> In the Company of a Black Dog > by est-hal > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > One: Get Your Bearings > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- One: Get Your Bearings You awaken with a violent start, jolting up from your prone position on the ground and gasp deeply for air. Save for what vaguely feels like grass and dirt beneath you, your senses are completely darkened, pitch blackness and an overpowering ringing in your ears the only things you can perceive. It was a truly terrible state of being, so close to the void oblivion of actual death. If not for your own ragged breath, you’d believe without a doubt that you were dead. You continue to breathe. After several minutes of you panting rather pathetically like a bitch of the canine variety that’s just had a rousing bout, your faculties finally begin to return, slowly but surely as you remain prostrated on your knees and regain awareness of the world around you. Your ears twitch, oddly, to the sounds of a prodigious wilderness that seemingly surrounded you. You hear the wind rustle the innumerable myriads of leaves of a vast multitude of trees. You hear the chirps, calls, and cries of the birds and various other woodland vermin that lived in them. You hear the damnable buzzing of the vulturine insects that mistook your unconscious form for a corpse, apparently still waiting around to see if you would still yet keel over and gift them with a lavish feast of your fresh carcass. Feh. You begin to feel as well, the touch of your environment reaching through to you unhindered as your numbness starts fading. You feel the chill produced by the motion of the gently blowing breeze. You feel the musty air settle over you once the breeze is gone, itself like a sticky, irksome film that covered you entirely. You feel the rough and grimy texture of the bare ground you sat upon, its sensation more than slightly unpleasant and raising concerns in your mind over the continued state of your personal hygiene. You keep breathing. At last, your sight rejoins your other recovered senses, relieving you of the very worrying possibility of permanent blindness. What little light reaching your pupils was made tenfold in strength by its stark contrast with the previous darkness that dominated your vision. You wince and blink rapidly, trying to flush its discomforting presence and coax some focus back into your eyes. You are soon able to fully behold the world in its entirety, green and brown hues the first colors you see as you gaze upon the patchwork arrangement of the topsoil underneath you. Lifting up your head, you glance about and are confirmed of your suspicions. You were indeed in a forest, and a rather dark and feral looking one at that. Countless trees of foreboding shapes, their gnarled and twisted branches and roots coiling around each other and whatever was unfortunate enough to be near them. Lengths and clusters of vines and other overgrowth lazily hanging from the tree branches arching overhead, much like a looming hangman’s noose, with some, disturbingly enough, actually knotted in such a way. The forest ceiling high above you a near-opaque and impenetrable surface, only letting through the scarcest slivers of sunlight while denying the majority of the daytime’s natural illumination. The wind again blows through the small clearing you found yourself in, making you shudder at its cool touch. Shakily, you get up off the ground and slowly rise to your feet, your wobbly knees causing you to stagger a bit. Taking a deep breath, you dust off your hands and run them down your face as you exhale, taking great care to not poke yourself in the eyes with your own claws, an incredibly embarrassing mishap that would have been. … Claws? Those were digits not at all associated with the human anatomy if you remembered correctly. Holding up your supposed “hands” in front of your face, you give them a good, hard look, taking note of their markedly nonhuman nature. Your right hand was indeed a lion’s paw, furred and with a velvety paw concealing an assuredly nasty payload of claws, while your left hand was in fact an array of talons belonging to an eagle, or perhaps a falcon’s or hawk’s, though most certainly some manner of a predatory bird, its yellow surface rough to the touch and bearing razor-sharp avian ungues. This was quite baffling to you, as you distinctly remember being human and without such remarkable features as these. To wake up with these very animal pieces in place of your usual human appendages was rather… disconcerting, to say the least. You drop your new limbs to your sides, your brain drawing a total blank regarding this utterly alien situation, all mental processes you dedicate to trying to make sense of it only returning a resounding “?.” … A thought suddenly occurs to you. Quickly glancing about, you spot a tiny pond just beyond a line of trees. You make your way over to it and get down on your knees before looking at your reflection in the water. Looking back at you was the goat-like face of a cartoonish Baphomet. It was at that moment you realized how embarrassingly shrill your voice could be, as well as loud. The many miles radius of spooked wildlife could attest to that. ---- Twilight Sparkle could only gawk at the present state of affairs, her mouth agape and her expression equal parts dumbfounded and horrified. Before her was a pile of broken statuary, bits and pieces of what was once Discord’s prison. That he had somehow escaped from his stone imprisonment and was now on the loose was quite a frightening proposition to her, her feelings shared by all others present as indicated by their also equal parts dumbfounded and horrified expressions. Her longtime mentor in magic and general life lessons of an annoyingly abstract and vague nature, the good and wise Princess Celestia, had brought Discord’s petrified form along with the Elements of Harmony with the hope that the heroines would be able to “reform” him and turn the draconequus towards good rather than evil, as Her Majesty put it, stating that she had use for his powerful magic. Despite much chagrin and doubt on their part, the six mares agreed to their Princess’s plan and donned their respective Elements. The goal of reforming the mad god went out the window when they activated their Elements to release him, only to find a hastily scribbled note in place of the charismatic chimera, stating that he had gone off on vacation and left someone in his place as his “interim substitute Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony.” And so the lavender unicorn found herself staring at the stone fragments strewn about the ground while her jaw acquainted itself with the ground, her fellow Elements, the Princess, and the Royal Guards following her example. Another moment of stunned silence passed before Princess Celestia very loudly dispelled the quiet that had come over all of them. “Went on vacation!?” she suddenly exclaimed with an incredulous tone, the full power of her long-unused “Royal Canterlot Voice” coming back without even a minute hint of atrophy. The sheer volume and abruptness of the traditional speaking voice quickly brought all present out of their reverie. The pegasi Guardsponies snapped to attention as their wings involuntarily deployed themselves from being so startled, the Bearers of the Elements merely jumping in surprise. Gathering her wits and burying her great astonishment at the Princess’ outburst, Twilight turned towards Her Highness and nodded. “Y-yes, Princess. That’s what it says.” she confirmed to her teacher. The Princess only stared at her dumbly with jaw hanging for a brief second before shaking her head and regaining her clarity of mind. Taking a deep breath to calm herself lest she scare