Discussion
As Discord withdrew to leave the group to their deliberations, leaving behind an overabundance of comfortable cushions to lie on, Celestia took charge of the meeting. "Now, before we do anything else, we must compare notes regarding any possible clue as far as which artifact contains which Element. Any mistakes there could prove disastrous-"
"I feel I must disagree, sister," Luna interrupted calmly. "I feel the first matter of our discussion must be whether or not using the Elements against Discord should still be our goal here."
Several startled, confused gazes turned towards Luna, Celestia's chief amongst them. To Luna's surprise, however, Fluttershy, the youngsters known collectively as the CMC, and Rainbow Dash all seemed to be of a similar mindset. "Luna, whatever would make you think such a thing?" Celestia demanded in shock. "This is Discord we're talking about! You remember what he was like when he roamed free before!"
"Indeed I do," Luna responded. "I also remember how much harm I could have caused had I not been stopped both times...and yet I have this second chance, that you granted me. I have reason to feel that, given such a chance, Discord might also choose not to do harm." Seeing Celestia's eyes narrow, Luna raised a hoof. "However, my reasons for feeling thus are ones I will not divulge to all, as they were divulged to me in confidence...and the one who divulged them has kept them otherwise secret for her own reasons."
"You speak of...Vaermina?" Celestia clarified. "Discord's...mate?" Even more shocked noises echoed around the group.
"Verily," Luna confirmed. "However, I will accede to the decision of the majority in this." She glanced towards Twilight and the others. "The six of you will have to wield the Elements, should it be decided to do so. If the decision of our group is to make the attempt, I will bend all my abilities towards deducing which artifact possesses the energies. However...know that at this point, no argument shall change my vote on the matter from Neigh."
Celestia was gobsmacked, and with good reason. Since her return, Luna had never so boldly declared her intentions or will in defiance of what Celestia had gently suggested, or firmly dictated. While she was glad to see Luna recovering, she couldn't help but be concerned. And beyond that, this was still Discord they were talking about. "...very well," she allowed finally. "We shall...discuss if Discord is one we must still wield the Elements against-"
"I'm gonna vote no, too," Rainbow spoke up suddenly, causing several heads to swivel towards her in shock. "Look, I get that Discord was this really bad guy some time in the past or something, and he's got crazy powers to warp the very fabric of reality...but we all just faced off against entities that can do that on the same scale, if not the same way. And...the one I faced...I...I thought..." Shivering, she pulled Scootaloo tighter in her embrace. Much to the confusion of the others, and to Scootaloo's joyful bewilderment, Rainbow had not released the filly from her embrace from the moment she'd taken hold of her. Her actions had led to Applejack and Rarity almost self-consciously pulling their own sisters close. "Anyway, Discord's far from the worst of reality-warping quasi-Gods out there, and if I read him right when he pieced together what that Dagon guy did...he got off easy that..." She closed her mouth, plainly not wanting to say any more in front of Scootaloo. "Anyway, yeah. I don't think he's such a bad guy."
"Gotta admit, I think ah see yer point," Applejack spoke up. "Ah mean, ah'm right ticked about what he did to the acres...but after seein' what others on his level are capable of, that's like gettin' angry at you and Pinkie fer paintin' mah apples with water-based paint. Once he's got his jollies, he can clean it up with a snap, just like the paint'd wash right off when we cleaned 'em fer cooking or sale. Not ta say ah'm entirely convinced it's a good idea ta let him run rampant...but ah don't think he's done enough that I've seen ta justify stonifyin' him fer another 1000 years."
"I...have to admit I agree," Rarity allowed. "With Luna's example, he's served his sentence for his past crimes. I...see no reason to imprison him again, if he's willing to take the well being of others into account regarding his antics."
"Question!" Pinkie spoke up emphatically. "If we use the Elements against him, that means we go back to Equestria and never come back here, right?"
