Outcasts of Equestria

by Old Ben Kenobi

Chapter 9-Ponyville

The sky blue expanse glared in sharp contrast to the bleak, stormy skies above. The once friendly and quaint town of Ponyville now seemed dark and forboding. Inside the shield, several small groups of Canterlot Soldiers marched menacingly, rounding up the inhabitants of Ponyville into the Town Hall. Twilight suddenly noticed how exposed they were- if one guard were to simply look out the force field, they would be spotted. She whispered,

"Quick, everypony behind that rock,"and she jumped behind a large boulder. Everyone else did the same.

"You know," whispered Rarity, "I can't help but think that this rock feels somehow familliar to me..."

"Shhh!" Said Twilight.

"What's the plan?" whispered Spike.

"We need somepony to infiltrate Ponyville," she replied, "I know there's a book in my library which has some information on the Hollow Shades. The only problem is, if any of us go in, we'll be recognized immediately."

"I think I may have the solution to that, Twilight Sparkle," came Discord's voice, and when she turned around, she saw a grey stallion with a tornado shaped cutie mark looking back at her.

"D-Discord?" she whispered,

The stallion nodded, smiling.

"Those mindless guards would never visit Ponyville unless ordered to," he explained, "So none of them will be able to tell me apart from anypony else."

"But how will you get past the force field?" Whispered Twilight.

"Like this,"

Discord's horn glowed blue and he quietly teleported into the other side of the field.

"But how could he get past-" began Twilight.

"He's Discord," Fluttershy reminded her with a smile.

Discord looked around Ponyville, and even he could not suppress a feeling of shock for what he saw. The Ponyville as he knew it was gone. Sugarcube Corner was boarded up, Carousel Boutique looked as though it had been closed for years and Twilight's library was cordened off with yellow and black tape. Suddenly, an orange pegasus with a blue mane stormed up to him.

"You there," barked the guard, and Discord saw a nameplate marked 'Flash Sentry'. He didn't know why, but Discord felt a strong surge of loathing for this pegasus.

"Why aren't you in the Town Hall?" Shouted Flash.

"Why, I thought Ponyville was a place which allowed ponies to go about their buisness unhindered?" Said Discord.

Flash could have sworn he had heard this voice somewhere else, but couldn't quite place it.

"The days of your weak Princesses are over," snarled Flash, "And Lord Blueblood has decreed that everypony in Ponyville must be rounded up in the town hall. So move!"

Discord had no choice but to follow the mass of ponies crowding into the hall.

The town hall had never been so packed since the last Summer Sun Celebration, which was when Nightmare Moon had returned. As soon as the last few ponies were herded into the hall, the doors closed. And the lights dimmed. A spotlight lit up a small podium on the stage, and onto it walked a large, white unicorn stallion. It was Prince Bluebood. He trotted up to the podium, cleared his throat and began to read.

"My subjects,' he began, 'My dear, uncultured subjects. Since you were born, and since many of your ancestors were born, you have all been under a terrible, terrible tyranny. The Princesses who ruled over you have been threatning you with eternal night and blackmailing you with refusing to bring forth the night and day unless you submit to their rule.''

There were gasps of shock and outrage from the audience. No one there (except Discord and the guards) had ever actually met Prince Blueblood, but since he was royalty and all of them had liked the Princesses well enough, they all assumed he was a fairly decent stallion. Now many of them were starting to reconsider their assumption.

'Well,' continued Blueblood, 'I come bearing good news. For I, your glorious Prince, have overthrown and imprisoned the two upstart oppressors and replaced them with a far smarter, wiser, more handsome and better candidate in every regard! Myself!' He grinned, obviously expecting some show of gratitude from the citizens of Ponyville. What he recieved was an all encompassing silence. Discord realized this was the perfect chance to create a distraction and escape, so, making sure nopony was looking, he summoned a box of tomatoes and telekenetically launched one at the stage. It hit Blueblood directly on the muzzle. Suddenly, the entire crowd started booing, and the unicorns in the Hall started telekinetically launching tomatoes from the box onto the stage. As the uproar continued, Discord silently slipped out the double doors into the quiet streets of Ponyville.

As soon as he was out, Discord instantly snapped back into his draconequuine form. He stretched himself and shuddered.

'How do those ponies manage to survive so long in such short, predictable bodies?' he mumbled. He looked around, and saw Twilight's library rearing up ahead of him. He grinned. That wasn't too difficult, was it? He thought. He snapped his talons and was instantly teleported to the interior of the library. He looked around the room, then realised something which he knew he should have seen ages ago-he had no idea what this book looked like or how he would find it. He said out loud, with a paw over his brow, 'Ugh, this is just like Twilight Sparkle-she thinks she has everything figured out, yet there's always some flaw in her thinking not apparent until the very end.' Suddenly, he heard a voice.

'Who?' It said.

'I would expect everyone to know who Princess Twilight is,' he said to the disembodied voice, 'At least, anyone who hasn't spent these past years bansihed from Equestria.'

Discord looked around, and staring at him from outside the window was a small bird-an owl.

'Ah yes,' Discord said, 'Twilight's little avian friend,I should have guessed. I suppose you know the location the book on the Hollow Shades that your owner has so wisely neglected to inform me of?' The owl hooted again and flew over to the bookshelves, where he picked out a book entitled 'Expert Mages of Equestria.' Discird grabbed it and said to himself while walking towards the door 'That moron Blueblood didn't lift a hoof to stop me. Hmmf, how the Princesses could have been outwitted by him I really have no-' as he opened the door, Discord was greeted by an scowling Blueblood and a small legion of 15 Royal Unicorn Guards. Discord gulped at the sight.

'Oh pooh,'

Author's Note:

Because of A-levels, I'll put this on hiatus. At the latest ai may update this again in my next Summer holidays, but maybe before that.

Comments

[Battle154]

Uh oh.

[Old Ben Kenobi]

I really hope to release a new chapter soon.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

See Blueblood, they fon't like you.