It seemed like the perfect day to be out enjoying Canterlot gardens. The sun was beaming unfiltered through the clear blue sky, but it wasn't too hot. The breeze was blowing in a refreshing wind, but it wasn't too cold. The ground wasn't dusty, but it was dry enough to sit down on. Best of all the park was empty except for six ponies.
Yes, it seemed like the perfect day to go to the gardens and that was intentional. The business that would be attended to today was to important to leave to chance. The weather pegasi had been warned, and the park was in lock down. Nothing was going to ruin the tranquility of the garden today, nothing could be risked.
The truth was, the events today would most likely be chaotic enough, that the least they could do was keep the day going by normally. The usually symbolic Canterlot guard was out in full force today, patrolling the perimeter of Canterlot gardens. However, to the six ponies inside the perimeter, it was just another day at the job. To one in particular, today wasn't even work.
"I can't believe we got an all expense paid trip to Canterlot! Just think of all the fun we can do in the big city! Actually, don't, there's too much fun to handle!" Pinkie prattled on to no pony in particular, they were a bit too busy with their responsibilities.
"Pinkie, can you go check the sundial again?" Twilight said as she triple checked everything for the second time.
"Sure thing Twilight!" And the bubbly pony bounced off to check the time. With a sigh of relief, Twilight looked up from her schedule and looked at her friends.
"Okay, so everybody remembers that we're just here too talk to him, nothing confrontational, right?" Twilight said to her assembled friends.
"I still don't see how you reckon this is going to help. I mean, he's sealed in stone." Applejack pointed out, shifting a little on her hooves. Everyone was apprehensive about this, Discord held nothing but bad memories for them.
"Yes, and we all saw how that turned out last time. Now, the last seal lasted a few thousand years, but do we really want to just mail this problem off to the next generation?"
"Well, I for one think that while this is a very noble idea, I don't see how we'll ever convince that brute to do anything but what he wants." Rarity was the next to speak up, not quite as nervous as she was annoyed.
"That's the whole point! Discord doesn't hate ponies, he just likes chaos. If we can make him like ponies, his chaos wouldn't effect us. It's like the elements of harmony, just a more basic type. Were just solving this problem with friendship." Twilight could see that both Applejack and Rarity understood the plan. Fluttershy wasn't saying anything, but honestly Twilight wasn't counting on Fluttershy to make any introductions. Hopefully she would warm up to him soon enough. What worried her was that Rainbow was being uncharacteristically quiet.
"Rainbow, do you have anything you want to add?"
"Yeah," she said, looking Twilight right in the eyes. "I say we just go home and forget Discord ever existed." Twilight was surprised, if she expected anyone to help it was Rainbow Dash. Nobody was more brave or loyal than Rainbow, nobody would have the audacity to take on Discord like her.
"What? But Rainbow, we have to do this. It's the right thing to do, you have to know that."
"Honestly Twi? I don't care. I don't like Discord, and I certainly don't trust him. I don't want to be anywhere near him. Not now, not ever." Twilight wasn't the only one surprised by Rainbow Dash, Applejack was almost slack jawed by Rainbow's hesitation.
"Now c'mon Rainbow. Where's the pony that would take an Ursa major head on without a second thought?"
"That's just it AJ! I'm not scared of Discord, I'd tell that right to his goat face! If something was going to get any of you girls, I'd fly into it with everything I've got! But it's not like that with Discord, I'm not like that with Discord. He's not like an ursa major Applejack, that's a fight. He makes us fight ourselves. He makes us something else, and I don't want to be that pony again." Rainbow's voice cracked, her image faltered for a second. But she collected herself. "I'm not a traitor."
"We know that Dash, the fact that you were so...different just goes to show that." Twilight went and put a leg around Rainbow's shoulder. "And don't worry, even though he'll be moving around, he won't have almost any power. The best he'd be able to do is a cloud of non-explosive chocolate milk."
"Aww, but that's the worst kind!" Pinkie said as she bounced back to Twilight.
"Pinkie, I'm glad that you don't seem worried about this in any way, but I hope you know how serious this is." Twilight was happy that she could count on Pinkie's spirit, but even she had a limit. Laughing at the ghosts was great until the ghost tuned you into a rock.
"Oh, I know this isn't a big joke. But that's what you guys are here for! If everybody was busy worrying, well then where would we be! Somepony has to be comic relief!"
