These Changelings just don’t know when to quit.

Just before I could cut down the one posing as Wind Stride, another crashed into me at breakneck speed. A flash of pain stunned me. I crashed through a wall and some fallen debris and was sent tumbling in a mix of hooves and wings. My hooves were locked in a struggle against the Changeling who posed as yet another one of my comrades.

“Flash, snap out of it, will ya?!” Private Amaranth snapped, pinned on top of me.

“You won’t fool me a second time, you bastard!” With a huff, I threw her off me and rolled to my hooves. I pounced forward with a series of jabs.

This fake Amaranth was quick, sidestepping and dodging with respectable skill and speed. Her counterattacks, however, were sloppy, made with wide-arcing swings and telegraphed strikes which I easily avoided and punished with swift punches and hooks. With every blow that connected I felt a spark of adrenaline urge me forward, bolstering my strength and speed.

Trouble started once two more Changelings entered the fray, this time disguised as two of my earth pony comrades; Privates Gear Scrap and Silver Lance.

“Alright, Flash, ya’ll need to calm yer fool head before ya kill somepony!” Gear said.

“I really don’t want to hurt you, Flash. I’m sure if we all just relax and take a deep breath, you can stop going all murder psycho on us,” said Silver.

I backed up a few paces, taking quick glances around for something, anything I could use to defend myself. “If you think you’re gonna trick me with that pathetic performance, you’re going to have to try harder.” At the corner of my eye I spotted a lance sticking out the ground. I grabbed it and crouched low, ready to spring. “Especially you with the fake country accent. Gear never had that voice. You’re not even trying, are you?”

“Why, ah take offense to that—whoa!”

I cursed under my breath as she managed to dodge my spear thrust. Amaranth tried to dive at my blindside, only to strike air as I anticipated the attack and jumped into the air, flapping my wings to hover above her. My spear nearly connected with her head when Silver leapt and knocked me out of the air with a jump kick. I landed on my hooves, but the swift follow-up from Gear shoulder checking me knocked me down.

This would have been an excellent time for them to charge at me, but instead they ran away. I paused to catch my breath. Why are they running away? They should’ve pressed the advantage against me.

My gaze followed the trail. The path led to Canterlot castle. I tightened the grip on my spear.

So that’s it. Something’s going on at the castle and they’re rushing there. I have to stop them!

Catching my second wind, I charged after them as fast as my legs could carry me, hoping against hope that my captain and princesses were able to hold the fort until I arrived. I tore down the road until I reached the connecting pathway that would lead out of the residential district and into the castle grounds.

When I arrived, I spotted several ponies stationed in the middle of the hot zone. The moment I spotted Wind Stride and the other fakes who fled the skirmish, I realized what they were doing; guarding the entry point into the castle. Once I cut through them, I would be able to access the castle.

I had to hold onto my spear for support, glaring down on my sworn enemies. This was a fight I couldn’t lose. I had to avenge my comrades and save everypony before it was too late.

“I won’t lose to you, bastards!” I roared, catching their attention. “I’m going to save everypony, and not you, or your Celestia-damned queen will… w-will...!”

As my glare swept through the all too familiar faces of my squad, one of the faces stole my breath.

N-no… that can’t be right! There’s no way they can know about her!

I had difficulty catching my breath. My spear was the only thing holding me up.

“S… Sunset?”

The fire around us shimmered slightly as if Sunset’s very presence attempted to quell it.

She took a nervous step forward. I took a reflexive step back. “Flash, what has happened to you? Why are you doing this?”

Static flickered around Sunset at the sound of her voice. I shook my head. “Why are you here? No, this has to be a trick! But how could they know?” I started asking myself more than her. This has to be a Changeling! There’s no way Sunset is really here.

...Right?

She took another step forward. I stepped back again. “Flash, listen to me carefully. I’m not Sunset Shimmer. You are not in Canterlot, and there are no Changelings here.”

I blinked. There’s no way that could be right. There are Changelings in front of me and more I’ve killed on the way here. This is a lie! “No! T-this is all wrong! You have to be a Changeling! You are not real!”

She frowned. “I’ll prove that I am real. But I need you to trust me. I will come to you.”

“No!” I jerked my spear at her. The flames brightened and drew closer from all sides. “S-Stay back!”

There was a brief conversation between her and the fakes who had to be posing as my comrades, concern written all over their faces. Her promise to ‘prove’ what I was seeing was not real. It had to be a lie to lure me into a false sense of security. This had to be a trap.

Yet, a tiny voice in the back of my mind began to wonder; what if she was right? What if I really was seeing things?

After a moment, Sunset started walking towards me again.

“I said stay back!” I screamed. The flames roared and whipped around us.

“I’m not going to abandon you, Flash,” Sunset said as she stepped forward. I forced myself to hold my ground, curiosity battling against panic. “I understand you’re scared. Angry. Hurt. You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

That… that voice. The concern. It feels like the Sunset I used to know, but...

A chill settled in my bones. I shook my head.

No, I can’t fall for it! “I know you’re a changeling. You can’t fool me!”

“If I was a Changeling, I wouldn’t approach you without weapons or backup, would I?”

They had to know I cut down a bunch of their friends. It really would be foolish to approach me without being prepared.

The spear trembled in my grip. My strength waned from the combined exhaustion and drop of momentum.

Something is off about all of this. I can feel it. Could she be right?

Sunset inched closer. “Tell me; what do you see right now?”

I took a brief glance around. Flames ravaged the once pristine capital of Canterlot. Towers reduced to rubble. Corpses, enemy and ally, littered the grounds, their charred remains burned at my nostrils. My entire world, literally and figuratively, was falling apart before my weary eyes.

“I… I see fire. Crumbling buildings. C-corpses, both pony and Changeling.”

“Who do we look like to you?”

If she really was a Changeling, this would be a weird question. I can’t sense anything off from her tone or body language, though.

