The soft echo of dripping water caught Wyatt’s attention immediately. A quick survey of his surroundings found him in a Japanese style garden, standing in front of a tall pagoda. A light mist hovered around him, but he held no fear.
Wyatt stood up, figuring the wisest course of action was to investigate the pagoda. Stepping up, he opened the sliding door and poked his head in. The floors were tatami mats with a couple cushions set up to leave most of the floor open. Along the ceiling were strips of paper obviously written in katakana. What they said, he had no idea.
He made to enter before pausing and removing his shoes. Leaving them by the door, he stepped into the pagoda. The center of the room was set with a pair of mats, a tea set sitting between them.
“Hello? Anyone here?” Wyatt called, stopping by one of the mats. He took a kneel on one of the mats, adjusting himself. He looked around the room again and waited for a response. None was forthcoming and he thought it best to simply wait.
Silence resumed once more, abated only by the dripping water. An unknowable time later, a figure finally knelt across from him. An armored blue hand lifted the tea pot, pouring two cups of tea.
“I apologise for the wait,” the figure spoke setting the pot back down. “It took longer than I had anticipated rousing myself.”
“Ninjor?” Wyatt questioned, instantly recognizing the voice and face. “It's official, I dream like a five-year-old.”
Ninjor chuckled, lifting up his cup. “Yes, it is indeed I, Ninjor. Please keep any autograph requests to yourself.”
“Uh huh,” Wyatt replied, grabbing his own cup of tea. He copied what he had seen from movies involving tea ceremonies and carefully took a sip. “This is a nice place you have here.”
Raising his cup to his helmet, Ninjor made the motions as if to drink it. Strangely none of the tea spilled out. “A quiet place to have a simple conversation. My sword awoke me when it sensed it had found the hands of one whose heart was good.”
“Oh really?” Wyatt started, hiding his confusion. “Good thing I let Twilight touch the sword first.”
“I was talking about you, young man,” Ninjor replied, lowering his hand. “Would you be so kind as to reveal your name to me?”
“Wyatt Matthews,” he answered, feeling a little embarrassed.
“A pleasure, Wyatt.” Putting his cup down, Ninjor placed his hands on his knees. “I imagine you must be brimming with questions; as am I. A mutual exchange, then.”
“Okay, so how did your spirit attach itself to your sword?” Wyatt questioned, putting his cup down.
“A matter of self-preservation,” Ninjor responded, a somber tone creeping into his voice. “On the eve of Zordon’s last stand, I tethered my spirit to my blade. So that if I were to fall, I could still assist in the struggle of good and evil.”
Wyatt digested the story, not needing to ask what happened to the alien wizard. “And I found you,” he said slowly, nodding. “So, what do you want to know from me?”
“I would be pleased to know where exactly I am. The ties to the Morphing Grid are nearly non-existent.”
“You're in a country called Equestria on a planet called Halla, in a completely different universe” Wyatt explained, taking another sip. “And there's never been Rangers here.”
“No Rangers?” Ninjor balked, confusion evident in his tone. “This isn’t good, we'll need to find a way to connect to the grid if we are to wage battle against the forces of evil.”
Wyatt allowed himself a smile. “I said there aren’t any rangers, I didn’t say there weren’t heroes. I’m Kamen Rider Decade.”
“Rider? You mean like that prince fellow with the odd space duck?”
“Yeah, just... not as low budget.”
“Hmm, I am still disappointed this world has no Rangers, but heroes are heroes.” Ninjor clapped his hands on his knees and stood up. “Now, young Wyatt, I wish to test your warrior spirit.”
“And how are we going to do that?” Wyatt asked, setting his cup down. Rising to his feet, he held Ninjor’s gaze. “We’re in a pagoda, are we going to reenact Game of Death?”
Ninjor laughed, putting his hands on his hips. “Nothing so garish, my friend. This will just be a friendly sparring match. A way for us to communicate as warriors.”
Wyatt nodded, getting into his well practiced stance. “That’s good, that movie was exploited far too much for my tastes. What kind of rules we talking about?”
