AN: Thank you for waiting. We've had some family issues come up and the computer is still down. But now we are back.
As per usual, I don't own My Little Pony, or other references, including Night Vale and Pokemon.
Chapter 21: A True, True Friend
"You won't get away that easily," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.
In a show of skill and flurry of wing beats, Rainbow appeared in front of Discord with a smirk. Her sudden appearance appeared to surprise the draconequus in question, only making the pegasus feel even more smug. Not bothering to wait for his response, she Mspun around and gave a full bodied kick to the gut. And against everything that they had experienced before, she actually landed a hit upon the chaotic being.
A part of Rainbow felt it was odd that she was even able to hit him at all, but she quickly wrote it off as her own sheer awesomeness and skill.
"Ah, yes, the weather pony," Discord muttered to himself, clutching his gut.
"Oh, did you forget about me so easily?" Rainbow mocked, flipping in midair and landing on the ground before him, "I'm so hurt."
Discord didn't bother to respond, snapping his fingers. The ground underneath the pegasus vanished, being replaced by that of pudding. Rainbow gasped, feeling herself falling into the viscous material. She pulled her legs against it only to find that she sunk deeper and deeper into the pit.
"Just what are you doin'," an exasperated voice called from across the room, making both the pegasus and draconequus glance at where the cowpony had now joined them.
Applejack didn't even wait for a response as she pulled forth her lasso and launched it out against Discord once more. Her aim held true as the rope wrapped itself around Discord's body, effectively pulling his arms to his side. With a whoop of excitement, she made to pull her catch down to the ground and to tie up his limbs before he could act.
The Discord in question held a worried look on his face as the orange pony pulled with all her might to pull him down. With a snap of his tail a large vat of liquid appeared above the rope, the only clue to its contents the "Caution: The Beverage You Are About to Enjoy is HOT" stamped along the side. A second snap sounded in the cavern, pouring the dark liquid contained within over the rope, its superheated liquid melting the middle with a snap. Applejack and Discord both fell from the lack of tension, each trying to get back up before the other.
"Rainbow! Seriously! Just what are you doin'!" Applejack cried, "Use yer wings, darn it!"
Rainbow Dash blushed as she spread her wings wide. She had wings, and she would use them! With a few heavy flaps she pulled herself free. Shaking off the pudding that stuck to her hooves, she flashed back off to face Discord head on. The draconequus in question was still struggling against the rope that fastened his arms against his torso. Spotting Rainbow Dash's smirk, Discord gave a yelp and started running down the tunnel, snapping his fingers in quick succession, summoning large plates of spaghetti doused in tomato sauce that flew blindly over his shoulder towards the pegasus.
Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and a Rarity all arrived to the scene with the usual level of confusion that they had grown to anticipate with their battles against Discord. A plate of spaghetti topped with a tomato sauce flew across the room at Twilight Sparkle. Seeing the approaching pasta dish, the unicorn promptly ducked, avoiding the attack yet causing it to hit Pinkie in the face like a pie.
"Are you kidding me," Pinkie yelled as the pasta dripped off her face.
"Pinkie, are you ok," Applejack called out, running over to her friends who had only just arrived.
"Oh, I'm fine," Pinkie said with a smile, slurping up a noodle that clung to her cheek, "I see exactly what Discord is doing. And I have to say it is a dastardly cunning plan."
"Eh, how is that?"
"Why then I won't be able to chase him anymore as my stomach will be too full! Duh," Pinkie said as though she was explaining that the sky was blue. Jumping up, the party pony grabbed another plate of spaghetti that flew from the ensuing fight towards them.
With a full mouth, she continued to explain, "He keer-ps...feerding urs this urmazing...delicious food vat you...can't help burt eat! And ve more we…eat, ve fuller we reel! And ve more full we are...ve slower we run! It's positively GENIUS!"
"Right," Applejack said slowly, not believing a word she was hearing.
"Pinkie is right about something though," Twilight said, her face frowning in thought.
"She is?" "I am!" the other two asked at the same time.
"Something is off here," Twilight Sparkle muttered, glancing back up to watch as Rainbow Dash landed successful hit after successful hit upon Discord who continued to summon various pasta dishes against the pegasus.
"I know," Pinkie gave an upset cry, "This pasta is missing it's never-ending breadsticks!"
"What do you mean, Twilight?" Applejack spoke up before any of them got off topic with Pinkie Pie again.
"It's Discord himself," Twilight said with a frown, "Remember before, back at the cottage? All of us working together were barely a match for him. But now even Rainbow Dash is able to fight hoof to hoof with him."
"Well, Rarity is helping right now," Applejack provided, watching as the seamstress used spells to move rocks to defend Rainbow from Discord's attacks.
"True," Twilight admitted, "But even with that, have you noticed how all of his attacks have suddenly all become food related? Or that he seems to be more scared of us than his usual, cocky self?"
"Now that you mention it," Pinkie Pie commented, pausing to slurp down one more noodle, "He does seem to be using an unordinary amount of oregano in this sauce."
Applejack rolled her eyes, "He does use food for a lot of his magic. I mean, look at the clouds, that little cottage in the woods...he even used apples against me when we first ever fought against him!"
Twilight nodded once more, "He does, but he also uses other items or changes the environment to his advantage. He froze over your entire farm to ice skate. He has summoned lawn mowers to knock out changelings. We've even seen him turn roads into soap pits.
"But this one," she continued, eyes narrowing as she continued to analyze the creature before her, "He doesn't use any of these things. The only tools he has used so far was a cheese grater to cut the ropes from his body and some spatulas to flip vegetables out of frying pans at us."
"Well," Applejack drawled after a moment of silence, "What do you think it all means?"
"I think it means we aren't actually fighting the real Discord," Twilight said.
"You mean we are just fightin' a copy?"
"Exactly. Which means we-"
A familiar scream made the whole room pause.
"Fluttershy," Discord gasped out, ignoring the ponies before him and flying off down the hall in fright.
"Where do you think you're going!" Rainbow Dash called after him, flying into his path, making Discord come to a screeching halt. All the ponies in the room flinched at the sharp noise that was like nails upon a chalkboard.
"My ears," Twilight groaned, holding her head between her hooves.
"Do we really have time for this," Discord sighed in annoyance, tapping his foot impatiently upon the floor. The ground under Rainbow Dash broke open, a molten cheese sauce geyser erupting up towards the pegasus.
