IMPORTANT NOTE!! PLEASE READ!!!
So this chapter, as well as all of the following Interludes will be written in the 3rd Person POV. This is to simplify the character interactions and to make my job a bit easier when it comes to writing the darn things. The main chapters of the book with still be from Sarah's POV and in 1st Person, so just keep that it mind. I'm not trying to make this jarring moving from one to the other, but it was the easiest way to write them all things considered.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!!!!

It was a rather uneventful day in Canterlot Castle, and Celestia was doing what she normally did after raising the sun, paperwork. While normally she preferred to have some breakfast with Luna, this time she couldn’t take the time. There were more and more reports of mysterious happenings across the nation, and they were beginning to paint a very dark image. Missing ponies, defiled graves, even sightings of passed loved ones walking again in the middle of the night.

Celestia’s quill swiftly signed another scroll before it was rolled and sealed with a black ribbon. She sent it off in a burst of magic, and moved on to the next report. Things were starting to look very grim, and still there was no indication of where this new threat might be hiding.
All of a sudden, a loud pop sound echoed through Celestia’s chambers, followed by a flash of light as a familiar chaotic being appeared in the middle of the room.

“Ah my dear Celestia.” Discord said smoothly as he reclined onto her bed, “how is my favorite pony doing as of late.”

“I have little time for your games Discord,” Celestia replied as her magic sent off another scroll, “there are dark times ahead of us. But then again, you already knew that, didn’t you?” She cast a penetrating glance over her shoulder at the draconequus.
Discord placed a clawed hand over his chest, a hurt look coming to his face as he floated above the bed, “Me? What could I have anything to do with these mysterious happenings? I’m hurt that you would suspect me of such a thing.”

“Yet you said so yourself that you traveled across the multiverse the find young Sarah in the hopes that she could stop the foes that now hide within our nation’s shadows.” Celestia countered, “Do not take me for a fool, Discord, I am well aware of the source of the dark magics that Sarah’s powers were created to fight. It is the hiding place of these sorcerers that I am seemingly unable to locate.” Her gaze returned to the desk before her and the multitudes of paperwork that had to be personally read and signed by her, “I just wish there was more I could do.”

Discord seemed take pity on the worried princess, touching down and walking over to her before resting his lion paw on her shoulder, “You have done well ruling your kingdom, even after all the trials you have faced, both before and after my imprisonment.” He tilted her head up with one finger, showing rare gentleness as he smiled down at her, “Fret not. Of the futures that I can see, the ones that do not have Sarah in them, are futures that we would rather not see come to pass.”

Celestia turned her head to the side, her eyes still worried as she stood from her desk, “Yet the enemy could strike her down before she is ready to face them. Twilight Sparkle has placed a pair of Ponyville guards as her protectors, but I fear that will not be enough.”

“Why don’t you just train her to defend herself until she has mastered her new magic?” Discord asked.

Celestia’s eyebrow rose as she glanced sidelong at the spirit of chaos, “That’s surprisingly straightforward, coming from you.”

“Don’t look at me,” Discord said as he held up his hands, “I didn’t say anything.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed in confusion, “Then who else could have spoken? Nopony but us is present within these chambers.”

“Ahem,” the voice that was Discord but not Discord said simply, “down here.”

Both parties turned their attention to the floor, where the discarded husk Discord had left in the throne room lay spread out like a prize pelt. As they glanced at each other, to verify they weren’t imagining things, the head of the carpet rose up and smiled at them in a polite way.

“It’s so hard to get ponies to listen when you’re being tread upon all day.” The seemingly alive carpet said, waving its eagle claws in the air for emphasis, “Ah but such is the life of a carpet.”

The real Discord was the target of a very irate Celestia’s gaze, and he held up his hands in a placating manner as he backed up a step, “Now I assure you Celestia, this isn’t what it looks like. You know my magic can’t bring inanimate things to life.”

Celestia’s horn ignited as she advanced on Discord, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she spoke, “Then explain how your husk is talking like it has a mind of its own. Answer me now, Discord, before I force the secret from you.”

“If you all could refrain from violence,” Discord Carpet said smoothly as it waved a paw through the air, “I believe I can answer your question. I would rather not turn this room into a warzone. I may be nearly indestructible, but a battle between you two would put even my near invulnerability to the test.”

Celestia thought for a moment before turning to face the carpet, her horn returning to normal as she lowered her head to be level with the carpet’s gaze, “Then speak, and be sure to tell the truth. I do not care for dishonesty when I am in unfamiliar territory.”

