//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Manehattan 
// Story: The Phantom Filly 
// by Lucar 
//------------------------------//

"Mmh... They're probing Manehattan," said Tirek as he looked at the monitors showing the surface with Eggman.

"Of course, they understood that we're hidden somewhere underground," said the doctor.

"It will still take them some time."

"But it will be best if they take more time, so..." Eggman smirked. "Time to give them some action."

Tirek smirked too. "I like it. But could you at least avoid to kill them? I can't drain magic from corpses."

"I will try."



Manehattan Beach. Despite most ponies being on edge because of the recent disappearances, many were still trying to live their life, and so, passed some good time on the beach, relaxing or playing under the warm sun.

But then, ponies started to see things moving in the water, and soon, flying robots, dozens of them, from birds to wasps passing by bats, came out of it. Understanding what they were, the ponies started running away. Behind them, walking out of the water, more robots were coming, crabs, snails, rats, caterpillars, ladybugs, and much more. But most of the robots coming out were red and black, egg-shaped robots with grey head, thin arms and legs, and two rockets on their back, some of them using said rockets to fly.

And all the robots fired at the fleeing ponies.



Scootaloo knew this would happen...

She had dreaded this moment...

And now, here she was...

Being a mannequin for Rarity.

Thanks to the possibility to change shape at will because of the ruby, she was just perfect for this job, and Rarity saw the perfect occasion to take measurements to be able to make dresses for ponies and creatures she wasn't used to make clothes for because she hadn't an exemplary of said ponies and creatures living nearby. So Scootaloo used her powers to take the appearance of more of less muscular ponies (less buffed than Bulk Biceps), more or less chubby ponies, ponies taller or smaller than usual, minotaurs, griffons, and so on. Rarity was Sweetie Belle's sister, so Scootaloo couldn't say no to her pleads, especially if it could help her improve her business.

At least, it gave Scootaloo the occasion to see how it felt to be all those different beings. And Rarity even proposed to make some clothes for her Zero persona as a reward. It could be nice to have some, just in case.

Infinite clearly didn't like the idea of having his body being used as a mannequin. And he was clearly disgusted when Scootaloo first put on a dress, because it was as if he was wearing one.

Then, Twilight appeared. "Rarity! Have you seen Scootaloo? I have been told she was here!"

"I'm right here," said Scootaloo, waving a claw as she was now a young griffon chick.

“Scootaloo! We need you! Manehattan is under attack!”

"What?!" yelled both Scootaloo and Rarity.

"Hundreds of robots! They turned the entire island into a battlefield! Hundreds of ponies have already been injured, Royal Guards included!"

Scootaloo frowned, then used the powers of the ruby to teleport the dress she was wearing to a nearby table before she transformed herself into Zero. "Then I'm going right now!" The next instant, she was gone.



When Scootaloo appeared in the sky above Manehattan, she saw pure chaos. Between the buildings, robots were flying in formations in all directions, constantly firing at the streets and at the buildings. On the streets, more robots were scattered and firing at will at everything that wasn't another robot. Some of them were dragging captured ponies to an unknown destination.

Looking at the carnage in rage, Scootaloo sent a wave of energy to the entire city, and the next instant, the robots were firing at each others, now seeing other robots as ponies. While this happened, Scootaloo started attacking them, using a red sword similar to the one that Infinite materialized in their mindscape, or creating laser cannons. She also sent replicas of Celestia and Luna, speeding up the destruction of the robots.

In this chaos, the real Celestia and Luna appeared with more Royal Guards. They looked in wonder at the robots destroying each other and being destroyed by clones of them, but when they saw Scootaloo pass above them slashing at robots, they quickly understood what was going on and helped the replicas and remaining Royal Guards finishing the robots.

In a few minutes, Manehattan was cleared of all enemies.



"Impressive..." said Tirek. "The powers of this ruby are prodigious."

"This is why I must get my hands on it!" shouted Eggman.

In your dream, old man. I will be the one who will get the powers of this ruby, thought Tirek.

"But at least, the attack worked," continued Eggman.

"Will you send more robots to attack?"

