//------------------------------// // Canterlot Wedding: Part 3 // Story: The Mixer Chronicles // by Mixer //------------------------------// Book Six: Canterlot Wedding Part 3 I awoke to something hard bumping into my head. It seemed that mornings were just not my thing. I opened my eyes to see Twilight’s hoof twitching by my head, giving me another soft kick in the face. I rolled off the bed and stretched, avoiding any more potential head injuries than were absolutely necessary. I looked over at the bed and saw that Twilight and Fluttershy were snuggled up together, sleeping soundly while Zecora was nowhere to be found. The ever present cloud cover made it hard to tell what time it was, but I had to guess it was about sunrise. I walked out of the bedroom and saw Zecora stirring the cauldron. “I hope you don’t intend us to eat changeling stew for breakfast,” I grumbled. “About breakfast you should fear not, while you were sleeping I cleaned out the pot,” she replied. “So, what are you cooking?” “Something full of energy. I think that it will help thee.” I shrugged, “So are we going to wake the others, or let them sleep?” “We cannot let them sleep, we have a schedule to keep,” she said, walking towards the bedroom. I took the opportunity to walk over to the pot and take a sniff. It smelled bitter, but at the same time it had a fragrance about it that was invigorating. I heard yawning from the other room as Zecora roused Twilight and Fluttershy. It wasn’t long before the three of them were walking out from the bedroom. Fluttershy and Twilight both looked sleepy, but it wouldn’t be long before they were fully awake. “Come you three, grab a bowl. Drink of this, drink it whole,” Zecora said, getting a ladle for the concoction in the cauldron. I grabbed a wooden bowl and held it up with magic for her to fill. Twilight did the same, looking at it dubiously, while Fluttershy held out the bowl with her hooves. Even Zecora grabbed a bowl and gave herself a serving. “Well, bottoms up,” I said, draining the warm, thick liquid from the bowl. Zecora did the same happily, while Fluttershy and Twilight each started with a sip. I could feel warmth filling me up, easing any soreness or tiredness from my body and replacing it with energy and strength. It made me feel like I could run from one end of Ponyville to the other without stopping, twice. Twilight and Fluttershy instantly perked up after finishing their bowls. “Wow! I feel great,” Twilight commented. Zecora gave a chuckle, “Now that you’re ready to go, our plans we must grow.” “Well, Twilight, do you have any ideas?” I asked. “Well, we can’t get into Canterlot, it’s far too risky... and there probably isn’t anypony left in Ponyville that hasn’t already been caught.” “Fluttershy, can you think of anything?” “Oh goodness no. All the poor critters probably already ran away.” “Zecora?” She smiled, “You ask us what we should do, when the one here with a plan is you.” I was taken slightly aback. I had a few ideas swirling around in my head, but I thought Twilight would have a better plan than I would. I could feel all three of them looking at me expectantly while I tried to pull together a plan. “Well...there are dragons in Equestria, right? Well, why don’t we ask one of them for help? I know Spike’s a dragon, so why not ask a more mature dragon?” Twilight and Fluttershy looked dumbfounded, but Zecora still wore a knowing smile. “You can’t be serious, Mixer,” Twilight said, being the first to find her tongue. “Spike’s a baby dragon, he’s grown up around ponies. Most dragons are fierce firebreathing beasts!” “B-besides,” Fluttershy stammered, “There aren’t any dragons around here.” “What do you mean there aren’t any dragons around here?” “All the dragons migrated a couple of months ago, don’t you remember?” Twilight lectured. “Well, don’t you know where they migrated to?” “Well...” she said, looking away. “Well?” “Well... yes, but it’s extremely dangerous!” “And the changelings aren’t? We need to consider more risky options, Twilight,” I countered. “But how are we going to convince a dragon to help us? Most of them would probably rather eat us for a snack then talk,” Twilight huffed. “Do you not remember Twi? The dragon moved by Fluttershy,” Zecora said. Twilight’s eyes brightened a bit, but she still seemed unconvinced, “How do we even know that that one dragon would be there?” “You said all the dragons migrated, right?” I asked. Fluttershy looked terrified. “Yes, but Fluttershy is terrified of dragons,” Twilight explained. I looked to Fluttershy, “Would you be willing to help us talk that dragon into helping us?” She half hid behind her long mane, making a squeaking sound. “Please Fluttershy, you’re our only hope.” “O-okay...” “But what are you going to do with a dragon, if we can get a dragon?” Twilight asked. “Well... You don’t suppose you’d be up for a ride, would you?” “WHAT?!” Twilight about shrieked. “I mean, you can direct him to do what we need to do.” “And