and substitute it for a more pleasurable truth. But would such make the truth a lie or lies a truth?

 

Perhaps not even the most enlightened monk could decipher the nature of chaos and it's vices. "I'm not a gambling pony, but if I had to wager on the proprensity for occurrences to occur… the probability is the chance of occurrence divided by the times it can occur… forty-two." It was probably good not to ask where he came up with that number. He was sure to have carried after multiplying.

 

As the snarling visage of the three headed hound could put any pony to pasture. While generally mild in its nature to have been thrust from its place of rest for the games of a chaos spirit's pleasure were too much. But the question did stand: was all of this but a reflection of a long forgotten memory or was the doll acting out a forgotten agenda? The doll itself, upon a closer glance, seemed to be wearing an armored hat and carrying a jousting spear in its paw. The muzzle seemed to be used as a rein. If these were memories and Discord had fully admitted to 'walking' the three headed hound without permission...

 

Perhaps what Discord said was walking was actually…

 

The hound tackled the ground. Unlike Slim Chance's valiant and heroic dodge, the chimeric chaos god was hardly such. He looked up as a shadow came down upon him, followed by the unyielding form of the black-furred guard dog. The spirit's ears sunk against his head as his eyes widened comically and his pupils shrank.

 

B L A M !

 

The ground shook and dust billowed everywhere. Naught was it given a chance to clear before the doll rode the guardian towards Slim's direction. The canine was pulled to a trot when the pony was lost in the dense trees. When the ground cleared Discord was nowhere to be seen. The mare's voice carried out from the woods, the spirit's ears perking as he looked down from the branch he was dangling from with his tail. His brow arched, forelimbs crossed over his chest at the humiliating disregard for his safety. And to think he sewed the doll by paw! He shrugged, a slingshot appearing in front of the mare with a single pellet shot for ammo.

 

"You know I would like to go on record saying that this isn't my idea." And usually terrible ideas were.

 

Either he has the same idea and wouldn't admit to it... or he knew what she was thinking… Well that regard he would have likely given her a slingshot regardless of her idea because he was fortunate to have a similarly bad idea, but it involved pelting the dog's butt and sending it into a rampage the doll couldn't control. But a means to an end, right? Luckily for them the woods were packed with trees. Given Cerberus' natural size his maneuvering was systematically impossible. He was a poor choice in ride given the limited movability.

 

Discord appeared on the ground, suddenly wearing a green vest and a matching bycocket. He plucked a feather from his arm and placed it in the cap's folds before a bow would appear in his paw and claw. He would draw back the string and aim towards the Tartarus guard.There seemed nothing notched on the string, but Discord was nothing else if not a showpony. He seemed to take serious aim before loosing the string. Whoosh! A gust of magic blew passes the canid, causing them to halt on the spot, screeching to a stop as his paws ground into the earth.

 

"Distraction ahoy!" He seemed a bit too skilled with that, but he was a gamesmaster! 
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Discord called out that the idea wasn't his.  Slim Chance, from her perch up in the tree, lightly bit her lip.  She wanted to call back to him, that it must be a first for him to not be the cause of something crazy.  But with effort she held her tongue.  Her plan would work much better with the element of surprise, and that would require Discord's comment to go unanswered.

 

Slim Chance had asked Discord to distract Cerberus.  At first, she didn't understand what he was doing in response to that, although she had it to admit it was nothing if not distraction.  He'd materialized a large bow, as well as a vest and hat that to Slim Chance had nothing to do with archery.  He also seemed to be missing his arrow.  Slim Chance couldn't decide which was more strange.  Undeterred, Discord let fly with his lack of arrow anyways, and it seemed to have the desired effect.  Cerberus skidded to a halt.

 

Though it wasn't quite ideal, as the large canine was several trees away from Slim's perch.  Fortunately she was able to spot this state of affairs when she did, and had just enough time to start scrambling and across the branches.  She had to line up her jump on the fly, stumbling once or twice and almost losing concentration on her grip spell, but she didn't dare slow down.  Fortunately Cerberus was too shocked to notice the branches she broke off, and when she was close enough and Cerberus was approximately beneath her, Slim Chance leapt.

 

She landed on the creature's back with a heavy thud, reactivating her spell to cling to it's side.  Though the spell was strained almost to it's limits when Cerberus whirled around looking for whatever hit it from behind, causing both Slim and the doll to need their full attention just to hang on.

