A flash of pure white light suddenly appeared behind the black alicorn at the same time the throne room doors banged open. Discord's gaze tore away from Fluttershy's as the hall filled with the wounded bellow of Shadow and the war cry of a huge army of creatures led by Twilight Sparkle herself.
The room dissolved into sweet and glorious chaos as Spike the dragon flew off of Shadow's back, having attached a very familiar looking collar around the evil alicorn's neck; a collar that was supposed to be locked away in Discord’s dimension.
“Take that, you overgrown bully!” he called at the same time Twilight let out the battle cry, “For Equestria!”
“For Equestria!” The army bellowed.
“Don’t just stand there, kill them!” Shadow shrieked hysterically.
The evil princesses took to the air at their master’s command but Chrysalis and Tirek ran for the nearest exit. Spike landed in front of a speechless Discord a second later, pulling a white key from around his neck.
“Spike,” the draconequus spluttered, “How-?”
“Your sister,” he answered, ramming the key into the lock. "I'll explain later."
He turned the key and a surge of magic ran all along the chain, turning it and the shackles binding the Rainbooms and ponies to dust. Discord’s magic raced through his veins, practically singing a chaotic tune as his whole body wriggled like a wet noodle. At the sight of the Champions’ freedom, Shadow roared and launched himself at Fluttershy but Discord intercepted, crashing into the alicorn’s side and tackling him to the ground.
“Spike, get Fluttershy out of here!” Discord commanded, his voice strained as Shadow thrashed beneath him.
“No!” the black alicorn cried as the dragon scooped her up and took off. “No, she is our downfall! Our doom! She must be destroyed!”
Shadow flailed, his wings and legs smacking every inch of the draconequus in an attempt to break free. Discord groaned from the powerful jabs but refused to let go.
The Rainbooms and Bearers joined the fray, blasting the evil princesses from behind while Twilight's cavalry took them on from the front.
Thanks to Cordy there was a large supply of random items that the yaks, changelings, Earth ponies, and pegasi could use as ammo; pipes, umbrellas, wagon wheels, even a kitchen sink, flew through the air. The dragons even lit some of the items on fire in hopes for extra damage.
Nightmare Moon and Heartbreaker were taking on the crux of the army, causing plenty of damage with their unbridled power. But, while creatures were falling prey to their attacks left and right, the alicorns were becoming overwhelmed. They were losing this fight and they both knew it.
Meanwhile Twilight was facing off against Daybreaker singlehanded, the two nothing but yellow and purple balls of energy that, with every clash, created a shockwave that forcefully removed every creature around them by at least twenty feet. The pained cries of the wounded began to fill the broken throne room as parts of the ceiling and walls caved in from the stress of their battle.
Back on the ground, Discord and Shadow were wrestling with each other, the alicorn repeatedly slamming down on every appendage the draconequus had to prevent him from using magic. It also didn’t help that he kept headbutting him, forcing Discord to think more with physical defense in order to stay coherent. The alicorn’s actions were those of desperation, his main offense having been sealed off by the collar around his neck. A particularly nasty jab from his forehooves cracked Discord’s ribs and the draconequus grunted but refused to let go. He couldn’t afford to; not when Shadow was so desperate to get to Fluttershy.
“Give it up, Shadow!” he commanded.
“Never! This world belongs to me! To us!”
Shadow reared before falling completely on his back, trapping Discord’s middle beneath him. Twisting around, the alicorn slammed his hooves into Discord’s neck and began to squeeze.
“Did you really think this little setback would stop me?” he asked as Discord started to choke. “Already my forces are regrouping. This castle will be overrun in minutes. My alicorns are making quick work of Sparkle’s pitiful defense. Soon there will be nopony left. Can’t you hear it, Discord? The sound of their screams? That is your doing. But you can stop it. All you have to do is remove this collar and join me.”
Discord stared up at Shadow hatefully because he was right. The injured and dying, this whole battle raging around them, everything that had happened in the past, all of it was because of him; because he was too cowardly to admit to Amity he’d screwed up all those years ago and needed her help to fix it.
The guilt and remorse he felt were quickly transforming into a burning rage.
He had to end this, all of it, right now! If he didn’t, he would forever be haunted by the realities his creation had caused.
In a burst of fury he twisted out of Shadow’s grip and forcefully pinned him to the floor, letting out a roar that shattered the remaining stained glass windows. The sound was a combination of every animal Discord displayed, striking fear into the heart of everycreature in the room. Shadow stilled instantly, his inner confidence draining at the sight of his creator’s wrath.
“For too long I have allowed you to slither your way into the hearts of misguided creatures,” Discord raged. “I created you to be a companion yet you defied me and crossed a line I vowed never to even consider. You have killed, abused, manipulated, and violated my family and friends for the last time. If it were in my power, I would see to it that you were destroyed for good but, alas, I cannot kill what is also me.”
