Why not? (Revised)

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Every Tuesday afternoon, Twilight Sparkle ate her lunch at the Hayburger, an appointment that stuck after the Crusaders invited her there once before. She'd always loved burgers and fries, and she loved, perhaps even more, the looks on the nobles’ and other high society types’ faces when they found out that a Princess - heaven forbid! - loved the food of the "lowly peasants".

Of course, the novelty was wearing off quickly, especially as the upper crust of Canterlot began copying her eating habits. Needless to say, The Hayburger was now doing very well across the nation.

But trends and silly celebrities aside, Twilight was enjoying her hayburger in peace.

Until he showed up, that is.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle! What a surprise to see you here," exclaimed a certain draconequus. Said draconequus appeared out of thin air in the seat across from Twilight, drawing the attention of all eyes in the room.

"Actually, it shouldn't be. Everypony, whether I like it or not, knows that I eat here every Tuesday." With a sigh, she glanced over at a nearby trashcan. "Hello, Quick Snap."

A stallion wearing a fedora and a camera peeked out from behind the trashcan, and smiled bashfully. "H-hey there, Princess ma'am."

"See?" She asked, turning her attention back to him.

"Well, forgive me if I run out of original things to say from time to time," he snorted as he rolled his eyes. Suddenly his talons became remarkably interesting.

"Why are you here, Discord?" She popped a hayfry in her mouth and chewed, not making any effort to pay him much attention.

He put his talons down and looked her in the eyes. "Well, why not?" he asked with a shrug. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "It's a free country, isn't it?"

"Yes, but you're obviously here for a reason." She rolled her eyes—another hayfry, more chewing.

"Maybe I just wanted to see you."

Twilight started hacking wildly, as if his words had jammed themselves in her throat, hindering her breathing.

"Excuse me?" She asked once she could breathe again.

"What? Is it really so surprising? What’s a draconequus to do being in the presence of a creature so strikingly beautiful? Hardly a minute passes when I'm not thinking of you," he said with a smirk on his face.

A few ponies snickered in the back of the restaurant. The attendees of the restaurant could hear the furious clicking of Quick Snap's camera taking pictures at 2,000 miles an hour. They could already see tomorrow's big headline...

DISCORD BRUTALLY REJECTED BY PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE.

KING OF CHAOS? HOW ABOUT KING OF THE FRIENDZONE?

The occupants of the fast food restaurant waited for Twilight to say something, to turn him down.

But it never came.

"R-really..?" She blushed, using a fetlock to partially cover her bashful smile.

"How could I not?" he said, head resting in his palms, elbows on the table. "You're simply divine, Princess. Your eyes are sparkling amethysts, and your smile shines brighter than Celestia's Sun. Your beauty is greater than Luna's night sky, and your heart is kinder than even the Princess of Love. You're the most dazzling creature I've ever met."

"What have you done this time?" Her wings fidgeted a little, and she looked everywhere but at him. "You're obviously buttering me up for something."

"Am I? I'm pretty sure I haven't caused any major disturbances lately. I'm here for one thing, and one thing only—a chance to take you to dinner tonight, Princess Twilight Sparkle." He took her hoof in his paw, his talons resting on top. He looked into her eyes, his own more serious than she’d ever seen before. "Will you do me the honor?"

Everypony was hanging on to the edge of their seats. There was still a chance for rejection here, surely she wouldn't—

"I'd love to," she said with a smile. Her eyes danced with glee.

"I'll pick you up at the castle at seven then?" he asked, letting go of her hoof and leaning back.

"Okay," she squeaked. Discord then vanished with a grin, leaving a very happy Twilight. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Ye-" her joyful shouts were cut off as she teleported away to get ready for the date she now had.

The ponies inside The Hayburger were silent.

A grey pegasus fell out of his chair and began to wail. "But I wanted to ask her out!"

Rarity's Boutique.

Now that was a place that high society could tolerate a princess visiting, even if it was in an odd place like Ponyville. In the conversations of those who knew of her, there were almost always a few comments about how the charming fashionista would do better in a place like Canterlot. She'd definitely do better in a bigger city, preferably somewhere comfortably close to the nobility.

But alas, she wasn't in any other city, and Twilight Sparkle was glad. Teleporting such a distance, which she could easily do as an alicorn, when she needed to see her with such high emotions was risky. And she needed to talk to her now.

"Ijustgotaskedonadateadaterarityineedadressdon'tyouthinkcanyougetmeadress?"

"...Can you please repeat that, darling?" Rarity said, startled as anypony could be when a best friend of theirs pops in quite literally in front of them, even if there was a certain length of frequency to it, with a various number of her friends. Meanwhile, Twilight glanced around erratically, and tried to catch her breath. "Breathe, Twilight, breathe. What is it?"

"I need to buy a somewhat casual, somewhat semi-formal dress for a date I have tonight!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Something for a night out on the town, you say?" Rarity asked with a warm smile. It wasn't every day her friend had a date. In fact, she didn't think she'd been on one since moving to Ponyville, and that’s considering if she'd ever been on one at all. She was excited, to say the least. "I think I have something you'll look simply marvelous in. May I ask who the lucky stallion is?" she added with a teasing smile.

"Oh, well umm..." she trailed off, blushing. "Actually, he isn't a stallion, per say..."

"Oh, who is she then?" she amended, somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected that.

"Nonononono!" Twilight yelped. "It's a he!"

"Oh." Rarity arched an eyebrow. "Ohhh, is it a dashing griffon from across the sea?"

"Um, no.."

"A muscly, adventure seeking minotaur?"

"No."

"A handsome, charming dragon you met by chance while exploring the caves for jewels?"

"...No?"

"...A diamond dog?"

"NO!" Twilight shouted. "Ew, Rarity! No way would I ever go out with a diamond dog!"

"Then who, Twilight? I'm running out of guesses here."

"....Discord...."

"...What, darling? I didn't quite catch that."

"Discord! Discord asked me to dinner tonight and I said yes!"

"Wh—" she began, but she was stopped by a hoof to the muzzle.

"And you can't stop me!"

Silence reigned for a few moments before Rarity cleared her throat. "And why would I do that, Twilight?"

"Why wouldn’t you?" she said, exasperated. "It's Discord! You know, King of Chaos, Master of Entropy, the last of the draconeqi!"

"Yes?"

Twilight thought for a moment.

"Well, I just thought—"

CRASH

Rainbow Dash smashed through the large window of the boutique, an angry look on her face. In mere seconds she was a feather's length from Twilight's startled face.

"Twilight! You aren't seriously going out with Discord, are you?"

"—that you'd be more like that."

Blue suits and strange pursuits

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It took mere seconds for Rarity to edge her way between Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, and even less time to start squabbling with the pegasus.

Twilight only caught bits and pieces of the argument. Rarity rambled on in a shrill voice while Rainbow countered in an ever louder tone.

“I can explain!” Twilight shouted suddenly. The chatter ceased.

“Twilight, you don’t have to explain true love," Rarity, ever the romantic, assured. She glared at Rainbow and snorted. "It doesn't matter what ponies think about it."

“This isn't one of your dumb romance novels, Rarity,” Rainbow huffed, worry hidden behind her fiery eyes. She turned to Twilight. “He’s obviously plotting something, Twi. You could get hurt.”

“Well that’s just great, girls, but I don’t actually like him—at all.” Twilight braced herself against her friends rebuttal, but neither of them said anything. She sighed and continued on. “Look, he’s always tricking me and being a pain in my flank, right? Remember when Cadance came to visit? Maybe I just want to get back at him, okay?”

“How so?” Rarity took a step back from Twilight, looking far more reserved.

“When he asked me to dinner, it just clicked,” Twilight explained. “This is my way to pay him back. He doesn't like me. He thinks he has me right where he wants me… but this time, I’m a step ahead. This time, I’m going to get him before he gets me.”

“Wait, so you’re pranking Discord?” Rainbow Dash brandished a nefarious smile and her ears twitched with excitement. “That’s awesome! Oh my gosh, you gotta let me in on this!”

“No, it’s okay.” Twilight’s words extinguished Rainbow’s enthusiasm like water to a flame. “I’d rather do this on my own.”

“Oh… okay. I get it. You got this.” Rainbow’s rebound was quick, if not forced. “I could give you a few tips if you want.”

“I think I can manage.” Each word punctured the air like needles as Twilight spoke them. Anger swamped her thoughts, but before she could add on another abrasive statement, a beam of realization shone through. Her eyes snapped wide open and her heart sank a few inches. “Oh, Rainbow, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!” Urgency tinged her voice, and her ears swiveled backward.

“Nah, it’s all good.” Rainbow Dash put on a thin, but strong smile. “Some pranks you just gotta do on your own, right? Well, I have to get back to cloudbusting. Still got a whole section left.” She trotted toward the front door and took a sideways glance at the broken window. “Hey, Rares—sorry about the window. I’ll come by later to clean it up.” She opened the door and gave one last look behind her. “See ya ‘round.” Then she was gone in a flurry of light blue feathers.

“That Rainbow… at least she always cleans up her messes,” Rarity said with a sigh. She turned her full attention back to Twilight. “Now whatever is going on, darling?”

“What do you mean? I just told you—”

“No. That’s not the truth, Twilight. I've always known you as a pony who was above petty things like that. It’s something else, isn't it?”

“Rarity, I may not be the Element of Honesty, but do you really think I would lie to you?” Her voice became colder by the minute. “I just want to win for once.”

“Yes, I heard you the first time.” Rarity thought for a moment. “Haven’t you, as you’d say, won before?”

“No!” Her voice jumped octaves with her sudden intensity. Surprise momentarily shone in her eyes, but it quickly faded behind her hardened expression. “I've never won with him. Not once!” Her ears flattened themselves to the back of her head. “The first time we met him, he played me so well that I didn't know right from left! It was only because Celestia had been able to send me my friendship letters that we were able to turn him back to stone.” She squeezed her eyes shut

Rarity listened patiently through Twilight’s little rant, taking it all in. She searched for a source to her friend’s odd behavior, but oddly, she couldn't find a thing. She latched on to the only thing she noticed.

“I see you haven’t mentioned our little spat with Tirek,” Rarity pointed out. “Couldn't you see that as a victory? He learned a valuable lesson then, I think, and he said he owed it all to you…” She trotted over toward the shattered window, and began to sweep up the glass shards. “Now that I think of it, I don’t think he’s done anything at all lately. Not so much as a cotton candy cloud.” She turned to look at Twilight over her shoulder. “Am I correct? Or has something happened that I’m not aware of?”

“I… it doesn't matter! He’s gotten off far too easy for far too long now. I don’t… He’s going to get what’s coming to him!” Twilight’s ear twitched erratically as her voice wavered between anger and uncertainty.

“Twilight, really, you don’t sound like yourself.” She turned away from sweeping and looked Twilight straight in the eye, much like a school marm to a young foal. “Are you certain nothing has happened?”

“I’m fine!” Twilight nearly shouted before taking a deep breath. “Look, this is just between me and Discord. We all have these little feuds, right? Like Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack.”

“Only theirs are all in good fun.” Rarity set the broom down leaning it against the wall. “Speaking of Rainbow, what was that?”

“Just—I’m just—I don’t know.” Twilight stared at the floor, looking for words to explain herself.

“Be careful, Twilight. I’m not sure what you’re up to, or why it’s so difficult for you to tell me. While it’s difficult for me to let this go, I’ll leave you with a word of advice: tread lightly when playing with one’s emotions—yours and others.”

“Rarity, I already told you, I don’t think—”

“I know. Just keep that in mind.” Rarity’s posture resumed a warmer stance and a smile returned to her face. “Now then, I believe I've got a dress that would look just dazzling on you! We don’t want to disappoint your date, now do we?”

“No, I will not be caught wearing that!”

“I think you’d look very handsome in it, Discord. Can you at least try it on? Um, I mean, I’d like you to, but if you don’t want to, that’s okay…”

“Fluttershy, how many times must I remind you to assert yourself?”

“Does that mean you’ll try on the suit?” Fluttershy’s ears perked up as she asked, hoping for a yes. The suit in question was a dark scarlet color which looked like soft velvet. A white undershirt and black tie accompanied it. The sharp look was trending in Manehatten, according to Rarity, that is.

“No, I won’t be trying on the suit.” Discord turned up his nose at the thought. “Me, wearing a suit? Why, that’d be the day!”

“I’m pretty sure you've worn one before… multiple times… a dress as well.”

“When it’s blue it doesn't count,” Discord stated a matter-of-factly.

“I see…” Fluttershy trailed off, remembering a certain flu from a while back. “But I still think it would look nice on you. Don’t you want to look nice for Twilight?” Her voice neared a teasing tone. A small smile accompanied her words, which succeeded in thoroughly ruffling Discord’s feathers.

“Maybe,” he answered icily. He took the suit from her and looked at it. “You do know that this is meant for a pony, right? I couldn't possibly fit into this.” He promptly tossed the suit over his shoulder as he spat the word “this”, which neatly folded itself as it drifted towards Fluttershy’s dresser.

