What will become of me. Once I lost all my novelty?
Twilight gnawed at herself again before burying her face further in her book and letting out a groan. It was the fifth time she was reading the same passage. The stars shone tauntingly at her as to tell her that it was far too late for her to be up. She didn’t care. Simply going back to reading, this time her fifth book that night before going back to slamming her head inside the contents. The thoughts of the day hadn’t left her even with her hardest efforts of trying to forget them. Even resorting to colour coding a stack of books beside her before knocking them down to rearrange them, this time alphabetically. Before knocking them down again.
Twilight let out a laugh, sounding a bit unhinged, as she repeated the day’s event again for the thousandth time.
Stack, organize, knock over, mope, repeat.
Princess Twilight royally messed up.
When it happened she expected getting yelled at and ridiculed by Celestia, in fact, she wanted it. But the Princess simply helped her to her room and tucked her into bed. She didn’t even have an ounce of disappointment on her face when she physically dragged her former student out of the ballroom to her childhood bedroom in the castle before closing the door wishing her goodnight with a loving smile like a mother would to her child as if it was any other day.
Twilight thought being yelled at and berated would’ve been better. It was what she deserved for passing out in front of some of the most influential ponies of all of Equestria and making a mockery of herself.
She let out another groan while stacking the nearby books once again. Stack, organize, knock over, mope, repeat. Stack, organize, knock over, mope, repeat. Stack, organize, knock over-
“Can you do something else? I swear I’ve seen every single possibility of how eighteen books can be stacked and rearranged.” Twilight paused her rhythmic routine when the awfully familiar voice complained and made a very exaggerated yawning noise.
With a slow turn of her head, she looked at her new company with an unfocused gaze. Anypony would be more than terrified if they were confronted with a being with several body parts meshed together and large yellow eyes staring right at them. Especially at this hour. However, Twilight looked at him with indifference and a small twitch of her eye; a habit she developed in her youth that reemerges when she found something unpleasant.
With a heavy sigh, “Discord, what do you want?” She asked in a nonchalant tone and a roll of her eyes.
He placed his paw dramatically above his heart with an audibly loud hurt gasp. “You wound me, Princess, is that how you address your bestest friend?” He said batting his elongated eyelashes rivaling Rarity’s. When he didn’t get any reaction he gave her an unconvincing pout before snapping back and grumblingly taking a seat and admiring the light fixtures in the room.
“How dreadfully boring this room is, I can’t believe you spent your years in here, it can really use some sprucing up!”
He crackled and with a snap and a flash the lights above them began to transform into mini Princess Celestias, her cutie-mark lighting up the room, “Twilight, you’re my faithful of faithfulest students, I appreciate you so much for saving Equestria time and time again while I prance around in my throne room hearing rich ponies talk about their super-duper cool lives!” It said in an awful mocking tone that sounded nothing like the Princess while illuminating the left side of Twilight’s face.
Twilight quickly blasted the Celestia light away with her magic before it could start another pep talk, raining glitter of what was left of the mini lights. What brilliant engineering.
Brushing a speck of glitter off her face she turned to meet his eyes finally giving him her full attention, “Should I even try and ask what you’re doing here, or are you going to say you caught some blue sickness that requires a giant flower and me on a death bed again? Or better yet, perhaps the same monologues about your new favourite kind of tea?!” She snapped.
Discord gasped, “My dearest Twilight how dare you assume I got sick again, I would like to say that the remedy Applejack suggested works wonders. You should try it one day Princess, smearing apple sauce on your cheeks helps bring out a glow, one you desperately need!” He smirked, “And if you were wondering my favourite kind of tea is crushed lavender jasmine!” He proclaimed, sniffing a chuckle, “however, something did perk my interest, and it’s certainly not your organization skills.”
Twilight clenched her jaw, returning back to her book as she was far too tired to deal with him and knowing that she didn’t really have a choice but to go along with what he wanted until he was bored. So she rereads the same passage. This time a sixth time. “Go on,” Twilight beckoned Discord to continue.
“Why to see how my favourite purple impressionist Princess does her princess duties while prancing around her mentor of course.”
Twilight’s eye twitched again, “Well, I hope you’re entertained,” quickly closing the topic before he had the chance to exploit it.
Discord frowned, floating around the room he asked, “Also to ask why you’ve been so self-deprecating.” Twilight snapped her book closed swiftly turning to Discord sparks of magic daring to come out and obliterate him.
Twilight laughed, “you of all people would have loved seeing me like this. I’m surprised you don’t have a camera out right now to tell all the tabloids that Princess Twilight Sparkle is Canterlot’s biggest embarrassment, so they can plaster my face onto their ridiculous covers. So don’t you dare act like you care about how I feel because I know, and you know, that you’re only intent of you being here is to ridicule me like you do every single time.” Her breathing had become uneven, her unrest coming to light.
