And I Was Just Starting to Get Comfortable
The six reluctant ponies and one reluctant dragon headed reluctantly into the forest, not noticing that Discord was flying above and behind them.
“It seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony,” Rarity reminisced.
“It seems like only yesterday that I was foolish enough to think I should go after them on my own,” Twilight said, starting the trek into the forest. “I don’t know what we’re going to face in there, but whatever it is, I know we need to face it together.” Discord hovered above them, watching. He was also poised to help if anything came near Fluttershy, but that was besides the point. ‘Does Twilight always give motivational speeches before they go on adventures?’ The mares all chorused their agreement to Twilight’s pep-talk.
The walk was relatively boring until the ponies came across a body of sickly-looking water.
“We can use those to cross,” Twilight said, gesturing to some stones. Discord thought about warning her, but decided against it. She found out soon enough that she’d actually hopped onto the back of a crocodile.
“A crocodile! Run for your lives!” Rarity shrieked. the ponies scattered. Discord tensed to help Fluttershy, but the crocodile had targeted Twilight. Before he had to jump to her aid, however, her friends beat him to it and lassoed the croc’s tail, then tied it down.
“That was close,” Twilight sighed in relief.
“A little too close, if ya ask me,” Applejack said with a frown. “You sure yer alright?”
“I’m fine. I just can’t seem to get these new wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it,” Twilight complained.
“Ah, you’ll figure it out eventually,” Rainbow Dash encouraged, still hoping that there would be a pony with wings in their group besides her who actually liked flying. CoughFluttershyCough.
“Eventually isn’t soon enough,” Twilight said.
“You have been having an awful lot of trouble with those things,” Applejack mused. “And, well, who knows what else is gonna come after us? Ya know, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea for Twilight to go back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony without her.” Discord growled softly. ‘You’ll need all six Elements, stupid!’
“What!?” Twilight exclaimed. “Why!?” ‘Yes, show them the error of their ways.’
“For starters, you just about got eaten by a crocadilly!” Applejack pointed out.
“We all did,” Twilight huffed. “He wasn’t after just me!”
“Sure, but, well… The rest of us aren’t princesses,” Applejack said.
“What’s that got to do with anything!?” Twilight protested.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone,” Applejack explained. “If something happened to you… I just don’t think Equestria can risk losing another princess.”
“Applejack does make a valid point,” Rarity piped up. “Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won’t necessarily mean that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absense.” ‘Stop appealing to her sense of logic! We need her here!’
“But the Tree of Harmony!” Twilight protested. “I’m the only one who has seen it and knows what it looks like!”
“Huge tree, cutie marks on the trunk?” Rainbow Dash said. “Probably being attacked by something hideously awful? Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ll know it when we see it.”
“All of you feel this way?” Twilight asked sadly. “Feel like… I shouldn’t be here?”
“It… is probably for the best,” Fluttershy said softly. Discord, still hovering above, face-palmed. This is what he got for not letting Fluttershy in on his plans. Twilight didn’t say anything further, instead making her way out of the forest dejectedly. Spike followed dutifully. Discord decided it was time to take things into his own claw and paw. He teleported to Ponyville so he could talk some sense into Twilight. He was immediately met by two ponies who obviously remembered the last time he’d been out and about in Ponyville, since after a moment’s shock they both charged at him and tried to take a swing at him. He didn’t really have the time to deal with them, so he caught them up in some vines and settled in to wait for Twilight. It took longer than he was expecting, so he started boredly filing his talons with the pink one’s pet alligator.
Twilight came a few minutes later and glared at him, and he hurriedly dropped the captured ponies and put the alligator back where he found it. The ponies weren’t eager to irritate him again, so they ran off.
“You’re welcome!” Discord called after them. ‘You’re welcome that I only tied you up and didn’t punish you any worse. Trying to hit me… the nerve. Hmph.’ He turned back to Twilight. “No luck finding your tree?”
“We ran into some trouble,” Twilight said. “And my friends decided it would be best if I returned to Ponyville while they continue the search. Equestria will need me if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna don’t return.”
