{ÐĪ$ĈØRÐ} αη∂ тнє {Şนຖ}by FangPrincessChaptersAbsenceRepliesBack ThenAbsence "Discord! Thou hast laid thy terror and chaos upon thine fair Equestria for far too long," a warning voice shot through the dimness of the throne room like a dagger, coming from the dark end of the room. "Thy tyranny shall end!" a second voice, seething with great hatred and disgust, was thrown out from the darkness, as if the mere brutality of the words could take a physical blow to the opposed creature in question. Out from the shadows, two alicorn mares stepped in slowly, guards up, and ready for a moments retaliation. One mare, the older of the two, stood tall and strong. Her white coat and pink mane made her stand out in the dark lighted room, making her easy to see. Her magenta eyes seemed to hold a certain air of sadness, yet her posture was defiant to the creature before her. The other mare, the younger, seemed to have an aura of hate and anger about her. Her form was in a position that was ready to pounce at a moment's notice, clearly wanting to get rid of the one they had spoken to. Her dark blue coat and violet-blue mane helped her meld with the darkness, increasing her dangerous appearance. Light and dark. Two sisters, ready to take the throne back from the embodiment of disharmony and chaos- Discord. "Oh, ahahahahaha! You've come to remove me from the throne, have you? Well, maybe 'Thou hast better-eth make-eth a better plan'," he cooed, mocking their speech. His every word brought a stab to his heart, yet he also enjoyed it at the same time. It was exhilarating to poke fun at ponies, even when he didn't really want to. A smile of confidence crept onto the younger sister's face. "Ah, but we DO have a plan- We shall smite thee with the Elements of Harmony!" "Thou shall be turned to stone," the older sister put in, her words not as harsh as the younger's, while stile holding firmness. Discord's heart turned cold and heavy. It seemed to skip a beat as he heard the words from the two alicorns. They were finally doing it. No more fun and games. This was the end. He couldn't stop them now. But that didn't mean that he couldn't have a bit of fun before he had to go. He stood up on the throne, looking down on the sisters. "And why should I, the King of Chaos, be afraid of a little Harmony?" he was chuckling, as if a little filly had claimed that they were going to defeat him with a wooden sword. "Thou shall just wait and see," responded the younger sister before charging forward. The elder followed suite. They ran and ran, yet they appeared to get no closer. It was as if they were on a treadmill, running hard but going no where. The draconequus laughed heartily, amused at their predicament. The younger let out an angry growl, "DISCORD! THOU SHOULD STOP PLAYING THY CHILDISH GAMES!" she leaped into the air, only to find that her sister had already done so. The gave each other a sideways nod before zooming forward. "Of all the times I've tried to please you~" he had started to sing. Why not make your exit dramatic? He disappeared just as they were about to reach him, reappearing behind them. "I'd have to say that this time was the worst~" as they turned around, he flew away, his small unmatched wings some how carrying him across the room. "Yet I suppose I haven't tried hard this time~" he sang as he flew, the alicorns quickly catching up. "Now it is time for me to go~" He landed in the center of the throne room, standing on the floor. The sisters landed before him, preparing their final attack. "Just always remember my NAMMEEEEE~!" He drew out the last word as long as he could. The room echoed with his voice as he was turned to stone by the two alicorns. Luna drew back and snorted. The pompous draconequus had stricken a pose for his grand finally. Celestia stepped forward to take the crown from his head. "Good bye, Discord..." she whispered, leaning to speak in his ear for just a second. The crown was taken from his head with her magic, and tossed onto the ground. This was the end of the rein of Chaos. The temporary end of Discord. The end of something special. Every morning was exactly the same. Wake up. Get ready. Raise the Sun. Celestia yawned, tired as always. She had seen a magazine article the other day that had said something about alicorns not needing any sleep. Oh how she wished by the mighty stars of Equestria that was true! She had to wake up SUPER early to raise the Sun, which was tiring in itself, every morning, leaving no days for her to sleep in. Ever. She rolled out of bed slowly. Luna would probably be waiting already. She stood up, slipped on her various garments, and checked her appearance in the mirror. One good thing about her flowy mane was that she never had to worry about bedmane. She cringed when she thought about her old, pink mane. That thing had been very thick, long, and prone to large tangles. And TERRIBLE bedmane. That was one thing she didn't have to worry about in the morning anymore. She walked into her bath room, and brushed her teeth. A princess's teeth had to be nice and shiny, right? Plus, she didn't think she could live with dirty teeth. The very idea repulsed her. Yellow teeth Yuck. She had once seen an old mare with a jaw filled with such a haphazard arrangement of teeth, that she had wondered how the old crone was speaking. Don't think like that! she thought, scolding herself. It wasn't right to judge somepony for their looks, or to call elder mares crones! Luna must be getting to me. After the Nightmare Night disaster, Luna had adapted much faster to the modern language and social ways. Maybe a little too much. All nice and ready, the white mare walked out onto her balcony, and jumped up into the air. She took flight easily, and flew up to a large platform, up at the highest point of the castle. Uh oh, she thought, spotting her sister, looks like I've kept Luna waiting. The princess of the night had spotted her sister, and was scowling at her. "What took you so long?" she asked, tone impatient, as Celestia landed on the platform. "I suppose I was just thinking a bit, little sister," she replied, smiling warmly. "Well, let's get the morning going!" her tone had changed to a more playful one as she shot into the air laughing. That's my Luna The elder alicorn sped after her, high into the air. "Ready?" she asked. "Of course!" They hovered side by side, concentrating. Both horns began to glow, and as Celestia rose upwards, Luna went downwards. The two great celestial bodies followed their masters obediently, like two great dogs listening to a call. The stars simply followed the moon, as a sheep do the head ram. And then it was morning. "-and THAT concludes our monthly report!" Celestia had just finished listening to a three hour presentation by the cities's committee, or what ever they called themselves. Just things like 'this memorial should go here' or 'the crime rate has gotten to a record low, even for Equestria!' And even though she had to admit it was quite boring, she wouldn't miss this report for almost anything. It let her know how her little ponies were faring, and what they had accomplished. She liked hearing what they'd done for Equestria, and themselves. The group of mares and stallions shuffled out of the throne room, murmuring and debating on whether or not some town should be considered a city now or something. The princess of the Sun sighed contently. Her little ponies were doing well. Knock Knock Knock Mmhh, who could that be? "Permission to enter!" she called out, curious to see who it was. The door was pushed open, and a single dark blue stallion walked in. He wore the armor of the Equestrian military, which sparked interest in the Princess. He trotted towards the princess, and bowed. "I am Captain Coded Message," he began, introducing himself. "The High Chairman Dusty Scroll sent me to give you an important message." "He is still in the Hospital I presume?" "Yes, your highness," he replied. "What did he want you to tell me?" "He said that the group watching Discord hasn't seen him since the last time you, Princess, saw him. And to give you this," he handed her an envelope bearing Dusty Scroll's signature. Celestia grasped the letter in her magic, and her eyes narrowed. "Thank you, Coded Message. You may go now," she murmured, opening the letter. He gave her a respectful nod, bowed once more, and left the room. When the door closed, she began to read the letter. "Dear Princess Celestia, I write to you in what may be urgent, or what may be a simple blunder by on of my subordinates. As the Captain probably told you, the team I had deployed to keep an eye on the mischievousness Discord has reported to have seen no sign of him anywhere. When this happened, they told me immediately, and I sent them to ask around the major areas of Equestria. They reported back with the same results. So, either our mismatched friend really has disappeared, or my team has made a mistake. Either way, I thought I'd let you know. Sincerely, High Chairman Dusty Scroll" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HE'S MISSING?!?" ah, the Royal Canterlot voice. Celestia had thought that Luna had finally stopped using it. Oh well. "It may have been a simple mistake by Dusty Scroll's team," she replied, reminding her sister of the High Chairman's words. "A simple mistake? That is not a simple mistake, sister. How can