//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: The Chaos and the Demon // Story: Rise of the Element Gang, Book 3: Heroes United // by Power of Six //------------------------------// Chapter 7: The Chaos and the Demon Heading back to the little town to see the welcome home party the boys were setting up for Twilight and her friends, I was still laughing at the thought of those ponies and what would happen when they failed. What I’d said was true: that this the most fun I’d had in a long time, but this wasn’t just for fun. Now that they’re no longer in harmony with each other, those girls won’t be able to use the Elements. Not that it would matter consider they were one missing anyway. Once they failed, Twilight Sparkle would succumb too, like her precious Dusk, who was about to… I stopped laughing as I felt a sudden twinge in my head. I had felt the shift in chaotic, dark energy just when I was about to start experimenting with my powers again. Sensing how strong it was, I knew it had to be one thing that gave me immense satisfaction. “Oh, goodie.” I said to myself. “It seems as though Dusk finally Kishinized. About time too. Well, I better go and see my new disciple of chaos.” I transported myself to the cave where Dusk had exiled myself and snaked my head over the entrance. I couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the prospect of this, not to mention triumphant. Now there was no way Dusk would be able to discover that oh-so vital fact about himself that might foil my plans. Peering inside, I could see nothing but complete darkness, with not a soul moving inside. I was about to look closer in when the loudest roar I have heard in my life come out of the cave, sounding like a dragon mixed with a lion and a gorilla. “Agh!” the roar was so strong that it blew me away from the cave. When it stopped, I got back up and dusted myself off. That roar did surprise. “Hm… Well, that was different.” I turned back to the cave. “Hello? Are you there, little Dusk? Knock-knock! Guess who’s come-a calling!” At first, there was still an eerie silence. I was about to call out again when he heard a low, rumbling animal growl of suppressed rage. Suddenly, a trilby hat was flung angrily out, landing at my feet and gathering dirt. This was followed by a deep, threatening voice that gave me a small case of the chills. “Dusk isn’t here.” Part of the shadow seemed to pull away as a dark stallion emerged from the cave, glowing purple eyes locked on me. Discord beamed at the sight of him. “Oh, this is just perfect! This is quite an improvement, I must say.” “I thought so too… master.” growled the stallion that had once been Dusk, bowing low before the lord of chaos. “Excellent. I think this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership, my servant.” I hovered up to him and ran my eyes around his form, examining him from head to hoof to claw. “So, if you’re no longer Dusk Noir, what is your name?” The pony raised his head, his face fixed in an angry grimace. “In saying I am no longer that weakling, you are right, master. I am Diablo Nightfall and I am your willing servant in chaos and disharmony.” “Charmed.” I grinned before I then noticed Dusk’s necklace wasn’t on him. “I see you’ve gotten rid of that old pile of rocks.” Diablo glanced down, snarling. “Right, I forgot.” He then looked up at me. “I’m afraid I didn’t get rid of it. Dusk handed it to the remaining three elementals in town. As much as I despise that reminder of what I used to be and how I used to live such a weak existence again, I need to get that necklace back!” “Oh, don’t worry about that old thing. It’s nothing more than an old pile of rocks.” I told him. “Let’s go and have a little fun first. If we happen to come across Dusk’s old entourage, then you can go ahead and take it back from them.” “Guess you’re right. I had just got out, so it would be a good time to take my powers out for a spin.” He said with an evil grin before grabbing Dusk’s hat off the ground. “And I’ll give the little trio this to show that their leader is gone and will not be coming back.” “Oh, this is even better than I first thought!” I chuckled. “The chaos that you and I will wreak, Diablo… It will be beautiful!” “I share your vision, master.” he replied. “The Black Blood running through my veins, I can feel the chaotic power and it is glorious. Thanks to your help, I now have powers I could never dream of.” Diablo demonstrated this by shooting off a blast of magic at a nearby wall. It seems that the Black Blood had also altered his unique powers to where it was now as strong as my chaos