//------------------------------// // Anew // Story: Discordant Feelings // by cartuneslover19 //------------------------------// NOTE: FINALLY, after the last chapter had all your hearts broken...:( The song in here is called "Anytime You Need a Friend" by the Beu Sisters. :) SPOILER: There IS a kiss scene in here. :D __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Shining Armor couldn't blame his sister for averting her gaze, tears nearly forming in her eyes as she remained mute. It had nearly been a close call, Twilight transforming her body into stone to join that chaotic creature. He had been so horrified to witness half his sister's frame being encased in solid texture, and he couldn't imagine what would have happened if he and the others hadn't broken through the magical barrier that helped lead them to where his little sister had resided temporarily. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had joined them moments after Twilight had yelled at everypony, regarding all with tearful eyes and a shattered heart just before she ripped the Elements of Harmony from her five best friends and made a run for it. The royal sisters were both shocked and confused by the young unicorn's actions, and were just as horrified as Shining Armor himself when they had found Twilight trying to conclude the spell that would lead her to join that...that... Thank goodness the princesses were able to rid Twilight of her lower half being stone; not that it appeared to change her depressed state as Shining Armor had witnessed. The stallion silently looked back at the frozen Draconequus that laid on the soft grass beside the seized elements. Regarding him more closely now, Shining Armor could only wince at the expression of horror clear on Discord's face. To imagine the expression Twilight would have forever grasped if she had succeeded in joining the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony...the stallion didn't want to think about it; all that mattered was that his little sister was safe. And all that mattered now was trying to fix everything. A small smile crept on his lips as he watched Twilight being affectionately nuzzled by his parents as well as Cadence; as soon as they had found Twilight, the family would not leave her side, tears shedding and the desire to never let go of their precious treasure intact. Twilight had been overjoyed to see her brother again, but even the reunion for their family could not stifle the sadness everypony could clearly see on her face. He looked over at the remaining elemental bearers, seeing their smiles hide feelings of regret and hurt as they regarded their friend's joyful reunion. They felt truly at fault after Twilight had blown in their faces about the truth behind her disappearance...they all did. Especially Spike. The stallion watched as Spike lowered his head, his shoulders hunched, unable to gaze at the unicorn he had missed terribly. Shame was written all over his face and Shining Armor couldn't blame him. This whole mess had been made because of one little mistake that had the whole kingdom in an uproar. And now an even bigger mess had occurred moments before, and , by Equestria, Shining Armor could only hope that he, and everypony else, could fix this. Anything to see his sister happy again. Twilight finally raised her eyes and turned toward her friends, the five ponies taking the courage to move closer toward the heartbroken unicorn, regardless if they were going to be yelled at and degraded again. Twilight was quite stunned as Pinkie Pie gazed at her, hooves wobbling beneath her. The pink pony lowered her head, her blue eyes glistening with tears of regret. Twilight's eyes widened to see such a sight before she turned her gaze toward Fluttershy, whose hooves trembled, her bottom lip quivering and watched her with tearful, pleading eyes. Rainbow Dash didn't bother to look at Twilight, her magenta eyes staring at the ground, a look of self-shame on her face as her wings remained drooped to her sides. Applejack had her front hooves crossed, biting her lip as her green eyes painfully regarded the violet unicorn, as if awaiting to be yelled at. And Rarity, her lips were in a slight pout as her dark blue eyes shone with tears, feeling as if she was already enduring more harsh truth from Twilight. The violet unicorn swallowed hard, wondering if earlier, before she seized the opportunity of encasing herself in stone, she was right to refer to them in such cold words. "Guys..." Twilight's voice trailed. Then her eyes gazed around her, at everypony that had went through so much just for her: Soarin' was crossing his hooves every now and then, frowning sadly as his eyes remained on the floor. Upper Crust leaned against her husband for comfort as she bit her bottom lip, as if questioning herself on this whole ordeal. Mayor Mare's eyes remained closed, her expression showing her slight discomfort and bitterness towards herself. Then her eyes found Pipsqueak in the crowd, who stood close by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, his bottom lip quivering and the hoof-made crown on his head appearing to falter as they watched the unicorn silently regard them. Twilight suddenly recalled how excited he had been to see her again after supposedly 'saving' her; she winced, realizing she had brushed him off as if he was a leaf in the wind. He, too, looked regretful, and was sniffling quietly to himself. Seeing that sent more pain into Twilight's heart, but she quickly shook it aside before she turned to Celestia and Luna, both having waited patiently for the unicorn to explain to them, to everypony. "Twilight?" Celestia asked softly, her affectionate, worrisome gaze never leaving the unicorn's sight. The unicorn let out a deep sigh before she gazed at everypony, the feel of the red cloak clung around her body paying her the warmth on this particular night. She would have assumed it would faded away, but somehow, it remained on her...just as it seemed the snow around them stood as well. However, she ignored that and continued staring at everypony; they all seemed tense as she scanned the crowd. Despite having ignored her several times, especially this night, she would push away all those failed chances and present them one more; they loved her dearly and she returned it as she felt Cadence gently stroke her side with sisterly comfort, being silently encouraging that the unicorn act strong this moment before the royal sisters. Finally, Twilight took a deep breath. "Are you ready to finally listen?" She asked softly to her friends and loved ones. Her parents and Cadence stood behind her, beginning to capture her every word as they remained ever supportive of her. Shining Armor trembled a bit as he watched his sister. "W-we're listening," he stuttered softly. "We're listening, Twilight Sparkle," Celestia said calmly, her sister nodding beside her. Twilight inhaled for a few moments, her eyes closed. Finally, she opened them and projected her voice softly yet with a firm tone. "I left at my own free will," she confessed. Quiet murmurs roamed among the crowd, and the remaining elements remained in their surprised state, carefully regarding their strong unicorn friend. Rainbow Dash bit her lip, her magenta eyes blinking back surprising tears as she gazed at Twilight. "W-why?" She choked softly. Twilight almost wanted to run over and comfort her usually tough pegasus friend, her eyes blinking back tears she needed to hold in. She shuffled her hooves nervously, swallowing hard before resuming her voice. "For a long time now..." She continued softly. "After our first run-in with Discord...after..." She nearly choked on her voice but she breathed softly before finding her words. "...after we sealed him in stone...ever so slowly...I felt guilty." The royal sisters