Discord Arc: Moments of Terror, Moments of Conviction

Fluttershy leaped into the air, the ground beneath her erupting into multi-colored flames.

“What happened to all that anger of yours, Fluttershy? Huh? Don’t tell me you’re all bark and no bite!” Discord cackled madly as he pointed at her, shooting neon colored bolts of lightning from the tip of his index talon finger from his.

Fluttershy rolled to the side, barely dodging the magical bolts of lightning. She did an aerial backflip, and faced the draconequus who had also taken to the air. Magic focused into the tip of her horn, and she shot a beam of energy towards the earth. The beam impacted with the slushy ground, and hundreds of plants erupted from the soil. They shot up towards Discord, vines and roots stretching out to ensnare him.

“Hmph, this is going to get old fast.” Discord pointed his finger at the plants and grinned. “Bang!”

Nothing happened.

“What?” Discord stared at his finger in perplexment as the greenery closed in on him.

A large oak tree limb smashed into him and sent him spiraling through the air, only to be caught ensnared in dozens of vines and roots. He struggled to break free, but to no avail. He growled as he was lifted up and brought face to face with Fluttershy.

“You can’t hurt them,” Fluttershy said simply, reading Discord’s thoughts. “They’re under my protection, Discord.”

“You’ll protect a bunch of worthless plants, but you can’t protect your–hrrk!” Discord’s words were cut off as the vines tightened their hold over him. His cheeks puffed up as his face became a comical shade of blue. His head swelled up like a balloon, then exploded in a cloud of confetti and packing peanuts. Fluttershy whirled around and leaned back as yet another bolt of lightning shot past her, catching the hair on her chin and singeing it.

“Aw, no fair dodging like that!” Discord grumbled. He opened his palms, both of them crackling with neon electricity. “I’m curious; how well can you dance, Fluttershy?”

Rainbow Dash felt magic flow through her as her hoof made contact with the orb that, supposedly, was a part of Fluttershy’s own life force. The soothing aura it gave was a welcome distraction from the void she and the others were floating in.

Nothing had happened at first when the five had touched the orb of yellow and pink light that came from Fluttershy. Rainbow wasn’t sure what she had expected to happen, honestly. Would she have been transported from the dark void? Would Fluttershy have ended up with them as well?

“So...what exactly are we doin’ here?” Applejack asked, cutting into the silence.

“I’m not sure, Applejack,” Rainbow heard Twilight sigh. “I...I guess I was–”

“W...whoa!” Rainbow shouted. She felt a sudden surge of magic shoot up her hoof and into her body, stronger than anything she had felt from previously from the orb. “Something’s happening! What–?!”

Rainbow’s vision, though already rather obscured by the dark void around her, went completely dark.

Fluttershy watched as the bolts of lightning raced towards her. She prepared for the impact of the magical lightning, but a sudden thought creeped into her mind. A thought that involved things she was pretty sure she couldn’t do.

Duck, roll to the side, dive right, race forward–

Fluttershy was in front of Discord without even realizing it, her right foreleg connecting with his jaw and sending him through several clouds of cotton candy. She flapped back a few dozen yards, staring at her hoof in shock.

Did...did I really do that?

“Yowch!” Discord growled, rubbing his now bruised cheek and spitting out a molar. “Where did that come from?”

Fluttershy snapped out of her stupor with a quick shake of her head, and flew at Discord again. This time he was prepared and belched out a cloud of flames at her. With speed and agility she was certain she didn’t possess, she corkscrewed left, avoiding the flames and closing the distance between herself and the draconequus. Using the momentum of her flight, she folded her wings in and spun her back legs forwards. Discord felt the wind leave his lungs as two hooves smashed into the side of his chest, and the flames spouting from his mouth sputtered out. He was pretty sure he felt his ribs break in a few spots, and the last time he remembered Canterlot castle wasn’t in the sky...

“Oh dear...” Discord stated as he smashed into through the roof of the throne room of Canterlot Castle, bouncing several times and smacking into a pillar before coming to a stop on the tiled flooring.

“Ugh...why couldn’t Celestia have made this place out of gelatin or pegasus down...?” Discord grumbled as he got to his feet. He snapped his fingers and mended his broken bones and bruises, then gazed up to Fluttershy. “Looks like someone’s got a bit of a temper to them! Good, I was worried that I’d be bored before I finished the last of you off. Once I’m through with you, I’ll take care of Celestia and Luna, then the rest of Equestria will be a cakewalk for me.”

Fluttershy flew gracefully through the hole in the throne room roof. Her gaze never left Discord’s as she slowly made her way to him.

She stretched her back legs as spoke. “Had enough?”

“What?”

“I said, ‘Had enough?’. Yeesh, I didn’t hit you that hard, did I?”

Discord’s eyes narrowed. “You cocky little...”

“Wherever did Rainbow and Applejack disappear to?” Rarity asked, her voice rising in panic. “I-I swear they were right beside me a moment ago! Twilight, what happened?”

“I don’t know, honest!” Twilight replied. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had both vanished from the group’s sight. It had been sudden, Rainbow vanishing only seconds before Applejack did likewise.

“Maybe...maybe they found a way out? Rainbow was saying something about how she felt something before she vanished!” Rarity reasoned, more to herself than the others. “Oh, Twilight, Pinkie, what’s going to happen to us?” She was shaking a little, only to find a comforting hoof on either shoulder. She looked to her sides to see Pinkie and Twilight pulling her into a group hug along with the orb of Fluttershy.

“Don’t worry, Rarity. We’ll be okay, just you watch,” Pinkie said confidently. “I bet Dashie and Applejack found a way back to Equestria, and are giving Discord the good ol’ one-two! That or maybe they’re having a picnic, and trying to shovel away all the frozen sherbet. Do you think that stuff is still good, I've got a real hankering for it!”

Rarity found herself laughing at her friend’s antics. “Perhaps you’re right, Pinkie.”

“Pinkie’s right about one thing though, Rarity. We’ll be okay; no matter what, we will find a way out of this. We’ll find the others, stop Discord, somehow, and make everything right again.”

Rarity nodded to herself. The confidence radiating from Twilight and Pinkie was contagious, and she felt her smile grow. “I...yes...we will. We’ll get out of here, and I can find Sweetie Belle, and then she’ll sing for me and we’ll have a wonderful snowball fight with the guard ponies...”

“I’ll finally get a chance to really study magic with Trixie, and give Spike his exam on draconic culture and language,” Twilight added.

Pinkie beamed happily. “Yeah, exacto-mundo! We've just got to believe and trust in Fluttershy! Everything’s gonna be a-okay!”

The three remained in each other’s embrace as they continued cradling the warm orb of light from Fluttershy. All they could do for now, was wait. Wait, and hope an outlet for them would present itself. One that would hopefully allow them to return to their families, friends and fellow ponies in Equestria.

Fluttershy continued her stare down with Discord. She felt energy coursing through her body, and her wings flapped a little harder than they used to. Her legs carried more power behind them, though she couldn’t explain how she knew this. She just did.

Discord cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. “Right, I think I had a bit of a bad start this round. Shall we give it another go?”

Discord vanished with a flash of light, his presence completely vanishing from Fluttershy’s senses. She looked around frantically, searching for the elusive draconequus.

Behind ya’, Fluttershy! Get outta the way!

Fluttershy, without thinking, leaped to the side as a roaring ball of green flames smashed into the ground where she had been standing moments ago. The air around it warped, and Fluttershy had started sweating bullets from her close proximity to the impact zone. The air smelled heavily of limes all of the sudden, and she tasted what she was certain was grass on her tongue.

Nice one, Fluttershy!

“Oh, thanks Rainbow, but I wouldn’t have...” Fluttershy blinked several times, her eyes widening as she went quiet.

No...she must have...she couldn’t have possibly...could she...?

R-Rainbow Dash? Um...are you...there?
Yeah, me and AJ are here! Sweet, huh?
Fluttershy unconsciously tucked her wings to her sides and looked over her shoulder. Y-you’re in my mind?
We sure are, sugar. We’re seein’ everything just like you are!
Eep!
Fluttershy felt her knees quake a little, but she quickly steadied herself, facing up to Discord. Girls...a-are you alright?
I guess. I mean, if you think being stuck in your friend’s mind is ‘alright’, then yeah, we’re good.
Fluttershy felt Applejack nodding in agreement with Rainbow’s statement.
Fluttershy...sugar, I know you’re angry, worried about us, and probably a little scared, but...I think we can help ya out. Just...let us take over if you feel yerself movin’ all of the sudden. Alright?
Um...o-okay, Fluttershy complied. But...Applejack, where are Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity? Are...are they alright?

Applejack paused, and Fluttershy could picture her biting her lower lip as she thought of an answer. I...I guess they are. We were with them not too long ago, and we suddenly saw this glowin’ ball of light that was givin’ off magic that felt a lot like yours. So, we all reached out to touch it, and the next thing I knew, Rainbow and I were both here.

Fluttershy sensed that there was more to that answer than she was given, but decided to settle with it for now. Right now, her focus was on Discord, and stopping him before it was too late.

“I...I can do this,” Fluttershy told herself as she flapped her wings and shot off towards Discord. She rolled left and right as bolts of lightning, magical fireballs, and croquet balls flew past her. Once more she was upon him, her back legs shooting out and catching him in the gut. Discord keeled over to the side, spitting up blood, only for Fluttershy to crack him in the jaw with a foreleg. He was sent crashing through one of the throne room’s remaining windows and landed in a heap inside the hedge maze. As he got to his feet, he gazed at Fluttershy, who had landed not too far from where he had crashed. He didn’t look angry this time, though. No, if anything, Fluttershy thought he looked rather excited.

“So...want to know a little secret?” Discord asked as he got to his feet.

Fluttershy’s left eye twitched in pain as she felt her back leg muscles spasm, barely repressing the strength flowing through them.

“I’m not using all of my power. Not by a longshot.” Discord flexed his hands. “Since you’re the last stand for Equestria, I suppose it’s only fitting for you to witness my true strength. Interested?”

