//------------------------------//
// Results! 
// Story: A Game Of Chaos 
// by dudenotactive 
//------------------------------//

"Hey, Pippsqueaks! It's your girl, Pipp! Here to give you the rundown. Today, my new friends and I were supposed to enjoy a peaceful day in Maretime Bay, but then we came across a very interesting creature, Discord the God of Chaos! And wowzer, he is really a hoofful. I mean, he could bend reality to his will, but don't let that scare you, he's a funny guy to be with!"

A notification popped up on her screen. 

"Oh, thank you for the donation, Discord! All earnings will go to charity, so thank you again for your generosity! Wait..."

"No problem, I sure hope those orphans will finally enjoy the amusement park!" 

Pipp couldn't believe it, Discord was inside her phone, he stood just next to the chat while humming a cheerful tune. He read every message that caught his eye, he liked the ones that repeated the same word, "Poggers"... What an odd word it was. 

But Pipp was still surprised to see that Discord had entered the cyber world, and he acted as if this was just a casual Monday for him. 

"Hello world!" Discord greeted. "It is I, the one and only Discord!"

This in turn flooded the chat with exclamation points and emojis, the chat could see him, and he had just said hello! Finally, the ponies of Zephyr Heights met the God of Chaos. The culprit behind the cotton candy clouds that rain chocolate.

The draconequus of the hour! 

The ponies of Zephyr Heights even got a taste of chaos with Discord, who popped out of the biggest jumbotron just to give the ponies and the city a good look. 

"My, Canterlot sure did change after my vacation started!" He cackled loudly as the ponies gawked at him. "Well, losing the clouds, I guess you pegasi climbed the highest mountain to claim it as your home. But with the return of magic, many of you can go back to the sky!"

"Oh, hello Discord!" Pipp finally greeted him. "Say, I'm curious about something..."

"And what would that be, Pipp?"

"Well..." She looked around shyly. "I was wondering what exactly you did to me... You know, the curse? My sister got her wings removed and Hitch gets it, while Izzy is unable to use magic, and finally Sunny loses her journal. So I was wondering what you did for me."

Discord only chuckled. "Oh, you'll find out very soon."

Suddenly, someone donated to Pipp's stream.

"Thank you for the donation, PippIsSmol!" But her smile faltered once she read the message that came with the bits. 

"Zipp said that you should fly to the clouds, one of the stuff you need for the game is there. Also, I love you, Pipp!" There was more after that, but Pipp chose not to read the rest, she focused on the pink sky. 

If what they need is somewhere up there, then it's up to her to find it. As mentioned before, Zipp does not have wings, and Hitch is an earth pony, there's no way he could fly naturally like Pipp. But then another idea came to mind, one which Discord couldn't argue with. 

What better way to look through the clouds than a live reaction? Pipp would certainly give her fans a good review of these cotton candy clouds. 

"Well Pippsqueaks, I have a great idea!" She smiled at her phone before facing it in the sky. "Right now while Discord is around, the clouds of Maretime Bay have turned into cotton candy! You all are probably just as curious as I am about how they taste! Think I should fly up there and try?"

The chat gave her the green light, they wanted her to go and give them a fresh reaction, one for the history books. It will be something no pony in her generation has ever done, she will be the first to try the clouds! Or perhaps she isn't, only Discord will know. 

With the support of her fans, Pipp gracefully ascended to the skies, she made sure that her camera was pointed at the clouds as she flew. It didn't take long, she was already close enough to grab a hoofful.

But something was odd during her flight, the sky became cloudier than before, and when she reached them, there was already a blanket of cotton candy above her. Pipp just hoped that it would not rain heavily, there was still the chocolate milk she needed to try. A storm would certainly ruin her wings if she was caught in one. 

"Well chat, here we are! Discord's famous cotton candy clouds!" She giggled cutely. "My, just look at the cotton candy! So much of it, bet that would last until Nightmare Night!"

She gave it a soft tap, she was honestly surprised to find it softer than a regular cloud, it smelled nice too. She then pulled out a portion of cotton candy and quickly kicked it as hard as she could. The cloud began to rain chocolate milk, hopefully not on anyone who wanted to stay dry. 

"Now, not only is the cloud made of candy, but it also rains chocolate milk!" Pipp held her tongue out and caught a drop of chocolate, the chat went wild as Pipp squealed in delight. A joyful and honest smile appeared on her face as she shivered in the air. 

