Moonlit Eternity

Chapter 8

"Discord?" Steel said. "You mean the spirit of disharmony that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna defeated and turned to stone a long time ago? I thought that was just an old foal's tale."

"No." Twilight replied. "Discord is real. He broke out of his imprisonment when the Elements of Harmony were transferred to myself, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow."

"He caused a huge amount of chaos for Equestria, mostly Ponyville, and nearly destroyed our friendship." Rainbow added. "But we overcame him and froze him in stone again. He's been in Canterlot ever since. Everypony still thinks he's just a statue, but that's the real Discord." Steel nodded his head.

"Well, that kind of leaves us all in a predicament, doesn't it?" He said. "If he's still frozen in stone in Canterlot, how are we gonna find any kind of a cure from him?"

"That's what I'm still trying to consider." Twilight said. "Maybe we can try to find a book about Discord?" Rainbow and Steel considered this.

"Couldn't hurt." Rainbow said. Steel nodded.

"Let's try it." Twilight left and came back after about thirty seconds with a rather small book. She put it on the table and sighed regretfully.

"This is all I have here that might even have anything on Discord." She looked down at the small book and frowned. The title read- Equestrian Folk Tales

"Honestly, Twilight. I'm a little suprised that this is all you have here on Discord. Ah, well...let's go ahead and take a look." A purple aura surrounded the book and the pages flipped quickly to the tale of Discord. It was the exact "foal's tale" that Steel had described earlier. The ponies all sighed heavily.

"Yep. There it is. Any other ideas?" Rainbow asked.

"I'm still thinking." Twilight said. They sat there, pondering what exactly to do. Rainbow looked at Twilight, who was thinking heavily of what to do. She seemed to be oblivious to the world around her, rubbing her chin with a hoof. Steel just sat there, a sad expression on his face, his ears lowered. He breathed heavily and blinked slowly. Rainbow walked over to him, sat down and put her head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She said, looking up at him. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Yeah...I'm alright." He said. "I just knew that this was a pointless effort." Rainbow frowned at him, irritated.

"I'm gonna hit you if you say that again. There's hope, Steel. There will always be hope. If we keep looking, I'm sure we'll find something." She said before she kissed him on the cheek. He chuckled that chuckle that always used to turn her to cyan goo. She smiled warmly at memories of a time when they weren't together, merely flirting for what seemed like an endless period of time. She kissed him.

"I've got it!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed, startling Rainbow and Steel out of their romantic exchange. Rainbow blushed heavily, rubbing the back of her head. Steel just looked at her.

"What is it?" He asked. Twilight looked at them and raised a brow.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the ones who stopped Discord a long time ago, right?" She said. They both nodded. "Well, who else would know very much about Discord other than the ones that were actually alive when Discord still ruled Equestria through chaos? The Princesses themselves!" Rainbow raised a brow herself, but not out of pride over an idea she had, but rather skepticism.

"Twilight," She said. "I don't think that the Princesses would appreciate us interrupting their day to talk to them about Discord."

"But that's the thing..." Twilight said. "We won't be telling them that we're coming just to talk about Discord. I can arrange a meeting between myself and Princess Celestia under the guise of reporting on friendship in Ponyville. Then, after I make something up, we can talk to her." Rainbow and Steel were utterly suprised. This plan seemed like the last thing Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies, would want to do. But nevertheless, Twilight had a reassured smile on her face.

"You really think that it'll work?" Steel asked her. She nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm sure it'll work. If the princess doesn't know about a cure, she could hopefully point us in a good direction." The purple unicorn said happily. "I can even request a chariot to come pick us up. We'd be there in half the time it would take for a train." Steel looked at Rainbow, who shrugged and nodded.

"I suppose we'll do it." Rainbow said. "But are you sure about this? I can tell that you don't want to do this." Twilight smiled warmly.

"Rainbow, no matter what it takes, I'll always want to help my friends. You two obviously aren't exceptions." Rainbow felt warm inside. "Spike!" Twilight called. The baby dragon came plodding down the steps, yawning largely and looking slightly irritated.

"What, Twilight?" He said. "Just tell me so I can get back to sleep..."

"Take a letter to Princess Celestia." The purple mare said, holding a quill and parchment in front of Spike's face with her magic.

