Discord's Patchwork Adventure

by Comicizzum

Exposed

Discord didn’t have the heart to move Fluttershy after she’d fallen asleep in his arms. And, honestly, he’d be a daft idiot to try to; she was so cute, snuggled up against his chest, her little mouth hanging slightly open as she breathed in and out, her mane falling over one eye.

So he did what any sane creature would do: he turned the chair into a bed, laid down, snuggled up, and drifted off to sleep.

---

The next morning he woke to something warm and soft gently squirming in his arms. Memories of the night before cascaded through his chaotic brain and Discord began to chuckle.

“Going somewhere, my dear?” he asked without opening his eyes.

Fluttershy stilled and he could practically see her flaming cheeks as she softly said, “Oh, um, I’m sorry. Did I wake you? Of course I woke you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep here all night.”

Peeking open one eye, Discord’s grin only widened. “Fluttershy, do I look upset? The last time we cuddled all night I was a stuffed animal. It's about time I returned the favor. Plus that might have been the best night's sleep I've ever had so you'll hear no complaints or regrets from me.”

“Oh,” she muttered, an adorable, pleased smile lighting her face, “Okay.”

Discord chuckled again before leaning down to kiss her forehead. Fluttershy surprised him by tilting her head up at the last second, her lips catching his.

“Why you sneaky little mare,” he chuckled, rubbing his nose lightly against hers.

Fluttershy's eyes danced playfully, a hint of mischief sparkling within the pools of teal. Discord’s heart fluttered and he kissed her again, adding a little more pressure this time. Fluttershy sighed into his mouth, her tongue darting forward. His forked tongue eagerly wrapped around hers, his talons moving into her mane while his lion paw found a path to the middle of her back. Her wings unfurled before curling around his torso, the feather touches sending an electrifying current from the tips of his ears to the tuft of his tail. His wings wrapped around her tiny body, a sudden, arousing need spurring him to press himself further against her. His tail began exploring, eliciting an excited gasp from her as it slipped up her leg towards her flank.

Flamed with passion, Fluttershy began peppering his face with kisses, the trail slowly ascending as her hooves gently pulled his face downward. Discord pressed his muzzle into the fur of her neck and breathed in the beautiful scent of strawberries and cream, gasping in happy surprise when her teeth lightly nipped his left ear. It wiggled uncontrollably, creating a small bubbling laugh from his mare. Discord pulled back only for the purpose of finding her mouth again. Eagerly locking his lips with hers, his tongue slithered inside, tasting her, savoring her.

There was an awkward cough and the magic between them instantly broke.

The two wrenched their mouths apart but remained embraced, seeking their unwelcome visitor with equally shocked expressions.

“Ocellus?!” Fluttershy cried, her face turning as red as one of Applejack’s apples. “What are you doing here?”

“More importantly, how long have you been here?” Discord said, staring at the small blue changeling.

Ocellus sheepishly kicked the hard ground, her eyes nervously averted. “Um, I heard that you were leaving this morning and wanted to get Mr. Discord’s autograph. I knocked but nopony answered so I opened the door to make sure everything was okay. I didn’t expect… I had no idea you two were… I coughed as soon as I saw, honest!”

Discord and Fluttershy shared a glance before the pegasus gently pushed herself out of his arms and fluttered down to the ground in front of the small interrupter. Already Discord pined for her warmth to return.

Fluttershy smiled at Ocellus and said, “I think it’s admirable that you acted out of worry and I think I speak for both of us when I say thank you for alerting us as soon as you did.” The light yellow pegasus squared her shoulders as she added in a sterner tone, “However, I'd appreciate if you could refrain from sharing what you saw. Discord and I will share the news of our involvement with others when we feel the time is right and it will be on our own terms.”

“I understand,” Ocellus muttered, her ears drawn down. “Again, I’m really sorry. I had no idea.”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy kindly assured, glancing back at Discord. “Now, did you say something about wanting an autograph?”

The changeling perked her head up hopefully. “I can still have one?”

Discord flashed from the bed to reappear just behind Fluttershy. “Of course you can!” he said, his earlier irritation swallowed up in ego. “I couldn't possibly let down a fan!”

He then yanked out his snaggle tooth, the motion transforming it into a large slightly yellowed feather already covered in rainbow ink. Snapping a picture of himself into existence, he signed his name with a flourish and handed the picture to Ocellus before replacing his tooth.

