A Radiant Discolight (V.2)

Chapter 5: Suspicious

"Twilight?"

Applejack's voice echoed through the massive castle, the crystals it consisted of being too thick to absorb sound. 

"Twilight?" she called again. "Twi, where are you?"

A mulberry head popped around the corner, ears pricked high. "Oh, hi AJ!" Twilight said happily. "What're you doing here? It's apple-bucking season. I would think you'd be awfully busy."

"Well, you'd be right, any other time. But we got a little help."

Twilight fully exited the library, approaching the earth mare slowly. "Really? How nice. Who helped?"

Applejack tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Huh. I can't really remember 'is name. Chaos Something, I think."

The alicorn smiled. "Oh! You must mean Chaos Theory!"

"Uh...yeah! That's the one! Real strong feller', that one. He bucked almost as many trees as I could, I dare say. Big help."

"Yeah. He's a nice stallion."

Applejack cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. "Ya know the guy?"

Twilight nodded. "To be sure! We went out for lunch just a couple days ago. He's real good with psychiatry and whatnot. He helped me organize the entire library last week!"

Now that's strange, Applejack thought. Usually takes a real hung-up pony to do that. "Yup. He seems like a nice stallion. Though I'll admit, he does sound an awful lot like an ol' enemy we fought." She leaned in closer. "Ya know. Discord?"

Twilight's eyes darted back and forth for a moment, deep in thought. But she smiled again. "Huh. Yeah, I guess he does, doesn't he? Anyway, I'm sure you're not here to just discuss Discord. So, what'd you come up here for?"

AJ grinned giddily. "Well, we was wonderin' whether you'd like to come and eat dinner in the barn. Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Dash, and Theory are invited. All we need is you ta complete the circle! And Starlight could come, too. But I figure she's pretty busy."

"Oh, yes. She just went up to visit Sunburst in the Crystal Empire. She'll be a few days more, I think. But until she comes back, I think I should rather like a big dinner with you all. A couple old friends, and a brand new one." She shrugged, following closely behind as Applejack guided her outside. "What could possibly go wrong?"

-----

"This  could go so, so wrong. In so many ways."

A pacing, undisguised Discord was incredibly worried, stomping across his thinking tree. The purple tree, coming straight from his foalhood memories, was nothing short of unique, and would usually bring him comfort. But now, he was inconsolable.

"What if I can't keep up the disguise?" he whispered worriedly to himself. "Even my magic wears down over time. If I give myself away, it'll all be over. I'll lose everything."

He suddenly rose up in posture, straightening his back and giving the tree a fiercely determined gaze. "Oh, now I just sound like Fluttershy," he scolded. He summoned a mirror, tall enough to view his entire figure. He tapped his reflection, who started aback at his ferocity. 

"Now listen here, you doubtful draconequus. You are going to that dinner, and you're gonna like it. You're gonna complete this challenge, hooves down! And we will win! Got that?"

Discord's reflection nodded vigorously, sweating as he put on a nervous smile.

Snapping his fingers, his disguise as Chaos Theory was restored. Suddenly on four legs instead of two, Theory lost his balance, falling a good long way before hitting the ground with a hard thump. Whimpering, he stumbled to his hooves.

"Heh," he said, brushing himself off. "Kind of forgot about that."

Story restored! This chapter is dedicated to @KingDiscordChaos, who seems to really really love this story, and is a fellow Twicord shipper. This is for you, my dude. This is for you.