Fluttershy frowned. “You don’t scare me, Discord.”

Discord laughed. “Is that so? Because, really, I should.”

Lily Wing and the few remaining ponies of the Royal Guard that had not been affected by Discord’s Chaos stood at the castle-side edge of the hedge maze. Every so often she would look over her shoulder to the unconscious forms of Celestia and Luna.

It was an unsettling thing to see. The two ancient pony sisters–the ones who had ruled Equestria for so long–broken, bruised, and completely helpless. Some of the other guards, judging by their exhausted and despairing looks, felt the same. Even after knowing Celestia for so long, Lily Wing still had a hard time seeing the graceful and powerful pony princess like this.

Trixie, Big Macintosh, and two unicorn guards were currently tending to the two sisters’ wounds, being the only ones with any real first aid training. Lily Wing had offered to help, but Trixie assured her that they could handle the situation. Her job, Trixie had stated, was to ensure that her guards would be able to stop Discord from reaching the two alicorn sisters. As such, she had her remaining forces form a tight circle around the four ponies as they worked, eyes watching every corner for any sign of Discord.

“Miss Lily Wing?”

Lily Wing glanced to Sweetie Belle. “Yes, Lady Sweetie Belle?”

“Are...are we going to be alright?”

Lily Wing bit the side of her cheek. She couldn’t show weakness or uncertainty. Not now.

“We’ll do everything we can to keep you safe, Sweetie Belle,” She looked forward once more. “I promise.”

“O-okay.”

Lily Wing heard the filly walk away, followed by the hushed whispers of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Captain...”

Lily Wing watched from her peripherals as Quick Wit stepped up beside her. “Yes, Private Quick Wit?”

“What are we to do if...if Discord manages to best the princesses?”

Lily Wing sighed. “We will defend Canterlot for as long as–”

“Lily Wing...you know I...don’t like it when you...talk like that...” rasped a voice. Lily Wing whirled around, as did everyone else.

“P-Princess, please you shouldn’t–”

“I’ve survived worse, Trixie,” spoke Celestia with a strained smile. She slowly rose to her hooves, taking in sharp breaths while wincing every so often. She turned her head to the side and wiped a hoof across her mouth while letting out a cough. Crimson specks dotted her white coat, and she frowned. “Ah...though I still don’t seem to find any pleasure in internal bleeding.” She looked to Trixie, Big Macintosh and the two unicorns. “Thank you for tending to Luna and I.”

“Your Highness, please, you’re not ready to move yet,” Lily Wing insisted.

Celestia shook her head, then looked at Luna. “How is she?”

Trixie frowned. “I...I think she broke a few ribs. I’m not a doctor, but...” She shook her head slowly. “It’s hard to say. I’m sure she will be alright with time, but...” Trixie faced towards the hedge maze. “I’m not sure if we have that right now.”

Celestia’s own gaze drifted towards the hedge maze. She closed her eyes and began to breath slowly. When she opened her eyes once more, a troubled frown marred her features. She said nothing and walked slowly over to Luna, limping every few steps. She carefully lay down on the ground and touched her horn to Luna’s.

Lily Wing watched as Celestia’s horn gave off a faint glow of golden-white light. Luna began to stir, and her eyes opened suddenly. She blinked several times, and let out a hiss of pain as she tried to sit up.

“Easy, Luna. You’re hurt,” Celestia spoke softly. She nuzzled her for a moment, then continued. “Luna...Fluttershy’s in trouble.”

“Fluttershy? Where is–gah!” Luna bit her lip as pain shot through her body once more when she tried to stand up. “Celly, please, you have to take me to her!”

“Luna, you and I are both in no condition to provide any direct help right now. Look at us...” Celestia’s head drooped a bit, shame clearly written on her features. “There’s one thing we haven’t tried yet. It might work, but we need to reach out to Fluttershy first.”

“But...Discord’s Chaos is...” Luna paused, and her horn shined for several moments. A small smile appeared on her face. “He’s not fogging our senses anymore!”

“Yes, it appears he either neglected to maintain his Chaotic aura over the castle, or he’s confident that he has already won this battle.”

Luna’s smile faltered. “I...yes, but Fluttershy is still....”

Celestia nodded. “We have to call out to her, Luna.”

The two went quiet once more, eyes closed and horns glowing.

“Um...Captain Lily Wing?”

Lily Wing turned her attention to the guards that were standing off to the side now, giving her an expectant look.

“Maintain your positions around the princesses, just as you were before,” Lily Wing commanded. She turned to the others, among them being Rarity’s mother. “Lady Pearl, how is your leg doing?”

Pearl gave her a small smile. “I’m alright, dear. You just worry about doing your job and keep the princesses safe.”

Lily Wing managed a small smile of her own. “Everypony here is under our protection, Lady Pearl. I can’t play favorites. Even with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, it would seem.”

Pearl just continued to smile. “Canterlot’s lucky to have such a great Head Captain like you.”

“I’m just doing my duty, Lady Pearl. Nothing more.”

Her gaze drifted once more to Celestia and Luna. They seemed to be in a trance, at least Lily Wing suspected as much. Celestia meditated on occasion to help clear her mind after a busy day of attending to her duties as a princess. However, Luna was more prone to such activities, being the princess of the night and having some degree of control over the realm of dreams and the subconscious mind.

Despite their injured states, both seemed at ease. Celestia’s breaths had become less shaky, and Luna wasn’t cringing in pain now. Their horns were still glowing with a strong aura, too, which said a lot about their magical reserves and how much they still had.

“Any normal unicorn would have passed out from all the magic used to maintain the spell they’re performing,” whispered Trixie as she came up alongside Lily Wing. “It’s almost terrifying.”

Lily Wing wouldn’t pretend to understand the workings behind magic. She had always treated it as a physical strength converted to mental energy. It wasn’t the most accurate way to portray the way magic worked, yes, but she knew that a brain was required to perform spells.

Spark Fyre had said that her belief of how magic worked wasn’t all that bad, since magical spells did require a deal of mental effort. It was the reason why so many unicorns ended up being scholars. It was, in essence, a way to exercise their magic outside of performing actual spells.

Magic varied though, from pony to pony, and their special talent often attributed to that. Captain Spark Fyre’s magical strengths, for instance, were within the realm of electrical manipulation. Captain Shining Armor, on the other hand, was a defensive magic specialist, hence the reason for his current escort mission with Princess Cadance. If he were here, perhaps things might have been different, but there was no use bemoaning over every ‘what-if’ scenario she–

“Captain Lily Wing?”

Lily Wing shook her head. “I-I’m sorry, Trixie, go ahead.”

Trixie gave her a forgiving smile. “I was asking just how much you know about Discord. You don’t seem all that surprised with how powerful he is.”

“I...know a few things about Discord. Princess Celestia gave me a basic history of him shortly after I was made the Head Captain. From my understanding, he is a spirit, yet he has a physical form and can be harmed much like you or I can. However, since he is a creature of Chaos as well, normal rules don’t apply to him. He can warp reality on a whim...which I’m surprised he hasn’t done more of. The weather, sun, and moon are about the only things I’ve really noticed, and from what Celestia told me of his powers...” Lily Wing drifted off, her expression turning grim. “...let’s just say he’s capable of doing much more than altering the weather.”

“Perhaps he’s still weak from breaking free of his prison?” Trixie suggested.

“We can only hope that’s true,” Lily Wing replied.

Discord’s tail slapped against the dirt, sending a plume of rock and debris into the air. His teeth ground together, and his body twitched with every breath he took. However, the smile never left his face.

Fluttershy tried her best to keep up her brave facade. She had been forced to back up, lest she get caught by the exploding chocolate geysers that were sprouting up around Discord. While the draconequus had always carried that unsettling aura of Chaos around him, Fluttershy sensed a change occurring in him. Aside from the heavy weight of his magic crashing upon her, she could feel a tangible change. The air was thicker, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She felt off, as though she was losing touch with her senses. She could smell scents and odors she couldn’t determine the source of, and colors would bleed together every few seconds before her vision came back into focus.

She started tipping to one side, but at the same time it felt like the very ground beneath her was moving as well. She caught herself and adjusted her stance.

“Sorry,” snickered Discord. “I guess I forgot to mention how I affect others when I stop pulling my punches.”

Fluttershy had seen enough. Slamming a hoof into the ground, several massive tree roots burst up from the ground and lunged out at Discord. Petals from newly blossomed flowers whirled around her for several second, then darted towards the draconequus.

Discord raised both hands. The roots smashed into a transparent barrier, which Discord seemed to be holding up, judging from his stance. He slid back a few feet, but managed to keep his footing this time.

Fluttershy felt a sharp jolt of magic run down her horn. She flinched, falling back a few feet, staring at Discord in confusion. “H-how?”

“I’m Discord, Fluttershy. Don’t you remember? Chaos is my forté.”

The tree roots splintered and fell to the ground, turning into thousands of tiny toothpicks. The flower petals froze in midair, then changed shape, taking on spherical forms of numerous colors and sizes. Discord picked one up and threw it into his mouth, chewing several times and then blowing a large pink bubble. It popped, covering his face in bubblegum and eliciting an amused chuckle from him.

“I...but...the plants are under my protection. Y-you can’t...”

“Oh please, Fluttershy,” Discord groaned. “I can move the sun and moon on a whim, even when Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle have reign over those things. I can control gemstones just like Rarity, and I can bend the weather to my desire like Rainbow Dash could. I can turn molten rock into boiling chocolate, something Applejack could only dream of doing.” He curled back his index lion’s paw finger. “I’m Chaos, and Chaos knows no boundaries.”

He flicked his finger, as if knocking back a speck of dust on his thumb. Trees and hedges uprooted as an invisible force smashed into them. Fluttershy made to move, but found several long strands of what appeared to be purple yarn wrapped around her hooves, holding her down to the ground. She tugged harder, but to no avail. Staring ahead, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable pain.

Hold on, Fluttershy! I got ya!

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open, and for a brief moment she saw the faintest image of Applejack standing before her.

