“Not much of a soldier, are you?”
“Flurgen,” the pegasus mumbled in reply as he laid sprawled on his back, legs kicking in the air lazily as Discord gazed down at him.
The lord and ruler of chaos considered him for a moment before turning and shouting, “Hey, Twily, I think you-Oh,” his shouting dropped to a more normal volume as he continued, “Mayor's still reprimanding you. Nevermind then.”
Across the field, Twilight and Mayor Mare were quickly trotting toward Discord and the grounded guard, the purple draconequus had a look of utter mortification on her face while the Mayor was in the middle of a rant, “-a princess, Miss Sparkle! I can understand your enthusiasm for your work – Celestia knows I'd bury myself in it if I was in your condition – but what were you thinking?!”
“That it wouldn't explode like that!” Twilight quickly replied as they neared the poor pegasus, “I wasn't putting that much pressure in it... I think.”
Discord raised an eyebrow, “You think?”
“It's Chaos Magic!” Twilight snapped at him as the pegasus pulled himself to his hooves, drawing the princess’s attention, “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen, uh...”
“Sentry, your highness,” the guard replied woozily, his shock of blue mane wobbling slightly as he bobbled, “Flash Sentry....” He squinted for a moment, “I think I'm still seeing stars...”
“Well, you're standing at least,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief, “That's a good sign. So then, Flash-”
“Ah Aaaaaaaaaaah~” The two mares turned to glare at Discord, who just shrugged, “What?”
The mayor blinked at Discord while Twilight just rolled her eyes as she continued talking to Flash Sentry, “Anyhow, Flash...” Twilight paused for a moment, squinting at the royal guard, “...have we met?”
“I escorted Princess Cadence to town on one of her visits,” Flash replied as he tried to blink his eyes clear, “...Ah, that's better. I can finally...” Flash Sentry paused as he seemed to finally get a good look at Twilight. He stared at her for a moment before looking at Discord and paling, “...bwah.”
“These pauses are getting annoying,” Discord muttered as Flash glanced between him and Twilight.
“T-Two of them,” Flash sputtered, eyes going wide and pupils constricting into pinpricks, “there's two of them!”
“Well, yes,” Mayor Mare replied, not following as she watched the guard backpedal, “why are you-”
“Aaaaah!” Flash Sentry screamed before turning and running out of the clearing.
The three watched the pegasus dash away for a few paces before taking wing and heading for town, “You know,” the mayor said after a moment, “I forget that this sort of thing isn't normal is most towns...”
“I think he forgot that you were here,” Discord quipped, “It looks like he's flying toward City Hall...”
“I'll go talk to him,” Twilight said with a sigh, “assuming he isn't just flying north, that is.”
“Nah,” Discord said with a shrug, “Wrong season to migrate.”
Twilight shot another glare in his direction but Discord just rolled his eyes, “Oh, please – you practically walked into that one!”
“Just... stay here,” Twilight asked as one claw came up to her face, trying to fight off her first proper headache of the day, “Please?”
“You have my word,” Discord stood a little straighter as he raised his right paw, “I solemnly swear that I am up to- no, wait, wrong joke,” he relaxed into his usual curved slouch a he snapped his claw, summoning a scroll and quill. He grabbed both of them, quickly jotting something down before finishing with a flourish and tossing the scroll toward the purple draconequus, “There – one signed promise to behave. You like notary, don't you?”
Twilight's eyebrow rose as she unrolled the scroll and giving it a quick read, “...you signed this 'Q'.”
“Your point?” Discord replied with a smirk.
Twilight gave a groan as she tossed the scroll to the mayor, “Mayor Mare, would you kindly keep an eye on him while I handle this?”
The mayor glanced at Discord nervously, “I'm not sure I'm qualified, Princess...”
“He's mostly harmless,” Twilight assured her, adding after a moment, “actually, he could... nah.”
Discord raised an eyebrow at that, “What?”
“Oh, nothing,” Twilight replied with a shrug, “I was just thinking that this is really going to cut into my schedule for the day – I still need to help with the festival planning. You could but, well...” Twilight finished with a shrug.
“Oh, please,” Discord scoffed, “I am a lord of chaos! And I hang out with Pinkie Pie – an over-sized party like this is foal's’ play.”
