//------------------------------//
// Spirit of Disharmony 
// Story: Living Darkness 
// by vildtiger 
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Note: this happens six months after the last chapter. 
part 1 and guess who we are going to see when this one is made from the episode "Return of Harmony"

At first, it had started out with a few minor changes such as the weather would act up without the pegasi influence, plants would grow huge fruits or suddenly get different colors and animals acting weird. But then, a few days past, all logic got thrown out of the window. Clouds got turned into cotton candy there would rain chocolate and this rain makes things such a corn pop into popcorn. Apples grow so big that the trees would bend in danger of snapping and any animal eating those apples would get ridicules long legs and go on a trampling spree. Rivers would freeze even if it was boiling hot around the area there made the grass run around with ridicules high pitched screams. The fish in those rivers would not be frozen as thought, instead, they kept changing colors as they swam through the ice.     
The ponies all over Equestria would report these unnatural occurrences and cry for answers of what was causing something not even a group of powerful unicorns can do. 
Celestia didn’t want to believe it but with more reports coming in of this increasing chaos, she feared that the seal she and Luna have put on him was broken when they no longer are connected to the Elements, that and she has a feeling that the Shadow ponies there fled from the Crystal Empire has released him from his prison. 
Celestia’s fears proved true when she checked the Canterlot sculpture garden where she and Luna placed him and saw his statue was gone. It was clear what did it from the whole area being coated in black crystals. That is enough proof and Celestia right away sends a letter to her faithful student that she and the other Element bearers need to come to Canterlot as soon as possible.
After about three hours of agonizing waiting, Celestia can finally stop her worried pacing when Twilight and the eight others of the Element bearers run into the hall.

“Princess Celestia, we came as fast as we could!” Twilight says, knowing this must be big if Celestia has asked them to come this quickly.

And Celestia is relieved that they responded this quickly. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you, all.” And Twilight does not waste any time asking; “Is this about the weather? And the animals' weird behavior? What's happening out there? Why isn't my magic working? Is there–“ Celestia stops her by simply lifting her hoof, when her faithful student has stopped her river of questions, she asks them to follow her. Celestia takes them down the Hall of the Memorial. “I've called you here for a matter of great importance. It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought we had defeated long ago, has returned. His name...” She stops near one of the stained glasses there shows one of the images of this great foe from the far past. “is Discord.” And explains the new bearers of Harmony of who this Discord is. “Discord is the mischievous spirit of Disharmony. Before my sister, I and a friend of ours stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness. Luna and I saw how miserable life was for Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns alike.” She turns to the stained glass showing how Discord played the three pony races as if they were his playthings. “After our old teacher; Star Swirl showed us the location of the Elements of Harmony, I, Luna and a friend of ours combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone.” Looking at the stained window showing her, Luna and their friend, another alicorn, ancient and one of the night. Sadly Celestia has forgotten his name, only this stained glass helps her and Luna to remember that his pelt was dark steel blue and hair a mass of several green colors. Because he was the strongest of them, he was the one who used the Element of Magic against Discord while she and Luna- barely adults- aided him with the other Elements.

“All right, Princess!” Rainbow Dash cheers, almost knocking down Zecora. Other than giving the excited pegasus a quick stare of annoyance, she is otherwise not bothered.

Celestia brings them further down the hallway, admitting somewhat sadly. “I thought the spell we cast would keep him contained forever, but since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements and our friend left Equestria long ago, the Shadow Ponies were able to free him.”

Twilight has to stop there, hearing that her teacher and sister no longer can use the Elements does take her a bit off guard. “No longer connected? But I thought only those unworthy couldn’t use them.” She points out, remembering what Ignis told her that the Elements won't work if the bearer ever gets corrupted for too long. Celestia is not corrupted, so why can she no longer use them? And this friend of the princesses, according to the stained glass, he was an alicorn. Does that mean there are more alicorns out there than everypony think?

Celestia stops as well, turning so her purple eyes meet her student's. “That’s right, and unfortunately, after Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, the Elements rejected her and although I could use them to banish her to the moon. The Elements never truly accepted me and Luna nor our friend as their bearers. This way.” She brings the group where the Elements of Harmony has been stored ever since Twilight returned from the Crystal Empire. “I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord before he thrusts all of Equestria into eternal chaos.” She tells her student, for the land has never fully recovered the last time Discord was out doing his chaos.

