The Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire were winding down after several days of excitement. Ponyville had ultimately won in the medal count by a single medal as a result of Cloudsdale being unable to have either of its finalists place in the ice archery finals (which had to be unfortunately scrubbed due to an accident).
Spike had been given the honor of taking Princess Cadence's place in lighting the fireworks for the closing ceremonies, and Shining Armor (decked out in his captain's uniform and suit of armor) was presiding over the flag processions as each participating city, town or kingdom carried their respective flags off the field.
Everyone was happy. Or at least, most everyone was happy. Twilight Sparkle was doing her best to hide it, but it was clear to her friends that she wasn't as enthusiastic as she should be under the circumstances. And this was despite the fact that she'd opted to be in the stands with them instead of her pre-assigned seat with the other princesses.
"What's the matter, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with concern, the first to draw attention to her friend's unhappy state of appearance.
"Why the looooooooong face?!" Pinkie Pie questioned as she bounced in front of Twilight.
Twilight, for her part, tried to downplay her mood. "It's nothing, really. I'm quite happy that Ponyville won. But as a princess I can't be seen playing favorites."
The others weren't fooled for a second. "Darling, the games are over and Ponyville's already been declared the winner," Rarity pointed out. "Besides that you're still an official resident of Ponyville. Everyone would understand if you were celebrating with us. So it's not because of that. Something else is up."
"You have been awfully quiet since the closing ceremonies began." Fluttershy pointed out.
Rainbow Dash then encouraged in her usual blunt manner. "Come on, Twilight! Spill it! What's got you all down in the dumps? We're your friends for pony's sake!"
Reluctantly, the young alicorn unfolded her wings. She'd been doing her best to keep them concealed up to this point. And as she did so she couldn't help but fiddle around with the crown she wore atop her head. "I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want everypony here to get upset. They were all so excited," She let out a sigh. "But... well... it feels like even though it's been quite a while since I gained my wings, my new title doesn't seem to matter much. In fact, it barely seems to matter at all. I'm still the same old Twilight."
"Really? And what's wrong with that?" Rarity pointed out again. "We wouldn't want you to suddenly change just because of your title. We're glad that you haven't forgotten who you are and how you got to this point. Being humble royalty is nothing to be ashamed of." And the other mares nodded in confirmation.
Twilight nodded back. "I know that. I'm not saying I should be acting all high and mighty because I'm a princess. But I can't even hale a cab in Manehattan. About the only time my title amounted to anything was during the Rainbow Falls' Trader Exchange, and that was purely a ceremonial role that didn't have any actual authority," She then remarked. "I guess maybe it's just because I'm frustrated by that lock the Tree of Harmony left us. I've been doing what research I can in my spare time but it continues to baffle me."
"I'm sure we'll find the keys and open it up eventually." Fluttershy encouraged as she put a hoof around Twilight.
Pinkie Pie bounced up and down while declaring! "Yeah! I'll bet they're hiding in the place we least expect them to hide! Any day now they're gonna pop up, and we'll all feel silly for not thinking to check where we did sooner."
"In the mean time," Applejack suggested to her princess friend. "Why don't you bring this up with the other princesses? I'm pretty sure Celestia, Luna or even Cadence would listen if you told them. I'm sure they all had their doubts about their roles at some point. Heck, why not ask your brother how he felt when he first became royalty?"
"I would, but I don't wanna just intrude or seem demanding," Twilight protested. "I'm not even sure what it was that brought this on. I've been feeling kind of like this for a while now, but it's only now that it's even become a problem," She let out another unhappy sigh, watching as the last of the flags departed the stadium and the final firework faded away. "Well, I think I'm gonna hit the hay. We leave for Ponyville first thing tomorrow, girls." And with that she trotted away.
However, as Twilight trotted off she had no idea that events were about to unfold. Events that would not only help her finally unlock the mystery of the six sided chest, but also finally provide her with the answer to that burning question: What was the role she was meant to play in Equestria as its newest alicorn princess?
As she made her way back to the suite (it wasn't even a royal suite) that had been provided for her and her friends for the length of the Equestria Games, Twilight couldn't help but sing aloud to herself to try and sooth her own feelings of inadequacy:
It's not like I haven't been grateful for all the things that I've earned.
Or for all the journeys I've taken, or all the things that I've learned.
But I can't help but wonder where I'm going now, what is my role supposed to be?
I don't know how to travel to a future that I can't see.
I have my wings, I wear the crown. I'm a princess, that much is true.
But it's still unclear to me just what it is I'm meant to do.
I wanna have a purpose, do all that I can.
I want to make my own contributions, and be a part of a plan.