The blast of magic smashed into Fluttershy, sending her dozens of feet into the air. She flared out her wings to catch herself. She shook her head and blinked as she realized something.

“I...I’m alright.”

She didn’t feel a thing from that attack. Aside from being sent into the air, there had been no real pain.

A-Applejack?
A pained groan echoed in her mind. Dangnabit, that hurt...

Fluttershy gasped. Applejack, are you alright? Oh no, did you–?
She’s alright, Fluttershy, replied Rainbow Dash. A little beaten up, but she’s still kicking.

Fluttershy shook her head. H-how...how did you do that?
I don’t rightfully know, sugarcube. I just...well, I couldn’t let that hit ya, and the next thing I knew I was standin’ in front of you. The big question is how are you doing, though?
I’m...I’m fine. Fluttershy landed back on the ground, keeping her eyes on Discord. He’s stronger now. I can’t do anything that he can’t stop, and...I don’t know what to do.
Yeah, we saw that. Looks like we’ll just have to catch him off guard! You ready, Fluttershy?
Rainbow Dash’s voice sent a flare of confidence through Fluttershy. “Yes.”

Wait, Fluttershy!
A new voice echoed in Fluttershy’s mind. She froze in place, her eyes widening.

“Luna?”

Yes, it’s me, Fluttershy. Celestia and I are here as well.
Wait, Luna? Celestia? Where are you two? Rainbow called out.

Celestia spoke this time. We’re communing with all of you through telepathy. We sensed something from Fluttershy, and noticed Discord was gaining power. We couldn’t just stand aside and let her fight alone. She paused for a moment. Are you two alright?
For the most part, yeah. Rainbow answered. I’d tell you how we got in Fluttershy’s head, but...well, we got bigger things to worry about.
Celestia gave a hum of agreement. Yes, still, I’m perplexed by how you two are able to remain within Fluttershy’s mind. Perhaps...

Well, ya’ll can explain it to us later! We got a draconequus to take care of! Anyone got an idea of how to take care of this son of a billygoat?

Hundreds of ideas rushed into Fluttershy’s mind, and she nearly collapsed from the sudden flood of thoughts from the four other mares. After several seconds passed, the dizzying effect of conversing with the others wore off. She steeled herself, and aimed her horn at Discord.

Discord, for his part, had been busy toying with a paddle ball. He looked up at her and smirked. “Finished conversing with those two, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy’s breathing hitched. “Wh-what?”

Discord tossed the paddle ball away and rolled his eyes. “Please, I could sense it. You’re talking with Celestia and Luna through telepathy. You’re like a bunch of gossiping mares with how strong those telepathy signals are.”

Can he...can he read our thoughts? Fluttershy thought to herself.

No, but he can sense who is ‘talking’ to whom. Luna replied. I don’t think he knows about Applejack or Rainbow Dash, though.

Then we’ll have to use that to our advantage. Fluttershy, we’re sending you some of our power. The plan should still work. Celestia added.

“Right.” Fluttershy’s wings unfurled, and she scraped the ground twice with a hoof, a determined look in her eyes.

“Hm?” Discord noticed her change in stance. “Oh, are you ready now?” He stretched his wings, and did a few leg squats, and then tied a martial arts headband around his forehead. “Come, then, young grasshopper. Let us see what you have learned.”

Fluttershy pushed off the ground. A blast of golden light shot out from her horn, its path on a direct course for Discord.

“Well, that’s not what I expected,” Discord commented to himself. He took a stance, then with a well placed kick, sent the blast flying off into a random direction.

Fluttershy moved forward with a sudden burst of speed, her image becoming a yellow and pink blur. She ducked under Discord’s tail as he spun around to hit her, and raised her right foreleg to catch him in the jaw, only to meet thin air.

Fluttershy spun around and leaped to the side as a sparking orb of lightning came nearly smashed into her face. She regained her footing and looked up, only to see a lion’s paw directly in front of her face.

“Too slow, Fluttershy.”

Her horn glowed with a dark blue aura, and she flickered away not a second too soon. The orb of lightning shot through the air, crashing into a nearby statue. The marble piece of art crackled with electricity for several moments and crumbled to a fine pile of chalky dust.

Reappearing behind Discord, Fluttershy rose up onto her front legs and shot out her two back hooves. Discord lifted an arm, blocking them both. The ground shook as Discord winced in pain.

“You...that wasn’t your magic that I sensed just now.” Discord narrowed his eyes and grabbed a hold of one of her back legs in his free hand. “You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

Fluttershy quickly twisted her body and freed herself. She landed onto her front hooves and flitted back several paces.

“Hm...well, regardless, I’m running out of patience with you ponies.” His taloned hand gave off a faint yellow glow. “I’ll just finish you right here and now.”

No...Fluttershy, don’t let him touch you! Get away!

Luna’s warning was too late, unfortunately. Fluttershy attempted to leap away as Discord teleported before her. He touched the top of her head with a single finger, and her vision went dark.

Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity watched as the orb of light that held Fluttershy’s essence dimmed. Twilight touched the orb, yet nothing happened. “Girls...something’s wrong.”

Rarity and Pinkie watched the orb continue to dull in color until it was only a faint gray hue with faint specks of yellow and pink whirling around in it.

“What’s wrong? Twilight, is Fluttershy alright?”

“I...I’m not sure, Rarity. She just...I don’t know what happened, but her aura’s weak all of the sudden.”

“That...that might not be a bad thing, right Twilight? Maybe...maybe it means we’re going to see her soon? Maybe she beat Discord, and is just super-wiped out from all of it?” Pinkie looked to Twilight, desperation in her eyes.

“I just...let’s hope that she’s alright,” Twilight replied weakly.

The other two nodded, cradling the dull orb within their hooves, hoping that the worst hadn’t happened to their dear friend.

“Fluttershy?”

A familiar voice called out to Fluttershy, both close and a great distance away from her. She cracked open an eye, only to be greeted by the lovely sight of Luna herself.

“Luna? Oh...oh my, where am I?”

Luna giggled as she gently nuzzled Fluttershy. “In our bedroom, of course. You have been sleeping since yesterday evening and all of this morning. You missed the meteor shower I had planned for us.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Luna. I-I didn’t mean to sleep-in, it’s just...” Her eyes widened. “Discord! Oh no, where...where is he?”

Luna quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t remember?”

“Remember...?” Fluttershy echoed.

Luna’s smile grew. “Fluttershy, you defeated him. After he tried to take over your mind, you fought back and used all of our combined strength to imprison him once more. We didn’t even need the Elements of Harmony this time to do so!”

“I...I did?” Fluttershy rubbed the side of her head. “Oh my...h-how long did you say I’ve been sleeping?”

“Almost a full day,” Luna replied as she rested her front hooves on the mattress. “It’s almost three in the afternoon right now.”

“Where are the others?”

Luna’s smile fell a little. “They’re alright, but...well, we’re trying to recover right now. Canterlot is in shambles, and a lot of things need to be fixed.” Her expression became determined. “We’ll get through this, though. Discord is gone, and we have you to thank for that.”

Fluttershy felt a huge weight lift off her chest. “Oh, that’s wonderful news. I thought that I was done for...”

Luna’s smile grew mischievous. “Mmm. Yes, it’s all thanks to you that we’re safe. Any hero of mine deserves a just reward, don’t you think?” The sultry fire in Luna’s eyes brought pleasant warmth to Fluttershy’s cheeks and chest.

“Um...well...I couldn’t have done it without you girls...”

Luna was now in the bed with her, playfully nipping at Fluttershy’s neck. “Nonsense. If it were not for you, we’d all be banished from this realm, caught between dimensions or some other sort of foul prison created by Discord’s horrible imagination.”

Luna slowly trailed kisses further down her neck, moving towards Fluttershy’s collarbone. Fluttershy gasped, and weakly pushed Luna away. “W-wait, Luna...”

Quirking an eyebrow, Luna smiled at the alicorn beneath her. “Sorry, Fluttershy,” she apologized half-heartedly. “It’s just...you’re so tempting in this position.”

Luna leaned down a second time, her lips meeting Fluttershy’s in a deep kiss. Fluttershy whimpered, pushing her away again. “L-Luna...please, I don’t...I think we should get up and make sure everypony is alright.”

“Trust me, they’re quite alright. Right now, it’s just you and me.” She moved in for another kiss, but Fluttershy leaned away. Luna frowned, and Fluttershy saw the faintest flash of impatience in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Luna...I...you’re acting strange.”

Luna let out a snort of annoyance. “I could say the same about you. I thought...I thought you and I were...I thought we had something special between us.” She turned away, pouting a little. “It appears that I was wrong.”

“N-no, it’s just...” Fluttershy noticed the faintest smirk on Luna’s lips. Eyes narrowing, Fluttershy scooted upright and spoke evenly. “You’re not Luna.”

“She can be, though.”

Fluttershy’s jumped up in surprise as a voice came from a far corner of her bedroom. There, sitting in a chaise lounge was Discord, eyes poring over what appeared to be a trashy romance novel.

“Discord? What...what’s going on?”

Discord looked up from his book, smirking. “We’re in your mind, Fluttershy...or, I suppose a part of your mind to be precise. I took the liberty of scanning over your thoughts. What a surprise to see that you have a taste for such racy literature. Rarity would be surprised, I imagine.” He cleared his throat. “Forbidden Love on Wyvern Hill...let’s see,” He hummed to himself while thumbing through the pages, stopping on a particular page. “Mistdancer shivered under the scaly belly of Greenthorn. To think, her, a noblemare from Canterlot, would be involved in an affair with a commoner, let alone a dragon! She felt his scaly snout rub across her stomach, sending pleasant tremors down her spine. His snout continued downward until–”

“S-stop that!” Fluttershy shouted, a furious blush forming on her cheeks. “H-how did you find that book?”

“Like I said, I just did a little sifting through your thoughts,” Discord answered with a smirk. “To think though, that you wanted Luna like this...” He waved a hand at the two mares.

‘Luna’, who had remained quiet until now, smiled at Fluttershy. “I can become your reality, Fluttershy. I’ll devote myself entirely to you. All you need to do is give Discord the Elements of Harmony.”

