Fluttershy was the first to be able to speak. “Why… why now? Why did Mayhem become real? Do you think it was really just about Mayhem separating from Discord for long periods of time?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. Well... this is a unique scenario, so it may have played a part in it, but I don’t believe this is a coincidence that it happened now.”

“So what’s your explanation?” asked Discord.

“This all has to do with what happened when he confronted his dark half. If I’m correct then Mayhem probably could have done this the first few weeks after he surfaced.”

“You really think so?” Mayhem asked. “Why?”

“Mayhem might not have dwelled on it much, but the day he came into the world he committed some terrible actions. He took over the bodies of his future friends, and nearly killed the one he would label his mother.”

She suddenly paused, a curious look on her face. “Y’know, I just thought of something. It made sense to try and get rid of the Elements of Friendship to fulfill your original ambitions, but you included Discord in the circle of people to be destroyed.

“Even if you could exist independently of him back then, you still wouldn’t have access to any other chaos magic. That would have put a damper on your plans.”

Mayhem blinked. “Mmm… I was pretty dumb in a lot of ways back then. I wasn’t thinking ahead. I just wanted to get rid of everything I thought would interfere with me.

“But get back to what you were saying.”

“Right, right. Sorry.

“Anyway, as you began to embrace love and your affection for Fluttershy grew, you also began to experience other emotions. I’m sure somewhere in your heart you already felt guilty for what you had done. Your ‘Sombra’ was already coming into existence, and thus there was always a part of you that believed you didn’t deserve to live after what you had done.

“These feelings were amplified many times over when the superhero adventure happened. You couldn’t just claim ignorance this time, and you knew that. After you came to your senses you felt absolutely horrible over what you had done, and your plan was to go inside Discord and never come out.

“You did find a goal in reuniting with your friends and helping others, but you never truly confronted those feelings until that moment. It was more literal than most cases, but you truly faced yourself and your negative feelings. You finally acknowledged yourself and the value you had. You were able to accept the bad you’ve done while not dismissing it or losing yourself in it.

“By bridging the gap inside yourself you were able to forgive yourself for the past and finally find the will to live.”

Mayhem was still looking at her, but his eyes had faded out.

“So,” said Fluttershy, “you’re saying that when Nega disappeared that it was then that he became real?”

Twilight nodded. “That is my belief, though I can’t prove it.”

She shook her head. “I’m still having trouble believing it, though. Creating something that can think isn’t too hard. Luna showed that you don’t need chaos magic to create something capable of autonomy.

“What’s truly leaving me flabbergasted is that he’s taken the impossibility of chaos magic to its absolute limit. The Tantabus that Luna created fed off her negative emotions for energy. It was connected to her mental state, and thus lost its strength when she began to forgive herself. Nega was the same, gaining power from Mayhem's self-hatred. Mayhem, however, has become self-sustaining on his own.

"It’s just unthinkable, chaos magic or not. One day some of Discord’s magic just decided it was different, and wasn’t going to just be tethered to him. It was going to go off on its own. And after a very long road we’ve reached the conclusion of that journey.”

“Twilight?” Fluttershy said timidly.

Mayhem’s head spun towards her, hearing the anxious tone in her voice. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

“I… this may just be me being silly, but… b-b-b-but what if Mayhem isn’t actually self-sufficient?”

“We saw it for ourselves,” said Discord. “Are your own eyes not good enough for you?”

“That’s… that’s not what I’m saying.

“Oh, I feel like I might just be paranoid, but I’m feeling afraid that this might not be good for Discord.”

“Why not? What’s going to change?”

“I’m really hoping that it’s just as you say, Twilight, and it’s because of him resolving his inner feelings that he’s accomplished this, but what if we’re wrong? What if Discord goes away after this?”

Twilight gave her a curious look.

Discord put an arm around her. “Come on, now. Don’t be silly. Why would I leave just because my little chaos spawn is self-sufficient? It’s not as though he’s our only connection to one another. We’ve been friends since long before he came into our lives.”

