After Discord managed to get the stuffed toy to stop hugging him with all their might, the group moved inside the library so the two of them could catch up.

"So, let me get this straight; she got you out of your prison so you could do something for her? And she actually expects you to agree?!" Inquired Mini D incredulously, while sipping a tea Spike had kindly brewed for him. Discord nodded.

"Yeah, I know; I think she's going senile in her old age,- he quipped, earning a glare from Twilight."

Though they had respectfully let them talk, the others were getting impatient and feeling left out of the conversation; so Applejack coughed.

"Discord, don't you mind introducin' this fella to us?"

The toy left the cup and stood on the chair, bowing respectfully to everyone present.

"Greetings, mortal ponies and dragon; I am Mini D."

"Mini D?" repeated Twilight, tilting her head in confusion.

"Mini Discord, duh! Can't you see he's a miniature doll version of him?" Pinkie answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it was pretty obvious; I wasn't exactly original with the name.

"I am also known as the Assistant," they added. Discord turned to the ponies while Spike refilled his tea cup.

"He was my master long ago; he taught me how to use my powers-"

Kevin snorted, "He wasn't the only one. Or did you forget that too?"

"-and has kept me company through the centuries. He's also the Spike to my Twilight Sparkle. Mini D, let me introduce you to the elegant Rarity."

"It's a... pleasure to meet you, darling," Rarity greeted as politely as she could, unsure of what to make of them.

"Applejack, the strong and honest."

"Howdy," the earth pony greeted with a nod.

"Rainbow Dash, self-proclaimed fastest pegasus in this nation."

"Hey," she greeted, ignoring that last part.

"The yellow one is Fluttershy, the kindest pony I've ever met."

"H-hi..." greeted the pegasus in her usual volume.

"The dragon is the new Rainbow Dash, and previously known as Spike."

He waved nervously as Rainbow looked at him with a mix of confusion and suspicion.

"The one taking notes is Twilight Sparkle," he gestured, amused. The unicorn stopped her scribbling and took notice of everyone's gaze on her person; she smiled awkwardly while blushing a little.

"And Pinkie Pie, a mistery even for me."

The hyperactive mass of fun and comic relief jumped forward and practically pressed Mini D to the backrest with her muzzle as she spoke a million miles an hour.

"Hi!It'snicetomeetyou!youknowIlikemeetingnewponiesanddragonsandzebrasanddonkiesanddraconequuiandnowdollsandI'msoexcitednowthatIcanmakeanewfriend!Ishouldmakeyoua'welcometoPonyvillefromsomewhereelse'party-"

Discord grabbed her with his tail and lifted her from the overwhelmed toy, giving her a paper bag to catch her breath.

"Pinkie, breathe, breathe. Not everyone talks and/or understands such speeds."

With a snap, Discord summoned the Elements to their respective Bearer, shocking everyone.

"And together, these ponies are the new Bearers of Harmony, protecting their nation from evil and disharmony!" He proclaimed to the heavens as hundreds of claps and cheers filled the air while fireworks went off behind them, harmlessly exploding inside the library.

The Spirit closed Twilight's hanging jaw as her brain struggled to understand how he did that. She levitated her Element in front of her face and used a scanning spell; the enchantments Celestia had put in it were in place. 'But that's impossible. There's no way for him to summon the Elements if the spells are active!'

"I grab the impossible and make it look like child's play, Sparky," the draconequus smirked, oozing smugness from every fiber of his body.

In his head, the other spirits were inmortalizing her expression for another painting. They were going to become rich with their growing colection of 'Princess Twilight's Funny Faces' portraits.

With introductions done, Discord turned to his fellow Spirit.

"So, where were you these past centuries?"

Mini D was taking a sip from his tea, spitting it all over Rainbow when his ears registered the question.

"Centuries?!"

"One thousand, three hundred and something, if Celestia is to be trusted," he answered between snickers as Spike gave a towel to the drenching wet, unamused pegasus.

Mini D was dumbstruck; that far had he been thrown into the future?! It wasn't a lot of time for him; but for Discord...

"... I... it had been a few days since the the alicorns imprisoned you, and I was fighting them and their soldiers. I was going to free you," he narrated almost numbly, his mind busy in analyzing the draconequus and checking on him with all his senses. He scowled in annoyance.

"Then the Guardian of the Timeline grabbed me, and next thing I know I'm being slammed outside this tree. Nice library/house, by the way," he said to the ponies before refocusing on Discord.