what exactly is that?” Twilight asked, her voice strained. “Well, lots of fire, roaring, making a big scene to draw the changelings’ attention. While you’re doing that, then maybe we’ll be able to sneak into Canterlot,” I said, making up the plan as I went. “And then what? Are you trying to get me killed?” “Well... we could...” I got an idea, but I was sure they weren’t going to like it, “We could get Discord to help.” “WHAT?!” came the cry of all three of them. “Are you some kind of nut?” Zecora added. “Well, he’s the embodiment of chaos, right? Well, he wouldn’t like all this gloom anymore than we would, and if we could give him a sweet enough deal, then maybe he’d be willing to help us.” “I thought you were crazy when you suggested my riding a dragon, but freeing Discord? Have you gone completely insane?” Twilight questioned. “Listen, if it’s just me and Fluttershy, we could get to him and free him. Zecora could sneak into Ponyville and free the ponies there.” Fluttershy looked even more dismayed now. “So, you’re saying that while I ride on the back of a dragon, you two are going to sneak into Canterlot and free the embodiment of chaos, while one lone zebra is going to free all the ponies in Ponyville from pods?” Twilight challenged. “Well...yeah,” I said plainly. “I know it’s a very desperate plan, but desperate times call for desperate measures.” “But assuming you could get a dragon to help us, and get into Canterlot, and free Discord, and convince him to help us, you’d be unleashing worse onto Equestria than the changelings,” Twilight said. “Well, you can always use the Elements on him after we’re done,” I reasoned. Twilight groaned, “That’s not the point! Discord could just as easily turn on us while we’re doing this plan of yours, or take the Elements before we could use them on him.” “No risk, no reward,” I said flatly. “We can either try my plan, or sit here and hope we go undiscovered until we grow old and die, or the changelings move on, leaving Equestria an abandoned wasteland.” Twilight bit her lip, and Fluttershy cowered behind her mane. “Then let us try. The time has come, to do or to die,” Zecora said, looking more resolute. “You’re willing to try this crazy plan?” Twilight asked Zecora incredulously. “Yes Twilight, I won’t just cry. As my teacher once said, ‘do or do not, there is no try’” Twilight gave a heavy sigh, “I guess you’re right, we’ve got to try something at least.” I looked to Fluttershy, “Fluttershy, will you help us?” “If we are going to try this, we need you Fluttershy,” Twilight urged. “If everypony needs me... I guess I’ll help,” she said weakly. I nodded, “Twilight, you’ll have to lead us to the dragons.” “Alright, I think I can remember where they are.” “You three go ahead to the dragons’ lair. I will stay here and begin to prepare,” Zecora said. “Stay safe Zecora,” I said as I headed toward the door. -- “How much farther?” I asked Twilight. We had been traveling for half the day, and the terrain was starting to get more rocky. “Not much farther,” she replied, forging ahead. Fluttershy was dragging behind but keeping up with us, though I had to fall back to pull her forward a couple of times. Looming ahead of us was a low plateau, but there was plenty of forest between us and our destination. “How do you plan on finding the dragon we’re looking for exactly?” Twilight asked. “Well, I was hoping that you two could recognize him, and if not... well, we can always ask.” “You plan on just asking for a dragon?” Twilight deadpanned. “Well, I was hoping that you could just recognize him,” I said defensively. She sighed, “I can’t believe I agreed to this plan...” We carried on in silence as we drew close to the plateau. The slopes were bare of any vegetation, and the faint smell of brimstone was hanging in the air as we began to climb. “Since this is my plan, I’ll do all the talking. You two stay a close, but at a safe distance, I know a little bit of magic to shield us, but it won’t hold up under more than one dragon.” “But shouldn’t we be in front?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy was still silent. “No, if we fail, you two need to get out of here as soon as possible and return to Zecora. I’ll try to cover you, and I’ll make it back to you if I can,” I said, thinking about what I would do if things went south. It wasn’t too long before we reached the top of the plateau, or rather, the caldera. Beyond the lip, it sloped back down into a shallow bowl, with some pools of lava here and there. Adolescent dragons were bathing in the lava, while elder dragons were sitting near the rim, soaking up heat from the ground. I wasn’t sure if it was the heat of the ground, or the dozens of dragon eyes looking at me, but I felt like I would burn to a crisp when we crested the rim. I took a tentative step forward to test the gentle slope, and began walking slowly into the cater, casting weary glances around at the dragons watching us. This was a volatile situation and I was