"Tomorrow. I must rebuild my army before sending it to be slaughtered again." He gave a maniacal laugh. "Let's see how long it will take them to find this place with daily attacks slowing them down!"



Celestia and Luna found Scootaloo, still as Zero, sitting beside a group of injured ponies, the filly using her new powers to heal them.

"Hello Sc-Zero. I didn't know that you could heal ponies," said Celestia.

Scootaloo looked up at them. "I wasn't sure too, but since I can change reality, I told myself that I could change it so ponies wouldn't be injured anymore." As a demonstration, she used her power on the leg of a mare an energy bullet had pierced, and after a somewhat glitching moment, it was as if the wound had never existed. "It makes me feel guilty to find out only now. All the injured ponies back in Ponyville would be healed by now. As soon as I return, I will get to that."

"Thank you!" said the mare she just healed before she went to hug a colt.

Celestia looked at the mare and the colt with a warm smile. "Those powers are really wonderful." She looked back at Scootaloo. "You are wonderful."

Luna nodded. "Thank you for helping saving the ponies of Manehattan."

Scootaloo got up and did an exaggerated bow. "You're welcome, princesses. It's only normal for a superhero to save the day. And I will gladly do it again if those robots come back."

Infinite groaned. Kill me...

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.  A boy who doesn't like the idea of being a superhero? Well, knowing his past, he would be more of a supervillain.

Celestia giggled at her act. "Well, I fear that they will be back very soon. We are getting closer of finding Eggman's base, and he doesn't like that."

"Oh. So this is the reason of today's attack?"

Luna nodded. "But we will continue to probe the underground of Manehattan until we find him, no matter how much he tries to stop us."

"So..." Scootaloo looked around at the injured ponies. "We should evacuate the city."

Both princesses nodded, and Celestia said "This is what I thought. But we will have to find a way to shelter all those ponies."

"But it's better than letting them being shot by those robots again and again," said Luna.

Scootaloo nodded before she returned to heal the ponies, only to frown at seeing who was the next pony, and what happened. It was Babs Seed, and she had lost a leg. Quickly, Scootaloo used her powers to make a new one appear. "There. Better," she said while patting her head.

Babs hugged her, crying. "Thank you... Thank you..."

Scootaloo patted her back with a smile. "You're welcome." She then looked around and shouted "Everypony missing a limb or an eye or something else quickly come to me!"

Celestia sighed. "We are so lucky to have her..."

Luna nodded.



The next day, for once, Manehattan Beach was calm, empty of ponies excepted for some guards stationed here.

And those guards were the first ones to see robots coming out of the water.

"Oh no..."

"We're attacked!"



Scootaloo spotted Twilight waving at her through a window while she was in school and immediately groaned, understanding what it meant.

So she did as she said before and went out of school to go fight the robots and save Manehattan, again.



The next day, more robots came out of the water of Manehattan Beach, forcing Scootaloo to come save the day again. By now, the majority of the Royal Guard was here, including Shining Armor, and Luna herself decided to remain stationed in the city to be ready. By now, the civilians were evacuated, so the battle was faster and less bloody.

Scootaloo decided after that to remain in the city too, leaving a replica to take her place in Ponyville, and Twilight and her friends also came to help. Yes, even Fluttershy, but knowing that innocent critters were used as batteries to power the robots, the usually not violent mare was determined to take part to save them.

And you didn't want to be in the path of an angry Fluttershy trying to save innocent critters. Always watch the quiet ones.

After a few more days of this, special robots with fully functional magic generators started to appear among the more normal robots, becoming quickly a greater menace with their ability to use magic, even if it was just as simple spells like levitation, magical beams, or shields.

But in return, the ponies finished their first robots, boxy metal pony-shaped automatons running on magic that clearly still needed some improvements. Comparing a pony robot to an Eggman robot was like comparing a clumsy rooky Royal Guard to a fully trained captain.

But at least, battle by battle, the situation was slowly improving for the ponies who also started to use more advanced weapons and more effective armor taken or inspired from Eggman's robots.

One good thing that came out of this nightmare caused by Eggman: the technological boon.

