//------------------------------// // Not A Trivial Foe // Story: The Day of Discord // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "Captain, with all due respect could you tell me what the buck is going on here, sir?!" Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor exclaims as he gallops through the hallways of Canterlot Castle, heart pounding and adrenaline pumping after his sudden awakening from a deep slumber. "Sorry Shining, but there isn't time to give a proper briefing!" Captain Gibraltar answers as he races beside Shining, both unicorns whipping around a corner as he speaks. "Something's happened in the statue garden, one of the statues coming to life apparently. Whatever it is has already defeated the first responders, and Fidelitas is engaging it now." "What about Stratocumulus, sir?" Shining Armor naturally asks. "Coordinating the evacuation of all visitors and non-essential staff from the castle. I've left him in operational authority because both of us may be needed to take whatever is in that garden down. This is not a trivial foe we are dealing with, Shining." "What about the alicorns? The Elements of Harmony, sir?" "At least Princess Celestia ought to know about this by now. I am hoping we do not need to involve any of the princesses or the Elements of Harmony - Celestia will have to make the final call on that matter if we fail." "Understood. ETA to arriving in the statue garden?" "30 seconds. Be ready to attack immediately." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While all this was going on, the draconequus Discord was engaged in a "lightsaber" duel with Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas, dancing and contorting as his red-colored saber clashed with the silvery-colored beam of magic wielded by Fidelitas. Fidelitas played defensively, simply parrying away any direct strike as well as slicing through the pieces of stone Discord sometimes threw at him from a distance. The unicorn's strength began flagging, however, and to his fear he could tell his unusual foe was growing less and less entertained with this "dance" each passing moment. He was determined to buy as much time as he could for allies to show up, but didn't know who or what that would be. When the two beams of energy locked together with sparking and crunching sounds, Fidelitas knew the battle was nearing its conclusion. "Ugh, all right that's enough of that!" Discord exclaims before gesturing with his left eagle-claw "hand" in a pushing motion toward Fidelitas. Just moments later, Fidelitas feels an unseen blast that knocks him right off his hooves. His magic sword deactivates as he tumbles sideways, rolling and bouncing off the ground several times. When he stops, his face is contorted with agony. Just seconds later, Guard Captain Gibraltar and Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor come into view, skidding to a stop in front of him. "Fidelitas?! Are you alright?" Gibraltar exclaims, him and Shining helping Fidelitas back on his hooves. "I'm sorry, sir... Ow, my head..." Fidelitas replies as his face twists again into wincing from the raging headache that had just hit him. "Whatever he was fighting pushed his magic usage too hard." Shining Armor comments ominously, recognizing the sudden onset of the "migraine" headache that sometimes stemmed from a powerful unicorn overdoing their magic energy usage. "What, more of their minions coming at me?!" an irritated and increasingly impatient Discord exclaimed in interruption. "If those alicorns have the Elements, why don't they show their royal faces? I must be missing something!" "Excuse me whatever you are, but we are not just...!" Captain Gibraltar begins to reply indignantly, but is interrupted by Discord taking a broken piece of a nearby statue and hurling it in Gibraltar's direction. Shining Armor, fast on the draw, does a "flash cast" of a shield in front of Gibraltar to deflect the stone piece away. "Fidelitas, you can't do any more good in your state. Tell Princess Celestia we're engaging... whatever this is." Shining Armor speaks to his comrade, who is too shaken to object and begins slowly trotting away from the half-destroyed statue garden. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So it looks like I'll have to find those alicorns myself." Discord states in a huff, crossing arms as both Gibraltar and Shining Armor angrily glare up at his floating form. "I'll deal with you two first, though." "What does that mean?!" Shining Armor barks out indignantly. "It's very simple, you two. We're going to play a game, and you're going to have to play by my rules." Discord answers, a sinister smile again contorting his face. "And if we don't?" Gibraltar challenges. "Then I teleport away from this place and start spreading that wonderful chaos throughout the city until the Princesses Celestia and Luna face me in direct combat." Discord answers again. Gibraltar and Shining look at each other, both obviously reluctant to agree to follow whatever rules this devious creature might cook up but even more reluctant to say no and give him reason to leave the statue garden. Both of them nod at each other, then turn to face Discord again. "What are your rules, creature?" Gibraltar asks. Discord, for the moment overlooking the indignity of being called a "creature", replies thusly: "Rule 1 is that there is to be no teleporting allowed. Rule 2 is that all combat must be in the open, no hiding allowed. Rule 3 is that all combat must be conducted using magic, no kicking or charging or anything like that. Rule 4 is that if any of the other rules are broken, Discord automatically wins the game and I get free reign through the city." Gibraltar and Shining Armor look at each other again. Neither of them had good reason to believe this "Discord" would follow his own rules, but again recognized the alternative was worse. Finally, they turn back once more to face Discord and Gibraltar tells him they accept the rules. "Ooo, wonderful, the game is afoot then!" Discord eagerly exclaims, putting on a determined face again. "I can have fun enough with you two until those alicorns show their faces around here! Hit me with your best shot!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEANWHILE, NEAR CANTERLOT TOWER... Princess Celestia nervously paws at the polished floor in front of the entrance to Canterlot Tower, unable to conceal her anxiety as she waited for verification of the evacuation of the visitors. She knew from the initial reports that it was indeed her great old foe Discord that was now loose in the statue garden - she quietly cursed herself for trusting the strength of the petrification spell more than she should have. Sending Guards to "play" with him could only do good as a distraction, but she dare not show her face around him yet. Instead, all Celestia was doing was buying time enough to be able to summon the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony - the student Twilight Sparkle and her new friends in Ponyville - to use them in combat against him, as Celestia and Luna could not use them against him now. Her thoughts flitted to Luna, who would undoubtedly blame herself for this, and Cadance, who did not know about Discord any more than the rest of Equestria did. Celestia rued the thought of having to tell the truth to at least Cadance and the Element Bearers, for it would eventually lead to widespread knowledge of that truth she had worked so hard to suppress. But that was a worry for another time. The sound of galloping hooves approaching broke Celestia's thoughts, and she turned to see a rushing pegasus, which she recognized as Lieutenant Captain Stratocumulus. He skidded to a stop in front of her, then saluted his princess. "Are all the visitors evacuated from the castle grounds?" Celestia asks. "Yes, Your Highness! The entire castle is in lockdown." Stratocumulus answers. "Good. What about the Captain and Shining Armor?" Celestia asks again. "Last I heard they were headed to the statue garden along with Fidelitas!" "Even if all three of them working together attacked him it might not be enough." Celestia states, sadly shaking her head. "I want to make it perfectly clear this is not a small-time foe we are facing, and we still may need to use the Elements of Harmony secured behind this door. Do not ask me for more information, because you will learn it soon enough. Did the Captain leave you in operational authority?" "That's correct, Your Highness." "Then go back and supervise the lockdown - talking to me here will do no good for anyone." "Understood, I am heading to the Captain's office now!" Stratocumulus answers, quickly turning and galloping away again. Once his hoofsteps had faded from hearing, Celestia's thoughts started flitting again to Luna and Cadance. The alicorn princess now galloped away herself, realizing she had not yet written the distress message that would need to be sent to Spike to summon the Element Bearers, but also dreading the thought of what condition she might find Luna and Cadance in upon hearing the news of Discord's release...