Discord sneezed.
Morgan snickered as she walked up to his bedside. Or rather, bubble-side. “We were gone, for two days.” She noted. “Two whole days. And you couldn’t help yourself.”
He blew out into a tissue. “Oh shut up.”
Morgan kept on snickering. She took a seat by the bubble, pulling a book out from her Bag. Rudimentary Inter-Dimensional Science & You. She cracked it open to a bookmarked page.
Yes Discord had indeed come to Ponyville for a visit. The timing had been off. Fluttershy had left to study Breezies, a rare animal that had rarely been seen before. Morgan and her family had left to go visit the Hive, and Morgan and Darcy had gone to train Lilac. The kids stayed with Thorax, the other changelings loved meeting new people.
In Ponyville, Twilight and Cadance had agreed to meet. How unfortunate that Discord had gotten ‘sick’, and needed the tender care of a friend. And in an effort to heal himself, he not only brought Twilight closer to Cadance but got himself sick.
Fluttershy returned, tending to the draconequus.
The Stardust family returned to openly laugh at him.
Discord tossed away the used tissue. It vanished back into the ether. “Morgan!” He whined.
A glass of water floated towards his quarantine bubble. It went to a small flap. Discord pushed it open to grab the glass.
Morgan hummed. “You’re welcome, Discord.”
Discord gulped down the drink, sighing in relief. “Hmm?”
She chuckled softly, turning the page in her book.
“What brings you by this late at night?” Discord pondered. “Fluttershy would be more than happy to care for me.”
“That girl needs to rest too. All that time studying Breezies then back here caring for you? I reckon she needs a break from all this.” Morgan countered. “So I offered to cover the night shift.”
“Are you neglecting sleep again?” Discord chided, giggling as he took a sip of the water.
Morgan kept herself occupied on her book.
“You always did have a fondness for bags.” Discord commented.
“They go with my hair.” Morgan remarked, turning another page.
Discord hummed, appraising his friend. In her human form, it was easy to spot where she was lacking. They bags under her eyes were big and heavy. She wasn’t reading as fast as she normally could. Discord was well aware of when Morgan was putting on strain. It had been useful, back when he was evil.
“Was this you trying to get her a key?” Morgan prompted.
Discord harrumphed. He turned on his side in the magic bubble. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
A lot of there conversations tended to go this way. Yes there was a lot of back and forth, something that would make any viewer fear for the state of their universe. They would have much debate on the nature of the universe itself. How it worked here, in what Morgan called ‘Animation land’. They debated the physics of it- Morgan did so love hearing about the deactivation of their gravity.
They spoke of some of Discord’s questionable ethics, alongside Morgan’s own. Hos Discord had been shown to manipulate minds, however small a matter that looked to the outside it meant a lot to Morgan. Morgan spoke for a long time about the many times that happened on Equestria soil, that gave her disquiet. They spoke about things they would do- not that they would, on the basis of being caught and having to correct themselves, but they talked...and they wondered.
Most often, they talked about the future of Equestria. Yes, the Princesses up in Canterlot discussed many things for the future of the country. Yes they worked with Princess Cadance and Queen Thorne and the dignitaries of many other countries on this planet. Yes, even the Mane 6 could talk. Yet Discord and Morgan knew many things those ponies did not. And so, they spoke of those things.
“Of course. Apologies.” Morgan replied airily. She turned a page in the book. “You’d never talk about your own plans.”
“What about yourself. How are all your little plans, Your Majesty?” Discord prompted. He loved reminding Morgan of her own royal title. That she was a queen in all but title. He also seemed to be elated at the idea of another kingdom to play with. Morgan always told him the first second she had that title, she’d invite him to Earth.
Morgan hummed. She gave him an idle shrug of her shoulders. “It’s going alright. Lilac is doing better in her training. Cookie flew for five minutes yesterday.”
“Did she? What an accomplishment.” Discord commented with a sneer. He didn’t mind her children much. Her daughter had helped to free him from his stone prison, but the cat one had often scratched at him. Apparently his claw hand and wing had told Cookie that he was some kind of bird.
“You mock. This is an important thing.” She reminded him. “Teaching a cat to fly? That’s literally like leading a horse to water.”
“She doesn’t like those either.” Discord countered. He remembered once dosing the kitten with a water bucket- he could still feel the scratches. She had deserved it too.