her little ponies further, the alicorn sovereign quickly decided on a course of action. Addressing her faithful student and her friends, she informed them of what she intended. “Twilight, Discord’s disappearance and his supposed ‘interim substitute Spirit of Chaos’ represent a serious threat to all of Equestria. No doubt this is part of some new scheme of his. Therefore, it is of upmost importance that we discover where Discord has gone off to and who and where his replacement is. I shall see to the former. In the meantime, I’d like you and your friends to keep an eye out for any strange occurrences. Most likely it’ll be the work of our new ‘Discord.’” Celestia instructed them. “You can count on us, Princess!” Twilight declared with a firm nod, the others giving their own confident affirmatives. They all kneeled down on bended foreleg as their ruler approached Twilight and touched with her horn both shoulders, granting them her official sanction for their mission. With great faith that they would again prevail against Discord’s twisted machinations, Princess Celestia wished the six friends luck on their latest quest together. “Good luck, ponies! Once more, the fate of Equestria is in your hooves.” Leaving them with much heartfelt encouragement, the Princess departed on her royal chariot with her guards back to Canterlot, leaving the Elements of Harmony to work out their own battle plan. “So, Twi’, any idea how we’re gunna’ find Discord’s replacement? They could be anywhere fer’ all we know!” Applejack asked, raring to get to their duty. Twilight put a hoof to her chin, giving a thoughtful hum. “Hmm… I’m not sure, but I’d like to see if there’s anything in my books that might-“ She was interrupted midsentence and Rainbow Dash mid-exasperated roll of her eyes at her egghead friend’s characteristic lapse into her ingrained erudite tendencies by a piercing scream emitted from the depths of the Everfree Forest, shrill and wretched, and also very loud. Along with it was a surge of raw magical energy, almost a “detonation” of sorts that was felt by all, but Twilight especially, with her affinity for magic. Nary a sound was emitted from any of the ponies, not even a frightened peep from Fluttershy, total shock and awe overcoming them all at the event. Then, Rainbow broke the silence with a partially rhetorical question. “What… the HAY… was that?” she said with a peculiar staccato. “Sounded like sumthin’ screamin’, but nothin’ ah’ve ever heard. Also, anypony else feel that?” Applejack asked all around with significant unease, the normally robust farmpony shaken by the seemingly otherworldly wail. Rarity nodded her head in agreement with her more uncouth friend. “Indeed. It sounded like a banshee’s scream or something equally as dreadful and frightening. And I certainly did feel that! I don’t think I’ve ever felt such powerful magic before! … Except for…” she gasped, her hoof shooting up to her mouth as she realized the implications of her unfinished sentence. They all looked at one another as realization dawned on them. “You don’t think…” Rainbow began, earning a nod from Twilight. “I do. It came from the direction of the Everfree Forest.” Twilight noted, glancing in the direction of the notorious woodlands that wasn’t terribly far off from where they were. She paused for a moment, shifting her gaze downwards as she considered something. Deep in thought, she soon emerged from it and turned a set expression towards the others, decided. “I have a hunch it has something to do with Discord, or better yet, his replacement. The ambient magic of the forest would be just perfect for chaotic spirits like them. I say we head there now and find out where that surge of magic came from!” she proposed, earning a variety of reactions. Applejack and Rainbow Dash shared a look of fiery determination, confident grins and an overall cocksure demeanor to them. Fluttershy and Rarity, on the other hoof, did not share the tomboys’ enthusiasm, both of them cringing with noticeable discomfort, Rarity for reason of finding any untamed wilderness utterly repulsive and the Everfree a particularly filthy example of such, while for Fluttershy the prospect of venturing into the forest was one that always badly unnerved her, this time no different. Pinkie Pie was merely hopping up and down with barely contained glee, thrilled at what she considered to be another exciting adventure with her very best friends. “Sounds like a plan, sugarcube!” “Aww, yeah! Let’s do it!” “Uggh! If we must.” A frightened squeak. “OOOOOOHH! I’m so nervous-cited!” Applejack gave Pinkie a funny look. “You… do realize that’s not a real word, right?” ---- You were at present flat on your back, quite winded at the moment. After having discovered the maximum capacity of your new lungs, you promptly engaged in a lengthy and violent coughing fit, hacking and wheezing away until your body finally gave out from fatigue and buckled, yourself sprawling onto the ground in a most ungraceful manner. Lying completely still after a few more ragged breaths, you stare up at whatever sky you could glimpse through the forest’s canopy, wondering just what on God’s Good Green Earth was going on. The last thing you remember was ducking out of a particularly dull and boring “official engagement,” a reception party to those less pretentious as yourself, with a gaggle of particularly dull and boring politicians, bureaucrats, and staffers, hiding away in the men’s restroom for a quick micro-nap and swig of your trusty flask that totally isn’t filled with cheap whisky before you could face those people again. Speaking of which… You clamber to your new not-quite feet, wobbling a bit as you weren’t used to balancing on a goat’s hind leg and the clawed rear leg of some manner of large, possibly fire-breathing reptilian because you refuse to say the word dragon, nonsensical and ridiculous fairytale that such a notion was and because it reminded you too much of those dirty Chinese commies that owned the mortgage to your house. Feeling around the interior of your suit jacket that you were apparently still wearing, you find what you desire in the form of a small aluminum flask sporting a brilliant gold finish and a stylized pair of dice etched onto its metallic surface, giving it some decorative measure and declaring to all who beheld it of its humble origin as a tacky Freemont Street souvenir. Giving it a firm shake, you’re pleasantly surprised to hear a liquid sloshing around inside. Unscrewing the cap, you bring the flask up to your new goat lips and take a good, long sip of the bitter-tasting liquid inside, savoring its slightly burning sensation, courtesy of its concentrated alcohol content. … Alright, so it was cheap whisky. Meeting with somewhat hostile UN delegates with whom you share ambivalent feelings about each other was an oh-so-tedious affair, after all. Wetting your whistle and giving the drink a few seconds to settle in your stomach and take its delightful effect on your cognizance, you put your arms forward in front of yourself with palms raised as if to instruct reality or its complete breakdown, whichever was the case, to cease itself while you took stock of the bizarre and frankly impossible situation you found yourself in. From your little sleep in the handicap-accessible stall, for you desired the extra leg room, you woke up to find yourself smack-dub in the middle of an unknown and very likely hostile forest as some twisted chimera-like monstrosity, an utterly wretched being comprised of various animal bits and pieces torturously cobbled together in a truly Frankensteinish manner. Regarding your current locale, the thickly wooded area didn’t seem at all hospitable to someone like yourself, a harsh bush without even a trace of civilization