Once per Day

The Realm Between

Meta-Cosmos Sector 6

Discord's House

The receiving room of Discord's house was quiet save for the ticking of the deliberately improperly set clock and the sound of Discord snoring as he napped upon his couch. Despite being the residence of the former Lord of Chaos, the home was mostly free of anything weird or magical. Instead, it was kept in a more mundane sort of disorder, with dust cacking the floor, empty chip bags and bottles strewn about, all the little pictures and photos faced away from the room, and the furniture all set at a thirty-degree angle away from the walls, which themselves were plastered with mismatched wallpaper.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Discord snorted and craned his head up, blinking as he furrowed his brow and looked around. When the door knocked again, he turned toward it.

"Who is it?" He called with a yawn as he slowly swept his legs out to stand up.

"Goons," came the response.

"Who?" He asked with a bewildered frown as he approached the door.

"Hired Goons," they replied.

"Hired Goons?" Discord muttered as he turned the door handle and opened the door. He didn't even have a chance to register who was on the other side before two sets of arms reached in and grabbed him. With a shout, Discord was yanked out of his house. In his wake, a single bald and green figure peeked inside and glanced around the living room before adjusting his tie and slipping back out, closing the door behind him.

After a short and disorienting trip, during which a black bag was thrown over Discord's head, he was thrown through another door and into a long and plain waiting room. Blinking as the bag was removed, he grimaced and then sighed before taking a seat in one of the plastic chairs lining either wall. Knitting his claws together as he waited, he looked around the room, taking in the even-paneled walls, the gentle trumpet playing from the radio beyond the closed front desk window, and the quiet hum of the spinning fan overhead.

Just above one of the fake plants at the corner of the room was a poster displaying a kitten with too many eyes hanging from a branch with the words 'Hang in there!' written in nearly indecipherable language. Another poster displayed a smirking mechanical humanoid, dressed in a sharp black suit. The text beneath the image read 'WANTED' in very plain language. Humming quietly, Discord's attention fell upon the only other being present in the room, who was currently sitting on the row of chairs across from him.

The figure, a scruffy, bearded human in blue robes with a matching pointy blue hat, was focused solely on the notebook he was currently scribbling in. Suddenly, he glanced up at Discord. The two stared at each other for a few moments before the robed figure looked around the rest of the room a few times. Slowly tilting his head up with a suspicious leer, he finally stood up and made his way to the chair beside Discord.

"Hey," he said.

"Hello," Discord hummed. The scruffy man again glanced around the room before hooking one leg over the other and pulling the hem of his robe up.

"Think you could help me get this off?" He asked, gesturing to the boxy and mechanical bracelet hooked around his ankle. Discord furrowed his brow at the device and its tiny red blinking light before the front desk window slid open and the robed figure quickly sat up straight, hiding his ankle again.

"Mr. Discord, Winston will see you now," the receptionist droned before the window slid shut again. Discord threw his head back with a hard groan before standing and making his way to the door beside the window.

Immediately on the other side, he was greeted with a sight that caused him to groan again. At the end of the simply decorated office was a large beast composed almost exclusively of individual tentacles writhing together to form the vague shape of a creature with two arms. Said creature had a pair of cufflinks around its 'wrists' and a bow tie around its 'neck.' It sat at a thick wooden desk upon which several pens sat neatly arranged on either side of a thick, plaid folder upon which the creature currently had its 'hands' folded and resting.

In front of the desk were four chairs, only one of which was vacant. In the one just to the right of the vacant seat with a small sky blue alicorn mare with a snowy-white flowing aurora mane. She sat with her head twisted to scowl at Discord with her muzzle scrunched up. To her right was a dark-skinned human with curly black hair and an unkempt beard. He regarded Discord with a warm smile as he tipped the drink he was holding before sipping from its straw again. He wore a rough beige robe that reached down to his sandaled feet, and across his chest was a blue sash with dozens upon dozens of little plastic buttons related to dozens upon dozens of movements that had taken place across Earth's history.

