"Waiiit a minute!" Rainbow interrupted Twilight, who blinked in surprise. "That can't be the truth."
Arcadês reared up slightly, their expression looking vaguely offended. As they'd told their story, their expressions had slowly returned, until they were as expressive as any pony. "Drol perchest drel raienel onest suspice te? [Why does the prismatic one doubt me?]
Twilight looked back up to Arcadês, then back to Rainbow. "Why do you say that?"
"Because," Rainbow said confidently, "in the story of Flash Magnus, he distracted a pair of massive dragons so Commander Ironhead could lead a small group, and save a pair of their friends who were captured. He was given the fireproof shield Netitus to defend himself and distracted the dragons long enough for his comrades to be saved. So, if what you're saying is true, then Flash Magnus couldn't have fought dragons back then, which would mean his entire legend is all a lie! So you'd have to be wrong, right?"
As Rainbow puffed out her chest, Arcadês simply stared at her in disdain. "Erest foala wer keil al driel epiics sallas estel driel flammel? Wuldrest keil driel epiics salid triel un emortiel? Maled keilest en drel Elden Poni wie wol, feldest min foala. [Are you a foal who believes all the tales told over the fire? You would believe the words of a tale over the words of an immortal? Perhaps you believe in the Olden Pony as well, you fearful little filly.]"
Twilight turned to stare at Arcadês, an angry glint in her eyes. "I won't repeat that. You won't insult my friends if you want us to stay here, Arcadês. She said nothing to deserve that." The slime drew back slightly, then bowed it's massive head.
"Wait," Rainbow said, looking between them. "It insulted me?" She took to the air, hovering just off the ground indignantly.
Arcadês looked back up to Rainbow, staring at her in silence. Rainbow crossed her forehooves and stared back stubbornly. "Presumest. Nichest haben naeg spocish mit othre en agat timme. [I apologize. I have not spoken with others in a long time.]" They sank a little lower into the lake, their eyes downcast.
"They say they're sorry, Rainbow Dash." Twilight relayed, and the rainbow pony slowly lowered back down and took her seat. "But they are right. There is something called information entropy." Twilight didn't notice, but the word entropy made Arcadês shiver slightly. "We have no records to prove the story true and... sometimes information fades away or is embellished to make the tale more gripping."
"As interesting as the legend is," Starlight interjected, joining into the discussion, "why would dragons ever foalnap two ponies? They aren't interested in prisoners."
Rainbow blinked, then crossed her hooves again. "So what? Maybe the dragons wanted a snack or something."
This time, Twilight shook her head. "Dragons prefer to eat gemstones over ponies. Furthermore, why were members of the Royal Legion on the other side of the Dragon Lands? It just doesn't add up."
Rainbow looked between the two of them, then groaned and threw her hooves up. "Fine! Ruin my story!"
Starlight smiled. "Nopony said anything about ruining it. The legend is a gripping story of Flash Magnus' greatness. It's a story fitting of his adventures. But maybe we could ask him and the other Pillars what really happened when we next see them."
Arcadês suddenly shot up, their pony-sized eyes massive with unreadable emotions. "Drel Supartes en Ekwostria er lebendig? [The Pillars of Equestria are alive?]"
Everypony looked to Twilight as she responded. "Yes, the Pillars are alive. They were trapped in Limbo after sealing away a great threat. We rescued them and defeated the evil they had locked away."
Arcadês sank back down, their eyes drifting over every pony present. They said nothing, but the expressions they showed told everypony that they were just now realizing how much they had missed, all these years in solitude.
"I still can't believe you were the first pony to find the Tree of Harmony." Applejack tossed out from where she was relaxing. The ground was rough, but not too rough for the farm pony to find it uncomfortable. "I might'a been a bit skeptical myself, if you hadn't described it and its cave so well."
Twilight had to agree; she'd never considered the possibility of other ponies stumbling on the Tree like that. But, now that she considered it, it almost had to have happened; how else did the tree get discovered. "But you didn't tell anypony about it... did you?"
Arcadês was strangely silent, making Twilight feel a little uneasy.
"I, um..." Fluttershy spoke up, lifting a hoof. "Not to offend you, Arcadês, but..." She shook her head very slightly. "I-I also think you might have been mistaken about something. Discord wouldn't do the things you said he would. It's just... not like him."
Arcadês reacted instantly. They shot up again, this time in anger. The lake that was their body roiled and sent up hundreds of tendrils, each able to wrap around a pony's midsection effortlessly. Their expression was one of pure, unbridled fury. "Wurt canoc knelest driel Discord!? [What could you know of Discord!?]"
Twilight was making swiping motions over her neck almost instantly, but Fluttershy ignored her. "Discord is my friend. I know most everything there is to know about him." She hovered off the ground, matching her height with Arcadês' head. "He broke free from his stone prison and we reformed him. He uses his magic for harmony now, instead of just for chaos."
Arcadês began to scream their words, sending rocks tumbling down from the roof of the cavern. The ponies had to cover their ears from the volume of it all. "Hert as schwindler! In betrager! In snek! Ight Solltie noc bewhit drel Seil Srathasi mit herth ende! [He is a liar! A deceiver! A snake! I shouldn't have trusted the Two Sisters with his destruction!]" The amorphi began pulling themselves from the lake towards the entrance.
"No, stop!" Twilight flew up in front of her, hooves outstretched. "Fluttershy is right. Discord fights for us now. He even helped us defeat an old enemy – Chrysalis – not too long ago. He's not just Fluttershy's friend, he's our friend." She motioned to all the other ponies, who were nodding in agreement.
"He doesn't like violence," Fluttershy said, joining her friend in front of the amorphi. She struggled for a way to describe Discord to the amorphi that wouldn't anger her or offend her further. "He... To Discord, chaos is like art. Why would he hurt the ponies he wanted to experience his chaos?" She looked over to Twilight. "T-there... has to be another reason for what you saw. Discord wouldn't ever make ponies that different... W-would he?" She asked the last part of Twilight, who shook her head.
"He might be vain, strange, and not a little untrustworthy, but..." She trailed off, her voice laden with begrudging acceptance. "He's not the type to harm anypony without reason. I can't imagine him making ponies into something as destructive as dragons."
Arcadês snarled, but sank back, eyes darting from pony to pony. The amorphi didn't say anything else, but they clearly hadn't let the matter die either. She looked warily over to Fluttershy, then back to Twilight again. As the two ponies drifted back down among their friends, Arcadês gave her head a small shake – not uttering a word – before she began telling her tale once more, as if there'd never been an interruption.