• Chapter Thirty-three: Memories Never Forgotten •

…

"Well this is exciting!" Sweetie Belle skipped through the undergrowth, plants rich with colour, and droplets of dew, cold underneath her hooves. Peering up, Sweetie Belle saw endless canopies of trees, towering over her head and reaching up to the sun, which's daylight rays could only just filter through the tundra. The young white unicorn had forgotten what the Everfree Forest was like, and to feel the wildlife around her... what it was like to breathe in the forest air, and feel as though she were one with the wilderness. It felt alive, despite the guilt and longing which would not leave her alone... it made her feel a two directional homesick... one was her home back with the CMC, and one was the mansion in which she had spent the past few weeks in. She held her head high, her emerald green eyes blending in with the greenness around her. She would have to keep her guard up, and show no mercy, if she were to pass through this jungle with no hazards.

The land began to familiarise as she got closer to her usual territory- every tree and rock and plant seemed unique and recognisable now. It felt like home.

Sweetie Belle's trot soon turned into a run and the run turned into a gallop. Foliage blurred passed her eyes as every single part of her scenery poked at her memory. "Guys!" Sweetie Belle shrilled as she broke free from the woods and went cantering through the moors to her house. "I'm home!"

Sound.

She barrelled through the door, slamming it open, as she appeared in the house, smiling, and waiting to be bombarded by her friends, catapulting questions at her. All she heard was an eerie dead silence.

Touch.

Deciding to use more of her five senses other than hearing, Sweetie Belle expected to feel a warm and inviting home... all she could feel was coldness. This was unusual, she'd expected that her friends would keep their home nice, warm and cozy... this was the opposite, feeling cold, unwelcoming and... abandoned.

Sight.

Sweetie Belle glanced around, her eyes adjusting to the drab light. The room was dark, and scraps of rubbish were dumped on the floor... crumbs scattered across the kitchen, and every single morsel of food had been taken. The windows were open- or broken, the ratty curtains blowing in a breeze outside. It was more than obvious that some sophisticated animal had raided the house and had stolen every food supply.

Scent.

Sweetie Belle had expected to smell smoke coming from a fireplace... and a scrumptious aroma wafting from the kitchen. Now, sniffing in the air, it smelt stale, unused and unbreathable. Also, kind of musky around what was the bathroom area... and slightly mouldy.

Taste.

Remembering every survival lesson Sweetie Belle had ever taken, (which was 0) Sweetie Belle confirmed her suspicious, by tasting the air- again, just like it smelt, it tasted stale.

"I'd say it's been about... a week?" Sweetie Belle slumped down in disappointment. "Something definitely isn't right."

…

Apple Bloom yawned, arching her spine like a cat and prodded at the hay, kneading it as if she had claws. "That moment when ya' fer'get yer' a poneh'." Apple Bloom opened her drowsy eyes, and peered at the spinning wheel, expecting to see a waterfall of gold pouring down from it- all she saw was nothingness. "What the hay?" Apple Bloom leapt out of her straw bed, and examined the machine. "Where's mah gold? Where's mah freedom?" Apple Bloom began to hyperventilate, zipping around the room ten metres a second, before she came across a pink piece of paper, which smelt like a perfume full of chemicals. Apple Bloom picked it up, gagging at the overwhelming stench, and began to read the neat cursive writing written with a pen full of purple ink.

Hello Apple Bloom,

Me and my sister decided to come early and collect the gold. Don't take it personally, because we really don't care about how you feel. We just want more gold, so you're going to be staying here for another night.

Apple Bloom slit her eyes. "Ah know onleh' one poneh' who puts hearts instead of dots on her 'i's." She scanned the bottom of the page, reading;

Regards, Diamond Tiara.

