Chapters 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.
She was close. He could feel it. The changeling queen, who had captured his attention from the first time he saw her. She was nearby, but where?
He had been flying for hours. The sun had set a little while ago. The explosion had sent the queen and her minions rocketing well out of sight. Discord had flown over snowy-peaked mountains, warm plains, and everything in between in his quest to find her. And finally, his magical senses told him that he was relatively close.
He was flying over a heavily forested area, similar to the Everfree Forest. He was soaring lazily over the treetops, letting his senses tell him where to go.
Queen Chrysalis and her remaining minions had landed in a dense forest, scattering the local wildlife with their crashing descent. They had landed in the best possible place, all things considered. They crashed into a clear section of the forest, near a waterfall which fell into a pool of water. The pool had a small stream coming out from the far edge.
She got up from her fall wearily. The force of the magic and her fall had taken a lot out of her. Just because she was immortal didn't mean she couldn't be hurt. Her joints ached and groaned as she went around the clearing, helping her poor subjects. They were happy to see that she was there to care for them.
Hours passed as they rested. It was nighttime. They had no food, but they did have enough water to sustain them for a while. Sure, they fed on the emotion of love, and it made them stronger, but they were still biological creatures who needed to eat actual food.
The queen was wondering what to do when she felt a presence overhead. A unique presence, one that indicated an immortal being.
Was it one of the Princesses!? She couldn't take on much of anything, much less an alicorn at top speed. She tried to cover their temporary home in a glamour, one that would make it seem like no one was there, but it failed. She powered down any magic she had flowing.
Instead, she hissed at her minions and they hid wherever they could; in trees, bushes, the pool, wherever they could. She stood in the opening, prepared to defend her changelings with everything she had.
She then saw the being she had sensed. It was... a strange creature to say the least. It was flying lazily, circling overhead. She saw that it had body parts of many different animals. The head of a pony, arms of a lion and eagle, legs of a lizard and goat, and much else besides.
She saw the creature look straight at her, and with renewed vigor, it headed straight toward her.
Discord had seen a clearing, with a waterfall and pool, and decided that that would be a good place to rest. That was when he saw her.
She was standing in the middle of the clearing, defiant yet graceful, a scowl on her face. She must think he came to attack her. That was the furthest thing from the truth.
He headed toward the queen.
He started talking before he landed. "Ah, my lady! I have found you at last! Let me introduce myself! I am-"
The draconequus ducked as the changeling queen fired a weak bolt of magic at him. "Please, if you just let me ex-"
Another bolt whizzed past him. He sighed. He'd have to exert a little force. He teleported, disappearing from sight. He reappeared right in front of his quarry and put a single claw onto her horn.
She couldn't move. Her muscles were locked up; her magic wouldn't work. She glared at him.
"What is the meaning of this?! Who are you, and what do you want?"
Discord chuckled. She was fiesty, this one.
Queen Chrysalis hissed, and her subjects leapt from their hiding places. Discord slowed time down for everything but him and the queen.
"As you can see, my dear," Discord said as he gestured toward the changelings, who were moving at a snail's pace, "it would be quite foolish to pick a fight with me. I came here for a different reason. Now, will you let me explain?"
The queen narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but nodded. Discord, with a wink, let time flow normally again. He disappeared and the changelings crashed into each other. He reappeared overhead, leaning his elbows on a pillow of clouds.
"Thank you for letting me explain. Now, before I start, may I inquire your name?"
"Chrysalis. Queen Chrysalis."
"A lovely name for a lovely lady such as yourself."
Chrysalis' suspicions reeled. No one had called her lovely before, or anything else like that. What was he up to?
"I am Discord, the spirit of chaos. I was imprisoned, set in stone, in the gardens behind the royal palace. You may have even seen my statue." The queen thought back, remembering her short time in Canterlot. She vaguely remembered a few statues, but none of this creature, this Discord.
"I was awakened by your... activities. I flew up to the wedding hall, and there you were. The most beatiful creature I have ever seen." At this, she blushed, but was also skeptical. She interrupted the draconequus.
"What do you mean beautiful? I am no such thing," Chrysalis said with a downwards glance, "I know I am not. I assume you know Celestia and her sister, Luna. Now they, they are beautiful. Their manes flow without wind, and they receive the respect of those around them, even when unasked." She sighed. "I am nowhere close to them, in any way."
Discord frowned. He lowered himself to the ground and lifted her head, with her sad eyes and frowning mouth, with a single claw. "My dear, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each individual is beautiful in their own ways, but I find you beautiful in every way. Anyway, I held you in my eye for only a little while before you were... displaced. I had to find you."
Chrysalis wasn't entirely sure how she felt about this situation. Did he really mean it?
"Well, that's nice and all, but I still have my subjects to worry about. They're my first priority. Now, I have to find food and temporary shelter for them... somewhere."
Discord chuckled. "Allow me." He clapped twice and an entire neighborhood of houses appeared. An especially big house, a mansion, even, appeared before the queen. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on in!" Discord chuckled.
Chrysalis nodded at her subjects. They went inside and she heard insectoid cheers. A small changeling, not any higher than two feet in height, came up and gave her an excited hug. The girl squee'd in happiness.
The child changeling spoke. "Mother, Mother! There's food in the houses, food!" The changeling girl ran back into the mansion to eat, along with all of the other changelings who were going into their own houses.
Chrysalis looked sheepishly toward Discord. "Thank you. You have done us a great service today. My daughter also gives her thanks," she chuckled.
"I have a daughter myself, believe it or not." Replied Discord.