Rainbow backpedaled, avoiding the scorching dip by the hair on her head. As the sauce eruption slowed she spotted Discord slipping off down the hall.
"He's getting away!"
Twilight didn't even bother to respond, already making her way around the cheesy trap. Rarity followed close behind, with Applejack dragging Pinkie Pie at the rear.
"But the queso-y goodness," the pink pony cried, reaching out towards the now simmering cheese pit, but they were already turning the corner to the adjoining hall.
Fluttershy found herself cornered, glancing nervously back and forth as two different changeling's approached her. Laughter bubbled out of her even as her eyes darted around, looking for an exit.
"Fluttershy! Duck!"
Dropping to the floor, she watched as a cast iron skillet in the shape of a duck soared over her head and slammed into the first of the two advancing changelings. The second glanced around in shock at the sudden attack on his friend.
Discord appears next to Fluttershy, holding a whisk threateningly at the remaining changeling, "My apologies. The last one would have been a duck, but my duck telepathy is on the fritz."
Fluttershy didn't get a moment to speak her thanks when a beam of white energy flew by and hit the remaining changeling.
"Fluttershy!" came the familiar cry from down the tunnel. Glancing over her shoulder she spotted her friends from Ponyville rushing forward.
"G-girls?!"
"Discord. I'll only say this once. Back away from Fluttershy," Twilight growled out, horn glowing bright.
The draconequus scoffed, crossing his arms and scowling, "And why should I?"
A beam of magic hit the whisk in his hand, making it fly off over his shoulder. Fluttershy gasped, ducking behind Discord in fear.
"Well that wasn't very nice," he muttered, though a look of fear passed the clones eyes.
"You won't look very nice when we're done with you," Rainbow grinned evilly.
"Fluttershy, dear, we are here to rescue you from this brute and bring you home again," Rarity called out to the cowering pony.
"What?" Fluttershy whispered, glancing back up over Discord's tail.
"Now who are you callin' a brute," Discord frowned, stepping between Fluttershy and the group.
"You are ya' big lunk!" Applejack called, "Come on, sugar cube! You don't actually trust this guy, do ya?"
"I...I…." Fluttershy choked on her words, glancing nervously back and forth.
"Don't listen to them, Fluttershy!" Discord looked over his shoulder.
As each group called out to the small pegasus, Fluttershy seemed to crawl more and more inside herself. Their conflicting cries falling upon an already confused pony.
Fluttershy felt conflicted as she watched her friends from Ponyville challenge Discord. He looked tired as he breathed in and out in heavy bursts, his body covered in scrapes. It seemed that Discord's clones were not made of the same stuff as the original.
Glancing back and forth Fluttershy tried to decide what to do. On one side were her closest friends that she had ever had. They were her fellow elements of harmony, practically her family after all they had been through together. And yet here they were glaring down Discord who was simply trying to protect her.
"Don't you see what he is doing to you Fluttershy," Rarity called out, "He has blatantly lied to you and is now trying to keep you away from us!"
"I-I...I don't," Fluttershy muttered, glancing back and forth between her friends and Discord. The world felt like it was slipping from her control and wanting to spin away, her eyes unable to stay focused for more than a few seconds at a time.
"Don't listen to them Fluttershy," Discord said calmly, taking his eyes off the attacking ponies, "They put this horrible curse on you. They ran you out of town. What reason do you have to trust them?"
Fluttershy just whimpered in response. Her heart felt like it was about to fly out of her chest. She no longer felt in control. Her body felt numb, as though she had just become a puppet upon a stage being pulled along by somepony else.
"Don't listen to us," Rainbow Dash scoffed, "Like you are one to talk! Look at what he did to us when we first met him! He changed us all into our opposites! How is that friendly in any way? Listen to your true friends Fluttershy."
"I…," Fluttershy whispered as she gasped for air, "I can't-"
"I don't know what lies he's told you, sugarcube," Applejack drawled, eyes never leaving the clone, "But they're just that, lies. We're here to bring you home again. Isn't that what you want?"
No, Fluttershy wanted to say but words were not forming. She really didn't want to go home right now. She remembered what it was like. All the sneers and disappointed faces. No, she didn't want to go home. She just wanted to be with her friends, all of her friends, in a nice, peaceful place where they wouldn't have to worry about anypony else. She did not want to go to that place known as Ponyville. As far as she remembered her house was the cake shop in the middle of town, where she would have to get past everypony in town. No, that was not what she wanted at all.
"Grab my claw, Fluttershy," Discord reached out to her, "And we'll never have to see them again. We could go live in the cottage by the sea! Or by a forest! Or an animal reserve! You don't have to deal with these fake friends ever again."
"Stay away from her," Twilight pushed forward, horn glowing brightly with magic.
"But-but I," Fluttershy muttered, eyes brimming with tears. She didn't want to hurt either side.
Fluttershy had to be honest with herself. As much as she didn't want to go back to Ponyville, she didn't want to go back to the cottage again either. That was as good as solitude for the rest of her life. Discord may have been acting as a good friend, but the idea of solitary confinement was not what she considered to be a happy life.
This wasn't what she wanted! This wasn't it at all!
"Fluttershy," Discord's voice brought her out of her daze. The worn draconequus just stood there, smiling that odd goofy grin he wore when she laughed at his jokes or when a prank had gone well. He seemed so calm.
"It's going to be alright," he continued, "No matter what you choose. I know my original may not agree with that idea, but he really just wants you to be happy."
She sniveled lightly, wiping the tears away before they fell. Looking up she saw a tranquility in his eyes that reminded her their previous days spent in his small cottage. They had been fun, and he had been so kind and caring to her condition. Perhaps going with Discord wouldn't be such a bad choice.
"Discord," Fluttershy whispered, hesitantly reaching out towards his outstretched claw.
On the other side of the room her friends watched in horror as Fluttershy made her choice.
"No," Twilight whispered. Here they had fought all this way to get their friend back and now all they could do was watch as she was tricked into making the wrong choice.
"No!" she repeated louder, catching the attention of her friends.
Fury in her eyes, Twilight's horn glowed brightly in the dark caves with magic. Without a thought to what spell she may cast, the unicorn unleashed a spell on the draconequus that was manipulating their friend once more. Previous views of keeping Discord in one piece and working with him for Fluttershy's sake were tossed out the window as the spell flew free and true to her target.
