The first rays of early morning sunlight shone across Shining's solemn countenance as he rounded off his after-action report. Releasing the quill from his magical hold he looked out through the window and over the peaceful meadows far below Canterlot. His expression remained neutral as he regarded the stunning landscape, far too much weighing on his mind for him to appreciate the scenery.

Try as he might to ignore it, his focus was drawn back to his report. Or rather, one specific line of it. He read and re-read it, the words blurring together as he recalled last night's disastrous rescue attempt.

[Seven hours earlier]
The sun had set at Celestia's belated behest, plunging the area into darkness. All the unicorn guards present were illuminating the area as best they could with their magic as they worked. The backup unit had arrived several minutes ago, and all the wounded were now receiving the appropriate treatment. Those who weren't severely injured were assisting the unicorns in any way possible as they channelled the teleportation spell that would send them back to Canterlot; the faster the better. A number of guards would require hospital-grade treatment, at least to some extent, and a hoof full would most likely need psychological help too, considering how they seemed incapable of doing anything other than cowering away from anypony that approached them.

For Shining, however, neither of these groups concerned him that much at the moment. Indeed, his own leg was still in a dreadful state, having only allowed a medic to wrap a simple bandage around it in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. No, his concerns were for the most gravely injured of his soldiers. Pyre, who had been impaled and held hostage; and Breeze, who had taken the volley of magical arrows.

Shining looked on with unease festering in his stomach. Both laid deathly still as they were operated on. Pyre was awake, though most likely not aware of his surroundings considering the potent painkillers he had been administered to numb his shattered legs. Breeze was still unconscious, with those around him working fervently to stabilise him.

After a few minutes the group around Breeze closed in and began speaking urgently, rolling the guard onto his back despite his exit wounds. Shining felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he assumed the worst, and upon seeing a pony smash their hooves against the Breeze's chest he realised he was right.

They struck his chest twice more before beginning compressions, those not currently occupied hastily rummaging through their packs for the required implements.

Shining trotted up, watching silently, not wanting to divert any attention away from the procedure. However, one of the guards preparing to take over compressing Breeze's chest glanced up at him and shook his head, "Things aren't looking good, sir. Even if we get him back he'll be hanging on by a thread at this rate."

The ponies around Breeze stood back as electricity arced from one of the medic's horns and into his chest. The unicorn lowered an ear to Breeze's chest, remaining there for a moment, "Pulse! It's weak, but he's got a pulse." Several syringes were plunged directly into the pony's heart by the medic as he spoke, and the pony beneath him drew a shallow, ragged breath.

A collective sense of relief washed over spectators and partakers alike, although the haste with which they worked didn't lessen in the slightest.

They proceeded to patch the guard up as best they could, but barely a minute later his heartbeat ceased once again. The mare who had been the first to tend to his injuries spoke quietly as more compressions were carried out, "Come on, Breeze, you're gonna' make it. You'll be okay. You're gonna' be okay..."

[Present day]
Thoughts of what would and could have been had things gone differently raced through Shining's mind; thoughts he quickly dispatched of. What was done, was done. Over-thinking things would only make them all the more difficult to deal with.

Nevertheless, when the words came back into focus he read them one final time - if only for a sense of finality - before rolling up and stamping the scroll.

'Guardspony Breeze Echo was killed in action.'

'Pinkie.'

"Don'twannafarmrocksyettooearly..."

'Pinkie, wake up.'

"Mughhummurgh..."

Pinkamena had hoped that she could have avoided shouting. Not that anypony else would hear her even if she did, but they might have heard Pinkie's startled cries should she awaken too suddenly. She sighed, resigning herself to the demand of the situation, 'Pinkie! Wake up already!'

Pinkie shot to her hooves with a gasp, glancing around frantically only to find all the other occupants of the room fast asleep. She rubbed her head tiredly, 'Was that a dream? Weird, but not as weird as some of them get, that's for sure...'

Pinkamena slumped her head against the bars of her cell, 'Pinkie, it was me. Get in here!'

Pinkie appeared in the cell behind her alter ego, though her voice was uncharacteristically lethargic, "What's up Pinka-" she yawned loudly, "-mena?"