"OMG! This is the best chocolate I have ever tasted!" She informed her fans, many started to tell her how jealous they were of Pipp, they too wanted to have a taste of the chocolate rain. "Pippsqueaks, I have received and tried so many chocolate brands out there, but never before had I have magical chocolate! This is a perfect ingredient for Hearts and Hooves! This is definitely for sure, my loyal fans!"

"Well I have to agree with you there, princess!" Discord said as he drank a glass of pineapple juice normally, still inside of Pipp's phone. "Can't say that I didn't give candy clouds out to other ponies during Hearts and Hooves, they just love the chocolate!"

"Discord, you are awesome!" She commented to the deity. "Alright, everyone! It's time for the main attraction! Also, thank you for your donation, Thunderbolt5555! A thousand more bits and we will hit the goal soon!"

But before she could even take a bite out of the cloud, she noticed something beyond the pink layer above her. A beautiful rainbow that arched over Pipp, not just one, not even two, but three rainbows. She gasped quietly, she had forgotten that her stream was live and Discord was with them, Pipp was far too enamored by the rainbows. It sparkled and shone so majestically, that she couldn't even form any words to describe it. 

Only when she realized that there was a large floating bubble close to the top of the arch, she remembered about her stream. "Oh sorry, Pippsqueaks! I know we were going to see what the clouds taste like, but you just have to see this!" She revealed to them what caught her attention, and the fans were treated to wonders they have never seen before. 

Seeing as she was still in a game, Pipp decided to investigate the bubble without notifying her chat, this was important for her friend Sunny, and she should remember that. What she didn't notice was a large propeller that flew through the layer of clouds like a shark. 

Pipp flapped her wings in a beat, a peppy song played in her head as she approached the large bubble. She gave a quick thanks to another pony who donated to a worthy cause. 

It didn't take long for her to get to the bubble, but what she found only confused her more. Inside the bubble was a book, now, Pipp promoted reading to her younger viewers a few times. She even wrote a book herself and read it to colts and fillies so they would pick up one for themselves. But Pipp was far more interested in her phone, which still had a virtual library filled with novels and other genres of books. 

She was honestly more used to her phone after all her years as an influencer. And to be honest, it had been some time since she picked up a physical book. 

The bubble popped as she grabbed the item, she read the title to her readers. "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone, by A.K. Yearling. Oh, never heard of this before!"

Even her fans have never heard of the book before, which honestly disappointed Discord. 

"So Dash's favorite book series is lost through time? I'm sure she would be unhappy to hear that, she loved that book series so much that she recommended it to her Wonderbolts!"

"Wait, this is it!" Pipp exclaimed. "This is what the fourth hint was leading to! Look at that my adoring fans, your princess has found one of the things she is looking for! And it was so easy to do!"

"Is it though?" Discord said with a knowing smirk. 

Suddenly, ominous music started playing, Pipp squeaked as the music slowly became intense. Dun, dun... Dun, dun... 

Out of the ocean of pink, came a propeller, Pipp stared at it fearfully as it slowly rose out of the clouds. The color drained from her face once this creature finally showed itself, a gigantic and monstrous turtle appeared. And it eyed Pipp hungrily as she held both her phone and the book tightly. 




"Well, here we are!" Sunny said, determination burning within her chest. "The Sugarcane Corner! Home of the best cakes in Maretime Bay!"

"And you're sure this is the place?" Hitch asked. 

The two ponies stood in front of a small bakery, a window with all kinds of cakes displayed for any passerby to see, a good way to attract anyone with a sweet tooth. And it was the one place that Sunny knew she could find their next item. 

"Guys!" Hitch and Sunny turned to see their friend Zipp with a nice hat. "Glad I found you!"

"Zipp, glad you're here!" Hitch smiled. 

"Nice to see you too, sheriff! Hope you took care of my wings."

He chuckled awkwardly. "Y-yeah, I took care of them! I didn't do anything at all!"

"Zipp, just in time!" Sunny smiled. "Listen, I know where our next item is, and it's in there!"

"Wow, this is gonna be easy! Good thing I got this hat, and I see you have a cool chest, now we need the others!"

Hitch stared jealously at Zipp's new hat, nothing says "sheriff" more than a cowboy. But he had no time to complain, the three needed to get in there and get that item!

Discord was waiting inside, they knew that, and it didn't surprise them either. Throughout the afternoon he was nothing but chaotic, always popping in and out like a phantom just to distract them from their main goal. Games and shows, everything to steal their attention, it wasn't desperate, only mischievous. Earlier, Discord littered everywhere so he could steal Hitch away from Sunny, but thanks to his iron will the sheriff resisted, though he did shed some tears knowing he ignored the law for a game. But this was for his friend, Sunny. 

"Ready?" Sunny asked, and the other two nodded.

