"Only a few months after I magically meddled with Reginald and his army, the Chaos Wars were slowly, but visibly, beginning to draw to a close." Discord's expression remained unreadable to those that sat before him as he began his tale, "Those that had surrounded Reginald's last remaining city-turned-stronghold had been swiftly wiped out, as I told you last time. However, the coming end of the wars wasn't down to Reginald and his army alone, not by any stretch of the imagination. Across Equestria, previously divided factions were uniting under a common banner, banding together in a coalition the likes of which had never been seen before. Word had spread of two sisters, powerful beyond mortal measure, leading this new order; I'm sure you're all aware of whom I speak?"

Pinkie nodded, "The Princesses."

"Correct. Well, they didn't possess the title at the time, but yes, Celestia and Luna. Reginald's faction was a part of this order, had been for quite some time, in fact. The problem was, one of the basic principles of the order was mutual defence, that if one of its members came under siege or attack, the other members were obligated to provide the necessary assistance. However, when the ragtag rogue armies that had desolated so much of Reginald's kingdom set their sights on his last remaining city, nopony came to his aid. Or, more accurately, nopony could."

"Why not?" Fluttershy asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Celestia herself began leading a large contingent of soldiers towards the city as soon as she caught word of Reginald's predicament. But the promise of taking Reginald's capital city - Hollow Shades - proved quite the incentive for the wandering armies of the time; everypony wanted to claim it as their own. Although uncoordinated, these forces were intelligent enough to understand that help would promptly be on the way for Reginald, and that Celestia's armies would decimate theirs if they had their backs turned whilst they dealt with him."

He stroked his beard in thought as he recalled the events, "Some decided to attack regardless, pressing on towards Hollow Shades, confident that they could seize the city as their own before their competitors. Most, however, remained a good distance from the capital, waiting instead to intercept the reinforcements Celestia would inevitably bring." He shook his head in amusement, "The fools were slaughtered. They were too few in number, too uncoordinated, and too confident. Only a united force could have hoped to have stood against Celestia's charge. One by one, these small armies of rogues and mercenaries were cut down, but still, they caused Celestia's troops to tire, and slowed their progress towards Hollow Shades significantly between them. It took Celestia and her forces nearly six days to make a two day journey. Imagine her surprise when the forces she had set out to protect Reginald from were nothing more than piles of bodies and pools of gore by the time she finally arrived." He smiled at the memory and chuckled to himself, "She was certainly surprised, indeed."

The others shifted uncomfortably, though Fluttershy in particular seemed noticeably unsettled by Discord's recollection. Despite such, Twilight spoke up, "Wait a second, you keep saying Hollow Shades. As in, our destination?"

Discord nodded, "The very same, if I'm not mistaken." He held his paw to his mouth in a shushing motion as Twilight opened her mouth to speak, "Questions later, my inquisitive little student."

Begrudgingly, Twilight closed her mouth and set her expression to one of mild irritation without a word.

With another nod, this time of appreciation rather than confirmation, Discord continued, "But yes, by the time Celestia reached the city proper, Reginald had already taken care of business, so to speak. Celestia and her forces left for other battles once they had ascertained that there was no longer a significant danger posed to Hollow Shades. Once she had gone, however, Reginald took advantage of his newfound powers to the best of his ability - unaware of the consequences that would follow." He gave Pinkie a brief look, "And here's where things get darker..."

Pinkie noticed his pause and gave him a small but certain smile of encouragement, "It's fine, Discy, let's hear it."

"Alright..." He cracked his knuckles absent-mindedly as he spoke, "One by one, Reginald retook the cities that had been stolen from him. Fuelled by the magic I had gifted them, he and his soldiers were relentless, nigh-unstoppable even, but bloodthirsty; they left no survivors, even when the enemy would surrender or flee. It didn't take long at all for Reginald and his army to regain their territories and re-establish their borders once again, the fearsome reputation they had earned during their retaliatory campaign of vengeance acting as a deterrent against invasion. Not long after, refugees from all over Equestria began flocking to Reginald's lands, throwing themselves at his mercy and begging for shelter within his borders, certain that the kingdom of King Reginald was the closest thing to a safe haven that existed during the wars. Well, for those that were earthbound, at least; Cloudsdale was probably the most heavily fortified city in Equestria, if not the world, by that point."

Again, he shook his head, but he didn't laugh this time, "Reginald let them in, despite the struggles he was already having trying to keep his subjects content, and his battle against the magic within him. Several months passed before the next domino fell. Out of the blue, Reginald ordered his forces to attack a small neighbouring faction; his ally, and a member of Celestia's order just like him. The cities burned, the spoils were taken, and the citizens were massacred. It was as if he were assaulting the homeland of a bitter enemy, not a long-term ally."

The mares before him displayed various degrees of confusion, though Pinkie held a tinge of horror on her face as she stared at him with her mouth slightly agape, "But why? Why would he do something like that?"

Discord shrugged, "Pinkie, that's a question I asked myself many a time over my thousand year imprisonment, and I still don't have a definite answer. By that point, his alter ego obviously must have taken control, but even so, I don't understand the motive... Revenge, greed, or even just the bloodlust my magic gave him? All are possible, but I don't think I'll ever know for sure. Regardless of his motives, Celestia was pissed. Fast-forward a few days and I see Celestia herself marching into Hollow Shades with a personal escort of elite soldiers, demanding an immediate explanation for Reginald's actions." Again, he shook his head, "The King greeted her warmly and invited her inside."

Discord frowned as he thought back, "I don't know what was said inside that castle, but I certainly won't forget what happened whilst they were saying it. Just about all the refugees that had come to the city seeking sanctuary simply took their families and ran. Swarms of ponies just scrambling to get away. I didn't even realise what from until I noticed that the only ones that hadn't ran were those whose manes had fallen flat over their faces..."

Twilight gasped slightly, "Your magic-"

"Had taken its hold in all of them, yes. Stallions, mares, foals, anypony afflicted with my magic, and they were all converging on the location of Celestia's elite warriors. They attacked without hesitation, despite many of them only wielding the tools of their trade, or in some cases, no weapons or armour at all. Celestia's warriors, on the other hand, were fully equipped and battle-hardened. The fighting that broke out was fierce, though Celestia's troops didn't have much of a choice but to go on the defensive, given that they were promptly surrounded and heavily outnumbered as they tried to make their way towards the castle."

Discord snapped his fingers, a small flame appearing between them as he did so, "The next thing I saw was fire, and lots of it I might add, blasting through the castle windows, along with the occasional burning body."

Twilight felt herself frown as she recalled a similar sight, "Celestia?"

"Celestia indeed." The flame in his hand grew at the mention of her name, now stretching almost to his head in height, "I'd make a joke about heated negotiations, but this is one of the few times where it really isn't appropriate."

The others noted the flat tone to his voice, and shared a disbelieving look before turning back to him with apparent shock on their faces, though Pinkie reined herself in almost immediately, giving Discord a small smile and a nod, "Thanks, Discy. It means a lot."

Without a change in his flat expression, or a reaction to the looks Fluttershy, Twilight, and Angel were giving him, Discord returned the nod and continued, "After the fireball, Reginald and Celestia broke out onto one of the castle balconies, locked in combat. I don't know what weapon Reginald was fighting with, but it looked like some sort of spear; I didn't get close enough before the end came." He snapped his fingers a final time, causing the flame between them to burn brightly before it whirled violently upwards, roaring towards the roof and disappearing in a burst of light, "Celestia got the upper hoof, shot a wave of fire that I felt from the outskirts of the city, and vaporised him."

Silence followed as everyone slowly turned their heads from Discord to Pinkie, apparently stunned by the abruptness of it all. Pinkie seemed more confused than anything else, raising an eyebrow as she addressed him, "J-Just like that? Really?"

"Just like that." His voice held a slight tone of solemness to it, "Literally gone in a flash. No great sacrifice, no heroic final stand, nothing; that's war I'm afraid, ladies."

Pinkie shook herself from her thoughts and glanced back up at Discord, "It's... sad, really. He was only trying to do what was best for his subjects..."

Discord hummed in agreement, "He certainly was unique in that regard. I have to admit, I felt a twinge of... something, when it happened. Something I hadn't felt before..."

"Loss?" Fluttershy asked, sympathy for Pinkie, Discord, and the long-deceased King clear on her face as she placed a reassuring hoof on Pinkie's shoulder, "Like you'd lost a friend?"

Discord frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head, "Loss? Probably, yes. Of a friend? No, I don't think so. Reginald was simply an... acquaintance that I'd decided was worth investing in. I meddled on his behalf and pulled some strings in his favour, but I don't think we knew each other well enough to regard one another as friends."

"I see..." Fluttershy averted her eyes and grimaced slightly at the implications of Discord's long-term loneliness.

