Chapter 20: Chaos and Evil

Bolts of green powers ran across Discord’s body, his hands cupped together, a trail of smoke rising from his fingernails. His eyes similarly blazed with emerald fury, his teeth bared as he glared at the spot Blackheart had been blasted to. Twilight hadn’t felt any buildup of power, any indication that Disord was even gathering it. Sure there were many, including herself, that could unleash a powerful spell without much prep, but even the greatest wizards had to garner up some force behind it. Discord had summoned a surge of power that would have left some of the most gifted unicorns winded, and he did it as though it was a simple parlor trick.

That was not the scary part, though. Nor was it the tone of his voice, the power radiating from him, or the magic he had used. What frightened Twilight more than anything was the look on Discord’s face; the grimace of pure hate and rage that was twisting his features that painted an expression that could truly kill.

A storm of black lightning bolts came shooting out of the woods, nearly invisible in the darkness. Twilight could feel the cold power coming off of them and watched as Discord continued to float where he was, not moving an inch. His solid green eyes watched the bolts lancing towards him. She tried to call out, but the cloth still muffled her words, and with that ring upon her horn she had no other ways to warn Discord as the bolts of dark power raced ever closer. Before Twilight could take another breath they were mere feet from Discord, who simply swatted a paw vaguely in their direction.

The bolts vanished.
Not akin to crashing against a shield, nor met by a force of equal power, but simply gone, as though they never existed. Twilight just stared at Discord as he lowered his paw.

What many ponies did not understand about magic was that it needed to come from a source; that those with magical talent couldn’t make something appear out of nothing. She could understand the confusion: when unicorns could use fire, bolts of power, and other such skills, many would believe they simply created it out of nothing. That was simply not true. To create anything one needed the right materials. She could conjure fire because she could create friction within the air around her to generate a spark and then boost the power of that spark through her magical energy to make fire, and that fire would be fueled by the oxygen around her so it could be sustained. One would need even more talent, skill, and power to make that fire bend to their will and be shot out in a stream, or be shaped into objects.

That was only if one was attacking. If they were defending, they would have to create a shield or match the power coming towards with equal or greater force. Most of those with magical talent would rather create a shield, for matching magic could result in a backlash that would be impossible to defend from. Twilight had always prefered to make a dome around herself while defending from magic, to help deflect the blast away from her by using the attacker's energy against them.

What Discord did violated all the laws of magic that Twilight knew and held so close to her heart. He had simply made the energy disperse as though it had never existed! All she could was stare at the seething Lord of Chaos, truly taking in his immense power. She had underestimated him.

A hail of black bolts of energy went soaring towards Discord out of the gloom, but met with the same fate, only this time he didn’t even bother to lift a paw. Twilight stared down the path the attack had come from, watching for what the next wave could possibly be.

The sound of cracking and groaning rent the air, followed by a low popping sound as the ground all around them began to shake, rocks and pebbles bouncing up and down. Twilight could not take notice of that for long, for their was another primal roar coming from the woods, before a high whistling pierced the night.

Soaring out of the forest were two evergreen trees, ripped out of the ground with their roots still encased in earth. They rocketed towards Discord like arrows aimed at his heart. Twilight didn’t know what to expect. She knew if she were in this battle there was a good chance she might have already been dead. Just the pure power of Blackheart was sobering to one of her own abilities. Discord, though... she was just coming to understand that Discord was in a league of his own.

Before the set of trees could make contact with him, Discord raised his griffin claw and snapped his talons. The aura around the trees disappeared with a quack, and toothpicks rained down on the forest floor. Discord held his claw out, looking unamused by the attack, his eyes still a solid green.

“I am getting tired of this game, boy,” Discord growled, his eyes still glowing as he stared out at where Blackheart had been launching his attacks from. As Discord finished speaking, a blur of movement flashed by, followed slashes of black energy, which grew larger every second till they loomed over the Lord of Chaos.

Instinct willed Twilight to raise a shield over her and those closest to her, but the ring around her horn started sink those barbs deeper into her skill as she gathered the power, sending a painful shock through her body again and shattering her concentration. Discord raised his claws to the attack, without even looking at it, and the energy evaporated like a drop of water on a hot stove.

“Face me, coward!” Discord roared, curling his talons as if holding a baseball. He mirrored a pitcher’s stance, then lobbed an orb of emerald fury into the woods. The ball of green energy exploded, and turned into dozens upon dozens of green specks of energy that zipped around the wooded area.