beginning to have second thoughts about the plan. An adolescent dragon in a nearby pool of lava splashed some our way and I took a step back as the ground sizzled. He laughed and submerged himself back in the lava, satisfied at scaring us. I continued on until I was stopped by a burst of fire, “What business do you have here?” a perturbed voice said from behind the fresh cloud of smoke. I cleared my throat, “We have come in search of a dragon.” The dragon, a large green wyrm many times my size, was gazing down at me with blazing orange eyes, “Well, you have found one, now begone.” “I apologize, but we are looking for a specific dragon, one that we have had dealings with in the past, and we require his aid.” Curls of smoke rose from his nostrils as he gave a snort, “You think to come here and ask favors?” “Were the circumstances not so dire we would not intrude, but there is no recourse so we came here seeking the help of a mighty dragon,” I said, hoping a little flattery would help. “So, you would risk being burnt to a crisp by an angry dragon?” his eyes narrowed at me. “Yes,” I said confidently. He drew in a breath and I covered my face, putting up a magical barrier. But fire never came. Instead, he let out a chuckle. “It amuses me to see such foolhardy bravery from a pony every few centuries.” He glared down at me, “Now, go find this dragon of yours and leave before you outstay your welcome, pony.” “Thank you. We will conclude our business as soon as possible,” I said, giving him a quick bow before running back to Twilight and Fluttershy, who was covering her eyes with her wings. “We should find that dragon quickly.” Twilight nodded and gave Fluttershy a nudge to get her moving. It took three good prods before she actually got moving. “Fluttershy, Twilight, do you recognize him from these dragons?” Twilight looked around and Fluttershy peeked out from behind her wings. “O-over there,” Fluttershy stammered, pointing at a large red dragon, snoring by the edge of the crater. The only problem was that he was on the other side of a pool of lava, and going around would entitle going around two large sleeping dragons. “I’ll go over and get him, Twilight, you keep an eye on Flutters,” I said, making my way towards the lava pool. I looked at both the dragons and decided that I might be able to get past them if I was careful and not too loud. So, I started to tiptoe my way past the first dragon. It was the smaller of the two, and a dark forest green color. It let out a puff of smoke as I was passing by its head and I suppressed a cough, and my eyes began to water. Thankfully, he stayed asleep, and I continued on to the next dragon, a crimson red behemoth. I made sure to take extra care to be quiet around this one. It looked like he could snap me up in one bite. Thankfully, this dragon was also a heavy sleeper, and didn’t notice as I crept past him. I was finally out of the danger zone, and now in the incredible danger zone, as I walked up to the sleeping dragon. I took a deep breath and gave his snout a gentle nudge. I jumped back as his eyes shot open from just that little touch. Apparently, he was a light sleeper. He rose up and glared down at me, curls of smoke and puffs of flame coming from his nostrils, “You have two seconds before I turn you to ash.” “We need your help. Changelings. Yellow Pegasus. Look,” I said, spitting out the words and pointing over to Fluttershy. The dragon’s head swung over to see Fluttershy, eyes wide and cowering in his direction. I was glad to see that he was less angry for it. Unfortunately, he was still angry at me for waking him up. He picked my up with his giant claws and held me in front of his muzzle, “Why did you wake me up from my nap?” “Changelings have invaded and we need the help of a mighty and noble dragon to defeat them,” I said, trying to fight down the fear of being burned alive. He let out a puff of smoke that made me cough, “Why?” “As far as we know, we three and one other are all there is to fight them. We can reward you for helping us.” He scratched his chin with his free claw, “How much?” “Gems, gold, whatever the princesses will allow, which I’m sure will be a great sum for saving all of Equestria.” “And what would I have to do?” “Well, we can discuss that when we have everypony together so, could you please put me down?” He snorted and set me down, “And where did you think of talking?” “Outside of the crater, on the side of the mountain perhaps?” I said, taking a few steps back. The dragon stretched, “Very well, meet me on the side of the mountain.” I watched as he made his way over the lip of the crater before motioning Fluttershy and Twilight over. Fluttershy, still paralyzed with fear, was teleported by Twilight to me and we made our way over the rim of the crater and down to where the dragon was. I was very thankful to be away from so many living furnaces. The dragon was waiting near the base of the slope, and he seemed to be more amiable now. “Well, now