Relationships are Evil

by TheTimeSword

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Main 6, Romance, Tirek, Drama, Comedy, King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Sex, Discord
Length: 160274

Twilight's pretty good at reforming villains, but is she good at dating them? Starlight seems to think so. Can Discord win the bet for Twilight's heart before another villain sweeps her off her hooves? Maybe it's better she just stays single.

Reforming villains can be pretty challenging, but for Twilight Sparkle that's not a problem. What is her problem? The fact that most of them want to date her! Will she be able to redeem all these villains without falling in love with one first, or will second chances be put on hold, proving that not every villain can be saved? With help from her friends, and her new student Starlight Glimmer, she might just pull it off.

This story takes place at the start of Season 6, right after episode 1 and 2. Season 6 Finale doesn't happen in this.

Teen and Sex tags are for the childish innuendos and specific topics.
Also includes the worst thing imaginable: Crackshipping

* This story is part of my "Writing Goals" under 100K Word Story.

Published 2016-03-01 19:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-03-13 21:29:08 UTC

Chapter 1: The Bet

“I haven’t really had the chance to talk with Fluttershy one on one. Do you think she’ll mind that I’ve tagged along today?” The purple and cerulean mane bounced up and down as the pony walked. It was a bright and sunny day, with a cool breeze blowing softly. Starlight was already sweating, not from the summer heat, but from the nervousness she was feeling.

“Actually, that’s one of her worst nightmares, but I wouldn’t worry about it. I think it’ll be good for both of you to get out of your comfort zones.” Twilight’s words did not give a boost of confidence like she had hoped.

“What if I mess something up and she doesn’t want to speak to me?” The lilt in Starlight’s voice spoke volumes about her desire to make a good impression.

A wink and a smile were all Twilight responded with as the two crossed the bridge outside the grassy cottage. As the two drew closer to the door, a bright, white light sprung forth from the windows, followed by a loud shattering and clanging.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight called out as she knocked on the door. “Are you alright? Hello?”

The red wooden door of the cottage was pulled open, a familiar friend stepped out to greet them. “Twilight! So wonderful to see you!” A lion’s paw and an eagle’s claw grabbed onto Twilight, pulling her into a hug. The brown fur rubbed against her muzzle, tickling her nose.

“D-Discord?” she said with surprise as she pushed away from the draconequus.

“You’re just in time for hors d'oeuvres!” he replied, placing her back onto the ground before returning to the cottage's kitchen. “Twilight has arrived, Fluttershy!” he shouted as he walked through the living room.

The yellow pegasus was sitting patiently on the couch at the opposite side of the room. “Good morning Twilight!”

Twilight entered the quaint cottage with Starlight following behind. "Good morning to you too, Fluttershy," she warmly replied, motioning Starlight to come in as well.

Fluttershy had been expecting her friend’s arrival but had not anticipated Starlight as well. “Oh my! And Starlight?” She got up from the couch and fluttered across the room, greeting them both with hugs. “I didn’t expect so much company today, this is wonderful!”

Twilight replied, “Yeah, sorry. I thought it would be nice to invite her along, but if I had known Discord would be here I would have just waited.”

A smile wavered for a moment before Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s actually better this way. You’ll get to try some of Discord’s delicacies.” She turned and looked at the worried Starlight. “Plus, it’s always nice to have friends over.”

Starlight gave a sigh of relief, the worry of upsetting one of the most easily agitated ponies in all of Ponyville had weighed heavily on her mind. Unfortunately for her, building friendships would be incredibly difficult in the presence of chaos itself. The idea of being friends with other ponies, let alone the spirit of chaos, was all too new to her. She'd willingly deal with whatever would come her way just for that chance.

With the greetings done, the three ponies sat down around the coffee table. Fluttershy and Twilight on the couch, while Starlight chose the out-of-the-way chair, hoping to be far enough away as to hide her nervousness. Discord began to place small, square plates around the table after returning from the kitchen, but to his surprise, he was one short. It was then that he noticed the third pony, a pony he had never seen before.

“Oh, wait. Who is this?” Discord eyed the pink coat and elegant mane, unsure what to make of the new arrival. “An uninvited guest? Well, that is terribly rude! I would never have expected something so inconsiderate from you, Twilight Sparkle,” he said as a malicious grin crossed his face.

Starlight squirmed in her seat, trembling in anticipation of what Twilight’s reaction would be. She looked at the disgruntled expression on her mentor’s face, hoping for her to speak up in defense. It was not Twilight that had a response, however.

“Discord!” Fluttershy rose from her spot on the couch. “Starlight Glimmer is our new friend and welcome guest. I will not have you badmouthing anypony here. Might I remind you that you were also uninvited, but I let you stay because you’re a friend. Just like Starlight.”

“Erm, yes, well. You’re right.” He skulked below the pegasus, fearful of her aggressive and overwhelming demeanor. He knew to apologize before another lecture began. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Scone?” He extended his arm across the table like rubber, placing another plate in front of Starlight.

“Very good,” Fluttershy replied as she placed herself back on the couch, Twilight mouthing "thank you" to her as she landed. The pegasus nodded and giggled as she got into a comfortable position. Discord began to pour Fluttershy a cup of tea, the smile across her face left no signs of the frustrated tone she just had.

Starlight had never seen a draconequus before, let alone one that obeyed a pony. Was he really the Spirit of Disharmony, she thought. Fluttershy must be the most powerful pony to have ever lived. Discord was an unusual sight. She would need to be more assertive if she was going to survive this friendship battleground that Twilight called ‘brunch’.

Discord popped a decorative chair into existence, sprawling out across it. They all dug into the many appetizers that lay before them, chatting about their day or about the other Elements. Discord bragged on about something that happened in Canterlot, while Twilight discussed Starlight's studies. There was a small lull in the conversation before Twilight decided it was time to ask the important question. “So, what are you doing here, Discord?”

Fluttershy smiled as she answered for him. “I had told him you and I were getting together and he insisted on joining us. He can be the perfect guest, so I figured it was alright.”

“Oh you flatter me! I can’t help it if I’m perfect.” A halo appeared over his horns.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “At least this gives Starlight an opportunity to see the strength of friendship.”

“I don’t really understand it,” said Starlight. The worry in her tone only complimented the nervous shivers of her body. “But I’m willing to learn as much as I can.”

“I’m glad both of you are here, then. Discord is the greatest example that anyone can change and become a true friend, no matter what they’ve done in the past.” Kind words from the Element of Kindness herself. Discord couldn’t help but blush and chuckle.

“Yes, yes. I am the epitome of friendship,” he exclaimed, flashes of lights shining up and down on him. “Wait. What’s wrong with her? Aren’t all you ponies supposed to know what friendship is or something?” The lights faded as Discord sat up in his seat. Something was different about this strange unicorn, something he hadn’t picked up on previously.

Twilight raised an eyebrow before looking to Starlight. “Uh, well, I guess you could say Starlight is like you, Discord.”

He crossed his arms, amused and bewildered that anyone could be compared to his ego. “There is no one, especially a pony, that is like me.” Snapping his fingers, the hair on his chest spread apart, revealing a tattoo that read ‘unique’. Fluttershy couldn’t help but let out a giggle from his antics.

“Not in the physical sense, and definitely not in the mental sense. No. She’s a reformed vi...“ Twilight trailed off. She had never given it much thought before, but perhaps the ex-villains wouldn’t wish to be called villains at all.

Fluttershy looked at Twilight’s scrunched mouth and sullen eyes. She knew what Twilight was about to say and demanded that it continue. “Now Twilight, we shouldn’t cover up the past. They are reformed villains.”

Discord and Starlight became defensive, speaking out loud at the same time with sentences like “It was just one time,” and “nopony really got hurt,” along with “I know that friendship is magic, now!”

“Enough!” yelled Fluttershy, spreading her wings between the two. “You both are only looking at the bad when you should be looking at the good in you.” The sudden strength from the usually calm pegasus caused the two to stop their senseless dispute. “We saw the good in you, and that’s why you’re both sitting here.”

“Fluttershy is right. You both may have been on a dark path, but you have been redeemed. You can’t ignore your past or you will be doomed to repeat it,” added Twilight.

“So… So what you’re saying is, there are others like me?” Starlight asked as she fidgeted a hoof against the chair’s upholstery. Both Twilight and Fluttershy looked at her, unsure of what they could say in response.

“Did you try to destroy the world or rule it? Some would argue that I did both, and I won’t stop them!” Discord chuckled as he popped one of the appetizers into his mouth.

“Well.” Starlight looked at her two friends, both half-smiling at her, curious as to what she was about to say. “I technically didn’t try to destroy the world. I just made sure these six ponies wouldn’t become friends. Of course, some would argue that I did destroy the world because of it, and I can't stop them.”

Discord spat out the food onto himself. “How in Equestria did you do that!? Even I couldn’t do that, at least not for long, and I’m the Lord of Chaos!”

“I went back in time to the day they gained their cutie marks. I then made sure that it didn’t happen. That is until I saw how important these six friends were to Equestria, and then I just wanted to be a part of that bond.” A smile cracked through the nervousness as she spoke.

“Went back in time you say?” Discord scratched his beard, contemplating the many thoughts that were running wild in his mind.

“Don’t get any ideas, Discord.” Twilight huffed as she shot a sharp look towards him.

“Me?” A light bulb appeared above his head to which he quickly grabbed and ate. “Never! Besides, messing with time can have chaotic consequences. That reminds me, Fluttershy, I’ll have to tell you later about the crying statues I ran into. You would love them!” Fluttershy nodded at him with a smile before looking back at Starlight.

Starlight stared with an uneasy eye, almost gawking at the strange antics of the draconequus. “Yes, well, it was a disaster. Twilight helped me see how wrong I was and that’s something I’ll never truly be able to repay." She smiled shyly at her mentor. "The only thing I can do is right the wrongs I’ve committed and learn how to be better.”

“It’s not like it’ll be hard for you. You’re not a malformed freak of nature.” The dejected tone was something uncommon for Discord to have, but Fluttershy had been witness to it before.

“Discord, we’ve been over this. It’s not how you look, but how you act,” replied Fluttershy.

He huffed in his seat, crossing his arms in displeasure. “How can I act at all if nopony will even look at me?”

“Oh please.” A harsh inflection resonated from Starlight. “You’re an exotic sight with powers equivalent to alicorn magic. All you have to do is be nice and you’ll have pleasant company surround you. I’d be surprised if mares didn’t swoon in your presence, maybe even some stallions too.” Her eyes had shut as she spoke, daydreaming about her own life. As she snapped back into reality, she opened her eyes to see the three were staring at her, speechless, their jaws practically on the floor. “Was that mean? I didn’t mean to be rude!” she said, suddenly very worried about her blunt tongue.

A bellowing laughter erupted from the draconequus, he slammed his fist down, struggling to contain his movements. Fluttershy and Twilight couldn’t help but giggle along, mostly laughing at Starlight’s reaction to her own brutal honesty.

“Wh-what’s so funny?” Starlight asked, unsure if she missed a punchline somewhere.

“Ponies! Interested in me? That’s a riot!” Discord continued his laughing fit. “You’re a funny one, I’ll give you that!”

“I wasn’t joking though,” she replied.

Discord wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his paw. “You seriously think ponies would be interested in me? Well, I could probably get more dates than Twilight Sparkle over there.” A tuxedo popped on around his body, fitting him perfectly.

“Hey!” Twilight called out. “I can get dates! I’m just, busy, with studying and… and princess stuff!”

“Hah! Now there’s a real joke! I doubt you’ve ever been out on a date in your life!” Discord teased, knowing he was right. He picked up a carrot off one of the appetizer plates and held it up to his face. “I’ll bet you're more used to this than a stallion, am I right?”

His roaring laughter only left Twilight more embarrassed, something Fluttershy had to put a stop to immediately. “Discord! That is incredibly rude! You should not talk about something so private!”

“Oh please! If she stopped reading all the time perhaps she could have found somepony by now!” He turned and looked at Fluttershy, extending his hand to pat her head. “Even Fluttershy has been out on a date, what with that muscular fellow. What was his name? Jughead? Meathead?”

“His name is Bulk Biceps and he is a very kind pony. It simply didn’t work out between us, and that’s okay,” replied Fluttershy as she grabbed her tea cup for a quick sip, becoming just as embarrassed as Twilight.

“Can we please not talk about relationships?” Twilight groaned.

“Yes Starlight, how does it feel to know your new friend doesn’t have a clue when it comes to romance?” Discord began to cackle once more before conjuring a mirror into existence, only to make pouty lips and kissy noises at the reflection.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel the embarrassment, the truth from Discord’s words struck a nerve. Her face blushed redder than any other time in her life.

Starlight watched as her mentor was teased.She felt the need to stick up for her, like a true friend. She blurted out the first thing that came into her mind. “Oh yeah? I’ll bet you don’t even know the first thing about romance! In fact, I’ll bet you couldn’t even win a date with Twilight, even though you seem to believe she’s so desperate.” Her vexed tone proved she was serious, it was time to show the passion she had for defending her new friends.

Discord slumped forward, ceasing his laughter. He stared deep into Starlight’s eyes. “Are you challenging me?” His deep, dark voice sent a shiver down Fluttershy’s spine.

“I wasn’t before, but now I am. I’ll bet that you can’t fall in love with Twilight and win her heart, even if you had a year to do it! She'd never go for someone as rude as you.”

Both Fluttershy and Twilight gasped in unison as Starlight rose from her seat. She stood proud, waiting for a response from the Spirit of Disharmony, a smirk across her face. Discord tapped his fingers together, he contemplated the idea of obtaining a special somepony, something he had never thought of before. He knew he couldn't let this new ex-villain beat him so easily.

“And what do I get if I win?” A reasonable question from the draconequus, one that Starlight had a quick answer for.

“If you win, you get Twilight. She would make a great companion for anyone. Not to mention she’s a princess, you’ll be part of that royalty.” Starlight laid down the rules very clearly. “But if you can’t become her special somepony within a year, you have to be incredibly nice and helpful to Twilight and her friends. No more being rude.”

He had never really thought of becoming a companion to anyone, especially not one that had been an enemy in the past. The idea of royalty amused him. Ponies would have to take orders from him. He would be a monarch just like he had always wanted, but he would also be stuck with the Twilight Sparkle.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” asked Twilight.

Fluttershy nibbled her lower lip. “Well, you do seem to get fairly lonely, Twilight.” Harsh words were not meant to strike so deep from the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy just wanted to see Twilight happy, and perhaps a special somepony would help, even if it was Discord. Though, Twilight would prefer it be anyone else. Realizing her words struck a nerve, she quickly apologized. “Was that mean? I’m sorry.”

Twilight let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “No, it's okay Fluttershy. I suppose you're right.”

Discord stood up from his seat, finished with his considering of the pros and cons. “Alright. I’ll agree to your bet on one condition. If I win, you have to be our servant for the rest of your life!” His laugh was maniacal, lightning striking the background even on this bright and shiny day.

Without hesitation, Starlight agreed, “Deal.”

“Alright, you’re on, Sunset Shimmer.” Discord extended his rubber arm across the table once more.

“Starlight Glimmer.” Starlight gritted her teeth, she raised her hoof and placed it into his paw, shaking in agreement.

“Whatever,” he scoffed. “Fluttershy, I must take my leave. I do hope you won’t think it’s rude of me to leave so early, however something has come up that requires a great bit of planning.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Not at all! It was nice seeing you!” she replied.

“Always a pleasure!” As he yelled, a large zipper was pulled down out of nothingness, opening to a chaotic dimension. After he stepped through, the zipper closed and vanished, only to open a second later. “I’ll take some of these for the road!” Appetizers flew off the trays and into the strange portal. “Toodles!” The zipper closed once more.

A moment passed after the portal closed before Twilight let out an audible groan. “Well, my life will be a nightmare from now on.” Twilight sighed as she placed her face flat against the arm of the couch.

“I’m sorry. I may have gotten a little overzealous in defending you.” A gentle, but nervous, smile grew on Starlight’s face as she looked to Twilight. “I hope you aren't angry with me,” she added.

“Of course not. I’m proud that you were willing to stick up for me." She smiled back at the unicorn. "Though, I am a bit surprised that Discord agreed to it at all. Him dating a pony, or anyone at all? I always imagined he'd go after a rock or something that wouldn't make any sense. Not, well, me!"

“Well, that’s what having friends are for, right? Creating wacky adventures for one another?” Starlight jested, a nervous chuckle left her lips.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle as Twilight groaned once more. The alicorn sat up from her slumped over position, rubbing her temples together, stress clogging her veins. “This’ll be a good lesson for you at least. It’s a how-to on letting down a friend who is romantically interested in you. I’m sure Rarity could also use this lesson for dealing with Spike.” The tone of Twilight’s voice was genuine enough to hide any distress she was feeling.

“Or, it could be a how-to on keeping an open mind,” added Fluttershy. She looked to Twilight, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Friendship and love can come from unexpected places. Starlight was an unexpected friend and it’d be good to show her that love can spark randomly as well. Plus, Discord's really nice once you get past his, well, you know...”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus smiling as wide as she could. With a sigh and a smile, Twilight replied, “When did you get so good with advice? But, you’re right Fluttershy. Even though I find him a bit disagreeable, I’ll give him a chance. However, I think I’ll need a referee to make sure Discord doesn’t cheat on this bet. I don't need him messing with my head in order to win.”

“I guess you’re going to suggest the pony that got you into this mess?”

“That’s right! Though, you’re going to have to stay with me for the year. Think you’ll be able to handle that?”

Starlight sat back down in the chair. As she closed her eyes, she smiled. “Of course. If he wins, I'll have to stay with you and him forever anyways. Plus, what are friends for?”

Chapter 3: The Meeting

“Are you loco in the coco, Twilight?” the pink party pony asked from across the table.

The Elements of Harmony and the sister alicorns had been brought together for a very difficult meeting. Twilight had asked for the release of Tirek into her custody so that she may attempt to reform the evil centaur. She was unsure if the task was in the realm of possibility, but she had to try.

“I’ve made it abundantly clear to Starlight that anyone can be redeemed. I’m glad I left her out of this meeting so that I can honestly say this,” she paused before continuing, “I’m not sure I can handle reforming him alone.”

“So, this Starlight Glimmer, she believes you can redeem him, but you do not. Do you believe he cannot be saved?” asked Princess Celestia, curious as to how she felt about the villain.

She shook her head. “I do believe everyone deserves a second chance, even a monster like Tirek.” Twilight placed her forelegs on the oak table they sat around. “I will fight to try and reform him, make him see how kind and noble he can be. I believe it can be done, but I'm unsure how to do so. He's not like Discord.”

“I get that you want to do this for Starlight, but can’t you just lie to her or something? Like, only ponies can be saved?” Rainbow Dash’s question brought a round of gasps from the other ponies.

“Rainbow Dash! What of Discord? He is not a pony. And Gilda, she was given a second chance. Would you deny her redemption to Starlight?” The yellow pegasus was usually timid and non-vocal in meetings, but even she could not be part of Rainbow Dash’s proposal.

The blue pegasus rolled her eyes. “Hey, hey! I’m not saying I believe it! I just think that, maybe if we told Starlight this one little lie, then she wouldn’t press Twilight for these sort of things. And don’t make me sound like the bad guy here, I know some of you were thinking the same thing. I’m the only one that had the bal-“

“Enough!” Princess Luna yelled with reminiscences of the royal Canterlot voice. “May I remind you that you are sitting in the presence of somepony who is technically reformed? Do not take reformation so lightly!”

Rainbow quickly slumped into her seat, hiding beneath the top of the table. “Sorry,” she whispered out.

Princess Celestia stood up from her seat. She spoke in a soft, sweet tone. “I have already decided. Since we know for a fact that the Elements of Harmony embody you six, then you should have no problems with Tirek if he resorts to his old ways. Just like turning Discord to stone if he ever returned to his old habits, I believe you six can overpower him should he absorb magic once more.”

“You’re actually on board for this? Really? I’m actually a little surprised,” said Twilight, a nervous chuckle echoing from her throat.

The white alicorn walked around the table to where Twilight sat. “I am truly proud of you, my most faithful student. Not only are you leading by example, but you’re taking it upon yourself to do this task. I understand your fear in doing this alone.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia, I won’t let you-“ Before she could finish, Celestia interrupted her.

“However, I will not let you have this task alone. Tirek is very dangerous.” She looked around the table at the other five elements. “You all will help Twilight in whatever way you can. It will take all of you to tame this mighty beast. He is far more devious than Discord, you must watch out for yourself and each other. I believe in all of you.”

All six of them nodded in agreement, including Rainbow Dash who still slightly opposed the notion.

Celestia returned to her seat next to her sister. When she was finally seated, Luna spoke up, “You six have handled many things that seemed impossible, and for that we believe you can do this.” Her smile turned to a smirk. ”Now that it’s settled, tell us more about the bet!” The room's tension shifted away with the alicorn's mention.

“I’ve been dying to hear more about it. You have two gentlecolts vying for your heart. I am truly envious!” Rarity clapped her hooves together.

Twilight couldn’t help but let out a sigh. “Well, Tirek is more or less just part of it to be reformed. I haven’t seen Discord since the bet was made days ago. I can’t help but feel he’s plotting something, and that worries me.”

“Well, why don’t we ask Discord’s closest friend if they’ve seen him?” Applejack asked from across the table before shifting her eyes to the yellow pegasus that sat next to her.

Fluttershy covered her mouth. She spoke through her hooves, “You mean me? Oh dear. Uhm, n-no. I h-have not seen him.”

“You were pretty quick to deny that, especially for you.” The rainbow colored mane swayed as her body shifted to face Fluttershy. "Something you've got hidden, eh?"

“I-I’m not allowed to-” Fluttershy lowered her voice until all that came out was a squeak.

“Is he getting you to lie to us?” Rainbow snarled as she glided over to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus wrapped herself in her pink mane in an attempt to hide.

Applejack threw a rope up and around Rainbow’s legs, pulling her down to the floor and away from Fluttershy. “Yah gonna settle down now or what?” she mumbled as she held the rope in her teeth.

“Yes Rainbow Dash, Discord is not a threat to us,” said Rarity.

“Rarity is correct. Though I do fear what he might say once he finds out about Tirek's release, Discord has not corrupted Twilight’s mind for an easy win,” added Luna.

“He has already helped by getting us to talk about releasing and reforming Tirek. Even agreeing to the bet in the first place shows how much he’s changed. If you would, Twilight, send me updates from time to time just about Discord.” Princess Celestia gave a wink to her young student.

“You can count on it. I do hope he shows up soon, the anticipation is killing me,” replied Twilight.

“Sounds to me like yah already have a soft spot for the big lug.” A resounding gasp came from the other ponies at the table, all caused from Applejack’s statement. Celestia and Luna couldn’t help but giggle from all the gossip, a rare thing for the noble alicorns.

Twilight began to blush from everypony staring at her, waiting for her to release the juicy details. “Well, like I said, I haven’t seen him for a few days. I’m sure once he comes around I’ll be more annoyed with him than ever.”

“Don’t be so sure,” said Luna. “Discord can be quite the charmer when he wants to be.”

The six ponies looked at Luna, shock and awe filled their faces. They all remained silent, unsure of what to say. She couldn’t help but giggle at their reactions. With a wink, she nudged her head in the direction of the elder sister.

Celestia raised an eyebrow as she looked at the grinning Luna. “And with that this meeting is adjourned.” She rose from her seat and began to walk around the table. “Tirek will be released into your custody, Twilight, please keep us updated on how it is going periodically.”

Twilight noticed the small red shade across the eldest sister's muzzle. “Oh, okay. Will do, princess,” said Twilight, a bit surprised by the sudden departure. I wonder what flustered her all of a sudden, she thought.

With the meeting finished, the alicorn sisters exited the room first. Starlight bowed as they passed by. She had been waiting for the meeting to end so that she and Twilight could return to Ponyville, possibly with Tirek. The rest of the Elements exited the room, greeting Starlight, and then continuing on. Twilight stayed behind to inform her of the good news.

“So? How’d it go?” Starlight looked at her mentor, curious if she had convinced the others.

“Well, your job of keeping an eye on Tirek and Discord got a little bit easier. Princess Celestia has asked the others to help in keeping control of Tirek, in case of emergencies and what not,” Twilight replied. "Hopefully that means Tirek will be more docile than Discord was."

“I can’t believe you got them to agree. Do you really think you can reform him?”

“You can’t redeem everybody, Starlight.” Twilight placed a hoof on her student’s forehead, brushing her bangs. “That doesn’t mean I won’t try.”

Starlight let out a sheepish smile before replying, “Careful, it almost sounded like you practiced that one.”

With a giggle in her voice, Twilight said, “When you believe something so much, I suppose it would sound a little rehearsed.”

“So, if Tirek gets reformed, which of the lucky guys are you going to pick?” Starlight asked, nudging her teacher’s shoulder.

Twilight groaned at the idea of picking one of them to be her special somepony. “Honestly, I hope neither of them. Who knows, maybe they’ll end up putting aside their differences and dating each other.”

“I’d pay to see that!” squealed Starlight.

With a chuckle, Twilight nodded in agreement. “Alright, enough goofing around,” she said as she began walking down the hall. “We’ve got work to do and a centaur to reform.”

Chapter 4: Home

“And here we are!” The door slowly creaked open, the castle’s crystal walls reflecting the outside light. “Home sweet home,” Twilight said as she walked inside, Tirek and Starlight following behind. “Spike? We’re back. We’ve got company.”

“Very impressive. I don’t remember this castle being here, I would have seen it as I crushed my way through your city.” Tirek looked around the foyer, his chained bracers rattling as he stroked his beard.

“Well, this castle wouldn’t have formed without your defeat, so it’s thanks to you that it’s even here. I think you’ll be pleased with your stay here. It’s much better than sleeping on the ground every day in Tartarus,” replied Twilight. “However, now is the moment of truth. Starlight, the key.”

Starlight levitated a key from inside her saddle bag and over to Tirek, close to his chained arms.

With a strong sense of curiosity, Tirek asked, “What’s this then?”

“When we released Discord, we had necklaces that contained the power of the Elements of Harmony. Discord had all of his powers, he had the ability to choose whether or not to use them. Since then, we have discovered the power in ourselves, albeit thanks to you,” replied Twilight.

Placing the key into the bracers, Starlight unlocked them, releasing both of Tirek’s arms from their hold. The magical power contained in the bracers, now gone, allowing him to once again absorb unicorn magic. The chains fell to the ground, rattling against the crystal floor.

“There is not a full proof plan on reforming villains, but I believe giving you the freedom to choose is what defines whether or not you wish to reform or are simply lying.”

Tirek felt the flesh that had been covered by the arm-guards, rubbing it for the first time in ages. “I’m free. Free to absorb you and take your magical energy. I could sap your powers right here, right now.” Starlight stepped back, fearful that she would be the first to have her magic devoured.

“Then do it,” demanded Twilight, she stepped between Starlight and Tirek. “Absorb me.” The grimace on her face told Tirek she wasn’t bluffing.

With a maniacal grin across his face, he placed a hand atop her forehead. “You are the first pony to willingly give me a chance in over a millennia. Perhaps you are a fool to do so. Perhaps I am an even bigger fool for not taking advantage of your foolishness. Time will tell.” He released his hand from its placement.

A sigh of relief came from Starlight, fearful that she had endangered the life of her mentor. “Well that was certainly stressful,” she muttered under her breath.

Twilight laughed, retorting, “You think that was stressful? We’ve got a whole year of this, and that’s if things go well. Now where’s Spike? I called him ages ago.” Twilight looked up the stairs, calling out once more to the purple dragon. “Spike? Where are you?”

“Should I go find him?” asked Starlight.

“Yes, please. Check this floor while I take our new arrival up to the guest quarters.”

With a nod, Starlight was off to search the castle. Twilight and Tirek traveled up the staircase, and down the hall to the second stairway. They noticed rose petals were covering the ground of this second staircase, flooding the floor with reds and pinks. Twilight thought to herself, what has that dragon gotten himself into this time?

“Is this a normal occurrence, or do you receive all your guests with such lovely arrangements?” asked Tirek, a sarcastic inflection in his voice. He felt the rose petals squishing underneath his hooves, wincing at the strange feeling they gave.

Twilight replied with a jape of her own. “Oh no, this is all special, just for you. In the morning I’ll have Starlight bring in a golden platter, filled with our finest cider and plates of ambrosia.”

He smirked. “You are a quick one, Twilight Sparkle.”

As they followed the petals up the stairs, Twilight noticed they led directly to her bedroom door. “This floor is the bedrooms, yours is the one on the right at the beginning of this hall. Please make yourself comfortable while I investigate this… quandary.” She slowly followed the petals to the left side of the hall.

Tirek gave a somber eye to the bedroom door that was supposedly his. He was curious about the rose petals but was genuinely interested in his new living quarters. With a shrug, he strolled over to the room, leaving her to her investigation.

Twilight grasped the door knob with her magic, pulling it open in one swift motion. The room was completely dark, the blinds and curtains were closed. She took a few steps inside, the petals smooshing underneath her hooves, a snap of some fingers echoed from the darkness. Candles immediately began to light all around the room, revealing the contents it contained.

“What in the world?” she asked to herself, not realizing there was someone in the room with her. When she finally looked to the bed, she noticed the canopy had been drawn, a silhouette on the other side. “H-Hello?”

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle.” The deep, sultry voice rang out from the bed. The canopy parted, revealing the voice to be none other than Discord himself.

“Discord!?” she exclaimed. He was lying on his side, a single rose clenched between his teeth, a silky sheet barely covering his pelvis. Her face became flushed, this was the first time she had ever seen something so provocative. The most she had ever experienced was a romance novel, once given to her by the Princess of Love.

He took the rose out of his mouth, giving it a quick sniff. “I’ve been waiting for you, lover,” he replied, just as Tirek stepped to the doorway. With the most feminine shriek Tirek had ever heard, Discord dropped the rose, quickly covering himself.

Tirek could barely choke back the laughter. “Did I… interrupt?” he barely stammered out.

“I, uh, well, I’m, uhm. Wow.” Twilight couldn’t help but fail to regain her composure, still struck with shock from the amorously passionate scene that Discord had put together.

“What is he doing loose!? You should be in Tartarus right now!” Discord shouted. He pointed a finger, sending out a bolt of magic in the centaur’s direction.

“No!” Twilight yelled as she shook off her stupor. Immediately, she cast a bubble around her and Tirek, defending him from Discord’s attack. “Tirek is here on my behalf, Discord. Stand down!”

Discord teleported off the bed, into the bubble with the two of them. He then grabbed her by the face, pushing his against hers. “You let him out!? Are you trying to compete with me for the title of Spirit of Chaos? I’ve been the champion for three thousand years, but I think you may have just beaten me! You’d have to have a few screws lose to free him!”

Twilight lowered the shield and pushed him away before responding. “Well, I’ll agree with you there. It is pretty ridiculous but it’s the truth. We’re going to try and reform him. He's also part of the bet to win my heart." She then turned her head to hide her blushing. "Though, I’m actually a little mesmerized with your presentation, Discord.”

“What!” Discord shouted. “You mean I have to deal with competition too!? This is an outrage! This is unbelievable! This is… Wait, did you say mesmerized?”

She rolled her eyes at him just as Starlight came running up the stairs. “Twilight? I heard a scream! Are you alright?”

“In here Starlight,” she called out.

Starlight followed the rose petals up to the door. “What’s with the, oh. My goodness.” She looked upon Discord, then the bed behind him, along with the mood lighting amongst the room. “Guess we know what he's been up to now,” she said.

“This is her fault, isn’t it? She’s the one that got you freed?” Discord eyed Tirek up and down, still fuming with rage at the sight of the centaur.

Tirek's eyebrows pushed together as he smirked. “What’s the matter Discord, afraid I’ll beat you in this bet? Or are you still upset with me manipulating your fragile, little heart.” Tirek guffawed at the draconequus. The ability to poke and prod Discord with quips made him feel as if becoming reformed was legitimately worth it.

“Oh please, did you hear her say she was captivated by my effort? I’d say I’m fairly close to winning this already. You should just head back to the underworld, where you belong.” Discord crossed his arms, turning his muzzle up at the centaur.

“Come now Discord, you and I both know that I’m the one who tells believable lies,” replied Tirek with a cackling laugh. “All those years in stone must have made you extremely weak, even your insults are lacking.”

Twilight groaned at the two of them, nothing annoyed her more than the bravado of two males arguing. She turned to Starlight and asked, “Did you find Spike?”

“No, I don’t know where he could be.”

Discord interrupted the barrage of name-calling between Tirek and him to answer Twilight’s question. “Spike is with Fluttershy, I asked him to head there so that I could have time to set up. Now as I was saying, you half-breed…”

A knock at the door could barely be heard over the two masculinities colliding. “That might be him,” said Starlight.

“Just in time. Alright Starlight, you’re up. Make sure they don’t kill each other while I go catch Spike up on all the details,” Twilight replied, a bit of a giggle left her lips as she began walking away from the three of them. The sounds of their arguing could still be heard from the staircase.

As she trotted down the stairs, still stepping on petals along the way, another knock came from the door. “Spike, you don’t have to knock, you know. You live here after all.” She trotted down the hall and to the staircase leading to the first floor.

A petal got stuck to one of her hooves and she tried to wipe it off on the ground. Too distracted by the petal, she opened the castle door with her magic, failing to see who was really knocking. “Spike, you really shouldn’t leave the castle just because Discord told you to.”

Using her magic, she finally peeled the petal off the bottom of her hoof. When she looked up, she saw not a small, purple dragon, but a tall, black haired stallion.

Chapter 5: Power

Twilight couldn’t stop staring out the doorway, stunned by the sight of the dark stallion. She stuttered as she spoke. “K-K-Ki-Ki... King Sombra!?” Trying to back away from the door, she lost her balance, slipping on the petal that had previously stuck to her hoof.

The stallion walked forward, watching her fall backward onto the floor. As she lay on the ground, groaning in pain, she could hear him walking over. Her focus was blurry for a moment, but she eventually pulled her head from the ground. The dark unicorn stood in front of her with his eyes on something else. Her back legs were spread open in a compromising position, right within his view.

“Well, I had hoped you would roll out the red carpet, but this wasn’t what I was expecting,” he said with a lick of his lips.

She immediately teleported herself upright and faced Sombra with a look of both anger and humiliation. “I should have known you weren’t destroyed. Finally come to finish the mare who thwarted your rule?” Pointing her horn at the unicorn, she readied an attack.

“If I had come to destroy you, I wouldn’t have knocked.”

I’m not sure I believe that, she thought. Giving him a chance to speak, she dispelled the energy building in her horn. “Then what are you doing here?”

With a charming grin, he replied, “I’m here for two reasons. One, to win your heart. However, since I know you won’t allow me to do that without redeeming myself first, the second reason is to become reformed. Word travel’s fast when someone gets a pardon from their imprisonment in Tartarus. I'm more than willing to throw my crown in the ring.”

“Wait, you want to be reformed? By me? Why? I don’t-“

Placing a hoof upon her purple lips, he shushed her. “Reforming is the least of my desires, you on the other hoof… A beauty like you makes a stallion willing to do anything. Defeat dragons, burn villages, even change his entire outlook on life.”

Her wings extended, and he knew exactly what that meant. With flushed cheeks, she immediately grabbed his hoof off her mouth, shoving it away. “G-Gosh, you certainly are a forward one. Please, wait here, I’ll need to talk to my apprentice so we can decide to reform you or not.” As quickly as she spoke she was gone, teleporting herself back up a few floors.

She wanted a moment to calm herself, but upon her arrival she found Starlight to be hogtied with a sock in her mouth. Discord and Tirek, hands on each other’s throat, we’re shouting obscenities and insults as they attempted to strangle one another.

“What in Celestia’s name!?” shouted Twilight, causing the two to cease their assaults. Using her magic, she separated the two, levitating them closer to Starlight. “I’m very disappointed in both of you, and I’d like to scold you both but I’ve got bigger problems at the moment.”

Before Tirek could speak, Discord replied first, “He started it!”

With a roll of her eyes, she pointed to Starlight. “Care to explain?”

“Whoops.” Discord snapped his fingers, the rope and gag disappearing. “How did those get there?”

Starlight coughed as she stood up. “Thank you, Twilight. I’m glad the other Element’s will be helping us, these two may be a little more rambunctious than I had first imagined.”

“Unfortunately, it’s about to get a whole lot worse. We now have a third joining in on the reformation, and the bet,” Twilight replied. She covered her face with her forelegs, groaning an inaudible set of words. “I cannot believe this is happening,” she said, muffled by her forelegs.

“Oh goodie, I certainly hope it isn’t a second Discord,” Tirek mumbled, purposefully within earshot of Discord.

“A third is trying to win you? Who?” Starlight asked.

“King Sombra,” she replied, her voice a diminished pitch.

“…Who?” Starlight asked once more, uncertain of the name.

“King Sombra? I’ve never heard that name either. What would he even be king of?” Tirek asked, scratching his head as he speculated.

“Wait,” Twilight said as she lifted her head. “You don’t know who Sombra is?”

The centaur shook his head and shrugged. “I had heard of Discord but had never met him until recent events. Not all villains know each other, Twilight Sparkle,” he replied.

“And I wish it had stayed that way,” Discord added, crossing his arms, and spitting his tongue out at the centaur.

Tirek rolled his eyes with displeasure. “Really? It has been a joy for me.”

“Enough you two,” Twilight said as she rose to her hooves. “Starlight, let’s go introduce you to the new arrival. After you meet him, go get all the other Elements and Spike. We’ll have an impromptu meeting about this.”

“Can I, uhm, be part of this meeting?” the unicorn shyly asked.

Twilight placed a wing on her apprentice’s back, pulling her close. “Of course. You’re just as much a part of this as I am. You'll be part of all the meetings from now on.” Her words roused a strong smile from her apprentice.

The two mares began to travel down the stairs, Tirek following after them. “I’d like to meet this, King Sombra. Perhaps he is some real competition, compared to Discord.”

Upon hearing the insult, Discord chased after them. “Well, I’m not going to let you get a step ahead of me! I’d like to meet him too!”

As they stepped into the foyer, Discord and Tirek stared from the bottom step, neither willing to greet the dark unicorn. Instead, they conferred with each other as they waited for the mares to finish. Twilight and Starlight greeted him warmly, his intrepid smile almost making him look gallant. He bowed to the two mares that stood before him.

“Hello there, I’m Starlight Glimmer, Twilight’s apprentice. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” he replied, taking her hoof and kissing it gently.

“Oh, my. If you don’t choose him, I might be disappointed, Twilight.” Starlight couldn’t help but giggle, her face redder than Tirek's fur.

“Alright, alright. You’ve got work to do,” replied Twilight as she nudged her student towards the door.

After Starlight had exited and the door securely closed, Twilight looked to Sombra, a curious expression on her face. He immediately took notice, asking her, “What is wrong?”

“I don’t understand what you hope to gain, King Sombra. If you had been revived, why not attack the Crystal Empire again? Why come here to be reformed?”

“Firstly,” he said, “it’s not King Sombra. It’s just Sombra. To be a king, you must have a kingdom. Secondly, as you know, the Crystal Empire is under the control of a powerful couple. I cannot regain my army unless I am able to overcome their strength, which is something unwise of me to try at this point in time.” He looked to the stairs, watching Tirek and Discord argue quietly amongst themselves. “Finally, as I told you before, I did not come to be reformed. You wish for me to redeem myself, but I have come to win your heart, so that is what I will do reformed or not. Becoming your mate will make me a king once more. Though, ruling with you will mean a much different kingdom than I had ever wanted, but beggars cannot be choosers.”

Twilight frowned, disappointed in his answers. “So, you aren’t really here to become reformed, you’re just here to become a king. That’s disheartening. Well, I’ve got some bad news for you.”

“Oh?” He shifted his eyes from the stairs to lock with Twilight's. That’s when he noticed the ice cold stare she was giving him.

“The bet is to win my heart. However, you can't do that unless you're reformed. Any charm you had was just shattered because nopony likes being used for power, wealth, or status.” She took a step towards him, her eyebrows furrowed. “You only get one chance to be redeemed. One. Chance. If you fail, you're going to Tartarus.”

He gulped and promptly shut his mouth, fearful to say anything else that may damage his standing. Sombra had hoped for an easy victory, claiming rule over Twilight’s subjects, and demeaning her enough for him to take full control. It was not going to be as simple as he had imagined.

“Discord,” she called out. The draconequus immediately ceasing his bickering with the centaur. “Please take Tirek and Sombra to the map room, you three will be included in our meeting.”

Her serious tone seemed laughable to Discord. “Since when did I become your pet?” he asked.

She looked at him, her eyes were still sharp and icy, like a raging blizzard.

“One map room, coming up,” he nervously said.

The three stallions disappeared in a flash, leaving Twilight in the foyer to wait for her friends. She could feel herself seething from Sombra’s words, the sensation slowly faded as time passed but not before she stomped her hooves in frustration. Once her friends had finally arrived, she led them up to the great hall. She filled them in on their way, all with different reactions to the retelling. Expecting the worse, the group of ponies found all three challengers on separate corners of the room, each with thousand-yard stares.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked.

In almost perfect unison, they replied, “Nothing!”

“Well, this is a little… uncomfortable,” mumbled Rarity, as she walked in and sat in her crystal seat.

Twilight groaned, wishing to be done with anymore nonsense. “Alright, take your seats. Spike, if you could, take a letter.”

Spike jumped onto his throne next to Twilight’s, placing a parchment flat on the table, quill firmly in his claw. “Ready and able!”

“Dear Princess Celestia, we have received another villain who wishes to be reformed. It just happens to be King – erm, no, it happens to be Sombra. Just Sombra, Spike.” Twilight looked over his shoulder to make sure he understood. She then continued, “I have decided to allow it, my friends and I should be able to handle both Tirek and Sombra’s reform. If either of them fails, they know that Tartarus is waiting for them. If you have any advice, I would be honored. Sincerely, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Princess… Twilight… Sparkle. Done!”

“Please send it immediately,” she said. After rolling the scroll and sealing it, Spike raised it up and blew his magical green fire upon it. Twilight looked at Sombra who still stood firmly on one side of the room. “Did you understand that? Just like Tirek, Tartarus awaits you if you fail. As I said before, you get one chance at this.”

He nodded from the corner, unwilling to speak or move more than that.

“Alright, I’ve had about all I can take. What is with these three? They’re actin’ loopier than Pinkie the first time she drank coffee.” Applejack slammed her hoof down on the table, shifting everyone’s focus to each of the fellas.

Fluttershy got up from her seat at the table and wandered over to Discord. “What’s wrong Discord?” she asked, looking up at his serious face. "Are you okay?"

“Nothing is wrong, dear Fluttershy.” He patted the top of her mane, but remained in upright position, eyes forward. The yellow pegasus rubbed the end of her chin, contemplating why he was acting so strangely. He did not move another muscle as she stood in front of him.

“I don’t like this,” growled Rainbow Dash. “Maybe they’re up to something. Like, they’re getting ready to attack us all at once.”

“If that were true they would have done it by now, before the letter could be sent,” Starlight reasoned.

Pinkie Pie burst into laughter, startling the ponies around the table. “Oh come on, it’s so obvious!” She snorted at the end of her sentence. “They all have their reasons for wanting to win the bet. Now that there's more competition, things are getting serious for them. They are on their best behavior, just to impress Twilight.”

The three sirs looked at each other in shock. “Oh, she’s good,” Tirek muttered, the other two nodding in agreement.

With a loud, audible groan, Twilight rose up from her seat and stood on the table. “Alright, listen up you three. I want to make it very clear. To win the bet you must win my heart, but you must also fall for me yourselves. That was the rule stated upon Discord when he first agreed to Starlight’s bet. Tirek and Sombra, you still have to reform before you can even try to win.”

“Pretty sure standing like stiffs against the wall isn't really a good way to reform, or win her over,” Starlight mentioned.

“That’s correct. You must be yourselves if you truly wish to make a connection with me, not what you think I want you to be. You've got to prove that you want to reform.”

Tirek and Sombra relaxed a little, still standing against the walls, neither of them wanting to be the first to move. “Hey, I already like this. That means it’ll be easier for me to win!” Discord cheered himself on, breaking his place against the wall.

“You’re right, so I’ve decided to make it a tad bit fairer. In order for you to win my heart, Discord, you must also help them redeem, or at least stay out of their way. If I feel you did not try your best at helping or became a burden to their reforming, then you will lose.” Twilight stomped her hoof on the table, ending her explanation.

Tirek burst into laughter, also breaking his place. “Discord actually helping us? He’s guaranteed to lose!” He continued laughing.

“I have to help them, and win you? I’m the Lord of Chaos, not the Sultan of Impossibilities! There is no way I could ever do that,” Discord angrily mocked the very notion of helping the two villains. "Staying out of their way might be the most valid option," he muttered under his breath.

“Well, Discord, you could always give up.” Starlight grinned at the draconequus. “That means I win, though.” All the ponies, except for Fluttershy and Twilight, goaded Discord with a unison of ‘wooing’. Starlight had already figured out how to get him riled just from watching him interact with Tirek.

“What! No! I won’t give up. It’s just, well, I’m just wondering… how is it fair that I have to do something if I lose, and those two don’t?”

Rarity replied, “They have to reform before they can try to win Twilight. If they fail to reform, they get sent to Tartarus. Would you rather have that, Discord?”

Discord quickly grabbed Fluttershy and wrapped his arms around her. “No, no. Being a helpful friend is the punishment that we agreed upon. No sense changing our rules now.” He over-zealously rubbed Fluttershy’s pink mane.

“Tirek and Sombra only get sent to Tartarus if they fail to reform. The bet is more to prove they've fully reformed. Basically, if they lose the bet, they get nothing other than good friends. I think that’s fair since it'll be a trial for them to reform, compared to Discord who can immediately go after Twilight's heart.” Starlight was convinced Tirek and Sombra could become reformed like she had been, she did not see any reason to put more pressure on them losing.

“Shucks, that sounds pretty difficult compared to what Discord has,” Applejack said.

“I agree, in fairness, Discord should be placed on our level,” Sombra countered.

Tirek placed his head against his hands. “You shouldn’t have said that, you young, arrogant fool.”

“You want fairness?” Twilight asked as she looked down her nose at Sombra from her throne. Discord placed a hand over Fluttershy’s eyes, and the others winced at her stature.

"Um, well-"

“You are a villain. You are not reformed. You have not redeemed yourself in any manner. Discord is our friend, you are not.” Twilight slowly stepped off from her throne and began walking towards Sombra. “What’s not fair is you mind controlling the crystal ponies, or placing a curse upon the Crystal Empire. You have two choices, be our friend or be sent to Tartarus. Is that fair enough for you, King Sombra?”

The dark haired stallion stared deeply into Twilight’s eyes. I could easily defeat her, he thought. But her friends and Discord, probably not. He nodded to Twilight, showing he understood the position he was in.

“Good. Tomorrow, Tirek and Sombra will begin their journey on the road to friendship by spending time with two of you. I’ll leave it up to you girls to decide who those two will be. Discord, you will be spending tomorrow with me. Understood?”

Twilight’s tone seemed so militaristic to the ponies, they were truly inspired and delighted that their friend had finally seemed to come into her role as a leader, the Princess of Friendship. “You go, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash cheered. Discord nodded to her, releasing Fluttershy from his grasp and raising a hand up to his forehead in salute.

“Meeting adjourned.”

Chapter 6: Reformation 101

“Catch!” A pink and white polka dot apron was thrown to the brooding centaur.

“Why do I have to wear such a ridiculous thing?” he asked.

“So you don’t get dirty, silly!” the pink pony replied.

He groaned in displeasure before pulling the apron over his head and tying it to his torso’s waist. Pinkie Pie had already begun pulling out the ingredients and placing them on the counter. His eyes glimpsed over the cookbook that sat open on the table.

“We’re making a cake?” he asked, curious as to how it would help teach about friendship.

“That’s right. Somepony ordered one but Mr. and Mrs. Cake are having to go out of town later today, so they’ve asked if I could make it. We’re also watching the store for them,” she replied.

He hadn’t expected economics to be part of his reformation. Why am I helping run a store, he thought. Pinkie then shoved a bowl into his arms with a whisk. Slowly, he began to stir the ingredients together, a frown still on his face.

“Don’t be such a sourpuss! Turn that frown upside down, otherwise, you’ll make one sour cake!” Pinkie’s upbeat attitude was vastly different from Tirek’s. He had never seen somepony so energetic over baking a simple pastry. He tried to frown harder in an attempt to sour the cake, knowing full well it wouldn’t work. It only made his jaw sore.

“Pinkie Pie, if I could steal your magical essence right now, I would.” He continued to stir the batter, brooding all the while.

“I don’t doubt it!” she replied, turning on the oven to preheat. “Don’t worry, since you’re working here today, you’ll be able to taste some of the fabulous, fantastical treats! Nopony, no matter how evil, can withstand smiling while eating one of Sugar Cube Corner’s creations. I guarantee it!”

Tirek rolled his eyes, unimpressed with her boasting. “I still do not understand what this has to do with redeeming me. Isn’t there something you’re supposed to be doing?”

“I am doing what I’m supposed to be doing!” she replied, as she held the cake pan underneath Tirek’s bowl.

He slowly began to pour the batter into the pan. “I meant with me. Aren’t you going to teach me something?”

She let out a giggle with a snort, almost tipping over the pan in her hooves. “Teach you? You can’t teach someone to be a friend. It's gotta come natural!”

Tirek placed the empty bowl back onto the counter while Pinkie shoved in the pan and closed the oven. After setting the timer, she turned and faced him. He crossed his arms while looking away, not wanting to lock eyes with the strange, pink pony in front of him. All of a sudden, a loud gasp came from the mare, startling Tirek. “What’s wrong now?” he asked.

“You and Sombra haven’t gotten a party yet!”

“A… party?”

Pinkie jumped and grabbed Tirek by the face, pulling him down to her level. She held on as tight as she could, the centaur was unable to struggle from her earthen pony grasp. “Pinkie. Let me go,” he asked, his cheeks still smooshed together.

“What’s the magic word?” she replied.

“I’m going to steal your magic.”

“Nooooo. That’s not it.”

He rolled his eyes before speaking. “Please let me go.”

She immediately released her grip and he flung backward, almost smacking his head into a cabinet. “Just imagine a fabulous party! A villain party! I’ve never done one of those before. Though, Twilight will probably have me wait for you two to become good first. That could take a whole year!” Pinkie Pie rambled on for a few minutes as Tirek rubbed the creases from his apron.

This is almost worse than Tartarus itself, he thought. She finally stopped chattering once the bell rang at the front of the store.

“Coming!” she called out. “If the timer goes off while I’m not in here, please take the cake out of the oven.” Pinkie then wandered out of the kitchen, leaving the centaur to mope alone.

Tirek let out a heavy sigh, relieved to finally have a moment’s peace. It was only for a moment, though, as he overheard the pink, poufy-haired pony talking to a customer. He couldn’t deny his curiosity. Sliding his body against the wall, he carefully listened in from the doorway.

“You’re looking lovely as usual today, Pinkie,” said the voice of a stallion.

“Such a charmer. Sometimes I wonder if you come here just to see me,” she replied.

They both laughed and then the stallion said, “Of course, the cupcakes are just a bonus.”

Pinkie giggled some more. “Oh right, your order. Tirek!” she yelled. “Could you bring a box in here?”

Tirek panicked, thinking his eavesdropping had been uncovered. He quickly looked around the room, eventually noticing the small, white box that sat upon the wooden kitchen table. Grabbing the container, he quickly walked through the doorway.

“Tirek? Where have I heard that name before?” asked the stallion. As Tirek walked into the room, the stallion immediately went pale, losing almost all the blue in his face. “L-Lord T-T-Tirek, the evil centaur!?”

“Yeah, my friends and I are reforming him along with King Sombra. Isn’t that wonderful?” Pinkie asked, smiling all the while.

“Reforming?” Sweat dripped down the stallion’s face as Tirek placed the box onto the counter. Tirek stared at the blue stallion, noticing the unicorn horn surrounded by a white, fluffy mane. The stallion quickly threw a bag of bits onto the counter and then grabbed the box with his magic. “T-Thank you Pinkie Pie, see you later!” he yelled tentatively, rushing as fast as he could out of the store.

“Huh. Wonder what got into him.” Pinkie shrugged as she opened the bag of bits.

Tirek began to remove the apron, replying to her rhetorical question, “Yes, I wonder what it was.”

Pinkie spread the money around the counter before placing some back into the small sack. “Royal was in such a rush, he didn’t even count his money. Would you mind tracking him down and giving it back real quick?” She handed him the sack of coins as the sound of the timer came from the kitchen, to which she immediately headed for.

He was unsure if rushing after a unicorn would be a smart decision, but he did as he was told, hoping it would pay off in the end. As he exited, he saw the blue unicorn in the distance. Royal Pin was catching his breath after running so fast. Tirek swiftly, but cautiously, approached the unicorn from behind. Upon drawing closer to the pony, Tirek saw him place the box directly into a trash can. He was so bewildered he thought to call it off, but decided against it.

“Excuse me,” said Tirek.

The stallion gasped in freight upon hearing the voice. He slowly turned around, his eyes seemed to have sunken in as he caught sight of the centaur.

Tirek eyed the pony up and down, curious as to why he would throw away the box he had just purchased. “You forgot your change,” he said. As much as he wanted to scare the stallion, he also knew Twilight would hear of it, damaging his standing with her.

“K-Keep it,” the unicorn replied, backing away slowly and eventually turning to run.

With a shrug, Tirek returned to Sugar Cube Corner. He placed the sack back upon the counter and entered the kitchen. Pinkie had already taken out the cake and had begun frosting the top. “He told me to keep it. I’ve placed it on your counter,” he said, annoyance in his tone.

“Really?” she replied. “Royal’s so nice.”

“Yes, he also threw away the box of whatever he bought.” Tirek had thought mentioning this would hurt the pink pony's feelings, possibly damaging a friendship she had or demoralizing her work. Something to make it worth it.

“Well, duh. He always does that. I mean, he hates lemon meringue cupcakes. I wish he would buy something else, something that he actually likes.” Pinkie Pie already knew all about it. Tirek was taken aback by this revelation, making him only more curious as to why the stallion would throw it away.

“I don’t understand. Why does he come here to buy something just to throw it in the garbage? Do you not hate him for being so wasteful?” Tirek asked, a bit confused with her answer.

Pinkie opened the oven door, humming all the while. “It’s pretty silly, but he comes in for me, not the food.”

“Alright, now you’ve lost me.”

With a giggle, she placed another cake pan inside the oven. “He hasn’t quite worked up the courage to ask me out, so every few days he comes in to chat and flirt. One day, I hope he finally asks me, or at least buys something he likes.”

“He pays to speak to you!?” Tirek replied, astonished by her remark. “Is he insane?”

“Sometimes I give him something extra to look at while he pays.” She closed the oven, and then wiggled her rump at Tirek, swishing her tail back and forth.

He covered his mouth, unsure if he should watch or look away. “You ponies are all crazy. That has to be it.”

“And this is just your first day!” she replied, snorting and giggling.

“Can I just get a ride back to Tartarus now? Maybe a teleport? Honestly, at this point, I’ll just walk back.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “No silly, we’ve still got cookies to bake!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Manual labor?” Sombra asked, grimacing at the idea. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Don’t tell me you’re another Rarity. Afraid yah might get messy hooves?” Applejack teased.

His nostrils flared, already upset with the smell of the orchard. “I am royalty, I should not be forced to participate in peasant work.” The sun beat down between the trees, Sombra could barely stand the summer heat.

Applejack bucked a tree, apples falling into the buckets. “Yeah? If you’re so royal, where’s your crown? Kingdom?” she asked, wiping the sweat from her brow, a smug grin on her face.

“I know you’re just trying to get a rise out of me,” he said, “and it’s working.”

“Good. Put that anger to some use and start buckin’ these trees, or use your fancy magic, I don’t care which,” she replied.

Sombra began to levitate the apples down into the buckets, not really caring that the amounts were uneven, or if a few fell out onto the ground. “I really don’t understand how this is supposed to reform me.”

“Well, I am the Element of Honest, so I can’t lie to yah. I’m not really sure how it’ll help either, but I can always use an extra hoof with harvestin’,” she replied. "I'm just supposed to watch you, make sure you stay out of trouble."

Once he heard those words, he released his magic, causing all the apples to plummet from his grasp. “You mean to tell me this has no consequence on my reformation? What’s the point?” he growled.

“The point? Buckin’ apples is the way I provide for my family. That’s how we keep things runnin’ around here.”

“I meant, what’s the point of me helping?” he shouted, becoming angrier with each of the country mare’s responses.

“Like I said, I can always use an extra hoof.” Applejack had stopped bucking the trees altogether, just to answer his questions. “Can we get back to it now?”

“This is exactly why a stallion should be in charge,” he spouted, anger seething and boiling over, clouding his judgement.

Applejack raised an eyebrow, a bit annoyed with his tone. “Pardon?”

“You heard me!” he snarled at Applejack.

“Sombra, you do realize our leaders are all princesses’ right? The highest of positions in all of Equestria, held by mares. I mean, there are a few princes, but from what Rarity has told me they ain’t too friendly,” she said. Applejack began digging into one of the buckets of apples, searching for one specific.

“It’s completely aggravating! You mares believe yourselves to be high and mighty, yet here you are, doing something a stallion should be doing. It’s as if none of you know your place.” He sat down, refusing to move or lend a helping hoof any longer.

“Yeah, and yet here you are, not doing anythin’ to help like the supposed stallion you are,” she replied, pulling a bright, shiny, red apple out of the bucket. “Let me ask you a question.”

With a roll of his eyes, he said, “Oh, this’ll be good. Go ahead, ask your question, peasant.”

She raised up the apple to his eye level. “Want an apple?” she asked.

“Are you trying to persuade me with a peace offering?”

Applejack took a bite out of the apple while holding another. “What's the difference in these apples?" she asked with her mouth full. "I'll answer that. Nothin', they were both picked by me while you sat around bein' a lazy bum."

“Unbelievable!” he shouted in anger, standing up from the grass. “You dare insult King Sombra!?”

She took another bite out of the apple. “I thought you weren’t a king,” she said, apple juice leaking from her lips.

“I… I…” Failing to come up with a response, he roared in anger, causing nearby birds to fly away. With the roar came black crystals, rising from the ground and spiking out of trees.

“Seriously? Not even past the first day and you’re already crawlin’ back to being evil? Calm down before you do somethin’ you regret,” she yelled, throwing the half-eaten apple to the wayside.

Sombra turned to Applejack, his eyes flashing with green and purple. “You want me to be evil? Let me show you what I can do, you earth pony wretch!”

A flash of light blinded the apple-loving pony. When she was able to see again, she found herself inside Rarity’s shop, the Carousel Boutique. The day had turned to night, darkening the abode and limiting her vision. A chill swept through her and the entire store seemed to be frozen. She could even see her breath as she breathed in and out.

“How’d I get here? Sombra, what did you do?” she called out, attempting to look around the home of her friend.

Dimly lit candles were all that remained, barely lighting her way in the dark dwelling and producing no heat. “Rarity? You here?” She could hear talking coming from one of the rooms. The sounds of giggling and laughing echoed against the decorative walls. Once she got closer, Applejack could hear the voices of Rarity and Spike.

When she popped her head through the open door, she saw the two, locking lips with one another. “Ra-Rarity? S-Spike?” Her voice quavering heavily.

The two pulled their heads away from each other to look at the interrupting nuisance. “I’m sorry, who are you? The shop is closed for the night,” Rarity said.

“Should I get rid of her, my love?” asked Spike.

“What’re y’all talkin’ about? It’s me, Applejack.” She pushed open the door, forcing a phony smile to her face as well. “When did you two, y’know, get together? Not that, I mean, well...” A gust of wind blew from behind, cutting her words from her mouth.

The dragon and unicorn began to kiss once more, ignoring Applejack all together, no matter how hard she yelled. That’s when another voice came from behind the upset mare. “Applejack? Why did you let us down?”

Once Applejack turned around, she saw Granny Smith and Big Mac standing there, frowns bulging on their muzzles.

“L-Let you down?” Applejack asked nervously, regaining her voice. “What d-do you mean?” The room spiraled, twirling around her and shifting to Sweet Apple Acres. The full moon, high in the sky, shined down on the dead plantation. Tears began to run down the earth ponies face as she looked up at the barren trees, void of apples and leaves. The entire field covered in crystals and icicles, glowing from the blue of the moon. She fell to the ground, covering her face by pulling down her hat. “No! I don’t believe it! It’s not true!”

She began to feel heat beating down, sweat dripping down the top of her nose. After opening her eyes, still squinting with tears, she saw the bright, green grass underneath her once more. Her mind snapped back to reality, finally hearing the laughter coming from the dark unicorn who stood in front of her, overjoyed with the pain he had caused. It had been a trick, and she fell for it. Humiliation swept over her like ocean waves. She quickly rose to her hooves, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Sombra simply continued to laugh, he expected to see her run in fear of him.

What he had not expected, was for Applejack to reel back a hoof, and hit him as hard as she could in the face. He fell to the ground, sliding on his side. When he looked back at the earth pony, he saw the tears still streaming down her cheeks. “You’ve just bought yourself a ticket to Tartarus,” she said, pure rage in her tone.

Sombra had not thought through his actions. He was fueled by his anger, simply wishing to cause harm. From her words and tears, he knew she was right. He had to act fast in order to salvage what he could. Failing the bet, failing to reform, these were not options he desired. His first thought was to control her mind, but the idea of another strike to the face was a good deterrent. “Woah, alright hold on,” he replied, standing to his hooves and wincing in pain. “It was just a joke, you mares love to joke. Isn’t that what friendship is all about?” he joked, trying to worm his way back to good graces.

“You wouldn’t know the first thing about friendship if it jumped out and bit you on the horn. Friends don’t do, whatever you just did, to friends.”

“Listen, I’m sorry, let’s go back to bucking apples,” he replied. “I know you enjoy doing that.”

“No. I have to go and explain what happened to Twilight,” she said, as she began to walk away.

To Sombra, the idea of begging seemed like a peasant’s device, but there was little choice. He rushed up and laid before her, pleading, “Please, I’m sorry. Don’t tell Twilight, I can’t fail to reform! I do not wish to be sent to Tartarus!”

The sudden change in tone from the former king gave a few red flags to Applejack. Why was he so persistent on becoming reformed, she thought. He began to bow to Applejack, lowering his head to the ground. This was the exact opposite of how Discord had acted. Sombra seemed intent on reforming, and she was willing to see what made him so determined.

“Fine. I won’t tell Twilight on two conditions,” she demanded.

Sombra looked up and replied, “Anything. You name it.”

“First, stop your mare hatin’. It ain’t attractive to anypony, and you sure won’t win Twilight with that attitude.”

“Done,” he replied without hesitation. “And the second?”

“You have to tell her whatcha did.”

“What!?” he exclaimed, raising his head in astonishment.

“Either you tell her, or I tell her. And I can guarantee, I won’t be so friendly about it,” she replied, a stomp of her hoof signified she was serious.

He nervously looked at the ground, weighing his options carefully. “If I tell her, she’ll send me to Tartarus for sure.”

“If you’re honest, and truly sorry, then she may not. It won’t help your standing with her, but being truthful and owning up to your mistakes is what makes good ponies, well, good,” she explained. “You are sorry, right?”

“Yes, of course!” he replied. Sombra was willing to say anything in order to stay, Applejack knew that. If he was going to plead, he’d have to believe it himself.

She sighed. The dark look in his eyes made her feel uneasy, she could not fully believe his words, but was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Alright, let’s head over to Twilight's and get this over with.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Is this how you’re going to spend the day? Reading?” Discord asked.

“This is what I do in my off time, Discord. If you plan on becoming my partner, then you’ll have to get used to it."

“But what am I supposed to do while you study? You asked me to be by your side today, and yet you’re being the most boring side of a square I’ve ever seen.” He snapped his fingers, a cube formed in his hand with Twilight’s face on it. She looked up at him, giving a disapproving glare before returning to her studies. Discord tossed the cube and crossed his arms. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud.” He began to snap his fingers, only to have Twilight yell before he could.

“If you turn me into a literal stick in the mud, I will send you to Tartarus myself.”

He pouted, crossing his arms once more. “Well, you are.”

Twilight sighed, finally giving him a hint after the hours of incessant complaining. “Gee, it’s as if this is some sort of test to try and come up with something that could pry me away from my studies. Maybe build an actual close friendship that could lead to something more. No, it couldn't be that simple, could it?”

“Pry you away?” He contemplated, tapping his chin as he put some thought into his next move.

“Take your time.” Twilight waved a hoof in the air before turning a page with her magic.

Discord looked around at the library shelves that surrounded them. He then yelled, “I’ve got it!” A crowbar appeared in his hand, to which he then placed underneath Twilight, literally prying her up from the table.

“What’s the meaning of this!?” she yelled as she rose up in the air, trying to get away from the metal tool.

“What’s your favorite storybook from your foalhood?” Discord asked, ignoring her question altogether.

She looked at him, curious as to what would prompt that inquiry. “The Superb Sorceress of Oys. The mare behind the curtain always reminded me of the old tales about Star Swirl the Bearded,” she replied as she glided back to the floor in front of him. "Now what's the meaning of this, Discord?"

He snapped his fingers and books began flying off the shelves, forming small walls. A green, newer looking book flew into his hand. Twilight watched as a blanket appeared over the piles, creating a roof over the literary walls.

“Would you like to come into my book castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle? I’ve never had a book read to me.” He raised up the book in his hands, showing the title to Twilight.

With a smile, she replied, “You want me to read to you? That’s a strange request.” She levitated the book out of his hands as she walked over to the newly formed fortress. After looking at the cover, she became giddy.

Discord lifted the sheet up, allowing the two to enter. It didn’t look like much from the outside, but to Twilight’s surprise, the cloth ceiling was lit up like the night sky. Thousands of star-like dots shined over her head.

“This is beautiful, Discord,” she said, staring up at the illusionary sky. While gawking, she failed to watch where she had been stepping, tripping over a plush cushion.

The draconequus cheered to himself, knowing he had made the right decision. It took him a second to notice that Twilight had landed flat on her face, to which he chuckled to himself. “Are you… alright?” he asked, trying to sound concerned over the laughter.

Twilight sat down on the cushion she had tripped over, rubbing her scowled face. “I’ll be fine. Let’s get started, shall we?” She lifted up the book, opening it to the first page. Discord sat across from her, a bag of popcorn appearing in his hand.

“I’m all ears!” he replied, ears magically sprouting on him, eventually disappearing.

“Okay,” she said, gathering her thoughts before beginning. “Daisy lived in the heart of the San Palomino Desert, with Uncle Rusty, who was a farmer, and Aunt Gleam, who was…”

The two sat in the book castle for many hours as Twilight read to the draconequus. Discord enjoyed the ups and downs the story had to offer, though he had no desire to read it himself. Twilight added the effects and silly voices, making it come alive, and far more enjoyable than he had first anticipated it could be.

So this is why she reads all the time, he thought. I had no idea she was so interesting.

“And you were there, and you, and you. The end.” Twilight finished with a close of the book.

“Wait, that’s how it ends? It was just a dream?” Discord exclaimed, upset by what he believed to be a lackluster ending.

Twilight nodded. “Yep, it turns out she had everything she wanted. A family who loved her and good friends. What more could one ask for?”

“She could have asked for ultimate power! Though, if it was a dream then I suppose the sorceress wasn’t even real.” He placed a hand over his mouth, still contemplating the ending.

“It’s actually funny. When I was a filly, I had friends but I focused more on my studies. It wasn’t until coming to Ponyville that I learned what friendship was about. Looking back now, I have to laugh since I really didn’t get the moral of the story back then. I guess that's supposed to be ironic.”

Discord rolled his eyes. “I don’t suppose you have another favorite that doesn’t end in such a travesty.”

She giggled and said, “Discord, you mean to tell me you’re actually enjoying this?”

For a moment, Twilight could see Discord blushing. He quickly turned his head away from her view. “Well, I suppose you did make it far more enjoyable than trying to stomach it alone.”

“I enjoyed it too,” she replied.

With those words, Discord turned back to look at her, still blushing. He is blushing, I knew it, she thought. Her smile only made him smile, contagious as it was.

“So, I guess I earned those points?” he asked.

“I’d say so, Discord. Though, it’s almost as if you’re supposed to become close friends with somepony before you date them, instead of entering into a silly bet. Imagine that silly idea,” Twilight replied, her face was just as flushed as his.

“Ahem.” A voice could be heard on the outside of the sheet. “I can’t really knock anywhere.”

Twilight levitated the cloth up from the entrance, looking to see who was there. “Oh, it’s you, Spike.”

“What are you two doing in there?” he asked, scratching the scales on his cheek.

The two were still blushing profusely. They looked to each other, and then back to Spike. “Reading!” they yelled in unison.

Spike raised an eyebrow, not really understanding the sheet, the book, or their blushing. “Well, Sombra and Applejack are waiting for you in the foyer, Twilight. Apparently, something bad happened.”

The alicorn got up from her seat and turned to Discord. “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere. I have another one that you’ll really enjoy.”

He nodded as she walked off. Spike stood by, staring at him with a curious look. “What?” Discord asked with a defensive tone.

“Why were you guys sitting in a book fort?”

“Nothing! We were just reading! Well, she was reading to me, that is.” Discord quickly responded with a tremulous voice. He reached for the book they had been reading and showed it to the purple dragon.

“Oh, this is Twilight’s favorite. I remember her mom reading it to both of us when I was little, she used to do all the voices and sound effects. When did she find a replacement?” Spike flipped through the pages.

“A replacement of what?” Discord asked.

Spike then closed the book and tossed it back to Discord. “Her original copy was destroyed when Tirek blew up the Golden Oak. She had it since she was a filly and brought it to Ponyville when she moved. Anyway, have fun I guess,” he replied before walking away from the literary hovel.

Discord held the novel, staring woefully at the golden lettering of the book’s title. He felt the rough cover with his paw, the corners still sharp from the lack of use. Opening up the pages sent a strong smell of fresh paper into his nostrils.

Flipping back to the front of the book, he found a note written on the inside of the hardcover. He began to read it aloud. “Twilight, don’t think of this as a replacement for a book long lost. Think of it as a reminder, of all the memories we shared reading it together. You’ll always be my little filly. Love, Your Mother.”

Once he finished reading, a fake cough caused him to look up from the book. Twilight had been standing at the entrance with glistening eyes, smiling at the draconequus. He had been frowning, but her smile was infectious, he could not resist smiling back.

Chapter 7: Learning

“Well, I certainly hope today will be less exciting for you than yesterday,” said the white unicorn, levitating rolls of fabric off the shelves. “You don’t need any more marks on your record.”

Sombra stood on the raised platform, cloth levitating around him, constricting his body. He groaned in displeasure as Rarity measured his dimensions. “Standing here is far more acceptable than working in a field,” he replied.

“I completely agree. I don’t see how the Apples can stand the summer heat. Of course, Applejack and her family provide apples for all of Ponyville, so that is something to be very proud of.” Rarity began to sew stitching into the cloth, keeping it steady against Sombra with her magic. The reds and blues formed together creating a stylish pattern.

“It’s nice to meet a mare who appreciates the finer quality of life,” he replied. “You’re much more pleasant than that earth pony.”

“Mm, yes, well. Applejack did tell me of your chauvinistic attitude towards mares,” Rarity mentioned, tightening the grip of the cloth.

“Oh,” he replied, remembering one of the conditions Applejack made him swear. He began to struggle, still wrapped in fabric. Rarity forced him to remain idle, sewing the cloth together quickly enough.

She then finished with the tapering, removing the cloth from the dark unicorn. “I’ll ask that you watch what you say, I’d prefer not to deal with another Blueblood,” she replied, walking over to the sewing machine.

“Blueblood?” he asked as he stepped off the stand. He wandered around the room, staring at the ponnequins that held different clothing lines and those that were empty of decorative ware.

Rarity let out a moan of annoyance, furrowing her brow and squinting her eyes. “Even the very thought of that stallion still irks me. How a gentlecolt can be so offensive to a lady is beyond me,” she said, turning her head to look at Sombra. “No offense.”

“None taken,” he replied. “Is this all we are going to be doing today? Trying on clothes and chatting about ponies that have scorned you? Not that I mind, just curious.”

“Actually, I was supposed to be handling Tirek today. But after yesterday, they figured I would be more capable of handling you. So, think of today as a punishment. I certainly won’t, as it’s not often I get a stallion model. Especially not one so fit and young.”

He then mumbled to himself, “From royalty to dummy, how embarrassing.”

“I don’t think anypony who wants to reform could ever be considered a dummy,” Rarity noted. She walked over and placed a brick red cloak on his back, tying it around his neck. His eyes fixed on her, surprised that she had heard his words. “An excellent ear in a small room can hear many things,” she said with a wink.

Sombra looked back at the red cape, many sparkling sapphires were embroidered into the white satin. “What’s this?” he asked.

She gave him a smile. “You aren’t royalty, you no longer have your crown or cape, and you no longer call yourself king. Perhaps it’s also time to throw away that royal arrogance you have.”

“But, I…”

“You do look good in the regalia, though,” she said. She leaned in close to whisper, “It would be a shame if you didn’t get to show off your sophistication, being forced back to Tartarus.”

He twirled his body, getting a feel for the elegant mantle. “I see. Thank you, Rarity. I’m not sure what to say.”

“Having friends is a boon, Sombra. I hope you’ll come to realize that.” She waltzed back to the sewing machine, lifting up spools of thread and placing them onto the shelves. They were arranged by color and size, or by how often they were used.

“I came to win the bet for Twilight’s heart, redeeming myself was not something I wanted,” he explained, walking over behind Rarity. “Why would you want to be friends with somepony who has no desire to become good? What would be your boon for becoming my friend?”

Not even concerned with the stallion behind her, she continued to sort the thread. “You act as if redeeming yourself causes you to lose something. It doesn’t, darling. Reforming means you’ll gain six close friends who will be there for you through the thick and thin.”

“Oh yes, that’s what I want. To be friends with the apple pony,” he said with sarcasm exaggerated in his tone.

She let out a laugh before turning and facing the stallion. “Would you believe Applejack and I get into spats from time to time?”

Sombra gave a nod, and replied, “Of course, she seems like a hard pony to get along with.”

“Actually, it’s the fact that we come from two, very different backgrounds. I’d imagine I’m just as difficult to get along with by her standards,” she explained, “but that’s what also makes us close. We bounce ideas off each other, ask for advice, and trust one another’s opinions. Two peas in a pod, so to speak.”

“But these little issues, surely they build up over time, no?” he asked.

Rarity let out a short giggle. “If you’re trying to think of a way to break our friendship up, I must inform you that it won’t work. Discord already tried that, and look at how happy he is now. Well, actually by those standards perhaps you should try.”

His face changed from an inquisitive perspective to a nervous grin, surprised by how cunning the mare seemed to be.

“I do hope you’ll take redeeming yourself seriously. The prize at the end is far greater than anything that a cruel, evil existence could ever hope to promise you,” she said, winking her eye at him.

He stood in front of her, contemplating what she meant. “Are you… trying to befriend me?”

A content sigh left her lips. “Well, Sombra, it’s going to happen eventually. You may as well start calling me a friend now because I won’t take no for an answer.” She smiled at the unicorn, only to be interrupted by a loud stomping. “What in the stars above was that?”

The two ponies walked to the closest window, overlooking the front of Rarity’s store. “Tirek and Rainbow Dash appear to be talking. Rather aggressively might I add,” said Sombra. The vibrations from Tirek’s stomping could be felt by the two, the glass window shook with every stomp. Rattling of spools and ponnequins could be heard around the room as another stampede of stomping went on.

“Come along, Sombra. These two will most likely need our assistance, and I rather not have them destroy my abode,” she said, walking out of the room.

Shouting could be heard once they entered the first floor, and it became even worse once the door was opened. The two unicorns waltzed outside to view the screaming match between the centaur and the pegasus. “You’re insufferable! I’d rather bake with Pinkie Pie than spend another second listening to your shrill voice!” the centaur shouted.

“Me!? You’re the one complaining after just one lap around Ponyville! I could do that in my sleep!” the pegasus hollered.

Rarity immediately came between the two aggressors. “Rainbow Dash, Tirek, please. Stop your senseless bickering for a moment and explain what’s gotten you two so flustered.”

“He’s not willing to do a few more laps! It’s like he’s never exercised a day in his life!” Rainbow yelled, pointing her hoof at the centaur.

“She’s trying to kill me! First, she wants me to do pushups with my hands instead of my forelegs, and then she wants me to run three laps around the whole of Ponyville! I’m not the spry centaur from thousands of years ago, and I am certainly no athlete.”

“But you’re somehow able to battle Twilight one on one? Get real!” Rainbow mocked.

Tirek stomped his hooves into the ground, fuming and raging from her words. “I had all the magic from you ill-bred ponies strengthening my very being. If I had any of that magic right now, I would crush you like a grape!”

“Maybe instead of stealing magic, you should run laps!”

“I can’t take it anymore!” Sombra shouted, casting a dark, green and purple wave over the two. Rainbow Dash and Tirek stood still, no longer aggressive, their eyes blanking off as if they were daydreaming. Sombra let out a sigh, as Rarity inspected them both. "That's better."

“What did you do, Sombra?” she asked.

“They’re temporarily unconscious. Their shouting was getting on my nerves, and I can’t imagine it was pleasant on your eardrums,” he replied.

“They’re not, you know, in a nightmare. Are they?”

He rolled his eyes at the idea. “No, they’re not like Applejack. I’ve learned my lesson from yesterday. The lecture Twilight gave last night was more than enough to deter that,” he answered. Rarity trotted back to the dark unicorn, eyes like gems, glittering as she stared at the stallion. “Wh-What?” he asked.

“You don’t want to spend all day being my tailoring model, do you?”

“No, not really,” he replied.

She turned and pointed at the two idle arguers. “If you can get these two to stop fighting without the use of magic, then we will spend the day having fun around Ponyville.” She smiled at the dark unicorn. “Think you’re up for the task?”

Sombra looked in her eyes, curious as to why she would choose him for such an endeavor. The look she gave filled him with encouragement. “I’ll give it a try,” he responded, “but no promises.”

Dispelling the magic brought the two back to consciousness. Confused as to what had happened, they looked at the dark unicorn that stood near them, immediately coming to the same conclusion. Both were filled with fury, shouting at the stallion.

“Didn’t you learn your lesson from yesterday? Now Twilight will send you to Tartarus for sure!” said Tirek.

“Yeah! Uncool, Sombra. After what you did to Applejack, I should have known you wouldn’t reform,” added Rainbow Dash.

“Enough, both of you,” Sombra demanded. “You’re acting like foals.”

“I am not!” Rainbow retorted.

“Silence!” he yelled. “Instead of working Tirek to the bone, why don’t you give him a break? He’s already done some of your exercises, so spend some time relaxing with him and getting to know what he’s like.”

Tirek crossed his arms and smiled. “Anything is better than another lap.”

“As for you, Tirek." Sombra turned his attention to the centaur. “Try cooperating with Rainbow instead of just bickering and complaining the entire time. Her methods maybe strange, but that doesn’t mean you have to insult her at every opportunity. I've learned that lesson, and you should share it with me.”

“Hah! Score!” Rainbow cheered.

“Fine, whatever,” Tirek replied, his smile shifting into a pout.

“Come on, Tirek. We can cool off down at the lake,” Rainbow Dash said as she flapped her wings, taking off in a direction.

“Oh finally, some water! That actually sounds pleasant,” Tirek replied, following slowly behind.

Rarity stood next to Sombra, smiling with glee. He turned to look at the white unicorn. “Are you satisfied?”

She gave a gentle nod and said, “Let’s get some lunch, shall we? I believe you’ve earned it.”

Chapter 8: Villain Party

"Out of all the things I've had to deal with these past two weeks, this is the worst." Tirek held a stick of cotton candy in both of his hands. Fillies and colts screamed and shouted, ringing and cheering from others surrounded him.

"But is it worse than Tartarus?" Sombra asked. He tossed a dart against the wall, barely missing a brightly colored balloon.

"Of course not. I have you here to share the agony and I get to annoy Discord with my very presence," Tirek replied, chuckling as he answered.

Sombra grabbed another dart with his magic, aiming it as precise as he could. "Actually, I've been enjoying myself as of late. Even that apple-loving mare is tolerable." He sent the dart sailing forward, popping a pink balloon. "Though the pink one is a bit more disruptive for my liking."

With his mouth full of the fluffy candy, Tirek asked, "Have you gotten your chance to accompany Twilight at all?"

"No," Sombra replied, taking aim with his final dart. The pony behind the counter sat nervously to the side. "From my understanding, that'll be this week, along with a visit to the Ponyville Schoolhouse."

Tirek finished one of the sticks, watching as the unicorn flung the dart and popped the balloon closest to the head of the anxious pony. He threw the empty stick to the ground. “You have to do that as well? I suppose they want us to show how reformed we can be before allowing us to get close to Twilight Sparkle. Not that we can actually date her yet.”

“It’s annoying. While we have to spend time with her friends, Discord gets all the time he wants with her,” Sombra said as he lifted a stuffed animal off the wall of the kiosk. The pony behind the counter held his breath, not wanting to upset the two villains or tell them no.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s going well. You and I will have to play a lot of catchups if we’re going to have any chance of winning. I will not have that buffoon beat me,” Tirek replied. He finished the last of his sugary treat, leaving the paper stick on the counter.

Sombra placed the stuffed animal on his back atop the red, sapphire encrusted cape. "It doesn't help that I'm already lagging behind thanks to that hiccup on the first day." The two began walking away, relieving the fearful kiosk pony. They strolled along the path, in-between other party game stalls. Ponies chattering to each other, ignoring the two reformers.

“I wonder if I could get away with absorbing some unicorn magic.” Tirek placed a hand on his chin, looking around the festival for some easy prey.

“Oh please, the first sign of trouble and those six will come running. They have a knack for getting in our way. It’s definitely a deterrent for us if we were to try anything mischievous,” replied Sombra, pointing up at the rainbow mane floating above in the sky.

With a groan, Tirek frowned. “At least the food is palatable.” The two walked until they were underneath a banner, they both stared up at it with irritated expressions. White as a summer cloud and floating gently with the breeze, the banner held their names in captivating text, welcoming them to Ponyville. “At least, it seems they are beginning to trust us,” he said.

“It’s a shame, really. It may end up being their downfall."

Tirek raised an eyebrow, looking down at the black furred unicorn that stood next to him. He motioned to speak, but promptly closed his mouth, taking a moment to think before he said too much.

With green and purple, glowing eyes, Sombra looked up at Tirek. A grin cut across his face from sideburn to sideburn. “Don’t tell me you’ve already grown spineless. The great Tirek may actually have a soft spot for the ponies?”

“Do you take me for a fool? I’m not willing to play into your manipulative, little game. I will be the deciding factor for when I attack, and your provoking will not change that,” the centaur replied, mocking with a flick of his hands and a roll of his eyes.

“Tirek, Tirek… I’m not trying to rankle you. I’m just curious as to why you choose to stay and participate in this bet, instead of simply absorbing as much magic as you can and then scurrying away.”

Tirek lowered his eyes to match Sombra’s. “I was trapped in Tartarus and I have no desire to return. What is your excuse, whelp? You were already free.”

“To win, of course,” Sombra replied, still holding a conniving grin.

“Really? Nothing more?” Tirek asked. “That seems a little wasteful for the great King Sombra.”

“Oh, are we using titles now, Lord Tirek? And here I thought we were becoming close friends, shame really.”

“As if I would demean myself by becoming your ally,” replied Tirek, his tone brutishly mocked the dark unicorn.

Sombra turned his head and began walking away from the centaur. “Suit yourself. I’m sure you’ll change your mind,” he replied.

“You two getting along?” a familiar voice asked Tirek.

He shifted his focus from the parting unicorn to see who the voice could be, only to find that it was Twilight. He quickly unfurrowed his eyebrows in an attempt to look posh for the young princess. “Not really, we are competitors in a competition to win you, after all,” he jested.

With a glancing smile, she said, “Well, as long as you two aren’t at each other’s throats. Are you enjoying your party… err, festival? I’m shocked that Pinkie was able to throw all this together so quickly.”

Tirek crossed his arms as he looked out into the crowd. “The ponies greeted me at first, and now they all seem to be ignoring me,” he replied, “but they also aren’t giving me dirty looks. It’s definitely a change, compared to the first time I arrived in Equestria with my brother.”

“Well, Ponyville is a melting pot of every culture, and it helps that it’s also the home to the Princess of Friendship. The ponies here are willing to forgive easily, especially when the pony, or centaur, shows that they are trying to make an effort towards amity,” she stated.

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll earn your friendship just so I can break it?” he asked. Twilight couldn’t help but let out a roar of laughter at Tirek’s question. He simply crossed his arms, slightly annoyed by the response to his inquiry.

Once she finally stopped, still wiping the tears from her eyes, she replied, “Tirek, Discord broke his friendship with us to join you. After you betrayed him, he understood what friendship was all about and our bond with him became stronger. I expect that you’ll learn from his mistake, but if you don’t, then there’s no doubt in my mind that the same thing will happen to you.”

He began to fidget with his beard, contemplating her words. “Do you have that much faith in me, or is it in the magic of your supposed friendship?”

“Both,” she said with a smile.

Opening his mouth to speak, the words refused to leave his throat. The idea that a pony had even an inkling of faith in him, that he could become a good friend, it left him speechless. These ponies are blindingly gullible, he thought, staring down at the young alicorn. Or maybe I’m the one who is blind.

“Oh, before I forget. Sombra will be participating as a speaker at the schoolhouse, just like you. He’ll be first this week, Starlight will be his chaperone while he’s there. Then, after a few days, it’ll be your turn and she’ll be chaperoning you as well. Please be kind to Starlight, she’s just as new to this as you,” Twilight said.

He gave a quick nod before asking, “And when will I get to spend time with you?”

Twilight’s face flushed redder than burning coals. “Y-You want to spend time with me?”

“Well, of course,” he replied, raising an eyebrow to her question. “I want to win this bet just as much as the others, but I can't do that until I've reformed. You're the deciding factor in our reformation. Neither me, nor Sombra, have been given that chance and it’s become rather annoying.”

“I’m actually surprised you want to spend time with me. Okay. You got it. While Sombra is at the schoolhouse, you’ll be spending the day with me, and vice versa,” she said, a smile bloomed across her blushing face like spring flowers.

Tirek placed a hand on the back of his neck, confused as to how he should feel about her reddening face. He rubbed his nape, trying to think of a response, but as he opened his mouth to speak he was interrupted by a crowd of foals. They rushed up and gathered around his legs, eyes as bright as sunlight shining off a still lake.

“He really is a centaur!” a filly shouted.

“He’s a lot smaller than I remember…” Scootaloo said.

“Wh-what’s going on? What are you all doing?” Tirek shouted, confused by the eruption of cheery foals.

“Whoa, Tirek. Looks like you’ve got a fan club.” Twilight chuckled softly to herself.

He looked up from his feet, glaring at Twilight. “What do you mean?” he shouted angrily.

“Tirek! Tirek! Is it true you’re going to be a good guy now?” asked one of the small colts.

“I… I mean, I guess.” Tirek tried to answer, but was overwhelmed by the sudden amount of intrigue. “Does it matter?”

“Princess Twilight! Is Tirek really going to reform like Discord?” Diamond Tiara trotted over from the other foals, looking up at the alicorn.

Twilight looked at her, then to Tirek. His eyes were as desperate as a starving pony. She looked back at the filly and answered, “I think he’s on the right track, but I believe he could use an extra push. Do you all want to help?”

“We get to help!?” Apple Bloom rushed over with a few of the others.

Tirek looked at Twilight, the entire group of foals began rushing over to stand in front of the princess, and he gave a quick sigh of relief. His frown faltered for a moment, shifting to a smile, something that Twilight briefly caught.

“He needs to be shown how to have fun, so let’s play a game. How about hide and seek, you all go hide and Tirek will come find you?” Twilight replied, grinning in anticipation of Tirek’s reaction.

As his face filled with frustration, he looked down at the smiling fillies and colts, their eyes glistening like thousands of lit candles. He gave another, more exaggerated sigh. “Alright, go hide…” The foals immediately ran away screaming, startling the adult ponies and causing them to stare in his direction. He felt their immediate gaze, a sense of awkwardness washed over him, perhaps for the first time in his life.

“Tirek.” He turned his attention to Twilight, still feeling the humility gathering in the pit of his stomach. “Don’t worry about anypony else. The kids know how to have fun, so try to learn from them. I know how much you love chasing ponies,” Twilight said, chuckling under her breath.

“Now, I know you’re playing me, and I do enjoy it,” he replied, a smile shined on his face. For the first time in his stay it was not a maniacal or malevolent smile, but one that appeared to be pure of joy. He then shouted, “Ready or not, here I come!” Twilight watched as he ran off in search of the foals, a sense of pride filled her heart.

“Oh dear. Is somepony falling for a certain centaur?”

“W-What?” Twilight exclaimed, her face filled to the brim with a pink tint.

Rarity grinned, giggling at the flustered alicorn. “I’d say by your face that I’m correct. You really are a lucky mare, three gentlecolts vying for your attention. Though I don’t envy you having to choose,” she said.

“C-Choose? Oh, I never really, I mean, why do I have to choose?” Twilight stuttered, trying to pick the best words through her embarrassment.

“Darling! How risqué! I wouldn’t have thought multiple partners would be your thing, dearie. Though a male harem does sound simply marvelous to the ears,” she replied.

“W-WHAT!?” Twilight shouted, causing ponies to stare in her direction. She quickly covered her mouth, feeling the same sort of embarrassment Tirek had felt moments ago. “I don’t mean like that, Rarity! I just mean, I’m sure there will be a clear winner and I won’t have to choose,” she whispered through her covered lips.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s what you meant. However, you really should think long and hard about the few broad shouldered boys who could carry your books around, feeding you grapes straight from the vine, and giving you pampered hooficures,” Rarity replied. A smug grin wrapped around her jaw. “Discord would be there too, I guess.”

“Rarity! You make them sound like servants or something.”

Her grin increasing from ear to ear. “They could be wonderful servants in the bedroom, I’d imagine."

Twilight’s face shifted from the pink coloring of embarrassment to a dark shade of red. “R-Rarity!” was all she could say.

“I’m just teasing, darling,” Rarity said, glee in her voice.

With a sigh, Twilight replied, “Sorry. I’m just a little stressed out.”

“You really do look exhausted, actually.” Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s chin, looking deep into her tired eyes. “I think the others can handle the festivities. We’ll get you home and you can have a nice rest.”

“That actually sounds nice. Thank you Rarity.” The two mares began making their way to her castle, gossiping about the romantic candidates and the worries of what might happen.

Once they arrived, Rarity pulled open the castle door and asked, “So, if you had to choose one right now, who would you pick?”

Twilight stepped inside the castle’s foyer. “Hmm, well, that’d be a tough choice,” she replied.

“Would it get harder to choose if there was a fourth candidate?” Rarity inquired, closing the door behind them.

“Oh geez, a fourth? I’m not sure I could handle that. I can barely keep up with these three, and they’re already wanting more from me,” Twilight replied. She zoned out for a moment, her exhaustion at its peak. She stared up the stairs as she became lost in thought. “Who would it even be?”

“Perhaps instead of another male egotist, it would be a mare. Somepony that could truly fulfill your every desire,” Rarity said, brushing up against Twilight and rubbing their tails together.

Twilight could feel her heart shoot up into her throat, the idea of a friend being romantically interested in her wasn’t something she had ever considered. “Ruh-Rarity?”

Pressing her muzzle against Twilight’s ear, Rarity whispered, “Would you like that idea? A mare and you, alone in your bedroom, while the town is completely busy.”

“Rarity… I had no idea. T-This isn’t like you,” Twilight said as she backed away, tripping and falling onto the steps of the staircase.

The white unicorn smiled at Twilight, slowly walking towards her. A lusty, but sophisticated, glow radiated from her. “I suppose I should give up this charade before I make you upset. After all, I do want to win this bet for myself, and I can’t do that if you won’t give me a chance.”

“Bet? Rarity, I don’t understand,” she nervously replied. Her eyes then lit up with the green, fiery glow that emitted from the supposed Element of Generosity. The fire raged up Rarity’s legs in an instant, transforming the white body of the mare into a blackened coat, blue hair replacing the prim and proper purple mane.

“Would you like to marry a queen?” asked the modulated, shrill voice.

Twilight stared into the bright green eyes, past the coal colored face. “Q-Queen… C-C-Chrysalis!?” she yelled out, her face draining of color. Her vision began to darken, the high-pitched laughter rang in her ears as she passed out, finally succumbing to the overwhelming stress.

