A thousand years ago, the ponies of Equestria are in a state of fear and despair. Ruled by a pair of tyrants, they turn to the only being in the known world that can help them. A Spirit of Chaos named Discord. Really Alternate Universe. First story.
The Equestrian ponies live in a state of fear, under the hooves of a pair of terrible tyrants.
Many wake every day, only to run for their lives, seeking some safe hiding place. And they are the lucky ones.
Others are slaves, forced to work, fight, and die, with no hope of freedom.
Some want to fight back, but none seem to be able to stand against their oppressors.
And still others seek refuge, going to the one being in Equestria that can help them. A Spirit of Chaos, named Discord.
Very alternate universe story, in which the characters' moralities are reversed.
The wind blew silently through the trees of what would one day be called the Everfree Forest. Branches rustled, and a single leaf floated down, silently, lazily, to land on the ground below.
It was crushed under the hooves of a pony running faster than he had ever run in his entire life, faster than he would have believed possible. As a pegasus, he had rarely used his legs any more than necessary, and desperately wanted to take to the air, to use his powerful wings to pick up the pace.
But to do so would be to increase the chances of him being caught, and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take. So he ran, and tried to push his tired body to its limits, fighting exhaustion at every step.
Storm Feather, as the pegasus was called, was once a soldier, serving loyally in the Equestrian military. But now he fled from the country he once defended, and sought refuge from its new rulers. Gone was the glorious land where he was born and raised; now, the rule of tyrants and fear had turned it into a horrific shadow of what it once was.
As he ran, he started to notice things about the forest that were... out of place. Trees were bent into unnatural shapes, bushes and shrubs had bizarre colors and patterns, and the animals were either too small, or several times larger than was normal. While he had initially assumed that he was simply running into another part of the forest with different wildlife, the changes kept getting stranger and stranger as time went on.
As he slowed down to better investigate the oddities, he was suddenly hit in the face with a pie. Now, having a pie thrown in a pony's face was generally a pretty good way to surprise them. But being hit by a flying dessert became far more unsettling when there was no one around to throw it.
While initially startled, Storm Feather quickly reached the conclusion that the pie didn't taste all that bad, even if he couldn't identify the flavor. But he knew for certain that there wasn't anypony nearby that could have launched the projectile, and there were no hoofsteps, no rustling leaves, no sounds at all to indicate that an individual was fleeing the crime-scene. The event seemed completely unnatural, and illogical; pies didn't just randomly fly through the air on a whim.
Storm Feather smiled. He was getting close.
He continued to run, even faster this time, propelled by excitement and anticipation, rather than panic and fear. And he kept running, feeling almost weightless, knowing that he would soon reach his goal.
He eventually found himself in a clearing. It was a complete mess.
Every oddity he had been noticing before was once again present, but this time full blown. Some of the trees were twisted like pretzels, there were bushes with polka-dots on them, and he was almost certain that rabbits weren't supposed to have legs that were five feet long.
And there, sitting in the middle of it all, was the crowning piece of confusion, the Spirit of Chaos himself: Discord.
The spirit spotted Storm Feather hanging around the edge of the clearing, and beckoned him over with one of his hands. "Hello, my little pegasus. Tell me, what exactly is your name?"
"Storm Feather, sir." He gave a stiff military salute as he answered.
"Oh, no need to be so formal here." The spirit's goofy grin was contagious, and Storm soon found himself smiling as well. "Just call me Discord. Or Dissy. Or Disco."
"Alright, si- Discord." Storm Feather had to spend a moment resetting his military training. "I... heard that you were offering safe haven here?"
"Yeah, from THEM..." At the mention of "THEM," Discord looked considerably less pleased. The Spirit of Chaos may have had some pretty unpredictable motives, and acted accordingly (most of the time), but he absolutely hated anybody that would try to take away the freedom of others. After all, without freedom, how could there be chaos?
Discord let out a sigh, his face falling even further, as he spoke again. "But I probably won't be able to keep this place 'safe' for much longer."
"The Elements of Harmony?"
"Yes. Those." At this point, the spirit's face seemed to become distorted and twisted, he was frowning so hard. Maybe it did.
After all, everypony had heard the stories, and Storm Feather himself knew the truth. The Elements were made specifically for the purpose of defeating Discord, and they were in the princesses' possession. Now, even the god of chaos could fall.
Discord's face reflected his somber attitude, once more holding to the look of someone who had accepted the end. "If those are used against me, then it will be all over. There will be nothing else to stop them from taking over, no one else to stand against them." He let out another sigh.
"Well, that might not be completely true..." Storm Feather was kicking at the dirt as he spoke up, somewhat embarrassed.
"What do you mean?" To say that Discord found this statement intriguing would have been the understatement of the decade.
"Well, I heard... I mean, they're only rumors, but... they say that somepony else is standing up to the princesses. They say that he took one of the greatest symbols of their power, one of their favorite trophies, and stole it from right under their noses.
"They say that the Crystal Empire is now ruled by a king of shadows and fear."
The crystal ponies, while closely related to earth ponies, were very different from their southern cousins. They were not as strong or tough, and not many among them were skilled as warriors. But they were busy using what skills they did have to their advantage.
They were craftsponies by heart, and possessed an incredible gift for enchantment, despite having no active magical abilities. They were using their skills to make wondrous weapons and armor, as well as fortify their capitol city. These items were inherently beautiful, but not works of art, meant to be effective and efficient. The many soldiers who were preparing to defend their homes were primarily equipped with bright, shining armor that could deflect magical attacks as well as blades, while those of higher ranks were denoted by heavier black armor, clearly inspired by their king.
They also built defenses and barricades, overseen by the darkly clad officers. While such fortifications might have looked frail to a casual observer, they were made so as to be nearly indestructible, reinforced with crystal, and resistant to magical attacks. Anyone seeking to enter the city would be forced to go around or over them, and right where the defenders wanted them.
As the ring of metal and clang of hammers echoed through the city, the sounds climbed up the tower at its center, and reached the ears of the sole unicorn in the empire.
Sombra smiled, looking over his subjects toil. The work was hard, and the hours long, but the citizens of the Crytal Empire worked tirelessly. They all knew what was to come, and what was at stake. Many prepared for what they believed would be their end, simply being defiant to the last. Sombra had no such plans, intending to salvage what he could and try again if he failed.
Or, at least, those were his intentions. Now, he could not stand any thought of retreat or failure. He would succeed, and he would free all of Equestria in the process. No matter what it took.
As he continued to look on, he heard a sudden popping sound behind him. Before the intruder even had a chance to take in their surroundings, Sombra had turned and unleashed a magical blast powerful enough to blow a ten foot wide hole in the crystal walls.
Discord could only stare, wide eyed and dumbfounded, as the air practically sizzled with magical energy, just inches from his head. By the time he regained his composure and laughed off the event, the black unicorn in front of him was sitting with a patient and expectant look on his face, as if this was a completely normal way to greet somepony. There was no indication that he had just released a massive amount of magical energy, and indeed, there was hardly any magic in his horn at all.
"Almost hit me there, unicorn," Discord joked.
"Please don't underestimate me. I didn't try to hit you." Sombra's face suggested that he was being completely serious. In fact, his face betrayed no emotions at all, simply holding a calm and thoughtful look.
Discord still couldn't help but make a jab, and try to break the calm facade. "Oh, really? Are you sure you didn't just miss?"
Sombra said nothing, choosing instead to fire a single, thin beam of magic at a nearby vase. When nothing seemed to happen, Discord once again began to make another joke. Then he noticed water leaking from the vase, coming from a hole that seemed to have suddenly appeared right in its center.
