Chapter 16:
What about Discord?
In the castle library, Twilight and Spike removed every book from every shelf as Twilight prepares to re-organize the library again.
"Didn't we just shelve all the books in the library a few months ago?" Spike asked as he looked around the three mountain-sized piles of books on the floor.
"Yes, but that was because we needed to!" Twilight Sparkle answered as she levitated a book from Spike's claws in order to place it neatly on the empty shelf next to her along with a couple more.
"This is just because I want to! I call it my "book-sort-cation"! Three uninterrupted days of reorganizing books. Can you think of anything more relaxing?" Twilight said in excitement.
"Well, claw massages, back rubs, bubble baths…" Spike answered as he counted a number of things of what he thinks are more realizing than reorganizing the library but stopped mid-sentence when he realized Twilight wasn’t responding as she was more occupied with placing the books on the shelves. "You weren't really looking for an answer, were you?"
"I've even devised a better system for organizing them. It decreases the amount of time it takes to find a book you're looking for by nearly three quarters of a second!" Twilight said still excited for her book-sort-cation.
"Whoa. That much?" Spike asked completely deadpan as Twilight picks him up with her magic to bring him in for a hug as she gestures them to all of the books in the room.
"Look at them all. Why, there must be at least twenty thousand books to organize!"
Owlowiscious observed from above and hooted as she watches Twilight and Spike from above.
"Best long weekend ever!" Twilight jumped with eager glee as she let go of her magical grasp on Spike until she saw the young dragon’s less than enthusiastic expression as unlike Twilight he wasn’t as much as a fan of books as her but is still supportive of her just to keep her happy. "I'm sure we can make some time for a claw massage and a back rub too." she told Spike with a smile as she leaned in towards his eye level gave Spike more of a reason to be excited for the weekend.
"Yes! Best long weekend ever!" Spike happily replied as Twilight simply rolls her eyes in amusement as it is the only thing on Spike’s mind is his reward for helping her out.
The three days all came and went through in a breeze and by the time the weekend was over Twilight had just finished up her reorganization of the library. All that time organizing books was such an amazing stress reliever. For Twilight it was an amazing way to relax and relive the stress she’s had to dealt following her reformation as Midnight aside from studying spells to improve her own magic, flying around the city so she can self-practice her flying abilities, and going outside to exercise and improve her fighting techniques because from all of the apologies and many gestures of having to deal with to all of the families she hurt from her stunt at the train station to her princess duties she really needed that. By the time the weekend was over she felt more relaxed than she had been in a while and felt better than before.
She exited the castle’s main entrance as she took a deep and relaxing breath as she walked down the stairs.
Spike was close behind her as he then squinted and shielded his eyes from the bright glare the sun produced as it shined above him.
"Whoa! That strange yellow orb in the sky! What is that?" Spike asked as he briefly looked away from the sun.
"Alright, alright, so it's been a little while since we've seen the sun." Twilight said in response as she and Spike made their way into town.
"A little while? We've been in that library for three straight days!" Spike retorted as he caught up to her.
"Yes, but they were three very productive days! Even if you did take that two-hour claw massage break." Twilight replied with an amused grin.
"Hey, you promise a claw massage, I'm getting a claw massage." Spik responded somewhat defensively
"Come on, it's not like we missed anything." Twilight replied back as they continued walking to where the two are greeted by two comet like objects hurling towards them at top speed one was rainbow colored and the other was checker plaid colored.
Acting quick, Twilight quickly grabbed hold of Spike and they both ducked to avoid being struck by the incoming objects. When the dust settled the two turned around to find that the two objects were really Rainbow Dash and Discord standing before them.
"Hello, Twilight! Hi, Spike!" they greeted simultaneously while waving their hoofs and hands in perfect sync.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash. Good to see you, Discord." Twilight politely greeted them.
"Did you rehearse before you found us?" Spike asked sounding rather annoyed by their antics that could have seriously injured or worse killed had they not ducked in time.
"What makes you think we practiced?" both Rainbow Dash and Discord replied in perfect sync.
"Come on, Rainbow Dash. What's going on here?" Twilight asked wanting to know what this is all about finding it very off that Rainbow Dash and Discord are getting along in perfect sync together.
Rainbow Dash couldn't contain her amusement as she bursted out laughing as she flew upwards, wrapping one arm around Discord.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Sorry. Me and Discord are just messin' around. Ha, ha! Like we do." she said with a wink directed at Discord.
"Really? Since when?" Twilight asked more curiously at this surprising development since Rainbow is not the pony Discord would get along well with. That’s usually Fluttershy’s job.
