//------------------------------//
// Epilogue: Settling The Bill 
// Story: Discord's Discount Disguises 
// by MythrilMoth 
//------------------------------//

Discord smiled innocently. "Happy Nightmare Night, everypony!" he said grandly to the crowd. "I hope you all enjoyed my very first ever Nightmare Night prank."

"A prank?!" Twilight demanded, slamming a hoof on the ground. "You call all this...all that craziness we all just went through...A PRANK?!"

"Why yes," Discord said. "Yes I do." He swept his arms around him grandiosely. "Look around you! Everything's back to normal, exactly as it was before this all started. No harm has come to anypony...I don't think, anyway...nor to Ponyville, you're all healthy and happy and safe...and you've had quite the exciting little adventure!"

"I don't know if exciting is the word I'd use for putting my subjects in such tremendous danger," Celestia said as she and Luna approached. Everypony except Discord and Twilight bowed. "Especially when some of that danger came directly from me."

Discord waved his lion paw dismissively. "Puh-lease, Celestia. There was never any risk of you or anypony else permanently injuring or killing anypony. My spell had multiple failsafes woven into it!" He turned to Twilight. "For example, your little...heh...boyfriend stopping you from attacking Big Macintosh." He looked around. "I would never have let anypony be seriously harmed! Why, have I not learned the important lesson that friendship is magic? What kind of friend would I be if I put my friends in mortal peril?"

Unconvinced mutterings rippled through the crowd of ponies, who were glaring at Discord.

Fluttershy glided to the ground, standing beside Discord. Her silver slippers, peytral, and tiara glittered in the moonlight. "I believe Discord when he says he never intended any harm," she said softly but clearly, addressing the crowd. "I know that in the past, Discord hasn't been...the nicest being in Equestria. And I know that, well...I know he's still struggling to regain everypony's trust after the whole Tirek thing. But, well...Discord has changed. And yes, tonight was very strange and very scary, but..." She looked at Discord. "When his spell first took effect, and I was the only pony whose mind was unaffected, he told me that he sincerely meant for this to be harmless Nightmare Night fun. And even though everything that happened tonight was way too scary and I'm not entirely sure he planned for everything that happened..." She took a deep breath. "I really, truly believe that Discord meant all of this to be in good fun."

"Be that as it may," Celestia said sternly, "to perpetrate such a malicious prank on such a broad scale...you've lost quite a bit of my trust this night, Discord. I am disappointed in you."

Discord hung his head. "I...don't suppose I'm ever going to completely fit in," he said.

Luna looked down, eyes moist and sad. "Believe it or not, Discord...I understand how you feel." She looked around. "I recall my first Nightmare Night, here in this very spot. I did not understand the festivities. I felt insulted. I lashed out with my power. I terrified the good citizenry of Ponyville." She lowered her head. "It is difficult to feel as though you belong when you are mistrusted and shunned. Especially when you have spent so much time removed from society." She looked up and fixed her gaze on Discord. "What you have done this night was wrong, but...I truly believe your heart was in the right place."

Celestia turned her gaze to Twilight. "Well, Princess Twilight? Ponyville is your domain. You have the final say in this matter."

Twilight sighed and drew herself up to her full height. "If Fluttershy is willing to forgive Discord, then...I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt." She gave Discord a stern stare. "But! I must hold you accountable for your actions." She frowned. "You are hereby ordered to remove your costume shop from Ponyville. Furthermore...I'm banishing you to the Crystal Empire for two weeks."

Discord bowed. "As you command, Your Highness." In a flash of light, he vanished.

"Why the Crystal Empire?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Twilight glanced down at the puppet head hanging from her belt. "No reason," she said with a smirk. She looked around at the crowd. "Everypony...it's late, and we've all been through so much tonight. I'm sorry that Nightmare Night went so...wrong. We'll...we'll have a do-over, or...or something. For now, you should probably all go home and turn in."

As the crowd began to thin, Twilight's friends gathered around her, as did the two elder princesses. As Princess Celestia's eyes landed upon a certain mare, she let out a sharp gasp. "Sunset Shimmer..."

Sunset Shimmer smiled weakly. "H-hello, Your Majesty..." She scuffed the ground with a hoof. "So, uhh..."

Celestia rushed over and swept Sunset Shimmer up in a hug, nuzzling her. "It's...it's so good to see you again."

Rainbow Dash looked around. "Hey, anypony seen Applejack?"

"And where's Spike?" Twilight asked.

"I left Spike at the palace," Fluttershy said. "Applejack, well...I don't really know where she is." She blushed faintly.


* * * * *


Spike looked around at all the brandy and cider bottles that lay scattered around him. "Oh man...Twilight's gonna kill me..."

He belched and lay down on the kitchen floor, deciding it was a good time for a nap.


* * * * *


Applejack staggered through the gates of Sweet Apple Acres. Her entire backside was stiff and sore. She'd shed the bat wings of her succubus costume halfway back to the farm.

As she neared the farmhouse, she encountered Big Macintosh, who looked tired and achy. "Some night, huh?" she said, strain in her voice.

"Eeyup."

"Ah'm uh...Ah'm gonna git on up t'bed now," Applejack said. "Mighty tired. Gotta be up an' at 'em with th' rooster, y'know?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh paused. "Uhh...did anything...strange happen to you tonight, AJ?"

Applejack looked everywhere except at her brother. "Nnnope."


* * * * *


"So, Sunset Shimmer, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked, folding her hooves. "You know, you put Twilight through a lot of crap."

Sunset Shimmer groaned. "Yeah, I know. We're cool now though." She looked at Twilight. "Seriously...didn't I already go through enough of this on my side of the portal?"

Twilight giggled. "You know how Rainbow Dash is."