Despite also having placed a reassuring hoof on Pinkie's back, Twilight couldn't help but ask the question gnawing at her,"What happened next?"

After waiting for a moment so as to ensure he had the attention of all in the room, Discord spoke up, "Everything burned. Celestia made sure of it. A good number of her soldiers had been cut down or overwhelmed by the citizens attacking them, and she made sure to repay them in kind. It took her about forty minutes to almost single-hoofedly purge an entire city."

"Wait a second." Twilight's voice held an edge of worry, "Earlier you said that everypony afflicted by your magic stayed in the city, including the foals..."

"I did." Discord caught the disgusted and somewhat furious expression that made its way onto Twilight's face, "I won't defend her actions, Twilight, but the foals were just as dangerous as the others."

Twilight shook her head, "Even so, this is just... unbelievable. Foals. She killed foals Discord. Nopony can justify that, no matter which way they spin it; not even you."

Discord shrugged passively, "And I'm not going to try. Although really, nopony was in the right in the end; Reginald's forces did the same to the settlement they raided shortly beforehand."

Twilight simply shook her head and glared at the floor as if to melt it under her furious gaze.

Discord turned his attention to Pinkie, who returned another encouraging smile after Twilight rose her head once again. He cleared his throat, "After... that, the majority of the survivors realised they didn't have a chance of standing against her, and abandoned what remained of the city, leaving Celestia to begin searching for something, I don't know what; she just trudged through the streets without any apparent direction until she wound up back at the castle." He scratched his nose absent-mindedly, wood shavings falling from it as he did so, "By this point, it was almost completely ablaze, and falling apart at the seams, just like the rest of the city. I was as surprised as her when Reginald's wife staggered out of the smoke."

"His wife?" Twilight's voice held a hesitant tone, "Did-" She gave Pinkie a sideways glance, to which the mare responded with a brief nod, despite the lack of emotion on her face, "Did Celestia... you know?"

Discord shook his head, "Kill her? No. Rosea was both distraught and furious, obviously, but like the few that had managed to flee, she had enough sense about her to know that attacking Celestia would likely result in a premature cremation. No, she just stood within the slowly collapsing castle, staring Celestia down as she tried to coax her out. Celestia wasn't making much progress, and promptly elected to approach her instead." Discord snapped his fingers once more, the sounds of roaring flames and groaning masonry filling the air, "In all fairness, I shouldn't have intervened; I'd already assisted Reginald with his kingdom's survival far too much as it stood, and that didn't exactly go to plan... I suppose I was just sore over losing such an interesting character so abruptly."

"W-What did you do?" Fluttershy asked.

A final snap of his fingers heralded a horrendous cacophony of crashing and smashing, though it quickly died down, the sound of crumbling rocks and raging fires once again taking precedence, "I brought down the structure between them, just to spite Celestia and foil her attempts from a distance. As it turned out, that was all the opportunity the Queen needed to escape. She ran for the woods and didn't look back until she reached them. Celestia, on the other hand, had to deal with the blockage first. By the time she broke through, Queen Rosea was gone."

Pinkie waved a hoof to catch his attention as she spoke, "Discy?"

Discord waved back in an exasperated fashion, "Pinkie?"

"It's not that I don't care, this is actually super interesting, even if it is sad..." She paused for a second as she pondered over it, "But why are you telling us all this?"

Discord hummed and gave her an approving smile, "That's certainly a good question, Pinkie. To sum it up, I'm telling you this because I'm going to ask you a question that - depending on your answer - could change the world as we know it." He watched as all eyes in the room slowly turned towards Pinkie, and suppressed the urge to chuckle at the expressions on Twilight and Fluttershy's faces, "As a result, I need to fill you in on your family history as much as possible."

Pinkie gave a somewhat hesitant nod, surprising those around her as apparent nervousness took hold in her voice, "O-Okay, so... What else do I need to know?"

"I didn't know it back then, but I now believe that Rosea was pregnant with her husband's foal when she fled Hollow Shades. I don't know if Reginald bore any foals to any other mares or not, but I doubt such was the case. Rosea is my safest guess on who carried the foal bearing Reginald's undiluted chaos magic, the magic that you, in turn, have inherited."

"Wait a second..." Pinkie scrutinised the floor beneath her as she scrunched her brow in thought, "So you're saying that I might not even be here today if you didn't collapse that castle?"

He shrugged, "Well, that wasn't what I was getting at, but yes, I suppose that's true too."

Pinkie grinned to herself and shook her head amusedly, though a slight sniffle could be heard as she smiled up at Discord, "This is the second time you've told us that I have you to thank for actually just being here today."

She attempted to stand, and promptly found herself clad in tight chains that bound her to her seat. Discord smiled back, but waved a finger disapprovingly at her as she pouted, "A 'thank you' will suffice, Pinkie. I'm not letting you squeeze the life out of me again."

After several seconds of struggling, Pinkie eventually resigned herself to her fate and gave an exaggerated sigh, "Fine. Thanks for saving my life a thousand years before I was born, Discy."

Discord caught Twilight and Angel rolling their eyes and lightly chuckled to himself, "You're very welcome, Pinkie. Now then, if that's taken care of..." He snapped his fingers, uncoiling the chains binding Pinkie and slithering them into his grasp. He went about rolling them into a solid ball as he glanced around at the others, though his focus remained on Pinkie for the vast majority of the process, "The reason I'm telling you all this is because, as you know, the magic that you possess within you is the very same that Reginald possessed before his demise; pure and undiluted across generations. If I'm right about what's to come, that magic is the key to the success of the next stage of my plan."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Which is?"

Discord fixed each of them with a deadly serious stare, meeting Pinkie's gaze last and holding it as he continued, "Something that none of you are going to like." He dropped the ball of iron from his grasp, allowing it to slam into the floor with a surprisingly loud thud that served to punctuate his sentence, "The magic that I imbued into Reginald's subjects was strong, and long-lasting. Very long lasting. So much so that, even through death, it persisted."

Twilight shook her head, an edge of worry seeping into her voice, "You're right, I don't like where this is going..."

"Somehow, the magic that I gifted those ponies has remained tethered to the land of the living. Even now, I can feel it calling out..." He closed his eyes for a short moment before turning to Fluttershy and Pinkie in turn, "This might require some explaining, ladies, bear with me." Both nodded as Discord gestured towards Twilight, "As our resident unicorn is probably aware, a pony's magic is an intrinsic part of his or her being, even in earth ponies and pegasi. Whilst a pony can live without it, it's extremely difficult."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "But even when a pony is drained of their magic, there's always some that can't be extracted. That's the innermost magic that keeps us alive, and it doesn't vanish until we die of another cause." She furrowed her brow in confusion, "But... when we do, that's it, the magic should be lost."

"And yet, for whatever reason, the magic I gifted them has remained after all these years." Discord raised an eyebrow and turned to Twilight, whose eyes had began to widen somewhat, "Do you see what I'm getting at?"

Twilight shook her head vigorously, "You can't be suggesting what I think you are?"

Discord stared at her, his face expressionless, "I'm afraid I am."

"S-Suggesting what?" Fluttershy stammered, glancing between the two with unease on her face.

Twilight turned to Fluttershy with a similar expression on her own, "I-If the magic that Discord gave those ponies is still here, then their beings m-might not have actually passed on." She shuddered and addressed Discord hesitantly, "That is what you're getting at, right?"

He nodded, "Right."

Pinkie squinted in confusion, "So... What does that mean, exactly?"

Twilight looked Pinkie straight in the eye, a great deal of worry now clearly evident on her face, "Pinkie... Discord wants to raise the dead."

The prolonged silence that followed was eventually broken by Pinkie, who spoke in a somewhat stunned tone, "Shit... You're not kidding, are you?"

Despite herself, Twilight managed to choke and cough in response to Pinkie's sudden choice of language, rendering her unable to give a proper response other than shaking her head as Pinkie reached over and absent-mindedly patted her on the back.

Discord folded his arms and shook his head in conjunction with Twilight, "I'm afraid she wasn't, no. If I'm right then there might be a chance we can bring them back."

Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth, "B-But that's..."

"Definitely not happening." Twilight chimed in, having swiftly dealt with her coughing fit. She stood up and moved a few steps towards Discord, a disgusted yet somewhat bewildered look on her face as she did so, "After everything that's happened, you've brought us half way across Equestria just on the assumption that you can bring those ponies back to life?"

"Well, I'd call it more of an educated guess-"

"Even worse, you're actually suggesting necromancy!? There's no way in hell that's happening!"

The repulsed look on her face lingered even as Discord shot her a stern glare, "I don't recall asking you, Twilight, nor will that decision fall to you regardless."

