//------------------------------//
// Chapter 29 - Familiar Faces 
// Story: Further Tales From Day Court 
// by Blade Star 
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Guys' Night had rolled around again, and I found myself sitting in the main hall of Twilight’s castle. This week it was Spike’s turn, and was often the case, he’d opted to have a game of Ogres and Oubliettes as his pick. We’d been playing for a couple of hours now, and were well into a good campaign. However, this week, we were short one member of our little group.  

Rather unexpectedly, Discord had stopped by at the last minute to say that he’d have to bow out this week. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s been the odd time where that’s happened to all of us. If I’ve had a long case to deal with, if Big Mac has a backlog of work on the farm, and if Spike is working on some big project with Twilight, then we do sadly have to put work before play. Discord however, was an exception. He always made time for Guys Night, just as he did for his weekly visits with Fluttershy. And if there was a game of O&O going, you could guarantee that Captain Wuz would be present, fighting for Spiketopia. 

Even more curiously though, he hadn’t said why. He’d just snapped into existence in around the time we were about to start, apologised, and said that he couldn’t stick around, promising to drop by next week. I’d asked him what was up. Regardless of what other ponies might say, the guy is my best friend besides Celestia, and I’ve learnt to be wary when he suddenly clams up. But he wouldn’t say, only that he ‘had some stuff to take care of’. And with that, he’d snapped his talons and vanished again. He wasn’t worried, that much I knew. He seemed his usual, easy going, confident self. But I didn’t like the idea that something might be up.  

I mean, let’s be honest, if the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony is hiding something, you want to know what it is. If nothing else, so you can prepare for whatever in Celestia’s name is coming your way. And having known Discord for as long as I have, I know he loves a good scheme. He was up to something, and I wanted to find out what it was. Even his good intended ideas, after all, tend to cause some trouble, like last Hearth’s Warming Eve, when he tricked Rainbow Dash into getting a Winterchilla; a creature that turns into a Winterzilla at night, just so Fluttershy could save the day.  

Still, there wasn’t exactly much I could do. It’s not like I can tail Discord to whatever hidey hole he’d run off to. For all I knew, he was in that pocket dimension of his. But I still wanted answers, and planned give him the third degree when he next showed up. It could be nothing, but you don’t live my life without learning to trust your gut. And my gut said he was up to something shady.  

The notion that something was up stuck with me the entire game, to the point that it actually started to affect my gameplay. I ended up getting knocked out by some griffin bandits and had to have Big Mac’s character revive me. Still, the game was fun, and it was always nice to spend some time with the pair. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up.  

After our little meeting broke up for the evening, I started on my way home. It was a fairly short walk from Twilight’s castle to my house. Back on Earth, I might have been a touch wary about walking home in the dark. But Ponyville is pretty safe; most ponies don’t even lock their doors. It wasn’t even that dark either. The moon was full and there was more than enough light to see by.  

As I made my way onto Stirrup Street though, old instincts flared up. I felt a presence, close at hand; someone was following me. I didn’t stop, didn’t turn around, or do anything else to show that I was onto them. I instead went with that old trick of making four turns on the same bloc. They were still on my tail after turn four. Whoever this pony was, they weren’t just somepony on their way home in the evening. Stopping on the street corner, I paused and looked in a shop window, using the reflection in the glass to look behind me. The pony was across the street now, standing near a lamp post. They were a unicorn by the look of it, although I couldn’t be sure, since they were standing in shadow. Still, no time like the present. Wheeling round, I called out.

“Can I help you?” I asked, making the pony start. A moment later though, they stepped out into the light.

It was Twilight Sparkle. Or at least, that’s who it looked like to start with. A second glance though would tell you that something wasn’t quite right. The way her coat sparkled in the night, the oddly serene expression that you’d never find on the stressed out little alicorn, and the fact that I knew that she was having a sleepover at Rarity’s tonight, all told me that this wasn’t really Twilight.  

