//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 – Fire with Fire // Story: The One True King // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Chapter 20 “I am chaos. I am the undoing of man. And all the world will fall to my feet.” — Laura Thalassa The Radiance Eastern Ocean “Let me just say, this is absolutely, unequivocally, positively, indisputably not my fault this time!” Discord proudly declared to the heavens and to the earth, though his presence was only felt within the main bridge of the airship. He even had the gall to add, “… Not entirely.” Celestia expected as much, the Alicorn sighing with a heavy frown melting onto her expression. Her sister Luna shared the same fate, the two standing side by side on the edge of the center map while Discord took the head of the table. Every mare and dragon surrounded the map once Discord magically appeared by their summons, listening as much as their patience could allow to the draconequus offering his own spiel on the situation. “And just what is that supposed to mean?” Princess Cadance asked, a look of accusatory fire beginning to ignite in her gaze. Nearby T.I.T.A.N. agents and pilots peeked over from their stations to catch a glimpse of the confrontation unfolding in the center of the bridge. The Crystal Empire royalty, along with the Council of Friendship, Special Agent Bon Bon, Dragon Lord Ember, and Celestia and Luna were crowding closer and closer around Discord. The draconequus did not seem deterred by their growing accusations. A little nervous, and with a slight chuckle, he finally was able to answer. “A little bit of a recap, shall we?” Discord offered, clearing his throat as he snapped his talons. A parchment came out of the chaos of nothingness and unfolded before his eyes, Discord slipping on a pair of wonky reading glasses. They didn’t help him see the words clearer by any means. Still recovering from her wounds, Discord’s antics did not brighten Ember’s mood in the slightest, and she made that clear by openly groaning from the edge of the table. He mumbled over the transcript that read “MLP Season 9 Premiere”, reading his lines over and over and skimming the rest. “Let’s see, let’s see, let’s see… Ah, yes! I take over the form of Grogar, I bring back these classic villains, and I offer them the chance to unite in terms of friendship and endearment in order to strike down Twilight and her friends!” Lowering the parchment with a wide smile on his jagged lips, Discord removed his glasses in order to read the room. It didn’t spell anything pretty. In fact, everypony was practically frowning, glaring, or even fuming his way. Tough crowd, Discord imagined, but not entirely in the wrong. “It sounds… a lot more malicious now that I’m reading it over…” Discord murmured, rolling the parchment tightly within his hands. He dissolved both the scroll and his glasses from existence as he stood there awkwardly, hands behind his back, shoulders high, and an awkward grin on his lips. “But you all understand, don’t you?” “Not really,” Spike replied. “No,” Shining Armor said. “You’re a lunatic,” Bon Bon added. “Thank you, dearie, but I wasn’t asking for compliments at the moment. Drop by when we’re in business after the pandemic,” Discord said, slithering next to Bon Bon’s cheek and booping her nose. She rubbed it quickly, scowling in his direction. He continued, slithering back to the head of the map. “Look, I was only working in the best intentions at the time! Twilight and her friends face off against their most hated foes all at once during Twilight’s coronation! Using the magic of friendship, she finally defeats them once and for all and gains the confidence needed to become the ruler of all of Equestria! It was foolproof!” “Except for the part where Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow spread disharmony throughout Equestria under your nose,” Rainbow Dash mumbled. “An’ the part where they united against you an’ stole yer magic,” Applejack groaned. “And don’t forget Sombra going off on his own and infecting all of Equestria and beyond!” Discord triumphantly said, talon pointed to the skies. Everypony froze. Their bemusement quickly transformed into shock, which quickly changed into anger. All of which was directed solely to Discord. Noticing the sudden shift in atmosphere, his talon deflated like a balloon. But not his awkward smile, as it only grew when he said, “Did I forget to mention that?” A unanimous groan filled the bridge. Celestia and Luna smacked their faces. Bon Bon settled her chin on the map and rubbed her temples with the tips of her hooves. Twilight let her head fall into her hooves, the Alicorn princess shaking her head again and again. “Guess your foolproof plan didn’t account for the fool running it?” Ember muttered. “Discord, why didn’t you tell us?!” Twilight shouted, lifting her face and jamming it in his direction. At his ludicrous actions. “You never asked!” Discord retaliated, lifting his hands defensively. “Besides, I had no idea what Sombra