“My old squadmates. And… and you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset stood just before the end of the spear. My eyes went wide. No one was stupid enough to walk up to the enemy and put themselves at my mercy like this. I could easily thrust forward and end her life and she had to know it.

“Flash, you are suffering a flashback. You are not in Canterlot. You are in Ponyville, just outside Everfree’s Forest. I’m Twilight Sparkle. Back there is Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Your friends.”

Pain pulsed in my head. Mental images flashed; A Twilight Sparkle with wings sparing me a gentle smile. Her friends greeting me. Spike crawling his way to the doorstep of a crystal castle.

This isn’t Sunset? Is this really Twilight Sparkle?

Could this really be a flashback?

More images flooded my mind. An office with bookshelves. Shining Armor, Cadance, and a grey pony with a lab coat giving me a miserable look.

Another image. This time a white room with a wide glass window. Leather straps pinned me into the bed like a wild animal. Shining Armor, Cadance, and that same grey pony giving me pitiful looks, crestfallen.

When did all of this happen? Are those my real memories, or fake ones?

I lowered my spear, slowly processing everything. I could no longer feel the flames, shivering from the sudden cold that assaulted my senses. “This… this isn’t real?”

‘Sunset’ nodded. “That’s right. Now, take a deep breath. Breathe in.” Her hoof moved to her chest and inhaled. “Breathe out.” She pushed her hoof outward and exhaled.

More image flashes. Cadance mimicked her very movements, taking deep breaths while making motions with her hooves.

Numbly I followed the movements of the one who could possibly be Twilight Sparkle. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. We took synchronized breaths again and again.

The movements came to me as if second nature. It was through the breathing exercise I sensed something odd flooding everything up to my throat. An unusual sensation as if cold air was being pumped into my veins and through my heart. Something about it felt malevolent and alive, twisting and shifting in my body.

Surges of adrenaline pumped rapidly in my veins, but this time I forced myself to ignore the sensation and breathe. Slowly the fog of panic and fear ebbed from my mind. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but I was growing more sure something was amiss, almost like my own body was fighting me to make the aggressive strategy.

Whatever it was didn’t like the fact I was calming down, as this ‘thing’ constricted my heart and dropped my body temperature drastically. Sharp pain wracked my body as I grimaced, my heart racing erratically.

What… what’s going on? What did I feel just now?

Is this her doing? Is something affecting me?

I shuddered. Panic washed over me. Is she telling the truth? Is she lying? What do I do?

I… I can’t do this! Somepony, anypony, please help me!

“Get away from me! P-please!”

Panicked, ‘Twilight’ moved forward. “You can fight this!” Her voice was distorted, half Sunset Shimmer, half… Twilight?

I blinked.

A Changeling stood where Sunset had been.

“I believe in you!” The changeling shouted with Twilight’s voice.

Panic drove my actions before my thoughts could catch up. With a wild swing, I slashed her face.

The blow threw her across the battlefield, landing with a thud.

I blinked again.

Twilight Sparkle was on the ground, unmoving.

I stared in shock, shaking like a leaf.

What… what have I done? What if she was right? What if that was the real Twilight Sparkle?

I… I have to check to make sure. Maybe if I try the breathing thing again I could—

A hoof to the face derailed the train of thought and threw me back. Before I knew it, four ponies descended upon me like vengeful griffons.

Heat sparked through me as I shifted my focus to the fight. These ponies were after my blood, leaving no doubt in my mind this was all some Changeling attempt to trick me. It was kill or be killed now.

As our battle escalated, so did the flames around us. On an individual level, my speed and ferocity outmatched the Changelings, dodging their attacks and striking them from blindsides and openings in their defense. This advantage, however, paled in the face of their teamwork. It was on a level I could only dream of, perfectly coordinating their positioning and saving each other from all of my lethal blows.

The flames raged wildly and separated me from the enemy. It was impeccable timing, as my stamina reached its limit. All that kept me standing was battle adrenaline and knowledge that I was likely the only soldier still alive that could save the captain and princess.

Digging deep, I pulled out whatever reserves of strength I had left to push me one final mile to make the rescue.

“I will not falter! The enemy must die!” I shouted.

Fires spread even further, nearly blinding me. With my wing broken, escape was impossible without getting burned to a crisp. Between the fire and the Changelings bracing themselves behind their magical barrier, it was all too apparent I would be joining my fallen squad.

If I’m going to die…

I gritted my teeth and tightened the grip on my spear.

I’m going to take as many of these bastards as I can with me!

That’s when I heard it.

The sound was faint, mixed within the screams of anguish and crackling fire. My ear flicked towards the raspy voice.

“No fear! Yes I can!”

My heart soared once I caught sight of Wind Stride crawling towards me. My instincts warned this could be a changeling in disguise, but I discarded the thought. No changeling was dumb enough to scramble towards an armed soldier while injured.

“That chant… only the real Wind Stride would know that chant.”

“S-sure thing, Flash. I learned it from you,” his grin was weary, but I was confident there was still some fight in him. Happy as I was to see him alive, the odds were still stacked against us.

I dropped a hoof on Wind’s shoulder to steady him as he stood on his back hooves. “Wind Stride, I know things are rough, but we have to stay strong and kill the enemy before they kill us. We can’t let them win!”

“You’re right,” he muttered. Wind moved to wrap a leg around the back of my neck for support. “I can’t let the enemy win.”

My spine suddenly tingled in warning.

Huh? Who is—

Sharp pain exploded on the side of my barrel.

I let out a shocked yell, but it was nowhere near as loud as the terrible shriek that I heard echoing around me.

Stabbed. I've been stabbed.

Icy cold ripped through my body from the strike, making my knees falter and buckle to the side, trying fruitlessly to flinch away. The chill seemed to paralyze my muscles, leaving me feeling weak, and hollow inside.