Shadow began to smirk until Discord lifted him in the air and threw him across the room. Shadow tumbled end over end before coming to a stop at the hoof of Twilight Sparkle. He gasped as she stood over him, her violet eyes filled with righteous indignation. To further the villain’s dismay, his alicorns were now tied up and gagged, having lost their battles and clearly unable to come to his aid.
Discord stayed where he was but let his voice carry. “Lucky for me, I have friends who can do what I can’t. He’s all yours, Your Majesty!”
Though she sported bruises, a broken wing, and a black eye, Twilight still managed to exude the royalty she was destined to hold as she stepped forward, her loyal friends and subjects behind her.
“It’s over, Shadow,” she declared, her voice ringing through the hall, “your army has lost and your alicorn princesses have been defeated. You thought that by taking me captive Harmony would truly be destroyed but you underestimated the power of friendship.”
“Oh, please, spare me the spiel!” Shadow interrupted. “I know what you plan to do with me, Sparkle. But I want you to look at my face and remember that I was the one who broke you. Midnight Sparkle will always haunt the deepest corners of your mind, forcing you to question your very nature. You will never be the princess you thought you’d be. There will always be darkness inside of you!”
“You’re right,” Twilight replied, surprising everycreature in the room. The evil grin slipped from Shadow’s face as she continued, “I will always have the voice of Midnight Sparkle somewhere in my mind. But a very wise mare once told me we choose who we are to be and I will never give in to my darker side. I am stronger than her because I choose to be good. I choose to love. And I choose to embrace friendship!”
The white glow of Amity began to emanate from her purple coat, the power extending to each of her Champions. Cordy snapped to Discord's side and the two dived behind Tirek's black throne for cover. Summoning a pair of x-ray glasses for the two of them, Discord and Cordy looked through the chair. The Champions had formed a large circle in the air with Twilight’s group at the top, Sunset’s on the right, the Young Six on the bottom, and the Pillars on the left, each glowing with the essence of Amity.
The Harmony radiating from them was so immense it was making Discord physically ill; his stomach roiled and his head pounded, his limbs even freezing in place against his will. Beside him, Cordy fared no better, groaning from the painful harmonic radiation. Shadow's agonized scream filled the hall as the Rainbow of Light burst from the Champions like a bunch of ribbons exploding from an oversized party cracker. A blinding flash of light flared in the center of the Champions, revealing Amity herself. Surrounded by her chosen advocates, her perfect white coat glowing with a rainbow aura, the Lady of Order and Harmony flared out her wings. On her command the strands of rainbow condensed around the Champions like a flaming ring before exploding outward in a shockwave of technicolor.
Discord felt them as they swept across the land, freeing every creature from Shadow’s tyrannical enslavement. He also felt the moment Shadow himself was obliterated. The chaos magic used to create him simply vanished from existence, swallowed up by its powerful opposite. A small weight of pity and sadness overcame the draconequus from the loss. Shadow had been his first attempt at making a friend after all, albeit an evil one. He’d had so much potential, being one of Discord’s finer ideas, but creating him had been a mistake. The Rainbow of Darkness was not meant to be a sentient being but a tool. And that tool was all that remained after the Champions' attack.
Trapped within a rainbow bubble, the Rainbow of Darkness slammed against its prison. Its desperation to escape was obvious. Discord knew that it rightly belonged with him but he honestly didn’t want it. He remembered the angry, bitter draconequus he used to be. He didn’t want to go back to that life, to have such a tool spurring him towards temptations that would ultimately ruin the new life he’d found. But if he didn’t take the Rainbow, who would?
He’d seen the destruction and devastation it caused in others. The truth was no other creature could handle its potency for chaos and disharmony like he could. Except-
Discord frowned, lightly tugging on his beard in thought. There was no question as to whether this new candidate could handle it. It was more a wonder if he would.
Discord was brought out of his silent revelry by Cordy. “I haven’t had sore muscles like this since before I became the Count of Chaos,” he complained, rubbing his arms while wincing.
Discord smirked, feeling the ache he was talking about down to every small joint in his body. “Just imagine what it’s like being directly underneath their attack.”
Cordy shuddered. “No, thank you.”
The two Chaos Beings emerged from their hiding place to a room filled with celebration, everycreature hugging and cheering for the Champions and their victory. To Discord’s immense surprise and pleasure, Amity was still present, her pure form towering over the now restored Princesses of Equestria and their subjects. She was smiling, enjoying the conviviality. The hug Twilight and her friends were sharing was interrupted the moment Fluttershy’s eyes made contact with Discord. Without a word she removed herself from the embrace and flew towards him. Discord’s entire being softened at the sight and he opened his arms wide, grunting softly as she nearly tackled him in a hug and kiss.
“I thought I was going to lose you!” she cried, her whole body trembling against him as she tightened her hold.
Discord nuzzled the side of her head. “You would have, if it hadn’t been for Spike,” he confessed, spotting the dragon fretting over Twilight’s injuries. “I want to know how he and my sister got into my dimension.”
