She was probably having dinner with her animal friends now. It was always the last thing she did before turning out the lights and going to bed. She would start with Angel Bunny and Harry the Bear, then move on to the others, making sure every one of the furry freeloaders had been served before sitting down herself and nibbling on a salad from the garden.
If he was going to talk to her, Discord thought, he’d better do it now.
But he found himself rooted here as firmly as any of the trees in Fluttershy's field, by a vastly unfamiliar emotion: shame. Giving all the ponies a quick hug after the battle was one thing. Facing Fluttershy alone, after what he did to her and her friends, was another.
Sometimes he hated these feelings, this weakness. When all Equestria was his playground, who needed friends? Sometimes he missed those halcyon days when it never occurred to him that manipulating “reality” and “order,” the terminally boring conditions in which these creatures lived, might be bad. But now he knew, and he cared. He could change his form and his surroundings at will, but he couldn’t change that. Yesterday showed him there was no going back—even when he tried.
You used to be like a kid in a candy store, his mischievous side whispered to him. Now you’re just another sucker.
That’s quite enough out of you, his friendly side whispered back. It’s your fault we’re in this mess.
Discord chuckled to himself. Imagine the god of chaos being upset over a mess.
The lights in Fluttershy’s cottage went out. “Too late now,” he sighed.
He was afraid to face her, yet he missed her terribly. No one ever told him that friendship could hurt.
“Twilight,” Spike said hesitantly from the doorway of the throne room. “Are you going to bed pretty soon?”
She barely looked up, still engrossed in the books he had salvaged. They were a hodgepodge of titles to be sure, everything from Dragon Eggshell: Nature’s Miracle to Fear and Loathing in Las Pegasus.
“In a minute, Spike.”
He knew that meant an hour. “But it must be after midnight! Even Pinkie went home hours ago. Come on, I’m exhausted.”
“Why don’t you go upstairs now, and I’ll catch up with you?”
“You’ve got a flying lesson with Rainbow Dash at nine. Remember?”
Twilight sighed and reluctantly tore her attention away from the books on the table. “Oh, Spike. I completely forgot! All right, I’m coming.”
They got lost on the way to the bedroom. It was a smaller chamber with windows facing east, but it looked almost identical to several others along the corridor. Twilight had to cast a quick illumination spell and look into each of them. When they finally found the right one, Spike turned to her with a wicked gleam in his eye.
"First one there gets all the covers!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Twilight laughed as he leaped for the mound of blankets by the far wall. In the blink of an eye she focused her magic, teleported across the room, and got there first. Spike crashed into her and both pony and dragon tumbled through the quilts.
"No fair," Spike said grouchily when they had settled down.
"Sorry, Spike. This horn just has a mind of its own sometimes," Twilight giggled. She tried to turn over and let out a yelp. "Ouch! You're on my wing."
"Sorry." Spike moved so she could draw it closer to her body, getting a snout full of feathers in the process. "Achoo!"
"It's not your fault. They're always getting in the way. And I want to apologize, too...about this morning. I guess I came a little bit unglued there."
"Don't worry about it. I miss it, too. Everything'll be better after we grab some Z's."
Spike relaxed and burrowed himself in a little deeper. Twilight yawned and closed her eyes. Her number one assistant was right. It had been a long and stressful day, but things would look brighter tomorrow. She just had to put her best hoof forward, settle into this new life, and everything would be just fine. She steadied her breathing and waited for sleep to come.
And waited...and waited some more.
While any number of natural sounds could be heard at Golden Oak, the crystal palace was eerily silent at night. She cocked an ear outside of the blankets and listened hard for anything beyond Spike's breathing. She had visited several deep, dark places in her life, where the loudest noise was the heaviness of the air; a mute roar that chilled the skin beneath her coat and put all her senses on high alert.
Minutes turned into hours as she stared up into the dark. Her eyes adjusted well enough to see the gleaming crystal surfaces all over the room. She tried counting the facets, and made it to 57 before giving up. How late was it now? She didn't know for sure. First thing tomorrow morning, she was buying a new clock.
"Twilight?"
She almost jumped. Taking a moment to steady her breathing, she turned in Spike's direction. "What is it?"
"...You can't sleep either, huh?"
"Coffee?" she croaked as they helped each other shuffle downstairs the next morning.
