A storm is brewing over Equestria: a storm of chaos. Can Starswirl and Clover stop it?
Fluffy pink cotton candy clouds have appeared across the land. Most would not feel threatened by this, but it's been happening for days. The unicorns have been blamed for their magical tinkering of the weather, but they are not responsible. So, who is? That's what three unicorns have been sent to find out. But the truth may be even worse than they expected...
It was the year 1, in the First Age of Equestria. Only 12 months ago, 6 brave ponies had forged their way to find a new land, attempting to escape the Windigos' eternal winter. They had nearly perished on the way, but through the combined efforts of 3 important ponies, the Windigos were repelled, and Equestria was founded. Each of the three pony races had their own ways of bring new settlers to the land. The Earth-ponies made a long but steady march, and the pegasi took wing to reach it in record time. Most impressive, though, were the unicorns. Clover the Clever and Princess Platinum had worked together to create a teleportation circle inside a small library of scrolls they'd brought along. The runes within the circle would not allow one to teleport, but would make the process of mass teleportation much less straining to and from the circle. They then teleported a scroll of good news to Clover's mentor: Starswirl the Bearded. Within the next few hours, they were pleasantly surprised. A few unicorns teleported directly into the circle, indicating that it had functioned properly. For the new half hour, more and more unicorns came in, and were greeted by the two original trailblazers. Finally, a large stallion popped in. His blue-grey coat, flowing white beard, and twisted horn identified him even before his Cutie Mark did. "Master!" Clover greeted excitedly. He ran over and nuzzled his mentor affectionately, which the wise old unicorn returned. "Clover, it is so good to see you again," he said, his voice slightly cracked with age. "After 12 months with no news from you, I was worried that only the pegasi and Earth-ponies had made peace with one another." "You knew?" Princess Platinum interrupted angrily. "Yes, of course. Why to you think all of the ponies decided to move at the same time?" Starswirl said, smiling at the Princess' glare. "I identified the effects of Windigos within the first few weeks of their storm. I had hoped that the meeting could've bonded our races, but I was afraid when it did not work. So, I sent out a low-level telepathic wave to three ponies: yourself, the Earth-pony Chancellor, and the Pegasus Commander." "You charmed me?" the Princess shouted, now even more furious than before. "No, no, I would never charm you. That would be treason," Starswirl assured her. "It was just a single idea: move east. I offered for Clover to come with you, so that you could have a bit more magical, how shall I say... versatility?" "Did Princess Platinum write about what I did, Master?" Clover asked excitedly. He hoped to earn his master's approval for helping to defeat the Windigos. "Yes, I heard about it. Although, from what I understand, she'd been frozen during the time that you were helping to defeat the Windigos..." Starswirl said, giving a rueful smile towards the Princess. "Wha- I never said anything about being frozen!" Princess Platinum exclaimed. "Did you think a written letter was beyond the abilities of a truth spell? I could sense the deciet on the letter almost immediately. I deduced from there that you had not in fact seen the event at all, at least not consciously," Starswirl said. "Your stupid magic..." Princess Platinum mumbled. She sulked off, her robe's trail following her through the door. Clover smiled and used his magic to shut the door behind her. "Master, not many unicorns came through the portal. I counted 82, not including yourself. What happened to the others?" Clover asked, now that he was alone with his teacher. "I am afraid that though the Windigos had been defeated by your friendship with the other races, things were not so pretty at the old home," Starswirl said sadly. "Commander Hurricane was the one who came back for the pegasi and Earth-ponies, but the word did not reach them fast enough. The cruel winter and continuing hatred between the ponies took away many of our loved ones." "Oh," Clover said, obviously disappointed and hurt. "But- but some did survive. And.. we can rebuild, right?" "Of course, Clover, my dear student," Starswirl said, nodding his head. "I am sorry to leave your company so quickly, but I am reminded that I planned to research a spell as soon as I appeared here." "May I help you, Master?" Clover asked excitedly. "Oh, you clever pony. Of course. Come, we must create a fertility spell," Starswirl said. Clover immediately blushed, and began to stammer. "A- a- but why? We have plenty of stallions and mares!" Clover protested. "For the Earth-pony plants, Clover," Starswirl said, chuckling at Clover's embarassment. Clover sighed in relief, and joined in a laugh with his teacher. ---------- 15 years later, the bonds of love and friendship had united Equestria firmly. The command of the pegasi had passed to the newly-dubbed Commander Pansy, while the Earth-ponies still had Puddinghead as their Chancellor. Starswirl was amazingly still alive, prolonging his life indefinitely with a special potion, devised by himself and Clover. Clover, meanwhile, had finished his apprenticeship several years ago. Although he knew that he was nowhere near as proficient with magic as his old master, both were proud of Clover's abilities. Then one day, against the will of the pegasi, a storm rolled into Equestria over the lands of the Earth-ponies. Nothing the pegasi could do would dispel the pink clouds appearing across the country. But before panic could ensue, laughter did. The pink clouds rained chocolate milk. The pegasi and Earth-ponies congratulated the unicorns on their practical joke, before sending a polite letter to Princess Platinum to cease the rain. Starswirl and Clover, amongst a few other unicorn mages, were summoned to the Princess' court, to discuss the turn of events. "... And so, in summary, although it is a relief to know that you are capable of the occasional joke, we ask you to end the spell bringing chocolate rain to Equestria. Your allies, Chancellor Puddinghead and Commander Pansy," Princess Platinum said, reading the last few lines of the letter. "So, what are your thoughts?" "I suggest that we end the spell prematurely," one unicorn said. "Are you casting the spell?" the Princess asked. "Well, no," the unicorn replied. "Is anypony here casting the spell?" the Princess demanded. "No, your highness," Starswirl said, speaking for the entire court. "Well, seeing as all of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria are here in this room, and none of them are casting the spell, than obviously the unicorns are not responsible!" Princess Platinum shouted. "It is obviously the work of the pegasi!" "I do not believe chocolate rain is within their weather control ability," Starswirl pointed out. "Well, perhaps not, but cocoa is a plant in it's simplest stage," Clover said. "Perhaps the two races are the ones playing a joke on us?" "Now, let's not let disharmony fall across us again," Starswirl advised. "Let us simply let them know that we are not responsible, and not blame any others. Perhaps this is simply an odd but natural occurence in this region?" "Starswirl, we've been here for 16 years. Surely we'd have known about this 'natural occurence' by now," Princess Platinum said. "Ah, yes, that is a fair point," Starswirl said. "Either way, though, we should let the other races know of our response. Meanwhile, I am willing to seek out the source of this phenomenon, your highness." "Good. Go with good speed, and send a scroll when you find it," the Princess said, nodding as she wrote out responding letter. "Clover, Oak, and Quake, would you please accompany me?" Starswirl asked, pointing to the three ponies. Oak was another stallion, who looked very similar to Starswirl, although significantly younger. This was to be expected, as Oak was Starswirl's grandson. However, unlike his grandfather, he was much more focused on one type of magic: healing magic. His Cutie Mark was a caduceus. Quake was a light grey mare with a mane that was frequently compared to fire. However, despite her status as a mare, nopony wanted to get on her bad side; she was considered second only to Starswirl when it came to battle magic. Her Cutie Mark was a meteor. "I would be honored to adventure beside you, my old Master," Clover said, steping over to stand beside Starswirl. "As would I, Starswirl. You shall need my skill, hm?" Quake added. After a few moment, Starswirl spoke again. "And you, Oak?" "I... am sorry, grandfather," Oak said, taking a step backwards. "I cannot leave Equestria. The ponies here will remain in need of my healing." "I understand," Starswirl said, though he was obviously disappointed. "Well, three is a magic number, as they say. We will prepare for a month's journey, and then leave at sundown from Canterlot's city gates. Now, go!" The three ponies split up and left to prepare. The other mages soon left, as well, leaving Oak alone in the room with Princess Platinum and her guards. She ordered the guards to leave her presence. "Oak, I must admit. I was surprised," Princess Platinum said. "You would lie to your own grandfather?" "Platinum, you know I cannot let others know. It is highly inappropriate," Oak said, flustered. "I am glad that you are capable of keeping a secret," Platinum said, smiling. "I hope that I shall see you tonight, after they have left?" "You have my word, Platinum," Oak said, bowing. ---------- The Canterlot city gates were being observed closely, as a group of 20 unicorns nearby used their horns to slowly lower the sun. The three adventurers were gathered at the closed gates, and several royal guards kept the crowd at bay. Princess Platinum herself set down a bag before Starswirl. "Your highness, what is in that?" Starswirl asked. "Three sending stones, one for each of you," Princess Platinum answered. "Starswirl, what is a sending stone?" Quake asked. "It's an enchanted stone, for use in emergencies. Should one of us wind up in mortal peril, with no chance of escape, you need only to break it on the ground, and it will send out a powerful telepathic wave to any living creatures within a few miles," Starswirl said. "Everypony nearby will know exactly where you are, and that you are in distress. You can be rescued." "I see. I suppose that is one of your inventions?" Quake asked. "Actually, not to brag or anything, but it's my design," Clover said. "It's not perfect, of course. It contacts hostile entities just as well as friendly ones. I've been working on an improved one, but it's ridiculously complicated." "Well, that's pretty impressive, Clover," Quake complimented. "I'm sure you could do better," Clover said. He was blushing and running his hoof across the ground. Starswirl rolled his eyes. "Alright, there's no time to lose," Starswirl said, interrupting his companions. "Princess, expect the scroll." "I will. Guards, open the gates!" Princess Platinum ordered. The gates swung open, just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. The red light bathed the mountain upon which Canterlot sat. The three ponies took off running down the mountain trail, deciding to conserve their magic for when it was necessary. Princess Platinum turned around, and nodded to the guards. The guards shut the gate, and the moon began to rise above their heads. Oak stepped over, allowed permission by the Princess. "So, Princess, where do you think it's coming from? You have not told anypony that?" Oak asked quietly, so nopony else could hear. "I don't think anything, Oak," Princess Platinum whispered in return. "All I know is that whatever is causing this is dangerous enough that only two ponies will be returning from this mission."
Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, and Quake the Earthshaker: one of the best teams Equestria could've asked for to stop the chocolate rain. They passed through the Earth-pony lands at the base of the Canterlot Mountain, and soon reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. It had been relatively unexplored so far, as the ponies had been too occupied setting up their homes in the land they already had to bother expanding. "Master, you have made sure that the traces lead through this place?" Clover asked. Even though they were no longer master and pupil, he felt odd calling him anything but Master. "Yes, Clover. It is a very faint trace of magic, but it's there. I think that something is attempting to conceal it, which is why neither of you could detect it," Starswirl said. "But it couldn't hide from the greatest unicorn to ever live," Clover said proudly. "I am not certain that the praise is entirely justified, but thank you," Starswirl said, smiling ever so slightly. He had lost much of his humor over the years, turning into a much more serious and much older unicorn. Quake used a spell to light up her horn like a torch, and the others repeated the gesture. The pointed their horns forward as they advanced into the forest, shedding light around the ancient woods. There was no proper path through the woods, so they had to step around strange plants and over roots. All of a sudden, Quake stopped, and held her head high, searching for something. "Everyone, remain very still," Quake whispered urgently. "We are being watched." The three ponies stayed in one position for about two minutes, before a twig snapped behind them. Acting on instinct, Quake launched a low-power lightning bolt in the direction of the snap. They heard a yelp, as something ran away. "I missed, just barely. I was just being cautious; I wouldn't want to kill something that's not hostile," Quake said, without leaving her highly alert battle stance. "But when one predator is attracted, more will come. Let's move with haste." "I suggest a teleport," Clover reminded. "We do not know our destination. Without knowledge of our targets, we cannot teleport properly," Starswirl advised. "It would be much safer to use an spell of illusion to mask our scent." "Well, then, for the love of the late Queen, do it already," Quake growled. Starswirl's horn glowed, and a hazy white light settled over the three ponies. It stayed there for a few seconds, before vanishing. "That should do it," Starswirl said. "Keep moving, and remember that it only blinds one of a beast's senses." They continued through the forest, hearing and seeing no more sign of approaching monsters. They remained cautious, though, and tread with light hooves over the untamed forest ground. They eventually began to lose track of how long they had wandered through the forest, with nothing but a faint trail of magic to guide them. It was obvious that the storm had come from very, very far away. At last, Quake announced a clearing in the forest where they could rest their tired legs. Starswirl and Clover set to work conjuring bedrolls, while Quake set up defensive charms around the clearing. After half an hour, they were finally done setting up. Dawn was breaking on the distant horizon. "Starswirl, how large is this forest?" Clover asked, laying down on a bedroll. "That is not in my knowledge, Clover," Starswirl said. "Everything is in your knowledge, Master," Clover said, grinning. "The wisest of ponies is merely the creation of those he learned from," Starswirl said sagely. "While we're giving out old pony advice anyway, if you've been awake all night, it is time to rest," Quake said, giving an exaggerated impersonation of Starswirl's voice. Clover and Starswirl chuckled, before settling down and resting. ---------- Clover was the first to awaken, somewhat groggily. The sun was high in the sky, and the heat of the star had woken him up. However, no sooner had he taken a step than Quake shot up from her own sleep, already on high alert. Before even speaking, she ran around the perimeter of their camp, double-checking their defenses. Once she was satisfied, she turned back to the startled stallion. "Not being very attentive this afternoon, are you, clever colt?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Were you even asleep?" Clover asked. "I always sleep lightly. It's much better to avoid danger," Quake said. "Your preparation borders on paranoia," Clover said. "Much better than being dead, if you ask me," Quake responded, shrugging. Clover went silent at this, and decided to distract himself with making a meal while Starswirl slept. His bedroll vanished, while a stove and pans appeared. He pulled out a few red flowers and pieces of bread, deciding to make grilled rose sandwiches. Quake decided to engage him in conversation again as he cooked. "So, how do you do it? The conjurations?" she asked. "I mean, bringing things from other places with telekinesis is simple magic, but making things appear from nowhere - now that's impressive." "Well, I learned from the best, of course," Clover answered. "Starswirl taught me all sorts of magic, so I'm pretty varied. My strongest talents have always been in teleportation, though. Building teleportation circles, traveling long distances, and even affecting other objects and creatures with it have always come easy to me, at least compared to most unicorns. So, bringing things from other places isn't all that difficult to me." He pulled his normally flank-concealing cloak up, revealing his Cutie Mark: a blue teleportation aura. "Do you think you're better at it than Starswirl?" Quake asked. It wasn't an accusation, or even a suspicion. Just a question. "I don't think anypony's better than Starswirl," Clover answered honestly. "His special talent is magic itself. I mean, nopony can top that." "But his knowledge is stretched thin," Quake argued. "Unlike me with battle magic, you with teleportation, or even the Princess with foresight, he has chosen to pursue all fields equally. Somepony must be able to defeat him in their area of expertise." "Maybe. But not me," Clover said. He lifted the first sandwich out of the pan, levitating it towards Quake. "Enjoy." Quake giggled, taking a bite out of the sandwich. Only when Clover's cheeks turned red did she take the sandwich with her own magic. "My, my, Clover, you seem to act as if eating the sandwich was a romantic gesture," Quake said. She winked and gave a playful bump to her friend. "To be fair, it seems an awful lot like you're flirting with me," Clover said quietly. "Oh, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Who knows?" Quake asked. She turned around and walked off with her sandwich. Clover took another and set it on the pan, but was nearly scared out of his wits when an old stallion teleported next to him with a loud "pop!". He recovered just in time to save the pan from falling off the stove. "Getting pretty friendly, are you?" Starswirl asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, tell me you weren't eavesdropping, Master," Clover said, facehoofing. This was one of the most embarassing moments he had had with Starswirl. "Alright, then. I was not eavesdropping," Starswirl said. "You'd best hurry with brunch. We are burning daylight, and we do not wish to come across things that go bump in the night." "Y-yes, Master," Clover said, nodding without looking at Starswirl. He could only imagine that his old Master had the mother of all mad grins on his face, even though in fact his Master had remained frighteningly stoic throughout the conversation. ---------- After the ponies had taken down camp and travelling, they learned that they were nowhere near as far from the end of the forest as they had thought. In fact, a mere half-hour later, they were bursting from the dark forest into a large green plain. They all gave a sigh of relief, before noticing a white mare with black stripes approaching them. It held a spear in it's forehoof. It yelled at them in a language none of them could identify. When they didn't respond, she pointed her spear at them. Quake calmly countered by snapping the spear in half with magic. "No weapons, no battle magic, no pain," Quake warned, as the stunned mare looked at them fearfully. "We do not speak your language," Starswirl said slowly. "We are friends. I am Starswirl. This is Clover, and that is Quake." "Master, why does this Earth-pony have stripes?" Clover whispered. "I don't know. Nopony has ever come this far before," Starswirl responded, also whispering. "Ponies?" the mare asked. She seemed to recognize the word somehow. "Yes, we are ponies," Starswirl confirmed. The mare approached cautiously, observing their horns. She even tapped on Quake's, even though the battle mage attempted to bite her for it. The white mare than nodded, and indicated to them to follow her. They decided that they didn't have anypony better to lead them, so they followed with some hesitation from Quake. As they walked, the grass grew shorter and drier, indicating that this region had not had rain for a very long time. The mare lead them to a small town, build from oddly shaped tents and full of white and black ponies just like her. Some looked quite menacing, while others simply looked curious at the sight of the three travellers. The unicorns were taken inside a large central tent, where an ornately jeweled elder was lying down on a mattress of hay. The elder opened her eyes, and communicated with their guide in the same odd language. Finally, the guide nodded and stepped away. "Horned ponies, who are you?" the elder asked. "Oh, good, you speak Equestrian," Starswirl