"Oh... so she doesn't want to be secretive about the letter." Apple Bloom hesitated, giving an idiotic grin, before screaming. "What? Another night! B-but ah have alreadeh' done their dirty work fer' two nights in a row, and they want meh' to do it again? Oh no, 'em two brats have pulled the last straw! 'Em backstabbin', liars!" Apple Bloom frustratedly yanked at her mane. "Ah' should've known that they'd do this! I could be home right now! Why are ya' so stupid Apple Bloom?" The cream filly straightened up. "Talking to ya'reself is one of the first symptoms of insaniteh'... and replyin' is even worse! No, why am ah' replyin' to mah' reply'? Oh great, ah' just replied again... ah'ma shut up now." Apple Bloom stood motionless for a few seconds, before she broke into her conversation with herself again. "This time ah have to get free. Ah'll get em' two good-fer'-nothin'-except-comic-relief colts to spin gold one last time, then, ah'll stay up all night... as soon as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon open the shed door in the morning, ah will run away to mah freedom! It's the perfect plan!" Apple Bloom spied at the hay that the two fillies had left behind, mounded up into a pile. It was limited, but it would be enough to spin a reasonable amount of gold. "Em' fillies have gotten onto mah bad side... not that they weren't there alreadeh', but they are now on mah even badder side now." Apple Bloom narrowed her golden eyes. "At some point ah' will get mah' revenge- revenge is so underrated, so ah will get mah vengeance- because noponeh' has bothered to underrate that word yet."

…

Snow Flutter fidgeted slightly on her hooves, as she watched the six stallions giving her blank stares. They had finished their gathering and they had arrived home... Snow Flutter was about to receive feedback on her performance. I'm sure I will do just perfect!

"Well... it wasn't perfect," Shining Armour broke the awkward silence which had been clawing at all of them. "Your listening skills were atrocious, you forgot about your training with the rock throwing, and you were all over the place. Being a gatherer relies on control, and right now, I don't see much self control you are giving yourself."

Snow Flutter lowered her ears. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Those acts are totally natural for a first gatherer. We don't expect every soldier to come off perfect on their first gather," Soarin spoke, giving Snow Flutter an accepting nod.

"It takes practise," the bashful Big Macintosh added.

"Yeah, the journey of one thousand miles started with one step," Cheese Sandwich piped.

"The what?" Fancypants concernedly glanced at his friend.

"The point is," Flash Sentry began. "We know that you will improve absolutely, well and truly, with more practise. You did exceptionally well for a beginner, and we know that by the end of the moon, your progress will skyrocket."

Snow Flutter giggled slightly. "You all take turns in speaking."

"Did you even listen to what we just said?" Fancypants raised his hoof in an accusing manner.

"I did, I did, don't worry! And I understand... thanks for the criticism and encouragement. It means a lot to me... I am really tired now..." Snow Flutter yawned. "I'm gonna go and rest."

"What about dinner?" Flash Sentry pointed.

"I'll have that in the morning." Snow Flutter sleepily walked away.

"Wouldn't that make it breakfast?" Cheese Sandwich confusedly turned to his friends.

…

The draconequus plastered a grin on his face, as he summoned two sticks into either of his unsymmetrical hands, and skis onto his feet. "Ready Discord?" A simple duplication spell, and he found a clone of himself standing next to him.

"Right you are, Discord!"

The draconequus grinned. "Thanks Discord! Now die." A massive piano appeared in the draconequus's hands, and he smashed it over his double's face. "Well that got rid of it. Now let's go!" He slid over the side of the cliff and went skiing down what was not snow, but soap. "Yippee!" The draconequus met a drop, and he went pummelling down into what appeared to be a pool of chocolate. "How I love insanity." With a puff of smoke, he vaporised, and reappeared in his home of lunacy. "I'm home!" He called. With those words did a bunch of chaotic creatures come scampering out and bombarding him with their own special ways of showing affection. They were what Discord considered pets, but he preferred the term 'parasites.' Treating them horribly was Discord's way of showing affection, and the animals didn't seem to care no bit whatsoever.

Birds with cone shaped beaks, and feathers made of candy...

Deranged rabbits with flugelhorns as ears and whiskers stretching out metres...

And platypuses with nothing changed whatsoever, since they were already chaotic enough.

Discord never considered himself the animal type- normal animals were irritating and demanding. Only since he'd met Snow Flutter had he decided to open up a little more, and allow a home for all the disorderly animals whom were impractical enough to be related to Discord.

