//------------------------------// // Discord Part 2 // Story: The Night's Stars // by SC_Orion //------------------------------// Arguably, the train ride to Canterlot hadn't been half as bad as the train ride from Canterlot. Arguably, the flight from Canterlot, even with the batponies' sensitivity to the sudden change in light from Discord's unnatural sunrises, was better than the train ride back from Canterlot. And Twilight felt like she should have expected it. As it was, she was so eager to get off that screaming metal death trap that she leaped onto the platform from the stairs. The sooner she was off the train, the sooner they could find the Elements, then defeat Discord. After that, things could make sense again and she could forget all about the past few hours. Of course, that was assuming they found the Elements and could defeat Discord with them. It also required that Discord didn't succeed at stopping them like Nightmare Moon did. While in midair, Twilight saw the platform gloss over. White foam spontaneously bubbled over the entire platform, and large, oily bubbles casually floated into the air. She cringed. She couldn't teleport. No spells flashed through her mind. There simply wasn't enough time for her to process and react to the change; the change horrified and paralyzed her. As soon as her hooves touched the platform, they slid out from under her at odd angles, sending jolts of pain through her joints. Her body hit the soapy platform and she grunted as her weight pressed the air out of her lungs. The pain still wasn't half as bad as her legs slipping out, nor was it anywhere near as bad as the train ride. She let out a groan and clenched her eyes shut for a moment, then blinked them open. Pinkie bounced across the soapy platform without a care in the world, slipping and sliding, but never falling or losing control. And of course, Pinkie being Pinkie, smiled that jubilant, carefree smile that she almost always wore. Accompanying that ecstatic smile, Pinkie squealed in delight, "Wee!" Twilight glared Pinkie for mocking her so thoroughly! 'How are you not falling!?' her mind demanded, but all she voiced was a pained, frustrated groan. 'Why? Just why.' She had quickly discovered that there was only so much of Pinkie Pie she could take and, as it was, factoring in Discord, she was quickly approaching that limit. "Solid ground at last!" Rarity called out, then summarily face planted as her hooves gave out. Rarity groaned and then Twilight saw Rarity slide passed her, only to hit the station's wall and grunt. "Not again." Twilight cringed again. Midnight was smart and stayed in the air. Twilight looked back towards the doors to the train with a scowl. Rainbow flew out, then landed beside her. Or tried to, anyway. Rainbow's landing was about as successful as her landing the first time they met: Rainbow's hooves, like her own, gave out as soon as they came into contact with the soapy platform. Her friend somehow flipped over and landed on her back with her legs all straight up in the air. "What!?" Rainbow squawked. Twilight could almost hear Discord laughing in delight, even if she knew it was just her imagination. "Oh, goodness..." Fluttershy mumbled. Twilight looked over at the timid pegasus. It seemed that her cautious nature gave her the advantage; her steps were slow and careful that she didn't slip. Twilight felt a slight tinge of jealousy, but then remembered watching Fluttershy hit the wall from sliding before. Guilt replaced the jealousy. She looked down at the wooden platform, then slowly pushed herself up. She refused to put her full weight on any of her hooves until she tested to make sure it wouldn't slip out from under her again. Midnight offered her a hoof, but knowing that if she took Midnight's hoof she'd have less traction, she didn't accept it. Once she was standing, the suds disappeared. She glared. "You couldn't have done that before we all fell over!?" she snapped. 'Talking to inanimate objects. Yes, I am insane.' Pinkie skidded to a stop, then tumbled over. "Aww..." She didn't glare at Pinkie. As much as she wanted to, she had better things to do. She groaned and shook her head, then looked around at her friends. "Well. That sucked," she summized. "Agreed," was Rarity's succinct statement. Her expression turned deathly serious, then she said in a threatening tone, "Let us never speak of that trip again." "I thought it was great!" Pinkie called out. "I didn't realize trains could turn into roller coasters!" "Never. Speaking of it. Again!" Rarity emphasized in a near-growl. "I agree with Rarity!" Spike called out from Applejack's back. "That was awful!" 'And we're wasting time!' cried out in her mind. "Well, now that we're here, let's go," she groaned. Almost everypony winced. "Ah... well, I hope the Everfree is... shall we say, more welcoming than last time," Rarity grumbled, her voice still somehow retaining its refined quality. Twilight hoped so too, but she was in no way expecting that to be the case. After all, last time they didn't have to deal with Discord. There was a sharp crack and a flash of light, making her heart skip a beat. "Ladies!" Discord called out. Twilight winced and slowly looked to the left. Sure enough, that twisted draconequus sat on his throne, hovering in the air, wearing a smile that made her shiver. Everypony went silent as they stared at him. 'No!' screamed out in her mind. "I do hope you enjoyed your trip," he said in a faux-kind voice. He slithered off his throne and then stood on the platform. One moment, Discord wore nothing, and the next he was dressed as a train conductor. There was no flash of light, nor did she see him put it on. Her head hurt. "It's not often we get passengers on the Discord express, but we aim to please," he said with a bow. When he rose from the bow, he looked towards the sky and stroked his chin with his paw. "That might be because I was trapped in stone for a while and back in my day we didn't have trains," he absently mused. Then he looked at her and his smile returned. She instinctively stepped back. Applejack stepped forward at her left, and Rainbow hovered at her right. She glanced at both of them, and they glared at Discord. And she was certain both of them really wanted to attack Discord right there. Regardless of if she told them not to. But they stayed there at her side, making her feel very slightly safer. She wasn't there alone; she wasn't facing Discord by herself. As with Nightmare Moon's return, somehow, she had ponies there with her. Her friends. A claw tapped her hind left leg. She nearly jumped, and as it was her leg jerked away from the touch, nearly kicking herself into the air. Her head whipped back to see Spike. A strained smile pulled at her lips. She set her leg back down and turned back to face Discord. Spike climbed onto her back and then settled down on her withers. "Anywho! Now that you're here, welcome to Discordville!" he called out, throwing his arms out wide. "But we're in Ponyville," Pinkie said flatly. Discord squinted at Pinkie, then huffed and turned his head away from her. "Well, it was Ponyville," he dismissed. Then he slithered back into his throne and sat back down. His annoyance melted, and his carefree, ecstatic glee returned. "But that was boring, so now it's Discordville!" He snapped his talons. There was a flash of light and Twilight felt dread fill her whole being. The train station disappeared. On instinct, she looked where it had been and immediately regretted it. Ponyville was a mess. And then some. Flowers marched down the street, chasing three mares who screamed at the top of their lungs. Gigantic, fluffy rabbits bigger than Nightmare Moon nibbled on the corners of buildings while their bright crimson eyes snaked around as if searching for their next meal. Some ponies hovered in the air inside soap bubbles; others hovered in the air screaming as their legs tried in vain to run away, while they twisted and rotated around and around in circles. Some buildings sprouted legs while their doors became mouths and their windows became eyes. A few buildings decided to start fighting, sprouted arms, and immediately started slapping each other. They screeched like chickens and a few buildings sprouted pegasi wings and flew into the air. Fish swam through the air as if in water, and the sky took on the appearance of both night and day at the same time, with exactly one half of the sky a rich purple and the other half a familiar, missed shade of blue. Grass grew in reverse, and mowers uncut the grass, making the cut blades pop out of the ground and reattach to where the blades swept by. Her ears pinned back. 'How are we supposed to get the Elements of Harmony and stop him!?' her mind demanded. She wanted to scream in frustration and then cry. No, that was an understatement. She wanted to go find whatever remained of that library she was staying in, go to the loft, bury herself in the bed and then sob hysterically while the world fell apart around her. 'But you're not supposed to,' Discord's voice whispered in her mind. 'Isn't it obvious?' he mocked. 'Well, I suppose you might succeed and get the Elements of Harmony for whatever that's worth.' It was paralyzing. 'Hmm. Do you think she actually wants you to succeed?' he asked casually. 'Ah! You do!' His maddening laugh bounced around inside her head. 'Of course she does! Leaving you to reign over Equestria and do this is insane!' her mind shot back. The laughter came to an abrupt end. 'And she's sane?' came Discord's startlingly calm voice. It unnerved her more than she thought it would. 'Is she sane?' she wondered. Nightmare Moon's hatred for her sister was irrational but other than that, she seemed to do whatever she thought was best. 'Yes.' 'Hmm. Depends on how you look at it, I suppose. She certainly has herself fooled though. Oh well!' A moment passed and Discord chuckled in her mind. 'Well, maybe I should let you win... Now that would be unexpected! A filly and five mares stopping the Spirit of Chaos! Ah, just imagine how priceless everypony's reactions would be! And- oh, just imagine how Nightmare Moon would react to that!' 'You expect me to believe you're going to make this easy?' Twilight wondered. She heard Discord huff. Flatly, 'Of course I don't and neither am I just going to make it easy. Being trapped in stone sucks, although it could be worth it. I suppose Luna and Celestia would have a slight idea of what it compares to, but, ah, being trapped on the moon isn't the same, you know. Well, no, you wouldn't know. Would you like to know? I'm sure Luna would be more than happy to banish you right alongside Celestia! Well, I guess you might not survive the process, but you could!' 'Why would she do that!?' Twilight demanded. She could almost feel Discord shrug. 