“Yes, well, I thought that you’d be able to um, change it?”

“Yes, yes, that I could. But the question remains; should I?” He floated two feet above the ground on his back, much like one would float on the surface of a pool. The tip of his tail twitched every now and then, something of a nervous tick.

“If you’re not going to wear the suit, would you maybe wear this..?” She held out the question along with the object in her hoof.

“A watch? I have a feeling that wearing only that would make me seem more naked than I already am,” Discord tutted. He turned the golden watch over in his claws. “It is a nice time piece, though. What, 500 LE?”

“I’m not really sure… it was my grandfather’s.”

This stopped Discord right in his tracks. His ears perked up, and he looked at her in surprise. “And you want me to wear it?” he asked. “I may not know much about that kind of thing, but shouldn't this watch be a bit more important to you?”

“Yes,” she managed to answer through her sudden embarrassment. “It’s a stallion’s watch anyway—I would never wear it, and I don’t really have anyone to give it to.”

Discord laid his paw and taloned claw across Fluttershy’s shoulders. “If it means that much to you, then I’ll wear it.” He spoke calmly, almost too seriously for a creature such as he was. He gave her a small nod before letting go and sharing a smile. “Maybe I’ll try on this suit of yours too. That is, if you’d allow me to make some adjustments.”

“Adjustments? Oh dear…” A flood of images assaulted her mind; none of them sat well with her conscience.

“Oh, don’t you fret.” He patted her head and motioned for the suit to come to him. Once within his grasp, he studied it. “This is technically only half a suit - for a semi-nudist society, I suppose that would be acceptable.”

“So you are going to wear it?” She stared at the back of the suit top blocking her view of Discord’s face.

“I don’t wear suits,” he stated absentmindedly. With a SNAP the coat changed to a deep sea blue. “But if it’s blue…” Another snap of his claws changed it’s shape, elongating and narrowing it at the same time. “...it doesn't count.” One last snap and he was wearing it.

“Oh, it looks lovely, Discord,” Fluttershy murmured. She walked up to him and helped to straighten him up a little, smoothing out small creases and brushing off pieces of lint.

“Smart, suave, stately, stylish… yes, I believe we are in agreement.” A mirror materialized before him, ignoring the mirror across the room, and he struck a few poses, admiring himself as he did so. The old watch appeared on his wrist after a few choice moves had been executed. “Thank you, Fluttershy, this is a wonderful coat. Your watch certainly completes the outfit, doesn't it?”

“It does.” A warm glow of happiness bubbled up in her chest. The feeling manifested itself as a rather large smile on her muzzle. She couldn't help but notice that Discord’s tail was still twitching about. “Discord, are you nervous?”

“Absolutely not,” he stated without hesitation, though his tail stiffened at her words. “Why would you think that?” He adjusted his tie a little, even though its placement was already perfect.

“Well, this is your first time approaching a mare in a while,” Fluttershy said thoughtfully. She flew up to the top of his head and hovered as she touched up his crest and fur. “I’d be nervous too. Well, more nervous, that is.”

Discord stared into his own reflection in the mirror. “And what makes you think that?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, I um.” She withdrew her hoof from his head and let herself drop to the floor. “I just thought that—”

“No, you’re completely right, my dear.” He let out a long-winded sigh. “I went in to that place expecting rejection, and—”

“You’re lying,” Fluttershy murmured softly. Though her voice was quiet, her eyes spoke volumes. What aren't you telling me? they seemed to say. Why are you trying to hide something from me?

“How did you know?” The mirror before him vanished into a cloud of pink smoke as he turned to face her.

“Your tail.” She pointed to the white fluff flicking about. “You’re all jittery, like when one of my little forest friends is hiding something from me.”

“You know me too well. Usually, that would mean I would have to “un-alive you”, as they say. But, I suppose, I’ll have to make an exception.” He reached out and grabbed a cane out of thin air and made of show of spinning it like a baton. “Well, I can’t be late for the dear Princess, now can I? Don’t wait up for me!” He tossed the cane high into the air, and when it hit the floor he was gone.

Fluttershy huffed irritably. He hadn't told her what — or better yet, why — he had lied to her. Well, she thought, he won’t be getting off that easily. Sometimes, he was just like a child. He had to be reprimanded, and this little act of defiance wasn't going to just fade away like he hoped. She’d be waiting, but she also knew he’d be ready.

Stranger still

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The moon shone bright in the night sky above Twilight Sparkle as she waited near the doors to her castle, deep in thought. She wore a blank expression, and the only sign that she wasn’t a life-like statue was the slight shivering every now and then. It was chilly, but not enough to force her into a heavier sweater than the one she was already wearing. She could barely feel the thin black material against her coat, but she was reminded of its existence every time the soft breeze pushed it gently from side to side.

Twilight still couldn’t believe that the dress that Rarity had given her had only cost half what she expected, especially when she had allotted for her friend’s generosity. She supposed that she would have to make it up to her in some way later, perhaps in paid VIP trips to Canterlot and other cities. She would have to ask Spike later—He would certainly have a few ideas.

Rarity had given her a long description when presenting the dress to her, calling it “french lilac”, maxi length, a-line cut, with hoofkerchief hem ruffles. The dress also included an illusion neckline and set-in shoulder straps. Many other words went right over Twilight’s head, which embarrassed her as an avid logophile. To her, it was just a purple-grey color, and had ruffles that started at the flanks and ended about mid-leg. She still thought it was very pretty though.

It was odd, really. Most other mares, she assumed, would have at least one dress that was suitable for going on a date. But thanks to her asocial lifestyle before moving to Ponyville, she’d never had the mind—or time—to purchase any. The only dresses she owned was the one Rarity had given her for her birthday last year, last year’s Grand Galloping Gala dress, and her Coronation dress. All were either too casual or far too formal. Which was why her first stop had been Rarity’s. Because of one simple fact:

She’d never been on a date before.

She’d never been asked on a date before.

It didn’t matter that this night wouldn’t be based on feelings towards her date. To her, this was something brand new. Something she could easily mess up. Thoughts of this night has to be perfect floated around her mind.

Not that she wanted it to go well, of course. Or, not too well, at least. The point was to make him suffer, not to give him the utter delusion that she could like him. Or even worse, love him. He was planning to take her on a bad date, she knew. Naturally, to combat this, she would just have to be an even worse date than him. She wouldn’t flinch at whatever he threw at her, figuratively or literally.

She chuckled, remembering how he’d come to ask her out. He probably had expected her to decline his offer, and was going to spring his trap then. But, knowing him, he’d probably also planned for the chance that she might accept. The only thing she had against him was that she was expecting the trick, and not a nice dinner. She didn’t worry about what that could be; it didn’t matter. All that mattered was her part in the game, her strategy. Whatever happened, she would be the last one laughing.

A sudden chill passed through her, as if, just maybe, she thought that what she was doing could be wrong. She quickly shook it off. It was just her nerves getting the best of her. Odd, inexplicable nerves. She would have pinned this on being her first date, as she had only a few moments before, but this felt different.

Discord was the master of chaos. He was quick to adapt, and if he caught on to even the slightest hint that she knew of his plans, the game would change, and she’d lose. Again.

“Maybe this won’t be as easy as I thought,” she murmured to herself with a shudder. But there was no going back now. When he’d asked her to dinner, it was an invitation to play the game. And she’d accepted.

Now she just had to play it.

Spike watched from his bedroom window as his adopted sister stared upwards into the sky. He’d been watching for a few minutes now, and he’d noticed that she hadn’t blinked once. Anypony else watching her from his view probably wouldn’t have noticed, but with his draconic eyesight he could see her face quite clearly. A worried knot formed in his gut, and he couldn’t help but feel like something was horribly wrong.

What was even worse was that it didn’t feel like Discord was the problem. Spike didn’t know what it was—he couldn’t pin the feeling.

Maybe it was worry for his big sister’s first date, he thought. After all, why wouldn’t he be at least a tiny bit worried for her? She’d seemed excited enough when she got home from Rarity’s. She didn’t really say much, though, which usually meant that she was nervous. Which was perfectly normal, but he could tell that there was something more.

He’d decided to leave it alone at the time, as he feared he would add on more stress, but now he was wondering if that had been a good idea. Something was wrong. It was already odd enough that she’d chosen to wait outside instead of comfortably in the castle, but the not blinking was starting to freak him out. Maybe he was just seeing things. Maybe she’d just blinked at the same time he did. For the past thirteen minutes…

“Okay, maybe I should go check on her,” he said aloud as he got up from his watch at the window. But just then, a black carriage with no ponies pulling it rolled up to where Twilight was standing.

It was Discord.

“A horseless carriage? It’s unusual, but I wouldn’t say chaotic.” Twilight’s face beget no surprise as the thing rolled up. A raised eyebrow and a haughty smirk did appear though, followed by an unimpressed laugh.

“Does everything I do have to be chaotic? That would mean consistency!” Discord threw open the door to the carriage. Literally—it went flying off into the night, never to be seen again. He stepped down onto the cool stone path. “And if I had consistency, I wouldn’t be a true being of chaos, now would I?”

“So, a paradox then,” Twilight concluded. “Nevermind, that does sound like you. But traveling by carriage still seems a bit normal by your standard, horseless or not.”

“Alright, then.” He rolled his eyes but kept smiling all the same. Without skipping a beat, he snapped his talons and the carriage melted into a puddle of water. “By what means would you wish to travel tonight, my dear princess?” He bowed before Twilight, as low and politely possible.

“Hmm, I’ll have to think about that.” This was it. The game was starting. She’d have to choose wisely, choose the unexpected. He would plan on her choosing something practical. So that would mean she would have to choose the most outlandish thing she could think of.

“Well, we haven’t got all night,” Discord reminded her.

“I’ve decided,” Twilight announced, a wide grin upon her face. This would do it. This would start off the game in her favor. “I would like to ride in a flying purple watermelon. Oh, and it has to have wings. Purple wings.” Somehow, she managed to say this with an incredibly straight face. Rarity’s training was starting to pay off.

“Really? Are you sure? I could conjure a grand carriage, and hire some pegasi to—”

“What, is a flying watermelon too hard for you?” It took all she had not to burst out laughing. Yes, this was definitely the right path. “I should think that the Lord of Chaos could manage a measly watermelon.”

“Of course I can!” Discord tried his best not to sound flustered. Then, in a calmer voice, he said, “If that’s what you want, then it shall be.”

He picked a pebble off the road and tossed it a few feet. Almost immediately it began to balloon out from itself, growing bigger and bigger by the second. It changed from grey to a dark purple color, and great feathery wings began to sprout from it. Discord decided that the two ends of the pebble-turned giant fruit would serve as the front and back of the vehicle, and began to carve out windows accordingly with his mind. The inside was already hollowed out, and a door began to form on the side facing them.

When the magical hodge-podge stopped moving, Discord walked up to it, opened the door, and bowed toward Twilight.

“Your melon, my lady.”

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle as he motioned for her to get in.

“Now that’s more like it!” she declared. She was a tiny bit impressed, but only because he’d responded so quickly. He was definitely a difficult opponent.

She sat down on one of the leathery plum colored seats and noticed that a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries were laid next to her. Her mouth watered slightly. She’d never finished her lunch at The Hayburger earlier.

And she loved chocolate-covered strawberries.

“Chocolate-covered strawberries? How unoriginal can you get!” She waved her hoof dismissively as she scoffed at him. They were going out to eat, anyway. Her stomach could wait.

“Ah, but they aren’t just your everyday strawberries,” Discord countered. He climbed into the giant melon and shut the door behind him, sitting on a seat opposite from Twilight. He picked up one of the strawberries in his paw. “Every single one tastes like a different fruit! Well, all except one.” He popped the fruit into his mouth. “Mmm, orange!” He held out the platter to Twilight in earnest. “One of these deceitful little strawberries tastes like a hot chilli pepper! It’s a game: we each take turns picking one out until the chilli pepper is found. The one to find it loses.”

“So like Griffonian Roulette?”

“Yes, yes, I suppose,” he grumbled.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn, right? Since you already ate one?” This was likely the first of a few traps lined up for her. She would have to tread lightly from now on.

Discord nodded, and waited eagerly for her choice.

Twilight levitated the one farthest from her toward her mouth. She hesitated a moment, her stomach churning. This could easily, more than likely, blow up in her face. But refusing to eat it would be like forfeiting, and then she’d never have a chance like this again.

She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself and took a tentative bite.

“Green apple?” Her eyes shot open in surprise.

“Oh, you should have seen your face! Maybe this game is a little too nerve-wracking for you. We still have some time before our reservation, but maybe we could stop and—”

“No!” Twilight shouted. She almost slapped herself. She’d been too frantic, she may have made him suspicious. “Um, I mean, it’s okay. I’d like to keep playing.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “Alright, as you wish.” He plucked a strawberry off the platter and tossed it into his maw. “Cherry,” he announced.