Discord’s face softened. A new hurt expression materialized. One she hadn’t thought was possible to see on him. Twilight suddenly felt a pang of guilt welling up in her heart.
“I’m sorry, that was messed up–” She said burying her face into the contents of her book hoping it would drown her. She rarely snapped at anyone. She liked to think she had good control over her emotions after years of practice and the lessons on royal etiquette she took with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna prior to her coronation. Remembering clearly what Celestia had told her that even in the face of horribleness a Princess must remain composed and never falter. Still, sometimes she slipped up, and when she did it made her feel even worse. So much worse.
Instead of getting mad at her like she expected he jokingly brushed her outburst off and continued to animate another object in the room, Discord put a reassuring paw on her shoulder.
“Quite the contrary Twilight. Believe it or not, I didn’t see the fiasco that has made you this, uhh, depressed? I was merely stopping by. So you should definitely tell me what happened.” Discord finished with a snap and a bag of popcorn miraculously appeared in his hands waiting for the show to begin.
Twilight didn't want to explain the situation to him at all, but perhaps it was out of guilt she felt the need to. She let out another sigh before beginning, “There was this spell that allows me to stay awake without having to deal with the problem of the side effect of fatigue. I used it a lot when I was younger when I needed to stay up to study for an important final exam or midterm and coffee just wasn’t as effective. Because enhancing your productivity with something like coffee is great for maybe two hours until it wears off and the tiredness you suppressed hits you. So this spell was the best solution… in theory. The downside was since you didn’t feel the fatigue, you also don't know when you’ll pass out from overexertion. I guess I forgot about it.”
Discord slowly clapped, “Well that’s what happens Twilight when you don’t listen to your body when it’s screaming at you. Next time don’t run a marathon unprompted.” He winked, stamping an approval stamp on her forehead.
Twilight wiped her forehead clean, “definitely learned my lesson when I collapsed right in front of the most important nobles in all of Canterlot.” She groaned in despair.
Discord gave a boisterous laugh, “bravo, bravo! That’s one way to go out. What a bang Twilight, really wished I was there to see it. Very impressive too, I don’t think I could’ve done a stunt like that.”
“And right before the Grand Galloping Gala too, so I get to see all their smug faces tomorrow night. I already heard some of the rumours going around from the staff, not pretty things to hear at all.” Twilight hated to admit but seeing Discord being so entertained really helped her find some sort of comfort.
He wiped away a tear, “I’d hate to be you right now.”
“Gee thanks, Discord,” Twilight said sarcastically. But she gave him a smile. One he returned.
All of a sudden a loud snap and they appeared right in front of a sleeping noble, Upper Crust, who was a part of the group who saw Twilight’s fall earlier that day.
Twilight’s mouth was agape, about to let out a sound, a silent shriek, yet not daring to wake Upper Crust up.
“RELAX SPARKLE, I GAVE HER SLEEPING AIDS!” Discord shouted in her ear with a microphone making her jump up with her wings hitting the ceiling as she did. He snickered pointing to the earplugs in Upper Crust’s ears. She continued to sleep soundly even with him juggling boomboxes right beside her.
“Discord!” Twilight harshly scolded-whispered flying back down to the floor. Although Discord’s sleeping aids were clearly working well, she was certainly not going to take her chances in embarrassing herself, again, in front of someone from the Grand Galloping Gala event committee.
“What? It’s all in good fun,” he said giving her his toothy grin, “and you look hilarious scared. Spitfire should be nervous, you’re a Wonderbolt in the making Captain Sparkle from the speed you shot up you might take her spot!” He finished giving her a Wonderbolt badge with matching goggles to go along and the faint anthem of Cloudsdale accompanying them.
Twilight, however, was fuming, “Why did you bring us here?”
Discord gave a tsk noise, like how a teacher would before lecturing their student. Pulling out a chart to illustrate, “Twilight, these nobles who are too snobby because of Canterlot’s outrageous concept of social class are so entitled. That when a Princess of Equestria collapses in front of them their first thought isn’t to help her but to make fun of her and ridicule her. He really enunciated the Princess of Equestria part. “But the truth is dear, they’re hypocrites.”
Snap.
“Upper Crust has a secret stuffed animal collection.”
Snap.
“Danty Glitz never tips his servers.”
Snap.
“Fancy Pants hates vegetables, he once secretly threw his vegetable soup out a window and later played it off like he had eaten the whole thing and that it was the most delicious thing in Equestria.”
Snap.
“Jet Set has never actually met any of the Wonderbolts but continues to say he has and uses it as its own personality trait.”
With the last snap of his talons, they were back in her room. “Bleh, I can’t stand the Canterlot elite, hearing them bicker while encased in stone was the worst part. They seriously haven’t even gotten a bit better in the last thousand years.”