This was the Tree of Harmony. Twilight was the avatar it chose for itself. She and I had met before now, not long after Sombra had gotten loose and apparently destroyed the Tree. It had been the one who had, ultimately, turned me onto the lead about Grogar. . It was odd to see it out in the open like this. The Tree was cryptic and mysterious at the best of times. Why would it suddenly step out into the world to meet with me? Well, unless it wanted something. Her deep purple eyes fixed on my own with a stare the hinted at the age and power behind them.  

“We must speak,” she said.  

Her voice had a slight echoing quality to it, as if she were speaking from a great distance. Then again, I suppose she was, considering that the Tree itself was deep within the Everfree Forest, now turned into a clubhouse for Twilight’s star students.  

“Oh, what about?” I asked curiously.  

“You are concerned about Chaos,” she said. “His actions occupy your thoughts.”

Could the Tree read minds, I wondered to myself? Or was I just that easy to read? ‘Twilight’ continued.  

“I am here to tell you that he is playing his part in the final test, and to offer you the chance to see it unfolding.”

Like I said, this strange, ancient being spoke in riddles on a good day.   

“What do you mean?” I asked. The Tree then showed its other annoying habit.  

“It is simpler if I show you.”

And with that, I found myself caught in a teleportation spell.





As with Celestia or Discord, the Tree’s version of a teleport was noticeably different to that of your common or garden above average unicorn. I didn’t know where I was exactly, but I had no doubt that I was a long way from Ponyville. I found myself standing in a large cavern. There were lanterns scattered about, giving the place more than enough light to see by, while casting menacing shadows into dark corners. The whole place gave me goosebumps.  

Various paths, leading up and down, appeared to lead off into several other chambers. This cave system had to be quite large; certainly on a par with Twilight’s castle. What caught my attention though was what was at the centre of the room. A chunk of rock had apparently been carved down, either by nature or by intent, to resemble a large, round table, and what could pass for seats. It reminded me, in a way, of the map room, where Twilight and her friends would get sent on friendship quests. But unlike that magical construct, this table didn’t have a clever 3D projection of Equestria and the surrounding lands. Instead, resting on the surface, was a large crystal ball that appeared to resemble the eye of a sheep or goat. The thing gave off an unnatural, dark glow; pulsating with light, and yet shining with darkness. You didn’t need to be an expert in magic to know that it was bad news, and that was further reinforced by the old chap was currently gazing into it with his back to me.  

Grogar, as I surmised that was who it was, was about the size of Sombra or Luna, perhaps a little taller, with a shaggy light blue coat. But his most prominent feature was the absolutely massive horns that curled back on themselves atop his head, which gave him the appearance more like an Arabian ibex than a goat. Although like a goat, he had an impressive beard that could rival Starswirl’s. Around his neck was a sort of collar, lined with a series of little golden bell chimes.  

I had apparently been transported to this place alone. The Tree had not joined me as far as I could see, although I expected it was at least watching me, somehow. That creature is many things, but it doesn’t throw you into danger without giving you a way out. Still, I was at a loss as to do what I should do. From what Bones had told me, Grogar had much that was more than a match for the princesses, or any other pony. The only way to defeat him was to steal his bell, the source of his power, leaving him weak and vulnerable.  

Not that that was much help to me. I’m no unicorn anyway. I wouldn’t have the first idea about how to fight him with such magic. But, on the other hand, I’ve always believed in that old axiom; if it bleeds, you can kill it, and I still had my old knife strapped to my ankle. I’ve carried it ever since Chrysalis kidnapped Tia and Luna, and it had served me well during the attack by the Storm King, and made me feel much safer walking through the rougher parts of Canterlot. Grogar could have all the magic he wanted, but no magic could help if I slit his neck open and watched him bleed out.  

So, seeing an opportunity to nip a problem in the bud, I prepared to make my move. Unfortunately, as I began to creep down the rocky steps toward my target, a few pebbles came loose and clattered down, echoing around the chamber, and giving me away.  

Grogar started and turned around to face me. My own dark brown eyes met his devious looking yellow and red ones. Spotting one another, we both froze where we were. Me crouched down, blade held ready to slash at my target, and he staring me down, a look of mild surprise on his features. He was the one to break the silence.  

