Lily smirked as she walked a respectful few paces behind the trio of immortals as they wandered Fundony, the Alicorns pointing various sights and future locations out to the draconequus. "Well, stereotype or not, Earth Ponies certainly have this baking thing down," Discord remarked as he ate another olykoek. "How did you even get the flour for this?

"Well, you did give us permission," Luna mumbled before answering. "Some ponies were already venturing to the edge of the Strangelands and managed to get some of the flour. Albeit, they won't...or can't explain how."

"I have a good idea," Discord mused with a snicker as he imagined his Willownut Trees. Some willownuts- coconut on a willow tree-were filled with milk, flour, or sugar. Others had mud, pickle juice, and the rare prize of ambrosia.

"Of course you do," Celestia remarked fondly as they entered another section of the growing town; A much cloudier one at that.

"Don't need a tour guide to know this is the Pegasus side of town," Discord remarked, glancing up at the vapor-based buildings.

"They did decide to make a few things land-bound," Luna commented, motioning to several buildings across the less developed area of Fundony. "A secondary armory, a smithy, the arena-"

"We have a pony colosseum?!" Discord exclaimed with a wide grin. "Ohh, I know that'll end badly one day, but I still don't care!"

"Wisdom of the ages without the will to act on it," Celestia made a jab with a shake of her head.

"Wisdom overused pushes ignorance on others, Celestia," Discord scowled playfully.

"What does that even mean?" the white Alicorn questioned with a furrowed brow.

"That in preventing others from falling at all times, you might rob them of learning how to stand back up when they do fall."

The immortals turned to Lily Frost, who smiled under Discord's approving gaze. "Did you sard wisdom into her mind, or something?" Luna asked curiously.

"Maybe?" Discord answered uncaringly. "I give it five years until Earth Ponies dominate the fights."

"Earth Ponies?" Celestia asked skeptically. "Granted, they are normally the physically strongest ones."

"Do you really want to bet against him?" Luna asked with mirth.

"No, no I don't," Celestia confirmed bluntly. "The arena is just for practice and sparring, or so I'm told."

"Until it isn't," Discord mused vaguely, ignoring the odd look from Celestia.

"And really, Lily Frost, you don't have to remain behind us so much. I'm sure your Master doesn't mind his pet joining us," Luna suggested with a grin.

"I never did get that analogy. I'm all for doing things chaotically, but pets usually walk in front of their owners, not behind them," Discord mused idly as said mare sauntered on up to them.

"Some let their pets ride on-" Celestia started, only to stop with a blush.

"Oh, don't stop now, Celly," Discord teased viciously. "Do go on."

"No, I realized what I was about to say," Celestia said with a sigh.

"Yes, yes we do," Lily Frost agreed in amusement. "So, are you three going to visit the Cloudony region?"

"Cloudony?" Celestia and Luna questioned.

"I'm calling it that until someone gives a better name for the cloud district of Fundony," Lily answered playfully.

"Yes, we are, but it will be all four of us," Discord answered, raising an eyebrow at his pet. "You don't know the Cloud Walking Spell?"

"Of course I do! But that eats up a lot of magic quickly," Lily explained.

"Hm? Oh, you unicorns haven't figured out the more efficient version of that spell yet," Discord realized in understanding.

"Why do you even need to know the Cloud Walking Spell?" Celestia questioned, eyeing Discord's wings and utter refusal to conform to gravity, among other things.

Discord shrugged and pointed at Lily, who was suddenly but harmlessly zapped by magic from his talons. "There you go. Now you just need a ride."

"Why Master, right here, in front of everyone?" Lily Frost asked, trying to look scandalized but only looking interested.

"Not now," Discord said, picking her up with his tail and placing her on his back.

"The implications speak ill for public decency," Luna remarked, just as all three took flight and rose up.

In no time at all, they were all above the clouds, standing amongst the vapor-based buildings of the pegasi. By sheer ease of construction, there was more progress here than down below; Houses mainly, a barracks, and a few shops that, by their location alone, were for Pegasi only.

"So, this is what a pegasus town looks like," Lily Frost noted, observing a squad of soldiers patrolling at a leisurely flight from up above.

"I do miss the Great Neighelon," Luna mused whimsically.

"The Last Great Cloud City of the Pegasi," Discord remarked knowingly as he placed Lily on the clouds. "Mind your step."

"The last?" Celestia questioned curiously.

