Princess Twilight, at the insistence of her mother, led her sisters down one of the many grand palace halls. Together they moved hurriedly towards an outside door; one that would lead them right to their agreed upon rendezvous point.
Her magic continued to buzz persistently, forcing her to work a little harder to think over it. This sensation, her mother informed her, was not solely due to the storm.
Twilight recalled it clearly: the queen had been on edge the moment she’d walked into the ballroom. Her mother, as long as she’d known her, had been a composed and elegant mare, always knowing just what to do and what to say. Seeing Celestia looking over her shoulder constantly was not something Twilight was used to. That's why, even as their mother ushered them out with all the reassurances she could offer, they knew something was up. She could feel it. And she knew her sisters could feel it too.
“What the hay is going on!?” Rainbow Dash demanded what they were all wondering, her wings bristling at her sides-she was worried as much as she was suspicious, and Twilight couldn't blame her.
She, just like the rest of her sisters, wanted answers. They wanted to know what was going on. Twilight didn't have those answers. Just orders.
“Stay quiet,” Twilight commanded with the authority of an older sister, then offered what she could, “Aunt Luna will meet us in the gardens and explain everything, all I know is this: we might be under attack,”
The mares around her gasped, but were silenced by a quick gesture from their older sister.
“We have no need to worry. Mother has always been prepared for something like this, whatever threat is upon us, it will be taken care of in minutes.”
How? She wasn't quite sure, but she knew if Celestia couldn’t do it, they could. Luna knew what to do. She would lead and protect them.
Pinkamina bounced up alongside Twilight, “So, we have no reason to panic then, right?”
“None.”
“Oh good,” She sighed, keeping up a bubbly and positive attitude despite the fact they were all a little spooked that night. She was good at that, being cheerful in the face of adversity. Finding the silver linings and maintaining a sense of hope in life.
Twilight was grateful for it as her anxiousness grew. She found herself wishing Aunt Luna was closer as even the brisk walk through a short but empty hallway felt like an eternity. It was almost too much: the buzzing in her head, the hurried hoofsteps that echoed and reverberated through the halls, the flashes of lightning that illuminated their path, and the suspense. The fear and knowledge that something could or would be coming. If it weren't for her sister’s company keeping her sane and focused, she might have lost her head by now.
“We’re safe, mother will see to that.” Twilight said to reassure herself as much as her sisters.
A burst of crackling thunder echoed as if it came from within the very halls of the palace, as opposed to outside and in the distance. A deep and menacing voice followed after, “Nothing to worry about, hmm? I wouldn’t be so sure,”
Twilight halted, instinctively extending her wings as a protective barrier for her younger sisters who gathered in at her sides. She glared at the empty space before her, ears flicking to detect what direction the voice came from. But it came from everywhere.
“Oh come now,” It taunted, “Do you think that just because you aren't moving I can't see you?”
“Who goes there?” Her magic flared brightly as she waited and prepared for the source of the voice to appear.
She spun around once and then again keeping her eyes sharp for any movement from the darker corners of the room. Something. A sign. An indication. Anything.
They waited.
Then, slowly emerging from whence they came, from out of the shadows crept a terrifying creature. One of legend. With a serpentine body formed of mismatched animal limbs, he stalked forward in a way that resembled all the predatory animals present in his build. He exemplified those creatures in the worst possible way while his fiery red eyes glinted dangerously at the mares.
All courage to stand against him fled Twilight as one single instinct took its place: protect her sisters.
Without breaking gaze with the creature, she gave her next command; an urgent whisper to the fillies and mares around her.
“Run,”
“But-”
“I said run!”
They didn't hesitate a moment longer and took off galloping as fast as their hooves could take them along their originally planned path. And Twilight ran with them. She knew she could do nothing if she took a stand now. Facing the creature-Discord- alone would not benefit anypony. In fact, it was the dumbest thing she could possibly do in this situation.
For now the plan was this: go to the gardens. Find Luna. Sunset would be there too. And most importantly: Fluttershy.
So help her she was not letting this ruin Fluttershy’s birthday.
She pushed herself harder, lungs burning as she threw open the doors ahead of them with her magic, allowing them an exit into the night with little delay. She paused only to ensure each of her sisters made it out the doors before she slammed them shut. As she did, though, she caught a glimpse of the halway and found it empty.