No matter what, he still disliked animals, despite being made of a few varying species himself.

Discord made his way through his house, teleporting the critters away, before he slumped down onto an old shabby couch. He made himself comfortable, before blinking one eye open, noticing a picture frame on a small table next to the lounge. He peered at the photo, askew in the pink and yellow frame made of butterflies... the pony in the photo matching the colours perfectly.

It was difficult to forget when that very face lingered in his mind every day. "Maid, come here this instant!" The draconequus waited for a moment, before his fury bubbled up. "Maid!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I am a stallion! Stallions are not maids!" The white unicorn with the golden mane came stomping in, glowering at Discord sinfully.

"Whatever, Blueblood. Anyway, I want to ask, why is this picture here again?" Discord slitted his yellow and red eyes. When Chrysalis had taken over Equestria, she had gotten rid of most the Royal Family- she found Blueblood was the most useless and annoying, so she had given the prissy stallion to Discord. Not having much use for him, Discord made the stuck up prince his slave.

The unicorn hesitantly peered at the picture, before raising his nose. "I didn't put it there."

"Preposterous! You're lying through your teeth!" Discord snapped his eagle claws, and next thing, he was literally holding Blueblood's teeth in his paw. "Ha! Now you can't lie! Now own up!"

"I didn't put it there," Bloodblood repeated, rolling his eyes, and swiping the teeth back. He was about to strut away, when Discord ushered him back.

"Then how else did it get here?" Discord cried.

Blueblood raised his eyebrow. "Well, look pal-"

"-master."

"Whatever. These pictures have been showing up all over the castle for the past week, and you expect that for every single one of them I am responsible? You think everything is responsible for their showings, when really, you are the only one who has ever met this pony. Come look outside." Blueblood lead Discord to the window, and the two peered out into the picturesque distance. "Notice anything different?"

Discord squinted slightly, before shaking his head. "Not a thing out of place."

"Yeah, but what colours has everything changed to?" Blueblood smirked, as Discord's eyes widened.

Every single part of his chaotic world was either pink or yellow. And the most beautiful pink and yellow in the world... Discord slapped himself. Rid yourself of these thoughts immediately. She's in your past.

"You really think that anyone other than you is capable of changing everything these colours? Not to mention that you talk about her in your sleep!"

"I-" Discord began, but was cut off by a cackling Blueblood.

"It's quite amusing too!" He knelt down, and put on his best Discord voice. "Snow Flutter... oh... Snow Flutter! I missed you so much!"

"Stop that now!" Discord found himself going bright red.

"Make me," Blueblood teased.

"Very well." With a snap of his eagle talon, he teleported the stallion to a... special... place.

Sitting down, Discord teleported the picture into his deranged hands, and peered at the mare, who's big teal eyes stared off into space. Discord felt his own eyes begin to tear up, as he teleported the picture away from existence. "Why do you have to do this to me Snow Flutter..?"

"You're doing this to yourself, Discord." Discord's self conscious floated out of his body, and sympathetically peered at himself. "It's funny you know... the fact that many can survive without having legs or tails, or organs..." The self conscious sighed. "But few can live after the loss of a loved one."

"You misunderstand the term. I wouldn't say it's love... I'd say it is a very... very, very, strong friendship." The real Discord pointed, turning away. "You're going to try and convince me to fight against my stubbornness, aren't you?"

The self conscious nodded.

"But what you don't realise," Discord began. "Is that I am fighting against something right now! I am fighting against my selfishness. If I went back to her, I could put her in more danger. She could get killed if it weren't for my stubbornness to keep fighting my selfishness!"

"But your selfishness is pointing in the wrong way! You're too selfish to bother to pay her a visit- every day that pony struggles, trying to cope with the knowing that you abandoned her over your own stubbornness."

"It was for her own protection!"

"Was it? Don't you think an army of two would fight better than an army of one?" The self consciousness tilted it's head.

"She's not alone though- she has six dwarves with her."

"Six turns to seven." The self conscious disappeared suddenly with no warning.