Poison…? Is it… W-Wind Stride... ?

For a moment, I saw the writhing shape of a tall, ghostly pony with an icy blue glare as it dissolved before my eyes.

Darkness swam in and out of my vision. The flames, corpses, crumbling buildings... they were all gone. The night sky was covered in clouds, and the air smelled of blood and frost. The spear abruptly fell from my grasp, dropping to the ground. Strength left me as I slid off Wind Stride’s shoulder and slumped to the blood-stained snow.

Snow….?

I looked down at the source of my pain. The harsh reality of my fate hit me when I saw the blade embedded deep into my side; I was going to die.

With a grimace, I cast my gaze upward at my killer.

My heart nearly stopped. That was not Wind Stride.

I couldn’t believe it. I refused to believe what I was seeing was true.

“S...S-Spike?” My voice was little more than a rasp. Spike said nothing, but one look at him told me the story.

Spike had fallen on his knees, staring at his bloodied claw. His expression conveyed shock, but his eyes were void of emotion other than tears.

I recognized that look.

It was no different than the day I lost my squad.

I tried to say something, but all it accomplished was pushing the remaining air out of my lungs. With what little strength I had left, I tried to reach out to him with a hoof, only for a light blue hue of magic to grasp the drake and pull him back. Through my hazy vision, I saw Rarity wrap her hooves around him protectively, glaring at me with utter contempt. Applejack hurried to Spike’s aid, trying in vain to snap him out of the stupor he was lost in.

He saved them.

As my vision faded, the last glimpse I caught in my vision was the sight of Pinkie Pie carrying Twilight on her back.

But not all of them.

My mind drifted into darkness before I could complete the thought, yet what I saw confirmed all I needed to know.

I killed Twilight.

I awoke with a gasp, shaken from the jolt that ripped through me.

The absence of light and atmosphere made me roll onto my hooves in a defensive reflex. I should have been dead or dying, yet outside a chill that made me shiver, I suffered no pain. I woke up on wooden planks, unable to see or hear anything.

Is this what it’s like to die? But why wooden planks? Where in Tartarus am I?

A mechanical click, followed by a flash of light from above left me momentarily dazed. The sound reminded me of… stage lights?

Other sounds caught my attention. Murmurs. Hushed ramblings. Whispers.

An endless sea of eyes from featureless ponies appeared before me. Pitying, judging, watching every move I made. Everything beyond the ponies was dark and obscure, which magnified their grey eyes.

My legs turned to jelly at the sight. I turned away from the crowd, only to find myself surrounded on all sides.

“You’re no soldier, you’re a murderer!”

“We trusted you!”

“You’re no better than the Changelings!”

I covered my ears and shut my eyes, doing everything I could to block them out. It didn’t work. Not back then, and that terrifying fact still held true now, their haunting whispers violating my senses.

Is this is the last thing I see before I die? Maybe I’m already dead, and I’m just doomed to this for the rest of who-knows-how-long?

My eyes snapped open, pupils shrunken.

Is this my punishment for killing Twilight and failing my mission?

The whispers grew louder, almost deafening.

“Twilight believed in you!”

“You killed her, you monster!”

“Just like you killed him!”

The maddening voices grew louder. I shivered uncontrollably, feeling the walls closing in.

I’ll never get over this. This will follow me for all eternity.

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” I screamed.

As if my wish was granted, everything ceased. The whispers, the staring, all of it. The masses faded as the darkness rolled in towards me, swallowing them whole. Panic rose in my throat. Something about the shift in reality felt unnatural and made my skin crawl, a phenomenal statement to be made in such a twisted nightmare.

“Pathetic.”

Glancing to the side, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Another pegasus had suddenly appeared next to me, a twisted mirror image of myself with snow white fur and piercing ice blue gaze. His voice was also similar to mine, but with a silky and dangerous edge to it. As far as nightmarish imaginations went, this doppelganger was decidedly unsettling.

“Such mindless, foolish masses. They are blind to your efforts and the potential they represent, instead spouting nonsense and treating you like the town fool. You are nothing to them.”

“I can’t let that bother me,” I replied automatically, though my tone bore little confidence. “I’m a member of the Royal Guard. I’m above such things.”

“Yes, you should be. But you’re not,” he encircled me with stalking steps. “The Royal Guard are proud soldiers. Warriors who stand to brave dangers many would run from. A fighter—”

“Your point?” I cut him off.

He didn't even bat an eyelash. “You are none of those things because you hold back. Once you’ve embraced your true nature, you’ll have the power to make a difference and be the pony you’ve always wanted to be.” The pegasus stopped in front of me. “My point is, I’m going to show you who you really are and bring out your full potential.”

“What does it matter if I’m dead, or whatever this place is?”

“You’re not dead yet, but haven’t fully escaped it, either. You are in a coma.”

“I’m still alive?! Wait a minute…” Something about what he said hit my ear wrong. “If you’re supposed to be some weird version of me, how would you even know that? I know what I saw. I should be dead.”

I might have imagined it, but for a second, I caught what looked like a flicker of annoyance cross his expression.

“You will find your answers when you deserve them. None of it will matter if you fail my test.”

“Test? What test?”

I barely caught his eager grin before he swooped in and rammed a hoof into my cheek.

I quickly shook the stars out of my eyes and pounced at him. “That hurt, you sonuva—Gah!” He ducked under my left hook and countered with an uppercut to the jaw. I stumbled for a moment.

“Harness your rage. Fight. Survive.” He smirked. “Kill.”

With a growl in my throat, I sprung at him, hooves flying. The lookalike danced and pivoted around my strikes with disturbing ease, throwing in occasional counters that always hit home. Frustration mounted with every blow I missed. It was clear from the smirk that he was toying with me.

“You’re still holding back, ignoring your potential.” He dipped under my hook and darted forward, his muzzle a breath away from mine. “You walk a path of weakness.”