Wait… empty?
He had been right on their tails! Where could he have gone!?
“While I do love a good chase,” The mares skid across the wet stone path as they were halted by the draconequus before them, “I’ll warn you, this is ultimately pointless,”
Twilight gasped, reaching with her magic to reopen the door they’d just come from, only to find it magically locked. Discord crept forward once more as Twilight threw together a strategy, a way out.
They hadn’t been cornered, running in any direction could get them moving closer towards their destination, so long as they got around him. But he would be expecting that. They’d have to move quickly. With precision. It wasn't far to go. If she could just…
An idea came at just the right moment and with a steadying breath she ignited her horn to discharge a blinding orb of light right at the draconequus. He cried out in surprise and the five sisters seized the opportunity.
Once again, they ran. And once again, quicker than Twilight had hoped for, Discord was in pursuit.
Just a little further.
Twilight glanced between the not too distant end point and their attacker, the rain blurring all else beyond recognition. And for a split second she could have sworn she saw them. Sunset and Luna. Which meant Fluttershy was there too! She knew they could just make it!
But the wonderful sight was interrupted by a stone wall springing up from the ground to block their path.
They turned to move around it but a second wall was summoned. And then a third on the other side.
Now, the only way out was guarded by Discord.
Trapped.
They were trapped.
With a wave of his claw he rendered her magic useless and left her incapable of drawing on her natural font of energy. Her wings, too, were kept from use, bound to her sides. She knew Rarity and Rainbow would find similar restraints to their innate abilities.
Twilight felt her heart sinking as the final protection she could offer for her sisters was herself. Her own hooves and slim frame. She knew it wouldn't be enough. But she would not back down.
“Release us, Discord, and we’ll ensure your punishment is minimal.”
He laughed. “Negotiations? Really? That’s your last resort?”
Yep. Powerless and defenseless, all she had were words. But Celestia help her if she didn't try something.
“Please don't kill us!” Pinkamina cried, clinging to Twilight’s side, peeking out just enough to be seen with her pitiful tearfilled eyes.
“Kill you?” Discord scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “I may be cruel but I’m not a total monster. My quarrel is not with you mares, but with Celestia. Why would I kill the innocents caught in the crossfires?”
Twilight winced at the harshness in his tone. Though the words themselves should have been comforting, the way they were spoken hinted to something more sinister than death.
“That being said, I can't keep you around either,” There it was. The mares gave confused glares as he spun his claw nonchalantly through the air, a contradiction to the mancacing presence he held. “I’ve chosen to have mercy on you mares and send each of you to a new land, and life, with no memory of who you are or where you came from.”
“How is that mercy?” Rainbow Dash protested, looking ready to square off with him, even without her use of flight. She always was brave like that.
Twilight wondered, was this brave? Or stupid?
Didn't matter which one, because either way he casually brushed her off.
“You won't be dead,” he chuckled, “If I were you, I’d accept that as a win.”
His spinning talon began to smoke with a haze of muddied and ominous colors as they pooled together in the air. The smoke thinned and gathered into a ring, leaving behind a hole in reality; a swirling portal pulsing with light but no indication of what lay on the other side. The mares’ stomachs twisted with it.
“Here lies the gateway to your new life.” Discord explained in a low voice, “A life that is normal, untroubled by the burdens of royalty,”
Twilight only scowled, “I won't let you do this!”
“Oh Twilight, it’s practically done,” He replied, “Who knows, one day, you may thank me for this,”
If looks could kill, the one Twilight shot at him would easily do the trick, “Why would we ever thank a monster like you for tearing us apart!? For stealing what is ours!?”
He gave no reply, his eyes looking over each of the terrified, huddled mares. Monster? Oh yes, that’s all ponies ever saw him as. A monster. It didn't matter what good he’d done for Equestria a millenia ago, ponies’ minds could not be changed. Why try to be anything but the monster they believed him to be? This is how he’d existed for a thousand years. After all that time, their favorite way to describe him was meaningless. Monster. He was deaf to it.
So instead, he turned to current matters with cold calculation until his decision rested on the third oldest of all the daughters.