To his right was his near-perfect contrast: A deathly pale, bald, sunken-eyed, and scowling figure in a red suit. He had a single button on his coat which read 'No.' All four figures tracked Discord as he slowly walked to the empty seat and sat down. He folded his claws before nodding at the creature behind the desk and then turning to the pony.

"So-"

"We're suing you," she declared, causing Discord to recoil and bob unevenly. He looked up at the creature behind the desk and then the other figures present. The man in robes shrugged.

"Well, Harmony and he are suing you," he explained, gesturing to the pony and the figure on his right. "My name's just on the realm lease, so." He shrugged again as he sipped from his cup. Discord blinked and then furrowed his brow.

"Why?" He huffed, at which the man in the suit leaned forward and jabbed a finger at him.

"You've plundered our realm for your mischief twice now," he wheezed in a rasping voice as if he was utterly deprived of clean air. A thin cloud of grey smoke rolled out with his words which the other man and the tentacle creature both waved their hands to clear away.

Discord blinked again and faced the creature behind the desk. "Is that illegal? Winston?" Winston raised one tentacled hand, but Harmony jabbed a hoof first.

"It is when you're using the souls you stole to continue causing chaos even though you're supposed to be retired!" She squealed, causing Discord to recoil.

"I am retired!" He chuckled nervously as he brought a claw to his chest. Winston gurgled and bubbled at his words before opening the folder on his desk.

"No! You're twisting all the codes and rules! Those two are raising all kinds of gosh-danged heck all across our realm on your behalf!" Harmony cried before turning to the two men and gently waving a hoof. "Pardon my language." Discord blanched and then looked off to the side as he folded his arms.

"That doesn't have anything to do with me," he grumbled. In response, Winston gurgled again as he leafed through the folder's contents, causing Discord to frown at him. "That's a bit of a stretch."

"It's actually right on the money," the man in the suit hissed, causing Discord to grimace.

"No! Look," he huffed and held his claws out before pausing and looking away. After a moment, he beamed and fixed the trio with a smug grin. "I can't honestly do anything about Teach because of the nature of our contract! I couldn't-"

"What about Victor?" Harmony demanded with an unimpressed frown. Discord's confidence melted away, and his arms sagged.

"Ah, uhm, you see," he murmured with his eyes darting side to side. For a moment, while all eyes were on him, only the sound of the robed man's sipping was heard until Discord finally gasped and snapped his claws. "Ah! He's already taken care of." Harmony recoiled and shook her head.

"How?" She demanded again. Discord fixed her with a smug and sinister grin before leaning in and explaining the situation. Harmony recoiled with a gasp while the robed man grimaced and shook his head. The grim man in the suit however burst into a rasping and hissing cackling fit.

"Ah, man," the robed man hummed with a sigh. "That's rough." While Harmony recovered and fixed Discord with a harsh scowl, Winston rubbed his 'chin' before opening a drawer and rooting around inside.

"That's a load of taffy! Pardon my language," the angry cosmic pony squealed, rearing up and kicking her forehooves at the spirit. "You can't just use that as an excuse not to deal with him!"

"'Course I can," Discord chirped, rubbing two talons together as he reclined with a smug leer. "Since technically, that is me dealing with him." Just then, Winston bubbled and slid a new paper toward him, causing Discord to freeze.

"In- In writing?" He huffed. In response, Winston gurgled and blubbered, making gestures with his tentacles, including making the shape of several butterflies. This last gesture caused Discord to frown. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Hey! Yeah!" Harmony cried, facing Discord and now donning a smug grin herself. "Put it in writing if you're so sure of your so-called method for dealing with him!" Discord's face fell as he locked eyes with her and then scanned the other figures present. Winston sat with his 'hands' folded again, and the suited figure leaned forward to leer incredulously at the spirit. Finally, Discord snorted and waved a claw.

"Fine! No biggie!" He hissed, scooting forward and snatching a pen from Winston's collection. He hastily spun the paper and scribbled his signature on its bottom before thrusting the pen and sheet at Winston. "There! I won't interfere with Fremont, and I'll just let nature take its course." As Winston nodded and added the paper to the folder, Discord whirled and jabbed Harmony in the nose.