magic. Instead of merely shaping color, he could shape objects and matter as well. Of course, not as much as his good self as he would need to be kept in line, but enough to let him have a little fun. I laughed with glee when I felt that the cave wall had been turned into a state of jelly. “Ha-ha, brilliant!” I grinned with satisfaction at my new servant. “Give it a few centuries and you could achieve many things, my little pony.” “I thought that might amuse you, my lord.” He bowed his head again. “What would you have me do first? I am anxious to begin the anarchy of your will.” “All in good time.” I assured. “First, there’s somepony, or several somponies, I think would be very pleased to meet the new you. An old friend in particular, who’s now just coming home.” “Twilight Sparkle…” At first, his expression looked pained, even tortured, but that changed in an instant. He let out a scream of rage and slammed his claw down on a rock, crushing it into dust. “She is no friend of mine! None of them are! Take me to them, my master, and I shall show them my power now!” “My thoughts exactly. Come along then, Diablo Nightfall! We have much to do.” I flew up close and wrapped an arm around him. “You know, that name is so much more macho, don’t you think?” “Whatever you say, my lord.” I gave him another evil smile and sinister chuckle as they vanished, Dusk’s hat in his claw, absent of its wearer. Twilight’s view Stepping through the wooden doors of the castle, I felt that strong sense of déjà vu. Had it really been a full year since that first time I’d been here, since I’d discovered the magic of friendship? I remembered the first time I’d been here, thinking that friendship had been a waste of time but having that mindset changed by the ponies who had accompanied me through the forest, no matter what danger that stood before us. Now I was back again, in a way, for the same purpose: searching for friendship, even if it was just one pony, but one pony that still meant a lot to me. My heart fluttered again as I thought of Dusk. I discovered that I always did that when I thought of him. Months ago, my name was one that instilled pity that, even though he had a few friends, Dusk didn’t realize the wonders of the magic of friendship. Now though, it meant so much more. The things I’d done with Dusk since I’d met him: the discussions that we had, jumping from a hydra into a long gorge, dancing at the Grand Galloping Gala. All the things that we’d done that made his life better and also made mine that little bit more special as well. As I walked through the doors of the castle and started my search in the room the Elements had been kept in, another memory came back to me, on the day I’d first used the Elements. When I’d turned around at the time and I realized the girls were my friends, I recalled seeing another pony at the entrance of the room, wearing a black hat with a faint glow illuminating his body. When I’d went to investigate closer, he had vanished and nopony else had seen him, so I had dismissed it. Now though, I couldn’t help but wonder… could it have really been the pony I was now searching for? Would that even be possible? Deciding I would ask Dusk after she found him, I stopped in the room and looked around for any sign of him. It didn’t look like Dusk was anywhere nearby. Perhaps he was somewhere else in the castle, in another section. “Dusk! Dusk, are you here?” I waited, but there was no reply. “It’s me, Twilight! Where are you?” The only response I received was my voice echoing around the empty stone room. I was starting to get a little worried now. There was, of course, every chance that Dusk was no longer here and he had returned to the library and was there waiting for me right now. But what if something else had happened returning to Ponyville? There were a lot of fierce animals that lived in the forest. Could be possible he had been…? No, I refused to think that. “I’m sure he’s fine.” I said to myself, though still fraught with worry. “He’s fine, I’m sure he is.” “Sorry to rain on your parade then.” I jumped at the sound of Discord's voice and saw him levitating before me. “What are you talking about, Discord?” I glared at him, but in truth, his words scared me. “I mean what I say, Twilight Sparkle.” His face became somber and he bowed his head. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid little Dusk had a run-in with somepony not too friendly and now he is no longer with us." “W…what?” my mouth fell open in shock at this news. “Again, I’m truly sorry for your loss.” He raised his head and gave that wicked smile. “Looks like, in failing to find your Elements, you failed to protect him too, even though you said you would. That must be devastating.” These words hit me like hammer blows and I felt weak at the knees, tears about to fall down my face, my gaze diverting to the ground and shaking her head. I couldn’t believe that this true, that Dusk could be… dead. Not Dusk… my number one pony assistant, my best friend… I’d never even got to tell him how I had felt about him, how I had always felt about him but never had the courage to say. And it was all my fault. I had been the one who told Dusk to stay in Ponyville, thinking he would be safe if Discord tried to go after him. Even though Dusk said he didn’t mind, I knew how much he liked to be useful. Even though it would be dangerous, Dusk would try to do something, anything, to help, even if it meant coming here. Dusk should have come with us, at least then I would have known where Dusk was but now… Dusk was gone… and it was all my fault. But, remembering what I saw back in the labyrinth, I then thought that maybe there was a second chance. “No… No, you’re lying!” she insisted. “You’re trying to trick me! Your Paraserpent said that it infected him with something, but he never said anything about killing him! So what you said can’t be true!” “How pathetic. Denying the truth that is spoken to her.” I heard a deeper, crueler voice say. The speaker stepped out of the shadows behind Discord and I couldn’t help but gasp. Nightmare Moon had been scary, but the appearance of this pony was truly terrifying. He kind of looked like El Dragon, but was taller as well as bigger, as I could see the muscles on his arms ripple dangerously. His body was a deep black, like the shadows that surrounded him, but his mane was stark white and pale as death. His eyes were a menacing violet, burning with pain and anger and the pupils were slits like a reptile, fixed on her and glaring. His horn was curved toward the back and had a plume that resembled a grey eye with a shrunk pupil. His cutie mark was a set of three eyes surrounded in a purple, raging fire, but there was certainly no warmth radiating from this stallion. Remembering what I was shown by Discord, I soon realized who this stallion was. “D… Dusk?” I said, horrified by what my friend had become. “Is… is that you?” “Not anymore.” He said, roughly planting something on my head. I used my magic to take it off and saw that it was Dusk’s hat. “Allow me to do the introductions.” Discord put his arm around the pony and smiled proudly, like a father with his son. “Twilight Sparkle, this is Diablo Nightfall, Dusk’s bigger brother if you will. Diablo, you already know Twilight.” “I do.” He continued to glare at me with those horrible purple eyes. “I extracted memories from my brother. And I can see that, out of all you girls, you’re the one who misled him the most. Honestly, friendship? Talk about something as pointless.” Twilight was horrified at the harshness of his words. “Dusk, what happened to you?” “My name is not Dusk.” He coldly told me. “I am Diablo Nightfall the Blackhole of Doom.” “No… no…” She choked on a sob, trying to fight back tears as I then grabbed one of his claws. “Please, Dusk! This isn’t you! Remember who you are!” “Get your hooves off me!” just like that, Diablo then tossed me to the floor. Looking back at him, I watched as he then snorted out black smoke before he held up the trilby hat. “Dusk Noir is gone… and he’s never coming back.” With that, he then crushed it before throwing it to my hooves, my stomach plummeted and my heart shattered. Taking the hat in a vice-like grip, the tears I tried to hold back began to flow as I looked at the stallion glaring down at me. To think that Dusk, the sweetest, most kind stallion I’ve ever met, had turned into somepony so cruel and heartless. I felt as if I’d had lost a great deal of strength in the moment that news had been given to me. I gripped the trilby hat tightly in my hooves and screwed up her eyes as a tear splashed onto the fabric. My best friend, the one I would have given anything to make sure he stayed safe, was now being controlled by Discord. I made her feel devastated, like now there was very little left to fight for. I cared deeply for Dusk but… I never would have thought I would be affected quite like this. Though, even with all this pain I was feeling, I refused to give up. Using my magic to hold Dusk’s hat, I stood up, glared back at Diablo, and said “I don’t care who you are or what you say to me, Diablo Nightfall, I know it in my heart that Dusk is still alive and I’m going to bring him back!” “Heh! Good