"Wakey, wakey sleepy head!"

Xenia slowly came to at the sound of that cheerful, annoying voice. Before she had even opened her eyes, she wanted to grab its owner and wring his neck for interrupting her sleep.

Wait...he?

Eyes flying open, Xenia bolted upright, her head smacking someone's chin rather hard, making both of them cry out in pain. Clutching her throbbing skull, Xenia looked around with sight still blurry from sleep. She could barely make out two gray and orange blobs as her brain tried to collect itself, as well as take in as much information from what it was seeing.

While the human teenager sat there practically drooling, Scootaloo turned to Discord. "Great, we broke it," she said sourly. This only served to make Discord burst into a fit of laughter.

"Hahaha...don't...hahaha...worry, Scootaloo...hahaha...she's...haha...fine!" he told the pegasus while calming down. Wiping a tear from his eye, Discord turned just in time to see the human leap at him, arms outstretched, her face revealing she was clearly pissed.

Barely managing to dodge what he assumed would be an attempt at strangulation, Discord watched in amusement as she fell flat on her face, barely containing yet more laughter at her startled look.

Xenia felt a rage within her that she could not describe. She wasn't exactly sure what was up, she knew she should be more confused and scared at this point. The sight of the creature, however, made something in her snap. It was obvious to her that must mean her body knew something her mind didn't, perhaps maybe this...thing was the one who made her have that meltdown in the garage earlier.

The garage!

You could almost hear the brakes squealing as Xenia stopped in her tracks, having gotten up and charged the plainly bemused animal again. Glancing around, Xenia's jaw almost literally fell to the forest floor. She was surrounded by pristine woodland, with beautiful trees and foliage sprouting around her. However, it was not the shrubbery itself, but the colors that shocked her. Deep blues, dark yellows, violet purples, all pristine colors that did not belong in a forest. Plus, these plants didn't look anything like even jungle plants would. It was really beginning to make Xenia's brain hurt again just trying to figure out where she was. Then the last memory she could think of before waking here sprouted in her mind.

She instantly turned her focus back on the disfigured male creature. Glaring, she pointed an accusing finger at him and yelled, "You! I remember you! You were in the garage just before I blacked out, and then I woke, and that portal came! It was all you, I know it! Now, I demand answers! Where am I and why have you brought me here?!"

Discord's expression had gone from amused to confused as Xenia continued to talk, his eyebrows furrowing in puzzlement. "Garage? What are you talking about? Sure, I opened the portal, but I never actually left Equestrian soil."

Now both human and draconequus were very stumped as to what exactly had happened here. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom watched, all of them even more lost than the two different species before them.

"Um, hello?" Sweetie Belle said as she finally stepped forward from the trio. "Does anyone care to explain what's going on?"

This shocked everyone from their intense stares and confused expressions.

"Ah yes, how my manners have slipped!" Scolding himself jokingly, Discord snapped the fingers of his eagle claws and the five were suddenly seated in a circle.

"Alright, I'll start. Hi, my name is Discord, Lord of Chaos, lover of fun and craziness!" Still recovering from the unexpected shock, the other four simply shared blank looks.

Growing annoyed, Discord sighed and rolled his eyes. "Is it not obvious what we're doing? Come now, let's try and get the introductions out of the way."

Once more the four others of the circle shared looks, but this time they were waiting for someone else to speak up, all of them getting the impression Discord would not continue the conversation until they greeted each other.

Sighing, Sweetie Belle went next. "I am Sweetie Belle, musical star of Equestria, and lover of classical music."

Shrugging, Apple Bloom decided to go. "Ah'm Apple Bloom, apprentice alchemist, and lover of all things nature."

Xenia and Scootaloo shared an awkward look, neither sure who should go next. Hmming, Scootaloo sighed and said, "Well, I'm Scootaloo, personal student of Princess Luna, and lover of the stars."

While everyone was sitting and introducing themselves, Discord had grown increasingly bored. Groaning, he twiddled his thumbs, waiting for them to be finished. Maybe he should have just given them each other's names instead of this overly long and stupid share circle. So, when he saw Xenia go to announce who she was, he decided to have a bit of fun. Snapping his tail, he sat back and watched it unfold.

"I'm- grabba googa blewth."

Xenia's eyes widened and she glanced down her nose toward her mouth. "What the- woona larth?" Now the Crusaders were staring as Discord started laughing, finding it damn near impossible to stop, even as the four in front of him turned to give him dirty looks, Xenia's being the most frightening. Of course, it didn't really scare Discord, only made him laugh harder.

Standing, Xenia folded her arms and glared down at Discord, tapping her foot impatiently. This continued for several minutes, until Discord managed to rein himself in. "Ohohohaha, you should have seen the looks on your faces! I love seeing such startled expressions, it's unbearably funny!"

Growing angrier and angrier by the second, Xenia resisted the urge to try to pound him in. "Look, just fi- helala jusen!" The draconequus and ponies could swear they saw her eyes burst into black flame, but before they could be sure, Xenia took a deep breath and closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself.

Rolling his eyes, Discord snapped his fingers, ending the prank.