“It might not be up to you.”

Twilight tapped her hoof on the floor a few times. “Now you’re the one being vague, Fluttershy. Just what are you getting at?”

“So far as we know there is only one draconequus in the whole world. Why is that? Maybe because when a draconequus like Discord ‘gives birth’ everything goes to the child.”

Twilight squinted in her direction. “What are you saying, Fluttershy? You think Mayhem has become a parasite slowly absorbing Discord?”

“I don’t know, but it would explain how he can generate his own magic.”

Mayhem floated up and hugged Discord, crying. “Noooo! Don’t disappear, Daddy! I don’t want to be real if it means you’re gonna die!”

Discord hugged him back. “Relax, squirt. There’s no sense in making panic where there doesn’t have to be.”

Twilight opened her mouth to argue, but then slowly shut it. She couldn’t exactly argue with Fluttershy’s assertion. Mayhem’s creation and true birth were so far beyond anything magic had studied that she just didn’t have enough information to deny it. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

She turned to Discord. “So how about it, Discord? If Fluttershy is correct then it means that you did the same to a draconequus before you.”

Discord shrugged. “I really don’t know. I’ve been around for a long, long time, even discounting my thousand year banishment. I don’t recall going through the same process that Mayhem did. In the end I just think that I’m a manifestation of chaos. A force of nature, no different than a hurricane or a tornado. I might have always existed in different forms, though I’m fairly certain there has been no other draconequus other than me up until he came out.”

Twilight bit her hoof. “Mmm… I could try suppressing or absorbing your power to test whether he still gains energy naturally, but I don’t know if that would actually prove anything.”

“Eh.” Discord pulled Mayhem away, setting him on the floor. “As I said before we shouldn’t make panic where there doesn’t need to be. I haven’t felt any different lately, so it’s likely not true. But-” he shrugged again, “-if that’s the case then it is what it is. I do hope you’ll at least make my funeral nice.”

Mayhem got a pained look on his face. “H-how can you be so casual about this?

“Huh?” Discord was now giving him an uncharacteristically tender look.

Discord rubbed his head. “Because I have you. I know that I’ve been distant at times, and you despised me simply because I was your container up until the twins birtdhay party. I’m not always around like Fluttershy, or teaching you like Twilight, but I’ve always cared for you.”

“Daddy,” he said quietly, a warm feeling going through him.

“You’re a true draconequus heir. You’ve proven that even our brand of magic can evolve and grow beyond itself. You’ve also shown you’ve embraced the magic of friendship, gaining so many good friends.

“I feel like you’ve truly surpassed me, my child, and that’s why I’m not afraid of what might come next. After all, you’re still young. You’ll reach much greater heights before you’re done.

“You’ve grown so much, my son, and I am so very proud of you.”

Mayhem began quietly sobbing as those words washed over him.

“Oh, Mayhem,” Fluttershy said tenderly.

“Who knows what’s actually going to happen,” said Discord. “Maybe we’re just switching places, and I’ll be the one on the inside. I do hope you’ll let me out to play once in a while.”

“Of course I would!” Mayhem replied with a sniff, wiping his face.

“Or maybe it’s the way of the draconequus. I still like to use my power just to mess with others. And while that is chaos, it’s what others expect of me. There’s no surprise in it.

“I also just haven’t felt as rambunctious since you’ve come along. When a being of chaos is no longer chaotic then maybe he just can’t exist and has to be replaced by a new being with new ideas of chaos.”

“But then what about Mayhem?” Fluttershy asked, shivering a little. “He’s worked so hard to become one with harmony. Now you’re saying if he does too well at being good he could vanish?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Discord replied, waving his claw dismissively. “Mayhem is perfectly chaotic in his contradiction.”

“Contradiction?” said Twilight.