Twilight nods that she understands they have to use the Elements again, but there is something she does not understand. “Princess, why can’t you use the Elements of Harmony anymore?” Before Celestia can answer, Pinkie calls out joyfully.
“Hey, look! We’re famous!” 
Turning around, Twilight sees that one of these many stained glasses holds a memorial to when she and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon with the newly restored of the six Elements of Harmony. It was before they discovered there are a few more Elements out there. 
Celestia walks up beside her, Twilight casts a quick glance up to her before following her eyes to the stained glass showing their victory against Nightmare Moon.

“When the Elements has chosen a bearer, only that pony can harness the Element they represent.” Celestia explains the group. “You not only defeated Nightmare Moon and discovered more Elements there has been lost to history. You used them to defend the Crystal Empire against the Shadow Ponies, proving the Elements are the only weapon against these dark powers in play.”

Twilight suddenly remembers what Ignis wrote to her in one of his letters. “Ignis told me we are destined to fight the Shadow Ponies, to ensure Harmony on the land.”  Guess that means only they can defeat this Discord… wish the turned humans are here, they knew how to fight but there is nothing they can do about it now. “Princess Celestia, you can count on– “ before she can finish the sentence, Pinkie Pie interrupts her. “Hold on a second! Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys. Chocolate rain!”

“I like chocolate, but I don’t like it raining with it every day.” Derpy remarks softly, of course, Pinkie does not really see the problem and argues with the grey mare. “Who wouldn’t want chocolate rain and candy cotton clouds? It’s like being out in a humongous candy store!”
Derpy titles her head at her. “Wouldn’t you get tired of it at some point?” She asks and Pinkie Pie giggles. “Nuh uh!”

Twilight rolls her eyes and tells the princess. “Don't listen to her, Princess. We'd be honored to use the Elements of Harmony again.“ 
Celestia smiles weakly before she goes over and unlocks the door with her own magic. She takes out a somewhat large box coated in crystals.

“Ooh. You can keep the Elements. I'll take that case!” Rarity points out in awe how beautiful that box is.

Celestia levitates out the box. “I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord with these!” She opens the box but to everyone’s horror, the Elements are not inside. Celestia gets so startled that something has been able to get past the door locked by her magic and steal the Elements that she drops the box.

Pinkie is however quick to recover. “Oh, well. If anyone needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant swizzle straw.” Before she can leave though, Zecora stops her and drags her back to the group, lecturing the pink pony. “I suggest you stop this childish behavior, if not, we are all sure of failure.” 
Pinkie huffs annoyed but do not try and go outside to enjoy the chocolate rain.

The two along with the rest of the Element bearers turn to Celestia when the princess starts to pace back and forward, muttering to herself. “That chamber was protected by a powerful spell that only I can break. This doesn't make sense!” 
Suddenly an ominous laugher rings thought the hallway, having no source of where it is coming from, that along with the voice asking. “Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?”
The new Element bearers did not recognize the voice, but Celestia sure did. “Discord… show yourself!” She commands, just hearing his voice makes her greatly agitated.

Discord chuckles. “Did you miss me, Celestia?” A flash and the glass Discord comes to life, speaking with his voice. “I missed you.” He leaves his original window and flies over to a stained glass showing all of the Element bearers, he takes a seat up against the one showing Fluttershy. “It's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone.” After all, what's the fun in that?

“Enough!” Celestia shouts, she is far from being in mood playing with this chaos spirit. “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?”

Now pretending he is one of the Element bearers, Discord replies casually. “Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while.” Snapping his lion paw and the elements on the stained window disappears, he takes their spot as Celestia tells him angrily that he won’t get away with this. “Oh, I had forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite boring.” Then again, all alicorns were so stuck up and boring, good thing they are gone. The common ponies are funnier to mess with anyway.

Rainbow Dash is quick to lash out on this Discord from firing that comment on their princess. “Hey! Nopony insults the Princess!” She charges at the stained glass but all that reckless behavior got her is getting smeared up against the window.

Now that this pegasus decides to drop in. “Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent.”  
“That's right! I'll always be loyal to the Princess!”  Rainbow Dash declares to him, Discord teleports off with; “We'll see about that.”
“I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window.” Rarity points out, Zecora nods in agreement. “If we do not hurry, Discord will do more than mess with us, that I guarantee.” and just then, Discord appears on the window right beside the two. “The beautiful Rarity, representing the element of generosity, if I'm not mistaken? And the wise Zecora, the new representative of the once lost element of Guidance.”

