//------------------------------// // In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 3 // Story: Filly Fantasy VI - The Return of Magic // by The Wyld Stallynz //------------------------------// Stygian groaned as he struggled to move himself into a sitting position. “You… wouldn’t mind using more healing magic, would you?” Opposite him, Twilight eyed Stygian critically. “I will, but if I see any magic from you, Spike and I will attack again.” “Fair enough,” he said with a groan. Twilight’s horn glowed and a green sheen spread over Stygian. The stallion let out a pleasant sigh. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome. Now, what do you mean we can’t kill Discord? Do you know something we don’t?” Stygian shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound as though he can’t be killed. I guess I should say you shouldn’t kill him.” It was Twilight’s turn to shake her head. “Too late. He’s far too dangerous. I’ve tried the peaceful route and he’s made it clear he won’t accept it.” “Even if it means bringing someone even more dangerous back?” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.” Instead of speaking, Stygian reached back and pulled aside his cloak. His flank was bare. “I was never able to bond with an esper. I wanted to help with the war but all I could do was watch. “I had friends I never saw again after they were enlisted. It… drove me to find any means I could to keep the ones I still had from being killed. That’s when he appeared before me. The Kaiser Dragon.” Stygian paused, looking away. “I didn’t know it was him. He claimed to be an esper that was willing to grant me his powers. I agreed, even knowing it would take the esper’s life. The Kaiser Dragon granted me magic, turning me into that shadow demon. But the power he gave me caused me to lose my mind and I ended up fighting against the same friends I wanted to protect.” Stygian stared back up at Twilight, his expression fierce. “The Kaiser Dragon is currently a part of Discord. If he dies, then Kaiser could be released and the War of the Magi will begin all over again.” Stardust and Thorax inched up next to Spike, taking positions on either side of him. Thorax arched an eye, speaking up, “So what are we supposed to do? Live the rest of our lives with Discord breathing down our necks?” No answer came from Stygian, the stallion’s mouth clenched. Shaking her head, Twilight twisted so she could face her friends and still keep Stygian in her peripheral view. “Let’s go. We’re wasting time.” “At least let me come with you.” Stygian gritted his teeth and hauled himself up to a standing position. He then swayed unevenly and flopped back down to the floor. “Ow.” Twilight sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Stardust, do you think you could carry him?” The chocobo warked and threw up his wings. “No way! I don’t trust him!” “I’ll do it,” Thorax said. In a flash of green light, he became a giant beige tortoise, the shell covered in spiky protrusions. “It takes a lot to pierce through an adamantoise shell. And if he tries anything, all I have to do is bounce.” Stygian looked between the soft back of Stardust and the living deathbed of Thorax. “Uh, do I get to choose?” “No,” came four voices in unison. “Shades…” .o.O.o. Trixie and her three companions all stood around a glowing panel on the floor. It contained a convoluted etching composed of thin lines that glowed with alternating colors. The panel was large enough for all four of them to stand on. “Well, how about it?” Rainbow Dash said. Scootaloo risked tapping her hoof on the panel, then yanked it back as though expecting a trap. Nothing happened. Emboldened, Pinkie Pie hopped onto it. The panel continued to shift colors as before. Pinkie Pie beckoned the others. “C’mon. I think we’re all meant to be on it.” Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Trixie stepped forward. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo soon followed her lead. .o.O.o. In another part of the dungeon, Spotter jumped up and down on a similar panel. “Do something!” Shining Armor made to grab his son but Sunset Shimmer held out a hoof. “Hold on. I think he’s onto something.” Lumbering over, Umaro took an empty spot on the panel. He rubbed his chin as the colors in the etchings sped up their pace. “See!” Spotter stood still so he could wave the others forward. “I knew there was something going on with this thing.” Sunset shared a glance with Shining, shrugged, then stepped on the panel herself. The panel practically shimmered with how fast the colors shifted. “You’re last, Captain.” Making a silent prayer to his dearly departed wife, Shining Armor drew in a breath and joined the others. .o.O.o. “Hey guys! Look what I found!” Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom trotted over to see Derpy Hooves standing on a panel with multicolored etchings set in the floor. “Whaddya suppose it is?” Applejack asked. Big Macintosh circled the panel, inspecting every inch. Once he finished, he nodded and addressed the group. “No idea.” Groaning, Apple Bloom joined Derpy. The panel’s colors sped up. “I think we’re all supposed to stand on it.” “More of Discord’s freaky magic, I bet,” Applejack grumbled. Despite that, she and Big Macintosh each took an empty spot. .o.O.o. “Fluttershy, dear, if you don’t join us now, I’m going to be very cross.” Fluttershy cringed at Rarity’s tone, but that wasn’t enough for her to move. Her shaking knees were movement enough. “C’mon!” Sweetie Belle called out. “It’ll be fine!” Fluttershy looked down on the panel Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Zecora stood on, its wildly shifting colors dizzying to watch. “Um, um…” “Fluttershy, you are a braver soul than this,” Zecora said, her expression calm. “We cannot afford to back out now. Anything less would be remiss.” Rarity nodded. “Listen to Zecora, Fluttershy. You’ve come all this way so why stop now?” With a heavy sigh, Fluttershy scrunched up her face. With colossal effort, her knees stopped shaking. “I… I know. It’s just… once I do this…” She looked to her friends, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. “This is it. There’s no going back.” Rarity lifted up her mask, revealing her own watery eyes. “Yes, you’re right. But that doesn’t mean this is the end. We’re going to go back home after this, you hear? We’ll have a big party at Thamaresa and everypony will be there. You, me, Sweetie, Zecora and everyone else. It’s going to be the most fun any of us have ever had.” She smiled, tears leaking down her face. “There’s just one more chore for us to do. I’m a professional, darling. I hate to see a job go unfinished.” Fluttershy sniffled, wiping her runny nose with a hoof. “That sounds… nice.” Closing her eyes, she stepped forward. .o.O.o. “Well, this is it, boys.” Twilight Sparkle stood next to a glowing panel set into the floor. She looked over to Spike, Stardust, and Thorax, giving a small smile. Stygian grimaced back, his body wedged awkwardly between Thorax’s shell spikes. Spike walked over to stand opposite Twilight and peered down at the panel. “You think so?” Twilight nodded. “Pretty sure all we have to do is step on this and we’ll be taken to Discord.” Stardust’s whole body shuddered. “Well, I’m ready.” So saying, Spike stood on his side of the panel. “Me too.” Twilight took her own position. Moving faster than his current stubby legs let on, Thorax shambled over. Every movement caused Stygian to wince. “For my hive.” All eyes turned to Stardust. The chocobo let out a huff. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m coming.” He took a moment to straighten out his feathers, then moved onto an open spot. The panel gave a low whine as its rotating colors blended together into a solid white. All noise ceased, save for a high pitched whistle coming from above. The group looked up in time to see a bright white light descend on them. .o.O.o. Elsewhere, four other teams of Returners experienced the same thing. A column of pure energy consumed them and then winked out. No one remained as the light receded. .o.O.o. Twilight blinked her eyes rapidly. The light that shone down upon her and the others was gone, causing her sight to be impaired as they adjusted. A few more blinks allowed her to make out her companions, also recovering from the light. “You guys okay?” “Yeah, just trying to clear out the ringing in my ears,” Spike said as he slapped the side of his head as though trying to dislodge a pebble. More details began to emerge around them. They stood on a cushion of dark clouds that circled them from all angles. An occasional bolt of lighting would streak by, briefly illuminating the turbulent storm around them. However, there was no accompanying thunderclap, and despite how fast the clouds churned, there was no feel of wind blowing by. Without a frame of reference, Twilight couldn’t tell how large the space they were in was, but a niggling feeling in her gut told her it was much larger than it appeared. “I think we made it to the center,” Twilight said, her voice easily heard over the still air. “Twilight?” The group turned their heads towards the direction the voice came from. Rainbow Dash flew into view, her face breaking into a smile. “Hey, you guys made it!” Behind her, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Scootaloo appeared. “I think I heard them over there!” Everyone’s heads swiveled to see Sweetie Belle galloping up to them, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Zecora close behind. “Looks like we’re right on time.” Twilight yelped, jumping away from the voice right next to her ear. She fumed upon seeing Sunset Shimmer’s smirking face. “Relax, Twilight, or you’ll combust.” Before Twilight could retort, Shining Armor, Spotter, and Umaro came up from behind her. Spotter waved and Twilight reflexively waved back. “Well boy howdy, this sure is turning into a reunion.” Applejack