Twilight already had another strawberry in her magic. Without breaking eye contact with Discord, she took a bite.

“Grape.”

“Getting a bit competitive now, are we?” he mused. He chomped down another strawberry. “Pineapple!”

“Raspberry.”

“Kiwi.”

“Banana.”

“Mango.”

“Is coconut even a fruit?”

“Blueberry.”

“Pomegranate.”

Twilight took small bites while Discord ate them whole. They continued until there were only two chocolate-covered strawberries left. Twilight eyed the last two warily.

“We’ll eat them at the same time so it’s fair.” He gestured toward the platter. “Ladies first.”

Left or right? Right or left? Twilight couldn’t decide. Did it really matter? Discord could easily make whichever one she picked the chilli pepper without her knowing. He was adamant about not cheating, but he wasn’t shy about finding loopholes and twisting the rules to his purposes. In fact, he hadn’t even stated any rules, and there were no rules about magically switching the losing piece in Griffonian Roulette! Integrity kept ponies from cheating, but she wasn’t sure if Discord had any!

“Oh come now, it isn’t that hard. Would you like me to pick one for you?”

“No, I’ve got it,” she answered quickly. There was no way she was going to let him do that. She took a deep breath and grabbed the one on the right.

“Alright, then.” He took the remaining strawberry. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“On the count of three.” As he said this, a large number 0 appeared into the air. “One.” The 0 changed into a 1. “Two. Three!”

Twilight popped the strawberry into her mouth and chewed, expecting her taste-buds to be assaulted with fiery, red hot pepper at any moment. Her face would turn red and her eyes would water profusely, and she’d no doubt scream as best she could for a glass of water.

“Oh by all things disorderly, that’s HOT!”

But it wasn’t her who screamed, it was Discord.

He clutched at his burning throat, trying to make the intense sensation stop. Waterfalls of tears poured out of his eyes, though there was no water build up in the melon, and nothing seemed to get wet. His face reddened, and flames began to burst out of his ears.

It started as a snort. Then a giggle. And then Twilight found that she was laughing. It came as a surprise to her, at first. The scene was silly, sure, but she felt… happy. Like she was having fun. She felt herself start to unwind, which was unsettling. She couldn’t be having fun, not with him. She was just happy that she managed to survive this round, that’s why she was laughing.

“Don’t just sit there and laugh!” Discord’s pained voice stopped Twilight’s train of thought, but a coy smile still remained on her face. “Hand me that glass of water!” He pointed behind her with his talons, paw still glued to his neck.

Twilight was about to object—there hadn’t been a glass of water there before—but quickly stopped herself. She turned her head, and sure enough there was a glass of water sitting where the empty platter had been.

It was quickly levitated into Discord’s outstretched claws, and in a blink it was emptied down his throat.

The change was immediate. The red color faded, and the water and flame ceased to pour from his orifices. Discord coughed politely into his fist a few times, and smiled a sheepish smile at Twilight.

Twilight finally had time to register the flavor of her last strawberry. “It tastes like… a strawberry?” The sudden normalcy caught her by surprise and brought a smile to her face. Only Discord could make regularity seem unexpected.

“I guess you won, hmm, Princess?” The glass morphed into a napkin, and he used it to dab the sweat off his face. “Oh, would you look at the time; we should start heading to our destination.”

Twilight laughed. She had won, hadn’t she? Wait. Destination?

“Where exactly are we going, Discord?” The smile still hadn’t left her face.

“Oh, but that would spoil the surprise!” Discord said in mock indignation. The watermelon, in all its purple glory, began to rise up into the air. “Say, you look cheerful. What’s got you smiling like that?”

And she did look cheerful. Twilight was looking out the window and humming to herself idly with a smile on her face. Without a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Spending time with you.”

She froze.

Oh no.

Oh Celestia no.

She did not just say that.

“Really?”

Oh yes she did.

“Um, what I meant to say was-”

“I like spending time with you too, Twilight Sparkle.”

The warmth from his smile caused Twilight to blush madly, and she turned her gaze back to the window.

Not another word was said the rest of the way to their mysterious destination, riding in the purple watermelon that flapped lazily through the sky. Just one alicorn with her nerves coiled around themselves, and one draconequus who was trying his best to alleviate the guilt he’d brought upon himself.

Quill flew across paper making a SCRITCH SCRATCH in Spike’s otherwise quiet room. He wrote with a certain conviction, driven by brotherly instinct, that rivaled the highests scribes of Canterlot. He stared at the parchment with a grim expression, but had high hopes that his fear would be alleviated within the coming morning.

Dear Princess Celestia,
Spike here!
I’ve got some questions about Discord, and you’re the only one I could think of that might be able to help. Well, you and Luna, but I’ve tried sending her a letter once, and we both know how that ended. Who knew your sister wasn’t used to letters sent by dragonfire? Too bad she tried to mobilize the Equestrian Army against the “incoming dragon attack”, though.
Well, back to Discord. How well do you know him? Was he more of a Sombra-type guy to you, or a Nightmare Moon? I’m wondering because he asked Twilight out on a date tonight, and let’s face it - none of us really know him that well. I did think of Fluttershy, but she’d be too shy about this kind of thing I think.
Do you think he’d ask Twilight out just to break her heart? I mean, usually I’d give him the opposite of the benefit of the doubt (give him the doubt?), and say “Yeah, he’d do that”. But after seeing him around Ponyville a lot I’m not so sure. He doesn’t seem like a mean guy, to be honest. Maybe super annoying, but not mean.
But I’m still worried. So any advice you could give would be great.
And if he does end up breaking our Twilight’s heart, I think there are enough alicorns around to put him in his place. (Plus one very angry dragon!)
Write back soon,
Spike the dragon
P.S. I’m kind of worried about Twilight. She was acting weird before she left tonight, and I don’t know why. I’ll keep you posted.

The Meadow

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“I thought you said we had a reservation to get to?” Twilight Sparkle shot Discord an incredulous look. The two of them sat in a large, expansive meadow, empty save for a few wiry trees here and there and a beautiful white flower that dotted the landscape.

“Careful, I think your eyebrow is trying to escape,” Discord teased in reply. He paused as she quickly turned her eyes to the ground, red tinting her features ever so slightly. Stars, she’s adorable, he thought wistfully. “And yes, we do have a reservation. You’ll see.”

Her eyes shot back up to meet his. “Well, where and when is it?” She remained frigid, and a nervous ear-flick gave away her slight stress.

“You can’t bear not knowing, can you? What’s the point in it being a surprise if I just tell you? I’d much rather show you.” He turned to the winged purple watermelon behind him, and with a SNAP it was a large purple checkered blanket. “Come on now.”

“Discord, what is this?” Twilight followed him cautiously, suspicion turning into confusion.

Discord let out a deep chuckle. She probably expected an uptown Canterlot dining experience, and not what he had in store. “You’ll see,” he said with a smirk. He dropped down to all fours and settled on the blanket, back facing her. He waited patiently for her to follow him, a few moments. She settled beside him, just a few inches between them. Well that’s an improvement, he thought. It’s working through her system then.

“So…” Twilight looked all around, refusing to look at Discord. Every time she turned her head to look in a different location - bush to tree, tree to sky, and so on - her bangs bounced.

Discord let out a deep, hearty chuckle. She was so adorable when she was nervous. “So?” He mimicked her, though he drew the word out longer. He gazed at her, a pleasant look on his face. He was still, but not tense. A sense of calm seemed to emanate from him.

“Discord… why are we here?” She was still looking around, but now with more interest. Suddenly, a blue butterfly framed in white floated past her view, and Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that a Xerces Blue butterfly? They’re extinct!”

“Ah, yes. Funny how a species dedicated to love and tolerance can drive another species to extinction, hmm? It may be gone from the rest of the world, but luckily the meadow remembers.” He reached out a talon and the blue butterfly flew right through it. “But you can’t touch a memory.”

“What is this place?” Twilight asked, staring after the butterfly in awe.

“The Meadow of Memories, as straightforward of a name you can get. Well, maybe a bit less than Ponyville.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Your dear former teacher placed many charms around this place to prevent her precious little ponies from finding it. She fears they might destroy its magic.” He rolled his eyes.

“We aren’t supposed to be here?” Twilight got up with a start. Her wings flared and she looked at Discord questioningly.

“Oh, don’t you worry your little pony head. You won’t get in trouble.” He laughed. “It’s not like she knows we’re here anyhow…”

“Discord!” Twilight yelped.

“Okay, okay.” He could barely contain his amusement. “Let’s just say I got permission.”

“Permission? From Celestia? Really?” Though her body was still wracked with tension, she visibly relaxed.

“Well, not Celestia, per se…”

“Luna!” Celestia shouted, barging into her sister’s bed chambers. “Someone has breached the Meadow of Memories! We must go at once.”

“At ease, sister. ‘Tis not a felon who has happened upon thy sacred meadow,” Luna said, not looking up from the book she was reading. She lay sprawled out on her huge bed, a cup of hot cocoa floating in her aura.

“How do you know?” Celestia’s right ear flicked. “Do you know who is there, Luna?”

“Er, perhaps.” Luna’s eyes focused on the words before her.

“Luna.” Celestia stepped forward, creeping closer and closer to Luna’s bedside. “Who is in the Meadow of Memories.”

“I promised not so say,” Luna mumbled, looking away. She set her hot cocoa down on her nightstand. “Thine anger; I fear it.”

“Luna, I won’t be mad, I promise,” Celestia soothed. “Now please, tell me who it is.”

“Not a foe,” Luna began, “but a friend. That is all my pact can allow me to say, Celestia.” The resolve in her voice was unbreakable.

Celestia sighed. Luna was not one for breaking promises of any kind.

“Then I’ll just have to trust your judgment,” she relented.

“And is that really such a feat?” Luna teased playfully.

“Oh yes, Miss THE DRAGONS ARE COMING!” Celestia laughed. She settled on Luna’s bed and poked her ear.

“That was one time!” Luna blushed like mad. She’d thought that Celestia had all but forgotten.

“And? It was still quite hilarious.” Celestia’s laugh was cut short by a letter materializing before her. “A letter from Twilight? At this hour?” she murmured as she studied the scroll. She unfurled it, not noticing Luna’s sudden discomfort. “Let’s see what this is about. ‘Dear Princess Celestia.” Oh, I thought I told Twilight she doesn’t have to address me as Princess any longer,” she tutted. “ ‘Spike here!’ Ah, it's Spike. Though I’m not sure if Spike should have to use my title either. Something to address another time, I suppose. ‘I’ve got some questions about Discord’...”

Celestia stopped reading out loud and quickened her pace. Her eyes tore through the words, eating up Spike's words hungrier than a starved wolf. When she was done, she rolled the scroll back up and set in on the bed.

“Luna.” Her voice was stone cold. She got up, back facing Luna.

“Tia, please, I-”

“When were you going to tell me that TWILIGHT WAS ON A DATE WITH HIM?”

“Well if you have permission, then I guess it’s alright,” Twilight conceded. “But if we get in trouble, I’m blaming you!”

“I believe you.” Discord winked. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll find me.”

They shared a laugh, smiles dancing across their features like birds in the sky.

“So any extinct creatures, we’ll find them here?” Twilight watched as the butterfly fluttered past again, which brought a curious smile to her face.

“Why Twilight Sparkle, you simply aren’t thinking big enough! Now, can a pony only remember other living things? Tell me, what is everything you remember about getting up this morning?” As he spoke he grabbed a nearby flower, its white petals giving off a soft glow.

“What do you mean? I woke up at 6:30 AM, just like every morning.” She watched as Discord twirled the flower in his paw. Its petals flowed outwards, further and further, until they flew off altogether and burst into silver dust. The glittery dust hung in the air around them like a curtain of millions of tiny stars.

“I need you to think harder, Princess.” Discord swished his paw around the stilled airborne dust. “Close your eyes.”

“I don’t see how-”

“And that’s just it, Twilight. You don’t see.” Although his composure remained playful, he growled his words. “Now close your eyes.”

Twilight frowned. Closing her eyes… that would leave her vulnerable. Surely that would be when he’d spring whatever trap he had planned. Then again, something so predictable was hardly his thing. So with a deep breath and a quick prayer to the Sun, she closed her eyes.

“What was the first thing you heard this morning? Was it the melodious song of the birds outside your bedroom window, or perhaps your assistant calling you to breakfast? What was the first thing you felt? Were you refreshed after a good night’s rest? Or maybe you were disappointed that you left the dream world so soon? What was the first thing you smelled? The fresh lilac sitting on your nightstand?” He paused, letting his questions sink in. “Now tell me, Princess. Describe your morning to me.”

“I - this is silly.” She laughed nervously. Her eyes still laid shut, but she could imagine the smirk on Discord’s face.

“Only if you think it to be. Go on.”

