Twilight was the first to enter the temporary living quarters Discord had set up for the girls, the rest of the mares trudging slowly in behind her. Many of them were dragging their hooves.
"I'm exhausted," Mirror Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flopping onto her bed.
"Not so loud!" Mirror Rarity hissed, holding her head. "Please tell me there's some ibuprofen in our bathroom. My head feels like it's about to burst!"
"I could use some of that too," Mirror Twilight groaned. "My horn is throbbing. Is that normal?"
"With the amount of magical training we just underwent, yes, it is," said Sunset tiredly, settling onto her bedspread as Fluttershy passed around some medicine. "As fun as it was to use my magic like this again, I am beat!"
"Are my wing joints supposed to hurt?" Mirror Fluttershy asked, slowly flapping them up and down while wincing.
"It's fairly normal for them to feel that way," Fluttershy confirmed, coming over to examine them while handing her some painkillers. "I think you'll be okay, with some medicine and a full night's rest."
"Despite how sore you're all feeling, you made excellent progress today," Twilight praised. "I'm confident that each one of you will have no problems fitting in with other ponies."
"That's good to hear," said Mirror Applejack, "As long as I'm not expected to buck another apple tree anytime soon. My knees are creakin' like an old rocker."
"How are you feeling, Pinkie?" Sunset asked.
Mirror Pinkie Pie was hopping up and down on her bed, giggling like crazy. "No complaints here! Being a pony is fun!!"
"Well, at least one of us isn't exhausted," Mirror Rarity grouched, burying her head back into her pillow. "Can somebody please dim the lights?"
There was a snap and the lights immediately dimmed. Discord was standing in the doorway, wearing a hat, a red collared shirt, and khaki pants. In his hands he held several large square shaped boxes. The smell of melted cheese and sauce instantly captivated everypony. Even Twilight, who wasn’t much of a fan of cheese, couldn’t stop her mouth from watering.
"Special delivery, ladies!" the draconequus said, cheerfully setting the boxes on a table that literally appeared out of nowhere, the surface already loaded down with drinks and snacks. "I thought that since you've all had such a rough day, dinner and a movie would be an excellent way to spend the evening before our next grand adventure."
Rainbow Dash zoomed over and immediately started raiding the pizza boxes. "Discord, you are a lifesaver!"
The draconequus looked slightly abashed as he waved his talons back and forth. "Oh, it was nothing."
"This is quite the impressive spread," Rarity commented, eyeing the vegetable and fruit trays next to the junk food.
"Well, I figured a little variety wouldn't hurt."
Fluttershy smiled. "That was very thoughtful of you, Discord."
"You mentioned something about a movie?" said Sunset hopefully.
Discord pulled a case from his ear and held it up on display.
"Mare Congeniality?" Twilight questioned. "I've never heard of it."
“Me neither,” said Applejack.
"Oh, trust me, you're all going to love it!" Discord smiled, before leaning in and quietly muttering to Twilight, "Although you might miss it due to an orange stallion patiently waiting for you on the other side of the door."
Twilight blushed as Discord winked and snapped a large hot tub into the middle of the floor. A huge screen fell down from the ceiling in front of it, the movie already queued and ready to start. With another snap several strands of fairy lights wove into a mandala pattern above the hot tub, their glow soft and blue, the perfect night setting.
"A hot tub and a movie?! This is the best dinner slumber party ever!" Pinkie Pie cried, hugging Discord around the middle before leaping excitedly into the water.
"I used to think you made nothing but weird stuff but this?" Rainbow Dash gently punched his arm. "This makes chaos magic cool!"
The girls quickly set to work piling their plates and claiming a spot in the water to relax their sore muscles. Twilight and Fluttershy alone remained near the table next to Discord.
"This was a really thoughtful thing for you to do," Twilight commented, glancing up at the draconequus. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you up to something?"
Discord held his paw over his heart. "Twilight, you wound me! As if I have any other reason than being a gracious host!"
He snapped his talons and the movie started, the opening music successfully occupying the others and momentarily distracting the princess.
"You might not want to keep your stallion waiting," Discord said just loud enough for her to hear.
Twilight turned around just in time to see him carting off a rather flustered yet happy-looking Fluttershy. She was just about to open her mouth to say something when Cordy appeared.
