Discord grinned down at the three fillies sitting around his table in the Throne Room of the Shivering Isles. "Well now, little ones, I do so hope you enjoy being my guests." Noticing their terrified expressions, he frowned. "Oh come now, there's no need for that. I'm not going to hurt any of you."
"T-then why'd ya bring us here?" Apple Bloom demanded worriedly, managing to position herself defensively between him and the other two.
"Would you believe me if I said 'cookies and scintillating conversation'?" he asked gently.
"I like cookies!" Sweetie Belle spoke up hopefully.
"But you shouldn't say that other thing to fillies!" Scootaloo snapped angrily.
Discord frowned. "I won't be getting it anyway, apparently."
"You bet you're not getting 'that' from any of us-"
"Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle interrupted. "'Scintillating' means brilliant or intellectually stimulating."
"...oh..." Scootaloo muttered, sinking in on herself.
"Well, she's still not wrong, then!" Apple Bloom teased.
"Why you!" Scootaloo snapped as she lunged for Apple Bloom, the pair soon tussling.
Sweetie Belle sighed theatrically. "Again?"
Discord chuckled as he watched. "I was right bringing you three here would be entertaining. It will certainly help pass the time until the others are finished with the Princesses, Twilight, and her friends."
Immediately, the foals turned shocked looks on Discord. "W-what have you done with Applejack?" Apple Bloom demanded fearfully.
"And Rarity?" Sweetie Belle squeaked out.
"And Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo snapped aggressively, though her wings buzzed nervously.
"Oh, I'm just playing a game with them," Discord replied readily. "Well, more a game with them and a few friends - and not-quite-friends - of mine. Though considering your friends' opponents are used to functioning on this level..." He rolled upside down as the entire Isles seemed to come apart as reality rewove itself around the fillies at a whim. "Well...do you think your friends might be at a bit of a disadvantage?"
All three fillies stared wide eyed as the Isles reassembled themselves around them. "...okay, that's pretty cool," Apple Bloom murmured softly.
"Can you do that again?" Scootaloo asked eagerly.
"Please don't..." Sweetie Belle murmured, a hoof held to her mouth as her cheeks bulged.
Discord quickly pushed a mug of Alka Seltzer that tasted like warm milk over to Sweetie Belle. "I'll hold off on that level of manipulation...just like my 'friends' are."
"Huh?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo asked as Sweetie Belle chugged the medicine.
"There are a few rules for this game, since your friends are facing mine in the seat of their power," Discord explained. He held up one talon. "First, no killing. When dealing with mortals, you can't play with them a second time if you break them, so where's the fun in that?" He flicked up another talon. "Towards that end, the second rule is nothing too damaging to their psyche." He then flipped up a third finger. "And third, the game they play must be one the challengers - your friends - have a chance at winning, however small or difficult to find." He paused, tapping his chin. "You know, maybe I should have mentioned these rules before sending those ponies and that dragonling off. Especially since violating these rules in any way would cause their Realms to start draining power from them in an attempt to force a correction." He glanced at the fillies. "You think that's going to be a problem?"
Apple Bloom burst into a sudden fit of giggles. "You're pretty funny!"
"I know," Discord replied warmly, "but my mate tells me looks aren't everything!" He grinned as he watched all three fillies tumble over from laughter. Jokes on himself always played best. A shiver suddenly ran through his body. "Wait...why is there an imbalance...?" He turned towards the source of the imbalance...and frowned. "Dagon, what did you do this time?" he growled out angrily. Noticing the fillies looking nervous, he quickly smoothed his expression. "Nothing to worry about. Just...something seems to have happened that was...unexpected. I think the games are coming to an unexpected end."
"So do you think Rainbow Dash and the others are going to be here soon?" Scootaloo asked hopefully.
Discord grinned widely, deciding to reassure the nervous children. "Oh, I'm sure they will." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Don't tell the Daedra this, but I've stacked things against them in who went where. It's so much more fun that way." He relaxed as he saw the fillies giggling. Noticing an open portal, he smiled. "In fact, I think here comes one now."
Rainbow Dash slowly flapped out of the portal, an expression of despair and desperate hope on her face. "S...Scoot?" she called out, her voice barely audible.
Scootaloo turned at the sound. "Rainbow Dash!" she gasped happily, starting to run towards her idol.
Before she'd made it more than a few steps, Rainbow blurred forward and - much to Scootaloo's surprise - pulled the filly into a tight, nearly crushing embrace. "You're okay..." she gasped out, her voice raw as tears poured down her cheeks from her closed eyes. "You're okay..."
"R...Rainbow?" Scootaloo asked worriedly, torn between glee at being held so tightly by her idol who she looked up to like a big sister (even if she'd never actually brought that up before) and concern for what could have caused the normally tough as nails pegasus to look so...broken.
Rainbow, for her part, merely clung more tightly to Scootaloo, as though afraid she'd vanish if she let go.
Frowning, Discord floated over to Rainbow. "What did Dagon do, and how badly do I need to punish him for breaking my rules?" he demanded angrily.
"...it's taken care of..." Rainbow managed to say, barely able to get her voice to work.
Blinking, Discord looked closer at the Razor that had affixed itself to her side, seeing the rainbow coloration it had taken on...and the bond of power between it and the pegasus. "Oh, I see," Discord murmured softly. "...eh, I never really liked him, anyway," he concluded dryly. "Now, we just need to wait for the others-"
As he spoke, more portals opened, disgorging the others. Celestia stepped out looking completely relaxed with the Dawnbreaker clutched in her magical aura...though she immediately rushed to Luna's side as the Night Princess arrived. The Skull of Corruption was braced on her back, and she looked oddly at peace as she burrowed into Celestia's embrace. Twilight was giggling like a school filly as she clutched Hermaeus Mora's card catalogue, and Pinkie staggered oddly as she clutched Sanguine's Rose in her teeth. Apple Bloom immediately started peppering Applejack with questions about the golden katana on her back, and Sweetie Belle looked uncertain how to approach Rarity as she stepped out in a tribal garb. However, when Rarity and Spike caught sight of each other, they both looked away with a bright blush, Rarity fanning herself with one hoof...a reaction that made Sweetie Belle giggle wickedly.
Fluttershy was the last to arrive, clinging to Jyggorath's sword as she rode a wave of different kinds of cheese out of the portal. Through the portal, Jyggorath could be heard singing the names of all the different kinds of cheeses to a rather catchy tune. When she and Rarity caught sight of each other, Fluttershy frowned as Rarity coughed nervously. "I...I can explain, darling..."
"You aren't going to start a fashion line of that, are you?" Fluttershy asked coldly.
"Only with synthetic fur!" Rarity insisted defensively.
"...it was you or the leopard?" Fluttershy followed up.
"It was in mid-pounce to eat me," Rarity confirmed.
"...did you make all use you could of the body?" Fluttershy continued, her final question sad.
"Absolutely!" Rarity proclaimed firmly.
"Then that's alright, then," Fluttershy allowed. "I'd choose my friends over animals, if there was no other way to resolve things."
Rarity's posture relaxed. "Thank you, darling..."
"Well!" Discord spoke up, gathering everyone's attention. "It seems the game has reached the second stage. You each retrieved the artifact you were after...and now it's time to figure out where your Elements are. I hope you're prepared...because I'm not about to give you any clues." He leaned back with a wide grin. "And if you choose wrong...you lose."