Chapters "You seem to be a mare short, Twilight Sparkle." Nightmare Moon said, cackling as she prepared to strike the final blow.
Twilight quivered as she looked around, her recently acquired friends staying relatively hidden behind her, attempting to use her as a shield from Nightmare Moon.
They shook as Nightmare moved and darkness began to engulf her horn. Shadows gathered at the corner of the room, slowly encroaching upon them as they stood petrified. Time growing ever shorter, Twilight turned to her friends.
"Okay, girls, we might be short an Element, but we still have enough to show Nightmare Moon that she shouldn't mess with us!" Twilight shouted out. A faint chorus of hopeful cheers met her, as her friends moved to once again stand by her side, no longer hiding in her shadow. With a little cheer of her own, she once again tried to call upon the power of the Elements.
Twilight and her friends found themselves lifted into the air, any shock they may have felt dulled by the soothing glow of the aura that now surrounded them. As they began to pulsate, Nightmare Moon looked on, no fear evident upon her face, softly laughing to herself as she took in the desperation of the mares, a heavy thud took her by surprise though, and looking around she found that a statue of a familiar foe had appeared nearby. A twitch forming in her eye, she stared at it.
The statue, which now seemed to be crumbling, was enveloped in the same energy that was radiating from the bearers. Nightmare tried to scramble away, but was unable to escape as a rainbow-colored beam came rushing toward her. She shrieked as she was consumed in the multicolored glow.
Twilight and the others gently fell to the ground, landing on their hooves as they took a collective sigh of relief. The girls took stock of their situation. Any thoughts of celebration were quickly cut off as a groaning sound grabbed their attention. Looking around, they spotted the statue that had distracted Nightmare Moon.
No longer a statue, a creature was raising itself from the stone remains, groaning and grunting with evident pleasure at once more being able to move. Cautiously, the girls looked over the strange beast that had joined them. The first thing they noticed was the sheer oddness of it, seeming to be a mismatch of creatures, with a serpentine body, a talon and a paw, and two mismatched wings, all connecting to the head of a rather nasty looking pony.
After the immediate surprise faded, looks of disgust were shared between them as they took in its visage. Twilight was first to regain her bearings, shaking off the expression of confusion and distaste from her muzzle.
"I've seen you before!" she exclaimed, drawing its attention to her.
The mares shook as the creature's gaze fell upon them, its eyes, yellow with pupils of red, studying them intently. After a few moments, it spoke, voice clearly identifying him as a male.
"Oh? Have you? Well, I've seen you, Twilight Sparkle, so close to Celestia. But never had I suspected that she would send you out to tie up her loose ends; I always assumed you were some kind of pet," he drawled, voice raspy. His bored gaze shifted to his own body as he began examining the necklace that had appeared around him.
Twilight looked on, staring as the beast ignored her. "What are you?" she asked.
"I am Discord, king of Equestria!" he shouted, a dramatic flourish of his paw emphasizing his words. Seeing the confused looks upon the faces of the mares, his face, a thing that spoke of horrors unknown to the world, morphed into one reflecting sadness. "It is a terrible thing. That Celestia has apparently kept hidden the joys I once spread across the land. Allow me to enlighten you."
Discord snapped his fingers, gasping loudly as nothing happened. Eyes widening, he continued to snap them, frantically mumbling to himself about being a bit rusty.
"Just ignore him dear, the beast is clearly mad," Rarity said, coming forward and standing next to Twilight, she scoffed as Discord continued his antics. "The Princess will deal with him. Although, he seems rather distracted anyway." Indeed, Discord kept manically snapping his fingers, looking increasingly desperate as he did so.
Twilight was about to respond, but was cut off as a beam of golden light went flying toward Discord, before dissipating harmlessly upon contact with a wing. Looking around for the source of the beam, Twilight found that the Princess had appeared at the window of the castle, but was surprised to find a steely expression on her face, with her horn pointed toward Discord.
Celestia sighed, raising her horn. Giving a glare to Discord, she spotted Twilight and quickly made her way over, occasionally shifting her gaze to Discord, who had taken notice of the ray that had hit him and was now snapping his fingers even more frantically.
"What happened?" she said, looking at Discord as he stared back at her, their faces bearing mirror images of hatred. "What is Discord doing here?"
"I don't know!" Twilight said. "We just... we tried to call the elements," she looked over at Discord, her attention being caught by the necklace he wore. A quick glance showed similar attire on her friends.
"We all have these necklaces now... I guess he's the the bearer of Laughter?" she offered a sheepish grin. Celestia looked at Twilight briefly, before her eyes moved upward and focused on the tiara that Twilight wore. Eventually, she lowered her gaze and began to speak.
"That's not good," she said, sighing as she carried on. "Discord is a draconequus, he was a tyrant who placed Equestria in a state of perpetual unrest before I turned him to stone with the power of the elements, a method we may have trouble employing again. At the very least, he seems to be unable to use magic," A grin came across Celestia's muzzle.
Twilight studied Discord, watching as he continued his frantic actions. Turning to the princess, she found that Celestia had left her and made her way over to where Nightmare Moon once stood. The attention of the party drifted to their ruler, gasps coming from them as Celestia poked at a small blue filly that had escaped their notice.
"Is that Nightmare Moon again?" Applejack asked, straightening herself as she slowly prepared to fight again.
Discord, who had given up snapping his fingers, laughed, grabbing Applejack's attention. "That's the name she goes by? You can relax, you did a good enough job weakening Luna that Celestia won't have much trouble finishing her off. Although, anyone who takes a name like that deserves it," a slow, cynical laugh escaped him, causing his companions to flinch.
Discord was proven wrong in his prediction, as Celestia nuzzled the filly, who was now profusely apologizing to the white mare. Once finished, a few more hushed words passed between them and Celestia approached the mares once more, Luna following closely behind her, cowering from behind Celestia.
"Twilight Sparkle," she said as the mares bowed to her, before quickly rising at Celestia's bidding. "Forgive me, but I'm not familiar with the rest of you yet. Anyway... This is my sister, Luna."
She gestured to the filly behind her, who seemed to be too busy using her sister as a shield against Discord to properly greet them. Celestia, unfazed, continued to explain. "Using the Elements seem to have had unforeseen effects. Somehow, Discord was released from his prison."