“Wow,” she muttered, staring at the ink that kept looping through different colors at random, “Thanks, Mr. Discord!”

Discord rubbed the top of her head. “No problem, kid.”

Ocellus made a hasty retreat shortly after that, leaving Fluttershy and Discord in a slightly awkward atmosphere.

Discord coughed into his paw. “Well, that was a great way to start the morning.”

Fluttershy giggled sheepishly. “Yeah, it was.” Her face grew a little somber as she added, “But I’m kind of glad Ocellus came when she did.”

Discord raised a bushy eyebrow. “Really? Why?”

Fluttershy bit her lip, shaking her head. “It’s nothing.”

Frowning, Discord swooped into the air and curled his body in an arch until he was hovering over her, his face practically right up against hers. “Fluttershy,” he prompted.

The pegasus sighed in defeat. She walked past him, hopping onto her chair from the previous night. Staring down at her hooves, she mumbled something. Discord coughed again to get her attention, settling into his own chair.

“Sorry,” she muttered, seeing his expectant stare, “I guess I’m just afraid you’ll think I’m being ridiculous.”

“Fluttershy,” he said both with tenderness and exasperation, “I’m the Spirit of Chaos. I thrive on the ridiculous. Now, what’s bothering you?”

It took her another few seconds to answer, seconds Discord honestly used to ponder whether or not he’d done anything to upset her from last night to the present. Coming up empty, he deduced that the best thing to do was to just sit there and -ugh- wait.

“Don’t you think we might be moving a little too fast?” Fluttershy asked, the words quickly tumbling out of her mouth.

Discord blinked. “Whatever do you mean?”

“I-I mean…”

Her cheeks became as pink as her mane and her whole body shifted nervously back and forth. Discord found the whole picture adorable.

Fluttershy tried again. “I mean, we only just barely became a couple but we’re already kissing and touching and cuddling through the night.”

“Are you… filing a complaint?” Discord asked, honestly worried that she was.

Fluttershy frantically waved her hooves and shook her head. “Oh, not at all! I’ve enjoyed every moment.”

“Then why…?"

Fluttershy frowned, her eyes watering slightly. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “It’s just that, all of this is new to me. I don’t know if what we’re doing is okay. I guess it’s nothing like I imagined. I always thought that when you became special someponies your relationship progressed slowly. Like spending time getting to know each other, going on dates, giving each other hugs, holding hooves; then, after doing that for a long time, sharing a kiss.

“It seems like we’ve moved past all of that and we’re doing things that I always thought were only done when you get engaged. I really, really like what we’re doing,” she hastily added, “And I honestly don’t want to stop. But I also don’t think I’m ready for the next step. But I don’t want to disappoint you so I’m afraid that if I tell you I’m not comfortable with going further that you’ll be upset and possibly lose interest in me.”

Discord stared at her, absorbing everything she’d said like a sponge soaking up water. A smile slowly began lifting his face as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“What was that for?” she asked, her head tilting adorably.

“For being honest with me,” he said. “Fluttershy, my darling, I’m not going to lose interest in you. Ever. Even if you’re not comfortable participating in certain, shall we say, ‘extracurricular activities’.”

“Really?” she sniffled, her eyes watering.

“Really,” he assured. “You asked me to have faith in you and I do. Please return the favor to me."

"Okay," she muttered, sending him a weak smile.

"Now," Discord said, stroking his beard, "I’m terribly impulsive, as you know, and boundaries have always been an issue for me, but, it might be a good idea to set some."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, slightly worried.

"Well, if there's anything that I do that you want me to stop doing, tell me," he said. "And if I ignore you at first, keep telling me until I hear because, to be honest, sometimes I get too caught up in the euphoria of it all.”

“O-Okay,” she said, wiping her eyes before nervously biting her lower lip. “So, you’re okay if I say I'm not comfortable having sex yet?”

Discord blinked before lightly chuckling. “Well, I wasn’t expecting you to be so blunt about it but, yes. I’m okay with abstaining if that’s what you want. I’ve waited this long. What’s a little longer?”

“Discord!” she cried, somewhat in shock.

He shrugged. “What? If we’re being honest, I might as well say it. I’ve been attracted to you for a long time, my dear. I’ve refrained from sating my desires for years; what’s a few more? Not that I want to wait that long but, as previously stated, I’m willing to wait as long as needed. When you’re ready, let me know.”