Then, one day...

"Mmh... There's something big under there," said an unicorn guard after using one of the probing spells near an abandoned factory. "The buildings in this area shouldn't have basements, right?"

"Some of them have one, but generally only for storage," said another guard, an earth pony. "So, not big."

"Let's continue probing the area," said another unicorn guard. "We may have found what we search."



"They found us," said Tirek.

"It was bound to happen. But at least, it took them more time, so we are better prepared," said Eggman.

"You’ll use that weird mecha to try to capture the ruby?"

"Yes. Time to test this magic."



Scootaloo (as Zero), Celestia, Luna, Twilight and her friends, and Shining Armor were gathered inside the abandoned factory with a few guards, looking around. More guards were looking outside the building.

"Where is the entrance?!" shouted Luna.

"Probably well hidden. It could be behind any of those walls or anywhere under the floor."

Scootaloo was knocking on the walls, trying to find a secret panel, or if the sound changed, but her search was as unsuccessful as the search of everypony else. She lost patience. "Ugh... We are losing time." She then activated the Phantom Ruby and materialized a giant drill. "Move away, everypony!" she then shouted before she activated the drill, which dug a hole. After a few minutes, she felt the drill reach something, made it disappear and jumped in the hole.

"Wait!" shouted Shining Armor too late.

Scootaloo landed in a room in front of an elevator (the actual entrance) and shouted, "Alright! Now time to-" That's when she saw the dozens of robots and turrets turned toward her, cannons ready to fire.

Idiot. You don't jump blindly in an unknown underground base probably well defended, said Infinite. Especially after using a drill to dig a hole to it.

Shining Armor suddenly dropped in front of her. "Remain beside me!" he yelled before he materialized a pink shield all around them just before the robots fired. The shield was thankfully strong enough to resist the onslaught, but Shining Armor was clearly in difficulty. So Scootaloo acted quickly and used her powers to materialize and throw metallic spiked balls at the robots and turrets fast enough to pierce and destroy them.

Scootaloo and Shining were then joined by the princesses who finished the remaining robots that survived the projectiles. The Royal Guards then jumped in, the Element Bearers among them.

More robots came but were quickly destroyed by Scootaloo, and the guards moved into the different hallways connecting to this room, followed by Scootaloo and the others.

As expected, the place was a huge factory divided into many levels, each producing different types of robots. The ponies really understood the horror of the place when they saw mechanical claws grabbing captured animals out of capsules and place them inside the robots. What was horrible was the number of capsules: hundreds, filling whole rooms. And each contained a few dozens animals.

Fluttershy almost lost it when she discovered it.

They also found the kidnapped ponies, forced to work in the factory and drained from their magic. They were quickly escorted out of the place.

Many traps were in the way of the ponies in addition of the turrets and robots, from spikes coming out of the floors and walls to flamethrowers, and even rooms that were filling with a poisonous gas or water. They found out about the secret tunnels, the monitor room, the labs where Eggman experimented with magic, and everything else.

Then, as Scootaloo crashed some robots against a wall by manipulating gravity, she saw Eggman run behind a door that closed behind him while four turrets activated. She easily destroyed the turrets and materialized a big cannon to blow up the door, letting her follow the mad scientist into a hallway. Some more robots and turrets tried to stop her, but they barely slowed her down, and before long, she passed another door, not remarking that she was now alone.

She then entered a big dome-shaped room with Eggman's emblem on the wall, and no exit. Before she could start to look around, the roof of the dome opened, and a huge egg-shaped robot looking like Eggman dropped in front of her, easily ten times bigger than her. It had short but bulky legs with wheels, and bulky arms with three spikes for fingers.

A strange device in its torso then activated, and the next instant, a magical shield trapped the both of them in the room.




DEATH   EGG   MAGICAL   ROBOT


"WHAT THE HAY?!" yelled Scootaloo. "What is that?!"

A Death Egg Robot, answered Infinite. And this one seems to be able to use magic.

"MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Long time no see!" shouted Eggman from inside the robot. "Seems like you enjoyed having my ruby! But now, it's time for you to give it back!" he shouted before the spikes of the right hand of the robot rotated. He then attacked Scootaloo with it, and she quickly flew away, only for the robot to fire its left arm at her. She teleported to avoid it, but then, the robot fired a powerful magical beam from the device in its torso and hit her, causing her to slam against the shield.

The robot suddenly jumped to crush her, and Scootaloo teleported again in panic, seeing that the robot had a big jetpack on its back to help it move. When she reappeared, Scootaloo attacked by sending some red cubes, and the robot was transported to a reality where it was attacked from all sides by laser cannons, but the only cannons that were effective against it were the ones hitting it in the black part at the bottom of the body or on the head.

When the robot landed after its jump, it caused some robots and pieces to fall from the ceiling, and the robots fired at Scootaloo. She quickly destroyed them, but the Death Egg Robot used then the magical device in its torso to levitate the pieces and remaining robots and to throw them at her before firing its two arms and another magical beam.

As Scootaloo avoided them, she sent more of the red cubes to trap the robot in a reality where it was hit on the torso by a big battering ram, but it barely stunned it for a few seconds that Scootaloo used to attack its black part and head.

Scootaloo, however, was grabbed by the robot's magic and was sent right into the path of a punch from the robot that slammed her on the ground, and the robot jumped again to crush her. Scootaloo quickly used cubes to inverse the gravity of the robot's reality to make it land on the ceiling of the shield, but the robot then dropped bombs and used magic to throw them at her.

Avoiding the bombs, she returned the gravity back to normal, making the robot fall head first on the floor and leaving its black part and head vulnerable to Scootaloo's attacks. However, the robot quickly got up and charged its magical device before firing a huge beam with it while rotating its torso. While avoiding the beam, she continued sending cubes to attack its black part.

But then, the robot teleported and appeared right above Scootaloo. Before she knew it, the robot dropped on her, and it crushed her under one of its feet, which it raised and brought down back on her to crush her more.

"MWAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Eggman as he continued to bring down the robot's foot on Scootaloo. "You aren't as tough as you thought! You may have the ruby and its powers, but you are still just a little filly playing heroes in the big leagues! Now, remain still!" A compartment opened under the magical device. "I have a place just for you! You will help me conquer this world!"

He's right. You aren't trained to face such an enemy. However, I am. Let me tack control of your body, and we won't serve as Eggman's power source, said Infinite.

"I-I refuse... If I let you control me, you will hurt everypony..." At this, she tried to get up, only to receive a punch to the back, getting badly injured by the spikes of the robot’s hand.

She was able to use the ruby to teleport again and she sent red cubes at the robot to attack it. When the robot fired its arms at her again, Scootaloo went to dodge, only for the arms to teleport and appear before and behind her, and she was crushed between them.

As she dropped, the robot’s left hand changed form to turn into a real-looking hand and grabbed her. Electricity came out of the hand, electrifying her and stopping her from doing anything because of the pain.

The pain stopped when Celestia suddenly came out of the hallway and destroyed the shield before Luna, who followed her, fired a huge magical beam at the robot. However, all the beam did was to force the robot to take a step back.

“AHAHAHAH!! That’s all? I barely felt it!” shouted Eggman.

“What is that thing?” shouted Luna.

“Its weak points are the black part and the head!” shouted Scootaloo.

“Shut up, you!” shouted Eggman as he electrified the filly again.

“Stop it!” yelled Celestia before she charged at the hand holding Scootaloo to try to save her. She barely avoided the other arm trying to punch her, only to be hit by a magical beam fired by the magical device of the robot. As she recovered, the robot teleported beside her and tried to punch her again. Celestia created the most powerful shield she could form, but it was destroyed like a mirror by the robot’s punch, and she was sent against the wall of the room.

“Oh, I love love love this magic!” shouted Eggman with another laugh. “Wait until I face Sonic again with it! Even him will not resist against me with it!”

That’s when the Bearers and some Royal Guards entered the room, and upon seeing the robot and the state of Scootaloo and of Celestia, they started attacking it with everything they had. Luna quickly told them what Scootaloo told her about the robot’s weakness, and the ponies started targeting the black part and the head.