Twilight gave a bark of laughter, “Twenty bits says you make a mess of it.”
“Up the stakes and you’re on,” Discord shot back with a smirk.
“Deal,” Twilight replied with a wave as she turned and started after Flash, “He's all yours, Mayor Mare. If he tries anything, just find Spike and ask for the letters.”
As Twilight headed toward town and wherever the panicked guard had gotten off to, the mayor simply turned to Discord with a quirked eyebrow, “...What letters?”
Twilight left Discord to get himself out of that particular hole as she headed into town. A small crowd had gathered near the front doors to the town hall, likely drawn by whatever had burst through the front doors in enough of a hurry to knock both doors off their hinges. Nopony gave the princess any mind, draconequus or not, as she trotted up the steps and inside. She'd transformed more than a week ago – old news.
Twilight paused in the main lobby, quirking an ear as she listened before the sound of crashing echoed from upstairs. Twilight calmly made her way up to the town offices, the curving hall giving expansive views out across town on one side. On the other, wood and fogged glass doors had been flung open as a familiar looking pegasus dashed between offices, “Where the hay is everyone!?”
“Taking the day off, I imagine,” the pegasus froze in the hall before he turned to stare at the purple draconequus as she continued, “or helping with the festival setup – the mayor really wants this to work out.”
The pegasus guard stared for another moment before he started to backpedal frantically, not even slowing down as he tripped and fell onto his rump, his eyes never leaving Twilight, “Oh, please Celestia no, you're one of them! You're one of them! No, nonono!”
Twilight sighed as she walked down the hall after the panicking guard, a wave of her claw lifting him off the ground up to eye level as she approached him, “You know, I really need you to calm down if either of us are going to do our jobs. You have a rail line to get approved, I have a festival in three weeks to plan...”
“Three days.”
Twilight blinked in surprise as she looked at the guard, “Come again?”
“Three days,” the still levitated pegasus pointed a shaking hoof at a nearby office, “the calendar in there said the harvest festival was in three days. The Daring Do festival is in three weeks.”
Twilight groaned as lowered the pegasus to the ground, “The mayor and her tourism plans...” she turned to the guard, “Flash Sentry, right?” The pegasus nodded silently, “Okay then, Flash – what did my sister send you down here for?”
“H-Hazard assessment of the route,” Flash stammered, “Princess Cadence was worried about possible megafauna along the proposed route.”
“And changes to a rail line route require royal approval,” Twilight added with a sigh, “Of course,” Twilight turned and started back down the hall as she continued to speak, “Well, come on then – we have work to do.” Flash Sentry just stared in confusion as Twilight turned and headed back downstairs while his brain tried to catch up with reality. Twilight's head emerged from the stairwell again as she shot him a look, “Come on, we don't have all day.”
“Yes princess!” Flash blurted as his hooves started moving, “Coming princess.”
Twilight started back down the stairs, the orange pegasus following behind her before she paused part-way down, “Oh – hold on,” Twilight glanced back at the floor they had just departed, face scrunching up in concentration before she snapped her claw. A heartbeat later, there was a flurry of sound and motion from behind them before suddenly dying down, “Much better,” Twilight said with a nod before starting down the stairs again.
“Uh,” Flash stammered as he glanced back up the stairs, “What was that?”
“Just cleaning up,” Twilight replied simply, “Don't worry about it.”
“Right...” Flash replied as he followed the princess out of town hall and back down the street.
“So,” Twilight said as they headed down the street, “We've got some time until we reach my castle – tell me about the rail line.”
“I thought we were going to the park grounds?” Flash asked, the confusion in his voice as obvious as her nervousness. Why he was nervous, Twilight had no idea. It wasn't like she was planning to dissect him or something.
“I need equipment for the Silverodeon,” Twilight explained, “and I don't trust Discord to find all of it. So, come on – start talking.”
Flash hesitantly began to give Twilight an overview of the situation as they made their way across town. The currently proposed route would pass just to the east of Cloudsdale's shadow before striking north across the plains in a more-or-less straight line from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire. The only problem was...
“There's a reason the northern plains are mostly empty,” Twilight said as she handed Flash Sentry another bundle of supplies as the pair made a slow lap of Twilight's workshop.
