//------------------------------//
// Chapter 22 ~ The Return of Chaos 
// Story: The Matter Of Friendship 
// by HeartShieldFiM 
//------------------------------//

'This is not so bad, actually,' Celestia mumbled as she took another sip of her steaming coffee. Chrysalis had put a magic lock on the Princess' horn, so she couldn't poof herself out, though her magic was still working for smaller things like creating stuff. She poofed a blanket and dug herself in it. 'I hope Twilight Sparkle will save us... again,' she whispered to herself. 'And by the way, where's Luna?'
Poof, there was the green cloud of smoke again. Luna appeared, and Celestia sighed. 'Chrysalis, stop it. Take me out of here or leave me alone, okay?'
'I'm not Chrysalis, sister,' Luna says.
The Princess of the sun squinted. 'Cheeseleg, show yourself!' she shouted.
'Fine,' a voice out of nowhere said, and next to Luna, Chrysalis appeared. 'There I am. This is your sister, Celestia. Say hay to her.'
'Tia, it's me!' Luna cried out, and hugged her sister.
Celestia smiled, despite the situation she and her sister were in. 'What brings you here?' she asked.
'THAT,' Luna replied, and pointed at Chrysalis.
'Excuse me?' the queen said surprised. 'Since when am I a "that"?'
The Princesses did not react on the queen and kept on hugging and snuggling.
'Argh,' Chrysalis roared. 'I'm gone.' She poofed away.
'Why did Chrysalis send you here?' Celestia asked still surprised.
Luna shrugged. 'Guess she did not like me.'
'Well, I think you will be stuck with me here for a while,' the Princess replied. 'So why not make our stay here as nice as possible?'
She poofed another couch and a cup of hot tea for her sister. 'Go and relax,' she said.

'Fluttershy!' all of the remaining Mane Six cried out.
Pinkie Pie was the only one saying something after that. 'Discord!'
It was true. Not only Fluttershy had come back, she was ríding Discord.
He landed in front of the ponies, the Mane Six saw that Fluttershy didn't actually look fresh, she looked very exhausted.
'I see I'm right on time,' he muttered, and helped Fluttershy getting off his back.
The ponies couldn't help but embrace their friend Fluttershy, and Discord got a bit jealous.
'So... you are..?' the mysterious colt asked.
Discord shook his hoof. 'My name is Discord, Bringer of Chaos, former ruler of Equestria,' he said.
The colt laughed. 'Sure, and Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt?'
'She actually ís,' the draconequus replied, and the colt shut his mouth.
Pinkie had gotten new energy after she'd seen her friend and was busy bucking the changelings.
'You're right, Pinkie,' Dash said. 'There's no time to waste.'
The ponies, including Fluttershy and the very mysterious colt, resumed their battle against the swarm of so insect-like ponies.
Discord laughed. 'Oh, so much effort,' he said, and swung his tail. He immediately knocked out a pack of about ten cheeselegs, and he then snapped his fingers. Two others changed into actual cheese.
Pinkie looked around and saw what Discord was doing. She climbed in his neck, whispering, 'Discord, it's dangerous to do that on the Royal Grounds!'
Discord rolled his eyes. 'Eh, do you want Celestia to be saved or not?'
'I do,' the pony replied. 'Though I don't want any more trouble...'
The draconequus smiled. 'It's okay, Pinkie Pie. I know what I am doing. And you know, it feels good to do these things again.' He poofed a tiny copy of himself. 'Look, it's me!' the two Discords said.
The changelings, who were terribly frightened by Discord's size, now saw a smaller version of him and got an idea. Suddenly, Discord and Pinkie Pie were surrounded by at leats a hundred Discords, though these were buzzing and had blue eyes, instead of red.
'You really had to do that?' Pinkie said in an annoyed voice. She sighed.
Discord smiled shyly. 'Eheh, I didn't know they would to that,' he said.
'They're bucking changelings!' Applejack yelled, still fighting. 'Of course they do that!'
Discord looked around. 'Hm, which one would be the real one? Oh, of course, it's the one that has made a miniature duplication of himself.'
Indeed, one of the small Discords had made an even smáller Discord, which was about the size of a very young filly.
Discord immediately poofed the others away. 'Look,' he said. 'They're gone.'
Only the réal two tiny Discords were standing in front of the Pinkie now.
'Hey,' she said. 'Can you do that with me too? Maybe we could fight as a...'
But before she could say 'team', the sky turned gray and smokey green clouds appeared everywhere. The changelings stopped fighting, as if this was a sign. Their heads all turned at one point - a bigger green cloud, in which suddenly somepony appeared the Mane Six had not expected to see.

'What's that green smoke?' Cloud asked surprised.
Heart Shield shrugged. 'Don't know, don't care,' she replied.
But the unicorn kept worrying about what the green smoke and the suddenly appearing clouds could mean. 'Do you think it's dangerous?' he asked his manefriend.
She didn't reply, but just kept staring at the smoke as well.
Cloud Breaker shook her out of her daze. 'Hey, wake up,' he whispered.
'Oh...' Heart Shield had snapped out of it. 'What did you just ask?'
'I asked if you thought this was dangerous,' Cloud Breaker repeated.
The Pegasus nodded. 'I think it is,' she whispered. 'Get out of here.'