you misplace a large draconequus?" "Even if he is missing, he hasn't caused any harm," "That we know of," "Didn't Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, bring him to our side? I was there when he told me himself-" "Celestia!" Luna interrupted her sister, mild anger in her eyes. "Stop defending him! Do you not remember what he did?" The elder alicorn's eyes took on an air of offense. "Luna. I have never defended him. I am pointing out simple truths and facts. Why treat Discord as a prisoner when he is willingly on our side now? If we search for him now, it will look to him as if we are trying to take him by force," "But we should! He is not to be trusted!" "Let me repeat myself. He is willingly on our side. Any ill-will towards him may entice him to attack Equestria in an act of self defense, or in a belief that it was a challenge or provocation," The younger sister snorted. "Sister, are you afraid?" "For the safety of my little ponies? For my sister's safety? For the safety of all those I love? Yes, Luna. I am afraid," "Equestria is peaceful, yet strong. Or do you forget? The Elements are more powerful than ever since they made their way to their embodiments, and Twilight is a new alicorn! It may not seem like it at times, but we have a lot of fire power on our side" "Discord is not a being to challenge with shear force, and you know that. He is more cunning than a fox, and craftier than any thing we know of. His imagination is unmatched, and can make it come to life at will! He is chaos, and Equestria is a country of harmony," "All the more reason he shouldn't be welcome here," Silence. She may as well have just lost the argument. She'd contradicted herself some how, and Luna was quick to point it out. "Three months," the younger sister suddenly said. "...what?" "Three months for him to show up. If he doesn't by then, I'm taking the military and the Night Guard with me on a hunt. We will find him, and give him two choices; to live in the palace so we can keep a watchful eye on him, or to be banished from Equestria forever," Celestia remained silent. Technically, Luna was allowed to do this. They were equal in political power, or at least they were supposed to be. She would have to agree to the terms, as she couldn't command her sister like this. She nodded to her sister, "He will turn up," she told the younger alicorn, more of a hopeful sentiment than a statement. "I hope he does, for your sake," she replied, coldness dripping from her words. She stalked away, probably off to bed. Celestia sighed. She doesn't understand... She trotted to her chambers to think. Was Luna right? Or was it really better to leave Discord be? Discord... She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She would see what would happen at the end of three months. Replies "Would you like one lump or two?" the mare's voice was old and drab. Why was she hearing that one in her thoughts, and not just her own? "Huh?" "Your tea, Princess. One lump of sugar, or two?" an older gray maned unicorn looked up to the alicorn, sugar cubes in her magic grasp. "Oh, sorry. I was.. lost in my thoughts. One please," the Princess replied hastily. Whoops. She was thinking of the arguments she'd had with her sister earlier. And the missing embodiment of Chaos of course. The unicorn didn't seem to take any notice to the worry that edged the alicorn's voice, and just put a lump of sugar into the tea. She lifted it to her with her magic, and Celestia took it with her own. "Thank you," "Of course, your Majesty," Soon, all the assortment of Canterlot nobles and guests dropped into deep conversation. Celestia only caught bits and pieces, even though they were right there at the same table as she was. "Did you hear? She had a-" "And he had the nerve to say," "And then SHE had thought that he'd meant-" The princess soon drowned out the hum of the conversations with her thoughts once more. What would she do if Discord showed up before the three months deadline? What if he didn't? Which was the safer choice for her country? Was Luna actually the right one? Has my kindness made me too soft? Blinded me from the right choices? All the while she was sipping her tea. Mmmm, this is good. "What do you think, Princess?" Celestia heard the voice, and looked to an orange stallion with a black mane. "Hmm? Sorry, I don't think I heard you," she apologized quickly. She gave herself a mental face-hoof. She was probably coming off as incredibly rude. "We were wondering what you thought of Princess Luna's announcement," piped up an earth pony mare, yellow eyes dancing with curiosity. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," she answered, now intrigued. What had her sister said with out her knowing? Some of the group seemed to shift uncomfortably, while the others murmured among themselves. "Your Highness's sister made an announcement this morning, shortly after the morning court had ended," the mare who had served her tea spoke up. "Yes, she made an appearance at Town Square in Canterlot," the stallion who had asked the question added. "I am interested to know what she said," she thought aloud. "Why don't you tell me what she said while we finish our tea?" "Ponies of Canterlot!" Cameras flashed around the princess, and reporters readied their pencils and pens. "And Ponies of Equestria! As you all may know, a creature known as a draconequus now roams free in our lands. Discord, master of Chaos, was recently brought to our side as an ally by the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy," Murmurs shot out through the crowd. That was old news. "But not many of you will know that he has disappeared," she continued. Gasps were now heard, and the murmurs turned from soft conversations to sharp exclamations. "We have no reason the believe that he has done any thing wrong, however, and shall be given a total of three months, starting today, to turn up. If he does not, it will be taken as a sign of hostility, and will be either treated as a prisoner or be banished from our beloved country," More murmurs. "Being citizens of Equestria, you had the right to know of this. There is no reason to panic though, as he still seems to be on our side," For now... The reporters seemed to be scribbling furiously on their notepads, and the photographers taking pictures every second. Luna took a look about the crowd. There were a few faces of fear, as expected, but most just seemed to be filled with interest. Good. "That is all. Good day," she ended her short speech, and flew up into the air, and away to the palace. She watched from the sky as the crowd dispersed, ponies chattering among themselves. Hopefully, this would make the stupid beast show up. Even though she had made it seem like she was ready to fight, and she was, she honestly didn't want to. With all the major attacks on Equestria--mostly Ponyville and Canterlot--she didn't think another battle of sorts would be good for them. Yes, they had an amazing army, both parts of the Royal Guard, the Elements of Harmony, and an additional alicorn--and even help from Cadance's Crystal Empire if they really needed it--but, as much as it pained her to think it, her sister had been right. Discord would still be a more than formidable opponent. Especially since they had nothing to surprise him with this time. She soon reached her room's balcony, and landed on it with a yawn. Celestia had woken her up to tell her the worrisome news, and she was very tired. Now, she could finally go back to sleep! For a few hours that is. She'd have to get her sister back, and soon. "And that's what she said," the orange stallion completed summarizing the younger alicorn's speech. "So what are your thoughts on the matter?" the grey maned mare asked. Celestia thought for a moment. Choosing her words carefully, she replied, "What she said was true. There is no need to worry for now, as he has not posed a threat by simply going missing. For all we know, he could be in trouble himself," "But if he doesn't turn up?" "Then Luna will lead a search for him. She will give him the two choices that she spoke of, and he will choose. If he retaliates, we will be ready," The nobles murmured among themselves, approving of her response. She let out and inward sigh of relief. They soon went back to babbling about so-and-so's baby, and how whats-his-face did what, and Celestia was careful to interact and pay attention this time. As she listened to a mare talk about her husband, something caught the alicorn's eye. A large, tan butterfly. Wait- is that made of parchment? As it drew closer, she saw that it was. A large butterfly made of parchment. She held out a hoof to it, ignoring the nobles once again, and it settled down on it's given perch. She brought it closer to herself, up to her face, and inspected it. It gave two flutters, then remained still. Oh no! I've killed it! She thought worriedly, and sadness for the strange creature was reflected in her eyes. Sadness was soon replaced with surprise though, as the parchment creature started to morph. Its wings spread out and melded together, becoming something of a long rectangle. It floated up a few inches off the princess's hoof and continued to grow. It then rolled itself up, like a scroll. No, it was a scroll. A yellow ribbon appeared out of thin air and tied itself neatly around the scroll. As soon as the magical