“Why did you start this group, anyway?” the draconequus asked Nightmare Moon at the beginning of the next meeting.
“I’m not sure anymore,” she replied honestly. “I suppose I wanted to gather those of us who have faced the Elements to find their weaknesses. With more knowledge, we perhaps could defeat them.”
“You mean, you could defeat them?”
Nightmare Moon glanced sideways at the mismatched creature beside her. “Yes. I meant that.”
The draconequus just smiled and snapped his talons. He appeared at the front of the room to speak, and a yellow balloon with a fanged smiley face appeared tied around Nightmare Moon’s hoof.
--
DISCORD’S STORY
I’m sure you all know of the time when I ruled Equestria. At least, you old ponies might remember. I led the world in delicious chaos, until I was turned to stone.
Do you know what being stone is like? You are alive and thinking. You know when time passes and you can’t do anything but stand there and stew in your own brain. So of course I’m a little crazy now. I wouldn’t wish that torture on the most troublesome of ponies.
I was able to spread just a little chaos to the area around me. It wasn’t much, but it was fun to hear ponies arguing instead of their usual sappy friendship. I quite honestly had no idea how it would affect ponies already corrupted by chaos.
Those little fillies released me. I stayed stone until they were gone. Coming out in front of a group of foals would mean Celestia turning me to stone again. I was finally free, and Equestria was once again ripe for a little disharmony.
It was better to start small. A little chocolate rain, a few bizarre animals. Corn to popcorn. I would need that popcorn to watch the show later. I spread the rain across Equestria, but I stayed in Canterlot. I had some unfinished business with Celestia.
It was too easy to enter the castle. I made myself part of the stained glass windows, an easy way to watch the throne room. Really, Celestia should have had some better security. She should have known stone doesn’t last forever.
It surprised me more than it should have to realize Celestia no longer controlled the Elements of Harmony. Her sister was missing somewhere. She brought six young ponies to the throne room. In Celestia’s long-winded explanation of me, I learned the six were the new embodiments of the Elements. I also had time to steal the Elements from their safe. Celestia really relied too much on that stone prison.
I made up some riddle that meant nothing to taunt the ponies. They would be fun to play with. They decided my riddle was leading them to the labyrinth in the gardens. They were making it too easy.
I took their wings and horns, just to make things a bit harder for them. If they could fly over the labyrinth and see the Elements weren’t there, what would be the fun in that? They panicked, and that allowed me to see into their minds and learn about each of these element bearers.
Honest Applejack would be the easiest target. The truth is harsh, after all. I simply needed to show her this fact and she was willing to listen to me.
I didn’t do anything to poor Pinkie Pie. I only told her the truth as well: that her friends were laughing at her. She was the only one who had enjoyed my wonderful chaos. It was only fair I share a little more with her.
Generous Rarity was not as accepting. She wanted the large diamond I showed her, but wouldn’t admit it to herself. All right, the diamond was less of a gem than she believed it was, but she still wanted it. She loved that rock when she got it. She even gave it a name.
Kind Fluttershy. I gave up on her. She was too weak to be angry that she was weak. One tap on the head and she was like the others. You didn’t think I need to convince ponies to join me, did you?
All that was left was the loyal Rainbow Dash. I had plans for Twilight later. Interestingly, the element of loyalty wasn’t loyal to her friends. I only needed to show her what was happening in Cloudsdale—or what could be happening, and she was willing to take back her wings and break the rules. Of course, this meant that all the ponies had to forfeit my game. It was fun, while it lasted, but spreading my chaos across Equestria was much more important.
Of course, they weren’t so happy about losing, but fair is fair. At least, when I say it is. The ponies made their way back to their little Ponyville, but I wasn’t making that easy for them. It’s fun to skate on a soap-slicked road, after all.
I made it too easy for them to find the Elements. Really, Twilight should have seen that it was on purpose. Putting the Elements of Harmony in the reference book on the Elements of Harmony? Clearly I had some devious plot in mind.
Or I was too busy turning Cloudsdale literally upside down to notice. When you’re that high off the ground, the pegasi really don’t know up from down.
Not that it mattered. They had their necklaces, but I had made sure they weren’t the Element bearers anymore. Now nopony was. The trinkets couldn’t hurt me.
I’ll admit I was surprised when the Elements seemed like they were working. I hadn’t expected them to get to the point of glowing. But they failed, of course, and those ponies split up. Perfect.
I had hoped Twilight Sparkle might be swayed by the beautiful chaos. Celestia’s own student using her magic against her. It wasn’t a plan so much as an idea, but it would have been wonderful to see.
But, Twilight followed her former friends in losing her Element. This worked too.
I’m not entirely sure what happened to the Element bearers next—they weren’t the bearers then, after all. I was busy giving a unicorn hands. She actually enjoyed them more than I intended, but at least she scared a few earth ponies.
I was relaxing among my chaos, planning to return to Canterlot to raise the sun a few more times in a minute while Celestia would be forced to watch, when the ponies came back to me. They weren’t so grey anymore, but I wasn’t worried.
Then, their necklaces began to work. I’m still not sure how they managed that. Twilight had said something about using the magic of friendship, but friendships will fade. The powerful Celestia had lost her friendship with her sister. These ponies couldn’t possibly be friends forever.
I was returned to my stone prison for what will likely be another thousand years.
--
“If you’ve been trapped in stone, how are you here?” Trixie asked.
“I’m not,” Discord said. “Physically, anyways. But with the evil in the room, there’s enough chaos in your minds for me to enter.”
“So we’re all just imagining you?” Diamond Tiara asked. “That’s like, so weird.”
Discord just snapped his talons again and the filly’s nose turned to a pig’s snout. She screamed, he snapped, and she was back to normal. “It’s not just imagination,” he said.
Nightmare Moon smiled. This creature was what she had been looking for in starting the group.