said with relief. "I am Starswirl, and these are Clover and Quake. May we know who you are?" "I am Chieftain Varuk, of the western zebra tribe. That is my name in your foreign tongue," Varuk explained. "You have travelled far, yes? The rain has not fallen on our lands for many nights." "Yeah, we've been travelling pretty far, but now that we moved, only the Everfree Forest separates us," Quake said. Varuk looked at her oddly. "Your language has changed since our lands were last visited by ponykind. The pony who met us, though, was winged," Varuk said. "You have met a pegasus, then? Wings, but no horn?" Starswirl asked. "No, she had a horn, and wings, too. She shone like the sun in all of it's glory," Varuk said. "That is the word passed down to me, along with your language." "That's just a myth..." Starswirl muttered to himself. "Chieftain Varuk, do you know anything about the chocolate rain that has been falling on us beyond the Everfree Forest?" Clover asked hopefully. Varuk seemed surprised by this question, but nodded. "Brown rain is not unknown to us. It heralded the dragon named Discord. He brought chaos to our lands, and caused us to fight amongst ourselves. If this rain has reached the lands beyond the Dark Forest, he is coming for your tribes, too," Varuk said ominously. "A- a dragon? Are you serious?" Quake asked. "This dragon is unique, then," Starswirl said, shaking himself out of his reverie. "I have never known a dragon capable of performing magic, especially powerful magic like this. Do you have any paintings, or statues, or something to show us this 'Discord'?" "Only a description, passed down through the tribes by word," Varuk answered. "He bears the body of a red serpent, the head of a white pony, claws of beasts, and wings of a demon and an angel. He is truly terrifying, as my ancestors have said." "Do you know where he is now? The magic trail lead this way," Clover asked. "None can track him. He does not walk. He moves from place to place in a single second," Varuk answered. "Great. So, he's got magic, he's got flight, he's got the weapons of lots of monsters... anything I missed?" Quake asked. "Nah, I think you covered it," Clover answered. "Chieftain Varuk, I am so grateful for your help," Starswirl said, bowing low. His companions repeated the gesture. "Have we permission to leave your presence to continue our quest?" "Yes, you may leave. May you be safe on your journey. Tell your tribes of us when you return to your home," Varuk said, nodding her head. The unicorns left the tent. Quake and Clover were practically bouncing with joy at their lucky encounter, and even Starswirl smiled happily. "So, now we just teleport back home and prepare for war, right?" Clover asked. "That is correct, Clover," Starswirl answered. Quake, though, had gone rigid. As Clover and Starswirl talked, she'd felt something fall on her back. She turned around... to find a single brown raindrop splashed across her. She looked up, and widened her eyes. "Gentlecolts, not to alarm you, but I do believe we have company," she said. The other two looked upwards, and immediately saw a serpentine figure lying casually on a pink cloud, which was dropping chocolate rain on them. He couldn't be seen clearly, but they didn't need to see him to know who he was. "Clover and Quake, run ahead. I'll get him away from this village. Set up a trap for him with whatever magical defenses you can conjure up," Starswirl whispered. His companions ran further into the dusty desert land, leaving Starswirl alone with the zebras and Discord, who had still not acknowledged anypony's presence. A few of the zebras were picking up spears and gathering around the tents, while others retreated inside. "Discord!" Starswirl bellowed. "I know your name, and your form! Reveal yourself in honorable battle for Equestria's continued peace!" As soon as he finished talking, a teleportation aura illuminated the pink cloud briefly. Suddenly, standing at a much taller stature than expected, Discord himself was in front of Starswirl. He leaned down, his horse head even with Starswirl's eyes. "Sorry? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my victory," Discord said, grinning. "Victory? Victory over what?" Starswirl asked, confused. "Oh, sorry, you were attempting to create a trap for me. Well, pro tip: don't try to create a trap for someone who has infinite powers over the entire world," Discord said. Discord snapped his fingers, and suddenly Quake and Clover were next to him again. "Whoa, what happened? Clover, we were supposed to-" Quake cut off, staring at the creature who had just teleported them back. "Ok, new plan, Starswirl?" "Yes. New plan," Starswirl said, shaking his head. "Oh, plans, plans, plans! So booorrriiinnnggg..." Discord drawled. "You wanted a battle, didn't you? Well, it's three against one. Come at me." Quake took the chance. She charged at Discord, with her horn pointed ahead. Discord rolled his eyes and teleported away, leading her to pierce only air where he had been. She reacted quickly, though. The moment she heard the rematerialization pop, she turned around and let loose a lightning bolt from her horn. Discord responded by raising the ground in front of him to create a shield of barren earth. By now, the zebra warriors were acting. One hurled a spear with deadly accuracy towards Discord's head, but he merely ducked without even looking at it. He twisted his wrist, causing the offending zebra to be encased in a gelatinous green substance. Other zebras charged at him, but he snapped his fingers again, causing them to be teleported in an infinite loop of charging him, and being pushed back as soon as they were within a few feet. Starswirl and Clover both joined Quake in assaulting Discord with magic. As Clover attempted to contain Discord in a single place, Starswirl barred teleportation. Between the efforts of the two, they were able to restrain Discord enough to allow Quake a direct shot at Discord's heart. Discord screamed in pain as a lightning bolt pierced his chest where, on any other creature, his heart would have been. However, he displayed his strange anatomy by having nothing there. What's more, the lightning bolt had been less of an electrocution and more of a needle piercing his flesh. Discord, in his pained rage, broke the magical bonds holding him, leaving a mental recoil in Starswirl and Clover's minds. They fought against a brief headache, during which time Discord took a chance to teleport away, not wanting to die in battle here before he got the chance to spread chaos. Quake noticed his attempted teleportation, and charged. She bit his leg just as he blinked away, taking her with him. "Quake?" Clover gasped, shaking the headache away and seeing no sign of the mare. "Where'd they go? Master, can you detect the magic?" "I can try," Starswirl offered. While Clover walked around and freed the zebra warriors from their time loops, leaving them somewhat disoriented, Starswirl searched the entire camp for signs of a magic trail. A few minutes later, the two came back together, both of them disappointed. "I'll guess that you didn't find anything?" Clover asked. Starswirl shook his head sadly. The young mage's eyes became wet for a moment, something his Master took note of. "I'm sure she's fine," Starswirl reassured him. "Remember, she's the toughest mare in Equestria. Dragon, god, or demon, nothing will be able to stop her. I will ask the Chieftain if we may be granted hospitality for the day, in case she teleports back to here. If not, she's likely returned to Canterlot." "Thank you, Master," Clover said. He forced a smile at his Master's speech. ---------- "OOOOWWWW!!!" Discord yelled in rage, kicking the persistent mare off of his leg. "You bit me! Why in the world would you bite me?" The chaos spirit and battle mare had appeared on a rocky, dusty piece of land, with outcroppings leading upward like a set of stairs to the top of a large, flat-headed rock. No civilization could be seen in any direction. It was obvious that Discord had made a mistake during his teleportation, to lead them to such an odd place. "I agree that my choice of weapon was poor. My horn would've done significantly more damage. I was rushed, though," Quake said calmly. She charged him with her horn out again, which he responded with a simple sidestep. He winced as the maneuver put pain on his leg. "What is with you ponies anyway? What do you want me for?" Discord complained. "You wish to parlay?" Quake growled, turning around and preparing for another charge. "Yeah, sure, if that's what you call it," Discord said, rolling his eyes. "Fine. In the name of Princess Platinum and the nation of Equestria, I am here to demand that you cease all activities in the lands and skies between the Everfree Forest and the Mountains of the Long Journey," Quake said, standing at her full height and speaking with the most demanding voice possible. This would've cowed all but the strongest of ponies. Unfortunately, Discord was not a pony. "Equestria is a new country. I haven't ruled it yet. I need my fun time," he said. "Equestria already has a ruler. Three, in fact. If you wish to conquer us while we're settling, you've waited far too long. In 16 years, we have built up a large army. We will be ready for you with wards, weapons, and allies," Quake warned. "And who is 'we'?" Discord asked, smirking. "I am Quake. My allies lie in the Earth-ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. I repeat, we will defeat you," Quake answered, narrowing her eyes and preparing for another attack. "Oh, I wouldn't attack if I were you. I would like you to see the end of your country as you know it," Discord said, crossing his arms smugly. "It is awfully difficult to do that from beyond the grave." "Oh, you wish to give me a death threat?" Quake asked. "C'mon, make your threats believable." "Do you wish to challenge me in battle again?" Discord asked. He was seconds away from completely laughing. Quake gave no warning. She responded by by conjuring a tiny red bead, and tossing it at Discord. It promptly exploded within inches of his face, catching him in the blast radius. Or at least, it should have. The energies that had created the fireball warped around Discord, so that he was unharmed as the explosion finished. "Warp Shield spell?" Quake asked, apparently surprised by the sudden reflexes of the dragon. "I don't need a spell to change things. It's what I'm good at," Discord said. He snapped his fingers, causing the ground under Quake's feet to give way. She growled as the rocks she stood on collapsed, falling into a pit that had instantly appeared. However, she was not one to panic. She began to leap up the falling rocks quickly, jumping back onto flat ground and growling. Her horn glowed, and a dozen small meteorites appeared