//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: Chaos Runs Rampant // by RK_Striker_JK_5 //------------------------------// The Royal Canterlot Gardens were a wash of activity. Princesses Celestia and Luna stood near the center, directly facing the frozen form of Discord. Megan was by Celestia's side, General Spanish Steel standing in front. Off to the side, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were clustered together, each one wearing their Element of Harmony. Rainbow Dash poked a hoof at hers. “So, when he breaks out we power-up and blast him, right?” Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Got it, Dash.” Applejack raised a foreleg. “Ah, begging everyone's pardon, but on the off-chance it doesn't work, what then?” Fluttershy shrank down and folded her wings over her head. “Ah... panic?” At everyone's looks, she sighed. “Sorry, just trying for a joke.” Pinkie Pie waggled her head back and forth. “Hmm, an A for effort, but kinda fell flat, Fluttershy.” Twilight Sparkle walked up to Celestia's side. “Pardon me, Princess, but where's Cadance? I'm a little surprised she isn't here for this.” Celestia looked down at Twilight Sparkle. She waved a wing in the general direction behind her. “Right now, she's back at Canterlot Castle, along with Captains Blueblood and Armor. I don't want to risk too many pieces in play in the hopefully-short time Discord is free.” Spanish Steel pointed at the statue. “Your highness? Something is happening!” Everyone there turned to the statue, focusing on it. Indeed, a small black mass had appeared on its alabaster-white surface, slowly pulsating. Small cracks started to appear, radiating out from the mass like a spider's web. The mismatched limbs could be seen vibrating, starting to move. Luna waved a wing at the statue. “Everyone, stand ready! Discord's freedom is imminent. He must be stopped here and now, lest chaos reign over this world! Assemble your friends, Twilight!” Twilight Sparkle swallowed, but started forward. Applejack and Rainbow Dash flanked her, while Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy hung slightly back. She tapped the diadem set in her Element of Magic. “Ready girls?” The other five Bearers nodded. “Ready to kick Discord's butt back to...” Rainbow Dash trailed off. “Actually, we won't be really kicking his butt, will we?” Fluttershy spoke up. “Well, we'll use the E-Elements to kick seal h-him back into stone, so...” She grinned. “We will kick his butt, Rainbow Dash! We'll kick his butt so hard he'll freeze in shock!” The other five laughed. Pinkie Pie patted her on the shoulder. “Now that was a good one!” Twilight Sparkle pointed at the statue. “All right, let's do this!” she shouted. A bright dome of light formed around the six. Their necklaces started floating, glowing. The gems embedded in them all flared, firing off a beam of light that struck the diadem in Twilight Sparkle's tiara. Twilight's own eyes turned white as a double-beam of rainbow-striped energy emerged from the group, shooting into the air and spiraling around in a corkscrew before diving down steeply towards Discord. The Rainbow of Light enveloped the statue, coursing around it and hammering into the grass directly behind. After a few minutes, the rainbow faded. The statue remained there, as solid as ever–at first. After a few seconds, cracks formed all over the statue. The statue and base disintegrated into a cloud of dust and debris. Silence reigned over the area for a few moments. Pinkie Pie leaned forward. “Did we do that?” As the dust settled, one piece of debris landed on the ground and unfurled into a piece of paper. Twilight's eyes narrowed. Her horn lit up, but the paper remained stuck to the ground. “Budge, darn, you budge!” Celestia, Luna, Spanish Steel, and Megan walked over to Twilight and her friends. Both Celestia and Luna tried to float the paper over to them, with identical results to Twilight's. Spanish Steel spoke up. “Your highness, with your permission I'll go and retrieve that.” Megan held a hand up. “I'll go get it.” She looked to Celestia and Luna and waggled a finger at them. “No buts, young ladies. The Elements can cover me. Just keep an eye out, all right?” With that, she turned and walked over to the paper. Everyone there held their breath as Megan knelt down and grabbed at the paper. She picked it up and brought it close to her face. “'I apologize for not being there in draconequus to greet you. I was busy getting the party ready'.” Megan looked up from the paper. “Oh, shit.” The ink on the paper glowed. A small hole appeared on it, and a translucent shade of Discord snaked its way out of it. He reached out, grabbing Megan's shoulders with his lion's paw and eagle's claw. “My dear Megan!” he said, eyes dancing with an inner fire, “it's so nice to meet you! A spot of tea in the Royal Hedge Maze? Why thank you. We'll have such an insanely good time!” Time slowed to almost a standstill. Celestia and Luna's shouts could be heard. They flared their wings and their horns charged with magical energy. Spanish Steel unsheathed a sword with his right wing and swung it about, all the while shouting instructions into an earpiece. The Bearers of the Elements stared at Megan and Discord. Applejack reared back and kicked her forelegs, while Rainbow Dash's wings blurred from flapping. Pinkie Pie had produced a party cannon from somewhere. Fluttershy's eyes went wide, and she dropped to the ground, wings covering her head. Rarity's jaw went slack and her eyes wide. Twilight's head shot all around as she shouted at them to get back. Discord looked up at the commotion going on behind Megan. He clicked his tongue against his lone fang. “Oh, dear. I'd invite your friends, but they seem a bit too... unruly. Chaotic, you might say?” His body started withdrawing back into the paper. “Come along, Megan. Time's a wasting!” Megan struggled, but Discord's grip remained firm. Before she could do anything, say anything, or try to unleash any of her alicorn powers, she was pulled forward, her head disappearing into the paper. Megan's body shrank and bent as she was pulled into the paper. Her boots quickly passed through and disappeared. The paper floated back to the ground, landing gently on the debris below. Celestia and Luna arrived mere moments later. Celestia's magic almost ripped the paper in two as she floated it up. “Discord, Discord!” she shouted. Her eyes blazed with an inner and outer fire, and parts of her mane started writhing about and smoking. Luna draped a wing over Celestia's barrel. “Sister, sister! Celestia!” She cantered around and locked eyes with Celestia. Luna's eyes turned a bright-white. “Calm yourself. This is what Discord wants,” she intoned, voice echoing. Celestia blinked. The fire died down, and her mane stopped smoldering. She sucked in two deep breaths before speaking. “Thank you, Luna. You are... you're right. Discord wants us to lose our cool. It's just... you remember what he did last time.” She closed her eyes. “Morning Glory...” Luna gravely nodded. “I do, Celestia.” She took hold of the paper. “Twilight Sparkle, can you do anything, trace Discord's magic?” Twilight's horn glowed as she took hold of the paper from Luna and floated it in front of her. A thin beam of magic shot from her horn, growing and enveloping it. Her eyes narrowed. “I'm getting something, but it–” The ground lurched, sending everyone not named Rainbow Dash stumbling. The bushes making up the hedge maze at the center of the garden started growing up and out, twisting together. The branches wove in and out, locking together. The side facing the group bulged out, forming a leafy relief that bore more than a passing resemblance to a certain draconequus. Rainbow Dash pointed at it. “Ah, Twi? I think we can figure it out from here.”