Without a word, Sunny flung the door open and was about to jump right in, but found herself frozen along with Hitch and Zipp as they stared at the chaos inside the bakery. It was way bigger on the inside, that's for sure. 

Graham crackers for roads, whip cream bushes, trees that grew candy apples, and finally, animals made of biscuits. 

It was a child's dream come true in there, many ponies, both young and old, were enjoying all kinds of sweets and baked goods. Cakes, muffins, and even bread rolls of different kinds. Our heroes were taken aback by this discovery, so many sweets and other goodies, one can't easily resist. Not even Izzy... 

The unicorn galloped around, mouth full of waffles with maple syrup. Even Alphabittle was there to join the fun, he laughed with Izzy as they both ran through a puddle of lemon soda, not caring if their coats would get sticky. 

Only when the three entered did Izzy notice them, she quickly rushed over to their side with Alphabittle just behind her. "Hi friends!" Izzy greeted. 

"Izzy, glad you're here!" Sunny embraced her friend in a warm hug. "Alphabittle, I didn't know you were in town!"

The larger unicorn chuckled lightly. "Well I just wanted to have a look around Maretime Bay like Izzy, but I got caught in this whole mess like everypony else!"

But the group laughed together as they recalled what they witnessed throughout the day, how much brain-boggling things they've seen. And how strange Discord was. 

"So, what brings you three here?" Alphabittle asked. "Is it the thing you're looking for?"

"Yes, one of the hints leads to a bakery, I'm absolutely sure that this is the place!" Sunny had no doubt in her head. 

"And right you are, Sunny!" The puddle of lemon soda transformed into Discord, and by now, no one was even surprised. "Hmm, guess I've overused that... Well, it got boring quickly anyway!"

"Hey Discord, we know the thing is here, just give it to us!" Hitch said, hoof planted on the ground. 

Zipp huffed. "Let's just get to it buddy, I'm actually feeling lucky!"

"Oh, you're looking for this?" Discord pulled out a small cannon from his pocket. Not just any cannon, but one meant for parties and celebration. 

"Pinkie's party cannon!" Sunny exclaimed. "So I'm right! These things we've been looking for are related to the heroes of Equestria!"

"Ah, yes, the fangirl is well informed!" He chuckled. "You have Applejack's hat, Rarity's cloak, and Dash's favorite book!"

"The Daring Do book?" Sunny tilted her head to the side. 

A pony popped out of the ground which was made of chocolate cake and raised their phone towards Sunny. "Princess Pipp recently found a book in the sky! She's being chased by something we don't know!"

"Woah, she actually found it!" Zipp was impressed that her sister managed on her own and found another item. "Though, I'm still kinda worried about what's chasing her."

"Don't worry about it!" Discord assured them. 

Back to the task at hand, they were now eyeing their next item. Sunny and friends waited for whatever challenge they had to do in order to win that party cannon.

The deity smirked, he saw that these ponies were ready for what's to come, but none of them could ever expect his next move!

This world inside the bakery shook, everypony that was around stopped whatever they were doing as reality expanded. Discord became distant as the ground stretched itself, he was far from anyone's reach now, but that was not the end of it. Trenches grew on the ground, and some became a moat of pineapple juice. 

Walls made of waffles scattered around to hinder anyone that makes an attempt, and several bubble gum traps to snare unlucky ponies. 

Discord even held the party cannon and aimed it at the candy sky. It went boom, and out came a gigantic scoop of ice cream. A random pony was caught by the cold confection as it crashed back down, buried in ice cream, the pony was left with no other choice than to eat their way out. 

"Now the rules are simple!" Discord's voice boomed throughout the world of sweets. Everyone was compelled to listen to his words. "Next to me is a pedestal with a single cupcake! Not just any cupcake, no, this is one of Pinkie Pie's greatest successes! Her ultimatum! Her magnum opus!"

A cupcake with yellow icing and a blue cup. It didn't look special, but looks can be deceiving, and it's Discord who's telling them this stuff, it probably tastes like gold should.

"Now, the game is simple! Come and eat this cupcake, but you must avoid all obstacles!" Discord said as he hovered over the cupcake, cannon in hand. "If you are hit by ice cream, then you go back to the start! And if you manage to survive and eat the cupcake, you win!"

"A wish for other ponies, and a party cannon for Izzy and her friends." Alphabittle said. "Don't worry, I'll help as much as I can."

"Thanks, Alphabittle!" Izzy smiled. 

"Let the game begin!" Discord snapped his talons, and the world around them was filled with intense polka music. 

