After Discord and Marrok’s confrontation with Chrysalis Discord disappeared not to be seen by anyone. He disappeared to Fluttershy’s cottage, a very familiar sight for him. With his woeful face he looked around the cottage. It was very rustic and very decorated with a chandelier, rugs, chairs, and a sofa. The casual decorations stop there and are replaced by anything and everything that can take care of birds, cats, dogs, ducks, geese, etc. Discord smiled as he saw the familiar spot where Angel would sleep whenever he felt tired.

Discord came to love everything in that little cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. He walked over to one of the mantles on the wall and found a picture of him and Fluttershy, he nearly cried with the amount of happiness he felt right now. But, something else boiled inside of him. Regret. Remorse. He truly felt sorry for all the wrong he had done. Both as Starswirl the Bearded and as Discord. He could not shake these feelings, nor could he ignore them. He knows who he is now, he remembers who he was.

In fact he remembers when he became Discord,

“This spell cannot fail this time.”Starswirl answered as he frantically raced through the library in Ponyville. The library he owned and operated. Not many were willing at first to see Starswirl but they softened up to him. He spoke to Scorpan who was standing tall, almost to the ceiling. As pony homes were not meant to hold Centaurs.

Scorpan crossed his arms and said,”Starswirl this is ridiculous. The spell has failed many times before, what makes you think it will succeed now?”

Starswirl did not lose his concentration as he spoke his next words,”Because I found another source of magic to use as a font to make the spell succeed.”

Scorpan shook his head and before he left Golden Oak he said,”Try not to get yourself killed, okay. I want to return to my dear friend.”

Starswirl shook his hoof in response and Scorpan smiled as he left. Starswirl had everything prepared. An arcane circle, candles, the spell he wanted to perform and his staff. He took every single precaution he thought of and began trying to channel the source of magic he found. The wind began to pick up and he floated a few inches off of the ground. His eyes glowed bright gold and so did the arcane circle he floated above. The spell he was trying to perform was one to make him into an Alicorn.

He above all ponies feared death, and his end was nearing. He did spells to prolong his death for a time but he could not escape the claws of death. He felt something on his back. He knew enough to know that they are pegasus wings. A smile crept across his old face and nothing could have made him happier.

But that golden energy soon turned a black chromatic color with a green outline and white lines making a grid. He frantically looked around him as it shot energy around the circle. He could not leave, the walls of magical energy kept him from escaping. He heard a laughter and he said,”Who is that? Show yourself!”

‘Who am I? Why you should know exactly who I am Starswirl the Bearded. I am the God of Chaos and Strife. I am Discord.’

He knew the name but he did not believe it. Discord was felled on the field of battle many years ago. He was of the same race as the Two brothers Cerberus and Faximas. But he intervened with the mortal ponies and wanted to make his own kingdom of Chaos. They had to banish him within his own mind, the only place strong enough to hold him. But Starswirl now realized his mistake.

“I...used...chaos magic.”

Discord laughed again and said,’Yes, you have. I could not be happier I would have thrown a little party with you and Scorpan but I do not see him. Such a shame he seemed to be the perfect vessel of my rebirth. But you will have to suffice.”

Discord let a tear fall from his eye and land on the picture frame. He says to himself,”I...I can’t...I’m sorry…”

Of all the stuff he had done and all the hate he caused in process and now he had chosen to regret everything. His two personalities finally met and blended together. He knows now what he has to do. Everypony besides Fluttershy does not trust him, and he wants to change that.

He stood up and snapped his fingers. Summoning out of nowhere was dark platemail armor hidden under a cloak and he summoned his old staff he carried when he was still a Unicorn. He looked at it and noticed that it held a lot of great memories, just a four foot long piece of wood that was infused with powerful magic. He gripped the handle of the staff and it grew to his unnatural size. He banged the bottom of it on the floor. He pulled up his grey hood and before he stepped out of the cottage he looked back and said under his breath,”It’s a dangerous business Discord, going out your door. Step out onto the road and if you don’t keep your feet. You may not know where you might be swept off to.”