"Really?"
"Yes. Her name is Screwball. She's quite the chip off the old block, if I do say so myself."
"I think I'd like to meet her one day."
Discord looked at her sharply. What did she mean? Could it be what he wanted, so much, for it to mean? His hopes were rising.
Chrysalis noticed his reaction out of the corner of her eyes. Her eyes took a mischeivious shape, and she smiled, fangs jutting out.
For some reason, Discord really admired her fangs. They made her look... dangerous.
Chrysalis nuzzled up to him, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Again, thank you. I feel that I would like you to stay tonight. We can talk some more tomorrow, yes?"
Discord beamed. "Of course we can. I suppose you'll be heading in now. Goodnight," Discord said with a bow.
"Sleep tight."
"Don't let the parasprites bite."
Chrysalis turned toward him and laughed, a soft laughed that betrayed her rough exterior personality. She retreated into her large house.
Discord worked his own magic, whipping up a house for himself. As he closed the door, he jumped for joy, thrusting a paw into the air. It was really happening. Wow. It felt so good. Something actually going his way for once.
He then had a revelation. He hadn't needed to try to take over the world. He didn't need for Ponyville, or anywhere else for that matter, to be in complete chaos (although, he wouldn't mind it). Discord realized that in this life, he only needed two things to keep him happy:
First and foremost, his daughter. Sure, she went off to do her own things. She could take care of herself. However, that didn't mean that Discord could stop caring. If anything happened to her, it would make his entire world crumble around him.
And last, but certainly not least, was her. The queen. Chrysalis. He hadn't felt this kind of love since... since the day Celestia bailed on their wedding day. But that was the past.
He really had a shot with Chrysalis. And he would do everything within his power to make sure that everything went well.
That night, Discord fell asleep to dreams of love and kindness. Many of the dreams were different, each something new. But they always, always, had one constant throughout them.
Her.
Discord woke to an empty camp.
He shouted in anguish. Where did they all go?! He darted from house to house in a fervent manner. All empty. He came upon Chrysalis' mansion. He walked up to the door, and there he found a note.
My dearest Discord,
I am quite sorry that you had to wake up to an empty encampment. However, we are grateful for the assistance you have provided us. We had to... depart for home. You have been quite useful to us.
I was quite suspicious of you when you first arrived. I am no diamond in the rough, haha. You did not fool me. Rather, it was I who fooled you. By the time you read this, we shall have returned home. Once again, my dearest Discord, I thank you.
Goodbye,
Chrysalis
Discord roared. He set the mansion aflame. He tossed the wind itself about, tearing houses from the ground. Lightning struck all around him. He slammed his fists into the ground and there was an explosion. What was left of the clearing was a crater, three hundred feet wide. Nothing of the makeshift village remained.
The only thing that stayed the same was the constant rush of water from the waterfall. Instead of a small pool, the entire area would become a lake.
He had been so close! He pinched two fingers to each other until they were a hairsbreadth away from each other. This close. Discord had been a fool. He should have known that she would be suspicious. No one had ever treated her right.
Where could she have gone? Discord was hyperventilating. He was panicking. He had to calm down. He slowed his breathing.
There was only one logical thing to do. Go after her.
He had been following her scent for days. She smelled wonderful, something he would never forget. A nutty, natural scent with a hint of mint. He couldn't get enough of it.
He was on the right track. Her scent, her perfume, had been growing stronger by the minute. He was getting the sensation that he first got a few days ago. That he was getting close.
Another day had passed before he saw it. It was just past dawn, and the sun had risen a bit. A great city could be seen on the horizon, bustling with activity. He gave a shout of triumph and doubled his speed.
He landed about half a mile away from the city gates. It would be best to approach on foot, make a civil appearance, rather than act like he owned the place.
A few minutes later, he came upon the gate, guarded by two sentries. Discord spoke.
"Ah, excuse me. I would like to gain access to your city if you would be so kind as to let me pass. I believe you might have heard of me, by the name of Discord." Discord explained.
"Yes," the first guard explained, "our queen has spoken of you. She has told us that you are not to be permitted, under any circumstances, into the city."
Discord grunted. He waved his paw in front of the two sentries and said, "I am not the Discord you are looking for." He layered his voice, hypnotizing the sentries. Their eyes went crossed and they opened the gate.
He strolled in. He got a few strange looks, but no one confronted him. He decided to take a look around. It looked like the city was sectioned off. A business section, labor section, living, and so on and so forth. He also observed that the city had a second tier. He pulled over a passing bystander and asked what the tier was. The bystander told him that it was the Affluent District. Discord thanked the bystander and let him go on his way.
She would be up there, as royalty and other important or rich figures often took a grand view. He chuckled. He found a fondness toward her slight predictability, but he figured that that was where it ended. He headed up.
Again, he encountered a gate and sentries. He had his magic ready to go, but he wouldn't need it.
A sentry walked up to him. "You! You're... Discord, right?"
Discord raised an eyebrow. "Yeeees... Why?"
"We were in the group of changelings that you helped back in the forest! Oh man, we're all greatful to you! You are the best! Although... when Her Majesty said that we were leaving, we were a bit confused. We didn't want to leave you behind, but she's the queen, and you can't just ignore the queen, can you?"
Discord chuckled, "No, I suppose you can't. Can I enter the Affluent District? I need to have a... chat with the queen."
The second guard stepped up and replied, "Of course! Anything for you. You helped us out, we'll help you out. Brohoof?" He raised a hoof.
Discord slapped the hoof with his paw, the sentries chuckling. The gate opened and he strolled in. And there is was, in the middle of everything. Her castle, looming over the large households that lined the streets.