“There'll be time for that later,” Fluttershy muttered, nuzzling his chest. “For now, just hold me. Please.”
“Gladly.”
Their reunion was witnessed by their friends, many of them holding smiles. Celestia, Luna, and Cadence, however, observed the sight with guilt and discomfort. The latter, in particular, looked to be faring the worst. Amity was trying to comfort them but it was clear she needed assistance from the look she sent Discord’s way. The draconequus frowned. He wanted nothing more than to whisk Fluttershy away but he also knew there were many fences he needed to mend; not to mention the coming trial Twilight had promised her subjects. Unfortunately, he was needed here. Sighing, he released a questioning Fluttershy and approached his family and friends.
“So, you’re still here,” he observed.
Amity smiled. “So are you. How are the limbs?”
“Stiff,” he admitted, “though not as hard as a statue.”
Fluttershy immediately began to fret. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Shy,” he said, ignoring Amity’s giddy smile at the pair of them. “Although a dip in my dimension wouldn’t hurt. The air is so saturated with Harmony I might just turn into a statue from prolonged exposure.”
He made a pose and turned to stone before the cement cracked apart and fell away, revealing a perfectly fine draconequus underneath. Fluttershy frowned at the display, her concern overriding the giggle she normally would have given at such a spectacle.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” pressed Twilight. “We did just bathe the world with harmony.”
“Such concern,” Discord tsked. “You’d think I was as delicate as a pansy! Sparkle, I’m fine. It’s you that should see a doctor. Have you seen that shiner?” He held up a mirror for her to inspect her face. “Daybreaker’s hoof work perhaps?”
“Those injuries didn’t come from our battle,” Celestia muttered brokenly. “They came from before.”
“Chrysalis and I ambushed her the moment she stepped into her tent,” Luna revealed. “While I took Twilight away, Chrysalis resumed her place.” The Princess of the Moon looked at Twilight. To everypony’s immense shock, she had tears in her eyes. “Twilight, I- we-”
It was then that Discord noticed the princesses were anything but regal, their heads lowered in shame. They were obviously the ones responsible for Twilight’s appearance. The draconequus immediately regretting drawing attention to Twilight’s face.
“It wasn’t your fault, Luna,” Twilight said, embracing her. She looked at Celestia and Cadence. “It wasn’t any of your fault. Shadow was responsible for all of it. If anypony is to blame-”
“It’s me,” Discord said, interrupting her.
“Discord-”
“No,” he gently admonished, “the blame for all of this is mine. If I hadn’t created Shadow all those centuries ago, none of this would have happened.” He stood tall, facing his four nieces. “I am willing to accept any and all responsibility for what has occurred.”
“Discord,” Celestia began but was interrupted by Amity.
“I don’t believe that now is the time to stand trial, Discord.”
“Why not?” he demanded, folding his arms. “All four of them are here. Harmony has been restored. I’d say this is the perfect time to get it over with.”
“No!” Fluttershy cried. She launched herself in front of him and threw out her hooves, determined to shield him with every part of her body. “You’re not turning him back to stone! I won’t let you!”
“Fluttershy-”
She whirled around. To the shock of all present, she slapped Discord hard across the face. “How dare you!” she shouted. “I can’t believe that after everything-!” Her breath hitched and her eyes filled with tears. “Why do you want to leave me behind?”
“You think I want to?” Discord growled, hating her tears and ignoring the fact that everypony in the near vicinity was watching. “If I had it my way, I’d whisk you off to my parents, marry you, and move far away from Equestria! But I can’t be selfish, Fluttershy, not this time! I’ve made so many mistakes -countless ones- that forced you and our friends to clean up after me. I’ve been running from justice for too long. It’s about time I do the right thing and take responsibility for my actions.”
Fluttershy started sobbing and Discord wrapped her up in his arms. Her devastation mirrored his own but he wasn’t going to allow it to change his mind. Once he’d seen just how badly Shadow had destroyed the lives of so many creatures, he knew he couldn’t just walk away from this one and let Harmony do her job. The ponies wanted him to be punished for Shadow’s crimes and, for once, he completely agreed with them. This was his fault and he would face justice. Even if it meant he would lose everything.
Twilight was the one to break the silence. “You’re not going to be put on trial today, Discord,” she declared.
“Twilight-” he began to argue but she cut him off.
“No. You may be ready to accept whatever terms we give but I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re not ready to give them.” Celestia, Luna, and Cadence shared a loaded glance with her before she continued, “Besides, we just won the fight against the worst villain Equestria has ever seen. We should be celebrating.” Before Discord could further protest, she turned to the Pinkie Pies. "Will you both do the honors?"
“You don’t need to tell us twice!” The Pinkie Pies grinned, whipping out their party cannons.
Cordy also stepped forward, holding up a hand prepared to snap. “Allow me to assist.”