was up to when I brought him back! All I remember was watching the drama king fly off to several outposts across Equestria and the world. The outposts weren’t abandoned, either! They had plenty of ponies and other species looking after them, so I thought they would eventually find the crystals Sombra planted at each one!” “He did what?!” Bon Bon screamed as she lifted her head, her expression beyond alarmed. It was catastrophic. “Which ones?” Twilight quickly asked, needing focus to their primary objective at the moment. “Oh, wait, let me recount for a minute,” Discord explained, numbering them off on his fingers. “There was Outpost Cinder, which you’ve just had the displeasure of coming across. Outpost Castle in Trotsylvania, Outpost Boneyard in the Badlands, Outpost Woodland all the way up north in Hailberg, then all the way down south in the Saddle Arabian Outpost Dune, Outpost Mirage in the San Palomino Desert, and… one more… It’s always on the tip of my tongue…” He lifted up his seventh finger, declaring with a scoff, “Oh, yeah! Obviously, how could I forget the most important one? It was Outpost Peak in Foal Mountain!” Celestia and Luna gasped in unison. Bon Bon was mortified. They all stared at the map, searching the locations of each outpost named. Both Outpost Frostbite and now Cinder were crossed out with a big red “X” each. The other outposts were present and accounted for with circles, but most unsettling of all was Outpost Peak, the one location each Alicorn and Bon Bon held their stares with the longest. All while Discord continued. “I always wondered what he was up to. Now you’re telling me we have the threat of gargantuan beasts on the menu for Equestria’s destruction. Honestly, if I had known or had cared that your little ‘secret club’ was housing these creatures, I would have ceased Sombra’s actions the moment he did so. But I merely thought he was spreading his infection to Equestria and beyond, and then infecting the Crystal Empire! If you think about it, this is really your fault.” “Not the time, Discord,” Rarity grumbled, her exhaustion felt in every ounce of her voice. Before the discussion could have devolved into another endless argument, Bon Bon tore herself away from the crowd, from the conjoined minds, and from the chaos of the situation. She settled to rest in the fleeting sunlight, the final rays of the afternoon sky boiling the horizon and sending a warming glare of oranges and yellows across the surface of the waves. For the ocean was still beneath them. Beyond the windshield of the Radiance, wherever Ghidorah had taken his storm, it certainly did not infect the skies and seas where they were at. The ocean was calm and beautiful, the illustrious glow of the falling star shimmering brightly among the surface. The clouds were minimal, the threat of war and destruction even less. If there was anything Bon Bon admired, it was just how beautiful her home was. Perhaps that was what she missed the most about home. The mornings, the evenings, watching the sun rise and fall with Lyra. The beauty of her home and her world could become temporary if they failed. If they lost everything, then the world would become another event like Outpost Frostbite. Like Outpost Cinder. Everything they knew, built, and loved… burned away as the Titans decimated the battlegrounds of what was once their home. And then she saw all of the survivors. The dragons, the royal airships, the Wonderbolts, and the T.I.T.A.N. aircraft following behind and beside them. The massive array of species both large and small joining together in unity, in strength, to take that chance and save their home from the demons that tried to rise from Tartarus and take it from them. The ones who had persevered even in the face of great adversity. They never left them, or her. Not even for a second. It gave her the courage and the strength to take that necessary breath inward, to allow the sun to fill her with warmth. With hope. The day was over but tomorrow would surely come. And with it, the prospects of something different, something more, something they could strive to achieve. And they could only do it as one. With that thought in mind, that strength in her body, and that hope in her heart, Bon Bon rested her hoof on the windshield and said, “But this was his endgame all along. He sets off one set of crystals, and then he sets off the next. The others are going to follow suit, and if we don’t stop it now then we’re going to be dealing with something far worse than we already are.” “Worse than Moe, Larry, and Curly?” Pinkie Pie asked. Discord smirked and gave her two thumbs-up. Bon Bon turned to face her, and all of them. “One by one, some of the monsters T.I.T.A.N. managed to capture would be awakened and unleashed. And those are just the ones we know of. Sombra spread his infection throughout all of Equestria, even beyond our borders. What if his defeat at Canterlot didn’t wipe them all out? Frostbite and Cinder are evidence of that.” Approaching the center