To the surprise of the young alicorn, she was not alone for long. Suddenly, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and even Princess Cadence were by her side. Princess Celestia was quick to drape a wing around her former student. "Twilight, your concerns are quite valid," She soothed the mare. "Each of us have felt this way at one point or another. You are not alone."
Luna nodded. "You may not believe your role amounts to much yet, but in time it will. You're young yet, you've got your whole life ahead of you."
And Cadence assured the mare. "You're more than worthy of your title and all the perks that come with. The same goes for the responsibilities, no matter how insignificant they may seem."
And it was with that that each of the princesses started to sing one by one. Celestia was the first to do so:
Your destiny looks to be uncertain, and sometimes that's hard to take.
But it will become much clearer with every choice that you make.
Luna sang next:
Patience is never easy. I understand wanting to do more.
I know how hard it must be, wanting to spread your wings and soar.
And then Cadence sang:
But you are here for a reason. You're gifted and quite strong.
That crown rests upon your head because you belong!
And then all three took to the air and sang in unison:
Know that your time is coming soon.
As the sun rises, so does the moon.
And as love finds a place in almost every heart,
You are a princess, and you'll play your part!
The song ended as Twilight managed to wipe away the tears that had formed in her eyes. "Thank you, all of you," She said to her fellow princesses. "I suppose it is silly of me to worry so much. My role may not have amounted to much so far but that can change, and I must believe it will!"
"If you ever feel the need to discuss it again, we will always be here for you," Princess Celestia offered. "And princess or not, you've done many great things already. Never forget that, Twilight."
Princess Luna then commented. "But it's late. You should get to bed before your friends start to worry. And you mustn't forget about Spike," She smiled. "I have a feeling he will be gushing about his big act of heroism a lot in his dreams tonight."
"Well, who better than his dragon sitter to make sure he's well rested?" Princess Cadence teased while lightly ribbing Princess Luna in the side. That got everyone to giggle.
Late that night, long after all the princesses (and everyone else for that matter) had gone to bed, a unicorn stallion in another part of Equestria was trotting through a dark alley. He was carrying a crate of oranges with his magic, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble. "Ponies have started losing their magic for unexplained reasons," He thought to himself. "If I'm not careful I could be next."
Yet as the unicorn rounded a corner he thought he heard a noise. He flinched briefly, before being convinced it was just a figment of his imagination. Breathing a sigh of relief, he resumed his journey only to bump right into a cloaked figure that was breathing heavily. "O-oh... v-very sorry, sir," The stallion sincerely apologized as he carefully set his crate of oranges down. "You... came out of nowhere. Didn't see you, honest."
The cloaked figure didn't reply or give any kind of acknowledgement. It just continued to breath rather heavily.
"Hey, are you okay?" The stallion reluctantly asked the cloaked figure, hoping for a reply. "Are you lost or something? Say something, you're starting to creep me out."
The cloaked figure remained silent for another moment, before a faint and raspy voice echoed through the darkness. "'Is he friend or is he foe?' the pony wonders. Well I can assure you that I am no friend." The last word seemed to be hissed out, you could almost hear the venom contained within it.
"Who... who are you?" The stallion questioned as he backed slowly away.
The cloaked figure soon gave an answer. "I am Lord Tirek!" It was now possible to make out the faint outline of glowing yellow eyes, and reddish-brown paws. "And I will take what should've been rightfully mine long ago, starting with you!" He proceeded to open his mouth, draining the unexpecting unicorn stallion of all his magic. The stallion's eyes dulled and his cutie mark vanished as he dropped the crate, his magic depleted fully.
The magic surged right into Tirek who guzzled it down, his body growing ever so slightly as a result. He cackled, rubbing his paws together with delight. "I'm coming for you, princesses!" He mentally crowed in anticipation.
And that was the last thing Princess Celestia saw before she woke with a start in her bed, still in her royal crown and horseshoes! She quickly got her bearings, realizing where she was. The princess breathed a much needed sigh of relief. "I really need to stop eating cake before bed!" She mentally scolded herself.
Just then, the bedroom doors flung open and Princess Luna rushed in with concern! "Sister, are you alright?!"
Celestia nodded. "Yes, Luna, I'm fine. Thank goodness you're here. I just had the most terrible nightmare."
But Luna shook her head and ominously declared. "Why do you think I'm here, dear sister? You know as well as I do that this was not a dream but a vision."
Celestia rose from her bed. She'd been afraid to come to that realization but there was no other explanation. "Yes, but never for something so immediate and so ominous," She frowned. "So he's finally decided to show himself, has he? I had hoped he'd lay low for the rest of his days."
Luna just looked across to her sister. "Well, it seems he has other ideas in mind," And she declared. "We must notify Cadence and Twilight immediately and get them up to speed."