In no time at all the room was restored to its former glory, streamers, balloons, and a shower of unending confetti falling from the ceiling; the confetti, Cordy’s touch, disappeared before hitting any creature on the head. The injured had been moved to the hospital and those that had once been evil in the battle on the Prairies had been snapped over too. Ponies, bat ponies, yaks, crystal ponies, dragons, and changelings celebrated together in harmonious camaraderie; the monsters from Tartarus were back where they belonged.
Discord stood off to the side, watching the proceedings but refusing to participate himself.
"Are you seriously going to sulk over here the rest of the night?" Amity asked.
"I don't see you celebrating," he said, avoiding the question.
"I intimidate them," she said, stating the obvious. "I'm the largest alicorn they've ever seen."
Discord snorted. "I could easily change that. One snap and Celestia would be as big as you."
Amity smiled. "Thanks but I don't think she'd appreciate that. Besides, you didn't answer my question."
"That's because I have nothing to say."
"Oh come on. Stop pouting!"
"I'm not pouting!" he snapped, folding his arms.
"Uh-huh, sure," she said, poking him in the side with her wing.
Discord grit his teeth, his anger and frustration building with every jab. Slapping her feathers away, he growled, "Will you stop that! I'm not in the mood."
Amity frowned, the jest in her eyes immediately disappearing. "Okay, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong?!" Discord threw up his paw and claw and thundered, "I'm actually trying to atone for all the pain I've caused these ponies and instead Twilight pulls a 'me' and distracts everycreature with a party! She did the complete opposite of what I expected her to do. Not to mention Celestia, Luna, and Cadence don't want anything to do with me and Fluttershy is avoiding me because she's mad that I'm trying to do the right thing. Do they not understand how tempting and easy it would be for me to simply snatch her and disappear from here without any form of reconciliation? I'm trying to be good! Why won't they let me?"
Amity placed a wing around him. "They're not ready to face you," she answered.
"That's what Twilight said," he grumbled. "I can't understand why. You would think they would be more than happy to get their revenge on the creature responsible for their atrocities."
"Discord, you're an idiot."
His jaw dropped and he stared at her in disbelief. "What?"
"You're an idiot," she repeated. "The princesses were just released from a very complicated abusive transformation and are in shock. They need time to process and heal. You need to give them that."
"Okay, fine," he mumbled reluctantly.
"You're also taking all of Shadow's sins on yourself, which is honestly ridiculous."
"How is that ridiculous? I created him! I should be blaming myself!" Discord snapped. "He's my responsibility. The only reason he was able to do the things he did was because of me!"
Amity shook her head. "You forget that Shadow was the Rainbow of Darkness before you gave him sapience."
"What has that got to do with anything?"
"Tell me, brother, is the Rainbow of Darkness you?"
"You know as well as I do that it was a tool given to me by our father."
"As the Rainbow of Light was given to me by our mother," she said. "The Rainbows are not us, Discord. They are powerful magical tools bestowed to us to help us with our work. They don't change who we are."
"But Shadow-"
"Was his own stallion," Amity declared. "A parent is not responsible for the actions of their children."
"They are if their children are not adults!"
"You're right but Shadow was not a child."
"He was at the start," Discord reminded. "He destroyed Dream Castle, Amity. He forced the ponies out of that land. And I helped him do it. I supported him, cheered him on. And when he killed that filly, I did nothing to stop him. I abandoned him, left him to his own designs, and look what happened!
"Stygian lost his friends, Luna was banished for a thousand years, Celestia walked alone for a millennium, Sunset Shimmer and her world suffered, and now all of this! Even Fluttershy and myself fell prey to his madness! None were spared. He was a monster and I, his creator, allowed it to happen. All of it! I should be another decoration in that garden outside, not a participant in these celebrations."
Amity's frown was heavy as she sighed. "I can see why Fluttershy slapped you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Discord, do you really want to leave her behind?"
"She'll only have to be without me for a thousand years at most. What's that to a god?"
"You'd seriously let her experience adjusting to Ascension without you?"
"She won't be alone. She'll have you and all the princesses."
"Yes, but she needs you!" Amity said, exasperated. "You can't abandon her to such an undertaking. Besides, Mom and I were the ones who turned you to stone and I'm not going to do that again."
"There has to be a punishment, Amity," Discord murmured, his eyes lowered but his tone final.
"Why?" she demanded. "Why do you feel the need to punish yourself?"
"Because I won't be able to live with myself if there isn't," he confessed. "He hurt so many ponies, Amity. I hurt so many ponies."
Amity sighed. She knew that there was no reasoning with him when he grew this stubborn. "Fine but I'm not turning you into a garden gnome. Let me talk with my daughters." She walked away a few paces before saying, "You'll have your trial, Discord. Just, for now, try to enjoy the party."
They both knew he wouldn't, given the guilt he was feeling.
"Amity," he called. She turned. "Thank you."
Her eyes were pained as she nodded, retreating to where her rather subdued daughters stood.