“Oh no you don't!” Rainbow Dash growled sensing his intention. She took a defensive stance looking ready to charge, to fight at the slightest move from him. She would not go without making things difficult. What she wasn't expecting, however, was for Discord to seize her in his magical grasp, pulling her from her sisters and giving her no chance to fight back.
“What the hay!? Let me go!” She protested, kicking the air and swinging wildly, hoping to strike Discord as she did so. But he kept a safe distance between them. Every blind attack failed.
Twilight lunged after the pegasus mare, hoping to recover her, but Discord was faster, lifting Rainbow out of reach like a pinata at a birthday party. The draconequus chuckled, shooing Twilight away as if she were nothing more than a pesky fly.
Still, Twilight persisted, “Give her back!”
What could you even do about it? His eyes taunted her loud and clear as he inched the fighting mare closer to the portal.
“You’ve got spirit,” He mused stroking his goatee, enjoying Rainbow’s struggle, “Let’s see where Las Pegasus takes you,”
“Las Pegasus!?” Twilight gasped. As much as her mother had tried to do good by her people and ensure safety and harmony, Las Pegasus was a busy city. There it was far too easy to get lost in the crowds, get pulled in with the wrong ponies. Dash was a fighter but heaven forbid she get in trouble with the ponies there. They were a rough lot, and that’s about all she needed to know. “You can’t send her to-!”
Too late.
Her outraged cry was cut short as Discord tossed the cyan pegasus into the portal without a second thought. Rainbow Dash’s protests were quickly silenced and for a moment the night was still, save for the infinitely swirling portal.
One sister... gone. The first knife to her heart. She would not lose another.
Twilight pulled her shocked and horrified sisters in closer. As tight as she held, it wasn't enough. Discord proved himself more powerful again. Rarity, the shining gem of a sister, was dragged from her arms next.
“I’m warning you Discord,” She growled again despite seeing how he took glee in her protests and her attempts to stop him. She wasn't giving up so soon.
And that made enjoying every last second far too easy for Discord.
Rather than fight as Rainbow Dash had, Rarity looked at Twilight with a hopeful but teary-eyed gaze. A lady through and through, she kept her composure though it pained her to think of parting with her sisters. She was unwilling to give Discord the satisfaction of seeing her cry, beg, or blubber like a fool. She knew this was it for her, yet she was not hopeless.
“If anyone can fix this, I know it will be you.” She whispered to Twilight, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “I’ll see you on the other side of this,”
If only Rarity knew... She was doubting herself more by the second.
“I think Manehattan is the place for you,”
Twilight gasped again. That was hardly better than Las Pegasus! Rarity too would be faceless in the crowds, in a city that took advantage of its citizens. A city whose citizens took advantage of each other, no less. Rarity always had a generous and giving heart, to think of anypony exploiting that brought more grief to Twilight than a swift death would have.
Once again she could do nothing but watch as another sister was lost to the portal and beg that something would change Discord’s mind.
“You… you monster!” She choked as her tears blurred her vision, mingling with the fierce downpour of rain water against her coat till they were indistinguishable. “Bring them back!”
He bared his teeth and hissed at her words, “No.”
Useless insults to the path he’d long traveled were not going to change his mind. Nothing and no pony could accomplish that.
His next target was Pinkamina, the older of the two earth ponies. Twilight moved beyond desperation to keep the last two safe. And just like with the others, her efforts were fruitless.
With a smirk Discord met Pinkamina muzzle to muzzle, “Off you go to Fillydelphia! Best of luck!”
“You mean meanie-pants!” She growled in a characteristically Pinkamina sort of way. “You’ll never take me alive!”
She broke out into a gallop despite being suspended in midair. Though she didn't move, her performance was still quite convincing for she appeared to be running on a surface as opposed to nothing.
He raised a brow at her odd antics, “Uh, I just did take you alive,”
She froze mid-step, glancing at him from the corner of her eye, “Oh, right…” she chortled, taking a seating position. “I guess you got me there… but I don't have to like it!” She crossed her hooves and huffed in mock anger, sticking her muzzle up in the air.
What a strange little filly...
Meanwhile, Twilight grit her teeth, fighting the barrier that kept her magic at bay. If she could just muster something, anything to dent the preventative barrier over her magic, she could break out and get her sisters safe. She could find Rainbow, and Rarity and fix this. Right!?
She had to fix this!
