//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Rarity or Equestria? // Story: Deal With The Draconequus // by Never2muchpinkie //------------------------------// Discord loomed over the scared filly. What a stroke of luck on his part. He would have been content to simply know that one of the Element bearers was gone, but if he got his paws on the Element itself he wouldn’t ever have to worry about being sealed away again. He could barely contain his excitement. “What’s wrong, Sweetie Belle? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Discord disappeared, turning into a transparent brown sheet. Sweetie Belle just kept shaking her head. Turning back to normal he shrank so he was her height. “Oh, honestly, Sweetie Belle. Why so serious? I mean, it’s not like you just revealed one of the biggest secrets ever and that could spell disaster for Equestria.” “I… I didn’t say anything,” Sweetie Belle said weakly, knowing it was pointless even as she said it. “Look, Sweetie Belle.” A miniscule heart appeared in his claw, growing until it filled his paw. “Your tale of woe has touched me. My heart has grown because of your tears. I accept your deal.” “W-w-what deal?” Discord’s eye's popped out of his head, making Sweetie Belle scream as they rolled across the floor. He reappeared, grabbing his eyes and putting them back in their sockets. “Really, Sweetie Belle. Don’t make me roll my eyes again. I think you might be tied with Applejack for worst at deception. The Element for Rarity’s life.” “I can’t!” she said loudly. “I can’t give that to you! You’re… you’re…” “Yeeeeesssss?” he said, turning his head as one of his ears grew three sizes. “Evil? Dashing? Scary? A monster? I’ll take any one of those.” “Just… just forget I said anything.” “Oh, but how can I? Do you really have anything to be afraid of by giving me the Element?” “Of course!” “Think about it. I’ve been reformed, remember?” “I don’t trust you!” Discord let out a laugh, turning into a snake and making circles around her in the air. “Have you forgotten one little detail? YOU’RE the one who called ME.” Sweetie Belle looked at the ground. “W-well…” “Let me settle your conscience. After all, why are we even making a deal here?” “What do you mean?” “I’m sure you’ve heard it from your sister about my terrible past actions, haven’t you?” “Yes…” “One of my powers is being able to mind-control other beings. If I REALLY wanted the Element that badly all I have to do is touch you and I could put you completely under my power and FORCE you to get the Element for me. But I’m not doing that, am I? We’re just having a friendly discussion.” Sweetie Belle gasped. Before he had touched her. What if she was already under his power? Her breathing picked up. “I-If you’re really reformed now then why do you even care about the Element? If you’re not going to do bad things any more then you don’t have anything to worry about.” “I just want to feel safe. Is that so wrong? I’m sure you’ve been punished and locked in your room before.” “Yes.” “Now imagine that instead you were locked in a closest, covered from head to hoof in clothes, and kept in there for a month. Now times that by one thousand years and that’s what I had to deal with. I was awake for every moment I was in that stone prison.” Sweetie Belle was starting to get dizzy as he kept rotating around her. “You’re making me sick.” “Oh, sorry.” He poofed back into his normal form. “Now I’ve tried to go along with Celestia’s wishes, but it’s not nice to feel I’m always going to be forced to do her bidding. I’m not allowed to ever say no to her. Effectively I’m her slave, not a subject. If I put my claw out of line she can order me locked away again. Is it wrong that I just want to feel safe, and not have to constantly worry that if I make just a single mistake that I’ll be locked away for eternity? Can you understand me, Sweetie Belle?” “I… I guess…” “With just one of the Elements in my possession I’ll be much more comfortable in my new home. I’ll be able to use my powers because I choose to, not because I’m being forced to with the threat of banishment. All the ponies will change their minds about me as they see I can be good even without a super-weapon at the ready. Isn’t that a much more happier world?” Discord was looking deep into her eyes, his eyes spinning in a swirling pattern and she quickly turned away before he could try to hypnotize her. “I understand, but I still can’t just hand it over to you. I mean, I understand you’re really powerful, but even if YOU’RE good now it doesn’t mean a more powerful threat won't ever come around.” “Hmm… I see you point. How about this?” Discord put a claw to his chest. “I give you my word that if, and only IF, the time comes that a threat too great for Celestia and Luna or me to handle that