"Stop being such a bore," Discord interrupted, attempting to circle around Celestia to get closer to Luna, who was doing her best to avoid him, whining as she ran from him. "I got this necklace, just like the rest of them." He started to pose, puffing his chest out to show the necklace off, grinning widely as Celestia growled. "Clearly, I'm part of the friendship club now."
Celestia rolled her eyes, sighing. "Yes, unfortunately, Discord seems to be immune to magic and unable to use it himself. This does leave us with a problem; The only solution I can think of is to keep him close to the Elements at all times." She looked apologetically at Twilight. "I'm sorry Twilight, but, for the time being, I think it would be best if you stay in Ponyville with the other bearers."
"Oh, that's okay, if you think it's for the best," Twilight chirped, looking back at the mares she had befriended.
"Well then, let's go back to Ponyville. No point to staying here," Celestia said.
When the group reached Ponyville, they quickly found that Pinkie Pie, with seeming precognition, had organized a party celebrating the return of Twilight and the others. Once a large enough group of ponies gathered around the Princesses, Celestia grabbed their attention and made an announcement.
"Ponies of Ponyville! Nightmare Moon has been defeated! My sister, Luna will now be ruling alongside me, as she once did, a thousand years ago." She gestured to Discord, the cheers of the ponies quickly turning to confusion as they took notice of the Draconequus. "This is Discord, he was found in the forest and will be living in Ponyville for some time. "
As the group of ponies dispersed, heading off to celebrate the avoidance of eternal night, Discord chose not to comment on Celestia's downplaying of his achievements. He stayed with his fellow bearers as they once more gathered around Celestia, eager to see if she had anything new to add.
"You should all go enjoy the festivities now, my sister and I must get back to Canterlot." She focused her attention upon Discord as her gaze hardened, attempting to tower above him despite her unimpressive stature. "You are to stay within the borders of Ponyville for now. Twilight, if you find that he is doing anything odd, you are to send me a letter immediately." With that said, she and Luna took off, flying in the direction of Canterlot.
"Well, excellent news! I don't intend to find out what happens if I get too far from the Elements. So, who shall I be bunking with?"
Upon his words, the ponies became deathly still. The silence growing as looks passed between them.
"Oh, that..." Twilight shuffled on her hooves, eyes staring at the ground. "Well... you can't stay with me, Spike's a young dragon after all, he might get scared," she giggled, turning to Rarity, who was staring at the Draconequus, who matched her stare with one of his own.
"Rarity! You're a successful mare. Surely, you can find space in your heart to give shelter to our friend in need?" Twilight asked, a sigh escaping her as Rarity stammered.
"Unfortunately, Twilight, I'm afraid that I am rather limited on space. All my dresses have to go somewhere, after all," Rarity said, attempting to look down at her, Twilight sagged, but gained a smile as Applejack began to speak.
"Hang on there, I've been in yer boutique, I know that you got plenty of room in there. Why ain't you offering that up?" Applejack said, leveling her gaze at Rarity, who glared back at her.
"Well... you see," Rarity shifted, after a moment's pause, she continued. "I have a sister, she often stays with me. Three of us would give very little personal space. My boutique is not an option, I'm afraid."
"That's odd, you never mentioned that you had a sister before, never saw her, either," Applejack said, suspicion flickering across her face as Rarity gained a guilty look.
Scrunching her face, Rarity dragged a hoof against the ground. "Although I do attempt to get her to socialize with those her own age, she has a tendency to stay inside. I'm sure you've seen it yourself, you do have a rather large family," she said slowly, giving a small smile before quickly gaining a stoic expression.
When she had finished, Applejack spoke, rushing out her words as a glint appeared in her eye. "Well, we can get her and Applebloom together sometime, I'm sure that they'll get along great."
Rarity cringed, a momentary expression quickly lost as she looked to Applejack. "Thank you, Applejack, I... appreciate your concern. But let's focus more on Discord here. How about he stays with you? I'm sure you have plenty of space on your farm."
"I would if I was able to, but Granny Smith is getting on in years, her old heart just ain't what it used to be. Along with Applebloom, I don't think they'll be able to handle seeing him that often," she turned to Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus slowly backing away from the group. "Rainbow, you live alone, how about you take him?"
Rainbow stopped, stammering out. "Yeah, but... Can he even stay in a cloud-house?" the Pegasus smirked at Applejack, who had gone silent.
Discord, who had taken to quietly snickering at them, broke his silence. "It's quite a good question, whether I can walk on clouds. Although the Elements have left me unable to do anything fun . I believe my more innate abilities have been left untouched."
After a few experimental flaps, Discord managed to raise himself into the air, relief evident on his face. Straining, he slowly raised himself higher. Wings flapping furiously, somehow seeming out of sync as he went ever higher.
After a short time, he found himself at the height of the lowest reaching clouds. Making a silent wish, he began to land on the nearest cloud, desperately reaching a hoof out to land.
And land he did, as he touched down on the cloud, the reassuring feeling of it supporting him almost made him cheer in delight. Unfortunately, his extended time as a statue had not left him particularly fit, and he collapsed in exhaustion, savoring the feeling of the cloud caressing his aching body.
A few moments later, Discord saw Rainbow Dash, easily staying aloft as she watched him struggle. "I don't think you'll be winning any races if that's the best you can do!" Rainbow said, laughing at the wheezing draconequus.
"Try getting turned to stone for a while, you'll wish you were as fit as me," Discord said, gasping for breath in between words. "But, now we know that there's nothing to stop us being together," Discord grinned, finding the energy to manage a wink in her direction. Rainbow's face dropped, her laughter quickly ceasing.
"Oh..." Rainbow said, turning away as the Draconequus gave out a wheezy laugh. "We should head back down, you think you can do that?"
Discord bristled. "I will have no trouble returning to the ground... However, feel free to go on back without me. I want to enjoy this cloud," shrugging, Rainbow left, plummeting back to the ground in a blur. Discord watched, quickly settling himself into the cloud once she was gone.
When he felt rested enough, Discord made his way back to the ground, the mares having all left. Except for Rainbow Dash, who had started pacing, looking at him with irritation flaring in her eyes when he landed.
