A lot has changed since Twilight started ruling, Celestia and Luna were enjoying retirement, Discord has mended his relationships and started to help out a lot more, Rarity was expanding into Yakyakistan, Applejack started running the farm, Rainbow Dash moved up to being the leader of the wonder bolt team, Pinkie Pie started her own party planning company with Cheese Sandwich, and Fluttershy headed her own team for the sanctuary that had grown triple in size. One thing that hadn't changed was a statue, a statue composed of Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek that still sat in a garden outside the throne room in Canterlot. The mindsets inside that statue did not change either for they were forming a plan and a nasty one.

"You think this will really work?" Chrysalis said doubt ringing in her voice. The plan had to be perfect and in her opinion, they were taking to many chances.

"Yes, we will combine our magic to get rid of the princesses! Only we will know the cure, they will bow to us this time." Tyrek said with confidence.

"I agree with Tyrek plus we will have to take some chances." Cozy glow said pointing out the obvious.

“Fine then I guess it is time,” Chrysalis said though she still had doubts about this whole thing, something felt like it wouldn't work.

They used the magic they had been storing from arguments in the garden, planning to get out the same way Discord once did. A crack could be seen alongside Chrysalis’ face and a light glowed brightly. They were free! It was time to attack; they quickly stormed their way past the castle and past the giant window behind the throne room. They ran away, which was unlike them but it was part of a well-formed plan. They took to higher ground and hid behind some trees. Now they waited it out, some creature would have noticed them running away. The heroes would come to them, just as they planned.

A few citizens and an Alicorn were startled to see three villains run past them. Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek. Though the alicorn was startled she was not surprised she knew it was bound to happen. She turned toward her citizens, “no worries I have planned for this, go home.” She said as she watched her citizens run away she went inside her castle. “SPIKE!” She yelled.

“Yes, Twilight.” He answered in a deep gruff voice.

“I need you to send a letter to all the alicorn princesses, Cadence, Celestia, and Luna. Tell them that Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek have escaped their prison. Tell them to come immediately."

“Of course!” Spike said as he wrote up the letters and sent them off in the fire.

“Thank you spike."

Celestia looked down at the letter she had just received, she read it. Then she reread it because she had to be wrong but there it was, plain as the day herself. “Luna!” She yelled across the room.

“Thow does not need to yell. I am right here.” Luna said covering her ears with her hooves.

Celestia gave her sister a worried look, “it’s Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and Tirek. They have escaped their stone prison. We must go to Twilight at once."

Lunas’ stomach dropped, “Of course, let us leave immediately.” They teleported straight to Twilight.

Cadence looked over to her loving husband, “its Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek, sweetheart they have returned.”

Shining Armor looked at the letter worrying, “we can’t just leave, what about the empire?”

Cadence felt butterflies in her stomach, Flurry Heart was about the same age as when Twilight left Canterlot. Maybe it was time to give her real responsibilities, just like Twilight had gotten. Of course, Flurry Heart had been on plenty of adventures on her own, but this was bigger and more dangerous. They couldn’t just take her with them, “we’ll leave Flurry Heart in charge, it will be a good test for her.”

Shining Armor was shocked but he agreed, “I guess you are right.” He said as he exited the throne room “FLURRY HEART!” He yelled knowing it would get her attention, he usually never yelled like that.

Flurry Heart came rushing to her father, she couldn't imagine what could be wrong. It sounded like there was a panic in his voice and that worried her. She looked up at her father who led her into the throne room, one look at her mother and she knew something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Flurry Heart, unfortunately, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek have escaped. Your father and I need to go help with the battle. We need you to stay here and watch the kingdom.”

“WHAT? But I’m an alicorn too. I can help.” Flurry Heart said with frustration, she was a big mare now.

Cadence breathed a slow breath and used a line Twilight once used on her, “If we fail Flurry you will be our last hope. We need you to be our safety blanket. Can you do that?”

