Patriots of Equestria, Part 1

Discord had spent the entire night draped over Fluttershy while she remained in her coma like state. The ex-master of chaos knew that any kind of magic he could use would do very little in making Fluttershy better again. As soon as he heard the door opening, Discord quickly disappeared from view as the doctor assigned to Fluttershy's care and two nurses came into the room.

"Hmm, some progress, but it's slow," he sighed. "Her internal injuries seem to be healing."

"Well, the internal bleeding stopped that's for sure," remarked one of the nurses. "She's very lucky to have survived a bombing attempt unlike some ponies."

"Do you think that maybe we should try and wake her up?" asked the other nurse.

"I'd give it another day or two before we can safely break her out of the coma," answered the doctor. "I cannot risk waking her up unless she is fully healed."

Discord waited a few more minutes before the doctor and nurses left the room, but not before injection some morphine into Fluttershy's IV line. Once they were gone, Discord made himself reappear again just as Starlight came into the room.

"How is she, Discord?" sighed Starlight.

"They're going to keep her like this for another day," replied Discord, sadly, clutching her hoof. "But, they say Fluttershy is lucky to be alive and it's unfortunate that I don't have any magic that can make her feel better. I'm the spirit of chaos, Starlight. How was I supposed to know that she was in danger? I could have saved her!"

"There was nothing you could have done, Discord," sympathized Starlight, sitting next to Discord. "Believe me, I may be a powerful unicorn, but I couldn't repair anything as easy as one, two, and three. These kinds of situations take time."

Discord sighed upon hearing this and what Starlight had said did very little to make him feel better. All he ever wanted was to see Fluttershy be okay again and all he could do was hope for the best.

"I know what you are saying, Starlight," said Discord, clutching his fallen friends hoof tightly. "But, it certainly doesn't make anything easier and there were times I could take everything back for Fluttershy's sake. Ever since I betrayed Equestria by siding with Tirek, I've dedicated myself to only using my magic for good instead of evil. But, do you think that maybe I am being punished for all the chaos I brought on Equestria?"

"What do you mean?" wondered Starlight.

"Well," said Discord, briefly looking up at the ceiling. "I had a chance to be a hero, Starlight and I blew it by doing the unimaginable. Shining Armor was right to call me a traitor and I know it. Perhaps I should have been turned to stone for what I did."

Starlight was not going to stand by and listen to Discord badmouth himself like this. Like Discord, she was given a second chance and was making good use of it. But, Discord was far too caught up in his grief to listen, so Starlight had to make him see it, one way or another.

"Discord, hear my voice and listen!" she said in an authorative voice, pulling him to her face with her magic using a spell similar to the one she used on Twilight's friends. "You are not a traitor! We both have a lot in common and if you think I am just going to stand by and watch you be hard on yourself, then you are mistaken! What we did in the past is in the past and that's all there is to it! We are going to do this together and nopony is going to tell us otherwise! Do it for Fluttershy, but most importantly, do it for yourself!"

Hearing this speech made Discord see the truth and he knew that Starlight was right as she released him from her magical grip. Starlight, himself, Trixie and Sunset were all evildoers a long time ago and now here they were, all working together for a common purpose: to find and capture the Changelings responsible for committing this heinous act on Equestria's most cosmopolitan city.

"You're right, Starlight," said Discord, getting up and looking down at Fluttershy's peaceful state. "I can't be badmouthing myself like this. I'm Discord, the spirit of chaos and friend to all ponies who will do anything to help them."

Just then, the door opened to reveal Moon Dancer on the other side, running in and panting heavily.

"Moon Dancer, what's wrong?" cried Starlight.

"I…just… found… out," panted Moon Dancer, trying to talk and catch her breath at the same time. "That the two Changelings were last seen boarding a train out of Manehattan!"

Starlight rose to her feet and Discord rose to the air upon hearing this development from Moon Dancer.

"Where were they going?" asked Starlight.

"I'm not sure," answered Moon Dancer. "But, the minister of justice has already increased security in every town and city in Equestria! What do we do?"

It didn't take long for Starlight to give an answer on what to do

"Then we have to go after them," said Starlight, firmly. "Who knows where they are heading?"

"From what I hear," replied Moon Dancer. "They are heading towards Canterlot."

"Why?" asked Discord, holding up a question mark sign and clad in a judge's robe. "Why would they be going there? Unless they have a very good reason for going, they'll be walking right into the minister of justice."

At that moment, Discord, Starlight and Moon Dancer dashed out of Fluttershy's room with Trixie and Sunset not far behind. There was also no reason for Thorax to stay at the hospital as he needed to get back to the Changeling Kingdom to mobilize his own search for the missing Changelings.

"Come on," called Starlight as they left the hospital. "We have to get to the train station!"

…

Meanwhile, ever since their successful execution of their bombs at the Manehattan Marathon, Hopper and Thumper were already on the search for Queen Chrysalis. Disguising themselves as ponies, the two Changeling brothers boarded the friendship express to Canterlot which was already filled with ponies still trying to get out of Manehattan.

"We need to hide and this is the only way," whispered Hopper, trying to use the crowd of ponies to hide themselves as they went into a small cabin. "Now that Equestria's saviors are dead, all we have to do is to set off our next bomb in Canterlot to finish off whatever of important ponies stand in our way. Then, we can find our Queen and once she is restored, we can carry out the removal of that Thorax!"

Unlike his brother, Thumper was beginning to wonder if or when Chrysalis would ever be found. In his mind, there was always the possibility that Chrysalis was either captured or worse.

"If only we could be so sure," he replied. "Didn't you hear the news? Innocent ponies are dead, Hopper and we are the ones responsible."

"Just collateral damage, brother," scoffed Hopper. "All that matters is that the princesses are dead and the throne to Equestria is ours for the taking. Now, we must journey to Canterlot and seize control of the castle. Then, we can prepare for our queen's return! But, first, we must make another bomb to finish off anypony who will stand in our way!"

Thumper was not going to hear any of this. A part of him knew very well that the princesses were alive and that the wrath of Equestria was going to come down on both of them. Still, Thumper kept his second thoughts to himself for the sake of his brother. But, sooner or later, the gloves were going to come off…