Donald sighs. "I guess we can safely conclude that it's not intelligent."
I shake my head. "The fact that it's not rational doesn't mean that no thinking is taking place. The more different a species' nature, the more different its thought processes are going to be."
This might just be he equivalent of it yelling 'Go away and leave me alone!', after all.
Fluttershy looks sheepish as she walks alongside him entirely unmolested. "I'm so sorry, Mister Dove. I just don't know what's gotten into it."
"What exactly happens if it hits Discord?"
Especially in this 'weakened' state? HE seems to have divided his power alongside his mind, after all.
"Um." Fluttershy considers the Tree as she tries to work it out. "Well, the Elements turned him into a stone statue twice. But they also freed him when we asked them to. The only thing they got rid of on their own was the Plundervines, and that was when we put them back. Mister Grayven, do you think it doesn't like your plan?"
I mean, it could be playing some long game to allow the ponies to function without it.
I step pointedly over the line into the cavern. And it doesn't try to shoot me. "It has no ears and no magic systems have shifted yet. I don't think it's got any way to know what my plans are."
"Um. I suppose. But… Could it be responding to Discord? I mean, that there's something different about him?"
Renegade, you
know arcane beings don't always rely on meat-based senses.
"That sounds plausible." Donald stops close enough to the Tree to have a conversation, but far enough away that Donald can face tank incoming rainbows. "Alright, Discord. We're here."
"Right." He cautiously peeks out from behind Donald's head. "Hello, old foe."
Ah, so polite. You'd almost think he wasn't antagonising a
tree.
The Tree starts glowing faintly, but doesn't shoot yet.
"So I was wondering… How it felt. Giving up the Elements. How it worked with you being harmonious. Because I was sort of thinking of doing something similar, and with the Elements and the boxed rainbow it seems to me that you're the expert."
I don't know... He and
Harmony are
very different things. Would that method of infusing aspects of Chaos into objects even
work?
Hawk Horse-Face leans towards me. "Is this, like, the pony's god?"
"No. It's.. a.. manifestation of what they consider to be the highest virtues. Imagine if you could go somewhere and talk to industry or prudence, and get superpowers if you lived those virtues."
Such as gaining the ability to fire rainbow lasers.
"Doesn't industry make a load of pollution?"
"No, not 'industry' in the sense of manufacturing or a chemical refinery. 'Industry' in the sense of hard work. Being industrious."
I rather imagine the latter concept inspired the naming of the former, to some degree? Etymology is weird sometimes, especially with English's
stolen acquired vocabulary.
"Oh. Huh."
Discord dares to lean out a little further. "It's just that if you don't say anything then I have to work it out for myself, and I doubt that you'd like that much."
I imagine there'd be a lot of screaming and running around on
someone's part.
I shake my head. "What are the alternatives, exactly?"
He turns his head around to face me. "Well, I either do what you say, or I just go back to doing what I was doing; hanging around and spreading a little chaos wherever I go."
Ah, a bit short-sighted, eh?
"And what else?"
"Huh?"
"There are far more than two options in any situation. What other alternatives have you considered?"
And I'm sure the Renegade has
so many ideas he can share with you, doesn't he?
"Well, I… I did sort of consider making 'Elements of Chaos' or something like that, but then I'm just repeating what someone else has already done and I couldn't think of good names. And would they be upbeat affirmations of change and growth, or something playing into my antagonistic origin?"
Again, I shudder to imagine how that would work, and who would end up empowered by them...
Fluttershy awkwardly raises her right forehoof. "Um. I prefer the first one, if that's okay with you."
"Dear Fluttershy, if I knew what was 'okay' with me then I wouldn't be in this situation with this-" He turns back towards the Tree. "-unhelpful, uncommunicative lump of crystal."
That does seem to be the issue at hand, doesn't it?
Fluttershy visible girds her loins and flies closer to the Tree. "Hello Mister Tree. I know we haven't spoken much, but Discord's having a really hard time deciding and he's put a lot of effort into becoming a better person. It would really help him if you shared your opinion."
