Self-Deception

Summary: Takes place after Twilight becomes an Alicorn Princess; not related to my Garble/Sweetie Belle or Twilight/Marvin fanfics. Discord finds and comforts a heartbroken Spike.

MLP*~*MLP~*~MLP*~*MLP

It was late afternoon as Discord was hanging around Fluttershy's place. Really, he's literally hanging around. He's hanging upside down by his tail from a strong tree branch, alongside some possums and bats. It feels good for his back, but he hopes the blood rushing to his head doesn't make him dizzy.

Just then, one of the bats squeaked out to him. Since he's part bat due to his wing, Discord can understand bat. He then cracked an eye open to the flying mammal.

"Huh?" he said to him. "Spike? Where?" The bat then pointed ahead of him with his wing, and Discord turned to the direction he's pointing at. He then spotted Spike running by the cottage. And by the looks of it…he's crying. But why? A second bat then squeaked to Discord.

"I don't know what happened," he answered before floating off the branch and turning himself right side up again. "I better follow and make sure he doesn't get hurt." He then flew off to follow the little dragon and find out what's wrong.

He soon found Spike by following his sobs to behind a large tree. Looking around it, Discord found the little dragon sitting in a feeble position and crying into his folded arms. He's never seen him this upset. Sure, he showed that expression when trying to get Fluttershy to use her Element of Kindness against him, but it was angry upset, not sad upset.

"Spike?" Discord asked him as he lowered himself next to him. "Hey, what's wrong? What's with the tears?" Spike looked up to see Discord looking down at him with concern, showing the larger creature the dark tear streaks staining his face.

"Discord," he whimpered, wiping his tears away with a sniff. "Wh…What are you…doing here?"

"Following you," the Draconequus answered, handing the little dragon a tissue appeared in his hand. "I saw you run by crying, so I came over to see if you're okay."

"I wish I was," Spike answered, taking the tissue and blowing his nose into it. "I don't wanna talk about it though." Discord, however, wasn't going to let go.

"Spike, you can't go keeping your pain to yourself," he said, snapping his fingers to have a Fire Ruby appear before the little dragon. "Fluttershy said that's not healthy, and you know how she gets. C'mon, just tell me what's wrong." Reluctantly taking the gem, Spike hesitated and took a small nibble.

"Well, you remember Garble…right?"

Discord nodded in reply. He recalled Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash telling him about Garble, the red leader of the teenage dragon gang from the Great Dragon Migration who was nothing but trouble, mostly for Spike.

Discord got the chance to meet him when he and his gang came to live in Ponyville with the Mane Six, as requested by Princess Celestia and the Dragon King Fireheart, Garble's father (you can imagine the Ponies' shock). After Twilight's transformation into an Alicorn Princess, Princess Celestia and King Fireheart discussed how to bring peace and friendship between the Ponies and the dragons. Their agreement: have Garble marry Twilight. Spike was the least happy about it. In fact, he was ticked off, claiming that Garble wants to hurt her. Twilight wasn't happy about it either, but she reluctantly agreed when Princess Celestia kindly persuaded her to give Garble a chance to redeem himself for her. And King Fireheart asked Discord to watch his son and his gang to make sure they don't cause or get into any trouble while learning about Pony customs. That's why the Draconequus is staying in Ponyville as well.

Spike hoped that the relationship wouldn't work out, and the arranged marriage will be called off. But something tells Discord that the little dragon's hopes have been shattered.

"Well, I was on my way back from Rarity's boutique after helping her and Dio (the white dragon with the pink eyes and spines)," Spike then explained after calming down a bit. "But when I got back to the library and came in…" His eyes started to well up again with tears, and that got Discord concerned.

"Spike…" he stared before the little dragon threw himself into his furry chest.

"Discord, I saw them!" he cried, tears soaking into his fur. "I saw Garble and Twilight making out on the couch!" Discord blinked with surprise before Spike went on in between sobs. "She was lying on the couch…He was over her…His arms were around her waist…Hers were around his neck…They were giving each other tongue, and…Twilight was blushing and enjoying it! I…I feel so betrayed!" Discord looked down at the crying dragon in reply.

"Why do you feel betrayed?" he asked.

"Because I'm afraid she'll send me away," Spike answered with a lump in his throat. "Garble's a better dragon an I am. He's older, a born leader, braver, stronger…not to mention he's a prince with wings. He's everything Twilight deserves. Now she'll send me away and replace me with him…because she won't need me anymore." Discord then wrapped his bat wing around his shoulders.