that everypony, and dragon, is here, we can hammer out the details,” I started. “Now, Mr. Dragon, we will be needing a distraction, and by we I mean Fluttershy and myself. The plan is for you to fly with Twilight on your back above Canterlot and get the changelings’ attention.” “A distraction? That’s it?” he asked indignantly. “No, not at all, you will get their attention, and then you can burn as many of them as you please, the more the better.” “And why am I carrying a pony?” “Because Twilight will be watching your back and making sure you don’t get captured.” “Is that it?” he asked, crossing his arms. “Well, we have a plan, and there should be some fighting if things go our way, and we need you to help out. You don’t mind the taste of charred changeling, do you?” “I’m willing to try something new,” he answered. “Alright, so you’ll help us?” He scratched his chin in thought. Fluttershy spoke up, apparently no longer so afraid, “Please Mr. Dragon?” “Alright, I’ll help.” “Great! Uh, would you mind carrying us back to Zecora’s?” I asked. They all looked at me strangely, Fluttershy and Twilight more out of concern, the dragon more out of curiosity. “We can’t afford to waste any time. If we travel on hoof, then it will be nightfall when we get back. If we fly, we’ll get there in two hours tops.” Twilight gave a heavy sigh, “I suppose you’re right.” “Cheer up Twilight. This means that when you have to do your part of the plan, it won’t be your first time on a dragon’s back.” She rolled her eyes, “Let’s just go.” The dragon lowered himself to the ground so we could board. Fluttershy hesitated before fluttering up to join Twilight and myself. Twilight sat in front, with Fluttershy sandwiched between us so I could catch either of them if they fell. “Hold on,” the dragon instructed as he spread his wings, giving them a great flap to propel himself off the ground. I had to admit, it felt pretty amazing flying on the back of a dragon. Well, besides the lack of ground and the constant fear of falling off. I’m sure it was easier for Fluttershy, but Twilight and I held onto whatever we could, tightly. As predicted, we arrived at Zecora’s far faster than if we would have walked. Of course, on the approach we had to fly low to avoid detection. Zecora looked impressed when a dragon lumbered into the clearing around her hut. “You have come back. It is now we should begin our attack,” she said. “We should wait until morning. We can use the dim light of dawn to get a head start on our infiltration, and then as the sun rises, Twilight and our dragon friend can begin their part,” I countered. “I think Mixer’s right Zecora,” Twilight said, “We can get some rest before we begin.” “At dawn on the third day, look to the east. I will be there,” she replied. We waited for a few seconds. “… so you may end Chyrsalis’ reign of fear.” “I hope you don’t intend for us to wait three days,” I said offhandedly. “Yeah, we could use a rest, but that’s a little much,” Twilight added. Zecora just smiled and gave her head a little shake, “Worry not my friends, tomorrow morning shall be the end.” I gave a dry laugh, “ I just hope it’s not the end of us.” Twilight shot me a look. “So...um, we were going to talk about the plan when we got back,” Fluttershy said meekly. “Right,” I nodded. “So, Fluttershy, myself, and Zecora are going to sneak into Ponyville under the cover of darkness. We’ll split up there to our respective roles. Zecora will go free as many ponies as she can, and Fluttershy and I will go to the train station and find a hoof car to get to Canterlot with. The train is probably not even working, and besides, it would be too conspicuous.” The dragon was leaning in, listening intently. “When the sun rises above the horizon, Twilight and our fiery friend here will fly out towards Canterlot and that will be our signal to get a move on. While Fluttershy and I find and free Discord, Zecora, you need to get all the able bodied ponies you can muster and try to find the train if you can. An army, even an untrained one will draw even more attention away from Fluttershy and myself, and you can even help with liberating Canterlot.” “Do you even know how to free Discord?” Twilight questioned. “I have a plan, yes.” “So long as you’re sure...” “Twilight, if I were sure of anything at this point, this wouldn’t be such a desperate plan. Now, once we free Discord, then we will have an edge over the changelings, and Twilight and our dragon friend can join us in fighting in earnest. Remember, the objective here is to find the Elements of Harmony and free the other bearers. Twilight, you know where the Elements are kept, so that’ll be your job while Fluttershy and I free the others.” The dragon gave a snort, “Is that all? You ponies really are crazy.” “I’d rather be crazy and free than sane and in a pod,” I countered. “If you are done, then we should turn in. Before the sun rises our plan starts early,” Zecora said, walking towards her hut. I looked