“She’s still got some cat instincts about her...those don’t stop.” Morgan excused. “No matter how much time she spends on this side, she’s just a kitten with sentience.”
Discord turned to his other side again.
“And you know how Dynamite is doing-”
“Grounded, from what you said.”
“For life, on my suggestion.” Morgan gave him a thin smile. “You gave her a radioactive bomb.”
That got Discord to grin. “Your sister said it would be a great idea for a cutiemark.”
“And you believed her?” Morgan snarked. “Darcy would say giving Dark Justice batarangs would be smart too- or a red hood. I get the joke she’s trying to make, and it’s in poor taste.”
“Don’t want your children becoming superheroes?” Discord inquired. “I thought you’d enjoy that sort of thing. The family business, and all that.”
“The business my sister encourages involves murder and radioactive explosions. So no.” Morgan remarked.
Discord hummed in delight- not bothering to hide any chuckles at his delight.
“Since you didn’t ask, the changelings are doing great.” Morgan threw in. “Thorax should be getting back tomorrow from a visit.”
“For the Games, or just a good ole family reunion?” Discord asked.
“Bits of both.” Morgan supplied. “He wanted to meet with his team for the Games, then host another Integration Meeting. Or, observe some of their attempts at integration. He texted me just as I was coming back here- apparently Ziggy likes chess and Waffle-”
“Waffle? One of those changelings genuinely changed their name to Waffle?” Discord questioned, sitting up right.
“I know.” Morgan explained, in a tone that said she was just as confused as he was. “Cracker?”
“Yes.” Discord replied. “And one of those green drinks, if you have more.”
Morgan moved a small packet of crackers into the bubble, along with a green bottle of Gatorade. She turned another page in her book. “As I was saying, Waffle apparently just likes exploring her new surroundings of the Badlands.”
“I bet that was an adventure.” Discord replied, making the idea of adventure sound distasteful and dull.
Morgan smiled, implying much of the opposite. “I bet it was.”
Discord sneezed. At his disgusted groan, he gulped down the green drink. “I hate being sick.”
“Everyone does. How does it feel to be on that level for a change?” Morgan inquired, sounding curious herself at the experience.
Discord paused, thoughtful. “I don’t like it. Every part of me is full is aches and pains. Ugh- this is why I never get sick.”
“And yet, here we are.” Morgan waved the hand not holding her book out around Fluttershy’s living room. “With you, sick.”
Discord toyed with the empty plastic bottle. “You know, you sound so smug for someone in your shoes.”
“Discord I’ve been sick before.” Morgan told him, chuckling. “Common cold, the flu, shit like that. I’m not superhuman.”
“Says the human with super powers.” Discord retorted.
“Careful, Discord. It sounds like you’re trying to start something.” Morgan mused.
Discord chomped on a cracker. “Did it?” He asked innocently.
Morgan was aware he was manipulative- powers or no powers. There were hundreds of ways he could twist her about. Her own plans could very well be turned on their side if Discord twisted her.
She took a breath. Turning another page in her book, she focused on the writings. She paid no mind to her foot that began tapping rapidly on the ground. She didn’t pay mind to her rapidly tapping finger along the book’s creases.
She thought about her plans. The next season of Equestria was full of danger. She had more to think about now than just her friends, the community. Her children were part of it now. Her boyfriend’s family, the changelings she hadn’t met in the integration groups. They would matter in the future.
Discord had repeatedly brought up her powers. She should take that into consideration. What would that have to do with anything? She was doing what she could in all those things. But Discord’s repeated comments implied so much...
“You want to ask.” Discord taunted. Morgan’s tapping finger stilled. “Go ahead, Queen Morgan. Ask away.”
“You wouldn’t tell me.” Morgan countered.
“Maybe my illness is making me feel generous.”
Morgan gave a small shake of her head. “That doesn’t fit into your character.”
Discord scoffed. “Does that really matter? My character, he’s had some character growth. He may be different than you know.”
Morgan gave him a flat stare. “He could.” She leaned forward. “But has he?”
Discord only smiled wide. His one fang standing out proudly. “I was joking about the bags earlier. But looking closer they’re hard to ignore.”
She closed her book, keeping her face turned towards his. She got up from the chair, walking over to Fluttershy’s couch. She laid herself down, cloaking herself from Discord’s sight.
“You should sneeze more often. It’s more believer that way.” Morgan commented.
“Noted.” Discord replied. His skin seemed less green in that moment. He let out a loud sneeze.