"Who told you those lies?" he asked firmly.

"N-no one," Spike answered, wiping away his tears. "It's just…something I'm afraid will happen." Discord then gave him a comforting smile before nuzzling him softly.

"Spike, what you're feeling is self-deception." He turned to him with confusion.

"Self what?"

"That's when you lie to yourself, like blaming yourself for your parents' divorce when you had nothing to do with it."

"But, Discord," Spike then whimpered, "I just know it's gonna happen. Garble's a better dragon than I am because he's older and more experienced."

"Did Twilight even say she was going to send you away?" Discord asked.

"Well, no," the little dragon answered with a sniff. "She told me at the Crystal Kingdom that she was never going to send me away."

"That's because she loved you so much since the day you were hatched. You're like her baby brother. Just because she's betrothed to Garble and starting to fall for him, that doesn't mean you have to stop being her little brother. So don't go thinking that she doesn't want you in her life anymore."

"But what about Garble?" Spike asked softly. "I just know he hates me. He'll make Twilight send me away." Before Discord could answer…

"Spike! Spike, where are ya?" The two of them looked up to see Garble moving around the area, flying just a foot from the ground. And by the looks of it, he looks pretty worried.

"Garble!" Discord called out to the red dragon. "Over here!"

"Discord, what are you doing?!" Spike hissed as Garble flew up to them.

"Finding out how he really feels about you," the Draconequus answered as the red dragon landed before the two of them. He then looked down at Spike angrily.

"Spike, what the hey were you doing running off like that?" he yelled at the smaller dragon like a babysitter scolding a runaway child. "You have any idea how worried ya made Twilight?" Spike then looked away in fear but looked up at Discord when he placed a comforting paw on his shoulder.

"Go ahead," he whispered, giving him an it'll-be-okay look. Spike then sighed in reply before turning to Garble.

"I'm really sorry, Garble," he said to the older dragon. "It's just…I saw you and Twilight making out on the couch. I was afraid that you'll make Twilight send me away because you're a better dragon than I am, and you must hate me after the whole phoenix egg scenario, and…" He then let out a sob before looking down in shame. "Well…that's why I ran off like that…" He shut his eyes tightly and braced himself for Garble's response. Laugh at him for crying like a baby? Yell at him more?

Spike opened his eyes with surprise and confusion when Garble suddenly put his wing around his shaking shoulders and pulled him into a gentle hug, nuzzling him in comfort with a softened expression on his face. Why this sudden change?

"Well, you're right about one thing," he then said calmly before looking down at him. "I do have it bad for Twilight. She's cute, she's smart…but best of all, she's got spunk." Spike wiped his eyes with a sniff before looking up at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, when she tried to defend you back at the forest, I realized that for a Pony, she's pretty hot when spunky like that. And you wanna know another reason why I'm going along with the marriage?" The little dragon nodded in reply. "It's you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Not only will I be getting a spunky wife; I'll be getting an awesome little brother too." Spike smiled up at him before hugging him by the neck, causing the older dragon's smile to broaden. "Just don't go thinking we're going to send you away cuz we're not, okay?

"Deal," Spike replied. Garble then hugged him back in reply before glancing up at Discord. The Draconequus winked at him with a smile, and he returned the wink.

"C'mon," he said, taking Spike and putting him on his back. "I'll take ya home." Now calm and feeling better, the little dragon held onto his long red neck before turning to Discord.

"Thanks for cheering me up, Discord," he said to him.

"Yeah," Garble said. "Thanks for find him for me."

"Glad I can help," the Draconequus replied. Garble then spread out his wings and took off into the sky to head back to the library. As they left, Discord snapped his fingers to have a parchment and quill appear before him. The quill then started moving by itself to write his letter to Princess Celestia:

"To my dear Celestia:

"You'll be happy to know that the arranged marriage between Twilight and Garble is working out great. Spike told me that he saw the two of them making out, but he didn't take it very well. He thought Twilight would send him away and replace him with Garble because he's a 'better dragon'. I told him he's going through self-deception; I know Twilight would never do that to her own adopted brother. Garble then came along and explained everything to him. Turns out he really likes Twilight and likes the idea of having Spike as a little brother. I'll be sure to let you know what will happen afterwards.

"Sincerely yours, Discord."

After finishing his letter, the Draconequus rolled it up and snapped his fingers, and the letter disappeared in a flash of light. He then flew back to Fluttershy's place, hoping he hasn't missed out on Comedy Hour with the bats.