Summoning his own little table, Discord snapped up a boot filled to the brim with chocolate milk and began downing the liquid. He was just contemplating whether to eat the leather or not when somepony cleared their throat.
"Uh, hi Discord. Mind if we join ya?"
"Well, if it isn't my little pink hero and the great Sir McBiggun," Discord said as Spike and Big Mac pulled up the chairs that magically appeared behind them. Though still in a bad mood, Discord was actually very happy to see them. "What brings you to the villain's table?"
Spike and Big Mac shared a concerned glance.
"We saw you over here by yourself and thought we'd come see how you're doing," said Spike.
"Yep."
Touched by the genuine interest in his welfare, Discord decided to be candid rather than elusive. "Honestly, not good," he sighed, biting into his leather boot after all. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm the persona non grata of this shindig."
Spike frowned. “I’m going to guess that means the unwelcome guest?”
“Correct,” Discord muttered, swallowing the rest of the shoe.
“Come on, Discord, you’ve never let any pony slander bring you down before. Why start now?”
“Maybe because I agree with what's being said.”
Spike looked angry. “You agree that you and Fluttershy don’t belong together?”
“What?” Discord yelped. “My relationship with Fluttershy is the main party gossip? I thought they’d be moaning about me not being turned to stone!”
“Oh, they’re still saying that,” Spike said before quickly adding, “Not that I agree with them! It’s just that nopony thought anypony would ever-”
“Be attracted to me?” Discord asked, his tone dangerously low.
Spike held up his hands. “Hey, we totally approve of you two! We’ve been waiting for ages! Right, Big Mac?”
“Yep!” the red stallion said happily.
Discord blinked. “You have?”
Spike rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve kind of been hoping the two of you would get together ever since the Grand Galloping Gala incident.”
“Yep.” Big Mac chuckled.
“Wait- you mean to tell me you’ve been shipping us?”
“Um, yes? If you mean hoping for a relationship,” Spike said while Big Mac nodded sheepishly.
Discord sat back, stunned. “Huh. Both of you are really okay with it?”
“Discord, I’m attracted to ponies,” Spike pointed out. “Of course I’m okay with it.”
“And I may like mares but I think you and Fluttershy belong together,” said Big Mac.
This longer sentence was enough for Discord to know they were being completely sincere. Big Mac was a stallion of few words so when he said more than a word or two, it was genuinely important. Discord couldn’t help the small smile on his face as he magically extended his arms and pulled Spike and Big Mac to his sides.
“Thanks, fellas,” he said before his face fell. “Too bad Fluttershy is mad at me.”
Removing themselves from the embrace, Spike and Big Mac returned to their seats. “Care to share why?” the former asked.
Discord frowned. “She doesn’t think I should be punished for Shadow’s actions.”
“From what the others told me, I think I agree with her,” Spike said while Big Mac added “Yep.”
Discord cocked an eyebrow. “Really? And why is that?”
“Shadow may have been created by you but he wasn’t you,” Spike reminded. “He was his own stallion. You shouldn’t beat yourself up for what he did.”
Discord scowled. Not this again. “Can we change the subject please?” he demanded more than asked. “I’m getting tired of sounding like a broken record.” He changed into a record version of himself with a noticeable crack in the vinyl before flashing back. “Why don’t you tell me exactly how in chaos you came to be with that infernal collar that sealed off Shadow’s magic?”
Spike’s cheeks darkened. “Well, Amity found me in the underground caves in Canterlot and changed me back before helping me escape. We went to Fluttershy’s house -that is, what’s left of it- because the door to your dimension was still there. Amity gave me this weird black key and told me to go into your dimension to find the magic-canceling collar. She would have gone herself-”
“-Except she can’t go there,” Discord muttered, stirring a pot of jellybeans with a teaspoon. Popping a few into his mouth, he explained, “There’s too much chaos in there for her to survive. So, she asked you to do her leg work?”
Spike nodded. “She told me where the collar would be-”
“Hang on!” Discord cried. “How could she possibly know where I put it?”
A little annoyed from being interrupted again, Spike shrugged. “I don’t know. She just knew. Anyway, she told me where it would be and that I would need to put it around Shadow’s neck the second I left your dimension. The black key she gave me was how I got out. She said I just needed to put it in the door of your bedroom and it would put me right on Shadow’s back, which it did. You know the rest. By the way, your place is really…”
“Chaotic?” Discord supplied. “Of course it would be! Would you expect anything less?”
“I guess not,” Spike said, smiling weakly.
Discord’s eyes narrowed as he pushed the jellybean pot aside. “You know, Spike, you went into my bedroom- without my permission.”
The grin on the small dragon’s face immediately vanished and he hastily tried to defend himself. “It’s not my fault that’s where you put it!” he said rather quickly. “I wouldn’t have gone in there at all if it was somewhere else, honest! And I didn’t go into any of the other rooms either!”
