"Okah what's with the torches around the campsite, and why is the fire red?" Applejack asked.
"Because yellow is so boooring." Discord drawing out the last word ignoring the first half of the question.
"No really."
"Because red will make to easier to see if I need to light up the area if we are attacked."
"Attacked!? By what?" Fluttershy now spoke up, nervous.
"Let's hope you don't have to find out. Now if you excuse me I have two ponies to recover." With that he snapped his tail and was gone.
"You know between Harmony and Discord I'm getting annoyed." Rainbow huffed.
“Here, here.” Rarity agreed.
They didn't have time to say anything else when a flash of light appeared near the edge of the campsite and a figure approached. Everyone tensed up a bit before they noticed that it was a very disheveled Twilight walking towards them. Spike ran up to help hold her up.
"What happened? Are you alright, Twi?" Spike asked guiding her to a spot by the fire.
"...Yeah... I just need some sleep." Twilight collapsed. Spike quickly threw a blanket over her and sat next to her. She didn't even want to know why the campfire was red in color. She was too tired from her ordeal to care. Soon she was snoring lightly.
Everypony just watched Twilight for a while concern etched on their faces. Now it was common knowledge that she tended to overexert herself in the midst of doing complex experiments or stressing out by over thinking a simple problem but this was different. Her eyes had looked haunted like she saw some terrible horror.
Soon another flash of light appeared outside the campsite near the perimeter torches distracting them from Twilight for a moment. Everyone blinked hard, rubbing their eyes.
"I'll go check it out," Spike picked himself up and walked cautiously outward. After a moment the effects of the flash wore off and his naturally strong night vision could make out Discord and in his arms was an unconscious Harmony. Running now, he nearly tripped over a rock before getting up close to them. "What happened to Harmony?"
Putting Harmony down gently then wrapping a blanket around him Discord sighed heavily "Harmony is trying to get himself killed." Squeezing his hands hard in anger." Spike, you see, Harmony is trying to handle the mantle of The Keepers of Harmony by himself. It was never meant to be that way. Why else do you think that the Elements require the all six current bearers and before them both Celestia and Luna? Can't have harmony with only oneself...."
Discord was silent for a few moments then looked down at Spike gazing straight into his eyes "You have something very precious that Harmony never really had. Actually, something that no Keeper has ever had..."
"What is that?"
Discord looked off into the distance "Family... "
Spike swore he saw the glint of a tear fall down Discord face. He looked out trying to see what Discord was seeing but could not see anything of importance. Taking a seat between Discord and Harmony he looked outward into the desert lost in his own thoughts.
"So what do you think?" Applejack asked whispering to avoid waking Twilight.
About what? Rarity asked also whispering.
"This whole affair. Ah mean Harmony is elusive in answers. Spike has been more withdrawn since Harmony entered our lives. Twilight comes back after disappearing with Harmony visibly shaken. Ah just don't trust this Harmony character. Ah don't even need to speak on Discord..."
"Twilight did have horrible bags under her eyes and I think her complexion was paler than normal." Rarity commented mindlessly checking out her coat for mars.
"You would notice that." Rainbow rolled her eyes.
Rarity glared at her but Rainbow appeared to either did not notice or care "I'm also concerned about my Spikey-wikey...You are right he does seem so troubled lately...and I still don't want to believe that Spike has to have some sort of uncouth 'hoard name.' Why would someone who claims to be about harmony would say something so cruel as to say..." Rarity shuttered.
"I do find it weird that he insists that you are the Bearer of Joy not Laughter." Rainbow looked at Pinkie trying to not think on what she knew Rarity left unspoken.
"Yeah that is odd... I'm just sad that he never allowed me to to host a party for him!..."
Everypony just blinked slowly at this. Speaking a bit louder Pinkie piped up "Ooo! anyone want some marshmallows?"
"Pinkie!" everypony harshly whispered.
"Oopsie." Pinkie blushed.
"What do you think Fluttershy?" Applejack asked Fluttershy.
Fluttershy stood up walk around the fire and stared off in the direction of Discord and Spike. "I trust them."
"Why?" Everpony said in unison.
"I..."Fluttershy squeaked hiding her face behind her mane and crouching down to try and make herself small.
"Darling, relax, you're among friends." Rarity reassured her everypony nodding in agreement." Go on..."
Fluttershy took a depth breath then let it out slowly. "Because no one in his condition would do this much while risking his own life. I don't think you noticed but Harmony is very frail...Remember when Harmony was out for two days?"
Everypony looked at each other then nodded slowly.
"During that whole time Discord was wrought with worry. Harmony could have died because he was overexerting himself."
"How would you know that?"
"Because," turning back to look towards Discord "we are good friends. We talk about a lot of things."
"Mind if I ask you a personal question?"
"Oh yeah? And what is this personal question?"
"Discord, you seem know a lot about the Keepers and seem to be friends with Harmony. How can that be? I mean chaos and harmony it doesn't make a lot of sense. It was Harmony's Elements that put you in stone for so long.”
Discord pulled on his beard a bit before answering "That is both a simple and complex question to answer."
Spike smirked, "Must you always give out knowledge in riddles?."
Discord shrugged, "What can I say?"
Spike slapped his face hard at this. He made a note, again, to stop playing right into Discord's antics.
"You better head off and get some sleep I'll keep watch."
Spike looked at the sleeping Harmony then back at Discord. Though he really wanted to wring the answer out of him Twilight was his biggest concern for the moment. "Okay."
He walked back to the girls, laid down next to Twilight, and fell fast asleep. The rest of the girls decided it was time to also get some sleep. Soon the only thing that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and the soft snoring of one dragon and seven ponies. This left a very world weary Discord, alone in his thoughts, on guard for the dangers of the desert.