Pinkamena shrugged off her own questions and got to the point, "I want letting out for a while. Nothing malicious, I just want to be in control again."

Pinkie seemed to think about it for a moment, but with her eyelids drooping every few seconds or so it was clear that she still wasn't fully awake. She nodded very slowly, and kept nodding as she spoke, "Okay... Just a second..." She dragged her hooves as she moved to the door of the cell and unlocked it.

Pinkamena promptly trotted out and shut it behind her, but she remained there instead of leaving as her curiosity got the better of her, "What's with the grogginess all of a sudden?"

Pinkie looked back blankly for a few seconds until her brain caught up, "I dunno... Something tells me I should just... stay in bed today."

Pinkamena cocked her head, expecting a more detailed explanation, but as she registered the pony swaying on her hooves and fighting not to fall asleep on the spot she just shook her head and vanished.

Pinkie looked around dazedly before settling her eyes on the thing she needed the most right now; a bed. Had she been paying more attention to her surroundings, she might have noticed that neither it, nor the desk she had gifted Pinkamena, had been moved or even touched at all. She might have even wondered why this was the case. Of course, in her current state observation was the least of her concerns. She slid in beneath the plain white sheets and clutched them tightly as if they were the most comfortable thing in the world before falling into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

Pinkamena took a deep breath as she made her way to the door, taking extreme care not to wake the others as she stuck a note to it and slipped outside. It had been far too long since she'd last had the freedom to do what she wanted, and it was time to cut loose a little. She stepped into the light of the early morning sun and giggled as she thoroughly looked herself over. She knew she'd grown a lot since she was a little filly, having witnessed everything through Pinkie's eyes, but now that she was fully in control with free reign over her own actions the changes became all the more apparent to her. She bit her lip and smiled as she watched her flank sway behind her while she moved. All the possibilities, all the worldly pleasures, all available to her now.

She had to suppress a squeal of delight as she trotted towards the town, "Finally, it's time to have some fun!"

Celestia finished raising the sun and turned to her sister, "Thank you for agreeing to let day intrude into your night yesterday, Luna. Even if things did go horribly wrong in every other respect, it still means a lot to me that you were so understanding."

Luna nuzzled Celestia gently, "The reasoning behind extending the day was sound, Celestia, I understand. I won't allow childish jealously to cloud my judgement as I once did, especially not now. Not while our friends are in danger."

Celestia felt pride welling within her at just how much her little sister had grown since her return. After nuzzling her back, she took a deep breath and focused on the tasks of the day, "I need to ensure that the last of the posters have left for widespread distribution."

Luna nodded but sighed.

"Luna?"

She gave Celestia a smile, though it held not a trace of humour, and her tone became very melancholic, "We're going to have to deal with three very upset mares later, aren't we?"

Celestia nodded, "Probably, but let's cross that bridge when we come to it. We have enough on our hooves already." She rested a hoof on Luna's shoulder as her horn glowed with a golden aura. A moment later she was gone.

Luna scowled the moment Celestia vanished, "Yet we're doing nowhere near enough..." She leapt from the balcony, swooping down to land gracefully in the statue garden below. She found what she was looking for and glared balefully at the empty pedestal for a time, as if expecting Discord to materialise back upon it once more. Her glare softened as frustration gradually gave way to deep thought, "But what else can we do?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The last of the posters left over thirty minutes ago, modifications and all. I've received reports that several shipments have already reached their intended destinations. However it may take several hours for them to reach the more outlying areas."

Celestia nodded her thanks, "Thank you, Ink Print. You and your workers have been absolutely phenomenal, especially considering the urgency of the request."

Ink bowed reverently, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I feared I may well have put too much pressure on you and your staff when I requested they be edited again after last night's sudden... development."

Ink caught the hurt look in her eye and nodded solemnly, "Terrible business, Your Majesty. If I may ask, has his family been informed yet?"

Celestia shook her head, "Not yet, why?"

Ink sighed, "I've known Breeze and his family for years. They're going to be devastated."

"He had a wife?"

"Yes... and a young colt." He hung his head, "It may be best to ensure he is not within earshot when the news comes."

Celestia spoke pensively, "That would be wise, thank you for informing me, Ink. You've truly been most helpful. You will all be receiving a significant pay rise shortly for your outstanding work."