table, Bon Bon felt the eyes of the many settling on her and her alone. Even the various T.I.T.A.N. agents had momentarily ignored their duties and listened to what she had to tell them. In a way, it was unnerving, but in another, it was enthralling. It had been quite some time since Bon Bon had been in the spotlight of T.I.T.A.N., and she would be a liar if she said she didn’t miss some aspects of it. Rising up and laying her hooves on the table, standing tall beside Discord, Bon Bon asked aloud for all to hear, “The creatures we don’t even have accounts for could awaken as well… and where would that leave our world?” “Complete apocalypse…” Twilight answered from the opposite end, the silence filling the bridge really adding to the depth and weight of her singular statement. It sent chills down the spines of the masses, a few gulps from ponies and agents alike. Even Celestia and Luna were disturbed by such a thought, knowing it was becoming much closer to reality than they would have liked. “But why didn’t the T.I.T.A.N. crews at each facility warn us of the dark crystal infections earlier? We haven’t heard of any disturbances at the outposts you’ve mentioned,” Celestia thought aloud. He chuckled at that, earning a tilt from Bon Bon’s head. Discord mused, “Well, there could also be the possibility that Sombra’s crystals have remained rather dormant. Unlike the hives at Frostbite and Cinder, these hives might know a little something about subtlety.” “How can crystals be conscious?” Shining Armor asked. “This is Sombra we’re talking about,” Twilight answered. Shining turned to his sister and clarified, “But he’s dead.” Discord was quick to reply, “A very strong possibility that his dark magic is working on its own to follow through with his last will. Chaos is a wonderful, beautiful mixture of uncertainty and madness. Only if you have a mind like mine can you understand it. It is practically imbued within dark magic. What we don’t know, and what we think we know, is but another ingredient into the vast world of ethereal power. And we have only merely scraped the top…” “So, the crystals will eventually grow out of control like Cinder?” Bon Bon asked, watching as the draconequus lowered his lengthy neck down to her level. “They’ll grow big enough until they explode?” Discord exhaled on his talons, rubbing them against his chest. “As I said… chaos is uncertain and maddening.” “That’s more than enough of a reason,” Bon Bon stated with a clear, loud smack of her hoof against the table. She caught everypony’s attention and specially turned to the two Alicorn sisters. “Celestia, Luna, what say you?” As for the sisters, what they had to say went deeper than they would have ever liked to admit. Coming face to face with a former enemy was absolutely nothing compared to facing what could possibly be their extinction. They knew the risks bringing the Lord of Chaos into the mixture. They knew what he was capable of and what they needed to limit from him. Because even though they had ignored the warnings from Mothra again and again, they would find the balance between both worlds. They would use Discord to end the chaos before it could spiral out of control. They would use chaos to fight chaos. But not entirely. Not directly with the Titans… But with the source. “Discord…” He lowered the cup of pony tears he had materialized out of thin air from his lips. What he had told them had shifted their plans considerably. They had assumed Sombra did not finish his work at Cinder, and Discord confirmed that. There were other outposts in the world that had met the infectious, unholy touch of the fallen king, and they needed to be cleansed. Knowing that, understanding that, believing that, Celestia took in a deep breath and said, “That which we ask of you is no simple task. We do not bear it lightly, and we do not expect you to do the same. We only wish you understand the severity of our situation… that if we continue to do nothing… these creatures… these Titans… will inflict their will, their rage, and their war upon our home.” “Our mere powers alone are not enough to stop them,” Luna said, rekindling recent memories of the ferocious battle that had unfolded within the Dragon Lands. Everypony felt the heat from the rekindling in different ways. “We come to you only as a last resort… that the chaos you wield not be used for your own betterment… but for the betterment of our world.” Celestia stepped forth, with her sister beside her. “Will you join us, Discord?” While everypony else was falling in line to the inescapable route, Fluttershy remained resolute. She stood still on the side and watched hopelessly as her friends, one by one, let their hearts fall into the chance of chaos. Even though Celestia and Luna urged Discord to use his chaos appropriately, she knew him. She knew Discord for who he was, what he was, and his nature. Chaos and control were two very separate ideas, and trying to convince Discord to control his own nature was all but impossible. But she wanted