Hundreds of Discord clones appeared behind the ponies, blocking the entrance. They were dressed in cheerleader garb with pom poms, the Discords cheered and rhymed, they gave the ponies their support. Sunny and friends could only watch as the sun was blotted out by thousands of scoops of ice cream. 




Meanwhile in the candy sky, Pipp flew as fast as she could, the giant monster just right behind her. She begged for help, she called out to her sister, but nobody came. 

Her fans weren't even watching her anymore, they were too busy with Discord who was singing a song to them. It was catchy and was about the internet and how chaotic it was. Pretty dark and disturbing too, if you ask Pipp. But the viewers loved it. And Discord claimed that this song was a kid friendlier version of the original. But that didn't matter, Pipp had a problem in the sky and she needed to get to safety. 

She just hoped that her friends would come and save her as soon as possible. 

An idea came to her, she may regret it, but the town is safer than the sky. But she was so far up that it would take ages to reach the town. Still, she had to. There's no other choice and it was better to be somewhere the giant turtle can't track her. 

She tipped herself towards the earth, and quickly dived down as fast as she could. Combined with her weight(though she is small) and Pipp's short size, her descent was far quicker than she thought. A whistle emitted from her as she sped towards town, the turtle monster started to grow smaller by the distance. 

Suddenly, a sense of dread crawled up her spine, as she flew closer to town, she realized that something was absolutely wrong. And it became apparent when she flew past another pegasus, who was bigger than the turtle that was after her. It was then that reality hit her like lightning, the curse that Discord cast upon her, an evil curse it was. She shrunk, that turtle was not the size of a castle, no... Pipp was as small as her limited figurines which are being sold in a toy store near you. 

"Surprise!" Discord gleefully said once Pipp understood her situation.

"D-Discord! Why am I tiny!?"

"But you've always been tiny... You are the shortest one in the mane 5 group." Discord wore a passive expression.  "There's honestly no change at all, my curse on you is merely a trick, there was no magic in play."

"Discord!" She pouted. 

This caused her viewers to explode, they started talking about how cute and tiny she was. Pipp slowly turned red as everyone began comparing her with Cloudpuff, some claimed that she was cuter than her mother's pet. This infuriated Pipp more than she feared the turtle. 

"Aw!" Discord gushed. "I just want to make you squeak!"

"No!" Pipp whined.

"No one could ever resist such cuteness! You're almost just as cute as Fluttershy, but don't get your hopes up!"

She huffed loudly. "Y-you stop that! Yes, I am cute, but I'm Pipp cute! Not baby cute, or puppy cute!"

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist!" He chuckled. "Besides, you have bigger challenges. No pun intended."

Pipp felt the air around her get much warmer as something gigantic breathed down her neck. She reluctantly glanced over her shoulder to find that the turtle was already behind her. She squeaked one last time before her phone slipped out of her hoof. 




Ponies laughed together as they all ran through the rain of ice cream. Some didn't even try to dodge, they only accepted their tasty fate. Those who are hit will of course keep the frozen snack on them, but they are to be brought back to the starting area to do the challenge all over again. 

Though this was a challenge, and the prize is one wish-granting from Discord, the ponies couldn't help but enjoy themselves. 

At this point, not many cared much about winning, only to enjoy this odd event before it's gone. It was something new, so no one can blame them, it was a different kind of experience, one they could tell others about and not look crazy. 

Back with Sunny and friends, they were the only ones who were serious about the game, determined to win that party cannon. Hitch and Zipp proved to be the most likely to win the challenge thanks to their athletic build, Sunny, Izzy, and Alphabittle couldn't compare. 

The sheriff and the princess dodged any obstacles that would slow them down, they made sure not to touch any ice cream that would send back. They were quick to clear any moats in their way and would sometimes use the trenches as cover. Discord didn't hold back, he laughed as he blasted all kinds of flavors at the players. A few times he'd stop just to pour a cup of sprinkles into the cannon for that critical hit.

Alphabittle was struck right on the face, he wiped the sweet banana ice cream off and found himself back at the start. "Aw dang it... Oh, this tastes good!"

"Keep going, Izzy!" Sunny ran as fast as possible, her hooves covered in breadcrumbs and crushed marzipans.

"Oh no!" Izzy cried out. "I'm stuck in flan!"

"Izzy!" Hitch tackled the unicorn out of the trap, just in time as well because a large scoop of ice cream landed where she was before. 

"Come on!" Zipp led everyone into a trench, the group held their heads down as shots flew over them. "It's getting intense!"

Hitch tried to get a look over the edge, but he nearly got a face full of strawberries. "Discord isn't stopping! How are we gonna get to him now!?"