“Okay…” She thought back to her morning’s waking moments. “The very first thing I remember this morning, the thing that woke me up, was the sound of birds. They weren’t singing, but screeching. It sounded like claws on a chalkboard.” Twilight shuddered. “I couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up and checked the time. It was only five minutes until I was supposed to get up, so I went to check my agenda for the day. I remember being upset about the fireplace installation being delayed until next week since it was a chilly morning.” She stopped for a moment, trying to recall anything else of note. “Oh, and I think the window was open.”

“Well that’s something at least,” Discord grumbled. “You can open your eyes now, it worked.”

“It worked? What-” Words failed her as she opened her eyes to see that they were now on the floor of her bedroom. What was even more shocking was the pony that was currently occupying her bed - herself. She looked around, trying to find some sort of sign that they weren't actually in her room with a possible changeling.

“Calm down, it’s just a memory remember? If you look hard enough, you can see that the carpet is really just grass. We haven’t gone anywhere.”

Sure enough, Twilight became aware that they were still resting upon the purple picnic blanket, and the ground was still covered in grass. She could see through the walls, the room being only a ghost of the real thing.

“If you’d done a better job, it’d be harder to tell,” Discord muttered, though a smile still lit up his face. “But here is a sparkling example of just what the magic here can accomplish. Wonderful, isn't it? In theory, a creature can project any memory if it’s strong enough. A deceased loved one, a sequence of events, a picture. Anything.”

He used his tail to swish away the fragile memory, and the projected image dissipated around them. He turned his gaze upward to the stunning array of stars. "Even the sky can be remembered. And, more specifically, the night sky is one all creatures tend to remember the most. Constellations, the phases of the moon, meteor showers..." he paused, looking at Twilight for a moment.

Twilight remained silent, processing Discord's words.

"Or a certain comet I heard somepony is just fascinated with," Discord said with a sly smirk.

"Discord." Twilight looked up at the dark night sky, toward the pristine, pale white moon. "Why here? Why bring me to this extraordinary place instead of someplace easy?" she asked suddenly. If this were the trick, where was it? It would have to involve them being alone... nothing in that area fit with Discord's character at all. Without anypony to embarrass her in front of, what was the point? It did sound like they weren't supposed to be there, so maybe...

"Well, Princess, I know you have an affinity for studying the stars when your muzzle isn't shoved in one of Celestia's hoof-picked magic tomes. They fascinate you, don't they? You enjoy their beauty and revel in their mystery."

She could feel his gaze resting on her cheek, as light as a butterfly, waiting for a response. She continued to look on, keeping her interest focused on the many stars hung above. Had he really noticed such a thing? Twilight knew she tended to be quite obvious with her likes and dislikes, but the way he spoke...

"So, Twilight," he began again, not waiting any longer for an answer, "if one can harness the power of the meadow, access its memories I mean, they can view each and every night sky recorded since the beginning of time. I know you'd probably pick the spell up with ease, but based on your performance with your own memory, I think it'd be much safer if I did all the memory projection tonight."

Was this it, then? Was he going to torture her with a memory? Was he trying to get her hopes up, only to smash them to pieces? Was he trying to frame her for breaking and entering of this obviously sacred meadow where apparently nopony was supposed to be? Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, a million possibilities shooting around her mind at once.

Think, Twilight, THINK! She told herself. There has to be SOMETHING, anything! There's no way he'd do this just to be nice, just because he likes you...

"Twilight, are you alright? You look ill."

Twilight opened her eyes to Discord's worried face, something that rarely showed itself to other living creatures. She was slipping. Quickly, she straightened herself up, regaining her relaxed composure.

"I'm fine," she answered with a small smile, "just a little tired. So, even Starswirl's Comet then, even though it hasn't been 500 years yet?"

"Yes, that's right." Discord frowned slightly for a moment. "But we aren't fast forwarding to when it next passes through Equestria's skies; we are looking at previous times it's come by, seeing what's already happened. Which time shall we project tonight, Princess?"

"The day Starswirl the Bearded himself first laid eyes upon it," she spoke decisively, pushing all paranoia far from her mind. If she only relaxed, she might have some fun. Like back on the carr- er, watermelon.

"Hm." He blinked. "Alright, let's see, without a specific year I'll have to-"

He was interrupted by a huge BANG and a blinding flash of light.

"DISCORD!"

Complications

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"How dare you feign relations with Twilight!" Celestia's voice boomed at Discord. Her normally soft pink eyes were hot red with fury, and her usually peaceful flowing mane was blasting torrents of white-hot flame. "You didn't even consult me about taking anyone, let alone HER, here!"

"Princess Celes-" Twilight was halted mid-sentence as Celestia cast a simple sleeping spell on her formal pupil.

"Now what did you go and do that for?" Discord groaned, like a colt caught with his hooves in the cookie jar. He did, however, take a slightly more defensive stance by rising into a sitting position.

"I'd rather not have this sort of discussion in front of her, thank you very much," she hissed icily. She moved toward the younger alicorn, a single flame moving against the dark sky. Celestia looked at Twilight's sleeping figure with a softer gaze. "I'm sending her home." She lowered her glowing horn to Twilight's forehead for a few moments, and then the purple princess was gone.

"You just had to spoil the fun, didn't you?" Sneered Discord. His arms were crossed as he rolled his eyes.

"Ah, yes, fun," Celestia spoke, looking back to him. "It's fun for you, isn't it? To wrench out the hearts of us silly little mares for your own amusement? I thought you were done with that sort of thing. I thought you were learning the value of friendship. I thought you were a changed draconequus, Discord. I'd thought you you were becoming better!" She cried, coming closer and closer to his face. Her eyes were angry slits as she scowled at him, horn illuminated and mane a blazing rolling mass.

"Celestia..." for once, the talkative Lord of Chaos was rendered speechless.

"And yet, here you are, snatching away the young mare who is basically my daughter right before my own eyes! Do you not know how that feels? To see someone you care about in potential danger of getting her heart broken, just like your own? By the same damned bastard, too!" Her horn flared brighter than before, mere inches from his face. Her eyes bore through his skull like daggers.

"I-"

"No! Don't say it!" Celestia screeched, tears coming to her eyes. "How you managed to get Luna in on this... You turned my own sister against me... again! You, you," she huffed, the sheer amount of indignation she felt not being able to form itself into words. "I ought to lock you up in the pits of Tatarus next to that demon Tirek! Is this how you pay me back for turning a blind eye to your treachery? By toying with my dear Twilight? Trying to... trying to take another away from me..."

And that is when Princess Celestia of Equestria, Lady of the Sun, Heraldess of Harmony, began to cry.

Her horn dimmed slowly, until it snuffed out completely, and her mane returned to its regular aura. Her eyes never left Discord's as tears trickled down her cheeks. Her ears fell flat pressed up against her head, and her eyes seemed to scream a single question: Why?

Discord couldn't come up with a single word to say. He didn't even know what to think; should he comfort her? Ridicule her? Teleport to a different plane of existence in hopes to avoid whatever she had planned for him? He was frozen solid, so much that any passerby might believe him to be a statue once more. The only tell-tale sign of his life was that of his heart beating so very fast that it might burst at any moment.

"Sister," a soft voice glided out from behind the elder princess. "Halcyon thyself, and hark to our reasoning."

"Luna?" Celestia turned around to face her younger sister, tears still escaping from her tired eyes. "I do not... Luna, why didn't you tell me?"

"We believeth, nay our apologies, I believe in his reform. He hath learned his lesson since the battle with the demon Tirek, and we should believe in his true intent. Sister, I has't seen his dreams... he doest love Twilight Sparkle, truly. Discord came to ask for mine aid two days prior, and twas I who suggested that he bring her to this wondrous meadow. The censure is mine."

"Then why did I sense the blasted stench of that curse coming off my beloved student?" Celestia cried out. "He put it on her... he doesn't care, Luna. He tricked you, just like he always does."

"Curse? This is the first I hath heard of that. " Luna looked beyond her distraught sister into the eyes of Discord. "Is this true? Has't thee cursed the mare thee claim to love?"

"I'd never!" His chest puffed up defensively. "Why, I'm offended, Princess! I'd never curse her."

"I sensed it, Discord! The very same evil jinx that destroyed my mother!" Celestia shouted accusingly as she whipped around to face him. "Don't dance around words, beast! I don't care what you call it — curse, spell, enchantment — you did it! You cast it on her, admit it!"

"I... don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, trying to force an innocent look onto his face. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"Discord, doth thee know what thou has't done?" Luna's voice rose a few octaves to a tone of urgency. "Didst thee cast the Illusion of Love upon Twilight Sparkle?"

"I, uh." He shrank back. "...maybe?"

"YOU SCOUNDREL!" Celestia's voice exploded. A blast of light erupted from her horn, only narrowly missing one very terrified draconequus. "YOU INSOLENT FOOL!" She charged after him, taking uncoordinated shots at him as he sped away across the meadow.

"Gentle, my sister!" Luna called after Celestia. She took wing to the skies above, flying above the uncontrollable irate mess that was her sister. "One should not act this way!"

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE, DRACONEQUUS SCUM?" Celestia continued racing after her target, completely ignoring Luna, mane aflame once more. "YOU'VE DOOMED HER MIND TO INSANITY!"

"H-hey, can we talk about this, ohmygoodness I'm out of shape, over tea? Maybe some cake?" Discord pleaded as he ran. He couldn't teleport away. It seemed that although she was in hysterics, Celestia had not come unprepared. The barrier around the meadow had been strengthened, making it virtually impossible to leave until she lowered it.

"I'LL DRINK TEA FROM YOUR SKULL!" She shrieked in reply. "I'LL GRIND UP YOUR BONES AND USE IT FOR FLOUR!"

"Simple 'no thank you' would have sufficed!"

"Tia! Thee art acting most unpleasantly!" Luna shouted from above. "What would Twilight think? What would mother think?"

"MOTHER ISN'T HERE, LUNA! SHE ISN'T HERE BECAUSE OF WRETCHES LIKE HIM!"

"Thee art being unreasonable. I am done with this trivial violence. End thy madness, Tia!" And with that, the princess of the night dove from the sky like a falcon upon its prey, tackling her sister with enough force to leave an indent in ground. Luna stood and dusted herself off. Pollen flew through the air in thick clouds.

Celestia lay broken in the flattened grass and smashed flowers. She was silent.

Discord watched warily a few hundred feet away from atop one of the sparse trees, waiting for the Sun to come down upon him at any moment.

Suddenly, Celestia was gone. Barely a flash of magic signaled her leave.

Luna sighed. Her sister wasn't one to partake in dramatic acts, but when she was really worked up... well, this happened. It was unhealthy, she thought. But she couldn't do anything about it now. There were more pressing matters at hoof.

"Discord." She called out to the tree. "Come."

"I'm not a dog, you know," he complained, but he heeded her words anyway. He slunk toward her, an almost guilty-looking look on his face.

"Discord, wherefore didst thee compromise young Sparkle's mind?" She looked at him with sorrowful eyes.

"I just... I just wanted a chance, okay?"

“...and stir with a pegasus feather. Hmm, whoever wrote this didn't know what they were doing, did they?” Discord shook his head disapprovingly. All around him were shelves. Shelves and shelves of books. Books as far as the eye could see from floor to ceiling and left to right. It appeared to be a vast hallway, with no end to either side in view. “Not only does this breach the laws of magic, but a pegasus feather? To even attempt to concoct a potion like this, you’d have to at least use the feather of an alicorn. Pah, it’s like it was written in the pre-Equestrian era.” He studied the book more carefully, squinting a little. “Oh wait. It was. No wonder this recipe is so terrible. Only a pony wouldn’t know the difference between a potion and poison. Oh well.” He slammed the book shut and tossed it into the large pile of books behind him.

“Oh, I’ll never find anything, will I?” he shouted angrily. He fell into a heap on the floor, a heap of failure. He buried his face in his arms. “The laws of magic… they prevent anything like this from happening! There’s just silly illusion spells and…” he trailed off. His head shot up as a light bulb appeared over his head, and his eyes widened. “Illusions. Why didn't I see it before?” He dove into the mountain of books and popped out with a pitch-black tome. He immediately started flipping through it. “Ahah! Arbutus, fern, daffodil… yes, this’ll work just fine!”

“This is even better than what I was looking for,” Discord murmured as he continued to read. “She’ll just think she’s in love with me, which will give me a chance to make her fall for me for real! Let’s see, applications, applications… Ah! ‘How to cast’.” He read the instructions. And read them again. “...Ingestion? Really?”

"I do not wish to undermine thy devotion to Princess Twilight, Discord. But doth thee know the full implications of this spell? Celestia hadst full right to call this foul spell a curse." Luna shook her head. He was learning, yes, but this was far more complicated of a hiccup than she had expected.

"Only that she'd believe she had feelings for me..." he trailed off. "I assume that there is something else?"