 

Cerberus calmed down for just a moment when his efforts failed to dislodge either of the things attached to it.  Slim Chance saw the opportunity and took it, charging across Cerberus' back at the doll.  It was still orienting itself when she reached it, and lunged at the reins.  She missed, but clipped the doll, and they both tumbled down to the ground.

 

The doll rolled away, stood up and pulled the knife out of a scabbard (which hadn't been there the last time Slim Chance had looked) off it's back, and pointed the blade at the unicorn.  As Slim Chance stood up she spotted the knife, and for a brief moment froze in place.  She knew that knife.  “Hey!” she shouted, “I bought that, it's mine!”  She immediately wrapped the knife in her aura, and tried to pull it away from the doll which struggled to keep hold of it in turn.

 

A growl brought a pause to the tug-o-war.  In the heat of the moment both had forgotten where they were, and only now remembered that there was an angry, three-headed canine mere hoofsteps away.  For a moment, everything stood still.

 

Cerberus lunged.  The doll abandoned the knife to Slim Chance's grip as it darted away, just barely dodging the dog's attack.  Slim Chance wasn't quite so lucky.  She was able to dodge the crushing jaws, but she was clipped by its paws, which sent her tumbling deeper into the woods, as Cerberus itself crashed into a tree.

 

Slim Chance staggered upright, clutching her side.  She had only a moment before Cerberus would recover, which she used to gather the knife into her telekinesis once again, and then she staggered away.

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While the spirit could be attributed many wild acts of change and the shifting normalcy of dimensions: there were some things he was simply uninvolved in. It was a good thing Slim Chance had choose to stay her tongue. It was not for fear of harsh response, but it could have muddled their efforts and devolved then into chaos with the spirit likely choosing to defend his honor over acting. Both paths lead to a rather unexpected and discordant result, so neither one could be stamped out as a possibility in his position. Luckily he seemed eager to respond with a rather valiant display of unfamiliar heroism. Though had the mare a better relationship with the troublesome noodle she would have certainly regarded the reference with questions and allegations.

 

Cerberus' rampage, though more like a confused distress from the irregular ponies, caused the woods to rattle and shake. Some trees had been knocked clean whilst others held fast against the present agitators causing mayhem within their peaceful wood. At least peaceful upon compare to Everfree… nevertheless the target of the mare's assault had been found! The doll was thrown from its steed and took a defensive stance. All the while Discord ambled about trying to recall where it was they were. His claw's digits pressed to his chin, brows furrowed, as a thoughtful worry came to mind. While it was no crisis for him, Celestia would perhaps be unseen to hear that one of her ponies had been caught in such an unstable temporal vortex. 

 

Or a guard dog!

 

Cerberus had quite enough of their foolishness and having been spirited from his duty was not something on his list of to-do's. When the canine made to punish the interlopers, in particular Slim Chance and the doll, he did so with uncoordinated fury. Another tree took punishment for the clumsy, three-headed thought process. While it's paw-to-paw-to-paw-to-paw coordination was sublime, its decision of which target to drool viciously upon had been split down the middle leading them to their rather unfortunate meet and greet with the nearby spruce.

 

The spirit hesitated chasing after the doll, for Slim Chance's survival was a slight higher on his list (all considering he was a reformed citizen, even if not actually a citizen). He had a rather limited means of skills that were set for dealing with the irritated canine. It was perhaps the reason the original occurrence had ended with equal folly. Lessons were sometimes hard-earned for the noodle of chaos. Discord appeared upon Slim's retreating path to block Cerberus' attempt to haul after her. The hound looked horrified as Discord held out his paw. It soon became apparent as to what had the gigantic guardian flustered.

 

"Get back!" Discord demanded as he held his weapon pointed towards the dog. "I'm warning you!" To think this was what the great Cerberus feared, or was it the knowledge that Discord may use it...?

 

In his paw was a spray bottle, at full with the most abundant resource in Equestria: water. It seemed Cerberus was not keen upon being shamed and hesitated before the contraption of sudden water delivery! The canine barked, a low huffing sound that seemed to triple as all heads did to huff indignantly as the device. How dare the snake bare onto them such a weapon, one that only their master has gone to use!