occurrence was complete, the scroll started to fall. Celestia quickly caught it up with her magic, then looked to her guests who had been watching the entire time. Each face held a look of surprise and wonder, and some even confusion. It was definitely more elaborate than how she had received letters from Twilight. "Excuse me," she began, eyes locked on the yellow ribbon. "I believe that I must take my leave now. I am sorry for my early departure- you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish," She got up to her hooves and walked away, scroll following her by her side. She didn't hear the loud whispers of her guests; she wasn't even thinking about them. All thoughts were on the scroll and the yellow ribbon. She soon walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. Slowly, she un-tied the bright yellow ribbon, and set it gently on her desk. Still rolled up, she brought the scroll with her to her bed. She set it down in front of her, contemplating whether or not she should read it. What was on it? Why didn't she just unfurl the darn thing like she did with so many other scrolls everyday? Why was this one different? You know why she thought. And she did. It was the yellow ribbon that did it. It reminded her of something, something from long ago. Back when she had to deal with bedmane. Back before she was ruler of Equestria. Back before... She stopped herself. The memories were far too painful to think about now. Not with Luna on slightly bad terms with her. Not with Discord missing. She picked up the letter once more, her magic aura igniting with a spark as she levitated it into the air. She unrolled it quickly, as if she were afraid that if she went too slow, it would go missing just like the one who had written the letter. She took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and started to read. Celestia, I hope you guessed who this is by now. Are you surprised I remembered the ribbon? Its not the same one, of course. I couldn't give up that one so easily. I still remember the day you gave it to me, way back when. Hey, I may have a lot going on up here, or maybe not enough, but I could never forget something like that. It's hard for me to forget anything, really. But enough with the sappy sentiments. I suppose you've noticed I'm missing by now. Those ponies you sent to watch me weren't very good at their job. A group of fillies could have done better! Hahaha, they're probably all running to and fro just because they have no idea where I am. I really am important, aren't I? I didn't know they cared so much for my well being. Any-who, just thought that maybe you'd want to hear from me--or rather 'read' from me, that is. I'm just... taking some time alone to think. Fluttershy may have 'brought me to your side', but I'm just trying to figure out what that means. Or if I'm even welcome. Really Celestia, did you think I would forget the great FUN I'd had? Wreaking chaos as I please? Just give me your answer. One no, and I'll leave Equestria at will forever. -Discord Lord of Chaos P.S. Tie the Ribbon around your scroll to send a reply! As she read the last sentence, the scroll deteriorated into parchment rose petals, littering her bed with paper. She didn't know whether to be angry, surprised, or relieved. In the end, she was just confused. The tone of his letter... it had seem confused itself, like it wasn't sure what it was saying. One moment, it was serious, the other playful, and the next it was as careless as ever! What was he trying to say? In frustration, she picked up the parchment petals and threw them out the window with her magic. She then ran to the window to watch them fall, thinking that she might take them back. Discord never failed to surprise her. The parchment was turning into real red rose petals as they fell, and they seemed to be multiplying. Soon it was as if the Royal Gardens--What Celestia's room had a view of--were subject to a shower of rose petals. Crap! she thought, regretting what she'd done. The cleaning crew wasn't going to be happy when they found piles of petals everywhere in the garden. In fact, neither would the gardeners. Maybe she could play this off as one of Luna's pranks... no, not now. Not with how things are between her and her sister. Not while Discord was missing. Damn you, Discord! she thought angrily. The alicorn turned away from the window with a sigh, and her eyes caught on to the yellow ribbon. It hadn't made a mess or flown away. She drew closer to put it away somewhere as a strange memento, before remembering the last part of the letter. A reply, huh? a small smile crept its way onto her face. Her eyes danced with excitement at the given challenge as she sat down at her desk and began to write. Discord had started the game, and she would win. Back Then The warm scent of pumpkin spices wafted through the air, the misty aroma reaching the nostrils of the various creatures littering the tiny cottage that rested at the edge of the Everfree Forest. The smell was calming and sweet to the animals, almost as if they were drinking the tea themselves. But that didn't mean that all of them had to enjoy it. In fact, a certain little bunny HATED it. But it wasn’t so much the smell that angered him, but the reason it was there. Yes, Angel was a smart little bunny. He saw his mistress’s guest enter his domain, and violate his boundaries as he tread into the kitchen. It was because of him, that thing, that Fluttershy had made the sweet smelling tea. He crept into the kitchen, his soft little paw muffling any sound that the steps could have made. With a powerful leap with his legs, he bounded up onto a counter. His beady eyes glared at the creature as it sipped its tea, belly sickening at its cheery smiles and laughs that it shared with his mistress. Utter hatred emanated from the small fluffy creature, that it would be unbelievable to those watching him. Yet somehow, no one ever was. Except maybe a certain small dragon… He really didn’t like this guy. He didn’t like how he looked. He didn’t like how he was in his house. He didn’t like that he was talking to Fluttershy. He didn’t like that Fluttershy was giving him attention. Most of all, he didn’t like how Fluttershy wasn’t giving HIM attention! But that wasn’t all. Cold shivers ran down his spine as he remembered the first day the thing had showed up. It had treated him so horribly! Like it thought that it was better than him! It had tormented him so… and embarrassed him like hell! More and more anger filled the bunny, thoughts only fuelling his rage. Suddenly, he pumped his tiny legs forward, propelling himself forward at top speed. A fuzzy ball of furry jetting off the counter is what he became, leaving only a few seconds for him to leap off the counter. He aimed to pounce onto the thing, and maybe claw his eyes or SOMETHING to get back at it! He jumped forward- -and landed inside of a rather large, multicolored bubble. He pounded his tiny fists against his floating prison walls, only to find that they were harder than rock. He let out a scream of rage, which entitled the creature to burst out laughing, mocking him. Fluttershy seemed to be worried about him, and he heard her ask him to let him out. His frown turned into a gleeful smile as a from formed on the creature's face. It snapped its fingers and the bubble popped, letting Angel fall to the floor. He fell onto his face, immediately jumping back to his feet. Although he was full of anger, he did his best to appear helpless as he forced fake tears to pour from his eyes. “Awww! Angel bunny!” he heard Fluttershy coo, “are you ok?” she leaned down from her chair to pick him up, and cradled the little ball of fuzz in her arms. “There you go, it’s alright. Fluttershy’s here.” He took a quick glance at his enemy, instantly glad that he did so. It was looking at him in displeasure, obviously sickened by the care that he was receiving. “Discord,” she began sternly, “please try to be just a bit more careful please? I’m not sure how much a small animal like Angel could take, and I wouldn’t want him to get hurt. You wouldn’t, right?” Angel looked at him head on this time, trying his best to appear as helpless as possible. He made some gagging noises, sad something in a bored and ‘aww, why not?’ tone, and nodded his head. Oh, how he was loving this! A huge smile shone on his face, pure happiness at his foe’s ‘defeat’. “Now see? He’s starting to trust you already!” his mistress said to her guest cheerily. It just huffed and said something sarcastic. “I’m just going to put him back in the living room, ok? I mean, if that’s alright with you… I’ll um, be right back…” she turned to skitter out of the room with the bunny on her back. Angel turned to the thing, a huge smirk resting across his face. Victory was reflected in his eyes as he was taken out of the room. He caught a glimpse of a scowl before rounding the corner. Ah yes, this felt good! He’d done his part in smiting the creature, and gotten attention from his favorite pony. Mission accomplished. Discord scowled as the foul creature known as a rabbit left the room. How could something so sweet an innocent looking be so... demonic? Looks really were deceiving. At this thought, he found himself laughing. He of all beings should know that! Every time he looked in the mirror, he was reminded of his strikingly odd appearance, his