Fluttershy stared up at him in both gratitude and surprise. “That’s… really mature of you, Discord.”

He chuckled. “It’s been known to happen. Now, concerning 'moving too fast' as you put it. I think you're forgetting that we already do the things you spoke of: talking, spending time together, sharing hugs. We never actually held hands and hooves but we've spent years doing the other things."

"As friends," Fluttershy emphasized.

Discord frowned in confusion. "Are you saying that now we're a couple we can’t do the things we did before as just friends?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth, paused, and then closed it again, her eyes widening. "Oh," she muttered.

"What?" Discord asked, inwardly panicking because, as much as he loved Fluttershy, he really didn't want to lose her friendship. It meant everything to him! But would he have to give it up now that they were an item?

All of his previous romantic relationships served as nothing but a way to satisfy the natural desires of the body. Some were even one night stands. He'd never formed any sort of friendship with any previous partner. But Fluttershy was different.

He didn't lust after her when they first met. Yes, he found her attractive (even when a villain) but his time with her in those first years out of stone were honestly just spent learning how to be a friend. The feelings of love came later and even then he didn't realize what was going on until Spike and Big Mac brought it to his attention.

"Fluttershy, we can still be friends and be romantic partners, right?" he asked, somewhat hating how desperate he sounded.

"What?" she said, blinking up at him as if he'd just said something absurd. "Of course we can! Why couldn't we?"

It was Discord's turn to be confused. "Weren't you just implying that we couldn't be both?"

She immediately shook her head. "Not at all! Oh, I’m sorry for confusing you, Discord. I guess I just didn’t realize… I was merely trying to say that most couples I've read about start out by talking and hugging before getting more physically involved. There are plenty of ponies that start out as friends before becoming romantic partners. I guess I just didn't think I would be one of them.”

"So, we can still be friends and be romantically together?" Discord asked, just for clarification. "We can still have tea parties and picnics and swap stories about our week?"

Fluttershy nodded, a happy smile on her face. "Except now we can cuddle and kiss while doing those things."

Discord's eyes widened in excitement. "Really?"

A cute little blush darkened her face as she nodded. "Uh-huh."

"What a relief!" he cried, his shoulders sagging. "And here I thought I wouldn't be able to have my cake and eat it too."

Fluttershy giggled as he summoned a whole cake and downed it in one gulp.

After wiping a bit of frosting from his mouth, he said, "Well, now that we've solved that problem, shall we go and get you some breakfast?"

In response, Fluttershy flapped up and lightly pecked his cheek. "That sounds wonderful."

Discord's tail wagged happily as he held out his arm. "My lady."

Fluttershy happily looped her foreleg around his lion arm, snuggling up into his side. Discord snapped them both to the cafeteria, a content grin plastered on his face.

---

After eating a rousing breakfast, Discord, Fluttershy, and their counterparts snapped outside to where Thorax stood waiting for them in front of his changeling army. Discord didn’t like the perfectly straight lines they stood in but was rather impressed by the sheer number of assembled soldiers. There had to be at least two thousand changelings present.

“Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy gasped, overwhelmed by the sight.

“Not what you were expecting?” Pharynx asked with a grin, joining his brother’s side.

Fluttershy shook her head, her eyes filled with worry. “Are you sure you want to involve so many of your people?”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Thorax reassured. “This is only a third of our army.”

“A third?” Mirror Fluttershy repeated with raised eyebrows.

“Changelings breed fast,” Pharynx said, joining his brother’s side.

“Apparently,” Cordy muttered. Discord snickered.

“Our hive goes deep down into the ground,” Thorax said, gesturing to the large structure behind them. “What you see is only the tip of our people’s domain.”

“That’s incredible,” Fluttershy said.

“So is magicking an entire army great distances undetected,” said the Captain, turning to Discord. “Are you sure you’ll be able to do it?”

Discord smirked. “Please; I can snap an entire altered reality into existence without batting an eyelash. Moving your army will be as easy as-” He snapped and the whole changeling army vanished without warning- “that!”

“Discord!” Fluttershy admonished, flapping into the air in fright.

“What?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders. “I sent them to Starlight’s village, exactly as previously discussed.”

“Without warning,” she said, folding her forehooves.

The Chaos Lord frowned. “Did I need to send one?”

