Discord looked carefully at the chessboard before him, his head resting on his paw. He analyzed each possible move. His eyes narrowed on his bishop. With a smirk and a wave of his claw, Discord sent his bishop blazing ahead to rest in the perfect spot. "Checkmate, my dear."
"Awwww!!!" Pinkie pouted in her seat, her hooves crossing over each other. "You never used to be this good at chess! How about best 73 out of 147?”
Discord chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m a little chessed out, Pinkie. Oh, I know!” He waved his paw over the board and all of the pieces turned into checkers. “Hm?~”
“Oh, wowwie!!” Pinkie giggled, bouncing in place. “I LOVE checkers!” In a flash, she reorganized every piece to where it should go. “There!” With an intense look of concentration, she stared at the board, trying to figure out where to move her first piece.
Rainbow Dash buzzed past the pair at their spot in the cafe before speeding back, watching them. “Woah, Discord? Celestia let you out of Canterlot already? I thought you were supposed to be on bed rest or something.”
Discord shrugged, crossing his arms and relaxing. “When have I ever been one to listen to authority, Rainbow?” He smirked, chuckling. “What Celestia won’t figure out until later is not my problem.”
“Until later,” Dash muttered.
“Precisely! Until then, I figured I should spend some time with my friends as my true self. After all, you all should get to meet the real me.” He grinned, winking. “Besides. I prefer the open air to stuffy old Canterlot anyday.”
“Heh! Duh.” Dash did a loop midair, grinning. “Flying’s waaaay better than being stuck walking around the castle. The place is cool and all, but the sky’s cooler.” She looked back at him. “Well… Just get plenty of rest, alright? It’s only been like 3 days since you hopped out of that hospital bed. We wouldn’t want our new friend to get hurt.”
“I am perfectly fine, Rainbow Dash. After all,” he said with a smirk, “I am a God.”
“AHHA!” Pinkie nudged forward a piece, smiling brightly. “Take THAT!” She turned to Rainbow. “Dashie! Wanna get in on this game? We can TOTALLY make this 3 players.”
“Er… No thanks, Pinks. As confusing but fun as that sounds, I promised Scoots I would help her train today. I just wanted to see what was up before I flew off.”
“Oh, nothing much, Rainbow Dash.” Discord pushed up his checker, smiling softly. “Just enjoying a friendly game over some small talk.”
“Alright, alright. Take care, Discord! Oh, and we have GOT to play some pranks soon. I’ve gotta good one!” Grinning brightly, she took off once more, a rainbow streak following behind her.
Discord watched her go curiously. “Well, she changed her tone about me quickly.”
“Well DUH! You’re our friend, Dissy!” Pinkie Pie giggled, smiling brightly and gesturing towards him. “You’ve really changed, and I think Dashie can see that, because HONESTLY, before you were kiiiiinda a bit of a meanie pants sometimes! But now you’re really FUN!” She pointed to the board. “Now, let’s play! Maybe after this game we can think up new pranks! I’m sure anything you can come up with will be a doozy!”
Discord chuckled softly, his mouth curling into a grin, his fang taking up most of his smile. “My dear Miss Pie, you have NO idea.”
*~*~*~
“Ah jus’ don’ understand why she chose us.”
Twilight sighed, lowering the book in her magical grasp to her face, glancing at the title. She would certainly want to bring this one in case they ran into new and curious types of plants. Frowning, she added it to her ever growing pile. “We’ve been over this, Applejack. She trusts us.”
Applejack groaned, sitting, brows furrowed. “Ah know, Ah know. It’s jus’... We might represent the Elements of Harmony an’ all, but that don’t make us ready to handle this, Twi. And why not Pinkie, or Dash, or Fluttershy?”
“I did notice she excluded a rather large amount of our friend-group,” Rarity said as she worked on lightening the load of her own bags. “Why would she leave so many of us out, and include simply… well, us three? And that pompous mule of a stallion,” she added as an afterthought.
“Consarn it, Rarity, would y’stop mutterin’ ‘bout the prince? We know he wasn’t the nicest at the Gala -”
“Wasn’t the nicest?!” Applejack winced as the unicorn turned to look at her. “He was a complete jacka-”
“Ah’m jus’ sayin’,” Applejack said quickly, cutting her off, “that maybe this here Prince ain’t as bad as y’think. Y’oughta give him a chance. Ah mean, Ah never thought me and you’d manage to be close friends, but look at us now - the farm mare and the fashionesta.”