“So you know who we are, big deal.” Applejack snorts, walking over to the window where Discord is currently. The spirit of Disharmony grows bigger so he now fills most of the stained window, saying. 
“Oh, I know much more than that, honest Applejack.”

"You seem to know our strengths too.”  Twilight remarks.

“Yes, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord teleports onto one of the circles showing the element bearers. “and yours is the most powerful and elusive element: magic. Fluttershy's is kindness, Derpy is Courage, Spike is Hope—“ 
said two pegasi blink a bit surprised before turning to Spike there seems most surprised as he had still been unsure what his Element represented. But Discord is not done. “– and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favorite of mine - laughter.” And said pink pony former snickering burst out laughing, much to Twilight Sparkle’s annoyance but Pinkie Pie cannot stop, pointing at Discord doing a dance on the window. “He's standing on your head!”

“Stop stalling, Discord!” Celestia commands him, for she has gotten about enough about his goofing around. “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?

And the fun is ruined. “Oh, so boring, Celestia. Really?” Yeah, alicorns are sooo boring, but he guesses he might as well tell her before she starts shooting at the windows. “Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way.” And starts appearing and disappearing on the many windows in this hallway. “To retrieve your missing Elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the Elements back where you began.“ and with that, he disappears.

Applejack turns to the wisest of the group. “What do you reckon he meant?” she asks Zecora “Twists and turns and ending back where we started?” 
The zebra taps her chin, pondering for a moment but can’t come up with where he placed them, only that she knows one thing for sure. “Wherever he decided to hide them, we will become his playthings in his twisted experiment.” That did not sound good, but Applejack got the feeling that’s to be expected from someone like Discord.

Derpy walks over to the windows, looking outside she spots something there could be what this creature spoke about. “Twists and turns… could he have spoken about a maze?” She asks the others, pointing at the palace labyrinth.

“It’s far too easy and that makes me very uneasy.” Zecora points out. “Wherever he wants us on the map, always be prepared for his trap.”

“That’s just great.” Rainbow snorts, crossing her hooves. “No matter where we go, we’ll still end up right where he wants us.” and groans greatly annoyed when their zebra companion nods that she got that right.

Twilight joins Derpy at the window, gazing at the labyrinth, it sounds to be the place but if what Zecora said is true then they can expect a trap for each of them in there. Well, no matter they like it or not; they need the Elements of Harmony. “There’s no choice, we have to play his game.”

And thus the group heads over to the labyrinth, even though there is a possibility the Elements won’t be there, Twilight still thinks they have to check just in case. Approaching the labyrinth gate, Fluttershy asks fearfully. “W-We have to go in there?” and Rainbow Dash replies her confidently while flapping her wings. “Discord forgot about these babies!” She takes to the sky and flies upward, telling the others stranded on the ground. “I'll just do a quick fly over and we'll have the Elements in no time.” But just then, her wings suddenly disappears, making Rainbow Dash crash to the ground, and when she realizes she no longer has her wings, she freaks out. The others either having horn or wings straight out panics when theirs disappear as well. Just then, the chaos spirit makes his appearance. Discord laughs at first menacingly, but it quickly turns into a laugher a school bully uses on his victim as he taunts the still horrified ponies there lost their horns or wings. ”You should see the looks on your faces. Priceless!”

“Give us our wings and horns back!” Twilight Sparkle demands angrily.  

But Discord is not playing that way. “You'll get them back in good time.” He teleports off and reappears behind Applejack, nudging her as in his mind he made it fair for those without wings or horns. “I simply took them to ensure there's no cheating. You see, this is the first rule of our game: no flying.” He eyes the three wingless pegasi, before going over to Twilight. “and no magic.”

"The first rule?” Derpy asks with Rainbow Dash frowning in confusions as well, both turn around when Discord appears behind them, now chilling on the maze’s hedge gate.
“The second rule is everypony has to play or the game is over, and I win.” He explains them menacingly, but just as quickly, he is back to be cheerful as if he’s inviting friends to a fun game. “Good luck, everypony!” and with a laugh, he disappears once again.