"Oh, Twilight. We simply had a momentous time together these past three days. You could say it was... "hiss-terical"! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" The Draconequus said as he shape-shifted his body to resemble that of a snake, a rattlesnake, making Rainbow Dash laugh out loud as well getting the joke.
"Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha,! Sneaky snake! Ha, ha, ha!"
"Oh, oh! Just snaking around!" Discord laughed along as he "shed" his snakeskin and reverted back to his original form.
"Good one, Discord!" the pegasus said as she and the Draconequus high five one another further surprising the princess even more.
"It is?" Twilight asked, not fully understanding what the joke was supposed to be about.
“I mean get the jokes but why was Rainbow laughing like it was the funniest thing ever. How in the hay are they are getting along so well all of a sudden?” Twilight thought to herself.
"Kind of an inside joke from this weekend. You wouldn't really get it unless you were there." Rainbow Dash explained to her as flew down to her for a moment.
"Oh. Okay.“ Twilight said with a forced smile to try and avoid the inner awkwardness she was feeling at the moment.
“Cool. Well, uh, catch you later, Twilight!” Rainbow told Twilight as she flew off in a flash.
“Catch you later, Twilight.” Discord playfully yet somewhat sinisterly told her as got into a running start before disappearing in a literal flash leaving Spike literally in a pile of dust and rubble.
“That was strange, right? Since when have Rainbow Dash and Discord had inside jokes?” Twilight asked Spike as they later walked through town still confused by what she had just saw.
“Since sometime in the last three days, I guess.” Spike replied with a deadpan shrug as he bumps into Twilight’s tail as she abruptly stopped hearing that.
“Hey! Nopony made you join me on my book-sort-cation.” Twilight brought up he had the option not to stick around the whole weekend with her but did so anyway.
“I'm jokin', I'm jokin'!” Spike quickly and apologetically told her as they continued walking forth.
The two made their way to Rarity’s boutique store as Twilight opens the door with the bell on top of the door ringing to let Rarity know she has a visitor.
“Rarity?” Twilight called out to the unicorn as she turns her head towards her who gasps upon seeing her.
“Twilight!” She greeted the alicorn as she took off her reading glasses. “You've returned from your book sorting sabbatical! All that organizing has done wonders for your complexion!” She figured it did wonders to her mood ever since she reformed.
“Thanks! It was very relaxing.” Twilight said in agreement while Spike rolling eyes to the side says he didn’t find it relaxing. “And we were able to clear a shelf for those old-fashioned books you wanted to donate.”
“Oh, pfft, they're not old, darling. They're vintage, and they're over there!” Rarity replied feeling the need to correct her as she directed her attention to the said books she set aside. “I've even included my favorites by former Canterlot designer to the stars Rococo Froufrou!” She added as she brought the bag over and held up the book with said star on the front cover.
“Oh, I love her!” Spike marveled at the sight of him.
“Him.” Rarity corrected Spike that Rocco is a guy as she levitated the bag to him leaving Spike embarrassed that awkward moment.
“Both.” Spike said awkwardly.
“Twilight!” Discord called out from the doorstep as he and Fluttershy walked inside. “This makes twice I'm seeing you in one day! Aren't I lucky?”
“Weren't you just with—“ Twilight tried to bring up that he was just with Rainbow earlier before being interrupted by Fluttershy.
“Hi, Twilight! Hi, Spike! How was your book-sort-cation?” Fluttershy happily greeted the two.
“It was good!” Twilight answered as Fluttershy giggles
“Orange you glad you did it?” Fluttershy asked with an intended pun as she, Rarity, and Discord all laughed together.
"Orange you glad"! Oh, Fluttershy, you're a card!” Rarity laughed finding the joke funny.
“Oh, please. You'll make me blush.” Fluttershy sheepishly responded.
“You do seem to be turning a shade of...” Discord said as he gasps as he literally turned Fluttershy into a “…orange!”
Both Fluttershy and Rarity laughed again at the orange joke as Discord pulls the steam as the orange layers peeled off of Fluttershy returning her to her normal form leaving both Twilight and Spike still confused that both Rarity and Fluttershy are laughing along with Discord’s jokes even the old ones that have run their course.
“Oh, sorry, darling. You see, we were at Sweet Apple Acres and, uh, ooh, how to explain...” Rarity apologized and struggled to explain what they did over the weekend.
“Well, let me try and paint her a picture, dearest.” Discord offered to explain to the unicorn.
“"Dearest"?” Spike responded with hints of jealousy and crossed arms as Discord with the appearance of Bob Ross paints a picture of Sweet Apple Acres.