Mirror Fluttershy groaned while Fluttershy held her hoof to her forehead in exasperation.

Cordy snickered into his paw. “An advanced warning might have been appreciated,” he said, “but I would have done the same thing.”

“We should go,” Fluttershy sighed.

Thorax quickly said goodbye to Pharynx. “Please be careful,” he said, pulling his older brother into a reluctant hug. “If anything seems off, I want you to leave Canterlot and come home. That’s an order.”

“I’ll be careful,” Pharynx promised. “You just make sure to take care of yourself and the army.”

“See you soon,” Thorax said, waving to the rest of the gathered changelings.

Many of them shouted well wishes. Discord had hoped to catch Ocellus in the crowd but the small blue filly was unfortunately absent. Looping his tail securely around Fluttershy’s hoof, he raised his paw and snapped their small group away.

The happy shrubs amidst the rocks had vanished, replaced by a village surrounded by mountains covered in snow. Cold frost clung to the ground beneath their feet and a chilly wind pushed against their backs. Thorax and the Fluttershys immediately began to shiver.

Discord and Cordy, impervious to the weather, quickly snapped up protective gear for their mortal companions. Discord selfishly added a heating spell to the thick purple sweater now clothing his favorite pony.

“T-Thanks, Dissy,” Fluttershy said through chattering teeth.

“DISCORD!”

Discord’s head whipped up just in time to see a furious Starlight Glimmer marching towards him, her hooves pounding angrily into the frost.

“Uh-oh,” Discord muttered.

He flashed into Fluttershy’s mane, his small body burrowing into the pink locks until he was resting against her scalp.

“Discord!” Fluttershy gasped at the same time Starlight said, “Oh, no you don’t!”

Starlight’s magic enveloped Discord and forcefully yanked him out of his hiding place, his tiny form now hovering before her large, angry eyes.

“What did I do?” he demanded, folding his arms.

“Let’s think,” she snapped, waving her hoof behind her. “How about magicking an entire army unannounced into the middle of Our Town? Apparently their sudden disappearance wasn’t anticipated. Do you have any idea the amount of chaos you caused? The changelings were panicking just as much as the ponies! They’re still shaken up.”

“Darn; we missed the spectacle.”

Starlight’s anger deepened. “Stop grinning and fix this!”

“Okay, okay,” he grumbled, regaining his usual size and summoning a megaphone. “Attention,” he bellowed, his voice magnified and slightly ringing off the mountains, “You all teleported to exactly where you’re supposed to be so stop panicking!” He threw away the megaphone and then looked at Starlight, his arms folded. “There. Happy?”

“No,” she said, “But, from you, I know that’s the best I’m going to get so, thanks.”

“Humph, you’re welcome,” he grumbled.

Starlight took a calming breath before saying, “Look, I'm sorry for shouting. You just kind of sprung them on us when we weren't expecting them."

Fluttershy elbowed Discord gently in the arm and hinted towards Starlight who stood there shuffling on her hooves. Discord rolled his eyes.

"Oh, fine," he muttered. "I forgive you and apologize for spreading unwarranted chaos."

Starlight smiled gratefully. "You know, despite what just happened, it’s good to see you." Her tone turned more gentle as she looked up at her chaotic friend. “I’m glad you guys are okay.”

Discord’s anger also lessened as he stared down at his light purple friend. “It’s good to see you too," he admitted.

“Are we the first ones to arrive?” Fluttershy asked as the group started heading for the village.

Starlight shook her head. “Rainbow Dash and Rainboom Pinkie Pie showed up yesterday. The griffons refused to help; well, as a nation, anyway. Gabby, Gilda, and Gallus decided to do what they felt was right.”

“Gallus?” Fluttershy said with concern. "But, he's too young to fight."

“He is,” Starlight agreed, “but he’s also stubborn. We’ve tried to dissuade him but he won't go home. Honestly, I don’t think anypony is going to stop him from helping out.”

"Gallus is one of our students at the School of Friendship," Fluttershy quickly explained to the others.

“Well, if you don't want a student participating in the battle I could stop him,” Discord offered.

Starlight shook her head. “I don’t think it’s worth it. Even if you took away his wings, he'd find a way to do whatever he set his mind to.”

“Hmmm, sounds like my kind of stubborn,” Cordy muttered.

Discord nodded, quietly chuckling.