"Why so early in the day?" He asked. Twilight just looked at him, irritated. "Alright, fine. Fire away." He took the quill and parchment. Twilight cleared her throat.

"Dear Princess Celestia, I realize that I have been reporting to you regularly on the different characteristics and qualities of friendship in Ponyville, a task I have been enjoying heartily. However, I have realized that I have not seen you face-to-face in quite a while. Therefore, I would like to request a meeting with you today to further discuss friendship and issues surrounding it. Perhaps over lunch. Rainbow Dash and Steel Anvil would like to come. Steel has wanted to meet you for a long time. Your faithful and loyal student, Twilight Sparkle." She said eloquently. This was understandable, as a letter to Princess Celestia herself was to be written well. The formalities came with the actual meeting. Spike finished writing on the parchment and rolled it up and wrapped it in a brilliant red ribbon. He inhaled deeply and blew fire on the parchment, turning it into shining, floating green mist. It flew upwards, out of the window. Steel looked on in amazement.

"That was awesome." He said, spellbound. Spike sighed and yawned again.

"Now, I'm gonna go back to bed." He said, slowly turning to go back to his small resting place. Twilight wrapped a hoof around his shoulders.

"Hold on there, Spike. It's mid-afternoon. You shouldn't be sleeping still." She said. "And, we have to wait for a reply. You know that she's usually prompt." Spike grumbled and sat on his rump, crossing his arms. After about five minutes of silent, eager waiting, Spike burped and out came a letter returned from the Princess. Spike opened it and read.

"Dear Twilight, I would be happy to have you, Rainbow Dash and Steel Anvil here for lunch. I agree that it has been far too long since we have seen each other. If nothing else, a simple chat would be nice. I have dispatched a chariot to pick you up. See you soon! Princess Celestia."

"Alright!" Twilight said happilly, clapping her hooves together once. "That settles it. Get ready to go to Canterlot. The chariot will most likely be here in about ten minutes." They both nodded as Twilight left them in the room. Rainbow put a hoof on Steel's cheek and brought his head up to face her. She kissed him tenderly and smiled.

"Don't ever lose hope." She said.

_____

The chariot had arrived a mere two minutes after Twilight's prediction. The ride to Canterlot had been a brief one, consisting of moderate banter between the three ponies riding. Rainbow became bored at one point and jumped from the chariot. This scared the two guards flying the chariot and they plummeted down for a second, thinking that she had commited suicide and that they had to save her. But when she flew back up and did a spiral around the chariot, they both sighed with relief and slight annoyance and continued on their path to Canterlot. They arrived at the palace chariot stable and got out of the large, golden seat. They bade farewell to the guards and headed for the palace entrance. The incredibly large door opened, seemingly on their own, to reveal the welcoming countenance of Princess Celestia.

"Twilight! Rainbow! It's so good to see you two again." She said happily, her long, flowing multicolored mane, her large, beautiful eyes and gigantic wings stunning Steel completely. All three bowed before her, simply stricken by her royal grace and beauty. When Twilight and Rainbow came up from their bow, Steel remained close to the ground, eyes closed, unsure of when exactly he needed to stop bowing. "This must be Steel Anvil." The royal alicorn said. "You can stop bowing now." Steel rose from his kneeling position.

"It is an honor to meet you, your majesty." He said to her.

"The honor is mine. Twilight has told me many things about you in her letters. Oh! That reminds me..." She said as she looked at him and Rainbow. "Congratulations to the two of you!" Rainbow blushed and Steel nodded, smiling happily. "So, you're the new blacksmith in Ponyville, correct?"

"Yes, your majesty." He said, nodding curtly.

"That's enough of that, Steel." She said, smiling, amused at his perfect manners. "I would appreciate it if you called me by my actual name. Because I'm quite sure my name isn't 'Your Majesty"." Steel chuckled nervously.

"Sorry, your maje-...Princess Celestia." He said. The princess chuckled to herself.

