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Magical Mystery Oops

by BookeCypher

Chapter 23: Wherever I Would Be (Epilogue)

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Twilight grumbled in annoyance as the sunlight streamed through the window, finally finding just the right angle to burn through her eyelids and pull her out of her much needed slumber. Celestia knew she was prone to long late-night research binges. The least she could do was aim the sun elsewhere. Given how often she’d saved the world, Twilight figured she’d earned that.

Grumblings about solar mechanics was interrupted as a second and third thought entered her mind – one, why was she cold and two, what the blazes is that sound?

With a groan of annoyance, Twilight forced her eyes open, one hoof coming up to shield herself from the sun as the other levered her over to see what the sound was.

Discord was sprawled out across half her bed, somehow managing to both get himself wrapped up in all of her blankets and sprawl his limbs across the bed. And he was snoring like a pair of kazoo’s were shoved up his nostrils… which, all things considered, was a distinct possibility. “Why am I not surprised,” she grumbled as she flipped him over and freed some of her blankets.

Discord gave a snort as he grabbed blindly at the blankets, “I was using that,” he mumbled, still half asleep while stealing the blankets again.

“I thought you were moving back in with Fluttershy,” Twilight said, giving him a prod before giving up on the blankets and simply grabbing his wing and pulling it over herself, “What gives?”

“The bear took my hammock,” Discord said by way of response.

“Sure,” Twilight mumbled back as she snuggled back into her pillow, ready for another few hours of sweet, sweet-

“Rise and Shine, Twilight!” The voice of her young draconian assistant echoed through the room as he slammed the door open.

Twilight resisted the urge to groan again as she slowly pushed Discord’s wing off of her and sat up, “Spike, do you know what time it is?”

The purple dragon stepped back out into the hall, glancing down the hall before stepping back in, “Uh, ten twenty-two?”

Twilight blinked owlishly at that before flopping back with a groan, “Horseapples,” Reluctantly Twilight pulled herself out of the bed and onto her hooves, “alright – damage?”

“Already reworked your schedule,” Spike handed her a scroll as she walked past, Twilight grabbing it with her telekinesis as she stepped into the bathroom and began her morning ablutions, “You’re meeting with the Yakistani delegation can’t move, so...”

“Cut my research time this morning short, right,” Twilight finished for him as she ran a brush through her mane, “We’re still good for the trip to Zecora’s then?”

“Barely,” Spike replied, “Have to take breakfast to go though...”

“Not a problem,” Twilight replied as she stepped out of the bathroom, already heading for the stairs, “Ready to go?”

“Always ready!” Spike replied , snapping of a sharp salute before pausing and staring back at her bed, “What about Discord?”

“Eh, leave him,” she replied with a shrug, “I’m sure Flash won’t mind some help today.”

“What was that about help?” the orange Pegasus in question asked from the base of the stairs as the pair descended, “Also, the security preparations for the guests are complete.”

“Excellent! We wouldn’t want any experiments breaking out at a bad time,” Twilight said with a smile as she reached the bottom of the stairs before a thought seemed to occur to her, “Flash, Discord is asleep in my room again – try to make sure he doesn’t unsecure anything, would you kindly?”

“Can I just lock him in your room, ma’am?” he asked as he glanced past Twilight and up the stairs, “It would be safer that way.”

“Please, as if that would stop him,” Twilight said with a sigh as she turned to Flash, “As much as I would wish that would work it would just give him ideas and he’s right behind me isn’t he?”

Pegasus and dragon both blinked owlishly, “Huh,” Spike said after a long moment, “So he is. What do you know?”

Flash’s reaction was less urbane, “When did you get here!?”

“Just now,” Discord replied with a shrug before pulling a platter of toast out from behind him, “planning a trip without me, Twi?”

“I was, yes,” Twilight replied as she perused the various combinations of bread and jam, “It seemed like a shame to interrupt your much-need beauty sleep, after all.”

Discord shrugged at that, “Eh – forty seven points.”

“Out of how many?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow before selecting a slice of raisin swirl with some sort of hazelnut spread, “If you’re going to be around today, you can help Flash with some of our experiments,” she summoned a thick book as she headed past, telekinetically flipping it open to a page filled with columns of compact text before passing it to the Draconequus, “That resonance crystal array should be hitting peak harmonics today.”

“Ooh...” Discord eagerly snatched up the book, flipping though the pages, “Oh, if these work out like we think they should...” he chuckled, “The bunny isn’t going to know what-hey, wait!” he quickly turned back to Twilight, eyes narrowed, “You’re trying to distract me! And what if I have my own plans, hm?”

“I am and do what you want,” Twilight replied with a shrug as she reached the front door, another burst of purple magic pulling it open, “I’m confident that Flash can take care of things regardless. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a appointment with a Zebra to keep,” she was half-way out the door before she spun around and added, “Oh, one more thing – you’re dropping in for dinner I assume?”

“Depends,” Discord shrugged as he toyed with the experimental log book, having pages disassemble and re-assemble themselves, “Why?”

“If you are, could you invite Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, “I’ve been trying to organize a spa day with her all week. Anyhow, Bye!”

With that, Twilight was out the door and off toward the Everfree forest, her faithful assistant close behind her, “So, are you sure leaving Discord at home is a good idea?,” Spike asked nervously as he walked along next to her.

“Discord is well aware of protocol,” Twilight replied as she took a bite of her toast. Hmmm – still warm, “And most of the experiments are from before last week anyway.”

“That’s what I mean though,” Spike replied, “What about your project from this week? That mini-spell array thing. How do you think he’ll react to you not telling him about that sort of thing?”

“Probably like a kicked puppy,” Twilight admitted with a sigh, “But the Kaleidostick isn’t even past the conceptual phase, and besides...”

Spike went a few more steps before realizing that Twilight had come to a stop, “Twilight? Besides what?”

“Besides,” Twilight continued, head dipped low, “If I tell him I’m trying to replicate pony-draconequus shifting and then it doesn’t work...” she trailed off briefly before finally finishing, “...I just don’t want to get his hopes up.”

“Oh, cheer up Twilight!” Spike said as she jumped onto her back, “It’s Discord! I’m sure he’d appreciate the effort,” he paused before adding with a shrug, “Or at least the explosion.”

Twilight chuckled weakly at that, but continued walking, “Thanks Spike.”

“Any time,” the dragon replied as he reclined on her back. They continued in companionable silence until they reached the Everfree Forest proper. “You know, I just thought of something.” Spike said as they stepped into the psuedo-twilight of the woods.

“And what’s that?” Twilight asked as she glanced him over one shoulder.

“That, despite everything,” Spike explained, “Opalescence never tried anything.”

Twilight blinked in confusion at that until her memory managed to dig the relevant conversation up. She couldn’t repress the bout of laughter that the memory triggered, and she didn’t bother trying to as Spike joined in.

Laughter of pony and dragon echoed through the woods, weaving its way through the trees as, far into the sea of trees, buried under dirt and rubble at the center of a dark clearing, something stirred.

Author's Notes:

0

And it only took 1506 days! (But who's counting?)

Special thanks to Lopoddity, for spawning the idea and letting me use their artwork as the basis for a cover - this would literally not exist if not for you. To DB_Explorer, for acting as a sounding board for 4 years. To Mac349, Trippy998, Just A Fabulous Cat, Doctor Candor and skysthelimit, for serving as proof-readers when I remembered use them - their work made this story better and that I didn't take more advantage of their services is a crime.

And, finally, to readers like you - Both the ones who have been here from the start to the ones reading it just now; I've hoped you've enjoyed the ride as much as I enjoyed writing it.

(Now, If you'll excuse me - I'm going to go hide.)

Fin

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