"Drat, he got his first!" he muttered, frowning as Discord's tail disappeared through the door.
"What are you two up to?" Twilight demanded.
"Up to? Who said we were up to anything?" Cordy asked, smiling innocently.
Twilight flew up and poked his furry chest with her hoof. "I've been around Discord long enough to know a distraction when I see one. Why did he haul off Fluttershy?"
Cordy stared at her, blinking in surprise. "You really have no idea, do you?"
"Should I?" she asked, feeling annoyed.
Cordy smirked. "Come on, princess, put two and two together. Boy, girl. Stallion, mare. Attraction, se-”
“Okay, I get it!” Twilight cried, embarrassed that she hadn’t immediately realized Discord’s objectives. Suddenly she gasped, her wings flaring. “Wait! Surely they’re not…!”
Cordy chuckled, booping her nose. “Of course not, princess! This is Fluttershy we’re talking about. What kind of mare do you take her for?”
“Well, of course she wouldn’t!” Twilight said, smacking his claw away. “But Discord-”
Cordy scowled, interrupting her. “You know, I find it highly offensive that you would jump right to the conclusion that Discord wouldn’t respect Fluttershy’s wishes. She’s not an object to him, you know, and, in case I have to make it clear, my Flutterbunny isn’t an object to me either!”
Twilight immediately felt guilty. “Look, I didn’t mean to sound offensive. It’s just, Discord hasn’t always been the most honest stallion -er- draconequus. He always seems to have ulterior motives; like using this party to distract us so he could take Fluttershy somewhere else.”
“And what’s so wrong with wanting to spend the evening with the woman you care most about?” he challenged.
Twilight bit her lip. “Nothing, I guess.”
The Count stared at her a moment before bending down so they were face to face. “You know, I’m highly disappointed in you, Princess of Friendship. Don’t think I’m blissfully ignorant of the things that go on in this world. I find it remarkably hypocritical that you can forgive and forget a pony’s transgressions but refuse to show any other creature the same courtesy."
"I don't-" She began but he cut her off.
"Really? Princess Luna, Trixie, Sunset, Starlight, Tempest aka Fizzle Pop Berry Twist?" He named them off, counting on his fingers. "Well, would you look at that? All ponies. Now, let's look at other creatures, hmmm? Discord, Thorax, the rest of the changelings, me."
"I don't have any problems with them or you!" Twilight said. "Thorax and the changelings have been peaceful since their reformation. And you haven't done anything to upset Equestria."
"But Discord has."
"Yes! He constantly disturbs the peace!"
"You mean he does things you don't approve of," Cordy amended.
"Well, yeah."
"So what you're saying is he'll never meet your expectations because he doesn't fit the mold you expect him to. Hmmm, and here I thought the magic of friendship was about accepting differences and coming together in harmony. You do know what harmony is, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" Twilight snapped, stomping her hoof.
"Are you sure?" he questioned. "Because it sounds to me like you're demanding Discord to conform to your ideal rather than harmonizing your differences. Order and Chaos have to coexist for there to be balance. I think you may have forgotten that in your prejudice."
Twilight opened her mouth, found herself unable to say anything, and closed it again. Cordy looked disappointed.
“I’ll give you a little advice, bookhorse, and I pray you take it to heart: don’t look for an enemy in an ally. Keep painting Discord red and you’ll never see any other color. That might hurt you in the long run. I'd hate to see two friendships end because of hypocrisy.”
Leaving Twilight to lick her wounds, he stealthily snapped a note and sent it whizzing into an unsuspecting Mirror Fluttershy’s hooves. She read it, whispered something to Sunset, and hastened out of the tub. She trotted over to Cordy, the Count waiting for her with a towel.
"Catch you later, princess," he said, scooping his blushing Fluttershy into his arms and disappearing in a quiet burst of glitter.
Twilight wanted to shout for him to come back so she could defend herself and chide him for his assumptions but deep down she knew she’d just been thoroughly -and rightfully- chastened.
Discord may be rude and insensitive but he wasn’t as terrible as he’d been when they’d first met. She thought back on all her interactions with the draconequus, dread and guilt growing with each memory.