mismatched body part, the confusion his looks caused. Just how he liked it. He shrugged off the simple means of ‘revenge’ the bunny Angel had done, and decided that he’d get back at him later. He wouldn’t know what hit him! It’d have to be a harmless prank, of course, though. If he did anything more than letting the evil fuzz ball land on its face like he had earlier, Fluttershy would be disappointed in him. He still didn’t quite understand why that mattered to him. In some ways, he wanted her to feel that way about him. It seemed to appealing to him, so… fun. He had to force himself to see that the benefit wouldn’t be long lasting though. He’d already learned that the hard way when he’d first arrived here. Stupid friendship. He’d never thought he’d feel that again. Not after being so.. gone. Is that what he thought of it as? Gone? No, he’d always been this way at heart. He’d just been better at controlling his impulses back then. Back then… He thought for a moment. Had Celestia received his letter? Was she going to reply? Why did he care? Why did he care? You know exactly why, you old fool a voice said to him. It seemed to be taunting him with the truth. He cringed and ground his crooked teeth. Yes, he knew why. Why do you continue to believe in fantasies? the voice asked. I am the Lord of Chaos! I need no reason, he responded, utter defiance in his every thought. And who says they’re fantasies? I do. And so do you, it replied. Was that mockery he heard? Fantasies aren’t as unreal as you’d like to think! You’re talking to yourself. You think that too. He let out a sigh. He was right of course. He ALWAYS was! His frown turned into a smirk. Who knew what he could do if Celestia began to write to him! Who knew? Maybe he could turn her against her sister… no, too easy, and MUCH too overdone. Maybe it was Celestia’s turn to go villain? Nah, the goody-two-shoes didn’t have it in her. Oh! Maybe he could make her fall in love with him, so he could break her heart again! He faltered at the last thought, breaking himself loose from the mischievous planning rant. What in the name of all good chaos had he just thought? So I can break her heart again. No, that wasn’t right! He hadn’t done that! …Had he? Of course not! Why would he even want to? Because it would be hilarious! the voice seemed to scream, his mind echoing with its laughter. He shook his head violently, trying to clear his thoughts. (THAT was NEVER an easy thing to do.) Why had he written her again? What had he been compelled to tell her? “Hi! I’m so sorry if I took too long… I had to, um, get Angel a carrot, then the other animals got kinda jealous, so I had to feed them too… sorry…” she looked sideways at the ground. He couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, Fluttershy. You never fail to disappoint!” “Um… thanks?” she asked timidly, wondering if that were the right thing to say. “Haha, what I mean is- you don’t need to give in so easily. This IS your cottage by the way. Or did you forget? Those animals owe it to you to listen to you, you know,” She looked at him with shocked eyes. “But I wouldn’t want them to starve!” He rolled his eyes. “Of course you still feed them! They’d probably starve to death without you, the pitiful souls. Just feed them when you feel you need to! I’m pretty sure that’s how it works with a mother and her foals. And that’s what these free-loaders basically are- Foals!” Luckily, the mare had gotten used to his snarky and sarcastic nature, and wasn’t really bothered by his tone or words. She took what he’d intended to tell her from them, and acted as if that’s what he’d said all along. An amazing skill indeed. No wonder they got along much better than the others. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said softly, appreciating that he’d tried to help. She could tell they annoyed him immensely, but since he never said anything, neither did she. He obviously didn’t want to bring it up, and she wasn’t going to be the one to bother him about it. She sat back down at the table, and put on a happy smile. Discord couldn’t help but smile back. There were few who couldn’t. He cleared his throat. “Err, um, thanks for uh, not telling those ponies where I was..” he thanked her suddenly. Her cottage had been the first place they’d checked. All they’d done was ask her a few questions at the front door- they didn’t even search the place! They were just doing a swell job at finding him, weren’t they? “Oh, that was no problem,” she replied shyly, blushing. “They weren’t even that scary. They seemed like nice ponies… but they didn’t seem to be… all there?” she searched for the right words to fit the group. ‘Not all there’ was pretty darn close. “Yes, well thanks anyway,” he said again, voice back to its normal sound. They quietly finished their tea together, a friend in a friend's company. Even they didn't speak, each other's presence was welcome enough. For him, it was comforting, knowing that somepony who cared for you was near by. Even though he'd never admit it. Never in a million years! When he was done, he snapped away his tea cup, bid his good-byes, and flashed away to only he knew where. Fluttershy smiled as he left. He sure was changing. Well, maybe changing wasn't the right word. Understanding fit better, she was sure of it. Content with her conclusion, she got up, cleaned up her tea, and went to work with the critters. Dear Discord, I am glad that you have taken it into your consideration to write to me. You are correct in your deduction that we do, in fact, know that you have gone missing, even if the tracking team was a bit slow to report this. My sister, as well as a number of other officials, believes that your current state of location is dangerous to our well-being. You wouldn't go back on your own word, would you? The others seem convinced that you will; they say that it is your nature, like they know you. Know you better than I, Princess Celestia, who is far older than any of them, and has known you since you first came to Equestria. They seem to forget just how immortal Luna and I really are. On a slightly different topic, Luna is more... edgy about your disappearance than I am. She is being very cautious and protective of her nation, and thinks that you may be plotting against us. Forgive me when I say that I couldn't disagree with her one-hundred percent, but that is sadly the case. And you probably know why. But let's not get in to that now. I was wondering why you deemed it worthy of your time to write to me--and in such an elaborate way no less. I assume that it was not to tell me of your whereabouts, as you did not tell me, because you are not one to subject easily to the law, or simply those who believe that they have authority over you. Indeed, I think it humorous that the group gathered by High Chairman Dusty Scroll thought that they could keep a close eye on you, a creature who pays no dues to the rules of society. And Luna... well, let's just say that she thinks that she can make you appear to us with the threat of banishment. Oh, only the great stars truly know how you'd find a way to return from banishment if you really wanted to. Shape-shifting? Mind altering? The simple means of appealing to my loving sister? I am not sure why I find this topic so amusing. Forgive me if it causes you any discomfort. I realize that this letter is far longer than your own, and I apologize if you did not truly expect a reply... but here it is. I suppose you may reply if you wish--you can probably expect a reply to that one too. Happy wishes, Princess Celestia Discord read the letter, hanging on to every written word as if he could not believe their existence. Had she really written back? How could she have? Why would she want to? He gave himself a powerful slap, a hit that sent him flying upwards. Or, it had seemed to be upwards until he hit his head on the ground, landing with a thud on the floor. Or what ever it was called. For in fact, Discord was not in Ponyville. He wasn't even in Equestria. No, he was somewhere else, somewhere where ponykind had yet to tread. His own mind. It was more of a realm, really. A body couldn't be inside its own brain, could it? Whether or not this was true, he didn't care. He only knew that it was a place shaped by his imagination, and that was fine with him. Chaos was much more instantaneous here, making it much harder to control for even the lord of the power himself. That's the reason he didn't create it much when he came to the place. It happened on its own already- why make more when that took effort? Something else was doing it for him! He kicked back while floating in the air, a non-existent couch supporting him. Yes, this was the place to think. It satisfied his need for chaos--which was happening everywhere--and his need to concentrate. The nagging part of him that was always itching to cause some sort of mischief always seemed to be sedated here... which was a necessary evil in some cases. Now was probably one. So what was he to think? More importantly, what was he to do? Should he write her back? Or should he ignore the response, and pretend he never received it? Or just acknowledge its presence, and bluntly refuse to reply? Which was the best choice? The right choice? Stop being so serious the voice was back, as forceful as ever. You aren't about making the right choices. You make the best choices. For yourself.