Discord snorted and leaned back in his chair. “I suppose I can forgive your little intrusion. No doubt the black key came from my father; it’s one of his signature ways of breaking into my house and messing with my things. I caught him using my hot tub room once; you’d think the old man would have his own.”
Spike coughed. “Um, about that… Why didn’t you tell us you have a family? I mean, you have parents! You have a sister!” He glanced over at Amity, his cheeks darkening as his gaze lingered a second longer than appropriate. Discord cleared his throat and Spike whipped back around, sheepishly rubbing his arm.
“If you must know, I never said anything because the subject was never brought up,” the Chaos Lord answered before warning, “And don’t get any romantic ideas, Spike. My father would toss you into the deepest pit of Tartarus if he saw you looking at her like that.”
The small dragon audibly gulped. “R-Right, sorry.”
“No harm done. Anyway, I suppose I should thank you. If you hadn’t slapped that collar on when you did, none of us would be as we are now. You really saved the day.”
“Yeah, well, Twilight had great timing too. I didn’t know she was going to burst through those doors with an army but it was a great distraction.”
“No kidding,” Discord agreed, looking over at his injured niece. She was talking animatedly with Flash Sentry, the orange pegasus using his hooves to describe some part of the battle on the Prairies. Twilight laughed and Discord’s face softened. He was quite proud of her. Despite her injuries, she’d charged into battle like a true leader. “I wonder how she pulled that off.”
“Apparently Fancy Pants rescued her,” Spike revealed. “He’d been gathering an army of his own ever since he learned what Tirek was planning to do with the allies.”
“Is that how all of Ponyville ended up in the fray?”
Big Mac nodded. “Yep. We’d all taken refuge at your castle in the Everfree -thanks for that, by the way- but kept lookouts just in case. One of Fancy’s recruits was spotted roamin’ around Ponyville and asked if we could help.”
“Looks like Celestia’s secret pony service actually paid off.” Discord chuckled. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to know all those tax bits were put to good use.”
“Secret pony service?” Spike repeated, confused.
Discord was just about to reveal that Fancy Pants' actions were not those of a desperate noble stallion but the leader of the EIA when the approach of a certain yellow pegasus stopped him. Spike and Big Mac turned to see what had caught Discord’s attention and wisely stood up.
“Um, say, we’ll catch up later,” said Spike, scurrying off to rejoin Twilight while Big Mac tipped his head down and made for his family across the dance floor.
“Way to abandon a draconequus in need,” Discord muttered before straightening his back and eyeing Fluttershy warily.
“Hi,” she greeted.
“Hi,” he mumbled.
After a tense silence, Fluttershy took a deep breath and said, “Princess Celestia told me that we can stay here in the palace tonight.”
“That was nice of her.”
“Yeah.”
Discord kept his arms folded, poised for some kind of verbal attack. His heart ached from her obvious hurt and worry but he was still smarting from their last encounter; that slap on his cheek had really stung. Clearly they needed to talk but he wasn’t quite ready to let go of his anger and hurt.
Fluttershy seemed to sense this because her ears flattened and she stepped back, preparing to leave. “Would you like me to find a room?”
“If you want to,” he said, his own ears falling as he looked away from her. Did she have to make him feel so guilty for doing what he thought was right?
“Okay.” She began walking away.
The strain in her voice easily betrayed her tears. Groaning, Discord called out, “Fluttershy?”
She stilled but didn’t turn around.
“I need to go to my dimension for a bit but I’ll find you later tonight,” he promised.
“Okay,” she muttered, her head lowering.
Frustrated with both her and himself but not willing to leave things as is, the draconequus grit his teeth and flashed in front of her. Fluttershy let out a squeak from his sudden appearance and fell back on her rump. Ignoring the tears on her face, Discord quickly pecked her on the lips and muttered a small, “I love you”, before snapping away.
A moment later he was standing in his living room. He gasped as a rush of chaotic energy began to mend his aching body. He was like a living sponge, his muscles and joints greedily soaking up the chaos and disharmony saturating the air. He fell back and began floating, a sigh of satisfaction slipping past his lips.
“A draconequus could get drunk on this,” he muttered, his eyes closing in bliss.
Somepony coughed and Discord dropped several inches. Who in their right mind would dare-? He whirled around, ready to snap whoever it was into Kevin's ejecting claws when the sight of Sunburst gave him pause. Oh. Right. In all the chaos, he’d completely forgotten his great nephew, great great niece, and her royal crystaller were all crashing in his dimension.
“Um, Discord? Is that really you?” Sunburst asked.
Discord cocked one bushy brow. “Who else would it be?”
“A draconequus that looks like you but isn’t really you.”
Discord blinked. “That’s oddly specific. Have you met one of those here?”
Sunburst nodded. “We knew he wasn’t you because he lacked a certain finesse that only you have. That and his eyes were red with yellow pupils.”