trotted up to the gathering of Returners, followed by Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Derpy. “Well don’t this beat all. We all made it!” “Indeed,” Trixie said, taking a spot near the center of the gathering. “Good work, everyone. Trixie was certain that you would make it. Oh, before I forget.” She levitated a gold nugget from under her cape and tossed it to Spike. “Don’t say Trixie never did anything for you.” Spike blinked owlishly, looking from the nugget and back to Trixie. “What is it?” “We ran into one of those dragons. That’s his gem.” “Ooh, ooh!” Sweetie Belle hopped up and down, grinning widely. “We got one too! Show him, Rarity.” With a flourish, Rarity swept back her cape, revealing a green gem floating underneath. Like Trixie, she levitated it over to Spike who took it in an unoccupied claw. “We hope this helps.” Spike gaped at both treasures, each one lightly pulsing with magic. He nodded towards the pair of unicorns, puffed up his chest, and shoved both into his mouth. With a titanic crunch, he bit down on the gems, shattering them into tiny pieces. One colossal gulp later, he downed them and patted his stomach. “Wow, sweet and sour at the same time.” A massive burp erupted from his mouth, expelling a sickly green gas laced with crackling lighting. “Charming.” The Returners started, searching around for the source of the voice. A dark chuckle reverberated throughout the space they were enclosed in. A flash from above drew their attention, spotting Discord descending towards them. He stopped a short distance away, a twisted smile splitting his features. Bringing his mismatched hands together in a slow clap, he said, “Bravo. You all made it here just like I asked. Hardly a hair out of place, too. You continue to exceed my expectations.” He placed his hands behind his back and leaned down to leer at the Returners. “So, now that we’re all here, I suppose you’re all champing at the bit to take me on. Well, I have one last test for you all to pass before you get to fight moi.” Discord brought forward his eagle hand and snapped his talons. A series of flashes appeared below him, each flash resolving into a pony. Six new figures hovered about the Returners, half of them stallions and the other half mares. The gathered Returners looked up at these new arrivals with confusion, unable to puzzle out their purpose. Twilight, Spike, and Thorax gasped upon recognizing one of the stallions but the others were a mystery to everyone. Everyone, save Stygian. “The Pillars,” he breathed. Stygian reached over with a hoof, wincing as one of Thorax’s spikes dug into his neck, and managed to tap Twilight on the side. “Please, heal me. I… I’ll try to speak to them.” Twilight pulled her gaze off the ponies floating above to focus on the struggling stallion. She pursed her lips for a moment, sighed, and lit up her horn. Green healing magic spread over his body. “They’re probably under Discord’s control. You think you can really get through to them?” “I have to try,” Stygian struggled to say as he tried to extract himself from Thorax’s back. Fortunately, he didn’t have to strain much when Thorax transformed himself back to his changeling form, allowing Stygian to slide off. Taking a breath, Stygian trotted out until he was right below the Pillars. “Star Swirl! Flash Magnus! Meadowbrook! Mistmane! Rockhoof! Somnambula!” Six ponies all looked down upon the single stallion. One of them, a grey unicorn stallion dressed in a blue magician robe and hat and sporting a curly white beard, sneered. He gave a sniff, ruffling his clothes and causing the bells hanging from them to jingle. “Stygian. How did you manage to get out of the X-Zone?” “Just like you, I was pulled out by Discord!” Stygian waved a hoof in the Returners’ direction. “But as you can see, they returned me to normal. Please let them help you like they helped me. We can seal Discord together and finally be done with the war!” Star Swirl shared a look with his fellow Pillars. An unspoken agreement passed between them. Turning back to Stygian, Star Swirl said, “We do not associate ourselves with traitors.” Magic surrounded the six ponies, each aglow with a color from a rainbow. “And traitors need to be eliminated.” “Stygian, run!” Twilight cried, leaning forward to run towards him. The Pillars acted faster, their power combining and shooting down a fully formed rainbow. Stygian only had time to widen his eyes in shock before being slammed by the multicolor beam. His mouth opened in a wordless cry as his body began to disintegrate into ashes. A final wail of anguish burst from his lips before one last burst of power blasted his body apart, his ashes scattering in all directions. Their task done, the Pillars stopped the attack. Star Swirl scoffed. “Good riddance.” Above them, Discord fell to his side in a fit of overwhelming laughter. Below, the Returners recoiled in a mixture of confusion and horror. Twilight Sparkle stared at the