Camaraderie is Sorcery

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 3:10 - Chaos Controlled

Chapter 3:10 – Chaos Controlled

Twilight Sparkle practiced her spells as she awaited the arrival of Celestia. Hearth’s Warming Eve was only a couple weeks away and the ground was covered in snow, so she practiced shaping it, banishing it, and conjuring it back into existence to begin again. Minor versions of Hearthfire spells also came into play. The White Procession had been content to leave Ponieville alone this year, preferring other targets; however, they could always appear, and the snow gave Twilight an approximate target to practice what she would face in such a case. The winter of the Judd Caradain was more powerful than the most brutal Equestrian winter (except maybe in the North, which Cadence and Shining Armor were finding out), but snow was snow, and Twilight could work with that.

She wasn’t alone. Spike and Rarity watched Twilight’s exertions and experimentation while Pinkamena sat nearby strumming her lute and writing down musical annotations in the snow. Rainbow Dash was also near, striking at an unfortunate tree that was now mostly bereft of bark as she practiced her swordsmareship. Ever since she’d returned from Castle Thorn with a new Hunter medallion, she’d been keener than ever to practice her skills and get even better. She could see her lifelong dream in reach, and she wasn’t going to stop now.

“Why do we have to wait out here?” Rainbow asked as she finished punishing the tree and trotted over to the others.

“Because Celestia commanded it,” Twilight Sparkle replied as she sent a wall of ice crashing back down as a wave of water.

The four Brave Companions and Spike were near Fluttershy’s home far outside of Ponieville, though the resident druidess was nowhere to be seen, nor was Applejack. Twilight hoped they hadn’t lost track of time and be absent for Celestia’s arrival. It was strange for Celestia to come to Ponieville rather than requesting the Brave Companions come to her in Cant’r Laht, especially now that Twilight Sparkle could transport them back and forth as easily as the great alicorn sorceress could. It was doubly strange that Celestia would not be arriving at the Mayoral Keep or even in the square before Golden Oak’s laboratory, instead commanding Twilight Sparkle to secretly gather the Brave Companions here, where nopony was likely to witness the meeting, especially at this time of year. It was peculiar, and Celestia hadn’t said much in her letter. Twilight Sparkle wondered if maybe this was going to be another test.

“Shouldn’t she be here by now?” Rarity asked, brushing snow off her heavy cloak as she looked up at the lighter patch of cloud the sun was hiding behind.

Rarity was right; it wasn’t in Celestia’s nature to be late, except intentionally to exert her authority, and the time that she’d asked the Brave Companions to meet her here had already come and gone. Celestia’s responsibilities hadn’t necessarily changed since becoming Regent of Cant’r Laht, but she and Luna had to answer to a council now, which meant her schedule was sometimes subject to the whims of other ponies. Perhaps a meeting with a particularly long-winded councilor had simply gone long.

As Twilight finished telling her friends as much, a portal blazed to life nearby. All of them, even Pinkamena, jumped to attention, ready to receive their sovereign. Celestia, Regent of Cant’r Laht, strode through the portal; she was wrapped in heavy furs, though she could easily dispel the winter cold with her alicorn magic if she wished. A small complement of royal guards trotted through the portal with her, ensuring that the area was safe, though there was little that could threaten the ancient sorceress. One of those few things that was able to passed through the portal behind her. Leaning upon its side in a cart was the statue of Discord, the Mad God’s physical remains encased in stone by the Elements of Harmony. Bringing up the tail of the miniature procession were two of Luna’s captains, squinting their nocturnal eyes against the brightness of the reflected sun on the snow as it peeked out momentarily from behind the clouds. One of them was carrying a chest familiar to the Brave Companions, the container that stowed the Elements of Harmony, while the second carried a similar case with unknown contents.

“Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful apprentice, and the Brave Companions … some of them,” Celestia said in greeting while Twilight was still too shocked by the turn of events to speak.

“Celestia—your royal highness—what … why …” Twilight stammered in confusion, “What is Discord doing here? Would he not be safer in Cant’r Laht?

“Safer?” Celestia asked with a note of amusement, “Undoubtedly, but I did not order his statue removed from the grounds of Cant’r Laht Castle and brought here, along with the Elements of Harmony and the shards of Discord’s soul, for safekeeping.”

“Help me understand, Celestia,” Twilight said frantically, her heart beating faster now that she knew what was in the second case. “Why would you bring Discord here?”

“To resurrect him,” the ancient sorceress replied evenly.

“No way!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Last time, Discord covered the land in chaos and turned us all against each other!”

“And he turned you into a statue, your royal highness,” Rarity said, the last words meant to remind Rainbow Dash of to whom she was speaking.

“I have not forgotten. Nor have I forgotten what it was like to grow up in a world ruled by Discord,” Celestia said, her eyes growing distant as she though back to that time over sixteen centuries ago. “However, I want to believe now what I couldn’t then: that Discord is not innately evil, and that his powers could be turned to good. It is a risk, I know, but not an overly perilous one—not compared with the trade-off, I believe. Tartarus’s borders are not as secure as I once thought, and should any Great Ones manage to escape, it would be invaluable to have one on our side.”

