//------------------------------// // Sowing The Seeds // Story: My Little Mages: Erisomachy // by Foxhelm //------------------------------// Twilight and the others arrived at the entrance to the hedge maze in less than thirty minutes. “Alright girls, this is where my, and by extension our, journey to stop Nightmare Moon began.” “How so, darling?” Rarity asked baffled at the idea, she as well as Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie could have sworn their journey started in the Golden Oak. “During a garden party last year Princess Celestia and I were walking here, we were talking about books and she said I should read more fiction so I picked an anthology of Mystica’s folktales, stories, etc. Teehee.” Twilight gave a subdued laugh. Turning back to the entrance of the hedge maze Twilight became serious. “Alright, it’s plan time,” Twilight said, just then Rainbow Dash took to the air. “I’ll just fly over and claim the prize!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she was about to fly over the maze entrance but in a flash of white light, her ethereal wings vanished as she fell to the ground. After she recovered from the fall, “What the…” Fluttershy tried to float over to her but she too was rendered flightless with another flash of white light. She screamed at the disappearance of her wings. In another flash of light, both Twilight's and Rarity's focus gems were gone. “My focusing crystal! Your focusing crystal!” the two Magicborns said simultaneously and screamed. “Aw, no magic and no flight,” Applejack said, the sardonicism in her voice was thicker than the trunks of her apple trees. “Oh no, what a nightmare.” Pinkie Pie jabbed as well, she was also clearly annoyed with her four non-Earthborn friends’ reaction to being without flight or traditional magic for the first time in their lives. Discord’s chuckle could be heard as he popped out from under Applejack’s hat standing on her head the size of a small bird. “Oh, the look on you four faces. Oh, it is absolutely delicious.” He then stepped down, growing to his full height, “You see that’s the first rule of our little game.” “First rule?” Rainbow Dash asked angrier than a bull with a broken horn. Discord stretched himself out to be right next to Rainbow Dash and summoned a piece of paper, grabbing it, “Well I cannot allow for any unfair advantages. You see Applejack as a paladin is bound by legality and morality, so she will play the game fairly. As for Pinkie Pie, she loves to have fun with everyone and to her cheating is not fun for everyone. So to level the playing field, no flight no magic, as you are known to cheat via your ability to fly and Rarity and Twilight have been known to attempt to take shortcuts with their magic. Which would bring me to rule number 2.” “What about Fluttershy, she rarely flies more than a foot off the ground.” Rainbow Dash asked. “You could have left them.” “Ah, ah, ah cannot play favorites, now.” The embodiment of chaos said wagging his left index finger. Discord then flashed and was sitting on Twilight’s shoulder, and was around half the size Spike was the previous year, “Rule two, everyone has to play the game and if anyone leaves it’s done and I win.” Discord said as he tapped his ‘fingers’ menacingly like some twisted game-master. “Best of luck, girls, you’re going to need it.” He cheered as he jumped into the air and vanished in a flash of white light. Everyone blinked baffled at what happened. “Should have seen that smiling cat coming,” Pinkie Pie commented. Everyone looked at Pinkie Pie even more confused. “Oh come on! The obvious imposing of restrictive rules that random points.” Pinkie Pie explained. Twilight shook her head, “Never mind, we might not have flight or traditional magic, but together we can do this, girls!” Twilight proclaimed having taken command of the situation. “We bested Nightmare Moon, we found the Elements of Harmony before, and many other adventures, Discord has nothing on us.” All but Fluttershy nodded with confidence, but there was a small smile on her face. The six stepped through the archway that was the entrance and in an instant, rows of hedges grew separating all six and having them go down different paths. Fluttershy gave a weak ‘ah’ clearly she was frightened. “It’s okay girls, we’ll meet up at the center,” Twilight said as she regained herself from the shock. “Sound off.” “Present, Darling!” Rarity said with confidence. “Present!” Pinkie Pie sing-sang. “Right here!” proclaimed Rainbow Dash. “I...I am here.” Fluttershy said loud enough to be heard but she was clearly not at ease. “Accounted for, Sugarcubes.” Applejack proclaimed tipping her stetson. “LET’S DO THIS!” Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity said in unison and started into the maze. Fluttershy was less enthusiastic but she proceeded into the maze cautiously. Applejack being a paladin meant that she had to follow the rules, technically only to the letter. She was good but that did not mean she was always nice. She placed her hand on the ground. “Ah wonder…” she asked. She muttered something and but there was nothing. She sensed nothing, “That’s odd…” she muttered. ‘Ah ain't sensing any evil.’ She placed her hand on the ground and muttered the same thing but the last word was different, previously the word was ‘lues’ this time it was ‘divida’. In an instant her whole body shock causing her to jump back. “Well t’ere’s a w’ole lot of chaos.” She looked around, “too much to know w’ere ta go.” Applejack paused again, she looked at the hedges. “Maybe..” she said as she placed her hand on one of the leaves of the hedges. This time, she was trying to use her connection to plants to guide her to the Elements, it has worked with every other plant she has interacted with. A path was imprinted in her mind leading to a pond. “T’ey must be in the pond!” Applejack then bolted in the direction of the pond. It was not long until she came to the pond, “Alright, now to…” Applejack started as she was removing her armor as she looked into the pond. She stopped as she heard three disembodied voices laugh. “Who’s t’ere?” she asked. “That be us...” came one voice from one of three trees, it had red apples. “...the keepers of the grove…” another voice said from another tree, this one had green apples. “...of truth.” came the last of the three voices from the last of three trees, this had golden apples. “You can ask one question…” “...future, past or present…” the red apple tree continued. “...but be warned…” continued the green apple tree added. “The truth is not always pleasant.” The golden apple tree finished. Applejack stopped, she didn’t necessarily trust what’s going on, but with all the chaos caused by Discord, she was well out of her element. “What would happen if we do find the Elements but they don’t work on Discord?” She asked, mostly to herself. “To know what you seek…” the red apple tree started “...go ahead…” the green apple tree continued. “...take a peek.” the golden apple tree finished. Applejack looked into the pond and saw her and every one of her friends, they were standing in front of the town hall of Magiville, the ground looked pitch-patch like some weird quilt and the sky was purple with houses floating around upside down. “I hope to never see you again, hicks!” the image of Rainbow Dash shouted before bolting away. The image of Fluttershy gave a huff as she flew away in a different way. “Well good riddance to you both too.” the Pinkie Pie image said and angrily skipped away. “Fine!” Rarity shouted as she strutted to a skyboat that was ‘docked not far away. “It’s settled then,” Twilight said angrily as she teleported leaving a brokenhearted Applejack. Applejack stepped back, “No…no…” she muttered in disbelief. “That just… it can’t… We’re str…” As she struggled to form a sentence the golden apple tree spoke, “If all the truth does is make the heartache…” Just then the trees vanished with Discord walking over the pond to Applejack, his eyes shifting in colors like a kaleidoscope. “...then perhaps a lie is easier to take,” he finished as he placed his one of the claws of his talon-left hand on Applejack’s ‘third-eye’ as her eyes mirrored Discord. As the Erisadies laughed, all of Applejack's body; her skin, eyes, hair, clothes, armor, etc, gray-shifted to a duller tone. Discord then vanished in white light. Just then a set of the hedges lowered as Twilight came on the scene. “Applejack, it’s so good to see you!” Twilight exclaimed as she ran over and hugged the paladin. “Any luck, I could have sworn that I heard voices, were you talking to someone?” Twilight asked. Applejack was stuck, she could tell Twilight the truth, that she spoke to Discord, but then Twilight would ask about if she had any leads to finding the elements and since this pond was a dead-end. “I spoke to no one!” Applejack exclaimed as she broke the hug and proceeded to where Twilight entered the area. It was not technically a lie, she didn’t knowingly speak to Discord, she thought they were apple trees. Twilight was baffled. “Did Apple… No, that’s not possible! She would never lie. Well, this is a dead end.” Twilight concluded not believing what seemed to have happened. Besides, she had bigger fish to fry, namely Discord. Pinkie Pie skipped as she traversed the hedge maze, whistling all the way, but that didn’t mean she was goofing around, in fact, she has been taking everything very seriously, she just tried to tell a few jokes to lighten the mode. Well, she at had a few notes, ‘no madness related jokes’ when Discord is out and about. She stopped at one break in the hedges to her right, in that enclosed area there was a lot of balloons with smiling faces and set up to be a tea party, “This is interesting. A balloon garden tea party. I wonder…” Pinkie started but tripped and fell to the ground. All the balloons’ mouths opened as they all started to laugh at her. Pinkie Pie looked to see that one of the balloons had tied its string around her right leg and had pulled on it to force her to land on her face. “Seriously?” Pinkie asked, hurt. One of the balloons’ face shifted to look more like Discord’s, “Oh I am sorry, Pinkie, I thought you enjoyed making people laugh.” the Discord balloon spoke with a chuckle as the other balloons continued to