"Well, then. Now that the formalities are over and done with, I have and excellect lunch spread out in the courtyard. Shall we?" The Princess said, ushering the three ponies into her palace. They all walked through, Twilight and Rainbow currently focusing on their predicament, Steel focusing on the amazingly intricate architecture and it's patterns. They reached the courtyard, the spectacular statues and fountains were accentuated by the beautiful plants and trees perfectly. Rainbow nudged Steel in the side before she nodded towards a rather large statue of what looked like some kind of dragon with an expression of terror on it's face. She looked to him and nodded slowly. That was Discord. They all sat as the dishes were revealed across the table. These dishes were artisan made salads and pastas, soaked and tossed in all but the finest sauces. For dessert, a massive white cake that appeared to be vanilla. A waiter came and poured wine into all of their glasses and bowed as he backed away, leaving the courtyard. Rainbow's and Twilight's eyes widened in hunger and anticipation. Steel saw this and immediately started acting hungry, faking lust for the foods before him. Princess Celestia chuckled.

"So, you're all hungry I take it?" They nodded. "Well, help yourself. I don't mind at all." They all went to work, dishing themselves servings of the delicious, saccharine foods before them. Rainbow looked over at Steel, who was still acting as if the food was delicious, with a pang of intense sympathy. It all probably tasted like flavorless goo to him. They all finished their food and sat back in their chairs, satisfied.

"Princess Celestia, if we could all go somewhere private, I would like to share something with you." Steel said to the royal alicorn.

"Surely." She responded. They all left and went to the Princesses' throne room. The Princess sat in her throne and looked at Steel. "Now, what is it you wanted to speak to me of?" Steel looked at Rainbow and Twillight. They both looked confused, yet aware of what he was planning to do.

"I have a confession to make." He said. "I'm sure you're familiar with the murder on the outskirts of Ponyville recently." The Princess nodded. 'No.' Rainbow thought. 'He can't be doing this...not now.' "Well, Princess, I am the murderer."

"Princess, please...don't be angry with Steel!" Rainbow pleaded. "He killed that pony outside Ponyville because he was getting ready to kill me. He only did what he did because he cares about me." She ran to Steel's side and pressed herself against him. Princess Celestia's expression did not change at all. She only smiled.

"Well, while I regret the death of anypony, you were protecting somepony who is precious to you from death. I cannot rightly punish you for doing the right thing in that situation." She said. "Your honesty and bravery have been noted as well." Steel nearly collapsed from releif.

"Thank you very much, Princess." He said. "That is such a relief." The princess nodded.

"Now, is there anything else you needed?" She said. Steel looked at Rainbow at his side and Twilight behind them. They both nodded. Steel gulped and breathed heavily. He decided to just come out and say it.

"Princess Celestia, I am a vampire." He said. The Princess raised her eyebrows, legitimately suprised.

"A vampire?" She said. "I haven't seen one of you in decades. I assume you fed on that pony you killed, correct?"

"No, Princess. I don't feed on ponies. I always go into the Everfree Forest and feed on sleeping animals. It doesn't kill them. Sometimes they don't even wake up." The princess nodded.

"That is a very noble way to go about dealing with it, Steel." She said. "But why exactly are you telling me this?"

"Well, Princess, Twilight, Rainbow and I were reading about the legends of vampires and discovered that, according to legend, the first Vampire originated from Discord."

"Yes, that is accurate." Princess Celestia said.

"So, we thought that since you and your sister are probably the only two ponies in Equestria that fully know about Discord, you might know of a cure." He finished. Celestia gained a puzzled look on her face.

"I am sorry to say that while I know many things about Discord, I do not know nearly as much about vampires. I do apoligize." She said. Steel's ears lowered and he looked down.

"It's fine, I didn't expect to find a cure, anyway." He said sadly.

"However..." The Princess said. Steel's ears perked up and his eyes widened. He looked at her. "There is still hope." She quickly brought a quill and parchment toward herself and began to write a letter. This letter was finished in nearly thirty seconds. Then, she moved on to another one. Then, another one after that, then another. All in all, four letters were written when she was finished. She made them turn into purple mist and fly out of her window at breakneck speed. Rainbow looked at the princess.

"Who were those for?" She asked.

"Your friends Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie." Princess Celestia said curtly. "I am bringing them here to the palace."

"Why, Princess?" Asked Steel. "Why would we need them?"

"In time, Steel, you will know." The Princess said. "For now, remain here. Relax and wait for your friends to arrive. Guard!" She called daintily. A member of the royal guard entered the throne room.

"Yes, your majesty?" He said, ready to do whatever she wanted.

"Please wake my sister. An urgent matter has come up. But do it gradually. We have time." She said. The guard nodded. Twilight's belly lit up with nervousness. Celestia was waking Luna during the daytime. This had to be something serious.

