Friendships Brew

by Disappearing-Inkwell

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad
Length: 2951

Discord must complete a task to have his seat next to Celestia, but his sister Eris has other plans.

Discord, after being reformed, has a chance for a position next to princess Celestia if he passes a test created by her , but his sister Eris has other plans to keep him from his new destiny.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-12 23:19:16 UTC

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1

Discord yawns as he lays his long body upon his bed, ever since Fluttershy taught him of the power of friendship and Celestia made him immune to the elements of harmony he took up residence with his sister, Eris, who hasn't changed a bit after Discord tried to tell her of his feelings of true friendship, and at times even attempted to change him back to his evil ways. They both live in a big house near the far edge of the Everfree forest, dubbed by Celestia, Discord and eventually Eris, to be their ‘little slice of chaos’. As Discord falls asleep in his room, Eris stays in the living room, because she contains her full chaotic power thus does not need to sleep, and plays with several animals that she’d captured, changing their body’s shape and mutating them. She must wait until her brother is asleep before training her skills, if she was caught she would lose the only thing close to a friend she had, her own brother.

As Luna’s night goes on, Discord’s sleeping mind races thinking about his new, somewhat royal life, the changes he must make  and also the test he must take to fully become a ‘student’ of Celestia, to which any ordinary resident of Equestria would be an easy task . He must create a potion made of mixed substances showing true friendship to help understand it to his full potential… he told Celestia he did not understand, but all she replied was simply “you will in time.” But something told him that he wouldn’t. Even if he did suddenly understand, the pony’s still felt uneasy about being around him; all but Fluttershy who knew he could be reformed from the beginning.

Early the next morning, Eris walks in on Discord sleeping “lazy fool.” She chuckles with a slightly sarcastic tone “Discord.”  No answer. “DISCORD!”  After finally hearing his name being said he quickly slithers forward out of bed to a stand.

A yawning discord answers “ohh, yes dear Eris, what do you want this fine, fine, day?” sensing the sarcasm in his voice, she waves him off.

Looking out of the window Eris begins “I think I will go head off to Fillydelphia and cause a little anonymous mischief, feel like going? Or are you going to go report me to your little pony princess like a good little subject?”

                Needing to come up with a lie quickly “I’m tired of being good, I’m going out to find some innocent pony’s to experiment on, and get that spark of chaos back in my life” the guilt of the sentence piled on higher with every word he spoke, to the point where he made him take a glance over his shoulder to make sure the princess didn't overhear his lies.

               “Ha, no kidding?” Eris questioned, somewhat believing in his lie. “Well, I guess the Discord we all know and hate is back after all.” She turns from the window and faces him “I better get ready to go, I’ll need to get there before the little fillies and colts get out of school… so much easier to scare without their parent’s around.” She walks out of the room with a half-smile.

                They both walk out of the house and go in opposite directions, until Eris gets tired of walking and takes to the sky. Discord waits until she is out of sight and turns toward Ponyville, still unsure if he can just walk in, feeling as if he needs an invitation even after changing his ways. He continues walking in the seemingly never-ending Everfree forest.

                After what seems like hours, but in reality is only half of one, Discord comes up to what looks like a cottage in the forest, and curiously nears it until he sees a zebra leave from it. He watches the zebra as she takes several unknown plants from the dirt and a few leaves from unidentified trees,  puts them into her mouth, chews them into a thick paste , spits it out onto one of her hooves and rubs it into a large cut on her neck until almost magically, the cut disappears. By the looks of her, a well distinguished herbalist. Quickly he decides she is safe to approach.

               After just a couple of steps to the zebra, she looks over and a small smile appears on her face. “Why, is that discord the draconequus I see? What would the master of chaos need with me?” how does she know me? Well… I did almost make Ponyville the chaos capital of the world, and that’s not too easy to overlook.

                “I have these, instructions, for a potion I need to make to become a student of princess Celestia.”  Discord then waves his lion paw up, and in a small ball of fire a piece of paper unfolds, and he quickly reads it over in his head.

Discord,

                Over the past couple of months you have caused Equestria a great deal of trouble, yet, if you fully get reformed and use your powers for good instead of evil, I will grant you a position next to me. In order to do this I give you this one task, make me a potion containing a mix of substances showing true friendship, then I assure you, you will know of its power.

                                                                                                                   Princess Celestia

                  “I am Zecora the herbalist I would like to help you, just show me your list.” Discord then shows Zecora the paper so that she can read it. Zecora, about to utter another rhyme, gets interrupted by the whipping wings of Eris slowly reaching the ground, who had been watching the entire time.