laugh and laugh. Pinkie Pie looked around, but she noticed something was off. She knew laughs and smiles, and these were not good laughs. “True, but this is different, I like to get people to laugh with me. These balloons are laughing at me, everything’s better when everyone is enjoying the joke.” The balloon Discord lowered his right eyelid and seemed to be confused. “I don’t see how you came to that conclusion, your friends laugh at you all the time.” He said baffled at Pinkie Pie’s response. “Oh no, my friends laugh with me...not...at...” Pinkie Pie stopped as all the balloons’ faces shifted to look like all her friends and they were all laughing. Yet it was not the usual laugh, this was more like how Diamond Tiara and other children mock the CMC after one of their misadventures. Discord also joined in. “No! Stop!” Every balloon still laughed but harder and louder as several pointed their strings at her. “Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” Pinkie Pie shouted out in anger before breaking down in tears. The Discord-balloon floated right up to Pinkie’s face. “Oh, dear Pinkie, I thought laughter made you…” Discord’s eyes shifted to look like how his eyes when he confronted Applejack and placed the string on Pinkie’s ‘third-eye’. “Happy!” Discord chuckled and vanished as Pinkie Pie’s eyes matched Discord’s for a second. After Discord vanished, all of Pinkie Pie, her hair, her skin tone, her clothes, etc. became a duller tone. “Happy?” Pinkie’s voice was lower and grimmer, and her hair seemed to go straight as well. “I don’t think so.” Soon all the balloons started to pop and everything else vanished. At that moment another part of the hedges lowered showing Twilight and Applejack. Twilight ran ahead to Pinkie Pie, “Pinkie, I am so glad to see y..” Twilight stopped as she looked at Pinkie Pie as the jester got back to her feet. “Are you? Need a laugh? Well, try this on for size!” Pinkie Pie said angrily as she pulled out a pie and throw it into Twilight’s face. Pinkie Pie then walked slowly to the exit of the area. Twilight took off the pie and cleaned her face. “Okay, We got to move it, the stress is clearly getting to Pinkie, I hope Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are faring better.” Twilight regrouped with Applejack and Pinkie Pie and dove deeper into the maze. Rarity was surprisingly fast in the hedge maze, having the innate ability to find gems has its advantages. While she no longer had her tiara and her the sapphire focusing gems, she was a firstborn of a Magicborn couple, granted the ethnicity of each of her four grandparents were up in the air, but typically Magicborn ‘pure-blood’ firstborns don’t need focusing crystals to use their magic, and Rarity was in this regard no exception, that being said… “No.” She said as she scanned an area. She then kept walking, “No.” She repeated as she walked past another area instead of going down another path. She continued on her path. “This is a waste of time.” “Oh Rarity,” a voice sang, Rarity stopped in her tracks and moved in the direction of the voice, even if it wasn’t someone she knew they could still help her, she was never all that good at navigating mazes unassisted. After a short walk, she found a stone wall with what looked like three large gems, purple in color, shaped in kites. “You found me!” Discord’s image was seen in all three of the gems as it sang in triumphant. Rarity looked over the gems, “Cubic zirconia, commonly and erroneously called cubic zirconium, made with neodymium as a dopant. Hardly worth the time,” Rarity commented as she raised her nose in disgust. Discord then flashed to be right beside her, “You really do know your gems?” Discord commented as the two walked away from the wall. “It must be taxing giving all your time to solve someone else' problem especially when they are ungrateful for your other work.” Discord said clearly fanning lament. Rarity stopped and step away from Discord turning to the Erisadies. “What are you talking about? You make it sound as though generosity is a terrible thing. Granted our economy works by each taking care of their own, but looking after others is highly encouraged.” Discord gave a ‘hah’ as he held his chin. “What?” Rarity asked irritated. Discord leaned against a hedge, “Well, what about the upcoming gala?” Discord asked. Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Well, you seem to be the one to make the dresses what if…” Discord pause. “Nah,” he said as he blushed the air with his lion-like paw. He then vanished and reappeared the size of a mouse on Rarity’s right shoulder, “Then again.” Rarity grabbed Discord and holding him in her left hand. “Get to the point.” She ordered. “Let’s take a look into the future…” Discord said as he snapped his talon. The area changed in a flash of white light to be Rarity’s boutique. There Rarity saw herself almost finishing the dresses she was planning for her friends. Also in the room were her friends. “Yeah no, this totally needs to be twenty percent cooler.” ‘Rainbow Dash’ said rather dismissively as she looked over the dress. ‘Pinkie Pie’ gave the dress made for her a