Alone, Together

It was a normal day for Twilight Sparkle and her friends. "Y'know, y'all, I think we deserved this mighty fine picnic," AppleJack stated, unraveling the apple tarts from her picnic basket.

"Yes, I agree, AppleJack, We just have not been able to have alone time with each other lately," Rarity said, curling her elegant purple mane. "Yeah! Especially with me going to the Crystal Empire with the Cakes! D'aw, I'll miss you guys so much," Pinkie lay down in the lush, green grass. "Also, with Rainbow Dash in the Wonderbolts, we'll never see her again!" she exclaimed.

"Pinkie, don't be ridiculous of course I'll be around, but just not as much," Everypony turned around and stared at the blue pegasus gliding gracefully towards them.

"I'm just glad we all are alone, together," Twilight let out a deep sigh.

"Ooh! Ooh! I'd know that anywhere! It's an oxymoron!" Pinkie jumped up and down. Fluttershy trotted up the hill and lay down with her bunny, Angel.

"O- oxymor-" "It's a fantabulously-fantastic-amazingly-super-awesome phrase made of 2 words that are total opposites but make actual sense!" Pinkie interrupted the stuttering yellow pegasus.

"Sorry I'm late, everypony," Fluttershy apologized. "Are things with Discord okay?" Rarity asked "Yeah, don't forget that if he gives you a hard time, I'll be right over there and putting them up!" Rainbow Dash waved her hooves in the air like fists. "Everything is just fine girls. Discord is actually out on his own, and fully reformed," she let out a sigh followed by a small smile.

AppleJack dug into her apple tarts and set them on the red and white picnic blanket Twilight set out. "You sure he's got it all under control, hun?" She stared at Fluttershy, raising an eyebrow. "Everything is totally fine, girls. In fact, you would never tell that he took over Equestria and put it into a state of chaos and disrest!" everypony started at her for a good moment.

"Sounds pretty reformed to me," Twilight chuckled. Everypony let out a good laugh. Suddenly, Rarity let out a wailing gasp. "Don't tell me- I packed twelve plates! This is THE- WORST- POSSIBLE- THING!" "Ha! That reminds me of that one time we got invited to the wedding!" Pinkie shouted. The six ponies took a moment for a flashback.

Meanwhile, in the Castle of the Royal Sisters deep in the Everfree Forest....

A tall, white alicorn with flowing hair of a hue of beautiful colors stepped cautiously into the site. She wore a beautiful neck piece and an elegant golden crown. Her sun cutie mark could be recognized across the land.

She looked around at the building, as her former student and her friends had fixed stunningly well. The princess looked at all the tapestries hung from the walls, and remembered them from her childhood.

Celestia stopped and glanced at one of the tapestries. It centered around the pony staring around it, as the one next to it showed her sister. She took a closer look in the background of rolling hills and noticed a small draconaquus in the background... dancing?

"Discord!" Celestia shrieked. "What are you doing here?" she knew that she did not fully trust Discord yet, and so did he, too.

"Tst, tsk, 'Tia!'" he teased. "What good is there in a bitter friendship?" He ran his eagle claw down her cheek just as tauntingly as he did with her student Twilight Sparkle before torturing them in a labyrinth.

"Why are you here!" she demanded with more anger, scaring the draconaquus.

Things suddenly took a serious turn for a moment. "Calm down, 'Tia-" he noticed her torturing glare. "I simply came to ask a question,and this is important." Discord paused to reassure her attention. "What do you want with me," he asked.

"What do you mean?" "You told your pony friends to 'reform' me. What do you want with me?" she hesitated for a moment, then snapped "Simply because I believe your magic could be used for good instead of wrong,"

"Really?" he countered her with a glare.

"Yes,"

They locked eyes for a moment. "Alrighty then," He slithered off.

Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity waved their hooves as they watched pinkie's train roll out of the station. "Have 'Yer self a good time!" Applejack hollered.

Pinkie waved back from the train car through an open window, letting plenty of balloons spill out into the air. "Hey, you come back here!" She screamed to the balloons.

"I feel kinda bad for Fluttershy, to be honest" Applejack said "She hasn't really been out since a week ago,"

"She's probably just very tired. Maybe some of her animals are giving her a hard time," Rarity remarked. "We should go give her a visit," Twilight trotted toward her cottage.

Fluttershy was humming "Hush now, quiet now" while tendering to her birds. "Fluttershy!" She heard a familiar voice from outside. Suddenly, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight burst through the door. "Oh hi girls, sorry I couldn't make it to the station. I was... um..," she hesitated for a moment.

Suddenly a few seconds later she burst out, "I was treating.... um... Angel, yes, Angel needs his.... eh... greens," "For the past week?" Rarity questioned. "Yes, he is um...," it was too late, for her bunny standing behind her was shaking his head in disapproval. "Oh fine!" she cried out, "I was spending my time thinking about everything!" "Everything?" Twilight looked at her in confusion.

"You know, how you girls don't completely trust Discord, How he'll do out on his own, what will we do to protect ourselves without the elements, and ho-" Applejack put a hoof to the scattered, poor pegasus. "Don't tangle ya' self up, hun. We all get that you've been stressed lately and it's our duty to help you relax now," Applejack's words seemed to have brightened Fluttershy's face.

After a delicious meal of tea and apple pie while talking to her friends about her problems, Fluttershy was collected again.

"Thank you so much, girls. I really needed that conversation," "Just remember we'll always be there," Rarity commented.