The Epic of Twilight

by AlicornPriest

The Rule of Chaos-Part 2

The King of Madness, Discord, had prevailed.
The Bearers each had chosen, one by one,
the blissful madness of Disharmony.
They fell away from Honesty and cheer,
instead fulfilling Anger and Deceit.
Their Greed o’erwhelmed them, and the easy road
of Cruelty became their holy way.
They threw away their hope, and so became
most Traitorous and friendless. And he laughed
the laugh of victors, for, as they grew weak,
he grew yet stronger from their weakened hearts.
He snapped his claw, and magic grew about.
The laws of nature broke upon his will.
The paths of gritty dirt turned slick and weak,
the houses toppled over, grass turned pink,
and ponies felt their hearts begin to turn
to darkness as they breathed chaotic air.
The cheerful lost their cheer, the sweet turned sour,
the friendly turned against each other, and
all who walked in order and in law
were thrown to madness. Such was Discord’s rule.
But Twilight, ever sage, asked of the King:
“Where are the Elements? How can we find
the instruments if you have wrecked the garden maze?”
And Discord laughed and spoke his edgéd words:
“Did you not hear? Oh, Twilight, you fool!
This maze wasn’t hope! It was my tool!
Did I not say that it was my plan?
The Elements aren’t here, but where you began!”
Now Twilight saw the error of her ways.
She’d let her friends be poisoned for no gain.
But what could she now do? Her only hope
was to continue searching for them yet,
and hopefully, if they could be convinced,
the five gray ponies would equip the gems
and so defeat King Discord once again.
She set her bleary eyes to Ponyville
and walked most slowly down the ruined trail.
The other four, save Rainbow Dash, walked on
along with her. They bickered and they fought
with every step, ‘til Twilight seemed to want
to burst in Anger. Yet she kept it in.
When she saw Ponyville, her hope collapsed
once more. It spun and whirled about in space,
chaotically confusing all who looked at it.
As she beheld it, Discord showed up by her side,
and told her of his plans for his regime:
“This is my base, my domain, my dear.
All other ponies will quake in fear.
Do you see it, Twilight? Do you see what’s in store?
My chaos will reign forevermore!”
But Twilight said, “I see no kingdom here.”
But half a Lie, perhaps, for she believed
that she could end the curse before he made
much progress. On she walked amid the wyld
that lay before her and the library.
And Spike, the ever-vigilant, was there.
He saw with great surprise the four of grey
and asked, “How came they to this wretched state?”
But Twilight said, “It matters not. Come here
and help me find the thrice-cursed book I need!”
She caught herself, for what she’d said was Cruel.
She spoke again with measured words. “Please, Spike,
I need the book about the Elements,
Do you think you can find it?” Yes, he could.
He climbed a ladder swiftly and picked up
the very book. But as he sought to bring
it to her, Fluttershy swept down
and took it from him, passing it along
from pony grey to pony, never once
allowing Twilight succor or release.
Soon her impatience grew, and she began
to Greedily desire it, the book.
Her patience broke, and she rained heavy blows
like Mars in war upon her evil friends.
At last, the book was won, and she so cried:
“This is my book, none other’s! I will read
and find the answers that I so desire!”
But as she opened up the book, she found
that Discord’s trick was simpl’r than she thought.
The Elements were there within the book!
It seemed too easy. Were these truly they?
She would not know until they were employed
against the foe. Quickly, without thought
of kindness towards her friends, she threw them on
about their throats and made to find the King.
But Spike spoke up and asked, “Where be the sixth?
The Loyal Rainbow Dash? Did she not come
with you?” And Twilight turned on him. She thought
a thought most Traitorous: “We need not her.
If I find but another who is Loyal,
they could replace her.” So she gave the last
of the six necklaces to Spike. She turned
and forced them out as swiftly as she could.
There Discord stood, uncaring at the six.
“I don’t fear you, Twilight, student and friend,
the Element’s pow’r is at an end.
Try to attack me. Can you begin
to quell this eternal storm that you’re in?”
And Twilight caught her breath. Was this the truth?
Had he allowed them to regain the gems
because he knew that they now held no pow’r?
She cast away that thought. They must prevail.
They must prevail. They must succeed. They... must?
She turned her head and called the five at once
into the group. She called upon the crown
she wore, the Element of Magic, and
she felt its power coursing through her yet.
But no! She could not feel the others near!
The power was supposed to fill all six
as one, and yet she felt no other force.
The five were dead, or carried no degree
of light within them. Thus the weapon failed.
And Discord only laughed, for it was plain
that they could never hope to take him down.
He flew away, no threat to him remained.
The four of darkness threw away their gems
and gave her scowling looks as they went off
to spread more chaos anywhere they went.
So Twilight watched them, cursing their contempt.
Their hurtful words, despite her mad façade,
were breaking her. She longed for her old friends
that loved her, filled her heart with life’s true joys.
She felt a broken feeling she had thought
was gone forever, now that she had friends.
But now that they’d abandoned her, she felt
once more the awful pain of Loneliness.
And as she filled with Loneliness, she felt
detachedly her coat turn sickly gray.