exchanged surprised glances before turning their attention back to the unicorn, who stood before the other elements, no longer biting at them like the enraged pony she had been earlier. "Why would you feel guilty?" Applejack asked nervously. "Yeah, why?" Pinkie Pie chirped in, head lowered to a certain level as she gazed at Twilight with saddened blue eyes. She kept her distance from Twilight, afraid she would be knocked down again by her magic, get yelled at about being a disgraceful Element of Laughter. However, despite all that, the pink pony still cared about her friend, and whether or not Twilight would yell and berate her once more, she wouldn't lose her any way; she just wanted to help her, just as she had always been doing(even though just earlier proved utter failure). "After all that he...after all Discord did to our home the first time he came?" Pinkie gulped. "After he nearly destroyed our friendship...hurting you the worst, Twilight?" Twilight was quite stunned by the small, depressing tone in the usually bubbly party pony's voice as she regarded her; she looked like a scared little filly afraid to get a severe scolding from an adult. The violet unicorn suddenly wished to see her usual smile, despite that earlier she had hated it because it was one only meant for their so-called 'victory'. "Discord, he..." Her voice trailed off for a few moments before she finally found the nerve to continue. "...he regretted it afterwards." Then she turned toward the royal sisters, an expression of both remorse and plea on her face. "He regretted everything he's ever done." Both sisters regarded her with slightly raised eyes, their expressions still soft and hanging on her every word. "A part of me still had doubts," Twilight continued as she took small steps to gaze at every single face that had given his or her time and effort just for the unicorn. "Even when I left home to find him, I still had doubts." Twilight stood still, gazing down at her hooves, her eyes tightening as she gave slow breaths. A small, sad smile appeared on her lips. "But then I saw a side of him that made me realize that there's more than meets the eye." Cadence, who now stood beside Shining Armor, shared a glance with him, her eyes questioning his. The stallion gave a small shrug, though his eyes showed some understanding. "D-during the first rainstorm of the week..." Twilight stuttered painfully, wincing as she recalled the memory. "H-he saved me...brought me to his humble home..." Rarity's eyes widened as much as the other elements, wondering how 'chaotic' such a home for the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony had been. But Twilight took no notice of her expression as she painfully resumed her smile, as if the memory shone some relief on her aching situation. "During the first couple days had been quite difficult between us..." She said in a hoarse tone, trying to regain her voice. "But then, finally, we met eye-to-eye...for real this time." Shining Armor took great notice of his sister's trembling friend, as if she would fall any moment from the heaviness that was her depressed state. Her voice strained but carried so much power as its effect loomed over everypony, every single heart aching as much as his as Twilight spoke with so much in hers. He watched as her purple eyes flashed temporarily, and, for a moment, he thought he saw a small smile linger on her lips before a sad frown replaced it. "Oh, sweet Equestria, you guys have no idea how bad he felt about the chaos he created a thousand years back. As well as what he had done the second time he had been released from stone." "He felt bad?" Scootaloo whispered to the other Crusaders, only to be shushed by Apple Bloom. "I know you guys can't seem to believe such words," Twilight went on, "but Discord...he's really a good guy if you took the time to see that." The skirt of her cloak trailing as she took baby steps, Twilight stopped for a moment and gazed up at the moon. That beautiful, glorious moon that had been raised by her own friend's magic. The light reflected on her face, and everypony could see fresh tears fall down her cheeks. "When he came back just recently," she continued, not breaking her gaze from the moonlight, "he wanted to fix things...start anew..." She lowered her head, a tear falling to the floor. "Make friends..." Fluttershy felt her heart slowly split like a ripped piece of paper as she watched the unicorn's tears fall. That burning guilt she had been feeling suddenly increased. And her heart about pounded when Twilight raised her eyes to meet hers. "Fluttershy..." She began softly. A few eyes fell on the yellow pegasus and she let out a small squeak of surprise, feeling even more nervous than ever as the unicorn slowly came over to her, standing a few inches away as if afraid to touch hooves with her. "Fluttershy..." Twilight repeated. She swallowed hard before she found her voice. "Not too long after we sealed Discord...I...I came to you." Her shy friend blinked in confusion. "Y-you came to me?" Twilight nodded sadly. "I felt you were the only pony I could trust with my feelings regarding the growing guilt I had about Discord, and I even felt hopeful that you could help me feel better." "But..." The unicorn lowered her head before the pegasus. "But when I did tell you..." Fluttershy's eyes never left hers as she shuffled her hooves nervously. "W-what did I do?" The unicorn closed her eyes and sighed. "You...you got angry." Fluttershy let out a small gasp. "M-me?" She stuttered. "Angry?" Twilight raised her head and regarded her with tearful eyes. "You were so mad...going on and on about how terrible Discord was...you were more angry than you could possibly have been ever." The yellow pegasus's jaw remained unhinged as she watched her with widened eyes. "And, well..." Twilight gulped. "I did something I regretted after you wouldn't calm down..." Fluttershy's eyes lowered as she stood still. "What, Twilight?" She asked gently. Her magical friend let out a sigh. "I...I used a memory-erasing spell on you." "What?" The other elements gasped in surprise, while Fluttershy remained still and looking shocked. "I didn't know what else to do!" Twilight cried. "I-I was just so scared...and you were so angry..." Fluttershy watched her, eyes blinking slowly. She turned her head away, pink hair covering part of her face. "I-I can't blame you, Twilight..." She watched from the corner of her eye as the unicorn gazed at her with a stunned expression. "I mean..." Fluttershy swallowed. "Even tonight, I was so angry. I couldn't blame you if you used your magic to throw a zipper on my lips if it meant being protective of Discord..." Her ocean green eyes glistened. "I was so harsh to him, I suppose...and I didn't even give either of you a chance to speak your mind." Finally, Rainbow Dash stood between them, her magenta eyes trying to blink back tears as she regarded Twilight with so much guilt. "Thinking back," she stated quietly, "I don't think any of us had given you a chance to talk." Twilight's eyes widened, but then they closed, feeling bits of weight lift off her slowly, though a great deal still coated her heart like cement. "Now you guys have heard me..." She slowly turned away from them and her eyes fell on both the princesses, as well as her family; Shining Armor and Cadence gave her sad, but encouraging smiles. "His chaos isn't too bad," she stated quietly, "sure he had been a little out-of-hoof the first time we met him, but still..." She stood still, her eyes sparkling. Suddenly, she raised herself and stood on her back hooves, regarding everypony around her. The biggest of smiles appeared on her face, though the largest amount of pain still filled her. "I taught him all about Winter Wrap-Up, that's why there is snow around us..." She motioned to all the white surrounding them. "And, oh, when he gave me a pair of wings-" "He gave you wings?" Cadence gasped loudly, her smile widening in so much surprise. "-and then, because of his encouragement, I shot through the skies so much, I felt like Rainbow Dash at the moment!" Rainbow Dash's jaw fell in sudden realization, however, Soarin', who broke away from his team's circle, bravely spoke toward the unicorn. "Wait..." His voice trailed off. "That was you?" But Twilight barely heard him as she recalled the final night she and Discord had together. The bounce in her step suddenly ceased, and her smile fell instantly. "His birthday..." Her voice trailed off. "His birthday?" Applejack repeated uneasily. Twilight's bottom lip quivered. "Even a thousand years ago, every birthday he had had been as miserable as the first..." She turned toward everypony she loved near and dear to her heart. "All he ever wanted was a friend that could accept him..." The need to cry was visible in her tone but she continued on. "To see he's not really bad as he seems..." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I was his best friend." "Best friend?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves. Her blue eyes widened in utter surprise, but she felt she couldn't be all that shocked, recalling how much Twilight's confessed at this moment. Celestia and Luna's eyes were massive, but they remained silent, surprised as ever. Shining Armor could only feel his heart feel much heavier at the moment as he watched his sister's tears begin to fall. His own little sister...best friend to the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony? He immediately knew that there had never been any manipulations in all this. Twilight had accepted Discord with open hooves, welcoming him ever so slowly before true friendship finally emerged and no hint of chaotic darkness could be foreseen. She really did care about him, and the friendship she and Discord shared was everything to the mischievous Draconequus, and that made her truly happy...and Shining Armor as well as everypony had taken that away from the both of them. "Do you even know what it feels like to be alone?" Twilight went on, gazing at every single face with her pained, purple eyes. "To not have anyone care about you? Spend time with you? Be there when there's so much hurt?" A tear fell down her cheek and she bit her lip. "I was all he had, but it was enough," she stated quietly, "to at least have one friend...one friend who would do anything to make sure his happiness was intact." She slowly turned and gazed at the stone figure that laid on the grass, all eyes following her glance. She gave a sigh, and closed her eyes for the moment. Silence reigned among everypony, simply watching what else the unicorn had on her mind. Waves of emotions filled the crowd, realization of surprise, horror, and guilt coursed upon them to suddenly understand that all this time, all their negative thoughts upon the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony...compared to him, they were the evil ones. Finally, Twilight opened her eyes. Then her mouth slowly fell. And she sang. When you're sad When you're feeling low When you're hurt And don't know where to go Everypony watched in utter amazement as she sang her heart out, her hooves slowly moving to the words that projected out of that strong, beautiful voice of hers. Shining Armor bit his lip, fighting back tears as he watched his sister sing. Twilight gazed up at the moon, its light bearing down on her like a blanket of comfort. Think of me, there I'll be Any time you need a friend She stood there in silence, breathing deeply. When you're down And your luck runs out "Or if you're in trouble or in doubt," she sang, and her voice nearly gave out, the need to sob evident in her tone but she resumed. It's okay Turn my way This song was for both of them. Rarity felt tears well up in her eyes as she watched the other unicorn sing. She was so mesmerized and grief-stricken by her song that she didn't even realize that the ending curl of her hair had somehow winded up in her mouth and she was chewing on it for mere comfort. Any time you need a friend Mr. Sparkle couldn't hold the tears as he watched his precious daughter sing her heart out for a friend's demise they were all responsible for. His wife leaned against him, and he could feel her tears fall against his fur. "When you're scared," Twilight sang aloud, "I will stay with you." When you feel you're falling I'll lift you Pipsqueak sniffed, tears falling to the ground as he watched her sing. Beside him, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were leaning on one another for comfort. When you're heart breaks I'll ease your aches Fancypants, despite keeping his posture intact, felt the lower parts of his forelegs tremble and his monocle was nearly slipping off his face. His mustache twitched a bit, his slight frown moving from one cheek to the other as if not sure what to think at the moment. He only stopped momentarily when Zecora placed a comforting hoof on his side, her expression equaling his. Whatever it takes, I'm in Any time you need a friend Finally, Shining Armor couldn't take it anymore and his eyes drew like waterfalls, more tears than half the ponies around him had shed. His sister. His precious little sister. Hurt, grieving, and singing her heart out because of a loss they were responsible for. And her friendship had remained true to the creature even after he had been taken away from her and sealed in stone; she proved her loyalty when she was willing to give herself up to join him in stone imprisonment, never daring to allow him to be frozen in loneliness. "Why couldn't I see it?" Shining Armor murmured to himself quietly, more tears falling. He barely noticed Cadence sidle closer to him before placing a comforting hoof on his side; her eyes were shedding tears as well as they continued listening to the unicorn that had brought so much love and happiness into their lives from the very beginning. All our lives Anywhere we are Just reach out I'll never be too far Fluttershy felt the tears fall, biting her bottom lip, and Rainbow Dash stood close by her, leaning some of her weight against hers as they watched with pained eyes. Come what may There I'll stay Any time you need a friend "When you need a friend," Twilight sang, pressing a hoof to her heart, feeling the red cloak upon her body as her eyes tightened. "Come what may...there I'll stay..." Tears fell down her cheeks as she gazed up at the moon once more. "Now until the very end..." She sang painfully. Celestia's mouth fell slightly open, her eyes nearly becoming blurred as she watched her faithful student sing. And Luna, ever strong in both mind and spirit, couldn't help but lower her eyes, her lips forming a deeper frown of remorse. "Any time," Twilight concluded, "any time you need a friend..." The song finally ended, Twilight slowly exhaled before she regarded everypony once more, knowing she had explained everything there needed to be said. The silence remained...until a voice suddenly roared from within the crowd. "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF COD!" A random voice sobbed. "WHAT HAVE WE DONE?" "Stop it, Milo..." Another voice spoke, and it was obvious that the other was having a lump in his throat this moment as well. "You're going to make me cry..." But immediately it was Soarin' who beat them both to it as he placed his face in his hooves and sobbed. To Twilight and especially Rainbow Dash, this was the first time they had actually ever seen a Wonderbolt cry. Celestia and Luna, who had been silent the whole time, gazed at Twilight once more. Their eyes filled with tense yet sorrowful emotions. Finally, Celestia slowly walked over to the pained unicorn. "Twilight..." She spoke softly. "Is this truly Discord?" Her student gazed up at her with a tearful smile. Finally, she pressed a hoof to her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." "O-oh, wow..." Pinkie Pie said softly, having been so moved by her song that she couldn't sound excited. "T-that's a Pinkie Pie Promise she could never break..." "He's a wonderful creature, Princesses," Twilight said quietly. "I've wanted to tell you that before all this happened. And, well, seeing as you all still seemed so shocked even after reading my note, and even more after that..." "What note?" Luna asked her with a raised eyebrow. "We never received any notes." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "The note I left on my desk. I mean, I left it there for all to see." Shining bit his lip, then his eyes fell on Spike, who felt he would burst as he tightened his eyes. Waves of guilt obvious on his face. Finally, the baby dragon couldn't take it anymore. "IT'S MY FAULT!" He bursted out, startling everypony. Twilight watched with widened eyes as he fell before her on shaking knees, tears pouring down his cheeks. "I accidentally burned it before I even read it!" He sobbed uncontrollably. Before Twilight could question him, a charred piece of paper was handed to her. As the unicorn floated it before her eyes with her magic, her jaw fell in shock. "When all I found was Discord's name," Spike sobbed, placing his face in his hands, "I thought Discord had taken you, leaving a note of his evil deed to scare us all!" He turned and saw all eyes fall on him. "And then one thing led to another, and everyone else agreed with me that Discord kidnapped you! And look where I dropped us at!" He pointed over to the stone figure. "Because of me...you lost him." He lowered his head, his fingers digging into the grass as more tears fell. "It's my fault..." He told himself repeatedly. "All my fault..." And he thought almost reading Twilight's journal was the worse thing he had ever done between him and his unicorn friend... Now look what he had done! If he had just held in his breath when he sneezed, he could have read that whole letter, being only half-frightened while also assured that Twilight wasn't hurt or anything. Now he really did hurt her. He couldn't blame her if she never wanted to see him again, never consider him friend and family ever again, consider him the worse assistant in all of Equestria. Suddenly, he felt a light touch under his chin. Opening his teary eyes, Spike slowly looked up and saw Twilight gaze down at him, her hoof under his chin. A small, sad smile on her face. "I-I forgive you, Spike," she said quietly. A sudden rush of surprise surged through him as his eyes widened. "W-what?" He gulped. "Y-you forgive me? After what I just pulled us all through?" Twilight resumed her painful smile, gazing down at the baby dragon she cared so much about and vice versa. "True, this is just so much to take in right now..." She confessed softly. "But...I know you never meant to." Spike felt more tears well up in his eyes as he gazed at her. "I would never ever hurt you, Twilight." "No," she agreed. Then she lowered her head and nuzzled her face against his, allowing his tears to fall against her fur. "You're only guilty of caring so much about me." Spike couldn't say anything, he just allowed to be caressed by this loving unicorn he had been so worried about for more than a week. He felt like a great amount of weight had been lifted off his shoulders. This dear pony had forgiven him for an act so careless... However, Spike turned toward the crowd behind him, wincing because though one pony had forgiven him so easily, what about the others? "We're not mad," Apple Bloom assured him softly, doing her best to smile. "I'm only upset because we didn't get any cutie marks out of this-OW!" Scootaloo gripped when she felt a jab at her side and turned to glare at Sweetie Belle who returned it with just as much fierceness in her eyes. Twilight smiled softly, feeling so grateful to hold the baby dragon again; she had missed him during her time with Discord, and it touched her how much Spike had missed her, having sulked every passing day and wondering where she had been. Maybe whether or not he had read her letter, he probably still wouldn't have felt fine of her absence. Finally, she placed him down and turned back toward Celestia. "So now you all know," she stated softly. Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes and she quietly broke down. "But that doesn't even change anything." Her eyes fell on the stone figure before she galloped beside it. Shining Armor stood a few inches away, remorse written all over his face as he watched her mourn. "Discord's gone..." Twilight sniffed. "Again." Celestia and Luna shared a glance, finally, with a silent nod, the sun princess slowly walked up behind her, then placed a delicate hoof on her shoulder. "Maybe not," she said simply, her tone so assuring. Twilight slowly looked up at her, tears falling from her widened eyes. "W-what?" She gasped. Celestia gave a firm nod. "Perhaps...perhaps we can still break the seal. Despite how strong the magic of all of us combined, and Luna and I are no longer connected to the elements, maybe there's still a chance you can bring him back." The unicorn's eyes widened, her heart pounding. "And return his powers?" She asked steadily. "And bring back his powers," Luna nodded behind her sister. Hope suddenly came rushing into the unicorn, however, it slowly ceased as she lowered her head with doubt. "But..." She swallowed as she turned back toward Discord's lifeless face. "I...I can't control it!" She recalled how she had been forced to wear her element during the last few minutes she was with Discord. To imagine using it again...she could possibly hurt him while he was still encased in his stone prison. He was in enough pain as is, she knew! Celestia reached over and stroked her mane gently. "Yes, you can," she stated strongly, "you had just let the element control you instead of controlling it, that must have been what made the power of harmony so strong that it took you in." Finally, Applejack stood up, her head held high. "Shoot, Twilight, you're the most powerful pony I know! If Celestia says you can do it, then you can do it!" "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash's wings flapped as her expression held so much determination. "Breaking him out of stone will be just as easy as when we threw him back in!" Though there was a hint of doubt in her tone, mostly regarding Discord's being, she couldn't question Twilight about it; she was a smart pony, she trusted her so much. "We'll help you, darling," Rarity said, her dark blue eyes glistening. "Anything to bring your friend back." His tears having finally dried, Shining Armor stood close by his sister, his head held high as he gave her a willing smile. "Oh, yeah!" He chirped in, feeling somewhat elated in hopes to cheer up his sister. "We'll help!" "Actually, Shining Armor," Luna stated as she held a hoof to halt him. "This is a task for the element bearers only." "Are you sure?" He asked nervously. "I mean, when we sealed Discord-" "This is Twilight's doing now," Celestia said softly as she gazed at her student, "it's all in her hooves for this." Twilight's eyes widened a bit. She flinched when she felt something slip off her and turned to see her mother gently remove her red cloak with her teeth before it was finally off the violet unicorn. Mrs. Sparkle gave her a tearful, encouraging smile as she folded the precious piece of clothe. "Don't want you to carry so much when you use your magic..." She bit her lip, though the smile was visible in her eyes. The violet unicorn felt her heart melt even further as she regarded them both with a loving smile. Then she felt something