Discord was torn between two feelings. On one hand, he was pleased to see that his trip would likely be worth it, and that his potential ally was just as powerful and skilled as Storm Feather had said. But on the other hand, he found himself experiencing something he was not used to at all: fear.
Part of him said that he was being completely irrational, and that he had no reason to be afraid; no unicorn, not even Sombra, could harm him. Yet an even larger part told him that the creature before him deserved fear and respect from every species. Pony, griffon, dragon... and even draconequi.
Rather than letting his unease show, Discord opened his mouth to try to start a conversation with the unusual looking pony, but he got beaten to the punch.
"You want some way to counter the Elements of Harmony," the king said curtly.
"Right to the point, I see. A little boring if you ask me. It's always more fun to add a little bit of chaos." Grinning, Discord rolled his eyes at his counterpart's uptight manner, and began to play with a nearby ornament. By flipping it inside out and attaching it to the wall.
"I don't know how much time you have to waste, but I have none. Now, tell me, do you want my help, or not?" Sombra's tone left no room for jokes, telling the Spirit of Chaos in no uncertain terms that he was not going to let him waste any of that time, no matter how powerful he was.
"Alright, alright. Sheesh. Yes, I need something to stop the Elements. There, are you happy?" Discord was quickly becoming stifled by the king's stuffy attitude.
"Yes." And with that, Sombra began to head for the stairs. "I have analyzed your power while you've been standing..." one quick look back, "floating there. And I believe that I can make something for you with it."
Discord was rather impressed. A spell that lets one analyze another's abilities was extremely difficult and draining to perform. Yet the King of Shadows was holding next to no power in his horn at all. No, that wasn't right. He just wasn't holding anywhere near what he could. His horn was barely reacting at all, and Discord hadn't been paying enough attention to notice the strong sense of magical energy permeating the room.
"Why don't I help you get down quicker?" With a snap of his fingers, Discord made the staircase turn into a slide. A yell from just below indicated that it already had an unfortunate rider. "... oops."
"... really?" Meanwhile, in a parallel universe, a much more malevolent King of Shadows had a sudden hit of inspiration, to use stairs as part of the traps protecting the Crystal Heart. For some reason, though, he felt as though he was doing it to spite somepony...
"Chaos creates uncertainty, and is unpredictable. That means that you can't work with it consistently. Order is far superior. THAT you can plan around, and use." With an annoyed grumble and a quick shake of his head, Sombra instead headed for a nearby window. Before Discord could say anything, the king had jumped out. Teleporting over, Discord looked out to see Sombra jumping on and riding a set of dark crystal pillars, reaching the ground with a heavy thud a few seconds later.
"See, chaos IS better! You DID get down quicker!"
As the Spirit of Chaos teleported away again, apparently satisfied, Sombra took his turn to roll his eyes, and went into the base of the tower. Heading under ground, he filled his horn with as much magical power as he could. He held enough to trump that of even an alicorn, to topple the tower above three times over. He was going to need every bit of it, but not to destroy. He went down, into his own personal forge, to create something new. If he failed, there would not be enough of him left to bury. But if he succeeded...
He strode forward without hesitation, confident that he would succeed. And, with a last, mighty boom from the closing gates, he locked himself away from the rest of the world to work. He would emerge with a force to end the Princesses' reign, or he would not emerge at all.
Discord was, all in all, quite pleased with this little excursion to the north. He had gained a powerful ally, someone else that could stand against his enemies; and, if that ally could live up to his promises, he would gain something that could destroy the Elements of Harmony. With these happy thoughts in mind and a grin on his face, he snapped his fingers, and headed home.
Discord's return from the Crystal Empire was met with a world of chaos. And not the kind of chaos that he liked.
There was no resemblance to the odd but peaceful grove that he called home. The trees were burning. Any homes that the refugees he sheltered had built had been torn down, or were in the process of falling. And the innocent ponies that he protected were being attacked and chased by soldiers in gold or black armor: Solar and Lunar guards.
Looking around, he quickly spotted the only two that could have been responsible for such an attack: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The taller, white one stood in front, looking with glee at the destruction her soldiers were causing. The darker one, on the other hand, kept to the back, behind her sister, carefully keeping well out of harm's way.
A shout from one of the guards alerted them to Discord's presence, but he did not care whether they knew he was there or not. Nor did he care about the odd, multi-colored stones that surrounded them.
"I..."
Boulders the size of buildings were forcibly removed from the ground, and fissures began to suddenly open around what would soon become their battlefield as the Spirit of Chaos raised his hands.
"... will..."
Black thunderclouds formed overhead, quickly filling the sky and covering everything below them with bolts of lightning, many strikes blackening the earth for dozens of feet around the point of impact.
"... KILL YOU!"
And he meant it. There was no longer any trace of the care-free and jovial spirit that most knew Discord as. Now, there was only rage, and the desire to make the ones that had attacked his charges pay. Now, all he cared about was revenge.
Every pony that stopped in the midst of the confusion to look at the display was terrified. Never before had any of them seen such a violent and wrathful side of the usually harmless spirit, nor had any heard of such an occurrence anytime in the past. All of Equestria seemed to shake, and the very fabric of reality strained to contain the massive surge of power.
With a last roar, all of the might and anger of the God of Chaos was unleashed, chunks of rock flying, lightning crashing, and pure, unrefined force being thrown at the two sisters. Anything in the center of the maelstrom Discord created could not have survived, being torn apart in seconds, and in more ways than could be counted.
Yet the two princesses were not defeated, and Celestia's mocking laughter could be barely heard above the destruction. Every one of Discord's attacks stopped short, halted by a rainbow-hued barrier being formed by the odd stones that the sisters possessed. But Discord did not even notice those stones, too stunned that his power was proving useless against his targets. He wasn't able to focus enough to question why he was suddenly powerless to stop them, and never saw their counter-attack as it hurtled toward him.
He felt a sudden yank on his tail, and was barely pulled out of the way of the rainbow beam in time. Shaking off his shock and looking behind him, he saw the new pegasus, Storm Feather, with a determined look on his face. "We've got to move," was all that he said, after spitting out Discord's tail.
Still, Discord turned back to face the princesses, intending to fight them, even after realizing that they possessed the Elements, which seemed to be recharging for another attack. He was determined to face them head on, even if he knew that he was going to lose. But a yell from further inside the grove immediately shoved all such thoughts from his mind.
"Daddy!?"
Before Storm Feather could comprehend the new voice, he found himself being picked up by the Spirit of Chaos, and experiencing the nauseating sensation of teleportation. After a brief moment of reprieve, he was once again dragged through the fabric of space-time, now landing somewhere much farther away.
Upon being dropped onto the ground, he looked up and saw Discord holding an odd looking filly, with a pink and white mane and tail, and a hat with a propeller on it. He also noticed that her eyes seemed to have swirls in them, and that she had a cutie mark of a screw and baseball. She was crying, and holding onto the spirit tightly.
Discord seemed to be comforting the odd looking pony, although his methods might be questionable. Although, being given cotton candy probably cheered up every foal, no matter how suddenly it appeared.
"There, there, I'm here." Discord was patting her back gently and whispering to her. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe. But first I have to get the others. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Promise?" The filly was wiping away some tears at this point, but wasn't freaking out anymore.
"Promise." With that, Discord teleported away, leaving the two in a clearing a safe distance from the attack.
Discord teleported all around the forest, looking for any other refugees. Every time that he found one, he would take them back to Storm Feather and Screwball. He kept repeating the process, but knew that he wouldn't be able to save any of them if he kept looking for too long.