She didn’t know his motivations for taking over Equestria the first time. The second, however, when he’d turned her friends against each other and made Ponyville the Chaos Capital of the World, he’d wanted everypony to live in the chaos he thoroughly enjoyed. But wasn’t it normal to want others to share in the things you loved? True, Discord had forced his chaos on everypony but maybe that was because nopony would accept it otherwise? When it came time to reform him he caused plenty of mischief but almost instantly latched onto Fluttershy’s revelation of friendship; he even gave up spreading further chaos for it. And since then every time he made a mistake, he repented because he didn’t want to lose what she’d given him.
No wonder he’d fallen in love with her; she was the only pony who had ever given him a chance and always accepted him, chaos and all.
The only time Twilight had ever truly treated him as a friend was shortly after Tirek’s demise and the birth of her castle. But before and after that, she’d always felt annoyed and contemptuous whenever he appeared. She’d even labeled him a potential reason for things going wrong almost every time they did.
“Sweet Celestia, Cordy was right,” she whispered, eyes wide and ears lowered. “What kind of princess am I?”
She looked at all her friends -minus the Fluttershys- laughing and enjoying each other's company. She specifically looked at Sunset and Starlight. Both had committed horrible acts against Equestria yet she never even thought about their pasts or held mistrust towards them when they were around. Why hadn’t she done the same with Discord? Why did she always throw on a cloak of suspicion in his presence?
Maybe because every time he shows up he causes problems.
But now I know the reason behind why he does that. He’s crying out for attention. He wants ponies to accept him but chaos is all he knows. Ponies don’t like chaos. It’s abnormal and strange. We don’t understand it so we fear it. And when you’re afraid of something, you reject and attack it. You spurn and hate it.
Oh, Celestia, what have we done?
What have I done?
Horrified, Twilight quietly backed away from her unsuspecting friends and rushed out of the room before they could notice.
"Twilight! I was afraid you weren't going to come," Flash Sentry exclaimed as soon as he saw her.
Twilight gasped, unable to hide her tears before he could see; she’d totally forgotten Discord said he was waiting for her. Some marefriend she was!
"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," she said, hastily wiping her eyes.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, stepping forward, immediately concerned.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
He looked at her expectantly and she sighed. “Alright. I just had an epiphany about something. Something unpleasant.”
He placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”
"No. Yes."
Flash smiled and invited her towards his room. “Sunburst is next door having a guys night with Shining. I told them I was too tired to join in.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Twilight muttered, immediately backing up. “If you’d rather have an early night-”
“Twilight, I told them that so I could spend the evening with you,” he gently interrupted.
She stared at him, suddenly overcome that he would do that for such a terrible pony as herself. Her tears doubled and Flash’s smile disappeared.
He wrapped a wing around her shoulders. “Come on; let’s get out of the hallway.”
“O-Okay,” she muttered, letting him lead her into his room.
Her sorrow was temporarily stinted as they walked inside, her mouth dropping open at the sheer beauty of the living quarters.
The room was divided in half, a comfortable lounge of sorts on one side with two separate beds on the other. An open door on the far wall led into a bathroom. The walls were an exact replica of the night sky; occasional shooting stars flew in and out of sight. Unknown planets and galaxies swirled in the distance and the floor was patterned to look like a nebula. A rug under the bright orange and yellow furniture featured the sun and moon in an eternal dance.
"Who knew chaos magic could make something like this," she said in awe, staring at the ceiling where a chandelier displayed different phases of the moon as its light bulbs.
"It is pretty impressive," Flash agreed, walking over to the living area. "I'm ashamed to admit I've always been wary of Discord. Ever since his betrayal to Tirek, I honestly didn't believe he could be trusted."
Twilight’s ears flattened and her tears returned. “Yeah,” she muttered. “I know what you mean.”
“Twilight? He didn’t… do something untrustworthy, did he?” Flash asked hesitantly, silent anger beginning to bubble beneath the concern.
His reaction confirmed everything for the princess and she broke open like a cracked geode, exposing every raw and staggering thought about Discord to the orange stallion. Flash sat there in stunned silence. When she finished, he was staring down at his hooves.
“Wow, I…feel terrible,” he muttered, “and I barely know him.”
“Yeah,” Twilight said bitterly, “imagine how I feel.”
“Oh, Twilight, I’m sure Cordy wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings,” he said.
“He wasn’t,” she agreed. “He only opened my eyes to see a wrong that all of Equestria has been committing for centuries. Think about it, Flash. Every time some creature other than a pony hurts us, we automatically label them as evil for the rest of their lives. We don’t give them a second chance.”