around Discord, all centered on him. He yelped as they hit hm one by one, causing visible burns across his body. He retaliated by causing spikes to shoot up from the ground, each one intended to impale the determined mare. However, with expert skill, she dodged and broke each and every one. She then levitated the broken stone spires, hurling them at Discord like incredibly large and deadly javelins. The spell, unfortunately, gave Discord time to prepare. The rock spears shattered against an invisible shield. Discord teleported them next to Quake, and they spontaneously exploded in her face. She put up a shield spell of her own in time to save her from fatal injury, but scorch marks and soot could be seen across her flank, and a shard of rock wedged itself painfully into her left foreleg. Quake came up with a sudden idea, and started to climb the stair-like rocks. Discord leaped up the rocks closely behind her. He could have easily simply terraformed and caused the stairs to disappear, but he was having far too much fun to forbid a climactic duel on top of a rock. She attempted to teleport instantly to the top of the stairs, but for some reason her magic failed. As she leapt onto the final step, she set up a temporary ward around the entire top of the rock. It would prevent Discord from getting in for thirty seconds, at most. She focused on her magic, touching her injuries with her horn. They began to mend, but she knew she would be able to manage nothing more than a patch-up before Discord broke through her charm. Words echoed in her head. "Should one of us wind up in mortal peril, with no chance of escape, you need only to break it on the ground, and it will send out a powerful telepathic wave to any living creatures within a few miles." Quake grinned. Salvation. She pulled her sending stone out, and threw it against the ground. Discord reeled outside of the barrier, the telepathic wave having been strong enough to be comparable to somepony screaming in his ear. ---------- Clover's head shot up. It had been faint, barely a trace, but he'd heard the message: "Help me. 82 longitude, 93 latitude. Stone spire." "Master, it's her!" Clover yelled. Starswirl mumbled. He was half-asleep, the battle having drained much of the old stallion's energy. "Master, it's Quake! I heard her sending stone go off!" Starswirl opened his eyes suddenly. He had not heard it. The zebras all around the camp also seemed indifferent, apparently having heard nothing themselves. He raised an eyebrow at the somewhat disbelievable news. "Clover, nopony else heard anything. Perhaps worry is clouding your mind," Starswirl suggested. "No, Master," Clover said firmly. "I know the cooradinates. I am going to teleport there and save her. 82 longitude, 93 latitude. Come along if you wish." With that, Clover's horn glowed, and he vanished in a burst of magic. ---------- "Oh, you were hoping for help, were you?" Discord asked, recovered from the telepathy and stalking over to where Quake was standing on the rock. As expected, her injuries were only partially mended. "Not hoping. I know help will come, as soon as my allies recieve the telepathic signal. Teleportation is a specialty of theirs," Quake said defiantly, preparing to reengage combat. "You haven't figured it out? Ohohohoho! This is rich!" Discord exclaimed, laughing hysterically. "This entire area, from these rocks for about an 2 mile radius around them, is teleport locked! Only I can teleport in, only I can teleport out. Nopony is coming to save you for a long time!" "Well, then, I'll have to fight you alone until then," Quake said bravely. "You are possibly the most stubborn and stupid creature I have ever met," Discord said, sighing. "I could kill you with all of one thought. I am a god." "Then let's test your immortality," Quake challenged. Her horn glowed with a spell of her own design. Discord yelled in pain, despite no apparent attack having been made. His left arm fell to his side limply. She had never actually intended to use this spell due to it's horrible effect: it slowly and painfully broke every bone in the target's body, killing them only when they begged for death. "Discord, I am Quake, the greatest battle mage alive. You chose the wrong pony to duel," Quake said with a smug satisfaction. Discord was rolling in the ground in pain. Her horn continued to glow as she put her hoof on his chest. "You are looking rather frail, 'god'. How many seconds left? Thirty? Twenty?" "You... will... die..." Discord whispered weakly, as his other arm broke. Suddenly, Discord set himself on fire. Quake yelped as the flames began to burn at her fur and mane, her calm victory suddenly replaced by frantic spellcasting. She began to cast water spells to pour water over himself, but it was countered by Discord's magic, and she couldn't put it out no matter what spell she attempted. She was burning alive. Meanwhile, nearby, Discord seemed to be growing stronger, despite the fire along his own body. He could not stand or move any of the broken bones, but his breathing was becoming more regulated, and it was clear he was no longer in pain. "Everlasting fire," Discord explained calmly, as he lay on the ground and watched Quake burning. "It's not actually everlasting, of course. It will only burn for as long as I keep my focus. Of course, by the time I let go, you will be dead." Quake screamed in pain. Her shield spells weren't working. Her water spells weren't working. In her subconscious mind, she was somehow proud to have died in battle. of course, her primary thoughts were that she didn't want to die at all. A single minute later, Discord lost his focus. Quake was smoldering on the ground, within an inch of her life. She couldn't see what had stopped him, and in fact, she was only partially conscious. She heard the "pop" or a teleportation spell, and then hooves running up beside her. "Quake..." The voice was faint, but it was clearly pancked. She opened her eyes slightly, seeing blue hooves. "C...lo...ver..." Quake whispered. She didn't need to see the rest of the unicorn to know who he was. "Hold on," the voice answered. "I'll teleport us out. I ended up miscalculating last time somehow, but I know the exact location of the zebra camp. Starswirl can heal you." "No... good..." Quake muttered. "Can't... es...ca..." Quake fell into sleep before she could complete her sentence. The blue conjurer kneeled in front of the dying mare, checking her life signs. He was no healer, but he could tell that he heartbeat and breathing were both dangerously slow. He wasted no time in gently lifting her onto his back. He began a teleportation spell, but his horn did not activate. He tried again, to a similar effect. "Locked. I should have known when I was bounced a mile and a half away from my destination," Clover muttered. "Ok, no problem. I just have to get out of the range of the lock, and we can escape. Hold on, Quake, you're going to survive!" Clover took off running, but he was careful with his steps, lest he endanger Quake's life further. He could feel her heartbeat slowing down more and more, and hear her breathing become more shallow. He had to hurry. ---------- Starswirl awoke as a loud pop resounded directly beside him in the zebra tent. He fluttered his eyes drowsily, but he became instantly alert when he noticed that it was Clover beside him. He then noticed his passenger. Starswirl immediately helped Clover to lay her down on a bunch of hay. "Clover, ask the zebras for medicine. We need it quickly," Starswirl ordered. His horn glowed as Clover left to fulfill his orders, and he touched her mouth with it. It was a simple resuscitation spell, meant to keep her alive until the real medicine arrived. For all of the power of magic, healing was a minor ability at best, and nothing compared to the herbs and medicines of Earth-ponies and pegasi. He hoped that the zebras had something similar. A zebra burst through the tent flaps, with Clover levitating a dozen cermaic jars behind her. She began running over Quake's body with her hooves. She then ordered Clover to drop several jars beside her. She mixed together the ingredients, crushed them into a fine powder with her hooves, and set them beside Quake's nose. She didn't breathe them in as intended, so the zebra tried a different tactic. She stuffed them directly into Quake's mouth, hoping she would instead swallow the ingredients for at least a partial effect. She was disappointed. Half heartedly, she leaned by Quake again. She ran her hooves over once more, as she pressed her ears to Quake's chest. She turned to the pair of worried unicorns, and made a single gesture which conveyed everything that they had hoped would not be true: she shook her head sadly. ---------- Starswirl and Clover teleported to the base of Canterlot Mountain, with the newly shrouded Quake on Clover's back. Though the zebras had not been able to save her, they had been willing to help them wrap her in exotic cloths, fitting of a brave mare. As the unicorns began the journey up the mountain, neither of them spoke a word. Neither of them cried. They had let their emotions go when they were with the zebras overnight. They were left with a resolve to bring her back home. As they arrived at the gates, the guards let them in. Neither one of the present guards raised an eyebrow at the shroud on Clover's back, nor the fact that only two unicorns had returned. They maintained their indifferent and resolute expressions. The reaction inside was quite different. The civilians that saw the return of the ponies cheered and whooped, but quickly fell into a solemn silence when they noticed Clover's baggage. They made their way to the castle, where they were allowed immediate audience with the Princess. Upon her throne, Princess Platinum put on a sorrowful face even before the pair entered. She seemed remarkably unsurprised. Oak stood beside her, though he actually seemed to have an expression of relief. "Starswirl. Clover. I see that you bring bad tidings," the Princess said. "Is Quake lost to us?" "Yes, your highness. We met on the other side of the Everfree Forest a type of striped pony, who called themselves zebras. They told us of the threat that we face: a creature called Discord. It was just in time, as well, as we faced him in battle soon afterwards. She died attempting to end a war before it began," Starswirl said. Clover remained stoically silent. "A death befitting an extraordinary mare," the Princess said, nodding. "You seem not so surprised by our news," Starswirl observed aloud. "I am afraid that I foresaw death in this mission, soon after you chose to embark on it. I also knew, though, that this mission would allow us warning of the coming threat," the Princess admitted. Clover's expression soured. "I am sorry, grandfather," Oak said, bowing remorsefully. "Had