Ink nodded, his own thoughts also heavy with sympathy for Breeze and his family, "Just doing our job, Your Majesty."

Celestia teleported to her suite with a brilliant flash. She removed her crown, dropping it onto her bed unceremoniously before slumping down onto the mattress beside it. Thoughts of Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness herself, performing such a horrendous act still left her dumbfounded and generally upset. But the more she thought things over, the more the images of a terrified Fluttershy were replaced by those of Breeze, dead, his grieving family weeping over his coffin. Over the following few minutes, Celestia felt the sympathy within her being substituted with determination, the determination to prevent any more good ponies losing their lives for nothing.

She snatched up her crown and placed it atop her head. Her mind kicked into overdrive as she stepped outside, desperate to find some way to gain the upper hoof against Discord. In the end, she knew it would come down to a battle of wits, she just had to be smarter and beat him at his own game.

'Easier said than done...'

"Where's Pinkie?" Twilight, Fluttershy and Angel collectively groaned as they awakened and looked up at Discord with sleep-addled expressions. "Anypony?"

"Ugh, dunno."

"I don't-" Fluttershy yawned, "I don't know."

Angel shrugged.

Discord appeared beside the bathroom door and rapped his claw against it, "Pinkie? Are you in there?" Upon hearing nothing he knocked once again, "If you are, tell me now otherwise I'm coming in; and I sincerely doubt me walking in on you would bode well for either of us."

Nothing.

Discord frowned, a knot forming in his stomach, 'We've enough to deal with on Fluttershy's part if I'm right. We do not need this right now!' He grasped the wall firmly and opened it, "Pinkie?" He scanned the bathroom only to find no sign of her, "She's not here!" he called to the others.

The sound of Fluttershy's voice could be heard clearly, the pegasus apparently too tired or worried to care about being shy, "I think I've found something."

The other three bolted to her position by the door, following her gaze to a sticky note near the handle. Twilight took it and read the message aloud to the others, "Out for a little fun. Don't cry, I'll be back. - Pinkamena."

A stunned silence descended upon the four, broken promptly by a loud smack as Discord buried his face into his paw, "Oh, you'd best be joking!"

As it turned out, she wasn't. Three hours of anxious waiting and discussing the potential fates of Pinkie Pie should she be found passed before the door swung open, revealing the mare in question. Though, true to the note, the one in control was almost certainly Pinkamena as opposed to Pinkie, at least if the mane was any indication. She dropped her saddlebags the moment the door clicked shut behind her and began riffling through them, "Guys, you-"

Discord was before her in an instant, "Just what the hell were you thinking!?" Seeing the mare still rummaging through her saddlebags instead of paying him any attention he growled and snapped his fingers, freezing the bags and the forehooves within them.

Pinkamena hissed out in pain, but smirked regardless, "Mmm, that's refreshing. But you're hurting us both, you know."

Discord scowled and waited for a few seconds before summoning the ice away and into his grasp, rolling it into a ball and crushing it in his claw, "Start talking."

Pinkamena withdrew her hooves from the bag and rubbed them together vigorously, "I went to do exactly what I said on the note, assuming you've read it. Have fun. Unwind after nearly two decades in a cell." She grunted, "But guards were everywhere. The entire town's crawling with them. I-"

Discord ground his teeth, "I should've thought that was obvious! Did you happen to miss our conversation on that topic yesterday?"

Pinkamena shouted in frustration, digging her forehooves into the saddlebags once again, "Will you shut up already!?" She took a deep breath, "Lecture me later. Right now there's something very serious I have to show you all."

"What is it?" Twilight asked, concern evident in her voice at Pinkamena's sudden change in tone.

Pinkamena fumbled around fruitlessly, "It's hard to find what I'm after when I can't feel my hooves!" she shot Discord a hateful look. A few seconds later the sound of crumpling paper was heard. Pinkamena withdrew the items and dropped them onto the floor between everyone.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Wanted posters?" Pinkamena nodded as Twilight reached out and span the nearest one to face her. She felt her stomach tighten as she recognised the individual in the picture to be none other than the world's only draconequus. She turned her attention to the pictures on the other three posters, and her heart sank as she confirmed her suspicions, "They're our wanted posters, aren't they?"