“You see, we were all at Sweet Apple Acres, and I ended up turning the trees into the most— “ He explained before turning back into his normal tone of voice and bumped the painting away with his tail. ”Oh, who am I kidding? I simply can't do it justice. You really had to be there.”
“We would've invited you to come along too, but we didn't want to interrupt your organizing. We know how important it is to you.” Fluttershy apologetically told the alicorn.
“And I'm sure it was much more important than the fun that we had.” Discord added with false reassurance as he hugs Fluttershy and Rarity.
“I appreciate that...” Twilight still calmly and politely shrugged it off to assure them there are no hard feelings. “Speaking of books, I should get these on the shelves.”
Twilight was about to leave when Discord used his magic to have apple and oranges float around in a circular formation to make it look like he is juggling them as Fluttershy and Rarity laugh at his antics leaving Twilight and Spike still confused.
As Twilight and Spike walk through town, Twilight wonders to herself what happened over the weekend that is leaving room for her friends bonding with Discord more so than usual. Could they have done something very great something that Twilight cold never ever imagine?
“Hmm. Rainbow Dash bonding with Discord, Rarity finding something he did genuinely funny... Must've been some weekend.” Twilight said to Spike feeling a little left out.
“Somepony sorry she missed it?” Spike asked with a hinted smile that she is jealous.
“Of course not.” Twilight simply answered although she knows the answer is yes but not the way Spike thinks as they hear Applejack and Pinkie Pie laughing from inside Sugarcube Corner.
Wondering what’s going on she quickly heads over there and sees them laughing and rolling around on the ground.
“What's got you two in hysterics?” Twilight asked them as Discord appears again just after eating a cupcake.
“Oh, we were just reminiscing about the best weekend ever!” Discord answered.
“He's everywhere today, isn't he?” Twilight told Spike in a hushed tone.
“Oh, now where was I?” Discord recalled. “Ah, yes, we had just finished our soup, and then Applejack said…” Discord explained as he turned his head into Applejack’s head. “"Peanut butter hoof? Yuck, not even with jelly!"”
Both Applejack and Pinkie laugh at Discord’s antics while Twilight still looks confused not getting the joke.
“Eh, I don't get it.” She said still lost at the sight.
“It was hilarious! I wish we'd taken a picture for you!” Pinkie replied as she approached her.
“Oh, well, this should do!” Discord responded as he tap-danced wearing peanut butter jars as shoes causing Applejack and Pinkie Pie laughing again at his antics.
“I guess that's funny?” Twilight said with a forced small smile while secretly looking aside downcast.
“Well, seems this has become quite the... sticky situation” Discord joked again as he looks at his peanut butter coated feet with Applejack and Pinkie Pie both still laughing.
“Sticky situation!” Pinkie Pie laughed.
“Aw, shucks, Twilight. We haven't even asked how your weekend went.” Applejack said as she addressed her at getting over her laughing.
“It was fine!” Twilight simply replied while hiding and masking of how she truly feels about their fun with Discord.
“And yet you look so glum.” Discord noted as he looked at her upside-down for the upside-down smile. “Does somepony need a huggy-wuggy?” He asked her in a mock baby-like tone as he hugged her and stroked her mane and horn.
“I am not glum. I'm glad! I'm glad you all had such a good time together.” Twilight politely replied as she broke up Discord’s affectionate gesture. “Having inside jokes can really create a lasting bond between friends.”
“I'm just sorry that all this bonding happened while you were holed up in your castle.” Discord replied in a sad tone although Twilight could see through his act.
“Heh. Oh, don't you worry about Twilight.” Applejack reassured her as she gently nudged Discord to stop giving her a hard time. “Bet you were in hog heaven organizin' all them books. Again.”
“I'm sure I had just as much fun as the rest of you.” Twilight replied as she calmly lied through her teeth as she turned to leave.
"I can't believe I missed out on all that bonding!" Twilight voiced out in disappointment once she got back to her castle.
“Everypony was getting along so well with Discord and they understood his jokes perfectly while I didn’t.” Twilight voiced her thoughts out loud as Spike eats red gems. “Sure it was something I had to be there in order to understand the joke but they all had fun without me.”
Twilight couldn’t help but wonder to herself why was she feeling this way? They are her best friends who have no problems spending time with her and have the best of times together but during the time she was reorganizing her library they managed to have fun without her on the same level much like when she was away plotting the takeover of Equestria when she was Midnight.
"I knew it! You are jealous!" Spike called out feeling his thoughts on what Twilight is feeling is correct.
While Twilight knows that he is right about her being sad about being left out. Jealousy wasn’t the answer.
