Twilight levitated her and her friends back to the ground. The earth they stood on momentarily turned from soap into normal grass. Discord's face showed a hint of surprise before his bored expression returned. Twilight, not noticing Discord's face began her lecture.
"I'll tell you what we've learnt Discord." Twilight stomped a hoof on the ground in front of her and a determination shone on her face. "We've learnt that friendship isn't always easy but there is no doubt it is worth fighting for." Twilight looked at Discord, waiting for his reaction. Discord just yawned and stretched.
"Ugh. Gag." Discord started to pick out his nails. "Fine go ahead. Try and use your little Elements of Friendship." Discord said condescendingly. "Just make it quick." Discord slouched in his chair. "I'm missing some excellent chaos here."
Twilight turned to look at her friends. "Alright ladies lets show him what friendship can do!" The elements of Harmony activated and the ponies started to lift into the air. When they were interrupted.
"Wait wait wait!" Pinkie yelled. Breaking the formation she ran to a nearby cotton candy cloud and drank the chocolate milk it was raining. She then turned and jumped back to her friends who were all giving her dubious looks. Her friends broke out of their stupor and the element reactivated.
Discord sat in his chair, bored. Until he saw a lighting bolt shapes laser shoot past his head. It was then that Discord began to realize just how much he had screwed up. He began to scream. "Nooo!" In the midst of his terror he didn't realize another voice join his.
It was going pretty good. Twilight felt like they were close to winning when she felt an odd pulling sensation around her horn. She looked at it in confusion, her pure white eyes turning back to normal. She began to scream as a sharp pain began around the base of her horn. The pulling sensation soon turned into a feeling like somepony was trying to pull her horn of. She scrabbled her legs around in a desperate attempt to stop whatever was happening. Finally the pain became to big. Twilight blacked out as a blinding white light enveloped her.
The Elements of Harmony cut off as soon as the light started. The mares all fell to the ground with a massive thump. Rainbow Dash was the first to open her eyes. Her head was thumping but she was used to falling to the ground. Rainbow looked around to see all her friends slowly getting up in a mass of groans.
"What in tarnation!?" The exclamation from Applejack said it all. For where Twilight and Discord were standing mere minutes ago was a charred marking on the ground.
"Oh dear. What's he done to Twilight?"
"This is the worst possible thing!"
"Oh no! I'm getting a twitchy tail! A TWITCHY TAIL!" At the series of loud exclamations from her friends Rainbow was starting to get annoyed.
"Shut up all of you!" At Rainbows shout the area fell silent. Rainbow took a calming breath and continued. "We can't waste out time yelling and shouting. Who knows what Discord is doing to Twilight! We need to find her." Pinkie raised a tentative hoof. Rainbow sighed. "Yes Pinkie."
"How are we supposed to do that Dashie?" Rainbow's expression changed to a determined smirk.
"Don't worry. I have a plan."
Twilight opened her eyes. Around the base of her horn she felt a worrying numbness. Twilight started to panic. She tried to spark her magic but nothing happened. She started to hyperventilate. "What will I do with no magic?" Twilight sat on the ground half focusing on breathing and half focusing on what to do. What had Celestia told her to do in the event that her magic cut out? Gosh it had been so long. And Twilight, being foolish, thought that it would never happen to her. What had she said!? Twilight blinked as a memory rushed back to her.
Celestia sat at a whiteboard. At her feet perched on a stool sat a very bored Twilight. "Now Twilight" Celestia was saying. "When your magic cuts off it usually means you've used up your whole magic reserve. The quickest way to regain the reserve is to sleep but, if you don't have that option, you need to stay as calm as possible. You need to relax. While not as good as sleeping, relaxing will work. Picture something happy and focus on that. You may need to defend yourself. Don't worry Twilight there are other ways to defend yourself, not just magic." Celestia leaned over and stared at Twilight with a stern teacher face. "But these ways must only be used for defense." Twilight looked back at her teacher with wide nervous eyes. Celestia gave Twilight a quick tap on the nose removing the tension. "Remember Twilight only evil ponies attack others with no reason." Celestia's eyes had a distant look in them as she said. "Most ponies though have a reason no matter how hard the try and hide it." Twilight gulped nervously. She hoped never to meet somepony that evil.
Twilight felt a pulse of magic behind her she turned quickly and went into a fighting stance. There standing in front of her was Discord. She snorted.
"What did you do Discord?!" Discord turned and looked at her the familiar twinkle in his eye gone. Where he was usually doing something he stood still, arms hanging listless at his side. His eyes held a tortured look in them.
"No." He whispered so quietly Twilight had to strain to hear him. "What have you done Sparkle." He spat out her second name like it was a disease. Twilight knew she shouldn't trust him but her heart whispered to her. He's telling the truth. Twilight decided to ask another question.
"Where are we?" She asked, his tortured eyes keeping her from using the same tone. He sighed and looked at the ground.