I will return the Element to Rarity for that battle, with the understanding that it is to be given back to me upon the battle’s end. I think that’s a fair compromise, don’t you?” It was quiet. Sweetie Belle’s mind was running in all sorts of directions. She had been the one to summon Discord, but she wasn’t sure if she could actually trust him. “Let me point something out to you, Sweetie Belle.” She finally looked up at him. “What?” “If things go along at their current pace your sister will definitely die and the Elements will become powerless then. If you give it to me Rarity will be alive, and you will have them as a backup in the future if things go wrong. Either way they won’t be able to be used for a while. However, at least if you give it to me your sister will still be alive.” It grew quiet again. Discord let out a small laugh. “Okay. I can see you need time to think it over. I’ll come back in a week.” “NO!” Sweetie Belle cried out. “That will be too late.” “So then do we have a deal now?” Again Sweetie Belle hesitated, chewing her lip and restlessly kicking her hoof. “I… I need time to decide!” “Very well. You know the spell, so call me when you make up your mind. Better hurry, though, or it might be too late.” He lifted his claw, but once again he paused. “Hmm. I just thought of something. I’m going to leave you a present as proof of my good intentions.” Sweetie Belle jumped backward, panting. “Oh, honestly, Sweetie Belle. No need to bristle like that. I already told you I’m not going to mind control you. If that was what I wanted I could just do it now.” “W-what kind of present?” She was sweating again. “Well, I do love your terror. You should fear me, but that’s not what I want today. Go to sleep tonight, and you’ll have your present waiting in the morning. It’s only a partial present, though. You’ll get the full thing when you come through on our deal.” “What are you talking about?” “You’ll have to wait to find out.” “You… you better not be planning anything horrible.” “Oh, dear? Is that a threat?” He grabbed his throat, collapsing to the ground. “Oh, no! One pint-sized filly is threatening me!” He got back up. “Trust me. You’ll like it. I’m really being sincere this time. Toodles!” He vanished with a puff of smoke. Sweetie Belle waited, but he didn’t reappear. She walked home in a daze. She didn’t know what exactly this “gift” was supposed to be, but this was Discord. She was sure it would be something dangerous and hectic. She had trouble sleeping that night. She kept waiting for something to go wrong. For her parents to be turned into chickens, or her house to turn into a hockey rink, or her bed to grow legs and start singing show tunes. With Discord she couldn’t tell. After tossing and turning for hours she finally passed out. In what felt like minutes she was woken up a by a commotion. There was yelling and screaming throughout the town, and Sweetie Belle jumped up, instantly awake. She ran downstairs to see what was going on. What in Equestria had Discord done? Heading outside she saw the town bustling with life. Listening, she now heard that the ponies were cheering and whooping. Ponies were throwing confetti around and passing out newspapers. She pulled one pony running around to a stop. “What’s going on?” she asked. “It’s a miracle!” said the yellow stallion. “An absolute miracle! All the ponies in the hospital have completely recovered from the illness. It’s like they were never sick!” Sweetie Belle blinked a few times. “A present. Discord.” “What’s that?” “Uh, nothing!” Tears came to her eyes. “Rarity!” She smiled. The pony suddenly stopped smiling. “Oh… right. Not all the ponies recovered. There was just one that didn’t. That was her name. They have no idea why she was the only one. Her isolation conditions were the same as everyone else’s.” Sweetie Belle’s happiness drained out of her. “Thank you,” she said quickly before running back to her room. She thought back to Discord’s words as she sat on her bed. “It’s only a partial present. You’ll get the full thing when you come through on our deal. Meaning… he won’t heal Rarity unless I give him the Element of Harmony. “Discord healed everybody and made it like they were never sick. He can do the same for Rarity. But… can I really trust him? He’s right. He could have just mind controlled me and made me give him the Element. There was no real reason to wait a few days for me to make up my mind. "But… if it’s for the only weapon that could possibly stop him it makes sense he would do all that he could to get on my good side. ARGH!” She slammed her hooves on the bed. “I don’t know! I don’t what to do! I can’t ask anybody for advice. They’d all insist I not do it!” She let out a heavy breath. “I guess it all comes down to one question: Rarity… or Equestria?”