Far away from the new lovers in the glittering city of Canterlot, a shadowy figure was walking through a garden filled with statues. Some of them were beautiful, ponies or other creatures captured in heroic poses. Others were sad, the last dying breath of someone who's task was not yet done, or the weeping mother mourning the loss of her only child. And then there were others that were just strange.

The shadowy figure was humming to himself and giving a general impression of enjoyment, but if anyone had looked closer at the figure, they would have noticed that something was off. Its shadowy appearance wasn't a result of dark clothing but rather because it wasn't really there. Like a mirage in the hot air, it seemed to flicker and only maintain its presence through a colossal amount of power.

It stopped before one of the strangest of the statues, one that depicted a creature who was a mixture of so many different animals that it seemed unlikely it should even be possible for it to exist. It wore a look of utter surprise on its face, and its arms were cast up as if it was trying to shield itself from something.

The shadowy figure made a “tsk” sound and shook its head, like it was disappointed in the statue. Then something caught its eye and it picked up a small colorful envelope that was laying at the statue's feet. He opened it and smiled a crooked smile when he saw it was a party invitation for someplace called Ponyville.

He discarded the invitation and looked up at the statue before cracking his fingers loudly, then stepped forward and put one hand against the statue. For a second nothing happened, but with each passing heartbeat a small amount of color seemed to return to the statue. And a sound was starting to escape it.

“Ooooooooooooo-”

“Yes, yes we can all hear you,” the shadow interrupted and slapped the statue's face to silence it.

After a minute, every trace that the creature had ever been a statue was gone, and it regarded the shadow before itself with a curious look on its face. The shadow watched as the creature brushed the last trace of dust from its chest and spoke with a careless, almost mocking voice.

“Thank you for that. You have no idea how stiff you can get being encased in marble after a while. I guess introductions are in order, wouldn't you agree?” it said and swirled through the air lazily, stretching its limbs.

“I am Loke,” the shadow replied with a smile.

“And I am Discord. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, I will have things to do, chaos to sow and all that, so I would rather we hurried things up and you just tell me why you decided to free me.”

“My reasons are my own. Suffice it to say, I want you to do the exact same thing you did last time you were freed,” Loke responded.

“Hmm, that's a bit of a problem, you see. Last time didn't go all that well, and I'd much prefer do something more spontaneous. I mean really, repetition becomes so boring after the first time, which is to say, always.”

“I am not expecting things to go the same way, and the reason I want you to follow the same pattern as last time is because it will truly confuse them. And in that confusion and uncertainty they will try the same play as before. They did win after all.”

“I take it you have some small adjustment in mind?” Discord asked.

“Yes, I have seen what happened last time and I know that if not for one single thing you would have won,” Loke stated simply.

“Oh? Well don't keep it to yourself,” Discord said with hungry eyes.

“Well then take a seat, and allow me to tell you how to defeat the elements of harmony once and for all...”

                                              *******************************************************

Karon woke up to a hoof lightly dragging itself across his chest, and when he opened his eyes he was meet by the sight of Trixie's face smiling down at him. He smiled back sleepily and put a hand behind his head, but quickly pulled it back when he noticed how cold it was, which also made him notice how cold he was in general.

The sun was up high already, and even though its rays washed him with a pleasant warmth, it wasn't quite enough to dispel the cold. He gave Trixie and apologetic look and moved her hoof away before rising from the ground. She looked disappointed when he put on his clothes and he chuckled.

”Don't look so sad Trixie, there will be time for that later.”

”Are we going somewhere in a rush?” she asked and sighed.

”No, but unlike ponies, we humans don't have that thick of a skin, and summer is over by the feel of it. Since neither of us is good with healing, I would prefer not to get sick.”

She seemed to accept the explanation, but didn't like it. But it wasn't enough to ruin hers or Karon's mood, and they ate breakfast together with an air of contentedness around them. When they finished, they set out once more on their way south, making small talk concerning their surroundings and, of all things, the weather.

What's worse, not once did Karon find it boring.

It was with the setting sun at their backs that they saw the distant city of Hoofington on the horizon and increased their pace. They might have gotten used to it during all their travels, but no one really likes sleeping on the ground, especially not when it's only a month or so before the frost will start appearing in the morning.

When they were halfway there, Karon stopped when a screeching caught his ears, and he looked up into the sky to see something bright flying above them. When Trixie noticed what he was staring at, she stopped as well, and together they stood and watched as the avian was getting closer.

Eventually it got big enough that they both could see the stark colors contrasting against the blue sky, and Karon raised an eyebrow.

”Is that a parrot?” he asked.

”I don't know. Never seen one outside of Las Pegasus,” she responded and tilted her head.

”Well you're the one native to this world,” Karon said and shrugged his shoulders.

”Speaking of which, you never told me or Lyra how you got here...” Trixie said and trailed off.

”It's complicated to say the least,” Karon answered and sighed.

”Are we doing anything special tonight that would mean you didn't have the time to tell me?” she asked.

”I don't know, you tell me?” he said and wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She giggled in response, and inwardly Karon high fived himself for getting off the hook. However the bird they had been watching was now close enough for them to make out details, and Trixie frowned.

”Karon, is the bird coming towards us?”

”Yeah, how's so?”

”No I mean, is it coming right at us?”

”Huh?” Karon looked a bit closer, and after a moment he had to agree with Trixie's assessment. The bird had it's eyes locked on them and was following a straight path.

Perhaps some people would label it as paranoia when you immediately suspect a bird flying in your direction of being a threat and one should prepare for battle, but those people have never been dropped from a magic cloud city built by small winged ponies.