Twilight Sparkle averted her eyes. The breach of Tartarus had been her mistake, and she hadn’t considered the long-reaching consequences, not since Cerberus had left his post guarding the prison realm’s gates. Still, how could Celestia think that Discord of all creatures would be a trustworthy ally? She’d be better off searching for Scorpan if she wanted a Great One on her side, even if he hadn’t been seen since the time of Yliiena the First. In Twilight’s experience, Discord had shown only contempt for ponykind.

“I have great confidence in you, my apprentice, and your companions,” Celestia continued. “Do not forget, it was you who managed to seal Discord back in stone and who managed to secure the shards of his soul. I know that you will find a way to bring Discord around.”

“And if we cannot?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Then you use the Elements of Harmony to turn him back to stone, although that would be an unfortunate outcome. Do not be too hasty,” Celestia said. In other words, this is a test, and I must give it my all.

“Yes, of course,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “We will endeavor to accomplish this task.” Even if it is impossible.

“Excellent. Now, there are two Brave Companions missing,” Celestia said, looking around. “Where is Fluttershy? I believe she, of all your compatriots, may have the best chance of reforming Discord.”

“I’m here!” the druidess called as she flapped into sight from behind Celestia, Applejack trotting along with her.

“How is Fluttershy supposed to be able to convince Discord to give up his tyrannical ways?” Rainbow Dash asked and Fluttershy froze, having only heard her name called before.

“As bearer of the Element of Compassion, I believe that you are uniquely suited to swaying Discord to our cause,” Celestia addressed the druidess as she cautiously made her way forward, just now noticing the draconequus statue. “I know it is a difficult thing I ask of you, but I do believe that you, as well as the rest of the Brave Companions, are capable of this task.”

“You … really think that … I am best able to do it?” Fluttershy asked uncertainly.

“I do,” Celestia said without a trace of doubt in her voice. “Now, I must return to Cant’r Laht. I leave you to release Discord when you are ready. Take your time.” But do not take too long.

Celestia conjured up another portal, and she and her retinue filed back through, leaving six ponies and a dragonling alone in a snowy field with ancient and unknowable relics, the petrified form of a Great One, a collection of gems containing that Great One’s soul, and more questions than answers.

***

It was two days before Twilight felt confident enough in the spell she’d designed to call all the Brave Companions back together at Fluttershy’s domicile. In the meantime, the statue of Discord had waited here, the frozen expression of shock and horror on its face startling Fluttershy whenever she glimpsed it. So far, nopony outside of the Brave Companions had noticed the statue of an ancient evil had come here. Twilight also wasn’t taking any chances, keeping the Elements of Harmony at Golden Oak’s laboratory while Pinkamena, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity divided up the shards of Discord’s soul. The less time these unpredictable pieces spent around each other, the better.

“Everypony ready?” Twilight asked the Brave Companions as they stood around Discord, and each mumbled their assent. “Let us hope that this works.”

“Or better yet, that it doesn’t,” Spike said from where he peeked out from behind a tree.

Part of Twilight shared that sentiment. Releasing Discord upon the world again was dangerous and, despite what Celestia said, far too risky. He had twisted Cant’r Laht and the Equestry Valley into unrecognizable forms in a mere instant the last time he had been freed, and Twilight didn’t even know if the Brave Companions would get a chance to re-imprison him before he did away. New protective spells had been cast over the Elements of Harmony to keep Discord from stealing them again, but all of Celestia’s wards had been useless last time. Despite these worries, this was what Twilight’s mentor wanted, and she was determined not to disappoint Celestia. Discord could be a powerful ally, though the idea that he would willingly take on that role was far-fetched.

Twilight Sparkle took a calming breath before stepping forward, and the other Brave Companions followed her lead. The snow here had been cleared, leaving half-frozen soil that had had all the dead foliage burned away by magic. A complex magic circle made of dripped wax now surrounded Discord, lines veering toward and away from him in a seemingly random pattern. How fitting. Circles large enough for ponies to stand in intersected the circle’s edge at equidistant points, each one now occupied by a Brave Companion. Twilight Sparkle began her chant, and the lines upon the ground glowed, energy flowing up from them into Discord. The Elements of Harmony around each pony’s neck (except for Twilight’s) began to levitate, pulling toward the petrified Discord, and cracks of different colors began to form upon the statue.

“Now!” Twilight called as the spell reached its apex, and each pony threw a crystal at Discord.

Six gems containing shards of the Mad God’s soul crashed against the statue, shattering when they shouldn’t have and releasing vaporous clouds that wormed their way through the cracks. Stone flaked away rapidly, until Discord’s glowing body beneath was revealed and began slowly to uncoil.