They had reached the village at this point and the place was loaded with changelings and ponies; the former's demeanor calmed exponentially at the sight of their king. Discord, with quite a bit of persuasion from Fluttershy, forced out an apology to them before slinking off to find some solitude.

There was a tree at the end of the village that he happily claimed as his own, his serpentine body slithering up the trunk before settling in with the high branches. Cordy flashed into existence at the base of the trunk.

“Need a minute?” he asked.

“You can stay,” Discord muttered.

Cordy sat down, magicking up a Sudoku. “So,” he muttered, pulling a pen from his ear, “I take it you’re hiding over here because, as usual, the ponies aren’t happy to see you.”

Discord snorted, looking back at the village. A few ponies quickly glanced away but their unpleasant scowls were still clearly visible.

Discord lay his head down on his lion paw and sighed, “Pretty much.”

“I'm sorry, old bean. What a bunch of prejudiced louts.”

“It’s normal,” Discord said with a shrug. "Has been for centuries."

“Well, if it helps, they didn’t like seeing me either.”

Discord scowled. “Of course they didn’t. You’re basically me with a zebra mane.”

“Well, I think both of you are rather dashing!”

Discord nearly fell out of the tree at the sudden appearance of a certain Mirror Party Pony.

“Pinkie Pie!” he cried, digging his claws into the branches. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought it was obvious,” she said, holding out a tray of cupcakes. “I could sense the chaos gloom from the two of you a mile away so I figured you could use a pick-me-up! I threw a bunch of random stuff together; I don’t even know what the flavors are. Try one!”

She shoved a tray under Discord's nose. He eyed the baked goods before selecting a cupcake with putrid green icing and bright yellow sprinkles.

“Thanks,” he muttered, secretly touched that the Mirror Pony would go to such lengths for him.

“No prob!” she said before happily descending to give Cordy a cupcake.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” he muttered, taking a blue and black confection. “Your timing was unexpected and delightful.”

“As is this cupcake,” Discord agreed, savoring a bite of pickle, mango, tomato, and baking soda. “You really are the best baker I’ve ever met - no matter what world you come from.”

“Awww, thanks!” she giggled. “I’ll leave the tray here in case you want some more. Don’t be strangers! Other ponies might not like you but they don't matter. Your friends do and we're happy to see you!”

On that note she left, bouncing with every step towards the bakery where the other friendly ponies were waiting. Fluttershy smiled at Discord, waving a hoof. He waved back.

“We should go over there,” Cordy muttered, finishing his cupcake.

“Yeah,” Discord agreed, licking his fingers and smiling. “Leave it to Pinkie Pie to chase away the gray.”

“It is one of her specialties.”

The two draconequui vanished from the tree before reappearing next to their Fluttershys. Rainbow Dash lightly punched Discord’s arm and Sunset Shimmer nodded her head in greeting. They were just about to settle inside of the bakery when everypony’s bracelet vibrated and turned a glaring shade of red.

Discord pushed back the fur on his lion paw and scowled. On his own wrist was a bracelet that was glowing red with Applejack and Rarity’s cutie marks blaring on the surface.

"Oh no!" Mirror Pinkie Pie cried.

“They’re in trouble!” said Rainbow Dash.

“But which ones are they?” asked Fluttershy in a panic.

“Ours,” Discord said before snapping away.

The Lord of Chaos instantly reappeared somewhere in the Dragon Lands. He barely had time to get his bearings before a slew of angry gray ponies with purple manes and tails attacked him, sinking their sharp teeth into several different parts of his flesh. Discord cried out in surprise and pain. The immediate sensation of blood being sucked from his skin spurred him into action and he used a burst of magic to expel the attackers away from his body. The bat ponies screeched and hissed, already attempting to get up.

Discord summoned a huge array of arrows behind him, the tips ranging from boxing gloves to metal shards dripping with poison. The projectiles hovered ominously in the sky as he growled, “I’d stay down if I were you."

“Halt!” one of the bat ponies bellowed, leaping to the front of the pack. He wore a different colored moon on his chest; an indication of rank.

The other gray ponies assembled into a line on his command, each one crouched in an attack position. Discord kept both his hands and tail in the snap position, ready to reign chaos on any who dared to attack him again. Keeping one eye on the bat ponies, he swiveled the other around until he could see his friends. His heart stilled.

Rarity, Applejack, and Mirror Twilight were covered in blood, multiple bites all over their bodies. Applejack’s hoof was near her mouth; she was the one who’d called for help.

