Discord teleports to the entrance of The Castle of the Two Sister, staring at the blue crystal and pink leaves of this beast of a treehouse. Fluttershy told Discord about the new structure the “young six” help create a while ago, and that they said that the structure had a spirit in it. Fluttershy thinks it’s a ghost, but Discord knew better. It was the Spirit of Harmony, a being he met once before in another lifetime. But that was years ago, he had no idea what form the spirit took this time. He could feel beads of sweat roll down his face, as Discord walked into the treehouse. It was a quint little place, far smaller than Twilight’s old castle, but big enough to throw a party. Discord would have to let Pinkie know about this prime party locat-
“I hope you don’t plan to bring chaos with Laughter into my domain of harmony.” A voice speaks out. A shiver goes down Discord’s spine. That was Twilight’s voice, but why did it sound so... echo?
Discord turned around, ready for whatever lecture the bookhorse would give him. Instead, the Twilight he saw wasn’t the Twilight he knew of. This Twilight was transparent and had plenty of crystal sparkles on her. Discord lifted his lion paw to his mouth, almost gasping, “Harmony?”
“Chaos.” The Spirit replied.
“It’s Discord.” Discord snapped his fingers, but nothing happened, “Odd...” He tried a few more times. Still, nothing.
“You’re in my domain now. You follow my rules.” Harmony lit her horn and levitated a table and two chairs, sitting in one and gesturing to the other.
Discord rolled his eyes and sits, “You like keeping things in order, but you have no sense of fun.”
“That is simply how I operate, Discord.”
Discord flicks his tail in annoyance before finally swallowing his pride, “So... How you been, Harmony?”
“Oh? Ever humble, are we?” Harmony raises an eyebrow.
“I just... Want to know how you been, alright? Can’t I just know that?”
Harmony sits for a moment, thinking, “I’ve been well. My influence reached all over Equestr-“
“I don’t mean that!” Discord spat, before calming himself again, “I mean... You. How have you been?”
“M—... Me?”
“Yes, you! For Tia’s sake, we will be here all day if you keep asking dumb questions.”
Harmony paused, “Well... I guess I’m... Ok. Quite lonely but good.”
“Don’t show yourself to many, huh?”
“Unlike you. It must be nice to have a physical form...”
“It is... Quite enjoyable. You should try it!”
“I wish... But this current form is all I have right now. I’m sorry, but I cannot manifest a physical form. Didn’t your’s take years to fully develop?”
Discord sighed, “Yeah. All that time thinking about how you abandoned me to become the seed that would grow into the Tree of Harmony.” Discord noticed Harmony tapping her hooves together, looking anxious, “I had all those years to stew in anger and hate. I hated you. I hated any sense of order! And when I finally emerged from that cave, I had learned and started hating on the two beings that embodied the harmony between the three pony tribes.”
“Sun and Moon?”
“Yes. But I knew they would use the elements on me, hoping to defeat me. So I planted plunderseeds, to trap them and... You..." Discord lowered his ears in sorrow, "I don't often say this to anypony... But... I'm sorry."
Harmony blinks a little before replying, "I- I don't know what to say... Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I was spiteful... I held on to a grudge that festered into... Me. All of the parts that make up me right now is the result of my bitterness towards you. But now..." Discord sighs, rubbing his temples, "I'm just tired now... I can't hold it against you. 6 ponies, all coming together, all from different tribes. How could you not take part in what they did to create you, the living embodiment of the tree and elements that make up harmony? So I'm sorry for what I did to you. And I'm sorry for being partially responsible for destroying you. Me releasing Sombra was the last thing Twilight needed."
"While I admire your honesty to me, I have to apologize too... I'm sorry for abandoning you, I'm sorry for growing the elements that imprisoned you for 1000 years! That was never their intention, but I let it happen for the sake of harmony and peace. For someone who is supposed to embody all the elements, I'm pretty loyal to myself..."
"Selfishness."
"Yes..." There a pause for a moment, "Could you ever forgive me?"
Discord thinks, stroking his beard. He could, but should he? He didn't know for sure. But looking at the demoralized spirit made him remember the time when Tirek had him and the other ponies in bubbles. He was so sure Twilight wouldn't think of him as a friend after his betrayal... But she didn't. Not requesting his freedom, but also calling him a friend! Once Terik was defeated, everypony began to warm up to him. His apology was sincere, deep from the heart, And was one of the biggest weights off his shoulders. And as he looked at the spirit that took the form of the biggest egghead but also his rival, now seeking his forgiveness. Discord signs, then smile, "I forgive you, Harmony." Harmony looks up at the draconequus, "I was in your horseshoes once... And well, it would be spiteful of me to hate you any more..."
