Searing opened her eyes and saw a wood ceiling. She flexed her fingers, a clear indication that she was still human. "Where am I now?" she blearily asked. She could still feel the effects of the drugs good stuff she'd caught a whiff of, her everywhere feeling normal and strange at the same time.

"We're further back in time," Discord replied from his chair on the wall. "We're in a quaint little cabin in the woods, 1683, just outside Vienna."

"Neighenna?"

"No, Vienna. It's a different time, a different culture, and a different place. Also, I have an update on your condition."

"Which one?"

"BPS. You're almost completely cured."

"Thank goodness." Searing got out of bed and started taking in the details of the cabin. There really weren't many things to notice. Basic furniture, wooden walls, a couple small windows, and an open door revealing more of the same in more of the cabin.

"This should be our last stop. Go ahead and get dressed. We're going for a sunlit walk after you make lunch."

"Why am I making lunch?" Searing found her clothes and was disappointed at the dull selection of dresses.

"Norms of the time. Toodles!" Discord dropped through the floor. A moment later, the sound of a chair hitting the floor and breaking was heard. "I'm fine!"

Searing served some slightly salty seared smoked salami sandwiches. "So, what happened during the last stop? I don't remember much after putting on that. . . Safety gear."

"Well, you scratched your face, and that allowed some of the drugs good stuff in the air to get past the hood's seal. I swear upon the element of honesty itself that I did not intend for that to happen."

Applejack felt a fleeting feeling of oddness wash over her as she roamed the orchard. Just as quickly as it came, it left, and she went on with her farm business.

Nothing happened to Discord, so Searing tentatively believed him. "If you say so."

"In addition to being our last stop, this will also serve as a chance for you to detox from the drugs good stuff. That's going to take some time."

"Why would-"

Searing woke up with a groan and a pounding headache. "Owww. . . . What happened?"

"Drugs good stuff," Discord said. "I have no idea what effects it'll have on you. Last I saw, you just stopped moving and had a distant look on your face. Your eyes twitched like crazy, then you passed out."

"Ohhh. . . I don't feel so good." She started shivering, feeling cold despite being fully clothed and in bed.

"You will be miserable."

All Searing could do was groan.

As the days turned into weeks, Searing kept herself busy by keeping house between blackouts, chills, fevers, hallucinations, and other unpleasant experiences. Discord regularly brought in the essentials and made sure she didn't wander far from the house. She was miserable and desperately wanted for something, anything to happen. At the same time, nothing particularly interesting happened, until one day in September. . .

"DISCORD, WHAT IS THIS?" Searing shouted over the din of thousands of sets of hooves shaking the land and thunder cracking in the sky.

"A moment that, in 330-something years, will become a meme," Discord calmly explained, his voice not impeded at all by the roaring cacophony of hooves and battle cries.

"THAT DOESN'T ANSWER ANYTHING!"

"Did you not pay attention in history class?"

"YOU MEAN MY METAL CLASS?"

"Well, this is the moment-" An electric guitar sounded out of nowhere. "-WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!"

"Oh, now I remember." Searing watched as the Winged Hussars went down the mountainside. Down in Vienna, they turned the tide. "DID YOU PLAN THIS?"

"A front row seat to the greatest cavalry charge in history? Yep. Your detox and BPS ending right abouuuuut. . . now? Not so much."

"OH COME ON wait a moment. . . I'M FULLY HEALED?"

"Yes. Now, there may be some lingering effects from the drugs good stuff, but-"

"I DON'T CARE! JUST GET ME BACK TO PONYVILLE! GET ME BACK TO YANG!"

The charge came to an end just as Discord responded. "With that kind of attitude? You need to calm down a bit first." He started the walk back towards the cabin. "How about you take some of that excitement and energy and organize your luggage? Maybe even pick out something different to wear."

Searing eagerly followed Discord back to the cabin, thinking about what to wear for her return. All the individual pieces she'd accumulated went through her mind, along with various ensembles. "All that latex stuff is a no go, even if I pair it with something else. Especially that biohazard set. I could go with the armor. Armor is always cool, but that could be a bad impression. Hmmm. . ."

As Searing was organizing her stuff, she came across a set she'd almost forgotten about: the crystal prep uniform. She decided that it was perfect for her return, so she quickly changed into it. She felt much better wearing the modern clothes than the stuffy old dresses, which she was quick and eager to discard. She would not be bringing them with her.

After she had everything packed, Discord shot a foam dart at her. "Headshot!" He happily exclaimed.

"What was that for?"

"Just restoring full access to your magic so you can turn back into a unicorn. Before you do that, you'd better get those suitcases on."

"Oh, right." Searing, with Discord's help, got all the suitcases on her arms. Once they were all situated, she turned into her unicorn form and they vanished. "Can we go now? Please?"

"Only because you asked nicely." He reclined on her back and snapped, making them vanish.

The duo appeared in Ponyville. "I'm home!" Searing happily exclaimed as she bounced in place. She quickly collected herself after a pony gave her an odd look before going into the nearby building. "But how long have I been gone?"

"About four months," Discord said. "Or a few years. Both are true. It's a matter of perspective, really."

"Well, I'm healed and I'm back. Where's the Carne Den?"

Discord turned her head towards the building next to her. "Right there. Now go on in and ask for Yang. I'm sure she'll be happy to have a bartender back in the fold."

"What about you?"

"I have to go run an errand. Toodles!" Discord zipped off into town.

Searing sighed and went into the Carne Den. Gilda was waiting there. "Welcome to the Carne Den," she said with routine cheerfulness before she noticed Searing. "You look kind of familiar. . ."

"Can I speak with Yang, please?" Searing asked. "My name is Searing Victory."

Gilda glanced over the filled dining area. "Wait here and I'll get her for you." The griffon went into the kitchen.

After a minute, Yang came out, and she looked nervous. "Searing, I. . ."

Searing held up a forehoof. "Don't worry, Yang. I forgive you."

Author's Note

And so Searing Victory's Unusual Adventure has come to an end. It was both challenging and fun to write this.