Fury boiled within Discord’s veins and his whole body literally ignited in flames.

“You hurt my friends!” he raged, his voice a deadly snarl.

“We are following the orders of our master,” the bat pony leader declared. “We are to bring these fugitives to His Majesty, King Tirek.”

“I’m afraid you’re never going to carry out that order,” Discord growled, taking a step closer. The fire around his feet singed the ground black.

A few of the bat ponies began to sweat and visibly shake with fear.

“You cannot stop us!” the leader said, his feeble attempt at bravery betrayed by the quivering in his voice.

Discord laughed, his chuckle low and deep. “Can’t I?”

Before the leader could give another order, he snapped.

The bat ponies shrunk down to the size of mice and a cage slammed over the top of them. They immediately started flying about, chewing on the bars and slamming their tiny hooves uselessly against the metal.

“Release us!” demanded the leader.

Discord laughed humorlessly. “Oh, I don’t think so. This is a war, bat pony. Consider yourselves prisoners until it’s over.” He leaned in until he was dangerously close to the cage. The bat ponies squeaked and scrambled backward to get away from his giant sneer. “You should be grateful I didn’t turn you into gummy ponies and trap you in my stomach. A slow acidic death would be justice for what you’ve done to my friends.”

Fear coursed through each amber eye, the ponies gray faces paling considerably at the thought. Satisfied and sure they were no longer a threat, Discord healed himself and twisted around to tend to Rarity, Applejack, and Mirror Twilight. His whole body started, however, when he saw another figure leaning over them, this one a young orange dragon.

“Get away from them!” he snarled, darting forward.

The dragoness gasped and fell on her rump, her blue eyes wide with fright. “Please, don’t hurt me!” she cried, throwing up her claws. “I was only trying to help!”

Discord surveyed the young firebreather. She didn’t seem to be an agent of Tirek’s. The smell of dark magic didn’t linger on her scales like it did with the bat ponies either. Still, this area obviously wasn’t safe and his friends needed immediate medical attention; snapping his fingers multiple times, he covered their bodies in antiseptic and bandages.

“Wow,” the little orange dragon breathed, her eyes wide with surprise.

“I don’t know who you are,” Discord said, “But you’re mixed up in all this so you’re coming with me.”

Before the dragon could protest, he snapped and teleported them all back to Our Town.

The moment they reappeared there was a slew of screams and gasps. After the initial shock wore off, Starlight took charge. Throwing open the bakery door, she shouted for Double Diamond. The white stallion appeared five seconds later.

“What’s up, Starlight?” he asked.

“We need Marigold in here, now!”

“You got it,” he said, taking off.

“Discord?” Starlight prompted, pointing at the angry bat ponies in the cage.

“Prisoners of war,” he said with an angry scowl.

“Sunset, can you take them below?” asked Starlight. “Have Thorax assign two changelings to watch them at all times.”

Sunset gave Mirror Twilight one last worried glance before picking up the cage in her magic and leaving the bakery.

“We need to move them to the beds,” Starlight muttered. “Discord…?”

“Already on it,” he said, snapping away.

Mirror Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity instantly relocated to the second bedroom Starlight and Sunset had been staying in. Before the others could join them, the front door was thrown open and an orange unicorn with a short yellow mane and tail appeared. Her cutie mark, a roll of bandages with a pair of scissors, revealed her talent as a doctor.

“You called?” she asked, her tone and eyes brooking an instant no-nonsense demeanor. Discord and Cordy wisely put as many ponies between themselves and her as possible.

“Our friends,” Starlight began.

“They were attacked and bitten by a bunch of bat ponies,” the orange dragon interrupted, her face a mixture of anger and worry. “I was too far away to help.”

Marigold went into the bedroom, asking only for Starlight to accompany her.

The rest of the group, still crammed in the front of the bakery, demanded to know what had happened. After sending a message on the bracelet letting the others know the three injured ponies were safe, Discord and the orange dragon, whose name was Smolder, shared all they knew.

“My brother Garble and I were asked to accompany Dragon Lord Ember to the Royal Summit next week," Smolder revealed. "We were making preparations when Professor Applejack, Professor Rarity, and that other pink pony showed up.

"They told us what Tirek had done to Spike and your princesses and warned of the threat he posed to every creature on the planet. After a brief discussion we dragons decided to join the fight; we're not okay with any of our kind being used for some stupid centaur's personal vendetta.