"Spike, I'm the Princess of Friendship. If I was feeling upset about missing out on an experience would've helped me with my Princess of Friendship duties, jealousy isn’t the answer for that." Twilight calmly replied as Spike tossed another gem into his mouth.
"Come again?" he asked with his mouth full and looking confused and deadpan himself.
"If our friends could enjoy three full days with Discord that much, it must have something to do with the specific things they did together!” Twilight thought as she thought of an idea of how to get the answers of what happened. “If we could find out what those things were, it could be a real breakthrough in the science of friendship!"
“I guess so.” Spike responded as he was about to eat another gem before being interrupted by Twilight teleporting right in front of him.
“I know so!” Twilight replied with a bright smile. “You thought our book-sort-cation was fun? This is gonna be even better!”
Spike could only look on with disinterest with whatever Twilight has in mind to find out the answers she seeks.
The princess later stood on top of a bench in the middle of the park where her friends gathered together while Spike who is standing by her side held a clipboard and quill ready to write down some notes.
"Thank you for coming. I wouldn't have asked you here if it wasn't important." Twilight told everyone in attendance.
"I love important!" Pinkie Pie happily replied.
"I just want to know how these funny moments you shared came to pass. I can use this data to help advance friendships all over Equestria." Twilight explained to them while hiding her true motives.
"Well, I like the sound of that!" Applejack said sounding eager as the others voice their immediate agreement to the idea.
"Perfect. Let's start with the snake." Twilight began her project as she turned to Rainbow Dash and Discord who both try and fail not to burst out laughing to no avail.
"I don't know if I can get it out! It's too funny!" Rainbow Dash said in-between laughs.
"Oh, but we must! It's for the greater good!" Discord told Rainbow before calming down so he can narrate the events. "It started when we were helping Granny Smith with her garden..."
“Uh, I reckon you mean my sister Apple Bloom.” Applejack corrected him.
Eh... All you Apples look the same.” Discord just shrugged off the correction seeing no different from any pony in the Apple Family before continuing. “And then Rainbow Dash saw a snake!”
“I think it was a garden hose.” Fluttershy giggled as she recalled the memory.
“It was a hose snake. Super deadly.” Rainbow Dash explained.
"I recall it being a large stick that looked like a hose that, in turn, did in fact resemble a snake." Applejack voiced her thoughts as she recalled the memory.
"Point is, we galloped away." Pinkie said as she got close to the bench Twilight and Spike were standing on.
"And it chased after us!" Rainbow said as she flew downwards bumping into Pinkie causing her to fall onto the ground from the impact.
“So let me get this straight.” Twilight politely interrupted as she tries to piece together what they are saying. “You were all helping out at Sweet Apple Acres…” She said as Applejack nodded yes to confirm it. “…Then Rainbow Dash saw what she thought was a snake but was really a large stick that looked like a snake and a hose.” She said as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash nod to confirm it.
"We literally trotted for our lives. Isn't that hilarious?" Discord explained to her seeing that Twilight seems to have now gotten it.
“Oooh!” Twilight said in realization. “I think I get it now.”
"I guess you had to be there." Fluttershy admittedly told her as she walked up to her as Twilight got an idea in her head.
"It’s all right, Fluttershy I think I get it now.” Twilight explained as she thinks over another idea of how it makes more sense. But I think it would help if I was there so I can understand more about what happened over the weekend."
"But you weren't." Rarity told her confused of what she meant by that. "And it's already happened." Rarity’s eyes widen at what she thinks Twilight’s is suggesting. "Ooh, are you suggesting…"
"Time travel?!" Pinkie smiled with glee while wearing an orange jacket, sunglasses and a watch around her wrist.
"Absolutely not!" Twilight firmly shot down the idea to confirm that’s not what she had in mind. "Time travel is not something to be messed with. We simply need to recreate everything that led to these jokes."
"Oh, what a brilliant idea!" Discord immediately supported the idea. "Shall we begin with the lunch date that kicked off the glorious weekend you missed out on?"
“Yes, let’s.” Twilight said with a smile thinking she is now going to get more of the answers she seeks.
Back at the cafe in town, Twilight examined the table they had eaten lunch at the start of their weekend wondering if it was exactly where they all met wanting more precise results and answers.
"Are you sure it was this table?" Twilight asked her friends.
"Uh, does it really matter?" Rainbow Dash asked as if one small thing makes a difference.
"When it comes to science, everything matters. One change to the equation could ruin the experiment." Twilight replied yes it does.
Discord pondered for a moment before teleporting to another table.
"Ohhhhhh… it was this table here."
Twilight simply shrugged as she and the others made their way to the table Discord is at.
Everypony all sat around the table together with Discord kindly pulling the chair for Fluttershy to sit before taking his seat. Twilight was the last to take her seat.