anywhere, not even a dirt path you could get lost on. The chitters, cries, snarls, growls, and howls of the denizen wildlife sounding in stereo from all around you also wasn’t very encouraging. The distant roar of something that was likely unfriendly made you freeze up, the rage-filled bellow bringing your personal safety and wellbeing to the forefront of your mind. You needed to check something… Reaching into your jacket, you feel around for something. After some fumbling, you find it still securely holstered. Firmly grasping its grip, you pull it out and examine it closely, admiring the matte black finish before ejecting the magazine so you can verify it. Satisfied, you pop it back in and pull the slide back, chambering a round. Holstering it once more, a small grin dances on your face as you feel the comforting nine millimeter heft nestled against your side. It was certainly better than nothing. All that fiddling with your personal effects reminds you… Praise the Lord you’ve neglected your entire life! Not naked! Still had clothes! An increasingly wrinkled dress shirt and tie, suit jacket, overcoat, and peaked officer’s cap, all inexplicably retailored to fit your new dimensions and elongated measurements and sparing you the discomfort of being totally bare on top of everything else. Your pants were missing, though, forcing you to weather at least partial nudity, and you weren’t even fully inebriated as an excuse. AND your wallet and keys were in your pants pockets, too. “Goddammit all…” you swear softly to yourself, your voice still a little hoarse from your earlier screaming. Another animalistic growl, this time not that far off from where you were, brought you back to the pressing matter of being lost in a dark and scary forest, potentially surrounded by a variety of vicious beasts that would no doubt jump at the chance to make you their next meal or possibly queen, the latter being the more horrifying option of the two… You quickly decide your next course of action to leg it out of this forsaken, oversized clump of tinder before too long, the noble goal of being lost, dazed, and confused in a more pleasant indoor environ with basic amenities the impetus of your plan. You were a fellow of status, after all. Find some high ground, get a feel for the local terrain, get your bearings. Spotting a tree that didn’t look like a lurking fantasy monster masquerading as one quite as much as the others, you head over to it and begin climbing up it, your increased height making reaching the higher-up branches and other protrusions not a difficult feat. Reaching the top, you hug the tree for balance and not because you were an “environmentalist” (pussy), and poke your head through its leaves, your elongated neck allowing it. From your new vantage point, you survey the surrounding landscape and find that the forest doesn’t actually go out as far as its interior would suggest, giving way to verdant meadows, rolling hills, and what looked like a quaint medieval hamlet to the northwest. Relieved that there was SOME civilization around here, wherever that was, you begin carefully climbing back down with renewed hope and vigor, glad that you wouldn’t have to relive your outdoor survival training, horrid experience that it was. ---- The clopping of hooves against the ground echoed around them as the six friends and heroines of Equestria trekked through the Everfree, ever vigilant and on guard for whatever dangers may be lurking, concealed by the thick mist and darkness that seemed to permeate the entire forest. Twilight was at the forefront of the group, her horn alight with a purple aura of magic as she tried to detect any unusual magical activity, a sort of magical radar. “So… who do you suppose Discord’s replacement is? Another draconequus like him?” Rarity asked aloud to none of the others in particular, trying to alleviate the oppressive silence that hanged over them. Applejack responded with an idle shrug. “Beats me. Ah’d guess so, but ah’ wouldn’t have thought there’d be another one like him around. Ah’ always thought Discord was the only one of his kind.” “I sure hope so. Like we need ANOTHER Discord running around. He’s enough trouble by himself! Two of them is just… ugh!” Rainbow remarked, punctuating her thought with a distasteful sounding noise to emphasize her comptent for the notion of Discord and company. “Oh, but guys! What if New Discord or whatevertheirnameis is actually real nice and friendly and just wants to be friends! Maybe they won’t be all horrible and mean and evil like Old Discord and will be our friend and be a good guy and help us protect Equestria from bad guys!” Pinkie Pie rattled off without a single pause for breath. The others seemed less than impressed with the bubbly pink party pony’s idea. “Ahh… No, Pinkie. No.” Rainbow replied exasperatedly, shaking her head. “Yeeeaahh… No offense, Pinkie Pie, but ah’ just don’t see that as likely.” Applejack said, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at her fellow earth pony. “I’m afraid I have to agree. This is Discord we’re talking about! Who tricked us all into becoming the opposite of our true selves and nearly plunged all of Equestria into eternal chaos? I sincerely doubt his chosen successor would be a far shot from himself.” Rarity concurred with her more level-headed friends. “That’s right. Discord’s all about spreading chaos and disharmony, and would no doubt want his replacement to do the same. That’s why we’ve got to find and catch them before they can turn all of Equestria upside down again, probably literally.” Twilight said without look back at Pinkie, keeping her eyes forward as she swiveled her head around, specifically her horn, trying to pinpoint their target’s location. Pinkie’s suggestion that whoever Discord’s stand-in was might be open to their friendship if offered caused Fluttershy to become downcast, remembering how the Princess had expressed much confidence and faith in her personally to successfully reform the trickster spirit. Reaching out with her friendship was in fact just how she intended to turn him towards good, to “kill him with kindness,” though she preferred a less violent figure of speech. She honestly believed that the “magic of friendship” would be enough to sway Discord to their and the Princess’s way of seeing things of being less whimsy-driven, more socially responsible, and generally not be a complete d-… not-nice person. The butter yellow pegasus shook away her lingering thoughts of what could have been and focused back on the matter at hoof; that she was currently deep within the Everfree Forest, one of the most scary places in all of Equestria, seeking out Discord’s claw-picked replacement of whom they knew nothing about regarding their raw magical abilities, prowess, and their overall disposition and mental stability. A myriad of possibilities about their new embodiment of chaos running through her head, most of them not that positive or hopeful, Fluttershy could only pray that Pinkie was right, that whoever they were would be less of a sadistic nutbar than Discord. Twilight suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, a surprised gasp emitting from her. Her horn sparked with a bit of magic as she pointed it towards a specific direction. The act having not gone unnoticed by her friends, they pressed her to elaborate. “What is it, Twi’? Ya’ feel sumthin’? Is it our ‘New Discord?’” Applejack asked while readying her lasso, borrowing Pinkie’s nickname for the object of their hunt. “Yeah! Are they around? Where are they!? Lemme’ at ‘em!” Rainbow stated with her characteristic bravado, punching the air with her forelegs to illustrate what she intended to do once they had found their mark. “They are! Not far off, either! Come