“I’m just surprised that you would agree to their plan,” Discord said. “I never thought you would be the kind of pony who would think she’s better than everypony else.” ‘Ah, the joys of manipulation… I’ve missed this. Fluttershy, you’re lucky I would miss you more. Wow. That was sappy.’
“I don’t think I’m better than anypony!” Twilight protested.
“Oh, how silly of me to assume that you would think that!” Discord said. “All you did was choose to keep your precious ‘princess self’ out of harms way while your friends thrust themselves right into it. I’m sure you’ll all be the best of pals again when they return from their terrifying and deeply bonding experience that they’re having without you.”
Twilight put on a determined face and ran back to the forest, leaving Discord in the dust.
“Thank goodness,” Discord sighed quietly to himself. “That Twilight is so easy to manipulate.”
“I never should have agreed to come back here!” Twilight exclaimed as she galloped off. Discord started following her again.
“Come on, Twilight. Discord may be reformed, but he’s not that reformed,” Spike protested, running alongside Twilight. ‘I resent that.’ “He’s just trying to get under your skin!” ‘Well, that bit’s true.’
“Well, it’s working!” Twilight exclaimed, pulling Spike onto her back with magic. Discord waved her off merrily. ‘Well, that’s taken care of. May as well go back to the others, then.’
He got there just as Fluttershy said, “I know who would know what to do… we sent her home.” Discord turned tiny and teleported into her hair.
“She’s on her way back,” he whispered in her ear. When the others were distracted by Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s arguing, she replied.
“Thank you, Discord,” she said softly.
“Anytime,” he said smugly. Just then, Spike fell down the stairs and landed in a heap. “Twilight should be with him!” They all ran over to him.
“Twilight! Trouble! HELP!” he exclaimed before passing out dramatically.
Once they’d saved Twilight from the evil plants, they returned to the tree problem.
After some deliberation and a close call with one of the sentient vines, Twilight went back to her friends.
“I know how we can save the tree,” she said. “We have to give it the Elements of Harmony.” ‘‘My work here is done. I’m going to go celebrate a job well-done.’ Discord teleported back to Ponyville and began to relax with a cool drink in his hands and a nice Hawaiian shirt to set the mood.
“Woah woah woah,” Rainbow Dash protested. “How are we supposed to protect Equestria!?”
“How are we meant to reign Discord in if we can’t use the elements to turn him back to stone?” Rarity asked.
“You don’t need to,” Fluttershy muttered to herself.
“Twilight… the Elements of Harmony,” Applejack said, sounding torn. “They’re what keeps us connected no matter what.”
“You’re right about one thing, Applejack,” Twilight said. “The Elements of Harmony did bring us together, but it isn’t the elements that will keep us connected. It’s out friendship. And it’s more important and more powerful than any magic. My new role in Equestria may mean that I have to take on new responsibilities, and our friendship may be tested, but it will never ever be broken. There’s no time to lose. Everypony ready?”
“Ready!” they all chorused. Twilight used her magic to take the elements out of the necklaces and her crown, but before she had a chance to return them to the tree, the vines shot out and grabbed her. She struggled with them for a moment before deciding that the tree was more important, so she focused on putting the elements back where they belonged. She was fully encircled with the vines just as the final element, magic, made its way home. In a flash of multi-colored light, the vines began to vaporize, freeing Twilight and the tree, and eventually all of the parts of Equestria that had been affected.
The vine that Discord had been resting on disappeared from underneath him and he fell to the ground.
“Oh, poo,” he huffed. ‘And I was just starting to get comfortable, too.’
A few minutes later, he saw the triumphant heroes making their ways back.
He summoned up some banners and signs to congratulate them.
“Bravo, ladies, bravo!” he said cheerily. “However did you save the day this time? Blast the beastie with your magic necklaces, I presume?” He hadn’t stayed long enough to see the resolution, and was honestly curious.
He turned into a cowboy and sat atop Applejack’s back, lifting her hair out of the way to get a good look at her bare neck.
“Where are those little trinkets of yours? You know, the ones you used to send me back to my extremely uncomfortable stone prison?” Discord asked. Applejack sighed.