The world spun as I found my legs swept and fell on my side. I rolled onto my stomach to stand, only for his hoof to pressed on my back and keep me down. A yelp left my lungs as he gripped my mane and pulled it up hard.

“As you are now, you’ll never be able to protect what’s precious to you.”

“I already couldn't!” I howled back, baring my teeth, turning to glare balefully at him.

The doppelganger just stared, lifting an eyebrow just a fraction higher.

"You think this impresses me?" I continued in growing rage. "I did it! I killed her! It's DONE! The only ones who have it right in this place were those voices back there! What in Tartarus is strength good for if what I'm trying to protect is already gone? Because of me!"

My counterpart just gave me a knowing smile.

And that infuriated me like nothing else.

Sudden strength flooded my legs then, and with a roar in my throat, I rolled to the side. His hoof lurched off-balance, and I took the chance to kick off with my back legs and twist, trying to get on top of him.

His response was to drop onto my back and wrap his hooves over my barrel, clinging like a leech. I wound up with him below me, my legs kicking in the air. My doppelganger leaned in close, and whispered next to my ear, "If that really were true… I wouldn't be—"

I arched my back inward and stretched all four limbs, then snapped it back, smashing his head into the wood floor with a resounding crash.

He didn't even grunt, but, taking his sudden silence as encouragement, I twisted with the momentary slack my maneuver had afforded me to position myself face-down towards him. My hooves shot for his throat, but he recovered disturbingly fast, raising his own legs to push against mine.

It was no good. He had leverage. Still, he seemed content to just lie there in the stalemate, giving me an almost mirthful sneer.

“As I was saying,” he drawled, "I wouldn't be here if there truly wasn't hope for you yet."

"You know nothing about me," I snarled back, pressing my weight as hard as I could to twist his hooves away. I was ready to just bite his neck if I had to.

His sneer flashed a little wider. "Then prove me wrong."

Somehow, he managed to get his hind legs underneath me, and buck upward into my abdomen. The force lifted me off the ground, and I grunted when I felt my back crash against the floor. Though the maneuver disengaged my front hooves from the grapple, I quickly managed to scramble back upright, and spun around to launch my hoof in a vicious haymaker.

My hoof crashed into Twilight Sparkle’s chest.

I gaped in horror as her body flew, sprawled on the floor like a ragdoll. A deep impression of my hoof was left on her chest, teary eyes filled with pain and disappointment aimed straight at me.

“W-why are you trying to kill me, Flash?” Twilight groaned, her voice a ghostly sough.

“T-Twilight!”

I rushed forward, only to be immediately thrown back by some sort of invisible force. My impact left a ripple, revealing a transparent forcefield. A deep chuckle echoed, followed by the appearance of the lookalike.

With a roar I pounced at him. He grabbed my foreleg, spun, and threw me back over his shoulder. I barely managed to recover mid-air with a panicked flap of my wings and land hooves first.

“Let me through!” I darted around him to reach Twilight, but he was faster, thwarting all of my attacks with ease.

“Poor Twilight Sparkle,” he smirked. “She believed in you. Trusted you. While others saw a broken blade worthy only of pity, she saw a strong stallion who deserved a chance at redemption. Perhaps if you were stronger, more capable of mastering your own nature, this could’ve been prevented. You could be the one defending her rather than one she needs to be defended from.”

His words struck me harder than any of his punches, causing me to stumble back.

“You have the power to surpass limitations. To be reborn anew and become the hero you’ve always wanted to be. All you need—” a tingle went through my spine as his eyes went ablaze with blue flame, hoof aimed at Twilight. “—is a push in the right direction.”

Patches of ice appeared on Twilight’s body and began to spread. Her body writhed and twisted in agony.

“No! Stop it! Let her go, you bastard!” I practically threw myself at the clone, giving him everything I had in me.

He blocked my attacks as if they were nothing, grinning the whole way. “The secret to saving Twilight isn’t some cheap trick or hidden riddle. If you’re trying to find a gap in my defense, you’re going to spend a very long time doing absolutely nothing.” The ice began to spread faster, Twilight’s breaths coming out ragged. “Time neither of you have to waste.”

The ice covered Twilight’s limbs and wings, crawling up to her neck.

No, I won’t let her die!

I charged forward, screaming with rage.

I have to stop him!

I forgone the swift attacks for more decisive blows. My heavy hooks were blocked. Drop kicks were dodged, and wingtip strikes to the eyes were countered with punches to my face. With every miss or block I pushed harder, aiming for as many killing blows in the throat or temple as I could to end the fight.

Desperation fueled my attacks I flung myself at the clone with reckless abandon. The once chilled air grew increasingly warmer, as did the sensation that flowed through my veins and chest.

“Do you feel that, Flash?” Our forehooves caught each other in a deadlock. I took hungry breaths for air, every muscle in my body tight with tension and bruises. The clone did not even break a sweat. “The fire that calls to you, begging for release. That spark inside your chest. The answer you seek lies in harnessing that anger and hatred.”

I slid back as he pushed. “What the buck are you talking about?!”

“As long as you hold back your rage, you will never grow stronger. You are so much more than this.” A dangerous glint twinkled in his eye. His hoof shot forward and grabbed my throat. “I will make you more than this.”

I flailed in the iron grip, kicking and struggling with everything I had in mind. He never budged, barely even flinched.

“Even as your princess is on the verge of death, you still hold back. But I suppose some weaklings will never learn. This is why you will fail to save her, just like you failed to be there for your squadmates.”

Ice completely covered Twilight. Somehow, I broke out of his grip. I made a mad dash towards Twilight.

“Just like you failed Shining Armor.”

I was almost there. I reached out to her—

“And just like you’ve failed Sunset Shimmer.”

—and the ice shattered.

I stood frozen where Twilight had been, unable to look away from the tiny splinters of ice that had once been Twilight, littered across the floor like broken glass.