 

Speaking of… the faceless Keyholder of the Gates of Tartarus would approach from the shadows. Never leaving their safety the three-headed dog would be retrieved, but not without some strict scolding being aimed towards the spirit. Even if Slim Chance were to look, the figure could only be identified as being there. It had no recognizable face, gender and even that existence was a questionable aspect. The words were garbled, like a mix of Olde Equestrian and some sort of magical speech. Or it could have simply been the distance the mare put between herself and Cerberus' approach.

 

Discord sighed. Paw and claw came to rest upon his hips as he stood upon his hind legs. "Well that was unpleasant to relive." His ears pinned back as he pondered the deeper meaning of it.

 

In the meantime, without a weapon, the doll took to sneaking behind the demigod of mischief in a most discreet disguise, primarily used by the great and hidden sect of movie ninja. The black robes did little to disguise them, but it hid well under the long shadow he cast. Its plan was simple. It would attempt to pounce Discord's tail and tie it in a knot. The environment became increasingly unsettling as the surrounding trees occasionally distorted and bent under the weight of time. Something was definitely off. They weren't in Equestria anymore... well at least in their correct time period…

 

It could be felt with any measure of sense. This wasn't right or normal. Was it really the doll or actually Discord's doing? An animated abomination that was the patchwork unicorn couldn't be only to blame. Did he know? Whatever the case the unstable anomaly would due to create other... inconsistencies. Some that seemed rather out of place. Another event took place near this region as well… in particular the Battle of Discord…
 

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  • 4 weeks later...

It took Slim Chance a few seconds to realize she wasn't being pursued anymore.  She made it a short distance away, before she finally noticed that Cerberus wasn't chasing after her any more.  She stopped, and listened.  The distinctive thumps of the canine's paws hitting the ground could no longer be heard.  Though something could, even if the unicorn couldn't quite make out the noise.  The combination of lack of immediate danger and a possible development was enough to get her to turn around, even if she was injured.

 

Slim Chance crept back in the direction she came, and froze when she saw it.  Discord was talking to...someone.  Or was that something?  She wasn't sure, though she supposed the difference was semantic in this case.  When it came to ephemeral figures floating in night, what they qualified as wasn't high on the list of immediate concerns.  She couldn't make out anything it was saying, its speech coming out muffled, like a crowd talking among themselves.  She didn't dare move, already worried her intrusion might shatter the moment.

 

Speaking of ruining moments, she wasn't the only one creeping about the sidelines.  Slim Chance noticed the doll, it too having recovered from it's escape, and now creeping up on it's creator.  She didn't know what the doll wanted to do, and for the briefest of moments was tempted to find out, but she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.  She pulled one of the rules from her backpack.  It was a shame to use it this way, but that was something to worry when the situation was a little more normal.  She took aim...carefully...carefully...and let fly!

 

A miss.  The rune sailed over the head of the doll, and landed with a dull thump on the tree a little ways  away from the three of them.  The doll looked up, freezing in place for a moment as it searched for where the projectile had come from.  It spotted Slim Chance.
Just in time for Slim's next toss, which landed square in the chest of now-upright doll.  The was a large crack of energy, arcing between the rune and the doll, before the latter was sent flying into the tree itself, stunned.

 

Slim Chance wasn't going to let it get away.  She was slowed down by her limp, grunting as she tried to gallop over, but the doll was thoroughly stunned.  It was just barely starting to move again when she made it over, and stomped a hoof on top of it.  It squirmed, until she held up the rune plate she'd recovered on her way over, and smacking it once for good measure.  “That's for stealing my knife!”  It was done, she'd caught the damnable thing.  She took a moment to pull the other rune out of the tree, then let out a ragged breath of relief.

 

And only then did Slim Chance look around, and notice the trees.  Were they still trees?  She could swear they were trees just moments ago.  Now they were...blurry.  She really wished she could have approached this a little better rested.  This was giving her a headache.  She looked to Discord, finally noticing him once again.  “Uhh...what...is...what do we do now?”

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  • 2 weeks later...

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The spirit held a petty resolve to avoid walking through certain, mimetic events of points in history that could never be changed. He didn't make a habit of revisiting old memories as it made it impossible to move forward. It was a nasty habit ponies seemed accustomed to and he was starting to think back to his days passed on and one, interfering in the harmony of other cultures. These days, if only to entertain his present company, he would recall past days and play old games they would have never been able to experience. He felt doing it just once would be enough, but when ponies enjoyed something they would do it again!

