Now that Bedlam had gone, the effects of her chaos magic began to dissipate, so the princesses felt it was safe enough to lower the shield they had created. Celestia and Luna then turned to face the ponies, Spike, and Discord, most of whom were still in utter shock, except for the still dazed Discord.
“Is everypony all right?” Celestia asked worryingly. It took a few moments, but Applejack was the first to respond.
“Wh…wha…what just happened?!” Applejack finally exclaimed after a brief bit of stammering.
“…I think…Twilight just kicked Discord’s butt!” Rainbow Dash answered, her eyes still focused in the direction where Bedlam made her expeditious exit.
“…she did…but…” Rarity said in a moderately distressed tone.
“But that wasn’t Twilight…” Spike finished, no less anxious than she was.
Fluttershy was in such shock her mind was unable to form a response to what had just occurred, but then shifted her attention to Discord as his head began to stir.
“Discord! Are you all right?” she asked worriedly.
“In a matter of speaking…” he mutters as he magics up an ice pack to place against his head, “Ugh…it feels like I’ve been out for 4 years and 3 months…hmm…not sure why I chose that particular time frame…”
As Fluttershy and Spike helped Discord to sit up, Celestia turned to Luna, who had turned back to look up at where Bedlam had flown off. “This is very troubling, sister,” she stated before turning her head towards Celestia, “And that is putting it quite mildly.”
“Indeed…and after what we just witnessed…” Celestia turned her gaze up to the sky, “I haven’t any such idea on how to stop this Bedlam creature…”
“I mean, seriously!!” Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed, drawing everypony’s attention to her, “Just…what happened?!? Why wasn't Discord able to keep up with her? He was doing it at first!"
"That's because Bedlam wasn't being serious at first,” Applejack responded sullenly. “She was just toying with Discord until she changed up her game—and ah’m sure everything is a game to her…”
“Though not entirely, I would say…” Luna spoke, stepping towards the others.
“How do you mean, Luna?” Celestia inquired.
“I mean that Bedlam seems to fight more with real violence rather than comical violence like Discord. Some of her tactics were not humorous at all, such as when she assaulted Discord with the floor itself.”
“Just hearing about that again gives me a headache…” Discord stated in a pained tone before magically creating a second ice pack to put against the other side of his head.
“Hmm…I see your point, sister; and it’s clearly due to the merging of Discord’s essence merging with Twilight’s. The two together have created something new: an entity that desires only wanton destruction and chaos—one that holds Discord's enjoyment for causing chaos while at the same time having the intelligence to know when to use more effective tactics in battle.”
“Bedlam knows how to have fun, but takes real fighting more seriously than Discord ever would,” Applejack interjected. “And she wanted to let him know she could beat him at his own game if she chose to play that way."
“So she was just leading him along the entire time,” said Spike, “She probably could have beaten Discord at any time, but just took her time to have her own kind of fun…” Spike shuddered as he clasped his shoulders. “Such a twisted thing to do to anypony…”
“And such a horrid thought, too,” Rarity added fearfully, “That she could have done the same to all of us…any time she wanted…” a feeling of apprehension wafted across the group as they all stood motionless in timorous silence—well, all but one.
Fluttershy turned towards Discord as he gradually got up on his feet, holding on his face an expression of noticeable irritation. “She might think she can beat me just like that,” he said as he snapped his fingers, conjuring up a small figurine of Bedlam in his right hand, “But I will show her who the real master of all things chaotic is!!” he exclaimed angrily as he crushed the figurine with his lion’s paw.
“Now hold on a minute!” Applejack interjected, “Ah wanna stop bedlam just as much as the next pony, but yah can’t ferget that Bedlam is still Twilight!”
“Oh dear, Applejack is right!” Rarity concurred, “I don’t want to stop bedlam if it means anything too horrid happening to poor Twilight!” she said in a distressed tone, with the others agreeing with her.
“I understand, but we can’t just let Bedlam run rampant!” Celestia responded, “Something must be done! But what?” Everyone began to ponder on what the next course of action should be.
“Umm…what about the Elements of Harmony?” asked Pinkie Pie, with everyone turning in her direction.
“Oh, DUH!!” Rainbow exclaimed as she slapped her hoof to her forehead, “How do we keep forgetting about those! Good thinking, Pinkie Pie!”
“Just glad to finally contribute something this chapter!” Pinkie happily replied.
“Chapter…? What is she…oh, never mind…”
“Hmm, an intriguing idea,” Celestia said as she contemplated the suggestion, “I suppose the Elements could purge the evil from Twilight while not harming her—similar to what they did with Nightmare Moon,” Celestia looked towards Luna, who nodded back at her.
“Well, if we’re gonna use the Elements on her, we’re gonna havta find her first!” Applejack stated firmly.
“Uhh…”
“But she could be anywhere by now!”
“Umm…”
“Well, knowing her Discord side, she’s sure to leave a trail of her chaos around!”
“Hey…”
“But even if we find her, she’s not going to just be still so we can go and defeat her!”
“Err…”
"Just give me five minutes with her—I know I can get her to hold still," Discord said, sounding quite adamant.
“You guys…”
Discord then shifted his attention down to Fluttershy, who was standing by his side, “Oh, Fluttershy—did you want to add something to our council of war!”
“Well, it’s just…how are we supposed to use the Elements of Harmony to save Twilight if Bedlam still has the crown?” These words caused a shocking revelation to surge through the others in the throne room.
“Oh no, she’s right!” Applejack exclaimed in distress.
"We can't use them without all of us!" Rarity added.
“So what are we supposed to do??” Spike asked, just as distressed as Applejack.
Everyone turned towards Celestia and Luna, with neither looking to have an immediate answer available to alleviate their newest predicament. But before they even had a chance to respond, a colossal burst of light appeared outside, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“That looks like it came from Ponyville!” Rainbow exclaimed in shock and horror.
Celestia looked disconcerted at first, but her countenance transformed to a more austere expression, and she turned her head to Luna, who looked back at her sister, having the same look on her face as well.
“Well, we know where she is now…” Celestia turned to face the ponies, Spike, and Discord, “But before we see to Bedlam, it is best to see to the safety of the residents of Ponyville first,” she firmly declared, with the others nodding their approval, with the expression of every creature showing their determination to stop Bedlam and her ignoble ways. Celestia looked at Discord and nodded her head. Understanding her gesture, Discord snapped his fingers, teleporting everybody out of the throne room and to where the wicked draconequus was now spreading her new, personal brand of chaos…