"Aye, something most horrid." She looked upward to the moon. The storm of pollen surrounded them, pulsing in angry clouds. "Any mind magic is most dangerous, as thee know, but this specific spell is more vile than all mind manipulation magic combined. Any sentient creature hath its own set of feelings and beliefs, thee concur?"

The pollen faded into pitch black darkness, the only source of light coming from Luna's horn. Suddenly, a new light shown from far away. Off in the distance were two figures, a unicorn mare and an earthpony stallion. The stallion hoofed the mare a bouquet of flowers, and the mare took a delicate bite.

"At which hour a spell like this is cast upon any creature," Luna continued, "it begins to meddle with its mind in the most heinous ways."

The unknown mare seemed to be in pain as she clutched her head in her hooves. Suddenly, large wings flared from her sides.

Discord gasped. An alicorn?

"Based on how that creature may has't felt ere, t'will become obsessed with either the destruction or protection of the object of focus."

The alicorn thrust her head forward, piercing the stallion's chest in an instant. He crumpled to the ground, and the mare let out a blood curdling scream. The scene then faded, and the pollen fell to the ground. The meadow and the sky were visible once more.

"But... I can fix it, can't I?" His heart began to sink. Once again, he hadn't thought of the consequences...

"T'will be a difficult feat to accomplish. In all honesty, I has't never heard of any creature being cured of this jinx. For to be rid of such a curse, one must feel real love or hatred, depending on the obsession. And, sadly, tis very hard to feel anything at all while under the spell."

"I... I see..." Discord wondered briefly if his heart could sink any lower.

"I am afraid poor Celestia wilt not become any more level headed for a long while, for this is the same curse that befell our mother long ago. Some fool sought to win over our mother's heart and created the blasted thing. The poor nitwit didst not know what he wast doing, however, much like thee, and damned her to a life dedicated to his death. For, although he didst not know it, feelings for him wast already blossoming within her heart."

"But Twilight hasn't been out to get me, or anything of that nature," Discord protested.

"Only time wilt tell, Discord. The curse works slowly at first, gradually driving her most insane. She wilt begin to lash out at those around her, including thee. Especially thee." Luna closed her eyes and shook her head. "Tis of utmost importance that we search for a cure immediately. Tis thy responsibility, Discord, as thee art the one who cast the spell in ignorance. If 't be true thee very much care for fair Twilight Sparkle, then thee wilt not hesitate in aiding me in mine search." Luna sighed once more. "I also advise that thee avoid mine sister. Thee wilt not enjoy thy next encounter as much as thee didst the present day."

"Yes, of course I will!" He shouted. His bout of despair was washed over with a new sense of resolution. He was going to fix his mess, no matter the cost.

Meanwhile...

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Five nobles sat at a table in the flourishing Canterlot Castle Gardens. If you didn't know that it was October, you’d think it was Spring—flowers stood in full bloom, birds sang from the treetops, and the sun shone brightly, but not harshly, on the garden party. Even though the illusion of Spring came fabricated by the talented mages of Canterlot, it felt real enough to those enjoying it. Despite this, it wasn't all that spectacular to the ponies gossiping in the midst of it, who barely noticed the exotic wildlife or took the time to appreciate the beautiful flora.

As always, the elder mares led the discussion. The stallions and younger mares knew that even if they didn’t let them have their way, they would steer the discussion back to whatever they wanted to say, regardless. To avoid trouble, it was best to just let them be.

A mare in a rather large sun hat questioned the group, “Did you hear?” Tiny spectacles clung to the edge of her muzzle, threatening to fall off with every turn of her head.

“No, what?” the elder’s granddaughter, wearing nothing but a scarf and a pair of stylish sunglasses, replied in a boorish tone.

“The Princess is dating Discord!” the bespectacled mare continued. She glanced around and soaked in the varied reactions.

“Which one?” asked another older mare wearing an even larger hat. Large hats were definitely in fashion again following the giant hat hiatus of the past five months.

“I believe it’s the purple one; the one from Ponyville. At least that’s what I heard. I only know for certain that it isn’t Princess Cadence—she’s married, you know. The Princess of Love would never cheat,” Spectacles answered decisively.

“How so? I think it is her. She’s probably come to her senses. A princess, marrying a common stallion, a soldier no less? Pah! She deserves better—a prince, Marigold,” Large Hat retorted.

“And just where is she supposed to find a prince?” Marigold’s spectacles were treacherously close to falling from her face from all her trembling. Nothing made her angrier than when somepony tried to prove her wrong. “The only Equestrian prince at the moment is Prince Blueblood, and they’re related! She’d have to marry outside the kingdom to accomplish that feat.”

“Well, actually, they aren’t related at all. Princess Celestia, bless her heart, adopted Cadence as her niece. I’m surprised she hasn’t done the same for Twilight…” a stallion, the younger mare’s husband, said wistfully.

“Who?” Marigold asked, confused.

“You know, the purple one from Ponyville. The one who we heard is dating that wretched draconequus,” the stallion replied. He didn’t know why he even tried to make conversation with his grandmother-in-law and her friends. Sometimes it felt like they weren’t even listening.

“Dracone-who?” Large Hat asked, face scrunched up and squinting in the glare of the sun.

“I swear to the stars, Melody— the one who is dating Lord Discord.”

“Ah, I see.” She took a long sip from her tea. “Well, I suppose it’s finally come down to it!”

“And what would that 'it' be?” Marigold asked dubiously.

“Yes, do tell!” The younger mare was suddenly a lot more interested. Even if it were just crazy talk—not that she’d ever tell them—it was certainly entertaining.

“Well,” Melody began, “Princess Purple—”

“Sparkle.” Marigold’s spectacles moved with her sneer.

“Princess Sparkle is obviously looking to seize the throne for herself.” She took another sip of her tea and let her statement settle in.

“Surely you’re joking!” the stallion exclaimed.

“Isn’t she the Princess of Friendship? I don’t think 'seizing power' fits with her modus operandi.”

“Ah, Marigold, ever the skeptic,” Melody muttered crossly. “Look at it this way, she’s young, ambitious! Cadence rules a different country. Princess Celestia and Luna have been around for ages. Maybe she thinks it’s her turn to have control.”

“That still doesn’t—” the young mare tried to put in.

“And wouldn’t gaining powerful allies be the first step in staging a coup? We still haven’t seen the full extent to her ability… would you take a gamble and say that she and Discord could match Celestia and her sister?”

“Well, perhaps, but—” the stallion attempted to add.

“So there we have it! I don’t trust that new Princess. I can feel it in my bones! Something just doesn’t sit right. Now we hear that she’s getting friendly with that monster. Shocking!”

“By Celestia, I think you’re right!” Marigold exclaimed. She stood up suddenly, causing her spectacles to fall into her tea cup with a PLOP. Undeterred, she kept on with her rant. “We have to warn somepony!”

“But who?” The young mare wondered briefly what kind of trouble the elderly mares could get into, but she reasoned the crack pot idea wouldn’t carry on too far. It couldn’t hurt to play along a little. “Princess Celestia?”

“I doubt she’d believe anything you’d say without evidence,” the stallion pointed out. He gave a sideways wink to his wife. “I think we should tell somepony else, somepony who knows how to find cold, hard facts and make sense of things like this.”

They all thought for a moment.

Marigold pushed back from the table and tumbled over her chair. Without skipping a beat, she thrust a hoof up into the air victoriously. “I’ve got it!”

“Quick Snap!” a burly stallion in a dress shirt and tie bellowed. His greasy black mane lay slicked back against his neck in a poor attempt at professionalism. Dark rings underlined his tired eyes. “I got a job for you. Think you’re up for it?”

“Yessir!” Quick Snap bolted from his seat at the junior reporter’s desk, and presented himself like a soldier to a general. A salute to the Editor in Chief only seemed natural. “Whatcha need me for, Mr. Headline, sir?”

“I know you’ve been on princess duty in Ponyville for a while, but we need you to kick it up a notch or two. We’ve got a new story coming up.” Headline stifled a yawn, something he’d gotten very good at. Thoughts of laying down and taking a snooze were tempting, but there was work to be done. In the world of news, time was money, and the more time you spent sleeping meant more money being wasted.

“Not a problem, sir.” Quick Snap’s chipper attitude framed the smile on his face. He didn’t think Twilight would mind at this point. The only reason he still bothered hiding behind the trashcan was because his boss had given him that order: Hide behind the garbage bin and take pictures. “Do you want me to interview her? I could get her thoughts on her new—”

“No, no. This will be an… undercover operation,” Headline said gruffly. Just a few more minutes and he could go home. He needed a vacation—time off to recharge.

“Oh?” Quick Snap’s muzzle quivered with excitement. “Undercover?” That could only mean that this was going to be a big story, and he was going to be a part of it! “What do you want me to do, Boss?”

“I just got a call from a very reliable source that Princess Twilight Sparkle is planning to overthrow the diarchy in cahoots with that rat, Discord. I need you to take as many pictures as possible—around the clock—and report anything suspicious.” He tossed over a rectangular object, which Quick Snap caught on reflex. “I’m also gonna give you this tape recorder, so that you make sure and catch anything important they might say.”

Ears flattened in confusion, Quick Snap let out a squeak. "O-overthrow the Princesses, sir?”

“Don't know." Headline shrugged and shook his head. "Don't care. I just know that this story will make us a good amount of bits. I don’t care what it is—get something our writers can work with.” The paper couldn’t afford another drop in sales. If they didn’t do well with this issue, he would be forced to let some ponies go.

“Okay sir. Got it, sir.” Quick Snap gathered up his things as Headline left the room. This was a big story, alright. If it was true, this job could be really important! Not just for his career, but for the sake of Equestria! He donned his saddle bags, placed his fedora upon his head, and dashed out the door. It was time to make Mr. Headline proud.

Explanations

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It was the birds again.

Twilight decided that she'd have to take care of the problem soon, or her mornings would continue to begin like this.

"Ugh, just shut up!" The ruffled princess yelled aimlessly through the open window. But, being birds, and not being able to understand Twilight's shout, they continued on. Twilight slammed the window shut with an indignant huff. She could probably ask Fluttershy to politely ask them to cease their insufferable singing so early in the morning, but it was one of those things that always seemed to slip her mind. There was a planner open on the nightstand next to her bed, and Twilight decided that she'd better write it down. She'd get rid of these annoying birds yet.

After scribbling down a quick note, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She'd never been one for the culinary arts, but with the glamorous and expensive looking room the castle had gifted her upon creation, she had felt that it was only natural that she cook at home a little more. She was still no chef—far from it, in fact—but with Pinkie Pie's help she'd learned to make simple pancakes. As she walked through the halls, she wondered briefly if she had any rubies still for Spike. He loved ruby pancakes, almost more than she herself loved chocolate chip pancakes. She chuckled a bit upon remembering the first time they'd gotten the idea to put gems in pancakes; Spike couldn't get enough of them.

"Good morning, Twilight!" Spike greeted her cheerily as she entered the kitchen. Adorned in his apron, the little dragon stood atop a stool at the stove. The griddle pan was sizzling with butter, and a bowl and ladle were in his claws. "I'm making pancakes. Want anything in them?"

"I was going to-" Twilight broke into laughter.

"What?" Spike asked confusedly.

"Nothing, we just think a lot alike," she answered, amused.

"If you say so," he said with a shrug. "So you want anything in them or not?"

"Plain is fine. Why don't you sit down and let me finish them?" She walked toward the stove, a smile on her face. "I think we still got some rubies left for your pancakes, if you want."

"Well somepony is sure in a good mood this morning." Spike flashed her a knowing grin. "And nah, it's okay, this is my favorite part of making them! And plain is fine for me too."

"What was that for?" Twilight asked, leaning on the counter.

"What was what for?" Spike poured some batter on the pan.

"That face!" Twilight said in both playfulness and curiosity. Did he know something she didn't?

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. He grinned again, not taking his eyes off the griddle, spatula in claw.

"See, there it is again!" She pointed an accusatory hoof in his direction.

"What?" Spike continued to smile as he flipped a pancake.

"That! Come on, what aren't you telling me?"

"Well, like I said, you're in a pretty good mood this morning." He flipped another pancake. "Not even the birds got you down today, huh?"

"Ugh, don't remind me about the birds," Twilight groaned, putting her hooves to her temples.

"Heh, right." Spike plopped three pancakes onto a nearby plate and poured more batter on the griddle. "So it went well? Like, really well?"

"What went well?" Twilight let her hooves drop and gave her assistant a confused look.

"You know, last night," Spike answered. "I have to admit I was pretty nervous. I tried to stay up until you got home, but I fell asleep, sorry." He flipped two more pancakes. "Hey, what time did you get home, anyway?"

"I... I don't know," Twilight murmured. Suddenly, everything seemed to be moving exponentially slower. It all came back to her at once: The Hayburger, the date, and then... "I guess it was pretty late, ha ha," she laughed nervously.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Twilight. You were probably having a lot of fun; you just lost track of time is all," he reassured her.