“I wondered if you might find your way in here,” he said in a low, gravelly voice that suggested someone getting on in years.  

I didn’t say anything back. I wasn’t sure what to say. I’d never met this guy in my life, and he seemed to know me. Grogar continued.  

“Let me guess,” he went on. “That infernal Tree of Harmony tracked me down and sent you here to clue you in on my master plan?”

Okay, what? He knew about the Tree too? How could he know me, how could he know anything? Grogar smiled at me in a way that seemed oddly familiar. And as I was still dumbfounded, both by his manner and that fact that he hadn’t tried to kill me yet, he decided to reveal what was really going on.  

“Well, what’s the matter, Roger?” he asked, dumping fuel on the fire of my confusion. “Don’t you recognise your own best friend?”

With that, Grogar began to power up his magic, his horns glowing with that same darkness that somehow gave off a horrid light. Snapping out of my reprieve, I readied myself for his attack, but it never came. Instead, the ancient goat sorcerer's form began to change. The blue coat faded into grey, the body turned into that of a biped, the two horns turned mismatched, and a pair of odd wings sprouted from his back, while his stub of a tail turned into a long serpentine thing. The only thing that didn’t change were those clever yellow and red eyes. A moment later, and the transformation was complete, and I found myself, not staring down Grogar, but face to face with Discord. 

As a wise man once said; well, this is new.

“Ta da!” Discord said gleefully, party poppers exploding confetti out behind him.  

“You’re...you’re Grogar?” I exclaimed in surprise. Discord nodded.  

“Honestly, I’d have thought that at least that maniacal Chrysalis would have noticed a disguise spell,” he said. “But they all just accepted the fact than an ancient evil had come back to life and wanted their help to take over the world.”

Quite the revelation tat one. It took a minute for the ramifications to sink in.  

“So hang on,” I said. “Grogar isn’t real then?” Discord shrugged.

“Oh, he was real,” he replied. “But he’s long gone from this world. I made sure of that. There’s nothing quite as awkward as having the guy you’re impersonating walk in on you.”

“So it was all you then?” I went on, now starting to realise what all this meant. “You broke Cozy and Tirek out of Tartarus, you found Chrysalis and brought her here? And you brought Sombra back and set him loose on the Crystal Empire and all Equestria?!”

Discord quickly saw that his brilliant plan wasn’t getting the reception he was expecting, and, in the true fashion of the chaos spirit, tried to downplay the near catastrophic results of his actions.  

“Erm...kinda?” he shrugged awkwardly.  

With that, I snapped. My hands moved much faster than my mouth. Pretty much out of reflex, I socked my best friend on the jaw. Immortal incarnation of chaos or not, the blow sent him sprawling on the floor. I immediately jumped on him and wrapped my hands around his throat.

“Why you reality warping…!” I exclaimed, choking the unfortunate draconequus, who’s mouth was now stuck open as he tried to catch a breath. In hindsight, it must have looked like a skit from the old Simpsons show, with Homer and Bart.  

Discord could have easily snapped himself out of my grip, but instead, he just tried to bat me off with his lion paw and eagle talon. Eventually, he won out and I relented for a moment.  

“What’s the big deal?!” he exclaimed. “It’s not like anypony was ever in any real danger. My chaos magic is more powerful than any of those buffoons. If things go wrong, I can just put them right back where I found them.” I was at a loss for words.  

“The big deal, as you put it,”I shouted. “Is that you just let a total of four villains loose on Equestria. Why, Discord?”

Pushing me off of him, Discord got back to his feet, dusting himself off as he went.  

“Simple,” he replied. “Our little Princess Twiley is growing up, and in a few months time is going to be the princess. I saw how she was struggling to prepare for the job, and that she could use a confidence boost. If she can deal with four bad guys all at once, then she’ll be ready for whatever comes her way.” Again, I was dumbfounded.  

“So you’re telling me that you brought Sombra back, let him loose, causing all sorts of havoc, including my two children being turned into mind controlled soldiers, and Flurry Heart’s life being threatened, and then turned three more villains out into the world, as a test to build Twilight’s confidence?”