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh,” Discord yawned, his tongue lolling, as the spell faded away. “Well, you certainly took your sweet time, didn’t you? And did you really have to freeze me in that position? Terrible for the neck, don’t you know?”

The draconequus removed his head and turned it around a few times before placing it back on and twisting it back and forth impossibly far, apparently satisfied as he gave a nod at the end.

“But hold on for just a moment. I don’t seem to be all here, now do I?” Discord said as he detached his tail and inspected his hindquarters for missing pieces before reattaching it and pointing multiple arms at his head. “I don’t mean up here, of course. Nothing to do with being frozen in stone or torn apart and stitched back together. Well, at least this time.”

“You are not mistaken, Discord,” Twilight said brusquely, numerous wards placed around her and her friends, just in case. “I have held back the piece of your soul that identified itself as your essence and your scheming mind, and I shall continue to do so until you have gained my trust.” If such a day should ever come. I certainly doubt it.

“Hmm, doesn’t seem very friendly to me, but what position am I in to negotiate for the integral piece of myself,” Discord said as he twisted his forelimbs into a pretzel and snapped his claws.

Several clouds in the area fell like stones, crashing to earth, one nearly crushing Pinkamena before she lithely sidestepped it.

“What do you think you are doing?” Twilight Sparkle demanded, leveling a glare at Discord.

“Well, I think I am stretching,” Discord said as he twisted his body into even more complicated knots and snapped his fingers again, transforming a nearby herd of rabbits into many-eyed, many-teethed monstrosities. “After being cooped up in that prison, I need to flex my muscles, both physical and magical.”

“We will have none of that here,” Twilight said firmly, “Unless you wish to be turned back to stone.”

“And disappoint Celestia!” Discord cried, covering his face in feigned horror. “No, I don’t think you’re willing to risk that, not so early in your attempts to ‘win me over to the side of good and right.’ Ugh. I’m sure Celestia would choke on those exact words as well, of course, were she to say them aloud, but her intimations were obvious.”

“How did you know that?” Twilight asked suspiciously.

“Do you think it was simply ‘lights out’ for me while I was imprisoned?” Discord asked as he tucked himself into a hovering bed that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Of course not. Oh, yes, I was conscious for your little discussion with Celestia, as well as the last sixteen centuries. Admittedly, the last thousand years were rather dull until I was brought to Cant’r Laht, but the six hundred before it?” Discord counted off on his fingers, “Watching the relationship between the two ponies who managed to defeat me fall apart was a treat.”

“So, you know why we’re here,” Rainbow Dash said. “I don’t see what difference that makes, other that we can cut to the chase. Will you join us, or do we have to turn you into stone again so you can think over it?”

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, Dainbow Rash, Rainbow Dash,” Discord said, shaking his head, “Isn’t that being a bit unfair to your friend? After all, Fluttershy is supposed to be the one to bring me over to your side, is she not? You’re not even giving her a chance.”

“Turn those rabbits back to the way they were, Discord,” Fluttershy demanded, having managed to work up her courage finally.

“Hmm, not a strong start, threatening the draconequus you’re supposed to be reforming,” Discord said, whipping out a pair of spectacles and taking notes.

“Celestia entrusted me with this task, so the decision on whether you should be turned back to stone is up to me,” Fluttershy said threateningly. “I will not tolerate attacks on defenseless creatures!”

“Oh, very well. You make a good case,” Discord said, and he snapped his claws again, transforming the rabbits back to their original forms. They scampered away in terror as soon as the deed was done.

“We’ll be watchin’ y’, Discord, so don’t step out o’ line,” Applejack threatened.

“Yes, yes, so intimidating,” Discord said while stifling a yawn. “Well, roomie, mind if I get settled?”

At a snap of Discord’s fingers, a stack of trunks and satchels appeared behind him, with various pieces of furniture scattered among it.

“E-excuse me?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, I only assumed that as you were ‘taking charge’ of my ‘rehabilitation’ that you would provide suitable accommodations for me. Unless, of course, that’s too much to ask …” Discord replied.

“Oh … oh, no. Of course you can stay with me,” Fluttershy said.

“Excellent,” Discord crooned, picking up his suitcases. “I’ll start unpacking.”

“Are you sure about this, Fluttershy?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“I am,” the druidess replied with a nod. “Celestia believed I could do this, and I think I know what she had in mind.”

“You do?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. Befriending him is the key, not treating him like an enemy. With him living here, hopefully I’ll be able to do that,” Fluttershy said.

“Well, only if you are sure,” Twilight said, reluctant to leave Discord alone with her.

“Nothing to worry about,” Discord said as he returned for more baggage, “I feel practically reformed already, and it’s all thanks to your compassionate heart, Fluttershy. I knew that you would be willing to welcome me, unlike your friends, who seem downright hostile.”

“Cut it out, Discord,” Rainbow Dash demanded. “We all know you’re just trying to drive us apart like before.”

“Such accusations!” Discord said, acting wounded. “You see what I mean? Downright hostile. Why would I ever want to do a thing like that?”