The elder alicorn nodded in confirmation. "Indeed, the sooner the better. For now that Tirek is on the loose we are all in very real danger."
The two other alicorns were informed the very next morning when Princess Celestia called an emergency meeting at the castle in Crystal Empire (so as to save time and to not arouse suspicion). She quickly explained the reason, as the four alicorns were seated around a table and a book was floated over. "Last night one of my worst fears was realized when I received confirmation that Lord Tirek is at large."
"'Lord Tirek'?" Twilight blinked in confusion. "Why does that name sound so familiar?" Then it dawned on her. "Wait, I think I remember hearing about a monster named Tirek and something about a rainbow of darkness in my mother's bedtime stories. But I always thought they were just made up."
Princess Luna shook her head. "The rainbow of darkness might have been fictional but Tirek is all too real, though I doubt your mother ever knew he existed."
Princess Celestia then explained. "Lord Tirek, or simply Tirek came to Equestria from a distant land with his brother Scorpan over a thousand years ago. Their intention was to steal the magic in Equestria for themselves and take over." As she spoke, the book opened up and its pages moved to depict two very strange creatures: One was a looming and hulking centaur, and the other was what could best be described as a gargoyle.
Princess Luna continued the story, showing the gargoyle amongst several ponies. "But Scorpan soon came to appreciate the ponies and how welcoming they were. He even met and befriended a young wizard who you might know as Starswirl the Bearded." The page turned to show a depiction of a younger version of Starswirl, his coat was white and his eyes were not as dulled as they were in modern depictions. But he still had a long beard flowing down his face.
"Even back then he believed that a beard conveyed wisdom, something very near and dear to Starswirl," Celestia explained. "Anyway, it was because of this encounter that Scorpan had a change of heart." The page turned to show Scorpan (assuming the gargoyle was him) in a cave, meeting with the centaur.
Luna continued. "Scorpan tried to persuade his brother to abandon his plans of conquest, but Tirek refused," The next page showed Scorpan meeting with two very familiar looking alicorns. "So instead he turned to us for help, informing us of what his brother had planned. Celestia and I had just taken the throne not too long ago, we had barely an army and were in no condition to fend off an assault if one occurred. And Scorpan knew this."
Celestia then somberly stated as the page turned once again, showing the centaur being pulled down into some kind of abyss as chains appeared on his paws. "Tirek was captured and sent to Tartarus for his crimes against Equestria, while Scorpan left to return to his home land. We assume he went on to ascend to the throne of his own kingdom, though we never heard from him again."
Luna then spoke up. "But now Tirek has escaped from Tartarus! Celestia and I suspect that this occurred when Cerberus left his post at the gates. A head count after Cerberus was returned confirmed one prisoner was missing."
"But that was almost a year ago!" Twilight blinked in disbelief and scratched her head in confusion. "If he really escaped that long ago, why wait until now to start causing trouble?"
Celestia was quick to explain. "You must understand, Twilight. Tirek's time in Tartarus left him very weak. It's likely that only now has he regained the ability to steal unicorn magic."
And Luna ominously concluded. "Yet with each passing minute he grows stronger still. He will not be satisfied with just unicorns. He will eventually seek out pegasi and earth ponies as well."
Princess Cadence then smiled as she looked to Twilight. "And I think I know just the princess who can stop him. The very same princess who has stared danger in the eye and defeated evil several times already."
It didn't take a genius for everyone in the room to realize that Cadence was referring to Twilight. Twilight proudly puffed out her chest and unfolded her wings, eager to accept what she assumed would be her assignment. "-Yes!" She eagerly declared! "Leave it to me! I'll hunt down Tirek and-"
But Princess Celestia rejected the idea immediately. "No, Twilight. You're not up to the task. Not this time."
"What?! Why not?" Twilight asked with concern.
Celestia explained to her former student. "Tirek is not to be underestimated. He's already drained several unicorns of their magic and will prove difficult to track down. By the time you locate him it may already be too late to reverse the damage. He may very will be waiting for you, and will lure you into a trap. I can't risk your safety, risk sending you on what will be a wild goose chase," Then she shook her head as the alicorn with a majestic white coat declared. "No, I'm afraid I must turn to another to capture Tirek: Discord!"
"You mean as in 'Discord' Discord?!" Applejack questioned when Twilight told her friends the shocking news upon her return to Ponyville.
"Yes!" Twilight confirmed with a reluctant nod. The news had been just as surprising to her upon first hearing it.
Fluttershy wasn't as surprised or confused as her friends though, she in fact knew the most likely reason behind Discord being chosen in the first place. "It makes sense if you know Discord like I do. He told me that he can sense magical imbalances, such as when magic is suddenly transferred from one to another. The next time Tirek drains an unsuspecting unicorn of their magic, Discord will be able to hone on him and track him down."