Fluttershy glanced between the two, "Twilight, Dis-"

"So, what? We're just going to piss around with the very worst of dark magic just so we can parade an army of corpses!? Are you insane!?"

Discord gave her a second's worth of incredulous staring before responding, "Yes. Yes I am." He matched her expression as she snarled at him in irritation, "Besides, what I have in mind is entirely different to necromancy."

Again, Fluttershy raised her voice somewhat, "Please! Can't we-"

Twilight snorted, "Oh, well that's just great! That makes everything fine then, doesn't it!? Grab a shovel, everypony, we're going grave robbing!"

Discord flared his nostrils, a short jet of flame shooting from each, "You're starting to try my patience, Tw-"

"Alright! That's enough!" Each of the room's occupants covered their ears and swivelled around to see Pinkie standing, her eyebrows furrowed in disapproval, "Settle down, both of you."

A brief glance was shared between Discord and Twilight before the latter returned to her seat with a huff. Discord promptly turned his attention to Pinkie, "Nicely done. I suppose an explanation is in order?"

"Yeah..." She paused for a moment as she scratched her head, "Let's start from the beginning. You actually think you can bring them back to life?"

"I do." Discord responded without hesitation, "I can't be one hundred percent certain, but I think we've got a good chance of success if I'm right."

Pinkie scrunched her brow, "And what happens if you're wrong?"

"Hmm..." He removed his antler and began twirling it between his fingers as he thought over the question, "Worst case scenario, nothing happens."

Twilight lowered an eyebrow, a sceptical tone seeping into her voice, "Really? You're talking about necromancy, and you're saying the only potential repercussion of failure is that you won't succeed?"

Without warning, Discord launched his antler at Twilight, only to yank it back towards him at the last moment with a string attached to his finger. A disgruntled look remained upon his face as he proceeded to yo-yo the detached appendage, "Yes. And again, it's not necromancy, not technically."

Pinkie tilted her head slightly after forcing herself to divert her attention from the display, "So it's safe? For us and them?"

Discord nodded, "Yes." He turned to Fluttershy, noticing the enquiring look in her eyes, "What is it, Fluttershy?"

She blushed slightly as she tried to find a way to voice her thoughts, "I- It's- If you do it, they aren't r-really going to be like Twilight said, are they?" She took a deep breath, "W-Walking corpses?"

Discord smiled amusedly for a moment before forcing himself into neutralness as she hung her head in embarrassment, "I shouldn't think so, no. It's been a thousand years since they died. Even if we were to use necromancy, we'd be far more likely to be raising bare skeletons, if anything at all." He noticed her lack of movement and allowed a small degree of warmth into his voice, "It was a valid question, Fluttershy, I'm just surprised that you were so quick to believe Twilight is all." She raised her head in confusion, at which he whispered loudly to her from behind his paw, "We all know she can go off on a tangent from time to time."

Fluttershy chuckled lightly to herself, even as Twilight lit her horn with a warning spell. After a moment or two, the unicorn caught him with his mouth hanging open and sighed, cancelling the spell, "You're just waiting to eat it, aren't you?"

He glanced from side to side before slowly pressing his jaw closed with a single talon and giving a long, drawn out, "No..."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Very mature."

Discord stuck out his tongue in response, "More mature than pointing and shouting 'necromancer!' at every given opportunity."

Pinkie hummed thoughtfully to herself, glancing between Twilight and Discord as she did so, "Discy, why do you and Twilight keep arguing about 'necromancy' and... whatever it is you're planning on? What's the difference?"

Discord raised a questioning eyebrow at Twilight, "Would you like to do the honours?"

She shook her head with a snort, "You're the one that's complicating everything, and I haven't got a clue what you're planning on doing. You explain it."

"Better than you drawling on, I suppose." He muttered under his breath before turning to Pinkie, "To put it briefly, Pinkie, necromancy is one of the darkest magical arts in existence. It allows the user to raise the corpses of fallen beings, friend or foe alike, and regardless of the state of the body, to do their bidding, often to violent effect. The body of the target effectively becomes a hollow puppet to be controlled by the necromancer."

He caught the grim nod Twilight gave him, and the slight paleness on Fluttershy's face, "But I'll spare you the other needlessly grisly details. Suffice to say, it's unpleasant, at best, and its use was forbidden by Celestia herself soon after the end of the Chaos Wars. Almost every known text containing any information on the subject was confiscated by the Crown, or destroyed. Some remain scattered across Equestria, obviously, but they're few and far between, and necromancers themselves, even more so. Given the dangerous nature of the texts that were confiscated, some claim that the grimoires themselves might actually hold some sway over those that read them; those in the princesses' custody are kept under lock and key in a forbidden section of the Canterlot Archives, along with other forbidden magical arts, supposedly for that reason."

At that, he gave Twilight a brief glance, but promptly continued, "But I digress. The difference between necromancy and what I'm planning is that, for all intents and purposes, I should be able to bring them back exactly as they were before they died, free will and all."

"How?" Both Pinkie and Twilight asked simultaneously.

Discord gestured towards Pinkie, "The chaos magic that Pinkie possesses within her is a pure, stronger version of the magic that the rest of Hollow Shades' inhabitants received. As we all know, this magic is intertwined with Pinkie's genes, and the same goes for the others that received my magic. If their magic still remains here, it stands to reason that I could, with a little luck, reconstruct them through their lingering magic alone."

Twilight nodded slowly, totally focused on Discord's words, "So... you're effectively reconstructing them from the genetic material the magic is merged with, but because they'll be resurrected using the same magic that they possessed in life..."

He nodded back, "Their consciousness will be transferred into their 'new' bodies."

Twilight sat still, apparently stunned, "That... could actually work." Her tone sounded hollow as she considered it, "This is insane..."

Discord gave a smirk at her reaction, "This is exactly the reason why I refrained from revealing everything to you at the beginning of our journey. Would you honestly have believed me back then if I had told you my intention was to raise the dead from a millennia past?"

Twilight shook her head, clearing her throat as she did so, "No, but there's still something I don't understand."

"And that is?"

Twilight pointed at Pinkie, "What does Pinkie's magic have to do with it?"

Discord's smirk vanished, "Ah, as a matter of fact, everything. It's the key to the success - or indeed, the failure - of this entire endeavour."

Pinkie's voice held an edge of nervousness, "It is?"

"It is. Although, 'anchor' would be a more accurate way to describe your magic than a key."

She tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"What I intend to do, should we go through with this, is to use your magic as the base for the spell. Think of it as..." He hummed for a moment before snapping his fingers, an antique radio appearing in his grasp, "Tuning in to the right wavelength. If I start with you, then branch outwards, I'll have a solid base to work from and pull our 'friends' to."

"It's not that simple at all, is it?" Twilight stated matter-of-factly, giving a defeated shake of her head as she did so.

Discord gave a chuckle that quickly progressed into full-blown laughter, the radio in his paw crackling into life with the sounds of a large audience doing the same, "No, Twilight! Not by a long shot!" He glanced at her and the others momentarily before clutching his stomach and doubling over in another bout of hysterical laughter, leaving the others to glance at one another uncertainly, and with no small amount of confusion.

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows, "What's so funny?"

He spent a moment calming himself before shaking his head, grasping his tail and using it to wipe the tears from his eyes as the radio disappeared, "The understatement! Twilight, this will quite possibly be one of the single most complicated magical feats ever performed in the history of magic. One does not 'simply' bring millennia old ponies back to life in the thousands!"

Twilight blew upwards into her mane in irritation, "Fine, whatever."

He clutched a hand over his chest, "Oh, Twilight, don't be like that! I'd explain it all to you if I had a few spare years lying around."

Twilight rolled her eyes and murmured under her breath, leaving Discord to turn his attention back to Pinkie, "My apologies, Pinkie, we're straying from the matter at hand somewhat, aren't we?"

Pinkie remained uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments, staring pensively at the floor as she spoke, "It's fine..."

Discord stroked his beard as he examined her, "It's a lot to take in, I understand, especially in your case. Even so, I imagine you've already gathered what I'm going to ask next."

Pinkie nodded, shaken from her thoughts as she glanced up at him, "Whether or not I want to go through with it, right?" She caught Discord's approving nod, "I... I really don't know."

Discord remained still and silent until he was sure she would say nothing else, at which point he spoke up, "If we're to go through with this, I'll need your full co-operation. It will definitely be difficult, so much so that - even if I wanted to - I wouldn't be able to force you to participate and cast the spell simultaneously anyway. You have to be absolutely certain that you want to go through with this if you say yes."

Pinkie hung her head in deep thought, speaking without looking up, "I've got so many questions... So does Pinkamena..."

Discord allowed himself to fall backwards, only to be caught by his favourite cloud at the last second, "I'd be curious if you didn't. After all, they are, by all rights, your subjects. Ask away."

