//------------------------------// // Mortal // Story: Chaotic Neutral // by C-Puff //------------------------------// Chapter 20 The trip out of the forest went much slower than their initial mad dash. With some distance put between them and the ponies from town, the group chose their path more carefully, avoiding fallen trees, dips in the land, and thick clusters of underbrush. Every so often they heard the sounds of ponies in the distance calling instructions to each other, but these grew less frequent and further away as they moved on. After almost an hour went by without any more noise, the group eased into a more relaxed pace, keeping their eyes and ears open. As they slowed down, Rarity slid herself off Discord's back, Pinkie bouncing after her. She gave Discord's side a well-meaning pat as she adjusted her saddlebags. “Thank you dear, I think we can manage from here.” “I suppose the seating isn't as luxurious as you'd like.” Discord grunted, but the jibe was half-hearted at best. “No, of course not,” Rarity said dismissively. “Your wing kept poking me, I admit, but really; there wasn't much need for you to carry us off like that in the first place,” He could just make out the smile she gave him, “But thank you all the same. It was very thoughtful of you.” Discord merely grumbled something sheepishly in response, hugging Fluttershy a little closer. Fluttershy wondered if she should ask him to let her go. She didn't really mind being carried around like a teddy bear, but she couldn't decide if it'd be better if he put her down. On the one hoof, it was clear to her by his attack of affection, that he'd been very worried. She could easily understand why. She knew what it was like for a bird not to come back home for spring on time, or for one of her Everfree friends to go missing for a few days. When they did come back to her cottage, she'd often lavish them with extra large meals and a few hugs that were much tighter than she'd have given otherwise. Fluttershy wasn't exactly sure what had happened while they were all split up, but she could see that whatever it was, it'd obviously bothered her friend. Considering Discord was not easily bothered, she felt his possessive clinging spoke volumes to how relieved he was to see her. However, on the other hoof, she was getting the sense that whatever had happened, it had been more than just an easy escape and quick search to find the rest of them. She could feel Discord getting tired. Fluttershy wondered if she'd really stopped to consider that Discord was, like any pony, a living thing. And like all living things, he got hungry, and anxious, and tired. When he was in her cottage or causing mischief in Ponyville, he was always bursting with so much unfocused energy and displaying so much reality warping magic, she sometimes forgot that there was a physical creature behind all the shapeshifting and teleporting. As Discord pressed her against him, Fluttershy was picking up all the little signals that the long night's events were taking their toll. His march was even and deliberate, each step taken with conscious effort rather than just a natural pace. His chest rose and fell more dramatically than normal as he panted. Under the surprisingly soft fur, Fluttershy could feel the beat of his heart. It pumped hard and fast, not with the adrenaline that came with physical activity, but with over exertion, and a need for rest. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were talking about direction. Applejack was trying her best to keep Pinkie's noise level down, while Rarity was trying her best to touch as little of the forest around her as possible. Fluttershy made up her mind. She raised her voice as much as she dared. “Uhm... girls? Could we uhm... maybe... stop and rest a little bit?” Twilight and Rainbow didn't seem to hear, but Applejack and Rarity turned to blink at her as Pinkie bounced in circles around them. Fluttershy shrunk a little on reflex at the sudden attention, but she cleared her throat to keep going. “It's been a long time since we heard anypony. And, well, none of us have gotten any sleep. Shouldn't we... maybe... try and find a safe place to take a break? Even if it's just for a little while?” “Excitement getting the better of you, my dear?” Discord smiled down at her, coming to a stop. “I must admit, I am feeling a little frazzled.” Rarity said as the others stopped as well, save for Pinkie who continued to circle the group like a brightly coloured vulture. “Everypony alright?” Twilight asked, noticing the change in pace. “I'm just wondering if we shouldn't stop and rest,” Fluttershy repeated, squirming slightly to see if Discord would put her down. He didn't. “I dunno. I'd be a lot happier if we could get outta these woods before we start thinkin' about puttin' our hooves up.” Applejack said with a light frown. “Those crazy ponies would probably chase us all the way to Tartarus if they could! I say we get as far away from them as we can while the getting's good!” Rainbow agreed. “You may be right, but not everypony is as athletic as you and Applejack are, Rainbow.” Rarity said. She shifted in place, looking like she was about to sit down, but after glancing at the forest floor, she seemed to change her mind. “I'm getting pretty tired too,” Twilight said, pulling a slight face. “But I agree, we shouldn't relax too soon with the town still after us.” “So what do you propose we do, Oh fearless leader?” Discord said, sinking down without any concern for how dirty