"We don't have any," Spike said with a massive yawn. "Besides, you never drink that stuff."
Twilight clumsily pulled up a chair and laid her head on the Table of Harmony. "Well, I sure could go for some now."
"Me, too. Just a sec. I've got you covered." Spike found a blank page in one of their books, tore it out, and scribbled a brief message. With a flick of his claws and a whoosh of magical dragon breath, it was gone.
"I thought you could only send letters to the princess."
"Nope," he said proudly.
It couldn't have been more than five minutes later that a resounding knock at the castle doors jilted Twilight out of her sleep-deprived stupor.
Spike winced and covered the scales on the sides of his head. "Come in!"
A sudden rumbling from the front doors opening; a cacophony of hooves racing into the lobby. Twilight looked up to see a gray schoolfilly with a braided silver mane, thick glasses, and a tray of steaming cups which she set immediately on the table. "Emergency royal coffee delivery for Princess Twilight!"
Twilight blinked once, then twice. "You look familiar. Didn't you visit my library with Apple Bloom and her friends?"
"Your Highness! You...you remember me?" The filly looked positively starry-eyed, but she composed herself quickly. "I mean...like, of course you do! After all, we're both totally special ponies, and special ponies never forget each other. Can you imagine what it's like to be - pfffft - not special? I don't even want to, like, think about it. I'm Silver Spoon: wealthiest heiress in Ponyville, best friend of Diamond Tiara, part-time barista, full-time awesome. Careful with that beverage tray; it's an antique! Then again, so is everything in my house."
Too tired to ask any more questions, Twilight levitated one of the cups from the tray and took a sip.
The drink hit her taste buds with a bang like Tasty Treat curry and a zip like Pinkie Pie's butter toffee crackle cake; an expertly crafted balance of bitter, spicy, and sweet, dispelling the fog of fatigue from the horizons of her mind. With the second gulp, her muscles felt as fresh and springy as the daisies in Fluttershy's garden; with the third, her nerve endings seemed to shoot sparks. As Rarity might say, it was utterly divine.
Yes. Yes! Today was going to be okay after all!
"Spike! Why are we just sitting here?!" Twilight jumped up from the table. "It must be after eight o'clock already, and we have so much to do! I'm going to buy a clock, stop by Mayor Mare's and clear up a few details about this castle, meet Rainbow Dash for my flying lesson, catch Rarity at the spa, eat some hay fries, visit my parents in Canterlot, straighten every picture frame in Manehattan, and conquer Equestria! I'll be back in time for dinner!"
Spike, who had been dutifully copying these to a checklist, paused and furrowed his brow. "Conquer Equestria?"
"Sorry, I don't know where that one came from. I meant to say, pick flowers! All flowers, everywhere. Today the flowers, tomorrow the gardens; the day after tomorrow, the world!"
"Twilight."
"Sorry. Just scratch that one entirely." A slightly manic Princess of Friendship turned and bowed to the giver of coffee. "Silver Spoon, you have done a great favor for the Crown. You have my thanks. See ya later!"
Without further ado, she teleported herself from the castle.
"I'll put it on your tab!" Silver Spoon shouted after her. "Hmm. I hope that brew wasn't too strong. Anyway...Spike! You, like, totally have to give me a tour of this castle."
Spike took a sip from his own cup and brightened. "Well, if I 'like, totally' have to. Welcome to the Castle of...um...Friendship, I guess. We haven't given it a name yet but I think that's as good as any. This is the, uh...really big room with a round table in it. As you can see, each chair is decorated with the cutie mark of an Element of Harmony. Great parties, dances, and cute-ceañeras might one day be held here, or we might just sit around and scarf hay fries. It's up to Twilight. Now, if you'll follow me up the grand staircase..."
They moved on to the upper floors with Spike doing his best tour guide impression. A moment of silence passed in the now empty lobby. Then two. Then...
"Hey, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie stuck her head in the front door, which had been recklessly left open. She craned her neck at several impossible angles and, seeing nopony in the entrance hall, trotted merrily into the lobby. "Twilight? I was just waking up when I suddenly got the urge to come over and make you my famous butter toffee crackle cake! I don't know why, it just kinda came out nowhere! Um...are you home?"
Her sky-blue eyes roamed eagerly around the room before settling on the table, where a third cup of coffee sat invitingly near the edge.