“That’s not true,” Flash countered. “We gave Thorax a chance.”
“Yes, but how many ponies actually trust the changelings?” Twilight argued back. “The Crystal Empire only accepted Thorax because it trusted Spike’s word that he was worth trusting. The only pony who has ever vouched for Discord is Fluttershy and most ponies don’t respect her because they think she’s a loner and a doormat. They also disrespect her decision to be his friend. The rest of us just tolerate Discord but she’s embraced him.”
“No wonder he loves her,” Flash muttered.
“My thought exactly,” Twilight agreed, nodding.
“Alright, so ponies can be highly hypocritical and Discord’s disruptive behavior is now understood. What are you going to do about it? You can’t change a pony’s way of thinking.”
“No, but I can change mine,” she declared. “And from this day forth I’m going to treat Discord the way I should have treated him since his reformation: like a friend. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let his chaos get out of hoof. When needed, I’ll correct him with kindness instead of hostility… just like Fluttershy.”
Flash sent her a warm smile before stepping forward and boldly kissing her cheek.
Twilight’s face burned. “What was that for?”
His smile grew and he shook his head. “I just find you incredibly beautiful right now.”
She smiled and shyly shifted on her hooves. “Really?”
“Yeah. And, for the record, I’ll do what I can to be Discord’s friend too.”
“You don’t have to,” Twilight said. “I mean, I don’t want to force you into a friendship with anypony or creature.”
“Hey, I like the guy,” Flash said with a shrug. “He may be a super odd dude but he’s cool. I mean, he’s the one who made the suggestion to take you to dinner.”
“He was?” she asked, surprised.
“Well, he found me loitering out in the hallway," Flash confessed, sheepishly rubbing his blue mane. "With everything going on, we haven't really had a moment to be alone, and I didn’t want to go rushing off into battle without…"
Twilight placed a hoof over his and smiled. “A dinner date with you sounds perfect. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to talk before now. It's not like I haven't wanted to. I've just had so much on my mind and-"
He gently set a hoof on her shoulder. "I understand,” he said sincerely. “Equestria's safety is always going to come first and I fully support that. Honestly, I find it very noble of you to even want to return to Canterlot after what Tirek did to you. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Twilight looked at the ground. She hadn't had a chance to talk about this with any of her friends, not in the way she really wanted to. What with being reunited and coming up with a battle plan, she hadn't had time to really process her feelings. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she felt rather overwhelmed.
Seeing her distress, Flash hastily said, "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. We’ve already had quite the discussion about hypocrisy. I'm sure we can think of other-"
"No," she interrupted. Flash's ears laid back and she quickly continued, "I mean, I need to talk about this… if you're willing to listen?"
He gave her his undivided attention. "I'm all ears," he promised.
Twilight's eyes filled with tears again and she quickly wiped them away.
"I don't exactly know where to start," she confessed.
"How about you start with how it happened."
“Okay,” she muttered, remembering the Darkness' horrid poison coursing through her veins, corrupting every part of her. She took a deep breath and began.
"I fought him at first," she bitterly recalled, "Tirek, I mean. But he threatened to hurt Cadence. I couldn't let him do that to her so I allowed him to change me. It was horrible." She shuddered. "I felt the evil magic warping everything about who I am, twisting my purpose into something dark and ugly. Love became hate. Knowledge and power became a tool towards domination. My friends and family became my enemies. I felt myself physically change too; it was painful."
She paused, remembering.
"I became Midnight Sparkle, a servant of evil. I felt the magic burning and compelling me to do everything Tirek asked. I didn't resist because I didn't want to resist. He asked me to hunt down my friends and I did. I terrorized so many ponies. Friends I’ve known for years were afraid of me and I didn’t care. I actually liked that they were scared.” She shook her head. “I hunted all over Ponyville. I remembered teleporting Starlight to Sugar Cube Corner so that’s where I went first. When I didn’t find her or Pinkie, I destroyed the place. I left it in shambles.” A sob wrenched its way out of her throat. “How could I have done that to the Cakes and their home? I don’t think I hurt them but I destroyed their house. I did the same thing to Rarity’s boutique; the house at Sweet Apple Acres; Rainbow Dash’s cloud home; Fluttershy’s Cottage. I destroyed them all!"