"Thanks!" Spike stood tall, proud of how clean he kept the place.

"The Guardian of the Timeline?" questioned the lavender unicorn, mentally reviewing all possible references to such a title and coming up with nothing.

"History lessons for later, if you don't mind," Discord waved his talon at her in a dismissive, somewhat rude gesture.

"You can't just be talking about things and ponies-"

"The Guardian is definitely not a pony; they are an energy being that looks like a whirlwind of shiny sand that uses an armor. We just saw their gauntlet a few minutes ago," he pointed out, interrupting the unicorn.

"You know what she meant." Rainbow said.

"Did I?" he questioned 'innocently', before smirking at her growl. 'Heh, it's so easy I don't even have to make an effort.' Then another voice spoke.

"Discord, could you please explain to Twilight who the Guardian is? That is, if you don't mind..."

Fluttershy's Stare, powerful and fearful as it was, had no effect over Discord's mind; his will was simply too strong to even register her efforts. But her gentle approach? That kind way of asking, and the nervousness he couldn't help but find cute? Those compassionate eyes trying to find a middle ground without offending anyone?

Even though he knew she was asking to prevent an argument from arising, his heart couldn't resist.

"Ugh, fine..." he relented.

Mini D looked at that exchange with interest and mild confusion. Discord made circles with his talon, shifting the air and creating a cartoonish, tridimensional image of the Guardian the size of an apple; clearing his throat, he adressed the unicorn.

"Long story short, the Guardian is a being born and made of temporal energies that has taken upon themselves to watch over and protect the flow of time. I guess they didn't want me to be freed back then, so they brought Mini D here before he could break my prison," he ended bitterly.

"And he had the gall to stop us from taking revenge?!" Exclaimed Chryssie, throwing her claws up in anger.

"That's the Guardian for you," grumbled Meridian. He knew them better than anyone; their paths had crossed a lot when he was alive.

"And Ah presume you know that Guardian pretty well, don't you?" the farm pony asked as Twilight took more notes.

Discord laughed at Applejack's insinuation.

"Oh, I do; but not because I mess with time, trying to change the past. No one can." He was technically lying with that last part; but why should he be honest with them about it? They would only distrust him even more.

"Time is inmutable, after all." Twilight added. She knew that after her own time traveling experience.

"Yeah, if all the trouble you went through to stop time last year because you didn't let yourself talk was any indication," he laughed again, earning surprised looks from Spike and everypony (sans the yellow pegasus). "What?"

"How do you know that?"

"What do you think I do in Fluttershy's home, New Rainbow? Teach her how to play cards?" He shuffled a deck between his paws before giving it to Spike with a shrug. "We talk!"

After another hour of talking, explaining and jokes, the particular duo left the house and took a walk through Ponyville. Everypony took cover and hid, fearful from their lives.

... I may be exaggerating a bit. But they sure didn't want to be in Discord's field of vision; too bad they didn't know about his vast field of hearing.

Ignoring their whispers and comments was second nature to the Spirit, so he kept his attention on his master, assistant and oldest friend. But they beat him to it.

"The Elements transformed."

Discord shrugged.

"So? I do it all the time!" He waved a paw nonchalantly, morphing into Twilight, then a dog, a walking plant, a bouncing ball and back to his chimeric self. But Mini D shook his head.

"This is different; the Elements will allow anyone that represents their desired trait to use them; but with those ponies it's another matter. They have accepted them as their rightful Bearers, as they truly represent what they stand for."

Discord lifted an eyebrow, impressed.

"You got all that just with being in the same room with those jewels for a couple of minutes? And people say I'm good.

"I'm good at seeing what others can't." He then looked at Discord; how a toy could make a pair of buttons express as much concern as a pair of normal eyes was beyond me, but they pulled it off perfectly. "Like the fact that your imprisonment hurt you."

Discord's carefree nature dried away, leaving behind a more serious, bitter person.

"You have no idea how much of an understatement that is."

And with a flash, they were gone. Discord was the kind of proud person that hated to show emotional pain in front of strangers, and Ponyville wouldn't be witness to his inner turmoil.

Not today.

Author's Note

Three months working on this, and it's a small chapter.

Gah! Why do I have to be so lazy!

*sigh* Anyway, here you have a new chapter. You better be tracking this story for the next chapter, because I can't promise it will be up this month or the next, what with college and all.

My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro.

Oh, and don't forget to comment; I love reading what you think of my works :D