"I think Discord might have that covered." Rainbow added under her breath. "So what time is it anyways? When is the big guy scheduled to come out?"
"Oh, two and a half minutes ago" said the draconequus as he strolled up from off his statue. His rocky skin slowly melted back to the assorted fur and scales he was used too. Although this movement would be at worst described as a little joke, the reaction was enormous. Fluttershy squealed, Pinkie giggled, and Rainbow Dash jumped up in front of the pair. Applejack got into a fighting stance and Rarity let out a dramatic gasp. Only Twilight held herself together.
"Hello Discord, I trust you know why we're here." Twilight said. Although she felt a pang of fear, she had talked to Celestia about this plan for weeks and knew that Discord was harmless. He had no more magic than a foal. She did have a flash of worry cross her mind as she realized at his size he might not need magic, but that's why the royal guard was here.
"Oh how could I not? I mean, having Celestia drone on about it for hours is impossible to ignore no matter how boring she is. I can't exactly turn my head when it's made of stone. However, now," Discord's head did a few rotations on his neck with ease. "Ooh, I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to do that!"
"Yes, well that's very nice but we have things that need to be attended too-"
"And what would that be? Have you scheduled time for us becoming friends? Why on Equestria would I respond well too that? I think if you just listened to an old draconequus ramble you'd have the best bet of making acquaintances." Discord walked back over to where his statue used to be and summoned a hammock to relax in.
"He makes a point Twi. If were going to be friends with the spirit of chaos, maybe a schedule might not be the best of ideas." Applejack said as she walked over to the spirit. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"Nothing. I really don't want to be your friends. Sorry, but I'm just going to try and enjoy moving my arms for now." And he did just that, ignoring the ponies before him to try and get a few month's kinks out in a half hour.
"Well, that went well." Rarity sarcastically said. It was a stalemate, as nopony really wanted to talk to Discord except Twilight, and she didn't have anything prepared for this. Except for her plan b of course.
"How can you not want to be friends with us? Chaos and harmony might be different, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends! Everybody wants a friend, so don't you try and tell me that you don't!" Said Twilight's pink plan b.
"Oh Pinkie, you're the toughest of them all. I mean, I could just ignore the rest, I have nothing in common with them. I'm not going to model a dress or buck apples, no. But you, you are like a little me without all of my freaky goat limbs. Believe me when I say this Pinkie," Discord let out a sad sigh," I regret that I can't be your friend."
"Well that doesn't make any sense! Of course we can be friends, I'm friends with everybody!" Pinkie said as she bounced so close to Discord's face it made Rainbow grit her teeth.
" Of course you're friends with everybody. But that's just why I can't be your friend, That's not the real you, and to be honest I find the fact that you're all okay with this rather appalling. I mean, you weren't perfect but even sti-"
"Wait, what do you mean by 'the real you'" Twilight cut Discord off, also moving closer too him. "Pinkie was the Pinkiest we've ever seen her when you were around. She was swimming in pools of chocolate milk! Unless you're talking about when she was grey." Discord stopped his stretching instantly, looking at Twilight as if she was pulling a horrible joke on him. After she didn't tremble, he looked over the rest of the group, not a smile in the lot of them except for Pinkie, but that was different.
"Wait, Celestia never talked to you about the elements? Oh this is rich. This is beyond rich." Discord just started to laugh, the hilarity of the situation overtaking him.
"What, what's so funny about all this? Is there something I'm missing?" Rainbow said angrily, trying to get Discord to even respond to her.
"Well, Its just that you all think I was the one controlling you. Hah! Why would the spirit of chaos force you to be something else? What's more chaotic than free will?"
"If you honestly believe that, "Twilight stated as if she was decimating his argument, " than why did you use mind control?"
"That's the thing. I didn't do anything to control you, I set you free!"
"Well if that was true, then how do you explain us all acting so different when you came around?" Applejack asked. By this point Discord was surrounded by a dang of curious mares.
"Oh there was mind control all right, and there still is. Only I'm not the one doing it. All I ever did was break its spell for half a day."
"Stop speaking in circles and say what you mean!" Applejack finally snapped.
"Isn't it obvious? Those grey ponies are the real you. Right now, now we have mind control." It was a perfect day in the garden, and now it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Discord did just that with his limited magic, chuckling as he saw the looks of confusion cross every pony's faces.
