//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Discord // Story: The Legacy of the Rider II: Hidden Harmony // by MrAwesome343 //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Discord "Taro!" Twilight said as him, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash came to the ground. "What's going on with these clouds?" "I don't know, I didn't do it!" "We need to get rid of these clouds!" Twilight ordered. "Forget the clouds, my apples are huge!" Apple Jack shouted. The apples on her trees were so large, the trees had bent over in there weight. Suddenly a white rabbit lead a group of other animals. Well, not necessarily animals. All of the animals had gigantic legs and no sense of control. "We need to fix this! Taro, can you burn those clouds like you did before?" Twilight asked. "Most definitely." Taro flew up in front of one of the clouds and shouted "Brisingr!" Taro held out his arm for what felt like a minute. His energy was draining quickly, his wings growing tired. The cloud hadn't even sparked. He wish he could retract the spell, but magic didn't work that way. Once a spell was started, it had to be finished. Slowly the cloud burned, but quickly Taro's energy had left him. His wings grew tired and the lightning bolt on his palm glowed. The cloud had slowly disappeared, and Taro dropped to the ground, barely holding onto life. He hit the ground hard, panting heavily. "Taro, are you alright?" Rainbow Dash asked. Taro shook his head and swallowed. "Come... closer!" he mumbled. She did. He put his hand on her wing. She put her face close to his, looking deep into his blue eyes, ready for anything. Life had slowly come back to him. Taro took a sigh of relief. He wasn't healed completely, but it was enough. "Thanks for keeping that ring. There's so much energy stored inside that." He slowly stood up. "Why was it so hard to use that spell? I thought you could practically do it at no cost," Apple Jack asked curiously. "I don't know, it must be protected by someone else's magic. Not just any magic, POWERFUL magic." "Any chance you can do any more?" Twilight asked as the chocolate milk poured out of a near by cloud. And who else would be under it than Pinkie Pie. "Not at all. We can move these faster than destroy them." "Hmm..." Apple Jack thought, "That's not a bad idea..." "Where are you going with this?" Rainbow asked. "Twilight, get my rope, Rainbow Dash, Taro, round up those clouds the best you can." Taro and Rainbow Dash gave a salute and flew off. Taro grabbed a cloud. "Aww! Gross! What is that?" He smelled it. "Cotton candy?" Rainbow Dash said in disbelief. Pinkie Pie's ears perked up. "Okay, I officially believe ANYTHING I'm told," Taro joked. Taro and Rainbow Dash brought the clouds into a ball and Apple Jack quickly threw her rope around all of them, stopping the rain and bringing them all into one cotton candy mess. Twilight gave Fluttershy a wink. They had apparently come up with a plan while they were gathering the clouds. "Oh, wow. Look at all of this delicious cotton candy I have. I would sure hate to share..." she said innocently. Pinkie Pie had already started eating it. "You're tellin' me!" she gloated through a mouthful of candy. The animals had run to cotton candy immediately, knocking Pinkie Pie out of the way. Within seconds, the animals had eaten every last cotton candy cloud. "Okay, it's time to see the Princess..." Twilight suggested. With that, they all headed for the train. The party ran into the Great Hall, where Celestia was waiting. "Princess, what's going on? Why are there a bunch of cotton candy clouds, and animals that are... just weird, and..." Twilight started. "What happened to my apples!" Apple Jack interrupted. "Long ago, before Luna became Nightmare Moon..." Celestia started. "Who did what, now?" Taro interrupted. "I'll tell you later, continue?" Rainbow Dash said. "Before Luna became Nightmare Moon, a ruler of Chaos came to be. He was known as Discord. When Luna and I were fighting Discord, we used the Elements of Harmony to stop him and encase him in stone." "Way to go, Princess!" Rainbow Dash complimented. "Unfortunately, Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements of Harmony. He has escaped from his stone prison." "Wait, why? Shouldn't the Elements still have power?" Taro pointed out. "Yes, but it was me and my sister who trapped him. When I banished Nightmare Moon, our bonds with the Elements of Harmony faded, and I no longer controlled them. The stone spell had broken, and over time, Discord weakened it and escaped only recently." "So who controls the Elements?" Taro asked. "Turn around and find out," Rainbow Dash gloated. Taro turned around to see them all standing high and mighty. "You guys are the Elements of Harmony?" he gaped. An evil laugh echoed through the hall. "What an intelligent Dragon Rider you are..." "I take it you're Discord!" Taro said triumphantly. "Show yourself!" Taro drew Kveykva and activated it. He fueled it with so much power, his hair and clothes were whipped back. He laughed again. "So serious, Taro. I thought you needed a calm mind to do what you do..." He deactivated Kveykva. "How do you know me?" "Oh, you'd be surprised at what I know..." "Quickly," Celestia ordered. "The Elements of Harmony!" Celestia hovered a chest over to them and opened it wide. Empty. Discord laughed again. "What have you done with the elements!" "Oh Celestia, you haven't changed a bit..." "Tell us where they are!" Twilight ordered. "Hmm, Twilight. The Element of Magic. The hidden element and student of the Princess. You're so much like her." "Shut it and tell us where you hid the Elements!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily. "You must be Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty." "That's right! I'll always be loyal to the Princess!" "We'll see about that. Then there's Apple Jack, the Element of Honesty..." Discord warped into the stain glass windows and took control of his image. Taro didn't pay any mind to that. He only noticed the one near it of him saving the Canterlot Wedding, riding a colossal, green dragon. "Then there's Rarity, the Element of Generosity, Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. And then Pinkie Pie who represents the Element of Laughter, a personal favorite." "Enough talking! Tell us where you hid the elements!" Celestia ordered. "Always so boring, Celestia. Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way." Discord left the glass and began to speak in a riddle: 'Twists and turns are my master plan, then find the elements back where you began.' His disembodied voice trailed off as he left. Twilight walked up to the window, pondering the riddle. "Hmm... back where you began..." Twilight's eyes set on the labyrinth in the Castle Garden. "Twists and turns! The Garden Labyrinth!" "I don't know, seems a little too obvious... Why would he put them in the first place we would notice?" Taro pointed out. "Well do you have any other ideas?" Rarity asked. "Mmm, no. I wish Thatch were here, he's great at riddles..." "Go, my little ponies. Find the elements and save Equestria form eternal chaos!" They all ran out to the labyrinth, minds set on achieving their goal.