Webcomic / The Last Adventure

Don't be afraid. Good things will happen, too. Eventually.

What happened to Discord after The Ending of the End? Was he truly forgiven for putting Equestria in danger again, even if with good intentions? What if grudge and forgiveness were treated more realistically in My Little Pony series? That’s what Eveeka discusses in her fancomic The Last Adventure.

Discord never was popular, but his situation in Ponyville became worse after everypony learned about his last big mistake. Even his friendship with Fluttershy, Spike and Big Mac is no longer a comfort, because the three have been too busy to spend time with him. And Spike's insistence that Discord feels much more than friendship for Fluttershy doesn’t help in anything, for Discord is an immortal entity of chaos while Fluttershy is a mortal mare. How can such a relationship work? He pays Twilight a visit to ask her how is she dealing with the thought that one day her friends will get old and die, since, as Celestia’s successor, she is supposed to have become immortal. The point is, Twilight hadn’t realized that yet! Thus, his question sends her into a downward spiral and Discord is shooed away once again. After two more incidents with prejudiced ponies, he concludes that Fluttershy will be happier if she’ll forget him and marry someone ‘normal’, so he exiles in the Everfree Forest, instead of going back to his dimension. However, Discord underestimates Fluttershy, Spike and the Mane Five (Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie). They enter the forest to look for him, unaware that Chimera and the Timberwolves are back and won’t let anyone stand in their way, not even the Lord of Chaos.

The fancomic has an Audio Play that can be found in three parts on youtube. and a running sidestory fancomic written by TheFVGuy and illustrated by Eveeka.

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The Last Tropes:

A-D

• Adaptational Badass: In MLP FIM, a powerless Discord couldn’t do anything better than tossing rocks at his enemies. In TLA, he bites, kicks and claws the bad guys, and also smashes a timberwolf by rolling a big rock over him.
  • Subverted with Rarity. In the first fight, she seems to have forgotten her kung-fu, cowering behind Discord and fainting at the sight of blood. Subverted again when she joins Twilight to save his life with their magic, yelling that Chimera’ll pay for having damaged her tail.
• Adaptation Expansion: The audio version gained songs and a funny interaction between Pinkie Pie and the author's avatar between the two endings.
• Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Discord often touches Fluttershy’s face or caresses her mane.
• After-Action Patch-Up:
  • In a flashback, Discord visits Fluttershy to find out she sprained one of her paws while she worked at the animal sanctuary. He tenderly heals her injury with magic.
  • After Discord and Fluttershy run from Chimera, she insists on stopping to pick up some healing moss to stop his wounds from bleeding. They use that brief time to talk and get solace on each other over their mutual Trauma Conga Line.
  • After Acrios is defeated, the Mane Six treat each other’s scrapes in Zecora’s hut. Applejack wraps bandages around an unconscious Discord while Fluttershy is patched up, but afterwards the latter insists on remaining with Zecora to take care of him.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Except for Fluttershy, Spike, and Big Mac, everybody else treats Discord like trash, or are cold with him at best. Subverted during the Everfree Forest arc, when the Mane Five come to realize they truly care about Discord.
• Alternate Animal Affection: Fluttershy and Discord frequently express their mutual feelings rubbing their heads on each other.
• Artifact of Power: Chimera has found a mysterious medallion with magical properties in the Swamp of Fire. It shoots pink lightnings that may cut as a laser, give electrical shocks or lift up foes telekinetically.
• Babies Ever After: Big Mac and Sugar Belle are expecting a baby in the beginning of the story.
  • Also, in both endings Discord and Fluttershy have children.
• Badass Boast: Discord gives Chimera a Shut Up, Hannibal! when the monster proposes him to join them against the ponies they'll tell him how to undo the effects of the poison that is blocking his powers:
  Discord:No, I won't join you. Even if I did, you would certainly use me in a similar way Tirek did. It may not be too easy for me at the moment, but I also have something very precious and I don't want to lose it. (embraces Fluttershy)
  Chimera (snake head):You're not talking about this pathetic little jelly.
  Discord: Don't talk about her like that! She has more brains in her head than your three heads put together!And as long as my heart beats in my chest, I won't let anyone hurt her or her friends!
• Beast and Beauty: After everyone learns that Fluttershy is in love with Discord - and she's mortified at their reactions - Pinkie Pie tries to cheer her up by mentioning (very vaguely) the trope:
  Pinkei Pie: I think it's very romantic! It reminds me a story I once heard... just what the title was... there was something about the beast...
  (Flutterhsy doesn't feel any better)
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Averted almost entirely. The royal sisters and the Mane Six are pretty disheveled by their misadventures in the forest, especially Fluttershy and Rarity, who loses part of her tail. Only Zecora seems unscathed from the ordeal.
• Berserk Button: Don’t call Discord a monster, insult Fluttershy or threaten her in front of him. And don’t speak ill of Discord in front of Fluttershy!