"I'm actually not sure how I got home," she realized aloud.

"What?" Spike set three more pancakes onto the plate next to the stove, giving Twilight a slightly worried look.

"Celestia," she muttered. "Celestia was there. After that, I can't remember..."

"Oh no, it's not my fault, is it?" Spike's eyes filled with worried guilt. He switched the stove off, and hopped down from the stool. "I sent a letter to Princess Celestia because I was a little nervous about your date." He looked at the ground and clasped his claws behind his back.

"You asked her to come get me?" Twilight's voice was not angry, but curious.

"No, not at all!" He looked up at her suddenly, tone urgent. He let out a sigh and turned his gaze back to the ground. "I just asked her a few questions, is all. She never answered." A few moments of silence passed.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault then, Spike," she smiled warmly and placed a hoof gently on his shoulder.

"Really? Then why do you think she showed up? What happened?" He looked back up.

"It's a little fuzzy, but I think she may have put me to sleep and then teleported me home," she answered. Her expression grew darker and she returned her hoof back to the floor. She looked away and furrowed her brow. "And I think I do know why she was there."

"Why?" Spike, sensing he was in the clear, went and grabbed the plate of pancakes.

"He did it." Twilight followed Spike to the kitchen table, levitating syrup and butter out of the fridge as she did so. "He's trying to throw me off the trail, build credibility for himself."

Spike didn't answer. Instead, he set the pancakes on the table, and went to grab two plates and silverware.

"He's setting me up for something big, I know it. He was so nice and pleasant... everything seemed perfect. I didn't let my guard down though." She sat down at the table and scratched her chin as she thought.

Spike set the two plates, forks, and knives at their spots before sitting down. He picked out two pancakes for himself, and began to douse them in syrup.

"I bet he's feeling pretty good about himself right now. He probably thinks I've fallen for him," she laughed smugly. "But when he goes to spring his trap, I'll get him. I'll have the last laugh." She jammed a fork into her stack of pancakes and chuckled.

"Um, I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I'm just gonna go with that your date didn't go as well as I thought," Spike said, sighing through bites of pancake. "So I take it you're done with him?"

"No, it's far from over," Twilight responded in a serious tone. She took a quick bite and swallowed. "In fact, how's our Friday looking this week?"

"I think you're clear, but I'm going to the game with Shining Armor, remember? Why?"

"That's when Discord and I will be going on our second date," Twilight stated with finality. She got up from her seat and began to walk to the fridge. "Want any orange juice?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Spike answered. Had he heard her right? A second date? "But I thought you didn't like him?"

"I don't." She walked back to the kitchen table, a jug of orange juice and two cups floating in her magic. She slammed the glasses down with a loud CLINK and filled them up. "And I never will."

"Okay, so let's start from the beginning," Luna spoke firmly to the draconequus before her, the creature who was trying as hard as he could to not squirm beneath her gaze. "You found the curse where?"

"What does it matter? It was in a book. A lot of places have books. You already seem to know all there is to know about the thing; why would where I found it matter in the slightest?" Discord huffed and crossed his arms, much like a foal, and looked away. He hated Canterlot, and he hated the capital's castle. He especially hated virtually being held captive within the chambers of one of the Alicorn Sisters, but was also thankful that he was not trapped within the room of the other sister.

"Because I asked you," Luna answered simply. Her glare hardened. "Do you forget what you've done? It would be to everyone's benefit if you'd answer my questions without any resistance."

"Ah, but then what fun would that be?" He stretched out on his back with a catlike posture upon Luna's bed, ignoring her annoyed scowl. He let out a short yawn. "But I suppose, in this case, fun isn't at the top of the list of importance, is it?"

"I'd think not," she muttered with a snort. "Now, really, where in the world did you find such a vile tome? Before last night, I had believed that my sister and I had gotten rid of all records of that curse."

"Well, obviously not. Somepony didn't do their job right then, hmm? I think it's safe to say that this is just as much as your fault as it is mine," said Discord. He flipped over and propped his head atop his paw and claws.

"While I'll admit that letting such a thing remain for someone to find it was a grave error on our part, it doesn't take away from your blunder in the least." Luna's voice dripped with steady agitation.

"I know, I'm sorry," he murmured dejectedly with a sigh. "Please forgive my facetiousness; I understand how grave the situation is, I really do. I want to correct what I've done." He looked away. "I'm just not completely sure how to react to this kind of situation," he grumbled. It didn't happen very often that Discord didn't know something, or at least he believed it didn't happen very often. He didn't enjoy not understanding what he was feeling in the slightest.

"Discord." Luna shut her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "I imagine, no I hope, you're feeling guilt. Now can we please get back on topic?"

"No compassion for this draconequus, huh?" A playful smirk replaced his uncomfortable look.

"I wouldn't say that. I've just learned to not indulge in your little pity parties over the centuries." She rolled her eyes. She was certainly not falling for his sympathy attacks today.

"So a 'no', then. At least I'm not the only one with problems," he mused aloud.

"And what do you mean by that?" Luna asked incredulously.

"Oh, it's just that a certain moon princess isn't quite consistent with her speech," Discord said smugly.

"I- Why I don't- What doth thee mean?"

"Ah ha, there it is!" He burst out in laughter. "Doth thee not see what I mean?" He mimicked her in a sing-song voice with crossed eyes.

"Well... Well it isn't my fault the Equestrian dialect changed while I was gone," she sniffed indignantly. "Sometimes I fall back onto my old way of talking. So what?"

"Like the entirety of last night?"

"I- yes. Now can we please-"

"Get back on topic?" Discord offered, cutting her off.

"Yes." Luna shook her head, clearing her mind. "Now where did you find the book?"

"You'll be angry with me," he protested, putting on his best pouty face.

"I don't think it's possible for me to get any angrier, Discord," she deadpanned.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you." He tried his best to look as innocent as possible. "I may or may not have trespassed on the Grounds of Forgotten Knowledge." He braced for impact.

"Grounds of Forgotten Knowledge? Pray tell, what might that be?" Luna's eyes were filled with confusion. "You aren't making this up, are you?"

"Perish the thought!" Discord exclaimed dramatically. This earned another glare from Luna. "No, seriously, I'm telling the truth. I may be a trickster, but I'm not a liar. I can't believe that you of all ponies don't know about it though, considering who created it."

"And that would be?" A frown was plastered across her face.

"Why, your sister, Luna," he answered. He let his statement sink in for a few moments before a dastardly smile appeared on his face. "She didn't tell you? How dreadful."

"Cease this at once! I trust Celestia; either she has her reasons for not telling me of this place, or she simply forgot." Unfazed by his emotional prodding, she continued. "Now, how did you come across the accursed tome?"

"I don't know," Discord said with a shrug.

"You don't know," Luna couldn't help but deadpan again. "How could you not know?"

"I don't know!" He repeated with a raised voice. He sighed. "I'm sorry. Look, the place is literally just an endless hallway filled with books. I have no idea how the organization system works, or if there even is one. I just had a feeling that I'd find what I was looking for if I went there, is all."

"So you just by chance found the last copy—for all we know—of the book which contains the curse that fell my mother within an infinite space? That doesn't make any sense!" Her eyes widened at her last words. "Wait, don't you dare-"

"And what fun is there in making sense?" He stuck out his tongue and smirked.

"I guess I walked right into that," she groaned. "I suppose your chaotic abilities would allow for this kind of situation. It doesn't really matter. Anyway, you found the book. Then what?"

"Well I went home and thought about how to implement what I thought was a temporary enchantment. Since it called for digestion-"

"That didn't strike you as the least bit creepy?" Luna interjected, cutting him off.

"Well I don't know, I assumed that since ponies created it, it would be fine to use on one," he muttered, shrugging defensively.

"Discord." Luna gave him skeptical glare.

"What? I get it, I messed up! I enchanted, er, cursed her hay fries, alright? Can we just get to the fixing part?" He sat up and crossed his arms. He already knew what he'd done was wrong; why did she have to keep bringing it up?

"Well, like I said last night, there is no known cure." She paused, seemingly studying his face for a reaction.

Discord suppressed a gulp.

"But, that doesn't mean there isn't one at all," she finished. "I'm sure if we look at every detail, we can find some way to reverse the curse."

Reverse the curse. Discord giggled under his breath.

"You said you laid the curse upon her hayfries? What time of day was that?" Luna walked closer to the end of the bed, so as to be face to face with him. "And before you ask, yes, it does matter."

"Well, it was lunch time. I'd say it was about one o'clock or so." He refused to wither under her glare. He remained sitting upright atop her bed, not looking away from the eyes locked onto his. "Does that help?"

"When our mo-" She cleared her throat. "In the only recorded instance of the curse, it only took a few hours for it to take effect. Did Twilight seem... any different on your," Luna gagged, "date?"

"No need to be rude," Discord sniffed. "But to answer your question, no, not really. I mean, she seemed to be enjoying herself, but it didn't seem unnatural."

"So she was reacting positively?" She mulled over this a moment. "So she's probably taken the path of obsessive possession over you."

"So...?" Discord felt his heart sink.

"So yes, she didn't have any feelings for you whatsoever. Honestly, you don't exactly deserve a mare like her."

"You don't need to remind me," he growled, arms re-crossed.

"Well, at least you yourself will be safe, for the most part." Luna finally moved from her position at the end of the bed, and began pacing about her chambers. "She'll be dangerous, increasingly so as time progresses, toward anyone she deems a threat to you. Or to herself, concerning her chances with you."

Discord shot her a confused look. What?

"In other words, don't express any positive feelings toward others around her," she revised.

"Alright, then," he grumbled. He supposed he shouldn't cause more harm than he already had. "The thing is, she wasn't just all 'cheery goody gumdrops' or anything."

"What?" It looked as if Luna wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"Well, you said if she was reacting positively, she would be ObsPos," he explained.

"Ahbz Pahz?"

"'Obsessive Possession'," he clarified with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, she was being playful, teasing me, using her wits. She didn't really feel extremely positive to me."

"Discord, I know you'd rather believe that she did have feelings for you, but-"

"And I don't think she was 'out to get me', either. It seemed like... she was having fun." He said the last part quieter, as if he didn't quite believe it himself. "Look—what if she'd immune to it?"

"I don't think anypony can be immune to a curse." Luna looked at him with stern eyes.

"But she is the Princess of Magic... what if that-"

"That's highly unlikely." Luna cut him off abruptly. "Our mother wasn't able to overcome the insidious thing. What makes you think a newly ascended alicorn could do any better?"

Discord cringed. Obviously he had struck a cord.

"Just spit-balling here," he said, paw and claw raised in surrender. "Look, what I'm saying is that she seemed like her same-old book loving self, is all. Perhaps I didn't cast it correctly, or it isn't even the same curse that you're thinking of."

"You're not 'spit-balling', you're grasping at straws." Luna sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Celestia is quite adept at sensing spells and the like. She wouldn't let herself crumble like that for nothing, I assure you. Twilight Sparkle has been cursed, Discord, and you're the one who cursed her."

"I-" He broke off into a sigh of his own. He still couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it.

Luna's gaze softened.

"But," she began in a warmer tone, "it does sound as if she has kept some of her own will. We might be able to use this to our advantage."

"How so?" Discord's ears perked up in hope of some sort of silver lining to the whole fiasco.

"While reasoning with one who is cursed is futile, we may be able to stall the effects by stimulating complex thought-processes," Luna explained gently. "Now I don't want to get your hopes up, but if we give her something other than you to think about - perhaps an assignment or quest of some sort - we may be able to buy some time to find a way to dispel the curse."

"I think I can do that," he said in a more serious tone.

"I'd rather ask Celestia." Luna cringed. "But... I don't think she's in the right mind to be giving out any orders at the moment." She thought for a few moments. "I can contact her. I think it'd be best for you to stay away for a while, until I've properly assessed the situation."

"What? How am I supposed to help if I can't even see her?" His voice rose a few octaves as he spoke.

"Discord, you must understand. Seeing you could hasten the effects. In fact, we would be right to assume it will." Luna gave him a pitying look. "You know, I didn't believe you at first."

"Believe what, exactly?" Discord raised an eyebrow.

"When you came and asked for my help two days ago," she answered. "I thought it was a joke, or maybe a fleeting infatuation. But it seems like you really care about her..." she trailed off. Her stern gaze returned. "Or maybe you just feel guilty."

"Well," he began with a huff. Now it was his turn to frown. "I can't say that I don't feel guilty. Only a heartless, wicked fool wouldn't feel guilty. Now I may be a fool, but I've changed, Luna. I... I really do want her to be alright."

"Then do as I say without any questions." Every word rung with a certain finality. Luna's eyes were looking right into his, searching, calculating. "We will save Twilight, but only if we both put forth our full efforts."

Discord nodded determinedly.

"So you'll stay away from her until I say otherwise?"

"I suppose so, if you really think that's best," he grumbled dejectedly.