The draconequus strolled up to the castle grounds, walking past fountains and hedges cut into shapes, animals, and other things. The grounds were open to the public, to share in the prosperity that their queen had brought them.
He sauntered over to the grand doors of the palace and did the only thing he could think of. He knocked on the doors.
The doors opened, and a small object barreled into him. "Discord!"
He recognized the small ball of changeling that was squeezing his midsection. It was the queen's daughter.
He laughed as he ruffled her hair, which was just like her mother's. "How're you doing, kiddo?"
"I'm gooooood. I'm so glad you're here! I missed you so much! I was sad when we left you... But now you're here! Come on, I'll take you to mom!"
The changeling grabbed a single claw and pulled, Discord giving in to her pleading eyes. When they got to the throne room, Chrysalis was facing away from them, looking out a large bay window.
"Mommy, mommy! Look who's here to see you!"
Chrysalis giggled, "Chrystal, did you let in another street performer? As much as I enjoy their acts, we can't have random citizens strutting through the house, now can we?"
Chrystal replied, "But Mom! It's not a street performer! It's-"
"Me," said Discord.
Queen Chrysalis whipped around. "You! What are you doing here?"
Discord humph ed. "Well, after you so kindly left me behind , I decided to follow you. Look, Chry-"
"Well, what do you want then?", Chrysalis interrupted.
"... I was getting to that. Look, everything I said back at the clearing, I meant it! Honestly!"
"How do I know I can trust you? What's your motivation for helping us? Do you want us to owe you?"
"Of course not! I did it... I did it out of what little goodness my heart has. You make me feel as if I've never lived before. Please, what can I do to prove it? I swear I have no ill will toward you or your people."
Chrysalis thought. She so wanted to trust him. There was just something... charming about about him. He picked her up when she had fallen, and helped her people. He couldn't be that bad, could he?
Chrysalis eased up. "There is a spell I know of. It allows me to... peer into the soul of my choosing. It's quite complicated, and since I'm still recovering, it could talk a while for me to perform it..."
Discord leapt at his opportunity. "Is there any way I can help speed up the process?"
"There is one way... I'll need to tap into your immortal energy for the spell. I could do it right now, but you'd be out for a little while. You've been building up energy for months, waiting to escape your prison of stone, have you not?"
Discord did not even think twice. "Anything you need. When shall we begin?"
The queen smiled. "The sooner the better."
Discord nodded and opened up his flow of magic. Queen Chrysalis' horn glowed a neon-green and she touched it to his chest. Immediately, a whole store of magic opened up to her mind. It seemed limitless, almost threatening to draw her in and keep her there. The queen, however, only took what was necessary and brought her horn away. She immediately started her spell while Discord lay unconscious on the ground.
She brought the spell to mind, ancient runes and words flowing through her mind, and her horn. Dark purple magic held Discord upright and locked him in place. A green bolt of magic floated off of the queen's horn and bobbed to Discord's chest.
The green bolt morphed into a rectangle and attached to the draconequus. The green magic transformed into a pane of spell-glass, and she cut the flow of magic. She peered inside.
She was overwhelmed by what she saw. Anything and everything was visible. A beach with calm, lapping waves turned into a storm of lava and lightning as a volcano appeared suddenly in the background. The scenery changed again, and this time it turned into a blizzard or unrelenting force.
Then, it all went black. The queen panicked. Did she do something wrong? What happened? In the glass, she appeared. Rather, an image of her appeared. In it, she was smiling, a purely happy smile. She was giggling. Chrysalis then felt something she had not felt in it's pure form, but rather through others.
Love.
Pure, unbridled love assaulted her mind. And it was all for her. She basked in its radiance, feeling unsurmounted joy. It made her so happy, to know. To finally have peace of mind. Discord really was telling the truth! He really did... he really did love her.
She withdrew her vision and the spell ended. Discord was flat on the ground. She smiled at him, her hard gaze softening for the first time in years. She pranced around a little bit, then blushed and looked around to see if anyone had seen.
She used her magic to float the unconscious creature to a spare bedchamber. He would wake in a little while. One of her sentinels came up behind her and whispered in her ear.
She nodded and said, "Go get everyone ready. Bring all civilians to the emergency bunkers... Tell everyone else to prepare."
The sentry nodded, and with a bow, exited with, "At once, Your Majesty."
She glanced over to the sleeping Discord, looking totally at peace on the bed. She sighed. When he woke up, he would find his newfound peace threatened. She hoped he could handle it. Queen Chrysalis left the room and closed the door. She had work to do.
Discord woke to the sounds of chaos. He could hear doors and windows slamming, and changeling citizens screaming. He shook his head to clear his disorientation. What was going on?
There was a window in the room he was in, and he decided to look out to assess the situation. What he saw stunned him. There was a large magical barrier, a deep emerald green, surrounding the city. Chrysalis could be seen up in the air, surrounded by changelings; she was holding up the barrier.
The changelings around her darted to and fro, not sure what to do. Discord flew out of the window and up to Chrysalis' side.
"Ah, my darling, you are awake. Just to fill you in, my spell worked," the queen said.
"Does that mean you believe me?" Discord asked.
"You're still here, aren't you?"
"Good point. So what's going on? Why is everyone panicking? Why are you holding a barrier?"
Chrysalis nodded towards the sky. "That's why."
Discord peered through the semi-transparent magic and saw hulking masses of magic hurtling toward the barrier. They crashed against it without a sound. The color faded a bit, and the queen grunted. She put more concentration toward her horn and the barrier rejuvenated itself.