"Leave me, please." The Princess said. "I have much to think about. I'll call you all back in when the time is right." The three of them bowed and left the room promptly, shutting the door behind them. They all went and sat in a quaint area with soft, cushinoned seats and pretty plants.

"Steel?" Twilight said. "Could I ask you a question?" Steel looked at her and nodded.

"Fire away." He said, leaning his head back.

"What's it like?" She said. "Being a vampire, I mean."

"Twilight." Rainbow said. "Now's not the time, come on." Steel put a hoof in front of Dash.

"It's fine, Rainbow." He said. "I don't mind. To tell you the truth, Twilight, it's horrible. Ponies don't call it a curse for nothing. No food will satisfy my hunger. No drink will quench my thirst. The only kind of sustenance I can get from anything is from blood. But vampires can last quite a long time without feeding. If I go too long without blood, my body will begin to deteriorate and after a few years, I would wither and die. I have discovered that blood from wild animals in forests and plains work well, and I try to get them while they sleep. It is next to painless when I want it to be, and they rarely wake up." Twilght nodded.

"What kind of weaknesses do you have? Are you terrified of an amulet of Celestia?" She asked, feeling slightly stupid. An amulet of Celestia obviously had no kind of effect on him due to the fact that he was in Celestia's royal palace.

"The only weaknesses I have are sunlight and fire." He said to her. "If I'm in sunlight, every single ounce of my energy is sapped and my skin begins to burn and fall off if I stay in sunlight for more than an hour. It's funny because at night it's the exact opposite. Night empowers me. I become extremely strong and fast at night. If I catch fire, it would spread quickly and have me dead in about thirty seconds."

"Then why do you work at a forge?" Rainbow asked him. He shrugged.

"Well, I mean, I wear all the protective gear." He said. "I suppose that it's happened a few times before. I guess I just don't really fear it when it's involved in my calling. Plus, I have a trough of water right there if I need it." Rainbow chuckled.

"True, true." She said. They sat there at that point, waiting for their friends to arrive at the palace.

_____

Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie all arrived within two minutes of each other. They all greeted each other warmly and happily, exchanging words and smiles.

"So, what're you guys doin' here?" Applejack said. "What is alla this?"

"So far, we're about as clueless as you guys." Rainbow said. "Whatever it is, Princess Celestia is waking Princess Luna, during the day, so we know that it's pretty big."

"Oooh!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "I love mysteries! Let's all try to figure this out together! I'll be the detective, and Fluttershy, you can be my loyal, clueless assistant!" Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Oh, brother..." The unicorn said. Fluttershy scuffed a hoof on the floor nervously.

"I don't know, Pinkie Pie. I don't really like getting into the middle of things." She said. Before Pinkie could respond, a guard came into the room.

"The Princesses will see you now." He said in a deep, gruff voice. They all left and entered the throne room, met by Princess Celestia and the newly awakened Princess Luna. In front of the two royal alicorns stood the case for the elements of harmony. Each necklace surrounded the tiara that lay in the center. They all gasped.

"The elements of harmony?" Rarity said, suprised. "Something must be terribly wrong."

"Nothing is truly wrong, Rarity." Luna said. "It is just something my sister and I would like to do for one of you."

"Before we start," Celestia continued. "You have something to tell your friends, Steel." Steel looked at his friends, then Celestia and Luna, who nodded his way. He stood before them and breathed heavily.

"Girls..." He said. "Over the time I've known you, I haven't been completely honest. The truth is...I'm a vampire." They all reacted differently. Applejack chuckled lightly while Rarity fell over. Pinkie's eyes widened as she said- "Cool!" Fluttershy recoiled from him slightly, keeping her eyes on him.

"Uh, this is a joke, right?" Applejack said. "Your jokin'." Steel shook his head.

"It is quite true, Applejack." Princess Celestia said. "Vampires have existed for a long time in Equestria. They've been in a recession lately. Their population has been decreasing drastically. Steel is one of the only ones left." Applejack's eyes widened.

"Why didn't ya tell us?" Applejack demanded, slightly outraged.

"Yeah! It's so cool! Why didn't you tell us?" Pinkie added.

"I do not think it's...cool like Pinkie does, but I agree as well." Rarity said. Fluttershy just mumbled something unintelligible.

