Twilight Sparkle was still at her desk after several hours and too many pots of coffee. The most recent study binge leaving books piled into towering spires throughout her vast library. Spike entered through one door, carrying with him a tray that held all the ingredients for her cup of coffee: Some coffee, some sugar cubes, a spoon and a cup.
Spike made his way over to where she had been working to find the young princess slumped over the desk snoring. “Uh, Twilight?”
Twilight shifted her hooves under her head with a grumble that rumbled from deep in her throat before she murmured, “Chocolate with sprinkles, Shiny.”
Spike shook her shoulder gently, “Twilight, wake up!”
“Mmm...” Twilight licked her lips before she pursed them with the hint of a smile. “But I just had lunch! It’s too early to go swimming…”
Setting the tray down, he shook twilight awake. Unfortunately, her old study-bug habits kicked in as she jerked suddenly, swung her legs out across the table and sent towers of books flying. Amidst the chaos, one landed on the edge of the coffee tray, propelling it through the air. Both of them watched in awe, unable to move as the cup shattered, the sugar cubes scattered with all the books.
“Coffee!” Spike shouted, pointing at the pot just as it hit the book shelf and shattered. His arm dropped. “Uh…” He started with a sigh, “I’ll get the mane drier.” Seeing the shock painted across Twilight’s widened eyes and gaped jaw, the little dragon quietly exited the room. The coffee had drenched an entire shelf of books, Their bindings splattered with sweet caffeinated goodness.
Twilight finally let go of the breath she’d been holding. In desperation, she closed her eyes and rubbed them with the back of her hoof. “Please be a dream. Please be a dream. For the love of Equestria, please be a dream.” she muttered quickly. Risking reality, she opened her eyes to find the library still in disarray. “Horse apples.” she muttered quietly as she used her magic to quickly organize the books that hadn’t been damaged from the ones that had.
Spike came back in carrying a mop and a bucket of hot, soapy water. Twilight, who was too focused at the moment, spoke without looking over at her assistant. “I’ve got the books, Spike, can you clean up the floor and shelves?”
“Well sure, but Twilight-” he began to before getting cut off as he started mopping.
Twilight looked over at Spike, who had stopped mopping up the coffee and was now looking up at the night sky beyond one of the many giant windows this library sported. She looked out it for just a moment and frowned, kicking her magic into an even higher gear. “We don’t have much time. That meteor will pass before long and I’m need to study it!”
Spike shrugged, but continued cleaning up the mess. “Go ahead than, I saw it.”
This made Twilight drop every book in her magical grip. “You’ve already seen it? But that means I’m missing it! I gotta go!” She flailed for a moment in excitement. Her horn lit up and she disappeared in a flash of purple light.
Spike looked around the wreckage around him. “Figures,” he grunted as he continued to clean. “She literally dropped everything… for space ice.”
Meanwhile, Twilight reappeared in the Canterlot Castle Observatory, where she had begun to calibrate the telescope to suit her needs. She focused on the comet and smiled, “There you are. Now to figure out how far away you are…”
She levitated a quill and some parchment to the table before moving the entire table over to her. Just then, she heard the soft sound of a door clicking closed. She ripped her eyes away from the celestial phenomenon to find Princess Celestia walking towards her. “Hello, Twilight, my dear.”
Painful as it was, Twilight pulled herself away from the telescope and the precious time she had with the comet. Turning to face her old mentor, she smiled and answered, :Oh! Hello Celestia, sorry for barging in unannounced. I just couldn’t resist a chance to study the comet.”
Celestia’s grace was unparalleled as she silently walked over to Twilight. “I believe this offence is forgivable.” Taking a seat, at the table Twilight had repossessed, she levitated a antique tea set over to the table and cleared a spot to set it between herself and her student. “Tell me what you’ve learned so far,” she asked in her usual elegantly smooth, motherly voice as she prepared the tea.
Twilight gave a small smile, “From my research, this comet has been documented to pass by us like this only once every one hundred years! You know what that means, don’t you?” Her hoof landed on the table with a dull thud to emphasize the question. She smiled wide up at the princess, ready to explode with her redundant answer.
Celestia smiled back and answered, “Because you won’t get another chance for a long while?”
Twilight deflated a little. “Right, immortality… You know, we got to talk about that later. But yes, I won’t have another chance.”
