Alone, Together

Everything was silent except for one mare's trotting. She was waiting. Waiting for something at the Labyrinth. She didn't know what she was waiting for, but she was waiting for it.

Twilight's horn glowed a hue of different colors. She was testing a spell on Rarity, one that would turn a pony into an in-animate object.   Sure, she was scared. What if she couldn't turn her friend back and loose her forever? "Now Rarity," Applejack teased, "Don't you go braggin' 'bout yer new form," Everypony chuckled, but Rarity was silenced as a rainbow was curling around her. Suddenly, a burst of colors spilled and a diamond dropped to the ground.

Applejack was biting her lip and shifting her hooves frantically. The same thoughts were going through her head: Will she have her friend back? She shook them off quickly and tried not to think about it.

Twilight collapsed to the ground, gazing at the diamond she had left. She was so exhausted she could barely lift herself up. Now how was she going to transform Rarity back. Soon, all these thoughts flowed through her head. Some were of when Rarity took them to Manehattan, and some where when she made dresses for them.

Then more thoughts flew in her head. What would she do without Rarity? Just when she started to tear up a bit, she heard footsteps. She wiped her eyes and looked at Applejack, who was right next to her trying to help her up. Wait, footsteps? No, these were hoof- and claw- steps. Only one pony- or- being came to mind. Discord.

Applejack successfully helped her up, but didn't dare to request Rarity's revival. She knew her friend was over- exhausted.

Twilight just ran over to the bushes, and remembered, Canterlot Gardens. We're in them. We're in the Canterlot Gardens. She tried to peek through the bush and saw a snake- like body. That's definitely Discord she thought, but what is he doing in the Gardens? She ignored the questions ravaging through her head and remembered Rarity.

"Discord!" Twilight leaped through the bushes. He leaped through the air and splashed the princess with chocolate milk. She just stood there, waiting for him to dry her off, and so he did with a snap of his claws.

"Jeez, Twilight, no reason to be such a jumper," she looked at her body witch was draped in black cloth. In her hoof, she was holding a long reaper cane with a picture of her face on the end of the handle. "Discord!" she yelped, shaking off the clothes. "Why are you h-" she stopped herself, and recollected herself.

Hey, He's 'reformed', maybe he can help me with Rarity she told herself. "Alright, Discord, I know this is all of the sudden, but I-" "Accidentally turned your pony friend into a diamond?" he had finished her sentence so fluently.

"How did you-" Discord burst out in laughter. "Oh, you actually turned her into a diamond? Priceless!" "Discord!"

"This is an actual crisis! I don't know how to turn her back- and if I could, then I wouldn't be able to because my powers are basically sapped!"

"Twilight!" Applejack leapt out of the bushes. "I-" she paused to get a look at the draconequus. Funny, how she hadn't seen him in a while.

"So, can you please do this for us?" Twilight folded her hooves.

That's when it struck him. He had to go the the labyrinth. He just had to.

Discord bit his lip, he found himself very frantic and nervous, but why? He remembered the pony asking him for help. He could tell she was very desperate. He peered over the bushes with his long snake- like body. In the grass lay a diamond. 10 karat he presumed. "Oh, um.... sorry Twilight," He touched the tip of her horn with his lion paw and teleported to the left of the pathway of hedges. "I've got some important, eh, things to catch up on, like maybe bragging to the statues in the garden. You should give it a try, princess," he dashed off towards the labyrinth.

"Discord!" Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs. "Applejack, get the diamond," she ordered her friend, who immediately jumped through the bushes.

Twilight started running after Discord, who was now gliding swiftly through the air in panic, as he knew that pony was chasing after him. Applejack jumped through the hedges and joined Twilight in her chase.

"Got the gem?" she asked her partner- in- chase. Applejack lifted her hat and showed her a dazzling diamond. Suddenly, Applejack and Twilight stopped at a 3- way turn. Discord had let them into the labyrinth. Was it on purpose, they shared thoughts.

"Twi, ya okay to fly up and lead the way?" Applejack trusted Twilight heavily right now, and was holding back all the horrible thoughts about not having Rarity back. "I'll try," she responded with an eager nod.

She tried her best to lift herself off the ground, and so she did. She looked down at Applejack, and they locked eyes for a moment to approve their attention.

Applejack was perfectly following the pony above her head. Left, right, right, middle, left, middle she was as concentrated as she could imagine, trying to keep up.

Suddenly, Twilight glided to the ground towards Applejack. "Come look at this," she told her. "Sorry to pop 'yer bubble, but isn't bad to spy on the princess?" Applejack knew what was going on because she could see Princess Celestia faintly through the hedge.

"Applejack, this is serious. Don't you see someone else there?" she pointed at what looked like a tree to her, but with Twilight now pointing it out, Applejack had to sit down and look at it for a while. The Princess and Discord were talking- but very seriously.

"Oh princess, how terrible for you!" Discord mocked Celestia, fluttering his fake eyelashes. "Discord! Stop this immediately!" she demanded. She was more aggravated this time, and very annoyed at his actions.

Discord noticed this, and calmed down. "Look, just because we grew up together doesn't mean you can just keep messing with me like this," Celestia's words seemed to had aggravated him, allot. He did not like it when she talked about their past, it seemed.

"Pinkie! Concentrate!" The Cakes were at the station, gathering their luggage. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm here again! It's been so loo~ong!" Pinkie Pie was jumping up and down in excitement. It was true, she hadn't been to the Crystal Empire in a very long time, Neither did her friends.

When they got to their rented Crystal House, Pinkie immediately pulled out a blue and pink cannon. "This place is so~oo dul," she complained, pulling the string to her cannon and setting it off. Streamers spilled into the air along with balloons and party knick-knacks.

"Pinkie!" the Cakes squealed in unison, growling at her.

"Heh...heh.... sorry," Pinkie was still very excited for their oncoming trip.