Discord was startled and pretty much petrified when he saw who had appeared in front of him.
Pinkie saw what was happening, though she was too late. Discord stared deeply into the glowing green eyes of the beautiful alicorn in front of him and she reached out her hoof. 'Come here, Discord,' she whispered. 'You know that the only one who could make me dissapear...'
Suddenly, she poofed away and appeared behind the draconequus.
'...is you, right?'
Discord turned around. 'C... Celestia,' he whispered.
'Oh buck,' Applejack said.

'Are you okay up there?' Cloud Breaker yelled.
Heart Shield was flying just above him. 'Uhu,' she replied. 'You down there?'
'I am,' the unicorn said.
The two were running through and flying above the Everfree Forest. They did not really trust the situation in Ponyville, so they decided to flee.
Heart Shield landed. 'Oh man, my wings are tired.'
'My legs as well,' Cloud complained, and sat down on a fallen tree.
Heart Shield just back-dropped on the damp grass and closed her eyes, heavily breathing. 'Holy cow,' she whispered.
'I completely agree on that,' was Cloud's reply. 'What do you think is happening up there?'
'Without doubt, something magical,' she muttered. 'Can't you... dunno, sense it?'
Cloud closed his eyes and his horn began to glow. Heart Shield saw he was concentrating very much, and breathlessly watched him catching the signal of Canterlot.
He suddenly opened his blue eyes again, his pupils were so small Heart Shield was scared.
'That's not good,' Cloud Breaker said. 'Something terrible is going on there, together with a lot of anarchy.'

'Discord!' Pinkie cried out. 'Don't do it, it's not Celestia!'
The draconequus frowned. 'I see she is,' he replied. 'What do you know? You're only... dunno, you're young.'
"Celestia" grinned and grabbed Discord's claw. She gently stroked his arm, then his back and Pinkie watched Discord close his eyes and actually start purring.
'Ah've never heard him make that sound,' Applejack whispered.
'Me neither!' Pinkie Pie repied. 'Though he seems to like it very much, we have to stop this.' She climbed on his back and shook his shoulders. 'C'mon, draconequus! Snap out of it!'
Celestia let out a brief laugh. 'Oh, my little pony, he will not snap out of it. I make sure he won't.'

'That must be Discord!' Heart Shield cried out.
The unicorn nodded. 'It is,' he said. 'And that cheeseleg - what was her name again? Christian or something?'
Heart rolled her eyes. 'Chrysalis. What did she do?'
'It could not have been her, it was Celestia who was... dunno, kind of teasing Discord...' Cloud Breaker frowned. 'I don't know.'
'She's a bucking changeling!' Heart yelled. 'She takes forms, remember?"
Her coltfriend only shut his eyes again, and Heart shut her mouth. Cloud Breaker was back in Canterlot, and she'd better not make him snap out of it for the sake of Discord and whole Equestria.
'Celestia is being kept inside of a cave,' Cloud Breaker suddenly said, his eyes still closed. 'Look.'
In front of the two, in a small rainpool, the sight of Celestia appeared. She was surrounded by stone walls, two couches, a bookcase, a cup of coffee and Princess Luna.
'That's odd,' the Pegasus muttered. 'Which means Discord is now...'
'...here,' Cloud finished her sentence. The image in the pool changed from the cave into the sight of Discord and the óther Celestia, though this one had fluorescent green eyes.
'Yeah, must be Chrysalis,' Heart Shield said. 'And there's Pinkie Pie with her friends!'
'I see... what are they say...oh great glory.'
Heart Shield startled. 'What's wrong?' she asked panicking.
'Christian is gaining the love of Discord so she can take over Equestria,' Cloud replied. Heart didn't have the heart to tell him the name was Chrysalis, not Christian, and she kept listening to her coltfriend.
'...Pinkie and her friends cannot convince the draconequus this is not the réal Celestia,' he continued. 'Holy cow, now what?'
'Can you do a... dunno, teleportation spell?' Heart Shield asked.
Cloud shook his head, but then squinted. 'I don't know, actually.'
'Try it!' Heart cried out. 'Come on!'
Cloud Breakers horn glowed again. Heart backed up and stared at her coltfriend, pretty much glowing as well. For two or three minutes, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, Cloud Breaker dissapeared...