“Yep,” Discord replied with a nod.  

That got him another right hook to the jaw.

“Are you insane?!” I bellowed, my voice echoing around the chamber. “I mean, I know you’re nuts, Discord. But this is bonkers even by your standards. Any of those villains were dangerous enough on their own, and now you’re ‘helping’ them too. What if something goes wrong?”

“Oh relax, Roger,” he reassured me. “The three of them are quite harmless. My magic is more than a match for any of them, and as far as they’re concerned, they’re working with Grogar, helping to overthrow the princesses and defeat Twilight.”

“How?” I asked. “The least you can do is tell me what they’re planning.” Discord explained.

“The real Grogar had a bell that stored most of his magic and made him powerful enough to be dangerous. I sent the three of them off to Mount Everhoof to find it.” Jesus!

“Mount Everhoof? And you’ve sent them to gain access to a source of vast magical power? Discord, not to state the obvious, but don’t you remember what happened last time we saw a team up; a certain draconequus got stabbed in the back. Those three hate each other and are probably looking to forward their own agenda anyway.”

“Exactly,” Discord replied. “As you say, they hate each other. So at worst they’ll turn on each other. They’d never be a threat to me, and I can flip the kill switch at any time and shut this whole thing down.”

It was mad, stupid, irresponsible, and downright dangerous. This wasn’t just one of Discord’s little schemes; this had the potential to blow up into something very serious. And worse still, partly as a result of his actions, we didn’t have the Elements any more to stop whatever might happen. The idea that he’d brought Sombra back after his own escape was bad enough, but to have Chrysalis and Tirek on the loose (Cozy, I wasn’t so worried about), and allied together was more than I could handle.  

“Give me one good reason,” I said in exasperation. “Why I shouldn’t just go and tell Celestia what you’ve done.” Discord opened his mouth to reply, but we were joined by another voice.  

“That would be very unwise,” the Tree said, walking into the chamber to join us. I sighed in annoyance. The Tree knew about this, and that meant I had to stay out of it.  

“So you’re saying that Discord’s plan is sound then?” I asked. The Tree shook its head.

“It is both dangerous and foolhardy,” the Tree agreed. “But events must follow their course in order to come to a suitable outcome.”

“So if I leave him be,” I went on. “This won’t all end with Equestria in ruins?” The Tree shook its head again.

Well in that case, as much as I hated to admit it, I would need to hold off for the time being. The Tree, being such an ancient magical being, was pretty much omniscient. It knew what was going to happen in the future, and that events had to follow a certain course. Hence why it had not interfered prior to Tirek’s return, and why it had allowed itself to be seemingly destroyed by Sombra. I’d grown to trust the Tree over these past few years, ever since Discord himself told me about how it had contacted him to get him to ‘stick to his script’ as he put it.  

If it said Discord needed to play out this scam of his, that was what needed to happen. And much to my never ending frustration, I would need to keep quiet about it. The only upside was that I knew therefore, that these three villains wouldn’t get their way. They would be defeated somehow, although the Tree refused to divulge how this would take place.  

So I agreed to keep quiet, and not tell anypony else what Discord was up to. I never liked doing that. Celestia and Luna are some of my closest friends, and it felt so wrong to keep silent about a threat to them and their little ponies. But on the other hand, speaking out could set in motion a chain of events that could lead to a very undesirable outcome. I always said, better the devil you know. And that was my rationale for deceiving them. Still, I hated the fact that I could potentially take down two escaped convicts and a dangerous renegade, and yet could not take action.  

On that front though, Discord, after discussing it with the Tree for a moment, offered me something of a compromise. The Three Stooges would be back soon from Mount Everhoof, hopefully with the bell, which Discord, or rather Grogar, would hold onto for safe keeping. All three of them would need to rest in their own rooms, and that would leave Chrysalis alone.  

And if you remember, I made a promise to that witch.

And I don’t break my promises.  