“Did any of your books tell you that comet’s name?” Celestia asked with a motherly touch.
Twilight simply sighed away her mood before a soft smile crossed her lips once again. “None of them had. One speculated and even tried naming it themselves. Of course, it also mentioned that you denied the request for naming it… oh what was it?”
Celestia grimaced a little, “Ice Bell’s Big Ice Ball of Ice.”
“Yeah, that sounds familiar. Though I remember reading something by Starswirl the Bearded! He claims that the comet has unique magical properties, He speculated that it could change our views on how magic works in nature itself. Oh! And he-”
Celestia placed a hoof over Twilight’s lips. “I knew Starswirl pretty well, Twilight. The two of you are quite alike,” she said softly with a chuckle.
This just made Twilight bloom with embarrassment. She took a few quick breaths and followed up with a long deep one before looking up at Celestia once more. “So, what’s the comet’s name?”
“Luna named it Snowdrop’s Twinkle ten centuries ago tonight.” She answered as she bowed her head in respect.
“Who’s Snowdrop?” Twilight eagerly asked, her eyes sparkling like amethysts in sunlight.
Celestia’s shoulders sagged a little as she rested her forelegs on the table. She looked down into her half drank cup of tea with a look of longing. “She was an unfortunate little filly with the biggest heart and kindest soul I’ve ever met.” Celestia looked up and met Twilight’s tearful eyes. “Luna saw such promise in that young filly. Her story is a long one for another time, though it’s one I’m sure Luna would prefer to tell.”
Twilight nodded, looking back at the telescope. “I’d like to hear more about her sometime, but why keep the name such a secret?”
“My dear, Twilight, isn’t it obvious?” Discord’s voice echoed down from somewhere up above. With a snap of his claws spotlights illuminated the top of the telescope, where he sat in a lawnchair with a megaphone and a bag of popcorn.
He was no bigger than a gold bit, but his voice boomed against the bookshelves of the observatory. “Moonbutt was banished not long afterwards, of course the moon sounds much more comfortable than as a statue.”
Snapping his fingers once more, the spotlights vanished along with discord. He reappeared standing on the table next to the tea pot with an empty cup. He proceeded to pick up the giant tea pot and pour it into his tiny cup. He took a sip, “Mm, delightfully dark brew for you, Sunny.” He murmured, shooting Celestia a sly smile before directing his attention at Twilight Sparkle, who leaned towards him with a smile. “But the real reason I’m here is-”
Twilight interrupted him with a gust of air, making him stagger a little. “To hear yourself talk? Not now, Discord, we’re busy.”
At this, Discord furrowed his brow and teleported to Twilight’s shoulder. When Twilight looked down at him, he held a sign up that proclaimed “Look Up!” She did so, just in time to close her eyes as a bucket of orange paint dumped itself over her head.
When she opened her eyes to growl at Discord on her shoulder, she found that he was normal sized hovering innocently nearby. He shrugged and held up a mirror. In it, Applejack stared back at her. Discord smiled, “Let’s be honest here, Twilight, because frankly I’m not here for a history lesson. I came to ask you a very important question.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Discord…” she growled.
“Discord interrupted her with laughter, “I know what I forgot! Your hat.” His claws snapped once again making a brown stetson hat appear on Twilight’s orange mane. “There we are, now we can play cops and robbers!”
“Discord, what’s your question?” Celestia questioned in an elegantly smooth voice. When Twilight looked over, Celestia was sitting upright and proper.
“Of course, of course. Straight to the point. Never got that rod outta of your-”
“Discord!” Twilight scowled at him.
Discord smiled as he conjured a cozy chair for himself. He slowly puffed on a bubble pipe.
“Well,” he burped, letting little pink clouds float up, up and away. “I was thinking about you last night and… well, before I tell you what my brilliant mind concluded, I have another question first.” he blew a pink heart-shaped cloud at her and smiled his most devious smile.
Twilight waved the cloud into non-existence before growling at Discord. “Celestia and I are having an important meeting— and you’re interrupting it!” she exhaled heavily through her nose.
When Discord just chuckled, Twilight slapped her forehead and sighed. “Twilight, my dear, You’ve come a long way, haven’t you?”
Twilight glowered at him with irritation, but gave a curt nod. “I suppose I have, yes.”
