Discord snapped his fingers and suddenly they were surrounded by other ponies.
“Scootaloo! You’re okay!” Scootaloo looked around just in time to see Apple Bloom throw her front legs around her neck.
“We saw that signal,” Sweetie Belle said. “We didn’t know you could do a sonic rainboom!”
“Yeah, neither did I,” Scootaloo said, hugging Apple Bloom back. She looked back to Discord. “Biggs and the other Royal Guards are still in the hives.”
“What do I look like, a magical taxi service?” Scootaloo scowled at him and he sighed. “Oh, all right.” He snapped his fingers and turned a bright yellow with a white and black checkerboard belt. He vanished and reappeared a moment later with four confused Royal Guards.
There was a cracking sound, and Scootaloo looked up to see Shining Armor’s barrier spell beginning to fail.
“Everypony, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.” He snapped once more and the world went white.
Scootaloo blinked back tears. After a few seconds, the Royal Guard tents of Camp Canterlot swam into view.
“Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to Canterlot. The local time is currently six forty-eight and the temperature is seventy-one degrees. Thank you for flying air-Discord.” There were a few seconds of confused silence before Discord rolled his eyes. “Oh, go on, everypony. Mission’s over, we won. Go celebrate.”
There were a few cheers from the Royal Guards and militia members, but for the most part they began wandering off in smaller groups, still confused by the abrupt return to Canterlot.
“Hmph, makes you wonder why we even needed them,” Discord said.
“No, we wouldn’t have stood a chance if the changelings hadn’t left the hive,” Biggs said. He turned to Scootaloo.
“I’m sorry,” Scootaloo said. “I didn’t want to leave you guys, but it was the only thing I could think of. I knew she wanted to stop me from getting away, but I risked your lives. I’m so sorry.”
Biggs had held a hoof up before she’d finished. “Don’t. You did great, although if you were an actual soldier, we’d be having words about following orders right about now.”
Scootaloo chuckled and looked away, chagrined.
Discord turned to Shining Armor and held up the tablet. “Well, we have the weapon, so I’d say this whole ordeal was a rousing success. This calls for a celebration! Leave everything to me.” He snapped his fingers before Shining Armor could answer and vanished. He reappeared in a flash a moment later. “Scootaloo, why don’t you help me decorate?” Before she could answer there was a third flash and the two of them were just outside Camp Canterlot.
“Hmm, I suppose I should put this somewhere safe.” Discord lifted the stone tablet with one hand and made a grasping motion with the other. The air distorted and a hole appeared where he grabbed. Scootaloo could just make out a twisting purple space beyond the hole. Discord dropped the tablet inside and let go. The air snapped back into place and the hole vanished. “There. So, what kind of celebration should we set up for? Oh, how about Hawaiian? Tiki torches and roasted pineapple!”
As he spoke the area around them filled with torches and lanterns with faces carved into them. The ground beneath them turned into soft sand and several bonfires sparked to life.
“Uh, Discord, now’s really not the time...” She trailed off as something Thistleroot said came back to her. This is serious. That’s what makes it the perfect time for jokes. “Ah, never mind. How about some punch tables over there?”
“Done. Oh, here’s an idea!”
They spent the next half hour coming up with more and more things to add, until finally Scootaloo vetoed putting a live volcano in the middle of the camp.
She didn’t know when Discord had sent out messages, but shortly after that ponies started arriving, most of them surprised to find a beach on the edge of camp, complete with palm trees and a sizeable lake.
Scootaloo watched the first ponies to arrive as their curiosity turned into interest, and the smell of food pulled them further onto the newly made beach. “Thanks, by the way. You saved my life today.”
“Well, sure. What are friends for, right?” Discord said, shrugging.
Scootaloo hesitated. “We’re friends then? Even after everything that happened?”
There was a long silence between them before Discord said anything. He turned to look out over the water, and when he did speak he didn’t look at her. She turned to look out at the water as well. “You know,” he said, his voice lacking its usual bravado, “ I never had a friend before.”
Scootaloo looked at him, unsure what to say.
“Of course, I never cared about friendship. Why should I? I’m Discord, the master of chaos. I can do whatever I want. And all those months of talking to you, planning and pushing you to free me, I suppose I took a liking to you. I meant it when I offered to send the changelings away and let you rule Equestria. But I never considered you a friend. And when I was turned back into stone, I was so angry. But after a few months, once I’d calmed down, I realized that I actually missed talking to you. I realized how much hearing about the hijinks you and your friends were getting into helped pass the time. And then you apologized, and I realized the only one I had to blame was myself. Well, myself, and Chrysalis to a degree.
“So, yes, Scootaloo. I would say that after everything that happened, we’re friends.”
More ponies had shown up. Scootaloo could see Apple Bloom leading the way, with Thistleroot, Sweetie Belle, Spike, and Wind Rider behind her. Spike waved, and she returned it.
“So,” she said, “my friends overheard you and Wind Rider talking, and it sounded really suspicious. They thought it meant you were still evil.”
“Oh?” Discord asked. A moment later he smiled as the meaning of Scootaloo’s words dawned on him. She was trusting him. “What did they hear?”
“That you two had an understanding, and that you wanted the same thing.”
“Oh, yes. I remember that. You see, something about him didn’t sit well with me, and I wanted to make it perfectly clear what would happen if he ruined your team’s part of the mission.”
“Oh,” Scootaloo said. “Thistleroot looks pretty chummy with him all of a sudden.”
“What, don’t tell me you’re jealous,” Discord said, grinning.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I guess he earned Thistleroot’s trust back in the hives. They were leaving together. And they must have destroyed the anti-magic whatever, since the Royal Guards were with me.” Scootaloo blinked. “Wow, they actually did it.” She smiled. “We actually did it.”
