I push my sunglasses up as I look over to one of my Sturm, “Initiate the plan.”
He nods, and disappears into the forest.
I smile, and emerge from the forest. It doesn’t take very long to see my targets. The six Elements of Harmony, surrounding the statue of Discord. I walk up to them, until I am close enough for them to hear me clear my throat, “Excuse me.”
They all spin around, and take a step back in shock as they see me. The first to recover is Twilight Sparkle, as her eyes widen, “You.”
I nod, “Yes, I am me. An observation lesser I would not expect from one such well spoken as you. Please, allow me to fully and absolutely introduce myself this time. I am Sir Avatar, pleasure to meet you all.”
Applejack steps towards me, snorting with anger, “You lit my hat on fire!”
I hold up my hands, “Whoa, whoa, easy there, love. I put the fire out before it could really damage the hat.”
She glares at me, “And you think that makes you right?”
I shake my head, “Oh, no, I was in the wrong mindset. I had just survived a very traumatic experience, and I was surrounded by weird creatures who decided to tie me up with rope. I panicked, but I am better now. I would like to apologize for all I did to you.”
She looks me dead in the eye, and sighs as she backs up, “As long as you realize you were wrong, I suppose you’re alright.”
I smile, “Thank you for your understanding. I can only hope you will be as understanding when I ask that you please free Discord.”
Twilight looks at me with suspicion now, “How do you know about Discord? He was imprisoned three months ago, and you popped in only two ago.”
I look at him, allowing the sun to be reflected from my sunglasses, “That traumatic experience I told you about... Discord is the one who saved me. I wasn’t close to dying, I wasn’t at risk of dying, but I had died. Yet, it seems like he captured my mind and body the moment before my death, and brought me to the middle of this town. I know that he has good within him, so I ask that you please free him.”
Twilight is about to speak, but Fluttershy interrupts her, “Twilight, Princess Celestia told us to free him. If Mister Avatar here also vouches for Discord, maybe that means we can feel safe by freeing him?”
Twilight looks over at her friend, and back at me, “I... I don’t know if we can trust him, though. He burned Applejack’s lasso without any effort, he gave both Rainbow and Applejack a bruse on their heads for weeks!”
Fluttershy walks up to Twilight, and lays her wing on her shoulder, “I trust him, Twilight. He only attacked in defense before, and he has shown great kindness by apologizing to us. What’s the worst that could happen by trusting him?”
Twilight relents, “Okay, okay, fine. We can trust him. Let’s just get this done with so we can see if we made a mistake.”
I step back, “Please, do go ahead.”
The six surround the statue of Discord, not noticing the bushes all around shaking. Instead, they are preoccupied with floating into the air, and having a beam of light connecting them all.
If I didn’t have my sunglasses, then I would have to avert my eyes from the scene. A bright light comes out of them, and hits the statue of Discord. As it does, stone starts slowly crumbling away and the six float down to the ground.
The last piece of stone hits the ground, and Discord is free. He stretches his body out, and looks at his surroundings. He smiles deviously, and begins to float into the sky, “Oh, stretching space, finally!” He picks up a stone from the ground, and smiles, “I was losing my marbles in there!” He looks at the Elements, “Oh I thank you, Elements, truly. You have no idea how painful it would’ve been to be trapped whilst all this chaos goes on outside!”
Twilight looks up at him, “Chaos? What chaos?”
Discord smiles, “Well, that should be obvious.” He looks to the sky, “Oh, things are really looking up in the world!”
Twilight follows his eyes, her own landing on the mysterious black clouds that seem to be all over the sky, “So what? A few wild storms from the Everfree are no big deal.”
Discord leans down, and looks her in the eyes, “Storm? Yes, correct, one hundred points! Wild? Nah, incorrect. You guessed the Everfree, but I think it is from behind Door Three instead.” He raises his talons, and nods, “Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the suprise!”
I watch as he disappears, and decide to begin speaking, “He is correct when he says those aren’t wild storms.”
Twilight looks back at me, “What do you mean? Do you know about this?”