Discord snapped his claws causing a curtain of pink to drape across half of Twilight’s face. “My much preferred color pallet.” Discord explained. “Now be kind and do what you do best. Take a note, because I have another question!” He chuckled before bursted into laughter.
Twilight just sighed and pushed the long pink mane behind her ear and out if her face. “Discord, what’s your next question?” She asked in an incredibly soft voice. The sound of it made her color drain and she flushed with recognition. Even Celestia couldn’t withhold a lighthearted giggle.
Twilight spun to face her mentor, but her new mane slipped past her ear and draped across her face once again. Twilight lost all her steam as she just blew air through her mane so her muzzle stuck out. “Well then. Hey, Discord?”
He chuckled from somewhere nearby. “Yes, Fluttershy?”
She followed his voice and slowly turned turned towards him, letting her head dip ever so gently. “Could you change me back into me, please,” she asked in the sweetest voice she could muster up. She used one hoof to lift half her mane, leaving one big blue eye to beg for salvation.
Discord’s jaw sagged for only a moment before he put his snout in the air and slammed his eyes shut. “You’re not even her and that look still wins.” He crossed his arms and snapped a claw in disdain.
Twilight flashed back into her original form and quickly checked over herself quickly. “Really, Discord?” she asked sitting down and wrapping her rainbow colored tail around her hooves and glared at him. “What’s your next question?”
“No patience as expected, Dashie.” Discord chuckled before turning her tail back to normal. “Oh how I wish to see the two of you race. It would be quite the event, wouldn’t it?” He vanished, reappearing with one arm across Twilight’s shoulders and turning her towards Celestia. “Actually, I wish I could see you, Sunbutt, Moonbutt and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza race! I could even referee!” he chuckled as he rose a white flag and gave it a little wave.
Celestia just shook her head and drank her tea passively. Twilight gave her a pleading look for help, but she shrugged and smiled a little.
Twilight sighed and teleported away from Discord. She reappeared only two feet to their left. “Discord, I really don’t know what you’re up to but please, just go away.”
Discord looked at her with a pair of tiny fireplaces burning in his eyes, literally. “I’m the Spirit of Chaos!” His neck twisted and stretched toward Twilight as he spoke. “And I still have one more question for you!”
Twilight leaned back as his face stopped in the spot her head had just been. He smiled, and simultaneously unwound his neck, letting his body propel towards her. His body flew past his head and wrapped around Twilight. Who struggled and fell on her chin. “Ow. Uh, A little help?” She asked Celestia with a hopeful smile.
Celestia rolled her eyes, but put her cup down. “Unfortunately, Twilight, Discord will simply dispel or return from wherever I send him. Short of turning him back to stone there isn’t much to be done.”
Discord hissed into Twilight’s ear as she struggled. “What would a Princess wish for?”
Twilight sighed, teleported and looked down at him. “Are you serious?” She asked with an incredulous tone. Her brow furrowed, “That’s your big question? Wish’s don’t ever come true, so why would it matter what I would wish for?”
To this, Celestia shook her head head a little but gave a solemn answer. “You’re right, Twilight. A wish isn’t expected to be met with immediate indulgence, but a wish can be made through the efforts you and others put into making it a reality. Many ponies wish to be a princess, some wish for riches and others wish for fulfillment.” She looked down at Discord who had begun to scratch his head.
He gave a quick shrug and turned back to twilight, “So, what is it that the illustrious Princess Twilight Sparkle desires?”
Twilight opened her mouth, then shut it and opened it once again; only to shut it once more. She pondered the question, as she paced absent-mindedly around the room.
Discord made himself a cup of tea and floated over to Celestia’s side, watching Twilight pace. Discord dumped his tea down his throat and eyed his empty teacup with a mirthless smile before he tossed it into his maw. Discord paused his chewing when he saw Celestia roll her eyes at him and smile, “It’s made of chocolate, my dear.” He explained before turning his attention back to Twilight. “Two hundred bits say she’ll waste her wish.”
To this Celestia scowled, then looked back at Twilight with softened eyes and a small smile. “I know Twilight better than any pony. I know she’ll use her wish in a meaningful way.”
Discord did a twirl and landed on the ground dressed in a fine suit and short dark hair styled to perfection. He pulled a small book out of his breast pocket and snapped his claws, letting a pair of reading glasses appear on his snout. “By your own loyal decree, Bets and Barters, I suppose you have to sign my little wager.” He held out a scroll and pen with a hearty chuckle. “That is if you’re serious, of course.”
