Twilight looked all around for some way out of her predicament, only finding a dozen piercing, green eyes staring at her. She suddenly remembered that she was a unicorn, and feeling incredibly stupid she went to cast a teleport spell.
Chrysalis laughed sharply as she shot a spell at the defenseless unicorn, the lavender mare immediately falling to the dirt with a scream. She was far to disorientated and focused on the pain coursing through her body to try and cast another spell.
That’s it; I have to go get the Princess! Just hang in there Twilight… As much as it pained the cyan pegasus to leave her friend, she knew it was the only option. Rainbow Dash shot off from her hiding spot in a tree and hurried towards the massive building that dwarfed the gardens and every other structure in Canterlot.
The six elements pulsed, casting a wave of magical light onto the garden’s surroundings. A deep, foreboding laugh echoed through both Chrysalis and Twilight’s heads. This was soon followed by a very faint cracking sound, and watching the statue Chrysalis could make out the deep lines that were breaking the stone prison.
Before long these lines became large gouges in what previously was a flawless piece of masonry. Finally, a loud snap filled the air followed immediately by an exceedingly bright light. They all covered their eyes as pieces of stone shot out across the garden, a cloud of smoke rising from where the statue once stood.
“YES!” Discord yelled triumphantly as he stretched out his limbs, trying to limber up his extremely stiff body. The smoke around him cleared, and he merely grinned at the Changeling Queen that was staring at him.
“Well, now that you’re finally free…” Chrysalis turned her attention to the horrified unicorn on the ground who was merely looking at the Draconequus in terror. “I say we finally get revenge against this little brat, how does a few days of agonizing torture sound?”
“That’s fine with me, but let’s-” Discord was cut off however, as a large figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the gardens. The tall white alicorn glared at the Draconquus, before giving her student a look of deep concern.
“It’s alright Twilight, I’m here… Discord, Chrysalis… I almost couldn’t believe Rainbow Dash when she told me you were back.” Celestia looked between the two villains, her horn poised and at the ready.
“Ah I know you missed me Celly, but I’m awfully sorry to say that I really must be going... I’ll see you soon enough though, so don’t worry…” Discord grinned at her raised his talons. Chrysalis was just about to attack the royal alicorn, but was suddenly stopped as a snap filled the air.
“What?! Where are we?!” Chrysalis roared as she spun around in a circle, finding none of the vegetation or decor of their previous location. Anger and annoyance surged through her upon realizing they were gone, her revenge having been snatched away at the last moment. I was so close…
“Outside of Canterlot, and don’t be so upset. I just saved us both from banishment.” Discord stated simply as he lay back in the air, letting out a relaxed sigh as he stared at the dark sky.
“B-but… Where’s Twilight Sparkle?!” She glanced around, only finding her equally confused subjects staring back at her.
“I left her back in the gardens with Celly.”
“WHAT?! Why in Equestria would you do that?! She was right there!” Chrysalis screamed at him, her loud, shrill voice already serving to irritate him. “You could have easily brought her too, then I could finally have my revenge!”
“In good time Chrysalis…” Discord mumbled to her with smile. He levitated through the air and stopped beside her, running a talon down her slightly scarred face.
She slapped the talon away, and glared at him with fiery eyes.
“Don’t be so angry, my Queen… You’ll get your revenge, in time.”
“But I could have had my revenge right now!”
Discord sighed and rolled his mismatched eyes. “Physical pain is one thing my dear, but mental and emotional scars are far more painful… Sure, you could just torture her within an inch of her life then finally end her miserable little existence. Or…”
He smiled mischievously before turning his attention to the large, bright city in the distance, standing atop its massive mountain like a lighthouse across the waves. “We could destroy Celestia’s kingdom and everything she holds dear. Just imagine how she’ll feel seeing her teacher, broken and defeated by us. Or her brother, killed perhaps during the attack on Canterlot…”
Chrysalis eyes slowly lit up as the sly Draconequus spoke. She could just imagine it, the lavender mare bawling her eyes out as the corpse of her brother lay beside her. Princess Cadence doing the exact same. Just the thought of it made her smile and feel all warm inside.
“Then, finally when she’s suffered enough, you can kill her… So how does that sound, Chrysalis my dear?” Discord laid an arm around the Changeling Queen’s back as she stared off into space with wonder.
“I like the way you think.” She smiled back at him, not even minding now that he was touching her.
“Perfect! Then we just have to gather the rest of your forces. I already have the perfect plan…” Discord chuckled wickedly, Chrysalis soon joining in with him.
“Are you alright Twilight?” Celestia asked, watching her student on the ground with worry. It seemed most of the pain from the spell had passed, but she had still yet to get to her hooves.
“Y-yes Princess… Thank you for saving me. I can’t believe I let this happen, I’m so stupid…” Twilight mumbled after giving her teacher a grateful smile.
“It’s not your fault, I’m just glad you’re alright.” Celestia said before glancing over at the motionless pegasus. “Thank you Rainbow Dash, without you they’d still have her.”