"Ah, you waited for me, delightful. I just knew you cared," he said, grin on his face as he saw The Pegasus flinch at his words, "so, shall we be joining the festivities or shall we be heading home immediately?"
Rainbow laughed. "Yeah, I don't think that the ponies around here will take too kindly to you. It's best if we avoid the party." Gesturing for Discord to follow, she prepared to take flight.
"Oh, you certainly are eager," Discord muttered. Ignoring him, Rainbow took off toward her house, with Discord doing his best to keep up.
When Discord and Rainbow flew off, Twilight took the opportunity to inform her friends about the Draconequus. Quickly ushering them into the library that amounted to her new home.
When they arrived, Applejack was the first to ask a question. "Twi, did ya really have to bring us all the way here just to talk about Discord?"
"Yes Applejack, I did, were you paying attention to anything? Discord being free is really, really bad!" Twilight shouted, glaring as Applejack recoiled.
Twilight took a moment to collect herself, sighing before speaking again. "I'm sorry, It's just that the Princess told me that Discord was very dangerous. Apparently, when he had his magic he was more powerful than both of the Princesses."
Rarity approached Twilight, placing a hoof on her back. "He doesn't have his magic anymore. That's something, right?" Rarity smiled, watching as Twilight slowly became still.
"You're right, It's not that bad yet. but he could get his magic back at any time. The Princess doesn't want to risk it," Twilight said, looking at her friends, who sat silent as she continued on.
"Okay, first off, It's best if we all store the elements here, the library has a few spots where I can hide them." After the mares took off the Elements, she grabbed them with her magic, levitating them onto a nearby table. "I'll just leave these here for now, I can hide them later."
Twilight sighed, looking onto the others, steeling her expression as she continued. "Now, this bit's a bit more... awkward, but we need to get the Element from Discord too. but, he may not be very willing to give it up."
"Oh, of course he will, dear! A round, pink necklace absolutely clashes with his coat; not that he seems to be one for fashion, but even he will see that it needs a change," Rarity spouted, smiling even as she garnered stares from the others in the library.
Twilight rolled her eyes, the expression quickly repeated by her friends "He might not, we'll probably have to grab it when he's... not looking. I already tried using magic, he didn't even notice."
"Why would he want to hold onto it?" Applejack said, looking at the elements. "They don't seem to do much, 'cept make Nightmare shorter."
"Well, the Princess thinks that if we get the Element and give it to somepony else, we can turn him back to stone," Twilight said, eliciting a few gasps. Twilight grunted, stamping a hoof against the floor. "Why are you surprised? The Princess said this!"
Fluttershy was the one to speak first, breaking her long silence. "Um, Twilight, do we have to turn him back to stone? Discord did all those things such a long time ago... maybe he's nice now." she looked away, covering her face with her mane as best she could.
"Fluttershy does have a point, Twilight; stealing from Discord and trying to turn him to stone might end up making it worse, maybe he'll turn over a new leaf. He does have one of the Elements, after all," Rarity said.
Twilight, exasperated, began to droop, glaring indignantly as she spouted. "Fine! we'll leave it be for now, but I bet he'll do something evil! It's just a matter of time."
A new day dawned and with it, the first day of Discord's freedom. Even if his magic seemed to be lacking, he had no intention of letting that dampen his spirits. Stretching, he raised himself up from the cloud-bed that Rainbow Dash, after a heated argument over the sleeping arrangements, had graciously provided for him. Located in an extra bedroom of the house, it was certainly more roomy that being encased in stone.
Heading out, Discord found Rainbow Dash, with a plate full of salad placed on a table in front of her. Facing away from him, she had not seen him enter. Figuring he was about to intrude upon her breakfast, and not caring, he spoke.
"Ah, Rainbow!" he said, slithering up behind her, placing a claw around her, only to be swatted away by a bat of her wing and a grunt of annoyance. Unperturbed, he continued. "So, what will we be doing today, buddy?"
Rainbow sighed, her body deflating as she looked at Discord. "I work on the weather team. I have to go work today, you just... go bug Twilight, she lives in the big tree in the middle of Ponyville."
Discord pouted, his mismatched eyes becoming watery. "I understand, we're going too fast, you need some time to yourself," a hurt look crossing his face, Discord prepared to leave. "I'll just be going then. Nothing to see here, just a heartbroken draconequus," seeing Rainbow's unfazed expression as she munched on a carrot, Discord tired of her and made his descent from the cloud-house.
Having an easier time getting back to the ground then he had when going up, Discord made his way toward the quaint town of Ponyville. Its wooden buildings already within view, only a short amount of time passed before Discord found himself once more in the town. The party long since having ended, the mundane village life once again consumed the town and he watched on in amusement as the ponies fled in terror from his mighty visage.
Once the skittish townsfolk had all hidden from him, none seeming to dare staying outside while he was around, Discord made his way towards Twilight Sparkle's residence. Immensely enjoying the fear of the few ponies who were unaware of him quickly fleeing as he went further into the town.
Upon finding the library and finding it unlocked, Discord made his way in. Only to see rows upon rows of neatly arranged books, along with a familiar purple dragon who was going about the business of adding yet more books to the shelves.
"Hello, Spike," Discord said, catching the Dragon's attention, who jumped, quickly turning to face him. A grin forming when he saw recognition flicker through Spike's face. "Recognize me? I spent so long as a statue, but once more, I am free and finally able to tell you something I have longed to for many years."
Confusion showed on the dragon's face. But an eagerness could be seen quickly overtaking the confusion. "What is it? is it important? is it something the Princess doesn't know?" Spike questioned, anticipation clear in his voice.
Discord chuckled, watching as the little Dragon gazed up at him with wide, curious eyes . He quickly regained a more serious expression. "Not quite, you see Spike, I... am your father."
Spike looked flabbergasted for a moment, but he quickly deflated. "Oh... I kinda got my hopes up there for a second... I'm not sure why," he sighed, letting out a cynical laugh. "So, why are you here?"
"Didn't you hear the news from Twilight Sparkle? I gained the Element of Laughter and will be staying in Ponyville. I am your father though, they kept it a secret, to keep you under control... like a slave," for a moment, Discord gained a wistful look, but, abruptly, he gained a more cheerful demeanor, before continuing. "But we cannot change the past. Regardless, there is a chance for us to know each other now, despite what they would do to stop us."
