The six ponies managed to reach the train station with time to spare. Quick as they could, they embarked, taking the last car. Shining Armor flopped down in one of the seats, letting out a sigh as he started to catch his breath.

"Shining," Rarity said in her gentle voice as she took a seat nearby, "are you certain that he would do that?"

Shining Armor shifted as the train started to move. Without thinking about it, he rubbed the side of his neck while considering Rarity's question. One of his ears gave a flick as he sat there. After several seconds, he let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"I can't really be certain about anything," he answered. "I mean, we are dealing with a creature that is supposed to be about causing trouble and has been locked away for over a thousand years planning something that it turns out even Celestia couldn't guess. And she and Luna were the ones who defeated him originally."

"But you believe it is where he would have taken them?"

"Unless he's outright lying to us, it makes the most sense."

"Woah, woah, woah," Rainbow called out, popping up between the two. "'Makes the most sense?'" She pointed a hoof at Shining Armor. "Didn't you just say that this guy was insane and unpredictable?"

After glancing down at the hoof pointing at him, Shining Armor shifted, looking away from Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"Well..." he said slowly "... I didn't quite use those words."

"But that was kind of the main idea," Rainbow continued. "So if we're dealing with some..." she was going to say "pony" but it did not actually seem accurate at the moment "...thing that is suppose to make no sense at all, why are we going with what makes the most sense?"

It was a valid point. A creature that was supposed to be the embodiment of chaos would not do what seemed to make the most sense.

"We have to start somewhere," Shining Armor answered. "I can't just stand around doing nothing at a time like this, and its not like we would have better luck if we just decided to try something at random."

A smirk spread across Rainbow Dash's face as she narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe we should start by asking our own little random ball of chaos," she suggested, turning to look over at Pinkie Pie. The others all did the same.

Seeing the others turn, Pinkie Pie turned to look behind her (she knew they meant her, but she just could not resist the joke). She then turned back toward the others, and a wide grin spread across her face.

"So, Pinks," Rainbow said as she moved to sit beside Pinkie Pie, "if you were Discord, what would you do?"

"First," Pinkie announced, "I need to get in character." She closed her eyes and brought her front hooves up to her head, rubbing at her temples.

"I'm Discord," she mumbled to herself. "I'm super old and have really neat powers that could make a lot of little ponies really happy. Except I'm all grumpy and cranky, so I would rather make ponies mad at-"

The training suddenly stopped, all six of the ponies suddenly being tossed from their seats.

Everything suddenly went dark.

With a groan, Shining Armor moved to right himself and sit back up. His head throbbed slightly from where it hit the seat in front of him.

"Is everypony okay?" he called out.

"I'm fine," Rainbow replied.

"I'm okay," called Pinkie Pie

"I'm alright," Applejack said.

A moment passed in silence. Shining Armor shifted, listening. Mentally, he counted off who he had heard and tried to figure out who had not responded yet.

"Rarity? Fluttershy?"

"I think I chipped a hoof," Rarity finally called out.

A sigh of relief escaped Shining Armor. If Rarity was worried about her hoof, then that meant she was not seriously injured. Unfortunately, he could not relax completely because there was still one pony unaccounted for.

"Fluttershy?" he called out again. "Are you alright? Say something."

"Eep," a voice squeaked out.

"I found her," Pinkie Pie called out. "I think she's okay. Just a little scared."

"Great," Applejack said. "Now can somepony tell me what the hay is going on around here?"

There was an audible electrical click followed by a short burst of static.

"This is your spirit of chaos speaking," Discord's voice said, crackling and hissing through some unseen speaker. "Allow me to welcome you all aboard The Discord Train. We will be making our way to Ponyville, but -- honestly -- where would the fun be if I just took you there without at least some challenge, hm?

"Now, allow me to explain the rules. The basic idea is pretty simple. All that needs to happen that one of you make it all the way to the conductor's station on the engine at the front of the train. However, wings and horns are not permitted for this game. Also, if any of you try to leave the train, you will all automatically lose. I can't wait to see how it all goes.

"Oh. I almost forgot. One last thing."

There was a snapping sound, and the floor seemed to drop out from under Shining Armor. He suddenly found himself spinning through darkness. Before he could even register what was happening, his back slammed against something hard, knocking the airs from his lungs and sending a jolt of pain through his body.

After three seconds that were painful enough to seem like an eternity, Shining Armor was finally able to breathe again. Coughing, he rolled to his hooves and pushed himself back up. Shining opened his eyes once again, looking around.

He looked to be in the same train car he had been in a second ago. It was even lit up once more so he was able to see again.

Except, he did not see anyone else in there with him.

"Hello?" he called out. "Anypony in here?" He took a step forward, looking around. "Pinkie Pie? Rainbow Dash?"

Neither of the pair popped out of hiding. He had doubted that they would pull a prank at a time like this, but it seemed better than the alternative. His heart started to pound as he began to breathe faster.

"Applejack! Fluttershy!"

Tears started to blur his vision. Where were they?

"...Rarity?" he whimpered, looking around.

Shining Armor realized that he felt two things, both of which he had not really felt since he had moved to Ponyville.

He was scared.

He was alone.