"Let me take care of that." Discord offered. He lifted a claw into the air and fed the barrier from his pool of infinite energy. The barrier turned a solid green and the queen's magic faded from her horn.
"Thank you. However, I fear it may not last."
"Why not?"
"After I performed my spell, I took you to the chambers that you woke in. One of my sentries came to me and reported that a scouting party had seen a large force moving toward us. So, I erected that barrier. Just in time, actually, for as I finished the first layer, the magic started flying. Even now, it pounds against the shield, threatening my people."
They both looked to the solidified green wall. Spiderweb cracks lined the protection. Discord glanced over at his love. "So, what do we do?"
"We find out who they are and what they want. We wait."
Unfortunately, they did not have the luxury of waiting. For at that moment, another mortar of magic had slammed against the barrier, shattering it. Discord saw another salvo on the way and shouted to the queen, "Go get your people to safety! I'll hold off the assault!"
Discord flew off to confront the mortars and the queen flew back into her city, urging everyone into the bunkers, made specifically for emergencies.
Discord conjured some of his trademark cotton candy clouds and set them in the paths of the blobs of fiery magic. The rounds hit the clouds and disappeared along with the clouds. A brown mist hung in the air, obscuring view. Discord looked left and right, on edge. He wouldn't let a single projectile through.
The chocolate started to settle. Discord thought he saw a figure silhouetted in the dark fog. He was joined by the queen as the fog dispersed.
And who else would be on the other side but Celestia and the six ponies who had defeated him not long ago.
[ OPTIONAL: I feel this music fits in with this chapter. It may not fit perfectly, so listen if you want. I liked it enough to think it worked aha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeB9fnytYwo ]
Celestia, of all ponies. Discord really shouldn't have been surprised, but he was.
"Celestia? What bring you to this corner of the world?" Discord asked.
"You're going back," said Celestia.
"What do you mean, back?"
"To your prison. I can't let you be free. You're too dangerous. I don't know how you got out, but you aren't staying out. Twilight here noticed your statue was missing and notified me immediately."
Discord started to panic. "Celestia listen, I'm not trying to take over or anything like that! I'm only free because-"
Celestia held up a hoof, silencing him. "I'm not interested. You're going back, whether you like it or not." She had a hard glare on her face. "Now, we can do this nice and peacefully, or we can force you. Your choice."
"No, I can't go back! I know it'll be hard to believe, but I've fallen in love!" he said, trying to buy time.
Celestia's gaze only hardened. "So, you've moved on, haven't you? Who is it now?"
Chrysalis came out from behind Discord. "That would be me."
Celestia chuckled, but it was anything but happy. "Oh Discord. That's rich. Really, you had me going for a teeny bit there. Oh boy. Whew!"
Discord frowned. "What's so funny?"
"You think you could fool me into thinking you could love again? Please Discord, we may be enemies, but don't take me for a fool. Now, you're coming with us." She said as she gestured to the ponies around her. They all had wings, placed on their backs by magic. The Elements of Harmony were also on them.
Chrysalis' eyes narrowed. "He is not going anywhere with the likes of you."
"Changeling trash! Do not think our battle is so easily forgotten. I will deal with you after I deal with him. "
Discord's eyes narrowed. "Chrysalis," he said, "go and take care of Chrystal. I'll handle them." A dangerous coldness had seeped into his voice, slightly scaring the queen. She was torn between Discord and Chrystal, but she bowed her head and flew back to her castle.
Discord cracked his knuckles, back, and neck, preparing. Discord was a being of many creatures. Pony, pegasus, bat, deer, lion, eagle, goat, and snake. But there was one other creature inside, too dangerous to physically manifest itself as a part of his body. Rather, it was a part of his soul.
The dragon. Inside Discord, it ripped free of it's bindings, freed by Discord's anger. Discord was changing. His head changed shape, becoming more symmetrical, almost triangular. His horns also shrunk to similar triangles, and his large fang had divided into many rows of sharp teeth. Claws jutted from his paw, and his talons were extended. His body was less fluid and changed into a more streamlined version. His wings easily tripled in size. Large cords of muscles could be seen bulging beneath his changed skin. His pupils grew to even size, yet became slits.
Celestia and the mane six charged the now draconian Discord. He whipped his wings and met them head on. There was a clash as Celestia immediately tried to subdue him with magic. Discord bit the beam of magic, severing it's power. He slashed at the alicorn, causing her to retreat.
Twilight shot violet beams of magic at him, the magic searing. His senses were alive, more than ever before. The ponies seemed to be moving slowly. He could also feel the burn that Twilight's magic left. He roared in agony. The next bolt of magic was caught in his talons and crushed.
Fluttershy stayed behind, retreating to low ground. She couldn't handle this. Pinkie went with her, refusing to fight.
"He was nice to me," said Pinkie to the rest of the ponies. "so I'll be nice to him. I won't fight him."
Rainbow Dash had flown high above the scene, getting ready. Waiting for an opening. There! She dived as Rarity shot gemstones at the draconequus, forcing him to take cover behind his wings. She slammed through the sound barrier just as she hit him. Discord fell from the sky.
He crashed into the earth. Hard. He was on his back in a small crater. He hit the ground with his fists in rage. He leapt back up into the sky. He had no thoughts. It was all act and react for him now.
Discord unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth, scorching some of the girls and Celestia. His adrenaline coursed. He was gaining speed, and used it to tackle Celestia, driving her from the sky back into the ground. How did she like it?!