Twilight watched the specs move through the trees, illuminating the area in the green energy of Discord’s magic. She couldn't figure out why Discord used such a spell: its power would be greatly diminished by the myriad divisions, and, while it did provide more light, it didn't help improve the visibility. In fact, with all the shadows now being cast on the ground and the sources of light moving around, it was hard to figure out what was moving and what was not. Then Twilight noticed something odd.

Each time the balls of energy passed around, there were fewer shadows on the ground. The first thought that went through Twilight’s mind that Discord was endlessly charging the spell and thereby allowing it to illuminate evermore of the area around them to find Blackheart. Yet the light never got brighter, but the shadows kept disappearing. That was when it hit her.

The balls of energy Discord was using were not to illuminate the area, they were erasing it! Discord was not going to wait around for Blackheart; he was going to destroy everything around him till he found Blackheart or eviscerated him in the process. Twilight just watched as Discord waved his claw in a circular manner, directing the power around him in a concentric pattern, his body flooded with green bolts of power. Just like Blackheart, Discord was corrupting the use of magic, using it for mindless destruction, something vile and unclean, a twisting of the powers she held so dear to her.

Though it was Discord’s nature.

He was the Lord of Chaos. It was his place to corrupt and twist things around; that was what his magic was intended for, and for eons that was all he ever did with his powers. That was until Discord opened up his heart and allowed himself to see another path, all thanks to Fluttershy. Looking over at Fluttershy, Twilight understood why he had placed a blindfold on her and made it so she was unable to hear. He didn’t want her to see his true nature come out like this: it would break Fluttershy’s heart.

“Olly olly oxen free!” Discord roared, his eyes scanning the area in rapid motions. “Get out here!” He raised his clawed hand into the air, the green balls starting to spin faster, becoming a blur of movement as the energy pulsated with each rotation. Twilight’s eyes strained and her stomach roiled, but once more she found that she could not take her eyes off such extraordinary use of magic.

“As you wish,” came a smooth voice from nowhere and everywhere at once, as three arcs of black magic came flying in from all directions. Each of them found their mark, making contact with the Lord of Chaos and slicing Discord into four equal pieces. Muffled cries came out of Rainbow, Applejack, and Twilight as they watched Discord fall to the ground with a wet, sloppy thud. His head, and what might have been his shoulder, fell to the ground closeby to Twilight, his head facing hers and his mouth gaping.

Blackheart emerged from the surrounding area, his armor scorched by Discord’s attack, but nothing else seemed out of place. He snorted as he shook out his mane. “How disappointing... And father spoke so highly of him.” Blackheart sarcastically shook his head and tutted, before turning up to Twilight again. “Now where were we… Oh yes! I was about to become King of Hel—”

Growling interrupted Blackheart, a deep, primal sound that resonated all around the circle of magic. Twilight looked around for the source, but she didn’t need to look for long. Surrounding Blackheart were three sets of glowing green eyes of large timberwolves. Each one looked slightly misshapen; parts of them were either too large or too small for their anatomy or had extra appendages that did not belong, such as horns, tusk, and antlers.

“Oh, the fun is just beginning, Blacky.” Discord laughed, the fragment of his body near Twilight remaining the same as when Blackheart chopped him in half, but now he was hovering in the air and smiling like like a mental patient. “You forget your better, boy,” Discord said, before the last part of him begin to turn as well. Discord’s body shifted like mercury, so seamless and natural that it had to have been an effort of will for the Lord of Chaos to remain the way he did.

The whole process did not take long, but watching it seemed to be an eternity itself. Watching Discord transform always tickled the same thirst for knowledge in the depths of Twilight’s brain, but on some level it was still disturbing to watch.

She did not have to watch for long, as Discord landed on all four paws, making a quartet of twisted timberwolves. They gave out low, nearly sub-sonic, growls, their teeth bared, showing off sharp fangs and unnatural, monstrous tusks. They circled the demon like any pack would, keeping their prey trapped. Blackheart stood his ground, shifting his view to keep three of the four Discord-Wolves in view, like an encircled, demented bear.

Or, at least it had been. The Discord-Wolf that had been behind Blackheart lunged forward and shimmered, like heat waves rising off a road, in the mid leap and came crashing down on Blackheart in the form of a grizzly bear.

The Discord-Bear slammed one of his mighty paws down on Blackheart before raking his thick claws down Blackheart’s vertebrae, cartilage audibly snapping and bones crumbling as the claws tore through. Dark red blood spurted out in all directions, spouting out of the demon like a fountain. The bear gave out a roar of beastrial rage and bit into Blackheart’s neck, ripping at the flesh.