“Gone,” she admitted.
“Gone?” Discord asked, surprised. He hadn’t thought Twilight had meant ‘give it the elements’ literally. “Gone…” Maybe now that he wasn’t at risk of being turned to stone, they could stop hiding the fact that he lived with Fluttershy.
“Our friendship remains,” Fluttershy said hurriedly. “And if you want to remain friends, you’ll stop thinking whatever it is that you’re thinking and help us clean up.” Now wasn’t the right time to tell her friends. They still didn’t exactly like Discord, and would like him even less if they found out the vines were his fault, and they wouldn’t understand yet. Maybe after her friends got used to him... Discord changed into a maid costume.
“Fine,” he huffed. He understood the reasoning, but the looks on their faces would have been funny. “But I don’t do windows.”
“One thing I don’t get,” Applejack said. “Why’d all this happen now?”
“I have no idea,” Discord mused to himself, not thinking about the fact that the others could hear him perfectly well. “Those seeds I planted should have sprouted up ages ago!”
“What did you say!?” Twilight exclaimed angrily, and Discord realized his mistake. He could have gone on without them ever knowing it was him, but no. He really needed to stop thinking out loud.
“Oh, why should I try to explain it when you can see for yourself?” Discord replied, holding out the potion. There was no backing out of it now, but he didn’t want to admit to anything else out loud. Twilight drank some more potion and revisited the Discord scene, though this time with the current Discord’s commentary.
“Well, obviously things didn’t go according to my original plan,” he said. “My plunder-seeds should have stolen the magic from the Tree of Harmony and captured Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thousands of moons ago. Alas, it seems the tree had enough magic to keep the seeds from growing up big and strong. Until now, that is.” The memory faded.
“You realize this is information we could have used hours ago!?” Twilight shouted. ‘Yeah but if I’d told you hours ago I would’ve been turned to stone by now. I’m not dumb.’
“And rob you of a valuable lesson about being princess?” Discord asked. “What kind of friend would do something like that?”
“The normal kind!” Twilight complained.
“Well, he told us now, and everything worked out all right,” Fluttershy said quickly, trying to lessen Twilight’s wrath. “I’m sure if he thought it was necessary, he would’ve told us.”
“Ugh. Fine,” Twilight huffed. Fluttershy usually won arguments about Discord, so Twilight figured it was best to just quit now. “Now I guess Spike and I have to get back to Canterlot for the Summer Sun Celebration preparations.”
“So our dear princesses are back and kicking again?” Discord asked.
“Yes, no thanks to you,” Twilight snapped. ‘If only I’d taken credit for the potion, maybe she’d be less ticked off at me…’
“Well, I can see I’m not appreciated here,” Discord sniffed. “Good day to you all.” He snapped his fingers and reappeared in the sky between the Everfree Forest and Canterlot, where the two princesses were currently making their way home.
“Ah, so good to see you two again,” he said. “Although having both the sun and the moon in the sky was tres magnifique. You should think about leaving it like that sometimes.”
“Not a chance, Discord,” Celestia said. “Did you need something?”
“No, no. Just making sure my valiant efforts to send the ponies in the right direction turned out alright.”
“What did you do?” Celestia dead-panned.
“Well…” One explanation later… “So at least I fixed everything in the end!”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to just tell them the truth now?” Celestia asked. “Perhaps your efforts would actually put you in their good books if they knew what you were doing.”
“I doubt that,” Discord huffed. “Besides, it could cause problems for Fluttershy.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” Celestia said with a sly grin. Discord stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry.
“Well if you’re quite done hating on me because I happen to have feelings, I’m going to head home,” Discord huffed.
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It could have used perhaps a more concrete ending, but you made these two chapters work really well with Discord being the mastermind behind it all. You made it work perfectly together without changing much. Great job!
Sorry, I had to laugh at the first sentence, because there's actually a movie called "The Reluctant Dragon!"
I'm still confused as to how the MAGIC EATING plants couldn't attack the tree of harmony because it had too much MAGIC.