It's been about a week since the Gala and today, after another CMC misadventure, I am somehow on their school trip, led by one Ms.Cheerilee.
How they managed to convince her to bring me on this trip, for free nonetheless, is out of my knowledge.
Buttons also decided to come with, 'just because' he says, but he's been following Sweetie during the entire trip.
Thankfully, she seems to reciprocate his feelings too, since she's been talking to him non-stop.
Though, that changed when the class reached a statue of a familiar figure.
So this is where he was.
As I looked at the statue, the teacher starts speaking.
"Alright my little ponies! This one represents victory!" she said cheerily.
Heh, cheerily.
"How cool would it be to have THAT for a cutie mark?" Scootaloo said as the trio of girls walked together.
"Cool" Applebloom said sarcastically, "if you were actually victoryfull of something"
"That's not a word!" Sweetie Belle interrupted.
"What are you? A dictionary or something?" Scootaloo said in a fighting tone.
I stopped paying them any attention as I headed towards the rest of the class in front of the statue I was previously staring at.
Buttons seems to have gone to the girls.
I'd say simp, but it looks like he's going to succeed.
"Girls!" Ms.Cheerilee yelled to get their attention. "And Button?" She ended with a slightly confused tone.
Coughing to change the topic, she points at the statue.
"Now THIS, is a really interesting statue, what do you notice about it?"
As the girls take turns to describe Discord and Ms.Cheerilee asking what the statue represents.
The girls go into another argument as Buttons was about to join in.
I simply hold him back with a hoof, receiving a confused 'what' as he couldn't move my hoof the slightest bit.
The girls then start a brawl as the class just stare and Ms.Cheerilee giving an annoyed eye roll.
I, om the other hoof, turn my head towards the statue as I notice a faint familiar trace.
Ooooh.
God of chaos, thriving off of chaos, yeah I should have seen that coming.
"Actually, in a way you’re all right. This statue represents discord, which
means “a lack of harmony between ponies.” In fact, you three have demonstrated discord so
well that you’re each going to write me an essay
explaining it" she finished as the class starts to laugh.
"Help her with that" I nudge Buttons as his face takes on a red hue.
As the trip continued on, I only thought about how to go against Discord.
Last time was because Chrysalis brought her throne towards the battlefield for an advantage, which was quite dramatic.
I can't find even a shard of that black rock in anywhere except Equestria.
*Sigh*
I try to keep up with the class as I release a sigh at a strange thought.
"I really have no choice except hoping for those 6 to deal with Discord" I mutter to myself as I continue to try and think of an emergency plan.
And I'll have to be alert for whatever the other me sends my way.
I knew exactly how it would've happened, but I'm still annoyed.
As I eat ice cream from a bucket by spoon, Buttons comes in the library, shortly followed by his mother.
I was stationed at the window, looking outside at my, now ruined house.
I watched, with morbid curiosity, as squrrels and rabbits eith extremely long and thin legs frightened the construction crew, which caused them to slip on chocolate milk rain, which evidently, caused the almost finished base of the house to collapse because one of the crew members broke a support pillar.
I really hope those guys still want to build the house after all this.
I'm honestly surprised they haven't quit yet.
Buttons props himself right next to me at the window and looks at me with expectation.
Putting a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, I think of where I should even go if I want to help.
"So, any idea what's going on?" Buttons asked.
"It's Discord" I say as I take another spoonful.
"Who?"
"The dude with body parts from different animals"
"Huh, what does he do then?"
"He's called the god of chaos, so he's here to cause chaos"
"I guess that makes sense"
"It's probably the only thing about him that makes sense"
I threw away the now empty ice cream bucket.
"Hey, watch it" Twilight said as she held the bucket in her magic.
"Sorry, but uh, have you figured out a way to fix this?" I ask as I look at her spell book.
A tier 7 spell book.
It won't do anything against Discords' magic.
"This fail-safe spell should do the trick" she said as she headed out the door with Spike quickly following behind.
