//------------------------------//
// When Changelings Attack! 
// Story: Visiting Chaos 
// by Ink Well Inks Well 
//------------------------------//

	A wedding. 
Joy.
Discord was currently pouting in his statue, trying to ignore the frivolous decorations that had been tossed on him in a pathetic attempt to make him more presentable- after all, the Canterlot gardens would be open for the wedding, and even if nopony but Pinkie, Screwball and the Princesses could break the magical seal to get to him, he was still visible, and a screaming draconequus wasn’t exactly festive.
And it wasn’t like he was ungrateful for a spot of color amidst his dreary gray and white form- he was, truly, it really brightened up the area, but...
They’d taken away Bananas.
Now, it wasn’t as if the king of chaos was upset by the removal of a simple plush toy. Not in the least! He could get over it a heartbeat- half a heartbeat even! It was just...
Pinkie and Screwball hadn’t visited in a while, either. 
Rehearsal schedules for Screwball’s show and all that, and then, just when the play had premiered and they were scheduled to visit again, preparations for the confounded wedding.
He’d heard Screwball was a very convincing maniac, though, even if he didn’t get the chance to see it.
Of course, that couldn’t have been hard, since she was a maniac, but it was still nice to hear, wasn’t it?
But, no, he couldn’t see it. He was stuck in a statue garden, left to rot.
He knew he was being childish, but really, what harm was there in that? Childishness wasn’t bad.
So he allowed himself to wallow in pathetic self-pity- it wasn’t as if he had anything else to do- and hoped that after the wedding, his two favorite ponies might give him a visit.
Things, of course, did not go as planned.

	_______________________________________________________________________________________

The story of the Canterlot Wedding is infamous now, and the Changeling attack went down in history books as an act of true deception and surprise.
Discord, however, saw it coming from a mile away.
A mile and a quarter, to be exact.
It was all the chaotic energy, you see. The flurry and stress of a wedding was chaos in itself, but there was something more buzzing in the energy around him.
Now, Discord would be lying if he said that he knew precisely what was coming from one point two five miles away, but he could tell it was something.
The idea of this filled him with complete, unadulterated glee. Energy filled the statue slowly throughout all the events leading to the wedding- the creation of the shield spell, the replacement of Cadence with Chrysalis, Twilight’s ever growing panic and desperation for someone to just listen to her, Twilight’s removal from the wedding... All of these events made it so that when the attack was finally underway, Discord was brimming with power, only a few chaotic events from the freedom he so richly deserved. 
Already, the stone was getting weaker, thinner. Any moment now, it would crumble to pieces- his full energy would be restored, and he would be free as a bird.
He heard a few screams, a few shrieks, and he snickered. He was almost there...
“Daddy!”
His concentration was lost as his filly came bounding into his area of the gardens, pure panic on her deranged face. Changelings swarmed behind her, and although she was doing her very best to summon enough chaos to defeat them- and she really did have quite a bit- there were simply too many of them.
She backed up, growling like a dog, but her tail floofed up and stiff like a cat. “Leave us alone!”
But the Changelings just kept coming, by the bucketload. They’d realized that she was more powerful than expected, and had to be detained. As more and more Changelings appeared, her growls became less ferocious, and though she was trying to sound threatening, bless her heart, the noise she was making had quickly dissolved into whimpering.
“Daddy?” she kept her defensive stance, but looked at her father, fear somehow showing in those strange, vacant eyes.
Discord looked at her, unsure of what to do. He finally had enough power to escape- freedom was so close, he could taste it! But if he used his magic to escape, he would barely have enough energy to stand up, let alone help his daughter... He really should just wait until the Changelings were gone, and best of luck to Screwball. 
After all, if something were to happen to her, it would be a shame, but he could always create another chaotic entity. A yellow one, perhaps, he always quite liked yellow. Not as good as pink, but it really would do...
Screwy was trembling now, trying her very best to seem brave in front of her father, but not quite succeeding. “D-Daddy?” A Changeling swatted at her and she flinched, trying to bite it, but getting her muzzle hit in the process. She snarled as a bit of blood spurted out of her nostrils, then splayed out in front of Discord, protectively. “Don’t come any closer to me and Daddy, o-or else!”
No... he realized, with surprise. He didn’t want another embodiment of chaos. He was quite attached to the one he had already.
As the bug-like ponies drew close, he realized what he had to do.
Oh, poo.
He sighed, and snapped his talons. To his daughter’s delight, a giant bug-zapper appeared, drawing the Changelings to it- and away from her. As the Changelings swarmed closer, the light heated itself more and more, until it finally exploded in a burst of light, color and sound- taking the Changelings with it. All that was left were a few charred, shimmering wings, and the distinct scent of burnt cheese.
His little aberration beamed, and, despite the total lack of energy and the oncoming migraine, he couldn’t help but smile, too.