"Alright, so you sat down at the table, and then what happened?" She asked her friends as Rariry spoke up as she levitated the menu with her magic.
"Oh, well, first I expressed my displeasure with the design of the menu. It—"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just noticed something." Discord interrupted.
"Yes?" Twilight asked.
"The tablecloth. It isn't the same color as the one the restaurant used on the day in question."
"…Really?" Twilight asked to make sure he is telling the truth.
"He's right!" Rarity confirmed as she remembered. "The tablecloth was red! I remember because it clashed with the font on the menus."
"I don't suppose that means we're gonna need to get a new tablecloth, does it?" Applejack asked seeing a potential time-consuming task before they can properly recall the events to Twilight.
"Oh, most definitely." Discord answered as he touched the cloth to make it magically change from white to red in just a matter of seconds.
“Ok.” Twilight simply replied with a shrug while impressed by his magic trick.
"One change to the equation could ruin the experiment. Twilight said so herself." Discord repeated Twilight’s words as he briefly appeared with Twilight’s mane, horn, and wings on his head before changing his appearance into one where he wears a lab coat. "Anything stand out as being different? Anything at all?" He asked the others as Twilight looks on deadpan hoping to move forward with this.
"Um, I've noticed a couple of things." Fluttershy spoke up with her hoof raised in the air.
"Me too!" Pinkie Pie added.
"Excellent!" Discord exclaimed as he magically had a notebook and quill appear in front of Twilight so she can use. While a little annoyed at Discord for dragging this out she still smiled in satisfaction that she will at least get what she wants out of this.
Rainbow Dash would work on moving a specific cloud that was over them on the day they had their lunch just so everything about the sky is precise.
"A little to the left! No, my left!" Discord instructed Rainbow using orange sticks while wearing goggles and an orange vest while Twilight takes notes as Pinkie makes her observations of the scene. "A little bit more... Oh, no, no, no, no, no, a little more right!"
"The cloud over our table looked like an ice cream sundae!" Pinkie Pie pointed out to Discord who simply stretches out the cloud, transforming it into the ice cream form that it was that very day.
"Perfect!" Pinkie Pie's exclaimed as she slightly stuck out her tongue stuck to the side of her face.
Next, Discord inspected the temperature of the soup with a thermometer.
"No-no-no-no-no, this is barely room temperature! Garçon! Garçon, over here!" He called out to someone as a Discord duplicate exited the cafe, dressed as a waiter while Twilight still carried on taking notes.
Finally, everything was in perfect order as they reenacted each and every moment from their weekend, up to the moment when Discord started tap dancing on jaws of peanut butter. But even when learning everything she got out of it, Twilight still couldn't find the humor in any of this as she was completely deadpan by his antics even though the rest of her friends were finding the humor in it
"No? Nothing?" Discord asked her when she showed no reaction.
"Oh, no. I think I get the jokes now.” Twilight reassured him with another forced smile it’s not the case as she speaks her thoughts as she looks aside for a moment before turning back to the others. ”Although, are you sure there's not something you've missed? Some other detail about your lunch together that you're forgetting? I just want to make sure I got everything."
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel we've been pretty exhaustive in our attempts to recreate every single detail of our previous encounter." Discord told Twilight as the rest of the group agreed with him.
"Yeah, Twilight. If you don't get it by now, I don't think you're ever gonna get it." Rainbow Dash told her as she flew over to her.
"But it is really important that I figure this out. It's for the good of all Equestria!" Twilight responded that there has to be something more to this still feeling this is not adding up right.
"Well, perhaps we should have another look at the data we've collected." Discord said as he examined the magically collected data with a ticker tape machine and wearing professor-styled clothing from the long paper that came out of the machine.
"Of course! There is one last variable that we haven't accounted for." Discord gasped in realization as he slapped his forehead.
“What?" Twilight asked with a hopeful smile.
"You!" Discord replied with an ominous smirk
"Me?" Twilight looked at him in confusion as she spots his expression.
"You weren't there observing us. No matter how hard we try, we can't possibly recreate our weekend of fun exactly as it happened because you'll always be watching, and you weren't there." Discord told her with the rest of her friends seemingly in agreement with him.
"He makes a good point." Pinkie Pie agreed with Discord which didn't really help Twilight at all.
"If there is anything this experiment has proven it's that moments of levity and bonding between friends simply cannot be recreated so that others might share in the experience.” Discord further explained to Twilight.
"He makes another good point." Pinkie Pie agreed with again.
"Oh, don't worry, darling. I'm sure there will be plenty of other chances for you to share in the kind of frivolity we had with Discord while you were away." Rarity tried to comfortably reassure her as she and the others walked off.