"The plan was to leave in a few days. Until then we had the ponies sleeping on the other side of the hill away from us; elder dragons snort fire in their sleep during the winter and Ember didn’t want the ponies accidentally getting scorched. I was bringing them a late breakfast when the bat ponies attacked. My only guess is that the envoy arrived early and didn't like that the professors were there.

“Anyway, I was flying over to help when this guy appeared,” -she pointed at Discord- “and took out the bad guys. You know the rest. But the other dragons don’t know what happened to us! We’ve got to send some kind of message to them so they know we’re okay.”

"Better yet," said Sunset in the doorway, "Discord or Cordy should go to the Dragon Lands, explain that they need to relocate them immediately, and bring them here."

"What? Why?" asked Smolder.

Sunset's face was grim as she revealed, "Because I just got one of the bat ponies to confess that a member of their team got away. Our secret plan has been compromised."

---

Smolder accompanied Discord back to the Dragon Lands. Dragon Lord Ember was not happy to learn what had happened.

"I'm sorry the ponies were hurt but I can't just abandon the Dragon Lands knowing this!" she raged, throwing her spear heavenward. "What if that bat pony is still around?"

"All the more reason to relocate," said Discord. "Look, I would be just as furious if an unwanted guest slinked into my dimension but the fact is your land has been jeopardized. We must get the dragons to safety before Tirek sends one or more of the alicorns to do his dirty work."

"Let them come," a large red dragon growled. "We are more than a match for a few measly ponies."

Discord’s scowl deepened. "Alicorns are not measly ponies!” he snapped. “They are as close to a deity as a mortal can get! Normally they bridle their power but they're not themselves anymore. They won't hold back. Your land and any who stay behind will be razed to the ground. You can choose to believe me or not but I'm snapping back to Our Town in fifteen minutes. Whoever is coming better be ready before or by then."

Turning tail, he stormed off to a nearby gathering of rocks and sat on the largest boulder to wait.

"Stupid dragons,'' he grumbled. "They have no idea. Nopony does. There's a reason the Castle of the Two Sisters was left in ruins and the Everfree Forest sprung up from the ground. Celestia and Luna's battle a thousand years ago was catastrophic. They completely destroyed their city and the land was forever altered from the magic left after their falling out. These dragons have no clue what they're up against. They're fools to stay here."

"Maybe some of them will listen."

Discord quietly acknowledged the double that sat down beside him; it was the one who loved wearing glasses. He usually just called him Cordy Two.

"Listen?" Discord snorted. "Not likely."

"I don't know. That little orange one doesn't seem half bad."

"Smolder? She's alright, I suppose." Discord sighed before quietly admitting, "The truth is, we need them. Out of all the allies, the dragons are the strongest. Their hides are nearly impenetrable, their teeth, claws, and spikes are like thousands of deadly knives, and their fire breath will prevent enemies from getting too close to our armies. It'll be a huge loss if we can't get them to leave their lands."

"Then it's a good thing we're coming with you."

Discord startled before looking up to see Ember and the rest of the dragons behind her. Smolder was by her side, her arms folded and a smirk on her face. The draconequus stood up and tried to reclaim some dignity from being caught unawares.

"Well, it took you long enough to decide," he said, brushing himself off. "I was growing so bored I made a double to entertain myself."

Cordy Two harrumphed before rolling into a ball, disappearing in a wink of light.

“We’re not happy about leaving our land,” said Ember, “But I’m not about to let Tirek enslave another of my subjects. We will avenge Spike and reign terror on this would-be centaur king!” she bellowed. “He will rue the day he messed with the dragons!”

The others shouted in agreement, roaring and spewing long trails of flame into the sky. Discord magicked up some sunglasses and smirked, admiring the heated display. He completely supported the idea of the dragons barbecuing Tirek to a crisp; not just for Spike but for everything else the centaur had done.

“Well, if that’s how you all feel,” he said, holding out his paw, “Shall we go?”

Ember nodded and Discord snapped, teleporting every dragon away, leaving the land empty and bare.

---

Elsewhere, though a vast amount of sunlight streamed in through its windows, no warmth was found within the stony walls of Canterlot’s castle. Its tyrannical king strode down the halls, his hooves softly clip-clopping on the plush red rug as he headed for the throne room. The nearer he came to the door, the louder the screeching became. If Tirek didn't know for certain that the princesses were on the other side, he would have thought a bunch of harpies had somehow taken refuge in his house.

