Early the next morning, Gracie, Discord and Shining Armor had boarded the train to Canterlot. The train flew over miles of tracks, sending snow ricocheting in every which way as the train plowed through its banks. Flowing Grace watched as the landscape sped past, gingerly toying with charm around her neck as Angel happily snuggled on her lap. Shining Armor sat across, quickly drawing up passports, glancing over at Discord as he occasionally made the pointed sneeze in Angel’s direction. Discord sat next to Gracie, looking somewhat uncomfortable in pony form- then again he never was. He paused in his efforts to convince her that he truly was allergic to the bunny, and watched as she fidgeted with the necklace. He groaned, annoyed.
“Pleeeease stop fiddling with that thing,” he said, “It’s not very...duchess-y.”
She jumped, not realizing she what she had been doing. “O-oh. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I just know more stuff about duchesses than you, dear.”
Flowing Grace appeared to shrink back a little, gently tightening her grip on the bunny in her lap. Shining Armor shot him a look that said ‘that was rude, apologize to her’. Discord stuck his tongue out at him, and turned back to her.
“I’m just trying to help, okay?” Discord said begrudgingly. She turned back to him, not really making eye-contact.
“Discord, do you think I’m royalty?” she asked, voice soft. He nodded solemnly.
“Of course,” he replied, patting her on the head.
“Then are you...really in a position to give me orders?”
Discord froze, certainly not expecting that. For someone so shy and, well, innocent, she was witty. Shining Armor let out a laugh at the dumbstruck look on his face, and the hesitant look of triumph on her’s.
“Well she certainly has a mind of her own,” Shining said, finishing the papers with a flourish of his quill. Discord simply humphed, but he would give Flowing Grace that. He got up with a scowl, and left their cabin, more likely than not to cause some sort mischief.
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Later on, Discord re-entered the cabin to find Gracie alone next to the window, quietly reading a book. The bunny and Shining were not in their previous seats, so he unceremoniously plopped down in the seat across from the mare, turning from pony to draconequus as he did so.
“We got off on the wrong hoof,” he said, snapping her attention away from her novel. She nodded, placing the book at her side.
“I agree! I think we should maybe try to start again?” she asked with a smile. Discord looked at her, confused.
“Is that an apology? If so, I graciously accept,” he nodded.
“Um, not exactly? I was only agreeing that we started off wrong. There’s really no need to apologize, I think?” she responded, sitting up straighter.
“You think?” he said. “Do you want me to apologize?”
“I never said that,” she said quietly, but urgently. “I just-”
“Maybe for the sake of this arrangement,” he cut her off rudely,” we shouldn’t talk until Canterlot.”
Discord settled back comfortably into the cushions, and was fully content to fall asleep right then and there. Gracie sniffed, trying to hold back tears.
‘Don’t cry, Gracie, he’s just rude and unreasonable and it’s no reason to shed tears over,’ she thought to herself. She rubbed her eyes, and turned her gaze back to the window, where the vast snow-covered farms and apple fields of were tapering off into forests and mountains. But the silence seemed tense to her.
“A-are you going to miss it?” she cautiously broke the silence. Discord opened one eye.
“What-your talking? While you do have a nice voice, I can’t say I will.”
“Thanks, I guess...But no, I, um, mean Ponyville,” she answered, correcting herself. He stretched forward from his reclining position.
“Nnnnope.”
“But wasn’t it your home? Won’t you miss it?”
“It was a place where I once lived, and regrettably for over a decade. End of story,” he said curtly, throwing himself back into the cushions. “Is it just me, or do you think these cushions could be softer?”
“The cushions are fine,” she said quickly to get back to the original subject. “ So you must intend to make Canterlot your home?”
“What is with you and homes?” he snapped, not even bothering to open his eyes. She stood, not even wanting to answer as she moved toward the door. Well attempted. Discord stretched his legs and tail out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. Gracie spread her wings, flapping them to gracefully jump over him.
“I-it’s something that every normal pony wants,” she said. “ And i-i-it’s-”
“Oh it’s what?” he snapped again.
“I-it’s something I’ve always dreamed of having, what many ponies dream of h-having,” she stuttered. He laughed.
”If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a normal pony, your highness, and I never dream of such things,” he snidely remarked, nudging her chin, “Unlike some orphans with nothing.”
Flowing Grace gasped at the remark, tears springing to her eyes, and Discord almost immediately regretted it. She bit her lower lip, and he recoiled at the sudden opening of the door, and could only watch as Shining and Angel walked in.
“Oh no…”
“Discord? Gracie! Oh my Celestia, what did you do now, Discord?” Shining Armor exclaimed, rushing to calm Flowing Grace. Angel hopped onto Gracie’s back soothingly patting her head while shooting daggers at him. He backed up a few feet, getting closer to the door.
“Don’t you dare run off! Apologize to her!” Shining hissed. Discord tensed, before slumping in defeat. He floated back to her side.