“Of course. A being of raw chaos magic… embracing harmony? It’s absurd, and it’s that absurdity that flies in the face of possibility that has allowed him to do it in the first place. It’s the ultimate blend of chaos and harmony.”

“Huh.” Twilight blinked. “I never thought about it that way. I knew Mayhem was embracing love and friendship like you, but I never considered the difference between having chaos magic and being chaos magic. Since you specialize in doing the impossible, then I guess it’s only fitting that the ultimate personification of chaos has become so proficient at harmony.

“As you said, it doesn’t make any sense, which is why it makes sense. It’s the ultimate contradiction: the fusion of two opposites that shouldn’t be able to exist simultaneously.”

“Almost makes your head spin just thinking about it,” said Fluttershy. “Chaos’ craziest chaos... is harmony.”

“Well, this is all hypothetical,” said Twilight, “but let’s continue down this path.

“Let’s say Discord does disappear. What then?”

Discord rolled his eyes. “Do I need to spell it out? I die. And then you go on with your lives.”

“I know that. I just wonder what will happen to Mayhem. You weren’t aware of him for a long, long time. Does that mean someday he’ll eventually have his own Mayhem, and start this cycle again?”

“Ooo!” Discord said, interested. “What a fascinating question.”

“I don’t think so,” said Mayhem, crossing his arms with a scowl. “I don’t think you should sound so happy about me dying.”

“I didn’t say that!”

“If a draconequus birth causes the old one to slowly vanish then that means if I get my own Mayhem I’m gonna die too.”

Discord blinked. “Oh, um, I suppose that’s true.”

“It is a bit scary,” said Twilight, “but consider the timeframe. Considering how old Discord is and how long it took you to emerge, then, assuming this is all true, you’d likely have at least a millennium or two to live before that comes to pass.”

“Well,” Mayhem said quietly, “I’m just gonna pretend it’s not true until it actually happens… if it ever does. I don’t want to think about Daddy dying because of me.” His eyes clenched shut and he began to cry again.

Discord got on one knee, wiping away Mayhem’s tears. “Now, now. No crying.

“I want you to promise me something.”

“W-w-what?” Mayhem asked with a sniff.

“We don’t know what the future may bring, but if the worst does come to pass then you’re not allowed to blame yourself. You’re not allowed to hate yourself. You’re not allowed to stop walking the path you’ve chosen.

“I want your word, right here, right now, that you won’t let the fire of friendship go out. No matter what struggles you go through, no matter how hard it gets, you can’t ever give up.”

Mayhem balled up his hands. He thought of his recent wish-granting session, and how his friends had made a lifelong promise to always stand by his side. They all supported him and made him see how much value he had in their lives.

Whatever happened, there was still too much he had to do. He couldn’t ever give up, or he’d let down all the friends who believed in him.

He opened his eyes, solidifying his resolve. “I promise, Daddy! I’ll never give up! I’ll keep making you proud!”

Discord shook a claw at him. “Do you really understand the weight of that promise? Casually doing such things without thinking about their greater meaning is still a failing of yours that you need to amend.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve lived a long life, far longer than the average lifespan of a pony. It will be the same for you. Do you understand it now? Even if they never fall from an outside circumstance, at some point the ones you care for will pass from old age.”

Mayhem tensed, a shiver going through him.

“Knowing that, will you still hold to that promise? It can seem easy to say that you’ll never give up when surrounded by your friends, but what will you do when one of them goes?”

Mayhem began to breathe harder.

Fluttershy felt bad. “Discord, this really isn’t the right-”

“Fluttershy, this isn’t the time,” Discord said seriously.

She met eyes with him, and she could see something in them that made her believe in him.

He put a claw to Mayhem’s chin, pushing so they were eye to eye. “Listen to me, Mayhem. The future of Equestria may depend on you. The future of your friends and your mother is going to depend on how you act. You’re going to determine whether their deaths are going to be permanent or not.”