“Which is what has Princess Cadence worried,” Flash replied as he took the bundle with one wing and adding it to the growing pile of tools and supplies on his back, “Hence the route assessment by the smartest princess in Equestria.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Twilight said with a smirk as she retrieved a book from a shelf, “Discord's already tried. Repeatedly.”
“Princess Cadence's phrase,” Flash replied, “Not mine.”
“So, what was all of this about a re-route?” Twilight asked as she did a quick tally of her equipment.
“Prince Shining Armor suggested routing the line around Canterlot Mountain and past Neighagra Falls.”
“But then you end up with a route nearly as long as the current line,” Twilight mused as she led the way out of her castle and back toward the park ground, “thus rather defeating the purpose of a new route.”
“Well, two routes would reduce-” Flash started to say, but paused as a pair of ponies rushed past them and toward the park ground, “Where are they going?”
“Not sure,” Twilight replied with a frown as she watched them go past, “maybe something happened?”
“Why does it always have to be a bad thing?” Flash asked, "maybe they're going to a swap meet.”
Twilight gave the guard a flat stare, “Discord is in that direction.”
“So...” Flash replied hesitantly, “...not a swap meet then.”
“Come on,” Twilight ordered, “and don't drop anything!” Twilight's pace increased and Flash moved to keep up as the pair made a beeline for the park grounds and its sea of tents, a steady stream of ponies proceeding ahead of them, apparently bound for the same destination.
The stream of ponies terminated not far from where Twilight had left Discord. Discord, for his part, was apparently being true to his word and not causing any trouble. Mayor Mare was directing him about as he floated tents around, though most of his attention seemed to be focused on spicing up the décor. Twilight could already spot a few planters of poison joke scattered around some of the tents. Twilight could tell that he'd at least been considerate enough to neutralize them, though based on how the other ponies were giving them all a very wide berth, he hadn't told them that.
What really caught her attention though was the small crowd of ponies surrounding Discord and the mayor. Ponies who were not staring at him in terror and or awe, were not currently suffering from some bizarre magic affliction and, in fact, all seem quite interested in talking – or at least listening to the Lord of Chaos.
“...Twilight true?” Twilight heard the gray pegasus stallion standing closest to Discord ask.
“Everything is true.” Discord replied with a shrug as he placed a tent and its slightly scared owner back on the ground before snapping his claw and giving its décor an upgrade from 'sedate' to 'baroque grandeur'. It might have been a bit much for a pie stand though.
“Even false things?” The pegasus stallion asked, as few of the other ponies behind him murmured to themselves.
“Even false things are true.” Discord said simply as he moved the stage a few dozen paces to the right as he summoned forth a few more poles that promptly shot out a plethora of ribbons out to stretch down from their tops to the ground, marking out wide circles around the poles.
“How can that be?” the pegasus asked, the confusion evident on his face reflected by those behind him.
“I don't know, man, I didn't do it,” Discord replied with a shrug as he glanced at the crowd and finally noticed Twilight, “Ah – Princess! How's our orange pegasus friend?”
“Calmer,” Twilight replied, gesturing at Flash to deposit the pile of material on his back near the ruined calliope as she continued, “He was nice enough to help me bring my equipment back.”
“And I was just going to teleport it over,” Discord said with a shrug, “Or, you could have just teleported it over and... Twilight, what are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Twilight replied as she gave her forehead one final smack, “Just realizing that I'm not a clever pony...”
“No,” Discord said with a shrug as he turned back to re-arranging the festival, “You're a crazy draconequus. Much more fun. Are you going to blow something else up?”
“Why would she blow up something else?!?” Flash asked loudly from near the calliope as he finished unloading the equipment and supplies.
The elder draconequus just grinned, “Discord wants big boom.”
“I think the mayor would be upset if I put a crater in the middle of her festival,” Twilight replied as she rolled her eyes, “just help me with this calliope, will you?”
“Not going to go fetch Spike?” Discord asked as he none-the-less obeyed the order.
“He deserves a break after spending so much time around you,” Twilight said as she walked over to the ruined instrument and plucked a wrench from the ground where Flash had set it.
“And having to play minion to your sparkly purple tush has nothing to do with it, obviously,” Discord said sarcastically as Twilight started to crawl inside the wreck.