 

It let him play the same game, but he did well to change it up to keep it fresh. He wouldn't want become predictable or boring. What did this have anything to do with the doll? Well it has his past experiences and seemed to be using them to manifest this altered reality. They were times that were better forgotten. He wasn't the best at judging the limitations of mortals. Difficult as it may be he had come to gain some measure of self control. He didn't just turn ponies into squid at a whim and even gave them a chance to try and, at least, understand the rules of the game he set up.

 

But this was no game of his design. So it was just as wild a ride as it was perhaps for Slim. When. That faceless figure approached Discord found himself stock still in the face of that memory. He stood on his hind legs, forelimbs tucked against his chest as he felt himself at a loss for words. It was not sure to fear, but moreover … respect and awe for this walking embodiment of entropy. It was majestic in its design and it had been the first time Discord had seen something so amazing, at least until he happened upon the princesses. As the entity slowly drew away, leaving his memory the spirit stood with his paw and claw tucked against his feathered torso as he watched the distortions increase. How troubling. He could sense the pocket falling in on itself and if they were in here when it collapsed, well there was no telling how many millennia they would end up wandering about to find the exit. A day here easily equated to many more months out there. Time didn’t always flow forward.

 

His distraction was cut short. The rune had not only caught the doll’s attention, but it spooked the spirit who would puff up from tail to head as a shiver crawled up his spine. A second toss of the rune struck the doll and created a burst of energy that sent the doll careening from its place into a nearby surface, which no longer seemed to resemble any recognizable shape or form. In fact looking around it was clear that everything around them was starting to lose stability. Lowering to all fours, as Slim hurried over best she could with a limp, the spirit turned to spot the wobbly stuffed moppet who rubbed its head when it was clunked by Slim’s hoof. The elegant noodle sat back on his haunches as his claw reached over to pluck up the doll by its scruff, the thing flailing about as it lost its surface.

 

A surface which was quickly dissipating beneath their hooves (and in Discord’s case hoof and talon). “Oh dear.” The spirit stepped back, floating off the ground on instinct.

 

All around them everything was eaten away as the illusion was broken up. There was a queasy feeling, like being pushed too high on a swing. The world began to twist, deform, reform and push, while pulling. The sounds created by the distortion was comparable to claws grinding along a stony surface, the noise pushing into the pit of one’s belly as the boat was rocked. All around them the world was breaking apart. It seemed the doll had lost control of the space and it was crumbling. Crumbling surfaces was never a good sign.

 

Discord felt himself burp, pressing his paw to his muzzle. “Oh, pardon me.” He spat out his forked tongue, face twisting at the displeasurable taste. Discord looked around as a solid surface manifested beneath them leading to what looked like to be a light in the distance. “That way!” He called, floating along.

 

If they reached the end they would find themselves in the middle of the Canterlonian streets, knee deep in snow and with a very annoyed doll. At least -- it looked like Canterlot. The silhouettes of the buildings could be seen in the horizon. The snow was higher than it was before they left, much colder as well. Not a soul to be seen for miles, nor any lights could be distinguished leaving them in a near, pitch black environment. If not for the moon it would have perhaps been less haunting for all around them stood buildings looked desiccated and, for all intents and purposes, eaten away by time. The once white stonewalls were ashen and crumbling the ground around, tools of construction lay abandoned, buried in snow, forgotten. Silence all around them. Underhoof, what was left of pavement was consumed by foliage, creeping vines forcing their way up from the cracks and further shattering the icy surface, as rusted gates seemed to cage them in, blocking away the rest of the world.

 

Where were they?


When were they?

 

"I..don't think we're in Canterlot anymore." Discord noted as a pair of ruby slippers fell from his hold.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

It was over, they'd made it through the illusion, or pocket dimension or whatever it was.  The doll was captured, Slim Chance was happy to let it be Discord's problem rather than hers when the spirit took it from her, and they'd resolved whatever scenario they'd found themselves in, even if Slim Chance didn't understand what they'd solved or how they had solved it.

 

Although apparently solving it wasn't the end as the 'bubble', or whatever it was, began to collapse around them with a sound which made Slim think of grinding glass, leaving just a light a little ways away.  Discord summoned up a walkway for them, just in the nick of time as the ground itself cracked and faded into oblivion!  Slim Chance galloped despite the injury to her leg, the adrenaline and the urgency of the situation proving more immediate.

 

After several tense seconds, and a leap toward the end, they made it!