"Oh, Twilight, I'm so sorry," he said, wrapping his forelegs around her and pulling her close.
“I know I’m not a monster but I feel like one,” she cried, sobbing into his shoulder. “ Starlight set up her fakes all over town and I blasted each one, leaving mini craters and ruining other ponies property. How could I have done such horrible things to Ponyville? I would have even gone to the School of Friendship and razed it to the ground if I hadn’t found the portal to Discord’s dimension in Fluttershy’s cottage. My students, Flash. I could have hurt my students!” She buried her face in his neck and cried. “I betrayed Spike. I threatened to kill Fluttershy and was happy to see her and Discord in chains. When my friends tricked me into coming here, I hated them. I’ve never hated anypony the way I hated them. Such anger and malice; how could they forgive me so easily?”
Flash whispered comforting words that she didn’t hear, so great was her unrest. The guilt, the sorrow, the pain; she could ignore them no longer. She knew Amity had said she was still worthy -and deep down she truly believed she was- but these feelings were real and she could no longer pretend that all was well when it clearly wasn’t.
“Twilight, nopony blames you for the actions of Midnight Sparkle,” Flash said, tenderly kissing her forehead and wiping away her tears. “She wasn’t you. She was a creation of Tirek’s.”
“No,” Twilight corrected, weakly shaking her head, “she was a creation of the Darkness that Tirek joined forces with. We have to stop him, Flash. I can’t even imagine what other horrible things he’s doing to the others; what terrible things he’s making them do.
"When I failed to hunt down all my friends… he restrained and beat me. And I let him without a fight.”
“He hit you?” Flash cried, outraged. Twilight nodded, unable to look at him. He gently lifted her chin. “He didn’t do anything else, did he? He didn’t… touch you anywhere, did he?”
“No," she said, quickly shaking her head. “He’s not attracted to ponies. He said so while beating me. He said that I was lucky that he wasn’t or else…”
She stopped and shivered, recalling the memory of being chained to the wall, a collar tightly clasped around her neck, a muzzle restraint around her face, and iron clasps around her legs. Tirek stood over her, using both his magic and a whip to punish her. Her "sisters" stood behind him, watching the proceedings, laughing at her tears and muffled, anguished cries.
“I was scared," she gasped, her whole body shivering, "but I couldn’t do anything about it. Even as Midnight, I was helpless and scared.” She whimpered and cried, clutching Flash like a foal clutches their mother, trapped in the nightmares of the past.
Flash firmly held her to his chest, a safety from the storm of tortured memories parading through her mind.
Tirek may have commanded Daybreaker to heal Midnight after the punishment but Twilight could still feel every burn, every lash. She could even feel the ghost of the restraints. Her grip on Flash tightened, her sobs deepening.
“Shhhh,” he consoled, nuzzling her head, holding her tightly. “You’re safe, Twilight. You're safe. I’m not going to let him hurt you again."
“Y-You can’t promise that,” she cried, her tears thick and fast. “We’re going to war. We’re going back there. I’ll have to face him again.”
“You won’t be alone,” Flash promised, gently holding her head in his hooves. “You’ll have all of us with you and you’ll have your freedom. He won’t be able to control you.”
“But he might try to use the others as a means to get us to comply!” she argued. “I can’t watch anypony else get hurt! I can’t!”
Her heart panicked at the thought of any of her friends in a similar position to the one she'd been in. Tirek had healed her because he wasn't done using her but her friends? He'd torture and kill them. He might even have the princesses do it, just to spite them!
“Twilight, there are always casualties in war,” Flash reluctantly admitted, “but we’re not going to lose any of the princesses or our friends.”
“How do you know that?” she cried desperately.
“Because we have you,” he stated, wiping further tears from her cheeks. “And I know that you will never let evil win. You’ll find a way to protect everycreature. I truly believe Tirek corrupted you because you are his biggest threat. You rally all around you, inspiring them, strengthening them, helping them to find the magic of friendship within themselves. There is a light within you that burns brighter than even Celestia's sun, that's more powerful than any magic Tirek possesses. You're also the smartest, strongest, most powerful alicorn I've ever met. With you as our leader, I have no doubt Tirek will fall and the princesses will be freed.”