                  “So Discord, is that your innocent victim?” she asks, inspecting Zecora and taking the paper in her claw. “This is pathetic, I’ve expected so much more from you, brother.” Upon reading the note she exploded in rage “This is to far over the line, reformed, position next to Celestia, friendship? One would think being trapped in stone for two thousand years would train you to dislike her even more, but as it seems you need more time to think it over.” She then balls up the paper throwing it to the ground, raises her arms and in a powerful blast knocking Zecora over along with a couple of trees by her cottage, she rises up a prison of solid stone covering Discord.

                   By the time the waves of power die down allowing Zecora to stand, Eris is gone and replaced only by a stone effigy of Discord. She quickly picks up the balled paper and gallops quickly toward Ponyville.

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2

After a long trot through the Everfree forest, Zecora finally reaches Ponyville, which seems just as lively as usual. After several ‘hellos’ and ‘goodbyes’, which is the opposite of her treatment during her first visit to town, she begins searching for Twilight, the only pony she knew that may know more about spells then herself. After searching the town over and over again, Zecora finds and stops a gray Pegasus mail pony out on her morning delivery. The mail pony turns around facing Zecora and looks her over with crossed eyes, who then didn't speak. Zecora started “hello mail pony no mean to make you falter but could you show me the way to Miss Twilight Sparkle?”  Still without speaking, the mail pony slowly nods her head and reaches into her saddlebag of mail with her muzzle and pulls out a single envelope addressed to a Miss Twilight Sparkle at the Ponyville library, and shows it to Zecora before placing it back into her bag.

Zecora turns back to the library she had unknowingly past several times before and knocks on the door with a hoof, to which a baby dragon with sleepy eyes answers “oh, hello Zecora…”  the baby dragon now looks at her curiously  realizing she is out of breath and has a terrified look in her eyes “is everything alright?”

“No everything is not alright, please hurry and bring Twilight” she manages to get out before having to take several deep breaths to help catch her breath.

“Oh, sorry but Twilight's not here, she was requested by princess Celestia to go to Canterlot, I’m here looking over the library with Fluttershy.” The baby dragon points over his shoulder showing Fluttershy fluttering around the top shelves of the library dusting the books, who then notices Zecora at the door and hovers down to meet them.

“Hello Zecora.” Fluttershy Happily greeted in her usual soft tone. "do you need anything

“Discords been trapped in stone by a fiend and dropped this paper containing what he may need.” She takes out the crumpled note from her bag and shows it to Fluttershy.

“Discords been trapped, by, a fiend?” Fluttershy narrows her eyes into a worried expression “wa-wa-what should we do? She then backs up allowing Zecora to enter.

Zecora enters, paces back and forth in thought “what we must do next is to tell the princess.”

Fluttershy nods her head “your right” she looks to the baby dragon. “Spike?”

“I’m on it.” He reply’s then hurrying to a desk at the far side of the room and picking up a scroll and quill.

“Dear princess Celestia” Fluttershy began “your subject Discord has been captured in stone by a…”she then looks over to Zecora and asks in a whisper “a fiend?” Zecora approvingly nods her head “a fiend!” Fluttershy confirms. Spike immediately begins scribbling down the words. “So… if it’s ok with you… come to Ponyville with Twilight Sparkle and try to help save my friend.”   Spike finishes writing, rolls the scroll and sets it ablaze to be sent to the princess.

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3

*Canterlot castle, Celestia’s throne room*

“Twilight, because you have shown such improvement with your magic, I have decided to let you attempt something I have never allowed any of my students before you.” Celestia began.

“Is it a test?” Twilight asks looking frightened “because I didn’t study and…”

Celestia cuts her off. “Not to worry Twilight.” her horn then glows bright and it aura slowly pulls a book from a shelf across the room. “This book was Starswirl the Bearded’s personal notebook that contains several spells which effects are unknown, I would like you to study these and get back to me your findings.”

Twilights eyes light up “I will, I’ll get started right away!” Celestia lowers the book into Twilights saddlebag. “Thank you princess.” They both begin walking towards the door just as the familiar poofing sound of a letter being received  stops them and  turn around to see a scroll floating just a few feet from where the princess was just a few minutes ago.

Celestia quickly goes and opens the scroll and after several seconds of reading, gasps in shock. “Twilight, do you have the elements of harmony?”

“Their back in Ponyville, why, do we need them, was that a part of the test, I knew I should have brought them with me!” stammers the paranoid pony.

  “Follow me, I’ll explain on the way.”

They both exit the room and travel outside of the castle onto one of its many arches where several royal guards alongside the royal carriage are waiting for them.

Celestia walks aboard the carriage. “Twilight.” She calls while motioning with her head to also come aboard the carriage.

Twilight, slightly shocked she would allow her on her personal carriage, climbs onto it and soon after the pegasi pullers begin their short trot until they are all airborne with Twilight and Celestia trailing close behind.

“Once we get to Ponyville I need you to gather your friends and get the elements and bring them all to the library.”