The ponies and dragon eye one another worried and also a bit scared, however, Twilight Sparkle is quick to raise their spirit by reminding everypony. “Never fear. We have each other!”

“Yeah! Like Twilight said, there's nothing we can't overcome if we all stick together!” Rainbow encourage the others and with a once again raised spirit, the group heads to the maze. However, after just have taken one step inside, they get separated when hedge walls sprout up between them. Twilight is quick to recover and tells her friends. “Stay calm! Everypony head to the middle as fast as you can, and we'll regroup there!” All except Fluttershy agrees and head out to find the center of the maze.

Applejack gallops steadfast towards the center, however at a crossroad, she stops when noticing three apples lying on the ground. A bit confused what three fresh apples are doing in a maze with no apple tree in sight. Applejack walks over to the apples, her confusions perks higher when said three apples suddenly starts to roll away. “What in tarnation?” She voices her confusions and against her better judgment, follows the apples. They lead her to a glade filled with apple trees, most curious indeed, Applejack didn’t know the castle maze has a glade filled with apple trees. She winches when one of the apples falls onto her head and Applejack backs a bit away when many more apples fall to the ground, then, much to her confusions and awe; the apples roll towards her. Then the apples split up into three groups, green, orange and red and Applejack swears the hear them laughing. Are these apples… sentient? “Who are you all?” She asks and the red pile of apples replies, forming a face as it speaks.

“The keepers of the grove of truth. You may ask us.. “ and the orange pile takes over. “one question” and the sentence goes over to the green apple pile. “past, future or present.” To then back to the red apples. “But be warned,” the orange apples “that the truth” and lastly the green pile finishes the sentence “may not always be pleasant.”

Okay, this place does not seem that trustworthy to be honest, and Applejack voices that to the three so-called Keepers of this grove. However, if these really can show the future then… shouldn’t she give it a try? “I got a really bad feeling about this feller Discord. What's gonna come of this mission we're on?” She decides to ask the three apple piles. They lead her over to a small pond and by their request, she looks into the water. Instead of a reflection, the water shows her and the others… fighting before finally… turn their backs on one another. “No!” Applejack backs away from the vision. “Our friendship? Over?!” Is that’s really how it’s going to end? No, no it can’t be! “It can't be true. It just can't!” Turning to the orange apple pile as it speaks. “When all the truth does,” to then turns to the green apples “is make your heart ache” unaware she has fallen right into Discord’s trap. “Sometimes a lie is easier to take.” And in the moment of weakness in her own Element, Discord turned it and her whole person on its head.

With Applejack dealt with, Discord then turns his attention to Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie is not really worried about being separated from her friends and joyfully jumps towards where she thinks the center is, she does not slow down but do giggles when she gets into a garden filled with balloons, all having a joyfully face painted on them. “This is the greatest balloon garden I've ever seen! It's the first balloon garden I've ever seen, but still!” She smiles, to then yelp in surprise when something makes her stumble, she falls flat into a mud pole there wasn’t there a second ago, with face and most of her body filled with mud, Pinkie Pie quickly takes notice of the laughter, laugher at her stumble. “Hey, what gives?” She asks confused about how this before cheerful place suddenly has turned… mean. 
Discord appears not far from her place, asking; “What's the matter, Pinkie Pie? I thought you appreciated a good laugh?” and Pinkie replies to him as she does not really consider him a, well evil guy, Discord does have a good sense of humor. “It's different. They're laughing at me.”

“It's hardly different.” Discord muses, he sticks his head behind one of the balloons and just like that, his head has become the balloon, smirking down to the pink pony. “Your friends laugh at you all the time.”

Getting the mud off, Pinkie Pie states out to the balloon of Discord. “My friends laugh with me, not at me.” But her happy smile quickly disappears when Discord challenges her statement and starts laughing at her. Soon all the balloons are laughing mockingly at her, those closet to her gets her friends faces, but instead of a happy laugh of her funny antics, they laugh mockingly at her as if she is a joke by just being there. “Stop laughing at me!” She cries close to tears and covers her head in hope to muffle the mocking laughing aimed at her.

and that is where Discord strikes.