Twilight searched his face, marveling at how his words could have such an impact on uplifting her spirit.
"Do you really believe all of that?" she asked.
"Absolutely," he answered with the utmost confidence.
Twilight shook her head, her eyes softening, the hurt in her heart slowly ebbing away under the light of his love.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, Flash,” she said. “But I’m really glad to have you.”
“I’m glad to have you too, Twilight,” he muttered.
“Thank you,” she said, leaning towards him.
“For what?”
“For listening,” she whispered, closing the distance.
The kiss was short but sweet, her lips a perfect fit with his. They broke apart and stared at each other. A second passed and a sudden eagerness seemed to descend upon them like a shroud. Flash instigated a second kiss, his lips pressing more aggressively into hers. Twilight welcomed the aggression, her eyes sliding closed and her forehooves looping around his neck. Both relished the connection they were feeling.
It was intense. It was beautiful. It was healing.
Eventually they pulled away, breathing heavily, their eyes bright with joy and life. Twilight felt lighter than she had since speaking with Amity. A tiny giggle bubbled from her throat and Flash laughed too. They shared a happy nuzzle before resting their foreheads together, their wings wrapping around each other.
“Not bad for a first kiss,” Flash remarked.
Twilight smiled. “Why haven’t we done that before?”
“Because every time we’ve seen each other we haven’t really been alone.”
She shook her head. “I make a motion that we should kiss every time we see each other, no matter the setting.”
“I second that motion!” he said cheerfully, kissing her again.
The next time they pulled away, Twilight knew it was time to leave. Flash seemed to know it too, for he stood up and sighed.
“I know tonight was supposed to be dinner for two but… I think it would be wise to take you back to your room.”
She couldn’t help but smile, admiring and appreciating his respect for her. “Ever the gentlepony.”
He held his head high. “Nothing less for my princess.”
She blushed happily.
Both reluctantly went to the door but quickly shut it without stepping outside because Discord and Fluttershy were ‘saying' goodnight, the draconequus pinning the pegasus to the wall with his tail as he devoured her in a very passionate kiss.
“I think we’ll wait a few minutes,” Flash muttered, chuckling awkwardly.
Twilight laughed too. “For what it’s worth, I think they’re a cute couple.”
Flash grinned. “You know, I think so too.”
“You know who else is a cute couple?”
He pretended to feign innocence. “Who?”
Twilight leaned in and nuzzled his face. “Us.”
They shared another small round of kisses before checking to see if the hallway was clear. Now Discord and Fluttershy free, Flash led the way to Twilight's door. He nuzzled her one last time before picking up her hoof to kiss it.
“Good night, my princess,” he said tenderly.
Twilight blushed. “Goodnight, my sentry.”
They kissed again and Twilight slipped inside.
The movie was still going but was near the end. Twilight discreetly grabbed a slice of pizza and moved through the dark towards the hot tub. She sat down close to Fluttershy, noticing that Mirror Fluttershy was still missing. Fluttershy looked at her knowingly and the two shared a large smile before facing the screen and enjoying the ending with the others; even if they didn’t fully understand why the main mare was trying to rip a crown off another mare’s head in what was clearly a fashion show.
Five minutes later, Mirror Fluttershy sat down next to her double. Twilight glanced at her, smiling at the happy grin on her reddened face. The movie finished and everypony exclaimed what a great flick it was.
“I’m seriously going to ask Discord for a copy,” Rainbow Dash said as everypony started getting ready for bed.
“Who knew there was a movie that would fit all our tastes,” said Applejack with a chuckle. “I never thought I’d enjoy a film about a beauty pageant.”
“And the costumes were positively stunning!” Rarity sighed as she brushed her mane.
“Oh, I know, darling!” Mirror Rarity agreed. “I have so many new design ideas.”
“Me too!”
“Alright, settle down, you two,” Mirror Applejack advised. “Now’s the time fer sleepin’ not designin’.”
“We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” Twilight agreed, emerging from her bathroom after brushing her teeth. “We’d better get some sleep.”
“Is anyone else worried about falling into the hot tub in the middle of the night?” asked Sunset, skirting around it on her way to bed.
The moment she said it, the thing disappeared. Everypony stared.
“Guess Discord set up a self removal spell,” Starlight surmised.
“Either that or the floor got hungry and decided to eat it,” said Pinkie Pie.