“We will engage on my mark and pull away whenever we get a hit. Nothing below the belt and first to three will win.”
Nodding, Wyatt took a few steps back. “I can do that.” It sounded a lot more fun, and less painful, than Flash Fire’s drills. “Whenever you wanna start.”
Ninjor bowed, and Wyatt did the same. Afterwards, they both resumed their stances. “Begin!” Ninjor shouted. Charging forward, he thrust an open hand towards Wyatt’s chest.
Wyatt responded with a practiced block, lashing out with a punch of his own towards the logo on the ninja's chest. His arm fell short as Ninjor turned to the side. Wyatt spun on a heel, snapping a kick towards Ninjor’ face.
“Good form,” Ninjor complimented as he brought a hand up to push Wyatt’s leg away. Stepping forward, he jabbed a fist at Wyatt’s stomach.
With his leg still up, he was left with only one maneuver. Wyatt dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the punch and rolled onto his knees. “Trained by the best.”
“I can tell, you do not lose your head and adapt well,” Ninjor praised, keeping still while Wyatt stood up. Once Wyatt was back up, he snapped a kick out at the young man’s stomach. “But can you keep it up?”
Wyatt crossed his arms over his stomach, sliding back on his feet from the force of the blow. “First point goes to you,” he said, panting ever so slightly. “I expected you to hit harder.”
“Young man, if I hit you with my full strength there would not be much of you left,” Ninjor said with a chuckle. “This is just a friendly match.” He stood straight, bowing again.
Wyatt mirrored the action, preparing himself for the next clash. Deciding not to wait for Ninjor’s move, he charged forward in a shoulder check. Ninjor simply sidestepped Wyatt, tripping the charging man with an extended leg. “Don't get sloppy on me, young man.”
Catching himself, Wyatt turned and regained his balance. “Hey, it’s a just a fun time right. Might as well see if I can’t catch you off guard.”
Ninjor laughed, throwing an open palm strike toward Wyatt's chest. “Now that's the spirit! But ninjas are master of surprise.”
“I wouldn’t mind learning how to do those things.” Turning to the side, Wyatt caught Ninjor in the shoulder. “Would be really useful.”
Ninjor disengaged, rolling his shoulder. “Young man, I would be honored to take on a student. The point is yours by the way.”
The match continued for a while, Wyatt feeling the need to use every trick he had learned. Despite it being a dream, he still felt the effects of fatigue claim him. In the end, Ninjor claimed victory with Wyatt trailing just one point behind him.
“Marvelous! You are a promising young warrior, Wyatt Mathews. If this had been the world I had left, I have no doubt you would have made a wonderful power ranger.”
Wyatt took a seat on his cushion and caught his breath for a moment. “Thank you. Ugh, why do I feel sweaty in my dreams?
Ninjor returned to his own cushion, refilling their cups. “Vigorous exercise allows for a period of respite. Come now, Wyatt. I wish to know more about the world I now inhabit.”
“Well, the country I live in is home to bipedal, multicolor ponies,” Wyatt explained, taking a big gulp of his tea. “They call themselves unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies.”
Time seemed to melt away, the two of them speaking on many things. Wyatt wasn’t even aware the dream was ending until he heard Twilight’s voice in his ear. Groaning, he cracked an eye open and was greeted by Twilight peering down at him.
“Finally,” Twilight began, pulling the blankets off him. “It’s time to get up, Wyatt. We’ll be late if you don’t get up within the next minute.”
Wyatt smiled, forcing himself up and out of bed. “I'd tell you to keep your pants on, but that's a bit of a moot point,” he teased, pointing at her.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Come on, get up. Spike and Sombra are already up. By the time you get out of the shower, Spike should have breakfast ready. We should have enough time to get Sombra to school before everyone arrives.”
“Getting me up will cost the unicorn toll.” He tapped his lips with a finger and winked at her.