Pinkamena nodded, "Yes. The guards were pinning them up left, right and centre."

Twilight gulped and levitated Discord's poster before her as she read the contents.

"Wanted: Discord
Species/race: Draconequus
Sex: Male
Eye colour: Red
Mane colour: N/A
Coat colour: N/A
Cutie mark: N/A
Defining traits: Magical influence tends to disrupt and warp surroundings, mismatched body composition (See image)

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Acts of terrorism
- Assault and battery
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason
- Kidnapping
- Murder

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: S RANK - EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT APPROACH THIS INDIVIDUAL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Do not attempt to apprehend this individual. Avoid any and all contact if possible.

A sum of 250,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts.

- Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Discord looked between Twilight and the poster repeatedly with a blank expression on his face. A moment later he snatched it from Twilight's magical grasp and tutted, "Great... I mean, have you seen my face on here!? I look fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire female population of Equestria began forming search parties just to find that handsome devil. We most certainly could do without all that attention right now."

Twilight felt her upper lip twitch in irritation, "What the hell is wrong with you!? This is serious! Everypony will be on the lookout for us now! Do you even care!?"

Discord shrugged, "Not especially, no. It was going to happen sooner or later. Celestia's getting desperate. She knows the longer this goes on, the less chance she has of finding us. She's stepping up her game. The best thing we can do in response is simply carry on as normal, with a few added precautions and a few less early-morning adventures." He glowered at Pinkamena, "Unlike Celestia, we don't need to step up to hold an advantage; we just need to stay a step ahead."

Twilight nodded, "So the plan stays the same?"

"The plan stays the same." Discord chuckled, "It changes next to nothing anyway. I planned for this when I chose our route."

Twilight frowned at him, "The route that you have yet to fully reveal to us."

Discord smiled and pointed at her as if she'd just made some sort of terrific discovery, "Yes, that's the one!"

Twilight seethed quietly while Discord tried his best to maintain a straight face. Pinkamena groaned in annoyance and grabbed her own poster, examining it curiously and noticing that, unlike Discord's poster, this one had a close-up of her cutie mark alongside her picture. She murmured as she read through it.

"Wanted: Pinkamena Diane Pie (Also known as 'Pinkie Pie')
Species/race: Pony - Earth pony
Sex: Female
Eye colour: Light blue
Mane colour: Rasberry pink
Coat colour: Pale pink
Cutie mark: Three balloons - Left blue, right blue, centre yellow (See right image)
Defining traits: Extremely talkative, large puffy mane and tail (See left image), Bearer of the Element of Laughter

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Assault and Battery
- Attempted murder
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: A RANK - DO NOT APPROACH. THIS INDIVIDUAL IS EXTREMELY VOLATILE & HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Do not attempt to apprehend this individual. Avoid any and all contact if possible.

A sum of 100,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts.

- Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Pinkamena growled loudly, "Stop shouting like that!"

The other four looked up at her in alarm, having said nothing whilst she had scanned her poster. Discord's eyes began to swirl as he spoke with amusement in his voice, "Not going off the deep end, are we, Pinkamena? I'm already the group's designated lunatic, we don't need another."

She shook her head and winced as she discarded the poster, "No, it's Pinkie. She won't stop screaming about being called 'extremely volatile', and it's giving me a headache." She winced again and stomped her hoof, "Pinkie, if you don't shut up I'm going to come in there and beat the living hell out of you, understood?"

'... Sorry.'

Twilight levitated the final two posters, grasping her own and bringing Fluttershy's up for her to take. She didn't, instead looking away from it and giving a little squeak. "What's wrong, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she lowered the poster away from her.

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight but kept her head down, "I d-don't think I want to r-read it..."

Twilight noted the shakiness in her friend's voice and spoke reassuringly, "That's fine, Fluttershy. Although I do think it would be for the best if we checked what they know about us."

Fluttershy nodded, "W-Well, if you wanted you c-could... I mean... Never mind, it d-doesn't matter."

Twilight thought on what she might have meant for a moment before speaking, "Would you like somepony else to read it for you instead?"

Fluttershy perked up and smiled demurely, "Y-Yes, please."