"I...I suppose," Celestia concluded. "I mean, he is the only one who knows how to open those portals, as far as I know-"
"Then I definitely vote no!" Pinkie proclaimed firmly. "I've finally found a guy who can keep up with me! Do you have any idea how hard that is for me? To find someone who will see me as a mare and not shrug off half the things I say as being 'so random' or just 'Pinkie being Pinkie' outside of one-shot cameos and OCs?" She seemed to fail to notice her friends averting guilty gazes, or the confused glances of the CMC and the Princesses. "I mean, I get it, I'm weird! I do my best to always be happy, going out of my way to make everypony smile, and that leaves my brain a little scrambled as I try and keep track of every single possible detail around me! And that'd be hard enough if my brain worked like everyone else's, but I know it doesn't. I can't blame anyone for not being able to follow my trains of thought. Heck, half the time I can't follow them, and the other half they're submarines! But Saggy follows my thought no problem, and enjoys seeing where it leads, and even helps me make sense of the bits that confuse me! No way, no how, am I gonna give that up!"
"Make my vote no," Rarity and Sweetie Belle spoke up simultaneously. They glanced at each other in surprise, then burst into synchronized giggles.
Celestia sighed thoughtfully. There were twelve of them there, and already five of them - and two of the Element Bearers - had voted firmly against sealing Discord. Even if she didn't count the three children, that was four of nine. At this point, she might as well just hear them all out as far as why they couldn't see themselves sealing Discord.
As she thought about her talk with Meridia, she questioned her own determination to seal him away. Truthfully, she knew she was having trouble setting aside her memories of Discord as he was in the past...and what Meridia had said indicated she should treat this Discord as if he were a completely separate being. And judged only by his actions since his return to Equestria...she couldn't see sealing him in stone as justified. The antics of Twilight and her friends frequently did more damage to Ponyville than everything Discord had unleashed - up to and including the giant crab - and as pointed out by Applejack, Discord could snap his talons and fix everything with as much effort as she put forth to sip tea (if that), were he so inclined.
She could easily see that Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were in agreement with Rainbow and Applejack respectively, even if they weren't seeing the same picture as the older mares. Turning towards her student, Celestia spoke up. "And what of you, Twilight Sparkle?" she asked calmly. "What is your opinion on the matter?"
Twilight blushed as she pulled her head out of the card catalogue she'd been clutching to her. "Uh, well, uh-"
"Speak freely, Twilight," Celestia encouraged gently.
Swallowing convulsively, Twilight nodded. "It's just...this catalogue here? It...it links to a library the likes of which I've never imagined, with knowledge of worlds I couldn't even begin to conceive of upon its shelves. With it, I could learn...everything! And...and I can't help but imagine how much good all that knowledge, properly and carefully applied, could do for Equestria. And...I know you say Discord is horrible, but...I can't help but think the same of him. He's like knowledge. He has equal potential to do great good, or great harm...but we don't burn a book of spells just because someone might use them to hurt someone."
"Sufficient to the moment are the sins we have done," Spike spoke softly as he idly turned his warhammer over and over in his claws. "Let Discord be judged for his present and his future...not his past."
Celestia turned her soft gaze to Spike. His change had shocked her, and frightened her at first. But hearing that calm wisdom from his mouth now, she felt her heart swelling with pride. Perhaps there wasn't anything to fear here in Spike's growth into his dragon heritage.
"Even if we do judge by his past..." Fluttershy spoke up softly. "I...I saw his past here, while talking to Jygorath. And Discord...he's a good boy. A little rambunctious, but he's lived his entire life where the only limit he understood was whether he could do something."
"And only recently questioned 'should'," Luna added softly.
Fluttershy nodded. "I think...I think if we make it plain that we don't want to fight him, but also don't want him to turn Equestria completely topsy-turvy...he'll be willing to find a compromise."
Celestia glanced around as all faces turned towards her. "Well...I suppose we had best make it unanimous, then," she concluded. "If Discord can be reasoned with, can embrace friendship with all of us, then there is no need to turn the power of the Elements against him."
A blaze of light erupted from within their circle. The Element powers floated up out of the artifacts Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy had brought back. Of the artifacts themselves, only the Razor, the card catalogue, the Rose, the katana, and the warhammer remained. From everywhere and nowhere, a deep voice echoed.
"Equestria Wins! Friendship! Friendship?"
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Yay the power of friendship triumphs again
FRIENDSHIP!
Ah, so that was Discord's goal. Make them not be blinded by the past and to judge him fairly.
(Bit of a spoiler, don't expand if you haven't read the chapter.)
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derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/7/30/386913.gif
7980082
...it is so awesome that gif exists.
7980088
It's one of three results on Derpibooru for 'mortal kombat, friendship'. The other two had MK characters in them.
Lol... Friendsheep...? And with the former Emperor of Outworld to BOOT TO THE HEAD!!!