Spike leaned forward, entranced by Discord's words, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted, as Twilight Sparkle came from a room further into the library, intruding on their conversation. A grimace marring her features as she began to reprimand the Draconequus. "Spike, don't listen to him. He's lying to you, obviously, he's not even a dragon," she rolled her eyes.
"That's not true at all, my tail is the same as a dragons, Spike merely has more similarity to his mother," Discord said, dismissing Twilight's claim. "Stop trying to confuse him, he will no longer be misled by your lies!" he abruptly grabbed the dragon, holding him close as Spike began to squirm in his grip.
"Spike, my son," Discord soothed, gently stroking the Dragon's head as Spike continued his attempt to escape. "There is no need to be afraid, Twilight cannot hurt you now," Despite his words, Spike continued to struggle, prompting Discord to release him.
"Fine! I suppose you're still in shock from the news anyway. Run along now, Twilight and I have things to do," Discord said, waving his claw dismissively.
Spike looked at Twilight, who was now moving between them. "Twilight, why is a statue from Canterlot walking around here?"
"He showed up when we fought Nightmare Moon, I would've mentioned it, but you were sleeping, and he's not your father, just try to ignore him, okay?" moving Spike along, she ushered him out of the room and further into the living quarters of the library.
"That was quite cruel, you know, trying to separate Spike from his father," Discord said, shaking his head, disgust in his voice.
"You're not his father!" Twilight countered, angrily huffing as she glared at the Draconequus.
"You can't prove that," Discord said, before winding closer to Twilight. "Anyway, Rainbow Dash is busy... but I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time."
Twilight moved further away from him, annoyed with his antics, and said. "I was going somewhere, but then you showed up and slowed me down," She sighed, continuing after a few moments. "I guess you can come with me."
"That sounds delightful, so, where shall we be going?" Discord said.
"Applejack asked for help down at her farm." Twilight said, watching as the Draconequus's face transformed from delight to disgust.
"That sounds dreadful. If that's all you have, then I'll just find my own means of entertainment," Discord said, flinching at the prospect of spending his time helping ponies at. He began to leave, but a brief flash of enlightenment crossed Twilight's face as she shouted out before he left.
"Wait! there is one thing..." Twilight said, nervousness showing on her features. "The Element, can you give it to me... for safekeeping?" she grinned, hopeful eyes looking at Discord.
Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed with his next words. "No, I think I'll keep it. The color suits me, perhaps I'll set a trend," Seeing a disheartened expression cross Twilight's face, he laughed heartily.
His enjoyment was cut short, as Spike came rushing back into the room, clutching a letter in his claw. "Twilight!" he exclaimed, gaining her full attention before he continued. "This letter just came from the Princess!"
Enveloping it in a purple field, Twilight grabbed the letter. Looking at Discord warily, she opened it and began reading to herself. A few moments later, she breathed a sigh of relief, gaining Discord's interest.
"Tell me, what does your letter say? I'm just dying to know," he said, the sarcasm in his voice betrayed by his obvious interest as he moved closer.
"It's nothing," she said, withdrawing two golden pieces of paper from the envelope. "Just two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala."
"And?" Discord said, waiting impatiently for Twilight to ask the question obvious to him.
"What?"
"Aren't you going to invite me to go with you?" he all but shouted, wondering why she had not offered immediately. Although his sightings of her in Canterlot had not suggested she was particularly aware of such things.
"No, I'll bring Spike, the two tickets were clearly meant for us anyway," she said, much to Discord's irritation. For his part, Spike didn't seem very interested either, but held his tongue.
"How rude of you. I have no interest in such things. But still, to dangle such things in front of me, only to tear it away!" He exclaimed. "I thought that after all we've been through, that we were friends."
Twilight looked away, attempting to find the right words. "It's not that... But if I brought you along... It would be unfair to the rest of my friends."
Discord perked up. "Ah, of course, you're right. how could that not occur to me. You are completely forgiven," he said, once more preparing to take his leave. "Goodbye, Twilight, and of course, farewell to you too... my son."
Quickly patting Spike on the head affectionately, Discord left the pair alone in the library. Spike turned to Twilight and asked. "He's... not really my father, right?"
Twilight sighed. "No Spike, he's not your father."
Discord's short absence had resulted in the citizens of Ponyville to once more take to the streets, no longer hiding in fear. Discord's return had the opposite effect, sending them back to hiding in their homes in fear of him. Snorting, he wondered if they would ever get used to him.
With nothing to do, Discord found himself simply wandering the streets, slowly making his way through the town. Until, eventually, he spotted Rarity, peering out at him from a round building. She quickly hid from him, but it was too late and he made his way over to her.
Tapping on the window, he waited for her to eventually give up and acknowledge him. After several minutes, he was rewarded as the white unicorn opened the nearby door and sullenly offered to let him inside.
Once inside, she quickly looked around, searching for any who may have seen him enter her shop. before slamming the door shut and turning to Discord to say something.
Discord was quicker though, and cut off anything she may have said. "Ah, now, Rarity, I'm hurt by your avoidance of me. Does our past mean nothing to you?"
Rarity shuffled on her hooves, giving out a small whine before answering. "It's not that, but I do cater to the upper class here and seeing you may... scare them off," she said.
"Really, you would let a few scared ponies stand between us? I expected you to have more integrity than that," Discord said, pausing. He looked outside, watching as a few ponies dared to walk among the streets once more.
"Although, I can see all this fear of me easily becoming... unpleasant," Discord said, stroking his beard in thought. "Hmm, I think, that despite your snubbing of me, if you can manage to get them to be more agreeable to my presence, all will be forgiven."
Rarity pondered this for a few moments. "Actually, there is a mare in this town, Pinkie Pie, she does organize parties for everyone who moves here... and often for any reason at all," she muttered her last few words quietly, but not quietly enough, as Discord began to snicker.
Rarity continued, eyes lighting up as she gained a wide smile across her muzzle. "She held a party for Twilight when she moved in, I suppose, that if I suggested it to her, she may hold a party for you. I'm surprised she didn't already, actually. But, you are rather a little... odd."
