Discord heaved a sigh as he stood before the Tree of Harmony.
“Well?” he demanded. “Are you going to let me in or not?”
There was a moment of silence before a musical thrum met his ears and a hole appeared in the Tree’s base. Glancing back to make sure he wasn’t being followed or watched, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony hastened through the entrance, grabbing his tail before it could close on the tuft. He growled in slight annoyance and set off down a short cookie-cutter hallway.
The crystal room at the end of the hall opened to a sort of sitting room. A large arm chair rested next to a fake fireplace near a short table and a couch. A couple picture frames, evenly spaced, occupied the walls. Discord eyed the orderly scene with distaste before turning to face his counterpart resting against the couch cushions.
The being was unlike any other in Equestria. She was a bipedal creature, her two upper limbs, hanging from either side, ended in five long individual digits folded together in her lap. Long golden hair fell down her back, secured against her neck with a rubber band. Her eyes, an endless blue, betrayed ancient wisdom as she greeted the draconequus with a warm smile.
“It’s good to see you again, Discord.”
“Harmony,” he greeted with a stiff nod.
Snapping his fingers, the chair transformed into the throne he sat in when conquering Equestria. Twice.
Harmony eyed the chair with hostility. “Must you sit in that?”
Discord grinned, sitting down. “What’s the matter? Not comfortable with past memories?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, actually.”
“Good; then this meeting won’t last any longer than it needs to.”
“What’s the hurry? You're the one who arranged this little get-together in the first place.”
“Yes, and you know why, don’t you?”
Harmony let out a long, exhausted sigh. “Yes, I do. Forgive me; I’ve been in denial. I honestly thought he met his demise centuries ago.”
“But he didn’t,” Discord stated bluntly, “He’s back. And once again you have to deal with it.”
“I know,” she scowled. “I just don’t understand! Why were the Bushwoolies removed in the rewrite but he wasn’t?”
“Maybe because they were useless.”
“Discord!”
The Chaos Lord sent her an impish grin. “Personally, I think you should thank the Creators for making him less maniacal this time. He’s still terrible but nothing compared to what he once was.”
“True,” she agreed. “But that still doesn’t change how I feel about him.”
“Yes, how dreadful the history is between you two,” he drawled. “At least this time you don’t have to face him directly.”
“But my Elements will,” she groused. “Though rewritten, he is still a very capable foe. It's going to take a powerful amount of magic to defeat him. I just hope I can charge enough by then." She looked down at her lap, her brow furrowing in worry. "At least this time we don't have to worry about anypony being transformed into a monstrous beast. Can you imagine?”
Discord opened his mouth to make a snarky reply but then thought of Fluttershy, collared and chained, wickedly transformed into a creature doomed to a life of enslavement… forced to do that maniac's every bidding…
His eyes burned with inner fire.
“Thank the Creators for their foresight in removing the Death Rainbow,” he growled.
"Rainbow of Darkness," Harmony corrected.
"Whatever," he snapped, shaking his head to rid it of the disturbing imagery. “Let’s move on to what actually needs to happen for history not to repeat itself, hmmm? As much as my chaotic nature would enjoy seeing Equestria in eternal upheaval, the Creators gave us a job to do to keep this world balanced.”
He physically cringed at the word. Harmony sent him a well earned scowl. “I’m touched by your deep concern to protect our primary charges, Discord.”
More than you know, he inwardly admitted before outwardly deflecting.
“Oh, please, you and I both know this world will eventually end in song, sunshine, and rainbows." He used his magic to create music notes attached to a rainbow balloon with a sun behind them. “You can’t blame me for celebrating when things tip a little more in my favor.” Pulling out a pin, he punctured the balloon and watched in delight as the cheerful creation deflated into shimmering dust.
Harmony rolled her eyes at the display. “Which is about to happen - again.”
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” he said with a smile. “And it just so happens to be someone you really don’t want to deal with.”
“You’re right,” she stated, sitting straighter in her chair and giving him a certain look.
Discord’s smile began to disappear, a scowl forming on his lips. “I think I know what you’re going to ask,” he said.
“Please?”
The Spirit of Chaos groaned, leaning back in his chair. “Must I?”
“You know what he’s capable of.”
“Actually, you know better than I.”
“You’re right, I do,” she rejoined. “And I know he won’t hesitate to enslave and kill any and all who oppose him. I need you there, Discord, to make sure our little ponies stay safe. At least you can monitor where and when the magic will be taken from them. You can prevent any accidents from occurring while I’m charging the magic needed to fight back.”
The Lord of Chaos sighed in discontent and resignation. “You want me to destroy any and all trust I’ve managed to build with them.”
“I’m sorry,” Harmony sincerely whispered, her eyes filled with regret. “I know how hard you’ve worked and I know it’ll be a sacrifice.”
Discord held up his paw, silencing her. “It needs to be done. And you can’t make yourself known to them this time. Besides, this is a great opportunity to sharpen my acting skills.”
“Discord, you know I wouldn’t ask this of you if we had more time.”
The draconequus stood. “I know. But we don’t. Even now I can feel the imbalance growing.”
“And Celestia will be contacting you because of that.”
“Yes,” he mused sourly. “A letter should be arriving any second now.”
Right on cue, green fire flashed above his head and a scroll appeared bearing the royal seal. Discord rolled his eyes at the predictability of it all and read the note before eating it.
“Looks like I’ve been summoned. Big surprise. What exactly do you need me to do so you can tip the scales back?”
Harmony immediately laid out her plan, Discord nodding silently, his scowl deepening with each passing second.
“Well, I can’t say I exactly love it but it’ll have to do,” he grumbled. “At least I don't have to worry about any Rainbow of Darkness."
"Thank the Creators for that!"
"And thank you for fully approving the required chaos this time.”
“It’s the least I can do," Harmony muttered, "Seeing as this isn’t going to be easy for you.”
A heavy moment of silence passed between them and Discord looked away, his ears drooping slightly. With a weary sigh he whispered, “You demand much, Harmony.”
“Only what’s required to restore balance,” she reluctantly stated. “I’m sorry it has to be this way. I know it’s not fair to you and Fluttershy. If it helps, I truly do not believe she’ll hold this against you.”
“But the others will.”
“At first,” she admitted, “But not forever. Forgiveness is a major part of friendship and all friends make mistakes.”
“Yes, but this isn't exactly a mistake, is it? Premeditated betrayal and all,” Discord snapped.
“We have to keep the balance, Discord,” she said exasperatedly. “Even when the price to do so is heavy.”
“I know!” he growled. “But I do grow weary of playing the bad guy in every scenario. How come you always get to be the hero?”
“Spirit of Order and Harmony vs Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Hmmm, I wonder,” she teased, desperate to lighten the mood.
“Oh, shut up,” he retorted but managed a hint of a grin.
Another scroll appeared and got stuck in his horns.
“My, she’s getting antsy,” he muttered, ignoring the threat to forcefully summon him if he didn’t come in the next ten minutes. “Say, when can we include Kay-Kay and Lulu in on our little meet and greets?”
“When the time is right.”
“Ugh, that's still your answer?” he complained. “How utterly cruel and unfair of the Creators; telling you when Kay-Kay and Lulu will join us and not me. We're supposed to be a team, you know.”
“Says the draconequus who decided to take over the world and throw everything into chaos without telling me.”
“I knew you'd fix everything with that Rainbow of Light of yours. Thanks for the 1000 year long imprisonment, by the way.”
“You and I both know you needed a time out. Restoring Order took a lot longer than expected with all the chaos you unleashed. Why'd you release so much in the first place anyway?”
Discord snorted and looked away, folding his arms. “I was tired of not receiving the credit. Now the ponies blame all chaos on me - as they should!”
“But now you just complain about them hating you specifically.”
Discord’s eyes narrowed. “And?”
Harmony sighed. “You and I both know the real reason. You were lonely. You wanted friendship and love. And now you have it.”
“Will you please stop trying to dig for information concerning me and Fluttershy?”
“So there is more than friendship between the two of you!” she cried excitedly.
Discord peeled back the fur on his lion paw, revealing a wrist watch against his skin. “Oh, look at the time! I've got an audience with a princess to attend to! As fun as this has been, Harmony, I’m afraid I’d rather not get summoned against my will.”
His opposite leaned back in her chair, thoroughly disappointed. “Fine. Keep deflecting, you old goat.”
“I’ll have you know I’m only part goat,” he corrected. “And I’m not deflecting anything.”
He raised his eagle talon and prepared to snap when Harmony stopped him.
“Discord?”
He glanced at her, one bushy eyebrow raised.
She smiled sadly. “No matter what happens out there, remember you’re not a villain.”
He looked at her a moment before softening his gaze. “Thank you, Megan.”
She nodded. “Good luck.”
Discord inclined his head. And then he ruined the sober moment by conjuring a top hat, cape, and gloves over his body. Striking a masterful pose, he declared, “Never fear, my dear sweet Harmony! This shall be my greatest performance!”
He then twisted around, flaring his cape for extra pizzazz, and left the solitary scene.
Once outside, he snapped his claws, teleporting to the Crystal Empire where he knew a very annoyed princess was sure to be waiting for him.
Harmony’s plan ended up playing out almost exactly as Discord thought it would.
Sure he hadn’t anticipated the alicorns pooling all their magic into Twilight Sparkle nor had he thought Tirek would temporarily suck all the magic from him (as horrifying as that had been, it would have returned eventually, what with all the chaos the centaur had unleashed) but everything else had proceeded as planned.
Discord couldn’t help reluctantly approving of the random spectacle Harmony had thrown in at the end, though. The chest flying through the air, planting itself in the ground, and sprouting up as a crystal castle was a delightful treat he truly hadn't expected. He’d have to praise her on the chaotically made creation later.
For now he nervously followed the princesses inside, wincing slightly from the new castle’s systematic interior. Every door and hallway was the same. He really didn't like the choice in decor.
And how does Celestia even know where to go? He wondered, following the ponies down the -gag- orderly hallway.
They came to a set of double doors which revealed a sort of throne room complete with seven thrones, for each of the Element Bearers, and a tiny one next to Twilight’s for Spike; each chair had a Bearer’s cutie mark carved into the upper surface.
“You are now Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia declared, “The Princess of Friendship. But what is the Princess of Friendship without her friends?”
Discord hung back as the Bearers and Spike surrounded each other in a spirit of harmony and love. After everything he’d done to them, he honestly didn’t feel like he belonged here anymore. Yes, he had to do it for the sake of balance, but they didn’t know that and most of them never would.
He sank down behind an outcropping of crystal and thought of teleporting away when Twilight noticed the movement. She stared at him before doing something completely unexpected. She smiled, lit her horn, and levitated him over to the rest of the group.
Discord couldn’t help himself; he reached out and wrapped his arms around the six ponies he’d come to befriend. After allowing a small amount of sappiness, he decided it was high time to ruin the moment.
“Wait a minute,” he demanded, “Where’s my throne?”
“I don’t think you’re quite there yet,” Fluttershy consoled.
He weakly laughed, facing her. “Yes, well, I suppose not.”
A rousing party followed shortly thereafter - of course Pinkie Pie would whip up a victory celebration in seconds - as the whole of Ponyville arrived to view the surprising new addition to their town. Discord stayed in the midst of the ponies but still felt out of place. Most of them kept their distance, their smiles fake and forced.
A high price indeed, he sighed to himself.
It was then that Harmony’s rainbow wrapped around him in an attempt to show the ponies her approval. The draconequus smiled, grateful and slightly abashed, while facing the princesses. Conjuring apology flowers, he held out bouquets for each of them. Celestia smiled as he winked. She sent him a forgiving nod. Luna, and surprisingly Cadence, did the same.
“Can we talk later?” he asked.
“Tonight,” Celestia replied, glancing around, “after the party.”
Discord nodded, already coming up with a reasonable excuse as to why he’d behaved the way he did. He’d just tell them that Tirek tricked him into believing he could have both friendship and chaos instead of feeling forced to choose between one and the other. They’d have no trouble believing that.
He quietly sighed and muttered under his breath, “For the sake of balance, eh, Harmony?”
The castle seemed to brighten for a moment, the walls shimmering in response. For a second he saw her, standing there in a crystal pillar, a resigned smile on her face. She nodded to him and disappeared before any pony could notice.
Discord sighed again. The road to forgiveness was paved before him once more. As much as he detested starting back at ground zero, he looked at his friends - particularly a certain yellow pegasus - and knew he would take every required step.
He returned to the party, happily accepting Pinkie Pie’s challenge of participating in a cupcake eating contest.