on, girls! This way!” Twilight answered before galloping off deeper into the woods, her friends taking off after her. Weaving between the trees and ducking under their branches and jumping over their roots, the six mares continued at full speed to wherever Twilight’s horn was leading them, steeling themselves for what was sure to be an epic showdown with what was assuredly an absolutely mad being of chaos and pure malevolence, readying themselves to make the ultimate sacrifice if need be… Leaping through some foliage into a small clearing, the ponies finally laid eyes on their opponent, fully expecting him to very dramatically introduce himself as Discord’s claw-picked successor and declare how he intended to destroy them utterly and all they held dear and wreak unholy havoc on their world. Alas, their expectations went unfulfilled. ---- “Dammit, dammit, dammit!” you grunt out in frustration as you finally managed to grab your cap from off the tree branch. You mentally scold yourself for hastily jumping down off the tree as you did. You could have fallen and seriously hurt yourself! Get your hoofed goat leg caught in some vines and wind up hanging upside down from a branch in complete helplessness and vulnerability until you could untangle yourself and land headfirst on a sharp rock, arduous task that would have been. Or indeed your cap getting caught by its brim on a branch on your way down and having to spend a good deal of time and effort trying to retrieve it, also a rather arduous task. Just as you were about to place it back atop your head, or rather just behind your hideously asymmetrical horns, the damnable things, you spy a rolled up piece of parchment tucked away inside its inner folds. Wondering how you didn’t notice it earlier while you were wearing it along with your hat and more than a little curious about its content, if any, you pluck it from your hat and unfurl it, desperately hoping as you began reading that it wasn’t a messily scribbled note to yourself written while drunk about some unimportant and inane matter like who among the janitorial staff kept stealing the expensive crystal drinking glasses from your office at Nellis. That would’ve been a very depressing indictment of how extraordinarily passive-aggressive you could be, even when completely blasted off your feet. ’Congratulations! It’s your lucky day! So suck it up and don’t dismay! Tired and weary, I’ve gone on vacay’, Perhaps to Mars, perhaps Bombay! But irresponsible to leave not one in my stead, So I’ve chosen you for some chaos to spread! My powers, so powerful, are yours to command, Do whatever you want without reprimand! Maybe conjure up some toast, some butter for it, too, Or perhaps paint a cow entirely blue! With a snap of your claws, make reality your bitch! Smack it about and leave it crying in a ditch! So have some fun, have a good laugh! Hey! It’s some time away from your general staff! But one word of warning before you’re off, So listen well, and try not to scoff Any equines beware, for they mean you great ill, Also quite annoying, self-righteous, and shrill. Turn you to stone, they most certainly would, All the while claiming that they’re “good.” Trust not any offerings of “friendship” they bring. Most certainly a lure for a trap they will spring. With that in mind, go on! Get to it! Before I consider you unfit, you sorry half-wit…’ You simply stare at the cryptic message written in a rhyming pentameter or whatever the proper literary term for it that your mother wouldn’t know wither, the neurons in your brain firing furiously to try and make sense of what the explicit-adjective-hell you just read. Someone jerk off on vacation apparently, you standing in for them for… something, and spreading chaos? A possible euphemism for terrorist activity, in which case you’re conflicted whether to feel offended or annoyed that whoever was asking such a heinous thing of you wasn’t around to discuss a price… What of the rest of this note? Conjuring breakfast items from the ether and subjecting innocent livestock to potential lead poisoning without even the justification of a herbicidal warfare initiative behind it? What terrifyingly psychopathic nutcase wrote this? And bending the very fabric of reality with a mere snap of your fingers? Now the specter of severe mental illness is rising over this whole affair. And lastly, a word of caution about false-faced horses that would go all Medusa on you if given the chance… “What…” It’s honestly all you could think to say about the bizarre manifesto you currently held in your hand of some incredibly deranged individual that’s perhaps spent a little too much time locked away in a crawlspace with a hardcover copy of Alice in Wonderland and should probably be sectioned and given serious psychiatric help before they hurt themselves. Suddenly, you inexplicably feel that somewhere out in the vast multiverse, someone just took significant exception to that last notion. Before you could conjecture more insulting suppositions about the note’s writer, it without warning burst into flames! Without giving off any heat, somehow, in blatant violation of the laws of thermodynamics and leaving you with some nasty burns on your hand. Paw, rather, but did leave a grainy, ashy-colored residue all over, as if you hadn’t come in enough physical contact with all manner of random filth today. Wonderful. The universe seemed to be having a rollicking good time causing you aggravation in the most targeted ways today. Just as you were about to launch into an obscenity-laden tirade about how awful your day has been so far, particularly about your now dirtied shirt cuff, the sound of someone very audibly clearing their throat with the clear intention of gaining your attention made its way to your ears. Absentmindedly looking up at your petitioner, you find yourself face to face with six equine creatures, likely ponies given their relatively marginal size compared to the terrestrial horses you were familiar with, all of them with coats of a frankly absurd spectrum of color; pink, orange, yellow, blue, and purple. The white one among them would have been somewhat acceptable if not for the styled purple mane it was sporting as well as horn jutting from its skull. Yes, in addition to being ridiculously colored, the horses possessed some rather salient features that denoted a fantastical nature on their part. The white and purple ones horned, unicorns, you believed, the yellow and blue ones winged, pegasi? If that was the correct plural. And the orange one wearing a cowboy hat in what was a rather stark irony. They were looking at you oddly with astoundingly human-like facial expressions, two with slightly hostile demeanors, two seemingly bemused at you, and two simply staring at you as if they hadn’t decided yet whether they should be confused or offended about you. It was all too much. Time and spatial displacement not involving abduction and mind-altering drugs, waking up as some horribly mutilated depiction of an Eastern dragon comprised of random bits and pieces from all over the animal kingdom messily stitched together. Yes, you said dragon, letting your previous distaste for the word fall to the wayside because there was a sextet of pastel-colored unicorns, pegasi, and a pony wearing a goddamned hat standing in front of you, so what the hell did you know? As all your understanding and rational thought flew out the metaphorical window to the tune of “When It’s Over” by Sugar Ray, you decide that you had only one recourse… Laugh. Laugh like an absolute madman. Indeed, you begin laughing, beginning with the slightest snicker to a low chortle to a growing chuckle to an increasingly uncontrolled giggle until you’re caught in a full-blown hysteria, laughing with such force