I been there, I could have saved her-" "Rather than once again embarking on a late night escape with your secret love, the Princess?" Starswirl accused. Oak's jaw dropped. "Do not think these things are invisible to me, Oak. No magic can protect one from all senses. All magical ones, perhaps. But when the signs begin to show, it is only a matter of time before one draws the lines." "How many will die, Oak? Princess Platinum?" Clover exclaimed demandingly. "Quake was the first of the deaths in what I expect may be a very, very long battle." "There may be only one," Princess Platinum said, in an otherwordly voice. "And what does that mean?" Clover demanded. "There may be only one," Princess Platinum repeated. "She can't give anything more, Clover," Oak said, stepping up to face the angered conjurer. "It's foresight, the single least controllable magic. She is getting a vision in response to grandfather's question." "Then maybe you can interpret it, firewood," Clover growled, inches away from outright stabbing Oak with his horn. "I don't know what it means. Figure it out, 'Clover the Clever'," Oak challenged, turning around and swatting Clover with his tail. He walked back over to Princes Platinum's side, who seemed to be rather normal, even after her ominous prophecy. "We will take Quake to her family for a proper funeral," Starswirl said, not objecting to the infighting amongst the unicorns. "Come along, Clover. We have work to do." When they left the throne room and shut the door, Clover turned to Starswirl expectantly. It was clear something was on his Master's mind. "Clover," Starswirl finally said. "It has become clear to me that we are, in fact, quite alone. Oak and Princess Platinum are strongly in love, and at this time, that is a very dangerous thing. They would break the world apart to see each other live another day." "So what is our course of action?" Clover asked. "First, we will go to the library. Then, we will repay Discord for Quake's death, and we will save Equestria," Starswirl said confidently.
Starswirl and Clover delivered the shrouded body to Quake's family, but merely knocked on the door and teleported away. They couldn't bring themselves to see the family's reaction, after what they'd already gone through themselves. The teleport brought them immediately to the Royal Canterlot Library, build around the original library of Clover and the Princess. The old and long since deactivated teleportation circle sat in the center of the room, now nothing more than a pretty sigil on the floor. Shelves of books and scrolls filled the room. "Clover, pick up everything you can find about dragons, and dragon-like creatures," Starswirl ordered, already taking a few scrolls from a shelf with telekinesis. Clover began rushing around the library for books on monsters, while Starswirl began reading through the ones he'd already picked out. Every single entry of a monster would come with an illustration, even if the monster itself had never been seen (of course, that was mostly guesswork). Nothing Starswirl found on dragons, though, resembled anything like Discord. He opened dozens of scrolls on individual specimens, such as the red dragon, green dragon, black dragon, and even the mythical dracolich. Not a single picture reminded him of the terrible beast. "Master, I've found him," Clover suddenly announced. He tossed a scroll to his Master. As it rolled along the ground, it opened up to reveal a similar, though not exact, creature to Discord. The parts were different, though it was definitely the same patchwork monster. "A draconequus?" Starswirl read aloud. "This is a creature that I have never heard of. Clover, who scribed this scroll?" "I don't know, Master. It was an old pony called Summer Wind. You can tell by the faded letters and weak parchment that it is old. We should be careful, lest we lose our only source of information." "Well, this is most definitely him. This is a primarily theoretical scroll, however," Starswirl said. "It states that there are never more than 2 draconequus in existence at once, and possibly less. They apparently have no specific reproduction capabilities." "It said they were just spirits," Clover added. He had already skimmed the scroll. "Spirits, yes. Spirits of magic and evil," Starswirl muttered. "As such, they have no technical organs, as we ponies do. This is why he could not be electrocuted. But, they do share one trait with us: a mind. They are highly intelligent, and will put much thought into their schemes. This makes them much more dangerous than common beasts." "That, and the whole 'magic' thing," Clover added. "Yes, that too, of course," Starswirl said. "It says that the scribe who created this scroll has seen a draconequus. It was faint, though; as a ghost." "There were more scrolls by the same pony, Master," Clover said. His horn glowed, and five more scrolls popped in front of them. "What are these ones about?" He leaned over Starswirl's shoulder. "They are all mythical creatures, Clover. Draconequus, the World Serpent, gorgons, griffons, centaurs-" "Now those ones are just ridiculous," Clover interrupted. "I mean, what are these weird tiny hooves at the end of their hooves? And what a bizarre head shape!" "Er, yes, as I was saying," Starswirl said, slightly annoyed. "The last creature it discusses is an alicorn. Equal parts pegasus, unicorn, and Earth-pony, and yet so much more than the sum of their parts." "That's what the zebras say met them," Clover realized. "Wings and a horn, and she shined like the sun." "Yes. I believe that we may be facing more myths than we expected," Starswirl confirmed. "Although, for now, we should focus on Discord. If he is indeed a draconequus - and that does appear to be the case - then he is effectively a god with his mastery over magic." "You speak like you aren't," Clover said, smiling. "Clover, listen very closely. I realize that you have a lot of faith in me, but I am no god," Starswirl said sternly. "We are mortal, and we are in very real danger. If Discord gets in, we will have a threat even worse than the Windigos inside our borders. We cannot let that happen." "Well, what do you propose?" Clover asked. "Clover, you are a clever pony. What do you think we should do?" Starswirl asked. "I'm not as clever as-" "Yes, Clover, you are. You are as intelligent as I am. Now, think!" Starswirl ordered. Clover was silent for a time. He then spoke slowly and thoughtfully. "I think that we should start by warning the other nations, and if possible, getting them onto the mountain. Then we can create a teleport lock around the entire mountain to forbid teleportation to any non-unicorn. If we want to be truly thorough, we can designate a small, elite group who will be the only ponies permitted to teleport, and bar it to everypony else, too." "Inspired, Clover," Starswirl congratulated. "But that will only protect us from teleporting directly inside. How can we further protect ourselves?" "Well, the pegasi have strong guards," Clover remembered. "We can cast strength and shield charms upon them to further reinforce them, and then post them at the borders. We can also set up barrier wards around the city walls, to further shield us from attack." "Good. Our defenses are strong. Let's send scrolls immediately," Starscroll said. Two scrolls popped into existence, for each of the nations. "Should we not get the Princess' approval of our actions?" Clover asked. "It's like I said, Clover: we cannot depend on them at this time. We can explain our actions when the other nation representatives arrive," Starswirl answered grimly. A quill scribbled over the parchments, and Clover sent them. They hoped for good responses. ---------- The unicorn guards were visibly confused as Earth-ponies and pegasi alike began moving into the city. The throne room of the castle hosted a large number of old friends: Commander Pansy, Chancellor Puddinghead, Smart Cookie, Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, Oak, and Princess Platinum. They sat at a hastily prepared table in the middle of the room. "Starswirl, you promised me an explanation. Give it now," Princess Platinum ordered. "We are in very great danger, and Clover has developed a plan which can ensnare Discord. We can put an end to this menace," Starswirl said calmly. "You mentioned discord in your letter. What is discord?" Commander Pansy asked. "It's a name, DUH!" Chancellor Puddinghead exclaimed, grinning despit the solemnity of the meeting. "That is correct. As stated in the letters, a malevolent spirit is the cause of the strange rain, as well as the the death of Quake. It is called a draconequus," Starswirl said. "We require the aid of all ponies to be rid of Discord." The leaders of the other nations seemed to be in thought about this. Suddenly, a light breeze blew through the throne room, despite no windows being present. None of the ponies paid it any mind, despite the oddity - none but Starswirl, that was, who looked momentarily confused. "How do you expect us to help?" Smart Cookie asked. "Earth-ponies will make excellent defenders on the ground. Your natural affinity for the earth and surroundings can warn us should he attempt a walk-in. Pegasi have a large and well trained military, and can help us guard the skies; he is known to be capable of flight. The unicorns will set up wards, including a teleportation lock," Starswirl explained. "I do not believe anypony, let alone myself, put you in charge of miltary standings," Princess Platinum objected. "Well, then, Princess, by the Code of Unicorn Defenses, you are to be addressed to finalize any military plans, and make changes if deemed necessary," Clover said. "I suppose that you have a superior battle strategy?" "Grandfather's idea is fairly solid, if the other nations accept," Oak said cautiously. "Then let's ask the other nations," Princess Platinum said. "Commander Pansy, what do you think of this strategy?" "I... wouldn't want to cause trouble by not accepting. It sounds like it will work," Pansy said quietly. "Will my soldiers be safe?" "If this works, they will be safer than in any battle you've faced before," Starswirl said. "If the plan fails, though, they may indeed be threatened by the enemy we are defending against." This was the opening for trouble to begin. A voice flew into Pansy's mind, no more than a subtle whisper. "They would sacrifice your soldiers, your friends... They do not truly care about the pegasi, only about killing Discord... Are these really the allies you want by your side?" Pansy seemed to deliberate on the idea for some time, while the rest of the table waited anxiously. If anypony was vital to the plan, it was the pegasi. Finally, Pansy opened her eyes, and growled. "No," she said. Several ponies at the table nearly fell over in their chairs. "Wait, what?" Clover