Deshi Bashara

Cole pushed open the door to the inn. "Third room to the left, third room to the left..." he was muttering. He went up the stairs and looked to the left. He counted the doors until he reached the third one. "Right here." he added, pushing the door open. He went over to the bed and lowered Electrobolt onto it. He took a few steps back and observed the other pony sleeping soundly. "Right, then. That's out of the way." he spoke up, turning to Crystal Flame. "Where do you want to go first?"

"I'm Cole." Cole responded to Crystal Flame. "And I had a headache, but that's gone now." He watched as Electrobolt started yawning. "Yeah. Come on, it's this way." he said to the exhausted pony, turning back to Crystal. "We'll drop him off at the inn, then we'll cruise around, I guess." he decided. He lifted Electrobolt onto his back. "Don't worry, the inn should be a few minutes away." Cole assured his...friend? Ally? He didn't know which one to adress him as, so he decided on ally for now. He resumed his journey to the inn, dwelling on this new line of thought.

Cole nodded. He wondered what Ponyville would look like. The only time he had actually seen it without snow was when Discord had made it into that creepy ghost town. He shivered as he remembered how barren everything had looked. That could happen to both of our worlds if he wins. he realized. That could happen to any world. "Alright, then." Cole awkwardly began, trotting in the direction of Ponyville. Then he turned his head back to Electrobolt. "If you need help, just let me know." he assured him. With that, he turned again and resumed walking.

Cole again noted Electrobolt feeling weak and felt a brief jolt of sympathy for him. Poor guy'll be feeling better soon enough. he thought. He observed the two ponies in the distance, watching with interest. They both looked familiar, but he had forgotten their names. Oh, well. he added. It'll come back soon enough. I'm just temporarily confused, that's all. Cole turned back to Electro. "I was going to take a walk around the town. Do you want to go with me?" he asked him.

Cole noticed Electrobolt was having a rough time and moved over to him. "Are you all right?" he asked the other pony. As Electro went down the last time, he realized how stupid that question sounded. "On second thought, forget I asked that." Cole added, helping him to his hooves. "How'd this happen to you?"

"I'll take Electro with me when he wakes up." Cole spoke up, having recovered from his headache. "If it's ok with him, that is." (Sorry for the short post. I'll make a better one tomorrow!)

During the final moments of the battle, Cole had been watching in horror as Discord gloated. When the tornado had sucked him in, the last thing he heard was someone screaming. It had taken him a second to realize that the screaming had been his own. - - - - - - - Cole got up from the ground, his body aching all over. He moaned quietly in pain and looked around. His vision was spinning, so it was hard to make anything out. The bright sunlight didn't help matters any. Rather, it magnified his headache from annoying to painful. Cole, are you all right? The pegasus rolled his eyes. I was just sucked into a tornado and flung around like a rag doll. I'm pretty sure that's the exact opposite of fine. he responded. Ok, ok. Misery retorted, sounding irritated. Just checking. Cole went over to a tree and sat in the shade. He took a deep breath and sighed. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just have a headache, that's all. It's fine. I understand what you mean. the demigod assured him. Cole suddenly remembered something. So, yeah. About that comment earlier. he said. He heard Misery swirling around for a few seconds. Haven't forgotten about that? Nope. A clapping noise was heard. Looks like it's storytime part two, then. Misery began. - - - - - - - So I was flying around for a while, then I arrived on Earth. I immediately spread out and discovered that the only suitable 'host', if you'll pardon the unpleasant term, was you. I hopped into your brain and started analyzing you: Favorite movie, shoe size, birthday, et cetera. I was intrigued at all of these foreign concepts. I'd never been in the body of another being, and it was a new experience for me. You were around 6 years old at this time, and I decided to stick around to see how you would turn out. Not like I had a choice, at any rate. As time went on, a revelation came to me. For the first time in my existence, I was experiencing happiness. Not the twisted kind that I got out of tormenting my previous subjects, but true happiness from an uncorrupted heart. It scared me, and I vowed not to let myself become attatched to you. But fate had a different idea. I found myself doing the exact opposite of what I had planned. This, again, scared me. Were you somehow controlling my actions without my knowledge? Or was I becoming something more then what I originally was? The answer came to me the day of your father's unfortunate accident. Where other human children would have been left a psychological wreck, you perservered. This convinced me that destiny had something out of the ordinary in store for you. There was no way it was a mere coincidence. So when the cracks came, I felt an urge to draw you towards one. You went in, and...well...the rest you know. - - - - - - - So you dragged me here in the first place? Cole asked him, one eyebrow raised. I didn't know the portal's destination. I just knew you had to go through it. Misery finished. Cole cocked his head. That makes sense. Sometimes I get an idea to go someplace, and stuff happens. Yeah, it's a strange feeling. Misery agreed with him. There was some more floating noises, then: I'm going to take a nap for a while. Let me know if you need me. "Sure." the pegasus muttered, getting back up and stretching out his legs and hooves.

