Sweetie Belle stood in the hospital, gazing at Rarity in an isolation chamber. Her parents were next to her. Rarity’s mane was a mess, tufts of it having fallen out. There were dark splotches and boils all over the mare’s body.

It should have been the best news ever. Their mother was pregnant again. She was going to get another sister! They had seen on the ultrasound that it was a girl. With only a few weeks to go until the birth Sweetie Belle had been impatiently waiting, eager to see her new sibling.

It should have been the best news ever… but then everything was ruined. A plague had shown up in Ponyville. Over one hundred ponies had contracted the disease. It wasn’t like anything the doctors had seen before. They couldn’t identify the root cause, and attempts to find a cure had been ineffectual at best. Already ten ponies had died only a month after contracting the first symptoms. According to them Rarity had roughly four days to live before she succumbed to the illness as well.

All ponies with the illness had to be isolated, and everyone was getting tested to be sure they didn’t catch it as well. With that new cases had almost completely stopped cropping up, but no one was sure what had caused the disease in the first place. Only unicorn doctors capable of producing the magic health bubble were allowed near the patients.

Sweetie Belle couldn’t stand it, being so close but so far from her sister. She could talk with Rarity, but it just wasn’t the same as being in front of her or hugging her. Her sister just wasn’t the same. Their mother was a wreck, and they were worried the stress of Rarity’s sickness might cause her to have a miscarriage. That was the worst part about it. She might lose both her sisters in one fell swoop.

She wished she could do something, but she had no idea what. Her magic was pathetic. She could barely use a basic levitation spell. What could she possibly do?

She wracked her brain for an answer, but she kept coming up blank. She didn’t want Rarity to die, but there was nothing she could do to prevent it. She didn’t know anything about magic.

She decided to leave the hospital. She couldn’t stand looking at her sister like that. That wasn’t Rarity. Rarity was always beautiful, full of poise and pizazz. She was graceful and polite and charming and flawless. The pony in the hospital bed… she just couldn’t picture that being the same pony who was her sister.

Her parents followed her out as they headed back to their house. As she walked through town she only saw a few ponies walking around. Most ponies nowadays only went outside for necessities to avoid contamination. The town looked so dead she was surprised she didn’t see tumbleweeds rolling around.

“This is horrible!” Sweetie Belle cried out, her voice squeaking. “I can’t take it!”

Her mother rubbed her head. “I understand what you mean. My dear daughter is so sick. The whole town is in chaos. I’m worried for my new baby.”

Sweetie Belle had stopped in her tracks, making her parents look behind her. There was an odd expression on her face. Her eyes were bugging out and she had a thousand-yard stare, looking ahead of her but clearly not seeing it.

“Sweetie Belle?” said her dad. “What’s wrong?”

It took her a short while to respond. She shook her head. “It’s… it’s nothing. I just thought of something. I have to go see Fluttershy right away.”

“Fluttershy? Why?”

“I don’t have time to explain.” Without a word she turned around and began running, ignoring the voices of her parents as they called her back.

She ran without stopping, gasping for breath as she came close to Fluttershy’s cottage. Her mom had said the key word: chaos. Discord was the most powerful being in Equestria at the moment. He was stronger than the Royal Sisters. The only reason they were able to triumph over Discord was because of the Elements of Harmony. If anyone could possibly cure Rarity it would be him. It was a desperate gambit and probably fruitless, but she had to try. Discord would likely find the whole scenario hilarious, and he wouldn’t want to help out for free. Fluttershy was supposed to be his friend, so if anyone would know where he was it would be her.

She rapped on the door as hard as she could, panting and wheezing as she recovered from her run.

“H-hello?” came a timid voice on the other side of the door. “Y-you’re not sick, are you?”

“F-Flutter-shy… it’s… me… Sweetie… Belle.” Each word was punctuated with another pant.

The door opened a crack. “It is you. Are you alright?”

Sweetie Belle didn’t answer. She just gulped in breaths until her heart settled down a little. “No! I’m not sick! I just had a question for you. You’re friends with Discord, right?”

“Yes…”

“Where does he live now?”