She ran a hoof through her mane, catching a few knots as she did so, "What are you actually bringing them back for?"

"Several reasons," he began without hesitation. "Namely, the fact that they will almost undoubtedly follow you upon learning of your lineage; they were nothing if not loyal. Furthermore, each possessed my magic, so I assume that they'll still retain the ability to fight as they once did, which should prove invaluable." He began counting off the points on his claw, "There's also the benefit of having a large, skilled workforce, something we'll definitely need if we're to set up a real threat to Celestia." He glanced down at Pinkie, taking note of her attentive expression, "In addition, there's also the simple fact that, by bring those ponies back to life, we'll be offering them a second chance at a life they never had, as well as a shot at revenge for what Celestia did to them."

Pinkie rubbed her chin in thought, "Right..."

"And, well, I suppose there's always the fact that without this major stage of the plan taking place, we're probably pretty much fucked."

Twilight fixed him with a deadpan expression and gave a very blunt, "What?"

He held up his hands defensively, "We need followers to accomplish our goals, Twilight. There's only so far we can go with just the few of us, and things haven't exactly gone perfectly; my original plan was to have us gone from Canterlot and far, far away by the time anypony realised that the three you hadn't simply gone missing."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow, "So Pinkie doesn't have a choice at all, then?"

Discord shook his head disapprovingly, "We could gather followers over time if Pinkie refuses, but the process would be lengthy and dangerous if we were to be sold out. Even so, it's her choice, I won't force her." He turned to Pinkie before Twilight could continue, "Any other questions?"

Pinkie looked down at the floor in thought, "Will it hurt them?"

He didn't move a muscle, save for a slight shrug of his shoulder as he responded, "I honestly don't know. I wouldn't imagine so, but I've never undergone the procedure myself, being immortal and whatnot."

Pinkie nodded contemplatively before her voice noticeably lowered in pitch, accompanied by the telltale straightening of her mane, "Do me a favour and imagine that it will." She brushed her mane away from her face briefly, revealing a serious look in her eye, "Exactly how much would it hurt?"

Discord squinted in concentration as he thought over it, "Somewhere in the realms of a great deal, most likely. The procedure itself shouldn't take too long once I've got the framework set up; it can't, we'd draw too much attention if I took my time. But even if I hurry through it, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't exactly tickle to have their bodies reconstructed from nothingness. This is provided, of course, that they're even aware of it happening, which I doubt."

Pinkamena let out something of a hum as she casually stroked her own cheek with a hoof, "I see... You said that they'll follow me?" She paused for a moment before sighing and tapping her forehead, "Us, once they find out we're the rightful heirs, right?"

He nodded, smirking as a gaudy golden crown appeared atop the mare's head in a flash of light, "That's correct." He genuflected, making sure to over-exaggerate every movement he could, "I behold Queen Pinkamena Diane Pie, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Hollow Shades."

Pinkamena stared at him flatly until the wonky placement of the crown caused it to slide and fall from her head, "Done?" She waited for him to stand again, frowning as her patience thinned.

Discord tipped his head, though his grin could still be easily seen, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Pinkamena caught the disapproving look that Fluttershy was giving the draconequus, but waved it away with a hoof, "Seriously, how is it that me and Pinkie are going to be in charge?"

Discord tilted his head slightly, "I'm afraid I don't follow, Ma'am?"

With a huff, Pinkamena stomped on the crown's side, crumpling it with surprising force before kicking the crushed remains towards him, "Surely Reginald would be brought back along with the rest of them?"

Discord pouted as he picked up the destroyed crown, hanging it from his antler before continuing, "He would, were his magic still around to call upon. I don't know why, but I haven't sensed any trace of him since his death. Honestly, I wouldn't be so eager to bring them all back if they were under his leadership anyway, I doubt his interests would have coincided with our own."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow sceptically, "So he's completely gone? Sounds convenient for you."

Discord rolled his eyes, replacing them in their sockets before responding with a sigh, "Maybe I should incinerate you with the heat of the sun and see if your magic survives the fire?"

She chuckled to herself, brushing a hoof through her mane and smiling an almost predatory smile as she did so, "You wouldn't dare, you'd miss me too dearly." She reached over and wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's shoulders, pressing her face very close the the pegasus' as she looked back up at Discord, "Besides, Fluttershy here would never forgive you. Would you, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy sat stock still, her eyes darting frantically between Pinkamena and Discord as a mixture of fear and embarrassment overtook her at the mare's proximity, "N-N-No."

Pinkamena cocked an eyebrow at the draconequus, "See?" She moved slightly closer, brushing her cheek against Fluttershy's for a moment and giggling to herself at the ever-so-quiet squeak that the mare failed to muffle, speaking in a low, nigh conspiratorial whisper, "Thanks, Fluttershy." She slowly released the mare and returned to her previous position, leaving Fluttershy to sit in silence with a puzzled expression on her now visibly red face. Pinkamena spoke to Discord again without hesitation, "There's something else. Even if Reginald can't be brought back, what about Pinkie's parents, or older siblings? Aren't they technically the rightful heirs?"

Discord, frowning at the mare following her previous display, nodded begrudgingly, "Yes, technically they are."

Pinkamena held out a hoof expectantly, "So?"

He sighed and folded his arms, "I should've thought you, of all ponies, would have gathered by now. We lie, Pinkamena. As far as they know, the two of you have no other living relatives, and we're going to keep it that way."

She nodded, "I guessed as much, but we'll all have to be quite careful about what we say, and who we say it to..."

Neither Twilight nor Fluttershy seemed too enthused with the idea, though both remained quiet as Pinkamena turned to glance pointedly at the two of them. Without turning to look back at Discord, Pinkamena closed her eyes and shuffled in her seat slightly, speaking slowly and in an almost husky tone as she did so, "Well, this should definitely be interesting. I say you do it, I wouldn't mind ruling a kingdom of my own; certainly beats a cell, eh, Pinkie?"

With that, she slumped slightly before her mane regained some of its usual bounce, the softened features of Pinkie once again visible to the room's occupants as she opened her eyes, though the mare remained quiet and stared pensively at the floor beneath her. It took a few moments before she raised her head and met the gazes of her friends, responding with a small smile despite the uncharacteristic sadness in her eyes, "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Twilight and Fluttershy traded glances, but neither seemed able to find the words to comfort their friend. In the end, Fluttershy resolved to place a reassuring hoof on her back, whilst Twilight turned her attention to Discord, "What now?"

"Now we decide." He removed the broken crown from his antler and began twirling it around a talon, seemingly paying more attention to it than Twilight as he spoke with an evidently bored tone in his voice, "Do please tell me how the very idea of resurrecting the dead is abhorrent and magically deplorable, Twilight."

Twilight furrowed her brow and turned her head, glaring at him from the corner of her eye in indignation, "Grow up. That's not what I was going to say."

Discord briefly turned his attention from the crown to her, betraying no emotion as he fixed her with his disinterested gaze, "Really?" He made sure to drawl the word until he saw Twilight's upper lip twitch ever-so-slightly.

She squinted at him for a moment before continuing, "What I was going to say was that, from an objective standpoint, I'm still unsure whether or not we should be doing this, but personally I don't think it's right." She looked between the others, though mostly at Pinkie, as she went on, "Even if it isn't technically necromancy, what he's planning on doing is resurrecting the dead. It's forbidden for a reason, and even if he thinks he can pull it off safely, there's still the potential that something could go very, very wrong in the process." She turned back to Discord, noting his raised eyebrow, "As you said yourself, this could be one of the most complicated magical feats in history, and there's always the potential for error with magic, no matter how safe you think it is. It doesn't sit right with me, especially since Pinkie has to be nearby when it happens. I'd rather not take any chances with magic that's better left alone."

Discord folded his arms, allowing the crown he previously held to disappear in a flash of light, "Says the unicorn that utilised some of the most unstable magic in existence for the express purpose of torture." He caught the mixture of guilt and anger that flashed across Twilight's features, as well as the confusion and uncertainty that the other two shared, "It seems Twilight here didn't care to tell you the story of exactly what happened after you left on the day Calamity came, did she?"

Fluttershy glowered up at him, the severity in her voice and expression catching him somewhat off guard, "That's enough, Discord. Whatever happened, we're not talking about that day, not now." She held her glare for a few more moments before shaking her head and casting a sympathetic glance towards Twilight, who had averted her gaze.

Pinkie, for her part, remained relatively neutral, save for looking expectantly at the draconequus before her. After several seconds of such, Discord sighed and spoke again with resignation, "You'll need discuss that with them at some point anyway, Twilight, but I suppose that was somewhat uncalled for-"

"Get to the fucking point." Twilight spat, refusing to look in his direction.

