Discord rolled his eyes and signalled to Octavia to start playing. (Sleight of hoof? Idk, it's far from the most ridiculous thing in mlp.)
Discord appeared behind Usagi and Riker, draping an arm around each of their shoulders. "I'm not normally the one to say this, but do you think we should give them some privacy?" He suggested, whispering in their ears. He supposed they would know if their plan had been a success, and didn't want to put Spock or Uhura off, so he thought it might be better to give them some space. Or at least, appear to...
Following them out into the corridor, Discord produced his special seeing-rag, and polished the wall behind them, turning it into a one-way window through which they could observe Spock and Uhura. He conjured up a bucket of popcorn, and took a seat on the sofa that had materialised at the same time. "Please, take a seat," He offered, motioning Usagi and Rikerjackdash to join him, "Something tells me we may be here a while..."
In the moment Discord turned his head to offer a seat to Usagi and Riker Uhuara and Spock kissed. The world started going fuzzy. [Yeah, I've run out of ideas for this level. So your turn.]
When the world returned to focus, the bright and clean corridor was gone, replaced by wood, dark wallpaper, and a thin smoky haze; It was a saloon, Discord recognised the style for his trip to Dodge junction, but something was off... Looking down, he realised he was still in human form and, much to his annoyance, unable to change back. He was wearing a three piece suit and a top hat, and searching his pockets, he discovered a small bottle of snake oil and a pack of cards, which he instinctively started to shuffle in one hand. He was sat at a table, and looking up, he recognised Riker, back to his former self, albeit wish a bushy moustache in lieu of a beard, standing behind the bar, and in the corner, two woman; a rather annoyed looking Contrabassist, and another sat at a piano, who he assumed must be Usagi. (Cowboy episode! Gotta have a cowboy episode. Thought I'd run it a bit like Red Dwarf; each character gets a type and a unique skill. Discord's a snake oil salesman/magician, with a silver tongue and an impressive collection of magic tricks. I've set Riker up to be the bartender, and Usagi as the landlady/owner of the saloon; you can pick their skills. Thought we might keep Octavia around as a perpetually annoyed bystander; Discord brought her into the last level, so it makes sense she'd still be in his mind.) P.S. I'm only using invisible text because it looks neater.
Usagi didn't know what was a happening, but since she was at a piano she started to play the theme to Maverick. Er, what just happened?
"Progress, my good sir!" Discord replied. "Our mission must have been successful; we're in my head now."
Why are we in your head...so thanks to you bringing me to Usagi's head, I'm stuck in your little game?
"Stuck!?" Discord pulled a mock hurt expression. "You should feel honoured! Not many people are allowed in here you know. Sometimes even I get locked out." "Besides," He said, motioning to the corner. "What's-her-face is still here, and you don't hear her complaining." "My name is Octavia, and this is still not the Canterlot Concert hall!" Octavia piped up, angrily.
"Okay why is she still here? The Dream viewing machine I got from Lio interacted with the game, but what's keeping her here?" While the boys chatted Usagi started to play Ol Suzana.
Discord thought for a moment. "I think she may just be a figment of my imagination; I brought her into the last scenario, so it seems plausible she was still on my mind when this place was conjured up. Either that, or something to do with the way my magic interacts with whatever make this place work. I tend not to question how I do the things I do, I just enjoy doing them." He grinned and pulled a coin out from behind Riker's ear. "Now, a drink, if you would, good barkeep." He said, handing the coin to Riker and sitting back in his chair.
Riker poured Discord a glass or whatever beer was on the tap. He noticed Usagi had started playing Lean on Me which wasn't really a country song let alone something that be played in the wild west. "So what's the goal now? I suggest we hurry I think Usagi is running out of songs to play." Usagi overheard Riker's comment. It was true. She couldn't play a lot of song on the Piano. Mommy was amazed by some of the ones she could play though. Lean on me wasn't one of them though even her mommy could play the chorus. [My brother was playing the chorus to "Lean on me" at around five or six. I was able to play it, but I have touched a piano in years.]