• Break the Cutie: Poor Fluttershy. She conceals her love for Discord, believing that he sees her only as a friend and also because her pony friends never would understand. She is forced to watch as he and Rarity have a fight in the middle of the street, and not for the first time. Then Discord disappears without a trace, making Fluttershy worried sick and then she learns from Zecora that he is living miserably at the Evertree forest. Things spiral down from then on, so the fact that she is able to keep her sanity just proves that Discord wasn’t kidding when he said she was strong.
• Break the Haughty: At the beginning of the fancomic, Discord still tries to behave as aloof and haughty as usual, but his façade quickly falls apart because of others’ constant reminds of his wrongdoings, added to his own remorse.
  • Both Rarity and Rainbow Dash are humbled by the entire Chimera misadventure in a way that their canon adventures could never do.
• Big Bad: Chimera.
• Big "WHAT?!":
  • Discord, when he thinks that Nightlight is proposing to Fluttershy.
  • Fluttershy when Discord explains he lost his powers by the umpteenth time. See Lampshade Hanging.
• Call-Back:
  • Everypony, or almost, rubs the Grogar fiasco in Discord's face. He even has a nightmare with Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow.
  • One of the reasons Discord initially refuses to see in Fluttershy more than a friend is because of his past relationship with Cosmos, in MLP FIM comics #76-78 issues. Although he admits that Fluttershy is completely different from his abusive ex (she shows up in the nightmare, too).
  • Right after summoning the cotton candy cloud, Discord remembers how much Fluttershy was hurt by his betrayal in "Twilight's Kingdom". Much later, he mentions Tirek's betrayal when Chimera asks him to join them.
  • In a very crucial moment, Fluttershy remembers all the times when Discord showed how much he cared about her. In the youtube video, the montage is replaced by the episodes scenes.
• Continuity Nod:
  • When Rainbow Dash suggests that perhaps Discord was leading the timberwolves and Rarity agrees, Fluttershy chews them out saying that yes, Discord commited mistakes but they are not much better, referencing when Rarity decided to redecorate Equestria, when Rainbow Dash pretended to like Pinkie Pie’s cakes and when Pinkie Pie cloned herself in a lake.
  • When Chimera insults Fluttershy, Discord's pupils turn into fiery slits, just like in "To Where And Back Again".
• Deadpan Snarker: Not only Discord, but other characters have their moments. Even Fluttershy, after having had more than enough of Rarity’s prejudice.
  Rarity: What if something ate them and we’ll never see them again?
  Fluttershy: So Discord suddenly became a pony-eater now?
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • It never occurred Twilight that the price of becoming an alicorn would be to outlive her beloved ones, until Discord asked her about that.
  • Chimera never bothered themselves to ask whose the talisman was before it came to their paws and if it had other properties besides a magic similar to unicorn's.
• Distant Duet: In the video edition, Twilight and Discord sing Alone Again, about how much immortality is a curse, because their loved ones will be gone one day, leaving them alone as they were before.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?:
  • According to Chimera, the land where Ponyville is used to be part of the Everfree Forest, before Celestia gave it to the ponies, forcing the creatures that lived in those lands to move further in the forest or to the swamps. American colonists, anyone?
  • Discord's behavior brings to mind a teenager Bullied into Depression.
• Don't Go in the Woods: In his first night at the Everfree forest, Discord is found and bitten by Chimera. Shortly after the Mane Six and Zecora enter the woods after him, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are abducted. Just to begin with.
• Drama-Preserving Handicap: If it wasn't for Chimera's poison, Discord would have ruined their plan just by snapping his fingers.