the forest floor was. Twilight made a thoughtful noise, scanning the area around them despite barely being able to see her hoof in front of her face. She turned to look up at the branches above them. “We've been heading as close to north as we can, but I don't really know how big this place is, and there's not much point in checking the map in the dark.” She gave Discord a sideways glance. “You do still have the map, right?” He rolled his eyes. “Much as it may shock you, I am able to prioritize. I put it in Fluttershy's bag.” Twilight nodded, turning to Rainbow Dash. “Before we make any real decisions, we should try and find out how long this forest is going to go on for. Could you get us a visual on how far it's stretching out around us, Rainbow?” “You got it!” Rainbow grinned proudly. “Back in a flash!” She zipped up into the trees, the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs the only things marking her path. The others settled into positions mirroring their level of fatigue. Rarity, after what appeared to be a deep inner struggle, sat down uncomfortably on a fallen tree branch. Pinkie had stopped her enthusiastic bouncing and flopped down over Discord's tail, her internal switch going from full to empty in an instant. Applejack trotted over to her, running her eyes over the area, her ears twitching. Pinkie had been carrying her saddlebags which Applejack now took and put over her own back with a word of thanks. Twilight sat down as well, but kept her eyes on where Rainbow Dash had disappeared. Discord finally let Fluttershy go as he lay down with an all-but-silent sigh. He crossed his arms in front of himself, lying his head down on top of them as he adjusted and readjusted his wings uncomfortably. Fluttershy watched him, although in the dark she couldn't read his expression. She turned to watch Applejack, as she walked past and stood beside Twilight. Fluttershy tried to make out how tired they were from where she sat. If Discord was running out of fuel, she was sure her two pony friends were probably completely exhausted. Maybe not Applejack so much, but definitely Twilight. She couldn't see much of them though, and decided to wait until later to make sure they weren't pushing themselves too hard. Discord adjusted his wings again as Rainbow Dash dropped back down from the canopy, shaking leaves from her mane. “Any good news?” Twilight asked as she stood up again. “Yeah,” Rainbow nodded before pointing a hoof. “We're not that far from the edge of this place. If we keep going that way, we'll get outta these trees in an hour or so. I didn't see any ponies anywhere and I could barely see the town. I think we're in the clear as far as them finding us goes. It also looks like the sun's gonna come up soon, but I can't really tell lately. Since this whole magic business it's been acting kinda weird. It's slower than it should be, but I saw the sky going lighter in that direction,” She pointed east, “So I think morning's not too far away either.” “Good to know,” Twilight nodded, giving her a grateful smile. “Oh yeah! And before I forget!” Rainbow added, turning and pulling the second set of saddlebags off her back and handing them over to Twilight. She grinned brightly when her friend took them from her. “I figured it wouldn't be a great idea to leave your element of harmony back at the inn.” “Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said with a relieved noise. “Who knows what those ponies would've done with it if they'd found it.” “Ta get back on track, what's the plan, Twilight?” Applejack asked, anxious for them to make a decision. Twilight turned serious again. “If we're not that far from the edge of the forest, I think we should keep going. At least until we get out of all this. Hopefully those ponies won't go far from the town, and if they do, we'll have a much better chance of spotting them in open countryside. I really don't feel like getting jumped again.” “I hear that!” Rainbow agreed enthusiastically. “And then, could we possibly rest a little before we move on to... wherever it is we're going to be moving on to?” Rarity asked hopefully. “If we can find somewhere safe enough.” Twilight nodded. “Or, we better make somewhere safe enough,” Applejack whispered to Twilight. “Some of these gals are startin' ta run a little dry, if ya get me.” “Yeah,” Twilight nodded as she turned to start walking again. “I'm one of them.” “Come on everypony! Just a little more!” Rainbow Dash urged the others back to their hooves, giving her wings a flap as she trotted around them. Various groans answered her as the other ponies got back up. Discord muttered something under his breath but otherwise said nothing as he pushed himself to his feet and followed the others. He didn't pick Fluttershy up again, but as they settled back into their walk, his paw put itself on her head and she felt the gentle ruffle of her mane before he let her go again. She smiled to herself softly, moving to walk closer beside him. Rainbow Dash hadn't been wrong. Within an hour, the ancient firs were replaced by wispy saplings and the thin branches of smaller trees. The underbrush grew less knotted, and the ground became clean of fallen branches and hollowed out logs. The air grew brighter as the canopy thinned and the sky shifted from night to dawn. Birds started calling each other, first softly but soon becoming a loud chorus of different species waking up. The group cleared the forest and wandered blinking into the open wilderness once again. In