"If anyone is to take credit for the capture it is I!"

"Please, Nightmare, you merely located her. I'm the one who took her down."

"You? You just sat there in your patch of sunlight while I did all the work! As usual, you take all the credit for somepony else's accomplishments!"

"You're one to talk, Heartbreaker! The only alicorn who ever pulled her weight around here besides me was Midnight!"

"Will the three of you shut up?!" A new voice snapped. "It's bad enough listening to the rambles in my own head but to hear all of yours as well? There's only so much a queen can take! What happened to all of you anyway? An evil spell perhaps?"

Tirek pushed the doors open. "You could say that."

The alicorns immediately shut their mouths and bowed as he approached. Their captive's jaw dropped in shocked disbelief at the display.

"I apologize for any maltreatment you endured at the hooves of my alicorns, your majesty," said Tirek as he ascended the dais and sat upon his throne. "I have a business proposition for you. One I think you won't be able to resist."

Though clearly nervous, the captive queen tried to keep a sense of decorum as she replied, "Well, something tells me I’m not exactly in a position to argue.” She glanced at the alicorns before turning back to their master. “I'm listening."

An evil grin climbed Tirek's face. "Good, because we have work to do.”

Comments

[GeekCat]

Oh, looks like I'm finally caught up! And things are really starting to get exciting!

Glad to see that Fluttershy assured Discord that they can date and be best friends, and that Discord assured her that whatever pace she wants the relationship to be at is what he'll follow!

Ha, him trying to hide in Fluttershy's mane was cute.

Arright, so it sounds like the only group that decided against helping so far in the war were the griffons? And even then, a few decided to help. And the ones attacked in the Dragonlands are the only ones injured so far, so things are looking up...

Except that with that escaped batpony, Tirek and the evil princess will know about their plan. And now they have Chrysalis (I'm assuming that's who they've just captured).

Looking forward to reading more of this!

[Comicizzum]

11471514
We're moving closer and closer to the inevitable battle!

Since this is new territory for Discord, the possibility of them having to completely change their relationship now that they're more than best friends I thought was a good subject to address.

Her mane is a great place the hide... unless you're caught like he was.

Yes, the griffons have refused to help (minus the three.) As for the other allies, you'll probably find out their decisions next chapter. The escaped batpony is a problem and the captive queen very well may be Chrysalis.

More to come soon! Thank you for reading and leaving such wonderful comments. I've loved them all and hope to see more of your thoughts as the story moves forward.

[taterforlife]

I'm glad we got a little more fluttercord before the final preparations for war finally started. Especially since they covered a very important topic that needed to be discussed! You know, after their bery deliciously heated moment got interrupted. Youre really very good at writing the more spicy romantic moments. I wish I could write them as wrll as you! And of course, I'm glad that Discord was able to also ask Fluttershy to trust in his feelings, too. I love how they discussed that romance didn't mean friendship was no longer a part of the relationship...

...Just as Discord ALSO doesn't keep his loyalty and care exclusive to Fluttershy! I really wished that we had gotten a scene like you wrote with Discord getting angry about AJ, Rarity, and Mirror Twilight, and dealt with it himself. And yet we still see him struggle with how ponies see him. The scene with Mirror Pinkie was really heartwarming. Again, I wish we had gotten more of that for Discord in canon...

But now they have dragons!

This is gonna be good! I can only wonder what you have in store for the final battle. There has already been so many twists and drama and angst! How are you gonna do it?!?

I'm excited to find out!

[Comicizzum]

11472787
While there is quite a bit of adventure happening, I feel the core of this story is the romance between Discord and Fluttershy. It's taken many years of practice to write out the "spicy scenes". Some of my earlier writings (not anywhere on here, obviously) I can promise you are not that good. Even now I feel like there are things that I could improve on. But, then again, we writers always feel like we could have written things differently/better. But thank you for enjoying the scenes I write. Fluttercord is SO much fun!

I, too, wish that we had seen a little more character development for Discord in the friendship department throughout the show. I'm happy I could add some of that within this story.

I really hope I can do the final battle justice! I've been leading up to it for quite a while. We'll probably get into the thick of things in the next couple of chapters. Hopefully you like what I come up with!