Mentally preparing themselves for trouble, Trixie and Karon stood silent and unmoving while the bird approached at great speed. In his hand Promise was singing in joy, finally about to prove its value to Karon by spilling blood.

When the bird came within reach of Promise it stopped and screeched. Karon's eyes were inevitably drawn to its talons, were it held a parchment, and he looked at the bird curiously. It was of red and yellow colored feathers and had a regal air about itself.

“Well look here, a stylish carrier pigeon,” Karon said with a laugh and relaxed.

Trixie spotted the parchment and relaxed as well, and Karon held out his hand for the bird to drop the delivery into. It did so, and with a screech it turned around and flew back the way it came. Karon unrolled the scroll and winced when he saw who it was from, but it didn't say what he expected it to, and his face turned serious when he began reading.

Karon

Something disastrous has happened and we need you to return to Canterlot as fast as you possibly can. The elements' safety might be dependent on it, and we fear the threat of what has happened is greater than ever before. Hurry.

PS. We are NOT happy about what happened in Las Pegasus and we will have a serious discussion about it after this is taken care of.

                                                                                                              Celestia

“What's wrong?” Trixie asked when she noticed his face.

“It's … damn I think we have to go to Canterlot,” he said and took a deep breath.

“What? Why?”

“Something's wrong and they want me to come help,” he explained and crumpled the parchment.

“What about going south?”

“We'll have to save that for later I'm afraid.”

“Why can't they handle things on their own?” she asked in an annoyed tone.

“Don't know. Maybe they can and this is just a pretense to get me to return to Canterlot where they can confront me about Las Pegasus. Doesn't matter. If they really are in need of my help and something might happen without me, then I need to go,” he said and shrugged his shoulders.

“We'll I'm certainly not letting you go alone,” she said.

“Didn't expect you to,” he said and gave her a warm smile.

She returned the smile and together they continued towards Hoofington. The town itself was quite large and renowned as one of the border outposts at the edge of Equestria, and as such it was filled with not only ponies but also otters, gryphons, minotaurs and donkeys.

Trixie and Karon spent the night at one of the inns, and as soon as they woke up, they packed their things and got on the first train heading for Canterlot. It was a five day journey with only two stops along the way, and normally it would have driven Karon crazy to be confined in the small private sleeping car for so long. As it was though, he and Trixie had found ways to entertain themselves for the journey, and when it was announced five days later that Canterlot was only an hour away, he felt a bit disappointed.

They got off the train only to be met by rain, and rushed between cover to cover towards the castle. The guards at the gate instantly recognized Karon and let him through without problem, and with the help of a few servants, the human and unicorn found their way to a medium sized room at the far end of the palace where Celestia and Luna had apparently spent most of their time lately.

Karon stopped when he reached the door and his suspicions about just how serious the situation was went up. Outside the room at the door were eight guards, four solar and four nocturnal guards working side by side. When they saw Karon, one of them slunk inside, and by the time Karon had arrived at the door with Trixie, he had come back out, telling them they were allowed to enter.

Karon walked in first while Trixie trailed behind slowly, eyeing the guards with their stoic expressions nervously.

Inside, the room was dark, lit only by glyphs and runes carved into the wall alight with magical energies of all colors imaginable. At the center of the room stood Celestia and Luna together with Nightchill and a unicorn Karon had not expected to see again any time soon.

“Shining Armor?” he asked curiously.

“Karon, thank you for coming. We've been hoping you would arrive soon after Philomena returned.”

“The parrot thing?” he asked while studying the symbols on the wall.

“She's a phoenix,” Celestia corrected and walked up to him.

Karon turned his eyes to the white alicorn and thought about reading her mind in order to gather information, but decided against it. It was unlikely she wouldn't notice no matter how lightly he prodded, and it would not be appreciated. He would just have to be patient and do it the old fashion way.

“So … what's going on?” he asked and motion to the symbols. “Because judging by these, you look ready to go to war.”

“You know what they're for?” Celestia asked.

“I can sense their overall function,” Karon told her and ran his hands through the air, and in response the symbols flared for an second.

“And?” Celestia asked.

“And you have everything needed to make this room virtually non-existent to the outside world. Barring physically entering, you're not getting in here.”

“You couldn't find a way to get through these defenses?” Luna asked quickly, her voice betraying the question was very important.

“I don't think so. Maybe if I had months I could find some small weakness, but honestly, considering the amount of power you've pumped into this thing, I doubt it would be worth wasting so much time chasing after.”

“Good,” Celestia said and the whole room seemed to relax.

“You still haven't told me what's going on,” Karon noted.

“In a minute. First, I think introductions are in order,” Celestia said and smiled benevolently towards Trixie.

“Right, Trixie this is Tia, Lunatic, Shining Armor and Captain fucking-scary Nightchill. All of you, meet Trixie.”

All gathered looked at Karon with disapproving faces, and he stepped back and held out his arms in a display of innocence. Celestia smacked her lips and turned her eyes to the shining symbols before explaining.

“Luna and I started working on this room the day after Discord was encased in stone for the second time, as a precaution should he ever escape again. We know now that his power comes from sowing chaos and disharmony in the world. The more that is present and opposing the natural harmonic order of this world, the more power he can draw from it. These magical symbols are aligned in a pattern of the most perfect symmetry and harmonic balancing of the forces that we hope it is beyond his ability to perceive … as long as there is no chink if the armor so to speak.”

“So Discord has escaped again?” Karon asked and they nodded in confirmation. “Well why don't you just tell Twilight and the rest to blast him with the elements again then?”

“I informed the elements of harmony about what had happened as soon as I discovered it myself. But there something … different this time. We detected an anomaly, several actually.”