She pulled herself back out just long enough to give Discord a flat glare, "Don't make me send you to another dimension."
Discord gave a snort, “Like you would do it.”
“Need I remind you that I turned you into a statue once?” Twilight remarked as she crawled back into the calliope.
“So did Celestia,” Discord replied as he handed Twilight a roll of copper and a pair of emeralds from the pile, “What's your point?”
A sigh echoed out from inside the calliope, “I have no idea – just pass me another emerald.”
The afternoon passed quickly as Twilight began to systematically disassemble the calliope, refitting what she could and replacing wholesale anything too damaged or simply not to her liking. Slowly, the broken instrument was converted into neat rows of parts and components. Discord and Flash were kept busy helping her or, in Discord's case at least, improving the festival's decorations. By the time she finally pulled herself out of the now thoroughly torn apart calliope, she had to double-check that she was still in Ponyville.
While she had been working, she had apparently been transported through space and time to, based on the décor, Veneighce roughly four-hundred years ago. Based on the fact that she couldn't see the sea she figured she must have been on one of the larger islands, but she could definitely smell it – a late evening breeze carried the salty smell of the ocean to her nose. A pair of towering stone columns stood at one end of a large square which were where, if she recalled correctly, they strung up thieves.
“Like it?”
Twilight spun around to see Discord grinning at her, “How badly did you just wreck reality?” she asked, “since part of me is saying we've time traveled but another part of me is saying even you aren't that good,” She groaned as she brought a claw up to massage the bridge of her nose, “Darn it, I told you not to-”
“Discord!” Twilight was interrupted as Mayor Mare approached, a spring in her step and a large grin on her face. A couple of steps behind her, Spike was looking around the Veneightian market with much surprise as Twilight. The mayor's grin was still in place a she came to a stop in front of Discord, “Excellent work on the water features!”
“I live to serve, mayor,” Discord replied as he gave a bow, rising out of it before adding with a frown, “Well, technically I live for chaos – but same thing,” He gave a shrug before continuing, “Anything else mayor?”
“Not at all, Discord,” the mayor replied before giving him a polite nod, “Thank you.”
Discord considered her for a moment before looking past her at Spike, “Did she just thank me?”
“Sounded like it,” Spike replied with a nod.
“And I thought Twilight doing that felt weird!” Discord said as he shivered.
The mayor simply rolled her eyes before turning to the princess, “How is our fair Silverodeon looking, Twilight?”
“Better then I thought,” Twilight replied as she gestured at the parts she had laid out, “None of the harmonics are damaged, so it should be done in a day or two,” Twilight's eyes narrowed, “just in time for the festival.”
The mayor looked sheepish for a moment, “Ah, yes – I suppose I should have mentioned-”
“Do you have any idea what could have happened?” Twilight said, cutting the mayor off, “I'd started planning my entire schedule based on that piece of information! Do you have any idea what that would mean? I'd have started making check lists that Weren't. Valid!”
The mayor backed up half a step as Twilight pressed closer, “I, uh...”
“Do you have any idea how much I'm juggling right now?” Twilight continued, “My sister-in-law needs a rail line that won't get ponies eaten every other kilometer, I've got to figure out why that Shrubbery didn't turn my brain into soup, and I have to keep Discord in line!”
“Don't forget about trying to turn back into a pony,” Discord added.
“That too,” Twilight replied idly before bearing down on the mayor again, “How do you expect me to work without valid data!?”
“I, uh...” The mayor shrunk back with a nervous gulp before finally stammering in a voice barely above a whisper, “...sorry mistress...”
Twilight didn't seem to notice as she just brought a claw up to her face with a sigh, “At least I caught it early – Spike?”
“Already on it,” the young dragon said, quill and scroll already in-hand, “Let's see – you could probably handle that chaos magic survey you wanted tomorrow if you multi-task. That'll leave the day after free for finishing the callo...kali...calip – the music cart thing.”
“It's a calliope, Spike,” Twilight replied with a smile as she started packing up her tools, “Also known as a steam organ, or a- hrm...” Twilight paused as she looked around her work space, “...how am I going to get all of this back to the castle?”
“I could just teleport it,” Discord suggested.
“I'd rather not have all of it turned into green jello,” Twilight replied simply, “I knew there was another reason I didn't ask you to do that earlier.”