"Because that was my plan all along," he spat, matching her scowl with one of his own. "And you can't prove otherwise."

Blackbeard heaved as Celestia and her puny partner continued to batter him. Just before he had fully regained his vision that the armored unicorn had robbed him of with one of her explosive canisters, Celestia flew in and slammed his chest with all four hooves. He tumbled head over heels but managed to catch himself after spinning a few times through the air. As he reeled and steadied himself, he scanned the villa yard with a snarl. Blueleaf was nowhere to be seen, as usual. The greater sum of his gang had fled. Goldflame was missing, and Fremont had flown the coop.

"What a damned waste of a day," he mentally muttered before returning his attention to the mares assaulting him. However, as he turned forward, he paused when his gaze momentarily fell upon a particular part of the yard where he'd left the strange flying thing that had attacked him before he arrived at the villa. Said thing was also nowhere to be seen despite how firmly he'd throttled it. "Where's the bold pup?"

Before he could mull that question over anymore, Celestia slammed into him, letting out a pulse of magic as they collided which forced his arms apart and prevented him from grappling her. As he lurched, the princess kicked off of his chest, at which point her armored assistant dove under her and then whirled to sling another explosive into Blackbeard's eyes.

He was ready this time.

With a shout, he snapped his jaw open and seized the canister in his teeth, crushing it and causing its explosive contents to burst out on either side and away from him. The effect was, therefore, lessened, and being only partially blind meant that he saw the faint outline of Celestia as she again dove toward him.

His arms swept in, and one hand clasped around her neck and the other around the base of her horn. The princess let out a choked squawk as he pushed forward and squeezed with all his might. His hand burned when she attempted to light up her horn, as his monstrous grip managed to suppress the flow of magic at its base.

"Warned you," he hummed in a sing-song tone as he loomed over her and slowly brought his weight down, driving her to the ground as he strangled her.

"Princess!" The armored unicorn cried as she dove onto Blackbeard's back and hooked her hooves around his neck. She strained with all her might to choke him, but the pirate only cackled, applying more pressure to Celestia as she desperately flapped her wings and struggled to break his grip.

"'Scuse me!" Came a cry that drew Blackbeard's attention to the side. There, standing within arms reach, was Bally Hoo, with his assistant cowering behind him. The pegasus cleared his throat and nodded at Blackbeard. "You came here to kill Goldflame, do I have that right?" Sundown continued attempting to choke the pirate out but glared at the journalist. Celestia gasped and weakly thrashed but turned just enough to see Bally, wincing as Blackbeard chortled.

"Correct," he huffed before baring his teeth and growling. "Quite literally my only plan for today!" He faced Celestia and squeezed harder, drawing a stifled cry from her.

"So I'm sure you can appreciate how frustrating it is to have so many folk come between me and that plan, hey?" He growled, fixing Celestia with a dire grin. His smile vanished, and he turned back to Bally when the latter stepped up and tapped his arm, an action that caused Sundown to sputter and lose her grip before tumbling off.

"Surely! Surely," Bally hummed as he patted the pirate. "But ah, perhaps you haven't considered that you're not the only one with a grudge against him?" Blackbeard furrowed his brow at the pegasus, who nodded and held a hoof out to him.

"In case most of what was said didn't properly click for you, I'll put it plainly," he began, rolling his hoof toward the empty villa. "Mr. Goldflame is the head of a very unsavory band of ponies that nopony reasonable cares for. And this whole wedding was plainly part of some scheme of theirs to place themselves in a position of authority over the whole of Equestria."

Blackbeard's eyes darted around for a moment before locking on Bally again. However, Celestia managed to gasp a breath as his grip relaxed ever so slightly. "So?"

"So!" Bally chirped, leaning in with a wry smile. "Perhaps the fresher grudge against Goldflame might supersede the longstanding grudge against the princess?" He spread his wings and raised a hoof again.

"Or to put it another way!" He winked. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Blackbeard choked a gasp as he recoiled.

"You're kidding," he grunted, wilting when the pony nodded.

