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Mad Science: Chapter 10 (Editing)

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Mad Science
By IceMan
Chapter 10
>No.
>Red lines run far and wide and fast and deep
>Logic and chaos should never mix.
>Something snapped within you that night, like an icicle falling from a rooftop, spearing a small child.
>Desperation takes control.
>A plan you once considered beyond possibility has reached the realm of possibility.
>You are a god among men.
>And yet gods must fall.
>Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.
>Not even death will stop you.
>You will conquer chaos, and bring logic.
>Or you will be consumed.
>No.
>The cold hand of fate slithers by.
>Progress must be made.
>A plan you once considered beyond possibility has reached the realm of possibility.
>You are lying on your bed, pondering your next move.
>You have played the game of life like a chess match, and it now appears that the game is nearing checkmate.
>It could be years of bad karma catching up with you or the whimsical hand of fate, but those are ridiculous notions.
>All you can do is blink the tears of anger from your eyes at this point.
>Your most feasible plan is a complete failure and possibly was from the start.
>But, now is not the time to dwell on it.
>Since you considered the possibility of failure, you had planned for it, whether to simply assuage your troubled mind or because you knew, deep down, that you would not succeed.
>And so, Plan B begins, and checkmate is averted.
>With that thought you fall into a tumultuous sleep.
>The next morning, you walk over to Twilight’s library.
>Once again, you are forced to gaze upon the garish world in which you are imprisoned: a world with a twisted brand of logic that has driven you to . . .
>Not insanity.
>“Hello, Anonymous,” Twilight greets you at the door, rather excitedly. “Is your machine done?”
“Yes. Well, it was. I was testing it, and unfortunately, the mechanisms overheated. The dimensional transporter is irreparably damaged,” you state, managing to retain your composure.
>Twilight’s exuberant smile instantly shifts to a morose grimace.
>“Anonymous . . . I’m sorry,” she says. “Is there anything –”
“No. There is nothing you can do about it and it is pointless for me to even consider building another.”
>You pause for a moment to let your statement sink in.
>“What will you do now?” Twilight asks.
“I’m not sure.”
>You have a plan, that much is certain, but it is a longshot, even longer than the dimensional transporter.
>It relies on several unreliable factors.
>However, it is the last chance you have.
“What I need from you is this: whatever books you have on telepathy, dreams, and mind-related magic. All of them.”
>“Well, okay,” Twilight responds. “What for?”
“Just my curiosity,” you lie. “I think I have extracted every last bit of information I could ever find about the origins of magic, so I am now moving onto a specific section of it. Perhaps I will find my answers there.”
>Twilight nods and leads you to the shelves.
>You leave with a small stack of thick, leather-bound books.
>You need to learn how to control your subconscious.
>If you cannot, the entirety of this scheme falls apart.
>You need to learn how to trap someone inside your mind.
>You spend the next few days scouring the tomes for any clues as to how to do this, and, at first, find little.
>Then, while reading a book entitled “The Un-Awaking World,” you discover the information you seek.
>“Chapter 4”
>“On Mind Barriers”
>“Not since the War of Eternal Night over a millennium ago have Mind Barriers ever been considered a necessary part of daily life. They are deceptively simple to produce. The user of a mind barrier must know only a simple, repetitive incantation such as ‘That which is not is that which is not’ to repeat in his or her mind. They do not need to have any proficiency or ability to use magic. The power of these barriers seems to come from the will of the user’s subconscious, rather than from magical power. Similar strategies include imagining shut doors or brick walls. These barriers prevent thoughts from escaping or entering the user’s mind. This power was used widely by the Armies of the Sun during the War of Eternal Night to prevent the Nightmare from entering into the minds of soldiers and commanders to corrupt morale or discover secrets. The most powerful known incantation was ‘Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake’ which was repeated endlessly by commanders of the Army of the Sun in their dreams.”
“Upon further investigation by the authors of this book, it was discovered that the incantations taught to everyone from fillies to generals of the Army of the Sun were connected to a powerful spell network created by Princess Celestia herself. By repeating these code phrases, the network produced a powerful shield around the chanter’s mind from webs of magical energy.”
>You are further aided by Chapter 7: On Controlling One’s Thoughts, which teaches that control of one’s subconscious can be achieved through meditation before sleep.
>All the pieces are falling into place so far.
>There are a few variables beyond your control, but those that are appear to be strictly under it at this point.
>You quickly begin a regimen of ten minutes of calm thought before bed for the next few weeks and, soon enough, your mind is firmly under your control.
>One night, you dream of a mirror in a dark room.
>You are looking at the mirror.
>"What you are doing now is illogical," your reflection mutters.
>"Life is illogical," a second Anonymous answers, appearing from the void in a cloud of smoke.
"I will do what I must. All that matters is that I get home. The ends always justify the means."
>"And how will you justify these means? You are delving into the realm of psuedoscience," a third Anonymous asks.
"I will justify it in its justifying justification."
>That makes no sense.
>What are you even doing?
>What happens when this plan fails, just like the last, because it is so ridiculous and far-fetched that you are resorting to the very ideas you hate about this world to get it to succeed?
>Do you think you are infallible?
>No.
>The dream fades.
>When you sleep, you always dream of the rusting steel doors hanging on their hinges and the blood red circuit lines shining like lines of burning gasoline.
>Eventually, you learn to summon things inside your mind with your sheer willpower.
>You can soon create an entire dreamscape — angelic, hellish, or otherwise — as well as end dreams at will.
>You can wrap your mind in psychic barriers, and control those very barriers.
>However, the worst part is you are not sure how.
>You have known for years about lucid dreaming, and you know you are taking advantage of that mysterious art.
>It exists, but is poorly understood.
>Aren't many things?
>You don't like using something you don't understand, but there are few options left.
>Even worse, now you seem to be combining the poorly understood with the realms of science fiction.
>Perhaps you are simply tapping the unknown powers of the human mind.
>Perhaps you are taking advantage of the magical physics of this universe.
>Overall, it is of little matter.
>Your subconscious is completely under your control.
>You awaken one morning shivering like a frightened rabbit and wanting to go out and murder a deer.
>Then your conscious mind takes over again.
>You walk over to Twilight’s tree house; it has been three weeks since you last visited.
>This entire town knows that you are merely an oddity and prefer your privacy.
>You had no visitors, and you find that quite fortunate.
>It would have merely distracted you from your goals, as visitors always do.
>Your food supplies are running very low and you are completely broke.
>You softly rap on the door and Twilight soon opens it.
>“Hello, Anonym – ah! Dear Celestia, Anonymous! What happened to you? You look like a skeleton!”
“Hello, Twilight,” you rasp, your voice the shaking of the leaves on a windy night.
>Since the fifth night after the transporter malfunctioned, you have awoken at approximately 3:00 AM and screamed until your vocal chords broke.
“I need to send a message to Princess Celestia. Immediately.”
>“Well, okay . . .” she agrees. “Anonymous, are you okay? You really don’t look well.”
“I’m fine,” you affirm.
>“He looks like something that creepy stallion dug out of the graveyard,” Spike retorts, passing by the doorway.
>You give him a glare that could fell a Douglas fir.
>The small purple dragon jumps back, dropping the container of pink strawberry ice cream he was carrying, and scurries upstairs.
>“Anonymous, why do you need to send a letter to Celestia?” Twilight inquires “Is there some way that she could help you get back to Earth?”
“Yes. She is vital to my backup plan,” you explain.
>“Backup plan?”
“It’s all very complicated, lots of variables, very . . . chaotic.”
>Twilight raises an eyebrow.
“It is not as elegant a solution as the dimensional transporter, but will be equally effective.”
>There is no room for doubt.
>“Alright, here, I’ll get you a quill and tell Spike to get out from under the bed.”
>You quickly scribble in writing that looks like the scratches of a bird of prey:
“Please meet me in the usual way. We have much to discuss. Anonymous.”
>You tie up the parchment and hand it to Twilight’s dragon companion.
>With a burst of emerald flame, the paper ignites and is sent to its recipient.
“And now I wait,” you murmur, slinking downstairs.
>“Where are you going?” Spike asks as you reach the door.
>Twilight turns around from organizing some books at the noise.
“I was just leaving,” you rebuke. “Goodbye.”
>You begin to exit.
>“Anonymous! Wait!” Twilight calls.
>You turn around, your right eyelid twitching.
>“You really should see a doctor. You really do look like a zombie. Here, I’ll give you some money in case they –”
“No! No more money. I am going home. Not just home here home, but home Earth home. I do not need any more money. Ever! Goodbye!”
>You run out the door, slamming it behind you.
>It’s all done and now all you have to do is wait until tonight.
>Finally, finally, finally, finally, you will be leaving this world of chaos, a world which has finally broken you entirely, forced you into the chaos into pseudoscience into your mind into chaos.
>One, possibly two days more, and all will be as it should be.
>Logic and chaos should never mix.
>They are like oil and water.
>You pace the floors of your house, the prison you have dwelt in for the past months, waiting for night to fall and sleep to overtake you.
>And, soon enough, it does.
>Your first dream is unsatisfying.
>Two Anonymouses stand in front of you as you hang off the edge of a cliff.
>One, dressed in the yellow hazmat suit with the helmet under his shoulder.
>The other, crawling on the ground, clothes tattered, skin pale as aspen bark, hair covering his face like a shiny, stringy mask.
>You reach for the hand of the hazmat Anonymous, but the tattered Anonymous kicks you off the ledge and into a steel room.
>Sparks fly everywhere and the floor is hot, like a gust of scorching air from an oven.
>Many of the doors have fallen off their hinges and a black, oil-like substance is spilling from some of them onto the floor.
>A door explodes in a burst of orange cinders.
>Red circuit lines shine like lines of burning gasoline.
>Two equine figures stand in front of you.
>One’s horn glows.
>The circuit lines around her glow blue, a sphere of blue growing from the alicorn’s horn.
>The oil dissipates, flowing back into the doors.
>The mind is rebuilt.
>“Hello, Anonymous,” Celestia greets you. “You seem quite troubled.”
>The wave of blue passes your position.
>Doors clang back into position and hiss closed.
“I am.”
>Luna remains stoically by her sister’s side.
>You sigh.
“I have failed in the task that has driven me for . . . for as long as I have been in Equestria. Everything has fallen apart. I have no more options.”
>Except one.
>Celestia nods.
>A wave of red passes, causing the doors to shatter and sparks to fly again.