Flurry’s stomach dropped as she felt the weight of the situation grow, “ok, but you won’t fail! So please don’t talk like that.”

Cadence and Shining armor looked at one another and smiled, “sorry.” They said in unison.

Cadence said, “we know you’ll take good care of the kingdom. Don’t Sombra it up.” She giggled trying to lift some tension.

“How do you knnnoooowwwww. I could have slaves” Flurry Heart giggled.

Cadence scoffed at the very idea,” Flurry Heart you are one of the kindest children around, I very much doubt that. We’ll be home soon, hopefully.” She said as she teleported her and her husband to Twilight.

Flurry Heart frowned and sat upon the crystal throne, it was her first time ruling without her mother. “Don’t Sombra it up.” She said to herself, now very worried she actually would. But her parents had confidence in her, so she could do this….right?

Cadence, Shining Armor, Celestia, and Luna teleported before Twilight who sat in the middle of her throne room. “I assume you all got my letter.” Twilight watched as they all nodded. “Good, I watched them run off to the hills and they haven’t moved since. I can only assume they have some sort of plan. Which is why I brought you all here. I believe that with all of us there, they stand no chance.” Twilight smiled, “it’ll be like last time only quicker.” That cause smiled to dawn upon all of their faces. “Let’s go kick some villain butt,” She said as she heard her army gathering behind her doors. They really wouldn’t be needed but you could never be too careful about these things.

Twilight teleported her army to the hills, she left Shining with the rest of the army. Cadence, Celestia, Twilight, and Luna flew up the hill. “Come out Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek, we know you are there. So just give it up now and we will just send you to Tartarus, not stone this time.”

There was dead silence, only a breeze could be heard, Twilight rolled her eyes. She and the other princesses flew towards the trees where the three villains sat and smiled menacingly, they charged up their secret spell, one that would put the princesses to sleep. They would never wake again. Especially since Luna would be entering that sleep, no creature would be there to pull them out of it. Chrysalis had insisted on uping the spell so that it also sucked any desire for them to wake up in addition to putting them into slumber. She wasn’t sure they would stay asleep unless they were forced to. It was quite a genius spell once they were down, they would kill them in front of every creature. The villains could feel the wind coming from the alicorns wing power, it was now or never. They jumped out and with a blinding flash of light, the alicorns were down.

Tyrik laughed, “that was almost too easy. He said as he sucked the magic from the unconscious alicorns. He then turned around to his partners and split the magic among them, they had figured out how to work together. They turned to their former glory. Cozy Glow was now an alicorn, Chrysalis was now a stronger alicorn, and Tirek had his strength back.

Somewhere there was Discord, a shiver ran up his back, “someone just walked over my grave.”

Fluttershy looked up at him with surprise, they had been in the middle of planning a sanctuary expansion. When out of the blue Discord made that odd comment. “What?” Fluttershy asked, concerned.

“Something very terrible, and very bad is happening.” He said snapping up a portal that would lead him to the trouble. His eyes grew with shock as he saw four alicorns hit the ground. ‘SOMETHING VERY BAD!” He yelled as he dove headfirst into the portal, closing it behind him. He ran to the fallen alicorns, scooped them up, and kept running. As he ran he heard a collective.

“HEY!”

Discord did not stop running as he snapped another portal to Twilight's throne room and entered it.

“He just has to ruin everything doesn’t he?” Cozy glow crossed her arms.

“Well he does not have the cure, let's just focus on crushing this army and conquering Equestria,” Tyrik said angrily.

Shining Armor had seen Discord carry off the princesses and he turned to his army, “Your princesses have been hurt. Time to defend Equestria while Discord heals them!” He could see the worry on his fellow soldier's faces. “Don’t worry Discord is very powerful. I am sure he will have them back here soon. We just have to hold out until he heals them.”

It wasn’t supposed to go this way at all. Discord thought as explosions went off in the background. It really, really, wasn't supposed to go this way. They always won, so why were they unconscious? He looked down at the unconscious alicorns on the floor then back outside. In the distance, Tirek could be seen outside wreaking havoc, once again very powerful. He had back up this time too, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow who were, at this moment, also very powerful.