“...fair enough,” Discord replied with a shrug, “You could teleport it?”
“For some of it, sure,” Twilight replied before pointing to a large steel and stone orb covered in piping, “But I have no idea how the spell core will react to it,” she turned to Discord, “Mind carrying it for me?”
“I would love to, my dear,” Discord began before pressing one paw to his back and literally bending backward, “Really, I would – but I threw my back out making a basilica, so...”
“Right,” Twilight replied with a roll of her eyes as she decided pushing matters wasn't worth it. Besides, she'd just noticed plan B fishing the last of her tools out of the innards of the calliope, “Flash Sentry.”
“All tools accounted for, Ma'am!” the pegasus guard announced with a salute before giving the cart a nervous glance, “Is it just me, or is that bigger-”
“Never mind that right now,” Twilight quickly cut him off, “Can you carry the spell core back to the castle for me?”
“...yes?” Flash replied after a moment.
“Perfect!” Twilight said as she teleported the rest of the equipment away with a snap of her claw and a smile, “then just grab it and we can be on are way!” Twilight made it three steps before realizing she had no idea how to get from the middle of a Veneightian market to her castle, “uh...”
“Just follow me,” Discord said with a roll of his eyes before plucking up Spike and depositing him on his shoulder before shouting back, “Try to keep up, soldier!”
“I'm more worried about you pushing yourself,” Flash retorted as he fell into a step a few paces behind Twilight, just off to the side, “someone as old as you should slow down.”
“Don't be rude Sentry,” Twilight commented idly without looking up from the small notebook she had at some point started scribbling in, “talking about an immortal's age isn't polite.”
Discord raised an eyebrow, “Personal experience?”
“I ask one question about whether she's older than the castle, and suddenly it’s no cake for a week!” Twilight exclaimed as she threw her forelegs up in frustration, “I was twelve! I didn't mean anything by it.”
“Oh, Twilight,” Discord sighed, “I should have let you be in charge ages ago – all the chaos, none of the trouble!” He then gestured at the small canal running next to them, a gondola pushed along by a pony floating by, “plus I get to indulge in my hobbies again – always a nice bonus.”
“You have hobbies?” Twilight deadpanned.
“Of course I have hobbies!” Discord replied with feigned shock, “Architecture, bird watching-” he reached behind one of Twilight's ears before pulling back, a blue flower in his claw, “-gardening.”
“You are a draconequus of many talents,” Twilight replied as she let Discord tuck it behind her ear, “Thank you – I wasn't aware I'd lost the last one.”
“Probably inside the calliope,” Discord replied with a shrug, “or floating around town somewhere.”
“...you have been neutralizing them, right?” Twilight asked.
Discord tapped at his chin, “...anypony in town not a teenager reporting strange changes to their body?”
“No.”
“Then I've been neutralizing them,” Discord concluded as he started forward again, “Oh – we should take a detour. I know this place nearby that makes the best crepes...”
“You built this place three hours ago, Discord,” Twilight replied flatly.
“Which just means most ponies don't know about it yet,” Discord replied, “Come on.”
Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes, but followed all the same.
It wasn't until two hours, one stop for (admittedly excellent) crepes and Flash Sentry had been settled into one of her castle's many guest rooms that Twilight realized, a moment after her head hit her pillow, that she had completely forgotten about the train project.
“...horseapples.”
Well, she couldn't call it a night with something like that gnawing at the back of her mind. She pulled her pillow closer as she reaffirmed the conclusion. Still... it had been a long day. Probably best to get a quick nap in to keep up her strength, “If only I could map faster...” Twilight mumbled to herself as she drifted off to sleep.
Twilight's slumber was marred by strange visions of gears, magic arrays and glowing runes all circling around and about each other in grand precision. She knew she'd never seen anything like it before, but none-the-less she knew what it was instantly. It was the solution to her every problem – the key to every riddle and mystery at hoof distilled into a single display of geometric perfection. “Yes, yes...” Twilight muttered to herself, “perfect – absolutely perfect...”
It would have been too, if not for that blasted pounding.
Twilight groped around for her pillow, only to notice that one, there were no pillows near her and two she didn't remember her bed being this firm or being made of cold crystal (save for the frame).
“You know, I think that's for you.”