So Discord won, and chaos reigned supreme.
And thus...
Among the town...
were fruity planes.
Salio walked in the messily bran,
new steaks and freedom, endlessly wavering,
the coffee was mimsy, the nu-sesta devily.
The scent of blue was all around,
and trips, new solid, constantly interfering,
and news! Oh news! The heart aches to hear it.
Coventry and whisper-wills were far along.
Pies! They call me engendered fleas,
And last,
first,
any try,
comma, semicolon...
none
and
one.
The moonbeams dropped in the songbird’s waves
and anyone lived in a pretty how town.
The buffalo danced in the cool cover sting.
Navra, umbrella, hanta mistake...
The purple worm and its raw blink.
The pony who flew with a wobbly button,
the cocoma gunta with soft debonair.
Textile and dishes in the light of the moon.
Despair and unity in the darkness of song.
Fizzle and wizzle and bridges and tea,
Diggle and Daggle, the students of myrrh,
Cordoba, Calliope, Canterlot, Car.
Freeze lister quanta, the ranch and the file.
Silly samhedi, contortional blessing.
The grey unicorn in the sapphire staff
with the coltra kinesis and the lost miranda
walked in the stat and the light and the dark.
And letters flew by in a cuprous melange,
the starry nucleus wanting no froid.
And they laughed, and they sighed, and they wanted to be free.
And Twilight heard, with a new apprehension,
the joys of the past and the wants of before.
And Twilight, through the memories of love
and friendship, gained her sanity once more.
She read the letters she had sent away
to Canterlot that bore the love she felt
for all her friends. The Loneliness began
to crumble. She regained her purple hue.
She realized that she could save her friends
with those same memories. She went at once
to Applejack the Liar and began
a spell of love, of memory, to break
the bonds of gray that Discord had devised.
Though Applejack resisted her, she soon
began to feel the joys of friendship past.
Her color soon returned, and she began
with halting words to say, “I’ve done you wrong.
I lied to ease my heart, to hide the truth.
But I remember now that Honesty
will always be more useful in the end.
Can you forgive me?” she lamented. “Yes,”
said Twilight. “I already have. Come on!”
They saw the next one, Fluttershy, and she
was mean and surly, but they bound her tight
so that she would not hurt them. Then once more,
sage Twilight cast her spell upon the Brute.
Sweet Fluttershy began to tell her tale:
“I let him trick me. Oh, how wrong I was
to ever think that hate was better than
the pain we get from love unrequited.
But kindness is not easy. Even when
our kindness is repaid with ill, we must
press onward, loving constantly.” She wept
for all the wrong she’d done to all her friends.
But they embraced her, loving her at fault.
With Fluttershy and Applejack regained,
they came to the Boutique, where Rarity
kept closely to herself all of her things
in Greedy clasp. But Twilight soothed her heart
and brought her back to happiness once more.
And Rarity, with gentle heart, said thus,
“Oh, dear, I let him trick me, didn’t I?
He told me I deserved it for my own,
that lustrous gem, that serpent’s apple. But
I know now what I thought was incorrect.
To give to friends is wondrous. Value lost
through charity is won through handsome smiles
that warm the heart. I now renounce the gem
that stole my heart. Away you, demon’s gift!”
And so, she hurled the boulder far away.
The last they found was Pinkie Pie, amid
a bush of thorns. Here Twilight used again
the spell she’d made, and Pinkie gained her pink.
She Laughed her joyous Laugh and sang her song:

O joyful! I feel it now,

the Laughter I’d lost in my heart.

It’s funny, I don’t recall how.

Ah yes! I’d forgotten the art

for others were laughing with hate

as my soul was tearing apart.

But oh! Now isn’t it great?

I’ve learned of how Laughter is best

when sharing with friends or with mates.

But wow! Did I fail his test?

No matter! My Laughter and song

Will help us be glad and at rest.

I know now my sadness was wrong.

But now I feel vibrant and strong!

I’m happy! Let’s all get along!