"Great, like he needs another boost to his already massive ego!" Rainbow groaned in annoyance.
Pinkie Pie just giggled as she looked at her pegasus friend and then murmured to nopony in particular. "I won't say it, it's too obvious."
Spike then questioned. "So what about you, Twilight? What are you supposed to do now?"
Twilight just looked down at the ground as she sadly declared. "Nothing," Then she looked up at her friends. "Unless, of course, one of you needs me to smile and wave. That's about the only thing I'm good at now that I'm royalty."
Rarity, quickly sensing her friend's increasing sorrow, opted to chime in with a suggestion. "Well, I know just what'll cheer you up, darling. Another trip to the Castle of the Two Sisters and the Tree of Harmony. With the Equestria Games over, this is as good a time as any to see what you've managed to figure out."
The young alicorn seemed to agree. "Sure, why not? I don't have anything else to do, princess related or otherwise. Besides, I still need to decide what I'm going to do with the old castle. It just wouldn't be right if I moved into it. It was Celestia and Luna's, not mine."
The six ponies (and baby dragon) soon made their way through the Everfree Forest and arrived at the Tree of Harmony. Just across the bridge above the Tree of Harmony's resting place was the still worn down Castle of the Two Sisters. And on the tree rested the Elements of Harmony, still keeping the tree alive and ensuring it in turn could hold the Everfree Forest in check.
Still, the loss of what had felt like an important safety net was felt by all. And Rainbow Dash complained aloud. "I still don't like that we can't use the Elements of Harmony anymore. I know why we had to give them up but it still stinks. Without the elements, we're sitting ducks if some big threat comes along."
"Well, hopefully a certain 'friend' of ours will make sure we have nothin' to worry about. And won't make us regret that we had to give up the elements in the first place." Applejack pointed out while arching an eyebrow upward.
Just then, from out of the blue a familiar goofy voice called. "Oh, you're talking about me, aren't you?" And down from the skies descended the very draconequus himself, Discord. He had on a blue scarf and a black bowler hat, holding an umbrella in one of his paws and a huge purse in another as he floated gently down. He quickly shed his attire upon landing.
"Hey, how'd you know what we were saying?" Pinkie Pie snorted. "Were you spying on us?"
Discord protested. "Nothing of the sort. I just happened to be nearby when my ears started burning," He demonstrated this by showing his ears briefly burning before a snap of his talons extinguished the flames. "I just came here to see if any of you would wish me luck, not that I'll need it," Dawning a green general's outfit and a bubble pipe he explained. "Soon I'll be off to hunt down Equestria's most wanted monster and public enemy number one: Lord Tirek." He pulled down a huge wanted poster of the very centaur.
Spike scoffed at the display. "Big deal, we all knew that."
But Discord replied. "You're right, Spike. It is a big deal. This is the very reason Princess Celestia freed me from my stone prison about half a year ago or so," And with a smirk he declared. "Seems like my unique abilities give me an important role to play in Equestria. Ooh, maybe they should make me an alicorn princess! Just picture it: Discord, the princess of chaos!" With a snap of his talons he dawned a fake crown and a fake pair of wings (with a matching horn). "Thank you, thank you! You're all too kind." He declared while pretending to blow kisses to an imaginary crowd.
Rainbow immediately knocked the crown off of Discord's head. "In your dreams, maybe!"
The spirit simply responded after making his fake wings (and horn) disappear. "Oh, I never dream of such things. Ask Princess Luna, I'm sure she could tell you."
Applejack, for her part, just frowned. "Did you come all this way just to rub your little 'victory' in our faces?"
Rather than answer outright, Discord instead teleported down to the small gorge where the Tree of Harmony was. He tapped a paw against the six sided chest that remained locked. "Well, it's just... I can't help but notice Twilight still hasn't opened up this chest after all this time," And he vaguely suggested. "I was just wondering: What if whatever's inside it is something that could help her prove her royal worth?"
"And you know where we could find the keys?" The farm mare asked with a skeptical tone of voice.
"Maybe I do and maybe I don't, but if I told you that would be cheating," The spirit cryptically replied as he waved a paw. "Not to worry, though. I've got a feeling those keys are around here somewhere," Then he called out to Fluttershy. "Are you coming with me, dear friend? Princess Celestia said I could take one friend with me for luck if I wanted to."
"In a moment, Discord." Fluttershy called as she fluttered over.
Discord smiled and whispered to the pegasus mare. "This won't take long at all. We're still on for Tuesday Tea after this, right? "
Fluttershy nodded her head in confirmation. "Everything's all set."