 

Though, the world on the other side was little more welcoming than where they just came from.  They'd arrived in the interior of a building, or at least what used to be one.  It was more of a shell now, existing in crumbling fragments of what was once surely a cozy structure.  Now it was wide open to the elements, and snow covered what should have been the floor.  Slim chance had to tell this from the feel of it against her hooves as she limped around, as the moon was the only thing giving them a meager light.  The streets themselves were dark.

 

On 4/2/2017 at 3:44 PM, RexDraco said:

"I..don't think we're in Canterlot anymore."

“I hope not,” came Slim Chance's grim reply, “I'd hate for this to be what happens to the city.”  While she didn't like the idea, she'd much rather be stuck far from home but know that home was safe, than to go home only to discover that this is all that's left.

 

Slim Chance had to focus on the short term for the moment though.  She remedied the darkness and the cold at once, by casting a quick fire spell from her horn.  As long as she maintained it, it should provide a pleasant glow in this dark place, and a measure of warmth.  She limped around the space, searching for means to make a proper fire, means to treat her wounds, or simply surveying the area, in no particular order.  The first thing she found was a rusted iron gate, seeming to wall them in, although a tentative push showed that perhaps it would be able to easy enough to knock down with a little thought or effort.  They would have plenty of time for that later though.  Tomorrow, perhaps.

 

Slim Chance turned back and started to search for something which could serve as shelter, when she saw it.  A bright orange cone, scuffed in places but overall intact.  What's more, when she looked closer she saw there were visible hoofprints surrounding it, which would have been fresh if not for the freshly falling slow.

 

Slim Chance froze in place, for the moment uncomprehending.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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If not for the insufferable cold clearly present beneath the mounds of snow, as misty clouds of cold Rose from their surface: one could almost blame the frigid sensations to crawl over the fur and skin to be a result of the shock imposed by such a desolate sight. To return from what, to you, seemed but a brief romp through an altered reality; it was a journey that was laconic in its description: it was bewildering and carried a sense of dread that time was perhaps not as constant as one had thought it be. Perception was truly something that was unique from pony to pony. While many would have seen the doll with terror, others looked to it with curiosity, even envious want. There were few who would seen to covet what was a very mirror of a god's memories, but too few for it to be a prominent concern.

With the doll captured that cycle of chaos it caused: demands of haunting through a past incidentally quite recent, there was no time to postulate what they had gone through. The fiendish toy rattled a cup across the surface of it's confines to demand a freedom.it did not deserve with its, seemingly malicious behavior. The snow only continued to pile up. Some mounds would collapse under their own weight revealing rusted pipes surrounded by gnarled ferrous tubing, frayed beyond worth. By the looks of it they had proceeded far beyond to a time they should not be. All clues pointed to this hasty conclusion. The abandoned machinery and quartered off area fencing out what seemed to be wild nature inching back into a city that was on the apex of its development. The spirit of chaos himself looked struck with confusion, as he was assured no longer in when, or where, they were.

"I..don't think we're in Canterlot anymore." Discord noted as a pair of ruby slippers fell from his hold. Suddenly wearing said pair of ruby slippers and holding the stuffed pony now in a dog costume: he would shake the braided wig on his head. "There certainly don't seem to be any golden roads of brick to follow either." With a snap of his claws the spirit removed the outfit and manifested a camping lantern as the doll was placed back in it's prison, to its annoyance.

He wasn't correct, they did seem to be on the mountain top capital, but in a way it did seem they had fallen into some strange realm. Canterlot was the epitome of pony civilization. For it to be rendered naught but a highway for Such forlornness was unthinkable. After all for many ponies the princesses they put their trust in were infallible. Deep down though… many knew that they too were not unerring. Their authority was questionable when the Tirek disaster was let to run its course. While never spoken of on the surface… many were nervous, and did begin to question just how much faith they put into the princesses. Perhaps some suffer shame for having thought such things and being pulled out of such a unwholesome fate… nevertheless there was a whisper of doubt that led this vision of a future a possibility…

He looked over to Slim as he floated off the ground with his hindlegs tucked beneath him and his forelimbs held to his fluffy, feathered chest. If one looked to the spirit that chest fur seemed to melt against the feathers creating an obnoxiously fluffy coat. It was sometimes hard to tell those were feathers, but the delicate brown plummage was meant more.for warmth than anything else. He held his head back as those eyes of miss-sized, ruby marbles. The elegant equine profile was broken up by the sudden draconic ones. The elongated snout and prominent tooth, while did seem fierce, was a bit silly on such a creature. Taking just a moment it was easy to see he wasn't a terrifying beast.