to trust him. She wanted to trust all of her friends because their hearts were for the greater good. For all of Equus and her people. She also wanted to trust Mothra. Fluttershy knew that instilling chaos within the clashing storms of nature would only end in the worst possible way. She had tried time and time again to get that point across, she wanted all of her friends to trust Mothra as well, but after today… After having nearly lost Twilight, Fluttershy knew there was much more on the line. Titans were animals, and they acted only for their own betterment. Their own survival. They were neither evil nor sinless, except for Ghidorah. And bringing him down would utterly shake the world to its core. It could either devastate their home, their people, and their very way of life… or it could end quickly and cleanly. And Discord was the way to that path. “Discord…” Nearly the entire bridge turned to the voice, to her. Discord’s twisted, chaotic heart softened to the voice, to the mere image his eyes gazed upon when he turned to it. To her. She shuffled away from the table, closer to her friend, and lifted her hopeful and terrified eyes into his. There was strong confliction still warring behind her gaze, but she put her trust and her hope onto the best course of action. The one that put her friends, her home, and so many countless lives first. “You only have to destroy the crystals…” Fluttershy pleaded. She actually begged, knowing full well the implications they were dipping into. She made her words as clearly and carefully as possible, for even someone like Discord to understand. “Please… don’t cause any more chaos." Discord cringed at the mere thought of no longer indulging within the wonders of chaos. A taste was nowhere near enough to satisfy his lustful urges. But Discord knew better. He struggled with it momentarily, but seeing her eyes soothed his soul. Led him towards a brighter, better path. One that even someone like Discord could come to terms with and finally, painfully, understand. “Oh, very well,” Discord said with a great sigh, earning a small, relieved smile from his best friend. He smiled in return, letting it grow into a knowing smirk. “I suppose I could squeeze you all into my incredibly busy schedule. Now then…” He opened a large planner he had mystically created, with only a few sentences of errands he had planned for the year on the first page. Mutating his finger into a pen, Discord licked the tip and began scribbling onto the page, muttering to himself, “Take care… of crystals. Stop them from exploding… and releasing… more… monsters. And no…!” He snapped his talons. The planner vanished, as well as the pen on his finger. “… chaos magic.” Discord turned to the still and silent crowds, eventually bringing his stare back down to Fluttershy. His smirk fell into a warm, small, normal smile. That was new, even for him. Not chaotic. Not mischievous. Not malicious. Just normal. And it wasn’t half bad. “Not too much anyway,” he told her. “You promise?” Fluttershy asked, her voice hopefully high. He winked. “Just for you.” She sniffled, still quite conflicted within herself, but nonetheless smiled to have found some kind of common ground. “Now then!” Discord declared, slapping his palms and rubbing them ferociously together to create sparks. “Where do I start? Where is the entrance to this impeccable labyrinth of a dilemma you’ve all found yourselves in?” “I would highly suggest you travel to Outpost Peak first,” Bon Bon announced, bringing her hoof forth and resting it on top of Foal Mountain on the map. “The Titan stationed there is a high-level threat. We do not need him breaking loose, especially now.” Celestia and Luna agreed. Practically everypony in T.I.T.A.N. agreed. Discord stroked his goatee. “After that, you can move on to—” With a snap of his talons, Discord duplicated himself into six persons. Flinching to the flashes of light, Bon Bon spun around and suddenly had a double take when five other Discords stood behind the original. She had trouble lifting her jaw from the floor. It still took quite some getting used to Discord’s power level. “Or… that could work, too,” Bon Bon mumbled. “I assumed it might,” the original Discord declared, spinning around to face all the members of the bridge. “Now hold onto your applause! Saving the world doesn’t come with the snap of a finger! Or… maybe it does. When I return, your applause will be a welcome gift!” The second Discord interrupted, “I also accept gift cards!” “Birthday invitations,” said the third. The fourth: “Ogres and Oubliettes games.” The fifth: “Frozen sticks of butter.” And the sixth: “Handfuls of granola—” “DISCORD!” the Council of Friendship unanimously warned. “Toodles!” all six Discords replied, vanishing off with a snap of their talons. One after another. Until the last one—the true Discord—disappeared in a flash of light. Leaving the bridge of the Radiance oddly quiet and lacking a certain spark of energy. Or more so, chaos. “We’re dead…” Shining Armor groaned.