Idea for Two Discord episodes.

So season four has descended onto us, I will withhold judgement until I see the whole season in context. I will say however, that Discord stole the show in the first episode. Specifically, Discord is seen to have not truly changed. He is every bit as mischievous and cynical as he was in season 2 when he was a villain, allowing him to serve the Q like role he was always intended to. I say Q-like role because Discord, like Q, can now serve as a wild-card, sometimes popping in help out or be a pain, depending on which either one serves his purpose. Remember back in season 3 when he said he would use his magic for good "most of the time," and remember then end of this recent episode where Discord is thrilled to have the elements of harmony out of his way. On the subject of Discord as the shows newest (and quite possibly only) Anti-hero, there are several Star Trek episodes which could be remade into My Little Pony episodes.  

The one I have been hoping for since I found out about John De Lanci voicing Discord is "Tapestry". If you are not a Star Trek fan, let me explain: Picard's artificial heart malfunctions and he dies, and then goes on to the afterlife where he meets Q. Q tells him that he is dead and is given a chance to go back and avoid getting stabbed in the heart, which is at the end of his academy years. So Picard changes history, but in the process, loses his two best friends and learns just to "play it safe." So therefore in the present, Picard is a low-ranking ensign, no accomplishments to his name, no friends, no recognition. Picard then begs Q to send him back and set things right, Q then asks Picard why would he want to do that, because Picard had only hours ago told Q that he wished he was less arrogant and undisciplined, ie, less like Q, in his youth. Picard then says that it was a mistake to want to change who he was, and says he would rather die as the man he was, then live the life he just saw, Q then zaps Picard back in time again and Picard fixes things, although Beverly manages to save Picard's heart. The end of the episode involves Picard telling Riker he owes Q a debt of gratitude for making him appreciate the sacrifices and choices has made in his life.

So a remake would involve Twilight wishing that she had never come to Ponyville. Either because she has a fight with her friends, the stress of being a princess gets to her, she gets a broken wing from a dangerous accident, and/or she sees one of her friends get hurt and consequently she blames herself for it. Discord would pop up and say to Twilight "that can be arranged", and Twilight, although initially skeptical, agrees. Discord Zaps Twilight back in time and tells her that she has a day to make friends in Canterlot. Twilight reaches out to Ponies she ignored as a filly, but the ponies she befriends are the Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon of their generation. They pressure Twilight into bullying weaker students, helping them cheat on tests, and things of that nature, all the while Discord (who only Twilight can see) mocks Twilight saying "oh, I didn't ever dream that a princess had it in her to do such a thing!" and when the day is up and Twilight is zapped into the present, she is on a rock farm, in a library, or something along those lines, and she says "What, this isn't right" Discord then says "but Twilight, it's so safe in your new life?" Twilight then says, "Yeah, I suppose, and at least I still have friends right?" However realizes that the friends she had made in Canterlot aren't her friends anymore, they had stabbed her in the back long ago and left her to rot. Twilight is without any friends, estranged from her family, and no recognition, but then says "Well, at least my friends are better off right?" and Discord says "lets take a look?!" Then Discord flashes her to Ponyville where she sees where each of the rest of the mane six have ended up without her, and they are all in similar circumstances. Twilight then is filled with remorse and begs for a chance for things to be made back the way they were. Discord nods and says "Are you asking that you return to how things were before? They were so chaotic, and the life you and your friends have are now so much more in order, so much more uniform compared to your old lives filled with nasty unpredictability?!" Twilight nods and says "I realize now that sometimes we need to accept some discord in our lives in order for our dreams to be realized," Discord would then smile and say "good" and zap things back into place. The episode would end with Twilight talking to Fluttershy saying "You were right all along, I guess Discord does have some good in him after all."


The next episode they need to remake is Deja Q. In this episode, Q, as punishment for his crimes against the mortal races, is stripped by the rest of the Q of his powers. Q is then, stranded as a mortal human on the enterprise. Meanwhile, Picard is trying to save a planet from its moon crashing into it. While Q is held on the enterprise, some high-powered energy creatures come to try and kill Q. In exchange for the enterprise protecting him, Q agrees to help the moon go back into its proper orbit. Q initially helps Picard in figuring out the cause of moon’s descent. However, he is constantly hounded by the beings he tormented. After learning to genuinely appreciate the compassion of the enterprise crew in keeping in safe and realizing that the creatures he tormented would destroy the enterprise in order to kill him, Q leaves in a shuttle to sacrifice himself for the good of the enterprise. At the last minute however, as a reward for his selflessness, the Q continuum gives him his powers back. To express his gratitude, he restores the moon to its proper orbit.

The interesting thing is that this episode was already subtly referenced in “Keep Calm and Flutter On.” For when Q first comes aboard the enterprise he asks them what he can do to prove that he is mortal, to which Worf replies “die.” Q sneers at him and says “Eat any good books lately?”

However, on a more broad level, I feel like there should be an episode in which Discord is in some way stripped of his powers. Specifically, it would be interesting if it were in conjunction with the theory that Discord is in fact, Starswirl the bearded. For Discord could be returned to his state as Starswirl, and in facing a reduction of his power. However the dragons, whom are immortal and thus remember Discords reign from long ago and have been plotting revenge, come back to punish him. The main six then are tasked with protecting him, with serious reservations and skepticism from Rainbow Dash and Applejack. The episode could possibly end with Starswirl getting his powers back. However, I feel that, even though it’s a reversal of Deja Q, it might be better that Starswirl accepts his punishment from the dragons, and the end of the episode has Starswirl going back to the dragon capitol for a trial after bidding fair-well to Twilight. The benefits of this possible ending would be that it would open up a potential further episode where Twilight goes to represent Starswirl in a dragon court of law. In the process, we would get an insight into Dragon society. Possibly, the episode could focus on the philosophy of identity, is Starswirl today the same as Discord, his alter ego?

Thanks for being with me today
-Alekthewererat.