placed atop her head and turned to see Shining Armor gently placing the elemental crown atop her head with his magic, as his hoof gently touched hers. He gave a nervous smile, not daring to break way from her gaze. Twilight just smiled at him. "Thanks," she said softly. "Come on, Twilight," Rainbow Dash urged as she gently nudged her, "let's bring Discord back." Twilight silently nodded before she took her position in the middle among the other elements. Just as she was about to close her eyes and work her magic- "Wait! Wait! Wait!" One voice shouted. "Let me take a picture of the elements first!" "Are you serious, Milo?" His brother shouted angrily. "Hey, this will be the last time we get to see them!" The other argued. "At least let me take a picture of them up close before they work their batteries and all that magic stuff happens, and POOF, they're done." His brother was about to raise his voice when Twilight spoke out. "It's alright,," she let out a quiet giggle. "Go ahead." "But make it quick," Rainbow Dash muttered. The six ponies stood still as they were nearly blinded by the rush of flashing lights and startling clicks, as if their elements were being photographed from every angle. "Done!" He said happily. "Finally, can we get this over with?" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Before it's too...you know?" She turned to Twilight with concerning eyes. Twilight nodded. Then she closed her eyes, the crown on her head sparkling. Finally, it began to glow. The light was mesmerizing as everypony watched the power of the combined elements work into effect, and soon, the five ponies slowly ascended into the air. Shining Armor swallowed as he watched his sister being lifted up, the amazing aura around her body somewhat frightening. He turned to Cadence, who placed her hoof on his side, giving him an assuring glance that Twilight knew what she was doing. The magic coursed through Twilight's body and she felt it flow freely, along with the five ponies before her. Her eyes slowly opened, the light emerging as she concentrated. She gazed down at Discord's figure, pain filling her heart as she continued her magic. She hoped, with everything in her body, she would bring him back. She needed to bring him back. She needed him back. And she knew they all did. "Hang on..." She whispered softly. And everypony immediately shielded their eyes when the light grew brighter. And suddenly, a massive rainbow emerged from the combined colors of the element bearers, forming a long strip that shot out from them and making its way toward the statue. Spike unshielded his eyes after a few moments of the elements taking effect to watch the six ponies slowly descend to the ground. Twilight let out a tired breath, feeling so much having drained from her as she stood on shaking hooves. "Did it work?" Fluttershy asked nervously. Everypony watched as the statue continued glowing, still drinking in what the elements had used on it. Twilight bit her lip, her eyes threatening to give tears as the bright glow resumed. Please...her mind begged. After a few agonizing moments, the glow stopped. But she saw no movement in the figure itself. Twilight was about to let out a shriek and sob her heart out...but then she heard a low groan. Immediately, she rushed over and stood over the figure. Her heart pounded when it began to stir. His face was the first thing she gazed at...and now she found herself gazing into red and gold eyes that shone with the familiarity she recognized so well. "D-discord?" Twilight gulped, her hooves shaking. Everypony held his or her breath as they watched the figure slowly stir. Finally, all hopes had risen when the Draconequus slowly rolled on his stomach, rubbing his head with his lion paw as his eyes scanned everywhere for the first time. He gazed at every face that fell on him, until finally, he gazed into one he was just so happy to see after what felt like an eternity in his stone prison. "T-twilight..." He gasped softly, a painful smile on his face. Twilight couldn't hold the tears anymore as she smiled at him. "Discord!" She cried out happily before she rushed into his arms. Though neither heard it in the course of their tearful embrace, everypony let out cheers for the reunited friends. Twilight just buried her head in his chest, basking in their hug while his soft lion paw stroked her mane as before. "But how?" Discord asked as he gazed down at her after breaking their hug. Twilight was too happy to speak. She turned her head and motioned to the others. It was Rainbow Dash who took a few steps forward, anxiety hitting her hard as she barely even looked up into Discord's eyes. "Hey, uh..." She searched her head for the right words. "Sorry for, you know...everything." "There's still a lot to explain," Rarity spoke calmly, giving the Draconequus a nervous smile. "Lots and lots of explaining!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "And, uh, yeah..." Spike shifted his feet nervously. "Especially me." Discord blinked in utter surprise, then he gazed down at Twilight, whose smile was becoming too big for her face as her tears fell. "Please don't worry, my friend," she told him softly as she placed a gentle hoof to his side. "This very day...this very night...this very moment..." She did not stop the tears of joy from sliding down her cheeks as her smile resumed, gazing happily at him, her heart throbbing with happiness and relief. Discord was quite stunned by her expression, he almost wanted to bend down and wipe away her tears but his arms still felt a bit weak after just being released from that horrid prison. But her smile, oh, her smile...he knew everything was alright if not just improved. "You're okay now," she sniffed, her smile almost becoming painful. "Nopony will not dare harm you ever again." Discord raised an eyebrow before he looked over at every single pony whose eyes fell on the both of them. Neither hatred nor resentment shone on any of their faces; if he didn't know any better, they looked almost ashamed. In fact, Rainbow Dash, the toughest pony he knew of the six elements, appeared quite faltered, almost afraid at the sight of him, her wings drooping and her hooves connected in a worried grip. If he wasn't in a precious moment with his best friend right now, he would have teased the cyan pegasus. "Recalling our friendship has given me strength, Discord," Twilight nearly choked, blinking back more tears. "And that's what gave me the power to release you." The Draconequus gazed down at her, and suddenly, he felt like so much weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt...he felt like the opportunity for a whole new beginning has finally unfolded before him. With friends. Before he knew it, ponies left and right came to his side, and he was immediately showered with compliments and apologies. He felt uncomfortable at first, but the feeling quickly faded and was replaced with a grateful sigh as well as a smile full of pride. And that smirk became cocky as ponies gave him curious and excited questions. "So you control both the sun and the moon?" "With your magic, you think you could make harvest come sooner for some of us?" "When can we expect some chocolate rain? Our milk supply is running a bit low..." Discord just smirked, knowing every question could be answered with no difficulty. And with an even larger confidence, the desire for surprising these ponies with his innocent chaos in the future was a must. Twilight wiped the tears away, so overjoyed as she watched Discord finally receiving the treatment he had longed to have. It was like a second birthday to him...as to her. "Twilight?" The unicorn turned and she was surrounded by her five best friends and her number one assistant, all with nervous smiles on their faces and eyes of both joy and guilt. Twilight