at Fluttershy, Twilight, and the dragon, “Everypony, and dragon, ready?” They all nodded. “Then let’s get some rest. We’ve got a gambit to run in the morning.” -- “Do you really think this plan is going to work?” Fluttershy whispered as we crept towards the train station, taking the back alleys and slinking from cover to cover. “No, but it’s too late for second guessing ourselves now. Look, the train station is just over there.” I pointed towards the front of the building. There were two changelings wandering about the train station. They didn’t look too attentive, but they were still a complication. If they saw us, then whatever changelings that were in Ponyville would be on us like flies, more or less literally. “We should be careful, we can’t afford to get caught now,” I whispered back. I watched the changelings for a minute before formulating a rout that would work best. “Okay, we’re going to sneak around the building to our left, then we need to get to that patch of bushes. From there, we can get behind the train station and in the clear.” She nodded. “My darker coat is less visible, so I’ll go first. Stay hidden until I give you the signal to move. And move quickly when I do.” She nodded again, this time a little slower. I took a look at the the horizon and saw the sky begin to acquire a pink hue. We would have ten to fifteen minutes before Twilight went into action, so we had to move fast. I scurried to the corner of the building and double checked to see if the changelings had noticed. They hadn’t and I motioned to Fluttershy when both were looking away. As soon as she had crossed the gap, I made my way around the house to the edge where we’d have to leave from. There was a good ten feet between the building and the bushes that we had to get to, and that was an incredibly long distance to make without being seen. I waited for an opportunity, then dashed for the bush. Luckily, I made it without either of the changelings noticing. Unfortunately, as I was waiting to signal Fluttershy, a third changeling joined them. That complicated things further, and I had to wait a good two minutes before I could signal Fluttershy. After that though, we were able to sneak behind the train station without any trouble. “It’s almost sunrise,” I said, looking around for a hoof cart. “I think there’s a hoof cart over there,” she said, pointing to a small door with a set of tracks leading up to it. We rushed to the door and opened it to see an old hoof cart that looked like it hadn’t been used in years, which it probably hadn’t. “Let’s hope this thing doesn’t squeak,” I said, pushing it onto the rails. Thankfully, the wheels at least didn’t squeak. “How did you know that they would have one of these?” Fluttershy asked, stepping up unto the cart. “How else would they get out to make repairs to the track,” I said plainly, getting into position and giving the bar a push down. It was stiff, but with a little effort I got it to move. We started to pump back and forth, getting the cart moving. It we were barely out of Ponyville when a roar carried through the air. “That’s the cue. Let’s see how fast we can get this old baby moving.” Fluttershy and I began to pump furiously to speed ourselves along. As we did, we could see the dragon flying into position, and the changelings rising to meet it. There was a group flying from Ponyville, but a larger swarm coming from Canterlot. It took about five minutes to get to Canterlot, and by that time I was sweating profusely and Fluttershy had already stopped to take a break. “We should get off here,” I said huffing, just outside Canterlot. Fluttershy nodded, huffing herself. She was more frail than most ponies, but she was able to keep going for far longer than I had expected at our brutal pace. If the circumstances weren’t so dire, I wouldn’t have pushed her that hard, but it had to be done. I lifted her onto my back with magic and carried her into the city, darting into an alley to set her down and let her catch her breath. After a minute, her breathing became more regular. “Are you ready, or do you need more time to rest?” I asked, scanning the area for changelings. “No, I can go on.” I walked back over to her and helped her up, “Then let’s get going. I know my way around better, so I can take us down the safest paths.” She nodded and followed me through the alleys and backstreets. It seemed unnecessary, as we didn’t see anything moving outside, but I was not about to walk out in the open, where any hidden changelings could get the jump on us. The roaring was also another reason why we didn’t see any changelings. They must have been getting closer to Canterlot, because the roaring was getting louder. When we reached the last of the buildings before the castle, we were able to see what was happening. The dragon was diving and swooping through the air, blasting at the changelings that were swarming around it with fire. It looked like he had to catch Twilight a couple of times as he did