'How can you call both Celestia and Luna your mentors?' 'What does that have to do with anything?' 'They're mutually exclusive, aren't they?' Discord asked, smiling. 'What does that have to do with-' If she was still Princess Celestia's student, she wouldn't be Nightmare Moon's student. Discord's smile grew, almost splitting her mind in two. 'She's not going to banish me. I'm her student!' Discord made an unconvinced humming sound. 'But does she actually care about you, or is she just using you? You have a lot of questions that you don't have answers to... and there are only two ponies who can answer them. Well, aside from me, but you wouldn't listen to any of my answers anyway.' Rainbow said something. Twilight didn't hear whatever it was, but her friends' mouth moved and her wings bristled in agitation. Her eyes darted back to Discord. His mouth moved and he casually flicked his paw in a dismissive manner to wave away whatever had been said, but she heard nothing. 'Maybe Nightmare Moon wants you to succeed, and maybe she doesn't. But why didn't she tell you about me? Why didn't Celestia tell you about Luna? You'd think if you really were that important, she'd tell you.' Twilight felt a throb of doubt creep into the back of her mind. She clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes. 'No!' she shouted back. 'That would imply she knew you would escape!' She wouldn't let Discord get to her so easily! If it really did fall on her friends and herself to save Equestria from him, she had to fight back! 'Then where is she right now?' he asked. 'If she really wanted you to succeed, surely she'd be here right beside you?' he asked. 'You told her she couldn't help!' Twilight's shot back. 'Details!' his voice dismissively exclaimed. She was winning. If that was all he had to fight back with, she would win and overcome it. 'Oh don't get ahead of yourself, silly little filly,' he chastised. 'I'm still the physical embodiment of chaos. And you didn't answer my other question. Why didn't Celestia tell you about Luna?' The doubt crept back. 'I don't know,' she admitted. 'She must have wanted to protect me-' 'Bah!' Discord dismissed. 'She still lied to you.' 'And you haven't?' her mind hissed. 'Touche.' 'Are we done yet? I need to focus on retrieving the Elements of Harmony so we can stop you.' Discord huffed. 'No, we're not. You really should consider becoming my student. We'd make a great team. And unlike Luna and Celestia, I won't betray you and throw you away when I'm done with you.' Twilight's ears folded back. 'She's not going to throw me away-' 'Isn't she?' Discord asked. 'It's plain to everypony that she's just using you. And once she has no use for you? She'll just throw you away...' he sighed wistfully. 'I'm her student...' she whispered back. 'Oh, really?' he dismissed in what was almost a growl. 'What has he actually taught you?' A moment passed in silence. She could feel his lips splitting into a smile inside her mind. 'Fear,' he stated. She wilted at that, and her gaze dropped down to the platform. She felt her ears press her mane down. Her chest tightened, almost feeling like a cold rope was coiling around it. 'You know, I've never had a student, but I imagine I'd make a pretty great teacher if I do say so myself,' he said with amusement. Twilight clenched her jaw tighter. She would not picture that. 'No,' seethed in her mind. 'Really, you'd turn away such an offer? But just think of all you could learn!' his voice boomed. 'You're trying to distract me!' she hissed back. 'Details!' he dismissed again. 'I could teach you so much more than Luna could. Or Celestia. Or the both of them combined!' A smile slipped onto her lips. 'The fact you're trying this tells me that you're worried.' 'Oh, really now?' he asked. 'Me? Worried over a filly and five mares who claim to be her friends? Hmm, we'll talk later. I need to take care of something.' She shook his voice away and blinked. The oppressive silence faded and a cacophony of chaos and screams assaulted her ears, making her wince. "Twilight!" Spike shouted right into her pinned ear. "Ahh!" Twilight cried out, jumping. She winced as she landed and Spike's weight landed on her back. Rainbow flew around in front of her, then hovered there, her eyes darting all over her, scrutinizing her. "You okay?" Twilight swallowed, then asked, "Yes, why?" "You were just standing there for the past ten minutes!" Rainbow retorted. She flew up higher and reached out with her forelegs to emphasize, "We tried to get you to move or say something or anything but you were totally out of it!" Twilight squeaked and a strained smile pulled at her lips. Her brow creased and her chest tightened. "T-ten minutes?" she asked. "Yeah!" Rainbow exclaimed. But that was impossible! How could it have possibly been that she was conversing with Discord that long!? And how hadn't she noticed anything during that time!? "It couldn't have been that long!" she defended. Then again, she was dealing with Discord. Her lips pulled back. With that in mind, she amended, "Probably." "No offense Twilight, but you do have a habit of losing track of time," Spike stated flatly. Twilight looked back at him with a glare. "Hey! That's not happened for a while!" "Well yeah, because you haven't really been studying anything lately," was Spike's casual retort. Twilight huffed, then felt like everypony was looking at her. Her eyes darted around at each of her friends and Midnight. Discord was gone and so she was the focus of their concern. 'Well, physically,' his voice said. 'But I don't have to obey the rules of reality!' he teased. "What happened?" Twilight asked, ignoring his voice. "Uh, not a whole lot," Rainbow answered. "Mostly him monologuing about how great-' Rainbow rolled her eyes, '-things would be if we were to team up with him. As if that would happen." "He took your necklace," Midnight said. Twilight looked down and felt cold. The crescent moon that normally rested against her chest was gone. 'Nightmare Moon has no idea where I am. Nightmare Moon can't hear anything said around me. Nightmare Moon can't save us if something happens.' "Twilight, snap outta it!" Spike called. Her eyes snapped onto him. "But-!" "It'll be fine," Midnight said. She looked at Midnight. "But-!" Midnight rested her forehoof on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight puffed out her cheeks, nibbled on her lips, and looked left and right. 'No no no! Why did you do that Discord!?' 'So she can't cheat!' was his answer. She whimpered and tossed her head to the left, then back to the right. Without the necklace she wasn't safe! Midnight was there, sure, and her friends would stay there with her, but what if something happened!? Nightmare Moon wouldn't know and Equestria would be doomed. Her lip bled. "Twilight!" Rainbow called, landing in front of her. The pegasus pushed her face up against Twilight's face. "Snap out of it already!" A moment passed, then Rainbow took a step back and smiled encouragingly. "We'll be fine." "Mhm," Midnight agreed. "You got this." 'Why do they all trust me with this!? Why is it all on us!?' her mind demanded. She clenched her eyes shut, sucked in a deep breath, then lowered her head and sighed. Of course that didn't matter. Of course losing the necklace didn't matter. They still had to stop Discord. They would figure everything else out after they stopped him. If they stopped him. Twilight turned to the right and muttered, "Let's get going..." She walked towards the stairs. Everypony lingered in their places and watched her. She took the lead, and then after a few seconds, they started following her. Midnight flew over to her, then landed at her right side. "Are you sure you're okay?" was her guard's question. Then, in a more idle and curious voice, she added, "Ponies normally don't space out for ten minutes at a time while six ponies and a dragon try to get their attention..." Midnight nodded, then calmly said, "Especially the dragon..." "Spike's still a baby dragon," Twilight said flatly. "Hey!" Spike called out. She glanced back at him and gave a weak smile, despite his scowl. "But you're my baby dragon," she said. A bit of his scowl faded, but he still turned away from her and grumbled something under his breath. She felt a little bit better. As she turned her head back to look forward, Rainbow flew around in front of her, then held up her hooves and said, "Seriously though, are you sure you're alright? Especially with the necklace thing. I'd think you'd be glad it was gone! I can't imagine what that would be like!" She looked down at the ground just in front of Midnight's hooves and grumbled, "Just... Discord." 'I felt safer with the necklace,' went unsaid. Rainbow landed. "He didn't hurt you did he!?" she shrieked. "If he did, I'm going to buck him into next week!" was her declaration. And yes, that sounded like something Rainbow Dash would do. Especially given how stupid it was, considering that Discord could probably just get rid of her with a snap of his talons. Any hint of a smile that slipped onto her lips from Rainbow's loyalty melted away at that. "Well, I don't really think we can do that without the Elements, Rainbow," Applejack commented. "Right..." Twilight muttered, nodding and then lifting her head back up. She looked straight at Rainbow, then swallowed and looked left at Midnight. Both still watched her. Looking back behind her, she found that they were all still looking at her. 'Why do they expect me to lead them?' a part of her wondered as dread welled up inside her. Yet the answer, 'I was Princess Celestia's student, and now I'm Nightmare Moon's student,' came to mind. But she was still, begrudgingly, just a filly. Discord probably loved how little sense it made. She inhaled, then exhaled. "We should get going," she voiced. She walked down the stairs, pausing at the last step to look over the ground. It looked solid and soap free, but she was still leery. Rainbow stepped to the left so she could take the lead. Tentatively, she set her hoof down on the ground. She didn't immediately fall, so she stepped down and looked back up. She made the mistake of looking at the chaos that was Ponyville. She wasn't that familiar with Ponyville, but for some reason, she didn't like seeing it so wrong. Ponies were being hurt for his enjoyment. Their lives were being uprooted just for fun and amusement. 