17.

Discord leaned on his throne and he listened to several different complaints and several other things that he really found quite tedious and boring. He sat up slightly when he noticed that Lilly’s guard was next to have an audience with him.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be watching over my daughter?” Discord asked.

Zero gulped and saluted Discord. “Yes sir… but… um Sir. I…”

Discord frowned at the guard. “What is it? Spit it out.”

“Lady Chaos has a message for you.” Zero’s legs were shaking so much that he felt like he might collapse.

“Yes?” Discord was getting impatient.

“She said: Good Bye.” Zero closed his eyes and cringed ready for anything violent to befall him. When nothing happened he opened his eyes slowly.

Discord sat back in his throne arching one of his eyebrows. He sat up again as he looked at Zero and he rubbed his goatee with his claw slowly. He then looked at the captain of the guards. “I won’t be taking any more meetings today.”

“Sir?” The Captain said. “We have been here for only an hour.”

Discord growled at the Captain. “My daughter ran away… I think I can cancel meetings for the day.”

“Yes sir.” The Captain saluted. Zero started to back out of the throne room.

“You! Don’t leave.” Discord growled at him and Zero stopped in his tracks.

Discord got up from the throne and walked over to Lilly’s guard. “Tell me what she said.” He demanded. “Did she say where she was going? What was she doing before she left?”

Zero gulped as Discord approached him and was suddenly demanding answers from him that he didn’t have the answer to. “I… Sir… I’m… She was… I…” He stuttered.

Discord put his finger on Zero’s muzzle. “Calm down.”

Zero blinked as all his thoughts that were jumbled before became organized. “What happened?”

“You are about to tell me what happened with LillyRose.” Discord muttered.

“Yes Sir.” He saluted. “Lady Chaos left the dining room this morning and I followed her she was muttering something about being dragged down into despair with her brother and she didn’t want to be. She had turned to me and she was crying. She told me to inform you and her mother Good Bye. She spread her wings in the southwest courtyard and flew north.” Zero blinked in amazement at remembering everything.

Discord frowned with the news. “You are dismissed.”

“Sir?” Zero said. “What do I do?”

“When Lilly returns you will be her guard again, but until then… consider it a vacation. With little or no pay.” Discord grumbled.

Zero nodded and slowly left the throne room.

Discord extended his wings, snapped his fingers disappeared and reappeared outside the castle. He looked around the southwest courtyard and flew up into the sky. He sighed as  he looked in the northerly direction all he saw was the Crystal Mountains in the distance. He had no idea how he would begin the search for Lilly; he slowly landed back on the ground taking in a deep breath, he had to tell Fluttershy. He placed his paw on his muzzle. “Oh my double flower. You didn’t have to run away.”