"Last so far," Discord remarked, covering his slip seamlessly. 'Neighelon was like a Pegasus Canterlot long ago. It declined a bit, but the Windigos really did it in. After the tribes united, they never got around to making another on that scale. Cloudsdale was small compared to it.'

"What was it like, Lady Luna?" Lily asked curiously.

"Oh, grander than this in its glory days. You should have seen the Hurriseum, a hurricane they tamed and turned into a colosseum," Luna remarked fondly.

"Yes, I seem to remember you losing a bet and being forced to perform in there once," Celestia remarked dryly.

Discord stopped in a start, looking between the mares. "Okay, I actually didn't know this! Lulu, you were a Gladimare?"

"Oh yes, it was such fun!" Luna said with a proud smile.

"Don't...ponies die in those kinds of fights?" Lily Frost asked carefully.

"Sometimes, but nary as much as the rumors and tales say," Luna assured.

Discord stroked his beard, fascinated to learn something actually new about the sisters.

"Though," Lily Frost said, looking around the street as they passed some buildings and stalls. Some gave them odd looks, but most were just surprised to see a unicorn walking up among them. "I was under the impression that Pegasi don't have a traditional economy. How do they do things then?"

"Every Pegasi is a soldier and thereby entitled to a monthly share of food," Celestia answered patiently, looking to a stallion giving a mare a repaired shield. "But many of them also have another occupation-blacksmiths and armor repairers mostly. They do this for free, but in exchange, the rest of their tribe makes sure they are provided for and have whatever else they need to do their work."

"It's free for those in the tribe, but they sometimes do barter their work to unicorns and earth ponies, or whoever else," Discord elaborated. "It'll be hard to integrate them at first. Things they can get from the other tribes often just fall through their precious clouds. It's why they can isolate themselves like this with little problem."

"And they get food for the whole tribe by selling their services of weather control," Lily recalled absently. "Anything else one might need, they can forage for rather easily."

"You!"

"And then there is this wench," Lily Frost muttered, the group turned to see a female pegasus approaching them.

"Hello, Sub-Lieutenant," Discord greeted with a fake smile toward Faest Brisa. "Is Arcus treating you well?"

Brisa frowned at the chaos god before looking towards the unicorn in the group. "What are you doing here, broodmare?" she asked coldly.

Discord's facial expression didn't move at all while Lily Frost feigned obliviousness to Brisa's attitude. "I'm accompanying my master on a stroll."

"No doubt looking for more mares to corrupt and help him ensnare," Brisa all but spat out.

"Oh, so suspicious," Lily Frost said in mock surprise. "But don't worry your pretty armor; I wouldn't help corrupt a mare until after she's volunteered."

"I'm sure," Brisa said derisively, looking up to stare at the Alicorns. "I expected more from you, Guardians. I thought you of all ponies would keep our mares safe from something like this."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "You are a young mare, that is obvious. Unless time has escaped me entirely, Marriage by Combat was an important tradition before the windigos froze over the lands."

"That's different," Brisa defended harshly.

"Yes, it's more akin to arranged marriages. Except Discord only accepts willing mares," Celestia agreed dryly.

"Arrange marriages don't often involve collars and leashes," Brisa retorted, glaring at Lily's accessory.

"That is entirely Lily's own doing," Discord remarked. "What, have Arcus and you never done anything that kinky before?"

Brisa blushed but didn't dignify that with a response.

"You're boring me now," Discord said aloofly.

Brisa frowned. "Just keep your pet on a short leash, Chimera," she said, turning to leave.

She inhaled sharply as Discord was now Right In Front Of Her, face to face.

"Only if Arcus does the same to you, Sub-Lieutenant," Discord said coldly. "Oh, and this is for insulting my friends."

With a snap of his talons, nothing seemed to happen, making Brisa scowl. "What did you do...?"

Discord just smiled and flew past her, towards a very amused trio of mares. "Come along, ladies, it's impolite to stare."

Brisa frowned, looking down at herself and wiping her face. There didn't seem to be anything. Still wary, she took off to the sky- and yelped as she found herself flying in the opposite direction.

Landing flank-first into the cloud-road, she looked back and saw with growing dread that her wings were in fact, backward.

"That isn't permanent, is it?" Luna asked idly.

"No, it'll wear off in about two days. Or whenever she lands on the ground," Discord answered with a whimsical wave of his claw. "Whichever happens first."

