Stellar Eclipse closed his eyes during his magical transport with Discord. Last time Stellar opened his eyes during these short trips with The Lord of Chaos, well...let's say...Stellar finally understood why Discord has one pupil smaller than the other. It took him a week to recover his normal eye sight again.
When he opened his eyes, he was awe-struck by the beautiful and intense vastness of the Saddle Arabian desert. The heat was insane, the sand was like shimmering gold and diamonds in the sun. Stellar Eclipse would never imagined in his wildest dreams that he could travel to an exotic place like this.
While holding Stellar Eclipse in his arms, he summoned a desert oasis with lots of bushes. When the oasis finished growing all around them, Discord dived into a large bush with Eclipse.
Stellar Eclipse asked Discord while trying to find a peek hole in the bush "Um Discord? What are we doing?"
Discord snapped his talon fingers and magically dressed himself and his friend in shiny black spy tights. Then he summoned black binoculars for himself. While looking through them, he confidently stated "We're on stakeout, my dear boy."
Stellar Eclipse then added while stretching out in the uncomfortable tights, "But...doesn't this...oasis make stakeout hard...when we're in the middle of the desert?"
Discord turned his gaze towards Stellar and smirked. He chuckled "This desert is so hot that it can make any traveler, mortal or immortal, go completely insane. So, if our deluded kidnapper sees this oasis, he accuse himself of being bonkers!"
Discord laughed full heartedly at the thought of Fluttershy's kidnapper wandering the empty desert...slowly and gently losing his mind. But he quickly went back to looking through his binoculars and scanning the desert plains.
Stellar Eclipse pondered out loud while looking through the bush as well, "I wonder what this kidnapper looks like. You know, since he's from another world and all."
Discord poofed a small pair of binoculars for his friend. He commented "Actually, our little enemy will take form of one of the creatures of this world. Most likely, a pony."
Stellar then asked "Why do you think that?"
Discord explains "He may have the power to wield dark magic, but that's doesn't mean he's immortal. The amount of magic he's radiating is just a sliver of what I have in my right pinky. Trust me, he's mortal. And when you're mortal, you have to obey the rules and restrictions of any world you travel to. Unless you're immortal, or possess great power, or a creature similar to this world, the traveler can't change."
Stellar Eclipse uttered out in amazement "Wow...who knew that dimension jumping can be so...logical?"
Discord sighed out "I know. Isn't it a tragedy?"
Stellar Eclipse laughed at Discord's joke, which made the draconquues smirk in return.
Discord then saw something in the horizon line in front of them. He casted a spell on the binocular's lens bigger than a standing telescope. He squinted his eyes at the small blurry blob...but then noticed something gigantic accompanying the blob from behind.
As the pair slowly approached closer, Discord is able to make out the faces and the individual details. Discord grinned evilly "Ah, there they are."
Stellar Eclipse squinted into the binocular, and then...saw the kidnappers in the light of the desert sun. His eyes widen at the sight of them. He gasped slightly. He saw a giant sand pony. No! Two! Wait...there was three. It looked like a towering army. Then there small leader was a pony. Or half pony anyway. Half of his body was normal. Pink coat with a ratty short red mane and tail. But the other half of his body...was covered in dark black and green stone. The leader's evil and demented smile made him look like a monster from a horror film. It sent chills down Stellar's spine.
He whispered out "Whoa..."
Discord added sarcastically "My my, such handsome little devils. Aren't they?"
Stellar Eclipse replied with "They're the kidnappers alright."
Then he back to observing the army and it's leader through his binoculars. He looked at them at all angles but he couldn't find the girls.
Stellar Eclipse questioned "Wait a minute...where are they?"
Discord answered "Probably putting Fluttershy and the others in a cloaking spell. But I'm sure that it will wear off once they go to sleep." He put down his binoculars and stated "That's when we will strike."
At sunset, after traveling along the horizon under Discord's watchful eye, the enemy leader then commanded his sand pony army to become one giant tent for their leader. Stellar was surprised at how patient and quiet Discord was. He pondered to himself Was he looking forward to reuniting with Fluttershy...or seek revenge? Or both?
Eclipse and Discord waited on the far edges of the bush as the evening slowly progressed into a dark purple yet cool night. The sky was heavily decorated with constellations and the outer edge of the Milky Way. Discord magically turned their binoculars into green lens night vision goggles. Awhile, the leader did nothing. Nothing but stare into the darkness engulfing the sandy plains. But Stellar could tell through his goggles that the kidnapper was still smiling evilly to himself.
Stellar Eclipse whispered out loud "Boy, this guy gives me the creeps."
Discord mumbled with anger in his voice "No to worry...he won't be smiling for long."
Stellar took his goggles off and turned towards Discord. His friend's frown deepened...deep into the corners of his long face. The brown pegasus then asked, with a goal to get Discord's mind off the enemy "Do you see the girls yet?"
Discord answered quietly "Not yet...c'mon! Fall asleep!"
Stellar comforted his friend "Don't worry Discord, it's still early. He'll fall asleep soon enough. I'll tell you what. Why don't we play a game?"
Discord took the bait and curiously asked "A game? What kind of game?"
Stellar smirked happily to himself. There is one thing that Discord couldn't resist: games. Eclipse then continued "How about Twenty Questions?"
Discord raised one of his eyebrows high and remarked "Twenty Questions? Is it a riddle game?"
Stellar answered "Well...sort of. It about two friends taking turns asking each other questions about themselves. The questions can be about anything and you can answer the questions in anyway you like. Just as long you give your partner an answer. But we can only ask twenty questions. It's an icebreaker game."
