Ciderfest 2023 Mane Story Friday Night - "Immersion"

by Sonicsuns

Chaos [CANON]

Caramel and Barley held each other close as they tumbled through another portal, finding themselves in a vast space between worlds. The disparate lights of a hundred landscapes raced by at dizzying speed. Caramel tried to process what she was seeing but it was all too much.

She saw a flash of Ponyville with a dark green sky, then suddenly she saw an underwater city filled with tuna fish sleeping in cans. She felt scorching heat behind her and turned to see what appeared to be an ice sculpture made of lava drifting lazily past them. A small yellow bird was skating on it without a care in the world.

“Hang on!” yelled Barley over the din. He opened his wings and caught an updraft from an inside-out weather factory, lifting them both through another portal which he hoped would provide them some safety. Together they slammed through a field of something which eventually slowed them to a halt.

After a moment, Barley let go of Caramel, heaving deep breaths. “What was that?”

“It’s popcorn!” shouted Caramel, looking out at the apparently endless popcorn that covered the new landscape.

“That’s not really what I meant. I - hey!”

“What? It’s good!” said Caramel, though her mouth was too stuffed with popcorn for Barley to hear her properly.

Barley gestured at the portal they’d just come from. “I mean what was all that?”

“You mean the giant crazy mysterious space between universes thing?”

“Yes. That.”

Caramel paused. “No idea!” she exclaimed, pointing a hoof in the air to punctuate the point.

Barley sighed. “So what do we know?”

Caramel tapped her hoof on her chin. “Well, we know that Fizzy opened the Book of All Stories.”

“Right.”

“And it sucked us all inside.”

“And now three factions are fighting for control of the universe.”

“It’s a little off-schedule, isn’t it?!” said Barley, throwing his hooves in the air.

Caramel nodded. “A little!”

Barley looked around at the strange popcorn-covered landscape. “How are we going to find Fizzy? What’s going on with her? And where did she get the book, anyway? It doesn’t make any sense!”

Suddenly a voice echoed all around them, chucking to itself.

“What fun is there in making sense?”

A burst of wind swept up the fields of popcorn into a series of tornadoes. Caramel and Barley held each other close against the wind as the popcorn retreated and a tye-dye silhouette appeared in the sky, surrounded by dozens of glowing Pages. A chocolate raincloud loomed in the background as the figure laughed.

“Who are you?” shouted Barley.

The silhouetted figure turned suddenly. The wind stopped. The rain stopped. “Seriously?” said the figure with annoyance. “It’s not obvious?!”

“Well, I just wanted to be sure-”

“Oh for Smooze’s sake! Here I was trying to make an entrance and you had to go and ruin it.”

A small boom box appeared at the figure’s side, and with a huff the figure pressed “Play”.

A voice from the box sang. “Discord! I’m howling at the moon. And sleeping in the middle of a summer-”

“Discord!” said Caramel and Barley. The music stopped and the figure revealed himself.

“Oh, finally!” said Discord, pinning a little badge that said “Vry Smrt” to Barley’s vest. “I don’t suppose you need even more hints? Any lingering questions, perhaps?”

Caramel and Barley spoke at the same time.

“Where’s Fizzy?” said Barely.

“What kind of popcorn was that?” said Caramel.

Barley looked at her.

“Also, where’s Fizzy?” she amended.

Discord smiled. “Well aren’t you in luck! It just so happens that I know the answer to one of those questions.”

“...and?” said Barley

“Goodness, you really do need to be led by the nose. Obviously it was Vulcan White Cheddar with a Swiss Accent.”

“You mean you don’t know where Fizzy is?”

Discord sighed with annoyance. “I don’t know, and frankly I don’t care.” He smiled. “I’m in the middle of a game, you see. I’ve pulled ahead of the competition, but I still can’t afford to take my eyes off the prize.”

A golden statue of Discord appeared beside him, and he took a moment to admire it.

“But shouldn’t you be helping Twilight deal with Sombra and Grogar? And we heard Tirek was grabbing pages from the guests-”

“Oh, but I am helping!” Discord leaned in, a twee grin stretched across his muzzle. “I’m, in fact, making the world a better place! Poor Twilight just wants to reset to the status quo, but I think history could do with an editor, don’t you?”

“But-”

“Oh, but nothing! Do you really think it’s fair that the changelings had to suffer under Chrysalis for decades? Or that poor Stygian spent so long locked in limbo after Starswirl mistreated him? I’m not just having fun here.”

Barley gave Discord a blank stare.

“Okay, maybe I am having just the teeniest amount of fun! Afterall, who doesn’t like a good chocolate rain?” Discord pointed at Caramel, who was grinning far too broadly. “ She gets it! I am helping, though. Trust me.” He then blinked far too many times, with eyelashes that were far too long on eyes that had become far too big.

Barley sighed. “But what about Fizzy?”

Discord threw his paw and talon in the air. “Again with the Fizzy! Do you think of anything else?”

“We really do need to find her.” Caramel replied.

“Ugh! Fine! Frankly,” he continued, “you’re starting to bore me anyway. I liked it better when you were tumbling around.”

With that, gravity suddenly shifted. Caramel and Barley found themselves tumbling straight through the portal.

“Good luck finding your friend!” shouted Discord. “Just be sure to cause some chaos while you’re at it!”

He laughed as the ponies tumbled out of sight.