She had to fix it before she lost any more of her sisters!
Her eyes stung as her mental attempts failed without any give. Magically, she was helpless. Physically, she was nothing against the towering beast.
He waited till she was watching, till she was done struggling, before tossing the odd little Pinkamina into that terrible portal with a smirk. In a flash she was gone, just like the others.
Remaining stood Twilight and Apple Jacqueline together in the rain. Alone against Discord. The second oldest and the second youngest. That’s when it occurred to her: he’d dismissed each mares oldest to youngest-after skipping over her, of course. He had waited for her full attention, made her watch as each sister was lost. He wanted her to see this. He wanted her to feel the pain and desperation that came as her world was torn from her and she was left powerless.
Why? She didn't know.
What she did know was that watching them go felt like having her heart ripped out of her chest again and again. That was a pain like no other. And still, she had two sisters that were… goodness knows where. But they couldn't have been far.
Sunset Shimmer, and Fluttershy. They had been elsewhere in the castle whilst the royal family prepared the night’s festivities. Would Discord seek them out before or after wiping her memory, before sending her away through that accursed portal?
Fluttershy was only eight, an angel of a filly. Innocent in every meaning of the word. Twilight knew watching that sweet filly join her sisters in their fate would destroy her and Sunset, who cared for the filly above all others, as much as she tried to hide it. Who didn’t? Everypony adored Fluttershy.
Twilight was ready to wrestle Discord in order to keep AJ there, to give the other two time to realise they weren't coming and escape. But he must have known. He must have sensed it. He gave her no chance at resistance as he teleported the last filly out of her arms and inches from the portal.
“Nonononononono!” She tried to jump for the filly, and fought to get her back. Discord paid her no mind, his full attention on the earth-pony.
“I think Ponyville would be suitable for you Miss Apple Jacqueline,”
“We’ll be back,” She said calmly, a total opposite of the tragic wreck known as Twilight, “And when next I see ya, Imma kick your face right in.”
Discord chuckled, “Sounds lovely.”
It was sarcastic, of course.
But that simple comment almost made her his favorite. Oh, what a laugh. As if he could have a favourite among Celestia’s daughters. No, they were a mere nuisance to be dealt with and nothing more.
With that, he waved the filly off, finally sending her through the portal.
These mares had really surprised him. There was no begging from them, just comments of hope and defiance, aside from Twilight. But he could hardly blame the mare. She was a protector, was she not? Leaving her helpless to save those she cared about, he knew, would certainly crush her. She was too much like Celestia.
But him? He did what had to be done. Twilight would forget the crushing pain, she would forget this woe. She would be at peace in a new life.
Never to remember this again.
That was his mercy.
And his promise.
Even as she crumpled to the ground, as she finally gave up the fight and sobbed against the grass, he felt no pity. No regret. He did what had to be done.
She would be all right in the morning.
He’d give her a clear path, just like the others. One that led her far away from him.
With a wave of his claw, he lowered the stonewalls he’d summoned leaving her out in the open gardens.
“Take one last look around,” He said lowly, lifting her chin so she could meet his gaze, to look one last time into his glowing eyes. “Your new future awaits you.”
She summoned her courage, swatting his claw away. And she, with all the venom she possessed, demanded just one answer:
“Why?”
“You know my name, princess. You must know why I’m here?” His eyes flashed again, his frame illuminated by lightning, “Revenge,”
“No.” Sharply, she demanded again, “Why this? Why us? If your quarrel is with my mother, why must you tear the rest of us apart?”
He chuckled. She certainly was asking just the right questions. He could humor her for a moment. Afterall, he was taking everything from her, he could provide an answer.
“Do you know of the Elements of Harmony?”
Twilight’s ears perked. Yes. She did. From old foal’s tales once shared by her mother.
Carefully, she answered him. “My mother and Aunt Luna once used their power to banish you.”
“Yes,” He continued, with the intent of leading her through the thought, right to understanding, “But they have no power to wield them anymore, now do they?”
“No,” Twilight whispered as his answer became crystal clear, “We do. The six of us…”
“Precisely, but as long as even one of you can wield the Elements, you are a threat to me.”