Satisfied with the answer, the draconequus disappeared through a door that he made appear in front of him. But not before saying to Fluttershy. "Good. I'll bring the cucumber sandwiches. See you in a minute, Fluttershy. And I'll see the rest of you real soon," However, he then suddenly reappeared as he held a very familiar looking book with a horseshoe symbol in the center in his paws. "Oopsie doopsie, I almost forgot about this little journal of yours."
Twilight was quick to retrieve the book with her magic. "Hey, wait a minute! You stole this private journal?"
"Not really stole since you weren't using it," Discord pointed out. "Besides, it's so good I couldn't resist. It's a real page turner," He quickly scanned through the entire journal. "Haven't you girls just learned so much in so short an amount of time? And Spike too, apparently."
The young alicorn tried her best to hide how annoyed she was by Discord's behavior. "And your point is?"
The spirit was quick to point out. "Don't worry, you can have it back. But I bookmarked a few more 'interesting' segments you might wanna take another look at," Then he whistled for Fluttershy. "Come on, Fluttershy. Time's a wasting, let's be off!"
Fluttershy fluttered over to her spirit friend and waved a hoof as she was placed onto a scooter while Discord put a helmet on her. Soon, both were out of sight.
Applejack couldn't help but comment afterwards. "Sometimes I wonder if Discord does this stuff just to annoy us. I know he's only kind of 'reformed' now, but it feels like he messes with us even more than he did when he wasn't 'reformed'."
"Maybe, but he is still our friend and it would be rude to talk bad about him behind his back," Twilight declared. "Besides, he's given me a much needed hint when it comes to the keys. So let's get to the Castle of the Two Sisters and start looking." And the five mares and dragon all set off for their destination.
In another part of Equestria, Tirek was quickly draining unicorns of their magic whenever they were unlucky enough to cross his path. He was regaining some of his power but it was a very slow process, and the centaur knew this. The longer the path back to full power was, the more likely his chances of being caught. But it was all he could afford to do at the moment.
Suddenly, the centaur happened to spot a lone pegasus mare in the middle of the alley. She had a beautiful butter yellow coat and gentle pink bangs. It might take a little more effort to drain her compared to a unicorn, but the power he could obtain from this unsuspecting victim was too good for Tirek to consider passing it up. He crept towards quietly but quickly, preparing to get his paws on her to prevent her from escaping!
But just as Tirek closed in a voice called out from the blue. "Lord Tirek, I presume?" And the next thing the red coated centaur knew, he was face to face with the last creature he'd wanted to see. Said creature quickly turning to the pegasus mare with a smile. "Excellent job, Fluttershy. I knew you'd make good live bait. And I must say, you played your part well."
Tirek stepped back in confusion. "Discord! You're... free?"
"As a bird, thank you for noticing." Discord declared while turning himself into a bird with a long and colorful beak.
Despite knowing what this likely meant, the centaur couldn't resist praising this old acquaintance. "Oh! Congratulations on your escape!"
The draconequus only frowned in reply. "Well I'm afraid the feeling isn't mutual, 'buddy'," And with a snap of his talons he had the centaur's paws all bound up with iron cuffs and chains. When Tirek attempted to hit him with a blast of magic, Discord split his face apart and effortlessly dodged it. "You know the drill: 'You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you.' Etcetera etcetera." And as he spoke he adopted a police uniform complete with a blue jacket, a dark blue hat with a silver badge on top, hoofcuffs and even a nightstick.
The centaur groaned as he struggled in vain against the chains. "Oh, I should've known! Of course you'd want Equestria all to yourself again."
While twirling the nightstick like a baton Discord giggled. "Oh no, it's not for my sake. It's nothing personal, I've got orders. Let's just say I agreed to owe someponies a teensie weensie favor in exchange for my new lease on life," Then he whispered while pointing a claw to the nearby pegasus mare. "Between the two of us, it's mostly for Fluttershy over there. She's the one who makes it all worthwhile."
"Fluttershy?" Tirek blinked anew in disbelief. "You're not actually saying you're friends with these ponies, are you?"
"Fluttershy" nodded in confirmation as she fluttered close by. "Sorry to disappoint you, Tirek."
And Discord then declared while emerging from a giant birthday cake. "Surprise!"
The bounded centaur quickly answered. "Oh, I am surprised, Discord. Surprised that a creature of your great intellect doesn't see that this 'friendship' is but a new form of imprisonment." He rattled his chains as he spoke that last part.
Fluttershy quickly spoke up in protest! "That shows what you know, Tirek! Discord's friendship isn't even close to what you're going to suffer for what you've done! Discord still has his free will!"
But Discord interrupted by placing Fluttershy into a bubble with a snap of his talons. "Thank you, Fluttershy. But I'm more than capable of sticking up for myself."