Cole continued to attack Discord, bucking him in the face and slamming into him at random locations. Just as the god would strike him, he would dodge out of the way. "Keep giving him all you've got!" he shouted to the other pegasi. Discord snarled, his eyes narrowing to an angry glare. He reached out a claw and swatted Cole to the ground. "Ugh!" the pegasus grunted, before rolling to the side to avoid a stab from said claw. It plunged into the ground and stuck there. Good, he's all riled up. Misery said. Now keep him busy for a few more minutes and give your friend time to charge up. Cole nodded, looking in time to see Serah transfer some of her power to Peach. I'll do what I can. he answered, going back into the air. "Hey! Over here!" he called out to Discord, trying to attract his attention.

Technically, it didn't come out of his hooves. It came from the sky. That was my fault, I should have elaborated on that. I figured that if Pegasi could make lightning come out of clouds by hopping on them, then what about summoning them somehow? EDIT: Fixed so it makes more sense.

There's no chance of the others coming back. Betrayal, Greed, Deceit, and Cruelty are dead. Misery is pretty much a floaty energy cloud trapped in Cole's mind right now, and he's not exactly in the most charitable mood to help Discord after everything he (Discord) did. Right now, Cole is helping Serah and Artsy out with Discord. And yes, I know the idea of an "Element of hope" is cheesy and cliche.

Cole watched in awe as the others fought Discord with all their might. People like these are what we're fighting for. he realized, tears of pride on his cheeks. I can't let them down. As he thought this, he remembered all of the good times he had with his family and friends. That one feeling he had felt when his father had died, and he had been lost in a hurricane of his own emotions. That pinprick of light at the end of a dark tunnel. And when Artsy had spoken, he realized what he had to do. A blue aura swirled around him as he levitated a few feet above the ground with his wings. The air crackled, sizzled, and popped with energy as his eyes narrowed in determination. He felt like he was a living battery, a force of nature set loose upon his enemies. For 4 years, Cole Shepard had been nothing but an awkward, shy teenager distant from the world. Now, he had finally found his true identity. "I am the element of hope!" he roared, thrusting his hooves at the bound demigod. A lightning bolt flew at Discord from the sky, striking him directly in the chest. The beast howled in agony as he took the full brunt of the blast. Cole grunted in pain. "This is...harder then it looks!" he noted.

I'll explain more later on. After the first fight with Discord, Misery will open up about his first meeting with Cole. That part is gonna contribute to why he's different then he was back then.

1. My bad. Now I changed it. 2. If Artsy is reading this, I want to clarify that I'm not introducing another playable character. Misery is just there to provide commentary and background info about Discord when neccessary. Nothing more.

Sorry. Also, if what I just did was against the rules, let me know. And if it wasn't, and you want certain descriptions toned down, let me know. What I just typed probably made Discord even more of a "Complete Monster" then he was in canon. I feel proud of myself. And horrified.