his aerial maneuvers, but they were alright for the moment. “We need to hurry. The sooner we free Discord, the sooner Twilight can get back on solid ground,” I said as I sprinted towards the gardens. There was no point in trying to sneak across the space. There was no cover, and it was light enough now that it would be foolish to think that we wouldn’t be spotted. Our only bet was cross the gap as soon as possible and hope that we weren’t spotted by any guards. Fluttershy flew after me as I dove through a hedge, and rolled out the other side covered in leaves. “Where should we look?” she asked, her head swinging from side to side. “Well, we should try the center of the gardens, that’s where he’ll probably be,” I said, shaking the leaves and twigs off my coat. She hovered above the ground as she searched while I scanned from the ground to see if I could spy Discord. I heard Fluttershy call to me from the other side of a hedge, “Over here.” I rushed around to see her standing in front of the petrified draconequus. “Now we just have to get him out,” I said, looking him over. A roar from behind me punctuated our urgency. “But how?” “Well... discord?” I answered. “Huh?” “Well, he’s the embodiment of chaos, so...” “Isn’t that enough chaos?” Fluttershy questioned, motioning towards the dragon. I shook my head, “It has to be a break in harmony. So... we have to fight I guess.” She paled, “I don’t want to fight you!” “No, not like physical fight, like an argument.” “Oh... well... in that case...” she stammered, looking around. “What about... Angel.” “What about him?” Fluttershy asked, looking confused. “Well, for starters, he’s a nasty little vermin.” There were few things that I disliked about Equestria, but that rabbit was one of them. Fluttershy gasped, “You take that back! Angel is not a vermin. And he is not nasty.” “Of course he is. All I’ve ever done to the little blighter is look at him, and he hates me.” “You must have done something to upset him.” “Upset him? I caught him trying to throw a carrot at me once. He. doesn’t. Like me. And I don’t like him right back.” “How can you be so mean to a poor little creature like that?” “Poor little creature? That little puffball isn’t a poor defenseless animal. He’s smart enough to hate me.” “But he’s still just a defenseless critter.” “If he’s a defenseless critter, then I’m a dragon.” “You might as well be! Being so heartless to poor Angel.” “How can you defend that little... little... scoundrel!” Fluttershy cringed like I’d struck her, and her eyes began to get wet, “And I thought you were better than that.” “I know you’re naive, but how can’t you see that rabbit for what he really is?!” I snapped. Fluttershy turned away and started crying as she ran into the garden. “Bravo. You just made a filly cry,” Discord said with a slow clap. I bit my tongue and refrained from insulting him, “Discord, we need your help.” He looked surprised, “Me? Little old me?” “Yes, you,” I said flatly. “No doubt you already know what we need.” He frowned, “You’re no fun.” “This isn’t the time for fun.” “Oh but it is. At least for me,” he said, ending off in a burst of laughter. “We-” I started, but was shushed by Discord’s claw. “Yes, yes, I know, save the princesses, stop the big bad changelings,” he said, making a little stages with puppets depicting each, “But what’s in it for daddy Discord?” “Well, nothing if we fail,” I said. He snapped his fingers and the stage disappeared. He rolled his eyes, “Like that’s going to happen.” “And if we do succeed, then we’ll negotiate with the Princesses.” “And what’s to stop you from turning me back to stone as soon as I help you with your little plan?” he asked, turning himself into a mock statue. “Listen, we don’t have time for this. We’ll talk about your reward when we’re done. Will you help us?” I asked, holding out my hoof. “Hmm...” he said, scratching his chin. “It’s a deal,” he chuckled as he shook my hoof with his tail. “Thank you. Now, go help Twilight.” “Ordering around your partner is hardly a way to start,” he said, giving me puppy-dog eyes. “Please.” “Please, what?” he asked, holding his clawed hand up to his ear. “Please, help Twilight!” He snapped his fingers and was in a military uniform, “Yessir!” And with that, he disappeared. With Discord dealt with, I went into the gardens where Fluttershy had gone to find her. I felt terrible about making her cry, even if it had to be done. There were a lot of things that had to be done that day that I wouldn’t like. As I walked through the gardens I heard soft crying and stopped to try and locate the source. It seemed to be coming from in front of me and to the right. I walked closer to the bush and whispered in a soft voice, “Fluttershy, is that you?” My only answer was more crying. I crept closer to the bush, “Fluttershy?” “G-go away,” she sobbed. I took a step back, “Listen, I’m sorry. I... I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just knew we had to get in a fight, and I