//------------------------------// // Part 3 // Story: A Day with Discord // by Shippofan2k //------------------------------// The sun shone high above our group of heroes now walking on a path to the gates of the castle, tall towers of gray stone, vibrant green flags with a pair of white wings on them. Griffons standing on the walls of the castle spears and crossbows in their claws. Two earth pony Stallions guarding the gates as they got closer to the gates, seeing their armor in more clarity. The guards wore sleek silver armor similar to guards in the crystal empire, Sketch put a hoof to her lips as she examined the area more, it seems that in this world that Discord had taken them to that the weather managed itself it was definitely an interesting thing to see and made a mental note to use it in her next book. Flare Spark walked next to Talon talking to him and asking questions about the world they resided in, Sketch walking next to Discord who was on the other side of Flare Spark who stood in the middle. "So any ideas so far?" Discord asked. "A few but not a lot." Sketch Melody replied. "I'm sure you'll think of something." Discord exclaimed with a hint of boasting in his voice. "You can write about me if you want, my fans will love it." "I'm sure they will discord." Sketch Melody giggled. "That would make an interesting book." Flare Spark grinned. "I think Princess Celestia would love it especially." "Celestia? please!" Discord scoffed a small blush on his cheeks. "I mean if she likes it that's all fine and dandy." "I'll keep that book idea in mind." Sketch snickered. "Who's Celestia?" Talon asked. "She's the ruler of the kingdom we are from." Sketch explains. "She raises and sets the sun and her sister raises and sets the moon." "Interesting," Talon replied amazed by the information. "What else is different in your world compared to ours?" "well, i could name a few things." Flare Spark smiled. "I'm all ears!" Talon said returning a smile to the dark purple Pegasus mare.    With a quiet snap of his fingers Discord teleported himself and Sketch behind Flare Spark and Talon as the two kept talking as they got closer to the castle gate. Once they were at the gates, the two earth pony guards looked at the group, one of the guards had a light red coat while the other had an almost dark tan coat, both took one look at discord and pointed their spears at him. Discord rolled his eyes and with a snap of his fingers, the spears turned into giant candy canes. both stallions looked at each other in shock. "What in name of Obsidian just happened!" the tan stallion exclaimed, dropping his candy cane. "I don't know ask the monster!" The red stallion screeched. "Hey!" Sketch growled. "Discord isn't a monster!" Flare Spark said stomping her hoof into the dirt. "If anything I see myself as quite the angel." Discord said with a fake pout using his magic to give himself a halo and a white robe with fake wings sewn on. "Stay back!" the light red stallion ordered. The gate behind the two stallions suddenly opened with a swift but hefty swing nearly hitting the two guards in the process. A Griffin stood in the gate way, his eyes narrowed at the scene before him, his mane was dark reddish brown messy, his left eye had a small slash going down it while the other looked unharmed. his wings matched his mane of messy fur around his hawk like beak poking out, the rest of his body was a dark brown, his tail like a lion's tail. If looks could kill, the two stallions stumbling around would have been dead where they stood. His lips curled into a scowl his teeth practically grinding together. "Cadets!" His harsh and unyielding voice roared, making the two guards jump and looked at the griffon. "What in the buck are you doing!"    The guards fumbled with their words, the most they could muster was the word monster while pointing a hoof each at discord. The griffon narrowing his eyes at the draconequus, then his gaze went towards Sketch Melody, Flare Spark, and Talon, Flare Spark looking the gruff looking Griffon in his ruby red eyes with her chocolate ones. "Who in the Hay are you?" Flare Spark asked, her eyebrow raised. "Asher, The King's General." The griffon growled. "Oh." Flare Spark said slowly. "What is the meaning of this?" Asher snarled, pointing a clawed finger at the giant candy canes on the ground. "forgive our rude ness." Talon cut in, bowing down, "We were here about a quest the king put out about the prince." "We were about to ask for an audience  with the king when your guards pointed spears at our friend." Flare Spark explained. "And he turned their spears into candy canes." "I see." He grumbled, looking at the guards. "You two, latrine duty, now!" "Yes sir!"  the two stallions shouted nervously before running off. "Excuse their foolishness." Asher sighed gruffly putting a clawed hand to his face. "Follow me to see the king," "Wait for that easily?" Sketch questioned. "Something fishy is going on." Discord said feeling suspicious and conjuring an actual fish in a fishbowl into his paw and making it disappear. "You are here about the quest, the only ones who have come to do it," Asher replied, not bothering to look back at them as they walked through the gate. "It is important we get the prince and the Heart of Kings back to the castle safe and sound." "Sounds reasonable." Flare Spark replied with a shrug. The small group walked into the castle as two Yak guards replaced the two stallions that had run off. The inside of the castle looked elegant, paintings of past kings and queens lined the walls along with tapestries of ponies and other creatures they didn't recognize. "Who or what are these?" Flare Spark asked, pointing at a tapestry of a strange creature as Talon stopped to look at it with her. The face and head were strange looking, it held no fur aside from the long flowing dark man on her head and from the neck down the creature had a body of a lion the fur a beautiful light and creamy fur, and on her back were a pair of mighty wings of a slightly darker shade. "That is Lady Pandora, one of many in a line of advisors for the royal family, she was the first advisor to the first king of this nation," Talon explained with a chirp. "But what is she?" Flare Spark inquired. "I've never seen anyone who looks like this before." "Oh, she's called a Sphinx," Talon confirmed. "So that's what she is huh?" Flare Spark mused. "She looks awesome!" "Don't lag behind!" Asher snarled from afar. Both Talon and Flare Spark jumped at the statement, both noticing that they were now trailing behind the Griffin guard, Sketch Melody and Discord. Both embarrassed they quickly trotted after them rejoining the group. A thought had popped into Discord's brain, the two guards that had seen them before freaked out and had panic attacks, but Asher had a completely opposite reaction it was slightly concerning, since it seems that like in Equestria that he was the only one, perhaps there were others like him? They came to a large set of double doors, metal, and dark green. Asher with little to no effort opened the doors with a powerful push as the doors creaked slightly. sitting on a throne with velvet cushioning was a dark gray Earth Pony with odd looking horns with a crown nestled between them, he was looking down at the floor depression clear in his yellow eyes. "My king, You have visitors who wish to take up the quest of finding the prince," Asher announced, catching the king's attention. the king looked over from Asher to Sketch Melody, Flare Spark, Talon, and Discord. The king's eyes widened at the sight of discord, trotting over to them and poking discord. "Impossible." the king gasped. "It can't be." "Excuse me your highness but what's impossible?" Sketch Melody asked looking between the king and Discord.    The king didn't reply to Sketch Melody's question, The king's eyes closing as a flash of light blinded them, in front of them to their shock and amazement stood another draconequus.