Simply chaotic.

He looked over to the left and motioned his paw. "There's a sign." Perhaps a clue?

The sign was weight down by the snow, nearly bent in due to the freezing temperatures. If the snow was cleared it would reveal, rather anticlimactically that they were standing in the middle of a construction zone. The future site of a shop. It would explain the equipment rusting. No construction went on during the winter as the snow made it too difficult. With the access snow this season in Canterlot any equipment left out would certainly suffer from exposure.

They were fine! A bit far from their original location, but not in some fall out future of a barren Equestria.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Slim Chance stood stock still for some time.  She wasn't sure how to process what just happened.  “Apparently,” she muttered, more to herself than anything else, “we made it to Canterlot after all.”  She couldn't decide which of her current emotions was most appropriate.  She was happy to have finally escaped that...whatever it was.  She was relieved to find out that, while this was Canterlot, it wasn't in as bad shape as she'd first thought.  In fact, now that she looked around she could see a few lights, they were just obscured by the buildings and then most ponies would be asleep at this time, so there wouldn't be many to see.

 

Slim Chance slumped to the ground, and let out a burst of ragged laughter.  Not quite able to choose between pleased to have survived, and exasperated to have gotten into that situation in the first place.  “Urrrgh,” she groaned out, “and all this the night I get back.  Just my luck...heh.”  She smirked for a moment, before shakily getting to her hooves.  She turned to Discord.  “That was...” she wasn't really sure what to say with him.  It was unique, to be sure, and she'd probably remember it fondly when she could laugh about it later, and regale her friends with the story of her epic adventure.  For now though, she was tired, and the last thing she'd needed was an adventure right after her previous one had just finished.  And what's more, now she was injured.  “...that was an experience,” she settled on after a moment.

 

“Now, I'm gonna get back to bed.”  Slim Chance started to walk away, with a slight limp in her step.  Just as she got to the fence, she turned back.  “You gonna be alright with...” she waved her hoof in the general direction of the doll currently secured in Discord's grip, “...that thing?”  She thought for a moment, and realized she didn't have the strength to help him any more.  “If not, I could tell you where the local guard station is.  They could probably help.”  Pried open a part of the fence, and walked out.

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Whatever, wherever, and whenever were, moreover, studious questions to debate upon now that it was revealed they were back where they belonged, at least where Slim Chance was most situated to. As for Discord it was fair to question the permeance of such a being in this world of harmony. Could chaos properly exist here, or was he on borrowed time? The shenanigans that seemed to be birthed by his foal-like curiosity and the trouble caused by his interfering playfulness created a sense of imbalance between past and presence as Slim was hurled, or at least seemed to be, put in a situation where Discord’s past transgressions were met with aggression and a slight sense of confusion on his part. Had these events happened or were they merely memories of a time he could no longer remember being a problematic spirit. The fact did not matter though. Slim Chance was back where she belonged, even if a few miles from where she lived. It was better being stuck in a time or place you didn’t belong. Sometimes time travel went awry, but this was not time travel.

 

Something about the experience made it clear that whatever they had just been through was something different from time shifting. It didn’t form a doubtful guilt in the pit of one’s stomach, the kind gained from a pony who perhaps was troubled by their altering of the past. No this was more relief that, whatever realm they had stepped in: they could step out. After all neither Slim Chance nor Discord had control of that portal. But did the toy, this doll really have such magic or was it a direct result of Discord’s influence? They say a magician never tells his secrets, but no one ever asks the right question either. Discord floated behind SLim and would take notice of her injury. The spirit’s brows furrowed and a tinge of remorse peeked above his egotistical pride. However small it was that speck of shame reacted against his experiences. Pressing his paw to his chest the large fluff mitten shifted his brown coat of feathers. His ears folded back as he swallowed lightly.

 

He shifted and appeared in front of her as she spoke back behind her, to him. “Oh that won’t be necessary.” She was limping because of his game. They weren’t meant to hurt anypony and that doll certainly was not meant to go running amuck either. Perhaps there were some things better left in the past as he thought. He was hoping to use the doll -- He looked down to it, holding it in his claws. “Well I wanted to remember something about the past. I may have a great memory and have lived longer than you can count -- but not everything is clear. Out there in Leota forest -- there’s something I can’t remember.” He shifted the doll onto its paw, belly down.