"Look guys, I didn't tell you because by the time I was ready to, I was already your friend. I was afraid that you'd all be scared of me, and I didn't want anything to screw up our friendship. I can't change the fact that I didn't tell you, and I'm sorry for that. If I wanted to hurt any of you, I would have done it by now." He said.

"That sounds reasonable." Applejack said, still slightly annoyed. "But Ah'm still a little disappointed in ya."

"I expected you to be." Steel said. "Thanks, AJ. What about you guys?"

"Are you kidding me?" Pinkie said. "I don't care at all! You're one of the nicest, most super-duper cool ponies I know!" Steel smiled.

"I agree with Applejack." Rarity said. "We would have accepted you no matter what you are. Just trust us and we'll trust you." She said with a small smile. Steel nodded. Fluttershy slowly walked forward and smiled up at him.

"I'm not mad...I know exactly what it's like to be scared." She said before she hugged him. He smiled warmly and hugged her back.

"Thank you all." He said. "You really are the best friends I've ever had." They all smiled, nodded, waved or something to that effect. They all looked toward the princesses, who were smiling themselves.

"So, why do we have the Elements of Harmony here?" Asked Twilight.

"You are all going to use them." Celestia said.

"For what?" Rainbow said.

"To restrain Discord while we free him." Luna added. The whole room fell completely silent.

"Excuse me, your highnesses, but are ya crazy?" Applejack said. "Discord is the spirit of chaos! Who knows what he'll do when he's out!"

"That is why you will have the elements. You will restrain him with their power while Luna and I free him." Celestia said.

"Why are you doing it?" Asked Rarity.

"Because the first ever Vampire originated from Discord himself. Your friend Steel is looking for a cure." Celestia continued. They all, save for Twilight, Rainbow, Celestia and Luna looked at him like he was insane.

"Don't worry, he didn't suggest it. It was my idea. Only Discord could even know of a cure. So you'll all restrain him and we'll free him and get the information from him." Celestia said.

"But Princess!" Steel said. "That's so much to do for some common pony like me!" Celestia chuckled to herself.

"Nopony is common in our eyes, Steel." She said. "Now bearers, don the elements so we can help your friend." The girls, after a second of thought, readily walked to the case. They all put their respective elements on and headed for the courtyard.

_____

"Alright, Twilight." Princess Celestia said as they entered the courtyard and approached the large statue of Discord. "You and your friends get ready. Odds are that as soon and Luna and I free him, Discord will immediately try to escape." Twilight nodded as all of the elements lit up on their respective bearers. "Are you ready sister?" Luna nodded and got into a prepared stance, ready for anything.

"As I'll ever be." The princess of the night responded. A moment later, the princesses' horns lit up with light purple and dark blue auras. These auras surrounded the statue of Discord as they sunk into it. Slowly, the stone surface began to degrade, giving way to different types of skins and coats.

"Now, Twilight Sparkle!" Luna said, struggling a bit. "Use the elements now! He's already trying to escape! My sister and I can't hold him much longer!" Twilight and her friends closed their eyes, their elements shining brilliantly. Steel was simply spellbound, amazed this spectacle before him. A rainbow force left the bearers of the elements and surrounded Discord

"Alright, Luna!" Celestia said to her sister. "It's fine now, we can let go." The Princesses relaxed as the magical auras around their horns faded slowly. Discord was laying on the ground next to the pedestal that previously held up his statuesque figure. He sat up quickly and stretched largely, rubbing his face.

"Aaahhh!!! Do any of you ponies have any idea how much it hurts to have your face frozen in an expression of terror for such a long period of time?" He said, still moving his bottom jaw with one of his hands. "Princess Celestia...and Princess Luna! It really has been too long, my dear." Luna merely frowned at him.

"You may have found it easy to fool me all those years ago, Discord, but I believe that now you'll find that I'm not quite as naive." Luna responded. Discord chuckled and smiled slyly at her.

"Ahhh...this brings back memories, the three of us together again. Remember those...amorous nights, Celestia?" The Draconequus said. Applejack nudged Rainbow and Rarity in their sides.

"Amorous nights? What the hay?" She whispered. Rainbow nodded at her, confused as well.

"I try to forget, Discord." Celestia responded. "There is something we must discuss."

