//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7, 8, 9 and 10 
// Story: Sky Tear 
// by BeefPie 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 7 : Journey

Fluttershy continued to transpose the real map onto hers. Turns out she wasn't that far off, just a bit lacking in detail. Twilight had taken the helm, although it was basically pointless. The carriage went into auto-pilot once they were all on, so it was merely a waiting game.
"I spy, with my little eye..."
"Celestia, Fluttershy! All we've seen so far is trees, road, sky and a deer! I get your bored but-"
"-DRAAAGGGOOONNNN!"
"What?! Oh... My..." Twilight grabbed Fluttershy and hauled them inside. "Code Red!"
"What's a code red?" Rainbow looked up from her book. A dragon roar followed. "I see." She calmly closed the book and sat up, and then broke. "AAAAAH!"
"People! We need to fight it with something!"
"No, Applejack!" Fluttershy silenced them all with a medium volume voice. She walked out to the front and just stared at the dragon.
"Well, Fluttershy's insane. We need a backup plan. Anyone got any rope?"
"Guys! Stop!" Twilight yelled for the first time in a year, silencing them all. "Thank you." Twilight pushed past Fluttershy and stood on the balcony. The black dragon looked back - Faith popped over the top.
"Sorry about that! He was just investigating the strange dragon smell around you."
"Oh that? That's Spike-" Twilight was cut off by Faith teleporting Spike into the air. "That one!"
"Huh?!" Spike fell through the air down onto Twilight. "Dragon! Aaah!"
"Haha. Small dragon." The black drake had a very deep voice - croaky too.
"Yeah?! Yeah?! Well... You'd be right." Spike hung his head. "How did I get here?"

INTERLUDE

Twilight awoke in her library, on the bed. It was still pitch black, bar for the moonlight drenching the countryside. Her sides ached slightly, but she decided to get up anyway. Last thing she remembered, they were travelling to the Griffin King. She stretched, and started to move forward, off the platform. Before she could even think about falling, she stopped. Hovering. She had grown wings overnight?! To avoid freaking Spike out, she continued to hover over to a small letter on to her bedside table.
"Twilight,
You may suffer slight memory loss tonight. Becoming a princess isn't easy on the mind or body. You fulfilled your destiny yesterday, once we took a slight detour from your road trip to the Griffin King. Anyway, yeah. You're currently reading this in your dream. If you look outside you'll see me and Luna playing tennis on the moon!
Faith"
Twilight peered out from behind her curtain. Sure enough, she was asleep. Maybe if she focused, she could wake up...


Twilight bolted upright to the sound of wheels on rocks and small, pony talk.
"Twilight! Sorry... Princess. You're awake!" Applejack sat down next to Twilight's mattress.
"I don't remember anything." Twilight rubbed her eyes.
"Ah, darn it. It was real good. Shame... Anyway, we're nearing the castle boundaries now. It'll get interesting - hold onto your hat."
"Don't tell me I got a hat too?!"
"No, silly! That's just a saying. I can get you one though."
"We may need more than one. Has anyone considered how we're getting in?"
"Erm, no. Princess. We assumed you could just write some magic or something. Rarity came prepared though." Applejack led Twilight over to the balcony area. Sure enough, Fluttershy was acting co pilot (steam punk goggles) and Rarity was watching the wheel turn itself.
"Ah! Princess! How are we today?"
"Good?"
"She doesn't remember anything. Poor soul." Applejack sniffed. "She thinks we are, and always have been, hunting the king."
"You missed the best bit, darling! Don't worry though, I'm sure you'll watch it being projected via magic once we get back."
"Hmm. I actually came to you because Applejack here told me you were prepared for 'getting into the castle.'"
"Oh! Of course." Rarity shuffled past Fluttershy, who was still scribbling away at her map, and led then back into the interior.
"I have brought these monstrosities!"