Discord scowled. “What was he doing?” he asked, his senses stretching out to see if any trace of his father still lingered.
“We found him playing with Flurry Heart when she was supposed to be napping,” Sunburst said, wary of Discord’s tone. “Is he somepony we should be worried about?”
The Chaos Lord slapped his forehead and groaned. “No, no, he’s no threat,” he assured, quietly muttering under his breath, “Just an overly excited grandfather who wanted to play with his great great granddaughter.”
Of course the old man would pick a time when the world was in jeopardy to play with a foal; anything to avoid any kind of responsibility to his charges from Tartarus.
Sunburst was still looking unsettled. Discord cleared his throat, summoning a large ice cream sundae and slurping the glass. “The battle’s over and done, if you must know. Harmony prevails!”
“Really? That’s wonderful!” Sunburst said excitedly. “I’ll go tell Shining Armor.”
He turned to go but Discord saved him a trip, snapping the prince and little princess into his living room.
“What the- Discord!” Shining Armor cried. “What’re you doing here?”
“Hello, salutations, and all that jazz,” Discord greeted. “The war is over, we won, and the three of you can go back to the Crystal Empire where you belong.”
Before he could snap them away, Flurry Heart flew into his chest and wrapped her hooves around his torso. Discord froze, looking down at the cotton candy bundle. The look in her gigantic blue eyes -were ponies even allowed to have eyes that large?- held a sparkle, as if she knew who he really was.
“Flurry, what’s gotten into you?” Shining Armor asked.
“‘Unca,” she said, grinning widely.
Not knowing at all how he should behave with a baby, Discord awkwardly pet her swirly curls before removing her from his chest and placing her back in the arms of her dad. Flurry Heart whined, reaching out for him. Frowning, Discord snapped up a stuffed snail and thrust it at her. The foal’s eyes lit with joy and she immediately took it.
“I guess she likes you,” Shining Armor muttered, slight disapproval in his tone.
Discord rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, there’s no point in the three of you sticking around. I’ll send you to Canterlot since that’s where your dear Cadence is.”
“Thank you so much for letting us stay here,” Sunburst began.
“Don’t mention it,” Discord said before appearing right in the orange stallion’s face, “ever.”
Sunburst squeaked and backed up. “Y-You got it.”
With a snap of his tail, the three were gone, leaving him truly alone for the first time since this whole debacle started.
At first the Lord of Chaos was glad for the peace and quiet but then he felt the need to do something; anything to get away from his thoughts. He decided to do some redecorating. He rearranged the living room, repurposed the guest rooms, and changed the entire layout of the house. When that was done he introduced Lesti to his newest pet, Daybreak, and the two tails hit it off swimmingly; remarkably Daybreak didn’t burn Lesti at all as they snuggled together on a cushy pillow. Leaving the tails a large bowl of shampoo, Discord remembered the keys he gave to the Pinkie Pies as well as the enchantment he’d placed on the Rainbooms and ponies to return to his dimension. Not wanting any more unexpected guests, he snapped back and destroyed the keys before removing the enchantment with a snap of his tail tuft.
Feeling good about the work he’d accomplished, Discord flopped down on his bed, a sigh of contentment escaping him- until a picture of Fluttershy on the nightstand caught his eye. Any and all peace flew out the window at the sight and he groaned. Grabbing his pillow, he literally shoved his head inside it. Settling in with the stuffing, he pondered over what he should actually do.
“You know, avoiding her won’t solve the issue.”
Discord removed his head from the pillow and sat up, scowling. He was now sitting in a rather ridiculous therapist office, his long serpentine body stretched out on a hideous orange chaise lounge. Cordy Two sat behind a desk, observing him disapprovingly through a pair of rectangular spectacles. “Nice of you to drop in,” he said.
Discord scowled. “You forced me here.”
“Such accusations!” Cordy Two scoffed. “Your own emotions brought you here. Instead of arguing the matter, why don’t we get down to the nitty gritty. Why are you avoiding Fluttershy?”
“I’m not avoiding her!” Discord lied. “In case you haven’t noticed, I was just exposed to a toxic level of Harmony magic. I needed time to recover.”
“Your chaotic ‘recovery’ completed over an hour ago. Admit it; you’re avoiding her.”
Discord snarled. “So what?! You are too!”
Cordy Two gasped dramatically. “I am not!”
“Are too!” Discord hissed. “And don’t you dare try to lie! I can see right through you.”
“Hey, who’s the therapist here?”
“I am! And I really don’t want to pour out my feelings to myself because that isn’t going to solve anything.” Discord pushed himself to his feet. “This is stupid. I’m going to talk to Fluttershy.” He reached into a pocket in his fur and yanked out a wad of bits. Slamming it on the desk he said, “Thanks for the talk, doc. You’ve been a great help.”
He left the office in a flash of light, leaving a rather confused Cordy Two behind.
