"Then what happened?"

Rarity was reading stories to her little sister. Sweetie Bell listened to her big sister with great interest in every word she spoke. The night sky was cloudless and dotted with stars. It snowed lightly outside Sweetie Bell's window, and faint voices of late night carolers could be heard from inside.

"Well, as I said, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the Tree of Harmony underneath their old castle, and they used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord. As-"

As Rarity was speaking, a bright yellow light suddenly flashed from Sweetie Bell's open closet. Rarity stopped talking as her and Sweetie Bell looked over towards the sudden disturbance. The light faded and almost like a snake, Discord slid out of the tiny closet.

Discord looked at the two shocked ponies with a wide grin. "Hello girls!"

Rarity shrieked and jumped in front of Sweetie Bell, bravely holding the story book forward like a sword to protect her younger sister. "What are you doing in here!?"

"Woah! Now calm down my little ponies, I was just visiting!" Discord wrapped around the two ponies and bopped Sweetie Bell on the nose. "You two are really dramatic aren't you?"

On the opposite side of the room, Sweetie Bell's window was burst open from the outside. Rainbow Dash flew inside and put her hooves up in a boxing position, ready to whack any intruders. Her rainbow colored mane was dotted in snowflakes. She was shivering slightly.

"Don't worry Rarity! I'll save you!"

"Rainbow, we're fine. It's just Discord. My goodness! How long have you been outside?"

Rainbow Dash put away her hooves and landed, and she insisted she was okay. She looked up at Discord, who had released the two ponies from his circle. Had he gotten taller from the last time she'd seen him? He could hardly fit in the room.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you ever heard of knocking? It's late!" Rainbow Dash frowned at Discord, and waited for a response, still shaking from the cold.

"Geez! So much hostility! What did I do? On second thought, don't answer that. Princess Celestia gave me the week off for the holidays. And I decided to visit all my friends in Ponyville"

Discord struggled to wiggle around in the tiny room, Rainbow Dash sighed and began to flap her wings to leave. She pushed the window open the opposite direction.

"Okay, just don't go around scaring everpony. Not everyone in Ponyville's used to you being a good guy just yet." Discord paused, his eyes wide as he stared at her. Rainbow Dash noticed him and looked around. "What?"

"Nothing, forget it. Sorry to bother you. I'll be on my way to Twilight's to see if she can give me a place to sleep for a couple nights" Rainbow Dash laughed at Discord's answer, and then sneezed as a snowflake landed on her nose. Rainbow Dash blushed slightly.

"Good luck with that buster!" And with that, she flew off into the night. Sweetie Bell's horn glowed with magic and she closed the window and locked it, then she smiled and bounced over to Discord.

"You don't have to, you can stay with us if you want!" Sweetie Bell offered in excitement and she began to bounce around. "It'll be fun!" Rarity's eyes widened, and she pulled her sister aside and leaned into her ear.

"What did I say about inviting people without asking me first? Sweetie Bell, he's nearly as big as my design room!" Discord sighed

"Oh it's fine. I didn't really want to anyway, your place is too clean for my tastes frankly."

Discord walked towards the other side of Sweetie Bells' room and stood up as straight as the ceiling would allow, he snapped his fingers and vanished in the same flash of light he arrived in. Rarity stood watching the spot where he used to be, utterly confused at the events that just unfolded. Sweetie Bell walked beside her, growling, and lightly hit her in the ribs.

Rarity jumped, "Ow! Sweetie Bell? What was that for?"

"You drove him off! He didn't do anything wrong. He just wanted to be our friend!" Rarity turned and looked her sister in the eye with a serious expression on her face, an expression that Sweetie Bell saw almost daily.

"Sweetie Bell, listen to me. Discord is not the most trustworthy dragon, pony, lion...thing. Do you understand?" Sweetie Bell frowned and almost looked like she was going to pout, but instead she turned around and walked towards her bed.

"Yes Rarity..."

Sweetie Bell flicked off her lamp, hopped into her bed, and began fake snoring. Rarity looked down glumly and walked out, closing the door behind her.