'It doesn't matter if he's right... we have to stop him,' whispered in her mind. Besides, Nightmare Moon wouldn't just throw her away, right? Nightmare Moon cared about her. Even if Nightmare Moon was using her and her friends to stop Discord. Not using them to stop Discord would be silly if they really were linked to the Elements of Harmony. The doubt came back, sliding its tendrils all the way to the forefront of her mind. Her friends stopped beside her. She forced a smile for them, but it was a weak one. She swallowed, breathed in shallowly, then exhaled. "Let's go..." she mumbled. "We'll avoid Ponyville and head for the Everfree Forest and... head to the castle. I think we'll find the Elements where I found them before..." She walked forward. Her friends followed. So did her doubt and fears. They walked in silence. Every so often, she looked back at her friends for support. When her gaze landed on them, with the exception of Pinkie Pie, they wore brooding frowns that changed into reassuring smiles when she looked at them. From what she could tell, Pinkie never stopped smiling as she bounced along, just like the last time they were trying to find the Elements of Harmony. Eventually, they passed Fluttershy's cottage. Much to the relief of everypony, especially Fluttershy, it hadn't been touched by Discord, though her animal friends were all hiding. Likewise, the Everfree Forest looked the same as before: untouched by his madness, yet still already dark and twisted. And just like last time, they all stopped before entering it. A foreboding sense of dread enveloped Twilight, and she was certain the same sense of dread was filling her friends. It wasn't quite as bad as the air Nightmare Moon gave off at times, but it was a dread that made her want to either stay there or turn around and give up. Even the sky being split into half day and half night didn't alleviate any of her fears; it just reminded her how little control she had. And the Everfree Forest was dangerous at the best of times! The only time they had been here, they had almost died! Several times. If her friends hadn't been there, she wouldn't have been there either. She would have turned around and run. Without the necklace, she could escape. Nightmare Moon would never find her, or perhaps she was wrong and Nightmare Moon would track her down. Hunt her down. And then she'd face the same problem as before, except worse. She nibbled on her lip, gently biting down and rolling her skin around over her teeth. 'I'm procrastinating,' she knew. But she also knew why she was procrastinating. It fell on her and her friends, who decided she would lead them, to save Equestria! Who knew what they would find? It was still just an assumption that the Elements would be where she thought they were. If they weren't there, she would have been wrong. She would have failed. Failed her teacher, failed Equestria, and failed Princess Celestia. And they would have wasted time. Discord would continue to roam free, sowing chaos as he saw fit, turning ponies' lives upside down. Literally. And if they didn't find the Elements where she thought they were, it likely meant they would never find the Elements of Harmony, which meant Discord would never be defeated, all because of her failure. After all, it would be in his best interest to make sure they never found the Elements of Harmony. Why would he want them to find them and retrieve them!? "Why does the fate of Equestria have to fall onto us!?" she groaned. "Now, Twilight," Rarity started, only to pause, then drawl, "I..." Another pause, then a quick, "Nevermind. You have a point, dear." "Well, we can't exactly stop Discord if we just keep standing here," Applejack pointed out. Twilight saw everypony nod and heard them all murmur in agreement. Nopony moved. "So I guess we should get going," Applejack commented. More nodding and murmurs of agreement. More inaction. Twlight looked left, then right, looking over those somehow-familiar faces of her friends. None of them wanted to be there. She could see it written on their faces. But somehow, for some reason that she couldn't understand, they chose to be there with her. They chose to follow her and support her. She wanted to cry, but for a different reason. She smiled and swallowed. 'If this doesn't work, at least we're together.' "Let's go," she called softly, then took the lead. Stepping into the Everfree for the second time, the sense of dread immediately grew worse. The latent, unnatural magic permeating the land nearly made her coat stand on end like she was being watched by Nightmare Moon. But her friends followed her, lingering only a step behind. After only a few steps into the forest, she felt like she was being watched from every direction at once. The trees, the bushes, the grass, it was like they all had eyes and were just staring at her for no reason other than to unnerve her. Or perhaps, waiting for her to inevitably slip up. Her friends stepped closer to her. Rainbow and Applejack nearly touched their coats against her body they were so close to her. She glanced over at Midnight and squinted. Somehow, Midnight looked entirely unaffected by or oblivious to the dread the forest gave off. She just casually trotted along, bobbing her head left and right as she walked. 'Is that normal for batponies?' she wondered. At the very least, the thought was a welcome distraction. And yet, as she watched Midnight, she noticed little twitches in her ears, constantly flicking, as if to listen to sounds she didn't hear. The batpony's eyes lingered on the underbrush, sweeping back and forth. 'Midnight will keep us safe,' came to mind. A little of the dread fluttered away at that. Midnight was her guard; Midnight would do what she could to keep her and her friends safe. And her friends would also do what they could to protect her. Even if it was doing something absolutely stupid, in the case of Rainbow Dash. She knew that from experience. They would keep each other safe. But she also knew that there were things in the Everfree that were more than a match for six mares, a baby dragon, and a filly. There were monsters that could eat them whole; monsters that could turn them to stone with just a look. And who knew what else? And Nightmare Moon couldn't come to save her if she needed her to. No, without the necklace, Nightmare Moon was out of reach. And Princess Celestia wouldn't save her either. 'Are you so sure that she'd come save you?' Discord's voice drawled. 'Hmm... Celestia didn't save you from Luna. If anything, she's the reason why Luna got you! Just think... how much of this is Tia's fault?' Twilight's body tingled and her fur stood on end. Her forehoof shook in the air for a moment, but she managed to swallow and force herself onward. Her heart slowed down, half expecting him or something to jump out at her. 'But now you'd expect that, wouldn't you?' he asked. 'Although your reactions would still be hilarious!' he called out. She gritted her teeth. 'Why can't you just leave me alone!?' her mind demanded. 'Well, now, let's see. You're a very interesting filly, for one,' he answered. 'And for three, Luna's reactions are positively priceless whenever I bring you up.' He chuckled, then his voice added, 'I daresay I've not seen Luna so infuriated in centuries!' A momentary silence was followed by an absent, 'Then again I wasn't around to see her for centuries, so... Hmm...' She would have sworn she heard and felt him shrug. 'Why do you call her Luna?' came to mind. 'Ah, yes. Luna. Lulu, Lully, Moony. Luna. Princess. Luna,' Discord's voice repeated. 'That's her name, you know,' he commented. There was a pause, then matter of factly emphasized, 'Well, now you know.' 'But I suppose you already figured that out,' he admitted with a wistful sigh. Twilight could feel him smile. 'She's Nightmare Moon,' she shot back. 'Tsk, tsk, tsk,' clicked in her mind. 'She is, and will always be, Luna. Maybe she'll spout some nonsense about,' he paused, then, in a perfect replica of Nightmare Moon's voice that made her blood run cold, shouted, 'Luna is dead!' before his normal voice returned to say, 'but that doesn't change the fact that she was, is, and will always be Luna.' 'She may call herself Nightmare Moon, but, well,' he paused to chuckle, then continued, 'I could call myself Princess Celestia, but I'd still be me.' 'Funny thing, that,' he mused. 'I am positively shocked I can't actually break that banishment spell. Fickle thing!' 'Wait, you tried to free her!?' Twilight's mind blabbered before she could stop the stray thought. He chuckled mirthfully, then voiced, 'Of course I did. Why, just imagine the delightful chaos that would cause! The two of them fighting while I sit and watch while eating popcorn! It'd be wonderful, simply wonderful!' He went quiet. She looked left and right, scanning the forest. 'Nothing's going to get you. Well, aside from Nightmare Moon, but that much should be obvious,' he voiced. Twilight nearly tripped over herself. 'What? No. I'm her student, she wouldn't-' "Are you alright?" Applejack asked. 'Hmm, I wonder. Why don't you free your precious Princess once you get the Elements instead of trying to stop me? It'd be much more interesting, you know. Besides, just think about it! You'd have rescued Princess Celestia, and I'd get to enjoy watching her and Luna fight! Oh, and I suppose you could help one of them, too. Although probably not Luna.' 'I could do that..?' whispered in her mind. Her heart beat harder and slower, and her chest slowly twisted in on itself. 'I could use the Elements to free Princess Celestia..?' "I... yeah," she answered. What was she thinking that!? It was bad, Nightmare Moon would- 'Well of course! You should already know that,' Discord answered. 'Actually you probably already know that and you just don't want to admit it. There's a lot you could do with them. I daresay you could do more than I could with those things!' She could feel him smile, then he sang, 'But it's an idea!' 'I can't betray her like that!' hissed in her mind. 'Why not? She'll just use you and then throw you away, you know. She'll betray you the second it benefits her.' Twilight's pace slowed. Slowly, she looked left and then right. Her friends looked at her, but didn't notice her slowing pace; they slowed down alongside her but didn't seem to notice that either. 'And you expect me to believe you won't?' her mind growled. 'Bah, of course I wouldn't! You would be absolutely entertaining. Even more entertaining than watching your reactions to Luna's return! I would never throw away somepony so interesting as you! It'd be a complete waste of a perfectly good student.' 'I don't believe you,' her mind stated. 