So, after making one final check, he headed back. He saw that he had only managed to gather a handful, barely ten ponies in all, and every one of them worried about family and friends that weren't there; but he couldn't risk leaving them alone again to look for more, and could hear soldiers spreading out to look for other runners. He looked back one last time at his only home, before snapping his fingers, sending himself, his daughter, and all the rest, far, far away.
A flash of light signaled the arrival of Discord and his followers to the Crystal Empire. Looking around, many of the ponies were in awe of the beautiful structures and the shining crystal ponies. Some, particularly Storm Feather, were busy looking at the soldiers milling around, and the massive tower that sat at the city's center, now blackened with dark crystals.
Discord didn't waste any time with the sights, however, immediately looking to teleport himself into the tower, and find the dark king that ruled there. He was stopped before he got the chance by a group of soldiers, led by an officer in black.
He was an incredible specimen, truly massive for a crystal pony. Easily standing a head taller than anypony else, he carried his heavy armor without any apparent effort. Unlike most of the others, his coat was grey and dull, matching his armor quite well. On his back could be seen an odd looking weapon: a handle with jagged blades on both ends, made of what appeared to be black glass, or a brittle rock.
"What are you doing here, intruders." His voice matched his body, powerful and steady.
"I'm here to see your king," Discord said in response, already becoming impatient with the large pony.
"That is not possible," was the simple reply.
When it became obvious that the soldier was not going to say any more, Discord asked, "Well, why not?"
"Because he cannot be disturbed right now."
"But I've only been gone for a little while. What could he have possibly started doing since I left?" The answer came to Discord as soon as the question left his mouth.
"He has gone into his forge. He only goes there for privacy, to play his music, or to do something extremely important and sensitive." That was easily the longest reply the officer had yet given, but it was still only two sentences long, and gave no more information than was required.
"Wait, music?" Discord knew that the other parts were important, but still had to ask.
"He has an organ." Yet another short and simple reply.
The Spirit of Chaos had to think for a few seconds to recall what instrument he was referring to (assuming that he didn't mean somepony's actual organ. Playing a heart would be creepy.), and eventually recalled the massive system of pipes that he was speaking of. He decided that it was a very fitting instrument for the King of Shadows, with the powerful and haunting sound that it possessed.
"Well, if he's busy, then who's in charge around here?"
"I am." While the large pony didn't seem like one to lead, Discord supposed that he was likely good enough in a fight to justify his position.
"Well then, why don't you just call me Disco-"
"No."
Discord found himself getting surprised quite often lately, and he was not growing any fonder of the feeling. "What else are you going to call me?"
"Sir."
Why did this stallion give so many one word answers?
"What, that's it? Just 'sir?' You can't think of anything else? Why can't you just call me Discord?" Discord found it hard to believe that he had actually met someone more uptight than Sombra. And yet he was still having this conversation.
"Too long," was the predictably short answer.
"Well, what should I call you, since I'm apparently going to have to deal with you for a while?"
"Obsidian." The grey pony then turned around, and began walking away, apparently not wanting to deal with the spirit any more than Discord wanted to deal with him. Or maybe he just had something to do.
Before he could get far, Discord's frustration got the better of him, and he made the officer's armor disappear with a snap of his fingers.
Obsidian turned around, a look of anger flashing in his eyes. But when he saw the way that Discord was staring back, it immediately changed to one of challenge.
The stallion's entire body was covered in scars, previously hidden by his armor. Many were uneven and crooked, as if made from a a desperate or angry blow. Most were clear and precise, as if they were meant to be seen. The worst were on his flank, making his cutie mark unrecognizable, as if somepony had tried to rob him of the symbol of his very identity.
Discord realized that the pony before him used to be a slave. And not just any, but one that had gone through the worst kind of slavery: being thrown into an arena, where only one would survive, forced to kill or die for somepony else's sadistic amusement.
The stallion's build suddenly made sense; the weak would have died quickly in such an arena, as would the stupid. The result of such an ordeal was a creature as strong as his armor and the stone under his feet; both physically, and mentally.
Yet he did not stand or act as a slave would, not even a gladiator. He stood tall and proud, and did not show any signs of backing down from the horrified looks he was receiving from those that saw him.
Not all of his scars were gained in battle. He was being defiant, and defiance would have been met with a whip. But he had not been broken by such torment, and he had survived all of the punishment and horrors of his life, now to serve under a new king.
Discord snapped his fingers again, putting the armor back without saying a word. The spirit and the officer shared one more look, before both nodded, and allowed each other to go their separate ways, each with a feeling of new found respect for the other.
-----
The newcomers began to settle into their new routines. A few, Storm Feather included, began to help with the battle preparations of the crystal ponies, aiding in construction, and training for the coming battle. Others didn't know what to do, worried for loved ones left in the south.
Discord, himself, began to more thoroughly examine the Empire, and its inhabitants. He asked around, finding out about the northern equines, and their new king.
They spoke of their ruler with a reverence that bordered on zealotry. Discord was surprised to learn that Sombra had only been in the Empire for three days, yet had already gained such trust and devotion from his followers. And it wasn't false devotion; even farmers and travelers from other cities spoke of what they had heard, and their hopes for the new king. In the few days since his arrival, Sombra had become a symbol to the ponies of the north. They all believed that he could free them from the clutches of the tyrant sisters, or at least stand by them as they made one last, defiant stand.
As the spirit heard more and more, he began to realize something about the king: he truly led his people. Discord had never done more than give his 'followers' a safe place to hide. Sombra was fighting back, and giving his subjects hope for a brighter future. Discord felt pathetic in comparison; why was he, the Spirit of Chaos, hiding, and trying to keep the status quo? Why not meet his opponents, and try to defeat them, to make things better, even if he might fail?
So, as Discord went, he was sure not to disrupt the planning and preparations the king had put so much effort into. He simply cheered up those that he could, and even volunteered to help every once in a while (although he was always hastily turned down, for some reason).
He watched as the crystal ponies prepared their defenses, usually overseen by more officers in black. Obsidian himself was often central in the work, commanding and directing everything in sight. He often spoke as if from personal experience, presumably gained from his time as an arena fighter. Despite his reserved nature, he never failed to give proper advice, and correct any mistakes in the work.
Such things continued for the next several days, with no sign of change. King Sombra never emerged; the crystal ponies never stopped preparing, even after their defense was thick and heavy; and no attacks came from the south to challenge those defenses. Discord spent much of his free time looking after his unruly daughter, and spreading chaotic fun to those that weren't busy working. Things remained peaceful for a long while.
But everyone knew that it could not last. The response would come eventually, and the longer it took, the harder the Princesses' hammer would fall.
-----
Rivers of molten metal ran above him. Furnaces belched fire and crashed together with enough force to shatter rocks around him. And more magical power than he had ever held or experienced in his life flowed through him.
The smallest error, the slightest of mistakes, would mean his doom. Even Starswirl the Bearded, considered by many to be the greatest sorcerer that ever lived, would have had trouble just holding the forces around him at bay.
Sombra was not Starswirl. He could not simply hold the forces at bay; he had to use them, and shape them to his will. He used skill and precision to shift everything around him as he needed, to fit his design. And where finesse would not work, he used brute strength to force the pieces into place.
As he worked, he glanced at a set of dark crystals off to the side, showing images of Discord, and his own lieutenant, Obsidian. It was obvious that Discord had been forced to return, as he had not even been gone a few hours before coming back, and had took others with him, all haggard and weary. The most likely cause was an attack, but for it to have been timed so perfectly, while the spirit was away, would have likely required the attackers to wait for him to leave, first. Discord also had to have been defeated if he retreated here, so the enemies had to have had the Elements of Harmony, meaning that the sisters themselves had taken part in the attack.