Discord said nothing, he glanced out the window again before slowly turning to Rarity. "Very good, well, one good deed deserves another," he leaned closer to her, causing Rarity to flinch.
"I was just visiting Twilight a moment ago, and it seems that she has managed to pick up two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala," Discord said, watching as the mare froze. Her blank eyes a testament to the fantasies hidden within her mind.
After a few moments, and Rarity still being quite stunned by the information, he coughed loudly to regain her attention, after a distracted apology from the mare, he continued. "Now, I declined to go when she offered, but I'm certain that Twilight will easily see how you could benefit from going."
Rarity nodded, staring blankly forward, she eventually said. "I see, yes, the Gala would be very good for my... career... I'll just be going then, best to see Twilight as soon as I can."
With nothing left to be said, they both left the building. Discord, seeing Rarity was about to head to the library, added. "One thing, If you don't see her at the library, than she's likely gone to Applejack's farm."
Rarity cringed, before her expression quickly turned to one of gratitude. "Thank you, Discord, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She said, before she rushed off to the library, trying to catch Twilight there.
Discord laughed, anticipating the chaos that would hopefully ensue between Rarity and Twilight. A smaller scale than he was used to, but it would have to suffice.
"This party was held for you, Discord. You really should go out and... mingle," Rarity said, nudging the reluctant Draconequus.
Discord eyed the ponies that had shown up to the party, a greater number than he had expected given their tendency to run to the hills whenever they spotted him. He suspected it had something to do with the over-zealous nature of the event organizers; Ponies seemed to have trouble saying 'no' to Pinkie Pie and Rarity having been quite insistent on Pinkie getting as many ponies as possible.
Despite being coerced into attending, the 'guests' were still unwilling to actually approach Discord, giving him a wide berth and frequently casting wary glances from across the surprisingly large interior of Sugarcube Corner.
"I think we're all getting along fabulously. You wouldn't ask royalty to mix too closely with the common folk, would you?" Discord asked, straightening into a more dignified posture.
Rarity sighed. "Well, you're not... royalty?" she said, an uncertain voice causing it to come out as a question, rather than a statement.
Discord bristled, glaring at the Unicorn as he rasped out. "Surely, my eloquent manner and infinite grace must have made my position apparent?" gliding closer to Rarity, Discord's voice softened as he gently began to stroke her with his talon . "I told you this when we first met... perhaps it was just the shock of the moment, a small loss of memory."
Rarity gulped, her breath catching in her throat as Discord stroked her, a far-off look in his eyes. "Um... Celestia said that—" A jolt of pain interrupted her, as Discord scratched her.
Discord sighed, backing away from Rarity. "I... apologize, it seems I got a little carried away, for a moment... Perhaps it's best if we avoid that topic."
Rarity backed away. "Of course, happens to all of us... No harm done," she said, smiling reassuringly.
Discord, seeing she was wary to approach him, added. I'll just go... mingle, then." Looking away from her, Discord glanced around, searching for a dark corner to skulk around in. Unfortunately, the confectionery seemed to work against him, having been made to be exceptionally bright and colorful.
It's bright style had only been accentuated by Pinkie Pie, the mare seeming to have done her best to brighten the surroundings, leaving Discord to stand out in the cheery atmosphere. His large presence working against him, as when he began to approach the gathered ponies, they quickly scattered. Leaving him standing alone.
Scanning the divided remnants of the crowd, he spotted Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. Both looking at him, he took it as an invitation to join them.
Quickly closing the distance, he spoke, both ponies being too flabbergasted to do anything but listen. "Enjoying yourselves?" Discord asked, looking around, he noted that the other ponies had distanced themselves, before looking back to his companions.
"Quite. I was just talking to Rainbow about how she gave me her Element, for safe-keeping. It would be best if you did the same," Twilight said, smiling winningly.
Discord snorted. "No, stop asking," ignoring her indignant response, he turned his attention to Rainbow. The mare having started to back away, he quickly glided around her, cutting off her route. "So, buddy. Having fun? I certainly am, although I'm sure we could have some more. Not here though, how about we go back to our place?"
His suggestion was rewarded with a cringe from Rainbow. "Stop saying stuff like that! It's pretty creepy," Rainbow spat, glaring at the Draconequus before looking over at Twilight. "Don't listen to him, he's just trying to mess with us."
She got no response from Twilight, who was now staring at Discord. Rainbow nudged her with a hoof, grabbing her attention. "Woah, you drifted off there for a sec, Twi. I know what you're thinking, he's a weird one."
Twilight shook herself, the motion violent enough that she took a second to re-orient herself, before answering Rainbow. "Yeah... you're right. Discord's a creep," She glared at him, receiving a wink from the Draconequus in response.
"Twilight," he said, cupping her muzzle. "You just don't understand our love. I expected that, of course. You poor, asocial bookworm, I pity you," he ruffled her mane, Twilight gasping as he took her off guard.
Twilight's response was cut off as Pinkie Pie appeared, quickly moving between them. "Hey, there's no reason for you guys to get all grouchy. It's a party!" she said, doing her best to keep them separate.
Discord scoffed. "She started it, harassing Rainbow Dash and I. The mare has no respect for her betters," he said imperiously, raising himself up to a more regal posture. "She should prostrate herself before me and beg for forgiveness."
Pinkie said nothing, looking instead at the quickly angering Twilight. "Just... gimme one second, okay? Don't do anything!" she said, dashing off into the crowd.
Discord turned to Twilight, who was looking at him with restrained anger. "I'm not worried, you know. You can't hurt me anyway. That angry face you have looks positively adorable, by the way."
Losing her angry expression, Twilight continued to stare, her anger replaced by a furrowed brow. Beginning to speak, she was once again interrupted by Pinkie Pie, who had returned with a bottle, along with two glasses, balanced on her back.
At her request, Discord placed them on a nearby table. Relieved of her burden, Pinkie addressed them. "I've seen ponies who didn't get along before, we'll just have some of this and we'll all get along again!"
Discord looked at the bottle, inspecting the liquid held within. "I've never been one for eating, or drinking. It was always so inconvenient," he poured himself a glass, quickly gulping it down.
He gasped as his throat began to burn, the feel of it akin to liquid fire. When it died down, he spoke. "What is this? I don't think something like this was around back when I was in charge," he said, wiping away a small tear from the corner of his eye.