'Fine! Be that way,' Discord's voice pouted. Seconds passed in silence. Twilight inhaled deeply, then exhaled. She hated how the forest smelled. It wasn't pleasant or refreshing like other forests. No, it reminded her more of a swamp. It stunk. To make things worse, the air was thick and humid. But at the very least it hadn't rained, so there wasn't mud clinging to her hooves. And this time they could halfway see since it was half day. She heard Applejack mumble something that sounded like, "No... Princess Celestia wouldn't..." At that, everypony stopped and looked at her. Twilight swallowed and licked her lips. "Applejack?" Applejack looked at her, shifted her weight, and bit her lip. The earth pony's eyes looked left and right, avoiding Twilight's gaze. It was wrong. Maybe she hadn't known Applejack for a while, but it wasn't like her to be avoidant. Twilight frowned. "Princess Celestia wouldn't what?" Applejack shook her head. "Nothing, it's... it's nothing," was her hesitant answer. "Just..." "Discord?" Rainbow asked. Applejack looked at Rainbow. "He's messing with you too, huh?" Twilight looked at Rainbow. The pegasus squirmed where she stood. "Well... yeah," was her admission. "But he's not gonna make me leave all of you!" "That was oddly specific, dear," Rarity commented. Rainbow squinted at Rarity. "And what about you, huh?" Rarity gave a dismissive huff, tossed her head to the side, and lifted her head up. "Well, as much as I like the idea of it raining diamonds every day, I must say that would make diamonds lose some of their elegance." "Diamonds..?" Rainbow grumbled. "Seriously..?" Matter of factly, Rarity declared, "You just have no sense of fashion." "Well duh," Rainbow retorted. "Hmpf!" Rarity huffed. "Girls?" Twilight asked. They all looked back at her. "Can we... focus on getting there? We can talk about this later, after we've... stopped him." "Yeah," Midnight agreed. "It's not safe to stay here." Rainbow lit up at that and faced Midnight. "Are there any monsters around!?" Midnight squinted at Rainbow. "No... but that doesn't mean it's safe." Rainbow groaned and hung her head. "Really now, Rainbow? Isn't Discord enough excitement for you?" Applejack muttered. Twilight inhaled, then turned to face Fluttershy. "Fluttershy!" The pegasus let out a quiet 'eep' and hid behind her mane. Twilight forced a smile. 'Great, I scared her.' "What do you think?" Fluttershy slowly ducked her head out from under her mane and answered, "O-oh, I um... I think we should keep going. Midnight is right... staying here isn't safe." "Well, what are we waiting for?" Pinkie cheerfully bounced ahead. "Pinkie!" Rainbow chastised. Of course, Pinkie didn't stop, but kept bouncing along. "I think we're close to the river!" Pinkie called back. 'Well... progress.' Shaking her head, Twilight walked forward. Pinkie stopped and waited for them, and sure enough, she could make out the sound of running water. A few more minutes of walking brought them to the river's bank, where they came to a stop. "Cross like last time?" Applejack suggested. "On it," Rainbow called out, flying ahead, then stopping and looking back at Twilight, then everypony else. "So uh, who wants to go first this time?" "Last time you dropped me," Rarity growled. "It's not my fault!" Rainbow shouted back. "You kept squirming-" "Your hooves were absolutely filthy!" Rarity shrieked. "All of that dirt and muck on my beautiful coat!? No!" "So I'll carry Rarity, then," Midnight casually mused. Twilight looked at Midnight and watched her guard casually nod, then she looked at Rarity. Rarity flicked her head up in the air, making her mane flip to the other side of her neck. "I suppose this is acceptable," was her calm statement. Midnight beat her wings, flew up into the air, casually glided over to Rarity, then landed on her back and wrapped her forelegs under Rarity's body. The batpony lifted her up as if it was nothing. Twilight watched Midnight fly across the river, then set Rarity down on the other side. Rarity fidgeted a bit and looked herself over, but didn't seem displeased. As Midnight flew back, Rainbow glared at her guard, as if she had taken it as a challenge. Midnight remained oblivious to Rainbow's glare and landed beside Twilight. "So, I can carry Spike on my back and carry you over?" she offered. Twilight nodded and looked back at Spike, who climbed down her back before climbing up onto Midnight's back. She looked ahead and watched Rainbow fly over and pick up Pinkie. Midnight landed on her back, wrapped her forelegs under her body, then lifted her up. It wasn't very comfortable. The metal armor pressed into her body. She held on tight and grimaced as Midnight flew her to the other side of the river. Having her legs dangling below her body wasn't really the best experience, either. It left a lot to desire, and it simply didn't compare to riding on Cadance or Nightmare Moon's back. Her hind hooves touched down first, followed by her forehooves. She shifted her weight and watched Midnight fly up, then land right beside her. Spike climbed down Midnight, then onto Twilight's back. Midnight flew back over, and together with Rainbow, they carried the rest of her friends across. Which included Rainbow carrying Fluttershy across. Twilight suppressed a sigh as Fluttershy's hooves touched the ground again, then she turned around. "Let's go!" she called. She resumed walking on, and her friends followed. "Next time why don't we ride on your backs instead?" Rarity asked. "Uh, because that takes longer," Rainbow retorted. "Duh." "But it would be so much better for us," Rarity commented. "Safer, too." "Yeah, sure. I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but we're kinda pressed for time! The longer we waste with things like that the more chaos Discord can cause!" Rainbow retorted. "Rainbow has a point," Applejack commented. "I've always wanted to ride on a pegasus!" Pinkie called. "Yippie!" "Gah!? Pinkie!?" Rainbow groaned. "How did you even- no, I don't want to know." Twilight glanced back and saw Pinkie sitting on Rainbow's back with her hind legs wrapped around Rainbow's body. Her forelegs were straight up in the air, her eyes were closed, and she smiled in utter delight. Rainbow looked straight ahead, wearing a mixture of a glare and a scowl. Pinkie giggled, then leaned forward and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow before nuzzling her affectionately. Rainbow groaned and dropped her head to her chest. "Fine..." "Yay!" Pinkie cheered, then nuzzled into Rainbow's mane. A bit of the glare faded, but the pegasus still let out another groan. Twilight had seen that Rainbow could be affectionate. Rainbow could be excitable, and so she had a tendency to tackle ponies for hugs. Not always, but at times. Rainbow also tended to crash into ponies, as she said, 'On accident.' She could almost believe that since her friend had a tendency not to slow down. She found herself smiling for some insane reason. The very pony that knocked her down and ruined her mane when they first met? Somehow, she considered said pony one of her closest friends. The forest's aura of dread felt weaker as she thought about her friends. She looked around and saw the gnarled trees and ominous sky, but she still felt her friends' presence and company. They were right there with her. They wouldn't leave her, they would not abandon her. She was certain of it. Their reassurance was enough for her to walk on, pressing deeper into the unnatural forest. 'Why is the Everfree Forest the way it is?' she wondered. The thought lingered in her mind as she walked on, and her brow creased more with each step. 'The Castle of The Two Sisters... it used to be Equestria's capital...' Surely nopony would have been insane enough to build the capitol in the middle of such a forest! Which meant that the Everfree Forest hadn't always been so unnatural. 'Maybe I should ask Nightmare when I get the chance,' she mused, but the pony who would know the best was probably still Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia would have been there to watch the Everfree Forest grow into what it turned into. Applejack's voice broke her thoughts, "So you said you think that the Elements are going to be in that one room again, then?" Twilight blinked and glanced at her friend, giving a nod. "Yes. I think it makes the most sense. The old Throne Room." Applejack nodded warily. "I hope you're right," was her response. "Otherwise this trip's probably been wasted." Twilight grimaced. "I for one would be absolutely furious if this trip was wasted," was Rarity's disgruntled comment. More eloquently, "Not that I think you're wrong, dear." "You guys really think he's just going to let us get the Elements and use them against him?" Rainbow asked, then muttered, "Nightmare Moon didn't exactly... you know..." "I have no idea," Twilight mumbled. 'And it doesn't matter, because we have to try.' She took in a deep breath, grimaced from the smell, then said, "But we don't exactly have much of a choice." "I... suppose you're right," Rarity said at length, choosing her words carefully. "But... has anypony given any thought to what happens after this?" "Don't things go back to normal? Well, the new normal with Nightmare Moon being queen and eternal night and no days and not as many parties because everypony is all scared all the time?" Pinkie asked. "I mean..." Rarity paused, and with more hesitance spoke, "to us." But what did that have to do with anything? They would have stopped Discord and saved Equestria! Assuming it worked. Her friends, one by one, stopped and looked back at Rarity. She finally stopped and turned around. "If we do manage to stop Discord," Rarity said pointedly, inclining her head slightly, "and Nightmare Moon says she can't stop Discord... What happens to us?" 'I don't like where this is going...' slithered through Twilight's mind, and a tightness tickled her chest. "What... what do you mean?" she asked. "I'm just pointing out that we would have defeated something more powerful than Nightmare Moon," Rarity succinctly answered. "And... the implications of that are... concerning. Rather, what would Nightmare Moon do with us as a result?" For a few seconds, there was silence. Rarity abruptly shifted her weight. "She did kill a Royal Guard for no reason! We already tried to stop her once, who's to say once we deal with Discord she won't do the same to us!" Twilight's chest tightened and her lungs deflated. 'She wouldn't...' her mind weakly argued. She tried to voice it, but her mouth wouldn't obey her. "She... has a point," Rainbow reluctantly agreed, her voice cracking more than normal. 'Hmm. Wouldn't she though?' came Discord's idle voice. 'Like I said, she just wants to use you and then throw you away when you're no longer of any use. But you already know that, and by ignoring it you're just deluding yourself, Twilight Sparkle. I thought you were the smart one, but Rarity at least knows what's obvious for everypony to see.' "She did lock us up..." Applejack grumbled. "And she doesn't exactly trust Twilight, either." Applejack nodded at her. "If it weren't for Discord taking the necklace..." "She wouldn't kill you for stopping Discord," Midnight said quietly. Twilight turned to look at her guard. The batpony wore a small, disapproving frown. No anger, and not quite shock. 