"Do you want me to read it?"

"If it isn't any trouble..."

Twilight levitated both posters before herself, "Of course not! I'll read mine first, then yours, okay? That way if you change your mind beforehoof you only have to say so."

"Th-Thank you, Twilight."

"No problem. Now then..." She brought her own poster to the front and began reading, as much to the others as to herself.

"Wanted: Twilight Sparkle
Species/race: Pony - Unicorn
Sex: Female
Eye colour: Violet
Mane colour: Sapphire blue with magenta streaks
Coat colour: Lavender
Cutie mark: Magenta six-pointed star, encircled by five smaller white stars (See right image)
Defining traits: Often attempts to demonstrate her intelligence and knowledge to those around her, Bearer of the Element of Magic

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Attempted murder
- Attempted regicide
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: A RANK - APPROACH WITH CAUTION. THIS INDIVIDUAL IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Capture of this individual is advised against unless her accomplices are not nearby.

A sum of 50,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts. A sum of 250,000 bits will be paid in exchange for the successful capture of this individual. Please note that due to this individual's status, she is not to be killed or seriously injured under any circumstances. Failure to comply with this condition will be punishable by lifelong banishment.

- Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Twilight had to resist the urge to spit as she read the name of her former mentor. Nevertheless, the moment she finished reading her horn sparked, a small beam shooting from the tip and through the Princess' signature, singing the paper around it.

Discord caught the stray beam between his fingers and shook his head at Twilight, "Temper, temper!" He regarded the now static spell closely before popping it into his mouth and smacking his lips loudly as he chewed, apparently savouring the flavour, "What do you know? Grapes!" He swallowed and belched loudly, wisps of purple smoke escaping from his ears, "There wouldn't happen to be any more where that came from, would there?"

It took Twilight a second to fully gather her wits. Despite becoming slowly accustomed to what Discord was capable of, watching him eat a spell intended to shoot through solid objects still caught her off-guard. She shook her head - causing Discord to groan disappointedly - and turned her attention to Fluttershy, "Still want me to read it, Fluttershy?"

"Y-Yes please." she whispered, an uneasy look on her face as she watched Twilight examine her poster.

Twilight cleared her throat and spoke as calmly as she could, attempting to put her friend's mind at ease despite the nature of the document.

"Wanted: Fluttershy
Species/race: Pony - Pegasus
Sex: Female
Eye colour: Cyan
Mane colour: Pale pink
Coat colour: Pale yellow
Cutie mark: Three butterflies, cyan bodies, pink wings (See right image)
Defining traits: Generally timid and will often shy away from conversation, often seen tending to animals, Bearer of the Element of Kindness

This individual is wanted by the Equestrian Crown Court for the following felonies:
- Conspiring against the Crown
- High treason
- Murder

The danger this individual presents has been deemed the following rank: A RANK - APPROACH ONLY WHEN ALONE. ACCOMPLICES ARE HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

All information pertaining to this individual should be reported to the local authorities as soon as possible. Capture of this individual is encouraged, provided her accomplices are not within the vicinity.

A sum of 50,000 bits will be paid in exchange for credible information regarding this individual's whereabouts. A sum of 250,000 bits will be paid in exchange for the successful capture of this individual. Please note that due to this individual's status, she is not to be killed or seriously injured under any circumstances. Failure to comply with this condition will be punishable by lifelong banishment.

- Signed, Princess Celestia: Diarch of Equestria and Head of the Equestrian Solar Guard."

Twilight dropped the poster beside the others, "That's all there is, Fluttershy. At least they can't hurt us if they come after us again, so I guess we should make the best of it and count ourselves lucky, huh?" Her statement was met with only the absence of sound, "Fluttershy?" She glanced at the pegasus, who stood facing Discord and Pinkamena, her mane hiding her features. Twilight swivelled her head to the others, only to see them staring back at Fluttershy with uneasy expressions. She hid the panic in her voice as best she could, "Wh-What's wrong?"

