Dear Princess Celestia,
An event has occurred in Ponyville. I fear that Discord has escaped. Pinkie Pie claims to have seen one of his creations, a cloud raining orange soda. I trust her completely. I wish for you to answer as quickly as possible.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
Celestia put the scroll down. Although her desk was filled with papers, she always put Twilight's letters ahead of everything else. She set the scroll down, and thought deeply about how he had escaped. Just as she was about to see where his statue stood, the princess heard movement behind her. It sounded similar to a slither of a snake.
"I'm surprised you escaped yet again from your stone prison, Discord." she said, smiling to herself.
"Should I be happy you knew I was a draconequus, or upset because you thought I was Discord?" said a voice that she did not know. Confused, she turned around, and saw a draconequus sitting in the corner of her room, but it wasn't Discord. The color scheme of his body was different to that of Celestia's lover. He had a black body, his eagle arm was gold, his lion arm was grey, his lizard leg was scarlet, his goat leg was white, and his tail was green. His face remained hidden in the darkness of the room.
"I thought all the draconequusi had died." Celestia said, recovered from her initial shock.
"Well, you have Discord still. He's probably lucky to be so close to you." he said, laughing.
"How did you know he loved me?" asked the princess, half snarling, half confused.
"He told me, we were great friends before the war." Realization swept over Celestia as she understood who he was.
"Why did you never talk to me? If Discord was your friend, how come you left him when he expressed himself to me?"
"Because I wanted to keep away from you." he said with a chuckle.
"Why?"
"Secrets, my little alicorn."
"Did you cause the problem in Ponyville?"
"I wouldn't call it a problem, but if you are referring to my raincloud, then yes. I actually showed Discord how to make one." Celestia was sure he was smiling.
"Does he know you are alive?"
"Nope." he said, laughing more.
"Why haven't you?"
"I will, I just wanted to see you first. After all, you started this whole mess."
"I know." the Solar Princess said quietly as she hung her head down. The draconequus walked towards her, and put his hand on her mane. Celestia felt comforted as he glided his hand through her mane. She looked at his face, smiling. He had a grey face, similar to Discord's, but no facial hair. His antlers were also the same, except for them being on different sides in respect towards Discord. She wanted to see his eyes, but they were closed.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Dissonance."
"How did you survive the thousands of years since the war?"
"I found ways." he said. "Now, you best find a way to respond to your student."
"You know Twilight sent a letter?"
"I watched her send it." he said. With a last laugh, snapped his fingers and disappeared from the room. As she stood there, Pure Heart walked into the room with his wife.
"Sister," started Luna, "Are you okay? We heard voices from this room."
Celestia broke from her trance and said, "I'm fine Luna."
"Whom were you talking to?"
"An old acquaintance. Also, a friend of Discord."
Pure only started at Celestia, but Luna asked, "Dissonance?"
Surprised, the Solar Princess said, "How did you know his name?"
Luna smirked, and said, "You're not the only one who visits our friend in the basement."
Pure finally spoke, "So, is everything I originally learned about draconequusi and you two a lie?"
"Pretty much." said Celestia, and the two sisters started to laugh.
Their laugh was cut short by a knock on the door. A guard said loudly, "Princess, a unicorn named Amethyst wishes to see you now."
"Yes, bring her in." The door opened and in walked a blue unicorn. She bowed in the presence of the three alicorns.
"This is a secret mission, Amethyst. You don't need formalities."
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Anyways, I dealt with the issue in Ponyville, and talked to the creature responsible."
"He did seem a little out of it, didn't he?" she said, releasing a small giggle.
Confused, Celestia asked, "You met him?"
"Well, yes. It's kinda hard not to when he stays in the library with Twilight."
"Dissonance lives in the library?" shouted Celestia, taken back by her second favorite student's comment.
Amethyst also shrank back, scared of the princess. She finally spoke, "Who's Dissonance?"
"You said, you met him at the library."
"I don't know anypony named Dissonance."
"Then whom were you referring to?"
"A unicorn named Hazelnut."
Celestia seemed stumped by this. She thought she had solved the problem, but now there was a new variable. "What seemed unusual about this unicorn?"
"Other than the fact he likes tree enough to want to sleep in one, he always wore a cloak."
"Did you ask why?"
"He said he felt natural near trees."
"I mean the cloak." said Celestia, slightly irritated.
"Oh, sorry," the blue unicorn said, apologetically. "He said he didn't want other to see his cutie mark. He said it embarrassed him."
"Thank you for doing this, Amethyst." Celestia said, smiling.
"Any time, Princess." she was about to bow, but saw a look from Celestia, and just left the room.
Turning to her family, Celestia said, "How should we deal with this Hazel?"
"I'll go first thing tomorrow night." Pure Heart offered.