But despite all this, the robot remained a real powerhouse, the few hits it took while it was moving around to attack the ponies barely damaged it. Eggman started by targeting Luna, sending bombs toward her. She sent the bombs back at the robot with her magic, but they weren’t effective at all. She jumped back to avoid the robot’s arm, but the robot then teleported beside her and kicked her. Meanwhile, it used the arm holding Scootaloo to slap Rainbow Dash, sending her crashing on a wall, before it started rotating its torso while firing a magical beam, sweeping the ground and hurting a lot of ponies with it.

Celestia and Luna came back to attack, but the robot then slammed a foot on the floor, causing robots and objects to drop from the hole in the ceiling where it came from, and then used telekinesis to throw the robots and objects at the princesses and at the other ponies while kicking an Earth Pony guard that came too close, and crushing another. It then used telekinesis again to grab some guards and to throw them at others.

The robot jumped toward Shining Armor, only to teleport mid-jump and to appear just above Twilight, who couldn’t act in time to avoid it dropping on her. It then swept the floor again with a magical beam while dropping bombs all around itself.

Scootaloo was crying, not able to do anything to help them.

Your friends are getting hurt anyway, said Infinite in her mind. What do you prefer? Let Eggman continue, killing your friends, and using us to conquer the world? Or take the risk and let me take control to have a chance?

“A... A chance? Maybe you will destroy... the Death Egg Robot... but... I know you will attack my friends immediately after. This will not be better...”

But at least, Eggman will not get the ruby and will not use it.

"But you will use it..."

Then make your choice, but do it quickly, or your friends will die anyway.

Scootaloo opened her eyes and looked at what was happening. The ponies were losing. Already, dozens of guards were lying around unconscious, and Applejack, Twilight, and... and even Rainbow Dash... The princesses and Shining Armor were in bad shape too. The captain now prince was using a shield to protect himself and some of his fellow guards, only for the robot to easily destroy it by charging into it with the help of his jetpack, and the ponies were rammed and sent flying.

The Death Egg Robot... What a truly terrible machine... It must be stopped...

But then...

Scootaloo closed her eyes. I must choose between two evils. What would be best? If this continues, Eggman will win, but if I let Infinite take control of my body, it will not be better. But... Maybe they will be able to stop him. The robot is too strong, but Infinite is more vulnerable. They can fight him, even with the Phantom Ruby in his side. Oh, please... I hope I’m right... "Sorry everypony... ALRIGHT INFINITE! YOU CAN COME OUT!" she yelled before she stopped moving.

Her yell caused everyone to look at her, even Eggman, staring in wonder, stopping the battle.

“Infinite?” asked the scientist.

He smirked. "Finally..."

A wave of energy came out of his body, and he was suddenly out of Eggman’s grasp, floating in front of the robot, a certain mask now on his head.

He cackled. “How long have I waited for this? I must thank you, Eggman. Without you, this stupid child would have never let me take control.”

Inside his cockpit, Eggman frowned. "You aren't the filly. Who are you?"

The new being put a hand in front of his mask as the black right eye and the right ear of it started glowing red. After a small chuckle, he answered, “I am Infinite...”

"Inf-What?" Eggman was interrupted when he felt the arms of the Death Egg Robot being pulled. He then saw that two black tendrils had come out of the walls and were wrapped around them. He tried to free the arms, but the tendrils revealed to be stronger. “What?!” Then, the tendrils pulled hard, and the two arms were torn off the robot’s body. “WHAT?!”

Woah... said Scootaloo in Infinite's head.

Now, everypony could see the smirk behind the mask. “I am this world’s doom.”

He materialized the red sword, then charged at the robot and slashed at it while passing beside it. With just this one slash, he cut the robot in two horizontally. “WHAAAT?!!” yelled the doctor.

What?!

Infinite cackled again. “This is how you really use the Phantom Ruby.” He then saw Eggman crawling out of the robot, and landed in front of him, his sword pointed at his forehead.