Chapter 9: Marefriend

The first thing she could feel was the silk sheets that surrounded her, comforting her as she slept. A gentle moan left her throat as she sat up, opening her eyes to the darkness that shrouded the bedroom. After cleaning the gunk out of her eyes and giving a loud yawn, she eventually snapped back to the memory of Queen Chrysalis. Her dark form replacing the white fur that had been Rarity.

Twilight quickly pulled herself out of the bed, lighting the room with her magic. Starlight and the others had to be informed of the changeling’s arrival, and of her willingness to participate in the bet. The door to her bedroom creaked as she opened it, the hall was barely lit by the castle’s glow. She ventured forth, creeping quietly to Starlight’s room. As she opened the door, she could hear laughter echoing from below the staircase.

Where are you, Starlight, she thought to herself after peering inside the room, revealing it to be void of her pupil. There was no other option than to investigate the laughter. She made a note not to trust anypony she came in contact with, as they could be Chrysalis in disguise. If Chrysalis was here then certainly some of the other changelings were as well.

As she walked down the stairs, she could hear voices chattering on like gossiping mares at the spa. The foyer was lit up by the light from an offshoot chamber. It was a room Twilight used to meet with special guests and short visits with friends. She stared down from the railing, listening carefully to whoever was speaking.

Only two voices, she thought. It was unclear what they were talking about but she could tell one of them was Chrysalis herself. The shrill, feminine laughter sent a shiver down Twilight’s spine. She crept closer to the room where she stealthily caught her first glimpse of the changeling queen, but to her surprise, the queen was untransformed.

“So you controlled an entire village by removing their cutie marks? You must have some powerful magic,” Chrysalis commended. She then levitated her teacup to take a quick sip before placing it back down on the table.

“Well, it’s certainly insignificant compared to the ability to transfer love into magical power,” Starlight replied.

Chrysalis let out a throaty laugh. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“I hope so. I’m sure Twilight will be happy to hear you’ve joined in reforming, mostly for the ability to learn more about your species. Not much is known, other than you eat love,” Starlight mentioned.

“Eat is rather figurative, it’s more like absorb. We need it to survive.”

Starlight lifted up a quill, quickly jotting down the information. “Is it like Tirek, who drains magic? Or like a bug that sucks out the energy?” she asked.

“Are you comparing us to bugs!?” Chrysalis shouted, clearly angered by the very comparison, but still calm enough to levitate her tea without spillage.

With a nervous smile, Starlight replied, “Yes, I did.” She set the quill down next to the paper. “Is that offensive?”

“Yes,” shouted the queen, “I’ve been insulted by that word, my kin have been insulted by that word. Ponies have used it as an insult since the first contact we ever made. A bug is something small, crushable beneath your hooves. Changelings are not bugs. We are far more powerful!”

Starlight lifted the quill back up. “I’ll make a note of it to ensure Twilight and the others don’t use it or compare you to them. Though, I can’t prevent the other candidates from using it. I would suggest you not let them see that it, ahem, bugs you, so to speak.”

Surprised by Starlight’s cooperation, Chrysalis replied, “Th… Thank you. It’s nice to see somepony so understanding and refined.”

“Well, you can thank Twilight for that. The lessons she’s been teaching me about friendship are some of the same you and the others will be receiving,” she boasted with an embarrassed smile.

“Friendship lessons?” Chrysalis asked. “It’s going to be challenging, but I can’t imagine it’s the worst thing in the world.”

Starlight had poured more tea into her cup, allowing it to cool on the wooden end table that sat next to her. She then rolled up the parchment that sat in front of her. Staring down at the rolled paper, she confided, “I know for a fact that it’s difficult to trust a pony who you had thought ruined your life. It was for me. The world I had once sought after would have been a world that was awful for me and everypony else.”

“And you think if I had it my way, the world would be just as horrid?”

“Just from what you’ve told me tonight… Maybe, maybe not. It could be bad for you, it could be bad for your kind, it could be bad for ponies,” Starlight replied.

Chrysalis placed down her teacup. “Or it could be bad for all of the above, I get it. What’s so great about the way it is now, under princess rule? With friends? You yourself are new to this, so you must have some fresh perspective compared to these clods.”

“I went from no friends to six really great friends who have helped me a lot. I’ve still got to work on becoming better, but they’ve given me more help and kindness than anything I could ever repay. If I ever run into a problem that I can’t solve myself, I can turn to them,” she mused.

“So, friends help solve problems. Interesting. I usually just get my minions to solve it.”

Twilight could feel her heart in her throat, the feeling of pride was rushing over her like waves on a beach. Starlight had been the greatest apprentice she had ever had, even if she was the only one she’s ever had. “Now I know how Celestia must have felt every time I did well,” she whispered to herself, a tear in her eye.

“Eavesdropping is rather rude for a friend, don’t you think?” a voice asked from behind.

The abrupt question startled the alicorn, causing her to scream and unhinge from the wall she crept against. Starlight and Chrysalis lifted up out of their seats, only to see Twilight fall into the open doorway.

Sombra walked forward into the light, standing above the snooping princess. “Honey, I’m home,” he jokingly said.

“Oh good, she’s awake. Hello to you as well, Sombra.” Starlight walked over to the two of them as Twilight regained her composure. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“A little dizzy,” Twilight replied, “but mostly embarrassed.”

“Well, you should be. Spying on someone else’s conversation?” Chrysalis wandered over to the ponies, Twilight noted how much taller she was than the three of them. “That sounds like something I would do,” she continued, cackling with her operatic accent.

“After that stunt you pulled earlier, I think I have the right to be wary.” Twilight puffed her chest, still annoyed by the use of her friend’s appearance.

Starlight giggled, quickly replying, “Yes, Chrysalis told me what happened. I’ve already informed her of the details to the bet, and she’s promised to be cautious with her shapeshifting.” She then looked to Sombra. “Oh, right. Sombra, meet Queen Chrysalis. She will be another contender against you and Tirek. I guess you’ll have to step up your game tenfold,” she explained, giving the unicorn a wink.

With a polite smile, Sombra extended his hoof to the changeling queen. “It’s a pleasure to… meet you,” he said.

“Charmed,” she replied, shaking their hooves together. A grin wickedly parting from her face as she turned back to Starlight. “Am I also meeting Tirek?”

“He hasn’t returned?” asked Sombra. “He had gotten stopped by Pinkie Pie hours ago, something about a cupcake eating contest. I was certain he still would have made it back before I had.”

“We’ll wait up a little while longer to see if he shows up, you can meet Discord tomorrow. Sombra, could you escort Twilight back up to her bed?”

Twilight was surprised by Starlight’s words. “I-I’m fine! I already slept the day away. You’re acting as if I’m so old mare.”

Placing his hoof onto her back, he noted, “Isn’t tomorrow Tirek’s day with you? You’ll need your sleep if you wish to handle that crazed centaur.”

“Not to mention, you’ll have to be up bright and early to help figure out who will be watching Chrysalis,” Starlight added, nudging her head toward the queen.

“Alright!” Twilight shouted. “C’mon Sombra.” She huffed and puffed as she stomped towards the stairs, Sombra readily marching up with her.

“Goodnight!” Starlight yelled as she and Chrysalis returned to their seats.

Twilight mumbled to herself incoherently, partly due to the dizziness and stress, but mostly from her frustration. As the two climbed the steps of the staircase, Sombra could barely contain his laughter as he listened to her vexation. By the time they reached the top, the muttering had stopped. “Are you alright?” he asked.

With an audible groan, she responded, “Sorry. I’m not really feeling like myself. The stress of you three… err, four, well… It’s getting to me.”

“I can understand that. Isn’t that why you split us up to be handled by your friends?” he inquired.

“Yeah. That’s bought me time to study and plan the reformation process, along with preparing myself mentally for the prospect of dating any of you. Now with Chrysalis, it’s thrown a proverbial wrench into my plans. I now have to account for four instead of three.”

“I do not envy you. I’d say I’d like to make it easier on you, but I want to win just as much as the others,” he replied. "Though, if it makes you feel any better, reforming is far from easy on us."

She gave a slight chuckle. “Thanks, I guess.”

The two reached the top floor and Twilight’s bedroom door. She opened and walked in, the dark unicorn following behind. A quick flick of a spell onto a candle’s wick lit up the room with a dim light. She levitated the blanket on her bed, pulling it neatly against the corners. When she eventually realized Sombra was still in the room, she turned and asked, “What?”

“Oh, I didn’t know you were finished speaking with me,” he replied.

With a half-smile across her face, she said, “I suppose it doesn’t have to be, but I don’t want to keep you if you’re ready for bed.”

Sombra raised an eyebrow, staring deep into the alicorn’s tired eyes. “Well, you certainly look like you are. The stress must really be getting to you.”

She hoisted herself up onto the bed, pulling the covers against her. “If you want to stay and chat, I won’t mind. Though you are right, I may fall asleep. I hope you don’t think of me as rude.”

“What would you like to talk about?” he asked, while he walked around to the other side of the bed.

Twilight rested her head against a pillow, smiling as she closed her eyes. “Tomorrow you’ll be a guest speaker at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, in front of a bunch of foals who may fear or idolize you depending on how it goes. Are you nervous?” she questioned, beginning to feel movement on the bed.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I don’t mind the young ones, as long as they don’t nip at my limbs,” he replied.

To Twilight, she could sense he was closer just from the pitch of his voice. She opened an eye to peer where he was, only to see him lying next to her underneath the covers. “W-What are you d-doing!?” she shouted, springing forward from the bed.

He rested on his side with a hoof against his face, staring back at her. “What? Did you expect me to stand above you while we talked? That’d be a little eerie, don’t you think?”

“Yes, but, you aren’t supposed to be in my bed!” she replied, pulling the covers over herself.

“What’s wrong? It’s not like we’re doing anything unscrupulous - unless that’s what you’re afraid of wanting.” A grin stretched across his face, emphasizing his jawline. Twilight stared at him, a slight blush washing against her cheeks as he stared back.

“Nope. Not dealing with this.” She then lifted Sombra out of the bed with her magic, levitating him out the door. “Goodnight, Sombra,” she yelled as the door slammed shut.

As he stood back on his hooves, he looked around the hall, making sure he wasn’t to be heard as he said, “Goodnight, Twilight Sparkle.” Sombra then crossed the hall and entered his lightless bedroom, eager to get a night’s rest. He removed his cape, laying it atop a plush chair in the corner of the room, he then lifted the covers on the bed and climbed in.

Sombra placed his head against the pillow, feeling the soft chill against his fur. Just as he closed his eyes, a slip of the knob echoed in the room. He lifted his head to see who had entered unannounced, quickly illuminating the room with his horn.

“Sorry, I should have knocked,” Twilight said softly as she closed the door.

“Changed your mind?” he jestingly asked.

She wandered over to the side of the bed. “I couldn’t resist,” she replied, climbing underneath the sheets.

“Maybe we should do something else, instead of just talking,” Sombra said, attempting to push how far she would be willing to go.

Twilight pressed herself up onto Sombra, pushing her head out from under the covers and staring at him with lustful eyes. She began to rub their chests together, before whispering, “I think I’m way ahead of you on that.”

He quickly wrapped his forelegs around her body, a smug grin from ear to ear. “I take it my charm has been working. And here I thought I wouldn’t live to see the day,” he said, nipping at the underside of her neck.

“Well,” she whispered, leaning in close to his ear. “Without me, you wouldn’t have been alive at all.”

Sombra immediately knew what that meant. He attempted to push her, pulling away from the fake alicorn. His eyes met her glowing, green pupils and the wicked grin on her face shifted with the flames as she undisguised. “You little worm,” he murmured.

“What’s the matter? I thought you wanted me to be here. Or is it that you truly wished I was the real Twilight? Are you entranced with her, interested in the purple pony?” she asked, still sitting atop him, preventing his movements.

“This is the week I’ll be able to spend some time with her alone. I don’t need you screwing it up for me,” he scolded, trying to wiggle his lower half out from underneath her.

“Who cares? Our goal isn’t to win anyways,” she said as she pressed her muzzle against his. “Once we win their trust we’ll destroy them, and we can rule Equestria together. King and queen. Wouldn’t you rather have a queen than a princess?”

“They’re resistant and smart. I’ve already made some mistakes with them,” he said, turning his head away from the changeling.

She began running a hoof down his chest, slowly towards his waist. “Perhaps you need to release your pent up stress. I’m certain it’s been hard for you, living here with such a beautiful mare.”

“Enough!” he roared, pushing her completely off of his body, towards the foot of the bed. “I have to do well tomorrow, and for that, I need my sleep. If I get thrown out of here, then your plan may as well be ruined. I will be king of Equestria!”

Chrysalis let out a groan of displeasure, rising up and stepping off the silken bed. “Fine, fine. You win, you big foal.”

He pulled up the covers to his neck, watching her as she wandered to the door. A flash of green fire blinded his eyes for a moment. When he looked back, he could see the shade of a purple alicorn. Green eyes still stared at him from the darkness.

“Once we destroy these little ponies, I’ll make sure to reward you with this form, since you seem to enjoy the princess look,” she teased, using Twilight’s voice.

With an annoyed tone, he replied, “Whatever.” He then covered his face with a pillow.

“Goodnight, my king.”

Chapter 10: Sibling

“I’m sickened to say it, but Discord was right about something. We are out here enjoying this sunny weather, eating neatly wrapped sandwiches, and drinking sweet sugary lemonade. You should be happily prancing about, not a care in the world. Yet, here you are, still pushing your muzzle to the paper.”

Tirek and Twilight sat together atop a grassy knoll, a picnic blanket underneath their hooves, and the shade of a maple tree protecting them from the sun’s rays. The soft gusts of wind made the leaves sing like chimes. Twilight was indeed absorbed in a good book, completely ignoring the centaur, who was acting like a drenched hornet.

“Why did you even plan today if you were going to waste it?” he asked.

“You know Tirek, even Discord figured out how to impress me by now, and it took him a really long time,” she said, attempting to coax the centaur into a deeper reaction.

He looked down at the alicorn, his brow had furrowed from her mocking tone. As quickly as he could, he grasped the book she was reading and tossed it like a snowball, sending it deep into the meadow.

“H-Hey! What’d you do that for?” she yelled.

“Whoa, did you see that? Some wind just swooped down and sent your book flying,” he claimed, turning to stare her in the eyes. “What a shame.”

She puffed up her cheeks, angrily staring back at the centaur. “It’s as if all males are stubborn like mules! Maybe I should choose Chrysalis since she’d at least understand my plight.”

“I’m stubborn? You’re the one who is reading while out with a date!” he growled.

“This isn’t a date! You have to befriend me before I even give you that option. Today is about you reforming and proving you're nice! The point of my reading was for you to try and wavier my attention from something I already love. Even Discord figured that out!” Twilight rose from the ground, turning to face Tirek.

He knew arguing with Twilight would be like dueling with grenades, it wouldn’t be pretty. “And I’ve gotten your attention, Twilight Sparkle. Now what?” he said, his tone was filled to the brim with sarcasm.

Twilight let out a scream, frustrated with the whole situation. “What happened to the whole, I’m going to win you before Discord? All that lying, manipulation, and charisma, but you can’t even come up with a way to pry me from a book? At this rate, Discord may actually win the bet before you ever reform!”

“Well, what do you expect me to do out here? Oh Miss Twilight Sparkle, please, have some more lemonade, another sandwich. Let’s look at the clouds! I’m sure that will be the most exciting thing you’ve ever seen,” he sarcastically shouted back.

“Fine, you want to do something, then let’s talk. Sit your butt down.” She sat down in front of him, glaring at him with eyes as sharp as freshly made daggers.

Tirek raised an eyebrow, unsure of where this might lead. He lowered his body, laying atop his legs. With a cross of his arms, he asked, “Alright, what should we talk about?”

“Why do you want to rule over Equestria?”

His jaw dropped. “Come again?” he said, unsure if he heard the question properly.

Twilight rolled her eyes and echoed her question. “Why do you want to rule Equestria?”

“No one has ever actually asked me why,” he replied. He stroked his beard while contemplating the question. “Why ask me such a question? Do I have to give a reason?”

“Well, there’s not much information on you, Tirek. You and your brother showed up, he told the princesses you were going to steal magic, they locked you up. That’s about all I know besides the, well, recent history.”

With a wave of his hand, he replied, “Then you know nothing of me, nor my idiotic brother. Your princesses are not as pure and kind as you think.”

“Right, so, tell me your side. What about your brother, Scorpan?” she suggested.

He clenched his fist to keep it from shaking, it was the only thing he could do to prevent his rage from boiling over. “I… My vile brother, he cared deeply for you ponies. When he asked me to return to our pitiful homeland with him, I resisted, explaining that I wanted to absorb all the magic I could. I would become powerful enough to rule any kingdom, even our homeland.”

She gave a nod, allowing him to continue his rant.

“When the fool informed your tyrannical leaders, they immediately came for me, thrusting me into the pits of Tartarus without any judge or jury. I was swept under the rug, betrayed by my own blood. After that day, betraying, manipulating, deceiving, they all became words in my lexicon. I just needed the power to do it.”

“Tirek… What’s the point of ruling a kingdom if nobody is happy under your rule; if no one wants to share the wealth and power you’ve obtained?” she queried, placing a hoof onto his fist. “Being powerful, it doesn’t mean you have to take power from someone else. Power can come from yourself and your friends.”

“You sound like my brother,” he scoffed.

She gave a half-hearted smile before staring out in the direction of Ponyville. A lull in conversation came between the two as Twilight became lost in thought. Tirek sat, staring at the pony, confused as to why or what she was thinking. As he opened his mouth to break the silence, she spoke up first, asking, “Can you return power after you’ve absorbed it?”

With a raise of his eyebrow, he replied, “Yes, or give it to another pony. Are you finally coming over to the dark side? Want me to steal magic for you?” He gave a mockingly maniacal grin.

“I’d like to give a test to you.” She ignored his question entirely.

“A test?”

Twilight suddenly turned her head, looking directly into his yellow pupils. Her face was unmoved, serious and sure, a look that made Tirek slightly unhinged. “I want to see you act like you rule Ponyville as if you had the power to do so. I’m going to allow you to absorb my magic to do it too.”

“Pardon me?” he croaked, a bit disturbed by her strange request.

“I want you to-“

“It was rhetorical, I heard you the first time.” Tirek placed his hand covering his face. He didn’t know what to think. Stealing magic was a way to gain power and rule over the ponies, something they weren’t supposed to want. To Tirek, it seemed like some sort of trick. “Why?” he asked, removing his hand, sliding it down to his chin.

Her seriously sharp features gave way to a frigid smile. “You seem to think power is the key to happiness, so I want you to absorb mine. I believe that with a walk around Ponyville, you’ll finally understand what that type of power gets you. Think you can do that?”

“What makes you think I’ll give it back to you? What would stop me from thieving all the magic from the ponies there?” he asked, trying to find a cause or reaction, something that would help in figuring out Twilight’s manipulative puzzle.

“The girls and I have the magic of friendship to reign you back in if you get out of line, but I don’t think we’ll need to. You said you wanted to do something more exciting than sit here,” she replied. “Afraid of failing a little test?”

Tirek grumbled to himself, unamused with her brash demands. “Now I know you’re playing me, but I’m too curious to say no.”

“Good. Then do it,” she said as she stood up.

He rose up as well, his horse body barely towering over the alicorn. His mouth opened wide, extracting the magic from Twilight’s horn in one fell swoop. As he finished, he felt the magic flow through him. His body size tripled, muscles bulged on his arms, the white flow of his beard increased up his jawline, and his horns protruded from the top of his skull.

“Ah, what a refreshing reminder of what could have been,” he jeered, his voice no longer a frail croak, but gruff and gravely.

Twilight rubbed her temples, attempting to balance herself. She could feel the emptiness, no longer housing the magic that had coursed through her. She looked up at the centaur, her eyes gray and lifeless like a doll. She asked, “You have my power, are you still willing to take a walk?”

As he flexed his muscles, still staring at the alicorn. A maniacal grin was held across his face. He replied, “Twilight Sparkle, you are indeed a strange one. Before you were the last one to give me your power, now you are the first. My worthless brother would have liked you.”

She kept her eyes locked with his, focusing on keeping the gaze. “Is that a no?”

“Of course not. I want to see the great Twilight Sparkle lead without her magic. Take me to wherever you wish, I will follow, for now,” he replied.

The two set off in their march to Ponyville. Tirek’s physique could be seen long before they even arrived on the outskirts of the town. Ponies quivered in fear as they stared at the centaur, to which he immediately noticed. His evil grin slowly dissipated as he watched the children running in fear, hiding behind their parents, doors and shutters slamming closed.

As the streets emptied of ponies, Tirek could feel the glee in his heart, knowing that ponies were truly frightened by him. It did not take long for this glee to disappear, as he noted the same ponies who had attended the festival now ran in fear. He thought to himself, I’m still the same, only larger and more powerful. Why aren’t they simply ignoring me as they had been yesterday?

Mayor Mare trotted up alongside Twilight, sweat dripped from her brow as she nervously greeted the alicorn. “H-Hello Twilight, how’s the, um, reforming coming along?” She looked up at the centaur who ignored the politician.

“It’s fine Mayor, we’re on a little trust exercise today,” Twilight replied.

“That’s good news! And you’re performing this exercise by yourself? Without anypony else?” she questioned, attempting to skirt around without blatantly asking if Twilight needed the help of her friends.

“Don’t worry Mayor, everything will be alright.”

The Mayor gave a quick, sweaty nod and a half-hearted smile, hoping Twilight’s words to be true. As Mayor Mare walked away, Twilight looked to the centaur, only to be surprised by the confused look upon his face. His frown hadn't vanished, but seemed to be different as well.

As they reached the middle of the town, they stopped in front of town hall. The ponies that normally roamed the streets during a busy afternoon had all vanished, leaving empty stalls and roads. Tirek looked down at Twilight “Where is everyone?”

“Well, the last time a giant centaur roamed the town, our library was destroyed. I’d imagine they’d be a little nervous about that,” she mocked with a roll of her eyes.

“But they weren’t afraid yesterday… They greeted me and Sombra warmly, and then simply went on their way. They enjoyed the party to their heart's content,” he said, slowly becoming annoyed with the situation.

One small foal was the only one brave enough to walk up to the two. Apple Bloom’s face wasn’t confused or bewildered, but sad, as if she had witnessed a puppy being kicked. Tirek looked down as she approached, a smile appeared on his face, only to have it ripped off when he eyed her expression.

“Twilight, what’s goin’ on?” she asked.

Twilight looked up at Tirek, his expression almost matching Apple Bloom’s to a T. “It’s just a trust exercise,” she replied, before looking back at the foal. “I’m showing him what it’s like to rule as a real tyrant.”

Apple Bloom stared at the centaur. “Mister Tirek, why are you so big? You’re not evil again, are you?”

“Evil again?” he retorted. “I’ve always been evil.”

Apple Bloom shook her head in disagreement. “No, yesterday you weren’t. We had a lot of fun playin’ hide ‘n seek and tag, and then racing to see who could eat more of Pinkie’s cupcakes,” she argued.

“But… I…” He stuttered, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“You can’t be evil and enjoy a cupcake from Sugar Cube Corner! Scootaloo said so! Nopony who is evil can smile with a face covered in frostin’!” Apple Bloom stomped her hooves against the ground.

It had become apparent that Apple Bloom was growing increasingly upset, something Twilight nor Tirek, had expected. Tears had begun to form in her eyes as she stared at the centaur. Tirek was unable to form words, unsure of what he could say to appease one of the foals he had spent some time with the day before.

“Alright Apple Bloom, run along now. Applejack will want to hear about your day at school,” Twilight interjected, nudging the disheartened foal away before things truly went awry.

“Bye Twilight, bye Mister Tirek,” she replied, looking back with a dejected look at the two as she walked away. They watched as she vanished into the distance, a silence fell between them both. Twilight turned and looked up at the centaur, unsure of what she could say to him. His face was still distraught, but the look in his eyes told her that he was off in his own little world, a stare that could see for a thousand yards.

“Tirek?” she finally called out.

Upon hearing his name, he snapped back to reality, looking back down at the alicorn. “What?”

“Are you alright? You look… sad.”

He grunted in disapproval, flicking his hand at her as if to brush her comment away. “As if a puny pony could upset the great Lord Tirek. I am, however, annoyed with this boring test,” he scoffed.

To her surprise, his jaw opened wide and magic poured out, pushing back into her horn. She could feel the magic surge through her like a rush of adrenaline. When the magic had finished transferring, she opened her eyes, only to see the centaur had transformed back into the dainty, fragile stature he had been.

Tirek was crossing his arms, looking away from Twilight. Out of his peripherals, he caught a glimpse of a shine. When he turned to look, he saw the tears gushing down her face, a smile in between the two streams. “W-What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asked, shocked by her expressions.

She stood up bipedal, placing her forelegs around his waist, hugging him as tight as she could. Tirek raised his arms in the air, confused by the sudden affection. He slowly placed his hands around the back of her neck and atop her head. His sad expression returned to his face.

Somehow, this is your fault, Scorpan, he thought.

Chapter 11: Queen Discord

“Alright you three, have a good time today. I’ll be back this afternoon to pick Chrysalis up.” Starlight said her goodbyes to the draconequus, the changeling, and the pegasus. She was leaving the changeling queen in the care of Fluttershy and Discord under the orders from Twilight, hoping they could handle her ferocious personality. A definite test for the draconequus's capabilities.

“So who should we gossip about first?” Discord asked as soon as the door shut, giggling like a school filly.

“D-Discord! We do not gossip,” Fluttershy replied. She turned and looked at Chrysalis. “We simply discuss things that are happening in our lives and our friends’ lives. Sometimes that leads to speculation.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow to Fluttershy’s explanation. “Uh huh. Well, how about we discuss Tirek. After all, things apparently went very well for him yesterday.”

With an irritated groan, Discord replied, “I’m sure he’ll just throw it away. He is a backstabber, after all.”

“I don’t know Discord, he could have done it yesterday and didn’t,” Fluttershy mentioned. “I really think he is changing, and that’s something you should be proud of.”

“Me? Why I should I be proud of anything that manipulative centaur does?” he argued, snapping a cookie in half.

“You’re the greatest example of what it means to be a friend. Even after your, uhm, betrayal, you still turned out to be a very good friend. I think that’s what he wants, he just doesn’t know it yet,” she commended. “And I believe somepony else will soon share that feeling.” She coyly smiled at Chrysalis.

With a roll of her eyes, the queen responded, “Yes, yes. Friendship, wonderful thing, grand adventures.”

“I honestly don’t care if he reforms or not, but if he thinks he can wiggle his way into Twilight’s heart before me, well, I will not lose this bet to him. It’s already bad enough that Twilight wants to utilize my help in the redeeming process! Though, it may give me a chance to create a little sprinkle of chaos for him.” His teacup filled with sprinkles, to which he quickly poured down his throat.

“Wait, you’re going to be helping us reform? That’s a riot! I figured you were nothing more than a moral story,” Chrysalis demeaned, cackling with shrill laughter.

Discord snapped his fingers and a blue police uniform appeared on his body. “I’ll be making sure you don’t get into any trouble too,” he replied, swinging a nightstick.

The changeling queen let out another roar of laughter, her blue hair swaying as her head rocked back and forth. Her sudden, sharp laughter caused the fearful pegasus to tense up, almost dropping the plate of cookies held in her hooves. Once Chrysalis finally finished her laughing fit, she looked to Discord with teary eyes, noticing how annoyed he looked.

“Discord, Discord, Discord. How do you expect to keep us in line? You’ve got a centaur who can eat your magic, a unicorn that can destroy your mind, and a changeling who can…” she paused, a green flash of flames circled around her. As the white fur appeared, shining against the bright orange cutie mark on her flank, the multi-colored mane began to flow majestically on its own. “…Change into anypony they desire,” her voice said, matching the accent of Celestia herself.

“Oh, my…” Fluttershy softly spoke.

A slight chuckle came from the draconequus. “Tirek can’t steal my magic in his current form, Sombra has nothing more than nightmares, and you?” He flicked his wrist, transforming the changeling’s eyes to a pink hue. “Now I will always know who you are.”

“And how could you possibly know that?” she questioned.

With another flick of his wrist, a mirror appeared in his hand, to which he promptly held to Chrysalis’ face. “That sparkle in your eye just calls out to me,” he sassed.

Chrysalis gasped at the sight, the adorable color mismatched her disguise. She quickly transformed into a different pony, the eye color staying the same. Again and again, she transformed until she reverted back to her original form. “Change it back!” she growled.

“Hmm, let me think about it,” he said, the costume vanished off his body. “Mm, no.”

She jumped onto the coffee table, the anger filled her eyes like two holes burning into a blanket. She yelled again, “Change it back right now!”

“And what are you going to do about it? Hmm?” he replied, laughing in her face.

“Discord, please change her eyes back,” the yellow pegasus politely commanded.

The two stopped their bickering and looked towards Fluttershy, both surprised by her demand. “Fluttershy, it’s for everyone’s protection, you can’t be serious,” Discord pleaded.

Fluttershy shook her head, an affectionate smile still on her face. “As long as she truly wishes to reform, she will be given the benefit of the doubt. If we took your powers away while you were being redeemed, don’t you think it would have taken you longer to reform, maybe even failed to do so?”

“Oh sweet, innocent Fluttershy. Your kind naivety knows no bounds, though I’m sure we’ll be regretting this.” With a snap of his fingers, the queen’s eyes shifted back to their normal hue. “There you are, queenie.”

Chrysalis lifted the mirror up once more, staring deeply into her bright green eyes, a sadistic smile across her face. “There you are my lovelies, momma missed you,” she creepily remarked.

“Um, Queen Chrysalis?” squeaked Fluttershy.

The changeling continued to gaze into the mirror, looking at the young pegasus in her peripherals. “Yes, little one?”

Fluttershy nervously asked, “Would you mind getting down from my table? If not, that’s okay.” A worried smile barely visible past the overshadowed pink mane.

“You have been so kind, my dear,” she replied, stepping down off the table. “And I really should get out of your hair completely.” Chrysalis whisked herself over to the door, opening it with her magic.

“Wait! You can’t leave, we’re supposed to watch you!” Fluttershy called out, lifting herself up off the couch.

With a ridiculing laugh, the queen looked back at the pony. “Sorry dear, I go where I please. I am a queen after all. If you are meant to guard me, then you better keep up.” She then drifted out the door.

“W-Wait!” Fluttershy begged once more, chasing after the changeling queen.

“I suppose brunch is canceled?” Discord loudly asked, but the two had already left the hearing range. He rose from his seat, quickly chomping down on a teacup before teleporting away. Once he reappeared, with a mouthful of ceramics, he asked, “Are we going on a road trip? Are we there yet?”

Fluttershy walked alongside Chrysalis, unnerved by the difference in size. “W-Where are we go-going? If you d-don’t mind me a-asking.” she stutteringly asked.

The queen vaguely answered, “Ponyville. May as well meet my new subjects. I am going to win this bet, after all. I can't imagine reforming will be hard, and then it's just a stepping stone from dating.”

“You? Win? As if you could worm your way to the top,” Discord snorted.

“Oh… Oh no.” Fluttershy had received specific instructions not to bring up anything bug related to Chrysalis, but she had not considered Discord didn’t get the same memo.

Chrysalis immediately stopped in her tracks, whipping her head around to scowl at Discord. “Are you comparing me to a worm?” she furiously asked.

He simply laughed in her face, which was becoming a common occurrence, and replied, “A worm? No, I don’t do insect puns… They really bug me!”

“Do you think you’re funny?” Chrysalis snarled, bearing her sharp fangs.

“Well, I do put the fun in dysfunctional!”

The queen rolled her eyes, retaining her composure. “I’m going to suffocate you while you sleep,” she hissed, then continued her walk into town.

Fluttershy looked up at Discord, a sulking expression in her posture. She halted the draconequus from proceeding after the changeling, waiting till she was out of earshot before asking, “Discord, could you please tone down the jokes?”

“Why should I? She is competition after all!”

“Well, yes, but you’re supposed to help them reform, remember? If you don’t make a good impression, or if you cause someone to fail, you might make Twilight mad and end up losing the bet,” she explained. "Chrysalis is only in the reforming process, you don't have to worry about her right now."

Discord threw his arms around the pegasus, clutching her in a bear hug. “Oh dear sweet Fluttershy, you just want me to win, don’t you? The idea of your two close friends getting together must warm your heart. You really are a caring friend.”

“Well, I have put some thought into it, and it would be really nice, and…” She then pushed away from the draconequus, allowing her a moment to look around. “Wait, D-Discord? Where’s Chrysalis?”

He immediately let go of the pegasus, plopping her rump on the ground. A telescope appeared in his hand to which he immediately scanned the area, eventually spotting the blue haired hoodlum entering Ponyville. “She is a quick little bee, isn’t she? Come on Fluttershy. No time to sit around.”

With a snap of his fingers, the two disappeared, reappearing in Ponyville. He smiled with glee, thinking Chrysalis was near, but to his surprise she was nowhere to be seen. “Where is she, Discord?” asked Fluttershy.

“I-I don’t know. She was right here. How can she be so quick? All those holes must make her aerodynamic!” he frantically replied.

The two skimmed the area, scouring for a black coat and blue mane. Fluttershy flew up high, attempting to get an aerial view while Discord searched through the crowds, examining each pony individually. With no changeling in sight, Fluttershy glided back down to the draconequus.

“Please tell me you found her, Discord.”

He turned to her, saying, “I’ve looked everywhere! I’ve been through this town with a fine-tooth comb!” With a chuckle, he showed her a magnifying glass with a comb on one end. “Get it?”

“Discord! This is no time to make jokes! It’ll be our fault if she hurts somepony,” she timidly rebuked.

“You two seem to be in a hurry. What’s gotten you in such a tizzy?” Twilight asked as she loomed behind them, causing the two hunters to gulp.

They looked at each other, then back to Twilight. Discord quickly offered a tale. “Us? Well, it seems I’ve lost my contacts. Fluttershy told me to keep an eye on them, but only in hindsight could I see that she was right!” He exaggerated his laughter while Fluttershy nervously chuckled along.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, not giving into Discord’s pun-filled quips. “Aren’t you two supposed to be watching Chrysalis?”

“We were, honest! But, she kind of disappeared,” Fluttershy immediately admitted, unable to lie to any extent.

“Disappeared?” asked Twilight.

Discord clapped his hands together, becoming invisible. “It’s like she vanished into thin air! Maybe went back home to her hive, you know how bugs are. She may never return, woe is us! At least it’s one less competitor,” he jested, becoming visible once more.

With annoyance exploding in her tone, Twilight heatedly replied, “Chrysalis was not to be let out of sight until she has proven she truly wants to reform. Just like you, Discord, where we always had you in the company of a pony during your reforming. Yet, even then, you still managed to cause trouble. Imagine how much damage she could cause to the ponies of Ponyville, she could even disguise as Princess Celestia for crying out loud!”

He stood there, hand on his cheek, taking the brunt of her commanding tone. With eyes squinted like a newborn foal, he stared at Twilight as she spoke. With a swift grasp, he lifted Twilight up by the cheeks, squishing and pulling her face.

“D-Discord!?” Fluttershy yelled, surprised by his sudden action.

“Relax Fluttershy. This is clearly the bug queen herself, simply trying to make us feel bad for losing her, but I saw through the cheap disguise,” he replied, chuckling as he attempted to squish her back into her changeling form.

Twilight’s face grimaced more and more with each passing second. “Discord. Put me down right now,” she demanded.

“Not until you change back, you little pest!” he replied.

“Discord, I really think you should s-stop,” the pegasus pleaded.

“I told you, not until she changes-” He turned to look at Fluttershy, noticing the queen standing next to her “-back.” He immediately dropped Twilight, a thud rang out as her butt hit the ground. “Oops.”

Twilight rose to her hooves, rubbing her backside. “Oops is right. It seems that it may have been a mistake to entrust you with anything important, Discord.”

“She’s the one who ran off!” retorted Discord defensively.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you not the Lord of Chaos? Because the Lord of Chaos could have handled one little changeling with ease,” she angrily replied, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she waltzed over to Fluttershy and Chrysalis. “Sorry to put you through all this, Fluttershy. I’m sure it was hard to manage both these two.”

Fluttershy’s eyes drooped like a wilted flower. “It’s not his fault Twilight. It-it’s both of ours.”

“And I’m sure he was more of a distraction than a boon,” she objected. “I’ll take Chrysalis off your hooves for the rest of the day. I don’t want any more pressure to be placed on your shoulders.”

“A-Alright, if you insist.” The yellow pegasus darted her eyes between her two close friends, trying to ease the awkward tension with quick and simplistic replies.

“Would you mind watching her again tomorrow?” Twilight asked, turning her head to Discord. “Without another distraction to hinder you, that is.”

“Oh, um, okay,” Fluttershy quietly responded.

Twilight wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy, embracing her in a hug and whispering, “You’re the best.” She then turned around to face Discord, a glower covered her eyes like the chill of an eerie grave. “Come along Chrysalis, I’m sorry I had to cut your visit with Fluttershy short.”

The changeling queen followed behind Twilight, but not before giving Discord an evil, smug grin. He wanted to retaliate. Sticking his tongue out, pulling down his eyelid, or maybe transforming himself into a bug. Instead, he did nothing, standing silently like a passing cloud. After they had left, Fluttershy spoke his name several times, attempting to talk to the draconequus. He eventually snapped back to reality. Perturbed and infuriated, he let out a grunt, giving Fluttershy a pathetic stare.

“Discord… A-Are you alright?” she asked.

“You were right to worry, Fluttershy. I shouldn’t have been making jokes, I should have been more careful, but that queen bee played me like a fiddle,” he muttered. “It was our job to watch her, I had the power to stop her and I didn’t use it.”

She glided up and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s just as much my fault, don’t beat yourself up.”

He shook his head. “No, I won’t place the blame on you, you don’t deserve that. Plus, all that matters is what Twilight thinks and that can’t be too good for me.”

“Do you want to go back to my place and finish brunch? Maybe talk this through?” she asked.

An unmistakably fake smile crossed his face as he answered, “No, no. I’m just going to head home. Would you mind if I come by later? Maybe we can talk about this then.”

“O-Oh, okay. Come by anytime.” Fluttershy then placed her forelegs around his neck, whispering into his ear, “Don’t give up.”

He placed his arms around her, twirling in circles as they hugged. “Give up? I’m Discord, I’d never give up!” he shouted, returning to his cheery disposition. The two shared each other’s laughter before going their separate ways. Discord immediately teleported to his chaotic home, whilst Fluttershy sauntered her way back to the cottage, the door still wide open.

She gave a deep sigh upon entering the doorway, gently closing the door shut and then sliding her back against the wooden entrance. As she sat morosely on the floor, Angel Bunny hopped over, curious as to why she looked troubled. With gloom written all over her face like bad makeup, she looked up, noticing the white rabbit. "Oh, Angel. Discord’s in trouble with Twilight and it’s all my fault. What am I going to do?"

Placing his paws on his furry hips, he gave a stern look to the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy understood exactly what he was saying, even if he didn’t use words. She scooped him up, pressing his body against her neck in a loving, gentle hug. "Okay, Angel. You’re right, I’ll do it!"

Chapter 12: Shards

“No cape?”

“Sorry Rarity, but I am not a king, nor do I wish to come off as one to the crystal ponies,” Sombra replied.

Twilight, Rarity, and Sombra were en route to the Crystal Empire. They were already close enough that the sun had been blocked by the blizzard clouds that surrounded the city. As they drew closer, the former king grew more anxious, fearful of the infinite possibilities playing in his head. There was no way of telling how the crystal ponies would react to his presence, or if it would even be safe for him to wander the city.

“I’m glad you’ve given some thought to this visit, Sombra. I know you would have preferred a more simplistic challenge, but I think you’ll be able to handle this,” said Twilight.

“What? You mean I don’t get the book challenge? Why don’t I get a chance at that?” he flippantly asked.

Twilight shook her head, an indulgent smile on her face. “Nope. I’ve learned that lesson. This is far more practical, though I must apologize for bringing Rarity along. I know this is supposed to be a one on one sort of thing, but since we aren’t in Ponyville I had to bring somepony along, just in case.”

“No worries. Two lovely mares escorting me around the empire? What more could a stallion ask for?” he smoothly replied.

Sombra gave a flirtatious wink just as the loudspeaker blared on, breaking any sort of charm he was attempting. “We will be arriving in a few moments, please watch your step when exiting the track.”

He peered his head out the window, catching a glimpse of the Crystal Empire in the distance. His heart skipped a beat, realizing that he was truly returning to his home. As he pulled back in, he asked, “Will the, uh, current rulers be making an appearance?”

“You mean my brother and Cadance? No, sorry. We won’t be going near the castle while we’re there. They’ve already let it be known to the citizens of our arrival, and yours, of course,” Twilight answered.

“That’s probably for the best,” he muttered, a sigh leaving his lips. The dark unicorn looked out the window, envisioning what might happen after they reached the city. From the stories Twilight told of her experiences in the Crystal Empire, it was obvious the citizens no longer felt his evil presence. Will they still fear me like they use to? Would I even want that, he thought.

Rarity gave a concerned eye, curious as to how he felt. “Sombra, are you nervous?” she asked. “You look more anxious than Fluttershy when Nightmare Night is near.”

“Nightmare… Night?” he questioned, not understanding the metaphor.

Twilight and Rarity looked at each other, just as confused as he, though for very different reasons.

“Right. I guess you wouldn’t know about Nightmare Night or Nightmare Moon. You were gone for a long time, after all. I wonder if Discord and Tirek know about the holiday. I doubt Chrysalis celebrates it,” Twilight said, perplexed.

“Well, we’ll have to save the explanation for another time. It looks like we’re here."

The locomotive screeched to a halt as it arrived at the destination. Passengers made their way off the train as newcomers boarded the steam engine. Twilight, Rarity, and Sombra entered the empire, only to be berated by the stares and whispers of the citizens. Ponies recognized Sombra immediately, even without his cape and crown. The green and purple eyes, red horn, and dark black mane were staples of their former nightmares, something they’d never truly forget. He was the very soul that had cursed their city for so long.

“Uhm, Twilight. Perhaps this was a bad idea,” Sombra anxiously argued.

With a shake of her head, Twilight disagreed, stating, “No. If ponies stop and stare at you, then that’s just something you have to deal with. Don’t be afraid.”

He grumbled and groaned as they walked, ponies continually staring, some running and screaming at the very sight of him. An awkward silence fell between the three, angry faces stared at all of them, even though they were meant for just one.

“This is becoming dreadful. Is there anywhere we are specifically heading, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, right. I was supposed to ask before we got off the train. Sombra, is there anywhere you would like to go besides the castle?” inquired Twilight.

“Me?” He halted in his tracks, a bit surprised they were asking him where to go. “Well, it’s been a long time so my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I believe there should be an orphanage over there,” he replied.

“An orphanage?” Twilight questioned. “Would you like to take us there?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied. “I wonder if Grand Matron Bell is still running it,” he mumbled as he led the two mares. Rarity and Twilight looked at each other, curious as to how he would know a matron.

Once they arrived at the orphanage Sombra knocked on the door, anxious to see who would answer. The door flung open. A hazel furred earth pony with tan mane stood in the doorway, a white bonnet wrapped around her head. She didn’t look much older than Sombra.

“Mother Cinnamon!?” Sombra excitedly exclaimed.

“Little Soos!?” the pony cried.

The two embraced in a hug. Rarity and Twilight stood in shock, they had surmised he had no friends left in the empire, the idea that anypony was still kind to him was surprising.

“It’s so good to see yo-“ He was cut off by a face full of hoof. The mare had slammed him straight to the ground with one swift hit.

“That’s for the thousand years we lost!” she screamed, tears in her eyes.

He staggered back to his hooves as he rubbed his cheek, wincing in pain. “Well, I definitely deserved that. It’s still good to see you, at least,” he mumbled past the stinging.

“You’re lucky I don’t hit you again, you deserve another,” she replied, “but I had heard of your return.”

“Were you expecting me to show up?” he questioned.

The matron shook her head. “No, but you may as well come in for a visit since you’re here.”

“Thank you,” he said, stepping into the home.

She then noticed the two mares that had been standing behind him. She, like Twilight and Rarity, was surprised to find he had any friends. “Oh goodness. Soos, are these your, uhm, friends?”

“Oh, yes, sorry. Let me introduce you. This is Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the Element of Generosity, Rarity,” he graciously presented them.

“Princess? Oh my!” she exclaimed, bowing to the two mares. “Please come in! It’s not much but I hope it will suffice.”

The three travelers were motioned to sit at a table, foals could be heard through muffled voices in another room. The matron mare quickly set out cups filled with tea for the guests, eventually taking her own seat at the table and introducing herself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you two, my name is Fresh Cinnamon, but you all can just call me Cinnamon.”

“The pleasure is ours,” Twilight replied, taking a sip of the tea.

“Mother Cinnamon, I know we’ve just arrived, but I don’t suppose Grand Matron Bell is available?” The dark unicorn fidgeted in his seat, curious about the owner of the orphanage.

“Actually, it’s Grand Matron Cinnamon now,” she replied, staring at the reflection in her cup.

Sombra’s face soured, realizing what that meant. He gritted his teeth as if to hold back anger or tears. Twilight and Rarity looked on, still in the dark, confused by his expression. “Who was Grand Matron Bell?” asked Twilight.

With a deep exhalation, Cinnamon replied, “She was the previous Grand Matron, she passed away rather recently. Thanks to Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, we had a lovely funeral. I wish you could have been there Soos.”

“I don’t mean to be rude with all these questions, but how did Sombra know her, or you for that matter?” Twilight inquired.

He held his mouth shut, his entire body shook. It was clear that he refused to speak. Cinnamon replied for him. “When Sombra lived here long ago, Bell was the matron. She deeply loved the children that passed through those doors. She loved you too, Soos.”

“Loved me? She treated me the worst! Out of all the other foals, I was the one forced to do the most chores, study the hardest, and she even yelled at me the worst!” he lashed out.

“She did those things because she didn’t want you to end up evil!” she yelled back.

“That really worked out well, didn’t it!?” He slammed his hooves down on the table, shaking all of the cups and the kettle. An awkward silence fell as he slumped back into his chair.

Rarity stared Sombra, her eyes wide and sad. “I do hope you don’t mind me prying, but, what happened to your parents?”

“They abandoned me. They saw a dark curse inside my heart and tossed me away like a piece of garbage. I was left in the care of an orphanage outside the empire, Bell’s orphanage,” he explained.

“That’s awful, I’m so sorry,” Rarity replied, placing her hoof on his. She stared, deeply concerned, to which he turned a blind eye, too humiliated to react.

Twilight’s head filled with questions. “If you ended up outside the empire, how did you know to come here? None of the historical documents said anything about you living here previous to your reign.”

“That’s because the previous rulers of the Crystal Empire hid it, they hid everything relating to Soos,” Cinnamon answered.

“Why?” Twilight and Rarity asked in unison.

Sombra stood up from the table suddenly, startling the three mares. “Because the previous king and queen were my parents,” he angrily replied. He then charged towards the door and exited the home with a torrent of fury.

“Oh dear. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into trouble,” Rarity said as she stood up, giving chase to the stallion.

As the door slammed shut, Twilight looked at Cinnamon, a billion questions still rushing through her mind. She could tell the grand matron was just as upset as Sombra, though perhaps for different reasons. “Why do you call him Soos?” she asked, hoping to start with something small.

Cinnamon stared blankly into the tea’s reflection, sulking worse than the cloudy weather around the empire. “Sombra came with Grand Matron Bell after the frozen tundra destroyed their town. The only safe haven was the Crystal Empire, protected by the heart. When she opened the orphanage, all the orphans of the empire were brought to her, myself included. A few months later, the king and queen arrived to speak to Bell. That’s when they saw Sombra. They told Bell that he was cursed, that it was better to throw him out in the snow. They wanted nothing to do with him.”

Twilight felt the burden in her heart as she listened to the story, nodding as Cinnamon continued.

“Sombra and I were close friends since the day I came to the orphanage, and when we overheard them speak, we learned who his parents were. I lost it. I screamed and yelled at them, but all Sombra could do was run off into the snowy wasteland. I chased after him and got lost. I don’t remember much, but Bell told me he brought me back to the orphanage, carrying me on his back, even at that young of an age. I was barely breathing. If he hadn’t carried me all that way, I would have died. Once I finally woke up, I was told that the first thing out of my mouth was ‘soos’. It’s just a dumb nickname that I’ve used for him ever since.”

“The history books never told of who ruled right before Sombra took over. I guess it makes sense that he would destroy any mention of them after becoming king,” Twilight surmised.

The grand matron stood up, taking Rarity’s and Sombra’s teacups to the sink. “Soos is misunderstood, not many ponies know that. Bell did, and she tried her best to teach him wrong from right, to grow into a great stallion. She never did tell me what eventually corrupted him, it’s something she took to the grave I’m afraid.”

“And… what happened to his parents?” Twilight nervously asked, afraid of the answer.

Cinnamon dropped the teacups, shattering them in the sink. She stood bipedal, staring down at the broken ceramics that mixed with leftover tea. “Would you mind if I asked a few questions before I answer that? I don’t mean to be rude to a princess, but, I have to know…” she whimpered.

“Of course…” encouraged Twilight, biting her lip anxiously.

Meanwhile, Rarity had caught up to Sombra, finding him pouting on a covered bench. The white unicorn sat next to the dark, silence remained between the two as she waited for him to speak first. Ponies stared as they passed, shocked and confused. Rarity chose to ignore them, simply staring at her hooves, the sky, or the crystallized homes. She refused to be the one to initiate a conversation.

“They were right,” Sombra finally spoke.

“Who, darling?” she asked, attempting to coax him into talking.

“My parents. I was cursed the day I was born, pure evil, with no absolvent."

Rarity let out a small chuckle, causing Sombra to wince in shame. She grasped his cheek, turning his head to match her gaze and warm smile. “A foal cannot be born evil. They have no control of what they do or how they act, they’re just babies after all. If that were true, Flurry Heart would have been considered malicious for destroying the Crystal Heart. That baby doesn’t have a shred of evil in her body, and I believe nor did you.”

His face stiffened, surprised be her words of wisdom. The frozen stare shifted into a heartfelt smile as she smiled back, only to be interrupted by a rock pelting him in the neck. He pressed his hoof against the wound, turning to see who the attacker was.

“Get out of my town!” the colt yelled, another rock lifted in his magical grasp. “Monster!”

Sombra looked away, anger boiling inside of him, but deep down he felt the foal was right in his judgement. The dark unicorn got up from his seat and began to walk away from Rarity and the colt. Another rock came hurdling towards him but was caught by Rarity’s magic.

“You little brat, how dare you be so cruel!” she yelled as she lifted the colt up into the air, bringing him over to Sombra. “Now apologize!” she demanded.

“Apologize? He should be the one who’s sorry for what he did! Freak!” the colt hollered and shouted.

Rarity then turned him upside down, holding him by his back legs. “And he will, one day. But for now, you owe him an apology. If you think he’s bad, just wait till you get a taste of what I’ll do if you don’t apologize right now,” she spoke harshly, to Sombra’s surprise.

The colt gulped, intimidated by the fierce passion that lit up in Rarity’s eyes like burning coals. “I-I’m sorry alright! I’m sorry! Now let me go!”

She dropped the colt who then quickly scurried away, leaving the stunned Sombra to question what had just happened. Rarity began walking back towards the orphanage before turning around and eyeing the dark unicorn. “How did you become evil?”

With a wince, he trotted up next to her, still feeling the pain from the rock and Cinnamon’s hoof. “Well,” he said, “I grew up knowing I was evil, being belittled by my peers at the orphanage, a matron who pushed me till I’d throw up, and one day it all clicked together. Kind of like getting a cutie mark.” He gave a grim smile to his harsh analogy.

“I see. I’m sorry for the burden that you’ve had to bear all this time, but I do have one more thing to burden you with if you’ll allow it."

“Oh? What?”

Smiling like she just finished a yearlong work order, she replied, “I want you to smile more often. The more you smile, the happier you’ll be, and the happier everyone around you will be.”

“I think I can do that, as long as you keep the angry foals at bay."

Rarity then leaned in, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “Deal. A handsome stallion like you should always be smiling.”

As if on cue, he gave a smug grin, flaring his nostrils. “You are too generous with your compliments, Rarity. But… thank you. Let’s head back, shall we?”

The two returned to the orphanage, the atmosphere had dramatically changed between both parties. Rarity and Sombra sat down at the table, which appeared to be far calmer than when they had left. Twilight and Cinnamon were both smiling at Sombra, tears had left dried water stains on their cheeks.

“I guess you two talked about me?” he jested.

Rarity’s eyes began to water, to which she quickly fanned her face, trying to prevent her makeup from running. “I hope you two aren’t going to cry. If you do, you’ll make me cry, and I didn’t bring any extra mascara!”

“Actually, I think it’s about time we head off,” Twilight replied, surprising both Rarity and Sombra. “Thank you for tea, Cinnamon.”

The four ponies rose from their seats, heading towards the door. Twilight and Rarity hugged the head matron before they exited, waiting for Sombra to give his goodbye. As he approached to leave, Cinnamon asked, “Could I talk to you privately for just a second before you go?” Sombra looked to his two friends, to which Twilight gave a nod, closing the door with her magic. He looked back to his old friend, an eyebrow raised, curious as to what she would want to talk about. “Soos, Twilight told me about your reformation,” she said.

“Oh,” he stammered, unsurprised by the revelation, but embarrassed nonetheless.

“I… I just want you to know, I always believed in you, a-and I… I really hope y-you visit again soon,” she stuttered, tears drifting down her cheeks.

A pink blush formed around his muzzle, his stomach tensed up. “I-I will.”

“She also told me about the, uhh, bet. This may sound silly, but, if you don’t win Twilight, don’t give up. I know there’s a lucky mare out there that’d make a wonderful wife for you,” she advised him, a slight red hue stretched across her cheeks.

He smiled a true heartfelt smile, something he hadn’t felt since he was a colt. “Thank you, Cinny.” He then bowed to her before taking his leave, joining up with his two companions who waited patiently outside.

Cinnamon waved goodbye to the three as they walked away, a few tears running down the sides of her happy smile. Twilight and Sombra looked back, waving as they continued on. “Should we head back to Ponyville, Sombra? I’m sure it’s been a roller-coaster of emotion for you, and all of us,” Twilight inquired.

He shook his head in disagreement. “Actually, there’s one thing I’d like to do before we leave. Would you mind if we visited the Crystal Heart?”

Rarity and Twilight looked at each other, grimacing from the idea. “Um, darling, why would you want to visit that?”

“The heart’s location is where I last saw my parents, and it’s about time I pay my respects,” he replied in a brutish tone, the inclination in his voice told them there was no way they could sway him.

An exaggerated sigh came in unison from the two mares. “Alright,” Twilight affirmed. The three ponies made their way to the castle, and to the Crystal Heart. Most of the crystal ponies had vanished from the street, trying to avoid coming in contact with Sombra, or perhaps hearing about what had happened with the colt. Regardless, Sombra was on a mission. Twilight and Rarity stood on both sides of him as they arrived in the center of the Crystal Empire.

The Crystal Heart glowed a magnificent white light, untainted by the darkness that had once claimed the city. Guard ponies watched from the corners, waiting to see if the dark unicorn would make an attempt to destroy the thing they held most dear. Twilight hoped to avoid a confrontation, but she was willing to allow Sombra his request.

“Alright, we’re here. Now, what?” Twilight hoped the answer would not be the heart’s immediate destruction.

To everyone’s surprise, Sombra knelt down, bowing before the heart itself. Twilight and Rarity looked at each other, then to the Crystal Heart which appeared to be glowing brighter than ever.

He then spoke up. “I’m so sorry.”

With a beaming light, the heart shook, sending a shockwave throughout the empire. Everypony in the city radiated with the crystal light, their coats transformed into a glistening transparency. Their hair transformed and the city bounced with the beautiful glow. Once the light finished blinding the two mares, they looked up at the heart which had remained intact and shined like the sun itself. They then looked to Sombra who, to their surprise, was just as glinted as everypony else.

“S-Sombra? What happened?” Twilight asked.

He stood peaceful staring at the heart. “I apologized.”

“Apologized to the heart?”

Sombra turned to face the two mares, his hair had been combed and brushed back, no longer the unruly, rebellious mane it had been. They stared at his face, intimidated and awestruck by his true royal appearance. Though they wouldn’t know it, the two mares shared the same thought. He’s so handsome.

His masculine voice replied, “No.”

“Then, who did you apologize to?” Rarity questioned.

“I apologized to my parents.”

Chapter 13: Matchmaker

Rainbow Dash relaxed on her throne as the other mares sat in theirs. She immediately noticed that the one who had called the meeting together was also the one who was missing. “Is anyone else surprised by the fact that Fluttershy wanted to hold a meeting?” she asked. "It's rare for her to call anything together."

The other elements nodded in agreement. Fluttershy specifically called them all together, leaving out Starlight and the villains, but no one knew why. “I noticed she has been avoiding me since Twilight and I returned from the Crystal Empire. Did something happen with Chrysalis while we were gone?” Rarity mentioned.

“Starlight filled me in once we arrived, nothing happened with her and Fluttershy as far as she knows,” Twilight replied.

“Well whatever the reason, she’s late, and she better have a good excuse!” Rainbow proclaimed.

As if on cue, Discord and Fluttershy arrived on the table. Clothes magically fell all around them, and on the book Discord held in his grip. “See Flutters, we’re fashionably late!” he chuckled, lifting the shirt off of the book.

“There yah are. We’ve been waitin’ for you,” Applejack said.

The two hoped off the table, Fluttershy took her seat as Discord placed the book in front of her. “Sorry girls, I hope we didn’t keep you for too long,” she replied, opening the book up. Discord stood next to Fluttershy’s throne, smiling like a goofball. The other elements were confused by his presence, Fluttershy had requested a private meeting just between them.

“So, why did you call us together, Fluttershy? Why’s Discord here?” Twilight asked.

The yellow pegasus gave a soft exhale, her silvery voice echoed against the walls as she spoke. “Discord is my dear friend, and he is tasked with winning your heart, Twilight. At first, I was happy. The idea of my two close friends getting together was a dream come true. Now, there are so many others trying to win your heart. I’ve tried to look past it, I want to help with the reforming, but I’m not sure I’m able to anymore.”

“What are you talking about Shy? You’re our expert on this sort of thing!” Rainbow cried out.

Fluttershy nodded her head with a smile. “That’s very flattering, but if I don’t say this now, I’ll regret it.” She too a deep breath. "I want Discord to win.”

Gasps and awes shook the table, the other elements whispering amongst themselves. Twilight was the only one who stared with an unfazed expression. “Wait, so, you’re biased? Is that supposed to be a big revelation?” the alicorn questioned.

“Um, yes?” Fluttershy responded.

Twilight gave a hearty laugh, tears form in her eyes. “Fluttershy, of all the ponies at this table, you’re the only one I could see who would have true support for Discord. If you don’t feel comfortable helping with the reforming, just say so. Burdening you is that last thing any of us want to do.”

“Both Twilight and Rainbow are right, Fluttershy. You’re our expert on redeeming, but you’re also our expert on Discord. I think if any of us felt a close connection to one of these atoners as you do for Discord, then we’d be just as biased, and that’s okay,” Rarity added.

“Oh! Oh! Does this mean I can root for Tirek? I want him to win! He’s super-duper helpful in the kitchen!” Pinkie yelled excitedly.

“Pinkie, please,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes, turning the conversation back to Fluttershy. “If you wish to no longer help with the reformation, then you are free to do so. However, I should inform you that this will hurt Discord’s standing since it means he is the cause of it.”

Discord placed a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Yes, and I am prepared to deal with the consequences, though I do hope you won’t completely rule me out of this bet,” he replied.

With furrowed brow, Twilight took a moment to think, eventually coming to a difficult question. “Did he put you up to this?” She gave a fierce glare at the draconequus.

Fluttershy slammed her hooves on the table, startling everyone, including Discord. The usually calm and reserved pegasus was far from her natural attitude. “No!’ she shouted. “I believe Discord and you would make a great couple, perfect even! You’re two of my best friends, and I’d regret it if I didn’t try to push you together. I will help in whatever way I can because I just want you two to be happy!”

The ponies murmured, speaking to each other as they stared at the pegasus. She felt her heart beating a million paces an hour, but she was determined to stick by Discord’s side. He deserved her kindness the most. Sweat dripped down her face as her nervous, shy attitude returned, no longer having anything else to say.

Discord rubbed her mane, soothing the anxious pony. He gave a gentle smiled as she looked up at him. “I’ll handle the rest,” he mouthed. As the ponies whispered, he raised a hand, getting the attention of Twilight.

“Yes, Discord?”

“I know I dug myself into a hole the other day, and I know how it must look to you when Fluttershy says these things. When I asked her for advice, she made me understand what it was I had been feeling, and I learned I hadn’t been taking this bet seriously,” he argued. “I want to start taking it head on with a serious attitude.”

“Discord, what are you trying to say?”

He gave a short pause, fidgeting with his hands before taking a quick look at Fluttershy. She pointed to some words on a page from the book in front of her. With a nod, he lifted his eyes back to Twilight, his heart raced like thousands of cows in a stampede.

“Twilight, I’m no longer in this to win the bet, I’m in this to win you. That’s why Fluttershy wants to help me. She has seen that I truly mean it.”

The admission sent a knot into Twilight’s throat, her wings expanded to full breath, and her face’s hue went straight to beat red. “W-Wh-What!?” she shouted. The other elements gasped in unison, their jaws nearly unhinging.

Discord lifted a leg up onto the table, placing his hands over his chest. “You’ve been my greatest rival, Twilight Sparkle. I’ve always felt a connection to you, though I had assumed it was my chaotic passion, wanting to corrupt you. I’ve come to realize I acted the same way a confused colt would act when he meets a filly he likes. I didn’t pull your hair, make fun of you, or call you names, wait no, I have done that last one,” he stammered out, trying to confess as best he could.

“Whoa, hold on. Are you trying to tell me what I think you are?” Twilight asked.

He gave a nod before responding. “Yes, I want to be your special somepony.”

“Aww,” Pinkie squealed. “That’s so cute!” All the ponies gave a rousing round of cheers to the embarrassed draconequus, except for Twilight of course.

“That’s very, uhm, forward of you, Discord. It seems like you’ve thought this through pretty well,” she nervously replied.

“Well, he is getting help from Fluttershy,” Rarity interjected. “So he must be pretty serious about the whole thing.”

“I’ve got to agree with Rare’s on this one. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Fluttershy used magic to turn him into a mindless love-admitting zombie,” Rainbow piped up.

Fluttershy let out a giggle. “Well, it’s not magic, but it’s just as good.” She then lifted the book up, showing the cover. “How to gain a special somepony in eight weeks!”

“Well Discord, I think you’ve picked the best pony to help you win me over. She knows turning to a book for guidance is a good way to win my heart,” Twilight said with a bit of glee. “But wait, didn’t you borrow that book months ago, Fluttershy?”

“Hey! That’s the book you said helped you with the meat head!” Rainbow added.

With pouty lips, Fluttershy muttered, “Why does everypony keep calling him that? He’s a nice stallion.”

“Since you’re being so kind, Discord, I am sorry for the other day.” Twilight smiled at the draconequus. “I know you would have been able to handle Chrysalis if she had done anything destructive, and I should have trusted you more,” she apologized.

“Thank you, my dear. If you do choose to trust me with any of them again, I will do my best to uphold the standards placed on me, even if they are a little chaotic,” he replied.

Fluttershy clapped her hooves together. “Yay! I’m so happy you two are getting along! I told you the book worked!”

Twilight lifted the book over to her, attempting to peer into the pages. She immediately noticed the entire book was empty, no words, sentences, or paragraphs to be found. “Uhm, there’s nothing here,” she noted.

Discord covered his mouth, snickering through the slots in his hands. “It wouldn’t be fair if you knew our war plan, now would it?”

She rolled her eyes, a sardonic smile brushed her face. “Then perhaps you should skip a few steps ahead,” she replied. She then climbed up on the table and walked towards the draconequus. “Why not skip to step seven?”

“What is step seven?” Discord asked. Fluttershy placed her hooves over her blushing face.

“Step seven is all about kissing,” Twilight replied, a smug grin on her face.

The ponies gasped in unison again, Applejack choked on the surplus of air. “Alright, we have got to stop doin’ that,” she quietly whispered to herself.

“K-K-Kiss?” Discord reiterated, popping the book into his hands and quickly flipping through the pages. Before he could find what he was looking for, the book snapped closed. As hard as he tried it wouldn’t budge, refusing to open. “W-What’s wrong with this stupid thing!?”

“Discord, Discord, Discord. What’s the matter? Can’t perform a simple kiss without reading up about it first? You’re starting to sound like me,” she mocked.

“I… Uh…”

“What a shame. Perhaps you should have read through it first, like I did,” she smugly said, still mischievously grinning.

He placed a hand on his nape. “Oh, right. She got the book from you,” he nervously chuckled.

“Is the Lord of Chaos afraid of a little smooch?” Rainbow sassed, causing the other elements to laugh.

Twilight’s seemingly lewd smile grew closer as she reached the other side of the table. Discord stood still, too afraid to make a move but not embarrassed enough to run away. Should I go for it, he thought, right in front of everyone?

As he leaned in, Twilight teleported over to the door, leaving Discord confused as to what had just happened. “Sorry, but just because you admit you like me, doesn’t mean you get a kiss. You’ll have to try harder than that.” She let out a giggle as the door swung open.

“Aww, and it was just getting good,” complained Pinkie, slumping down against the table.

Discord spun around, pointing at the alicorn. “You are a feisty one, Twilight Sparkle, but I will win you! You can bet on it!”

She tossed an approving smile to him. “And I can’t wait to see you try.”

With the door closed, Discord turned back around, unsure of what to do next. “Well today was certainly awkward,” he noted. The other ponies nodding in agreement.

“I’m proud of you Discord. It takes a true heart to admit somethin’ like that. I might just have to root for you myself,” Applejack joked, kicking her back legs onto the table.

“Well, I’m still rooting for Tirek! He’s the underdog!” Pinkie raised pompoms into the air, repeating the centaurs name over and over.

Rarity couldn’t help but let out a cackle, garnishing the attention of everypony. “Oh please, you should have seen Sombra at the Crystal Empire. By the end of our trip, Twilight was eating out of his hoof. Even I found myself entranced with his intrepid personality. I’d put all my gemstones on him winning,” she assured the group, with no doubt in her mind.

“Oh my, it looks like we have some catching up to do, Discord,” Fluttershy said. “We better not waste any more time.” Discord gave a quick nod before the two waved goodbye to the group. With a snap of his fingers, they teleported away.

Pinkie Pie jumped up on the table, a microphone in her hoof. “This isn’t a bet anymore! All the competitors are actually falling for Twilight, and she’s falling for them! Who will win her heart and claim the prize of being a prince?”

With a quick jab and a swipe, Rainbow took the microphone away from Pinkie. “You’re already loud enough! Come on, we should go check on Starlight. She’s been watching Chrysalis and Tirek for a while now.”

“Well, you two can go check on Starlight. I asked that magnificent dark haired stallion to help me with some fashion projects. This bet has done wonders for my stallion clothing line,” Rarity replied as she rose from her seat, stepping out of the room.

Pinkie and Rainbow looked at Applejack. The earth pony sat with her hat covering her eyes, but she could still feel the presence of their stares. “Fiiiine. Let’s go check up on Starlight,” she groaned.

After the three had checked in on their friend, and the castle had settled down for the night, Twilight found herself alone in one of the many living quarters. A roaring fire in the furnace heated the room, a blanket covered her for some extra comfort, allowing her to stay quite warm as she became engrossed in a good book.

Spike poked his head in, giving a quick knock to get her attention. She looked up, the very sight of him induced a smile. “Spike, I’ve barely seen you all day. What have you been up to?” she asked.

He walked in holding a blanket and a comic. “Well, you’ve been busy with the reforming and the meetings, I just figured you could use the space. Are you, y’know, still busy?”

She shook her head. “Come here you,” she said, patting the floor next to her.

The dragon sat down against her, resting his scaly body against her hip. He wrapped his legs in the blanket and rested his head on her back, eventually opening the comic to the last page that he had read.

Twilight smiled before returning to her book, but just as she started reading, Spike spoke up. “I’ve missed you Twilight.”

“Aww.” She nuzzled against his cheek with her muzzle. “I’ve missed you too.”

“I’ve got to spend as much time with you as I can before you get into a relationship,” he said.

“Spike…” Twilight’s voice quavered. She then wrapped her foreleg around his neck, choking him into a hug. “Just because I might get a special somepony doesn’t mean I’ll stop spending time with you,” she stated.

He lowered his comic, placing a claw on her leg. “Yeah, but, it’s already less. At first, it was just Starlight, and she’s really cool, but now with the others… I barely get to see you anymore except to say hi,” he whispered, his voice trembling and cracking as he spoke.

“Well, from what I hear, whenever you’re not helping Starlight and me you’re usually over at a certain unicorn’s home,” she mentioned, trying to cheer up her close friend with a light-hearted joke.

Spike gave an extravagant sigh, turning his head to look up at Twilight. “Yeah, and she just flat out told me she doesn’t have feelings for me,” he replied.

This was news to Twilight, she hadn’t expected this to happen so soon. I guess I won’t have to give Rarity that lesson after all, she thought.

“I don’t even know why she brought it up. I mean, it’s not like I admitted my feelings towards her or anything. It was just out of the blue,” he ranted.

“I’m so sorry, Spike.” She tried to comfort her friend, squeezing him tighter in a hug. “Are you alright?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay. It’s not like we were actually together or anything, but I really did like her.”

“Really?” she questioned. “You’re not heartbroken? Why?”

With a resentful expression, he looked at Twilight. “Are you wanting me to be sad?”

“No, no! Not at all! It’s just, well, you carry the doll around and I always thought this would be difficult, and-“

“What do you mean this would be difficult?” he angrily interjected.

She placed a hoof over her mouth, releasing him from her grasp. Sweat began to drip down her face as she gave a nervous chuckle.

“Whatever,” he grunted, slumping back down against her hip. “I don’t want to fight with you Twilight. I’m old enough now to understand, and I’m glad she didn’t string me along.” He opened his comic back up. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle subconsciously over how grown up the dragon was, yet he still read comics.

“Well, mister grown up dragon, how about we spend some time together?” She then levitated the book over in front of him, showing him the title.

He chuckled as he replied, “The Superb Sorceress of Oys? I guess Discord really got to you today, huh?”

Twilight dropped the book, blushing from cheek to cheek. She quickly levitated it back up from the ground and turned her head from his sight, attempting to maintain her composure. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she lied.

“Discord and Twilight sitting in a tree,” he began to mockingly sing. She gently tapped him on the head with the book, causing him to stop. “Kidding!” he blustered. “Only kidding!”

She wrapped a foreleg around his neck once more, levitating the book and comic over to a shelf. “How about I tell you all about the adventure we had in the Crystal Empire. I’m sure you’ve heard it, but I haven’t told anyone of the things that Cinnamon said to me.”

“Whoa! Secret information? Cool!” he exclaimed, pulling his blanket up as he snuggled next to her.

Chapter 14: Spa Day

Applejack slammed her hooves on the table, the stack of books trembled against the violent tremor. “You can’t be serious, Twilight! He does one thing with the Crystal Heart and all of a sudden you trust him? It’s got to take more than that!”

The alicorn ignored Applejack’s attempt at intimidation. “As I mentioned, I also trust Tirek, but you seem to have glanced over that completely.”

“Well, Tirek hasn’t done anythin’ wrong since he has been here. Sombra failed day one! Shoot, even Chrysalis is more trust worthy than that rotten stallion,” she resentfully replied.

“Applejack! What in Equestria did you see on that first day? Whatever it was, it really put him on your bad side,” noted Twilight, sighing heavily after she responded. “Alright, if you’re uncomfortable with him moving up then I’ll permit you to go out there and let him know.”

“Me?” The orange pony raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by Twilight’s stipulation.

She could see the hesitation in Applejack’s eyes. “Yes you. I already told both Tirek and Sombra they were past the initial reforming process; that they wouldn’t need to be babysat anymore. If you don’t want that for Sombra, then you have to be the one to let him know he won’t be moving up.”

With a gulp, Applejack reluctantly replied, “Alright, I can do that. Since I’m forcin’ him down, when will he be moved up?”

“Whenever you finally okay it, or when another pony believes in him as strong as Fluttershy did for Discord. I think that’s fair.”

Applejack gave a nod, understanding the terms of the alicorn’s demand. She immediately left Twilight’s company to go and find the dark unicorn. It didn’t take long to find him, as he stood proudly with Tirek in the foyer of the castle. “There yah are,” she called out as she trotted down the steps.

Sombra and Tirek looked up at the earth pony, smiles on their faces. They bowed as she walked over to them. “Afternoon Applejack, come to congratulate us?” Tirek asked.

“Congratulate?” she inquired.

“Yes! We’ve both moved up, no more are we to be accompanied daily,” Sombra replied.

She darted her eyes to the floor, anxious to give the bad news. “Actually, Sombra…”

“Oh, wait! How rude of me,” Sombra interjected. “Since we’re no longer being escorted, I was just about to take Tirek to the spa. Would you like to join us?”

“The spa?”

Tirek placed a hand on his hip, popping the joint in his back. “Sombra says I’ll enjoy it. Apparently, ever since Rarity took him he can’t get enough of it, and these old bones aren’t getting any smoother.”

“I’m not really a fancy soap kinda gal,” she uttered, a bit surprised that Tirek and Sombra were getting along so well. It was then she realized that telling Sombra the bad news in front of Tirek might not be a good idea. Telling him now could create a rivalry between two, she thought. Not to mention I’ll have to babysit him.

Sombra frowned, but then gave an understanding nod. “Very well, we shall see you around then,” he replied.

The two males began taking their leave, bowing as they exited. As the door closed, Applejack rushed outside, unable to let go of her deep rooted resentment of the dark unicorn. “On second thought, I’ll join you. I could use some free time,” she said, not willing to admit that she didn’t want Sombra to be unsupervised.

“Wonderful! At least now I won’t be the only one who may dislike the spa,” Tirek jested.

Applejack groaned as they reached the day spa, the idea of being pampered was not something she usually cared for. She enjoyed coming here with all her friends, but she had yet to deem Tirek and Sombra to be her pals. Even though she didn’t care for hooficures or face masks, a good massage was worth the trouble.

The three were checked in and then immediately taken to a backroom where they were given robes to put on. When it came to Tirek’s robe, the workers were at their wits end. They eventually gave a shrug before giving up all together. His torso was wrapped in a white robe but his lower half remained uncovered. That wasn’t the only struggle he faced.

Being a centaur in the land of ponies would prove very difficult. Pony sized things were not easily customized for varying sized centaurs. Tirek was forced to lay on two separate tables that were pressed together, one for his upper torso and the other for his horse body. Sombra and Applejack chuckled at the sight of the centaur’s elongated table.

“Go ahead, laugh. This better be worth it Sombra, otherwise I’m stealing your magic,” Tirek annoyedly jested.

As the spa workers started massaging, Tirek made plenty of groans and moans of delight, causing Sombra and Applejack to chuckle once more. He ignored it this time, enjoying the thrashing and pounding of the working ponies that massaged his weary body.

“This is my favorite part of the spa, right up there with the sauna,” Applejack mentioned. “We’re doin’ the sauna, right?”

“Mhm,” was all Sombra muttered as Lotus Blossom massaged his back.

She gave a delighted sigh, smiling as she was kneaded. The dark unicorn had already closed his eyes, allowing the pleasure sensors to take hold. Once Applejack noticed, she too closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of reprieve from the steady eye she kept on him.

Sombra eventually snapped back, realizing something was missing. “Oh, um, did you want to talk about anything?” he questioned.

“Me? Not that I can think of. Why?” she answered, her eyes still shut tight.

“Well, usually Rarity is talking non-stop while we’re here. I didn’t know if that was a common thing,” he placidly explained.

She opened an eye, taking a look at the stallion that laid next to her. “No, I prefer just to relax. Not all mares are the same,” she crudely provoked.

Applejack had expected him to groan or even defend himself. Instead, he simply replied, “That’s good. As much fun as she is, the silence is rather enjoyable, I must admit.” Sombra had completely negated her goading, whether he meant to or not.

“Then how about you two remain silent,” Tirek growled. The two ponies silenced their conversation per his request, allowing the spa ponies to finish their work in peace.

Applejack’s massage was the first to be completed, allowing her to head to the sauna first. As she sat, resting comfortably in the steamy warmth, she felt herself drift into a slumber. Though she didn’t want to leave Sombra alone, the soothing sauna was well worth it. It wasn’t long before she was awoken by the door opening.

To her surprise, Sombra waltzed in, his massage had finished. “W-What are you doin’ in here? This is the mares’ sauna!” she hollered.

He raised an eyebrow, questioning her words as he sat down on the wooden bench, catty-corner to the mare. “Rarity and I have always come in together. I’m pretty sure everything here is unisex,” he replied.

“Oh, err, right. Sorry,” she muttered.

Sombra looked away from the earth pony and shut his eyes, hoping to avoid starting a confrontation. He then laid his head down, feeling the warmth of the steaming wood against his face. A sudden and exaggerated cough caused him to reopen an eye, only to notice Applejack covering her flank with her foreleg and tail.

The bench put him eye level with her rump, and she quickly repositioned herself with her back to the wall. He gave a quick smile before closing his eye, but she had noticed the smirk. “What’s so funny?” she hollered once more, a slight red hue across her muzzle.

“Even with a massage, you still seem very tense,” he replied, “and embarrassed.”

“Well excuse me for not wantin’ yah to see mah butt,” she raged, her southern drawl became fiercer as her anger built.

He let out a bellow of laughter, raising his head as he chuckled. Applejack’s face reddened even more from his humiliating guffawing. When he finished, he opened his eyes, taking a long, hard look at the earth pony. As she watched him gaze, she could feel her anger reaching the tipping point.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer,” she hissed.

“You really don’t like me, do you Applejack?”

The question sent a pin into her emotions, bursting the balloon that was her boiling point. She shouted, “Of course I don’t! Yah put me into one of them nightmarish spells, then you do one thing in the Crystal Empire and suddenly you’re in Twilight’s back pocket! Well I don’t trust you, and that’s why I’m even here.”

Sombra frowned, a bit perturbed by her attitude. “So, you came along today just to try and become friends?”

“No. Since I don’t think you’ve changed a bit, Twilight’s given me the power to put you back down to bein’ babysat. That’s why I’m here, to watch you,” she angrily recounted.

“Oh,” was all he replied with. He placed his head back down against the seat, a frown still sitting on his face.

She had expected the unicorn to become angry, or at the very least, defend himself. When he did neither, the feeling of guilt tightly wrapped around her heart like the robe she wore. Her anger and rage finally subsided.

The lull of conversation made her feel extremely awkward. The fact that he said nothing, just sitting there like a bump on a log, was enough to drive her crazy. “Alright, I’m sorry,” she finally said, an exasperated exhale left her lips.

He didn’t speak, or even acknowledge he heard her.

“D-Did you hear me?” she asked, trying to push him into conversation.

“Yes,” he finally spoke. “However, you have no need to apologize. I can’t expect everypony to trust me, especially you.”

She felt even guiltier, the way he was acting was not how she had expected. “Sombra, I…” The door to the sauna swung open, interrupting the earth pony.

Tirek waltzed in, causing the two ponies to stare, an ecstatically whimsical smile looked to be painted on the centaur’s face. He sat down on the bench across from Applejack, still shining with glee. “You were right Sombra. This place is absolutely wonderful,” he praised.

Sombra gave a half-hearted smile before replying, “I’m glad someone has enjoyed today, at least.”

“Look, I’ve liked today, it’s just, well,” Applejack stammered, trying to think of the right words to use before she spoke.

“Did I miss something?” Tirek asked.

In unison, they both replied, “No.”

Tirek tugged on his beard, confused as to why they seemed to be worlds apart. It was clear he missed something important, even though he wasn’t getting an answer. Perhaps I should just move on to the spa itself, he thought.

As the awkward silence played on, Applejack was unable to take it any longer. “Listen Sombra. I’m not goin’ to have you babysat anymore. Honestly, I’m still upset about the nightmarish spell you used on me, but I’m willin’ to give you the benefit of the doubt,” she stated.

“If we’re being honest, then I must say that I do not want your pity,” he replied.

“Pity? I just said I-“

“I want you to trust me,” he interrupted. “If you can’t do that, then I’m not deserving of the freedom in the first place.”

Tirek immediately said, “So I did miss something!”

Applejack ignored the centaur, instead, she heatedly replied to Sombra, “I just said you weren’t gonna be watched anymore, and yet you refuse? What’s wrong with you? Trust isn’t somethin’ that’s easily given, especially not after what you did.”

“If it means I have to be looked after until you finally do trust me, then so be it,” he stated.

Her mouth opened wide, the shock of his stubborn words were as surprising as his want to be trusted. She hadn’t expected him to be so sincere in reforming, it was clear to her that something had changed from that first day on the apple farm. “You’re serious? What in tarnation has gotten into you?” she asked.

“Friendship,” he replied.

“Oh, gross,” Tirek spoke up, his eyes squinted and his nose wrinkled. “That was awful and corny, you’ve been talking to Discord haven’t you?”

Sombra rolled his eyes, attempting to ignore the centaur’s complaint. “Well it’s true. While it’s strange for me to admit, I’ve come to yearn for it,” he said as he closed his eyes, slumping against the wall. “Perhaps it’s what I’ve always wanted.”

“Tirek’s right, you have been talking to Discord too much,” Applejack replied. When he opened his eyes, he saw the charming smile of the mare. She then added, “I suppose, if you’re that inclined to friendship, then I reckon we could be friends.”

He shared her enchanted smile as they stared at one another. “Thank you Applejack, that means a lot.”

“Well, you two are getting way too mushy for my taste. When you’re finally finished crying over each other, you can come to the spa,” Tirek said as he stood up, exiting the sauna.

“I suppose I should get out too. This steam is startin’ to make me loopy. If I stay in here any longer, I might start admittin’ embarrassing secrets and crushes,” she joked, standing to her hooves.

“Like that purple dragon?” Sombra questioned.

She halted in her place, his words rang through her head like a clock’s chime. “W-Wh-What?” she stuttered.

He raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by her embarrassed expression. “Oh, I guess that wasn’t something you publicized yet. I didn’t know. Sorry, forget I said anything.”

“H-How did you kn-know?” she asked as she stared into his red pupils.

While anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes darted off in different directions. “The spell, remember? I can see a ponies deepest, darkest fears,” he nervously explained, fearful of how she might take the news.

To his surprise, she gave a short sigh, her startled expression returned to a calm attitude, easing his discomfort. “I’m glad it was through that, and I haven’t been throwin’ myself at him to where every pony's noticed,” she replied.

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” He gave an affectionate smile to the earth pony, who returned with a smile of her own. “Have you told him how you feel?” he questioned.

“N-No,” she said with lament in her voice. “He likes Rarity, I can’t come between them.”

“Actually, Rarity turned him down. I was going to push them together, as a thanks to Rarity for her kindness, but she turned the scaly creature down,” he mentioned.

Her face lit up with glee, the news had not yet reached her. “Well, I wonder how he’s taken it.”

Sombra rose to his hooves, standing in front of the earth pony. He gave a smug smile before replying, “Perhaps instead of helping him with Rarity, I can help you with him.”

“You want to help me?” she questioned.

“Think of it as me helping a new friend. It’s the least I could do for peering into your mind and learning about it,” he smoothly answered.

Applejack raised a foreleg, placing it out in front of her. “Alright then, I’ll take you up on that, friend.”

He grasped his hoof in hers, giving a firm shake, only to have his hoof crushed by her strength. As she let go of his hoof and walked to the door, he felt the throbbing in his foreleg. He winced in pain as he thought, these mares are going to kill me.

Chapter 16: Lord Tirek - Part 1

“I thought I was free to roam as much as I pleased?” the centaur questioned.

“You are! It’s just, well…” Starlight’s voice trailed off as she contemplated a way to describe the test to him. With Discord and his unusual magical abilities, the princesses knew how he would be a valuable ally, but Tirek was a different story. “We’re just trying to find out more information. You know, learn about what you can do.”

He squinted his eyes and pointed to the notepad that was in her magical grasp. “Then why don’t you just ask me what you want to know and be done with it? I see no reason to be chaperoned by you,” he contested.

“Think of this more as a test, Tirek,” the young princess said as she strolled down the stairs of the foyer. “We’re going to be seeing how you can use your special talents to better Equestria. It’s not about getting to know your personality, it’s about getting to know your strengths.”

“Well that makes a lot more sense than how she explained it,” he replied, irritation in his inflection. “However, it does sound a lot like you’re trying to use me.”

Twilight let out a chuckle as she walked over and stood next to Starlight. “You tried to destroy Equestria, Tirek. Asking you to use your powers to aid us in times of strife is the least we can ask of you,” she haughtily noted.

With a grunt, he crossed his arms and grimaced at her answer. “I only tried to destroy everything after I was unjustly imprisoned.”

“Hmm, I would have imagined the great Lord Tirek would be more inclined to agree to this. After all, Discord agreed to it,” Twilight provoked the centaur as she looked over Starlight’s notes, making sure everything was settled for the test.

“You’re trying to incite me, aren’t you? You think just mentioning Discord did something is enough to get me to do something?” he growled.

She then looked him square in the eyes and boldly replied, “Yep.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.”

“If you want Discord to remain ahead of you then so be it,” she said as she began to walk away. “Come along Starlight. He’s clearly not ready.”

Starlight nervously bit her lip as she stared at the centaur, eventually turning to take her leave. As she began to move, Tirek groaned and grabbed his horns, pulling them in frustration. “Fine! If Discord can do it, so can I!” he angrily yelled.

As soon as he said the magic words, Twilight halted her movements. She gave a big smile as she turned around. “I hope you won’t do everything Discord has done, since he did betray us to help you. Though, you know how well that turned out for him.”

“Does that mean if I’m ever in his position and I don’t betray you, I’ll be better than him?” he sarcastically asked.

Before Twilight could answer, she was interrupted. “What is with you wanting to be better than Discord? What’s wrong with just being who you are?” Starlight interjected her questions, a quiver in her voice as she spoke.

Twilight was just as surprised at the questions as Tirek. He placed a hand on his beard and began to stroke it, a serious expression grew on his face. “Are you saying I’m already better than Discord?” he enthusiastically questioned.

The unicorn shook her head with a frustrated frown stretching upon her lips. “No! You don’t have to be better than him or worse, you can be his equal!” she shouted.

“Equal? As if I’d ever surrender to that idea! Discord is an insignificant worm compared to me,” he replied, placing his hand up to deny her words.

Starlight let out a groan of exasperation, to which Twilight immediately stepped in. “I actually think Tirek trying to prove he’s better than Discord is a good thing,” she confessed.

“You do?” Tirek and Starlight replied in unison, surprised by the revelation.

“Of course. Starlight, you of all ponies should know that being equal isn’t always a good thing. You’ve seen that different personalities can get along quite well. Some personalities have that sense of being the best ingrained in them; that desire to prove themselves to others. Tirek here is a prime example of that,” explained Twilight.

“I don’t understand. Isn’t being yourself what you’ve been teaching me, Twilight? How can Tirek be himself and still try to be better than someone else? Isn’t that counterintuitive?”

Twilight gave a half-hearted smile to her young student. “Tirek’s lessons and your lessons are different in many ways. Tirek is himself by trying to be better than others, like that of Rainbow Dash, striving for that goal of being the best. You, Starlight, are the opposite. You’re striving to be the best at being yourself. That’s why I’ve put you both together for this assignment. Both of you are being tested today.”

Tirek interjected, placing a hand between the two ponies to get their attention. “I thought this was supposed to be about utilizing my talents in the world?”

“It is. Today, you will use your talents to help one pony in Ponyville. You are free to help whoever you wish, but Starlight will be there to aid you if you run into an impasse. You can turn to her for a different view point when need be, though I doubt you will,” Twilight explained.

“You want her to learn from me, and me to learn from her. I never took you for the clever, devious type, Twilight Sparkle,” he said with a guttural laugh.

Twilight placed a hoof onto Tirek’s torso, a humorous smile crossed her face. “That’s right, and I’ll be watching you both from a far, so do try your best. Depending on how well you help, you may get something special,” she mentioned.

“Really? Well then, what are we waiting for? Come along Starlight,” he said as he opened the front door, commanding her with a snap of his fingers. “I’ve already got an idea for a way to pass this silly test.”

“Coming!” she hollered. She had not expected that she too would be part of the test. Starlight trotted up next to Tirek but not before giving a nervous look to her teacher. To her surprise, all Twilight did was give a smile and wave goodbye. She could barely keep up with the centaur as he briskly walked, his mind on a mission. As she hurried beside him, she asked, “Where are we going?”

“Sugar Cube Corner,” he firmly replied.

“Why?”

“You’ll see,” replied the centaur with a teeth-bearing grin.

Her nervousness had yet to subside as they reached the pastry shop. Tirek burst through the door, startling the snacking ponies along with Mr. Cake who sat idly behind the counter. Ponies stared as he strolled up to the register and asked, “Hello. Is Pinkie Pie here?”

“She’s in th-the back, l-let me get her for you,” Mr. Cake anxiously replied. After retrieving the pink party pony from the kitchen, he quickly made himself scarce, not wishing to be in the vicinity of what seemed to be an angry centaur.

“Hiya Tirek! Heya Starlight!” greeted the happy party pony. “Did you need something?”

Tirek grasped Pinkie’s face in his hands and pulled her close, staring deeply into her eyes. “I’m being tested and I need your help to pass.”

She smiled as wide as she could, her eyes glistened as she stared back at his beady pupils. “You need my help!?”

He nodded and asked, “Where does that pony of blue live? The one you like.”

“Royal Pin? Come on, I’ll take you to him!” she replied as she wiggled out of his grasp and bounced to the door.

As the two rushed out, Starlight followed behind, a bit surprised Tirek would choose to enlist Pinkie in his endeavor. It wasn’t long before the trio spotted the handsome, blue unicorn exiting his house and waltzing down the street. Tirek forced the two mares to hide behind a bush, attempting to remain out of the unicorn’s sight.

“What’s the plan?” Pinkie loudly whispered.

“I’m going to play the part of the big bad centaur by chasing him into a secluded spot, I need you to come to his aid after I have absorbed his magic. Can you do that?” he asked, to which Pinkie happily nodded. “Also, play it up a little.”

“Wait, you’re going to absorb magic?” Starlight sent a questioning look at the centaur.

He gave a smug grin before replying, “Don’t worry your little pony mane, I won’t be keeping it. However, you should probably watch from a distance and then get close enough to hear once Pinkie chimes in, alright?”

Starlight worriedly stared at the centaur. “You know this is a test to help a pony by using your powers for good, right? What are you planning on doing?”

“Enough chatter, you’re going to spoil the surprise. Just don’t intervene,” he commanded, to which she gave a yielding nod.

Pinkie and Starlight held their position as Tirek watched the unicorn make his way down the street. As soon as he got close to an alley, Tirek jumped out and began rushing toward him. Before the pony could react, Tirek grabbed and hauled him down the alley, out of sight from the rest of the street. Once he was in the alley, Pinkie rushed over and waited to hear her cue, Starlight quietly following behind.

“Wh-Wha-What do you wan-want from me!?” Royal Pin screamed, fearfully pushing away the centaur.

“Give me your magic!” Tirek hammily shouted as he opened his mouth, draining the unicorn of his power. Royal’s eyes transformed to a dim, desperate color as his magic was engulfed. He dropped to the ground, weakened by the loss of magical energy. “Yes! The power!” Tirek grew slightly, feeling the energy course through him.

“W-Why?” Royal quaveringly asked, the only word he was able to mutter through the fear.

“I shall conquer the world, one pony at a time!” Tirek overplayed his evil mockery.

As Tirek flexed in front of him, showing off his barely altered physique, Pinkie appeared at the end of the alley. “Tirek! What do you think you’re doing!?” she angrily screeched, pointing a hoof at the centaur.

Royal looked up, noticing the pink pony. “R-Run, Pinkie,” he tried to shout.

Tirek let out a bellow of laughter, maniacally grinning at the earth pony. “I have drained a unicorn and have become stronger! I will now absorb your earthen magic, and there is no way anyone can stop me!”

“Oh no!” Pinkie exaggeratedly yelled, placing her hooves against her cheeks in a façade of fear. “What ever will I do?”