'Oh! I'm SO done with this!' Rainbow Dash bit Discord in his ear. 'Wake up, kitty cat!'
Discord didn't react. He was still purring while "Celestia" stroke his neck and back. 'Like this?' she asked.
Discord nodded.
The changelings had not moved since the arrival of Chrysalis, and Twilight considered them harmless now. She loaded her horn with energy and beamed at Chrysalis, who easily avoided the ray of light. Instead of her, it hit Discord's ear.
'Oh my,' Twilight said. 'Discord, I'm so sorry...'
Chrysalis laughed. 'Hah, you missed! You're wasting your energy, Twilight.'
What she did not know was that Discord had gotten out of his unconsiousness, because of the pain and his bleeding ear.
'What was that?' he said in a sleepy voice.
Pinkie grinned and hugged her friend. 'Discord! You're back!'
'Well of course I am,' the draconequus replied. 'I've never been away from you. But what is that with my ear?'
'I can fix that,' Rarity said. 'I'm great with needle and thread, if I can sew fabric together, an ear can't be a problem.'
Discord's eyes widened. 'I need stitches?'
'You do,' Rarity continued. 'But don't worry, you won't feel a thaaah!'
I have no idea what a thaaah is, but the moment Rarity said it, she got hit by one of Chrysalis' beams.
Discord was confused. How could Celestia shoot her very beloved students? He was about to ask what had just happened, but then Twilight beamed back at Chrysalis.
'Hah!' the queen yelled. 'You can not beam me to death!'
Twilight grinned. 'I know I'm not able to. But I at least could take Discord away from you...'
Discord stared in shock at the sudden change. Celestia's body glowed a green light and she shifted back into the form of Chrysalis again.
'What is this!?' Discord cried out.
Rainbow Dash sighed. 'That's Chrysalis. She's...'
Discord looked at Dash. 'I know who she is,' he said. 'I've been with her in kindergarten. But what does she do HERE?'
Rainbow facepalmed herself. 'C'mon, can ANYPONY explain Discord what we've been trying to say the whole bucking time?'
Pinkie Pie took a deep breath and while Twilight held Chrysalis under control, she said, 'We were here to look at a book about you and suddenly a crowd of changelings appeared and Chrysalis poofed Celestia away and we don't know where she is and Dash got kept in a cave but a Pegasus helped her escape and now she's shifting into Celestia to confuse you and gain love so she can take over Equestria...'
She breathed heavily. 'That was one long sentence...'
Discord rose up to his full length - more than two times higher than Chrysalis - and looked at her. 'So... this is what you've become? A cheeselegged "queen", abusing love in all the wrong ways - not that there's any GOOD way to abuse -? I am very dissapointed in you.'
Before Chrysalis could reply, a blue unicorn suddenly appeared in front of her. He looked around, then said, 'Oh god, I forgot her...' and poofed away again.
'What the actual buck was that?' Discord asked.
Chrysalis shrugged. 'Probably somepony fet the writer wine or something, she's clearly drunk.'
'Could be,' the draconequus replied. 'But okay, where were we?'
Chrysalis grinned. 'Hah, you will never ever see your beloved Princess Celestia again! She will have to spend the rest of her life in...'
Again, before she could finish her sentence, the blue unicorn was back and with company - a green Pegasus.
'Holy cow, that's Chrysalis,' the Pegasus said.
Pinkie Pie squinted. 'I know you... you! Heart Shield! Clour Breaker!'
The two turned around. 'Pinkie Pie!'
Discord swiped them away. 'This is a very dangerous place, ponies,' he said. 'I think you have to...'
'..we can use any help now,' Twilight said. 'Hey, you two! Go stand over here!'
Suddenly, Chrysalis beamed at Discord, blowing one of his horns off. He bend over to grab it, and got hit again.
Not only his reindeer horn had broken off, his bat wing also was very badly burned.
'I am SO done with this,' Dash yelled, and Heart lifted off, now hanging in the air next to her.
'What are you gonna do!?' she asked panicking.
Dash squinted. 'You'll see.'
She bashed into the queen, who was seemingly very surprised by her attack. Heart Shield grinned and did the same. 'Take that!' she yelled, and bro-winged Dash.
The queen, who was distracted now, did not see the attack of miniature Discords coming. Not only the real Discord was hurt, the smaller ones were as well. While they were pulling Chrysalis' hair - I must say, they are really similar to my little brothers... - Cloud Breaker had put a spell on Discord's wing to take the pain away.
'Better?' he asked.
The draconequus only nodded, and stared at his horn.
'I can't fix that,' Cloud continued. 'Though I think Celestia can.'
Discord squinted. 'Celestia is gone now. Don't mention her again.'
Pinkie walked across the duo and saw what was happening here. She smiled and said, 'Better not talk about her now, it's very painful for him.'
Cloud nodded, and continued cooling the wing.
While still fingting and protecting themselves from the queen, Rainbow Dash asked the colt, 'By the way, since we're... you know, saving the world together, could you please tell us your name?'
The colt, keeping Chrysalis as good as he could away from Discord, said, 'My name is Haywing, I'm from...'
'...I know you!' Heart Shield yelled. 'We went to school together!'
Haywing grinned. 'True, I remember you too! Always stayed small, eh?'
The other Pegasus only nodded.
'I remember your coltfriend as well,' Haywing continued. 'He went to our school too, right?'
'Uhu, that's what I know him from.'

'I'm getting bored of these board games,' Luna sighed.
Celestia laughed briefly.
'What's so funny!?' Luna shouted.
'It's just, bored and board sound the same,' the other princess replied.
Luna smiled.