"PRINCESS!" The mane six shouted.
Twilight turned toward her friends. "Now's the time for the elements! Before he defeats Celestia!"
One by one, their amulets glowed. Twilight's was the last to glow as she opened her eyes, which were covered in pure magic. She sent the petrifying rainbow towards the draconequus.
Discord was on top of Celestia, his clawed paw holding her down. He was breathing heavily. She looked defeated, the anger in her eyes gone.
He was watching her, all his attention on her defeat. Not defeated for chaos. For his love.
It was that moment when he saw a glimmer of hope return to her eyes. He looked into them, and saw the reflection of a rainbow hurtling toward him.
No. Not again. He had been so close this time... and for a good reason.
No! He wouldn't let this stop him. So fast it was barely visible, he reached his talon behind him and caught the rainbow without even looking. He slowly brought it to Celestia's eyes. The catch had taken a lot of energy out of him.
He chuckled from deep within his chest, the laugh warped by his draconian metamorphosis. He spoke, yet it sounded layered, like there were two of him. "Hoping for this? Here, you can have it!"
With that, he let some of the eternal chaos that resided in him into the rainbow, corrupting it. It was now a ball of black flame. With a roar, he leapt off of the alicorn and pegged it toward her.
The explosion rocked everything within miles, felling trees everywhere. Billows of smoke turned toward the sky. He faced the remaining ponies, each with her own look of dismay. No one knew if the princess was okay, not even Discord.
He was drained. This new form took a lot out of him. But he would fight to his very last breath if he had to. Till one side won.
The two sides charged each other again, each fighting more vigorously than before. Discord could feel both parties slowing down after a while. His eyes were heavy. He wanted to sleep. His vision tunneled, and he had trouble hearing.
Twilight yelled, "This is our last chance! Hit him with the Elements again!"
It sounded so far away. Discord knew it would come to this. He closed his eyes, focusing on hovering in the air. He was ready. He never did have a chance with Chrysalis, and he tried not to think about it as he heard the rainbow swooshing toward him.
But it never struck. For out of the blue, he heard a shout of "No!" and was knocked aside. He tumbled and regained his equilibrium, turning to were he had just hovered a few seconds ago. And there, being held in place by Twilight's magic, was a statue of Queen Chrysalis.
Discord froze. Chrysalis, now turned to cold, hard stone, floated in the air. His psyche took a major blow. He started to shift back to his normal state. He flew over to the statue.
He snapped at Twilight, who had been joined by her friends, "Go AWAY! Leave! Take Celestia and just go!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes at him. "But that statue is extremely heavy! You'll never-"
"I said go!"
Twilight and the rest of the mane six flew down to inspect their defeated princess. Discord caught the statue, arms bulging. It was heavy. But he had been a statue himself; he knew the burden. His wings flapped furiously. Discord, for the first time in many years, cried.
Twilight and her friends flew down to the still-smoking crater. Celestia was laying on the ground, eyes closed, unresponsive. Twilight started to panic, but she saw the alicorn's chest rise and fall. She sighed.
Twilight picked her teacher up with magic. Everypony still had their wings. They would take care of their princess as she had taken care of them. They'd deal with Discord later.
Discord flew back to the city, landing in the castle grounds, setting down the statue. Tears fell freely from his face. Changelings were bustling all around him, out from their hiding places. He did not care that they saw him cry, and they tried to ask what had happened to their queen.
All that he offered in response was "I'll fix it... I'll fix it."
He had to find Chrystal. He stroked the frozen queen's cheek and told her, "I'll fix it... I'll fix everything. Just hold on."
He entered the castle, eyes wide open, searching. Where would she be? He checked the throne room, towers, basement, and on and on. He came upon a room with a sign on it.
Chrystal's room! Knock before entering! NO BOYS!
He pushed the door open, seeing an empty room. He had one suspicion about where a child would be though. He walked toward the bed and stopped at the foot of it. He kneeled down and looked under the bed.
There, he saw a small changeling covering her eyes with her hooves, shaking.
"Chrystal, it's me. It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of," Discord said gently. At the sound of his voice, she peeked out from behind a hoof and her eyes instantly lit up. She squee'd and crawled out from under the bed. She tackled him in a bear hug.
"Discord! I was so scared! I-I-I-I-I hid under my bed!"
The draconequus chuckled. "I know."
"Is everything okay now?"
Discord frowned. "Sort of. It might be hard for you to understand, but I have to show you."
"What is it?" Chrystal asked.
Discord lifted her up onto her shoulders and walked back to the courtyard.
He placed Chrystal on the ground in front of the statue.
"Who made a statue of Mommy?"
"I... Chrystal, that is your mom."
Chrystal looked at him with disbelief. She waved her hoof in front of the queen's eyes. If this wasn't just a statue... Her brain connected the dots. Her mom wasn't anywhere else to be found... She started to tear up.
"Mommy... Mommy!" she sobbed. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! No!" She turned to Discord. "Can you help her Discord!? Can you!?"
Discord hugged her and lifted her up, patting her back. "I think I can. It might take some time, but I can help. Okay?"
Chrystal wiped away tears from her eyes. "Okay."
"Now, we have to go away for a little bit. Can your people take care of things by themselves for a little while? I don't know how long we might be gone..."
Chrystal nodded. "Uh huh. W-w-where do we have to go?"
"Back to where I saw your mother for the first time. Canterlot. Before that though, we need to stop in Ponyville too. Ponies there might not like us, but I'll figure it out as we go. Now, do you need anything before we leave? We're leaving as soon as possible."