Absence "Discord! Thou hast laid thy terror and chaos upon thine fair Equestria for far too long," a warning voice shot through the dimness of the throne room like a dagger, coming from the dark end of the room. "Thy tyranny shall end!" a second voice, seething with great hatred and disgust, was thrown out from the darkness, as if the mere brutality of the words could take a physical blow to the opposed creature in question. Out from the shadows, two alicorn mares stepped in slowly, guards up, and ready for a moments retaliation. One mare, the older of the two, stood tall and strong. Her white coat and pink mane made her stand out in the dark lighted room, making her easy to see. Her magenta eyes seemed to hold a certain air of sadness, yet her posture was defiant to the creature before her. The other mare, the younger, seemed to have an aura of hate and anger about her. Her form was in a position that was ready to pounce at a moment's notice, clearly wanting to get rid of the one they had spoken to. Her dark blue coat and violet-blue mane helped her meld with the darkness, increasing her dangerous appearance. Light and dark. Two sisters, ready to take the throne back from the embodiment of disharmony and chaos- Discord. "Oh, ahahahahaha! You've come to remove me from the throne, have you? Well, maybe 'Thou hast better-eth make-eth a better plan'," he cooed, mocking their speech. His every word brought a stab to his heart, yet he also enjoyed it at the same time. It was exhilarating to poke fun at ponies, even when he didn't really want to. A smile of confidence crept onto the younger sister's face. "Ah, but we DO have a plan- We shall smite thee with the Elements of Harmony!" "Thou shall be turned to stone," the older sister put in, her words not as harsh as the younger's, while stile holding firmness. Discord's heart turned cold and heavy. It seemed to skip a beat as he heard the words from the two alicorns. They were finally doing it. No more fun and games. This was the end. He couldn't stop them now. But that didn't mean that he couldn't have a bit of fun before he had to go. He stood up on the throne, looking down on the sisters. "And why should I, the King of Chaos, be afraid of a little Harmony?" he was chuckling, as if a little filly had claimed that they were going to defeat him with a wooden sword. "Thou shall just wait and see," responded the younger sister before charging forward. The elder followed suite. They ran and ran, yet they appeared to get no closer. It was as if they were on a treadmill, running hard but going no where. The draconequus laughed heartily, amused at their predicament. The younger let out an angry growl, "DISCORD! THOU SHOULD STOP PLAYING THY CHILDISH GAMES!" she leaped into the air, only to find that her sister had already done so. The gave each other a sideways nod before zooming forward. "Of all the times I've tried to please you~" he had started to sing. Why not make your exit dramatic? He disappeared just as they were about to reach him, reappearing behind them. "I'd have to say that this time was the worst~" as they turned around, he flew away, his small unmatched wings some how carrying him across the room. "Yet I suppose I haven't tried hard this time~" he sang as he flew, the alicorns quickly catching up. "Now it is time for me to go~" He landed in the center of the throne room, standing on the floor. The sisters landed before him, preparing their final attack. "Just always remember my NAMMEEEEE~!" He drew out the last word as long as he could. The room echoed with his voice as he was turned to stone by the two alicorns. Luna drew back and snorted. The pompous draconequus had stricken a pose for his grand finally. Celestia stepped forward to take the crown from his head. "Good bye, Discord..." she whispered, leaning to speak in his ear for just a second. The crown was taken from his head with her magic, and tossed onto the ground. This was the end of the rein of Chaos. The temporary end of Discord. The end of something special. Every morning was exactly the same. Wake up. Get ready. Raise the Sun. Celestia yawned, tired as always. She had seen a magazine article the other day that had said something about alicorns not needing any sleep. Oh how she wished by the mighty stars of Equestria that was true! She had to wake up SUPER early to raise the Sun, which was tiring in itself, every morning, leaving no days for her to sleep in. Ever. She rolled out of bed slowly. Luna would probably be waiting already. She stood up, slipped on her various garments, and checked her appearance in the mirror. One good thing about her flowy mane was that she never had to worry about bedmane. She cringed when she thought about her old, pink mane. That thing had been very thick, long, and prone to large tangles. And TERRIBLE bedmane. That was one thing she didn't have to worry about in the morning anymore. She walked into her bath room, and brushed her teeth. A princess's teeth had to be nice and shiny, right? Plus, she didn't think she could live with dirty teeth. The very idea repulsed her. Yellow teeth Yuck. She had once seen an old mare with a jaw filled with such a haphazard arrangement of teeth, that she had wondered how the old crone was speaking. Don't think like that! she thought, scolding herself. It wasn't right to judge somepony for their looks, or to call elder mares crones! Luna must be getting to me. After the Nightmare Night disaster, Luna had adapted much faster to the modern language and social ways. Maybe a little too much. All nice and ready, the white mare walked out onto her balcony, and jumped up into the air. She took flight easily, and flew up to a large platform, up at the highest point of the castle. Uh oh, she thought, spotting her sister, looks like I've kept Luna waiting. The princess of the night had spotted her sister, and was scowling at her. "What took you so long?" she asked, tone impatient, as Celestia landed on the platform. "I suppose I was just thinking a bit, little sister," she replied, smiling warmly. "Well, let's get the morning going!" her tone had changed to a more playful one as she shot into the air laughing. That's my Luna The elder alicorn sped after her, high into the air. "Ready?" she asked. "Of course!" They hovered side by side, concentrating. Both horns began to glow, and as Celestia rose upwards, Luna went downwards. The two great celestial bodies followed their masters obediently, like two great dogs listening to a call. The stars simply followed the moon, as a sheep do the head ram. And then it was morning. "-and THAT concludes our monthly report!" Celestia had just finished listening to a three hour presentation by the cities's committee, or what ever they called themselves. Just things like 'this memorial should go here' or 'the crime rate has gotten to a record low, even for Equestria!' And even though she had to admit it was quite boring, she wouldn't miss this report for almost anything. It let her know how her little ponies were faring, and what they had accomplished. She liked hearing what they'd done for Equestria, and themselves. The group of mares and stallions shuffled out of the throne room, murmuring and debating on whether or not some town should be considered a city now or something. The princess of the Sun sighed contently. Her little ponies were doing well. Knock Knock Knock Mmhh, who could that be? "Permission to enter!" she called out, curious to see who it was. The door was pushed open, and a single dark blue stallion walked in. He wore the armor of the Equestrian military, which sparked interest in the Princess. He trotted towards the princess, and bowed. "I am Captain Coded Message," he began, introducing himself. "The High Chairman Dusty Scroll sent me to give you an important message." "He is still in the Hospital I presume?" "Yes, your highness," he replied. "What did he want you to tell me?" "He said that the group watching Discord hasn't seen him since the last time you, Princess, saw him. And to give you this," he handed her an envelope bearing Dusty Scroll's signature. Celestia grasped the letter in her magic, and her eyes narrowed. "Thank you, Coded Message. You may go now," she murmured, opening the letter. He gave her a respectful nod, bowed once more, and left the room. When the door closed, she began to read the letter. "Dear Princess Celestia, I write to you in what may be urgent, or what may be a simple blunder by on of my subordinates. As the Captain probably told you, the team I had deployed to keep an eye on the mischievousness Discord has reported to have seen no sign of him anywhere. When this happened, they told me immediately, and I sent them to ask around the major areas of Equestria. They reported back with the same results. So, either our mismatched friend really has disappeared, or my team has made a mistake. Either way, I thought I'd let you know. Sincerely, High Chairman Dusty Scroll" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HE'S MISSING?!?" ah, the Royal Canterlot voice. Celestia had thought that Luna had finally stopped using it. Oh well. "It may have been a simple mistake by Dusty Scroll's team," she replied, reminding her sister of the High Chairman's words. "A simple mistake? That is not a simple mistake, sister. How can you misplace a large draconequus?" "Even