Lighting her horn, she lifted him into the air and floated him into the bathroom. “Well this unicorn can’t afford to use up her time with obstinate humans.” Winking back, she gave him a quick kiss as he passed. “Now please, get showered.”
“Will do, Twi,” he replied with a chuckle, tossing his pajamas into the hamper. “I'll make it quick.”
“You had better.” Twilight pulled the door closed and left him to his own devices. After a few moments, she could make out the sound of running water and Wyatt singing badly to himself.
Making her way downstairs, she checked her watch. A hum of approval emanated at the time; they were right on schedule.
“How’s breakfast looking, Spike?” Twilight asked as she stepped into the kitchen. “Everything going smoothly?”
“It's going perfect,” Spike assured, checking the eggs he was making with his spatula. “Sombra, can you hand me the feta cheese and the baby spinach out of the fridge? My claws are full here.”
“Can do!” Sombra opened the fridge, levitating over the requested items.
“Thanks buddy!” Spike cheered, putting the ingredients within reach. “Good use of magic by the way.
Eventually, Wyatt came down the stairs to be greeted by his family and what Spike called Marediterranean omelettes. While it wasn't something Wyatt would've thought to try, he still enjoyed the meal. Given the effect Spike's cooking had, the four of them made quick work of breakfast. The dishes were left with Spike and Twilight dipped out the door to take Sombra to school.
Wyatt grabbed a few of the clean dishes, moving about the kitchen to put them away. “She’s not as panicky as I thought she’d be. She must be getting desensitized to princess visits.”
“We can only hope,” Spike replied, scrubbing the frying pan. “Things start to go downhill fast when she panics. Just like the time travel incident.”
Wyatt chuckled, recalling the incident in detail as he closed the cabinet. “Yeah, that was something else. On the bright side, she looked good in that sneaking suit she had.”
“You just have a thing for eye patches,” Spike countered, rinsing the frying pan once more before setting it on the counter. “Hey, I made some snacks last night for the meeting, could ya set up the den for me?”
“Sure thing, Spike,” Wyatt answered, not bothering to deny the allegation. Opening the fridge, he found the bounty of snacks that the drake had made the night before and went about arranging the den.
By the time he was done, a voice trailed in from the front door. “We’re here kid! Even made sure my dad got a haircut!”
“There’s this thing called knocking, A.K.!” Wyatt called back, getting up to greet his two guests. When he saw the door was closed he relaxed. “Good to see you, Daring.” He nodded over to the cloaked man. “Hey, Agito.”
“Maybe you should invest in a better lock then,” Daring replied, having her disguise up.
“Is there a lock out there good enough to keep out a world class treasure hunter?” Wyatt asked flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Could try a deadbolt,” Agito offered, hanging his cloak up. “Does wonders in keeping unwanted pests out.”
Wyatt shrugged, motioning for the pair to follow him. “Twi owns the deed to this place so any renovation decisions are legally hers to make. But I’ll float the idea to her.” Stepping into the den, he gestured to the table. “Just take a seat and relax.”
Agito took the offer, flopping onto one of the loveseats. He glanced over, taking in the spread of food. “Hmm, at least this visit won’t be totally awful.”
“I made them,” Spike commented as he stepped out of the kitchen. “Just try not to eat everything before the others arrive.”
Agito nodded, rolling over to look at Spike. “Well that's a first, a dragon in a pink apron.”
“Don’t make fun of the kid, he’s a better cook than you,” Daring retorted, tossing a grape into her mouth. “Don’t be a prick.”
Agito sat up, puffing his chest. “Oh we will just have to see about that.” Grabbing one of the offered pastries he took a bite. “Okay, the kid's got skills.”
“Wyatt, Spike! I’m back!” Twilight called from the lobby. “Did anyone arrive yet?”
Wyatt stepped into the lobby and put an arm around her. “Daring and Agito just got here,” he answered, walking her into the den. “And neither of them has hit me, which is good.”
“That is impressive for them,” she said with a giggle, waving at the two before she took her seat. “Thank you for not breaking his nose again.”
Daring chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of her head. “I already apologized for that. Can't we put it behind us?”