He materialized a small stage when the curtain opened it revealed two puppets, “Mr. Diamond Glam can I go to your tea party?” Discord voiced in a posh high-pitched voice, “No! You don’t have this ultra-specific suit in magenta, how unfashionable, I cannot allow someone like that at my fine tea party!” The puppet Diamond Glam said, “Boo-hoo I’m going to destroy your reputation and expose you to the public!” The other puppet retorted throwing its arms up. Twilight hoped for its name but Discord snapped and with a poof, the scene was finished.
“I mean, everyone has their habits and flaws we’re in no position to judge them.” She argued.
“Exactly, everyone has their flaws and they have no right to judge, especially someone with your status as literal Princess of Equestria, benevolent and almighty.”
She lapsed in thought trying to find a reasonable rebuttal.
“It’s rather pathetic that they’re so cruel when they have done things more shameful than fainting in front of some random ponies due to literal over exhaustion because they couldn’t do their jobs.” He finished.
“Discord-”
“So what if you messed up once? You’re still worth more than their whole committee of hypocrites who all have way more to be ashamed of. How dare they treat you like this.”
Her heart began to pound and her thoughts and frustrations about the day and the incident finally caught up to her, she felt her body grow weak as tears welled up in her eyes threatening to spill, “I suppose I didn’t look at it that way. I just didn’t want them to think I wasn’t capable, I feel like I would’ve kept proving myself to them even if it didn’t equate to much.”
“HA. After saving Equestria for the two thousandth time what more do they want?” Discord said. “Want to take a trip down the memory of Twilight’s biggest contributions to Equestria,” The words manifested in front of them with glitter to accompany it.
Twilight laugh, “I think I’ll have to pass.” Discord crossed his arm with a pout jokingly but after gave her a soft smile one she rarely saw.
“Twilight Sparkle, after devoting her whole life to this nation what more do ponies want. At that point, if they’re not satisfied with being saved from an invasion or a power-hungry magic-sucking villain then they’ll never be satisfied or happy. So what’s the point of trying to prove yourself.” He whispered.
“What’s the point,” She repeated.
“Do it for your friends, for the ponies who actually care and will appreciate your efforts as do I.”
They lapsed in silence for a while Discord wandering around her childhood room and her reading the same book she had started two hours ago, but this time actually moving past that wretched passage.
After a bit Discord stood in front of her, lifting her attention off her book he asks, “Twilight, would you be my guest at the Grand Galloping Gala? Princess Celestia was ever so kind to give me not one but two tickets. So you get the luckiest opportunity to be my friend to the Gala.” She didn’t know what she was expecting but certainly not this.
“But I already have a tick-“ she tried to rebuttal.
“How modest of you Twilight but don’t worry you are a great friend and I would be honoured to sacrifice my annual ticket for you to come to meet all the lovely nobles this city has to offer.” He said with a spin of his wrist and a roll of his eyes.
After a moment, Twilight smiled and shook her head. “Still the same old Discord. Nothing’s ever quite what it seems with you, is it?”
“Where would be the fun in that?”
“Okay then, I accept your generous invitation, sir.”
“You’ll receive my invoice within the week!” Discord declared, giving her a bow as he did, “Now off to bed. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day getting to see your favourite snobbiest friends.”
“Sure-sure,” Twilight said, with a sleepy smile, “Good night, Discord.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Stares. Lots of stares. They all gaped at her.
Twilight didn’t know if it was because of the fiasco the nobles saw the previous day or if it was because Equestria’s youngest Princess, Celestia’s favourite, also rumoured to be Celestia’s successor, was going to the Grand Galloping Gala with a certain infamous draconequus as her plus one. Or as he put it, Twilight was his plus one.
It was suffocating. Twilight felt a slight shake over her body that she couldn’t control, her heart speeding up ever so slightly from the simple glaze of one of the party-goers. She felt herself go stiff, she was frozen. Until Discord’s boisterous laugh brought her back was she able to breathe.
“Honestly, for these to be the noblest and posh ponies in all of Equestria don’t they know that staring is rude.” Discord announced out loud, enough for their onlookers to hear at least, which made all of them quickly turn away flustered.
Twilight let out a laugh. She didn’t anticipate being so confidently passive-aggressive to the very nobles who saw her pass out to be so entertaining. Especially, with Discord (of all guests) to be by her side.
“Twilight, let’s dance.” Before she could argue he led her to the dance floor. They were the first pair to dance, and they led the rest of the night in a dance.
Although she could feel the whole room gawking at them she didn’t feel the need to do anything else. She was indifferent that they were watching, perhaps even judging her because at that moment she felt carefree, free from the burdens of the rumours and opinion that clouded her mind and prevented her to soar.
“Discord, thank you,” Twilight said quiet enough for only him to hear.
With a gentle smile, “Anytime.”