All of these thoughts passed through the back of Sombra's mind, yet none distracted him from his work. He couldn't afford distractions. He was focused solely on his work, and the set of magic crystals that were acting to feed it, increasing the magical strain on him even further. But the king did not yield.
He had been working for days, yet was nowhere near completing his masterpiece. He did not waste time for things like eating and sleeping. Even if food or water could have survived in the fiery pit, they would have wasted time to consume, and the magical energy lost in that time would not be gained back from simple food or sleep.
He was not anywhere near completing the project, but his work was starting to take shape. In his trance-like state, he didn't even have the mind to notice as his lips subconsciously curled up into a smile, moved by pride and anticipation.
Discord and Obsidian were lazing around, sitting near the edge of the Crystal Empire's capitol city. The grey crystal pony was taking a break, and not working. For once.
Discord had, naturally, taken the opportunity to try and break through the pony's tough exterior. He was using every method he could think of to produce a laugh from the stallion, including, but not limited to: flipping his head upside down, twisting into insane body contortions, making toys and food appear from random parts of his body, and lots of candy.
It had been a week since Discord's grove was attacked, and little had truly happened since returning to the Crystal Empire. He had formed something of an unofficial challenge with Obsidian, the spirit trying to produce any kind of emotional response, the stallion simply holding his usual poker face. The two rarely spoke or interacted, as Obsidian was usually quite busy, but today, they were simply lounging around and being lazy. And goofy, in Discord's case.
After several unsuccessful minutes of trying to get a smile from the stoic pony, Discord admitted defeat with all of the grace and dignity one would expect from the Spirit of Chaos: turning away with a pout, and a rather whiny, "Well, you're no fun." If he had kept his eyes on the target of his ire, he might have noticed Obsidian's lips turning up into a small grin.
The moment of contentment was broken by Storm Feather, suddenly crashing into the ground nearby, flying much faster than was possibly safe. "I saw... *huff* ... I was on patrol and... *huff* ... and I saw..." After unsuccessfully trying to get out whatever he meant to say, the pegasus began to hyperventilate, obviously exhausted.
"Easy there, Stormy. Breathe a little bit first. Then, maybe, you won't suffocate half-way through your message." Discord's tone may have been teasing, but he still had an uneasy edge in his voice, already suspecting what the message was.
"They're coming."
Obsidian was running off the instant the words left Storm's mouth, already shouting orders and warning of the impending attack. Discord didn't waste time with things like running, simply teleporting to the other side of the city to alert the soldiers there. He then went to his own followers, making sure all were accounted for and safe, and sharing a last moment with Screwball, before heading back to Storm Feather, so that he could learn more about the approaching enemy.
"Where? How many? Did you see anything else? Were the princesses with them?" Discord's stream of questions was met with a patience that was mostly born from exhaustion, as Storm Feather continued to rest, and catch his breath.
"From the south, obviously. I... I don't know how many, though, or if the sisters were there. I only caught a glimpse, but I couldn't see their army's end." While Storm Feather was no longer out of breath, he showed no signs of improving his somber attitude; he knew that the battle ahead was going to be long and hard, and that not everypony was going to make it back out alive.
He had served as a soldier before the princesses' rise to power, so he knew what being in a war was like, and was not looking forward to taking part in another. But there was too much on the line to give up, or let others fight while he stood back.
The crystal pony soldiers began to get into their positions, and make last minute preparations. The civilians locked themselves into their homes, sticking to the center of the city, and its north side, seeking to stay as far from the battleground as possible.
The soldiers began to gather around Obsidian, waiting for commands, or simply wishing to remain near the experienced fighter. After looking over the final preparations, he simply stood at the perimeter, watching the south, and waiting for his enemies to show themselves.
Every one of the defenders waited with him, but not for the battle to begin. All of them were wishing for one thing: the return of the King of Shadows.
-----
The invading force arrived within the next hour, giving the well prepared defenders ample time to get ready for the attack.
Despite how much time and effort had gone into their plans, Discord was not certain as to where he fit into the defenses. And he was perfectly fine with that, preferring to go where he was needed, when he was needed, so as to best aid his allies.
Looking out from a short distance behind the lines, he could clearly see the oncoming forces: a seemingly endless mass of bodies, covering much of the horizon.
While a good number were ponies from all three of the southern races, a large portion was far more sickening: slaves. They were from all kinds of species, chained and carefully watched, meant to act as fodder for their enemies. There were griffons in the sky, with pegasi boxing them in from behind. On the ground were all manner of creatures, from hulking minotaurs, to exotic zebras, and some truly massive monsters held farther back, including several dragons, and even a hydra. Some, but not many, were ponies, no doubt those that had displeased the princesses in some way.
It was obvious that they did not want to fight, and Discord didn't want to fight them. But he had to help his allies and friends now, or else there would be no saving anyone later; no freeing those slaves for good, no protecting the innocents that would fall under the tyrants rule, and no making sure that such atrocities were never committed again.
The invaders came to a halt, far enough away from the city to be safe from any counter attacks. The two sides held their ground, each seemingly intent on staring the other into submission. Neither moved for several minutes, no one advancing into the ground between them. From far in the back of the attacking army, a single blast of magic could be seen rising into the air, shot from a unicorn's horn, acting as the last signal.
And then it began.
While the crystal ponies held their ground, preparing to defend their homes to the last, the force from the south charged forward like a tidal wave. Once they met with the defenders, everything began to descend into madness, as battle cries were drowned out by screams and calls for help.
Discord was uncertain of what to do, having never been in a battle of this magnitude before. Then, looking up, he was able to spot Storm Feather; the pegasus was darting around the battlefield, keeping low to the ground, and using his speed to surprise the enemy in areas where the defenses weren't holding as well. He would also occasionally climb into the air, getting into dogfights with the opponents above, and using their own numbers to confuse them, making them get in each others' way.
But their enemies weren't stupid, and began to catch onto his tactics, forcing him to flee to ground level more and more often. Eventually, a pegasus guard wearing golden armor began to catch up to him, stubbornly keeping on his tail and forcing him further into the sky. That guard's expression changed from determined to surprised as he flew backwards, knocked out of the sky. He stared at the spear that was now impaled through his chest, and unable to believe that anypony could actually have thrown the hefty weapon several hundred feet into the air, let alone hit their target with such deadly accuracy.
After hurling the spear to protect Storm's back, Obsidian went back to fighting those attackers that were stuck the ground, using his hooves as much as the double-bladed sword in his mouth. The weapon really did appear to have blades made from some kind of glass, as they broke frequently during the frenzied combat. But Sombra's second in command possessed no common weapon, and the blades regrew every time they were broken, only seeming to grow sharper each time.
As Discord watched, Obsidian grabbed one unfortunate enemy soldier, lifted the stallion over his head with his front hooves, and threw him into the enemy ranks, knocking several more attackers over. Shortly afterwards, a minotaur joined the fray, punching the grey pony with a massive fist, straight into Obsidian's face. The stallion responded with one of his own, hitting hard enough to knock his opponent off his feet, and clear into the air.
The other crystal soldiers rallied around their captain, inspired by his strength and courage. With Obsidian leading them, they were able to hold the right flank with ease, never giving an inch of ground.
Unfortunately, the left side was not faring as well, the defensive line beginning to fall apart under the endless assault. It was there that Discord finally decided to make a stand.
The sky quickly began to darken, filling with black clouds that rained lightning on the invading army. Chunks of rock began to suddenly tear out of the ground, usually carrying confused and terrified soldiers. Others invaders simply found themselves flying through the air, propelled by an unseen force.