I nod, “See, in the period of two months since I last saw you, I have found someone to serve. The Storm King, he has taken care of me for the last two months, and I am in servitude to him as a general. His Kingdom is failing. We don’t have enough food, we don’t have enough resources, and we do not have enough space. Equestria has always been the land of plenty. You can have parties where you feast on cakes every day. You have rolling plains and fertile farmland that is not used. Most of all, you have magic. Magic to control the weather, magic to control the plants, and magic that can even bring souls back from death itself. Yet most of all, you are hypocrites. Despite your preaching of generosity, kindness, loyalty, and honesty, your nation has yet to meet a single point. You abandoned your allies, the hippogriffs, to be taken over by a rouge band of pirates. Your Princess lies constantly, saying that the world is in Harmony. When everyone knows that it is instead a Equestiran lead Order. You selfishly and cruelly hold valuable resources that other nations could use.” I look at them, “At least, that’s what Tempest told me. Desperate times call for desperate measures, loves. I may not agree with our invasion, but it does not matter if I agree or not. I now serve the Storm Kingdom and it’s interests, and this invasion will lead to our benefit, and your benefit as well.”
Rainbow Dash spreads her wings, “So, you’re invading Equestria?”
I nod, “Yes. The Storm King listened quite well when I told him about the Blitzkrieg. By the end of today, Equestria will fall under Storm King rule.” I stand straight, and push my glasses up to hide my eyes, “The Storm King has decreed that the Elements of Harmony are the greatest danger to him and his invasion plan. According to international law set in the Geneva Convention of Nineteen Seventy-seven, I am to take you captive under humane conditions until such a time that you may be released. I can promise that you shall not come to undue harm nor punishment whilst under our captivity.”
Fluttershy looks at me with tears in her eyes, “You... you betrayed us?”
I try to look at her, but have to look down at the ground. I sigh, “I’m sorry, I truly am. I hope you can forgive me one day.”
Rainbow charges at me, “Fat chance!”
I hold up my hand, and try to blast some fire at her. Only, when I try, nothing comes out. I don’t have time to think as she gets closer, so I shout, “Sturm, thunder!”
A bolt comes out of a bush, catching Rainbow by her fur and pinning her to the ground. Only a few steps away from me.
The force of ten more Sturm come out of the bushes, pointing their crossbows at the Elements. They all take out hoof-cuffs, rope, and magic suppressers. They cuff all of them, tying the wings of the pegasi, and suppressing the magic of the unicorns.
One comes up to me, “Sir Avatar, the village has been secured.”
I nod, “Keep it that way. Make sure to give these six the best hospitality you can. Return them home, but make sure they never leave without at least two guards.”
He salutes, “Yes, Sir Avatar.”
They all leave, leaving me alone by the edge of the forest.
I hold up my hand in a fist, and try to fire bend once again. Yet it seems, despite all my efforts, nothing will happen.
It is then that I hear a snap behind me, and a cackle. I turn to see Discord there, “Oh, oh, that’s priceless!”
I glare at him from behind my sunglasses, “What?”
He points at me, “You actually thought you could bend! Ha ha, oh, I needed that laugh.”
I walk closer to him, “What do you mean? I bent all four elements!”
He looks at my eyes, “No, you never bent anything. I gave you some of my magic, and it expressed itself like that. I only needed you to free me and cause the Storm King to take over. Now, I can defeat him, and the entirety of Equestria shall call me their hero! Fillies will sing my name in the streets, and I shall claim my proper title! King Discord!” He laughs madly. Until, he snaps back to me, “There’s only one loose end. One man who is too dangerous to keep alive.” He sneers, “Be glad that I can’t kill, Austin. But then despair once more, as I will give you no chance of survival.”
He snaps, and I disappear.
———
I wake from my unconscious state, only to find myself in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Wolves howl in the distance, and their howls get closer every second.
I pick myself off the ground, making sure to pick up my sunglasses as I get up. I look into the distance, and know I am screwed without my bending.
I turn the opposite direction of the wolves, and start to run as fast as I can.