“So we can’t unite and use the Elements of Harmony to turn you back to stone, of course,” Rainbow huffed.

“What an interesting idea,” Discord said, tapping a claw against his chin thoughtfully. “I hadn’t considered that.”

“Keep the Element of Compassion around your neck,” Twilight told Fluttershy as Discord and Rainbow Dash continued to argue, the Hunter growing more irate as the draconequus continued to act innocent. “I do not believe he can use his chaos magic on us so long as we wear the Elements.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Fluttershy tried to assure the sorceress and herself at the same time. “I’ll be fine.”

***

The days passed, and while nothing calamitous happened, Twilight Sparkle continued to grow more nervous. She and the others checked in on Fluttershy periodically, and though the druidess remained in high spirits, the results weren’t promising. As far as she could see, Discord had made no moves toward reconciliation, other than behaving as a mostly polite houseguest to Fluttershy. No remorse appeared to be given for how he’d plunged the world into chaos, or tortured the Brave Companions into becoming the opposite of their true selves, or forced them to travel across Equestria to stop the pieces of his soul from causing destruction. In fact, he seemed perfectly willing to do it all over again if he was given the chance, which worried the sorceress. Even a tiny slipup could result in disaster.

Nopony in Ponieville had grown wise to the fact that the Mad God was nearby. Even so, they had noticed that the Brave Companions were wearing the Elements of Harmony constantly, and the rumor mill was churning with speculation. Mayor Mare was especially distraught at Twilight’s wearing of the Element of Sorcery, seeing the adoption of a circlet as a challenge to her own authority and some kind of paranoid precursor to Twilight being given the title she craved. Twilight would have hidden the circlet if possible, but the Elements of Harmony didn’t respond to traditional magic in expected ways, as she’d discovered in her studies immediately after finding them. An invisibility spell would do nothing to conceal the circlet upon her head, so Mayor Mare would have to put up with it.

For the most part, Discord had seemed to keep his word to Fluttershy not to release rampant chaos upon Ponieville, and instead confine his antics to her home. It made visiting the once-plain warren a startling experience, but Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind her doors leading to other rooms unpredictably or various other breakdowns in the cosmos. Every now and then, while walking around Ponieville, Twilight would see something that looked out of place and wonder if it was due to Discord’s influence. If they were, then he was being very subtle about it, for any irregularities were not jarring and could as easily be coincidence as him playing with the fabric of reality.

The last shard of Discord’s soul, stored in the gem taken from the hilt of Vasil Stalanokov’s sword, was kept safe and out of the draconequus’s reach. The Brave Companions all took turns carrying it on their person (apart from Fluttershy) to keep Discord from locating it. Twilight worried that he might discover it in their interactions with him, but she was counting on the protection of the Elements of Harmony to keep it out of his grasp. It seemed to be working so far, and to her knowledge, Discord hadn’t attempted to steal it.

Twilight knew that eventually things would come to a confrontation, though, which could only end one of two ways. Ideally, Discord would become the ally that Celestia wished he could be; but there was also the far more likely possibility (at least in Twilight’s estimation) that he would attempt to seize power and plunge Equus into chaos again. If the latter happened, she wanted to have more of a plan than just “use the Elements of Harmony on him.” The Elements had proved invaluable, but they worked according to no logic that Twilight could discern, other than that her friends had to be united and there had to be a need for them to act. Something much more concrete would be needed to put Twilight’s mind at ease. After days spent fretting while she went about her normal business and did her other studies, she began to look for other ways to overcome Discord.

He was a Great One, so Twilight searched first for writings on Yliiena the First and how she, along with Hunters and other sorceresses, had managed to imprison Great Ones in Tartarus. Books on the subject in Golden Oak’s Laboratory were scarce, but she did manage to locate a small stack. There was a problem, however; all the sections on the rituals used appeared to be written in gibberish. Thinking that perhaps it was merely a language that Twilight did not know how to read, she widened her search to the archives in Cant’r Laht and the Crystal City. Unfortunately, the problem also persisted in those places, the archivists in both locations expressing confusion that they could not read the passages either. Fuming, Twilight returned to Ponieville. There was only one explanation.

***

Fluttershy stood amid utter chaos, though of a more mundane flavor than what had afflicted Cant’r Laht and Ponieville during Discord’s first return. Though a few things in her home had been changed, the biggest difference at the moment was that the entire thing had been lifted in the air and was tumbling end over end. Discord lounged on a sedan at the center of it all; unconcerned for the furniture, possessions, and creatures sliding along the walls, floor, and ceiling or falling through the air as the room rotated. Nearby, Fluttershy hovered in the air with the aid of her wings, watching out for falling items.

“I hope this isn’t taking things too far,” Discord droned. “I know you want me to feel at home here.”

“I do,” Fluttershy said, dodging a showery of cutlery. “If this makes you feel more at ease, then go right ahead. Only, it would be good to have my home back on the ground when I’m sleeping.”