“I’m sssssssssssorry for what I said!” he said, quickly rushing through it. She sniffed, looking at him from behind her mane before quickly moving past them both.
“I-I-I need to get some air,” she practically whispered, hurriedly going through the door and down the hall and away from them.
“Discord, what the literal hell!” Shining snapped, turning back to him. “What is your problem? Did you forget that we need her or something?”
“No I haven’t forgotten that, thank you very much. I may be old, but I still have my wits about me,” he replied. “Well, most of them, anyway.”
Shining Armor groaned. “Please use the rest of your remaining ones, and try to be civil. You act like a school-filly sometimes-” he gasped. “You like her!”
“What,” was all Discord could deadpan.
“You have some weird unspoken attraction to Gracie,” Shining said, shoving a hoof into Discord’s chest. "That's why you've been acting like a jerk! It's not exactly the best way to flirt-" Discord broke him off with a mix of disbelief and disgust.
“How dare you! I would never!” he snapped his tail in the unicorn’s face as he walked to the door, quickly turning once more into a pony, and mumbled something about pretty little ponies, and questioning the sanity of his partner.
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Shining Armor, once he found and settled Gracie back into their compartment safe and sound, trotted down the halls, part in search of Discord, part of old habits of patrolling down hallways to keep the royal family safe. And since they had ‘her royal highness’ aboard the train, the instinct kicked in. Especially since Grace had been so upset because of Discord- he would be doing the same if it were Twilie or any of the duchesses.
“Shining Armor- er, Captain?”
Shining spun around to face two members of the Canterlot Royal Guard, who immediately saluted once he faced them. He gave them a quick one in return.
“Silver Shield and Arrow Quiver! What are you doing on the train? You were stationed in Appleoosa,” Shining Armor questioned. The duo straightened up, and Silver saluted again.
“There have been reports of magic usage that edged on crossing the threshold, sir, and we were sent to Ponyville to investigate, sir!”
“Ponyville is about 40 miles back. Now why are you on the train?” Shining repeated. Arrow Quiver saluted, and continued after Silver.
“We tracked the high level target to the train, sir, but now it appears that it must have just been you. Er- sir. But why are you on the train?”
Shining tensed slightly, not wanting to let them know of Flowing Grace. “I’m heading to Canterlot to give my report to their Royal Highnesses.”
“But why not just send it via magic? Oh- uh- sir!” Arrow replied. Silver nudged him hard in the ribs.
“Don’t question the captain! He’s been out here for well over a year, and you do know that he has a fiancee back home right?” Silver Shield hissed. Arrow winced, nodding before turning back to Shining.
“Sorry, sir!”
Shining nodded his head. “Apology accepted. Return back to your posts- well, cabin for now. I expect to hear your report soon.”
The pair nodded with a salute, before turning around and heading down the train. The unicorn watched them until they disappeared behind a sliding car door, before running breakneck back to his own cabin, only to ram straight into Discord.
“What’s the rush, oh captain my captain?” he said, shoving Shining off with a hoof. “Why are there guards on the the train?”
“Because of you! You’re magic usage almost crossed the barrier and got us caught! So try to keep a low profile...we should probably move too, just in case…,” Shining replied.
“The baggage car will do very nicely,” Discord said. “I’ve hidden in them more times than I can count!”
Shining nodded, and the both of them hurried for their cabin. The unicorn quietly, but quickly slid open the door, not wanting to disturb Gracie, who was contentedly curled up, asleep.
“Get Gracie up,” Shining whispered as he levitated their bags from overhead. “I’ll meet you both at the baggage car.”
Before Discord could argue with the order, he was already out the door. He groaned, and turned back toward the mare. Angel had already woken up, giving him probably one of the most threatening stink-eyes he had ever received from a bunny, and had gone to the window. Something was out there, bright and fast and the small bunny didn’t trust it one bit. It looked like some weird cross between a pony, a beetle, and maybe even a corpse, and there were hundreds more just like it. Angel, unseen by Discord, who was grabbing the remaining bags, snarled at it through the window, squeaking as mean as he possible could. The thing looked at Angel before ramming itself at the window, growling and snapping it’s jaw. Angel gasped, sprawling backwards and running to hide behind Gracie.
“Hey, Gracie, wake up, “ Discord said, trying to shake her awake. She murmured, and curled up more. Despite the fact that this was utterly adorable, he continued to try and wake her. “Come’on! Waaaaake uuuuup!!!!”
He gave her a shove, and she woke up with a start, wings unfolding in surprise, and whacking Discord hard on the nose. He let out a startled yelp, and fell backwards into the cushions, raising a hoof up to his nose.
“Oh! Discord! I’m sorry,” she said, turning to face him, but quickly turned her attention to their missing luggage. “Um, where are our bags?”
“Shining has them- we’re moving to a different car. Dear Celestia, I think you broke my nose!” Discord exclaimed, herding her and the the rabbit out of the car.
“But it was just my wing…”