Discord Carpet nodded, “As you wish. You see, when Discord was using me as his body, it was not created to be the same as his old one. After all, there can’t be two Lords of Chaos within the same realm, or else the very fabric or reality would rip apart, at least more so than when he’s normally around.”

Discord rubbed his neck with a sheepish grin as the carpet continued, “So, rather than being the Lord of Chaos reborn, I was created from his opposite, logic and reason.”

“No wonder you never fit right,” Discord said as he leaned down and tapped the rug on the head, “I was never able to figure out why it was I seemed to be fighting my own body whenever I would cast my magic. Well,” he created a calendar that had the dates all mixed up and scrutinized it before dissolving the object, “you learn something new every day.”

Celestia spared the spirit of chaos a glance before returning her attention to the carpet, “So what happened when Discord was freed and returned to his own body? What became of you?”

“Well I don’t really know what happened to me per say,” it replied, “all I know is that I woke up the moment you placed me on your floor, and I’ve come to realize that I am a carpet. Therefore, a carpet is what I will be from this moment forth.”

“It could be that this husk carried some of my magic within it but had no outlet for that magic,” Discord said as he rubbed his chin, “that is, until you turned it into a carpet. Now the magic within him is working off the task that you assigned to it once he came under your care.” He chuckled slightly before leaning in close to Celestia’s head, “You know, when I said you could turn it into a carpet, I didn’t think you would actually do it.”

Celestia’s eyes lidded partially as she turned to her old rival, “Oh but that is the real trick, my dear Discord. You’re not the only one who can pull surprises around here.”

Discord reeled back as he roared with laughter, “Oh Celestia, you crack me up. I mean, you of all ponies pulling one over on me, the Lord of Chaos?! I swear I never imagined I would see the day.” He wiped his eye free of the single tear that had accumulate there, giving Celestia a wide smile before bringing his fingers together, “Ah well, I’ll let you get acquainted with your newest furniture piece. Ta ta!”

With that, he snapped his fingers a disappeared the same way in which he had arrived. Celestia spared the absent draconequus a thought before shrugging her shoulders. Discord was going to be Discord, so who was she to stop him from having fun? Within reason of course.
She exited her chambers and began her trip through the castle halls, hoping to snag a bit of lunch before getting back to her work. Yet something felt off as she walked along the empty hallway. The floor beneath her didn’t feel the same way it usually did.

“If you wouldn’t mind stepping a bit to the left,” she paused as her eyes widened in shock at the familiar voice, “my back has been a bit bunched there and I would like to avoid tripping somepony.”

Celestia leaped off the now recognizable Discord Carpet, who was laid out along the corridor like he owned the place, “What are you doing here? Didn’t I just leave you in my chambers?”

Discord Carpet rolled his eyes as he lifted his head off the ground, “I am a carpet. Therefor I am designed to be used to cover the floor in rooms and hallways. I don’t see what the problem is.”

Celestia sputtered for a minute before letting out a resigned sigh, “Please refrain from startling my castle staff or the guards. I would hate for somepony to drop something on you in distress or slash you with a sword.”

“A little sword won’t do much to me, but I will try and not startle the maids.” Discord Carpet replied, “Stains are so hard to get out of fur.”

With the matter seemingly settled, Celestia moved on to the kitchens, finding a plate of eggs and toast were already laid out at the head of the table with the appropriate silverware. Celestia smiled at the diligence of the castle staff, and took her seat at the table before spooning a mound of eggs into her mouth. Her taste buds lit up with the rich flavors of the food, although her peaceful moment was interrupted by a now familiar voice.

“If you could please try to not spill food on me, I would greatly appreciate it.” The words were coming from below her.

Celestia nearly choked on her food as she forced it down her throat, taking a long pull on her orange juice before looking under the table.
Sure enough, Discord Carpet was lying there like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“What did I say about startling ponies?” Celestia managed to croak out as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“You told me to not startle the staff or guards.” The rug retorted, “You never said anything about startling you. On top of that, you knew about me already, why are you surprised that I am here?”

Celestia sputtered for a moment before she simply gave up trying to out-logic a piece of furniture, “Very well, I concede the point. Just, warn me when I enter a room if you are there so I don’t stumble upon you by accident.”

Discord Carpet nodded once, “Will do.”