With a large stretch, I get off the table we've been standing on.
"Where are you going?" Buttons asked.
"I'm gonna follow those two to their friends, they're the ones that are going to be in the middle of it all anyway"
"Wait, I'm coming too"
"No" I hold a hoof to stop him, "You need to head to our friends and make sure they're alright, can I trust you with that?" I ask him with a firm grip.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally nods with a sigh and books it out the door.
"Well, he's definitely grown since I first met him"
Putting a note saying that we're out with the CMC on the door, I head out towards the direction Twilight went.
After a wave of magic and about 10 minutes, I reach the Apple family orchard.
Just as I thought, her spell didn't work and they've also already made a temporary fix.
Trust Twilight Sparkle to always have a plan.
"So, you guys get your letter yet?" I ask as I approach their small circle, minus Pinkie, who's looking at a cotton candy cloud filled to the brim with chocolate milk.
Before they were about to speak, Spike barfs out a letter.
"Ah, there it is" I say as Twilight takes the letter.
"Come on girls, Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately" she announces with a gasp.
Annoying.
Why couldn't she come here herself.
Should I try teleporting, or should I just ride the train with the girls?
Eh, I'm saving up bits for Heart's Warming anyway.
The girls all rush to the train station, leaving me, and also Spike surprisingly.
Seriously, I get loyalty and all, but did they really need to leave us?
"We should head back to the library" Spike said as he nervously looked around.
Can't blame him for being scared of this.
Let's just hope he moves when Death looks at him.
"You head back, I'm going to meet Celestia, don't tell mom" I say as I gather magic to initiate a long range teleport.
Spike seemed surprised at my serious attitude, but only nods as he started running.
Let's see, I trained ridiculously hard for the entire time I was here.
With the amount of weight increasing spells I cast while working out, I should have enough magic.
A flash of light, and I was gone.
"Oh, to what do I owe the pleasure, Blaze" her annoyingly regal voice came in before the light faded completely.
"Don't bullshit me, have you sensed anything other than Discord?" I say as I look around the familiar throne room.
I guess Luna is still recovering.
"I have not, is this related to Sombra?" she asked seriously as she rose from her throne.
"Sombra is dead, at least that one is" she raised an eyebrow at the statement.
"I'm more worried about the one that BROUGHT Sombra back to life. For all I know, The Crystal Empire isn't back yet, therefore, Sombra shouldn't be back yet" she genuinely seemed surprised at my knowledge about the Empire, but she focused on the part about bringing ponies back to life.
"I will, look into it" she said with slight sadness in her voice.
I sit down a sigh.
"I won't blame you for not being able to fight Discord, he's not one of the beings you can just choose to beat"
She still seemed bitter about her uselessness in this situation.
"I have, thought about your words, since the last time we've spoken" she started as she took a seat beside me.
"That so?"
"Yes, so I will, try, to be less cowardly and I will make sure that our guards are properly trained"
"It's a start, I appreciate that that you listened to what I said" as I hid a small smile by turning my head.
"I'm glad" she finished with a relieved smile.
Good.
Hopefully, this world will meet a much happier end.
As a comfortable silence descends, my ears twitch at six pairs of hooves, falling on the ground repeatedly.
"Welp, I'll let you do your thing, I'll be in Ponyville if you need me" I say as I walk out the door with Celestia.
The six who came in were surprised at my appearance as I walked down the stairs.
"How did you-" Twilight was about to ask, but I just raised my hoof once, and left.
The royal hoof raise is pretty useful if you know how to use it.
Anypony can use it if they know how.
Wait.
Damn it.
I should have asked Celestia for the train fee.
I shouldn't use magic right about now.
Walking it is.
Should take about 4 hours at worst.
But before I leave, I head to Luna's room for a small visit.
The palace was, surprisingly empty with only a few servants running around.
"Well, Discord must have done something" I think to myself as I walk through the halls.
"That I did" his sinister voice whispered in my ear.