front of them was a long valley cupped between stretching mountain ranges. Weather-beaten grass of yellowish green and tan coloured the scenery, broken up by fallen rock and the occasional wild hedge that seemed to have no logic to where it grew or why. Clouds were rolling over head, but they were the cold, misty clouds of early morning and would burn away in the sun before they could ever hope to bring any rain. “C'mon,” Twilight said wearily, “Let's try and find some cover and I'll fill everypony in on what the next step in the plans are.” “You do that. I myself, plan to find the nearest patch of sun and ignore the rest of you for as long as it takes for my head to stop feeling like it's made of cotton,” Discord said grumpily. He turned to Fluttershy, adjusting his wings. “Incidentally, I have done that before. I wouldn't recommend it.” Fluttershy smiled up at him with a light giggle. She was about to ask him why he'd turned his own head into cotton, when the movement of his wings caught her eye. Her gaze froze and the words disappeared before she could say them. Discord was waiting smilingly to hear what she thought about his antics when he noticed her expression. His face sank and he turned to the front, frowning hard. Fluttershy blinked to herself before getting into the air and flying over Discord to see the other side of him more closely. Her voice caught sharply in her throat as she realised she hadn't been mistaken. “Something wrong, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, turning at the sound. “Excuse me, could everypony please stop for a moment?” Fluttershy said, flapping to hover over Discord's head to address the others. “Oh good,” Discord grumbled, pinching the bridge of his muzzle and squeezing his eyes shut. “This ought to go over well.” “What's wrong, Fluttershy?” Twilight repeated Rarity's question as the group came to a stop, turning to see what the problem was. “Don't mind her,” Discord said, trying to shoo Fluttershy away. “I believe she just needs to have her daily anxiety attack before we can all carry on with our lives.” “Hush,” Fluttershy said, ignoring his swatting claw, perfectly aware that he would never actually hit her. “Sit down.” Discord gave a drawn out, whiny noise but did as he was told, crossing his arms and sulking. “Fluttershy seriously, what-?” Twilight insisted, trotting over. “One of those awful ponies must've hit him while you were looking for us,” Fluttershy said as she hovered over Discord, reaching out and gently taking his bat-wing in her hooves, unfolding it and inspecting it more closely. Discord winced, and then scowled to himself, muttering something incoherently. “What? Really?” Rainbow Dash added, trotting over to take a look. “When did this happen?” Twilight ignored her, turning her attention to the wing. The purple-black membrane of the limb had been pierced by what she guessed to be one of the cult's crossbow bolts. The rod had stuck itself through the skin from the inside outwards. It's fletching caused it to lodge in place and it now sat like an obscene piece of jewellery. From where the arrow stuck, a trickle of deep, rich crimson ran down the stretched skin as the wound bled. Barely, but bled nonetheless. “Is it serious, Fluttershy?” Twilight said as a hard frown formed on her face. “I'm still around, aren't I?” Discord snapped at her. “I know you enjoy ignoring me, but hopefully you pay enough attention to notice that at least.” “Arrows ain't nothing ta sneeze at,” Applejack added with her own frown. “Why didn't ya say somethin' sooner, Discord?! This is sorta the kinda thing ya oughta let us know about! I'd call ya stupid if I didn't know ya were anythin' but! The heck were ya thinkin'?” Discord clicked his tongue and pulled his wing out of Fluttershy's hooves. “Maybe I wanted to avoid this awkward scene and was going to bring it up when I could actually get some sympathy points from you lot!” He flapped his claw at Fluttershy as she tried to take hold of the wing again. “Oh, don't fuss, don't fuss!” Fluttershy blinked at him before what would've been described as 'a light frown' on somepony else, settled on her face. “Now you listen here, Discord; I'm not interested in how awkward you feel. I want you to sit still and let me look at your wing and make sure it's not serious. And if you don't let me do that, then I'm not going to talk to you for the rest of the day.” “Hah!” Discord scoffed, shooting her a small glare. “I thought I already mentioned that I'm going to sleep for the rest of the day! Unless you're planning to have a rather one-sided conversation, I'm not in the mood to have any deep, soul-searching discussions anyway! And may I recommend you at least try to bring some menace into your threats if you plan to make them, Fluttershy? Although in all seriousness, you really shouldn't even bother. You're not very good at them.” Fluttershy didn't answer. Her frown didn't fade as she hovered in front of his face, her gaze locked on his. He glared back at her as hard as he could with stubborn denial. It was surprising then, that after barely a minute of the staring contest, Discord gave a long sigh and broke eye contact. He lay down to resume his sulk as he unfolded his wing, holding it up in the air for her. “There, that's not so bad, is it?” Fluttershy said, her frown melting away as she gave him a much softer expression before flying over to take a look at the injury. “And everypony thinks you're so nice...” Discord grumbled irritably to himself, avoiding