“Ah it was no problem really…” Dash smiled bashfully as she put a hoof behind her head.
“But what do we do about Discord and Chrysalis?” Twilight asked, looking up at her teacher expectantly.
Celestia started off into the distance for a few moments before speaking. “We have to be ready. You and your friends need to get the elements; wait the elements!” The alicorn suddenly shouted, having realized the six crystals that were lying on the ground previously were now gone.
“Their gone… Oh I’m so sorry Princess, I failed you!” Twilight muttered weakly, not even being able to look her teacher in the eye.
“It’s alright, really. Go get your friends, we’ll find a way to get the elements back.”
Twilight nodded before getting to her hooves, now feeling much stronger and braver now that the two villains had left. She felt particularly glad that the Draconquus had left, as out of all the enemies they had fought, Discord had scared and terrified her the most. The way he had turned her friends against each other, and how in the end she was left alone for him to torment. Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis had been bad, but nowhere near as much as the chaotic god.
“We won’t fail you Princess!” Twilight assured as she hurried over to Rainbow Dash. She cast a teleport spell and she and the cyan pegasus disappeared.
“Ah, I always loved the forest. Such a calming, and tranquil place…” Discord snickered with a grin as he snapped his talons, the many trees around him turning into huge candy canes and lollipops. Another snap followed, and the numerous animals turned into gingerbread versions of themselves.
“Do you really have to cause so much destruction everywhere we go?!” Chrysalis snapped at him, finally having enough of what he called ‘fun’. “Do you know how easy it would be for Celestia to follow us?! There’s a path of chaos leading right to us!”
“Calm down, Celestia isn’t anywhere near that gutsy. She’ll just send Twilight Sparkle and all her little friends to do her dirty work.” Discord replied, smiling with glee as he continued to morph the forest. “Now where’s this army of yours? Or did you lose them all in that pitiful attack on Canterlot…”
Chrysalis bared her animal like teeth at the Draconequus, “Pitiful?! I had the whole city! Had it not been for that stupid Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence I would have won…”
“Well ‘would have’ isn’t good enough, now is it?” Discord mocked as he grabbed a few of the Element’s of Harmony that were floating around him, and then promptly proceeded to start juggling them. Chrysalis merely grew angrier as she watched him.
Had I known that he was this annoying I never would have released him… “If you remember, you didn’t win either! You just got yourself trapped in stone. At least I still had my freedom…”
“Freedom’s overrated, and at least I beat Twilight Sparkle. You and your changelings couldn’t handle one little unicorn…” Whereas Chrysalis was practically fuming with anger and annoyance, Discord was staring at her with a sly grin.
Chrysalis finally dropped the conversation with him, having realized that it was getting them nowhere. She continued walking through the forest, the Draconquus slightly lagging behind as he returned to twisting the forest. Before long the two of them reached where the Changeling Queen had last seen her broken army.
“Your highness!” A changeling immediately yelled upon the sight of her, he and a dozen other able bodied subjects hurrying over to her. “We’ve found more changelings, though many of them are injured.”
“This is it? And even more are injured? Wow, this is some army you have…” Discord mumbled as he rolled his eyes at her.
“Uh your higness, who, er, what is that?” The changeling asked, pointing a hoof at the patchwork like abomination.
“This is Discord, the help I went to get. Though I’m already starting to seriously doubt him…” Chrysalis hissed as she shot him a glare.
“Ah, no need for doubt my Queen! With my brains and your, uh… Well…” Discord’s voice trailed off as he looked from her to her ‘army’.
“Will you stop that?!” Chrysalis suddenly snapped, surprising all of them except Discord.
“Stop what?” He asked innocently.
“You know, stop annoying me! You’re doing it on purpose!”
“Am not.”
“Yes you are!”
“I would never intentionally upset you…”
The changeling shook his head as he listened to the two of them bicker like a married couple. “Um, I hate to interrupt you your highness, but shouldn’t we get around to forming a plan?”
“Huh?” Chrysalis asked as she broke away from her arguing with the Draconquus. “Oh, yes of course…” She sighed before turning to her so called ‘ally’. “So Discord, what’s this plan of yours?”
“Well, there is just one little problem… I was actually expecting you to have an army, not a handful of changelings. If were to have any chance of beating Celestia we need a real army…”
“I still have more subjects! They’re just scattered. You still looking, aren’t you?” She questioned, turning to the changeling beside her.
“Of course your highness! It’s only a matter of time before we find all of them.”
“Well, it seems you’ll need to find a lot. Because you have…” Discord’s eyes scanned over the group of soldiers, silently counting in his head. “Seventeen soldiers…”
“I have many more. Just wait and see.” Chrysalis replied sternly. If I’m to have any chance of beating Celestia I need to learn to deal with this fool… I don’t think I’ve ever met anypony this ANNOYING! “And what about you? You don’t have any army! You can’t contribute even a single soldier.”
“Because, Chrysalis my dear…” Discord leaned in close to her face, the Changeling Queen taking a step back to avoid him. “I don’t need an army. Just listen to my plan and you’ll understand completely…”