"Haven't you heard the news?" He asked, leaning in and tilting his head. "Even Discord, the original Lord of Chaos, has been given a second chance!" He winked again and poked Blackbeard in the arm with his wing.

"And for far less benefit to the health of Equestrian society, might I add," he added, with a steady nod. "Far less benefit than you might offer if you were to offer your aid in bringing in Goldflame and his ilk." As Blackbeard leered at him in wonder, the pegasus reared up and firmly clacked his forehooves together.

"So! You get revenge on Goldflame, Equestria gets saved from the schemes of a band of mad tribalists," he declared and thrusted a hoof at Celestia. "And our princess gets to live another day! Everypony wins!" He waved his hooves out at his sides before setting them back down. Blackbeard marveled at him before wheezing a laugh.

"Everypony says he, ha!" He hummed and shook his head before smirking down at Celestia. "Well? What do you think?" The princess grimaced at him, taking careful breaths now that his grip had mostly eased up. However, all parties, suddenly looked up when Twilight and company appeared.

"Blackbeard!" Twilight cried as she and her friends lined up with their elements equipped. "Let. Her. Go." Blackbeard fixed her with a grim smile, but before he could respond in any way, Celestia extended a wing at Twilight. The unicorn flinched at the gesture as Blackbeard turned back to the princess.

"In this case only," she huffed, a steady grimace appearing on her features. "And given certain revelations." She sighed hard as the pirate smirked.

"I am open to discussion," she finally added.

The streets of the crystal city were alive with the scurrying and cheering crowds of ponies who had come out to welcome us home. I leaned over the airship rail and watched the crowds swarm below us, following our ship as it slowly drifted toward the plaza in front of my tower. The changelings we'd brought along had already disembarked and flew down to the tower where their kin were waiting.

"I can't believe it's true," Sneaky said, drawing my attention to my side where she and Nettle stood, looking down at the city and the tower. Her head whipped back and forth as she took in the sights. "I thought everypony was exaggerating when they said you conquered the Crystal Empire!" I snorted at her and stuck my nose up.

"What? You expected anything less?" I huffed, causing them to turn to me. I fixed them with a smug grin. "Haven't you been paying attention? My power has more than tripled since last we met." Sneaky's ear twitched and she offered a nervous grin while Nettle hummed with a nod.

"Seems so," he declared, examining the city again. "Nice city. Better than badlands fort." His mentioning of the fort brought up the memory of how we'd parted ways, which caused my confidence to waver. I hummed quietly and moved to speak, but was cut off when a pink blur suddenly snapped up beside the ship. Whirling around with a shout, I recoiled at the angry princess currently hovering beside me.

"You left her here alone!" Cadance screeched, jabbing a hoof at me as she fluttered closer. "A changeling! A QUEEN changeling!" She snarled and shot forward, almost touching noses.

"In a city full of pure love magic!" She all but gargled. I blinked and glanced across the deck at Sneaky, Nettle, and the crew, all of whom looked between us before looking away and carrying on with nervous expressions. As such, I cleared my throat and held a finger up between Cadance and myself.

"Nuh-uh, I left her here with you and Shindig," I explained, causing her to growl. "I knew if she tried something you'd kick her ass for me." She recoiled and shook her head.

"For you?" She grumbled. I shrugged with a nod.

"Well, really you'd do it to keep the city safe," I replied, adopting a smirk. "Still technically for me, yeah." She blinked and scowled as I leaned in and tapped her on the nose.

"Thanks, by the way," I added. Before she could respond or murderize me, as the look in her eyes suggested she was primed to do, the sound of hooves on the deck drew my attention behind me. "Hey. You sleep well?" Honeysuckle nodded with a stretch as she trotted up beside me.

"Very well, thank you," she replied with a smile before bowing to Cadance. "Princess." Cadance blinked at her and furrowed her brow before locking eyes with me. I smirked at her for a moment before noticing the uneasy look in her eyes. Before I could pry, she turned.

"Just hurry up and land," she demanded, beating her wings to take off from the ship. "Senator Ivory is waiting." We watched her soar down for a moment before sharing a look.

"What's her problem?" I asked, at which Honeysuckle hummed and nodded.