Fluttershy noticed none of this as she slowly reached out towards Discord. She was within hoofs reach of him when a blinding light hit the draconequus before her. The world filled with light, blinding her view and blasting her hair back with it's etherial winds.
"Discord?" Fluttershy called out in a concerned cough, trying to glance through the offending dust to her friend.
Hearing no response she felt her heartbeat began to quicken in pace, mad laughter returning to her ears as she glanced desperately around. Her breaths began to come in faster paces, as she could only imagine the worst.
Fluttershy dashed forward, ignoring the calls from the other ponies in the room. She had to find her friend who was lost in the settling dust. She couldn't find anything at first, then she spotted a stray hoof sprouting from the earth at an odd angle, followed by a limp eagles claw lying upon a large rock. Letting out a small shout of fear, Fluttershy rushed to his side immediately.
"Di-Discord?" she whispered.
"Ah," Discord coughed, "Miss Fl-luttershy."
"Nononono," Fluttershy began shaking as she studied his fallen form, "Ju...just give me a minute, I'll get help and-"
"Fluttershy," Discord whispered with a frown, making the pegasus pause before she fully lost herself, "The only ones nearby are that group of ponies, and they aren't going to help someone like me."
"I'll-I'll convince them otherwise," she urged, "I can talk to them and we'll...we'll…."
Discord gave a soft laugh only for him to grimace at the pain.
"Don't worry, dear little Fluttershy," Discord said with a sad smile, "I'll be alright. I'm just a copy, right?"
"Th-that's not fair to you though," Fluttershy's voice was barely heard even with how close she was.
"I'll be fine," the draconequus urged once more, "But I'm afraid you might not be. I don't know where you are when you get into your laughing fits, but it isn't who you are. Please don't leave us, Fluttershy. I know my original would be most sad if you did."
"You're talking like you are going to leave me," Fluttershy whispered, eyes tearing up.
A frown marred the clones face, before he looked her directly in the eyes, "The magic won't hold much longer, my dear."
Fluttershy gulped, eyes darting back and forth like she was trying to find the right words, "You-you can't! Who is going to help us make cakes? Or-or make pancakes on demand! Or-"
"Fluttershy," Discord whispered, patting her on the head, "Please don't leave us all behind."
"Discord," Fluttershy choked up, unable to respond, grabbing his paw between her hooves.
With one last sigh, the clone lay still upon the floor. Fluttershy glanced across his motionless form, crying out to him but to no avail. As she was crying his body slowly began to fade, starting at his feet and tail, slowly making its way up his head. Holding tightly, as though it would keep him here, Fluttershy closed her eyes and held his paw close. Soon even his paw disappeared, leaving the air before her empty.
Finally opening her eyes, she saw that the crater in which Discord had lay was now empty. Pulling her hooves closer to her chest to help hold against the pain in, she found a chuckle escaped her lips. It felt like the whole world had been ripped out from under her.
Her mind could no longer recognized the Discord that had been before her as a clone, as much as the copy had tried to push, only recognizing this destruction as the death of the actual Discord himself.
An empty numbness was taking over, making the world around her fade.
A soft chuckle left her lips without her consent, but she was no longer there to care.
The first laugh lead to a second.
And the second to the third.
Until all that was left…
...
...was the sound…
...
...
…of laughter.
...
...
...
Perhaps…
...
...
...
...
...
Perhaps it was simply better this way.
The remaining Elements of Harmony stood across the room in shock. None of them had expected such a spell to have existed, let alone for it to be used in such a way against their opponent. Sure, Discord was a pain and an annoyance, but none of them really wanted to see any real harm come to him. They just wanted him to stop keeping Fluttershy locked away.
"What did you do," Rarity was the first to react, asking in awe at the smoke and dust that filled the room before them, blocking off their view of both Fluttershy and the clone of Discord.
"I-I don't know!" Twilight gasped, scared of the power she just unleashed, "I just wanted Discord to stop! I wanted him to go away!"
The group flinched as they heard the cry of despair from across the room.
"What's going on," Applejack said in concern. They could hear whispers but not what was being said.
"I'm on it," Rainbow declared, using her wings to push the dust out of the room.
Soon the group could spot the yellow pony sitting next to a downed form of Discord. Only that this Discord wasn't whole, he was slowly vanishing across the room. They could all see as Fluttershy sat by his side, tears streaming down her face, holding his lions arm close to her until he finally vanished in full.
"She does know that's only a clone, right?" Rarity asked in worry, hesitantly making her way towards the crying pony.
"It doesn't look like it to me," Pinkie said, sounding completely off with her serious tone and frown across her face.
Much to their surprise, instead of their friend crying in sorrow and grief, they only heard her start to laugh. Her laughs only increased until the filled up the room, making all the ponies stop in worry.
"Twilight?" Rainbow asked, landing next to the unicorn, eyes not leaving Fluttershy, "What's...what's going on?"
"Did my spell do this to her," Twilight whispered, never having seen this kind of reaction to loss before.
"Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie raced forward, pushing past her group of friends to get to the lone pegasus, "Fluttershy, can you hear us! It's me! It's Pinkie!"
As Pinkie neared her friend a large flash made her stumble back. Looking up, her and the others gasped in shock at the sight of large, foreboding changeling stood before them, wearing a set of armor that demanded attention and spoke volumes of his place in the hive.
"So this is where you were hiding," Chalcid smirked as he looked at the laughing pony before him, "I thought I would never find you."
Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the rest of the ponies in the room, "And you brought your little friends together too. Oh, Queen Chrysalis is going to reward me for your little group."
"Who are you," Twilight called out, eyeing the changeling.
"Why, I am Commander Chalcid. And I will be the one delivering you to my glorious Queen to be devoured tonight," Chalcid laughed.
Moving next to the laughing pony he used his magic to summon the pony to him. Fluttershy was outlined in green as the magic took hold, lifting her up to eye level. Yet the hysterical pony didn't seem to notice the change at all, eyes remaining out of focus, staring off into a distant horizon that nopony really knew of.
"Put her down!" Rainbow Dash called out, jumping into the air as she and the others took up battle stances.
"Do so and your friend here gets it," Chalcid chortled, levitating the yellow pegasus in front of him, "You don't want to hurt your poor little friend here, do you?"
Twilight's eyes grew wide with worry, backing away slowly she said, "Rainbow. Stand down."
"But Twilight!"
"You don't want to hurt Fluttershy any more now, do ya'," Applejack put in, following Twilight's lead, "We'll figure this out. You trust Twilight, right?"
