Sentinel of the Everfree

Wrapped up in the coils of his serpentine body Twilight can do nothing more than glare menacingly at Discord. His mismatched eyes filled with joyous mirth were completely unaffected by her however. Instead he cackles and squeezes her tighter making the mare squeak like a dog toy.

“Discord! Celestia help me when I get out you are -” Discord bops the unicorn's nose with his claw forcing her to go cross eyed and scrunch up her muzzle.

“You, my precious little grape soda, are not going anywhere until you say it.” Twilight grinds her teeth and struggles harder in his grasp.

“Never! Let me go right now!” Rarity casually sips her tea and turns to both Pinkie and Fluttershy.

“So do either of you know what's going on? I know he is living with you right now darling, but Pinkie, you also have a knack for knowing things.” Pinkie shakes her head rapidly.

“Nope! Not a clue Rares! All I got was an invitation to a party and as soon as I fed Gummy ran straight here.” Rather than saying anything Fluttershy just shrugs her wings.

“Hey! Why didn't you ask me if I know anything!?” All three ponies turn to Rainbow Dash as she floats above the table in a huff.

“Well… Do you?” Fluttershy raises her eyebrow as she questions her friend.

“Well no… But -”

“That's what I thought.” Rainbow sputters uselessly trying to think of a response as Fluttershy pours some tea into her cup and drinks it.

“Fine! Just… Can you at least put me down first?” Discord rolls his eyes, literally, and then snaps his claws making a T-Shirt appear on Twilight. The white shit proudly displaying the message ‘I can't reed’ in bold black letters with lights flashing around them. Cackling like the madman he is, Discord finally sets Twilight down after she attempts to stab him with her horn since she knew her magic was ineffective.

“That's not how you spell read silly! It's R-E-A-D. There's only one E in read Twilight!” Twilight turns her withering glare from the draconequus to her pink friend. Pinkie has at least the decency to blush as she smiles.

“I got a letter from the princess today that -”

“But you can't read!” Rainbow falls to the ground laughing as Twilight's shirt is flung at her and gets tangled in her wings. Snorting in frustration, Twilight continues.

“As I was saying, I got a letter from the princess this morning. At first I thought it was a joke but… Princess Celestia has asked all of us, including Spike and Discord, to go to their old Castle in the Everfree and start getting it ready for immediate habitation. She said that something big is coming and that we all need to be ready for it because... She wanted us to go there thanks to us all now having more ‘unique’ abilities thanks to the Elements of Harmony.” Applejack, who until this point was emotionally detaching herself from the conversation with a rousing game of solitaire, groans and loudly pushes her chair out from the table.

“Nope. Not going back there again this time of year. Them Timberwolves been gettin frisky with mah apples. Ain't got the heart to explain to AppleBloom why I got to cover up mahself at home again either.” Discord scoffs.

“Oh please, you six have been nothing but sticks in the mud ever since the Elements of Harmony changed you! Apart from dear Pinkie Pie you've all hid behind magic and makeup to try and ignore who and what you really are. I may be the spirit of Chaos but I for once do not take my words lightly when I say embrace the chaos! Embrace your change and accept your new selves!” All six mares look at each other uncertainly.

“While we appreciate what you're saying darling, it's just… well it's just not that easy.” Discord snaps his claws making Rarity disappear in a flash and a tall snow white Kirin with soft blue diamond scales takes her place once the light fades. Rarity, with as much dignity as she could muster, flashed her horn and fell back onto her 'fainting couch’ with a dramatic sigh.

“Oh please.” Snapping his claws another five times in quick succession the other mares are all enveloped by a similar flash of light before reappearing in a different form.

“Not cool man.” Rainbow Dash rips the shirt that had tangled her wings apart with her talons and snorts. The once pegasus and now prismatic griffon stretches and flaps her wings before settling them back at her sides.

“Yer lucky mah hat's fine.” Applejack takes a wood covered paw to carefully readjust her father's stetson between her ears.

“Wait, you got bigger!?” Applejack shrugs her shoulders before sitting down on her haunches and using her hindleg to scratch at the back of her head. As she does, small flakes of dry wood fly off to reveal more healthy and sturdy wood beneath that better forms to her soft mossy coat.

“Accordin to Twi I'm a timberwolf matriarch or somethin, like Discord but a timberwolf I guess. Should be done growin though… Sorry I ain't kept up with y'all about it but I been ignorin it fer a bit Dash, not like you doin any different with being a Dire Griff. Yer using that spell Twi made like the rest of us to look like our old selves.” Rainbow clicks her beak and turns away with a blush.

“That's fair I guess.” Rainbow ruffles her wings as she moves to the table with Fluttershy, who is now a Fae Faun, and sits in the spot Rarity left open after ‘fainting’. Fluttershy meanwhile just sighs at seeing her illusion falter. Muttering softly under her breath she reaches out with her now cloven hooves to pick up her cup and drink more tea, though now wishing it was heavily spiked.

“I still don't get why the elements only changed you guys! Why couldn't I have been changed into something fun like you Fluttershy? You get to be a doe and got to keep your wings! Plus you got a really neat antler crown thingy that ALWAYS has birdies on it.” Fluttershy's eye twitches slightly as a crow smacks into the nearest window and then slides down the glass slowly.