Rarity huffed softly. “Well… I suppose.” She lifted her nose, ‘hmph’ing under her breath. “But if he is expecting me to forgive him for that vile night, he is most assuredly mistaken.”
Twilight grumbled to herself, reading the title of the next book. “I don’t think I’ll need to bring Magical Maladies and Misfortunes: 101 Curable Diseases, but should I bring it just in case?”
The two mares glanced at her. “Er…” “Um…” Twilight glanced at them both as they pointed to her pile of supplies. It was nearly tipping over, a book tower that was set on toppling if one more tome was placed atop it.
Twilight took it in and sighed, plopping her flanks down on the floor with a groan. “Ugh. Packing for a trip like this is harder than I first thought.”
Applejack trotted over, glancing at some of the books. “Well, Ah can tell you y’won’t need this one.” She nudged a book away with her muzzle, pushing it towards the bookshelf. She looked at another. “Really? Twi, did’ya really think you’d need ‘1000 Ways to Get Burrs Out of Your Fur’?”
“H-Heh…” She sighed. “I’ve just never done anything like this before. I want to be prepared for anything that could stand in our way when we go!” She shut her eyes, contemplative. “I mean, this is uncharted territory - literally. We have NO Idea what we’re getting into. What if there’s horrible monsters, or creatures we don’t know how to defeat?”
“Ah’m gonna go out on a limb here and say we’ll be fine.” Applejack nudged another book away from the pile.
“Darling, Applejack is correct. After all, Nightmare Moon was an unknown threat at the time. So was Discord, and Chrysalis, and Tirek. If we defeated all of them, I’m simply positive we’ll be fine now.”
Twilight smiled at her friends. “I just hope you’re right both right…”
All of them worked on packing for almost the entire day, all in varying moods.
Applejack couldn’t help but wonder, why them? And, more particularly, why her? Sure, Luna has said that it was because Applejack could discern the truth from the lies, but how was that going to help if they ran into danger? Surely, having Pinkie, Dash, and Fluttershy along would help greatly. So why only them, and her? Why Honesty?
Rarity scowled as she started unpacking again, sorting through her scarves. She sighed, distracted. She couldn’t stop thinking about that prince. The Gala had been a dreadfully long time ago, and while the prince’s actions had been less than desireable, she was indeed the bigger mare. Certainly, by now, she should have forgiven him. Luna knew full well that they hated each other, but she insisted that Blueblood was necessary in the coming journey. What could that immature oaf of a stallion possible help them do? And why was he so… important? Didn’t Luna have faith in them?
Twilight frowned, finally scaling her mountain of books down. She couldn’t help but wonder, why? Not just why them. Not just why Blueblood. Not even why not Celestia - though she had to admit, she was curious. No, Twilight was mostly concerned with why - and what - Discord could be hiding.
No pony as of yet had been able to delve into the mind of the chaos God. It was just too… well, chaotic! He had always had an air of mystery, something that no one could pierce easily. So what was he hiding? What could make the God of Chaos erase maps like they were secrets? And why had he stopped at the maps? Surely, with his power, if he really meant bad, he could have just destroyed the Dracon home with the same ease she levitated a feather.
So why was he so scared?
*~*~*~
“Auntie?”
Luna looked behind her, her eyes showing Blueblood that she had known he had arrived an instant before he did. How his aunt did that, he would never know; she was never easily startled anymore. “My nephew… Please, sit. Enjoy some biscuits.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Auntie, I really should be preparing for this journey. Do we really have time to waste on sweets?”
Luna allowed a small smile to grace her serious features. “There is always time for sweets, as my dear sister would say.”
Blueblood sighed, crossing over and sitting on the cushion opposite her, allowing himself to indulge in one of the sweet cookies. He did have to admit, it was a nice break from pouring over the maps. But he needed to be prepared. He swallowed the cookie in his mouth and regarded her seriously as she sipped her tea. “You didn’t call me here just for sweets.”
It wasn’t a question, and yet Luna felt a need to answer the unspoken question. “Indeed, you are correct, Blueblood. I have something very important to discuss with you.”
He set down the cookie in his magic and nodded. “Please, discuss away.”
Luna shut her eyes. Her horn began to glow and from the spot next to her fireplace, a scroll appeared, drifting over to the table. “I trust that you realize I… did not speak the whole truth at our last meeting.”
Blueblood’s eyes narrowed. “I suspected, but you are good at hiding things, Princess. I think I was the only to realize you had more to say.”
“I’ve asked you not to call me that.”