"Fine. Obviously, I don't intend for anything to go wrong, and I don't suspect there will be any ramifications regardless. But if something does go awry, I suppose you might have a point. Even so, I doubt any harm would come to Pinkie here, and I should be able to put measures in place to protect her just in case."

"Always an answer for everything." Still, she didn't grace him with a glance in his direction, and her voice became laden with spite, "It must be great being you, mustn't it?"

Discord rubbed each individual digit on his paw together in quick succession, watching Twilight intently as he did so, seemingly contemplating whether magical reprisal was worth Fluttershy's disapproval. In the end, he instead turned his paw over, examining the back of it with mock fascination, "Yes, it is, Twilight. It really is... Immortality, mastery of chaos magic, devilishly good looks, and the very world at my fingertips, within reason." He quickly held up a finger, "Oh, and a friend in Fluttershy here, can't forget that." He chuckled light-heartedly to himself, even as Twilight finally shot him a baleful glare from her seat.

He paid it no heed, instead turning to Fluttershy, only to be disappointed at the realisation that the mare did not share his enthusiasm at his mention of their camaraderie. Instead, she looked him in the eye for a brief few seconds before allowing her gaze to trail away, first to Twilight, then to the floor, with what Discord could only guess was a bewildered look on her face as she sat and pondered, stroking Angel absent-mindedly as he jumped from the floor onto her lap. He let his smirk fall away, catching and replacing it with little vigour, allowing time to pass as Twilight seethed until Fluttershy looked back up at him, "Something on your mind?"

Fluttershy nodded, "I-It's not important right now, we've got other things to think about..."

He analysed her for a moment, eventually nodding himself and reaching up to rub his eyelids tiredly, "True, we'll talk later then. What do you think of the plan, anyway? I'm hoping you aren't as adamantly against it as she is." He gave Twilight a sideways glance.

"A-Actually..." She gave Twilight a sympathetic, almost pained look, ducking her head as if to hide behind her mane, "I'm not really against it at all..."

Discord had to fight to stop his eyebrows from utilising his forehead as a runway from which to take flight, but they still remained far above their usual position regardless, "Is that so?"

"Y-Yes... The idea of bringing them back to life does scare me, especially if it might be dangerous like Twilight said, but I think that if we can bring them back, we should. They deserve a chance to live their lives in a time of peace, or, well..." She paused for a moment, "A-A chance to have a life where they won't be forced to fight if they don't want to, at least. Y-You owe that much to them a-after everything you put everypony through back then, Discord." Though her voice wavered as she spoke, the conviction in her eyes did not, and for just a moment Discord thought he saw the flicker of a fiery, almost vindictive righteousness dancing within them.

He stood and took a step towards her, "Do you know what I think, Fluttershy?" He continued towards her, noticing no change in the intensity of her stare.

"W-What?"

He stopped before her, standing at almost full height and bending forwards slightly so as to properly see her. He paused for a moment before reaching out his paw to ruffle her mane with a smile and a brief chuckle, "I think you might just be right."

It was brief, nigh unnoticeable to those less perceptive, but Discord caught it all the same. For a split second, as he reached towards her head, Fluttershy had flinched, ducking back and wincing just a little before stopping.

He held face, outwardly appearing not to have noticed as he continued to smile and ruffle his paw through her mane, eliciting a slight squeak from her before drawing back himself. As the pegasus attempted to return her hair to its usual state, Discord span, quickly making his way back to his cloud and reclining onto it in a way so as to coil himself slightly, allowing him to hold an arm against his chest without it seeming out of place. He looked back at Fluttershy and fought the urge to grimace in discomfort as an unpleasant but not certainly not unfamiliar ache manifested within his chest. It was dull, but nagging and incessant, and he murmured to himself as he fruitlessly attempted to alleviate the pain by rubbing over the afflicted area with his claw, "I never did take a look in there..."

"Pardon?" Fluttershy asked, fixing him with a curious, somewhat bashful look, "I didn't catch that, sorry..."

The aching continued, as did Discord's façade of relative normalcy, "Oh, don't worry, Fluttershy, I was just talking to myself." He pointed to a standing mirror beside him, from which his reflection waved before vanishing, leaving Discord with an eerie lack of a reflection until the mirror vanished into thin air. If nothing else, the display served to distract the others from questioning him further.

With some considerable effort, he steeled himself, shunting his concerns to the back of his mind as best as he could. After taking a deep breath, he turned to the only mare he had yet to ask about his proposal, "Pinkie? What's the verdict?" He considered summoning a gavel and wig before quickly deciding against it, his lips turning down at the corners ever so slightly as he fully realised just how sour a mood his current predicament had left him in.

Pinkie scratched her head in thought, "I don't really think we should be doing it." Discord felt himself beginning to frown until Pinkie promptly held up a hoof, smiling a little as she spoke again, "But we shouldn't be running from the law or trying to dethrone Celestia either, so I guess it doesn't matter all that much."

Discord raised an eyebrow incredulously at her reasoning, as did Twilight, Fluttershy, and even Angel.

"Like Fluttershy said, it's for a good cause! They get their lives back, and we avoid a cell, or being banished, or maybe both?" She took in their expressions and exhaled loudly, turning to Twilight in particular, "I'm not worried about the procedure, Twilight. I trust Discy to protect me if anything goes wrong."

Twilight grumbled something under her breath, shooting Discord a sideways glance as Pinkie continued, "Sorry, Twilight, I know you don't want me to say yes, but I really think that Discord has the chance to do something super good here. I mean, I really don't know whether I want the responsibility of deciding on my shoulders but..." She paused, facing a wall and falling quiet in thought for a moment, "I have to look beyond myself, you know? I have to try and think of all the ponies that we could save if this goes right."

Despite being somewhat surprised by the level of responsibility Pinkie was currently displaying, Twilight still asked the question on her mind with relative bluntness, "And if it doesn't?"

Pinkie shrugged, replying immediately, "Then at least I'll know I tried. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I'd let thousands of ponies down when they needed me... Even one is too many." She stopped still for a moment, then turned to Discord with a determined expression upon her face, "My mind's made up, Discy. Hollow Shades is long overdue for an encore."

Discord had expected himself to smile, but he didn't. Instead, he simple gave a single nod of his head, "Excellent. We'll go tonight, I plan to be finished by sunrise."

Twilight shook her head, massaging her temples with her hooves even as she spoke, "And the Night Guard? They're still out there, aren't they?"

Again, he gave a single nod, "A necessary risk. I'll be on the lookout beforehand, I should be able to deal with them if they find us then. If they come across us whilst the spell is in progress, well..." He sighed, "Then we're in for a spot of bother, I suppose."

"And what exactly will we do if you succeed? We'll have several thousand ponies in the vicinity, it's not just like we can slip away into the night undetected."

Discord snapped his fingers, disappearing from sight and making no sound until he whispered from behind her, "Magic, Twilight."

She span, only to realise that she couldn't see where he was, "You're honestly going to try to conceal that many ponies? Are you cra-" She stopped herself as he re-appeared and pointedly tipped his head to the side with a flat expression, "How?"

"It definitely won't be easy. By the end of the spell I'll be somewhat drained, but that's just how it has to be if we're to escape afterwards." He held his hands before himself, just slightly apart, causing a small ball of yellow magic to appear between them along with a low thrumming sound that permeated the air, "Fortunately, I have chaos on my side, and there's been a good deal of it across Equestria of late."

Despite herself, Twilight gaped slightly in awe at the swirling ball of energy before forcing herself to stop. Pinkie caught her doing so and glanced between the magic and the draconequus holding it inquisitively, "What's that?"

Twilight cut in, not taking her eyes off the swirling orb, "If I'm not mistaken, that's-"

"Compressed chaos magic, ready for use whenever I require it." He nodded, "I've not just been acting as a glorified taxi service you know, ladies. I've been storing this up whenever I've been given the chance. All those times I left to cause chaos so that I wouldn't explode? All the little arguments and confrontations we've had between ourselves and with others? They weren't just petty distractions, I've been putting them to good use. Well, most of them at least... Hopefully, this should last for the spell and the following journey."

Twilight continued to watch the magic intently, apparently entranced by the simple looking ball, "There's so much magic compressed into that thing, but it's stable... How did you even manage that?"

Discord lowered his hands, allowing the ball to disappear into nothingness and smiling despite himself, "Chaos, my Dear Student. Chaos always finds a way."

A moment passed, "No, really, how did you do it?"

He sighed and sagged his shoulders as the atmosphere of the moment shattered, "Magic." He rolled his eyes at her scowl, "It's complicated. Suffice to say, chaos magic can bend the rules far beyond what conventional fields of magic do, but at far greater risk. One day, when you've learned the more advanced aspects of chaos magic, I'll teach you."