He closed the door and stepped into the Everfree Forest and began to sense where magic was being used. He sensed dark magic deep within the forest. He sensed more and found three sources of pony magic walking towards it. Looking closer at the sources of magic he sensed what they were. A pegasus, a unicorn, and an earth pony. He also sensed that they were very young and his yellow and red eyes grew wide and said frantically racing through the forest,”No! Not them!”

Marrok smiled as he wore jet black full plate armor and a dark crystal spear. His eyes glowed bright red smoke out the corners and he smiled as he saw Ponyville below him atop a cliff near the edge of the Everfree Forest. There was a wall and ground forces and aerial patrols circled around the town. They were steel and stone walls at least a foot thick, it as well was reinforced. The Changelings were growing restless and he raised his hoof to get their attention. They all quieted down and he said,”I will return soon. I will ask of them to surrender peacefully, if they refuse then we shall attack.”

He turned back over to the busy town and said,”I owe them that much.”

His black crystal spear clanked as it struck the street. He passed Children of the Night and Children of the Day alike. They gave him weird looks and stared as he walked by. His bearing was very threatening and very intimidating to the Children of the Day. The only ones that kept cold faces were his brethren, the Omega and Alpha pack. They gave him dirty looks as he passed by and followed him to the main square where Night Dancer, Riptide, and Cornell were assigning ponies to different positions. He stopped in the middle of the square and smashed the bottom of his spear on the ground. He was able to hold it without his hooves or mouth because of a necklace that Chrysalis had given him which gave him basic telekinesis.

Riptide, Night Dancer, and Cornell stepped in front of him and they were quiet for a moment. Riptide had a face of happiness as he tried to step forward to give Marrok a friendly hug but Cornell put his hoof in front of him and said in a cold voice,”Do not confront him. He is our brother no longer. Darkness lurks in his heart. Living Shadow has corrupted him.”

Night Dancer seemed surprised and said,”Are you sure?”

“Right on the dot actually.”Marrok replied in his gruff and deep voice.”I could not have trained you better Cornell.”

Cornell sneered and he said,”Do not undermine me traitor.”

Marrok’s sarcastic smile disappeared and he said,”The only one I betrayed was myself. Sombra was right, you are all misguided. New leadership is demanded and needed.”

Cornell steps forward threateningly and says,”Yes. And Dracula will soon fill that spot. He will take his position he so righteously deserves.”

Marrok spat on the ground and said,”Do not mention that disgrace of a pony. His weakness is that he is too loyal to anypony he sees. This is why he would not kill me or any of you, he is misguided by the past. I am only driven by the future.”

Cornell breaks his stare on Marrok and he says,”You are wrong about him. He is not misguided. Living Shadow has blinded you with false promises. Dracula has more power than beyond what you can fathom Marrok.”

Marrok steps forward threateningly and snaps,”That weakling has nothing compared to the true power of Living Shadow. The Lords of Shadow will be rebirthed and there is nothing anypony can do about it. Your lives will be spared if you surrender yourselves now.”

He asks to everypony that gathered around them. It was dead quiet and he waited for a minute and then he said,”Then I guess you all want to see your own ends.”

Cornell spits on the ground and says,”The only weak one I see is you. You underestimate Dracula and it will be your downfall. He is on his way now and blood will be spilled. And it will not be his.”

Marrok turns to leave but before he started walking he said,”It appears I am not the only one who is misguided. You put all your faith in one pony, I have an army ready to attack. Where are your reinforcements and your precious messiah now?”

With that he left them and his old self behind. He has now embraced his new position as a Lord of Shadow. His true destiny was now in front of him and he embraced it. He stopped at the hill that lead to his hidden army and he looked back at Ponyville. He said,”We will wait a few hours, but then you will be reduced to rubble and ash.”

The Living Shadow at that moment spoke in his mind and said,
Yes. Our plans are nearly complete. Wait an entire day, I want Dracula to see the bloodshed of his fellows as they fall to my power. I will grant you the satisfaction of killing me son, if you can’t then I will truly have to kill him myself. If you fail the shadows that grant you your new powers will consume you. Now if you'll excuse me I have more pawns to bring into my little game.

Marrok heard the sound of his maniacal laughter echo through his mind. Marrok smiled and said,”Yes my Lord.”