glance, “Um, needs more...FUN!” the jester announced cheerfully. ‘Twilight’ took more time but she too was displeased with the dress, “This is not what I was looking for.” “Sugarcube, this is a little… too impractical for mah taste, it looks like its good for one outing,” ‘Applejack’ said a little too on the nose. “The armscye is too tight, the middy collar and the shawl lapel don’t go together, the hems are very much machine-stitched when hand-stitched is what this calls for. In addition, the pleats are not even to each other, the fabric is very much toile. Also, you used a backstitch here when it clearly called for a topstitch or maybe a traditional blanket stitch, and the overdesign is reminiscent of prêt-à-porter and not true haute couture.” ‘Fluttershy’ said as she not only looked at the dress like everyone else but felt the dress, examining it very closely running it through her fingers and thumbs. Rarity gasped in horror as everything faded into darkness, as she fell to her knees letting go of Discord as her hands fell to her side as she started to cry. Unbeknownst to her, she was back in the hedge maze. “Oh dear, all your hard work, time, energy… and for nothing,” Discord said as he took his normal form. He leaned down to look Rarity in the eye. “Looks like to me, the only person who can appreciate what you do is you,” he whispered as his eyes became like a kaleidoscope again. Rarity stared through her tears and her eyes started to match Discord’s as he placed his talon on her ‘third-eye’. He then vanished in a flash of white light. Rarity turned around and saw a different stone wall with one fairly sizable diamond partially exposed, “MINE!!!” she screamed as her skin tone, hair, clothes, etc, shifted to a duller tone as she started to dig it out. After a few minutes, as the dust cleared right next to the enchantress was a huge boulder. “Oh yes! It might have been quite the ordeal (pant, pant, pant) but it was worth it. You are one fabulous hunk of a diamond. I think I’ll call you, Tom.” She said as she patted the rock like it was a pet cat. A couple seconds later the rest of the stone wall fell into nothing but a pile of loose rock to reveal Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. “Rarity, Oh thank the divine. Any luck with finding the…” the arcane mage started as she worked towards the enchantress. “GET BACK YOU THIEF! You shalln’t have this bedazzling, beautiful diamond. It’s mine, all mine. Gander your envious eyes elsewhere!” Rarity proclaimed as she rolled the boulder in front of her. Twilight blinked in utter confusion. She then shook her head as she looked around the area that Rarity was in, no evidence of the Elements of Harmony being there, granted she doubted she’d find any or know what to look for. She gave a sigh of frustration. This has been a long day and looked to be longer. Fluttershy tried to stay calm by whistling to herself as she traversed through the maze, she was actually very deep in the maze and not far from the center. She didn’t actually have a hard time going through the maze, being a druid she has a connection with all life and nature. However not being an elementalist her connection was not on an elemental level, and being a Skyborn, she cannot connect on a certain level like Earthborn druids, but there was a certain connection that only someone that had adopted or converted to a lifestyle that those born into don’t have. Aside from the hedges, there were few other living things in the maze. She then noticed three butterflies. “That’s odd, that species of butterfly does not belong at this altitude, they dwell in valleys.” Fluttershy mused. One of the butterflies floated towards Fluttershy, its face shifted to be a stylized version of Discord. “You seem to be scared,” he commented his tone was somewhat comforting, but it was clear the comfort was false. Fluttershy looked at Discord for a second before she gave him a closed-eye smile and started to speak in a calm, happy and pleasant tone, “Why yes I am very much scared. But I am sure my friends are looking for me and will find me soon.” Discord was actually taken aback. ‘Did she just...No. No-one can subvert me, I am the ultimate subverter’, Discord thought to himself. “But surely it must be heartbreaking to know that they view you as weak and helpless.” Discord tried again trying to come off strong and in control. Fluttershy kept her eyes closed and the same small smile on her face, “Oh but I am helpless and weak and hapless, especially when in comparison to my friends.” Fluttershy replied in the same tone. “But I am glad for all their understanding of my shortcomings.” Discord’s eyes shot wide open as his pupils constricted in anger, he gritted his teeth trying to think of a way to get under Fluttershy’s skin. “Well, it must really burn you up with them pointing out your flaws all the time.” Discord grinned thinking he found his way in. “Actually it has been quite helpful,” Fluttershy responded in her still calm and pleasant tone, her eyes still closed. “You see most people just push me to the side or walk over me. But my friends’ kindness has actually given me a