The Great Equestrian Butterfly Migration
He had no trouble finding it, despite the predawn gloom. The slight rise in the hill, the small patch of flowers nearby, and the stout tree crowning it all--just large enough for a draconequus and a pony to sit side-by-side, enjoying the view. He still remembered the first time he found it, as though it were yesterday; with how many return trips he had made, his search was little more than a formality now.
Coming to a halt, morning dew clinging to his wings, Discord gently hovered next to the tree's trunk and alit upon the grass before it. As impatient as he was for the upcoming event, he hardly noticed how the morning dew began to soak into his fur. Instead, he began a survey of his new surroundings, peering through the mist about him. There wasn't much to see. He finally spied his target, a small hill some distance away from the tree itself. He took a seat in the grass to face its hidden figure and wait. Was it merely his mind, or had the flowers spread closer to the tree? They certainly seemed to be closer today than he could remember...
So lost was he in thought that he was not aware of her presence until a voice cut through the fog.
"You're early." Discord turned to its source just as a purple form coalesced on the edge of his vision. Though little more than a haze at this distance, he already knew who it was. He was waiting for her, after all.
"I could say very much the same, Princess," Discord replied, as Twilight drew closer. The soft flapping of her wings stood in stark contrast with their surroundings, bringing him out of his reverie. "What brings you here so soon? I thought that you spent every waking moment buried under a mountain of paperwork, what with running a country and all."
"I can take breaks every once in a while. Besides, you know I couldn't possibly miss this," Twilight responded, coming to a rest next to him. She sat down and scoffed. "And I thought I told you--all my friends call me Twilight."
Now it was Discord's turn to scoff in mock indignation. "What use is there in having a title if you refuse to hear it?" he asked. "I would think, having the title myself of the Princess's oldest, and therefore closest friend, that I would at least earn the right to use yours."
She smiled without looking back to him, instead facing their imperceptible surroundings. It was a warm smile, one born of decades of familiarity. A friendship only shared by beings such as Discord himself. The silence was enough to remind him of their purpose here.
And so they spent the next several hours, unfazed by the cool, damp night air, both anticipating and dreading what was to come. All was still, save the sounds of the forest around them and their deep, contemplative breaths.
As the hours wore on, the fog began to lift, and the shadows of the forest rushed to fill its place. Across the clearing, a lone bird flitted from one tree to another before settling once again.
The pervasive darkness was suddenly broken by the glow of a distant lantern. Though invisible, both observers could tell by the single set of quiet hoofsteps that the lantern guided but one pony braving the early morning chill. The light bobbed through the fog before finally settling in the center of the clearing, where it then laid still. Faint rustling could be heard as the traveler, expecting others, seemed to rummage through their belongings.
They had not finished before more hoofsteps, following the same path, brought with them another lantern, followed by yet another. Soon enough, the lone traveler was accompanied by the sounds of hooves, fabric, and conversation, as more ponies began to enter the clearing. The haze blanketing the area, now receding, was quickly filled with a sea of twinkling lights and gray forms, comparable to the faint motes of light far above them. These, too, were starting to fade, as the velvet night sky grew ever so slightly brighter.
Away and above the ponies of the clearing, Discord and Twilight reclined, unperturbed. Their eyes remained focused on that which they could not yet see: a tall silhouette which the lights ahead of them seemed to surround. Just beyond the din of the crowd, still busying itself with greetings and preparations, the pair could make out the intensifying noise of the awakening wood; nearby birds began their morning calls, while squirrels chattered in protest against the growing sound, the branches they ran along creaking under the weight.
Shapes were gradually revealed as activity in the clearing fought back the remaining fog. Ponies of all kinds filled the clearing, interspersed with various other species; the crowd was occasionally broken by the shaggy back of a yak, or the air by the flowing form of a hippogriff. Standing out amongst the crowd, however, were innumerable dragons. Towering over their surroundings, their forms glinted with the light of a thousand lanterns, each reflected off of the glittering scales. Though clustered, they mingled with the ponies just the same, sharing small bouts of conversation and warming damp patches of grass.
And in the center of it all stood a tree. Pocked with holes and marked by swaths of moss, its bark spoke of many long years. Up and out it reached, far enough around to comfortably fit some of the largest creatures in the crowd. Hanging over the heads of even the dragons, still obscured by the dispersing fog, its branches shook up and down, burdened with broad leaves and the swirling baskets of nesting songbirds. It seemed to react to the crowd's presence; its sturdy branches shook more vigorously in a sort of greeting, and an unseen breeze rippled through it in response to the many forms it sheltered.
Next to Discord, Twilight sighed, craning her neck towards the unseen crest of the tree, or perhaps beyond. Through the last remaining fog, the sky grew brighter, faint hints of the morning appearing on the horizon.
"Something on your mind?"