had to let myself get carried away and... I know it’s not much, but I’m sorry, truly I am.” I heard her sniff, “I-I know you only did it t-to free Discord. But it was still v-very hurtful.” I could hear her voice shaking, “I know... I know what I said was hurtful, and I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgave me for it, but right now, we have a job to do, and that job is rescue our friends.” She sniffed again, and stepped out of the bushes, bits of debris in her mane and tears staining her cheeks, “Y-you’re right, we have to save our friends.” I nodded, “Let’s go.” I turned and went back to where Discord’s statue was to find him lounging on a couch with Twilight nearby. Discord lifted a pair of sunglasses and looked at us, “Looks like the two lovebirds are done kissing and making up.” It took every bit of restraint I had not to go off on him, and I had a feeling that he knew it. “I saw the train heading towards Canterlot while I was up in the air. You managed to free Discord and get him to help us,” he gave a little wave, “And now we just have to get the Elements and our friends,” Twilight said, rather resolutely. “We’ll need disguises to get inside. Twilight, how good are you at illusions?” I asked. “Oh, do allow me,” Discord said gleefully, and rubbed his hands together. He produced a red cloth and draped it over Fluttershy and I. When he pulled it away, we both looked like changelings. “Ta-da!” “Twilight, get moving, we’ll try to have the others free as soon as we can,” I said to her. She nodded and rushed off to get the Elements. “Now, Shall we play a game?” Discord said with a devilish grin. He snapped his fingers and all of us were teleported. I was next to Fluttershy, but Discord was nowhere to be seen, though I could hear him. “Hello, Chrissy,” he chortled. “Discord,” said an oddly modulated voice, dripping with disdain. “Now is that any way to treat a guest?” We peeked out from where we were and saw the throne room, still filled with pods. Chrysalis was standing in front of the throne and Discord was floating in the air in front of her. “What do you want, draconequus?” Chrysalis demanded. “Oh, me? I just want to play a game,” he snapped his fingers and Chrysalis’s horn and wings disappeared. “Tell you what. If you find Princess Celestia in all these pods in one hour, you win.” “And what do I get if I win, serpent?” she was practically spitting daggers. “You get your wings and horn back, oh, and I’ll give you your little escapees back.” Discord snapped his fingers and a large hourglass appeared. He flipped it, “Go!” Chrysalis started to look through the pods row by row, trying to find it from afar, but she spotted us first, “You two! Get over here and help me find the princess!” Fluttershy and I scurried over to help, not wanting to blow our cover. “Ah, ah, ah” Discord admonished, “that’ not playing fair.” He snapped his fingers and the pods started shifting around. It was like a giant shell game. Fortunately for us, the game master was on our side. As Chrysalis gave a shriek of rage and frustration, Fluttershy and I found Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all clustered together. We waited until Chrysalis was out of sight before freeing them and running for the door. They were all awake, but they were still barely able to move, so I had to more or less drag them with my magic. Discord was waiting for us outside with Twilight. I set down the bearers to find that I looked like myself again, and so did Fluttershy. “What’s going on?” Rarity asked, being the first to come to. “What in tarnation?” Applejack followed suit, shaking her head. “I just had the strangest dream,” Pinkie said. Rainbow just kind of groaned and rolled over, “Five more minutes...” “Wake up! We don’t have time,” I hissed, shaking her until she was firmly awake. “Quick put these on,” Twilight said, putting the Elements on their respective bearers. “DISCORD!” came the almost earth shattering bellow. Chrysalis was quite peeved. “Where did you hide the princess?” I asked. Discord showed a new ring, “Like it?” I looked and saw that he had shrunk down the pod, princess and all. “Quick, we don’t have much time,” Fluttershy urged, looking nervously back at the throne room. The six of them got into a circle, and Discord snapped his fingers and the pod was normal sized, and he had a bowl of popcorn. Twilight’s eyes started to glow solid white, and a strand of rainbow energy joined the six Elements. “No!” came a hiss from the throne room door. Chrysalis was standing there, her face a mask of rage. Then there was a blinding flash of light from the Elements and I felt it’s power wash over me as it raced outwards. I saw it fling Chrysalis back, and the pod around Celestia dissolve. Of course, I also saw Discord snacking on popcorn as he watched. He probably found it amusing not to be on the receiving end of that. As the wave went outwards it also seemed to get brighter, and a quick look outside confirmed that