Rainbow frowned and landed back on the ground.
Chalcid snorted at their little display, "Stupid ponies. So predictable. So easy to manipulate."
Turning, he studied the pony that he held in his magical grasp, "I see that you have only gotten worse while I have been busy with your friend."
Chalcid sneered at he looked over her shaking form. It was always so much more enjoyable when prey fought back or cried or reacted in any way. Yet she just sat there in his spell, laughing into the distance.
"My-my, you are the noisy one, aren't you?" Chalcid frowned, studying her form, "Laughter is simply much too sweet for my tastes, but if it will make you quiet…."
The changeling's horn glew an eerie green, billowing out like a tendril of mist around Fluttershy. The thought of the meal to come almost made Chalcid drool as he watched in satisfaction as his spell took over. Pulling the pony closer to himself, he prepared to take a bite even as Twilight and the others gasped in realization of what he made to do. The group rushed forward to try and stop him only to shout in shock when a large explosion crashed out on the wall behind the changeling.
"Put her down!" Discord called out, holding a chocolate milk in each hand, a sneer upon his face as he looked at the changeling commander before him.
"Ah, good Lord Discord," Chalcid called out in false merriment, "I was curious if you would join our party or not."
"How could I avoid it when my friend is here," Discord said, eyeing Fluttershy still stuck in the changeling's grasp.
"Well I will tell you what I told them," Chalcid sneered, "Stay back or the girl gets hurt."
"That's not what he said before," Pinkie muttered with a frown.
"Put Fluttershy down or you'll force me to use all my powers to make your life a living nightmare," Discord growled, gaze not leaving his opponent.
"Both of you back away from Fluttershy now!" Rainbow called out from the middle of the room.
"Back away or what?" Chalcid laughed darkly.
"Or-or we'll use the elements of harmony on you!" Rainbow Dash declared, flustered at the thought that her threat really held no precedence.
Both Discord and Chalcid stared at her as though she had grown a second head.
The changeling chuckled softly at first before it became full bellied laughs, "You silly pony. Do you really think that I don't study my opponents before I launch an attack? I know fully well that you need all the ponies of harmony to launch an attack!"
"He's right you know," Twilight whispered in despair, "We'd need Fluttershy if we were going to use those against him."
"Seeing as you have no grounds to attack me," Chalcid droned on, turning his attention across the room to where Discord was, "I will...wait, where did the draconequus go?"
"I think it's time for you to pay more attention," a voice said from right before him. The Fluttershy he had been holding looked up, revealing Discord's face upon Fluttershy's body.
"Oh my," Rarity whispered, falling back and dramatically fainting on the spot.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Rainbow muttered, looking as green as her friends around her at the combination of her friend and her enemy.
Discord reached forward and punched the changeling commander in the face, knocking the changeling back many paces. Chalcid shook his head, trying to clear his vision yet Discord was upon him before he could even get an even footing. A snap of his paw and a large boulder appeared above the changeling, descending at a fast pace.
Chalcid rolled out of the path of large rock, transforming into a ram as he did so.
"Do you really think you can save her when she is already so far gone?" Chalcid challenged the draconequus as he charged forward.
"My magic can do anything," Discord objected, changing into a costume of a toreador in the process.
As Chalcid came dashing forwards to hit him, Discord pulled back the red cloth to reveal the group of surprised ponies from across the room. With a yelp, Twilight and Applejack pulled Rarity out of harm's way while Rainbow took to the air once more. Pinkie Pie laughed with glee as she bounced over the stampeding ram.
"So do tell why your friend is still suffering from some form of insanity?" Chalcid declared as he came to a halt, changing back to his original form.
"No one asked you!" Discord growled, summoning a large variety of colorful fish with wings which he magically flung at his opponent. Each fish flew through the air at a frightening velocity, causing small explosions upon impact with anything they hit. Having dodged the first few blasts, Chalcid changed into a hawk once more, dipping through the air, gaining upon his target.
The sudden movement and the sounds of explosions woke Rarity over where the other ponies tried to hide on the sidelines. Rarity opened her mouth to ask about what was happening when she spotted Fluttershy still sitting in a dazed state, chuckling away next to the crater from before.
"Fluttershy!" Rarity cried out, dashing across the battlefield without question to help her unaware friend.
"Rarity! Wait up!" Pinkie shouted as she bounded after her friend.
"Pinkie! Rarity!" Twilight gasped in fear from where she was stuck behind a rock with Rainbow Dash and Applejack in a bombardment.
"Look out!" Pinkie called, pushing both Rarity and Fluttershy to the ground as a bright blue fish crashed into the wall above them before promptly exploding.
"What's going on!" Rarity gasped as she watched fish fly above them.
"Well, Discord and this meanie changeling are fighting, and Rainbow Dash wanted to get in on all the awesomeness but Discord totally shot her down before she could start, and now she is hiding all mopey-like over there with Applejack while Twilight thinks up a plan that will blast them both away and let us go finally have that party we've been talking about for, like, forever ago," Pinkie explained all in one breath.
"Oh?" Rarity said with a confused look upon her face, "Is that all?"
"That and Fluttershy seems to have been lost in her own world of laughter and insanity and I want to know how to get there. It sounds like fun!"
"I don't think now is the time for that, Pinkie," Rarity admonished.
"You're like a professor who won't let ponies ride bikes indoors," Pinkie huffed, turning away before Rarity could even bother to ask what she meant and brandishing a new party cannon, "Now did somepony say PARTY!"
With a stomp of her hooves, Pinkie launched a barrage of silly string upon the hawk-changeling and Discord. The two opponents were left with no time to react, getting caught in massive web of the sticky party string. Chalcid looking much like a fly upon a spiders web as he struggled in his hawk form to remove himself from the webs.
"Where did you find this stuff, Pinkie?" Twilight asked as she tested it with her hoof and found it would not let her go.
"Why, I made it for Nightmare Night," Pinkie smiled brightly, "I wanted more realistic webbing for the spider games and for the haunted houses!"
"You don't say," Discord grumbled from where he hung upon the wall, a myriad of mini-Discord's in hard hats and using construction equipment working to remove him from the webs.
Rainbow grinned as she flew before the draconequus.
"Who's got who now?" Rainbow mocked.
Discord rolled his eyes, snapping his tail, transferring all the webbing from him to the pegasus, who now hung upside down from the ceiling.