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as he finished, instead opting to give him an appreciative nod, though her expression still remained rather dour.

He chuckled to himself, though he seemed to be devoid of any good humour or happiness as he stared at his paw, "One day..."

The journey from Canterlot's train station to the castle had been utterly miserable. Even with their scheduled escorts shielding each of them with an umbrella as they went, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity still found themselves absolutely drenched by the time they reached the castle due to the strong winds sweeping the rain beneath the umbrellas and into their faces.

To make matters worse, the posters that the three had become so familiar with since their return to Ponyville could be seen on many a wall and building around the city, and although the sodden streets were somewhat less busy than usual, a good deal of ponies still remained, going about their daily business, which wouldn't have been a problem in itself if not for the fact that a great many of those within the city recognised them. As such, the same pointing and whispering that had taken root in Ponyville quickly spread through the streets, and the three could have sworn that, towards the end of their trek, some small groups of ponies had turned up solely for the purpose of observing them being escorted into the castle by the Royal Guard. A very select few had attempted to approach, some even posing questions to them as they came, but the guards were quick to react, stopping them with a hoof and politely but firmly requesting that they step back, eliciting further murmurs and speculation from the crowds around the group.

After being allowed into the castle itself and shown to their suites, each had promptly unpacked the few belongings they had brought with them and dried themselves off sufficiently - or, in Rarity's case, taken a shower - in preparation for their meeting with Celestia scheduled for the following hour. Said hour had ticked by unbearably slowly, even when the three had all opted to stay within Rarity's suite whilst they waited, in the hopes of alleviating their collective boredom and anticipation. Each had simply sat quietly, and other than a few short exchanges, little had been said. When a guard eventually knocked to inform them that the Princess was ready to see them, Rainbow had jumped into the air and shot half way down the hallway before realising she didn't know which direction Celestia was actually in, and Applejack had to be roused by Rarity, having almost fallen into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

Following such, the guard had led the unicorn, mildly embarrassed pegasus, and still slightly drowsy earth pony to the room in which Celestia was supposedly waiting, standing aside and gesturing for them to make their way inside, "Princess Celestia is waiting inside for you." He gave a slight tip of his head, "Her Majesty has also requested that I ask you to 'keep an open mind on the situation'."

The three shared a bewildered glance before Rarity turned back to him, "Would you be able to elaborate?"

The guard shook his head and gave her an apologetic look, "I apologise, Miss, but I was not provided with the details."

Rarity bit her lip slightly and nodded her thanks, "Not to worry. Thank you, anyway." She glanced at the others before making her way to the door before her, waiting for them to line up beside her as she took a calming breath in preparation for whatever might lie within.

Despite her earlier enthusiasm, Rainbow glanced between the door and Rarity with a slight cringe on her face as she rubbed one forehoof against the other, "So... Should we knock, or-"

Applejack rolled her eyes and stepped towards the door, "Oh for cryin' out loud, we're meetin' Princess Celestia, not attentin' a royal summit." She rested a hoof against the handle, pushing the door open and stepping through into the rather plain room within, furnished with only a medium sized oblong table with ten chairs around it, seemingly made of mahogany, as well as a fireplace against the far wall.

Not that Applejack, or those that followed her, actually paid any of these items any great deal of attention, given the ponies that were waiting for them. To their right stood Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna just to the right of her, along with a mare that none of them were familiar with, presumably from the Night Guard, if her slitted pupils and bat-like wings were any indication.

To Celestia's left was Prince Shining Armor, who had stood from his seat upon their entry, returning the chair he had sat on to its rightful place beneath the table with his magic, which was several paces away from where he now stood. Though each tried not to stare, all three new arrivals found themselves drawn to the bandage still wrapped around his hind leg, though it seemed that the Prince was not having anywhere near as much difficulty standing on it as he had the last time they had seen him.

The only other occupant of the room had gone unnoticed for several seconds until Rarity had caught the figure of a pony in the corner of her eye, and subsequently took a half-startled but quiet gasp. The figure still sat at the table was none other than Prince Blueblood, and only when all three had noticed him did he rise without a word, making his way around the edge of the table to stand with the rest; nearest Shining, but still a good few steps away.

For all intents and purposes, save for the unidentified mare, the three had indeed walked into a veritable royal summit.

Not that such mattered to Rarity, and the advice of the guard they had spoken to barely twenty seconds ago seemed to slip completely from her mind as she fixed Blueblood with a look of pure indignation, hissing as the door clicked shut behind them, "You!"

Blueblood remained passive, glancing at Rarity only briefly, and doing the same to Rainbow and Applejack, before turning his attention to Celestia, who cleared her throat before speaking, "Girls?"

Rarity quickly snapped her gaze away from the Prince, attempting to wipe the scowl off her face as she realised that each of the room's occupants were staring at her, save for Applejack, who also held something of a frown.

After ascertaining that she had their attention, Celestia took a step forwards, ushering for them to step closer and gesturing to each of them as she spoke, "Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, thank you for turning up so early. I'm sorry for the wait you've endured, we've had a number of issues to deal with recently." She gave them a small smile, but took note of their anxious expressions, "I'll get right to the point. As we've already agreed, provisions have been made for each of you to be trained so that you might be able to adequately defend yourselves in future, should the need arise. Between us, we've come to an agreement as to who we believe would be most suitable to teach each of you, given our current circumstances."

Applejack adjusted the brim of her hat with just a touch of nervousness in her voice, "Alright. So who's gonna be doin' what, Princess?"

Celestia nodded to Shining, who took a step forwards, "Applejack, Shining has decided that he's willing to personally tutor you in the art of combat, his other duties permitting, of course."

Rarity and Rainbow seemed somewhat stunned by the statement, and Applejack seemed to freeze for a moment, her eyes jumping between the Princess and Prince before settling on him as she came to her senses, "Really? A-Ah wasn't quite expectin' to be taught by a prince, no offence."

Shining laughed at the statement, "None taken. I've talked this over extensively with Princess Celestia, and I feel that there's a great deal I could teach you specifically that you would miss out on elsewhere. Of course, that being said, there will be times where you'll be tutored by someone else, or have to train alone; I'll still have an empire to run, after all."

Applejack nodded, permitting herself a grateful smile, "That's fair. Honestly, that's still a heck of a lot more than Ah was hopin' for on the way here."

"There could be a slight problem though." Shining began, "I've been planning on returning to the Crystal Empire soon. I've already been absent for far too long, and it's unfair of me to ask Cadence to fulfil my half of the duties for any longer than absolutely necessary." He levitated a glass of water from the table, taking a sip before replacing it, "From what I've heard, you've got your hooves planted deeply when it comes to home and family; something I can honestly say I admire. But do you think you'll be able to leave Ponyville, and indeed, Equestria behind for however long it takes until your training is completed?"

To the surprise of those who knew her well, Applejack nodded almost immediately, "Ah've got a score to settle, and this is the only way it's gonna happen. Besides, Princess Celestia's arranged for my family to be compensated while Ah'm gone." She tipped the brim of her hat to the Princess in question, "And, well... They actually didn't very much approve of my leavin' again, but this is somethin' Ah just have to do; Ah don't expect them to understand."

Shining gave her a small, understanding smile, "Well, it seems you've got the drive and conviction you'll need, too. Just make sure you're absolutely certain before we leave."

"Ah will." Applejack stepped forwards and held out a hoof, which Shining promptly took and shook, "Thanks for this, Ah won't let you down."

He grinned and released her hoof, allowing her to take a step back. He did the same, albeit by shuffling slightly so as to avoid putting his weight onto his bandaged leg, "I'm glad to hear it."

After checking that the two had finished conversing, Luna spoke. Her voice seemed rather quiet in comparison to the two that had been speaking, yet it carried to the ears of those listening with no trouble whatsoever, "It was... rather difficult for us to select someone we deemed both suitable and up for the task of training you, Rainbow Dash, but I believe we've made a good choice. Allow me to introduce Nightshade." She gestured to the guard beside her with her wing, prompting her to give a quick bow in response, "A trusted Night Guard of mine. Despite her outstanding record, she has been on duty as an instructor for the new recruits over the past few months, for personal reasons; but that is a position easily delegated." She gave Rainbow a knowing look, a semblance of a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth, "I believe she'll be much more... engaged with her duties, tutoring you in a one-to-one environment."

Rainbow gave Luna a slightly incredulous look before stepping towards the mare in question, taking the hoof she had extended without hesitation, "Nightshade, huh?" She looked closely as the mare grinned at her, consequentially revealing a pair of sharp fangs. Rainbow paid little notice to them, and briefly leaned to one side in order to check the mare's cutie mark, only to find that it was covered by her armour. Given such, Rainbow turned back to the - still smiling - guard, "Yeah... I'm not buying it."