 

He held out the doll to Slim Chance, but before she was given a moment to divert from his company, or before she was able to grab it the spirit would reach out his claws and deftly dig against the sewn playmate’s back. Doing so would undo the stitching along its back revealing the stuffing that filled it haphazardly. As he did this whatever had been concealing the magical energy was gone and revealed was a small buzz of chaotic magic. A light filled the doll as his magic aura surrounded it. Slowly, but surely, from the inside of the doll a oval shard of stone was extracted. In the center of the stone was a golden amber that veined through the sapphire shard. Taking it in his claws he held it out to her. There was a moment of silence as the doll went limp, the magical energy completely leaving it.

 

“I --” the apology was at the tip of his tongue. As far as he has come as a reformed spirit… “I hadn’t meant for you to get involved. My game ran away on me.” It was as close as anypony would get to a formal apology. While he was capable of it it was difficult to swallow his pride. “You can keep it. The memory. There isn’t anything else I can do with it. Too much of it has been sealed away.” By what though…?

 

Threading the stitches back together the doll was closed up. It seemed an ordinary, mismatched unicorn doll. Perfect for a mismatched chimera. He tucked it away into his feathery coat and smirked. It was a cold night. But that memory -- it was something important.

 

“Toodles~!” The spirit would make motion to snap his claws so he could port away from the sleeping capital. Perhaps he would come play another time, just not with his toys.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Slim chance had almost made it to the street when Discord stopped her. He made a motion of offering the doll to Slim, but she was still processing what he was doing when he flipped it over and extracted some kind of glowing stone from it. It was the stone, in the end, that he was he was really offering to Slim Chance. And though clearly unused to saying such things, he even offered an apology. Given what she'd read on Discord, Slim was a little surprised to get even that. “Uhh,well...” she hesitantly replied, “I can't tell you it's completely okay, but nopony got seriously injured. I should be fine after a few days rest and a quick visit to a doctor. So everything should be fine, just try to be careful in future, alright? Us ponies aren't quite as durable as you are.”

 

The stone, Discord explained in a roundabout way, was actually a memory of his. He had no more use for it, apparently. Slim Chance stared at the faintly glowing stone in her hoof with a newfound appreciation. A crystallized memory from the chaos god! This was a momentous find! She'd have to take it to her professors over the next few days, or at least broach the subject with them. It was a valuable find, and even outweighed the cracks in her walls! “Thanks!” she began, without looking up, “this is a really impressive...” she trailed off, as she finally did notice her companion was no longer there. “...find.” Distracted as she was, she had only faintly heard the snap of Discord's claws, and only after a delay did she piece together that it was the sound of him vanishing off to parts unknown.

 

Slim Chance stared down the empty street for a moment. “Feel free to come back for a visit,” she said, knowing she addressed nothing but air. She grinned. “Though let's try just chatting next time.” She looked down at the stone in her hoof one more time, before stuffing it into a secure pocket on her backpack, and limp-walking in the direction of home. Tomorrow she would have quite a story to tell, and quite a few questions to ask. But for now, sleep.

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There was never any telling what it was the spirit had planned. His wild, parading, antics we're often considered the spoiled mentality of a foal that has never grown up. No he was a being with the power to alter reality and change perception. It was nigh omnipotence that created a selfish, egotistical creature that often disregarded the mortality of his company. With his reformation can the possibility of the impossible. Ponykind would have the assistance of a progressive chaos in the stead of a disruptive sort which had stalled early Canterlot and, far later, Ponyville. These days he was a common sight in the two, major, Equestrian provinces. He was little more than a fly on the wall to most, or a curious bit of entertainment for the bored.

 

These days he rarely intruded.

 

Or did he?

 

When you do things right, ponies won't be sure you did anything at all.

 

Slim Chance would find her home had been restored, albeit the hole in the wall patched up with mismatched brick, wood, and stone. A note sat taped to the wall. It was folded with a caricature of the spirit holding a peace sign with his claws. When unfolded the inside would have a little note from the chaos god. A little badly written as his New Equestrian was a bit rusty, but legible. It was like reading a foal’s writing with large and small colorful lettering as if he has a multicolored set of pencils.

 

It was a blast Slimmy, maybe next time we can play a game. I fixed your wall.

 

Your local demigod,

Discord

 

Now they both had a new memory of one another. So, she made friends with a demigod. Slim Chance indeed.

 

F I N
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