'You're convinced she wouldn't,' Twilight knew. Was Midnight right? Was Rarity right? Was Discord- -no. Discord was lying. 'Am I? Why would I lie to you? You dying really isn't very entertaining,' Discord said. 'You're much more fun when you're alive.' 'You'd lie to us because you don't want to be turned back into a statue,' Twilight dismissed. She heard Discord huff and then felt him roll his eyes. "Midnight, dear," Rarity said politely, "no offense, but you're biased. You can't know that she won't! And it's not like Nightmare Moon cares about anypony else! She banished her own sister!" 'It would be in her best interests, wouldn't it? Killing you. Killing your friends. Then nothing can stop her from ruling Equestria,' Discord's voice slithered through her mind. 'Besides, wouldn't that be such a great way for her to get revenge on her sister? Oh, just think of how Celestia will break down when Nightmare Moon tells her of how she killed you!' She felt him smile, and the tightness in her chest grew worse. 'You're wrong,' she fought back. 'You're lying to yourself,' was all Discord replied. "So what then, we blast her when we get the Elements?" Rainbow offered. Twilight's eyes snapped onto Rainbow. A wave of panic lanced through her body. She nearly jumped. Her skin was too tight. 'Nightmare Moon isn't listening,' she remembered, but the anxiety didn't fade. Midnight's frown deepened, more disappointed than anything. 'Midnight will tell her,' Twilight knew, and then the anxiety coiled even worse inside of her. Twisting into a knot and choking her. And then that would be it. It wouldn't matter if they defeated Discord or not. It wouldn't matter if Nightmare Moon wasn't going to get rid of them for defeating Discord or not. Midnight would tell Nightmare that Rainbow wanted to use the Elements on her, and then because her friends were her responsibility, it would be her fault. And her punishment. 'Nightmare Moon is going to kill me.' And then everything would fall apart, wouldn't it? Her brother would be furious and refuse to work with Nightmare Moon, and then Nightmare Moon would just kill him. Cadance would be next, or maybe Spike, and then Equestria might follow. Maybe it would be better than letting Discord roam free, or maybe there was a chance that letting Discord rule would be better for everypony. Maybe she would have the opportunity to beg Nightmare Moon not to kill her friends or her brother or Cadance or Spike. Maybe there was a chance that all six of them were necessary to weild the Elements of Harmony, which meant that only one of them had to die. Maybe Nightmare Moon would spare her friends. She felt sick. Her stomach was tight and queasy. Her legs trembled, and the edges of her eyes burned. She couldn't breathe. Princess Celestia would never forgive her if she didn't try to stop Discord. What Rainbow said had been said; there was no taking it back. If they refused to stop Discord, Nightmare would just kill them anyway, and if they did manage to stop Discord, then maybe there was some small chance that Equestria wouldn't follow their deaths. 'I'm going to die... we're going to die... my brother... Cadance...' She clenched her eyes shut and swallowed. She nearly choked on her saliva. "We... have to stop Discord," she whispered. She opened her eyes, and though her lips trembled, she managed to look each of her friends in the eye. "We... we can't just turn on Nightmare Moon... Discord is the bigger threat." She hoped she was right. Maybe she was lying to herself. None of them were convinced. She met each of her friends' gazes again. Eventually settling on Midnight, who still frowned. "Alright... I guess we should deal with Discord first, since... yeah," Applejack mumbled. "Fair point," Rarity mumbled discontentedly. "I still don't like this, but... I suppose if Equestria is at stake..." "We won't just go down without a fight!" Rainbow cried. Maybe Rainbow was correct, but they also all remembered how easily Nightmare Moon stopped them before. And they all knew. None of them said anything. But maybe they actually had a chance since they would have the Elements of Harmony this time. They would have already collected them. And then what? What if they did stop Discord and then stopped Nightmare Moon? Would they be able to rescue Princess Celestia somehow? And if not, would Equestria turn on her anyway for having been Nightmare Moon's student? Would Princess Celestia turn on her? "She won't turn on you for beating Discord," Midnight said quietly. "You'll be more important if you succeed, and she'll have more reason to keep you around." "Midnight, dear, you do realize it would be more beneficial for her to get rid of us since we're threats to her, correct?" Rarity asked. Midnight looked back at Rarity with that same disappointed frown, but stayed silent. "She killed a guard for trying to stop her," Rarity repeated, shifting her weight. "And, well, let's face it. If the Elements of Harmony can stop Discord, they can probably stop Nightmare Moon. A single guard, as well trained as I'm sure they are, isn't a threat to an alicorn like Nightmare Moon." Rarity paused to look at everypony, then summarized, "And we are." Twilight didn't want to believe her. She wanted to reject it, but it was pointless. If they stopped Discord, Rarity was right. And they all looked at her for guidance. She bit down hard on her lip. She tasted blood. It didn't distract her like she hoped. "We-" her voice cracked, so she stopped to swallow and lick her lips before starting again, "We still have to stop Discord." "Let's go..." Twilight turned around and took the lead. It was for the best, really. Her friends couldn't see her face this way. She kept her distance from Midnight for the rest of the trip. She managed to halfway calm herself down, though the dread and fear lingered. Twilight warily stared at the rope bridge that connected the forest to the castle. It was still there, still repaired, just waiting to be used. But she didn't trust it. It looked normal. It looked like Discord hadn't touched it. It looked safe. But, like before, it was the simple fact that there was a rope bridge there in the first place. 'When was it built!? Why was it built!? How does it still exist!?' her mind demanded in exasperation. It confused her and left her feeling cautious. At least the first time, the bridge hadn't been connected, but this time it was. And it left her feeling uncomfortable. After all, the bridge was in the middle of the Everfree Forest. 'Who put this here, anyway?' She took a timid step forward, bringing her hoof to the edge of the solid ground, but just far enough back not to touch the wooden planks. She looked up at Rainbow, who hovered a few feet away from her, over the chasm. "If I fall, you'll catch me, right?" she squeaked. Rainbow rolled her eyes and groaned, "Of course I'll catch you!" Then, Rainbow looked back at her and folded her forelegs over her chest. "There's no way I'd just let you fall. Especially from this height!" Rainbow glanced down, then looked back at her and unfolded her hooves. "You'll be fine!" her friend said with an encouraging smile. Twilight did not trust that smile. Rainbow would catch her, but, well, she'd still fall before Rainbow caught her. Timidly, she nodded. Reluctantly, she edged her forehoof off the solid ground and onto the wooden plank. She felt the rope bridge wobble slightly as her weight pressed down on it, yet somehow, the wood held her weight without cracking. With the same reluctance as before, she lifted her left forehoof, then reached out to the plank. And the fact that she had one forehoof on the wood, and the other in the air, terrified her. If the plank broke from her weight, she'd fall into that chasm! Even with Rainbow catching her, she'd still probably hurt herself toppling over the edge, and, of course, she'd be terrified from falling, even for a split second. She set her forehoof down on the wooden plank. The bridge wobbled again, but still held her weight. "Come on, Twilight, last time it held just fine!" Rainbow encouraged. Twilight shot a glare at the pegasus and hissed, "Last time we weren't dealing with Discord!" "Yeah, we were dealing with Nightmare Moon," was Rainbow's flat response. Rainbow sighed and pressed a forehoof to her forehead. "Look, you know I'll catch you. Heck! Midnight would catch you! You don't have anything to worry about!" she reassured. 'Except Nightmare Moon...' whispered in Twilight's mind. "Right, right," she muttered. She slowly turned her head to face the other end of the bridge, but kept her glare on Rainbow for a few seconds longer. She took in a deep breath, then stepped forward again, and again. The rope bridge held but wobbled under her weight. She did her best not to look down and she tried to ignore the chasm below her. She tentatively stepped forward, walking towards the center of the bridge. The bridge wobbled and shivered under her shifting weight with each step, and each time the bridge moved, she felt a moment of panic shoot through her at the fear that she would lose her balance and fall, or that the ropes holding the bridge together would snap and send her crashing towards the ground. Oh, she hated that movement. She had half a mind to try and run across the bridge as fast as she could, just to reach solid ground quicker. Another part of her wanted to laugh at the sheer stupidy of that thought! Running across the bridge would only guarantee that something went wrong! She crept to the middle of the bridge. Arguably, the most dangerous part of the bridge. She passed it as quickly as she could. "You're doing great!" Rainbow comforted from her side. For just a moment, she glanced aside at Rainbow and those wings of hers. For another moment, Twilight felt a slight tinge of jealousy. At least until she remembered that if she was a pegasus, she wouldn't have her horn and her unicorn magic. No use to Nightmare Moon as a student. To her, the trade wasn't worth it. 'Is that why no unicorns wanted to become batponies?' she wondered. She wouldn't give up her horn for pegasi wings, so why would any unicorn give up their horn for a pair of batpony wings? She looked back at the other side of the chasm. 'I really wish I could teleport,' came to mind. She grimaced. 