“Such as?” Karon asked and traced a circle with his left hand.

Captain Nightchill answered the question in his usual cold voice.

“My unicorns detected the magical signature of the one who freed Discord-”

“So someone set him loose?” Karon interrupted.

“Yes,” Nightchill said and a disgusted look passed over his features at the thought. “And even though we weren't able to discern exactly what it was, we do know it carries a similarity to you,” the stallion finished and fixed Karon with a glare.

Who in turn, dropped his mouth open in shock.

“Wha-...ME? Whoa, whoa, whoa I didn't free anything-”

“We know Karon calm down. Luna and I investigated the scene thoroughly and we know it wasn't you, but the energy left behind by the being that did was incredibly similar to your own. It was the reason we needed you to return to us so quickly, and the reason we wanted to know if you could find a way to break down this pattern of symbols. It is meant to fool Discord, but if somepony is aiding him now-”

“I wouldn't worry about that. This is a lot of work and it would take time to unravel by anything less than one of the really powerful entities out there. But if there is a trickster involved, then Discord is being used as a tool, not an ally.”

“Trickster,” Celestia repeated, and the way she said the title made Karon guess that she was sensing what energy was housed within it.

“Yeah, that's what we're called.”

“I am glad you choose to reveal this to us,” she said and gave him a luminous smile.

“What else?” Karon asked.

“What do you mean?” Luna asked him back.

“You said there were several strange things going on.”

“Yes, the other anomaly we have found is that Discord is acting almost identically to how he did last time he was freed,” Celestia explained.

“Doesn't sound much like what a creature of chaos would do,” Karon noted.

“No, it's not. It is not in Discord's nature to behave in patterns, or to follow a plan of action that he already knows to have failed him. There is no reason for him to do so, and that just makes us more afraid that we're missing something. Something that might involve this 'trickster' that freed him.”

“And you want me to go help the elements so you too have a surprise act in your pocket?”

“Yes. Not the description I would have used, but yes,” Celestia replied.

Karon sighed and rubbed his face, and in his right hand Promise shouted in glee at the thought if drinking Discord's heart blood.

“Yeah, I don't think that's what they have in mind,” Karon sent to the spear, and it calmed down with a hint of sadness.

Karon felt ashamed for some reason, like he had just snatched away a child's favorite toy and thrown it out the window.

“Maybe we can find something else to kill?” he asked uncertainly, and the spear sent an impression of great hope to him.

“I think this relationship is going to be great.”

“Great, now I'm going to have two voices inside my head. Terrific.”

“Don't be like that. It'll be fun having a murderous spear making suggestions about how to kill stuff.”

“Yeah, never ending thrill ride.”

“By the way, do you think it's a she under that fur robe?”

“Wh-...I don't even....”

“Never mind. I'll find out on my own eventually.”

Now Karon was really scared.

“So? Are you ready to go?” Celestia asked, and they all looked at him expectantly.

“Uh, sorry I zoned out there for a minute. Did I miss anything?”

Luna stepped forward and sighed, “Yes, we told you that the elements have already been attacked like last time, and Discord has used his magic to twist them against their own nature. Celestia and I will remain here and make sure Discord's influence does not spread outside Ponyville and keep our eyes out for this 'trickster'. We want you to go to Ponyville and help the elements. If all the elements have succumbed to Discord's magic, then you should find Spike and do exactly what he did last time.”

“Which is?”

“I sent my student all the friendship reports she had as a reminder about who she truly is. It was enough to break Discord's hold over her and she then used a memory spell on the other elements to bring them out of it the same way,” Celestia said.

“Sounds easy enough,” he said quietly.

“Which is why it will probably not work.”

“So, are you ready to go?” the solar princess asked again.

Karon looked down at Trixie, who looked back up at him with supreme confidence.

“Yeah, I can go.”

“Good, I'll have a pegasus transport ready within a few minutes,” Celestia said and looked relieved.

“I need to speak with Trixie alone first,” he said, and the unicorn looked at him questioningly.

Celestia nodded, and Karon left the room with Trixie following behind. They walked down the hallway a bit to gain some privacy, and when Karon turned to face her, she was wearing a pained expression.

“Trixie, I want you to stay here,” he said quietly.

“What!? No, I'm not going to stay back while you go to help fight against something as dangerous as Discord.”

“I really hate having to say something as outdated as this, but I can't have you around for this Trixie. I saw what he did in those visions and … If you are with me, I'll just be too unfocused. It'll be bad enough knowing the others are already in danger, but they have the elements to help them, you don't, and I don't mean that as an insult. You're damn powerful and will become downright scary once you start to really learn magic, but right now, I just can't.”

Trixie was glaring daggers at him, but she had heard the tone in his voice and his absolute certainty that she would be a liability if she came with him. She hissed in anger and stood up on her hind legs, forcing a hard kiss out of him before she whispered.

“If you get hurt doing this just because I wasn't there to help, I will be angry for real. Do you understand?”

“I do,” he said and kissed her back.

They held each other until they heard hoofsteps approaching, and when two guards came around the corner, Karon sighed and asked them, “Here to get me for the carriage?”

“We are. It's waiting outside,” the solar guard said.

Karon nodded to himself and gave Trixie one last lingering look, then turned and went with the guards. The carriage was waiting outside in the garden, and as soon as he stepped on board, the pegasi swooped up into the sky, and he had to hold on hard not to get blown off despite the enchantments meant to prevent such things.

It took several hours before they arrived at the outskirts of Ponyville, and once there, the influence of Discord was plain to see. The sky flashed in multicolor bursts, and Karon felt pity for any epileptics who happened to live in Ponyville. The clouds mirrored the sky's colors and added some of their own, as well as dropping all manner of material as rain, from water to coffee cups. The landscape was changed as well, but it wasn't quite as bad as he thought it was when he looked down on it from above. It was something Lewis Carol might have drawn if he'd dropped acid one bright Sunday morning.

The pegasi were supposed to drop him off outside Twilight's library, but there was a change of plans when something barreled into the carriage at breakneck speed.

There was a loud crash and Karon felt something slam him from above and tangle into him. After he was done coughing and clutching his stomach, he looked down to see Rainbow Dash laying in a heap at his feet, her eyes spinning around her head.

She laid there dazed for a few moments before she managed to sit up and shake her head, which under Equestrian logic didn't add to her confusion but fixed the problem, and her eyes returned to normal. At which time she fixed her gaze on Karon with an incredulous look.

“You!? What the hay are you doing here?” she asked and quickly got up and brushed herself off.

“Nice to see you too Dash,” Karon responded and straightened his hat.

“Look what you did!” she continued without taking notice of what he'd said. “I almost had her. Now I'll have to go after her again.”

“Who?” Karon asked.

“Pinkie Pie. Discord did some magic wammie with her and now she's all cranky and sour about everything. Twilight's been done in too, and the same with Fluttershy. They're both unconscious in the library and tied up. Spike said that if we get Twilight to read all those Friendship letters that she sent to Celestia, she'll snap out of it.”

“Yeah, Celestia said she'd be sending those along soon,” Karon said and looked at the pegasi pulling the cart, who after making sure their passenger was alive, continued on the set course.

“Good because I am getting sick of chasing after Pinkie. I just don't get how she manages to stay ahead of me all the time,” she muttered and scratched her head.

“Well at least you seem to have it under control. Celestia sent me here to help in whatever way I can,” Karon told her.

“If you can help catch Pinkie, fine, otherwise just stay out of my way,” the pegasus said and was about to take off.

“I can do that,” Karon told her calmly.

“What? Stay out of my way or help capture Pinkie?”

“I can get Pinkie, with your help of course.”

“What did you have in mind?” Rainbow Dash asked uncertainly.

Karon smiled, then explained.

                                                  ********************************************

“Why do you have to be so heavy?” Dash complained to Karon, who she was currently carrying in her forelegs as they soared through the air at great speed.

“Maybe you're getting soft,” Karon mocked softly, but gulped when he considered that she only needed to let go for him to be screwed.

“Hey, I am not ge-”

“There she is!” Karon exclaimed and pointed with his spear at a grayish pink blur streaking across the grass land away from them.

Dash set chase and Karon had to clamp his fingers around his hat to keep it from flying away. When they finally managed to get within range of Pinkie, Karon hefted his spear and focused his senses to it.

“Ready Promise?”

“Of course master, I am eager to show my worth.”

“Remember, knock out, don't kill. Nothing that will rupture tissue or damage anything sensitive.”

“As you wish master, I will only apply as much force as is necessary to render the pony unconscious.”

“Good, are you ready?”

“Always master.”

A slight glow enveloped the spear as Promise unleashed its power, and when Karon threw the spear towards the fleeing Pinkie, it streaked down from the sky like a lightning bolt. It slammed into the earth a few meters behind a spot Pinkie just passed, but on impact Promise unleashed a shock wave so powerful that it flung the pony forward where she skidded across the ground and laid unmoving.

Rainbow Dash quickly descended towards her, and when they were close to the ground she dropped Karon and dashed through the air towards Pinkie faster than the eye could perceive. Karon landed on unsteady legs and kept on running a few steps, then he went to where Promise was sticking halfway out of the ground.

The spear came lose easily, and Promise was emitting a feeling of smugness, tinged with a hint of disappointment that she hadn't been allowed to use lethal force.

“It will happen soon enough,” he sent into the spear before turning his attention to Dash standing over Pinkie.

She was looking down on her friend with a worried frown, and there was a hint of accusation in her tone when she spoke to him.

“Are you sure she's alright?”

Karon walked over to Pinkie and knelled down beside her. Her moved his palm slowly over her body and tried to sense if anything was wrong with her, but to the extent that his senses could tell him, everything was fine.

“She's alright. But we should get back to Ponyville and the library. I doubt binding Twilight with rope will stop her for more than a second or two.”

“I can't carry both of you,” Dash pointed out.

“So take Pinkie. The most important thing right now is getting all of you freed from Discord's influence and back in the game. I'm just here to help on the side.”

“Fine, just don't keep us waiting or well kick Discord's flank without you,” she said as farewell and flew off, the unconscious Pinkie safely held in her forelegs.

Karon looked around at the strange scenery, noting that in some parts the grass was beginning to grow downwards instead of up. He started his walk back to Ponyville, paying attention to all the other changes Discord was causing and trying to figure out how it was caused.

“Well obviously it has something to do with this particular world's energy and design.”

“It is the obvious answer, however that does not mean it is the right one.”

“Occam's razor, smart ass. Discord is chaos. Remember what we heard Eldros say in those visions the ghosts let us see? Discord was the sour note in the song of this world's creation or something. I have a theory about that.”

“Of course you do ... which means I also have it. So speak.”

“This world is based on harmony. Eldros said it was created specifically to force a harmonic governance in it. The ponies were created as custodians and prime avatars of this idea, so what is Discord?”

“He's the shadow that was cast when it happened. He's the small accumulation of all the strife and discord that have arisen in counterpoint to the harmony since that conflict has no natural place in this world anymore.”

“Bingo.”

“But if that's true, he can't be killed.”

“Nope, death is a part of the natural cycle. He doesn't belong to it, so there is nothing that can absorb his body and nothing that can absorb his spirit. He probably doesn't even have a soul.”

“So the elements turn him into stone because they can't remove disharmony from him. It's all he is.”

“It only logical.”

More theories and thoughts bounced around Karon's head on the way back to the village, and when he reached the library, his head was swimming with unanswered questions. However, they all had to be put on hold when he went inside and was meet by utter chaos.

Not Discord's chaos, just the regular chaos of Twilight and her friends.

Pinkie had woken up, and Rainbow Dash was holding one of her hind legs while Applejack held the other and trying to tear her away from a bookshelf she was desperately clinging on to. On the floor, Twilight laid covered in books that had fallen on her during Pinkie's frantic attempts to get away from the others.

Next to Twilight was Fluttershy, tied up like the unicorn but very much awake, and busy shouting abuse towards the struggling ponies in a way that made even Karon pause and admire her verbal talent.

“Dayum, who'd have known Fluttershy could be such a...”

“Bitch?”

Karon slammed the door closed behind himself, and for a moment everypony's eyes turned to him.

“Oh look, its the human. Have you come back so you could sleep with another one of us or are you just looking for Rarity? Maybe if she does extra good this time you won't leave her,” Fluttershy mocked softly.

Karon raised and eyebrow and his mouth twitched at the corner at seeing the timid pegasus so aggressive.

“Discord's therapy treatment. Get over your insecurities today!”

“Yeah, I thought I would be nice and save you from a solitary life where you spend the rest of your days living in a cabin out in the woods, slowly descending into insanity because no stallion will ever touch you, and your dried out sexual desires leave you a bitter and withered old mare,” he shot back in a dry tone.

“Karon!” he heard Rarity admonish loudly as she descended down the stairs with Spike in tow, carrying a huge stack of scrolls.

“What? She'll know I wasn't serious once she's back to normal,” he said and shrugged.

“That's still very rude to say,” she insisted, paying no attention to the baby dragon struggling to keep his balance behind her.

“Slip of the tongue,” he reassured her with a complete look of innocence.

Her look said that she clearly doubted his sincerity, but she apparently decided to ignore it. She turned to Spike and asked in a sweet voice.

“Are you sure these ones will be enough?”

“Yeah, last time she only needed to read like half of them,” the dragon huffed out as he tried to retain his balance.

“Excellent. All we need to do then is wake up Twilight and let her read them. She'll be back to normal and cast her memory spell on poor Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie,” she finished and walked over to the unconscious unicorn, untying her.

Karon stood in the background and watched as Dash and Applejack managed to tie Pinkie up with great effort, then placed her next to Fluttershy, who immediately started giggling at the pink pony without explanation. Which for some reason seemed to drive her crazy.

“Looks like they won't really need us for much.”

“Nope, I guess they are the bearers of the elements for a reason. It looks like they got things under control.”

“This is way too easy. If what freed Discord is really a trickster...”

“It's Loke, has to be. But why?”

“I don't know. Revenge because the powers gave me that chance to go home and undo his work?”

“That doesn't make sense since we didn't go home. Besides, he's not stupid. He knew they would counteract his little tricks sooner or later.”

“Well I don't really have any other explanations. Maybe he did it just to prove he's still not without power? Or maybe he was bored and decided to spice things up?”

“Well whatever it is, this is too easy. If Loke freed Discord, he would have given him a plan or something else to grant an edge. It has to have something to do with the fact that he's almost doing the exact same thing as he did last time.”

“Yup, it's definitely a trap of some kind.”

“Doesn't really matter though. We only have one way to fight him and that's to blast him with the elements.”

“So we'll play into his hands, or claws or whatever and see what happens.”

“It's the reason Tia sent me here after all. If Discord has something new to offer, well, I'm the new addition from our side.”

“Let's hope it's enough.”

He watched as Rarity woke up Twilight, and as she got up, Karon felt a slight twinge in his heart when he looked into her eyes. They were almost dead, filled only with hopelessness and despair. Like Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, her colors were almost completely drained from her, leaving a gray ashen shell reflecting the state of her mind.

Discord might not be a conventional form of monster, but there was no doubt in Karon's mind that he was one none the less. And at that moment, he wouldn't have minded being a hero if it meant he could also be a monster slayer.

He watched nervously as the three unaffected of the six managed to make her agree to read the reports, but when the first scroll was unrolled before her, Karon felt a chill in his gut that said something bad was just about to happen.

Right on cue, Discord appeared out of thin air with a pop, lazily drifting through the air and observing the ponies with an amused expression.

“Well, well, this thing again. Now we can't have t-” he stopped when he spotted Karon, and with a skeptical look he pointed at the human and asked,“Who's this?”

“Someone who knows exactly what you are,” Karon responded, then nodded towards the elements. “But I'm not the one you should be worried about.”

“Right, right, that again. Well this was incredibly boring and predictable, and I have a lot of work to do that's been put on hold for this, so...” he snapped his fingers and all the friendship reports caught on fire.

The free ponies yelped and backed away from the letters, burning with bright blue flames, and with a chuckle, Discord snapped his fingers again and disappeared.

Pinkie and Fluttershy were squirming on the floor, trying to inch their way away from the quickly growing fire. It hungrily licked at the dry wood the entire library was made of, and it took mere seconds before it had spread to the bookshelves and thick smoke clouded the room. On the far side of the room, Rarity was busy untying Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, who were starting to regain their colors at the sight of their friends in danger. As was Twilight, whose horn was shining with bright purple light. She was shouting something to Karon, but he didn't hear.