“Of course, just don’t blame me if I get you back,” Wyatt replied, sitting with Twilight. “What comes around goes around afterall.”
The five fell into light conversation, passing the time until the others arrived. Maud and Pinkie came first, followed by Feldspar and Trixie. The showmare made a point to avoid looking at the stallion. Applejack came next, bringing a cartful of apple treats with her. Finally, a trumpet announced the arrival of Celestia and Luna, along with Chrysalis.
Everyone stopped their conversation, bowing to the royalty. Everyone but Agito anyway.
Rising to his feet, Agito made his way over to the princesses. “It’s been... a very long time, girls. Longer than it should have.” Looking at Celesti specifically, he reached up to remove his mask. “We parted on the worst terms we possibly could have.”
“Agito, I am sorry as well,” Celestia started, a hand over her heart. “I didn't properly explain myself while you were still reeling from another hefty loss.”
“Tsukiya, my name is Tsukiya,” he responded, holding his mask out. “I don’t need it anymore. Put it on your wall or something.” Letting her take it, he grabbed Luna up in a hug. “Sorry I wasn’t around to welcome you back, Rabbit.”
Luna smiled and returned the hug. “Still with that nickname? Though it fits me now that I have lived on the moon.”
Celestia placed the mask under her wing and gestured for everyone to sit down. “I believe we’re ready to begin. As you know, a few days ago, Sweet Apple Acres was attacked by a being we believe is tied to Dai-Shocker. Thankfully, we were able to repel the incursion thanks to the help of a pair of Displaced.”
“This is news to me,” Tsukiya stated, looking down in thought. “I'd only heard the abridged version.”
“Thanks to their assistance, Sweet Apple Acres is recovering nicely.” Turning to Applejack, she bowed her head. “I apologize for the continued guard presence on your property. As much as I would like to remove them all, it is imperative we study the residue of those rifts before it erodes.”
Applejack pushed her hat up slightly. “Take all the time ya need, Princess. Long as they don’t get in the way of the chores, they can stay long as they need. Ah was hopin’ Ah could get a few of em’ ta help clear out some space in the orchard. Plant some of those seeds we found in that there magic bag.”
Luna chuckled, waving her hand. “That will be something you have to convince them to do yourself. We do not wish to abuse our authority. Just tell them we have no problem if they give you their aid.”
“Thank ya, kindly.”
“We’ve made some progress on the autopsies,” Celestia spoke, levitating a few objects onto a clear spot on the table. Wyatt recognized them as Goldar’s Sword, the bat-themed blaster, and the Centurion's baton. “Due to our admittedly low level of technology, I am adverse to even attempting to take these apart. Therefore, I believe it best to leave them in your hands, Wyatt, Twilight.”
“The sword's just a sword,” Wyatt assured, picking up Goldar's sword. He grunted, finding it rather heavy. It was moments like that that made him glad he had started working out. “And don’t worry, Princess, we'll keep a good eye on these.”
“That’s all well and good, but do we actually have a plan?” Chrysalis asked, poking at a cupcake. “We’ve made some progress, with those teleporters and the suits but where does that actually get us?”
Tsukiya leaned back, closing his eyes. “My brother's still alive.”
Everyone in the room froze, turning to him. Even Maud was displaying visible surprise at the news.
“The amadam, the jewel in his belt, is meant to keep him alive; clear his body of toxins. At least, it can if it has the power. It didn’t back then, so it’s just keeping him on life support. We need to go out there, we need to wake him up.”
“The Elements of Harmony are perfect for clearing out evil from someone!” Twilight noted, brightening up. “We could use them!”
Celestia held a hand up, tempering Twilight’s excitement. “That is heartening news but I’m afraid I cannot allow the Elements to make such a journey. At least not at the moment.”
Tsukiya shot up, slamming his hands on the table. “Tia, this is bullshit! I've never asked anything from you and the first time I do you say ‘no’? You know damn well that Kuuga outpaces me by a long shot. We need him back.”