	_______________________________________________________________________________________

The minute the wedding- the real one- was over and Celestia could slip away, she headed straight to the gardens, trying not to let panic set in as she made her way towards Discord’s statue.
Her stomach clenched at all the possibilities she might find. The stone broken, the draconequus free... she wasn’t sure Equestria could handle another crisis so soon after the last one.
So her relief was almost as great as her confusion when she found the statue untouched, still in the same position it had been when she’d last visited.
“Discord?”
There was an audible sigh, and a response of, Yes, Celestia? She couldn’t help but notice a deep strain in his voice, as if all the energy had been drained from it. She couldn’t make sense of it- he should be practically glowing with power right now.
“You’re... still here?”
Well, I can’t exactly move, can I?
“But, all the chaos... all the energy!”
Wonderful, that. Honestly, the best feeling I’ve had in a while. You really should invite Chryssie over more often, it was a delight to feel so strong again!
She looked at her adopted brother, eyes slanted in suspicion. “So where’s all that power now?”
Gone. Every last drop.
“How?”
I used it. I’m completely still not sure I made the right choice, I probably could have figured out how to get free as well, but ah well, you can’t change the past- or I can’t now, anyway. If I had a bit more power, I could, but alas, that’s not possible.
“Doing what?”
I beg your pardon?
“You drained your energy doing what?”
Exploding Changelings.
Her eyes widened. “Why would you do that? Did you not have enough power to get yourself free?”
... I did.
“But you’re here...”
Very observant, Celestia, you could be a detective.
“Why are you still here?”
There was another loud, drawn out sigh. Screwball was being chased by Changelings. I had to get rid of them somehow.
“You did?”
	Of course I did. What sort of parent do you take me for?
There was a pause.
Then Celestia looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read. “You sacrificed your freedom to help your... daughter?”
Oh, you don’t have to make it sound so heroic. You know how I hate that.
“...I see.” The mare turned away, eyes flitting from side to side as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Oh, Celestia?
The goddess stopped short, looking at him with a raised brow, on the defensive. “Yes?”
Is Pinkie Pie alright?
If she had been surprised before, it was nothing compared to what she was like now. “Why?”
Well, Chrysalis is smart, we both know that. And we both know that the Elements will jump into any trouble Equestria has at the drop of a hat. Because of this fact, the Elements would specifically be targeted by the Changelings, would they not? So it goes without saying Pinkie may have been in serious peril! I’m just checking up on her.
“Yes, but why? Why do you care?”
Why shouldn’t I? She cares about me.
The answer was simple, but it still took her off guard. It wasn’t as if Discord had admitted that he had any real feelings towards Pinkie, or even that he liked her. It was simply the “polite thing to do.”
But that was a start- a definite start. Caring enough to ask about a pony’s welfare, and caring enough to sacrifice freedom for yet another filly was inconceivable for Discord to do. It made absolutely no sense.
But Discord had often said there was no fun in making sense, and not making sense was something he did so well, she shouldn’t be surprised.
Still, this was... different.
“She’s fine. Completely safe and gorging on sweets at the party as we speak.”
... Good. I’m glad to hear it.
Celestia simply nodded. “I’ll tell them that you’re waiting for them- I’m sure they won’t mind a quick visit.”
Discord didn’t really have a response, not really in the mood to say “thank you,” but still quite aware that the Princess was doing him a favor.
	Alright then. I’m ready when they are, was all he said, before Celestia nodded and walked off, still thinking.
Maybe redemption was in reach for the draconequus... but it no longer seemed like she was the only pony that had to try and achieve it for him.
No, perhaps what Discord needed wasn’t the black and white worldview she’d been trying to impart.
Maybe he needed a splash of color.