Twilight's eyes shot open as she heard a voice she'd never heard before yet somehow recognized. She slowly lifted her head and looked around.
She appeared to be in what was supposed to be her dining hall. Not one to throw many parties, the room had until now seen pretty much no use outside of the one time Pinkie Pie had needed it after a party venue had been flooded with alfalfa courtesy of Discord. The room was now covered with a semi-uniform layer of tools, notepaper and machinery parts. The only clean spot seemed to be around where she had passed out on the table, and Twilight suspected this too was Discord's fault. Speaking of Discord...
The draconequus seated next to her just raised an eyebrow, “Problem, dear?” The draconequus sat on the edge of the table next to Twilight with serpentine elegance and a level of poise that Twilight didn't usually see outside of Celestia's court. An unkempt black mane poured down her – for Twilight had no doubt that she was looking at a she – back, terminating somewhere among the white fur that flowed around her neck like captured smoke. Crimson eyes glanced up from examining a claw to look down her long snout at Twilight before giving her a smirk, “See something you like?” The draconequus asked, a golden earing jingling softly as her ear twitched.
“...you're a girl.” Twilight said flatly.
“I am a lady,” the gender-flipped Discord corrected her simply, “I thought I'd try on something new,” another round of pounding echoed through the hall as 'Lady' Discord went back to examining her claw, “you should probably get that.”
Twilight stared at her for another moment before picking her way across the hall to the door and, after a few tugs, managing to tug it open.
“Hey, Twilight,” Spike said as the door opened without looking up from a scroll, “So Flash managed to find your... whatever it was and its- woah,” Spike cut himself off as he finally saw Twilight's face, “You alright?”
“I just woke up in the wrong room, my dining hall is a disaster and I have no idea what's going on,” Twilight replied, “What do you think?”
“Just woke up?” Spike replied, confused, “but you gave me and Flash orders an hour ago!”
Twilight blinked, “I did?”
“Among other things, my dear,” Discord replied as she sauntered up next to Twilight, “you've had the three of us running around as your minions all night.”
“Woah,” Spike said as he looked up at Discord with a mixture of surprise and a hint of the same sort of look he tended to give Rarity, “Who's she?”
Discord gave a polite nod, “You may call me Lady Eris,”
“Pick a name already, Discord,” Twilight grumbled as she brought a claw up to her face.
Spike looked between Twilight and Discord before staring at the latter, “You make a really good girl.”
“Why thank you Spike,” Discord replied with a small smile as she fluffed the fur around her neck, “a lady does enjoy being complimented.”
“I.. you...” Twilight gave up with a sigh as she started massaging her temples, “...nevermind. Where's Flash?”
“Downstairs, trying to keep track of your project,” Spike replied as he gave Discord another glance, “Do you, uh, need me to come with you?”
“I think I can manage,” Twilight replied a she squeezed past Spike and out the door, leaving the drake and the draconequus standing there.
A moment after Twilight vanished around a corner, Spike turned to Discord, “Okay – where are my gems?”
Discord smirked as she snapped her claws, a cloth bag appearing out of thin air and falling into the dragon's claws, “A lady keeps her word,” she purred.
Downstairs, Twilight was still massaging her forehead as she wrenched open the front door, “Flash Sentry.”
Flash jumped in surprise as the princess seemed to identify him without so much as looking, given her face was still buried in her own claw, “Y-Yes, Ma'am?”
“Is whatever I built far away?” Twilight asked, still not looking at him as she continued her attempt to fend off a headache. Her efforts seemed to be in vain, however, given the throbbing building behind her eyes.
“Unfortunately, Ma'am,” Flash Sentry stammered.
“Perfect,” Twilight said as she slammed the castle door shut behind her and started walking, “Let's go.”
The two started out from the castle and headed north-ward, the sun already starting to climb higher into the sky off to their right.
Twilight had no idea where exactly what she built was, or even what she built. All she knew for sure was that finding out was going to take her all day. She was going to make sure of that.
Back at the castle, Discord and Spike watched from one of the upper balconies as the pair shrank into the distance. “So,” Spike asked around a mouth-full of crushed gem, “you think that was too much?”
“My dear drake,” Discord replied, smirking as she sipped her tea, “I have just begun."