Blackheart didn't have time to scream as two of the other wolves ran forward. Just like the bear before them, they shifted in midair, each becoming a swarm of insects. One swarm fell to the ground and charged at Blackheart; in the limited light Twilight could see a gleam of red coming off the innumerable writhing pests. Fire ants. The other swarm hung menacingly in the air, buzzing loudly and she could almost see the wasps flaunting their stings at Blackheart.

Just as the two swarms began to converge on Blackheart, black sparks erupted from the demon and bolts of power shot through the bear on top of him, and yet another blast of energy sent the massive bear into the air. It flailed through the sky for a moment, claws swiping at nothing before it crashed into the remaining trees. The swarm of wasps descended on Blackheart like a plague, raining down on him, stinging and biting wherever they could. Blackheart stumbled backwards, his face, from what Twilight could see, already starting to swell from the attack, and he had yet to experience the full wrath of the fire ants. They crawled all over Blackheart, swarming up his legs and towards the still gaping wounds that the Discord-Bear had inflicted.

Twilight did not want to imagine that pain. She had been on the wrong end of fire ants before; the bites and pain afterwards were nothing she wanted to go through again. The idea of fire ants making their way inside of somepony, attacking from the inside with those horrific bites made her retch, and with that attack being combined with wasps...

Twilight would rather take Discord’s pranks everyday for a year then to face this side of him ever.

Blackheart dared not yell, for fear that the swarm of Discord-Bugs would get into his mouth. Purple fire started to shoot out of the demon’s nostrils, and the flames washed over the demon. The blaze attacked the the swarms, but could never reach more than a small fraction of the horde that had made its way onto the demon. More lay in wait, attacking the parts of Blackheart the fire hard already washed over, leaving the demon with not even a second of relief.

The bear had by this time returned to earth and began to transform again, liquefying and slithering back to the remaining Discord-Wolf. The beast bared its fangs in what must have been a grin before it started to sink into the pool, melting away and morphing once more. This time Discord transformed into…

Spike.

At least, what Spike would look like if he had been filtered through Discord. This version had grey and dark yellow scales, and was much bigger than Spike, with bulging muscles and a full set of wings that he had spread to their fullest, coating his foe in a chilling shadow. Sparks of green magic danced across his body as black smoke spewed from Discord’s nostrils, the only vent in his body to let out some of the excess power that looked ready to explode out.

Blackheart was still struggling too much with the plague of the Discord-Swarm to fully comprehend the threat that was building before him. Every inch of the demon, from the base of his hooves to the tips of his wings, was covered in the swarm. The flames Blackheart called up to burn the pests away could not keep up with the seemingly unending amount of insects Discord had transformed himself into. Blood and pus oozed out of Blackheart from the combination of wasps and ants, and torture that could of been of Hell’s own design.

Then, all at once, the swarm scattered away Blackheart, moving into the darkness of the Everfree and away from the demon. Blackheart’s expression, though disfigured from the stings and bites, was one of wide eyes and arched brows. Looking up with his disfigured face, Blackheart could only watch as Discord launched his next attack.

A wave of amber fire surged towards Blackheart in a blaze of unrelenting fury. There was no time to put up a shield, to counter, to hide, or to run for the would be-ruler of hell as the wall of flames broke over and smothered him. The flames encompassed Blackheart with heat so intense that the ground outside the magically protected circled started to singe from the heat. While the attack itself was powerful indeed, Discord had yet to finish his onslaught.

Out of the shadows of the Everfree, the Discord-Swarm billowed out to either side of the Discord-Dragon, amassing themselves in giant clumps. The piles of wasps and ants shifted and writhed, building on top one another as they began to blur together, until two more Discord-Dragons appeared. They were not the same size as the one between them, its mouth still wide and spewing out amber flames, but they were still bigger than Spike. Each one took position on either side of the larger dragon, then rolled their heads back to only shoot them forward, mouths fully open like an unhinged snake’s jaw, and each let out jets of their own amber flames.

The fire jumped up all around as the two added gouts of destructive power joined in the roasting of Blackheart. The ground surrounding the fire began to blacken, the shield flaring as the defensive powers resisted a constant barrage. Amber flames swelled upwards, a twister of fire forming where Blackheart had been, growing in strength and into a force of unnatural destruction.

Twilight could only watched in utter amazement, slack against her restraints as she witnessed Discord’s power. As the Lord of Chaos, an immortal creature like Celestia and Luna, she knew that Discord had more power than she could ever hope to obtain, yet seeing that power being used, and being used to lay waste so completely, stole the breath from her. She could be given months of prep time, access to some of the most ancient and forbidden spell books in all of Equestria, and be at the peak of her power, but she doubted she could pull a spell that had the raw destructive power Discord had just unleashed.

