Fluttershy stepped out of her cottage and sighed contently as she took a deep breath of the morning spring air. The dew was still on the grass and there wasn't a cloud sight, the birds were singing songs of romance, and Angel had only misbehaved once. Over all it was a beautiful morning, and if she hurried through her morning chores maybe she could have time to talk with Manny Roar before classes began at the School of Friendship. She was hoping he would be wiling to come to a Kindness class. Meeting the very manticore from the night that she became the Bearer of Kindness would be a wonderful experience that she was sure her students would enjoy.

She calmly and carefully made her way around her property, feeding and checking up on all the animals that made their home around her cottage. The animals always swarmed around her especially during feedings but given that it was spring there were younglings she had to be extra careful. That didn't stop her from bursting out into her favorite song.

There's music in the treetops
And there's music in the vale...

"Eep!" Fluttershy bleated as she dived down into one of the many bushes that lined her property. Someone had just walked out of the trees of the Everfree. While she was less nervous about singing in front of others the surprise of someone coming out of the Everfree in the middle of the song spooked her.

At first she thought it was Zecora but she had stopped using a traveling cloak when she came to town after the residents fears of her were abated. Also, even though it was hard to tell for sure, but the individual appeared to be the size of Big Mac or even Princess Celestia. Maybe it was one of Zecora's family, given that the path to her hut did came out in the same location...

Fluttershy watched nervously until the figure disappeared from her sight. Sighing in mild relief she slowly went back to her chores. She would ask Zecora later about the visitor. Nothing else happened until she was just about to start her last chore for the morning, gathering the eggs from her chickens.

She was about walk into the coup when a familiar bright flash temporarily blinded her and causing her to stumble off the ramp and onto her back.

"Thank, hic chaos you are okay, hic!" Discord exclaimed, picking up Fluttershy in a bone crushing hug.

"Discord!" Fluttershy snapped. While she didn't mind the hug the sudden flashy appearance while she was in the middle her morning chores was a problem. She knew she had asked him several times to refrain from doing that especially when it was spring as it spooked her animals even more when they had young ones to care for.

She was about to remind him of that but one look at his face stopped her. Discord looked absolutely terrified. Her thoughts went back to the figure that had come out of the Everfree. Did Lord Tirek escape again and was waltzing right into Ponyville to exact revenge!? Or was it someone else from Discord's past? He did make a lot of enemies over the years...

"Okay, let's start at 1.5 thaumahertz." Twilight called out from under the Cutie Map.

"Sending 1.5 thaumahertz of raw mana." Starlight repeated just before she sent out the requested magic.

As Twilight examined the faintly glowing web of mana that was now running through the crystal she was reminded just how intricate the spellcraft went into the map. There was still vast parts of the map she did not understand. It was why it took so long to fix it when Starlight had damaged it with Starswirl's spell. Sadly the fix didn't take fully as the map was still glitching out from time to time.

*flash*

Twilight hissed in pain as her head hit the table in surprise. There was only one being that would cause a flash like that. "Discord! Starlight and I are in the middle of some very delicate spell..."

The rest of her rant died on her lips when she pulled herself out from under the table. There, sitting in their respective thrones completely dazed and confused, were the other bearers. She could see Discord half hiding behind Fluttershy's shaking like a leaf, a look of absolute fear in his eyes. Oddly, Starlight was nowhere in sight.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Applejack asked the question on Twilight's mind.

"Discord what did you do to Starlight?"

"I teleported her away... hic to safety... "Discord attempted to explain. "I... hic... need... hic, hic... help... "

"Discord calm down," Fluttershy cooed as she rubbed a hoof down Discord's back, "Take a few deep breaths, and then tell us what is wrong."

Discord took Fluttershy's advise to heart, complete with paper bag. After a few nosy puffs he tossed the bag. "Earlier today I felt a presence, hic, a magic I had not felt in a long time and...it's getting stronger, hic, by the minute and if it is who I think it is..."

"Who Discord?!" Twilight grumbled when Discord started biting his nails. She needed more information thane half chocked ramblings if she had a hope of helping and clearly the sooner the better.

"He is an ancient being... we might need the Elements... and the princesses... and..." Discord rambling faded away as his gaze climbed up to the ceiling.

One by one everyponies' heads followed Discord's, and, there standing upside down on the root chandler like it was the floor was a large figure wrapped in a ratty brown cloak, a pair of red glowing eyes peered down from within the hood.

"Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola." It spoke and something about the deep coarse voice sent shivers up and down Twilight's spine. She wasn't sure if it was because the voice or the glowing eyes. "I should have known you would mess with my plans."

Rainbow Dash, being the first to shake off her shock, quickly flew up to the intruder, jabbing a hoof out. "Now listen here bub!"

"Athulēt."

Rainbow Dash yelped in shock as she suddenly dropped like a stone to the floor.