Tirek quickly sensed an opportunity and began to scheme as the gears in his head started to turn. He could turn this development to his advantage if he was clever about it. "See, Discord?" He pointed out with what seemed almost like a teasing smirk. "This proves my point. You had to abandon your better nature in order to befriend those ponies. They have you on a tight leash and yet you think you have control. These ponies now think they speak for you."
"I don't!" Fluttershy protested while inside of her bubble, trying to no avail to break free. "Discord, don't listen to a word he says!"
However, Discord simply snapped his talons again. "I won't, Fluttershy. You have nothing to worry about," And he explained. "You served your role well. I can take it from here. Princess Celestia only suggested I bring a friend, she never said it was a request. So why don't you just go back and catch up with the others? Maybe even prepare for our Tuesday Tea together."
All Fluttershy could do was watch helplessly as she was carried away by her bubble! "Please be careful, Discord!" She warned! "I've got a really bad feeling about this!" And it was the last thing she said before she was out of sight.
The spirit did his best to hide how guilty he felt for sending his best friend away. He wasn't about to show any signs of weakness against Tirek, not after he'd just taunted him for daring to have a pony friend in the first place. "Well, as you can clearly see by that little demonstration, I'm still in control of myself," He insisted. "I've never had to 'abandon my better nature' as you claim I have. All I have to do is do this one little favor for the ponies, and then I'm free to do whatever I want as long as I don't get in their way. And if it means I don't get turned to stone again, it's a win win as far as I'm concerned." He promptly shooed away a golden harp and a halo.
Tirek saw through the attempt at hiding the uncertainty in an instant. Things were going exactly the way he'd hoped they would. "Oh, I've seen this all before," He appeared to sadly sigh. "My brother believed the same things you believe now. But he was always the lesser one, always living in my shadow. You, however, are different. You are Discord. You are all powerful! You cannot fall into the same trap that claimed my brother."
Discord found himself unsure of what to say. "What... do you want of me, Tirek?"
Tirek grinned. "A request, really. An invitation you can't decline. I offer you the chance to be rewarded with something much greater than 'friendship': Freedom! Help me grow strong and you can have it all!"
The draconequus wasn't easily convinced of the argument. "Why should I? What's the point of freedom if you rule everything?"
At that Tirek smirked. "Well, once I've stripped these ponies of their magic, nothing would delight me more than to see their very world turned upside down. Who better to do so than the very master of chaos himself?" And he laid bare his proposal. "Join me, Discord, and reclaim your former greatness. That is, of course, unless 'pony errand boy' is the role you've always wanted to play."
As Tirek finished speaking, Discord looked over to a portrait of himself and Fluttershy floating nearby (alongside such things as that lamp of himself Discord had made upon 'accidentally' breaking Fluttershy's during his initial stay with her after being freed from stone).
"Come on, Discord," Tirek snorted and demanded. "I haven't got all day. Make up your mind before I decide to make it up for you."
After a great bit of hesitation on his end, the spirit cleared his throat and spoke up. "Well, I'm... tempted. Sorely tempted, in fact. But I just don't think it's worth it. I'm sure you could become very powerful with my help, but I made the mistake of underestimating the ponies before and I'd be a fool to do it again," And then he declared. "So I think I'll be sending you back to Tartarus now. It's for your own good, really. You don't know what these ponies are truly capable of."
The crafty centaur sighed and briefly seemed to hang his head. "So disappointing. I'd hoped you would be reasonable. Alas, you've forced my paw," He suddenly looked up as he continued. "Think about it, Discord. I already escaped Tartarus once before, how can you be sure I won't just do it again? The princesses weren't even aware I'd escaped until just now, and you saw how many unsuspecting ponies I could find in that amount of time."
Discord quickly realized what Tirek was implying, and he glared at his prisoner! "Don't you even think about hurting Fluttershy!" He roared with narrowed eyes! "You stay away from Ponyville, you fiend!" Only after the words had left his mouth did he realize his mistake. He put his paws to his mouth! "Oops!"
Tirek just laughed with glee and began rubbing his paws together. "Ponyville, hmm? I wasn't aware that was where your best friend lived, until now. Once I get out of Tartarus again, I know exactly where I'll go. And you won't be able to stop me until it's too late, even you can't sense my movements if I'm clever enough not to steal magic."
"If you lay so much as one finger on Fluttershy I'll..." Discord tried to threaten.
Tirek interrupted. "-Well, if you serve me and serve me faithfully, I promise you that I won't harm Fluttershy or any of your other friends. Or you can send me back to Tartarus and run the risk of putting them all in danger. The choice is yours, Discord. So I'd choose wisely if I were you." And with that his smirk grew so wide it could've jumped right off his face if it wanted to. "Now I've got him right where I want him!" He thought to himself. "Equestria will be mine!"