"Don't worry! I've got ya' Rainbow!" Applejack called as she lassoed the now furious yet mummified pegasus.
"How do we get her out of this, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, still struggling to unstick her own hoof from the string.
"I did start with a sugar base," the pink earth pony blushed at seeing her own tool used against them.
"Do I really have to drool all over myself?" the changeling huffed from where he hung upon the wall.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind if you hung around all day," Discord grinned, "I've got you right where I want you."
"Great way to win a fight," Rainbow called out, Applejack having finally freed her face, "Letting somepony else do all your dirty work while you claim the victory lap."
"Hey, no one asked you," Discord growled, glaring at the pony, "And this could have gone on for practically forever at the rate we were going."
"I would not have become a Commander to the mighty army of Queen Chrysalis if I was to beaten by some candied web," Chalcid growled, morphing into an elephant, forcing the web to break under his weight.
"Great, now look at what you've done," Discord huffed, "You've given him time to escape. Just great!"
"What I've done!" Rainbow yelled back in frustration as Applejack worryingly rolled her out of the middle of the room.
"Now good Lord Discord," Chalcid said as he changed into his base form, "Will we continue this battle?"
"Oh, it sounds like such a blast," Discord stated sarcastically, "But I think we are quite done here."
"Done?!" Chalcid shook his head in outrage, "Are you willing to surrender so easily!"
"Oh no, nothing like that," Discord flippantly waived off the changelings rage. "But case in point," he continued, pointing to a spot underneath Chalcid, "Checkmate!"
Chalcid froze, glancing slowly down underneath his hooves, were the mini-Discord's in construction gear were finalizing their placement of a single glass of chocolate milk. Working as one the group pulled straws from behind their backs and began to drain the glass from the milk. Chalcid pulled his magic to change form once more, but only got as far as the initial morph of his limbs before the last drop of glass was removed, resulting in a massive explosion.
Discord watched in mute satisfaction as the changeling flew across the room, smacking against the stone wall. Walking towards his opponent, a grave look upon his face, he studied the commander, who had once stood proud now in ruined armor withering upon the earth below him. When he was a few dozen paces away, he paused, watching as Chalcid struggled to get up, glaring at him the whole time.
"I just don't understand you at all," Chalcid huffed from across the room, "You say one thing then do the other. A total hypocrite."
Discord gave him a long stare. He honestly had nothing left to say to this bug that had been annoying him for so long today.
"You say that you want nothing to do with these ponies but then fight to the bitter end to defend them."
"I already told you," Discord rolled his eyes, "I'm not with these little cheerleaders."
"Hey!" Rainbow and Applejack protested from behind him.
"I'm just taking care of my friend. You could have had any other pony here. For crying out loud! You could have taken Princess Celestia tied up in a bow to deliver straight to your little Queenie-Poo! But Fluttershy? Fluttershy is off limits."
Chalcid looked up at Discord's imposing form. The draconequus, while obviously worn and tired from their long skirmish against one another, stood tall in the face of victory. Letting out a dry, humorless laugh, the changeling leader shook his head from side to side.
"What is it now?" Discord huffed.
"They've got you indoctrinated into their little cult, and you don't even see it yet," Chalcid spoke softly.
"Princess Celestia has you like a dog on a chain," he spat, glancing up to meet Discord's eyes, "And here you are, willing to be at her beck and call so long as it is in the name of that obviously deranged pony that can't even recognize her own kind as they kneel before her."
"Shut up," Discord hissed.
"You're just another pet in that moc-god's possession," Chalcid laughed, "Always hiding in the background with no free will of your own."
"I said to shut up!" Discord yelled, summoning the changeling to him and flinging him across the room with his magic. The already downed changeling hit the wall with a hard thud.
Discord marched across the room til he stood right before Chalcid, glaring down at his form, "I'm no one's pet. I am the Lord of Chaos, and my will is my own."
"Do you really think that that pony, that Fluttershy, will ever see you as a hero?" Chalcid gave a gasping laugh that made it sound like he was choking, "You'll always be the villain in their eyes. No matter how many good deeds they force you to do."
"Like it or not, Discord," Chalcid whispered softly that Discord could just barely make out the words, "These ponies have you under their spell. And they will use you until the very end."
Discord didn't respond. It was honestly a worry that he had been harboring as well. He had hoped that if Fluttershy went with him instead of her friends then they wouldn't have to worry about that. They could be out of Celestia's control and could live happily wherever they went.
Shaking the thought away, he looked down at the changeling. He lay haphazardly and broken upon the ground, eyes barely open as he tried to meet Discord's gaze, letting loose one final shaky breath before slipping off into oblivion. Discord felt a moment of worry that he had killed him when he noticed his chest rising and falling in rhythm. Just because he wasn't a textbook definition of heroic or super kind or nice to every pony didn't mean he couldn't save ponies too.
In a way, he almost felt bad for the commander, following his master's orders until the bitter end. Almost like the young Twilight Sparkle, except not as fun to mess with.
Turning around he studied the room before him. On one side sat Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, all studying him with narrowed eyes, posed to attack at a moment's notice. On the other side was an elongated crater where Rarity and Pinkie Pie sat, both acting as a living shield while trying to protect their friend whose laughter was still ringing throughout the caves. But it wasn't the other ponies in the room that mattered right now.
A frown marred his face as he looked at where Fluttershy sat, laughing the day away, barely taking time for breaths. She remained sitting in a large crater, looking at the hole in the ground with wild eyes, not even responding or moving with the urgings of the white unicorn or worried pink pony that sat next to her. This was not the Fluttershy that he had been caring for in his cottage, nor the Fluttershy he had parted with in the caves. She had become someone else while he was away.
Discord growled, turning his attention to that of Twilight Sparkle.
"I don't know what you did," Discord said, glancing down at the little unicorn leader of friendship, "But you will give her back now or I'll-"
"DISCORD!"
The voice that interrupted his threat was one that he was hoping to not hear. Especially not in this situation.
The little crusaders of friendship all stood taller with relief written on their faces as they called out, "Princess Celestia!"
"If it isn't the Queen of the Sun and all that is magic," Discord clicked, turning to look over his shoulder at where Princess Celestia had entered the room with a contingent of guards in tow, "What can I help you with this fine day?"
"Discord," Celestia sighed giving her head a shake. Hearing the rustling of armor around her, she held up her hoof, she gave a silent command to her guards to stand down and let her handle the situation. They almost seemed to sigh in relief at not having to fight against the draconequus.