Reappearing in a castle hallway in Canterlot, Discord stopped in front of the door he knew Fluttershy was behind. In the past he would have just flashed inside but he’d conditioned himself long ago to respect Fluttershy’s privacy. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
Why did he suddenly feel like there was a bullfrog in his throat? “It’s me.”
A heavy pause.
“Come in.”
Discord hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until his lungs burned with a need for air. Sucking in a few deep breaths and ignoring his pounding heart, he pushed open the door.
Fluttershy was already in bed, the covers pulled up to her chest. It was only then that Discord realized that it was the middle of the night.
“Did I wake you?” he asked, feeling like a complete idiot for not checking the time.
“No,” she answered. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Discord stood there awkwardly rubbing his arm. The room was large but, for some reason, he felt like the walls were closing in. The mundane decor and silence were really starting to bother him and his fingers actually sparked with a need to snap some form of disorder to the organized space. The irritated spark wasn’t missed by Fluttershy who immediately looked concerned.
“You can rearrange things if you want,” she invited. “I won’t mind.”
“I don’t want to mess anything up,” he lied. She frowned, cocking an eyebrow. Discord folded his arms and pouted. “I really don’t.”
“Discord.”
“Okay, fine,” he grumbled, snapping his fingers.
The white and gold paint on the walls turned neon blue and burgundy while the sheets flared with tie dye. A large pool of marshmallow fluff replaced the round rug and the dresser’s legs grew an extra three feet. Fluttershy watched Discord’s shoulders relax from the chaotic changes and smiled. The draconequus cursed under his breath.
“You know, that’s really not fair.”
“What is?”
“That you can still show kindness when we’re mad at each other.”
Fluttershy’s smile slipped from her face and her ears drooped. “I’m not mad at you, Discord.”
“You’re not?” he said, surprised. “But I thought-”
Something small and yellow slammed into his chest and Discord looked down in disbelief as a sobbing Fluttershy blubbered, “I’m sorry, Discord! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have slapped you! I was scared and angry but I’m not anymore. If you feel like you need to take responsibility for all the things Shadow did, I won’t stop you. But I don’t want you going through your punishment alone. Let me be with you. Please! I can’t stand the thought of living without you.”
Discord stared down at her watery teal eyes and frowned. “And here I thought I was going to be the one apologizing on bended knee.” Gently prying Fluttershy away from his chest, he lifted the pony up until she was at eye level. “You puzzle me, my dear. First you teach me to be responsible for my actions then you tell me not to do that and now you’re saying I should as long as you can suffer along with me. How is a draconequus to know the right thing to do when his reformer is such a walking contradiction?”
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy sniffled.
Discord pulled her to his chest. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one who should apologize. I was so caught up in the destruction of my creation, I failed to see things from your perspective. Forgive me, my dear, for not seeing it that way.”
“I forgive you,” she muttered, hugging him back.
“Fluttershy, are you sure this is what you really want?” he asked after a moment’s pause. “I know you said you want to be with me but I’d be lying if I said I was comfortable with you sharing a punishment you don’t deserve.”
Gently removing herself from their embrace, the pegasus sat down on the edge of the bed. Discord joined her. “Remember that really rainy day,” she muttered, “About a year after the first Tirek incident?”
Discord knew exactly what day she was talking about. His ears drooped slightly. “Yes. It’s the biggest reason I’m not comfortable agreeing with your request,” he confessed, remembering her panicked breathing and wild, tearful eyes.
She’d asked him to turn her to stone for a day, claiming that it was the only way she could truly empathize with his past. It had taken an entire pot of tea, a full bubble bath, and an intense five hour cuddle session with all her furry animals to remove the traumatized emotions that followed.
“I don’t want you to go through anything like that again,” she said, playing with his paw, “Unless I’m with you. To know that I’m there, that you’re holding on to me, that’s the only way I can live with your stubborn decision.”
“Stubborn? Look who’s talking,” he muttered sadly, feeling guilty for selfishly giving in to what she wanted.
She looked up at him. “You won’t stop me?”
“My dear Fluttershy, how can I? You know that I wouldn’t last a week without you anyway; not after all we’ve shared.”
She nuzzled his side, her tears dampening his fur. “Thank you.”
“Oh, sure, thank me for dragging you into my condemnation,” he groused. “Like that makes me feel any better about all this.”
A weak giggle escaped her. “At least we’ll have each other.”
Discord wrapped an arm around her withers and squeezed. “Yes, at least we’ll have that.” He let out a sad chuckle. “What a pair we are.”
Fluttershy leaned further into his side and sighed. “I love you, Discord.”
“I love you too, Canary Horse,” he muttered, kissing the top of her head. “We should get some sleep.”
“You’ll stay with me?”
“Of course,” he said, flopping back on the bed. “Canterlot’s mattresses are a hard thing to pass up, after all.”
She smiled.
Discord kissed the top of her head again.
“Goodnight, Dissy,” she muttered.
“Goodnight, Shyfly,” he said quietly, snuggling her to sleep.