"Is that a present for me? I love presents for me!" Pinkie gasped. She ran up and sniffed it curiously. A heady and robust aroma filled her nose. Wow! It smelled just like that stuff she saw Mr. Cake drinking sometimes. She wondered why he had never let her have any. Well, she was always up for trying something new...what could it hurt if she took just one little slurp-erooni?
Time itself seemed to pause, then shudder, as she brought the cup to her lips.
Mayor Mare stifled a yawn as she settled into her padded office chair and groped around her desk for the quill and ink. Serving Ponyville was no picnic at the best of times. Its proximity to Canterlot meant that she absorbed all of the complaints or suggestions that citizens were unwilling to bring before the Crown. Now she faced a temporary state of administrative bedlam following Tirek's magic-stealing onslaught; some ponies had sent angry letters, others threatened to sue the town for damages or lost wages, and still others were claiming disability due to 'thaumaturgic trauma.'
"You're getting too old for this, Coral," she muttered to herself.
She'd been in her office until nine o'clock last night trying to deal with the political fallout, responding to the letters and exchanging status reports with Princess Celestia. The slightest delay, the smallest failure to react, could cost her somepony's vote in the mayoral elections several months later. But the pile of papers looked just as tall as it had the night before, and she was beginning to grow discouraged.
Loud hoofsteps raced into the front room, followed immediately by an insistent rapping on her office door.
"Just a moment!" she called. Before she could even get up to answer it, a blinding flash filled the room, and a grinning Twilight Sparkle appeared directly beside her.
"No need, Mayor! I let myself in."
Mayor Mare took a skittish step away from her. The Princess of Friendship was usually chipper and energetic, but never like this. She was literally vibrating. "Er...thank you, Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"To coffee, of course! Lots of coffee. Oh, and my new house!" Twilight exclaimed. She rolled her eyes and gestured wildly with her hooves. "I dropped by to check if there are going to be any zoning issues because of this giant building appearing out of nowhere at the edge of town."
"Your Highness, you are as thoughtful as you are thorough," the mayor replied pleasantly, "But I assure you that has all been taken care of by Princess Celestia. The property lines around the castle have already been drawn, and you are free to move in anytime you please."
Twilight nodded like a drinking bird toy. "Well, that's just great! Great, great, great. I'll let you go then, Mayor. I bet you're really busy getting ready to build the new library!"
"New library?" Mayor Mare paused and leafed curiously through her papers. "Er...now that you mention it, Your Highness, I believe that particular project isn't underway just yet."
"It isn't?" Twilight said flatly.
"I'm afraid not. I've been putting out fires since yesterday. I haven't gotten around to ordering new books, budgeting a new building, or even clearing away the debris of the old one. And Princess Celestia didn't bring it up in any of her letters, so..." The mayor paused as her ears perked up slightly. "Or has she sent you to lend a hoof?"
"Me?"
"It would be such a weight off my back. And you managed Golden Oak so successfully, I couldn't imagine a better pony for the job!"
Twilight hesitated. She had not come here to help with that project. On the contrary, she had been advised to stay clear and let the city handle it on their own. But Mayor Mare was clearly exhausted from her other duties, and she had such a hopeful expression on her face...how could Twilight refuse? With the population rising steadily, and the appearance of the castle likely to draw sightseers from all over Equestria, Ponyville needed a library more than ever. She couldn't do the whole thing herself, or operate it once it was finished; that would be going against her mentor's wishes. But what could it hurt if she just sent a few letters and got things moving in the right direction?
She looked up with a reassuring smile. "Of course, Mayor. I'll see what I can do."
Café Crystal had been open for just four weeks, but its mission to introduce Crystal Empire cuisine to Ponyville was thus far a big success. Owner Twinkle Eye opened the cozy restaurant and bar on the north edge of town with the blessing of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, where curious ponies flocked to try the Empire's classic berry pie and roasted crystal corn on the cob while enjoying a spectacular view of Canterlot. Café Crystal's distance from the market and relatively expensive menu meant that its lunch hours were much quieter, however, and it was here that a glum draconequus found solace.
Discord stared into space with half-lidded eyes, his elongated body slumped dramatically over a corner table.
"Yo, Twinkle! What's up?" A scratchy, boisterous voice from the doorway broke into his thoughts. "Got time to chat with somepony totally awesome?"