What the hell, I just saw the most recent update and find that the previous one from December never even showed up for me. Goddamn glitchy site.
Discord set Twilight and Flash on a date didn't he...or rather she?
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON!
...AND I LOVE IT!
I'd just like to say two words. Ahem
IT LLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVEEEEEEESSSSSSSS
that is all, now i'll actually read the chapter.
HAHHAAHAH!!!!!
Nice reference, Booke. You really don't see DIscord quoting the Principia Discordia often enough here. It seems like such an obvious thing to do, too.
6933387 If do get an idea, let me know please - I got a draconequus in here and she keeps jacking my computer.
Figures he'd be a Marauder.
Not even gonna touch this one.
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mythbusters/images/d/d1/Jamiehyneman.png/revision/latest?cb=20110903061938
I see Twilight is Heterodyning in her sleep again... Only good can come of this.
I loved the Harry Potter and Star Trek references. Flash Sentry's reactions to Ponyville's shenanigans was funny and I also liked Spike's reaction to Eris.
6933652 Cut it out - if you wish to argue about the validity of Flash Sentry as a character, please take it elsewhere. I'm using him here since I'm lazy and needed a guard.
What the hell did I just read?
You know what? It's Chaos don't question it.
Also great chapter
I swear, you can't get proper minions anywhere these days!
And suddenly it's almost a Girl Genius crossover. ("Well, there goes the neighborhood!") And with so many references, too... Flash Gordon, Mythbusters...
It would also benefit greatly from more proofreading, but it's still such a fun story!
Discord being a Discordian seems wrong somehow. Like.. it's the obvious thing for him to do, therefore obviously he can't do that.
6933451
"even the lies?"
"Especially the lies"
You missed the reference.
well after some delay I just finished the chapter and I will say it is an excellent chapter just like the rest and I do look forward to reading more.
I say Discord should stay as Eris. If only for a few chapters ... makes it more amusing.
6933337
Right?
I've been waiting for a story of this concept since I saw the very image used here
I noticed a few grammar nitpicks, but they happened a lot.
Comma should be a period, since nothing follows this.
the (lower case) because of the comma
office. (period, because of the upper case "The" and that solution sounds better in my opinion than changing it to lower case)
there
period
thus (lower case)
past. (period, unless you prefer to change it to one sentence and decapitalize Maybe)
(Just imagine the dialogue by itself, before you put in the description. Do you want it to be "Not sure, maybe something happened?" or "Not sure. Maybe something happened?" I would prefer the second but I suppose it's up to you.)
asked. ("asked" is supposed to be linked to the previous question, and the comma links it instead to the following statement.)
and (lower case)
(Again, imagine the dialogue without the description. "Come on, and don't drop anything!" Or, I guess, "Come on. And don't drop anything!" Then slam the rest of it back in. ""Come on," Twilight ordered, "and don't drop anything!"" or ""Come on," Twilight ordered. "And don't drop anything!"")
too
side. (period)
down. (period)
"Plus (upper case, since he appears to be starting a new sentence)
built
castle's
neck, "a
or
neck. "A
however, (comma needed here as well as after "vain")
walking. (period)
I have done nothing but teleport bread for three days.
IT'S ALIIVE!
We are pleased with this.
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Right.
as always excellent chapter. Really, this Twilight is my absolute favourite version.
Completely out of whack. Crazy to the limit, all the while thinking she's the one who's orderly and sane but being crazy BY doing just what she does.
And Discord is brilliant. How he is letting her bring herself down. Just watching, giving little nudges. It's glorious!
He show's what a real master of chaos is. He is not getting swiped away by his own chaos like Twilight is. He has fully embraced it and is controlling it. But Twilight too is getting better and better. Her level of snark is humongous. How they get back at each other. Like an old pair bickering. They are perfectly matched in this story. Partners.
Please do keep it up!
The dynamic between those too really is golden
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Ah, yes, but if you do the unexpected all the time, people start expecting it from you.
Thus logically, the straightforward thing become the most chaotic thing s/he could do.
Hail Eris, full of confusion!
6934854 You must be inconsistently inconsistent, or you become predictably unpredictable. Theoretical Chaotics is a very interesting area of study. Being autological, its name can change without warning.
Hail Eris, Goddess of Chaos, Confusion, and Things You Know Not Of!