“Waaahh!” shouted Eggman as he moved back in fear.

“I can accept to work for someone,” said Infinite. “But I refuse to be used to power a robot. I. Am not. A tool.” At this, he was about to behead Eggman when he was interrupted by a shout.

“Wait!” yelled Celestia. “As horrible as he was, he doesn't need to die! You already defeated him!"

Infinite lowered his sword and stared at the alicorn, seeing that some ponies were recovering and were staring at him in wonder and fear.

“Oh? The princess wants to spare the man that caused so much suffering to her people? Why am I not surprised?”

“I will send him to prison for the rest of his life. That’s a much better punishment than killing him on the spot.”

Infinite stroked his mask. “Mmh... True. Decades of loneliness in a small room with only bread and water to survive sounds better than ending his suffering. However...” He raised his sword. “In my world, there will be no prisoners!”

“Stop!” yelled Celestia.

But Infinite didn't listen to her and swung his sword, only for something to drop behind him, and before he knew it, he was sent flying into a wall by a strong fist punching him on the side. When Infinite recovered, he saw that whatever had punched him was a tall and muscular red and black centaur.

Celestia and Luna gasped and shouted, “Tirek?!”

“I don’t know who you are,” said the centaur. “But I won’t let you kill Eggman. I need him.” At this, Tirek grabbed the doctor, and they both teleported.

Infinite growled. “So he made an ally? I should have known. Eggman loves to make allies.” he then calmed. “No matter. I will deal with those two later. Right now...” He turned to the ponies. “I have other fishes to deal with.”

I will not let you! shouted Scootaloo before she tried to regain control, only to fail after a short struggle.

Infinite huffed. “If I couldn’t take control of your body by force, you certainly will not be able to. If you want to regain control, I will have to let you. Of course, I won’t.”

Scootaloo didn't listen and tried again. I still won't let you hurt them! I will fight to the end for this!

“Admirable. Too bad it’s useless,” he said before he started floating.




INFINITE


Seeing this, the ponies readied themselves.

“I don’t know what is happening, but it seems we will have to fight again,” said Luna.

Infinite chuckled. “You think this will be a fight? I would rather call it a slaughter.” At this, he teleported, and they suddenly heard Fluttershy’s scream. They turned toward the mare and saw that Infinite was now holding her by the neck, ready to behead her. “And let’s start it now.”

"FLUTTERSHY!!!"

But then, something passed in front of Infinite so rapidly that he could only see a blur, and Fluttershy wasn’t here anymore. Infinite looked to his left and saw a strange creature in a blue superhero costume with a red cape floating alone, holding Fluttershy in his... claw and paw? The thing seemed to be an amalgamation of different animals.

Discord! Yes! shouted Scootaloo excitedly.

"Discord?" wondered Infinite.

Discord chuckled. "Seems like I came just in time."

"Discord!" shouted Fluttershy before hugging him.

“You snake! Where were you?! We tried to contact you for days!” yelled Luna.

“Sorry, I was taking some vacation in Chaosland when I felt a disturbance in the force,” replied Discord before he dropped Fluttershy and made his costume disappear. “Really. I can’t leave a few weeks without things going south. A city half destroyed, robot corpses everywhere, a battle in a factory of doom...” He took a dramatic pose. “All this chaos and I’m not even here? Really, I’m hurt! At this rate, I will be out of a job!”

Infinite sighed. “You are here since barely half a minute and you are already annoying...” He then started floating again, red cubes appearing behind him. “A buffoon like you should be out amusing children. But it seems you preferred to choose death. I will gladly give it.”

With a sound like a sword slashing him, Discord’s body separated in two. “Ow. The edge. And I thought King Sombrero was the master in edginess. He has some serious competition.”

"ENOUGH!" yelled Infinite before he sent the cubes at Discord.

Discord remained in place, looking at the cubes in curiosity. When they touched him, he was transported to a reality where he was attacked by saws. By the time the reality disappeared, he was cut to pieces.

“Ow... Okay. You just beat Sombrero. You are the Edge Emperor.”

“How can you still be alive?!” shouted Infinite.