“No, I could never–”

“Now hold on, Lulu, perhaps she wants something else in return.” Discord stroked his beard in thought. “Ah, I know! How about this?”

Snapping his fingers, and Luna vanished from sight. The world around Fluttershy and Discord then went dark for a moment. Everything became bright once more, and Fluttershy found herself sitting on a balcony overlooking Canterlot...or, at least she thought it was Canterlot.

Great trees rose up from the mountainside capital. Some the size of the Ponyville library, others as tall as the highest tower in Canterlot Castle. She could see ponies walking inside the gargantuan flora. Hollowed out logs and greenery could be seen for miles around her as she overlooked the beautiful scenery. Wild animals roamed happily down the streets, sometimes stopping to receive a treat from a passing pony. Ponies ran through parks, chasing foxes and playing with baby deer and bears while parents of all species watched contentedly. Bees, butterflies, and all sorts of insect life buzzed around the gardens that grew freely, ponies tending to the plants with watering cans and compost.

It was a paradise for her.

“I can give you this, Fluttershy. The line between civilization and the flora and fauna of the world would exist no more. Ponies and wildlife would exist together as one. I would give you domain over it.”

“I...but...” Fluttershy found the idea tempting. Ponies would know how to love the land the same way she did. She could rule over the land lovingly and patiently, making sure everyone was happy, and...

Would it be right, though...?

“I can’t do that,” Fluttershy spoke, the slightest hint of reluctance in her voice. “This...this isn’t the way it should be.”

“Says who?” Discord countered with a smile. “My dear, I don’t think you realize who I am. If you gave me the Elements of Harmony, I could harness that power and change it to fit my own. I would give you this, without a second thought. Anything you desire, I can give it.”

“What about the rest of Equestria?” She asked. “Would it be like this as well?”

Discord shrugged. “Oh no, I’d have domain over that. You’d have your little haven for nature, though. Isn’t that enough? Canterlot’s a very large place to rule, after all, even for just one city.”

“My friends?”

Discord snapped his fingers, and there before her were her five friends, Celestia, and Luna. They smiled happily at her, not a trace of worry on their faces. “Like I said, Fluttershy, I can give you whatever you desire.”

Fluttershy looked up to the draconequus. “Why? You...you seemed like you wanted to fight me not too long ago.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’ll do whatever it takes to get the Elements from you, Fluttershy. However, you seem to be a fairly intelligent mare. You know that you’re fighting a losing battle here with me.”

Fluttershy said nothing.

“I figured why make this any more difficult for the two of us? All you have to do is give me the Elements. I’ll take them, go about my business and leave Canterlot for the eight of you to rule, to live happily ever after in.”

“But...what about the griffons...or buffalo?”

“Well, I imagine unless they move to Canterlot, they’d be under my rule, wouldn’t they?” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, floating into the air and taking on a lounging position. “I suppose I could give you eight the entirety of the Harmony Mountains. That way you have room to build more of your little cities.”

Fluttershy took a step back. “Enough.”

The scenery melted away. Discord and her now stood in a white void. “So, have you made up your mind, then?” The confident smirk on his face grew.

She took in a deep breath, and exhaled. “I’m not going to give up on Equestria. I won’t let you have the Elements, not as long as I’m still able to protect my kingdom.”

For a moment, Discord seemed genuinely disappointed. “Always the hard way with you ponies...” He snapped his fingers, and Fluttershy’s world started spinning. “Fine, but when I pummel you to the ground, don’t forget that I offered you a chance, Fluttershy.”

A ringing filled her ears, and the world around her went dark. Discord’s voice echoed all around her, and for a moment, she wondered if she had made the right decision.

He may give her what she wanted at the start, but she knew Discord couldn’t be trusted to keep his word. Eventually he would probably try to take Canterlot as well, promise or no promise given. He might have the power to fulfill her more personal desires, and make Luna long for her in that way...but that would be unfair to both Luna and herself. She loved Luna, and had no right to make Luna think or behave differently. Their relationship was slowly budding, and she was fine with that pace for now.

She loved the way things were. Sure, not everyone had the same love for wildlife that she did, but that was the beauty of it, really. A pony could be whoever they wanted to be. She wouldn’t change that for the world. She had wonderful friends, the best kind of friends a pony could ask for. Luna and her may still be feeling their way through their relationship, but she knew deep down that she cared deeply for Fluttershy. She had her animals, and her subjects, and life was wonderful just the way it was. If she honestly wanted to change it, she would do it her way: through kindness, understanding, and patience.

Don’t worry, everypony. I’ll stop Discord...and...and then we’ll be together again, and make everything right...

“O-oh my, look!” Rarity gasped

Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie watched in fascination as the dull gray orb that was Fluttershy’s essence began glowing a bright yellow and pink, stronger than before. It was almost too bright to look directly at. The same comforting aura was emanating from it, and filled the three with hope and joy.

Pinkie reached out with a hoof, as did the others. They felt a surge of magic run through their bodies, and then...

Fluttershy opened her eyes, and was greeted by the sight of Discord holding his taloned hand in pain, hissing while blowing on it.

“A-are you alright?” Fluttershy asked without thinking.

“Am I alright?” Discord repeated incredulously. “One moment I had you within my grasp, the next moment I’m hit by a wave of...of something and my hand starts to sting!” He glared at Fluttershy...or rather, around Fluttershy. “I don’t know what you did, but I don’t like it.”

Fluttershy took a moment to study herself. She didn’t look that different...well, aside from the glowing, rainbow-colored aura surrounding her. Plants were blooming around her, and a lovely warmth began flowing through every fiber of her body. She turned around to the eastern horizon, and gasped.

The sun, after what felt like eternity, was rising up out of the sky. The sherbet coating the plants and stones of the hedge maze began melting, and she suddenly felt rejuvenated, like she could take on anything.

Ahhh, that does feel lovely, doesn’t it?
Yep yep, though it’s still pretty chilly out! Heehee, the weather’s so mixed up it doesn’t know what to do!
Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. Um...Pinkie...? Rarity? Is...is that you?

More giggles followed. Hiii, Fluttershy!~ Oh! Oh! You can’t see me waving, can you? I’m really waving though, trust me!

Another familiar voice joined her increasingly crowded mind. Pinkie, obviously she can’t see you. We’re inside her mind, remember? A pause. I really wish I had some paper here. I could really take some notes right now on this experience. Can you imagine what–
Easy now, Twi. No need to go all science-mode on us right now. We got a varmint to take care of.

Fluttershy felt vulnerable all of the sudden. Um...none of you know what happened just now, do you?
Not really, answered Rainbow Dash. One moment you were awake and stuff, the next moment it went dark for us. It was like, maybe a couple of seconds, though. It was kind of weird. Why?
O-oh, just curious. I’m not sure either, replied Fluttershy. I think he tried to um...put me to sleep or something so he could steal the Elements of Generosity, Kindness, Magic, and Laughter...but he didn’t. Something stopped him.
Discord cut her from her internal dialogue with her friends. “Spacing out there, aren’t we? I wonder...Fluttershy, by any chance are you talking to the girls?” A knowing smile spread across his face. “That would make sense, I suppose. Though, it also makes this equal parts more difficult and easy. By defeating you I defeat all six of you.”

It seems he’s forgotten we’re here as well, spoke a seventh voice.
Luna? You’re still here, too?
We both are, Fluttershy, Celestia’s voice replied. We lost contact with you for a moment. Is everything alright?
I’m...I’m fine now. Now that all of you are here. Fluttershy stood tall, and the aura around her began to grow pulse. Girls...he’s a lot stronger than he let on. I...I need all of your help...i-if you don’t mind, that is.
Of course, darling, Rarity replied. Applejack and Rainbow here already filled in the details for us.

Fluttershy nodded to herself. “Okay, then. Let’s go...girls.”

Discord seemed to have lost patience. He pointed a finger at Fluttershy and grinned. “Bang!”

Fluttershy leaped into the air and called forth a pink bubble of magic that encompassed her. The spot where she had been standing exploded, palm trees and magma erupting from the ground and knocking her back. The magic bubble bounced harmlessly off the ground several times before coming to a halt. She steadied herself and released the spell encasing her.

Discord quirked an eyebrow. “Well, that’s a nifty little protective spell. Only a resourceful unicorn or alicorn with a lot of magic could pull that off so quickly.” He jumped into the air, pursuing Fluttershy. “Is that you, Twilight Sparkle? How are things? You’re not still sour about me beating you so easily, are you?” He laughed. “Well? Fluttershy, isn’t your little bookworm of a friend going to say hi? Well?!”

A dozen gems suddenly popped into existence around Fluttershy. “That’s none of your concern, you brute!” She spun around like a dancer on a stage, flinging the gemstones at Discord with ease. Discord blinked once, then snapped his fingers. The gems cracked into pieces, then turned to dust as the pelted his fur coat harmlessly.

“Rarity too, huh? Hahaa!” He halted in mid-air, and formed a ball of purple flame in his hands. He assumed the pose of a pitcher at a baseball game, and smirked. He jumped back a few feet in the air, did a crazy wind-up, and chucked the ball of purple flames for all it was worth.

Fluttershy’s instincts told her to dodge, and she did so. The fireball soared over her head, and quickly looped back, heading straight for her a second time.

Fluttershy grimaced, and conjured a pie tin of dough from out of nowhere. She chucked the unbaked pie at the fireball, which exploded upon impact. She grinned happily as the pie tin fell into her awaiting hooves. She let out a squeak, and held it in her magic. “Still hot, heheh!”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “...that must be Pinkie Pie.”

Fluttershy swallowed the pie in a few bites, then blinked in confusion. “Pinkie...was that um...necessary?”

I dunno, but it sure was tasty, right? Blueberry pie is always good!

Fluttershy gave up trying to argue with Pinkie, seeing as she did stop the attack from hitting...even if it was in a rather unorthodox fashion. Shaking her head, Fluttershy focused on the draconequus. With the seven other minds mingling with hers, it was a little overwhelming.