“Ok princess, but, what’s going on?” asks a confused Twilight

“You should probably read this.”  She gives Twilight the scroll.

“Oh dear, I leave spike in charge for just a couple of hours and this is what happens!”

“Don’t blame what happens on spike, it’s not his fault.  He knows not any magic let alone enough to imprison the master of chaos himself.”

“Who does have enough power to do such a thing?”

“Well, when my sister and I original imprisoned Discord, the power of the elements of harmony scared off an entire race of draconequus. There may only be 2, but there may be millions hiding in the farthest reaches of Equestria just waiting until they regain their powers.”

“You think a second draconequus trapped him?”

“I do, my guess is it wouldn’t be very happy to find out one of its own kind has a possibility of joining me and reforming”

The carriage begins lowering to the ground and comes to a slow stop, and Twilight jumps off “I won’t let you down princess” and begins galloping to Sugarcube Corner to get her first of many friends.

“I know you won’t” says Celestia watching Twilight gallop off into the distance.

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4

When Twilight is out of eye sight, Celestia begins towards the library leaving her carriage behind and ordering the pegasi pullers back to the castle. Hopefully spike has not gone completely insane with Fluttershy… I know how he can get without proper guidance. Celestia reaches the library and knocks on the door with a hoof to which spike answers, bows and moves aside allowing her entrance. Fluttershy, spike, Zecora and Celestia then wait for Twilight to gather the rest of their friends and try to think up a plan to free discord from his new prison.

*later that day*

Celestia, the mane 6, spike and Zecora crowd into the library. “Why should we help Discord again? All he does is cause trouble.” Asks Rainbow Dash angrily.

“Rainbow, where’s you loyalty?” retaliates Twilight

“Oh I have loyalty, for my friends, and Discord is far from being my friend.”

Fluttershy steps forward with her head held shyly down “he-he’s my friend, and, I sorta think we should help him.”

“whatta surprise!” yells Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy wants to help out one of her little friends, and this time it one that almost destroyed Equestria!” her face begins to redden with anger.

“Rainbow darling, your face is as read as your mane, take a deep breath dear.” Comments Rarity.

“sorry.” She apologizes more embarrassed then enraged and takes a deep breath to calm herself.

  Celestia, after silently pacing for several seconds, speaks “Fluttershy’s right. Twilight, I need you to get the elements, then Zecora, bring me to Discord.”

Twilight begins upstairs to fetch the elements but stops to ask a final question. “But princess, didn’t you make Discord immune to the elements power?”

“Yes I did. But Twilight, I’m all out of ideas.” Answered Celestia, for the first time looking completely lost.

Twilight slowly begins up the stairs amazed on the princess’s attitude and into her room where she finds a glass display cast containing the elements, opens it, puts her own on and then uses her horns aura to levitate the others down to the ponies. When she gets back down to the others, they already have their elements equipped and once again are all speaking to each other as if this was only a casual get-together, all except Fluttershy and Celestia, who both know the situation for that it really is.

Soon after, the ponies and Zecora are on their way.

*later that day*

Finally they reach Discords prison outside Zecoras hut all being completely quiet, even pinkie, whose hair is deflated, stands silent. Celestia looks to Twilight and nods, Twilight immediately understanding takes a couple steps back and calls the others to her to line up.

The ponies’ line up wearing their elements and face stone Discord until they one by one rise up absorbed in the power of the elements and the power shoots to collide with the stone. The stone begins shaking, humming and glowing with a bright light slowly coming to life giving the others hope, only to end soon after with the stone just as cold and hard as ever.

The ponies lower down and shake off the feeling of the elements. Fluttershy walks over to prisoned discord with tears in her eyes, embraces him in a hug and begins sobbing, streaming tears down her eyes that roll down the statue and collect in a pool of mud on the ground underneath.

“The most powerful magic in Equestra, failed…” Celestia speaks to herself.

Rarity approaches Fluttershy with a tear in her eye which she carefully wipes away without smudging her makeup, to comfort her. Son all of the ponies were with Fluttershy trying to calm her down, until eventually they too are crying.

Celestia was still far back from the rest trying her best to keep posture, but in realization that Discord had made so many friends, makes a slight sad smile.

The ponies by Discord now made no attempt to keep quiet and now sob loudly, covering the lower portion of the stature in tears.

Zecora, who is father back then Celestia from the group, decides to go to her hut to try to make a remedy that could help, and to get away from the emotions that were being shared with who she thought was a monster.

The tears continue to flow forming a puddle on the ground until suddenly there is a loud noise that stops them, causing them to jump back and see the statue once again to be glowing with life.

This time the glowing is brighter, the shaking becomes more violent thrashing back and forth and the humming becomes deafening, rising the ponies hopes with ever second, until, not only the statue stops shaking, but crumbles to dust.

And so ends the tear soaked tale of Discord the draconequus.