Several ponies stared at her.
“I’m kidding!” she laughed.
“Though in Discord’s house, that wouldn’t be surprising!” Mirror Pinkie Pie sang, burrowing under her covers.
Mirror Twilight took off her glasses and yawned. “Let’s not dwell on the possibilities of that.”
“Good idea,” Twilight agreed, climbing under her covers. Using her horn, she flicked out the lights except for a small night light glowing near the bathroom doors. “Good night, girls.”
“Good night!” They chorused.
The Princess of Friendship sighed, settling in. She felt exhausted, refreshed, and renewed. Her lips pulled up in a smile as she thought of Flash and his faith in her. She truly believed that everything was going to be okay. Filled with confidence and peace, she drifted off to sleep.
Twilight woke the next morning due to an escalation of sound emanating from a very annoying alarm clock.
"Will somepony please silence that infernal noise?" Rarity demanded, sitting up and removing her sleeping mask.
Pinkie Pie happily bounced out of bed and pulled a pogo stick from her hair. Gaining enough momentum, she snatched the clock out of the air and quickly pressed the off button. Everypony sighed in relief.
"A clock that makes sound effects? I totally want one!" said Mirror Pinkie Pie, examining the time piece.
"That thing was more obnoxious than a brood of chickens at feeding time," Mirror Applejack muttered, stretching her forelegs and gasping in surprise.
"What? What's the matter?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Mirror Applejack blushed. "I, er, forgot Discord turned us into ponies."
"I wish I could say I did," Mirror Rainbow Dash complained. "Do you know how hard it was to fall asleep with these things?" She flapped her wings.
"I had a similar issue," Mirror Fluttershy confessed. "I could only sleep on my stomach."
"When I became an alicorn I had to get used to my wings too," said Twilight sympathetically. "The key is to keep them folded close to your body. Think of them like an extra blanket."
"Twilight, what happened?" Sunset asked, staring at Mirror Twilight and trying not to laugh.
"I may or may not have ripped my pillow," Mirror Twilight answered, pointing at her horn before brushing feathers out of her mane.
Sunset started laughing and the others soon joined in, Mirror Twilight included.
Twilight watched them, her heart somewhat hurting. Last night Flash had helped her feel such confidence but now all she felt was fear and uncertainty. The ghost of Tirek’s cruelty hung over her head and, for a moment, she envisioned her friends' laughter transformed into screams of agony. There was a distinct possibility that this plan could fail. The idea of being forced to return to evil servitude and hating her friends left bile in Twilight’s mouth and tears in her eyes. Quickly getting up, she hastened to the bathroom, her ears pressed against her skull as she slammed the door behind her.
The laughter in the main room stopped and the soft clip-clop of pony hooves neared the other side of the door, stopping right in front of it.
“Twilight?” Starlight called. “Are you alright?”
"I'm fine," she lied, hastily wiping her eyes.
She could practically see Starlight’s disbelieving eyebrow and frown as she said, "Twilight."
The Princess sighed and reluctantly opened the door. All of her friends had gathered, each of them expressing equal amounts of concern. Twilight felt undeserving of the love and devotion she saw in their eyes.
"What's wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
Twilight sat down and looked at the pink and purple tiles of her bathroom floor. She closed her eyes and tried not to cry as she confessed, "I’m scared. The ally Tirek’s been working with is the most powerful foe we’ve ever had to face - besides Discord. Tirek is capable of completely changing and enslaving any creature he wants with a mere touch of dark magic! I know that we have to save the other princesses and free Equestria but I’m terrified!
“I’m afraid of being turned back into Midnight Sparkle, of hating all of you again, of losing my own free will. Tirek hurt me when I failed to capture all of you. He turned Fluttershy into a vampire pony and Discord into a mindless beast. I know for a fact he had no intention of keeping either of them alive in the long term. I’m scared that if we fail, he’ll turn me back into Midnight and I’ll help him capture and change you all. I can’t lose any of you. And I feel like a complete coward for saying it but part of me wants to just stay here in Discord’s dimension because here I know Tirek can’t hurt any of you.”
Heavy silence followed her confession. Twilight sat there, hating herself, feeling like a complete and utter failure. She didn’t deserve the wings on her back. What kind of princess would shirk from her responsibilities of protecting the land and subjects she loved?