A gasp from behind her though told her that their tagalong had made it to the front. The shuffling of hooves sounded as the doctor they had found in Manehatten started to rush forward across the room.
"Doctor," Discord sneered as he glared down at the medical pony, making her pause in fright.
"Di-Discord," Strong Bones muttered, glancing back and forth between the Princess and the Chaos Lord, uncertain with what to do.
"Go check on your patient, doctor," Celestia said with a small smile, "Discord and I have much to discuss."
With a small nod, the doctor glanced up at Discord and muttered a small apology, before resuming her trek to her patient. Once by the side of the side of the pegasus she could only frown in worry as all the hard work she had put into helping her wings heal seemed to have been put into jeopardy with the way feathers and fur peaked out of the remainders of her bandages and casts.
"Fluttershy," Strong Bones whispered in worry, pulling off a medical saddle that she had been given by one of the guards upon landing.
Getting no response, she spoke a little louder, scared to shout with the tense standoff going on behind her, "Fluttershy, can you hear me?"
"Do we know you," a voice asked with distrust. Glancing over her shoulder, Strong Bones spotted a white unicorn that was looking at her with a frown sitting next to a worried pink pony.
"No, I suppose you don't," she muttered, "My name is Strong Bones. I'm a doctor from Manehatten Medical. Discord had...contracted me to take care of your friend's injuries and look into whatever made her change. Princess Celestia brought me here as I was sending letters to the Canterlot Library about spells that affect cutie marks."
"Nice to meet you," the pink pony jumped forward, smile gracing her face for a moment before she glanced at her injured friend who had yet to even note their presence here, "I'm Pinkie Pie and this is Rarity." With a pause, she seemed to hesitate before asking, "Are you going to make Fluttershy...normal again?"
"I'm going to try," Strong Bones began, "Has she...has she been like this long?"
"A little while now," Rarity provided, "Ever since our friend hit the double of Discord with a spell that made it vanish she's been...well…."
"Completely insane?" Pinkie provided, earning a glare from Rarity.
"I see," Strong Bones frowned, "And she hasn't responded at all to any of you?"
"Not at all," Rarity looked like she was going to cry, "This isn't like her at all!"
"It's the spell," Strong Bones said, turning back to her patient and trying to see if she could get the pegasus to respond through prods, "The spell has changed things in her head and magic if certain books are to be believed. If we can reverse the spell…."
"But we can!" Pinkie cried out with a frown, "Big meanie Discord refuses to let us near Fluttershy!"
"Then I guess we'll just have to hope that Princess Celestia can get through to him," Strong Bones sighed as she quickly got to work trying to fix the injuries on the now deranged pony.
Celestia watched the doctor run off to the small pony of kindness, keeping an eye on Discord to make sure he did not retaliate at what he may perceive as a betrayal. The cavern they were in echoed with the deranged laughter of the missing pegasus and the muted whispers of the doctor and the bearers of generosity and laughter. All around her the remaining bearers of harmony and her guards waited with baited breath while Discord tried to give off the vibe of disinterest even while his tail twitched back and forth in anxiety.
"If you are not here for anything then I would ask you to leave," Discord continued, tired of waiting for her to speak, "These ponies and I have business to deal with that does not include you, your Royal Highness."
"Don't you talk to Princess Celestia like that!" Rainbow Dash growled out, hovering in the air once more in anger.
Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, "Princess Celestia. We came here to try and get Fluttershy back to Ponyville so that we can-"
"So that you can make her miserable all over again and use her as your own personal lab rat!" Discord challenged, "Don't think that you can excuse what you have done here! We all know it was your spell that did this Sparkle Butt!"
"Discord," Celestia uttered with authority, gaining the draconequus's attention, "Perhaps you should give them a chance and listen to what they have to say."
"What they have to say!" Discord laughed in disbelief, "No! No way! Don't you see what they did to Fluttershy the first time! They have lost all trust I may have had for them!"
"Don't you think you have done enough here today, Discord?" Celestia asked as though talking to a spoiled child.
"I have done enough here today!" Discord cried out, "What about what they have done!"
"It was a mistake!" Twilight called out, trying to defend herself.
"I've heard it all before," Discord growled, "Like I am going to believe that load of-"
"Perhaps it is time to listen, Discord," Celestia interrupted him.
"Listen? To what! Their lies? Ha!"
"We have a counterspell!" Twilight cried out.
"You have a counter...wait, what?" Discord paused mid-mock.
Celestia sighed, moving closer to the draconequus so that she was standing next to him, "Look at the ponies before you and ask yourself why they would go through all this trouble to bring their friend home if they weren't wanting to help her."
"Because she was their favorite plaything," Discord muttered.
"Listen to me, Discord," Celestia said, getting him to meet her gaze, "While you may have gone about it all the wrong way, I do have to commend you for taking your friendship with Fluttershy to heart."
"WHAT!" echoed throughout the caves as the sane elements of harmony and a draconequus all called out in shock.
"I have to admit," Celestia said with a smirk, "I had thought that you weren't paying any attention at all, but here you are, trying to take care of and protect your closest friend you have ever had."
"Well, of course," Discord scoffed, "She was hurt and I just couldn't leave her out in the forest like that!"
"Exactly," Celestia smiled, "The Discord I knew from long ago would have laughed at the situation that Fluttershy is in. But you went as far as to try and take her home, didn't you?"
"He...he did?" Twilight asked in surprise, staring at Discord with wide eyes.
"P-perhaps," Discord looked at the floor blushing, "She was a long ways from home and I thought that she could use a ride back."
With an awed look at Celestia, he asked, "But how did you know this?"
"A very enthusiastic doctor who is very concerned about her patient may have told me," Celestia smiled as she looked out across the room where the doctor was now rewrapping the pegasuses wings.
After a moments pause, Celestia asked again, "So don't you think that you have done enough here today?"
Discord took in a deep breath and held it, his eyes obviously dancing around as he argued with himself inside of his own head. The distinct sounds of high pitched voices on fast forward could only be lightly caught over the noises in the room. The whole room could only wait with baited breath.
"You have a counterspell?" Discord stared at Twilight out of the corner of his eye.
Twilight took a moment to answer, caught off guard by the sudden question, "Of course. The rest of my friends would have been just like Fluttershy if I didn't."