“Agi-Tsukiya, please calm yourself,” Celestia spoke, a frown growing across her muzzle. “The Elements of Harmony are one of the few things we know that Somber Shield fears. With them so far out of the country, there would be nothing to stop him from doing as he wished. On top of that, three of the bearers count themselves as riders, further reducing Equestria’s defenses.”
“So what, do we just leave my brother for dead?” the man snapped, sitting back down.
“Of course not,” Luna assured, giving a glance at Celestia. “My sister and I have a plan to bolster Equestria’s defenses using someone a few of you are acquainted with.”
“Who are you talking about?” Twilight questioned, tilting her head.
“Discord,” Celestia responded, folding her hands in her lap. “With him on our side, it will free the Elements to revive Kuuga.”
“Small problem there, Tia,” Tsukiya chimed in, staring at her in disbelief. “Discord's batshit insane and would sooner turn Equestria into an eclair than defend it.” He reached into his shirt, revealing a necklace with a fang ornament. “Hell, I had to keep him busy while you stoned his ass.”
“That is why we have decided to place him under the care of Fluttershy,” Celestia explained, picking up one of the cupcakes.
“Isn’t that something we should ask her opinion on before springing it on her once Discord’s free?” Wyatt questioned.
“Of course, but we have to work quickly. We cannot leave Kuuga for longer than we must,” Luna insisted.
“I’m not saying we do, but this is a lot to ask of her,” Wyatt replied, looking around the room. “And depending on how you phrase the request, she’ll feel that she doesn’t have a choice but to say yes and go near catatonic later.”
“Then we shall leave the request to you,” Celestia replied, giving a smile. “We need Fluttershy’s help to make this work. I would entrust this task to no one else.”
“Asking a nineteen-year-old to demonstrate tact,” Wyatt joked, shaking his head. “Oh how low Equestria has fallen. Alright, I’ll do what I can here.”
“I’m going,” Maud spoke, clutching her Kuuga emblem. “I need to be there when Kuuga returns.”
“That is acceptable,” Celestia said, nodding at the mare. “Pinkie cannot become W on her own anyway and she needs to be there.”
“We would ask that Trixie and Feldspar remain in Ponyville for the duration of the trip,” Luna said before taking a bite of a pastry. “These are very good, young Spike.”
“I’ve sent changelings to Equestria’s major cities and most of the smaller settlements, they’ll alert Thorax to any trouble,” Chrysalis began. “From there, he’ll inform either of you of what’s going on.”
“Thanks, Chrysalis,” Spike said, still beaming from the praise Luna had given him. “You've been a huge help. Especially now with the changeling alarm system.”
Chrysalis giggled, reaching over and pinching his cheek. “Of course, my dear drake. You can repay me by spending an afternoon with Thorax. He thinks your scales shine nice in the afternoon.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Spike said, trying not to mind the pinch on his cheek. “Thorax is my friend, I like spending time with him.”
Chrysalis’s giggle turned into laughter. “What innocence~ I just love it.” Leaning in, she purred in his ear. “He thinks you’re cute, you silly dragon.”
Spike blinked, the gears in his head turning. “Uh, how old is Thorax? Cause that might be a slight problem,” he whispered back, his eyes subconsciously moving over to Twilight.
Luna leaned over to Celestia, eyeing the pair closely. “She’s worse than Cadance.”
“Say that after you’ve seen our niece drunk,” Celestia whispered to her sister, covering her mouth with the cupcake she was eating. “She once tried to and I quote, ‘ship Blueblood with the royal gardener’.”
“The griffon?” Luna questioned, scrunching up her muzzle. “A hippogriff in the royal family would most certainly cause a stir.”
“That wasn’t my worry at the time,” Celestia replied with a roll of her eyes. “As much as I love our nephew, I wouldn’t wish him upon a female of any species as he was then. Thankfully, his etiquette tutor has been working miracles.”
“Okay!” Daring suddenly stated, rising to her hooves. “We got a plan and the love bug is busy corrupting the youth. What we still need to talk about is what my dad and I were doing.” Bringing her hand to her waist, she summoned her driver. “I died and came back to life with a rider belt.”