Not far from the place, Derpy is walking carefully through the maze, all the times keeping her good eye to the ground so she won’t stumble. She does stop and snap her head up when noticing bubbles. Curious she follows the gentle road of the same thing earning her cutie mark. Her small wonder does come to a sudden halt when she hears some of the others cry for help. Derpy searches the area and when finding where the cries for help is coming from, she runs as fast as she can towards the place. Turning around the corner, Derpy spots Applejack and Rainbow are having trouble with a manticore. She hesitates but quickly decides to jump into action it as Soldier would and leaps at the Manticore. “R-Run!” She tells the two others but just then, the manticore stumbles and falls right onto the two. Derpy gets thrown off and after taking a moment to get the world straight again, she trots over to the now trapped ponies. Reaching out to help, she stops when Discord suddenly appears beside the fallen manticore, warning her. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 
Derpy titles her head slightly. “They need my help.” She points out, about to go over and do just that but freezes up when he retorts back. “Your help what was caused this.” Derpy stares at the scene of Applejack and Rainbow lying unconscious underneath the fallen manticore, lowering her gaze in shame of what she did. “But I… I just wanted to help them”.

Smirking Discord claps this cross-eyed pony over the head as in a friendly manner. “Ah my sweet Derpy Hooves, maybe you should consider:” He gently but firmly forces her to look into his eyes. “Others would be better off if you stopped to pretend that bravery is inside your shaking little heart.” 
and a moment of doubt in herself is all he needed to ensure this Element won’t work anymore. 
With her been taken care off, Discord moves to Rarity, making her turn against her own Element is rather easy. He tempts her with the most beautiful gem she has ever laid eyes on. The pony did try and resist but her weakness to beautiful gems soon got the better off her. Grinning at how easy this goes, Discord leaves Rarity to dig out a useless rock she fully believes to be a huge diamond.

Spike trots nervously through the maze, desperately listing to any sound there might lead him to one of the others. But no matter how much he listens, all he hears is his own footsteps and breathing. Spike lets out a small sigh, musing gloomy. “What a savor of the Crystal Empire I am… can’t even find the center of a stupid maze..” Scanning the towering hedges he muses wistfully. “I wish Twilight was here.”

“Spike.”

Spike stops and looks around for the owner of this voice. “Hello?” He calls weakly, feeling very unsure about this situation.

“Spike” The voice calls again.

Slowly Spike walks the way he thinks where the voice is coming from, as he moves forward, more and more voices are calling for him. All the voices lead him to what looks at first glance a statue section, but when he takes an extra look, Spike realizes that all of these statues are Drakes.

“Spike.”

He looks up to one of the statues, a male dragon there seems to have been fighting against something before being turned into stone.

“Spike, please save us.” this statue begs of him, the others start crying to be saved as well.

Spike spins around himself, starting to hyperventilate from how much all of these Drakes- his kind need his help to be free. “I…” he wants to help them, but he… “I don’t know how…!” He turns to the statues crying for his help, asking them desperately. “What do you want me to do?!” To his great horror, the statues start to crack. 
“Help us!” The statues cry as they crack and still calling for help, they crumble right before Spike’s eyes. The drake’s head rolls over to his feet, whispering up to the now crying baby dragon. “...why didn’t you help us? You were our only hope…” 
Spike breaks down in tears before the head, unable to stop his tears and does not see the statues disappear nor Discord walking over to him with a devilishly smirk on his face.

Deeper in the maze Zecora walks calmly yet determent towards the center. She stops when Twilight suddenly appears. “Oh Zecora, thank goodness you’re here. I need—“ Zecora doesn’t bother listing to Twilight’s request, in fact, she knows this is not the real Twilight Sparkle and moves on, completely ignoring this fake Twilight begs for her advice. It does get a bit hard when more illusions of the others appear, begging for the same thing. She has to stop, take a deep breath before moving on her goal.

Hiding as one of the illusions, Discord grumbles annoyed that this zebra just refuses to take the bait. More so when he can’t figure out how in the world this bearer of Guidance can see through his illusions. Well, he can figure that out later. It seems tricks won’t work on this one, so he guesses he has to use stronger means. However, before he can appear before this zebra there refuses to go his way. Zecora suddenly changes directions and to his bigger confusions and frustrations, struggles through one of the hedges and thus unite with Fluttershy there just happens to be there.

Unaware they are being watched, Fluttershy is so relieved that somepony found her. “Oh Zecora, I am so happy you found me!” She cries and hugs the zebra. 
Zecora somewhat awkwardly pats Fluttershy’s back. Opening her eyes, Fluttershy notices a small flock of butterflies, stepping away from the older zebra, in wonder Fluttershy stares after the butterflies.