"Still, shouldn't you have been more concerned about her insulting Lily Frost than us?" Celestia pointed out.

"I would be, except..." Discord trailed off coyly.

"Most of that was objectively true," Lily Frost said with a giggle. "I'm basically a broodmare, I will gladly corrupt any mares that join me as a sacrifice, and I wouldn't mind a shorter leash."

"I can only imagine the stories they're going to tell about you in the generations to come," Celestia remarked.

"Yes, the First Sacrifice, the Collared Mare, your name synonymous with carnal corruption and tempting deviancy," Luna agreed with a giggle.

"The Collared Mare...?" Lily Frost repeated, smiling wildly. "Yes, yes I think I like that."

"Luna, must you keep giving them ideas?" Celestia deadpanned.

"It's working out so far," Luna mused, glancing around before doing a double take. "Discord?"

"Hmm?" he turned, seeing a pegasus approaching them. He couldn't see anything hostile about her, but she was certainly nervous, sacred even, but she was unarmed and clearly hadn't come for a fight. "And just who might you be?"

The mare was a pink pegasus with a mane that was the same grey as a thundercloud. "Thundre Wele, Lord of the Strangeness, Guardians," she greeted cautiously. "I...please forgive Feast Brisa's outburst. She does not speak for all Pegasi, I'm sure you know."

"She speaks for one pegasus that wishes he spoke for you all," Discord mused idly.

"You need not fear, good mare. Discord has no intention of seeking retribution for a mouthy member of your tribe," Celestia promised gently. 'But I get the feeling that was not all you wished to speak to us of?"

Thundre Wele nodded slowly. "As nopony else thought to do so, I wished to be the first to formally welcome you to Fundony's Cloud District."

"A tad late, but we appreciate the gesture all the same," Luna said with understanding.

Thundre Wele nodded slowly. "I... Apologies, I have had no experience speaking with those in authority, let alone Lord Discord and the Guardians," she apologized.

"Take your time, I'm in no hurry," Discord encouraged, subtly raising a barrier that would mask their conversation as being something random about the best place to find cucumbers.

Thundre Wele tried to relax with some success before nodding, more to herself than them. "My Lord, My Ladies? I am a member of the Immortal Society."

Many eyebrows were raised, four in Discord's case. "That is a name I do not recall," Luna remarked curiously. "Should I take it your group has an agenda for the future of this union?"

Thundre Wele nodded. "We're ponies who are in both the Alicornist and Discordant camps," she elaborated.

Celestia considered that carefully. "You believe we three should rule this new nation of ponies?"

"Yes, my lady. You both have watched over Ponykind for ages, and we believe Lord Discord's nature towards us is ultimately benevolent," Thundre Wele explained. "We believe that wise and noble immortals such as yourself would better guide Ponykind than the blue-blooded nobles, militant commanders, or greedy politicians."

"We're well aware of your existence," Discord remarked. "Granted, we didn't know your groups were already merging. That was rather fast."

"Of that, I have no doubt," Thundre Wele acknowledged solemnly. "We simply wanted to make our support of all of you known in person."

"No, you didn't," Lily Frost said with a hum as she strode forth.

Thundre Wele eyed Lily Frost cautiously. "Lord Discord, I'm not sure how to address her without offense."

"Thundre, you can call me his pet, his broodmare. We won't take offense. But if you want, you can just call me Lily," she offered teasingly.

Thundre blushed, if only a little, before acknowledging Lily Frost's comment. "What do you mean, we didn't? Do you doubt we support your master?"

"Oh no, that part is true," Lily Frost agreed casually. "But I think it's a bit more than that. Your ponies wanted to see if my Master and the Guardians were, perhaps, making plans of their own to take this nation in-claw and in-hoof?"

Thundre tensed but didn't deny it.

"Thundre Wele, we have no desire to cause a civil war, nor to force ponies to follow us," Celestia answered sternly.

"Also," Lily Frost continued, glancing Thundre up and down. "I saw the way you were looking at my Master."

Thundre blushed harder now. "I am...one who might volunteer to be a sacrifice, yes. We believe that each tribe should share in this rent, lest one be claimed to not have more rights to these lands than another."

"That little issue will be addressed eventually," Discord assured, nodding to Lily Frost. "I just didn't expect to have a power fetishist jumping my bones."

Lily preened at what she interpreted as praise.

"For now, go home. And tell your Immortalist friends we'll contact them if we need to," Discord instructed dismissively.