So the three of us parted ways. The Tree vanished back into the shadows, and Discord, turning back into Grogar, waited for his erstwhile allies to return from their little expedition. I meanwhile, made my way through the odd lair that the four of them called home, and set myself up in Chrysalis’ room. As with the rest of the place, there were plenty of dark shadows to hide in. And what reason would she have to suspect an intruder?  

It was about twenty minutes later that I first heard echoes coming from the main chamber, as three new voices appeared. Apparently, despite their best efforts, the trio had been unsuccessful in getting their hooves and hands on Grogar’s bell. Apparently, in ancient days of yore, before even the likes of Starswirl’s merry band, it had been sealed away in a cavern atop Mount Everhoof; a virtually unclimbable mountain due to high winds, avalanches and, if Grogar was to be believed, ancient magic protecting the artifact. Apparently, the bell itself couldn’t be destroyed while it held the magic, so the only option the ponies had had was to contain it. When this was all over, I decided it would probably be a good idea to turn the thing over to the princesses for safe keeping.  

Anyway, Grogar scolded the three idiots for their failure and inability to work together, something I think we were both glad for. Although it would be rather ironic if they had. After all, wouldn’t that be the magic of friendship?  

That thought was pushed from my mind though as I heard hoofsteps drawing nearer. Chrysalis and her compatriots seemed to converse for a moment after Grogar left, allegedly to come up with another plan, and then headed for her own room. I had stationed myself in a dark corner of her room. It was a spartan affair; just a bed and a desk, with a large mirror for the changeling to vainly admire herself. Like Tirek and Cozy, she had few possessions given her hurried departure from her old hive. However, I did notice an odd piece of lavender coloured wood, though what that could be I had no idea.  

Chrysalis entered, and I held my breath. She didn’t see me as she walked in. Like I said before, she wasn’t really looking. Her guard was down, since she felt safe in her temporary home. In a sense, I was giving her a taste of her own medicine. She never went for a fair fight, she always waited until her target’s back was turned, and then struck when they were at their most vulnerable. Sensible really. Following a code of honour, if you ask me, makes you an idiot, not a gentleman. If you can kill your target without risk to yourself, then what’s wrong with stabbing them in the back?

Of course, I wasn’t about to do that. Both the Tree and Bones would be mad at me, although for entirely different reasons. Bones has his own little vendetta against Chrysalis, and despite his embracing the magic of friendship, would still very much like to see her dead. Still, while I couldn’t kill her, I could fulfil the other part of my promise.  

Carefully sneaking up behind her, keeping low to stay out of the reflection in the mirror, I made my way towards the changeling. As with Grogar, I had my knife out ready. Guns aren’t really a thing in Equestria, although cannons do exist. If you ask me, a knife is far better in a situation like this. The twenty one foot rule aside, studies have shown that people are less likely to cry out at sight of a knife compared to a gun. It had certainly worked for me back in Ireland. Guns, while not hard to come by, were loud and unwieldy. Give me a blade, knuckle dusters, or baseball bat any day.

But enough about my personal views on deadly and offensive weapons. Time to get down to brass tacks. The key thing would be to put Chrysalis in a life threatening position, before she had a chance to use her magic, and to stop her crying out. So, speed would be essential; speed, aggression, surprise, as the SAS used to say.  

I came to stop just outside her peripheral vision when I made my move. Calling on swiftness that I was honestly surprised I still had, I put one hand around her mouth, and brought the knife to her throat. The sight of me suddenly appearing in her reflection did plenty to spook her too. We struggled for a brief moment, but as soon as she felt the cold steel pressed against her chitin, she held still. Our eyes met for a moment in the mirror. I leaned down to whisper into her ear.  

“I told you I would find you,” I said softly.  

The changeling’s eyes went wide in terror. After all, she didn’t know I was operating on a leash. As far as she was concerned, this was it. Queen Chrysalis was about to leave this world with naught but a whimper. And while I couldn’t kill her, I could leave her with an ominous warning.  

“I don’t know what it is that you’re planning, your majesty,” I said, still holding her fast, despite her repeated attempted to kick at me with her hind legs. “But I do know this. All it will take is one quick slice, and you will be dead. Right here, right now.  