“Consider it done, and thank you very much,” Discord said, clapping his hands together in glee. “I knew you would understand. Whatever my differences with Celestia, she made a good choice picking you. You’re so much kinder than those other spiteful ponies.”

“My friends aren’t spiteful,” Fluttershy replied. “If they distrust you, it’s only because of what you did to them. Surely you understand that.”

“It’s just as I said about your kindness,” Discord said, flailing wildly, “Of course you would defend them; it’s just the kind of understanding friend you are.”

“Fluttershy!” Twilight’s voice came from outside the spinning domicile. Whatever the sorceress wanted, it sounded urgent.

“Excuse me,” Fluttershy said.

The druidess made her way perilously through the turning rooms, watching out for falling items and scooping up dizzy wildlife whenever she spotted them stumbling around. She reached the front door eventually and flew out into the frigid air of the Equestry Valley. Twilight was standing with Spike down below, looking up in alarm and casting spells around herself. Upon spotting the descending Fluttershy, she stopped her casting and waited until the druidess had landed in front of her, depositing a rush of creatures on the ground.

“Hello, Twilight. Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Fluttershy greeted her. “If you’ve come to invite me to the festivities in town, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. I don’t want to leave Discord alone.”

“I can see why,” Twilight said, looking up at the spinning tree and hillock, “He is clearly out of control after being given only a little time to himself.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Fluttershy protested. “I wouldn’t want him to feel left out, is all. We’re making some real progress, and I’d hate to ruin that by abandoning him.”

“You call this progress?” Spike asked skeptically, waving a claw at Fluttershy’s floating home.

“I do,” Fluttershy replied. “I’m earning his trust by allowing him to be himself.”

“If by ‘allowing him to be himself,’ you mean letting him obscure all research in Equestria on how to imprison a Great One in Tartarus, then congratulations,” Twilight said, producing one of the offending tomes.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said, looking at the gibberish. “That must be what he meant when he said he’d been ‘boggling.’ Still, it shouldn’t prove a problem, right? I’m going to convince Discord to become our ally, and there’ll be no need to imprison him. We’re on the same page, aren’t we?”

“Of course, that would be ideal,” Twilight said, “But the chances of Discord actually coming around are—”

“Quite high,” Fluttershy interrupted the sorceress, catching her totally off guard. “He hasn’t committed yet, but he’s already expressed interest and said he was considering it.”

“You believe that?” Twilight asked skeptically.

“If I’m going to befriend him, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Fluttershy said. “You should give him more credit, Twilight.”

The sorceress looked pensive. She wanted to trust Fluttershy, but she also didn’t trust Discord any farther than she could throw him (which, without magic, was quite a short distance). They were playing with fire by allowing Discord freedom of action, except that fire would be safer; they were playing with chaos. It was too risky to let him grow more powerful, but that was exactly what they were doing.

“Just give me some more time, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “Trust me; I can do this.”

“Well, okay,” Twilight replied reluctantly, “Maybe get him to put your home back on the ground, though. If somepony sees it floating up there, there’s going to be trouble.”

***

Days turned to weeks as Fluttershy kept at it. As the other Brave Companions became steadily more convinced that Discord was a lost cause and was merely playing for time, the opposite seemed to happen with Fluttershy. She was utterly certain that she could bring Discord around, given enough time. Meanwhile, her home became almost unrecognizable as Discord was given increased liberty. The area around it lay under a widening web of illusion that kept the few passersby there were from witnessing the chaos, but the Brave Companions were taken aback by how far it had progressed every time they visited.

It was with trepidation that the Brave Companions accepted Fluttershy’s invitation to her home. Nearly a month and a half had passed since they’d unfrozen Discord, and they couldn’t see any good having come from it. They were beginning to wonder if, even with the Element of Compassion around her neck, Fluttershy was somehow being controlled by Discord. It wasn’t a pleasant thought. Before making the journey to her home, they met in secret and decided to demand a straight answer from Discord tonight, or they’d turn him back to stone. Surely Fluttershy would understand.

They all braced themselves before entering the bubble of chaos around Fluttershy’s hovel, but all appeared normal as they approached. Twilight could still sense the chaos magic, like a bad itch inside of her head, but she couldn’t see anything that stood out as chaotic. That lasted until they opened the door to Fluttershy’s home. Passing though the simple portal, they found themselves in a grand hall whose walls were towering trees, their branches intertwining above in an arch. Despite the fact that it was midwinter, they were green and vibrant, and flower petals drifted down from the ceiling. Running water and harp music could be heard from somewhere.

“Welcome, gentlemares and master dragon,” Discord greeted them as he appeared out of thin air. “Please, come in.”

“What is this?” Twilight Sparkle asked suspiciously.

“Why, houses that are bigger on the inside are in this season. I thought you of all people would understand that, madam sorceress,” Discord replied.

“Uh-huh. And, what season is that?” Twilight asked, glancing at the snow outside.