“One of us…”
He sighed, “All it takes is one, unfortunately. And when I’m done with you the only one left is…”
“Fluttershy,” She gasped, her fears confirmed: he was after Fluttershy next. He would steal her memory and drop her alone to be forgotten in some far corner of the world. Just like the rest of them. “Please, not Fluttershy, she doesn't know about any of this! She doesn't deserve this fate!”
“But she can be told.” he hissed back, “No loose ends, your highness. I won't leave a single one.”
She was still, save for her laboured breaths. It seemed her mind was at war. Debating whether or not to take a stand. Could she? No. Should she despite that? She wanted to. Desperately. So much, she shook from the effort it took not to lash out, but she knew it was pointless. Dare she try to save an ounce of her dignity?
“As for you…” He interrupted her inner turmoil, “Your ties are the strongest to Equestria. The further you are from Canterlot, the better for me. And so, I’ll be sending you to the Crystal Empire."
“Do whatever you will with me,” The strength that was once in her voice wavered, “But not Fluttershy.”
He smirked, a retort ready on his lips. He felt, though, that enough had been said. He’d mocked her enough already, why add salt to the wound? “This will fade, and life will go on. You need not concern yourself with it any longer.”
“But I do,” She shook, fighting back the whirlwind of emotions in her, “It doesn't matter where you send us, or that you’ve stolen our memories. We will find each other. And when we do, we’ll be back. Then, you will be the one left with nothing. You have not won for forever, Discord”
“Au contraire, princess, I have won. And nothing will change that.” His razor sharp fangs and glowing eyes- eyes full of hatred and fury- were the last she saw before becoming lost in the portal. A sight she would nevermore remember. Tomorrow would be a fresh start for all of them.
The portal blipped from existence, it’s purpose fulfilled. Discord brushed off his paw and claw, satisfied with his work. Five down already, and he was just getting started.
Messy business this all was. Taking over a kingdom. Yet it was worth it even now as Celestia and Sombra stood chained before him, defeated. Hopeless. Helpless.
He had no regrets about what he did to her daughters. And he doubted he ever would.
This fruitless battle that only proved his endless power. A failure they would always remember, and a curse upon the both of them for the rest of their immortal lives.
“I do hope you enjoy your life-long stay in the deepest darkest pits of Canterlot’s dungeons.” He cheered with mock merriment. He knew life would be Tartarus for them from this moment on. It would be impossible for them to enjoy it. Oh but he had to mock, to poke fun and jab. He just couldn't resist rubbing their noses in their failure. Not when he’d waited so long. Not when he’d imagined every possibility. This night couldn't have gone better if he did say so himselfl.
Not that Celestia cared for his triumph.
“Have you forgotten how I got this crown?” Celestia echoed his earlier remark, her eyes turning as cold as his had been, “Your power won't be endless Discord, despite what you believe. And when it fades? When you have turned Equestria to dust? Will you be satisfied then?”
He considered her a moment, humming thoughtfully.
“It would have crumbled beneath your reign just as easy.” He smirked, folding his arms behind him. “Despite what you led those ponies to believe, you did not create a utopia. They would have seen the truth sooner or later.”
Ponies often spoke of ugly truths and beautiful lies. Their meanings debated, and the distinction between them argued. Yes, Celestia’s reign of harmony and peace had been the beautiful lie. The illusion. Ponies believed themselves to be safe but truly, they were slowly rotting away to nothing.
That meant it was up to him to be the ugly truth. To show Equestria that harmony had not protected them all this time. Chaos would break the illusion, even if it too meant the end of Equestria. Better to know you are doomed than to wake up suddenly in a world you thought you were safe in and then discover you never were.
“But yes, I will be satisfied.” He concluded, “Because you will remember. Your home will crumble to dust. Your daughters will be forever lost. You will be forgotten by the world, hardly remembered as anything but a faint memory after a thousand years. But for eternity you will know it didn't have to end like this.”
She hissed, “You make it sound as if I am the only one to blame. You are not flawless, Discord. You made mistakes too,”
“Yes. But I was willing to admit it.” He chuckled coldly, ready to send them away, to be done with her.
But something stopped him.
Something… not quite right.
Something that wasn’t supposed to happen.