Discord reconstituted himself. "Oh yes. I forgot to present myself. Discord, Spirit of Chaos."

"Spirit of Chaos?!"

Discord snapped his fingers, and the reality around them changed. They were now in a field made of a squared ground, each square in a different color. The sky was brown, the sun was blue and singing opera, pink elephants were flying, hippopotamus were dancing in tutu, trees were dancing polka, a rainbow made of wrong colors was running after a pink cloud to eat it, and Discord shouted “CHAOS!” with the biggest smile, confetti raining around him.

Then they were back in the room in the factory.

Infinite stared at Discord.

“And now that I presented myself, how about you present yourself?” asked Discord.

Infinite answered by trapping Discord in a reality where dozens of swords were charging at him. Discord would have let himself get impaled, but he felt that something was different, and he snapped his fingers, turning the swords into balloon swords that bounced from him.

“How rude. Not only you don’t answer me, but you also send me in a reality where I am vulnerable to your attacks? Really, that’s low.”

"Hum... He called himself Infinite," said Fluttershy.

“This is actually Scootaloo, but something happened to her! And now, this guy took her place!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“Scootaloo?” asked Discord as he popped a list out of his brain and looked at it. “Scootaloo... Scootaloo... Ah! Filly... Orange... Oh! The chicken who helped free me the first time with her friends!”

He then snapped his fingers, and Infinite was suddenly turned into a chicken.

Hey! yelled said filly from inside Infinite's head.

"That was mean, Discord," said Fluttershy.

The chicken looked at Discord with a deadpan look before he transformed back into Infinite with a yell of rage. He then sent a wave of energy that trapped Discord in the ruby's power. He then fired from the palm of his hand a beam, only for Discord to use a mirror to deflect it back at him before he looked at it to comb his mane. But then, a sudden increase of gravity almost crushed him against the ground, and Infinite materialized a big crusher above him. Before he could be crushed, Discord teleported, then snapped his fingers to change reality back to normal, stopping his vulnerability.

"You know. I'm not one to go serious in a fight, but since you can kill me, I may have to do an exception,” said Discord before he snapped his fingers, and a big fist came out of the ground to hit Infinite between the legs.

Infinite clearly kept himself from screaming like a girl, but still clutched the part in pain, groaning.

This... This is what colts feel when we do that? asked Scootaloo. I promise to never do that. The pain is too horrible.

“Who uses low blows now?” asked Infinite painfully.

“An eye for an eye,” replied Discord. “Beside, you needed to lower on the edge. It was the perfect way.”

"I'll... kill you..."

Infinite sent another wave of energy to send Discord back in a reality where he’s vulnerable. In this reality, Infinite was also a giant, and he immediately punched Discord, crushing him between his fist and the floor. However, Discord slithered around Infinite’s arm like a snake, climbing it until reaching Infinite’s shoulder. Here, he avoided an attempt of Infinite to crush him with his hand and climbed his head until reaching the top. Discord then materialized a small toy hammer, jumped to avoid being crushed between Infinite’s hands, and bonked him on the head. The blow half buried Infinite, only leaving his head out of the ground. Then, a giant tendril formed from the ground, wrapped Discord, and threw him to a wall where chains trapped him from head to tail.

But as Infinite charged toward Discord, a huge magical beam suddenly engulfed him. When the beam finished, Infinite was still alive, but terribly weakened. He turned to the origin of the beam and saw Celestia. “You...” he managed to say before losing consciousness.

The chains around Discord disappeared. “You know those chains weren’t really trapping me, right?”

“I know, but I saw an opening, so I used it,” replied Celestia.

“Well, good job. For once, you decided to be useful,” said Discord before he turned toward Infinite. “Now, I have a last thing to do to end this.” He approached him, placed him on his front, then turned a switch from ‘Infinite’ to ‘Scootaloo’. “There. Now, the chicken is back to control.”

Everypony sighed in relief at this. “Thank you, Discord,” said Celestia.

Discord took a big breath and sighed in bliss. “Ooh yes... I like the sound of ponies thanking me for saving the day. I should do it more often.”