“Ummm… he has a special room in the princess’s castle. Why?”

“Have you seen him recently?”

“No. I told him to stay away from Ponyville for now until they cure this disease.”

“What happens when you want to talk to him?”

“Um, well I usually just send him letters, but if I really want him he taught me a spell to use to summon him.”

Sweetie Belle’s head tilted. “But you’re a pegasus, not a unicorn.”

“I know, but it’s really his magic. All I have to say is that he’s my very best friend in the whole world, and it sends him an alert and he poofs right over.

“Why are you so interested in Discord all of a sudden, Sweetie Belle? You don’t think he’s behind all this, do you? I know Discord can be a troublemaker at the best of the times but he’s reformed now. The last time he was in Ponyville was over two weeks before the outbreak.”

“Oh, um… you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. I… I better go. I don’t want my parents getting worried. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

Sweetie Belle began running again until she came upon her sister’s boutique. She sighed as she saw the big “CONDEMNED” sign on it. All houses where someone had been infected were off-limits just in case. She knew she was taking a risk but she needed a place where she knew she wouldn’t be disturbed. She walked under the tape blocking it off and opened the door. Thankfully it was unlocked.

She saw it looked much the same as always. Going to the center of the room she took a deep breath. Was she really going to do this? It could spell some real trouble. Rarity’s face appeared in her mind. It was going to be trouble for all of them if they didn’t get this thing under control soon. She took another breath to steady herself. She shut all the curtains and returned to the middle. Taking one last breath she said, “Discord is my very best friend in the whole world!”

For a second Sweetie Belle felt a sensation from her horn, and then with a poof the draconequues appeared into the room. “HELLLOOOOO, FLUTTER…” He stopped as he saw a different pony.

“Um… hello?” Sweetie Belle said with an awkward smile, giving a little wave.

Discord put a claw to his face, scratching his chin. “Now who are you? I feel like I recognize you from somewhere… AH! That’s it. You’re one of those fillies that was fighting near my statue right before I broke free.” He gave a mocking bow. “Thank you for helping to speed up my release. It was most helpful.” He burst out into laughter.

Sweetie Belle grimaced. “Um… I’m Sweetie Belle. I wanted to ask for your help. I’m a friend of Fluttershy, and I’d really like it if you could heal my sister Rarity.”

“Rarity, hmmm?” he said with amusement. “I can see the resemblance. She’s another one of the Element wielders, is she not?”

“Yes, but I don’t care about that. I want to help her because she’s my sister.”

“Why come to me? Can’t your precious Princess Celestia make everything all better?”

“She’s tried, but she doesn’t know much about diseases.”

“And you think I do?”

“You’re way more powerful than Princess Celestia.”

A large smile came to Discord’s features. “Oh, that was just marvelous! I’m gonna have to save that one!”

Sweetie Belle looked on in horror as a box appeared, and a recording of her began playing of her saying he was better over and over. “Can you stop?” she cried out, her voice squeaking. “This is important! My sister’s life is in danger.”

Discord stretched his body into impossible proportions, and Sweetie Belle backed up a step. Even hearing about the kinds of things Discord could do it still unnerved her. “I SUPPOSE I could cure her...” Sweetie Belle’s face lit up, “…but… no thanks.”

Now her face fell. “Please, Discord! You’re the only one who can do it. You’ll be a hero! Everyone will throw parades in your honor.”

Discord poofed next to her, floating in the air with his claws on his chin. “Oh, save it. I’m not interested in being all HEROIC.” He said the last word with disgust.

“But you’re supposed to be reformed now.”

“Let me ask you something, Sweetie Belle,” Discord said, disappearing and reappearing in front of her in a fancy outfit and holding a cup of tea. “Now what have you brought for ME?”

“Huh?”

“Honestly. You summon me out of my home and demand a favor, and you don’t bring me a gift. That’s kinda rude.” Sweetie Belle’s eyes went wide as he drank the cup, the tea floating in mid-air until it suddenly disappeared.