Just trust us, Fluttershy. I promise we’ll do all we can, but you have to put your complete faith in us. We trust you, just do the same. That’s all we ask.

Celestia’s words rung loud and clear, clearing the fog in her mind. She gave Celestia a mental nod, flapped her wings hard, and jetted towards Discord.

“That’s right, little pony...” Discord chuckled as he manifested a cricket bat in his hands. “Come to papa...”

Fluttershy pulled back her front foreleg as Discord swung. The two forces collided, and for a split second Discord saw Fluttershy’s fur turn orange and her mane become yellow. His momentary distraction proved to be enough time for Fluttershy to connect a second blow. He felt his shoulder pop out of place as he bounced several dozen yards, smashing into a large statue of a pegasus in mid-flight.

“What in the dark depths of Tartarus was that?” Discord growled as he kicked the statue off and popped his shoulder back into place. Getting back onto his feet, he rotated his shoulder a few times and groaned. “Alright, foal’s gloves are off.”

Fluttershy was already flying at him again, horn glowing a bright yellow. Discord snarled and waved his lions paw at her. The earth split before him, geysers of red light blasting out from the fissures. Fluttershy screamed as a searing pain blasted her into the air. She had no time to recover as a hard elbow smashed into her gut, followed by a hoof and clawed foot kicking her back into the ground. She landed hard, bouncing once and coughing up spittle and blood.

Fluttershy, watch out!

Fluttershy’s body moved without command. She got to her feet and teleported in a blue-white flash of light. A second later Discord landed, causing the ground to collapse, like a meteorite had suddenly struck the earth. He flew out of the large crater, arms folded and smirking.

Fluttershy wheezed a little, though she felt that same soothing warmth wash over her as the rainbow aura began to hum. The sharp pain in her abdomen and the bruises covering her body vanished.

“Oh, that’s not fun,” Discord commented, noticing the fading injuries. “I thought I was the only one with regeneration magic like that.” He shook his head. “You’re just a lousy copy-cat.”

Fluttershy sniffled, wiping away some drying blood from her muzzle.

Fluttershy, are you alright?

Nodding, Fluttershy felt a phantom comfort of someone’s wing draped over her. She knew right then and there that Luna had been the one to teleport her away from being crushed by Discord.

Yes, thanks to you girls. I’m fine.

Luna went silent, and she could feel all of her friends focusing their attention once more on Discord. The draconequus yawned, and stretched a bit while cracking his back. He slowly got into a crouching position, going onto all fours and smirking.

Without warning, he pushed off the ground with lightning speed. Fluttershy made to move, but felt a powerful hoof slam into her gut as she leaped away. The air left her lungs, only for the pain to be forgotten as a powerful tail slammed into her ribs. She felt them crack, and cried out in pain as she hit the ground hard. She made to get up, only to get punted clear across the hedge maze. She heard her friends calling her name, but couldn’t give a reply. She felt her wings unfurl, and her eyes snapped open in time to see a large boulder twice the size of her old cottage flying towards her.

Her horn lit up and fired a blast of light from it. The boulder halted its trajectory, then burst into dust. She took in a few gulps of air, the feeling of her ribs realigning themselves making her squirm while the pain wracking her body vanished once more.

She looked to the ground, but couldn’t find any trace of the chaotic spirit.

“Dear, you really are losing yourself here. Look behind you.”

Fluttershy spun around, her tail lashing out at the voice. Discord caught it with a paw and frowned. “Attacking without thinking. That’s both reckless and stupid,” he chuckled. “I like it though, since it’s rather unexpected of you.”

Fluttershy channeled magic into her tail, and ivy lashed out from the long strands of pink hair. He let go as a nasty rash spread across his arm. He grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked it out of its socket with a comical popping noise. He chucked it aside, then snapped his fingers, producing a new arm out of thin air. “Right, I suppose I was careless there as well. Still, you obviously can see that this isn’t working out for you, Fluttershy.”

“I...I thought I told you...that...we won’t give up.” Fluttershy breathed heavily. She charged up her magic, a violet ball this time, and fired. Discord prepared to swat the magical blast away, but was caught off guard as it swelled to five times its original size. He cried out as he was caught in the attack, the massive ball of magic pushing him away with no effort.

Fluttershy moved her head while her horn continued to emit a violet-pink aura, and directed the blast into the air. The wailing of Discord grew distant as the ball continued upward, piercing nearby cotton candy clouds. With a final surge of magic, the orb exploded, sending a shockwave through the air. Trees waved violently, stone arches in the maze toppled. Shingles fell from houses, and a cacophony of tower bells rang out as Canterlot castle shook.

Fluttershy kept her eyes glued to the spot where Twilight’s spell had exploded. She knew that he was probably fine. Angry? Definitely. Unable to fight anymore? Not likely.

As the last of the arcane smoke in the sky cleared away, she could see the smallest spot hovering in the sky.

Discord...

A tingling ran down her spine, and she saw a flicker of light moments before a large crackling orb of green energy surged towards her. She leaped to the side, and watched as the orb flew past her and several city blocks of Canterlot. She saw the faint green dot as it drifted down to the lower valley south of Equestria and then...

Green flooded the skies as a deafening explosion roared in Fluttershy’s ears. She watched as a massive pillar of fire that was easily a kilotrot wide erupted. Terror and awe clenched her heart, and she felt her knees go weak.

All at once, the cries of numerous lives reached her. Animals and plants of all sizes that had lived there...

...gone...

Fluttershy didn’t even realize she had been crying as the pillar of fire died down. She sank to the ground. Those creatures...those plants...she was thankful that no ponies had been caught in that blast, but...but still...

Fluttershy, I know it hurts. You have to stay strong though. Please...

Twilight’s words snapped her from her thoughts. “He...he...oh, Twilight, why did he have to do that?”

I fear Discord has lost interest in this fight, Fluttershy. He’s through playing games. Celestia replied. He usually avoided anything like this when we dealt with him in the past, but...I believe he’s willing to go any measures to defeat us now.

Fluttershy sniffled and wiped away the tears from her eyes. “I can’t let him do that again.”

He won’t, replied Luna. Fluttershy, we need to find a way to distract him, get the Elements of Honesty and Loyalty that he stole, and defeat him.

Can...can we really do that? He’s holding onto the Elements with his magic, isn’t he?

Yes, but Luna and I are familiar with his magic. Besides, we have Twilight here, and the girls here should be able to help as well.

Fluttershy lifted off the ground, flapping her wings slowly and ascending. “Just tell me what to do.”

Discord watched with grim satisfaction as the pillar of fire slowly died away. He had anticipated that Fluttershy would dodge it. Had she not dodged, the city and castle below would have been a very nice molten heap on the side of Mount Canterlot now.

He could feel the growing panic from the city below. Ponies everywhere, hiding in their homes, seeking shelter where they could. They were trembling in fear, wondering what had caused that colossal tower of flames. The growing pandemonium was like sweet oxygen to him, and he loved it.

His lips split into a wide grin. “You see, Fluttershy? Does that help make my message clear to you? You, and the rest of your little pony-puff super team don’t stand a chance against me. Not even with Luna and Celestia backing you up! You’re just prolonging the inevitable, my dear!”

His voice echoed through the city streets, off the ivory stone towers, and down the steep mountain side. Even as his voice reached the city below, he could feel the worry and confusion of the capital city’s denizens grow. It fueled him, made him stronger by the minute. He imagined it wouldn’t be too long before he could resist the Elements of Harmony themselves.

He took a moment to look out to the horizon. He saw the nearby town of Ponyville getting drenched in chocolate rain. Far off in the southeastern horizon, the city of Manehatten was experiencing an invasion of various sized balloon animals, and Baltimare was being buffeted by a horrible orange sherbet blizzard.

His influence was growing. Soon Equestria would be completely under his thumb, and he would have no trouble disposing of those pesky princesses once and for–

“Think fast, jerk!”

Discord returned his attention to the ground below as a large chunk of Canterlot castle came flying at him. He sighed and brushed it away with a flick of his wrist. Just as he expected, Fluttershy was flying behind the boulder, readying to attack him. He teleported before she hit, reappeared behind her, and swung with his tail, only for it to go straight through her. Fluttershy sparkled for a moment, then vanished in a quiet burst of glittering light.

He quickly spun around, and saw a yellow and pink blur flying at him, back hooves aimed for his chest. With a snap of his fingers, he produced a large tennis racket, and readied his swing.

He hesitated as he watched the pegasus flying at him. Her hair became curly and untamed, like swirls of cotton candy. Her cyan eyes became a bright, soulful blue, and for a moment he swore he saw her coat change to a bubblegum pink. She was upset, hurt, and angry. She was angry with him, though she had every reason to be. He had destroyed hundreds of living things in that last blast of magic, and–

Shaking his head Discord focused on the mare flying at him, but when he swung at her, she once more flickered from view. A strong breeze brushed against him, and seconds later, he felt a jolting pain in his chest. His eyes closed for a moment, and he dropped his racket as he coughed up spit. He forced open his eyes in time to see Rainbow Dash flying at him from above.

What?

Rainbow Dash vanished from view, being replaced once more by Fluttershy. He raised his arms to defend himself, and met the attack head on. A moment later, his arm began to catch fire. He locked gazes with light magenta eyes. A flowing mane of light pastels and shining light could be seen in his peripherals. The mare’s coat was radiating sunlight.

He pulled away, waving his arm frantically and hissing as the burning sensation spread.

“What...” Discord began. “...was that?”

Fluttershy gave an uncharacteristic grin. “What’s wrong, Discord? Can take what’s comin’ to ya?”

Okay, Fluttershy didn’t talk with that kind of accent, let alone that boldly. “Hello, Applejack. I see you’re still a nuisance to me, even after I defeated you.”

“Defeated me, my hoof!” Apple-shy retorted. “If ya’ll think that your sneaky tricks are gonna work against all three of us, then you better think again.”

“She’s right! I must admit, you’re crafty and rather clever, but you have no sense of dignity. Not to mention your breath smells of garlic. Ugh, simply disgusting!”