“The only way to reverse my magic is for a pony to tell another they like them. Their admittance of love is the only cure,” Tirek announced with a cheer of victory. “I have won today, as there is no pony around to have that feeling for another!” He then turned his face out of view of Royal’s line of sight, giving a wink to the pink pony.

Once Tirek began to move slowly towards Pinkie, Royal stood to his hooves, heavily breathing as he rose. “Stop rig-right th-there!” he apprehensively commanded.

With a whip of his head, Tirek stared his beady yellow eyes at the unicorn. “You think you can stop me? Hah! How foolish,” he boasted, grinning evilly as he spoke.

“I know I can st-stop you, b-because there is somepony here that l-li-likes another!” Royal stood proudly in front of the centaur, staring him down as a nervous sweat drenched his determined face. He shifted his focus past Tirek, down to the pink pony that stood at the end of the alley. “Pinkie Pie, I like you… No, I love you!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, his words echoing between the walls of the alley.

Tirek’s mouth fell open with shock, overacting his reaction as best he could. “No! Your admittance of love!” he screamed, grasping onto his face with an exaggerated expression of horror. Magic poured out of his mouth and back into the unicorn’s horn. As the magic finished, Tirek collapsed onto the ground. “I have been bested by a simple unicorn! Who could have foreseen such a thing!?”

Pinkie rushed down the alley, jumping over Tirek’s body, and wrapping Royal in a hug as tight as she could. “Pinny! That was so sweet!” she squealed.

“I meant it!” he excitedly replied, placing a foreleg around her.

As Tirek began to crawl away, trying to quietly remove himself from their emotional moment, Pinkie gave Royal a kiss on the cheek and asked, “Do you really love me?”

He nodded in return. “Absolutely. I’ve been a fool not to tell you sooner.”

“I love you too!” she replied, planting another kiss on his lips.

“What should we do with him?” he said as he pointed to Tirek.

The centaur had already crawled his way to the edge of the alley, hoping not to be seen. Once he knew he was caught, he flipped his body around, placing a hand against his forehead. “Oh woe is me! I shall return to Princess Twilight Sparkle and beg for her forgiveness! I can only hope she is lenient with me!” he melodramatically shouted, quickly disappearing around the side of the building.

As Tirek turned the corner, Starlight was already standing there, listening to the scene take place. She gave a smug grin as he ushered her away from the alley. After they had put some distance from the new couple, Starlight spoke up, “That was a really sweet thing you did. I’m surprised you were able to come with it at a drop of the hat.”

“Actually, I had already planned that little spectacle in order to earn some points with Twilight. Hopefully it was enough to pass her little test,” he bemoaned.

She gave a nod with a giggle, giving a bump to the centaur’s side in a joking manner. “I think it’s a start, but we should break for lunch. I’ll have some questions for you while we eat,” she replied, tapping the notepad with her pen.

With a groan, he motioned for her to lead the way, knowing full well the questions were not worth the food. The clear, bright day allowed them to sit on the patio of the restaurant. After they ordered and the food had arrived, Tirek immediately dug into his meal, unwilling to wait for Starlight to begin her questions.

“So, when did you learn of Royal’s crush on Pinkie?” she asked as she cut her sandwich into halves.

“Pinkie told me, though it was quite obvious from the way he spoke to her” he answered, crumbs falling onto his beard. “I figured my manipulation skills would easily convince the halfwit to spill the beans of his infatuation with that pink pony.”

Starlight bit down on her sandwich as she scribbled on the pad. After swallowing, she blatantly asked, “Would you say you’re better than Pinkie Pie?”

His brows furrowed. Before replying, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What type of question is that?” he angrily asked. “I do not need to compete with that party mare.”

“I see. So, why do you need to be better than Discord, what is the difference between Discord and any of the Elements of Harmony?”

“How is it that you are Twilight’s pupil, yet you’re so dense?” he asked, annoyed by her opined questions.

She gave a frown and harshly jotted something down. “If that is what you believe, then explain it to me like you would to a simpleton,” she said with irritation in her tone.

“Twilight and her friends beat me, this is true, but if it had not been for Discord, I would be the ruler of this world. He is the one that tipped the scales.”

“That’s resentment, not envy,” Starlight noted.

Tirek shoved the last of his lunch into his mouth, mumbling out, “Mm, no.” He swallowed his food and wiped his lips. “It’s neither resentment nor envy. It’s anger. That draconequus is like my brother Scorpan, a lover of ponies. They’re both fragile, emotional idiots. Discord betrayed you ponies, yet he is still loved and protected by your kind. He could easily seal you all away at any given moment, but he plays your silly games. It gives him a power, a power that I loathe,” he explained, clasping his hands together with a stern look upon his face.

“The power of friendship, right?”

“Yes. So I too will play silly pony games, I will become better friends with all you ponies, as long as it means I can be better than Discord.”

“But wouldn’t that mean you would be a so called lover of ponies, like Discord? Like Scorpan?” she asked, trying to make sense of his explanation.

He stroked his beard, considering her words. “Huh, I never thought of it like that, actually.”

“Are you serious? What did you think reforming was about?” she lectured, raising her voice from the frustration.

“I thought it was about not stealing pony magic? Sure, I’m supposed to be friends with you and the Elements of Harmony, but that doesn’t make me a lover of ponies, does it?” he inquired.

“Yes!” she hollered. “Being friends with ponies does technically mean you like ponies. You like hanging around with them, that you like their company and are willing to be yourself around them! You’re willing to accept them for who they are, and you’re willing to accept yourself for who you are.”

His face changed from a confused expression to a maniacal grin. Starlight realized what she had said as she stared at his smug face. “The willingness to accept that you must better yourself, even if it means competing with another?” he added.

“Did you just manipulate me?” she aggressively asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tirek’s grin widened further as he answered, “If I don’t get an a on this little test, I will be sorely disappointed.”

“Oh please, I wouldn’t say manipulating me is worthy of any prize,” she replied, slumping down in her chair.

“I suppose you’re right. You are pretty dense,” he smugly added.

With a roll of her eyes, Starlight looked back down at her notepad and scribbled some words. “Since you’re going to be rude, why don’t we talk about something else, like your brother,” she said with a subtle taste of retaliation.

“My brother? Why do you want to know about that awful gargoyle?” contested the centaur.

“Actually, it’s on my notes and I’m not sure how it got there, but since you mentioned him earlier I figured it’d be a good time to talk about him.”

Reaching across the table, Tirek grabbed onto the notepad and looked over the page. Starlight attempted to pull it back without him seeing what she had written, but he held his grip on the paper. “Talk about Scorpan. I get the feeling that came from a certain princess we both know,” he said as he examined the notepad. “Also, alpha attitude leaves little to be gained when attempting to learn through explanation. What does that mean?”

She finally managed to pull the notepad back out of his grip, slamming it into her lap. “Don’t try to change the subject. You’re not getting out of this one so easily, buster,” she replied with an irritated tone. “You said your brother was a gargoyle?”

“Yes, a pathetic, worthless gargoyle.”

She then asked, “How is he a gargoyle and you a centaur?”

“Well, when a daddy centaur and a mommy gargoyle love each other very much, the daddy centaur inserts his-“

“Enough!” Starlight loudly interjected as she slammed the notepad against her face.

Tirek slumped forward against the table, grinning like Discord after one of his chaotic tricks. “The worst part was when little, innocent Tirek stumbled upon them making his baby brother.”

Starlight smacked Tirek’s face with the notepad, refusing to put up with his fowl mouth any longer. “Let’s just move on to the next question then. Nopony has really seen a gargoyle before, other than artist renderings. Could you give a good description of your brother? And no, I will not write down descriptions like weak or pony lover.”

“Gargoyles are uncommon?” he mumblingly asked. “I suppose that would make sense, seeing as how my homeland was already in a state of disrepair. What about other centaurs?”

“Oh, well, no. No centaurs other than you, at least,” she replied.

He placed his hand on his chin, contemplating the reasoning. Starlight sat patiently as he became lost in thought. He eventually thought aloud, “Perhaps I should return home.”

“Home?” Starlight said, mouth agape from her shocked expression. “You mean you want to see your brother again, your family?”

“I’m sure my parents are probably dead, or shriveled up like raisins. No, I’d like to see what has become of my kingdom. I always knew it would rot off eventually, but for none of my kind to make an appearance in Equestria after all this time, that is what concerns me.”

Tirek hadn’t noticed that Starlight had placed the notepad and pen down, she stared with deep concern as he speculated about his kingdom. “If you were here all this time, doesn’t that mean your brother would have replaced your parents as ruler of your homeland? Maybe he’s done well enough to keep it orderly and stable,” she tried to theorize.

“Now there’s a good laugh. My brother has never done anything important in his life. Even his betrayal was worthless, since I’m out and about - free as a bird.”

“If you had listened to your brother, you never would have been betrayed,” she murmured aloud.

“Excuse me!? If I had listened to my brother, I would have been ruler of a dying kingdom! As if I would want to be a weak ruler for an even weaker empire,” he snarled, crossing his arms.

She rolled her eyes and thought to herself, and here you are, no kingdom to rule. With a brief sigh, she pushed her plate away and slumped into her seat. Another question popped into her head, causing her to sit forward once more. “Tirek… Why did you join the bet for Twilight?” she asked, biting her lip as she waited for an answer.

The question sparked a suspicious look on Tirek’s face, curious of the motive behind it. “I’ll answer that if you answer my question first,” the centaur declared.

“Ok, that sounds fair.”

“Why didn’t you join the bet yourself? You’re an ex-villain after all,” he related.

Starlight let out a soft giggle, placing a hoof over her mouth. “I took control of an entire town and almost destroyed all of Equestria, all because of a colt. Pretty sure I need to try and make friends before I ever settle down in a relationship. Not to mention the pupil and teacher thing is more for those romance novels,” she mordantly replied.

“I see. You’ve never had a desire to pursue any relationship then?” he asked.

“Ah, ah! That’s two questions, I answered yours so you answer mine.”

“Oh fine. Well then. I joined this bet in the hopes that I could one day rule a kingdom worthy of my stature, whether it was with Twilight or not, it does not matter. What does matter is that I become Lord Tirek, a true lord, like I had always dreamed. The means of how I attain that dream have shifted, but that is still my dream true and true,” he somberly explained as he held his hands clasped together, giving a dignified eye to the young unicorn.

She had slumped against the table, pressing her hooves against her cheeks as she listened. “It’s nice to see the passionate side of you, Tirek,” she complimented.

He placed a hand on the back of his neck and replied, “And it’s nice to speak of my aspirations with someone who I know won’t judge.”

“I know you’re trying to follow your dream,” she paused, “but perhaps you should get in touch with your brother.”

“Are you insan-“

She raised a hoof. “Let me finish,” she interjected. “Your dream is to rule a kingdom, but you have an anger in you, a resentment of your brother. I think if you patch things up, or even say your piece and be done with him, perhaps it will clear your mind.”

“And why would I want a clear mind?” he rhetorically retorted.

“With your resentment free from your thoughts, the path to your dream will become obvious, don’t you think?” she concluded with a smile.

Tirek simpered with his reply, “Winning Twilight may help realize my dream, or it may not. I understand what you mean and I can see why Twilight paired us together, I’ve learned a lot.”

“She knows best, that’s for sure. I think we both have a long way to go,” she timidly replied with a gentle smile.

A yell rang out, getting the attention of both the unicorn and centaur. “Hey you two!” a feminine, high pitched voice shouted in the distance. They looked in unison to witness the bouncy, pink earth pony prancing her way towards them, a blue unicorn in tow.

“Oh no,” Tirek groaned, covering his face with his hands.

Starlight nervously smiled at the fresh couple as they approached the table, while Tirek hid his face, looking in a different direction all together.

“I’m just here to thank you for what you did! I know it was part of your test, but I’m glad you thought of me,” Pinkie calmly exulted, an unusual sight from the hyperactive pony.

Tirek turned his head to face the two, surprised by her words and shocked that the blue unicorn had a stern appearance about him. “Oh, well, you’re welcome Pinkie, glad I could have been of service,” he anxiously replied.

“I would also like to thank you,” Royal said as he bowed before the centaur. “At first I was afraid, I still sort of am, but after Pinkie explained the behind the scenes, I was more embarrassed than anything. Without your, uhm, unique help, there’s no way I would have ever pronounced my love for Pinkie. So, thank you.”

As the two males locked eyes, Tirek noticed a change in Royal’s attitude, the unicorn didn’t nervously look away as he always had previously when looking at the centaur. Tirek took a moment and then extended his hand to the unicorn, giving an approving, toothy smile. Royal placed a hoof in the centaur’s hand, giving a firm shake.

“So, are we going to see you two together around town from now on?” Starlight enthusiastically asked.

Pinkie lifted a foreleg around Royal’s neck and pulled him close to her. “Oh totally! He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m throwing a SUPER special party for the new couple, which is me for once!” she replied, snorting as she laughed.

Tirek placed an elbow on the table, holding his cheek against his fist. “I’m sure he knows now. Though I’d imagine he’d quite enjoy a private party,” he said with a grin. “One where his little pin can pop some balloons, so to speak.” Royal blushed a bright red and Starlight let out a giggle at the innuendo.

“Balloons aren’t meant to be popped, silly!” Pinkie replied, innocently missing the wordplay. Leaning in, Starlight whispered in the ear of the pink pony. “Ohh,” Pinkie quietly said, blushing brighter than her new coltfriend.

For once, the loudmouth has had a loss of words, thought Tirek.

“Well, it’s time to go,” Royal quickly mentioned, taking hold of Pinkie and dragging her away from the table. As the new couple left, the two ex-villains burst into a cackle of laughter.

The centaur repeatedly slammed his fist onto the table, unable to contain himself. “That… That was amazing!” he hollered, bellowing with laughter.

“I’ve never seen Pinkie blush!” Starlight replied as she wiped a tear from her eye, slowly ceasing her chuckling.

“Neither have I as a matter of fact,” said a voice from another table. The two looked up at the stranger, noticing the wings and horn of the purple alicorn. “After watching today, I’d have to say you’ve done quite well, Tirek.”

He quickly rose to his hooves, almost knocking the table over in the process. “H-How long have you been there?” he stammered.

The mare turned her body to face their table, giving an irksome grin as she replied, “I already told you, I’d be watching.”

Tirek turned to look at Starlight who simply gave a shrug with a somber expression. “Have you been watching us all day?” He turned his attention to the alicorn once more, pointing in aggravation as he spoke.

“Off and on. Here and there,” she vaguely replied.

He rested his arms at his sides, unwilling to play the little pony game he knew she was playing. “So,” he spoke with a serious tone. “Did I pass?”

Starlight’s eyes widened as she looked to see Twilight’s expression, hoping the centaur had performed well enough. The alicorn rose from her seat and walked over to her pupil, lifting the notepad with her magic. She’s going to see what I wrote, thought Starlight, fearful over the rude remarks she had written.

“Well.” Twilight lifted her gaze to lock eyes with the student, a deep frown stretching across her jaw only to have it fade into a smug grin. “I think I will let Starlight decide if you passed or not.”

“Me!?” shouted Starlight, almost falling out of her chair in shock.

Tirek’s mouth was agape as he stared at the two ponies, eagerly waiting for the decision to be made.

“Go ahead Starlight, did he complete his task valiantly?” Twilight inquired.

“I believe…” stuttered Starlight, nervously trying to anticipate the reactions of both her friends. She gave a deep breath, centering herself. “Tirek is still trying to understand the world around him. He’s come a great deal further than I believe he knows. The way he’s listened and understood those around him, he’s truly open to all sorts of friendship. For that, I believe he has more than earned the right to pass with flying colors.”

Twilight placed a hoof onto Starlight’s shoulder, giving an affirming nod to the young student. She then turned to look at the centaur, only to be surprised by the almost joyous expression he held. His lips quivered as he smiled, the truest smile she had ever seen. “There we have it, Tirek. You’ve passed.”

“Does this mean I am… reformed?”

“Not yet, but this does mean you are on your last trial. Though, it may be the hardest you’ve faced,” Twilight replied.

The young student prodded the teacher. “I thought this was the last test?”

Tirek let out a snarl, perturbed by the words used. “Trial and test, two very different words,” he said. “All the tests are finished, but many tests can be held within a trial.”

“That’s right. Though this final trial will be very difficult for you, as you’ll have to put your pride away for this one, Tirek,” Twilight sternly replied. “If you’re ready, we’ll be heading to Canterlot first thing in the morning.”

He raised a hand and shrugged. “Explain what I must do in this trial. What is in Canterlot?” he asked, raising his voice in the process.

“If you complete this trial you will become a full-fledged member of Equestria, free to do whatever you please, much like Discord.” Twilight skirted around his question.

“Explain!” he shouted, smacking his chest with his fist. “I want to know what the trial pertains! What is it I have to do? What has you so worried that I will fail?”

“Tirek… For this last trial, you must apologize to the royal sisters for the atrocities you have committed.”

Chapter 17: Lord Tirek - Part 2

“Are you ready, Tirek?”

The centaur sat on the station’s bench, he had been waiting patiently for the others to exit the train. All the Elements and Starlight had tagged along to witness the event, an apology from Tirek to the royal sisters. Even Discord showed, though not to support or incite Tirek, but more of a formality to his reformers. He mostly complained of the small train cart the entire ride to Canterlot.

“Hm? Oh, yes, I am.”

After his final test, he took a few days to collect his thoughts on whether or not to apologize. The notion that he would be free, truly free, was enough to push him towards the apology. He would be given the freedom to go anywhere he pleased, even return home if he so chose. It wasn’t his only reason though, as winning the bet for Twilight Sparkle still maintained itself at the forefront of his mind.

“You nervous?”

His nails were trimmed, the grime cleaned out from underneath. His hair had been brushed and beard combed, even his short horns were sharpened and smoothed. If he was going to be meeting with the royal sisters then he wanted to meet them as a well-groomed centaur.

“Mortified.”

One thing still irked him though. The unjustified reasoning behind his original imprisonment. He had yet to absorb any pony magic, simply discussing the plan with his brother. It was true that he would have used the magic to rule Equestria, but was that enough evidence to send him to Tartarus without a trial? This very thought ran through his mind the days preceding, and now that he was here, was he really willing to forgive and forget.

“Don’t sweat it. I’m sure they’ve already forgiven you and this is just a formality. If Twilight believes in you, then you’ve got nothing to fear from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” the lilac furred unicorn said, attempting to comfort Tirek.

“I believe you are correct, though that doesn’t make this any easier. After all this time, apologizing to the two ponies that are equal in my hatred to that of my brother. It’ll be difficult to say those words,” confided the centaur.

The Elements had all stepped off the train, Twilight leading the posse of mares and the single draconequus. Tirek rose from his seat and dusted off his torso, ready to follow the young alicorn to the throne room. She wandered over to the two former villains, giving a warm smile before speaking. “You two ready? We’re being led by the city guard, you’re getting the royal treatment today.”

“Paraded through the streets like an animal? Lovely,” he murmured.

“It’s better than being paraded through the streets like a criminal,” she sarcastically replied.

Starlight wrinkled her nose from the comment. “That doesn’t actually happen, does it?”

“Uh, no. It was a joke. We only hold parades for good things,” Twilight reassured with a discomfited laugh.

As the group ascended towards the castle, Tirek could feel the eyes on him as they marched up the main street. Members of the royal guard blocked the road, preventing ponies from interfering with the honored group. Tirek noted all the fearful looks the citizens expressed. Ponies stood behind the barred barriers, whispering and glaring as he passed.

It was then he noticed a brown pony with a blonde mane. He quickly poked Starlight, getting her attention, and then leaning in to whisper, “See that pony over there? I remember him.”

“Remember him from what?” she quietly asked.

“He was one of the first I absorbed before I was discovered by Discord. I wonder if he still remembers me.” Tirek then raised a hand above his head and waved in the direction of the stallion, causing the pony to shriek and gallop away from the crowd.

“I guess you left an impression on him,” sassed the draconequus.

Tirek crossed his arms, angrily looking in the direction opposite of Discord. “Nobody asked what you think,” he gutturally replied.

“Well, you two are the ones whispering in a group of friends. How could I not offer my two bits?” Discord snapped his fingers and two coins appeared in his hand, to which he quickly ate like berries.

“Eavesdropping is beneath me, but, Discord is technically right. You both do realize we can hear you whispering?” added Rarity.

”It’s not beneath me, I was totally listening in,” Rainbow casually mentioned.

“Okay! I get it!” shouted the angry centaur, causing the entire parade to halt. The city guards turned to look at the commotion, fearing any outburst of the supposed reformed centaur. As everyone stared, a silence filled the street. Shifting armor was the only sound that permeated. Tirek could no longer bare the stare of eyes that burned like little suns.

Refusing to stay halted, Tirek pushed the guards out of the way and began running for the castle. The slowness of the spectacle impeded his desire to be done with the apology; to get it over and move on with his life. As he rushed ahead, Twilight chased after him with friends in tow, leaving the guards behind for fear they might overreact to Tirek’s temper.

As he rushed up the steps, eager to enter the throne room and complete the trial, he noticed the lack of guards that were stationed amongst the castle courtyard. When he felt he was no longer being watched, he scampered into a cozy, secluded garden to catch his breath. He could hear the trotting come from the main street and up the steps, the Elements rushed into the courtyard and pressed on into the castle.

Before he could take a sigh of relief, a guard pony stood behind him and yelled, “Stop right there criminal scum!”

Tirek fell forward into a bush, startled by the loud voice. After he had managed to pull himself from the shrubbery, still covered in leaves, he turned to face the random guard. Before he could shout or explain himself, he noticed the lit up horn on the pony, and then felt the foliage levitate from his body.

“What do you think? Was my shout good enough?” The guard pony looked no different than any others from what Tirek had seen, an orange furred unicorn with ironclad armor. “You really shouldn’t be hiding from your problems, y’know.”

“And you shouldn’t sneak up on a magic stealing centaur,” growled Tirek.

The guard pony let out a laugh as if Tirek had just told a joke. “Well, it’s my first day, they stuck me with garden watching duty. Wanna see the rest of it?” He then motioned for Tirek to follow.

As he was led, Tirek noticed the lack of concern for who he was. It was the opposite of how the ponies on the road had felt. This peculiar guard didn’t seem to care for who Tirek was or what he had done. The two reached the center of the garden, hedges surrounded the area and a large fountain sat in the middle.

“Why did you lead me here?” Tirek questioned.

“It’s a good place to think about things,” answered the guard pony.

Tirek was unsure if that were true, but he couldn’t doubt the beauty of the garden. He listened to the fountain’s trickling water, stared at the trimmed rose bushes, and felt the warm sun beat down on his red skin. “This reminds me of the garden that I use to play in when I was a colt. It was before my brother was born, my mother would play hide and seek with me almost every day,” he reminisced aloud.

“You’ll get to see lots of new places like this once you’re free. You should spend some time here while you stay in Canterlot, many of the nobles come by every day just to relax.”

Watching the birds fly overhead, Tirek stood still for a moment, enjoying the serenity that surrounded him. “Mm, maybe I will,” his voice trailed off. “Wait. Didn’t you say this was your first day? How did-” He turned around, looking for the unicorn who seemed to have vanished. “What just happened?” he confusedly asked, scratching his head in bewilderment.

Before he could even begin to search, his name was yelled by a feminine voice – one that he immediately recognized. “Tirek!” she called out, entering the garden’s fountain circle.

“Oh, Twilight,” he greeted. “You didn’t happen to see a unicorn guard leave, did you?”

She answered with a shake of her head. “No, I didn’t. What are you even doing in here?”

“Hiding.” He sat down on the side of the fountain, splashing the cold water with his fingers.

Twilight waltzed over beside him, sitting her rump in the grass and staring up at his sorrowful expression. She waited patiently for him to speak, but as he remained silent she decided to talk first, “The castle garden has changed since when I was a filly.” He turned his head, her words caught his attention. “After I became Celestia’s student, I was allowed on castle grounds. Back then, the gardens were sealed off to anypony except those select few deemed worthy by the royals.”

“You’ve been her pupil for that long?” he inquired.

She stared up at the sky, admiring the fluffy clouds that slowly floated on their own little path. “I’ve been her pupil my whole life, it feels like. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t anything besides her student.” Her focus shifted back to Tirek. “Well, except for recent history. Though some days still feel like I’m supposed to send her a letter or give her a report.”

He pouted his bottom lip, surprised by her history. “You were groomed for success, much like I was. Except you actually accomplished what your mentor set you to be,” he mused, trailing his voice off as he became lost in a daydream.

Placing a hoof on the fountain, Twilight lifted herself up onto the side and plopped her back against his torso. The centaur was surprised by the sudden closeness of the alicorn. The two sat there for a few minutes, silently thinking to themselves.

“Twilight,” Tirek said, breaking the silence. “Could I ask a favor of you?” She was surprised by the question, simply nodding in reply. “Can you send a letter to my home?”

Her mouth fell wide open, a question she had never thought to hear from the anguished centaur. The amount he had changed was astonishing to her. Giving the okay to come to Canterlot and apologize was one thing, but this was a whole new level, and she knew that.

“I can, on one condition,” she brazenly replied.

“Hmm, what is it?”

She hopped off the fountain and began walking away. Tirek slowly rose to his hooves, following the alicorn. “You and I both know you really want to ask the princesses something.” Before he could respond, she continued, “Make your demand like I know you want to. Whatever happens, happens.”

Her requirement left Tirek in shock, he halted his movements at the edge of the garden. He knew exactly what she meant, but how she could have figured it out was beyond any reasoning he came up with. An uneasy feeling built in his stomach as he knew what he had to do. These ponies are going to get me killed, he thought as he chased after the alicorn.

The Elements, Starlight and Discord all waited patiently for his arrival. As he stood in front of the towering doors to the throne room, he looked to his friends who all smiled – except for Discord. Tirek gave a thumbs up, signaling the guard ponies to allow him access. The doors slowly shifted, opening to the ornate hall that held the royal sisters. White and red glistened the hall, lights shined from all directions. He took a deep breath and walked forward toward the thrones.

Walking the red carpet, he remembered the last time he had been here. The thought seeped at the forefront of his mind as he ceased his movements, leaving a few yards between where he stood and the steps to the sisters. With a gracious bow he greeted the two alicorns.

“Good afternoon, Tirek, and welcome to Canterlot.” Princess Celestia welcomed the centaur, bowing her head.

“Thank you. I’m sure you two know why I’m here,” he paused as they nodded. “It’s not an easy thing for me to do, but…” his voice trailed off. He then lowered his forelegs, placing a fist on the ground to hold his balance. “I, Lord Tirek, would like to offer my apology to you, and to the citizens of Equestria.”

The two princesses smiled at the centaur. “On behalf of pony kind, we humbly accept your apology,” they said in unison.

That was far too easy, he thought as he raised his body back to its standing position, his friends cheering happily at the charming scene. Their cheering halted as he raised a hand and pointed a finger at the two sisters. “I must also make a request,” he sternly shouted.

Surprised by the sudden change in demeanor, the two sisters looked at each other in confusion and then turned their focus back to the centaur. “Go ahead,” Luna said.

The ponies sat with bated breath, even catching the attention of Discord. They all waited to hear his demand. “I was unjustly imprisoned by you two. When my brother betrayed me, I had yet to absorb any magic, and when you two came to take me away, I had no choice but to defend myself.” The look in his eyes burned with an intense rage as he spoke. “There was no trial or jury. You sent me away to Tartarus for so long, and I have missed so much. For that, I demand an apology from you both!” He clenched his fist, shaking it at the two oldest alicorns.

Celestia looked down her nose at the centaur, a scorned frown sat upon her lips and furrowed her brow. She looked at Luna who held the same expression, and then turned her glare back to Tirek. “So, you want an apology?” she asked as she began sauntering down the steps with Luna in tow.

“Apologizing is for those who believe they have made a mistake, dear sister,” Luna noted. “Tirek apologized, therefore he believes he made a mistake.”

“Indeed,” replied Celestia as the two stepped onto the throne room floor. “And so it seems that he believes we too have made a mistake.”

The two sisters halted themselves in front of the centaur, their towering proportions showed how inferior Tirek’s stature was, paling in comparison to their height. “I know all too well that even royalty can make mistakes,” Luna said, her face humbling, fading from the sour look it had held.

“I agree, and as such,” Celestia paused, bowing with Luna to the centaur that stood before them. “We would like to offer our apologies to you, Tirek. We were wrong to imprison you for so long.”

Tirek backed up, surprised by the ease of his demand. He wasn’t sure what he had expected them to do or say, but he never thought how accommodating they would be. It was a simple apology, but it brought him back to his knees, bowing with the two sisters.

As the three rose, the ponies once again cheered for their friend, all rushing to be by his side. They all latched onto the centaur, giving him a big group hug to which he graciously returned. “You’ve made quite a few friends, Tirek,” mentioned the younger sister.

“I think that a centaur who has been away for such a long time, yet has made several good friends, deserves a bit of a reward,” Celestia complimented, smiling down at the group. “As such, not only are you now a free citizen of Equestria, we would also like to offer you a room in the Canterlot castle. You are welcome to come and go freely, as much as you’d like.”

Upon hearing those words, a single tear fell down his cheek, surprising the two sisters, the ponies, and even a few guards. “I’m… I’m free,” he said in a low-pitched tone.

“You’re free,” Twilight repeated.

“You’re free!” The ponies reiterated those words until everyone said it a few times.

The royal sisters let out a giggle as the group chanted, almost taking part in it themselves. “To celebrate the reformed Tirek, let us have a royal feast for the honored guest and his friends,” Celestia proudly announced.

Tirek stood slack jawed, surprised by the amount of kindness and integrity he was being given. “This is all so sudden. I need a moment.”

“If you would Tirek, please wait in the hall,” Luna directed. “We must make preparations with your friends.”

He gave a gracious bow before taking his leave. His heart still raced as he waited outside the throne room, the very thought of being free was just as startling as the sisters’ apology. He stood, staring out the window at the royal garden. I’m free, but I still feel so angry, he thought as he watched the wind blow leaves from a tree. He became so lost in thought that he didn’t even feel the presence of another.

“Congratulations.”

He continued to stare out a window, admiring the scenery from what he could see. “Even you’re congratulating me? Today’s been something,” the centaur mused.

Discord leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and legs in a manner only he thought to be cool. “Yes, well. I’m sure you’re feeling really great right about now, you’ve accomplished so much,” he surmised with a tone that was clearly sarcastic.

“Should I? Is that what I’m supposed to be feeling right now? Then why do I feel so empty?” His voice was monotone, but the seething could be felt even by Discord. Tirek slowly raised a fist, staring down at it with an anger boiling inside of him.

“It is a lot all at once, but I’m sure-“

“Tell me Discord, do you feel happy with your situation,” interrupted Tirek. “Do you feel like you’re living a purposeful life? Do you ever feel like the ones who say they care about you, who say they enjoy your company, instead they actually fear you and have never stopped fearing you?”

The draconequus stepped forward, watching the centaur’s rage build. “They don’t fear me, I’ve managed to change their-“

Tirek snapped his head around and yelled, “Of course they don’t, you’re a clown! They don’t fear clowns!” He faced the window once more, anger pouring off him like sweat. “I am not like you…” he murmured.

“It sounds like you’d rather be me,” Discord proclaimed.

As he heard those words, his rage overflowed, causing him to scream, “I am Lord Tirek!” He sent a fist through the window, shattering the glass. Shards fell from above, scratching and cutting the centaur’s hand as he pulled it back.

Surprised by the sudden outrage, Discord watched on with a dumbfounded expression, unable to stop the centaur as he walked away. The throne doors creaked open as Twilight and Starlight came to investigate the noise. They trotted up to Discord and the broken glass, noticing the centaur in the distance.

“Discord, what happened?” Starlight snappily asked.

“Well,” he groaned. “I congratulated him.”

Twilight noted the broken window, examining the shards of glass and remnants of blood, giving a demoralized sigh as she began trotting off after the centaur. “I’ll go get him. Let the others know,” she hollered as she left.

The trail of blood lead the alicorn like a hound, droplets left across the marble flooring, the courtyard’s grassy field, and up to a separate tower that the mare immediately recognized. The blood slowly halted its trail as it led up the spiral steps of the unique tower.

She slowly peered in, the library remained dark except for the sunlight that shined through its enormous window. “Tirek?” she called out as she waltzed in. “You know you shouldn’t let Discord get to you.”

“It wasn’t Discord’s words that got to me. It was my own thoughts.” The centaur’s voice echoed in the main chamber, but to Twilight’s gaze he was nowhere to be seen. “Are you alone?”

“Yes, though I doubt for very long. You know you’ve intruded on someone’s home, right?” she called out as she searched for the bleeding stallion.

He finally showed himself, trotting out onto the balcony above the main chamber with a towel covering his hand. “This is inside the castle grounds. Who lives inside castle grounds?” he questioned.

Flapping her wings, she flew up and hovered in front of the balcony. “Technically, no one lives here at the moment, as this use to be my home,” answered the mare. “Though I do hope Moon Dancer spends quite an abundant amount of time here. I don’t want this place to go to waste,” she mused.

“Yes, well. If you’ve come to scold me, talk about my feelings, or something else just as awful, then I want nothing to do with it.” He then walked back into the bathroom, still clutching the towel against his injured hand.

Twilight followed behind, watching as he rinsed the towel in the sink. “If you’re not in the mood to talk, then how about you let me fix your hand,” she said with a scolding but worried tone.

Wincing from the pain, he turned his head to focus on the alicorn, giving a raised eyebrow before nodding to the proposal. She opened the cabinet behind the mirror, levitating bandages and a wound care cream from the medicine box. He lowered his hand, allowing her to nurse the cuts.

“I suppose this revokes my citizenship status,” he muttered.

“I thought you didn’t want to talk,” she scoffed. Ointment poured out onto the wounded hand, causing the centaur to flinch. He held tight, willingly riding out the pain, to which she took notice. “And no, it doesn’t. That won’t change unless you start eating magic again.”

Once she finished wrapping the hand with the bandage, he began to pull it away, only for Twilight to grasp and hold it constricted between her hooves. The more he pulled, the tighter she held. He stared down at the alicorn, her eyes covered by the purple mane.

“Scorpan was right,” he softly mentioned.

She looked up at Tirek, her eyes glistening with tears that had yet to fall. Her voice quavered as she asked, “Right about what?”

“The last time I spoke to him he said, you ponies would be the death of me.”

“But… You aren’t,” she stuttered, thinking of the literal meaning behind that.

“No, no. I think he meant my evil side, my passion for destruction and control. For one side to live, the other must die. Lord Tirek… or Reformed Tirek.”

As he pulled his hand, she finally let go. “Tirek…” she whispered as he placed the other hand against her cheek. “You-You’re such a fool, Tirek.”

Surprised by her words, he raised a questioning brow before asking, “What do you mean?”

She wandered out onto the balcony, giving a sigh and a giggle as she regained her composure. Before the centaur could reiterate his question, she leapt and glided down to the bookcases below. Books flew from the shelves and circled her, she quickly scanned them each to find the information she desired.

Tirek slowly made his way down the steps, still clenching his hand as he trotted up to the alicorn. The books that circled her were closed one by one until the final book levitated over to him. He looked up at Twilight, who smiled bright, and then grasped the open book. His eyes glanced over the paragraphs, attempting to figure out what she wanted him to see.

“Am I missing something?” he asked, flipping a page. “Is this what was written about me? Why are you showing me this?”

“Your name, Tirek. It’s never stated in any book that you’re Lord Tirek.” She levitated the book back over to her as she began to recite some of the words. “Tirek and his brother Scorpan. When Tirek refused. And Tirek was sent to Tartarus,” she listed the references to his name. “Don’t you see?”

“Not really, no.”

She placed the book down. “Lord Tirek isn’t mentioned. Only you, Tirek. Your past is part of who you are, and you can’t just throw it away,” she explained, staring at him with expectant eyes.

“But, that means ponies will fear me for the rest of my life,” he objected, almost fuming at the very idea.

“Well I don’t fear you.” The alicorn pointed at the centaur, a scolding tone in her voice as she spoke. “Neither does Pinkie, or Rarity, or Starlight, or Rainbow, or anyone else that knows you!”

“But, I’m still a magic eater,” he objected once more, barely believing his own words.

As her face crinkled from annoyance, she stomped her hoof. “Discord is still chaos embodied, Starlight still knows time travel spells, but none of that matters because I trust them. And I trust you too!”

His lips curled from a frown and into a smile, her words finally hitting their mark. “Wow. It’s been a long time since anyone has trusted me.”

“It’s also been a long time since you’ve trusted anyone, hasn’t it?” she remarked.

He lowered his head, rubbing the back of his neck with the one good hand. “Erhm, well, yes. It seems I’ve been a bit of a fool, haven’t I?”

“Yes, you have. It only became more apparent after you chatted with Starlight. You always seem to let your emotions run wild, except for the ones that hurt you the most.” She looked down at his hand. “Especially the ones that hurt you the most.”

“All that time I spent in Tartarus, the hatred I’ve retained is still part of me.”

Her ears flopped down as she frowned. “Maybe Starlight is right then, Tirek. Maybe you should resolve your issues with your brother, maybe then you won’t be-“

“I know,” he interrupted, placing a finger over her lips. “Perhaps I will, but for now I have a favor to ask, if you don’t mind.” She raised an eyebrow and gave a nod, to which he then asked, “Would you mind if I stayed in Canterlot for a little while after you and the others return to Ponyville?”

“Not at all. Though, you don’t have to ask permission to do anything anymore. If you want to stay in Canterlot, then you’re free to do so for however long you desire.” She then coyly reminded him of the silly chanting, “You’re free, remember?”

He placed a hand atop her head and patted the young alicorn. “I’m free, but that feeling pales in comparison to the feeling of being your friend.” He smiled at her, noting her abruptly large smile and glittering eyes, finally realizing what he had just said. “Oh no, mushy words. I think I’m turning into Discord.”

Twilight couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Well I’m glad to be your friend too, Tirek,” she said as her laughter slowed.

“Thank you,” he replied with a smile. “Come on. I’m sure our friends are all worried. They probably think I’ve absorbed your magic.”

“Tirek!”

“Oh no! I am turning into Discord, the lame jokes are already starting!” He placed his hands against his cheeks, horror exaggerated across his face.

As the two exited the regal tower, still laughing at each other’s jokes, a pile of books shifted in the corner. A cream colored unicorn sat up, awakening from her slumber. “H-Hello? Is s-somepony there?” she sleepily called out.

Chapter 18: Tea

The purple alicorn trotted up to the front door and gave a swift knock. As she stepped back to wait for the door to open, the draconequus spoke up, “I don’t see why it couldn’t just be us two. A little wine, perhaps some mood music, and a few bushels of cotton candy. It would be wonderful!”

“Discord, this isn’t a date. We’re having lunch with friends, that’s all,” she sternly replied. “Also, cotton candy?”

“What? It’s delicious, doesn’t stick to your teeth, and you can share with someone special.”

“Oh. So I’m special? Perhaps if you keep with the sweet sentiments this might actually turn into a date.”

The draconequus began to blush, then stuttered, “Yes, well, I-I… Uhm. You’re pretty.”

“Really?” she replied as she knocked on the door once more. “That’s all you’ve got?”

He gave a shrug and crossed his arms, tapping his foot in an impatient manner.

Sounds of clattering finally came close to the door, followed by the unlocking and shifting of bolts. The door swung inward with a white unicorn greeting the two. She clasped her hooves around the alicorn’s neck and wrapped her in a hug. A black unicorn stood behind the mare, waiting patiently for them to finish their greeting.

“Twilight, it feels like it has been forever! I’m so glad you mentioned doing a little get together.”

As the two let go, Sombra stepped forward past the mare, greeting the chaotic spirit. “Hello Discord. Do you want a little hug too?” he said with a grin.

“Leave the bad jokes to me,” replied Discord, extending his hand to the dark unicorn who politely placed out a hoof and shook the hand. “Though, a hug from a certain alicorn on the other hand…”

Rarity raised an eyebrow to the strange, specific words used by the draconequus. She then looked to Twilight who rolled her eyes and gave a teasing gesture. Before the white unicorn could invite them in, Sombra moved in between the two mares, grabbing onto the alicorn’s hoof and giving it a kiss.

“Oh my!” Twilight said with surprise, blushing from the stallion’s actions.

Discord folded his arms and looked away, causing the two mares to giggle with a spiteful thought. Once they finished their teasing and greetings, they were courteously let into the fashionista’s home and given a seat at her kitchen table.

“I thought about inviting a few others,” Rarity said. And then, after a pause, “I decided against it though.”

“I don’t mind. I am a bit surprised you didn’t invite the latest couple,” Twilight replied, taking a sip of tea from the cup that was placed in front of her.

Discord sat with elbows on the table and his knuckles pressed deeply into his cheeks. The pink pony and her new partner were the talk and gossip of the mares in their little circle – and he was already over it. Of course, it didn’t help that they were brought together by his competing rival.

The dark unicorn placed a cup of tea in front of Discord – who gave a tired eye – and then sat down in his chair. He listened for a moment as the mares gossiped, taking sips every so often. His interest in the conversation waned as they spoke of relationships among their friends. He began to whisper to Discord, only to stop himself as the two mares became riled.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Rarity’s harsh question caused both the males to perk up, intrigued by the disdain of her inflection.

“What do you mean, what do I mean? You turned him down, didn’t you? That’s what he told me,” replied the alicorn with a look of confusion.

She placed a hoof against her forehead, trying to comprehend Twilight’s words. “I never told him anything – I mean I know I shouldn’t have led him on, but I certainly didn’t tell him a flat out no.”

“Yes you did,” Sombra replied, catching the attention of the others. “I was there when he confessed his attraction to you. Don’t you remember? We went to the spa afterwards, about three Tuesdays ago.”

The two mares looked at each other and then back to the stallion. “I’ve been in Canterlot for the last few Tuesdays, preparing for my new fall line. There’s no way I was even here,” Rarity explained.

Sombra had hung out with Rarity on the previous Tuesday, and a few other Tuesdays as well. How had he never seen or heard her leave for Canterlot, and how was she still in Ponyville? A look of shock and horror filled his face as he realized who he had actually been with.

“If you were in Canterlot, and yet you were also here in Ponyville, then that means…” Twilight frowned at the idea.

“It’s pretty obvious that it’s Chrysalis in disguise,” Discord surmised as he snapped his fingers, a paper mask with Chrysalis’s face drawn on in crayon appeared in his hand.

“That would make the most sense, though I cannot allow it to continue.” The alicorn slumped against the table, disheartened by the turn of events. “I thought she was making progress like Sombra or Tirek…” her voice trailed off.

Rarity bit at her bottom lip and squirmed in her seat. “I know this may sound a bit silly, but I believe she’s done me a favor. I’m uncertain if anything would have sparked between me and Spike, but I fear his infatuation with me may have caused a rift at some later point,” she said. Then, after a pause, “I couldn’t do that to him. Even though what Chrysalis did was wrong, I don’t think she should necessarily be punished.”

The alicorn gave a nod, understanding the situation. I guess all those talks did sink in, she thought. Before she could even give her reply, Sombra tapped a hoof on the table.

“Actually, there’s something you all should know about Chrysalis,” he mentioned, “and me.”

“I am so glad I agreed to come today!” Discord shouted with glee. “After this we get to vote someone off the island right? Spoiler, I’m voting for Chryssi!”

Sombra frowned and rolled his eyes, giving a long, drawn out sigh as he spoke, “This is going to sound bad, and that’s kind of because it is. I know I should have told you sooner, but I’ve been so caught up in reforming and the thing at the Crystal Empire, and well…”

“Whatever it is, you can trust us,” Rarity replied, placing a hoof on his.

He gave a smile and clasped her hoof in both of his. “Well, mine and Chrysalis’s arrival weren’t unplanned. She’s the one that brought me back from the brink of death, and she’s the one that came up with the plan to overthrow you, Twilight. One of us were supposed to become your partner, then we would move in to take all of Equestria in your name. She and I would then become king and queen of all the land.”

“That’s a pretty terrible thing, Sombra,” Twilight said with freight in her voice, but a calm look on her face – as if she had expected that from the very start.

“I know. After the Crystal Empire I realized I didn’t want to be part of it. I have not talked to her alone since we’ve returned. Now that I know she has been playing us, especially me, I’m afraid she might be planning something more.”

The two mares sat with pondering, puzzled looks. Sombra felt their gaze as he began to sweat, worried that this revelation would jeopardize his position with the group of mares. Before he could even attempt to defend himself, Rarity placed both hooves against his two, clutching them together. A smile lit on her face as he looked into her eyes, letting him know she had already forgiven him.

“I’m sure she already figured out that you’re compromised, Sombra, and has already set in motion her backup plans,” Discord spoke up.

“What do you mean?” asked the alicorn.

“Come now Twilight. Every villain has a multitude of plans in case one fails, a backup plan to the backup plan. Remember my bramble vines? Sombra here probably has a few plans he was going to use against the bug queen if things went south. I’m sure even your little friend Snorelight has a failsafe,” he explained as he sipped his tea.

Sombra’s mouth fell open, surprised by the insight the whacky draconequus gave. “Whoa, that’s… that’s actually pretty true. I mean, I’ve changed now, but I definitely did have a few.”

“Well, if I didn’t have to dispense punishment for what she did to Spike, I do now.” Twilight said as she stood up from the table. The dark unicorn gulped, the look of dread on his face caught Twilight’s eye. “Don’t worry.” She shook her hoof at him. “You’re not going to be punished too, Sombra. You’ve been nothing but helpful.”

He gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you for that,” he replied.

“It’s about time we get to do something! Some excitement!” Discord slammed a fist on the table, cups rattling and shaking.

“Well I’m glad you’re enthusiastic, because you’re going to help me,” Twilight said, a snarky grin on her face.

Discord pulled on his horns, a smile from ear to ear. His body trembled with joy, excited that one of the other contenders for Twilight’s heart were about to be pulled from the race, and he was going to be there for it.

“Ehrm, are you sure you don’t want somepony else’s assistance, Twilight?” Rarity concernedly asked. “Perhaps one with less of a vendetta against the changeling queen?” She nudged her head in Sombra’s direction, hoping Twilight would understand the meaning.

“Actually, that’s why I’ve picked Discord. It’s not going to be a normal punishment, in fact, it wasn’t even a punishment to begin with.”

Rarity cocked her head, confused by the alicorn’s words. “Wait, was she already in trouble?”

“No. But to her, having Discord there will be punishment enough,” Twilight replied.

“Are we going to stick her in a piñata and beat her with sticks? Oh what am I thinking, you’ve probably already got the piñata ready! I’m rubbing off on you, Twilight!” Discord grabbed and raised the alicorn into the air, delighted by the very thought.

“Put me down Discord! We’re not going to hurt her!”

He frowned as he placed her back onto the floor, then asked, “Well then what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to visit her home, her hive.”

Chapter 19: The Hive

“Actually, I like the idea of not knowing where exactly we’re going. It gives this little field trip a sense of mystery.”

The purple alicorn raised an eye brow to Discord’s answer. She sat directly across from him as they rode the train to Dodge City – their final stop before the queen’s home. “Mystery? That’s what I’m hoping to remove by this little field trip,” she firmly replied.

He shrugged and shook his head at the same time. “That doesn’t mean it can’t be fun on the way to discovery.”

She could not roll her eyes harder if she tried. “I’m about to learn a great deal about the changeling race, the last thing I need right now is fun – and definitely no chaos.”

“Glad Pinkie Pie isn’t here, otherwise she’d blow a gasket. Not needing fun? How traitorous,” he said as he stretched his body along the bench he sat upon. “Every time the word changeling is brought up, all you ever say is I want to learn more or we don’t know enough about them. Why don’t you ever want to learn about other races, like for example the draconequus?”

“Okay. Tell me about the draconequus’s then,” she replied, sitting forward with a feint curiosity.

Discord let out a short chortle with a toothy grin. “You know about as much as I do, unfortunately,” he casually mentioned, waving the suggestion away with his hand.

This was the second answer she raised an eye brow to, and this was far more demoralizing than the first. She raised her hoof, motioning to speak, but before the words could leave her throat the changeling returned to the cart with food levitating around her.

“Who knew you could get free food when you posed as the Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she said as she sat down next to the real Twilight Sparkle. “It feels nice to be respected for once.”

“Even the mimic is having a little fun,” cooed Discord.

With a huff, Twilight swiped a doughnut out of the air and went to town, chomping with a big bite and smooshing the glaze against her lips. Crumbs fell to the floor and along the edge of her seat. The two ex-villains watched in disgust as she finished the pastry, her mouth still covered in the sugary treat’s coating.

“See? I’m fun!” she said with her mouth full, causing the two to wince.

Discord snapped his fingers and a napkin appeared in his hand. He extended his arm and wiped her lips. “You’re a dirty fun little mare, aren’t you?” he said with a chuckle.

She quickly slapped his hand away as he finished wiping, her muzzle scrunched up worse than a ball of tossed paper. Her pouty expressions faded as she felt the warm touch of hooves and a gentle nuzzle from the queen’s mouth, who then whispered, “I like them dirty.”

Before Twilight could respond, Chrysalis leaned down and licked a bit of glaze that had been missed by Discord, nibbling at Twilight’s lips in the process. This little sensual contact struck a chord with the draconequus, a frown stretched across his face just as quickly as his blushing crossed his cheeks – stirring a snide grin from the changeling.

“Chrysalis, please. That’s not appropriate,” the alicorn said with a blush that matched Discord’s.

“Oh? Why not?” she asked, though her inflection proved she didn’t care about the answer.

Discord groaned and rolled his eyes as he sat up. “It clearly bugs her,” he replied with a low-pitched tone echoing from his throat.

The changeling hissed, “What’s the matter Discord? Jealous?”

“Of course not – I’d hate to be in your horseshoes right now.”

Her face filled with confusion until she noticed the fuming alicorn that sat next to her, staring at her with a blushing contempt that only resounded by her deep grimace. Chrysalis let out a nervous chuckle as she became locked with the piercing eyes of the alicorn, shooting her like daggers through the heart. She wanted to turn her gaze back to the draconequus just to see his giddy reaction, but feared what the mare would do if she did.

“Public displays of affection -” Twilight broke the silence, “- are NOT okay when a dating relationship has not been established. We are NOT dating, and so that is unacceptable.”

“Oh,” the changeling meekly replied, feigning a smile. “Of course, my apologies Twilight. It was just to entice Discord, you understand, don’t you?”

The queen’s honesty filled Twilight with a little pride, knowing that an apology would never had happened in the beginning weeks of her reformation. She gave a soft sigh and her frown faded. “Alright, it’s fine. Just keep the jokes and quips to a minimum today,” she replied as she turned her head to Discord. “Both of you.”

“Of course – though you seem a bit more stressed than usual,” Chrysalis replied with a choke of concern in her voice.

“I’d have to agree, and being the cause of much of your stress I’d say I’m an expert on when you’re overly frazzled,” added Discord.

Twilight closed her eyes and began rubbing her temples. “I know, I know. It’s just… This trip is a really big deal for multiple reasons.”

Chrysalis and Discord looked at each other with a bit of concern. “Like, what?” they asked in almost perfect unison.

“Well, not only is this a test for Chrysalis to see how well she handles herself amongst her own kind, it’s also a test for Discord and myself.” Discord pointed to himself, more confused than ever. “Yes, you’re being tested on how well you can help when asked, even if it’s helping someone you don’t like,” she said, and then after a pause, “Then there’s my test, which is testing my role as a princess – that is to say, bringing a new race into the fold.”

She let out a groan and planted a hoof against her face as she remembered the embarrassing memory of the Yak’s from Yakyakistan. It was her hope that the interaction with the changelings would turn out the same way, but without the declaration of war being brought up every few moments.

The train eventually came to a stop in Dodge City. The small amount of passengers exited the train, trotting out into the beating sun. It was high noon and not a cloud appeared in the sky over the quaint town, a common occurrence. Chrysalis quickly donned a disguise, morphing into the alicorn’s own sister-in-law. As they exited, Twilight shot a stern glare to the copycat who simply rolled her eyes.

“I’d rather not let the local folk know that my hive is so close to their town,” the changeling briefly mentioned.

“But why Cadance?”

“It holds a fond memory, plus I think I portray her quite well,” she snickered.

A white stallion with blue hair sauntered up next to the two. “Three royals roaming a dusty little town in the south? Well, we wouldn’t want the locals to expect anything was up, now would we?” The stallion appeared to be Shining Armor, but his voice was raucous enough to speak volumes of whom he really was.

“Really? Both of you? At this point, I may as well transform into my niece.” A groan left Twilight’s lips as they made their way through the town.

Ponies stopped and stared at the trio, whispering amongst themselves or smiling and waving. They remained unusually undisturbed as they passed through and pressed on towards the swamps that bordered the east. That is, until a certain sheriff called out to the posse of supposed royals. The brown haired, mustached stallion rushed out of his office and up to the group.

“Well howdy howdy. It sure is a rare sight to see some of the fanciful in our lil’ town. I must welcome you all to our humble little portion of Equestria, along with welcomin’ you back, now Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The sheriff took off his hat and placed it against his chest as he greeted the trio.

“Sheriff, it’s wonderful to see you again, and on better terms. We’re actually just passing through for the moment, heading over to the Hayseed Swamps.”

“I’m not sure why the blazes you’re heading down into the swamps, but I feel as though I should warn you they are off limits due to their rough and tumble nature.”

“Well, we appreciate your concern, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.”

He gave a nod, understanding the power she held as an alicorn. “I’d figure that to be true, however I cannot simply let you three go in without a guide, as that would be against my better judgement. If somethin’ were to happen to any of you while you were within my designation, well, I cannot fathom the consequences.”

Before Twilight could decline his involvement, the disguised changeling stepped forward and said, “It’s a horribly hot day, why don’t you go get some lemonade?”

His eyes widened as he struggled to maintain his specific vernacular, eventually snapping back to his role. “I see you three are well equipped. Have a wonderful day,” he said as he turned and quickly walked away.

Twilight furrowed her brows as she asked, “What just happened?” She looked at the disguised draconequus – who simply shrugged – and then to the changeling. “Did you notice that?”

The disguised queen smiled her pink lips at Twilight and then motioned to continue walking. As they exited the antiquated town she tentatively explained, “Sheriff Silverstar is actually a changeling – that was a code phrase I used to let him know who I was.”

“What? How? When?” stammered the alicorn, surprised by the admission.

“Here’s a little secret for you, Dodge City is changeling controlled. Has been since we started building it. We replace the sheriff every so often with another changeling, and he prevents swamp access. We can’t have ponies discovering our little secret, after all.”

“Yes, you absolutely need to guard from ponies coming into your wonderful little swamp,” Discord sarcastically remarked.

Chrysalis ignored his insult as they reached the overgrown border to the swampland. Her disguise burned away in a green fire, reverting back to her regular appearance. “Try not to get left behind Discord, it would be such a shame to lose you in these muddied grounds.”

Within a second he had already transformed, a tan vest with many pockets strapped onto his chest and a large brown hat covered his head. “Worry not, I shall lead the way,” he said as a machete appeared in his hand. He made quick work of the terrain’s muck and foliage, allowing the trio to enter the Hayseed Swamps with little obstacles.

She simply rolled her eyes at the sight of his adventurous inquisition. “At least he’s useful for something,” she whispered within Twilight’s earshot, getting a giggle from the alicorn in response.

Discord lead the two through the vines and shrubbery that entangled the mud-filled soil. The deeper they went into the swamp, the less light shined through the canopy above. Strange animal noises Twilight had never heard echoed amongst the trees. She slowly felt the unease of the darkness creeping upon her, but it did not last, as they eventually reached a clearing in the swamp.

“I assume this is it,” Discord reckoned as he cut the last of the vines that blocked their path. A nauseating smell emanated from the clearing where white pillars of stone jutted from the ground. Shin high water surrounded the pillars in pools, and in the middle of them all laid the tallest, largest pillar. It was the size of the town hall in Ponyville and contained many open holes large enough for a pony to enter.

The warm, humid air made it just as hard to breathe as the accompanying smell. Discord snapped a gas mask into existence and shoved it on his snout. “You know, I was joking last time, but you really don’t need to guard this place,” he said whilst gagging. Clouds of smoke bellowed out of the smaller pillars, giving the area a smell of copper and tar.

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell inside,” the queen replied as her wings began to buzz. She then flew towards the main pillar with the two quickly following behind, hoping she was right.

They entered a hole near the top of the large, white pillar and glided down until they reached at flat surface where a cave lead them deeper down into the earthen caverns. The smell slowly faded and was replaced with a hot, dusty air. Brightly lit gems of teal, larger than Chrysalis and Discord combined, guided the way through the cavern as it twisted and turned.

A generous walk finally gave way to the changeling hive. It was an open pit from where they stood, walkways and side paths all leading every which way, and little nooks built into the sides of the dark brown dirt walls. The ground at the very bottom of the pit was lit up by the same type of stone from the tunnel. Changelings of varying looks buzzed around the hive, entering the nooks that seemed to hold beds and random assortments of items – some had more some had less.

“This is incredible!” Twilight exclaimed, surprised to see such a well maintained civilization. Her yell caused all the changelings to cease what they were doing and look up at the alicorn. “Oops,” she softly uttered once she realized they were all concentrating on her.

The hive’s inhabitants stirred with a panic, rising up to greet the intruder with violence – only to stop short as the queen approached Twilight’s side. They quickly formed into position, over a hundred changelings by Twilight’s quick count, all saluting their leader.

Chrysalis stood proud and pointed to herself before speaking loudly to the mass, “I have returned with company, my dear children. Please be on your best behavior and clean this place up while we’re here, I will be giving them the grand tour of our delightful little home.”

In an instant the gathering buzzed off and began meticulously working to clean the cavernous pit below. Twilight scratched her head, surprised by how well the changelings obeyed their ruler. “Why did you tell them to clean? I’m here to see how you all live in an ordinary life, it won’t be ordinary if everything is being tidied,” she remarked.

“They’d just be staring at you and Discord the entire time if I didn’t give them something to do, and that would be rather awkward. At least you’ll get to see how they work together to complete a goal,” Chrysalis explained.

Discord finally spoke up after mumbling to himself during the encounter, “Wasps!” The two mares looked at the draconequus, confused by his outburst. He quickly wrapped his arm around the queen’s neck and said, “I always thought you were more of a bee, being the whole queen bee thing, but bees don’t live in the ground – some wasps do! I think…”

Through gritted teeth, Chrysalis asked, “And why does it matter?”

He gave a delightful smile as he replied, “I can insult you with the correct slurs now that I know exactly what type of insect you are!”

The queen turned and shoved him, angrily snarling at the same time. “You are in MY domain now! I suggest you keep that tongue at the back of your throat otherwise I’ll cut it off!” she snapped at him.

Quickly rushing between the two, Twilight whispered, “Discord, don’t provoke Chrysalis! We are a guest in her home and we are here to learn!”

With a roll of his eyes and a cross of his arms, he muttered, “Fine, fine. I’ve got what I wanted anyways.” He then began walking down the path into the pit. “Since I’m a guest I may as well make myself comfortable!”

Chrysalis turned to Twilight and groaned, “If he breaks anything, I’m holding you responsible.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The two mares stood in an antechamber at the bottom of the hive. The giant teal gem glowed behind them, illuminating the hefty door that blocked their way. Two changelings that were decked in shoddy armor quickly pushed open the stone doors, granting access to the queen and the alicorn. To Twilight’s surprise, the chamber was half the size of the Canterlot throne room – and much dirtier.

“This is where you live; your room?” Twilight questioned as she entered, staring up at the ceiling that sparkled from hundreds of tiny teal stones. Shelves and chests lined the sides of the room, filled to the brim with unique things or ordinary objects most ponies would consider to be trash. In the middle of it all, against the back wall, there was a bed. It was twice the size of any bed Twilight had ever seen before and the darkest shade of green she had ever witnessed.

“Home sweet home,” Chrysalis replied. She walked past the alicorn and over to the bed.

Twilight slowly followed behind, taking a turn to get the full breath of the room. She stopped once she felt the softness of the purple rug that stretched out from the bed, surprised by something so tender being used in the dark, damp depths of the earth. “It’s quite amazing, your room, your city, your kind. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“You mean you’ve never seen anybody live in a cave with dirt walls before?” the changeling sassed, demeaning herself for the sake of the joke – she could do that as long as Discord wasn’t around to hear.

The alicorn meandered around, looking at the objects of the room. Trunks were battered and bruised, paint peeling from the edges. Bookshelves were chipped and some had warped – possibly from rain. Even the rug had threads torn and edges cut. The only thing that remained intact seemed to be the bed Chrysalis sat upon.

It wasn’t just the furniture she noticed, it was the items as well. Books were well worn, possibly missing pages, and had damaged covers. A few stuffed toys had missing buttons or even ligaments. She opened one of the chests and a shadeless broken lamp was the first thing that sat atop the other junk. Underneath were a random assortment of clothes, magazines, and random knickknacks.

Something caught her eye, causing her to reach in and pull out a golden cane with her face plastered at the top. “How in the world…” her voice trailed off.

“Yes, yes, go through all of my things, I won’t stop you,” Chrysalis remarked from the bed.

Twilight quickly dropped it back in and closed the chest. “Sorry, just looking around. You sure do collect a lot of unique things.”

“I figured that’s what you were doing,” she replied with a grin. “I know, I know. A queen should have more treasure, but I can’t take everything my subjects bring in – they deserve to have things of their own.”

Treasure? Wow, thought Twilight, cringing at the idea of calling this stuff anything other than garbage. She meandered her way back over to Chrysalis and stood in front of the bed. She noted how clean it looked for being in a cave. The changeling queen motioned for her to sit atop the cushioned spread, to which she complied.

“So, there’s a lot less changelings here than I expected, especially for the amount of… goodies, you’ve collected. Why do they collect these random things?”

Chrysalis’s face soured for a moment, only to fade to a happy smile as she got up and trotted over to a chest. “Whenever they’re out collecting love they sometimes come back with something they like. If I like it, I take it, one of the perks of being queen I suppose.” She levitated a comic out and brought it back over to the bed. “This one is my absolute favorite!”

A stallion with red dreadlocks appeared to be on the cover with Mane-iac, the two wildly firing lasers with the caption ‘Love is Hairy’ written in bold just above their heads. Twilight raised an eyebrow and then looked up at the elated changeling.

“Yes, well, you should bring it back with us then. We’ll have to make a day out of just reading comics,” Twilight tried to pacify the queen, hoping they could move on to learning more about her species.

Chrysalis frowned and her brow sagged, as if she was insulted. “Well, why don’t we read it right now?”

Twilight could tell she looked hurt, but knew they couldn’t waste time on anything other than learning. She had to think of a way to wiggle out of it without hurting the changeling’s feelings even more. Luckily for her, she had brought her trump card and didn’t even know it. The stone doors of the room gusted open, followed by the laughter of an ecstatic draconequus.

“There you two are!” he called out, causing the queen to scrunch her muzzle. “This place is amazing!”

“You’re… enjoying yourself?” Twilight asked as she stepped off the bed. She noticed he wore a beret between his horns as he came closer.

He grabbed the pink head ornament and shoved it in front of the alicorn’s face. “Absolutely! These insects have been collecting trash all over Equestria for centuries, a millennia! Maybe even years!”

“Trash?” Chrysalis’s face soured at the description.

“This beret was actually mine! I thought I had lost it when I was sealed away in stone the first time, but it seems it has been here, safely held by a changeling!” He then flipped the hat upside down and showed the inside. “Look, it’s even got my name embroidered on it so I could find it again!” With white needle work the inside read ‘Disharmony A. Cordial’.

Twilight’s brow furrowed as she read the embroidery. “Your name isn’t just Discord? I had no idea. Though, cordial isn’t how I’d describe you, that’s for sure.”

“How dare you! I am nothing but cordial!” he said with a huff as he placed the beret back atop his head.

“Did you steal that from one of my changelings? You can’t just take things, even if they did belong to you originally!” Chrysalis growled, she was tired of his antics – and him in general.

He simply shook his head and said, “No, that’s the best part! They’re all willing to trade their items for other junk! It’s like one big flea market, and I don’t even mean the bug pun for once!” He squeezed his face with his hands and did a little twirl. “I am so happy I agreed to come along!”

“Wait, they just trade you their items? Is that a common thing for ponies?” Chrysalis looked to Twilight for answers, hoping for something.

“Discord is technically right, there are markets where you can trade things or spend bits. It’s common, especially in small towns like Ponyville. Have you never thought to ask your changelings about what they saw whenever they were among my kind?” She was surprised that Chrysalis didn’t know something about her changelings – she didn’t expect much, but she did expect her to know all about her own species.

Chrysalis placed her hoof against her chin, contemplating the last time she asked her servants anything. “Well, it’s rather uncommon for me to be at the hive nowadays, I rarely have time to debrief any of my minions when I am here.”

The alicorn frowned at the answer, finally coming to terms of what she must do. “Discord, I’ve got a job for you,” she said as she stared him directly in the eyes. He stiffened and then saluted, his beret titled against his horns. “Keep Chrysalis company, I don’t want her leaving this room,” she commanded, to which he gave a nod.

“Wait, what? Where are you going?” the changeling called out as she attempted to follow Twilight to the door, only to be blocked by Discord.

“I’m going to learn!” she ambiguously yelled back as the stone doors closed behind her.

Chrysalis stood slack jawed for a moment, only to shift her focus to the militarized draconequus. “So, uh… Nice hat?”

His eyes slanted as he chided her, “It’s a beret.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Twilight had already climbed half way up the paths of the pit, unable to find any changeling that would give her the time of day. She passed many off-shoots to what she assumed were tunnels to other parts of the hive, but first she needed a guide – and an unbiased one at that. As she passed one of the nooks, she bore witness to several changelings crowding around another, cheering and giggling.

Every nook was open to the rest of the pit, and so it didn’t take long for the small crowd to notice the alicorn. They quickly scattered, buzzing back to their own nooks and staring at the alicorn from a distance. All but two had fled – the one who the crowd had been focusing on, and one who had been part of the crowd. She calmly approached the two leftovers and noticed the one was holding a toy – the ball in a cup game, something most foals grew tired of quickly.

A small giggle left her throat as she smiled and drew closer to the two, then she asked, “Let me guess, you traded Discord?” The two were immediately startled by the voice, quickly turning to see who it was – but not before the one on the right hid the toy behind his back. “Don’t be frightened, I’m not here to hurt you or take it away.”

“W-Who are you?” the one on the left asked.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m friends with your queen,” she answered.

“You’re friends with the queen!?” the one on the right asked with disbelief, and then followed up with, “Uh, what’s a friend?”

The question shocked Twilight – it had never occurred to her how little changelings knew of the pony world. “Well, uh,” she hesitated, trying to think of how to explain friendship. “A friend is someone you enjoy spending time with and be there for both the good and the bad.”

The one on the right turned to the one on the left and said, “Does that mean we’re friends, Timber?”

Timber responded in kind, “I guess so Toy, we spend a lot of time together.”

“Timber and Toy, huh? I never expected those to be names for changelings,” Twilight remarked aloud.

Toy shook his head and then said, “Actually, those are just nicknames. I’m Cltholothorp and he’s Zentoonl.”

Twilight stood blank faced, trying her hardest not to laugh. Well I certainly wasn’t expecting that either, she thought. Why can’t they have more normal names like Applejack, Shining Armor, or Rainbow Dash? So absurd. Once her silent laughter simmered she greeted them by their nicknames, “Well, I’m just going to call you Timber and Toy if that’s alright. Where did you get those nicknames, anyway?”

“Tim here likes trees and wood,” Toy replied.

“Toy likes toys,” Timber added. He then turned to Toy and said, “Show her your new toy!”

The changeling lifted his hoof from behind his back, the ball dangling on a string from the side of the cup. He attempted to toss the ball into the cup, only to have it miss. He did this for a few times before finally managing to get it in. The two changelings stomped their hooves in excitement, as if it was the greatest thing they had ever seen – and it probably was.

“Very… nice,” she praised, to which the changelings smiled big. “I don’t suppose I could pry you away from your new excitement to have you help me, could I?”

“Sure!” Toy enthusiastically replied. “What do you need help with?”

“Well, I need to be shown around your hive, I need to see everything that I can so that I may better understand how you all operate. Even if it’s bad or secretive, I need to see it,” she explained, hoping they would guide her.

Timber playfully pounced around her and said, “We can do that! Do you want to meet everyone else too?”

She gave a nervous chuckle to the suggestion. “I’m not sure I could meet thousands of you in a day and still be able to remember all your names – but maybe just a few, okay?”

The two changelings looked at each other and then back to the alicorn. “Thousands? There’s barely two hundred of us,” corrected Toy.

While the pit of changelings looked large enough to hold thousands from Twilight’s perspective, she did expect to see more. To Discord’s credit, she had imagined the place to be like an actual beehive, one where thousands of thousands made honey – or in this case, mimicked ponies. She thought back to the Canterlot invasion, surely there were more than just two hundred.

“Less than two hundred, huh?” she mused for a moment. “Were you two there when you changelings invaded Canterlot? It was during a wedding.” They both nodded to the question, to which she then asked, “Weren’t there more of you during the invasion?”

Toy’s eyes sagged as he frowned. “No. That was pretty much all of us. We had more in the beginning, but… That was a long time ago.”

It was then Twilight realized she hadn’t asked the most important question, not to them, and definitely not to Chrysalis. “Where did you all come from?”

They both scratched their heads and shrugged. Toy then said, “The queen used to tell the story of how we arrived here, but it’s been so long I don’t even remember. You should ask her.”

She gave a gentle nod and muttered, “Oh, I shall.” She then turned back to face the rest of the pit, noting how most of the changelings still stared at her from a distance. “Now, how about that tour?”

They quickly rushed to her side and began pulling her in different directions, up and down, and all around the hive. Most of the other changelings stayed their distance, but a few reluctantly met the alicorn princess. Amongst the nooks were a few access tunnels that led to other parts of the hive, one caught Twilight’s attention almost immediately.

A room as large as Chrysalis’s bedroom held a machine that was too foreign for Twilight to discern what it could be. “What is this thing?” she simply asked, staring up at the green glass that was held by the metal walls of the contraption. It was large enough to reach the ceiling with two tubes on both sides, connecting to panels next to the apparatus.

“This is our love machine! We put a pony inside and then drain their love!” Timber excited explained, his inflection felt like a foal who was describing a drawing they made.

“D-Does it harm the pony? Why would you even need something like this?”

Toy unsubtly leaned to Timber and whispered in his ear. Timber quickly frowned and shook his head, then turned his focus back to Twilight. “Uh, I’m not sure I’m supposed to be actually showing you this,” he said.

Twilight rolled her eyes and replied, “Probably not, but Chrysalis was going to have to show me this eventually.” She trotted up to the machine and began studying the buttons and knobs. “Now, I’ll ask again, do you know if this hurts the pony? How much love does it drain?”

“I don’t think it hurts the pony, they kind of just sit there – though I think that’s because of the paralyzation,” Timber replied. And then, after a pause, “We uh – me and Toy don’t actually work with the love machine.”

“All we know is what we’ve seen whenever Chrysalis brings in one of your kind. She’s the only one allowed to bring in someone from the outside. When she does, some of the weakers get to feast on the love it gives,” Toy explained.

Well, that’s horrifying, she thought to herself. This ominous machine is giving me the heebie-jeebies. She quickly backed out of the room with the two changelings and moved on to the next piece of the hive. After traveling through the main room, they walked down a corridor that held cages large enough for a pony to stand in. There weren’t more than five by her count, but she thought it strange they were there in the first place.

The room they were walking to was much larger than any of the previous, except for that of the main chamber. Though the room was vast, it held little. A simple set of cushiony looking chairs, and in the middle was a large crystal ball atop a pylon. She slowly approached the orb, examining the purple, cloudy surface that the glass held. She looked back to see if the two changelings were beside her, only to see they held awkwardly by the door.

“Aren’t you two coming?” she called out.

They shook their heads. “We’re not allowed in here unless Queen Chrysalis allows it,” Timber answered.

She turned her attention back to the ball, knowing they wouldn’t be any help understanding what it was even if they were allowed in. “This must be how she spied on me,” she whispered to herself, tapping the crystal with her hoof. “Maybe it’s voice activated? Show me Discord,” commanded the alicorn, but to no avail. She shrugged and then said, “Alright, show me Princess Celestia.”

Purple coloring shifted, but nothing appeared in the reflection of the ball. She let out a groan of frustration, knowing she would have to get Chrysalis to show her this as well. Just before she gave up, a voice called out from the entrance, “Put your hoof on it! See if that works!” She turned to see who had said that, only to witness the gathering of changelings that appeared behind Toy and Timber, mostly those she had already met and a few curious onlookers.

“Okay,” she muttered, hoping they would be right. She placed her hoof on the crystal and said, “Show me Shining Armor.” It whirled for a brief moment, only to fail once more. A frown formed across her face, and out of frustration she yelled, “Show me anything!”

Finally, the purple clouds shifted and whirled, parting in the middle to reveal a purple dragon cooking a batch of cookies. Spike? Why in Equestria, she thought, confused as to why it would show him. She shook her head and stepped down, waltzing back over to the changelings. They all cheered as she approached, causing even more confusion for the young alicorn.

“Nobody is allowed to use that except Queen Chrysalis! You’re amazing!” one of them yelled.

“Yes, well, speaking of Chrysalis, I need to get back to her. She’s got a lot of explaining to do,” Twilight mentioned.

Toy rushed to her side and began to whine, “But you haven’t even met Bone yet! He’s the coolest!” Many of the other changelings nodded in agreement to his comment.

“Alright, I’ll meet him and then head back to your queen’s room,” she replied. A smile crossed her face as Toy and Timber cheered, along with the other changelings that now seemed to congregate around her.

They walked to a special little nook that was near the top of the pit, off the main path and out of the way from any other outcropping. The changeling inside was busy shoving his face into a basket of clothing as Twilight walked up with Toy and Timber, the other changelings already disbanding from her side. Toy yelled the changeling’s name to get his attention, “Bone!”

Bone quickly shot his head up, clothes flying up with it. He turned his attention to the trio, immediately stopping at the sight of the alicorn. His mouth fell agape as he stared at Twilight, blush appeared across his muzzle – something Twilight had never actually seen on a changeling.

“You alright, Bone?” Timber asked, to which he got no response.

Twilight took a moment to look around the little nook, noticing that there were not in fact any bones as his name suggested. Instead, posters and drawings of ponies lined the walls, all mares and all in compromising positions. It was then she noticed that the clothing basket he had been busy with was not just filled with a random assortment of clothing, but with specific frilly garments. She began to blush harder than Bone, finally realizing where his nickname came from.

“I think she’s broken too,” Toy replied as he waved a hoof in front of her face.

She eventually snapped back to reality as she caught a certain drawing in her peripherals. Her focus turned and stared at the picture. “I-Is… Is this me?” she questioned aloud, noting the multi-colored purple mane, violet fur, and starry cutie mark. The mare in the picture sat with her rump towards the viewer, a book conveniently placed as a censor. At the bottom of the page, a name was written in red ink. “Does that say…? Fluttershy!?”

Levitating the drawing off the wall, she quickly folded it and placed it under her wing – her face red with embarrassment. This caused Bone to snap out of his stupor and yell, “Hey, you can’t just take that!”

With a groan, she rolled her eyes – knowing full well she could just zap the changeling unconscious. Instead, she asked, “Can I trade you something for it, then?”

“Uh,” he stammered, still slightly stupefied. “W-What do you have to trade?”

Taking into account the room and the suggestive posters in it, she decided something his style would be an easy trade. “How about a kiss on the cheek? That sound good?”

“A kiss!?” Timber and Toy yelled from behind. “Told you Bone was the coolest!” one of them yelled.

Bone didn’t hesitate to answer, “Deal!”

The two changelings watched as Twilight leaned in and gave him a big smooch on the cheek – to which he immediately swooned and flopped to the ground. She let out a giggle and murmured, “Rarity’s not going to believe this.” She then turned and walked past Toy and Timber who stood bewildered.

Before they went to follow her, Timber leaned into Toy’s ear and whispered, “Why’d he like that?”

“Kissing transfers love! He just got her to give him love for free! Bone’s the coolest!” Toy eagerly replied, then tapped Bone on the head. “Hey, you okay? Bone? Bone?”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Does this mean the tour is over?” Timber said with a depressed inflection.

“Yes, I’m sorry, but it is,” replied the alicorn. “But since you two were such big helps, you deserve a reward.” She gave them both a kiss on the cheek, causing the rest of the hive – who were watching from above – to cheer and holler at the presents.

The two guards were awkwardly staring at her with mouths agape before finally realizing they had to let her in – possibly wishing that it had been them instead. They quickly pushed open the stone doors to Chrysalis’s room. She slowly trotted in and raised a questioning brow to the two ex-villains that sat upon the bed. To her surprise, they hadn’t killed each other.

“Okay, now roll a d-twenty.”

Twilight slowly came upon Discord and Chrysalis, a splayed roll of paper sat in front of them with strange figures propped atop. Discord gently rolled a die and then yelled, “Natural twenty!” Chrysalis immediately cheered in response.

“What in the world is going on here?” Twilight yelled as she trotted up next to the bed.

“Twilight! Chrysalis is teaching me to play this wonderful game called Ogres and Oubliettes! It’s just as chaotic as me!” he squealed. “Though, I don’t like the rules or strategizing very much.” He lifted the sheet next to him and eyeballed it.

“He’s a natural! I swear if I ever get a group together Discord will be in it for sure,” the changeling said, as if to commend the draconequus.

The alicorn stood there, slack jawed and befuddled, trying to comprehend the two getting along. The two ex-villains looked to her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. “Well, uh, I’d hate to break your little game up, but I’m mostly done here,” she mentioned as she scratched the back of her neck.

“Aww, well that’s okay. Since we’re here I’ll make sure to pack up some of my stuff before we head back to Ponyville,” Chrysalis replied as she hopped off the bed. “Did you find out everything you needed?”

She rubbed her forehead and said, “No, I could use some explanations though. For starters, that machine that eats love and the crystal ball that spies on ponies. After that, you could explain why your changelings go by nicknames, or where you came from – since none of them seem to know.”

The queen stopped in her place, either surprised by the amount of requests or what the requests were about. She then continued with her task, levitating a dusty bag out of a chest and stockpiling papers, collectibles, and books into the satchel. After finishing, she tossed the bag onto the bed and turned to face the patient alicorn.

“The machine is meant to drain a pony’s love, and allow my weaker soldiers to absorb it. It’s for those who cannot leave the hive, for them to survive. No, the victim is not harmed – I know that was your next question. They’re in a comatose state during the process.”

Discord shifted his beret, watching in silence as the queen continued.

“The crystal ball is used to spy on ponies who are a thorn in my side – mostly you these days. That’s how I found your brother, and most of my other victims.” She paused for a moment, deliberating to herself before she continued, “As for the third, what was it? Nicknames? I have no idea what you’re talking about, honestly.”

“What about the forth?” Twilight replied, a serious inclination in her tone.

“We came from a land far away where a witch cursed our race. She forced us to consume love in order to live. At the time we had thousands of us, but when we could not absorb love, nor knew what it was, our flames started extinguishing. I led my people across the sea here, to Equestria, where we’ve spent time just trying to survive,” she explained, placing a hoof against her forehead as she told the tragic tale.

“Oh, I-I’m so sorry,” Twilight replied, shocked by the revelation.

“It is alright, it is not a story I enjoy telling.” A single tear dripped from Chrysalis’s eye, to which she quickly wiped away.

Discord rose from the bed and said, “Yes, Twilight. Don’t give her any sympathy – mostly because she’s lying.” The two mares stood with mouths agape, surprised by Discord’s bluntness. “I’m the Lord of Chaos, you can’t lie to me, lies are chaos in audible form,” he added with a smug grin.

The queen grimaced as Twilight yelled, “How dare you lie to me, tug on my heart strings! I am trying to help you! Have you been lying to me this whole time!?”

Chrysalis gritted her teeth, her muscles tensing up. “You want to know the real story? Fine. The truth is I’m a terrible leader and lost thousands of changelings within the first forty days of being brought into this sickening world.”

Twilight glanced at Discord who gave a nod, confirming she wasn’t lying, and then asked, “How?”

“We awoke in a swamp, contained in green pods, in a far away land. There were thousands of us, all breaking out at once. I spent the first ten days trying to get to know every single one of my fellow changelings – a lot of them I grew to care for. After forty days, thousands began to perish. We all felt sickly. We tried to eat food – or what seemed like food – but it didn’t help, we needed something more.”

“But it’s not your fault. You didn’t know you needed love, did you?”

Chrysalis shook her head. “No, but I was largest so I was named the leader. Our numbers dwindled to about six hundred, and by that time I had lost many that I grew fond of. We finally discovered you ponies, but our first interaction had screams of terror involved. When we learned we could transform into copies of your kind it became clear what we were meant to do, and since then our hunt for love has been everlasting. Many of my kind never recovered from the lack of love, only living now because we were able to find a way to share it with them. Even then, it was barely enough – a machine was eventually made.”

“I see. I think I’ve heard enough,” Twilight replied. “Do you still have the plans for the machine?”

The changeling levitated the paper that had been their Ogres and Oubliettes board. “Right here. I always keep it close to what I love, err, so to speak.”

Twilight spread the paper into the air, examining the plans that were almost illegibly written on the back. “This is what I need. We should head back to Ponyville so that I can begin making preparations.”

“W-What are you going to do?” Chrysalis inquired, worried her lies had gotten her into trouble.

“I’m going to save your species.”

Chapter 20: Mixing a Cure

The crystal walls of the castle gleamed against the morning sun, ushering an end to the previous night. It was another night that Twilight and Starlight had worked through, determined to find a way to break the changelings’ curse. Potion stands, alchemic apparatuses, and large quantities of books piled around their workstation – which was just three tables pushed together. It was also another morning that Discord had appeared to greet them, offering coffee and breakfast to keep them going.

For the draconequus to bring them food and beverages was a rare sight, but not unwelcome. Twilight assumed it was his way of keeping an eye on the changeling queen that patiently slumbered on cushions in the corner, happily dreaming as the two ponies toiled. When they finally found the cure, she wanted to be the first to learn of their success, but she did not expect them to use her as a test subject as well.

Twilight raised a tube of red, bubbling juices to her eye, making sure it was the proper amount before pouring it into a second mixture of green liquid. She quickly corked the top and swirled it around with her magic. The formula transformed into a yellow coloring as she placed it back atop the burner. Carefully, the cork was popped off. When the liquid failed to explode, the two mares happily clapped their hooves together.

“You two seem cheery,” Discord said, placing a tray of food on the table behind them.

The alicorn gave a wink to the draconequus, bringing attention to the bags that sat underneath her eyes. “I think we’ve done it this time,” replied Twilight, yawning half way through. She levitated the test tube back onto a rack with other empty tubes. She motioned for Starlight to wake the sleeping queen, excited to finally be done with the research.

Starlight rushed – which was about as fast as a turtle going uphill – and woke the snoozing changeling. A yawn and a stretch was all she needed before rising to drink the potion the two had made. They had already made others, all failed of course, but they did discover the recipe for turning changelings white. Chrysalis was a little weary of the potion’s smell, but she hoped this one would be the last.

Discord watched in the background as Chrysalis levitated the tube up to her lips and sent the yellow liquid down her gullet. The fizziness of the drink tingled in the back of her throat, though she felt it too sweet for her liking. As they waited patiently for something to happen, she shrugged and said, “I don’t feel any different. I still hunger for love.” As she finished her sentence she could feel her belly rumble, and then her whole body became clammy.

Both the mares watched in horror as the changeling shrunk. No longer did she tower over the two ponies, but instead looked up at them from her new height – barely taller than a normal filly or colt. She let out a groan as Discord began to give a hearty laugh. Everything was small, except for her hair, which clouded her vision. Her tail dragged across the floor as she walked back over to the bed.

“Well, maybe potions aren’t going to work,” Twilight pathetically said, her voice barely loud enough to be heard.

“You think?” Chrysalis murmured out of earshot, blowing the hair out of her face.

Starlight gave a sigh as she began cleaning up the tools, giving Twilight a chance to wander over and grab them both the coffee Discord had prepared. He stood leaning against the table, silently watching until she smiled up at him. “You two sure have been busy. I could give you two a hand, y’know,” he said as he took off his lion’s paw and waved it at her.

She gave a tired eye to the horrible pun, smiling all the while, and then said, “No, no. We don’t want any chaos magic – but thank you though, I appreciate the offer.” Before he could speak up to retaliate the remark, she shot him a question, “You’ve been in here every day. Trying to win me over by bringing me coffee? It’s working. That or I’m sleep deprived.”

“You two should take a breather, it’s not healthy to be working on something so important while you’re tired. You never know when something chaotic could happen!” he said, attempting to spook the alicorn into some rest.

“Soon,” she replied as she brought the extra coffee over to Starlight. After setting it down, she then helped the unicorn clear the table. He continued to watch for a moment as the braniacs attempted to solve the great conundrum, eventually taking his leave as they worked.

When the draconequus finally returned in the evening, he found the two mares slumped over the table, cuddling close to each other, papers sat underneath their tired heads. The changeling had already fallen asleep on the cushions, no longer the size of a foal and was the appropriate color. With a light snap of his fingers, another set of cushions appeared behind the two mares. He slowly lifted Twilight from the table and laid her carefully against the pillows, covering her with a blanket. When he looked back at Starlight, he rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh, then did the same for her as he had done for Twilight.

After blowing the candles out and exiting the room, he trotted down the hall and into the parlor. Before he could take his seat, the door latch closing echoed and forced him to turn around. The changeling queen had awoken and was waltzing towards him, sleepy eyed and messy mane. She slowly passed him and stepped into the parlor, sitting down on the comfy couch as he sat opposite in a chair, a coffee table between the two.

It was a moment of silence before the queen finally spoke, “You’ve been awfully nice. To me, to Twilight. Are you dying?”

He gave a soft chuckle as he replied, “No, thankfully. When I start eating vegetables, then you should worry.”

“Then – why?”

Discord sat for a moment and then reached down to pick up a book that had been sitting on the coffee table. “I could say it’s for the bet, though it’s not.” He opened the pages and licked a finger, turning to the page he wanted. “I could say it’s because I feel pity for you changelings, though that’s not it either.”

“Could it be a special alicorn he’s fallen for, perhaps?”

“Nothing is more chaotic than love, I suppose. It’s natural I’d be drawn to it. But that’s only part of it.”

She scoffed, “Only part of it? What else could it be?”

“It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I’m enjoying the company,” he replied.

“Even mine?”

“Yes. Even Snorelight Dimmer in there – which pains me to say. It’s nice to be amongst those who like you, and who you like.”

“I have to agree, though I can’t believe I’m actually starting to miss the bug puns. Come on, aren’t you going to make fun of the holes in me? Call them swiss cheese? Anything?”

He let out another chuckle, placing a hand atop his muzzle. “Trust me, I don’t want anything to do with your holes. I also don’t make fun of others’ appearances, that’s beneath me. Now, what you are or where you come from, that’s a different story all together, waspy.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and gave a smirk, hardly believing his words to ring true. She slumped her head against the arm of the couch and gave a yawn. “You know, Discord. I’ve learned of what happens if you lose this little bet of yours – unlike me and the other villains, we don’t have any faults if we lose, only if we fail to reform.”

“Your point?” he indifferently said, refusing to take his eyes off the book.

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to remove the competition? If I was in your position, I’d ache to get rid of me as quickly as possible. Yet, there you are and here I am. Twilight is working awfully hard to help me and my kind – don’t you think it’s a little odd that she’s doing that, straight from the kindness of her own heart? And that you’re allowing it to be done?”

His eyes shifted towards the stoic changeling, a grin on his lips as he lowered the book. “Well, you’re right about one thing. Eliminating the competition would be beneficial – but this is a game, and I am most certainly willing to play fair. Well, until I start to lose, then all bets are off.”

She let out a hearty chuckle, barely able to control her laughter. “We’ve got that in common, we both hate to lose. Though, neither of us have resorted to cheating, so it seems we both think we’re winning.”

“You?” he said as he let out a guffaw louder than hers. “I’m more worried about Tirek swooning Twilight, or maybe that dark unicorn. You? No, not even worried.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Well, I’m friends with her friends – except that awful Starlight – and you’ve got to get her friends to like you if you want to win her. Right now you really don’t have anyone. Even Sombra is making friends. I haven’t seen him once sit around here all day, unlike you – he’s usually out with Rarity or Applejack.”

Her position changed, stiffened, and she sat forward with an intent. “You mean, I have to be friends with her friends to win her?”

“Absolutely. If her friends don’t like you, then she’ll hear about it and start thinking the same things.” He flipped a page and then said, “You’re welcome by the way. I don’t usually give advice away for free.”

Chrysalis laid her head against the arm of the couch once more, groaning in discontent. “Be friends with her friends, huh? Maybe I should start with that one, the yellow pegasus. She seems-“

“Fluttershy is already helping me win,” he interrupted. “Honestly, at this point you’d have a better chance taking on Twilight than winning her.” He then rose to his feet and said, “That’s all the free advice I’m willing to give for tonight. I’d say I hope it helps, but come on, it’s a race.” He then walked out of the parlor with his book nestled under his arm.

Chrysalis sat huddled on the couch for a moment after he left, her face tucked between the arm and the back of the couch. Her face was grinning with excitement. Trust me Discord, I’ll be taking you both on soon enough, she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When the morning after rolled around, Discord once again arrived with coffee for the two mares. He placed it on the table like usual and waited to see what experiment they were trying today. Unlike the previous attempts, Twilight and Starlight’s hope had seem to vanish, their eyes droopy and their energy strained. As the alicorn grabbed the coffee and thanked the draconequus she didn’t smile like normal, just kept her nose to the floor.

“Are you sure you two don’t want any help?” Discord asked, concerned about their wellbeing – though mostly Twilight’s.

“No, Discord. We’ll be fine,” Twilight replied with the most monotone of voices.

He gave a shrug and watched as the two connected their magic, trying to form a spell to fix the changeling curse. For an hour he stayed to watch their practices and experiments, until a knock on the door came.

Applejack had come to bring some ingredients, not knowing they had already given up on potions. “Well shoot, it sounds like this cure is slippery than a fish in a barrel of butter. Not to mention it’s makin’ you two look more ragged than the Apple family durin’ harvest season,” the earth pony said, tipping her stetson back.

“We’ve been trying all we can, but nothing seems to be working,” Starlight replied.

“Even creating a spell for something like this is near impossible,” added Twilight as she levitated a book from the table.

“Well, why don’t they just make more changelings?”

Twilight and Starlight looked at each other, surprised neither had thought to ask that question previously. They then turned their focus to the changeling queen, everyone in the room staring at her as they waited to see what she had to say in response.

“As if the bird could bring me more of my species. That’s just ridiculous,” she swatted the question away.

As the three ponies stared cluelessly at each other, Discord spoke up, “Bird? What bird?”

“What do you mean what bird? The baby bringing bird, of course. A… stork, I believe?”

Twilight scratched her head, surprised by the changeling’s genuine reaction. “Chrysalis, do you even know how ponies make more foals?”

The queen rolled her eyes at the question. “Of course I do, I had a book on the thing,” she replied. She then cleared her throat and recounted the lines, “When a mare and stallion love each other very much, they request a baby. After months of waiting, a stork will bring the baby wrapped in cloth to their doorstep.”

All four stood silent, staring at the proud changeling who believed in what she recited. It was only a moment of silence before Discord burst into laughter, holding his gut as he bellowed. “Th-that’s hilarious!” he yelled, clapping his hands out of amusement. “You actually believe that…” he trailed off into more laughter.

“Uhm, Chrysalis. That’s not how babies are made,” Starlight said through Discord’s laughing.

“Then… How are they made?” asked the changeling.

Applejack rubbed her face with a cloth and replied, “Hoohee, it’s gettin’ a little hot in here. I’ll see you all later.” She was gone in an instant, rushing out of the room and refusing to look back.

Discord had fallen to the floor from his laughter, finally standing back up and saying, “I’ve got to tell everybody!” And just like Applejack, he was gone in an instant.

“Listen, Chrysalis. That’s not how we ponies make foals. The process is a bit more sensual, seductive. It’s – well… Maybe I have a book around here to explain it,” Twilight stammered in her description, a blush drawing across her face.

The changeling queen stood dumbfounded, trying to figure out how ponies had babies. When Discord finally returned, he returned still laughing like a lunatic, causing the changeling to feel a bit embarrassed – something she rarely felt.

“Alright Discord, that’s enough,” Twilight said as she motioned him out. “I’ll get you a book on pony anatomy Chrysalis, and then we’ll get back to work.” As she forced the draconequus out into the hall, she shut the door behind her. A grimace on her face only complimented the angry tone she had as she spoke, “Discord! How dare you laugh at her, it’s not her fault she doesn’t know! You can’t just laugh at others like that, it’ll hurt their feelings!”