Discord held his chin. "Six turns to seven... is it déjà vu? That sounds freakishly familiar..." A few seconds passed, and the draconequus simply shrugged.

His easiness slowly died away into fear however, as his eyes locked with a silver complex object on the other side of the room.

He had only recently come back to his home since Chrysalis had invaded... and he hadn't bothered to check the things he had.

Discord slowly crawled over to the object, and eyed the scroll poking out of the top of it, with the messages which he hadn't sent.

"You..." Discord's lip curled into a snarl in a dog-like manner. "You did this to me!" Discord summoned an axe, and he aggressively swung it over his head. "You destroyed my life!" With one lethal blow, the typewriter went splaying in every direction whatsoever, with nuts and bolts soaring away and screws loosening. The paper still seemed intact, much to Discord's disliking. He ripped the paper out of the typewriter in malignity, and allowed his talon and paw to grow sharp, knifelike claws, in which he used to shred the paper into one million pieces. It wasn't fixable. It was shattered beyond any emend.

Discord peered away, his claws sheathing, as he lost himself to a world of shame. With a flick of his talon, the typewriter and scroll were teleported to above a volcano, where they would turn to no more than ashes and memories.

Discord turned away, deciding to go to sleep early without eating any dinner. He'd have it in the morning- wouldn't that make it breakfast?

Discord thought for a moment. "Not only that, but I swear I forgot something... or someone... oh, right." Discord snapped his paw.

…

Blueblood fearfully peered around, examining his surroundings. Was it just him, or did the grass seem a lot taller than usual..?

"Hey, Diamond Tiara! Look, a tiny pony!"

Blueblood felt the ground rattle, as he peered up to see two enormous fillies towering over him.

At first he thought that they were giants... until he realised that he had just shrunk.

"Oh my gosh, you are so right Silver Spoon! He'll go so well with my dollhouse!" Diamond Tiara forced the gold she was holding into her sister's hooves and she swooped up Blueblood, making it impossible for him to run away. "You now belong to me, and I am naming you... Poppy?"

"My name is Blueblood!" The tiny stallion shrieked, his voice sounding high pitched to the two fillies.

"Oh, he even talks! How delightful! Blueblood... na, sounds too stupid. Your name will be... Bluebell!" Diamond Tiara smirked.

"Kill me now," Blueblood muttered.

Later, Blueblood found himself stuffed into a dollhouse, being inhumanely forced against his well to wear doll dresses and have tea parties with other toys.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Discord teleported him back to the mansion and reverted him to his original size.

"Aww, where did Bluebell go?" Silver Spoon squeaked.

"I don't know! We could have made him our slave! He would've done so much better than Cinderainbow!" Diamond Tiara muttered, before sighing. "Well at least we got a good amount of gold from Apple Bloom, or whatever."

"Speaking of Apple Bloom," Silver Spoon began. "How much longer are we going to keep her locked in the shed to make gold for us?"

Diamond Tiara giggled wickedly. "Forever of course! Imagine what we could buy with all of this gold!"

"What if Mum finds out?" Silver Spoon whimpered.

"She won't find out- and if she does, she'll probably support us anyway."

Little did the two fillies know, was that a grey pegasi was eavesdropping from outside the door. The slave with the bright pink eyes, slowly slid away, as she heard hoof steps approaching, and she ducked into the chimney, pretending to clean the cinders which remained from the fire the other night.

"Cinderainbow! What are you still doing here? We told you to get us some wood from the forest!" Diamond Tiara hissed.

Cinderainbow spun around, with a boastful expression on her face. "I already fetched it! I told you I was fast!" She admiringly peered at her wings.

"Ugh, whatever, make a fire before we set you on fire," Silver Spoon chirped before trotting out of the room with her sister.

The dusty grey pegasi waited until the two had disappeared from sight, before she hopped out of the fireplace, narrowing he eyes as she chucked wood into the bed of coals. "So them two step-blisters have kidnapped a pony, eh?" She rolled her eyes, not at all surprised at the stunts. "Well I can't let that happen, can I?"