Fluttershy's bubble took her all the way back to Ponyville and straight through the Everfree Forest. She arrived inside the Castle of the Two Sisters not long after her friends had begun their search for the keys.
"Oh, Fluttershy, you're back already?" Twilight blinked in surprise. "Where's Discord?"
Fluttershy gulped. "He sent me back while he was busy talking to Tirek. I don't like the way their conversation was going."
Rainbow Dash groaned in annoyance. "Oh, that's so like him! Prolonging the whole thing just to ramp up the tensions and leave us hanging. Does he think this is some sort of game?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't think he was playing around. He seemed unusually serious and protective, and I think that's what Tirek wants."
However, Pinkie Pie bounced over. "Aw come on, Fluttershy. Haven't we learned by now to have faith in our friends, even Discord? You of all ponies have said we need to trust him more often."
The pegasus mare with a butter yellow coat forced back another gulp in reply. "I did say that," And she sighed and declared in a worried tone of voice. "Oh, I hope he knows what he's doing."
"I'm telling you, he'll keep us waiting all day and right when we fear the worst he's gonna come back and rub it in our faces how worried we were," Rainbow declared. "There are safer ways of ensuring your friends care about you, but this is Discord we're talking about," And she was quick to change the subject. "Let's just focus on finding those keys he said were around."
Rarity couldn't help but grin. "Imagine how surprised he'll be when we figure it out while he was off playing hero."
Applejack then called out. "Any luck yet, Twilight? Any clues at all?"
"Negative," Twilight called back. "Keep searching, girls. We're close to a breakthrough, I can feel it! Today's the day we're going to find out what's in that chest!" Then, suddenly, her wandering eyes happened to spot the journal she and her friends had been keeping ever since their search for the keys had begun. The very same journal that Discord had bookmarked several sections of, each section of interest having a bookmark that matched the color of the pony who had written it.
In silence, the young alicorn skimmed over the bookmarked entries. Then she read them again and something in her mind clicked. "Hey, girls!" She called out to all as the other mares stopped to look at her. "I've been looking through our friendship journal again, and I've noticed that there's something interesting about each of the sections Discord bookmarked."
Spike quickly asked. "What is it, Twilight?"
Twilight explained. "Well, from what I can gather there's a pattern to each one: In each marked entry the pony who wrote it faced a time where living up their element wasn't easy," She turned to Applejack. "Applejack, you remember the time when you had to tell Granny Smith and everypony else about Flim and Flam's fake tonic, right?"
The farm mare nodded, the memory still fresh and vivid in her mind. "Of course I did, no way I'd forget! It was one of the hardest moments I ever lived through. I still don't know what it was, but in that moment I just knew I had to be honest. Somethin' inside me knew I had to speak up and tell the truth."
Twilight next turned to Fluttershy. "And Fluttershy, you had a similar moment to Applejack's when you realized the kindest thing you could do for the breezies was send them away."
"Oh, it wasn't easy," Fluttershy acknowledged as she wiped a lone tear from her eyes. "I hated seeing the looks on their faces. But letting them stay with me would've meant they never would've gotten home with their important pollen. It was like I had no choice but to do the only kind thing and send them on their way."
Then Twilight focused on Rarity. "Rarity, even after Suri Polomare took advantage of your generosity in Manehattan, you refused to abandon it. And just like Applejack and Fluttershy, you knew what you had to do."
The fashionista immediately smiled. "Of course, darling. No matter the pressure I was under I could never turn my back on my friends or my generosity. I would never compromise my beliefs even if I thought it would help me get ahead."
And then it was Rainbow Dash's turn as Twilight explained. "Rainbow Dash, you weren't willing to ditch the Ponyville team for the Aerial Relay even when Lightning Dust tried to persuade you to join the Cloudsdale team instead."
The brash speedster only shook her head. "My only regret was that I ever let myself even consider the offer. Lightning Dust clearly just wanted me out of the way because she knew she couldn't beat me fair and square!"
Pinkie Pie then bounced up, not even waiting for Twilight to call on her. "Hey, what about my entry? You know, the one with Cheese Sandwich and the goof-off?"
Twilight nodded her head in reply. "I was just getting to that, Pinkie. Despite Cheese Sandwich upstaging you unintentionally, you decided that it was more important Rainbow Dash be happy during her birthaversary celebration rather than prove you were the ultimate party pony."
Spike then commented to Twilight. "But what do all of those events have to do with Discord's hint?"
The young alicorn explained to all. "When each pony successfully stood up for their own element, they inspired someone else and in turn received an important item: A special thread, a badge, a rubber chicken, a flower and a bit coin," Tapping a hoof to her chin she declared. "I think Discord must've realized that those items were connected to the keys somehow, and that was what he was trying to tell us earlier."