"Hmmm? So that's why you two randomly decided to free me. And if you're freeing me, it must be pretty important, right? And it involves little 'ol me? Oh, I'm touched." He said. He looked over at Steel, who stood, staring in amazement at the strange creature before him. "A vampire? One of my least favorite creations." Steel was incredibly surprised that Discord was able to tell that he was a vampire immediately. "Like a regular nimrod, I gave your kind free will. You don't spread much chaos if you don't want to, do you, Steel Anvil?"

"How do you know my name?" Steel said to the spirit of disharmony. Discord chuckled.

"I keep track of all my creations. I remember the night you were turned. Do you still see your little sister's dead eyes whenever you blink?" The question was completely evil and malicious, but sounded jovial and fun-loving. Steel inhaled heavily and closed his eyes.

"Stop it." The stallion said. Discord chuckled.

"What about your father's miserably failed attempt to defend the house, your mother's blood staining the walls?" Discord continued, obviously overjoyed at the pain he was causing Steel. Rainbow walked to him and put a hoof around his shoulder.

"Don't listen to him, Steel." Rainbow said. "He's just trying to get to you.

"Oh, I assure you, Rainbow Dash," Discord said. "This did happen to him. What about when he tore into your throat? When you were barely clinging to life?" Steel growled and shuddered. Rainbow took his head in her hooves and brought him up to face her.

"Don't listen to him, Steel." She said. "Listen to me, listen to my voice." He opened his eyes and looked into hers. She kissed him. He sighed and calmed down, sitting where he was.

"Awwww..." Discord said. "Young love. Do you really know what you're getting yourself into, Rainbow Dash? Do you-"

"Enough!" Celestia exclaimed, stomping a hoof to the ground. Not quite yelling, but the power in her voice evident. "Discord, I have known you for a long time, and while you will spread chaos, sometimes at the expense of others, I have never known you to be directly cruel to anyone."

"Well, maybe I'm just a little bit cranky after being encased in stone for so long." He retorted. "But, I'll tell you what. Now that I've stretched and adjusted to this nice...elements of harmony barrier air, I'll listen to you."

"A cure." Steel said, walking toward the barrier. "We need a cure."

"Wow. You recover quickly." Discord said to the stallion. "I'll have to psychologically torture you worse next time."

"Is there even a cure?" Rainbow asked the Draconequus. He nodded, stroking his chin.

"Oh, yes, there is." He responded. "I'm just debating whether or not to tell you."

"Do it for me, Discord." Celestia said.

"Again, what the hay?" Applejack whispered to Rarity.

"I don't know..." Discord said, eyeing her. "What's in it for me?" Celestia had grown tired of Discord's games at this point. She gained an angry expression on her face.

"How about my sister and I let you continue to rest peacefully in stone, and we don't send you to Tartarus for an eternity of torture?!" She nearly yelled, a slight edge of rage sharpening her words like a sword. Luna came and put a hoof on Celestia's shoulder.

"Sister, calm down." She said, calmly, eloquently and full of grace. She approached Discord. "What do you have to gain from being cruel, Discord? You're not spreading chaos by denying Steel a cure. You're just continuing his misery." Discord considered what she said for a moment.

"Fine..." He said. "I did say that vampires were some of my least favorite creations, and no matter how much I hate beig frozen in stone, it's better than eternal torture. So, if the two of you will agree to freeze me back in a restful position, I'll tell you."

"You will?" Rainbow and Steel said, nearly in unison.

"Don't act so happy." Discord said. "It's going to be far from easy. You need to find the vampire that turned you and challenge him to a fight to the death. You can't just take him by surprise, you have to challenge him. And nopony can help you. it has to only be you, or the cure is lost forever to you. You need to kill him and drink his blood. Every last drop. The vampire that turned you is named Brick Smasher and he lives in the westernmost city of Griffon Territory called Lost Child Canyon. And don't worry, you won't turn to dust or anything. When you're turned, your body is essentially frozen from the time the venom was injected. Your body will just..." He thought for a moment. "Pick up where it left off." He sighed, crossing his arms.