"We are at Canterlot." She looked around. Around her there were small thatched houses. They couldn't be at Canterlot unless... "152CB" Twilight gasped her face a picture of shock.
"But ...but...but.." She said as she sat down hard on the stone street. That meant they had traveled 3500 years into the past. She looked at Discord expecting him to be laughing or talking about chaos but he was just standing looking at a particular house. He started towards the house but Twilight pulled him back. "Don't they might see us inside their house." Discord turned his head a sad smile on his face.
"Has Celestia taught you nothing?" Twilight spluttered and felt anger rise inside her. However before she could rant at Discord he continued. "They can't see you Twilight."
With that Discord walked towards the house. Twilight trotted after him. When they reached the house Discord walked through the walls and into the inside. Twilight followed him. As Twilight entered she shivered. Feelings of despair,hate and cold hit her. She expected Discord to teleport outside the house. But he didn't he just kept walking.
"Hey Discord where are we going?" He didn't answer straight away. But when he did it chilled her to the bone.
"You'll see Twilight." Twilight sighed in frustration and followed Discord into a room. Inside the room he stopped. Transfixed by the feelings of hate and despair, she walked into him. She gave him a glare but he wasn't looking at her. Rubbing her nose, she followed Discord's gaze. His gaze led to a family. A family of
"Draconicus!" Twilight turned to Discord her shock evident. "Discord I thought you were the only Draconicus." Discord ripped his gaze from the family fire in his eyes.
"I wasn't the only one, Twilight but now I am." Twilight gasped.
"How did you become an endling Discord?!" Discord looked at the happy family a mixture of anger and sadness in his gaze.
"You'll see... You'll-" Discord didn't finish his sentence because, as if on cue, 10 soldiers rushed into the room. They glared at the family.
"You are under arrest. Surrender in the name of the tribes." The family collectively gasped and the two older Draconicus shielded the youngest one with their bodies.
"Good sirs what, pray have thy family done." The largest Draconicus asked his voice rumbly and deep. The lead soldier stepped forward and put his spear to the Draconicus's throat.
"You dare to speak! I think not heathen!" A knight cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"These Demons will learn what they have done. Thine shall die knowing their sins. The knight looked at his book and began to read. "The three tribe doest gather to decide the fate of the Draconicus. We decide that these demons art the reason for the tribes fights. The souls of chaos are, from this day forward, sentenced to death." The three Draconicus looked at each other scared expressions on their faces.
"We will not take this. We are loyal to your tribes and have done nothing. You can't take us away." The largest Draconicus snarled. The knight smirked.
They resist us. Here they die!" With that the knight and his men charged. The large Draconicus held them off and yelled to his family.
"Havoc I will hold them off. Get yourself and Discord somewhere safe!" Twilight looked at Discord. He was looking down tears dripping down the face.
"The last thing he ever said to me. He only wanted to keep me safe. That was his death." Discord looked back at the scene that was unfolding. Discord's dad was tiring. Scratches appeared all over his body from multiple spears and swords. He kept fighting but Twilight knew he was like a sheep facing off against a pack of Timberwolves. Eventually he was going to die. The Draconicus kept fighting but he wasn't looking out behind him. The knight from earlier snuck behind him and stuck his sword through the Draconicus's neck. The Draconicus choked. Blood started oozing out of the hole in his body. Twilight wanted to turn away but her body wouldn't obey her. She had to watch as the Draconicus knelt over and vomited up blood and parts of his lungs and his wife and child screamed.
Soon the once great Draconicus was dead. That made Twilight feel sick but what was worse is how the soldiers treated the dead body. Instead of giving him resect they high hooved each other and smirked. They didn't move the body either. They spat at it and then trampled over it. Twilight looked at it. If she entered the room at this point she wouldn't know that a Draconicus stood there. All that was left on the ground was a pool of blood and multiple parts of the body strewn across the floor. Twilight could see that some of the soldiers had picked up the wings and talons of the corpse. Twilight couldn't help it she knelt over and gagged.
When Twilight got up she could see that the soldiers had turned on the terrified and heart-broken Discord and his Mother. The soldiers started slashing Havoc but she pushed them forward and grabbed. Her petrified son. Discord and Twilight followed her as she ran through the soldiers and out into the street. The ran the small town until she reached a field near the town. She hid young Discord inside a hollow tree.
"Stay here Discord I'll come back soon." She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Love you." She ran back to the town and disappeared into the mob of ponies.
"She never came back." Twilight jumped backwards but it was just Discord.
"What happened to her?" Discord glared at her.
"What do you think Pony?" Twilight sat on the ground and a thought entered her head.
"Discord?" She said softly.
"What?!" He spat.
"Why didn't you parents use their magic.?" His glare harshed.