'I guess there's no point dwelling on that now...' But of course, that desire stuck there with her as she walked the last steps. The thought even lingered beyond the relief of jumping off the bridge to land on solid ground. And it was wonderful! The ground didn't shake under her hooves when she landed and she didn't have to worry about falling! Still, she was too close to the edge, so she scrambled a few steps forward to distance herself from that chasm, then stopped and turned around. One by one, the rest of her friends walked across the bridge. With the notable exception of Rainbow and Midnight, who flew. They had both offered to carry her, but as much as she didn't trust the bridge, walking across meant neither of them would drop her, and if the bridge did give out, there were two ponies to catch her. It was probably safer. The only pony who struggled to cross the bridge as much as her was, unsurprisingly, Fluttershy. Each time she stepped forward, the bridge wobbled beneath her hooves, and Fluttershy's wings extended another inch and wobbled up and down to try to steady herself. Fluttershy still crossed the bridge far easier than she had, even if her wings were fully extended horizontally when she made it across. They walked to Twilight's side, then she turned around and surveyed the battered castle and its courtyard. 'It would have been nice to see what it looked like when it was the capital,' whispered in her mind. Her lips tightened into a grimace. 'Nightmare wants me to oversee the reconstruction of it,' came to her mind. The grimace faded, and she turned her head left and right, scrutinizing the castle and searching for any batponies who could have been there. Of course, she wouldn't get the chance to see that now. Her ears drifted lower. She didn't see any batponies lurking in the pseudo-dawn of the half-day half-night, but that didn't mean anything. They could have been hiding inside the castle. 'But they're not here to stop us,' she knew. 'If we stop Discord, I wonder how long it'll be until I'm busy working on this...' she mused. "It seems like we were here not that long ago," Pinkie idly commented. She could almost hear the rest of her friends turn to look at Pinkie. Even she turned to look at her. "I wasn't here last time," Spike said. Twilight knew it wasn't directed at her, but she still winced as a pang of guilt slapped her. Her eyes darted back to Spike as he stood beside her. She hadn't been about to carry Spike across. Even if there were a pegasus and a batpony to catch them both, she wasn't going to risk Spike falling. And for most of the trip, Spike had been silent. It was a haunted silence. When he realized she was looking at him, he averted his gaze and tapped his claws together. 'Spike, I'm so sorry...' She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. 'We need to stop Discord. We can deal with what happens after that later.' She did her best to ignore everything else so she could focus on the task of defeating Discord. They had to stop him. She couldn't let anything else distract her. She turned her attention back to Pinkie for a moment, then lost interest in watching her friend tap her chin with her forehoof. She looked over the ruined castle once again. "Anypony else think this was too easy?" Rainbow asked. 'Maybe?' she wondered. Concern and unease twisted together in her stomach. It wasn't in Discord's best interest for them to get the Elements of Harmony. Unless, of course, the Elements wouldn't work anyway. "We don't have the Elements yet," she mumbled. She did her best to suppress that doubt whispering in the back of her mind as she walked forward. The doubt only grew louder. Her friends fell in step behind her, and the click of their hooves on the stone helped distract her from that unease. She ascended the stairs, then walked inside the castle. She looked left, then right, her eyes wandering over the massive stone walls, taking in how much damage had been done to them by the centuries. But surely, not all of that damage had been from time. No, Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia had to have fought here, which meant that at least some of the damage was from their battle. The unease grew worse. 'How are batponies supposed to repair all of this damage!?' her mind demanded. There were half-broken stones suspended above them that would need magic to replace! But maybe Nightmare Moon would see to that like she would the enchanting, or perhaps she underestimated the batponies' capabilities. She almost tripped on herself as she remembered, 'Oh, right. Scaffolding.' But would scaffolding be able to hold up stones necessary for the roof? It was a good distraction, so she focused on that thought. "Last time we were here, things did not exactly end well," Rarity muttered. Twilight remembered. 'Betray me, and I will kill you,' Nightmare's voice hissed in her mind. She swallowed and nearly choked on the knot in her throat. Looking over at Rarity, her lips twisted into a pained grimace. 'Why did you have to bring that up?' Rarity winced. Twilight turned away and walked forward rigidly, making her way to what had been the Throne Room. A chill swept over her body, then raced down her spine as she approached the doors. She half expected to see Nightmare Moon jump out at her, like what happened the last time she had been here. Except this time, to kill her or her friends. She stopped at the doors. 'I don't want to go in there!' croaked in her mind. 'There's nothing to be afraid of!' she tried to convince herself. But it didn't really help. She wanted to laugh at how insane it was. She wanted to run away. She wanted to cry. No, the only thing that helped was a forehoof on her shoulder. She turned to her left and found Applejack's solemn, yet comforting smile. She could nearly hear that smile saying, 'We're right here with you, sugarcube.' She didn't want to die. None of them did, either. And yet, all of them were there with her. She took comfort and strength from knowing that. She nodded, took a deep breath, then turned her head back to the doors. 'We have to face this... together,' her mind affirmed. She channeled her magic into her horn, then pushed the doors open. As they parted inward, she braced herself for whatever horrors waited for her friends and herself. The room beyond was pretty much identical to how it had been before. The only real difference was the pseudo-dawn cascading into the room from the broken ceiling. The first place her eyes jumped to was that hallway that led to Nightmare Moon's tower. The second place was that pedestal where the Elements of Harmony had been. Where the Elements of Harmony were. "Well, this is rather anticlimactic if I do say so myself," Rarity muttered. "Alright, so we grab the Elements, then head back to Canterlot and deal with Discord?" Rainbow voiced. "I certainly want to get this ordeal over as quickly as possible," Rarity agreed. "Although... I suppose that might not be the best idea, given..." "We can always blast Nightmare Moon afterward," Rainbow offered. "Fair point," Rarity mumbled. She glanced back at them and gradually stepped into the room. She halfway expected something bad to happen. She halfway expected Discord to show up. Nothing happened. She looked over the pedestal with the Elements but found her head drifting to the right. To where they had their battle with Nightmare Moon. 'If I had fought back... would she have just killed me like the guard?' She swallowed and forced her head back to the Elements. "We should hurry," she said, then strode forward. But it was too easy, and it made her anxious. It didn't help that her friends lingered behind. "We have to stop Discord." She heard a crack of magic as her hind legs passed the doorway, and she froze as a pair of serpentine eyes slithered over her body. Her fur stood on end. She heard the rumble of Discord's chuckle vibrating the entire castle, then she heard her friends call out, "Twilight!" before the doors slammed shut. She jumped into the air and spun around. The door was further away from her than she had walked into the room. She watched Discord seal the door shut with scissors. His lion paw was extended and rested against the air, and he leaned against it as if supporting himself with a wall. His gaze was directed down at his talon, almost dismissively. A file ran back and forth across his talon, but instead of cutting it shorter, it only made it grow longer. And sharper. She stared at the talon as it shined in the dawn light. There was no doubt in her mind that a single swipe of that talon could kill her if he wanted to. And she was silent. All he had to do was kill her, and then maybe the Elements wouldn't work. "You know," Discord mused, tossing the file away and looking up at her. The file clicked against the stone, then exploded into confetti with the sound of a coughing chicken. "I find myself wondering," he admitted, making her dread grow worse. She stepped backward, or at least she tried to. The world warped around her, keeping her standing in place where she had been. He pushed himself off from the wall of air and turned his talon over and scrutinized it. Then he looked at her. "Why are you trying to get the Elements of Harmony to stop me, anyway?" "You're insane!" she hissed. He chuckled and smiled. "Oh, what's the fun in being sane anyway?" he asked, then added, "besides, it's not like your teacher is that much saner than me, is it? You too, you know." "She's not-" "Oh please," he dismissed, batting his paw at her. "We both know you don't believe that." He smiled and she clenched her jaw. "She can't hear us right now, so you don't have to keep up the facade. Although I don't know what sort of difference it'd make since she's still going to kill you anyway," he commented. He looked off to the side and hummed. "I wonder if it'll be quick..." he trailed off and looked back at Twilight with a growing smile, "or slow." "She won't..." Twilight argued. "Yes, yes," he groaned dismissively, "and my name is Princess Celestia. Keep lying to yourself. Though you can't lie to me." His body coiled up into the air, then he swam over to her. Twilight tried to back up, but found her body unable to move. He wrapped his body around her neck just tight enough that their fur intermingled. Her skin crawled like thousands of insects were moving around in her fur. He pressed his nose against her nose, and his crimson slit-pupils stared into her own eyes. She couldn't look away, she couldn't close her eyes, and she couldn't breathe. She felt Discord's body tighten so subtly around her neck. All it would take was just a little more, she knew, and he could crush her. He wouldn't even have to try. His muscles let up, though his body stayed coiled around her neck, keeping her within his grasp. "Why do you think she sent you and your silly little friends to get the Elements and stop me?" he asked. She barely managed to swallow, and somehow, she managed to stutter out, "B-because she can't stop you." He grinned. "Well, isn't that a lie then?" he asked. "She did stop me before. With that silly little sister of hers-" "Using the Elements of Harmony," Twilight quietly pointed out. He pulled his head back a few inches, turned to the left, stuck his tongue out and blew spit everywhere. "Details!" he eagerly dismissed, then turned back to face her and once again pressed close. She felt his muscles riple under his fur, pressing a little tighter around her neck. Her leg muscles hurt from how tight she held herself. He reached out with his talon, then pinched her cheek. And it left her cheek tingling with a sense of primal wrongness worse that Nightmare Moon's predatory gaze had been. She felt something warm and wet roll down from her cheek, then Discord pulled his talon back. The very tip of his talon was painted crimson. 