“Three,” Discord replied without a hint of humor. “You must be warm. Allow me to take your heavy cloaks.”

“And take our Elements of Harmony with them? I don’t think so,” Rainbow Dash said as she swatted away Discord’s reaching hand.

“Why, I would never,” Discord said innocently. “Unjust accusations don’t make friends, my dear Hunter.”

“Where’s Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked, ignoring the draconequus’s lecture.

“Hello, everypony,” Fluttershy said as she made her entrance. “Please, come in.”

“Fluttershy, what is this?” Rarity asked, looking around at the natural cathedral they were standing in.

“Discord made it,” Fluttershy said proudly, though that was stating the obvious. “It’s a big night, so it calls for a big locale, after all.”

“Big night?” Spike asked as he finished hanging up Twilight’s cloak on a tree-branch peg suited for the purpose.

“Yes, Discord has an announcement,” Fluttershy said excitedly. “But first, dinner.”

Could it be? Twilight eyed Discord suspiciously. Has she really done it? What announcement could it be other than to state his intention to side with us or not?

The Brave Companions followed Discord and Fluttershy cautiously through the druidess’s transformed home. Doorways led off into fantastical rooms as they made their way to the dining room, a chamber composed almost entirely of obsidian. A black stone table dominated the room, with seats around it for everyone. It was well heated by glowing stones that were constantly rubbing against each other. When Rainbow Dash complained about the noise, feeling especially arbitrary tonight, Discord changed the sound to a low hum with a snap of his fingers. Touches of whimsy could be seen everywhere, but things were still much more ordered than any conjuring of Discord the Brave Companions had seen before. Twilight Sparkle began to think that they might actually succeed.

The dinner that the Brave Companions sat down to was a peculiar affair. The dishes were unlike anything they’d ever seen before, but each one seemed to be edible. Hopefully they wouldn’t transform into something else when the chaos magic wore off or went wrong. The table service seemed to have a mind of its own and rarely wanted to comply with the wishes of its users. There were more than a few unfortunate spills, enough for Rainbow Dash and Rarity to lose their tempers at what they perceived to be Discord’s actions. The little slights piled up and the Brave Companions grew more annoyed, despite Discord’s protests that he had nothing to do with the misbehavior of their utensils. By the time the meal had ended, Rainbow Dash was signaling constantly to Twilight to make the ultimatum to Discord, but the sorceress wanted to wait and see what the draconequus had to say.

“I think we all know why we’re here tonight,” Fluttershy announced as the dishes danced their way off the table. “Celestia hoped we could convince Discord to use his power for good instead of ill. You all saw tonight what could be done.”

“If you think he’s using his power for good, you’re deluding yourself,” Rainbow Dash said hostilely. “I still have needles in my foreleg from the third course.”

“Oh, come on, Dash,” Fluttershy said. “Can you imagine how difficult it must be to force chaos to do something ordered? Discord is doing his best.”

“If this is his best, it might be better just to turn him back to stone,” Applejack mumbled.

The farmpony shied away as Fluttershy looked at her with disappointment.

“Ah-hem, Fluttershy, if I might make my announcement now?” Discord prompted her.

“Go ahead,” the druidess said with a look that dared anypony to object.

“First, I’d like to say what an absolute treat this time has been and that you are all so fortunate to have Fluttershy as your friend,” Discord said as he uncoiled and produced a champagne glass out of thin air. “If it was up to you to convince me to change my ways … well, let’s just say that Ponieville would look very different today. You have been nothing but unwelcoming toward me, so you should all be grateful that Fluttershy is so very kind and understanding.”

“Is this going somewhere, or are you just going to keep insulting us?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, out with it,” Rainbow Dash demanded, slamming her hoof down on the table. “What’s your decision.”

“Ah, so you’ve anticipated my announcement. Very well,” Discord said, nervously adjusting a tie around his neck. “I would love to give you an answer, but I doubt you would trust it. After all, would you trust the oath of a pony given at swordpoint? I think not.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash cried angrily.

“You’ve treated me like a prisoner, so why should I expect to be freed if I agree to your terms? After all, what would you have to gain, since you clearly have trust issues?” Discord said.

“Fluttershy, enough,” Twilight said, “I know you wanted to do this, but we cannot waste any more time—”

“No, Twilight, he’s right,” Fluttershy said. “None of you have given Discord a chance, and it’s unfair to expect him to make a decision while he’s held hostage.”

Fluttershy whistled, and a bird flew into the room a second later, a gem clutched in its claws. Twilight’s eyes grew wide as she recognized what it was.

“I left it in my cloak,” Pinkamena said meekly as she sank down so she could barely peek over the edge of the table.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“Discord could have taken this at any time after you arrived, but he didn’t. None of you trust him, so how can he trust you?” Fluttershy said. “Celestia wants Discord as an ally, which means we need to trust each other.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Discord said gratefully as she passed him the gem containing the last shard of his soul. “Once I’m whole again, you’ll have your answer.”