“Haha, nice one Rare!”

Discord watched as seven other ponies became visible beside Fluttershy. Well, the transparent images of seven ponies, to be precise. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Celestia, and Luna all stood side by side with Fluttershy in front of them, whose eyes were glowing while the humming sound of that pesky aura surrounding them grew louder. They all had expression of steely resolve in their eyes, some smiling while others scowled.

“I wasn’t expecting you five to get free so easily,” Discord grumbled. “How did you break free from the void I cast you in?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Fluttershy spoke, her mouth moving with the sound of Twilight’s voice. “We’re friends, Discord, and because of the bonds we hold, even your magic couldn’t keep us apart.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie-shy stated. “You really didn’t think this plan through, didja Discord?”

“Your transgressions against our land and subjects will be dealt with, Discord,” Celestia-shy spoke. “This fight will be your last.”

Discord snorted. “So you can speak through Fluttershy, like souls through a medium. Big whoop!” He yawned. “I still have the Elements of Loyalty and Honesty, and as long as I hold those, you can’t do squat to me that I can’t recover from.”

Fluttershy smirked, her voice taking on the confident, loud tone of Luna. “We shall see about that, Discord!”

The eight alicorns all became enshrouded in a colorful aura, their eyes glowing like Fluttershy’s. They all got into ready stances, and flew at him.

Discord lifted both hands, surrounding himself in a glowing orb of dark red light. Rainbow Dash was the first to make impact, and cried out in pain as she was pushed back. She shook herself out of her stupor and held up a hoof. “Hold up! That force field is wicked hot!” She winced in pain as she checked the burn marks on her fur, relieved to see that they were already being healed.

The others stopped their charge, settling for hovering in mid-air. Discord watched amusedly from inside his protective barrier. “Rainbow’s right, my little princesses. Better not get too close.”

With a cackle he flexed his fingers out and the bubble of burning magic expanded suddenly. The eight princesses were knocked away, screaming in pain.

Discord’s bubble retracted, then popped as he rolled his left shoulder. “So, eight against one, huh? Hardly fair, I’d say, but it’s definitely more interesting.”

“I’ll show you interesting!” Rainbow growled, launching herself at him a second time, this time with Applejack and Luna joining close behind.

“Alright, let’s do this, girls,” Twilight shouts, readying a spell from her horn. Rarity and Celestia do the same while Pinkie and Fluttershy waited for their moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Discord was blocking attacks from what should have been intangible ponies. Between Rainbow’s fast hit-and-run strikes, Luna’s quick barrage of spells and kicks, and the earth-shattering power of Applejack’s two back legs, he was finding his work cut out for him.

Leaning back at a ninety-degree angle, he avoided a spinning-kick from Luna while Applejack’s right hoof grazed his chin. Rainbow Dash moved in to catch him from the side, but with a flick of his pinky finger she was sent back by a buffet of invisible force.

A flickering light within his peripherals caught his attention.

“Oh, what now?” Discord snarled as three combined rays of magical light hit him square in the chest. He flew back, and before he could catch his balance, two powerful pairs of arms grabbed hold of him.

“Hurry, Fluttershy! We got him!” yelled Pinkie Pie.

Discord made to free himself, but found that the combined strength of both Pinkie Pie and Applejack was a bit much. To make it even more difficult, a pink and orange aura wrapped around his wrists and tightened.

Fluttershy approached the draconequus cautiously. She lifted a hoof, placing it against his temple. “Um...what next?”

Luna flew up beside Fluttershy. “Allow me to help.” The moment Luna placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, Discord tensed. His vision became flooded with light, and he could feel Luna and Fluttershy’s magic moving around inside him.

“W-what are you doing?!” Discord growled.

No response was given. He made a vain attempt at shielding his mind from their probing magic, but was met with no success. Fighting off Fluttershy and Luna, the Princess with dominion over dreams, was nigh impossible.

Then he felt it. The magic of the two Elements he had procured. “No!” The two elements were suddenly gone. He couldn’t feel anything, and he screamed in fury.

“Waaa! Sugarcube, whatever yer doin’ hurry up!” he heard Applejack shout out as she struggled to maintain her hold over Discord.

“I...I think...wah!” Fluttershy gasped, and the sound of crystals clinking together could be heard. Discord’s vision slowly returned to him, and when he looked at the sight before him, he felt his stomach turn to lead.

“No! How?! How?!” He managed to break free of the two ponies holding him, and lunged at Fluttershy. He was within arm’s reach when he was stopped by what felt like a solid, brick wall.

Fluttershy was flapping in front of him, by herself once more. The others had vanished from view, but an even more unsettling sight lay before him now.

The six Elements of Harmony were slowly floating around Fluttershy, their respective jewels radiating powerful magic. Discord instinctively backed away, and shot a bolt of black lightning at her. The bolt made contact, then ricocheted harmlessly, not even leaving a scratch.

“No. I refuse! I will not be imprisoned again!” the faintest tremor could be heard in Discord’s voice. He shot a volley of purple and black flames at her, only for them to be extinguished before reaching her.

Fluttershy frowned. “Discord...you...you’ve done some very bad things...before you were turned to stone...and recently. I...” She looked to down, sighing. “Though...I want to believe there’s still good in you...I...we can’t let you run free like this. You’ve hurt and scared too many ponies for your own amusement. It’s...it’s very, very wrong. Nopony should treat others like that.”

Discord began to panic. The aura around Fluttershy was seemed to be growing brighter, if that was possible.

“Like I care what you think! I am Chaos! I have watched great ponies rise and fall, and you mares are no exception!” He flapped his wings hard, lifting higher into the air. His voice boomed, amplified by his magic. “I don’t need this stinking city for a capital! I’ll make a new one! A better one!” His left eye began to twitch, his maniacal grin spreading across his lips. “This is the end for you! All of you!” He lifted both arms into the air. A small orb, no bigger than a bit, formed in between his palms.

“Bigger!” He shouted. It expanded, growing to the size of a baseball.

“No, bigger!” The orb was now the size of beach ball. It expanded again, and within a minute’s time, he held in his hands a sphere of pure, chaotic energy that cast a shadow over the entirety of Canterlot.

“Hahahaaaa!” He laughed. “Well, how about this? Are you watching Celestia? Luna? I’m going to crush your little castle, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!”

Discord leaned back, and with a mighty heave of magic, tossed the gargantuan ball of magic at the city of Canterlot.

Fluttershy’s heart hammered in her chest as she watched the crackling ball of raw, unrestrained energy slowly making its way towards her, the castle, and everypony in Canterlot.

Fluttershy! You have to stop that ball! Celestia yelled over the roar of the titanic spell.

“By...by myself? I...” Fluttershy whimpered as a breeze picked up. Trees were uprooted, snow melted instantly, and giant mushrooms burst from the ground. “I-I can’t!”

Yes you can, Shy! You can, and you will! said Rainbow Dash. The Fluttershy I know wouldn’t let a loser like Discord get the best of her!

Fluttershy felt her wings snap shut, yet she continued to float with the power of the Elements coursing through her. Fluttershy, Luna began. I promise, we’ll be with you before you know it! The Elements just need a little time! Please!

As if on cue, the Element of Magic crackled as pink sparks shot out of it. With a bright flash of light, Twilight Sparkle, in the flesh, appeared before Fluttershy. She shook her head a bit, then took note of her surroundings. “I...I’m back!”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around the Princess of Magic. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you!”

Twilight returned her embrace for a moment, then pushed away gently. “Fluttershy, come on, we have a job to do!”

“Hm!” Fluttershy nodded, smiling a little. “R-right. L-let’s do this!”

Twilight and Fluttershy, now wearing their respective Elements, looked up to the massive ball of Chaos. Aiming their horns, Twilight and Fluttershy fired beams of pink and light pink respectively at their target.

Immediately they felt the weight of Discord’s creation crash down upon them. Twilight gasped. “W-Whoa...!” She winced as she strained to slow massive orb. “H-how did he pack so much magic into that?”

Fluttershy felt beads of sweat run down her neck and face, stinging her eyes. “O-oh...dear...”

Twilight managed to place a wing over Fluttershy. “Hang in there, Fluttershy! I’m here now! Don’t worry!”

“Same here!”

Large, billowing wings fanned out before Twilight. Looking down, she smiled as Rainbow Dash appeared before her. “Rainbow!”

“The one and only!” replied the smaller alicorn. She glared up at Discord. “Time to kick some flank, girls!”

She fired a red beam of light, and the strain on their magical power lessened a little.

“Keep it going! We can do this!” Twilight shouted as they watched the orb up above come to a steady halt. “We just have to work together!”

“B-but...he’s still so strong!” Fluttershy cried out.

“Fluttershy, don’t worry. We beat him once, and that was without the help of you girls,” replied a voice to her left. She turned, and saw the true, physical forms of Celestia and Luna approaching. Like Twilight and the others, they looked to be completely healed of injury. Likely the Elements’ doing. “We came as soon as we felt the Elements awaken.”

Luna stood beside Fluttershy, smiling confidently. “You’ve done an amazing job, Fluttershy. I...” She blushed, despite the situation they were in. “I...I am so proud of you.”

Fluttershy smiled as she struggled to maintain focus over her spell. “Th-thank you, Luna, but...um...if it’s not any trouble...?”

“Oh!” Luna and Celestia shared a look, then turned and loosed magical arcs of light from their own horns.

The raucous laughter of Discord echoed all around them. “You foals! Do you really think this is all the power I have? Think again!”

The orb expanded even more, and the five cried out as they felt themselves pushed back. Once more Discord’s chaotic ball of doom continued towards the mountainside city.

“D-don’t stop!” Celestia cried out to the other four. “Don’t lose your focus! We can stop him, we just have to stay strong!”

So the five continued, waiting for the other three members of their group to manifest once more. It was a race against time now, and time was, unfortunately, not on their side.