>“It is difficult knowing you have lost your life’s purpose,” she comforts. “Is there anything in my power that I could do?”
“You have already done enough for me,” you answer. “You were the first to finally empathize with me. The first to finally respect my intellect.”
>“That is not true,” Luna interjects. “Twilight Sparkle has held you in the highest regard for some time.”
“What?”
>The room flashes blue.
“She has told me that she finds my intellect fascinating, but . . . she has respect . . . for me? After everything I’ve done?”
>“She has never met a mind like yours before,” Celestia explains. “As I told you the last time we spoke, the ponies of this world are quite more . . . receptive to words of friendship, even if they might balk at them at first.”
>You consider this revelation for a moment.
>It had been brewing in your mind for some time, but had always been shoved aside by the progress of constructing your transporter.
>There had been little time to dwell on the consequences of your interactions.
>You decide to press on with your original idea of discussion.
“The respect that she holds for me is false. I may have a great mind, but I am a scoundrel. The entire world I have created in Equestria is a lie: a calculated, cruel machination to advance my own interests. If I have created the semblance of friendship with someone, it is for only my own benefit.”
>“But that is not to say that you haven’t created it,” Celestia argues.
“That’s surprising, coming from you.”
>“How so?”
“I’d expect you to agree with me. By most moral standards, what I have done is wrong.”
>“The semblance of friendship is the first step towards it. You have many allies, as you would call them, in this world, Anonymous. Many people who truly respect you for what you have from the captains of industry to three fillies seeking their life purpose. You are respected in this world.”
>You once again pause to mull over these words.
>“What did you have to gain by returning to Earth, Anonymous?” Luna suddenly asks.
“I would have become the most famous physicist of the 21st Century. I probably would have made millions of dollars.”
>“And yet, you know that would also lead to the end of your privacy,” Luna responds.
>You raise an eyebrow.
>“Your mind revealed it to me,” she explains.
“Loss of privacy will simply be the price I pay for success in science.”
>“You are lying to yourself when you say that. You can barely stand anypony distracting you now. How will you ever deal with reporters from around the world wanting interviews?”
“There are ways for me to rid myself of reporters.”
>“And become a recluse? And face the shame that that brings when somepony claims you stole your designs from your professors, that you do not deserve your fame? You will be helpless to stop them.”
“Ugh,” is all you can utter.
>You have been defeated.
>In your haste for success, you forgot the consequences.
>You can deal with those back on Earth.
>Now is not the time for talk.
>The steel room flashes blue, then red.
>It remains red.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake,” you state shakily.
>“What?” Celestia spits. "Anonymous . . . what . . . what are you doing?"
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake.”
>The room rumbles.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake!”
>Steel beams cover every square inch of every door, sealing them.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake.”
>The room falls dark except for the glow of the red circuitry.
“I am in control, Celestia,” your voice booms from every direction.
>“Anonymous, what is this?” she screams.
“I have trapped you in my subconscious using a Mind Barrier,” you explain. “I did have one option. I did not like it. I did not approve of it, even though it might have been considerably easier than building a second dimensional transporter. It took desperation to see its merits.”
>Several large machine gun turrets pop out of hidden armatures in the walls, pointing crimson lasers at the two princesses.
>A semi-automatic pistol materializes in your hand.
“I can’t kill you and I have no reason to. If things proceed smoothly, no one is going to die by my hand. But any wrong moves and I put you into a comatose state back in the real world. Now, here’s what we’re going to do,” you begin.
>Celestia charges a spell.
“No.”
>You snap your fingers.
“No magic. This is my mind. You play by my logic. And if you even think of trying to strike me, those guns will rip you apart.”
>You pace around and point the gun to Celestia’s temple.
“How do I free Discord?” you whisper into her ear.
>“What?” she retorts.
“You know exactly what I said.”
>“You’re insane!” Luna shouts. “He’ll destroy you before he gives in to your demands.”
“Not if I give him the princesses of the Sun and Moon on a silver platter,” you remark. “So . . . tell me how to do it.”
>The two princesses plot their next move.
>“What do you want with Discord?” Celestia demands.
“I suppose there is no harm in telling you. He is the Lord of Chaos. His chaotic magic allows him to be capable of virtually anything, including trans-universal transport. Am I incorrect on any of these facts?”
>Celestia shakes her head.
“Good. Then we shall proceed. Tell me how to free him, or die.”
>The Princess of the Sun looks to her sister worriedly.
>You are not going to back down on effectively killing them.
>That is the thought you put at the front of your subconscious.
>But, the truth is buried like a tiny seed.
>You could never take someone's life, or even someone's mind.
>If they do not give you the information, you will simply seek it in other ways.
>This is simply the most expedient way of finding what you seek, as ways of allowing Lords of Chaos to escape from stony prisons are most likely not kept in library books.
>“You would have to use the Elements of Harmony,” Luna finally states. “Either convince their bearers to use the power of the Elements to free Discord, or destroy the Elements themselves. And the Elements cannot be destroyed by any means that we know of. They are beyond even the most powerful forms of magic.”
“Very well. Celestia, I am going to let you go and you are going to send a message to your precious student Twilight Sparkle, ordering her to free Discord. You will then return to my mind. Come up with a good reason. Luna will stay locked in here. Disobey, and I will terminate her. Go.”
>You are hoping that the care she has for her sister outweighs her own scorn for you at this moment.
>If not, the plan fails, and you will face the dire consequences.
>You open a small hole in your mind and force Celestia out.
“Now we wait,” you tell Luna, re-sealing the barrier with a repetition of the childish rhyme.
>“Anonymous, you’re making a terrible mistake!” Luna warns you.
“I do not make mistakes. I know exactly what I am doing. If everything goes according to plan, I will be free from this universe forever. Forever!”
>"And what about the rest of us?"
"That is of little matter to me. Find your own way to defeat the Lord of Chaos. You apparently have before."
>After a few minutes, you sense a tapping on the edge of your mind.
>You briefly open the barrier once more to allow the Princess of the Sun to re-enter.
>Soon after, you are awoken by a rapid knocking on your door.
>You groggily walk down stairs and open the door; checking your watch reveals that it is 5:14 AM.
>“Anonymous!” Twilight states. “We have to go!”
>Her five friends are with her, wearing golden necklaces with bright gemstones inset into them.
>Twilight, however, is wearing a diadem with a large amethyst set in it.
“What’s going on?” you ask, trying to remain oblivious.
>“Discord, the God of Chaos, is about to free himself,” Twilight explains, telekinetically pulling you out of your house.
>You land with a thud on the cold earth.
>“Celestia said you’d be able to seal him permanently,” Twilight continues. “She said you are his polar opposite, the God of Logic.”
>“So, we’re gonna release him early so that you can seal him,” Applejack finishes.
>You dust the dirt off your clothes.
>They give you a moment to comprehend what has been said.
“Very well,” you state.
>“I’m going to teleport us there,” Twilight says. “Celestia said there’s very little time until Discord breaks the seal himself.”
>You nod as she charges the teleportation spell, lighting the ground with the violet aura.
>The spell briefly puts you into a lightless, broiling tunnel until you re-materialize on the grass in the Royal Statue Garden.
>“This is strange,” Rainbow Dash comments. “Where is Celestia? Shouldn’t she be here to make sure nothing goes wrong?”
“She puts a lot of faith in you six,” you reassure, your voice wavering, but just barely. “I am sure she is watching us from her tower.”
>Twilight nods to you, then her five friends.
>The Elements glow blindingly, then launch a multi-colored barrage of raw magical energy at the state of the Lord of Chaos.
>The six bearers recoil back from the force, their eyes shining like stars.
>A manic grin spreads across your face and you begin to step towards the statue.
“Anonymous, get back!” Applejack yells. “You don’t know what the Elements could do to you.”
>You take only one more step forward.
>The white marble statue fragments like a skin of dried mud around its prisoner, then explodes into billions of particles.
>With a roar, the Lord of Chaos is free.
“Whatever you’re going to do, Anonymous, do it now!” Twilight orders.
>You smirk and look into the chimera’s eyes.
“Good morning, Discord,” you state calmly. “I am Anonymous the human and I have a proposition for you. It is a proposition that could greatly ease your conquest of Equestria.”
>“Anonymous, what’re you doin’?” Applejack cries.
>You ignore her.
>“Well, this is rather a surprise,” Discord says, his voice the suave silk suit of a businessman.
>It catches you off guard.
>It was not what you expected from the Lord of Chaos.
>A booming roar might be more appropriate, but, then again, the smoothness manages to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
>A rough growl would be less threatening.
>“I expected my freedom to come about two months from now. But, earlier is always better. I guess you had a hand in that, didn’t you . . . Anonymous, was it?”
>You nod.
>“So, what exactly is your proposition for the Lord of Chaos?”
>Discord summons a cashier’s box and a calculator from the void and begins fiddling with them.
“I currently have the minds of Princess Celestia and Luna inside my head. If you want, I could transfer them to you to do with as you please. In return for this, I want one simple thing. I want you to send me back to Earth.”
>You hear the twinkle of Twilight charging a spell behind you.
>Discord merely smiles and snaps his fingers.
>The world shifts into black and white, like someone had suddenly slid the saturation to zero.
>You turn around and look at the six ponies standing behind you.
>Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack are all baring their teeth and preparing to attack you.
>Fluttershy is cowering, as usual.
>Pinkie Pie and Rarity are staring at the ground, frowning, as if uncertain what to do.
>“That should hold them off for a while,” Discord states. “Well, for as long as necessary. I have frozen time for us to discuss.”
>He pushes himself off the ground at flips upside down on his head.
>“Your offer is quite appealing, Mr. Anonymous. Though, if I wanted the minds of my foes I could just take them myself."
>You frown.
>"But, I admire the effort you took, and it granted me freedom in the best way possible: at the hands of my enemies. I accept.”
"Excellent. That is quite pleasing."
>"You've been a most interesting subject to observe over the past few months," Discord remarks. "I have been watching you, you know. All the time."
"How? You were sealed in stone?"
>"Silly, Anonymous! I thought you would be smarter than that!"
>Discord pats you on the head like you were a child who had been caught stealing cookies.
>"Do you think that being a statue makes me powerless? Hardly! It's merely a . . . temporary annoyance, more than anything. I generally give ol' Celly a few centuries before freeing myself again, just to be a good sport, but, I guarantee, there is nothing that can truly imprison me."
