//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Morning After // Story: When Discord Calls (Name pending) // by Moonlight_Glimmer //------------------------------// "I just don't get it. It all happened so fast. One minute I was enjoying my book, then Pinkie ran off to help Discord to plan a party. It's not that I don't think she can handle it, I'm just worried that Discord has something planned." "Other than the party, ya mean?" "Yes. Discord hasn't been the most...trustworthy of friends." "Well, I for one think that it is an excellent opportunity for Pinkie to spread her wings. I mean, don't get me wrong, Discord can be a bit...rowdy at times, but I don't think that he'll try anything too brash." "Speak for yourself, I say we swoop and bust him. Somepony needs to stop him, and I think we're just the ones to do it." "Woah there, no need to go all fired up on the count of a party. Pinkie's a tough cookie. Why she's probably as fit as a fiddle and rearing to go throw the best party this side of the Everfree Forest." "She is quite right, dear. You can't just charge in and solve all of life's problems. Sometimes you just need a little faith." "Why, thank you kindly." "Don't thank me, I'm just telling the truth." "Eugh, fine. Just don't say I didn't tell you so when we're fighting a giant - whatever the heck Discord is - when this is all through." A unnerving silence filled the room. Twilight Sparkle was deeply affected by yesterday's events. She hardly slept worrying about where and when she would be able to see her friend again. When morning came, she decided that she had to tell somepony about her concerns. Perhaps they would be able to provide some insight and help plan the next action taken. Gathered in the castle's central hall were 4 mares, each with a different background and opinion on the whole situation. Twilight, the alicorn, having firsthand witnessed the whole thing, was in a state of deep shock. She knew what had happened and why, but still had her worries about the chaotic draconequus's intentions. In the throne to her left sat Applejack, a strong, well-toned, orange earth pony. Her dialect and the trademark stetson hat atop her blonde mane symbolized her farm lifestyle, which was represented on her flank by a trio of red apples. She seemed to have her reserves on the situation, but she had enough trust in her friend to see how the events would play out. Continuing around the room, Rarity, the graceful, white unicorn sat on her throne. Despite the rush this morning, her indigo mane maintained its gentle curls, emanating a confidence that matched her calm, refined manner of speech and the three gems that adorned her flank. While her words indicated that she had the utmost encouragement for the party pony, she, too, felt that not everything was as it seemed. Across from her, the last mare sat with a scowl on her face. Born a pegasus, Rainbow Dash was itching to spread her wings and fly off, leaving a rainbow trail that matched her unique mane. Her cerulean body practically screaming out to the sky, she had a love for action like no other, represented by the cloud and three color lighting bolt emblazoned on her flank. She openly distrusted Discord and was ready to act on her gut instinct, regardless of discretion or evidence. As the four friends pondered, they soon realized that silence would be of no help, so a voice cut its way into the tense atmosphere. "I reckon we oughta wait for Fluttershy to come back. If anypony knows what goes on in ol' Discord's head, it's her." Applejack paused, waiting for her friend's reactions. "But we don't have TIME to wait, AJ! Discord can do just about anything. If we go look for him now, maybe we can convince Pinkie that he's up to no good," Rainbow Dash blurted out. "But what if he ain't plottin' anything? What then, ya just gonna go and snatch up Pinkie without even thinkin'?" "Seriously?!? He's Discord, the king of Chaos! He tried to make Equestria his playground THREE TIMES!" Tired of the bickering, Twilight spoke her mind on the matter. "We stopped him before, and if it comes to it, we'll stop him again. Until then, we need to calm down and wait until Fluttershy returns. We need all the help we can get." "Twilight, dear, I hate to interrupt, but have you tried contacting any of the other princesses yet? Perhaps they can shed some light on our predicament." "I appreciate the idea, Rarity, but I've already tried. Princess Cadence and my brother are off negotiating trade with Yakyakistan, so they're busy. Princess Luna is still recoiling from the whole Tantabus thing, so she's in no condition to help." "But what about Celestia? Surely SHE can help," Rainbow Dash inquired. Shaking her head, Twilight look to the floor and responded. "Nope, she's busy with the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. She doesn't exactly think that Discord has it in him." "You'd reckon that she'd remember what happened last time." "I know." Sighing, the young alicorn struggled to get her next few words out. "Sometimes I wonder if Princess Celestia takes me seriously. I mean, after I left Canterlot, I slowly saw less and less of her. Now that I've got these wings and this castle, it feels as though we've really grown apart." A single tear escaped her closed eyelids and streamed down her purple face. "I wonder if she even still has time for me anymore." After opening her eyes, she saw two sets of hooves on the ground in front of her. "Darling, we understand you feeling upset, but know this: you are Princess Celestia's prized student. You've grown far beyond the young, studious unicorn you once were. You are a princess, so you should now understand that sometimes duty gets in the way of your life. I'm sure she feels the same way. Why, if she weren't preparing the Summer Sun Celebration, she'd be here now, consoling the mare she treated like a daughter." "Rarity's right, sugarcube. Ya gotta realize that even though you're far apart, you two are always like family. Family sticks together no matter what. I'm sure if she could she'd loved to stop by and chat with ya to catch up on old times. Ain't that right, Rainbow?" "But I..." Glaring at the pegasus with her green eyes, the farm pony spoke through gritted teeth. "Ain't. That. Right. RAINBOW?" "I mean, yeah, she's like a second mom, so of course she'd come!" Calming down, Twilight looked at each of her friends with appreciation. "Thanks girls, that really means a lot to me. I don't know what came over me." Standing up proud, the alicorn found new resolve and spoke with a reinvigorated, powerful voice. "WE SHALL WORK TOGETHER TO SAVE THE DAY! WE BELIEVE IN PINKIE PIE!" "Now we're talking, now let's go find Discord!" "Hold on a sec, Rai-" Applejack motioned to stop the blue blur, but she had already zoomed out the window and out of sight. "Shoot, I guess we'll have to catch up ta her later." "It's fine, Applejack. This IS Rainbow Dash we're talking about. 'Danger' is her middle name, although she'd probably tell you that it's 'Awesome'." "Wow, I must say, Twilight, it seems as though all that voice training has finally brought out your royal Canterlot voice." "Grinning for the first time that morning, Twilight was practically bouncing with joy. "Really? It worked? YES YES YES! WE KNEW WE COULD DO IT!" Suddenly realizing her outburst, she quickly calmed down. "I mean...great." The remaining trio shared a hearty laugh for several moments, an excellent, much needed distraction from the stressful situation. They decided that it would be best to go about their days normally, Fluttershy would return soon enough. Seeing as how they had nine days remaining, the only thing they could do was wait in discomfort. Was Discord's intent completely above board, or does he have something hectic planned for his equine friends? No pony knew for sure, but they hoped that they would at least get a clue at some point. At a loss for words, the ponies headed out to resume their daily schedules.