When she heard the snap, Xenia opened her eyes to see Discord giving her a very bored look that she think meant, well, go ahead.

Huffing she nodded and continued with what she was trying to say earlier. "My name is Xenia. I don't really do anything special, and I have no particular love of anything."

Three ponies eyes blinked at her, while Discord raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. Put into another awkward silence, the group stood around shuffling their feet or hooves. That was, until, a new voice drifted into the clearing.

"Apple Bloom? What goes on here, faithful student?"

Five heads whipped toward the pony, or more accurately, zebra, emerging from the shadows. The first to speak was Apple Bloom. "Oh! Teacher! Sorry I did not come back much sooner, as you can see, things have gotten messy."

Chuckling, Zecora sat before them, shaking her head. "It is all fine my student. Now tell me, what brings you all here?" It was only after this question that she acknowledged Xenia's presence. Her eyes instantly widened and she stood, backing up a step, the skin under her fur paling. "What has thou done?! Bringing such danger, it is very wrong!"

Tilting her head in confusion, Xenia took a step toward Zecora. "I mean no harm, zebra, I swea-"

"Make no promises that you cannot keep!"

The outburst startled Xenia, who stopped moving toward the clearly nervous zebra. "What are you talking about? Of course I can keep it! I may have no idea where I am or what I'm doing here, but considering I'm not dead right now or being dissected, I see no reason why I would bring harm."

Zecora studied the human for a few seconds more before shooting a glance at Apple Bloom, who trotted over to join her mentor. "Best intentions you may have, the future now holds grim for all of us." Turning, she began to head back into the forest. "Come Apple Bloom, home we must go, and leave the presence of ignorant deceit."

With a shocked, puzzled, and apologetic glance back at the silent ponies, etc. behind her, Apple Bloom disappeared after her instructor.

"That was....interesting."

"And that was the understatement of the day, Scootaloo," Xenia said sarcastically, still stunned by the striped cousin of horses' words. "Exactly what the fuck did she mean? Ignorant deceit?" A thought popped into Xenia's head, and she narrowed her eyes, looking at the for-once silent draconequus to her left. "Did you do something to me when you brought me here? Mess with my future? Screw with my head?"

Realizing he was being addressed, Discord shook himself from his quiet stupor and looked at Xenia. "Huh? Oh, no, of course not! Granted, the thought of messing with your mind sounds fun, but most of this was merely all part of a deal. A deal that had nothing to do with playing with anyone's mind, sadly. Which is the only reason that dear Zecora's behavior shocked me as well. She's usually so sweet and gentle, which always makes me want to gag. Hmm, maybe she saw something about this. I know alchemist can sometimes brew concoctions that let them see into the future."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. "She can do what now?"

"Enough!"

That shut them all up. Letting out a relieved sigh, Xenia turned her attention on Discord. "So, let me get this straight. You're some sort of magical chaos lord who struck a deal with three ponies to bring me here? Why?"

Stroking his beard, the Lord of Chaos glanced around for a second, apparently thinking, before his eyes met with Xenia's again. "Well, to explain it, I'd have to start from the beginning." Two groans immediately sounded behind them, from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Oh, come on!" complained Scootaloo. "You cannot seriously be thinking of telling her everything! That'll take forever!"

Scowling, Discord looked at the pony. "Geez, aren't you just the party pooper? Fine, fine, I'll do it the quick and simple way." Before any of them could ask what the quick and simple way was, Discord had placed the tip of one of his eagle claws on top of her forehead.

Xenia could feel him trying to pry into her brain, and it set her to panic mode. She tried backing away, but her body was frozen in place by some unforeseen force. This only set her mind and body into overdrive, and as Discord finally pulled back the curtain and entered her mind, they could both see a black shadow suddenly form with the force of a wildfire. Speaking of fire, it was what the shadow shot at Discord. 'What the fu-' Discord tried to say, but then the fire, which was as black as the shadow, hit him. He gasped in shock, falling to his knees, clutching the place the flame had struck. 'I don't understand', the Discord inside my mind gasped, 'my power is...'

Standing, the draconequus ran headfirst into a bright light.

Out in the living world, the two finally managed to break apart. Discord went as far as he could from Xenia as she stumbled back and landed on her ass.

"What the hell was that?!" Xenia screamed, she couldn't believe what she had somehow witnessed take place in her head. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle jumped at their sudden movements, both taking a step back from the two.

Discord, physically shaking, lifted his eagle hand to his face and saw the fingertip which he had placed on Xenia was now blackened and smoking. "I- I don't know," he stuttered, for once trying to make sense of things. "I've never seen anyone's brain defend itself like that, and only one creature should have the power to..." Discord let his sentence drift off as he tried to collect himself. Breaking down in front of the two old Cutie Mark Crusaders and a stranger he was now perceiving as a very big threat was not a good idea.

Growing impatient, Scootaloo boldly stepped forward. "Will you two just stop the blabbering?! What has you both so freaked out?!"

Exchanging a look with Discord and seeing the look in his eyes was all Xenia needed for conformation. It was unnecessary conformation, really, for she could already feel it trying to fuse with her blood.

"Oh my God. I drained Discord of some of his power."