everypony's gaze as he shifted in embarrassment. “If you're hurt, we'd better take care of that right away,” Rarity said once she was sure things had been diffused. She pulled off her saddlebags and started rummaging through them. “I'm afraid I don't have anything I would call ideal, but I'm certain I packed a summer scarf we could use to wrap it with until we find something better.” “You gotta pull that thing out first,” Rainbow added, getting airborne to hover beside Fluttershy. “Don't think you can pull it out with those feathers on its tail, and the pointy part won't go back the other way. What if we snap it and pull it out by the middle?” “You will do no such thing!” Discord said sharply, once again pulling his wing back but this time to protect it from Rainbow Dash. “Do you want me to bleed to death? I do not have the magic to keep myself alive, you know! Now, would everypony please stop fretting like a gaggle of aged school matrons?!” He shot the group a pout. “Honestly!” “I was just trying to help!” Rainbow protest angrily. “He's right though,” Fluttershy said gently, setting herself on the ground again. “You should never pull out an arrow if you can't bandage the cut right away.” “Thank you, Fluttershy,” Discord sighed in exasperation, standing up again. “Now, will you please tell them that I'm fine and I'd appreciate it if they saved the sympathy until after I've gotten some rest and have the energy to deal with ponies again?” “It's not that bad,” Fluttershy nodded, turning to the others. “We'll get it wrapped up and after a few days of proper food and some care it'll heal itself. At least,” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, “That's how it is with my bat friends. I suppose it's almost the same thing, right?” “Splendid,” Discord nodded, picking up his walk again with stubborn vigor. “So with that out of the way, can we find that shelter and deal with it there?” “Well... alright,” Twilight said reluctantly. “I'm gonna trust Fluttershy on this. But really, you should've let us know you'd been hurt sooner, Discord.” Discord gave another scoff. “The second you saw it, we stopped and had a lengthy discussion in the open fields a stone throw away from where insane ponies are still looking for us. Really, you ponies are so panicky it's a wonder you ever step foot out of your front doors.” Morning started to turn to afternoon and there was still no sign of any ponies leaving the forest to chase after them. The group was finally starting to consider that maybe the cult had given up on them. Away from the old forest, the countryside had little to offer in the way of trees. Or at least, trees that could provide some sort of shelter for them. After a lengthy walk, they came across a collection of rocks and boulders which either jutted up from the foot of the mountain, or were overgrown with grass where they'd fallen. Either way, the small cluster of chest-high walls and shallow dips in the ground seemed to be the best they'd be able to do for a while, and the group settled down, exhausted. Twilight had intended to explain everything she, Applejack and Discord had learned as soon as they found a spot to rest. However, as they lay down in the grass warmed by the sun, shadows of clouds passing overhead, and insects buzzing lazily over them, Twilight found she had no desire to start talking about plans and magic stones and insane ponies right now. She lay down her head and almost immediately dozed off. Pinkie Pie flopped down close by, rolling around on her back enthusiastically before she went to sleep as well. Applejack lay down close to Twilight, taking off her hat as she got comfortable. After a moment or so, she started nibbling at a patch of clover by her forelegs. Rainbow Dash landed on one of the taller rocks and sat down, taking the role of sentry. Discord and Fluttershy huddled down against the natural curve of rock as Fluttershy turned her attention back to her friend's wing. Discord, apart from holding the limb outstretched for her, lay down and shut his eyes, a nap clearly the first and most important thing on his mind. “I don't know if you'll be able to sleep while I take this out, I'm afraid.” Fluttershy said apologetically. “Really my dear, after what I've manage to ignore while on your couch, do you still doubt my devotion to the concept of sleep?” He said, not bothering to open his eyes. “Well... maybe... but I'm afraid this is going to sting a little bit. I'll try really really hard to be gentle, but I can't stop it from hurting completely. I'm very sorry.” She floated back to the ground, going over to her saddlebags. Rarity, spotting the event unfolding, stood up from where she'd thrown down her blanket and trotted over. “Are you taking care of that wing, Fluttershy?” She asked when she came close enough. “Oh, yes.” Fluttershy nodded, pulling out what was possibly the tiniest first aid kit ever created. Rarity blinked at it for a moment before giving Fluttershy an almost disappointed look. Fluttershy smiled sheepishly. “I brought it with in case we ever found a poor little animal that was in trouble. Of course, I was thinking more along the lines of a bird or a bunny. I didn't really think.... That is....” She let her hair droop over her face shyly. “I never really thought that maybe one of us would ever get hurt.” “That is because you are earth-shatteringly naïve.” Discord piped up from where he lay. “Now, now. Don't be cranky.” Fluttershy said gently as she flew back over and sat down