>Discord snaps the fingers on his lion paw once again.
>Your head feels like it is being sucked through a pipe and a thin misty trail floats off from your temple to Discord’s.
>"I've watched you scuttle about making false friendships and impressing people with your knowledge of how to build technology that is commonplace back on Earth. Speaking of which, how is the old planet? Are you still using fossil fuels? Or is everyone dead already? Last time I went there the Germans and the British were starting another war. How did that go?"
"Decently," you answer "About 60 million dead."
>"Ah, beautiful, beautiful. You humans always have the best ways of causing sweet, sweet chaos. Just as you have here."
“What are you going to do with this universe?” you ask quickly.
>“I have no idea!” Discord chuckles. “I’ll probably start out by killing off those wretched Elements of Harmony and the princesses, then establish myself as Emperor of Discordia. It generally works for a while. Eventually someone will defeat me and put me back in a statue, but, hey, that's all part of the game, now isn't it?"
>You frown.
>"It is a shame you have to leave so soon,” Discord states. “You would have been an excellent lieutenant in the Forces of Chaos.
>The chimera gives a misty-eyed look.
>"But a deal is a deal. Off you go.”
>No one was supposed to die.
"Could you possibly hold off on killing the Elements and the princesses? For my conscience?"
>Discord chuckles.
>"No. I'm afraid I can't do that for you. I am not going to spare my greatest foes just for you to get some good karma. If you believe in that, that is. Who cares? Why do you? In a few minutes here, you'll never have to worry your little head about this universe anymore. You get what you want, I get what I want. A deals a deal."
>Discord spits in his talon and reaches out to shake your hand.
>You don't return the gesture.
>Frowning, Discord picks you up around your waist and throws you like a flamboyant basketball player into a red portal he silently created behind your position, then laughs insanely.
>“Ta-ta, Anonymous! Thank you for your help!” he cries as the portal slams shut.
>Once again, you travel through the space between dimensions.
>There is no sense of time and all around you is the bright white light of radiation and scorching heat.
>You will need to take some potassium iodide tablets when you arrive back on Earth, you muse.
>A second portal opens up and sucks you through.
>You inaudibly land on your feet in a dark room.
>A man in a yellow radiation suit is examining a ring-shaped device with a Geiger counter, oblivious to your appearance.
>A red lever is in front of your face.
>You recognize that red lever, and shortly afterwards where you are.
>You have to pull that lever.
>The consequences could completely destroy the space-time continuum of your universe.
>You can almost hear the Lord of Chaos laughing his mad laugh in your ear.
>Ironic punishment wasn't part of the bargain, but you have no choice.
>He wants to guarantee his freedom, or watch your universe burn.
>There is no reason to assume that he would send you to any other.
>So, painfully, you reach out and pull down on the switch.
>A portal opens behind you and sucks you . . . to the same place.
>But now there is a thick coating of dust on the transporter.
>A rat skeleton lies on the floor.
>You are finally back on Earth.
>You cautiously leave the abandoned physics room in which you built your transporter, unlocking the door on your way out.
>Your watch reads 6:40, despite the bright sunshine flooding through the windows.
>A small white paper catches your eye on the familiar bulletin board:
>Missing
>Anonymous
>Last seen January 6, 2023.
>These words are followed by a brief description of your appearance.
>You find no one walking about as you wander the halls of the university.
>You realize you have come back during summer vacation, rather fortunately.
>Then the consequences of your recent actions begin to settle in your mind.
>Your stomach sinks into your feet, your legs quiver as if the room dropped twenty degrees, and you feel so sick you have to sit down against the wall.
>You have made a grave error.
>You have condemned an entire universe to death.
>Granted, it was universe you despised at its core.
>No, not even that is true, not entirely.
>But now you are in one which you despise even more than the illogical world of Equestria.
>You are now in a world of brutes, sycophants, fools, and monsters.
>Monsters such as yourself.
>A world of famine and disease, of fanaticism and idiocy, of bullies and watchers.
>You looked upon the idyllic world of Equestria and despised it for being what humanity seeks: peace, fairness, beauty.
>You looked into chaos and saw logic, that the darkness of humanity was inevitable, and the light of Equestria a nightmare.
>Innocent creatures will die because of your selfishness and near-petty desire for fame.
>The number of people that respect you is, once again, zero.
>You exit the physics building (the doors were strangely unlocked, possibly because of recent prospective student tour) onto the quad of your university, sit on the concrete steps, and watch a plastic bag float by like a jellyfish.
>You finally received what you have wanted for the past months and it is strangely unsatisfying.
>You know what must be done.
>You head back to the transporter laboratory and to find your car keys, apartment keys, and wallet.
>As far as everyone on Earth is concerned, you are most likely dead, which poses some problems.
>Your car has been towed from its place in the parking lot, so you are forced to walk through the streets to your apartment.
>The heat and smog of the city is oppressive, but you have grown used to hot places.
>The windows of each building look down on you like the eyes of God.
>You eventually reach your building.
>The doorman gives you a funny look when you walk through the revolving door.
>“Anonymous?” he asks. “You’re alive?”
“As much as I’ll ever be,” you state, and walk to the elevator.
>“You’re apartment’s been sold, Anon,” he warns. “Your parents took all your stuff.”
>You ignore the nickname for now.
“That complicates things.”
>“You want me to call them? They’ll probably be ecstatic to hear your voice.”
>You nod.
>Your phone call with them is long and tearful, at least on your parents’ end.
>You tell them everything up to the awakening of Discord, simply explaining that you managed to get the transporter to work on the other end.
>At that point, their tears turn to jubilation.
>Then you make your request.
“Listen, Dad? I need you to bring me our gun. I am going to test the transporter again.”
>There is protest on the other end.
“I know I will be gone again. I need the gun because I don’t know which universe I am going to end up in this time. If it’s dangerous, I want a weapon. Also, if I am gone as long as I was this time, go on my computer at home and find the document labeled Dimensional Transporter Abstract. Give it to Professor Langston at the university.”
>Your parents buy your lie, and your father brings over the family pistol, the same one you imagined in your mind to trap Celestia and Luna.
>An emotional reunion occurs once your parents arrive at your apartment building from their house on the other side of town, but you manage to keep it brief.
>Then, it is back to the university.
>Time is of the essence.
>First, you plan for a more effective return.
>You grab another radiation suit to protect yourself in the transdimensional plane, and write down the frequency at which the Earth universe’s microwave background radiation frequency is transmitted at.
>You will calibrate the Equestrian portal to this frequency to return home.
>You also bring a toolbox and spare transporter parts in a large duffel bag.
>Obviously, you were able to be much more prepared for failure on the Earth end of the transporter.
>You are still uncertain if you wish to return.
>You pace the floor considering once and for all if you really wish to return to the saccharine world of Equestria.
>Even with all your spare parts, you still may not return.
>This time, death by the God of Chaos is much more likely.
>You could publish everything you have now and live happily ever after.
>So, you put the parts down and walk away from the transporter.
>You really can't do it.
>There is no logical reason to go back.
>You will publish your findings and . . . what was it?
>Drink away Equestria like a bad dream?
>But then, the guilt comes back, driving you to your knees dry heaving.
>A conscience is a terrible thing, you decide.
>It drives you to do illogical things.
>But, your moral compass has become more of a moral bulldozer.
>You pull out the black firearm from the bag and examine it.
>It is unloaded.
>Suicide is not the option out of this.
>No, it is time to set things right.
>It is time to atone for your sins or die for them.
>After quickly checking some circuit breakers and the university power generator, you pull the red lever on the transporter and open the blue-white portal.
>You step through with your burden, a heavy duffel bag filled with metal, the small pistol, and a guilty conscience, and, after one billion years or one billion nanoseconds, you arrive back in Equestria.
>You are Twilight Sparkle.
>You are currently imprisoned in a glass bubble in the throne room of Canterlot Palace along with the two princesses and your friends.
>Discord has not killed you yet, though he certainly has threatened you many times.
>He quickly turned Equestria to the chaotic state it was in when he was last freed: chocolate milk raining from cotton candy clouds, herds of bison dancing through the streets, and plains of grass turned into fields of playing cards.
>All because of Anonymous.
>You can barely believe you ever trusted him.
>If you just had forced him to seek help and prevented him from sending that letter, this whole crisis would be averted.
>Now you can only pace the floor, thinking of an escape plan.
>The bubble suppresses your magic, so you cannot simply teleport everyone out.
>The balcony door clangs open and Discord floats through, alone.
>He has been spending his time outside observing the damage.
“What do you want with us now?” you sneer.
>“Just to toy with you some more,” Discord replies. “And to remind you how the creature you put so much faith in turned into my most willing servant ever.”
>He chuckles.
>“I’m sure he told you how ruthless humans can be when they want to. Their history is most fascinating, possibly the most chaotic of any of the dimensions I have visited.”
>He pulls out a large, black, scaly tome marked with blood red runes and begins flipping through the pages.
>“Ah, yes, the history of humanity is painted in blood. Six million civilians dead in this war. Another million in this one. Three thousand killed by a careless foreman. Millions homeless because of the carelessness of a wealthy businessman. Their history is cyclical, but it is united by one thing: the capacity for cruelty. And it’s beautiful.”
>Discord gives a schoolgirl like giggle.
>You stare at the floor; Anonymous had told you of these things when you first met him.
>You hear footsteps coming down the hallway to your prison.
>Discord turns to the source of the noise and guffaws.
>Whoever is there is hidden by the Lord of Chaos’s form.
>“You came back? After you were so desperate to – AUGH!”
>A loud bang echoes through the room.
>Discord is clutching his left shoulder.
>You are Anonymous.
>Your father had taught you how to shoot the family pistol at the age of nine.
>Not until now have you had to use his advice: line up the sights with the target, squeeze the trigger rather than pulling on it, shoot calmly, and don’t forget to breathe.
>You fire off a second round.
>“You think you can kill me with a simple human weapon?” Discord inquires, healing his two injuries with magic.
“No. But, I expect it to be a painful form of leverage. Let them go,” you state.
>Discord only laughs his horrible laugh.
>You pull the trigger once more, but miss this time, the bullet striking the back wall of the throne room.
>“Now it is my turn,” the Lord of Chaos declares.
>He charges a black spell in his eagle talon.
>You take a deep breath and line up the iron sights with his forehead.