"Calm down everypony, we still got this." Zipp turned towards the sheriff. "Hitch, do you see any way to get to Discord?"

"Hold on, let me see-" Hitch couldn't finish his sentence when Zipp disappeared, the group were befuddled, unsure of what happened to their pegasus friend. Just when he was on his hooves about to take a peek. 

"What...? Where did she go?" Sunny looked both ways searching for Zipp, she would easily pop up in the trench since the earth was made of chocolate cake, and Zipp was a white pegasus with a colorful mane. 

"She just went woosh! And she's gone." Izzy recalled the moment of Zipp's disappearance.

"Weird..." Hitch commented. But then his eyes focused on the edge of the trench, where his wing rested. That's when it hit him, a cold feeling on the feathery appendage, ice cream, cookies and cream to be specific. "Oh..."

"Darn, guess this trench isn't as safe as we thought!" Sunny concluded. 

"Y-yeah! This place isn't up to code, that's for sure!" Hitch chuckled awkwardly as he tucked in his wing. "We should really find a safer place to hide so we can plan an attack!"

"Oh, then we can settle down in my hobbit house!"

Both Hitch and Sunny stared at Izzy, and behind the unicorn was a circular cookie door. 

"Izzy, when did you make this?" Sunny could not help but ask. 

"A minute ago, right after Zipp disappeared, I had just finished installing the door!" Izzy opened the door for her friends. "Come in, I have some juice for everyone!"

Confused more about their friend than the chaos incarnate, the two followed Izzy into her temporary new home. 

Imagine their shock to find such a cozy and welcoming home, the two couldn't believe that Izzy managed to make this place in under a minute. There were a total of four rooms: Bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and the living room. 

The kitchen and bathroom did not have working plumbing since this was practically a candy house built in a trench, though Izzy did manage to connect the kitchen sink to the nearby moat and made a working faucet that gives pineapple juice. 

A couch made out of marshmallows, the coffee table was just coffee jelly sculpted into one, and there was even a pony there, no wait, it was a giant gummy bear. It looked like a pony at first glance...

"Welcome! Let me give you all a tour!" Izzy insisted. 

"No time, Izzy, we still got a game to win!" Sunny reminded them of what is at stake. 

Hitch agreed. "Right, the ice cream is so intense when you get close to the middle, it is difficult to dodge most of them."

"Maybe you can fly over it!" Izzy suggested. 

The stallion shook his head. "It's raining yogurt out there, any pegasus in the air will be pulled down. And I can't fly either, I don't know how."

The three were silent, their minds focused on finding an answer to their dilemma. Many ideas were shot down, and some could have worked, but the chances were still slim. Alphabittle and Zipp could no longer reach their friends, the intensity of Discord's attack grew so much that it's practically a winter wonderland out there. 

But then an idea struck Izzy in the face, one that is so crazy, that it might just work. "What if we eat our way out?"

"What?" Both asked Izzy at the same time. 

"Everything is edible, like that candy factory movie. And the ground is made of chocolate cake, so I was thinking that we could easily dig through with no problem." Izzy explained. 

Hitch was about to give his honest opinion, but then he realized that it could work. Sunny saw no problem with this, and the best part was that Izzy had fashioned some candy canes into spoons for her kitchen. 

The three then began their plan, Sunny wasted no time and tore through Izzy's living room followed by Hitch. They made sure to go straight towards the center before executing their project. Izzy was having a blast, not only was she digging a tunnel, she was with her two closest friends. It felt more like a bonding exercise than working, she barely slowed down as she dug through the land. 

Sunny, though she wouldn't admit it, had experience with digging tunnels. One of her plans was to dig her way into Canterlogic, with nothing but a plastic spoon; sadly Hitch caught her before she could even get halfway to her destination. That was one happy memory she had, and got both of them stuck in the tunnel for the rest of the day.

But unlike then, this was cake she was digging through, not compacted dirt. So with her digging technique and soft opponent, Sunny was like a well-oiled machine. Swing after swing, Hitch and Sunny made amazing progress. 

Meanwhile, Discord started to grow bored. He noticed only two ponies were taking the game seriously, and he supported having fun, but the least they could do was play with him. Oh how he wanted to face down the horde of ponies racing towards him for this cupcake, sadly they instead wanted to eat to their heart's content. He can't blame them, the only other creature that would rival him when it comes to sweets is Pinkie Pie, her cupcakes were far tastier than the one he made, and the thought about her just made him hungry for one of her pastries. 