His laughter had finally subsided into a smile, a mere chuckle left his lips as he said, “I’m not laughing at Chrysalis because it’s her, I would laugh just as hard if it were you or Fluttershy. Because, honestly, that’s just hilarious.”

She let out a groan and shooed him away, then returned to the room to begin researching once more. Discord did not return until the next morning, he was far too busy gossiping to the locals and the other Elements of Chrysalis’s lack of baby knowledge. When the next morning rolled around, he did not bring coffee or beverages, instead, he walked in with Fluttershy.

“Oh I’m sure they’re all still asleep,” he said, pushing the door open to reveal the light show of magic being casted.

A giant ball of energy was being formed between Starlight and Twilight, Chrysalis in the middle of it all. The force of the magic was blowing a mighty gust that ruffled papers and scientific instruments. They finally stopped, allowing themselves a moment to breathe and to see if anything had changed within the queen.

“I don’t feel any different, I’m still hungry for love and you’re looking like a delicious meal, Twilight,” jested the changeling.

Twilight stamped her hoof against her face, groaning from frustration. “I just don’t understand what went wrong! Potions, magic… Neither seems to be helping!” she vented to the room.

Discord and Fluttershy calmly stepped in and caught the attention of the three. “Are you sure you don’t want my help?” Discord asked, seeing if her feelings had changed on the matter.

“For the last time, no!” shouted Twilight as she began picking up the papers around the room.

He frowned and then leaned to Fluttershy, whispering, “See? She doesn’t want my help.”

Fluttershy gave him a nod and stepped toward the alicorn, a scowl upon her face like nopony had seen before. “Twilight!” she yelled, getting the attention of her close friend. “Discord has offered his help to you, yet you refuse to accept it. I feel as though I must remind you that when you are struggling, accepting help from your friends is something you yourself recommended,” she stared down the alicorn as she spoke.

“O-Oh, I… Uh, well,” Twilight stuttered, she had seen Fluttershy be harsh with the others but had never experienced it herself. If Fluttershy was yelling at her, then she knew she was clearly doing something wrong. “S-Sorry, Fluttershy. You’re right.”

Chrysalis leaned to Starlight and whispered, “Are you sure she’s not the leader of the six?”

“I’ve never seen Fluttershy upset at Twilight, I’ve never seen her upset at anyone,” she responded with a low-toned voice.

The pegasus gave a smile and turned her head back to the draconequus, who calmly approached the two mares. “I’m sorry for being cross,” Fluttershy said, returning to her usual timid self. “But it needed to be said. We’ve all been worried about you and Starlight, and there’s no sense in turning down help from someone who knows a great deal about magic.”

“No, no. You were right to do so, I was being incredibly stubborn,” replied Twilight. Then, after a pause, “Discord, do you think you can forgive me and help us solve this?”

He crossed his arms, placing his hands against his elbows. “Oh, I don’t know…” he replied with a condescending voice. Twilight’s face went through several emotions, but before she could unleash any of them, he added, “Help you solve it? No. But I can fix their love consuming problem all together with a snap of my fingers.”

The jaws of the mares dropped – all except for Fluttershy’s. “You can just do that?” Starlight asked.

“Of course, I’m the Lord of Chaos. Nothing’s more chaotic than breaking a curse – or is it the other way around?” He tapped his chin for a moment, contemplating. “Nevertheless, my fix will not completely change them. Instead, it will remove the love requirement for consumption. They can still consume love, but it will not feed them, only add to their magical power. They’ll still have to eat food,” he explained.

Chrysalis rushed to Discord and slammed her head to the floor, pleading to the draconequus, “Please, Discord, please! Fix me, fix my kind!” He had never seen her grovel, to him it was hilarious – but not as hilarious as the baby thing, of course.

His focus turned to Twilight. “It’s your decision on if I do it or not. They’ll be able to consume love to grow strong, and at a much quicker rate. If I do this, I cannot undo it. They could become crazed with power, and I won’t be able to force them to hunger anymore. To do that I’d have to be a god of destruction, and I am certainly no purple bunny.”

“Everything they’ve done was to save their race. The pros outweigh the cons here.” Twilight stared at him with an intent, almost affectionate gaze. “Discord, please, fix them. For me.”

Fluttershy and Discord traded looks, the pegasus knew what he was about to say and gave him a reassuring smile. He turned his focus back to the alicorn, a devious grin across his face. “Unfortunately, for this, it’s going to cost you.”

“Cost? What would it cost?” she asked, knowing it couldn’t be good.

The room stood silent, waiting for his reply. His body slithered across the floor and wrapped her in a hold. “It’s very simple, Twilight Sparkle,” he replied as his head halted face to face with hers. “Go out on a date with me and I’ll fix them.”

Her expression of shock was there for a moment, only to fade to a placid smirk. “I was expecting you to say marriage – but I guess you know I wouldn’t have accepted.” She placed a hoof on his cheek, gently rubbing his face before shoving it away. “A date it is, you big lug.”

Chapter 21: A Cordial Date

“Usually, I would say dressing up in fancy regalia would be most appropriate. However, this isn’t a usual sort of thing – what with it being Discord and all.” Rarity levitated dresses around the alicorn, shifting and calculating which would be the most appropriate for the mare’s date. “Where is he taking you? Do you know?”

Twilight felt the strings of the girdle tighten, as if to push the air straight from her lungs. “I told him to keep it in Ponyville, but everything else is up to him.” She looked out the window of Rarity’s boutique, the sun shining brightly through with golden rays.

“I can’t believe you let Discord make your plans. That’s so unlike you,” replied the unicorn. She began lifting a dress off a ponnequin and eye balling it next to Twilight. The silken gowns and velvety fabrics shifted and stirred until she finally placed them against the wall once more.

“He’s the one that wanted the date. Regardless if it’s good or bad, I’ll have fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

Starlight pulled the strings of the girdle again, attempting to tighten as much as she could. “I can’t believe you agreed to it at all. You do know if he wins this bet I become his servant for the rest of my life, right?” she reminded as she finished tying the strings.

“Hey, you’re the one that made the bet with someone you barely knew,” Twilight sassed.

Rarity waltzed over and removed the girdle, causing Starlight to frown. “Since this is with Discord, perhaps something more practical is in order. You may need your wings to fly away just in case things go south, which, I mean, it is Discord.”

“Girls! This is a date, regardless of who it’s with. I can’t just show up in my normal attire. I’ve accepted it, and so I will put my best hoof forward – what he chooses to do is a different story.”

The two unicorns looked at each other, feeling ashamed at their antagonizing. Rarity levitated a necklace of pearls and matching head ornament from one of the ponnequins. “You’re right Twilight, but like any friends, we are also worried the date may go bad, regardless of who it’s with. Besides, if he’s a true gentlecolt, he’ll say you look lovely nonetheless.”

Starlight nodded her head in agreement and motioned for Twilight to sit down in a chair. “How about a mane change? A different style –” Starlight noticed the pearls floating “–and some jewelry. I think that’d be a good look for a first date. I mean, that’s all I’d wear.”

“Well, personally, I’d go all out if it were my date,” Rarity mumbled to herself, smiling at the thought. She then noticed the two mares staring at her, to which she gave an embarrassed laugh. “But she’s right. Hair makes all the difference!”

“Thanks you two. I couldn’t have asked for better friends.” She gave a smile as the unicorns began their work. While they toiled, a knock came to the door. “Come in!” she called out, allowing whomever to enter.

The purple dragon burst the door open and rushed to the alicorn with letter in hand. “T-Twilight!” He stumbled to catch his breath. “You wanted to see this as soon as it came in, so I rushed as quickly as I could!” he said as she levitated it out of his claws. He then looked at the white unicorn expectantly, but said nothing.

She quickly unraveled the scroll and began reading over it. “Tirek is returning next week!” she cheerily said, raising her forelegs in excitement, and almost hitting Starlight in the process. “I’ll be glad to see him, it feels like it’s been ages. I’ll have to let Pinkie know so she can begin planning the party – I’m sure she’ll be just as excited.”

“Oh, already talking about another stallion and she hasn’t even started the date for this one,” Starlight sassed, speaking directly to Rarity.

“Well, he certainly is more of her type. Strong, intelligent, and bold. Perhaps she’s attracted to those with a more mature personality?” Rarity replied, equaling the impudence.

Spike shifted his eyes at the white unicorn and crossed his arms, a sulk across his lips. “She’s not the only one.”

The mares went silent, an awkward air filled the room. Rarity looked to Twilight, hoping for some reassurance on the matter. The alicorn chewed her lip and scrunched her muzzle, giving no comfort to Rarity. Purple hair swayed softly as she looked down at the glaring dragon, hesitantly asking, “Whatever do you mean, Spike?”

He rolled his eyes and exhaled at the same time. “I don’t know. I’m vague and give little explanation,” he replied in a mocking tone.

“Listen, Spike. I-I don’t know what you’re getting at, but surely there’s no need for childish tones.”

“Oh so now I’m being childish? I thought that’s what you wanted, that’s what you told me that night. In fact, you’ve been acting like none of it ever happened, as if none of those hurtful things even mattered to you,” he scornfully said.

“Come now Spike, it’s not like that-“

Starlight then interjected, “Didn’t we figure out it was Chrysalis that said those things?”

The two mares looked at Starlight with horror, knowing the cat was figuratively out of the bag. They had wanted to keep it a secret, but nobody told Starlight to keep quiet on the matter. Of course, no one was more horrified by the revelation than the purple dragon. He simply stood there with mouth agape, tears slowly forming in his eyes as. Rarity looked down and saw how upset he was becoming.

“Spike, please, I didn’t want-“

“You all knew it was Chrysalis,” he interrupted. “And none of you were going to tell me? You all were just going to let me think it was Rarity?” He looked at the white mare, tears flowing from the sides of his eyes. “I guess you didn’t have the courage to tell me yourself. Better for you, huh?” Before any of the mares could try to comfort the dragon, he rushed out the door, sniveling and crying all the way out of the boutique.

Twilight slammed her hoof into her face and groaned. “I knew I should have told him! I just knew I should have! There has been just so much going on… I-I’m such an idiot.” She slouched in her seat and said, “I’m sorry Rarity.”

Placing a hoof on the alicorn’s foreleg, Rarity replied, “No, I’m the one that should have told him. I knew there was no way to keep it hidden forever, I should have told him as soon as I found out. Though, now…” her voice quivered as tears began to stream down her cheeks. “This is simply dreadful. I bet he’s going to hate me now. He’d be right to, I know I would if I were him.”

“If I was let in on some of these bigger secrets then I wouldn’t have blabbed my big, stupid mouth,” Starlight murmured to herself, almost sarcastically, yet still serious enough.

“I’ve got to go to him, he shouldn’t have to sit through this heartbreak alone,” Twilight said as she began getting up from the chair. She was quickly pushed back in her seat by the teary eyed unicorn.

After catching her breath and wiping her eyes, Rarity said, “You’ve got a date to prepare for, Twilight. And we’ve got to help you.” She could immediately tell what the alicorn was going to say in response, and so she threw her hoof up to stop her. “I’ve already broken one heart, and I will not have Discord’s broken as well. He doesn’t deserve to go through what Spike is going through, no one should. Spike is my burden to bear, so please, just let us prepare you for tonight.”

Twilight wanted to retaliate, but knew it would result in little. She gave a sigh and a nod, allowing the two unicorns to begin working on her once more. Her heart felt low as she thought about the dragon, but took a bittersweet delight in knowing Tirek would be returning soon – though his return would most likely bring more agitation amongst the ex-villains, and more stress to herself. She sat back in the seat and let her mind drift, centering herself in preparation for the night ahead.

Hours passed as the three worked, eventually settling on the simplest, yet stylish attire – just in time for the sun to be setting. A knock came to the door downstairs and Starlight rushed down the steps to answer it. She greeted the draconequus who had been waiting patiently, and allowed him to walk in just as Twilight stepped down into the foyer.

She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. A jeweled necklace of rhinestones was all she wore, but her hair was curled like cinnamon rolls around her neck and forehead. He let out a gasp and quickly placed two fingers against his wrist, making sure he still had a pulse. She gave a smile at his antics, along with the roll of her eyes.

“Good evening, Discord,” she said, noting the dusk hour. She stared up at his attire, far more gussied than her own. A black vest and red tie was all he wore, no undershirt, and especially no top hat – which she thanked the stars above.

“I-I err uhm I oh,” he stuttered in reply.

“I believe that means you look lovely,” Starlight surmised.

The three mares let out a giggle as they watched him stiffen and blush, his heart almost pounding out of his chest – both literally and figuratively. He quickly cleared his throat in an attempt to regain composure and then said, “Yes, though I would have said beautiful. Will you accompany me, my dear?”

Twilight smiled and gave a nod, stepping out of the boutique into the fresh evening air. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Starlight yelled as they walked away, causing Rarity to giggle.

Once they were gone, Rarity turned to Starlight and asked, “Would you mind helping me find Spike? I absolutely have to find him and talk to him, I’ve got to set things straight. I could also use the company, if I do happen to find him.”

“Well, I was planning on spying on the two lovebirds all night, but I think I’d rather help you.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hay bales shifted as a barrel was moved by the orange mare, it was the last of her chores to be completed for the day. She brought the wooden container to rest against the barn wall, placing a pitchfork atop the casing. A relieved sigh left her throat as she wiped the sweat from her brow. The light was dimming slowly, the horizon barely holding the sun’s weight as night crept from above.

Closing the barn doors behind her, she took one last look at the orchard before turning to head home. As she turned her head, she realized her eye had caught a silhouette amongst the trees. The wind was not blowing and so she knew it couldn’t have been the leaves playing tricks on her. She turned back, seeing the outline and noticing how slowly it moved between the trees. The short stature gave her little to worry, but she knew her curiosity would be insatiable if she did not go to it.

Cautiously, she approached the figure, only to notice the specific shape could not be that of a pony. “Spike? What are you doing wandering the farm?” she called out as she came closer.

His face had been planted staring at the ground until he heard those words, to which he turned and looked at the friendly earth pony, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Applejack?” he said with a sniffle, wiping his eyes with the back of his claw, and clearing his throat to then ask, “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I kind of live here on these farms,” she awkwardly replied, hoping a joke would bring a smile to his face. When it didn’t, she continued, “You alright, sugar cube? It’s a little late to be takin’ a stroll. You wanna talk about why you’re traipsin’ around like you’ve got a raincloud over your head?”

Spike still had tears in his eyes as he replied with a gravelly voice, “Not really.”

With the light slowly being extinguished from the sky, Applejack knew she couldn’t let him wander the farm in the darkness. “Well, then come to my house for dinner. We’d love to have you. You don’t have to talk – heck I’d prefer you didn’t with your mouth full, Granny does that enough already.”

She finally got the chuckle and smile she wanted to see as he wiped the last tears from his eyes, giving a nod to her invitation. He was lead out of the orchard and up to the faintly lit house, banging and yelling could be heard from the inside. When she opened the door, the screams of fillies sent a shockwave into their eardrums, followed up with the yelling of a distinct, gummy mouthful from an elder pony. They made their way to the kitchen in the back of the house where three fillies sat with Granny Smith, waiting patiently for Big Mac to place the remaining dishes.

“Shoot, we got a full house tonight,” Applejack said as she motioned for Spike to sit down. “Howdy y’all! Hope there’s room for two more.” She then sat herself down next to Spike, the three fillies greeting them both from the opposite side of the table.

At the end of the table, Granny yelled, “Well howdy lil’ dragon! We rarely get to see you here, youngin’!”

“It’s good to see you again too, Granny Smith,” he happily replied.

The three fillies snickered to each other as Big Mac set down the last of the meal, taking his seat next to the young dragon. Spike gave a smile, feeling the comfort of the ponies that surrounded him, and forgetting all the worries that had been burdening him. The group quickly went to work, filling their plates and yelling over each other about their days. One conversation stood out to Spike over the rest, though he concentrated more on eating rather than talking.

“Could you imagine if they got married and had babies? What would they even look like?” Scootaloo asked the other fillies, shoving mashed potatoes into her mouth.

“Maybe a pony with Discord’s body parts?” Sweetie Belle replied. “Or maybe another Discord except as a pony?”

“Isn’t that just the same thing?” Apple Bloom asked.

“What are you three talkin’ about?” Applejack interjected into their conversation.

Spike slumped against the table, spooning peas into his mouth as he tried not to care. He couldn’t ignore what was being said though, no matter how much he tried. This was especially evident when he almost choked on his food when Sweetie Belle said, “I heard Rarity talking the other day about planning their wedding already. I think she was also planning hers though, she does that from time to time.”

Applejack took notice immediately. She gave a simple frown as she realized what he might be upset about, or rather, who he was upset about. With a swallow of food, she then asked, “Hey Spike, I don’t suppose you’ve heard anythin’ about Twilight and Discord’s date, have you?”

He looked up at her, her big green eyes looking back at him. “Yeah, I was there earlier today dropping off a letter,” he answered. “Tirek’s returning soon.”

Apple Bloom slammed her forelegs onto the table and yelled, “You were there? And Tirek’s comin’ home!? What else happened? Don’t leave us hangin’.”

“Now Apple Bloom, it’s not nice to gossip-“

“Not much to say,” he interrupted. “Some harsh words were said, I found out Chrysalis was the one to break my heart – not Rarity. Apparently no one had the integrity to tell me about it.” The entire table went silent after he spoke, surprised to hear his details. “I wasn’t there for long, didn’t feel like talking to any of them after I found out.”

“Wait, so Chrysalis posed as Rarity? And they didn’t tell you?” Scootaloo asked. He gave a nod in response. “Well that’s pretty rude of them.”

He shrugged and slumped back over against the table, playing with the peas on his plate. “Yeah, I know. I’ve had a while to think about it. I mean… I thought I was their friend. I’d tell them if I found something out as bad as that.”

Applejack placed a hoof around the purple dragon, the soft brush of her fur rubbed against his scales. “I think that makes you a good friend, Spike. I would’ve told you if I had known.”

“Eeyup,” the elder brother replied, and others agreed with his statement.

“Thanks you guys,” Spike replied with a slight curl of his lips. “I’m just glad none of them decided to come after me. I don’t know how I’m going to face any of them now, or if I want to.” He shoved his plate forward and slumped over onto his arms.

The orange mare moved her hoof along the spines of his back, hoping to comfort the poor dragon. “I can’t tell you what they’ll say or how you’ll feel, but you won’t really know how it’ll go until you try. It’ll take time to forgive them, but you shouldn’t hold it against them. They just wanted to keep you from hurtin’, they wouldn’t want you to feel this way.”

“I know. But here I am, feeling the same way as I did when a fake Rarity broke my heart. If they had told me, if Rarity had told me, then I don’t think I’d feel this bad.” He gave a sigh and sat up. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be drowning you all with my problems.” The chair screeched as he rose from his seat and said, “I should go. Thank you for the meal.”

“You’re always welcome back here, youngin’,” Granny said, coaxing a smile from Spike as he said goodbye.

As the purple dragon walked through the living room and out the door, everyone sat at the table, silent as a summer night. Applejack hesitantly stood up and looked at Granny Smith, who gave a nod. The others sat hushed as she rushed after the dragon, the screen door slamming behind her as she gave chase. Her brisk pace allowed her to catch him in an instant – his slow, pathetic walk didn’t even get him more than a few yards from the glowing house. He turned to look at the worried mare, barely seeing her golden hair in the darkness.

“Applejack?”

“Spike…”

He stared at her expectantly, unsure of what she wanted. Her heavy breathing was startling, and the long pause she held was even more disconcerting. “I’m sorry,” he started off, “I didn’t mean to make a scene.” His claws fidgeted as he spoke, sweat slowly dripping down his scaly cheeks. “I’m just… I’m a little stressed out at the moment, is all. I hope you can forgive me.”

Her heart raced faster than her mind, finally blurting out, “You don’t need Rarity.” She could feel herself choking, wanting to back out, run away and not look back. “You don’t need to keep chasing somepony who isn’t willing to give you the time of day.” She wanted to suck the words back in, but they had already left her lungs, and so there was no turning back.

“I’m not chasing her-” His hand turned into a fist, clenched next to his hip “-I’m not going to chase her. It’s not even about being together, it’s about her not telling me how she felt, letting Chrysalis do all the work while she sat back feeling relieved.” Tears started to form in his eyes, but he didn’t care. “She spent time happily confident with herself, while I felt sorry for myself, for what I thought we could be.”

“Listen, Spike, you don’t need to concern yourself with her. You’ve got somepony willin’ to share their feelings with you already, somepony who is more concerned with makin’ you happy.” She slowly inched closer to the dragon, her eyes began to water but had not sprinkled out.

Raising his clenched fist, he replied, “You’re not listening – it’s not about my feelings for her. It’s about Rarity, and Twilight, and even Starlight, and I don’t even know who else knew! They were all fully aware of what had happened, and none of them felt I deserved to know. None of them felt I was worth telling, as if the whole thing could be swept under the rug! Being alone is nowhere near as bad as being worthless in the eyes of your friends!”

Applejack halted, the angry words that the dragon spurted caused her to take a step back. “You’re…” her voice quavered as she tried to speak. She cleared her throat as a single tear dripped down her cheek. “You’re not worthless to me, Spike.”

“What?” he confusedly asked, unclenching his fist for a moment.

“You are right, Spike. Your friends shouldn’t hide things from you, things you deserve to know.” She slowly stepped forward, reaching the purple dragon and placing her hoof against the underline of his jaw. “That’s why you deserve to know… I’ve had a crush on you, and only recently did I realize it was more than a crush. I like you, Spike. I like you a lot.”

He stared up into her green eyes, which were slowly clouded by tears. His voice failed to utter any noise, no matter how hard he tried. Applejack removed her hoof and stared at him, worried and anxious, hoping for him to say something – anything. To her dismay, he simply turned and began running away into the darkness. She stood still, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did nothing but watch, finally tipping her stetson and kicking the dirt.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The restaurant was devoid of any others except for the draconequus and alicorn, and of course the staff who nervously served the two. They had already ordered and the chefs were quickly preparing their meal. It was the most expensive restaurant in Ponyville – which wasn’t saying much for the quaint little town – but with the addition of a new princess to the roster, upscale places like this began popping up slowly.

Discord sat twiddling his thumbs and pulling on his tie every few moments. Their conversation had been minute since they left Rarity’s shop; small chit-chat that ended with awkwardly long pauses. The night sky had already come, and it was clear to him that his lovely date was becoming bored. She levitated a fork and looked at it, waiting for the quiet stallion to say something – anything.

“So, uh,” he stammered out, finally breaking another excruciatingly long pause. “You look lovely.”

She slumped in her chair and threw a foreleg over the back, rolling her eyes at his statement. “You’ve said that five times now, Discord,” she replied with lethargy.

“That I have,” he noted with a nervous chuckle, and another pull of his tie. “You’ll have to forgive my ineptitude on this sort of dating. For the last thousand years I’ve been trying to court the other statues that were around my own. It never worked out, of course. They always gave me the stone cold shoulder.”

She smiled to his little joke and sat forward. “That’s the best joke you could come up with? You’ve really hit rock bottom,” she replied.

He let out a chuckle and then covered his mouth. “Did you just make a joke? I’m not sure if I should be proud or offended!”

“Wait... Joke? What joke?” She then slapped her own face upon the realization. “Oh for goodness sake, I didn’t even mean…”

Discord slammed his fist down on the table, laughing with a vigorous boom of his voice. She couldn’t help but let out a little giggle as well. When he finally toned down his laughter, he then asked, “You’re definitely one of a kind, do you know that?”

“Oh, so now you’ve learned something new to say? Did you spend all day coming up with cheesy lines like that?” she replied with her own sass-filled question.

“So what if I did? What did you do all day, then?”

“Me? I got ready for our date, received a letter from Canterlot, oh, and saw my best friend run away crying. That was fun,” she retorted, placing her cheek against her hoof in a dismissive posture.

He clasped his hands together and fidgeted his thumbs slightly. “I’m sorry. Is that why you’ve been so distant? I thought it might have been…” he trailed off as he looked away.

“No, no, it’s not you Discord. Well, mostly not,” she replied. “I’ve just never seen Spike so hurt, especially when it’s something I could have prevented. I feel so bad for him, and can’t help but wonder how he’s doing. It’s got hold of my mind right now.”

“How is anyone supposed to wiggle into your affection with friendship being bound to your hip at all times?” he asked with a patronizing tone.

“Oh, yes, because that’s more difficult than shuffling through the jokes, quips, and chaotic tricks performed by you,” Twilight replied with even worse condescending inflection. “Not to mention that when you leave those three things behind, you’re nothing but a broken record!” She then crossed her eyes and spoke in a deep, dull-witted voice, “You look lovely today! You look lovely today! You look lovely today!” She then made a farting noise by sticking out her tongue and blowing.

A frown had sunken well into his face when she finally looked back at him. She thought he was upset, until a burst of laughter changed his entire demeanor. The laughter was contagious, she couldn’t help but feel a little silly about what she had said and done. First a giggle, and eventually tears streaming down their cheeks.

“So…” he said as he wiped his eyes. “This date really hasn’t been going well, has it? We haven’t even shared a meal and we’re already at each other’s throats.”

She gave a smile and replied, “It could be going better, but so could this day. If I am completely honest with you Discord, I want to have a good time with you, get to know you, but so much else has already happened that it’s keeping my mind far, far away.”

“Then let’s start from here. Forget the rest, and have some fun. You deserve that, don’t you?”

“You know what? You’re right. Pinkie hasn’t thrown a party in a while. I’ve been busy reforming villains and curing the changelings. I deserve some fun. So what did you have in mind?”

“I’d hate to spoil it, but the only other thing I had planned tonight was a stroll around the lake in the moonlight. I had hoped that would be romantic enough for your taste, though it’s not really fun in the literal definition.”

“Dinner and a stroll? That’s positively… normal. You’re trying really hard to make this as romantically customary as you can, aren’t you? I wouldn’t even be surprised if you went to my parents and used their advice to come up with this.”

“Is it bad? I know you prefer things planned, simple, and calculated. I even thought of making a list to show you how determined I was for this to go well.” He rubbed his nape. “Would you have preferred something else?”

Twilight reached across the table and placed a hoof atop his other hand. “It’s actually everything I would want from a normal date. Awkward pauses aside. I don’t have a lot of time to be dating, but whenever I imagine it, it’s kind of like this. Is that stupid?”

He shook his head. “No, of course not. I’d prefer something a little more chaotic, or free spirited, but that’s what I like about you. I get to experience the boring parts of life.” He then covered his mouth, realizing it sounded more like an insult than what he meant. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just different, is all.”

“My life isn’t completely boring, you know,” she said, almost as if to jokingly reprimand him.

“You go on many exciting adventures, see many different places, shove many pastries against your mouth. Yes, yes, very exciting.”

“I’ll have you know-“

Before she could finish, a stallion with slicked back hair and a suave mustache brought their food. He cautiously served them their plates and drinks, and then said, “Let me know if you need anything else.” Discord gave a nod and the waiter took his leave back to the kitchen.

The mare grumbled to herself as she levitated a fork. They quickly began eating their meal, catching each other’s gaze every few moments. Her eyes were lit like little fires, burning for the desire to show him how fun she could be. As he scooped up another bite, he looked over at the mare who had gone still. A grin like no other had formed on her mouth, and then he noticed the silver spoon that was pressed against the edge of the table, filled to the brim with food. Before he could even realize what was going to happen, she launched the contents across the table, splashing him with an assortment of food.

Splotches of sweet potato and berries lined his vest and dirtied his tie. He quickly rose from the table, staring in awe of the messy sight. “What was that for!?” he shouted with a confused anger. Undoing his buttons and prying the vest off, he shook it a little and the mess magically flung off. He turned back to show it to her, only to get another strike on his muzzle.

As he wiped it off, she responded, “Look out Discord, we’re under attack by our nutrition. They’re sending more volleys.” Another toss from the alicorn’s spoon was dodged by him.

He noticed the smug grin upon her face. “You think you’re funny, do you?” he asked as he snapped his fingers, two pies appearing in his hands. “Well, do you, princess?”

Twilight frowned and quickly rushed towards the kitchen, dodging flying pies and jumping over the counter. “That’s not fair! I can’t make food magically appear!” she yelled as she cowered.

Kitchen staff frantically moved into the backroom, hoping to avoid the messy desserts Discord delivered. He was quickly outmatched though, once Twilight realized she had plenty of ammo of her own now. As she sent the batch of potatoes flying out into the restaurant, Discord quickly kicked over their table and used it for cover. Berries and asparagus slid down the surface of the newly made shelter.

“Give up Twilight, you’ll never win! I was born for food war!” he shouted, whipped cream cans appearing above him and firing towards her position. With the cream sloshing down around her, he yelled, “I’ve got plenty of food and plenty of tricks! You cannot beat me!”

We’ll see about that, she thought as she noticed the lettuce. She raised her head above the counter, heads of lettuce levitating around her. “Surrender now and I’ll let you live,” she replied with her own yell.

“You cannot win! I have the high ground!”

“You underestimate my magic!” She launched the lettuce balls across the restaurant, causing them to land all around him and the makeshift barrier. Some landed in front, while the others surrounded him.

He let out a guffaw, the green spheres rolling to a stop along his sides. “That’s it?” he called out, raising his head above the table. “You should have waited to use your heavier ammo! My retaliation is-“

A smirk crossed her face as her horn lit up. The head of lettuce in front of the table exploded, sending pieces of the vegetable in all directions, especially onto Discord’s face. He felt he deserved that for being cocky. He slumped back down behind the barricade and wiped his face of the green plant residue. It was then he realized he was surrounded by several other heads of lettuce, all strategically placed by the alicorn.

“Well this is an unfortunate set of sequences,” he murmured to himself as the heads exploded, covering every inch of his exposed body with the leafy substance.

After a few seconds of not hearing from the draconequus, he finally stood up with his back facing Twilight. His back was completely void of lettuce, which worried her for a moment, until he turned around and faced his better. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the lettuce covered draconequus. From head to toe he was green with envy.

Through her laughter she asked, “Do you concede?”

With one wipe of his hand, the lettuce vanished from his body, leaving only his tie. “This is war, and war sometimes means subtly.”

Twilight felt a drip of jelly land on her nose. She touched it with her hoof and stared at it for a moment, and then shifted her focus to the ceiling, catching sight of the pies that floated above. In an instant, they began to fall – or were forced to fall – but they were all blocked by a purple shield that surrounded the alicorn.

He groaned at the sight of the barrier. “Come on! How is that fair?” he yelled at the smirking, protected alicorn.

“I didn’t know there were rules in food war. You could have created a barrier at any point!”

“Yes, well,” he paused. “I just didn’t want this to happen to me!” He snapped his fingers and whipped cream filled her barrier, covering the mare with the white, thin treat.

As the barrier dropped, cream spilled out onto the floor. Twilight shook her head and wiped the gooey condiment from her eyes. “Okay, fine, you win you big baby,” she admitted her defeat. “Now do me,” she said as she shook her hoof, cream flying off.

“Already? But we haven’t even finished our first date! You ponies are quick to move, aren’t you?”

“I meant the white cream, Discord!”

“Yes, that’s what I meant too,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Discord!” she shouted, her blushing was too covered to be seen.

“Alright, alright.” He snapped his fingers and the cream disappeared from her coat and mane, everything returned to the way it had been previous.

She stepped over the counter and trotted back to the draconequus, a genuine smile blazed across her cheeks. “I guess dinner is over?” she rhetorically asked. “Should we do something about the mess, or are you going to take me on that romantic walk like you said you would?”

He wrapped his arm around her neck and replied, “My dear, the night is still young.”

The two chuckled and giggled as they stepped out of the messy restaurant. With the commotion finally settled, the waiters and chefs trotted out into the disaster zone, their mouths agape and their minds filled with frustration. “I knew I should have called in sick today,” the mustached stallion muttered.

After leaving the restaurant to its filthy demise, Discord led the mare across Ponyville towards the closest lake. As they walked they talked, a cheerful tone in each of their voices. “When it’s just us two, I’d have to say you’re quite a lot of fun, Discord.”

“A food fight, I never would have guessed you to be an instigator. What would your parents say? What would Celestia say?”

“Oh geez. Celestia would be more than thrilled, most likely. The letters I get from her faintly speak volumes of what she wants from this little bet.”

“And what does she want?” he curiously asked.

She smiled at the draconequus as she answered, “Same thing you do, actually. She just wants me to have a little fun. I don’t think she cares who wins.”

Discord was about to speak, a rude joke of the sun princess was on the tip of his tongue. Before he could release the comment, a gasp from the alicorn cut him short. They had arrived at the lake just as he promised. A serene view during the day was only made more romantic by the full moon that brightened against the water. They stood at the threshold, staring out into the blue beauty, and enjoying the tranquility of the stillness.

“It’s so beautiful…” her voice quivered. “I’ve never seen it so lit up at night.” They walked for a little while before arriving at a bench that stared out at the lake. They sat together upon the bench and Twilight then said, “After all this time living here, how have I missed something so gorgeous?”

Discord smiled and placed an arm around her shoulders and back, dragging him closer to the mare. “I asked myself that a while ago. How have I missed something so gorgeous? I couldn’t believe what I had been missing, how I had been thinking.” His eyes turned to the purple pony. “That’s when I decided I was going to stop missing, and start chasing after the gorgeous sight.”

Her eyes sparkled as she stared out, only to shift from the lake to the draconequus – still holding the same sparkle. “You think I’m gorgeous?” she coyly asked.

“I know you’re gorgeous, I can see it with my own two eyes.” He grasped her chin in the palm of his hand, gently touching behind her jaw, holding her steady.

When he leaned in, she didn’t fight it, simply closing her eyes to embrace the moment. Their lips met and entwined in each other, and she could not believe how soft and gentle it was. She expected a toothy, chapped, maybe even a little sugary kiss, but it was none of those things. With the crickets chirping, they finally pulled away only to stare at each other. Twilight immediately became aware of her surroundings and what had just happened.

“Y-You kissed me!” she yelled, her face was reddened from ear to ear. “I don’t kiss on the first date!”

Discord’s ears perked up, smoothly replying, “First… date?”

Her face blushed harder than ever, something Discord couldn’t believe had he not seen it himself. She first leaned away from the draconequus, as if to get up, but then decided against it. “Just, shut up or this’ll be the last date,” she replied as she nuzzled her head against his torso, staring back out at the water. He placed his arm around her neck and held her close, giving a smile before looking out onto the magical, moonlight lake as well.

Chapter 22: Apologies

It was a sudden change, but not one that the changeling queen could instantly feel. She hadn’t noticed or thought about it until she started having cravings. Craving bread, vegetables, cheeses, fruits, and all sorts of other foods. She couldn’t help herself, feasting on random ingredients from the fridge and cabinets. It had only been a day since Discord and Twilight’s date, but it was enough for her to begin starving. She had felt the starvation before, but not this type. She wasn’t starving for love.

The light of the fridge was the only thing brightening the kitchen. Night had seeped its way into the sky, though it seemed like a blink for the changeling who had spent the day alone. She thought it better to avoid the others after hearing about Spike’s discovery. Starlight had been the one to tell her after she bumped into her in search of the purple dragon.

Like herself, Spike had remained his room all day. Chrysalis could hear him from time to time, though never quite understanding what he was saying. It didn’t matter to her in any real light, but she still felt pity towards him. She knew she was the cause, but she knew she wasn’t the problem. He had been nice to her, even sharing interest in a hobby of hers.

In the back of her mind she felt she needed to say something to him. Today wasn’t that day she told herself, which might have been true if she hadn’t needed to quench her appetite. As she closed the fridge door – for the fourth time that night – she caught a silhouette to her left. Barely the height of the countertop, Spike stood idly, twiddling his thumbs. The sudden surprise made her want to jump, but she maintained a cool demeanor.

At first, she didn’t know what to say. For an ex-villain to be afraid of a conversation seemed absurd to her – she had to say something. “So, uh, hi.” She wanted to suck the words right back down her throat upon hearing how awkward the greeting was.

“Hi,” was all he responded with.

She pulled open the fridge to let the light illuminate his face, hoping to relieve her uneasy thoughts. The tired, bloodshot eyes, deep sunken frown, and dried snot underneath his nose made her wish she hadn’t. A wince on her face was there for a second before she switched it to an awkward smile, but he had already caught the cringe.

“I know, I look horrible,” he said as he walked toward her, grabbing onto the handle of the fridge and leaning in. “I’m just here to get something to eat, then I’m going back upstairs.”

Spike pulled out the carton of milk and flipped it open, then placed it against his dry lips and began to chug. She grimaced at the sight and felt sick, realizing that this might not have been his first time to do this. She felt even more sick when he placed it back on the shelf. “I guess I’ll be avoiding milk for a while,” she murmured.

Without even looking at her, he replied, “Yeah, well don’t tell Twilight. Wouldn’t want to give her useful information about something that affects her.”

If this is the end result of having friends, why even bother having them, she doubted. As she became lost in thought, still staring down at the purple dragon, he looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. It was then she realized he was staring at her, snapping her back from her daze. “S-Sorry,” she apologized with a toothy smile. She looked away for a moment, but then turned her head back to him. “Do you still like having friends, even though they do things like this?”

The off the wall question caught him by surprise. It was almost odd enough for him to spit out the cheese slices he had stuffed into his cheeks. After he swallowed, he asked in response, “Do things like what? Betray me?” She could almost see the vigor coming off him as he answered – that or the cheese crumbs.

“Well, basically. Yeah.”

He stood, pondering, staring at her with twitching, concentrating eyes. “Yes,” he finally answered. “Because even if Rarity and Twilight hurt me, there were others that helped me.” His weary, bloodshot eyes started to fill with tears. He rubbed them for a moment, and then added, “Others that… that helped me, and now I think I’ve hurt them.”

“Why’d you do that?” she asked, not understanding the context.

It was the same question he had been thinking all day, the same question he still didn’t have an answer for. “I don’t know,” he softly spoke.

She stared for a moment, unsure of what she could say that would help ease his suffering. The thought of helping anyone was still foreign to her. She recently learned it was better to remain silent rather than saying something insulting. Though, it was late and the starvation she had been suffering had caused her to become careless. “Why don’t you just go yell at them?” she asked, as if that was a good solution.

His face was the only answer she needed; the look of a stupid question being asked blanketed his face. “And what am I supposed to yell? Sure, I could yell at Rarity or Twilight. But Applejack, she didn’t do anything wrong – it was me.”

“What did you do to Applejack?”

“I… I don’t want to talk about it,” he replied, closing the fridge and darkening the room.

Chrysalis was about to push for more information but the lights of the kitchen flipped on. The two turned and saw the dark unicorn standing in the doorway, a coffee cup levitating in front of him. He squinted at them as he crossed around the counter and stepped up to the sink, placing the cup underneath the faucet. The spigot flipped on and he rinsed it out, not uttering a word to the two.

Spike stepped pass the changeling and said, “Goodnight.” With the speed of a rabbit he rushed out and up the steps of the castle.

She hummed for a moment, attempting to comprehend what could have happened between him and Applejack. Her focus then turned to Sombra – it had been a while since the two had spoken alone. For him to be in blue and white stripped pajamas was an interesting sight. She couldn’t help but clamp her lips together to suppress her laughter, still eyeing him up from the fridge. He knew that her silence couldn’t be good.

The unicorn finished rinsing the coffee cup, wiping it dry with a towel. He then sauntered over to the fridge and the changeling who stood next to it. Before opening the door, he asked, “What are you staring at?” It was impolite, not even as much as a greeting first, but he cared little for the queen and what she thought. He had decided this would be how he would act toward her before he even got to the kitchen.

“Have you been avoiding me?” she asked in reply. “I’ve rarely seen you, and I hear you’re hanging around with some of the other ponies.”

A hoof caressed his spine, to which he grimaced at the feeling. He didn’t answer though, he didn’t even want to speak with her to begin with. Instead, he opened the fridge and levitated the carton of milk out. As he poured the contents into the cup, he felt the hoof moving down his flank and underneath him. “I told them everything,” he finally said, causing her to cease her teasing.

“W-What?” she asked.

“I told them everything,” he repeated. “They know about you and I coming here to win Twilight. They know about the plot to take over after subduing her and her friends. They know everything.”

The anger was boiling inside her like a volcano that was ready to burst. She knew the reason behind him telling her this and what it meant. “That’s why Discord was tagging along, not to help Twilight but to punish me!” she hollered. “Why? Why would you spill our plans to them? Have you lost your senses, or are you too infatuated with these ponies!?”

He took a swig of the milk and turned his head to her. “You and I are through, Chrysalis. My reasoning is my own, and that's all you need to know.”

His admission sent a shock wave of emotion through the changeling. “You idiot,” she said through gritted teeth. “You’ll regret crossing me.” She then stomped her way out of the kitchen, but not before saying, “Just so you know, Spike drank straight from the carton. Enjoy swapping spit with a dragon.”

Sombra spewed the dairy out onto the floor and then turned to see if she was still standing there. He gagged a little after noting she was gone, then poured the rest out into the sink. He gargled water in his mouth, hoping to be rid of the thought and taste. As he placed the cup down next to the sink, he took a moment to think about what he had said. Breakfast was definitely going to be awkward.

~*~*~*~*~*~

To his surprise, it was the second least awkward meal he’d ever had. It was another morning that the castle inhabitants gathered for breakfast without Spike, and today it was without Chrysalis as well. The large table that sat in the kitchen seemed larger than unusual with the two absent. Sombra didn’t mind though, but Starlight and Twilight were less than enthused. There wasn't much small talk, except for the two mares discussing their plans for the day.

Twilight seemed to be more out of it than usual. Whether it was the daydreaming of Discord or the worry and stress of how Spike was feeling, no one could tell. She was usually the last to finish her meal, but today she was the first. Starlight was half way through her plans as the alicorn rose from her seat and began washing her plate. She then finished and walked out of the room, not saying a word. It was a few moments before Starlight even realized she had vanished from the kitchen table.

“And… Twilight? Where’d she go?” Starlight asked Sombra, who shrugged as a reply. “What is going on in this castle recently?” she muttered under her breath. It didn’t take long for Sombra to finish his meal and leave as well, leaving her completely alone.

Just as she went to get up and clean her utensils, she noticed a placid dragon step out into the kitchen. His claw on the wall, making sure the coast was clear of the others before waltzing over to the fridge. He stepped behind the unicorn and greeted her with a hushed tone. She had so many questions for him but all she could do was blurt out a surprised hello. She wasn’t exactly surprised to see him though, she had expected him.

Spike dragged down a bowl from the cupboard. He then brought it, a box of cereal, and the carton of milk over to where Sombra had originally been sitting. As he poured in the sugary cornflakes, he asked, “Everyone else has already left for the day, right? I don’t have to worry about being seen?”

She nodded. “Why are you hiding from them? Are you still mad…” she hesitated. “Are you mad at me, too?”

“I’m only mad at Rarity and Twilight,” he said. Then, under his breath he whispered, “And myself.”

Walking from the sink, Starlight skimmed around the kitchen table and over to the young dragon. She rested a hoof atop his shoulder, causing him to stop eating. “Well unfortunately for you, I’m not about to let you stay mad. You need to work this out, to explain your feelings. You need to do that for your own good.”

He gave a sigh and lowered the spoon, still holding it in a tight grip. “I can’t, Starlight. I can’t face any of them. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack. Seeing any of them would be too much for me to handle right now,” he explained. “I just need time.”

“You need to be broken before you can be fixed, it just works that – wait, what happened with Applejack?”

Starlight felt the purple dragon stiffen when she spoke the name. He sat silent in his seat, though silence was not what Spike heard, as his heart thumped like ringing in his ears. In an instant he tumbled out of his chair and rushed around the table. He sprinted and sprinted, running faster than thought or time, but he then realized he wasn’t moving. Starlight had levitated him up off of the ground, pulling him back to her.

“Let me go! Put me down!” he yelled, struggling against the magic.

She walked around the table and out the door, still levitating the purple dragon beside her. “We can either visit Rarity and Twilight, or Applejack. Your choice, buster. Either way, I’m not letting you stick your head in the sand for another day.” She was determined to help Spike feel better, with or without his cooperation.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It definitely would not be with. He kicked and screamed, both figuratively and literally, the entire way. She decided it was best to start with the cause of his suffering, Rarity. A swift knock on the door of the boutique made the purple dragon wince as if he was in pain – for he surely thought he would soon be. When trotting came close to the other side, he threw his hands over his face. To his relief, Sweetie Belle was the one who answered. Starlight explained the situation to the young unicorn in great detail. With much enthusiasm Sweetie rushed up to get her older sister, leaving the two at the door.

Levitating the dragon back to the ground, she made sure to keep hold of his feet so that he was unable to move. That didn’t mean he didn’t try though, giving a glowering look to Starlight as he struggled. The white unicorn stepped down the stairs and into the foyer of the boutique. She hesitated to take another step forward, but forced herself to do so. Though it might have also been Sweetie encouraging her from the top step. Regardless, as she walked forward she could see something in Spike’s eyes. Fear, anguish or a mix of the two, she couldn't quite tell. It was something she had never seen come from the purple dragon.

“Spike, it’s good to see you,” she said, giving a gentle nod to Starlight.

With Rarity standing there, Starlight knew she could meander away, allowing them privacy. Spike’s glower softened to a milquetoast expression as he watched her walking away. He pondered on running, but knew there would be little point if he did so now. He turned back to the white unicorn who stood in the doorway, her azure eyes stared down at him like stars upon a river's bank.

“Hi,” he said.

She wanted to giggle at his awkward greeting, but knew better. “Look Spike, I'm sorry about Chrysalis," she said, "but I knew you had already started to get over me. I couldn’t bring all those emotions you felt back, only to shatter it once more. I didn't want to hurt you, but I should have told you. I was weak. I hope you can forgive me.”

Spike stared at the ground. His claws fidgeting behind his back, his foot rubbing into the soil beneath him. He tried to think of how to respond. “I know,” he finally replied. “I figured you didn't want to hurt me. But leaving it for someone else to tell me feels just as bad.”

“It was selfish, I was selfish,” she said as she placed a hoof against his cheek, causing him to look up at her. He hadn’t seen her cry this way before, it wasn’t fake or exaggerated like usual, but genuine and sincere. “I wasn’t being a good friend. You deserve more than to be swept under the rug. You've been an exemplary friend, and I'm sorry I couldn't have been the same to you.”

He didn’t know what to say or what to think, but he felt somewhat better knowing that she knew what she did was wrong. It wasn’t something he expected. The idea that the mare he had loved for so long understood all his feelings and treated them as valid. If he hadn’t already been in love with her, he might have started to fall for the unicorn. But he didn’t want to go down that road a second time – that’s what she was trying to prevent after all.

“Rarity. I’ve loved you for a long time, and I’m afraid that’s left me blinded to others around me. I need you to tell me in your own words, not someone else's, that you love me or you don't.” His pupils flared as he spoke, and then simmered as he waited a response.

“I’m sorry Spike, but I do not share the feelings you have for me. You will always be in my heart, but only as a friend.”

Once he heard those words, he gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you Rarity. I appreciate the honesty.” The corners of his mouth turned up as he said, “I’d like to still be friends, if you don’t mind.”

Her whole face lit up. She wrapped her forelegs around him, enveloping him in a hug. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. I promise to be just as good a friend to you as you are to me. You deserve that much.”

It took him a second to realize what was happening, then another to place his claws around her. He knew he shouldn’t feel it anything more than a simple friendly gesture, but it was there. The feeling he got as they parted wrangled his stomach, stinging as if he had eaten a bushel of rose stems. The expression he saw as he looked up at Rarity was bittersweet. She had a smile, but tears still dripped from her eyes. The smile was infectious at least. So infectious Spike couldn’t help but smile back.

“Well, I guess I better get going. It was good to see you, Rarity,” he said, only after realizing they’d been smiling at each other for a few minutes.

After the two said their goodbyes, Spike walked back over to Starlight who stood a distance away. She had been trying to listen in on their conversation, but couldn’t quite make out everything. When she saw his head wasn’t slumped over or a frown on his face, she assumed it went well. “Everything going to be alright between you two?” she asked.

A smile danced on his lips. “I think so,” he responded as he climbed onto her back.

“That’s good. Twilight next? Or should we just go find Applejack?”

“I don’t suppose neither is an option?”

“Nope.” Starlight made her way through Ponyville, hoping to stumble across Twilight. With no sign of the Princess of Friendship, they made their way out of the quaint, little town and into the farmland. The sun had already started to beat down with a strong heat, even though summer was drawing to a close with fall fast approaching. The mild wind didn’t help in cooling off, only bringing the smell of fresh grass with it.

Starlight knocked on the door to the country home, but no answer came in response. Spike gave a sigh of relief, knowing full well seeing Applejack would be far more awkward than seeing Rarity. To his annoyance, Starlight wasn’t willing to give up, and he knew he may as well just let it happen. He didn’t want it to happen, the shame and guilt that washed over him was evidence of that.

She began rambling through the orchard in search of the earth pony. The leaves and branches gave a brief reprieve to the sweltering sun as they walked the paths. Buckets lined the trunks of the trees, all ready for the harvest season. Eventually, they lucked upon the mare who carried two pails of filled apples. Surprised to see Starlight, she opened her mouth to greet the unicorn but stopped once she saw Spike. The sight of the dragon was enough to cause her to stumble in her step, almost tipping the containers she carried. She slumped them off her back and walked over to the two.

“H-Hey, y’all. What, uh, what are you two doing here?” she asked, forcing a smile.

“Looking for you, actually,” replied the unicorn and ejecting the dragon off her hide. “I’m just Spike’s little helper today, getting him out to meet the ponies that he needs to.”

Spike stood by Starlight's side, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ground as she explained their presence. Every now and again he would look up at the orange mare with worried eyes. He couldn’t help but feel the tension brewing as he said nothing. He wanted to run, just as he had the last time he’d seen her. As Starlight began to walk away, he realized he was alone with the earth pony. If there was any chance to run now would be it. When he saw her sullen eyes and the half-smile she wore, a wry smile crossed his lips. He didn’t know if it was irony or coincidence, the same look Rarity had as they parted was now on Applejack.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a low-pitched voice.

“I…” Applejack hesitated. She nibbled on her bottom lip, trying to avoid spouting a volley of harsh words and the emotions that came with it.

He didn’t expect her to hold back, but when she did he spoke up. “Go ahead. You can yell at me if you want, I deserve it after all.”

She sighed and took her hat off, placing it against her neck. “Yeah, I’m mad. More mad at myself than you, Spike,” she said. “I caught you at an off time, where you were still tryin’ to make heads or tails of things. I should have waited.”

“Hey, you’re the only one that told the truth. I wish you had done it sooner.” He grabbed onto her stetson and held it in his claws, smiling at her all the while. When she smiled back, he raised the hat and placed it atop her golden mane. “I don’t want you to be unhappy or upset anymore,” he said, “but I also need more time.”

The look she gave was more confused than upset. “Need more time for what?” she asked.

“To get over Rarity and move on.” He clasped his hands together, interlocking his fingers. “I’ve never thought of you more than a friend, Applejack. I honestly thought of you more as a sister.” The look on her face soured at the word, which caused him to chuckle. “I know, I know. Not exactly what you want to hear.”

“Wait. Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?” Her southern drawl slurred more as her heart pumped harder with anticipation.

“I can’t say how long I’ll need. It could be a while,” he replied, “but, I don’t want to be stuck on somepony who doesn’t share my feelings. Especially when somepony else is hurting because of my stupidity.”

“To be honest-” She tipped her stetson over her face “-when you ran off the other day, I thought…”

He placed his claws around her hoof, holding it tight in his grasp. “Ever since I’ve been in Ponyville, I’ve always chased after Rarity. So, when someone else comes along and shares feelings for me… Well, you’re lucky I wasn’t screaming the whole way.”

“Yeah,” she said through laughter. “I see your point.”

“So, um, for now… friends?”

The corners of her mouth quirked up. “Of course,” she replied. “Don’t you fret now, sugar cube. You just work towards feelin’ better about yourself, alright? Take the time you need.”

He reached up and placed his arms around her neck, to which she accepted happily. After the hug, he could feel the rose stems poking around just as they had with Rarity. The expression Applejack had was much different than the one he saw on Rarity. She was happy, that much was obvious. Why was she happy? Spike couldn’t figure it out until he felt the goofy, toothy, lopsided grin he bore. He quickly shook his head and returned to an awkward, embarrassed smile.

“I’ll see you later!” he said as he started to run off back to Starlight.

“You take care now!”

As he rushed up to the unicorn it was clear how cheerful he had become. The weight he had been feeling was being lifted like a leaf in the breeze. He was even looking forward to seeing Twilight, their final stop for the day. Starlight assumed it went well from his gleaming smile, and didn’t even bother to ask how it went as he climbed her back. With no objections, she began making her way back to town to find the purple alicorn.

“Why are you helping me, anyways?”

It was a question she had hoped to avoid, because the answer wasn’t something she wanted to give. “We’re friends, right? Can’t it just be a friend in need, a friend indeed?” The answer was good enough for him, as he didn’t ask anything else. “As long as you feel better, I’ll be satisfied.”

They didn’t bother to wander around the town for long. Instead, they headed for the castle and decided to wait for Twilight’s return. Starlight plopped herself down on the crystal steps and Spike slid down her back and sat next to her. An hour passed with no sign of the alicorn, the sun had already began to move toward setting. They hadn’t really noticed the time, instead simply enjoying each other’s company. A good amount of it was spent gossiping about Applejack.

“Starlight? Spike?” The familiar voice spoke up from behind them.

While they waited for her return, neither had thought to check to see if she had beaten them home. The alicorn stood in the open door way, confused as to the sight of why they both were sitting on the steps. Though she looked at both, her eyes stared with intent at the purple dragon. It was silent for a moment. A long moment. Tears had already began to form in the alicorn’s eyes, even without a word being said by anyone. Starlight took this as an opportunity to leave the two alone, waltzing past Twilight and into the castle.

As the door closed, Twilight galloped down the steps and embraced Spike in a lung demolishing hug. The whimpering and sniffling from the alicorn echoed within Spike’s eardrum. Mustering all his strength, he finally managed to push away and gain a breath of air. “T-Twi-Twilight!” he gasped. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“I could ask the same of you! I’ve been worried sick for the last two days,” she said. “At one point in the night I teleported into your room just to check on you.”

He rubbed the spines on the back of his neck. “I know. The flash of the teleport kind of woke me,” he griped. “I’m sorry I worried you. I just needed time.”

“Well did you get it!?” she yelled. It was more volatile than she had meant, and more than he had expected. The look on Spike’s face caused her to recoil from her own words. “I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s… it’s okay.”

She didn’t know what else to say. The silence was a poison to her, the only cure was to yell and cry and ask why. To Spike however, it was the opposite. Comforting – an absence that allowed thought before the screaming. While the silence gnawed Twilight’s insides, it released the cloud that had been in the pit of Spike’s stomach. He could see the stress lines across her tear soaked face. For some strange reason, he felt a bit of cheer. Not at her pain, no, but that she truly worried about him.

When she couldn’t handle chewing her lip any longer, she asked, “What have you been doing all day?”

“I met with Rarity,” he said, “and Applejack. Also went looking for you, couldn’t find you.”

“Why were you doing that?” She plopped her rump next to him.

“To get apologizes, to apologize.” He gave a shrug. “It’s been nice.”

Twilight placed a foreleg around him once more, this time with a lot less pressure. “Are you still mad at me?” He shook his head in response, to which she smiled. “Well, that’s good. I’m sorry about what happened, I hope you know that.”

“You and I have been close since the day you hatched me, Twilight. I can’t stay mad at you, you know that.”

“I know. That’s why I should have been the one to tell you!”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“So much has been going on, I-“

As the words left her throat, she saw the expression shudder across his face. She had thought the secrecy, or perhaps the lying was why he was upset. It wasn’t the why, it was the who – she finally realized that. Her throat clogged up at that instant. The speech she had prepared in the back of her mind for lying was shredded and thrown against the fictitious wall. All that she could do in that moment was cry and stare at the friend she forgot. He was used to being left behind whenever they went on some magical adventure, but not something that involved him.

“Twilight?” he said as he placed a claw against her cheek, wiping tears in the process.

She grabbed onto him and pressed his head against her chest, holding him close as she cried. He wrapped his claws around her and just let it happen. Time seemed to pass slowly as the two held each other, but by the time she had calmed her sobbing the sun had already began to set. She pulled herself away and kissed him on the forehead, apologizing once more before standing up.

“Shall we head in, Spike?”

“I’ll be in in a minute, just need some… time,” he replied with a smile.

Twilight gave a nod, still wiping away some leftover tears, and then opened the door. Starlight stood on the other side, catching Twilight by surprise. The two shot each other an endearing smile as they passed by, the door shutting close behind Starlight. She sat down next to the young dragon, in place of where the alicorn had been – tear stains were still present around the spot.

“Hope you don’t mind some company,” she said. “Did I manage to help you today?”

“Yeah. You’re a great friend, Starlight.”

“Starlight’s busy making dinner. Twilight is probably in the process of freaking out over that.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, dumbfounded.

The bright green flames burned away the disguise, revealing the changeling underneath. With eyes closed and a sunken frown, she replied, “Sorry for lying to you – twice now.”

Spike couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. He had spent the day with Chrysalis and not even known it. “Why would you pose as Starlight? Why are you always-“

“I just wanted to make you feel better,” she interrupted. “I know I shouldn’t have fooled you into believing I was Starlight. To be honest, I wasn’t originally going to tell you it was me. But I figured it’d be found out as soon as you talked to the real Starlight, so I decided to tell you now.”

“Why didn’t you want me to know it was you?”

“I didn’t want you to think it was to win this bet for Twilight, or because I felt bad for lying to you. I didn’t want the credit. I just couldn’t stand seeing you so miserable, especially after you’ve been so nice to me,” she replied.

His mouth fell open at her explanation. “Well, lying is a really bad thing to do. But I know how you could make it up to me.”

“How’s that?” she asked, curious as to what it could be.

“Can we be friends?”

“That’s a strange request,” she replied with a smirk. “Okay. As long as you promise not to tell anyone – it’d hurt my evil reputation!”

Chapter 23: Planning

“Well shucks Twilight. Expandin’ the farm has been a dream of mine for a while now, and here you’ve done it in only a few days.”

“Don’t thank me yet, I only got the zoning rights and approval from Celestia. Next we’ll have to start the planning phase.”

“Hey I’m just glad for more acreage on the farm.” Applejack pulled the door of the castle open and said, “I gotta head home and tell Granny. I’ll be back before the party starts though. Thanks again, Twi!”

The door closed behind the earth mare and Twilight went back up the castle stairs. Streamers were strung amongst the ceiling and along the bannister. Balloons were tied to almost everything that they could be tied to, and some things that they probably shouldn’t have been. She climbed the steps, passing all the decorations, and stepped onto the second floor of the castle. The foyer was even more covered in party supplies, glitter and confetti sprinkled across the floor.

As she trotted down the hall a thumping vibration rumbled against one of the doors. Twilight turned the doorknob of the room and opened the door, causing music to blare into the hallway and send painful little knives into her eardrums. With lightning speed, she levitated the arm off the record player, ceasing the piercing music. Her eyebrows twitched, trying to recover from the parade of ringing in her ears. As they did, she gave a little sigh and yelled for the pink, party pony.

Decorations littered the room – much like the hallway preceding. It also included a dance floor, tables of food, and a banner above. It was thanks to Pinkie, the party planner, who was busily strapping more streamers onto the wall. From her ladder, she turned her head for a moment to look at Twilight, a tape dispenser still in her mouth. She rolled down the ladder with grace and bounced over to the irked alicorn. As she opened her mouth to speak, the tape dispenser fell from her lips and landed atop Twilight’s hoof.

“Oops, sorry Twilight,” she said after the alicorn yelped in agony.

Twilight’s face twisted menacingly at the pink pony, pouting her lips in both pain and displeasure. “It’s okay. Are you almost done decorating? I’m sure he’ll be here soon and Rarity should already be on her way. I sent Spike to get her early.”

Pinkie grabbed the tape dispenser in her mouth once more, then lisped a question about Applejack.

“She went back home but she’ll be here before the party. I’ve got some planning to do with Rarity and her and wanted to fill them both in before it starts. I don’t suppose you’ve seen Rainbow?”

The left side of Pinkie’s mouth had tape covering it, but the right side replied, “Nope. I gave her ribbons, streamers, and garland earlier and haven’t seen her since.”

“Well, at least she did some decorating before she vanished,” Twilight murmured. The voices of Spike and Rarity caused her to turn around. She peeked her head out into the hall and greeted the two.

Rarity had already gussied herself up in a short lilac dress and small lavender hat. “Hello darling,” she said as she hugged the alicorn. “Spike tells me there’s something you needed to discuss with me?”

“That’s right,” Twilight replied as she rubbed the dragon’s head. “Spike, if you could, help Pinkie remove the tape from her mouth. I’ve got to talk with Rarity for a bit.”

He happily obliged, saluting the two before rushing over to Pinkie. They both giggled for a moment before walking down the hall. Twilight led the unicorn up to the third floor and into her bedroom, tracking glitter the entire way. She flipped on the light and shifted some papers on her desk, unrolling one of the parchments and displaying it flat on the surface.

Eyeing over the documents, Rarity grinned at the sight. “Oh my, Twilight. So this is what you’ve been planning? This is no small feat.”

“I got the okay from Celestia, so now all we need is to secure where it’s going to be and how to build it.”

Rarity lifted her forelegs up onto the desk, remaining bipedal as she examined the blueprints. “Well I’m glad you wanted to ask my opinion first, because this thing looks dreadful.”

The alicorn let out a laugh and lifted her forelegs onto the desk as well. “I’m hoping you and Applejack can work together to design something that both looks good and is built well. Do you think you can do it?” she asked.

“Of course we can. Applejack may be a bit stubborn-“ Rarity pulled herself away from the desk, knocking a parchment onto the floor “-but she’s very good at what she knows.” She levitated the parchment up from the ground and caught a glimpse of the inside. “I look forward to seeing the…” she trailed off into a pause as she stared at the paper.

Twilight looked over at the frozen unicorn, eventually realizing what she had been looking at. “Oh no!” she screamed as she belly-flopped onto the paper.

“That was a bit excessive, Twilight.”

With a guilty expression, Twilight eased from the ground, making sure to holding the paper out of view. “How much did you see?”

“Well, there was you and a convenient book placed delicately. So, pretty much all of it, darling,” sassed the unicorn in a pleasant tone. “My question is, why do you have a drawing of yourself in such a compromising position? Not that I’m judging.” She fanned herself for a moment, then muttered, “We all have our predilections.”

Groaning in displeasure, Twilight’s eyebrows drew together as she looked down at the drawing. “I found it in Chrysalis’s hive. One of the changeling’s had it taped to his wall. And look.” She raised the bottom of the picture into Rarity’s view, revealing the signature – ‘Flutter S.’.

“Is that who I think it is?” Rarity asked. “Our very own innocent, kind, shy pegasus?”

“I haven’t shown it to her yet to find out if it’s true. I plan to ask her later. Please don’t go questioning her at the party, I don’t want to make a commotion in front of everypony.”

“Oh, of course darling. Mums the word.” Rarity smiled. “Though, if it is her, do you think she’d do one of me?”

The question caused Twilight to recoil, shifting her weight to her back legs in disgust. “W-Why would you want one of yourself?” she asked with a bit of curious vitriol.

A seductively devious grin shot across Rarity’s lips. “It’d be a good gift for a love interest,” she said. “I probably would have given one to Spike, well, before everything collapsed on that whole arrangement.”

Twilight stepped around the unicorn and over to the desk. She levitated open a draw and shoved the drawing in like she was squishing grapes in a barrel. “How are you feeling now that it’s all in the open?” she asked as she closed the drawer. “Spike seems better than ever.”

“I’m fine, of course. I am a bit surprised to hear Applejack fancies him.” She crept to the door, waiting for the alicorn to walk with her. “Though I think he’s made a smart decision to wait, just so he can get over me. I can’t imagine how difficult that is going to be for him.”

Out of view of Rarity, Twilight rolled her eyes as she walked to her side. “I’m sure the wait won’t be too long,” she said. “I am surprised about Applejack as well. Spike’s definitely working that boyish charm of his. It won’t be long before he’s all grown up, and he knows that.” The two made their way down to the second floor and into the hall.

“We all have to spend as much time with him as possible, before that country mare steals him away.” Rarity giggled to herself, a sneer across her face.

Before Twilight could make a sarcastic remark, they heard the deep, dark voice of a stallion echoing from down the staircase. She couldn’t make out what was being said as they were too far away. The two mares jogged at a swift pace over to the railing, attempting to look down past the sets of stairs and into the foyer. The light filled the room, shining in from the open door, only to be closed a second later.

“Anybody home?” yelled the centaur.

“Tirek!” Twilight shouted as she rushed down the steps.

She managed to catch a glimpse of him as she stepped down into the foyer, her heart skipping a beat at the same moment. Skidding to a stop in front of the stallion, she stared up at the slicked back hair, trimmed beard, and the black bowtie around his neck. He looked as if he had found the fountain of youth itself, yet still seemed as skinny as the last day he spent in Tartarus. She had never noticed his physical appeal, but he cleaned up quite nicely and far better than he had when they visited the royal sisters.

“Hello my dear, sweet Twilight Sparkle.” He lowered his hand flat in front of her. She quickly placed her hoof in it, to which he lifted and kissed. “It’s good to see you again.”

Rarity had been slowly trotting down the steps with grace, taking note of the gorgeously fetching centaur that stood with her best friend. “If spending a few weeks in Canterlot turns a ruffian into a handsome rogue, then I need to move there immediately,” she mumbled to herself. “I can only imagine what it could do to a shiny gem like me.”

A high-pitched scream from up the stairs caused all three to flinch. Tirek’s biggest fan had heard him from down the hall and came to welcome him the only way she knew how – by screaming and firing confetti.

Chapter 24: Jealousy

The music filled the room with high spirits, but there was seldom few out on the dance floor. Everyone had gathered together for Tirek’s return: the Elements of Harmony, the reforming villains, and even Discord. Though, Discord mostly came to brag to Tirek about his date with Twilight – which he hadn’t been able to do just yet. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, but someone always dragged the centaur into another conversation. Everyone wanted to chat with the fully reformed Tirek.

It was surprising to Twilight how well he made conversation, mostly discussing the time he spent he in Canterlot. “Spending a few days solely by Celestia’s side was quite a learning experience,” he had told the room. She was even more surprised that it was pleasant conversation he was making. The anger and vitriol that had surrounded him the last time they spoke seemed to have vanished. She almost thought he was Chrysalis in disguise by how charming he had become – but the changeling stood idly by, chatting with Spike. Well, she had been until Applejack came and swept him away to dance.

Chrysalis smiled as she watched the purple dragon be dragged out onto the dance floor. She let her eyes wander for a moment, drifting among the other guests. Her expression fell sour as she spotted the dark unicorn. Sombra stood across the room, chatting with Rarity and Twilight who had trotted over for only a moment. A light touch from Rarity against his shoulder sent a bolt down Chrysalis’s spine, then another as Twilight laughed at something he said. Her whole body began to shake, her eyes filled with poison.

She had been so fixated on Sombra and the mares that she hadn’t noticed Starlight’s presence. A soft-spoken word knocked her from her brooding. “I’m sorry, what was that?” she asked, finally aware of the unicorn.

“I said, are you enjoying yourself?” Starlight asked, giving a dry smile. “You seem out of it, hugged over here against the wall. I’ve never seen you so stoic.”

The changeling smirked, unsure if it was a compliment or a complaint. She turned her gaze back to the black stallion across the room, still chummy with Rarity and now Applejack and Spike as well. “I’m not really a partier,” she told the mare. In truth, there was only one that she wanted to talk to, but he wanted nothing to do with her.

Starlight stared up at the changeling, her face had become as still as water in a windless lake. She finally took the hint of what Chrysalis was staring at. “He’s mighty handsome,” she blurted out, hoping for a rise.

“Don’t tell me you’re interested in him too,” Chrysalis replied with a slight hint of fury.

“You know-” Starlight placed a hoof on the changeling’s shoulder “if even a small compliment can make you jealous, then you should probably take a breather.” She then strolled back to the other guests, giving a wink as she walked away.

The strange suggestion sailed through Chrysalis’s mind like a slight breeze, in one ear and out the other. She took a moment and felt herself shaking, anger raging inside her. It was then she realized what the unicorn meant. She closed her eyes and sucked in air through her nostrils, releasing it with a sigh. When she opened them again she saw the returned centaur standing in front of her, causing a slight yelp to be trapped in her throat.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said in a hushed tone. “I just noticed you were alone and we haven’t had a chance to chat. I figured you could use the company.”

“Oh, the guest of honor has decided to grace me with his presence. How cute.”

“Well, I can see why you’re alone over here. You need all the room you can get just to fit you and your ego.”

She grinned. “Glad to see your time with prissy, uptight nobles hasn’t caused you to lose your quick wit. You have no idea how lackluster the retorts are that this group gives. It’s been dreadfully boring.”

“You and I barely talked prior to my leave.”

“I know. Wonderful, wasn’t it?” she mocked.

Tirek couldn’t help but bellow with infectious laughter, earning a suppressed giggle from the changeling. He bowed to his wisecracking rival – she was far more entertaining with her jests than Discord. As he went to move on to other guests, he hadn’t gotten more than a few steps after leaving her company that he heard her scream at the top of her lungs. The word she yelled was something unintelligible, but caused his attention to shift back to her nonetheless. He saw her pointing across the room, a truly evil expression blanketed her face.

The whole room glanced at what she was pointing at, including the two that had been the cause. Rarity and Sombra stood still, startled by the sudden outburst, but still holding each other’s hoof. The queen growled with fury, her green eyes locked on the two. To her dismay, Rarity frowned and levitated a napkin over to their hooves, pressing it against the top of Sombra’s foreleg. Chrysalis realized her mistake as the napkin came up smeared, and all eyes had now been turned on her. She didn’t see the confusion on their faces, only focusing on the angry expression of Sombra and the surly glare of Rarity.

Embarrassment filled her as she realized that all eyes were now on her. With a burst of speed, the changeling became a black blur, disappearing from the room and out into the hall. The guests stood around, unsure as to what they should do. Sombra rolled his eyes to Rarity, hoping to be done with Chrysalis and continue the festivities. Instead, Rarity stood frowning at him with eyes as sad and wide as he had ever seen. He knew what she wanted but shook his head with resent, not willing to give in to her silent demand.

“So, no one’s going to go after her?” The silence of the room was finally broke by the purple dragon. He looked around at the crestfallen faces of the group. It was clear Sombra refused to go, but Twilight and Rarity hesitated for a moment, unsure if they should be the ones to comfort the embarrassed changeling. The other Elements and ex-villains stood around awkwardly staring at each other. He gave a sigh, knowing he would be the one that would have to do it – though it made the most sense as he was closer to her than any other.

He exited the room without a peep from the others, only their awkward stares as the door closed. It was true he had gotten to know her well, even anticipating where she had fled. It was the same place he had buried himself away after feeling his heartstrings snap and wither. He gave a knock on her bedroom door and announced himself, hoping she would be willing to see him. The door clicked and he slid the handle open, peering in before entering. Chrysalis sat slumped against the bed, a few miserable tears streaming down her cheeks. He rushed over and embraced her in a hug.

This was a surprise to the changeling, but not unwelcome. She wrapped a foreleg around his back, a few of his spines losing themselves in the holes of her hoof. “I’m sorry for causing a scene,” she blubbered. “I can only imagine the things they’re saying about me now.”

“Don’t worry about the rest of them. You can’t let what others think control you,” he replied. “Whoa. Almost sounded like Twilight there for a second.”

She snickered and cleared her eyes of tears. “How’d you know I needed a hug?”

Spike sat down with his legs crossed, staring up at the dreary changeling. “It’s what I needed. Y’know, when I found out about Rarity,” he hesitantly said. “Comfort in a friend is something everyone could use for a hurt heart.”

Her heart was hurting, she knew that much, but it wasn’t envy or jealousy she was feeling anymore. It was loneliness, a feeling she knew all too well. Twilight had proved she barely knew anything about her changelings, and Sombra no longer showed an interest in her. Yet here was another that must have known how she felt, she believed that, and for a moment she dropped all her plans for invasion and betrayal. It was a fleeting moment though, her paranoia and distrust inched forward back into the forethought of her mind.

“Friendship just brings about the hurt heart though. Without it, you wouldn’t need more friends, right?” Her tone was harsh, but she spoke with purpose. “Being alone isn’t a bad thing. You don’t get hurt, you don’t feel like a failure.” The serious look she had as her eyes focused on nothing was dropped as she heard the laughter of the purple dragon.

“Without friends, you wouldn’t know if you were hurting because you wouldn’t have happiness to compare it to.”

Her mouth fell agape and her eyes widened. The memory of the changelings who she had been close to and lost drifted back into her mind’s eye, glancing over the images of those she knew. Just as those who came before, she worried that Spike would become one of those brief friends. The changeling queen brushed her hoof against his cheek, feeling for him the same care she had for her kind.

With a slow, gentle touch she leaned down and kissed the dragon on the forehead. “You’re very sweet, Spike,” she whispered, “and a wonderful friend.”

He smiled up at her, slightly blushing from the interaction. “Aww, it was nothin’,” he replied. With a slowness in his movement, he rose up and walked over to the door. “If you want to stay in here I’m not going to stop you, but you’re more than welcome to join the party again. I know there are several there who’d enjoy partying with you, myself included.”

“I’ll stay here for just a minute, you run along ahead.”

After he left, closing the door behind him, her smile faded from her face. She felt herself be alone once more, soaking in the sentiment. Conquering this place seemed so easy, she thought. How can I do that if I’m busily crying over a stupid stallion and a wonderful dragon. The sides of her mouth crinkled as tears once again ran down her muzzle. She felt the seed of hope, the desire to become friends, and nothing frightened her more. Her body shook, not with fear, but with anticipation. The anticipation of where she would go, what she would do, and what mistakes she would make.

A long, drawn-out sigh left the changeling as she rose to her hooves. She had stayed for longer than a minute, and so she decided to exit her room. She wandered the hall back to the second floor and down a different hall. The glitter and streamers covered the walls as she walked, eventually reaching the room that held the party. No sound seemed to come from inside. She pressed her ear against the frame and could hear the stomping of hooves, but it was barely audible. With a twist of the knob, the door slowly creaked open.

Any movement that had been happening ceased. Spike stood in the middle of the room, some others were standing around him with alarmed expressions. Tirek and Discord winced at the sight of her, while Sombra shrouded himself in a corner with Rarity. Twilight had her back to the door, but had turned to the creaking noise. Chrysalis examined all of their faces, demeanors, and expressions. She had not prepared herself for the stares, leaving her speechless.

“We didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Twilight said as she wandered over to the changeling. “We’re glad you did though. We couldn’t celebrate the second party without you.”

Chrysalis raised her eyebrow, her mouth left ajar. She was still speechless, but didn’t get a chance to compose herself before Starlight brought a scroll over. Several others followed behind, even Rarity and Sombra. They all crowded behind Twilight, waiting for the surprise to be sprung. Had the door not remained open, Chrysalis surely would have discovered she was claustrophobic.

With a quick roll, the paper unraveled in front of Chrysalis’s face. “Surprise!” the group yelled in unison. She was startled for a moment, expecting to be pranked or humiliated in some fashion. Her eyes rattled, eventually turning her focus to the paper itself. The mumbled mush of words and lines confused her at first, but then she noticed the structure was oddly familiar.

“Is this what I think it is?” she asked, to no one in particular.

“Yep. I’ve gotten approval from Celestia, it’ll be built near Sweet Apple Acres. Though, this isn’t the final design, just the first of many,” Twilight explained.

Pinkie blew into a party blower, sending a sharp, high-pitched, horn noise sailing past Twilight’s ear. “You get a new home!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Chrysalis could barely believe it. “You’re going to build me and my kind a new home? So close to you ponies? I-I haven’t even reformed yet, why are you doing this?” She stared up at all the smiling faces, not realizing tears had begun to stream down her cheeks.

“Even if you’re a terrible miscreant, the other changelings aren’t. No sense in punishing them,” Discord replied with his own two bits.

“The great Discord feels pity for a race that isn’t his own?” Tirek jibed. “How unlike you.”

Discord crossed his arms, unwilling to play into the centaur’s hand. “The changelings are quite tolerable, unlike a certain breed I know of.”

“I have to agree with Discord.” Twilight rolled the paper back into a scroll. “Well, sort of,” she clarified. “I think that even if you aren’t necessarily reformed, that doesn’t mean the other changelings should have to suffer the consequences. They’re all quite nice, and for an exchange they can also benefit the world around them.”

“This is all too much.” Chrysalis fell on her rump as she tried to back away, her vision clouded by the tears pouring in excess. “I’ve never received so much kindness.”

Spike stepped forward and took one of the changeling’s front hooves in his claws. “You’re a friend to all of us, Chrysalis.” He then pushed against her, hugging his small body against her chest. The others piled in around the two, except for Sombra.

The embrace filled the changeling with true happiness, more so than any love draining ever could. She smiled, and then noticed the lone stallion who was looking off in any direction he could, hoping to go unnoticed. Using her magic, she levitated him over, dragging him into the hug as well and pressing his body against Starlight, Spike, and Discord. He tried to struggle, but only made the others laugh. “Sorry about earlier,” she whispered, knowing full well she could still be heard by everyone. “Friends?”

His muzzle scrunched and he could suddenly feel that all eyes were on him. The sides of his mouth curved almost unwillingly into a smile. “F-Friends,” he managed to stutter out. “As long as you don’t scream at me again.”

Another bout of laughter came from the hugged pile, including the changeling. “Deal.” She then looked down at Spike who winked at her slyly, and she knew what friendship truly was. With a smile, she soaked in the happiness for a moment, only to finally discover her claustrophobia.

Chapter 25: Courting Civilized Centaurs

Trimmings of beard fell to the counter, a common piece of his everyday routine. It made him look years younger than he was, though dying it black would help as well. Rarity had suggested that after his startling question on how to look younger. He preferred the white. It made him look wiser. He wanted to appear wise to a certain alicorn – not that he wasn’t, he just wanted to appear it as well. Canterlot had told him much of Celestia’s prized pupil. He had trotted amongst the styled glass panes, viewing the past accomplishments of the unicorn turned alicorn. It wasn’t long ago that he was in the same hall, with a very different outlook on ponykind.

Now he stood facing a mirror, comb in one hand scissors in the other, staring at a centaur that he had grown accustomed to. His beard as white as snow like that of Star Swirl the Bearded. He had grown to know the name well. It was he who had swung his brother from the dark side, and it was he who Twilight Sparkle idolized. He barely remembered the unicorn from those old days, specifically through the interactions his brother had with him. The young wizard was a nuisance then, but now he proved far more useful by being a connection to Twilight.

Once he finished his grooming Tirek moved on to another part of his routine, visiting the library. He had become accustomed to waking in an archive, having borrowed Twilight’s old home within the castle district of Canterlot. There he had discovered many books of history that he had been out of the loop for. From Nightmare Moon to the creation of the Wonderbolts and even the founding of Ponyville. He had caught up on many events, but the main amount of books within the library were relating to Star Swirl himself. Twilight’s castle had a much larger library, almost making her study in Canterlot more of a hermit’s hovel.

No longer was he forced into sifting past the works of Star Swirl just to find something different. He could browse to his heart’s content and only hope to find a section relating to the bearded, old unicorn. Reading wasn’t an enjoyment he found as a young centaur, but he had missed the entertainment it brought while he sat in Tartarus. After grabbing an auburn, heavily read tome from a shelf, he sat himself down at an end of a table and propped it open. This was his routine. He would read a few chapters for about an hour, and if the book was enjoyable he would come back to it the next day.

Today he would not be coming back to this book. Principles of Magic, he thought. More like, Principles of Unicorn Magic. All he could ever do was absorb magic and fire a destructive beam of energy, learning about unicorn magic was a fruitless endeavor. Nevertheless, he was stubborn and committed to spending the morning hour reading, even if he couldn’t use it. Celestia had suggested learning some other magic while he stayed in Canterlot, but he had grown tired of the desire to obtain magic. That’s all he ever wanted, to gain magic, but he had gone about it the wrong way. Now was the time to focus on something other than magic.

The something other wouldn’t take long to figure out, as the door of the library creaked open and a purple headed alicorn trotted into the room. She walked in, levitating a mug and book, and noticed the lone centaur sitting at the opposite end of the room. “Good morning Tirek. You weren’t at breakfast.” She placed the book and mug down at the end of Tirek’s table. “I figured you’d still be sleeping after your long trip and the party yesterday.”

He grunted a short, low laugh and leaned forward against the table. “Sleeping? I may be old, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to waste away in bed.”

“Well, that’s good,” she replied as she sat down and opened up to the last page she had been reading. “What are you doing in here, anyway? Not that I mind, but it’s rare to see anyone other than Starlight in here.”

“Part of my routine is to read before I eat. Helps build an appetite. Though most days I would eat brunch with Celestia rather than breakfast, and so my appetite would be thrashing by then. A habit I’d like to keep, though I won’t be continuing this useless volume.”

She levitated the tome from in front of him and read the cover. A giggle left her grinning lips before she said, “You know this is for unicorn magic, right?”

“Yes, I gathered as much.”

“If you’d like I can point you in the direction of a few of my fictional favorites. The Superb Sorceress of Oys, perhaps? Maybe A Colt’s Will by Sherbet Snow? Though, his work gets a little dreary in his later novels. What genre do you like best?” The alicorn sent a profuse amount of questions at Tirek, barely catching her breath between the stops of sentences and the starts.

Raising his hand, he caught the attention of the mare, ceasing her torrent of queries. The sides of his mouth curled down into a frown, a natural position that he had held for years. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just continue to browse what you have. I’ve read enough of the classics already that I’ve grown sick of them. That and anything written by Star Swirl the Bearded.” The mention of the name perked Twilight’s ears, and he liked the sight of that. “You had so many in your bungalow at Canterlot that it was hard to find something newer.”

“You stayed in my observatory and you read books by Star Swirl the Bearded!?” she shouted, her voice echoing within the archive.

“Of course. I thought it better to stay away from the other ponies until they grew accustomed to the sight of me, and nothing was more out of the way than that tower. Celestia seemed to agree, so I stayed there during my visit.”

Twilight rose to her hooves and stood bipedal, leaning atop the table. Her face was so full of astonishment that her jaw had almost seemed to unhinge. “I’ve never known anyone that had such an interest in Star Swirl! Starlight wants nothing to do with him since she used his time traveling spell. We have to talk about him!” She scooted down the side of the table as quickly as she could, sitting beside the centaur. “Which of his works did you read?”

He lowered a hand down onto her hoof. “Well, perhaps we can talk more about this… on a date?”

Red blanketed her face as she realized what he was asking. She stared up at his suave, wrinkly grin and began spouting illegible words and stutters until finally answering, “O-Okkay.” As the word left her mouth an uncontrollable giggle followed. She slammed her hooves against her lips, recognizing how embarrassed she had become.

Tirek had never seen her so red. She was almost the same shade as his skin, and he found that very endearing. He patted her hoof and withdrew it, and then stood up from the floor. “I’ll come around later tonight. Till then, I bid you adieu.” Without a word from the alicorn, he trotted off to get breakfast.

As he drew down the steps, grinning wider than he had ever before, he noticed the light of the foyer door shine in and then darken once more. His grin halted and faded to his normal frown as he saw the draconequus carrying shovels, blankets, and sleeping bags. Fluttershy stood beside him, a knapsack on her back and sunhat atop her pink head. “Look what the cat dragged in,” he shouted as he trotted down into the foyer. “Are you finally going to bury yourself, Discord? I’d love to help.” He grinned.

“Oh please-” Discord dropped all the equipment on the ground “-you’ve spent far too long with nobles, I’m sure you’d scream like a filly at the sight of dirt.”

“Your insult are as profound as your company.” He rolled his eyes and then turned to the yellow pegasus. “Ah, Fluttershy.” He placed his hand out and took her hoof, giving it a small peck. “You look lovelier every time I see you. Being friends with Discord, you really should give him some of your beauty tips,” he quipped. She let out a giggle to the compliment, which caused Discord to sulk.

“Thank you, Tirek. Have you seen Twilight today? We’re going on an overnight camping trip, and Discord thought it would be fun if she tagged along.”

He nodded and replied, “She’s in the library, though I don’t think she’ll be keen on saying yes. She’ll be far more busy with me tonight, but you’re welcome to ask her all you like.” The surprise on Discord’s face was more rewarding than he had expected. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said with a grin, blatantly remaining locked to Discord’s eyes as he took his leave. He didn’t hear a peep from the draconequus, but could feel the rage even as he entered the kitchen.

Half an hour later he heard the stomping of someone very peeved coming down the steps. Tirek ignored it, still attempting to finish his late breakfast meal. His routine had gone awry after realizing there were no butlers or servants to cook and prepare as he had grown accustomed to. Burnt toast lay in the trash and egg yolk lay splattered along the counter still covered in the shell. Perhaps joining the rest for breakfast would be a better idea, he considered. The stomping eventually stormed into the kitchen with an angry draconequus leading the way.

“How’d you do it!? Did you use some sort of mind control or emotion manipulator!?” shouted Discord, slamming his hands on the table and rattling the kitchenware that sat upon it.

“What’s the matter Discord?” Tirek asked in an exaggeratedly sincere inflection. He laid the eating utensils aside and wiped his mouth. “You surely can’t be upset that Twilight Sparkle would prefer spending time with me rather than you.”

Discord’s eyes were a flame, quite literally, as he pulled his ears in frustration. “You’ve only been here one day! How is it you’ve already obtained a date!?” he said hotly.

With a grin, Tirek rose and dragged the kitchenware from the table to the sink. He thought carefully before answering, wanting to get the right quip in. After he rinsed the utensils and stopped the faucet, he turned and gave a glare to the draconequus. “She’d rather date someone far more interested in what she likes, rather than someone who assumes what she wants by her personality. Face it Discord, you are too safe for her.”

The words were too queer and unnerving for Discord’s liking. He had always prided himself on his clever manipulation and intellectual word jungles, but now it was being used against him. “Safe? I’m the craziest, most dangerous draconequus that ever lived! As if I’d ever be safe,” he growled and waved the words away.

“Really? Then what did you do for your date with her? Took her to dinner, maybe a normal walk around a park or something? Something fairly safe.”

Before Discord could explode, a sharp, soft-pitched yell commanded attention from behind him. He turned and saw the yellow pegasus standing with puffed up cheeks and a stare that stung. The anger flew out of him like wind passing through an open wound. He was glad it had been only her but knew the lecture would surely be worse for it. “Oh… Hello, Fluttershy. How… How long have you been… been standing there?” he spluttered out, clasping his hands together and blinking with an inflated bashfulness.

“Long enough.”

Tirek stepped around into her view and crossed around the table. As he began to make his way out of the kitchen, he stopped and turned to the pegasus. “Dear Fluttershy, please don’t be too perturbed with him. You know how he gets when I egg him on, and I simply cannot help myself.”

She stared up at him, his smile sincere and his beady, yellow eyes looked genuine. “Don’t put this on yourself, Tirek. It’s not your fault.” With a gentle smile and a pat on her shoulder, he trotted away, leaving her focus for Discord.

As quiet as he could, Discord had been trying to squeeze out of the scene as Tirek held her attention. It would have worked if he had been quicker, but that would have led to a sterner scolding later on. He expected her to come closer and begin speaking in the low, hushed, serious tone that she got whenever he was in the wrong. Instead, she stood in the doorway, eyebrows pushed forward and the sides of her mouth curled down. She said nothing, staring at him with silent anguish.

“Alright! I was wrong!” he shouted and collapsed on the floor in front of her. “I already know what you’re going to say. What if Twilight had seen how I acted, what if it had been her instead of you. Blah blah blah! It’s just not fair!” He groveled at her hooves, acting as if he was a filly or colt who had their toy taken away.

She glowered at him – still silent and looming, waiting for him to stop his foolish behavior. When he finally flopped over onto his knees and stared back at her, she gave a sigh. “Do you want to watch them have their date?” she asked, monotony.

Discord slammed his hands against her cheeks and pulled her into an embrace. “Fluttershy, you know how to read me like a book! We’ll spy on them and make sure nothing happens!”

“No Discord.” She pushed away and pointed at the draconequus. “We will watch them, and do nothing else. If something happens between them, we just have to let it.”

“But… What if… Y’know… They connect a little too much?” He nudged her side and gave a wink.

“You know I want you and Twilight to get together, but if you do anything, and I mean anything, to mess up their date, you will lose. I can guarantee it, as a mare and as a friend to Twilight. The only reason I’ll tag along is to keep you from doing anything that might ruin that.” She rubbed her forehead, giving a groan at her now ruined plans. “I suppose we’ll go camping another night. I’m never going to see how the burrowing owls nest at this rate…”

“Chin up Fluttershy! Tonight, we shall burrow ourselves as spy owls!”

She rolled her eyes. “There’s no such thing as spy owls.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The night crept upon the quaint town with a joyful humidity, the last summer heat was drawing to a close and the nights would soon be cold. Starlight had been out and about throughout the day and was only just returning to the castle. The blue glow of the crystal brightened against the growing moon. She met the two suitors at the stairs, Twilight fancied up just as she had for Discord, Tirek remained unchanged except for a bowtie and some cuffs without sleeves. He also seemed to be holding a few varied items underneath his arms.

“Look at you two lovebirds,” Starlight teased as she entered. “You’re going out fairly late, aren’t you? Perhaps there is more than friendship going on here.”

Twilight couldn’t help but blush and attempt to shush the unicorn. “Starlight, please! I swear you’re worse than my mother. Next, you’ll be wanting a picture for your scrapbook.”

Starlight laughed and held the door for the two. “Now just make sure you don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

The door closed and the only light that guided the two’s path was that of the moon. Stars echoed out from the bright blue celestial being. The night sky was far more clear in the town of Ponyville than that of the bustling Canterlot. Tirek knew of Twilight’s love for astronomy and all things star related, there would be no better date than stargazing. He had thought of everything. A telescope to watch the stars, a few tomes and scrolls about Star Swirl the Bearded, and a silver tongue straight with tales of his time with Celestia – something she would love above all else.

Atop a hill they stopped and spread a white and red blanket, placing the telescope set up in a corner. The basket of tomes and scrolls were sat down and a lantern was dragged out, lit, and set in the middle. Tirek was large or the blanket was small, but either way made them both push more closely together to keep from the pointy grass blades that surrounded them. Neither seemed to mind the small sitting arrangements, too concerned with the topics of Star Swirl and what Tirek had read of the unicorn. The shriek of thrill rang out in the night as he reminded her that he had met the great wizard.

“It was only once or twice,” he had told her. “I had already begun to hate the way ponies treated us, and wanted nothing more to do with the seemingly random bearded pony.” As he spoke about the things Scorpan had said of the wizard, Twilight gave small nudges to his chest and taps to the forearm here and there. He noticed after a few of the pokes how touchy-feely she had become. When a lull came to the conversation, he slid his body against her and placed an arm around her shoulders. At the same time, he pulled a book from the basket.

The top of her muzzle reddened from the warmth of their now pressing sides, she hadn’t even noticed he started talking about one of the books. His fur felt coarse against hers, and she couldn’t help but lean in against his torso. An ear rested close to his chest and she could hear the thumping of his heart reverberating within his body. It was a peaceful moment until he asked a question that she had not paid attention to. Her head jolted up to match his stare, unsure of what to say as an answer and too awkward to ask him to repeat the question. She threw the dice, hoping for luck. “Uhhh, yes?”

“Oh, good. For a second there I thought I was boring you,” he replied and began yammering on about Star Swirl once more.

With the catastrophe averted, she gave a sigh of relief to the correct answer. She simply enjoyed leaning next to the centaur, relishing the company he provided. Being this close, lying next to him, it almost felt taboo for the alicorn. But she didn’t care – whether or not she would admit it is another story.

There was another that did care, however, and he was far less happy about the sight. A pair of glass lenses reflected in the moonlight as two eyes stared through them, glaring angrily at the centaur and alicorn atop the hill. A yellow pegasus sat next to him, bored and itchy from the hay of the roof they laid upon. He eventually handed the binoculars over to her, glowering and seething in anger.

“They’re so cute together,” she thought aloud.

“Cute!?” he shouted and whispered at the same time. “Whose side are you on?”

She felt the hay jabbing through the fur on her belly and squirmed against it. “If I have to sit up here for another hour, who knows?” she sarcastically, yet scornfully replied.