>Either this shot hits where it needs to, or Anonymous will no longer exist.
>You fire.
>The bullet flies straight and true, but misses once more.
>"Your luck has run out, Anonymous," Discord declares, blasting you with a beam of black energy.
>It sends you rocketing into the air.
>Discord teleports forward and throttles you with his lion's paw.
>You attempt to raise your gun to his temple.
>"Ah-ah-ah. No."
>You feel the firearm disappear from your hand.
>"You are a non-magical pile of squishy organs and bones," Discord taunts. "I could kill you with a thought, murder you in an instant. Or I could turn you into any number of animate or inanimate objects."
"Then do it," you sputter. "And ruin your last chance of obtaining the most powerful weapons that you know of."
>"What?"
>Discord releases you.
>"Tell me. If you even think of trying to attack me with your bare hands . . . just consider the threats I stated."
"You know how I arrived in Equestria, correct?" you inquire. "My dimensional transporter?"
>Discord nods.
>"Of course I do! I've been observing you this entire time. You know this."
>You begin to calmly pace.
"Transporting other beings must take some energy, no matter how miniscule. It at least takes effort and thought. But, my transporter does the work for you. You could very easily and very quickly transport the finest soldiers of Earth through it. And, humanity has progressed very much since World War II. No need to use your own powers. However, it is broken. I need to fix it. If you let those eight go for now, I will rebuild it for you."
>"Or, how about this, you build it for me, and I don't turn you into a talking cantaloupe," Discord bargains.
>You sigh.
"Very well."
>"Good! Glad you saw reason."
>The Lord of Chaos turns to his eight prisoners.
>"I will be back for you eventually," he states, then snaps his talon.
>You instantly pop back into your laboratory room.
>Discord snaps his claws again, and the world shifts into grayscale.
>"For our mutual benefit, I have slowed time in this house," Discord explains. "You will now have as long as you need to fix this device. I expect you to be done in . . . oh . . . about five seconds normal time. Any longer, and I will simply turn your house into a seven-layer cake. Or maybe a pumpkin. I will need to consider that one. Ta-ta."
>Discord teleports away in a flash of red light.
>You pull out your wrench and begin twisting bolts.
>It's a simple matter of carefully replacing a few parts.
>The electron generators and focusing coils need to be complete refitted after being destroyed from the previous electrical mishap.
>Your laboratory is once again filled with the whir of your power drill and the cranking of bolts.
>A few quick voltmeter tests and other measurements confirm that the transporter should be operational.
>And, as soon as it is finished, the world reverts back into color.
>Discord teleports in, bringing with him his eight greatest threats, still in their bubble, and pulls out an oversized gold pocket watch.
>"5.000001 seconds. You're late," he sneers.
"Do you want the transporter or not?"
>"But not late enough to warrant punishing. Fire it up."
>"Anonymous! Don't do it! You don't have to obey!" Twilight shouts from her prison.
>You ignore her.
>"Silence!" Discord shouts, flicking the sphere back like a pinball.
>Then he smiles, bearing his sharp canine teeth.
>"Why are you helping him, little filly? Do you not remember this is the one that has brought us to this very situation? The total conquest of Equestria - forever!"
>Discord laughs a long hearty guffaw.
>"Now, activate the device."
"Of course. Stand in the ring," you state.
>You pray that it works; otherwise, your fate will be one most likely worse than death.
>You do not particularly want to be a squash.
>It would be rather dull.
>You walk over to the red lever.
"Goodbye, Discord," you declare, and pull it down.
>The transporter begins to whir and flash with electrical energy.
>The focusing coils charge their beams of lightning, sending out tendrils of indigo sparks.
>"Goodbye? What in the name of Tartarus does that mea - AUGH!"
>A beam of searing electricity strikes the Lord of Chaos, followed by hundreds of others streaming from the focusing coils.
>The eight ponies in the sphere recoil back from the flash of bright visible radiation.
>"You little - you tricked me?" Discord utters through the buzz of electricity, "Discord, the Master of Tricks, the Lord of - UGH - Chaos! I will destroy your very -"
>His raised raptor talon reverts to stone as energy arcs up it..
>"What is this?"
"Something on the order of 13 billion volts of electrical energy. Enough to destroy this device, but also enough to convert the Lord of Chaos to marble. Apparently. That part was a guess."
>"You think imprisoning . . . me in a statue will stop - AUGH - me? You are but a worm compared to my power!"
>You give no response, and just stare as Discord meets his fate.
>More tentacles of blue-white electrons leap across the focusing coils.
>The white marble streaks up and over the form of the Lord of Chaos as the components of your transporter begin to disintegrate again.
>Fortunately, you have two sets that you brought from Earth.
>With a final screech of pain, the Lord of Chaos is imprisoned once again, his statue landing on the floor with a loud thud.
>The bubble around Twilight, her friends, and the princesses shatters like a window, and the garishly-colored pink sky outside slowly fades back to blue.
>You briefly stare at the statue of the monster you unleashed, then turn to the eight other beings in the room.
“Do with me as you will,” you tell the quines. “There is no justification for what I did. I was desperate.”
>Six of them look ready to rip you apart limb from limb, but Celestia steps forward and puts a hoof in front of them.
>“Anonymous, I . . . I have something to confess. We knew your plan all along.”
>The six non-royal ponies recoil from Celestia as if she had just told them she was toxic.
“I thought I had the plan completely secured . . .”
>“You may have secured your dreams, Anonymous, but your thoughts were an open book to us,” Luna explains. "As I told you on my first visit to your mind, your thoughts were like paintings displayed for all of us to see.
“But why didn't you even try to stop me? Discord would have destroyed Equestria and killed all of you!” you exclaim.
>“And that is where we knew your plan would fail,” Celestia responds. “We also knew you would be able to accept someone dying for your own selfishness. We took a risk and it paid off. Discord is once again imprisoned.”
>Celestia turns to the six ponies behind her.
>“Girls, you should leave us for a moment. We have much to discuss with Anonymous.”
>Twilight and her friends leave the throne room, glaring furiously at you all the way and saying nothing.
>“Ugh, what a mess,” Celestia complains, rather un-royally. “I was hoping you would figure out a way to defeat him without us being imprisoned or threatened.”
“I’m sorry. Why didn’t you realize that I was not going to be able to come up with a plan to defeat the Lord of Chaos on the spot?”
>“Fine. But, do tell us, how did you get here?” the Princess of the Sun asks.
>You tell her of your brief exploits back on Earth first and then explain how you found where Discord was hiding.
>You arrived on the cliffs outside Canterlot and immediately saw the swarms of chaotic energy spewing from the Canterlot Palace.
>You knew Discord must be there and guessed he would want to keep the creatures that could defeat him close by.
>The palace guards were happy to let you pass, considering they had been turned into rabbits.
>And so, you were able to barge into the throne room and trick the Lord of Chaos into re-imprisoning himself.
>"Brilliant," Luna proclaims. "A bit mad, but absolutely brilliant.
>It has been three weeks since the third awakening of Discord and, somehow, you have managed not to be executed by the townsfolk or by Twilight and her friends.
>You have spent the time carefully repairing your transporter with the parts and tools you brought with you.
>As it is nearing completion, a knock comes on your door, the first in a long time.
>It is Twilight Sparkle, alone.
“Well, I think I know what this is about,” you state after opening the door.
>Twilight only sighs.
>“No, it’s not about Discord, Anonymous. In fact, no one but the princesses and my friends know the truth, and I’ve made sure they tell no one in case you needed help from somepony for some reason.”
>You furrow your brow.
“But I awakened the most malevolent creature in Equestria! He threatened to kill you!”
>“But you came back and saved us from him. You righted your mistake,” Twilight explains.
>You scrutinize her and her last statement.
“That does not sound like you,” you mutter. “Celestia has spoken to you six. She ordered you not to tell anyone.”
>Twilight smiles.
>“I should have known you’d see right through me.”
“Twilight, if I had done what I just did on Earth, I’d be in jail –”
>“And yet you’re not! You saved Equestria!”
“Equestria wouldn’t have needed to be saved if it weren’t for my actions!”
>Twilight sighs again.
>“Why is it that all we ever do is argue?” Twilight asks. “It’s like we’re a married couple.”
“We are incredibly different people, Twilight. We may be similar intellectually, but we are different in every other way. Especially in our personalities.”
>There is another pause in the conversation.
>“Both Celestia and I want you to stay in Equestria,” Twilight says.
“I know. But I cannot. My conscience is not clean here, Twilight. I am not happy here. I am not happy on Earth either, but it is a more familiar unhappiness.”
>Then a thought hits you.
“I know why I am not happy here, Twilight. This is the first place in which my intellect and skills have ever been respected by anyone. And for the first time, I have looked out of my window on the fields and wanted to have people who not just respected about me, but cared about me. You were that person, and I consistently turned my back on you.”
>You take a deep breath.
“Remember when I told outside Sugarcube Corner, so long ago now, that I did care about friendship? That was a lie. I realized I still needed your help and was willing to do anything to get it. I was constantly manipulating everyone through my actions. When I helped Rainbow Dash with her broken wing, it was only because I wanted to put up a semblance that I had changed and so that she would trust me. I am not even sure if I was successful in that.”
>You let these words sink in.
>Twilight’s frown has only been deepening, but she motions for you to continue.
“So, Twilight, I may have earned the respect of Equestria, but I do not deserve it. I am a monster just as much as Discord was. And for this reason, I must leave.”
>You turn around and walk towards your laboratory room.
>“Anonymous! Wait!” Twilight cries. "You're right! I do care about you! I don't care that you lied! You deserve my respect, despite the things you did. Please, please don't go . . ."
>You slip the radiation suit over your body and seal the helmet.
>You turn and look at Twilight one last time.
“Goodbye . . . Twilight. This is what must be done.”
>You pull down the red lever on the side of the transporter.
>It has been calibrated to lock on to your universe and modified to accept magic as its energy source.
>There will be no destruction this time.
>The electrons whirl through the cyclotron and into the focusing coils.
>300 million volts of energy build up, until they are released onto a single point of space.
>The blue-white portal opens.
“I was happy for once to call someone . . . a friend.”
The End
Special Thanks:
To my editors: Hazardous Harvard and Navarone
To PonyGone for giving me the idea for Chapter 8.
And to you, the Anonymous reader, for enjoying/hating/being indifferent towards the story of Mad Science.