beside the wing. “I am not cranky, I am over-tired,” Discord grumbled, opening an eye to glance at her. “So let's get this over with as quick as we can, please.” “I'll do my best,” Fluttershy promise, putting the first aid kit down and turning to the wing itself. After looking it over for a minute, she reached out and took hold of each end of the arrow before snapping it in two. Discord visibly flinched as the hackles down his spine stood on end, before settling back down. However he said nothing, feigning sleep. Fluttershy started cleaning the wound the arrow had left. Her first aid kit may have been small, but she always made sure it was never empty of the essentials, especially a small bottle of antiseptic. When it came to injured animals, infection was almost always the biggest and most common concern. She had learned to never underestimate the importance of carrying antiseptic with her if there was ever a chance she might come across an animal in need. Discord waited patiently, his wing only giving small twitches in response to her touch. After a few minutes, Fluttershy pulled out two small pads of gauze which she taped in place over both the inside and outside of the wing. “There now,” She cooed out of habit when she finished. “That should feel a bit better.” “Would you still like this?” Rarity asked, holding out her yellow floral scarf. “It's not exactly a bandage, but if could at least keep that plaster from falling off.” “I think that would be very nice. Don't you, Discord?” Fluttershy turned to smile at him encouragingly. He grumbled, giving the scarf a frown. “Not really my colour, is it?” “No, not really,” Rarity agreed before Fluttershy could reprimand him. “But I'm afraid it's all I have. I can make you a better one once we're back in Ponyville, but for now this will have to do.” Discord gave a melodramatic sigh. “I suppose you're right. At least it's not last year's fashion.” “Somehow, I doubt your erm... avant garde sense of style has ever really been in fashion.” Rarity said diplomatically, handing the scarf over to Fluttershy who proceeded to wrap it around the injury. “You should probably keep off that for a while,” Rainbow Dash piped up from her perch. “Wing injury like that won't get any better from flying around.” “Fantastic. More good news,” Discord said bitterly. “No magic. No flying. I might as well get turned to stone again at this rate!” “There there, It's only for a little while,” Fluttershy said as she packed away her things. “Try and take a nap. You'll feel better when you're not as tired.” “Something we can agree on, at last.” Discord said, lying back down. “You will let us know when you want to get some rest too, won't you, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity said as she trotted back to her blanket. “Huh? Oh. Yeah, sure.” Rainbow said, snapping her attention to Rarity. She'd been staring at Discord's wing, a troubled expression on her face as a realisation struck her. She gave the dozing draconequus another confused and even worried glance before she turned to watch the landscape again. Fluttershy put her saddlebags aside before walking back and lying herself down against Discord with a small sigh, her own drowsiness catching up with her. One of Discord's arms lifted and put itself around her as he shifted and curled up slightly, the two of them dozing off together. They ended up spending the rest of the day between the rocks. Most of the group managed to get their share of sleep during the afternoon, but when they'd finally gotten their energy back, the evening was already getting long and they had no intention of travelling in the dark. Instead, they took the time to go over what Stoneflower and Hop Shot had said about Blue Jay, the stone, Blue Jay's home town of Kerry Shire, and its neighbouring town of Dartmoorton. They all agreed that, with no other leads, Kerry Shire was probably their best bet on finding the Stone of Null. Twilight went over her tourist map several times, trying to find the best route to the canyon that split the two towns from each other. While she did so, the others exchanged their stories on what had happened while they were split up. After they'd been told that Twilight, Applejack and Discord had been captured, the others had tried to think of ways to break in and rescue them. However, when the news came shortly afterwards that the trio had gotten free by themselves, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash got the saddlebags and left town. Rainbow Dash said that she had wanted to stay and wait for them, but they'd been worried guards might come looking for them while they were at the inn. After that, they went as deep into the forest as they dared before waiting for Twilight's group to catch up with them. Rainbow had taken on the job of lookout, until she saw Discord. The rest they all knew. “Quite the daring escape all round, I would say,” Discord yawned. “Of course, our story was much more thrilling than yours. Mainly thanks to me, of course.” “Yeah, well, sorry we didn't think of burning the inn down when we left.” Rainbow said, giving him a smirk. “Should we go back and do that?” Pinkie asked with a troublingly enthusiastic smile. “No.” Several ponies said in unison. “I still wanna know; when exactly did that happen?” Rainbow asked, waving a hoof at Discord's wing with a light frown. “Must we keep bringing this up?” Discord said with an exasperated noise. “I just... I wanna know for sure if what I'm thinking is right.” Rainbow said, giving