Spike watched silently as the five distant alicorns fought against Discord. He recognized the middle one as Twilight. Seeing her was both relieving and terrifying for him. She was risking her life to protect him...no, not just him, everypony. Twilight, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna...all of them were putting their lives on the line now.

What about me? Spike thought, his tiny fists clenching. He had been running. Always running, ever since Discord had been freed.

In the end, all I really am is a weak, cowardly baby dragon...

His body shook as he took in a deep breath. He was sick of running. He wanted to help. He wanted to protect Twilight...to protect Rarity, and everypony else, too.

“Right.” Spike said to himself. His eyes narrowed, and without another word, ran as fast as he could towards the princesses.

“Spike!” Lily Wing called out. She made to take off, but something caught her by the tail. She whirled around, and saw Trixie holding her with her magic.

“Trixie, what are you doing?” she shouted.

“Stay here, the others need you,” Trixie said, her voice devoid of its arrogant tone. “Trixie will follow him, and make sure he’s alright.”

Lily Wing frowned. “A-Alright then! Just stay safe!”

Trixie gave a nod, then took off after the little dragon. Within seconds she was galloping beside him. Spike noticed, but didn’t slow down.

“Don’t try and stop me, Trixie!” Spike shouted over the roaring from the skies above. “Twilight and the others need help, and I’m not going to just sit there and–waaaah!”

Spike yelped as he was lifted into the air and thrown onto Trixie’s back. He grabbed onto her mane, holding on for dear life as she sped up, moving faster than he had thought possible for the former showmare.

“Trixie understands, that’s why she’s coming with!” she announced. “Besides, Trixie has a little score to settle with that ugly Discord!”

She leaped over a low lying hedge, and galloped down a path that had been cleared by the fighting. She stopped at a large platform that had once held a statue of Starswirl the Bearded on it, and let Spike off. Several hundred feet away from them were the princesses, doing their best to keep Canterlot’s destruction at bay.

“What do we do, Trixie?” Spike asked. “I...I want to help, but...”

Trixie thought for a moment. She watched the five alicorns doing their best to push the massive Chaos ball back, and then her gaze fell on Spike.

A light bulb went off in her brain, and she blinked. “That’s it.”

“Huh?” Spike cocked his head to the side.

“Spike, you can breath fire, yes?”

“A little bit. Not much, but yeah.”

Trixie nodded. “Good, good. Trixie has a plan, but she needs you to do exactly as she says.”

By now, the five alicorns had to once again return to the ground, having been forced back onto their hooves by Discord’s overwhelming magic. While they had all recovered from their injuries, their magic had been drained from their earlier fights with the draconequus. Unlike him, they didn’t gain power from Chaos, either.

The Element of Honesty halted in the air, and with a glow of orange light, brought forth Applejack.

“Ugh...huh-wha?” She took in the scene, then looked up. “Whoa, nelly!” Without a second thought, she mimicked her friends and shot out a beam of orange hued magic towards Discord’s doom-ball.

“AJ, glad you could make it!” Rainbow joked.

“Hah, like I’d miss the chance to buck that no-good Discord around!” She intensified the power of her blast, and once more the doom-ball halted. “How d’ya like them, apples, Discord?!”

Once more, the weight of holding back Discord’s attack lessened and pushed back.

A bright blue glow, followed shortly by a purple glow, shined from the Elements of Laughter and Generosity. Pinkie Pie and Rarity reappeared in the same fashion as the others, slightly dazed and looking around and gaining their bearings.

“Oh boy, that looks bad,” Pinkie commented. She then put on some sunglasses that she had pulled out from her tail as she continued to gaze up at the destructive magic ball of doom. “It’s pretty, though!”

“Pinkie, please be a dear and start helping, will you?” Rarity shouted as she fired off her own Element-infused magic, it’s violet light surrounding her completely.

Pinkie grinned and pulled off her sunglasses. “Okie-dokie-lokie!” She closed her eyes and channeled magic through her horn. The Element of Laughter glowed, and fired off a blue arc of light.

The eight beams of magic began to coalesce into a single arc of magic. The colors blended, and soon formed into a rainbow of colors and steadily pushed the doom-ball upwards.

“I don’t get it, we’re all here now! Why aren’t the Elements working?” Rainbow shouted.

“I...I don’t know! Maybe Discord’s just gotten that strong!” Twilight suggested.

“You gotta be kiddin’ me! We’re this close to putting an end to him!” Applejack moaned loudly. “Celestia, what do you think?”

Celestia grit her teeth as she pumped more magic into her spell. “Discord...he seems to have gotten stronger since he first broke free. He is the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, so it only makes sense that with how bad things have gotten in Equestria that he’s gotten stronger!”

“Consarnit, just when I thought we had him on the ropes, too!”

Discord’s voice echoed in their minds. “That’s right, my little ponies. You can’t win! You’re finished! Terminated! The end! Hahahaaaa!” The laughter was coming from every direction. “Here! Before I go, I have a little going away present for you: the full extent of my power!”

The sky went red suddenly, and the air began to smell of fruit punch. Pies of all sorts rained down upon Canterlot while the sun and moon began to race across the sky. Geysers of ink erupted from the nearby mountains, and a flock of pigs could be seen flying in the distance.

The eight alicorns found themselves losing ground. They struggled to maintain their footing, but the powerful gusts of Discord’s magic along with their increasing fatigue was catching up to them.

All the while Discord continued to laugh as the moment of victory over the princesses of Equestria drew nearer.

“Are...are you sure this will work?”

Trixie’s expression was grim as she shielded her eyes with a hoof. “Trix...I...I hope so, Spike.” She held the small dragon with a hoof, both to steady him, and to prepare for their plan. “No matter, what, I want you to know that you’ve been very brave. You’re a very noble dragon, Spike.”

Spike blushed. “Th-thanks, Trixie. I...I guess I’m ready.”

Trixie grinned. “Alright, take in a deep breath.”

Spike stood as straight and tall as he could. He sucked in a deep breath and held it while puffing out his chest. Trixie’s horn was encased in a blue aura, and Spike felt magic trickle into him through her hoof. He felt a fire building in his chest. It started as a small flame, but quickly grew.

Spike grit his teeth, bright green flames leaking through his teeth.

“Alright...hold it...steady...” Trixie looked up to the small dot high in the sky. She locked onto the draconequus, her eyes never leaving the spot where he was.

Spike’s eyes were glowing now. “Tr-Trixie, I...these flames...!”

“Just a few more second’s, Spike!” Trixie shouted as a gust of wind blew over them. She pumped as much magic into Spike’s steadily-building flame, fanning it with her own power.

The wind died down, and the dust cleared for a moment. She had a clear view of Discord floating high above them.

“Now!”

Spike opened his mouth up as wide as he could, and belched out a green fireball twice his size. Blue sparks of magic trailed behind it, whistling and exploding in a dazzling display of color and sound.

Trixie’s horn hummed as she struggled to guide the ball of flames. She closed one eye while the other remained focused on Discord’s distant shape.

Come on...come on...

As her vision grow hazy, she struggled to maintain her magical hold of Spike’s flames. Slowly her vision grew dark, but before she passed out, she swore she heard the agonized cry of a certain draconequus.

“Hah...” Trixie laughed as she slipped into unconsciousness. “Serves you....right, Discord...”

Discord watched in glee as the last defense of Equestria began to fall under the weight of his ever-growing power. Not Celestia, not Luna...not even the Elements of Harmony could stand up to him now! This was perfect!

“Serves you right, you uppity little fillies!” Discord cackled while clapping his hands in amusement. “You should’ve surrendered while you had the chance!”

He never saw the large green fireball heading straight for him. It wasn’t until the shrill whistle of fireworks reached his ears that he saw the green ball of flames. It hit him in the side of the face, knocking him back a foot. He growled, annoyed more than anything as he tugged at a few singed hairs on his cheek. His eyes followed the faint trail of sparks, and noticed two distant figures huddled by a fallen statue in the hedge maze. That baby dragon...Spike, wasn’t it? And that upstart little unicorn, Trixie!

He rubbed his burnt cheek and grumbled. “Stupid little insects...” He pointed a finger at them and smirked. “If they want to play games, then all they had to do was...h-huh?”

Discord hadn’t noticed the encroaching ball of Chaos he had created. Had it been that close a moment ago? And what was that bright, rainbow-y aura surrounding...

“Oh...”

All eight of the princesses had seen the ball of flames that hit Discord. It was a subtle change, but they felt Discord lose concentration over his own spell for a brief moment.

Unfortunately for him, that was all they needed.

“Now!” Twilight shouted.

They all released as much of their magic as they could. The Elements of Harmony were literally vibrating as the rainbow colored wave of Harmony magic pierced through the ball of Chaos magic, rocking the entire city of Canterlot as it exploded.

Reports would later come in from all corners of the continent, stating that a blinding ray of light had shot out from the edge of the Harmony Mountains and straight to the heavens above. It would be spoken of by scholars for ages as one of the most powerful spells to have ever been cast in Equestrian history. At the moment the spell had been cast, both the sun and moon were in the sky, and beams of light from both celestial bodies flowed straight into the larger beam of magically fueled light. All the while, waves of magic were expelled from Canterlot, stretching out to all corners of the land. The abnormalities in the weather quickly ceased. Denizens of the land who had appeared to lose sanity snapped out of their trances. Things returned to the way they had once been.

In short, Harmony had returned to the land.

Artists who had seen it would later attempt to capture the image on canvas. Most would claim that their paintings paled in comparison to the beauty and power they had witness from afar, while those who did not were only lying to themselves and those around them.

It was, by and large, the truest display of the Elements of Harmony’s power.

Discord struggled to protect himself from the magic that assaulted him. He swiped blindly, flung spells in every direction, but nothing worked. He even tried to flee, but found himself unable to break free of the Harmony magic’s hold on him.

I...I cannot end! Not like this! Frustration overcame him, and he began pulling at his mane, beard, the long, white, thin hairs catching the breeze and flying off in all directions, from Everfree to Appleloosa and Vanhoover.

“I am Chaos!” he roared. “I am not bound by the laws of this world! You...you cannot...” He watched in grim astonishment as his body began to break apart, scattering into bits of light. “...but...I...”