create a new version of this paste RAW Paste Data

Mad Science
By IceMan

Chapter 10

>No.
>Red lines run far and wide and fast and deep
>Logic and chaos should never mix.
>Something snapped within you that night, like an icicle falling from a rooftop, spearing a small child.
>Desperation takes control.
>A plan you once considered beyond possibility has reached the realm of possibility.
>You are a god among men.
>And yet gods must fall.
>Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.
>Not even death will stop you.
>You will conquer chaos, and bring logic.
>Or you will be consumed.
>No.
>The cold hand of fate slithers by.
>Progress must be made.
>A plan you once considered beyond possibility has reached the realm of possibility.

>You are lying on your bed, pondering your next move.
>You have played the game of life like a chess match, and it now appears that the game is nearing checkmate.
>It could be years of bad karma catching up with you or the whimsical hand of fate, but those are ridiculous notions. 
>All you can do is blink the tears of anger from your eyes at this point.
>Your most feasible plan is a complete failure and possibly was from the start.
>But, now is not the time to dwell on it.
>Since you considered the possibility of failure, you had planned for it, whether to simply assuage your troubled mind or because you knew, deep down, that you would not succeed.
>And so, Plan B begins, and checkmate is averted.
>With that thought you fall into a tumultuous sleep.
>The next morning, you walk over to Twilight’s library.
>Once again, you are forced to gaze upon the garish world in which you are imprisoned: a world with a twisted brand of logic that has driven you to . . .
>Not insanity.
>“Hello, Anonymous,” Twilight greets you at the door, rather excitedly. “Is your machine done?”
“Yes. Well, it was. I was testing it, and unfortunately, the mechanisms overheated. The dimensional transporter is irreparably damaged,” you state, managing to retain your composure.
>Twilight’s exuberant smile instantly shifts to a morose grimace.
>“Anonymous . . . I’m sorry,” she says. “Is there anything –”
“No. There is nothing you can do about it and it is pointless for me to even consider building another.” 
>You pause for a moment to let your statement sink in.
>“What will you do now?” Twilight asks.
“I’m not sure.”
>You have a plan, that much is certain, but it is a longshot, even longer than the dimensional transporter.
>It relies on several unreliable factors.
>However, it is the last chance you have.
“What I need from you is this: whatever books you have on telepathy, dreams, and mind-related magic. All of them.”
>“Well, okay,” Twilight responds. “What for?”
“Just my curiosity,” you lie. “I think I have extracted every last bit of information I could ever find about the origins of magic, so I am now moving onto a specific section of it. Perhaps I will find my answers there.”
>Twilight nods and leads you to the shelves.
>You leave with a small stack of thick, leather-bound books.
>You need to learn how to control your subconscious.
>If you cannot, the entirety of this scheme falls apart.
>You need to learn how to trap someone inside your mind.
>You spend the next few days scouring the tomes for any clues as to how to do this, and, at first, find little.
>Then, while reading a book entitled “The Un-Awaking World,” you discover the information you seek.
>“Chapter 4”
>“On Mind Barriers”
>“Not since the War of Eternal Night over a millennium ago have Mind Barriers ever been considered a necessary part of daily life. They are deceptively simple to produce. The user of a mind barrier must know only a simple, repetitive incantation such as ‘That which is not is that which is not’ to repeat in his or her mind. They do not need to have any proficiency or ability to use magic. The power of these barriers seems to come from the will of the user’s subconscious, rather than from magical power. Similar strategies include imagining shut doors or brick walls. These barriers prevent thoughts from escaping or entering the user’s mind. This power was used widely by the Armies of the Sun during the War of Eternal Night to prevent the Nightmare from entering into the minds of soldiers and commanders to corrupt morale or discover secrets. The most powerful known incantation was ‘Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake’ which was repeated endlessly by commanders of the Army of the Sun in their dreams.”
“Upon further investigation by the authors of this book, it was discovered that the incantations taught to everyone from fillies to generals of the Army of the Sun were connected to a powerful spell network created by Princess Celestia herself. By repeating these code phrases, the network produced a powerful shield around the chanter’s mind from webs of magical energy.”
>You are further aided by Chapter 7: On Controlling One’s Thoughts, which teaches that control of one’s subconscious can be achieved through meditation before sleep.
>All the pieces are falling into place so far.
>There are a few variables beyond your control, but those that are appear to be strictly under it at this point.
>You quickly begin a regimen of ten minutes of calm thought before bed for the next few weeks and, soon enough, your mind is firmly under your control.
>One night, you dream of a mirror in a dark room.
>You are looking at the mirror.
>"What you are doing now is illogical," your reflection mutters.
>"Life is illogical," a second Anonymous answers, appearing from the void in a cloud of smoke.
"I will do what I must. All that matters is that I get home. The ends always justify the means."
>"And how will you justify these means? You are delving into the realm of psuedoscience," a third Anonymous asks.
"I will justify it in its justifying justification."
>That makes no sense.
>What are you even doing?
>What happens when this plan fails, just like the last, because it is so ridiculous and far-fetched that you are resorting to the very ideas you hate about this world to get it to succeed?
>Do you think you are infallible?
>No.
>The dream fades.
>When you sleep, you always dream of the rusting steel doors hanging on their hinges and the blood red circuit lines shining like lines of burning gasoline.
>Eventually, you learn to summon things inside your mind with your sheer willpower.
>You can soon create an entire dreamscape — angelic, hellish, or otherwise — as well as end dreams at will.
>You can wrap your mind in psychic barriers, and control those very barriers.
>However, the worst part is you are not sure how.
>You have known for years about lucid dreaming, and you know you are taking advantage of that mysterious art.
>It exists, but is poorly understood.
>Aren't many things?
>You don't like using something you don't understand, but there are few options left.
>Even worse, now you seem to be combining the poorly understood with the realms of science fiction.
>Perhaps you are simply tapping the unknown powers of the human mind.
>Perhaps you are taking advantage of the magical physics of this universe.
>Overall, it is of little matter.
>Your subconscious is completely under your control.
>You awaken one morning shivering like a frightened rabbit and wanting to go out and murder a deer.
>Then your conscious mind takes over again.
>You walk over to Twilight’s tree house; it has been three weeks since you last visited.
>This entire town knows that you are merely an oddity and prefer your privacy.
>You had no visitors, and you find that quite fortunate.
>It would have merely distracted you from your goals, as visitors always do.
>Your food supplies are running very low and you are completely broke.
>You softly rap on the door and Twilight soon opens it.
>“Hello, Anonym – ah! Dear Celestia, Anonymous! What happened to you? You look like a skeleton!”
“Hello, Twilight,” you rasp, your voice the shaking of the leaves on a windy night.
>Since the fifth night after the transporter malfunctioned, you have awoken at approximately 3:00 AM and screamed until your vocal chords broke.
“I need to send a message to Princess Celestia. Immediately.”
>“Well, okay . . .” she agrees. “Anonymous, are you okay? You really don’t look well.”
“I’m fine,” you affirm.
>“He looks like something that creepy stallion dug out of the graveyard,” Spike retorts, passing by the doorway.
>You give him a glare that could fell a Douglas fir.
>The small purple dragon jumps back, dropping the container of pink strawberry ice cream he was carrying, and scurries upstairs.
>“Anonymous, why do you need to send a letter to Celestia?” Twilight inquires “Is there some way that she could help you get back to Earth?”
“Yes. She is vital to my backup plan,” you explain.
>“Backup plan?”
“It’s all very complicated, lots of variables, very . . . chaotic.”
>Twilight raises an eyebrow.
“It is not as elegant a solution as the dimensional transporter, but will be equally effective.”
>There is no room for doubt.
>“Alright, here, I’ll get you a quill and tell Spike to get out from under the bed.”
>You quickly scribble in writing that looks like the scratches of a bird of prey:
“Please meet me in the usual way. We have much to discuss. Anonymous.”
>You tie up the parchment and hand it to Twilight’s dragon companion.
>With a burst of emerald flame, the paper ignites and is sent to its recipient.
“And now I wait,” you murmur, slinking downstairs.
>“Where are you going?” Spike asks as you reach the door.
>Twilight turns around from organizing some books at the noise.
“I was just leaving,” you rebuke. “Goodbye.”
>You begin to exit.
>“Anonymous! Wait!” Twilight calls.
>You turn around, your right eyelid twitching.
>“You really should see a doctor. You really do look like a zombie. Here, I’ll give you some money in case they –”
“No! No more money. I am going home. Not just home here home, but home Earth home. I do not need any more money. Ever! Goodbye!”
>You run out the door, slamming it behind you.
>It’s all done and now all you have to do is wait until tonight.
>Finally, finally, finally, finally, you will be leaving this world of chaos, a world which has finally broken you entirely, forced you into the chaos into pseudoscience into your mind into chaos.
>One, possibly two days more, and all will be as it should be.
>Logic and chaos should never mix.
>They are like oil and water.
>You pace the floors of your house, the prison you have dwelt in for the past months, waiting for night to fall and sleep to overtake you.
>And, soon enough, it does.
>Your first dream is unsatisfying.
>Two Anonymouses stand in front of you as you hang off the edge of a cliff.
>One, dressed in the yellow hazmat suit with the helmet under his shoulder.
>The other, crawling on the ground, clothes tattered, skin pale as aspen bark, hair covering his face like a shiny, stringy mask.
>You reach for the hand of the hazmat Anonymous, but the tattered Anonymous kicks you off the ledge and into a steel room.
>Sparks fly everywhere and the floor is hot, like a gust of scorching air from an oven.
>Many of the doors have fallen off their hinges and a black, oil-like substance is spilling from some of them onto the floor.
>A door explodes in a burst of orange cinders.
>Red circuit lines shine like lines of burning gasoline.
>Two equine figures stand in front of you.
>One’s horn glows.
>The circuit lines around her glow blue, a sphere of blue growing from the alicorn’s horn.
>The oil dissipates, flowing back into the doors.
>The mind is rebuilt.
>“Hello, Anonymous,” Celestia greets you. “You seem quite troubled.”
>The wave of blue passes your position.
>Doors clang back into position and hiss closed.
“I am.”
>Luna remains stoically by her sister’s side.
>You sigh.
“I have failed in the task that has driven me for . . . for as long as I have been in Equestria. Everything has fallen apart. I have no more options.”
>Except one.
>Celestia nods.
>A wave of red passes, causing the doors to shatter and sparks to fly again.