“Oh, Fluttershy, how upsetting it must be knowing you cannot go alone without any of your so-called friends thinking how weak and helpless you are.” The butterflies speak.

Zecora steps over to Fluttershy, reminding her. “Discord is aiming at our inner torment, remember what is truly your strength.” and just like that, Fluttershy remembers something her partner told her and smiles. “I am weak and helpless, but that’s okay, my friends understand and they will help me become stronger.”

The butterflies stutter for a moment before trying again. “Well, surely it burns you up... I mean, that they're always pointing out your flaws, right?”

And this time Fluttershy replies without hesitation or doubts in her friends. “Not really. In fact, I think I am awfully lucky to have friends who want me to be the best I can be.” She eyes Zecora who nods with a smile that she fully agrees.

That does it!  Discord takes his true form before the two there have resisted his tricks. “Oh, for goodness sake! Doing this is so boring but you two leave me no choice.” He grabs both and with his magic forces their mind to bend into their darker self. To Fluttershy he says. “You've been kind for far too long, my dear. Time to be cruel.” And to Zecora. “Your wisdom is getting on my nerves, time to put ponies on the wrong track.” He lets go and as expected, Fluttershy’s coat dims as she gets affected by the dark magic of the Shadow Ponies. But to Discord surprise, Zecora is more than he expected. 
The zebra cries and convulses in pain, then a hiss no pony can make, a green magic surrounds her and Discord suddenly finds himself staring at a hissing and weird looking bug pony, something he has never seen before. “And what are you suppose to be?” He asks this bug pony, then decides he doesn't really care. “No matter, go out and do your thing!”

“Already tried” Spy sneers in pain from this Discord’s magic trying to bend his mind like that Shadow Pony did, but it won’t work. Already feeling the magic of the Element of Guidance is cleansing his being. He stumbles but fortunately, his legs do not give under him. He laughs weakly from that magical struggle he just went through, relived the light magic won. “You do not want to see my darker self, it is not pretty.” He straightens up, eyeing the spirit of Disharmony.

Discord blinks, admittedly pretty surprised this one resisted his mind-twisting magic, then his eyes find the reason to why, around this bug pony’s neck is a silver necklace, having the ocean blue crystal of Guidance. But that can’t be, he took that Element along with the others. “Where did you get it?” Discord demands in a low, dangerous tone.

Spy, however, is not really bothered by the threat, he has dealt with such things pretty much all his life. Although must admit that he never thought he would stand face to face with a creature there can smite all of his former enemies with the snap of his finger. However, Spy has taken notice they have one advantage against Discord: he does not know about the twin Elements. He smirks up to the spirit of Disharmony. “That’s the question, isn’t it? You may know a lot about the bearers, but from how caught off guard you were seeing me. I figure you are not completely up to date.” Discord growls annoyed. Seems like he struck a nerve there, good.  

He found the zebra annoying, but this bug pony is really getting on his nerves. Discord teleports up beside him and tries once again to turn him against his Element, however this time, he felt a jolt of pain as the Element of Guidance lashed out to protect its bearer. That takes Discord truly off guard. “The Elements never did that before.” He muses, caressing his lion paw from the sudden strike. Did not make it better than this unexpected bearer is giving him a very and infuriating smug look. Discord has his work cut out from this one, he cannot trick this bug pony and he cannot twist his mind by brute magic thanks to the Element around his neck. That one is playing dirty, well in that case. “Ooh Fluttershy~” he calls and she looks to them, having an angry frown on her before kindhearted face. “Do you have anything to say to your friend?” He asks devilishly.

“Friend?” Fluttershy repeats slowly, she snorts and gets on her hooves, walking over to Spy. “Why would I be friends with somepony like him? All he does is keeping secrets, why would anypony want him as a friend?”

Spy merely raises a brow by this, he has gotten very thick skinned when it comes to being insulted. So whatever the now cruel Fluttershy is going to throw at him, well, he has already heard it before.

“Nothing to say?” Discord asks with a smirk, does quickly fade when this bug pony gives him ‘you gonna try harder than that’ look. Okay, that’s it! He summons a cage around the bug pony as he can’t have this one doing more meddling. And with that one more or less dealt with, he moves on to the last of the bearers.