“Remember this; I had you. For all your magic, your clever plans and your new allies, I still had your number. Your life is in my hands now. If you live to see Celestia raise the sun tomorrow, it will be because I allow it. Everything you do from this day on, is because I let you. Whatever you accomplish in the coming months, no matter what you achieve, it will all be because I let you live. Tonight, you failed. Tonight, you died.”

I drew the blade slowly across her neck, gently grazing the black chitin. She shivered in my grasp, too scared to even consider using her magic or crying out. I will admit that I took some pleasure from her fear and from screwing with her head.  

“I’m going to leave you now, Chrysalis,” I went on. “I’m going to take my hand away in a moment, and you’re going to be a good little girl, and keep quiet. You won’t tell Grogar, Tirek, or Cozy what happened here. I imagine you’re too ashamed anyway. It will be just the two of us; our little secret. The mighty Queen of the Changelings, caught out by a human well past his prime.”

Removing the blade, I released her and stood back up to my full height. Given the quadruped nature, despite being as tall as Celestia, I’d been obliged to hunch down slightly in order to pin her. She didn’t move, she just kept her eyes fixed on mine, the terror quickly being replaced by anger.  

“Why?” she asked furiously. “Why do this to me? Why not just kill me and be done with it?” I smiled. I even considered telling her the truth for a moment.  

“According to my friends in the Buffalo Nations, killing when unnecessary is a sign of stupidity. But in this meeting, I have taken far more than your life, wouldn’t you agree?”

And with that, I left the changeling to her solitude, still shaking like a leaf as I departed.  





The Tree transported me back home, and I went back as if nothing had happened. I didn’t say a word to anyone or anypony about what had transpired. And I felt like a right git for it. I mean, I knew about Grogar, I knew that three very dangerous villains were on the loose, and that Discord was responsible for all the major events since the princesses announced their retirement. If I spoke a word of this to Twilight, Celestia, or anypony, the whole matter would have been nipped in the bud, and it would all have been relegated to an interesting thought experiment, instead of the biggest near miss of our time.  

But as I said before, I trust that Tree. Even if it doesn’t give me the full story, I knew that Twilight would prevail when push inevitably came to shove. I just felt like such a traitor keeping all this under wraps. I promised myself that, when this was all over, I would tell Celestia everything. Hang the consequences, I’d tell her about the Tree and the fact that it had been letting me in on spoilers since Sombra first came back from the dead. I just hoped my friend would be understanding.  

Anyway, after that odd incident, life returned to its normal routine again. I was in this odd world, knowing a storm was on the horizon and yet unable to do much about it. Holding a secret as big as that was hard on my psyche, and I had no doubt that it would eventually start to show through. I just needed to tell somepony, and get this whole thing off my chest. And as luck would have it, Discord knew of just the pony.   





Sombra, as you may recall, was once again imprisoned in Tartarus. He voluntarily returned there in order to avoid the wrath of the Tree of Harmony, promising to aid me in defeating Grogar.  

Yeah, I didn’t really need his help now, did I?

Sombra has always been a scheming devil, always plotting and planning some way to defeat his enemies. Even when languishing in a prison cell, he was able to come up with a way of using the ponies around him and outside events to further his own agenda. And as much as it pains me to say it, he’s outsmarted me more times that I care to admit. He’s a genius that can rival Celestia in terms of knowledge and planning. He plays the long game, like Discord.

Now though, he didn’t really have a card to play. Grogar was neither real, nor a credible threat. So he had very little to offer me in terms of information. In a sense, he’d shot himself in the foot. He’d willingly gone back to Tartarus, possibly to wait for Grogar to be defeated and use the chaos to make his own move. Instead, he was now stuck here, with no leverage.  

I figured that it was time somepony told him that, and explained just how badly he’d overplayed his hand. This was it for him. He had no more cards to play. I could sit back and say that he and I had clashed swords, and I had come out on top. Plus, as I said before, it would be nice to tell somepony about the Tree of Harmony and everything else that I was compelled to keep under my hat.  