>“It is difficult knowing you have lost your life’s purpose,” she comforts. “Is there anything in my power that I could do?”
“You have already done enough for me,” you answer. “You were the first to finally empathize with me. The first to finally respect my intellect.”
>“That is not true,” Luna interjects. “Twilight Sparkle has held you in the highest regard for some time.”
“What?”
>The room flashes blue.
“She has told me that she finds my intellect fascinating, but . . . she has respect . . . for me? After everything I’ve done?”
>“She has never met a mind like yours before,” Celestia explains. “As I told you the last time we spoke, the ponies of this world are quite more . . . receptive to words of friendship, even if they might balk at them at first.”
>You consider this revelation for a moment.
>It had been brewing in your mind for some time, but had always been shoved aside by the progress of constructing your transporter.
>There had been little time to dwell on the consequences of your interactions.
>You decide to press on with your original idea of discussion.
“The respect that she holds for me is false. I may have a great mind, but I am a scoundrel. The entire world I have created in Equestria is a lie: a calculated, cruel machination to advance my own interests. If I have created the semblance of friendship with someone, it is for only my own benefit.”
>“But that is not to say that you haven’t created it,” Celestia argues.
“That’s surprising, coming from you.”
>“How so?”
“I’d expect you to agree with me. By most moral standards, what I have done is wrong.”
>“The semblance of friendship is the first step towards it. You have many allies, as you would call them, in this world, Anonymous. Many people who truly respect you for what you have from the captains of industry to three fillies seeking their life purpose. You are respected in this world.”
>You once again pause to mull over these words.
>“What did you have to gain by returning to Earth, Anonymous?” Luna suddenly asks. 
“I would have become the most famous physicist of the 21st Century. I probably would have made millions of dollars.”
>“And yet, you know that would also lead to the end of your privacy,” Luna responds.
>You raise an eyebrow.
>“Your mind revealed it to me,” she explains.
“Loss of privacy will simply be the price I pay for success in science.”
>“You are lying to yourself when you say that. You can barely stand anypony distracting you now. How will you ever deal with reporters from around the world wanting interviews?”
“There are ways for me to rid myself of reporters.”
>“And become a recluse? And face the shame that that brings when somepony claims you stole your designs from your professors, that you do not deserve your fame? You will be helpless to stop them.”
“Ugh,” is all you can utter.
>You have been defeated.
>In your haste for success, you forgot the consequences.
>You can deal with those back on Earth.
>Now is not the time for talk.
>The steel room flashes blue, then red.
>It remains red.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake,” you state shakily.
>“What?” Celestia spits. "Anonymous . . . what . . . what are you doing?" 
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake.”
>The room rumbles.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake!”
>Steel beams cover every square inch of every door, sealing them.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and give a little shake.”
>The room falls dark except for the glow of the red circuitry.
“I am in control, Celestia,” your voice booms from every direction.
>“Anonymous, what is this?” she screams.
“I have trapped you in my subconscious using a Mind Barrier,” you explain. “I did have one option. I did not like it. I did not approve of it, even though it might have been considerably easier than building a second dimensional transporter. It took desperation to see its merits.”
>Several large machine gun turrets pop out of hidden armatures in the walls, pointing crimson lasers at the two princesses.
>A semi-automatic pistol materializes in your hand.
“I can’t kill you and I have no reason to. If things proceed smoothly, no one is going to die by my hand. But any wrong moves and I put you into a comatose state back in the real world. Now, here’s what we’re going to do,” you begin.
>Celestia charges a spell.
“No.”
>You snap your fingers.
“No magic. This is my mind. You play by my logic. And if you even think of trying to strike me, those guns will rip you apart.”
>You pace around and point the gun to Celestia’s temple.
“How do I free Discord?” you whisper into her ear.
>“What?” she retorts.
“You know exactly what I said.”
>“You’re insane!” Luna shouts. “He’ll destroy you before he gives in to your demands.”
“Not if I give him the princesses of the Sun and Moon on a silver platter,” you remark. “So . . . tell me how to do it.” 
>The two princesses plot their next move.
>“What do you want with Discord?” Celestia demands.
“I suppose there is no harm in telling you. He is the Lord of Chaos. His chaotic magic allows him to be capable of virtually anything, including trans-universal transport. Am I incorrect on any of these facts?”
>Celestia shakes her head.
“Good. Then we shall proceed. Tell me how to free him, or die.”
>The Princess of the Sun looks to her sister worriedly.
>You are not going to back down on effectively killing them.
>That is the thought you put at the front of your subconscious.
>But, the truth is buried like a tiny seed.
>You could never take someone's life, or even someone's mind.
>If they do not give you the information, you will simply seek it in other ways.
>This is simply the most expedient way of finding what you seek, as ways of allowing Lords of Chaos to escape from stony prisons are most likely not kept in library books.
>“You would have to use the Elements of Harmony,” Luna finally states. “Either convince their bearers to use the power of the Elements to free Discord, or destroy the Elements themselves. And the Elements cannot be destroyed by any means that we know of. They are beyond even the most powerful forms of magic.”
“Very well. Celestia, I am going to let you go and you are going to send a message to your precious student Twilight Sparkle, ordering her to free Discord. You will then return to my mind. Come up with a good reason. Luna will stay locked in here. Disobey, and I will terminate her. Go.”
>You are hoping that the care she has for her sister outweighs her own scorn for you at this moment.
>If not, the plan fails, and you will face the dire consequences.
>You open a small hole in your mind and force Celestia out.
“Now we wait,” you tell Luna, re-sealing the barrier with a repetition of the childish rhyme.
>“Anonymous, you’re making a terrible mistake!” Luna warns you.
“I do not make mistakes. I know exactly what I am doing. If everything goes according to plan, I will be free from this universe forever. Forever!”
>"And what about the rest of us?"
"That is of little matter to me. Find your own way to defeat the Lord of Chaos. You apparently have before."
>After a few minutes, you sense a tapping on the edge of your mind.
>You briefly open the barrier once more to allow the Princess of the Sun to re-enter.
>Soon after, you are awoken by a rapid knocking on your door.
>You groggily walk down stairs and open the door; checking your watch reveals that it is 5:14 AM.
>“Anonymous!” Twilight states. “We have to go!”
>Her five friends are with her, wearing golden necklaces with bright gemstones inset into them.
>Twilight, however, is wearing a diadem with a large amethyst set in it.
“What’s going on?” you ask, trying to remain oblivious.
>“Discord, the God of Chaos, is about to free himself,” Twilight explains, telekinetically pulling you out of your house.
>You land with a thud on the cold earth.
>“Celestia said you’d be able to seal him permanently,” Twilight continues. “She said you are his polar opposite, the God of Logic.” 
>“So, we’re gonna release him early so that you can seal him,” Applejack finishes.
>You dust the dirt off your clothes.
>They give you a moment to comprehend what has been said. 
“Very well,” you state.
>“I’m going to teleport us there,” Twilight says. “Celestia said there’s very little time until Discord breaks the seal himself.”
>You nod as she charges the teleportation spell, lighting the ground with the violet aura.
>The spell briefly puts you into a lightless, broiling tunnel until you re-materialize on the grass in the Royal Statue Garden.
>“This is strange,” Rainbow Dash comments. “Where is Celestia? Shouldn’t she be here to make sure nothing goes wrong?” 
“She puts a lot of faith in you six,” you reassure, your voice wavering, but just barely. “I am sure she is watching us from her tower.”
>Twilight nods to you, then her five friends.
>The Elements glow blindingly, then launch a multi-colored barrage of raw magical energy at the state of the Lord of Chaos.
>The six bearers recoil back from the force, their eyes shining like stars.
>A manic grin spreads across your face and you begin to step towards the statue.
“Anonymous, get back!” Applejack yells. “You don’t know what the Elements could do to you.”
>You take only one more step forward.
>The white marble statue fragments like a skin of dried mud around its prisoner, then explodes into billions of particles.
>With a roar, the Lord of Chaos is free.
“Whatever you’re going to do, Anonymous, do it now!” Twilight orders.
>You smirk and look into the chimera’s eyes.
“Good morning, Discord,” you state calmly. “I am Anonymous the human and I have a proposition for you. It is a proposition that could greatly ease your conquest of Equestria.”
>“Anonymous, what’re you doin’?” Applejack cries.
>You ignore her.
>“Well, this is rather a surprise,” Discord says, his voice the suave silk suit of a businessman. 
>It catches you off guard.
>It was not what you expected from the Lord of Chaos.
>A booming roar might be more appropriate, but, then again, the smoothness manages to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
>A rough growl would be less threatening.
>“I expected my freedom to come about two months from now. But, earlier is always better. I guess you had a hand in that, didn’t you . . . Anonymous, was it?”
>You nod.
>“So, what exactly is your proposition for the Lord of Chaos?”
>Discord summons a cashier’s box and a calculator from the void and begins fiddling with them.
“I currently have the minds of Princess Celestia and Luna inside my head. If you want, I could transfer them to you to do with as you please. In return for this, I want one simple thing. I want you to send me back to Earth.”
>You hear the twinkle of Twilight charging a spell behind you.
>Discord merely smiles and snaps his fingers. 
>The world shifts into black and white, like someone had suddenly slid the saturation to zero.
>You turn around and look at the six ponies standing behind you.
>Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack are all baring their teeth and preparing to attack you.
>Fluttershy is cowering, as usual.
>Pinkie Pie and Rarity are staring at the ground, frowning, as if uncertain what to do.
>“That should hold them off for a while,” Discord states. “Well, for as long as necessary. I have frozen time for us to discuss.”
>He pushes himself off the ground at flips upside down on his head.
>“Your offer is quite appealing, Mr. Anonymous. Though, if I wanted the minds of my foes I could just take them myself." 
>You frown.
>"But, I admire the effort you took, and it granted me freedom in the best way possible: at the hands of my enemies. I accept.”
"Excellent. That is quite pleasing."
>"You've been a most interesting subject to observe over the past few months," Discord remarks. "I have been watching you, you know. All the time."
"How? You were sealed in stone?"
>"Silly, Anonymous! I thought you would be smarter than that!" 
>Discord pats you on the head like you were a child who had been caught stealing cookies.
>"Do you think that being a statue makes me powerless? Hardly! It's merely a . . . temporary annoyance, more than anything. I generally give ol' Celly a few centuries before freeing myself again, just to be a good sport, but, I guarantee, there is nothing that can truly imprison me."
