Chapter Preview: Hearth's Warming Unity

So! To utterly show how serious I was in believing this to be some manner of a dumb, asinine prank, the first thing popped out of my incredulous, annoyed muzzle from the moment I slammed open the white doors into the rounded throne room.

"Okay, Discord, you've had your fun!" Many heads turned to me in wide-eyed surprise, but my focus, as Cadence and Shining hurriedly joined the others after following my stormy pace, was intently on the floating draconequus lounging about on Applejack's seat.

Soon gesturing to himself as if oblivious. "What, moi? What I have done this time? You haven't seen your room coated in talking ice frosting yet."

"Discord you know damn well what you've done. I will... Will..." Trailing off the large group parted so I could see the glowing friendship map, as its aptly called, I think anyway. Approaching the circular table and bearing witness to my dumb mark spinning around upon one specific spot over the miniature Equestria.

With Twilight's... And just Twilight's. Heart and star, together, circling around the same exact location. Oh God, I looked up once leaning in to check thoroughly, regarding the equally distraught, uncertain Princess, and meeting her eyes for a split second.

Before we both looked away. A friendship mission with Twilight. [BEEP].

"This has to be a prank. Discord, you sent these mares on a flase mission before! If this is your way of-!"

"Oh I assure you, he who runs away from his problems with the drop of a hat." A top black hat soon materializing on my brown mane, with a tiny Discord emerging from under it, occupying most of my sight with an upside down grin. "I am entirely innocent in this particular crisis. Why it almost seems like-"

Swatting him off from my personal space, and the chaotic prankster soon regained his true height after teleporting before me with a smirk and shrug.

"As I was saying, it seems as though even the magic of friendship wants you two bipolar little ponies to kiss and make up. And what better, than by working together in solving a friendship crisis in the middle of nowhere?! Woohoo!" Confetti flying out of his bear and rooster fingertips, before Discord resumed 'his' seat, pink bubbles blowing out from his conjured smoke pipe.

Everyone knew by this point that Twilight and I had some manner of a fallout, hence why their hearts beat in worry, fear and some with a dash of hope in Discord's words and what the map rung true. And Discord didn't SEEM to be lying... But it was Discord, and his heart was as difficult to read as it was easy to walk perfectly on slippery oil.

"It does look to be in the middle of nowhere." Spike piqued up then, drawing our awkward attention back onto the map, southwest pointed in Equestria, a small village close by a larger city. My eyes squinted, seeing if I could at least recognize the place in question... Nope.

Are you sure?

Ignoring Starswirl's vague enquiry, I straightened up, and forcing a smile towards the others. "Well, I don't have to go. Twilight of all ponies can handle a friendship mission by herself-"

"Oh no ya don't!" Dammit! My path out blinked by six particular, stern mares. Even Fluttershy wasn't taking no for an answer, by her own pleading blue orbs. Applejack continued with a prod against my clothed chest. "Ya ain't just leavin' Twilight to do this alone!"

"The map specifically called for both of you darlings. And we refuse to let whatever is straining your relationship get in the way of, with hope, reconciliation through cooperating together."

"Are you sure about that Rarity?" Twilight asked from behind, and it pained how worried and hurt she sounded over the matter. "We're not sure helping out somepony else with their problems will help us."

"Pish posh Twilight darling, that's your lack of confidence talking!" The white unicorn joining her alicorn friend with some reassurance. I kept my eyes away from the interaction. "You two both work best together, after all. That has been proven as much time and time again. The Winter Wrap Up, that dreadful Tirek..."

"She's right, dear." Oh, now for my would-be mother-in-law to speak up, believing in her little Princess as always with that kindly smile from the corner of my weary eyes. "Don't allow one wrench thrown into your relationship tear you apart further... And Stardust." I stiffened by the abrupt shift in tone by a stern mother in the form of Velvet. "You do remember your promise, don't you?"

...Alright.

Sighing in resigned concern, I finally turned around to face them, flinching a little by the violet eyes equally reluctant to meet my hazel own. Emotions sparkled out... Was that the teeniest bit of hope I saw in there? Or was it my wishful thinking?

"Fine." I huffed, looking back to the map in question as many hearts around us sung in relief and further encouragement. Lucky them. "We'll try and make this quick so we don't miss out on the rest of the holiday." Twilight's own heart, just then, sung a piece of gratitude, not really desiring to be away from her loved ones for that long either, and I allowed myself a faint smile then. At least I was making her happy in some form of manner.

"The question is." The Princess of Friendship found it in herself to lean over the edge of the magically holographic table with me, squinting in concentration to at the location our marks hovered around. "Where exactly are we being sent to? I don't recognize the village in question. Do you, Jack?"

"I don't think so..." I murmured, before a familiar wise tone intervened.

Oh I think you do, my boy. A small, rather isolated village next to a larger, superior metropolis? Come now, I believe you once called the citizens there as 'your people.'

"...Flanktopia!" Ignoring the startled expressions from my gasp and exclamation of realization. A place Twilight would likely not get along with, on a friendship mission with Twilight, going alongside Twilight.

Double [BEEP].

---

Coming this New Year's Eve.

Comments

[SomeWeirdGuy]

They better make up dammit, can’t wait