//------------------------------// // Loss of Friends II // Story: The Stranger // by Maniac92 //------------------------------// Celestia soared through the night sky with Luna at her side. Her wings flapped furiously as she headed for a plume of smoke that was rising from the outskirts of Ponyville. “You don’t think-?” began Luna. “He wouldn’t,” said Celestia, her eyes focused on the smoke. “He knows better than that.” “Does he?” asked Luna. “It is Discord, after all.” The white-furred Alicorn did not reply, but she started to fly faster. Below them, the ruins of Ponyville smoldered in the night. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and felt grateful that the evacuation of the town had been successful. Soon enough, the two princesses touched down near Twilight’s old castle. The once gleaming crystal had cracked and faded, and there were smoldering craters in the ground around the building. The doors to the castle had been smashed in, the broken pieces lying on the floor inside. “Celestia…” began Luna, surveying the scene. “Find him,” ordered Celestia. “Now.” The princesses carefully stepped into the castle, looking around warily. Their steps echoed off the empty walls as they walked through the lobby and climbed the stairs. At the top of the stairs, they looked around. Various rooms littered the hallway, their doors torn off their hinges. “Should we split up?” asked Luna. “We’d find Discord faster that way.” “No,” said Celestia immediately. “We should stick together. The last thing either of us wants is to run into Tirek on our own.” Luna scoffed. “I’d love to run into him. I’d make him pay for disrespecting Twilight and her friends like this.” “Don’t be foolish,” said Celestia. “We don’t have any idea about Tirek’s strength this time. Who knows how long it’s been since he escaped Tartarus? We were lucky we got notice that he was coming back to Ponyville. If we hadn’t evacuated the town, he could have drained the magic of dozens of ponies by now. Our goal should only be to find Discord.” Luna sighed, but nodded her head regardless. “You’re right. It’s just…” She gestured at the destruction around them. “This was Twilight’s castle. The fact that he’s even here feels like an insult to her memory.” “I know,” replied Celestia. “Once we find Discord, we can-” There was a loud crashing noise from the end of the hall. The two princesses’ heads turned to the door at the end of the hall. Without another word, they quickly ran to the cracked glass door and threw it open. Seven cracked and broken thrones rested in the middle of the room, set up in a circle. In front of the thrones was a crystal platform that had been broken in half, the pieces lying on the floor. A pile of rocks was lying near the platform pieces. Across from that was… “Well…” said Discord, leaning against the far wall. He gestured down to the smoking hole in his torso and murmured, “Took you long enough…” Celestia and Luna quickly ran over to Discord. As Luna knelt down to examine him, Celestia turned to examine the room, her horn glowing gold. “Where is he, Discord?” she asked, “Where’s Tirek?” “Oh relax, Celestia…” coughed Discord. “Tirek’s over by the map…” “What?” asked Celestia, looking over at the broken platform. She frowned, seeing nothing different. “Discord, there’s only a pile of rocks next to the map.” “Uh-huh…” nodded Discord slowly. “That’s Tirek…or, rather, what’s left of him.” Celestia blinked and the glow in her horn diminished. She slowly turned back to Discord and stared at him. “...What did you do?” Discord sighed and leaned back against the wall. “Thought I’d take a page out of your book, Celestia. I’d imprison Tirek in stone and deliver him back to Tartarus. Two prisons for the price of one.” He grinned and said, “He panicked when he realized what was happening and started firing off blasts of magic like crazy. What a sore loser, right?” Discord coughed and gestured down at the hole in his body. “Good aim, though. Pity that it made him tip over onto the platform. Poor guy went all to pieces.” “Fool…” muttered Luna, her horn glowing as she stared at the smoking wound in Discord’s torso. “Why didn’t you wait for us? We could have attacked together and taken him by surprise.” Discord chuckled, only to quickly grimace in pain. “Would you believe I felt guilty about the last time? Thought I’d make up for it by handling it alone. Man…” he grinned at the two princesses, “The looks on your faces would have priceless when you came here and saw that I took care of it.” He laughed again, but started coughing harshly. “Be quiet, Discord,” said Celestia, kneeling down to his level. “You’re just going to make that wound worse.” Discord smirked at her and said, “Worse than this? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were joking.” “Luna can heal you,” said Celestia. “We’ll take you back to Canterlot and-” “It’s not working,” interrupted Luna, still focusing her magic on Discord’s wound. “He’s not healing…and…and I-I think the wound’s getting bigger!” Sure enough, the burning hole in Discord’s body hissed as it grew wider. Celestia’s eyes went wide and she pointed her own horn at the wound. “Together!” she commanded, her horn glowing as she concentrated. Luna nodded and the glow in her horn increased to match Celestia’s. After a few moments, the glow faded from both sisters’ horns. Discord’s wound had not healed and smoke was pouring out of it. “I…I don’t understand…” said Celestia desperately. “Why isn’t this working? What spell did Tirek cast?” “Beats me…” murmured Discord. “I just can’t believe I let him hit me. I mean…honestly…” He chuckled lowly and said, “Smoking’s a terrible habit…” “This isn’t funny Discord!” said Celestia. “We need to get you back to Canterlot. We’ll get doctors and…and…why are you laughing?!” Discord’s laugh subsided into coughs as smoke kept leaking out of his wound. “Forgive me for being blunt, Celestia…” he chuckled, “But if the two of you can’t fix me up, what chance does some regular doctor have?” He sobered as he looked at his wound. “I’m finished.” “Don’t talk like that,” scolded Luna gently. “We’ll get you fixed up. We just need to-” “Look,” said Discord weakly, wincing as he sat up straighter, “Can the two of you suggest anyone…any one doctor who could possibly be more skilled at healing magic than the two of you together?” Luna and Celestia were silent. “Thought so…” wheezed Discord. “…Everything’s getting dark…” he muttered. “…Discord…” said Celestia quietly. “I…I’m so…” “Don’t say sorry,” said Discord. “…Please. This isn’t your fault. I knew the risks in facing Tirek alone…” He smirked and said, “What’s with that sad look? I won’t be around to cause trouble anymore…” “You haven’t caused trouble in a long time,” said Celestia weakly. “Not since Fluttershy…” she trailed off, unsure if she should continue. “Not since Fluttershy died…” muttered Discord. He swallowed and croaked out, “I miss her, you know. She was the first friend I ever…” He went quiet, his eyes watering. “…Do…do you think I’ll see her again? When I’m gone?” “…I hope so,” said Celestia quietly. “Me…too…” panted Discord. He chuckled and said, “I…hate to say it…but you two…just aren’t as fun to tease…as she was…” Luna giggled, tears in her own eyes. “Sorry that we’re no fun…” she choked out. Discord let out another breath of laughter. “Don’t be…too hard on yourselves. Not everyone…is as interesting as I am. I mean…look at how I’m going out. Saving Equestria. Who…would have guessed? I’m supposed to be a bad guy, right?” Celestia chuckled as she leaned down to nuzzle Discord’s face. “You were never a bad guy, Discord,” she said, sniffling. “You just had a lousy sense of humor.” Discord grinned at her before closing his eyes. “…This…this is a good ending…right? Being with friends…” The smoke rising from his chest finally stopped as his breathing slowed. “What…more…could…” He fell silent. The two princesses stared at their fallen friend for a few moments. “…We…” choked Celestia, wiping tears from her eyes. “We should let everyone know that Tirek’s gone. That Discord stopped him.” Luna was silent as she stared at Discord’s body. Celestia sighed and turned around. She glared at the dark robed pony that was standing by Tirek’s shattered body. The white-furred stallion seemed to notice her gaze and moved his head to return it, staring at her with his empty eyes. “I know it sounds like something a foal would say,” said Luna quietly, “But I hope he sees Fluttershy again. Do you think he will?” Celestia looked at the pony by the thrones. “…I do not know,” he rumbled in his deep voice. “He will,” said Celestia, almost defiantly. She turned back around, ignoring the stallion. She nuzzled Luna and said, “I know he will.” When she turned around again, the stallion was gone.