But where was Rainbow Dash? No sign they found
at any of her haunts, until at last
they found her on a cloud amid a field.
Anon, they asked her, “Wherefore do you stay
among that cloud? Wilt thou come help our team?”
And she replied, “I must protect my home!”
For Rainbow Dash believed that this small cloud
was Cloudsdale. “I need friends not, nor do I
care for your quest. I help only myself.”
They made to hold her, but she flew away.
They fought her left and right, but swift was she,
and they could not contain her. Twilight thought,
and soon they realized a better plan.
They worked together. First, as Pinkie Pie
and Rarity passed Applejack the ropes,
they chased behind with Fluttershy at wing.
Twilight steered them, and, with careful aim,
they held down Rainbow Dash and cast the spell.
Her color now returning, she began,
“I let you fail the game that Discord made
because I was afraid of what he showed
among the clouds. I let my fear
betray me, and it led me to regret
the very path I’d chosen. Now, I swear,
I’ll never walk away from duty giv’n.
We must be off at once, for Discord waits!”

Indeed he did. He sat upon a throne
and watched with glee the chaos he had made.
The madness of the ponies was his song,
their fear and sorrow, all he lived and breathed.
He felt his power rising. Soon, he’d strike
and ruin all the land with chaos’ might.
But Twilight and her friend stood ‘fore his throne.
They stood with strength and unity. But he
saw not their newfound color, nor their hope.
He wielded power still beyond their own
and spoke his words to them to drive them off:
“The Elements? Bah. You’ve tried them before.
I’ve broken you once. Shall I break you once more?”
He picked them up with magic, and they felt
the chaos all around amid the air
destroying their resolve. But Twilight jumped
at once and held them in a barrier
born not of magic, but of friendship’s bliss.
And as it touched the ground, it broke the spell
of chaos, bringing peace to it once more.
This Discord saw but understood it not.
Still arrogant as ever, he believed
that he had bested them. He watched them grow
in power, ‘til at once it was too late.
Fair Twilight glowed with power and released
the Magic of the Elements once more.
It struck the King and turned him straight to stone.
The magic pulsed and opened over all
of Ponyville. The chaos wiped away
to be replaced with order once again.

The stained glass windows in the Vault now tell
of their adventures. They will be known now
and for all time as they who stopped the King.
He may have been the strongest enemy
that they had ever faced, but one was strong as well,
but in a different fashion. She was Queen
of hidden motives, plans, and power schemes.
And during her attack, she bested all
who stood against her mutinous decree.
The Princess tried in vain to stop her spell
and failed. This was something to behold.
O Muses, bring anew that ancient tale
when love was lost, regained, and shined like light.
The Wedding of the child of Venus’ star
and he, the val’ant soldier, Twilight’s kin.
Await the tale, my friends. It shall be grand.

Comments

[AlicornPriest]

So, a bit of disappointing news today: I tried to send this to EqD last night, but they rejected it. Ah, well, c'est la vie. Perhaps someday I'll write a story worthy of their page.
Hope you enjoy. We'll see what comes next in this continuing saga.

[Tragicom]

Hard to believe they shot you down. This is good stuff, I really liked when Twilight fell to the other five elements of disharmony too.

[AlicornPriest]

1017388
They didn't have this newest part, actually.
They didn't like the poetry, and they didn't like the fact that it was a retread. I guess I should have known it wouldn't pass.

[Tragicom]

1017800
Shame. Well, you have my support.

[shutaro]

Great work again! Can't wait for your take on the changelings.
Shame about EqD, but the do have that "no retellings" rule for a reason.

[AlicornPriest]

1022979
Hmm... I hadn't thought about it yet.
"The blackened creatures, born of nighttime's hate,
known but as changelings, broke the wearied spell
that Shining Armor had devised. They flew
on tattered wings, their hardened chitin shells
that show'red with magic, aiding their descent."
That's extemporaneous, but you get the picture.

[Crimson Doom]

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?" Seriously, that's what I was thinking about at that midway point. That was a brilliant choice, by the by, to make Discord's victory punctuated with words strung together oddly and nonsense words. In my opinion, that was the best part, although having Twilight succumb, even if briefly, to all the other corrupted Elements was also a stroke of genius. Well-done! I look forward to seeing Chrysalis!

[Theater Critic]

Hold on. THIS GOT FRONT PAGE?

HOW?

[AlicornPriest]

2770273
I, uh, don't know. I really don't. Maybe because it's my birthday?
In any case, I hope this means more people will get to see it. Although I'm not sure if your comment is congratulatory or derisive.