Discord closed his eyes, face contorted, as his hands going into fists as his internal battle seemed to rage. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Applejack all stood at the ready to fight as he tensed his muscles once more.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Discord sighed, his shoulders going slack and face drooping in what looked like defeat.
"Fine," he finally relented, though it was uncertain if he was actually talking to Celestia or one of the voices in his head, "We'll bring her back to Ponyville."
A relieved sigh echoed throughout the room. A small smile passed between Twilight and her friends at their final success.
Looking up, he made a look at Celestia that held an unspoken threat if this didn't work, "We'll bring Fluttershy back to Ponyville. And she'll get this curse lifted."
Celestia didn't respond, instead casting him a knowing smile as he moved forward. He walked past Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, each with a look of distrust in their eyes. Heading closer to the small pegasus, he paused for a second when Rarity jumped up to block his path. They locked eyes for a minute before he moved past the dressmaker and towards where the doctor and Pinkie Pie sat with Fluttershy. Pinkie looked up at him and gave him a hesitant smile before scooting back.
Glancing at the doctor, he hesitated, not wanting to interrupt her as she took care of Fluttershy's injuries.
"Don't worry so much," Strong Bones didn't bother to look up from where she finalized her last bandage, "You were only looking out for your friend, right?"
With a sigh she tied the bandage, smiling as he raised her gaze, "You take good care of her now, got it? Or else you'll have to deal with me!"
Discord scoffed lightly at the threat, "I'm sure you would. I don't believe anyone could hurt your patients on your watch."
"You better believe it," the medical pony smiled up at him, "And when you're done here come see me. I have more than enough bandages for your arms."
With that Strong Bones took her leave, moving back so that Discord could talk to the pegasus.
Finally reaching Fluttershy, Discord paused, and glanced back to all the ponies in the room who were watching him closely. With a final sigh, he kneeled down in front of the laughing pony.
"Fluttershy?" he asked nervously, uncertain if she would hear him, "Can you hear me in there?"
The laughter that sounded through the cavern suddenly came to a halt at his voice.
"Dis...cord?" Fluttershy's voice came out weakly.
"Fluttershy," Discord smiled, "Are you alright in there? You were really starting to scare us."
"Discord," she repeated again, her eyes barely coming into focus on his form in front of her, "Please...can you make it stop…."
"Make what stop?" he asked in concern.
"The laughter," she muttered, pulling her front hooves down over her ears, "Make it stop. I don't want to hear it anymore."
As she shook, she began to cry, but instead of sobs she let out only giggles, "They just keep laughing at me….and they just won't stop."
"Who's laughing at you Fluttershy?" Discord asked in a soft whisper, reaching out to pat her on the head with his paw.
"Everyone," she muttered with another sad giggle.
With a soft sigh, Discord looked down at the pony in front of him. How had it gotten this bad? He was only trying to look out for her. But perhaps he had been a little over enthusiastic about it all now that he really looked back on everything that had happened.
"Fluttershy," he said again over her giggles, "I'm going to make this right, my dear."
"How," she gasped, truly looking at him for the first time with large tears in her eyes.
"Don't you worry about that," Discord smiled softly, "For now, just rest. You need it."
Before she could protest, he tapped his eagle claw in the middle of her forehead. With a large yawn, Fluttershy found herself slipping into oblivion. Her last sight was of Discord smiling sadly down at her.
When Fluttershy awoke later, she found herself in a room that felt familiar yet she could not recall. It was the first dreamless sleep she had had in a long while and it had somehow rightened the world for her once more. Laughter still echoed in the distance, and the ideas of parties and celebrations still danced in her mind, but they were once again at a manageable level that she could work past.
Getting up, she hissed in pain. Looking at her back she saw that her wings had been wrapped up once again, leaving her at a loss for a second. It was only the most vaguest memories that she could recall Doctor Strong Bones trying to help her, but they felt more like a dream than that of reality.
Cautiously she finally got out of the bed and opened the door, only to be greeted with the sight of the second floor landing of what seemed to be Rainbow Dash's cottage, though it seemed to be in some great state of disrepair. The sofa that had sat welcoming in one corner of the room seemed to be torn up, and books were strewn across the floor of the small room downstairs. Even the walls had claw marks where some large creature had been fighting to get out of the building.
"Fluttershy!"
Turning her head, she spotted Twilight Sparkle looking surprised at her from the bottom of the stairs. Cries from outside the front door of the cottage preceded the forms of her other Ponyville friends who rushed inside the house with Rainbow Dash and Applejack getting stuck for a moment as they tried to enter at the same time.
"You're finally up," Twilight smiled as she went to stand next to her at the top of the steps, "How are you feeling?"
Fluttershy paused in thought to really think about it.
"I….I don't really know. I-I guess I'm alright for the moment," she finally uttered, getting a worried look from some of the ponies at the bottom of the steps.
"Well I think you woke up just in time," Twilight gave a soft smile, "We were just trying to tidy up around here but were needing your help with one particular problem that we think you might be best suited for."
"I-I don't know if I'm the best pony right now for anything," Fluttershy muttered, eyes blurring for a second as she gasped, "Unless it's a party!"
"Oh! That would be so much fun!" Pinkie cried as she appeared next to Fluttershy, hanging over the railing of the stairs with a small party hat on her head, "We were needing to throw you a rescue party after all!"
"Pinkie, I thought we talked about this," Rarity said from below, eyes twitching in frustration.
"Oops! Sorry," Pinkie apologized, glancing back at Fluttershy who seemed to have returned to normal and was glancing at Pinkie nervously.
"Sorry," Fluttershy muttered, "I-I can't control it sometimes."
"It's alright, sugarcube," Applejack said with a smile below, "We know it's not your fault." With a pause, the cowpony awkwardly added, "But if you are feeling up to it, Rainbow Dash here was really needing your help."
"I'm needing hel-?" Rainbow started only to elbowed in the ribs by Applejack, "O-oh yeah! I was having trouble with the, um, animals and stuff, and could really use some help or something?"
"Well, I-," Fluttershy looked flustered and a bit confused at what was going on.
"Rainbow could use an assistant with feeding the animals," Twilight continued, "She is needing your help!"
"But what about the rest of you, can't you help her?" Fluttershy asked dubiously.
Everyone hesitated at that, trying to think of a good way to get her to go along with the plan so that they could get the magic to take effect.
"Well," Rarity said slowly, "We were all busy with...with cleaning up this room!"
"Yeah!" Applejack quickly picked up, "And when Rainbow Dash asked for help we thought that it would be a great job for you! Since there was less heavy liftin' and all!"
