Cucumber Sandwiches

"-and Equestia was safe yet again from Ahuizotl, and Daring Do returned to her home, a new treasure in her hooves," Twilight read aloud as she closed the book. Her favorite series had been stored on her shelf collecting dust for so long, she decided to re-read the series. She set the book on her nightstand as she picked up a new book from a stack. She studied the cover, which depicted Daring Do running from a cone of fire. The title read Daring Do and the Fire of Hunder. She didn't remember this one well, so she was excited to revisit it. She fixed her position and opened the book, just as a rumble shook through her.

She checked the time and gasped. She had been reading for five hours straight and had forgotten to eat lunch. She closed the book and set it on her bed as she painfully rolled off of the mattress. She took a moment to stretch, a succession of pops escaping from her aching bones. She stood up straight and made her way out of the room, through the crystal hallway and to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet and removed a plate, which she set on the counter. She opened the cabinet to get some bread but was instead met with a face staring right at her.

"Why hello, Twilight," Discord exclaimed.

"Ah!" Twilight, in response, fell on her back, wings extended, and winced at the pain. "What are you doing in my cabinet, Discord?"

Discord climbed out of the door and landed on his feet, extending an arm to assist Twilight to her hooves. "I am in a very deep predicament."

"What "predicament" are we talking about," she asked as she gave him a suspicious look, turning her head slightly to one side, "accidentally turned your stove into a killing machine? Accidentally turned the trees into giant monsters?"

Discord rolled his eyes, "no, Twilight."

"Then what is it?"

"Seeing as you are a pony of immense power and understanding," Discord explained, "you must know the power of pairs?"

"Of course I do," Twilight raised a hoof to her chest and held her head high, "I studied many years on the topic. Why do you want to know?"

"You surely know the most powerful pair in existence, right?"

She studied him nervously, "are we talking physical, mental, or social pairs?"

"Mental."

"So," she considered, "Ignorance and Knowledge?"

"I believe you will find that I am talking about the most powerful."

She backed away from him slightly, "you don't mean Guilt and Determination?"

Discord hung his head. "Yes, that one." He looked up at her once again to find Twilight's eyes full of true fear.

"Discord, what is going on?" She stood up straight again to show authority. "Tell me."

He pointed to his chest, "me being a spirit does not make those news any more tolerable. I have never had this pair inside me, and it has simply arose today."

Twilight walked over to him, "do you have any thought on what could have brought this on?"

"I was at Fluttershy's when a specific topic came up. I believe the emotions have arisen due to me thinking of my parents."

"You have parents?" Twilight considered the possibility. "Most spirits are merely created into existence, not born."

"That is the thing, Twilight. I don't know if I have parents or not. My body has decided that it is time to answer that question, I guess."

Twilight nodded slowly for a moment. "So, with that out of the way, what do you need me for?"

Discord snapped in response, a chalk board appearing next to him and a stick of the material appearing in his claws. "You see, as a spirit, I have a vast knowledge of history, science, and many other topics." Discord drew a diagram. "Spirits are-"

Twilight cut him off, "yeah, yeah, they're connected to all knowledge though mind waves only reachable by-"

Discord regained control of the conversation, "beings of immense power. The thing is though, seeing as how I am a well known being, there would definitely be research on my history. Trust me, I have heard many crazy ones. Did you know some think I am Star Swirl? Hilarious!"

Twilight chuckled a little, but then regained her focus. "So, you're saying that there would be knowledge on your history? I guess that makes sense." She turned away from him and started to pace.

"The reason I came here, Twilight," Discord continued, removing the board and chalk from existence, "was to get your permission."

She stopped to a halt and looked him straight in the eyes. "What are you thinking of doing?"

He stared unflinchingly at her. He knew that getting her word would be difficult, but he was up to it. "I need to use my magic to travel through my history, Twilight."

She turned her body so it was facing him. "You realize the dangers of this task? You could destroy Equestia as we know it with one accidental snap at the wrong time!"

He made a motion for her to calm down, but she did not look any calmer, the fire still burning within her eyes. "I realize the dangers, Twilight. I realize you are just trying to protect your ponies and everyone else on this planet. Tell me, though, is it worth it to save these ponies if the consequence is letting this dangerous pair run through my veins? Even now, I think that I could have the feeling wrong. The thing is, the feelings haven't faded at all sense when I first received them."

She put her hoof to her chin and stared at the floor. The silence became awkward until she suddenly spoke, "are you sure you want to go through with this, Discord?"

He considered the question. Did he truly want to? What if he found out a horrible truth? He thought long and hard and responded.

"No."

Twilight looked surprised. "You don't?"

"No, I don't." Twilight still stared at him weirdly. "That doesn't mean I don't have to. I think that the best fate for your subjects is to let me go through with this. Not letting me could go worse."

She calmed her expression a bit. "Then I give you permission." This was met with an ecstatic glance of joy from the draconequus. "I trust your judgement, Discord. I this is what you think is right, then I won't stop you."

Discord nodded, truly surprised at the response he heard. He didn't even trust himself at times. Learning that the princess trusted him warmed his heart right up. "Thank you for your time, Twilight."

As he headed out, he stopped as he heard a weary, "just be careful. I know Fluttershy would never get over losing you. To tell the truth, I don't think any of us would."

He stopped, turned, and nodded to the purple alicorn behind him. With a snap of his fingers, he was gone from the castle, the sound ringing throughout the crystal halls.