A groan left his lips as he snapped his fingers, another set of binoculars appearing in his eagle claw. He focused in on the two in the distance who had moved to crowd around the telescope. Twilight was busily gazing in through the eyepiece as Tirek pointed up at the sky, his other hand resting on her back. Discord grimaced at the sight, annoyed by the friendly display they had been showing each other. What really broke the final straw was when Tirek moved around her backend, standing behind her and lowering his head closer to hers, his torso narrowly avoiding the fur on her back.

The binoculars snapped in two at Discord’s rage, shattering the glass and plastic within his palms. Fluttershy watched on, unmoved by the draconequus’s fury. It wasn’t until he grasped at a pebble atop the roof that she finally intervened. “Discord! What did I tell you? Don’t get involved!” He ignored her, sending the small stone sailing across the open starry night and into the centaur’s rump.

Tirek almost yelped, startled by the sudden, sharp pain. He caught himself before he disturbed Twilight, but the sudden jolt of his body caused him to press his lower half into her. “Oh my, Tirek. Is something wrong?” she asked and peered her head back from the telescope.

He had placed both hands on his backside, rubbing it while also glaring out into the darkness. “No, no. It’s quite alright, just one of those nighttime pests. They always love to antagonize me,” he replied, hoping she wouldn’t catch on to his clever remark. He then moved around to her other side and away from her rump, learning his lesson quickly.

After the centaur had turned back to Twilight and the telescope, Fluttershy and Discord peered their heads back up over the tilt of the roof. With a brief sigh, Fluttershy said, “That was a close one.” She then jabbed the draconequus in the stomach, causing an oof. “You drove him on top of her and you almost got caught! What did I tell you? What were you thinking!?”

“I wasn’t thinking! I wouldn’t have done it if I knew that was going to happen!”

“That’s right, you weren’t thinking! Now, we’re leaving before your not-thinking forces them atop each other.” She wretched away from the roof and began flapping her wings to fly away. When Discord had not yet turned away from spying, she growled his name and then grabbed his ear.

“W-Wait! We c-caan’t leave no-nOW!” He struggled, but it was little use. They left the centaur and alicorn to their own, spy-free date.

Discord had gotten his wish even though he wasn’t around to know it. The sudden, random stinging in Tirek’s rump was a telltale that they were being watched, and he certainly didn’t like that. The pain was bad too. A short while later he packed up their things and they began making their way back to the castle. It had grown late, and the moon had already reached the centerfold of the sky. They could only hope Starlight had already gone to bed, as she would most certainly tease their late hour return.

They found their way to the castle, the light of the lantern guiding their path. “So, are you going to invite me in on our first date?” Tirek slyly jested.

“Tirek!” she half shrieked, half giggled. “I suppose I do have an obligation to let you in, though that makes it sound so wrong.”

The door clicked open and the two waltzed in. Tirek set the items down by the door and turned back to Twilight. “It’s a shame I’m no longer a villain. If I was, hearing you say immoral things would be far more appealing. I’d almost be tempted to take advantage of-” Before he could finish his sentence, Twilight had flown up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips. He had not expected such an embrace but did not turn it away. He grasped onto her floating body and held her tight, not wanting to release the lock of their lips.

He caressed her face with the palm of his hand, and they finally broke apart, staring into each other’s eyes. A moment passed before she realized how impulsive she had been, her face turned beat red and her hovering faltered. “I-I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me!”

It had been a long time since he had been seized like that. He was almost awestruck, but he knew he wanted more; needed more. With a quick fall, he fell on both front knees and sent his scrawny arms at her, grasping her and pulling her close. Their chests bumped together and Twilight inched her head backward, unsure and unsteady of his actions. She didn’t mind a second later when their lips connected once more. The soft strength that held her, the sound of their heartbeats pressing against each other, the musky smell of sweat from the summer humidity. She enjoyed everything about him.

She finally forced apart their bodies, gasping for air. “Tirek!” she moaned much more seductively than she had meant. “First date, first date!”

With a hearty chuckle, he released his hands and gave a toothy smile. “Sorry, guess we both got a little carried away.” He rubbed his nape and raised up his front legs. “Though, a first date would certainly mean a second, right?”

“Yes, yes,” she replied, shooing the question away with a small tone of sarcasm. “Goodnight, Tirek.” Without waiting for a reply she leapt up the steps with a giddy bounce in her step. “And don’t get any ideas! I’m locking my door!” she echoed from the top of the steps.

He returned with a yell of his own. “What do you take me for, a villain?” The short, somber giggle he heard was reward enough for his joke. He stood alone in the foyer for a little while, contemplating and hoping for her to return and say "Unless you’d like to join me". She hadn’t, and wouldn’t, he knew that.

After a romantic situation like that, he knew he was going to have trouble sleeping. He waited for the coffee to come to a heat, staring down at the brew and licking his lips. Raspberries, he thought, catching a taste of what the purple lips had left on his. Once he had poured a mug, he hobbled tiredly up the stairs. They had been out far later than he had expected, but the end had been worth it.

The bedroom hall was dark, but he could see enough to his own room. He stepped to the right, towards his room, but kept his focus on Twilight’s door. A voice spoke up in the darkness, low and gravely. It had startled him enough that the coffee had spilled out droplets on one side. With a twist of his neck, he frowned and glared, glancing over to Chrysalis who stood against her bedroom door.

“A little late to be awake, isn’t it? Coffee too? I wonder what you’re planning on doing all night,” she teased and poked, bearing her sharp teeth in the darkness below her glowing green eyes.

Another door opened behind her down the hall, and out stepped the dark unicorn, Sombra. It had become a meeting of those who were newly reformed and soon to be reformed, though neither Tirek nor Sombra enjoyed it in that moment.

“Oh good, the gangs all here,” said the changeling. “I think it’s about time we all convene on how we’re going to take over this place.” She was blunt, or blatantly stupid. Neither of the stallions could believe her words.

“You do realize I’m reformed. How is it not in my best nature to report your words, right here right now?” Tirek replied. “I also just came from my date with Twilight Sparkle, so she is most certainly still awake.”

“Come now, even Discord has a want and desire to rule. We three could take these ponies, we’d just have to split them up. They trust us already, we’d just pit them against one another.”

Sombra snarled. “You’re a fool, Chrysalis. I’m not going to help you with your stupid plans. These ponies are far too powerful, powerful enough that Tirek and Discord have committed themselves to being their friends,” he spoke fast and low, not wanting to wake the others that slept in the hall. “Tirek could beat both of us in a fight, and these mares beat him. What could you even possibly hope to accomplish?”

Her green eyes tilted back with her head, focusing on the unicorn. “What if I did all the work? Split them apart, captured each of them, even preventing them from using the Elements of Harmony?” The grin she bore spoke more to Sombra than her words. Had she figured out a way to remove the Elements of Harmony? He had not seen them wearing the Elements the entire time he’d been here.

The centaur scoffed, waving a hand away in the darkness. “They don’t use those things. They have a power inside of them. I stole their magic and they still defeated me. If you plan to take over, you’ll have to figure out how to break that power.” He turned and opened his bedroom door. “If a time comes that you actually manage to do something that powerful, I won’t get in your way. Don’t bet on my help unless you can prove it. But I doubt that’ll ever happen.”

“Don’t worry, the time will come soon. But by all means, doubt away,” she replied as she scuttled back into her room, closing the door behind her.

“Think she’ll actually manage something?” Sombra asked.

“Her? I’d sooner bet you’d turn white and start growing wings.” The two snickered and went their separate ways. As the door closed behind Tirek, he stared into the darkness. After tonight, I’d surely side with Twilight and her little friends, right? He shook his head, ignoring the question and the doubts he had. He was reformed.

Chapter 26: Hive Minds, Knuckleheads

The afternoon wind blew a mighty gust that moved the leaves and the shadows beneath the trees. It echoed to the grassy field, swaying the uncut fodder from side to side. Trees encompassed the field like stone mountains surrounding a valley. The field hadn’t been a field for long, as they dragged the last stump away, leaving nothing but grass. Nothing was wasted from the chopped down trees. Fluttershy had been recruited to move the animals that had made their homes in the forest, and in return, she was given parts of the trees themselves. The tree trunks would be used for her beavers to gnaw and the wood chips they made were for the mice and rats bedding. There would also be plenty of fetching sticks for her dogs.

A project this big hadn’t happened since the creation of Ponyville and everypony was getting involved. The citizens of Ponyville weren’t yet accustomed to the idea of a changeling hive being next door, but soon they would have little choice. Soon their population would triple and they’d see many new faces. Of course, building the hive was going to be far more challenging than the integration. A structure to hold over two hundred changelings and a queen, and not be built into the ground, was easier said than done.

A long, large pile of lumber sat near the edge of the woods, ready to be trimmed and folded into a functioning building. Many of the residents of Ponyville had already been eager to help, along with the Elements and the ex-villains. Some were more eager than others, especially Tirek and Discord. After Tirek offered his help to haul and hammer, Discord refused to be left behind, insisting that he could snap his fingers and create something in an instant. “Even unicorns don’t pop a building into existence. Who knows the ramifications it could have,” Twilight had told him. Canterlot wasn’t built in a day, and neither would this.

The blueprints had already been redesigned and were sprawled out to give the crafters a good view. Applejack and Rarity worked together surprisingly well, creating a special beehive like structure, one that would look nice and was structurally sound. The colors would match that of Sweet Apple Acres, rather than a simple yellow of a normal beehive. Red, green, brown. Holes to resemble that of the changeling species, and plenty of space for each changeling to have more than just a hovel in a wall. Before they began building the framework, the workers gathered around a small podium that Mayor Mare, Twilight Sparkle, and Queen Chrysalis stood behind.

“Today commemorates a brand new Ponyville,” Mayor Mare shouted. “One where we will be working alongside a species that ponies have never thought more than evil beings meant to drain our love. Through Princess Twilight Sparkle’s guidance, the changelings will no longer be thought of as evil. We will look upon them as we would any pony, with the respect and kindness that they deserve, the same respect and kindness we share of their queen, Chrysalis.”

Mayor Mare raised a hoof and backed away from the podium, allowing the changeling to step up. “Thank you all for this opportunity and for the kindness you have shown me. I know my kin will be accepted just from what I’ve seen from all of you. There is no greater place for my kin to begin a new life other than this great town.” The onlookers cheered and stomped their hooves as she finished her speech. They calmed themselves as she backed away, allowing Twilight Sparkle a final word.

“It is with great honor to see you all here today. To think, the very reason that we are helping the changeling species is because of a silly bet for my attention. Now, great villains have been reformed, a dying species can be given renewed life, and Ponyville will become an even more prosperous town than it was.” She halted to allow another cheer to spread throughout the crowd. “I have visited directly with the changelings in their hive, and I can sleep easy at night knowing we are doing the right thing. No longer do they need love to survive, but they do need friendship. Our friendship. They do not have cutie marks like us, and so they will be helping the Apple family produce more food. Our friendship with them will increase Sweet Apple Acres crop size by tenfold, giving them much needed food and putting Ponyville on the map for food production.”

She let the crowd hoot and holler before continuing. “In conclusion, it is with much pride that I announce the name for this new inclusion into our lands. I gathered many others opinions on what to name it but decided on something that relates to all of us, we Ponyville citizens. There will be many trials and tribulations for coping with these new citizens, and so we honor you by simply naming this structure-” With a quick pull, Mayor Mare and Chrysalis lowered the banner behind the podium, revealing the name “-The Ponyville Hive!”

The name was simple and bland, but the crowd roared with love for it. Never had anything been named after their town, not even the castle that resided within. Canterlot had Canterlot Castle, The Crystal Empire had the Crystal Castle, but there was no Ponyville Castle – only the Castle of Friendship. Twilight knew the arrival of the changelings would take some getting used to, but this political move would surely make everyone happy, and Chrysalis didn’t seem to mind. Anywhere was better than below a swamp.

As the speeches ended, the crowd meandered off, leaving only those who were there to work on building the framework. They all got into their separate groups, ready to work in the areas they were assigned. Unicorns began dragging the wood out and earth ponies began sawing away, making sure to cut enough they needed. Sombra was trotting around with Rarity, making sure the positions were all correct for where the frame posts would go into the ground. He cared little for Chrysalis and the changelings, but Rarity wanted his help and he could not deny her.

Fluttershy was busily chopping the grass with the help of Applejack and a few animal friends. Baskets were set aside so the chopped grass could be used as fodder for the cows at Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash moved clouds around and over the workers below, blocking the sun from those who were sawing, hammering, or digging. Heat stroke was a serious thing even this late into the summer. She had given up covering Tirek and Discord as they moved so quickly in order to impress Twilight. They had already begun digging and tossing the dirt out of the way for the posts. Discord wasn’t even using his magic, unwilling to let Tirek outdo him in ordinary work. “Post!” he yelled out as another hole was dug.

Twilight was impressed, but not just by Tirek and Discord. The number of ponies that decided to help was staggering and the way they worked together was even more so. Within half an hour the bottom posts were all setup, giving visible points to where the floor would be placed against. It was a mile between opposing sides of the circular frame, and posts were indicators of the length of the structure. The field had been cleared of grass and now was the time to set up the floorboards the earth ponies had been cutting. These baseboards would later be tiled, but for now, they were the framework they needed to cover the dirt below.

When it came time to lay the boards, each was placed delicately and hammered into the last, preventing them from warping and moving as ponies walked atop. Tirek and Discord did theirs so quickly that they ran into each other, slamming their heads and dropping the nails they carried. “Watch where you’re going! You’re treading into my section!” Tirek yelled as he rubbed the spot between his horns.

“Perhaps if you hadn’t been so slow, I wouldn’t have to come into your section!” replied the draconequus.

Meanwhile, the other two-thirds of the flooring remained barely started by the ponies. Even Pinkie Pie appeared to be slower than a snail compared to the two stallions. All progress had stopped to observe the argument between them. When Twilight caught wind of the quarrel she rushed past the workers and onto the floor, careful to avoid poorly hit nails. “Discord, Tirek!” she yelled as she split the two into separate bubbles. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“He slammed into me like the clumsy oaf he is!” Discord growled. “I was in the zone, minding my own business, too.”

Twilight glared over the wood that had been placed, eyeing up the shoddy work they had both produced. The floorboards were barely nailed together and slightly uneven in places near the edges. She groaned from the sight, knowing full well what today would lead up to if things went on as they did. “Alright, you two shall be separated. This is too important for you showoffs to ruin. If you don’t lower the egos, I’ll move you off the job altogether, got it?” They nodded in unison, neither wanting to be removed from her sight. “Good,” Twilight said. “Tirek, you will be moved to working the frame-” She pointed to the edge of the circle where the posts had been lined out “-and Discord, you will redo these boards done by both you and Tirek. This time with quality, not quantity.”

With the two sorted out, everyone began working once more. Twilight wandered off to the blueprints to make sure everything was going to plan, only to hear the shouting of the two ex-villains again. When she made her way back to the platform, they immediately took notice and shut their mouths, returning to their workplaces. Before she could reprimand them, Starlight ran up onto the platform and into Twilight’s path. “We need your help down on the road, we’ve come into bit of a problem.” The unicorn seemed in a panicky voice, but her tone was that of a whisper.

“Not now, Starlight. I can’t have these two arguing all day,” the alicorn replied. “This is already the second time.”

“No, really, we need you now,” she urged through gritted teeth.

The tone of Starlight’s voice was curious enough for Twilight that she had to oblige. Starlight trotted her off but not before Twilight gave the two stallions a dirty look. The mares came down the path that was to be the road to the hive, trees had already been trimmed from the trunks but the trunks remained. The path eventually transformed into the road that lead through Sweet Apple Acres, but not before changing into a sloppy, muddy earth. Applejack stood in the filth, mud up to the bends of her legs.

“There ya are,” she called out. “Thanks for gettin’ her, Starlight.”

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked.

“This here soil always gets like this when were about to change into a colder season. I was worried it would happen but didn’t expect it till the Runnin’ of the Leaves. We don’t really have problems with it in the orchard since we’re already done with harvest by this time of year and we keep the grass trimmed.”

Twilight lifted a scoop of the soil with her magic, examining the muddy, sand-like movements it held. “Why’s it like this? Is it good enough to build across?”

Applejack climbed through the mud and over to the unicorn and alicorn, wiping the mud on the grass as she did. “It’s a runoff from rain, meanin’ that when it pours down it’ll flood here. Doesn’t help that it’s a slope, too.” As they spoke, a cart of tools was heading up through the patch of mud. The wheels sunk with the pony dragging the cart, getting stuck in the mud.

With Starlight’s help, Twilight used her magic to lift up the cart and pony and place them safely past the muddy trap. When they finished, Twilight turned to Applejack and said, “We’ll have to dig it out and build a bridge over it, maybe move where the water runs to help your crops.”

“I figured you’d say that. I already got an area where it can be dug to. Just need your mitigation on some ponies to dig and buildin’.”

“Starlight, could you stay down here and manage the workers? I’ll head up and send a few down.”

Starlight gave a nod and Twilight headed back up to the hive. The problem seemed to be solved, but as she reached the top, the hollering and bickering became apparent. She didn’t even need to guess on who it was causing the problems. Tirek and Discord stood next to each other, wailing and raving their arms in the air. As she trotted across the field and onto the platform, she noticed all the ponies staring, getting nothing done. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie. None of them even wanted to try and deal with the basket cases.

“Discord!” she shouted. “Tirek!” The two stopped their squabbling, giving a sigh of relief at the sight of her, hoping she could take care of the other. “Why are you fighting now!?”

“He hammered my tail!” Discord yelled, pointing to the nail embedded into the fair tip of his tail and into the wood of the floor.

She let out a gasp. “Tirek! Why would you do such a thing?”

“I didn’t! He claimed I stole his nails and so I threw some at him. He grabbed one with his tail and hammered it in, how is that my fault?” defended the centaur.

“You booby-trapped the nail, clearly. You wanted me to hurt myself!”

“If I wanted you hurt, I’d rip your arms off and beat you with them myself!”

“ENOUGH!” Twilight screamed. “Because you both cannot seem to get along, I must force you apart! Tirek, you will take on all of Discord’s responsibilities up here, and you Discord will go down and dig a ditch by yourself. Then maybe you can build a bridge and get over it!”

Discord winced. “B-But I’m hurt! Why should I be punished!?” Twilight levitated the nail from the wood, revealing only the hair of his tail had been caught underneath. “Oh, silly me.” He said with a smile, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Down there. Now,” she growled and pointed, marching Discord down to the bottom of the path.

Tirek rubbed the back of his head, taking a relaxed moment before Twilight’s focus turned to him. He gave a nervous chuckle. “Thank you for getting rid of him, you know how much of a pain he can be-“

“You threw nails at him!? Why would you do that!?” she interrupted, angrily shouting her questions.

He gave a shrug. “He’s already got a screw loose, why not some nails too?”

Twilight stared, glaring. Euulch was the sound she had made out of disgust. Not because of his poor joke, it was very poor, but because she actually found it rather funny. She slammed her hoof into her face to contain a smile, only to then raise it at Tirek. “Get back to work,” she commanded. He gave a happy nod as she made her way off the platform, hoping that would be the final problem of the day.

Work passed without incident and the sun had begun to hang low in the sky. Twilight managed to spend the last few hours of light on the sidelines, watching and directing the building. The large, wooden, egg-like frame had taken form, giving a glimpse at the final product. The wooden beams connected at the top with metal rods, holding it together. With the wooden floors set in and the beams laying the foundation for the rest of the scaffolding, the day had finished with a good end – minor setbacks aside.

After seeing most of the workers off, Tirek included, Twilight rolled up the blueprints and headed down the slope. She met up with Starlight who waited patiently for her teacher. They wanted a pleasant walk home together, only for it to end as soon as they came to the freshly built bridge. The finely crafted wooden bridge stemmed across a narrow gap not more than a yard apart. Roses, daffodils, and other flowers spread amongst the sides with water flowing beneath the span. The water flowed out from the woods and back into the forest on the other side. The sun’s light gleamed across it just right, detailing just a few muddy hoofprints freshly coating the new wood.

The beauty of the scene only seemed to twist violently as the snapping rang out from the other side of the bridge. The red and black centaur waved his arms as the draconequus pointed and shouted. “What are you two arguing about now?” Twilight yelled, yet seemed to be completely ignored. The two mares crossed over the bridge, trailing mud with them as they drew closer to the stallions.

“You’re only out to ruin everything for me! Everything was perfect before you came along!” the Lord of Chaos shouted, angrier than a hornet.

“It’s always about you Discord, perhaps that’s why you can’t win Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps that’s why you can’t do anything right!” Tirek’s neck seemed to be popping with veins, his rage growing by the second.

“Hey! Would you two give it a rest!?” Twilight shouted. “It’s time to pack it up for the day.”

Discord prodded Tirek’s chest, ignoring the alicorn’s cries. “You’re the one always talking about yourself! Woe is me, the lonesome centaur! Get over yourself, others are lonely too!”

“Some of us deserve to be lonely! Like you for instance! You had your chance to rule Equestria, twice! You’re such a flop, it’s no wonder mares show no interest in you!” Tirek didn’t even seem to notice the alicorn either, busily shouting at the draconequus with violent words.

Twilight yelled again but went ignored by both. There was no end to their senseless bickering. She gave a sigh and turned away, knowing it was futile to even try to stop them. Her student tapped her, hoping to get her to stop the fighting, but she shook her head. “There’s no stopping them Starlight. If they’re going to end up killing each other, may as well happen sooner rather than later.” Her words were full of spite, but her tone was sickened and sad. She was too tired to even try to stop them, and even more stressed because of it.

As the alicorn walked away, her head hanging low, Starlight turned back to the arguing males. “You two are completely brainless!” she yelled as she separated them into two bubbles. She had gotten their attention but both had looked past her, staring at the alicorn in the distance. Her head tilted to glance for Twilight, but she had already walked out of range. “I don’t see how either of you will win her!” she yelled once more, smashing the bubbles together and slamming their faces into the walls.

“Now wait just a seco-” Tirek started to say as the bubbles popped, sending them both to the ground face first.

“What are you even arguing about now? You know what, save it. I don’t really care. To be quite frank, I think you both just lost this bet.” She stamped a hoof, slamming it into the mud, and then turned around to chase after her mentor.

The two rose with mud covered beards, glaring at the running unicorn. Their focus turned back to each other, eyes filled with fire. “I think she may be right,” Discord mused as he wiped his beard clean.

Twisting his own, Tirek replied, “I agree. What are we going to do about it?”

“Well, it would mean working together, setting aside our differences and ceasing our fighting.” Discord rubbed his cheek, grimacing at the thought. “Or we could do something really nice and hope it pays off.”

“I suppose there is little choice. Fighting with you is only worsening my standing with her. When even Starlight yells at me, I know things have gone awry. So, what did you have in mind?”

Discord gazed up at the slope, eyeing the tiptop of the structure that was barely formed. “I’d hate to say it but I’ve got a pretty good idea of what we could do.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Twilight walked alone the next morning. Groaning and moaning about her displacement of the blueprints for the new hive. She could only hope that she had left them at the build site, forgetting them with all the drama of yesterday. She had kept her mind off the two bickering stallions all night. It was the least she could do to contain her temper. Today was a new day and she would have to look at it with a better attitude – or at least that’s what she told herself. Starlight had already claimed that she would keep the two in line so that she could focus on more important matters, but that did not relieve her worried mind.

As she trotted the trail, ponies ran past her with chattering glee. They all seem to be rushing to get a head start on the building, she thought, but then noticed the crowd gathering at the bridge Discord had built. It hadn’t changed much, but the path leading up to the hive had been laid with white stone rectangles. At the very top of the slope, she could see what the roof of the hive would be – except it wasn’t what would be but was. She pushed through the crowd, running up the tidy stone path, and came to a stop as she gazed upon the hive.

Two-thirds of the outside walls had been finished, leaving a slice of open air in plain view. The framework had been finished for the walls and they could begin trimming out rooms of the large structure once the final third was finished. Twilight could barely believe the sight. As she sauntered around the structure, bewildered by the staggering height, she discovered two bodies lying on the ground. Hammers, nails, and one ladder accompanied the two sleeping stallions.

“They seem so peaceful,” Starlight whispered as she came upon Twilight. “It must have taken them all night.”

Twilight didn’t comment. Instead, she began to cry. A smile spread along her cheeks with tears streaming down the sides. She took a moment to rub the tears away before she began to stomp her hooves. “WAKE UP!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The two jolted awake, clasping onto each other out of startled fear. When they realized where they were, and what was going on, they immediately spread apart. Messy fur and hair, drool lingering across the lips, and crusty eyes were all an unsightly sight for the two mares. “Good morn, Twilight Sparkle,” Tirek greeted through a yawn. They remained seated on the ground, stretching and aching from their horrible sleeping arrangement.

“You two are the biggest idiots I know.”

Discord groaned. “What did we do now!?” His eyes rolled around for a moment before focusing on the alicorn.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks once more, forced out by her weary emotions. “You did something really wonderful.” She grasped both of them by the necks and pulled them in close, hugging them tighter than ever.

“If this is the reward for being an idiot, I think I might start trying it more often,” Discord mused.

“Start? What have you been doing all this time then?” Tirek replied.

Twilight bonked both of their heads, puffing up her cheeks and spreading her wings in the process. “Don’t you two start that again!”

The stallions chuckled as they stood up from the ground, mud and grass blades littering their backs. “Actually, we’ve come to a decision about that.” Discord reached down and placed his hand atop her cheek, smiling with his charming, toothy grin. “We had a long talk last night,” he continued.

“A very long talk in between hammering,” Tirek added.

“Yes. And we’ve come to the conclusion that we’ll no longer fight about you. Fight over you, well, we can’t help that.”

“Is there a difference?” she questioned with a roll of her eyes.

Tirek placed a hand on the other side of her face, matching a sharper smile. “We saw how unhappy we made you. From now on, the only fighting we’ll do won’t involve you. We don’t ever want to make you feel that way again.”

Their hands were both unique, scratching parts of her jawline and rubbing behind her ear. She couldn’t decide which she preferred. “But you’re still going to be fighting?”

“It’s in our nature! You can’t seriously expect us to throw out our entire personalities,” the centaur replied.

“I suppose this is as close as I’m going to get to you guys bonding, huh?” Twilight wiped the tears away, a smile faltering.

Discord bellowed with laughter. “Bonding? You could call it that. More like a treaty was brokered after a long, drawn-out war of strife and famine.” He waved a fan in front of his face, a single tear dripping down. “Oh, won’t someone think of the children!?”

“Well, whatever the case is, I’m glad you two worked together to make amends.” Twilight gazed up at the hive in awe.

“And now they’re you’re awake you two can finish the rest,” Starlight added.

The two stallions laughed in her face. “Finish? You get to work,” Tirek replied, shoving a hammer at her. “I’m going to bed. I’ll be back when my hand is no longer numb.” He marched past her still chuckling to himself.

“Well, I feel refreshed and relaxed. I’m in the greatest shape I’ve ever been in!” Discord smiled smugly and crossed his arms, only for his arms to fall to the ground, shattering into tiny cubes. “Err, maybe bed is a bit better of an idea.”

Twilight watched as Discord walked away. “I can’t believe that they’re both so wonderful,” she murmured after he was gone.

“Sounds like you’re going to have a horrible choice when it comes down to it. Then there’s also Sombra and Chrysalis. You’ve got your work cut out for you,” Starlight thought aloud.

“Gee, thanks for ruining the moment, Starlight.”

“I don’t suppose I could ruin it any more than it already is, then, can I?”

The two mares shook their heads and turned around, confused by the random voice. They both gazed upon the handsome dark unicorn who stood alone. Twilight grimaced for a moment before asking, “Did you hear all of that?”

He nodded. “Don’t feel embarrassed. I’ve got something far more embarrassing that I would like to ask.”

“More embarrassing?” Starlight chuckled. “I want to hear this.”

“I believe it is my time, just as it was Tirek’s. I wish to be taken to the Crystal Empire.”

“That’s more of a demand than a request, Sombra,” Twilight replied. “What do you intend to do?”

“Reform. I would like to apologize to the crystal ponies. It is time for me to redeem myself once and for all.”

Chapter 27: Lies, Revise, and Compromise

Sombra used to enjoy the crystallized structure of the city. Now, every building was a staining mirror. Being a dark, evil stallion, he never wanted to look too closely at himself. The castle in Ponyville wasn’t nearly as reflective compared to The Crystal Empire. All he could do was hope the crystal ponies would look past his face value to see how much he had changed. Of course, it would have to start with the new rulers of The Crystal Empire. If they accepted him then surely the citizens would as well. The more he tried to convince himself that were true, the less he believed it. He once ruled over them after all, and he knew them very well.

They had already arrived inside the castle with more luggage than his last visit, and more ponies who decided to tag along. Rarity and Twilight Sparkle once again joined him, along with Applejack and Spike added to the mix. He enjoyed their company, these were the ponies he truly considered friends. It almost made up for her coming along as well. His teeth still hurt from the grinding he had done when he heard the news. Chrysalis was also going to be giving an apology as well. Though this was not her reformation like it was his, this was more of a step in the right direction. He knew she still didn’t care about redeeming herself, she had said it herself. The only reason she tagged along was to annoy me, he assumed.

“This castle is hurting my eyes. Everything’s too shiny.” The changeling’s complaint echoed amongst the great hall.

“Well, get used to it because we’re going to be here for a few days,” Twilight replied as she sat the last of the luggage on the ground. “Sombra’s apology won’t be for two more days, which reminds me. Sombra, have you decided on what you’re going to say? Written a speech out yet?”

His reply was a grunt and a shrug. He had remained dissonantly quiet since the train ride but no one seemed to notice. Even Rarity could not get him to speak his mind after they had departed, a pony he rarely kept quiet with. The bones of his jaw had been strained from him forcing his mouth closed, leading to a headache as well. Sleep would be his only cure, he yearned for his slumber and the silky sheets to lay on.

Sleep would have to wait as they first meant to meet with the current rulers of The Crystal Empire. The doors flung open with welcoming smiles following behind, the crystal guards bringing up the rear. “Twily!” Shining Armor yelled as he ran across the room and enveloped the alicorn in a hug. “It feels like it has been ages!”

“Big brother!” Twilight held him close, the white fur mixing with her purple coloring as they greeted each other. When they separated, Princess Cadance waltzed over to greet the fellow alicorn. They performed their obligatory dance that they had always done and then hugged one another. “It’s so good to see you both. How’s my little niece?”

“She’s asleep at the moment but you can see her first thing in the morning,” Cadance replied and then turned her focus to the other guests. “Welcome, all of you.” She greeted the dragon first, then the earth pony, and then the unicorn. It was as if she did not acknowledge the changeling and the dark stallion, ignoring their very presence within the room.

Sombra was fine with being ignored, however, the changeling was quite the opposite. “How about me?” Chrysalis asked as she drew across the room towards the alicorn, a sneering grin draped across her face. “Is it good to see me again as well?” Her green eyes wriggled in their sockets as she stared down at Cadance, eagerly awaiting a snide comment or rude remark.

Chrysalis should have known better. Cadance was a ruler and a princess, and she knew how to handle aggravators. “It is good to see you again, Queen Chrysalis, as these are far better terms than our last.” With grace, she curtsied to the changeling, and then raised her head back up with a small smirk.

The changeling seemed surprised by the response. She was hoping for something derogatory or a baiting comment. She looked to Twilight who motioned for her to bow in response. With just as much grace, she too curtsied to the alicorn. When she raised her head she saw the slight opening of Cadance’s mouth, causing her to smirk herself. She must have thought herself triumphant at that moment, only for it to fade in an instant.

“Well, that’s a good enough introduction for now,” Twilight said as she pushed away Chrysalis, giving a short, nervous chuckle as she did. “We are all very tired I’m sure and we can’t wait to get a good night’s rest and-”

“Nonsense Twilight,” Shining interrupted. “We haven’t even had dinner yet. There’s no way I’m going to let my guests go to bed with empty stomachs!”

Sombra groaned to himself, but Rarity heard and patted his back. He had begun to wonder if this was how Tirek felt in Canterlot the day of his redemption. Annoyed, light headed, his stomach churning and aching and noisily calling him to the bathroom. It was plain as day how he felt, showing in the raggedness on his face. The prince and princess beckoned the group to follow, leading him and the others to the dining hall. Dinner had already been laid out and the smell occupied the room. He finally spoke up after his long silence. “Might I be excused to use the restroom?” he asked, though more specifically to Twilight rather than the two rulers.

“Of course, we’ll have a guard lead you to it,” Cadance spoke up.

“I know where the bathroom is,” he replied as he exited back down the hall. His tone had not meant to be snarky but it was just that.

The halls hadn’t changed. None of the castle had except for the decor. He found the bathroom in the exact spot it had always been, but the inside was far more decorative than during his rule. With his magic, he turned the knob of the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face. I’ve come this far, he thought as he toweled his muzzle. Don’t mess this up. The mirror stared at him as he took a heavy breath, hoping to get rid of the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach. As he stared back, he felt himself calm and steady his mind. The crystals blur who I am, but I am Sombra.

As he returned to the dining room – a crystal guard following him the entire way – he heard a sharp quip come from the earth pony. “Gee Sombra. Was gettin’ worried you fell in.” He had not expected a jest from the mare, but it did not faze him, especially when he saw that she was patting the seat next to her.

He took the spot beside her and gave the coyest grin he could. “Oh, I fell alright. Fell for the stallion in the mirror, he was truly a handsome devil.”

Applejack smacked him on the shoulder and gave a short guffaw. The others found it just as hilarious. That’s better, he thought, his stomach no longer turning itself upside down. They had all been digging into the platters of delicacies provided by the royal chef. Some of it had already gone cold due to their late arrival and was even colder for the late Sombra. He didn’t mind. As he ate, he caught the eyes of the changeling seductively watching from across the table. He would have paid it no mind if Rarity had not had the same look in her eyes. When he looked down the table, he noticed Twilight did not hold the same look, but instead was far more interested in the small serving of clover soup she was eating.

The rest of the meal went well enough that his headache had subsided. When the meal had ended and the bedrooms had been doled out, he found himself aching for anywhere other than the bed. He stared down at the crystal bedframe, glaring at the sheets. A vague thought cruised through his mind. It’s late, surely everyone is in bed. Perhaps they won’t mind if I take a walk around the castle. And so he did. No crystal guards were stationed around the guest hall, which he took as a sign, and he began making his way through the castle. His legs had been begging to walk down the halls he had a thousand years prior. Since I’m already out and about, I may as well clean up an old mess.

As he crept into the throne room, a guard caught him and challenged his presence. “Oh, my apologies. Simply walking around the castle before bed,” he tried to explain away, though he was being truthful for the most part. The guard didn’t seem to believe or care, and Sombra knew it would cause problems. He scoffed and said, “Well, I’ll just have to give you a pleasant daydream, then.” With a bolt of green, the guard was zapped into an unconscious state. His eyes rolled back into his head as he stood as still as a statue. Sombra gave a pouted snarl. If I were the old me, your dream wouldn’t be so friendly.

With another cast of magic, the floor in the middle of the throne room opened and elevated, revealing stairs underneath. “Sombra!” a voice called out from the doorway. He turned, gazing upon the grimacing purple alicorn. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” Her presence was a nuisance, but he had no choice but to reveal his intentions.

“If I had known I was going to be caught by somepony else, I wouldn’t have put the guard into a paradise.”

Twilight looked at the crystal pony who was smiling with his tongue flopping outside his mouth. The dazed look he had made it seem as if he was enjoying something a little too much. “Using your magic on a guard, opening a secret path. I’d hate to start jumping to conclusions but you better have a good explanation.” Her horn began to charge, preparing to unleash a spell if she didn’t like his reply.

His nostrils flared, snorting, and he rolled his eyes in response. “The day I revert to my evil ways before Chrysalis is the day Celestia banishes Luna to the moon.”

“Don’t you mean, banishes her to the moon again?”

“Again? Wow. I always considered those two to be two peas in a pod. Though I suppose they’d have to be to have defeated me,” he recounted, tapping his chin. “Nevertheless, you’re already here so you may as well come with me.” He began trotting down the steps. “Somepony to bear witness to my greatest failure,” he muttered afterward.

She trotted after him, ceasing her charging of magic. “This is the way down into where you kept the Crystal Heart.” A quick glance over the side showed a long spiral staircase with a deep drop. “I’m assuming were going to the bottom, correct?”

He looked back at her. “Yes, why?” Her magic enveloped him as she took flight, levitating him down with her to the bottom of the floor. His heart was in his throat as they reached the ground, but he refused to show it. “Next time, a little warning before you do that,” he complained, attempting to contain his composure.

The small circular room they had glided down into had no doors, windows, or crevices. “There’s nothing here,” claimed the alicorn. The crystal here had no reflections, only mirroring the darkness of the pit. “Not even that nightmare illusory door.”

“You found the Crystal Heart in here by pure luck then.” His horn began to pulsate as black magic oozed from the red tip. With a black, yet bright, light, the walls began to shift and crumble, opening three pathways that held varying rooms. One of the rooms Twilight recognized as being that which held the other staircase that led to the Crystal Heart, but the other two seemed far worse. As he entered one of those rooms she followed and could feel a chill surround her, turning her breath visible as she exhaled. “Ah, the factory,” he announced, grinning at the helmets and breastplates that littered the room.

Twilight could barely believe her eyes. Factory wasn’t quite the word she would use to describe the small room. Workshop seemed far more appropriate for the one pony operation that had been this old, decrepit room. “Sombra… What is all of this?” she asked as the sound of rending metal rang out within the walls.

Sombra began tearing apart the metal armor that had been crafted. “Oh, these? They’re just my brainwashing armor, a little of my magic in every bit of iron.” He sighed and stopped his destruction for a moment. “I was planning on using these on my subjects to fight a war against Celestia and Luna. Now, I’m going to make sure I won’t be able to use them in the future. Nor will anyone else.”

She stared at him for a moment, not knowing whether she should be proud of the stallion or pity him. Instead, she began to dismantle the armor with him, while still looking over the rest of the room. With only a few pieces left, Twilight stepped out into the circular room and glimpsed inside the other doorway. She hadn’t forgotten the third room and wanted to see what else he had left from his old life.

A black orb sat contained in a small glass dome on a crystal table in the middle of the room. This and a large chair of burgundy wood with purple, plush cushioning were all that sat within the room. She took a seat and stared down at the black orb, knowing not to mess with it before Sombra could explain what it was. Dark magic was abundant with the stallion, and she was no filly. She knew to wait, but she could not keep herself from staring at the orb. It wasn’t black in color, instead, the aura it emitted was pure darkness. It was as if they air around it had disappeared and was replaced with a void. Her staring snapped off when she heard the falling of metal followed by the call of her name. “In here”, she yelled in reply.

The stallion rushed out and into the room, fearing what the purple alicorn may have found. When he saw her sitting comfortably, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you weren’t foolish enough to open that horrid thing.” He trotted over and examined the glass containing the darkness, licking his lips as he made sure it had sustained the test of time.

“What is it?” she asked, curiously.

“Do you remember Discord’s words?” His eyes looked up, matching hers. “A backup plan for the backup plan. This is mine.”

“So, were you planning on unleashing some unholy magic tonight?”

His muzzle shifted, almost smiling, but instead he shook his head. “I would never unleash this, even if I was evil again.” The darkness inside the glass pulsed, sending a chill down his spine. “This little monster right here is how I kept The Crystal Empire away for a thousand years.”

“This thing is what made this whole city vanish? Are we here to destroy it then?”

“Destroy it? It’s a living creature and I am no longer the evil king who enjoyed extinguishing life. No, I came to destroy the armor and make sure this was still held in captivity. The glass dome containing it is the only thing keeping The Crystal Empire from being lost for another thousand years,” he explained.

Her mouth drooped as she tried to comprehend the gravity of the orb. “Surely we can dispose of it, keep it safe somewhere other than the city? There are so many ponies living here, let alone my brother and his family! What if something happens? I can’t risk- No. We can’t risk losing The Crystal Empire for another thousand years.”

“The safest thing we could do is keep it hidden from everyone else. It’ll be contained within the glass, but the more ponies that know about it, the more chances it has of getting lose,” he reasoned.

“Sombra…” Twilight rose from the chair and placed a hoof against his cheek, gently stroking the dark grey fur and black sideburns. “Being reformed means being able to rely on your friends. We’re friends, right?” The stallion hesitantly gave a nod in response. “Then trust me. We can remove it from the city and have it stored elsewhere.”

The eyes of the stallion scrunched tight and the sides of his mouth sagged down. His reaction was plain as day to her, and she had never seen such an obvious expression on his face. Sombra had always been able to hide his thoughts and emotions from showing, keeping a blank expression for any occasion. However, this idea of Twilight’s had been so awful that he was physically unable to hide his dissatisfaction. It was as if he was a foal who had sucked on the insides of a lemon for the first time.

“I-I trust you, Twilight,” he replied, though, only after gritting his teeth and forcing a smile. “P-Perhaps we should… evacuate the city before doing so. Just to be on the, y-y’know, safe side.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll allow Shining Armor and Cadance to deal with the removal after your apology. We’ll be safely out of the city in case something goes wrong, and we’ll have you on the outside to tell us how to fix it.”

His expression softened into a true smile. “I sometimes forget you’re the smartest of the princesses.”

She turned her face away, trying to hide her blooming blush. “And I sometimes forget how charming you are,” she replied as she fanned her face with both hooves.

“Perhaps-” His muzzle closed the gap, honing in on her neck and jawline “-we should spend a little more time here. Maybe you can find out how truly charming I am.”

Twilight pushed him away without hesitation, a fake roar of laughter as she did. “And then I also forgot how forward you can be.”

“It was worth a shot. As it is right now, Discord and Tirek are already going to have their second dates before I even get a first.” He shrugged, smiled, and turned away, heading for the exit.

She trotted up next to him, getting one last look at the glass container before entering the circular room. “I’d say you sound defeated about it but you certainly don’t.” The walls shifted and the doorways disappeared. “In fact, you sounded happy about it.”

“Oh princess, I am happy. Not about that, no – but of you. It takes a strong mare to do what you do. Saving a dying species, reforming villains, taking on a pupil. For that, I bow to you.” He halted before the steps, staring up the empty center of the staircase. “To be quite honest, it makes me feel uncomfortable. Going after a mare who is truly better than myself. It makes me question if I should even try. I’m tempted not to.”

“I never took you for the pessimistic type, Sombra.”

“It’s not pessimism.” He turned his head to gaze down upon her. “I came into this bet because of Chrysalis. She and I were an item, I believed I could use her to become king once more. Now that I have thrown off those ideals and shaken her grip, I can do as I please. Reforming is my goal, but after that? I am not sure where it will take me. Going after you seems folly for the reasons I just explained. Giving up on trying to win you is my best option. But what am I to do instead?”

Twilight strode up past him, talking as she headed for the top. “Perhaps you should visit the orphanage again then. I know there’s somepony there that would certainly like to see you.”

“Are you trying to get me with another mare already? I haven’t even been redeemed.”

“Well, truth it, you’re already reformed in my eyes. The last time we were here in The Crystal Empire I saw it, and ever since then you’ve been so upstanding. This apology is just to make everyone else believe it as well. After that, you’re free to do whatever you like. If you want to continue the bet, or if you want to stay here, it’ll be your choice. Don’t think you don’t have a chance in winning just because you haven’t had a first date. And don’t think you’re forced into living here, either.”

Stay here? Now there’s a thought. He smiled to himself, the idea was pleasant enough. “I suppose you may be right. I do need to visit with Cinnamon again. Would you like to join me tomorrow? I’m certain she wouldn’t mind another visit from the Princess of Friendship, and I wouldn’t mind the help in choosing which path to take.”

“I’d like to, I would, but-” Twilight pushed up and out of the secret path into the throne room “-I’ve got other plans to be with my sister-in-law. We’re going to be meeting with Chrysalis and you can only imagine how well that will go.” The secret path began to close as Sombra stepped out behind her. “You’re set to talk with Cadance tomorrow as well, afterward. If you’re planning on visiting the orphanage you should get an early start.”

“I suppose.”

They exited the throne room, leaving the slack-jawed guard to remain stupefied. “I was always curious what you might do once you were reformed,” Twilight commented as the door closed behind them. “Discord has been helpful in many things with his powers, while Tirek can be used to prevent any other magical monster from trying to take over Equestria. What can you do? What should you do?”

“I’ve been trying to figure that out myself, Twilight. Ruling, though not with kindness, is all I have ever known.”

“Perhaps this trip should also be about self-discovery.” She halted in front of his room and turned to face him. “I also know of three little fillies who would be more than willing to help you find your special talent.”

Sombra chuckled and magically opened the door. “That’s enough advice for one night. Next, you’ll be counseling me on how to do taxes,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“I think you’d have to move out of my castle first.”

“And with that, good night Twilight Sparkle.” He bowed his head before closing the bedroom door. As he laid his head on the pillow, he wondered if she was right. Did he have a chance with her? Or was there somepony else waiting for him?

The next morning Sombra rose early, just as he said he would. His eyes had bags underneath, though it was barely visible from his dark grey fur. Sleep had evaded him throughout the night and the journey to the undercroft of the castle hadn’t helped. Nevertheless, he combed his mane out and brushed his teeth, aching to start the day. As he began to leave he wondered if a disguise would be necessary, fearing another fowl mouthed foal to come and beckon a fight. He wouldn’t wonder long as a knock came to the door of his room. Rarity stood on the other side, waiting to be taken to the orphanage.

“Twilight came to me late last night. She figured it’d be best if I go with you since I already met the Grand Matron,” she had said before they left. He could never deny Rarity anything. She was the closest of his friends. He often wondered if referring to her as his version of Fluttershy was appropriate, and him being her version of Discord. Of course, this also lead to wondering how close Fluttershy and Discord’s relationship really was. He often complimented Rarity on her looks and exaggerated his jealousy of stallions she fancied. In return, she made innuendos and quips about him on the regular, along with playful teasing every so often. “Is your horn the only thing that’s red?” she had asked back in Ponyville, which had caused him to blush for the first time in his life.

He had thought Fluttershy had been too innocent to think of things like that, and Discord too chaotic to care. That all changed once Rarity had told him about the picture of Twilight and how Fluttershy had supposedly drawn it. Rarity didn’t seem to mind talking about things like that in private, making him feel as if he was special because of it, but she remained prim and proper in public. He hadn’t even thought to ask her about the pegasus and draconequus. Could Fluttershy and Discord be more than just friends? Is that why they are so close? What would that mean for me and Rarity? he wondered. Could she be interested in me? What about Cinnamon? The only experience I’ve had is with Chrysalis…

“Are you excited to see Fresh Cinnamon again?” The question popped him out of his deep thoughts. He hadn’t realized there had been a silence their entire walk to the orphanage.

“Of course. Thank you for coming along, by the way,” Sombra replied, giving a quaint smile to the white unicorn.

She nodded back at him and then continued the silence. His thoughts lingered back to the other ex-villains and Fluttershy. He wondered what she did for money, what she and Discord talked about, and what Rarity thought of her. He had barely spent any time with the pegasus since his arrival, she had dropped out fairly early in his reformation process, deferring to helping Discord with the bet. I wonder if Rarity would drop out of helping other villains reform if I asked for her help winning the bet?

The stallion had been staring at the back of the mare’s head for a few minutes, and she could feel it. “Sombra…” she said as she halted and turned around. “You’ve been awfully quiet, dear. Something on your mind?”

He had stopped directly in front of her, almost bumping into her side. “Something on my mind?” he repeated, bewildered. “I suppose I do have a question, but I don’t know what the question is.”

“Y-You… What?” She turned her head to a slight tilt, becoming even more puzzled than him.

“Perhaps the question will become clear once I talk to Cinnamon. I am unsure. I don’t know.”

“Well, you’ll find out soon enough, because we’re here.” She pointed up at the building they stood in front of, the sign displaying the name of the orphanage in orange lettering.

Sombra took a moment to stare at the door and focus on his breathing. In, out. In, out. Okay. He gave the door two swift knocks and the screaming of a foal could be heard as they ran to the door. The child stood in the open doorway, staring up at the dark unicorn, debating on whether to scream or greet the stallion. “H-Hello, little one. Is the Grand Matron around?” Sombra asked, hoping not to scare the perplexed colt.

With a burst of energy, the foal ran screaming down the hall, hollering Cinnamon’s name the entire way. Sombra and Rarity stood side by side, one grimacing, and the other smiling. It only took a moment before the Grand Matron appeared from down the hall, clearly out of breath. “Soos!” she yelled as she came closer, her hair was a mess and the apron she wore was stained with something brown. She hugged the dark unicorn and then greeted Rarity with one as well. After beckoning them in, she motioned for them to sit down, only to be interrupted by the bickering of fillies from down the hall.

“It seems like you’re awfully busy today, would you prefer we come back?” Sombra politely asked.

“No, no. It’s fine! Just a riled morning here in the orphanage.” She laughed it off, praying for things to calm down.

Before the Grand Matron could ask how they had been, a filly came out from down the hall, crying. The filly jumped into Cinnamon’s seat and cried into the dirty apron. “Pickles is pickin’ on me again!” she yelled and hollered with a strained lilt in her voice.

“Dearie please, we’ve been over this-” Cinnamon started to respond.

Rarity rose from her seat and levitated the filly from the Grand Matron. “I used to pick on my little sister,” she said as she brought the filly over and gave a big hug. “I picked on her because I was jealous. She always got more attention than me, and I envied her for it.” She smiled and the filly smiled right back, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Come on, maybe you and I can settle things with this Pickles.” She set the filly down and gave a wink to Sombra and Cinnamon before walking down the hall.

Once Rarity was gone, Cinnamon said, “She’s sure something, isn’t she?”

“Mm.” Sombra turned his focus to Cinnamon, noticing the frown and sullen eyes of the mare. She appeared tired, too tired. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good. I’m glad you came to see me before your ceremony tomorrow.” She smiled at him, her lips were dry and slightly cut from chewing off the pieces of skin. “Ever since I got word, I’ve been dreaming about you.” His eyebrow raised and a smug grin shot across his face. “Not like that!”

“You don’t seem to be getting enough sleep, actually. Are they… bad dreams?”

Her head tilted forward as she stared blankly down at the table. “Soos, you know you mean the world to me. When I heard of your apology, I started dreaming of you coming to the Crystal Empire and staging some magnificent performance just to take over once more.” For a moment, a silence lapsed between the two. Finally, she shook her head. “I know you’re not evil anymore, but that hold you had is still… overpowering.”

Sombra tilted back in his chair, contemplating her words carefully. “Perhaps after my apology, if it’s accepted, I could move back and start helping the citizens. Maybe even-”

She cut him off. “Move back? Sombra, you cannot live here ever again.” Her stare seemed to pass straight through him, piercing his very soul.

He hadn’t noticed her hoof had reached across the table and was placed on his, at least, not until he felt the overwhelming grip around his fetlock. Sweat was pouring from Cinnamon’s face, dripping down onto her foreleg. His mouth felt dry as he tried to speak, but nothing came. The foal he had grown up with had changed, and it was because of him. Did she still fear him? The look in her eyes said no and yes at the same time. It was an uncertainty, the same thing he had been feeling since they had left Ponyville.

“Right,” he said, a crack in his voice. He stepped off the chair and onto the floor. He gave a cough before speaking, attempting to regain his composure. “I’ll be off then.”

“Soos, you don’t have to go.”

“But I can’t stay here either, can I?”

He didn’t know how she had felt. She had always been a friend to him but this was different. The mare he had thought who would accept him for who he was and welcome him with open forelegs was not her. Of all the possibilities, he had not expected her to deny his return. Why did she not want him to live within The Crystal Empire again? Twilight had seemed fine with it, and surely the new rulers would be alright with it as well. Why was Cinnamon against it?

A silence between the two was broken as Rarity came from down the hall, singing with each step. Her voice trailed off as she saw the tension between the stallion and mare. Both looked upset but not angry, just melancholy. Their heads lowered, their eyes to the ground. She didn’t know what to make of the scene. “Sombra?” she called out and drew close to the stallion. As she stepped forward, she noticed the green and purple emanating from his eyes, just above gritted teeth. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the earth mare had covered her head with her forelegs. “Oh, I see.”

Rarity stepped in front of Sombra who twitched and strained, attempting to hold back his whatever it was he was feeling. With a slow motion, she wrapped her forelegs around his neck and pulled him close. She held the embrace and whispered in his ear. “I’m proud of you.” He heard those words, but it wasn’t her voice. It was the voice of another mare he cared deeply for. He grabbed onto Rarity and pulled her closer, burying his chin into her mane. She gave a smile, whispering in his ear more words of encouragement.

“I’m sorry, Soos.”

Sombra parted from Rarity, his eyes remained closed with tears still streaming down his cheeks. “I’m not,” he said as he turned around to face the longtime friend. “I’m thankful.” He rubbed his muzzle and opened his eyes, the purple and green had vanished, leaving his watery, red pupils. “A lot has changed since my return, and I am soon to be reformed. I have to accept that with redemption, there are also things that I can no longer control. Things I must deal with. And of course, those I must forgo so that they may be happy.”

Cinnamon walked toward the stallion, a smile finally appearing on her lips. “You can visit as much as you like, I never want to stop being your friend. You know that right? Right?” her voice was throaty as if from extended use.

“Of course.” He held out a foreleg, motioning for a hug. Cinnamon embraced him, tears straining to be held back. “You are right, though. I’m thankful for the ponies in my life like you who can still teach me what I need. Regardless of how bad it is.”

Rarity and Sombra said their goodbyes to the Grand Matron and took their leave, not wanting to overstay their welcome – even though it was rather short. They hadn’t even gotten a block away before Rarity stopped him, questioning him about what had happened between him and Cinnamon. He smiled and shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about it. I’m just glad you were there.”

“Well, whatever it was, she and I have something in common.”

“Oh? What?”

“I never want to lose you, Sombra.”

His white teeth shined from his muzzle as he smiled wide. “I think I know what that question is now.” She stared up at him with curious eyes. “Would you do as Fluttershy did for Discord? Would you make it your purpose to help me win this bet for Twilight?”

Her muzzle scrunched as she deviously grinned at him. “Oh, ho ho! Is that an admission of love for Twilight? Of course I would, darling.”

“Really? You would?”

“Oh, absolutely, darling. I care about you. You’ve proven you’re reformed, at least in my eyes. I think you deserve a little happiness.”

“If that’s true then I have something to ask you. But it’ll have to wait until after the ceremony tomorrow.

“Well, that certainly sounds ominous.” She tapped his chin and giggled. “Fine, fine. I can wait.”

Her words rang through him as they traveled back to the castle. He thought back to what Cinnamon had said, wondering if she’d think differently after he apologized to the city. Probably not. His stomach went queasy just thinking about it. Before his meeting with Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadance, he took a quick stop to get freshened up. Once he felt relieved, he headed for the meeting hall only to find the two princesses talking quietly to one another. They stood at the end of the table with their backs to the door. As quiet as a moving shadow, he crept up behind the mares to catch a glimpse of what they were looking at.

“Do you think I could get her to do one of me? It’d make a great gift for Shining,” Cadance said, unaware of the dark stallion.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. The open drawing was revealed to him at last, something none of the other ex-villains had been able to lay their eyes upon. It was finally crafted and well detailed for a drawing, but it lacked the realism he preferred. With a quick grab, he used his magic to lift it up in the air and over to him. “Well, who is this lovely mare?” he commented, grinning. The two mares had been startled by the sudden levitation and the deep voice.

“Y-You’re no-not supposed to see that!” Twilight yelled and pulled back the paper with her own magic, folding it and tucking it underneath a wing. Her face was redder than the darkest red on Sombra’s horn.

“Well, you shouldn’t be looking at such naughty things right before you have company,” he smugly argued. “And you call me the forward one. Having a drawing of yourself in such a compromising position? That’s just inviting all sorts of trouble.”

The two mares and the stallion stood off from each other, a sense of tension filled the air. It evaporated in an instant once Sombra burst into laughter, causing the princesses to share a giggle. “I’m never going to live this down, am I? I knew I should have just burnt it,” Twilight mused, rubbing her temple. “Can we just move on to our meeting and put this behind us? Please?”

“Ready whenever you are,” Cadance replied as she moved around the table and sat down.

“Actually, Twilight, if you would allow me and Cadance to have a discussion alone first, I would appreciate it.” The request left a bit of a shock on the two mares’ faces. Both were unsure why he would want to be alone with Cadance. Twilight trusted him nonetheless and left the two to speak in private. After the door shut, he sat down at the table and asked, “Are you enjoying the Crystal Empire?”

Her face was blank as she answered. “Quite so, the citizens are more than happy to have me and my husband here.” She tried to guess the questions ahead of time, expecting him to be the tricky, charming unicorn with a scheme for taking control. “How about you? Enjoying the peaceful city and loving crystal ponies?”

“They’re far from loving to me,” he replied, waving his hoof as if to shoo them away. “It’s understandable though. After all I put them through.”

“Well, they were in a thousand years of darkness,” she murmured. “Do you think the apology ceremony tomorrow will be a quiet, peaceful one? I was planning on having all our guards on site in case something goes wrong.”

I wonder if she means the crowd getting rowdy or an evil plan by me, he pondered. He cleared his throat for a moment before answering. “Well, I would certainly hope you’ll have all the guards there. Though, you should also have some protecting the Crystal Heart. That’d be my suggestion. You never know who could sneak through and do some damage to things like that.”

She smiled at his answer. “Yes. That would be a good idea. I’ll have a half and half then.”

“Speaking of the Crystal Heart, how has it been treating you?”

“Treating us?” An eyebrow raised on the alicorn. “What do you mean?”

Sombra tilted back in his chair and closed his eyes. “It’s a powerful weapon but also a protective force. It can destroy darkness and fight back against those that would see harm to what it cares for. Even just seeing it can empower us…” he trailed off into a pause. “Err, well, it can empower the crystal ponies.”

“Does it empower you?” Cadance asked, causing Sombra to open his eyes. “I know you hid it away before the disappearance of The Crystal Empire, but did it once bring you happiness like it does my citizens?”

His stare was as icy as the land around The Crystal Empire. He was unsure of what Twilight had told this replacement ruler, but assumed the worst. “No,” he answered and closed his eyes once more. “I was born here and dumped to the outside world, far from The Crystal Empire. When I was forced to return, I only saw the crystal guards blocking it from my view. As I came of age to leave my orphanage, I knew I could not live in this city. Before I left, I wanted to see what the others had seen in it. Hopes, dreams, love, kindness.”

“And what did you see?”

“My parents. I had come cloaked with my face hidden, other orphans to shield my presence, and the hope to not be noticed. We stood before my parents who stood in front of the Crystal Heart. They were allowing ponies to come close and ask for wishes from the heart. When it was my turn, my cover was blown. They threatened me and called for the guards. I grew tired of their hatred, I grew tired of being demeaned. At that instant, I rose up and became what they always feared. The Heart granted my wish, it took my parents into it and I became king.”

“I see.”

The unicorn’s eyes opened at her response, curious to her reaction. He noticed how in thought she had become and moved to get her attention. “Do you think what I did was wrong?” he asked, knowing it was.

She looked up at his eyes and matched his gaze. This time, she had the icy stare. “Yes. However, you and I are a lot alike, more than I’d like to admit. I don’t know my parents, I was an orphan who later became the adopted niece of Princess Celestia. But still an orphan just as you. The difference being, you knew who your parents were, while I have no clue who are mine. I’d give anything for a chance to meet them and show them what I’ve become, show them the family I’ve raised.”

“And what if they hated you?”

The question broke her icy stare. “Well,” she said, “I would have done my best to prove I was more worthy. I wouldn’t have succumbed to the darkness.”

“I suppose that’s admirable.” He rose up from his seat and began walking to the closed window within the room. He lifted the curtain with his magic and looked down upon the empire. “You were born and raised by the good of this world, yet had no parents. I was born and raised by the bad of this world, yet I knew my parents. You don’t know darkness or the feelings of anger.” He groaned and lowered the curtain. “It must be easy for you, ruling this city. You have a pony prior to you reign who you can cast as a nightmare embodied in pony form – you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong I suppose.”

Cadance stepped onto the floor and walked across the room, lifting the curtain up as she did. “I don’t cast you in any light, Sombra. I don’t mention you to my citizens at all because they’re the ones that suffered under you. Not me. I didn’t allow you to set up an apology ceremony because I believed that you were good. I allowed it because I know it’s what the crystal ponies need to hear.”

“You sound like you’ve been in my position,” he replied.

“I know pain. I’ve had plenty of it in my life, Sombra. It’s clear to me you have as well, and because you’ve changed so much you’re finally able to admit it. Maybe even get over it.”

His muzzle softened from his sunken frown. “Get over it? Is that what I’m supposed to do? Just get over it?”

“Trust me, it sounds ridiculous but it’s the truth. I’m facing the same problem you are, except with Chrysalis. The problems she caused, the pain I endured, it’s something I have to get over and move on. If I don’t, well, there’s always the chance I could throw her into the Crystal Heart, right?”

They chuckled together for a moment. “To be honest, I hope the crystal ponies share your enthusiasm for just getting over it. If not, I can expect a few rocks to be thrown tomorrow,” he remarked.

“If you’re sincere then they’ll accept it. If they don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Not unless you make it that way.”

“Don’t worry,” he replied, “I don’t plan on ending anyone’s world. Well, except for Twilight after I tell the other ex-villains about that picture.”

“I’m afraid you’ll be spending a few weeks in Tartarus if you do,” she giggled. “As the Princess of Love, however, I’d have to say it’d be worth it.”

After the stallion and mare finished discussing the speeches and the apology, Sombra left the meeting hall more eager than when he went in. He didn’t know of Cadance’s past but felt his own burden lifting after learning he was not truly alone. It’s a shame she’s married, he thought. Though I wonder how the crystal ponies would feel about me ruling through marriage. Not too well, I’d imagine. He grinned at the thought, only for it to fade as he heard the yells of Spike. A door swung open and he ducked against a wall, hoping to conceal himself from whoever was exiting. The purple dragon stomped down the hall in the opposite direction.

He peered his head into the room where the dragon had been. Applejack sat in the middle of the bedroom, alone and dejected. “Applejack?” he called out.

The orange mare did a one-eighty in her emotions as soon as she realized she wasn’t alone. Her hat swung up and she threw on a smile. “H-Hey, sugarcube. How are you?” Her voice wasn’t as confident as it usually was, even though she tried to feign it as best she could.

“What were you and Spike arguing about? Did something happen?” asked the unicorn.

She slapped her hoof against her muzzle, dragging it down her lips. “I suppose there’s no sense in hidin’ it from you. I messed up again.” She sighed. “I’m just tryin’ to take it slow but I keep forgettin’, then I move too fast for the little guy and scare him off.”

The stallion gave a short laugh, hiding his mouth as he did. “Perhaps calling him little isn’t something you should do either. We stallions can find that a bit negative for the esteem.”

Applejack tilted her hat back. “Did… Did you just make a dirty joke?”

“I’ve been on a role with jokes lately, and seeing a raunchy drawing of Twilight earlier has really brought out the deviant in me.” He shrugged, grinning all the while.

“A deviant huh?” She stepped closer to the unicorn and stared at him for a moment before ruffling his hair. “I don’t think it takes much for you to be that. I imagine mares will start swoonin’ for you after tomorrow. Wonder what you’ll do when that happens, you deviant.” She snorted after she said the word.

He rolled his eyes. “Very funny. Enough about me, what’d you say to Spike? I’d be more interested in helping you rather than discussing my indiscretions.”

“Tryin’ to take your mind off your apology tomorrow, aren’tcha?” She bumped up against him. “You need to worry less about me and more about you. Heck, that’s the whole reason I’m here instead of buildin’ the changeling’s hive.”

“I suppose you’re right, however, I’d like to help you out once we get back to Ponyville. What happened today, anyway?”

She lowered her head and kicked the floor as if to scuff dirt away. “We were talkin’ about the future, specifically your future, and we got onto the topic of his. I had said somethin’ about him helping me out on the farm and he said he was still Twilight’s apprentice. I asked him if he wanted to be that forever and mentioned relationships. It was my fault, I wasn’t tryin’ to coax anythin’ out of it but the two kinda just go hoof in hoof. Then I asked him if he wanted to see how livin’ with the other dragons would be once he grew up and that’s kind of when he lost it.”

Sounds like I’m not the only one who’s being thrown between places. Don’t have to go home but can’t stay here, huh? Maybe I’ll talk to him about that, Sombra thought. “Lost it? What’d he say?”

“He accused me of tryin’ to send him off to be with his own kind! It wasn’t like that, I’ve heard what they’re like from Rarity and Twilight. I just, y’know, want him to be happy. Regardless of who with.”

Sombra frowned at that. “Regardless of who with. He’s not the only one needing to hear those words...”

Applejack tilted her head forward and raised an eyebrow. “Not the only one?” she asked as she gazed into his blank stare. It took her a moment before she realized he was talking about himself and not her. “Really? You? Shoot, if things go sour with Twilight and I don’t get things rollin’ with Spike, maybe you could become king of the apples.” She nudged him in the shoulder, getting him to crack a smile.

“Twilight?” he asked as if the name meant something. “Oh, right. The bet. Yes, well, I suppose king of apples does sound rather nice.” He closed his eyes and gave a rather smug grin. “I can see it now. I’ll remove the apples from one hundred trees while you busily buck one. What a glorious thing to be a king of.”

“Hey! Apple buckin’ is a lot more-” She noticed the tone he spoke with “-Oh, I get it. You think just because you make one joke you can make others?”

“You’re right, I apologize. You’re just so easy of a target.”

She smacked his shoulder with a powerful hit instead of a soft nudge. “I’ll make you an easy target for my hooves! You’re gettin’ worse than Discord!”

He exaggerated a grimace. “Now there’s a true insult.”

The two traded insults and friendly quips, laughing at each other as friends were known to do. They were friends, Sombra knew that, but he often wondered how it came to be. She hated him after his second day in Ponyville. “Horrid apple-loving mare,” he had called her. Now he called her friend. He wondered if she too would take his side as Fluttershy had taken Discord’s. The thought reminded him of the changeling queen. Who had taken up Chrysalis’s side? Pinkie Pie seemed indebted to Tirek and Rainbow Dash seemed far less interested in anything other than those flashy Wonderbolts.

Chrysalis stayed within his thoughts even as he tucked himself into bed later on in the evening. She had become willing to move her entire race to Ponyville, she had removed the curse from her kind with the help of Twilight and Discord, and she was on the path to redemption just as he was. It still irked him. He wasn’t sure what it was but it irked like nothing else. I’ll be redeemed tomorrow and after that I’ll make it my mission to fill my life with a purpose. He gave a soft smile and closed his eyes as he waited for sleep. An instant later and he shot up from the pillow.

With a sudden flash, he remembered the changeling’s words. “Split them apart, capture each of them,” the words echoed in his mind. Applejack and Rarity were his close friends, Fluttershy had Discord, Tirek had Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash cared little for them all. Chrysalis had no one, no one except for Spike and Starlight. The two that were quite possibly the closest to Twilight and always within her ear, whispering things the others could only hope. Was that what she meant? Even now, half of the Elements of Harmony were here while the other remained in Ponyville, working on her hive.

Throwing stones into the water won’t change the size of a lake. She’s got to have an end goal and she has to know it’ll be something to get Tirek and I on her side, he mused. But what? She has nothing but time. It was true, time was something she had. It would be a while before the new hive was built and even longer before she could move the changelings in. Sombra slumped back down against the pillow and pulled the sheets to his mouth. He needed his sleep and thinking of what Chrysalis was planning only disrupted that. Right now, all she was doing was interrupting his bedtime.

Luckily, the night had come and gone, and the sleep he had gotten was more than plenty for this day. When he rose from his sleep, Sombra refused to wear any forms of clothing like Rarity had suggested. He needed to look normal, or as normal as a dark unicorn with a blank flank could look. Breakfast was small, most of the ponies were preparing for the ceremony. Hours clicked by before the time finally came. He could see the platform that had been set up in front of the castle from his bedroom window. The crystal ponies had already started to gather around it. A very large amount of crystal ponies. Far more than he was comfortable with, and there were still to be more coming.

A knock to the door and he called for their presence. The white unicorn trotted in with a myriad of bright colors and regal ornaments. Her hat was pink, her scarf was a light blue, and her dress a faded yellow. It reflected better off the crystal walls than it did him. “Darling, you’re not even dressed! Well, no matter, I knew you wouldn’t want to wear anything-” She levitated a hair tie from underneath her hat “-But we simply must do something about that hair.”

He stared at her blankly, unsure what she meant. A second later and his hair had been pulled back into a ponytail. It made his face more noticeable and removed the ragged look as he had grown accustomed to. “Thank you, Rarity. I’m assuming they’re ready for me since you’re already dressed?”

She nodded in response. “Come dear, you don’t sound at all enthusiastic about this. Today you are redeemed! That is something to put a spring into your step. After this, you can do whatever, say whatever, and be whatever you want. Well, except for evil. That’s kind of the point of redeeming. Silly me!”

“I think you’re more than excited enough for the both of us.”

“That’s too true,” she said as she hid a giggle. “What do you plan to do after you’re reformed?” She waltzed to the door and waited for the stallion. “Tirek spent a few weeks in Canterlot, are you planning on spending a few weeks here? I’d love to stay with you, though I imagine you’ll want your space just as he did.”

There it was again. The questions of the future and what they would hold. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. Sombra shut the curtain and walked to the door, closing it behind him. “I imagine I’ll figure it out during the ceremony.”

“During?” she inquired. It was an odd response to her question but she didn’t mind. “Well, you’ll always have a home in Ponyville if you so desire.”

The two unicorns trotted through the castle and waited at the entrance. Twilight had already arrived and was pacing back and forth in front of the door. “There you two are! Cadance is already making her speech to the citizens, you’ve got to get out there, Sombra!” She pushed the doors open with her magic and the three stepped out. The Crystal Heart sat in their view as they exited, glowing as it normally did.

Sombra wondered if he could crush the heart right now. As the blizzard advanced on the city he would run down and smash the glass of the black orb, releasing the darkness onto the Crystal Empire and vanishing it for another thousand years. Another thousand years, he thought. I’ve already wasted too much time. Mine, and others.

The sunlight blinded him as they stepped out from underneath the castle, inching closer and closer to the podium. He could hear the wind blowing, singing Princess Cadance’s words to her citizens. Praises, the past, a heartfelt anecdote. He heard his name as they stepped up the planks and saw the crowd of onlookers. There were far more than there had been in his window and they looked for less like ants. Cadance turned and smiled to him, giving a hoof in his direction and signaling him for his speech.

A speech was prepared the day prior and he had spent time memorizing it, but at this instant, seeing all the faces within the crowd, he had forgotten every line. A king does not make speeches, he has another write it for him. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Hello,” he started off, already causing Twilight to fidget. His straying would lead her to panic more and more as it progressed from her planned speech. “You all know who I am, or to say, you all know who I was. King Sombra. A king of you and a king of this land. I no longer use the title of king, however. Not because I want to remove the stigma attached to it, no, that will be with me for the rest of my life.

“To be honest, I’m not sure why I ever wanted to be king. That’s not who I am. Deep down inside of me is a colt that only wants his father’s love and his mother’s embrace. That colt is no king just as any of the colts here in this audience.” He stared out into the crowd, trying to spot the pony he wanted. She was there, down the middle and surrounded by many others. Fresh Cinnamon. “A piece of me wants to be that colt again, living with those he truly loved to live with. That was a long time ago. That was a time I took us from and a time I cannot take us back to, no matter how much I wish I could. However, you all have built lives for yourselves once more within this new era. I cannot take that away from you nor do I wish to try.

“This ceremony today is supposed to be about my apology to you. However, you all have suffered years of me, a thousand and more to be precise. It’s time to stop fearing my name, you no longer live under my rule nor will you ever again. I believe this ceremony should be for all of you, as you are the ones who endured me and have beaten me. When we returned, you all were the ones to bounce back while I tried to reclaim the city. You were the ones to house new, finer rulers than I. The Crystal Heart has never looked better than right now, thanks to you.

“And so, if you do fear my return, don’t. This is your home, not mine. I will never carve a piece of it like you have, no matter how large or small. When you see me on the streets, know that you can look upon me and smile without the fear you once had. Let any and all fear of me be gone, but don’t forget the past. Simply live your lives with the memory of a faded king who thought himself better than you and was proven wrong. I was proven wrong, and I am sorry to all of you.”

The old king bowed his head and lowered his forelegs to the ground, a king no more. The somber look on Sombra’s face hung there until a pony in the crowd started to cheer. He looked up and saw a tan mane bouncing up and down as the mare cheered. It was Cinnamon. She was cheering and screaming happily. Other crystal ponies around her began stomping their hooves as well before a full on cheer spread throughout the entire crowd.

To Sombra, it sounded like a war cry, as if they were preparing to raise their torches and pitchforks against him. It wasn’t until fireworks erupted that he realized they were celebrating. Why were they celebrating? Sombra couldn’t figure it out. Shouldn’t they still be upset with him? Does apologizing truly mean that much to ponies? As he stood bewildered by the sight, Twilight, Rarity, and Cadance came up beside him. “I think that means they forgive you,” Rarity yelled over the screaming crowd. It didn’t matter how loud she yelled though, as Sombra didn’t hear any of it. All he could hear was the cheering of one special pony within the crowd.

A boom of light filled the city, signifying the end of the ceremony. All the ponies glowed and shined with a translucent light given to them by the Crystal Heart. The forgiveness of the crystal ponies had sent a deep wave of love to the Crystal Heart, or perhaps it was Sombra’s true apology. No one could be certain.

After the ceremony, Sombra sat behind the podium and waited for Twilight and Cadance to lead him away. He was alone except for a few guards who seemed to have less angry faces than they usually had. The crystal ponies that were passing by all seemed to be happy as well. A few waves here and there, a giggle, and plenty of smiles. “So, you took my advice after all,” a voice said.

He looked around and saw nothing. He then looked up and saw the hazel furred pony standing atop the podium, staring down at him. The sun shined on her tan mane, making it almost golden in the light. “I did,” he replied.

Cinnamon leapt from the stage and landed next to him. “That’s good. I’m glad.”

“Really? Eager to be rid of me already?”

She giggled, covering her mouth as she tried to hide it. “Is it that obvious? I can’t wait for your next visit, though.”

“Next visit?”

“Of course. You’re always welcome here, Soos. I already told you that. Next time, everyone will be welcoming you as well. Not just me. And I can’t wait to see your face when that happens.”

The unicorn smiled at that and looked away, hiding his embarrassment. “I am a little unhappy about not living here, though.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I don’t think you do.”

Cinnamon turned her head to face the stallion and his muzzle pressed against her. She felt her lips move uncontrollably as they kissed. When they pulled back, Cinnamon said, “S-Sombra! What was that about!?”

He couldn’t help the wide grin on his face or the laughter that accompanied it. “Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to see what it was like. I never got to do it before and I know I’ll never get to do it again. Maybe if things had been different...” Sombra rubbed the top of his muzzle, still grinning like a fool. “Actually, I wanted to get you to leave with me the day I took over. If I hadn’t gone to the Crystal Heart first, things truly would have been different I’d imagine.”

Her blush still covered the entirety of her face. “You don’t just kiss a Grand Matron, Soos! I could get in a lot of trouble!”

“I’ll keep it a secret if you do,” replied the unicorn. “Actually, wasn’t that Bell’s rule? Don’t tell me you’re following all her rules. Does that mean you’re already getting wrinkly?”

She shoved her hoof into his face, pushing it with a gentle roughness in the other direction. “You’re such a clown!” Cinnamon said as she laughed. The two ponies sat in silence for a moment, staring at each other with smiles on their faces. “Do you want to visit her?” she asked, breaking the silence.

The question shook through Sombra like an earthquake. He quickly turned his head to the ground as he pondered an answer, then said, “Maybe. I’m not sure.”

Cinnamon grabbed the stallion by the foreleg and pulled him forward. “That wasn’t a no, so let’s go!”

“But I have to wait for Twilight and Princess Cadance! They’re-”

“Oh shut up and come on. You’re the one that liked to break the rules all the time.” Cinnamon dragged Sombra down the road and past the castle. Other crystal ponies waved as they passed by. The graveyard was near the edge of town, close to an open acre of land. The iron gate creaked as Cinnamon pushed it open. It was dead quiet within the mass collection of graves. She led the unicorn down paths and rows of others loved ones, stopping at one grave that was smaller than those around it.

The stone read the previous matron’s name and her birth and death. Sombra had hoped it had been a practical joke at one point but this proved it to be truth. It’s a shame they put you here, he thought. They should have buried you in our old town. You loved it there. With a cast of magic, Sombra made a bouquet of flowers appear, to which he placed on the grave.

Cinnamon held a hoof on the stallion’s shoulder. “I know she’s proud of you for what you’ve done, Soos. Just like I am.”

He smiled but continued to stare at the grave as he said, “She’s finally getting her wish. I’m going to find out who I am as a pony, who Sombra truly is. Not a king, not evil. She always knew that I’d do that eventually, I just wonder if she knew it was going to take so long.”

“I’m sure she’s just happy to hear you say that.”

Sombra and Cinnamon stood over the gravestone for a long while, reminiscing about the past and of the deceased mare. He wondered if Bell would have wanted him and Cinnamon to get together. It was too late for that, he knew, both in finding out if she had and making it happen. Still, he would have a place to return to for a visit once in a while, and now he would have two mares to visit when he did. He hoped to return with tales of his new found self and perhaps a somepony to share it with. But for now, he had friends, and that’s all he ever wanted.

Though, gaining a special somepony might have been closer than he had expected.

“So, new and improved Sombra. How about that question?”

Rarity stood beside the stallion as Cinnamon took her leave. The earth pony was rather quick to disappear, leaving Sombra alone with the white unicorn. His red eyes matched her gaze as they stared at one another. Her pink satin hat ruffled in the slight breeze, shadowing her petite smile. Sombra had practiced this speech as well, but just like on the podium, he had forgotten every word.

“Yeah… So, you said before that’d you would drop out of helping reform other villains if I wanted your help on the bet, right?’

“Of course, darling.”

“Well, what if I didn’t want your help on the bet? What if instead I wanted to win something else?”

“Something else? Like what?”

“You.”

Chapter 28: Cut to the Joke

The Ponyville Hive looked close to completion from the outside. Windows had been carved out and placed without glass, the walls were slowly being painted with colors of auburn and a light red, and the walkway was being finished leading down to the stone path. The inside told a different story. The plentiful windows shined light through the wooden beams, scaffolding, and unfinished walls. Though most bedrooms had their frames set up, they were still empty except for the studs to hold them in place. Workers moved tools and wood around, building the bedrooms, kitchen area, storage, queen’s room, and many more spaces for recreation.

The building had been constructed far quicker due to the ample amount of help from some of the ex-villains. Discord himself had been part of the construction for today, and with his help, many of the workers could move on to other parts of the project. Even Starlight was impressed with how helpful he had been. However, the sun was soon to set and the draconequus had been working long enough. Even the Lord of Chaos deserved a break.

Discord placed his hammer down and removed his hard hat, handing it off to Starlight like a coat rack. He gave a cackle as he walked away. His mischievous grin remained facing her as he headed to the door. Just as he reached the exit, a purple alicorn trotted through with her eyes planted on the construction map she held. The paper crunched between them as they ran into each other. The alicorn fell to her rump and yelled, “Watch where you’re going!”

“Me? You’re the one with her muzzle in the paper clouds,” Discord said, “Though it’s good that I bumped into you. Pun intended.”

“Oh?” she said as she rolled up the blueprints. “And why’s that?”

He flicked his wrist and a paper appeared in his eagle’s claw. “Well, I’ve got a show tonight and I was hoping you might come along. It’s been a while so-”

“A show?” she interrupted. She looked at the paper and saw the Club Chaos name flashing in white and yellow above Discord’s name. “What show could you possibly do?” she asked with a condescending tone and smirk.

The draconequus rolled his eyes so hard they popped out of his head and into his other hand. “I am a comedian. A purveyor of jokes. Did you not expect the Spirit of Disharmony to house a day job? How else do you expect me to pay rent to Fluttershy? She’s a tough landlord!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow and her muzzle scrunched up. She wasn’t quite sure if Fluttershy charged rent, but she was interested in this supposed career of Discord’s. “Well, I was supposed to take off to help with the preparations for the Running of the Leaves, but I came to see if Starlight could handle it instead. If I blow that off then who will be here to manage the workers? Who will see to the preparations?” She levitated the blueprints over to a bench and turned her back to the draconequus. “What time is your show, anyway?” she asked as she placed a hard hat on her head.

He grabbed the hard hat and tossed it back onto the bench. “In about thirty minutes.”

The alicorn’s mouth shot open and her head slumped to a tilt. “You’re inviting me thirty minutes prior to the event!? T-That’s not enough time! There’s no way you can-”

Discord snapped his fingers and a black coat and red tie appeared on his torso. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?” he asked, a toothy grin on his face.

With a groan, Twilight said, “Fine. Fine! I’ll put aside the preparations and Starlight can manage the workers here. But you owe me. This comedy act better put me in stitches.” The draconequus raised a finger and she cut him off before he could say another word. “I swear if you touch me with a needle I’ll send you to Tartarus myself.”

He shrugged, and with another snap of his fingers they were gone. A moment later and they reappeared in an unfamiliar place for Twilight. Her eyes reflected the strange goo-like nothingness that replaced the sun. As she stared out, she took a step forward and felt nothing underneath her. She had almost fallen from the grassy platform they had appeared on. Their platform was just an island in the middle of nothingness. Other floating islands were scattered about in the distance. She turned back and saw a large building with stone pathways, garbage along the side, a strangely tall entrance, and a few creatures standing outside. Club Chaos glowed on a sign above the entrance. One piece of living existence in a realm of insanity.

“D-Discord?” she called out as she looked around for a moment.

Like a dog, he grabbed her but the scruff of her neck, hoisting her into the air. “You forget who I am, you forget you have wings, what’s next? Forgetting you like books? No, no, that would never happen.” She struggled from his grasp, breaking free and floating in the air next to him. “Well, no matter. Once we’re inside you won’t have to worry about falling, except for me and my amazing performance, of course,” he chuckled.

“What is this place? Where are we?”

“Home sweet home. A place full of chaos that I’ve created. Unfortunately, guests showed up over time and built places like this. That or they were accidentally brought in.” He signed to the building in front of them where the entrance line was shortening. “Not that I mind. They quite enjoy my act and don’t cost me any utilities! Plus, Ted makes a really great club soda.”

Twilight floated down to the ground. “So, you really are putting on a comedy show?” She eyed one of the creatures that stood outside. It seemed to be a brightly colored fish with a black leg shooting out from its bottom. The creature wiggled its toes as it noticed the purple alicorn staring. Twilight realized what she was doing and quickly looked away. “Do you, uh, want to give me a tour?”

Discord shook his head. “Through the front entrance? I am a performer! An entertainer! No, no. We’ll enter from the back! A star can never enter with the commoners!”

They walked along the side through an alleyway that was between the bar and another structure made of brick. The second building seemed to be torn in half – as if the club and it had been ripped straight up from a city but part of it didn’t make it. This alley also had a dumpster with a small, green creature throwing newspapers around from inside. It didn’t even seem to notice the two as they passed, simply grunting and tossing the garbage around. Once they reached the back, Discord grabbed open the door and lead Twilight through the dim hall. Painted cardboard trees lined the path with random pictures of creatures strung on the walls. Another door with Discord’s name on it was an offshoot of this hall.

The draconequus unlocked the door with a key and went inside, Twilight following closely behind. The room held a red couch, a large mirror, a television, and a dresser drawer. A guitar hung on the wall over the couch with several signatures on it. The television had a bowling ball on the inside, past broken glass. A pair of extremely large panties sat outstretched upon the dresser drawer like a table cloth. Discord stood at the mirror, attempting to fix his tie and polish his horns.

Twilight took a seat as she waited for Discord to show her around. It wasn’t nearly as dark as it was in the hallway and she could clearly see the grime and filth on the carpeted floor. As she sat quietly on the couch, it began to rumble and growl. She hopped off faster than lightning and saw the cushions she had been sitting on begin to move.

“’Ey! What’s the big idea!?” Two eyes opened on each arm of the sofa and the cushions moved as it spoke.

“Oh, sorry Twilight. I should have told you not to sit on him as we came in,” Discord mentioned as he stared at the reflection, smiling all the while.

“A-A-A talking couch!?” she screamed.

“A talkin’ horse!?” it yelled in reply. “You bring in some strange creatures, D.”

Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes. Discord placed a paw on her shoulder and introduced her to the couch. “This is Princess Twilight Sparkle. She’s my, uh, friend.”

“You got otha friends then me, D? That’s a surprise. Pleasure to meetcha Ms. Sparkle. The name’s Bridgewater. You sit on me again and I’ll make sure that horn is shoved in-between your cushions if you catch my meanin’.”

Discord held back his laughter as Twilight backed away. She was unsure how chaotic and volatile natured the couch could be and decided it best to show respect. “Pleased to meet you as well, er… Mr. Bridgewater.”

“Mr. Bridgewater? Shoot, that was my father’s name. Or it would have been if he hadn’t been turned into a futon. That was a dark day. Real shame.” The couch then seemed to move all on its own, heading slowly for the door. “I’ll get outta ya hair, D. You and your uh friend can have some privacy,” it said, chuckling. As it squeezed out of the doorway it bumped into another strange looking creature. “’Ey! I’m walkin’ ‘ere!” the couch yelled.

Discord closed the door and turned to the alicorn. His smug smile faded as he saw the mare shaking with a nervous twitch. “What’s wrong, Twilight?” he asked as he kneeled in front of her.

Her head sunk down as she gave a sigh. “This realm, this place. It’s so different from what I’m used to. Please tell me nothing else I sit on tonight will come alive.” His mouth opened to make a joke but she slammed it shut with her magic. “And keep your jokes to the stage, I’m on edge enough as it is without your nonsense. Speaking of which, aren’t you supposed to be out there already?”

“It’s almost time,” he replied as he looked at his hand which had become a clock. “You better go out and find a seat while I finish getting ready.” He rose up and walked to the door. “Just head back down the hall we came in from and head right. It’ll lead you out into the seating area.”

Twilight did as she was told, though only after a bit more coercing. As she traveled back down the dim hall she discovered why it was so hazy. Smoke filled the air above her, blocking the light. She followed the smoke down another hall and she found herself passing through a doorway that was covered in beads. They smacked against each other, making noise as she stepped into the bar area. The stage sat opposite the bar with many tables and chairs sitting in-between. Stairs to the left of the bar went up to another seating area, and a door sat between this set of stairs and the bar. Many of the tables were already taken but she managed to find an empty one that was the furthest away from the stage.

The smoke was worse in this room but the ceiling was further away. The ceiling fans did nothing to help remove it either. Twilight stared out into the cloudy room, getting a fuzzy eye for all the strange entities that waited for Discord’s performance. She saw the footed fish across the way at a table with an orange cat. The cat wasn’t a normal cat though. Instead, she was bipedal like Discord and was much taller than the fish. She also seemed to be the source of the smoke as she held a very long cigarette, bellowing smoke from one end. Another table sat a square robot that had a lightbulb for a head, or at least she assumed that was its head. A table that sat closer to the stage had another two bipedal creatures with white faces. One had slicked back green hair with a purple suit and the other had a red and black outfit with playing card symbols.

At the bar, a pony-like creature that was made of pink ooze, a skeleton of a pony with a blue hoodie on, and a bear sat together. The skeletal pony seemed to make a joke and the bear scoffed. Twilight could hear it say “Well I never!” as it got up and walked across the room to sit at a different table. It was such an odd turnout but seemed practically normal for a show where Discord was the star. She wondered if the upstairs tables held even stranger beings. Discord was practically normal compared to the creatures here.

“Is this seat taken?” she was asked. A giant piece of broccoli stood at the opposite side of her table, grabbing onto the open chair. It had no eyes but did have a mouth, which seemed too smiley for her taste.

“N-No. Go right ahead,” she replied, courteously.

The broccoli grabbed the chair and raised it above its flowered head. “WOOHOO!” it yelled as it ran away, only to be stopped a second later as a blue minotaur entered, punching the broccoli to the ground. The minotaur had a shirt with security written on the front in white, bold lettering. Another minotaur, this one red, showed up out of nowhere and helped with the beating. The two minotaurs dragged the broccoli out of the room but only after breaking the chair on the broccoli’s head.

Twilight watched in horror but then looked around the room, noticing that no one seemed to care. She assumed that it would not be the last strange thing she’d see before the night was over. The nervous sweating she had been doing was causing her mouth to become parched. She quickly took the bear’s seat and waited for the bartender to serve her, hoping she wouldn’t have to deal with another creepy, oversized vegetable.

The bartender was a strange creature with brown hair and tan skin. It was wiping down the counter with a torn rag when it noticed Twilight. The creature walked over and pulled out a piece of paper from its flannel shirt. “What can I get you, hun?” it asked with a deep, masculine voice.

“D-Do you serve water?” she asked, unsure if she could even pay for anything.

The creature frowned and grabbed a glass from underneath the counter. It poured water from the sink into the glass and dropped a straw in before handing it off to the mare. “Here you go. If you need anything stronger, just holler. The name’s Danson,” he said before wandering off.

As Twilight sipped on the water, hoping for it to taste as normal as water could, the overhead lights began to soften. She turned around in her stool and watched as spotlights ran their focus to the stage. The crowd of creatures silenced themselves as an announcer spoke. “Ladies and gentlemen! Quarkers and quarkets! Robots and everyone else in this rainbow colored spectrum of ugly monstrosities – I’m talking about you, Ted! Feast your eyes, mouths, or whatever optical sensors you use to see – the one, the only, you know him, you love him…” The curtain raised up revealing the draconequus. “The Lord of Chaos and all things badly behaved – Discord!”

The crowd’s applause seemed to deafen the room as many of the creatures clapped whatever they could. The fish stomped its foot, the ooze seemed to smack its hooves together, and the robot’s lightbulb flashed off and on. The cat lady looked as if she smiled at the sight of Discord, still holding the cigarette firmly between two of her fingers. Even the bear seemed to cheer up as the show started.

As the room began to settle, Discord tapped his microphone and said, “Hello everyone! It’s good to be here tonight. I actually thought of canceling because I was feeling really hurt by a pony friend of mine. I was telling her about the show and how I do comedy and she didn’t seem to believe me.” Twilight realized immediately who he was talking about and saw his distraught expression. “I told her I could prove it, I could tell her a joke.”

Twilight’s face held a state of confusion as she tried to figure out why he was lying. He didn’t tell a joke earlier, not one that she could remember. “So I told her a joke. This is what I told her,” Discord said, “Two horses walk into a bar and scream neigh. Get it? A bar? Well, she found that OFFENSIVE! So I began to tell her the one where two horses have their heads stuck between a picket fence. You know what? She found that one to be un-bar-able.” The crowd seemed to roar in laughter and even Twilight snickered. “I just can’t win with her.”

“I’ve been hanging around on a little plane of existence called Equestria for a while now,” he continued on. “But it’s good to be back here in the chaos dimension where I don’t have to worry about the time or day or finishing my train of thou-” He stopped mid-sentence and stared out into the crowd, his eyes unflinching. “Oh snap, is that garlic bread?” he asked, causing the audience to giggle. “Speaking of garlic bread, I once had a friend who choked to death on the stuff. I called a doctor to see what I should do and he asked me to make sure my friend was really dead. I went over, snapped the guy’s neck, and then asked ‘What now?’”

The audience loved Discord’s sense of humor. Twilight gave a sigh of relief, her fear subsiding. “I had assumed Discord was lying about him being a good comedian,” she whispered to herself. “I guess the jokes on me. Everybody loves him.”

“I see we have the clown prince of-” Just as Discord seemed to point down to the white-faced creature in the front, he lifts his finger to point at the bar “-slime.” The rest of the crowd laughs except for the first creature who had slumped down with his arms crossed. “Don’t get all upset there J-Dog,” Discord said. “I tell you, folks, don’t cross this guy otherwise you’ll end up sleeping with the fishes. And no one wants to sleep with Randy, trust me.”

The fish with the lone leg hooted and hollered and then yelled, “It’s true! I’m so alone!”

“Speaking of being alone, right now I have a roommate who has a lot of pets. I get along well with some of them but they always seem to ignore me, except for this one dog. I’ve never had a problem with dogs so I try to be as nice to it as possible. When I finally think we’re making a connection I go and try to hold its paw. It immediately pulls away so I have to act like I was reaching for my contacts and can’t find them.” He gives a shrug as he lets the audience die down their laughter. “Worst part is I think he told the other animals. Every day one of them try to use my hand in a different way. Things got real awkward real fast when I went down to the farm.”