swallowed, her smile never fading. "I'm not mad at you anymore, girls!" She exclaimed, spreading her forehooves. "You guys are my friends! You just wanted to protect me!" Tears fell down her cheeks. "Oh, where are my hugs?" That familiar, glowing smile immediately shone on Pinkie Pie's face, and Twilight felt her heart soar to see the bubbliness emerge from the pink pony whose desire was for everypony to smile. "Oh, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie sobbed happily as she wrapped her hooves around the unicorn, her tears competing with hers. "There's that smile, Pinkie!" Twilight exclaimed happily, cradling her head on her shoulders. The other four quickly joined and formed a group hug, squealing and crying and apologizing, hooves wrapped tightly around each other and the heaviness in their hearts finally lifting. Spike stood close by, doing his best not to shed a tear. But this moment was just so beautiful and Twilight looked so happy, tears the size of his feet dropped to the ground. After the hug, Twilight took great notice of Spike's tears and gave him a small smile as she slowly walked over to him. "Spike," she spoke softly. The baby dragon sniffed as he tried to wipe away his tears. He smiled nervously up at her. "I'm sorry, Twilight," he choked, "I really am." He lowered his head shamefully. "I know that's not enough and my fault costed you so much..." He felt a light touch under his chin and he was slowly lifted up for his green eyes to meet purple ones. The sparkle in Twilight's eyes never shone so much brighter than at this moment... "I forgive you, Spike," she told him gently. "Your mistake was completely accidental, and though it nearly had Equestria turned upside down, I'm not mad at you." She nuzzled his cheek. "Everything's okay now. Please don't be so hard on yourself." And with that said, Twilight used her magic to lift him up to her level and wrap her forelegs around his tiny body, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. Spike swallowed hard, tears falling down his face as he lifted up his shaky arms and wrapped them around her neck, hugging her just as tight. As the moments unfolded before them, Celestia and Luna stood behind some of the ponies in the excited crowd as they awaited a chance to speak with the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. "Well, dear sister," Luna commented as she watched Discord being praised by a few children while Twilight was hugging loved ones left and right, "seems Discord really has changed during the last thousand years." Celestia chuckled softly, a small smile on her face, her eyes remained focused as they observed her student reaching over and placing a hoof on the Draconequus, smiling happily. "Indeed, Luna," she said quietly. "And everypony can see that now." She closed her eyes, her smile resuming. "All because one certain pony had truly seen goodness in him and never gave up." Luna shared her sister's smile. "Wasn't that a lesson you taught her the first time Discord had been released?" "Yes it was," the sun princess nodded. Eyes slowly opening, she watched as Twilight turned from hugging Discord to hugging her dear brother and sister-in-law. Celestia felt her heart lift up to see her student so happy. So happy for a friend. "And Twilight Sparkle had been the only one to take hold of that lesson so deeply." The moon princess chuckled. "Well, seems the student has become quite the teacher tonight as we have just witnessed." "She's everything and more, Luna," Celestia smiled, "and I am proud to be her teacher." As the royal sisters continued watching the commotion before them, Luna glanced up as the moonlight poured down on them, a slight pout on her face. "If only Discord hadn't raised the moon so early in the afternoon," she stated, her eyes blinking in slight annoyance. _ Twilight blinked sleepily, raising her head from a soft, fluffy surface and let out a quiet yawn before scanning her surroundings. Of course, she realized, they were in the hospital. Discord needed rest and a good check-up after that whole ordeal with being resealed and released from stone. Despite his insistence that he was alright, she knew how exhausted he was and Twilight scolded him to follow the nurses and doctors into Ponyville's hospital, saying that even the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony needed some medical attention. Of course, she was just as tired as him. They were all tired, most ponies more than her. Some ponies were residing in the hospital for the night, most of the others were taking their rest outside the hospital doors, aided and given food and reflecting on the past week that led to this day. The unicorn herself had stayed by Discord's side all night, growing so worried about him every passing second despite the negativity of this day had already faded. Somehow she had fallen asleep while sitting across from his bedside, and she had found her head having rested on his chest as she slumbered along with him. Finally woken up, Twilight smiled to herself as she watched him sleep, his mismatched arms folded over his chest and his tail curved over the bedside. His closed eyes were calm and serene, his entire face completely at peace. Things were truly at peace with this chaotic creature now, and that made the unicorn smile even more. Gazing toward the window, Twilight saw a few ponies strolling around the hospital, some having made camp and resting, and others gnawing on food provided to them. Everpony was fine now. And although there might still be some things that needed to be worked out, Twilight knew they would get through it. As long as Discord was by her side, as well as her closest friends and loved ones. Twilight looked over at the clock, seeing that it truly was nighttime and the moon still remained. Now fully awake, Twilight felt she could leave Discord for a few moments, simply stretch her hooves and partake in casual conversations with some of the others. Letting out another yawn, Twilight smiled softly as she gazed over at Discord's slumbering form. Quietly raising herself from her sleep, gently removing the blanket draped over her shoulders, Twilight silently made her way toward the door, not before grabbing the red cloak her mother had handed back to her just before she joined Discord in the hospital room. Using her magic, she placed the garment on, the puffy hood just hanging behind her neck as the skirt trailed on the floor. With one glance at Discord, the unicorn slowly opened the door before shutting it behind her. The sound of her hooves clopping against the marble floor, Twilight took a turn around a narrow hallway before finally finding a door that led her outside. Pushing through it, she was greeted by the cool breeze and glowing moonlight that kissed her face as she walked across the grass. Some ponies turned in her direction, giving nods of silent greeting and waves of their hooves before resuming their tasks, Twilight smiled as one pony paid her a wish that Discord would be well, with the mention that there wouldn't be any trouble along the way. As Twilight made her way down another path, she immediately stopped in her tracks when her ears became attuned to a distinct sound. It sounded almost like...crying? High on alert, Twilight quickened the pace of her hooves, trying to locate that sound. Finally, she came across a large tree, where, gazing as she hid behind it, stood three fillies and a certain little colt. "Just because it didn't turn out the way you expected, that doesn't mean you stink at being a hero," Scootaloo spoke assuringly. Pipsqueak just sniffed, gazing at the ground. "But didn't you see how mad and sad Twilight was?" He stated. "She's not mad anymore," Sweetie Belle assured him, "and she's happy now! Her friend Discord's back and okay and since