There was a soft clop of hooves and a gentle pair of yellow forelegs looped around her shoulders.
“I probably know more about being scared than anypony,” Fluttershy said quietly in her ear, “But I know that I’m always less scared when I’m with all my friends.”
“We’re facing impossible odds," said Rainbow Dash, "but we’re facing them together."
“It’s what we always do, darling,” Rarity smiled.
“But what if we fail?” Twilight whispered.
“That’s always a possibility,” said Pinkie Pie with a shrug. "But so far we've been okay."
“Bad things happen, Twilight,” Applejack gently declared. “There’s never going to be a time when everything is perfect. But that don’t mean you quit trying.”
“And you have to remember that you’re not alone,” said Starlight. “Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are right. All of us are here with you.”
“And if you do become Midnight Sparkle again, the power of our friendship is strong enough to change you back,” Sunset consoled.
"Don't forget the infinite might of two incredibly good-looking Chaos gods in your corner," said Discord, magically popping out of Fluttershy's mane.
Several ponies shrieked in surprise.
"Discord! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Applejack snapped, glaring angrily at his sudden appearance.
Discord slithered fully out of Fluttershy's hair and floated above them, mockingly scratching his beard in thought. "Can't say that I have," he finally said with a shrug.
Twilight looked at her friends. Most of them were sharing equal looks of frustration or disdain. She also had felt a round of annoyance with his sudden appearance but then she remembered what Cordy had said last night as well as her resolution to Flash. She also considered what Discord had said.
"Though I don't appreciate the eavesdropping, thank you for offering to help too, Discord," she said, sending him a friendly smile.
Discord's prepared reply died on his lips as he stared at her in shock. Fluttershy’s jaw dropped as well.
"Oh, um, you're welcome," he said sincerely, fairly flummoxed.
A pang of guilt and amusement ran through the princess; Guilt for finally seeing that he was always prepared to spar when in their presence and amusement because she'd actually succeeded in knocking him off guard. All these years he'd appeared knowing he would have to be defensive. Why did he keep coming back? If she'd had ponies treat her with contempt every time she appeared, she would have stopped hanging out with them years ago.
Could it be Discord never gave up because he actually wanted to be their friend? It certainly seemed so. Well, she'd finally had her eyes opened to truly give him a chance. Just like she'd given to Starlight and Sunset.
She looked at all her friends and smiled.
"I feel a lot better," she said honestly, "Knowing that all of you are by my side. I'm still scared but there's courage too. Thank you."
Rainbow Dash took to the air and punched her hooves together. "Alright! Let's go find some allies!"
"Wow there, Nellie," said Applejack, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the tail. "Nopony's going anywhere until we've had a decent breakfast."
"We don't have time for breakfast, AJ," she countered. Her stomach suddenly growled and there was a pause before everypony started laughing. "Alright, maybe breakfast is a good idea," the Wonderbolt muttered, sheepishly rubbing her mane.
"Well, that's good to hear, since I've slaved the whole morning in the kitchen," said Cordy behind them in the doorway. He wore a bright pink apron with white hearts, the smock fairly soiled in flour.
He snapped his claws and instantly everypony teleported into the dining room.
A large assortment of different colored pancakes sat on the table. The Pinkie Pies hopped up and down before beelining over to the nearest chairs and loading down their plates.
"Thanks for breakfast, Cordy," Mirror Fluttershy said, rewarding him with a kiss.
Cordy grinned and winked. "Try the pink ones; they pack quite the surprise."
"This tastes like apples!" Mirror Applejack exclaimed, chewing on an orange pancake.
"Mine tastes like bubble gum!" Mirror Pinkie Pie declared with a huge grin. She turned to Cordy and said, "You're welcome to come to any party I throw, Cordy!"
He chuckled, sitting down next to Mirror Fluttershy. "I just might take you up on that offer, my dear, when this Tirek business is over."
Twilight smiled, watching her friends before taking her own seat next to her double. She claimed a purple pancake and took a hesitant bite. The taste of a hayburger filled her mouth and she blinked in surprise and delight . It was one of the best 'hayburgers' she'd ever had. Looking at Cordy and then at Discord, she shrugged and continued to dig in, a quiet smile on her face.
Chaos, she decided, when not completely out of control, wasn't so bad after all.