"But I am not you," Discord said. "Nor am I a good pony... or a good dragonequus... or a good anything." He looked up, his yellow eyes glazed over. "And for the first time in eons, this... bothers me. It gnaws at me that... that I can't understand your passion... the thing that makes you suffer for love... to be acknowledged by somepony whom—for all of your narcisissm and pompous braggerty—you hold on a pedestal so far above your own self that you'd be willing to give up every other awesome thing in the world."
He waved his talon through the starry night's breeze.
"With a single wave of my hand, I could create the mare of your dreams. Even as weak as I still am without my other parts. And it wouldn't have to be Applejack. She'd be your perfect partner through the sheer charm of chaotic spell-casting that I'd toss your way. You could have every wish fulfilled: somepony to hold you close at night, to give you someone to cry comfortably in the presence of, to treat as both a trophy and an object of worship."
He sighed, hanging and shaking his head.
"But that just wouldn't cut it for you, would it? Because—beyond all the barriers of power and awe—you're still too true... too real... too awesome to accept an illusion as anything but... aren't you?"
Rainbow Dash gulped. She merely nodded.
Discord's nostrils flared. He hugged himself, gazing towards Ponyville. "I don't know what's worse... the fact that I predicted that response... or that I'd be almost disappointed if you didn't. I've hung out with you so long, playing this silly game, that I almost root for you in this... despicable quest that keeps killing yourself... more and more with each passing day. We both know what you want... what you deserve. But I can't think of a way for you to get it any more than you want to. And... and even if I tried to help you... you just wouldn't accept it? Would you?"
The pegasus didn't respond.
"I've... I've been doing it wrong. I've always been doing it wrong. My power—it is a crutch. For eons, I never imagined so. But if this is what I can expect from all mortals... this courage and sheer patience... then... th-then..." Discord swallowed a lump down his throat. "I feel like a loser... a clueless fool who's been missing out on a more proper and fun game. A game that everypony else has mastered. Well, maybe not you, but I'm not certain I've got the fortitude to go at it any longer. I... I'd have to start lower. And when compared to the most awesome pegasus alive, that's nowhere near to your level."
Rainbow bit her lip. "What are you s-saying...?"
"I... I'm not entirely certain what I am saying." The creature was shivering at this point. He ran a talon over his antlers, gnashing his teeth. "You've taught me so much... shown me so much... and yet I understand so very little. Maybe... just maybe if I were to live it... in your horesshoes... or something quite similar."
Discord shrugged.
"... ... ...maybe I just might finally come to understand. But not as Discord... and neither as 'Lancie.'"
He sighed, hanging his head.
"Those last shards are best kept where they are. Lost beyond the Wasteland where no ambitious or evil pony will get ahold of them." He gritted his teeth. "Better yet... I won't be getting ahold of them. I'm... not certain I can trust myself to gain absolute power again. I wouldn't enjoy losing all that I've gained... and I wouldn't be proud of the monster that nopony on this mortal plane would have the werewithawal to defeat at this point."
"Lancie...?" Rainbow began to tremble.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. But until I can get my head straight, I shouldn't be around anypony. And until you can learn to straighten things out in your own life, I shouldn't be around you either." He stood up straight, raising a pair of talons. "You've got your iced lavender, my final gift. Stars know, all of my other gifts have only made your life more hectic."
"Lancie!" She ran forward.
"Good bye. And good luck." Snap!
Flash!
Rainbow ran through an empty cloud of dust and noise. As her vision cleared, she scuffled to a stop, standing alone and breathless at the top of the hill. She gulped... sniffling once and twice before murmuring to the wind:
"... ... ...back at ya."
Silence.
With a shudder, Rainbow Dash turned around. She spotted the potted plants of the rare, glowing flower. Clenching her jaw, she reached in, hugged them to her chest with numb forelimbs, then took off.
FWOOSH!
On strong wings, Rainbow flew south, heading straight for Sweet Apple Acres.