In his final moments, Discord wondered to himself...

Could I have done it differently?

He let out a soft chuckle, then a laugh, then a loud guffaw. Chaos...pure, and uncontrolled...beaten by the powers of friendship and Harmony. Not banished to eons as a statue. No, he didn’t know what was happening, but he knew it was different.

He felt, oddly enough, at ease. It had been ages since he felt truly, truly at peace. It felt good, he decided. Wonderful, even.

“Well...” he snickered. “...at least the light show is nice.”

And with those final words, Discord knew no more.

“Is...is it over?”

Applejack was the first to break the silence as they all stood in the middle of the hedge maze, or what was left of it at least. The stream of rainbow light had vanished, and the sky had finally been cleared away of the odd, pink, cotton-candy clouds. The orange sherbet that coated the ground was gone, replaced once more by pure, white snow.

“I...I think so...” Twilight breathed. “I hope so...”

Fluttershy, who had collapsed a few moments prior, moaned. “I don’t want to fight anymore...”

The rays of the early morning sun bathed the eight alicorns and Rarity let out a sigh as she closed her eyes, taking in the small amount of warmth it gave her. “I’m just glad nopony got...” Her eyes snapped open, and she was on her feet. “Sweetie Belle! Mother! Oh, where are they?”

Applejack followed suit seconds later. “Oh hayseeds! Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Braeburn are probably still somewhere outside the castle!” Any signs of weariness in the two were gone.

Pinkie Pie was sitting contently, a small smile on her face. She giggled a little, drawing the attention of Fluttershy. “What is it, Pinkie?”

Pinkie’s eyes opened. “I told you, didn’t I? You just needed to have hope, and everything would be alright!”

Fluttershy smiled weakly, all the fatigue and weariness finally catching up with her. “I guess so. I’m just glad that you’re all okay...oh!” She looked over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of purple, green, and blue. “Spike! Trixie!”

The young dragon whelp could be seen, carrying an unconscious Trixie towards them as best as he could, dragging her back hooves as her neck and fore legs were draped over his shoulders.

Twilight was by his side before anyone else. She nearly bowled him over as she gave him a loving nuzzle, then began to check every inch of him for injury.

“C-come on, Twilight! You’re embarrassing me!” Spike grumbled half-heartedly as she pulled him in for a hug after she deemed him unharmed.

“I don’t care,” Twilight replied. “I’m just happy that you’re alright...” She glanced down at Trixie’s unconscious form. “You and Trixie...we saw what you did back there, Spike,” Twilight began as she ran a glowing horn over the blue unicorn mare. “While it was very foolish...had it not been for that little distraction, things might have ended differently.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow added. “Way to sock it to Discord, Spike! You two were awesome!”

Trixie appeared to have suffered from mild magicka exhaustion, but aside from a few scrapes and bruises, was for the most part unharmed as well.

“I was worried,” Spike mumbled. “I...when Discord beat you, I thought...well, I was worried I’d never see you again.”

Twilight heard Spike sniffle, and pulled him in close for another hug. “I’m sorry for scaring you like that, Spike.”

“I’m just glad you’re back.”

The others had managed to get to their feet, and made their way towards the two. Rainbow felt a small smile tug at her lips when she saw Trixie’s quietly breathing, her face obscured by her tattered hat and cape. “Heh, I gotta admit, Trixie has a lot more fight in her then I thought.”

Twilight glanced towards Rainbow, nodding in agreement. “We all owe her and Spike a huge thanks.”

“I got it!” Pinkie said with a grin. “We can throw them a party! A ‘Thanks for helping us stop Discord from leveling Canterlot and taking over Equestria’ party!”

“Darling, while I wouldn’t mind a little celebration of my own, I do believe we have other things that require our immediate attention,” Rarity said while pointing a hoof at the castle behind them.

The castle structure as a whole was still there, but large sections of it were in shambles. Roofs were gone, century-old statues were in pieces, and it would take years of proper care and attention to restore the hedge maze to what it once was. Stone and wood could be replaced though. It was an expensive loss, but not an irreplaceable one.

“Come on, we should make sure the rest of the city is alright,” said Twilight. “I think I see some of the others over there.”

The six Spirits of Harmony made their way out of the remains of the hedge maze, Applejack hefting Trixie onto her back with a bit of magic. Luna and Celestia, however, stayed behind.

Pinkie stopped for a moment, casting a concerned look to the two. “Celestia? Luna? Are you two okay?”

Celestia gave no response, but Luna looked up. “We just...need a moment, Pinkie Pie. This has been an especially...emotional experience for us.”

Pinkie nodded in understanding. “Okie dokie. If you need somepony to talk to, we’re here for you.”

Twilight too had stopped, her gaze falling on Celestia. The normally composed and calm aura Celestia held about her was gone. Her wings were held limply at her sides, her ears were had folded downward, and even her mane seemed to be less vibrant.

“Celestia?”

Hearing Twilight call her name, the Princess of the Sun looked up. She gave Twilight a hint of a smile. “I’ll be alright, Twilight. I just...” she sighed. “I’ll tell you later. I promise.”

Twilight nodded slowly, though she looked as though she wanted to press further. “Okay.” She began to turn away to catch up with the others.

“Twilight?”

“Hm?”

Celestia’s mouth opened and closed several times, and when she spoke, it sounded like the whisper of a gentle breeze. “I love you.”

Twilight blinked, the faintest blush rising to her cheeks. “I...I love you too, Celestia.”

Celestia’s smile grew a little, and her mane seemed to brighten up a little. “Thank you. I just...Luna and I need a moment. We’ll be with you girls shortly.”

As soon as the group had left, Luna returned her attention to her older sister. “Celly...are you going to be alright?”

Celestia sighed deeply. “Yes. It just...” She swallowed hard. “Even...even after all those years, those centuries and millennia...I still...” Shaking her head, she laughed wryly. “It’s pathetic, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Luna replied. “Truth be told, even though I despised him...at the same time, a part of me still cared. A part of me knew that he still had good in him.”

Tears began to well up in Celestia’s eyes. “I...I tried so hard to hate him, Luna. Honestly. He...he’s the one being that I’ve truly wanted to loathe. No matter what I did though, I couldn’t truly, wholeheartedly, hate him.” She sniffled. “Then, instead of trying to talk things out with him, I go and make it worse and lash out in anger for what he’s doing.”

“We did what we had to, Celly,” Luna soothed. “We spoke of this before when we first sealed him away. He’s not the Discord you fell in love with.”

“I know,” Celestia said, her eyes remaining glued to her hooves. “Still, wouldn’t it be right to try and help him? Let him know that I still care?”

“We tried that before,” Luna answered. “Or did you forget about how we tried to talk him out of taking over Equestria?”

“No...I never could forget that.” Celestia looked to the brightening morning horizon. “It’s almost...almost as if he went mad.”

“He’s a being of Chaos, Celly. I think that was an inevitability.”

“Perhaps, but...”

Celestia’s voice drifted away as she held her head in shame. Luna nuzzled her, and Celestia returned the gesture, smiling as her sister pulled away.

“Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve a wonderful little sister like you.”

Luna grinned. “Who’s to say that I didn’t do something to gain a wonderful older sister like you?”

Celestia rested her chin on the top of Luna’s head. She let her eyes close while Luna hummed softly in contentment.

“It won’t be easy, will it?”

Celestia opened an eye and slowly pulled away from Luna. “What won’t be easy, Luna?”

“Rebuilding...and reassuring our subjects that everything is alright.”

“Such things rarely are that easy, Luna,” Celestia answered. “We will do everything we can for our subjects, though. We’ve all been through a lot.”

Luna gained a thoughtful look as Celestia stood up. “I am curious though; whatever happened to Discord, exactly? Surely the Elements didn’t just...erase him.”

“No, I doubt they did. It would go against everything they represent.” Celestia craned her neck, gazing up at the snow clouds crawling across the sky. “This is just a guess, but I believe the Elements returned Discord to what he once was; pure, natural Chaos. They may have removed his sentience, stripped him of a physical form...who knows for certain, really.”

“I’m sure Twilight could find an answer.”

Laughing softly, Celestia began to walk towards the direction the others had gone, Luna following beside her. “I’m sure she could.”

“Celly?”

“Yes, Luna?”

Luna draped a wing over her sister for a moment, and Celestia felt a warmth blossom in her heart. “I think this served as a valuable lesson for us. We can’t shelter the girls from the secrets of our land. They need to know about such things, in case something else should rise up and pose danger to our subjects and allies.”

“Yes...yes, I believe you’re right.” The elder sister’s eyes gained a far-off look. “Even after all these eons that we’ve lived, we can still learn something once in awhile. Even if the lesson had to be taught in a not-so gentle manner.”

Luna smirked. “Humbling, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Celestia replied. “If anything, it’s wonderful. Could you imagine a life where you stopped learning, Luna?”

Luna frowned. “I’d rather not.”

“Precisely,” Celestia agreed. She picked up her pace a bit, a bit of spring returning to her step. Her eyes still looked wet with the remnants of shed tears, but Luna was relieved to see that Celestia was back to her normal, bright self. “Come, Luna. Our friends and subjects await.”

End of Chapter Eleven and Discord Arc

A/N: I feel like I should be finishing this with a Dragon Ball Z-level aftermath speech. I’ll spare you all that atrocity though, heh. Well, this was a neat little story-arc project, but don’t think that this story is over. Oh no, this was only a portion of what I have in store here. Sorry that update speeds haven’t been what they should be. Life has been busy for me, though, and there’s not much you can do about that. Anyway, there will be more to come, trust me. Thanks for reading!

Next Up: Magic is her special talent, her Element, and what she strives to excel in. It’s not everything for her, though. With the important duty as a princess on her shoulders now, Twilight Sparkle must find a way to seek balance between politics, her growing relationship with Celestia, and her own family and friends. With Equestria recovering from Discord’s attempted usurpation, how does a mare with such high expectations coming from both herself and her subjects cope with such a large burden?