if he is missing, he hasn't caused any harm," "That we know of," "Didn't Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, bring him to our side? I was there when he told me himself-" "Celestia!" Luna interrupted her sister, mild anger in her eyes. "Stop defending him! Do you not remember what he did?" The elder alicorn's eyes took on an air of offense. "Luna. I have never defended him. I am pointing out simple truths and facts. Why treat Discord as a prisoner when he is willingly on our side now? If we search for him now, it will look to him as if we are trying to take him by force," "But we should! He is not to be trusted!" "Let me repeat myself. He is willingly on our side. Any ill-will towards him may entice him to attack Equestria in an act of self defense, or in a belief that it was a challenge or provocation," The younger sister snorted. "Sister, are you afraid?" "For the safety of my little ponies? For my sister's safety? For the safety of all those I love? Yes, Luna. I am afraid," "Equestria is peaceful, yet strong. Or do you forget? The Elements are more powerful than ever since they made their way to their embodiments, and Twilight is a new alicorn! It may not seem like it at times, but we have a lot of fire power on our side" "Discord is not a being to challenge with shear force, and you know that. He is more cunning than a fox, and craftier than any thing we know of. His imagination is unmatched, and can make it come to life at will! He is chaos, and Equestria is a country of harmony," "All the more reason he shouldn't be welcome here," Silence. She may as well have just lost the argument. She'd contradicted herself some how, and Luna was quick to point it out. "Three months," the younger sister suddenly said. "...what?" "Three months for him to show up. If he doesn't by then, I'm taking the military and the Night Guard with me on a hunt. We will find him, and give him two choices; to live in the palace so we can keep a watchful eye on him, or to be banished from Equestria forever," Celestia remained silent. Technically, Luna was allowed to do this. They were equal in political power, or at least they were supposed to be. She would have to agree to the terms, as she couldn't command her sister like this. She nodded to her sister, "He will turn up," she told the younger alicorn, more of a hopeful sentiment than a statement. "I hope he does, for your sake," she replied, coldness dripping from her words. She stalked away, probably off to bed. Celestia sighed. She doesn't understand... She trotted to her chambers to think. Was Luna right? Or was it really better to leave Discord be? Discord... She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She would see what would happen at the end of three months.
Replies "Would you like one lump or two?" the mare's voice was old and drab. Why was she hearing that one in her thoughts, and not just her own? "Huh?" "Your tea, Princess. One lump of sugar, or two?" an older gray maned unicorn looked up to the alicorn, sugar cubes in her magic grasp. "Oh, sorry. I was.. lost in my thoughts. One please," the Princess replied hastily. Whoops. She was thinking of the arguments she'd had with her sister earlier. And the missing embodiment of Chaos of course. The unicorn didn't seem to take any notice to the worry that edged the alicorn's voice, and just put a lump of sugar into the tea. She lifted it to her with her magic, and Celestia took it with her own. "Thank you," "Of course, your Majesty," Soon, all the assortment of Canterlot nobles and guests dropped into deep conversation. Celestia only caught bits and pieces, even though they were right there at the same table as she was. "Did you hear? She had a-" "And he had the nerve to say," "And then SHE had thought that he'd meant-" The princess soon drowned out the hum of the conversations with her thoughts once more. What would she do if Discord showed up before the three months deadline? What if he didn't? Which was the safer choice for her country? Was Luna actually the right one? Has my kindness made me too soft? Blinded me from the right choices? All the while she was sipping her tea. Mmmm, this is good. "What do you think, Princess?" Celestia heard the voice, and looked to an orange stallion with a black mane. "Hmm? Sorry, I don't think I heard you," she apologized quickly. She gave herself a mental face-hoof. She was probably coming off as incredibly rude. "We were wondering what you thought of Princess Luna's announcement," piped up an earth pony mare, yellow eyes dancing with curiosity. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," she answered, now intrigued. What had her sister said with out her knowing? Some of the group seemed to shift uncomfortably, while the others murmured among themselves. "Your Highness's sister made an announcement this morning, shortly after the morning court had ended," the mare who had served her tea spoke up. "Yes, she made an appearance at Town Square in Canterlot," the stallion who had asked the question added. "I am interested to know what she said," she thought aloud. "Why don't you tell me what she said while we finish our tea?" "Ponies of Canterlot!" Cameras flashed around the princess, and reporters readied their pencils and pens. "And Ponies of Equestria! As you all may know, a creature known as a draconequus now roams free in our lands. Discord, master of Chaos, was recently brought to our side as an ally by the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy," Murmurs shot out through the crowd. That was old news. "But not many of you will know that he has disappeared," she continued. Gasps were now heard, and the murmurs turned from soft conversations to sharp exclamations. "We have no reason the believe that he has done any thing wrong, however, and shall be given a total of three months, starting today, to turn up. If he does not, it will be taken as a sign of hostility, and will be either treated as a prisoner or be banished from our beloved country," More murmurs. "Being citizens of Equestria, you had the right to know of this. There is no reason to panic though, as he still seems to be on our side," For now... The reporters seemed to be scribbling furiously on their notepads, and the photographers taking pictures every second. Luna took a look about the crowd. There were a few faces of fear, as expected, but most just seemed to be filled with interest. Good. "That is all. Good day," she ended her short speech, and flew up into the air, and away to the palace. She watched from the sky as the crowd dispersed, ponies chattering among themselves. Hopefully, this would make the stupid beast show up. Even though she had made it seem like she was ready to fight, and she was, she honestly didn't want to. With all the major attacks on Equestria--mostly Ponyville and Canterlot--she didn't think another battle of sorts would be good for them. Yes, they had an amazing army, both parts of the Royal Guard, the Elements of Harmony, and an additional alicorn--and even help from Cadance's Crystal Empire if they really needed it--but, as much as it pained her to think it, her sister had been right. Discord would still be a more than formidable opponent. Especially since they had nothing to surprise him with this time. She soon reached her room's balcony, and landed on it with a yawn. Celestia had woken her up to tell her the worrisome news, and she was very tired. Now, she could finally go back to sleep! For a few hours that is. She'd have to get her sister back, and soon. "And that's what she said," the orange stallion completed summarizing the younger alicorn's speech. "So what are your thoughts on the matter?" the grey maned mare asked. Celestia thought for a moment. Choosing her words carefully, she replied, "What she said was true. There is no need to worry for now, as he has not posed a threat by simply going missing. For all we know, he could be in trouble himself," "But if he doesn't turn up?" "Then Luna will lead a search for him. She will give him the two choices that she spoke of, and he will choose. If he retaliates, we will be ready," The nobles murmured among themselves, approving of her response. She let out and inward sigh of relief. They soon went back to babbling about so-and-so's baby, and how whats-his-face did what, and Celestia was careful to interact and pay attention this time. As she listened to a mare talk about her husband, something caught the alicorn's eye. A large, tan butterfly. Wait- is that made of parchment? As it drew closer, she saw that it was. A large butterfly made of parchment. She held out a hoof to it, ignoring the nobles once again, and it settled down on it's given perch. She brought it closer to herself, up to her face, and inspected it. It gave two flutters, then remained still. Oh no! I've killed it! She thought worriedly, and sadness for the strange creature was reflected in her eyes. Sadness was soon replaced with surprise though, as the parchment creature started to morph. Its wings spread out and melded together, becoming something of a long rectangle. It floated up a few inches off the princess's hoof and continued to grow. It then rolled itself up, like a scroll. No, it was a scroll. A yellow ribbon appeared out of thin air and tied itself neatly around the scroll. As soon as the magical occurrence was complete, the