"Yeah, and I'll bet they'll be just as hissssss-terical!" Rainbow added as she moved her arms like a snake before laughing her way along.
“Absolutely!” Fluttershy said in agreement as she and Discord walked away together.
As she watches her friends walk off she sees Discord secretly smirking again at her direction as he sees through the facade she is putting up to hide the truth from her friends.
Back at the castle, Twilight looks over her notes and even looks at the exact events that transpired while she was away from her crystal orb in secret but she still couldn’t piece everything together.
“Could it be possible that they really don’t value me as a friend anymore?” Twilight asked herself as she put her crystal orb away back in her room as she makes her way to the throne room. “No, no it can’t be that!” Twilight then said as she still firmly refuses to believe it.
Twilight herself knows that her friends do forgive her and value her as one of their best friends but it seems that they were able to befriend Discord in a simple heartbeat like her friendship to them didn’t really matter.
“I'm not buying it. Not for a second. There is definitely something else going on here, Spike!” Twilight told Spike as she paces around in the throne room while he eats up more red gems.
“Or maybe there isn't, and you should just drop this whole thing and admit that you're a little jealous!” Spike suggested that there are just some things that can’t be explained.
“Even if I'm not able to laugh at what happened, I should be able to figure out why they find it funny. Why they think they had this amazing and hilarious time together. But I can't figure it out! It doesn't make sense!”
“Some things just can't be explained.” Spike could only say to Twilight in response the best he can.
“Our friends think something great happened to them while I was away, but no. It was something awful!” Twilight angrily responded causing Spike to drop the gem he was about to eat as she comes to one last idea up her hooves to confirm her suspicions are true or not. “If we don't break the spell they're under, who knows what terrible things could happen?!
“Spell?” Spike asked in confusion.
“Come on, Spike! There's no time to lose!” Twilight urgently told Spike as she forcibly dragged Spike away with her magic but quickly came back to grab the bowl of gems for Spike to snack on while on the way.
Twilight would then make her way to Zecora’s hut for her help in seeking a potion that would help uncover the truth.
“Zecora, what do you think? Can you undo Discord's magic?” Twilight asked Zecora as she watches her add ingredients to a bright neon green liquid chemical in the cauldron.
“In what way can you tell that they are indeed under a spell?” Zecora asked.
“Nothing really other than they're having fun with Discord.” Twilight honestly explained. “I get that they are just having fun with him but I still can’t help but feel something is off.”
“Ah. A friendship with Discord is truly a shock. But who says it is something that we must block?” Zecora calmly replied.
“Nopony.” Twilight again honestly replied. “I just want make sure that this is all real.”
Without question Zecora goes to one of her shelves and hands her a tall bottle of potion to which Twilight obtains with her magic.
“Alright. This potion will break the spell, then you will be able to tell.” Zecora told Twilight as she examines the bottle.
“Wait. If that's the potion, then what's brewing in your cauldron?” Spike questioned pointing to said cauldron.
“It ties the room together and emits a warm glow. But if I am to be honest, it's just for show.” Zecora simply replied as Twilight smirks amused by that.
“Hopefully, this will answer all of my questions to whether the friendship is true or not.” Twilight said to herself as she secretly smirks to herself.
The next day, the Mane Six minus Twilight gathered together around the map table.
"I wonder why she asked us here so bright and early." Applejack wondered as she yawned.
"Another map adventure, perhaps?" Rarity asked.
Pinkie after examining her own cutie mark, examined the other ponies cutie marks and even lifted up Fluttershy up to inspect her cutie mark and accidentally caused her to bump her face into the map.
"Nope. No glowing tushies here.”
”Or maybe it's more of a non-adventure. Maybe she just wants to tell us how last night's slumber went?” Fluttershy proposed as Twilight cheerfully walks in.
“Hey, gang!” Twilight happily greeted her friends.
“Ooh, you look excited!” Pinkie said with a smile.
“I am excited! We're gonna have fun today!” Twilight trotted over to her.
“Yes!” Pinkie exclaimed with a raised hoof as Twilight places empty cups in front of every pony.
“But before we do I want to try out a new lemonade I made last night.” Twilight told them as she presented the bottle of potion as she pours a cup load into each cup.
“Oooh!” Pinkie eagerly said in excitement as Twilight pours her a cup of the potion. “This is looks delicious!”
Once every pony takes a sip of the potion, Twilight examines their reactions to see if anything magical emerges from it to let her know that Discord did cast a spell on her. After giving it a good minute, nothing happens other than giving approving nods that the “lemonade” she made was really good.