him an earnest stare. “If it's really that important for you to know, they must've nicked me while I was preoccupied trying to find where you'd hidden Fluttershy.” He said dismissively. “Really, it's you ponies' fault. You've gotten me far too used to your company. Had I been my old self, I'd have noticed the sounds of pony hooves below us ages before they attacked! I have a right mind to file some sort of legal action against you,” He turned and gave Fluttershy a wide grin. “Think I can get a nice settlement for this?” He raised his wing meaningfully. “Would ya put it down!” Rainbow Dash snapped at him. “It's not gonna heal any faster if you stretch it like that!” “Why Rainbow Dash, I am touched,” Discord batted his eyelashes at her. “And here I thought you didn't care.” Rainbow's face flared up as she dug at the ground with a hooftip. “I just... don't wanna be the reason you... you know....” “Your gratitude is highly appreciated.” Discord grinned, although there was something in the smile that spoke of more honesty in the statement than he was letting on. Rainbow looked up at him sheepishly before giving a shaky smile in return. They slept again throughout the night, Pinkie Pie taking the role of lookout. That is, until they kept getting woken up every five minutes to the energetic cries that everything was still ok and there was nothing to worry about. Rarity took over instead, insisting that she wasn't all that tired after her afternoon nap and if she was going to be kept awake by Pinkie anyway, she might as well do something useful. The next morning came and, after taking an extended period of time to coax Discord to wake up and get moving, they continued their journey once more. They travelled a long stretch of country before they reached a road again. The road was barely more than a dirt path over the hills and valleys, but it made for easier travelling than going cross country. When night came around, they settled down in a small thicket just off the path, out of sight from anypony who might be travelling through the area. The next several days were uneventful. They didn't meet any ponies on the road to Dartmoorton which was good as far as avoiding any contact with the cult went, but became problematic as the days worn on. Discord, it seemed, was more hindered by his wing than they'd originally thought. At first, Fluttershy was convinced he was just playing up the injury to get sympathy or, at the very least, attention. But as time went on, she started getting the impression that his slowed pace and general lack of energy was more genuine than he wanted to admit. Apart from slowing the group down, Discord was staying off the wing like Rainbow had instructed, but he never seemed all that anxious to even try and get himself off the ground. Normally, Fluttershy would've needed to tell him every five minutes not to stretch the wing. However, he was simply refusing to move it, without any scolding from either Fluttershy or any of the others. He became quieter as time went by. His comments and playful remarks became less enthusiastic, until he spent most of the time silent and seemingly wrapped up in thought. Pinkie tried to get him to join her in some of her games, but he'd always divert her attention to something else before she could talk him into it. Pinkie didn't seem to notice his dodging, but Fluttershy did. After a few days went by without any sign of improvement, Fluttershy got Twilight out of earshot from the others to talk, not knowing what else to do. “You think it's more serious than he's letting us know?” Twilight asked. “I'm not really sure,” Fluttershy admitted. “The wound really didn't look like anything serious at all. But he hasn't seemed himself lately. The group had settled down for the night under a trio of pines, a short distance from the road. The others had gone about the usual tasks of sharing food with each other, setting down blankets and looking for anything edible growing in the field they were in. Fluttershy had pulled Twilight aside on the pretence of going to look for berries in one the wild hedges when she brought up her concerns. Twilight hummed to herself thoughtfully for a moment, thinking it over. “I haven't really noticed him behaving strangely.” “But that's just it. He's supposed to be acting strangely.” Fluttershy insisted. “I don't know, Fluttershy,” Twilight said doubtfully. “Are you sure he's not just behaving himself better after what happened in the town?” “I don't really see why he would,” Fluttershy shook her head. “Why? Did something happen while you two were there?” “Kinda...” Twilight shifted self-consciously. “We had a... I guess you could call it a 'moment of understanding' when Stoneflower caught us. I've tried easing up on him a little bit, but I haven't had much reason to do so, actually. He's been rather quiet.” “And that's why I'm getting worried.” Fluttershy insisted. “Are you sure he's not just trying to be nicer to us after we all almost got killed?” Twilight pressed. Fluttershy shook her head again. “I know how he acts when he's trying to be nice, and this isn't the same thing,” She wiped her fringe out of her face awkwardly. “It's a little hard to really explain but... there's a difference between that and how he's acting now. I can tell.” Twilight regarded her friend for a moment, thinking this over. She tried to bring up a mental image of how Discord had been acting for the past few days, but found she was having a hard time doing so. His presence hadn't been