E-M

• Easily Condemned: Rainbow Dash quickly jumps to the conclusion that Discord sent the timberwolves to attack Ponyville, after Zecora told the Mane Six she found him in the Everfree Forest, forgetting the zebra's report about how miserable he looked and the good Discord did or tried to do. Rarity promptly agrees with him (infuriating Fluttershy), but Pinkie Pie raises an eyebrow at their bias.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Fluttershy affectionately calls Discord “Dizzy” in a few moments. He doesn’t seem to care.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Chimera can’t understand why Discord is defending the ponies after they pushed him away and make a point of ridiculing his wish of protecting Fluttershy. Big mistake.
• Family-Unfriendly Violence: For a good reason the videos have warnings about being unappropriated for children under 12. Discord gets the lion’s share: he is bitten, tossed around, tortured by the magic medallion and displays cuts all over his body. Twilight and Zecora are swallowed by a Hydra and escape just thanks to Zecora’s herbs. Fluttershy is tossed against a tree and hurts one of her wings, getting temporarily incapacitated of flying.
• Fantastic Racism: Probably one of the reasons why Discord is still rejected although other former antagonists were forgiven and respected ( Trixie, Starlight Glimmer and Luna are ponies while he is not, and the fact that Discord is repeatedly called "monster" and "freak" reinforces that). The author just said it was possible.
  • Chimera uses this as an excuse to attack the ponies.
  Chimera: You only accept other creatures if they meet your conditions. And every not-pony who dares to be different is punished. How fair.
• Forgot About His Powers: There is a lot of occasions where Twilight could use her teleport. Justified with the hydra because its stomachal goo blocked her horn temporarily, although she could have teleported herself and Zecora before they were swallowed. Subverted after Acrios’ defeat: she teleports everyone to Zecora’s hut to save Discord. According to the author, even after he was revived, Twilight still had to teleport him to a hospital to treat lingering effects of the poison.
  • Discord apparently forgot he can become invisible, given all the times when he uses the Tree Cover scheme. Justified because sometimes he forgets his powers in the series, too.
• Furry Reminder: Discord occasionally acts like the animals that compose his body. He shelters Fluttershy with one of his wings like birds and bats do to their babies, and in an emergency he carries her by the back of her neck like a lioness.
• Getting Eaten Is Harmless: Zecora and Twilight are briefly swallowed by a Hydra. In its stomach, Twilight frets mainly about being separated from the action, and isn't bothered at all by the juices they're sitting in.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Red-eyed, in Discord’s case. His eyes burn with anger and jealousy when he sees Nightlight showing the engagement ring for Fluttershy.
• Heroic Resolve: Even battered and powerless, Discord still stands ground against Chimera, so Fluttershy will be able to escape. He repeats it after Chimera is absorved by Acrios, although he barely can stand.
• Hypocrite: When Fluttershy calls out the Mane Five for their prejudice against Discord (see Continuity Nod), Rarity insists that, “none of them actually put Equestria in danger” - just after Fluttershy rubbed on her face that time when Rarity tried to change Equestria to her taste... which was EXACTLY what Discord did in his villainous days! (not to mention that, as Nightmare Moon, she was worse than Luna in the comics) Pinkie Pie face hoofs at her stubbornness.
• Hypocritical Humor: Discord is shocked when Rarity embraces his snout in relief because she found him alive. He grabs her angrily, yelling that only Fluttershy could touch his face. Apparently, he forgot all those times he squished others’ cheeks without their permission - also when he picked up Twilight's snout early in the comic.
• Innocently Insensitive:
  • Discord asks Twilight how it feels to know that she will outlive her friends, unaware that she hadn’t thought of this yet. He is pretty confused when she storms off and Starlight magically floats him back to the entrance, but apologizes.
  • It doesn't occur to Sugar Belle and Spike that talking about Fluttershy's mortality could be painful for Discord, either.
• Insecure Love Interest: Both Fluttershy and Discord are this towards each other, partly because none of them wants to spoil their friendship, partly because of Fluttershy's usual unsureness, but mainly because Discord is still a pariah among most ponies. Discord, in particular, feels unworthy of her because of all his mistakes, and he also fears to have his heart broken when she'll grow old and die on him, since he is immortal.
• Interspecies Romance: Discord (a dragonequus) and Fluttershy (a pegasus pony).
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: After seeing Fluttershy talking to Nightlight, Discord jumps to the conclusion that it will be better for her if she’ll forget him and marry a “handsome stallion”, even though Nightlight was just telling her he was planning to propose somepony else.
  • When Fluttershy blurts she loves Discord, the Mane Five (except Pinkie Pie, who is as happy as Spike) have an initial What Does She See in Him? moment, especially Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Much later, however, they tell Fluttershy that if Discord makes her happy, then they're happy for her too.
• Lampshade Hanging: Discord and Rainbow Dash point at the ridicule ammount of times something or someone took his powers.
  Fluttershy: Discord, could you take care of them? (the timberwolves)
  Discord: There is a small, tiny problem… I lost my magic… again…
  Fluttershy: WHAT?
  Rainbow Dash: Seriously? What time is it now? Fifth?
  Discord: I don’t know! After the second time I lost count!
• Let Me at Him!: Rainbow Dash wants to get at Discord for having fled to the Everfree Forest and worried Fluttershy. Spike has to hold her back.
• Manly Tears: Discord cries in many moments. Spike sheds a few tears, too.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After being insulted by Nightlight, Discord decides to get revenge on the ponies by flooding Ponyville with a chocolate milk storm, only to realize he would hurt Fluttershy again… and that he didn’t want to hurt anyone at all. The remorse for his past errors finally gets on him, so he decides to leave, with the cloud he just summoned raining over his head.