Nightshade raised an eyebrow, but remained silent, her grin disappearing as she did so. Luna, on the other hand, spoke up in a tone that held a palpable degree of gravity, "I beg your pardon, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow's eyes widened as she realised what Luna must have assumed, shaking her head rapidly in response, "N-No! I don't mean it like that at all! I'm not a racist, Luna!" She hung her head for a moment as she collected her composure, though she gave the guard before her an apologetic look nonetheless as she raised her head, "I mean, just, 'Nightshade'. That's just too convenient to be true. That's not your real name, right?"

For a moment, there was silence, though it was promptly broken by the sound of a quiet giggle coming from the guard, one that quickly became a hearty laugh. Despite what the bearers had assumed, the mare's laughter did not sound guttural, gravelly or otherwise masculine in any way, but rather served to put them at ease as it chimed through the room. The same could be said for her voice as she spoke clearly and fluently, but with an accent that the three simply couldn't place, "You're correct, I haven't gone by my old name in years." She gave the mare a quick look, scanning over her with a slowly returning, cheeky smirk, "Though really, Rainbow Dash, you're going to lecture me on apt names?" She gave the mare an expectant glance.

Rainbow chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, point taken, I guess."

From behind Nightshade, Luna cleared her throat, and Rainbow couldn't help but notice the speed at which the mare assumed her previous, motionless stance, not a hint of expression on her face as the Princess spoke, "You'll both have plenty of time for witticisms later." She turned to Rainbow in particular, "You'll be staying here in Canterlot, for convenience's sake more than anything else. As such, Celestia and I have agreed that your suite will remain yours for as long as you choose to keep residence within the castle, though we can't guarantee it will remain so if you choose to settle elsewhere in the city."

Rainbow thought it over for a moment, "Well, there's not really anywhere else I'm bothered about staying, especially not after the crowds we drew just by trotting here." She sighed, "That's not the kind of attention any of us want right now. And the rents here are probably crazy anyway." She shrugged to herself before giving Luna an inquisitive look, "You're sure it's cool for me to stay here? Our suites look real expensive."

Luna shrugged too, giving what sounded like a half-snort, half-laugh as she rolled her eyes, "Treasury."

Rainbow smiled at the brief looks of puzzlement and disapproval that crossed Shining and Blueblood's faces respectively, "Oh, yeah. Thanks a bunch, Princess, those rooms are awesome!"

Luna waved a hoof nonchalantly, "Oh, no need to thank me, Rainbow Dash. Just don't partake in any more brawls, will you? We have had enough repair work done on the castle over the course of this year."

Rainbow briefly debated pointing her hoof at Applejack, but decided against it, instead simply opting to nod her head and shoot the farmer a sideways glare as she raised a hoof to her mouth to hide her smirk, "Okay, Princess." She fought the urge to grit her teeth, "I'll try my best."

Luna nodded, following Rainbow's glances at Applejack and taking note of the farmer's poor attempts at concealing her expression, "That goes for you, too, Applejack. I haven't yet tested the integrity of the furniture or the windows in the Crystal Palace, and I imagine that Prince Shining would appreciate it if you didn't either."

Shining scrunched his muzzle slightly and turned to Applejack, not entirely sure what Luna was referring to but responding nonetheless, "That I would."

The mare simply responded by shielding her guilty expression with her hat.

Luna shook her head briefly, allowing the sternness she had previously bore to quickly return, "Anyway, moving along." She looked between Blueblood and Celestia.

After a moment of quiet, Celestia glanced over at Blueblood, realising that he hadn't moved a muscle. The Prince held a passive expression, but his eyes bored into Rarity's as she glared back.

Celestia, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose, moved around to Blueblood's side, "Rarity, this is Prince Blueblood. I believe the two of you are... already acquainted."

Blueblood maintained his fixation on Rarity, responding flatly, "Indeed."

Rarity's eyes narrowed further, but after a moment of contemplation they sprung wide, and Rarity fought to rein in her self control as she jerked her head so as to meet Celestia's eyes, "Oh, Princess, please no. Please, please no."

Celestia sighed, "Rarity..."

Rarity covered her face with a hoof, seemingly shielding herself from those around her, or perhaps the other way around, "Princess Celestia. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I wasn't in favour of this idea to begin with. Even so, I respected the decision of the group and stayed. Applejack is training with Prince Shining, Rainbow Dash has her own special forces instructor, and I'm stuck with... with him!" She lowered her hoof for a second, revealing her face, now the embodiment of all the scorn in Equestria, before sinking it into her hoof once again, "Forgive me for saying so, Princess, but it feels awfully like you've arranged for this simply to punish me."

Applejack moved a step closer to Rarity, whispering something to her and placing a hoof on her side before turning to Celestia, "No offence, Princess, but it does kinda look that way from where Ah'm standin'." She gestured at Blueblood, giving him a frown before turning back to the Princess, "From what we've seen of him in the past, he ain't exactly all that compatible with us small town folks."

Blueblood simply stood still, motionless and unspeaking as he glanced between the two.

Rarity raised her head, having sufficiently composed herself so as to be able to speak without being at risk of shouting. However, as she did, she was met with a stern look from the Princess. It remained fixed mainly on her, though it drifted to Applejack once or twice. Both found themselves lost for words at the utter contempt in her eyes, and each felt as though they were shrinking beneath it.

After only a couple of seconds, Celestia relented, her gaze softening as she hung her head, though her voice still carried a somewhat defensive edge to it, "Rarity, Applejack. I appreciate that your interactions with Blueblood have been less than stellar in the past, but if you'd allow me to speak before judging my decision, you might see things a little differently." She closed her eyes for a moment as she exhaled before fixing the two with a knowing and somewhat sympathetic smile, "Please just let me explain, and try to refrain from making comments about my nephew if you possibly can."

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, then allowed it to drop open a little more as she processed the Princess's words before remembering to close it, 'Nephew!?'

Applejack's eyes darted between the Princess and her supposed nephew at the statement. Despite the colour of their coats, the two didn't seem to share all that much in common. Even so, that didn't stop Applejack from pulling the brim of her stetson down slightly and pursing her lips as she realised why Celestia had reacted so strongly to their remarks, 'Oh boy...'

Celestia caught the mixture of puzzlement and awkwardness on their faces and resolved to explain her reasoning as quickly as possible, "Rarity, you've been able to use your magic to work with crystals and gems in the past, correct?"

Rarity gave her a sheepish look, "Yes, why?"

She gestured to her nephew, "Blueblood here has magic that functions uniquely, but in a vaguely similar way. We believe that, given the appropriate training, you might be able to utilise the same magic that he can."

Rarity turned from the Princess to the Prince and fought the urge not to scowl at him, for fear of Celestia's admonishment, though her voice took on an unpleasant tone regardless, "Unique magic? How so?"

Blueblood simply remained silent as Celestia spoke for him, "A number of my guards, and even Luna and I, have made many attempts to replicate it, with no success."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, now somewhat intrigued, "But if even you can't learn it, what makes you think I can? I'm not the most magically proficient unicorn in Equestria, Princess." Rarity grimaced slightly as she recalled exactly whom that title belonged to.

Celestia shook her head, "We don't think that the magic Blueblood wields operates depending on the ability of its user. There have been a few hypotheses surrounding the issue, but personally, I believe that the key might be using a pony of similar interests and mindset." She gave Rarity a knowing look.

Rarity's eyes widened, and she had to bite her lip so as to avoid retorting loudly. She took a moment to compose herself before forcing a small smile, "P-Princess, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think that Prince Blueblood and I are really that much alike."

Celestia simply winked back, "You might be surprised, Rarity."

The unicorn felt a vein on her head throb, along with a pulse indicating the onset of a nasty headache, "B-But surely there's somepony more suited to the test than I?"

Celestia shrugged, "Perhaps, but even if there were, I wouldn't deny you the opportunity to learn magic so useful and so rare that it could potentially be limited to just the two of you, nor would I turn my nose up at the opportunity to learn such an art, if I were you."

Rarity scrunched her eyes shut as she pondered her situation and attempted to stave off the oncoming headache, "Fine, I do see your point, Princess, but..." She turned back to Blueblood, furrowing her brow in thought as she examined his cutie mark, attempting to gain some insight into his supposed talent, "What does your magic actually do? What's so special about it?"

To Rarity's surprise, Blueblood responded, though his features remained deliberately passive as he did so, "It's far too difficult to explain here and now. Suffice to say, it goes far beyond detecting gems and crystals." He turned his nose up at her ever so slightly, earning him another glare from Rarity.

Celestia nudged Blueblood slightly, giving him a disapproving look, "But that was where you began, was it not?"