"Hélas, it is a common frustration of this day and age," she replied with a sigh. She pointed a hoof at me. "You." I flinched before smirking.

"You really did sleep well, huh?" I chortled, earning a chuckle from her as well.

"Here's to the success of Emperor Fremont!" Ivory cheered, carefully raising a glass to the rest of the throne room.

"Hear, hear!" The crowd of palace staff and honorary guests all cheered back. Up on his throne, Victor basked in their praise, rolling his hand to them with his head bowed and a smug grin plastered on his face. At his side was Honeysuckle, the mare he'd allegedly risked life and limb to rescue, the sight of whom caused Cadance to frown. She and Shining were on their own in a corner of the room, watching the celebration carry on.

Shining took a shallow breath as he examined the crowd, especially the changelings and their queen. "So, we've kind of aided and abetted an active terrorist, huh?"

"Yeah," Cadance murmured. Shining's ear swiveled at her absent tone and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You don't seem too nettled by the fact Celestia's probably questioning what the heck we're doing," he said, looking his wife up and down as she stared ahead at the throne and its inhabitant. Her eyes drifted from Victor to Honeysuckle as the former stood and began some vain and self-aggrandizing spiel.

"He really put himself at risk to save her, huh?" She asked, furrowing her brow as Victor gestured to Honeysuckle, causing her to recoil. "I was sure he hated her." Honeysuckle jumped forward and jabbed a hoof at Victor before barking a slew of Prench insults his way.

"I'm pretty sure he does," Shining replied, nodding at the display. Cadance frowned at his words.

"Yeah, but," she hummed, watching as Honeysuckle whirled around and kicked Victor in the side of the leg, causing him to hop in place with a shout. "He didn't want her to fall into Goldflame's clutches." She tilted her head as Victor cocked back a hand and seemed to be charging a spell that caused Honeysuckle to cry out and scramble for cover. The crowd had fallen from cheers to calling for the pair to stop.

"And purely because she seemed all distressed about it," Cadance added with a slight nod as a flash of light went off between Victor and Honeysuckle. In its wake stood Sunset Shimmer, who held up a hoof and said something to Victor.

"Yeah?" Shining replied, furrowing his brow as the changeling queen trotted up behind Victor as well. "So?" Cadance winced and shook her head with a hearty sigh.

"I really, really, really hate to admit it," she huffed as Victor glanced all around himself at the set of mares who'd approached him and then at the pegasus who suddenly fluttered up beside him. "I think I kinda misjudged him, maybe just a little." Shining gawped at his wife for a moment as Victor brought his hands up with a nod before gesturing to one of the doors at the side of the room.

"You're kidding," Shining huffed.

"I wish," Cadance sighed, shaking her head and leering at the wizard, who said a farewell to the crowd before making his way out of the room with the queen, Honeysuckle, Sunset, and the pegasus. As they withdrew, Victor nodded at Sash who nodded back before slipping out of a different door. "I think deep down there's a decent creature in that crusty grimy heart of his." She turned to Shining with a meager smile.

"And if that's true, maybe that's why the Crystal Heart doesn't blow him up," she added, causing him to furrow his brow and consider the door Victor had just left through.

"Huh," she murmured before shaking his head and turning back to her. "So, like, what are you saying? Should we- Leave or?"

"Of course not," Cadance declared, shaking her head and casting an incredulous glance at the door as the crowd mingled and murmured. "Like I said, I just think I misjudged him." She narrowed her eyes and turned to Shining.

"This could all be a ploy," she said, looking up at the vaulted ceilings of the throne room. "And even if it's not, this place is still my responsibility." She pondered the crystalline structure around her for a few moments before adopting a confident expression.

"I'm choosing to be optimistic," she declared, firmly stamping her hoof. "If he's being earnest and he has the empire's best interests at heart, then we can work with him for the benefit of everypony here." Shining nodded at her words and wore a proud smile until she snorted.

"And either way, I can't rest until I've finally gotten him good," she huffed, casting an angry glare at the door Victor had used.

"Finally what?" Shining asked, tilting his head. Cadance bristled her wings with a grumble.