Decisions had to be made about their current situation and how to fix it but of the leaders were waking up. What should he do? Snap them awake, obviously, he then snapped his fingers. Nothing. He snapped them again, and still nothing. He had been so sure that they would wake up but they weren’t waking up. His snaps seemed to only heal them and return a bit of their magic. The elements of harmony wouldn’t work without Twilight. He needed to act fast but he had no idea what he was doing. He decided to summon the rest of the elements and The Reformed. That’s what he called his rag-tag team of used-to-be villains. There was him, reformed by Fluttershy. There was Starlight, reformed by Twilight, Trixie reformed by Starlight and there was Sombra, reformed by Pinkie Pie.

“I have called you here to tell you our main line of defense has fallen. As of now Cadence, Twilight, Luna, and Celestia have all been knocked out. The terrible three are on their move. Decisions need to be made.” Discord said ice skating back and forth on the floor nervously. There was nothing but silence “I have already tried snapping them awake, it won’t work. I do not know why.”

“What do we dooo?” Rarity said, worried about herself, worried about the princesses.

“How am I supposed to know?” Applejack answered her stress rising even more. What would she do?

“Well if we don’t figure out something…” Rainbow Dash said, starting to feel the stress herself.

“I know we have to figure out something!” Rarity answered, as her stress levels rose.

“Well do ya have any ideas?’ Applejack asked her, pressing her snout on Raritys. Her stress at an all-time high, so many bad thoughts ran through her mind.

“No! And I won't have any if you act like that!” Rarity huffed and the bad thoughts started eating at her mind too.

“Well, you're pressurin' me! I don’t have any answers.” Applejack answered, no longer was there a conversation between Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. There was an argument.

“Hey that is not how you should treat-” Starlight started.

“I know! She started it, where are your ideas?” A very stressed out Rarity said, Applejack and Rainbow Dash only provoked her further.

Starlight scoffed as she too joined the yelling, “well if you know that why do you do it?”

“Um...guys,” Fluttershy started to say.

“SHUT UP FLUTTERSHY.” They collectively said causing a single tear to drop from her eye and down her face,

All discord saw was them arguing then he saw Fluttershy cry, oh no no no, you didn’t make Fluttershy cry. Not on his watch “ENOUGH!” He yelled his scream vibrating the walls a bit. An otherworldly, godly power surrounded the air causing the mares to stop arguing and sit down. Discord loomed over them in a very threatening manner unlike what was seen before. “YOU MADE FLUTTERSHY CRY.” He bellowed, the walls vibrating a little harder.

Discord saw the terror creep into their eyes and he knew he went too far, he took a deep breath and started again. “I do NOT believe that this was the type of friendship I was taught, or ever remember learning. I know we are all stressed but arguing will get us nowhere. Twilight would be disappointed in us all.” He could feel his heartbeat in his ears as he scooped up Fluttershy in his arms, he held her close to comfort her. Silence rang over them again “So” he said breaking the silence awkwardly “any ideas?” He was met with only more silence as no pony stepped forward, he waited and waited and waited for ideas to pour forth. Then he realized that he probably just terrified every pony out of their minds. He sighed, he just made the situation worse, didn’t he?

“Libraries.” Starlight said as she realized that Discord was right. She finally broke the silence. “We could go to the library, maybe we can find an answer there on how to wake them up. I’ll take Trixie and Rainbow Dash with me.”

Discord smiled, “that is a great idea. Go now!” He said as he watched the three of them leave, Rainbow Dash carried them away speedily, then he understood why Starlight took her, speed. He put Fluttershy down onto the ground once he felt her stop crying.

“Thank you Discord...for defending me.” Fluttershy sniffled, that sniffle broke his heart.

“Sorry I got so angry. I didn’t mean to.” Discord said as he fiddled with his claws.

“I don’t think I have ever seen you that angry.” Fluttershy continued.