Though many of his jokes flowed easily, Twilight soon felt like an outsider to the rest of the audience. They laughed as she sat quietly. The jokes Discord told weren’t bad but referenced things that she had no idea what were. “So I said, you only dislike me. There are others in the cosmos who truly despise me. Of course, that’s right when the space cops showed up.” Nothing seemed quite right with his jokes but the crowd swelled with their own laughter. Twilight couldn’t even feign a smile, but even the snobby bear found the jokes to be amusing.

Discord sang the next few punchlines, which were entertaining in their own right, but still, Twilight sat with a troubled look. She began to wonder if that’s why his jokes always fell flat around her and her friends. Everything except for his visual gags were out of their world and into something completely, totally, and absolutely chaotic. “And can you believe it? I made the machine say forty-two!” he yelled and the crowd almost lost their minds.

Twilight gave a sigh of relief as the draconequus went to close out the show. “Well, you all have been great folks. Remember to tip your waitress!” As he said it, a second Discord appeared in a staff outfit, serving out drinks to members of the audience. “And stop trying to grab my rump, Bulby,” he said and pointed at the robot. The robot’s bulb lit up and then burst into pieces, causing everyone to laugh. “Goodnight everybody!”

The spotlights shut off on the stage and the lights on the ceiling brightened. The crowd of creatures rose up from their seats, giving Discord a standing ovation. Twilight cheered with the others of the audience before it began to die down. With the show over, many of the creatures seemed to pile out of the club while only a few stayed behind. Twilight waited for Discord at the bar but the draconequus failed to show up. Once she finished her water, she got up from the stool and began making her way to the back rooms. Smoke seemed to pour out from beyond the beads like a campfire had been set ablaze.

Smoke wasn’t the only thing coming from down the hall – echoed shouts followed close behind. Twilight trotted up to Discord’s door and saw that smoke was rising from the crack at the bottom. Another shout came from a feminine voice, forcing Twilight to turn the knob. The door wouldn’t open, it was locked. Using her magic, she turned the other side of the knob and swung the door open. The orange cat lady turned to face the alicorn with a snide look on her face. Her white whiskers moved to each side of her frowning mouth, sizing up the mare. Discord stood behind the cat lady with a fearful look in his eyes and his hands outstretched from his body.

“Sorry, Discord’s busy,” the cat said with a growl and a hiss in her voice.

“Busy, huh? Well, that’s too bad because I’m Discord’s manager and any business with him will have to wait,” Twilight responded with her own fierceness. Her eyes skimmed across the cat. She was much taller than what she appeared at the table, her head almost hitting the ceiling. Discord paled in comparison to the full-length feline.

“You best run off little pony.” Claws shot out from the cat’s fingers. “If you know what’s good for you.” Discord moved forward and placed his eagle claw on the cat’s shoulder, but the cat swung it off. “I’m not leaving until I get what I want.”

Twilight stepped forward with her horn ready. “And what it is you want?”

The feline smirked. “I want-” She grabbed Discord by the neck and rubbed a hand down his torso “-him.”

Twilight wasn’t surprised by her answer, the body language of the cat had already articulated that much. But Discord didn’t seem to want her in the same way. His morose expression was enough for Twilight. “Sorry. The draconequus is mine. Go get your own.” She then grabbed Discord with her magic and tugged him across the room.

“You?” the cat said as she grabbed Discord’s other arm. “Don’t make me laugh. You could never satisfy a performer such as Discord. He is a true artist, a genius in his own right!”

“He’s a clown! And he’s my clown!” Twilight yelled in response. They pulled and tugged on the Lord of Chaos until he started to rip straight down the middle. Instead of continuing the struggle, Twilight let go of Discord and began levitating the cat. Discord fell to the floor as the feline was pushed to the ceiling. “This little game is over,” Twilight said as she sent the cat down to the floor, then to the ceiling, then to the floor, and then out the door. “Beat it, hairball!” she yelled as she slammed shut the door.

Discord drew to his feet, holding onto the dresser as he rose. “Wow. You really gave her a wallop!” he chuckled. “Thanks for your help. She was getting a little too handsy for my liking, so you showed up just in time. A second later and I’d be hacking up fur balls.”

“I was more than happy to take care of that pushy cat. Nobody hurts my friends. Do you get fans coming to your room often?”

He shook his head. “Not fans as persistent as her, that’s for sure. Mostly they come to give me gifts, though sometimes the gifts can be a little odd.” He then levitated the large underwear from the dresser. “Being popular has its ups and downs.”

She looked at the television that held the bowling ball. “It would appear so.”

“Oh, that thing? Pfft, the seventies,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Did you enjoy the show at least?”

“Well, yes and no. To be honest, I started to lose track of how many jokes made little sense to me. I thought it was just because the jokes were bad but then I realized that it might be me who was in the wrong. It got me thinking, maybe that’s why your comedy sometimes falls flat in Equestria,” she answered with honesty. “I was very impressed how you managed to keep the audience in stitches for so long. Pinkie’s the only other one that I know who can do something like that. You’ve definitely got some talent.”

“I do have to say that my Equestrian jokes leave me a little hoarse,” he strummed his fingers against his face. “You ponies rarely take jokes well. Remember that time I was going to transform you into a stick in the mud? Oh boy, that fire in your eyes would rip a phonebook in two, that’s for sure.”

“You really want to bring that up after seeing what I did to that cat?” Twilight’s lips curled into a smile as she hid her anger. “We should be going now before I have to fight off any more of your fans.”

“Going?” he questioned as he stroked his beard. “I’ve got a better idea! Do you wanna see where I live?”

The question was a bit odd to Twilight. Her eyes squinted as she stared him down, trying to figure out if he had a tricky plan up his sleeve. “Personally, I always avoid going home with strange stallions I meet at the bar, but I suppose a quick peek wouldn’t hurt. Though if your home is as chaotic as you then I don’t think I’ll want to be there for long.”

Discord clapped his hands excitedly. “You’ll be the first guest I’ve had in over a thousand years!” He grabbed the alicorn and placed her under his armpit, carrying her out into the hall – the cat lay dizzily against the opposite wall. The beads clattered behind them as they entered the almost empty bar. Ted waved the two off as they stepped past the set of minotaurs, heading out the entrance. Another minotaur, this one green, stood as bouncer to the club.

“Sorry about all the ruckus tonight, Mr. Cordial,” the minotaur said, “Always got a couple of crazies whenever you’re around.”

Twilight almost scoffed aloud at the thought of craziness being around Discord and not the other way around. Discord let her go as he turned to chat with the green fellow. She flapped her wings to the edge of the island, staring out into the abyss of the bizarre world around her. A flock of seagulls passed by – traveling backwards. A giant apple bore leaves of trees on an island that held no dirt. For a second, she could have sworn she saw Discord in the distance, dancing with a white-furred pony. None of it made any sense.

“Ready?” the draconequus asked. She had been so consumed by the environment that his question startled her. He stared at her for a moment and saw the panicked embarrassment running across her face. “Hmm,” he hummed, glancing over the mare as she regained her composure. The look that had been in her eyes was one he’d seen before, it was a fearful glimpse. “Actually, we should go at another time. It’s been a long day and I’m rather tired.” He feigned a yawn and miniature tires came flying from his mouth.

“No, it’s-” Twilight stopped herself. She knew Discord, he was never tired of something unless it bored him. She also knew he wouldn’t put up with her if she was the one boring him, and that clearly wasn’t it. “Okay,” she replied, smiling at the draconequus. “How about we head back to my place, instead?”

As he rolled up his sleeves, Discord leaned down and said, “Keep all hooves and noses inside the track at all times for fear of losing them.” With a snap of his fingers, the world around them dissipated and transformed into the castle library. “Oh shoot,” he said as he looked around. “I was aiming for the bedroom. I really need to get this thing calibrated.” As he shook his hand, a dog, a red ball, and some corn flakes fell out.

“Discord…”

He looked up from his hand to see the alicorn staring at him. Her eyes were soft and round and stared directly at him. He had never seen that look before, nor had he seen her bite her lip for anything other than to hold back a scolding. It was a sight that sparked a chaotic chill down his spine. Something was out of the ordinary, something wasn’t right. “Uh, y-yes?” he answered with a hushed tone.

“You’re sweet.”

Those two little words sent Discord’s heart into his throat. “W-What?” he asked. “What did I do?”

Twilight didn’t answer his question. She knew what he had done and that was enough. Instead, she shook her head and smiled. Her wings flapped for a moment as she floated up to match his height. A peck on the lips was a good enough answer for Discord. “How about I help you write some jokes about us ponies? I may not be a comedian and I’m certainly no Pinkie Pie, but I think I may be able to help. If you can get me to laugh then there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Discord stood completely still – as if he had been turned to stone for a third time. It was only a quick kiss but it was more than he had expected and was better than a scolding from an angry alicorn. “W-Well,” he coughed. “I suppose if there are more kisses then I can’t argue against the help.”

“Hey, maybe with my help, one day I might actually find you funny.”

He raised a claw to dispute but was silenced by her laughter. His frown turned into a smile and then he found himself laughing as well. “Very funny,” he replied. “But a good rule in comedy to remember is…” He grabbed her with both hands, pulling her close. “Always get the last laugh.” His mouth met hers and she did not fight back, giving into the gentle touch of his lips. It was a while before they said another word to each other, and even longer before they would say a complete sentence.

Chapter 29: Cut to the Future

“Shouldn’t Starlight be helping? She is your pupil after all,” Spike asked as he held a pile of books.

“And you’re still my assistant. Plus, I thought you said you’d rather spend the day with me,” Twilight answered. She levitated a few of the books from the top of the stack and placed them on the shelf. With so many ponies using her library, categorizing books had become a weekly routine for the two.

The pile of books Spike held wobbled at the top as he struggled to maintain the weight. “Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean she can’t help. I figured her moving in would mean I’d have to do this less often. She gets to sleep in while I hold books that could easily be placed on the – uh-oh.” His mouth bulged as he held in the flame. A sudden burst and the books came toppling down onto the purple dragon. At the top of the ruined pile lay an unopened scroll.

Twilight levitated the books and the scroll off the dragon. “A letter from Princess Celestia? Spike, could you read this out while I put away the rest of these?” She set the scroll atop Spike’s belly and went back to organizing.

Shambling to his feet, Spike grabbed the letter and tore the seal. “Dear Princess Twilight, enclosed is a second scroll meant for-” Just as he was about to read the name, Tirek passed by the open doorway “-Tirek!”

The centaur leaned his head back into the room upon hearing his name. “You called?” he said, staring with an arched brow as he walked over. Spike explained the letter and he replied, “Oh, I see. It must be from my brother.” Spike handed him the unopened letter and he looked at the curious seal.

“Your brother!?” Twilight squealed, her wings spread open. “I didn’t even know you had a letter sent! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh, sorry. Celestia was more than willing to send a team to my homeland with a letter I had written. I couldn’t pass it up. To be perfectly honest, I really wasn’t expecting anything back,” Tirek replied, trotting for the door.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to read it?”

Tirek stopped and looked over his shoulder, staring blankly at the anxious alicorn. “Of course,” he answered, oblivious to what she had meant. He then strolled out into the hall and out of sight.

Twilight immediately shoved the remaining books onto an empty shelf. “Spike, we’re done for today,” she said as she rushed off after the centaur.

“Finally!” Spike yelled in response, flopping to the ground and spreading out like a starfish.

She didn’t even hear his reply, she was too focused on Tirek and the information pertaining to that letter. I’ve got to know what Scorpan said, she thought as she trotted down the hall. He may need comfort once he reads it, he may need me. Eventually, she caught up to Tirek who was just stepping into the kitchen. She watched as he placed the scroll on the counter and went to grab a mug from the cabinet. It seemed like an eternity for Twilight as she waited for him to get to the scroll. He sat down at the table, placed the scroll in front of him, and then took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee. As he lifted the letter to open the seal he smacked his lips and set it back down.

It was becoming unbearable for Twilight. It was as if he had no real interest in learning what his brother had to say, or if it was his brother at all. Like a cat hunting its prey, she slowly crawled along the floor, out of sight of the centaur, and slinked underneath the table. Her back hoof bumped against a chair, causing a scraping noise to ring out. She held her breath for a moment only to become face to face with the centaur looking down at her. “What are you doing?” he asked.

Twilight scuttled between the chairs and brushed herself off. She took her time, attempting to stall until she could come up with a perfect reason. Tirek stared down at her with a blank look of confusion, only making her more embarrassed the longer it took for her to answer. “Well, you see, I was just…” She tapped her lips, her eyes darted between his face and the scroll. “You’re just taking too long to read it!” she finally replied. “Just open it up already!”

He placed the mug down on the table and took the scroll between his thumb and pointer. “Oh, I see. You want to know what’s in it, don’t you?” Twilight nodded and he smiled at her honesty. “You’re a curious little thing. All you had to do was ask.” He took his seat and she climbed up in the chair next to him. The seal broke on his thumb as he unrolled the parchment, he began to read the contents aloud. “Dear Lord Tirek,” he started. “It’s good to hear from you after so long. I was quite surprised to have Equestrian guards show up at the front gate, but I was more surprised to hear of your change in attitude and lifestyle. There is much that we must catch up on, however, I should regret to inform you…” he trailed off, his attitude souring as he read ahead.

Twilight placed a hoof atop his arm and urged him on. “Tirek.”

The centaur took a heavy breath before returning to where he had stopped. “I should regret to inform you that our parents are no longer among this world. They went painlessly in their sleep. With your absence and their demise, I was forced into leadership. Mother and father revitalized the city while you were imprisoned and I have done my best to keep their legacy alive. I would be beholden if you would make your return and see the changes made with your own eyes, I know you and I are the only one of few who can truly appreciate it after living through such turbulent times. I hope to hear from you again and perhaps see you soon as well. With love, your brother, Emperor Scorpan.”

Tirek placed the letter down in front of him and stared at it, his eyes straining as he became lost in thought. A muffled sniffling noise broke his concentration and compelled him to turn to the alicorn. She was looking up at him with gallons of tears pouring from her eyes and flowing down her cheeks, he hadn’t even noticed that they were falling right down onto his arm. Twilight shot up from her chair and leaped into his lap, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. He outstretched his arms for a moment but then relaxed, embracing her as well. He stroked her back, his knuckles dragging down her spine. Her ears brushed against his neck as he nuzzled against the crying mare.

“I-I’m so s-sorry, Tirek,” her muffled voice mourned.

After placing his hands under her elbows, Tirek raised her into the air above him with a gentle strength. Tears fell from the alicorn’s bewildered face. A glazed smile was held beneath his unblinking eyes. “I’ve been around for a long time, Twilight. I was locked away in Tartarus for even longer. It would’ve been more surprising had they still been alive, but I expected it to be this way. You do not need to cry for me.”

“But you’re not crying so I have to cry for the both of us,” she replied through sniffles and snuffles. “Oh great, and now I sound like Pinkie Pie!”

He gave a chuckle and pressed her into his chest. The warmth of his fur pushed against hers and reverberated the beating of his heart. “At least it’s not all bad news,” he said, “To hear of my brother’s desire to see me speaks volumes for how the years have treated him. He still sounds like the same soft, weak-willed worm I knew growing up.” He held Twilight with one hand and grabbed the letter with his other, reading over the text once more. “I’m glad he hasn’t changed. It would be pretty awkward if I became good while he turned into an evil gargoyle.”

Twilight gave a smile and patted his arm. “Are you really going to go see him? Return to your home?” An idea burst into her head and she shot into the air. “I could go with you! I would get to see your homeland and open new relations with a separate territory!” Her tears seemed to vanish as the idea filled her head with all sorts of plans.

“Go home?” he inquired. “That’s not my home anymore. I denounced it long ago, it wouldn’t be right for me to claim it as such now. Equestria is more my home than anything.” He caressed his hand against her cheek, his woeful eyes staring up at her. “I’d like to make this my permanent home. I’m still trying to win you, after all. Maybe if I do then I can bring you back to my homeland and show you off. Wouldn’t that be a surprise to my brother?”

“I suppose it would. Of course, that means you actually have to win me first.”

“I do indeed. So how about we spend some time together today? I am supposed to meet up with Pinkie and could use a bit of normalcy to even out the abnormal atrocities of that pink pony.”

“Well, I suppose I did already give Spike the day off.” She floated down and stood atop the table. “There’s no chance I’ll get him back into the library.” She squinted her eyes and tapped her cheek as she thought of her other plans for the day. The Ponyville Hive was already in good hooves and most of the other ex-villains were off with their own schedules. “Alright. I’d love to spend the day cheering you up anyway. I know Pinkie will want to throw you a party or something but I’ll make sure to keep it in your comfort range.”

Tirek rose from his sitting position and slammed the coffee down into his gullet. He shook his head as he finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “No. Pinkie doesn’t need to know about this.” After placing the mug in the sink, Tirek opened a cabinet and set the letter on the top shelf. “If your bawling was that bad I can only imagine how she would be. Let’s just keep this information our little secret for now, okay?”

She frowned and nodded. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to make a big deal of his loss, she thought. Twilight knew the only thing she could do was be there for him, and she would do just that. Though when she made that small acknowledgement in the back of her mind she wouldn’t have thought it had meant a double date. Pinkie had somehow known Tirek would bring Twilight to the Sugar Cube Corner and had arranged for Royal Pin to be there as well. Twilight could only squirm in her seat at the booth as she listened to Pinkie ramble on about her stallion partner.

“And then the sun began to set and it was beautiful!” Pinkie retold her latest date with the blue stallion while still shoving pastries into her mouth. Somehow, her words were still comprehensible as she ate, the frosting sliding down the sides of her lips. “So, what are you two going to do for your next date? Deep sea diving? Ice skating? Rocky mountain climbing?”

Twilight looked at Tirek who appeared to be as disinterested in the conversation as Royal was. His hand on his face, staring blankly at the center of the table. “Well,” Twilight said, “I think anything we do together is special. I mean, we aren’t together so it’d be a little awkward to spend every hour of the day together. Not to mention there’s so much work I have to do along with dealing with the new hive. I’m sure you two must have a lot of fun together, though.”

“It’s not as romantic as it sounds,” Royal muttered. Pinkie then leaned in and kissed his cheek repeatedly. “Though it does have its perks.”

Tirek watched the mare and stallion for a moment before getting up from the booth. “Alright Pinkie, I’ve had enough of you for the day,” he said as he stood at the edge of the table. “It only gets more awkward every time I’m around you two and I’d rather not subject Twilight to it as well.”

“Aww,” Pinkie moaned from her seat. “But we haven’t even gotten our sundaes yet!”

“You can have ours,” he replied before taking his leave.

The alicorn said her goodbyes to the happy couple and then chased after the centaur. She didn’t have to go far as he stood outside the shop with his arms crossed, waiting for her. “Don’t you think that was a bit rude?” Twilight asked, raising her brow as she spoke.

His eyes squinted and his head tilted as he stared down at the mare. “Rude? To Pinkie? You do know who she is, right? Being blunt to that mare doesn’t translate to being mean. I don’t think anything translates to being mean for her. Plus, she knows I find her lovey-dovey attitude to be tiresome, more so than any other part of her personality.”

“Oh, I get it,” Twilight opined. “You just don’t like public displays of affection.”

Tirek threw his arms in the air and shouted a few unintelligible words before stammering to say, “I do too!” His nose wrinkled as he snarled and his lips curled into a frown. “It’s just tiresome to bear witness to when I myself do not have the same luxury. Envious, if you will.”

Twilight stood for a moment, puzzled, before an idea sparked from within her eyes. With a devious grin, she asked, “So, do you, uh, want to make out?”

A state of shock vibrated through Tirek like a harp string being struck. It took him longer than it should have to realize why she was asking. “You’re trying to make me a fool, aren’t you?” He gave a scoff before turning his head away, dismissing her with his hand. “I will not play your little games.”

“I can’t believe the strong and confident Tirek is afraid of public kissing,” giggled the alicorn. “Are you afraid to rub noses too? What about drinking milkshakes together? Should I not even walk next to you?”

He slammed the palm of his hand into his face, yanking down the excess skin beneath his eyes. “I’m just going to be your little joke today, aren’t I?”

“No, no. I’m done. Sorry,” she snickered.

“Good.” He gave a brief sigh and shook his head. “Let’s take a walk.”

I suppose I shouldn’t rile him up, Twilight surmised. But maybe it will take his mind off this morning. The high noon sun beat down on the two as they paraded around the town. They had no real plans other than Twilight’s desire to keep him happy. “Not that I’m making fun of you or meaning to do anything about it, but, do you not like showing affection in front of others?” she asked as she stared at him in a window’s reflection.

Tirek scratched the skin beneath his beard. “I think it’s more reserved for those in a relationship, like Pinkie and her stallionfriend. It’s just awkward for those who are alone, such as myself. Tartarus be, I’d do the same thing if I were in her horseshoes.” He gave a disinterested eye to the ceramic pottery on display. “I have to wonder if Scorpan has married yet. By now he should’ve married and had children, unless he’s been waiting all these years for me to return and rule, the fool.”

“Isn’t that what you want, though? To be married and have kids and rule in your homeland?”

“The former? Yes. The latter? No. I’ll never claim my inherent right. I have no reason to. Starting a family is far more rewarding I’d imagine. Perhaps if I have any nephews or nieces I could instill my wisdom on them, if I choose to return.” He sighed and his eyes wandered to the ground. “Who am I kidding? I shouldn’t even bother returning, not after the things I said the day I left with Scorpan. Not to mention how awkward it will be to see Scorpan again after our last encounter.”

“I wish I could have seen it, then maybe I’d know how to help you,” replied the alicorn. She took her eyes off the window and turned to Tirek. “There’s got to be something I can do.” Her eyes twitched as she concentrated on the centaur. She stared for an uncomfortable amount of time before an idea peaked in her head. “I’ve got it!” she yelled, startling the stallion, along with everyone else within the vicinity.

Twilight rushed off, forcing Tirek to follow, albeit at a much slower pace. She rushed straight out of town and towards the Everfree Forest, skidding to a halt at the tree line. The sun was blocked by the large trees, shadowing where she stood. Once Tirek reached her, Twilight commanded him to follow. After bemoaning and bellyaching, he followed her into the darkness of the forest. The canopy gave little light but Twilight knew exactly where she was going. Tirek was unfazed by the taunting noises and creepy figures that appeared around them. A powerful magic eater had little to fear of ghouls and ghosts. It wasn’t long before they found the light in the darkness, a tree shining bright within the foliage.

“What is this place?” Tirek asked as he stared at the tribal masks and bottles that hung on the illuminated tree.

“This is Zecora’s home, she’s a zebra. She’ll have something that allows me to see into your past.” Twilight gave two swift knocks to the front door and heard the stomping of hooves on the other side. The wooden door shifted as the lone zebra peered from the crack before opening it for the alicorn. “Zecora!”

The zebra wore a straw hat over her mohawk which slapped Twilight in the muzzle as they hugged. “It is good to see you Twilight,” Zecora said, “You presence here is always a delight.” She then noticed the centaur standing behind the alicorn. Her expression soured for a moment as she removed the hat and tossed it aside. “A friend of a friend I do trust, a proper attitude is a must,” she muttered softly.

Tirek followed in after Twilight and caught his first glimpse of the strange bit of sorcery that littered the hut. Potions, masks, a cauldron, and rods filled the quaint little home. Twilight introduced him to Zecora but he was too busy taking in his odd surroundings to care. He could raise his arms and touch the ceiling with how small it was.

“Sorry to just barge in on you like this, Zecora. I was hoping you’d have a potion that would allow me to see Tirek’s past. Maybe it would give me some insight, maybe help with easing his mind about his brother,” Twilight explained.

“As against this as I am, I’m still very curious as to what type of magic could help you with this endeavor. What does this zebra know that you do not?” Tirek inquired.

Zecora tapped the cauldron, getting his attention. “A horn of magic provides a call to action, but potions show a different attraction. To the past I can send you without fear of vanishing, a time and place where your actions are not damaging.” She then lifted a bottle of white liquid from behind other colored bottles. “This potion, Twilight, will leave you mesmerized. Time takes flight to a place soon recognized. A swallow both of you must do, to see the past you wish to view.”

Tirek took the bottle of white in his grip and popped the cork off. A quick whiff and he almost gagged at the scent. He looked at Twilight who’s wary expression did not help in this task. With a quick chug, he poured the white liquid down his throat and handed it off to the alicorn. Twilight quickly followed suit and set the bottle down in front of them. The two could hear Zecora chanting some words before they found themselves in a dark, empty void. Nothing surrounded them and nothing was them.

“Tirek?” Twilight called out and heard him respond, but could see nothing. A flash of light and she found herself slamming into red, dry dirt. Her stomach heaved as she tried to breathe in, the air had been sucked out of her. She coughed and spat, saliva spewing on the ground. As her breathing steadied she took a look at her surroundings. The barren earth was filled with dark brown rock, red soil, and cracks of dry earth large enough to swallow a pony if they weren’t careful. Another turn and she found herself staring up at gray stone. A large set of walls ran a length with a portcullis half-drawn. Black and red flags flapped on the rafters of the bastions.

Her name echoed and she drew to her hooves, looking around for whoever she could see. The earth was barren but hilly, there was little she could see besides the structure of civilization. But it was there again, her name in the wind. Dirt and gravel kicked around her, blinding her as she came towards the gate. There she saw him, the old centaur she had grown fond of. He was smiling. Her name was repeated with an excitement in his tone that she hadn’t heard before. The centaur rushed inside the stone walls as she drew closer and closer, eventually reaching the portcullis herself. What she expected was not what she got. A town of battered houses, decrepit shops, and pathetic citizens. The houses had holes in their roofs and busted windows, the shops contained rotten fruit and overtly fake jewelry, and the citizens themselves – centaurs, gargoyles, and what she could only assume were imps – all seemed to wear torn clothes and ragged hoods.

It was easy to spot Tirek amongst the crowds. Even if he had been in the same garb, his cheery grin was something out of the ordinary for the rest of the population. She followed after him, eventually halting outside the largest and possibly most ruined structure of the city. Stone, shabby walls and broken steps lead up to the castle of the town where the emperor and empress ruled. Tirek stood staring up at the open entrance, watching a young centaur and gargoyle coming down the steps. She looked at the two then back to Tirek, wondering if he had known the two at a previous point in his life. Then she caught a real glimpse of the young, handsome centaur. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth sagged. The centaur was incredibly fetching and incredibly young – but more importantly, it was Tirek himself.

The alicorn rushed up the steps to the two, realizing that the gargoyle could only be Scorpan. The young Tirek seemed angry while Scorpan attempted to rationalize and persuade the older sibling. She then looked up at the open entrance and saw the large tapestries hanging amongst the throne room. A step higher and she could see the very top of the throne. She took another few steps until she was three-quarters of the way up. There she could barely make out a glimpse of two silhouettes sitting on matching bronze thrones. They had to be Tirek’s parents and she had to see them for herself. She took another step and stopped, her name echoed from below.

“Twilight!” Tirek yelled, following with a wave of his hand. He beckoned for her, pointing at his younger self and the distance they were making.

She had a choice. To see Tirek’s parents or to hear perhaps the most important information about Tirek she may ever hear. Or it could be what they had for lunch today, she contemplated. Her head swiveled between the two options, finally deciding to go with Tirek. She took one look back at his parents before trotting down the steps. Now I may never know.

The two caught up to the brothers and began to follow them out of town, listening to their conversation as they did. “This is it,” the older Tirek said. “This is the day we left and headed for Equestria. I made up an excuse, a lie, to explain where we were going to our parents. But they knew where we were headed. They thought Scorpan could convince me to stay. Guess they had too much faith in the coward.”

The younger Tirek had dark black hair with horns larger than the ones he had now. Both the young and the old had similar frames except for the older being taller. It was evident that the young Tirek had yet to absorb any pony magic, and the test of time hadn’t yet taken its toll. “Are you sure we should be doing this?” Scorpan asked. The gargoyle was a quarter shorter than the young centaur but far more burly and stout. His brown mane made him appear larger than he truly was and his maroon wings stretched the length of the centaur’s body. “I mean, is it worth throwing everything away? What if we fail? Surely they’ll-”

“Shut up!” chorused both the young and old Tirek.

“I remember this day like the back of my hand,” the older Tirek said aloud. “The entire trip to Equestria was one long nightmare with Scorpan. He was quite the whiner.”

All four reached the portcullis as Scorpan continued his bemoaning. “It’s just, well, I’m not against taking their land for our own. But failing means war. Their pony rulers could come down to wipe out our kingdom, to lay waste to our parents. Is it right for us to-”

“What did I just say?” the young Tirek asked. “I said, shut up, now please, shut up. If you have no desire to take their magic for our own then stay here. I’ll be back with all the pony magic to myself.”

Scorpan shook his head. “N-No! I want the pony magic! I want to be strong!”

“Then keep your complaining to yourself otherwise I’ll knock you out and leave you for the vultures.”

The older Tirek chimed in, “In retrospect that probably would have been my best option.” Twilight shot an icy glare up at him. “What? The vultures need sustenance too.”

“Maybe while we’re there I can take a hot pony wife,” Scorpan muttered.

The younger Tirek stopped and stared at his brother, an expression of disgust on his face. “You are such a freak, Scorpan.”

Twilight gave a snort, causing the older Tirek to look down upon her. He rolled his eyes before he said, “Yes, yes. I get the irony. It’s not the only joke that time has played on me.”

Before the two brothers could continue their conversation, Twilight and the older Tirek were hit with a flash of light. They reeled back from the blinding flash and felt their bodies ache as they came back to the realm of consciousness. Twilight awoke with a gasp and the stare of Zecora eyeing them both. Tirek groggily rubbed his head before taking in the scenery, grimacing at the sight.

“You two have seen just an inkling of the past, but the information you seek is very vast.” She lifted the bottle up and shook the contents, implying that they needed another round. “Each visit will be longer, every dose becomes stronger. Three times should suffice, that is all of my advice.”

Tirek squinted at the zebra, his face twisting as he snatched the bottle from her hoof. With a quick chug, he then passed it off to Twilight who followed suit. A moment later and they were out again, this time they transitioned much easier into the visions of the past. Twilight felt the dark void leave her as she opened her eyes. She stood atop a broken plateau, just at the edge, staring down at the grassy knoll below. A large, brown gargoyle was walking away from the cave that formed beneath the plateau. Tirek stepped next to her, staring down his nose at the gargoyle. “This was it. Right there.” The old centaur pointed down at the gargoyle. “That was the last time I spoke to him. We missed the conversation, not that I’m complaining. I said truly awful things.”

They made their way down and walked around to the front of the cave. The gargoyle had already made his way to the top of the hill, but another caught Twilight’s attention. It was the younger Tirek but he was not the same size as he had been. His new form was triple that of what she had witnessed in the last vision. Black hair poured from his head, his horns stretched out like tree branches, and his muscles flexed with every movement. A light blinded the alicorn. It was a blast from his horn, his magic was carving out stone of the cave. Twilight moved closer only to be stopped by the older version of the centaur. He shook his head and pointed in the direction of the knoll and the vanishing gargoyle.

When they caught up to Scorpan, Twilight frowned at the expression he held. It’s so sad, Twilight gathered. I feel so sorry for Scorpan. What happened to him? They followed the gargoyle through the grass for a ways before it channeled out onto a road and into a town. Scorpan’s look completely changed as soon as everyone came out of their houses. She watched as the brightly colored ponies danced and sang with the large gargoyle, cheering him up almost instantaneously. Eventually, the gargoyle made his way through the happy crowd before coming to a tower of circular clocks, random gears, and a large telescope exploding out the back. Three swift knocks and he waited patiently for an answer.

“So this is where Scorpan went on his days off. A little town I didn’t even know about,” Tirek mumbled. “I always assumed he went to sulk in the woods.”

A bearded pony with a pointy blue hat and blue cape opened the door. Bells hung from the fabric with star designs within the blue cloth. His tired eyes stared up at the gargoyle then seemed to look past him as if he saw something more. “Ah, come in, Scorpan.”

“Star Swirl!?” Twilight squealed. Twilight and Tirek followed the gargoyle in as the bearded pony closed the door. “I can’t believe it! I’m really here meeting Star Swirl the Bearded! Well, technically not meeting per say but it’s as close as I’ve ever been! This is such an honor. He’s just like in the stories about him, though, I did imagine his voice to be a little more gruff.”

“I, too, cannot believe it. The old stallion that coerced my brother into betraying me was only a town away! This is where he went on that final day…” Tirek trailed off.

Scorpan sat on the single purple loveseat in the room. It was much too small for him, more of a chair than a couch. “I have grave news of my brother. He absorbed the magic of some ponies,” Scorpan began to explain. “Apparently, they were camping in the woods nearby. He left them there once he had what he wanted. He’s testing out his new strength as we speak. There’s little time. What are we going to do?”

Ringing echoed from the bells as the wizard paced the room. “Celestia and Luna are already on their way to face your brother. They will be using the Elements of Harmony to remove your brother’s evil strength. However, if he’s growing stronger then the Elements may not be enough to defeat him. If they cannot remove his evilness then there may be only one other option. Are you sure this is the path you wish to take?”

“He won’t… die, will he?” Scorpan stammered.

“He might prefer that over being sent to Tartarus,” answered the wizard.

Tirek slapped his chest. “Wait… If we’re here, then that means… We’re going to miss it! Come on!” He then rushed out of the room, phasing right through the door as if it wasn’t there at all. Twilight began to chase after him but stopped when she heard the gargoyle’s voice.

“Tartarus,” Scorpan reiterated. “If that happens, could you ask that he be released once they figure out how to remove his… wickedness? I’d like for him to return home once all is said and done.”

“I shall. However, does this mean you are returning to your homeland soon? If you are, I’d like to go with you. Perhaps keep you company for a ways. Not all the way mind you, these old bones aren’t good for traveling such a long distance anymore.”

Twilight couldn’t believe her ears. Star Swirl headed for Tirek’s homeland? I’ve never heard of this, she thought. She stepped towards the old wizard but then took a look back at the door. No Tirek’s parents, no learning about Star Swirl’s journey. This is getting really annoying. Her teeth grinded within her mouth as her eyes darted between the two options. Before she could give into her desires, she rushed off, phasing through the door and heading in the direction they came from. She was unsure why Tirek would head back to the plateau but her question was answered as a shadow covered the ground.

Two ponies flew over her head, eclipsing the sun. One a bright white, the other a dark blue. Levitating around them were gemstones of different shapes and colors. She flapped her wings and rose into the sky, catching up to the two sisters. As she had thought, it was Celestia and Luna with the Elements of Harmony. She followed them the entire way to the cave, reaching the grassy knoll and landing next to the older Tirek. The centaur stared at his former self, knowing and waiting for the inevitable to come. He didn’t even budge when Twilight came and leaned against him.

They watched as the two sisters floated down from above and called out to the young lord. The large centaur came stomping into the light, laughing all the way. Words were spoken that Twilight could not hear and then a flash of light came from the centaur. The sisters fell to the ground and the centaur increased in size. He grew and grew, cackling all the while. The plateau above the cave crumbled against his new form, falling to the ground around him as he flexed his new muscles. A moment later and his laughing stopped.

The two alicorns had risen up with their faded magic, casting the Elements of Harmony and unleashing the magic from the stones. The Elements filled them with a renewed energy and then shot a rainbow of color into the air. The prism flew down in an arc and crashed into the centaur, causing him to yell in agony. A flash of light flew from the centaur and everything faded.

Twilight snapped awake, shoving away the light that didn’t exist. She opened her eyes and saw the zebra and the centaur. Tirek had already gotten up and refused to look her way. “Tirek?” she called out as she rubbed her eyes.

“We’re done, I’ve seen all I can stomach,” he replied.

“No, there’s one more thing you need to see, something we both need to see.” Twilight grabbed the bottle from the ground as he looked back over his shoulder. “I know where the next drink will take us, you’ve just go to trust me.” She motioned for him to take the glass container.

He eyed her, then the bottle. “Fine.” A swallow for both and they were out.

The darkness had lessened its grip as they moved to the past. They found themselves standing together on a dirt road, grass and trees along the path. There was no sign of anyone until two voices laughed from down this road. Coming towards them were a gargoyle and a pony, Scorpan and Star Swirl the Bearded. Their faces were cheery and red from laughter. Tirek moved to the side of the road and crossed his arms, apathetic to the two he desperately wanted to despise.

“It turns out that Tirek was the one to stuff the cookies into my bag,” Scorpan said, “I was so mad at him for so long but he never really seemed remorseful. That is until I got him back by cutting his hair in his sleep. The practical jokes quit after that.”

“I quite enjoy practical jokes. I’ll have to remind myself to perform a few on Celestia once I return. You’re never too young, or old, to pull a good jest,” Star Swirl replied. The two stopped directly in front of Twilight and Tirek. “Ah, here we are. These old bones took me further than halfway, but that’s alright.”

“I wish you would come the whole distance. My parents would love to meet you.”

Star Swirl patted the gargoyle’s hand. “I know, I know. Maybe one day. I’ve got to make sure Celestia and Luna are alright. They may also need my help in containing and moving your brother. But don’t worry. You’ll see me again once we escort him. On that day, you and I will have to play chess. Wouldn’t want you to become rusty, after all.” He chuckled.

Tirek unfolded his arms and stood with his mouth agape. “They were… going to move me?”

“I can hardly wait until that time comes. Try to befriend him, too, if you can. Tirek can be a really nice guy once you get to know him,” Scorpan pleaded. He then grabbed the wizard, lifting and wrapping him in a bear hug before setting him down and parting ways.

The gargoyle went one way while the wizard headed the way they had come. Tirek started to trot off after Scorpan but Twilight yelled, “No, Tirek. This way.” Tirek stopped and turned back to the alicorn, her face said more than her words.

“This might be the only chance we get to see what happened at Scorpan’s return,” Tirek reasoned.

“I know, but Tirek, Star Swirl disappeared and never returned to Equestria,” she said, stomping her hoof. “Without his return, you were never released. If he had returned then he could have solved the disappearance of The Crystal Empire, he could have completed his formula for the cutie mark switching spell, everything would be drastically different! We have to follow him, we might uncover something so important that I might change everything!”

Tirek looked back and forth between Scorpan and Star Swirl. With a shout of anger, he rushed beside Twilight and chased after the wizard. They caught up to the old stallion and trotted along behind him, waiting for anything to happen. Eventually, the wizard stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, facing them. His eyes seemed to dart between the two as if he could see them. It turns out, he could. “Whoever you are, I cannot allow you to see what happens next,” the wizard said. “Time manipulation, even in basic form, can have very serious consequences.”

“Wait, you can see us?” Twilight asked. “That’s not possible, we’re just seeing a vision, and we’re not actually here.”

“And you shouldn’t be here in the first place. Something nopony can know is about to happen. Be gone!” The wizard’s horn lit up and the two were blinded by a bright light.

Twilight had expected to wake up, to be in Zecora’s hut, but the potion was too strong for Star Swirl to counter. She awoke with Tirek on the outskirts of his home, though she wouldn’t have known it was his home had she not recognized the red and black flags floating against the gray stone wall. The land around them was no longer ruined and red but instead a plethora of grass and fauna. A stream trickled water beneath a bridge that hadn’t been there previous. And on that bridge traveled a gargoyle with a brown mane and maroon wings. His face was as mystified as theirs.

“We’re not back with your zebra friend,” Tirek mentioned. “How did that pony see us? Where are we? What’s going on?”

“This is your home, Tirek, but different,” answered Twilight.

Scorpan was confronted by some gargoyle children to which he happily danced and played with before rushing towards the portcullis. Twilight and Tirek stood in his path and followed him. They halted behind him as he spoke to one of the guards. “Lord Scorpan! It’s good to see you again. Your parents have been anxiously awaiting your return and your brother’s.”

“They have? What happened? Why is everything so… so green?”

“You’ve been gone for so long,” a feminine voice said. A lady gargoyle dressed in a green dress with a blue cloak covering her head came walking towards Scorpan. Tirek perked up, recognizing the lady immediately. “We strived to make a better home, your father and I, in the hopes that you’d return one day with Tirek. Then you’d see that this is your home and you might want to stay for good. At least, that was our hope.”

Tirek reached out his hand to the concealed gargoyle. His eyes swelled and tears ran down his cheeks. “Mama,” he uttered, his voice cracking as he spoke.

The lady placed her hands on the hood and Twilight stretched her head closer. This is it, I’m finally going to see Tirek’s mother, she believed. Just as the hood was brought back and the shadow had begun to recede, a blinding light formed and shook the alicorn awake. She snapped her head around and saw the masks and bottles of the hut, then came face to face with Zecora. I was so close, she thought. “Zecora! You’re not going to believe it but Star Swirl could see us. I thought you said the potion-”

A whimpering sob caught her attention and she was compelled to turn to the centaur. With his head in his hands, Tirek bawled and cried. Twilight couldn’t believe what she was seeing, forgetting all about the old wizard and the hooded gargoyle. She had never seen Tirek so emotional. All she could was grab onto him and hold him close, whispering into his ear encouraging words as he let it all out. She had meant to make him happy, she had meant to help him, instead, all she could feel was failure.

After a while, the centaur and alicorn made their way out of the forest. Tirek’s head hung low the entire silent walk. She waited for him to say something, anything, as she had no idea what she could do to comfort the burdened beast. As they reached the tree line and exited the Everfree Forest, Tirek stopped and stared into the sky. The sun was setting, they had spent a quarter of the day lost in visions of the past. The purple and orange sky was bringing the chill of night with it, coating their fur with a slight breeze.

“Thank you for today, Twilight Sparkle,” Tirek finally spoke up.

“Listen, Tirek, I’m sorry-”

“No, don’t apologize.” He didn’t turn to face her as he talked. “You set out to cheer me up, but you’ve given me something even greater. Perhaps even greater than my redemption. You’ve given me the want, the desire, for closure.”

Twilight’s ears perked up as she stepped to his side and stared up at him. “Does this mean…?”

“Yes. I will return to my homeland and meet with Scorpan. I don’t know when I’ll go nor am I sure if I’ll take you with me, but I do know that I will. I have to.”

She could see the tears streaming down his cheeks and onto his smiling lips, salting the curves and the beard below. It was a contagious smile as she soon felt herself grinning like a fool. “Tirek, regardless of the bet, I want you to know I will happily go with you if you ask me to. I’m glad I could help and I’d be willing to help even more, you just have to ask.”

“When the time comes, you’ll be the first I tell.”

After that, Twilight returned to the castle alone, giving Tirek time to himself. As the door of the castle closed, she slid her back down the frame and sat against the crystal door. A long, drawn-out sigh left her lips as she bumped her head against the crystal. It’s becoming difficult, she thought. To choose, to hold back. I’m not sure what to do anymore. Another sigh and she rose to her hooves and trotted up the staircase. It was a slow walk up and even longer to her bedroom. Her head was filled with thoughts the entire way. She collapsed on her bed, lost in thought and exhausted.

The silk and satin rubbed against her fur as her mind raced faster than any of the living Wonderbolts. Her stomach growled and only angered her more as she fought the thoughts clouding her mind. A second later and they vanished, disappearing as a knock came to the open door. She looked to the doorframe and saw the draconequus standing in the doorway, holding something. The look on his face seemed out of the ordinary compared to his usual clowny expressions.

“Hello, um, Twilight,” he said before stepping towards the bed. He stared down at the item in his hands and fidgeted with the edges.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, eventually discerning it was a rolled up piece of paper. “Hello, Discord. What have you got there?” she asked, suspicious of the paper and his attitude.

Discord took another step around the bed and plopped his rump on the edge. He fidgeted more with the scroll until finally lifting it and handing it to the alicorn. “I found this earlier. I was looking for – well, it doesn’t really matter what I was looking for. But I found it, and I read it. I know I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t have known what was inside and what it would say.”

Twilight perked up and levitated the scroll to her face. Upon unraveling the letter she realized what it was. “I see,” she answered, her expression souring.

“All those times you said that Tirek and I were alike, well, now you’re more right than ever. He may have known his parents while I did not, but now we’re more comparable than I’d like to admit,” he sighed. “To be honest, I’d have put it back and not said anything, except something struck a chord.”

“Oh? What?”

“I thought of just going to Fluttershy and telling her this, but I felt you needed to know too.” His hands clenched the sheet and his gritted teeth were but a silhouette in the darkness.

She sat up and took a seat next to the draconequus. His long muzzle seemed to droop with the rest of his face as he stared at the ground. “You can tell me anything, Discord. I’m here for you.”

A smile faltered on his face before it turned back to a clenching frown. “I’ve never thought about family before. I’ve always been a loner. No family, no friends. It’s been this way for as long as I can remember – until you showed up, until Fluttershy showed up, until those other pesky Elements I don’t remember the names of, showed up.” Discord took his arm and placed it around the alicorn’s neck, holding onto her with a gentle firmness. “Now that I’ve got you all, I’m forced to think back to the family I never knew, the nothingness I was running from. Not having parents, siblings, even cousins, it’s an awful feeling.”

“I never knew you felt this way, Discord.”

“Neither did I until I read that letter. Fluttershy has been the closest to family I’ve had since, well, forever. It’s hard to think about. All this time I’ve been wanting something that I didn’t know I wanted. That’s true chaos right there, a bit ironic to think about.” Discord then took a deep breath and stood up. “That’s all I wanted to say. Just needed to get it off my chest. Don’t tell Tirek I read his letter.”

The draconequus left without another word. Twilight could hear her own heart beating as she sat, staring at the doorway. She sat there for a long while, unmoving and unblinking, like a statue of purple fur. Her mind finally began to give back control as she jolted off her bed. The pain and exhaustion she had been feeling was replaced with adrenaline. “SPIKE!” she yelled as she moved past her door and out into the hall. She beat on the purple dragon’s door as if she was being chased by an axe wielding murderer. No response came from inside the room. As she trotted down the steps to the second floor, yelling his name the entire way, she eventually found the light shining from the open library.

“Spike?” she called out.

The purple dragon startled to awake, pulling himself off the floor. “T-Twilight?” he replied with a yawn and a rub of his eye.

“Have you been sleeping in here the entire day?” she asked as she trotted over to the table. “Never mind, don’t answer that, I already know what it’ll be.”

“W-What’s going on?”

She levitated the books off the table and dragged a set of blank parchments from another. “You got a quill and ink?” she asked as she arranged the papers.

“Always on hand,” he replied, pulling them both from almost nowhere. He jumped up onto the seat and placed the ink next to the parchment, opening it up, and then dipping the point of the quill in. “So, you want to tell me what we’re doing?”

“They’ve won the bet,” she answered as she paced around the table. “Are you ready to write?”

He didn’t even have a moment to process what she meant. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

She took a deep breath through her nose and then let it out through her mouth. “Okay,” she said, “Dear Princess Celestia, I’m in love with two different stallions…”

Chapter 30: Cut to the Revenge

“I’m over him. I’m over him. I’m over him,” the changeling queen repeated to herself as she paced back and forth. “I won’t be upset, I won’t be angry, I won’t-” she paused. A grin split itself on her face, rising from ear to ear. She had been waiting for something like this to happen, anything that could help her in her evil goal. This was a good start. She wouldn’t have thought two ponies kissing in the castle would be the instigating factor. An empty castle foyer, a white unicorn and a black, and a short peck on the lips when they thought no one was looking. The changeling had stood in the shadows as they embraced, unnoticed by the two.

That had been the night before and now it was morn. She had barely gotten a wink of sleep throughout the night. Anger had kept her blood flowing, preventing her from falling off to dreamland. Now, the sun shined through the crack of the curtain and onto her, displaying the wide smile she held. The white teeth glowed from her malicious grin like a lighthouse at night. Today is a red letter day, she thought. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sucking in air through her nose.

The black stallion had already left for the morning. She had heard his door open and close before the sun had vanquished any purple within the sky. It was clear where he had headed, but there was someone else who needed to see it for themselves.

Chrysalis stepped out into the bedroom hall and trotted across to another room. She pounded on a door, knocking furiously in the hopes of awakening the occupant inside. The lock turned and the door opened at a snail’s pace. Her eerie, menacing smile was the first thing Spike saw. “Hey, Spike. Wanna go out for some breakfast? Just you and me?” The teeth-bearing grin never left her face as she spoke, nor did it leave after they had arrived in the main part of Ponyville. At breakfast, her grin could be seen in-between the quick shoveling of food into her mouth. Her chewing was somehow even more disturbing than the smile itself.

They had sat outside per her request. She wanted a way to view as much of the town as she could from one spot. The purple dragon groggily ate his food, oblivious to her overly enthusiastic attitude. After she had finished, her head had begun to swing around, looking for something specific. Spike did notice this, and asked, “Chrysalis, uh, what are you doing?”

“Oh, you know, looking for the waiter. Say, I am stuffed, how about we go for a walk to lighten this new load?” She stared at him with bright eyes and a crumb filled smile.

Spike looked at her, holding toast in one claw and a fork with scrambled eggs in the other. His food had been scarcely touched and his pancakes hadn’t even arrived. “Uh, sure, just let me finish eating.”

She waited with an obnoxious patience, watching him eat while still scanning her surroundings with her peripheral vision. An occasional yawn or stretch would allow her to catch a glimpse of those behind her. The longer he took the more her grin faded. Eventually, the purple dragon finished his meal and let out a large belch, signifying he was done. Before he could announce his accomplishment he was levitated up onto the back of the changeling. “Come on!” she said as she took off, not giving him a moment to settle on her carapace.

“Chrysalis!” he yelled, clinging to her hair. “I thought you said we should go for a walk, not a run!”

The changeling queen ignored him. She was too focused on finding the unicorn pair. She wouldn’t have to look far as it wasn’t long before she came across the objects of her obsession. A black stallion and a white mare walking together at a meandering pace. The queen ducked out of their view before Spike could see them, hoping to keep from spoiling the surprise she’d soon hope to unveil. Spike squirmed on her back, trying to see past her long neck and mangled mane. She followed the two unicorns as they went from shop to shop, waiting for them to show any signs of affection for one another.

“What are you even doing?” Spike yelled. He flopped off her back, landed on his rump, and glared up at the changeling. “It’s too early in the morning for you to be acting so weird,” he added as he stepped out from the shadows. He took a look at what she was staring at and saw the two unicorns. A smile started to make an appearance on his face, he was thankful to see two ponies acting normal. That smile vanished gradually as he watched them, realizing that they weren’t acting normal at all. At first it was just a boop to the noses, then a nuzzle of the cheeks, and finally a press of their lips against one another.

Chrysalis and her grin paid no eye to the unicorns, she was too focused on seeing the dragon’s reaction. She watched as his shock turned to sadness and then to anger and rage. His claw clenched into a fist and his jaw stiffened shut. Before he could move or get away, she levitated him onto her back. “Oh my, Spike,” she said, “Are you seeing what I’m seeing? I was looking all over for Twilight but it seems we stumbled into something else.” She made sure to stop her grinning as she looked back to the dragon. “Whatever shall we do?”

Spike slumped backwards, crossing his arms with a pout. “Let’s just get out of here. Everyone’s gone crazy today,” he answered. Chrysalis did as she was told, taking a long walk in the opposite direction. It wasn’t long before his anger seethed through, though. “I can’t believe it! Have they been together this whole time? Is this why she was okay with letting me off when you claimed to be her?” he shouted his angered questions.

“I apologized for that, right? I hope you’re not still mad at me. I am sorry,” Chrysalis replied with an exaggerated tone. I can’t have you not on my side, after all.

“No, no. I’m not mad at you. At least you’re honest about things with me. Even you taking me out to breakfast was nice thing to do. We were just lucky enough to cross those backstabbers. I just can’t believe that they’d get together! That’d be like Discord and Fluttershy getting together or something. Gross.” He spit his tongue out at the idea.

“Yeah, who would have seen that coming?” Her grin vanished as she turned her head back to the dragon but reappeared once he couldn’t see her face.

He went on and on with his badmouthing as they walked. She made sure to listen to everything he said, not paying any attention to where they were going. They eventually wandered onto the road to Sweet Apple Acres. The autumn trees lacked the fruit of what they had been known to hold. Wind blew the fallen leaves in little spirals along the open paths. All the shadows had up and vanished beneath the risen sun. It was as if the land had dried up and died to reflect the sour dragon’s feelings.

“You know what?” he yelled as he sat up on her hide and toppled off, landing on his feet. “I’ve got something I want to do, too. Thanks for listening Chrysalis!” He waved her off and began walking away.

Spike ran off towards the homely residence of the dead orchard leaving Chrysalis to transform herself into a brown, fluffy squirrel and chase after him. She climbed up the closest tree and went from branch to branch, skittering closer and closer to the farm’s adobe until she got as close as she could. She watched as the dragon knocked on the door and waited, a grin still plastered on her now furry cheeks. The wooden door squeaked open, then the screen door. Applejack trotted out and greeted the dragon, “Hey there, Spike. What brings you to this here neck of the acre?”

Chrysalis leaned her ear closer to hear the purple dragon speak but no noise came from his mouth. She waited and watched, his purple claws fidgeted. Finally, he reached up and grabbed the orange mare by her cheeks, pulling her face down and planting a kiss on her lips. Her squirrely grin waned as she observed the two. No, no, no! You weren’t supposed to be pushed in this direction, she raged, snapping a twig with her little paws.

“Whoa, Spike!” Applejack said as she pulled away. “That was a mighty nice surprise but what brought that on?”

“Oh, uh,” he stuttered, thinking back to the two kissing unicorns. He clenched his fist and gulped. “I just saw something and it made me want to-”

“What’d you see that would make you want to do somethin’ like that?” she cut him off. “Shoot, maybe now I want to see it too. What was it?”

“Well, I was out with Chrysalis and we kind of stumbled on Rarity and Sombra. At first I didn’t think too much about it but then I saw them kissing and I-”

Applejack cut him off again, “Wait, Sombra and Rarity were kissing?” She noticed his clenched fist, and her lips puckered as her expression hardened. “Spike… You didn’t kiss me because you were jealous, did you?” She saw the frightened look in his eye after she asked that question, knowing the answer.

Chrysalis couldn’t believe her luck, the purple dragon had backed himself into a corner. Her smile returned and she tossed the broken twigs as she listened to the mare yell. Applejack shouted for less than a few seconds before slamming the door, leaving the dragon to sulk alone on the front porch. He stood as still as a tree for a long while before finally leaving. Chrysalis could feel his emotion radiating off his body, tasting his feelings as he traipsed underneath the tree. She took advantage of the moment, draining part of his love that had been so bright just moments ago. The dragon had a lot of love to give for someone so small, but she found it always tasted best whenever the victim’s spirit had just been crushed. It had been a while since she had tasted something so sweet.

She transformed once more, this time into a bird, and took flight out of the farm. She stood at the edge of the withered tree line, waiting for Spike to show up. “Oh, hey Spike. Funny running into you here. Get it? It’s a joke,” she said, her grin hung heavy on her face. The purple dragon’s scales looked almost colorless and his arms hung low at his sides as he walked. His sour frown didn’t even falter as he heard her voice. “Ouch. Doesn’t look like you’re feeling too good. We should head back to the castle. Here, let me help you… friend.” She levitated the dragon up onto her back without a word from him.

The entire walk back Spike remained silent, simply staring at the back of Chrysalis’s head. She didn’t mind though. Once they returned to the castle, Spike hopped off and began walking up the steps. “Hey Spike,” Chrysalis called up to him. “If you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m here for you.”

Spike halted at the top step and looked over his shoulder at the changeling queen below. Her grin was as thick as ever. “Thanks, Chrysalis. I appreciate it,” he said with a flat, toneless voice, then continued on to another part of the castle.

That worked out surprisingly well. Now, if Twilight asks him about it, she’ll find out Rarity and Sombra are together. This will surely separate one of the Elements from the rest, she thought to herself. Coffee would be her reward for the trouble she caused. After making a piping hot mug, Chrysalis sat down at the kitchen table and leaned on a hoof, reminiscing of the trouble she just caused. Spike will even be on my side if that awful stallion refuses to play on my team. No way would he want to be friends with Sombra.

While she sat with her coffee, the castle door opened and voices came following with it. Fluttershy and Starlight stepped through the doorway into the kitchen. “Thanks for walking me back, Fluttershy,” Starlight said as she plopped her bag on the kitchen table.

“Oh, no. It was the least I could do. You’re the one helping me, after all,” Fluttershy replied. “I’ll see you later! Hi Chrysalis!”

Chrysalis waved as the pegasus left. She listened for the castle door to close. Already got one, she thought. Let’s try for two. She watched as Starlight unpacked a few of her things from the saddlebags, placing them on the table beside it. “Hello, Starlight. What were you helping Fluttershy with?”

“Good morning,” Starlight said, “I was just helping Fluttershy with her animals. She’s got to go out of town for a few days so I’ll be feeding her animals since Discord is incapable of performing menial tasks as he put it. We were just going over what to feed them and what not.” She removed a pencil and pad from one of the pockets. “Don’t suppose you want to take my place?”

“I’ll pass. Though I do have to ask why you’re doing it. Can’t she get one of the others to do it instead? I mean, you’re Twilight’s apprentice, not Fluttershy’s.”

“It’s part of my friendship lessons,” replied the unicorn.

Chrysalis audibly scoffed at the notion. “Why are you still performing friendship lessons? What even lesson are you gaining from this? Honestly, it sounds more like you’re being used for their chores.”

“Well, Twilight thinks it’ll be good to see different aspects of our friend’s lives and maybe I’ll learn something.”

“No, no, no. That’s not what I meant,” Chrysalis sighed. “I mean, why are you her apprentice at all? You’re reformed, you could do anything. Look at Tirek and Discord, they’re off busy doing things. Meanwhile, you’re stuck here with me, the unreformed.”

The unicorn stopped and looked up from her notepad. “What are you saying? That I shouldn’t be doing things for Twilight?”

“There’s a difference between being an apprentice and being used. To be honest, I’m not sure you should even be classified as a villain. What’d you do? Create a town of happy folk and then tried to destroy Twilight and her friends after they ruined it? Seems a lot less criminal than Discord’s reign or Tirek’s appetite for magic, not to mention Sombra’s complete removal of the Crystal Empire. Why should they get to be free while you’re watching some dumb animals?”

Starlight’s jaw had become more unhinged than the snakes she had met at Fluttershy’s cottage. “I-I have never thought about it like that…” she murmured. “Well, I mean, I do want to be Twilight’s apprentice. I’ve learned so much and come so far, but in the end, I suppose I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

That’s it, take the bait, Chrysalis thought, her grin returned. “I think it’s a real shame too, you seem far more powerful than Twilight, and you’re not even an alicorn,” she laughed.

“I-I have to go think about this for a while,” Starlight replied as she hurriedly dumped the contents back into the bag.

Before Starlight could notice, Chrysalis drained a much smaller dose of love than she had with Spike. Starlight then finished packing the saddlebag and headed for the stairs. “Oh, Starlight, before you go.” Starlight stopped at the bottom step and looked back at the kitchen. Her eyes had lost just a small bit of coloring. Chrysalis leaned against the doorway, levitating the cup of coffee next to her. “If you need to talk about anything, I’m here for you,” she said, her big, toothy grin plastered across her face. Starlight nodded and smiled back before continuing up the stairs.

This is too easy. I really need to get off my rump more often, it seems I can get a lot of things done, she thought. Mm, and this coffee is so good. She guzzled the brown liquid down her throat and headed off to her bedroom, satisfied. A few hours of reading comics and napping came and went before a knock on the door forced her attention.

The purple alicorn stood in the doorway. “Hey, I just got word that the construction has finished and they’re going to begin painting and decorating. Wanna head over?” Twilight asked.

Chrysalis blinked. “Well, I just visited yesterday but if you’re inviting me, who am I to say no?”

Following the alicorn, Chrysalis and her grin trotted to the Ponyville Hive where most of the workers were finishing up. The wood had all been used, the tools were being dragged away, and paint cans littered the area. They entered the through the main entrance, passing through the large foyer where stairs lead higher to the hive’s nine other floors. Most of the walls had yet to be painted and tiling remained unfinished for parts of the flooring. It was almost finished except for the decorating parts, but that would be left for Rarity and the helpers under her.

With so many ponies leaving, Chrysalis and Twilight were left alone with the big empty space. They toured the second floor, making sure the kitchen had all it needed before the appliances arrived, though Chrysalis still believed none of her kind knew how to cook. The kitchen itself was conjoined with the cafeteria, which could hold close to three hundred individuals. It was the largest room within the whole hive, perhaps larger than any room within their old hive as well. Everything was bigger compared to the old. Each changeling’s room was double the size. Of course, the biggest upside was that none of it was made of dirt or mud.

“What will you do after the hive is complete, Twilight? You always seem so busy that it’s rare to see you relaxed. I don’t think I’ve even gotten a chance to date you because of it,” Chrysalis said as they strolled back down to the main floor.

Twilight’s ears fell flat at the notion, her head sunk down as well. “Uh, well, y’know. Still got a lot to do in my life. I am a princess after all,” she chuckled nervously.

Chrysalis moved around the alicorn, pressing her towards what would soon be the queen’s room. It was the largest room on the main floor and the most finished. “Of course, of course. You have so much to do. Perhaps once I’m settled in you can come and stay with me for a change.” Chrysalis pushed open the large double doors, revealing her room had already been painted and furnished for the most part. All that remained of a construction site was the wooden floorboards that she asked to remain as they were. “Oh, but of course, I do only have one bed,” she added, her grin shining at Twilight.

“I can’t believe they’ve already finished in here. Everyone’s been working so hard but I was still afraid we wouldn’t get the hive done before winter came. Looks like we’ll be able to move all the changelings in right at the start of winter! Isn’t that exciting?”

“Exciting? Oh, Twilight… There are no words that could come close to describing how I feel right now,” Chrysalis replied. “The only thing that might make it better-” Chrysalis grabbed onto Twilight’s neck, pulling her close to her face “-is having a purple alicorn visit me every day. Maybe even stay the night.”

With a gentle push, Twilight distanced herself from the changeling queen. “We’ll have to take a raincheck on that until you’re fully reformed. Of course, you’ll have to let me know when you’d like to make your apology in Canterlot,” Twilight explained, hoping to turn the conversation in a different direction. “Not that I’m pressuring you or anything. This hive is a step in the right direction after all.”

Almost had three in one day, she sighed internally, and then said, “Even with being around Discord you still can’t recognize teasing.” Chrysalis feigned a smile as she tapped the alicorn’s horn. “Honestly Twilight, how do you even getting up in the morning when you carry such a burden on your shoulders?” She trotted circles around Twilight as she spoke, glancing at her from the corner of her eye. “Shouldn’t you be able to delegate some of these afflictions? Five other friends and some of them just don’t even want to help you.”

The alicorn’s head tilted and twisted to keep her eyes locked with the changeling but she soon became dizzy from trying. “What are you talking about? Everyone has been super helpful. Building a hive, getting along, and Starlight has taken much of the weight as well.”

“Starlight has reformed, right? Yet she still serves you and the other Elements. I wonder how she feels about that. Being used and neglected while you save an entire species, go out on dates with other ex-villains, and meet with other princesses of varying importance. I can only imagine that feeling,” Chrysalis replied, stepping over to the other end of the room and collapsing on the bed.

“What are you talking about? Has Starlight said something about this to you?”

“Me? No. No! She’s far too busy to spend more than a moment talking to me. It’s probably nothing, but that’s how I’d feel if I were in her horseshoes,” she lied.

Twilight looked at the changeling and then down to the wooden floor, thinking back to the last time she spent more than a few sentences on her student. “E-Excuse me Chrysalis, I’ve got to go and do… something.” She gave a bow to the changeling queen and then exited the room, closing the wooden doors behind her.

Chrysalis couldn’t contain her lips’ delight. She was grinning from ear to ear. “Oh yes, little Twilight,” she whispered to herself as one of the floorboards was pulled up by her magic. “You’ll have something to do soon enough, I’ll make sure of that.” From underneath the floor came a glass container holding a dark, empty void within it. “You and your friends will have something to do for a thousand years.” Her grin reflected itself within the glass, staring back at her along with the blackness inside.

Chapter 31: Moving Day

It had been a tiresome process but the day had finally come. Though the structure looked reminiscent of a beehive, the hundreds of stout windows told a different story. It was as if the first ever hotel had been made for Ponyville, only instead of guests, it would be housing permanent residents. The outside had been finished for a while, but the inside had just been completed the day before. Now, the entire town of Ponyville stood at its doorstep, giddy with delight, waiting for the Princess of Friendship to speak.

The Elements and reformed villains stood behind her, waiting for her to finish so that they could head for the train station. The changelings would soon be living in this new hive. It was a time Sombra dreaded. He barely remembered any of the names he was told during his stay in their hive, let alone their faces. It would be awkward, he knew, but it was made easier by being by Rarity’s side. His eyes wandered to the white mare who stood with the other Elements. All he wanted to do was be by her side, kissing at her cheek or smelling her fragrance. Of course, he couldn’t do that out in the open where they’d be seen, so instead he stared at the back of Twilight’s head.

As the Princess of Friendship recited her speech, he noticed that her head bobbed slightly. It happened whenever she moved onto a new paragraph. Her hair would go up and then down along her neck at each pause. It was a useless detail that he noticed, and wondered if the rest of the day would be filled with useless details. His eyes wandered from side to side as he pondered if Tirek and Discord noticed the same thing. The roaring cheer of the crowd snapped him back from his scatter-brained stupor only for the alicorn’s speech to drag on.

Once her speech had finished the changeling queen stepped up to give hers. Sombra could barely pay attention to Twilight’s and Chrysalis’s was no different, though this time he purposefully zoned out. White birds flying high in the sky caught his attention as they soared far overhead. He watched them flap into the distance, wondering where they were going and why they were doing it. He then wondered why he was there and what he was even doing, but he didn’t have to wonder for long. His eyes drifted back to the white mare, but this time she caught his stare and gave him a smile in return.

He smiled back at the same time the crowd riled up another cheer, startling him more so than the last. His eyes turned and looked out over the sea of ponies as the ribbon in front of the podium was cut in two by the changeling and the alicorn. The ceremony was finally over.

He gave a sigh of relief and stepped out from the line, trotting over to the white unicorn. As he passed, Applejack gave a snort and whipped her head to remove him from her sight. Her expression had caught him off guard. He couldn’t help but look back and wondered what was wrong, only to slam headfirst into the white mare. Rarity fell off-kilter and bumped into Fluttershy who in turn slammed into Pinkie Pie and finally knocking over Rainbow Dash.

“Hey! What’s the big idea!?” yelled the blue pegasus from beneath the party pony.

Though the crowd had begun to dissipate, many saw the commotion from Sombra’s bumbling. His muzzle reddened as he caught a glimpse of the many staring eyes, Twilight and Chrysalis included. He looked back to see Applejack’s reaction but she had already stepped away. “Sorry, Rarity. I became distracted and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” He helped her to her hooves.

“What about me? Don’t I get an apology?” Rainbow Dash flew close and shoved her face against his.

“Uh, of course. My apologies,” he replied before stepping around her.

Rainbow looked over her shoulder and he could feel her eyes on him like daggers cutting into his neck. He watched as Rarity looked past him, speaking with her apologetic eyes to the pony behind him. The blue pegasus let out a groan and stomped off. A smile danced on his lips once Rarity’s eyes shifted back to meet his.

With the ceremony over and the crowd diminished, Sombra and Rarity made their way down to the train station with the other Elements and ex-villains. They boarded and waited for the packing supplies to be loaded onto the train. Cardboard boxes and tape had been ordered along with every seat on the locomotive. Sombra had been one of the few privy to the exchange of money that came from Canterlot for this little venture. It was still a mystery to Sombra as to why the royal sisters would sink so much effort into helping the changelings. Perhaps it was the same reason they wanted to see the ex-villains reformed – one less enemy for them to deal with.

Nevertheless, it didn’t matter to Sombra why or what they were plotting. His goals had changed, he had changed. He wasn’t here to help Chrysalis or the changelings, he was here to be by Rarity’s side and to help her with whatever she required of him. His eyes drifted back to Tirek and Discord, wondering again if they were thinking the same things he was. They were like him, here for another, here for Twilight. Of course, I’ve already got Rarity while they have nothing. As the thought crossed his mind a smug smile unconsciously made its way to his face.

“And just what are you so happy about?”

His eyes darted back to Rarity and his smile vanished. “Oh, I was just thinking of…” he paused. His smile returned as he stared into her seductive, blue eyes. “You.”

“Darling, that is so romantic of you.” She moved closer to him, pressing against his side. “Are you finally okay with being affectionate in public?” she whispered.

He had completely forgotten where they were and what they had been doing. His brows raised as his eyes widened, darting around the train car to see who might have seen or heard their discussion. No one batted an eye in their direction. Relief bathed his face. “I-I, well, not yet,” he answered, staring at the floor. “But soon, hopefully.”

“It’s quite alright. Whenever you’re ready.”

Sombra was more than ready, he’d been wanting to shout it from the castle rooftops for days. One morning he had trotted up to the roof to do so but chickened out, whispering to the early morning sun instead. His fear of how Twilight would react, how Applejack would react, and more so, how Chrysalis would react, all burdened his mind. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to ask Rarity what she thought of how they’d react. She had been too busy helping plan the move.

“Okay everyone,” Twilight called out as she boarded the train. “We’re going to be heading off in a moment but I’d like to remind you all about winter. The weather ponies from Cloudsdale are going to bring in the winter clouds today and start laying the snow tomorrow. That means by the time we return with the changelings the snow should already be laid out. Does everyone have their warm clothes packed? Everyone got everything they’ll need for the overnight?”

Warm clothes? Luggage? I didn’t pack anything, Sombra thought. He turned his worried face to Rarity.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got something you can wear. Or… you could just snuggle with me,” she whispered. Blush crossed his muzzle and he nodded, leaving a vague answer for her.

The train doors closed and the sound of the train’s whistle rang out. As they started to move, Sombra leaned underneath Rarity and stared out the window. He watched the ground go by faster and faster and felt the breeze of air from the window’s slight opening. The smell of smoke coming from the engine was faint enough for him to enjoy. As he stared out, Rarity rested her chin on the back of his neck. He enjoyed the closeness, regardless if it attracted attention or not.

It was a long trip. Sombra could feel his bones stiffen as he tried to stand up. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his body out. Cocking his head back, he could see the white mare thrust out her chest and straighten her back. A few limp furs stuck out from her chest where she had leaned against him on the trip. As he stared at her he caught her looking back at him with a frown. The frown turned to a puzzled look before he finally heard a voice.

“Sombra!”

He shot his head around to see the angry-looking alicorn glaring down at him. “Uh, yes?” he groveled.

“Do you have rocks in your ears? I’ve been calling your name for the last minute!”

He shifted his weight and slammed his rump back down onto the seat. “Sorry. What did you need?”

Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. “You’re on luggage duty with Tirek and Spike. There aren’t enough carts to carry both them and the packing supplies in the same trip, so I’m having you three do it.”

“Oh, okay.” He rose up and stepped past her, taking a moment to look over his shoulder at Rarity who gave a smile, almost as if to reassure him. He walked out into the sunlight and was hit with the dusty, sandy smell of the desert town. The ground is so yellow, and these buildings are so strange. I’ve never seen anything like this. It was nothing like Ponyville and the complete opposite of The Crystal Empire. Heat pounded down from above as if winter wasn’t even a thing for Dodge City.

His eye caught the red and black centaur and he quickly trotted over, waiting for all the luggage to be pulled out of the train. “This journey is going to be incredibly taxing,” Tirek stated.

Spike carried several of the luggage pieces from inside and set them on the platform. “You’re telling me. And then it’s going to be cold once we return to Ponyv-” Spike hesitated upon seeing the black stallion. His eyes squinted, giving a stink eye before he returned to the train car.

Tirek looked to his side, wondering what the young dragon had seen, and noticed Sombra. “How about you? Ready to work your hide off for little recognition and even less reward?”

“I’ll just be happy to have Chrysalis out of the castle,” Sombra replied. “Though I can only imagine what kind of trouble she’ll manage to cook up once she’s on her own.”

“Yeah, it’s really surprising what some of us do with our spare time.” Spike sat down the last of the luggage.

Sombra’s eyebrows pulled together. “Everything okay, Spike?”

“Just dandy,” he retorted before walking away.

“That was a bit odd. Wonder what’s gotten into him. Maybe it’s the weather?” Tirek asked.

“I… I’m not sure.” This was the second time Sombra had noticed another’s contempt. It was unlike anything he had seen outside his foal days in The Crystal Empire. Had he done something wrong? He needed to find out, but he’d have to wait.

The rest of the Elements and ex-villains had already exited the train and stood around on the platform, waiting for the wooden carts to be loaded. The cardboard boxes had filled two of the train cars and they’d most likely fill three or four once they were full. When they were loaded, the filled wagons were attached to Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash while Starlight levitated the leftovers. “Alright everyone, if you’ll follow me we can make it to the hive before nightfall. Make sure to keep the carts in an orderly fashion,” Twilight yelled from the front.

After Tirek and Spike grabbed as much of the luggage as they could hold Sombra levitated the rest into the air. They trotted behind the carts and into the town. Tumbleweeds passed the carts faster than a tortoise passing a snail. It would be a long walk to the hive, Sombra knew, as he remembered the day he had left. A cloak in the night, he managed to board the midnight train before it took off. Now, he smiled and waved to some of the citizens as they passed by, gaining a couple swoons from a few mares.

Spike spat out his tongue in disgust, hiding it from Sombra’s view, but the stallion had caught a glimpse. He didn’t question it, though. He wondered what he had done to make Spike so spiteful. It would be a discussion he’d have to have at a later point, and perhaps it would lead to a chance to push him towards Applejack. Wait a moment, he remembered. Applejack also seemed a tad angered. Something is going on, something I don’t know about. He kept watching the purple dragon, trying to discern what it could be. As he became lost in thought he slammed face first into the back of a cart, dropping all of the luggage he carried onto himself.

His head popped up from the pile of baggage. He looked around the side of the cart, catching a glimpse of Discord snapping his fingers and a path opening between trees. “I’m not walking through a jungle twice,” he heard the draconequus say. The carts began to move again and he quickly levitated the luggage once more.

“Is everything okay?” Spike condescendingly asked as he passed the stallion, giving a snide smirk as well.

Sombra rubbed the edge of his muzzle and replied, “Just dandy…”

They continued on into the parted forest as the sun had begun to hang low in the sky. The blue was vanishing and the orange radiance began to take over. It was becoming more of a crawl than a walk with the slow moving carts, but the smoothed road had made it easier to traverse. The surrounding swamp soon gave way to a nauseating smell, and Sombra immediately remembered why he hated this place. The toxic fumes caused many of the mares to moan and holler in disgust. Once they reached the center of the swampy forest the smell became even stronger, burning into their nostrils. Luckily, the road Discord had snapped into existence was still flat along the path to the hive. Pools of water surrounded their path, raising hot steam up into the air and the occasional bubble.

The walkway filtered to the foot of the largest, white pillar within the revolting landscape. The caravan had stopped. Sombra watched Spike walk past the carts and up to the front of the line. He could hear voices talking but the gurgling of the water made the words illegible. A moment later and a moving platform slid up the pillar, heading for the first available opening. He could see Spike, Rarity, and a few others on it as well as the first cart. The line moved forward and the platform came back down to greet the next cart. “I hope it doesn’t smell inside,” Tirek murmured.

“It doesn’t, thankfully.” The line moved forward again and the last cart stepped onto the platform. The last cart went up while Tirek and Sombra were forced to wait. “Of course, it is dark and damp.”

Once the platform came back to them, they stepped on and road it up. The smell lessened its overwhelming presence as they reached the gaping hole and stepped inside. The ponies that pulled the carts had already unhooked and followed the cave down into the hive. Spike had set the luggage down against a wall and so Sombra followed suit, taking Tirek’s and arranging them in an orderly fashion. He quickly caught up to Tirek who had wandered down into the darkness. “Oh goodie. Another Tartarus,” he heard the centaur say.

The group had already started down one of the many ramps that led into the circular structure of the hive, leaving Tirek and Sombra behind. “Perhaps we should just create a cave in now and be done with it,” Sombra muttered as he stared down at the massive amount of changelings.

“Hey, hey. That’s real villain talk,” replied the centaur. “I like the way you think.”

“Yes, well, you know how it is. First sign of trouble and those six will come running,” Sombra recalled. “It’s as if they have a knack for getting in our way. Definitely a deterrent from trying anything evil. That and the whole being reformed thing, I suppose.”

“Being reformed doesn’t mean we can do some evil things. Discord still creates a little chaos every now and then.” Tirek began to make the trek down, talking as he walked. “Surely you could do a little something with all the gemstones lining this place, a few accurately placed crystals here and there. An easy cave in. Or have you grown spineless?”

Sombra glanced over the pale blue gems that lined the walls and ceiling, noting how they stood out in contrast to the dark brown mudded walls. “Who would have foreseen that you’d hold a grudge, Tirek?”

A laugh bellowed from the centaur. “You and I are here because we’re friends with these ponies. Tartarus be, we’re probably the only ones who don’t want to be here right now.” His head swiveled around to look at the unicorn. “May as well bust your chops since everyone else is being so serious.”

That might be where you’re wrong, Tirek. I want to be wherever Rarity is, and if that means I have to be here, then so be it. Sombra followed Tirek down to the bottom of the hive and into the queen’s room. He knew it was the queen’s room, he had been in it so many times before. The dirty walls and floors, cluttered trash that she called treasure, and the silken bed. It remained the same as ever. It was all for a changeling who never changed.

“Alright, so we’ll be setting this up as our sleeping area for the night. In the morning we’ll load the carts up with all the packed boxes and make several trips to and from the train. The luggage should contain our extra cots and so… where’s the luggage?” Twilight looked to the two stallions coming into the room. “Sombra, Tirek, where’s the luggage?”

“Oh, well,” Sombra sputtered. “Spike set his down at the top so I just took Tirek’s and set them all up there as well.”

“Well go get them. This is where we’ll be staying,” Twilight bossed. “Tirek, Discord, help me move some of this stuff around so we can all get set up in here.”

Sombra chewed the inside of his cheek as he looked around the room, noticing a smug grin on the changeling queen’s face as well as the purple dragon’s. He turned around and began his way back up to the top. His glower seemed to frighten the changelings as they dispersed from his path at a quick pace. The brutal climb up was made even worse as he realized he had forgotten which tunnel they had taken. The first he took was wrong, the second was also wrong, and by the time he got to the third he realized he had another level to go up.

Eventually, the stallion found the carts and used his magic to carry the luggage back down the tunnel. The weight was almost more than he could bear. Once he reached the rim of the main chamber he wondered if he should just toss the luggage down the center like an irrational foal. He knew some of it was Rarity’s, however, and decided he best not. His head hung low as he ambled down the path towards the bottom, struggling with the weight with each step.

Some of the other Elements had passed him on his way down. They weren’t his Element, though. They weren’t the one who he wanted to see the most. No, she stood with Twilight and Starlight within the queen’s room, chatting with them about something he could only wonder.

“Ah, good, Sombra.” Twilight walked over as he dropped the sizeable amount of luggage. “We’re splitting off into pairs to help the changelings pack. Go find a partner from whosever left and get started.”

His eyes gleamed and his strength was reinvigorated by the sight of the white mare. He rushed over to her, eagerly. “Pairs, huh? May as well get started, right?”

Rarity turned and smiled at him, but it quickly faded. “Oh, sorry dear, but Spike already asked me to be his partner.” The purple dragon stepped out from behind the unicorn with a mischievous smile across his face. “But I believe Tirek is still available.”

Sombra stared down at the dragon, a twitch in his eye. Without answering, Sombra lifted Spike into the air with his magic and plopped him down next to the centaur. “Well would you look at that, you’re now my partner.” His voice was deep and commanding like a royal guard.

Rarity’s features sharpened, her eyebrows slanted forward. “Sombra! That was very rude of you! Why would you do that?” she scolded. His blank, lifeless expression gave her all the answers she needed. With a groan, she conceded, “Alright, fine.” She then trotted over to the dragon. “Sorry my little Spikey-wikey. Looks like I’ve got to go with Mr. Stubborn over there.”

“Don’t worry, Spike. I’ll save you from the horrid centaur,” Chrysalis said, stepping into their conversation. “You and I can pair up.”

“Which means it’ll be you and me, Tirek,” Twilight added.

Rarity gave a sigh of relief and turned her head back to the black stallion. “It’s a shame some of us forget our manners from time to time.” She made a noise of displeasure and stepped out the door.

All eyes were on Sombra, and he was certainly feeling it. He hurried after her, wanting to be rid of the awkward air that strangled the room. It took less than a moment for him to catch up and trot alongside the brooding mare. She didn’t look at him, for if she had then she would have noticed his lips had drawn back into a snarl and his brows had pressed together. They made their way up to the carts, passing the other pairs of ponies and ex-villains. Once they reached the top, they levitated out some of the flat cardboard boxes, leaving plenty still within the cart. With a turn, she saw the disdain on his face.

“Sombra…” she hovered on his name. Her features softened as she drew close to the stallion. “What’s going on?”

He groaned and let his head fall. “It’s nothing, I think,” he answered.

“Well it sure doesn’t seem like nothing. You practically snapped at Spike! You shouldn’t bottle up your emotions, you need to let it out. It’s not good to keep that stuff inside where it can tear you up.” She tapped her lips. “You’ve been off all day, too. Bumping into me, forgetting the luggage, and just now with Spike… I’m worried about you.”

His eyes lifted up and matched hers. Before she could say another word his horn lit up and a wall of crystals shot up within the tunnel, blocking anyone from coming to the carts. “I’m not entirely sure what’s going on. Something is off and it feels like you’re the only one I can trust right now. Spike and Applejack, I’m not sure if I did something to them or not. And Chrysalis is always so… so… ugh.”

“Perhaps they know something about us, maybe they can just sense it. Applejack and Spike have been nothing but cheery to me, though. Not that I’d mind if they asked about us, but they haven’t.”

“Why are you so okay with telling everyone that we’re together? Doesn’t it frighten you what they’ll think? Or worry you that they’ll get upset? What if some of them already know and now they’re upset that we didn’t tell them sooner? What if-”

Before he could continue his string of questions, Rarity placed a hoof onto his lips. “Darling, please. I’m not ashamed of being with you nor would I be if the others found it appalling. Let them think what they want to think. I still believe Twilight dating Tirek or Discord is horrifying and she could absolutely do better, but I’m not going to go out of my way to dissuade her from dating them. She enjoys their company as much as I enjoy yours.” She then removed her hoof, exchanging it for her lips. Purple lipstick remained on his lips which she quickly rubbed off. “Now, stop worrying about the others and let’s get to work helping these changelings. I already don’t like the idea of sleeping in a hole in the ground and would rather not spend more than need be.”

“Rarity… I…” he stammered, his face reddened. I can’t believe how wonderful you are. A lopsided grin grew on his face as the crystals vanished. “R-Right. Let’s get started.”

It didn’t take them long to find their first changeling and start packing. It was an easy task for the mare who had an eye for detail. Soon they moved on to the next changeling. The hive began to fill with noise as everyone did their part. Even as they completed another changeling’s room, Sombra noticed how many rooms were still left at the lower parts of the cavern. After completing yet another room, he and Rarity made their way down a few levels where none of the others had been.

As they passed by a crack in the wall they heard a voice, followed by the Lord of Chaos stumbling out from inside. He looked at them and gave a shrug before turning and heading down the walkway. The voice sounded off again and Sombra leaned against the crevice, listening to what it was saying. After setting down the cardboard boxes, Sombra pulled Rarity into the gap. Light guided them towards a room that was hidden away from the rest of the hive. The voice became louder and they eventually found the pink tail of the yellow pegasus.

“Fluttershy, is this a room? Do you need any help?” Rarity called out once she recognized the voice.

Sombra pushed into the small opening, startling the young pegasus. “N-No! Don’t come in!” Fluttershy started to say but it was already too late. He had seen the reason why she had sent the draconequus away. A room full of posters, pictures, and drawings of scantily clad mares and obscene positions. Some of the drawings were in the same style of another he had seen.

Nudging herself in, Rarity stepped to the side of the stallion, standing in-between him and the pegasus. “Oh my, what is this room?” she asked as her mouth dropped open, glancing at all the images. “Well now I see why Discord was kicked out. The amount of jokes he could have made from seeing this plethora of pictures would have driven us to lock him into stone again.”

A lone changeling stood at the other end of the small room, unmoving and silent. “Rarity, you’ve got to help me pull these down and pack them as quickly as possible! The others shouldn’t see this!” Fluttershy pleaded, grabbing onto the unicorn’s shoulder and tugging.

“What’s wrong, Fluttershy? Worried the others will see your art?” Sombra peered past the white mare, a grin firmly on his face.

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves. “Y-You know!?”

“Dear, Flutter S really isn’t a very good cover name,” Rarity remarked.

“You’re Flutter S!?” the changeling roared, the scream echoing within the tiny room. “The Flutter S!?” he yelled again. She hadn’t even had time to blush before he zipped across the room, shaking her hoof in-between his. “I can’t believe it! I’ve got copies of all your work!” He then zipped across the room again, grabbing one of the drawings, and then handing it over to Fluttershy. “Can I have your autograph!? I love your work!”

“Oh, um, o-okay,” she answered, taking his pen in her mouth and doodling a few words on the drawing. “I’ve never met a fan before, or even knew I had fans.”

Sombra grinned as he heard her, still glancing over the indecent mares of the room. “Fluttershy, I believe I am now a fan of your work as well.” His eyes shifted back to the white unicorn. “Do you think you could make one of Rarity?”

“Why would you want one of Rarity?” the pegasus responded as she finished her signature.

He realized his mistake immediately. His ears fell flat and his mouth dropped open. His eyes strained to keep steady. “Yes, Sombra, why would you want one of me?” Rarity asked, a terrible smirk strung across her face.

Another voice called out from outside the crevice. “Hello? Is everyone okay in there? I heard screaming.”

Oh thank goodness, saved by the centaur. Sombra turned his head to see Tirek brush his torso in, pushing aside the two mares to make more room.

“What in all of Equestria is this?” Tirek exclaimed, stunned by the provocative posed mares.

Before any of them could respond, another voice came shouting in. The draconequus slithered in around Tirek’s body, worming his head in past the opening. “If this halfling gets to come in then so do I. I don’t care what you say Fluttershy, I wanna see what-” he paused as the sights of the room sunk in. “Holy mother of cheese. Now I know why I was kicked out.”

“I can’t believe it! My queen is friends with one of the greatest artists of all time! Does this mean I get to become friends with the Flutter S, too!?” the changeling shouted. “This is the happiest day of my life!”

Tirek and Discord turned to the pegasus who had already covered her face with her hair and tail. “You draw these!?” they chorused.

“These are pretty good, though, the one of Twilight is still probably the best,” Sombra mumbled as he stared at another drawing that held the Flutter S signature.

Tirek and Discord snapped their necks around faster than a fly’s life cycle. “One of Twilight!?” they chorused, again.

Sombra slapped his hoof against his mouth, realizing what he had said. As he stared at the two eager stallions, Fluttershy floated up from her cowardly spot on the ground. Her eyes as wide as wagon wheels. “I want everyone out, now,” she calmly stated. “If you don’t, I’ll have to use the stare.”

“The stare? I’m not dealing with that twice in one trip…” The draconequus slithered back out of the hole as fast as he could. Tirek gave a curious eye to the yellow pegasus before shrugging and backing out of the crevice.

“Come on Sombra, you really don’t want to see the stare,” Rarity said and motioned for the stallion to follow.

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what this stare is, but I’m not leaving. There’s finally a room I’d enjoy packing. After helping a changeling who collects rocks, one who collects keys, and another who collects glass bottles, I’d say this is a fine reward. If there’s a changeling who collects crystals, let me know. That’d be the only thing I’d care about more than this.”

Rarity watched in frightened anticipation as Fluttershy moved closer to the stallion. The pegasus’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head as she stared at him. Rarity quickly adverted her eyes from the sight, only to look back a moment later. Sombra stared back into Fluttershy’s gaze, unmoved and unimpressed by her patented stare. “W-Why isn’t this working?” Fluttershy asked as she struggled to maintain eye contact.

“I’ve seen things that would haunt your sleep every night. A simple stare isn’t going to scare me,” he demurred. “But since you seem to want to do this on your own I shall respect your wishes.” He then turned and stepped towards Rarity, his face blank from any emotion. They removed themselves from the crevice and made their way back up the path. A silence fell between the two, but only for a moment. “I’ve never seen anything so frightening,” he eventually spoke up. She turned back to him and saw the terror that had overcome his features. He trembled and shook whilst standing still.

“I did warn you, darling,” she said, wrapping him in a hug.

After hours of packing, most of the changelings had their things in boxes and were prepared for tomorrow’s trek. The other Elements and ex-villains had already gathered in the queen’s room as Sombra and Rarity entered. All of the cots had been placed out and many of them were already blanketed. An open cot between Tirek and Discord had been left open on the right side of the room while the left side held the Elements and Starlight. The queen’s things had already been neatly wrapped in boxes and placed in a corner.

Sombra tilted his head, noticing Spike had his cot near Twilight. Discord seemed to be out like a light along with Tirek. He assumed the empty cot was his, most likely placed there by the purple dragon. Using his magic to levitate the cot, Sombra brought it over to the the left side of the room. He placed his down next to the other empty cot with only a few inches separating them. He then looked to the white unicorn for approval. Her eyes met his with a tender gaze and smile, but he could feel the eyes of the room were upon them. Let them stare.

Once she finished covering her cot in purple sheets and plush blankets, Rarity began fixing up Sombra’s. He quickly went to work helping her, straightening out the sheet and placing their pillows. When he wasn’t looking, she sent a pillow flying into his face. He levitated his up to strike back only for him to finally notice the alicorn standing next to them. Twilight seemed confused by the sight of the stallion but said nothing, instead, she continued down the line to check in with the other mares.

The lights shut off and the room glowed with a feint light from the crystals that protruded from the walls and ceiling. The room swiftly grew quiet except for the snores coming from Rainbow Dash. In the darkness, Rarity passed a set of ear plugs and a face mask to the stallion. He could barely make out her silhouette, whispering a thank you as he placed the mask on. Before she covered her eyes with her own mask, Sombra tapped her foreleg. A quick, silent kiss was all he wanted before it was off to dreamland, and she happily obliged.

Sleep came quick for the stallion as did a strange dream. He found himself in front of a bare mannequin standing in the woods with gnarled tree roots at the base. He took a step towards it and felt the earth shake, only to cause him to jolt up from the cot. The entire ground shook around him. He removed the mask from his eyes, fearful of what was happening. The others had already awoken and had begun disassembling their cots. He turned, hoping to see the mare sleeping next to him, but she had already started folding her own blanket. When she noticed he had awoken, she gave a groggy smile. Her hair was already in pristine condition and her makeup had already been applied.

“Good morning Mr. Bedhead,” greeted Rarity. “It’s time to get up.”

He wasn’t sure what she had said but assumed it was something pleasant. Everything she did was pleasant. He quickly removed the earplugs and stood up from the cot. That didn’t feel like a long rest, he reflected. The smell of wet earth and vinegar clogged his nose once he took a deep breath. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned, his hair was a tangled mess. He could feel the mane pulling in every direction. He levitated a hair tie from one of Rarity’s bags and began pulling the unkempt mane back. Once it was tied, he cleared his cot and kept Rarity’s things together. She waited for him at the door, giggling at the mop that was his mane. As they walked up the path she redid his hair, pulling it all out and straightening it into a better ponytail.

“We’re almost done here, right? I’m eager to be home,” Sombra asked.

“Well, we’ve got to load the train with the changelings’ things and then load the changelings themselves. We should make it back to Ponyville today,” she replied as she fitted the ponytail through the hair tie.

“I’m assuming the others have already started?”

She nodded. “I think everyone is a bit eager to get going.”

Rarity had been right. They made their way up to the carts where the others were sending the carts back down to the path. Everyone moved as quickly as they could to send the carts to the train, unload, and then return. Even with their speedy pace, the early morning soon gave way to the noon hour. With the sun high in the sky, they loaded the final cart and sent it off for the train station. The changelings gathered around the tunnel, awaiting their turn to leave. The whole hive was buzzing with the echoes of their excitement. Before they could head off, Twilight addressed them, detailing how everything was going to go once they reached Ponyville.

The changelings didn’t seem to care about the words she was saying, they were more interested in leaving. Sombra couldn’t blame them, that’s all he wanted to do as well. He finally got his wish as they set off for the station. When the lines were established, he and most of the others headed for Dodge City with the changelings in tow. Most of the Elements and reformed villains were in the front except for Chrysalis, Twilight, and Starlight who hung in the back. They were making sure none of the changelings had been left behind. Sombra was more than happy to have Chrysalis in the back and out of his sight, her smug grin from the night before was still heavy in his mind.