"He thinks he's so clever and sharp," she hissed in a high-pitched voice, rocking her head for emphasis. She trotted past Shining for the main door. "Just you wait. I'll nail him with a zinger one of these days that'll leave him floored." Shining blinked and stood dumbstruck as she trotted away.

We made our way into a private sitting room with a table and chairs enough for everyone. I was the first to sit down and adjusted my robe with a sigh before gesturing to the rest of the chairs around the low table.

"Alright, Sash will be along soon with some writing stuff so we can handle this all official like," I declared as Sunset sat beside me. Honeysuckle had followed along with the intent of continuing her argument about my choice of words during my speech. Apparently 'poor, deprived, and miserable damsel' had been a less than appreciated descriptor for her. Sneaky had also trotted along for reasons I didn't understand yet. I'd wondered why Sunset had chosen this room specifically until I heard some muffled squealing and turned to see the funny blue unicorn she'd abducted, tied up and gagged in the corner of the room. Before I could ask, Apterygota stepped closer.

"Excellent! So! I think I've proven where my loyalties lie, yes?" She hummed, leaning in with a hopeful and wry grin. "Perhaps it's time we ratified our arrangement?" I raised a finger to reply but Sneaky shot forward and reared up on my leg.

"So! Like!" She squeaked, glancing at Apterygota. "Everypony sees she's a changeling, right? It's not just me?"
"Yes," Sunset, Honey, and I all replied. She blinked and furrowed her brow at me.

"And you're, like," she grunted, shaking her head. "Not freaked out by that?" Tery recoiled at her words, but I just shrugged.

"Not really?" I huffed. She blanched and leaned closer.

"You know how dangerous they are, right?" She whispered. I rolled my eyes, but once again before I could reply, Honeysuckle stepped up.

"I'm kind of shocked you're acting so chummy now," she hummed, looking her up and down. "I heard from his followers that you and that dog turned tail and ran the second things looked bad." I winced at her words, but Sneaky gasped.

"Well! I mean!" She squeaked before fixing me with a nervous grin.

"We can let bygones be bygones, right?" She asked, causing me to flinch. She tilted her head. "Master Victor?" Who would have guessed I'd get cut off again? This time, Tery snapped forward and beside Sneaky causing her to jump away with a shout.

"Discuss how you can make up such a betrayal to him later," she hissed before fixing me with a warm smile. "He and I have a treaty to discuss." Sneaky shook for a moment before stamping her hoof and spreading her wings.

"Hey! I was Master Victor's first servant, so I have seniority!" She cried. Tery rolled her eyes and turned to argue, but Sunset teleported between them.

"Seniority, schmeniority, you can both take a hike," she declared, nodding her head at me. "Vic and I need to debrief and discuss our next move against Celestia first." I pinched the bridge of my nose as Honeysuckle barked a laugh.

"Oh please!" She huffed, trotting up and shaking her head. "As grateful as I am that you helped him rescue me, you clearly don't know as much about him as you think." Sunset flinched at her and furrowed her brow as Honey turned to me with a nod.

"You're not in any hurry to go fighting the princess at all, are you?" She asked causing me to adopt a drawn frown and look to the side.

"Well," I murmured.

"See?" Honeysuckle said, shooting Sunset a smug grin. The yellow unicorn recoiled before snarling and then all hell broke loose. All four of them began barking and shouting at each other, jabbing and stomping hooves as they argued. A few times they'd gesture my way which only inflamed the arguing further. Watching them for a moment, I slowly sank into my seat and sighed hard.

"Man," I grumbled, causing them to pause and turn their attention to me.

"What's wrong, Buddy?" Sunset asked.

"Just," I murmured, shaking my head and looking forward away from them. "Bemoaning. Pondering." I rested my head on my hand as they shared a look.

"What?" Sneaky asked.

"Like, is it too much to ask for a two-legged crazy chick to pop up and fight for my attention?" I grumbled. Sunset recoiled at my muttering as did Honeysuckle, while Sneaky blinked and tilted her head.

"Fight for-" Sunset stammered before snorting. "That's not-" Before she could finish her statement, the sound of changeling fire filled the air and we all turned toward Apterygota.