The draconequus crushed the gem in a claw and light escaped, swirling around him. Fluttershy alone seemed calm while the others watched on in horror. Chaos magic surged, bringing on a migraine that felt like it was splitting Twilight’s skull. The dining room vanished as their surroundings reshaped themselves. When everything returned to some semblance of order, the Brave Companions were standing where Fluttershy’s home had been, though the pieces of it were scattered far and wide across wildly undulating hills.

“Unlimited … power!” Discord cackled, his arms raised to the sky as the moon wobbled alarmingly. “I win!”

“What’s your decision, Discord?” Fluttershy asked, apparently unconcerned that everything had fallen apart around her.

“After a good long think since I was made whole again, I’ve come to the only possible decision,” Discord said with a grin so large his face had to expand to contain it. “I am the Lord of Chaos, the Pontiff of Disharmony, the Mad God, the Emperor of Entropy, and I ally with no creature but myself.”

“Finally,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Let’s do this!”

The Brave Companions hurried into position to use the Elements of Harmony and imprison Discord in stone again—all except for Fluttershy, who stayed still with a disappointed look on her face.

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Twilight called. “We have to turn him back to stone before he makes things even worse.”

“Oh, you won’t be doing anything of the sort,” Discord said cheerfully as he plucked the moon out of the sky and started peeling it like an onion.

“I promised that I wouldn’t use my Element of Harmony to turn him back to stone, whatever his decision,” Fluttershy admitted.

“And she’ll keep that promise, too, because she’s too kindhearted to break it,” Discord boasted. “Oh, making you cruel was the worst mistake I ever made. You’re so much more useful like this. Friendship has crippled her. She won’t act against me because of ‘friendship.’ She won’t use the Element of Compassion against me because we’re ‘friends.’ She gave me everything I wanted because she’s my ‘friend.’”

“Not anymore,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I won’t turn you back to stone, but we’re not friends, not after you betrayed me like this.”

“Well, of course I betrayed you, duh!” Discord said as he reached into his ear and pulled out the gem that had contained the anti-Element of Treachery. “I knew from the start I didn’t need to try to reclaim my soul because if I strung you along long enough, you’d give it to me, and I was right!”

“Congratulations,” Fluttershy said scornfully. “You have everything you ever wanted. You can rule the world all by yourself.”

“Of course I can!” Discord cried, “I spent thirteen thousand years alone! Did you really think that the lure of companionship with a mortal like you would entice me to give up my freedom? How naïve and egotistical can you get.”

With a snap of fingers on both hands and his tail, Discord vanished. Twilight could still feel his chaos magic growing off to the east, however, as he made his way toward the Everfree Forest. They’d been defeated, and they’d released Discord upon the world again. Everypony looked disheartened, but Fluttershy most of all.

“I’m so sorry,” the druidess said through tears. “I really thought he would come around.”

Twilight Sparkle wanted to be angry with Fluttershy, but she found she couldn’t, not really. She was mad about what she had done, but that anger wasn’t directed at the sobbing druidess directly. She had done what she had thought best and let her kind heart lead her, except that it had led her in the wrong direction. Twilight should have foreseen that something like this might happen. Of course Discord would take advantage of Fluttershy’s compassion, and the sorceress should have turned things back before they’d gone too far.

“So, you still won’t use your Element of Harmony against him?” Rainbow Dash asked gently as she sat down next to her longtime friend and draped a wing over her for comfort.

“No,” Fluttershy sobbed as she shook her head.

“Okay then,” Rainbow replied without judgement in her voice.

Twilight looked in the direction of Cant’r Laht. What would Celestia think about this turn of events? Would she regret bringing Discord to Ponieville? Would she blame Fluttershy for releasing him upon the world? Even in hypotheticals, Twilight already knew that she’d defend her friend, even if she didn’t agree with her decision.

“What do we do now?” Rarity asked as she kicked at vines that tried to crawl their way up her dress.

“Panic,” Spike suggested.

“We cannot use the Elements of Harmony against him, but there must be some other way to stop him,” Twilight Sparkle said, taking charge, “Discord cannot have destroyed all records of how the Great Ones were imprisoned. And, if he has, we will just have to find another way. We will be okay. We could—”

“What?” Spike asked as Twilight suddenly stopped talking, her attention yanked away like it was whenever she had an idea.

“The chaos magic,” she said, looking to the east, “It has … stopped.”

With a flash, everything suddenly returned to its natural state. The moon was back in the sky, Fluttershy’s home was back in its place, the snow-covered hills were back, and the ponies even had their winter cloaks upon them again to shield them from the cold. Discord stood nearby, looking a bit sheepish (not only because of the woolen coat he’d donned).

“I … have been thinking,” Discord said pensively, fingers steepled before him. “Perhaps, after all this time … I don’t want to be alone. Fluttershy, I’m … ssssssorry. If you’ll have me back as a friend, I would appreciate it.”