Chapter 8 : Princesses

"What is it?"
"These. Are genuine hooded robes. I made them earlier."
"Why are they monstrosities?" Twilight could see what was coming.
"Why?! Look at them? So bland! Black! Empty! Where's the boldness?!"
"Oh, fashion wise. Gotcha." Twilight took one and slid it on.
"We'll look like genuine priests. Or executioners..."
"THEY HAVE EXECUTIONERS?!" Twilight's hood fell back off her head.
"Well... Yes. They have technologies from almost 200 years ago. They are time trapped because the king won't allow it. Now they know no better, as those who remembered what it was are now dead."
"By Celestia, Luna and Faith - I will free these peoples. If necessary I will claim the throne myself." Twilight had a small glint in her eye. Something had snapped, or popped into place. She had meaning there now. Before, she was just there because the princesses requested it.
"How many robes are there?"
"Well, 6, Applejack. Why would I do anything else?"
"I dunno. I was just curious. They'd make nice tableclothes on the farm-"
"TABLECLOTHES?! MORE LIKE A WELCOME MAT! Why don't you people see these atrocities as atrocities? They're appalling! I had to cut bits out so we looked more authentic! This went against everything I work for. Somebody had to think ahead last week..."
"Last week?" Twilight curiously asked.
"Why yes, Princess." Twilight grimaced slightly. "Sorry. Twilight. Last week was the week we were teleported back and achieved your destiny. It turned out we started this 'adventure' first, as you needed to have met Faith first, to write the magic. She was a... Prerequisite."
"Okay. What about-"
"LAND HO!" Fluttershy screeched from the front. The 6 rushed over to see. Sure enough, the gates were about 150 feet away.
"Okay, ponies. We have to leave the carriage somewhere. We can't go inside with it if they are time locked..." Twilight glanced over to the city to see a pony fling a bucket full of something out a window. "Which they are. Grab a robe and stay with my lead-"
"Yes, Princess!" Rainbow Dash squeaked.
"What's with the Princess name? You don't need to. Anyway, don't say it here. It's more likely that 'Princess' will draw attention than 'Twilight'. But you never know. Refer to each other in code.
Pinkie - Balloon.
Fluttershy - Butterfly.
Rarity - Diamond.
Rainbow - Well, Rainbow.
Applejack - Apple.
If any of these words need a common usage, as in 'not code', then follow it with 'Twilight'. But why you're talking about apples - I don't know. Our warning word is 'Ship'. Our urgent help word... 'Faith'."
"Leadership, right there. That's why they made you Princess."
"Can I get that written down?"
"No, Pinkie. It'll be slightly obvious if you walk around with 'CODE' everywhere. We get one shot at this. Else our heads will roll. No flying, teleporting or other shenanigans."

The guard looked up briefly from his battlement. Nothing ever happened. Ever. This place was dead and dusty. He looked back down at his newspaper - in time for him to miss 6 black robed objects rush inside.
"One shot." Twilight whispered back at them before creating a formation. They began to slowly trot towards the actual castle's general direction. It was atop a hill, so would be pretty ridiculous to infiltrate. They had just got through the walls surrounding it.
"Ponies!" Twilight turned and shoved them all down an alleyway. "We are not getting in there. We need a distraction. Rainbow?"
"Got it." Rainbow stretched, yawning as she did. She then collapsed.
"We need to hold here until she wakes up. If anyone looks down here, ignore it."

Rainbow woke up in a flowing meadow, the wind blowing slightly. It was dusk, and the sun was setting.
"Ooh. Pretty." Rainbow jumped up and continued to hover up another 50 feet.
"Luna? LUUUUUNNAAAA! Faith? Celestia? Anypony?"
"Yes?" Rainbow freaked out a little as she span on the spot to see Faith.
"Oh... It's you. We need your help."
"I can see that. I'll send my dragon over to scorch a few buildings. It'll divert everyone either out or towards that spot. Then, when I'm sure it's empty I'll teleport you into  the castle throne room."
Rainbow's world slowly collapsed and closed in on her.

"Wait here!" Rainbow bolted upright. "Here. Wait for the-"
RAWWAAAARRRRRR!
"Dragon."
"That's Faith's dragon!" Twilight watched in awe as a huge black beast flew over. Screams and yells were heard before a loud yell.
"INTRUDERS!" A pony was standing at the only exit end of the alleyway, staring at the purple unicorn. "ALICOOORN!" The pony ran as Twilight suddenly realised her hood had slipped as she watched the fly past.
"Well. We'd better run." Rarity flicked her hood off.
"No! Faith said wait here." Rainbow rushed to the end of the alleyway, blocking it.
"Come back into the alleyway! They'll just get you first. We'll wait - but if they find us I won't hesitate to teleport us away. Why was it Faith rather than Luna anyway?"
"Faith has control of reality. And she came down from the moon too. In my dream. I'm guessing she just decided to come first."
"But Luna could shroud us in darkness! We could have been invisible!"
"I didn't pick! I-"
"THERE THEY ARE! GET THE ALICORN! THE REST CAN GO TO THE DUNGEON BEFORE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF THE KING!"


Chapter 9 : Reality

Twilight flashed into the castle, followed by 5 consecutive other flashes.
"Horseapples!" Twilight smashed her hoof on the floor. "We've blown our one shot. There's no way they won't find us-"
"Ahh. Princess Twilight Sparkle." The 6 spun around to see the throne. "I've been expecting you."
"We've come to remove you from your seat, usurper!" Twilight stepped forward. She signalled that the rest should follow.
"HAHAHAHAA! You fools! I'm behind a shield! I'm invincible!"
"Oh really? What if somebody was to... Pull the plug?" Twilight used her magic to pull off everypony's robes. Their Elements shone gently in the vicinity of each other.
"What?! You're joking? They entrusted you rag tag team with those?! HAHAHAAH! They do nothing? Have you not worked that out?"
"Oh, we have." The other 5 looked panicked at Twilight. "Or I have."
"We are the elements!"