He glanced at the cupcake, blasting Zipp with pistachio ice cream just as she managed to reach him, a feat that he was impressed with. The cupcake was the last of its kind, no matter how much he cloned it, it just never tasted the same. Though he knew that there was a chance he'd lose it to someone else, he did not care, as long as it would grace the winner with Pinkie's magical cupcake. 

Wait... Where are the other three? 

He just realized that three were missing from the main group, somehow it slipped him, and now they were somewhere else. Probably plotting something under his nose. That's when he heard it, the war song of dwarves, it was so intense that he could not silence the loud beating drums. Then he knew, below his hoof and foot, was Sunny and her friends. 

Discord pointed the cannon down and waited patiently to give these ponies a good surprise. But the unimaginable happened, Hitch burst out of the ground, wings over his face like a shield, one scoop after another, and yet the sheriff was still there. Discord realized that his own rule had a loophole, they all do of course, but never did he expect that a pair of wings would be the cause of his defeat. 

Izzy went around Discord, and he would have given Izzy her favorite flavor of ice cream, but Hitch blocked Discord's shot with Zipp's wings. 

Sunny ran with Izzy, once she reached the pedestal first, Sunny took the cupcake and passed it over to Izzy with a quick throw. That's when Discord knew that he lost this match... 

Victory was so sweet, Izzy continued to munch on Pinkie's famous cupcake, and a new world of flavor was introduced to her. And as the candy land became what it was before Discord started his little challenge, Sunny and her friends rejoiced as they claimed their prize. 

"We did it!" Zipp cheered. 

Alphabittle laughed louder than most. "Now that was fun!"

Discord smiled. "Well, I have to say, you all surprised me there, that rarely happens, you should all be proud." He said as he gave Izzy the party cannon. "So, how does it taste?"

"Like a grilled cheese sandwich!" Izzy happily said with a mouthful. 

Hitch gagged a bit. "That doesn't sound too good."

"Well you better try it first before you judge." Discord clicked his tongue. "This cupcake was actually inspired by her husband, you know? His name was Cheese Sandwich, and he was as wacky and crazy as her, and we had a lot in common. May you rest in fun, Al Yankovic..." Discord sighed. 

"Wow, this is what true love tastes like!" Izzy said. "You should all try it!"

"I'm good," Hitch said. And Zipp felt the same as him. 

"You earned this one." Sunny declined Izzy's offer. 

"Go ahead Izzy, enjoy your prize." Alphabittle only laughed even louder. 

"If you say so!"




As the four ponies walked out of the bakery, they came across an odd sight. Random ponies were gathered around something, many were taking pictures, some gave compliments on how cute they were. Upon closer look, Zipp found her sister in the center of attention, sitting comfortably on top of a turtle, posing every second as Pipp's fans took more pictures.

"Yes, I am adorable, cuter than a button!" Pipp said as the crowd squealed with delight.

"Wow, you are tiny..." Zipp finally spoke. "Why are you tiny?"

"Zipp!" Pipp smiled, this caused the crowd to let out an "Oh" thanks to her cuteness. 

"I'm glad that you are safe, but you still have a lot of explaining to do." Zipp motioned Pipp to climb up on her hoof so she could keep her safe, she was the older sister and she was in charge of Pipp. Who knows what could happen. 

"Oh don't worry, Tank is such a lovable turtle! He would never hurt me or anyone, all he wanted was a friend!" 

The turtle nodded his head. 

"Wait..." Sunny stared at the tortoise. "As in Rainbow Dash's pet turtle?"

"Rainbow Dash, the fastest mare in Equestria, has a pet turtle? And what is it doing here?" Hitch honestly couldn't believe it. Somehow a tortoise managed to live over a hundred years, this smelled like Discord's doing. 

"Yes, and I'm not sure on how he lived for so long but he was guarding this!" Pipp showed her friends the tiny book in her hooves, and the others couldn't really read the cover, but they remembered what it was thanks to that random fan of Pipp's. 

"Oh, let me help you with that!" Discord picked the book away from Pipp's hooves and tossed it over to Sunny, who caught it effortlessly, but was shocked to find it in regular size. "There, now you have one last thing to find! Ta-ta!" And puffed, he was gone. 

Tank used his propeller to hover next to Zipp, it would seem that he became fond of the influencer, must be because she was(normally) short for a pegasus, maybe even shorter than Dash. But in the end, a friend was what he wanted. 

"That's right!" Izzy gasped. "We have four items, but still one more hint!"

"Darn, did we even find out the answer?" Hitch asked the others. 

Zipp hummed. "That's the thing, he mentioned that there are only four items: The hat I'm wearing, the chest, the party cannon, and this book."