Some of the attackers immediately began to panic, and attempted to run away from the spirit. They had all too vivid memories of the Discord's wrath, fresh in their minds from the last time the princesses had attacked him. Judging from their surprise, the sisters had either not known that Sombra and Discord had allied with each other, or had simply not told their soldiers. Either way, the defenders had gained a noticeable advantage as a result.
While Discord wasn't inflicting many casualties, he was creating massive amounts of confusion in the enemy ranks; they soon began having trouble advancing in any kind of organized fashion, giving the crystal ponies a chance to regroup. Upon spotting the Spirit of Chaos joining the fray, Storm Feather jumped down beside him, making sure that no one was able to get within striking range, and giving him room to work unimpeded. The defenders soon began to pull back together, and Obsidian had his soldiers retreat to line up with Discord's group, forming a single, unbreakable wall.
But the waves of enemies did not stop, and everyone present knew that the crystal ponies would eventually succumb to exhaustion, and the armies from the south controlled the skies, with little to get in their way.
In one tense moment, the defending line broke enough for the attackers to rush forward, piling onto Obsidian. He disappeared for several seconds, only to burst forth again, sending many of his assailants flying, and quickly knocking off the rest with his powerful hooves. But he no longer wore his helmet, and a trail of blood was clearly visible, running from his mouth. This only spurred on the attackers more; Obsidian likely would have met his end there, had the defenders not responded with equal ferocity.
Storm Feather moved as quick as lightning, knocking away any that tried to attack Discord; but he was tiring, and slowing down. Soon, some began to slip through, forcing the spirit to divert his attention, and waste valuable seconds dealing with his attackers. The enemy would make a swift charge then, trying to break through the defenders while Discord was distracted.
Their situation only got worse as time passed, and even Discord believed that it might have been the end when the dragons, previously held in reserve, were allowed to join the fray. The fire breathing reptiles tore through the exhausted defenders, and most of the crystal ponies were forced to retreat into the city to escape.
Discord tried his best to get rid of the beasts, but they were naturally as tough as steel, and filled with a terrible fury. Even when one received a serious injury, it simply redirected its rage at the attacker, blinded by a violent desire for revenge.
Nearly everyone, including the Spirit of Chaos, had to pause for a moment and stare when Obsidian, after climbing onto one such monster's back, used his hooves to slam its head into the ground with enough force to cause a concussion, knocking it out nearly instantly.
But there were still more, and the defenders were becoming thin. With all hope lost, Discord watched as the princesses' army continued to appear, beginning to wonder if they had brought the whole world to attack the Crystal Empire. Then, he noticed something strangely familiar about a nearby enemy soldier. Looking closer, he realized that he was looking at one of the ponies he had been protecting, that had stayed in his grove before the princesses had burned it down. As the two made eye contact, the soldier simply nodded once, before turning back onto the invaders.
The crystal ponies could hardly believe their eyes as the front ranks of the opposing army turned around and began fighting for them, rather than against them. But they still welcomed the unexpected reinforcements with open arms, and with Discord's help, were able to get them to relative safety among the crystal soldiers.
Their morale had been boosted by the sudden appearance of Discord's followers, but they were still losing the battle. The new soldiers only mattered so much, and the city was still falling more and more each minute, the defenders having already retreated nearly the entire way to Sombra's tower.
Then, even more unexpectedly, a booming sound was heard, echoing throughout the city; every combatant stopped to look, wide-eyed, towards the crystalline structure at its center. Beneath, a pair of monumental gates were opening, and above all other sounds, an earth-shattering roar erupted from beneath the ground, shaking every living creature within earshot to their very cores. Some were filled with renewed hope, while others felt a sense of dread they had never experienced in their life.
Equestria itself seemed to quake at that which was emerging from those gates. All light seemed to disappear for a moment, darkness spreading across the entire city, and beyond. The air grew tense, as the one that would soon end the conflict appeared from the dark pits below.
All combat in the city stopped, as the king looked over his domain. The streets were filled with the bodies of his people. The fields beyond were red with their blood. And there, still standing, were soldiers who could barely stand, yet still forced to put their lives on the line to protect their homes and families to the last.
King Sombra then looked at his enemies, specifically. He saw how they used slaves as living shields. He saw how they tried to burn and pillage homes. He saw how they chased and herded innocent ponies into groups, weapons in hand.
He did not like what he saw.
It took those nearby several moments to understand that the monstrous growling that they were hearing was coming from the king himself, and not some creature as large and terrible as a dragon. With a mighty yell, Sombra sank into the earth, seemingly disappearing. A black shadow could be seen moving across the ground, and quickly swept beneath the invaders' feet. Dozens were sent flying as the king burst forth again.
But none looking could recognize the king, save for his glowing green and red eyes. Purple smoke was pouring from them, as if it represented a rage that could not be contained, even by such a monstrous shape. He was now a living darkness, consuming everything around him and growing larger by the second.
Nearby unicorns discovered that their horns no longer produced magic, and pegasi that their wings no longer worked. Most of the princesses' army began to run, seeking to get as far from the King of Shadows as possible. Even the dragons, previously enthralled by the destruction and bloodshed, were filled with an unnatural level of terror, and wanted nothing more than to flee from the monster that now defended his empire.
Every defender, including Discord and the reserved Obsidian, let out a wild cheer as the dark king joined the fray, ready to support his subjects and allies, already driving back the invaders with nothing but his presence.
Sombra then began to take his physical form once again, his dark visage appearing from the black smoke, followed by his armored body, standing on a pillar of dark crystal, looking down upon those that would dare attack his empire, that would dare to attack his people. His blood-red horn filled with power, as he let his rage fill his soul, and give him strength.
Discord could only stare as the king began his assault. He unleashed his power with a fury that seemed to mock the calm and thoughtful ruler the spirit had previously met. Every blast of magic, every mass of dark crystal that appeared to skewer his targets, was accompanied by a terrifying and rage-filled roar. It had not been a minute since his reemergence, yet the king had already filled the battlefield with hundreds more dead and wounded enemies.
The Spirit of Chaos was appalled by the sheer brutality of the king's attacks. Their was no sign of mercy or restraint, as he laid waste to his enemies. While Discord was certainly powerful enough to cause such devastation, he couldn't bring himself to cause that much pain and death. Yet the king was not holding back, even though some of the enemies were slaves and innocents, that didn't want to be there at all, that would have happily stood back, or even helped the defenders, had they been given the chance.
No, wait... the king just didn't need to hold back.
Despite his anger, Sombra was still using his intelligence, fighting with precision, rather than just raw power, as it had at first seemed. His strikes always struck in just the right spots, in just the right ways, to inflict maximum damage. And, as he continued to attack, he was focused on very specific targets; those that were keeping the slaves in check.
King Sombra summoned a cloud of tiny yet razor sharp black crystals, sending them flying into the air, and knocking pegasi out of the sky with pinpoint accuracy, but leaving every griffon above unharmed. Realizing that they did not have an army of soldiers breathing down their necks anymore, those griffons then turned on their masters, driving the pegasi back, and freeing more of their brethren.
The situation on the ground was similar, as minotaurs took aim at earth ponies, and zebras exchanged magical tricks with unicorns. Dogs that had previously been attempting to undermine the defenders instead began to burst forth from holes in the ground, ambushing groups of slave handlers, and breaking the magical collars that had been holding the dragons and hydra in check. Now free to do as they pleased, they began to attack the real targets of their hatred, burning and crushing the southern armies.