“Mhm,” Fluttershy said as she tried to dry her tears with her cloak.

“And … I suppose I could use my chaos magic to help instead of harm ponies,” Discord said. “Most of the time, anyway, and nothing too harmful.”

“Well, it’s a start,” Fluttershy said. “Thank you.”

She has done it. Twilight Sparkle was amazed. She tried to maintain skepticism, but despite Discord’s hemming and hawing, he actually seemed genuine. How did you do it, Fluttershy, and what made Discord change his mind?

***

Earlier

Discord reveled in the return of his power, reshaping the world around him however his fancy struck him. The Everfree Forest’s tangled trees parted before him with a flick of his tail. An Ursa Major charged from the corkscrew-shaped landscape, and he flung it into the sky, where the stars across its body stuck among the other stars. He had complete and total freedom, and he’d only had to endure a few weeks of captivity. Well, maybe not endure. It hadn’t been all bad. In their time together, he’d come to like Fluttershy, to the point that he’d felt a twinge of guilt at betraying her.

“What’s this, then?” his double asked as it walked next to him. “The great and powerful Discord, caring about a pony?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Discord berated the other him. “She’ll get over it in a decade or two, and I’ll forget all about her in a century or so. I’m Discord! I’ve lived a thousand lifetimes, and I’ll live a thousand more. Why should a mortal concern the immortal spirit of chaos?”

Discord snapped his claws, but nothing happened, and he stared at them inquisitively.

“You might want to get that checked out,” a third Discord wearing plague doctor garb said as he jabbed at the main Discord with a pointy stick. “That’s not supposed to happen.”

“Give it to me straight, doc, am I … dying?” Discord asked.

“Well, of course you’re dying,” a geriatric Discord said as he appeared with a walker and a cane for his tail. “You’re no spring chicken, and after what you’ve been through, you should be fortunate you didn’t turn to dust when you thawed out the first time.”

That fear had been at the back of Discord’s mind ever since he’d first freed himself from Celestia and Luna’s prison. He’d ruled over all Equus for over twelve centuries, but after sixteen hundred years encased in stone, he had barely been able to control a small piece of Equestria. He’d told himself that he merely hadn’t had enough time to recover before being imprisoned again, but he knew that was a lie. His worries were merely a continuation of older fears. His power had waned during his reign over Equus. Fighting the White Procession to keep them from bringing about the Last Winter had started a slow decline that seemed to only have gotten more drastic over time. Discord looked at his outstretched claw. How long did he have?

Discord looked back over his shoulder. He found himself drawn back to Fluttershy, despite what he’d said to her. Staring mortality in the face, did he really want to be alone? To give up his freedom and side with Celestia, of all ponies, would be abhorrent; but what was the other choice? He didn’t wish to continue fading until some upstart sorceress with enough power snuffed him out or to wither away to nothing, abandoned and isolated. After so long on his own, perhaps it would be good to have a companion, and there were far more odious choices out there, especially among those creatures that were his equals and imprisoned in Tartarus.

Yes, Discord decided, he would return to Fluttershy—a pony who had actually treated him well, and not because she feared him. It would be an interesting new adventure to befriend a pony, as would this alliance. Of course, it was an alliance that could never last, but he had spent so much of his life skulking at the edge of the world, he wanted to be close to the action. Discord sensed that there would be a lot of action around the Brave Companions, and not just because of the dark, thorny vines creeping through the Everfree Forest that he recognized from long ago. There was power among those six ponies to rival his own, but how would they use it?

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Excellent chapter, as always, and looking forward to more!

Just one bit of a caveat, though, and that is that you repeated a paragraph in this chapter:

churning with speculation. Mayor Mare was especially distraught at Twilight’s wearing of the Element of Sorcery, seeing the adoption of a circlet as a challenge to her own authority and some kind of paranoid precursor to Twilight being given the title she craved. Twilight would have hidden the circlet if possible, but the Elements of Harmony didn’t respond to traditional magic in expected ways, as she’d discovered in her studies immediately after finding them. An invisibility spell would do nothing to conceal the circlet upon her head, so Mayor Mare would have to put up with it.

Might want to go back and delete this one.

[TasermonsPartner]

Fighting the White Procession to keep them from bringing about the Last Winter had started a slow decline that seemed to only have gotten more drastic over time.

Huh, so maybe he was actually doing good all along (though not for the benefit of ponies so much as himself). Did Celestia and Luna know this, I wonder? Celestia hinted at Twilight that it was her pokings at Tartarus that she was concerned with, but with Celestia's demise on being hinted at as being on the horizon, perhaps she thought it best that Twilight have help against the White Procession? If Celestia hasn't been able to fully hold them back after all these years, then what hope would a newly anointed Twilight have without help?

I'm glad that the other Companions held back on anger or judgement over Fluttershy's decision, even when the outcome looked quite depressing.

[Xanderfox]

10967567
More a case of he was Doing what was best for himself, it just so happens his foe is everyone else's for too