The room fell silent once again, everyone staring at the pegasus. Eventually, Wyatt deigned to end the quiet. “Okay, we’re gonna need the full story on that one, D.D.”
Once the meeting had concluded, the princesses dismissed themselves to get Discord’s statue ready. Twilight had taken it upon herself to gather the girls at the center of town. While they were doing that, Wyatt talked over what they wanted to say to Fluttershy. They knew she could be surprisingly tough given proper motivation, but she was in general delicate.
“Right, just gotta be gentle,” Wyatt told himself as he made his way up to Fluttershy’s cottage. “She can handle it.” Reaching a hand out, he knocked on the door. “Hey, Shy! It’s me, Wyatt.”
As usual, a chorus of various animal cries responded to his knock. A few moments later they were silenced and the yellow pegasus opened the door. “Hello Wyatt, it's good to see you.”
“Good to see you too,” Wyatt responded, shifting his stance. “So uh... we had a meeting today and some stuff came up. You free today?”
Fluttershy nodded, closing the door and stepping out. “I should be free, I've fed all my animals and none of them have been sick lately.”
“Awesome.” Leading her down the path into town, he mulled over his words. “We have a plan to make Equestria safer. It’s a little risky but it’ll have a really big payoff.”
“That sounds really promising,” Fluttershy replied, smiling as she walked. “What is it?”
“Princess Celestia wants to reform Discord,” he said, looking at her.
“Discord?” She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “Oh my that is risky.”
“Mhm.” Wyatt nodded in agreement. “We were hoping you’d look after it. It’s alright if you don’t, we just thought you’d be the best for the job.”
“Me?” Fluttershy responded, faltering in her steps. “Why do you all think I'm the best for the job?”
“Because you’re the Element of Kindness,” Wyatt answered, waving his hand in the air. “Plus you’ve got your stare that’s intimidated an adult dragon. If you can’t set him right, then no one can.”
Fluttershy nodded, digesting everything he said. She shuddered slightly before answering. “O-okay, I'll do my best. I want to help make Equestria safe too.”
Wyatt put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “Hey, listen. If you can’t believe in yourself, believe in me because I believe in you.”
Fluttershy managed a smile, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Thank you, Wyatt. That really helps.”
“That’s what friends are for,” he replied, patting her back. “I know everyone else believes in you too.”
The trip into town passed amicably, the two putting the impending task in the back of their minds. They met the other Elements just outside of town, at the teleporter pad. Fluttershy gulped, her wings fidgeting on her back. She looked among her friends, all of them offering her reassurance.
The crystal pad illuminated in a dazzling display of light, three figures shimmering into existence. Celestia and Luna flanked a statue, both of them garbed in armor.
“It is always good to see you girls,” Celestia greeted, stepping off the pad. Her horn surged to life, levitating over a heavy chest. “You will need these if we are to begin.”
Once the chest was set down, the girls quickly put on their Elements and indicated they were ready. With the princesses off to the side, the girls began the spell. They rose into the air, beams of light connecting their Elements before a rainbow shot out from above them and flew straight into Discord's statue.
With the fracturing of stone and a loud cry, Discord burst out of his prison. “Oh my! That certainly wasn’t long. I’ve always said, once you go chaos, you never go back.”
Celestia cleared her throat, getting the chaos spirit's attention. “Discord, I’m sure you know there's a reason we let you out of your imprisonment.”
“Something banal, I assume.” Discord stretched his limbs out, in ways that shouldn’t be possible. “Unless you’ve finally decided to take me up on that marriage offer, Luna. I know we could produce some new forms of chaos.”
“Unless you think the destruction of your favorite chaos grounds is banal, no we have good reason to make this offer,” Luna answered, ignoring Discord's wiggling eyebrows.
Sniffing the air, Discord found himself coiling around Twilight. Dragging his nose along her neck, he hummed. “You smell like a dragon, my dear. Even more so than you did before. Having a roll in the hay with your baby daddy?”