Discord shrugged. "You've got me. I'm sure something will present itself though." Octavia had given up glaring at Discord by this point, and had instead started to play along this Usagi. They didn't sound half bad. A moment later, in strode the sheriff, or at least, Discord assumed he was the sheriff, judging by the badge and the guns. He stopped and glared at them. "Alright, listen here you lily-livered sons of guns!" Apparently the sheriff had a problem with volume control. "There's gonna be an armoured carriage carrying very valuable cargo rolling into town later, and the driver and guards will be staying here for the night, free of charge! Any questions?!" (I've never played piano. I play guitar, but I'm more Dave Lister than Jimi Hendrix.)
Usagi got up from the piano and walked over to the Sheriff. She then put her self in his face. "There is no such thing as a free lunch. Someones going to pay or they're not staying here. If you have a problem with that Sheriff then I'll be happy to rip that badge right off your shirt and hand it over to someone who know how the world works." Riker was surprised by Usagi's attitude. Wasn't she only six? Then again kids tend to watch a lot of television. Maybe she was mimicking some character of a sort. He checked under the counter for a gun incase things got ugly.
The sheriff spluttered and started turning red. "I am the sheriff! Who do you think you are!?" "I think they're the owners of the only place in town people can get a drink; how grateful do you think the townsfolk will be if you lock them up or shoot them?" Discord interjected, trying to defuse the situation. The sheriff pondered this furiously for a second and then spat. "Fine! But you done made yourselves a powerful enemy today!" He threw a wad of bills on the counter to cover the accommodation costs, then stormed out.
"What kind of idiot are you. You're the Sheriff. You answer to the people. You enforce the laws not make them!" Usagi shouted out after the Sheriff. Coming inside she frowned. "Even I know the Sheriff is an elected position. Maybe the mission is for Discord to run and replace the mean guy." "I'm going to assume since me and Octavia are B characters Usagi is the actual owner of this establishment. It wasn't unheard of for a woman to own a bar. And since this is Discord's mind it does make sense for Discord to be the one to run for Sheriff. However... the Sheriff is a position of Law and Order. I think it be more likely Discords supposed to steal the important cargo." Clear head, analyze the situation, the sooner the missions were over the sooner he woke up. He hoped. "But Mr. Discord is also unpredictable. And being a symbol of Order is one one the last things to expect from him." Usagi smiled at her logic. Then she was reminded of something. John de Lancie was in a western. "Ooh! I wonder if we'll get to meet MacGuyver!" "Wait what?" "If Mr. Discord is Jonos Bartok then maybe we'll get to meet Ernest Pratt or even Nicodemus Legend!" "I'm not following. Discord do you get any of this?"
"Oh, I'm sure we'll meet a few prats and nicotine-stained legends," Discord grinned. "This is the wild west after all!" He wasn't sure what Usagi was talking about, but it to him seemed like they were going to have fun either way. "It's wilder than it was, thanks to that bastard cattle baron, Mr. Trueblood!" Complained a grizzled looking man sitting at the bar. Funny; Discord could've sworn he wasn't there before... "He's been muscling decent folk out of their rightful property for years, and he's got our esteemed sheriff in his pocket too! I'll wager that carriage is carrying his ill-gotten gains. Sheriff wouldn't be taking such an interest otherwise." He sighed. "This town used to be alright, but now it's goin' t' hell in a hand basket. It'll be a ghost town before too long, you mark my words!" He shook his head, downed his drink, and headed out the same way as the sheriff, tipping his hat to Usagi and Octavia on the way. "Well that was... convenient." Discord said, watching him leave.
"Just the sort of thing Legend would show up for!" Usagi got real hopeful. MacGuyver was a really cool person and she'd love to meet any character played by Richard Dean Anderson. "Okay in the mean time we need a plan. A-Team time Wild Wild West style!" "I'm familiar with one of those two references. I didn't care for the Will Smith Movie, but Diana got me into the old Television series. Still what exactly do we have that we can turn into weapons against the Barron." "I know how to make gun powder out of pigeon poop." "Where are we going to find pigeon's in the desert?" Riker sighed. He almost wished Barkly was here. If anyone could figure out to juryrig steam punk weapons it be him. [In the original Transformers series some Autobots and decepticons ended up in the past and the Decepticons made gun pownder out of pigeon poop. Barkly was played by the same actor who played H.M. Murdock in the A-team]