Harmony smiles, rubbing small beads of tears from her face, "Thank you Discord. Thank you..."
Discord smiled and chuckled a little, using magic to make the fur at the end of his tail snap its fingers. This time, Harmony let him use his magic, creating a tea set on the table, complete with cucumber sandwiches and a pot of pipping hot tea, "Since we're here, we might as well have some tea since I had to cancel tea time with Fluttershy."
"Ah yes. Kindness. How funny how she was able to resist your influence all those years ago."
"Yeah. That was annoying, but once I got to know her, her kindness and slight sassiness are strangely endearing. She's my favorite pony in the whole world."
"Really? Well, that's nice to know." Harmony drain her tea, "What about Honesty? Loyalty?"
"Applejack? Rainbow Dash? You know they have actual names right?"
"Yes, but it is easier to refer to them by their element. Best not to get too attached."
Discord flicks his tail again, "What are you suggesting?"
"Discord. We both know that we are immortal. Magic and her friends are mortal. Kindness is mortal. These feelings are sadly fruitless. One day, Kindness will die, and a new kindness will take her place as the element barer."
Discord could feel his blood boil, "How dare you suggest such a thing."
Harmony doesn't bat an eye as she continues, "It happened with Moon, it happened with Sun, it's only a matter of time. Her day will come, Discord. You just have to accept it."
Discord slicks back into his seat, his tail audibly making noise for how much he was flicking it around the crystal floor. Then a thought came to his mind, as he stared out the window into the setting sky, "Well... I guess when that day comes, there will be a new chaos spirit."
Harmony spits out her tea as Discord takes a sip of his tea, "Wha- What?!" She looks up to the draconequus, as he finished his tea. She sees him look down at her with a calm expression. He was completely serious. He would give up his own life, just because the element of kindness is no longer with him, "I... Underestimated how much friendship meant to you."
"It's sad, I know. But Fluttershy helped me realize the values of friendship. She was my only real friend. If she wasn't around, I don't know if I could ever make another friend like her. And you said it yourself, 'A new element will take the place as the element barer.' wouldn't it make sense the same goes for us if we die?"
"I suppose that would be likely. I'll think about it later. But are you sure you would want to go through with it?"
"I don't know. I'll probably ask Tia to turn me into a statue hugging Fluttershy's tombstone, making the spell permanent to make sure the world isn't without a chaotic spirit."
"Hm... I see..." The two sit in silence for a little while, thinking about what the other said.
"I just think things are different now." They say in unison, taken aback a little, "What?"
"I mean... We both now have moral gray areas. I can be cynical with my world view while you like intimate relationships of your immortal existence." Harmony comments.
"Yeah. Strange how time has a way of warping our views on life itself."
"Hm. Thank you time, whatever being has domain over that."
"Probably the same entity that can domain over space, according to a pony named Time Turner."
"Interesting. Very interesting."
Discord chuckled but was interrupted by an alarm ringing. He snaps his fingers to make everything disappear and for him to wear a suit and his ears to become bunny ears. He takes out a pocket watch and gasps, "I'M LATE!"
"Late for what?"
"For my dinner with Celestia and Luna, of course! Do you know how hard it was to convince Luna to have dinner with us?!"
"Well, Miss Moon is quite unattainable."
Discord rolled his eyes, covering his ear and revealing that they have changed back to normal, "I don't mean it like that." he sighs and straightens his bowtie, "Well... This has been fun, I'll tell you that. We'll have to do it sometime again. Talk about stuff that isn't downright depressing."
"Well... I guess we can figure out how for me to get my form, so I'm not stealing Ma- I mean Twilight's form."
Discord grinned and snapped away his little costume, pick up Harmony for a hug, "It's good to finally know you again."
Harmony smiles and patted his back, "Nice to finally know you again too."
From outside the door, Harmony waves goodbye to the Chaos spirit, as he walks away from the treehouse, only to then disappear with a teleport snap. Harmony headed back inside to reorganize her domain. A cup here, a chair there, but Discord never left her mind. And as the sun rose hours later, Harmony couldn't stop thinking about Discord and what he said about Fluttershy. His only real friend.
"I guess now he has two real friends."