'You could kill me without even trying.' "Of course I could!" he answered, his body letting up on her neck. "I'm Discord!" he bellowed. Twilight glared at him and then snapped, "You really like saying that, don't you?" He chuckled. "Yes, yes, I suppose I do. But it's such a fun name, isn't it? Discord. Discord... Discord. Discord. Discord." His talon reached back, then stroked the length of her mane down her neck, leaving her legs trembling. Even with his talon was gone, she still felt the same sense of violation that she had when the talon was there, and she felt the warmth of her blood on her fur. "And I suppose that's what Miss Moony wants, isn't it? You dead. And me dead, too, but, ah, she can't have that. Well, I suppose she wants me to kill you,-" Twilight's vision twisted from a surge of panic and fear, "-but bah! What's the fun in that? There really isn't any fun in death." She felt cold. "She said you wouldn't..." she whispered. "And she's right about that!" he declared. His amusement faded into complete seriousness and he said, "Killing isn't fun or funny. Which, I suppose, is why I feel I simply must continue to warn you about her! Now life! Life is full of wonderful, wonderful chaos! You really should lighten up." "Why would you care!? It's in your best interest to stop us!" Twilight shrieked. She must have surprised him, because his head shot back from her shout. "Why, little miss magic, would you think I'd actually care what my best interests are!? I'm Discord! Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony! Just because it's in my best interest doesn't mean it's actually fun or funny or in any way enjoyable for me! Besides! Something being in my best interests is too predictable!" 'You really do like your name, don't you?' "Yes, I do. It's a great name," he said calmly. "Besides, Luna may be oh-so-serious like her sister, well, probably more serious than Tia... But that's just what makes her so much fun to play with!" he bellowed. He chuckled, and as he chuckled, his body tightened around her neck. She squeaked. His chuckle came to an immediate stop and his body loosened. "Mmm, yes, I see what she means about Tia holding you back... Hmm..." he mused. 'What!?' her mind demanded. "Princess Celestia didn't hold me back!" He reached up to his goatee with his paw and stroked it. "Mm, yes, well, I think it's simply a matter of perspective." His paw dropped from his goatee, then he said, "And well, let's face it, your opinion is biased and boring." She squinted at him. "What do you want?" He finally uncoiled from her neck and slithered back away. The feeling of insects crawling through her fur went away, but she could still feel the constrictive hold. "That's a great question! I'm so glad you asked!" he declared energetically. Then the eagerness faded and he slouched over. "Who cares. That's boring. What's important is that you're simply too interesting to let die, although if you go about using the Elements of Harmony on me again, well, that's your own funeral. Uncertainty is so much better! Who knows what would happen!?" 'Why would you care!?' her mind demanded. Why was she interesting!? She was just a filly! Although she was Princess Celestia's student, and now she was Nightmare Moon's student. "You're far more interesting than you give yourself credit for, Twilight Sparkle," he sighed. "But, I suppose if you must take the Elements of Harmony, may I suggest at least doing something interesting with them instead of using them on me?" 'And why is he giving up?!' hissed in her mind. "Oh please, I'm not giving up. Even if you do use the Elements on me, I'll be back. It's just a matter of time, you know. I'll still get to see the results, it just won't be quite as entertaining. Or actually, maybe it'll be even more entertaining... True, only Luna will get to see it, but, oh! Just imagine the look on her face! There'll be enough uncertainty left, still..." That twisted smile grew on his lips again, then he lifted his talon into the air. "Besides, who said I was just going to let you have them so easily?" he asked, then he snapped his talons. Her stomach felt empty, almost like she had left it somewhere else. She didn't see anything change, nor did she hear anything change, but that didn't matter. The fear that he had done something terrible weighed down on her, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. "I frankly just think it'd be a shame if she killed you," Discord commented. He landed and stood on his legs. "And also I wouldn't be able to rial her up as much from mentioning you if she did kill you," he added casually. "You're lying," she declared. His smile nearly split his lips, then he said, "Yes, but about what? The simple answer is that you don't know." His smile faded and he looked up above her. She glanced up to see the sky through the broken roof, then she looked back at him. "Besides, isn't truth overrated? Isn't it relative? To you, it's true that buildings aren't alive, yet to me-" his gaze dropped back onto her, and his smile returned, "-it's not." "She doesn't want to kill me..." Twilight whispered. "Well," Discord drawled, throwing his body over to the left, then coiling himself up into a circle, "that doesn't mean she won't-" he spun himself straight, then swam back over to her and hovered in front of her, "-now does it?" He landed and stood on his legs once again. "I won't stop you from taking the Elements, because quite frankly, while being imprisoned in stone positively sucks, the chaos you can cause with them will be delightful, even if I'm not there to see it. I'll still feel it. Just knowing what was happening in Manehattan was wonderful!" He jumped into the air and curled his tail back, then past his head. "Why, the chaos Luna's return has caused has been so much more enjoyable than anything else that's happened in the past thousand years!" His expression grew distant and longing, then he sighed, "I really do wish I could have been there in Manehattan..." His smile returned. "It would have been so much more fun than that silly rioting. But being surprised by not being able to do anything was, in its own way, entertaining. Besides, seeing Luna go off the deep end after killing you will be funny." She swallowed, licked her lips, and then said, "So, you're not going to stop me from taking the Elements?" Discord shrugged. "I don't particularly care. It'll be a shame when Luna kills you, but, ah, well, at least I'll get to enjoy watching Equestria fall apart." He chuckled mirthfully. "Besides, at this rate, it won't be anywhere near as long as last time before I'm free again. Like I said. I'll be back." His smile widened into a grin. "And the next time?" he asked calmly. "Well, you won't be around to stop me. So in the end, it really doesn't matter to me," he said matter-of-factly. She clenched her jaw. He snapped his talons again, and in a blinding white flash, he disappeared. "I am inevitable. Besides, being predictable and making sense isn't fun. It might be fun to see what happens if you succeed. Perhaps Luna will be creative when killing you six. Or perhaps seven..." Twilight stood still for several seconds and listened, a cold feeling crawling up her body, but after Discord's voice was gone, it was entirely silent. She didn't hear her friends trying to reach her; she didn't hear any hoofsteps clicking on the stone; she heard neither birds nor breeze. Her head drifted right and her gaze swept over the walls of the throne room, then to the left, and finally back to the right. She looked behind her at the pedestal with the Elements, then at the two shattered thrones. She was alone, but she still felt like she was being watched. Pinpricks slowly crept through her body, and her fur nearly stood on end. Maybe she wasn't alone. And that was a bad thing. She turned around to face the pedestal, lifted a forehoof, but found herself unwilling to proceed. The memory of how Nightmare Moon had so easily snuck up on her the last time played through her mind. The memory of waking to see Nightmare Moon watching her played through her mind. The memory of Nightmare's promises and of her snapping played through her mind. There was no way she could trust that insane alicorn. Her ears pinned back and she bit down on her lip. She looked back to the door and found it still closed. 'Why aren't they coming for me?' her mind pleaded. Her heart swelled up with worry, and her raised forehoof trembled. Maybe Discord did something to them. Maybe Nightmare Moon did something to them. The edges of her vision grew blurry, distorting the room around her. The urge to run away and hide nearly overpowered her. She needed to scream and sob, but fear kept her silent. She was alone without her friends. There was nopony there to support her, and nopony there to protect her. 'She could kill me and I couldn't stop her...' she knew. 'She could kill them and there's nothing any of us could do...' A part of her fought back against the thought. The part of her that knew Discord was lying; the part of her that knew Nightmare Moon wouldn't kill her. That same part of her was overpowered. SIlenced. Defeated. That part was just lying. In the back of her mind, she felt Discord's lips curling up into a smile, but it didn't fully register. Her head whipped to the right, then back to the left. The room felt deathly silent, and how could it not? The very same room had surely witnessed a battle between two alicorns before, if the damage was any indication. Her head whipped back to that pedestal which held the Elements. She chewed on her lip and tasted blood, but the pain didn't stop her from chewing on her lip. The isolation crashed down on her, and gradually, she felt as if a predator was stalking her, that the predator was in the throne room with her, creeping along just out of sight, never looking away. Waiting for an opportunity to strike. She wasn't alone. She bolted to the pedestal; the movement made panic surge through her body, and it drove her on faster. She nearly ran into the pedestal, and as soon as she reached it, she spun around and pressed her haunches flat to the pedestal. With something against her, she felt the barest hint of safety; it was one less direction that something could attack from. Maybe. Her body trembled as her eyes darted left and right. She saw nothing but the ruined walls and columns, but it didn't stop the fear from constricting her. She managed to turn around, forced her eyes to glance over the Elements, then grabbed them in her magic. The fear grew worse; she jerked back around. Still nothing. Nightmare Moon didn't show up. Discord didn't show up. 