"No, I don't need anything. All I have are toys, and I don't need them for this... Can we do one thing before we leave?"
"What is it?"
"I want to say goodbye."
Discord lead her back to her petrified mother. She walked up to the statue and hugged it. "Mommy, me and Discord are gonna go and find a way to fix you, okay? He'll take care of me. We'll be back soon Mommy."
As Discord was flying away from the city with Chrystal on his back, he spoke. "We'll find a way to make her better. You know that, right? You trust me?"
The little changeling girl nodded. "I trust you Discord. And I know you'll do everything you can. I will too!"
They flew on for a little while longer, before settling down in what was the clearing for the night. The crater remained. "Whooooooaaaaaah! What happened here?! There were houses, and trees, and why is the pool bigger?!" Chrystal cooed.
Discord looked away sheepishly. "I, erm, got a little upset. Want to see a magic trick?"
The child's mind, easily distracted, focused on Discord. "What is it?"
"Close your eyes and don't open them till I tell you. Okay?"
Chrystal covered her eyes and nodded vigorously. Discord snapped his fingers, and the clearing reverted to as it had been a few days before, houses and all.
"You can open them now."
Chrystal opened her eyes. "Holy cow Discord! How did you do that!?"
Discord laughed, "Magic my dear, magic." He tapped her small horn. "One day, you'll be able to do it too."
"Cool!"
The pair had chosen the big mansion that the queen had used. As night settled in, the two settled into bed. Not even ten minutes after going to bed, Discord heard a knock at his door. Chrystal entered.
"Discooord?"
He opened one eye. "Yeees?"
"Can you come in my room and check for monsters? I'm scared of the dark..."
Discord got up and went to her room as she jumped back under the covers. He checked the closet, under her bed, and the hallway. "Nope. No monsters."
"Can you please stay here? I'm still scared..."
Discord nodded and curled up on the floor. "I'll be right here if you need me. Now get some sleep, we have a long few days ahead of us."
"Okay. Goodnight Discord."
"Goodnight Chrystal."
Discord and Chrystal set off the next morning.
The sky was clear of any clouds, the sun was bright, and there was a light breeze that caressed their faces. Chrystal yawned. They had gotten up early. They wanted to get to Ponyville by noon.
Discord flew on in silence; Chrysalis had fallen asleep on his back. It was a moment of solitude. Time to think.
A million questions flooded through his mind: "How exactly were they going to do this? What was going to happen afterwards? Could he really get to Celestia?" These were just a few of his concerns. Finally, he shrugged, sighed, and forced the questions back into the recesses of his mind. He'd figure it out as he went.
After another hour or so, Chrystal woke up. There, on the horizon, they could see Ponyville. Discord looked around, seeking the main road. There!
He descended approximately half a mile from the town and landed. Chrystal hopped off of his back. "Okay Discord, what do we do now?"
He looked at the changeling child. "I'm not sure yet... But we'll need disguises. We can't just stroll into the place like this. Ponyville doesn't have fond memories of me, and I'm sure they heard of what happened at Canterlot."
Chrystal nodded. "Yeah, I guess. So what dis... disgusss... costumes are we using?"
"I'll show you."
Discord swirled his hand above him and magic encased his figure. He started to change. As the magic dispersed, a tall stallion stood in his place. The stallion had a pure white coat, with a mane and tail of several colors, including red, blue, green, brown, and his other natural colors.. It was a strange look, but the ponies of Ponyville did love and tolerate, which was what he was hoping for.
Chrystal's eyes went wide. "Coooool!"
"Now, it's your turn. Hmm... See if you can do it yourself. You have magic, see if you can use it."
Chrystal nodded. Contrary to Cadance's claim, changelings could take any form they pleased.
The child scrunched her eyes shut and concentrated. Her small horn had taken on a faint green glow. Discord wanted to cheer her on, but knew that it would break her concentration. He watched in anticipation.
Finally, her horn was a solid green. It flashed once, and a green glow enveloped the changeling. The change was over in little less than a second. A small foal stood where Chrystal once stood. The filly had a pure black coat, black as pitch. Her hair retained it's greenish-blue hue, and hung straight down as it always did. Her horn had disappeared. The changeling giggled in delight, prancing around, exploring her new look.
Discord chuckled. "Good job, Chrystal, very well done." Chrystal beamed with pride. "Now, let's get going. We have some ponies to find. We can't just strut into Canterlot and the palace, now can we?"
They set off towards town.
A few minutes later, they passed the fences of the town's edges and they were in. Chrystal was buzzing with excitement, wanting to explore. Discord thought. They were a strange pair indeed. He hated to admit it, but they might need to split up. He knew Chrystal was smart and could take care of herself for a little while. But where would she go?
A few blocks later, they trotted up to the schoolhouse. They looked around for a clock. Only eleven in the morning! They were an hour early. This was good.
"Okay Chrystal, I want you to stay in school for a while, alright? No one would ever suspect a foal. Understand?"
Chrystal nodded and said, "I get it! That way, I can stay out of trouble while you figure out what to do! Maybe I can make some friends!"
"That's the spirit! I'm sure the teacher wouldn't mind another student. Now, I have to go find some certain ponies... I'll be able to talk to you with magic, alright? You won't be alone."
"Okay Discord. Do what you need to do," said Chrystal. She then turned, and trotted to the school. He hoped she would be alright. He saw her take a deep breath, steady herself, and open the door. She went in and the door closed behind her.
Discord went off on his own path. He trotted through Ponyville at a steady pace. After a while, he found Sugarcube Corner. He ached. He knew Pinkie Pie, the pony that was so like him, worked there... He wanted to talk to her about his... problem, but she wasn't the first pony he had to go to, he knew that.