No one cared to answer, though Angel broke the silence by padding across to his owner and tentatively resting a paw against her foreleg. Twilight observed carefully. Angel seemed genuinely reluctant to disturb Fluttershy, sitting perfectly still, save for his extended paw, which moved only fractions of an inch either way. His ears were pressed flat against his head. Twilight sidestepped slowly until she was beside Pinkamena and Discord. She looked at Fluttershy from the front, but couldn't for the life of her understand what was wrong.

Then she saw her eyes.

Twilight froze, her breath hitching in her throat.

Fluttershy stared forwards, unmoving, unblinking. Her pupils, dilated. Her eyes, veritable pools of black. There was no direction to her gaze. No focus. No life in her eyes. She held no expression on her face whatsoever. Just a vacant stare. A cold, lifeless, empty stare.

Twilight felt wave after wave of dread take hold as she came to a chilling revelation. Fluttershy wasn't staring at her. She was staring through her.

She tried to speak. To ask her what was wrong. To beg her to snap out of it. But in the end, upon her fourth try, all she could manage was a hoarse, terrified whisper, "Fluttershy?"

Discord drew a breath loudly, drawing the attention of the two beside him by doing so. Twilight flicked her gaze between him and her friend, no longer trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "Discord, what's wrong with her!? What did you do!?" Without waiting for a response she made to dart to her friend, only for Discord to grip her tightly, pinning her in place.

"I did NOTHING!" Twilight felt a sliver of ice trickle down her spine at Discord's tone. It was clipped, and harsh, but it wavered heavily, as if he was trying to reign in his control. He was furious. "Don't... Do not. Move her."

Twilight felt her eyes tearing up, Discord's grip was hurting her enough as it was, and the situation was beginning to make her feel sick from anxiety, "W-What's wrong with her then!?"

Discord held out his free paw before Twilight's face, the poster bearing Fluttershy's visage appearing in it promptly, "This." A trail of blood red ink slithered across the parchment, encircling a single word.

'Murder'.

Twilight's eyes widened in horror, "So that means... H-He's dead!?"

Discord released her, "Yes. She's just come to the realisation that she's taken a life." his voice was growing louder and less composed with each word he spoke, and he realised it. He gave Twilight and Pinkamena a deathly glare, "Don't startle her. Don't question her. Don't mention anything that's just happened. Understood?"

The two nodded, Twilight rapidly, Pinkamena collectedly.

"I'll be back." He raised his paw, and his voice softened for a moment as he looked upon his friend, "Look after her." He vanished in a flash before either of them could ask where he was going.

Twilight turned to Pinkamena, "What do we do!?"

Pinkamena gestured at Fluttershy, "We do what he told us. We look after her. Or rather, you do."

"W-What?"

"Pinkie is constantly screaming instructions at me. I'm not putting up with it for however long it takes before he decides to come back. The two of you can deal with it."

Twilight watched as Pinkamena spaced out for a moment, followed by her hair slowly inflating, though notably not to its usual degree. Pinkie gave Twilight a nod but said nothing, quickly taking the cushions from the nearest seat and placing them beneath the pegasus. Without missing a beat, she addressed Twilight, "Twilight, summon my bed."

Twilight was beside herself with shock and confusion, "What?"

"Just do it." Twilight focused, and with some effort managed to materialise the bed Pinkie had been occupying. Pinkie immediately drew the quilt from the bed, trotting over to Fluttershy and draping it over her with extreme care. Twilight got the message and assisted where she could with her magic.

Still, Fluttershy didn't move. Angel nestled himself against her foreleg and clutched onto it desperately, to no noticeable effect on the pegasus. Pinkie and Twilight shared a quick glance, and both frowned in sadness, each trying their hardest to put aside their own hurt to help their friend.

Or at least prevent her from getting any worse.

Discord looked around. Sand, lots of it, stretching to the horizon in every direction. There weren't any ponies for miles, reducing the risk of being seen to zero. He was fortunate in that regard, for even if there had been, he couldn't have cared any less.

He wasted no time, sharply digging his paw into the sand beneath him, withdrawing a large heap. Grains streamed through his fingers as he held out his claw and waved it in an arc before him. He cast the sand forwards and snapped his fingers. The cloud he had sent forth dispersed and resettled, though only for a moment. Where the handful of sand had fallen, small shapes began to form. They grew, twisting and writhing, the material from which they were made changing, gradually becoming more solid and less resemblant of sand.