'This room is wrong,' whispered in her mind. 'I need to get out of here,' her mind whimpered. 'I'm not fast enough,' croaked out. As soon as she moved, she knew whatever it was would get her. 'They're just beyond the door...' she tried to reason. 'If I can get to them, I'll be safe...' Unless of course, it killed them too. Maybe it would be before it killed her, or maybe it would be after. Or maybe they were already dead, and she was deluding herself. Her legs wouldn't move; they were locked in place. Her gut churned and twisted in on itself, over and over. "G-girls?" she called out in a whisper too quiet to be heard. Her body drifted a few inches closer to the stone floor. "G-girls?" she squeaked out again. Nopony came for her. Not her friends. Not Princess Celestia. Not Cadance, nor her brother. Not Nightmare Moon. "Girls?!" she cried out. Her voice broke with a whimper. She needed them. They weren't there. She bit down harder on her lip. It hurt. Her head flinched left, then right, then finally settled back on that door. She had one chance. She bolted for it. The room past by her in a blur. Panic drove her on past her legs hurting. Each step sent a cascade of panic over her body. She tripped on a loose pebble and hit her chin on the floor. The impact rattled her, but there was no time. She threw herself back onto her hooves and ran. Ran as fast as she could, faster than she could. Not fast enough. Too fast. She smacked into the door and threw herself around, pressing her haunches firmly against the door. She saw nothing coming for her, but that didn't ease her fears. She just couldn't see whatever was going to kill her. She turned back against and beat her hooves against the door. "Girls!?" she shrieked. She pounded her hooves into the door until they hurt. The door didn't budge. She slammed her hooves and body into the door as hard as she could. Her body hurt. The door didn't even move. Her horn sparked and sputtered before something resembling a stable aura glowed to life. She barely managed to step back, then pulled on the doors as hard as she could. They practically exploded inward, swept around, and slammed into the wall. Her friends all toppled over into a pile just inside the doorway. "Twilight!?" they cried out. She still trembled, even as their sight brought a weak smile to her lips. She managed to stop chewing on her lip. "G-girls?!" she stammered. She felt that same spark as before when they had come to her aid when Nightmare Moon revealed herself. A few of them grunted as they scrambled to their hooves, and before she could process it, Rainbow had tackled her to the ground and stood over her, looking down at her with pinned ears and wide eyes. The Elements fell from her magic and clattered on the stone floor, but her friends' combined focus was on her. "Are you okay!?" Rainbow nearly shrieked. "We tried everything but we couldn't get in! The door was sealed shut!" The rest of them gathered close around her, entirely ignoring the Elements, ears all pinned back and wide-eyed. The one exception was Midnight, who frowned slightly as she looked off towards the hole in the ceiling. Midnight winced almost in slow motion, her lips curling back, then finally she turned to face her. Spike leaped at her. She braced herself and tensed up, then his weight landed on her chest. Even with having prepared herself, it was still enough to make her grunt, but it didn't erase her smile. 'They're here for me,' was her mind's reassurance. The bad feelings grew more distant as Spike hugged her. She looked up at Rainbow, then around at her friends. Not one of them looked dismissive of her. They all cared. They all loved her. She felt relief flood over her body, washing the primordial terror away. She closed her eyes and inhaled. "Y-yes," she managed to croak out. But that was a lie. She clenched her jaw, then hugged Spike back with her right foreleg. "A-at least now," she amended hastily. She held Spike for a few seconds, then slid her foreleg off of him. He lingered, then gradually pulled back and slid off her body. She glanced around, then rolled onto her side. Rainbow backed up for her to sit up, and then once she was on her haunches, they all wrapped their forelegs around her and hugged her. Feeling their warmth and reassurance made her want to cry. She closed her eyes and her lips trembled. Midnight didn't join in, but that was fine. She heard Midnight step away, but it was forgotten over the embrace and nuzzles of her friends. They held her tight, tighter than she could ever remember her parents of brother holding her, and she lost herself in the embrace. Their love banished her fear. Their love comforted her soul. Her eyes warmed and her face cooled; her lips eventually stopped trembling and held a smile. Through her closed eyes, she eventually noticed the light growing dim. Twilight opened her eyes and found it was dark once again. Her head jerked right and her gaze locked onto the sky. The moon looked down at her. She stared as she felt her friends gradually pull back. It took her a few seconds before she could look back at her friends' faces. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Rarity murmured. Twilight turned to face Rarity, whose gaze was focused on her left cheek. Reluctantly, Twilight lifted her right forehoof, and when she pulled it away, there was a small smear of red. She grimaced at her hoof, then set it back down and looked at Rarity. "It's not that bad..." she muttered. Especially in comparison to what he could do, and what Nightmare Moon would do. The unease came back. 'She won't...' she tried to convince herself. It didn't work. She glanced over them again, then stood up. They stepped back just enough for her to stand. She saw the Elements and picked them up with her magic, and at that, everypony turned to face them. "So those are the Elements?" Rainbow scoffed. "A bunch of necklaces with gems in them and a crown? Lame." Ignoring Rainbow, Rarity asked, "I think they look wonderful, don't you, dear?" "I think they're lovely," Fluttershy mumbled. She looked over each Element in turn, yet found her gaze drawn most to that crown. 'Magic,' she immediately knew. It was enough to make her brow and lips twitch down. 'Why is it a tiara while the rest are necklaces?' was her first question, but no answer came to mind. Maybe it was always that way? She felt some sort of draw from it, like it was trying to coax her into taking it. The unease grew worse and her head drifted to the right until her eyes finally pulled away from the tiara. She glanced over her friends. Each of them looked at one of the necklaces in particular, and, going by what little she knew, the necklace they looked at was supposed to be their own. She levitated the necklaces closer to her friends, then her magic cut out, overpowered by another form of magic. Her aura winked out, yet that tiara didn't fall. The necklaces hovered over to her friends' necks, then the clasps clicked into place while the tiara hovered over to her, then landed on her head. She found herself staring up at it as best she could, which resulted mostly in her staring at her horn. The unfamiliar weight was less than she expected, yet that barely registered compared to the feeling of comfort it radiated. Seated on her head, the Element of Magic gave her a feeling of calm reassurance, not unlike how Princess Celestia's wings being wrapped around her reassured her. It almost whispered in her mind, 'It will be okay, my little pony,' in the same gentle, almost motherly tone as Princess Celestia. But it felt like there was something else there in that same whisper, as if it was smiling because it knew something she didn't and was looking forward to something greater. It was like a friend, ready to pick her up if she fell, ready to carry her when she couldn't carry herself. It almost washed away every single doubt and fear in her mind, yet that cold feeling that Discord was right still gnawed and simmered in her mind as the one thing that wouldn't fade. And the power the Element held! She could feel it, and it left her feeling almost as if she could walk on clouds or command the very stone beneath her hooves if she so asked! Its magic was so pure, somehow feeling more natural than her own, yet at the same time, feeling as if it was her own, not even an extension, just like it was somehow a part of her. It was as if it was meant to be this way, like the Element of Magic was meant for her alone. As if it was a part of her she had been born with, yet had been separated from. The feeling drew a calm silence across her mind, one that she couldn't think over. As seconds passed in blissful peace, she found herself able to think again, even though that same feeling lingered. The first thought that came to mind was, 'Okay... what do we do now?' and with it, the feeling nearly entirely faded. She looked left, then right. "Uh, so..." she started. Her friends gradually looked at her. Their general consensus was, as voiced by Rainbow Dash, "So how exactly do we use these things?" A grimace pulled at her lips. "I uh, don't know," she admitted. "Dear, please tell me you have a plan," Rarity said in a flat voice. Twilight winced and tilted her head away from Rarity as she squeaked, "Uh, we head back to Canterlot?" "How very reassuring," was all Rarity had to say to that. "I feel like... we'll know what to do when the time comes," Applejack offered. Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie all voiced affirmative, "Mhms!" and nodded in agreement. Rarity sighed, then said, "Well, at least we'll be out of here. This place is simply dreadful!" "Why Canterlot?" Midnight asked. She looked over at her guard to see her head tilted at an angle. "Can't you just use them anywhere if he shows up?" "Probably?" Twilight answered. "I would assume so, but I imagine he'd be in Canterlot..." she mumbled. A wince pulled at her lips and she looked away from Midnight, then quietly said, "And... I... would like to talk to... Nightmare first..." She reluctantly looked back at Midnight and found the batpony frowning slightly, but Midnight stayed silent and gave an unconvinced nod. Twilight inhaled, then glanced over her friends. "Well!" she called out before mumbling, "Let's go..." "Again."