It was a beautiful day in the city of Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle and her friends had taken the train to visit the princess and inquire about how the newly reformed Discord was faring. Princess Celestia had failed to return Twilight's letters and, Twilight being her normal frazzled self, became paranoid that Discord had created mischief in the castle. Thus, she rounded up Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, donned them in their Elements of Harmony collars, and jumped onto the next train to the palace.

"Everything seems okay..." Twilight murmured as they trotted along the pathway to the castle. Guards passed by and waved 'hello' to them. All was normal.

"See Twilight?" Fluttershy spoke up from the back. "Everything's just fine. I told you Discord wouldn't be causing trouble."

"That doesn't explain why the princess wouldn't write me back," Twilight retorted, her ears flattening against her head.

"She's probably just busy, sugarcube," Applejack chimed in. "She is the princess after all."

"I don't know... maybe," Twilight conceded with a sigh. They would find out soon enough.

-

As it turned out, Applejack was right. Princess Celestia had been gone for a week out in Fillydelphia and Manehatten training with Discord as a test of his new promise to use his powers for good. It was a rocky relationship, starting with genderbending ponies and buildings made of butter that melted in the sun. He fixed it, of course, and accomplished what Princess Celestia asked of him... despite the frustration that built up between the two. And, the mischief aside, the ponies of Equestria were starting to warm up to him... a little.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Twilight exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "I thought Discord had done something awful to you!"

"Why am I the first one to blame for everything?" the old Draconequus questioned, glancing down at Fluttershy who stood loyally by his side.

"Should I recount last time?" Twilight shot back with a frown, her amethyst eyes narrowing at him.

"Touche," he replied with a toothy grin.

Celestia chuckled at the banter between the two before remembering something. "Oh, Twilight, Princess Luna wanted to see you. She found an old spell book written by Starswirl the Bearded in the library and thought you'd want to look at it with her."

"Really?!" The unicorn gasped, jumping around her friends much like she did when she found out she would be Princess Celestia's student. "Where is she?!"

"In the library still," Celestia replied. "She spends most of her time there catching up on what she's missed."

Twilight was already halfway down the hallway the minute Celestia told her the location, running back to thank her and bow respectfully before she took off again. Her friends, unsure of what to do, decided to hang out in the main lobby before Pinkie Pie came up with the glorious idea of playing hide-and-seek in the castle. Discord was tempted to join them and cause a little mischief, but he was surprisingly too exhausted from the trip. So, he chose to retire to his room where he collapsed onto the couch and picked up his own book to read. Fluttershy, afraid of scary games like hide-and-seek, stayed behind to speak to Celestia.

"Um, Princess Celestia?" the meek pony greeted as she walked up to the beautiful white alicorn.

"Yes, my little pony?" Celestia replied in a motherly tone.

"Um, I was wondering, um, how Discord was doing here in the castle? We write letters to each other, but he doesn't tell me much."

"He's doing fine, actually," Celestia answered with a gentle smile. "Mischief will always be a part of him, but he's learning more and more about the meaning of friendship each day. You've done an excellent job with him, Fluttershy."

"Oh, th-thank you, Princess!" she replied with a tiny smile. "Does he ever get lonely here?"

"He doesn't speak much of what he feels, but I can tell you that he does feel right at home here. In fact, he seems to think he was born to be a part of royalty." She rolled her eyes and laughed, Fluttershy giggling along with her.

"That's good," Fluttershy replied, her gaze slowly drifting to the ground as she scuffed the floor with her hoof. "I'm glad he's adjusting well."

Princess Celestia noticed Fluttershy's anxious movements, knowing that there was more to the conversation than Fluttershy was letting on. "Is there something else you wished to ask me, Fluttershy?"

The pale yellow pony shrunk further, her pink mane falling to cover her face. "Well, um, I was wondering, um, if you aren't too busy... Could you maybe, um, tell me more about Discord's past? I know you and Princess Luna sealed him away the first time and everything..." She trailed off there, her voice having lost volume with each word she was saying until she was incoherent. Celestia understood immediately.

"You wish to know how Discord came to be?" she finished for the shy pony. Fluttershy merely nodded.

"Come with me," the graceful princess remarked, beginning to head down a pristine white hallway adorned with the symbols of the princesses that looped around the entire palace, "and I will tell you of the chaotic beginning."