he's okay, Twilight's okay, so everypony's okay!" She beamed proudly, but her smile did not bring even a small one from the depressed little colt. "But...but..." He swallowed hard. "I wanted to at least, in some way, show her true hero deed." He sighed. "But instead, I, as well as everypony, looked like the bad guy." Twilight stifled her gasp, her eyes widening as she hung on the child's every word. Poor Pipsqueak! Even after so much assurance and forgiveness, he still felt at fault for what had happened. He, along with the Crusaders, were completely innocent in all this, only just following after the adults and the burning need to find and rescue her when they assumed she had been taken away in chaos's grasp. They just wanted her safe. Especially Pipsqueak, who, much like her brother, wanted nothing but her safety as well as her happiness. The unicorn flinched when she saw the little colt immediately jerk his head down, throwing his hoof-made crown on the grass. Before the Crusaders could say anything, they jumped back when his tiny hoof crushed down on the hat he had worked so hard on. Tears immediately fell from Twilight's eyes as her heart broke at the sight of the little colt stamping on his creation, the look of both grief and guilt on his face creating a lump in her throat. After the hoof-made crown finally laid flat and crumpled, Pipsqueak lowered his head once more, sighing sadly. "I don't deserve to have my own friendship crown," he murmured, "some hero I turned out to be for Twilight Sparkle..." Finally, Twilight couldn't take it anymore and emerged from around her hiding place behind the tree, startling the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Pipsqueak took notice of their reactions before he wheeled around and his eyes widened at the sight of the older unicorn standing before him, the red cloak she wore making her appear even more majestic. Before he could question her, Twilight spoke out. "That's not true, Pipsqueak!" She exclaimed, her tears having dried. Realizing she head heard every word, the little colt lowered his head, ears drooping, unable to meet the gaze of the unicorn that had gone through so much tonight. "But I..." He muttered. "I'm not a hero..." He turned his gaze toward the crushed crown beside him. "You didn't even need saving..." He felt a light touch under his chin and he was gently lifted up with her delicate hoof, his eyes meeting purple ones once more as Twilight smiled gently down at him. "Of course I did," she told him quietly, "I had been saved from making a grave mistake." Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Um, doesn't that category land mostly on her bro-" But she was immediately silenced when Apple Bloom placed a hoof against her mouth. "And you, my little Pip," Twilight let out a soft giggle as she smiled down at him, "you were so brave through it all, from when Discord first came back to the release of him." "You should have seen how he handled the hydra when we went looking for you in the swamp!" Apple Bloom exclaimed excitedly. Twilight's eyes widened at her statement, but she immediately shook it aside, knowing well that these three fillies had done much worse even without dragging Pipsqueak along. She turned back to him, who seemed quite mesmerized at the moment, hardly blinking as he looked up at her with those big, adorable eyes of his. "And by the way, Pipsqueak," she said softly, "you are a hero." She leaned down and nuzzled her nose against his, earning himself some red in the face. "You're my hero." And before Pipsqueak knew it, in front of the stunned eyes of the Crusaders, Twilight leaned down and kissed his cheek, leaving behind a small kiss mark. Suddenly, everything began to blur for the young colt as his eyes widened in pure realization and his entire frame felt stiff. He was so frozen at the moment, he barely heard the tiny giggles from the three fillies behind him nor did he move when Twilight used her magic to lift his crown from the ground and fixed it up a bit before placing it back on his head, his brown hair seeming to stick up for some reason. Twilight smiled before the four kids, even more proud of them at the moment, especially Pipsqueak. "Hey, I have a great idea!" She beamed. "How about some other time I'll have Discord whip you kids up with some cotton candy cupcakes? Made fresh from the most delicious cotton candy clouds he's ever summoned!" Scootaloo's mouth drooled at the mention of sweets. "Cupcakes..." She muttered. "That would be great!" Apple Bloom exclaimed happily. "Can we have chocolate milk as well?" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly. "I never got to drink the rain!" "Of course," Twilight smiled sweetly, "be sure to tell all the other kids as well." She sighed happily, placing a hoof to her heart. "Discord really does have a soft spot for kids." "I like him even more," Scootaloo said with a smirk. "He's no Rainbow Dash, but he's pretty cool for a Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony." "Well, you kids take care, alright?" Twilight said before she turned on her hooves and trotted off. She flashed Pipsqueak one last smile, but he didn't seem to notice, considering he was still frozen from what had just occurred between them. As soon as Twilight was gone, the little colt quickly shook his head before his eyes shifted over to the kiss mark that still remained on his cheek. Finally, his cheeks deepened like roses and a goofy smile spread across his face and he sighed happily, gently placing his tiny hoof over the part where she had just kissed him. Scootaloo smirked at him. "I knew it." Pipsqueak just ignored her, taking too much pride in himself as well as the crown that stood on his head as he adjusted it. "Man!" The orange pegasus exclaimed. "Isn't it cool that Twilight Sparkle is best friends with Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony?" "It sure is!" Apple Bloom smiled. "However..." Sweetie Belle muttered to herself, tapping a hoof to her chin. "I don't know what it is, but why do I feel like there's something else? Something else I'm not really sure what it is..." _ Discord smirked as he turned away from the window, having used his magic to summon a few cotton candy pillows for a few ponies outside to sleep on. Oh, the joy of finally being appreciated for what his chaotic powers can do! Arms folded behind his head as he rested against his pillow, the Draconequus idly listened to the clock tick, every second being longer than the first as he waited until the moment finally arrived and he could leave this boring hospital room. And start anew. Looking back, he had been very terrified for himself...and for Twilight. True, the elements had seeped him of his powers, but he did have some magic left to escape if he could; but he had been too petrified by the sight of his best friend desperately trying to stop everything to save him. That loyal act of hers broke his heart, and seeing the tears fall from those purple eyes of hers, not giving up when her chances to save him were slim...if it had really been his final moment before becoming stone, at least he had taken one last look at the unicorn before accepting his fate, holding to heart only the memories of their strong friendship. Now look where he was now. No longer stone, powers returned, just as mischievous as ever. And for the goodness of all. For harmony to balance out his chaos. He had been quite surprised by what everypony immediately thought of him now, but considering the look he had seen on Twilight, he knew they had gone through so much while he had been imprisoned. His and Twilight's friendship was very strong, and that touched very heart of every pony, even the princesses, as he recalled. He was immediately pulled away from his thoughts when he heard a short cough, and turned toward