"Thank you, Lord Discord, Ladies Celestia and Luna," Thundre said, bowing in respect to all three before turning to leave.

"Well, that was interesting," Luna mused. "Us, ruling Ponykind?

"There were always some that wanted as much," Celestia said, brow creased in worry. "But they've never been this active before."

"The question of how and who to run things has never been so up in the air like this, at least not during your lives," Discord pointed out. "Hmm, I suppose that's good though. If the Discordants and Alicornists are amicable, that means they won't try and tussle with one another."

And in the long run, it made putting Celestia and Luna in charge easier. Discord didn't say it, but he thought it.

"I suppose we've seen enough sights here," Luna commented.

Discord glanced off to the side. "You three head back off to the Unicorn side of things. I need to go check on something first."

"Is something wrong?" Lily Frost asked in concern.

Discord smiled. "No, nothing important. I just need to go have a word with a tree about some lights."

With that, he snapped himself out of sight, leaving three bewildered mares. Celestia and Luna looked to Lily Frost. "Don't look at me! I may understand him better than most, but I couldn't keep track of everything he does if I wanted to."

"I'm surprised you let him leave your sight for more than an instant," Luna remarked with amusement.

"Well, a mare has to rest eventually," Lily Frost said casually.

Celestia would have face-hooved but found herself wondering just what Discord was up to.

Meanwhile

"Harms, woozers, I'm here!" Discord declared, arriving in the cave with his own bewilderment.

And for good reason. The Tree of Harmony had light emitting from each of the elements, which spun in a way that resembled...

"Is this your way of ringing the alarm bell? If so, spot on," Discord congratulated while clapping.

The Element of Laughter shined briefly before all the lights focused from Magic.

"Harms, what's wrong? You're worrying me a bit, you're not normally this talkative," Discord said, tapping his chin as he felt the magic of Harmony washing over him. Not enough to bother him, but enough to, well, lead him.

He saw where Harmony was looking, what Harmony sensed, and found himself scowling.

His sight was now leagues away, deep into the Frozen North. He was looking at the Crystal Empire, already under the Iron Hoof of Sombra. That much he expected, he knew about that. But...

"Sombra has griffons. Sombra never had griffons," Discord realized with a hum. "How did that happen? I still have chaos going on in most of the lands Equestria will have. Would have? Not relevant. So why would the Griffons come here, or the Frozen North? I doubt Sombra went out of his way to find them himself."

If Harmony had an answer, it wasn't shared with Discord.

Discord wasn't concerned with Sombra proper. He could deal with that umbra in an instant if need be. But this wasn't the time or place for that. Still, it was something to keep an eye on.

Besides, perhaps he should take a page from Future-Celestia. After all, defeating Sombra and liberating the Crystal Empire might just be the confidence boost his Alicorn friends need.

But he was curious, just what ripple effect had garnered that deviation? Perhaps he'd have to see what was going on in the Dragon Lands or Griffinstone. Every other race was normally too terrified to enter the Strangelands, as the ponies had come to call them- and he admitted, that title was growing on him too.

Any other being might be worried or scared about the timeline deviating this much. After all, the greatest advantage of going to the past was normally one's knowledge of future events. But all Discord felt was intrigued. Change, if anything, excited him.

"Don't worry your shiny head, Harms. I'll keep a couple of eyes on the situation," Discord assured, placing an oversized sock hat over the crystalline tree.

Laughter flickered begrudgingly. Harmony didn't want to laugh, but it was.

And Discord smiled. He and Harms, joking around? Now that wasn't something even Futurecord had imagined when throwing his memories back in time.

But then again, he didn't really imagine having a mare throwing herself at him.

Meanwhile

Arcus watched from a cloud as he saw the Alicorns leave the cloud district, descending to the unicorn area, along with the Mare of Discord.

Discord. The name itself had an ill-boding nature to it. How any pony could trust an entity like that, Arcus was unsure. But Discord was a higher power, like the Guardians. So he supposed that when confronted with a seemingly benevolent power, there would be the natural desire to believe that it had good intentions

Arcus was not a handsome stallion. He had been rather plain before the scars. He wasn't one to judge on looks alone. No matter how unsettling the form of the Draconequus was.

"Lieutenant," Faest Brisa addressed as she arrived behind him.

"I know, Faest," he said neutrally. "They met with one of the Discordants."