“Not bad darling.” Rarity complimented after taking a sip from her drink. “So what inspired you to make this?”
“Yeah, this is really good! Got any more of that stuff?” Pinkie replied as she chugged her drink down and then grabbed more of the bottle so she chug it all down.
“What?” Twilight said to herself in a stunned whisper seeing that her friends truly weren’t under a spell as she directed her attention back at them.
“Oh nothing more than simple lemonade ingredients with some sparkling magic.” Twilight simply and solemnly replied. “I’m just glad you all liked it.”
Before her friends could question her the doors opened once more and Discord entered wearing a fishing outfit with a fishing pole in tow.
"Hi, Twilight! The gang mentioned we'd all be hanging out together today!" Discord greeted her and every pony.
""The gang?"" Twilight asked as Pinkie Pie continued to chug down the bottle full of potion.
"Yeah! The peanut-butter-hoof gang!" He replied as he started tap dancing on his the jars of peanut butter once more which only made the group laugh once more. Especially Pinkie Pie as she finished drining down the entire bottle
"It's still funny!" Pinkie laughed in response to Discord’s antics as she and the others joined Discord in laughing on their inside jokes while Twilight could only look on devastated and hurt feeling that what she feared most is true.
"But how?” Twilight asked saddened. “How is it funny!"
"It's funny if you were there." Rainbow Dash simply replied noticing Twilight’s saddened tone and expression.
"But I wasn't there!" Twilight then angrily replied causing the laughing suddenly to die down after her sudden outburst as everypony eyes the saddened alicorn as she tears up and angrily releases her repressed emotions as Spike backs away slowly seeing that now isn't the time to be near her.
"I wasn't included! Maybe it's my own fault for staying in and having a book-sort-cation when I could have been making jokes and memories and having a great time with my friends! But I didn't do that, did I?! You all did! You were all there but—!" The princess paused for a moment before taking in a deep breath to pull herself together to wipe away the tears. "I wasn't there. I missed out. And seeing you having all these jokes I wasn't a part of and couldn't understand made me…"
“Jealous?” Spike finished as he walked back over to her seeing that she has let it all out.
“No… more than that.” Twilight replied as she still looked away with her back now turned. “Left out and lonely.” She said as she hung her head sadly as she continued. “After rekindling our friendship I felt we were once again best friends again having the best of times together. But after seeing you all have a great time and having as much fun with Discord without me had me feeling that our friendship means nothing like you are all able to get along fine without me like I wasn’t there.” She explained as her friend’s give her surprised and apologetic looks that they unintentionally made her feel left out and unwanted. “Like how you all managed when I became Midnight by doing the exact same thing by planning the takeover of Equestria when I too could have been making jokes and memories and having a great time with you all too but instead spent all that time being and feeling lonely.”
The girls could not believe what Twilight is saying. It wasn’t the feeling of jealousy that Twilight’s been keeping to herself but the feeling of being left out and alone from when she was Midnight. Without realizing it until now they unintentionally made her feel worse and feel like they managed just fine without her like she was when she was abandoned at the rehearsal or when she was secretly plotting from the shadows when she was evil.
“Wait?” Discord also exclaimed in surprise. “What did you say?”
“Really, darling?” Rarity first spoke up from her stunned silence. “But of course our friendship meant a lot, in fact it is much better now you’re our friend too.”
“We're sorry if we made you feel left out.” Fluttershy apologized. “We didn’t mean to make you feel like you weren’t really our friend.”
“You didn't do anything wrong. You're allowed to share things that don't include me even when I was evil.” Twilight assured them they did nothing wrong as she turned back to face them.
“And we’re glad you reformed when you did Twilight.” Applejack assured Twilight back as she took off her hat for a moment. “Because the truth is that things really weren’t the same when you became Midnight as we spending every day and night hoping we could find the keys to access the Elements of Harmony all the while hoping we could get you to come to your senses.”
“And we truthfully felt all hope was lost saving you when it seems the dark magic took over her heart when you took over Equestria. And the point being, nothing was all fun and smiles without you and you're allowed to tell us if we were honestly hurting your feelings deep down. You just have to be able to admit that that's what you're feeling so you can let it go.” Rarity also vouched Applejack’s truth in that things weren’t really all happy smiles without her.
“And, you know, not try to make us recreate everything that happened when you weren't around.” Rainbow Dash added hoping she doesn’t have them go through all that in the future again.
“Thanks, girls.” Twilight told them with a heartwarming smile feeling much better now. “I guess I just really needed to be reminded that not being around one gathering doesn’t make me feel like the pony I used to be.”