Just like that, he killed her.

That bastard killed Twilight.

“You...”

Temperature dropped as a cold wind swept by, but my blood boiled hotter than any furnace. I slowly turned to face Twilight’s killer.

“You son of a bitch…!”

It’s because of him Twilight is dead! This is all his fault!

The heated sensation in my veins hit a fevered pitch. Every muscle tensed, wings unfurled completely as I turned the rest of my body to face the murderer, who had the gall to smile as if he won some sort of prize.

I leaned into a crouch, “I’ll fucking kill you!”

When I pounced at him, the world around me seemed to stretch and bend around me for an instant. By the time the bastard blinked, I cleared the distance and was already attacking.

He was undoubtedly fast, but my strength and speed practically tripled as I rained down hoof strikes like hammers. With every blow, hints of magical essence seemed to explode out of him and fly off somewhere. Every punch grew stronger and faster. The fatigue and pain I had felt earlier were gone, leaving only my desire to kill him.

Even while battered and bloodied, the clone only seemed to get happier as I beat him into a pulp.

One of my punches threw him to the ground. With a leap, I prepared to drop a coup de grace to crush his face into the ground. The moment before I hit he dematerialized into a thick cloud of energy. A shockwave of pressure erupted as my hoof crushed into the ground, creating a small crater.

“You’ve passed my test.”

Even in my haze of rage, the fact the cloud actually spoke startled me just long enough for it to plunge itself into my chest.

Every cell in my body felt like it caught fire. I collapsed on my knees, howling in agony. The pain quickly increased, to the point it was almost unbearable.

“Fight through the pain. It will pass, and from it, you shall be reborn.”

Heavy steps made their way towards me from behind, jingling of chain and metal catching my attention. I didn’t have the strength to turn around, but the figure was gracious enough to maneuver in front of me. I looked up at the mysterious figure, my jaw dropping as I registered the sight.

A pearl white, bipedal dragon draped in plates of armor and chainmail towered over me. His body frame was thick with muscle, accentuating his hard emerald gaze. Notably, he did not have wings like other dragons I knew, but did have a trail of curved, navy blue spines trailing form his head down his back and similarly colored ear fins.

The dragon crossed his arms, fiery eyes transfixed on me. “You cannot run from your true nature, Flash Sentry. This hatred will always be a part of you, as shall I. In time, you will get used to your new gifts and make yourself worthy of being my champion.”

“Champion? What are you-hrk!”

A cane suddenly appeared out of my peripheral vision and hooked me by the chest. Before I knew it, I was yanked away at breakneck speed.

The dragon’s eyes went wide with fury. He charged after me, but whatever was pulling me to who-knows-where was too fast for him. Between the pain of whatever that clone did to me, getting jostled by the cane and the stress of recent events, consciousness started to slip from my grasp.

Before my eyes closed, I heard the dragon cry out in rage.

“Damn you! I won't let you take him away from me too! He's mine! You hear me?! MINE!”

Once my senses returned and I gathered my bearings, I quickly realized I was a long way from Equestria.

The sky, if one could call it that, was a mess of purple, blue and black swirls. Orbs that resembled miniature planets orbited the larger one I resided on. My gaze followed the grassy lawn I woke up on to a surprisingly normal suburban home nearby.

“That was a little too close. Any longer and you would’ve been the next supervillain.”

My skin crawled at the voice. I’ve only heard it in passing, yet as I turned to face the voice’s owner, there was no mistaking Discord. Clutched in his claw was the very cane that pulled me out of that nightmare.

I blinked rapidly. “What the hay are you doing in my dream, Discord?”

Discord’s face wrinkled with discomfort. “As much as I would love to get on your case over dreaming about me, this is no dream. Well, it kinda is, but isn’t at the same time. Somewhere between dream and reality, but with a slight left at Albuquarabque.”

“Uh, what?”

“Point is, you’re unconscious, but all of this is as real as you can imagine. Long story short, I foalnapped your soul and brought it to Chaosville for safety.”

Time stretched as I stared blankly at Discord and tried to process his words: Unconscious. Foalnapped my soul. Safety. Dream and reality.

The words failed to connect in my head, though part of me knew it was supposed to make sense. Too many things happened in such a short amount of time, yet one critical fact needed to be confirmed.

“So everything that happened earlier, all of this, it’s not just some weird nightmare? Everything actually happened?”

Discord nodded. “That’s right. And before you ask, no I’m not messing with your head on this one. In fact, I’m going to need your help before Puff the angry dragon flips Equestria upside down.”

I said nothing, though my face said it all. Discord frowned. “So, uh, you might wanna let it sink in a bit. You’re making that ‘broken brain’ face Twilight has whenever she pulls an all-nighter, and it’s making me a little uncomfortable. Still need to pick your brain before it goes to mush.”

I nodded slowly. My gaze fell on Discord’s cane again. That dragon’s words echoed in my mind, something about taking me away from him. Though I still wasn’t able to wrap my head around everything, knowing Discord was involved bought him an absurd amount of credibility.

Wait a second,if this is real, that means Discord could help! There might be a way to save everyone!

I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it shut when I noticed my snow white hoof.

Upon further inspection, all of my coat and wings were also white.

Discord’s expression grew somber as he snapped a body length mirror into existence in front of me.

I looked no different than that doppelganger I faced moments ago. The bastard who killed Twilight in front of me.

My breath hitched. “What in the world is happening to me?”

Discord snapped the mirror and cane out of existence. “I need you to tell me everything that's gotten you mixed up in this mess before I answer that,” he said. “I took a major gamble in bringing you here. What you tell me will determine if I boot your sorry flank out of existence, and I'll know if you're lying so don't even think about it.”

I grimaced. Not giving me much of a choice here, but this is Discord we’re talking about. If there’s anyone with the power to help find Chrysalis and stop this mess, it’s gotta be him. Besides, not like I have any other options to work with.

