Equestria
"Great. Just great," Starlight moaned, as she paced anxiously back and forth in the castle library. "It's bad enough that we lost Spike in another world, but as if things couldn't get worse, Discord's gone and lost his head!"
"I don't know," Trixie shrugged. "He looks okay to me." Trixie's words got eaten when a loud crash was heard, courtesy of the headless draconequus body.
"Nope," Big Mac shook his head.
"This isn't good!" Thorax moaned. "This not good at all!"
"Gee, you don't say," Trixie grumbled.
"I can't take this anymore! We have to come clean right now!" The Changeling Leader exclaimed.
Of course, neither Starlight or Trixie liked the idea, "That's a good idea," Starlight began in sarcasm. "And how do you think Twilight, and the others, would react when they find out what a mess we made of things?"
"Come on, be reasonable," Thorax mumbled. "We can't keep this to ourselves any longer! We're way over our heads now! Sooner or later, everybody, and probably all of Equestria and beyond is bound know! And the longer we keep this up, the more time we're wasting with dead ends and the less time Spike has in another world! WE'VE GOT TO GET HIM BACK NOW!!!!"
"You think we don't care what happens to Spike?" Starlight asked. "We're trying the best we can! And Discord was the best option we had!"
"Up until he lost his head," Trixie reminded, while pointing to the headless body stumbling through the Castle of Friendship's halls. "And now we're left with a headless draconequus body."
"And that's just one more problem we now have!" Thorax replied, with one of his eyes slightly twitching. "How are we gonna explain to every pony in town, about this?"
Groaning in anxiety, Starlight grimaced, "We....we'll think of something," She replied.
"We?!" Thorax asked. "What do you mean 'we?' This is all your fault!" He pointed accusingly at Starlight. "No, wait, correction. This your fault as well!" He said, turning his hoof to Trixie. "Why is it that in this Spike situation, you're dragging me into this mess?"
"Because no pony, or no changelings, cares about Spike more than you do, right?" Starlight said, trying to reason with Thorax. "And besides, it was your idea to suggest getting Discord involved, remember?"
"Touche," Thorax muttered. "But while I do care about Spike, it's not enough to just leave him alone and defenseless in another world! We've got to save him now!"
"And we will! But first thing's first, we need to do something about Discord's headless body right there," Starlight reasoned, pointing to the said headless body that crashed into a wall.
"Why?" Trixie asked. "I thought finding Spike is our top priority now."
Everyone in the room all fired unamused deadpan looks at Trixie, "Seriously, Trixie?" Starlight began. "There's no way we're going to let Discord loose in town, or any other parts of Equestria, with his head missing!"
"So what?" The magician shrugged. "This is Discord we're talking about. I'm sure no pony will even notice his head is missing. They'll just assume it's another one of his crazy, chaotic gimmick, or something."
"Well, what about Fluttershy?" Starlight explained. "I highly doubt we're ever going to fool Fluttershy. One good look at her best draconequus friend without his head, she'll get suspicious, then our friends will get suspicious, pretty soon all of Ponyville will suspect, and before Twilight even gets back, they'll probably catch onto us and-GASP!" Starlight gasped in fright at the end, before she continues, "We'll probably find ourselves looking to a future behind bars before we could even say Tartarus!"
An awkward silence followed, before Trixie finally breaks the ice, "Or maybe Fluttershy will never know!" She said with a nervous smile. "Because Discord here is sick! And he'll just stay at home, and can't afford talk, visit, write, or even see Fluttershy."
"And just how-" Before Starlight could finish, Trixie interrupted.
"Simple! We just keep Discord's body, somewhere in the castle, where no pony will find it. No pony sees it, no pony will ever know."
"Except maybe Fluttershy," Thorax added. "Both she and Discord like to keep in touch on a regular basis. And she's going to suspect something is up, when Discord doesn't respond to any of her letters!"
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.
"No she won't," Trixie shook her head. "Because you are going to tell her that he's too sick to write back."
"WHAT?!!" Thorax shouted in outrage. "Why me? Why can't you tell her? Or Starlight? This is all your fault! You should be the one to tell her!"
"Eeyup."
"We don't have time for that!" Trixie muttered. "Me and Glim-Glam have to find Spike, and we need you and Big Mac to keep an eye on Sir Miss-A-Head here!"
"I hate to say this, but I think Trixie's right," Starlight muttered. "If anyone can do this, it's you Thorax," She reasoned with the reluctant changeling.
Thorax stammered, before he finds his voice, "Okay. It's bad enough that these past few days, I have to go around, passing myself off as Spike, without anyone noticing he's missing. But there's no way I'm going up to Fluttershy's cottage, look her in the eyes, and lie to her cute, fluffy face!"
Later
"I have bad news for you Fluttershy," Thorax began. "It just so happens, that our good friend, and friendly neighbor and not headless Discord, is um, how should I put it? Under the weather!"
"Oh goodness?" Fluttershy frowned. "Why? What's wrong? Is he hurt? Is he okay?"
"Oh, he's been...better," The Changeling said nervously, taking a few quick sips from his tea cup. "I mean....better in his unusual Discord sort of way. But I'm just gonna cut to the chase here, alright?" The buttercup pegasus nodded as Thorax replied, "Discord is....um....he's not in the mood for visitors, or even visits, at the moment. He wishes he could see you right now, but given to the condition he's in....he wants to make sure you don't get sick as well!"
"Oh, but of course," Fluttershy nodded. "Please, if there's anything I can do, just let me know."
"Right, of course," Thorax grinned, before he took his leave. "Now if you'll excuse me, I should be going now. Toodles!" With that, Thorax sees himself out of the cottage, and was walking down the path, away from the cottage, before he arrives at a bush on the way to rendezvous with Big Mac.
"I can't believe I just lied to Fluttershy like that!" Thorax frowned. "I've never told a lie before, since I left the hive after the Royal Wedding fiasco!"
"That's why she believes you," Big Mac replied.
"This is going to set changelings back a few moons," The changeling muttered. "But for the sake of Spike, we're never going to speak a word of this ever again. Got it?"
"Ee......nope......who are we talking about again?"
"Exactly," With a heavy sigh, Thorax moaned, "Oh please, Spike. Wherever you are, be strong little buddy."