spot where Stygian stood moments ago, slacked jawed and wide eyed. She snapped her mouth shut and glared up at the Pillars. “How could you?! He was your friend!” “‘Was’ being the optimal word,” Star Swirl said. “Even so, friends are not necessary to govern the world, as we shall do once we deal with the rest of you lot.” “Oh no, you don’t!” Rainbow Dash took off at top speed towards the Pillars, a rainbow contrail following in her wake. Flash Magnus swooped down faster. The amber coated pegasus, dressed in Genji armor, intercepted Rainbow Dash before she could withdraw her knife. A hoof to the muzzle sent her careening back down. He laughed, watching her fall. Magic from three separate angles bombarded him, knocking him out of the air. Fluttershy caught Rainbow Dash before she could crash and cast a small healing spell over her muzzle. With a quick thanks, the two pegasi separated to engage in the fight already in progress. The attack on Flash Magnus prompted the rest of the Pillars to act. They dropped down to reform with Flash but a cloud of spewed noxious gas from Spike prevented them from reaching their comrade. “Keep them separated!” Trixie called out. “Don’t let them use that rainbow thing!” “Such bothersome children,” Star Swirl grumbled. He swept a hoof over the Returners. “Deal with them.” A grin spread wide across Somnambula muzzle. “With pleasure.” The beige pegasus selected a group of ponies and swooped down, her fellow Pillars splitting up to do the same. She swept a wing, shooting off a hail of razor like feathers and laughing as the ponies below scrambled out of the way. Somnambula twirled and sent off another flurry of feathers, then dipped and rose back into the air to begin a second round of attack. Nearby, the hulking and grayish blue form of Rockhoof slammed down onto the ground, sending out a massive shockwave. Despite the floor being a bed of clouds, it transmitted tremors like any hard surface, knocking any Returners too close off their hooves. In a flash of light, the ancient earth pony summoned a square-headed shovel. He swung it like a giant warhammer at the recovering Returners, the single blow hammering against their defenses. On the other side of the battlefield, Meadowbrook and Mistmane touched down together, the blue earth pony and elderly dull purple unicorn standing back to back. They were surrounded by Returners, though neither seemed that concerned. “They believe they have us cornered,” Mistmane said, eyeing her adversaries. Meadowbrook reached up and pulled down a yellow mask in the shape of a bird over her face. “They believe wrong.” The mask began to glow, summoning a swarm of glowing bees from thin air. Meadowbrook lazily waved a hoof, ordering the bees to attack. The bees’ buzzing grew to a high pitch before lightning lanced out from the center of the swarm. The electrical discharge struck near the Returners, knocking some away while others whinnied and drew back. Beside Meadowbrook, Mistmane’s horn lit as a spell formed above her. A dazzling translucent blue serpentine dragon formed above her. Like Meadowbrook, Mistmane pointed a hoof at the Returners and it screeched before diving down. The phantasmal dragon flew down faster than the Returners could react, swatting them like ants with its tail. Star Swirl touched down on the raging battlefield, selecting a trio of unicorns. “The next generation of magic users leaves much to be desired.” “You want to repeat that after I’m done roasting you?!” Sunset hollered back. “No need, as this battle has already been won.” With a sniff of contempt, Star Swirl lit up his horn. Sunset acted faster, yelling out and firing a concentrated stream of flame. The blaze crashed against an invisible barrier around Star Swirl, dispersing the attack harmlessly away. “As I said, it’s over.” Star Swirl released his magic, a pure white beam of holiness spearing towards Sunset. The beam redirected mere inches from penetrating her, instead striking Trixie’s sword. The siphoned magic traveled down the blade and into Trixie’s horn, slightly illuminating her body but otherwise unharmed. Star Swirl lifted an eyebrow. “My word, I may have to put a little bit of effort into this after all.” He frowned at Trixie’s unnerving grin. “Do not think that trick of yours will be enough to—” Decades of hardened battle training was the only thing that saved him from the attack from behind. He dove out of the way just as Twilight’s sword split through his barrier as though it weren’t there, splintering the cloudy floor where he once stood. Star Swirl rolled to his hooves, the aloof and bored expression he wore before long gone. “An underhoofed sneak attack! Have you no honor?” Twilight readied her sword, her muzzle set to grim determination. “I didn’t know Stygian for long, but you had no right to do that.” “Bah! You know nothing of what he has done. The world is a better place without him.” Trixie and Sunset took up positions around the lone