Oh, dear...please, not her.
Fortunately, Twinkle Eye was quite easygoing and shared the pegasus' flippant sense of humor. "Why, I'd love to, Rainbow Dash. When are they coming?"
The ponies shared a laugh. Discord swallowed a groan and tried to stick his head under the table.
"Your usual, Rainbow?"
"You know it," Dash plunked herself down at the bar and accepted a glass of flavored milk from the green crystal earth pony.
"So what have you been doing with yourself, kid? Besides boasting 24/7, that is."
"Are you kidding? How about saving Equestria for the gazillionth time? My friends and I totally kicked Tirek's butt!"
Twinkle Eye raised an eyebrow. "Blessed shards! That was really you? Well, it served him right. That big blowhard came charging in here and sucked all the magic right out of me. I barely had the strength to lock the doors and switch the sign to 'closed'. I guess it's thanks to you that I'm back to normal. I would say 'don't let it go to your head', but I know it's too late for that."
"What can I say? It's hard to be humble when you're just naturally great. Plus I just got back from giving a flying lesson to Princess Twi herself, so that's pretty cool too. She sure was jittery, though." Dash gulped down the beverage and stretched her wings. Her expression darkened when she spotted Discord in the corner. She placed a few bits on the counter. "I'll catch you later, T.E. Thanks for the milk."
Realizing he'd been spotted, Discord sighed and braced himself for a hostile confrontation. Of all Twilight's friends, it was Rainbow Dash who had trusted him least. Now that he'd betrayed Equestria to Tirek, he thought, she was bound to resent him even more.
"Didn't expect to see you here," the pegasus said coldly. "What are you up to now, huh?"
"For your information, Rainbow Dash, I am...working." Discord spat the word out as though it tasted bad. "It was Celestia's idea. Just something to keep me out of 'trouble', I suppose. Twinkle Eye pays me a few bits to help her clean up in the morning."
"Oh yeah?" Dash grimaced at the several empty glasses on the table, all smelling heavily of fermented cider. "Looks to me like you're cleaning out the bar instead."
"I happen to be on my break at the moment. Besides, what do you care?"
"I care because Fluttershy cares." She took the seat across from him. "She's been asking about you, you know."
Discord winced. "Oh. Er...you don't say. Well, I'm afraid I'm rather busy today."
She took the seat across from him. "Right. Just like you were yesterday. You wanna know what I think?"
"No."
"I think you've been avoiding her."
"Ha!" Discord's laugh sounded almost convincing. "And why would I be avoiding a harmless little pony like her? Because I'm afraid? You poor, mistaken little creature. The Lord of Chaos, the Disseminator of Disorder, is afraid of no one! Your presence no longer amuses me. Now leave, before I turn you into a tortoise just like your little pet."
"Nice try, dude. But you know what you did to us a few days ago. You know it matters. That's why you've got that burn in your gut."
He squirmed slightly, unable to meet her eyes. "You're mistaken, of course. I care nothing for a single one of you. But...hypothetically, if I had such a feeling...just how would I make it go away?"
"'Hypothetically', you would go to her and say you're sorry for selling her out -- not to mention the rest of the world. Because 'hypothetically,' it would be the right thing to do."
For once, Discord found himself without a snappy comeback. He only shrugged and stared at the table.
"I know, you're the all-powerful Discord. I can't make you do anything you don't want to do. But if you want to keep her as a friend, you better talk to her soon. Unless you want to lose her..."
The ceiling directly above them suddenly gave way as a crazed, twitching, upside-down Pinkie Pie stared into the depths of his immortal soul.
"FOOOOOOR-EVERRRRRRR!"
The sonic vibrations upset all the tables, sent Rainbow Dash's chair skidding across the floor with her still in it, and shattered every window in Café Crystal. When Discord and the two mares looked up a moment later, every available surface was piled high with baked goods, some of which defied imagination: here a massive gingerbread apartment complex covering the entire bar, there a series of donuts baked not in a circular shape but in seemingly endless spirals, beside Rainbow Dash a candy sculpture of herself that was perfect in every detail, and before Discord a platter of massive Danish pastries with rotating circles of dark, yawning nothingness in the center.
"Okay," Dash said, staring into the eyes of her edible doppelgänger. "What just happened?"
The sculpture blinked.