Discord

by PurpleWonderPower

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A few months later, Twilight was still making her daily visits to the Everfree Forest. This day, however, as Discord was painfully aware, was the day before her sixteenth birthday. Ever since he had been unable to revoke the curse, he had become even more worried about Twilight. He knew there was nothing he could do about it, and he was scared about what would happen to her.

He glanced down at his purple alicorn friend. She was sitting among his coils reading Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny. Twilight had never been much of a reader, but ever since she had seen Discord's Daring Docollection, she had been hooked on the series. He had even let her borrow them.

"You know," said Twilight, in a cheeky voice, "Tomorrow's going to be my sixteenth birthday."

Discord sighed. This was exactly what he had been dreading.

"I have big plans!" declared Twilight, shutting Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny, and looking up at Discord, "First we're going to do presents. Then I'm going to come straight here and have fun with you! I hope we can do something extra special. Then I'll go home for cake with my aunts. I'll bring you a piece if you want."

"That...does sound wonderful," said Discord, with a weak smile, thinking with dread about what was going to happen at sunset tomorrow, "I'm glad you have such a fun birthday planned."

"I just can't wait until I'm older," said Twilight, happily, "Then I'm going to live here in the Everfree Forest with you. Then we can look after each other, and have fun all the time."

As Twilight said those words, an idea sparked into Discord head, and with a flash of light, his face turned into a lightbulb! Yes! Of course! If Twilight stayed here in the Everfree Forest with him, there would be no way for his curse to take place! This was perfect!

"Why, Twilight, you don't have to wait until you're older," Discord said, smiling down on the purple alicorn, "You could live here now if you wanted to."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Really?" she exclaimed, her face splitting into the widest grin she had ever grinned.

"Of course," replied Discord, smiling, "I'd love to have you here. We could be roomies."

Twilight began to twitch in excitement, and the grin on her face got even wider.

"Woo-hoo!" she yelled, happily, jumping into the air with her hooves up!

"Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!" she squealed, bouncing in a circle around Discord, looking happier than he had ever seen her.

Discord couldn't help but smile as he watched her bounce around him. "Are you...OK, Twilight?" he asked, with a grin.

"YES!" squealed Twilight, leaping up and giving Discord a big hug round the neck, "This is the BEST birthday present ANYPONY could EVER have given me! I have to go and tell my aunts!"

"OK," chuckled Discord. He snapped his fingers and they both appeared back beside the Tree of Harmony.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Twilight, giving Discord another hug, then dropping back down, "I'll see you tomorrow, gotta go, bye!"

Discord chuckled. "See you tomorrow."

"Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!" Discord heard her squeal as she bounced away.

He smiled.

...

Twilight slammed open her bedroom door, and grabbed her saddlebag with her magic. She bustled round the room, grabbing everything she wanted to take with her. She packed a dozen scrolls and her three favourite quills, along with a pot of ink, her special diary she had written about her friend in, the Daring Do books she had borrowed from her friend, the special dress she always wore on her birthday, her potion-making kit, and of course, all her spellbooks. Magic was her purpose, after all. And with someone as talented at magic as her friend to teach her, Twilight could be the next Star Swirl the Bearded.

As she packed all her things into her saddlebag, she felt all warm and tingly inside. She was about to have a new life. A new life of eating rainbow flowers, playing living chess and befriending Tatzlwurms and Timberwolves. A life of living in the Everfree Forest. As she packed up all her things, she caught sight of her own reflection in her bedroom mirror. She just couldn't wipe the grin off her face. This time tomorrow, the Everfree Forest would be her home, and she would spend the rest of her life having adventures and fun with her friend in all the magic and wonder of her new home.

"My dearest aunts," Twilight said to her reflection in the mirror the very next day, "I am so very grateful to you for looking after me all these years. But I'm sixteen years old today, and I believe it is time for me to start a life of my own. I love you all dearly, but it is time to say goodbye. You've all been very good to me...except for the time you almost fed me spiders. Yes, that's how I'll say it."

"Boy, am I happy we're leaving today," said Sweetie Belle, using her magic to arrange a vase of daffodils on the kitchen table.

"What?" said Apple Bloom, "We're not leavin' today."

"Today's Twilight's sixteenth birthday," explained Sweetie Belle.

"And Cadance and Shinin' Armor told us to bring Twilight back the day after her sixteenth birthday," said Apple Bloom.

"No they didn't!" argued Sweetie Belle, "They told us to bring her back on her birthday!"

"No," said Apple Bloom, "The day after her birthday."

"On!"
"After!"
"On!"
"After!"
"ON!"
"AFTER!"

"Hey there, aunts," said Twilight, coming down from her room with her bulging saddleback strung over her back, "There's something I need to tell you."

"Oh—yes, Twilight?" asked Scootaloo, turning round, "What is it?"

"Well, today is my sixteenth birthday," Twilight said.

"Ah, yes!" said Sweetie Belle, smiling, "Happy birthday, Twilight!"

"Happy birthday, Twilight," chorused Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

Twilight took a deep breath.

"First I want you all to know how grateful to you I am for looking after me all these years," Twilight said, "But I'm sixteen years old now, and I think it's time for me to start a life of my own. I love you all dearly, but it's time for me to say goodbye. I'm leaving home."

This did not have quite the effect on that she had expected. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gasped in horror, while Apple Bloom's jaw dropped. Then her eyebrows creased into a frown.

"Listen here, missy!" said Apple Bloom, fiercely, "I did not spend sixteen years in this here cottage with these two idiots just so you could go and ruin it on the last day! We're takin' you back to your parents and—"

"My parents?" repeated Twilight, "What? You three told me my parents were dead."

The three Breezies exchanged nervous glances.

"Twilight..." said Apple Bloom, nervously, "Why don't you sit down? There's...kinda somethin' we need to tell you."