"Buried in memories of the past, I am what you seek for I am the answer. United here, and there, if you wish to win, then I am what you are after." Pipp repeated their last hurdle to victory. 

Sunny felt her heart skip a beat. She tried to wrap her mind around the final hint, but Sunny couldn't bring up a good answer. Minutes passed as she and her friends gathered to discover what Discord meant, Pipp rested on Hitch's mane, while Zipp and Sunny exchanged possible answers. A few ponies tried to help, but none could even give a solution. 

They racked their brains together, yet they still couldn't get past the barrier to their final challenge. 

Sunny repeated the hint over and over in her head, she did all she could do to bring up an answer. Then something hit her, a thought flashed in her mind as she suddenly stood up. "I got it..."

"Sunny?" Izzy questioned with concern. 

"We need to get to my house!" Sunny ran without giving context to the others, with no other choice, they ran after Sunny who was confident that she found the key. 

The four galloped as fast as they could, Zipp and Hitch of course ran faster than the rest. Tank followed behind, curious as to where they were going. Many ponies who weren't busy with Discord's game gave the four a friendly hello, sadly Sunny couldn't return it, she was determined to win this game. Though some may say it was selfish, she wanted to know, someone could finally confirm anything about Twilight and her friends, this was a chance she didn't want to miss. 

Finally leaving Maretime Bay, the group ran through the main road towards Sunny's home, determined to win this game of chaos. 

Pipp could only sit still in Hitch's mane, she was far too small to fly beside them and would be easily left behind if she did so. Though she did like the bumpy ride, it was like a roller coaster, but with a giant pony instead. Suddenly, she felt her body tingle, and before she knew it, she started to grow bigger. 

Hitch noticed the change in weight, and his fear got the better of him, the sun in the distance was already touching the horizon. Time was running out. 

Being informed by the stallion, Sunny roared as loud as she could, her speed increased with newfound strength. The mare would outrun Hitch and Zipp soon enough, a blazing flame burned within her soul as she ran even faster. Her home was just ahead, there was no backing down now, and no way could she give up. 

Just a few more steps and she will win. 

"Discord!" Sunny cried out as she stopped just in front of her house. 

The rubble started to move, it shook intensely, lights beamed out from any gaps. A powerful song played around them as the rubble parted way to reveal a rising figure. Discord ascended out of the ruins of Sunny's home, a frown on his face as he stared at Sunny. 

"Game... over..." Discord muttered. 

"Did I win?" She huffed as fatigue finally caught up with her. 

"Sunny..." Discord sighed. "You've lost."

"W-what?"

"Sunny!" 

Her friends finally arrived, but the scene before them ruined any chance to celebrate as they stared at Sunny's eyes. Sorrow was written all over her face as they came to realize that it was already nighttime, the sun had set and the stars came to light up the sky. 

Hitch gritted his teeth. "We were so close!"

"Oh... At least... we had fun, right?" Izzy said sheepishly. 

Everything was back to normal, Hitch was an earth pony, Zipp got her wings back. Izzy was able to do magic again, and Pipp was back to her regular size. 

Discord saw that dejected look in Sunny's eyes, and couldn't help but feel guilty about it. 

"What exactly was the last thing we needed to find?" Zipp asked Sunny. 

Sunny glanced at Discord, though she was saddened by the results, she was still a mare who knows her history. "The items are related to four of Equestria's heroes, closest friends of Twilight Sparkle. At first, I thought the answer was Twilight Sparkle, but then I remembered about Fluttershy."

She then eyed Discord who had Tank hovered next to him. 

"Buried in memories meant he hid under my house, 'United here, and there' also was a give away because he meant the place where our races got back together. Only four items, and five hints. Everything is related to the heroes, and I remember one thing from my journal, Fluttershy's greatest achievement. And it's reforming one of Equestria's greatest villains, Discord!"

The group was shocked to hear this, but then it started to make a few things clear, how the items belonged to the mane 6, the cupcake that was the pride and joy of Pinkie. Discord wasn't a fan, he was their friend. It started to make sense now. 

The last hint was about Fluttershy, but mostly about Discord who hid under the remains of Sunny's home.

"I don't believe it..." Hitch gasped. 

Everyone had different reactions, Pipp unconsciously started streaming, Zipp was still processing Sunny's explanation, while Izzy was ecstatic to hear that Discord was friends with Twilight and the others, more importantly, with Fluttershy.

Discord smiled. "Sunny Starscout, you truly are an extraordinary mare, your hope drives you to do great things."

He glanced at everyone and gave them each a satisfied smile. 