To his embarrassment, and Rarity's infinite joy, Blueblood averted his gaze and spoke with resignation clear in his voice, "Yes, Auntie..." As he raised his head, he couldn't help but frown at the mocking smile that Rarity now wore, but he quickly calmed himself and stood neutral once again.

Celestia ignored the looks shared between them, focusing intently on Rarity as she spoke, "Rarity, I understand that this might be difficult for you, but please give this a chance. If you are indeed capable of learning Blueblood's magic you'll be wasting a great opportunity by declining, and I'm sure it would go a long way to support your cause if you were to learn even just the basics."

Rarity caught the pleading look in the Princess's eye and found herself rubbing her temples with her magic, willing away the dull throbbing now present behind her forehead, "I... Fine, I'll try." She turned to Blueblood, "Though I can't make any promises."

"A sentiment the two of us can finally share, it seems." He looked to Celestia for a moment, an almost pleading look growing on his face as the Princess raised her eyebrows expectantly and nodded in Rarity's direction. After a few seconds of such, Blueblood cast his eyes downwards to the floor, trailing them up to meet Rarity's in a dejected fashion before slowly, hesitantly extending a forehoof to her, "But I gave my word, and I intend to keep it, if at all possible."

Rarity slowly reached out, tenuously taking his hoof and participating in what could only be described as the least enthusiastic hoofshake in Equestrian history for little over two seconds before she released his hoof, promptly stepping back to her original position as Blueblood casually dragged his hoof through the carpet beneath him.

Celestia and Luna both fought the urge to roll their eyes. Having overseen many peace agreements between bitter enemies over their time, the two had borne witness to a large number of reluctant hoofshakes, and indeed, shakes of hands, talons, claws, and a host of other unfamiliar appendages. Though the two did not seem to display the sheer animosity that the princesses had observed during bitter negotiations in the past, their level of mutual distaste for one another on a personal level was almost palpable, and perhaps some of the strongest the alicorns had ever seen.

Luna shook her head, brushing her mane away from her face as the motion carried it towards her eyes, "Well, unless anypony has any other pressing matters to mention, I believe that is everything."

A series of short glances were shared, but nopony said anything in response.

"Very well. You may all leave as you please." With that, Luna vanished in a small puff of smoke.

Celestia allowed herself to roll her eyes this time before heading towards the door, beckoning for Blueblood to follow. The two promptly left and headed elsewhere within the castle, though Blueblood gave Rarity a final glance that she couldn't quite read just before he exited the threshold. It seemed almost forlorn, but there was something else; something unfamiliar. Regardless, it was clear to the mare that he was simultaneously wallowing in his own self-pity, and she promptly returned an offended glare accordingly.

Shining approached Applejack and gave her a smile, "I'll have one of the guards come and find you when we approach our departure; we should be just about ready to go by tomorrow. If you do change your mind at any point, you only have to say so; I'll understand completely."

Applejack chuckled to herself, giving him a slight nudge, wary of shoving him too far due to his injury, "You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy, Prince or not."

He shook his head but chuckled himself, "It was worth a try." He teleported to the other side of her as she reached up to nudge him again, making his way through the door without looking back, though an amused tone was clear in his voice as he went, "But seriously, think about it." With that, he rounded the corner and pulled the door shut behind him with his magic, leaving Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Nightshade together in the room. A moment of quiet elapsed before the guard made her way to the door, turning to Rainbow as she opened it, "I'll give you a few days to settle in whilst I finish preparations. I expect you to be physically and mentally prepared by the time I decide we're good to go."

Rainbow gave a single nod in confirmation but smirked confidently, "I can handle whatever you throw at me."

She had expected the guard to smile back, but Nightshade simply stared, seemingly analysing the pegasus for a moment before stepping through the threshold, "I suppose we'll see." The door clicked shut behind her.

Applejack scratched her head bemusedly, "Well that got serious mighty quick..."

Rainbow mimicked Applejack, approaching the door and opening it before poking her head out to scan for the mare, "Yeah, she seemed pretty cool with everything to start with. I hope she's not one of those ponies that's only interesting when there's a princess around."

Applejack shrugged, "Guess you'll be findin' out soon enough either wa-ay!" A loud crack startled the two, and each reflexively span to the source of the sound, only to see Rarity standing before a now lit fireplace, the glow of magic slowly fading from her horn as she breathed slowly but deeply.

Applejack gestured for Rainbow to remain quiet as they approached the unicorn, and cautiously rested a hoof against her back, "Rarity? Y'alright?"

Rarity exhaled loudly, cradling her head in one forehoof whilst grinding the other into the carpet beneath her, "Why him? Why!?" She immediately turned to Applejack, "How is this fair!?"

Applejack gave her back a sympathetic pat before retracting her hoof, "It ain't."

Rarity ducked her head, murmuring under her breath, her words only becoming decipherable as she spoke up towards the end of her tirade, "-nd probably just because he's her nephew! It's almost like I'm being used as some sort of experiment! The nerve!" She turned back to the fire, giving a rising, exceptionally unladylike growl before a set of sparks shot from her horn into the fire, followed by a pained groan as her headache intensified into a small migraine, "I would never have agreed to this if I'd have known he would be the one teaching me!"

Rainbow couldn't stand by any longer without asking the burning question on her mind, "Hold on. Exactly how do you know that guy?"

Applejack gave the pegasus a disappointed look, whilst Rarity simply gave her a shake of her head and held out her hoof in an almost pleading fashion. Applejack unconsciously scrunched her nose, knowing that Rainbow would just keep asking until she gained an answer, "Remember the Gala?"

Rainbow nodded after a moment's thought, "Yeah... That seems like forever ago."

"We met him there. Only saw a little of him myself, but Rarity was with him nearly the whole evenin', Ah believe." She gave her friend a flat look, "A little was all Ah needed to see; he's a complete dick. Full of himself, rude, all high and mighty..." She grimaced and turned to Rarity once again, "Ah feel for you, Rares. Hopefully, they're tellin' the truth and he actually does know some sort of secret magic, but it don't seem all that likely to me, if Ah'm bein' completely honest."

Rarity shook her head - which was held in her hoof once again - and stumbled her way towards the door before Rainbow stabilised her, "Whoa, Rarity, are you okay?"

The unicorn slowly shook her head so as to avoid aggravating the pain any further, "I'm fine, Dear, I've just got the worst headache..." She took the handle in her hooves, unwilling to use her magic again for the same reason, "I just need to lie down for a while. Please don't mention him again though, I want to avoid thinking about it for a while."

The two nodded in compliance. Rainbow followed Rarity out through the doorway, and Applejack made to do the same before stopping, a look of realisation on her face as she turned back into the room and grabbed a few of the cups of water that remained on the table, tossing their contents onto the fire in quick succession, dousing the flames. She examined the hissing, rapidly cooling embers for a moment before giving herself a satisfied nod, "Settin' the castle on fire is definitely not the way forward today." She recalled Luna's short speech on the destruction of Crown property and shuddered. If smashing a few pieces of furniture and promptly defenestrating them was enough to earn her the Princess's moderate irritation, she dared not think about the consequences if she, or more specifically one of her friends, set the entire castle ablaze.

"What an absolute nightmare that'd be..."

She set off after the others, who were now being led away by the guard that had originally escorted them to the room, but felt herself switch into autopilot as she caught up with them, momentarily pondering over her chain of thought, and the images of armour and razor sharp teeth that all-too-readily resurfaced.

She shook them away as best she could, picking up her pace once again until she trotted beside Rainbow. For Rarity's sake, the rest of their short walk was silent, save for the clicking of hooves against the marble floor. To Applejack's disapproval, this left her with time to contemplate her foreboding thoughts without being interrupted. Though she tried her best to ward against the images of Nightmare Moon in her mind, others took their opportunity to slip through the gaps in her defences.

Twilight. Fluttershy. Pinkie.

Spike. Calamity.

Discord.

She sighed and forced herself to keep step with the others as she felt herself slowing down, 'That definitely wasn't the best choice of words...'

They continued to walk in silence.

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is! Second anniversary chapter is up. Granted, it's only 5 chapters past the last one, but that's life I'm afraid.

Anyways, I was planning on this chapter clearing up this 'arc' of the story so to speak, since each group will soon set out on their new quests. However, there's a little more detail I need to provide beforehand, so expect a shorter chapter up relatively soon (in comparison to my usual update time).

On a separate note, I've finally seen the new Equestria Girls film, and I must point this out: Those voices that Blueblood was hearing last chapter were not the Dazzlings, or anyone from the 'Human World'. It was simply a coincidence that I published the chapter shortly after the film's release. I just wanted to clear that up here, since I think a number of people assumed that's what I was alluding to, when in actual fact I hadn't seen the film when I wrote that scene.

As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to comment below; they're one of the main reasons I write this story, I love hearing what you guys think!

- Mike, scoping out new fictional horizons.