asked, shocked. "I said no. I will not help you unicorns to thin out my army. We are quite capable of defending ourselves, and you can do the same!" Pansy shouted firmly. She stood up from the table and ordered her guards to accompany her. "I wish you good luck in helping yourselves. Send us a scroll should you kill Discord." With that, Commander Pansy and her guards stormed out of the building. Starswirl and Clover both noticed a hint of grey coming over Pansy's coat as she left, and they look at each other worriedly. "Well, then, I suppose that settles it. We hardly have a true military of our own, but you'll need all of the help you can get to take out this dracone-whatever," Smart Cookie said, forcing a smile. "What do you say, Chancellor? Should we help out the unicorns?" It was now Chancellor Puddinghead's turn to be visited by the voice. This time, though, Starswirl picked up on the subtle wind, and his horn glowed. He prepared to drive away the visiting voice, but he was too late, and it used his actions against him. "Chancellor, he is preparing to force you to accept! He will attempt to kill you and take over your happy lands! You must object, and fight if necessary!" "Lower your horn, fiend!" Puddinghead growled menacingly, baring her teeth. This entire scene was very un-Puddinghead-like. "Sorry, Chancellor? He's probably just summoning something or somesuch," Smart Cookie said, obviously unnerved. "No, he's not! He's preparing to attack!" Puddinghead argued. "We will not ally with you, Platinum, when you have loose screws like this one! Smart Cookie, follow me. We're leaving!" Smart Cookie looked like she wanted to argue, but she sighed and nodded. They began to storm out, too, but Smart Cookie mouthed "Sorry" over her shoulder. "Starswirl, Puddinghead is-" Clover pointed out. "Turning gray. Yes, I have noticed," Starswirl finished. "It appears our enemy has more tactics than we first thought." "This strategy cannot come to fruition without the aid of our allies," Princess Platinum said. She looked disturbingly pleased with this turn of events. "This is true," Oak confirmed quickly. "Starswirl, should you come up with another plan, send it to the Princess immediately." With that, the two lovers departed, leaving master and apprentice alone in the throne room. Starswirl was obviously saddened, but Clover attempted an optimistic viewpoint. "We can still win with just the unicorns, Master," Clover said hopefully. "Wards will get us far in our defense of the city. I can get the teleportation lock up by evening." Silence. "Master, what is the matter?" "I have lost my grandson," the old stallion replied. "He is alive and well, Master," Clover said, raising an eyebrow. "He is not my grandson, though. That is why he called me Starswirl. Clover, everything is slipping. And we are at the eye of the storm, only for as long as we keep rowing," Starswirl responded. "Then we keep rowing," Clover said confidently. ---------- It was back to the library for the duo, as they searched spellbooks extensively for any spells which could be of aid. Clover copied down on one scroll any spells they found that would be useful. "What do we have so far, Clover?" Starswirl asked. "My teleportation lock, Quake's old barrier spell, Quake's 'Boneshatter Jinx', your personal shield charm, your restrainment spell, your firebead spell, your pot-shaping spell- why did we copy that one again?" Clover asked, confused. "Your never know when you may need an amniomorphic spell," Starswirl said seriously. "... Riiigghhht..." Clover said. "Have you already sent the scroll to Princess Platinum?" "Yes. The return scroll should appear any second now," Starswirl answered. True to the word, in just a few seconds, a white scroll appeared in front of them. It bore the royal seal, which excited Clover. "Well, what does it say?" Clover asked, as Starswirl broke the seal and held the parchment to his eyes. "By the power vested in me by the ponies of the nation of Equestria, I give you full authority to implement these military plans. Captain Swiftblade of the Royal Guard is to be consulted on all further matters of this war," Starswirl read aloud. Clover pumped his hoof into the air joyfully. "Alright, then. So, besides the spell list, what was the primary battle strategy you sent to the Princess?" Clover asked. Starswirl had not told him the strategy itself until now. "The teleport lock, combined with a series of barriers, will take Discord on a long route up the mountain. It is an alternate path to the one into the city, and will instead bring him to the mountain peak. As he moves, we will bombard him with spells, teleporting before he gets close. At the peak, weakened by the attacks, he will fight us," Starswirl explained. "Good plan. When weakened, there's no way he can stand up to a whole army," Clover said. "No, Clover. He will fight us. Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever will defend Equestria," Starswirl said. Clover looked at his Master, hoping for some sign that he was joking. "... You are joking, right?" Clover finally asked, having found no such sign. Starswirl shook his head solemnly. "As some of the most experienced mages in Equestria, we are most fit to battle Discord. I would prefer to do this without any casualties. However, should I fall in battle, I want you to do exactly what I tell you to. I should be able to keep myself alive long enough to tell you a final contingency," Starswirl said. "Why not just give me the contingency now?" Clover asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because if I did it now, you would never listen," Starswirl said ominously. "Come, we must prepare for battle."
Clover woke up on the castle walls the next morning. He couldn't quite remember why, until he saw Starswirl looking over the mountain beside him. The pegasi had brought about a thunderstorm on the mountain today, and the wind blew his Master's white beard around, despite the stallion's stoic appearance. "S-sorry, Master, I must've passed out-" Clover said, getting to his hooves. Starswirl shook his head, smiling. "You did well in helping me, Clover. You cast a great many spells while we were setting up defenses, many of them very major ones. It's only natural for you to have gotten tired," Starswirl said. "Don't worry, I finished the defenses for us. The teleport lock of yours was very well made, and I tested it to ensure that it covers the entire mountain. Well done." "Tested it? But you're allowed to teleport," Clover said. "Yes, I know. I selected one of the students at the Academy to attempt to teleport, and they confirmed their inability," Starswirl responded. "I do believe Discord will be better at magic than a foal," Clover said irritantly. "I then confirmed it with a professor," Starswirl said, smiling. Clover breathed a sigh of relief. "The barriers have been set up, all the way to the peak? Have we blasted out any attack positions in the rock?" Clover asked. "Yes, the barriers are set up. If you get closer, you'll see them faintly. We were lucky enough to need to blast out very few holdings in the mountain; the natural stone can support a few ponies at each spot by itself," Starswirl answered. "So, now all we do is wait," Clover said, taking up a position beside his watchful Master. "Yes. Now, we wait." ---------- As detailed in the plans, unicorn guards were set up all along the borders of the teleport lock. Nopony oustide of the Princess, Clover, Starswirl, and the guards were permitted to teleport b the spell. Clover and Starswirl stood at attention together, on a rocky outcropping a few hundred feet above the ground. They, and all other watches, had a scroll to be sent to Captain Swiftblade upon sight of Discord. "Master," Clover said, getting Starswirl's attention. "How do you know Discord will strike today? He's been holding off for weeks, possibly months. Hay, he might have noticed us founding this place." "I know, because if anything, Discord is confident. We are challenging him with our defenses, and he will accept it or prove his cowardice. The second is something I don't expect he shall do," Starswirl said. "This is a gambit, then, to lure him into the open," Clover said. Starswirl nodded. "Hm. Let's hope it- oh, nevermind." He had been interrupted by a figure teleporting far below them, and at least half a mile away from the mountain itself. The teleport lock had successfully repelled Discord, and Clover could only manage a smug smile as he imagined the spirit's frustration. His grin melted when the figure quite obviously looked straight up at them. Clover couldn't make out anything Discord said from their distance, but he was sure that was for the better. "Alright, the scroll is sent," Starswirl said, snapping Clover back to reality. "Come, let us meet the other unicorns at the beginning." They both were startled as the very rock they stood on shrunk back into the mountain, and they fell before they could teleport to safety. Starswirl didn't even make a sound, though, and with a serenity that was very unbecoming of the perilous situation, grabbed hold of Clover and teleported. The two were instantly transported to the beginnign of the mountain path, where the other guards were also beginnign to gather. Clover had to test the ground to overcome the sensation of falling, and rubbed his back where the rocks had scratched it. "H-how did you know he'd do that?" Clover asked. "I didn't," Starswirl answered simply. "Have I ever mentioned how amazing you are?" Clover asked, adoration evident on his face. Captain Swiftblade teleported in after a few seconds. He was a much more fit stallion than the average unicorn, and some even suspected him of having out-wrestled Earth-ponies. His platinum armor was the only evidence of his status, a gift from the Princess herself. "Everypony is assembled. Good," Swiftblade said loudly. "The enemy has been spotted, and will be here in mere minutes, if that. Battle strategies have been discussed already. Everypony, get to your battle stations immediately! Teleportation, now!" The very brief meeting concluded with dozens of pops, as the guards popped to their designated battle stations. Swiftblade, Starswirl, and Clover had chosen to stay at the forefront, luring Discord onto the chosen path. "Quake is dead, then," Swiftblade said, keeping his eyes trained forward. His tone bore no discernable emotion. "That is correct," Starswirl answered. "She died in battle against this very creature?" Swiftblade asked. "Correct again," Starswirl answered. "That is a shame. She would be very useful in this battle. You will be capable of compensating, I hope," Swiftblade said. Clover looked to his side, but Swiftblade still had a passive expression on his face. He shifted his gaze back forward. "We will find out when that creature in front of us advances," Starswirl