Discord's voice seemed to stir her from her thoughts. Without turning to him, Twilight shortly, but not unkindly, responded, "No more so than usual. Just... remembering why we're here."
Eyes seemingly glued to the clearing, Discord asked, "Why we're here? Or maybe why they're here?"
"No, but... how many of them know? Really know, and not just from legends?"
"Not many, I would imagine. A few of the dragons might, but they're far too old to visit anymore. Surely you remember the one year they did."
Twilight snorted, a melancholic chuckle. "How could I forget? Despite how quickly Rainbow was able to put it out, that fire still managed to burn down this clearing. At least there's enough space for everyone now."
At her remark, Discord too laughed, but the humor was short-lived as the name brought back memories, unbidden. In the wake of their conversation, the distant thrum of the crowd seemed even louder than before.
As the treetops began to ever-so-slightly glimmer, Twilight asked a question in return. "Do you miss it?... The forest, I mean. Your 'last bastion of true freedom,' you called it."
Discord didn't respond at first, simply watching the sky grow ever brighter. Finally, slowly, he answered, "Admittedly, I sometimes do. As much of a tizzy as I can enjoy putting you ponies into, it's not quite the same as the untamed beasts of the woods."
Twilight didn't have a response. She had joined him in watching the sky light up. The sun was beginning to breach the treetops now, illuminating their leaves and revealing the stillness of the morning, unbroken by the wind or the life within.
The beam of sunlight illuminating the clearing brought with it a view of the tree, surrounded as it was by creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Unlike the many trees in the distance, the monolith did not display rich green hues, but rather tones of vibrant yellow and pink. Interspersed with a sliver of green or brown, it had not a glossy or smooth but a fuzzy texture, reminiscent of a pony's fur coat. The subtle movement of its branches, exaggerated by the sun's illumination, seemed to send currents through the layer, allowing one to occasionally trace out the shapes of individual branches amidst the sea of color.
The clearing grew silent, anticipating some hidden spectacle. Though he too was still, Twilight could tell that Discord wasn't yet finished with his thoughts, but the two were far too engrossed in the view ahead of them to continue their conversation. Besides, Twilight still had one last job to take care of.
Her horn becoming awash with magical energy, Twilight finally rose the sun, bringing the entire clearing into focus. Bathed in its radiance, the many visitors to the clearing reflected a whole spectrum of colors. Glittering scales shone amongst the fur and feathers sprawled throughout the area, making the area appear impossibly brighter. All speaking had long since ceased, but somehow the added light seemed only to add to the silence pervading the clearing. Every creature looked up at the tree as, in its full glory, its presence brought with it a sense of warmth not unlike the sunlight shining upon its canopy.
The change stirred the forest, generating a small breeze; visitors watched, with bated breath, as it passed through the clearing, gently stirring the tree and ruffling its vibrant coating.
As one, the entire blanket of color encasing the tree expanded outwards from the intrusion. A cloud of mixed yellow and pink surrounded its canopy, so thick as to obscure its true shape, as thousands upon thousands of individual butterflies arose from their perch upon a branch. Slowly, the cloud extricated itself from the thicket. It made two short loops about the structure before curving low, towards the awed crowd.
A haze of butterflies descended upon the spectators, drifting among them in the general direction of the hill from which Twilight and Discord looked on. Though they danced about the heads of many a pony, and even a few mild-mannered dragons, not one was deterred from its flight. The cloud made its way to the hill, surrounding the duo in a sea of yellow and pink wings for several long moments. One of the insects, curious, briefly paused atop Twilight's horn, seemingly inspecting its structure. It soon rejoined its brethren, leaving naught but a small smile on Twilight's lips.
The swarm continued for some time before finally releasing the two from its grasp, leaving them to turn around and watch as it curved upwards and flew over the treetops behind them. They watched alongside the rest of the clearing as the once-great cloud slowly retreated into the distance, leaving behind a tree just as leafy as those surrounding it and a gathering of creatures looking on in wonder.
The pervading silence was promptly broken by a sneeze from within the crowd. A faint "Sorry!" could be heard ringing out before noise once again filled the clearing, the excited voices of several fillies and colts rising above the din as they recounted their new experiences.
From their place upon a hill, Twilight and Discord watched the crowd once more, each with a ghost of a smile. Twilight waited a moment, wanting to absorb a few final moments, before finally turning to look at Discord.
"You were saying?" she asked. He too waited one more moment before facing her in response and taking a deep breath.
"It's different... but it was worth it. For her..." Discord looked again at the tree, swaying again in the breeze. The many bodies in the clearing, combined with the strengthened wind, gave the distinct impression that it was alive, once more waving at the many friends gathered beneath its branches.
"...For her, it was all worth it."
Twilight turned back to face the tree with him, remaining silent. As the two watched the crowd mingle and finally trickle out of the forest, flooded with memories of the past, a single tear slid down Twilight's cheek.
"...It was."