luck with that.” He said with a scoff. “In the meantime, I shall show you the pain of which I used to bring the great El Dragon TO HIS KNEES!” He screeched this last part, the plume on his horn glowing and his face contorted with rage. He tensed and sprang at me. I was prepared to fight him, but—just as he reached me though—he was yanked back by Discord, who conjured up a dog leash and collar around his throat and stopped him just in time. “Down boy!” he chastised. “You can have all the fun you want with them, but only after I’m finished with them.” Diablo seethed and breathed heavily, still glaring at me. At first, I thought he would struggle and he wouldn’t obey his master. Eventually, however, he stopped and sank his head in subservience. “As you wish, my lord.” he growled obediently, but dangerously. “Good boy.” Discord said, making the dog leash vanish and grinning again. “Well, since you two seemed to have hit it off well and seeing as how he needs to let off some steam, why don’t we go and see what the rest of your friends are up to?” “No, no! You can’t!” I begged, knowing exactly what this would mean. Discord just smiled again. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Twilight Sparkle. It’s no trouble at all. I’ll get us back the quick way.” I knew I couldn’t stop him as he snapped his fingers and teleported them away. As they returned back to the dirt road I’d left the others at, I cast her gaze once more to Discord’s new servant…or slave rather. Diablo Nightfall was staring resolutely off into the middle distance with those terrible eyes of his. This calm state he was in was even more terrifying than when he had suddenly lost his temper. He put me in the mind of a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark, with an inferno of anger and rage. It made him unpredictable at best, like his master and equally dangerous. Discord had called him Dusk’s brother, but I could see he was just something that came from whatever Discord did to him. Dusk had been helpful, kind, sweet, and unsure of himself, qualities that I’d liked about him. Diablo seemed to know nothing but rage, anger, fury and—I noticed as well—pain. Underneath all of that anger, there seemed to be a great deal of pain and regret that fueled it. At first, it was enough to make me pity him, until I remembered what he had done and my anger towards him flared up again. I returned her concentration to the others, all of whom were just lazing about by the road without a care in the world. I barely even acknowledged them as I walked back, still levitating the hat before me and trying to hold back tears. “Pretty impressive, huh? If your brother were here to see them, his jaw would have dropped.” I heard Discord say to his dark servant. I ignored them and carried on, not even standing to look at them. “Aw! Well, look whose back.” I heard the scornful voice. “What’s the matter? Couldn't find your boyfriend?” “Fluttershy,” I said in a whisper, not looking up while pointing at Diablo. “That guy right there… that’s Dusk.” “Really?” She replied before smiling at Diablo. “Hey, Dusk! Nice look! Trying an old man look?” “I’m not Dusk. He was a loser.” He said to her with a nonchalant look. “Oh, that’s too bad.” she replied without a hint of regret in her voice. “I was gonna steal his hat and necklace when I saw him again, just to see what he would do.” “What? Why?” I asked her. “Because he likes them so much and it would be fun to see him cry after I threw them into a patch of mud.” “Fluttershy! How can you say that?” I asked incredulously. “With my mouth, stupid.” She let out a cruel laugh and flew off, kicking Rarity's boulder as she did. “Eh, who cares what happened to him? it’s not like we ever needed him.” Applejack said nonchalantly. “Applejack! How could you?” I couldn’t believe that my friends say these horrible things about Dusk! “He was your friend, a friend to all of us, and you’re acting like he was nothing!” “Well, he was, wasn’t he?” Fluttershy put in. “The useless, little nopony wasn’t even an Element of Harmony. I’m glad he's gone.” “Me too!” Pinkie added. “He was laughing at me along with all of you too! Who needs him?” “Unless he comes here to help carry my beautiful diamond, then I agree!” Rarity said. “Some gentlecolt he turned out to be.” I had no response to any of these comments because I couldn’t believe I was hearing them. Dusk had become as much a part of their friendship as any of them had been, even if Dusk wasn’t an Element, that had never mattered in the past. Now though, my so-called friends were making all of these cruel statements