Ignoring Fluttershy’s mocking laughter at his predicament, Spy taps on the cage he now finds himself trapped inside. “Powerful yes, but not that very smart— oh hello Twilight.” He greets Twilight when she and the rest approach him and Fluttershy.

Twilight is very confused seeing Spy here but also relieved that he at least is not being affected by this labyrinth. “I’m so glad to see a friendly face. This awful labyrinth is getting to everypony.” She turns to the others, Pinkie Pie is very agitated, Applejack keeps avoiding the subject, Derpy has become a scaredy-cat, Spike is straight out depressive and Rarity thinks the huge boulder she is carrying is a diamond. 
But it seems they aren’t the only ones as Fluttershy replies her in a mean-spirited tone. “Aw, boo-hoo-hoo! Why don't you wave your magic little horn and make everything all right?” Twilight stares dumbfounded on how, well mean Fluttershy suddenly has become.

“Oh, that's right, you can't. You don't have one.” Fluttershy reminds herself and slaps her tail at Twilight’s face when she strolls off.

Twilight stares after them, slowly turning to Spy. “What is happening to my friends?” She asks confused and hurt. Spy transforms into a small bird, flies out from the cage and after have taken his pegasus form, he replies. “Discord happened. I saw him turning Fluttershy into what you see now.” Both turn their eyes to the scene of Fluttershy on purpose showing Pinkie Pie into the nearby hedge and Applejack laughing at Pinkie’s predicament which made the already agitated Pinkie attack her which in turn made Derpy flee behind a pot. 
Spy turns back to Twilight. “Perhaps it was a good thing I made a switcharoo, or you would’ve dealt with a very deceitful zebra.” 
That Twilight is very happy she does not have to deal with, so she’s glad Spy fooled them all he was Zecora, speaking of the zebra. “Why did you switch place?” Blinking when Spy avoids the question by telling her instead. “I doubt the Elements are here. We better regroup and find them fast.” Confused why he refuses to tell but aware that now isn’t the time, Twilight agrees on taking the subject up later and after have gathered the others— which isn’t easy with them as a darker self of themselves. They begin searching for Rainbow Dash. 
They didn’t get far though, for when Applejack calls out Rainbow Dash for abandoning them, Twilight fears the worst when spotting the loyal of them is flying away from the maze.

Just then, the whole maze disappears and Discord appears, grinning victoriously. “Well, well, well. Somepony broke the "no wings; no magic" rule.” He snaps his fingers and the ponies lost horns and wings return, not that they would be much use anymore.  “Game's over my little ponies. You didn't find your precious Elements.” He summons an umbrella there folds upward with a cat mewl. “Looks like we might be due for a big old storm of chaos.” He laughs loudly, more amused than angry when Pinkie Pie demands him angrily. “And what are you laughing at!?” He dries off his tears and must say. “Oh, you ponies are just the most fun I've had in eons.” Smiling when Pinkie Pie tells him to quit having fun, so does quickly turns to Fluttershy when she starts mocking her by laughing.

Spike sighs in defeat up to Twilight. “Told you it was no use…” and in a beaten matter walks off, passing Applejack pushing Rarity by lying the others want her imaginary boulder which earns her a kick to the face.

Getting about enough about this, Twilight steps over to the chuckling Discord “Stop it, Discord. You're not playing fair.“ 
and he replies at first with a question as if he didn’t hear her right. “I'm not playing fair? Perhaps we haven't met. I'm Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony. Hello?” The last he says right before her face, grinningly. Discord then notices Spy and remarks. “Besides, I’m not the only one playing fair.”
Twilight eyes the Changeling for a moment, about to turn back to Discord, then remembers how she and her friends fooled Trixie by not exactly playing fair. Okay, now she really feels stupid for have fallen for pretty much the same thing. “Alright, so fair play is not an option...” She grumbles to the chaos spirit.

Discord points at her. “I like to see you try, good luck finding your precious Elements of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak.” And by that, he disappears.

The candy cotton clouds return and it once again rain chocolate milk, the now reversed Pinkie Pie does not like that one bit and begins yelling at the clouds to cut that out. 
Twilight groans frustrated by how well this is going and sure hope the only sane pony here has something to help her out. “Any suggestions how we fix this?” She asks Spy with gritted teeth. He nods and that helps her to live a bit more up.