Faest nodded to his backside, sitting at attention. "Nothing much important was discussed. We lost track of the traitorous mare after she left the clouds."

She choose not to mention how her wings had been backwards until she was forced to land below, the "hex" or whatever magic Discord had placed on her coming undone for unknown reasons.

"She's not a traitor," Arcus remarked bluntly, getting a surprise look from Faest. "Everypony is now choosing their sides. Some to their tribes, others to ideals they can share with other races. I won't call anypony a traitor until after they choose a side."

"Even if that side is betraying their own kind?" Faest asked with a glare.

Arcus looked to her, and with only his silent and scarred stare, made her physically back down. With his sub-lieutenant cowed, he looked back down to the world below. Obviously, most of the new political factions had their meeting in places down below, where all could meet. Only a pegasus-exclusive faction would be meeting up in the cloud district; which was a boon as much as it wasn't. It would be hard for Earth Ponies and Unicorns to spy on them up here, but it made it harder for Arcus to keep tabs on things outside the clouds.

Harder, but not impossible.

"It's a shame. I think I could tolerate living in a united pony nation if the Guardians were leading it," Arcus mused absently.

"At least they're ponies," Faest agreed respectfully.

"If they were "just ponies" I wouldn't have said that. Those two truly want what's best for all kinds of ponies," Arcus said. "But I'm not sure I can trust their judgment after allowing this Discord to become our overlord."

Faest looked pleased by that notion. "What should we do?"

"For now, nothing," he answered, looking off to another end of Fundony. "The Earth Ponies are uneasy. There are more of them among the Anticords than there are Pegasi or Unicorns. They are already cautious of the other tribes for our powers over the sky and the magic of the hornheads. Something like Discord worries them deeply."

Faest smiled. "So we wait and let the farmers cause the wedge we need to make the cracks in this union."

Arcus nodded in agreement. "I'm retiring for the evening. Care to join me, Sub-Lieutenant?"

To anypony else, the request would have sounded cold and uninterested, an offer made out of mere obligation. Faest, however, had a knowing and pleased look on her face. "I'd like nothing better, Lieutenant."

With that, they both took off from their cloud.

Down below, a stallion watched the pair fly off and hummed to himself. "Well, isn't that interesting," he said before teleporting away.

He reappeared inside a house and promptly was met by a magical blast to the face. Thankfully, he was able to duck under it without much issue.

"Hello to you too, Star Swirl," he greeted in amusement.

"Azimuth, I'd scold you about popping into a mage's house like that, but I know you have more experience with that than anypony," Star Swirl said with an eye roll. "Now why are you here and why do I care?"

Nodus "Azimuth" Styles smiled broadly. "You know how we're kind of out of a job?"

"Unofficially. Our gracious landlord wanted us not to tell everypony that he took over the Asterordo's duty. I'm sure he has his own surprise planned for revealing that," Star Swirl mused as he brushed off his hat.

"Yes, we're all still getting paid. Coppercode was happy about that," Nodus agreed, his smile becoming conspiratorial. "But what if we were to, I don't know, put our magic and free time to good use?"

"Like what? I mean, it's not like I've gotten so bored that I accidentally invented a spell that turns anything into a bowl," Star Swirl said flatly.

Azimuth blinked and looked around the house, realizing that there were a large number of bowls just lying around. "...Why bowls?"

"What part of accidentally is unclear?" Star Swirl deadpanned. "Now, what exactly are you suggesting, you old bat?"

Azimuth snorted. "I'm suggesting we go do some spying on the political factions that are popping up like weeds. Maybe, I don't know, prevent Canter Pass from happening again?"

"Nodus, do I look like a pony built for stealth?" Star Swirl asked dryly.

"Oh trust me, my young friend, we don't need stealth with what I have planned," Azimuth assured with a confident grin.

Star raised his brow in intrigue. "I'm listening...?"

Author's Note

I'M BACK MOTHERBUCKERS! Sorry it too so long, but we're back! And you know something funny? Getting back into the right headspace, remembeing all the plans and stuff I had for this was a lot easier than I thought. MLP really is in my head rent free.

But yes, after a little tour of the town, we get an incident with Faest, and we get to meet a new mare, Thundre Wele of the Immortalists. Oh, and Sombra has Griffons. Somehow. We also can't forget that Nodus is getting Star Swirl in on on some spying.

Well, next time will definitely be a lot sooner, so hope you enjoyed this update. Tata for now!