"Thank you, Discord." Celestia said to him. He smiled slyly at her. He disappeared instantly and appeared between Luna and Celestia. He put his arms around the two of them. The princesses' eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"Oh, you know I'd do anything for you two!" He planted a long, drawn out kiss on Celestia's cheek. He then disappeared again and reappeared within the barrier. He got up on his pedestal and got in a meditative position, adjusting his single fang and smoothing his hair back. "Ready when you are, girls!" The princesses cast their spell on the Draconequus. He was slowly encased in stone, in his restful position. The barrier made by the elements dissipated and Celestia looked at the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

"Did any of you..." They all shook their heads. Discord stayed there of his own free will. He could have left at any time. Celestia sighed, laughing quietly to herself. "Oh, Discord, of only I could trust you..." She said to herself. Luna sighed and shook her head at her sister.

"Sister, you're hopeless."

_____

"But Twilight! I don't want to be babysat! I can take care of myself at the library!" Spike yelled indignantly, riding on Twilight's back.

"Sorry, Spike." She said. But while I'm in Griffon Territory, you need somepony to babysit you. No ifs ands or buts. That's the way it has to be." Spike sulked, crossing his arms and not saying another word. "Besides, you'll have a great time with Mr. and Mrs. Cake. You'll be able to help them bake and eat sweets all day." She arrived at the Cakes' house and knocked on the door. After a short wait, Mrs. Cake arrived at the door and smiled widely. "Thank you for taking him under such short notice, Mrs. Cake. I have some urgent business to take care of in Griffon territory."

"It's no problem at all, Twilight! We were happy to." Twilight let Spike off of her back and ushered him in.

"Bye, Spike!" She said. "See you in a few days."

"Yeah, bye." The baby dragon said, still irritated slightly. Mrs. Cake shut the door after a friendly wave to Twilight. She then turned and headed back to the library where all of he friends were. She went inside and sat in the living room with every pony else.

"Look, guys..." Steel said. "I should be going alone."

"Please tell me that you're joking." Rainbow said.

"No, I'm not. Griffon Territory is a dangerous place." He said.

"I'm coming, Steel. You aren't going to stop me no matter how hard you try." She responded.

"Same here, sugarcube." Applejack added. "Ah'm goin' with ya."

"Yeah, uh...me too..." Fluttershy said meekly.

"Celestia knows I'm going." Twilight said.

"Me too! Uh...three...no wait four..." Pinkie exclaimed energetically, trailing off into deep thought. They all had said that they were coming, even Fluttershy, the most fearful one of the bunch. The only one who hadn't was Rarity. She smiled happily at Steel and nodded.

"Now, why in Celestia's name would I abandon you now?" Everyone cheered, ready to do what it took to help their friend. "Applejack, would it be alright if Sweetie Belle stayed with Applebloom while we're gone?" Applejack nodded.

"No doubt! Ah'll have a lot of slack to pick up when we get back, but it'll be well worth it." Rainbow stood up and started hovering in the air in front of all her friends.

"Alright, then! Everypony go pack your saddlebags! Let's all meet here at four tomorrow morning. Then, we'll leave for Griffon territory! Does that sound like a good plan to everypony?" They all agreed happily and left the library and went to their homes to pack their bags. On the way back to the forge, Rainbow pushed her body against Steel's affectionately.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" She said. "You never lose hope, even it seems like there's no hope to be had."

"Why?" He asked her. "Why are all of you just dropping your daily lives just to help me?"

"Because we all love you, Steel!" She said. "I never lost hope in you. I know we'll pull through." He immediately shot a hoof down and pulled her face up to his and kissed her deeply. Rainbow's heart began to beat harder in her chest as she pushed herself against him, wrapping her front hooves around his shoulders. Luna's moon bathed them both in a pale, beautiful luminescence. Their kiss deepened even further, their breaths getting harder. Rainbow moaned into the kiss as their tongues explored each other's mouths slowly, lovingly. They stood there, passionately kissing for what seemed like three minutes. Finally, they disconnected and looked into each other's eyes.

"I'm not going to give up. You've inspired me to keep pushing, even when things seem completely hopeless. Just know that I'm going to carry on until the end for you." He said lovingly.

"No matter what," She said to him, a heavy blush present on her face. "Everything is going to be alright."

"Promise?" He said. She nodded slowly.

"I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

Obligatory End-of-Chapter Author's Note: Well, there's that. I am now on vacation in Florida for the next week, so I might not update for another couple weeks. As always, I really would appreciate a comment on what you think of my story. Peace.