about him and it was making me feel even worse, that maybe this wasn't worth fighting after all… “Guess the wielders are not out of commission.” Diablo said with a satisfied grin. “May I?” “Go ahead, Diablo! Have some fun.” “Finally!” He suddenly jumped up into the sky and landed with an earth-shaking thud in the center of the group, sending them to the floor. “Right, which of you will be the first?” “Look at you, you think you’re so big and tough.” Fluttershy kicked a hoofful of dirt in his face, making him splutter. “Who's tough now, tough guy?” Diablo snarled and his horn glowed with purple magic, pointed at a herd of long-legged rabbits nearby. The mammals stopped, turned around again, and stampeded towards Fluttershy before she knew what had happened. Growling angrily, she tried to get back up only to be stampeded again and pressed down into the dirt, receiving the same treatment every time she tried to return to her hooves. “Certainly not you.” he replied, laughing cruelly at her state. “And what are you laughing? You laughing at me, huh?” Pinkie demanded, standing right up in his face with gray sparks coming from her. “Well, quit it!” “I am not laughing at you…yet.” he said in a dangerously low voice. “I remember that you like to eat cupcakes, do you not?” There was a flare of light and five cupcakes were hovering in the air around him. At first, they just floated eerily around his head until they opened up to reveal rows of sharp teeth inside frosting-filled mouths. Growling and snarling, they all swarmed at Pinkie Pie and began to gnaw and bite at her body and fur coat. She tried kicking them away, screaming at them angrily to stop, but they didn’t stop their attack and forced her back into the dirt. “How ironic life can be.” Blackhole chortled at the sight of her. “Now I’m laughing at you!” “Well, don’t even think of tryin’ any of your fancy magic on me.” Applejack warned. “It, uh… won’t work anyway." “Let’s test that, shall we?” Two more blasts of magic were sent at a pair of trees which came to life, sprouting arms and uprooting themselves, marching over to him. “You’ve spent your whole life apple-bucking and kicking trees. Now they want some payback!” He snapped two of his claws as a signal to them and the trees charged at Applejack, their barky limbs creaking in time with their movements, catching up before she could have the chance to run away. They grabbed her with their wooden hands and proceeded to throw and kick her in between them. She flailed and screamed, trying to stop herself from being tossed through the air like a ball between two fillies, but there was nothing she could do. “You brute!” Rarity stood protectively backed up against her boulder. “Keep away from me and my diamond! Keep away, I said!” “Very well, I shall. But can you keep away from your diamond?” He grinned and blasted it with a spell. The instant he did, the surface of the stone bubbled like a liquid being boiled and Rarity began to sink into it. She tried to pull away, but the sinking grew all the more quickly until her whole body except her head was encased in the boulder. At this point, it stopped bubbling and became stone once more, leaving its prisoner straining to break free of her entrapment. I had been standing in shock at all of the deeds he was performing. It caught me off-guard at how vindictive and malicious this pony was, willing to do these horrible things to them. But I snapped out of it when Diablo turned to face me, that horrible malformation of a smile on his angry, rage-filled face. “Now…what will I do with you?” he asked me, stepping towards me. “Please, just stop this!” I begged him, hoping to appeal to his better nature, trying to see if I could get through to Dusk. “You don’t have to do this to us.” For a moment, he hesitated at my plea and seemed to consider following my request. “You’re right. I don’t have to…” I dared to hope that it had worked, but this was soon dashed. It was gone as soon as it arrived and he just glared at me. “But I want to.” “Then you leave me no choice.” I sent a spell at him, one that would paralyze his body. He ducked under it and snarled at her angrily. Now she had really disturbed the hornet’s nest. “You dare to attack me?” “Yes, if you keep hurting me or my friends!” I sent another spell at him, which hit him and sent him reeling on the ground. “Sorry, Dusk! It’s for your own good!” His body twitched for a moment and it looked like my spell had worked. He was moving jerkily around as the effects of the paralysis took hold on him. Suddenly, he sprang back to his hooves and came at me again, a visage