>Discord snaps the fingers on his lion paw once again.
>Your head feels like it is being sucked through a pipe and a thin misty trail floats off from your temple to Discord’s.
>"I've watched you scuttle about making false friendships and impressing people with your knowledge of how to build technology that is commonplace back on Earth. Speaking of which, how is the old planet? Are you still using fossil fuels? Or is everyone dead already? Last time I went there the Germans and the British were starting another war. How did that go?"
"Decently," you answer "About 60 million dead."
>"Ah, beautiful, beautiful. You humans always have the best ways of causing sweet, sweet chaos. Just as you have here."
“What are you going to do with this universe?” you ask quickly.
>“I have no idea!” Discord chuckles. “I’ll probably start out by killing off those wretched Elements of Harmony and the princesses, then establish myself as Emperor of Discordia. It generally works for a while. Eventually someone will defeat me and put me back in a statue, but, hey, that's all part of the game, now isn't it?" 
>You frown.
>"It is a shame you have to leave so soon,” Discord states. “You would have been an excellent lieutenant in the Forces of Chaos. 
>The chimera gives a misty-eyed look.
>"But a deal is a deal. Off you go.”
>No one was supposed to die.
"Could you possibly hold off on killing the Elements and the princesses? For my conscience?"
>Discord chuckles.
>"No. I'm afraid I can't do that for you. I am not going to spare my greatest foes just for you to get some good karma. If you believe in that, that is. Who cares? Why do you? In a few minutes here, you'll never have to worry your little head about this universe anymore. You get what you want, I get what I want. A deals a deal."
>Discord spits in his talon and reaches out to shake your hand.
>You don't return the gesture.
>Frowning, Discord picks you up around your waist and throws you like a flamboyant basketball player into a red portal he silently created behind your position, then laughs insanely.
>“Ta-ta, Anonymous! Thank you for your help!” he cries as the portal slams shut. 
>Once again, you travel through the space between dimensions.
>There is no sense of time and all around you is the bright white light of radiation and scorching heat.
>You will need to take some potassium iodide tablets when you arrive back on Earth, you muse.
>A second portal opens up and sucks you through.
>You inaudibly land on your feet in a dark room.
>A man in a yellow radiation suit is examining a ring-shaped device with a Geiger counter, oblivious to your appearance.
>A red lever is in front of your face.
>You recognize that red lever, and shortly afterwards where you are.
>You have to pull that lever.
>The consequences could completely destroy the space-time continuum of your universe.
>You can almost hear the Lord of Chaos laughing his mad laugh in your ear.
>Ironic punishment wasn't part of the bargain, but you have no choice.
>He wants to guarantee his freedom, or watch your universe burn.
>There is no reason to assume that he would send you to any other.
>So, painfully, you reach out and pull down on the switch.
>A portal opens behind you and sucks you . . . to the same place.
>But now there is a thick coating of dust on the transporter.
>A rat skeleton lies on the floor.
>You are finally back on Earth.
>You cautiously leave the abandoned physics room in which you built your transporter, unlocking the door on your way out.
>Your watch reads 6:40, despite the bright sunshine flooding through the windows.
>A small white paper catches your eye on the familiar bulletin board:
>Missing
>Anonymous
>Last seen January 6, 2023.
>These words are followed by a brief description of your appearance.
>You find no one walking about as you wander the halls of the university.
>You realize you have come back during summer vacation, rather fortunately.
>Then the consequences of your recent actions begin to settle in your mind.
>Your stomach sinks into your feet, your legs quiver as if the room dropped twenty degrees, and you feel so sick you have to sit down against the wall.
>You have made a grave error.
>You have condemned an entire universe to death.
>Granted, it was universe you despised at its core.
>No, not even that is true, not entirely.
>But now you are in one which you despise even more than the illogical world of Equestria.
>You are now in a world of brutes, sycophants, fools, and monsters.
>Monsters such as yourself.
>A world of famine and disease, of fanaticism and idiocy, of bullies and watchers.
>You looked upon the idyllic world of Equestria and despised it for being what humanity seeks: peace, fairness, beauty.
>You looked into chaos and saw logic, that the darkness of humanity was inevitable, and the light of Equestria a nightmare.
>Innocent creatures will die because of your selfishness and near-petty desire for fame.
>The number of people that respect you is, once again, zero.
>You exit the physics building (the doors were strangely unlocked, possibly because of recent prospective student tour) onto the quad of your university, sit on the concrete steps, and watch a plastic bag float by like a jellyfish.
>You finally received what you have wanted for the past months and it is strangely unsatisfying.
>You know what must be done.
>You head back to the transporter laboratory and to find your car keys, apartment keys, and wallet.
>As far as everyone on Earth is concerned, you are most likely dead, which poses some problems.
>Your car has been towed from its place in the parking lot, so you are forced to walk through the streets to your apartment.
>The heat and smog of the city is oppressive, but you have grown used to hot places.
>The windows of each building look down on you like the eyes of God.
>You eventually reach your building.
>The doorman gives you a funny look when you walk through the revolving door.
>“Anonymous?” he asks. “You’re alive?”
“As much as I’ll ever be,” you state, and walk to the elevator.
>“You’re apartment’s been sold, Anon,” he warns. “Your parents took all your stuff.”
>You ignore the nickname for now.
“That complicates things.”
>“You want me to call them? They’ll probably be ecstatic to hear your voice.”
>You nod.
>Your phone call with them is long and tearful, at least on your parents’ end.
>You tell them everything up to the awakening of Discord, simply explaining that you managed to get the transporter to work on the other end.
>At that point, their tears turn to jubilation. 
>Then you make your request.
“Listen, Dad? I need you to bring me our gun. I am going to test the transporter again.”
>There is protest on the other end.
“I know I will be gone again. I need the gun because I don’t know which universe I am going to end up in this time. If it’s dangerous, I want a weapon. Also, if I am gone as long as I was this time, go on my computer at home and find the document labeled Dimensional Transporter Abstract. Give it to Professor Langston at the university.”
>Your parents buy your lie, and your father brings over the family pistol, the same one you imagined in your mind to trap Celestia and Luna.
>An emotional reunion occurs once your parents arrive at your apartment building from their house on the other side of town, but you manage to keep it brief.
>Then, it is back to the university.
>Time is of the essence.
>First, you plan for a more effective return.
>You grab another radiation suit to protect yourself in the transdimensional plane, and write down the frequency at which the Earth universe’s microwave background radiation frequency is transmitted at.
>You will calibrate the Equestrian portal to this frequency to return home.
>You also bring a toolbox and spare transporter parts in a large duffel bag.
>Obviously, you were able to be much more prepared for failure on the Earth end of the transporter.
>You are still uncertain if you wish to return.
>You pace the floor considering once and for all if you really wish to return to the saccharine world of Equestria.
>Even with all your spare parts, you still may not return.
>This time, death by the God of Chaos is much more likely.
>You could publish everything you have now and live happily ever after.
>So, you put the parts down and walk away from the transporter.
>You really can't do it.
>There is no logical reason to go back.
>You will publish your findings and . . . what was it?
>Drink away Equestria like a bad dream?
>But then, the guilt comes back, driving you to your knees dry heaving.
>A conscience is a terrible thing, you decide.
>It drives you to do illogical things.
>But, your moral compass has become more of a moral bulldozer.
>You pull out the black firearm from the bag and examine it.
>It is unloaded.
>Suicide is not the option out of this.
>No, it is time to set things right.
>It is time to atone for your sins or die for them.
>After quickly checking some circuit breakers and the university power generator, you pull the red lever on the transporter and open the blue-white portal.
>You step through with your burden, a heavy duffel bag filled with metal, the small pistol, and a guilty conscience, and, after one billion years or one billion nanoseconds, you arrive back in Equestria.

>You are Twilight Sparkle.
>You are currently imprisoned in a glass bubble in the throne room of Canterlot Palace along with the two princesses and your friends.
>Discord has not killed you yet, though he certainly has threatened you many times.
>He quickly turned Equestria to the chaotic state it was in when he was last freed: chocolate milk raining from cotton candy clouds, herds of bison dancing through the streets, and plains of grass turned into fields of playing cards.
>All because of Anonymous.
>You can barely believe you ever trusted him.
>If you just had forced him to seek help and prevented him from sending that letter, this whole crisis would be averted.
>Now you can only pace the floor, thinking of an escape plan.
>The bubble suppresses your magic, so you cannot simply teleport everyone out.
>The balcony door clangs open and Discord floats through, alone.
>He has been spending his time outside observing the damage.
“What do you want with us now?” you sneer.
>“Just to toy with you some more,” Discord replies. “And to remind you how the creature you put so much faith in turned into my most willing servant ever.”
>He chuckles.
>“I’m sure he told you how ruthless humans can be when they want to. Their history is most fascinating, possibly the most chaotic of any of the dimensions I have visited.”
>He pulls out a large, black, scaly tome marked with blood red runes and begins flipping through the pages.
>“Ah, yes, the history of humanity is painted in blood. Six million civilians dead in this war. Another million in this one. Three thousand killed by a careless foreman. Millions homeless because of the carelessness of a wealthy businessman. Their history is cyclical, but it is united by one thing: the capacity for cruelty. And it’s beautiful.”
>Discord gives a schoolgirl like giggle.
>You stare at the floor; Anonymous had told you of these things when you first met him.
>You hear footsteps coming down the hallway to your prison.
>Discord turns to the source of the noise and guffaws.
>Whoever is there is hidden by the Lord of Chaos’s form.
>“You came back? After you were so desperate to – AUGH!”
>A loud bang echoes through the room.
>Discord is clutching his left shoulder.

>You are Anonymous.
>Your father had taught you how to shoot the family pistol at the age of nine.
>Not until now have you had to use his advice: line up the sights with the target, squeeze the trigger rather than pulling on it, shoot calmly, and don’t forget to breathe. 
>You fire off a second round.
>“You think you can kill me with a simple human weapon?” Discord inquires, healing his two injuries with magic.
“No. But, I expect it to be a painful form of leverage. Let them go,” you state.
>Discord only laughs his horrible laugh.
>You pull the trigger once more, but miss this time, the bullet striking the back wall of the throne room.
>“Now it is my turn,” the Lord of Chaos declares.
>He charges a black spell in his eagle talon.
>You take a deep breath and line up the iron sights with his forehead.
