-The Lightning Strike-

Coalback shook himself, his back making a small symphony of popping noises as he did. The white spikes in his ear clacked together as he uncurled from the floor. His head was still reeling from his dive into the changeling’s head.

“Coalback?” Rainbow said gently into his ear. It made his ears ring, like a really bad hangover. He groaned and put a hoof to his head, rubbing gently to try and soothe his aching skull.

“I’m fine.” He repeated, pushing himself up onto his hooves unsteadily.

“What did you do to it?” Rainbow asked, gently helping him up. He took a few strained breaths before answering.

“Something that was both extremely dangerous, and absolutely illegal.” Coalback started, smacking his lips together and making a scowl that showed the discomfort he felt. “Mental magic is very dangerous, I could have easily been touched by the black doing that.” He shook himself, a shiver hidden in an attempt to shake it off.

“Coalback’s right, mental magic is something that few ponies can do safely, let alone master. I’m actually very surprised that you knew how to do that, it’s a closely guarded wing of study. How did you ...?” Twilight said, starting to relax now that the changeling was secured.

“My brain is wired differently from a normal ... a normal pony’s.” He said carefully, closing his eyes and concentrating on his balance. “I try to compare it to a ball of yarn. Your minds are like a slightly tangled ball, not messy, but not organized. But I can see mine as easily as a pony reads a book. Makes mind magic as easy as flipping a page, but that,” He said, looking down at the changeling. “was very different.

“It wasn’t like an attack, where an opponent tries to force it’s influence over your own. It was like ... like a thousand ideas, and thoughts all fighting for attention. I think that whoever was doing it, uses that tactic to distract the mind that they are trying to control, and slip in with the noise.”

Coalback nodded, looking back up at Twilight. “Thankfully, their queen doesn’t think differently from most of the opponents I’ve faced. I was only just able to bring up my own defences in time to push her away.” He frowned down at the changeling, a thought crossing his features. “What can you tell me about these things?”

“These are the same things that attacked Canterlot, they feed on love.” Rainbow said, letting Coalback lean against her for support.

“Recent study has shown that changelings might actually be able to feed on other forms of emotion, but love is still one of the strongest emotions they can feed on. Chrysalis is their queen, which I think you know, you may have just met her.” Twilight said, a scroll and quill floating in her magical grip. “I’ll be sure that Celestia knows about this. This is all kinds of bad.” She said, rolling up the parchment and putting it in her saddlebags to be sent later.

“No time for the mail service, Twilight.” Coalback said, shaking his head and looking down at the changeling. “You’ll have to either have to tell her yourself or get a hold of her through magical means.” He said, prodding the chitin covered imposter with a hoof. “The mayor is dead, by the way. They ate her.” He finished darkly.

Twilight suddenly looked like she was about to be sick, but spoke anyway. “I have a way. What are you going to do with it?” She asked, motioning to the changeling as she fought off another wave of nausea.

Coalback hummed in the back of his throat, thinking for a moment before he replied. “Well, I can rightly say that I’m curious. What do they taste like? I’m betting they taste like chicken.” The changeling visibly flinched at his words, pulling against her restraints with the intent of getting as far away from Coalback as possible. “But we should just burn her. Too dangerous to bring it along, it will probably be best.” He stopped, twisting his head around to rub at his recently scarred shoulder with his chin, wiping blood from the open cut there onto himself.

The changeling mumbled around the gag in its mouth, a pleading sound escaping its throat. Coalback leaned down and pulled away the gag so that the creature could speak. it spat out the cloth that had been stuffed into its mouth, catching it on its fangs as it spoke around it desperately. “Please,” It said, in a rather feminine voice that caught Coalback by slight surprise. “Don’t kill me! I didn’t want to kill the nice mare! They did it, those big Dyreswm! Then the Queen made me- GAH!” She convulsed suddenly, her eyes flashing green.

Coalback jumped, looking toward Twilight and shouting an order at her. “Chalk, now!” He said, making her jump as she instantly pulled out a stick of chalk. She floated out it to him in justa moment, he snatched it and limped to the convulsing changeling.

He pressed the chalk to the floor, etching a shaky circle around the changeling. Coalback closed it and threw the chalk away from him. He reached up and placed a hoof onto his chin, mumbling something incoherently. He flicked his hoof out to the circle, spreading blood out in a spray over the chalk, and the changeling stopped her struggling.

“What did you do?” Rainbow asked, even as Twilight gasped and stared down at the air above the circle.

“How did you do that?!” The changeling suddenly shouted, shifting to a sitting position in her restraints and staring intently at Coalback. “How is it possible for you to cut her off like that?! Oh, the freedom! I haven’t thought like this before!” She dropped back to the floor, a content face dominating her insect-like features.

“That is a very strong circle, Coalback. I mean, I know that you’re powerful, but I had no idea you were capable of doing something like this.” Twilight said, leaning down to stare at the air above the circle’s line. “Do you mind if I examine your ley lines?” She said suddenly, her head darting up to look at Coalback with crazed excitement in her eyes.

Coalback balked, falling on his flank as he tried to back away on instinct. “Maybe later, Twilight. We have slightly more pressing issues to deal with at the moment, don’t you think?” He said, his voice cracking as he tried to delay her from a new study.

“What did he do?” Rainbow repeated, moving up to look at the line herself. She couldn’t see anything special about it, it was just a freaking chalk line. She reached out a hoof to try and examine the line further.

“WAIT!” Coalback and Twilight both yelled, freezing her movement just before her hoof could cross the line. She pulled back instinctively.

“What?! What is it?” Rainbow said, darting her eyes around the building before settling them again on the faces of her friends. They instantly relaxed as her hoof moved away from the circle, Twilight spoke first.

“That’s a circle of power, it seals energies inside, and outside of it. Nothing goes in, nothing goes out. If it’s powerful enough that is.” She explained, motioning toward the relaxing changeling who was stretching out like a cat in the sun. “That circle might be the only thing stopping a repeat of the event with the stallion in my basement. And it must be cutting off the hive mind as well.” Twilight finished, making a face as the changeling made a sultry groan of pleasure.

“Okay ...” Rainbow said, raising an eyebrow as the changeling mare continued to writhe in pleasure.

“If you want to keep your new freedom of thought and whatever organs that are important to you, I would suggest that you hold still.” Coalback said darkly, even as his face started to turn red under his grey fur. It seemed to work however, as the changeling instantly froze at his words.

“What?” She squeaked, fear covering those fanged features.

“Last time we caught one of the ponies working for the enemy, he ... died. Violently.” Coalback said, looking over the female again. “Tell me, do you want to feel free like this, all the time?” Coalback asked, a small smile decorating his still bleeding face.

The changeling sat up like a firework rocket again, bolt upright as she looked at him with childlike hope. “You could do that?” She said, something sparking in those segmented eyes. “Cuz, you have no idea how freaking good this feels.” She giggled, bouncing in place again as she stared at him with eager hope.

“Yes, I can.” He said, nodding his head and smiling genuinely. “But if I do that, you have to swear to me.” He said, speaking like a pony to a foal, slowly and enunciating dramatically. “You have to swear to follow my orders, I’ll let you keep your free thought, but I want your loyalty.” He finished, nodding slowly as the changeling followed his motion excitingly. “Repeat after me: ...” He continued, speaking in his staccato tongue for several stanzas of what seemed to be a poem.

The changeling repeated it perfectly, even the sound and tone of his voice was repeated. Coalback looked surprised, his eyes opening and closing several times before he spoke again. “Well, I guess that’s a new feeling. Never had something swear its services to me like that.” He smiled, a prideful look overtaking his smile as he stared down at the smiling changeling again.

“So this is like- like our own little hive.” She whispered conspiratorially, giggling like a foal joining a little club. Coalback rolled his eyes, returning to a neutral expression.

“Minus the brain control.” He mumbled, turning his head toward Twilight. “I’m going to have to go into the circle. Can you close it after me so that her previous masters can’t get to us?” She nodded to him, watching as he took a step toward the circle. “Okay, I want you to imagine a wall.” He said, addressing the changeling again. “I want it to be the most sturdy, airtight wall you can imagine. Because when I step over this line, that hive mind is going to crash down on you all over again.” He said, watching the changeling carefully evolve to a somber expression.

She nodded, squinting her eyes shut as she concentrated forcefully. Coalback watched her for a moment, letting her create the image he had described. Then he stepped over the circle.

The changeling flinched instantly, falling back to the floor. She was visibly fighting whatever force was pressing on her after the barrier fell. Coalback quickly hopped over it, Twilight’s horn lighting as he passed over it and straddled the changeling in the limited space. He ignored the suggestive position and waited for Twilight to finish putting up the circle.

Something in the air snapped, a visible warp in the light blinked into existence for an instant as the changeling relaxed again. She let out another sultry moan, much to Coalback’s discomfort. He reached up with a hoof, concentrating as he dipped it into the blood still coating his chin. It started to flow again, but black like ink. He covered the tip of his hoof in the ink-like blood and pulling it away.

A string of the marbled liquid bridged the distance until it snapped back into place. “Hold still.” He said, his words freezing the changeling in her movements as she looked up at him and his blood covered hoof. He moved it to her face, smearing a circle onto her forehead below the horn. He made four lines that spiked away from it, like the points on a simple compass rose for a map. He finished the symbol with a dot in the center. Above that he placed the same angled cross, muttering something under his breath.

“I don’t recognise that symbol, Coalback.” Twilight said, using it as more of a question than a statement.

“Symbols don’t have to be absolute, just something to lock the power onto. Something to remind the brain of the works there.” He said, his voice drifting off as he concentrated on the mark on the changeling’s forehead. “There, barely even visible on that chitin of your’s, but it should give you a little leeway. Don’t drop your guard though.” The changeling nodded at him, managing to appear to cross her eyes to look at the symbol.

“I don’t understand.” Rainbow said, looking across at the three.  “What’s going on? Is she on our side now, just like that?” She asked, looking as skeptical as she could.

“If she swore an oath like that, then yes. But if she breaks her promise, I eat her.” Coalback said, finishing with a warm smile. The changeling turned to look at her, nodding happily, as if the threat of being eaten was practically desirable.

“Oh,” Rainbow said, her voice rising a few octaves as she realised how serious he was. “That’s nice. So is she like, part of the pack now?” He looked down at the changeling again, her words bringing a thoughtful expression to his face.

“I suppose it does mean that.” Coalback mumbled, looking carefully down at the changeling with an examining gaze. “But you can’t well integrate yourself among the ponies, or the wolves without a name. That’s something else I saw in there, no name, not even a title.

“And as pack leader it’s my job to give you one. Would you like a name?” He asked, looking at her carefully as she nodded in agreement. He hummed in thought. “I’ve always been terrible at names, but a wolf’s name might be simple enough, so ...” He paused to think, looking deeply into the segmented spheres of the changeling.

“Coalback, not to sound really jealous or anything, but you’re awfully close to her right now.” Rainbow said, a small smirk lifting her lips. Coalback’s cheeks flushed brightly and he rolled his eyes. But he opened them again, an idea suddenly revealing itself to him.

“Shadow ... Lost Shadow. How’s that?” He said, looking back at the changeling with a questioning glance.

“I love it! A name, wow!” She said, shivering in her restraints as Coalback stepped off her and broke the circle with a swipe of his hoof. “Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Woohooohoo!” She cheered, rolling over as she writhed in pleasure. She sat up on her knees, looking at Twilight with a crazy grin. “Can I get out now?” She asked, that same giddy noise bubbling in her throat as she looked like a foal asking for extra cake after dinner.

“Um ...” Twilight said in a questioning tone, looking over to Coalback for confirmation. He nodded to her and she lit her horn to flash away the ropes and chains.

“Good.” The newly christened Lost Shadow said, springing to her hooves and lighting with green flame. In the wake of the green firestorm was Mayor Mare, her silver mane and gentle face revealed in the place of the changeling. “I think you guys were talking about an evacuation?” She said, her voice returning to imitate the mayor’s.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow said, jumping toward the disguised changeling. “I thought you were on our side.” She said, pointing an accusing hoof at the changeling.

“I am.” The disguised Lost Shadow said, slipping back into the mannerisms of the mayor. “And who better to institute an evacuation than the mayor herself?” She winked, starting toward the door.

“She has a point.” Twilight said, nodding her head with narrowed eyes at the changeling. “But keep a close eye on her.” She added quietly, a conspiratorial glance waved toward Rainbow. Rainbow nodded back silently as she supported Coalback and followed the faux mayor.

They exited the building to a sun that sat above the horizon, and a huge crowd. The entire town must have shown up, and they weren’t in a good mood. Various shouts and pejorative words cut through the air, stinging in Rainbow’s ears and turning edges of her vision red as she watched where they were directed.

Coalback’s ears were practically glued to the side of his head as he attempted to ignore or push away any anger brought by their words. His eyes flicked onto the forest edge, just visible from the town hall. The ‘mayor’ walked forward, putting herself in between them and the crowd.

“Greetings, fellow Ponyvillians. Please, calm yourselves.” She said, her voice projecting over the crowd and drawing them down to a boiling murmur. Just like the real one had been able to. “New evidence has presented itself, and the importance of an evacuation has become paramount. I ask that you all gather supplies for the long hike, take only the essentials. Coalback has experience here, I am putting him in charge of this evacuation effort.” The rest of her words died as the crowd exploded into a new uproar.

Coalback scowled, his face twisting as he cringed away from the wall of noise that escalated away from the crowd. He took a step back, his wings fluttering against his sides in a show of frustration. He shook his head, finally looking back up with rage on his features. He spoke one word, it echoed with authority and will, commanding those who heard it to follow his influence.

“CEASE!” He yelled, the force behind those words countering even Luna’s Canterlot Voice. And the crowd’s noise died instantly, not even a whisper. He continued, his voice low and clear in the sudden silence. “An army approaches, you’ve seen it. They will be here by the time the sun falls below the horizon, and if you ponies are still here, they will kill, rape, and pillage. There will be no survivors.” He said, his eyes reading the crowd.

“We have precious little time. Gather every pony here, bring only essentials. That means non-perishable foods, water, tools, and weapons if you have them. Load carts. The elderly and injured are priority, if they need to be, load them onto the carts as well.

“Everypony will pull their share, stallions and mares, rich and poor. No exceptions. Anything you don’t want destroyed will need to be hidden, or if it’s small enough, taken with you. Keep your loads light, you have to carry them all the way there.” He finished, motioning to the mayor when the ponies remained static.

“You heard the pony.” She said, recovering herself from his outburst. “Get moving. No time for dilly dally, we leave in one hour.” She said, rolling her hoof in a ‘get moving’ gesture. The ponies reacted, if begrudgedly, and started toward their homes.

The next hour was a blur of movement, the entire town had sprung into action. Ponies ran about, carts loading with materials. The contents varied, camping supplies, family photo books, and even a kitchen sink. Coalback had wandered through the town, his small group directing ponies to try and make the move easier, and faster.

The hour deadline had nearly completed, and the ponies started to gather at the front of the town hall in a foul tempered convoy. Rainbow and her small, strange, gathering met up with the rest of the Elements there, and they gathered around.

“Twilight?” Rarity said, confusion in her voice as she approached, but she refrained from the same reaction Rainbow Dash had had in the cell. “What’s going on, Rainbow Dash? Why is the mayor supporting us all of the sudden?” Rarity continued to look on in a confused tone, speaking for the rest of the group as they looked on.

“Twilight’s been working for us, behind the backs of the rest of the town. Turns out she’s been a lot of help.” Rainbow said, placating the dark looks from the rest of the ponies. They reacted in a way that Coalback expected, and he ignored them as they shared a heartfelt embrace, looking out over the rest of the ponies gathered there.

Many were looking toward him with contempt, angry stares and dark looks. He had seen it before, and it was no surprise. He had just forced them to pack up their livelihoods and move their asses out as refugees. He looked past them, toward the mountain range that would soon be their destination.

He turned back to the forest behind them, a dark gloom had fallen over the place. He filtered out the varied apologies and greetings from the mares and examined the forest thoroughly. It was definitely darker now, and while normally not unusual, it felt like a bad omen. The orange, dimming light of the sun cast eerie shadows into the trees, hiding anything more than a few meters into the treeline.

The feeling alone was enough to make him push directly past the pain in his body. He grunted as his back hoof took his weight again, the hip burning with the echo of the spearhead’s extreme damage. His shoulder burned brightly, magic left over from the various rituals that had attempted to heal the massive damage there working in it’s smoldering patterns. He had already pushed himself too far, extremely so.

Flying through the storm had nearly ripped his shoulder apart again, even with the gem’s power and influence letting him move through it perfectly. And hiking back to the cottage had been just as bad, the head of the spear had carved away at the ligaments and bones, creating damage that no amount of healing magic could possibly heal fully. Only time would tell.

He started walking back into the town, almost unnoticed by the mares before Rainbow called out to him. “Coalback? Where are you going? The town’s about to leave!” She said, her voice started to edge with desperation as he kept walking. “What are you doing?” She said one last time, starting to walk after him.

“The contingency plan.” He said darkly, staring at the moving sun and not turning back to them as he kept walking. This seemed to affect Twilight most of all.

She jumped, some sort of fear starting make her shake in her hooves. “What?! But we can leave, there’s no need!” She said, desperation making her voice high pitched and shaky.

“We are out of time.” Coalback said, starting to break into a trot as the sun suddenly dipped under the horizon.

The disguised mayor mare didn’t even flinch, she turned to the crowd around her. “Move!” She shouted, a commanding tone that got the ponies to start their march instantly. “Let’s go, let’s go! Fast as you can, and don’t look back!” She continued, trotting along behind the last of them as they went.

“Coalback, stop! We have to go with the town!” Rainbow yelled starting her own trot and very nearly catching up to him before something exploded.

Coalback’s arm lit up with golden light, the nearly destroyed ring flying apart and sending red hot metal flying away from him. A bubble appeared, expanding in the wake of the explosion, a golden wave of stringy light that billowed out like a sail. Rainbow hit it even as it continued to expand above and around her, and stopped.

It was like running into a rubber band net, and it pushed her back onto her flank. It stretched upward, glowing like fire and reaching to the sky to flow in an ethereal breeze. But it must have been just in time, because something bigger exploded nearby. An entire house simply disappeared in a cloud of dust, fire, and wooden debris. Afterwards the sound reached her, a screeching, like hooves on a blackboard. And the sound of air suddenly expanding louder than any sonic explosion.

The debris flew past Coalback as he jumped over a fallen tree and stopped, his clothes billowed as the shock wave passed him. He skidded to a painful stop, his legs shaking as he stood up on his back hooves. He stood, using his wings and tail to keep balance on his unsteady hooves. And something rose out of the forest, like Death rearing its ugly head.

Lights, like flares, rose up in a steady arc. Their bright luminescence flew fast, but seemed to crawl due to the distance. Coalback’s head tracked them in their fiery paths, watching the smoke trace their slow approach. He reached up with a hoof, working open the collar around his neck and pulling out the brightly glowing gem.

But he never touched it.

It moved on its own, floating out a few inches in front of his chest and throbbing in a steady beat that slowly accelerated. He pushed his right hoof forward, a gesture that felt more powerful than it looked. The lights continued on their set paths, eventually reaching their apex and starting their screaming descent.

Rainbow rushed back the glowing barrier, hearing her friends race to her side as she swiped at the silky surface. “Coalback! Wait!” Rainbow screamed, watching him tilt his head vaguely in her direction before returning to gaze at the banshee lights. Her mind raced, fear spiking into her veins as she tried to get his attention again.

It was a dream she had had, a nightmare. Coalback had been there, shrouded in brilliant light, like he was now. And he had only been there for a second, his eyes locked on her as he stood, like he was now. Every part of the dream was coming into being before her, and it was starting to really scare her, especially with how the dream had ended.

The lights rained down, falling like meteorites toward Coalback and the shield. Racing and spraying sparks out of their burning white centers. He stood stoically as they came closer and closer to him. Their angles changed as they fell, starting to level into a less steep dive. A roar of air rushing away from the lights.

And then another ring exploded, and the lights halted their movement with a noise that rivalled the Rainboom in its intensity. Coalback’s clothes billowed, the shield behind him reacting in kind. The lights creating a virtual starscape in front of him.

But Coalback was struggling, his arms shaking. And golden cracks traced their way up his arm, splitting it like brittle glass.

“NO!” Rainbow screamed, her voice lost among the roar of the static lights. Her hooves fought against the force pressed against the shield as it flexed. It was happening, just like the dream.

The cracks spread like fire across his body, gaining in intensity as they continued. And eventually he simply flew apart, the pieces of his body flying away in the wind that those unnatural lights created. But she stopped, there was something that hadn’t been in the dream.