stallion, forming a trifecta of unicorn power. “Trixie isn’t going to shed tears for a pony she doesn’t know, but don’t you think you could be helping us with the real threat here?” She tilted her head upwards, indicating Discord who watched from above as he ate from a bag of popcorn. “Him? He’s of no consequence. We shall seal him up once we deal with you rabble. Once both of you are gone, we Pillars will be the only ponies in the world that can wield magic. As it should be.” Sunset closed her eyes and sighed. “Welp, I’ve heard enough.” She rushed in with the Ultima Weapon, the other two doing the same with their own swords. Star Swirl raised his barrier again, summoning forth as much magic as he could. The trio of attacks slammed against his defenses, the impacts sending painful feedback to his horn. The three repeated the action, each slash hammering Star Swirl, sending him to one knee. “Magnus!” Up above, an elaborate and deadly aerial battle took place. Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus twisted and twirled amongst the churning dark clouds, each trading blows at speeds few ponies could match. Rainbow Dash held a grin, finally getting a feel for her opponent's movements. The rush of battle filled her veins as nothing else ever had since Spitfire’s passing. Numerous cuts crisscrossed her coat but they were ignored as she parried a vicious thrust from Flash. “Not bad, old timer,” Rainbow Dash said, breaking away to ready a new attack. Flash Magnus smiled back, gathering himself to swoop in again. That is, until he heard Star Swirl’s command from below. Letting out a grumble, he saluted to Rainbow Dash. “Be right back. I need to take care of something.” He flipped and dove down towards his companion. “Oh no, you don’t!” Rainbow Dash shot after him, her wings pumping furiously to catch up. She gained inches with every flap but she could already tell she wasn’t going to make it. “Trixie! Watch out!” Trixie never saw it coming. Either too busy with her own fight or Rainbow Dash’s voice didn’t reach her in time, Trixie had her back to the oncoming Flash Magnus. The descending pegasus brandished a knife and thrust the tip at Trixie’s exposed neck. Rainbow Dash’s mind whirled. There's no way for me to reach Trixie. Trixie is going to die. I'm not fast enough. Maybe Twilight or Sunset can save her. Somepony can heal her. Magic. Magic can save her! Magic, save her! Rainbow Dash’s wings glowed. Four little cherubs, paired in twos, appeared out of thin air above Trixie. They held hands with their partner and twirled, a pleasant chime ringing out as they descended and disappeared into Trixie’s body. Flash Magnus’ knife plunged deep into Trixie’s neck. The general spasmed, unable to let out a gasp. The next instant, she fell, Trixie’s eyes staring blankly at nothing. Blood gushed from her wound as Flash Magnus pulled back his weapon, readying it for another attack if necessary. He only had a split second to admire his work before Rainbow Dash tackled him with bone crushing force. A wordless cry forced its way out of Rainbow Dash’s throat. She beat on Flash Magnus with everything and anything she had. Ignoring the retaliatory strikes from her opponent, Rainbow Dash snapped her wings out wide, her feathers erupting in fire. With a feral snarl, Rainbow Dash brought her wings down, wrapping them around Flash Magnus in a tight and blistering grip. Flash Magnus hollered, the flames surrounding him so hot that they burnt through his genji armor like cardboard and quickly reached his exposed body. He beat, bit, and thrashed against his tormentor but Rainbow Dash didn’t loosen her grip. A piercing wail split the battlefield as his wings became consumed by the unrelenting blaze. Soon, his entire body became engulfed and his screams became a gurgled mess. The fire only became more intense, burning away life and limb. Rainbow Dash finally opened her wings, a cloud of charred ash billowing out and drifting away. Heaving a shuddering gasp, Rainbow Dash let her flames recede until only her normal wings were left. She dropped to the ground and fell to her side, sobs and hiccups racking her body. The battlefield came to a momentary pause, everyone processing what they just witnessed. The brief calm came to an end as a shriek of fury burst out of Somnambula. The pegasus rose up, spreading her wings wide, and sent a cascade of bladed feathers down towards Rainbow Dash’s unaware form. The deadly attack would have been the end of Rainbow Dash had Pinkie Pie not hopped in between the oncoming feathers, holding up a hoof supporting the Smooze. The green slime gurgled and took in a deep breath, sucking in the projectiles and swallowing them into its translucent body. Undeterred, Somnambula tucked in her wings and dove for her target of ire instead. “Mind giving me one of those feathers, Smoozie?” Pinkie Pie asked. The Smooze hiccuped, a single beige feather flopping out onto Pinkie Pie’s other hoof. Giving a