of pure rage. How was that possible? He shouldn't be still moving. “Your pathetic magic can’t stop me!” He strode up to me, his hooves and claws making small cracks in the ground. “You will pay for that!” It seemed that through sheer power of will and anger he’d overcome my spell. Perhaps a few more would stop him for good. I sent three more at him, but this time—instead of dodging them—he blocked them with bursts of light, sending them ricocheting away in other directions. The last one he sent back at me and I didn’t have time to get out of the way. It hit me and I fell to the ground from the impact. I could already feel my limbs seizing up from the effects of the spell. I tried to crawl away, to get back up and fight, but the spell was too strong. Even my ability to use magic was suspended and I was left frozen in a position of desperate terror. I could feel cold breathing down the back of my neck as my tormentor approached. “Again, irony is a strange thing, isn’t it?” he growled. “Now that I have you in this state, I know just what to do with you.” I saw a magic aura surround my limbs and lift me up. “Now to make you look as foolish as worthless, little Dusk.” Unable to control my limbs, unable to fight back in any way, I was forced to be humiliated witness as Diablo made me dance around like his puppet, laughing while he did. I had to endure this sick torment, feeling utterly defeated and hopeless. It was like a strange subversion of Dusk’s color talent, only now it was with an actual pony rather than one shaped by color and magic. All the while, I wondered how somepony I knew to be meek and mild could have a side to him so malicious, so cruel as to take joy in this… I could glimpse Discord, also laughing and guffawing at the state of me and my friends as his servant acted out his sick game. All of this chaos, all of this suffering, it all stemmed from him. Along with my humiliation, I also felt the fire of anger that drove her to find the Elements, to turn him back into stone, and to make him face justice for what he'd done to me, my friends, my home… and Dusk. “All right, all right! That’s enough for now.” Discord ordered, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “But, master, I was just getting started.” Diablo insisted. “I only ask that you let me have a few more minutes with them…” “You’ve had long enough and they still haven’t found their Elements. We need to give them a chance, don’t we?” He conjured up the collar and leash in his hand again. “Come on, Diablo. Don’t make me use this.” The dark-furred, dark-hearted pony stared warily at the bright red collar in Discord’s hand, his gaze flicking around me and the girls. Again, it seemed like he would refuse to obey, that even Discord couldn’t control his blind rage. Eventually, he ceased and canceled the magic he had done, releasing me and the others from our individual torments, all of us falling to the ground in a heap. “As you wish, my lord.” he rumbled, joining Discord at his side. “Good boy.” Discord said satisfactorily, still sniggering at us. “Good work though. I’m proud of you, my lad.” “Thank you, master.” he bowed, allowing himself a cruel smirk as he watched them struggle. Trying to restore feeling to my joints, I still felt a little stiff in my limbs, pulling myself back to my hooves. The rest of my friends were in the same battered and dazed states from what they’d just been through. At first, I thought they might start to work together again and stop fighting each other…until Fluttershy, covered in bruises from the trampling rabbits, promptly kicked Pinkie back to the floor again with a cruel cackle. I groaned and hung my head, picking up Dusk’s hat and holding it close. Once again, I felt a sense of hopelessness, of loss without his comforting, imaginative presence. The world just seemed a much bleaker place without Dusk. Add to that this black-hearted pony tormenting us just for the fun of it and the way my friends were acting and I was left with the thought that we couldn’t stop Discord… I just missed him so much. But then I had a thought, an idea that gave me renewed hope. Dusk became Diablo Nightfall because of Discord. Maybe, if we could find the Elements of Harmony again, we could use them to turn him back to normal, just how we turned Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna. That was if Dusk’s “big brother” didn’t try and stop us. However, this idea still gave me a new determination and I urged my friends to get moving and get up as we still needed to find the Elements if we were to save Dusk. “Come on, girls! We need to get moving!” I