Doing my best to put my concerns and questions to the side for now I brought Discord up to speed on what’s occurred since Shining Armor briefed me on the mission. His attention was rapt, especially when it came to discussing matters about Trojan and the pathos occurrence. What bothered me was his lack of surprise with majority of the mentioned events, as if he was merely confirming his suspicions. What did surprise him was the events that started from my scouting run into the Everfree Forest to when I fell unconscious.

As I finished retelling what transpired, Discord cursed under his breath. “To think things have gotten this out of hand. But for Twilight of all ponies to… no, we’ll have time for a pity party later. Based on everything you told me, we don’t have a lot of time left to fix this mess.”

“What’s stopping you from making things better?” I asked. The situation clearly unsettled Discord, yet he was one of the most powerful beings in the world. “Considering you have the power to bend all of reality, couldn’t you just, I don’t know, eliminate this pathos in one fell swoop?”

Discord sighed.

“Y’know, when you put it like that, it really rubs it in that I can’t do anything about this. Not yet, anyway.”

“Seriously? Why not?”

“It’s complicated, but everything has to do with that dragon who decided to give you a friendly house visit. That new paint job he put on you? That’s because he’s corrupted your soul with his magic. Can’t remove it without tearing your soul in two,” Discord shot me a frown, “an option I will consider if you prove to be a threat.”

“That is—”

Twilight's marred face flashed in my mind.

My shoulders drooped in resignation. “I understand. Do what you have to do.”

Discord rolled his eyes. “Aw geez, you look like a kicked, albino puppy. That's the worst kind of kicked puppy.”

I tossed Discord a weird look. “Is there a best one?”

“Corgis.”

...I got nothing.

“Anyway,” I started after a beat, “I've told you what I know. Mind filling me in on what's going on?”

“Well, I could tell you…”

With a snap, I found myself thrust upon a suede seat facing a wide movie screen and camera. Discord appeared next to me, a bucket of popcorn sitting on his lap.

“But it would be far more entertaining to watch. Roll it!”

The camera whirred to life. Lights clicked on, flashing rapidly at the screen.

When the title card appeared on screen, I slowly turned and gave Discord a stare.

“‘Shameless exposition, the movie’?”

“Low budget documentary,” Discord said nothing more as he stuffed his face with popcorn. I turned back to the screen.

This is going to be uncomfortable levels of weird, isn't it?

Discord froze mid-sip, nearly dropping his teacup.

Settled in a chair at Fluttershy’s home, his gaze drew east of Fluttershy’s home. Hmmm, that certainly came from within Everfree. What a peculiar pulse of magic. His voice was distant, giving the effect I was hearing Discord’s thoughts.

“Discord?”

His head whipped towards Fluttershy, who sat across from me with a teacup in hoof. Her face was full of concern. “Oh, terribly sorry about that, Fluttershy. Did you say something?” He asked, masking his surprise. She shook her head.

“No, but you seem troubled. Did something catch your attention?”

“Something of that sort.” He paused. “Out of curiosity, have you or the others been messing with the Elements of Harmony lately?”

“Not at all. It’s been years since we’ve needed the power of the elements. Why do you ask?”

He opened his mouth, then paused.

Whatever sort of magic that was, it feels far too similar to my own, except far more violent. The moment I tell her I feel something was off she would be relentless in figuring out what it was.

If I let Fluttershy get anywhere near that...

“Always wanted to build a treehouse in there. It would make quite the vacation home,” he joked.

Fluttershy giggled. “Oh Discord. It’s far too quiet in that old tree for you. You would get homesick in no time.”

Discord chuckled. “Can’t argue that.”

He subtly used his magic to create a whirl in the teacup to conjure a temporary farsight pool to peer into Everfree. His sight reached as far as the entry to Everfree before devolving into blinding static.

Well, that’s mildly concerning. No one blocks me except me! Looks like this is a job for Ace Detective Discord!

He downed the rest of the tea and placed the cup on the table. “Sorry to cut our tea time short, but I really must be going. Think I’ll take a trip to see Celly today or something.”

Fluttershy blinked at me for a moment, then settled for a smile. “Okay, then. Same time next week?”

“Just try and stop me,” he smiled. With a snap, he blinked out of existence via teleport.

Moments later, Discord materialized before the entrance to the Tree of Harmony. Icy air rushed out of the cavern mouth, frost covering the opening. He shivered, claws clenched.

When was the last time I've felt this bothered?

He pressed forward into the cave, tense.

There was that one time with Tirek, that backstabbing bastard. Can’t be him, though, even if he devoured a thousand magic sources. This one sticks to reality-bending prowess a little closer than most magic users. A little too close to me in fact.

The closer he drew, the more nervous he seemed to be.

It’s definitely not pony magic at work here, and I know Zecora isn’t doing her voodoo magic that even gives me the hibijibis. This magic feels more flexible. Shifting.

Discord stopped to swipe a finger in the air, drawing green, viscous magical goo. He slurped the goo, swishing the essence in his mouth.

Aha, there’s a bit of changeling in here! Ol’ Chrysalis is back for more, eh? I wonder what sort of scheme she’s got going on this time? More kidnapping?

He took several more steps.

Wait a minute. This magic reminds me of what I felt roughly eight years ago. It was smaller then, but the location was way up north. This is the same magic signature, but with a bit of changeling mixed in. Something I know I should absolutely, positively, certainly be remembering. What in the alternate reality hell is it?

He neared the opening, which lead to the tree of harmony. The entry point was guarded by a barrier of white magic, obviously made to obfuscate whatever was going on with the tree. Discord grinned.

By George, I think I got it! Chrysalis is trying to take the power of the tree herself so she can become powerful and take vengeance on Equestria for kicking her sorry flank to the curb! Ace Detective Discord cracks the case!

