It was decided that Twilight would be spending the rest of the day over at Fluttershy's since she and Fluttershy hadn't ever really been having enough time together since Twilight had to take on her new duties of raising the sun. The two girls had gone outside to say goodbye as everypony went back home, and were currently walking backk to the cottage from the place they had been standing a few feet ahead.

Once they entered, though, they were greeted by Discord, who gritted his teeth and had clenched his eyes shut. Little sparks of energy was sparking around his antlers, and his arms were holding his head tight.

“Discord! What’s happening?” Fluttershy rushed over to her fiance’s side. The sparks were coming more often now, and Discord was suddenly even more tense.

“Woah, what’s going on? I’ve never seen this happen before!” Twilight asked, alarmed.

Suddenly Discord’s eyes shut wide open, but they glowed with light. His pupils could not be seen, and an entire aray of sparks accompanied his horns. His wings opened involuntarily. This lasted for a few seconds before he fell limp, barely breathing.

“Discord!” Fluttershy cried. Suddenly the two conscious ponies could hear a deep throated laugh and a small whisper ring through their ears.

“Thank you for letting me use you again, Discord,” It said, and Twilight immediately recognized the voice.

“Tirek! Show yourself!” She screamed into the nothingness. Twilight stomped her hoof threatenlingly on the ground, but Tirek seemed to have left. “So this is why Discord can’t perform the spell anymore! Because Tirek sucked all his magic out!” Twilight paced around the room.

“Really? Cause Discord’s not waking up…!” Fluttershy looked nervously towards Discord, his stomach slowly rattling up and down as a sign of breathing.

Twilight approached the two, looking down. Suddenly the voice returned.

“Hahahaha...seems like I have found something else that I can feed on...energy…” Tirek laughed. “I’ll be more powerful than ever now, don’t worry...You won’t be able to stop me now…”

Twilight was furious, but scared at the same time. “You-you killed him?!?” She asked, lazer ready.

Tirek laughed. “Oh no, but he is barely alive, and so are the others I feasted on. You better start running, little pony…”

Fluttershy and Twilight heeded the warning. Using her magic, Twilight teleported herself and Fluttershy over to the doors before the throne room, as she was sure Discord wouldn’t be able to himself get up and ready for what was about to come.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight said as she barged in the large doors, Fluttershy in tow.

“Twilight! What are you doing here?” Cadence asked, as she had been having a conversation with Luna about their two kingdoms at the moment.

“Tirek is back!” Twilight gasped. “And-”

“And he’s practically killing everypony, including Discord!” Fluttershy sobbed.

“What? Where is he?” Luna asked, thunderstruck at the news.

“He’s at Fluttershy’s house, why?” Twilight asked, slightly confused at the Princess's abrupt question.

“Bring him here. He’ll be safer that way.” Luna commanded, and Twilight summoned Discord to the room. Now awake, he propped himself up as best as he could, and Fluttershy flew over to Discord and hugged him tight. Discord opened his eyes, which because Tirek had taken not only magic but also most of his life energy, were a soft shade of red.

“Why hello,” Discord said weakly, and he struggled to sit up. Fluttershy helped him, and he leaned back on the wall, a scowl across his face.

“Discord,” Fluttershy noticed his scowl and looked up. “What’s wrong?”

Discord took a heavy breath. “Tirek...he used me, again! Ugh, how could I let this happen?” Discord balled up his loin fist.

“What do you mean, Discord?” Cadence asked. She was well aware of his last betrayal, but she couldn’t get how he was doing that now.

“I-I could cast the protection spell, and I had it on everypony but me…” Discord explained. “I never knew he would come back...and he chose me. And I know he did because of my magical abilities…” Discord was ashamed of his stupidity. “I should have known, and this is all my fault. I hate to admit it, but I feel...guilty and responsible for his return…”

“Discord-” Twilight began to protest.

“He’s right, he is responsible for my return!” Laughed Tirek as he materialized in front of them, in his last stage of growth.

“Tirek!” Luna and Twilight growled.

Tirek took a few steps towards them, shaking the ground as he did so. “Remember when I said run, little ponies? Well it’s about time…” He gave them a huge, evil smile.