Cole arrived just in time to see Artsy and Peach fighting each other. Discord was there as well, eating popcorn. Serah was right behind the demigod, watching the battle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lionhart putting Silver into some kind of magic barrier. Again? he couldn't help but think bitterly. What's with him getting hurt all the time? He blinked at Artsy's words in surprise. Damn, she's pretty angry. No, really? How long was it going to take you to figure that out, Cole? a quiet, angry voice responded. Cole blinked once again. Discord? he asked uncertainly. No, I'm not with that freak. Then who and what are you? The voice didn't respond for a few seconds. Finally, it sighed. My name...is Misery. it admitted. As for what I am, it's a long story. But I'll tell you. Cole felt himself phase through the ceiling and rocket into the sky. "Hey, hey, hey!" he frantically yelped. Finally, he was at a point high above Ponyville. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded. So a certain somepony wouldn't eavesdrop. Now do you want to hear this or not? "...Yes." After another silence, a series of images flashed into his mind. - - - - - - - A very long time ago, I was one of what was known as the Elements of Disharmony. There were six of us: Discord, Deceit, Betrayal, Cruelty, Greed, and myself. We each had a part of Equestria to rule over, but there was a problem: We all hated each other terribly. Greed kept trying to invade Deceit's portion, but he always failed. Betrayal and Cruelty kept forming and breaking alliances at will. And I.... I was alone. I mostly kept out of their little wars, unless one or two of them tried to gang up on me. At first, I took pride in my job. It was so fun to make everypony miserable back then. But soon, everything changed. Discord started getting more and more violent in his takeover of other lands. Ponies were dying left and right: Sucked into black holes, teleported into lava and burned to a crisp... And so we decided to rebel. We had never been a bunch of goody-goody two hooves, but if there was one thing we could agree on, it was that Discord had finally crossed the line. So we invaded his castle one night. We confronted him in his throne room, confident we could beat him easily. We were wrong. He made Deceit lose his mind out of sheer paranoia. Greed was swarmed by what your kind would probably call 'Scarab beetles' and eaten alive instantly. Cruelty was paralyzed and tossed out of the window. And Betrayal...well, I'd rather not get into what he did to him. It was just me and Discord left when they came. The door blew open, and two alicorns inadvertantly saved me from a painful death. I was almost unconscious, panting in pain on the ground, so I can't say what was real and what was a hallucination. But I saw them turn Discord into stone. The last thing I remember was him screaming in fear. I'll never forget it. Their job almost done, the two princesses turned to my broken body and discussed what to do with me. I begged them to send me somewhere else but here. I didn't care if I ended up on the moon. I just wanted to leave this place and never return. So they cast me into a swirling portal, and I transformed into some kind of energy. I fell through space and time until I finally arrived on Earth. - - - - - - - When the story was done, Cole was at a loss for words. "But why me?" he managed to ask. You were the only suitable host I could find in the area. Misery explained. Also, I...kind of took a liking to you. "Care to elaborate on that?" Later. Right now, you still have to deal with Discord. Cole blinked once again. "So can we go back down? Artsy and Peach are..." he reminded the body-less being. Right, of course. Hold on! Cole felt himself slam back into his body, still looking at the fight. Everything was the same as usual, except Lionhart was talking to Serah. He quietly trotted over to the two of them, careful not to attract Discord's attention. "Does anyone have a plan?" he asked Lionhart.

Cole looked outside and was surprised to see some kind of haze had formed. "Good question." he responded to Dexterity. He got closer to the window to get a better look and immediately wished he hadn't. A hellish landscape dominated his view, and everything was eerily quiet. The buildings looked abandoned, and he could have sworn he heard whispering voices. Faint whispering voices, but audible, nontheless. Everything looked twisted, warped...wrong. Cole slowly backed away from the window. "That doesn't look good..." he muttered shakily.

As if on cue, Cole entered the dining room. "Hi, Peach." he greeted her. Then he turned to the other pony. "Hi. What's your name?" he asked.

Cole walked alongside Electrobolt, teeth chattering in the cold. He exhaled, and his breath crystalized in front of him. As he trudged towards the inn, another memory came to him. - - - - - - - "Cole, come on! The fort's almost set up!" Sam yelled to him. "Ok!" Cole responded, running across the campus to their snow fort. It was cold outside, but he was warm with his jacket and gloves. He walked through the snow door and took a look around. His roommate was currently patching up the roof, and it looked like he was making progress. The fort was now the size of a small hut, complete with windows and chairs. Sam turned to Cole and grinned happily. "Looks great, huh?" he asked him. "Yeah, it does. We've really outdone ourselves this time." Cole agreed. "Should we take a seat?" "Oh, that would be simply wonderful, Mr. Shepard!" Sam answered, speaking with a posh british accent. "Would you care for a spot of tea?" Cole tried to restrain himself from laughing. "Sure. I'm dying for a warm drink, right now." he said. As they sat down, Sam produced two coffees, one for each of them. The one he gave Cole had two straws in it, however. "What's this for?" Cole asked. "You and a certain lady that's not in this fine snow fortress." Sam told him. Cole, who had tentatively took a sip of his coffee, promptly spat it out in surprise. "Wha- I- eh- how did you know about that?!" he demanded, blushing furiously. "Well, let's see. Everytime she walks by, you drop whatever you're holding, space out, and start blushing. And stammering." Sam explained, counting each symptom on his fingers. "I don't stammer!" Cole feebly protested. "Look, all I'm trying to say is either ask her out now, or miss the chance for good. Your call." Sam concluded, ignoring Cole's statement. Cole looked at the drink, then back to Sam. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Alright. I'll go for it." he decided. "Where would I find her?" "The library, sci-fi section. Just make sure you hurry. If you don't get there in time..." "I know, Sam." Cole said, getting up and exiting the snow fort. "Don't worry, I got this...I hope." - - - - - - - The memory ended there, and Cole felt as if another piece of the mystery that had been his past life was solved. Shepard...my last name is Shepard. he thought. And that other guy was Sam. He followed the other two ponies as Peach opened the door to the inn.