"Really?" said Pinkie, holding a glass between her hooves. She swallowed it with ease. "You must have been... gone for a long time, then."
"I was, Pinkie... a long time," they turned to Twilight, who was holding a glass of her own within the grasp of her magic.
"Come on, Twilight. It's your turn." Pinkie said, her attempt at coercion doing little to remove Twilight's nervous look.
"I don't know about this..." Twilight stammered, gazing warily at the glass.
"It's not a big deal... is it?" Pinkie said, giving Twilight an appraising look before prodding her with a hoof and smiling encouragingly. "Do it anyway."
"I guess..." Twilight said, timidly bringing the glass closer to herself and beginning to sip it.
Pinkie rolled her eyes, turning back to Discord. "Right... we can finish off the rest of this."
"Does it do something if you drink more?" Discord said, taking a second glass and drinking with more caution.
"Yup," Pinkie said.
Discord awoke, disorientation eventually giving way to clarity as he took in his surroundings. The sun shining brightly upon him made it clear; He was not where he expected to be. He scrambled into a better position, paw rushing to see if he still had his element.
Finding his chest bare, his mind wandered, the horror of returning to stone flashing across his mind. Discord glanced around, searching for a hint of his captor. Seeing nothing but the dark and foreboding trees of what he assumed was the Everfree Forest, he waited with baited breath, preparing for an attack.
"Was this your plan all along, Celestia?" he shouted, trembling as he searched for her. "Leaving me to die in the forest?"
Nothing but the gentle swaying of the trees answered him. Eyes darting around, Discord backed up against the nearest tree. Glancing about, he could see nothing to give away his foe's location. Growing ever more wary, he spotted a glint in a nearby bush. Seeing no alternative, he leaped at it, claw poised to strike.
Bush and branch parted for him easily, causing him no hindrance as he flew past. To Discord's dismay, instead of being met with Celestia's fleshy flank, he found only air and despite his futile attempts at stopping, crashed into the ground shortly after. Groaning piteously, Discord opened an eye to be greeted by his missing element.
His body ached, the act of crashing into the ground having lasting consequences. He attempted to move and was rewarded with a dull ache throughout his limbs. Hoping for the best, he called upon his unreliable tool.
Discord snapped his fingers, deflating as the element remained unmoved. Pulling up his less damaged paw, Discord picked the element up, keenly aware that leaping at the ground had taken it's toll. Gritting his teeth as he pulled himself up, he fastened the element around him once more.
Choosing a direction, Discord began his journey. While his leap had injured him, he was glad to see that his legs were still quite fine. The trees around him giving no hint as to which way might lead to his escape. making his way through, jumping at the slightest of sounds, he warily continued. Fruitlessly, he continued his gamble. Until eventually, after a short time aimlessly wandering, he heard a faint buzzing.
At that sound, a grin formed upon his face. Discord turned toward it, his pace quickening as he rushed to it. As the buzzing got louder, he quickly found its source. Laying perched on a mossy rock, was a changeling. A race that often mixed itself, quite enthusiastically in Discord's opinion, with the ponies of Equestria.
For Discord, It's black and chitinous body was a welcome sight in the forest. Without care for stealth, he eagerly approached, noisily announcing his presence with loud, rushed steps. The Changeling jumped to attention at the sound, its large, blue eyes homing in on Discord.
Hesitating for a moment, it readied paper-thin wings. The sound that led Discord to it intensified, as it flew off its roost, quickly descending to the bottom. Still quite a distance from Discord, the Changeling sat on it haunches, peering at him unblinkingly. Silence enveloped them, as movement of both parties stopped.
Tentatively, Discord slinked closer. Confidence and pace increasing as he closed the distance, Discord quickly found himself within grabbing distance of the Changeling, who sat silently, staring up at the towering titan before it. Its face revealing nothing to him, Discord chose to take advantage of the distance.
With a sweep of his claw, Discord grabbed it, its rough and uneven body allowing him to easily hold it. Unfortunately, the Changeling seemed to take offense, yelling out as she ,although Discord always had trouble telling with changelings, began squirming. "Wha...? Let me go at once! You... you... thing!"
"Thing? Well, being rude won't get you anywhere, my dear," Discord shook her, laughing as the slightest motion made her squeal.
A glow came from the Changeling's horn, steadily building as she grinned wickedly, and perhaps a little queasily. "I'm warning you, let me go now! Or prepare to suffer my wrath!" Discord scoffed, the motion sending his captive jerking.
A green bolt flew past Discord, crashing against the trees behind him. "Bah! You'll need to try better than that. But, I agree, we've gotten to know each other," Discord promptly dropped her, watching as she swayed on her hooves. "Now, onto business. So, how have you guys been doing? It's been a while since I've seen a changeling."
Still swaying, the pony lookalike tumbled forward, collapsing onto the ground. Slowly pushing herself up, she looked to Discord, glaring at him as she spat out. "How are we doing? We're all dead, you crazy freak!"
Discord frowned. Sitting next to the changeling, who was having considerable trouble raising herself. Scooping her up, he began to stroke her. "I see, still a bit sore about me tossing you around? I suggest you get over it... I'm beginning to grow irritated," Discord growled, dragging the tip of his claw against her head.
The Changeling struggled weakly, unable to escape the Draconequus's grip. "It's true! Most of us starved after getting caught by the ponies," she sighed, going limp. " There might be a few of us left... maybe."
Discord loosened his grip, resuming his stroking, lightly trailing the Changeling's back. "That is... unfortunate. Celestia isn't one to show mercy though... not usually, anyway. Tell me, what is your name?"
"Chrysalis," she mumbled, snuggling closer to the Draconequus. Discord made no attempt to impede her, looking on with curious eyes.
"I am Discord. Although, this is rather interesting, why did you stay when you could have fled?" Discord questioned. Chrysalis unsettled herself to stare at the Draconequus. "Most tend to run, or fly, or teleport. It got boring after a while, though.
She looked away, hesitating a moment before began to speak. "I couldn't. It's too dangerous to go near pony towns. It left me quite... tired, but then you came along," Chrysalis smiled, once again pressing herself against him.
"Quite unsettling. But you're a decent start," the Draconequus looked down upon Chrysalis. "So... how long is this going to take?