:D
6933992 Acknowledged. Noblesse Oblige, I pray for your continuing service as a
saviorproof-reader.Ok, I have absolutely no idea what is going on in the last part of this chapter. It's so glorious
6935091 Certainly
Eloquent.
I know.
He's right.
Played like a fiddle.
That's a thing?
I'm sure.
And I'm not sure why I expected that to make sense.
Explosions ARE fun.
Yep.
Um...
That is amazing.
Wat.
Well played.
You know, I was on the fence at first, but now I've decided I'm okay with her evolving into AgathaLight Sparklodyne. Mostly because there's only one other Girl Genius story on this site and its author hasn't logged in in two years. Plus it's actually a remarkably good character fit.
Flash never was, he is just fun to hit.
Stakes? A date?
Ok, just what is Discord up to?
I have one question now that this story is nearly one year old. How much importance does the romance tag have in this story? When I read the story description and saw what tags it had I thought that this story would be about twilight becoming a draconequus and gradually falling in love with discord (and vice versa) then end with them as I couple. If that is still how it´s going to happen. How long do you intend this story to be.
Nothing of this means that I am disappointed, I like what you have already written but if your goal is to have twilight and discord in some kind of romantic relationship, I fell like this story have a little slow pace.
6935896 I could probably move it faster, yes - risk of writing something at the same time you're plotting it. The last arc got a little long, and this one should (hopefully) move things forward.
The last parts of this chapter left me a bit confused, was Twilight building something in her sleep... sleep-building or what not? Or is this just a highly elaborate scheme concocted by Discord/Eris for their own amusement? Cause what ever it is it's puttin me on the edge of my seat for the next update. (damn suspense)
I put this on my reading list years ago and forgot to read it. When I saw it was featured I knew it was time to finally give it a go. BOY OH BOY DID I LOVE IT! 5/5 and I hope it continues to update.
Also, thanks for introducing me to Loppodity. One of my current favorite artists and comic drawers!
Discord... what are you up to this time?
6936009 Agreed. I hadn't even known she was building something until Twi had said it. Whatever it is, it sounds like that revamped Starswirl time travel spell in the S5 finale. Magic arrays? Check. Gear sounds? Check. Glowing runes? Check. Except that she's building it, so maybe not. maybe it's a TARDIS...
Mischief managed
I had the same reaction to this as another reader where I was kind of expecting this to grow into more of a romance at this point and I think the pacing has me a little confused. The characters and the banter though is so well done that even if I'm confused on the plot it is still enjoyable. Twilight is just such a wonderful nutter in this, and so cute with Discord that I'm hoping that something occurs to let her realize he is kinda great and she is actually into him. Fingers crossed for cuteness to come, but you do you and I'll be happy to read it!
Spike x Eris. Make it happen.
Flash Sentry doesn't seem to be a real romantic rival here, but he is reporting back to the Princess of Love. I suspect as soon as Flash gets back to the Crystal Empire and talks with Cadance about all the friendly banter and flirting between Twilight and Discord, the Shipping Princess will be visiting Ponyville herself to set things in motion...
Please don't remind her, she's far more interesting this way!
Pacing for this chapter seems a little... off but...
- Minion acquired!
Ok so, so far I love it. I am just waiting for her and discord to actually be a couple. It's totally gonna happen. I love your take on there friendly relationship and I can't wait till you write more keep up the great work.
I have such feelings for this story in my pineal gland.
Praise Discordia.
In fact, both this and the last chapter were full of some delicious references. Honestly, I was expecting the story to reach its denouement after the last climactic battle against the dreaded Shrubbery, but it seems there's more of this twisted tale to tell. Interesting...
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This has been one of the only Twicord I've like because of the pacing.
I always felt that these two particular character's relationship, if it did evolve into romance, would take time to grow.
The other Twicord fics I've read always felt rushed and unnatural. In this story the pacing and growth seems about right.
Keep it up!
Still enjoying this story, but the last two chapters feel like things slowed down a bit. We went from the grand adventure in the Everfree, and Twilight dealing with her new form, to her mostly being comfortable with it and helping with tourism. I'm hoping the details here end up being set up for something big to come, and this isn't just an interlude. Either way, looking forward to more though!