Cole listened in disbelief to what Silver and Lionheart were saying. This is ridiculous. One meeting with this guy, and they're ready to take over the galaxy. he thought. Sure, he sounded convincing, but... He rolled his eyes to himself. They'd get over it soon. Right now, he needed to figure out what to do.

Cole looked up in shock at the yellow eye above him. What the hell? he wondered. Suddenly, he remembered the flash he had gotten earlier. He had been seeing Discord then, he realized with a sudden chill. And he was seeing him now. He looked more horrible in person. His razor sharp claws looked like they could cut open a pony in one slice. A gleam of madness flickered in his eyes, and Cole couldn't escape the feeling that the monster was staring into his soul. I can't let him intimidate me. Cole decided. No, I won't let him intimidate me. "So, you're Discord?" he said out loud. "I thought you'd look more terrifying then this."

Cole swooped down and flew into one of the timberwolves, knocking it against a tree. He then bucked a wolf that had snuck up behind him. "This is going to be fun!" he noted, taking down a third wolf by karate chopping it. Karate chopping a wolf made of wood? How does that work? Cole briefly stopped to think, then pushed aside the question for later. Suddenly, a timberwolf scratched him on the shoulder. Not a serious scratch, but a scratch, nontheless. "Agh!" he gasped, turning around and choke-slamming the wolf. Then he rose into the air with it and dive bombed the ground. The wolf's body slammed against the dirt and grass, then lay still. That's what I get for being caught off guard. Cole scolded himself. He suddenly noticed the red pony enter the battle and felt a surge of relief. Good. We need all the help we can get. he thought again.

There was a sudden addition of wings flapping, and Cole came into view above Electrobolt and Peach. "Hey, guys." he greeted them. "Sorry for the scare. I've been practicing my flying while I was gone." he added helpfully. He shook unsteadily for a brief moment, then regained control of himself. "It's harder then it looks." he admitted. Cole returned to looking ahead nervously. There could be some dangerous things in those woods. he thought. Bears, wolves, mountain lions...do they even have mountain lions here? Whatever the case, he would try to help out as best as he could. He just hoped they weren't too late.

Cole munched on his cupcake, closing his eyes in bliss. This tastes good. he thought. It needs a little bit of cinnamon, though. "This cupcake is great. You did an amazing job." he said out loud to Mrs. Cake.

When Peach had mentioned Discord, a sudden flash of a horrible creature had assaulted Cole's mind. It was brownish and a hideous collage of different animals. A wicked gleam was in it's eye as it held ponies in the air with marionette strings. He had shrugged off the image, returning to reality with a small jolt. - - - - - - - Cole stopped when he noticed Peach's expression. "What's wrong?" he asked her, concerned. As far as he could see, Ponyville looked pretty normal. Then again, that thing was loose somewhere around here. She had a good reason to be worried. He looked up at the pegasi playing tag and longed to join them. But that could wait. For now, he'd have to do...whatever it was he was here to do. Maybe we're supposed to be reinforcements or something, A voice in his head whispered. Maybe we're here to fight Discord and die. He shook his head at this sudden, intruding thought. No. That's not right at all. These guys don't seem like the type to use people as cannon fodder. he argued. But what if they are? the voice countered. Let's face it, you know nothing about them. Nothing. They could have been doing this for centuries, to other species- Ok, that was where he drew the line on the ridiculous scale. He shook his head a second time, waiting for Peach's response. The voice went away, mumbling angrily inside his head.

Cole had blinked as the peach colored pony arrived. Now he cocked his head curiously. Ponyville? he thought in confusion. That sounds like an amusement park for little girls. But if this horse was telling the truth, it would be a good place to get some answers or piece together what happened. At least, he hoped so. He stopped and thought about what just went through his mind, and almost laughed at how ridiculous it sounded. Debating if a talking horse was being honest...if Cole had pondered that issue a few days ago, he would have laughed and forgot about it. But now, it seemed like the best course of action to follow her. "What's Ponyville like, exactly?" he asked Peach.