“Actually, I've become part of my brother's dragon clan,” she answered, pointing to her eyes.
“That’s far more boring.” Discord stopped, his eyes locking onto Tsukiya. “Oh. It’s you. Shouldn’t you be in a tavern courting the wenches? Here, I think I have some herbs around somewhere to get you started.”
“Nah, I’m here so you don't get any wild ideas about running,” Tsukiya stated, putting his fang necklace in plain view.
“Oh please, you’re just an overgrown child.” A smirked spread across Discord face, followed by a snap of his talons. “Well, not that overgrown anymore.”
Tsukiya looked around, everyone suddenly much taller. He pouted up at Discord, shaking his fist. “Hey, turn me back, meanie!” He blinked owlishly. “What? Why can't I say fudging bad words?”
“Because bad words will warp your mind,” Discord responded, patting Tsukiya’s head. “Now why don’t you run along. I’m pretty sure it’s a school day.”
“Aww, you're adorable, Dad,” Daring cooed, scooping the now toddler up onto her shoulder. “So far, I kinda like Discord.”
“I try.” Taking a file out, Discord began to groom his nails. “Now what would make you release me from stone? If not to ravage me silly.”
“There's a group called Dai-Shocker that's trying to conquer this world,” Wyatt answered, debating on whether or not to bring out his driver. “If they succeed, you'd be out a place to pull your pranks and an audience to see them.”
Discord stroked his goatee, mulling the idea over. “And what’s to say I don’t let them just to pull said pranks on them? Perhaps I’m tired of pastel equines?”
“Because something tells me they've got a contingency plan for you,” Wyatt continued, gaining confidence. “And I'm willing to bet they won't offer you any kind of freedom.”
A moment later, Wyatt found himself looking Discord in the face. “And how would you know, little man? Are you in cahoots with them? Maybe they should be more worried about you than me.”
Twilight bristled at the accusation, smoke rising from the corners of her mouth. “Shut your mouth, Discord! You don't know anything about Wyatt!”
Turning his head to her, Discord uncoiled himself from Wyatt. “Well now, aren’t you the possessive little pony? Well, if you’re going to act like a drake, I suppose I can help you out.” He snapped his talons again.
Twilight groaned, her head spinning. “What the hay did y-” She froze, not recognizing the sound of her own voice. It was deep, with a low rumble. Bringing a hand to her face, she was greeted by claws and scales rather than fur.
“This is weird,” a feminine voice spoke from besides her. “Way too weird for my sanity.”
Twilight turned towards the sound of the voice, only for her mouth to hang open. It was Wyatt, only a female version of him. “Wyatt?”
The woman turned her head, her eyes growing to the size of dinner plates. “Twi?”
“Discord!” Celestia snapped, flaring her wings out. “You will reverse these changes and submit yourself to Fluttershy’s care, or you condemn yourself to the castle garden once more.”
Discord smiled, slithering over to Celestia. “How about I meet you halfway? The changes stay, but I'll let Flutter Butter over there do her thing.” Popping over to Fluttershy, Discord pinched her cheeks. “If she can get me to accept the ‘magic of fwiendship,’ I’ll turn them back.”
Celestia grumbled, offering apologetic glances to the afflicted trio. “Fine, I doubt I can get much better than that from you.” Her horn glowed again, the Elements doing so as well. “Just in case you get any ideas on removing them.”
Discord chuckled, patting the top of Celestia's head. “You worry too much, Celestia. I already hid the Elements once, repeating a trick is simply tacky.” His tail brushed against Luna’s side. “I’m open for some... one on one tutoring, dear Luna.”
Surprisingly, Luna smirked at him. “Actually progress in your reformation, and then you might get a meeting over a cup of coffee.”
Licking his lips, Discord nodded his head. “I’ll look forward to that.” Grabbing Fluttershy in his arms, he waved. “Be seeing you!” He snapped his talons, poofing the two of them away, leaving the group to deal with his alterations.