Discord pondered about this game to himself. He scratched his chin and twirled his beard in his claws. After he thought about, he gave the brown pegasus a sly grin and asked "Anyway we want eh? Well, in that case...let's play!"
Stellar chuckled "Alright! I'll go first. Now, this question has been itching my brain ever since I meet ya. Where did you come from?"
Discord giggled "Haha, isn't it obvious? I come from chaos of course!"
Stellar uttered out "Wait...what?"
Then Discord waved one of his claws in front of his friend's face and replied "Nah ah! It's my turn. Now let's see...hmmm. Oh I know! Have you ever flipped over on your back but couldn't get up?! You know, like a turtle! Be honest."
Stellar wasn't expecting that kind of question from Discord. Stellar's face was beet red and felt so embarrassed in about what he was going to admit, "Y-Y-Yes...But! I wasn't rolling around like a turtle!"
Stellar's confession made Discord crack up so hard. However, Discord instantly remembered that they were on stakeout, so...he zipped up his expressive and put a metal lock on each end of his smile. But Discord couldn't erase the laughter tears coming from his eyes.
Stellar Eclipse worn a very deadpan expression on his face and turned his gaze from Discord "Ha Ha. Very funny. Well, since we're going to play dirty, let me ask you this."
Then he returned his attention back at Discord with a very 'know it all' look on his face, "Do you like Fluttershy?"
Discord immediately became flustered and his blush radiated off his face and neck like fire. He couldn't hide his embarrassment from his friend. However, Discord can show his frustration. Discord shouted in his loudest whisper voice "Now that's just low! Especially for you!"
Stellar replied smoothly "You started it."
Discord quickly added "And I'm ending it! Different question!"
Eclipse brightly and nodded his head no, "Sorry Discord, no new question. You gotta answer this one."
Discord pouted while crossing his arms across his chest "You're making up the rules as we go, aren't you?"
Stellar then dramatically exaggerated "What?! Now why do I do that?" His own dramatic display made the brown pegasus chuckle softly to himself.
Discord groaned "I knew my influence would be too much for you."
Eclipse snickered quietly at Discord's joke. He then confessed to his friend "Just the fact that you're in denial proves my point."
Discord huffed out "Your point being..?"
Stellar smirked "That you like like Fluttershy."
Having Stellar adding that extra "like" made Discord even more frustrated...and nervous. Discord retorted "Then why do you need me to say it?! That's is...if your ridiculous theory is correct...that is..."
Stellar Eclipse softly responded with "Because you need to admit it to yourself."
Discord turned his head away from Stellar and closed his eyes. He sighed and took in the crisp night air into his lungs. He then explained "To tell you the truth...I don't know what I feel. I don't know anything about friendship, emotions, what is good, what is bad, and anything really. My world is a mess right now...and...You know what I wish for?"
Discord turned his solemn gaze at Stellar. His friend expressing concern and understanding in his pony eyes. Discord whispered with the same sadness and longing in his tone, "For my world to be simple once more. All my life, I always knew everything because everything was centered around chaos. And now, my whole world is centered around Fluttershy. Don't get me wrong, my world is so much brighter now that Fluttershy is my center. But...in order to make her happy, I have to be a friend. I have to be good. I have to be a hero. And I don't know how to do those things! Fluttershy is a wonderful teacher, but...there's only so much she can do. I mean, just looked at what happened between me and...Tirek. My point is, I can't make her happy being a chaotic villian. If she's not happy...my world is lost."
Discord slumped down to the ground and dragged his head down low. Soft little tears began to trickle down from his eyes. Discord was soon taken back by a soft hoof touch on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Stellar Eclipse.
The brown pegasus comforted his friend with "Discord, you're already doing all those things. You're my friend. You're friends with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike. You're Fluttershy's friend. I see good in you. They see good in you. Fluttershy sees good in you. If all of that is not true then...why are you here? Don't you see? Right now, you are a hero. Not an anti-hero, but a real hero."
Then he proudly put his front hoof over his chest and proclaimed "And I, Stellar Eclipse, you're ever faithful sidekick."
Stellar's little proclamation made Discord laughed little. The Lord of Chaos wiped some of the tears in his eyes and slowly rises to his feet. He smirked at the pony and asked "So...you truly believe that I'll do the right thing in the end. Huh?"
Stellar smiled and replied happily "As crazy as it's sounds, I do. But most of all...I believe that you can make Fluttershy happy. Without a doubt."
Discord smiled warmly at the pony next to him and softly said "Thank you Stellar. You should...probably get some sleep. You'll need it for...what's ahead."
Stellar replied "But what about the kidnapper creep? What about you?"
Discord answered "I have a feeling our demented little friend will be in his tent for awhile. Plus, I've gone for days without sleep before. Piece of cake!"
Stellar Eclipse laughed quietly at Discord's antics while lowering himself to the soft sand. Then, he let out a yawn and struggled to keep his eyes open. Once he gently placed his head to the ground,he told Discord good night. And drifted to sleep...
"Stellar! Stellar! Wake up! For Pete's Sake,wake up!"
The brown Pegasus was unpleasantly woken up by a violent shake on his shoulders. And by somepony yelling in his ears. He couldn't see through his sleepy yet crusty eyes. He groaned and silently begged for this pony to let him sleep.
Then, a hard something slapped Eclipse right across his face. The unknown pony yelled "Wake Up!"
This slap woke Stellar Eclipse immediately and jump all about in a panicked motion. He widen his alert eyes and exclaimed "Discord! W-What Happen?!"
Discord explained with fear and urgency in his eyes "It's Fluttershy and the girls! They're not there!"
Stellar shouted "What?!"
Discord uttered out while still trying to make sense of the situation, "That mutt was right...they're in the mountains."