However, she feared it was still not enough.

As the trio of Discord-Dragons shut their mouths, letting the furnace inside of themselves build up power once more, the shield was still up around magic circle. The shield pulsed with magical power, meaning its creator was still among the living and still had some power. Black smoke rose up from the ruined ground, billowing up into the sky above, but through it all twin points of red could still be seen.

“I… might have… underestimated you… Lord of Chaos.” Blackheart’s was voice ragged, as though his throat was dry and strained. “You’re power… far exceeds… what I had anticipated…” The smoke kept moving away from the voice, revealing the demon that still stood before them all.

Or at least, what was left.

Blackheart’s body was a mass of burnt flesh, charred bones, and blackened entrails. All of his fur had been burned away along with most of his skin, revealing bones that had cracked and almost turned to cinders. Parts of his muzzle were just simply missing, reduced to ash under Discord’s attack. The only part of the demon that wasn’t affected were his eyes. They were still bright red and focused intently on the three Discord-Dragons, burning with hate.

“I had hoped to save this… for my father’s… ragged mongrel, Lord Discord,” Blackheart wheezed, his jaw looking ready to disintegrate as a few fangs fell out and onto the shield below him. “So you should feel honored to be facing… a real demon,” Blackheart rasped.

Sparks of black magic darted across Blackheart’s body, but none of them came from his horn. The sound of bones popping filled the air as Blackheart got onto his hind legs, standing straight up, the remaining skin around his muzzle turned up into a mutated smile, just as his irises exploded into solid red.

Cracks appeared in his foreleg hooves, running from the tips of them all the way past the frog, with even spacing between them. They began to split apart, the snaps sending everypony’s teeth on edge and their necks straining to escape, minds conjuring the sickening pain. As they began to split apart, the pieces of the hooves grew longer and sharper until Blackheart’s hooves had been replaced by wicked looking claws, ending in razor sharp tips. The sparks of magic danced across his forelegs, changing them with every flash.

Just like his claws, his forelegs began to change. The muscles bulged and their whole profile changed until they looked less like forelegs and more like Spike’s arms. The fur remaining on them began to fall apart as the flesh mended itself, turning the skin into black scales that mimicked plated armor. The scales moved across Blackheart’s body, covering a torso that started to morph like the rest of him, becoming less equine by the second.

Blackheart’s hindlegs snapped, cracked and broke until they had turned to bend the opposite way, resembling those of an ape. Twilight had to fight the bile creeping up her throat at the sight and sound of it, knowing that the sudden wrench of his knees plague her dreams for years to come. Yet the horrors were not over yet, but far from it. The hooves of his former hind legs began to rip and tear apart as well, till they became talons like those of a bird, razor sharp and deadly.

A roar escaped Blackheart’s lips as he began to grow in size, muscles swelling, spikes protruding from his shoulders, moving all the way down to the end of his forearms. Even his mane stretched out, reaching midway down his back, the end of the strands of hair looking pointed like quills. His tail lengthened and thickened into something reptilian, the fur falling from it and revealing the same scales as the rest of his body, the top of it covered in spikes.

Finally, Blackheart’s muzzle started to shrink, melting back into his face. His smile was the last to fade away as his muzzle completely disappeared, leaving a face with no mouth or nose that Twilight could see. Just solid red eyes. The sparking of magic finally died down as the transformation was completed, only the sporadic bolt crossing Blackheart’s new body.

“I must say, it has been a long time since I have used my real body here,” Blackheart said, his voice deeper and more gravelly. That was not the eerie part; it was the fact his words seemed to be coming from all around, that his words were coming from the trees, rocks, and the ground below him. “Did you ever see my father’s true form, Lord Discord? Those of us who were born demons have the ability to change ourselves to fit in with the… sheep.” Blackheart brought one of his claws to eye level, testing out each vicious finger.

The three Discord-Dragons stayed silent, just watching Blackheart now. They did not move an inch, not a flicker of a tail, or even a deep breath; each concentrated on the revealed demon. Blackheart slowly rolled his neck, the popping echoing just like his voice did, sending a shudder through Twilight that she could just not suppress.

“We rarely use these forms. It’s not easy to make deals with ponies when they are wetting themselves in fear.” Blackheart laughed, walking towards the Discord-Dragons as though he was going to greet an old friend. “Also, when I am in this form, I attract some unwanted attention for my power becomes less restricted. So, let's try this again… shall we?”

As Blackheart advanced on Discord, Twilight found it hard to breathe as a cold came over her. Every living creature had an unseen aura of magic around them; those who practiced and trained with magic had a stronger aura around them than other. That aura becomes visible when they use their power, and the way they use their power affects how other perceived their aura. She had met unicorns who were such masters of pyromancy that when angered fire would erupt all around them, but it would never burn them. Others have mastered earth magic to the extent that when they focused the ground around them would shake with power.

Blackheart’s power... the aura around him was one that made Twilight feel physically ill. The aura itself didn’t give a feeling, but what it did was truly scaring her, for it was pushing everything away. Not physically, but the magic all around was drifting further and further away with his every breath, leaving nothing but a empty cold, devoid of life and energy. The light around Blackheart grew darker; not putting the sources out, but pushing the energy itself in the other direction. With each step Blackheart took, more life was whisked out of the area leaving a darkness that was nothing less than crippling.

Out on the very periphery of Blackheart’s attack, Twilight couldn't imagine what Discord was going through being the center of Blackheart’s attention. The Discord-Dragons held their ground as Blackheart approached, corrupting the life magic around him. With each step Blackheart took, the ground shook and cracked under his cold power, till he was standing mere inches from the largest Discord-Dragon.

Discord glared up at Blackheart, his yellow and red eyes fixated on the solid red of Blackheart. Twilight could just feel Discord’s own aura of magic fighting back against the darkness Blackheart was radiating, but she did not know how long Discord could withstand the constant onslaught before his own light would falter before it.

Twilight barely saw the first move. One second, the three Discord-Dragons were standing side by side facing Blackheart; the next, the two flanking Discord were charging at Blackheart claws and fangs barred.

And Blackheart just waved one clawed hand.

The first Discord-Dragon was sent flying backwards by the brushing of Blackheart’s claws against it. The Discord-Dragon soared into the wooded area beyond them, the earth shaking as trees splintered and collapsed upon impact. Blackheart stepped out of the second Discord-Dragon’s attack as though he had foreseen its precise movements. He grabbed the dragon by the tail and swung him back around, guiding it high over his head and arching the dragon to smash down on the Lord of Chaos.

Discord shimmered for half a heartbeat, before popping back into his normal form, and he threw himself to the side just as the Discord-Dragon came smashing into the ground. As Discord rolled out of the way, Blackheart raised one claw in his direction, and a force of unseen energy lashed out, striking Discord dead-on. Discord went tumbling as Blackheart grabbed the limp Discord-Dragon by the back of the neck and lunged at Discord himself, raising the scaly ragdoll to strike position once more.

As the Discord-Dragon whistled towards him, Discord shimmered and took on the form of a snake. He managed to get out a teasing flicker of his tongue before slithering out of the way, what were once his claws piercing the earth inches from his tail. The force behind the strike was tremendous, the ground shook and cracked under the blow as the Discord-Dragon’s neck snapped like uncook pasta, sending a final jerk through the body before dying.

Blackheart flung his clawed hand, unleashing another lance of seemingly the air itself at Discord. This time, Discord shimmied out of the way, the blast crushing a long line through the trees behind him. Extending his griffin claw at Blackheart, Twilight watched Discord make a series of signs with his fingers, green sparks skating between them.

Discord barely lifted a finger, but energy lashed out in all directions from his clasped talons, circling around Blackheart and binding the demon’s arms and legs together, as other bonds of green energy looped around Blackheart to constrain the demon. Sigils flickered and flared on the binds Discord created, ones that Twilight could recognize as trapping ones, intense and intricate magic at the limits of pony knowledge. For Twilight to make one would take her considerable time to prepare herself, get the ingredients and books to properly perform, and summon the energy to even pull it off. Discord was doing this from memory, casting it with one hand no less.

The effect would have been the same if Discord had covered Blackheart in paper mache. Relying on only pure physical strength, Blackheart shattered the bonds upon him. The effort didn’t even seem focused; he did not struggle for an instant before breaking through, advancing towards Discord once again.

“Where was that fire you had?” Blackheart asked, his voice full of mocking scorn. “Wasn’t I just some boy dealing with someone out of my league?” Discord shifted away from Blackheart, red eyes darting to and fro, not used to being on this side of many battles when it came to power.

Sure, he had been beaten before, but not like this; not when he had full strength and it was one-on-one. This was as even battleground as anyone could hope for, yet he was losing! Twilight could just see the cogs freewheeling in Discord’s eyes as he looked for a plan, something to give him the edge. He had become the cornered animal, and, if Twilight knew anything, it was that animals became most dangerous when cornered.

Thunder rolled through the skies above, emerald flashes chasing each other across Discord’s body as his eyes turned solid green once again. Looking up into the sky, Twilight’s jaw plummeted so far her gag almost came loose. Above them, the clouds were churning and roiling, green lightning streaking between them, puffy forms pulsating with power. It was just another reminder of how far she was out of Discord’s league when it came to pure power. Here he was calling a storm with just his anger.

A flash of brilliant light pulled Twilight out of her thoughts, spots crackling in her vision from the sudden burst. As her eyes began to refocus, she found Discord had moved to stand between her and the others, with Blackheart moving towards them. Discord’s back was to her, but she could see that his claw was aflame with a pinkish glare, and his paw stood in a steadily growing pool of blue frost while sparks of the same color danced up and down Discord’s arm. Discord’s body was ablaze with shards of light, all different colors, shapes, and power all being gathered for a single purpose.To destroy.

Blackheart took maybe a half a step more before stopping, red eyes perusing Discord as the draconequus drew up unimaginable power from every element one could think of. He just stood there, watching Discord gather the power he needed and twist it to his own impending doom without so much as a blink out of turn. Blackheart didn’t even pull energy to himself to shield himself; he just stood there waiting.

The power Discord was gathering was overflowing, spilling out in all directions as he dragged yet more to himself. With his back to them, Twilight had no idea what the look on Discord’s face was, and she was thankful not knowing. She could only imagine the raw, untameable fire coursing through his veins to be calling up so much power.

“You are out of your league…” Discord hissed, his voice deeper, raspier, and just… wrong. “You are a mere insect to me, and you shall die!” Discord roared out, his voice crumbling into a roar of pure incomprehensible rage. He threw his two hands forward and unleashed all the power he had been gathering, pulling it all out to smite the demon where he stood.

The ground shook. Fire and ice shot forwards in a wave of unrelenting power. High above, thunder exploded as green lightning descended upon Blackheart in a single bolt of unimaginable power. Stones and trees were scorched by the mere glare of the raw energy, excess arcing across the ground. The scent of rotten eggs hit Twilight’s nose as rancid globs fell out of the air, hitting the ground all around and hissing as they dissolved everything they touched, leaving nothing but gelatinous goo. Heat and chills took turns to flash across her body as the spells Discord unleashed froze and burned their intended target.

Throughout it all, Blackheart kept laughing.

Each one of Discord’s attacks just washed over him, as though he were a rock with waves crashing over him. A barrier protected the demon as he advanced on Discord, who kept throwing torrents of raw power at Blackheart, trying to crack that shield.

“Your time has passed, old man,” Blackheart mewed, advancing towards Discord without blinking. Fire washed over Blackheart, ice cracked and melted upon the shield, lightning was redirected before it could hit him, and acid just slicked off of him, melting the ground beneath. Nothing Discord did even phased Blackheart.

“You’ve grown weak, irrelevant, and pitiful.” Blackheart stretched out both of his arms, and, without a trace of a thaumaturgic ripple, the magic around him vanished like water on a desert road. The backlash of it all launched Discord towards the tree Twilight was chained to, the wet meaty sound of bones snapping filling the air around them. Twilight could only watch, useless in her chains as Blackheart lunged forward and grabbed Discord by the neck, hoisting the Lord of Chaos into the air.

Black specks slithered up from Blackheart’s forearm and onto Discord, rushing out to coat every inch of his body. Discord cried out in pain, convulsing as the sparks writhed. Twilight could see parts of Discord’s body trying to blur, to transform, but sparks would surge on the shimmer and intensify the pain. Though he did not have a mouth anymore, Twilight could just imagine the smile on Blackheart’s face as he held Discord in place.

“You were once a powerful player on the board, Discord. When my father tried his hand at taking this plain, he sought your alliance among all others. But after a millennium in stone, denying your nature, and becoming the bitch pet of some ponies, well…” Twilight watched as a yellow substance showered down upon Blackheart. For a few moments Twilight could not figure out what had happened. Was this another spell that Blackheart was building up? Discord?

That was when she noticed that Blackheart’s other claw had moved, upwards and right into…

All Twilight could do was scream into her gag as she watched Discord’s body twitch, hearing his pained gasps for air as Blackheart’s claws sunk his claws into his chest, yellow blood rolling down Blackheart’s arm and splattering across the ground. Blackheart just held Discord there against the tree, straining to ram his talons deeper still. Spurts of blood rained down upon the demon as he twisted his claws, slowly and deliberately, forcing the most pain he could upon Discord.

“You're nothing more than a sad, pitiful joke now,” Blackheart whispered, black magic now cascading around Discord’s body. “Maybe if you were half the Lord you once were, you might have stopped me. I guess life as an obedient dog at some pony’s heel was where you always belonged.” Blackheart plunged the rest of his claw into Discord’s chest and right through the tree.

Discord only managed a weak, rattling gasp, the sparks of black magic still jabbing and slicing every fiber of his being. He tried to claw at Blackheart’s arm for a few tortured seconds, but his blood was pouring out too fast. Twilight could do nothing more than watch as the two fighters locked eyes for a second more before Discord fell forward in a limp fold. As soon as Discord slumped, the gag upon Twilight and the others faded, as well as the remains of the train.

Twilight couldn’t help but look in Fluttershy’s direction, for she had been blind and deaf to the entire battle. As she looked over, she saw the dulled eyes and raging, twisted snarls upon both Applejack’s and Rainbow’s faces, angry tears streaming down as they glared at Blackheart. Neither one of them was looking over at Fluttershy.

The yellow mare already had her eyes locked on Discord’s lifeless body, two soft, blue cartwheels from whence floods of tears spilled down her face. She shook her head side to side, as if she could will it into not being so. Blackheart ripped his claw out of Discord, letting the body collapse into a pool of its own blood. She could only watch as Discord fell, body flopping down without another movement, eyes locked open in agony.

“Di… Discord?” she squeaked, tears still flowing out. “Dis… Discord ge… get up… please?” she called out, her body trembling, her voice cracking.

Discord was still.

“No… please don’t go… Discord…” Fluttershy croaked, sniffing hard as her eyes rained.

“How sweet.” Blackheart cackled as he looked to Fluttershy, and then to Discord. “He actually made a friend.” Blackheart jammed his foot to Discord’s side and pushed him onto his back. “Such a waste… father always liked him out of all the—”

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Blackheart looked back up at Fluttershy. Tears were still rolling down her face, her entire body trembling in pure rage as she glared and growled and snarled at the demon. Cocking his head slightly, Blackheart watched Fluttershy for a few moments, before throwing his head back in a fit of dark laughter.

It was a deep, hard belly laugh that echoed through the remains of the forest. All the while, he kept one of his talons on Discord. “You? You are giving me orders?” Blackheart almost tittered as he stomped on Discord’s body, prompting several other snaps to whip at everypony’s ears as Discord’s body deformed under the blow.

“You bastard!” This time it was Applejack yelling, fighting against her chains, trying to summon up all of her strength from apple bucking. “Yer nothin’ more than a monster!” Applejack roared, bonds so taut from her straining that they could not even rattle. Blackheart just looked up at Applejack, watching her struggles and those of the others.

“My dear, I am no monster,” Blackheart began, raising the bloody claw upwards. He curled a fist though grasping onto something and pulled down hard. Unseen forces wrapped around each of their chains and dragged them down the trees so they were on eye level with Blackheart, the closest of them being Applejack. “I am the king of the monsters!” He laughed, pulling one clawed hand back, but he kept his fingers outstretched, so that the tips were like those of blades.

Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack all yelled out at the demon, still tugging desperately against their restraints, but they were not strong enough. He had them where he wanted them, where no others would, or even could, help them. They were all trapped and at the mercy of a creature that knew none. Driving his claws forward, he aimed for Applejack’s juglar.

A wave of magic washed over Twilight and encompassed her completely, the raw power of the force stealing her breath as it sank into her fur. Emotions were the fuel for most magic done, for emotions could add power, control, and purpose that a spell is to convey. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the spell: it was one of the fundamentals of magic. Twilight had seen many unicorns use anger and rage in spells, making them much more powerful and destructive, and she could feel those emotions billowing from the user when they casted their spells. Those who truly have mastered the art of magic try not to use those emotions, for they could bring on a darker intent than what was intended and corrupt the magic, corrupt the force of life itself.

Those unicorns’ most angered, volcanic spell would have been a foal’s tantrum in comparison to this.

Pure and unrelenting rage poured over Twilight, rage that was not her own but which incited it all the same. The feeling of white hot fire coated each nerve of her body as the power kept sloshing all around. The intensity behind the rage was a combination of the very worst feelings one had through life: the rage of loss, the rage of battle, the rage of revenge all mixed together in a single storm of emotion that threaten her sanity.

Underneath all the rage, anger, and hatred there was another feeling. One that directed the rage within, told it where to strike, when, and how. It could control the rage like a conductor of an demonic orchestra with perfect perception and cold unrelenting fury.

Hunger.

Blackheart’s claws stopped mere inches from Applejack’s throat when the foreign wave of power crashed over him, the tips just barely touching her fur. His tail whipped back and forth, cracking repeatedly as he looked over his shoulder at the sky beyond. Blackheart started to withdraw his claws from her throat, eyes never leaving the murky gloom.

The flames that had grown dim in Blackheart’s aura burst back into life all around, turning a bright and angry orange as the other power drew closer. All around, light started to break through the crippling darkness that Blackheart had created; the entire time a low rumble echoed through the woods, surging every few moments. As it did, the flames would shoot upwards into a blazing storm.

Blackheart turned away from his four captives, stepping over Discord’s body with his eyes fixated on the sky above. Twilight could only see his tail twitch from side to side as he craned his neck, taking no notice of the growing fire pillars all around him. The protection he had placed on it was flashing brightly as the flames grew, like they had when they were being attacked. Yet, from what Twilight saw, nothing was attacking the shield, unless the power of the new entity was channeling some of their energies through the flames.

Twilight didn’t have long to dwell on how it was possible, as another wave of that violent power broke over her, calling at the rage inside of her to feed it. She was tempted to let it go, to feel that rage lash out at that monster for what he had done to Spike, Rumble, Bentgrass and Discord. But that magic was not the one she had studied and grown to love. This magic was just as evil and as vile as Blackheart’s: the magic of a demon.

“Oh, you are so screwed!” Twilight’s ears perked up at that voice, turning all around to find Rainbow Dash leaning forward, smiling at Blackheart who was still facing away from them and at the night sky. Twilight just cocked an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash as her friend just laughed, a look of pure glee stretching her grin maniacally and making her look almost… evil.

“You feel that? That’s the guy who is going to put you in the ground once he eats your soul!” Rainbow Dash laughed, tilting her own muzzle skyward and still beaming. “And when he sees who you have chained up here, he is going to make you wish you were still in hell!” With those very words a streak of orange flames crossed across the sky, heading right for them.

The roar grew louder with each passing second, and the flames grew higher and brighter as the source grew closer. Once it materialised out of the gloom, Twilight could tell that the roar was that of a motorcycle's engine, nearly overflowing with power as flames shot out from the exhaust. She started to pick up details on the machine: the wheels made of fire, the black and orange paintwork, and most of all… the Rider.

“Blackheart!” The Ghost Rider roared, the flames jumping up at the Rider’s voice. His landing unleashed a thunderous explosion deep beneath the Everfree, molten earth bursting into the night sky. The dense forest could not hide the light of the Rider’s flame, bright as if the sun itself had landed there. The engine kept roaring, glowing louder as the Rider drew closer to them all.

Chains erupted from the ground all around the sealed area of Blackheart’s spell, hooks and rods attached to them all, and all of them shot straight for the demon. Unlike when facing Discord before, Blackheart did not let the attacks hit him; instead he jumped forward into a roll, avoiding the first few chains. The others changed course within an instant of Blackheart’s dodge and gave chase again. Blackheart rolled onto the ground unprotected by his spell and got into a crouching position, raising his left claw to face the incoming chains.

The chains smashed against a new shield, some shattering upon impact. Blackheart brought up his other claw and slashed upwards. Black chains shot up before him and wrapped themselves against the grey ones of the Rider. The two sets of chains slithered around one another, striking like snakes whenever openings presented themselves. As the chains fought, Blackheart rose to his feet, scanning the Ghost Rider.

During the short exchange, Twilight gazed with moon-sized eyes at the creature she had convinced so many was nothing more than a urban myth. An organization of vigilantes. A tale to keep colts and fillies from doing wrong.

All of that shattered as the Rider roared in on his motorcycle, skidding to a halt before them, kicking up dirt and gravel. He was looking away from them, but she could see every defining feature ponies had talked about when they saw him. A skeleton of a pony, with a flaming skull, a metal horn, and a leather jacket coated with spikes, riding upon a motorcycle that spewed fire. The engine grumbled idly as Blackheart stood up, staring at the Rider as he sat upon the motorcycle, red eyes narrowing.

Each one of them radiated an aura of demonic energy, rage and darkness colliding against one another. The magic they were using was unnatural and dark, the arts that Twilight would never dare try herself, fearing the madness they would bring.

And they were getting ready to fight for the soul of Equestria.

Author's Notes:

One week later and we get the Discord Blackheart fight! I hope you all enjoyed! Please make sure to leave a comment on how you like the story thus far.

Thank you to Arbarano, Jake the Army Guy, and totallynotabrony for all the edits.