said, drawing his companions' gazes to the figure in the distance, just outside of the teleportation lock. The draconequus began his advance. With mere wristflicks, the stone behind him rose up to form a wall, following behind him. He bore a sadistic grin, which they could see even from several yards away. The ponies attacked. Starswirl began his restrainment spell, but unlike last time, Discord was prepared. He batted at the air, as if throwing off chains attempting to wrap around him. Cloverteleported into close combat with Discord, stabbing the spirit with his horn viciously. He was nonchalantly kicked to the side. Swiftblade, the only pony formally trained in military procedure, used his magic to summon a lance and a longsword, which floated by him with his levitation magic. As soon as Discord had advanced close enough for Swiftblade to meet his eyes (it took a while, with the other two mages slowing him down), the lance rushed forward, and the sword flanked with it. Discord's eyes widened when the sword slashed across his shoulder, causing a deep gash from which a black liquid flowed. None of them could tell whether it was blood or some other substance, nor did they really want to know. Discord recovered quickly, and with a slash with his claw from several feet away, Swiftblade cried out in pain. Blood flowed from a slash across his face. He looked at Starswirl, and they nodded. "Clover! Fall back!" Starswirl ordered. With that, the three ponies teleported to the next junction. It was halfway between the base of the mountain and Canterlot. Along with a half-dozen soldiers, a single Healer had been placed at each junction. She began tending to Clover's wounds, while Starswirl nursed Swiftblade's horrible cut. No matter what he did, though, the wound would merely reopen a second later. "Let me guess. You can't fix me?" Swiftblade groaned, rubbing his temple and finding the blood still running. "I am afraid not," Starswirl answered. "Oh, well, I'm a tough old stallion - well, maybe not as old as you. I'll just stick to good old blood clotting to keep me alive now, eh?" Swiftblade gave a hollow laugh, and turned back to face the lower portions of the mountain. The three stallions remained silent, as the Healer retreated further up the mountain. The soldiers, three to a side, hid behind illusionary boulders. Soon, Discord rose up on the horizon. The approach was different to their expectations, considering he literally rose up out of the stone... behind them. It was the soldiers' cries that alerted them. They turned around to dispel the illusionary stone, finding the soldiers trapped with half of their bodies in the stone. Discord was laughing maniacally ahead of them, causing instant responses. Rather than reusing the same tactic, Swiftblade began charging the wicked draconequus, while Starswirl and Clover blasted Discord with ranged spells. Discord prepared to sidestep the Captain as easily as he was shielding himself from the spellwork (an ease which worried the unicorns), but he did not anticipate a sudden teleport from Swiftblade and Clover. They teleported to either side of him and kicked him hard with their hind hooves. His momentary pain was enough for Swiftblade, who reconjured his lance and drive it into Discord's side. "Teleport!" Clover yelled. Once again, the ponies teleported to the next junction. They had not the time to go back and help the trapped ponies until the plan was complete and Discord had fallen. This junction was the closest one to the city of Canterlot itself, but the barriers would lead Discord onto a different path: a rocky, untravelled path straight up the mountainside, towards the peak where the final battle would commence. The soldiers and Healer assigned at this post were surprised by the arrival of the three stallions, as they were not due for at least another 10 minutes. Soldiers immediately began asking questions "Is everything going alright?" "Captain, is that blood on your face? Is it... your blood?" "Where are the soldiers of the last junction?" "Why are you here so early?" "Do you need healing?" "Attention!" Swiftblade ordered. The ponies stopped talking, standing at attention immediately. "Better. How, the, Discord is putting up a strong fight, so we are going through our hit-and-run plan with a bit less hit and a bit more run. Discord may appear anywhere, at any time. Be on constant alert, and let everypony know if you see him. Starswirl, Clover, are either of you in need of healing?" "Captai, the blood on your face suggests that you are in much more dire need," one of the soldiers pointed out. "I can take care of myself plenty well, thank you," Swiftblade said. "But we need these two in prime condition if they are truly planning on fighting-" "Discord!" a soldier suddenly yelled. The ground beneath his feet suddenly turned into a razor-sharp spike and jutted into his chest. His eyes widened in his last moments of life. The soldier had given enough warning, though. A simple magical energy beam shot from every one of the soldier's horns, aimed at the draconequus who had just walked up the path. Swiftblade summoned his lance and sword from the bottom of the mountain, directly behind Discord. When he leaped back to dodge the magic beams, he yelled in pain as the two weapons impaled him. He snapped his fingers, shattering both of the weapons without a thought, and removing the shards from his body. The black substance which was almost definitely his blood flowed from the gaping wounds. Discord, enraged, lashed out with his magic. Swiftblade screamed as his horn shattered. "The Captain is wounded!" Clover yelled. "Teleport, now!" Clover dove and grabbed hold of Swiftblade's hoof, as the ponies around him teleported to the next junction. He had a different destination in mind, teleporting directly inside Canterlot. He appeared in the throne room, the wounded Starswirl standing beside him at attention. Princess Platinum and Oak were, as expected, already there. "Oak, Swiftblade is wounded severely," Clover gasped. "Heal him and keep him here until the battle is over." "You are no less than forcing me to abandon my position, with no higher authority," Swiftblade growled. "You can't teleport, you can't cast offensive spells, you can't even effectively charge with your horn. All you have is that nasty little stub, and you need attention. You can't tell me that doesn't hurt," Clover challenged. "Oak, help him!" "Let him fight, if he still desires it," Oak said stubbornly. He didn't even move from his place beside Platinum. "Princess Platinum, please help me! Get him off of the battlefield and have Oak heal him!" Clover pleaded. He'd expected this type of behavior from Oak, and he hoped Platinum would be different. "No," Platinum answered simply. Even Swiftblade seemed surprised. "Oak, you're the best Healer in all of Equestria! If anybody knows how to help him, it's you!" Clover shouted. "Yes, I know how. Medical attention can be served after the battle, along with everypony else injured," Oak said. Clover shook his head, while Swiftblade just seemed surprised. When Clover looked up again, though, he noticed something he did not just a moment before: both Platinum and Oak had shades of gray to their coats and manes. "You've been charmed," Clover said, baring his teeth. He stepped out protectively in front of Swiftblade, his horn glowing with prepared spells. "I am going to suggest that you do not commit treason, foal," Platinum responded. Oak took his own place to protect her. "Oak, I think we both know you're not as skilled as I am," Clover growled. "Your grandfather taught me everything I know." "Must this really happen?" Swiftblade asked, raising an eyebrow. "I do appreciate the gesture, but a battle is hardly worth your effort when a much greater one lies outside." "I think Starswirl can handle his battle well enough. Your soldiers are well trained. I think, though, that protecting the city itself is important, as well," Clover answered. "What do you say, Oak? Duel. Here, now. You lose, you heal him. I lose, and there's not much more I can do for Equestria." "I would be happy to," Oak said. He grinned sadistically. ---------- Starswirl's battle had not been faring nearly as well as Clover hoped. They were but one junction away from the final battle at the peak, and not only had Clover not rejoined him, but the soldiers were falling to Discord's wrath much quicker than was comfortable. Discord didn't seem interested in killing them, though, as his desired target was quite obvious: Starswirl himself. Starswirl stood his ground as Discord advanced. He teleported to avoid a boulder behing hurled telekinetically, landing behind Discord and stabbing him with his twisted unicorn horn. Discord attempted to slash at the aged wizard, but Starswilr reacted too quickly, leaping backwards to avoid the lion claw. "Ok, soldiers, fall back!" Starswirl ordered. The three remaining soldiers teleported with him to the next junction. The Healer at this junction immediately set to work on their wounds, while Starswirl cared for himself. The rain was even more vicious the closer to the mountain peak they appeared. Starswirl was actually wondering if the pegasi were doing this on purpose, to either help or hinder the battle. "Starswirl, we are suffering heavy losses," a soldier warned. "I know," Starswirl answered. "Recoup as best as you can. We may have mere seconds before he appears again." "Yes, sir," the soldier responded, going to take his turn at the Healer's magic. About half a minute passed, giving the unicorns a chance to prepare for the coming draconequus. Discord then showed his pony-like head, advancing smugly on the horizon. With a snap of his fingers, he enveloped himself in flames. He then pointed his palm towards a small cluster of soldiers, a jet of fire leaping from it. The soldiers cried in surprise, but were fast enough to cast a shield charm that they avoided the attack completely. The other soldiers retaliated swiftly, launching magical beams towards Discord. It was among the weaker attack spells known to unicorns, but it had the advantage of being easy to cast. He was struck on the chest by a few, dodging the rest. "Your tricks are getting old, Discord!" Starswirl yelled irately. "Oh my, I'm not getting predictable, am I?" Discord asked, flying next to Starswirl casually. Starswirl flinched away from the flames, covering himself in a shield charm. "Far too much," Starswirl warned. He shot a powerful jet of water at the fire. Discord wasn't worried as it came at him. He was surprised, therefore, when what Quake couldn't dispel, Starswirl's magic blew right through. He felt himself hurled backwards into the cliff face. He growled, diving at Starswirl with a claw. He was interrupted by a vicious series of lightning strikes from the