//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Heir of Chaos // by Cherry Bonds //------------------------------// “Ow!” Twilight bumped her head on the ceiling of the train for the umpteenth time while Rainbow Dash snickered at her pain. “Rainbow Dash, quit it!” Applejack scolded. Rainbow Dash huffed in response. “Um, are you okay Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah, a little bit irritated but otherwise I’m fine,” Twilight said as she rubbed her head. She also noticed that nearly everyone in the train cabin looked at her. Some only looked briefly to not be rude while others just stared. Twilight felt nervous from this attention. Rarity seeing Twilight’s distress, tried to distract her from the situation. “So, why do you think Princess Celestia called us?” Rarity asked. Twilight, “Um, I don’t really know why she needs us in Canterlot, but maybe it has to do with all the weird things going on.” “Maybe it’s another big baddie that Celestia wants us to beat up!” Rainbow Dash said while boxing in the air. “I hope not...” Fluttershy whimpered. “Oooh! Maybe she needs us to help prepare a super CRAZY party like the Grand Galloping Gala but less stuck up and some of the decorations ended up in Ponyville by accident!” Pinkie Pie squealed. “Now I doubt that’s the case Pinkie,” Rarity said, inspecting her hooves. “Girls, we’re here,” Twilight notified. The train halted to a stop and the 5 ponies and the beast all walked out and headed to the castle. Celestia paced in the entrance hall of her currently empty castle. No guards were present as they were given direct orders from Celestia to take the day off. No one knew why but they didn’t hesitate to follow the order. The truth was she was sparing her guards from Discord. She didn’t want her guards to be hexed by him just because they were trying to protect her. But something else concerned her even more than the guards. “What am I going to tell Twilight?” Celestia thought worryingly. The door suddenly burst open and Twilight and her friends came running in, surprising Celestia. “Princess Celestia, we came as fast as we could!” said Twilight. Celestia panicked inside, “Oh ponyfeathers, what am I going to tell her? She deserves to know the truth...” However she maintained her regal posture and addressed to the six “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you, all.” “Is this about the weather? And the animals' weird behaviour? What's happening out there? Is there–“ Celestia raised her hoof and Twilight stopped talking. “Follow me.” Celestia, Twilight, and her friends entered a huge hall, with stained glass adorning its walls. At the end of the hall was a door to a small vault, decorated with gems and gold. “I've called you here for a matter of great importance. It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned. His name... is Discord.” Celestia explained. She pointed at a mosaic featuring a tall creature with body parts from all sorts of animals. Fluttershy squeaked in terror and cowered behind Applejack. The group moved forward but Twilight stopped and separated from the group to look at the mosaic. “’Discord’... why does that name sound familiar?” Twilight stared at the mosaic. Twilight kept thinking about the name until Celestia called her name, “Twilight, are you okay?” “What? OH! Yes I’m fine! Go on!” Twilight rushed back to the group and stood straight, waiting intently for Celestia to go on. Celestia coughed. “Discord is the mischievous spirit of disharmony. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness,” She gestured towards another stained glass mosaic with a frightened pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony, with Discord at the top of the mosaic, pictured to be controlling the ponies like puppets on a string. “Luna and I saw how miserable life was for Earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns alike, so after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone.” “All right, Princess!” Rainbow Dash congratulated. “Hey, he kinda looks like you Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said, leaning on to her tall friend. “Pinkie Pie! That is a rude thing to say about your friend!” Rarity scolded. “Heh, sorry...” said Pinkie in a low voice, “It’s fine Pinkie, don’t worry about it,” Twilight replied. “If she knew how close she was to the truth...” Celestia thought to herself, a drop of sweat running down her face. “I thought the spell we cast would keep him contained forever, but since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken.” “C’mon Celestia think! You can’t just make her use the elements on her own father! Hay, she doesn’t even know!” “This is why I brought you six here. The elements are behind this door, locked with a spell so that only my sister and I can open it.” “But I don’t have any other options... Fine, but you will tell her after all of this!” “I need all of you to use the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord!” “I have a feeling this is not going to end well...” “Don’t worry Princess Celestia, you can count on us!” Twilight said confidently. “I have no doubt that you will succeed in this mission,” Celestia lowered her head and stuck her horn into the keyhole and the door slowly opened. “I actually have a lot of doubts right now...” The door opened and a case decorated with jewels and gold sitting on a pedestal. “Especially with these in hand!”Celestia levitated the case and opened it in front of everyone to see, only to find out that the box was empty. Celestia sputtered “Wh- What th- the Elements! How did they disappear?!” A cackle filled the room. “My oh my, how the mighty have fallen...” spoke a voice. “Discord!” “Princess Celestia, what’s going on!?” Twilight asked worryingly. “Show yourself Discord!” Celestia demanded. Another cackle filled the room. A flash came from the windows, revealing Discord, swimming around the coloured glass as a mosaic. “Did you miss me Celestia? I missed you. It gets lonely being trapped in stone. But you wouldn’t know that because I don’t turn ponies into stone,” Discord’s voice echoed through the hall “But I’ve also grown a bit worrisome about someone. I think you know what I’m talking about Celestia.” “Enough! Where did you hide the Elements!?” “Oh don’t worry about your precious Elements. I’m only borrowing them for a short while.” Discord said as he lay down on a mosaic of the Elements. “Now back on the topic at hand...” Celestia started to panic. However she maintained her royal mask. She gave a quick glance towards Twilight, who was just flabbergasted at the events unfolding in front of her. The rest of them had similar expressions. Celestia opened her mouth to retort until she was interrupted by Discord, “Welp, if you don’t have anything to say, I’ll be taking her back and be on my way,” With a snap of his fingers, Twilight fell unconscious, causing everypony to gasp. “Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed. Her friends rushed to her and made an effort to wake her up, but they did not succeed. “What did you do to her!?” Rainbow Dash interrogated fiercely, flying up to the glass pane. “Oh don’t worry she’ll be fine. After all why would ever bring myself to har-- Whoops, nearly spoiled the big secret. Let’s just you won’t be seeing her for a while,” Discord said with a smirk. “Well I must be off now. Equestria won’t turn upside down itself. Plus I need to catch up with someone. Toodles!” With another snap, Discord vanished in a flash, together with Twilight’s unconscious body. “What the hay just happened?” Applejack demanded to know, left bewildered at the events, “Oh ,” were the only words that Celestia could say to the situation.