"Are you okay Rainbow?" Twilight inquired as she looked over her friend. It was clear that there was magic behind the word 'athulēt' but exactly what that magic was, she didn't know. It was not like any magic she knew of, which unnerved her. It could mean a wealth of magic knowledge to learn or it could mean trouble if this person was truly up to something nefarious. A lack of understanding of the nature of the magic being used would make it extremely hard to counter.

"Yeah, I've had worse falls... " Rainbow waved off her concern until she tried flapping her wings a few times. "but I can't seem to get off the ground."

Twilight carefully reexamined Rainbow as she struggled to get lift. She had meticulously studied every pegasi after her ascension with hope that it would help her flying. No offense to Rainbow Dash teaching but at the time she was not the best fight instructor. Not that her own research helped all that much either. At least it was fascinating subject matter to study and was instrumental in discovering the mechanics behind the Sonic Rainboom.

"Please, hic, don't provoke him further Rainbow Dash or he will..."

"Enough Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola!" The being hissed, his red eyes glowing brighter. "You brought it on yourself when you knowingly overstepped your place. Be glad I had mercy to let you be stoned. Next time it will be my sword that ends it."

Discord yelped and hid, or as much as he could, underneath the table.

"How dare you... How dare you! You listen here, mister." Twilight blinked as she watched Fluttershy dress down the intruder. While she was proud of Fluttershy muscling up her courage she doubted that someone that terrified Discord could be effected by her stare enhanced lecturing given that she had tried this very tactic on Discord before and failed. "Just because Discord 'overstepped' his place doesn't mean you get to be a bully! You do not-- I repeat-- You do not! Hurt! My! Friends! You got that?"

"Or what?" The cloaked figure dared, clearly not fazed by the Stare.

Twilight sighed as Fluttershy's chastisement failed. With the threat of violence she had to find a way to deescalate the situation before someone got hurt. 'Next time' he said. It sounded as if he was not here for Discord as Discord feared. So if that was the case then why was he here? "Why are you here...uh...?"

The figure jumped down off the chandler, spinning to orientate right side to the floor. Twilight cringed as the figure slammed onto the map table, Discord screeching in fear, scrambled behind Fluttershy's throne. The repairs that Starlight and she were in the middle of making were not completed yet and having something as large as the figure crashing down on it could disrupt all their progress or make matters worse then they were before.

"Šizra." 'Šizra' answered, "I am here to see about the dragon known as Spike."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. After the fiasco with Sludge she was not going to let just anyone waltz in here to see Spike. It hurt him more then what Spike was willing to admit and she did not want to see his emotions played like a fiddle again. "And why do you need to see Spike?"

"Interesting..." Šizra slowly intoned, his head tilting from one side to the other. "I was under the impression that you had inquired of Cktüis Zuserthators Ember for assistance in the matters of raising Spike..."

"I did..." Twilight blinked as she answered. She had completely forgotten that she had requested help. Though when she had asked for a tutor this was not what she expected, but then again dragons did not do things 'pony.'

"Šizra?" Fluttershy slowly spoke up, flinching ever so slightly when Šizra's eyes turned towards her. "Um, about Discord..."

"Has he been abusing his powers?"

Twilight fought back the urge to lick her suddenly dry lips. Discord may be 'reformed' now but there were several hiccups along the way including when he betrayed Equestria to help Lord Tirek.

'Next time it will be my sword that ends it.'

'Athulēt.'

'Or what?'

"Um... no." Fluttershy finally answered.

"Then he has nothing to fear from me."

"Ah know sometimes he can be a no good low life varmint but..." AJ shook her head. "Even Ah would not wish him death..."

Twilight's head slammed back painfully as the doors suddenly burst open with a loud bang. Looking over she could see Starlight rushing in with her horn ablaze. Spike, to her surprise, was not far behind. She was sure he was going to be Canterlot a bit longer.

"Discord!" Starlight shouted before skidding to a stop when she noticed the cloaked Šizra. "I.... uh... um..."

"Well Discord teleported me to... uh..." She blushed, "Um... I'm sorry I didn't see that... I mean... I uh... maybe I should come back later..."

"It's okay Starlight, nothing to worry about. Just a small misunderstanding..." Twilight smiled, waving her to come fully in, thankful that Starlight seemed no worse for wear.

"Some misunderstanin'" AJ grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Weeeell.... to be fair Discord was a big meanie..."

"inkie-Pay!'" Rainbow Dash nervously stage whispered. "Xnay on the ast-pay!"

"So good to see you home Spike but," Twilight quickly switched the topic before Pinkie set off Šizra, "I wasn't expecting you for a few more days...."

"Yeah Princess Celestia had urrp..." Spike quickly caught the scroll he burped and and went right to reading it out loud

"Dear Spike, I found this under the throne cushions..."

"Spike!" Twilight facehoofed as she saw the comic fall out of the scroll. How many times had she told him to NOT do that.

"Oops..." Spike nervously waved a hello as he noticed that Šizra was slowly approaching him. "Uh, hi?"

"Šizra?"

Šizra didn't respond as he knelt down in front of Spike and lowered his hood.