He couldn't move, his legs folded beneath him and Promise fell to the floor entirely forgotten. Inside his mind, voices screamed louder than the ponies, and the sounds of the fire burning was coming both from outside and inside of him. He hands shook with fear, and he could do nothing but stare as the fire crept closer to consuming him and the ponies.

He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. He could only watch.

Twilight screamed, they were all screaming, and it filled up inside of him. Screaming, burning, dying.

On the other side of the room, Twilight's horn shone and she disappeared together with Applejack, only to appear a few seconds later and do the same with Fluttershy. One by one, she teleported the other ponies and Spike out of harms way. Until she came back for Karon.

He wasn't moving. He was only staring at the flames, his face frozen in shock and horror, not even aware of how he hard he was coughing from the smoke. She didn't have time to stop and analyze what happened, and she teleported both of them out of her burning home.

They appeared outside on the grass where a crowd had gathered to watch the fire, and several of them were shouting for pegasi to go get rainclouds to put it out. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief after everypony was safe, and she turned like all the others and watched as the library she had called her own was devoured by the flames.

Next to her, Karon sat on his knees. The screaming outside might have ended, but inside of him a terrible pressure was forming, pushing, trying to break free. He couldn't fight it. There was nothing to do but wait for it to end. And he watched together with the others as Twilight's home burned like he was looking at it through a distant window, far away.

The pegasi could find no rainclouds to use. It had all been turned into candy or something else that wouldn't work, and so, like Karon, there was nothing they could do but stand and watch.

The fire ate through the wood greedily, and it barely took an hour before there was nothing left of the library but cinders. Normally there would have been much grieving by the entire community at such a tragedy, but these were not normal times, and the ponies had to hurry home and try to counteract all the troubles Discord's magic had wrought.

Twilight and the rest of the elements remained behind, all of them back to their normal selves. Discord's magic was powerful, but so was also friendship, and seeing their friends close to being burned alive had been enough to snap them out of it.

“Well shoot, that darn Discord went too far this time. Ah say it's high time we show 'im what the elements of harmony can do,” Applejack stated firmly, and the others quickly agreed.

Twilight's horn lit up once more, and from the burned out library, a soot covered box glided through the air and came to rest on the ground before them. With a flick of her horn, Twilight opened it and the elements of harmony glittered inside, unharmed by the fire.

“Okay girls, here's what we need to do first-” Twilight began, but went silent when she heard Karon whisper something.

“Did you say something Karon?” she asked carefully.

“No,” he whispered.

“You … didn't say anything?” she asked again.

“No, you will not go after Discord,” he whispered a little louder.

“What? Of course we will! We're the elements of harmony and we need to stop him before he-”

“NO!” Karon roared when Twilight tried to protest, and when he rose, there was something in his eyes that made all the ponies shut up.

“You will stay here and I will go deal with Discord,” he said in a monotone voice, devoid of all emotion.

“But-” Twilight dared protest.

“He is mine,” Karon said to them and began to walk towards the burnt wreckage of a building slowly.

The ponies hesitated until Twilight motioned with her hoof for them to stay before she went after Karon.

“Where are you Promise?” he asked softly.

“I am here master,” it replied, and Karon felt its presence underneath the wreckage.

He kicked away the charred wood to reveal the spear, untouched by the fire and without any trace of damage at all. He carefully touched it with the tip of his finger, and found it to be no hotter than normal, only filled to the brink with raw power.

“Do you still want to prove your worth?” he asked it.

“I am yours master. What do you wish of me?”

“It's time to kill,” he simply answered.

From behind him he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, and he turned to face Twilight looking at him with a worried expression.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Karon, I want you to stop and think for a moment. Think about what you're doing.”

“It's too late for that,” he told her.

“Karon, I know that you're not … exactly harmless, but Discord is very powerful, powerful enough that only the elements of harmony can stop him. I know you were fortunate enough to find a magic teacher that knew-”

“There was no fortune in what drove me to Varsif,” he hissed, his voice showing the first sign of emotion.

“That may be so, but I'm still right. You can't defeat Discord on your own,” she said firmly.

“I'm not going to defeat him,” he answered coldly.

Twilight was about to ask what he meant, but then she looked him directly into the eyes. She could only hold the gaze for a brief moment, but it was enough to make her shudder. His eyes were burning with a feverish glare, and there was nothing sane left in them.

He saw her shudder and noticed the way she looked at him. At that moment, nothing of it mattered. Discord was the only thing on his mind, that and the sound of a roaring fire still echoing in his ears. Without another word, he picked up Promise and left Twilight where she stood and began his walk through the bizarre landscape Ponyville had been turned into.

“Promise.”

“Yes master?”

“I want you to help me plan the most vile deed I will ever commit.”

There was a brief pause, and Karon could feel the spirit sensing his emotions, his thoughts and memories, and just what had led him to ask what he just had of the spirit. Eventually, the simple reply sounded in his mind.

“It shall be my pleasure master.”

                                                         ****************************************

The Everfree Forest was untouched by Discord's influence, just as Karon had suspected, and it was the last piece of evidence that he needed to be convinced that his theory was correct. But it offered him no peace, and he knew he would gain no satisfaction from what he was about to do. Nothing in creation could be so depraved that they would feel joy from such an act.

He was standing in a large open area, and the small patches of grass present had been torn up to make room for the flat dirt surface, upon which a multitude of symbols had been inscribed.

Around him, the reassuring presence of the forest mind remained unmoved by what was going on outside its borders, and stood with an ancient patience and stability born out of the knowledge that all of this would just be a fleeting moment in its very, very long life.

It had given Karon its blessing, and the trickster was making full use of it. It was the ancient and terrifying power of the Everfree Forest that was going to fuel the magic he was preparing, a magic he alone did not have the power to charge, not even with Promise to draw from.

It was dangerous to the brink of suicidal, but as Twilight had noticed, there was little in the way of rationality left in him at that point. Promise had told him as much, though in a very polite fashion, carefully laying out all the possible dangers of what Karon was planning to do and suggesting that it would be more reasonable to allow the elements to take care of Discord. It did not want its master to perish after all.

Karon ignored all the warnings. He was aware of the many ways the ritual could go wrong. Now all that was left was the doing.

With Promise's assistance, Karon had laid out a complex network of symbols, and together they all joined to form a web necessary to support the structure the energy would be shaped after, and the results that shaping it in that way would bring. It took a long time to complete it, but when it was finally done, Karon sat down on the ground at the far end of the clearing and just stared at it.

It would be the instrument of his vengeance on Discord, the conclusive solution to all the problems he had brought with by merely being. Karon tried to think, tried to use reason to find out if this was the right course, but all attempts were hopelessly drowned out by the sound of a roaring fire and the screams of the ones trapped within it.

It was burning him from the inside, like a piece of the fire had forced its way into him and stayed there.

He got up and walked to the outer edge of the pattern he had drawn, and gathered his power. Around him the forest responded, and he could feel an ocean of power, made up of a thousand streams that ran through the forest, giving it life. He didn't draw from any of it yet, instead he drew only from his own spirit and Promise in his hand, and he weaved it into a simple piece of magic.

“Discord, I am waiting for you. Come see me, and let all of this end here,” he said quietly, but the energy he poured into the words made the sound as sharp as a ship's bell cutting through mist. It resonated through the air, and more importantly, through the ethereal.

And then he waited, and mere minutes after he had sent the challenge he heard a pop, and Discord appeared standing on the ground in the middle of the field, just like Karon had expected. He noticed the human standing on the edge, and brushed his talons on his chest before asking.

“Now what did you want. Haven't you noticed I'm busy?”

“I want you to know something before I end this,” Karon replied in an almost serene voice.

Discord sighed. “And this couldn't wait until after I was done? Really now, you should pay more respect to an artist at work,” Discord said without a hint of worry at the human's implied threat.

“The elements have regained their selves, and they are ready to put you back into stone,” Karon informed him.

Discord looked at him with the first sign of taking him seriously, then he sighed again. “That's how it goes when you try and make plans. Well, at least now I can go back and come up with something fun to take care of them this time. So if you'll excuse me, I have harmony to corrupt,” the draconequus said and snapped its fingers.

Nothing happened.

The creature blinked in surprise and stared at its fingers, then tried again, and nothing happened. It started snapping its fingers again and again. It tried snapping them in a rhythm and even started snapping with both its talons and its paw. Eventually Discord's eyes sought Karon and he asked in an annoyed voice.

“Did you have something to do with this?”

“No, I didn't do this, it is simply what is.”

“I never realized how annoying riddles could be when you're on the receiving end of them,” Discord said to itself.

“It isn't a riddle. It's just the Everfree,” Karon went on.

“Explain,” Discord said and pointed at the human.

“I saw you, in a vision of the past. I saw what happened at the start, when you nearly killed this world, and I heard a dragon speak of you, about what you are. You are a mistake, the mistakes and wrongs of this world given form because there is no room left for them. And that is where you draw your power from. The more discord, the more chaos you cause, the more powerful you become because you are a part of this world, even if it is a part that no longer has any place in the natural order.”

Discord yawned loudly before saying, “Boring.”

Karon smiled a wolf's grin and went on with his eyes aglow, “But the Everfree isn't part of the new world. It is the last remnant of something that came before, a last vestige of something ancient refusing to die and surrender this planet completely to the new way. It came before Equestria, it came before the ponies, and it came before you! In here Discord, you have no connection to draw from. Whatever chaos that exists in here is older than you and cares nothing for the upstart. In here Discord, you're nothing but an anatomically improbable freak about to suffer the most horrible fate possible in our universe.”

Slowly, realization of what Karon had just said really meant dawned on him, and Discord's eyes betrayed the tiniest glimmer of fear.

“Now, now there is no need to be hasty here. How about we sit down for tea and discuss this?”

“No, it wouldn't change anything,” Karon replied and stretched out for the power of the forest.

It answered his call immediately, and the symbols drawn in the dirt lit up with hues of green and light blue. In the middle of it all stood Discord, staring down at it with growing concern, and when he tried to step back he realized he couldn't.

“The first step of the ritual is creating a barrier around you, trapping you inside and isolating you from all forms of energy influence,” Karon explained in a dead voice.

Discord looked at him with growing fear, and asked. “What are you doing?”

“The second step,” Karon went on, and now purple lines of energy filled the symbols. “Is that the magic creates layers of barriers, each cutting off another part of the structure of the world. First, all kinetic waves and energies are blocked out, then the sound waves, then all dense matter is separated, then the spiritual energies, and then finally all light is blocked out.”

The energy patterns were blossoming, growing and twisting like they were alive. Discord tried to snap his fingers again desperately, and nothing happened.

“I can't kill you Discord. You aren't even alive like most creatures, you simply exist. And so, the only way to get rid of you forever … is to end you, utterly and completely.”

“You can't-”

“I'm a trickster, I can do whatever the fuck I want to. This is the cost of threatening my friends Discord. This is the cost of nearly BURNING them to death!”

“No, this isn't what's su-”

“Shut up. Your very existence has brought nothing but misery to this world. I will remove you. I will unmake you. I will cast you into the void where that all you are will be devoured until nothing is left.”