and without a single pause for breath that you risked serious oxygen deprivation to your brain. But you continue laughing regardless, because why not? Either you or the universe had gone completely butt-fuck nuts, transmogrifying you into what could only be described as the escaped test subject of an ill-conceived genetics experiment gone horribly wrong, or the Fort Detrick’s garrison’s softball team’s mascot, and depositing you into some manner of fantasy setting populated by mythical creatures of the most ludicrous coloration and presumably there was also a princess and they had a castle and there was a snarky dragon of diminutive stature somewhere that would make smartass remarks about your hat because why not? So you simply laugh yourself to tears while enjoying the spectacle of the bunch of unicorns and pegasi and a pony wearing a hat looking at you incredulously. It was certainly more interesting than that godawful reception party. > Two: Promptly Accosted > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two: Promptly Accosted The six ponies continued to stare at the madly laughing chaotic being before them, equal parts perplexed and infuriated at his uproarious and unceasing cachinnation at them. They were somewhat surprised to see that there was another draconequus like Discord in existence, that their old arch-nemesis was not the only one of his kind as they had once thought. At the same time, they were also somewhat unimpressed to see that their presumed new arch-nemesis was just another draconequus like Discord, a rather predictable and unimaginative choice, they felt, on part of the supposedly spontaneous spirit of chaos who claimed to “love shaking things up.” ---- In the infinite vastness of infinity, a cry of sheer frustration echoed loudly throughout. ---- Like his predecessor, the new draconequus possessed a chimera-like form, lanky in build and of a composite anatomical makeup that was part pony, part dragon, and an amalgamation of other disparate animal parts. A deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, and a snake tail, most everything of him was the same as Discord, with the notable exception of his eyes, which were a calmer and more subtle hue of deep blue, a stark contrast to the beady and sickly colored red and yellow irises that characterized the original mad god’s devious and sinister gaze. Also unlike Discord was the clothes he wore, mostly that he wore any at all, forgoing the usual practice of going about in the buff as the majority of Equestria’s denizens did. A sharp ensemble of a black overcoat, the upper half of a black suit and tie combination, and an exceedingly outlandish and remarkable hat, an ornate-looking cap with a forward visor and eminent peak, sitting atop his head in a manner strikingly similar to the way Applejack wore her own signature Stetson, though it may have been for reason of obstruction by his unsightly, mismatched horns. His clothing was particularly noteworthy, embellished with a variety of golden and silver chevrons, stripes, linings, and other decorative patterning stitched into their fabric, the illustriously colored shapes and trimmings speaking of a prominent figure. Also adorning his raiment were a number of unusual emblems and insignias, none of recognizable design to the mares, their esoteric nature rendering them impenetrable to discernment. The most prominent of the peculiar motifs was the embroidered patch sewn onto the left shoulder of his coat, a crested shield coat-of-arms portraying the visage of a fearsome-looking hound, its coat pitch black and eyes a blazing red, holding in its mouth an unfamiliar L-shaped object. Accompanying the armorial badge were the words “504th Joint Operations Group” printed in a serif font on a flowing ribbon situated just above the shield. It was a strange and cryptic symbol, its aesthetic ominous, yet also elegant, a heraldry for a greater, unknown force than its bearer. The cumulative effect of the draconequus’ exotic garments was a shady and subversive air about him, one that suggested intrigue, subterfuge, and behind-the-scenes action, an interloper… All of which was belied by his unbridled and raucous laughter at the six pastel-colored equines for no adequately evident reason. Indeed, the ponies were becoming increasingly miffed with the oddly dressed serpentine character. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the most visibly displeased, their teeth bared as they glowered at him in growing fury. Twilight and Rarity were more restrained in their anger, electing instead to simply glare disapprovingly at the rude being who rather inappropriately found something very humorous about the actually very serious matter at hoof, just as Discord would have… The distasteful similarity did not escape either unicorn, further maligning their already baleful assumption of him. Fluttershy was especially hurt by his seeming callousness, having desperately held on to the hope that their “New Discord” would at least have been of a marginally more amiable and polite disposition than the other trickster deity he was meant to replace, if not less evil and monstrous, also an important criteria. Alas, his apparent ridicule of them did not indicate such was the case… Pinkie Pie, however, recognized the laughter sounded at present as something else entirely than what her friends understandably did. Being the Bearer of the Element of Laughter as well as dedicating most of her existence to spreading good cheer and general happiness wherever she went, the other remaining aspect of her having been committed to being a consummate connoisseur of cupcakes, she was quite familiar with the many forms of the expressive act and the nuances that distinguished them. From giggles and guffaws to chuckles and chortles and everything in between, she knew and loved all of them and breathed each one as a part of her daily life. Something as far out of that scope as an evil, villainous laugh would have been obvious to even the most naïve and gullible of ponies, but her especially, having been subjected to Discord’s own particularly mean-spirited brand when he first escaped his millennia imprisonment. Malicious and gleeful merriment at others’ expense would have struck her ears with such shock of recognition as to cause her to actually feel physically ill. She could always tell when someone wasn’t being nice… The laughter from the draconequus in front of her was none of these. While his sharp tone and cackling sound might easily be mistaken for that of an insidious evildoer like Discord, Pinkie noticed a few faint differences her friends did not, subtleties that spoke of something other than malevolence. He appeared perturbed and addled when they first happened upon him, disoriented, as if just coming out of a shocked state. He was hunched over and clutched his head tightly as he laughed, as if in significant pain. He looked fatigued and languid, ready to collapse into a graceless heap on the ground at any second. But the most giving tell, the one that absolutely denied any measure of classic villainy as the impetus of his laughter, was his eyes. They twitched violently and were brimmed with tears, all the while carrying a distant, forlorn look in them, almost despairing. The laughter was one she experienced once before and never wanted to experience again, when she thought her friends were abandoning her… Though she did not know what affliction could have driven him to such anguish, the appearance of herself and her fellow Element Bearers, for whatever reason, seemed to have pushed him over the edge. That he was presumably imbued with Discord’s potent reality-warping powers only complicated the situation further. That last point came to pass, much to everypony’s later