as 'front stage' as she'd grown to expect during the trip, and he had started to blend together with the rest of the ponies in the group for her. It no longer seemed to be a case of 'the six of them and Discord' as much as it was 'the seven of them'. However, thinking about it now, she realised that that in of itself probably meant Fluttershy was right and something was out of place with him. Discord was a lot of things, but 'a face in the crowd' definitely wasn't one of them. “Should I ask him what's wrong?” Twilight asked, turning her attention back to Fluttershy. “He won't tell you,” Fluttershy said without needing to think about it. “He doesn't like talking about himself.” “He talks about himself all the time.” Twilight said with a light scoff and a chuckle. “Not really,” Fluttershy said gently. “He talks about himself, but... not really.” “Hmm.” Twilight murmured. “So, what d'you think we should do?” “I'm not sure,” Fluttershy said, giving Twilight a desperate look. “All I can think of is that we should maybe find a doctor or something to make sure his wing is ok but... Twilight, I really don't know if that's what the problem is.” Twilight nodded, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “I've been thinking we should head straight for Kerry Shire,” She said eventually, “But maybe... we should go to Dartmoorton first. Hop Shot said Kerry Shire was burned down a long time ago, so I don't know what state the town would be in when we get there. There could be nopony there at all. But Dartmoorton is still on my tourist map, and Hop Shot seemed to know how to get there without thinking too hard. My guess is it's still a functioning town. Hopefully we can find a doctor or... I dunno... a vet maybe, and they can give us some help.” “Do we have time to do that?” Fluttershy asked anxiously. “What about finding the Stone of Null?” “Yeah...” Twilight nodded. She pulled a slight face to herself before turning back to Fluttershy. “Do you think he'd listen to us if we told him to stay in Dartmoorton while we keep going?” “No,” Fluttershy shook her head. “Definitely not.” “What if you stayed with him?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy paused for a moment. “I'm... not really sure. It would definitely help to get him to wait... but I don't know if he'd be happy to let the rest of you leave us behind.” She raised her eyes to meet Twilight's. “But it's no use wondering about it. You need me to use the Elements of Harmony on the stone. So I have to come with you. And Discord won't listen if you tell him to stay behind without me.” “I've noticed.” Twilight admitted. “It's just because he'd be worried.” Fluttershy said in his defence. Twilight nodded. “Yeah. That's what I've noticed.” She sighed, turning to walk back to the rest of the group. “Let's get to Dartmoorton first before we try and figure out what to do from there. Who knows, maybe he just needs a booster shot or something and he'll be fine.” “Do you really think so?” Fluttershy asked as she followed her. “No,” Twilight shook her head. “But I'm starting to accept the fact I can't figure out how he works at all.” “I think... I might be getting better at it...” Fluttershy said quietly. “...Maybe...” It turned out changing course to Dartmoorton was something they'd have ended up doing regardless if Fluttershy spoke to Twilight or not. They started covering less ground as the days wore on. At first, it was unclear as to why they weren't making the same kind of time they use to, until one afternoon when Pinkie Pie flopped herself over Discord's tail and bluntly asked him if his wing hurt because he was slower than usual. Discord hadn't answered directly, but his face flushed and his ears flattened as he growled something under his breath. After that, it became an open secret that the group's focus had turned from heading straight to Kerry Shire, to finding a town that could offer them help. Discord hadn't said anything in regards to this, merely grumbling something about wasting time at one point. Sometimes, Fluttershy noticed him give one of the other ponies in the group a confused stare. Something seemed to be on his mind, but he never brought it up, and Fluttershy knew better than to try and pry it out of him. She had faith that, if she gave him some time and showed him some kindness, he'd tell her himself what was bothering him. She wondered if that really did mean she was naïve, thinking the draconequus would open up when in the past, it'd always required some sort of shift in the situation before he'd admit anything to her. She reminded herself though, that not that long ago, she was lamenting the fact that he never opened up to her. Things had changed with time. She was hoping time would help change them even more. Something was bothering him, clearly. She just had to make sure she was there when he needed somepony to talk to. By the time they reached the canyon separating the road to Dartmoorton from Kerry Shire, the need for supplies went beyond just looking for a doctor. The higher landscape and fewer trees meant their food supplies were growing low. Being ponies, the chances of running out completely was unlikely, but even ponies needed more than wild flowers to keep them going. On top of this, Fluttershy was anxious to get her first aid kit restocked as well. Just in case. In case of what she hadn't allowed herself to think about but... just in case. Of anything. They followed the road hugging the canyon, heading west. The canyon itself wasn't anything