twirl, Pinkie Pie launched the feather just as Somnambula rushed past. There came a thunk as the feather lodged itself right between Somnambula’s eyes, burying deep within her skull. The final pegasus Pillar dropped dead, inches from Rainbow Dash. “Bullseye!” Only a few yards away, Star Swirl watched with wide eyes and his mouth hung slack. “Impossible…” He swept his gaze across the expanse, his fellow remaining Pillars renewing their assault. However, with their numbers now dwindled, the tide was steadily turning against them. “This…” He clenched his jaw, baring his teeth. “I will not let this stand!” A surge of power knocked Sunset and Twilight away, giving Star Swirl room to prepare. “You will know my wrath! I will end this now!” A beam of pure white shot up from his horn, forming a giant ball of concentrated holiness. The sphere began to spin, spears of light lancing out in all directions. Friend and foe alike were pelted by an onslaught of heavenly judgment, tossing them aside like a foal kicking away pebbles. Star Swirl’s horn pulsed again, sending another volley of holy death on the prone Returners and Pillars. Star Swirl’s face fell again, watching his attack change course and hone in on a single source. An ornate sword, held high, absorbed the magic meant to end the battle. Star Swirl followed the sword down to its owner, beholding a gasping, but still alive, Trixie. “This… it can’t be.” Star Swirl blinked his eyes and shook his head, but the vision of a moving, breathing unicorn wouldn’t go away. Pale and gaunt, but very much alive. “I saw it. Nopony could survive that!” Trixie coughed up a glob of blood and wiped her mouth with a hoof. “You’re right.” “Then how could you possi—” Star Swirl was so flummoxed by Trixie’s survival that no amount of training saved him. A choked gasp left his mouth, his vision swimming before him. He had enough consciousness left to look down and see the tip of Ragnarok sticking out of his chest. Blood leaked out of his mouth, staining his pristine white beard. “And neither can you.” Those were the last words he would ever hear. With one final groan, Star Swirl the Bearded collapsed dead to the floor, his bells falling silent. Twilight Sparkle sighed and pulled her sword out of the body. A burn mark ran down the side of her barrel where Star Swirl’s last attack had grazed her. She took a few steps away to sit and stare at her defeated foe. The other Returners began to stir, also sporting wounds similar to Twilight’s. Stardust and Apple Bloom began the task of applying salve to the Returners hurt worst, ignoring their own pains for now. It was as they slowly began regaining their strength that they realized that there were three Pillars still left. The Pillars quickly came to this conclusion as well. “I yield!” Rockhoof tossed away his shovel and bowed his head. Nearby, Mistmane sighed and did the same. Meadowbrook lifted her bird mask, her face long and sorrowful. “Well, this won’t do,” came Discord’s voice from above. He tsked, tossing away his empty popcorn bag. “If you’re not going to fight, I don’t see a reason to keep you around.” “Discord, no!” Twilight came out of her stupor to call out to him. “It’s over! You have to stop this!” “Oh, I intend to in good time, Twilight.” He snapped his fingers. “Back to the X-Zone for you.” A portal opened beneath the three remaining Pillars, an infinite landscape of blackness and stars. Mistmane and Meadowbrook were sucked in immediately, their cries swallowed up as the portals closed. Rockhoof managed to grab hold of the edge of his portal, using his great strength to keep from being pulled in. “Hang on there, partner!” Applejack rushed in to grab hold of the struggling Rockhoof, but she collided with a wall made out of stale toast that appeared out of nowhere. She drew back and bucked the toast for all that she was worth but the breaded obstruction bent like rubber and tossed her back. A desperate cry for help sounded beyond the wall before abruptly cutting off. The wall of toast crumbled away, revealing no sign of Rockhoof. Discord dusted off his hands. “Well, I guess that takes care of that. Not a bad showing all around, I say.” “You’re a monster!” Applejack spat up at him. “Have you no heart at all?” “Hmm, let’s see.” Discord flicked a talon on his chest, opening up a hidden panel. Inside, gears and dripping black fluid all spun and mixed together. He reached in, fumbled around, in the process creating a cacophony of screeching metal and sloshing water, then pulled out a bright yellow and floppy rubber chicken. A Roman numeral one was painted in black on its front. “My, how did this ever get here? Oh well.” Discord tossed it over his shoulder where it promptly exploded into a shower of eggshells. He flicked his chest panel closed. “Guess that’s a no. “Well then, I suppose we should move on to the main event.” He descended, floating over them with a mad grin on his face. “Alright, my little ponies. Let’s dance.”