dismay, when Rainbow Dash, having become fed up with being so openly mocked, finally spoke up. “Hey! Just what the hay is so funny, huh!?” she demanded the draconequus as she took to her wings, darting up to his height and hovering just a few inches from his snout before fixing him with an angry glare. Her quickness in closing the distance between them appeared to have taken him by surprise as he immediately stopped laughing, breath seemingly caught in throat as he recoiled from her sudden proximity to his face and fell flat on his rear. He regarded her dumbly, gawking at the speedy pegasus with mouth agape. Several moments passed as the two continued to stare at each other, nary a sound from either of them or anypony else. He was the first to break the silence when he broke into an excessive sniggering, his initial astonishment turning back into a bountiful mirth that he tried and failed to keep from being obvious. He began laughing once more, falling onto his back while giggling uncontrollably, apparently finding something about Rainbow absolutely hilarious. The object of his amusement was less than amused herself, though, a growl emitting from her throat as her front hooves furled into something akin to fists. But before she could let her umbrage known to him in the form of unrestrained violence directed at his goat-like face, a cloud of pink cotton candy silently materialized out of thin air behind her. Remaining undetected, it released a bolt of lightning and struck her right in her flank, producing an actually very characteristic high-pitched squeal of surprise from usually tomboyish, “tough-as-nails” pony. The others gasped at the apparent act of aggression by the draconequus, becoming indignant. “Hey! What’s the big idea!?” Pinkie shouted at him, not appreciating the underhanded attack on her friend and fellow prankster. “What do you think you’re doing?” Twilight added, already beginning to dislike him. “Ahahaha… Wha?” he wheezed out, the unexpected sight of the floating pink mass of sweetened fluff that was Discord’s signature rather ironically bringing him back to reality. Shaking away her quite literal shock, Rainbow became incensed. “Oh! A wise guy, huh!?” she spat while angrily shaking a hoof at him, livid. “What?” he repeated, still not comprehending the group of irate ponies and their grievance with him. “Whuddya’ think, ya’ smart aleck?” Applejack said, pointing a hoof at the cloud. Looking to where she was indicating, he noticed the glob of cotton candy hanging in the air, watching as it began to drip a mysterious brown liquid. Staring at it for a moment, he soon realized that he was being held responsible for the inexplicable airborne body, a symbolic light bulb of cognizance appearing over his head, lit somehow without an evident power source, hovering a few seconds before falling onto his hat, distracting him briefly. Raising his right paw up, he pointed to it, then himself as if to say, “Who? Me?” Twilight let out frustrated growl, bringing a hoof to her forehead and started rubbing it gently, feeling a migraine come on at what was either his incredible dimwittedness or feigned stupidity. It was hard for her to tell… As he vacantly stared at the equines he had inadvertently vexed, the cotton candy cloud suddenly resituated itself right above him and released a torrent of chocolate milk rain onto him and his formerly pristine clothes. “Argh! What the-! Fu-! ccrrrkkk…” he half-shouted the stifled obscenity. Rolling out from under it, he jumped to his feet and put some distance between himself and the indiscriminately malevolent flying pink blob. Rainbow Dash and the others couldn’t help but snicker at the unanticipated turnabout on their foe, especially since, they assumed, it was by his own handiwork, though Rarity cringed slightly for his clothes, sympathetic to the kinds of stains chocolate milk was capable of. “Hehe. What’s the matter? Not a fan of your own work?” Rainbow prodded him, casting a smug expression in his direction as he sputtered and cursed. Not acknowledging her, he spat at the ground and turned an absolutely murderous look at the cloud, his countenance twisting into a menacing snarl, his exposed fangs greatly accentuating its threat. As if sensing his immense displeasure, it began moving slowly away from him and started shrinking in size, eventually fizzling into complete nothingness with a distinct ‘pop!.’ Calming down after literally spiting the subject of his ire out of existence, he released a guttural sigh and held out his arms, letting the excess chocolate milk drip from his coat as he eyed his now ruined clothes with disdain. Grumbling a few indiscernible and likely “colorful” words, he took off his hat and overcoat and shook them dry as best he could. Satisfied with his efforts after a short time, he gave his molested articles a quick inspection and put them back on. He returned his attention to the giggling mares, who were still enjoying themselves at his self-inflicted misfortune. Heaving another sigh, he remained silent and waited for their levity at his expense to end, unamused at their continued tittering. Giving a final chuckle, the Elements of Harmony focused back on their goal of detaining the unknown draconequus before he could cause any more harm, unintentional or otherwise. “Alright, enough funny business! Are you gonna’ come quietly? Or are we gonna’ have to do this the hard way!?” Rainbow demanded of him, punctuating her ultimatum by grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking his face towards hers while raising her other hoof in a threatening manner, rearing it back as if to strike. “What now?” he asked, raising a thick, gray eyebrow at her. Applejack stepped forward, glaring at him. “Don’t y’all play dumb with us! We know yur’ here ta’ take Discord’s place and spread chaos n’ mayhem all over Equestria!” she spoke accusingly. “I- wha…?” Rarity interrupted him. “Oh, would you just PLEASE drop the act. We’re on to you, fiend!” He became aggrieved at the derisive label. “Excuse me!?” Rainbow cut him off. “Cork it! You’re not fooling anypony, pal!” “That’s right!” Twilight concurred with her friends, looking quite stern. “What are you-“ “Don’t even start, feller’!” Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, were standing off to the side, watching the argument between their friends and the strange, apparently clueless draconequus continue in that vein with not even a semblance of a sensible outcome to it in sight. Unlike their fellow Element Bearers, who had already made up their minds about Discord’s successor, the two were still considering him, debating with themselves whether to give him the benefit of the doubt or condemn him straight away as the others had. Fluttershy found herself leaning towards the former, her innate kindness and compassion for others inclining her to want to “give peace a chance,” as it were, as well as wanting to enact her original plan of befriending Discord in order to reform him as Princess Celestia had originally instructed them, though now it would be with his replacement. Pinkie Pie, however, was more conflicted in her feelings about how she should personally approach their purported enemy. She was still very suspicious of anything that involved Discord, her solitary experience with the self-proclaimed Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony leaving a bad taste in her mouth about him that no amount of yummy, delicious chocolate milk rain fallen from the heavens above could wash out, even if accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream. The downward spiral of anger and despair she went through at his claws was something that still haunted her, the memory of it cropping up in her mind from time to time despite her best