Discordant Embrace

Being an immortal, magical creature had it's advantages. Despite being locked within a confinement of magical stone, Discord retained his senses. His eyes, locked open, saw every waking moment of every day. He saw every star the twinkled into life at night, and he watched Princess Luna raise the moon.

He heard the wind whistling around him, heard thunderclaps when it rained. He heard ponies talking, but most of the time he never bothered to pay attention to the words.

He could smell all of Canterlot, which mainly smelled of expensive colognes. He also smelled other things. Like Celestia and Luna. He mentally sighed. He missed them, even if they fought every millennium or so; last time that happened, Luna got stuck on the moon. Celestia had kept her scent over the many long years, never fading or changing at all. She smelled of dewdrops and a new spring day.

Luna's scent persisted as well, even if it resided in the undertones during the day. She smelled like the aftermath of a storm, charged with energy yet clean and pure.

He could still physically feel things as well. He felt it when the little ponies came on their field trips to see Celestia's statue garden, when they played on him, hanging from his arms and tail. He felt it when it rained, rivulets of water streaming down his adamant form.

One day, he noticed a change. More royal guards were out than ever before. They were moving about, hustling and bustling, to and fro. Doing what, he did not know. A bright purple magical barrier had been erected around all of Canterlot.

Something big must be going down. I really want to know what's going on; to take a trip into town.

Guards could be seen swooping in and out of town, taking up positions all around the royal palace. Discord watched, as he always had. He then made up his mind. Today would be the day. They day that he broke free of his accursed prison yet again. All he had to do, was wait, watch, and listen. And he was a very patient spirit.

As he watched over the next few days, he learned what was going on. A royal wedding. He mentally chuckled. He hadn't been to a royal wedding in ages. He hoped this one wouldn't end up with the bride ditching the expecting groom, then forever making him her eternal enemy.

He learned many things. Celestia's niece, Cadence, was getting married to Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle's brother, of all ponies. The second bit of information he heard, with his extraordinary hearing, from Twilight herself. She did not seem to think that Cadence was acting normal. He pondered this. This might go even easier than expected.

Hours later, the situation went from tense to a complete firestorm.

Princess Cadance was walking down the isle, at the end of which the groom, Shining Armor, and Celestia stood. They were about to end the wedding ceremony when Twilight and another Princess Cadance, this one looking quite roughed up, burst into the Grand Hall.

The time was now. Discord had been storing up energy the moment he was re-imprisoned. Now was the appropriate time to use it. With a great mental heave, he forced the magic inside him outward, towards the stone that encased him. The rock had begun to glow purple and started to fragment.

With an audible roar, he heaved yet again and sent shards of stone flying. He crouched on the ground, panting and breathing in oxygen for the first time in months. It was good to be free. His thoughts immediately turned to the situation at hand.

With a wink of magic, he morphed into a small insect, a ladybug. Wings flapping furiously, he flew up to the main hall, where the wedding was supposed to take place. He landed on the balcony and peered inside.

He watched with great interest as he observed what was going on, seeing that there were two Cadences. One must be a fake. I wonder who the impostor could be then. No doubt somepony thinks it's me, he thought as he chuckled.

Soon enough, the imposter had been revealed, and she was showing her true self. Discord was stunned.

She was glorious. Magnificent. Stupefying. Beautiful.

She was black, pitch black. She had a strange blue-hued mane and tail, which reminded Discord of ocean depths. Her gossamer wings looked strong, yet delicate. Her eyes were the most piercing green. She spoke.

Discord listened, more attentive than ever before. She was a changeling. The queen of all changelings, to be exact. She wanted to rule Equestria, then, eventually, the world. Discord swooned in his lady-bug shape.

Oh, she was a mare after his own heart! Hold on, what was this? Celestia was in the air, having a magical duel with the queen. No! It cannot end like this, not as I have just discovered this magnificent creature! With that thought, he sent a bit of energy, inconspicuously, to the queen. Her green magic wasn't going to make it against the purity of Celestia's gold, but that was when she received Discord's gift.

Suddenly, her magic flared and Celestia was flung across the room, her horn burnt. The queen cackled in her moment of victory. Discord saw Twilight Sparkle and her friends retreat out of the hall.

The queen's creatures were starting to attack the magical dome of protection. Even with the expansive scope of his entire existence, he had never seen these beings before. They slammed into the bubble, again and again, the dome acquiring a spiderweb of cracks. With one last heave, they penetrated the dome and attacked.

They were streaking down like comets, leaving streaks of green magic trailing behind them as they fell. Guards were scrambling to protect Canterlot and it's denizens.

A little while later, Twilight and her friends had been captured and were being held in the hall. The queen flew above the balcony, gloating over her imminent victory.

She can fly! By George, she has wings *and** a horn? Oh my, it's almost too much to take!*

But the queen's victory was not to last. Within minutes, the real Cadence and her groom worked up a mighty powerful spell. As the magic exploded from their horns, the queen, along with her subjects, were sent whirling through the air and into the distance.

NO! I cannot let her get away!

And with that, he leapt off the balcony and transformed into a bird. He darted into the direction where he had last seen the queen flying. As soon as he got out of visible range of Canterlot, he withdrew from his disguise and returned to his natural state once more.

With a roar that was part lion, part eagle, and many other things besides, he unfurled his great wings and flapped them as hard as he could, determined to find this new girl, this queen of changelings.

Fear not, my dear. For I shall come to your rescue soon enough.