Celestia gave him a long, hard look. “You expect me to gamble on the future actions of my most promising student?”
With false tears of joy and a beautiful white wedding dress on, Discord hid his face in a fresh bundle of lilacs. “Oh, Sunbutt. I do!” He threw the bundle of light purple flowers over his shoulder hitting Twilight in the back of the head.
Twilight stopped in her weathered tracks, turned and looked down. “Flowers?” She looked up to see discord laying on the table drinking tea straight from the pot, still wearing the white dress. Twilight watched Discord chug triple what the teapot could possibly contain before he finally stopped and looked at Twilight with a smile. She held his gaze until he gave a tiny burp and rolled backwards laughing at himself.
Twilight just rolled her eyes and returned to pacing. Discord rolled towards Celestia, “As I was saying... Sign it, and win two hundred bits, or lose. Eh, whichever.”
She smiled, nodded, and signed it with ease. “Why such a meager bet this time?”
He crossed his arms and floated off the table until he were upside down in front of Celestia. “Because last time I won, you trapped me in stone for a thousand years.”
She just frowned. “Well, you had a chance to rule and ruined it. You only got stoned because of your insatiable hunger for power.”
Twilight’s gasp took both their attention immediately. “I forgot about the comet!” She teleported to the telescope and wrote notes as she mumbled her irritations to herself.
Discord slipped out of his dress with ease and slither across the floor before vanishing and reappearing on Twilight’s head, leaning against her ear. “Got your wish?”
Twilight gave a powerful shake and tossed Discord into the air, where he floated. “Shut up, Discord. I can’t afford distractions right now. That comet will be gone in a few hours.”
Celestia shot him a dirty look, but he winked in response before flicking the telescope and turning it into a giant bubble. Which popped leaving behind a sudsy mist. “Oops. I don’t suppose you know where to get another one. Do you Twilight?” He chuckled deviously.
Twilight’s shock turned to unadulterated rage as she turned to see the smugness of Discord’s face. Her horn glowed briefly before he vanished only to reappear a few feet away. “Augh!” She tried to teleport him away again and failed yet again.
“Why-” she casted it again and he reappeared again. “Won’t-” and again. “You-” and again. “Just-” and this time he reappeared as dressed in a maid outfit. “go away!”
Discord poked Twilight in the back of the head and smirked, “I do hate instant transmission, just so you know.”
She gave up with a roar of anger, before teleporting back to her seat across from Celestia. Celestia finished off her cup of tea and sat it down. “His question holds relevance, Twilight.”
“Yeah, I-” Twilight started to say.
Discord appeared in her cup, “Well, Princess?”
She rolled her eyes and with a groan sat the cup down. “I wish Discord would just disappear or something. I’ve already forgotten what we were discussing before we were so rudely interrupted.” She said quickly as she rubbed her temples. She opened her eyes and looked up at Celestia, “I guess my wish would have been to meet the filly that comet represents, too bad a wishes don’t come true.”
Celestia nodded and pointed a hoof at the cup of tea Twilight sipped from. “Discord just bathed in that cup.”
Twilight spat it back into the cup before putting the cup back down gently on the table. “Where’s he at now…” she muttered.
“Gone, you’ve wished for Discord’s disappearance, or something.” Celestia sipped her drink calmly. “Unfortunately, It’s well past my hour now. Good night, Twilight.”
“Wait, what happened to Discord?” Twilight asked with an almost sickly complexion.
Celestia stood and started towards the doors. “He’ll return after tomorrow. Oh, and we need to replace that telescope tomorrow. When you come, please bring two hundred bits with.”
Twilight gave a little nod and stood. “I’ll return first thing in the morning. I have notes to organize and data to analyze anyways… Are… are you sure Discord’s alright?”
“I’m sure he is.” With that, Celestia closed the door softly leaving Twilight to teleport home.
Discord laid on a black leather couch watching something the inhabitants here called a television. A tall green, faceless individual dressed in a black suit with a red tie came in carrying popcorn. It sat down and offered Discord a handful, which he gladly accepted.
The green figure grabbed a remote and unpaused the program. “Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria-”
Discord clapped, “Ooh, I can’t wait until we get to season two.”