The whole journey had been taxing from the very start for Sombra, but now it was the home stretch. He hoped to see the smiling faces of the townsfolk as they made their way to the station. He didn’t get his wish. Many of Dodge City’s citizens had boarded up their windows and hid while others stood on the sidelines and watched, wary of the convoy of changelings. The heat has at least lessened, he thought, noting the clouds that blotted parts of the sun. I suppose this is as wintery as this little town will ever get. His eyes wandered to the changeling crowd behind him, then to the orange mare in front of him. She must have felt the eyes on her because she glared back at him, gritting her teeth as well. He quickly adverted his eyes. I’ve got to talk to her alone, there shouldn’t be any reason for her to be angry with me. He then noticed that Spike had been steering clear of her as well. Was it connected?

Once they reached the station, Sombra helped Rarity direct where the changelings sat, filling each of the passenger cars to their maximum capacity. With each car filled, Sombra worried about the amount of space they had. The line seemed like it was everlasting. If each car was filled it would offer no room for him to talk to Applejack, his curiosity would have to wait.

With barely enough room, the Elements and the ex-villains crowded in with the changelings at the front of the train. The cars boomed with voices as Sombra waited with Rarity for the train to move. Applejack was nowhere to be seen within their car, nor Spike. He listened to some of the interactions, hoping to hear the earth pony’s voice. He recognized a few of the changelings from his time at their hive, though their names were still a mystery. One of the changelings had sat with Fluttershy while two others seemed like lost pups following Twilight. Sombra could barely make out any of the other ponies as they were lost in the sea of black. Without a warning, the train whistle blew and the doors of the cars shut tight.

The train ride back seemed a lot shorter to Sombra. When the sandy desert transformed into grasslands, and then to a winter tundra, his heart sprung from his chest. Winter had come to Ponyville. “Winter’s my favourite season, you know,” he mentioned to the white mare.

“That’s not surprising. Though I wonder if it will remain that way after I’m done using you for my winter stallion line.” Rarity grinned.

He returned a smile and leaned into her ear, whispering, “Is that the only way you’ll be using me this winter?”

Her face blushed and she whacked him in the shoulder. “You’ve been a little racy thing since we got up this morning. Did you sleep well?”

A grumble left his throat as he remembered the cot. His spine still ached from the rough edges of the humble bed. “Not really,” he replied and turned his head to see if anyone was listening. “Though I didn’t mind it since I was next to you.”

“Such a lecherous little thing,” she said and patted his head. “I’m eager for my own bed as well, and to see Sweetie Belle. Hopefully, with the changelings moving their own boxes we’ll be able to get this over quickly.” Her eyes flickered as she remembered something else. “Since we are so close to Ponyville, we should probably get our coats on. I can’t have you catching a cold!”

She disappeared into the sea of changelings, eventually returning with two matching jackets. Sombra took his and wrapped himself up tight. It was a bit stiff around his neck, but any gift from Rarity went without complaint. “Thank you, Rarity.”

The train began to slow as it reached the station, kicking snow off the tracks as it skidded to a stop. Shouts and squeals echoed within the cabin as the changelings crowded around one side’s windows, staring out at the white wonderland that had coated Ponyville. The doors pulled open and the changelings flowed from the train cars, creating a flood of hoofprints on the snowy platform. Twilight made quick work of getting them in order and handing off their boxes of personal items. They each took their items and followed the line led by Starlight and Chrysalis.

Rarity rushed ahead to prepare for the changeling’s arrival. Sombra followed behind slowly but a change of heart caused him to stop. The cold air nipped at his nose and brushed against his face, almost causing him to tear up as he waited. He could see the black line of changelings getting closer and closer but he wasn’t waiting for them. Finally, the orange earth pony showed up ahead of the changelings, Rainbow Dash by her side. He smiled at her as they came closer, but she did not return his delight.

“Applejack, can I talk to you?” he called out as they neared.

Her face sharped, a frown drew across it. She looked to the blue pegasus and gave a nod. The pegasus took the hint and flew off, heading for the Ponyville Hive. Applejack then stepped closer to the stallion and asked, “Yeah, what is it?”

“Are you okay? You and Spike, well, to put bluntly, you both seem to have something against me. I’m not sure what I did but I’d like to fix it, if possible.”

“Spike? Not saying you don’t deserve it, but that little heartbreaker ain’t the one who should be mad. He’s the one that messed up, even more then you. Playing with a mare’s heart…”

“Did something happen between you two? Why am I involved? What happened?”

Her nostrils flared as she tipped her head to the sky. “You and Rarity, that’s what happened.”

His heart clenched in his chest, wrapping him harder than if he was wearing seventy jackets. “H-How did you know? Did she tell you? I didn’t mean…”

“I keep my business out of who Rarity dates, but when she kicks off Spike and then you start dating her? Well, that’s mighty fishy. Of course, I’m more worried about what you’re plannin’,” she huffed. “You’ve spent an awful lot of time with Rarity. Did you get rid of Spike just so you wouldn’t have any competition? I bet he’s thinkin’ the same thing, which is why he’s riled up at you.”

Sombra shook his head. “No. No! I didn’t even realize I liked Rarity until after our last visit to the Crystal Empire. You have to believe me!”

“Well,” she sighed. “I am mad at you for not telling me about it when it happened, though I suppose that’d mean I’d have to be mad at Rarity too. And I ain’t. I’m more mad at Spike anyways, which you did technically cause, buster.”

“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, Sombra.” She looked back and saw the convoy of changelings nearing them. “We’re still friends, but, leave me alone for a few days, alright? I need some time to gather myself.”

He gave a simple nod and a smile. He had feared that she hated him, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. The purple dragon was a different story, though. He had thought to wait for Spike, looking for his purple scales in the sea of black carapaces. When he could not find spine nor scale, he headed for the Ponyville Hive.

“Room seven, thirteen, and fifteen.” Rarity recited the room numbers for each changeling that came in using a list Twilight had prepared. “Eighteen, thirty-seven, and twenty-two.”

“Rarity!” he yelled as he pushed through the door. His shout was in vain as she riled off more numbers. Changelings piled into the large foyer, some wanting their room number while others were returning from upstairs.

Sombra pushed by to get closer to Rarity just as Twilight reached her as well. “So, how’s it going?”

His lips went tight. Applejack and Spike already knew of his relationship with Rarity, but he couldn’t let it slip until he dealt with the purple dragon. “So far, so good. We’ll have these darlings set up in no time. Sixty-eight, fifty-three,” Rarity answered.

“King Sombra!” One of the changelings popped out from the line, rushing to the side of the princess. “Are you going to be staying with us again? Like old times?”

His eyes met the smaller changeling. It was one of the weaker changelings who had been forced to stay within the confines of the hive. He remembered the face but not the name. “Oh, well, no I-”

“Is it ‘cause you’re with this new mare?” he asked.

The question rung an alarm through the nervous system of the stallion. New mare? That’s Rarity. But there’s no way anyone could have known much less a random changeling, he surmised. Did Spike tell someone? Sweat began to drench his face. “New mare? What do you mean, little one?”

“The pretty white one!” the changeling replied and pointed to Rarity. “She’s really nice!”

Sombra stared down at the blue eyes of the changeling, a puddle had begun to form beneath his head. He refused to turn his eyes to Twilight, knowing a scolding or lecture would accompany whatever angry expression she held. He could hear Rarity’s tone change from an arduous drone to giddy lilt as she rattled off more names. Blanket – that was your name. I’m going to make sure one of your boxes gets lost. Working up the nerve, he finally lifted his eyes to match the alicorn’s gaze.

Her face wasn’t as bad as he had thought it would be. A half smile and raised eyebrow with no fire burning within her pupils. “I thought something was up with you two. I have to say, I approve, though one of you should have told me about it soon.”

“I-I wanted to keep it a secret. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, or Applejack.” He turned his head to Rarity whose smile danced with every room number she gave out. “Speaking of which-“

“Does this mean you aren’t going to rule over the ponies with our queen?” Blanket interrupted, shouting his question.

“Sorry, little one. Queen Chrysalis will not be ruling over anyone,” Twilight answered for Sombra. “And soon, you all will find your own, brand new paths. Isn’t that going to be so exciting?”

Blanket gave a nod. “Are you with anyone, Princess Twilight?”

A blush came over the alicorn, catching the eye of Sombra. “Well at least it’s no longer awkward for just me,” he jibed.

“Are you and the queen going to get together!?” Blanket’s blue eyes lit up as he stared up at the alicorn. “Our queen and King Sombra liked to do kissing and walk together,” he described. “Sometimes they went into the queen’s bedroom. Are you going to go into the queen’s bedroom?”

“Great. I spoke too soon,” Sombra murmured.

“Oh, darling. It only gets more awkward from here,” Rarity said. She had passed off the list of room numbers to Starlight. “So, the queen’s bedroom, hmm?”

Before he could throw off any accusations, another voice spoke up. The grating, high-pitched voice burned into Sombra’s eardrum like fire spreading in a dry wheat field. “Oh yes, the bedroom. Many of our battle plans were discussed there.” Chrysalis towered over the three ponies and the changeling whelp. “Our attempt to conquer Equestria through getting with Twilight, our overview of the problems we’d face, and of course the backup plan of getting with one of the other Elements of Harmony. I personally thought the evil schemes were over but it seems Sombra had other ideas.”

Twilight and Rarity turned their focus to the stallion, eagerly awaiting his rebuttal. “We never had a plan to get with any of the other Elements! At least, none you informed me of. You were the one with the big schemes and the backup plans. I just wanted The Crystal Empire.”

“Are you certain?” Chrysalis asked. “I distinctly remember that you were meant to buddy up with Rarity and Applejack in case you failed to win the bet. Perhaps you just forgot. It was a fairly long time ago.” A grin appeared on her wicked face as if it was branded on.

“Sombra, that’s not true, is it?” Rarity asked, staring at his deep red eyes.

All four stared at him. He could feel himself shrinking under their judging eyes. “Of course not, it’s Chrysalis,” he replied, his voice rising higher and higher. With a grunt and a roll of his eyes, he turned to the door. “And I refuse to deal with lies from someone who isn’t even reformed.” He pointed his nose to the ceiling and trotted outside, passing the onslaught of changelings.

The snow was cold on his hooves but he refused to suffer from it, knowing that returning to the hive would only bring more ridicule. He reached the end of the line of the changelings and stepped into the town. Before he could take another step, a voice caused him to turn around. In his angered leave he had forgotten the most important pony. “Sombra, are you okay?” Rarity asked as she huffed, trying to catch her breath.

“It’s all lies, every last one of them. There was only one plan and it was for Twilight,” he snarled. “She never mentioned any of your names except Twilight’s. I didn’t even know Pinkie Pie’s until I came to this town. Chrysalis is a liar.”

Rarity listened to every word he said but had not come closer. She stood with a gap between them and held an uncertain expression. “I believe you, Sombra, I do. But you not wanting to tell the others that we’re together is slightly suspicious. I’d hate to say it but perhaps this explains why Applejack and Spike have it out for you, perhaps they found out of this plan. Even if that’s not it, you have to see it from my point of view.”

“Applejack isn’t- I don’t- I-I can’t believe this! You’re siding with her? Do you really think that I’d stoop so low as to date you just so I could one day betray you? Is that who I am to you? An ambiguous stallion with unknown intentions?”

“No. No, Sombra. I trust you but I have to hear it from you to know it’s the truth. It is the truth, right?”

“If you really trusted me then you wouldn’t need to hear it, now would you?”

Her lips went still for a moment as she contemplated his words. “Alright,” she finally spoke up. “Head back to my place, would you? I’d like to talk more about this later when we’re both calmer.” She turned back to the way she came and headed for the Ponyville Hive.

He did as he was told, trudging through the icy chill and wet snow to the Carousel Boutique, muttering vulgar words to himself along the way. Snow had covered the spare key, hiding it from the unicorn. He dug through the mush, searching and becoming angrier as he failed to find it. Finally, the door opened just as he found it. Sweetie Belle stared up at him with a slanted head. “Sombra?”

She closed the door behind him, allowing him a moment to shake of the snow and wipe his hooves. “Your sister asked me to come over and stay while they finish the changeling move. Apparently, I’m a liar and untrustworthy,” he grumbled as he removed the dark purple jacket and placed it on the coatrack.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Sombra looked down to the filly, giving a smile. “I’d rather not but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about something else. Want me to make us some tea? It’s rare that it’s just you and me.”

“Hey, that rhymed!”

“I supposed it did,” he chuckled and made his way to the kitchen. Using his magic, he turned on the stove and filled a kettle with water. “So, why weren’t you and your friends there to help the changelings move? I was surprised when I heard you had stayed home.”

Sweetie climbed up into a chair at the table, waiting for him to sit as well. “Scootaloo got sick and Apple Bloom helped take care of her. I wanted to go but Rarity told me to stay since they weren’t able to come too. Did you get to meet a lot of changelings?”

“Oh yes. They are quite a hoofful. Maybe once they’re all moved in Rarity will take you over to meet some of them. There’s a few your size actually. You might get along well,” he told her. “It’s a shame their queen is such a monster.”

“Chrysalis? I thought she was good – or working on being good.”

“She enjoys telling lies. One of her lies landed me in hot water with your sister. Unfortunately, I think your sister saw truth in it when there was none. Which is why I’m here and she’s not, I suppose.” He sat forward, placing a hoof against his cheek to lean against.

“Are you and Rarity together?” Just as she asked the question the kettle whistled louder and louder.

Sombra levitated the kettle from the stove and poured the water into their cups. The teabags floated for a moment before they sunk to the bottom. Sombra stirred his cup and took a sip, thinking heavily about her question. “I suppose the cat is already out of the bag,” he said. “Yes, Sweetie, she and I are together. Though for how long that lasts depends on her.”

The filly let out a squeal. She clapped her hooves together and said, “I knew it was going to happen! She’ll talk about you none stop whenever you’re not around. Sometimes, when I’m telling her about my day, she’ll interrupt me to talk about you.”

“Oh, well, I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s fine, I like you too. Are you guys gonna get married?”

A spray of tea flew into the air, landing all over the kitchen floor. “Married!?” Sombra yelled as saliva dripped from his lips. “T-That’s a long, long way off, Sweetie Belle.”

“Aww.” She sulked in her chair. “But it’d be so cool to call you Uncle Sombra!”

“I’m sure one day that may be a possibility,” he replied as he took a towel to the floor. “Of course, if you were to mention it to her a few times then she might get the idea stuck in her head.” He turned his head back to face her. “Who knows, maybe she’ll ask me. That’d be an interesting turn around for everything that’s happened in my life.”

“There’s no way she’d ask you! My sister is way too into the fairy tales for that to happen. She would read me the story about the princess who waited for her knight to come save her every night before bed. I have the words practically memorized. It was awful.”

Sombra set the towel in the sink and sat back down, taking a quick sip of his cooling tea. “Well, she’s already lost part of her fairy tale dreams. I’m no prince nor king, and I’m certainly no knight. I’m not sure what I am other than a fool.”

Sweetie Belle sat there, staring at him as he became lost in his thoughts. Her eyes crawled across his features and studied him, wondering what he meant. Then it hit her and she let out a gasp, slamming her hooves on the table. “You don’t have a cutie mark!”

He looked down at his flank and then back to her. “You’re just now noticing?”

Bolting from the table, Sweetie rushed off up the stairs only to return a minute later carrying paper and crayons. “Once Scootaloo gets better we can help you find your special talent! Maybe it’s being a prince!” She took the yellow crayon and drew a crown. “See? Then you can really be Rarity’s prince!”

“A cutie mark… I’m not sure villains can have those, can they? Even if I am reformed.”

“Starlight has hers,” she replied with a lisp as she held a crayon in her teeth. “You just haven’t found your special talent yet, that’s all.” She spat the crayon out and raised up another drawing of the three fillies and Sombra. “Luckily for you, you’re dating my sister! And I’m part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We’ll help you discover your special talent in no time. That’s what our cutie mark is all about!”

“Well, I suppose that would give my life some meaning. I’ve never really thought about having a cutie mark before. None of the other kids in the orphanage had theirs while I lived there. Perhaps it is time to find my destiny.”

“That’s the spirit! I’m going to draw up some ideas and see if Apple Bloom and Scootaloo can add a few too.”

He gave a nod. “Alright. While you’re doing that I may as well set up for when Rarity gets here.”

Hours passed before Rarity did return. It had already grown dark and the sun had long since set. The cold had sunken into her bones as she made her way through the city, the street lamps lighting her way. Her home and store was lit up like a beacon within the darkness. She gave a knock and could hear the squeal of a filly followed by the stomping of hooves. The door swung open and the filly rushed to embrace her. “Rarity!” Sweetie yelled.

“Hello Sweetie, I’ve missed you.” She wrapped her hoof around her sister before Sweetie rushed back inside and off to the kitchen. After closing the door behind her, she removed her coat and scarf, placing it on the coatrack next to Sombra’s. The smell of roasted vegetables filled the air and she could hear sizzling coming from the kitchen. “Sweetie dear,” she said aloud as she walked to the kitchen. “How many times have I told you to wait for me when – oh!” She stopped and stared at the stallion.

Sombra stood with his back to her, swirling the pan around and draining water from a bowl. When he noticed Rarity he set down the cookware and turned to face her. A pink apron was wrapped around his neck and chest. His smile beamed on his face as he walked towards her, giving a peck on the cheek to greet her. “Welcome home, dear.”

A pink hue stretched across her nose as she turned her focus to Sweetie Belle who sat at the table, smiling. “Well, I guess you’re not keeping it a secret anymore.”

“I don’t see the need to,” he replied as he walked back to the stove. “How’d the rest of the move go?”

Rarity trotted over to her little sister and examined the drawings sprawled out across the table. “It went well enough. They all seemed to like their rooms. There was one changeling who would not stop swooning whenever one of us would walk by. It was rather distracting but I believe Twilight took care of it. I’m sure they’re going to love it here.” She then lifted a few of the drawings up and asked, “What are all these for, Sweetie Belle?”

“I’m going to be helping Sombra get his cutie mark! I’m going to go over tomorrow to get Apple Bloom and Scootaloo too!” she replied as she finished another drawing. “Look at this one!” She raised up a picture of Sombra and Rarity kissing.

“Aww, how cute. This one is going on the fridge for sure!” Rarity levitated the drawing over to the fridge and stuck two magnets on the upper corners. She then looked to Sombra who eyed the picture and smiled. “Sweetie, why don’t you take these upstairs and go wash up for dinner?”

The filly nodded and got up from her chair, dragging the load of papers and crayons with her. Sombra levitated plates down from a cabinet and began filling each with cooked spaghetti. As he did, Rarity rubbed against his side, carefully watching his movements. “Can we just skip talking about Chrysalis and her lies?” she asked, lacking the tact she usually kept.

“Lies, huh?” he replied.

She gently stroked the back of his neck, playing with his ponytail. “Yes, lies. They are lies, correct?”

“Mhm,” was all he answered.

“Good. You’re not upset, are you?”

“I was, but I’m not anymore.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

He lifted the pot of sauce into the air and walked over to the table, setting it down in the center. He then removed his apron and tossed it onto the counter before walking back to the mare. “Because I love you.” After he spoke, he pressed his mouth against her.

She felt the plumpness of his lips and tasted the tomato on his tongue. Her knees felt like water as they wobbled beneath her. They had kissed many times, but for Rarity, nothing had felt quite like this. “Hey! It’s just like my picture!” the voice of the filly said, forcing her to part from her beloved stallion. She quickly sat down, her face redder than the tomato sauce.

Sweetie jumped into her seat next to her older sister and waited for the sauce to be poured. Sombra chuckled to himself and levitated the ladle out of the pot, pouring the tomato sauce on each of their plates. After they finished eating, Sweetie Belle headed up the stairs to get ready for bed, leaving the two lovers alone. “This was all very sweet of you, Sombra.”

“Was it? I had no idea,” he sarcastically said.

“Now I have to do something sweet for you,” she replied. He watched as she got up and crawled into his lap, sitting face to face with her forelegs around his neck. “I’ll have to think up what it will be, but I can assure you this, it’ll be something worthy of a prince.”

His pupils flared as he stared into her eyes. She really does have a thing for fairy tales. Wrapping his forelegs around her hips, he leaned in and kissed at her neck. “Worthy of a prince, huh? Does this mean you’ll become a princess? If you do, I wouldn’t mind flying high into the sky.”

“You’re really getting on my nerves with how sweet you are. The more you talk with those charming words, the more I’m going to have to return the favor.”

“Perhaps you should keep me from talking, then. I know of a good remedy.”

Just as he leaned in for another kiss, a voice yelled, “Oh come on! Can’t you guys wait till I go to bed at least?” Rarity threw herself off the stallion and stumbled into her chair, her muzzle flush red. “Seriously, this is why mom and dad don’t like me living with them. I don’t want to be kicked out of here too.”

Rarity rose from her seat and drew close to the filly, still flush with embarrassment. “No one will kick you out, Sweetie Belle. Now come on, let’s get you ready for bed.” As she walked with her sister to the steps, a knock came to the door. “Well who could that be at this hour?” she wondered. “Could you get that, Sombra dear?”

Anything for you, he thought before opening the door. His brows fell together as he eyed the purple alicorn. She was slowly becoming snow covered, and had no coat or jacket to protect from the freezing cold. Her body seemed to tremble and shake as if miniature earthquakes were happening within her body. “Oh, uh, Twilight Sparkle. What are you doing here?”

Her eyes rose from behind her bangs and displayed the fire that warmed her body. She wasn’t trembling from the cold. “You told Tirek and Discord about the drawing of me!?” she yelled and then tackled him, slamming him to the ground. “I will destroy you!”

Chapter 32: Sick Day

The darkness evaporated like heat in a freezer, destroyed by the light of the hall. “Gooood morning, Twilight!” The curtains drew back, brightening the bedroom even more. “Today’s the day! A little trip to Canterlot, some time together, just you and me. Well, Fluttershy too, but I’ll shoo her off in a jiffy,” Discord said with glee. A stir from the sheets was the only response to the draconquus’s greeting. “Twilight?” He placed his paw on the edge of the blanket and slowly lowered it, wary of her privacy. “Oh… You look awful.”

“Wha-what do you mean?” The alicorn shielded her eyes from the early morning sun, wiping her nose with her other hoof. “That’s a pretty… pretty-” A sneeze shot snot down onto chest, covering it in the mucus “-a pretty mean thing for you to say.”

Discord’s cheeks went green as he covered his mouth, choking to hold back from the revolting sight. He quickly grabbed tissues from one of the bookshelves and shoved them onto her chest and nose. “I’d hate to say it, but… Twilight, you’re sick. And not the good kind, like twisted or corrupt with power.”

“Sick?” she choked. “I’m not sick. It’s just, uh, allergies! Yeah, that’s it! You can wait for me down in the foyer and I’ll be ready to go in no time.” The tissues fell to the side as she began to rise from the bed. Her knees wobbled underneath her before eventually giving way. “Alright, maybe it’s not allergies,” she confessed from the floor.

Discord lifted her back into the bed, carefully trying to avoid touching her chest, and covered her in the blanket. “Let me get you some water and a warm towel. Or is it a cold towel? Either way, I’ll go get Fluttershy in a little bit. She’ll know what to do.”

Twilight couldn’t even give a response before he had vanished from the room, nor did she notice the warm towel that sat on her forehead. The light that had been shining from the window was suddenly blocked and a voice awoke her in a haze. “W-Wha? Who is it?”

“I’m not sure what I can do, Discord. I work with animals, not ponies.”

“Surely there’s something we can do! Look at her, she looks like Tirek… on a good day.”

“I think that perhaps she needs a doctor or nurse. Somepony who could prescribe her medicine.”

“You got it!”

“Discord, I’m not sure sending you down there will be the best decision. You could try to keep her company while I go get a doctor. Maybe see if she can eat something. Okay?”

“F-Fluttershy?” Twilight’s voice had been so quiet that neither the pegasus or draconequus had heard her. She could barely lift an eye open only to have to shut it just as quick from the light blinding her. “Discor-” His name hung on her tongue just before a coughing fit set in. When she finally stopped coughing and managed to open both eyes she found that she was alone. The curtain had been drawn and the door was closed. Any heat in the towel had vanished, leaving a cool wet spot atop her forehead.

Another coughing fit was set off as she tried to suck air into her blocked nasal passage. She felt for the box of tissues, aching to spit whatever tasted wrong in her mouth. Her head ached as she tossed the tissue onto the floor, leaning her head back on the pillow. She continued to breathe through her mouth, waiting for the next coughing fit to begin.

“Alright, let’s see how she’s doing.”

The voice startled her awake. She hadn’t even known she’d fallen back asleep. The cold of the stethoscope felt nice on her sternum, causing her to open her eyes. Once she saw the face of the doctor she wished she hadn’t, as he shined a light directly into her retina. She moved and groaned, shutting her eyes in pain.

“Open wide, Miss Sparkle.”

She didn’t even have a chance to understand what he had meant. Her mouth was pulled open and she could feel a soft touch of wood on her tongue. With a sense of caution, she opened her eyes once more, wary of the stallion. He had finished with her mouth and eyes and had moved on to her ears.

“Give it to me straight, doc. Is she going to make it? Does she have to go the way of old yeller? I just can’t take another one behind the barn!” the draconequus shouted.

“Discord! You shouldn’t make jokes like that!”

“Oh, relax, Fluttershy. She’s going to be fine. She will be fine, right Doctor?” Discord asked, a slight bit of concern seeping through as he spoke.

“Relax, relax. Princess Twilight only has the flu,” the doctor replied as he placed the stethoscope around his neck. “Nothing more serious than that.” He shook two bottles, waving them at Discord. “Two of each of these every day. One’s for decongestant, the other’s a fever reducer. Give her plenty of water and rest and she should be good to go in five or seven days, ten tops.”

Fluttershy held Discord’s claw. “What a relief! We were so worried.”

“Have you both had your flu shot? If not, you may want to get one. Being around the princess may lead to you getting sick. I’d also recommend washing your hooves-” His eyes shot down to Discord’s paw and claw “-well, washing whatever you’ve touched her with. I’d rather not deal with an outbreak around town.”

Twilight watched the conversation through her blurry, sleep-covered eyes. Her muscles ached as she was forced to sit up, leaning her back against the headboard. Discord handed over two different colored pills and a glass of lukewarm water. Debilitated as she was, she still managed to take them both in one swallow. After passing the glass back off to Discord, she slumped back onto her pillow, facing away from the three.

Dreams came and went. Her blankets were off and then on. Night turned to day and day to night. Her cheeks burned as she awoke in a sweat, causing her to pant and heave from the unbearable, drenching heat. She couldn’t even tell the time of day with the curtains closed.

A noise caught her attention and the light of the hall crept in slowly. The door was pushed by the back of the draconequus’s arm as he steadied the platter he held. “Oh, you’re awake. Good. You might as well stay awake.” The lights of the room flipped on, blinding the mare.

“D-Discord!” she snapped with a nasally voice.

He placed down the platter at her bedside, removing the tepid glass of water at the same time. “Hope you like stew. Carrots, potatoes, and plenty of rice. Not sure if it’s something you’d normally eat, but, may as well give it a shot.” He stood to the side of the bed, staring down at her with a hand on his cheek. “You know, if you would stop being a baby and just let me work my magic this could all be solved… probably.”

“Work your magic?” she inquired. She moved her body back up to the headboard, giving her wings some time to stretch. “You can do that?”

His body seemed to stumble even though he stood still. “I, um, I already told you that I could. We had this conversation earlier. Don’t you remember?” With a dumbfounded look on his face, he said, “You told me that you didn’t like the idea of chaos being caused inside of you. And then I made a little joke about my… well, not really a little joke, per se. Oh, never mind.”

“I did? I don’t remember that at all – though that is a good reason.”

“Twilight… do you know how long you’ve been sick?”

She took a spoonful of the stew and held it to her mouth. “Not too long but something tells me you’re going to say otherwise.”

“It’s already been two days.”

Her mouth had been full but she managed to speak. “Two days!?” She swallowed, almost choking down the food. “It’s already been two days? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been sleeping for that long!”

The draconequus sauntered over to the chair at the desk. He plopped his rump down and kicked up his feet, placing his hands around the back of his neck. “I’m surprised you don’t remember yesterday when you forgot to lock the bathroom door. Luckily it was Starlight who found you and not Tirek or I. From my understanding you were so delusional that you splashed sink water at Starlight, thinking she was your mother and you were both at the beach.”

“At least someone is getting a kick out of this. I feel like I’ve been baking alive for the last hour.” She took the glass with both hooves and shoved the rim to her lips, taking big gulps every other second. Satisfied, she wiped her lips and said, “I’m just glad I haven’t been coughing, though my throat is still killing me.”

“Yes, well, because of you everyone had to get shots.” He pulled open a drawer from the desk and began to rummage through its contents. “I haven’t gotten a shot in over a thousand years. Now that I’m free from my stone prison there’s a lot that I’ve had to get used to. I don’t get to create chaos all the time, I’m almost in a romantic relationship with an alicorn princess, and now I have to get these horrible, vile, painful shots regularly. I’m about ready to be turned into a statue again.”

Twilight finished the bowl of stew, licking the last grains of rice from her spoon before setting it aside. “Cheer up, Discord. If you win me then you’ll get to deal with this every day. Won’t that be exciting?”

She could see him grimace for a moment before a smile feigned on his lips. “I see your humor is returning. You must be feeling better if that’s the case.” He closed shut another draw and stood up. “Let’s see, shall we?” Placing his hand on her head, he attempted to feel her temperature, but all she could feel was the sweet coolness of his claw.

She dragged his claw down to her neck, embracing the icy touch against her throat. Her eyes closed as she succumbed to the relief. When she opened them again, she saw the flush rising into Discord’s cheeks. She quickly let go, realizing her want for respite had overwhelmed her. In a moment of doubt, her eyes turned away, only to draw back to his claw. Her mind numbed to the indecisiveness she had felt. I’m sick. It’s not weird if I’m sick, she figured.

His claw seemed to remain icy no matter where she moved it. Her neck, her shoulders, her wings. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to open them and break into an awkward stare. Instead, she let the façade be, believing it to be an ice pack rather than Discord’s claw. She finally moved back to her forehead and heard him make a disgruntled grumble. Her eyes popped open, glancing up at his wrinkling, blush-covered nose.

“Look like it’s medicine time,” he commented, taking his hand from her head. He levitated the bottles from the nightstand and removed two different pills. “You have no idea how odd this is for me.”

After swallowing the pills and taking another swig of water, she asked, “What’s odd?”

“Taking care of you. Showing concern for someone else’s wellbeing. I’ve… I’ve never done anything like this.”

“Discord…” she hoarsely said. “You’re doing a pretty swell job if that makes a difference. Usually, Spike is the one to take care of me when I’m sick, and you’re just as good as he is.”

He thumbed the nightstand, pulling the draw out and examining the inside. “That is pretty nice to hear. It pains me to remember the day I was freed from my statue, playing my little game with you and the other Elements. Now, here I am, taking care of you.” He pulled a book out, examining the space in-between it and another. “I’d hate to say it but even chaos is off-putting now.”

Twilight watched the draconequus as he lifted papers from the desk and checked under the bed. “That’s very mature of you, Discord. I’m a little surprised and proud of that.” She smiled and continued to watch. He moved around the room, staring at random objects and looking underneath others. “Discord, what are you doing?”

“Who? Me?” He made a sharp turn to face the bed and the alicorn. “I was just waiting for you to finish your food. Oh boy, looks like you’re all good,” he replied with a quick, anxious tone. Raising the platter into the air, he headed for the door.

“Discord,” she called out.

He stopped at the door, keeping his back to the mare. “Uh, y-yes?”

“Were you being all sappy just so you could look for that drawing of me?”

She could see the sweat beginning to pour down the back of his neck, much like her own. She waited for him to respond, calling his name once more. Instead of answering, Discord rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She shook her head, knowing exactly what his answer would have been.

An hour later, after sweltering through her fever, she used what little strength she had to get out of bed. The night air filled the room once she had pulled apart the curtains and pushed open the window. Her bangs moved with the gentle breeze as she stared out into the clear night sky. She brushed the snow from the window sill, watching it fall down the edge of the castle. This feels just as good as Discord’s hand.

A noise suddenly rang out, snapping her from her dreamy, feverish thoughts and causing her knees to buckle. It was a voice, followed by another, and then a third. She clung to pieces of furniture, making her way to the bedroom door. Cracking the door just enough to see out, she could see the three who were making all the racket.

“And because of that, I messed things up with Applejack. The only one that’s been on my side during this is Starlight and Chrysalis! I don’t believe for a second you didn’t plan it out this way!”

“Me? Did you ever stop to think that maybe Chrysalis is the cause? We cannot be held accountable for the way you act or react!”

Twilight watched as Rarity stepped between the stallion and dragon. “Both of you, stop this! There’s no need to quarrel. Spike, you know I care about you. We’re friends. And sometimes friends have to trust each other in what they’re doing.”

“You know who’s a real friend? Chrysalis! She’s the one I can rely on.” Spike turned and stormed off, but not before yelling, “She’s the one that has been there for me!”

Twilight’s heart ached for the dragon. I’ve been spending so little time with him, and he’s gone through so much. I need to go to him. She pushed open the door and took a step, only to lose her balance and land face forward on the floor. The cool, crystalline flooring was a better relief than Discord’s hand or the night’s wind. She wanted to lie there forever, but it soon was lost as the two unicorns pulled her onto their shoulders.

“What are you doing out of bed, Twilight?” Rarity’s voice boomed with concern. “Come on. Let’s get you back inside.”

Sombra leaned her onto the silken sheets as Rarity pushed the alicorn from behind. Once she was in, Rarity levitated the blankets up to her chest. As Sombra went to close the window, Twilight strained to yell, “No!” He stopped and nodded, bringing the curtains closer together instead. She could hear Rarity ask something else but did not answer.

The first thought she had when she awoke was of Spike and the night before. Her chest still ached and her throat was sore. After coughing up her morning phlegm and downing her meds, she leaned back on her pillow and gave a stretch. Just as she regained her comfy position and closed her eyes, the door of the bedroom swung open. She didn’t move an inch and kept her eyes shut, hoping whoever it was would leave. Didn’t the doctor say I needed rest? And yet no one seems to let me get some.

She felt the warm touch on her forehead and heard the sound of metal scraping against the nightstand. Trots echoed in the small room as whomever made their way to the other side of the bed, examining the pill bottles and moving around trash. A voice finally spoke and she recognized it immediately. “I wonder if I should wake her,” Tirek murmured. “She seems so peaceful.”

His hand brushed the side of her mane and she could feel the tickle of hairs pressing her neck. “I’ve never been sick in my life. Perhaps it’s one of the beauties of having been trapped in Tartarus for so long, but even before that I had never caught a cold or flu, not even as much as a cough. My father had, and my brother. I remember the time my brother became incredibly ill. It was right around his seventh birthday. My parents were unsure what he had caught, but after six days of being bedridden he fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up.”

Twilight stirred as she listened, almost wanting to turn and face the centaur. But she didn’t, keeping her eyes shut and her ears locked on his voice. Does he know I’m awake? Why is he telling me this?

“I sat with him for days. Reading to him, talking to him. Then one day he finally opened his eyes and reached out, pressing his hand against my face. He asked me why I was crying.” He paused and took a deep breath. He continued to pet the fur on Twilight’s back. “I’ve suppressed a lot of those types of memories but the time I spent in Canterlot helped me remember a few. It’s hard to get past the anger and contempt I’ve harbored for Scorpan.” He stopped petting her, keeping his hand still as he said, “I hope you get better soon, too.”

He went silent for a while before she heard him get up and leave, shutting the door behind him. She was glad he didn’t come to the other side of the bed. She didn’t want him to see her wipe the tears from her eyes.

Hours went by before another knock came to the door. “Come in!” Twilight called out, taking her eyes off her book.

“Good to see you’re awake. Feeling better?” Starlight asked as she trotted around the bed.

“Mhm,” was all she answered. “How’s the outside world been?”

“The changelings have been having a non-stop party for days now. Even Pinkie was surprised by how long they’ve been at it.” She set down some books she had been levitating onto the bed. “Figured you’d want some new reading material.”

“Thank you.” Twilight lifted the books up and smiled at the covers, happily flipping through the pages of a few. “Have you been visiting the changelings regularly? I know I’ve been a little out of it but it feels like I haven’t seen you or Spike since I’ve been in here.”

Starlight lifted the alicorn’s pillows and fluffed them up with her magic. “I’ve been in and out. Chrysalis and I have been helping the other changelings get suited to their new life, along with setting up their work schedules. Can’t really say for Spike, though he’s usually by Chrysalis’s side, like me.”

“Really? Well, isn’t that something.” Her voice hung with a hesitation of vexation.

“Yeah, Chrysalis has been really thankful as of late. She seems to be enjoying herself now that her own kind are here. I must admit, I do envy her slightly. Those changelings really care about her.”

“Hopefully she’ll be able to become reformed soon then. Has she said anything about when she wants to go to Canterlot?”

Starlight shook her head. “I’ll try to push her towards it. You don’t need to worry about a thing, I’ve gotten it all taken care of.” She gave a smile to her mentor before stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind her.

Worry? That’s all I can do right now. Maybe it’s not Spike who needs to be talked to. Maybe there’s more to it, Twilight pondered. Her eyes drifted to the new books and scanned over one, smiling at the cover. The Superb Sorceress of Oys.

Hours flashed by as she read the tale, trying to imagine some of her friends as the Scarepony, the Tin-Stallion, and of course, the Spineless Griffon. As she drew close to the end, a knock disturbed her concentration. “Come in!” She looked up to the door.

Discord peered inside, his face blank of emotion, that is until he noticed the book she held. He pushed open the door and brought another platter of food to her nightstand. “Well, well. Even when you’re sick you still go back to the old tales.” Taking a seat at her side, he asked, “Does it remind you of anyone special?”

Trying her best to put on a genuine smile, she stared deep into his eyes. “Yes, it does.” She motioned for him to lean closer, and he did so. She seductively licked her lips, waiting for him to get closer. Just as their muzzles were almost touching, she said, “My mother.” She quickly flung herself back against the headboard and forced a devious grin on her face.

He drew his eyebrows together with a frown. “Oh ha ha. Very funny.”

“Did you think I meant you?” Her grin stayed. “Perhaps if we were to read together more often then that might change.”

One of his brows tilted before his whole face lit up. “Well we may as well get started right now!” He shot up from the bed and ran over to her bookshelf, eyeing over each of the spines. “How about this one?” The book was titled ‘The Color of Mirrors’.

“That one’s a bit creepy, but it’ll do. I think I can read all the way through that.”

“You?” He laughed. “You’re sick. No, no. I shall take us on this little adventure. Now scooch.” He waved a dismissive hand at her before climbing into the bed and lying next to her.

She leaned her body against him, listening as he did the voices for each different character. His talent for a deep, dark voice amplified the scenes like she had never experienced. She clung to him even though she knew how it ended, believing every word he spoke as if it were happening at that very moment. As the ending came, she wrapped her forelegs around his arm, preparing for the conclusion.

“Well then. That was certainly interesting,” he commented, snapping the book closed. “Not nearly as happy of a tale as I would have expected.” His eyes met the alicorn’s. “Why do you even have something like this?”

“What do you mean?” She removed herself from his side, giving a stretch as she did. “It’s nice to be scared every once in a while, especially when there’s no danger. It’s like reading a sad tale or a romance plot. There’s a variety of different stimuli. Reading the same types of things provides nothing new, you’d be stuck in the same old same old.”

“I suppose that would be like staring into a mirror every day.”

She chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that would be a good analogy. I have to say, Discord, I really enjoyed this. We should read together more often.”

“Personally, I’d like to do it for the rest of my life,” he sincerely said as he rose from the bed.

Her mouth fell open but no sound echoed from her throat. She stared at his back, trying to process what he meant and how she should feel. “Did you just say… what I think you meant?”

As he scratched his lower back, he tossed a disinterested look over his shoulder. “Would I really be in a bet for you if I didn’t mean it?” He shook his head and gave a shrug.

“Discord… I…” Her hooves covered her mouth and she could feel herself becoming hot. She quickly pressed against her forehead, checking her temperature. Wait, I don’t have a fever. Then why am I so hot? Oh no. She hopped out of the bed and trotted over to the door. “Discord, I,” she hesitated.

“Yes?” His arms fell to his sides as he stood in front of her, curious as to what she was about to say.

She chewed on her bottom lip, knowing she was doing it but couldn’t stop herself. Every beat of her heart felt like a hammer. “Discord.” She smiled. “Let’s do this again soon, okay?”

He returned with his own toothy smile and gave a nod. “I’ll even let you read next time.”

Once he was gone, she closed the door and fell onto the bed. A groan echoed from within the satin sheets as she pressed her face into the fabric. A second later and she gasped for air. “I need a cold shower.”

Hours passed as she cleaned herself up. Her sickness had been all but gone save for a few sniffles and the aches and pains of being bedridden for days on end. She brushed her hair, making sure all the split ends were properly managed. After laying on the finishing touches, she made her way down the steps. “Good afternoon, Chrysalis!” Her voice boomed, leaving no signs of sickness as she stepped into the foyer.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the sickly little alicorn. How are you feeling?” inquired the queen.

“Better than ever, actually. What are you doing here?”

“I just came over to see if Spike wanted to hang out for a bit. My little changelings have been having a party for, well, days now. It seems like it will never end,” she groaned. “I just wanted to hang out with someone quiet for a change.”

“I was about to head over to the hive. Perhaps you could keep this sickly little alicorn company, instead?”

Chrysalis warmly agreed and the two headed off. Twilight made as much small talk as she could for a pony who had been bedridden just that morning. As they got closer, she realized Chrysalis hadn’t been exaggerating the truth. The changelings had been partying and still were. She could hear the music blaring even before they opened the hive door. The entire cafeteria was filled to the brim with the dancing changelings. Tables had been moved to allow more room to party, and a white unicorn with blue hair sat in one of the corners, managing the music.

“Everyone looks like they’re having so much fun!” Twilight yelled over the music, her throat aching as she strained to do so. If Chrysalis had replied, she hadn’t been able to hear it. The sea of black moved like that of a real ocean, the changelings rocked steadily back and forth with the music. She moved and bumped into the crowd, feeling the wave of sound around her. As she reached the middle, a scratch on a record shot off, silencing the song.

The music quickly started playing once more with a slower beat and soothing melodies. Twilight looked around for a moment, wondering what had happened. Most of the changelings turned and stared at her, their mouths opening as if they were gasping at something, though she wasn’t sure what. “Care to dance?” Chrysalis asked from behind.

The queen’s bright green eyes flickered above her sharp smile. Twilight wanted to say no, make up an excuse or blame her illness, but she didn’t.

Chrysalis placed her left hoof on Twilight’s neck while Twilight placed hers on the changeling’s shoulder. The floor cleared for the two as they stepped back and forth, matching each other’s sways and gentle movements. Chrysalis then pulled Twilight closer, placing her hooves underneath Twilight’s forelegs while Twilight was forced to put her hooves around Chrysalis’s neck. Their muzzles were close enough touch, and would have had Chrysalis been shorter.

This is bad. This is very bad. At this rate, she might try to do the unthinkable! The changeling’s green eyes were almost trance-like, Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she stared into them. She glanced at the changeling’s lips as they started to come closer. As if her own lips forced themselves to meet them, she was stopped mere inches away by another scratch of the records. Gasps soon filled the new silence as Twilight fell back to her hooves, giving the room a once over.

“What are you doing here, Discord?” Chrysalis growled before Twilight even noticed the draconequus.

“So sorry. Am I interrupting?” He pushed through the crowd of black carapaces with a parchment in his hand. “I’ve got a letter from Canterlot for Twilight. Spike asked for me to deliver this quick. It’s apparently very important.” As he lowered the parchment for Twilight to take, he pulled it back out of her reach. “Ah, ah. You two seemed to be having a lot of fun. How about a little dance first?” He snapped his fingers and the music began playing once more.

He placed the parchment on his horn and extended his hand. She happily obliged, placing her hoof inside his palm. Her whole body was pulled up to him, forcing her to stand bipedal. He raised the one hoof he held and placed his other hand around her waist, moving her as he moved. The awkward movements felt easy with him guiding her, and she couldn’t contain her delight. She grinned and laughed as they moved faster and faster around the circle. This. This is absolutely perfect.

Once the song finished, Twilight couldn’t help but push herself close to him. She stared into his eyes, happy that they weren’t a light green. “That was fun,” he said, releasing her hoof. She plopped to all fours and felt a frown form on her face. She quickly forced a smile to hide her frustration. “Here you go.”

Instead of using her magic, Twilight reached her hoof up and touched his hand, gently caressing it before taking the parchment. Upon unraveling and reading over the letter, she said, “Oh no.” She looked up from the parchment and stared at Discord’s curious eyes. “Pack your bags. We’re heading to Canterlot immediately.”

Chapter 33: A Problem

“It’s rare that it’s just the four of us. Maybe we should do something as a group after we get done here,” Discord proposed. He looked around the table, glancing over the grimacing changeling and brooding unicorn. “Or maybe it’ll just be us two.” He turned back to Twilight who awkwardly fidgeted in her seat.

“I get the feeling this might not be an easy task, Discord. We’ll know more once Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrive.” With a look of resignation on her face, Twilight mumbled, “If they ever arrive, that is.”

Twilight had spoken too soon as the doors of the small meeting hall flew open. The two regal sisters entered with a covered object levitating between them. The guards closed the door behind them and they took their seats in front of the four, placing the mysterious item on the table. “I’m sorry to have called you to Canterlot without warning, and for meeting you all in such a small room,” Celestia apologized.

“This is the furthest part of the castle from the rest of Canterlot,” Luna mentioned, eyeing the one window room. “It’ll have to do as we do not have time to fret over it.”

“What’s gotten you two so worried? What happened?” Twilight asked.

Luna levitated the cloth from the object, revealing a glass container – an empty glass container. Twilight and Sombra gasped at the sight. Discord looked at the two, then to Chrysalis, giving a shrug. “What happened to it?” Sombra cried. “Did you two manage to destroy it?”

“It?” asked the changeling.

“No. When it arrived we took special care to place it in a magically sealed room, but the next day it had mysteriously vanished. We were hoping you might know what happened, Sombra. Or, if you know who could have taken it.” Celestia eyed the unicorn, waiting to hear his response.

“What’s it?” repeated Chrysalis.

Sombra closed his eyes and tapped his forehead. “This is bad. Really bad. The only ones that were supposed to know about it were those who were helping destroy it. Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, you two, Twilight, and whomever you’ve all told. How is it you managed to lose it!?”

“What. Is. IT!?” Chrysalis slammed her hooves onto the table, shouting her question.

Celestia focused on the changeling, realizing she hadn’t even noticed the queen’s presence. She then looked to Twilight with a curious eye. “Sorry, she wanted to tag along,” Twilight apologized. “If it’s gone then there’s no harm in telling her, right?”

“I suppose not.” Celestia turned back to the changeling queen. “There was a dark, empty hole in the center of this container that was dubbed the void. It’s gone now. It was what Sombra used to take The Crystal Empire from Equestria for a thousand years.”

“It’s not just gone, it’s missing. We were meant to destroy it, but before we could do so it vanished. Perhaps it’s now in the hooves of somepony that desires destruction, or perhaps it’s not gone at all.” Luna’s face was like a wall of stone, unchanged and unmoved as she spoke. “We hoped that Sombra might be able to tell us what happened, or perhaps Discord could locate it for us.”

Discord tapped the glass, taking a nail and scratching towards the bottom. “As much fun as spending a thousand years trapped in – oh wait, I already did that.” He stuck his tongue out at the two sisters, a smile appearing within the protrusion.

Shaking her head, Twilight said, “Discord. This is serious.”

“Why not just open it and see if it’s still in there? If you’re so afraid, take it to an empty area with no one around,” Chrysalis prompted. “It’s not like there is any harm in trying. If it is still there just put the glass down real quick. Problem solved.”

The two sisters looked at each other, Luna’s eyebrows drew together as she nodded. Celestia shook her head in response, then said, “If we test it then it needs to be far away. I also don’t want you there, Luna.”

“What? Why not?” the younger sister wailed.

The elder raised her hoof, stroking the younger’s cheek. “You’ve spent enough time in isolation, away from Equestria. Let this burden fall to me.”

“I won’t let her go it alone, Luna,” Twilight interrupted. “I’ll protect her, you can count on it.”

Celestia tried to tell her no, but the draconequus’s laugh overshadowed her denial. “I guess that means all of us are going.” Discord shrugged. “I go where Twilight goes. I’ve got a bet to win, after all. And it’s poetic justice to have the one who said we should open it and the one who made it both be there.”

A chair screeched from the other end of the table. “Discord. I sincerely loathe you,” Chrysalis bemoaned.

Sombra nodded. “For once I agree with Chrysalis. I mean, Discord’s right, but I still hate the idea. Though I have my doubts about it actually being inside. It can’t perform its own magic or make itself invisible.”

“Then that settles it. I suppose my hooves are tied.” Celestia rose from the table and levitated the container. “We’ll have to go now while it’s still night. If it’s still in there, hiding, then I’ll want to find out before the city awakens.”

Chrysalis leaned to Twilight and mumbled, “Can’t she decide when the sun rises?” Though she spoke low, Luna had heard and giggled in response, garnering a coy smile from Chrysalis.

They all followed Celestia out of the tiny meeting room and down a labyrinth of halls back to the castle foyer. Before heading off, Celestia said her goodbyes to her sister. I won’t let anything happen to Celestia, I can make that promise to myself, Twilight believed. The night sky revealed no color change to the inside of the glass container. Twilight made sure to keep an eye on it at all times, wondering and waiting for anything to happen.

For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something but it was only a spec of snow that slowly drifted down from above. Canterlot had been hit with winter just like Ponyville, though their streets were swept far more often. Still, little snowflakes began to cover the five as they walked through the city and out the front gate. Their hoofprints made a trail down the cliff side, beneath Canterlot. They traveled far from the city, into a forest of snow covered trees.

Twilight’s eyes wandered for a moment, noting that everyone except Celestia was shivering. She hadn’t realized it had become so cold. She was too focused, too determined. It can’t have just vanished. There’s got to be some explanation. A detail I’m missing.

“We’re here.” Celestia’s horn burst with light, shining over the rickety cabin in the woods. As the light stayed, the snow melted around and on the cabin. Using her magic, she opened the door and stepped inside, placing the glass container onto the table that sat in the middle of the decrepit shack.

Twilight followed her in, noting that the size of the cabin was even smaller than that of the meeting room. “Is this someone’s home?”

The fireplace exploded with flames, warming the room as well as brightening it. “No. This is a dead drop location.” Celestia used her magic to close the door behind the trio of ex-villains. “Everyone ready?”

Dead drop location? That sounds ominous. Twilight quickly stepped beside Celestia, waiting for the glass container to be lifted from its base. “Ready.”

As Celestia kicked off the locks and began to raise the glass, Chrysalis yelled, “Whoa, hold on a second! Can’t we just do this from a safe distance or something? Maybe sacrifice someone else to do it? I-I’m not sure I’m ready to… Well, take a thousand year vacation, like some of you have.”

Celestia placed the glass back and gave a sigh. “You are free to leave, Chrysalis. Please wait at the edge of the woods.”

Chrysalis’s face lit up, only to be stricken with fear a moment later. “If I have to lose another thousand years, then I may as well make her suffer through it too!” Sombra hollered as he threw the glass off with his magic, sending it to the edge of the table.

Nothing happened.

Twilight lowered her hooves from her face and noticed everyone had done the same thing. Not like it would have done any good, she noted with a shake of her head. “Well, I suppose that answers that question.”

“You could have ruined EVERYTHING!” Chrysalis shrieked, slamming her nose into Sombra’s. “What would have happened if it had still been there!? Huh? What were you thinking!?”

“Oh pipe down. A thousand years goes by faster than you think,” he replied.

“Not when you’re trapped in a statue.” Discord crossed his arms.

Ignoring the squabbling, Twilight began to look over the remnants of the container. She levitated the glass top back to its base and stared inside. Using her magic, Twilight searched for any signs of the void. No trace. Nothing. Her eyes drifted back to Celestia who was staring at the changeling and unicorn. “I don’t think there was anything ever in here,” she said to her mentor, trying to gain her attention.

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, snapping her mind back to the matter at hand.

“Nothing there? Twilight, you saw it back in the Crystal Empire,” Sombra said, throwing aside his argument with Chrysalis like a used paper towel. “We both know it exists.”

Chrysalis growled, still concentrating on the stallion. “Maybe you faked it! Maybe you’re a liar! A big, stupid liar!”

“Enough!” Celestia’s voice rang with confidence, taking command of the situation. “Twilight, I saw the black void. Luna did as well. It was definitely here just a few days prior.”

Twilight lifted her hoof to argue but dropped it dejectedly. “Would you mind if I take the container back with us? I may be able to study it more and find out what happened. I’ll recruit Starlight to help me, perhaps together we’ll find something.”

“I’m not sure if there is much reason for that, Twilight. However, I’ll allow you to do so if you truly believe there is something to it. In the meantime, I shall send word to Spike for everyone else to come to Canterlot. A celebration must be had! The void is gone from this world!”

“And good riddance!” Chrysalis added.

A party? I’d rather wait till I can be sure the void wasn’t stolen, Twilight rationalized. “That sounds great, then Starlight and I can examine the container at the same time.” I hope we’re not counting our chickens before they hatch.

“Very good! Let us return to the castle so that we may bring Luna the good news.” Celestia smiled as she passed by the ex-villains. The flames of the fireplace vanished as she stepped outside, leaving the room dark and cold. Twilight levitated the container from the table and followed her out.

When they returned to the caste, Celestia and Luna set their guests up with their own rooms. Twilight immediately went to hers and began work on the glass container. Minor spells seemed to show little promise for her tests. A knock came to the door before she could try anything more powerful. “Come in,” she called, eyeing the door. “Hello. Do you need something?”

“What I need is for you to find that thing,” Sombra replied, direct and to the point.

“So you don’t believe it just up and vanished either.”

“No, of course not. The void wouldn’t just disappear. Not after all this time locked away, and especially not as we began to move against it. Do you have a lead?”

“Well, besides this glass, I’ve got nothing. I’m testing a few magic spells but with no results. Do you know if it could have been transferred to a different container? Maybe removed altogether without causing it to set off?”

He shook his head. “Twilight, even undoing the locks would have caused it to start up. There’s no way somepony could have teleported it, removed it, or replaced it. Something happened to it or it’s really gone. There is no in-between.”

“Then there’s something we’re not seeing, Sombra. I’m going to run a few more magic related tests tonight. You should get some sleep, maybe see if you can’t think of anything that might help us.”

He nodded and the door creaked to close, but before the latch snapped shut Sombra pushed it open once more. “Hey, Twilight?”

She looked up from the glass, noticing his smile. “Y-Yes?”

“Thanks for all this. If it really is gone, then the last piece of my horrid past will be taken care of, and I’ll finally be able to sleep easier. It’s all thanks to you. I just wanted you to know that.” After saying his peace, he closed the door.

You’re welcome, Sombra. But I’ll sleep easier too once I know for sure what happened. No one else should have to suffer being gone for a thousand years.

Though she spent most of the night awake, Twilight did manage to find time to sleep. The next morning she arose from her slumber just to begin examining the container once more. Several exhausting hours passed before she finally gave up and set off for food, her belly grumbling with every step she took.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you for ages!” Discord shouted as he came walking down the hall. “I tried asking Celestia which room was yours but she wouldn’t tell me. Instead, she kept trying to find out what my intentions with you were. She finally sent me away once I turned her tail into cotton candy.” He then reached into his mouth and pulled out some of the sugary candy. “Want some?”

She could feel her stomach ache for the sugar, but where it came from made it churn instead. “N-No thank you.”

“Suit yourself,” he replied, tossing it back into his mouth. “Oh, I should also tell you that Fluttershy and the other annoya- I mean, our other friends have arrived as well. I believe Pinkie Pie insisted on helping with the decorations for the party or whatever.” He tapped his cheek. “There was something else, too. But for the life of me, I can’t remember what. If only Celestia didn’t sound like crickets chirping…”

“Celestia doesn’t sound like crickets, Discord.”

“She does if you’re really good at ignoring her,” he gleefully replied, chuckling to himself.

An exasperated sigh dragged from her mouth, bringing another growl of her stomach with it. Discord followed at her side as they made their way through the large castle halls. “You know, it’s odd how fast my life has been changing,” she thought aloud. “It feels like just yesterday I was galloping down these same halls with the girls because of some cotton candy, chocolate milk-filled clouds.”

“I can still make those, y’know. You do sound a little hungry.”

“I’d rather you didn’t. It’s just odd, though. I barely remember my time here prior to my move to Ponyville, yet it also doesn’t seem like that long ago. Things move fast, and yet here you are, a thousand years out of your time, and you still take things so slow.”

“That’s a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever known one,” Discord replied, taking his claw and brushing off the back of his paw.

“It’s not meant to be either one, actually. It’s just impressive. You, Tirek, Sombra, and of course Princess Luna. Each of you have dealt with it in your own way regardless of how it came about. You’ve all pulled through and mingled with the present. I’m not sure I could’ve done something like that, gone through what you all have.”

Discord stopped. “Twilight, why are you telling me all this?”

She turned around, staring up at him. “I was working on trying to find the void all last night, I didn’t get much sleep. But as I worked, Starlight’s words came back to me. We had been talking about Tirek. She said that we could show him the light, that he could learn from us… and we could learn from him,” she recounted. “Last night I did learn something.”

“What did you learn?”

“You, Tirek, Sombra, and Luna. I never want to deal with what you four have gone through. I never want to be taken from my home, friends, and family. It frightens me. So, I’ve got to do whatever I can do find the void. Because I don’t want anyone else to go through that ever again.”

“You really think it’s still out there, somewhere?”

“I know it is. That or I’m sleep deprived – which is a definite possibility.”

He stepped forward and went to one knee, placing his hands on her shoulders. “If you do find it, then I’ll be sure to help you destroy it. No one should have to deal with being thrust across time. I’m just glad someone else finally understands that, without having to have gone through it.” His somber eyes remained locked with hers as he smiled.

Thank you, Discord. I never want you to be taken from me, either. As he held his position, she leaned up and kissed him, catching him off guard. He fell backwards and she followed him, holding the kiss as she climbed onto his chest.

“Oh come on! I see enough of that at home already!”

They shot off each other like fireworks, quickly standing up and spreading apart. “S-Spike! What are you d-doing here?” Twilight asked as she wiped her lips.

“Discord was supposed to be getting you up but it was taking so long so they sent me to fetch you. Seriously, in the middle of the hall? You two are gross.”

“You… I…” Twilight struggled to form the right words, her vision shifting between the draconequus and dragon.

“We’re gross? Have you seen yourself eat cereal in the morning, Spike?” Discord intervened. “I specifically stayed at Fluttershy’s so I wouldn’t have to see that every morning.”

Spike scratched the back of his head and laughed. “Yeah, but that’s a different kind of gross!”

Discord leaned close to the dragon and whispered, “Kissing isn’t the gross part. It’s what comes after kissing that gets really gross.”

“I really don’t want to hear this,” replied the dragon.

“And you aren’t going to.” Twilight lifted Spike onto her back and trotted away, giving a glare at the grinning draconequus as she passed.

Twilight made her way down to the great hall where the Grand Galloping Gala usually took place. The room had been set up with appetizers and small plates of snacks. Though it was filled with her friends, the hall felt much larger without the noble citizens of Canterlot that usually accompanied the room. “There she is!” she heard the pink party pony scream from half way across the hall.

The Elements and Starlight rushed to greet her. “Hello, everypony. Sorry I’m late. Did I miss anything?” Twilight asked as she let Spike hop off.

“Celestia told us everything! Why didn’t you tell us about some evil black void thingy!? We could have kicked its butt together!” Rainbow Dash smacked her hooves together.

“Rainbow, I’m surprised you could even remember what the princess said, what with you snoring through most of the meetin’,” Applejack replied.

“Don’t worry about it, Dash. There was no evil black void thingy’s butt to kick. Just an empty glass jar.” Twilight stepped around them and they followed. “I would have told you all about it after The Crystal Empire but I promised Sombra I’d keep quiet until after we found a way to destroy it.”

Applejack snorted. “See, Rainbow? A promise is a promise.” She then turned and saw the wide eyes of Pinkie Pie glaring at her. “Hey, a Pinkie Promise is a whole new ball game.”

“I’m just glad it’s all been taken care of thanks to you, Twilight,” Rarity gushed. “When I first heard its description I almost fainted, it sounded like a truly terrible thing! All of Equestria owes a great deal to you.”

“Equestria has owed you all for quite some time,” Celestia noted, startling the group. They quickly turned to face her and gave their bows. “Many triumphs have been caused by you six, and this is another. Without all of you, none of this would have happened.” She leaned back, eyeing over the ex-villains and her sister. “This party is the least we could do to thank you for everything you’ve done. So please, celebrate to your heart’s content.”

Everyone cheered and then meandered back to the rest of the party, leaving Twilight to catch up to Celestia. “Princess, I spent all night trying to find the void but I’ve come up with nothing. Is there anything you can tell me about when it disappeared?”

“Certainly, Twilight. But perhaps later. Right now you should be with your friends.” Celestia leaned down to the younger alicorn and whispered, “Unless you’d rather be off with Discord.” She gave a wink and a nudge.

Twilight turned her head back to the others, eyeing over Discord and Spike. Alright, which one of you told her? “Celestia, please.” She turned back to her beloved mentor. “It’s important.”

Before Celestia could respond, the sound of Twilight’s stomach grumbling interrupted them. “It certainly must be important enough for you to skip eating. I suppose you won’t eat until you’re satisfied with an answer.” She sighed. “Alright, the last time it was inside the glass case was just a few days ago. The place we sealed it in was only accessible by Luna and myself, which makes me believe it truly has disappeared.” She then placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’d say that this has satiated your want to find the void, though I’m sure it hasn’t,” she said, smiling.

“You know me all too well, Princess Celesta. I’ll continue my search after I grab a bite to eat.”

“Good. Also, spend some time with your friends. From what I hear, you haven’t had much time for them. Perhaps they might be able to help.”

If the void is still out there then no one has much time for anything. She gave a nod and scampered back to the buffet of food, scarfing down as much as she could, as fast as she could. Pinkie had already busted out the record player and played some dancing tunes. The hall filled with the clatter of hooves as her friends made their way to the dance floor. Twilight grabbed a few more helpings and headed for the door, hoping to be out before anyone could notice. Unfortunately, someone had noticed.

“Off so soon? But the party has only just begun!” Chrysalis greeted, blocking Twilight’s path to the door.

“Yes, well, I’ve got to work on some things,” Twilight replied, stuffing her face with the last of the treats she had procured.

“Are these things so important that you’re going to ignore your friends?”

She looked up at Chrysalis. “Wait, even you think I’m ignoring my friends? I’m not! I’ve just got to get what I was working on done. It’s important, that’s all.” She shook her head and stepped around the changeling.

“Really? Is it so important to toss away friendships? Even I’m beginning to wonder if I should bother with this little bet. The only ones I ever see hang around you are Discord and Tirek, and we both know why they’re hanging around.”

“Chrysalis, what exactly are you implying?”

The changeling stepped into Twilight’s path once more, blocking the door. “Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. There’s one thing I’ve learned about you in my time becoming reformed, one little thing I’ve noticed.” She lowered her head, stretching her neck to stare deep into Twilight’s eyes. “Whenever you become obsessed with something you tend to put your friends aside. My changelings, dating, reading, reforming villains. You just never seem to have time for them. Maybe they’re not really your friends.”

“T-They know I care about them! They also know me, and they know that’s how I am!” Twilight argued. “What are you trying to say, Chrysalis? Spit it out!”

“It just seems to me that right now you’re going off to search for a new obsession. Am I right? A little void?”

“What if I am? What’s gotten you so interested in it all of a sudden?” Twilight lifted a hoof, pointing it at the changeling. “Do you know something about its disappearance?”

“Me? Oh, Twilight. What makes you suspect me of making it vanish? I’m just a changeling. I can’t do anything but change things. Right?”

She could feel the changeling’s words twisting in her ears. “I-If you did happen to come across the void, what would you do?” she questioned.

Chrysalis stepped out from in front of the door, levitating it open for the alicorn. “What would I do? Well, I’m a bit spiteful. I’d bide my time, maybe make it vanish. Or at least that’s how it’d look on the outside.” She leaned against the door, her pearly white teeth bearing down as she spoke. “It wouldn’t really have vanished, it would just be hidden. Waiting for a moment to bring itself back to the world. It could take minutes, hours, or days. However long it needed to have its container open and free to the unsuspecting fools that thought it was gone.” She then walked away, but not before saying, “But as long as the glass was kept on, then everything would be fine, right?”

Twilight shriveled with dread as she heard those final words. The frosty stare and menacing grin of the changeling were bad enough, but now fear had truly taken over. Rushing out the open door and barreling down the halls, Twilight tore through the castle back to her guest quarters. Papers flew amongst the room as she threw open the door. Nothing’s happened, she thought as she stared at the base. She quickly dropped the glass lid on and locked it in place, hoping she had not been too late. Sweat dripped down her nose, landing on the glass and running down it. She stared and stared, waiting for something to happen.

“Twilight!”

The sudden call of her name had startled her so much that she knocked the container off the desk. She quickly caught it with her magic and turned back to her pupil who stood in the doorway. “St-Starlight? W-What is it?” Twilight panted.

“I saw you freak out and run out of the hall! What happened? Is everything okay? Is it the void!?”

She took a moment to catch her breath and plan out what she was going to say. She is my pupil, there’s no reason I should keep my thoughts on Chrysalis a secret. “No, everything is not okay. I think Chrysalis may just have earned herself a few points back with that scare. I can’t believe I fell for it too!”

“Chrysalis? She’s been nothing but kind, if not a little rough around the edges. What could she have possibly done?”

“I thought she was the one that might have stolen the void. The way she talked made it seem-”

“Wait, you thought Chrysalis would do something like that? That’s ridiculous. She hasn’t done anything evil since she’s gotten here!” Starlight waved a dismissive hoof.

“No, but that doesn’t mean she can’t return to being evil! She hasn’t even reformed yet!”

Starlight’s voice rose as she spoke. “Chrysalis just pledged to me that she’ll come talk to you about her apology to Canterlot in the next few weeks! She’s been too scared to do so but she’s finally willing thanks to the changelings’ move! What makes you think that she’d want to throw all that hard work away?”

Twilight stomped a hoof. “Hard work? She used to lay around my castle and do nothing for days! She hasn’t even done anything to earn the right to move on to the apology! The only thing she has been doing is turning you against me!”

“Maybe she’s not the one doing it! Maybe you’re just a bad teacher, and maybe you spend too much time on things that don’t matter! Did you ever think of that, Princess of Friendship!?” Starlight rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

A scream of anguish was all the alicorn could utter in response. I hope I was never this way to Celestia! She sighed and looked back to the glass container. But maybe she’s right, maybe I am spending time on something that doesn’t matter. Her reflection stared back at her with steely eyes as she became lost in thought. But I am the Princess of Friendship, and there’s no way I’m going to lose a friendship over one little fight! And I’m definitely not going to lose it to Chrysalis!

Chapter 35: It's Overwhelming

“Listen, Twilight. I just want to apologize for the way I yelled at you back in Canterlot,” Starlight said. “I was just angry at you because I hadn’t been in your focus for a while. But the party, and now this? Well, you definitely are the Princess of Friendship for a reason. Thank you for not giving up.”

Twilight lifted a brown saddlebag onto her back with her magic. “I should be thanking you. You’re the one that opened my eyes to how closed off my vision had become to what’s going on around me. The changelings are moved in, Chrysalis is with them, and now all I’ve got to deal with is two knuckleheads trying to win me. Now is the time to focus on those closest to me. It’ll be nice for it to just be the two of us today.”

“Perhaps we should also spend some time at the spa. I’m sure you have a boatload of knots in your back.” Starlight opened the door of the castle, letting Twilight exit out into the snow first before closing it behind them. “Though if I’m being honest, I really just want to go somewhere warm. I’m sick of the snow.”

The alicorn chuckled. “If there’s time once we’ve wrapped up practice. We can’t let the daylight fade away, after all.” She led her student through Ponyville, making small talk as they went. “Have you been brushing up on your spells lately?”

“Well, I suppose I have been a tad neglectful, which is why I get where you’re coming from. It’s becoming more difficult to manage friends, studies, and myself. Not that I’m complaining,” she answered with a short giggle.

They made their way to a pristine, snow-covered clearing on the outskirts of town. Twilight threw off the saddlebag and rummaged through its contents, pulling out a scroll. “Alright. This spell comes straight from Celestia herself. After a little coercing, of course. I saw her pull it off with ease. Let me try then you can give it a go,” Twilight explained. She stepped away from her apprentice and read the scroll. After closing her eyes her horn lit up with sparks of energy, unleashing it into the air. A small area around her ignited and the snow melted, creating a warm ring no larger than the full extent of her wingspan.

Twilight looked around and then said, “Well, it’s a little smaller than Celestia’s but it’s not bad for a first try. Why don’t you give it a shot?”

The unicorn was handed the scroll to which she carefully studied. “This doesn’t seem too difficult. Alright, here goes nothing!” she said as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to center herself. Starlight focused on her magic, forming the spell in her mind. Her horn began to light up with sparks of energy, just like Twilight’s had, but unleashing it yielded little effect on the area. The snow hadn’t even turned to slush, let alone melt.

Starlight was out of breath already, and Twilight noticed. “Are you alright Starlight?” Twilight asked as she came closer and pulled the unicorn into the grassy warm spot she had created. “You seem to be a lot more out of touch with your magic than you let on.”

“No, I’m fine,” she panted. “It’s just a really powerful spell, that’s all.” Her drained eyes lifted to match her teacher’s. “R-Right?”

More powerful than a Star Swirl crafted time traveling spell? I doubt it, Twilight mused. “Well, good thing I brought us some snacks. Nothing refreshes the spirit like cinnamon cookies!” She let Starlight sink to the ground and then went for her saddlebag. Levitating a wrapped cloth out, she brought the covered cookies over to Starlight and sat down next to her.

“Did you make these yourself? I know you had them at the party but I don’t remember if I already asked you.” Starlight took a cookie and bit down on it. “They’re really good.”

“Thank you! Well, I-” Twilight paused. Her eyes had caught movement of black and red coming from the same path they had traveled. She groaned once her vision focused on Tirek, realizing a mistake had occurred. “Oh for the love of… I forgot to tell those two not to disturb us today. Give me a moment to take care of this.” She shifted her face to become as serious as it could be, as she made a fast-paced stride through the snow, meeting the centaur halfway. “Hello, Tirek. I’d hate to be rude but I’ve promised Starlight we’d be spending the day together. Alone. Is there something you need?”

“I’ve grown tired of waiting, Twilight Sparkle.”

She took a step back. He rarely calls me by my full name anymore, she thought. “Waiting? Waiting for what?”

“Your decision. Naming the winner of the bet. It’s clear that Discord and I are the main competitors, and I believe it is time for you to choose. No more waiting. Whether I win or lose, the time to pick is now.”

Twilight froze. Her mind began to race and she could feel her face heat up like an oven. “Y-You can’t be serious!” There’s no way I could outright choose! If this were ancient times I’d have them battle to the death!

“What are you two talking about?” The student’s voice seemed a lot closer, startling the alicorn.

A quick turn of her head and she noticed Starlight standing behind her. She threw her eyes back to the centaur, giving a steely glare. “We will talk about this later, Tirek. I do not have time for this right now. Later!” she huffed, her face still redder than the shiniest apple.

Starlight rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah, you don’t have time for much anymore.” Twilight turned her head, squinting and frowning at the unicorn. “S-Sorry. I know, you’re trying. Just a little resentment still left inside.”

Twilight sighed, her ears fell flat. “No, you’re right Starlight.” She turned back to the stallion and nodded. “Tirek, we will discuss this later. I shall give you an answer soon enough. For now, I would like to spend time with my favorite pupil.” Before Tirek could say any more, she teleported Starlight and herself back to the grassy circle, grabbing their things and teleporting once more.

They arrived at Sweet Apple Acres where Twilight let out a flustered and frustrated grunt. Starlight stood by her, watching as she took a moment to center herself. “Maybe I was more right about the spa than I thought. Stress seems to be getting to you, Twilight. I know that you’re trying but I don’t want you to hurt yourself in the process.” Placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, a smile edged Starlight’s lips. “You taking the time to do this means more to me than you know, but shouldn’t you take some time to relax?”

“I’d hate to break it to you, but I’m supposed to be relaxing right now. With you.” Twilight wrapped her hoof around her student, pressing their cheeks together. “We’ve still got a ton of fun things to choose from today! The spa does sound pretty nice, or we could go to Canterlot for a short day trip.”

Before Starlight could answer, another softer voice called out, “What are you two doing here?”

They turned to the purple dragon who was walking towards them. “I could ask you the same thing, Spike,” Twilight replied. “It’s a little cold for you to be wandering around without a jacket or scarf. What are you doing here? Visiting Applejack?”

Starlight leaned in and whispered, “Don’t bring up the A word!”

“A word?” Twilight asked, puzzled.

“It’s alright Starlight. It’s actually good that I ran into you. I wanted to ask if you might know how long I should wait before trying to mend things with her. It’s only been a few days, but I don’t want it to seem like I’m avoiding her.” Spike rubbed the spines on his head. “Should I see if I could talk to her now?”

“Wait, back up a second. What happened between you and Applejack?” Twilight asked, even more puzzled now.

“How do you not know that Spike turned her down? He’s your one and only assistant!” the unicorn spat.

Spike raised his claws up. “It’s not her fault, Starlight. I hadn’t told her yet!”

With a heavy sigh and contempt in her voice, Twilight said, “I suppose it’s good that you came to me then. I suppose that if I were in your horseshoes I’d-”

“Actually,” Spike interrupted, “I wanted to know what Starlight thought.”

Twilight stood in a silent moment of disbelief, only muttering, “B-But, I’m…”

“It’s not that I don’t trust your advice, Twilight. It’s just, well, I don’t want to put you in a position where you’d have to choose a side between me or Applejack if I continue to muck things up. I just want to have things go back to being simple. Plus, Starlight’s got a ton of experience dealing with falling outs.”

“I-I suppose you’re right, Spike,” Twilight conceded. “I’m always here for you should you change your mind.” She then stepped back, giving a nod to Starlight before taking a few steps away. She remained close enough to eavesdrop but not close enough to interfere.

“I don’t really know how to fix you and Applejack,” Starlight answered. “I mean, Sunburst and I never really had a rough falling out, and it took years upon years with a little help from a friend to finally work up the nerve to do something about that. I’d say… don’t wait that long.” She chuckled. “But you should probably also ask Chrysalis. She’s pretty knowledgeable.”

Chrysalis.

Twilight squinted at that name.

“Yeah, that was actually my first thought. I was just heading up to the hive before you two appeared in front of me.”

You’d ask Chrysalis over me, Spike? She didn’t stop him from heading up the snowy incline nor did she say another word to him as he left. Instead, Twilight stood silently brooding and sulking, half-broken hearted and half-filled with scorn.

“You okay?”

The words snapped her from her stupor. “Y-Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Twilight replied, turning back to face her student while also trying to relax her angered muscles. “What should we do-” Another voice calling her name interrupted her. She let out a disgruntled moan and shouted, “Why are there so many interruptions!?”

Though she was lack in her patience for the interruptions, she could not stay mad for long once she discovered who the interrupter was. The black blurs rushed down the slope, passing the purple dragon. They skidded to a stop in front of the mares, pushing snow into the holes of their hooves. “Timber! Toy! It’s been a little while,” Twilight greeted them. “How’re my two favorite changelings?”

“We’re your favorites!?” Timber shouted, a huge smile on his face.

“Shh, don’t tell the others.” She winked.

Toy hugged the alicorn and asked, “Do you wanna hang out with us, Princess Twilight? We’d be super honored!”

She looked down at the pleading changeling, his smile glowing below his bright blue eyes. Her head turned to look at Starlight who was grinning worse than Pinkie Pie whenever she had another party to plan. “Sorry little one,” she started to say as she looked back at Toy. “I’d love to but…”

Starlight prodded Twilight on the shoulder and whispered, “Y’know, Twilight. It doesn’t have to be just the two of us. These two seem to really like you, so why don’t we pal around with them? Just for a little while.”

Twilight sighed a happy little sigh and gave a nod to her student. “Alright. I’d say you twisted my wing, but I don’t think I could really say no to these two even if I wanted to,” she confessed.

Timber and Toy jumped joyously around each other, happily chanting Twilight and Starlight’s names.

“Hey, they might just become my favorites too,” Starlight teased. “After Chrysalis, of course.”

Yes… Chrysalis. Twilight turned her head to the hive that sat atop the hill, her face turning sour as she thought of Canterlot – the queen’s words echoing in her mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~

They followed the two energetic changelings as they skipped and hopped into town. It wasn’t before too long that they discovered why the changelings were so excited, one more so than the other. “It’s been closed every day since we moved here!” Toy gushed. “Something about a backlog due to Hearth’s Warming. I’m not sure what that means.” The bell above the door rang out as it was opened to the four.

“It’s been a while since I’ve stepped into a store like this.” Starlight eyed the walls. Shelves held stuffed animals, wooden figurines, board games, blocks, and all sorts of other toys for fillies and colts. “A long while.”

“I should probably pick something up for my niece while I’m here. Just another reason I’m glad we bumped into them,” Twilight replied. She watched for a moment as Timber played with the wooden toys while Toy scampered around the store aimlessly. “They really are just children at heart.”

“So, what’s the difference in these two and Chrysalis? Why don’t you like her?”

Twilight stopped and turned her head to face Starlight. Though her words had sounded malicious, Twilight could see nothing of the sort in Starlight’s expression. “No, it’s not quite that simple. I like the changelings, they deserve kindness. Chrysalis on the other hoof… she’s a bit more… derisive. It’s not that I don’t like her, I do. She can be fun, and she introduced me to something I never thought I’d like. But she can also get under my fur, more so than even Discord can. It’s a bit hard to explain since I’m not sure what is going on in her head.”

“Well, maybe she’s more of a foal than you realize? Perhaps the strange way she acts is comparable to that of how a filly would treat a colt she likes. Pulling his hair, calling him names, something like that.” Starlight grinned with a nervous chuckle. “Not that I’d have any experience doing such a thing.”

“That’s a very astute observation, Starlight,” Twilight applauded. “I think you might be right, it might very well be that simple.” She stepped close to Starlight and placed a hoof around her neck. “Tell you what, after we’re done here why don’t we go meet up with Chrysalis? She might be out of the running on the bet for now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t let her worm her way back into it if she’s nice. That means no more hair pulling.”

For a moment, and only for a moment, Twilight saw Starlight’s eyes flicker. “What do you mean worm?” the unicorn asked, toneless.

“Y-Y’know. Move on up, s-scurry in, and yadda yadda. She’s going to have to work for it is what I’m saying,” Twilight replied with a fretful tone as she quickly pulled away from the student. Why would Starlight be offended for Chrysalis? I didn’t even mean that as an insult, she wondered.

Starlight smiled. “That’s true. It does seem like Discord and Tirek are faring better than she is. But don’t count her out yet. She’s a very determined creature.”

“R-Right?” Twilight uneasily smiled back and then turned away from her student, hoping to hide any anxiety from showing on her face. Note to self. Walking on egg shells is a must when it comes to all things Chrysalis. She gave a breathy sigh as she wandered off to find a gift.

After Toy and Timber had their purchases in tow, Twilight and Starlight followed them back to the Ponyville Hive. The warm interior of the hive made the winter air seem like it had never existed. “Thank you Princess Twilight!” the two changelings hollered in unison before traveling up the main set of stairs.

“You two be good!” she yelled in reply, waving them off. “They are little charmers.” She smiled to herself.

“That they are. In fact, most of them are. I’m glad you convinced everyone to relocate them.” Starlight then nudged her teacher and asked, “Should we find Chrysalis?” She pointed to the queen’s room with her horn.

Twilight stared at the door, her eyes twitching for a moment. “Why don’t we visit with some of the other changelings first? It is a hive full of them, after all,” she replied. Just as she tugged in the direction of the stairs, the changeling queen’s doors flew open with two guards making way for the queen’s exit.

“Ah, Starlight. Picking up strays off the street now? I suppose I’m rubbing off on you.” Chrysalis strode in front of the two ponies, making her way past them and up the stairs. “You two hungry? It’s close to lunch and I could use some company while I eat.”

“I could eat,” Starlight answered as she took Twilight by the foreleg, chasing after the queen.

Chrysalis steadied her pace and turned her head back to the mares. “So what brings you two lovely things into my luxurious home? I certainly hope one my changelings hasn’t superseded me and won a date with the Princess Twilight.”

At least they wouldn’t scare me half to death in Canterlot, Twilight begrudgingly thought.

“Well, it was just me and Twilight for a while until we ran into a pair of your kin. We had so much fun with them that I figured the three of us could hang out too if you’re not busy.”

“As long as we remain inside. The snow is rather chilly for my tastes,” Chrysalis answered before stopping at the top of the stairs. She leaned down to become eye level with the alicorn as they too reached the top. “What do you say, Twilight? Do you want to hang out with me too? C’mon. Don’t keep your emotions contained, open up and tell me. Don’t a-void speaking your mind.” Her teeth looked as sharp as ever in-between her grinning cheeks.

Through gritted teeth, Twilight replied, “O-Of course, Chrysalis, I’d be more than happy to have you join us.” Just hair pulling. It’s just hair pulling. That’s all. Sounds of voices came barreling up the stairs, catching Chrysalis’s attention and giving Twilight a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, only for her to realize who it was that happened to be making such a racket. Great, now what?

The voices made Twilight realize she’d rather deal with Chrysalis for the rest of the week rather than the two stallions who were coming into view at the bottom of the steps. “I know she’ll pick me, but I don’t know how long that’ll last if I keep letting you meddle!” Tirek shouted in Discord’s face as they traveled up the steps.

“Tirek, I already told you I’d give an answer later. Now is not the time,” Twilight growled down at them.

Chrysalis laughed and added, “Can’t you see she’d rather spend time here than with you two? Maybe that’s a sign.”

Tirek held his hand up to the changeling queen, not even giving a look in her direction. “Twilight. This has gone on long enough. Win or lose, I’m tired of waiting for an answer. You’ve strewn us along for a while now and it’s obvious there are only two choices. Now is the time. Me or Discord.”

“As much as I like you Tirek, you’re not going to win by forcing her to choose. As a matter of fact, Chrysalis is her best option right now since you two are so intrusive. I’d say you’re losing your touch,” Starlight replied, a smug smile on her face as she stood next to the changeling queen.

“You should really listen to Starlight, Tirek,” Chrysalis mentioned. “I mean, she is Twilight’s pupil. She’d be the one to know how Twilight is feeling, after all.”

How I’m feeling? Twilight’s eyes batted between the centaur, the unicorn, and the changeling. Every word that was uttered strained a muscle, tensing her until she could do nothing but cover her ears. She closed her eyes and prayed for it to all go away, unwilling to deal with the overwhelming tension that surrounded her. Nobody knows what I’m feeling. Nobody!

The voices seemed to go on without a moment of ceasing before it all disappeared. She could still feel them standing there, moving and raising their voices, but the sound had vanished. Her watery eyes opened and she looked up, noticing that the three were still senselessly arguing, but she could not hear their words. That’s when she noticed the outstretched bear paw of the draconequus in between the trio. Her eyes followed up his arm to the warm smile Discord held.

“It’s okay,” was all he said.

She hesitated. Her hoof shaking mere inches from the tips of his nails. Everything seemed to boil down to this one moment, everything told her to take his paw. It was the right decision. But she couldn’t. She threw herself between them, barreling down the steps and out the open door. Her eyes stung from both wind and tears as she took flight. Her soaring speed could only hope to match the words and thoughts that were racing through her panicking mind.

Chapter 36: It's Overcast

“Why the long face?” the reflection asked.

“Oh, you know…” Discord half-heartedly answered.

“The woes of love? This weather? Perhaps a combination of both?”

Discord stared through the reflection in the cottage window, squirming with every drop of rain that hit the glass. Dark skies shadowed the land beneath, turning the snow to slush and ice. Though the rain poured, there was no wind to accompany the dreary conditions. The pitter-patter of raindrops was the only noise coming from the storm.

“Both,” he answered. “It’s as if the weather is speaking what my heart is thinking. I can’t even enjoy the chaos it brings.” Discord slumped against the windowsill, pressing the tip of his nose on the glass. His breath warmed the glass, creating a fog of condensation. With a single finger, he drew a smiling sun which faded quickly.

“Discord? Who are you talking to?” Fluttershy’s puzzled reflection stepped beside his own.

He rolled his eyes and thumbed the window. “Uh, duuuh.” The reflection waved from behind the condensation.

“R-Right. Uhm, would you… two… like some tea?”

“No thank you, my dear sweet Fluttershy. I shall continue to drink in the everlasting storm that has befallen Ponyville,” he replied and turned back to staring out the window.

“It’s not everlasting, Discord. Rainbow Dash told me that they had an excess of storm clouds and needed to be rid of them. It’ll only be here for a little while, and the best part is there’s no thunder or lightning.” She crossed the room and stood next to the pouting draconequus, staring at his reflection. “We should do something fun indoors while we wait. Maybe a board game? I know you like winning,” she recalled, petting his back in an attempt to console.

“No, I am in no mood for such frivolous acts. Even if the weather was better, my mood would remain.” He slumped against her, placing his arm around her neck. “If it was only the weather that filled me with sorrow then I would flip the clouds upside down and turn the slush to ice cream. Wouldn’t that be simply chaotic? But alas, it is not.”

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled. “Discord, it’s not the end of the world.”

“Really? Isn’t having your heart torn from your ribcage supposed to feel like the end of the world?”

“Well, yes, but I don’t think Twilight has forsaken you completely. From what you told me, she might have been scared or confused. I know I’d be stressed if I were in her position.”

“You didn’t see the terror in her eyes, Fluttershy.” Discord stood up, slowly shuffling to the couch and finally falling onto its cushions. He hung a leg over an arm of the couch, slumping his neck over the other. “All my years as the Lord of Chaos and not once have I seen fear like that. I would have been ecstatic to have seen that look back in the day.”

Fluttershy stood next to him, staring at the broken draconequus. “B-But, she loved the gift you got her for Hearth’s Warming, right?”

“She did. At the time.”

“And she hasn’t claimed that Tirek won, right?”

He lifted his head to look at her. “No, s-she didn’t. But that doesn’t mean-”

“Then you need to stop sulking. If you think she has tossed her feelings for you aside then imagine what she must think of Tirek. Perhaps she is feeling the same way you are right now. You won’t know until you’ve gone and talked to her.” She smiled down at him before walking out into the kitchen, her voice echoing as she continued to talk. “Once the storm stops you should just go see her. She might apologize.”

His muscles relaxed as he imagined the scene, giggling to himself with his eyes closed. “My true king, Discord. I haveth forsaken you, but I ask for forgivethness as I was a thoughtless fool. Please, I beg you, marry me,” Twilight said within his imagination. “Kiss me you strong, confident stallion!”

Fluttershy placed a steaming teacup on the coffee table and said, “Well now there’s a smile.”

His eyes snapped open and he looked over at her. Her smiling face stared back at him. He shook his head, smiled, and replied, “You always seem to be the one that can cheer me up. How do you do it?”

She giggled from her plush chair. “A little kindness goes a long way.”

“Ugh! I’m going to be sick!” he said, chuckling as he sat up. “Alright, friend. You’ve lifted my mood. Now, what should two pals do on a dreary afternoon, indoors and bored out of their minds? We’ve got until the clouds clear!”

“I don’t know. Let’s do something that’ll keep you in that cheery mood. Whatever you want, you name it.”

He tapped his chin, feigning a thoughtful look before forming a malicious grin that grew larger than the rest of his face. “Keep me in a cheery mood, eh? You know what would make me more than just a little happy? Showing me some of your art!”

Tea slipped onto the saucer as Fluttershy choked to swallow the contents still in her mouth. She coughed, and said, “A-Art? D-Discord… are you s-sure that’s what you wa-want to do? Anything else?”

His whole body twirled and floated around her chair until finally laying his chin atop her head. “There’s almost nothing that would make me happier right now, Fluttershy. I’ve been dying to see your drawings.”

She squirmed in her seat, biting her bottom lip. She set down the saucer back onto the coffee table and then looked him square in the eyes. “Alright, but on one condition. Don’t make any jokes about my art, okay? I’m not very confident about them…”

He stood atop the back of the chair and placed a hand across his chest and the other in the air. “Dragon’s honor! I’ve got dragon somewhere in me, right?” His tail seemed to wiggle on its own before tickling at Discord’s nostrils. “Kidding, only kidding!”

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head, a response Discord often saw and assumed it had nothing to do with him. She led him up the steps of her cottage, the rain echoing louder on the second floor. Heading past the railing, she went to a locked door, past the bathroom. She looked back at him and motioned for him to turn around, to which he obliged. She removed the key from its hiding place and stuck it in the slot. “I do appreciate you staying out of this room, Discord. I know how badly your curiosity can get to you sometimes. But it’s good for you to have such a respect for your roommate, and I know Twilight will appreciate it once you win her and move into her castle.”

“You think I’ll actually move into her castle?” he laughed. “I suppose if it means waking up next to her, I wouldn’t necessarily be against it.” He heard the door creak open and turned to see inside, letting Fluttershy head in first before following behind.

The room was pitch black except for the light coming from the hall. The single window of the room was covered with a blanket, much like most of the canvasses. Fluttershy floated up and lit the two lanterns of the room. With the area illuminated, Discord noticed four covered canvasses and one uncovered. Papers had been taped to the walls displaying line art drawn of ponies, places, and inanimate objects. Fluttershy dragged off the cloth from the covered art pieces and returned to the center of the room. “Well, here’s everything I’ve made. Sorry if it’s not what you expected.”

One corner was dedicated to a paper canvas that had an unfinished drawing, while the rest of the canvasses held finished paintings. “And what is it you think I expected?” he asked as he eyed the room.

“Well, I just thought you might have been more interested in my drawings rather than my paintings.”

“You specifically mean the playful drawings you make?” He grinned. “I wouldn’t mind seeing those, but we’ve got all day. It’s not like the rain will be stopping anytime soon.” He continued to stare at the art piece in the center of the room, unsure of what it meant or what it could be. “But I must say, I didn’t know you painted as well.”

“I started off painting and found drawing to be easier. I’ve never sold a painting, not that I’d want to.” Fluttershy trotted over and stood next to the draconequus, admiring the painting. “This is my very first piece of art I ever made, and it’s also my favorite.”

“I’d hate to be a critic, but it’s a jumbled mess of colors and shapes,” he replied.

She turned and trotted away, her nose in the air and a smile on her lips. “It’s titled Lord of Chaos for a reason. I made it after we turned you back to stone.”

He slumped over, slack-jawed. “Well, I suppose it’s my favorite piece too, then.” He chuckled. “What else have you got?” he asked before peering at the wall covered in drawings. “These are actually really good. It makes me even more envious of Sombra. I don’t suppose those types of drawings are anywhere around here?”

“I-I don’t really like drawing that sort of stuff, but a lot of ponies will pay more for it. Any money I get goes to helping the animals, so I shouldn’t really complain...”

Discord tapped his chin. “So why isn’t your cutie mark a pencil or something? Seems a little pointless to be this good and not have it be your talent,” he retorted.

Fluttershy’s head tilted as she stared up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Your cutie mark. Your special talent? The thing that drives you? It’s taking care of animals or whatever. Why? Why not art instead? Or why not have two?”

“D-Discord… you do know ponies can have hobbies, right? Our cutie marks give us guidance on what we do in our life. They don’t define our personalities or tastes. Rainbow Dash is cool and awesome, Pinkie Pie is a great baker, and Applejack is a wonderful carpenter. None of which are defined by their special talent. Pinkie could be good at math and still make ponies happy. I can do art and still help all the animals that I’m able to.”

He stroked his beard, contemplating her words. “How is cool and awesome a hobby? Isn’t Pinkie Pie’s talent baking!? And most importantly-” He grabbed her by the cheeks and shoved his face to hers “-What’s Twilight’s hobby!?”

“Um, reading?”

“Oh. I suppose that makes sense.” He released her from his grasp and turned back to a painting. “I always assumed you ponies were one dimensional. Never focusing on anything other than your special talent. It’s almost as if you all have vibrant personalities that wouldn’t be able to be contained in something like a twenty to thirty-minute show that was meant to amuse an audience!”

“U-Uhm, a-audience?”

Waving a hand to shoo her question, he answered, “It’s just an analogy. As if you ponies could actually amuse anyone. You can barely amuse me! And I’m easily amused!” He held his stomach as he laughed, wiping a tear from his eye once he finished. “I suppose these are things that I’d have had to learn eventually if I do win Twilight.”

“Not if, when!” she replied as she sat down on the stool next to her drawing canvas. “I’ve got a good feeling you’ll win. I can’t say for certain but you’ve changed so much that I have to believe it’ll happen. And you should too!”

“I hope you’re right Fluttershy. I have to wonder what I’ll do if I do lose.” He stood still, staring at a painting with his arms behind his back.

Fluttershy pulled her drawing canvas from the corner and flipped the incomplete page over the top. “What do you think will happen if you lose? And what will happen if you win?” She lined a pencil to his figure. “Oh, and if you could please stand still. I-I’m going to draw you if that’s alright.”

“Draw me, eh? Well, okay. Just make sure you get my good side.” He stiffened and smiled. “If I win, I suppose I would move into Twilight’s castle. It’d make sense. Not that I like making sense.” His eyes focused on the painting that sat in front of him. Vibrant colors formed the sky above a grassy knoll, complete with meteors raining down. “She’d probably force me to do things, though. Not to mention I’d be included in more of those boring adventures you and her and the others get into. Honestly! It’s like chaos is a magnet to you six. I’m almost envious!”

Sounds of the pencil brushing up and down on the pad were overshadowed as Fluttershy asked, “Wouldn’t it be more thrilling to join us on those adventures? A lot of them can be scary, but some are really fun.”

“Oh please. Why would I want to help you six solve all your problems? Imagine if I snapped Sombra or Chrysalis out of existence with a flick of my wrist! What would you have learned from that? What would I have learned from not helping Tirek? That miserable little half-breed…”

“But if you don’t help us, we could be seriously injured… or worse,” Fluttershy answered, the sounds of sketching slowed. “What happens if you lose us? What would you do then?”

“Seeing as how that’s coming from one of the ponies that beat the Spirit of Disharmony and turned him into a pony-loving mess of his former self – I don’t think I have to worry.”

“You say that like it was an easy thing to do.”

He chuckled and shifted his head to look at her. “Are you saying I’m difficult?”

“Discord…”

“Yes?”

“Stay still, I can’t sketch you if you’re moving.”

He turned his head back to the painting. “Of course, of course.” His eyes scanned over the art piece again, noting how the meteors seemed strangely out of place and the view was a bit off. “Speaking of losing. If I don’t win Twilight then I’ll have to return to my home in the chaos dimension. Maybe visit Canterlot every once in a while to mess with Celestia. I doubt Twilight would want me around if she chose Tirek. That’d be awkward. And I wouldn’t want to see that smug centaur’s face laughing at me, mocking me.” Using his magic, he lifted the painting from the stand and replaced it with another piece he hadn’t yet seen.

“You’ll always have a place to stay in Ponyville. And I think your friendship with the others has really grown too, even if you don’t want to admit it,” she giggled. “Though, I suppose if you do lose we could try for Celestia or Luna.”

“Celestia? As if she’d be over the last time I…” He stopped himself, placing a hand over his mouth.

“The last time you what?” she asked, leaning her upper body from behind the sketch. “Discord?”

His eyes strained as he stared at the painting. “You’re lucky, Fluttershy,” he eventually said.

“Discord?”

“I hate Tirek. His betrayal, his annoying arrogance, and his interference in this bet. I hate everything about him. But he and I are the same in one regard, and I can’t hate him for that. It might be the only thing that I can’t hate him for.”

Fluttershy hopped off the stool and stepped around to see which painting he was gawking at. A yellow pegasus mare and a green pegasus stallion stood around a crib for a baby colt who was being hugged by a slightly older yellow filly. She smiled and looked up at Discord. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re family to me.”

Discord turned his attention down to the pegasus and placed a hand around her head, rubbing her mane. “You’re too kind for this world, Fluttershy. How can any villain dare try anything with you around?”

“All the villains we’ve ever run into are here in Ponyville,” she replied as she returned to her sketch. “T-Though it’s not like I’m the one that reformed all of them. I only reformed you.”

“I’m glad you did,” he professed as he returned his hands behind his back, waiting to be sketched. “Could you imagine life without me? You’d have thrown yourself off a cliff years ago just to be rid of the boredom!”

“Actually, I’d probably just be painting,” she answered.

“Well – they’d be pretty boring paintings then!”

“I suppose you’re right. Without you I wouldn’t have this amazing sketch.” She set the pencil down and turned the stand to face Discord. His eyes fell out of his head as he stared at his own magnificence. The drawing displayed him with broad shoulders, a chiseled torso, a stern look in his eyes, and the stature of a confident stallion. “I’ve still got to color it in and add a background, but I won’t need you here to do that. What do you think?”

“You’ve encapsulated my essence, my soul, my very being! It’s everything that I am and more!” he described. “I love it!”

“I’m glad you like it.” She paused, and then added, “That’ll be three hundred bits, please.”

Discord stumbled backward and landed on his rump. “Three hundred!? Yo-You didn’t say you were charging me!”

Her giggling was muffled by her hooves. “Just kidding! Do you still think I’m boring, Discord?”

He rubbed his head and chuckled. “Maybe I need to stop living here. I think I’m rubbing off on you a little too much.”

“Well you know what they say Discord. A little-” As Fluttershy spoke, a noise rang out and she screamed in fear, hopping into Discord’s arms within the same breath. “R-Rainbow Dash said th-there wouldn’t be thunder t-to-today!”

The noise rang out again and Fluttershy shook against the draconequus, her teeth chattering. “I don’t think that’s thunder, Fluttershy,” Discord replied as he stood up, still holding the pegasus. He walked out of the room and down the steps where the noise became louder. “See? Someone is knocking on the front door.” He placed her on the ground and said, “Though who would be crazy enough to brave this weather? It better not be me again. Remember last time? What a fool I was.”

He opened the door and his mouth dropped open, stunned by the soaking wet, purple alicorn that stood there. As if on cue, the rain stopped, leaving only small droplets of water to run down the roof and a gray sky as a reminder. His mouth moved to speak but nothing exited his vocal chords. The alicorn pushed her bangs from her eyes, leaving a bit of snow on some of the strands of hair. Her eyes seemed heavy and sunken in with rain water making it appear as if she had been crying, or perhaps the other way around. “D-Discord…”

“I’m-”

“You’re the one that I want.”

“W-What?”

“I-I made such a fool of myself the other day,” Twilight pouted, true tears forming in her eyes. “I was so afraid of choosing, of what would happen once I did pick. I was afraid of how it would affect everyone’s lives. And when you reached out to me I just knew I needed you, but I was afraid.” She took a step into the cottage. “Out of all the things I was afraid of, I was most afraid of saying that I love you. I love you, Discord!”

With a swift jump, Twilight planted a kiss on Discord’s lips, causing him to stumble backward and land on his back. She sat on his chest, still kissing him and caressing his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and took a second to break the kiss. “I love you too,” he cooed before kissing her cheek and neck, repeating the words as he did.

Fluttershy stood to the side, watching as they kissed. Her cheeks were beginning to burn red as she quickly covered her eyes with her wings. “O-Oh my… Th-This is awkward.”

Chapter 37: It's Just Over

Little shafts of light broke through the gray clouds, hitting the ice and slush covered land. Snow crinkled and sloshed underneath Twilight’s hooves as she walked beside the floating draconequus. “Y’know, choosing me isn’t going to win you any points with Starlight. Plus, she’ll have to be our servant,” he mentioned. “Though I suppose if you asked nicely I could help in getting you into her good graces. In exchange for a few kisses, of course.”

“I’m more worried about Tirek’s reaction and your gloating,” she replied, her smile waning at the thought. “Regardless, we should get it over with as soon as we return to the castle. I don’t need Pinkie Pie guessing it correctly in front everypony, spoiling my good news.”

“Oh please. You’re going to be a little late for that. I’m sure she’s already sensed it and has formed a party in our honor, telling everyone to meet at your castle or something like that.”

“Very funny. Pinkie is pretty good at guessing things, but even she isn’t that-” She paused. Her eyes squinted at a mass of black forming between a few Ponyville homes and shops. “But I have been wrong before. Though, something tells me that isn’t a parade for us.”

“Well, they’re not burning the town down. No screams of maimed ponies. No foals crying for their mothers. Whatever they’re doing, it’s boring,” Discord quipped. “Definitely not one of Pinkie’s parties.”

Twilight’s eyes dragged from the group of changelings to a few blurry black dots outside her castle. “Y’know, just once I’d like to give good news and not be bombarded with some sort of attack on my person, friends, or town.” Her head hung low as she sighed and groaned. “C’mon. Let’s see who’s causing a commotion.”

As they made their way to the castle noises began to ring out from the town behind them with even more changelings flying overhead. Just outside, on the steps of the castle, Rainbow Dash sat impatiently. “There you are Twilight! We’ve got big problems! Where have you been for the last two days!? Everything is out of control!”

“Two days?” Discord asked as he slumped down to Twilight’s level.

She tapped her cheek, smiling nervously as she said, “I couldn’t really return to the castle – Tirek would be there. Zecora was kind enough to let me stay a couple days to get my head sorted on. Plus it was raining. Didn’t really want to return in the rain.”

“So you decided to come over to Fluttershy’s in the rain instead…”

“Er, well, y’know…” she mumbled and then turned her head back to Rainbow Dash. “What’s been going on?” she asked, hoping to avoid Discord’s curious grin.

“While you were gone, Chrysalis came and claimed herself ruler of Ponyville! She used the rain to mobilize her changelings without anyone noticing! A bunch of ponies are locked up in their homes. I just started gathering up everypony to stop her an hour ago, but when I brought Pinkie Pie I found Starlight and Spike were there supporting Chrysalis! They’re not letting anyone see her.”

“I knew Chrysalis hadn’t changed! Rainbow, go get Fluttershy. I think you were right to call the Elements together,” Twilight commanded. Rainbow gave a nod before cutting the air like a knife, bursting off to Fluttershy’s cottage. “C’mon, Discord. It’s time to dethrone a queen.”

“Really? That’s the best one-liner you could come up with? We’ll have to work on that later.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and threw open the castle doors with her magic, only to have her eardrums bombarded by screaming and hollering. Light poured in through the open doorway onto the angered group of friends. Spike stood shaking his fist at Sombra, Rarity, and Applejack, while Starlight fiercely argued with Tirek and Pinkie Pie. The echoing tirade of yells was only ceased once Twilight shouted for them to stop. “Enough!” She strolled through the foyer to the group, Discord right on her tail. “What’s going on? Where’s Chrysalis!?”

A deep, menacing laugh fell from the stairs as the changeling queen made her way down, taking her time with each step. Twilight spread her hooves out and pointed her horn, preparing to defend against whatever unforeseen trick that the changeling had planned. A green spark lit up from the queen’s horn and Starlight and Spike rushed to her side. “What good little servants you two have been, but I have no more use for you.” A blinding light burst from the mouths of the two, feeding the queen whatever love they had left.

Once the light had faded, Twilight yelled, “Chrysalis! What is the meaning of this!?”

Spike and Starlight fell to the ground, their eyes closed and soft groans sounded out. “Come, Twilight. You and I have much to discuss,” the queen commanded, ignoring the alicorn’s question. She stepped past the group of angry ponies and sole centaur, waltzing in-between Twilight and Discord as she headed for the door.

Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt on the red and purple rug. “Twilight! Fluttershy’s right behind me-” She hesitated to continue as she became face to face with Chrysalis. The changeling stepped past her as if she didn’t even notice the blue pegasus, doing the same for the dawdling Fluttershy.

Twilight looked to her beaten apprentice and assistant. Applejack and Rarity stood around Spike, attempting to wake him up, while Tirek and Pinkie did the same for Starlight. “I’m going to find out what she wants,” she muttered as she turned back to Discord. “All of you stay here.”

“I can tell you what she wants right now. A one on one where she can easily overpower and beat you, preventing you from using the Elements on her,” Discord answered as he sidled up next to her. “Or preventing that crazy hair power-up you six have. I swear, it’s a revolving door of new powers for you all, I can’t keep track,” he remarked, a nail file appearing in his hand. “Nevertheless, having a powerful draconequus with you might tip the scales, if you’d like.”

“No,” Twilight replied. “This may be the only moment I have to convince her to turn away from whatever she is planning. It’s a trap, I know it is, but I have to try. You’re the one that convinced me of that.” She took a deep breath and pursed her lips out, giving him a smile before she added, “I suppose if something does go wrong, having a powerful draconequus as a trump card might tip the scales.”

“Clever. Just scream or whatnot if you need my help,” he replied as he trimmed his nails with the file.

She stared back at him as she continued out the door. The smile she had faded as she stepped back into the snow, the castle doors closing behind her. The queen’s black body stood as a blatant contrast to the winter wonderland that surrounded them. Snow crinkled under Twilight’s hooves again as she drew closer to the queen. Her mind plotted every movement she took, making sure to maintain a safe distance while also attempting to be close enough to seem welcoming.

“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you’re planning, Chrysalis, you need to know it won’t work,” told the alicorn. “But if you stop right now, I can say that you will be forgiven. Though you’ll still be punished, I know that the punishment won’t be nearly as bad as if you turn your back on reforming. You were so close, why give it up now?”

“You really think I came here to be reformed? I have no need for petty alliances! I came to become powerful, to make my species powerful. My changelings have never been stronger!” Her voice boomed as she rose up, standing bipedal and throwing her forelegs in the air. A shadow began to form, blotting out the sun over both them and the castle. It wasn’t another cloud, but the hundreds of changelings flocking together above them. “I saw the perfect opportunity to usurp you while you bawled your eyes out on the boundaries of Ponyville. Step aside, make way for a real queen!”

“They’ve been cured! Your whole goal to rule so that they could feed is meaningless! All you’re doing now is dooming you and your fellow changelings to a prison cell! Is that what you want? For them to be in shackles? This is your last chance. Do you really want their lives ruined just so you could try and rule over all Equestria!? Is it that important!?”

Chrysalis grinned, her snow white teeth bore like that of a monster hiding under a foal’s bed. “You didn’t just cure my kind, Twilight Sparkle.” Her horn began to light up with a dark green energy. “You made us more powerful than all the alicorn’s combined!” The energy unleashed, bolting its way toward Twilight who was more than prepared for it. A magenta bubble shielded Twilight from the blast, creating a cloud of smoke that surrounded her shield. She let down her guard to wave away the smoke with her wings, only to be slammed into by the changeling queen.

The black hooves of the queen pressed against the alicorn’s throat, pinning her to the ground. Chrysalis’s mouth opened wide, leaving only a moment for Twilight to scream before the same light that had been pulled from Starlight and Spike began flooding from Twilight’s mouth. The energy drained from the alicorn quicker than she had expected, leaving her unable to fight back or push the changeling off.

A bolt broke the light and the queen jumped off, landing a few meters back. Twilight’s eyes shifted and stirred in her head as she tried to focus. She rolled to her side just in time to see Discord and her other friends pour out from inside the castle. Tirek brought the weakened Starlight to Twilight’s side while Applejack brought Spike. Discord jumped over the alicorn, coming between the changeling queen and her. “Telegram for Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said, looking over his shoulder at Twilight. “Oh look, it’s a big, fat told you so from none other than myself! How sweet of me. He also wants to know if dinner at nine is acceptable.”

“D-Discord?” Her head leaned to see the backside of the draconequus, then fell back, coming face to face with Starlight.

“I-I’m so sorry, Twilight.” Starlight’s apologetic eyes were filled with tears. “I-I wasn’t-”

Twilight pushed up with her hoof, attempting to stand. “It’s okay Starlight. You don’t need to apologize. I need to apologize to you.” As she rose to all four hooves, she turned to Discord and Chrysalis. “I know how badly you wanted Chrysalis to change, but I failed. I failed and now we must deal with my failure.” Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash crowded around behind Twilight. “We can’t let her win.”

“We’re ready whenever you are, Twilight,” Applejack said.

“Nobody hurts our friends, especially after we’ve been so kind to her!” Rarity added.

“Fools.” Chrysalis seemed to ignore the draconequus that stood between them. “You really think I wouldn’t have anticipated this? Show them what their kindness has brought upon them!” Chrysalis yelled. The shadow above dissipated as sticky green goo poured onto each of the Element bearers, coating their coats and preventing them from moving. Sombra, Tirek, and Discord prepared for their own shipment of goo, but instead, the changelings flew around and made a large circle, surrounding the group and Chrysalis. Having done what they were told, the changelings watched from the sidelines.

Rainbow Dash squirmed and fought as Rarity screamed, “My mane!” repeatedly. Starlight stuck a hoof on Twilight’s horn, trying to rid the goo that covered her, only to become stuck herself.

“What? None for us?” Tirek asked as he kneeled to help Pinkie, but refused to touch her once he saw Starlight had become stuck. “I’m going to assume there’s some reason for that,” he added as he stood and faced the changeling queen.

“It’s pretty obvious, Tirek,” said Sombra. “The time has come, she believes she has won. Though I am surprised Discord isn’t covered in goo… unless…”

“Unless I’m planning on having all three of you side with me? You’d be right. I’ll give each of you the chance, and since Discord is the one who cured my species, he has earned that right,” Chrysalis explained. “So what do you three say? Have I won or do you plan on getting in my way?”

Discord had remained with his arms outstretched, facing the changeling queen. “To be honest, I’m not much of a fighter. And I’d rather let these six manage their own problems. I was just telling Fluttershy how they’d learn nothing if I snapped you or any other ne’er-do-well out of existence. Yet, here I am, having to put my cloven hoof down to prevent them from becoming, well, whatever you bug brains do with your victims. Alas, the things I do for love…” His smug grin wiggled as he finished speaking.

“Very well, Discord. You’ve made your choice, but how will you fare against three opponents?” asked the queen. “Tirek? Sombra? Shall we?”

Tirek folded his arms and shifted his weight to his right hooves. “You expect us to join you before you’ve taken care of Discord? Do you think I’m as foolish as he is? You may think you’ve won this, but if you’re right then you should be able to take care of him no problem,” Tirek argued. Sombra nodded his head in agreement.

Chrysalis tapped her chin, a simple grin forming on her face. “I wonder if all centaurs are as cunning as you, or if that’s just past experience talking. If I lose, you don’t have to betray anyone. If I win, then it doesn’t matter if you betray them.” Her grin widened. “Very well. I absorbed more than enough of Twilight’s love. Let me show you the true power I possess!”

Green sparks formed in the queen’s horn, unleashing a beam of energy at the draconequus who sent his own beam from a single finger. The beams connected, hitting each other and producing an audible hum. Discord maintained himself but was forced to add another finger to keep his beam strong, then another, and another. Eventually, the beams exploded at the center, sending dirt and snow into the air. When the smoke cleared, a smiling Chrysalis stared across at the draconequus, readying another spell.

“If that princess is so precious to you-” Chrysalis burned with green fire, transforming into a copy of Twilight “-then surely you wouldn’t want to harm her!” The changeling’s voice was mirroring perfectly with Twilight’s. “Come, Discord. Fight your love!” A ball of green magic hurled from her horn at the draconequus.

With a flick of his wrist, Discord deflected the ball into the sky. In the same instant, he transformed into a duplicate of Sombra. “Well, nothing hurts a mare more than bringing up past lovers. How about it, Chrysalis?” he asked, shaking his black rump at her.

“That stallion?” she laughed. Green flame once again surrounded the queen, transforming her back into her normal state. “He’s not the bane of my existence. If you want my scorn, then this is for all the bug puns!” A beam once again shot out of her horn, aimed at the defiant draconequus.

Quickly returning to his form, Discord held out both hands, blocking the beam with his own might. The beam exploded in his palms, surrounding him in a cloud of dust. As it settled, he was found to be on one knee, clutching his right hand. Or, at least, what would have been his right hand. “It seems I’ve been dis-armed,” he quipped, holding the stump of his right arm. “Hold on, let me see if I have an extra.” He reached into the fur on his leg and searched through, pulling out a rubber chicken, a magic lamp, and a miniature Tantabus. “Ah, here it is!” He slapped on the spare hand and twisted. After it was on, he popped the knuckles, making sure each finger worked properly.

“Chrysalis is quite impressive, but Discord is Discord. I doubt anyone other than myself can beat him so easily,” Tirek added his two bits.

“You think highly of yourself, Tirek,” Chrysalis replied. “Discord, stand for me.”

Discord laughed and smiled as he attempted to pull himself off his one knee. His jolly grin soon faltered as he failed to stand up with all his might. When he couldn’t, he placed his new hand on the ground and pushed up, forcing himself back onto both legs.

“Even spirits can be defeated by those who are strong,” Chrysalis giddily explained. “This fight is as good as over unless you’d like to join in, Tirek. Perhaps exact a little revenge on the simpleton. I’ll even give you Twilight if you maintain a good behavior.”

“Your arrogance is duly noted.” Tirek turned his focus to Sombra who stood on the opposite side of Discord. “What do you think, Sombra? Shall we join in?” he yelled across the snowy battleground.

Sombra stared back at Rarity and Applejack, his eyes filled with distress at seeing them entangled. “I stopped being a king a long time ago. If you want to join in, then I’ll follow your lead.”

“So, what’s it going to be, Tirek? Me or her?” Discord asked, his face still focused on Chrysalis, his knees still wobbling beneath him.

Tirek clapped his hands and stepped away from the draconequus, planting himself closer to the changeling queen. “It’s quite obvious who the winner is after that little display.” Sombra followed suit, stepping along the sidelines to the center of the battlefield.

Discord’s hands spread out as he prepared to fight all three. His eyes shifted between the two stallions and the mare. Sweat began to slip down his forehead, screaming in joy as they departed from him. The Elements, Starlight, and Spike trembled as they sat stuck together, waiting for the real fight to begin and hoping Discord could prevail.

“Yes. Yes! Soon we’ll be rid of the Elements once and for all! Nothing will stop us!” Chrysalis cheered, stomping her hooves with a delight to rival that of a foal’s happiness on their birthday.

“The Elements,” Sombra reiterated. “It seems that at the first sign of trouble they’ll come running. It’s as if they have a knack for getting in the way. A deterrent really, against trying anything evil.”

Tirek nodded, clenching a fist in front of him. “I’d have to agree, though being evil is certainly more fun.” His head swiveled back towards the draconequus. “Three on one, Discord. Those are some really good odds. You’re just a bumbling fool.”

“Three on one!” Chrysalis’s laugh bellowed from within her. “Three on one! Now Tirek, absorb his energy!”

Both of Tirek’s white eyebrows rose as he looked back at Chrysalis. “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. I mean, Discord is a bumbling fool who manages to breathe solely through his mouth and somehow not suffocate – but you? Well, apparently you’re just an idiot. It’s three on one.”

Chrysalis’s eyes shifted from Discord to Tirek just as slowly as her smile faded. Before she could figure out what he had meant, crystals poured from the ground in a line and shot up against her body. The crystals pushed into her holes and covered her legs and torso, trapping her like the goo trapped the Elements. Even her horn formed with crystals, preventing her from casting any magic. “You insolent buffoons! You both will pay for betraying me!”

“Betraying?” Tirek laughed as he stood in front of the queen. “Did I warm up to you? Claim you as my friend? Give you a necklace that supposedly meant I was loyal to you? Any of those things? Betraying them would mean I’m out of the running for Twilight, yet all you could offer is a meager showing of your power.” Before she could say another word, Tirek unhinged his mouth and began to drain every ounce of magic from her body. She screamed in agony until all the magic she had was absorbed by the centaur.

“Perhaps if you had been strong enough to defeat Discord then you wouldn’t be in this situation. Creaking knees? Come now. He and I have a few thousand years on you. Creaking knees come with the age.” Tirek stepped back as the magic filled him with power, increasing his size tenfold. The earth shook beneath him as he moved, standing at only a few stories shorter than the castle they were in front of. The other changelings moved to accommodate his size, hoping not to be squished. “Now this is true power! She absorbed quite a lot of magic, almost enough for three alicorns.” He flexed for a moment before leaning down on his forelegs, and asked, “Alright, who wants some magic?”

Twilight stared up from the gooey prison, marveling at the size of his smile. “Please, return Starlight and Spike’s first,” Twilight pleaded. “Who knows how long they’ve been drained by Chrysalis. They need it more.”

Discord stood befuddled, watching as Tirek shrunk in size as he filled Spike with magic, and then Starlight. “I… Uh… Wha-What just happened!?” he shouted his question, throwing his hands in the air.

“Honestly. Do you really believe me to be as stupid as you are, Discord?” Tirek asked after finishing with Starlight. “As if I’d be gullible enough to betray the very ponies who beat me, you, and Sombra. Every moment I’m around you I’m reminded not to follow in your mistake.”

“Well, don’t expect me to thank you.” Discord crossed his arms and snorted. “I could have taken all three of you on and not even broke a sweat. Probably… Most likely,” he replied.

With Starlight’s power returned, her horn lit up and a spell was cast, popping the goo off the Elements and freeing them from their sticky shackles. Just as the goo was lifted, Tirek finished pouring the leftover magic back into Twilight. “Discord. It would have been smarter for you to have removed the goo from us, and then we could have taken care of her,” Twilight mentioned.

“What’s the point of having a trump card if you’re not going to use it?” he smugly retorted.

“Removing the goo would have been nice. It’s going to take hours to clean my wings,” Fluttershy mentioned.

“Your wings? My hair!” Rarity shouted. “This is just the worst possible thing!”

“Would you quit your cryin’, Rarity?” Applejack shook her hat, flinging out whatever goo was left inside. “We all have to deal with it.”

Twilight looked out at the surrounding changelings. “I’d have to agree with Applejack. We’ve still got to deal with the remaining changelings, though they don’t look too interested in helping their queen anymore.” She studied the chatter and panic the changelings had. “You can cry later, Rarity.”

Spike rose a claw. “That’s not Rarity,” he said, pointing to the crystal captured queen.

The Elements and ex-villains silenced themselves as they listened to Chrysalis wail. Tears streamed down her face as she yelled and moaned, thrashing about in her crystal prison. “It’s not fair. It’s just not fair! I never get my way! I never win! What have I done to deserve so much pain? Why has karma never once given me a break!? It’s not fair!”

“Wow,” Sombra remarked as he released the changeling queen from the crystals, allowing her to sulk on the snow. “I feel bad for her.”

“What do you think we should do with her?” Starlight asked Twilight.

Her mouth swayed as she contemplated the queen’s fate. Eventually, an idea popped into her head. “Tirek, Discord. What would you two suggest be her punishment? She’s clearly failed reformation, but I’d rather not be extreme.”

Tirek looked to Discord with a deep frown set in on his bearded face. “A thousand years in stone or Tartarus would be a hilarious irony.”

“Though I’d suggest a max of twelve days in either would be a far more suiting punishment,” Discord finished Tirek’s train of thought.

The pounding on the ground interrupted their plans for Chrysalis’s punishment. Snow kicked up with each hit of her hooves, getting stuck within the open holes. “Why am I the one who is forced to be lonely? Why can’t I ever be happy with what I have!? Is it a curse? Am I still cursed?” Her words weren’t meant to be answered. It was as if she was the only one there, the only one who she could talk to.

“Sombra, do you know anything about this? Is she lonely?” Rarity asked.

“I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen this side of her,” he answered. “When I was with her we only talked about strategy. We never discussed personal feelings. We were just tools for each other.” He paused, his eyes brows drew together. “If… If I had known she was lonely I wouldn’t have…” His jaw clenched shut as Rarity slid beside him, patting him on the back.

“You think-” Chrysalis began to say as she stood up, her legs wobbling beneath her “-I would have wanted you?” Her gritted teeth turned their focus on the group as she lifted her colorless eyes to them. “You. Sombra. You were nothing more than a tool. You are nothing more than a tool! I didn’t want you. I wanted power! I wanted to rule this land with my brood, my kin!”

Twilight stepped past Discord, extending a hoof to the queen. “But you could have been happy! We could have been friends. We can still be friends! It doesn’t have to just end poorly for you. Can’t you see that?”

“She’s right, Chrysalis!” Starlight stepped beside her teacher. “Even after everything you’ve done to me, I’d still be willing to forgive you just as long as you were truly sorry. We can still be friends. We can still try!”

“You’re wrong!” Tears poured down the queen’s face. “There’s nothing to try anymore!”

Spike rushed beside Twilight. “That’s not true! I’ve seen the comic book-loving side of you! I know you can change. It’s never too late. Look at Tirek, look at Sombra. They’ve changed. And look at Discord! He risked his neck to protect all of us – he’d have never done that for anyone else! You can change! You’re a changeling!”

“No. Discord was right. I’m a bug,” Chrysalis spat. “I am a little tiny bug, a fly on the wall. On the wall of every conversation, of every important meeting. Following along to find your dirty secrets, anything that I can use to defeat all of you.” Her eyes shifted to Sombra. “I knew bringing that pathetic stallion back from the brink would do me good. I knew he’d lead me to the power he had once controlled.”

“Wait. What does that mean?” Sombra inquired, his eyes widening.

A grin formed beside the tear stained cheeks, revealing her pearly whites in a more menacing light than they had ever been seen. “A backup plan.” Her horn lit up, dissolving the crystals. An object levitated from underneath the snow a few meters away. “To the backup plan.” The glass container levitated its way beside her. Inside was a black, empty hole that continuously spun.

“T-The void!” shouted Twilight, quiveringly.

“She’s the one that stole it!” Sombra stomped his hooves and pointed his horn at the queen. “I’ll never let anyone use that thing for evil ever again!”

“So that’s what it looks like. I’m assuming one wrong move and the glass pops off, sucking all of Ponyville into oblivion, right?” Discord presumed, tapping his chin. “I probably shouldn’t be touching something so chaotic.” He nervously grabbed his neck and pulled, like a collar on a shirt.

“If I’m going down, I’m going to make sure you all go with me!” Chrysalis removed the latches on the glass, leaving the lid on to prevent the void’s escape until she was ready to unleash it.

Sombra scurried to stand near Twilight. “What should we do? I’m not losing another thousand years!”

“We’ll have to give in to her demands until we can whisk that thing away. No matter what she wants, no matter how impossible, we’ll have to give it to her,” Twilight answered.

“Wrong again, Twilight Sparkle. My demand isn’t something you can give,” Chrysalis vaguely described, grinning as she spoke. “My demand is something only I can give.” She slammed her front hooves into the snow. “I demand to see you pests in a thousand years!”

Upon lifting the glass just a few centimeters from the base, the void reacted to the fresh air. The blackness sucked the container into oblivion with the queen and her hysterical laughter following right behind. Sombra was quick to act, placing a bubble around the opened void. “Help me contain it!” he yelled as his bubble pulsated and became smaller and smaller. Starlight and Twilight cast their own shields, empowering his with their magic. Rarity stepped forward as well to add whatever magic she could offer.

“What’s the plan here?” Starlight anxiously asked as she attempted to maintain her piece of the bubble, sweat pouring from her brow.

Even though it was contained by the magic, the sound it emitted remained. It made noises worse than any thunderstorm, blaring out wind like that of a pegasus-made tornado, though no wind could be felt. At times a train horn could be heard as if it were right next to them. The deafening noises were accompanied by each pulse of the magical bubble.

“I-I’ve never wanted to keep it contained! I only set it off once and that was enough!” Sombra answered as he dug his hooves into the snow.

Twilight pushed down with all her might, trying to force the bubble to destroy whatever remained inside. “I don’t know if we can beat it! The glass container is gone!”

“There’s got to be something we can do!” Rainbow Dash whined. “What about the rainbow power? We used it to return Equestrian magic after we defeated Tirek! Maybe we can do it again!”

“We got that from a mysterious box that came from a magical tree, Dash,” Applejack answered. “If you got another one of them lyin’ around, I’ll gladly smash off the locks.”

Discord hadn’t moved an inch since the void had been released, his arms firmly at his sides. The blank-faced, slack-jawed look he had could tell anyone that looked at him that he was lost in thought. His clever mind tried to understand what he would lose if the bubble failed. Thoughts and ideas had been racing through his mind before a moment of clarity finally hit the draconequus. He turned to the centaur that stood just as slack-jawed as he had been. He grabbed Tirek by the shoulders and shook. “Take my magic! Get big!” he yelled with an incoherent manner.

The sudden shake snapped Tirek out of his stupor. “W-What? What are you saying, fool?”

“Take my magic! Use it to increase your size and then grab the bubble and fling it into the stratosphere!”

Tirek’s eyebrow raised as he asked, “Have you lost that pea sized brain of yours? How would that help?”

“Have you ever been to The Crystal Empire?”

“Erm, well, no,” answered the centaur.

“I have. Their main castle is about a half size taller than Twilight’s. That means it can take at least the length of that castle to the ground. If you send that thing high enough when it releases it’ll go a certain distance and stop. If I’m right, then once it reaches the maximum distance for The Crystal Empire, it’ll cease and vanish!”

“And if you’re wrong? What if it’s an everlasting portal of nothingness with no limits!?”

“It’s math! Math is always chaotic!” Discord yelled over the deafening wind.

“I don’t think that’s true. I’m pretty sure it’s the opposite of chaotic.”

“Do you want to be lost for another thousand years? Because I don’t! And I can only come up with chaotic answers for this chaotic problem!”

Tirek stared into Discord’s eyes. With a simple shrug, he agreed. “I suppose if this doesn’t work I can just blame you. After we return in a thousand years, of course.” Tirek quickly absorbed as much magic as Discord could allow, increasing his size to the point he towered over the group. Even at that height, the sounds of bellowing gusts rattled his eardrums.

“Alright, good!” Discord hollered as he rushed to be by Twilight’s side. “Let’s keep it sealed!” He added the last of his magic to the bubble, hoping it would be enough to keep it contained while Tirek held it.

“What’s going on?” Twilight yelled her question, taking a moment to look up at the gray-eyed draconequus.

“I’m taking Fluttershy’s advice! Without you, my life would be incredibly boring again. I’m not going to let that happen, especially since I only just got you! We’ve read enough books that end tragically for new couples, I’ve grown sick and tired of that atrocious cliché! I’m keeping you!” he answered, smiling down at her.

She didn’t understand what that meant until she saw the large hand of Tirek swoop down and grasp the shielded void in his hand. He couldn’t feel the void itself, but the pulsating bubble vibrated frantically in his hand. Taking his time to reel back, Tirek put all his weight into sending the magic orb as far as he could into the sky. They watched as it sailed past the clouds, becoming a speck in the sky before Discord finally called out. “Release your magic!” The unicorns and alicorn released their pieces of the shield, leaving the void to be free to absorb whatever surrounded it.

Wind no longer only howled, instead, the pressure that had been building up exploded from its center, pulling the clouds into its nothingness in an instant. Tree leaves, snow, and hay on roofs flew up to the sky as the void drew in as much as it could. Though its size was small, its power seemed limitless. The group of heroes, the circle of changelings, and every pony in Ponyville attempted to hold on for dear life as the void took all it could.

And just like that, it was over.

The void had stretched the limits of Sombra’s original design, disappearing once it reached the edges the curse had preordained. The partially clouded sky that had remained after the rain was no more. A crisp, blue sky had been returned, leaving not a trace of the void that had just been there moments ago. No wind, no earsplitting howling, not even a single speck of black. The only thing that remained was snow that slowly fell back to the earth, covering less than it already had.

As everyone stood in disbelief, the changelings let out an uproar of cheers. Many of them hugged each other while others hopped up and down, feeling the relief that had been given to them. “Why are they cheering?” Tirek asked as he returned the magic Discord had given him. “They just lost their queen. Not sure that’s a good reason to be happy.”

Twilight smirked as she looked out at the celebrating brood. “I think that’s why they’re rejoicing.”

“Orrrr, maybe they’re rejoicing because their hero, Discord the Almighty, just saved all of them,” Discord proudly said, placing a hand on his chest and pointing his nose to the sky.

Tirek snapped his finger at the draconequus. “I better get half the credit since I’m the one who tossed it in the air. I want my name on the parade banner at the very least!”

“I’m not so sure we should be celebrating, or counting this as a victory,” Starlight interrupted with her mournful thought.

“Though Chrysalis irked me, I have to agree with Starlight,” Sombra believed. “All this was just a desperate attempt by a mare who felt unloved and unwanted, ending with her own doom. I feel sorry for aiding in that, even unknowingly.” The others stood around, nodding or staring at the ground, feeling guilty for the preemptive happiness.

“Actually, I think there is something to celebrate,” Twilight objected. “She might have done it for the wrong reasons, and she might be gone for those same reasons, but in the end, she helped her species survive.” She took a step forward, listening as the changelings cried their victory. “I don’t think I even need to speak to them to know why they acted the way they did. They couldn’t betray their queen as much as Tirek could betray us. Without her, they will be in charge of their own lives. Perhaps, in some small way, Chrysalis knew that.”

The ponies seemed to agree, but Discord’s laughter broke the sweet sentiment. “I just realized she called us pests at the last moment. After all the bug puns I threw at her you’d think she’d have chosen a better final word.”

Everyone stood around, staring at Discord with looks of displeasure, disgust, or annoyance until the silence was broken by Tirek’s bellowing guffaw. “D-Do you think in a thousand years she’ll return and realize what she said? I wouldn’t mind being a fly on the wall for that reaction!” Tirek added, placing a hand on Discord’s shoulder as they continued to laugh.

“Well, at least one good thing happened from all this. They’re finally getting along,” Starlight noted.

“Wonder how long that will last,” Spike sneered.

Twilight shook her head. “A thousand years?”

“Did Twilight really just make a joke?” asked Rainbow.

“I’m pretty sure she did. I guess Discord’s being rubbing off on her, in more ways than one!” Pinkie replied with a snort and giggle.

“Pinkie!” Twilight growled. “Don’t blab and tell everyone that I’m with Discord!” The ponies gasped in shock at the revelation, to which Twilight shoved her hooves to her mouth. “Whoops.”

Tirek and Discord had stopped laughing long enough to overhear Twilight’s goof. Their laughing was soon replaced with Tirek’s yelling, followed by him chasing the draconequus around the yard. Sombra shook his head and said, “A thousand years? They didn’t even last a thousand milliseconds.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The door swung shut behind the alicorn as she made her way towards the stairs and headed down to the foyer. Her apprentice’s purple and cerulean mane bobbing up and down as she walked beside the teacher. “Now that we’ve determined who will be the main voice of the changelings, we can begin to mend their role in Ponyville.” Twilight stopped at the bottom step. “And you’ll be overseeing that recovery during this time.”

“Me?” Starlight asked. “I’m pretty sure you’re forgetting about the rules of the bet.”

“Actually, she isn’t.” Discord stepped out from behind the banister, munching on an apple.

Twilight acknowledged his presence with a smile before returning to Starlight. “Discord’s the one that insisted on you being the new link between the changelings and ponies. When I told him about everything I’d have to be doing in order to help them, he was worried that it would leave little time for our new relationship.”

“No wonder you chose Discord. He’s surprisingly smart and incredibly resourceful.”

“Don’t forget exotic sight,” he quipped before biting another piece of the apple.

“Yes, well. It gets you out of being a servant and helps with the changelings, but you still have your regular apprentice duties. I think you’ll be making a lot of friends, and run into a lot of issues, with the changelings. And if you ever need advice, well, I’m just two doors down as always,” Twilight surmised.

Discord leaned his head down next to Twilight’s, apple juice gleaming on his teeth as he grinned. “Just be sure to knock on her door first from now on.”

“Discord!” Twilight yelled as Starlight snickered.

As they spoke, a knock came to the castle door followed by the Elements and Sombra entering. “There’s the two love birds,” Applejack called out. “How’re things goin’ with the changelings?”

“Just wrapped up our meeting with Timber, Toy and a few of the others,” Twilight answered. “We finished right on time too since you’re all here for the sendoff.”

Confetti flew into the air as Pinkie’s cannon went off. “We’re gonna have a moving party as we make our way to the train! I’m not letting that salty centaur leave with a frown! Pokey’s setting up the balloons along the way now,” explained Pinkie as she handed a balloon to Discord. “Where is Tirek anyway?”

“Oh good. A roving party. Because I wanted to be deaf for the long train ride.” Tirek stood against the railing at the top of the stairs, Spike by his side holding a piece of luggage. “Though I guess I should be thankful that you’re not throwing a party on the train itself,” he added as he walked down the steps, Spike following behind.

“Y’know you don’t actually have to go, right? You can still hold off for a little while,” Twilight argued, hoping to change his mind.

“She’s right. You don’t have to leave. Though if you do change your mind, you can’t stay here,” added Discord. “Wouldn’t want you to be kept awake at night.” He gave a toothy grin, his nostrils flaring as he spoke.

Tirek snarled and snorted. “If I had won then I suppose I’d be saying the same thing to you. But no, I’ve already informed Scorpan of my journey. It’d be rude to turn back now.”

While they talked, Spike pulled Applejack aside to speak to her privately. His claws fidgeted as he worried about what he could say. “You don’t need to worry about a thing, Spike.” Applejack’s words gave him a bit of a boost in confidence, allowing him to center himself.

“No. I do need to worry about something. Even though I was under Chrysalis’s control, I still lead you on. The truth is…” He took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I-I’m not ready to actually be in a relationship. It was fun and games with Rarity, but with you, it was real. When I told you that, it wasn’t Chrysalis that was controlling me to say it. It was what I really felt.”

“And I just said, Spike. Don’t worry about it. Whether or not you feel anythin’ for me, you don’t need to worry about right now. I told you how I felt and I meant it. I’m not going to pressure you into anythin’, especially if you don’t feel the same way. Heck, you act like I’ve never been turned down before.”

“I’m not turning you down, but I’m not saying yes either. I’d just like to remain friends and see where life takes us,” he argued, his voice cracking as he spoke, attempting to keep his voice low.

Applejack tapped her hat and smiled at the purple dragon. “I think after all this excitement of villains, betrayal, and mind control, I’m more than ready for things to get back to normal.”

“Thank you, Applejack,” he replied as he leaned up and kissed her cheek. He then turned back to the rest of the group, not realizing they had quieted down to listen to their conversation. “Uhh. W-What’s going on?”

Twilight pranced over and wrapped a hoof around his neck. “That was very mature of you, Spike, and I think we’d all have to agree with you.”

"I'm more than eager to see where life takes us," Sombra whispered to Rarity, causing her to giggle.

“Oh sure, when he turns a pony down everyone thinks he’s adorable. But when I do it I get set on fire and then turned into stone!” Discord remarked, finishing his apple.

Fluttershy raised a curious brow as she looked up at the draconequus. “Discord, who did you turn down?” she asked.

As he swallowed the apple core, he realized all eyes were on him. At the same moment, a knock came to the castle door. “Well would you look at that, a distraction to get me out of this awkward situation,” he said, rushing to the door and pulling it open.

A blue mare stood in the doorway, a wizard hat on her cyan mane and cape fluttering on her back. She pulled the hat off and stood bipedal. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has come at last to win the heart of Twilight Sparkle!”

The door slammed shut, closed by Twilight’s magic. “Ugh. I think I’d rather date Discord.” Her face filled with blush as she realized what she had said, causing everyone to laugh. Her eyes drifted back to the draconequus who wiggled his fingers and smiled from afar. “Oh, right, I am dating Discord.”

Chapter 2: The Contenders

“It’s been two days! Two whole days and nothing has happened!” Twilight complained to her student. A plate of food was magically being carried beside her as they walked along the dark and rocky path. “He’s either taking this very seriously or forgotten all about it.”

“Isn’t that be what you want? For him to call off the whole bet?” Echoes of Starlight’s questions could be heard in the distance, bouncing off the stalactites and stalagmites that surrounded them. The darkness shrouding the pillars of stone from their sight.

“Well, yes, but my concern is the bet itself. If he does immediately give up, then you should let him off the hook. Unless, of course, he actually puts in some effort to ‘woo’ me, as you so put it.” The two ponies stopped in front of a huge, coal colored, three-headed beast. The animal growled at the two ponies that stood before it, saliva pouring from the multiple jowls. Starlight stared at the creature, unsure if she should be terrified or fascinated. “Hello, Cerberus!” Twilight took an abnormally large bone off the tray, throwing it to the demon dog. He quickly pounced the morsel, moving out of the way for the two to proceed. “Enjoy!” she yelled as they passed.

“You know some very interesting characters, Twilight. I’m glad I agreed to be by your side for the year. If Discord does worm his way out of the bet, would you mind if I still stayed?” the unicorn asked. The two began their ascent up a long staircase. A thin, tall platform was their destination at the other end.

“Not at all! I’m still learning the ways of being a princess, so it’s good to have someone to teach and share all the knowledge I’ve learned. It makes me feel like I’m on the right track.” She gave Starlight a heartwarming smile as the two made their way up the steps, still carrying the plate beside her.

They continued to talk about the bet as they reached the top of the stairs. “I’m glad you’re not mad at me for using you as the prize. Though I do hope you take Fluttershy’s advice and make this a fair wager. Discord seems like a real jerk, but I don’t think we should stoop to his level.”

Twilight lowered the tray to the floor as they stopped in the middle of the stone pillar. “Oh don’t worry, I will. Discord has changed drastically since we first met him, and although I hope he gives up immediately, I also want to see if he really can be genuine and caring. Perhaps this bet could make him nicer, even if he doesn't win.”

“A bet? With Discord?” The hoarse, throaty voice croaked from the shadows.

Chains rattled against the floor as the centaur slowly emerged from the darkness. Starlight stared deeply at the unusual sight, unsure of what to make of him. She followed the chains with her eyes, they were wrapped around his wrists, flowing across the floor and wrapped around a foal-sized golden ball.

“Is it safe to be this close to him?” Starlight whispered to Twilight, fear had wrapped around her vocal chords. “I still get chills just thinking about the tale you told me.”

It had been some time since Twilight had brought Tirek’s meal. Once a month, one of the princesses would visit Tirek to ensure his imprisonment. It was a visual reminder for him to remain docile, as guard ponies were normally the ones to bring him food.

“Perfectly safe,” Twilight replied as she walked up to Tirek, placing a wing on his back. “He can’t harm anypony. Not while he has those bracers on. Even if he could absorb magic, he’d still need a lot of strength to lift the ball he’s attached to.”

Tirek reached down and picked up an apple from the tray. In a sarcastic tone, he responded to Twilight’s explanation. “It’s good to see you too, Twilight Sparkle. I had feared you'd forgotten about me.”

“I know I just said this, but you really do know some very interesting characters.” Starlight couldn’t help but stare at the centaur. His hunched posture and frail features made him seem drastically different from the story Twilight had told of him.

“Yeah, you get used to it. If you talk to him long enough, you’ll find he’s actually really interesting,” she replied. “Too bad you’d try to destroy us all, Tirek. You’d make a great companion compared to Discord.”

“Companion? Discord? What has that fool gotten himself into now?” Tirek asked as he tore a loaf of bread in two.

“My new apprentice here has challenged Discord to win my heart within a year,” the alicorn responded to the centaur’s question while she examined the chain, making sure he was still securely restrained. "Discord believes he can really do it, though the fact that he hasn't shown his face in two days says otherwise."

Tirek burst into laughter, startling Starlight from the sudden change in manner. She stood watching as her mentor and the outlandish creature spoke to one another as if they were best friends. “And just what does Discord hope to gain from all of this?” he asked, dying down the laughter in his voice.

“Well, he, uh, gets Twilight. And technically, me, as a servant to him.” Starlight stuttered her words, trying to speak. She did not know why she was so afraid of this feeble, bound creature, but knew she was right to be cautious.

Rubbing his bearded chin, he contemplated the answer for a moment, crumbs falling from his mouth. “Really? Is that all?" He shrugged. "I do suppose the win is really what he cares about since he’s already free.”

Twilight sighed as she waltzed back over to Starlight. “I even have to keep an open mind to his advances, otherwise, Fluttershy will be upset with me. There’s almost nothing worse than seeing her pout.”

As he swallowed down some of the provisions provided to him, he asked, “Can anyone join in this bet, or is it just between your student and Discord?”

“Wait, what?” Twilight said as she turned to face Tirek.

“He’s not seriously asking, is he?” Starlight’s jaw almost unhinged from the shock.

“Indeed I am,” the raspy voice answered before more food was stuffed inside his mouth.

An awkward silence sat between the three of them, only to be interrupted every so often by the crunching and chewing of food. Twilight nor Starlight knew what to say. The young alicorn eventually regained her composure.

“No, no. See, Discord is actually reformed. He gets to make fun, silly bets because he’s reformed.” Twilight stomped her way towards Tirek, her voice getting louder as she drew closer to the evil centaur. “You on the other hoof? You who stole alicorn magic, you who imprisoned my friends, you who destroyed my library? You don’t get to make silly bets! You get to rot here like the sinful creature you are.”

Tirek placed down his food and cupped his hands together. “Perhaps I am finally asking to be reformed. Discord was given a second chance, he saw the error in his ways. This bet could allow my redemption as well. If I was reformed, then it would be one less thing to burden you, correct?” His grin was malicious, yet sincere. Perhaps even he did not know if he was truly wishing for reformation.

“Twilight, I think he’s legitimately serious about this. Maybe this is something that you, the other princesses, and your friends should discuss?” Starlight’s voice of reasoning was not something Twilight had expected. She did not know the dangers of Tirek like Twilight did.

“Starlight, he’s pure evil. His power is to consume ponies of their magic and destroy everything we hold dear!”

“You gave Discord a second chance. You gave me a second chance. I know he has done a lot of bad things, but so have the both of us. Maybe it’s time for the Princess of Friendship to actually reign in some of that friendship?” Deep down, Starlight’s words were from the heart. Tirek, in her eyes, could be changed to the side of good. She had feared him ever since Twilight had told her of his attack on Equestria, but this was clearly not the same centaur.

“He lied to Discord, manipulated him into believing they were friends. If we try to reform him, he could just lie to us. Even if he stays to the side of good, how long would that even last?” replied Twilight, convinced he was passed the point of no return.

“We can prove to him that being on the side of evil is not worth it. We can show him the light. He can learn so much from us, from you, and maybe we can learn a thing or two from him. I know I already have.” Starlight placed a hoof on her mentor’s shoulder, her eyes pleaded with Twilight.

In the short amount of time that Twilight had visited Tirek, she had grown an interest in his views and intellect. She didn’t want to admit Starlight was right, she thought it was a mistake to even bring her, but she couldn’t ignore the truth. Whether he was evil or not, he wanted to reform.

With a deep sigh, she gave into Starlight’s demands. “Alright. I will hold a meeting to discuss his release with the princesses and the other Elements,” she said, “on one condition from you, Tirek.” Her voice was strong as she spoke his name, turning to face the centaur with glaring eyes.

“What is it?” he asked, curious as to what she would demand.

“You must be part of this bet. You must try to win my heart.” It was a brutal task set on by the young princess. Perhaps too much for the aging centaur to handle.

“Do I have to win the bet in order to be free? What if Discord manages to win first? Not that I think he can.” Tirek stroked his beard as he asked the questions.

“The bet is on for a year. I can guarantee you wont have a chance until after you reform. Reforming and winning the bet are not two of the same coin, so no fear for you there. However, if you fail to make me believe you tried your hardest to win me, or you fail to stay redeemed, then you’ll be placed right back here.” She stomped her hoof once. “This is your only chance at redemption. Do I make myself clear?”

A wicked grin crossed his face. “Twilight Sparkle, not only will I become reformed, but I will also make you mine before that bumbling fool can.”

“You hear that Starlight? Now you have to keep your eyes on two different competitors. Regretting this year yet?” she said with a stern quality in her voice. Twilight turned to face Starlight whose jaw had become even lower than before. Twilight waved a hoof in front of her student’s face, no response came from the unicorn, possibly in shock of her mentor’s demeanor.

“You certainly know some very unique ponies, Twilight Sparkle,” Tirek said as he watched the two mares, continuing to eat from the platter on the ground.

Unbeknownst to the three of them, a small, black and violet orb watched them from far above. On the other side of the orb lay a mirror, an evil mistress watching through its magical sight. She motioned for another to come and witness the three.

“If they are planning to release Tirek, then perhaps it is time to enact my plan.” The high-pitched grating of the voice pointed to the other entity. “You must go to Ponyville after Twilight Sparkle has returned, greet her and join their little bets of redemption.”

“Me?” the other, gruffer voice, asked. “Why am I going and not the both of us?”

The feminine voice hissed at the question. “I brought you back from the brink, you would have perished without me and you will be unable to claim rule of Equestria without me. You will do as I say.”

“Fine. I expect to see you there within a month’s time. If I don’t, our deal is off.” The stallion trotted out of the room.

“Don’t worry.” The light green eyes reflected in the mirror. “You’ll get everything you deserve, and more importantly, so will the little purple alicorn.”

Chapter 15: A Change of Scenery

The purple dragon walked down the castle hall holding a comic that he planned to read whilst he ate breakfast. Before he could get to the early morning reading, he was tasked with one little job. He knocked on the bedroom door, attempting to wake the sleeping changeling. When no one answered, he knocked again, much louder than the first. With a groan, he began to knock again, only to have the door swing open.

“WHAT!?” Chrysalis yelled at him, bearing her fangs with an ill expression on her face.

Spike held the comic in front of him, shielding himself from her fury. “Geez, you really aren’t the morning type. Breakfast is ready, apparently you’re going to be spending the day with Twilight. I’m just here to make sure you get down stairs,” he explained with an irritated tone.

She rolled her eyes in defiance, then said, “Fine. I’ll be down in a little bi-“ She noticed the comic he held, recognizing the cover art. “Is that Power Ponies issue number forty-two!?” she exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised she even knew what a comic was. “Um, yeah?”

The changeling levitated the graphic novel out of his claw and then flipped through the pages. “I loved this one! The whole plot of Mane-iac killing the second Hum drum, and then it turns out that he lived, and he later comes back as the Magenta Cowl to force Masked Matter-Horn to kill him or he’ll kill Mane-iac. I squealed for weeks the first time I read it!” Chrysalis giddily explained the premise.

“I hadn’t finished reading that…” he begrudgingly said.

She closed the comic, levitating it back into his claws. “Oh, my bad.”

“So, you’re into comics?” he asked, intrigued as to what else she may have read.

“Of course. I have hobbies! Absorbing love isn’t all I do,” she replied, a disgruntled scowl crossed her face.

He shook his head, and then said, “I didn’t ask because you’re a changeling, I asked because I was surprised somepony else enjoyed reading comics. Most of my friends don’t care for them, they say they’re for kids or whatever.”

“Right. Sorry,” she replied, nervously chuckling. “It’s just, you’re the first one who has asked me about my hobbies. It’s usually just about love or shapeshifting.”

“Don’t worry about it. Those’ll fade over tim-“

As the purple dragon spoke, a familiar voice yelled to him, interrupting their conversation. “Spike! Breakfast!”

He had completely forgotten what his job had been. “Oh shoot! Well, there goes my morning reading,” he murmured. His eyes shifted back to the changeling. “Breakfast is ready, though I imagine you already know that now.”

Chrysalis laughed, her high-pitched voice rang throughout the hall. “Don’t keep her waiting. I’ll be down in a moment.”

Spike nodded and took his leave. It wasn’t long into breakfast that the queen eventually made her way down the stairs. Twilight and Spike were already halfway through eating each of their sets of waffles.

“Good morning!” Twilight greeted the changeling as she entered the dining room.

“What’s good about it?” Chrysalis irritatedly muttered.

Spike leaned to Twilight, whispering, “She’s not a morning person.”

“Oh, well that’s okay. I’ve got something to fix that up in a jiffy!” she replied, rising from her seat.

Chrysalis sat down in front of her plate of waffles, the whip cream had started to melt off the side and liquefy on the plate. Levitating a knife and fork over, she then cut into the waffles and forked the smallest bit. She stared at the crispy morsel that sat on her fork, and with hesitation, she stuck it in her mouth and began to chew. A few bites in and she was pleasantly surprised by the taste. As she took her third mouthful, a mug was levitated over in front of her. “What’s this?” she asked, food dribbling from her mouth.

“That would be coffee, something to wake you up. In my case, it’s something to keep me up at night,” Twilight replied as she took her seat.

Chrysalis took a quick whiff before sipping the strange, new drink. She smacked her lips after tasting it, trying to comprehend the flavor. “It’s bitter, but hot. I’d be so inclined to say it matches my personality. Add a little resentment and I’d say it’s a changeling in disguise,” she sarcastically described.

“From Starlight’s notes and my own observations, it’s clear you don’t get much pony food in your diet. You can ingest both love and cuisine, yet prefer love as it lasts longer, and it boosts your magical power,” Twilight reiterated as she looked over her notes. “So, besides the boost to your power, why don’t you just eat food?”

The changeling had been gobbling down the waffles like a pig fighting off others for the slop in a trough. Once she finally realized she had been asked a question, she quickly lowered the fork and knife, taking a moment to wipe her mouth. “Do you really believe any of my changelings would willingly learn to cook, let alone be good at it? Cookery like this is a rare and precious thing, something I have oh so missed.”

Twilight watched as Chrysalis returned to stuffing her face, a bit surprised by the easy explanation. She slumped over her notepad, marking and writing different things. “Makes sense I suppose,” she uttered, still watching the queen down her breakfast in a speedy fashion.

While the two had talked, Spike was busy reading his comic with one hand and shoving waffles into his mouth with the other. He finally slammed the pages onto the counter, and then yelled, “That was amazing! Mane-iac trying to blow up both her and Masked Matter-Horn, but Matter-Horn won’t let that happen! And then Matter-Horn staring at Hum Drum’s memorial case for Raisin Sod? That ending was perfect!”

“I know right!? I mean, the whole subplot with Dark Mane was a bit pointless, other than breaking Mane-iac out of prison, but it was still pretty awesome in the end,” Chrysalis slurred through mouthfuls of food, slamming her hooves down in excitement, causing coffee and cream to spill onto the table.

“What are you two talking about?” Twilight asked, looking up from her notepad.

Spike lifted the comic up. “Only the greatest thing ever! Turns out Chrysalis loves comics just as much as I do!” he enthusiastically answered.

“Really?” Twilight queried.

Chrysalis finished off the last of her waffles, whipped cream had encased itself on her upper lip. As she licked it off, she replied, “Well, I do enjoy some other fantasy things as well. It’s what made it so easy to influence your brother. Any stallion who is higher than level thirty in Ogres and Oubliettes is absolutely worthy of being manipulated by a changeling queen!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, the changeling’s words went through one ear and out the other. “O-Okay,” she stuttered. “This has been enlightening, but it further proves my point. I don’t know much about you, Chrysalis, so today we’ll be spending some time together.”

“Yes, the scaly one mentioned that. It’s about time I get you all to myself,” she replied.

“Well, I’m glad you’re positive about it. Whether you’re interested more in the bet or just being reformed, I’d still like to get to know you better before we visit your home. Today will be a great bonding experience, and now that I know Spike and you have something in common, perhaps we three should spend the day together. What do you think?”

The changeling gave a big yawn, her tired eyes shifted from Twilight to the purple dragon. “Mhm, sure. That’s fine with m-“ she paused, taking a moment before snapping her eyes back to Twilight. “D-Did you say, visit my home?”

Feeling the tone of Chrysalis’s voice, Twilight quickly answered, “Yes. I’d like to see how you live. Not just to get to know you, but to learn more of your species and maybe even better it.”

Chrysalis hissed at the very idea. “The big, important pony wants to help the little changelings with all their problems, is that it?” she said with a condescending tone.

“Actually, if you want to phrase it like that, yes. Though I’m hoping today we can become closer, and instead of seeing it through your resentment of ponykind, you’ll see it as a friend trying to help a friend,” Twilight replied with a smile, trying her very best to not patronize the changeling.

“And what makes you think we changelings even need help?” the queen growled.

Spike interjected, “Oh! I get it! It’s like that time the Power Ponies tried to save the underwater city of Akhalantis when it started to crack. The Akhalantians wanted to take the surface by force, but their leader Water Colt knew they shouldn’t. Mistress Mare-velous negotiated with Water Colt, since she was from the mysterious island of Alfalfis, and they both helped find peace for the Akhalantians.”

“Didn’t Water Colt’s brother betray him, cutting off a hoof and killing his wife? I’m not Water Colt in this scenario, am I?” Chrysalis fearfully asked.

“Uhm, well… I believe so. But that’s more of a reason to accept Twilight’s help sooner rather than later!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow before scooching forward in her chair. “I have no idea what either of you are talking about, but it looks like Spike has already found something you’re passionate about. To strengthen our relationship, why don’t we head to a comic book store? Maybe then you can share your enthusiasm with me.”

Spike raised his arms into the air, a smile shined off his scales. “We never get to go comic book shopping!”

“They have an entire store just for comics?” Chrysalis inquired. “Why have none of my minions ever reported this to me?”

“That’s a good question, one that I might be able to solve, but only after I get to know you,” Twilight replied, jumping down from her seat at the table.

Chrysalis chugged her coffee, giving a gleeful sigh as she finished the brew. As she rose from the table and walked over to Twilight, she said, “I shall humor you, Twilight. You’ve enlightened me to coffee and comic book stores, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were trying to win a bet for me.”

Giggling in response, Twilight levitated Spike’s comic over to them. “The only thing I’m trying to win is your friendship. And after today, I hope you’ll accept me as your friend.”

The changeling rolled her eyes, then pointed to her mouth and stuck out her tongue. “You’re going to choke me with your sentiments before you ever get the chance. Lead the way, princess,” she responded.

“Come along, Spike,” Twilight called out, levitating a saddle bag onto her back.

The three then headed off to the Ponyville comic book shop, the early morning sun glistened against the morning dew, livening up their short journey into town. Upon reaching the store, they noticed it had yet to open. As they planned to wait, Spike pointed out the open hours sign, showing the store would be closed for the entire day.

“Well, that’s a bit upsetting,” Twilight murmured as she examined the shop through the windows.

“Maybe we should go to Canterlot? They’ve got a way bigger store there!” Spike mentioned.

Chrysalis let out a grunt before responding, “I don’t think I’m allowed in Canterlot again until I’ve reformed.”

“Oh, right, the invasion,” he nervously said, letting out a soft chuckle as he spoke.

As they discussed on what to do next, a voice called out from behind them. “Sorry folks, stores closed for today.” The brown pony then noticed who exactly stood in front of him. “Oh! Twilight, my apologies. Did you need something from me?”

“Well, right now we’re out on a friendship lesson. Would you mind opening up for just a little bit for me and my friends? We won’t be long, I promise,” Twilight politely asked, graciously curtseying to the shopkeeper.

He jangled his keys, quickly unlocking the door. “Anything for you, and your, ahem, big friend,” he replied, holding the door open for the trio of varying species. “I just came to grab something I forgot.”

Spike immediately jogged over to the Power Ponies section, Chrysalis quickly following behind. Comics weren’t the only thing the store had been filled with. Board games, dice, and other collectibles lined the walls and shelves. Taking a glance at everything the shop had to offer, Twilight made her way around as if she was looking for something specific.

“If y’all don’t mind, I’ll be in the back. Take your time looking around, holler whenever you’re finished or ready to buy,” the shopkeeper shouted as he vanished behind a curtain.

The changeling let out a gasp, causing Twilight to waltz over, wishing to be in on the changeling’s discovery. “Found something you like?” she asked.

The queen levitated one of the comics to Twilight’s face. “They have issue number thirty-five! This was the first Power Ponies comic I ever read after confiscating it from one of my kin! The last two pages were ripped out so I never found out what happened!”

Twilight looked at the cover, one of the Power Ponies had their spine slammed against a brutish, muscular centaur’s leg. She winced, feeling the empathy for the superhero, and then looked back to Chrysalis’s smiling face. It was the happiest she had ever seen the changeling queen. She returned the smile, saying, “Well, what are you waiting for? Find out how it ends!”

Chrysalis smiled even harder, which Twilight had thought near impossible. She turned the comic around and flipped to the end, an intense expression blanketed her face as she began to read. Twilight wandered to the board games section, eventually hearing the gasp and squeal she had been expecting. A small, short giggle left her throat as she examined the table top games.

After a while, Spike rushed over to Twilight, pulling her tail to quietly get her attention. She turned around, looking down at the purple dragon. He then lifted a comic into her view before whispering, “Go ask her about this one. Trust me.”

She gave a nod and levitated the comic out of his claws. Chrysalis was staring at the wall of comics with mouth agape, unsure of which to pick up and look at. “Chrysalis, what’s this one about?” asked Twilight, levitating the comic over to the changeling.

“This is the newest release! Issue one hundred! It contains all the background characters saving the day! I’ve been waiting forever for it!” she excitedly exclaimed. As she went to grasp it, Twilight levitated it away, bringing the comic over to the counter. “Hey!” the changeling yelled.

“It’d be rude to stand around and read without paying for something. Perhaps when we get back to the castle you’d like to read it together?” offered Twilight, ringing the bell as she spoke.

Chrysalis exuded an endearing smile, giving an approving nod to the alicorn. “I’d like that,” she replied.

The shopkeeper waltzed out of the backroom and up to the counter. “Find everything to your liking?” he asked as a small box was placed on the counter next to the comic.

Twilight looked down to see Spike standing with her. She gave a questioning eyebrow to which he snarkily answered, “Hey, I helped today. I deserve a reward.” Twilight rolled her eyes, a smile still on her face. She lifted bits out of her saddle bag and paid the owner.

With their purchases in tow, the three returned to the castle. Twilight set her saddle bags down at the door, levitating the game and comic from the satchel. She then headed to her study room with Chrysalis following behind like a lost puppy.

“Do you want to do the voices or should I?” Twilight asked as she moved pillows around, creating a big enough cushion for the two mares.

“Voices?” Chrysalis questioned with furrowed brow.

Twilight patted the cushions, motioning for the changeling to sit down. “Yeah. Trust me, it’ll be better if we read it aloud. I read very quickly and I don’t think comics are about speed reading,” she replied.

Giving a nod, Chrysalis lied down, Twilight nestling in next to her. The changeling then opened the comic to the first page and said, “I’ll let you read it, but if there is any villains, then I get to do their voices. It’s only natural.” She gave a smug grin as she looked to the alicorn.

“That’s fair,” replied Twilight, a giggle in her voice as she spoke.

Time drew on, and as the two reached the end of the graphic novel, a knock came to the door. Starlight slowly opened it and peered in, noticing Twilight wasn’t alone. She gave a shy smile before apologizing, “Sorry, didn’t know you weren’t alone.”

“That’s okay,” Twilight replied. “Did you need something?”

Starlight shook her head. “No, no. Well, I did have something to tell you, but it’s not nearly as important as you two bonding,” she noted with a smile.

“We’re almost done, shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”

“It’s not important enough for you to hurry. Whenever you’re ready, head over to Fluttershy’s cottage. Take your time!” Starlight then began to close the door, only to open it once more. “By the way, you two look adorable,” she teased, quickly closing the door as a pillow was thrown.

Twilight was blushing as she turned her head back to the comic. “Where were we?” she hammily asked.

“Final page,” replied the queen.

“You know something, girls? We are so lucky to live in this town. I love you all!” Twilight read the text in her Masked Matter-Horn voice, and then closed the comic shut. “That was actually really sweet. I love weddings,” she mentioned.

“I went to a wedding once. It was awful,” Chrysalis sarcastically joked.

With a hearty laugh, Twilight looked up at the changeling’s green eyes. “You know, if you do win the bet, your brother-in-law would be Shining Armor.”

“Oh? So you think I have a chance at winning?” she teased with a smug grin.

The alicorn immediately turned her head away from the queen’s sight, attempting to hide her blushing cheeks. She then said, “I mean, it is possible. Anything can happen.” It was then she felt a warm set of lips pressing against her cheek. Her head snapped back around with mouth agape.

Twilight stared at the sultry, green eyes of the changeling, locking themselves in each other’s gaze. “I’ve had a wonderful time today, Twilight. Think of that as a thank you gift.”

The slack-jawed expression faded to a smile as Twilight nodded, her cheeks still blushing from the sensual gift. “I really should go see what’s going on at Fluttershy’s cottage,” she said as she stood up. “Once I get back, would you like to play that board game with Spike?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” replied Chrysalis, giving a wink to the alicorn. After Twilight had left, she began to look over the comic once more, still smiling as she glossed over the pages.

With her head in the clouds, Twilight left the castle, trotting her way to her friend’s home. She had completely forgotten to ask Starlight why she was going to the cottage in the first place, but her mind was in another place all together. Once she arrived, she noted the box and open door, causing her to snap out of her stupor. As she peered inside the open frame, she saw the draconequus dusting the headboards.

“Discord?” she called his name.

He spun around, striking a pose as he faced her. “Hello, Twilight! What brings you here?”

She noticed the chairs and tables had been moved around, and that her pegasus friend was nowhere to seen. “Starlight told me to visit Fluttershy. What are you doing here? Where is she?”

“Oh! Well, Fluttershy has been kind enough to allow me to temporarily move in with her. She mentioned how difficult it would be for you to get in touch with me if I stayed in my chaotic dimension, and how unfair it was that the other villains get to live with you. So, here I am! Sprucing up the place for her.” He then waved the duster at her, the handle shaped in the image of Discord.

“If you wanted to move into the castle, why didn’t you just say so? We’ve got plenty of room. It’s not like I’d deny you, you’re more than welcome,” she avowed.

“I think living here will give me an advantage in this bet. You won’t have to put up with me every day like you do them, and I’ll get to share ideas and plans with Fluttershy at any time! It’s perfect!” he explained as he waltzed over to Twilight and walked out the door. He then reached down and picked up the cardboard box, bringing it inside.

“Where is Fluttershy, anyways?” she asked, attempting to peer inside the box as he walked by.

He placed it down in a corner, hiding out of view from the rest of the living room. “I believe she is out gathering some groceries. She told me she wouldn’t be back for a while, and to not make her house too chaotic,” he replied. “However, I believed that the most chaotic thing I could do was clean, and so here I am!” he said with a chuckle.

“I see,” she said as she closed the door. “Well now I have to make a decision.”

Discord turned his head with curiosity, but was still able to clean without looking. “Decision?”

“Yep. I can either return to the castle, or continue to watch as you actually put effort into your work,” she said with sass exuding from her tone.

“Do you enjoy watching another work hard?” he asked as he snapped his fingers, dusters and rags appearing all over the room, wiping and cleaning every inch of space. “Or do you just like the quality of the job done well?”

She shook her head, smiling as she answered, “I don’t mean the cleaning. Just you, doing things to actually try and win me over. Though, that could just be my head talking, since it is still up in the clouds after that kiss.”

“Kiss!?” he said with surprise.

“It was just a little peck on the cheek, but it was definitely enjoyable. Though I’m sure they wouldn’t want me talking about it,” she replied, keeping who it was in the dark.

Discord teleported to her, sliding his body around her like a snake. “Perhaps if I’m falling behind, I can make up for it with a bit of passion,” he replied with a zealous smile.

“Sorry, but as I said, someone else has already claimed the passion for today,” she smugly demurred as she teleported from his grasp, hoping to see the fire in Discord’s eyes.

She got her wish as his jaw fell to the floor, an iron clang rang out as it hit the ground. He quickly picked it back up and shoved it into place, then asked, “Who was it!? You can’t leave me in suspense like this!”

“I’d love to ramble on about it, but I really must be getting back to them,” she said with a wink. “There’s always tomorrow.”

He then placed his hands onto her cheeks, pinching and pulling with a gentle strength. “You’re manipulative, shrewd, and absolutely annoying,” he said with an irritated tone. “You’re definitely the mare for me!” A smile popped up on his face as he let go, snapping her cheeks back into place.

“And you drive me crazy,” she replied as she rubbed her cheeks, giving Discord a firm, smug grin.

“Is that a compliment or an insult?” he inquired.

Opening the door with her magic, she trotted outside, taking a whiff of the fresh air before answering, “Both.” The door slowly shut as she looked back, giving the draconequus a sensual smile, to which he nervously smiled back.

Chapter 34: Heart Warming

“This is very important to me, Discord.” Twilight levitated the garland around the staircase’s railing, making sure each baluster was weaved with the decoration. “Everyone has been telling me the same thing lately, and this Hearth’s Warming Eve party will finally rectify that.” She tied the garland to the end of the railing, forming a bow of sparkly green and red. “I’m going to make sure Starlight has a good time. Understand?”

“You do realize I don’t know what Hearth’s Warming is, right? I’ve spent most of my life avoiding pony tradition.” Discord held his hands out as she gave him a box of tree ornaments. “It just seems pointless. Why have one day of special chaos when you could have it every day?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you the story of Hearth’s Warming later, for right now I need you to hang those on the tree. Without Spike or the others helping it’s going to take a while to get these all done.”

Discord tossed the ornaments onto the tree which sat in the center of the castle foyer. It was large enough to almost touch the ceiling. “I had assumed you called me over to snap my fingers and have it be done, not to do menial labor.”

“To be honest, I absolutely would love your chaotic magic right now but you did just say you don’t know what Hearth’s Warming is.” She trotted down the steps and took a second box of ornaments. “Thanks for your help, though. Am I right in assuming this’ll be your first Hearth’s warming party, too?”

“What, you actually think I’ll be coming?” he sardonically asked.

“I would hope so. You’re in a bet for me, after all. If you win, you’ll be part of these holidays for the rest of your life. Not to mention getting me the perfect gift may help earn you some points in that regard. I’ve already got yours planned out, and I’d be really upset if you weren’t there for me to give it to you,” she replied, then smiled coyly at him.

An ornament slid off the tree and smashed on the ground. “There are presents!?” he shouted, waving the box of ornaments, sending them flying.

“Discord! Watch what you’re doing!” she commanded as she dodged the barrage of holiday decorations.

“No, no. No one has ever mentioned presents. Do all your holidays have gifts!? Why didn’t anyone ever mention this!?”

Twilight shook her head and began sweeping the broken ornaments into a dust pan with her magic. “Probably because you have, and I quote, spent most of your life avoiding pony traditions.”

He tapped his cloven hoof, trying to contemplate her words. “No. That can’t be it.” He shrugged and tossed the box of ornaments to her. “If you’ve already gotten me a gift, then I’ve got to go get the perfect one right now! You’re on your own!”

“Discord! You can’t be serious! I asked for your help!”

Stopping at the foyer door, he looked back at her pathetic face and felt his heartstrings tugged. “Oh, alright.” With a flick of his wrist and a snap of his fingers, the room filled with decorations. Large ornaments were strung from the ceiling, the tree filled with garland, ornaments, and lights, and the walls were layered with ribbons and bows. “Tada! That should do it. Tootles!” he exclaimed before blowing a kiss and walking out the door.

He stepped out into the cold winter air, immediately regretting his decision. Taking a single step onto the snow covered steps caused him to recoil as if it were sharpened spikes. Oh ho, silly me, he remembered, snapping his fingers once more and teleporting back to the cozy cottage he called temporary home. “Fluttershy? Fluttershy! Are you here?” he called.

The yellow pegasus came trotting down the steps, an eraser in her mouth and a pencil behind her ear. She gave a wave as she passed by him and continued for the kitchen. “Do you need something, Discord?” she asked after spitting the eraser onto the table.

“How many of your silly Equestrian holidays have gift giving? Also, why didn’t you tell me they had gift giving!?” he asked, pulling his cheeks in frustration.

“Oh, um,” she muttered, stroking her hair. “I’m probably wrong, but shouldn’t you know more about the holidays? You’ve been around for a lot longer than I have.”

“I believe you’re forgetting the part where I was encased in stone for a millennia. That doesn’t really allow for many holidays.”

“S-Sorry. At least now you can partake, right?” She turned the sink on and began washing her hooves. “Why are you curious about the holidays anyway? If you don’t mind me asking… Is it because of Hearth’s Warming?”

He took a few steps and leaned on the counter, eyeing her cleaning. “Oh, you’re very astute my dear Fluttershy. Yes, the upcoming holiday. Alas, it seems I have to find the perfect gift for Twilight, though I have no idea what that may even entail.” He held his claw to his forehead as if he were about to faint.

“She likes books,” Fluttershy mentioned as she shook her hooves dry. “And she likes you. I think that as long as it’s from the heart then she’ll love whatever you give her.”

Laughter exploded from the draconequus. “Y-You can’t be serious!” he exclaimed through his cackling. “That’s so hackneyed!” Taking a moment to let his fit of laughter subside, he mockingly said, “That’d be like getting you another pet.”

She tapped her hooves together, staring at the ground. “A-Actually I wouldn’t m-mind that…”

Discord slumped forward as he realized who he was talking to. “Right, right. Well I’ll be off then. Might as well check around town for an idea of what to get her.” He stepped through the living room and out the front door. “Wish me luck! Wait, who am I kidding? I won’t need it!” he exclaimed with another fit of laughter before closing the door. “A book… really. How naive.”

The sun had shifted in the sky as hours passed by, leaving the draconequus empty handed and empty headed. “Maybe I will need it,” he murmured, shifting through the still open stores of Ponyville. His face pressed against the glass of a kitchenware store, eyeing the teakettles and platters inside. “What could she possibly want? What is the perfect gift!?” he shouted, pulling his horns.

“Discord?”

He turned his head and noticed no one. He gave a shrug before his name was called once more, finally forcing him to look even lower than pony level. Spike stared up at him with a puzzled, disgruntled look. “Oh, hello Spike. Don’t mind me, just losing my mind. Not that I had it in the first place, but if I did, I certainly wouldn’t have it now. Your pony holidays will be the death of me.”

Spike chuckled. “My pony holidays? Sounds like you’re having the same problem I’m having.”

“Oh, right. I forget that you aren’t a pony.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But how are you having trouble finding a gift? You were born and raised with these absurdly normal ponies! If you’re having problems then what does that say for me!?” He pulled his horns again and whimpered.

“I’m not having trouble finding a gift. I’m just unsure if I should give it or not.” Spike fidgeted with his claws as he stared at his reflection in the glass.

“Alright, you’ve lost me. Why wouldn’t you want to give a gift?”

The dragon sighed. “It’s for Applejack. I want to make amends for hurting her, but I don’t want her to get the wrong idea either.” Discord stared at Spike’s reflection, noting his eyes seemed dimmer than usual. “I’m just a kid, y’know? It was all fun and games with Rarity, mostly because in the back of my mind I knew it would never work. But, with Applejack, things got so serious so fast. I’m just not sure I’m ready for that.”

Discord held his hands up, and said, “Whoa, hold on. You and Applejack like each other?”

“A-Are you serious? Do you live under a rock?” Spike remarked, not a shine of humor in his words.

“Well, Fluttershy’s cottage is pretty out of the way around here…”

Spike slapped his own face, rubbing his nose down. “Anyways… The point is I’m not sure if I should give her a gift. I still want to be friends but I don’t know if I want to be anything more than that.”

“Why don’t you just give her a gift that’s smashable, and then tell her the truth? Though I suppose giving her something soft would be more ideal, in case she hits you with it.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks for the help, Discord,” he replied, rolling his eyes before walking away.

Discord shrugged. Pretty sure being honest with the Element of Honesty is a good thing, but what do I know? He turned back to the glass of the store, glaring at the flowery teakettle that was displayed at his eye level. But it wasn’t the teakettle that caught his attention, it was the reflection in the glass. What do I know? His head swiveled around, continuing to glare at the cheery centaur that was marching in the snow, a band of fillies following behind.

“Is it a wedding bracelet?” Apple Bloom asked.

“What? No, of course not. That’d be way too soon,” Scootaloo said. “I bet it’s something really romantic, though!”

Discord then noticed what the centaur carried in his hands. A present the size of one of the fillies was wrapped up tight. That has to be for Twilight! How has he already gotten a gift!? Discord stormed through the snow, kicking up white flakes with every step. It didn’t take long for Tirek to notice, and they locked eyes. “Let me guess, you’ve already found the perfect gift?” Discord sneered, pointing accusingly.

Tirek turned back to the fillies, and said, “Alright girls, I’ve got a fight on my hands with the world’s biggest idiot. Why don’t you three run along and I’ll see you at the party, okay?” The three fillies danced around him for a moment before taking off. Once they were out of sight, Tirek’s eyes steeled and turned to Discord. “Just what do you want now, Discord? Beauty tips? You could use them.”

“That depends, are you interested in trading for comedy advice? You could use it.” He pointed to the present. “And what’ve you go there, hmm? A present for a certain purple, pointy pony?”

The present moved beneath the centaur’s arm and away from Discord. “Why yes I do. I’m going to win her heart with this one, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“How’d you find a good gift for her!? I’ve been reformed longer than you! I should know all about these annoying pony holidays!”

Tirek chuckled in Discord’s face. “Gift giving isn’t a pony thing, you imbecile. It’s not hard to figure out what another wants for a present. All you have to do is find what they find meaningful and get them that. Even you should have known that, or perhaps I mistook you for a bigger threat than you really are.”

Discord crossed his arms, frowning at the centaur. “What’d you get her, anyway?”

“As if I’d tell you. But it’s not hard to figure out. Twilight only likes a few things. Even Pinkie Pie is more complicated with the things she enjoys. Honestly, how did you ever become my rival for Twilight?” Without another word, Tirek trotted off, leaving Discord to fume.

“Yeah, well, you’re simpleminded!” he mocked. Discord felt the cold begin to worsen as he groaned from his lackluster insult. He shook his head and looked up at the sky, following the purple down to the sunset. He stared at the lowering sun, noting a leafless tree in the center of town that blocked his view. Simpleminded… Something so simple that I’m overlooking it. His mind spun through hoops of chaos as he stared at the tree that was wrought by winter. He slammed a fist into his palm, an idea forming in his brain.

With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Hearth’s Warming Eve had arrived the very next day. “Come on, Fluttershy! I want to give her my gift first before that vile half-breed ever gets the chance!” Discord stood at the cottage door, leaving it open to the cold.

Fluttershy wrapped herself in a scarf and placed earmuffs atop her head. She bit down on the handle of the wagon and pulled it to the door. Presents of all shapes and sizes were stacked within the small cart. “Actually, Discord, I wanted to give you your present before we left.” She reached into the cart and grabbed one of the smaller gifts by the bow, pulling it out and lifting it up to the draconequus.

He took it in his hands and stared down at the delicate gift. “F-Fluttershy.” He bit down on his lip and looked at her smiling face. “I-I didn’t get anything for you…”

She shook her head. “I didn’t expect you to. You’ve been so busy trying to win Twilight. You winning can be my gift, okay? I just hope this will help in some small way.”

He tore the wrapping and lifted the top of the box. His eyes shook as he stared down at the pair of white ice skates. “They’re just like the ones when we became friends! T-This is so meaningful – so thoughtful! Ho-how did you…?”

“I know you, Discord. We’re friends, after all.”

He smiled at her before grabbing and lifting her into a hug. “We are going ice skating tomorrow and we are going to skate until all your legs are broken!”

Fluttershy pushed away, giggling. “Alright, that sounds good to me. But we better get going. Do you think your present for Twilight will suffice?”

Quickly wiping a few tears from his eye, he answered, “I believe so. Thank you, my dear Fluttershy.”

“You’re welcome, Discord.”

The two headed out, marching through the snowy town and reaching the castle at the same time as some of the other Elements. Much of the decorations remained unchanged from Discord’s manipulation the day prior. He could already smell cinnamon wafting through the castle as bells rang all around. While Fluttershy put the gifts underneath the tree, Discord meandered away from the others, hoping to find Twilight. He wouldn’t have to look far as the alicorn came to greet her guests.

“Twilight! It’s so good to see you!” He lifted his present to her face. “I’ve got a present!”

The alicorn tilted her head and smiled up at him. “Sorry, Discord. But I already told Tirek I wouldn’t open up either of your gifts till later in the evening. I’m sure they’re both really good so I want the moment to be special, and right now I’m only concerned with making sure everyone will have a good time,” she explained before trotting past him to greet the other mares.

“Phooey,” he muttered, snapping his fingers and making the present disappear. “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

“Mingle,” Tirek answered.

Discord spun around, glaring at the centaur. “Mingle? With you? I’d rather drown myself in eggnog.”

Laughter bellowed from Tirek. “As if I was suggesting such a thing. It’s as if you don’t even know me, Discord.” He stepped past the draconequus, grinning with a pinch of smugness. “You don’t mingle, you don’t know what meaningful presents are. You’re going to lose at this rate. Not that I ever had any doubt!” He continued to laugh as he walked away.

Discord didn’t budge or turn sour, choosing to make himself scarce instead. The foyer was filling with ponies and ex-villains alike. The Cutie Mark Crusaders crowded around Tirek while Sombra stayed close to Rarity. Spying from wherever he could, Discord watched as Twilight spoke with every guest. She kept a specific closeness with Starlight and Chrysalis, he noted, while she kept her distance from Tirek and himself. He didn’t mind at first, though his patience was growing thin.

“Starlight and I aren’t on good terms, alright? I want to be. She’s very special to me,” Twilight’s words echoed within his mind. She barely spent a moment away from Starlight, and Starlight didn’t stray far from Chrysalis. He wondered if Chrysalis and Starlight were like him and Fluttershy, but he quickly shooed away those thoughts with a bit of laughter.

After some eggnog and cookies, he followed along with Tirek’s advice. “There’s no way you can sit in the snow for longer than five minutes!” he dared the blue pegasus. “I’m the Lord of Chaos, and I couldn’t even do that,” he lied.

“I can too!” Rainbow argued, throwing open the front door of the castle. The night air blew in a chill that would make even ice cubes shiver. “And I’ll prove it!”

Discord crossed his arms and grinned as Pinkie and Fluttershy stood around him. They patiently waited as Rainbow plopped her rump down in the frozen cold for five minutes. “You can do it, Dash!” Pinkie cheered

“R-Rainbow Dash! You shouldn’t be doing this! Y-You could get frostbite!” Fluttershy pleaded. “Oh, Discord. Make her stop!”

“No! I’m gonna prove it! This cold is nothing to me!” Rainbow shouted from the snow, her teeth clattering in-between words. Five minutes passed before she glided back inside. “See! A little cold can’t beat me!”

“My word, Rainbow Dash!” Discord exclaimed. “You shouldn’t have done that! You were out there so long that your buttocks turned… blue!”

She stared at him, watching as he tried to hold back his laughter. She finally made a disgruntled grunt, and said, “Very funny. Now hand over the bits!”

He burst into laughter and snapped his fingers, the five bits falling into her hoof. “The best five bits I’ve ever lost!”

“You shouldn’t encourage him, Rainbow… Now he’s just going to spend all night trying to find more things for you to do,” Fluttershy worriedly mentioned.

And she would be right, as he spent most of the night trying to convince Rainbow Dash to do silly tricks for his amusement. Every once in a while he’d look back to see what Twilight was doing, but it wasn’t long before he checked out other ponies as well. He noticed Royal Pin followed Pinkie like a lost puppy, and wondered if he would be like Royal should he win Twilight. She's already got me on a leash. He grimaced at the thought. Hmm, a leash! “Oh, Rainbow Dash!” he hollered.

It wasn’t long before another pair caught his eye. He hadn’t thought of Spike since the day before. He watched as Applejack opened her gift, revealing a package of cookies. Discord slithered his way closer, hiding within the shadows. They’re not too soft and not too hard, at least they’ll break on impact, Discord thought. The hit never came, however, as Applejack seemed to tear up and nod. She gave Spike a hug before walking away. Oh sure, I make hilarious apple-related observations and I get bucked, but he breaks your heart and gets nothing? Typical.

Discord skirted his way back to the yellow pegasus. He leaned his ear in, listening to her conversation and nodding his head as if he had always been a part of it. As he feigned his enthusiasm, he looked back to see how the purple dragon was fairing. Spike had gone all the way up to the second floor and stood against the railing, looking down at the rest of the partygoers. Discord gave a shrug and assumed nothing of it, but a second later, before he could turn back to Fluttershy, Chrysalis stepped out beside Spike. A flash of green came and went. It was dim but Discord caught it.

A moment later and Spike rushed down the steps with a smile as wide as Discord’s ego. That’s a bit odd, Discord remarked. He looked around the room and saw no one else had caught it. His eyes drifted back to Chrysalis and it seemed that she had caught him staring. She faded back into the shadows out of his sight. He turned back to Fluttershy and opened his mouth to ask something, but then he saw the centaur heading for the kitchen, holding the same present from the day before.

He panicked, snapping his fingers and making his own gift appear. Spike and Chrysalis flew completely out of his mind as he rushed to the wall outside the kitchen. He splayed onto the edge, taking note to listen before entering. That flea-ridden little centaur beat me to the punch, but I’ll get to see his pathetic gift at least. He peered in, eyeing the centaur and alicorn that stood alone near the fridge.

“Thank you for the gift, Twilight,” Tirek said, handing his gift to her. “Now, please, open mine. I’ve been waiting all day to see your reaction!”

Discord watched as she unwrapped the centaur’s gift. The bow was untied and the top was lifted off before several scrolls were pulled out. “Oh? What are these?” she asked, unraveling one of them.

“I decided to have my brother write down everything he knew about Star Swirl the Bearded. This is everything he could remember of the stallion, including a few spells.”

Twilight let out a gasp followed by a squeal. She floated up and wrapped her hooves around his neck, planting a kiss on the mouth.

That’s so thoughtful! Why is everyone so thoughtful!? Cursed pony holidays! Discord thought, biting down on his thumb’s nail. Sweat dripped down his brow as he quickly stammered back into place against the wall. The centaur came walking through the doorway and stopped once he noticed Discord. He gave a triumphant grin before continuing on his way.

“No snide remarks? Perhaps he thinks he truly won,” Discord mumbled to himself. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the doorway with his present in hand. “My turn?” he asked, snapping Twilight’s attention from the scrolls. He stepped around the kitchen table and made his way to meet her. “I’m not entirely sure it’s the perfect gift. Well, not after…” He watched as she placed the scrolls away and pulled out another gift.

“Nope! I’m not taking yours till you open mine!” she demanded, levitating a purple and pink present into his grasp.

He put aside the gift for her and took the pastel present, untying the bow and tossing aside the paper inside. He could hardly contain the excitement on his face until he found what was inside. His brow furrowed at the sight. Grabbing the string, he pulled out a golden, triangle necklace. “Uh,” he stammered, trying to think of what to say. Before another word could echo from his mouth, Twilight grabbed his head and pushed her cheek next to his.

“Say cheese!” she said as the camera flashed. A photo shot out from the bottom of the camera and she quickly shook it, letting it breathe. “It’s a two-part gift.” Levitating some scissors from a kitchen drawer, she cut the picture into a triangle. She then opened the necklace, revealing it to be an empty locket. She shoved the picture inside, creating a perfect fit. “Tada!”

Discord stared at the inside of the locket. A confused draconequus and a smiling alicorn stared up at him from the trimmed photograph. “I-I can’t believe how thoughtful this is, Twilight.”

“I suppose it is. You did say it was a sign of our true friendship, and the last one did kind of turn into a key. I figured it would mean more if it came from me, instead.”

“Twilight, it’s perfect. Thank you.” He shook his head, holding back his tears. “Now I’m really worried about my gift,” he dejectedly laughed as he placed the necklace around his neck. “I hope it’s good enough.”

“I’m sure I’m going to love it,” she replied, smiling. He handed it off to her and she unwrapped it with a suspenseful delight. A book sat at the bottom of the gift, to which she levitated out and gave a little squeal. “The Superb Sorceress of Oys? You know I have like three of these, right?” she gleefully giggled. “Not that I mind another.” She took a moment to flip open a few pages, expecting that new book smell, but she then noticed that it was used.

Discord watched as her face became more and more confused as she flipped through page after page. She would look up at him every few moments before going back to the book. Her eyes began to tear up with every turn of the paper and every marking she came across.

“D-Discord? Is this really?”

“I hope you don’t mind me messing with time travel on this one occasion. It’s a bit chaotic to do, after all. I plucked it right before your library was destroyed, so hopefully nothing was changed. I’m sure the librarian won’t mind.” He chuckled. “There was really nothing I could think of that seemed adequate enough to be considered a thoughtful, meaningful, and outright perfect gift.” He tapped his cheek. “Was it good enough?”

She held the book to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. With a crooked smile on her face, she gave a nod. “You ar-are absolutely wo-wonderful, Discord.” Floating up, she grabbed onto his neck and pushed her face to his. She didn’t give him just one kiss on the lips, nor was it only two. In fact, it was so many Discord lost count after a while.

Tirek, however, did count as he watched from the doorway. Every muscle he had looked to be straining, keeping him from moving. “It seems like you lost this round,” a voice said. He didn’t turn to face her, knowing it was Chrysalis by her voice.

“I know,” he seethed.

“He might even win the whole bet,” she muttered. “You might be running out of time. Perhaps you should be thinking of your options should you lose.” His fists were kept clenched as he continued to watch the alicorn and draconequus. She leaned closer, and said, “Though if I had my way, you could have her.” His eyes drifted to her. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came. She eventually walked away, leaving him there to awkwardly stare and sulk.