chance to grow.” Discord was literally boiling on the inside and sounding like a tea kettle, in fact, his inner selves were using this to make tea and cook up some popcorn while they sat back and watched the show. Fluttershy opened her eyes and she narrowed them showing that she was the one in control. “What’s the matter? Can’t bully the shy one?” She mockingly asked while giving big puppy-dog eyes and a quivering lower lip. Discord then thought back, ‘tempting with the gem didn’t work on Rarity, maybe I should…’ “But it must be really painful to know that your kindness is easily exploited, even by your friends.” He said as his eyes turned into kaleidoscopes and landed on Fluttershy’s ‘third-eye’. Fluttershy dipped her head forcing Discord to float back, “You have no idea what I am like when I am cruel. I all but threw away my friendships, I terrorized my hometown, I made all the animals I care for fear for their lives. If being cruel means being alone and being kind means enduring pain, I’ll take the pain.” Fluttershy remained unchanged. Discord returned to his true form and was dumbfounded as Fluttershy rose her head and held it high. “You cannot troll your way into my mind, Discord, nor will pointing out the shortcoming of my element make me turn against it. Your mind games have failed. Furthermore, I am just as important as all my friends in our group. Twilight’s Magic leads us, Applejack’s Honesty keeps us together, Pinkie Pie’s Laughter helps us through the worst of times, Rainbow Dash’s Loyalty keeps us moving forward, Rarity’s Generosity reminds us of our role in this word, and my Kindness prevents us from becoming just like Nightmare Moon, and just like you.” Fluttershy paused and looked right into Discord’s eyes and she saw not a being able to change reality, not a god of chaos, not a someone to fear. All she saw was a lonely man, a man hurting for love, a man that never felt the warmth of a hug. “And I can only feel one emotion for you, pity. I pity you, Discord.” As Fluttershy stated she felt pity towards Discord two tears started to form in her eyes, but she did not shut them even as the tears started to roll down her cheeks. She only turned her back to him, “Maybe in time, you’ll make a friend, or two or three.” and she began to walk away. Discord had… ‘No, I can’t lose, I am… oh, that’s right I am…’ Discord finished his thought as he started to chuckle. “I don’t think so.” He whispered. He teleported to right in front of Fluttershy, “Time to be cruel!” He said as he shoved the index claw of his lion-paw and unlike Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and his previous attempt his eyes didn’t change. Fluttershy’s eyes did become like a kaleidoscope and much like the others her skin, her hair, everything took on a duller, grayer tone. As Discord walked away angrily and huffed in wrath. Almost a minute later Fluttershy shook her head and smiled it was clear it was a cruel smile. A meter away Twilight saw her, “Fluttershy! Oh, it is so good to a friendly face, this maze is starting to get to everyone.” Twilight, as she gave a short dash to Fluttershy, looking over her shoulder Applejack, gave a growl, Pinkie Pie stuck out her tongue and Rarity was rubbing the bolder tenderly. Fluttershy looked at her ‘friends’, “Oh boo-hoo!” She exclaimed. Twilight was taken aback, “Why don’t you use your magic and fix everything.” She said as she walked towards Twilight, “Oh that’s right you can’t,” Fluttershy said as she whipped her hair in front of Twilight’s face, smacking her in the face. Watching as the four were getting on each other’s throats, “What the hay is going on?” Twilight asked out loud, clearly to herself as her friends were not likely to answer. As Twilight gave the area a scan, Fluttershy touched the boulder and got her hand swatted by Rarity. “Hands off! Don’t get any ideas, I know where you live!” “We all live in the same small town, we all know where each other lives!” Twilight shouted at the group, “Let’s just find Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash hated walking, she hated running. She was Skyborn, she was not limited to traveling two-dimensionally like Applejack or Rarity, she had the skies, all three dimensions were hers to travel...until recently. If you were to look at the maze from above, Rainbow Dash was the farthest from the center and has been heading farther and farther away often going paths she already went down. “GAHHH!!!” She roared. “How does anyone find their way around on the ground!?!?!” Rainbow Dash said as she kicked one of the hedges. She looked to her left where she saw a stylized cloud with a lightning bolt that was red, yellow and blue. “Ha!” She proclaimed as she bolted after the cloud. After a short run, the cloud led her to Discord lying on a hammock of nothing, wearing a set of large sunglasses, a shirt with tropical flowers imprinted on it, half a coconut shell with it’s ‘meat’ and juice still in the shell, with a straw and a tiny umbrella. “So how is it going?” Discord asked as he drank the coconut milk through the straw, literally, he asked his question as he drank, at the same time. To say Rainbow Dash was irate, was the understatement of the century. Rainbow Dash took out her bow and aimed it at the master of chaos. “Give me the elements or taste the rainbow…” Rainbow Dash started as she manifested an arrow the colors of the rainbow, the point itself was one designed to pierce the thickest of armor and puncture critical organs. Before Rainbow Dash could finish her statement, “Listen closely, I have a clue for you.” Discord cut her off almost nonchalantly. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth in wrath as she lowered her bow and the arrow she manifested vanished. “Why?” she growled. Discord got up from his non-hammock, standing on his mismatched legs and removed his sunglasses, “You seem to have the hardest time, so I think you could use some help.” Discord then coughed as if to clear his throat as he walked up to Rainbow Dash. “A heavy choice is here to make: The right decision or an obvious mistake. If with error you choose, so much you love, you will lose.” As Discord spoke the first part of his riddle, he snapped his lion’s paw a white light flash as a chest appeared. As he finished it his eyes become like a kaleidoscope as he touched her ‘third’ eye with his talon. As Rainbow Dash’s eyes started to match Discord’s she had a vision, it was her father’s house in Cumula. It was falling down around him, he was trapped, he was alone. The only family she ever knew, “DAD!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she threw open the box Discord summoned to reveal her ethereal wings. Upon touching them, they returned to their proper place. She jumped into the air and flew as fast as she could, not quite at the speed to make a sonic boom, but not that far off. As she flew away, everything about her took on a duller grayer tone. Discord gave a clearly evil smile, he had won round one and all but secured round two. Twilight frequently looked over her shoulder noting that her friends were at each other’s throats. She had to find the elements soon and “Rainbow Dash…” Twilight grunted to herself, trying to be the peacekeeper in her group when the even keel of the six is one of the four people who was itching for a fight is far from easy. “Must find her.” Twilight she grunted a little out of breath, she was clearly out of shape, maybe Shining was right, maybe once this was all done she form a routine. “Add to the list.” She muttered. Applejack looked at the sky, “Huh, looks like Rainbow left us high and dry,” the paladin said in utter disbelief as she witnessed Rainbow Dash start to fly up. Twilight shook her head. “Now I know that’s a lie. Rainbow would…” Twilight spoke as she looked up to see the rainbow trail signifying Rainbow Dash flying at high speeds. “No… not her too.” Twilight was in complete shock. She lost her last friend. The ground started to shake as it opened as the hedges were pulled underground, leaving nothing in the area of the hedge maze but open dirt causing a lot of dust to float in the air for short while. The sky darkened as clouds gathered. In that moment, Discord flashed right in front of Twilight and the others, Fluttershy had her wings returned, Rarity and Twilight had their focusing crystals returned. “Looks like Loyalty bailed with the use of her wings, breaking both of the rules, which means that you did not find the elements and I win.” Discord paused and had a good laugh at the group. He then pulled an umbrella out of nowhere and pushed it to the point it was making a cup. The sky darkened and lightning cracked. “And we are due for a big storm of chaos, my little mages,” he sing-sang and started to laugh like a triumphant villain as Twilight looked on with her mouth open, falling to her knees. She had failed. Meanwhile in Celestia’s studies; Celestia, Cadance, and Luna were going through all the documents for the letters sent to Celestia from Twilight and company and organizing them based on who sent them. “Um, aunts, can I ask why we are doing this?” Cadance asked. Luna spoke first, “We are just as in the dark as you are, care to clue us in, Sister?” Luna asked Celestia. As she pulled from a letter, “‘Dear Princess Celestia, Ah didn’t learn anything, Ah was right along.’ Yep, that’s Applejack’s letter concerning her distant cousins, Flim and Flam.” Celestia looked up from the letter. “Oh, sorry. Discord may have possed limits on Twilight and her friends directly, he has imposed nothing on us. If he cannot define his rules, it's not our fault if they can be subverted. Besides, we cannot let Twilight and her friends lose, so let’s sharpen their best weapon.” Celestia said, she looked calm, she sounded calm, but there was something in her aura that basically silenced Cadance and Luna. “This one is from Rainbow Dash, ‘Do the right thing for the right reason’,” Cadance said as she looked at the letter she happened to have in her hands. Luna looked at the letter in her hands “This one is from Twilight and it’s about last Nightmare Night, Our first visit to Magiville after Our return,” As Luna looked at it, she saw that it was worn like someone has read and held it often, and most likely the most read letter.