He cracked his knuckles, unable to contain his excitement. And now I get to be the main protagonist of this story! Take that, Twilight!

Discord took a bold step forward through the barrier.

Immediately, regret was written on his face.

The chamber which held the tree of harmony radiated with powerful spirit energy. The temperature was well below freezing, to the point snow and ice covered every nook and cranny of the chamber. At the center of the room stood the crystalline Tree of Harmony, but before that tree stood a familiar figure.

Tall as Celestia, holes in her legs and horn, adorned with a hard carapace and cute little crown on her head. Though it looked like Chrysalis, to say this was actually Chrysalis could not be further from the truth.

Her carapace was pure white, translucent mane shimmering with icy blue magic. ‘Chrysalis’ slowly turned her head, blue eyes staring back at Discord’s wide ones. Power spilled off her in waves, causing hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention.

“Oh no…” Discord muttered. “No no no…” He tried to step back through the barrier, only to be rejected from the sudden power spike.

“Well, well, well,” Chrysalis chuckled. Her voice was mixed with the same deep voice of the dragon I met in my dream. “To think it would be you to seek me out. And here I was hoping I could surprise you this time.”

Discord’s jaw worked to form words. All he could mutter was his name, fear draining both his voice and color.

“Malice…!”

“Ah, so you do remember me. It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other.” Chrysalis’ grin grew disturbingly wide.

She walked towards him, her body all the while bursting into blue flames and shifting into the white dragon I recognized from earlier.

“Don’t be so reserved. Come now, don’t be shy,” he drawled, voice sounding fully like the dragon. It didn't take long for me to realize the actual Chrysalis was not the personality at the forefront here.

Malice suddenly vanished.

His next words were whispered into Discord’s ear as he teleported next to him.

“We have so much catching up to do, dear brother!”

Pain tore through Discord from the explosion of magical energy that sent him barreling forward. Discord snapped a massive pillow into existence to cushion his crash against the tree. The magic pressure in the air tripled by the time he got to his feet and put his own magic to work.

With a snap, he conjured a superheated ball of energy next to Malice’s head and detonated it. From the smoke of the explosion, Malice soared through the air towards him, wrapped in a bubble of silver magic.

Discord teleported meters to the side to dodge and readied a magical blast.

Malice’s palm was already extended in my direction, releasing a wave of electricity.

A scream ripped out of Discord’s lungs, stunned. Before he could recover, Malice teleported again and shoulder checked Discord until he was pinned against the tree of harmony.

“What are you doing here? How did you get free?” Discord snarled.

“Many great things, but nothing you will need to know shortly. As for the how I got freed, well, let’s just say I got in good with a family. Of course, you wouldn’t know anything about the importance of bonds and honor, would you?”

“Oh really? So how did that talk go with Chrysalis about using her body? If memory serves, Changelings are not exactly the biggest on sharing.”

“I believe you have more pressing concerns than worrying about my Changelings.” Keeping one arm pressed against Discord’s chest, Malice raised his other claw to bring it down on his head.

Discord teleported away just as the claw bit into the tree. He reappeared behind the tree, using additional magic to grant himself invisibility and suppress his magical aura.

“Go ahead and run, Discord! I’ll level all of Equestria if it means I get to kill you!” Malice bellowed.

I need to warn the girls. I’ve been out of the game too long to put up a fair fight. Maybe they could use the Elements to stop him like they did me.

Discord paused.

Hold on. Why is Malice at the tree of harmony? If he knows Chrysalis, no doubt she had to tell him how dangerous it—

Discord stifled a gasp.

There’s no doubt he knows about its power thanks to Chrysalis. Since it could seal me, there’s a chance he’s here to destroy it so he can't be sealed. If he succeeds…

His thoughts went to Fluttershy. Resolve burned in his gaze.

I can’t let him get away with this, and I know just the way to hold things off until the girls stop him.

I nearly fell out of my seat when the screen suddenly went black and the words “To be continued….” appeared. I was so absorbed in what I witnessed I’d nearly forgotten my own predicament. All I could do was gape in disbelief at what I’d just learned.

“Thinking about getting some guest cameos for the sequel. Maybe Songbird Serenade is available for—”

“Are you kidding me?!” I jumped up from my seat, glaring daggers at Discord.

He blinked owlishly at me, then shrugged. “Fine, fine, I get it. You’re more of a Coloratura fan. Such a hipster.”

I ran a frustrated hoof over my mane. I barely noticed the slight drop in temperature on my skin. “Don’t play dumb with me, Discord! You’re telling me that Malice, the one who is causing this pathos crisis and is working with the Changelings, is your brother?”

“I know, right? What a twist!”

I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. How anypony could stand to be around Discord was a mystery. There were countless variables that bothered me with the story: What was really going on with Chrysalis and Malice? What was Malice trying to accomplish other than killing Discord? What did Discord do to impede or deal with Malice?

Wait a minute…

“Discord,” I paced back and forth, “when did this happen?”

“I would say about three months ago.”

“That makes two months before my arrival… huh.” I stopped and faced Discord. “What did you do after that, er, movie ended? And please, be serious about this.”

Discord frowned. “I knew he was after the tree, but I had no idea what he was capable of, so I hid in the Tree of Harmony.”

I blinked, waiting for some sort of punchline or joke. After a few moments, my eyebrows rose. “You’re actually serious.”

“When you’ve been alive as long as I’ve been, and have the ability to bend time and space, stuffing myself inside a magical tree is easy. What wasn’t easy was fooling Malice and keeping myself hidden.”

His shoulders sagged, a rain cloud appearing over his head. “That plan… kind of backfired. Whatever he did to the tree after I got inside sort of… well…” Discord rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I may or may not have been trapped ever since.”

“Unbelievable,” I pinched the bridge of my nose. This whole thing was a huge headache, but it did explain why I hadn’t seen Discord make an appearance as long as I’ve been around.

