//------------------------------// // Unfortunate Beginnings Call For Unfortunate Ends // Story: A Two Pony Trick // by BubblesOnMyButt //------------------------------// Discord strained as he turned to face his visitors. Their arrival was going just as he had planned but nonetheless he knew he had to enter a new state of mind. The "baby" games that he had been playing with Evening before were to go out the window. Lethality was now a factor in his attacks, not just destruction. "My my Luna... look how much you have grown since we last met. You are starting to take on some of your sister's royal magnificence." Discord walked and spoke at the same time, if their meeting was to go exactly as he had planned for then position would be critical. Luna began to strafe slowly as she counteracted Discord's positioning as did Celestia. Their subtle dance ended when the two princesses formed a triangle with the fountain and took a rigid stance so that Discord wouldn't escape from the center so easily. "Let thine tongue be stilled Discord. Though thy predecessor, Fury, was the one who ended father, I shall still hold thee accountable for thy crimes against Equestria that were committed in thy wake," started Luna, "furthermore, by the power invested in my, I condemn thee to judgement without trial." Discord floated to his side and stretched out before resting his head on his arm. "And what, pray tell, is this judgement of yours. I can't wait to hear the verdict..." Dusk's face was still being drawn under and by the time Discord asked his question, the helpless grey colt felt the icy embrace of his new prison close around his snout; even with this unfortunate circumstance, however, Luna's answer was still heard. "Death." The word itself chilled Dusk more so than the ice, he was so close to it after all. For Discord, however, the word was emptier than his dark heart. "Hohohoho, THAT IS RICH!!! You? Of all ponies wants to condemn be to death for crimes that I have committed against Equestria? Don't make me laugh Luna..." "Or should I say Nightmare Moon?" Discord was practically laughing so hard that the last insult could have easily been misheard, but Luna and Celestia both received what had been said. The younger sister winced at the name but Celestia came to her aid, "Enough Discord. Just as you are not to be judged by the crimes of the draconequus before you, as proclaimed by the Phoenix act, Luna is immune from the punishment for a life that lies behind her." Discord stopped snickering long enough to land on the ground and straighten himself out. "Well then, you may use whatever excuse you can to protect that weak little criminal of yours if it makes sleeping at night any easier. But both of you know that you are skirting around with politics with this one." Luna grew increasingly detached as she lowered her head in shame, this was the sign Discord needed to know that he was making headway. "Now Luna, answer me honestly..." Discord started to walk towards the crestfallen figure with open arms. "You must surely feel the lingering presence, hmmm? I know that somewhere deep down, Nightmare Moon still rests within your soul and you can feel her urges... Can't you?" Discord continued to draw closer to Luna and Celestia began to fear what he was planning. "Not another step Discord." Celestia opened her colossal wings and the shadow of her embrace fell upon the draconequus; he stopped briefly but only to address her. "And what are you going to do about it Celestia? What do you expect to accomplish without the Elements of Harmony?" Celestia froze for a moment, honestly she knew that she couldn't do anything but in order to keep Discord from having the upper hand she had to act as though she were still in control. "I won't be needing them this time Discord..." Discord raised an eyebrow, "A blatant lie if there ever was one, but I will call your bluff nonetheless." The fire in the Graff household suddenly raged and roared with a heat the caused Luna to snap out of her daze. When she turned around, the inferno had swallowed the whole house and turned everything to ash. Moments later the support beams lost their hold and collapsed, bringing the house down and over the occupants inside. Luna's will to fight had been revived with the loss of innocent lives, though fear still lived in her heart. She turned to face the monster who had done this but was not prepared fully. When he came into view it was too late, Discord's claw rested on her horn and she felt chaos wash through her body. Her colors became muted and her will crushed. Discord had turned her. Celestia watched in terror as her sister was lost before her own eyes. "No..." Celestia stared wide eyed as her sister stumbled from side to side as her body twisted and stretched. Discord laughed and moved to Luna's side. "Oh yes. I'm sure you remember how your sister was oh so long ago? I know she remembers you, don't your deary?" When the alicorn beside him stopped her transformation she slowly raised her head and the light of the eclipse fell upon her dark face. "I know her well enough..." With that Nightmare Moon charged for Celestia with Discord following close behind her dark warpath. Dusk couldn't tell what was going on, his was starting to spin because of the lack of air. There was a small hole that allowed air to move through but he couldn't breathe in as fully as he needed to. The shadow of the eclipse over him slowly became darker as the sun seemingly disappeared from the sky. Time was running out for him as the air he had continued to thin. 'This is it,' he thought to himself, 'I should have figured that I wouldn't even come close to hero material.' For the third time that day he felt like he was going to black out, when suddenly the ice near his face began to shatter and a shadow was moving fervently over the surface. Spike was clawing at the surface of the ice with all his might. From what Dusk could see he was painted with burns and ash marks, nothing more than a flesh wound to a dragon. Celestia had Discord and Nightmare Moon distracted so he figured now was the only window he would get. "I can't get you all the way out, there isn't enough time for that." Dusk's face was now exposed so breathing and communication was possible. "Don't worry about it, do what you have to do." Spike suddenly ran and disappeared from Dusk's sight; Dusk figured they must be making their way back. Soon after he watched as flashes of light filled up the areas of town he couldn't see directly, then he heard a loud cry. Celestia grimaced and cradled her injured wing close to her body. One of them had gotten of a lucky shot and she had been forced to crash land at a dead end. The silhouettes of Discord and Nightmare closed in on their quarry slowly, the outlines of their faces were twisted smiles bent on revenge. Celestia watched as they moved closer and closer only to stop and loom over the fallen ruler. Discord began to speak but the twisted smile on his face never changed, "You know Celestia, all I wanted as a child was a friend. You find yourself so high and mighty now because you think that you can forgive my past life for his actions but you never did forgive me those many years ago. At least you never showed it." Nightmare Moon just sat there and stared with a vengeful smile still plastered across her face. Celestia looked back from her former sister and to her father's murderer. "That's because I never forgave either of you monsters." Discord chuckled. "Such fine last words from someone so powerful." Discord raised his hand and filled it magical energy... ... And Celestia laid her head to rest as the hand began to come down. She was at peace. ...