N-Y

• Not What It Looks Like: See Tree Cover.
• Poison Is Evil: Chimera’s snake head poison doesn't kill Discord at soon because of his chaotic magic; by other turn, or for this exact reason, it keeps him from using it. When Fluttershy is attacked by Acrios, Discord finds himself able to use magic again, but that makes the poison spread through his body. He decides then to use the last of his strength to destroy the medallion and kill Acrios, although that costs his life. Fortunately, Zecora's potion is able to neutralize the poison and revive him... in the happy ending.
• Primal Stance: During his first fight with Chimera and the timberwolves, Discord drops on all fours and takes a feral attitude to protect Fluttershy. After escaping from the monsters, he keeps on fours, not only because he can run faster like this (and can’t fly anymore), but also because he is hurt and weak, so the weight of his long body is too much for his short hind legs.
• Revenge Is Not Justice: The Chimera justifies their attack to Ponyville as an act of revenge, after the ponies sent them to exile. Discord, from all people, tells them that revenge won’t solve anything neither bring any relief.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Grogar created Acrios, but at soon realized he couldn’t control it, só he sealed the creature in a medallion.
• Shipper on Deck: Spike is the first one to say in Discord’s face that the dragonecqus “has a crush” with Fluttershy; later, he doesn’t hide his joy when she confesses her love for him. Pinkie Pie tries to support a very embarassed Fluttershy against their friends’ prejudice. But it’s Zecora whom gives the major support to Discord and Fluttershy, by encouraging them to open their hearts to each other.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Even someone as mischievous and energectic as Discord may fall into depression because of constant rejection and reminding of their past mistakes. And when you bottle up all these negative feelings for a long time instead of opening your heart, they will eventually explode and bite you. So, it’s plenty justified that Discord spends most part of the comic serious and without his usual jokes.
• Took a Level in Jerkass:
  • It's hard to believe Rarity represents Generosity in face of her behavior in this comic. She insists that Discord will always be a monster just because he accidentally fell over her and messed up her mane just after she and Fluttershy left the beauty parlor. Worse, the ponies are treating Discord like crap because she told all of Ponyville about the Grogar issue. When Discord confronts her about that, she shows no remorse, saying he "deserves it". And worse yet, nobody calls Rarity out for spreading the rumors. She redeems herself much later, helping Twilight to stop Chimera from killing him.
  • The Cutie Mark Cruzaders are uncharacteristicaly cross at Discord in the beginnning of the comic. Scootaloo goes as far as saying that he should have been turned into a statue again and calls him a "freak". They have a change of heart after learning about his Heroic Sacrifice. There's a post-TLA art where the CMC make it up, visiting Discord and entertaing him while he is recovering at Fluttershy's.
• Through a Face Full of Fur: Both Discord and Fluttershy blush a lot.
• Tree Cover: Early in the comic, Discord hides behind a tree, thinking of how to apologize to Fluttershy for dropping a cake over Rarity (though she got just desserts), when he sees a young stallion showing an engagement ring for Fluttershy. Burning out with jealousy, he "casually" approaches them just to learn that Nightlight, the stallion, was just asking Fluttershy's opinion about the ring he bought to somepony else. Embarassed, Discord teleports back to the tree, deciding to wait until Nightlight is gone to talk to Fluttershy about his feelings, but hears the stallion calling him a monster. That is the last straw to Discord, who flies away without hearing Fluttershy defending him.
• Ungrateful Townsfolk: Ponyville’s attitude towards Discord after his most recent mistake; the moments where he helped save Equestria never count. During their search expedition, Fluttershy tells Zecora that many ponies think she shouldn’t be friends with him.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: We never see Nightlight again after the ring incident.
• What the Hell, Hero?: A lot!
  • Starting with Fluttershy, as mentioned in Continuity Nod.
  • Discord receives two in the second ending. One, after lying to Fluttershy he doesn't love her and sending the poor mare away in tears. Zecora gives him quite an earful, telling Discord that Fluttershy never left his side while he was in coma and how much she suffered because of him. Besides, even if she isn't immortal like him, both can make each other happy during their time together. Then Discord runs after Fluttershy to apologize and it's Fluttershy's turn to chew him out before he can blurt his love for her.
  • Discord finally gives the Mane Five a satisfying, well-deserved "The Reason You Suck" Speech near the end, after Rainbow Dash bluntly apologizes for having suspected that he sent timberwolves to attack Ponyville:
  Discord: You… You thought I would do that?! But why?! Oh, I forgot! Because you think I’m a crazy monster! Even if I saved the world a thousand times, ponies’ opinions about me never change!
  Fluttershy: Please, calm down.
  Discord: You almost always blamed me when something bad happened. You don’t talk anymore about Luna, Starlight, Trixie or Tempest’s past. You forgave them so many times. But when it comes to me… You can’t stop reminding me about what I did wrong! Most of the time when something important happened you rarely called me… unless you needed my powers. You never invited me to the important events. You ignored me when I really wanted to help. I know I wasn’t perfect and that my behaviour wasn’t the best… And, don’t lie to me. I know if not this whole thing with… what… what happened lately… you still would act towards me the way you did before. AND YES! I FELT LEFT OUT! I FELT UNWANTED! I FELT LIKE A BURDEN TO EVERYONE! AND THERE WAS TIME WHEN I DIDN’T WANT TO LIVE!
• Wipe That Smile Off Your Face: One of the few moments Discord makes his usual gags. He closes Sugar Belle’s mouth with a zipper when she calls him selfish and uncaring (he had it coming). Big Mac protests and Discord undoes it. Then he zips Spike after the little dragon says that maybe it was better if Discord didn’t love Fluttershy because he would suffer a lot when she would die.
• Who Wants to Live Forever?: Both Discord and Twilight are worried because they will outlive their beloved ones. Celestia and Luna recognize it’s “not easy”, but explain to Twilight that she will be mortal again when she’ll find a proper sucessor and retire,like they did. That doesn’t comfort Twilight - neither Discord, who was eavesdropping.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Discord and Fluttershy tell that to each other after they escape from the Chimera. Fluttershy laments not being strong and brave like Rainbow Dash, so she would have been able to fight the timberwolves, too, but Discord tells her that her kindness and empathy are her strenght; she was able to reform him and he was grateful for that.
  • Discord, by his turn, chastises himself for having ran to Evertree Forest, lost his magic and put everyone in danger. Fluttershy tells him that he is still amazing without magic. And, even if he hadn’t gone there, she would have to go with Twilight to investigate the timberwolves’ activity.
• You Do Not Want To Know: When Discord and Fluttershy kiss, Pinkie Pie says aloud what many probably were thinking.
  Pinkie Pie: Is it me just wondering where his fang went?
  Rainbow Dash: Thanks, Pinkie, now that won’t get out of my mind.

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