Discord watched, grinding his teeth impatiently as the figures took shape. The entire process took little over forty seconds.

Before him stood five living ponies. They appeared normal in every aspect but one, in that they had no cutie mark. They wouldn't need one for what Discord had planned for them. The process finished, and they collectively drew a sharp breath; their very first.

And for the one unfortunate individual that Discord singled out, her very last. He snapped his claw tightly around her neck, throttling her with pure murder in his eyes. She looked up in absolute terror, opening and closing her mouth rapidly as if to speak. Discord paid it no mind, they couldn't talk anyway. They might have seemed fine on the outside, but on the inside they possessed only the basic functions that were required for them to live.

And a few others of his choosing. Namely, the ability to scream.

"IT'S ALL. YOUR. FAULT!" he snarled as he closed his grip tighter, the mare's eyeballs swelling outwards as he squeezed, tiny droplets of blood leaking out from the edges. A gargled choke escaped her as he roared, "WHY HER!? WHY DID YOU TARGET HER!?" He slammed his grip shut around her throat, crushing it. A torrent of blood shot forth from her mouth, coating the majority of his claw and arm, but he wasn't phased in the slightest. He discarded her, her life ebbing away as she desperately tried, and failed, to breathe through her crushed windpipe. He looked down at her without trace of mercy and, without a second thought, smashed his hoof down onto her head, caving it in with a sickeningly wet crunch. Blood, brains, and pieces of her skull surrounded his hoof, and slid off it when he withdrew it. He didn't care, he was already moving towards his next victim.

The other ponies - two stallions and two mares - had been watching in horrified disbelief, but as the draconequus rounded on them, each cried out and turned to run. He didn't even allow them the hope of escaping. He snapped his fingers immediately, barbed chains bursting from the sand beneath each one, entangling and yanking them down, immobilising them. He didn't want to waste any time chasing them down; after all, they were for killing, not torturing. Torture was too slow. And he was too angry to waste his time with it.

The closest pony, a stallion, cried out in terror as Discord approached. A moment later, he found himself suspended between two obelisks by the barbed chains. They cut into him deeply, but he was too terrified to do much more than wince and hyperventilate with Discord looming over him. Discord glared at the captive pony and threw his arms out to either side, sending the obelisks in opposite directions, tightening the chains. The pony's breathing became even faster, but each exhalation was accompanied by an agonised whine as the chains sank through his flesh. With a final, blood-curdling screech from the stallion, the chains pulled completely taught, eviscerating him, the multiple sections of his bloody corpse now falling haphazardly to the sand beneath, the accompanying torrents of blood spraying everywhere before being greedily guzzled up by the thirsty desert sand.

The death of the second stallion followed promptly. Discord levitated him into the air, glowering at him as he kicked and screamed in a futile attempt to break free. With a savage growl, Discord plunged his claw into the pony's stomach, shoving it further and further with jerky movements until he wrapped his grasp around his spinal cord. The pony jerked spasmodically around his claw, his ruptured stomach convulsing in an attempt to expel the foreign object. Needless to say, it didn't. But without any food whatsoever within his stomach, and Discord's bloody claw blocking the path any drawn-up bile might take, the stallion couldn't stop retching. Discord yanked his claw outwards, a huge section the pony's spine tearing away and widening the hole his claw had created. He tossed the segment of spine from claw to paw to gain a firmer grip, levelled it with the stallions face, and thrust it forwards through his gaping mouth. It pierced through the back of his neck, dislodging what remained of the top-half of the stallion's spine with a resounding snap. He was dead before he hit the sand.

The remaining two mares were trembling wrecks by the time he had reached them. Even through his blinding anger, Discord could feel the lack of chaos energies at his disposal, having almost expended what little he had to spare. Still, this didn't deter his rage, it just left him to take a more simplistic approach. The first mare struggled fruitlessly against her chains as she felt a gash being carved into her neck by some unseen force, guided remotely by Discord's finger. With a flick of his wrist, her throat was slit open, and torrents of previously pressurised blood spurted forth with a horrendous spraying sound.

Discord turned to the final mare, dissipating the chains restraining her. She wouldn't run, she couldn't. She was bordering on hysteria, if not insanity; her mind was broken.