"How's this?" She asked. Truth is, it was only her voice that confirmed it was her. In her place, speaking with her voice, was a semi-human woman with a chitinous suit covering her arms up to the elbows, her legs up to the knees, and her torso down to below her hips. Her skin was strangely pale, her hair was still yellow and done in two thick braids that hung past her shoulders and her eyes and teeth were still obviously changeling in nature. But overall, it was a solid imitation.

"Buh," I managed, drawing a smile to her face. It was a very solid imitation. While the ponies blinked at her new form, she slinked closer and bent down before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"So? How about we settle our treaty first, hm?" She cooed, nuzzling my cheek. I choked and coughed before Sunset suddenly hopped forward and wrenched her off of me with her magic.

"Hey! Get your claws off him!" She demanded. Tery recoiled before shooting her a smirk.

"What's the problem?" She asked, leaning closer and humming at her. "Don't act all jealous now." Sunset rolled her eyes.
"Jealous? Please," she said, taking a daring step closer. "I'm looking out for my friend!" Tery narrowed her eyes as Sunset jabbed a hoof at her.

"And I know what your kind are like," she accused causing me to flinch and Tery to gasp.

"MY kind?!" She cried.

"YOUR kind!" Sunset insisted. Tery snarled and returned to her true form before the pair began hissing and throwing insults. As they argued, Honeysuckle and Sneaky shared a look.

"They are fighting over him?" Honey murmured before jolting slightly and waving a hoof at me. "No offense." I jolted now and shook my head.

"Shocking, but none taken," I hummed before returning my attention to Tery and Sunset.

"Hey!" Another voice suddenly cried out, drawing everyone's attention to the corner of the room. There, the silly blue unicorn was thrashing against her bonds. "Release Trixie this instant so she can exact her revenge!"

Sunset blinked and trotted over to her. "Oh, she got her mouth free. Hold on."

'Trixie' flinched and struggled to squirm away from her. "Ah! Wait! No!"

"Why'd you bring her along, again?" I asked as Sunset was nearly upon her. She paused and looked back at me.

"Huh? Oh, uh," she hummed and pursed her lips, looking over her prisoner for a moment before shrugging at me. "She's kind of a nice shade of blue, you know?" I furrowed my brow and looked Trixie over.

"Oh, fair," I finally declared, waving a hand at her. "Carry on."

Trixie cried out and struggled again. "No! You horrible whatever you are! You spoiled my revenge!"

"I did?" I huffed.

"Yes! I was in the perfect position to finally one-up Sparkle, and you just had to show up!" She screeched, managing to throw herself against the wall and into a sitting position. "You and that other whatever he is." She growled and stared death my way.

"But YOU destroyed my amulet!" She added with a hiss.

"False. The Elements of Harmony destroyed your amulet," I corrected. Trixie flinched before snarling her teeth, while Sunset hummed and turned to her.

"One-up Sparkle? Do you mean Twilight Sparkle?" She asked. Trixie wilted from her for a moment, looking her up and down.

"Yes? Why?" She murmured, tilting her head away with a curious look. "Did she ruin your career too?"

"Basically," Sunset huffed, rolling her eyes before fixing Trixie with a smirk. "Guess that means you're in good company, huh?"

The blue unicorn blinked at her words. "What?" Sunset nodded and gestured to the rest of us.

"Pretty much this whole outfit is going to be butting heads with Sparkle," she explained, pointing at Honeysuckle specifically. "Heck, we risked getting into a fight with her and her friends just to rescue Prenchy over there." Honeysuckle recoiled with a humph.

"You-" Tery's shocked tone snapped my attention to her. "You're going to be fighting the Elements of Harmony? Again?" I blinked at her anxious look and shrugged.

"Not if I can help it," I hummed, folding my hands over my stomach. "But they've been after me for a little bit." She wilted a little and I winked.

"Pretty sure our magical love item counters theirs though," I added, causing her to furrow her brow in thought. Sunset perked up at my words and turned to Trixie.