"A Draconicus's magic is fueled by anger. My Dad was angry but him and Mother had lived in Canterlot their life. Even though they knew that it was unfair, somewhere in their mind they thought that they could reason with the towns ponies. I however, knew that reasoning was not an option." Discord stood up fire burning in his eyes. His tail flicked side to side as he spoke. "That's why, when we get back to our time, I'm going to make chaos the new harmony." Discord glared at Twilight. "You can try and stop me but don't try and reason with me. I'm past reason." Twilight sat back on her haunches. Discord looked at her expecting her to be devastated however to his surprise she had a sad smile on his face. She turned and looked at him.
"It's ok Discord I forgive you." She stood up and took one of his talons in her hoof. "And on behalf of Ponykind I'm sorry." With a mixture of those simple words and her small smile, Discord broke. He was expecting her to fight him, to try and kill him but no. For the first time in centuries someone had shown him friendship and love rather than hate. Then Discord couldn't hold it in. He cried.
He always thought it was unmanly to cry but, looking at Twilight's supportive smile, he knew that he wasn't going to be teased. With his tears came out years of bottled up and and sadness. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Discord as he collapsed to the ground. For years Discord had thought that no one would ever hug him or love him. Eventually Discords tears turned into sniffles. As if on cue Twilight's Element began to glow. She smiled at him and helped him up.
"I think it's time to return home don't you?" With a bright flash the pair were on there way home.
When Twilight opened her eye's she immediately had five pairs of forelegs wrapped around her.
"Twilight we thought you were dead." Rainbow said interrupting the hug.
"It was quite possibly the worst possible thing!" Rarity agreed. Fluttershy nodded.
"But luckily Dashie had a plan which worked." Pinkie inputted. Rainbow blushed and looked down at her hooves.
"Oh Pinkie It wasn't THAT big a deal." She with a small smile at Pinkies eagerness.
"Dashie stop being so modest. We activated the Elements like lasar lasar lasar and then you said we should each search an area of-" Pinkie began when Applejack interrupted her.
"Sorry tah interrupt yer little reunion but we have a bigger problem." Twilight and the other Elements turned to look at Discord. Rainbow immediately charged up to him and glared.
"What did you do to her Discord?!" She spat. Rainbow then turned her head to look at the other Elements. "Come on let's activate the Elements and turn him into stone." Rainbow and the others began to activate their elements. Twilight felt the magic pulse around her and she began to levitate. This isn't right!
"Girls stop!" Almost immediately the Elements deactivated and the girls fell to the floor. While the other ponies were recovering while grumbling, Twilight galloped over to Discord and tried to shield him with her body. "Girl's this isn't right!" She expected the other's to listen to her but they turned on Discord. He looked shocked at the turn of events.
"What have you done to our friend Discord?!" Rarity yelled.
"What magic tricks are you using?"
"Why are you doing?!"
"Stop being a mean meanie pants!"
"Let Twilight go!"
"Girls SHUT UP!" Twilight yelled. The area instantaneously fell silent. Even the birds stopped chirping. Twilight breathed in and out to calm herself down."My magic isn't working, I have a headache and I have an explanation." Before anypony could interrupt she told her the story.
After Twilight finished she looked into the eyes of each pony. Rainbow Dash was horrified. Her face was slack and a few tears fell from her eyes. Fluttershy looked close to fainting.She was leaning on a tree. Rarity looked queasy and her makeup was smudged. Pinkies mane and tail were flat and tears were pouring out of her eyes. Applejack looked like she had just been hit, sympathetic realisation dawning in her eyes.
Applejack was the first to speak. She walked over to Discord and shook his claw. "Dear Mr Discord I'm truly sorry 'bout how ah treated yeh. You n' me have a lot in common. Please fergve meh." Discord met her warm, open, honest eyes and smiled.
"I forgive you Ms Applejack." She smirked.
"Yer kin call meh AJ, Mr Discord." She said a warm smile on her face.
"Ok AJ you can call me SirMagestyLordofall Discord." AJ blinked and then laughed.
After Applejacks apology the other 4 ponies came over and gave him heartfelt apologies.
"Come on Discord." Rainbow said. "Let's show Equestria the true magic of friendship." They were about to leave when Twilight cleared her throat. She gestured to the chaos around her. Discord with a click of his talons turned Equestria to normal and levitated a king outfit on himself. He also sat on a levitating globe. He grinned to the 6 ponies.
"This is how good I feel thanks to you."
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today i have learnt to never judge things by how they look. Today I met a wonderful new friend just because I did something nothing had done before.
Celestia you are a wonderful teacher and I love you but I think that this is a lesson you need to learn. You send my friends and I on lot's of quests and more often than not the supposed "villain" isn't really as evil as you say. We don't want to end up as bigoted and hateful as we were in the past. Also I think you owe it to my friend to teach the REAL history of Draconicus.
Celestia I guess what I'm trying to say is always read between the lines because ponies are a lot like poems, they seem simple but inside there is more than you could ever know.
Signed,
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle