“What is your game?” Luna challenged the glass pane deity, scowling at him as Discord smiled to her. “Do you truly intend to simply… summon more monsters mimicking the form of Kratos?” The draconequus rolled his tinted eyes at the question.

“Really now, is that what you presume I’d do? Just walk around and repeat myself over and over again?” The illusion of Discord jumped from a pane and fell onto Chrysalis, claw over his head as he relaxed against the changeling’s figure. “Oh the life of a dramatic, always doomed to be assumed by those around him.”

“He doesn’t seem so bad.” Celestia kept her gaze hard as she looked towards Hiccup, hand behind his head scratching obliviously. “Yeah, it’s a bit… crazy, but like I said, I’ve seen enough for Helheim to be normal at this point.”

“Oh that’s too bad Cough-up. Oh sorry, it’s Hitchup, dang it no… no… Hiccup! Yeah, that’s it.” The hand on the back of the boy’s head only seemed to increase in weight, forcing his head down further. “Really, though, I’m glad you realize I’m anything but evil, but it really is too bad that this is normal to you. Normal means it makes sense, and it’s like I always say. What’s the fun in making sense?” Discord laughed atop his the glass Chrysalis, leaning back until he fell from her still form. His stained form fell down the glass, disappearing from view and out of sight.

“He’s still acting like a coward.” Rainbow muttered angrily as she flared her wings, twisting in place as she searched for the mad draconequus, the same as everyone else in the room.

“A coward?” The dark voice rumbled through the hall. Shivers followed close behind. “A coward… coming from the bird that flew away from her friends, that doesn’t seem to mean too much, now does it.” On her grave, Twilight would swear she heard Dash’s teeth crack.

“Then what are you?” The samurai asked the air, twisting with his hand clenched on his blade. “What form of wizardry and runes do you practice?” The laughter returned with volume and strength.

“I don’t practice anything.” The voice spoke resolutely. “There’s no need to test anything in chaos, because no matter what I do, it’s different every time. Ha ha ha ha ha….” The laughter died as the voice faded away.

“He’s toying with us.” Riku spoke to the princess next to him, hands at his sides as he looked past his silver locks for the beast. “It’s a scare tactic I’ve seen dozens of others use before.” Luna swallowed to churn the muscles in her mouth.

“That is a ploy he has played in every game.” The monarch returned. “It is not enough that he knows himself stronger, he must also pretend his spirit to be stronger as well.”

“And I’m not?” The dark voice rumbled again, shaking the glass along their panes. “It always does amaze me how far you will fall into delusions simply to believe yourself in some sort of… predictable world. Delusions are just illusions and are a thing that doesn’t belong in chaos. After all, those are the things that hide chaos within your harmony.”

“Link.” Twilight whispered to the green clad hero, currently walking through the crowd with bow drawn and eyes sharp. “Do you know where he is?” A slow shake of the Hylian’s head was enough for her.

“Could tha’ varmint not even be here?” Applejack questioned aside from beside the unicorn. It earned the sideward gaze of the few around her. “Ah’m just sayin’, tha’ cider slick snake ain’t one ta be playin’ the odds. He makes ‘em.”

“I’m surprised ponies call you the dumb one Apple Mac.” The heads turned to the very distinct voice of Discord. His glass form jumped into another pane of glass, climbing up the shining form of Celestia as she raised a crystal sun. He stilled atop her head, a paw on one of her wings and a claw on the other. “I think I should reward a pony for surprising me, that’s only fair, and what’s a game without fair odds?”

Discord let his crystal red eyes scan over the crowd of those beneath him, never losing the gleam of his teeth. It was impossible to tell if the shine was from the glass or his own happiness. He watched some of the ponies lean closer to the warriors they had brought forth, those warriors pulling weapons or tools to their sides. Then there were the few that stood alone from the crowd, close to no pony or warrior. Those few, those two, were armed as if to face him alone.

The thought brought the warmth of the impossibility to him. Fighting odds they couldn’t best.

It was like a love story to him.

“I am a bit curious though, why haven’t you decided to help out your… newest compatriots?” Celestia let her tongue run across her lips, wetting the thin layer of skin. Her eyes darted from the white misted form on the tiled floor only briefly before looking back up at the draconequus.

She was the only one who was able to keep her focus upon the monster of impossible forms.

“Oh! I nearly forgot.” Fluttershy whispered softly before trotting close to the white form nearest to her. Shining Armor gave her a small glance before letting his eyes return to the form he had drawn. “We should really hurry, and help him out.” The Captain of the Guard nodded stiffly, his eyes moving from the alabaster mist to the mad god looking down at him greedily.

“I should help this one as well.” Cadance whispered to her husband, already retreating towards her own draw. “We don’t have the luxury of time anymore.”

“Luxuries are things you can enjoy in large amounts.” Discord defined the term with a flick of his claw, releasing the glass replica of Celestia. He spun along the axis of his paw, ending with himself hanging upside down from her wings, tail curled about her pinions. His smile never faltered. “If you have anything in too large an amount, it becomes normal. Normal is boring.”

“Not much time at all.” Cadance was able to spare on a glance to see the spiky form of Sonic at her side. “Fortunately, this is where I excel.” That was all the warning the pink alicorn had before the hedgehog began to work.

A wind ruffled her wings and fur, growing in intensity by the passing second. Her eyes shut as she took hoof steps back, folding her head away from the offensive air. She cracked open an eye to see many of her friends in the same situation. Twilight was pushing her hooves to the floor while her Shining Armor taking a far more trained position of defense.

Then without a sign, the wind died completely.

“Done.” She heard the voice of the hedgehog speak. Cadance raised her head to view the sight he sounded so proud of.

Her eyes met two new forms laying across the ground, still and unmoving, but barren of any mist, haze, or fog.

By the others in the room alone, it was clear that both were men. Aside from that, it was impossible to see any more than that. Both wore clothes that covered them completely.

The form closest to the Crystal Princess was wearing a suit that covered his entire form. It was the purest white, but stripped and mixed with the purest shades of red she had ever seen. The clothing along his form was tight in some areas, but loose in others, ranging from thin and sleek to thick and sturdy. Her attentive eyes drew themselves from the odd garb it wore, focusing instead on the tools that hung from the oddly dressed thing.

The scabbards and sheaths were nothing new to her eyes, having lived with and among members of the guard for nearly all her life. The lengths of them, however, were odd to her. For a pony of any race, they were nearly as long as her own carriage. The few that weren’t were far too small to be properly held.

The Crystal Princess bit her lip to stop herself from slapping a hoof to her horn.

It took Cadance this long to realize that she was judging this man along the lines of a pony, and not that of a man.

Her eyes moved to the figure closer to her husband, just as still as the alabaster coated figure next to her. Unlike the man still near her, however, the other figure wore clothes as black as night.

While the other man wore clothes of clear cotton or silk, this other man appeared to be wearing designs only slightly thinner than armor. Every patch of it was painted the darkest black, changing only to lighter shades in some areas, but never any different. His cape, his suit, his pointed cowl, they were all a mysterious black. There was, however, an unmistakable mark across his chest. It was simple in design, a single color with a few curves, but Cadance recognized it well.

A bat. Wings extended and in flight.

This man, again unlike the other closer to the Crystal Princess, had no visible weapons on him. His hands were encased in armor thicker than the rest of his body, a belt of what appeared to be strapped tools, but not a sword, dagger, hammer, or anything else of the sort on him.

Clap Clap Clap Clap

“That was very impressive!” Discord cheered from his current pane of stained glass. He was now standing above his own form from his first defeat, smiling and cheering above his sprawled and screaming self. “I’d wager you’re faster than that pompous pegasus any day.” The jeer was obvious, but Dash was oblivious.

Twilight, however, saw it coming from a mile away.

She put a hoof around her blue friend, pulling her close to her own form. The unicorn pushed her muzzle into the ear of Rainbow, whispering harshly and quickly to her easily agitated friend.

“You can’t do anything right now Rainbow. We’re lucky enough he didn’t separate us again. Just give it a bit more time.” Twilight felt her competitive friend shiver and stiffen in her grasp, mentally battling herself. It was after a low sigh left the blue pegasus that her form still and relaxed, flared wings folding back into her sides.

“What a pity, I was hoping for a bit of a display.” Another taunt from Discord washed over the room. Twilight was beginning to hope that her logic was wrong. Maybe if they hit the glass hard enough, it would hurt him.

“But, I digress, I did promise a gift for the disorder you brought me. It would be just rude if I took without returning, right?” He shrugged his shoulders, holding his open paw and claw to his side.

In a flash, his smile grew wicked; appearing almost sharp enough to scratch the glass he was part of. The warriors and ponies could do little more take in a breath of air as the two appendages slammed into one another.

A brilliant flash of light lit the rafters above them.

In the next moment, it was raining bodies.

The screams from above drew frantic gazes and startled gasps from those below. All were recognized by the ponies in the crowd, stirring feelings of rage few could describe. The dragon, the pegasus, the unicorn, zebra, and earth pony. As their screams filled the rooms, the reaction was spontaneous.

The ponies acted.

Twilight quickly took hold of the dragon and zebra in her magical grasp, stopping them in mid fall. Dash flew from the tiled ground, scooping up Scootaloo before she had fallen her height in the air. Rarity and Applejack galloped in tandem with one another, whisking their sisters from the air with all their strength and grace.

It only took a moment, but in that brief period of time, the ponies had been able to save their friends from their fall, preventing any harm or consequence.

No pony or warrior stopped the black mists from falling to the floor, landing with a wet plop across the tile.

Eyes were quick to stare at the, black tendrils floating form the objects just as it had done with Discord’s portal from before, before it was changed and purified. The sight made the ponies churn with unease, the way the black mist was a contradiction in every way to the white fog from the other warriors. The mist that hung along the floor now was vile, greedy even, reaching and growing outwards, but never gaining ground. More than a few warriors took careful steps back, Hiccup mounting Toothless as the dragon began to snarl.

“What… are those…” The question slowly arose from the samurai, sword unsheathed and held before him protectively. “They are far different than the ones from before.”

“That’s because we purified Discord’s original portal.” Celestia reminded calmly, eyes as focused on the black mist as any other in the room. “They call forth for a soul that is opposite of what you are feeling. Whatever those forms are… they are the contradiction to what those who pulled them out were feeling.”

“He made us do it!” The sudden shout from across the room, earned the gazes of those closest to the voice. Scootaloo, with watery eyes and hooves holding Dash close, cried out again. “H-He made us use that thing. We didn’t want to! I promise we didn’t!”

“She’s right!” Sweetie Belle echoed her friend from atop her sister’s back. “We were just playing then he-he-he-he-” The foal broke into tears, burying her face deep into Rarity’s mane. The alabaster unicorn donned an expression of fury. With her knit brows and furrowed eyes, the regal pony took the visage of wrath.

“That’s a good look on you.” Discord taunted again from above, either ignorant or apathetic to the hateful gazes being bestowed upon him.

“Sweetie,” Rarity whispered a dark tone to her sobbing sibling. “Go and hide, now.”

“Same ta ya Apple Bloom.” Applejack echoed her friend. The filly on her back squirmed in discomfort. “Hide yerself now. Things ain’t gonna be safe fer now.”

“Oh! Trying something new then? Wonderful!” Discord cheered earnestly at the ponies below. “I was just a tad bit worried you’d do something expected, like charging at me blindly with all your post pubescent fury.” The scowls on the two below grew venomous as the draconequus made of glass only continued to laugh.

“Don’t let his taunting affect you.” A feminine voice spoke in a tone almost foreign with the calmness in the words. Applejack and Rarity turned in tandem to see the tall blonde warrior walking towards them, cape billowing behind her, but massive blade still sheathed tightly behind her.

“Who says I’m taunting? I’m just stating facts for the curious questions, aren’t I?” Discord jumped from his pane, pushing off the head of his own imitation before landing upon another glass figure, three windows over. Her curled his claw possessively over the visage of the Elements of Harmony.

“Their anger is more than understandable.” Teresa spoke again, silver eyes flashing towards the two in question before returning her gaze to the monster above. “But so is your reason for being here.”

“What does she mean?” Sonic asked the pegasus next to him. His answer came with shrugged shoulders and squinted eyes.

“Really? I’m that predictable?” Discord asked in mock horror, placing a paw to his brown stained chest. Teresa let her lips curl into a faint smile before she spoke on.

“If you were here to attack or assault us, you would have done so already, when we were, as you are so proud to say, not expecting it.” The fanged grin on the draconequus only grew with the widening of his eyes.

“Still doesn’t explain much…” Riku muttered from beside the dark alicorn. Luna nodded in agreement. Teresa, however, continued on.

“Bringing in the children of these other… ponies, however, would be a step in one of two tactics. Either you are trying to anger them, in which anger would be justifiable, or you are trying to gather more of us.” A few eyes grew wide in understanding.

“Then… the others…” Celestia muttered in growing understanding, eyes looking to one of the several dark objects lying across the white tiled ground. Suddenly, the female warrior was making a lot more sense.

“My, you are a clever one.” Discord ruefully congratulated. His smile, however, had yet to fall. “It’s just too bad that it took your abandonment of that poor girl back in your own world to bring you here.” The faint smile along Teresa’s lips turned into a dark frown.

“How simply tragic it must be, leaving a poor defenseless young girl alone, surrounded by monsters and bandits no matter where she turns.”

“Shut up.”

“I can imagine a million different things happening to her, and everyone of them entirely possible in that chaotic land of yours. Eaten by a… yoma. Beaten by a villager.”

“I told you to stay quiet.”

“But I’m not even considering the most likely possibility. I mean, what point or fun is there in knowing what’s going to happen. I don’t get any fun out of knowing that Celestia wants to put me back in stone,” Discord let his smile turn ominous and glass red eyes glow.

“Just as I’m sure that Teresa of the Faintest Smile gains no joy in knowing that her precious little girl is being used by bandits.”

The glass holding Discord shattered.

Teresa let out a small gasp of shock, watching the colored window falling to millions of irreplaceable pieces, the monster within nowhere to be seen. Though her hand was clenched hard against the hilt of her blade, it remained attached still to the hold along her back. Her silver eyes flickered left and right, searching quickly with all her senses for the monster she knew had to be near.

“Did you do that?” The blonde warrior’s concentration broke as she looked behind her, seeing a wide eyed unicorn looking up to her. Her head shook lightly; blonde bangs waving as she did so.

“No.” She answered simply. That simple answer brought her own curiosity to a head. “Do you know who did?” Twilight lightly shook her head as well.

“I thought you did, especially after what he said.” Teresa’s eyes were already looking away from the small pony.

“Now that was unexpected.” The roll of laughter brought Teresa’s blade to bare. “Here I thought it would be you would attack me blindly. And what’s more, it was so out of the norm, that not even any of you know who did it. That’s marvelous.” Another chorus of laughter brought a grind to the teeth of the blonde warrior.

“Everyone of you keeps looking up for me, but you should really look down for what attacked me.” The clever few present caught on quick.

“Where is the man dressed in black?” Cadance asked aloud, eyes already searching the room.

“I-I don’t know. I thought Princess Celestia had to wake him up.” Shining Armor answered his wife.

“What! Look! Up in the Sky!” The ominous voice of Discord mocked in the hall. It only succeeded in agitating those who heard it. “It’s a crow! It’s a carriage! No wait, it’s him!”

An explosion erupted from the rafters above.

The foals shrieked in terror at the sound, running from the debris that fell. Celestia and Luna acted in perfect unison with one another, raising shield that covered the warriors and ponies present, allowing the falling marble and wood to bounce harmlessly off the shield. One object, however, was far larger and heavier than any of the debris.

It landed on the shield with ease, large black cape drawn over its back, hiding nearly every detail beneath. Its hands were spread and legs crouched, preventing damage from the fall. Its hidden eyes looked through the transparent shield of magic, looking over every pony and warrior that looked back to it.

“It’s Batman!”

The shield fell away with a single thought form the alicorn sisters. The man fell only a short distance, landing with more ease than he did the initial fall.

“Oh dear, are you alright?” To the surprise of many, it was Fluttershy that ventured forward first, trotting up to the intimidating figure with veiled eyes. Her bright blue orbs looked through a screen of pink hair, gazing curiously at the man as she trotted.

“Be cautious Fluttershy, we don’t know which side he has allegiance to.” Luna spoke as the yellow pegasus continued to approach.

The timid pony stopped before the caped man, hiding behind her hair in a manner only slightly similar to the man with his cape. Their eyes met with a dark chuckle from Discord above.

“Allegiance? Didn’t the thoughtless woman tell you who he is fighting for already?” A frightful shake from Fluttershy was given as the voice vibrated the hall and ruined stone, Batman in front of her, twisting in place as well. “He did already try and hit me, though it was about as useful as your Elements of Harmony.”

“That was you?” The voice of Teresa was neither questioning nor critical, but openly curious. It was a question unspoken yet shared. The man in the dark cowl offered only a small nod as he continued his scan. Another revolution, then he let his eyes fall to the taller alicorns.

“Are you in charge?” The openness of the question earned a small blink of shock, Celestia’s lips parting slightly, even in comparison to the events of the day. But her mind quickly steeled itself, her face growing strong as she responded.

“I am.” The man wasted no time.

“I have no idea what kind of war is going on. All I know is what I’ve heard, and that’s that Discord, a being that you oppose, is torturing you in some way.” Celestia nodded again. “There’s a much larger threat we have to talk about, but I think we can both agree it will have to wait.” That earned a raised brow from more than simply Celestia.

“Wait, whoa, stop.” Rainbow commanded as she flew between the two. Batman didn’t flinch. “You know something about what’s going on? How do you know that? Everypony else is about as clueless as Rarity at a Rodeo.”

“I resent that!” The shriek was well enough ignored.

“Like I said, we’ll talk about it later.” The tone had only darkened with its intensity. “Besides, shouldn’t you be questioning him?” The well armored hand from beneath Batman’s cape extended the lone figure on the floor, unmoving and draped in white.

“He’s… not conscious.” Cadance replied with a clear tone of unease in her voice.

Her eyes shifted slightly away from the developing conversation, looking instead to the few ponies and warriors that remained mute in the crowd. Those who were not scanning the room with drawn weapons were hiding behind crumbled stone or gripping those clearly more suited for battle. Really, none of them were prepared for this.

“No,” he replied as sternly as every other word he had spoken. “He’s awake.”

“Bastardo.”

The Crystal Princess nearly hit the rafters at the voice.

Without any preparedness, the body flipped over onto its back. The arms hidden beneath the baggy sleeves then pushed off the tiled ground, raising the man to his feet. With an almost elegant twirl, he faced the crowd before him, eyes well hidden behind and beneath his drawn hood.

“Be honest.” He spoke to Batman. “What gave me away?”

“You’re breathing was audible, loud enough for me to track an unsteady temp. The body’s natural ability to breath is only offset when acted by an outside force. You had none.” Throughout the entire explanation, not once did the dark knight let his eyes drift from the alabaster alicorn.

“Solenne.” The man spoke with a smile, scarcely hidden beneath his hood. “Allow me to introduce myself.” He positioned his leg behind him, bending low to one knee. His arm stretched outwards, pushing the cape that hung around his shoulder aside. With his gaze to the ground, only his clothing and tools could be seen.

“Il mio nome è Ezio De Auditore Da Firenze.”

Confusion followed his words.

“His name is Ezio.” The other fully garbed man spoke, eyes still trained on the solar princess. “And we can do introductions later. Right now, there are more important things to be worried about.”

“And the man in black takes the trick!” The voice rumbled through the hall again. This time, it only aggravated the ponies and warriors, far too used to his taunting nature.

“Does he never keep quiet?” The master assassin asked as he rose from the ground, hand motioning into the air. It earned a few snickers from the ponies around him.

“The only thing that’s worked so far is a prison of stone.” Luna supplied honestly. “Though the integrity of such has fallen into question as of late.”

“As it should, Nightmare Moon.” It was more than just visible the amount of rage the name caused both alicorn rulers. The reaction was not missed by the warriors near them. “All the same I suppose, it just means you’re starting to understand how useless harmony is. Anything that is made to last forever must change eventually. It’s a trans-universal truth.”

That’s when the air grew tense.

A shadow flew along the stone and tiles, squirming and twisted through the paths of the ponies and warriors in the hall. Each gave their own small yelp and reflex to move out of its way, alert and terrified of it’s presence. More than even a handful of eyes followed its tracks, watching as it ran up the wall, weaving through the windows before diving down again to the mess of the crowd below.

It ran along the higher walls until it mixed with the dark corners of the ceiling, moving through the rafters until it crawled to the floor again. Then it slowed, snailing until it reached the top of the doorway at the end of the hall. It sat along the top of the mighty doorway, so large it could be called a gat.

Then it began to spill.

The shadow grew from the stone, pulling itself from the hard surface of the wall. It dripped like goo as it came forth, dripping onto the ground in a manner that reminded Twilight of acid. A hauntingly familiar shape began to form from it. Complete with a claw, paw, horn, tooth, and scales. With a twisted grin, the newly formed figure spoke.

“Nothing lasts forever.”

“Okay, that,” Hiccup muttered near dumbly, wrapped protectively by a large fanned wing of his dragon. “Was new, and a bit disturbing. Yeah, just a small amount. Enough to make sure I won’t blink for a few hours.” The draconequus laughed appreciatively.

“So… that’s Discord?” The large green man asked from his place on the wall, fists clenched like cannonballs, ready to fly. Several of the much smaller ponies around him nodded without glance away from the monster above.

“The one and only.” The mad god admitted, holding his limbs to their furthest length. “And I’m so glad my reputation precedes me. Believe it or not, I hate repeating myself.”

“What is your game?” Batman asked to the draconequus, white eyes focused on the demon in a manner similar to a young colt and his unwanted green’s at dinner. The very thought made Discord chuckle aloud.

“For the world’s greatest detective, you seem a bit slow. Didn’t Augusta Gein over there make it clear what I’m trying to do?” The barb he threw drew no blood, but the warriors prepared themselves regardless.

“Why would you possibly want more of us together?” Riku asked carefully, already focusing the will of his heart into his hand. There was more than a suspicion that he would need his blade soon.

With a cryptic smile, Discord snapped his fingers.

“Because it’s part of the game.”

The dark tendrils surrounding the figures on the floor vanished.

In an instant there were more unmoving bodies along the floor. Not dragged from a portal or rendered with a sleep spell. For the warriors present, they appeared little different than corpses, as alien as they were.

“Looks like those little tikes took in quite the draw.” Discord mirthfully complimented as his own red eyes looked over the figures. “From maturing children to scaly aliens, magical powers to unending determination. I don’t think there’s a one among them that I’d dislike.”

“How do you know them? No, why do you need them? No, not that either.” Twilight listed the questions as they bombarded her mind, head and mane shaking with every idea she discarded. A comforting hand on her back stilled her frantic mine. The magical protégée gazed up at the aged from of the Gray Wizard.

“So many questions, so many curiosities. Ugh,” Discord groaned as he let himself fall to the ground, vanishing through the stone.

He reappeared at the far side of the hall, sitting high above the once secure resting place of the Elements of Harmony.

“If you know everything, then nothing is random. If nothing is random, everything is obvious. The obvious can’t exist in chaos. So why should I answer any of your questions?” He let his claw scratch at his brow, lips in a pout with his single large fang near gleaming.

“Duh! Because we can’t play your game if we don’t know the rules.”

Only Pinkie Pie could ever say something so random, yet simple.

So the surprise was more than deserved when eyes turned to the straw-hat pirate, looking up at the draconequus with a straight line between his lips.

“Hmm…” Discord pondered the thought seriously. “It’s not about it being fair, but it would be rather hard to play a good game when you’re the only one who knows what’s going on. It’d be like the only pony that could walk trying to have a race.. That’d be tragic indeed. Hilarious, but tragic.”

“You’re disgusting.” Gandalf muttered seriously.

“Well you’re old!” Discord shot back without hesitation. He was the only one to laugh at the joke. To himself, one was enough. It was an odd number.

“But Rubber D. over there does have a point.” He supplied again. “It wouldn’t be any fun to play a game if you all didn’t know any of the rules, but it would be unfair if I revealed the end of the game as well. So how about this? Let’s do some introductions!”

In a flash, he was in front of one of the collapsed figures. The warriors and ponies present back pedaled away quickly, Teresa scooping up a terrified pegasus foal as Shining Armor lit his horn in front of Sonic.

The figure Discord had appeared before was another woman, as the weight in her chest was a sign of. Her skin was darker than the rest of her fellow humans, hair tied in a tail that closely resembled the tuff of hair along the ponies’ flanks.

“I’m pretty sure our good old friend Zecora found this little treat.” The Zebra snarled lowly at his voice. “I want you to all meet Korra. Hey that rhymes! Zecora summoned Korra. Bravo, shaman. You rhyme even in your magic. You’re boring inside and out!”

“Can I shoot him now?” Ezio asked with his arm extended, eye using the long appendage as a guide. The pink alicorn beside him offered a quick glance with a heavy shake of her head. With a bit of his lip, he complied.

“Korra here is the Avatar of her world, able to channel the spirits around her. She can manipulate just about anything to boot, with her special dancing magic. Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Just a bit of dancing and she can cause more natural disasters than I can. Brilliant.” He unceremoniously dropped the girl.

Twilight caught her with a flash of magic, taking the unconscious woman beside her.

“Next up, we have these two!” Another flash and two more young woman appeared in his claw and paw. “Two for the price of one Scootaloo, you’re mother would be proud. I don’t know, she’s still drifting out there in no man’s land.” Teresa’s blade gleamed with her rage as the foal in her arms leaked liquid from her eyes.

“This one.” Discord raised his paw, revealing a woman of sky blue hair. It framed around her face, blemish free and almost porcelain in color. One of her arms was decorated in tattoos that ran down the length of it, disappearing into the odd yellow garb she wore. “Her name is Maya. She’s a legendary creature called a Siren. And just like a siren, she’s loud, annoying, and more destructive than the thing she’s trying to warn you about. Just a flick of her wrist and she can do anything from controlling your mind to sending you flying through the air.”

“As for her friend,” Discord raised his claw, a young girl appearing scarcely older than Hiccup sagging sideways. “Her name’s Gaige. She’s a supposed genius, famous for nothing besides murdering her classmate at a science fair. Basically, my kind of gal. I mean look at this!” Her let a talon of his claw pull back revealing the odd attachment to Gaige.

“She built and attached that arm herself. Cut off the arm first too. She hated how simple her own body was, she changed it to suit herself. Like I said, someone you could all admire.” The return of his laughter was the furthest thing from comforting since the cold hand of death.

“Next!” Discord let the two drop again like toys on the industry line. Luna caught them no different than Twilight had, taking them far away from the mad draconequus. Without beating an eye or flapping a wing, Discord pulled his victim towards him, rag dolling through the air.

“Whoops, caught this one upside down.” Discord chuckled as he gripped the leg of the man in his grasp. With a flick and release, he spun the man in mid air before catching him again, upright, but still knocked cold.

“Say hello to Kamina!” The mad god cheered the name like a national anthem. The man in question had a cape much like Batman’s but colored a distracting red with a tuft of hair lightning blue. But what was easily the most distracting facet about him were the oddly shaped, and large, glasses, spiked at ends rising far above Kamina’s hair.

“He’s the man who’s sworn to his compatriots to pierce the heavens, to overthrow an evil king, and to do the impossible with nothing but sheer determination and willpower. How did he prove that you ask? Why, he avenged his own death!” Applejack would have sworn on her parent’s grave she heard a pin drop in the back of the hall.

“Oh you should have seen it! One second, he was impaled by a giant spear inside his robot. The next, he was rising from the grave and repaying the favor to the monkey that did him in, only this time, he used a drill the size of this entire room. Oh, that whole world is nothing short of gorgeous with the level of chaos it has.” Without warning, Discord threw the man to his side, letting him fly with deathly speeds towards the wall. A fast run from Sonic caught the man before he could make impact.

“Oh you’re all so good and helping those you don’t know. It’s almost as if I could plan on it.” The mad god leaned backwards as he let his laughter ring through the hall. Before a warrior could unleash their fury, he was gone in another flash of light.

“There’s only a few more to go now though!” He announced from high above the crowd, hanging by a tail from an undamaged rafter. In his paw and claw again were two more reactionless bodies. A girl, who scarcely looked past puberty, and another child, the gender impossible to see.

“This one here is Maka!” Discord announced holding the blonde haired girl high. “She’s a master meister, a natural talent with a scythe, and a level-headed genius. Really, quite a bore. You should have done so much better Sweetie Belle, but what else is there to expect from a unicorn without magic?” The foal shivered in her sister’s embrace.

“But this one!” Discord announced near proudly with the other child, assumingly a boy if the mad god could be trusted this once. “His name is Chrona, or Crona, maybe even Coma with how he’s acting now.” Another round of solo laughter followed.

“This boy has had a life the rest of you can scarcely imagine! Tortured from birth by his mother, given a curse that no child would ever want, and forced to kill and literally eat other humans. Aw, what glorious disorder this boy has made.” With an underhand throw, both children when flying through the room. Rainbow snatched them both from the air without so much as a sweat. She did, however, have an expression of rage clearer than Celestia’s sun.

“Last, and maybe even least considering the pony that drew it.” Apple Bloom whimpered pitifully at the words. “We have the alien from lands the farthest away than any one here. Hailing from a galaxy torn by war, we have the master assassin, Thane!”

In both claw and paw, the mad god held a creature unlike any other warrior present. The surface of his body was covered in scales little different than those of a dragon, colored a forest green. A large black trench coat fit over his form, hanging from him like a well-crafted piece of silk over a manikin. In the end, a perfect fit, or so Rarity would declare.

“Now, this may only be obvious to the cleverest of you, but he isn’t human. He’s called a drell, a lizard race suited to the driest of climates. The best part about him? He has perfect recall of every memory, not to mention nearly three decades worth of assassination training and hits. But he’s so bogged down by the idea of gods helping him. Seriously? What kind of god would help a mortal who can’t do anything for them?”

He threw the reptilian bipedal with a shrug of his shoulders. Fawkes caught the falling creature in his large hands with ease.

“Now that you know who’s who, all that’s left is to wake the dead.”

Celestia didn’t have time to process the thought before Discord snapped his fingers.

All at once, the six sleeping warriors awoke with sounds ranging from gasps to screams. The bodies twisted and squirmed free of the ponies and warriors holding them. Each fell to the ground with different levels of pain.

“Wha-Wha-Wha-Huh?” The young woman with a robot arm sputtered out, pushing herself off of the tiled floor. Her gaze was wide and fearful, turning from one creature to the next. Her mouth opened for a silent scream.

“M-Maka?” The boy with pink hair asked his dull gaze slowly became more and more away. Terror accompanied his consciousness. “M-Maka! Maka!”

One by one the newly awakened warriors began to move, the panic and agitation evident in every one of them.

Discord watched from above with a smile that never faltered. The digits of his paw and talons of his claw beat against one another with ever increasing joy. His tail curled like a spring, coiling and uncoiling with unison of his tongue, lapping at the drool that spilt from his split smile.

This was the most fun Discord had had in all his life.

“Now what to do… what to do…” He muttered to himself. The scales along his body were shivering with excitement, his coat standing on end as the very idea of what was coming next. Floating in the air behind the party of warriors and ponies below, the draconequus readied himself.

The plan was set; it was only time to deliver.

In a way that only the mad god could.

“It’s the Wind Up!”

Discord cheered as he leaned back. His claw and paw balled together near his chest, a manic smile with mismatched eyes looking down at the crowd beneath him. Only the warriors and ponies undistracted by the awakening warriors heard his taunt.

“And the Pitch!”

His talon threw itself forwards. But… nothing was there. He threw empty air at the warriors. Celestia swallowed on the liquid in her throat, hoping that parching the dryness in her throat would stop her from having to blink. A shaking breath followed the ball of liquid into her. What had Discord just done?

“They’re Outta Here!”

A flash of light blossomed and died in the center of the group.

“Dash! Rainbow?!” The monarch heard the frantic cry from beside her, head swiftly turning to see her pupil running towards an empty space on the floor. But she knew that spot wasn’t empty only moments ago. There was a pony there, a hedgehog as well. But now they were gone.

“Oh no! Dashie!”

“Where’d she get off ta?!” The rest of Twilight’s friends were gathered around that small barren area on the tiled floor, surrounded by the warriors and family, but not a cyan pegasus in sight. Tears were building in all of their eyes. But just as quickly as sorrow came, the snarl of anger approached.

“Speak demon!” Celestia heard the Gray Wizard beside her yell to the twisted monster above. “What have you done to the young one?”

“Tell ya what old man,” Discord mockingly spoke as he disappeared in his own flash. The warriors tensed again, weapons drawn and prepared. Celestia watched with flared wings and wide eyes as Link scanned the room with his bow, eyes never matching the path of his arrow. Toothless curled around Hiccup, pulling the boy close to him, snarling at the empty air. Another flash lit the air behind the group, and alabaster monarch whirled to see Discord once more against the panes of glass. His smile had only grown in size.

“I’m not much for telling what I do, that would require some train of thought, and I derailed that predictable thing eons ago.” He chuckled with mirth at his words. An arrow for the green clad hero sung through the air as it hit the glass. It shattered the stained window instantly, sending thousands of shards into the air. A cry from the ponies was only done so in surprise. But then there was another flash, and Discord was in another window, sitting contently on top of the Crystal Heart.

“Now now Link, you should know better. When has striking without a plan ever worked for you?” Discord’s yellow tinted claw swayed back and forth mockingly. “Let me finish talking to the Gray Wizard, after all, he was so curious about what I just did. But explaining is just hard and boring and dull. What’s the point in doing something that’s all of that? Maybe I’ll just show you again instead?”

“Spread out! NOW!” The commanding voice of the masked man blared throughout the hall. By instinct, the warriors and few ponies obeyed, scurrying into smaller groups away from the monstrous demon of forms. Pinke held onto Fawkes as the large Mutant ran towards the large doors, Fluttershy doing much the same to the man that had ordered the tactical retreat.

“Good move,” Discord complemented, vanishing from the pane window as he fell from his perch. He flashed into existence on the rafters above. “But too slow.”

The draconequus’s claw hung down towards the crowd of unmoving warriors and ponies, grinning with ill intent as he pushed his middle talon against the sharp thumb of the same appendage. The limb aimed just above the head of the fleeing caped man, canary pegasus grasping against his cape.

With snap of his fingers, the two vanished from sight.

“No!” A cry echoed across the hall. The mismatched red eyes of Discord gleefully turned to see an infuriated Rarity glaring at him. Brave, but foolish. “Bring back Fluttershy, Now!” Without waiting for a reply, the unicorn levitated several pieces of shattered glass from the floor, throwing them against the demon above. Discord never lost his smile.

The sharp shards ripped through him like paper, peeling into him and imbedding into the stone behind him without ever slowing. Pieces of him fell from high above, drifting lazily down through the air, dissipating before they ever touched the cracked stone far beneath him. The snarl had yet to leave Rarity’s maw.

“Aw, how tragic, but I’m far from done.” The ponies turned to see Discord leaning against the Grand Hall’s door, taller than the Super Mutant before him.

“After all, I can’t have a game with this many spectators.” The group turned again to see another Discord at the far opposite end, standing before the wall that once hid the Elements of Harmony. They both wore the same cryptic smile.

The Discord furthest from the doors raised his paw, open and unarmed. A moment later, it caught the elongated fist of Luffy. Several warriors turned to see the red vested boy snarling with his elongate limb.

“Now you see them!” One Discord mockingly cheered, pulling the rubbery limb of Luffy towards him. The other did the same for Pinkie Pie, pulling at the floating the pink pony through the air faster than Fawkes could reach out and grab her. He let out a growl of rage. Two draconequuses spun in tandem with one another, carrying their hostages without a care in the world.

“Now you don’t!” When the two had finished their twirl, the party pony and pirate captain now were nowhere to be seen.

“This isn’t working.” Celestia whispered horrifyingly to herself. Her mind raced, spun, and dove through every idea she could summon, searching for any possibility of escape. One came. “Twilight!” She yelled to her pupil. “Take as many as you can and teleport from here! Now!”

“Oh, why didn’t I think of that!” One of the Discord’s mocked the monarch, claw to his Cheshire split face. His largest red eye pierced the princess’s form. “Maybe because I already did.”

“Not this time!” The woman who called herself the Avatar declared. Before Celestia could turn her gaze, she saw the woman swing her arm towards the large creature, far from close to the monster. But with her movement, something else churned.

The stone along the wall broke free from it’s position, slamming into the monster of many parts with a blow that lacked mercy. Korra swung another fist, and another block made it’s way towards him. The Discord that received the blow spun with the impact, jaw unhinged and spinning with his body.

“That’s enough of that.” Any other blows the Avatar prepared to deliver was stopped as the other Discord grasped her hand with his claw, effectively immobilizing her. The dark skinned woman’s other hand twisted to command a bolt of fire, but before she could deliver a blow, she vanished under the very light the others had.

Celestia was focused on another form that had vanished.

“Twilight!” She yelled into the hall, looking fruitlessly for her lost pupil. “Twilight Sparkle! Answer me! Please!” All that resounded in her ears was the mocking laughter of the unharmed draconequus and the shouts and commands of the warriors and ponies around her. Her lips snarled in anger. “Discord! You monster!”

Celestia’s horn sparked with life as she aimed the deadliest spell she could imagine at the creature. He looked on with a twisted grin and confident aura. It only encouraged the alabaster monarch to continue. But before she could let the spell fly, Discord was gone. Not in a flash of light, or transformation into something intangible, but under the mighty blow of a large object.

Fawkes stood where the monster once did, hammer in his grasp.

“Bring back all of them!” The Super Mutant commanded, using his size to his advantage. Despite the command, Fawkes raised his hammer again, letting the large metal object hang in the air above his head. In front of him jumped a pony, unfazed and unmarred by the horror of the sudden disappearances.

“Do as this man commands!” The zebra ordered with her own gusto. “Or you shall be banished to beyond the sands!”

“Is a monster and an outcast the best you got?”

The two froze as they felt the alien appendages grasp them from above. They had only time to look up and see another draconequus, larger than the Super Mutant himself, glaring at them with malice intent. It’s maw could swallow the hammer of Fawkes without any effort, and his claws lift the ceiling from the stone with just as much force. But instead of any attack, Discord only grinned as he spoke again.

“It’s probably best I remove you from this lot.”

The two were gone, just as the others.

Celestia did not hesitate now.

A beam of sharp light sung through the air, moving toward the Master of Chaos with murderous intent. Her eyes widened in shock as it diffracted along nothing, spreading into harmless beams of light along the ruined hall. The oversized Discord twisted his head to the alabaster alicorn, eyes as large as her head and maw large enough to take her in half.

“Finally starting to strike back Celestia?” He asked defectively. “Much as I would enjoy sending you off, there are certain plans even I have to follow.” The monarch never had the chance to ask the obvious question.

Link was beside her in a moment, roughly pushing her out of the way as he aimed another arrow at the larger creature. His sang through the air, just as the one before it, but now carrying the flames that he had used against Kratos in the battle that now seemed long ago. The draconequus, however, only laughed in mockery as the arrow hit the same unseen barrio as Celestia’s magic, harming the monster beneath no more than the tile on which the wood fell upon.

“Time’s up.” Discord darkly spoke. “Now you two get to watch.”

Discord didn’t move at all. His claw didn’t snap, paw didn’t flick, and eyes didn’t blink. He was as still as the statue that he was for the past year before and millennia before that. He made no motion or intention of casting a spell against the two, his words aside.

But his words must have been enough. A prison surrounded Link and Celestia before either had a chance to move. It was not of stone or steel, but of crystalline glass. It was thin, transparent, but a shade of pink that casted everything in a deceptively peaceful hew. From top to bottom, it encased the alabaster alicorn and Hero of Time.

Link wasted no time in beating against the glass, earning nothing but a sore wrist. Celestia’s magic impacted the material with as much force as her magic could contain, earning no more Link’s own attempts.

They were trapped and helpless.

“Now then,” the dragon size Discord whispered with his wide split grin. “Next.” His eye twisted in place to look for another target. A pony that was too brave for her own good, a warrior too brash for his own benefit, or maybe just a tasty treat that hoped for the obvious. Discord’s eye settled on a purple filly, curled and shivering against the form of a much larger woman, blonde hair hanging behind her in waves.

“Now I wonder why you didn’t try to strike me down quickly.” He spoke to the pair mistily. “You have so much talent killing others Teresa, I wonder why you hesitated. Perhaps it’s because of that foal in your arms. You always did have a soft spot for the weak and useless.”

“Leave them alone!” Discord’s eye twisted to see another girl standing in front of the pair, a boy with pink hair just by her side. “You’ll solve nothing if you keep this up.” A cackle as deep as a mine shook the walls at her words. It brought nearly all within to a shiver.

“That is the most pathetic reasoning I have ever heard for not having fun.” A response couldn’t have been given back. His paw swung outward lashing at the girl who stood in front of the woman and foal. But the boy beside her pushed her out of his reach, instead taking the entirety of the impact. To Discord it felt all the same.

He took in a deep breath of air, letting the suction of wind pull against the clothing of the few in front of him. The girl was squatting, reaching for something that wasn’t there. The blonde was holding Scootaloo close, her other hand gripping her claymore with monstrous strength. Discord was grinning as smoke rose from his nostrils.

He spat flames on the trio in front of him.

It was fast, it was deadly, and it was over before any pony or warrior could comment that it happened. As Discord’s breathing ceased, so too did the flames. Nothing remained where his breath had landed.

“Maka!” The pink haired boy screamed in terror. “Maka! Maka!” But the girl was nowhere in his sight, just as lost as the others before her. His pink eyes turned toward the monstrosity; smoke still billowing from the cheeks that had produced the fire. Chrona saw only red.

“Sorry kiddo.” Discord spoke mockingly to the boy beneath him. “But I’m already in a hurry.” Another suction of breath was taken in, leaving the boy shivering with fear and rage in front of him. The maw of the draconequus opened and he let loose with a cry.

Discord cried at the pain that rose from his abdomen.

His head whipped dangerously fast to see the samurai in white standing beneath him, sword raised above his head and eyes glaring daggers towards the monster. The monster sized draconequees snarled with rage. Jack didn’t make a sound of anger or challenge. Instead, he twisted his blade in deeper. Another wave of pain flashed through Discord’s mind.

Another light, larger than any of the other, lit the room. When it was gone, Jack found his blade against only air. The samurai positioned himself for battle, holding the blade before him as he made careful circles around the room, preparing for a strike from any direction.

“Sister! Celestia!” He heard the dark monarch cry in panic as she flew to her elder’s side. The sapphire etched hoof pushed against the glass, carrying with it a force Jack couldn’t tell whether was grand or pitiful. The alicorn within, however, placed her own hoof against her sister’s, the pink glass between the two the only thing separating them.  He let out a low sigh.

“Touching, family that is.” Jack twisted on a heel, pivoting his sword till it held it’s place in front of his face. He saw no Discord though, no demon of many shapes or monster of grand size. Not even a mockery of his already mocking image upon the stained glass above. Instead, Jack noticed a detail that was foreign from the rest of the room, a distinct oddity among the already marred stone.

He saw a toothed smile lain across a brick.

“Family seems to be the best motivator for so many of these pathetic ponies. And you’re no different yourself.” Jack kept himself mute and focused, inching forward with his blade in hand.

“Hold on there partner.” He heard the clopping of hooves across the floor quickly approaching him. That voice, the speed, and the lack of intent to harm. The samurai recognized Applejack without ever turning to her. “Don’t listen ta’ a word that there monsters says.”

“Then don’t listen to me.” Discord interrupted the farm pony before she could further warn the taller warrior. “Tell him all about me somewhere else.”

The two together had only a second of time to back away before the light enveloped them both, taking them away from sight.

“But I can’t let a good opportunity go to waste.” The brick spoke again as twisted eyes open along the shattered stone above it. The red pupils twisted until the fell upon the trapped warrior and princess, the latter being comforted by her sister still free from his magic. That would not be difficult to fix. A soft glow of purple and his body formed again the rafters above the pair, thick lion paw angling down towards the vulnerable princess.

“Luna, watch out!” The cry in tandem with a twisted sword flying through the air.

It cut the path between Discord’s reach and the defenseless princess. The alicorn’s eyes immediately looked upwards, wings flaring as she jumped back from the draconequus. Discord pouted his lip in childish disappointment. The blade that had blocked his path spun like a boomerang in the air, returning to the pale haired boy it belonged to. He stood side by side to the princess of the night.

“Aw, don’t stop me now. I’m on a roll here.” Discord pleaded with all the sincerity of a hypocrite committing a crime. “Besides, I still have plenty of others to take care of.” His body twisted through the air as he kept his arms spread outwards, motioning over the ponies and warriors still spread throughout the room. “It’s hard keeping track of all of you if you’re so spread out, and I’ll have to put the blame for that on the Manbat.”

“Hey! Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!” It was more curiosity than an annoyance that caused Discord to turn towards the voice. He was met with a man standing tall and proud before him, fearless in stance or gaze. His red cape hung behind him with crossed arms in front of him, sharp tall glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. All the while, a very confident smile sat on the man’s lips. It was impossible to chalk it up to either bravery or stupidity. All the draconequus knew was one simple fact. He liked this guy, a lot.

“Attacking those who can’t defend themselves is nothing short of cowardice. A man charges into battle against only the most worthy of foes, against those who are better than himself. You’re doing nothing more than picking on the weak and laughing about it.” The blue haired man pointed an accusing finger at the master of chaos. “If you want to test your metal so badly, go a round with me, bring back the rest of the guys to prove you’re a worthy challenge!”

“Or,” Discord began raising a single digit of his claw. “I could do this.” The sharp talon fell quickly, causing a confused twist of features to pour like water down the man’s face. Not a moment later, a small spiked creature landed on his head, causing the man to gasp out of surprise. “Followed by this.”

With a snap of his claw again, the two were gone.

“Don’t bother trying to fly away either.” The draconequus spoke to the empty spot on the floor. “There’s nowhere to go and no one who can help.” His body twisted like a rung towel towards the being to which he spoke of. Hiccup was positioned over Toothless, a young filly with a pink bow clutching on to his back for dear life. Fear shown proud and controlling in both of their eyes. The dragon, however, looked back towards the draconequus with fury that matched his name.

“Ah, but if you want to leave so badly, take company, it’ll make the journey more eventful.” His tail whipped behind him, grasping at something that cried out in shock and defiance. Another voice shouted in rage, but Discord each an equal amount of mind. Nothing was equal to nothing.

Raised in front of him, his tail uncurled to let the petite form of Gaige drop in front of him. The girl raised her arms outwards, letting the appendages fall across the floor before the rest of her body. Her metal arm scrapped and stone tile with an ear rending sound.

“I’m gonna rip you ten new holes when I’m done with you!” The girl shouted as she tried to right herself on the ground. The draconequus payed less than no mind.

“There we go, three’s a crowd, so four’s a party.” A malicious smile hinged on Discord’s lips as he raised his claw again in front of the four. “Bye Bye.”

Another snap. Another light. Another empty space.

“I’d say I’m about half way there no-”

BANG!

The sudden sound was accompanied by another sharp blow to Discord’s side. Unlike the hammer of Fawkes, however, this was much smaller, and in honesty, much more painful. His paw moved up his side, searching for the object he knew was no imbedded into his side. His massive appendage found nothing, however, nothing poking out from him at all.

All he found was a small hole just below his shoulder.

BANG!

This time, the mysterious tool met only air.

“Damn.” The alien voice muttered as he lowered his tool from the empty pocket of air. His scaly hands moved the long barrel of his weapon upwards, allowing him the freedom of movement. His black eyes scanned the room as he pivoted on his feet, moving towards a far wall. His training was far from foreign to him. An enemy couldn’t harm him through a solid object.

“Sir, are you alright?” The assassin turned his head downward to see the alabaster unicorn trotting to his side. The conditions of panic were obvious to him. The shivering joints along her appendages, unfocused eyes, clenched jaw. But still she did not flee. Either she was very brave, very foolish, or very used to these scenarios. He didn’t have time to analyze which was more likely.

“I am fine.” He replied in his echoing voice, earning a small gasp from the feminine pony. “Please, make haste from here.” His hand lowered itself to push against the white creature, hoping to direct it to the doors along the far wall.

But as his scaly hand pushed on her neck, a large talon gripped his own, holding him against the pony. The two looked up in tandem to see the horror that was the God of Chaos smiling down at them.

“Protecting the weak? How dull and predictable.” Discord’s tail slammed into the ground soon after he was finished, taking with it the weapon the lizard man had once held. “Let’s see how long you can last in the long run, hmm?”

The monster’s tail curled around the two, surrounding Thane and Rarity, hiding them from the view of the others. When Discord pushed himself from the ground using the same appendage, the two were gone without a trace, no different than any of the others before. The Spirit of Disharmony allowed himself a dark chuckle at the use of his powers.

“I can’t believe I never thought of doing this before!” He cheered as he flew himself into the air, arms outstretched and a wicked smile on his lips.

“It just seemed so natural to let loose with a few ploys and see how things would work, but I should have known better, and at least now I do know better. You ponies, predictable and boring ponies, will always try and restore that dull drab that is peace and harmony.” He visibly shivered under his own words.

His red eyes scanned the few ponies that remained. The princesses of the Equestria, the loving couple of the Crystal Empire, the warriors with them, and of course, a little unicorn foal, currently crying along the tiled floor.

Discord bathed in the mirth that flowed through him.

“Oh you miss your sister already?” The monster taunted as he curled around Sweetie Belle, voice as dark as the moon’s unlit side. Even the terrified filly, shaking worse than a tree in a storm, could tell the mocking tone over the draconequus’s words. “I always thought it would take longer than just a few seconds. You know, you must know, letting the feeling of loss kick in, abandonment, all that stuff.” Tears fell from Sweetie Belle’s eyes. Her teeth gnashed together to keep her voice from screaming.

“Enough of this!” A feminine voice yelled from beside Discord. A large blow was given to his side, forcing the draconequus to twist against the force. His claw curled to grab at the thing that had assaulted him, but he met only air, only blank space where he knew the object of his dull pain was.

His head twisted with gnarled teeth to see a woman of blue hair standing in front of him, marks of foreign nature draped along her arm. They glowed like the horn of a unicorn as she aimed the appendage at him, eyes golden like his own. The twisted features of Discord’s mouth curled upwards as he bent his massive paw backwards, readying himself for a retaliating blow.

He was never able to deliver it. Again he was assaulted, given a mighty force upon his back. It sent him twisting through the air, writhing above the ground as he fought to regain his balance. This blow was also different than the few that were able to connect with him. It did not pierce him or smash him or slam against him. This sliced him.

Discord twisted in the air like a snake, curling through it until he hovered with wingless flight above the warriors that had assaulted him. He peered down at the one that had harmed him. The master of chaos recognized the boy immediately.

It was the boy that had been in the company of the blonde girl from before. His pink hair hid most of his face, bangs hanging to the bridge of his nose. It was impossible to miss the black sword he held in his hand, sharp to a point and as long as his arm. But for the omnipotent deity of many parts, it was just as impossible for him to miss the look in the child’s eyes. It was dark, shadowed, but most importantly, that of a killer’s.

The look in Chrona’s eyes thirsted for blood.

Discord could only smile with glee.

“So the youngest of these newcomers is actually the most dangerous?” He asked from his position above the rest. “Who would have thought that a child like you would be the one who wanted blood the most? It does my old heart good to see that youngsters these days are doing their part to break from the norm.” His stomach rumbled with mirth.

“You’re evil.” The pink haired boy declared so easily. It only brought Discord to twirl through air with his laughter.

“I’m evil?” His paw rose to one of his eyes, wiping away moisture that had collected beneath his lids. “You’re a regular genius aren’t you? Calling someone who wants to break the status quo evil. But tell you what, I’ll add your game to mine.” Discord snapped his talon again. Chrona, however, did not disappear.

Instead, he found himself being pulled to the far end of the room, flying through the air as if he was thrown. His back collided with the stone wall, forcing his breath to leave him with a  painful gasp. His form curled along the floor as he crumbled into a heap, his sword clanging across the ground as his hands pulled themselves around his stomach. The fire had left his eyes, replaced by wide expressions of pain.

“Oh no!” A young voice cried as she sprinted to the boy’s side. Her white hoof pushed away the pink hairs on his head, shaking with as much intensity as his own pained form. Sweetie Belle bit her lip as she looked down at him, the boy looking up at her with an unreadable expression.

“That’s charming, really, honestly.” Discord mocked from behind the foal. Sweetie felt all of her legs go weak at the nearness of the voice. “But just the two of you aren’t enough. I can’t go and make you think you’re anymore worthless than you already are, now can I? Let’s see…” His voice trailed off as his upper body rotated on itself. He spun slowly without stopping, turning till his head was far past his back, then continued turning. Discord’s torso spun a full revolution, then two, then three.

His lower half popped off like an unspun screw. Sweetie Belle gagged, hiding herself against the boy’s vulnerable form.

“I feel like I’ve lost ten pounds.” Discord laughed with an amused grin, but his eyes turned beady in a moment, honing in on the only warrior in the room without a pony to accompany her. “You’ll do.”

Maya had all of a moment to prepare herself before she felt the disconnected tail of Discord wrap around her waist. Her hands fell to the scaly appendage, pushing against it with all her strength, but succeeding in only stretching her arms. The grip was strong and tight around her. Angry golden eyes glared upwards to the floating half of the mad god, who looked down at her with only a jovial smirk.

“Glare all you want, it’ll only wrinkle your face.” His hands clapped together, and the blue haired siren felt herself being thrown forwards. Any perception of balance was lost to her as she rag dolled through the air. The floor became the ceiling and the rafters above a faraway floor.

Pain shot through her form like lightning as she impacted a far wall. She fell to the cracked tile below, spitting blood from her lips, her head ringing like a siren. Maya could still hear the dark laughter from above her.

“Now say cheddar!” Discord’s disembodied top fell onto his hind legs again, screwing himself back into place. As his body made the final turn, he twisted on his back heel, aiming his claw towards the collapsed warriors and shivering foal. Without waiting another moment he snapped his claws.

The three were gone, disappearing into thin air.

“Oh so close to being finished now!” The draconequus cheered. “Now all I have to do is…”

His voice trailed off as his prancing form stilled.

An almost out of place look of pondering washed over his features, tongue curling around his exposed canine as his eyes fell to half mast. His serpent tongue uncurled itself to lick his lips once, twice, then thrice. Slowly, nearly delicately, his paw and claw folded in on one another, holding them close as they could.

With a sudden jerk, he vanished from sight.

Ezio dove through the open air Discord once occupied.

The master assassin hit the stone floor without a force to dampen his fall, earning a grunt of pain. He hissed as he rose to his feet again, leaning close to the ground as he drew his blade, hidden blades already retracted into their respective sheaths. Hood drawn over his features, he scanned madly around the room, searching for the aura of a madman. His vision beyond the boundaries of flesh turning his eyes gold.

Ezio's eyes saw the white auras of the royalty around him, a princess captured, her sister beside her, and a niece running towards him, her husband close behind. The familiar inviting blue encapsulated the few that remained in the hall as well, from the old man still carrying his sword and staff as well as the captured knight, beating against his crystal prison.

But he saw no threatening red, or even necessary gold.

“Ezio.” The elegant voice called to him, and he turned to see the pink unicorn with wings of a pegasus standing beside him. “We cannot separate from one another, that his how he is managing to pick us off so easily.”

“No, it is why he is taking him so long.” The assassin shot back, offering only a cool glance of his eyes towards the crystal princess. “The Batman was correct in his judgment. This demon of hideous intent has no form that we can easily wound, but he has every method to do away with us.”

“So that means I shouldn’t have to worry to much longer.” Ezio didn’t hesitate as he turned towards the voice, raising his left hand towards where he knew the monster to be. But his arm only succeeded in aligning with a balloon floating freely in the air.

Slowly, it turned towards him, wearing on its surface a Cheshire grin complete with beady red eyes. It laughed at him and the princess alike.

“Distractions, isn’t that the way of the assassins?” The master assassin had only time to widen his eyes before he felt a thick paw wrap around his torso. Instincts and reflexes thought dead beneath his age commanded him to raise his arms. Blades from along his wrist extended from his grasp instantly, falling towards the thing that gripped him as soon as they were able.

They didn’t even pierce the hide of the monster gripping him.

“Cazzo!”

Ezio heard Cadance beside give out a yelp of fright, no doubt in a situation little different than his own. Thrashing his head, throwing back his hood, he saw the talon of a dragon wrapped around the wings and coat of the pink alicorn, who was kicking her hooves with all the force she could muster.

“A princess from a far off kingdom and an assassin without a home.” The monster listed in a bored tone above them. Never before had the master assassin wished so dearly for the ability to end a life than now. “What am I to do with you two?”

“Release them!” Both Ezio and Cadance looked to see a unicorn of blue rushing towards them, head bowed with horn alight. For Cadance, she saw the love of her life rushing to save them both. For Ezio, he saw a trained warrior barreling towards his next foe. For Discord, he saw another way to send his toys away.

“Alright, but only because you were so convincing.” Without another word, Discord dropped the two lives in his grasp, letting them fall to the floor.

They both fell through the tiles and out of sight.

“No!” Shining shouted with a voice laced deeply with rage. His horn released a blast of magic uncontained and unhindered in intensity. It flew through the air, crackling like lightning. Discord smiled at the approaching magic.

He was gone before it ever made contact.

“No!” The Captain of the Guard shouted again at his failed attempt. He slid to a stop as his gallop ceased, head twisting to and fro as he searched for the demon.

“Trying to kill me Prince Armor?” The disembodied voice of Discord mocked as it echoed through the worn hall. Shining grit his teeth at the voice. “That is simply wonderful. Doesn’t it feel simply exhilarating to try and do something different for once?”

“You will be vanquished demon!” The Prince of the Crystal Kingdom turned to see the aged wizard from before yelling into the hall, a fair distance between them without either moving to thin it. “You strike at us like a coward and mock us like a fool. The end of your deeds will be as swift as the judgment that will be cast down upon you.”

A dark laughter met his brave words.

“I never really get tired of that speech. ‘You will suffer’ or ‘This is the end, Discord’.” The unseen draconequus laughed with gusto at the battle ready wizard and knight. “It always seems to change no matter how often I hear, if only this cycle were like that, maybe then I would not be forced to act the way I am. But, it’s just like grandma Discord always said.” The voice cut off without another word.

In only a moment, the two found themselves levitated into the air.

“Sometimes, you have to make things happen.” The wind left Shining and Gandalf as the two were pulled towards one another, rushing at one another with a force they couldn’t see or comprehend.

As the two met one another, they shattered into particles and dust, becoming nothing more.

“And then there were four.” Discord walked out from a ruined wall, the remnants of his guise falling to the floor in pieces. His red eyes were focused on the quartet on the far side from him, two encapsulated in a crystalline prison, and the remaining two, standing ready for his assault.

Princess Luna, wings flared and horn alight, stared at the approaching draconequus with a rage few could ever dream to match. In Discord, she saw a thousand years of her suffering, the source of all her pain, and the accumulation of what she hoped to be all her wrath. Her eyes were near slit with the tightness by which her brow was knit.

Riku, curved sword before him with his other hand held out defensively, watched the draconequus as he did the demon who lived inside him. He knew that he could never best this thing, not alone and not without the aid of his now lost friend. But still, he would defend the few who were close to him. Because that was what his friend had taught him to do.

“So now how will I do away with you two, hmm? Light you on fire? No, I’ve already done that. Snap my claws? I’ve done that far too much now. What to do, what to do?” Discord dragged his talons through his beard, twirling the hair fibers with the sharp extremities. Riku clenched his Path to Dawn tighter in his hand. Luna scratched her hooves against the tiled floor. Celestia and Link pensively watched from their imprisonment.

“What are you planning to do?” The silver haired boy asked carefully. Discord opened one eye wider than the other, watching the youth with an amused grin. It only brought the keyblade master to flex his muscles in preparation of a strike.

“Planning to do?” The draconequus repeated. “Why, I’m not planning to do anything.” The reactions ranged from shock to horrified. “Oh don’t get me wrong, this all is planned out, but not by me. After all, it’s like I said. Anything I do is just a part of the cycle. Even if I throw every monster, demon, and abomination from here to B.F. Egypt, I’m sure some part of this cycle’s ploy will demand your eventual victory, no matter how hard my struggle.” Luna and Riku shared a pensive glance towards one another.

“Then… what is the purpose of this?” Luna lost no ground as she spoke, but the shivers that rose through her were unquestioned as Discord let a rumble slip through his lips.

“For that, you’ll have to ask the one who planned it.”

Without another word, Discord pulled his paw and claw backwards, ripping on strings unseen. Luna and Riku felt themselves being flung through the air before they were aware that the draconequus had made a move.

They both slammed into opposite walls, vanishing from sight as their bodies were covered in the dust.

“Luna! LUNA!!” Celestia cried out from her prison, hooves beating on the prison that held her. But no force she gave so much as shook the pink crystals that entombed her. Bitter tears fell from her eyes, clinging to her fur as they drifted over her enraged scowl. Liquid in her eyes, she glared daggers at Discord, still approaching the two without a care in the world.

“Now now ‘Tia, you shouldn’t worry so much. After all, I may have sent her… away, but I didn’t imprison her, let alone for any length of time.” The fury in the solar princess’s gaze could have turned the living to stone. Discord laughed at it with the thick pink barrier between them. “Now that’s the look I remember you wearing. It’s the last thing I saw the first time I was imprisoned, and it’s what you looked like last I saw you before… all this.” He twirled in place with his paw and claw outstretched. His lips were pulled nearly as far as his limbs.

“I will end you Discord.” Celestia seethed coldly. “Elements of Harmony or not, I will use every ounce of my will and magic to rend you from this world forever more.” As the words of the warriors had done before her, the alabaster monarch succeeded in only bringing a cackle to the draconequus’s lips.

“And again!” He cheered to her. “And it’s still just as fresh as the wizard’s idle threats. How I wish that odd little mute by your side could speak.” Discord spoke as he turned his gaze to Link, whose blue eyes were focused to pricks of ice. “You fight with such disorder, using a million and one tools to finish a single task, always acting in a way others can’t expect, and still winning.” The sigh Discord released was nearly pleasurable.

“Do what you will with us Discord, and do it fast.” The ice behind the monarch’s words was only matched by the frost in Link’s eyes. “It is torture enough to be forced to watch your antics.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep you around for a bit longer, don’t I?” Teeth were close to cracking within the alicorn’s mouth. “But really, that was the plan all along, or at least a memo I saw in the footnotes, scribbled on with a bit of dried up charcoal.” The words were mockery, and not meant for the serious to take to heart. But, even in a book of lies, there exist seeds of truth, and Celestia, practiced with the twisted ways of Discord and society around her, saw that seed beneath the grime of filth and deceit.

“What plan Discord?” She asked as evenly as her voice could manage. “What ploy are you playing at?” For a moment, the draconequus ceased his prancing, twirling towards the two imprisoned beings with a truly bemused expression. His lip pout, jaw twisted, and one eye larger than the other. He put his face against the crystal prison, looking hard and mockingly at the two. They stepped back with the little room they had, giving in return only glares of ice and snow.

“Plan…” He repeated slowly. “Yes, a guess there is a plan. But it’s not my plan, I told that to Luna. You were there, you remember, trapped in prison, angry, trying to kill me. Just like right now if I recall correctly.” Celestia hissed in a breath of air.

“But,” Discord’s voice turned solid on a flick of a coin, eyes straightening and jaw tightening. His claw and paw gripped the prison with his monstrous strength and magic. Faint cracks formed along the crystalline prison. “I guess a service is due.”

“W-What…” Celestia found herself caught like a field mouse between terror and rage. It was the oddest combination of emotions she had felt in the longest time.

“I can’t keep all the secrets, that’s no fun, that’s actually expected. Either option is expected. I stack the deck, I play it fair, I load the dice, or I lay them out square. This is one of those moments that I adore and abhor.”

“Discord…” Any anger Celestia had was slowly buried beneath her nurturing sense of unease. This was not the mad god who had attacked her moments prior. This change was… drastic.

“So now I do get to choose, or at least listen to you, about what way I should play this. But since I’ve done so much, and you can do so little, I guess a small token of notion of payment is due, a small prize for allowing me such a riveting performance and wonderful performers. Just this once, from you and you alone, I’ll let you see the plan. No!”

His paw slammed on the prison, shaking the air within the princess and knight’s confinement. An unavoidable shiver ran through them both.

“I’ll let you see something better.” His smile grew manic, his eyes psychotic. It wouldn’t have surprised Link or Celestia to see drool dripping from the fanged tooth. Not surprise, but without a doubt unease.

“Link,” Discord began again, turning his hungry eyes to the hero garbed in green.

“Don’t you recognize your prison, don’t your memories just scream to be remembered?” It took only those words for Link’s eyes to scan the prison once, then twice, again, hands running over the magical crystal again.

“It’s a prison that I didn’t make, but told another to conjure. He made the plans, came up with the ploy, and devised a game that he has dreamed up before, but only I could deliver to him.” The hauntingly familiar laugh came from the draconequus again.

“Link cannot speak Discord.” Celestia reminded in a neutral tone. “What devil of his past do you speak for?”

“Speak for?” Discord questioned. “I’m not going to talk for him, that would be just rude.” The master of chaos pushed himself from the prison of the two, leaning back to his tallest height, towering over them in form and power combined.

“After all, he’s done so much to help me, and with such a simple request in return, something I could do with a single snap of. My. Claws.” He held the scaly appendage before the prison, savoring the power he held.

“I asked for a game I could watch and play, be a part of and yet be safe from. He asked me only for his right to rule, for a power that already exists in his land, but was kept from him by the very Hylian that stands next to you, Celestia.” The monarch gave a glance to the hero, a quick look of her eyes.

It turned into a curious stare.

Link had his sword drawn, his shield raised, and a fire in his eyes that melted and coolness he once held. Even his lips were drawn into a snarl, looking at Discord with the Element he so bravely held, holding Courage high in the face of a demon whose wrath was great.

For a moment, she was forced to marvel, to appreciate the warrior who held so little fear in the face of a being so powerful. For the ponies that had heard and experienced the madness of Discord, he was not a thing to be easily forgotten, or even spoken of.

“You know, don’t you Link, Hero of Time.” The dark tone and wicked laughter earned the return of Celestia’s attention. “You know all too well who I speak of. Let me make it clear then just the role he played.”

Discord vanished in a flash, turning into nothing as he left the two alone in their prison. Pensive breaths were exchanged in the still air as they waited for his inevitable return. The master of chaos did not disappoint. With another flash, Discord reappeared, at the far end of the hall from the two, walking towards the large double doors.

“As I told the precious sister, any plan I conjure, no matter how foreign, is still one that has been birthed in this cycle. I can only bring in the players and watch them run, not that I am disappointed in watching absolute chaos unfold. But the trick became deciding the right one.” He held out his paw as he spoke, back still to the princess and knight.

“If I brought another Kratos, it would only be another battle, and a repeat performance so early is too drab to be called chaotic or exciting. What I needed was a deceiver, a planner, a master of the mind.” His claw drummed against his mane as he spoke, still walking ever closer to tall doors.

“So then I realized what I needed. The land from which you came had many puzzles, many tasks, and many riddles that needed to be solved. You did find a way past them all, but you are the key that only wishes for harmony, no matter how random and chaotic your methods. What I needed was the mind behind those plots, the being that thought of those riddles, and the one who played the gambits to gain what he needed. In the end, the answer was only too obvious.”

Discord’s paw and claw grasped the handles of the large white doors, clenching along the bars with more strength than any pony could ever supply. Though unseen by the princess and the knight, his smile had only grown from wicked and manic to crazed and ravenous.

“So Link, help me with your vow of silence to welcome a foe you swam through time to stop. A man clever enough to deceive the gods, and wicked enough to command power in it’s most purest of forms.”

Discord threw open the doors with a single pull.

The large structures hit the wall with a booming force, cracking the hinges that kept them in place. The damaged metal cried in agony as it slowly began to tear away, letting the heavy wood it kept straight falling from its grasp. With another loud clang, the two doors fell away, hitting the broken tiled floor.

Link paid them not a mind. Nor did Celestia.

Their eyes were focused solely, completely, on the figure that now stood between those two ruined doors, wearing a smile that haunted the dreams of the Hylian while bathed in power that made Celestia seethe.

“Link of Hyrule, Celestia of Equestria, I give you the Demon Thief, the King of the Gerudos, the Dark King himself.”

“Ganondorf.”

To Be Continued in “One Last Game Book 2: Temple of Chaos”

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