>Either this shot hits where it needs to, or Anonymous will no longer exist.
>You fire.
>The bullet flies straight and true, but misses once more.
>"Your luck has run out, Anonymous," Discord declares, blasting you with a beam of black energy.
>It sends you rocketing into the air.
>Discord teleports forward and throttles you with his lion's paw.
>You attempt to raise your gun to his temple.
>"Ah-ah-ah. No."
>You feel the firearm disappear from your hand.
>"You are a non-magical pile of squishy organs and bones," Discord taunts. "I could kill you with a thought, murder you in an instant. Or I could turn you into any number of animate or inanimate objects."
"Then do it," you sputter. "And ruin your last chance of obtaining the most powerful weapons that you know of."
>"What?"
>Discord releases you.
>"Tell me. If you even think of trying to attack me with your bare hands . . . just consider the threats I stated."
"You know how I arrived in Equestria, correct?" you inquire. "My dimensional transporter?"
>Discord nods.
>"Of course I do! I've been observing you this entire time. You know this."
>You begin to calmly pace.
"Transporting other beings must take some energy, no matter how miniscule. It at least takes effort and thought. But, my transporter does the work for you. You could very easily and very quickly transport the finest soldiers of Earth through it. And, humanity has progressed very much since World War II. No need to use your own powers. However, it is broken. I need to fix it. If you let those eight go for now, I will rebuild it for you."
>"Or, how about this, you build it for me, and I don't turn you into a talking cantaloupe," Discord bargains.
>You sigh.
"Very well."
>"Good! Glad you saw reason."
>The Lord of Chaos turns to his eight prisoners.
>"I will be back for you eventually," he states, then snaps his talon.
>You instantly pop back into your laboratory room.
>Discord snaps his claws again, and the world shifts into grayscale.
>"For our mutual benefit, I have slowed time in this house," Discord explains. "You will now have as long as you need to fix this device. I expect you to be done in . . . oh . . . about five seconds normal time. Any longer, and I will simply turn your house into a seven-layer cake. Or maybe a pumpkin. I will need to consider that one. Ta-ta."
>Discord teleports away in a flash of red light.
>You pull out your wrench and begin twisting bolts.
>It's a simple matter of carefully replacing a few parts.
>The electron generators and focusing coils need to be complete refitted after being destroyed from the previous electrical mishap.
>Your laboratory is once again filled with the whir of your power drill and the cranking of bolts.
>A few quick voltmeter tests and other measurements confirm that the transporter should be operational. 
>And, as soon as it is finished, the world reverts back into color.
>Discord teleports in, bringing with him his eight greatest threats, still in their bubble, and pulls out an oversized gold pocket watch.
>"5.000001 seconds. You're late," he sneers.
"Do you want the transporter or not?"
>"But not late enough to warrant punishing. Fire it up."
>"Anonymous! Don't do it! You don't have to obey!" Twilight shouts from her prison.
>You ignore her.
>"Silence!" Discord shouts, flicking the sphere back like a pinball.
>Then he smiles, bearing his sharp canine teeth.
>"Why are you helping him, little filly? Do you not remember this is the one that has brought us to this very situation? The total conquest of Equestria - forever!"
>Discord laughs a long hearty guffaw.
>"Now, activate the device."
"Of course. Stand in the ring," you state.
>You pray that it works; otherwise, your fate will be one most likely worse than death.
>You do not particularly want to be a squash.
>It would be rather dull.
>You walk over to the red lever.
"Goodbye, Discord," you declare, and pull it down.
>The transporter begins to whir and flash with electrical energy.
>The focusing coils charge their beams of lightning, sending out tendrils of indigo sparks.
>"Goodbye? What in the name of Tartarus does that mea - AUGH!"
>A beam of searing electricity strikes the Lord of Chaos, followed by hundreds of others streaming from the focusing coils.
>The eight ponies in the sphere recoil back from the flash of bright visible radiation.
>"You little - you tricked me?" Discord utters through the buzz of electricity, "Discord, the Master of Tricks, the Lord of - UGH - Chaos! I will destroy your very -"
>His raised raptor talon reverts to stone as energy arcs up it..
>"What is this?"
"Something on the order of 13 billion volts of electrical energy. Enough to destroy this device, but also enough to convert the Lord of Chaos to marble. Apparently. That part was a guess."
>"You think imprisoning . . . me in a statue will stop - AUGH - me? You are but a worm compared to my power!"
>You give no response, and just stare as Discord meets his fate.
>More tentacles of blue-white electrons leap across the focusing coils.
>The white marble streaks up and over the form of the Lord of Chaos as the components of your transporter begin to disintegrate again.
>Fortunately, you have two sets that you brought from Earth.
>With a final screech of pain, the Lord of Chaos is imprisoned once again, his statue landing on the floor with a loud thud. 
>The bubble around Twilight, her friends, and the princesses shatters like a window, and the garishly-colored pink sky outside slowly fades back to blue.
>You briefly stare at the statue of the monster you unleashed, then turn to the eight other beings in the room.
“Do with me as you will,” you tell the quines. “There is no justification for what I did. I was desperate.”
>Six of them look ready to rip you apart limb from limb, but Celestia steps forward and puts a hoof in front of them.
>“Anonymous, I . . . I have something to confess. We knew your plan all along.”
>The six non-royal ponies recoil from Celestia as if she had just told them she was toxic.
“I thought I had the plan completely secured . . .”
>“You may have secured your dreams, Anonymous, but your thoughts were an open book to us,” Luna explains. "As I told you on my first visit to your mind, your thoughts were like paintings displayed for all of us to see.
“But why didn't you even try to stop me? Discord would have destroyed Equestria and killed all of you!” you exclaim.
>“And that is where we knew your plan would fail,” Celestia responds. “We also knew you would be able to accept someone dying for your own selfishness. We took a risk and it paid off. Discord is once again imprisoned.”
>Celestia turns to the six ponies behind her.
>“Girls, you should leave us for a moment. We have much to discuss with Anonymous.”
>Twilight and her friends leave the throne room, glaring furiously at you all the way and saying nothing.
>“Ugh, what a mess,” Celestia complains, rather un-royally. “I was hoping you would figure out a way to defeat him without us being imprisoned or threatened.”
“I’m sorry. Why didn’t you realize that I was not going to be able to come up with a plan to defeat the Lord of Chaos on the spot?”
>“Fine. But, do tell us, how did you get here?” the Princess of the Sun asks.
>You tell her of your brief exploits back on Earth first and then explain how you found where Discord was hiding.
>You arrived on the cliffs outside Canterlot and immediately saw the swarms of chaotic energy spewing from the Canterlot Palace.
>You knew Discord must be there and guessed he would want to keep the creatures that could defeat him close by.
>The palace guards were happy to let you pass, considering they had been turned into rabbits.
>And so, you were able to barge into the throne room and trick the Lord of Chaos into re-imprisoning himself.
>"Brilliant," Luna proclaims. "A bit mad, but absolutely brilliant.

>It has been three weeks since the third awakening of Discord and, somehow, you have managed not to be executed by the townsfolk or by Twilight and her friends.
>You have spent the time carefully repairing your transporter with the parts and tools you brought with you.
>As it is nearing completion, a knock comes on your door, the first in a long time.
>It is Twilight Sparkle, alone.
“Well, I think I know what this is about,” you state after opening the door.
>Twilight only sighs.
>“No, it’s not about Discord, Anonymous. In fact, no one but the princesses and my friends know the truth, and I’ve made sure they tell no one in case you needed help from somepony for some reason.”
>You furrow your brow.
“But I awakened the most malevolent creature in Equestria! He threatened to kill you!”
>“But you came back and saved us from him. You righted your mistake,” Twilight explains.
>You scrutinize her and her last statement.
“That does not sound like you,” you mutter. “Celestia has spoken to you six. She ordered you not to tell anyone.”
>Twilight smiles.
>“I should have known you’d see right through me.”
“Twilight, if I had done what I just did on Earth, I’d be in jail –”
>“And yet you’re not! You saved Equestria!”
“Equestria wouldn’t have needed to be saved if it weren’t for my actions!”
>Twilight sighs again.
>“Why is it that all we ever do is argue?” Twilight asks. “It’s like we’re a married couple.”
“We are incredibly different people, Twilight. We may be similar intellectually, but we are different in every other way. Especially in our personalities.”
>There is another pause in the conversation.
>“Both Celestia and I want you to stay in Equestria,” Twilight says.
“I know. But I cannot. My conscience is not clean here, Twilight. I am not happy here. I am not happy on Earth either, but it is a more familiar unhappiness.”
>Then a thought hits you.
“I know why I am not happy here, Twilight. This is the first place in which my intellect and skills have ever been respected by anyone. And for the first time, I have looked out of my window on the fields and wanted to have people who not just respected about me, but cared about me. You were that person, and I consistently turned my back on you.” 
>You take a deep breath.
“Remember when I told outside Sugarcube Corner, so long ago now, that I did care about friendship? That was a lie. I realized I still needed your help and was willing to do anything to get it. I was constantly manipulating everyone through my actions. When I helped Rainbow Dash with her broken wing, it was only because I wanted to put up a semblance that I had changed and so that she would trust me. I am not even sure if I was successful in that.”
>You let these words sink in.
>Twilight’s frown has only been deepening, but she motions for you to continue.
“So, Twilight, I may have earned the respect of Equestria, but I do not deserve it. I am a monster just as much as Discord was. And for this reason, I must leave.”
>You turn around and walk towards your laboratory room.
>“Anonymous! Wait!” Twilight cries. "You're right! I do care about you! I don't care that you lied! You deserve my respect, despite the things you did. Please, please don't go . . ."
>You slip the radiation suit over your body and seal the helmet.
>You turn and look at Twilight one last time.
“Goodbye . . . Twilight. This is what must be done.”
>You pull down the red lever on the side of the transporter.
>It has been calibrated to lock on to your universe and modified to accept magic as its energy source.
>There will be no destruction this time.
>The electrons whirl through the cyclotron and into the focusing coils.
>300 million volts of energy build up, until they are released onto a single point of space.
>The blue-white portal opens.
“I was happy for once to call someone . . . a friend.”

The End

Special Thanks:
To my editors: Hazardous Harvard and Navarone
To PonyGone for giving me the idea for Chapter 8.
And to you, the Anonymous reader, for enjoying/hating/being indifferent towards the story of Mad Science.

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