Just like Fluttershy's was.

Discord felt his rage soar beyond what he had felt to begin with. He snapped his fingers, the body of the survivor contorting and shifting, changing proportions rapidly; wasted chaos energies be damned. By the time the spell was finished, the mare before him bore an exact likeness to Princess Celestia herself, minus the royal attire and cutie mark. Discord didn't hesitate for a second. He threw himself at her, grasping her and slamming her face first into a newly-materialised concrete slab, breaking her nose and bending the top of her muzzle at an obscene angle. He raised her head, only to swing it down into the slab twice more before shifting his grip and hurling her several dozen meters across the dunes. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TO YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?" He teleported to her in an instant, kicking her in the side before forcing her to stand with his magic, "I'M GOING TO TORTURE YOU TO DEATH! OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!" His paw shot out, shattering her horn before he even managed to get a full grip on it, "YOU AND YOUR SISTER! I'LL FORCE YOU TO WATCH AS I GUT HER!" He drew back the horn and punctuated his statement by ramming it into the pseudo-alicorn's gut, twisting and jerking it as violently as he could manage.

The mare's expression was one of constant agony, but no sound escaped her lips, her shattered mind not extending the capability of screaming to her any longer. Discord left the horn lodged in her gut and got to work on her wings, slashing at them with paw and claw, tearing them to bloody strips, "I'LL TAKE YOUR WINGS! YOUR HORN! YOUR LOVED ONES! YOUR KINGDOM! YOUR SUBJECTS! YOUR SUN! I'LL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU, CELESTIA! EVERYTHING EXCEPT YOUR IMMORTALITY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SUFFER WITH ME UNTIL THE END OF TIME!" As he concluded his sentence he poured all his excess energies through his hands and into the broken mare. The sound of sizzling was heard for the briefest of moments, then her torso exploded, showering both Discord and the surrounding area with entrails.

The few structurally stable remnants of the body toppled over, and Discord fell onto his back in turn, panting heavily, still hissing with rage. He thought for not a moment on the acts he had just committed, only on the state of his friend. He intended to return as soon as possible, but doing so would've currently proven impossible considering the amount of magic he had wasted with the final blow, in combination with the other methods of magical execution he had utilised. He contemplated it for a moment, this would definitely mean more rest and recuperation for him, delaying their movement east, 'Not good...'

He cast his eyes over the gore-spattered sand as his rage gradually receded, and subsequently looked himself over. He was just as filthy, if not more. He gave a hefty sigh, figuring that it wouldn't be the brightest idea to offer help to his traumatised friend whilst covered in the blood and organs of five different ponies.

Although he managed to summon up enough magic to clean himself up, he grumbled and cursed loudly at Celestia's hell-spawned sun as it beat down upon him mercilessly, "You're a real monster, Celestia, you know that?"

Using his claw he carefully pinched a nearby set of ropey intestines and threw them a good distance away, "Here I am, out in the desert heat, knee-deep in clotting blood and baking entrails." He sighed, "If there's a punch-line to this one, I don't even want to hear it..." He glanced up, watching with mild interest as a solitary vulture swooped down and began picking at some of the more distant body parts, "I'll be back soon, Fluttershy..."

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay guys, I do plan on picking the pace back up again when I can. On a positive note, the next chapter is actually a part of this that got carried over, I'm just adding a few parts to it, so it should be done pretty soon. Now then, three announcements:

1) I've updated the map to show where Twilight and the others currently are (I should've done this last chapter, but sorta forgot :| Here's the link.

2) Last A/N I said 'all would be revealed' about Fluttershy's Element in this chapter. As I've stated above, I carried some of this chapter over to the next one, that's why it wasn't in here. It should definitely be in the next one.

3) At the time I'm writing this the story has 199 favs :D Once it gets one more favourite I'll be doing a little celebratory thing on my Twitch live stream, and upload it to my channel a little later on in case anyone that wants to see it misses it. I plan on playing the new Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Should be terrifyingly hilarious :P

I'll have more details on that in the A/N of the next chapter (I'm hoping by then I'll have earned +1 favs :P).

Until then, thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys later.

- Mike, bringing everyone the 'scope' of things to come.