"Good. Now, go get some rest. It's been a long night, and it's already well into the morning. Come back in two days." Luna turned away and walked toward the door.

"If you say so," he conceded. As soon as she was out of sight, Discord let his face fall into his folded arms. He'd really messed up this time. First with the beavers, then Tirek, then Tree Hugger, and now this... would he ever learn?

"Maybe it really is best if I stay away," he thought aloud. "She never even liked me to begin with." He'd help cure her, and then he'd leave her alone, forever. It'd be better this way, he thought.

He sat up suddenly, and let out a drawn-out sigh. And with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Twilight Sparkle sat alone in her room, furiously jotting her plans down on paper.

She knew she'd win in the end. She'd taste the sweet, sweet flavor of victory at last. She couldn't wait to grind her adversary into the ground.

So why couldn't she get him out of her head?

Out of the Loop

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"Twilight? You down here?" Spike stood at the top of the flight of stairs that led to a dimly lit expanse of a room he liked to call "the Dungeon". The crystal walls reflected what little light that emanated from below, coming only from the various candles that dotted the room. It was meant to be a study, but being what one could loosely call a basement and being where the resident princess preformed her self-dubbed "experiments" gave it a gloomier atmosphere. Well, perhaps "gloomy" wasn't the right word. Spike often found himself dreading traveling down those stairs, which is why he was currently calling down from the top. Where there was light.

"Yes, I'm just working out a few things!" Twilight called back, still unseen. "What time is it?"

"Like eight o'clock. In the morning," he answered, worry tinging his voice.

A few moments of silence reigned before Twilight spoke again.

"I'll be up in a few, okay?"

Spike sighed and shook his head. He walked away toward the kitchen, off to start boiling water for the coffee Twilight would surely want once she returned to the "real world". He hadn't seen this kind of behavior from her since before she'd become a princess -- and he couldn't say that it was something he missed. She'd been down there all night, ever since he'd brought up the date. Twilight had mentioned something about coming up with a proper plan, and Spike couldn't help but worry about the implications.

He still couldn't wrap his head around why Twilight would even want to go on a second date with somepony she didn't like. It seemed pretty simple to him; if you didn't like somepony, you don't go out with them. Right?

As he turned the dial to lit the stove, he furrowed his brow. Something was definitely wrong, but after Twilight's recount about Celestia a few days ago... he wasn't sure who to turn to. He didn't want to start a fuss by going to Rarity and the others, and he wasn't sure how well Luna would receive another letter by dragonfire. He carried a copper teapot over to the sink.

As cold water filled the pot, Spike could hear Twilight's hooves on the smooth, crystal floor.

He might just have to wait it out.

Fluttershy waited patiently at her kitchen table for Discord to arrive. It wasn't time for their weekly tea yet—no, that would be two days from now—but she expected him anyway. It had been two days since his date, and she hadn't heard a thing from him since Friday afternoon. Plus, there was that secret he was keeping from her, and she couldn't let him get away with not telling her for too long, could she?

In many ways, Discord was like the little brother she never had. He was still learning about the social constructs of the world, and was quite foalish if she was to be honest with herself. She cared for him very much—too much sometimes, perhaps. She was a bit worried about how the date had gone, for both him and Twilight, and wondered briefly where he was. Surely, he hadn't stayed the night with her. There would be no way Twilight Sparkle, studious and proper Twilight Sparkle, would let someone stay the night so soon? Even if he was allowed to stay, how would they even-

"Eep!" Fluttershy squeaked. Her face glowed red.

Stop thinking about that, she thought to herself. Being a pervert wouldn't help anything. It wasn't like it was any of her business anyway. It wasn't her job to know how two different species would-

"Stop that!" she yelped.

"Stop what?"

"Ack!" Fluttershy nearly fell out of her chair. There, across from her at the table, sat Discord. "Discord, you frightened me!"

"I'm ever so sorry, my dear. I'll try to be more careful in the future," he apologized. He snapped a tea kettle and two teacups into existence. A steady stream of steam rose from the kettle. "I've brought the tea this time, so no need to get up."

"Why, it isn't Tuesday, Discord," Fluttershy said, head cocked to the side. Now that really was strange. No teasing? No fuss?

"Oh, it isn't? Well, let us have tea anyway, shall we? I don't think they ever made a law against tea on Sundays, do you?" He gingerly picked the kettle up by the handle and poured tea for the both of them.

"Is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked. Oh, but there was no question about that. He seemed... calmer. No, that wasn't the word. He seemed deflated.

"Now why would you think that?" He took a sip of his tea.

"You're acting strange," she answered. She grasped her teacup in her hooves and took a small, careful sip.

"How's that new? Do you forget who I am? I'm not exactly what one would consider normal, now am I?" He gave a small, wry smile.

"I mean, you're acting different. You don't seem the same today," she clarified. And now he was avoiding talking about it. Something had definitely happened.

"I'm just tired. I stayed up all night; it really wasn't a good idea. I feel like I could sleep for days." Another sip.

"Speaking of last night," she began. This was it. "How'd it go?"

"What, the date? It was fine," Discord answered quickly. "You doing anything special today? I wouldn't like to bother you all that much, but I really am exhausted. I don't think I'll be able to get home quite yet. Would you mind if I crashed here for a bit?"

"No, not at all." So it hadn't gone well at all. He had been so happy when she accepted his invitation... what exactly could have happened? She knew that he secretly had pretty thin skin for an age-old being of chaos, but he just seemed... absent.

She watched as he got up from his seat and slunk out into the living room. That couch was pretty much his now—Angel wouldn't even touch it.

"Would you like a blanket?" she called after him. "And you didn't finish your-"

"No, I'll be fine," he interrupted her. "Thank you for your hospitality, Fluttershy."

He didn't say another word.

Fluttershy frowned. What had happened? What could have possibly gone so terribly wrong that he'd be this upset? Had Twilight said something? Had they had an argument? Maybe he'd just been disappointed? Oh, she'd probably gone off all about her books again, hadn't she? Rarity had always told her that Twilight would be the boring type on a date. Had it turned out to be true? Maybe Discord had just realized that he wasn't as in to her as he had thought...

She shook her head. Something didn't sit right with her. Discord usually bounced back quite easily from things like this—it had to have been something more serious. Maybe... maybe she should go see Twilight...

"Discord, I'm going out. I'll be back soon," she said as she walked into the living room.

Discord was laying lengthwise on the couch, back facing her.

"Alright," he murmured.

With a final sigh she walked out the front door, hoping Discord's troubles were of the trivial variety.

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To Celestia, who had lived for centuries upon centuries, a mere few days of remaining in bed was nothing.

A heavy containment spell was placed on the boundaries of her private chambers, lain by Princess Luna herself. It was more of a reminder, really, that she should stay locked away until she calmed down. Being the elder, and possessing more brute force in the arcane arts, Celestia could break the invisible walls in an instant if she really wanted to. But the small, level headed voice inside of her advised her not to do so. She had acted irrationally -- an understatement if there ever was one -- in the sacred meadow that night. Years of containing her emotions had led her patience to run thin, it seemed.

Celestia pulled the covers closer to her, as if her bed were in a powdery snowbank of the Crystal Mountains. It had been a long, a very long, time since she had let her emotions get the best of her. A little over one thousand years, in fact.

But even though her reaction had been one without tact, it had not been without reason.

A sharp shiver ran down the length of Celestia's spine, regardless of the many layers of blankets wrapped around her.

The Lover's Curse.

The fundamentals of the wretched thing had existed longer than even she had, though the first recorded use of it unluckily happened during her time. It was many ages ago, when she was still but a filly, when the dawn of a new era was just beginning. The three equine tribes had joined together as one, allowing her mother to break free of the frozen prison the wendigos had trapped her in.

Many admired the, at the time, mystical alicorns, and Celestia could remember the countless stallions that sought her mother's hoof in marriage. And even though she had been but a filly with a foalish perspective on things, she could remember despising each and every suitor that arrived at their doorstep. But the spite she held for the entire lot of them didn't compare to that of which she held for him.

She couldn't remember his name -- she wasn't sure if it were ever given to her -- but she remembered the sickly presence that emanated from him, the type that only childish innocence could detect. He had been absorbed with her mother, obsessed, the most relentless suitor of them all. Time and time again he was rejected, but that only made his resolve grow.

Celestia hated remembering it all.

"Mother, have the guests arrived yet?" I prodded her with my hooves, anticipation racing through every ounce of my very being. " 'Tis time for the party, is it not?"

"None would dare be late for thine party, would they, Mother?" My baby sister, wide eyed and just as excited, if not more, as I, sat eagerly beside me.

The three of us were positioned at the end of a long, marble table, Mother at the head and Luna and I to her right. Since I was the elder, I was sat directly at her side -- to her annoyance, as my poking was relentless -- with my sister next to me. The chair to my mother's left would remain empty, for all times it seemed, reserved for a father I had never met. Mother didn't like to speak of him, but I don't think she hates him. I wish I knew where, or who, he was.

"Hush, my children. Our guests will arrive soon. Be patient," she answered calmly, soothingly, like she always did.

I turn my attention to the double doors that led to the grand kitchen, my ears pricked for any sign of movement.

"The cake should be done soon, should it not?" I ask, not tearing my eyes away from the doors. I felt that at any moment, the chef and her staff would bring out the much anticipated birthday cake, a rather grand work of pastry art. Last year it was white, like the purest of clouds, with bright red candy roses adorned on it -- the same color as Mother's mane. Each year's cake was promised to be better than the last, and the infinite possibilities wouldn't stop running through my head.

"Yes, Celestia. Try to keep thine patience," Mother said with a light chuckle. I always thought that Mother must be a fairy, because stories always said that a fairy's laugh sounded like a chorus of tiny bells. That's exactly how Mother's sounded, only warmer and kinder.

"Can I have the first slice?" Luna's small voice piped up.

"Would you not want one of our guests to be served first?" I held in a laugh. Luna, as young and naive as she was, had run straight in to one of Mother's traps. 'Lessons', she called them.

"I... I suppose guests should be served first," Luna answered slowly, her brow knit into a confused frown. She was silent for a bit, as if pondering something. "But why?"

That brought out another one of Mother's laughs.

"Oh, Luna, hospitality is most important, my child. This is our home, is it not?"

"Yes."

"And these guests; were they not invited here?"

"Yes, they were."

"Then it is our duty to show them our utmost respect, and make sure that their time is both pleasant and merry."

Luna looked down at her hooves.

"I think I understand," she murmured, still not looking up. "But thou art the Queen, Mother. Should you not get the first slice?"

"Being of royalty does not excuse me from being a good pony, Luna. Remember-"

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.

"Mother?" Luna squeaked.

Both I and Mother had our eyes snapped to the kitchen doors. There, the scream had come from there.

"Stay here," she ordered. She leaped from her seat, and raced toward the kitchen faster than anything I'd ever seen. She burst through the doors with such force that I was sure they'd fly off, but a moment later they had swung back into place. Shouts could be heard from the room, but none were quite as loud as the deathly shriek we'd heard just moments before.

"Celestia," Luna whimpered, "what do you think happened?"

"Mother will take care of it," I find myself saying. I place my hoof on hers, and extend my right wing to cover her shoulders.

We waited there for a few minutes, but to two scared fillies, it seemed like hours.

After what seemed like ages, with mine and Luna's chairs pushed up against each other so that she may lean on me, my mother returned though the kitchen doors. Luna jumped up from her spot behind my wing, and ran over to our mother as fast as her tiny legs could manage. She held on to Mother's foreleg in a tight embrace, and buried her face into her coat.

"Mother, what happened?" she asked.

"Celestia, Luna, I think it best that our birthday celebration be kept among us today. The party hast been postponed."

"Why?" I ask, worry bubbling at the bottom of my stomach. I hear Luna gasp.

"I... I shall tell you once we are safely up in the chambers. Come, Celestia." She placed Luna upon her back and motioned for me to follow. We made haste to the grand staircase, and mother nearly flew up the steps. I struggled to keep pace with her as we moved down familiar hallway after hallway. She didn't slow until we reached our private living quarters, and didn't speak a word until we were inside and she had locked the door with a spell.

Mother lifted Luna off her back and placed her gently on her bed before she sat down beside her. I climbed up, with help from a few flaps of my wings, to sit on the other side of my little sister.

"Mother," I say, an expectant look in my eyes.

"Oh, my little ones," she murmured softly. "Chef Souffle has been... the chef has passed away."

I could tell that she was holding back tears, for mine and Luna's sake. Although her tone was even, sorrow still dripped from it like water from a lazy rain cloud. Ms. Souffle was in charge of the cake, but I couldn't bring myself to ask about that. It felt wrong to bring it up, insulting somehow.

"The scream..?" is all I can muster. I have so many questions rushing through my head, but I can't seem to put words to them.

"Miss Panera found her on the kitchen floor," was her simple answer.

Luna began to cry, and I could feel hot tears welling up in my own eyes. I'd heard of death before, of course, but to have it happen this close... It was terrifying.