“I don’t think I have ever been that angry.” He chuckled, “so you're not mad?”

She shook her head no, “not really, you were able to real yourself back in. Though you should still apologize anyway.”

“Don’t worry I will, I know I went too far.” Discord coughed awkwardly. He heard another explosion and the ground rattled. The citizens, he thought, what about them? What would Celestia do for them? He turned to the group. “The rest of you need to round every creature up and bring them here to the castle. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Spike, and Fluttershy. Will all go and they should probably take some castle guards with them. Do you think you are up for that Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded, someone had to pick up all the animals that they found along the way. She and the rest of the group left but Applejack lagged behind her.

“Discord-” Applejack said as she wanted to apologize to him.

“We can leave apologies for later. Plus Fluttershy deserves it more than I do. Sorry for yelling by the way. I have no idea where that came from.” He sheepishly smiled at Applejack.

She took off her hat and said “It’s ok and you still deserve an apology. I’m mighty sorry Discord.” She smiled at him and put her hat back on.

“Yeah yeah yeah, sappy, sappy sap-ness. Just go already.” Discord said smiling at applejack “thank you.” He watched them runoff.

“Well, that was certainly something.’ Discord jumped at the sound of Sombras' voice. Discord breathed and said, “you scared me Sombra.”

“I scared you?” Sombra asked.

“Yeah yeah. Shut up, we should probably inform the castle guards of the plan.” Discord said getting up and heading over to the guard station.

Sombra smiled as he thought of all the ways he could get under Discord's skin “I’m going to tease you about it so much, but later.” He said as he and Discord went into the guard station.

“I wouldn’t expect it any other way.” Discord replied glad that Sombra was going to try and be serious with him. It wasn’t something Discord did often and it always felt weird. “Hey, we need you guys to grab some carts and round up citizens. Then to bring them back here.”

The guards looked up at him and laughed, “we can't do that Celestia's orders were to wait here and be the backup army.”

“Well plans have-” Discord started

“We will not take orders from you freaks.” One of the guards shouted, “we take orders from the princesses, not you two villains.”

Discord and Sombra stood still, stiller then the stone and ice they used to be frozen in. “but we-” Discord said, trying to explain the situation. Both him and Sombra had been working very hard on their reputation but I guess not everyone was so forgiving.

“Can’t you take a hint. We said leave.”

Purple started pouring from Sombras eyes, Discord picked him up. “Well, I guess we just have to go get Celestia, bye.” He said quickly leaving the guard room.

Sombra and Discord sat outside the guard station, Sombra muttered ancient curse words to himself. He eventually calmed and the purple left his eyes. “So now what?”

Discord looked at Sombra then at the station then back at Sombra. He knew Celestia would be pretty mad about this. He snapped his fingers and suddenly he was Celestia. “Sombra we are going to fake it till we make it!” Discord said with a chuckle.

Sombra felt shivers creep up his spine, he looked exactly like her. It was kinda freaky. He just stood outside and listened in. “Hello.” Oh my, he even sounded like her, Sombra thought to himself.

Inside the guard room stood Discord in Celestia's body. “Discord told me when he came down here to relay my orders you gave him trouble. I need you to grab some carts and join Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Spike, and Fluttershy in rounding up citizens. Please bring them back here.”

“Is that all he told you? We just caused him trouble?” The guard asked nervously.

“Yes, that was all, why did you do anything else I should be aware of?” Discord said with Celestia's voice he half hoped the stallion would fess up. He was sorely disappointed.

“No Princess Celestia, we will meet them out front as you have asked.” The guard said, he was surprised that Discord did not tattle on him.

Discord watched as they left and went back out into the hallway. He looked at Sombras' confused face “I didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama.”

“Saying something that wise in that body feels so weird. Please change back, It's really freaking me out” Sombra said.

Discord smiled, made sure they left and snapped back into his original body. “So what will be our back up plan?”

Next Chapter: The Backup Plan Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 23 Minutes