Discord renewed his own assault, now able to attack without worry of harming innocent slaves, once again raining lightning and rock on the invaders. The clouds in the sky now turned pink in color, and began to shower the battleground with, of all things, chocolate milk, reflecting the spirit's new hope and excitement.
With a huge number of their forces turning against them, and a terrifying monster of darkness joining the battle alongside the god-like spirit, the attackers all began to retreat in full force, turning tail and running as quickly as their legs could carry them. The crystal ponies charged after, now accompanied by creatures of all the other species, and led by the King of Shadows, and Spirit of Chaos.
It was then that the Princess of the Sun and the Princess of the Moon chose to make their own appearance. The clouds overhead broke to a blinding burst of sunlight, as the sisters descended from the heavens. The two had a set of six stones surrounding them, and bathing them in color and light: the Elements of Harmony. Their army may have been defeated, but they still planned on ending all resistance to their rule, here and now. Once and for all.
Seeing Celestia and Luna coming to confront them, Sombra's eyes narrowed, and he once again turned to shadow, descending into the ground. He reemerged beside Discord, who only now noticed something odd about the king.
Sombra was carrying three items that exuded powerful magic. One was a piece of black armor that he wore, that went up to cover his forehead, around to the back of his neck, and extended down to his chest, with three different colored crystals set into it; the largest was just below his horn, with the other two on the sides of his neck.
Another was a large, twisting, golden bracelet, with yet another crystal set into it. The last was a second, smaller bracelet, silver, with two more crystals, set not quite opposite to each other. Where as Sombra's had a sense of balance and general orderliness to it, the other two items seemed entirely random and haphazard. Discord liked them.
Sombra tossed the asymmetrical bracelets to Discord, saying, "A gift. One that I have been working on for quite some time."
Discord responded with his usual pompousness, saying, "Why thank you, Sombra old buddy. I didn't know that you cared."
"Just shut up and put them on." Despite his impatient words, Sombra's face and tone betrayed his own happiness. Discord discovered that his new bracelets fit perfectly, as if they were made for him. Together, the two turned to once again face the princesses.
"What's this, did you two get some new toys?" Celestia's voice was stuck up and confident as she mocked her opponents, not believing for a second that they could actually harm her. Luna once again stuck behind her sister, more wary of the weapons that Sombra had made. Both kept to the air, a considerable distance from the mismatched pair.
"Why don't you come over here and see what they do?" Discord was surprised that Sombra was the first to respond, and that he actually seemed to be mocking the sisters. But a quick glance from the king seemed to say, "Trust me." So Discord stepped back and let him take center stage.
"And why, exactly, should we do that?" It was Luna that spoke this time, with a suspicious tone.
"Because you obviously can't lose, right? I mean, you're the Princesses of Equestria! How could we possibly stop you?" Sombra's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm, almost painfully dishonest.
While Luna only became more worried, Celestia couldn't resist attacking after that. Either the king was mocking them, or he was being rude in front of someone that he knew was his better. Either way, she needed to punish his impudence, and teach him a lesson he would never forget. Granted, he would be dead, but, oh well.
Dragging her sister behind her, the Princess of the Sun charged at the two, already preparing the Elements to strike at the Spirit of Chaos, leaving the king to stand all alone against the sisters' combined might. Realizing that she had no choice in the matter, Luna also began to feed the Elements, trying to fire them as quickly as possible.
As they drew near, and were about to launch there attack, Sombra said a single word to Discord: "Now."
While Discord didn't understand how he knew what to do with the odd bracelets the Sombra had given him, or what they did, he still instinctively knew how to use them. So, at Sombra's signal, he did, and was surprised to see a second beam of light heading out to meet the princesses'. But where as the Elements of Harmony produced a single, solid rainbow, the king's and spirit's were unsteady, and shifted color from one moment to the next. But when the two met, their powers proved to be equal, fighting against each other for several moments, before both suddenly stopped.
And then nothing happened. The two sides stared at each other, everyone confused by what had just occurred. Everyone except for Sombra.
The king merely stood there, a knowing smile on his face, as Discord, Celestia, and Luna all tried to figure out what had just happened.
"How... did... you..." Luna was the first to speak up, but still struggled to find her voice, or what to say in response to the bizarre situation.
"Simple. I just matched the Elements of Harmony with an equivalent power." Sombra began to walk forward now, calmly closing the distance between him and the sisters.
"The Elements of Disharmony. How unoriginal," Celestia practically spat.
"You used the power of Order to match the power of Chaos. How is that original? But no, I went with something a little bit... different." Sombra's smile grew as he came to a halt a short distance away.
"Our power is that of improvement. Growth. The power to pick one's own path, a better path, and not be held under the hooves of someone like you. Ours are the Elements of Progress."
Discord looked at Sombra with confusion, and couldn't help but wonder what he was getting at. He had said that he was going to use Discord's power as the basis of his creation, but Discord was the Spirit of Chaos, not Progress.
As if he could read his mind, Sombra answered the spirit's unspoken question. "Chaos is simply change. It is unpredictable, and dangerous. But it is that same change that betters the world, and everyone in it. That change fuels Progress, something that even I wish upon the world." The king turned to give a nod to Discord then, before continuing. "And as such, even I have the seeds of it in me. Determination, to meet any challenge, no matter the odds. Cunning, to provide with my mind, what my body and magic cannot. And Imagination, to envision a better tomorrow, regardless of the limitations of today."
"But I am not the only one responsible for making this world a better place. There is another, that shows aspects of some of these Elements far better than I can. Care, to look after and help those that need it. Patience, to wait out the bad times, and to always be ready for the good. And some Spontaneity, to keep things interesting." The King of Shadows spoke to the Spirit of Chaos specifically, then. His smile grew particularly large as he mentioned Spontaneity, but he remained completely sincere as he listed off Discord's Elements.
Celestia was getting quite annoyed by the display. "Oh, yes, glitter and rainbows and sparkly little jewels. Can we just get this gag-fest over with."
"So, how does that defeat the Elements of Harmony? And how does that accomplish anything?" Luna spoke up as well, confused as to what exactly Sombra had done, or what the point of it was.
"Easy. When two opposite forces meet, they cancel each other out. Your Order, born from tyranny, and our Chaos, born from freedom, couldn't exist together, so they were both temporarily eliminated. Shut down, so to speak. Oh, and as to how it helps us," Sombra's grin became rather sadistic at this point, "don't you realize what position you're in right now?"
Discord was the first to understand what the king was talking about, and grew a similarly wicked smile as he realized what it meant. Luna figured it out several seconds later, and immediately tried to fly away as quickly as possible. She was stopped when Discord suddenly appeared beside her and grabbed her muzzle, waving a threatening finger in front of her face and forcing her to stay put.
Celestia and Luna were now facing off against the two most powerful creatures in Equestria, without any extra weapons or powers to help them.
Celestia was the last to figure it out, after getting abandoned by her sister. But where as Luna responded with terror, she was filled with rage at the trickery. How dare they fool her? How dare they mock and humiliate her like this? They would pay, if she had her way.
Turning to the weaker of her opponents, she began to fire off blasts of magical power, pounding away at the shield that the king had put up. She put all of her fury and desperation into destroying him, yet not once did any of her magic pierce his defenses. He simply stood there, deflecting all of her attacks, and waiting for Celestia to tire herself out, with a look of strain on his face. He had not eaten, drank, or slept in a week, and was having trouble holding off the powerful alicorn's attacks.
