//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 You Said No Strings, Could Secure You... // Story: Growth // by Mister E //------------------------------// You Said No Strings, Could Secure You... Everything happened at once, so I stopped time. Okay, so technically both of those statements are false. The shortest amount of time that everything can happen is ALL of time. And I didn’t actually stop time, I just sped up my perception of it as much as I could. Now one zeptosecond seemed to last a little over a minute. At first I wondered why I had to actually put effort into to this, but then I realized it was because I wasted so much of the ambient Rot energies in the area foolishly pumping chaos into the two beings rapidly descending from above. Chrysalis and Sombra, filled near to bursting with raw chaos. And yet still incomplete to my enhanced senses. I glace over at Discord, he’s resting comfortably, eating popcorn. He sees me looking, and offers a friendly wave. To do this, he moves so fast that the molecules in the air around him catch fire. Show off. I’m having to pull in energy from further and further away, I need to come up with something quickly. First, shield everyone around me (except Discord, he can take care of himself). Okay good, but that used up a lot of energy. Second… what? Attack? Teleport to a more Rot filled area? Suddenly the decision is made for me as my perception snaps back to normal. “Twilight Sparkle?” Chrysalis says in surprise. “YOU are Discord’s new monster?” “Monster?” I say, playing for time, “I’m not the one who looks like a lotus root gone very, very, bad”. I perfectly refract light around me, rendering myself effectively invisible. She hits me with a piece of rubble, breaking my concentration. “Ignorant child, we can SENSE you! Enough foolishness, Sombra do it now!” She commands. Suddenly I am encased in crystal. It’s so black that it almost looks like I am inside a void. I reach out a hoof to touch the surface, and yank it back quickly. It burns! By the Sky Stallion it burns so bad! “And with that,” Sombra intones, “We take our leave!” The next thing I know, we are elsewhere. Meanwhile… “NO!” Discord says, leaping to his hooves, spilling popcorn everywhere. “That was NOT supposed to happen!” He lashes out with a clawed hand, casually destroying a pillar. “They were supposed to fight! This was supposed to be Twilight’s trial by fire! Those two have always been disappointments! Of course they couldn’t be counted on to do this One. Simple. Thing!” “Discord!” Fluttershy shouts, flying up before him. “What are you talking about? Did you PLAN this?!?” “Wha- Fluttershy! M-me? Plan this? Of course not!” He sputters. “I-I mean, I may have EXPECTED that something like this would happen, but I certainly didn’t cause it to… strictly speaking that is.” “DISCORD,” Fluttershy says menacingly. “Explain yourself right now!” “Fluttershy please! I’m telling you the truth! This was NOT supposed to happen!” Discord says, desperately trying to calm Fluttershy down. “I am so BEYOND mad at you right now!” Fluttershy says flying right up to Discord’s face. “But we can deal with this later! Tell me where they went! Right now!” “I don’t know,” Discord says backing away. Then the realization hits him. “Wait a minute… I really DON’T know! That’s impossible! How can I not sense where they are?!?” Discord frowns in concentration, straining his senses to the utmost. “This is impossible!” He says finally. “It’s like they fell off of the face of Equestria!” Elsewhere… “Are you SURE he cannot find us?” Chrysalis asks skeptically. “I’m certain.” Sombra states confidently. “We have literally fallen off of the face of Equestria. This is the last place he would think to look for us, and even if he did, there is no way he could reach us here. His very power prevents him from doing so.” Chrysalis looks around at the vast cavern they find themselves in. Around them Diamond Dogs, and Minotaurs continuously labor, digging and moving huge black crystals. “I must admit,” she says, “I find your efforts most impressive. These Minotaurs though, they seem different from the ones I have seen on the surface.” “Indeed,” Sombra intones. “They are the results of several lifetimes of selective breeding. I have, in effect, created my own sub-species. I call them Mineotaurs.” “A pun?” Chrysalis says, arching an eyebrow. “A double entendre,” the king replies. “They both mine, and belong to me. Mineotaurs.” “Quite,” the changeling queen replies. “Ah, our guest is stirring again, are you sure this plan is wise? We’ve had little time to confer.” “Twilight Sparkle presents a unique opportunity.” Sombra declares in response. “Depending upon the results of the next few minutes, she will either become a weapon, or a corpse!”