Temptation won over caution, and he stepped inside. He was immediately greeted by the tireless pink pony.
"Hi there, mister! I haven't seen you before! You must be new! I'm Pinkie Pie, nice to meetcha!" she said. She shook his hoof vigorously.
Discord beamed inside. She was the only pony to treat him nicely. He chuckled. "Oh Pinkie, I assure you, you've seen me before," he dared, "but that doesn't matter now. I'd... like to place an order. Four cupcakes, please."
Pinkie smiled, like she always did. "Sure thing mister... What's your name?"
"Umm... you can just call me D."
Pinkie shrugged. "Okay D, four cupcakes, coming right up!" Pinkie trotted to the counter and slid back a glass window to retrieve four cupcakes, each with multicolored frosting. "Here you go, D!"
"Thank you very much Pinkie. How much will that be?"
"Oh, it's on the house!"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely! It's your first visit to Ponyville! Anyway, hope to see you around sometime."
Discord couldn't help it when he said, "Oh, you'll see me later today! Count on it." He left the shop, mentally hitting himself. He couldn't let any of his plan slip. He took two of the cupcakes out of the bag Pinkie gave him and ate them. Delicious, as he predicted. He sent the bag with the other two, magically, to Chrystal. She would need the energy.
He trotted around Ponyville some more, looking for the place he had to go most. After half an hour, he found it. He trotted up to the door and knocked. After a minute or so, the door finally opened. A unicorn stood there, half reading a book, half answering the door.
"Hello! Can I help you?"
"As a matter of fact you can. I was wondering if I could come in and... have a chat with you. It's very important."
"I don't even know you!" She gave him her full attention now. "I can't just let you in."
Discord forced her back with his large chest and closed the door behind him. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Twilight."
Twilight stepped back, intimidated. "W-w-what are you doing?"
"Relax Twilight. Don't you recognize me?" said Discord.
"What? No! I've never seen you before in my life!"
Discord chuckled. "Oh yes you have. Allow me." With that, he pulled off his disguise.
"Discord!? What are you doing here?! Ready to cause more trouble I bet." Twilight said, getting angry. She charged up her magic and her horn flared. She pawed at the floor and charged the draconequus. He held out a finger and it touched her horn. She stopped mid-stride.
"Now now my dear, can't you just be civil for once? Really, you make me sound worse than I actually am."
She narrowed her eyes at him, saying nothing. "Come now dear, I just need you and your friends to come with me to see Celestia, that's all. Nothing bad, I promise."
"I don't believe you. Give me one good reason, one solid reason, as to why I should believe you."
"Why, I am in love."
"Love? With who? Who would love you?"
"Ouch. It seems this rose comes with thorns. To answer your questions in order, yes, love. Is it really so hard to see? Secondly, with, and bear with me hear, Queen Chrysalis. And last-"
"Queen Chrysalis? She tried to take over Canterlot! I should have figured you'd-"
"Ah!" Discord said, putting a paw to her lips, "do not interrupt. It's rude. Where was I? Oh yes. And lastly, Chrysalis loves me. We were going to be all fine and dandy till you showed up... Also, for your information, Celestia was my bride-to-be. Of course, that was quite some time ago. But, the point remains the same. Now, I admit it, I need your help. Please."
Twilight's gaze softened a bit and she thought. After a few minutes of steady thinking, she spoke. "Fine. But I take the Elements of Harmony with me. One hair out of place and we zap you back to stone, got it?"
Discord nodded. "That seems a fair compromise. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. Let's get going."
"One second." Discord pulled up his disguise again and the two set off. In the momentary cease-fire, he thought about Chrystal. He hoped she was okay. The clock was winding down on the school day. It was now 1:30. He guessed the school got out around 2:30 or 3:00. He decided to send her a message with his mind powers.
Chrystal, I hope everything is going alright. You won't be able to answer me, but that's okay. You need to find somewhere to stay tonight. I fear I may not make it back tonight... I have faith that you can take care of yourself. I trust you. Also, hoped you enjoyed your surprise lunch.
He trotted alongside Twilight in silence. Her dislike of him was clear, radiating from her in almost-visible waves. He took the time to think about Screwball. She didn't live in Ponyville. She was... nomadic. She was like him, only... nicer. She didn't interact with ponies much. Not even he knew where she went. She visited him the last time he was free, but after that, they lost contact. He really did hope she showed up eventually.
They came upon Sugarcube Corner. Twilight held a hoof to his chest. "I'll get her. Stay here, and don't cause trouble ." She trotted off to get Pinkie. A minute or two later, the pink mare came darting out of the shop, tackling Discord in a hug.
"Discord! How ya doin' buddy?"
Discord chuckled, patting the mare on the head. "Fine my dear. And yourself?"
"I'm great! Say..." Pinkie leaned in to whisper in his hear, "you wouldn't have any...cotton candy or chocolate milk around, now would you?"
Discord chuckled again and looked around. This part of Ponyville was bare, for the moment. "Of course I do," he said as he used his magic to whip up his trademark clouds.
"Awesome!" Pinkie said as she went to town on the cloud. After a minute, it was gone and she was on her back. "Urrrgh. So... Good."
"I trust Twilight has... explained the situation to you."
"Yup. And I'm coming with! Field trip!"
Twilight said nothing during this whole exchange. She still didn't trust him.