“I have every right. I am a Prince after all,” he said, the snobbish Canterlot noble voice entering his register.
Luna smirked softly. “I see why Rarity hates you.” He gasped in fake surprise. “Do you ever think you will explain to her just why you acted like such an a-”
“I-I think it best to let my feelings be known when we are on our journey,” he quickly said. “I simply… don’t know how to bring the subject up. I fear she might never forgive me. I was well and truly horrible at the Gala.”
“Dances and parties never have been your strong suit. Did you really think you had to be so noble the entire dance, Nephew? Surely nopony would have cared if you ate some simpler fare for the night; are you not more comfortable, in fact, eating ‘carnival fare’, as you so eloquently worded it, is closer to your usual meals either way.”
He scowled softly, huffing. “It wasn’t I who deemed it necessary to attend the Gala. I cannot believe Auntie Tia made me go. She knows just how much I detest nobility.”
“Even me, Blue?”
“Especially you, Auntie Lulu.”
Luna gasped in fake horror, mirroring his same gasp earlier. He smiled at the gesture before looking pointedly at the scroll still in her grasp. She sighed. “Yes, I’m afraid I’ve gotten very off topic.” She unfurled the scroll, laying it down on the floor as the table was currently occupied. It looked almost like a page from a story book, including an illustration that struck an unnatural fear into the both of them.
Blueblood frowned as he looked at the picture before looking at the words with no uncertain surprise. “Draconequish?”
“Good. You recognize the language.” Luna looked at him. “Are you able to read any of it?”
“I’m afraid not; it’s been a dead language. Discord is the last Draconequus is existence. No one has felt the need to learn his language in a very long time.” He looked back at her, concern etched into his features. “... Do you know what it says?”
Luna sighed. “Yes… I am in the unlikely position that, at the time I learned it, it was no more a dead language than Equish.” Blueblood nodded sadly, allowing that topic to drop. She cleared her throat, looking at the scroll. “Not everything translates directly, but… the meaning of this document is terrifying. It’s why I dodged Miss Rarity’s question at our meeting.”
“I had noticed that. What does it say?”
She sighed. Slowly, she began to recite the text. To his credit, Blueblood stayed silent through it all. She spoke at length, her voice only wavering as she reached the final sentences. Blueblood let out a soft whistler, eyes wide as she finished. “... This… is information that they should know.”
“No.” Luna sighed. “We do not know if this is even true anymore; it could be possible these creatures were wrong. It could be possible they had no idea of what was to come of the future. Or it could be true, and this could all be for naught. We cannot allow the bearers of Harmony to grow discouraged. If they do, then we shall have no defense against this eventuality.”
“But Auntie, if this document is true, then we are all in grave danger!” He stood up, beginning to pace; a nervous trait he had picked up from Celestia, no doubt. “All this talk of an Order, of the Guardians… Could this be why Discord erased the maps? Could this be what he was protecting himself from?”
“If it is truth, then I believe so.”
“Then a beast could surely await us at Dracon home. A beast will that much power, and we only have half of the elements!”
“You know why I have excluded the others already, Blueblood. Someone must keep an eye on that foolish God.”
Blueblood laughed, shaking his head. “Evidently, someone should have been doing that all along.”
“Once again, dear nephew, we are not positive this account is truth. You must calm yourself.” Blueblood took a deep breath, nodding. “I never said this mission would be easy, dear nephew. This may indeed be, if not the most dangerous, then the most vital mission you have been given. Your escapades in the Outer Lands have given us fruitful information on the Changelings, certainly, but now you will be going into entirely unmarked territory. I have told you this information not to scare you, but to warn you, to remind you just what might await you in this city of beasts.”
Blueblood nodded softly once more, sitting down. Luna poured him a cup of tea and they shared a brief silence.
Blueblood was the one to break it first.
“... Is this why you haven’t told Celestia yet?”
Luna winced. “I…” She sighed. “I have seen how she had grown attached to the God. Like it or not, she has formed at least a platonic bond with him - if not more. If she were to know just… Just what he is…”
“Then she would be hurt. And you can’t bear to hurt her again.”
Luna let her head hang. “Am I being selfish, nephew? I know she should learn where her faithful student is going. I know she would be terrified to know what is to come. But I cannot bring myself to tell her that if we go through with this, then the beast she has chosen to… to possibly even love…”
“That he might die.”
They shared another brief silence. Blueblood gave her no answer. He made it his goal not to answer questions that he had no answer for.