With no answer forthcoming, Discord looked up; Finding the sun signalling midday in the sky. "Perhaps I can spare a few more hours," he sprawled out, idly laying on the forest floor.
"Discord."
Discord felt a tap, a light and fleeting pressure on his head. Ignoring it, he found it becoming more persistent, albeit still light enough to be unworthy of his attention.
"Discord," again, he felt a tap, this time harder; Hard enough to force him to crack open an eye. Doing that, he found himself confronted by two members of his circle of pony friends: Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy; Both looming above him, the gloom of the Everfree enhancing their small stature as the latter examined him, her brow furrowed as she looked at the scrapes he had acquired, softly mumbling to herself.
Twilight seemed far less focused on Discord. Instead, she stood still, smirking happily. Her unfocused eyes staring at nothing. Brushing Fluttershy aside, Discord poked the unicorn, chuckling as her attention moved. "Hello, my friends. Have you come to inquire about the state of my well-being?"
Fluttershy whispered something, promptly ignored by her companions. Twilight, speaking in a manner conductive to being heard, managed to gain the attention of the troupe. "Of course, Discord. The princess herself told us that we had to look for you."
"Had to? I hoped my friends would want to know where I am," he sighed. Standing up, Discord examined himself. Unfortunately not finding everything as he left it. His element once again missing, he remembered past lessons and quickly looked over the ground around him.
Finding nothing, Discord looked to Twilight. "This is unfortunate, but I seem to have dropped my necklace. Make yourself useful and help me search for it."
Twilight beamed, holding up her hoof. Discord's missing element hooked upon it, dangling loosely as Twilight struggled to keep it from slipping. "Actually, I have it right here. But I'll just hold on to it for you, you'll just lose it again."
"You seem to be having some trouble," Discord said as Twilight swayed, struggling to balance herself. Discord reached out, easily hooking the element from Twilight's outstretched hoof. "Let me help. After all, that's what friends are for."
Twilight watched as Discord fastened the chain around himself. Her horn gained a lavender aura for a moment, with no effect. A frown enveloped her muzzle as she sighed, responding with a flat. "Thanks."
"My pleasure. I suppose we'll be going back to Ponyville?" Discord shuffled forward, following Twilight as she began to move. Dragging herself close to the ground, her downcast eyes did not travel to check who followed. Discord looked to Fluttershy, the Pegasus quick to keep pace. "Some gratitude would be nice. I try so hard, but you ponies can just be so cruel."
"Twilight's just... she was worried. It was scary when you ran off into the forest," Fluttershy shivered, eyes darting around the darkness of the trees.
"Ran off... I don't recall that," Discord said, eying the Pegasus. Fluttershy gave off a whine, breaking eye contact in favor of looking at Twilight as she marched. "I do recall Pinkie Pie offering us something, though."
Fluttershy nodded. "You drank a lot... and said some hurtful things," she trailed off, silence quickly engulfing them. Fluttershy choosing not to elaborate, Discord reached out to her.
"Oh, you're tough. I'm sure you'll get over it," ruffling her mane, Discord tossed her a reassuring smile.
"Um... please stop," she mumbled, shying away from Discord. The Draconequus watched as she seemed to fall in on herself, tensing as she moved. Although, she chose to remain close rather than move toward the unknown of the forest.
"Nobody seems to be much of a fan today. I try to help and this is how I'm repaid?" ignored by the ponies, Discord followed behind, trying to match Twilight's brisk pace.
Soon enough, the trio found themselves at the outskirts of the forest, the impenetrable trees of the Everfree disappearing abruptly as they crossed the threshold into a more civilized land. As the moon shone overhead, Twilight ignored the recently reformed Princesses gift as she stomped her way back to Ponyville, crushing the odd stray flower under-hoof.
Discord and Fluttershy followed behind, staying quite a distance away as Twilight continued her rampage. Silence staying between them, no words were exchanged as they returned to Ponyville. The streets were barren as they rushed through, the ponies that usually crowded them during the day having chosen to retire to wait out the night. It became apparent Twilight was heading to her library, the distinctive tree-like shape giving it away as they approached the library-tree.
Twilight galloped in, using great force as she pushed the door in with a wave of magic. Her companions trailing behind her, they entered to find Twilight accosting Spike, the dragon backed into a corner as Twilight towered over him. "You've gotta do something for me, Spike... It'll be easy."
Spike shivered,Fluttershy curled in on herself, and Discord laughed. Twilight jumped, quickly turning to face her audience. "What are you doing here!" she exclaimed, her ears flattening against her head. Spike, moving quietly, took the chance to sneak away from her, sliding his reptilian body around her as she focused on her guests.
"Does a friend ever need a reason to visit?" Discord said as he moved forward. "I was just in the neighborhood and decided to visit my good friend, Twilight Sparkle," his eyes on Spike, Discord watched the little dragon as he ran toward them, fleeing from quite thoroughly distracted Twilight.
"It seemed as you wanted us to follow, were we mistaken?" Discord said. Twilight stammered, watching Discord as he came closer, twisting himself around her. "Why so sad, Twilight. Did you have something fun planned without us?"
"No! I just... wasn't thinking about you," Twilight said. With a grimace, Twilight quickly extricated from Discord's entangling body. "Nothing fun here though, just Spike and I."
Discord chuckled, aligning himself with her, he brought himself down to eye level and gazed deeply into Twilight's eyes. "Well, then, looks like we'll just have to make some of our own... fun."
Twilight sighed, trembling as Discord ran his claw down her back. A soft squeal interrupted them, as Fluttershy finally found her voice and stared at them, confusion etched on her face as she gazed upon the entwined pair. Spike wore the same expression as he peeked out from his newly acquired position behind Fluttershy.
Knocked back into a better state of mind, Twilight flinched and let out a yelp, diving away from Discord. The Draconequus turned to Fluttershy, the Pegasus shying away as he leveled a glare at her. "Did you absolutely have to interrupt?" he grumbled. He sauntered over to her, ignoring Twilight as she warily backed away from him.
"You killed the moment, Fluttershy, Congratulations."
Fluttershy hesitated. Looking between them, she spotted Twilight staring intently at the Draconequus. A blush forming, she stammered out. "Sorry, but you were acting... odd."