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay...that's kinda freakin' me out," Rainbow said. "I should probably head home. I gotta get this crud outta my mane..."

"Oh, let me help you with that," Sunset Shimmer said. Her horn flared, and the brilliant silver dye in Rainbow's mane and tail boiled away, leaving behind Rainbow's natural six-colored hair.

Rainbow blinked. "Wow. Uh. Thanks."

Sunset Shimmer smiled. "No problem. To be honest...it's nice to be able to do magic again, even if it's just for a little while."

Celestia, who had already purged the dye from her own mane, shuffled her hooves. "You could...you could stay...longer..."

Sunset Shimmer shook her head. "I don't...really belong here anymore. The other world is my home now." With a smile, she added, "But I'll come to visit whenever I can!"

"Be sure to let me know when you do," Celestia said. "Seeing you again...makes everything that happened tonight worthwhile."

Tears glistened in Sunset Shimmer's eyes. "Thank you, Princess Celestia."

"How did you know to come here tonight?" Luna asked curiously.

"Oh! Well...umm..." Sunset Shimmer chuckled sheepishly. "I actually just came to return some library books..."

"Well, your timing couldn't have been better," Twilight said with a smile. "I think you really helped Fluttershy do...whatever it is she did."

"I just...I just did what...what you would have done," Sunset Shimmer said awkwardly, rubbing one hoof with the other. "So...that's some castle you've got. But why the heck does it look like a giant tree?"

Twilight laughed. "It's a long story. C'mon, I'll tell you all about it on the way back..."


* * * * *


Flash Sentry had just begun his duty shift at the Crystal Palace when Discord appeared in front of him. "Gah!" he yelped, jumping a foot in the air and spreading his wings.

"Why, hello, Flash Sentry," Discord said pleasantly. "How are you this splendid morning?"

"D-Discord! Wh-what do you want?" Flash's eyes were wide with panic as he took a step back defensively.

"Oh, I actually just came to give you a little present," Discord said. With a flash, several photographs appeared in his talons. He spread them out and offered them to Flash Sentry.

Curious, Flash leaned in for a closer look. "Is...is that Princess Twilight?" he asked.

"Indeed it is, my fine fellow..."

"What...what's she...wearing?" Flash's wings rose to full sail for entirely different reasons...


* * * * *


The bright morning sun warmed the crisp autumn air. Six exhausted mares sat in the throne room of Twilight's palace.

"Where's Spikey-poo?" Rarity asked.

"He's cleaning the kitchen," Twilight said. "And after that, he's got a little shopping to do." She frowned. "He drank every last drop of alcohol in the entire castle last night."

"Now, Twilight," Fluttershy said, "that's hardly fair. It wasn't his fault..."

"Yeah, but it's the principle of the thing," Twilight said.

"He did what?" Rarity gasped. "Oh. Oh my goodness. Is he alright?"

Twilight shrugged indifferently. "Alcohol doesn't affect dragons the way it affects ponies. It's like putting more coal in a furnace. That's why he gets such terrible stomachaches from too much ice cream. Ice cream is REALLY bad for dragons."

"Hey Fluttershy, what was it like to be a princess?" Pinkie asked.

Fluttershy ducked her head. "I...don't think I'd want to do it again," she said. "But...I guess it was...okay?"

"I bet I'd make an AWESOME princess," Rainbow Dash said. She turned to face Twilight, an eager expression on her face.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Not a chance."

"Well I for one am glad that whole experience is behind us," Rarity said.

The others stared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Uhh...Rarity?" Twilight asked. "I'd...really prefer you not smoke that in here."

Rarity looked down at the cigar in her mouth, then sighed and extinguished it with her magic.

"Well I had fun!" Pinkie said brightly. "We should totally let Discord do this again next year!"

"NO!" the others shouted in unison.

"Awww...bummer!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Actually, I was talking with Sunset Shimmer just before she went back to her world, and we were thinking maybe next year, we could all go there for Nightmare Night." She grinned. "Having two of each of you would really freak people out."

Pinkie shuddered. "Been there, done that, wasn't fun," she said. In a weak, shaky voice, she mumbled, "Lots of me...lots of me..."

The door to the throne chamber opened, and a Royal Guard poked his head in. "Excuse me, Your Highness."

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"There are some ponies outside who wish to speak with you. They say it's urgent."

Twilight stood and headed for the door, her friends right behind her.


* * * * *


Five stallions stood at the gates of the castle. They looked weak and weary.

Twilight walked down the steps, stopping at the palace's threshold. Her friends lined up behind her. "What can I do for you, my little ponies?"

Thunderlane was at the head of the pack. He cleared his throat nervously. "We...the five of us...we've lost our magic...we'd sort of like it back..."

Twilight's eyes widened. "No...it's impossible...! Don't...don't tell me...Tirek got loose again?!"

"Err...not exactly..." The five stallions looked away, faces burning.

Applejack's gaze traveled over the group of stallions. She paled, eyes narrowing to pinpricks as recognition and realization set in.

Twilight turned to her friends. "You heard him, girls. We need to stay on our hooves and be ready for anything. We may need to alert Princess Celestia..."

"Uh...aheh..." Applejack swallowed nervously. "There ain't no need for all that fuss," she said. "Uhh..." She looked down at her hooves. "Hoo boy."

"What do you mean there's no need for a fuss? Applejack, there's another magic thief on the loose, and—"

Applejack put a hoof across Twilight's muzzle. "Ah, uh...Ah did it. It was me."

Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie Pie gasped.

Twilight blinked. "What?"

Applejack ducked her head. "Uhh...what all d'you know about somethin' called a succubus?"





DISCORD'S DISCOUNT DISGUISES     ~     THE END