Discord took me down to Tartarus by way of a portal and joined me to watch the ensuing fireworks. We passed the now empty cells that previously contained Tirek and Cozy, and made for the small cavern that he’d Sombra’s cell.  

We found him, as ever, calm and relaxed; confident that he knew more than I did. It was going to be fun to see this psychopath taken down a peg. Discord hung back while I took a seat across from the bars. Sombra looked up as I approached, his red eyes fixing on my own.  

“Hello, Roger,” he said in that menacing tone of his. “Have you come for a few pearls of wisdom from little old me?”

Now, at first, I wanted to string him along a bit, have a bit of fun at his expense for once. And then, after he’d given all this useful information, reveal that it was all bunk. But at that moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. And it wasn’t just a chuckle either. I burst out into full on belly laughter, and each time I tried to get myself under control, I’d meet those menacing, and now angry, red eyes again, and it would just get me going again. I must have burst out laughing three or four times before I finally got myself under control again, with tears streaming down my face.  

Sombra of course, didn’t take that well. He snarled at me, but without any magic to call on there was little he could do from his side of the bars. He did his best to remain composed, sneering at me as if he was studying some fascinating insect under a magnifying glass. But even he couldn’t bluff his way through it. I’d gotten to him, invalidating him.  

Eventually, after I managed to stop laughing. I got my breath back and dried my eyes with a handkerchief, doing my best to regain my own composure. But there was nothing I could do to take the smile off my face as I replied to his question.  

“No,” I said simply, after barking out another short laugh.  

And that was by far the best moment of the encounter; seeing Sombra, the Machiavellian manipulator, who always has a plan ,and always has some cutting remark on hoof, looking completely and utterly bewildered. The world seemed to have just been pulled out from under him. Wanting to twist the knife further, I explained.  

“You’ve been duped, Sombra,” I said. “Grogar is no more a threat to Equestria than...well...you.” That just cheesed him off even more.  

“What do you mean?” he demanded. “I saw Grogar’s power. He brought me back from the Ether with ease, freed Lord Tirek and that filly from Tartarus, and effortlessly plucked Chrysalis from her solitude. He is more than a match for Twilight Sparkle, or the princesses.”

“True,” I replied. “But he’s hardly likely to harm Equestria when he’s been such a close ally.”

“Explain!” Sombra roared. I turned to the passageway from which I’d come.  

“Oh Grogar?” I called out, prompting Discord is his disguised form to join us. Sombra snarled.  

“I believe you two know each other,” I said as the goat walked in. It was wonderful to see Sombra so off balance like this. “But perhaps not as well as you thought.”

With a burst of magic, Discord removed his disguise and gave a friendly wave to Sombra, who’s eyes were now bulging in barely contained fury.

“Discord!” he shouted.

“Hello, crystal for brains,” Discord replied with a grin. “Sorry to break it to you, but you just stumbled onto my little experiment. You didn’t think you actually knocked me down back then did you?”

“Discord brought the four of you together as a little training exercise to prepare Twilight for her new role,” I explained. “He was running the show the entire time you got loose. You never had a chance.”

Sombra said nothing. As a wise man once said, like the greatest virtue, and the worst dogs, the fiercest hatred is silent. And boy did he hate me now.  

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked, his voice little more than a whisper through gritted teeth. I shrugged my shoulders.

“Well, I figured that you should know that I won’t be coming back to here again. You’re of no use to me any more.”

So, what?” Sombra asked. “Are you going to let that Tree contraption finally destroy me?” I shook my head.

“No, Sombra. You turned my children into mindless slaves, harmed my dear friends, and no doubt would have eventually done the same to me. For that, I will do far worse than kill you. Telling you all this has hurt you. And I wish to go on...hurting you. I shall leave you, as Tirek left my dearest friends. Marooned for all eternity in this place, buried alive.” I leaned in close and glared at him through the bars, a cruel smile on my face. “Buried alive.”

Discord then snapped his talons, and the two of us returned to my office from whence we’d come.  

I could still hear Sombra screaming in wordless anger though. Closing my eyes, I leaned back in office chair, and revelled in the knowledge that I had just beaten my old foe.