Out of the corner of his eye, through the grand windows of the ballroom he could see it: a beacon of brilliant jade light illuminating the stormy sky. He didn't have time to wonder the cause of it before his mind was overcome with a deep haze. One that left him dizzy and foggy. Before he knew it, and faster than he could stop it, he felt his memories of Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy, even what little he knew of them, what ability he had to find them, fading away. They slipped from the grasp of his mentality, disappearing like dust in the wind.
He cursed under his breath, his claws extending, “What did you do,”
He focused on anything he could, anything about them, but came up empty. All but their names, forgotten.
Their names.
That’s all that's left. A ghost to remind him they were here.
Celestia watched the change in him, stunned, speechless. She seemed just as lost and confused as he felt until the pieces began to click in her mind.
“My daughters,” She muttered, “You didn't get them all,”
He glared sharply, the mental fog fading from his mind, “Well yes, we already established that Celestia. But that doesn't mean I wont find them.”
This time she smirked triumphantly at him, “How do you intend to do that? They’ve just been erased from Equestria’s memory. From your memory. You won't be able to find them.”
He grit his teeth, one little slip up and she held all confidence Canterlot was hers again. No. That’s not how things worked. “Oh but I will. They can hide, but they have to come out sooner or later. They stand less of a chance than you!”
“No, Sunset’s too clever for that. She’s always been prepared, just in case. She wont fall into your hands so easily. Fluttershy may be young, but she will follow Sunset’s word to the letter. Those girls are smarter than you take them for, and now you have no way to find them,”
He wouldn't believe it. Not from her. Nothing could be that effective in erasing two ponies from memory, at least not any spell performed by unicorn horns. Obviously, he’d just done so with the others. But that meant taking their memories too.
Doubting Celestia, he found it best to discover for himself before getting carried away.
He extended his magic beyond the walls of the palace and searched for them, any sign of their presence. Something his own magic could identify and trace.
Nothing.
It was as though they’d vanished from the world entirely.
Unfortunately he didn't detect a magical signature either. There was no magical aura or residue at or near the origin of the beacon. But they had to cast something to hide themselves and erase his memories.
Whatever had been cast burned its own energy, leaving him no clues to the whereabouts of the two remaining sisters.
Without a magical signature, he couldn't track down it’s caster.
Unfortunately it meant the last two princesses were now long gone.
Without memory of their appearances, he lost the last possible way to find them.
The spell detached the mares from their names and memories.
Even the powerful artifact that was the Element of Kindness, which had to be with them, was untraceable.
They could not be found.
Even Luna was undetectable, even though he could remember her clearly.
A clever little trick, he mused, frustrating as it was to be left with nothing.
“This changes nothing”
“No! This changes everything.” Celestia grinned, shadows dancing over her face in a way he’d never seen before, “One mare is all it takes. One mare to topple your reign and restore order.”
Luna had not failed her. She’d taught Sunset everything she needed to know, and when things took a turn for the worst, Sunset executed their Plan B flawlessly. She couldn't have been more proud. Tonight would not break her. So long as she knew Fluttershy and Sunset were free and safe, she had hope.
Discord meanwhile tired quickly of the conversation. He wanted to leave her broken and hopeless, but fate had thrown him a little curveball. T’was no matter to him. Her hope would crumble with time and oh he looked forward to the day he could say he took care of them all. Yes, he imagined the day this spark of hope could be snuffed out for good, when the last two princesses failed.
Either way, he was done now. Done with her useless defiance, done with this petty banter. He'd won and she knew it, no matter how deep in denial she was. He could think of nothing more that needed to be said between them.
“Good-bye Celestia,”
Discord turned from her and Sombra, walking to behold his new kingdom. and with a snap of his tail feathers they were gone from his presence. Gone from Equestria.
Canterlot was his to rule.
And he would be able to claim total victory if it weren't for the two that got away.
They were no doubt far away from here. But if Fluttershy retained her memory she could wield the Elements of Harmony. Even without their full potential, she could do some damage. She’d be back when she was grown, Luna and Sunset would be sure of that. But he did not intend to be caught unawares. He would be on the lookout till the day he found them, that he was certain of.
When they finally revealed themselves, he would do away with them like he’d done away with the others. Then, he would be at peace.
The thought comforted him as he looked over the quickly changing landscape, finally left alone to his thoughts.
Mostly.
Except for that pesky, tingling feeling in the back of his mind. That distinct sense that he was being... watched.