Actually, that didn’t explain three particular points. “The other girls should’ve been suspicious or concerned that you were missing, yet they haven’t even mentioned anything about you missing.”

“Meh, I tend to take vacations on a whim. Besides, who in their right mind would be worried about the almighty Lord of Chaos being in danger? Well, besides Fluttershy, but she knows not to worry about me during my trips.”

“Right…” I drawled, unconvinced. One mystery down, two to go. “If you’re so trapped, how did you manage to reach me? I was outside Everfree when everything went south.”

“Magic,” Discord waved his hand in dramatic fashion. I shot him a deadpan glare. “In all seriousness, unless you’re magically inclined to this kind of thing like Twilight, it will be way over your head. Let’s just say when Malice made his house visit, I smuggled myself in his connection to you.”

Yeah, definitely way over my head.

That left me with one last mystery. “Alright, so I get investigating the magical signature and not wanting to make your friends worried. Considering how powerful you are, I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with is why you didn’t try to warn anyone after you learned Malice and Chrysalis were right next to Ponyville.”

Discord crossed his arms and fixed me a frustrated look. “There was a small chance Malice would catch wind of it, and... well, bad things would happen to good ponies. But looking back, I probably could have slipped a fast one past him and got my message to Twilight and the others if I thought to try.”

My eyebrow twitched. “You… you mean to tell me you had a chance to warn everyone and didn’t think to do it?”

“Well, of course when you say it like that, you can make anything sound bad. Everyone makes mistakes. I just happened to get over it.”

“You... outrageous, incompetent son of a bitch!” I screeched, shaking with fury. “You single-handedly screwed us all over!”

“Flash, calm down,” Discord warned, raising a claw, but I was having none of it.

“Screw you! I’m sick and tired of all this secretive bullshit that keeps bucking us in the flank!” I stomped. “And it pisses me off that you can’t take this seriously! If there was a single functional brain cell in your Celestia-damned head, it would’ve been obvious to call for help or send a warning that your own brother and the mother-bucking queen of the Changelings were in our backyard!”

“Flash, stop this or you will—”

“Had you pulled your head out of your ass and actually communicated with everyone, Twilight might still be alive!”

Wait…

I paused my tirade, panting.

That’s exactly what I did, isn’t it?

The hurt on Discord’s face didn’t help the guilt that stabbed my chest.

I dropped on my haunches, eyes cast down. “I… I’m sure you did what you could. I have no right to call you out on that when I was no better.” My eyes drooped, sleepy from the cool sensation that suddenly washed over me.

Discord’s eyes went wide. “Flash, snap out of it!

“I’m the one who failed us,” my voice cracked. “I wasn’t strong or smart enough to do the right thing. All I did is act like a foal and endangered everyone I care about.”

Frost encroached the grass around me. A small voice in the back of my mind told me this was bad, obscured by a mental fog that clouded my thoughts, like trying to swim through quicksand. “Maybe… you should erase me before I kill someone else I care about—”

Pain exploded on my cheek as Discord’s fist connected.

“Flash, wake up and get over yourself before you kill us all! Breathe, damn it!”

Breathe. Why does that make me feel like I’m forgetting something important?

I did as instructed and took a single deep breath.

That’s right. Somepony taught me something about this. Ugh, why is it so hard to think? When did it get so cold?

Two more deep breaths.

That’s right! Cadance’s breathing technique!

After a few more deep breaths, I shivered upon finally noticing the bits of ice and frost that grew on my limbs. I winced at the clawing sensation in my mind, like something was trying to break through. Whatever it was got suppressed when I regained my senses.

“It’s worse than I thought,” Discord muttered to himself. “Listen, you have to keep your emotions in check from now on. The moment you lose your head, the pathos will take advantage of your weakness and Malice will be able to reach you. If that happens, not only will he destroy your mind, but that could even affect me, then we’re all screwed, so do me a favor and keep your hate-boner under control, capiche?”

I nodded limply. It was all I could do in the moment. “Discord... how do I get rid of this? How do I get Malice out of me?”

A shrug. “No idea.”

“W-what?”

“I’m sure there’s a way to do it, but unless you don’t mind your mind and soul getting ripped six ways from Sunday, I’d rather not taking any unnecessary risk. Although…” Discord stroked his chin, humming thoughtfully, “I know someone who might be able to help.”

I perked up. “Really? But I thought you said you couldn’t reach out for help.”

Discord quirked an eyebrow. “Who said I was reaching out? Our special guest is in the house as we speak. You’re the second one I’ve saved from Malice. Outside myself, she’s the closest we have to an expert on Malice and his shenanigans. With your help, we might even be able to stop him before things get even crazier.”

I hopped to my hooves in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Unusually so. Besides, it’s time for supper, and I personally prefer fighting bad guys and saving helpless colts like yourself on a full stomach. Now then… ”

Discord ignored my glare and snapped his fingers, equipping a black leather jacket and shades. He spoke in a gruff and monotone voice, thumb pointed to the house.

“Come with me if you want to live.”

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

Hoo boy, this one was a doozy.

A lot went on in this chapter, though in particular I want to begin with discussing Malice. This guy is the reason this story became a thing. Whenever I looked at Discord and his nigh-omnipotent existence, it always struck me as a curious thing. Where did he come from? How did he become as powerful as he did?

Is he the only one of his kind?

And the rest went deep into headcanon valley from there.

As for the other elements of this chapter, Flash has been going through quite the hell, but it looks like he may have finally found the help he needs in the strangest of places. Perhaps things will be better from here.

Surely things can't get any worse, right?

Anyway, so who do you think is the mysterious guest staying at Discord's house? What's the deal with this Malice guy? What's gonna happen to Flash now that his soul is tainted and becoming this champion of Malice? All these answers and more sooner than you think, though I would love to hear your thoughts on this and more.

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins!