//------------------------------// // Ch.69 "The Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony" // Story: Chrysalis Wins // by Arkolo //------------------------------// Chrysalis Wins Ch.69 "The Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony (Crystal Empire - Modern day - Peak of the palace ) “I would be betting on Mayham if we didn’t already know the outcome.” “Of course, but that’s the nature of a real trickster, isn’t it. You’re not supposed to expect them to do what they do… or at least, how they did it.” “Hopefully we just get the edge we need. Then we can send the answer to Chrysalis and get this whole thing resolved. As much as I enjoy a good challenge, I’m getting rather tired of these never ending issues.” “Rest never comes easy for those with great responsibilities little royal.” “Psh, I’m taller than you, besides, that’s your nickname for Chrysalis. I don’t think she appreciates being called that when she has a proper name.” “She never appreciated my attempts to get her properly groomed either.” “Curls just don’t work with her mane Shellish. It hangs much better naturally.” “Since when did she start caring about her mane? She always insisted it was never that important!” “Well, considering the other problems you had to deal with…” “Even so, neglecting yourself is to the benefit of no one, especially when you’re in charge of everyone.” “I think we’ve gotten a little side tracked.” “Fine, just roll the memory.” As Crone reached out to continue where they left off, Shellish pulled out a special pair of glasses, then used her hooves to fix them snuggly on her snout. Both lenses were dark as pitch. The younger royal raised an eyebrow. “What’re those for?” “Just a precaution.” “What do you mean?” “We’re about to see several powerful draconequi try to outdo each other. I’d rather dull my senses a little before they engage.” To finish her point the elder queen shoved a pair of earmuffs on. Crone’s brow furrowed in a crease of concern. “You don’t have a spare set do you?” “Of course!” A little portal magic and telekinesis made it so. When the changelings were properly muffled they sat back comfortably, ready to watch history unfold. Shellish even portaled some popcorn in to munch on. Meanwhile Crone felt a little suspicious of the glasses she was given, they were red and blue lenses rather than dark ones… Illustration #1 --- (Ancient Equestria) The butter brick road ended when the party of draconequi, ponies, and a changeling reached a great golden wall of wealth. It was little more than a horde of coins jewels and other extravagant ornamentation. Though none of it could hardly be called precious or rare. After all it rained gold and sapphires at least three times a month… no pony went outside on those days. The gang carefully approached mountainous barrier before them, the ever shifting pile of goods was hardly a stable structure. The previous joviality they shared was more subdued, now that they had reached their destination. Sly buzzed along behind the group, noticing Anarchy still had a carefree bounce in her movements. Doubt was nowhere to be found in the emotions that wafted from her. Mayham actually wore a smirk, emanating a palpable excitement that was very noticeable to an empath like her. When the crystal princess tilted her head to appraise Discord’s condition her muzzle contorted in concern. He did a very good job of concealing it externally, as there were no uncomfortable fidgets or nervous smiles, but the chimera absolutely reeked of apprehension and anxiety. Sly hovered closer and put a hoof on Discord’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it Discy, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” Other than the slight jump, the draconequus managed to turn smoothly and reply in a calm collected manner. Loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. “What do you mean Sly? Honestly, if you’re talking about the challenge there’s nothing to worry about. If anything, I’m just being nice giving Anny and Ham the chance to go first.” He lowered his voice to a whisper and elbowed the concerned changeling at the side. “Because we all know I have the best chance.” He put on his winning smile, but that just caused Sly to fold her forelimbs and level a scrutinizing gaze at him. For emphasis she hovered close to his face and made an exaggerated sniff. “Ofcourse! Your emotions and words are in TOTAL alignment.” Discord shot a quick glance towards the other members of their group, and snatched the changeling out of the air, which caused her to squeak in surprise. After he slung her under one arm he put a digit to her snoot to quiet any potential retort. He whispered with a far more serious inflexion this time. “Please, just… Just don’t challenge me on this. Y-you didn’t see what happened last time Golden Spoon was challenged.” Discord finally expressed a deeply repressed shudder, and Sly dropped any further thought on the wisecrack she was going to make. With a hoof, she lowered the paw in front of her muzzle, in courtesy of his request she kept it to a whisper.. “What happened? Why haven’t you mentioned this before?” “I-I.” Before Discord could explain, Anarchy had taken notice of their hushed conversation. “Awww, Discy that’s so cute! You trying to haggle a pep smooch before the big game?” Her loud burst caused the rest of the group to break into sniggers, even Ham seemed amused, especially when Sly palmed a hoof to her face. Discord’s carefree front seamlessly took over as he played along. “Oh you know me Anny, just can’t help myself when it comes to red-heads.” Illustration #2 He finished as he noogied Sly and set her down. Mayham scratched two claws together idly and spoke levelly to the group. “As much as I’d love to indulge in all of you in your antics, I actually feel eager on this occasion. You can express your reservations while you wait for your turn Discord. If it ever comes to your turn... Let us move on.” The normally stoic draconequus led the group over the hump of the mountain wall of treasures, equines in tow. When they finally crested the peak, they were greeted with a sight that looked nothing less than glorious. Ponies, draconequi, and a few other species laughed, played, or otherwise leisured about in their thousands. It appeared every bit as euphoric as only a spirit of corpulent indulgence could imagine. There wasn’t just a lack of want, but an excess of anything that could be wanted. Such was the enchanted nature of this walled utopia that as soon as an object was desired it appeared. As soon as the individual was done with it, or lost fascination, it was just as quickly discarded. Undesired objects were constantly added to the wall around the city, or hurdled supernaturally across the continent. The three equines and three draconequi leveled their steely gazes at the display. For as admittedly beautiful as the gold-leafed city below was, it was strictly a club for Golden Spoon’s sycophants. It was widely known that anyone the bloated giant found disagreeable would become part of the ‘outgroup’. Which at this point was nearly half of equestria. Consequently they also had garbage rain on them daily. “Foul den of stuck up panderers.” Lulu voiced bitterly, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement. Then as one, they advanced down from the precipice of the mountain wall towards their goal. When they were close enough to be noticed, a bell quickly rang out. It was a mighty bell that echoed with gusto to alert the whole valley. Discord, Anarchy, Mayham, Tia, Lulu, and Sly stopped at the alert, and held their ground a few steps away. A moment later the bell stopped, and was followed up by a crack of thunder and a glorious gold flash. Golden Spoon, the giant corpulent chimera, towered over the little group of friends. A highly amused grin twisted the fat jowls of his face. “Tired of living outside my presence? Come to redeem yourselves eh? Well, no worries. All is forgiven, let it not be said that I lack mercy, charity, or generosity!” The intruding group displayed opposite levels of amusement, and Discord spoke up for them. “Actually no. We’re here to officially challenge you for your title.” At this news Golden lowered his massive head, and curled his boulder built frame until he was eye level with them. “All of you? Even the ponies and changeling?” Tia quickly coughed to gain attention and spoke for the equines. “We’re here for moral support, your gluttonous-ness.” Golden chuckled at the cheeky remark and straightened his posture until he looked down on them again. He brought up his shovel sized spoon and began to repeatedly tap the head of it into the opposite paw. He brandished it as if it was a weapon of intimidation. “Very well. It has certainly been ages since i’ve been engaged with other draconequi so bold. In fact, good ol’ Discord here had been around long enough to remember the last occasion.” Discord struggled to not let his knees wobble, and he succeeded, but Sly definitely noted the spike of fear her friend repressed. “Times have changed, and they’re going to keep changing.” The smaller chimera stared up at his much, much larger rival. Resolve etched itself deeper into his voice and posture. At this Golden let out a mirthful chuckle that caused his blubbery body to ripple in waves. “Oh, undoubtedly. Well then, what is there to wait for. Let’s begin!” The golden spoon in Golden Spoon’s paw was lifted and a giant bolt of lightning forked to each member of the small group. In the next moment they all appeared on a stage, which faced an enormous amphitheatre. Thousands of ponies, draconequi, and more constituted the massive audience. When they noticed Golden and his entourage they all gave uproarious applause. They were all trained to expect something especially good when their glorious master of pleasures made announcements. Illustration #3 “Thank you, thank you my gentle and dainty friends. I do infact have something most important and stimulating to share.” More reckless worshipful applause filled the brief pause, then abruptly stopped when he waved them down with his manatee flipper. “As per tradition older and more contrived than my stupendous self, these three draconequi before you-” he gestured to the three upcomers. Some members of the crowd recognized them, and began to whisper furiously amongst themselves. The tension of the audience quickly became palpable. “-have sought to challenge me for the title of ‘Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony’, as is perfectly within their rights. According to this old lump of stone. Golden clapped his flipper and paw together, and summoned a large stone to the center stage. Strange scribbles covered its surface, much to the confusion of many. “No! B-but Golden, you’re the best! You can’t leave!” A butterball of a pony shouted, which was quickly supported vigorously by the anxious crowd. “There’s no need to worry my good friends, in fact you should be excited! For this is to be an event of great amusement! No draconequus is guaranteed to win, and we have yet to know their actual propositions.” “Propositions?” The butterball questioned butterously. “Here is a quick run down of the terms.” Golden looked at the scribbles on the rock to translate. “The current spirit and their challenger will engage in two trials. One decided by the current spirit, and one by the challenger. The terms of each trial must be agreed upon before they begin. Should the current spirit fail either trial, they must surrender the title, and all the accompanying powers and privileges tied to the position.” The giant chimera stepped away from the stone and opened his arms wide to the sky, then a brilliant and wondrous light radiated from the center of his being, within a moment the light concentrated into a sphere that rippled with a liquid-like surface. The strange emanation hovered up above the stage invitingly, and all who laid eyes upon it was struck with the desire to touch it. “There is the prize to be won. Pure concentrated powers, and privileges. I will be facing my challengers simply as myself, with no special augmentation from the ultimate chaotic amplifier.” Golden finished with a friendly pat to his prestigious belly, then turned to his challengers with a smug grin on his face. “Who will be first?” The crowd sat on the edge of their seats, their eyes fixed on the three figures with undivided attention. After one blink, the pink maned draconequus remembered something, and she cheerfully raised an amphibious paw. “Oh, oh! That would be me!” Methodically Golden tapped the rock with his spoon, which caused it to vanish, and made a grand sweeping gesture to the audience. “Our first contender for the title of Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony!” Anny smiled brightly and hopefully, only to be barraged with a wave of boos immediately. Her mood instantly soured and she shouted back at the crowd. “Shove another stick of butter in your bloated faces! You demented balloons!” Somepony threw a tomato, and it would have landed squarely between her eyes, if it weren’t blocked by a giant spoon. Golden’s voice boomed over everyone gathered. “Please, Leave the mockery until the event is completed. I wish this event to be fair after all.” The crowd pacified instantly, which caused Anarchy to grimace and snort. She muttered under her breath. “Of Course the lards listen to the king of lards… I’ll change things here real quick.” The king of lards gave her a quick glance, apparently he noticed the comment, which only caused her to defiantly stick out her tongue. In return he gave her a most infuriating smug grin. “Well, I suppose you already have your challenge in mind Anarchy? We’ll go ahead and do yours first. The rest of your friends can take the V.I.P. seats over there.” Her scowl quickly morphed into a confident grin, and she leaned back while she folded her arms. Meanwhile Disord, Mayham, Tia, Lulu, and Sly all shuffled over to the front row seats Golden offered them. After that was in order Anarchy puffed up her chest as she spoke with self assurance. “Why yes fatty Mcblob, I do have my challenge ready. So, I, Anarchy, challenge you to a race. No magic, No flying. Just your tubby legs versus my limber ones.” She stretched to make a point, and expected him to flinch, or look disheartened. She was disappointed to see neither in her opponent. “That sounds fine to me, now, just where do you want to do it?” Anny’s eyes flicked about the area, and quickly locked onto a broad set of stairs, which was very long. It stretched all the way to the top of the enormous amphitheatre. Smugness oozed from her as she unfolded her arms and clasped her paws together behind her back. She pointedly looked at the stretch of stairs. “We race from right here, to the top of those stairs and back. First one to set a limb back on the stage wins.” It didn’t matter whether Golden put up a confident front or not, she totally had this in the bag. Her flexed posture and readiness to spring said as much. The lipidly gifted giant continued to smile extending his flipper with invitation. “Just say whe-” “NOW!” She jumped off the stage and propelled her lithe body up the stairway. Her long slender frame weaved back and forth like a serpent as she quickly ascended each step. She kept up her reckless pace for a short period before she risked a look back. Golden made a casual show of taking very long strides, his general size made it so he took one step for every ten of Anny’s. Despite her being a good distance ahead, he showed no sign of fear. This only spurred the younger, more lithe draconequus on, she was going to win, and she was going to rub it in his face. Her jaw clenched and she redoubled. After a few minutes of the relentless sprinting, she found herself struck by a heavy bout of panting. Sweat trickled down and began to mat her mane. She could swear these stairs multiplied of their own accord. She looked back to see Golden still a good distance behind. So she licked her lips and strained her grit. She could still totally do this, no doubt. She must be at least halfway up these stairs. By the time she figured she was within the last hundred steps, her pace had slowed to a crawl. Her little legs burned, her arms burned, the length of her snaky body BURNED! But it was worth it. Without magic, how could Golden ever hope to catch up to her? “Ha… Ha… Hawwwww. I-I’ve so go this. T-totally in the bag.” She heaved as she reached the final step, and collapsed into a sprawl as she struggled to catch her breath. When a voice called out to her, she went ridged and panicked. “My, my, didn’t conserve much energy there did we?” Golden chuckled as he finished the last few steps… at the exact same pace he had started with. Rather than respond with any words, not that she really had the effort left in her. Anarchy scampered back onto her paws and hooves, desperately trying to get back down the stairs. In her haste she tripped, then collided painfully with the metal tipped steps. She slid down a few more before her body halted and she let out a pained groan. “That’s not how you do it Anny, let Fatty McBlob show you how to finish.” She looked up and held a paw to her bloody snout. “Aw, flipping limp noodle!” She exclaimed as she witnessed Golden curl into a ball and roll down the stairs. “WHY DID I SAY ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE STAGE!” She curled a scally paw into a fist and repeatedly hit herself on the head. “Stupid brain! You failed me!” After a moment she stopped and groaned in defeat. She looked down the stairs to see Golden uncurl and land on the stage like it was all a big performance. His upper limbs stretched out in triumph, much to the pleasure of the crowd. A loud round of deafening applause roared across the audience. A severe twitch began to develop in Anarchy’s left eye. There was one more trial, but she felt she already blew her chance. It was evident in the sag of all her exhausted limbs, sweat drenched fur, and dour expression. One flash of lightning later, she was back on stage. Now she was upright and feeling mildly rejuvenated. But the magic behind it did nothing for her discouragement. She felt a large paw pat her on the back, reactively she looked up to see Golden smile at her. It wasn’t as smug as before, but still conveyed general amusement. “I definitely give you points for effort. But I believe according to your own terms, I am the victor.” Anny just bowed her head, the cheer of the crowd only served to fuel her doubts. Golden lifted his paw away and spoke in a loud voice all could hear. “Now don’t look so down Anarchy, you do have one more chance after all.” “B-but you’re going to pick something impossible!” The defeated chimera whined, only having just built the nerve to speak again. “Now, now. You picked something you thought I would have no chance at, and look how that turned out. Don’t discount yourself so quickly.” The giant gave his generously sized gut a fond pat in emphasis. Despite the tears and sniffles that threatened to build over her, the silly action elicited a slight chuckle from her. His words of reassurance gave her just a hint of hope, maybe it would be just enough. “O-ok. What are we doing next?” A scheming smile parted the bulbous jowls, then he gestured towards the audience around them. “If you really want to be the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, Anarchy, then you should be prepared for the responsibility of it all. Heh, I mean, ofcourse it would fun to stick-it to someone you perceive as a big ol’ bully. But Anny, you’ve got to think of the bigger picture my dear.” “Bigger picture?” “Why yes, look at all the creatures around you out there.” He threw his panda arm around her, lifting her up while his manatee flipper waved to the crowd of ponies and draconequi. The crowd took this as another que to cheer, so the joyous sound rippled all around. Golden whispered down to her ear so that the crowd wouldn’t hear his next words. “All this praise, all of this glory. It could be for you, and it could be genuine. But you’d have to earn it. You would have to think a step ahead to secure it.” He sat down and placed her on a knee, then continued with the air of a mentor. “Say Anny, even if you had just beat me. Have you thought about what you were going to do afterward? Have you thought about how the rest of the ponies and draconequi would react? Are you ready for an endless list of demands? Are you ready for countless interruptions of your personal time? Are you ready for everyone else to feel entitled to your power? Are you ready to hear every negative, condescending, inaccurate thing to be said about you? Are you ready to be blamed for everything?” “Ok, ok, I-I get it.” She made a nervous gulp. The line of questions caused her to become increasingly uneasy, squirming where she sat. Golden patted her on the back in a comforting manner, a warm smile spread across his broad features. “Why don’t we go ahead and finish this then, what do you say?” Anarchy was set back on her own hooves and was given space. She felt confused, but less afraid. Her stance was loose, and she let out a sigh. “Alright, what are we doing?” When he answered her, his voice turned into a boom again. “In order test your readiness, I propose a simple evaluation… Sell yourself to the audience. Make them want you more than me.” Her nerves spiked again, and her pupils shrank to pinpricks as she looked out at the crowd again. “H-how?” “Don’t worry, I’ll show you how. Then if you can get the crowd to cheer more for you, you’ll win.” He gave her a wink, and she continued to fidget a little. Though the next move came to her as a surprise. There was a white flash of smoke, and a large bouquet of yellow tulips and daisies appeared in Golden’s paw, which he offered to her to right after. It was a pretty bouquet, and there was something especially special about the flowers. Each little drop of dew sparkled like diamonds along the bright and cheery petals. After a brief hesitation, she reached out and accepted the gift. She mumbled out what only felt natural. Illustration #4 “Th-thank you!” “You’re welcome!” The giant’s foot and his whale tail began to beat the ground in a rhythmic pattern. With a tap of his spoon, ambience permeated the air, and unseen instruments came in to compliment the large chimera’s beat. A charming chuckle reverberated from his generously sized chest, and his voice broke into melody. It’s easy to see what’s going on here You’re faced with something grand and its different And you’ve began to question yourself It’s cute! It’s nice to see that youth is still transparent A chuckle rippled through the crowd and Anny’s face fell, but the next moment she found her chin gently lifted up by a panda paw. Then she straightened as the large chimera corrected her posture with a few pokes and prods. He continued with a robust tap to the chest. Take a deep breathe, and let’s begin Yes, it’s really me, it’s Goldie, breathe it in I know it’s a lot, the mane, the shine When you’re staring at someone so sublime He took as step back as he ran a paw through his mane, and struck a pose that just leaked narcissism everywhere. The changeling in the V.I.P. seats took a curious sniff… it smelled like fermented love a few eternities too old. What can I say except you’re welcome! For the gold, the food, the wine Hey it’s okay, okay You’re welcome! I’m just a generous omnipotent guy! With a wave of the great golden spoon food, drink and various objects of delight poured down amongst the crowd. The legendary draconequus himself began to float up and off the stage as danced around for the pleasure of the audience, who readily began to chant their appreciation in the background. Many of them stomping hooves or other appendages along with the beat. Hey! Who has the spoon that transformed the sky When yall were muddling around This guy! When the land lost soul Who came with the means to make you full You’re lookin’ at em’ all Oh, also I reigned in the weather You’re welcome! To brighten your days and make you comf- Also I cured the sneeze You’re welcome! To calm your wails, and make you pleased So what can I say except you’re welcome! For the rivers of wealth at your feet A simple thank you is plenty, what can I say You’re welcome! HA! I guess the pleasantry is just me being me! You’re welcome! You’re welcome! Golden stopped his dance to drop back down to the stage, and leaned towards Anarchy, who clutched the bouquet very close to herself. The winds of enthusiasm had caught up to her and she tapped one of her hooves long with the catchy song. The giant proffered her to come close as if to tell her a secret. Well, come to think of it girl Honestly I could go on and on I could explain every nicety and how we could get along The sights, the spice, the sounds oh, That was just Goldie makin’ his rounds I get a feel I cater your needs You get a meal, I get credit for deeds What’s the lesson What’s the take-away Things are much better when Goldie gets his way And the litany you’ll hear from my kin Is about the endless woes I’ve thrown in the bin Just talk to them I make everything happen Look how they’re all just tippin’ and tappin’ As Golden Spoon make a great show it became true, and they tipped, tapped, and clapped along. The audience of many thousands all enthusiastically contributed with their hooves, paws or otherwise. A steady chant of you’re welcome had become quite infectious among them. Anarchy hadn’t even noticed how she had started to clap along, and even join the chant. So enraptured by the sights and sounds, it was such a happy crowd. Just gimme an excuse to say, you’re welcome! For the wonderful world I’ve shown It’s okay, okay You’re welcome! Well, come to think of it, we’re winding up the show Hey it’s your day to say you’re welcome! Cause I’m gonna need that vote Forever I’ll stay, I’ll stay You’re welcome! Cause Goldie does well anywhere, but alone You’re welcome! You’re welcome! And thank you! He finished with a magnificent bow, and the crowd spoke back as one. “No, thank YOU Goldie!” then everything broke into unorganized thunderous applause. For several minutes the crowd went on and on, the energy seemingly without end. After so long he was pleased with the attention, the oversized chimera swiveled on feet leaning down towards Anarchy. “Well, it would be your turn to follow up. Are you ready?” Anny look down to the bouquet she still held. It was such a simple gift, so seemingly innocent. She looked out at the crowd picking few individual faces, there was no hiding just how genuinely happy they looked. She felt her will power start to cave. How could she bring herself to spoil this? “I-I can’t do it. You win Goldie.” It was a quiet business as she shuffled off stage, making her way to the V.I.P. seats where her friends sat. The glorious blob of privilege and power remained still where it was, unmoved by the completion of the event. All her friends looked confused, except for Sly who noticed the waft of internal dilemma. Mayham was the first to get up and speak to her. “What happened Anny? Is he not giving you the chance to follow up?” His paws began to curl into fists, but she quickly grabbed him to assuage that line of thought. She looked him in the eyes, then turned to the rest of the group as she voiced her concern. “I’m not so sure I want to interrupt what’s going on here anymore. He asked me some questions up there and got me thinking...” “What are you saying Anny?” The question came from Tia, who looked from her to the smiling giant, her expression perplexed. The draconequus looked down, slightly ashamed. “I gave up. Many of the ponies and draconequi here look like they really are happy. I don’t think I could do a better job than Golden Spoon.” The equines shivered at that. As long as they’d known her, she’d never been one to self doubt. Many trying occasions over the last few years had accumulated plenty of evidence for that. This elicited a growl out of Mayham. “Have you forgotten what’s going on outside of the city?” “No, but, well, it wasn’t that bad was it?” “Have you gone daft! GAW! Just-” Mayham sighed, the scrunch of his brow had reached unusual depths, his stance became stern as he looked up to the stage. “Take a seat Anny, I’ll do what we came here to do.” His swan and raven wings beat to lift him away from the seats and carry him up to the stage. At this point the crowd had started to quiet down, some noticed the presence of a new draconequus and they eagerly muttered in excitement. What fun would be shown this time? Golden greeted the new arrival with his casual boisterous voice. “We have our next challenger I see. Mayham if I do remember, ho-” “Cut the pleasantries. I’m here to win. My challenge is sparring, first to faint loses.” Some members of the crowed gasped at the interruption, and muttered variations of ‘how rude’. The broadly thick and thickly broad chimera didn’t seemed bothered by the abrasiveness at all. In fact he dropped his spoon off to the side, and cracked the knuckles of his paw. He took a fighting stance, an eager grin painted across his bulbous jowls. “Begin when you wish.” Without further invitation there was a blur, then a sonic boom exploded outward from the stage. The wave of a air was so intense it knocked ponies and draconequi out of their seats, hundreds of the creatures all tumbled over each other. The disorientation caused fear, and many started to panic. After a few of them regained their senses, they noticed Golden Spoon was nowhere to be seen, in fact the newcomer stood where the giant use to be. “Holy bits, he killed him!” The butterball in the crowd shouted, then there were rampant screams throughout, and there was a rush to escape from the amphitheater. A boom of a familiar voice caused them to stop where they stood however. “CALM DOWN! I’M OKAY, I’m okay.” From the horizon came a bloated figure, he closed the distance relatively quickly, and the tense audience held their breath, unsure of whether or not they would need to panic again. When Golden Spoon landed back on the stage every set of eyes gave him appraisal. He looked no worse for wear. Only a critical stare danced along his eyes as he addressed Mayham with a scolding tone. “There’s no need to scare the poor audience like that. If you want to fight unrestrained I know just the place.” Mayham titled his head, then spit on the ground. “I was restrained.” The fat chimera chuckled at that. “Oh, I’m sure, I’m sure. But how about this.” With a wave of a paw, a rift appeared in the air. Stars twinkled and grey stony plains could be seen through the gap. Golden continued in explanation. “It’s a world in a dimension altogether separate from this one. One void of life. What do you say we spar there?” Without a word Mayham flew up into the rift and into the new world. Golden turned to the crowd with a bow. Then he conjured up a large orb and cast it to a central location, mid air above the amphitheatre. He addressed them loudly. “That is so you can all watch, safely.” He smiled before he jumped up into the rift as well, which quickly sealed up after him. The great orb expanded so it was easily viewable to all. “Beat em’ good Goldie!” The vocal blobular pony shouted out. “Get em’ good Ham!” Tia, Lulu, Sly, and Discord called out adversarially. Anarchy started to nibble on the claws of her lizard hand, the uncommon expression of worry on her face. Secure in a new location, the two draconequi stood a short distance from each other. It was a face-off blanketed in eerie tension. Mayham broke the stillness with an uncharacteristically wide smile, and spoke with a keen edge. “I’ve waited for this for years…” “I haven’t, but I don’t mind it popping up now. Really spices things up.” In contrast to the serious, aggressively controlled excitement of Mayham, Golden rested easy on his two broad feet. “You never take anyone seriously, but yourself! You won’t keep that attitude by the time I’m done with you.” “Why should I until I’m proven otherwise. You know, for such a straight-to-business fellow, you’re being rather talkative.” The smaller challenger clenched his jaw and hardened his stare. Why was he talking so much? That wasn’t what he was here for, and it was all the more reason he found Golden Spoon so vexing. Desperately needing to be put in place… He took a step back, holding a very specific posture. His body partially curled, his paws clenched, and his wings spread wide, tail rigid in position. “You said we can go unrestrained…” “Why yes I did!” “It was a statement! Not a question.” “Whatever you say, go ahead and do your little power up or whatever you’re doing.” Mayham’s eyes widened for a brief moment, did Golden already know what he was going to do? He shook his head as he decided it didn’t matter, he hadn’t been training for years just to falter now. So he started to growl as held his position and his entire body tensed. The dust and stones nearby were blown about in an ethereal wind, and flashes of light began to rapidly emanate from his body. Soon the wind evolved into the roar of a hurricane, the previously star spattered sky was filled with spontaneous storm clouds. Lightning erupted between the plumes and columns, illuminating the violent changes to the nearby landscape. Mayham’s growl exploded into a roar of noise that could be heard over the thunder and winds. His form became so bright, the audience back on the home world had to look away, lest they be blinded by his fury. Then just as suddenly, the wind, the thunder, the roar, all ended. The ghostly clouds dissipated and the rocks torn from the ground fell carelessly back down. It took a little longer for the dust to settle, but when it did the two figures could still be seen standing opposite of each other, though one had radically changed. Gone was the fur over all of Mayham’s skin, replaced instead with dark blue scaly plates. His dark brown mane lengthened and became neon pink. Pulsing blue veins erupted in the places between scales, and his eyes burned a bright yellow. “Well looky there, is that the costume you bring to dance parti-” Illustration #5 Optional Music - "The Ruler" Golden didn’t finish as he was knocked at impossible speeds, and sent flying well out of the valley the two of them had stood in. Before he even began a downward descent, the dark blue figure appeared close by and struck a second time, sending the bulbous creature hurtling straight towards the ground. Mayham struck a third time, creating a crater with Golden’s body that exceed the width of the valley they just left. To follow up all of that, his energy wracked claws pointed towards a nearby mountain, pulling it roots and all from its place of rest. Then with an exaggerated swing, he swung the mountain down like a ball and chain mace, straight into the place he had cratered Goldie into. The collision was simply titanic, and the land was shattered for massive distances in every direction. The mountain crumbled under its own weight, fallingl into fragments larger than cities. “Are you still feeling smug, you conceited jerk!” He roared angrily at the mess he had made, and to the creature that was beneath all of it. For several long moments there was nothing but the sound of the land below crumbling over itself into landslides and avalanches. Mayham took several deep breaths, hesitation and anticipation crawled over his altered form. “G-golden?” “What a nice opener! Though I must say, you’re starting on such a small scale!” The voice was ambient, and came from no particular direction, all that Mayham could understand was that the ground below became much brighter. With a sudden tectonic blast, the face of the world below ruptured, magma shot out into the skies to become a living tornado of Lava. On top of this hellish spectacle was the fat draconequus, who rode the endless flow of molten rock like it was another day at the beach. “Turns out this world still has a spicy center!” Before Mayham could even make sense of what he looked at, a large golden spoon smacked him in the middle of the chest with a resounding GONG! The hardened blue chimera ricocheted away into the heavens. Right up into the moon that glowed ominously among the stars. Shortly after the gong noise disappeared a wide crater ate up half of the face of the moon. Golden just chortled and commented for the audience watching from the other world. “He sure likes to give a hit, but can he take one?” Most of the audience just had their jaws dropped, some were crying, others laughing. But those in the V.I.P seats wore extremely stunned expressions. Well, at least the three equines did. “Did you know he could do that? Is he going to be ok?” Tia, Lulu, and Sly all turned to Anarchy, who blew some of her mane out of her face. “Well, I knew he was up to something, all that time he insisted on not being bothered. Heh, now to think of it, I always thought he was acting repressed. And ya, I bet he’s gonna come right back.” The ponies and changeling looked to Discord next, not even voicing the same question, it was in their eyes. The draconequus simply leaned back and shook his head, both his legs and arms crossed with disinterest. “Why is everypony always so impressed with feats of width and breadth? Honestly, I thought Ham would have something a little more nuanced prepared. But if that’s all, then I think he’s in trouble. Golden has plenty of space to store magic in that frame of his.” Sly, Lulu, and Tia just looked back at the placid surface above them, not wanting to potentially miss anything. At first the movement they saw seemed like a crawl, but became more apparent in mere seconds. The moon Mayham had presumably launched into split into two pieces, like an orange cleanly cut in half, except this particular celestial orange littered space with countless millions of fragments of stone and dust. “Ooo, where is this going?” Golden clapped his flipper and paw together with interest. They all watched as one of the moon halves began to spin in a dizzying display. Rings of dust clouded the nothingness between the split moon and the world below, then it was launched like a missile. The scope was so large that for a while the only perspective was dark. The impact was too much to witness in one frame. Then came fire and a ghoulish glow, and the stars showed themselves once more. The odd perspective carried them into the void beyond, where the crowd was able to see the broken remains of the planet and its moon. Trails of destruction tied the two together in an umbilical-like connection. It was fascinating as it was devastating to look at, and many members of the audience fainted as they tried to comprehend the display. “You left us with no ground to stand on! This might get hard for the little ponies to follow!” Golden’s voice could be heard extolling a light rebuke, whereas Mayham blustered with unforgiving harshness. “This isn’t about them! It’s about you and me!” Another planet could be seen in the distance, it had wide gorgeous rings orbiting its frame with heavenly elegance. That was until it was violently ripped away and used as a cosmological throwing disc. The giant flat object sliced towards the place Golden’s voice emanated from. It continued forward and carried itself into the sun of the local system. Reactively, a long tendril-like solar flare erupted from the surface of the disturbed star. The planetary ring was consumed by its raging heat. Rather than dissipate, the tendril of the solar flare kept on growing and lengthening. Eventually the star was tugged, then pulled from its location. The great ball of light and fire bowled over towards the ringless planet. It was consumed in a moment, along with the destuction of the solar system’s framework. Only the star remained alone. The laughter of Golden could be heard in its omnipresent form, amusement at the escalation clear in his voice. Not to be out done, Mayham fed power into the star, and caused it to engorge uncontrollably. The coloration off its light went from yellow, to orange, to red, and it inflated with each shift in hue. “She’s gonna blow!” Golden’s voice echoed playfully, right before the star did just that. The crowd of ponies safe from the trauma in yonder dimension, got to see their first up close and personal supernova. However, most of them didn’t look, it was much too bright. What members of the crowd weren’t huddling in fear, fainted, or  overcome with other symptoms of overstimulation, got to bear witness to yet more absurd events. Soon stars were being tossed around like tennis balls, as the two draconequi feuded with celestial bodies as their instruments. The perspective shifted and changed in order to accommodate the ever growing space the conflict spilled into. Not long after they exhausted all the local stars of the region, they went further, and pulled the spiral arms of the galaxy apart, and applied them like whips, to lash and break apart the rest of the cosmological structure they occupied. Whatever the galaxy’s name was, it was no more after Golden and Mayham were done with it. “Why don’t you yield!” The dark draconequus broke the laws of physics and reality with his voice, as it carried the impossible distances to reach his opponent. The fat one replied with a taunting call, “Just try harder!” Mayham’s darkened tiger claw reached out in the universe and grabbed another galaxy, as his claws clenched into a ball, billions upon billions of stars collided and collapsed in on one another. As more stars fed into the center, it evolved into an abomination of gravity from which light could not escape. A mass that shouldn’t exist evolved under the tutelage of Mayham’s enraged magical pressures. The relativity of time and space were meaningless as he hurled this object towards the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, willing his tormentor to be subdued. However, Golden Spoon had also done similar with another galaxy, throwing his creation towards his opponent as well. The resultant collision didn’t make any sense, and would be pointless to describe. Suffice it to say, that entire universe got wrecked. Amid the all the nonsense of indescribable universal dynamics, Ham decided he was tired of using other objects as tools in this fight. They hadn’t worked, and likely none of them would. So, he resolved to use the last and greatest thing in his arsenal… He would punch Golden Spoon right in his smug face, with all the power of chaos he could muster into that single action. Snaking between the broken fabrics of reality Mayham extended his clenched paw, he aimed with his thoughts more than his senses, then through the pure chaos of it all he felt contact. Golden’s panda paw collided with Mayham’s stretched out tiger fist. In that touch was a moment of clarity, then the most intense experience of the challenging draconequus’s life. Endless eternities of boundless forevers expanded, and expanded, and expanded. New universes sprang into existence, grew, developed, then died, while others lived on with no signs of stopping. Sparks of creation with no particular purpose sprang everywhere that was anywhere, and filled all that was nowhere, and possibly somewhere. The spark of chaos that everything is, was, and could be flew through, around, in and out. Nothing was Mayham, yet everything was Mayham. No sane mind could experience this unchanged. Suddenly the stupefied chimera plopped through a dimensional portal and face planted on the stage, back in the amphitheatre. Mayham drooled uncomprehendingly upon the ground, and gargled something nonsensical. Golden Spoon jumped out of the portal right after his opponent, and looked perfectly whole. “You ready to keep going little Hammy boy?” “Ggnruuuuwuueng.” “I take that as a no.” He prodded his opponent with his spoon, and Mayham reverted to his normal furry form. Anarchy hopped up on stage and seized her brother closely in her arms, she looked up to the corpulent giant with an accusatory scowl. “What did you do to him!?” “He’ll be just fine. Though he’ll probably spend the rest of the day comprehending the insanity he unleashed. Now, since we’ll have a block of time, would any other challengers like to step in?” Golden smiled and looked pointedly at Discord, who sat nervously in his V.I.P. seat, squirming in a moment of uncomfortable silence, the pony next to him blurted in disorientation. “What did I even see?” Luna blinked numbly, and her observation was lamely acknowledged with weak grunts from Tia and Sly, all of whom possessed pupils shrunk so small, they didn’t even appear to be there. Anarchy dragged Mayham off the stage with her, no further words escaped her lips as she tried to focus on relieving her brother’s malady. She quickly brushed through his messed up mane, and tried to hum soothing things into his ear, but nothing seemed to shake the madness locked in his eyes. The sight shook Discord to the core, yet angered him at the same time. He wanted nothing else other than to bolt at the moment, but as his eyes lingered on the ponies, the changeling, his fellow draconequi… his friends. “You do indeed, have one more challenger.” Shakily, he rose from his seat and approached Golden. The giant leaned over so that he was on eye level with his newest challenger. The long tips of his blond mustache curled like vipers getting ready to strike. Discord’s short legs started to shake, the silence which Golden treated him to made him want to break again. “You can do it Discy!” The nervous chimera turned to see encouraging smiles from the ponies and changeling, he found his confidence within their eyes. Discord broke the silence with self asserted authority. “I challenge you, Golden Spoon, for the title Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. I have my proposition ready.” At this point a large part of the audience had regained their senses, and peered nervously down to the stage. The last scene was quite a shock, most of them doubted they could handle another such performance. Golden, conscious of the crowds’ shaky resolve waved his flipper towards them, and created a soothing breeze. “So, what’ll it be Discord? I expect something more thoughtful from you.” “I have a riddle and I’ll give you one chance to answer it.” “Oh, only once chance? You drive such a hard bargain, I have everything to lose, while you…” Discord raised an eyebrow at that, then his tail swished with some excitement. He hadn’t quite thought of it that way before. Could the pompous giant actually have his own doubts? “Yes one and only one. Or can the Great Golden One not out do a simple riddle?” He splayed his arms wide in a total show of relaxation, then proceeded to strut back and forth in front of the stage. He voiced his next words loud and clear to taunt the audience as well. “Has all the endless indulgence caused your mind to go as soft as your overgrown body?” The brazen chimera finished his point by giving Golden’s gut a poke, and caused an unflattering ripple. Though Golden just laughed. “T-trying to tickle me s-so I can’t answer straight? HeheHA! Well, spit it out.” “Very well.” Discord conjured up a stool, stepped on it with his hoof, then struck a comfortable pose leaning on his elevated knee. I Never Was. Am Always to Be. No One Ever Saw Me, Nor Ever Will. And Yet I am The Confidence of All Who Live and Breathe. What am I ? A smile spread across Golden’s bouncy jowls, then he clapped his front limbs together in respectful applause. “You don’t disappoint me. Such a flavorful method to your madness. I’ll actually have to think about my answer.” “Take all the time you need.” For once, Golden wasn’t the draconequus wearing a smug grin on stage. Discord replaced the stool with a lounge couch, which he promptly flopped onto, while whipping himself up a little drink. He made sure to slurp extra loudly to mess with his opponent’s focus. “Huh, do you know the answer to the that one Tia?” Sly leaned over to ask her friend, in reply the white unicorn shook her head at a loss. Lulu voiced her thought in a loud jeer. “HAHA! Discord will surely stump the oaf and break up this pompous brigade. Better days will surely follow!” The blue unicorn stood up and stomped her hooves in enthusiasm, to which her sister and changeling friend caught on. Tia let out a loud whistle, and Sly’s wings hummed. Anarchy even looked from from cradling Mayham to smile at the thought. “Better days to follow…” Golden mumbled to himself as he looked over to the small crowd of support. The massive crowd was deadly quiet, so what Discord’s little fan club shouted was easily heard. As for the challenging chimera, he still appeared relaxed, and soaked up all the attention his little group gave him. He didn’t care to look over at the puzzled giant at all, secure as he was in victory now. “Never was, always to be.” The title defender stood up from his crouched thinking position, and continued to mutter. “No one has seen, Nor ever will.” The large spoon twirled between flipper and paw. “Yet the confidence of all who live and breathe.” The orca tail flopped up and down on the stage, knocking Discord slightly out of position, while spilling his drink a bit. “Better days to follow.” The rumble caused the relaxed self-assured Chimera to bolt upright, just in time to see the smugness return to Golden’s broad features. “I must thank you, Lulu was it? This oaf here was about to be stumped, but that was brilliant stroke of inspiration.” Discord immediate threw a look of betrayal towards Lulu, his mouth hung open and his eyes went wide as dinner plates. The blue unicorn stuffed a hoof in her mouth, and returned her friend's gaze with an apologetic one. “I have my answer for you Discord.” The Chimera looked up to his blond rival, and nodded apprehensively. “The answer to your riddle is, Tomorrow.” The lounge couch vanished, and Discord plopped his rump on the floor of the stage in defeat. His voice fluctuated wildly as he confirmed the result. “T-that’s c-correct.” “HOHOHAHA that was a very good, but I get the feeling things will just not work out for you buddy.” Before the smaller draconequus could scurry away Golden scooped him up with a flipper, and noogied him with a paw. “You know what, I’ll keep the last trial simple.” The grandfatherly Chimera booped Discord on the snoot, while keeping him firmly pinned in the crook of his arm. Discord hated the demeaning cradling, it only got worse when the crowd began a symphony of laughter throughout the amphitheatre. “We’ll play a simple game of tag, 10 minutes, anything goes. I win if I touch you with this spoon.” The shiny utensil was flourished between the digits of his panda paw, then raised high for Discord to see easily. “Got it?” A large clock fell down in the middle of the Amphitheatre, at the same time the smaller draconequus was dropped. Golden bellowed out a deep belly laugh as he struck the clock with a metallic CLANG! “Begin!” Discord thought about giving up immediately, Anarchy did so when she thought she didn’t have a chance, he could do the same and save himself a torrent of humiliation… however, he looked up before resolving his decision, seeing the manifestation of power of the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. It had hovered there ever since Golden Spoon went over the rules. He immediately felt a tug of possessiveness for it, so at that moment he knew, he couldn’t give up this chance. When Golden began a slow stride towards him, spoon out stretched ominously, Discord lifted his eagle claws and snapped them. A white flash blazed right before he disappeared, leaving the giant alone on the stage. “Oh good, you decided to play. Now, for the audience so they can follow.” Another splash of magic created a window in the middle of the air. After a moment of adjusting the dimensions and scope, Golden nodded satisfactorily then vanished with a pop. Sly, and Tia both nibbled on the edge of their hooves in nervousness, their hopes for a win took a steep nose dive. Meanwhile Lulu bawled her eyes out and shouted in self reproach. “IT’S ALL MY FAULT! M-ME AND M-MY LOUD M-MOUTH!” “Hey, hey, don’t be so hard on yourself Lulu, none of us had a great chance anyway.” Anarachy reached out and began to rub the pony’s back reassuringly. The shouting stopped, but she continued to blubber anyway. Eventually the little gang of friends looked into the window Golden left behind and watched the game of ‘tag’. The scene had shifted to a blurry storm along a raging coast. A beaten light house blinked forlornly atop a hill. Lightning flashed threateningly between black clouds. One of the flashes revealed two draconequi flying around the curvatures of the hills, One large and rotund, the other sleek and swift, reminiscent of a whale chasing an eel. One of the bolts of lightning came down and struck Discord on the tail, sending a sharp shock up his spine, an involuntary yelp escaped his throat. When he looked back, he saw Golden catching the arcs of light with his spoon and flinging them with gusto. The smaller chimera’s mind whirled, then he snapped his fingers and his body was instantly covered in a rubber suit. The next bolt of lightning dissipated harmlessly, causing Discord to laugh and blow a raspberry at the fat Chimera. “HA! Who’s laughing now!” Discord spoke too soon, as a tornado descended upon him. It was no natural tornado, for it picked him up then threw him on the ground. It repeated the process over and over. “HAHAHA! Why I believe it’s me.” Golden plopped down next to the tornado and waved his spoon to dissipate it. The rubber suite was stripped off of the utterly disoriented Discord, who proceeded to vomit violently on the ground. Patiently, Golden waited for his prey to balance his senses, polishing his utensil meanwhile. When Discord came to, only to see the conceited giant wait for him, he let out a howl of frustration and snapped both paws at once. Simultaneously opening another portal for him to slip into, while hurling an unpleasant surprise at his pursuer. The next moment changed the scenery drastically, instead of raindrops and lightning strikes, the sky poured forth skunks and porcupines by the millions. Stinking screeching missiles pelted and smeared across the fat draconequus, who nodded appreciably at the rude gesture. None of this deterred him, as repulsive as it was, so the chase resumed. Only now, Golden began to chant, a chant which carried his voice across time, space, and dimensions. I must admit, Your parlor tricks are amusing The two draconequus were now in a land where there was nothing but millions of peaches, peaches flying for free. Discord attempted to hide inside of a particularly large cluster that floated along, but his tail hung out treacherously. Golden loafed over to the pile and yanked on the red dragon tail attached to it. Held upside down like a ragdoll, Discord managed a sheepish smile. Illustration #6 I bet you’ve got a fruitcake, In your mane The caught draconequus paused reaching behind his head, changed tactics and shrank down many sizes, so that he easily fell out of Golden’s grip. His wings beat furiously, sounding like a fly as he tried to escape. Now here's your chance To get the best of me, Hope your paw is hot! A land of endless checker board spanned to the horizon in every direction, blobs of water and fire hopped between the light and dark spaces, occasionally colliding with a hiss and whoosh of steam. Discord resumed his normal size as he weaved between the hot and cold obstacles around him, unfortunately he made a misstep and placed his lion paw right into one of the fire blobs. His yowl of pain was quickly silenced as an icy blob of water splashed into him. The drastic changes caused him to growl in frustration and snap his eagle claws. C’mon Clown, Let’s see what you’ve got! The checker field, along with the fire and water blobs were replaced by a field of soap and beachballs. The ground shook as Golden fell down on his rump, his own gravity causing him to slide without end. Discord capitalized on the moment of surprise by making a hundred copies of himself, all of which grabbed a beach ball and formed a circle. Golden spoon was bounced around like a pinball between groups of Discords. The giant just laughed as he slid around in the trap. You can try to bump me with your bounciest stuff, But your double whammy is just a bluff. A bunch of needles shot out in a spray, popping all the beachballs. The giant of a chimera kept sliding, then bowled through several of Discords like lane pins. Dizzy discords all fell back into their original creator, which left only the one. I’ll set standard the straight, You’ll never get in shape, You’ll have a pathetic fate. The dizzy chimera shook his head till he could see straight again. The fields of soap were gone, and now they were in the midst of a steaming jungle. A hot geyser bubbled underneath shortly before Discord was launched high in the air, through a flock of exotic birds, finally stopping in a loaded raincloud. His paws clutched at his scorched backside. Tired of being burned around every other corner, he whipped up a thicker hide for himself, turning into a nimble little dragon. He would give the burn for a change, so he dove down to where he thought Golden would be and blew out a gout of flame. You think your lizard’s hot, But your dragon’s lame. A giant golden dragon erupted out the midst of the jungle, looking down on the little intruder with a hungry glare. A much more substantial gout of flame blew Discord away like a leaf in the wind. The jungle disappeared and they were amidst a grand library, where columns of books lined high as mountains. The draconequus resumed his old form, and tumbled through piles of paper and cardboard. You’ve got a lot to learn about the chaos game, So for your education, I’ll reiterate, This path will bring you a pathetic fate! Eventually the tumble slowed and came to a stop. As Discord righted himself the books moved and scattered away from him like a swarm of mice. Everything became dark, save for a spotlight immediately around him. He looked around confused and afraid, when the darkness lightened into visible levels he saw he stood on a flipper, an oversized manatee flipper. Golden had increased his own size many times over to look down on him. Creatures cower, at the power in my flipper, My spoon simply rules over them all. The flipper turned sideways as Discord was unceremoniously dumped down into a large bowl. Where he spun around and round like a ball going down a drain. But if you’re not convinced that I’m invincible, Put me to the test! I’d love to put these vain hopes to rest. A hole appeared in the center of the bowl and whistled as it sucked in the air like a hungry mouth. Discord uncurled in time to avoid falling into the abyss, then tried to scamper up the edges of the bowl as best he could. Golden chortled as he raised a giant pitcher and poured its contents down over his opponent, which caused him to slip under the torrent of liquid. Discord was flushed away. Within a moment there was a burst of light and a soaking draconequus popped up next to Golden Spoon, a scowl was etched over his long face and a fire hose was clutched between his paws. The lever was pulled and the hose blasted the fat draconequus with a stream of undiluted chaotic magic. The bloated creatures body began to warp in all kinds of weird ways, shrinking to the size of sparrow one moment, growing as big as a whale the next, all while intermittently exploding in a shower of sparks and static shocks. Go ahead and shock me with deception and guise! Blow me up, Til I'm vaporized! I’ll make a great escape C'mon its already getting late, You’re digging your own pathetic fate! Golden snapped out of the distortions and plugged Discord’s fire hose with giant cork. The smaller draconequus panicked as the trunk of the hose backed up and exploded. The world around turned into an unstable mass of undulating colors and shapes, nothing sticking to its current form for long. Amidst it all Golden continued to jeer, as he poked, bumped, and prodded Discord into every unpleasant circumstance imaginable. You know, your imagination Isn't tough enough And your spontaneity Doesn't measure up Let me pontificate Upon your sorry state You’ll spin a rather tragic fate! They were back in the amphitheatre now, and Discord could hear the roar of laughter thrown his way. He was sprawled out on the ground and looked up at all the ponies, draconequi, and other creatures that jeered and mocked his humiliated position. He started to shake and tremble. Originally Discord thought he wouldn’t mind it, be able brush it off. However, living in the moment made him realize he gravely misjudged his ability to take it. In desperation he looked for comfort from his friends in the V.I.P seats, surely they would give him some reassuring signals, but as his eyes locked onto them he saw the last thing he wanted. THEY WERE LAUGHING TOO! And there! Anarchy just looked at him, and pointed towards him with her thumb, then all the equines started to wave. All wearing wide smiles. In such a vulnerable moment, Discord’s beleaguered mind interpreted this as mockery. How could any of them look at him with a smile when he was in such a state! Before he could completely resolve himself to be completely defeated and crushed, Golden rounded up the last of his song. It’s been so much fun To discombobulate Time to send you tracking With all your sorry mates You'll make a better living Juggling fruity dates Enjoy your joke of a fate! The giant picked up his smaller opponent, whipped him around like a lasso, then casually tossed him over into a wheelbarrow, which dumped him dejectedly off the stage. The laughter of thousands continued relentlessly, a never ending torrent of shame and disgrace. For a while, Golden Spoon was content to let the crowd continue in its revelry, but eventually he turned his attentions back to Discord laying in the isle. He scooted himself over to the edge of the stage and took a seat. “Oh, why the long face Discord? Disappointed you didn’t make it?” There was still a minute left on the clock, but the fallen draconequus didn’t have the energy or bearings to try anymore. He felt defeated on every level. He barely paid any heed to the words of the giant, but he had enough to spit out some bitter words. “I would have made a better Spirit of Chaos than you.” “Clearly you think so, otherwise you wouldn’t have challenged me. Neither would Anarchy or Mayham have done so." Golden slowly scratched the underside of his neck as he added more weight to his tone. "However, the more important thing to think about is whether they would mind you winning and lording over them? Or vice versa. Are you so sure you know they’ll never grow tired of you, or you of them? Once you’ve got that power to juggle around, how could you even deal with each other fairly? Would things really remain the same between you?” Discord looked over to his ‘friends’ once more, and saw that they were still laughing, but only amongst each other at this point. His paws curled up as he felt hurt and betrayed. Golden deviously mumbled on. “You know, there’s only ten seconds left on that game of tag. I’ll give you a premium chance to answer those questions right now, generous as I am feeling today. Think carefully about what you want to do, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony…” Discord’s eyes went wide as he looked back at the clock, the second hand counted down to the final moments. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… In utter disbelief he watched as the manifestation of Chaos and Disharmony shifted from its position above the stage, and shot straight down into him. Light flashed bright white before it disappeared, bedazzling the crowd and causing the laughter to come to a stop. The onlookers started to voice concerns when they didn’t hear an announcement from Golden Spoon. “W-what’s going on?” Then Laughter, sinister laughter came from the stage. It had none of Golden’s flair to it, no, it was very solipsistic. There was a loud snap and the draconequi littered throughout the amphitheatre started to turn grey from their heads down. All the carefree joviality disappeared, and after their individual transformations were complete they vanished. Within moments not a draconequus was left in sight, save Anarchy, Mayham, and Golden Spoon. Anny was shocked and her eyes bugged out as she felt herself changing, right before she disappeared with pop along with her brother. Golden Spoon turned silver and wore a smile even as his hue changed, right before he disappeared he gave an obvious wink over towards Sly, Tia, and Lulu. All of whom were extremely shocked and confused. “DISCORD?!” --- (Crystal Empire - Modern day - Peak of the palace ) Crone’s multi colored glasses fell off her snout midway through Mayham's performance, she had been groaning on the ground ever since. The glasses had done nothing to dampen the absurd display, if anything they magnified it. Meanwhile Shellish held both hooves over her agape mouth. "He didn't even ask why they were laughing! H-he just went and did that!" "MY EYES!" Shellish noticed Crone was rather prone from the corner of her eye, so she peeled off her muffling equipment. Immediately her eyes opened ever wider when she noticed the glasses next to the stunned changeling. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to give you the 3-D glasses!" She immediately went over to pat the top of Crone's head, as well as reassuringly rub her back. The overly stimulated protege didn't try any sudden movements, but groaned painfully up to the older royal. "Just send what information we got to Chrysalis, I'm going to see if I can crawl to bed before I develop a seizure." "Can I help you with that?" "No! And don't think about using magic to help me... Just send the message." Before Shellish could insist on some kind of assistance, Crone began a slow army crawl towards the stairs, slinking away like a punished animal. Thinking better of challenging Crone on her demand, Shellish bit her lower lip and opened a telepathic communion.