“I’m sorry!” she said, bowing to him. “What do you want?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “I can use magic to get whatever I want. I want a dog?” With a snap a dog appeared, then disappeared. “I want a tree?” The same thing happened with a small tree. “The point is the gesture. Look at this.” With another snap of his claws a sweater appeared around him. “This was hoof-knitted by dear Fluttershy. If I really wanted a sweater it would be easy to make myself one, but she made this for me out of the kindness of her heart. Such a dear thing.

“You ponies are the real monsters, if you ask me.”

“How can you say that? You’re the one who was trying to turn everything into chaos!”

“All I ever wanted was to have a fun life. What’s wrong with that? Is it fair that just because our definitions of the word fun differ that I can’t be myself? You ponies want me to see that harmony is best and suppress my own desires, but will you ever do the same for me? Do you ever try to embrace my style of fun? No, it’s got to be your way all the time.

“Do you know why Celestia released me from my prison?”

“No,” Sweetie Belle said honestly, shaking her head.

“To use me!” he said, annoyed. “She didn’t have me reformed because she thought there was a good draconequues inside me just waiting to come out. She freed me for the sole sake of having my magic around in case things go sour in her perfect land.” Sweetie Belle jerked away as he ran a finger down her face. “Now I ask you, is that fair? To be forced to do good? To be told that if you ever try to be yourself you’ll be turned to stone? I just want a little space to be me, but Celestia won’t grant me even that. Oh, sure, I have my own room in the castle that I can mess with as much as I want, but chaos isn’t as much fun when it’s done alone.”

“I’m sorry,” Sweetie Belle said, looking around for something more meaningful to add but unable to think of anything.

“So basically I’m not doing the princess any favors for her selfish motives. That’s all.”

“But Rarity is one of Fluttershy’s friends! If you won’t do it for Equestria or Celestia can’t you do it for your only friend? Fluttershy will be heartbroken when she goes! How can you be so selfish?”

“Now, Sweetie Belle. I do believe that you may be the most selfish one of all.”

“HUH?” she sputtered out. “How am I being selfish?”

“All I’ve heard you say since you summoned me is that you want Rarity saved. And… what about the others? Oh, I guess since they’re not related to you they’re not important. They can die, so long as your sister is safe. I underestimated you. You might make a good agent of chaos yet.” He burst out into more laughter, poofing around to different parts of the boutique as he giggled.

Some of the color drained from Sweetie Belle’s coat. Her heart was racing and her stomach was burning with guilt. It was true. She hadn’t once considered all the other ponies also suffering from the disease. That DISCORD of all beings had to be the one to point that out just made it worse. “I… um… well…” She couldn’t think of a response, and tears began forming in her eyes.

Discord suddenly poofed in front of her. “Well, that was a fun little bit of sport in an otherwise dull day. I’m in a good mood now. I think I'll go have some fun back home.”

Sweetie Belle shook, her tears now pouring down her face. “Please! My sister! Fine! Maybe I AM selfish, but I couldn’t stand it if I lost her! I love her so much! Please, Discord!” She looked up at him, begging with her eyes for a little bit of compassion.

“Hmmm… nah! I’ll feel a lot safer with one of those annoying Element bearers out of commission. I’ll see you later, Selfish Belle.” Turning into a rabbit he turned around and hopped a few steps, lifting up his paw to teleport away.

‘Think, Sweetie Belle!’ she thought desperately. ‘Think, think, think, think, think! There has to be something! Rarity’s last hope is about to leave.’ Words suddenly poured out of her in a rush, “I know where Rarity keeps her Element of Generosity!” She let out a gasp, slapping both hooves over her mouth. She wasn’t ever supposed to tell anybody that, especially not to the one being that could overthrow Equestria in a heartbeat without them.

Discord became so still she thought time had stopped for a moment. With a small flash he turned back to normal. The top half of his body turned one hundred and eighty degrees, and there was a devious grin on his features. “What was that?” he asked, boundless joy in his voice.

Sweetie Belle shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. Sweat began pouring down her body, and her throat felt so dry she couldn’t swallow. What had she done?

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: Rarity or Equestria? Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 32 Minutes