Celestia sighed as she straightened, her appetite summarily lost after her jump-scare. Instead, she stood from the table and returned to her rooms, hoping to finish the last of the paperwork before dinner so she could spend some time with Luna. Discord Carpet was in every hallway and present in every room she could see into on the way, and she imagined it wouldn’t be long until the sentient floor covering had taken over every room in the castle. Thank the Maker it was limited to the indoors, or else nopony would be safe from it.

The doors to her room closed with a click as she walked into her space, stepping over Discord Carpet rather than walking over him in a show of courtesy. She sat down at her desk and picked up the next file, rolling her eyes at the rather unimpressive account of a scarecrow haunting the fields near Dodge Junction. She wrote a quick reply and rolled up the scroll before sending it off, wishing to no avail that her ponies would someday grow some greater level of common sense or backbone. The general populous had become a rather skittish group in the long years of her reign, and to some extent she missed the less peaceful times of old, if for no other reason than the competency of her information network at the time.

She was just finishing another report when Discord Carpet spoke up, “You misspelled ‘complacent’.”

Celestia paused before looking over her work, “No I didn’t.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s spelled with a ‘C’ instead of an ‘S’.” The carpet continued, “Would you like me to check and make sure?”

She looked over her shoulder at the rug with confusion, “How would you check it?”

Without missing a beat, it replied, “I’m in the Archives right now. I can look in the dictionary if you want.”

Celestia fought the urge to facehoof, “Of course you are. Very well, if you think it will help.”

There was a pause before Discord Carpet replied, “I was right, it is spelled with a ‘C’.”

Celestia’s eyebrow rose as she checked over her spelling, “Well I’ll be. I did misspell it. Have I always misspelled it?”

“Would you like me to check?” Discord Carpet asked calmly.

Genuinely interested now, Celestia nodded, “Yes please. I would like to know just how long I have been making this error.”

There was a longer pause before he replied, “It would seem that you have always misspelled it, Princess. I looked at the records all the way back to when you and little Luna were first keeping track of things in this kingdom. Every instance of you using the word complacent, you have used the ‘S’ instead of the ‘C’.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed in confusion, “But I have messengers and aides that go over my documents before sending them off. How come nopony ever corrected me and let the mistakes continue?”

Discord Carpet gave her a long look, “You are the Princess of the Day, and an immortal alicorn as well. Who in their right mind would correct you on something that didn’t effect some greater problem?”

“But how can I work at my best when nopony will tell me anything?” She asked, her eyes widening slightly at the implications, “What else have they not been telling me?”

Discord Carpet glanced from one side to another in a slightly guilty manner, “Well….”

Meanwhile, in Luna’s private study, the lunar princess was sitting in front of a table, a chess board resting on its surface, with yet another Discord Carpet hanging over the back of a lounge chair so he could see the pieces. Luna moved a pawn forward, her tongue peeking out from the side of her mouth as sweat ran down the sides of her face.

“You are a worthy foe, Carpet.” She said as the piece landed firmly on the wooden surface, “I have not faced such an opponent in many years. It has been a pleasure to face you on the proverbial field of battle.”

“While I’m happy with my lot as a carpet,” Discord Carpet said as he looked over the board, “I will admit that this is rather engaging. Maybe I can play with the castle staff once they get used to me.”

“Verily,” Luna agreed as she considered her next move.

However, she was distracted by a flurry of movement as something raced by the doorway to her study. She got to her hooves and walked up to the opening, looking out to see a rather frazzled Celestia racing down the hall with wide eyes and lacking any form of regalia.

Luna’s eyes narrowed in confusion as she closed the door to her study, walking back into the room before taking her place at the table, “Celestia is acting rather strange as of late. I hope she’s not keeping secrets from me.”

“It’s nothing much,” Discord Carpet said as he gestured to the board with its eagle claw, “just some talk about court that you needn’t be worried about.” It reached out and moved the black bishop to a space deep within Luna’s territory, “Checkmate.”

“Blast!” Was the echoing cry that startled more than one maid as a seemingly out of sort Celestia made her way through the halls. To say nothing of the castle rumor mill and what would be said about the newest castle acquisition or the recent actions of a certain princess.

Author's Notes:

And so begins the tale of Discord Carpet!! How do you guys like this little number? Did I surprise you? Well, if you guys like this little addition to my little story, keep any eye out. There are going to be Easter Eggs as well as more Interludes as the story progresses. So keep an ear to the ground and your comment box ready, because this is going to be a riot by the second half!

Anyways, short little update for you as a bonus for the usual chapter, and I hope to see you all later.

See you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.