“So just wondering you were feeling left out because you felt your friendships with the girls didn’t mean anything not because you were jealous?” Discord questioned the princess.
“Yeah.” Twilight replied. “Also because I truly wanted to be friends with you too, something that I didn’t get to do these last three days.”
“Really? Even if what I did to you?” Discord said in disbelief. “I don’t believe this?” Discord exclaimed astonished that Twilight still wants to be her friend. “Even after I ruined all your hard work in taking over Equestria?! And even after convincing your friends not to invite you in the first place?!”
“Wait?” Twilight asked in surprise hearing this. “They wanted me to be there? And you convinced them to not invite me?”
“Yes, because after Tirek betrayed me I felt guilty for ruining everything you worked hard in taking over Equestria. Even after you forgave me, I wasn’t certain you would want to bond with me even after everything I did.” Discord confessed. “So I convinced your friends not to invite you.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t just to make me feel jealous like you intended.” Twilight suspiciously asked Discord with an arched eyebrow with hints of anger in her tone of voice.
“Well maybe a little.” Discord honestly answered. “But it was never my intent to hurt you like that.”
"What?” Twilight calmly but furiously asked him.
"Wait a minute. You didn't agree to reenact everything from last weekend because you wanted to make her feel left out, did you?" Applejack asked Discord sternly as she and the others are looking unhappy at his actions towards Twilight.
"Of course not. That whole attempted jealousy thing was just a backfired accident. But I think we're all missing the big picture and what’s important here.” Discord tried to lighten the mood and change the subject. “Certainly we can all agree that Princess Twilight learned a valuable lesson here in that even she can express her hurt feeling and that she should recognize said feelings rather than trying to pretend that she doesn't have them. And what's important here is that it was never my intent to make Twilight feel jealous. That's something that the old me would have tried to do. Orange you glad I've changed?”
With the snap of his fingers he made an orange appear, in an attempt to make the others laugh once again but to his surprise nobody did. Not even Pinkie let loose some giggles.
"I said, Orange you glad I've changed?" Discord repeated as he magically made the ceiling rain oranges in an attempt to make the joke funnier to no avail.
"Orange! Like the ones at the island! I-I mean, from this weekend!” Discord desperately tried to get them to remember the joke. ”…No? Nothing? Really? I thought you'd find this hisss-terical!"
He attempted to humor them once again as he turned into a snake, shaking the rattle at Rarity, who gently shoved the rattle away.
"…Yes, no. Discord, I think these jokes have run their course."
"Only way we'd find them funny now is if you put us all under some kind of spell!” Pinkie Pie humorously said.
“Come on, you'd have to be a complete crazy pony to think he'd do something like that! What are you gonna say next, Pinkie? That we all have to drink some weird potion to break the spell like I just did to all of you?” Twilight said in the same tone which got everypony laughing expect for Discord who didn't quite understand what was going on or what the joke was.
"W-W-What's so funny?" Discord asked in confusion.
"Come on, Discord, do we really have to spell it out for you?" Rainbow Dash laughed at the joke she just made with her friends all continuing to further leaving Discord out of the loop for not getting the joke.
"I-I-I don't get it. Somebody want to tell me what's so hilarious? Anybody? Hello?! I'm talking to you! You! And-and you and you! W-W-What's funny about spells? I mean, really, I don't get it, I feel left out and I feel really bad about that…" Discord desperately tried to get the others to explain it to him and get their attention as he knocked his claw on Pinkie head as all six ponies continue laughing.
Discord feeling hurt then began to shrink down to size now feeling really small right now.
"Sorry, buddy. Guess you had to be there." Spike smugly told the shrunken chaos creature leaving Discord further feeling he deserved that and that trying to mess around with Twilight's feelings wasn't such a good idea after all even when she is no longer the evil mastermind that conquered Equestria.
His disappointment turned into surprise when a tiny little orange suddenly appeared in his hand, courtesy of Twilight Sparkle.
“Gotcha.” Twilight replied with a smirk. “And no hard feelings.” She assured him she holds nothing against him.
Discord then reverted back to his normal size and wrapped everyone all together for a group hug, laughing alongside them. Even if he didn't really get the joke.
“So you really tricked us into drinking a potion to tell if we were under a spell or not. So that's what that there lemonade really was” Applejack suspiciously asked Twilight who nervously grins in response.
“Well I just wanted to be completely and over one hundred and twenty percent certain that it was all real.” Twilight replied awkwardly while giggling with a shrug. “It’s all in the past now. Forgive and forget.”
While Applejack rolls her eyes in annoyance she joins in on laughing when Twilight starts to and so does everypony else as they all forgive and forget of what happened in the past to which everyone can press forward by doing so.