effort to forget it and move on. The lack of whipped cream had been a major sticking point for her. But she was also a firm believer in redemption, that everyone deserved a second chance, IF they were truly sorry. And her perpetually friendly disposition demanded that she at least try and make nice with the draconequus newcomer. After all, they just might become the best of friends! And making new friends was always a prospect that tickled her pink. She brought a hoof up to her mouth and giggled a bit, seeing what they did there. Pinkie’s train of thought on the matter was derailed when the altercation between the squabbling ponies and one draconequus beside her culminated in a loud, drawn-out groan of consternation. Turning her attention back to them, she saw the draconequus in question with his face buried in his claws, his exposed nostrils flaring as he very audibly exhaled. Her friends had ceased their badgering of him, confused at the sudden display. A quiet sigh escaping his lips, he looked up at them, his expression a mixture of boredom and annoyance. His icy blue eyes, once manic and distressed, were now dull and calm, resigned. He regarded each of the ponies with intense scrutiny, squinting as he studied their individual appearances and salient traits. Seemingly satisfied, he tilted his head back and took a deep breath. Releasing it, he looked back at them with face set, decided. “You know what? Fine. Whatever. Whatever you say.” he said noncommittally, holding both his claws up in apparent surrender. Pinkie and the other Elements were caught off guard by the unexpected action, their eyes widening slightly as they gaped at him. “So what now?” he continued, shrugging. He received no answer, the heroines continuing to stare at him. Rainbow Dash was the first to snap out of the stupor he had put them in. “What do you mean, ‘What now?’” she asked incredulously, suspecting him even more for his unusual course of action. She didn’t expect him to actually come quietly. He turned towards her, especially irritated. “I mean, what happens now? I haven’t the slightest idea what’s going on or what the hell you lot are talking about. You don’t believe me. I really don’t, I’ve only just woken up. You all think I’m full of it. We’re just talking past each other and this is going nowhere. AND this damned chocolate milk all over me is starting to smell sour. I’m too tired for this, so I give. What do we do now? It’s too late in the goddamned day.” he rattled off, his dissatisfaction with the whole affair evident in his rant. “Umm… It’s actually ten o’clock in the morning.” Fluttershy corrected him in a quiet voice, somewhat aggravated by his coarse language. He shot her a funny look. “Oh, why, thank you for that, love! Really! Had to open your mouth for that!?” he berated her while narrowing a critical eye at the timid yellow pegasus, who withered from his sheer spitefulness, whimpering. “Hey! You leave her alone!” Pinkie yelled, becoming defensive of her fragile friend. Applejack jumped to Fluttershy’s defense as well. “Now listen hear! Y’all back off the poor gurl’, yu’ hear!” He did not reply, instead giving an inward sigh, sucking in air through his teeth and ending with a click of his tongue as he raised his claws again with palms forward in defense, yielding to them. Applejack only let out a low, angry growl in response, the normally even-tempered cowpony having reached the limits of her patience with the ill-mannered and increasingly odious draconequus. Rarity spoke up, interrupting them before their confrontation could become violent. “So, now then. If I understand correctly what you were saying earlier, you… surrender?” she asked in a skeptical tone. He glanced about, as if searching for anyone else she could possibly be referring to. Finding no one, turned back towards her. “If that’s what we’re calling it. Yeah, okay, I guess I do.” “And you’ll come with us to see the Princess?” Twilight inquired further, wary. The lavender unicorn gained his full, undivided attention upon her uttering of the world “Princess,” a strong measure of disbelief perceptible in his wide-eyed expression at her. He slowly brought his clawed avian forelimb up to his head and carefully placed it over his face, his blue irises peeking back at Twilight through his talons. “Princess?” he said after a brief silence, his earlier blitheness returning as his mouth broke into a huge grin. “Yeesss…” Twilight replied slowly, failing to see what he found so funny about the notion of royalty. “And she’s a horse like you, right?” he asked, his expression beginning to crack. “Horse!?” she exclaimed, taken aback. “We’re ponies! Not horses!” His handle on himself was on the verge of breaking completely. “… Pony?” “Yes! Pony! We’re ponies! What in Equestria is so funny!?” she snapped, her patience having finally run out at his erratic behavior and inane questions. She started to wonder if the draconequus in front of her was just Discord pulling an incredibly inept con. It seemed like something he would do… “Pony… princess…” “Y-you…” Twilight sputtered, her face contorting in anger as her entire being threatened to both literally and metaphorically become aflame in her veritable rage. “Oh, god…” he managed to get out before breaking down into uncontrolled laughter for the third time that day, much to the enragement of the Elements, who were beginning to consider various ways to forcibly silence him, if only temporarily. Applejack eyed her lasso, thinking to tie his mouth shut. Rainbow Dash aggressively clapped her hooves, considering just breaking his jaw to shut him up once and for all. Rarity glanced at some nearby stones of considerable heft, wondering if pelting him between the eyes with them would finally persuade the rude serpent-like chimera to mind his manners. Twilight thought back to the myriads of magic spells she had learned over the years, hoping for one that would quiet the loudmouthed draconequus, preferably with a severe case of strep throat disease. Pinkie Pie began unconsciously feeling around for her Party Cannon, wanting to literally blow the unfriendliness out of him with a blast of confetti, streamers, and enough concussive force to rupture his eardrums and all his blood vessels… Or at least leave him very surprised. Fluttershy felt her left eye twitch, feeling her infamous “Stare” begin to overtake her usual instincts. Their infuriated inclinations were interrupted, however, and ultimately denied when the object of their collective fury prematurely ceased his ill-spirited merriment for reason of oxygen deprivation, a violent coughing fit abruptly replacing his guffaw at them. Regaining his breath after nearly displacing his diaphragm, he turned towards them, a tired and lopsided grin plastered on his mouth as his confronters silently fumed at him. “Alright, okay,” he began, gaining their attention. “An audience with your… Princess, is it? Right, tell you what. Throw in a lovely little tea party and let me braid your hair and we’ve got a deal, yeah?” he spoke in such a tone of voice that disclaimed any seriousness. His pitch to the ponies provoked a plethora of reactions. Twilight simply stared at him, quirking a brow at the bizarre, yet relatively mundane condition set forth by their surprisingly unresisting captive-to-be. “… You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” Applejack shared her bookish friend’s sentiment. “… Seriously?” Fluttershy looked thoughtful, giving a soft hum as she tapped a hoof against her chin, wondering whether to serve tea or coffee. Rarity recoiled in horror. “N-n-now, just hold on one minute! You keep your horrid claws off my precious mane, you scoundrel!” she shouted at him, unconsciously raising a hoof to shield her pristinely kept