scroll started to fall. Celestia quickly caught it up with her magic, then looked to her guests who had been watching the entire time. Each face held a look of surprise and wonder, and some even confusion. It was definitely more elaborate than how she had received letters from Twilight. "Excuse me," she began, eyes locked on the yellow ribbon. "I believe that I must take my leave now. I am sorry for my early departure- you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish," She got up to her hooves and walked away, scroll following her by her side. She didn't hear the loud whispers of her guests; she wasn't even thinking about them. All thoughts were on the scroll and the yellow ribbon. She soon walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. Slowly, she un-tied the bright yellow ribbon, and set it gently on her desk. Still rolled up, she brought the scroll with her to her bed. She set it down in front of her, contemplating whether or not she should read it. What was on it? Why didn't she just unfurl the darn thing like she did with so many other scrolls everyday? Why was this one different? You know why she thought. And she did. It was the yellow ribbon that did it. It reminded her of something, something from long ago. Back when she had to deal with bedmane. Back before she was ruler of Equestria. Back before... She stopped herself. The memories were far too painful to think about now. Not with Luna on slightly bad terms with her. Not with Discord missing. She picked up the letter once more, her magic aura igniting with a spark as she levitated it into the air. She unrolled it quickly, as if she were afraid that if she went too slow, it would go missing just like the one who had written the letter. She took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and started to read. Celestia, I hope you guessed who this is by now. Are you surprised I remembered the ribbon? Its not the same one, of course. I couldn't give up that one so easily. I still remember the day you gave it to me, way back when. Hey, I may have a lot going on up here, or maybe not enough, but I could never forget something like that. It's hard for me to forget anything, really. But enough with the sappy sentiments. I suppose you've noticed I'm missing by now. Those ponies you sent to watch me weren't very good at their job. A group of fillies could have done better! Hahaha, they're probably all running to and fro just because they have no idea where I am. I really am important, aren't I? I didn't know they cared so much for my well being. Any-who, just thought that maybe you'd want to hear from me--or rather 'read' from me, that is. I'm just... taking some time alone to think. Fluttershy may have 'brought me to your side', but I'm just trying to figure out what that means. Or if I'm even welcome. Really Celestia, did you think I would forget the great FUN I'd had? Wreaking chaos as I please? Just give me your answer. One no, and I'll leave Equestria at will forever. -Discord Lord of Chaos P.S. Tie the Ribbon around your scroll to send a reply! As she read the last sentence, the scroll deteriorated into parchment rose petals, littering her bed with paper. She didn't know whether to be angry, surprised, or relieved. In the end, she was just confused. The tone of his letter... it had seem confused itself, like it wasn't sure what it was saying. One moment, it was serious, the other playful, and the next it was as careless as ever! What was he trying to say? In frustration, she picked up the parchment petals and threw them out the window with her magic. She then ran to the window to watch them fall, thinking that she might take them back. Discord never failed to surprise her. The parchment was turning into real red rose petals as they fell, and they seemed to be multiplying. Soon it was as if the Royal Gardens--What Celestia's room had a view of--were subject to a shower of rose petals. Crap! she thought, regretting what she'd done. The cleaning crew wasn't going to be happy when they found piles of petals everywhere in the garden. In fact, neither would the gardeners. Maybe she could play this off as one of Luna's pranks... no, not now. Not with how things are between her and her sister. Not while Discord was missing. Damn you, Discord! she thought angrily. The alicorn turned away from the window with a sigh, and her eyes caught on to the yellow ribbon. It hadn't made a mess or flown away. She drew closer to put it away somewhere as a strange memento, before remembering the last part of the letter. A reply, huh? a small smile crept its way onto her face. Her eyes danced with excitement at the given challenge as she sat down at her desk and began to write. Discord had started the game, and she would win.
Back Then The warm scent of pumpkin spices wafted through the air, the misty aroma reaching the nostrils of the various creatures littering the tiny cottage that rested at the edge of the Everfree Forest. The smell was calming and sweet to the animals, almost as if they were drinking the tea themselves. But that didn't mean that all of them had to enjoy it. In fact, a certain little bunny HATED it. But it wasn’t so much the smell that angered him, but the reason it was there. Yes, Angel was a smart little bunny. He saw his mistress’s guest enter his domain, and violate his boundaries as he tread into the kitchen. It was because of him, that thing, that Fluttershy had made the sweet smelling tea. He crept into the kitchen, his soft little paw muffling any sound that the steps could have made. With a powerful leap with his legs, he bounded up onto a counter. His beady eyes glared at the creature as it sipped its tea, belly sickening at its cheery smiles and laughs that it shared with his mistress. Utter hatred emanated from the small fluffy creature, that it would be unbelievable to those watching him. Yet somehow, no one ever was. Except maybe a certain small dragon… He really didn’t like this guy. He didn’t like how he looked. He didn’t like how he was in his house. He didn’t like that he was talking to Fluttershy. He didn’t like that Fluttershy was giving him attention. Most of all, he didn’t like how Fluttershy wasn’t giving HIM attention! But that wasn’t all. Cold shivers ran down his spine as he remembered the first day the thing had showed up. It had treated him so horribly! Like it thought that it was better than him! It had tormented him so… and embarrassed him like hell! More and more anger filled the bunny, thoughts only fuelling his rage. Suddenly, he pumped his tiny legs forward, propelling himself forward at top speed. A fuzzy ball of furry jetting off the counter is what he became, leaving only a few seconds for him to leap off the counter. He aimed to pounce onto the thing, and maybe claw his eyes or SOMETHING to get back at it! He jumped forward- -and landed inside of a rather large, multicolored bubble. He pounded his tiny fists against his floating prison walls, only to find that they were harder than rock. He let out a scream of rage, which entitled the creature to burst out laughing, mocking him. Fluttershy seemed to be worried about him, and he heard her ask him to let him out. His frown turned into a gleeful smile as a from formed on the creature's face. It snapped its fingers and the bubble popped, letting Angel fall to the floor. He fell onto his face, immediately jumping back to his feet. Although he was full of anger, he did his best to appear helpless as he forced fake tears to pour from his eyes. “Awww! Angel bunny!” he heard Fluttershy coo, “are you ok?” she leaned down from her chair to pick him up, and cradled the little ball of fuzz in her arms. “There you go, it’s alright. Fluttershy’s here.” He took a quick glance at his enemy, instantly glad that he did so. It was looking at him in displeasure, obviously sickened by the care that he was receiving. “Discord,” she began sternly, “please try to be just a bit more careful please? I’m not sure how much a small animal like Angel could take, and I wouldn’t want him to get hurt. You wouldn’t, right?” Angel looked at him head on this time, trying his best to appear as helpless as possible. He made some gagging noises, sad something in a bored and ‘aww, why not?’ tone, and nodded his head. Oh, how he was loving this! A huge smile shone on his face, pure happiness at his foe’s ‘defeat’. “Now see? He’s starting to trust you already!” his mistress said to her guest cheerily. It just huffed and said something sarcastic. “I’m just going to put him back in the living room, ok? I mean, if that’s alright with you… I’ll um, be right back…” she turned to skitter out of the room with the bunny on her back. Angel turned to the thing, a huge smirk resting across his face. Victory was reflected in his eyes as he was taken out of the room. He caught a glimpse of a scowl before rounding the corner. Ah yes, this felt good! He’d done his part in smiting the creature, and gotten attention from his favorite pony. Mission accomplished. Discord scowled as the foul creature known as a rabbit left the room. How could something so sweet an innocent looking be so... demonic? Looks really were deceiving. At this thought, he found himself laughing. He of all beings should know that! Every time he looked in the mirror, he was reminded of his strikingly odd appearance, his mismatched body part, the confusion