particularly spectacular. Calling it a 'gorge' would probably have been better, if not as good for the tourist trade. The two stretches of land were cut cleanly down the middle by a narrow valley. At its bottom, a thin, rocky stream cut its course steadily between the two rock walls. Swallows darted back and forth, catching insects on the wing before ducking into their various holes. The going was slow, as had become normal for the past few days. By late afternoon, the group was thinking of calling it a day and trying to find some form of shelter when something in the distance caught Rainbow Dash's attention. Flying high to get a better look, she came with the news that there was some sort of cliff-side cottage not too far ahead of them. It didn't take much debate for the group to agree that asking to sleep in a cottage seemed a lot more inviting than just bunking down outside in the elements again. “Think they'll have any tea to offer their guests?” Discord asked hopefully. “Where would they get tea out here in the middle of nowhere?” Rainbow asked, scrunching her muzzle at him. “All civilized places carry tea, Rainbow Dash.” He said with conviction. “I don't have any tea at my place,” Rainbow Dash argued. “Exactly my point,” Discord said, shooting her a grin. “Alright alright, I walked into that one,” Rainbow snorted, landing to stand on his head. “All I'm hoping for is a nice bed with some clean covers,” Rarity sighed wistfully. “And some breakfast!” Pinkie added, hopping along side her. “Pinkie, it's almost supper time.” Applejack pointed out. “You've never had Breakfast for supper?” Pinkie gasped, staring wide-eyed at Applejack. “Can't say I have, Sugarcube.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Have you ever had breakfast for supper, Discord?” Pinkie asked, hopping over and poking him in the ribs with a hoof. “I suppose.” He answered absently. “It's the best!” Pinkie carried on, turning to smile at the world in general. “If the ponies at this house have the right ingredients I can make us some!” “Provided there are ponies at this house.” Twilight said doubtfully as they approached it. The cottage was made of rough stone and had a thick layer of thatch for a roof. Against its outside wall was an old, weatherbeaten bench. Along the edge of the roof, various roots and herbs hung tied up with twine. They'd been bleached dry in the sun and gave off strange smells. Next to the wooden door sat an old basket woven of straw or grass. It was filled with brown ears of corn, also baked dry by the sun. Where they had come from was a mystery, as no sign of any corn grew around the small house. Behind it, the wall of the gorge jutted outwards to form the more traditional image of a cliff. The grass on this small, natural garden was softer than the wild fields around them and much greener in colour. There was a small patch to the side which appeared to be for vegetables, although at the moment it was bare. “Think they're still around?” Applejack asked, looking the cottage over. “There's smoke coming from the chimney,” Rainbow Dash pointed out from where she hovered. “There's gotta be somepony home.” “Or something, at least.” Discord muttered, mostly to himself. Fluttershy blinked up at him. “What do you mean?” “There's more than ponies beyond the borders, my dear.” He murmured, giving the door to the cottage a suspicious frown, shifting his weight. “Well... I don't see anything to suggest it'd be something dangerous,” Twilight said with a shrug. “Besides, I don't think we should ignore anything that might be able to give us some help, right?” The last statement was directed at the group in general, but her eyes lingered on Discord for a moment longer than the others. Discord stared back at her for a moment, apparently puzzled by her expression. He then sat down and picked at one of his eagle claws idly. “I would say it's worth the risk, if you don't mind facing the consequences, should it turn out to be the wrong decision.” “Exactly,” Twilight nodded, apparently in agreement. However, just as she turned back to the door to knock, she shot Discord a subtle smile. He pretended not to see it, crossing his arms. Twilight knocked on the door. After a moment passed without any noise, she knocked again. “Hello?! Is anypony there?!” She called, turning to look at one of the small, shuttered windows. “We're travellers from Equestria and we were wondering if we could ask for your help!” There was a few moments' silence before they heard movement come from inside. Twilight took a step back at the noise. The door creaked heavily as it was pushed open and the scent of every herb and roasted plant known to ponykind hit them. However, the overwhelming smell barely registered as the thing which opened the door came into full view. It was no pony. Nor was it a mule, or a griffin, or even a roc. The creature was large. Very large. Not only in terms of height but also in girth. It resembled a minotaur, but at the same time not at all. It stood on tree-thick hind legs, pushing open the door with awkwardly long arms and twig-like fingers. It was dressed in moss green material that hung heavy and torn in a mix between a cloak and a dress. Its face was very long and sheep-like, grey woolly hair falling well past its shoulders and golden hooped ears. It stared at the group with small, black eyes, trinkets and bracelets jangling as it stepped outside. “Ponies...” It uttered in a deep, earthy voice. “Troll...” Discord growled, lowering to all fours.