A Canterlot redemption

Twilight and her friends sat at a table outside a restaurant in Canterlot, waiting for Princess Celestia to arrive with a "very important guest".

"I wonder why the princess invited us for an important job if we're just waiting for her." Rainbow Dash yawned.

"She's bringing a very important guest. That could be part of it." Twilight told Dash.

"A guest who's important and slow." Dash whined.

"I personally reckon why Celestia made us take the train to Canterlot just to bring the guest to us." Applejack pondered.

"Maybe it's a surprise! Oh I love surprise guests!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"Oh it's definitely a surprise alright." The mane six heard a familiar voice behind them, and when they turned around, they saw Princess Cadance with a lamenting face.

"Cadance!" Twilight welcomed her favorite foal sitter as they did their signature dance.

"Sunshine sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hoofs and do a little shake!" They sung, happy to see each other again.

"So are you the very important guest Celestia mentioned?" Twilight asked.

"Not exactly..... In fact, I'm here because I need to see them as well...." Cadance said while looking at the floor.

"Well, who is it?" Twilight asked.

"I'd rather not say." Cadance stated.

"Why not?" Twilight asked her foal sitter.

"I don't think you'd want to know Twilight." Cadance assured.

"Come on! Tell me! Teeeeeeell meeeeeeeeee" Twilight clung to Cadance's knee as if she were still a filly and not a grown mare.

"Fine! It's-" Cadance was about to reveal the name of the guest, until Celestia arrived with a chariot carrying the guest.

Said guest had a deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, a snake tail, and happened to be sealed in stone.

"Him........" Cadance answered, as the mane seven gasped in shock.

As Celestia approached the table, Twilight confronted the princess on her unusual decision.

"With all due respect Princess Celestia, HOW COULD YOU BRING DISCORD HERE?!?!?!" Twilight yelled, before clearing her throat.

"Your majesty." Twilight added.

"I am aware that the last time Discord was free he created serious havoc." Celestia acknowledged.

"If by serious havoc you mean turning Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world." Dash stated.

"And tricking us all into being the opposite of our true selves." Rarity added.

"And making yummy delicious chocolate milk rain all over the place with not a single dollop of whipped cream to go with it anywhere in sight! NOT A SINGLE DOLLOP!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"And imprisoning me in the Canterlot caves so he could masquerade as me and brainwash my husband!" Cadance finished.

"Yes I understand, but I have use for Discord's magic if it can be used to serve good instead of evil. This is why I invited you all here, because I believe that you are the ponies who can help him do just that." Celestia explained.

"This will never work! This is a disaster! How will we ever control him?! We're doomed!!!" Spike panicked.

"Need I remind you that you ponies turned him back to stone in the first place?" Celestia commented.

"I suppose we can just use the elements of harmony if it gets out of hoof." Twilight thought out loud.

"We probably need a volunteer to run away to get them, I'll do it!" Spike suggested, as he tried to run off to do just that.

"No need Spike. I have them right here, and I've cast a spell so Discord can't take them and hide them again." Celestia demonstrated, as the elements were shown inside their case.

"Are you sure this is a good idea auntie?...... I mean, he imprisoned me and Twilight...... With no food or water.... I don't know if we can ever-" Cadance was interrupted by Celestia holding her hoof up her chin.

"I understand it will be difficult Cadance, but I wouldn't have called you here as well if I didn't believe you could find good in him." Celestia assured, as Cadance gave away a small smile.

"Now, I must get to Equestria's royal summit. You may release Discord when ready." Celestia stated, as she flew away back to the aforementioned summit.

Then, Twilight and her friends equipped the elements of harmony.

"Ok Ponies, we better keep our elements on at all times. Let's just hope this releasing spell works." Twilight stated.

"Or, let's not." Spike said fearfully, afraid of what could happen if Discord were to do as he pleased.

The mane six then activated the elements as both Spike and Cadance watched, a bit nervous of what could happen.

As the rainbows beamed through the necklaces, the mane six lifted up in the air as they surrounded the statue.

Eventually, cracks began to form around it, as the wings and claws were broken free and able to squirm a bit.

Inevitably, Discord was released once more, as he roared in the air before yawning and stretching his limbs.

"Well, it's about time somepony got me out of that prison block." Discord thanked, as he begun to stretch.

"What a relief!" He said, as he snapped his fingers, causing a nearby bird to grow into a carnivorous vulture.

The ponies plus Spike gasped in shock.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Twilight lashed at the chaos spirit, as he kept stretching.

"Why stretching of course! When you're a creature of chaos stone body suits aren't your typical go to fashion choice." Discord stated, before he snapped his fingers again, causing a butterfly to turn into a giant winged beast as it flew off to terrorize unsuspecting ponies.

"Make that butterfly cute again! Now!" Pinkie demanded, but Discord merely scoffed.

"It's adorable the way it is!" Discord assured, as he pointed to it carrying someponies away to an unknown location as they begged for mercy.

"You know what else is adorable? You ponies truly believe that you can reform me, and you're putting your faith in this one here to make it happen." Discord eyed a magnifying glass at Cadance, as she looked away in disgust.

"It makes me wanna pinch your little horsey cheek." Discord stated, as he pinched Cadance's cheek like a grandma would their grandson.

"How'd you know about that?!" Twilight confronted Discord.

"Being turned to stone doesn't keep me from hearing every word Celestia says, although I admit it makes rolling my eyes a challenge." Discord stated, as he took out his eyeballs and rolled them on the floor into two holes, that manifested into his body.

"Well unless you want us to turn you back to stone, you'll zap those animals back the way they were pronto!" Twilight threatened the spirit of disharmony.

"Oh you wouldn't dare turn me back to stone and risk disappointing your PRECIOUS, PRINCESS." Discord mocked with scorn.

"Try us, Dip-cord!" Dash mocked the Draconequus.

"You think you can treat poor defenseless animals like that and get away with it?!" Fluttershy snapped at the lord of chaos.

"You go Fluttershy!" Dash praised.

"You better watch you're step buster! Or I'll give you, THE STARE." Fluttershy threatened.

"The stare! No not that! Please! Anything but your disapproving eyeballs!" Discord "begged", before laughing in hysterics over Fluttershy's threat.

Then, Fluttershy fulfilled her promise.

"Oh no! No no no stop! No no! I can't take it!" Discord "Pleaded", as Fluttershy kept using the stare on him.

"Stop! I can't take it anymore! I'll do whatever you say! Because............... You're hilarious!" Discord mocked and laughed, as he was immune to the effects of Fluttershy's stare.

"If it turns out we need to use our elements against you, I'm sure we can convince Princess Celestia it was for a good reason." Twilight threatened, as Discord gave a slight groan.

"I suppose that's correct." Discord admitted, as he snapped his fingers, causing the vulture to turn back into a harmless bird, and the butterfly to grow small and harmless again as the ponies it was carrying fell into a pin cushion safely.

Discord held his hands in the air, before his snake tail formed fingers and snapped them, causing several ladybugs to grow fangs and buzz in the air to do Celestia knows what.

"Oopsie."

Discord, with a sigh, then teleported next to Cadance.

"Well, I think I know where I'll be crashing while I'm being 'reformed', with YOU, Princess Mi amore Cadenza." Discord mocked while holding her in a tight squeeze while laughing maniacally.

"Oh no....." Cadance said, as she knew she was going to have a rough time....