insisted, setting off back down the road. “Once we get to the library, I know a book that’ll give us a clue to the Elements.” With this statement fueling me, I pressed on. Suddenly, the sun went down in seconds and up came the moon, plunging us all into darkness. This sudden change caught me off-guard. I could barely see a few feet in front of me as we were about to start off down the road again. “Wow! I can see so much better now.” I heard Applejack suddenly yell in surprise and felt her smack into me and knock me to the ground. “I meant to do that.” I tried to get up, but the road had become very slippery and I fell back to the ground. When the sun came back up again, I saw why. “Discord’s turned our dirt roads into soap!” “Beautiful, isn’t it?" Discord slid by casually, his dark servant not too far behind. “This is the new and improved Ponyville and these are only my first of changes.” “You have done splendid work, master.” Diablo praised, looking over it with a strange, twisted kind of happiness. “Thank you, DN. Glad that you appreciate it.” he said to him, smiling with satisfaction. “There’s still much more to come, so don’t give your scores just yet.” I looked over at the town which was now also in a state of nonsensical madness. The sky surrounding it was bright pink with clouds of cotton candy raining down chocolate on half of the town. The river water had changed from sparkling blue to a deep purple, glistening strangely in the sun. Several buildings and trees were now upside down or floating on chunks of earth in the sky, also either right side up or on their roofs. There were no longer lush fields of grass and flowers, but rolling hills of patchwork and tartan in blue and lilac. Nothing looked natural or right, it was a travesty compared to how beautiful it had been. “This may look like fun, but it's not.” Pinkie said as she slid by on the soap, still covered in bite marks. She glared at Diablo as she slid by, who only grinned and gave a growl and a snap. She shrieked at this and jumped back, shivering with fear while he chuckled. I felt similar anger towards him myself, just as Discord suddenly appeared beside me and lifted me up. I hated it when he put his hands on me, it made me feel sick. “Picture it: the chaos capital of the world.” He held me before him just as darkness fell on us again, obscuring my vision. “I can’t picture anything. It’s too dark.” I told him. He then dropped me back into the soap and I heard Diablo chuckle again. “Well, wait a few minutes and you’ll see it in the beautiful light of day. Or not.” he shrugged, turning to his servant. “Come along, Diablo. We’ve got things to do, chaos to wreak and I’ll think you’ll like this next spot.” “Yes, my lord.” He gave me one last cruel smile before he and Discord vanished in a flash of bright light. “Ponyville, the chaos capital of the world?” I stood up defiantly and tried to bolster my own spirits. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” “Don’t worry, you won’t.” Fluttershy put in as she slid by, laughing as she did. I groaned again and carried on down the road, trying my best not to slip and holding on to Dusk’s hat. I could only hope my hunch was right or… I couldn’t bear to think of the alternative. I could still hear Diablo’s cruel laughter, his cold angry eyes… I had no wish to see them again. Dragonis’ view Clutching her head, I could tell Luna felt the shift in magical power that made her gasp and clutch her head. “Luna!” I said as I went to her side. “I’m fine.” She said to me. “It seems my power of the night is dwindling away. The only time I had felt like this was…” “When Discord reign over Equestria.” I said, know our fears had been realized. Discord had won. I then watched as Luna brought out and looked at the roll of parchment that she sincerely prayed had been guiding her and Dusk along the right path. “Luna, I have sense another disturbance, a chaotic force that I have not sensed in a long time.” I told her, feeling energy I had not expect to appear. “A newborn Kishin. I’m afraid that Discord had inflicted Dusk to the madness of Black Blood, much like he had done to you. We have no choice now, we need to action.” Luna then sighed before she then put the parchment down and looked to me. “I know, Dragonis. If something isn’t done, then I’m afraid all hope is lost. I do have a solution, but I will need some help.” “Then let us go and ensure the safety of all of Equestria.” I said, both of us gathering strength before leaping off the balcony and taking flight towards Ponyville. I knew what had to be done… but it wasn’t going to be easy.