coiffure. Rainbow Dash was utterly repulsed, the girlish, flamboyant nature of his request turning her off completely. “That’s just…” Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared from behind him and perched herself on his shoulder, a wide smile adorning her muzzle. “Super-duper-fantastic-fabulous-fantabulous!” she exclaimed while craning her neck to look at him, the facetious nature of his demand for a tea party and mane-braiding session having gone entirely over her head. “Really? I mean, REALLY-really!? That’s just GREAT! We can have balloons and cake and streamers and confetti! It’ll be sooo much fun! Oh, wow! I thought you were going to be a real mean-meany pants like Old Discord! Well, you kinda’ are… Well, actually, you’re just a little grumpy! Just a grumpy, grouchy grumpy-grump-pants! But that’s okay! Nothing a good ol’ pulse-pounding, pep-filled Pinkie Pie-style Party can’t fix! I’ll have you smiling in-“ She was stopped midsentence when the draconequus pinched her lips shut with his claws. “Sarcasm eludes you, doesn’t it, dear?” he asked her rhetorically, giving her a flat look. “Not for long! I’m Ponyville’s Hide and Seek Champion, dontcha’ know! I’ll track ‘em down in ten seconds flat! Who are they, anyway? Friend of yours?” she replied as Rainbow Dash looked funnily at her. He stared at her, seemingly dumbfounded for a moment before shaking away his astonishment at her. “It really does, you poor, ADD-addled performance artist…” he whispered under his breath, pity evident in his voice. “Huh? Whatcha’ say?” “Nothing, love! Nothing at all!” he answered quickly as he gave her a smile to sate her. “Now then! While… whateveritisyoujustsaid sounds just positively delightful! I’m afraid I’m having a bit of a wardrobe crisis here, the chocolate milk all over me, if you hadn’t noticed.” he said, indicating his still soaked clothes with a sweeping gesture. “Oh yeah! I remember that!” she giggled a bit at the memory. “That was pretty funny! Looked fun, too! Glad I’m not the only one here who appreciates a good chocolate milk shower! Could you make it rain on me next? Oh! And don’t forget the whipped cream this time!” His smile dropped slightly. “That wasn’t on purpose.” She laughed in response. “HAhahaha! Oh, you’re so funny, New Discord!” He became confused at the name. “New Discord?” “Yeppers! You’re here to replace Old Discord as Equestria’s Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony and spread chaos and disharmony all over Equestria! You know, turn houses upside down, make it night, then day, then night, then day, flying pigs, ballerina buffalos, and… Oh! And don’t forget the chocolate milk rain! And whipped cream!” she blurted out without a single pause for breath, disturbingly cheerful as she described the dreadful affair that was Discord’s previous rampage through Ponyville. “That all sounds… awful. And ridiculous. And impossible. Why would I do that? HOW could I do that?” “With Discord’s magic, silly!” “… Magic?” “Uh huh! But I’m sure he told you all about that!” “Of course he did…” he drawled out, to which Pinkie rapidly nodded her head. “In any case,” he started again, diverting away from the current topic, “Let’s continue that particular conversation another time. I don’t suppose you know of anywhere with a dry cleaning service? Before these stains settle in.” he asked, plucking her off his shoulder and gently placing her back on the ground. “Oh! I know a place! Rarity’s got a boutique! I’m sure she’d be able to help you out!” Pinkie answered, pointing a hoof at the fashionista unicorn, who violently shook her head in denial. He looked at Rarity, who gulped out of nervous reflex under his interested gaze, fearing for the future of her shop. “Good to know…” “AHEM!” Applejack loudly cleared her throat, hoping to gain their attention. “If y’all are quite done horsin’ around…” Rainbow flew in between them, making them flinch. “Are you coming with us or not? And claws off the mane, bud!” He shrugged. “I suppose I am. It’s not like I’ve got anywhere else to go.” A wry grin then formed on his mouth. “Carry me?” Rainbow was unimpressed. “… Yeeaahhh… Not gonna’ happen.” He shrugged once more and gestured in the direction the ponies came from. “Then lead the way.” “Hold out yer’ claws, then.” Applejack instructed as she readied her lasso in her mouth. He complied, giving a dismissive snort while rolling his eyes as he did so. With a flick of her head, her lasso lashed out and laced up his wrists completely, not allowing but the most minimal movements. He fidgeted in discomfort, his teeth bared as he scowled at his restraints, but made no attempt to resist. “Now move it!” Rainbow barked, flying behind him and giving a strong shove to his back. He stumbled forward, grumbling a little as he began walking. Applejack gave her lasso a firm tug, ensuring her ensnarement of their draconequus prisoner. The other ponies turned around and started back the way they came in an uncomfortable silence with their coerced company. They were quite nonplussed with how their confrontation with Discord’s claw-picked replacement had went. It was not the epic battle to decide the fate of Equestria that they were expecting, exchanging mighty blows with an entirely new chaotic and mad god bent on the utter destruction of them and everything they held dear, their fight scorching the very earth they stood upon and forever scarring the surrounding landscape, their battlefield an eternal testament to their courage, valor, and heroism that day against a powerful and nigh-unstoppable foe. Instead, their “epic battle” was a short-lived personality conflict in which they and the chaotic and mad god in question briefly complained at each other before he literally threw his claws up and said “Buck it, I give,” though he was a bit more wordy than that. The ponies’ feelings on his surrender were varied, though they were all still very surprised. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were nevertheless suspicious of him, even more so now, suspecting an ulterior motive or hidden agenda behind his cooperation with them, and thus kept their guard up, wary of any trickery by him. Twilight and Rarity, while also cautious of what he might be up to, were nonetheless relieved that he simply gave himself up rather than draw them into a lengthy battle, the potential for collateral damage had they actually fought, especially with them being not that far off from Ponyville, being far too great for their liking, and Rarity the potential of chipping one of her expertly manicured hooves a risk bordering on unacceptable. Fluttershy was also glad, thankful that things had ended as peacefully as they did, fighting being something that never struck her fancy, the gentle soul that she was. Looking back at him, she slowed her pace to match his, coming up to his side as she prepared to begin befriending their alleged adversary, hoping to start with some light conversation… Pinkie Pie was bouncing along, happy as well with their “victory,” already planning a “Hurray-We-Caught-New-Discord-Technically-Sort-Of-Maybe-Whatever-Who-Cares-We-Won Party!” to cap off the success of their mission from the Princess, complete with a “Mission Accomplished!” banner. Rarity gave a curious look back at the draconequus in tow before leaning her head towards Twilight’s. “Well, that went better than I’d have thought, I suppose.” She whispered to her friend. “I guess. But stay on your hooves. I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy…” Twilight whispered back, glancing behind herself at their prisoner, who was currently staring off into space, his blank, neutral expression only betraying a small measure of annoyance by way of his slightly furrowed brows. Rarity nodded in agreement. “Too right.”