HILARIOUS...
Guess their thoughts are now up for Discussion.
If they had any doubts about Discord, it's all in the past now.
Seems Friendship was just announced for victory.
7980133
Well, as they say, Friendship is Magic.
FRIENDSHIP FTW!!
FRIENDSHIP YAY
I now imagine Rarity and Sweetie going over notes on who the best potential couples are and how best to 'gently' push them towards each other.
I snorted. And then I swore up a storm at you after I got done coughing up the soda I inhaled.
Worth it.
7980195
Gentle... Riiiiiiiiiight.
CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MATCHMAKERS YAY!
Hmmm... Maybe I just hate gods in stories, (the Greek gods left a bad impression multiple times, along with the Christian God)
...
...yeah I can't bring myself to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Wait, I just realised. Rarity brought back a bow, not a warhammer. That was Spike. Mistype?
... Nope. Too easy.
Fair enough.
You also make a very valid argument.
If not, that's another matter.
Took me a bit to understand all that, but she's right.
You make a convincing argument.
And boy is there a difference between could and should.
7980070 Appears so.
7980369
No, it's saying that the artifact Rarity brought back may have had an element, but it was not bonded with her soul like Spikes warhammer has.
Er, Rarity voted twice. Was that a typo, or did you just forget to remove one of those?
rainbow take the razir and lock it away.
Huh, ok friendship, this can be a thing.
7980758
Her original vote was 'neutral'.
Upon learning shipping was involved, she changed it to 'no'.
7981404 Ah, okay. The way she worded it, I was under the impression the first vote was also "no".
...am I the only one questioning how Pinkie Pie has more game no matter what universe Tatsurou writes?
EDIT: Theory: God of War Pinkie created the other Equestrias with the other Pinkies being the real love idol... or something.
Yay! Good times ahead! Now, can we see ponies reactions to Chocolate Cheese??? Or could some of the Devines visit Equestria??? I imagine Julianos would like to meet with Twilight, Dibella would get a dress from Rarity, Zenithar would enjoy working with Applejack, Mara would trade notes with Cadence, and Talos would go out monster taming with Spike.
Also... just realized, since the Oblivion Crisis didn't happen and the Septim Dynasty still rules, the Thalmor don't have an excuse to come to power and then start the Great War, meaning there's no White Gold Concordant, meaning no need for a Skyrim Civil war, hence no Last Dragon Born. Or is Discord going to train Spike up to do the job when Alduin returns???? Or will Alduin get hit by the Elements of Harmony and shrunk down to Spike size and taken in by Fluttershy for reformation????
In an event which everyone saw from a mile away, nobody wanted to stone Discord anymore.
But hearing all the reasoning was great
7981793 not quite, sure, the Septim Dynisty never ended, but the Thalmor can still come to power by political means. Also, the primary reason for the Great War, at least for the Thalmor, was to demonstrate the supiriority of mer over man. The simple fact is the members of the Thalmor were the Altmer still the most butt hurt over what Tiber Septim pulled in the Second Era, he beat the High Elves. Besides that, Alduin would still return and need to be defeated, so a Dragonborn would appear...at the turning of the Age
7984991 I guess you're right about the Thalmor, but it would be much more difficult since the Oblivion Crisis gave them lots of clought by claiming to be the ones who saved their homeland. Without that, they might be behind the scenes figures, but it seems it would be harder for them to take control and then attack the Septim Empire to start the Great War.
Pinkie, do you really believe HE is the one who can "keep up with you"?
Have you forgotten your Death Battle last year?
7985762 not entirely true, again, while it would be more difficult, the Thalmor could become very powerful policically, and that way gain the clout they need to start the Great War. it wouldnt hurt that all Almer r at least a little butt hurt about what Talos pulled off. the Thalmor r just the most butt hurt about it...
Heh, they're going to talk themselves out of fighting Discord for keeps even with the Elements.
Well said, Spike. Honestly, one of the big themes of show, outside of friendship and magic and whatnot, is redemption. Luna, eventually canon Discord, Sombra (in the comics), Sunset, Starlight, Diamond Tiara, the list just goes on and on.
Neat.
7986052 they could always make it a ménage à trois
7986052 Different Pinkie. And I doubt even SHE is aware of ALL her alt selves' escapades.
8183838
I dunno... I mean, it's Pinkie. Who knows what madness goes on in that mind?