"I...I guess I could help," Fluttershy looked up cautiously at her friends, "Afterall, we are friends for? Right?"
With a collective enthusiastic cry, the group of ponies lead Fluttershy to the darkened kitchen.
"Why is it so dark in here?" the yellow pegasus asked uncertainly.
A soft click revealed a single ray of light shown on a small white rabbit that was tied down to a miniature chair in the middle of the room. The beam of light shown only upon the rabbit, leaving the rest of the kitchen only visible in ghostly outlines.
"We tried to get him to talk," Pinkie appeared next to the chair, wearing a hat similar to the old detective movies and a toothpick in her mouth, "But he isn't squeallin'."
"Pinkie," Twilight dragged the party pony out of the room.
"He-He was refusing to eat," Rainbow dashed into Fluttershy's view, lying through her teeth, "We tied him down so that...uh...he wouldn't get into the sweets?"
The group held their breath as the pegasus seemed to contemplate that answer.
"I guess that makes since," Fluttershy said softly, much to the relief of everyone in the background.
Walking up to the bunny who was struggling to get out of the chair, "Oh, you poor dear. That doesn't look comfy at all. How about I undo those ropes."
"NO!" Rainbow cried out.
At Fluttershy's questioning look, she quickly backtracked, "I mean, he was in time out? But if it's what you think is best…."
Fluttershy frowned at her friend but untied the small bunny anyways. After the ropes freed the small creature it immediately put up his little fists to try and fight her off.
"Now that's not a good way to act," Fluttershy reprimanded, "I thought you were hungry. Don't you want a nice healthy meal?"
The small rabbit glared up at her, giving her a loud huff of annoyance.
"Now-now," Fluttershy tutted awkwardly, grabbing some vegetables from a nearby basket and bringing them forward, "Wouldn't you prefer this carrot? Or perhaps some fresh lettuce?"
The small rabbit cautiously sniffed the vegetables, his distrustful eyes never leaving the pony before him. Pausing, the bunny glanced down at the basket full of goods, a hungry look coming to his eyes. Picking up a nearby stick of celery he pulled it close, looking over the angles of the vegetable and studying for impurities. One last sniff and distrustful glance at the yellow pegasus, and he finally took a bite from the stalk.
After a few chews he stopped as though surprised, then turned around and whistled. All the ponies looked around in fear as the floor began to vibrate under their hooves as the sound of a stampede made its way to their location. As sudden as the noise started it stopped, making all the ponies pause in confusion.
"What was that all about?" Twilight asked.
A knock at the door answered her question.
Walking over to the door Rarity opened it slowly, gasping in horror as a horde of rabbits, mice, squirrels and other small critters came running into the small cottage up to Fluttershy. Birds flew past the ponies heads, barely missing them in their flurry while a bear slowly pushed its way through the doorway. The animals didn't give any of the other ponies in the cottage a second glance as they rushed up to Fluttershy, all shouting their discontent.
"O-oh my," Fluttershy gasped, looking at all the creatures, grabbing the basket of vegetables close like a shield.
Reaching in, she pulled out some carrots and handed it to a nearby group of bunnies. Followed by a head another stick of celery for some of the mice that had congregated by the kitchen table.
"I'll help you each as soon as I can," she called out over the ruckus as more and more animals poured into the room through the windows and the doors.
"Here are some nuts for you," she said with a smile as she put a small basket down in front of some squirrels.
"And how about some seeds for you beauties," she called up to some songbirds that were sitting on the chairs around the table.
Rushing around the small yellow pony made quick work of helping all the animals that had flooded the cottage, a smile adorning her face the more she worked with the creatures. With each animal that she cared for, whether it be a small hug for some of the babies or some long needed food for the larger animals in the room, her friends saw a glow that would grow brighter and brighter.
After Fluttershy finished talking to a humming bird, pulling some nectar that she had spotted in the fridge earlier for the creature, Twilight Sparkle came forward, carrying the Fluttershy's Element of Harmony by her side. When Fluttershy turned to see who the newcomer was, Twilight placed the necklace around her neck, watching in happiness as her friend stood still for a moment, memories and experiences flooding her mind, then shook her head and looked at the group around her.
"What...what just happened?" Fluttershy asked in confusion, looking at the smiling group before her.
Twilight glanced at Fluttershy's cutie mark, finally back to the normal collection of pink butterflies and sighed in relief, "It worked. You're finally back!"
"A true, true friend helps a friend in need," Pinkie sung happily.
"A friend will be there to help one see," Rainbow joined in without a second thought.
"A true, true friend helps a friend in need," the rest of the group, including Fluttershy, began to sing along, "To see the light that shines from a true, true friend!"
"Please explain one thing to me," Discord asked, rubbing his brow to try and keep away the headache as he watched the scene before him, "Just why do you ponies seem to break out into song and dance at every available turn? I mean, how do you all suddenly know the chorus? And do you practice your dances weeks in advance incase you have a song attack?"
Celestia laughed at his question, walking away from the cottage. Discord followed along silently, crossing his bandaged arms in frustration. Why did she always avoid that question?
"You shouldn't be so grumpy, Discord," Celestia smiled, "You're friend is back to normal, she is back in her home in Ponyville, and everything has been put right once more. You can go back to your normal routines now."
"Yeah, normal," Discord muttered, the two glancing back as the group of ponies made their way out of the small cottage still singing their song. Birds flew in colorful patterns above them like fireworks in the sky, while rabbits and squirrels danced merrily around Fluttershy.
The dancing animals only paused for a moment when Twilight Sparkle had an epiphany, declaring that they should make their way to the library at once. The rest of the group smiled and they all started up their song once more, making their way off to Twilight's treehouse.
"Bah," Discord frowned, waving off the ecstatic group of ponies, "I should get going before all this mushy stuff gets to my head."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay and see what happens next, Discord?" Celestia asked with a frown, "I'm sure that there is one pony in particular that would love to talk to you."
"No," Discord shook his head, already hovering above the Princess, "It's for the best. I'm sure that none of them want me around right now."
Floating a little higher he turned and waved to her, "I'll be in my tower in Canterlot if you need me, your Royal Highness."
Celestia gave a half smile at the draconequus as he floated away, both of them missing the sad look of Fluttershy as she paused in her singing to watch Discord fly away into the sunset.
So only one small chapter left after this to wrap everything up! See you then!