Stopping dead in my tracks, I look around the area to find him.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Oh please, I still have plenty of time before Tia finishes her little speech"
"Alright, why don't you show yourself then?"
"Should I?" his voice no longer appears from anywhere, instead from right behind me.
Turning back in an iota of a second, I hurl a punch, only to implant my hand into a giant marshmellow., which exploded from the amount of power I put into it.
"Watch it" he said as the sound of a finger snap sounded through the hall.
I brave myself for the attack, only to feel nothing.
"You know, I don't usually care about the unimportant ponies like you, but I got a small tip about you"
He suddenly appeared right in front of me.
"So I'll just make sure you won't get in my way for now, you should head back home before anything can happen to your dear mother" he said as his finger was on my forehead before I could even react.
*No one POV*
In the town of Ponyville, weird events were occuring.
Chocolate milk rained down from cotton candy skies.
The grounds were littered with soap and water that was too slippery to be real.
The sky was a strange assortment of colors and weather was a game of guessing the next 5 seconds of torment.
The gravity was shifted in various directions at random locations.
More importantly however, was the swarm of wolf like creatures made of wood invading the small town.
More specifically, they were targeting the yellow colored unicorn placed right in the middle of the town and bound by black colored vines.
Three walls stood proudly, reaching high into the sky, arranged into a triangle with a single opening for the wolves to reach the mare.
Fortunately, a dull colored colt stood in the way, stopping them right in their tracks.
Unfortunately however, was the fact that the colt was practically out of his mind.
He stood his ground, laughing maniacally as he did so.
Endless wolves rushed in, trying to tear the colt to bits.
Alas, none of them could even damage the colt.
Fangs were broken, claws were dulled and the colt looked as if he had fully embraced the symbol on his flank, breaking the bodies of any who dared to approach.
Gone was the pony who had made his vow to the safety of Equestria.
Only a beast remained.
That is, until a blast of magic hit him, causing him to stumble for a few seconds.
As a wolf was about to slash him, a rainbow colored streak smashed it away, replacing it with a light blue coated pegasus.
"You good Blaze?" she asked worriedly as the colt was stunned for a few seconds.
After shaking his head swiftly, his face takes on one of extreme anger, so much so that it makes the pegasus slightly scared.
A wolf tries to attack them, only for it to be stopped in a bright orange aura.
"Discord did all of this right?" He asked with an extremely strained smile as his veins could be seen bulging from anger.
"Y-yeah, what about it?" The pegasus said as she took a step back.
"Alright" he simply said as the wolf started getting compressed.
"Blaze! Are you alri-" a purple unicorn mare stopped in her tracks as she saw the colt doing something she's never seen before.
His body had started morphing.
A black spot began forming on his chest, quickly invading the rest of him.
His mane and tail became a grey colored mist.
His eyes were glowing a bright white.
His horn curved at the middle, creating a unique shape.
A vest made of shadows appear on his chest.
As his transformation was completed, four other ponies came running over.
"We couldn't hold on" Applejack said as she rubbed a sore foreleg.
"They ruined my hair!" Rarity whined as she stood next to Twilight.
"Um, who are they?" Applejack asked.
"A NEW PONY IN TOWN?! Wait, my Pinkie senses didn't tell me there was a new pony"
"You girls go and deal with Discord, I'll clean up house here" the colt, now made of shadows, said with such a deep voice that the yellow pegasus almost fainted on the spot.
"But-" Twilight started.
"GO!" he yelled with a serious voice, prompting the six ponies to start running.
As he surveyed the area, the wolves were behind a purple barrier.
Shortly after, the barrier fell, letting the horde of wolves rush forward, much to the bound up mare's dismay.
As the wolves rushed ever closer, the shadows around the pony began shifting.
Raising both hooves, the pony slammed down, creating spikes of shadows that pierced thr first wave of ponies.
*Sigh*
As he released a sigh, he had a simple thought.
"Shadow magic truly is the best way to deal with a weak army"