 "It had been so long since I had fun like this, and it's all thanks to you five. Hitch, you are kind enough to even forgive Sprout's crimes, and you remind me so much of my best friend, Fluttershy. Izzy, your creative way helped you win my game, and I commend you for that amazing mind of yours, in a way, your personality reminds me of Pinkie Pie."

Then he looked over to the princesses. 

"Zipp, you were quite courageous during our card game, clever too. Some may believe a princess needs to be prim and proper, but you are more than that. You are smart and very athletic, a good combo with Hitch I must say. And let me tell you, Zipp, you and Rainbow Dash are alike in a few ways. And Pipp, confident, and strong in your own way, I was impressed when you faced Tank even though you were smaller than him. But you saw that he just wanted a friend, and you were generous enough to provide. Just as generous as Rarity."

He marched over to Sunny and handed her the journal she cherished the most. 

"Sunny Starscout, you were an amazing player, and I would love to play another game one day. I must thank you as well, if it weren't for the hope in your heart, I would still be lost in the abyss, bored until I lose my sanity. But thanks to your honest belief that all races should be united, you saved me. That honesty that you carry is enough to rival Applejack's."

They listened, none could rip their attention away from Discord as he spoke to them, Sunny especially. Something in her chest ached as he complimented everyone, Discord was proud of them even if they lost the game. 

"And all of you would make Twilight proud."

That was the final hit, tears started to roll down Sunny's cheeks as she stared at Discord, his warm smile grew as he pulled Sunny closer. They shared an embrace, Discord did his best to soothe Sunny's emotion, he hummed a lovely tune to her which reminded Sunny of her father. 

Her friends suddenly joined in, they wrapped around Discord smiling like foals, Sunny and her friends may have lost, but defeat was not so bad.

"Sunny," Discord broke their embrace, he still smiled as he kneeled on one knee. "If you still wish for answers, then just find me."

"Y-you are leaving?" Zipp stuttered. 

This discovery saddened the others.

"I'm afraid so," Discord sighed once again. "If you had won, then I would have had a reason to stay. But, I still need to look for my friend, he's out there somewhere. And if I ever find him, I'll send postcards."

"Someone else is around?" Sunny gasped. Before Discord could even give her a hint, Sunny was quick to find the answer. "Spike, Twilight's adoptive brother!"

Discord chuckled. "Glad he isn't known as Twilight's pet anymore!"

"So, this is goodbye?" Izzy wanted to cry as well, she didn't want him to go just like that. 

"Izzy, we will meet again, I promise that."

"Pinkie promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Discord performed the ritual. 

"Hey, you might've been a real pain in the flank, but I hope you don't forget what you've just promised." Hitch said. 

Discord gasped. "And get haunted by Pinkie's vengeful ghost? I would never!"

Pipp smiled as her wings fluttered. "I actually had fun Discord! And being tiny for the whole game was certainly an awesome experience!"

"We had a heck of a time, Discord, despite losing!" Zipp grinned. "Next game, we are totally gonna win!"

"Love that determination!" Discord snapped his talons, and summoned a giant rock. He sat comfortably on top of it and it began to float off the ground after. "Now Sunny, this isn't the end of your adventure, more challenges will come and you and your friends must stay strong! And remember, friendship..."

"Is magic!" Sunny finished. 

"What? No, friendship with Discord would make your résumé look good! Now, goodbye everyone! I hope that we see each other soon! Let us go Tom, yip yip!"

The rock began to fly off towards nowhere followed by Tank, Discord's quest began and he waved everyone in Maretime Bay farewell, many waved back unbothered by the flying rock, all enjoyed their time with Discord. Many wished he stayed to change things up again, but understood that Discord had his own things to do.

As for Sunny, she had newfound determination to seek out Discord and get her answers, and her friends had her back. Through thick and thin, they will face their future challenges head-on! Whatever it may be, Sunny knows that they will triumph. And she hoped that this game helped her friendship grow to something greater. It is good to know that everyone was willing to help Sunny just for her questions to Discord, but now they have a new mission, to seek out Spike. 

"Hey Sunny, who's Spike?" Hitch asked. 

"Spike is Twilight's adoptive brother, as I've already said, and he's a dragon." She told them. "Wait, if he's still alive then... he must be gigantic by now! I wonder what kind of dragon he grew up to be! Oh, he must be the dragon lord! We gotta find him, he would know Twilight Sparkle more than anyone!"

"Pass!" Hitch and the two sisters said, the idea of meeting a dragon was cool, but mostly terrifying. 

I mean, who would even be friends with a fire-breathing beast? 


FIN