//------------------------------// // At What Cost // Story: The Day of Discord // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "Oh my goodness, this is more exciting than I thought it would be!" "That big... dumb... MEANIE!" "...Did you know she was capable of such language? Or flight speed?" "Why are you asking me? It should be Twily you're asking." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Princess Cadance gives Acting Captain Shining Armor an unamused glance as both of them, along with Princess Celestia, watch the floating screen display Twilight and her fellow Element Bearers trying to catch the still-afflicted Rainbow Dash to undo Discord's effect on her. "Don't insult my intelligence, Captain." Cadance states. "Who's insulting who, Your Highness? Twily doesn't share everything with me about her..." Shining Armor replies defensively. "Quiet, you two. I need to adjust the picture, find where he is now." Celestia interrupts, the yellow magic on her horn flickering. "I can sense from the interference source Discord is still in Ponyville, or at least where Ponyville should be, but I need more specific..." The images on screen flicker back and forth, showing different parts of the chaos-inflicted town, before finally stopping on what seems to be a hilltop, with the scenery reminiscent of a book illustration of "Alice In Wonderland". On the hilltop, the watching group can see Discord perched on a black and red throne. "Just like how he used to rule over Equestria, all those centuries ago." Celestia comments, gritting her teeth in a way Shining and Cadance had never seen her do before - even with all the time that had passed, the indignity of Discord's tortures still roused her anger. "Twily and her friends will fix this soon enough, right?" Shining Armor cautiously offers. "I think so, they just came into view..." Cadance says, pointing toward the screen where indeed Twilight Sparkle and her fellow Element Bearers were fearlessly approaching the still seated Discord. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initially Discord seems amused by the return of the Element Bearers, but when Applejack starts giving him a tongue lashing the draconequus simply decides to give them a magical chokehold, holding Twilight's friends with magic in mid-air. A growling Twilight teleports into the middle of the group, also holding herself up with magic. "Well at least she's got that..." Shining Armor begins to explain, referring to the teleportation. "Look!" Cadance exclaims, as Twilight casts out her own version of Shining's shielding spell, breaking Discord's "hold" over her friends and allowing her to lower them gently to the ground. Those watching also notice that the "chaotic" chessboard ground is temporarily undone in the circle area where the shield intersected it. "Hmmm, I know she practices it a lot, but... wow!" Shining exclaims in proud surprise. "I could barely even hold him back, this seems to have negated his effects!" On the screen, Discord seems to still be amused instead of concerned - likely because of the failed activation earlier lulling him into a false sense of security - as Twilight picks up the tongue-lashing Applejack started: "I'll tell you what we've learned, Discord: we've learned that friendship isn't always easy, but there's no doubt it's worth fighting for!" The now-irritated Discord makes a mocking expression and then tells them to hurry up in using the Elements because of all the chaos he's missing out of. While Discord is talking, the three ponies watching on screen notice Pinkie Pie disappearing from view, and as the other Element Bearers look around for her Princess Celestia manipulates the "camera" to do the same. "Mare needs to get her priorities straight." Shining Armor dryly comments when they finally find Pinkie, taking one last gulping of the chocolate milk rain from a nearby cloud. "Well, you can tell her yourself later, Captain." Celestia responds just as dryly, as the view on the floating screen returns to the united Element Bearers ready to make a second attempt at activating the Elements of Harmony. Discord initially seems unimpressed by the second lightshow, and it's not until some of the light beams start hitting him that he realizes that his plan has failed. The screen fills with a blinding light, then a rainbow-colored flash before the picture disappears temporarily into static. "What?! What happened?!?" Shining Armor exclaims, biting his lip in nervousness. "When the Elements of Harmony activated, they produced a big burst of interference. It should pass in a few seconds." Princess Celestia explains. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And surely enough, the static begins resolving on the floating screen, producing an image of relieved and joyous Element Bearers, along with a more "normal" appearance for Ponyville. The "camera" pans slightly to reveal a re-petrified version of Discord, and immediately the three ponies watching breathe a powerful sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's finally over! I'll start undoing the lockdown and dispatch a team to bring Discord back to Canterlot!" Shining Armor exclaims with joyous relief, not even waiting to be excused as he rushes out of the royal suite where he was watching the events. Cadance finally allows herself to smile with relief, but is very surprised to see Celestia is still somber. Naturally, she asks her adoptive aunt why she wasn't celebrating like everypony else. "Yes, we've won the day, but at what cost?" Celestia contemplates, her horn flickering as the images on the screen change. As Cadance sees the images flickering by on the screen, she quickly understands why Celestia is still concerned: Guard Captain Gibraltar has suffered a career-ending injury (pushing Shining Armor into the role earlier than Celestia anticipated), the damage across Canterlot and other Equestrian cities by Discord's chaos wasn't undone by the Elements of Harmony unlike in Ponyville, crowds of rightfully-angry ponies are gathering in protest in the streets, and the overall sense that the delicate balance between sections of society had been thrown off by the day's events. There would be a time for celebration, but it would not be right now. And this feeling would only end up being reinforced in hindsight, where the Changeling infiltrators would now have fertile ground to do Chrysalis' will in conquering Equestria...