his looks caused. Just how he liked it. He shrugged off the simple means of ‘revenge’ the bunny Angel had done, and decided that he’d get back at him later. He wouldn’t know what hit him! It’d have to be a harmless prank, of course, though. If he did anything more than letting the evil fuzz ball land on its face like he had earlier, Fluttershy would be disappointed in him. He still didn’t quite understand why that mattered to him. In some ways, he wanted her to feel that way about him. It seemed to appealing to him, so… fun. He had to force himself to see that the benefit wouldn’t be long lasting though. He’d already learned that the hard way when he’d first arrived here. Stupid friendship. He’d never thought he’d feel that again. Not after being so.. gone. Is that what he thought of it as? Gone? No, he’d always been this way at heart. He’d just been better at controlling his impulses back then. Back then… He thought for a moment. Had Celestia received his letter? Was she going to reply? Why did he care? Why did he care? You know exactly why, you old fool a voice said to him. It seemed to be taunting him with the truth. He cringed and ground his crooked teeth. Yes, he knew why. Why do you continue to believe in fantasies? the voice asked. I am the Lord of Chaos! I need no reason, he responded, utter defiance in his every thought. And who says they’re fantasies? I do. And so do you, it replied. Was that mockery he heard? Fantasies aren’t as unreal as you’d like to think! You’re talking to yourself. You think that too. He let out a sigh. He was right of course. He ALWAYS was! His frown turned into a smirk. Who knew what he could do if Celestia began to write to him! Who knew? Maybe he could turn her against her sister… no, too easy, and MUCH too overdone. Maybe it was Celestia’s turn to go villain? Nah, the goody-two-shoes didn’t have it in her. Oh! Maybe he could make her fall in love with him, so he could break her heart again! He faltered at the last thought, breaking himself loose from the mischievous planning rant. What in the name of all good chaos had he just thought? So I can break her heart again. No, that wasn’t right! He hadn’t done that! …Had he? Of course not! Why would he even want to? Because it would be hilarious! the voice seemed to scream, his mind echoing with its laughter. He shook his head violently, trying to clear his thoughts. (THAT was NEVER an easy thing to do.) Why had he written her again? What had he been compelled to tell her? “Hi! I’m so sorry if I took too long… I had to, um, get Angel a carrot, then the other animals got kinda jealous, so I had to feed them too… sorry…” she looked sideways at the ground. He couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, Fluttershy. You never fail to disappoint!” “Um… thanks?” she asked timidly, wondering if that were the right thing to say. “Haha, what I mean is- you don’t need to give in so easily. This IS your cottage by the way. Or did you forget? Those animals owe it to you to listen to you, you know,” She looked at him with shocked eyes. “But I wouldn’t want them to starve!” He rolled his eyes. “Of course you still feed them! They’d probably starve to death without you, the pitiful souls. Just feed them when you feel you need to! I’m pretty sure that’s how it works with a mother and her foals. And that’s what these free-loaders basically are- Foals!” Luckily, the mare had gotten used to his snarky and sarcastic nature, and wasn’t really bothered by his tone or words. She took what he’d intended to tell her from them, and acted as if that’s what he’d said all along. An amazing skill indeed. No wonder they got along much better than the others. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said softly, appreciating that he’d tried to help. She could tell they annoyed him immensely, but since he never said anything, neither did she. He obviously didn’t want to bring it up, and she wasn’t going to be the one to bother him about it. She sat back down at the table, and put on a happy smile. Discord couldn’t help but smile back. There were few who couldn’t. He cleared his throat. “Err, um, thanks for uh, not telling those ponies where I was..” he thanked her suddenly. Her cottage had been the first place they’d checked. All they’d done was ask her a few questions at the front door- they didn’t even search the place! They were just doing a swell job at finding him, weren’t they? “Oh, that was no problem,” she replied shyly, blushing. “They weren’t even that scary. They seemed like nice ponies… but they didn’t seem to be… all there?” she searched for the right words to fit the group. ‘Not all there’ was pretty darn close. “Yes, well thanks anyway,” he said again, voice back to its normal sound. They quietly finished their tea together, a friend in a friend's company. Even they didn't speak, each other's presence was welcome enough. For him, it was comforting, knowing that somepony who cared for you was near by. Even though he'd never admit it. Never in a million years! When he was done, he snapped away his tea cup, bid his good-byes, and flashed away to only he knew where. Fluttershy smiled as he left. He sure was changing. Well, maybe changing wasn't the right word. Understanding fit better, she was sure of it. Content with her conclusion, she got up, cleaned up her tea, and went to work with the critters. Dear Discord, I am glad that you have taken it into your consideration to write to me. You are correct in your deduction that we do, in fact, know that you have gone missing, even if the tracking team was a bit slow to report this. My sister, as well as a number of other officials, believes that your current state of location is dangerous to our well-being. You wouldn't go back on your own word, would you? The others seem convinced that you will; they say that it is your nature, like they know you. Know you better than I, Princess Celestia, who is far older than any of them, and has known you since you first came to Equestria. They seem to forget just how immortal Luna and I really are. On a slightly different topic, Luna is more... edgy about your disappearance than I am. She is being very cautious and protective of her nation, and thinks that you may be plotting against us. Forgive me when I say that I couldn't disagree with her one-hundred percent, but that is sadly the case. And you probably know why. But let's not get in to that now. I was wondering why you deemed it worthy of your time to write to me--and in such an elaborate way no less. I assume that it was not to tell me of your whereabouts, as you did not tell me, because you are not one to subject easily to the law, or simply those who believe that they have authority over you. Indeed, I think it humorous that the group gathered by High Chairman Dusty Scroll thought that they could keep a close eye on you, a creature who pays no dues to the rules of society. And Luna... well, let's just say that she thinks that she can make you appear to us with the threat of banishment. Oh, only the great stars truly know how you'd find a way to return from banishment if you really wanted to. Shape-shifting? Mind altering? The simple means of appealing to my loving sister? I am not sure why I find this topic so amusing. Forgive me if it causes you any discomfort. I realize that this letter is far longer than your own, and I apologize if you did not truly expect a reply... but here it is. I suppose you may reply if you wish--you can probably expect a reply to that one too. Happy wishes, Princess Celestia Discord read the letter, hanging on to every written word as if he could not believe their existence. Had she really written back? How could she have? Why would she want to? He gave himself a powerful slap, a hit that sent him flying upwards. Or, it had seemed to be upwards until he hit his head on the ground, landing with a thud on the floor. Or what ever it was called. For in fact, Discord was not in Ponyville. He wasn't even in Equestria. No, he was somewhere else, somewhere where ponykind had yet to tread. His own mind. It was more of a realm, really. A body couldn't be inside its own brain, could it? Whether or not this was true, he didn't care. He only knew that it was a place shaped by his imagination, and that was fine with him. Chaos was much more instantaneous here, making it much harder to control for even the lord of the power himself. That's the reason he didn't create it much when he came to the place. It happened on its own already- why make more when that took effort? Something else was doing it for him! He kicked back while floating in the air, a non-existent couch supporting him. Yes, this was the place to think. It satisfied his need for chaos--which was happening everywhere--and his need to concentrate. The nagging part of him that was always itching to cause some sort of mischief always seemed to be sedated here... which was a necessary evil in some cases. Now was probably one. So what was he to think? More importantly, what was he to do? Should he write her back? Or should he ignore the response, and pretend he never received it? Or just acknowledge its presence, and bluntly refuse to reply? Which was the best choice? The right choice? Stop being so serious the voice was back, as forceful as ever. You aren't about making the right choices. You make the best choices. For yourself.