But in the end he won out, and as Celestia stood there, panting and exhausted, he prepared a single counter attack. A massive amount of magic flowed into his horn, and he shaped it into a single mass of power, a hammer that appeared above the princess' head, and crashed down upon her, making a crater in the ground large enough to swallow several nearby, empty homes. As his magic disappeared, Celestia's battered and bruised body could be seen at the hole's bottom. She was not dead, but she no longer had any strength left to fight back.
Sensing how hopeless her situation was, Luna decided to try and take the easy way out, struggling out a muffled surrender through Discord's hand. With a look of fake surprise on his face, Discord responded with, "Well, look at that! The courageous Princess of the Moon is trying to avoid a fight? How unexpected! I suppose I might as well let ol' Sombra take over then, and decide what to do with a traitor like you."
Luna's face grew panicked, and she tried to struggle free from Discord's grip. But he didn't loosen up for a moment, and took her down to the King of Shadows, just as he had promised.
Sombra looked at the two tyrants with a feeling of utter loathing. They both stared at him, Celestia pale and barely able to lift her head, waiting for the inevitable sentencing, expecting swift and final justice.
But Sombra surprised them, saying, "Death would be too good for you." The princesses stared even harder, a feeling of hope filling them. Maybe they would be spared! Then, they noticed a stiffness creeping up from their legs, and looked down. Luna screamed out loud as dark crystals began to engulf her body, terrifyingly quick, yet agonizingly slow.
Sombra continued to look on with a face that showed no hatred, no anger, no pleasure at what he was doing; all it showed was the grim visage of a judge declaring two criminals' punishment. "You will experience a far worse kind of torture than anything you have ever experienced, than any pain you have ever caused anypony else. You will experience your own worst fears, live through your greatest nightmares, over and over, always getting ever worse, for the rest of eternity, until your minds are broken by terror and suffering. You will pay for every crime that you have ever committed, and you will never die. Your torment will last forever."
And, just as their fate was foretold, nameless horrors began to creep into their minds, and all of the terrors of the world ran rampant in their heads. They tried to open their mouths to scream, to beg, but no more noise could escape their lips. The last thing that they saw was the King of Shadows' merciless eyes, before darkness closed around them...
Discord and Sombra sat together after the battle, looking at what the princesses had caused. The wounds of the Crystal Empire, and the rest of the world, would take years to heal, if they ever would. Ponies mourned the loss of loved ones, searched through the ruins of homes that their families had lived in for generations, and tried eating their own clothes just so they could survive.
But they still had smiles on their faces, and a distant look in their eyes, as they prepared for tomorrow. The pain of yesterday would fade, and the night would give way to a new dawn. They marked this day in their minds, and tomorrow as well. Because tomorrow, that dawn would shine on free ponies.
And free griffons. And free zebras. And free dogs, and dragons, and minotaurs. All species and races shared in the hopes and dreams of ponykind. Tomorrow would be better than today, and the next might be better still.
Discord had a smile on his face, but not his usual grin. His was a wistful smile, as he watched all manner of creatures celebrating the fall of the sisters. Sombra had his eyes on them, but did not truly see any of them. He looked to tomorrow, and his face was one of serious contemplation.
Discord didn't like serious contemplation.
"Whatcha' thinkin' 'bout, buddy?" Discord put himself right into Sombra's face, yet the unicorn didn't seem to react at all.
"We're going to need food. We could grow some crops, but that would take too long. The princesses likely kept their domain in good shape, despite everything else that they did wrong, so we could bring some from there. But that would also take time, and we need some way to hold off until then. I would rather have everypony avoid eating the dead; that would just feel wrong. Besides which, I don't think that our new allies would respond well to it, and..." The king trailed off as he felt the sensation of something wet running down his back. Reaching his hoof up, it came back covered in a brown liquid.
"WHAT IS THIS?! WHY DID YOU MAKE IT RAIN CHOCOLATE-MILK AGAIN?!" The king was irate, while Discord held his sides, rolling around in mid-air while he laughed at his friends sour expression.
"Lighten up a little! You just overthrew the two worst tyrants in the world; you should be out there, celebrating with the rest of them."
Sombra thought about the spirit's words for a few moments, before speaking again. "Why aren't you? It's your victory, as well."
Discord was stunned at the realization. Maybe... maybe there was a time for quiet reflection. But he still didn't think that Sombra should be sitting around and moping, or, even worse, WORKING! They might as well take some enjoyment from their victory.
So Discord dragged the king down to where the other creatures sat. Sombra dug his feet in (literally) when he discovered what the spirit was planning, and desperately tried to keep away from the group. He didn't want to get anywhere near them right now, not after the display of brutality and ruthlessness he had put on not too long ago. It might have been necessary, but he knew that none of them could possibly accept him after that.
So he was shocked when everyone present let out a mighty cheer at the sight of their king and savior. Many gave him hearty pats on the back, and almost all of them were thanking and congratulating him, with no sign of the fear he had expected.
"You... you don't think what I did to the princesses was wrong? You aren't scared of me?" Sombra couldn't comprehend that they all really liked him like that, after what he had done.
"Are you kidding?" The question was shot from an airborne griffon. "I would still be in chains, if not for you! You saved everyone, and stopped those two from keeping us all as slaves for the rest of our lives! You're a hero, in my book."
Sombra was even more shocked to actually hear such words. He had been certain that he would be rejected... perhaps there was still a lot for him to learn, despite how much he already had.
"But you're still scary as all Tartaurus." Everyone let out a guilty chuckle as Obsidian joined up with them. He might have been the most battered and bruised out of all the crystal soldiers, but he was still the most active, and already working to rebuild areas of the city that were destroyed. He could still spare a few moments for his friends and king, though.
Sombra gave a apologetic nod to his second in command, and let a small smile work its way onto his lips. No matter how much he had to learn, he already knew one thing: his friends would make his trials easier, and his journeys shorter. With their help, he would make tomorrow better than today.
Discord watched the King of Shadows, happy to see Sombra finally enjoying himself, now that everyone was free from the sisters' reign. A yell from above alerted him to the presence of Storm Feather, flying down to meet him.
The pegasus appeared to have made some friends from within the griffons' ranks, as they were performing aerial maneuvers together. Despite the competitive nature of their games, Discord could tell that they were all enjoying themselves, winning or losing.
"I can't believe it! This is great! No more princesses, no more tyrants. Dude, you guys are the greatest!" The pegasus practically tackled Discord into a hug, waving to Sombra with one hoof.
A sudden shout of, "Daddy!" accompanied a second tackle from behind, as Screwball jumped onto the spirit's back as well. He reached behind him to pull her into a hug of his own, somehow reversing his own arms, so they were facing behind him.
Storm found the sight rather disconcerting for a split second, before deciding that it was a pretty sweet gesture. After flying over to give Sombra another personal thank you (minus the hugging), he flew back up to the waiting griffons. Or at least he started to, before a shout from below caught his attention.
"Hey, Flyboy! Think you can beat me at jousting?" Obsidian had a smug smile on his face as waited for the pegasus' response.
Storm Feather turned around, eager to accept the challenge. "Oh, you're on!"
As the two went towards a section of the city with a jousting arena, Discord once again turned his attention back to Sombra. "So, King of the Crystal Empire, think you might be able to laugh a little? Maybe loosen up more often?"
"Well, I guess I could kick back every once in a while..." the king responded, kicking at some dirt.
"But not laugh?" Discord displayed what was only partially mock horror at the prospect. "How can you possibly 'kick back,' if you don't laugh a little bit too?"
Before the king could respond, Discord began telling a joke. Then another, and another after that. Each time, the king slipped a little bit more, struggling to keep his composure.
"Alright, alright, here's a good one: What did the fish say when he swam into a cement wall?"