“Mercy,” Discord asked, his voice distant and muffled.

“No, not for this,” Karon whispered, barely hearing it over the sound of fire and screams.

Karon saw the draconequus scream something, but no sound escaped the barriers anymore. The ritual was cutting the area off from everything that connected it to the world until it was just a small patch of creation, completely separate from everything.

Then the third and final step would come, and the energy would turn in on itself, burning a hole through eternity within the tiny patch of isolated creation. It would be sucked into the void, and there would be no return for Discord. Nothing would save him.

The last part that went was light, and Karon could see Discord disappearing, ebbing out of the existential plane. It might have been his imagination, but the final words Discord's lips formed seemed to be a name. 'Celestia?'

Then finally, it was done . The entire field that had been covered in symbols was gone, like it had never been there. The trees that had stood on the other side of the field were now standing scant meters before Karon, and all traces that the small patch of land had ever existed were gone.

As was Discord.

The forest settled down after the work was done, and Karon felt it quickly accommodate itself to the small change the human had caused. It settled into the usual peaceful rhythm of savage nature, but there was still a slight disturbance in the environment. Karon wasn't sure what it was exactly until he heard the sound of someone clapping their hands.

Slowly he turned around to see a wisp of a shadow, applauding Karon while chuckling loudly.

“Now, I knew you where capable of some scary stuff, but that …that was just dark,” Loke told him.

“What are you doing here?” Karon asked.

“You didn't think I would just drop you off on this little backwater world without keeping an eye on you?” Loke asked with his hands spread wide.

“You were the one that freed Discord,” Karon guessed.

“Correct.”

“Why?”

“It was the final test,” Loke told him. “I sent you here for more than just my own amusement.”

“Unleashing Discord was a test?” Karon asked dumbfounded.

“Yes, I wanted you to see what many think we are, but we're not,” the trickster god explained.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Think, and then you tell me.”

Karon eyes flickered back and forth for a moment, then they turned back up to Loke.

“You wanted me to face a true failure,” he said quietly.

“Very good, and you did well in that respect. You've seen what this creature was, his nature and reason for existing. So now, I have to ask you if you think you and it were the same.”

Karon did not hesitate in his response.

“No, we were nothing alike.”

“So you understand then? You understand the lessons you have learned, the truths that you have realized through your struggles?”

Karon nodded slowly.

“Then tell me, what does it mean to be a trickster?” Loke asked in solemn voice.

Karon remained silent for a long time before he answered, and when he did, he carefully and slowly spoke each word.

“To be a trickster simply means to make a choice. To become something other, to act with a grace and cleverness to ones actions. It means to listen to yourself, and your nature. It means exactly what being anything else means, to embrace who you are. Whatever I choose to do, whatever acts I commit are those of a trickster because I am the one that commit the acts.”

“And … what then is a trickster,” Loke said, his shadow flickering until it stood inches away from Karon.

“It is just a title. I am myself.”

“And who are you?”

“Karon.”

Loke smiled. Karon knew that, even though he could make out no mouth on the shadow.

“Yes … and no. Not completely. You are close to truly becoming Karon, but there still remains a part of Erik that you refuse to let go of. Even so, you have learned your lessons well. We are done here, you can go where you wish. I lift my order that you remain on this world. You are free now, and my part in your training, your awakening, is over.”

“And what if I had stuck to naming myself Yoda back when I first arrived here?” Karon asked curiously.

“Oh you are just adorable. You really thought Karon was a name you gave yourself? Don't be naïve. It was a name granted to you because it was who you had started on the path towards becoming.”

“So all this time, I have been playing into your hands?” Karon asked in disbelief.

“Well, not my hands. If you want complete honesty, then I was just a part of it. Destiny has a tendency to meddle in most affairs, even those of gods. Let's just say that you were always meant to become someone other than Erik, and that there is much that still lies ahead of Karon.”

“But I haven't had any contact with you since you sent me here,” Karon protested.

“I didn't need to. I left something else instead,” the god said with a smile.

“I think he's talking about me.”

“What!?”

“The voice is quite correct,” Loke confirmed.

“But … what … HOW?”

“I told you that me teaching you what it means to be a trickster would be very much trial-by-error. Still, the state you were in wasn't the best, so I made sure that the parts of yourself that you tried to hide or suppress were given a chance to speak for themselves.”

“But it was me? The voice is me, not just a tool you speak through?”

“Oh yes, it's all you. It's the joy you try to deny yourself, it is the thought of daring to love others. It is the self loathing and self awareness you try and suppress, and it is the sense of self irony you know makes up so much of your life. And most importantly, it is the potential of who you could become.”

“Listen to the god. The god is wise.”

Karon considered what he had just been told, but there were no flaws in the reasoning as far as he could see, and Loke had no reason to lie at the moment.

“So what now?” Karon asked.

“Now? Do what you wish. You and I are done as far as teaching goes, though you are welcome to stop by Valhalla some time and share a drink. I'm sure we can come up with something fun to do,” Loke said with a laugh, but his voice turned serious, almost regretful, afterward.

“But I am afraid I will have to leave you with one last lesson. As you told the creature, you are 'a trickster and can do whatever the fuck you want'. But free will does not come without a price, and every action carries with it consequences. So, from one trickster to another, may destiny go easy on you.”

Then the god bowed to Karon without a hint of irony and just before he disappeared, he pointed to a distant bush at the edge of the clearing. Karon turned to where the god had pointed, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary at first, but when he moved closer to investigate, he froze, and the blood in his veins turned to ice.

From inside the bush a small purple horn was sticking out, and two purple eyes stared back at him in horror.

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