There, standing where Coalback had, and rising to his full height, was the creature from the soul gaze. A set of words echoed in her head as she watched the upright creature take Coalback’s place.

‘... something that isn’t worth being called pony, or dog, or human.’

That word, human. It was the only thing he had said that night that didn’t make sense. But it fit, even if her mind screamed that it didn’t.

Coalback’s head turned, that flat face towering above what his previous height had been. His features stood out, every shape accented by the shadows cast by the dramatic lights. His ears were flat, unmoving and expressionless. But she could see sadness in his tiny eyes, and regret in the water that fell from them. He stood like that for a while, half turned to them, arm still extended toward the lights, hand open wide.

She felt herself shake with fear, her body detaching itself from her brain as she stared on at him. It was like staring at a house fire, hard to look away, harder not to feel the flame’s heat.

His eyes hardened, and he turned back to the lights, looking past them and into the forest with rage in his heart. He pushed forward with his arm, taking a step forward and yelling wordlessly. And the lights jumped away, like he had hit them back toward the forest. They flew into motion instantly, screaming back up into the air and streaking above the forest, much faster than when they had arrived.

They flew into the air, their arcs bringing them high over the trees. He raised his arms high, the hands spreading wide and then closing, like he was grabbing something with them. And the sky turned black.

It was a sudden change, like night falling in a wave, but murkier, like lake water. And when Coalback lowered his arm’s to be level to the ground, the lights dive bombed. They flew toward the ground in a blur, and impacted with a brilliant explosion that sent a visible shockwave flying from the forest’s edge, flattening the trees there.

And in the wake of the destruction, hundreds of bodies burned, and the ground melted into shale. Other explosions shook the piles of burned trees and bodies that further minced the already destroyed corpses, the weapons that they had carried were detonating. And everything grew quiet, far too quiet.

More of the army of creatures started to march from the burning wreckage of the once dense forest, and stopping where the edge had once stood. They stopped, brilliantly shining armor glinting in the glow of the huge, flowing shield. It was probably more threatening than when they had fired on the town, but they seemed to be waiting.

And they didn’t have long to do so.

Smoke billowed up from the creature’s cloven feet, flowing up like many wispy snakes as the ground smoldered underneath.  The smoke flowed upward as Coalback lowered his arms and stared on. It flowed into a smoky cloud above the army that continued to march into a pointy wall of death, and then there was laughter.

It was a mocking laugh, one that could have driven ponies mad in earlier centuries. But that laugh mocked everything that ponies believed in: peace, harmony, balance. None of that meant anything to that laugh.

None of that meant anything to Discord.

He swirled out of the cloud like the snake his body resembled, curling around it and taking a seat on top. “Ah, hello!” He cooed, his words holding all the contempt in the world. A glass of wine appeared in his claw, red like blood, or maybe it was. “My, my. I did not expect you to do that, not here. I must admit, I am very impressed.” The draconequus commended in a tone that dripped with mirth. The glass floated away from his hand as he clapped slowly, the crimson liquid untouched by the spirit’s lips.

“Admittedly, though, your performance was lacking.” The spirit of chaos continued, pausing in his applause. “After all, you’ve spent yourself, daemon, on a lightshow. And you can barely even stand, look at yourself.” He said, waving a dismissive paw at the erect standing being that stood in defiance to the destroyer of peace. “So I can hardly say that I actually am impressed, now that I think of it.

“You are weak, and it would only take a wave of my claws to wipe your pathetic ass off this mudball.” He said, finishing the motion with a wave of his paw. “But this has been so entertaining!” He laughed, pointing a claw at the human that stood stoic, mostly. Coalback’s legs were shaking, the long appendage’s muscles flexing in erratic patterns. “You! Of all things, in love.” He mocked, clasping his hands together and them close to his long, goat-like chin. “Oh how romantic.

“It’s like- what is that children’s story from your world? Beauty and the Beast! That’s it, where the beautiful woman turns the raging beast, back into a handsome prince.

“And you actually thought, that that could ever happen to you?” The draconequus was interrupted by his own laughter, howling in delight at the joke.  “You and that damned spirit. An old war criminal, and a kin murdering daemon.” His voice grew dark, those crimson and yellow eyes looking back on the creature that had replaced Coalback, that was Coalback, with malice and hatred.

Coalback took a deep breath, the air hissing as it flew through his nose with force. “Then you do not know who I am.” His voice bellowed, flatter and more staccato than before. Maybe it was the fact that he didn’t have a muzzle anymore, no acoustics. But plenty of power and emotion, he was extremely angry. “Perhaps I should educate you.” He finished, reaching down shakily and grasping onto the destroyed branch there. He lifted it in his hand, pressing one end to the ground and leaning against the burned and splintered wood.

“And what could you possibly tell me, that I don’t already know.” Discord replied, that same scowl and hatred raging in his voice as he finally took an arrogant sip of the drink he had summoned, it turning stringy like spaghetti as he leaned away from the cup and slurped the rest out. He smiled as he turned back to the human, his teeth stained red. “I am everywhere, there is nothing that I do not know. I am a god!” He finished, bellowing out the words and rising from the cloud to flex his arms. “Who are you to know what I do not?” Discord demanded, staring with malcontent at Coalback.

“I am.” He said, whether from rage or from pain, his shoulders shook. “I am Douglass ...” He said, the words starting to radiate power.

“I AM DOUGLASS JAMES COLEBECK!” He roared, lifting the makeshift staff and slamming it onto the ground, the sound echoing like it would in a big entrance hall, unnatural. “Now you know who I am, so who are you?” He yelled, pointing a finger at the spirit of chaos. Discord balked, jumping back in the air as he was attacked verbally.

He let out a roar, completely animal in nature and without that mocking voice that usually graced his features. “Oh no you don’t!” The human yelled, lifting the staff and striking the ground again. “You wanted this! Who are you?” He yelled again, his words screaming across the darkened streets and visibly making the creature of chaos flinch.

A vast sound, like something you’d hear in the deep ocean, moaned through the sky.

“Thrice I command thee!” The human boomed, his hand rising to display three digits aimed high. “Thrice I bid thee! By my name I command thee: Tell me who you are!”

And then, everything became still, deafening silence in the wake of the wall of sound. And Discord, curled in on himself. A serpentine-like fetal position. And a voice rang out, it came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It echoed in the mind of every single sentient being for miles around, and shook the bones of every one that heard it.

I AM THE BRINGER OF CHAOS!

I AM THE MAKER OF DISHARMONY!

I AM DISCORD!

For a moment, nothing moved. And for just a moment, only a second and no more, everything fell into place. For just a moment, he could be understood. For only an instant, the Lord of Chaos had become revealed. But then that moment passed, and Discord slipped back into mystery again.

“Well then, asshat.” Douglass, the human, yelled at him. “Welcome to Hell!” He bellowed, the words overflowing with power that shook the air around him.

The last ring on his arm disintegrated, fire and lightning shooting free in overflowing power as he shouted. “FLAMMAMURUS!” The ground groaned, like a dying giant bellowing its last cry as it fell. And the ground before, and under, that demon army exploded.

Fiery magma, and bright red flame, an unnatural color that burned a black mark into the retina, sprayed from the ground like a geyser. The Direswm closest to the inferno burst into flames from the pure heat that boiled away flesh and bone. Magma flew high into the air, hanging in bright, furious heat as it flowed. The wall of fire spread as far as the forest’s edge went, until even the highest flying liquid rock was hidden.

“INFRIGA!” Douglass boomed, the word echoing intense cold as it swept over the front facing edge of the wall of fire. And the fire turned to black rock, blocking the army from any further forward movement.

Wails of burning, pain echoed from behind the wall of cooling, jagged rock that separated the ponies from the monstrous army. The golden light that had once pulses brightly and lit the street with radiance in the suddenly dull and lightless night, died. Douglass visibly wilted, leaning hard against the splintered tree branch that supported his upright stature.

His chest heaved heavily as his hand darted out, catching the gem as it fell from its invisible perch. He shakily returned the gem to its nearly destroyed holster. He carefully turned, the shield that he now faced started to tear.

Falling away like wet paper and dropping the still stunned Rainbow back down to her hooves, and into a scared, low bow. And the rest of Ponyville followed in example.

And before long, no soul dared look into the iridescent eyes of the being who had stood up against Discord, stared him in the eye, and slapped him down to size.