his window where he was greeted by a unicorn stallion with shining blue hair. "Uh, hi..." Shining Armor greeted nervously, his head sticking through the window. Discord raised an eyebrow at him, then he just smirked. "Good evening." Silence reigned between them, and it felt quite awkward for Shining Armor at the moment, trying to search his head for what else to say. If his sister was still around, he could have had something to speak out. "So, um..." He said slowly. "H-how you feeling?" "Oh, fine if you like being cooped on in a hospital bed where you can perform only little chaos and you're bored out of your mind," Discord said nonchalantly, raising his eyes to the ceiling with a sigh. "Oh, okay," Shining Armor chuckled nervously. "And you are?" Discord asked, observing him closely. The stallion swallowed but held his head high. "I'm Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard. And Twilight's brother." Discord regarded him for a few moments before he smirked. "Ah, yes," he chuckled, "dear Twilight did mention you. She kept going on and on about how proud she was to be your sister as well as a sister-in-law to your wife...Candy, is it?" "Cadence," Shining Armor corrected. "And yeah, I'm just as proud to have her as my little sis." He smiled with so much pride on his face. "I mean, I'm her BBBFF." The Draconequus raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. Shining Armor let out a laugh. "Big Brother Best Friend Forever." "Oh," Discord said with slight amusement, "interesting acronym." "Yeah," the stallion said proudly. Then he smiled at him. "And considering what my sister's said tonight," his smile deepened, "you are probably dubbed her BCSFF or something." "BCSFF?" "Best Chaotic Spirit Friend Forever." Discord held his expression with slight amusement. "That just came off the tip of your tongue, didn't it?" "Yeah, pretty much," Shining Armor said with slight embarrassment. "So intellectual really does run in the family," Discord chuckled. "Well, my sister's IQ is far beyond any of ours," the stallion confessed, "I mean, she is Celestia's prized pupil." "And a treasure amongst your family, I presume?" Discord asked carefully, shifting in his bed a bit. Shining Armor caught a hint of curiosity in his tone and let out a sigh. "I think I know what you're trying to bring up." "Really, now?" Discord asked innocently. "Does that one question reveal how much I wonder how important Twilight is to everypony, especially to her dear brother, that the act of putting me back into stone had been the only choice?" The stallion swallowed, sensing some sort of slight discomfort in the Draconequus' tone; despite his confident posture, he could see Discord was still a bit shaken after the whole experience. "Look," Shining Armor began, "when news first broke out that my sister had gone missing, and because Spike had burned her note..." He added quickly. "I really did hold a grudge against you from that day." Discord's face remained unchanged, simply glancing at him. "Really?" He asked with fake astonishment. "Well, the first time you were released and unleashing your chaos on Equestria," the stallion continued, "I knew I needed to do my job, try to protect everypony despite the difficulty of chocolate rain and flying pies." He lowered his head, resting against the windowsill. "But the second time your were released, after Celestia assumed you kidnapped my sister..." Discord sensed the slight darkness in his tone, but remained steady and awaited for him to continue. "I just wanted to strangle you with my own hooves," Shining Armor confessed. "Well, Cadence, too, but she's not really as strong as me..." The Draconequus placed an eagle talon to his chin, tapping it as he regarded him with curious eyes. Twilight did mention how her family's love was strong, as well as for everypony she knew and loved, but for somepony willing to go up against the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony personally despite the odds...that was true love right there. "But after we put you in stone," Shining Armor continued quietly, "after Twilight stated, ever so angry, about how important you were to her and how much you wanted to change...and that you were her best friend...and when she was crying..." He choked on his words a bit, feeling that familiar lump in his throat return. He sighed as he closed his eyes, the horrid memory of his sister's tears plaguing his mind. "I just wanted to strangle myself." Discord's eyes widened at his statement, completely taken back by how much guilt the stallion had. For as long as he knew, it never occurred to him that Royal Guard ponies held any emotion. And considering that this stallion was captain of the Royal Guard... Finally, after a few moments, Discord snapped his fingers. Before Shining Armor knew it, he had been summoned into the hospital room in a quick flash. As his hooves met the floor, he looked at Discord in slight confusion. The Draconequus smiled at him. "Au contraire, mon capitan," he chuckled. "You, of all ponies, should feel quite good about yourself." Shining Armor regarded him with confusion. "Why?" "Well, let's see," Discord tapped a talon to his chin, "you finally found your sister, stopped her from becoming stone to join me, you believed in her when she spoke about how great I actually am, supported her when she needed it the most to control her element to bring me back, and, seeing as you're speaking to me at this very moment, you like everypony, is giving me a chance." The stallion blinked at him utterly stunned now that he thought about. After a few moments, he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof. "Uh, yeah," he said, "I guess I should be." Discord nodded, smiling before stretching his arms out as he tried to make himself more comfortable on his hospital bed. "This place seems so dull," he sighed, "I can't wait to get out of here." "Yeah, my sister, too," Shining Armor said. "Which reminds me..." He tapped a hoof to his chin, searching his head. "Oh, yeah, our parents are bringing her back to Canterlot for a while. And, get this, Fancypants is going to be hosting a garden party in her honor." He smiled at the Draconequus. "And you, of course, are invited." Discord blinked in surprise. He cocked his head at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" "Upper Crust and some of the other Canterlot ponies would really like you to be there," the stallion said, "and Photo Finish kept going on and on about how she wants to take pictures of the chaotics." The Draconequus snorted as the words rolled off his tongue. "Well then," he said, "I haven't been invited to a party in the last thousand years. I do hope they won't mind a little fun-Discord style." He smirked to himself. "I'm sure everypony knows what to expect," Shining Armor chuckled. "But the trip to Canterlot is still probably a few days' away. My folks, along with me and my wife, are going to be staying here in Ponyville until then. You know, family time and stuff." He looked at him closely, smiling. "Hey, maybe after you're done being cooped up in here, maybe you'd like to consider allowing me taking you out for lunch? Just you, me, Twilight, and Cadence." Discord raised an eyebrow at the offer. Was this pony actually suggesting they...hang out? "You're not just humoring me, are you, captain?" He asked carefully. "Hey, I'm no Element of Honesty like my sister's friend," Shining Armor chuckled, "but I totally mean it." At that moment, Discord felt opportunity tugging at the tips of his toes. Shining Armor did remind him a bit of Twilight Sparkle... Finally, the Draconequus smirked. "Any chance you'd like it on a particular rainy day?" Shining Armor just smiled, as if challenging him to a friendly duel. "As long as it doesn't cause a great, big chocolate flood." _