soldiers, which came within an inch of his head. His momentary distraction gave Starswirl the chance to attack again, imprisoning Discord in a cage of stone bars. "Teleport, now!" Starswirl ordered. The soldiers nodded, and teleported directly back to Canterlot. Starswirl did not join them, or even teleport yet. He faced Discord in his cage of stone. "I find it difficult not to despise you," he said. "Oh, the feeling is mutual," Discord agreed. "Why did you bother? You know I can snap my fingers and escape." "Because I felt a little bit of diplomacy is in order. I don't want to kill you; I cannot bear to take a life without good reason," Starswirl answered. "You actually think you can kill me? I've killed your friend, after all," Discord said casually. "Yes, you did. And right now, I am furious. You cannot see it on my face, maybe, but I think the world may be better off without you in it," Starswirl said calmly. "Yes, I believe I can kill you. I also believe that I will kill you if you do not turn around and take your chaos away from our nation." "This is a very dull conversation," Discord drawled. He gave an exaggerated yawn, before touching the bars. They turned to water, and he stepped out. "Well? Run, old stallion. Run for your life." Starswirl backed up cautiously, before his horn glowed. He teleported to the final junction immediately: the peak of Canterlot Mountain. The wind and rain whipped at his face viciously as he stood on the sharp, snow-covered rocks. A large stone obelisk was at the center of the peak, with each of it's three faces decorated by the symbols of a different nation. The founders of Equestria had been the ones to set it up. Starswirl wasn't actually entirely sure what they'd created it for, as Clover and the Princess had never spoken to him about it. He looked down over the edge, seeing Discord gliding casually up the set of stone stairs. Discord wasn't paying attention at all. Starswirl had managed to avoid wounds at the last junction, so he merely cast defensive spells in his single minute of peace. He stood resolutely by the obelisk as Discord finally stepped onto the snow-covered peak. "My, my," Discord said. "If I couldn't fly, that walk would have been exhausting! Why do you ponies build such massive sets of stairs?" "To help others with their weaknesses," Starswirl answered steadily. "Pegasi and unicorns alike can reach this peak easily, but Earth-ponies have no such luck. The climb would be brutal for them, if we did not create an easier way." "Oh? You put out all that work for your friends?" Discord asked, snickering. "The same friends who turned against you?" "The friends you turned against us," Starswirl accused. "You have charmed the leaders of both the Earth-ponies and the pegasi." "Oh, no, no, no! I would never charm anypony!" Discord said, gasping. "I just implanted-" "A single thought," Starswirl completed. "And that thought was 'Don't trust them', wasn't it?" "Indeed. Our minds think very much alike, don't they?" Discord asked, stepping closer with a wicked grin on his face. "That is where you fall short. You assume that everypony is like you. I would not do half the terrible things that you do," Starswirl said, narrowing his eyes. "Oh, come now," Discord said disbelievingly. "We all have a little chaos in our hearts. Only some of us have the power to harness it properly, though. Don't say that you wouldn't like to see the world I could bring about." "I wouldn't like to see it, and this I am certain of," Starswirl answered. "Then why are we still speaking? The only way I'm leaving your world is through death, and I would like to see you accomplish that," Discord challenged. Silence greeted him. "Well? What are you doing?" More silence. It would be unwise to tell his opponent what he was really doing: stalling. ---------- Back in the throne room of the palace, Captain Swiftblade had wisely retreated against a wall. Sparks and flames were shooting around the room. They were both competent teleporters, so attacks rarely landed. Oak was trying to get closer to Clover, but if he got within a few feet Clover would teleport again. So far, the battle was doing very little to either side, despite an enormous amount of collateral damage. Swiftblade could see that they were both getting tired, though. The strenuous casting of spell after spell was taking it's toll on them both. The Princess watched the battle from the other end of the room with a cold, silent gaze. Oak suddenly yelled in pain as clover teleported directly above him, and cast a paralyzing spell. An electric shock ran through his body, and he was suddenly unable to feel his legs. Clover followed up with a sleeping spell, touching his horn to the back of Oak's neck. Although Oak attempted to fight it, he was already tired from the battle. His struggle ended as he fell into a peaceful rest. Clover climbed off of the Healer, and turned to the Princess. "The battle is finished," he announced solemnly. "When I wake him, can I have it on your word and his that Swiftblade will be healed of his injuries to the extent of the unicorns' abilities?" "You have my word," Princess Platinum said. Her voice remained level, despite her lover having just been bested. "Captain Swiftblade?" "Yes, Princess?" Swiftblade said, stepping forward and kneeling. Whatever Clover had just done for him, he was still his Princess' soldier. Clover's assistance made carrying out the next order that much harder, though. "Arrest him," the Princess commanded. "He is charged with treason and direct assault." "What?" Clover exclaimed. Swiftblade turned, and nodded. "I'm afraid my duty is first to my Princess," Swiftblade said. He suddenly lunged at Clover. Clover barely had enough time to recognize the danger and teleport away. ---------- Clover landed just below the peak. He'd made a minor miscalculation in his destination in the chaos of the moment. He heard the sounds of battle above him, and began running quickly up the steps. Discord and Starswirl had engaged in full-on battle, with no more junctions to escape to. Starswirl focused on lightning spells, the rain coating Discord's body making every shock that much more painful. Discord, meanwhile, was mostly fighting defensively. He used his terraforming abilities wisely. He nearly managed to drop Starswirl into a pit at one point, but Starswirl had been unsurprised and evaded the hole. Clover ran up the steps, only to have a green ray shot at his horn. He was then casually blocked by a wall of solid stone. Discord didn't even flinch. Clover attempted to teleport past the rock, but he howled in pain as rather than popping into the battle, green loops clamped onto his horn and sent a powerful jolt through it. "No teleporting! I've had enough of that!" Discord's voice bellowed over the wind and stone. "Why did you not attempt that earlier?" Starswirl asked, raising an eyebrow as he cast a shield spell. "Because the chase was still on," Discord answered, smiling. "You're toying with us," Starswirl said. "Of course. Did you think this was really a war? This is foal's play, and I daresay I'm older than any foal," Discord answered. "Then why have you not killed me yet?" Starswirl asked. "Because I'm waiting for the right moment," Discord said, chuckling. He closed his eyes for half a second while laughing. His moment of weakness shone through, and Starswirl immediately took advantage of it. Discord shrieked in pain as a lightning strike illuminated the cloudy sky, going directly through the draconequus' ancient body. It zapped him from head to toe on it's path to the ground, magically guided by Starswirl's horn. Discord crumbled to the ground, heaving. Just seconds later, the stone wall obscuring Clover's vision of the battle shattered, with Clover's horn glowing brightly on the other side. Starswirl turned to look at his apprentice proudly. "Master, he's not dead yet!" Clover warned. Starswirl had no time to respond. A single stone spike rose from the ground, impaling the old stallion. Had he been watching, he would've had the time to raise another shield. His eyes went wide as the spike pierced through his chest. He coughed hoarsely, his horn glowing for one last spell. Clover turned, enraged, towards the wicked spirit of chaos. He charged him and jabbed his horn through Discord's chest. Discord rolled over weakly and pushed the unicorn off, taking one last chance to teleport away before he was truly killed. "NO!" Clover yelled, hurling an enormous fireball where Discord had laid weakly a second ago. Tears ran down his face as he galloped to Starswirl. "Master? Please tell me you can be healed!" Starswirl gave another weak cough. "No," he said weakly. "It pierced my heart. I'm only alive... because... I..." "Master?" Clover asked, nuzzling Starswirl. "Clover... I have... a last... command..." Starswirl whispered. "Tell me," Clover said faithfully. "Eques... tria... fell... Find... the... alicorn," Starswirl said. He drew in a deep breath. "Please." Clover paused. How could Starswirl be certain of their existence? They only had the word of the zebras to go on. He pulled away to look Starswirl in the eyes and answer. They had closed. "Master?" Clover said. Tears began flowing from his eyes. "Master?" Only silence answered him. He held back his further tears, and took a large breath. He looked to where the fireball had melted straight through the fire and ice, then at the stone obelisk. "I'm sorry, Master," he said, without looking at the body again. "I swear to you, when your task is completed, Discord will die." He kept his eyes trained on the obelisk. "I hope it works as well as we hoped." He threw a sudden beam at the obelisk. Normally, stone is strong, tough, and enduring. This was not the case. As soon as the magic hit it, the stone prism shattered. An invisible wave stretched outward, affecting the minds of everypony in the entire land of Equestria. It was a telepathic message, sent out by the largest sending stone ever created by Clover. It bore three words: a message for every race. "Equestria has fallen." After he recovered from being the one hit strongest by the wave, Clover withdrew the stone from his Master's body. Not daring to look at the hole, he set the body on the ground by the broken stone. The snow would bury him, and the stone would mark his place. Clover took one last look over the world, from his place atop the highest peak. He could see tiny specks in the distance, where Cloudsdale ponies were panicking at the message. He could not see the Earth-ponies far below, though he expected their reactions were similar. He briefly wondered if he really should have shattered the sending stone. Perhaps there was still hope of fighting back, without depending upon a myth. Clover sighed, and teleported off the peak. Equestria had fallen, and in it's place, Discord rose.