“A bit of a late reaction,” Discord said.
“I know, sorry. I guess I’m just surprised. I’m not used to things just working out when Rosalia’s involved. But now we have the weapon. We can use it to beat Nocturne, and then we can free...” Scootaloo froze, eyes widening. “Wait, we can free the princesses! Like, right now!”
“Hmm? We can?” Discord arched an eyebrow. “Shining Armor told me they’d been captured and imprisoned by Nocturne.”
“They were,” Scootaloo said. “She stuck them in the prison she came out of. The one that tablet is a key for.”
Discord blinked. He sighed. “Now see, this is what happens when nopony trusts the recently reformed villain with key details. If I’d known that, I could have freed them days ago.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. I might not have been the sole architect of the prison, but a lot of my magic went in to power it. And besides, that prison was never meant to hold a pony. It’s designed for us Eternal Spirits. I’m surprised the princesses haven’t managed to squeeze their way out yet.”
“Can we go now?”
Discord shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” He snapped his fingers and the two of them were standing beside the stone table above Nocturne’s prison.
“I can’t believe this is just going to happen. At this rate we’ll beat Nocturne tomorrow,” Scootaloo said as Discord circled around the stone table. He lifted his taloned hand and made an upward grabbing motion. “You’re not going to use the tablet?”
Below them she could see stirring in the dark night air. The gemstones surrounding the prison began to shine, spreading light across the black smoke that filled the ring.
“No. I imagine the reason Nocturne put your princesses into the prison in the first place was so it would close. The prison would reach out, trying to draw in nearby spirits, just in case we missed while trying to shove Nocturne in the first time. As the nearest spirit, I’d rather just leave it closed.”
“Oh, okay.” Scootaloo watched as the dark smoke below rose up into two large spheres and drifted out of the ring. “Uh, you’re sure the princesses aren’t like you, right?”
“Reasonably sure,” Discord said. “Why?”
The spheres of dark smoke settled on the ground in front of them.
“Well, while they were fighting, Nocturne said that the princesses were like her.”
Discord paused.
The smoke pulled away, and before them were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Celestia shook her head, blinking, and looked up. “Scootaloo? Discord?” She frowned, and then stood, her legs shaking slightly. “Just how much have we missed?”
Celestia straightened to her full height and then frowned again.
Scootaloo stood staring, mouth hanging open.
Celestia was only a head taller than Scootaloo. Not only that, but her mane hung about her face, no longer drifting as a cloud like usual. Luna was pushing herself to her hooves as well. She was no taller than Celestia, and her coat was lighter than usual. They both looked more like Cadance or Twilight.
Scootaloo couldn’t bring herself to say anything, but finally Discord broke the silence. “You two are adorable!”
*****
The party was beginning to wind down. Thistleroot yawned and rubbed at his eyes. “Alright, I’m going to turn in for the night. It’s been a long day with all the running and screaming.”
“At least ya got to do something,” Apple Bloom said. “The rest o’ us just sat under that bubble.”
“Tell you what, next time, we’ll trade.”
“Deal.”
Thistleroot yawned and pushed away from the table. He made his way across the beach and up into Camp Canterlot. He hadn’t gotten past the third row of tents before a voice called out behind him, “Hey, Thistleroot.”
He paused and turned, waiting for the owner of the voice to catch up. “Hey, Wind Rider. What do you need.”
Wind Rider came to a stop in front of him and paused. The pegasus glanced down, and then shuffled his hooves.
“Something wrong?” Thistleroot asked.
“No, it’s not like that, I just...” Wind Rider trailed off. The poor guy looked nervous, though Thistleroot couldn’t begin to guess why.
“Thanks, by the way. You saved my life like three times in the hives, even after I didn’t trust you.”
“Huh? Oh, yes. Sure. You would have done the same for me.”
Thistleroot smiled at the confidence in Wind Rider’s voice when he said that. “Yeah, I would have. Come on, man. What’s up?”
“I just wanted to talk,” Wind Rider said, looking down at Thistleroot’s hooves. “You, uh, you said you didn’t trust me. I was—”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Thistleroot said hastily. “Funny thing, we actually overheard you talking to Discord outside of camp, and it just seemed really suspicious. But if you wanted to, you could have messed things up for us a hundred different ways in the hives, so I’m sorry. I trust you now, and I should have before.”
Wind Rider winced. Thistleroot frowned and tilted his head. That wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting.
“Oh, you heard that?” Wind Rider asked, nervously pawing at the ground. He shuffled his wings and looked away. “How much?”
“Just the end. That you and Discord wanted the same thing and had come to an understanding. What did that mean, anyway?”
Wind Rider swallowed. “Well, it meant that we both wanted to protect everypony.” He shuffled again. “Err, not everypony. Discord mostly meant Scootaloo, and I... I mostly meant you. Thistleroot, there’s something I need to tell you.”
A moment passed and Thistleroot’s eyes widened. “Oh.”
Wind Rider met his gaze with fearful eyes.
“I understand,” Thistleroot said.
“You do?”
“Yeah.” Thistleroot glanced away as a touch of pink reached his cheeks. “Oh, wow, um, here’s the thing. I sort of, I mean. It’s not you, it’s me.”
“It’s not... what?”
“Look, I’m flattered,” Thistleroot said, shuffling his hooves and taking a step to the side. He flicked his tail and gave a short, awkward chuckle. “The thing is, there’s somepony else, and it’s just awkward timing. I mean, we hardly know each other. I don’t think it would work out between us, and really, when you think about it—”
“Thistleroot, please, for once, just stop talking.”
Thistleroot hesitated, frowning. Something had been oddly familiar about Wind Rider’s exasperated tone.
Wind Rider sighed and took a step back. There was a flash of changeling fire, and Mimic stood in his place.