The next meeting, Discord was late. Not everypony noticed, and those who did cared little. However, all heads were turned when the draconequus burst open the doors in the middle of a timberwolf weeping sap tears over being broken apart by a tiny dragon.
Discord was skipping. He left flowers where he stepped, and he was followed by tiny birds and woodland creatures singing a happy song. He wedged himself into his seat, and the animals thankfully disappeared.
Everyone else in the room simply stared at him.
He gave a wry smile. “I’m good now.”
“How do you mean?” Nightmare Moon asked cautiously.
“Good, benevolent, kind,” Discord listed off. “Celestia offered me freedom in exchange for a complete change of heart.” A halo appeared over his head.
“You’re good now?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow. “Then, why are you still here?”
“Why are you?” Discord countered.
“Trixie is not one of them,” she answered bitterly.
Discord shrugged. “Neither am I.”
--
DISCORD’S STORY
I was enjoying my existence as a simple statue, spending my days listening to the birds chirp as they perched on my head. I had plans to escape, of course, but I figured I had a century, or perhaps a millennium, before the Element bearers died and I could take action again. It would be easiest to strike before the next bearers were found, and what’s a few hundred years to someone immortal?
It came as a surprise when Celestia started talking to me. I hadn’t realized that she knew I could hear her through the stone. She told me there were soon to be big changes for Equestria, and that I needed to be part of them. She was going to release me.
She had her guards haul me onto a chariot, a rather undignified way of transport. I could have easily behaved myself for a simple ride to Ponyville. But it was clear that Celestia still couldn’t trust me, for whatever reason.
I was causing delicious chaos from the moment the chariot landed. My mere presence was enough to make the dutiful Twilight Sparkle question her teacher. It was fun already. But then Celestia told those ponies that she’d cast a spell on the actual Elements so I couldn’t hide them again…spoilsport.
Celestia wanted Fluttershy to be the one to supposedly reform me. Really, I believed the dear princess had gone soft in her old age. But, I couldn’t say anything while still stone, and she left before I was freed.
Oh, it felt so good to be released! I only changed a few creatures to their chaotic counterparts, and those little ponies got all fussy over it. Fluttershy threatened to stare at me. I still don’t know why Celestia chose her.
I turned those animals back to normal—it was too soon to be stone again, after all. Although I figured a little more chaos couldn’t hurt, as long as those ponies didn’t see.
If I couldn’t get to the Elements themselves, I had to find other ways to have fun with those Element Bearers. I knew Twilight, ever the bookworm, would find some other spell to use—if she had her books. Paper is not as delicious as you would expect, by the way. It soaks up absolutely none of the flavor of the words.
Fluttershy was so insistent that I could be good so quickly that she decided we would have a quaint little dinner party. Of course, I played my part, enchanting the dishes to give the ponies a wonderful show with their meal. It’s not my fault those ponies were suspicious and ungrateful.
Then, Fluttershy said she was my friend. I never really had a friend before—I toyed with Celestia whenever I felt like it, but she hated me too much to be a friend. It actually surprised me that Fluttershy cared.
Of course, I still planned to take advantage of that. It was only a surprise, not a heartwarming moment. So as soon as she asked a favor of me, I asked another favor of her—to never use her Element on me. She promised much more quickly than I expected. I really should look into making more friends.
But I’ll admit that just maybe my way of chaos was a bit too much for her and maybe I shouldn’t have flooded and froze Sweet Apple Acres. It was fun, but in the end, Fluttershy’s friendship was worth keeping.
Of course, Celestia and those silly ponies believe that I’ve somehow embraced the magic of friendship. While I might be on the side of good for now, that doesn’t mean I’m a different Discord. Friendship isn’t magic. It’s useful.
--
“Yeah, I really don’t think you should be in here anymore,” Gilda said. “How can you be friends with one of those dweebs? Friendship isn’t anything useful, it’s just friendship.”
“Everything is useful if you’re creative enough,” Discord replied with a sly smile.
Nightmare Moon regarded the two silently, as Discord brought back his bird friends to ceaselessly peck at the annoyed Gilda. Perhaps he was on to something with this idea of befriending and using the Element Bearers. Had anyone else thought the same?