Ah, Fluttershy, capable of diplomancing nearly anything...
The tree shoots Donald in the head with a rainbow again.
Discord snorts as Donald blinks to clear his eyes. "At least it's consistent. Alright, we can-."
...I don't think this is going how you think it will...
Donald's head turns slowly around, and his eyes are rainbows.
Ah.
"Paragon of Kindness. What is your question?"
Oh, that's significant. 'Paragon', rather than simply 'Bearer'.
The voice is a little distorted, not surprisingly as if the speaker isn't entirely familiar with the lamassu vocal system.
Henry leans closer to me. "You sure that's not a god?"
I would figure they're not a common sight in Equestria. Or any lands nearby, perhaps?
"As of five seconds ago, no."
Fluttershy looks from the Tree to Donald uncertainly. "Ah, Discord wants to know what he should do."
Hard to know who to look at when someone's using someone else as a speaker...
"I released him because you asked. I imprisoned him twice because his nature is antithetical to my own. I could destroy him utterly as he is now."
"That's not very kind."
At least it's being
clear about it. No cryptic mumblings, no fancy metaphor, just 'I don't like him.'
"I am not kind. I shield and empower kindness. I stay my hand save where the unified paragons ask it."
"Okay, but-. Um." She glances at Discord and then tried to work out how to phrase his question. Or perhaps, how to get a helpful answer regardless of his ill-considered question. "Would you prefer to be the one making that decision?"
Huh. So
Harmony is not the kind and gentle thing Ponies seem to think it is, eh? 'Good is not always
nice', and all that.
"No."
"And… Why is that? If you don't mind me asking."
"I am not a living creature. I cannot experience life as you do. Requiring six living creatures in harmony with one another and embodying the virtues to work together to unleash my power is a reasonable safeguard."
OR in some universes,
seven. Or two, in the Princess' case. It certainly ensures it's used for
worthwhile reasons, at least.
"But what about the Plundervines? They could have destroyed you."
"That has no significance."
In other words, the tree is largely a focal point, not the whole. Makes sense, if
Harmony is spread across Equestria.
"Ah." I nod to myself. "A synthetic god with poor prioritisation. I shouldn't be surprised given that it arose from the souls of ponies."
"So what do you think Discord should do? If.. you assume that he's in the same position as you."
Or maybe the renegade is putting the cart before the horse. who knows
which came first, eh?
"Discord can become more like living creatures than I can. If you can live as they live you can understand them better than I can."
Discord looks uneasy. "Most living creatures can't just click their claws and do anything they like. But I don't know if I really want to limit myself like that."
You don't think it'd be much
fun? Perhaps an avatar, then? A nice,
normal pony that happens to share a connection to give him that mortal perspective?
"What is best for your friends?"
Discord's face creases up. "Using the plural might be a little optimistic. But I suppose that it impacts her too. Fluttershy, what do you think I should do?"
Good, at least he's admitting to himself that she
matters. He could have been too embarrassed to say so...
"Oh! Oh, um. I thought you were happy how you were."
"Yes, but I'd never have become like that if you hadn't convinced me. So anything else you convince me to do might be just as good an idea that would have never occurred to me."
Sometimes, all it can take is a little outside perspective.
Fluttershy gives the matter some thought. "Well… When Twilight came to Ponyville, my only pony friend was Rainbow Dash. And… Then Nightmare Moon came back, and I had to make friends and do.. scary things.. to stop her. But afterwards, I had four new friends. So… I think maybe sharing with more ponies is better?"
"Hmmmmm…"
Ah, but how will he
interpret that? Sharing power with others? Sharing his life with more than just her? He's just too chaotic to predict...
I hear him click his fingers-. No, wait, that wasn't-.
"Ahah!" Another Discord lunges across the cavern floor and grabs our Discord's tail. "Got your tail!"
Oh, come on!
"Rats."
Our Discord has a moment to look irritated, then-. His upper body gets sucked.. in on itself, until only the tail is visible. New Discord promptly sticks it on next to his own.
"Better. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got more tails to grab!"
Take a moment to mull over the new perspective first,
thank you.