"The damage is done," Discord moved around her, coming face to face with Spike. Discord shot out a claw, grabbing the dragon. "Perhaps it's time that Spike and I left."
Dragging Spike along, Discord began to leave the library. He hit a snag as Twilight regained her senses, her horn aglow as she grabbed Spike. "You're not taking my dragon anywhere!"
Giving Spike a few tugs, Discord vainly attempted to pull him along. "You let go of him, he's mine!" Discord shouted, continuing his efforts to free Spike from the Unicorn's grasp. Whenever he gained ground, Twilight pulled Spike back with matched ferocity.
Their battle was interrupted, as Fluttershy leaped at Discord, tackling him to the floor. With a smug smirk, Twilight brought Spike over to her, putting him gently down next to her. Fluttershy glared at the downed Draconequus, her eyes digging into him.
"You hurt Spike!" she snarled. Seeing Discord gaze drift past her, she looked over at Spike, seeing him vainly attempting to escape Twilight as she tried to comfort him. Fluttershy jumped off Discord and rushed over to them, placing herself between Twilight and Spike.
"Twilight!" she admonished. "Can't you see you're scaring him?" Fluttershy grabbed the dragon up in a hug, whispering comforts to him.
Spike calmed, or at least went to less effort to free himself from Fluttershy than he did Discord or Twilight. Twilight looked on, sniffling when she saw Spike calm in Fluttershy's hold. She looked over at Discord, who was watching the pair intently. With a huff, she went over to him.
"I don't know how, but you did this," she glared at Discord, eyes narrowing as she continued. "And I promise you, I will find out. But first, I'm going to tell the princess what you did." Twilight smirked, looking down upon Discord.
Choosing to finally to raise himself from the ground, Discord chuckled as Twilight craned her neck to look up at him. "Tell her about what? My dear Twilight, I've done nothing to you," Discord slithered over to her, Twilight shifting on her hooves as he closed the distance.
"Why blame me? It was not I, who rushed in here and caused such distress to the little one."
Twilight gulped, an audible sound as Discord waited for her response. "No... no. You're evil, you made me!" she accused, voice laced with disdain.
"Evil? That's quite rude. But you can't blame me for all your shortcomings, you know," Discord said. Giving her a quick flick on her snout, Discord dashed away from her, soon turning back to watch as Twilight began to tremble.
"What are you going to do now, hmm? You're precious magic can't do anything to me!" he laughed, thunderous chuckles of malevolence crashing throughout the library as Fluttershy, with Spike under-wing, began to edge her way towards the exit.
Twilight huffed. With a furious glare at Discord, her horn began to spark, soon growing into a small tempest. The library lit up, a purple hue shining off every surface. Discord guffawed, his laughter growing ever louder as Twilight gathered more magic to herself, an occasional bolt of purple scorching the floor as she struggled to keep it in check.
"Give me your best, Twilight Sparkle!" he shouted, fighting to be heard as the sound of magic resonated within the library.
Twilight reached a crescendo, glowing an unnatural purple as magic escaped her body in an almighty wave, briefly saturating the room as it left her. Discord's laughter continued as books began to glow. Splintering the shelves that held them in their rush to escape, they flew toward Discord. Big and small, they crashed into him, knocking him to the ground as they pelted him.
Curling up, he weathered the storm. His laughter quickly giving way to pained grunts as Twilight's barrage continued. Eventually, the onslaught of books stopped, giving Discord a chance to recover himself. He pulled himself from the ground, wincing as many new welts made themselves known. Taking a look around the library, Discord spotted Twilight, collapsed to the ground and breathing heavily. She stared away from Discord, eyes blankly transfixed on the havoc she had created.
Discord weaved through the debris of the library, carefully avoiding slipping upon the broken wood that now littered the area. Twilight didn't interfere as he left. Instead, she looked onward, unmoving, as Discord disappeared through the door.
Outside, the library looked to be in pristine condition. However, a glance through the window revealed the chaos within. Fluttershy whimpered, clutching Spike tightly as she used said window to look in at Twilight, who had begun to sob. "You should stay with me tonight, Spike."
Spike nodded. Tearing his eyes away from Twilight, he looked around, searching the corners of the library. "Fluttershy... where did Discord go?"
"Don't worry, Spike, I'm right here," Discord said, wandering up from behind. "And now that Twilight has proven herself inept, you can come live with Rainbow Dash and I."
Fluttershy jumped, a small shout of surprise coming from her as she scrambled away, Spike being dragged along with her. She flipped around, sending a mighty glare at Discord. "You did that! You made Twilight cry."
"Good, she should feel guilty for attacking her king. Treason's quite the crime, you know," Discord said. He reached for Spike, grabbing onto the Dragon's head. Spike protested, his little claws doing their best to scratch Discord as he pulled at him.
"You're not having him!" Fluttershy said, her tight hold on Spike loosening as Discord pulled. Fluttershy's jaws rushed forward and she clamped down on Discord's paw.
Discord yelped, letting go of Spike. He speedily brought his paw up, inspecting it. "You... you just bit me, how uncouth."
Fluttershy squealed, she dropped Spike and rushed to the Draconequus's side, grabbing his paw between her hooves. "S-sorry, I didn't mean too, I just..."
She let go of his paw, looking away as she quietly spoke. "I did... I... I think you're terrible and shouldn't be an Element bearer," Fluttershy grimaced, quickly dashing back to Spike.
"You're right, Fluttershy. He's evil!" Spike said, hugging Fluttershy as the mare whimpered.
"I'll survive without your approval, now come along, Spike," Discord said. He beckoned to Spike with his good claw. Spike didn't budge, holding onto Fluttershy as she continued to have a breakdown.
"I said come along, Spike," Discord said, a stamp of his hoof emphasizing his words.
Spike whispered to Fluttershy, and they both turned and fled into the night. Discord growled and snapped his talon, to no success. Watching as they quickly disappeared, he moved to chase them, but winced when he tried. "I don't need them anyway, stupid mortals," Discord chuckled.
Looking back into the library, he found Twilight had moved from her fetal position and disappeared to parts unknown. "I'll just go and... Rainbow Dash, I'll go find her."
With one last glance around, Discord slithered off, searching for his friend.