"Great!" Pinkie excitedly declared! "Let's all go round up those things and get the keys!" And five of the mares split off to do just that.
The aforementioned items were soon brought before the six sided chest near the Tree of Harmony. But a close inspection of them yielded no clues.
"I don't see anything on them about keys, or how we can find them," Twilight commented with a frown. "We're so close, though! There must be something we haven't grasped just yet, but what?"
A frustrated Pinkie Pie wasn't willing to wait around for answers. She grabbed the rubber chicken and shook it fiercely! "Come on, Boneless!" She demanded! "Give us that key! We really need it!"
Twilight shook her head. "I don't think that's going to work, Pinkie." But seconds after she'd finished saying that, she watched as her party planning friend threw the rubber chicken towards the chest out of frustration!
All watched as the rubber chicken suddenly turned into a key when it was close enough to the chest. Not just any key in fact, but a key styled after Pinkie's cutie mark since the handle had three balloons on it. The key inserted itself into one of the six locks.
Realizing what they had to do, the other four mares all brought their own objects close to the locks and watched as each was turned into a key: A key with three diamonds on the handle for Rarity, a lightning bolt shaped key with a cloud on the handle for Rainbow Dash, a key with three butterflies on the handle for Fluttershy and a key with an apple on the handle for Applejack. Soon, five of the keys had been inserted into five of the locks.
"One left," Twilight realized. "My key. But... I don't have it."
Rarity wasn't convinced. "Come now, Twilight. Surely you must have something that can count. Think about it. When was there a time where you struggled to live up to your element, but did so and in the process inspired another to live by your example?"
The young alicorn shook her head. "Never. If I had I would've written about it in the journal and Discord would've book marked it. There's no reason why he would leave out my section if he knew the other sections he book marked were on your keys."
However, Spike suggested. "Well, what about Trixie's hat? I'd say that was a pretty challenging time for you, Twilight. I know it was for me."
"I doubt that's it..." Twilight began before suddenly deciding. "But I guess it can't hurt to try..." She soon returned after teleporting away, the light blue hat with white stars being moved close to the one lock that didn't have a key in it. Nothing happened.
Fluttershy quickly moved to reassure Twilight. "Don't worry about it too much, Twilight. I'm sure your key will turn up soon."
The young alicorn nodded. "I guess so. Besides, if worse does come to worse we can always borrow the Elements of Harmony again if we have to."
Just then, Spike belched up a scroll and quickly skimmed over it. "It's for you, Twilight! It looks urgent!" He told the mare.
Twilight read over the scroll in silence and when she'd finished reading it a look of horror seemed to flash in her eyes! "I'm needed in Canterlot right away!" She told her friends. "I don't like the sound of this."
And upon flying in to Canterlot under her own power, Twilight was immediately brought to the throne room where all three of her fellow alicorn princesses were waiting for her. All three looked rather concerned as their eyes appeared to be filled with dread.
Princess Celestia was the first to speak. "It seems I may have made a grave miscalculation by underestimating the effect the magic of friendship would have on Discord, and how far he'd truly come in his reformation. Now my visions have become clouded. I can no longer see the future the way I used to be able to."
Princess Luna then displayed a reflective orb that show cased a horrifying image! Tirek was stealing magic from unicorns left and right, and Discord was helping him do it! "Discord has, for reasons unknown, betrayed the ponies of Equestria and now allied himself with Tirek. And it's no longer just unicorns who are in danger."
Twilight gasped in disbelief! "I don't believe! How could he do such a thing?! I thought our friendships meant something to him! I thought he'd changed!"
"Perhaps it was naive to believe he could be so easily changed in such a short amount of time," Princess Cadence commented, before the orb showed Tirek growing in size as he absorbed more magic. The centaur was now gaining a pair of black horns on the top of his head, and his reddish-brown fur was now taking on an unmistakable blood red hue. "Regardless, Tirek now has the ability to steal magic from pegasi as well as earth ponies," And images showed the centaur doing just that. "Without their magic, pegasus ponies will no longer be able to control the weather and earth ponies won't be able to grow crops."
Princess Luna was quick to add. "But he will not be satisfied even with that. He is no doubt on his way here to steal alicorn magic. If he gets his greedy paws on it, his power will know no limits and he will be unstoppable."
Princess Celestia then stood up and boldly declared! "There is but one option that remains, the only way we can thwart Tirek's plans and give Equestria a fighting chance. When Tirek comes here he cannot find what he's looking for. So to that end, we must rid this place of alicorn magic before Tirek has a chance to steal it!"
All Twilight could do was gasp and stare wide eyed at the suggestion! She had not been expecting any of this, and neither did she have any idea as to how she should react. Was this really the only hope Equestria had left?