"Which makes this the perfect place to scheme and plot against them," she offered, nodding at her captive. "Get it?" Trixie balked at her question.

"I," she muttered and looked down in thought. "Hm."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sneaky suddenly squealed, waving her hooves. "Let's back up!" She whirled around and fixed me with a desperate frown.

"You're not seriously planning on picking more fights with the Elements, are you?" She gasped.

"I-" Tery snapped forward at me.

"If that's your intention then we need to discuss what part you expect my hive to have in such an operation," she huffed, before turning her head. Flames jumped up her body, returning her to her human form just before she sprang forward and wrapped her arms around me again as she fixed me with a warm doe-eyed smile. "Which I'd really prefer to be negligible."

"Hoh," I heaved. Just then, Tery's hair was yanked back, drawing a cry from her as Sunset pulled her off me.

"I already told you once! Stop trying to manipulate him through his baser instincts!" She hissed, at which Tery turned back into her true form and whirled around with a snarl.

"I'll give you baser instincts!" She hissed. The door flew open right as they dove at each other.

"Sorry I'm late! Couldn't find my pen and-" I offered Sash a smile and a wave as he looked over the chaos unfolding between us with confusion. "Oh dear."

Celestia sat on one of the highest balconies the castle had, with her gaze fixed westward. Despite the fact the moon was already halfway across the sky, she was unable to put her mind at ease enough to fall asleep. Her eyes drifted across each distant shape across the horizon, all her thoughts fixed upon finding where Goldflame had fled to.

As she pondered the horizon with an even expression, the sound of hooves behind her snapped her out of her trance and reminded her of the other troubles she'd soon have to deal with—Namely, several confused and unhappy ponies as well as a certain guest and his cohorts, who were the reason for the ponies' unhappiness.

"So," Luna hummed as she trotted up and sat beside Celestia, before fixing her attention westward as well. "He is here." Celestia's ear swiveled at her sister.

"We gave him a room," Luna added after a moment in a quieter tone. Celestia took a shallow and quiet breath.

"Yes, and tomorrow we will be holding a meeting to discuss the terms of what he refers to as a commission," she replied, furrowing her brow. "He compared this arrangement to a practice his people called 'privateering.'" Silence held the balcony for a moment.

"And," Luna eventually pressed, turning to her sister with her head slightly hanging. "You believe it wise to engage him in such a manner?" Celestia blinked and faced Luna.

"I believe I have made an error and turned a blind eye to a more serious threat," she explained, furrowing her brow and looking north.

"I misjudged Victor Fremont," she said, pausing and glancing down. "Rather, I misjudged the effect he would have if left to his own devices." Her attention again returned north.

"I finally understand what motivates him and, more importantly, why so many are willing to trust him," she hesitated and continued in a much quieter tone. "Even Sunset Shimmer." Luna blinked and her ears snapped back as Celestia turned to her with a weary frown.

"He is no villain. Not the sort we are used to, anyway," she continued, adopting a weak scowl as she recalled the conversations she had with Fremont. "He is self-interested, yes, but more dangerous is his willingness to put himself aside for others." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke.

"He is willing to use his power for the sake of another, so long as in exchange they give him what he lacks," she declared, glancing in the direction of the Sweat Leaf villa far, far below.

"He charged headlong into a host of his enemies for the sake of one pony," she said, shaking her head. "He confronted Goldflame, seemingly on his own, for the sake of that same pony." Her eyes locked with Luna's.

"He has no longterm goal. He has no plan," her tone became dire, almost sympathetic. "He only has his power and a dire need for recognition." She shook her head with a weak shrug.

"You said it yourself based on the dreams he shared with you," she sighed, gesturing to Luna with a wing. "He is afraid of being forgotten." Luna nodded slowly as she continued.

"And whether he realizes it or not, he is willing to go to great lengths for those he believes and hopes will remember him after he is gone," she cast her eyes down for a moment before turning north again. "And at this moment in time, at least one such pony has her eyes set on the destruction of all we have built." Luna's wings bristled at her words and her eyes fell north as well. Silence again held the balcony until she grunted.

"What in the world is Cadenza doing?" She huffed.