The ponies and draconeqqus got up, Discord on all fours and taking and obviously the longest. Once standing, all slowly backed away in fear.

“RUN!!!” Triek screamed, and the ponies did so. They ran for their lives, throughout the halls, panting all the way. After a few moments, they reached one hall with several doors.

“In here!” Twilight yelled, and the ponies and draconeqqus all ran inside. But before Discord went inside, he swiftly pushed the door leading to the next hall so it gave the impression that they had gone through. Discord ran back into the room, and collapsed on the floor panting and breathing hard, accompanying everypony else that was doing so. Fluttershy eventually calmed herself down accompanied him while looking at the others who were still having difficulty. Since they were so rudely interrupted, and their bodies were still not caught up with their minds, the two princesses (Luna and Cadence) took the longest to calm themselves down and channel their breath steadily.

“Everypony, be quiet!” Twilight half whispered when she heard Tirek's distant hooves come closer and closer to where the group was hiding.

Fortunately, the door was still swinging when Tirek barged in, and he grinned. “Run, little ponies, but you can’t hide!” With every step he took, all of them shuddered.

“Keep quiet!” Twilight mouthed to all of them. But it was hard when Discord shook almost-violently whenever Tirek took a step; the energy sucking was actually quite a good weight looser for anypony obese.

After a few moments, Tirek went far enough that they could talk.

“Woah, that was close, but he’ll be back soon. Let’s get the rest of my friends here, and maybe then we can think of a plan.” Twilight said and within a second, AJ, Rainbow, Pinkie, Spike and Rarity appeared.

“Twilight!” Spike gasped as he hugged his closest friend tightly. The rest did the same, to both Twilight and Fluttershy, who had left Discord for a moment to rejoice.

“Thanks, but we need to keep quiet, Tirek could be back any minute, he’s been growing rapidly.” Twilight finally shooed off her friends.

“Darn tootin’! He practically killed everypony in Ponyville! We were lucky to get away!” AppleJack was almost in tears, her tone bitter and scared; seeing the scene had scarred her for life.

“Yeah!” Pinkie, Spike, and Rainbow agreed simultaneously.

“Er, but Twilight dear, do you know exactly how this happened? I mean, I think the source is where we need to attack, and maybe if we destroy it Tirek will be locked back in Tartarus forever!” Rarity asked.

“No! Don’t you dare touch him!” Fluttershy suddenly shrieked, flying in front of Discord, who leaned back against the purple wall, looking down.

“Whoah Fluttershy! Calm down!” Rainbow tried to soothe the yellow pegasus, but the butter colored pegasus only shook her head fiercely.

Twilight sighed. “Fluttershy’s acting this way because Discord is the source. T-Tirek’s been feeding off his magic and energy, which is what caused him to get so weak, guys."

“And even though I was helpless, I could have protected myself from him…” Discord looked into space as he spoke. “I could have cast it on myself, easily! Yet I didn’t...I’m...sorry…”

Everypony was thunderstruck at his statement. Discord’s voice was pure, and trustworthy all the way. But they knew that this wasn’t his fault, fate had it this way. (Stupid fate! XD)

“Discord, you couldn’t have done anything else, don’t go so hard on yourself,” Cadence put a gentle hoof on his shoulder. “We all know that it’ll turn out okay in the end, don’t we?” She looked back at the other two remaining princesses stand with the others, and they all nodded.

“I know what you feel, Discord, I almost couldn’t forgive myself after the incidents of Nightmare Moon. Or at least until a few certain ponies taught me the very needed lessons of friendship.” Luna sympathised. She smiled.

“Yeah, I’ve gotta agree, I might have had a few moments that I could take back…” Rainbow Dash admitted. A few ponies laughed.

“A few?” AppleJack teased, and Discord suddenly felt strangely more revived. He looked down at his hands for a moment and thought. When the laughter died and the attention returned to him, he looked up. A shimming gleam of a rainbow played across his eyes, and the pure red colored ireses returned to their natural glow.

“I know how to bring back pony kind and defeat Tirek…” Discord said, and he began to explain his plan to take back Equestria.

Author's Note

I AM SO SORRY.
I JUST HAD TO INCLUDE TIREK!
And sorry for the short chapter, I PROMISE the next chapter will be longer!
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