Almost every griffon within earshot responded with a single word: "Dam!"
At this point, Sombra couldn't hold it anymore. He finally burst (like a dam), laughing out loud. His laugh was deep, loud, and, above all else, terrifying. Every creature within earshot stared at the king, subconsciously trying to make themselves as small as possible.
As he died down, the king didn't even have to look to know that he had spooked everyone, and he slowly walked away with his head down.
"Let's... never try that again."
Every single creature nearby voiced a unanimous, "AGREED!"
-----
"It could have been worse." Discord was trying to comfort the king after the embarrassing incident, having vowed to never pull such a stunt again. When there were others nearby.
"Oh? And how, exactly, could that have gone any worse?"
"You could have laughed at the pegasus versus unicorn joke," Discord stated matter-of-factually.
"Don't tell me." Sombra had no idea what he was talking about, but assumed that it was racist in some way.
"Fine, if you insist. So, tell me, do you know the difference between an earth pony and a unicorn?" While Sombra was suspicious of Discord's words, he noted that he didn't seem to be talking about the same joke.
"No, what?" Sombra asked his question hesitantly, a little worried about what the answer might be.
"Well, it's just that one of them's more horn-" Before he could finish, he experienced the rather unpleasant sensation of having an armored hoof colliding with his face. Hard.
And so, the world once again knew peace. The age of the princesses was ended by two great heroes: Discord, the spirit of Chaos, and Sombra, the King of Shadows, were able to free all of Equestria from their tyranny, and the whole world from their threat.
After the final battle of the war, The Battle of the Crystal Empire, the two led ponykind into a new era of hope. They became the official guardians of peace and prosperity in the world, protecting all creatures, pony or otherwise.
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King Sombra continued his rule in the Crystal Empire, where he was known as a just and fair ruler. He was both willing to deal out swift justice to any wrong-doers that dared to step foot in his domain, and able to show mercy and compassion for those that truly deserved it. Due to his dark magics, he was able to become seemingly immortal, and has watched over the Empire since his original appearance there.
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The king had, at one point, taken a wife from among the crystal ponies. She was said to be incredibly beautiful, and kind. But she did not wish to live out Sombra's endless existence, and chose to instead leave the world when her time naturally came. She died of old age, approximately fifty years after the princesses defeat; Sombra was reported to have been holding her hoof when she died, and has since re-established the Crystal Fair on her birthday, in her honor. While he was grief-stricken by her death, his rule has remained strong and fair.
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Discord, meanwhile, chose to rule in the south. He leads Equestria from Canterlot, a city that he created and attached to the side of a mountain. Despite his position, he refuses to take any formal titles as ruler, and is instead merely referred to as the Spirit of Chaos. He is known for both his eccentric ways, and his fun-loving nature. He rules mostly in name, keeping his citizens safe, yet allowing them the freedom to decide the course of their own lives.
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He is also responsible for raising the sun at dawn, and the moon before the night. While he usually keeps a relatively close schedule, rarely deviating more than an hour from the planned lengths of day and night, he typically switches between the two erratically during holidays. That is why it is all but required to go to sleep early the night before, and why the following 24 hours become so unpredictable.
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The two have kept a close alliance and friendship over the years, dating back to the final battle of the war; their respective countries were officially joined together by a stained-glass window, given as a gift from Sombra to Discord, depicting their battle against the sisters, and celebrating their victory.
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Out of the four races of ponykind, the earth-ponies once again began their ancient professions as farmers. A small town was founded near Canterlot as a result of one such family of farmers, and Ponyville has since grown into one of Equestria's most important settlements.
The crystal ponies also took up their old crafts, creating beautiful artwork and architecture, the likes of which no other creatures can make.
The pegasi became travelers and merchants in the south, no longer needed to control the weather under Discord's rule.
Unicorns, on the other hoof, have become diplomats and entrepreneurs, preferring to stay in more civilized locations.
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During The Battle of the Crystal Empire, the princesses used slaves from many of the other species, forcing them to fight against the crystal ponies. Most were freed after the battle, and returned to their respective homelands. Some, however, remained behind; many griffons settled in the empire, living in the north, and joining Sombra's Crystal Battalions. They formed the original Aerial Brigade, also commonly known as the "Talons."
Most of the other species chose to head for the more temperate lands of Equestria. The minotaurs enjoy being performers, and can work as hard as any earth-pony. The "diamond dogs," as they came to be called, collect and trade precious gems, and are legendary for the wealth hidden in their under-ground dwellings. The dragons, while sticking to their normal migration habits, now frequently head for Canterlot to meet and pay respect to its unusual ruler. There was even a hydra, reported to have settled in Froggy-Bottom Bog, near the Everfree forest, and Ponyville.
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So, the current lands of Equestria and the Crystal Empire came about, overseen by the two great beings...
"Yes, do you have a question?" The teacher, an older mare that was planning to retire in a few years, was referring to a earth-pony colt that had raised his hoof.
"What's a 'being'?" The curious colt had been the first to raise the question, despite not being the only pony to have it.
"Well, a being is kind of like... um... well..." The teacher trailed off, unable to come up with a suitable answer for her young students.
The teacher's assistant, Cheerilee, stepped forward, and explained, "A being is kind of like something that is alive, but not like us. Discord is a spirit, and Sombra is immortal, and a creature of shadows and magic. So while they're both 'alive', they don't fit into the same category as a normal pony does."
A collective "Oooohhhh..." rang from every young pony in the classroom, except for a vanilla colored pegasus filly that was named, ironically, Vanilla. She, rather than paying attention, was trying to sneak out through a window, being caught when the teacher noted her empty desk. She skittered back guiltily, already knowing she was in trouble before the teacher spoke.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, young missy?"
"... I..." The filly's voice could barely be heard, she was so quiet.
"Yes?"
"... I..." A little bit louder this time, she wasn't whispering as much, and raised her head slightly more.
"Well? Anything else?"
"I NEED TO FLY!" Before the teacher could react, Vanilla had shot past her and out the door, no longer able to restrain herself. While the teacher chased after her, the rest of the students decided to make the most of her absence, crowding around Cheerilee, and asking her more questions about beings, and the two great guardians of their world.
While Vanilla had claimed to be giving in to a very basic pegasus need, she actually needed to escape from a splitting headache; not exactly a good sign, considering what it usually signified. But she wasn't going to be finding any relief, not with her teacher following so close behind. She received a random blast of luck, as a sudden explosion in the sky, followed by a bright rainbow, distracted her pursuer enough to make a get-away.
She would be sure to find whoever had caused the strange event, and thank them. But for now, first things came first, so she quickly darted into an alleyway while no one was looking...
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Big Macintosh saw a younger filly fly out of Ponyville's schoolhouse, chased by the town's current teacher. He moved aside, watching in amusement as the two went by, one in the air and the other on the ground.
Not long ago, he himself had gone to that same school. He had left the town's education system early, despite his excellent grades, so that he could start working sooner.
Well, calling Ponyville a 'town' wasn't exactly accurate. It had grown into a fairly large city over the years since his family had founded it. The ponies that lived their called it a town more out of habit than anything else, now.
Still, it had never managed to lose that small town charm, and most of the resident businesses still sold goods and food at a marketplace in the center of town. Macintosh was headed in that direction at this particular moment, looking to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to work.
After a small meal, he was ready to go on his way. Well, it was small by his standards. Some ponies nearby were still staring at him and all the food that he had eaten, likely folk that hadn't been in town long enough to have heard about his family, and their famous appetites.
So, with a full belly, the young stallion trotted off in the direction of the Ponyville Train-Station, ready to go to Canterlot...