the sky was blue and there was not a cloud in the sky. A quick listen also brought the sound of cheering to my ears. It was faint, but I heard it. “Ugh... what happened?” Princess Celestia asked, raising her head off the ground. “Princess!” Twilight cheered, giving her mentor a hug. “Why in the hay is Discord free?” Applejack asked, looking at him suspiciously. I took in a breath to explain, but Pinkie started talking first, “Was it because you were the only ponies that weren’t captured, and he was part of some super dangerous, super risky plan to save all of Equestria?” I couldn’t even form words, just make some sounds like an idiot. She just gave a big smile. Discord nudged me and whispered in my ear, “Don’t think on it too hard. Even I don’t know how she does it.” I was able to take that as some consolation. “What is Discord doing here?” Celestia asked. “Well, like Pinkie said, he helped to rescue you. I’d hazard to say that he has just saved all of Equestria from changeling subjugation.” “Oh, don’t take it too personally Celly, I dislike grey and drab as much as anypony. Give me stripes and polka-dots any day.” To punctuate his point, he snapped his fingers and was wearing a hideous outfit with striped pants and polka dot shirt. I think I heard Rarity faint. “But he did help us,” I added. “On what terms?” she asked skeptically. “Well, we didn’t lay down any terms. I promised him we would negotiate after we were successful.” “If I may interject you’re highness,” Discord said, “Would you pardon a poor draconequus?” He was in prisoner’s clothes with handcuffs and a ball and chain. “It gets ever so boring being trapped in stone.” “We should have a Discord day! And chocolate rain every Tuesday!” Pinkie piped up. “Oh, I do like that idea,” Discord said. “Whoa whoa whoa, You mean I’d have to deal with cotton candy clouds every week?” Rainbow questioned. “Not happening.” “Please Dashie?” Pinkie pleaded, “Not even once a month?” Dash rolled her eyes and sighed, “Fine... but if I get stuck, you’re responsible!” “Okie-dokie-loki!” “Actually, that Discord day doesn’t sound like a half bad idea,” I said, “It would let him blow off some steam, er, chaos.” Celestia looked between us, “Very well, Discord will be pardoned from being imprisoned in stone, and in return for saving Equestria, one day of the year will be set aside for him to cause chaos, but only for one day. One. Day,” She said, giving Discord a stern look. He just looked innocent as a halo appeared above his head. Oh course, as soon as she looked away it fell around his horn. “And I suppose some chocolate rain every once in a while does sound rather pleasant.” “Yay!” Pinkie cheered. “Twily!” “Twilight!” I heard Shining Armor and Spike call out. Spike came racing over to Twilight and hugged her. She returned the hug. “I missed you Spike.” Cadence was following Shining Armor as they walked over to us. I bowed, “It is an honor to meet you.” I turned to Celestia, "I know this is a time for reunions, but I believe that there is still a wedding to be had.” “You are absolutely right, Mixer,” Celestia said, smiling. -- After everypony got taken care of and looked after, the wedding was set up again, and this time it went off without a hitch. I was in attendance this time, and I wore the suit that I had rented for the occasion. It was heartwarming to see Cadence and Shining Armor get married, and the reception afterwards was pretty fun too. Vinyl Scratch, or DJ Pon3, as was her stage name, did the DJing with guest DJ Pinkie Pie. Twilight showed off her “dance moves” and Rainbow did the sonic rainboom. Rarity danced with some of the posh ponies of Canterlot. I danced a bit, but hung out on the outskirts of the major partying. That is, until I decided to take a walk through the gardens. The moon was out, the music was playing in the background, the air smelt crisp and clean, it was frankly a perfect night for a walk in the gardens. I reached a clearing and sat down on a bench, looking out over what I could see of Equestria over the edge of Canterlot. It was strange really, I wasn’t even from this place, yet, I had helped save it. Stranger still, I felt like this place was my home more than I ever did in New Pegisopolis. My thoughts were interrupted by a rustling and the feeling of feathers brushing my side. I looked to see Fluttershy sitting next to me. “F-Fluttershy,” I stammered. “It’s a lovely evening isn’t it,” she said, seeming to ignore my surprise. “Yeah, it is...” I gave a sigh. “Listen, Fluttershy... I’m sorry about what I said to you. I never wanted to hurt you...” “I know,” she said, looking at the moon, “You were just trying to help everypony.” “No, it’s not okay... I care about you Fluttershy, and...and it hurt to see you cry like that.” She blushed slightly and looked at me, “Really?” I could have swore I turned redder than a tomato, “Mhm.” She turned back to the moon, and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Lovely night, isn’t it...?”