They set off to find the other girls. After a while, the entire gang and Discord were making their way to Canterlot. Discord walked up front of the group, the mane six (excluding Pinkie) keeping an eye on him. Pinkie was the only one who hopped alongside him.
By the time they got to Canterlot, it was dark. Discord hoped Chrystal was alright. But he had a goal to focus on right now. Twilight took the lead as they trotted up to the palace gates. She nodded to the guards and they let the group pass. Everypony knew the sister of Shining Armor.
Another guard approached them in the throne room. "Princess Celestia is out on official royal duties tonight. However, seeing as you're Twilight, I can let you and your friends stay in the guest rooms tonight. She should be back by morning."
Twilight nodded and led her friends to the guest wing. After everyone said goodnight, they closed their doors and went to sleep. As Discord entered his room, he saw the inside glowing with purple magic. The door slammed shut behind him and he could hear locks sliding around and some scraping. Really? A chair against the door?
He sighed and lay in bed.
Morning came swiftly. Twilight undid the chair, the magic in the room, and the magic locks. She kicked open the door and flipped the bed with magic. "Come on, get up. Time to see Celestia." She walked out without another word.
Discord groaned and he picked himself up. That Twilight could be abrasive... It didn't matter. He follow the unicorn out to the throne room. There, along with the rest of the mane six, Celestia waited.
When she saw him, she leapt up from her throne and pounced on him. "You!? What are you doing here? Why aren't you out in BFE with your girlfriend ?"
Discord laughed in the face of danger. "Oh, you know, just visiting."
Celestia's magic, along with her temper, flared. Discord chuckled and raised his hands. "Easy now, I'm not here to fight."
"Then why are you here?!" Celestia retorted, her glare intensifying.
"Well, if you would be ever so kind as to remove yourself from me, I'll be glad to tell you in a civil manner." Celestia huffed and withdrew. She stood there and waited. "Thank you."
"Get on with it," she said callously.
"Very well. I came here because... well, because I need your help."
Celestia's sarcasm returned. "What could you possibly need my help for?" Discord had forgotten how cynical the princess could be when she had suffered pain.
"You won't like it, but I need you, and the girls," he said, gesturing toward the mane six, "to help me free Chrysalis from her wrongful prison."
"What do you mean 'wrongful'? She attacked me and tried to take over Canterlot!"
Twilight and her friends watched with great anticipation. There wasn't much they could say, and even if there was, this was not the time nor the place to say it. This was their princess' moment.
"She was just helping her people, just as you would!" Discord almost yelled. He sighed mentally. He had to maintain his composure, be the bigger being. Matching irrationality with irrationality never resulted in positive results. Discord had to keep his cool.
"I would never try to take over someone else's home! " Shouted Celestia. The princess was getting out of hand. For a being so old, she really was quite immature at times.
"I know that! But the principle still applies." explained Discord, "In the end, it boils down to her helping her subjects, making their lives better. Don't you want the same for your ponies?"
Celestia's cold glare vanished, and she acquired the thousand-yard stare. Discord noticed. He was getting to her. He always had.
"Please Celestia, what can I do to prove to you that I have love, not false feelings, in the core of my heart? And does it really pain you that much? I mean, not to reopen old wounds, but you left me standing at the altar. Why does it matter to you who I love?"
A tear formed in Celestia's eye. She let it fall, only to have it replaced by another, and another after that. "We were young back then Discord. I-I-I was scared. I didn't know what I wanted. I did love you, truly! I... I just couldn't trust myself, couldn't believe what my heart was telling me. I... I'm sorry." Celestia hung her head.
Discord was shocked by this revelation. He had imagined this conversation thousands upon thousands of times, each conversation having different contents. He thought about Chrysalis. Would he have fallen for Celestia all over again had he not seen her? The draconequus shook his head. Those thoughts were better left in the back of his mind, unthought.
"I forgive you."
Celestia's head snapped up. "What?"
"I said, 'I forgive you'."
Celestia's tears started all over again and she rushed toward him, embracing her old love. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Celestia, there is a spell that will allow you to see my very soul. Maybe then you would believe me, once I bared my soul to you."
"No. No, no," the alicorn said, "that will not be necessary." She turned toward her favorite student and her friends. "Come on girls, we're going to free the queen."
In a few days, the unlikely group had reached the changeling city, where things had returned to almost-normal. The changeling queen was still imprisoned. The group flew into the main courtyard, not bothering with the gates. No one challenged them.
"Okay girls, get the Elements of Harmony ready," commanded Celestia. She would be contributing magic of her own to the spell. She gazed toward the frozen queen. Celestia guessed there was a type of feral beauty and sleekness to her.
During the trip, the princess explained to the girls about her past with Discord. About how they had fallen in love and were to be married. How she had gotten frightened and fled without a word. How she regretted it every minute of every single day. They nodded their understanding and comforted her as they always had.
Discord crossed his arms. "Are you sure this will work?"
"Yes. I've used this spell before," Celestia explained.
"When was that?"
"A while before we met."
"Ah." Despite all their time together, Discord still didn't know everything about Celestia.
"Okay girls, I'm ready whenever you are," Celestia said.
This was the moment Discord had been waiting for. He clenched his fists and flexed his muscles in anticipation.
The Elements of Harmony glowed white and the girls leviated, rotating around Celestia, who was radiating a golden aura. Her horn was solid gold. A rainbow of the Elements shot out, surrounding Celestia's golden horn. She stepped forward and touched her horn to Chrysalis'.
Suddenly, a neon green glow added to the plethora of hues that were swirling around the courtyard. The stone started to crack and chip. Suddenly, there was a thunderclap and the scene flashed white.