Celestia rolled over in her bed, silently cursing the mad stallion.

The kitchen staff had later brought up the cake, which Chef Souffle had managed to complete before her untimely death, hoping to salvage whatever they could of what had been meant to be a wonderful and happy day. But they had been played for fools.

Celestia and Luna had already fallen asleep, being the young fillies that they were, but their Mother...

Her nature was too kind and too giving to turn down something that her subjects had created for her. A single slice of cake. A piece of happiness, something that she had needed.

Celestia still couldn't get over the sheer irony of it all. A cake, a symbol of joy, being the method by which the stallion had cursed her mother. Why hadn't they realized? The murder had been for a reason. Souffle no doubt would not have left the cake's side until it was completed to perfection, and would have fought any trespasser that threatened her creation. But the fools, the fools. They brought up the cake, and served the curse to her mother on a silver platter. Literally.

She buried her face into her pillow, screaming all her misery into its down filled cover. And now it was happening again, with those responsible being even more foolish than their predecessors! She couldn't bear it, not again. It was one thing to lose a mother, but a daughter..? Twilight might not be hers by blood, but she saw all her personal students as her own. This was the sort of anguish any mother would feel after learning their foal was in danger.

The Lover's Curse.

Why, of all things..?

Why?

Why, why, why?

Celestia squeezed her eyes shut tight, and willed herself to go back to sleep.

So, Discord was telling the truth after all.

Luna walked through the infinite hallway of the Grounds of Forgotten Knowledge, a still and solemn silence about her. She wasn't really looking for anything -- she wasn't really sure how she'd ever find anything in this mess. Instead, she was here only to see it for herself, to observe.

She was baffled by its sheer disorganization, especially considering who it was created by. According to Discord, whose information could only ever be considered questionable at best, the grounds functioned like a computer. It was able to assess all existing or known information, and added whatever it deemed "forgotten" to its endless library. Luna couldn't begin to comprehend its exact arcane mechanisms, as her talents resided more in combat and manipulation magic. The technical bits were more of her sister's forte.

No matter how it was created or how it worked, it seemed to be functioning like it was supposed to. Every now and then, a book or two would drop into existence onto the floor. After a moment, it would float up into the air with an aura-less magic and find a place in the bookcase wall.

Luna wondered how long it had taken Celestia to build this place. It really did seem like an impossible feat, at least to her. And why would her sister create such a place? While she agreed that it was nearly a crime to lose information when it could be saved, there were some things better to be lost to time. Like the curse...

Celestia probably hadn't even realized a tome containing the Lover's Curse had made its way in here, if the enchanted (is that what it was? A complex enchantment?) hallway really did operate on its own. Luna decided that she wouldn't tell her where Discord had found it. She'd only blame herself.

Luna stopped walking, and turned her attention to the bookshelf to her right. Oh, Discord. He really had seemed regretful, something she'd rarely seen in him. He really hadn't known, had he? The book, she'd gotten a look at it, hadn't labeled it as a curse. Just a mere temporary enchantment. When the book was written, the curse was but a theory, anyway. Fools, the lot of them. Whether it had turned out to be a simple enchantment or not, ponies who dealt with this abomination were foolish at best. They were trying to find a loophole around the laws of magic, something that was truly unforgivable. But as for Discord... had the rules ever applied to him?

He was still at fault, though, malicious intent or not. He shouldn't have messed with something he didn't understand, or tried to "up his chances" by using magic. Yes, he was still learning, but actions have consequences. This would serve as a hard lesson to him.

Thankfully, Twilight Sparkle was a strong mare. Lesser ponies would have succumbed to madness by now. Even her own mother had fallen in not but 24 hours. Something was different. Yes, Twilight was strong, and yes, her talent was magic, but her mother had been an elder born alicorn. If she were still alive, she'd be more well versed in magic than even Celestia. So there was some other factor, some outside force, a different set of conditions that allowed for this outcome.

If only this were a more common spell -- then Luna would be able to compare the case do dozens of others. But, sadly (but also luckily), they had only one other case to look at. All other speculation would be based upon the curse's theory, which was unreliable as the unicorns who wrote it had treated it as an enchantment. She'd have to start from scratch. Start with what she knew.

Luna found that she was now sitting on the floor of the hallway, facing a book-filled wall. Well, it was as good a place as any to think, she thought. Certainly, she would not be interrupted here.

So, what exactly was different between her mother's and Twilight's cases? Luna summoned parchment and a quill and ink to make a list. She sat there for a bit, writing down whatever detail, small or large, that could possibly be different between the two cases. Once she finished, she held it up in front of her face with the use of her magic, and studied it closely. What stood out?

Well, the main point was that Discord, an age old draconequus, had cast the curse, and not a regular unicorn. Was the curse altered by being cast by a higher level spell-caster? And then there was the fact that Twilight was an ascended alicorn... though Luna wasn't sure how that could factor in as something that would change the curse. If anything, she should be weaker to it, yet she was showing a much higher resistance just by merely surviving a few days. Was it her age? No, alicorns were immortal, ascended or not. Her mother might have had a more mature mind, but her body was still that of a pony's prime. Was it merely the intention of the caster? She hadn't known the perpetrator personally, but his motives were certainly more sinister. Discord's casting could probably be describe more as misguiding naivety. Horribly, horribly misguided.

Discord, the difference had to lie with Discord. Was it really based off the goal he had in casting the curse that "watered in down"? Curses, and many other spells, were initially emotionally based, after all...

Luna could usually tell when somepony, or someone, was lying, and Discord really did seem to have been telling the truth (for once). The more she thought about it, the more likely this scenario became to her. The idea that the curse came out differently simply because of a difference in the caster's heart was very, very real. And combined with Discord's affinity for chaotic magic... why, it wasn't much of a stretch. All he'd wanted was a chance, wasn't it? He hadn't demanded complete devotion, like the other surely had.

Factor in Discord's innocence in social relations, and it would be easy to justify that the curse was much weaker.

She rose to her hooves, confident in her new assertion. Now she had something to begin with. She rose to her hooves steadily, feeling a small ray of hope warming her chest. It was time to head to the Canterlot Archives, and start her quest for the cure.

She'd call for Discord in the morning. He would be sure to love the good news.

It was dark and cold when I woke up. I was still in our mother's room, laying atop the bed. Next to me slept my sister, tucked under the covers, snoring peacefully. I couldn't help but crack a smile. Luna would need the rest.

I pulled myself over the side of the bed, landing as softly as I could onto the hard marble floor so that Luna would not wake. I looked about the room, but Mother was nowhere in sight. Odd. Hadn't she told us that we'd be staying here until morning? Earlier, some of the guard had come by, announcing that they'd apprehended the murderer. Mother was upset when they came; I could tell that she wanted to keep it a secret that Miss Souffle had been murdered, but I had already guessed. That scream didn't come from whoever had found the body, like she had wanted us to believe. It sounded too painful.

Luckily, Luna had already been asleep by then, so at least she could be spared from the greater horror like Mother wanted.

But why had she left? The door was halfway open, left ajar as if somepony had been in a hurry. I wondered if I should close the door, and wait for mother to return.

It was then I noticed the cake.

An upturned slice of cake lay in crumbles on the floor, fork cast off to the side like somepony had dropped it. I felt that my heart was beating quickly, and suddenly something seemed very, very wrong. Mother would never leave a mess behind. She wouldn't leave the door open, and she wouldn't leave us.

I took one look back at Luna, who was still sleeping peacefully.

I had to go find mother.

I crept out the door, and closed it slowly behind me. There would be a guard around the corner; he'd know where mother went. I raced down the hall, wondering where she could be, why she'd gone.

I nearly ran into him in my haste.

"Slow thyself, Princess," his gritty voice broke the silence. I couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. "Is there something amiss?"

"Yes, there is. Do you know where my mother is?" I asked, pushing tears back.

"Ay. Down to the dungeons, she went."

"Thank you." A small smile flashed across my face, and I did a quick curtsy. I began to hurry down the hall.

"Wait, my Princess!" The guard called after me. "Do you wish to have me accompany you?"

I gave a hurried nod before we both raced off toward the dungeons.

Down corridors and stairs... we didn't stop until we reached a weathered wooden door deep under the palace. The guard seemed to be surprised that I could keep up with him, but I barely took noticed of it. I pointed to the door.

"My mother; she is in there?" I asked.

"Yes, Princess," he answered. "Art thou sure you wish to proceed?"

"Yes," I said briskly. Something deep inside me told me that I needed to see her. Before... before... well, I wasn't sure what.

Without another word, he unlocked the door. He didn't follow as I entered, and I found that it led to yet another hallway. I'd never been down here before. Mother said it wasn't a place for a young filly. I heard the door shut behind me, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. I walked down the hallway, the freezing stone sending a tingling sensation to my hooves and up my legs. I could see a door at the end, but the hallway was quite long.

As I approached, I began to hear screeches.

"Mother?" I gasped worriedly aloud. I quickened my pace. The screams grew louder. There weren't any words; just agonized sounds of pain. "Mother?" I called out, louder this time.

I soon reached the door, and I threw it open.

The stench hit me in a torrent.

Blood. Everywhere, there was blood. It pooled on the floor like water after a fresh rain. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Not but a wheeze escaped me.

There, on the floor immediately inside the door, was a guard. Or rather... the body of a guard. Her eyes were open, but they couldn't see. They were glassed over, as if somepony had only painted them on. A small trickle of blood ran out of the corner of her mouth.

"Celestia?"

I snapped my eyes up to the source of the voice.

"What are you... what are you doing here?"

My eyes flew open as I let out a whimper.

"I'm sorry... I had to... She wanted to steal him from me!"

I took a step back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Celestia? Please... Come here."

I couldn't move. She was covered in it... She wore it like slippers, and red rose petals were scattered upon her white coat. It dripped down her horn, painting it a deep, dark red.

"M-mother..?" I squeezed the words out through clamped teeth.

"I didn't hurt her... just asleep, just asleep..."

And then I saw him. Or rather... it.

Behind her was the mangled body of what I could barely recognize as one of the stallions that had been trying to court my mother. As the least pleasant of them all, he'd been pestering us for weeks. I'd prayed to the Creator that he'd leave us alone, but now...

It was all his, wasn't it? The blood. His body was soaked in it; he was floating in a puddle of crimson. Another scream was caught in my throat, and tears welled up in my eyes.

Mother took a step forward, and I felt the urge to flee.

"He's mine, Celestia, don't you understand? She wanted to take him from me... I couldn't have that. And then I realized..." Another step. "Others would try to take him from me. I tried to get him to leave with me, I wanted to take us all away to someplace where we could all be happy, away from filth like her." She snorted in the direction of the dead guard. "But... But he wouldn't leave. So I... I decided... I realized... If I couldn't have him, no pony could!" She took another step in my direction, eyes locked on mine. "Why are you looking at me like that? I did what I had to. I'm sorry, I didn't want you to see..."

My legs felt heavy, like they were glued to the ground. What was... This had to be a nightmare. Mother wouldn't, she couldn't-

"I had to, I had to-" She stopped mid-sentence, and her face froze in an expression of realization. She looked at me as if seeing me for the first time, even though she had just been talking to me moments before.

And then I saw her do something I'd never seen her do before.

She began to cry.

She didn't weep or wail; she was silent. She continued to stare at me with an anguished expression as tears poured from her eyes, mixing with the blood staining her face. Her mouth twitched, but she didn't speak. Not one word came out.

"What happened?" I found my voice returning to me, but I stayed where I was.

She shook her head side-to-side, slowly.

"Mother?" I pressed on. Tears of my own threatened to spill out my eyes.

"No..." She squeezed her eyes shut, and turned her head to the side. "No, no- Celestia, go."

"I-"

"Go."

"But what about-"

"GO!" She lunged at me, eyes open and wings spread out like an ivory wall.

I ran, screaming, out the door as fast as I possibly could. This wasn't Mother, it couldn't be! My mother wouldn't act like this... this monster. I had to get to Luna, I had to...

Screams sounded behind me, but were quieter and quieter the further away from the room I got. She wasn't following me. Faster, faster... Where's the guard? Why hadn't he come with me? It was all a dream, a horrid nightmare. There was no way this would ever happen. No, no, mother would be okay, everything would be okay. Soon, I'd wake up in Mother's room, in bed with Luna, Mother asleep on arm chair. It was just a dream, just a dream...

It seemed like hours before I finally reached our room. I quickly opened the door, and slammed it behind me, locking it tight. Luna stirred a little, and my heart-rate began to slow. I scrambled into bed, and pulled the covers tight around me. I closed my eyes, and pressed my back up against Luna's. She was safe. I was safe.

Everything would be better in the morning.

But you can't be interested in HIM!

by Flowey the Flower

Why not? (Revised)

Blue suits and strange pursuits

Stranger still

The Meadow

Complications

Meanwhile...

Explanations

Out of the Loop

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