“B-but we can’t bring the dead back to life,” Mayhem replied with a sniff.

“That’s not what I mean. The body may decay and vanish. That’s something we can’t stop. What you can do is ensure that their legacy is preserved forever.”

“Their… legacy?”

He nodded. “Fluttershy is my nearest and dearest friend. She showed even the monster I was kindness. She did the same for you, and has showed you true love. Beyond us she has shown love to tons of animals and other ponies.

“It will be devastating when she dies. All of Ponyville will mourn. But then what comes next? What will you do?”

Mayhem squirmed in discomfort, not even wanting to picture a life without Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy has always been the Element of Kindness… but will kindness die with her? What will happen to all the animals? Will everything she spent her life embracing be left to vanish? If that comes to pass then she truly will die. But you have the chance to make sure that doesn’t come to pass.”

Mayhem glanced over towards Fluttershy before looking back at Discord. “D-Daddy?”

“You get it, don’t you? You will have to take care of the animals like she used to, and see that they live happy lives. You will have to pass on the kindness she always showed to you and make sure everyone you meet knows that wonderful feeling. So long as you do that Fluttershy will always live on through you.

“Death is painful, but you’ll have to find your strength to remind everyone of what Fluttershy stood for when they’re sinking into the darkness. If everyone is sinking they need a symbol of courage and power to look to in order to help pull them out, just like you did for Spring Meadow and her brother.

“It’s no different than the rest of your friends. Their hopes and dreams will fall on your shoulders.”

“I’ve spoken about this myself,” said Twilight. “I have no desire to die, but as I watch the children of the new generation growing I know I don’t have to fear what comes after.”

Discord rubbed Mayhem’s head again, repeating his earlier words. “No matter how painful, no matter how hard, you can’t ever give up. You’ve already surpassed me in chaos magic, and you have more true friends than I do. One day I want you to surpass even Twilight at the most powerful magic of all.”

Mayhem blinked. “Do you really think I could ever do that? Even though I look so weird and I’m not a pony?”

“Your heart is in the right place, and what you’re like inside is more important than what you look like on the outside. After all, Sombra was a pony who enslaved his own kind, while you’re the ‘weird-looking one’ who saved a filly from a lifetime of guilt.

“Besides, we can’t be losing out to these ponies. We have to show that we’re the most powerful in every way.” He winked at Mayhem. “I mean, the ultimate being of chaos becoming the ultimate being of harmony and friendship? That’s gotta be humiliating for the ponies that are most well known for their unity.”

Mayhem put a claw to his mouth as he chuckled.

Twilight giggled. “He’s certainly got the potential. I won’t complain if he does become even better than me and lead Equestria into even greater harmony. It will show how, no matter your beginnings, everyone has the chance to do great things. They don’t have to be defined by their past.”

Mayhem looked between Twilight, Discord, and Fluttershy. Each of them was giving him an encouraging grin. Fluttershy and Twilight had always believed in him, and he had rewarded their faith by going above and beyond.

He had needed their love, their trust, and their encouragement. Without it he would have stayed bad, or he never would have found his potential. If he let what they stood for die with them then it would be a disgrace to the efforts they had gone through for him. Everyone deserved a second chance when they had done wrong, and the belief that they weren’t hopeless.

The idea of losing them was terrifying. At his age and stage of maturity he knew he wasn’t nearly ready to fulfill the hopes they were placing in him, let alone cope with the death of any of his closest connections. For now he’d have to keep relying on all of them and hope they all stayed alive, but one day… one day he’d get there.

“I’m not going to take back my words!” Mayhem said strongly. “I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna keep to my promise!”

Fluttershy put her hooves out to him, and he gladly flew to her, feeling the warmth he never got tired of as she held him close.

“I know you can,” she said sweetly. “Because you’re my lovely little Mayhem.”

Author's Notes:

So here we throw some theories around and Discord passes the torch to his son as he gets a promise from him to keep on his path so he can do more good for the world.