"H-hey! Be rational here! No need for a rash decision - right?! I'll give you land! Houses!" The 6 edged closer to him and each other every second.
"Please! I'm sorry for everything I did-"
"No you're not." Faith materialised behind the 6. "I call horseapples!"
"N-no! Not you too!" Luna and Celestia followed.
"No! No no no no! What is this?! It was originally a fight, now it's a murder!"
"Two wrongs make a right, jackass." Rainbow stepped a little faster, the rest following. "You've committed your fair share to wrongs."
"No! Stop!" By now the King was nearly in tears, pushed up against the throne. The 6 reached the edge of the force field.
"Ready girls?"
"As always!"
"Abso-lutely dutely!
"Ahm always ready!"
"I guess..."
"I'll destroy you!"
"Bye bye!" Twilight ignited herself in the white light, the others slightly glowed. A beam shot out of Twilight's tiara, which in turn set of the other 5's Element's. The joint 'mega beam' arched and smashed through the forcefield, before heading straight for the King.
"STOP!" Celestia fired a light bolt into the beam, stopping it in it's tracks.
"What the hell?!" Rainbow tapped her amulet.
"Princess! You know that really takes all my energy to do - why?!"
"We're better than him. And we can't let your friendship become a weapon. We only wanted his shield down." The trio of original Princesses walked towards the King, who was half stunned and half terrified at the same time.
"I'm alive! Hahahah- oh dammit." He watched the trio slowly approach him.
"Hello, 'jackass'. It's been a while hasn't it?" Faith spoke first.
"You're charged with high treason, murder, murder of a reigning monarch and numerous accounts of indirect manslaughter via your regime, and finally - a personal one. You killed our father AND in turn betrayed the country." Celestia boldly said without hesitation. "You have the right to rot in a dungeon for the rest of your life."
"What?! You're joking? I'd rather die than go back to your bastard country!"
"Is that your final answer?" Luna leaned in slightly. "We'll honour your request."
"Yes! Just hit me! Fire your damned laser and have it over with!"
"Twilight. We'll do this one." Celestia looked over to the 6 and gestured for them to move back to the door.
"By the power vested in us - we commit you to eternity in the Aether."
"What?! That's not death!"
"It is. You'll be trapped with everything else that's been banished from this land via our order. Think of it as a 'Survival of the Fittest'." Faith smiled falsely at him while they stepped back down. The 3 sisters all joined together in closing their eyes. Cadence appeared next to them.
"Yes, sisters?"
"Mind lending a hand?" Faith smiled. The 4 all stood in a line, and started a similar laser the 6 did, only it was white, night blue, pink and Faith's - nebula. The multicoloured beam joined together from their horns and hit the King. He screamed in what could be pain or despair, before vaporising. All that was left was a crown, which fell to the floor. It rolled down the carpeted steps to the feet of the 4 Princesses.
"Twilight." They all chimed in unison.
"Oh nononono. Faith can have it. I'm not ready to give up my life and adventures to sit on a throne."
"Very well. What about a joint ruling?" Celestia queried, looking between Faith and Twilight. "Faith can rule properly, as well as from her realm, but you are still royalty. What do you say, Princess Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"So it's settled-"
"Wait! None of this explains what has happening with the stars! "Who's returning?" Twilight realised what she'd just said. "When? Why?"
"Oh damn! I'd forgotten about that!" Faith and the other 3 turned to Twilight.
"His master, of course. We just don't know anything about him, duh." Luna playfully responded, before getting serious. "Yeah, we're pretty much apple pie right now. We need to hunt him down and... Do something."



Chapter 10 : Hunt

The sun was beaming down on Ponyville and the surrounding fields. The slight summer breeze had helped create a joyful atmosphere that everypony shared. A small cupcake sat on the table, under the shade of the parasol. A cup of cloudy lemonade sat next to it. For some, life in Ponyville had been, and still was, care free. For Twilight - never. Behind her curtains and in the depths of the library, a purple alicorn sat reading. Stacks and stacks of books were already processed, but many more still lay untouched. While your ordinary pony was hunting down where next to eat or have a nap, Twilight was hunting down someone so infamous in history, yet so unknown. How could such a notorious pony be so... Invisible? Assuming it was a 'he' as the princesses said, and was a pony. They might as well be hunting a deity. Despair began to influence Twilight's mind and thoughts. Why bother? It's a glorious summer's day! Maybe Discord could help...

Fluttershy tended to her garden patch, desperate to get something exotic and in-season to grow. The princesses had given them all 1 week's leave after a few months of hunting. It wasn't solid work, but still tiring. Twilight had refused to not work, so she'd shut herself away. Fluttershy just didn't want any part of it. Frantic knocking at her front door awoke her from her daydream.
"Yes, Twilight?"
"Fluttershy! Do you know where Discord is?"
"Either in Canterlot somewhere or out in one of the fields. Last I saw he liked being in the shade under a large tree in the less used fields."
"Thanks! I bought you a cupcake!" Twilight put a paper bag onto Fluttershy's doorstep and ran off.
"What flavour?..." Fluttershy trailed off to being inaudible, after realising Twilight was gone.

A draconequus lay in the field furthest to the west. Under a large canopied tree, he sipped at a chocolate milk. The sound of rustling leaves and fast hooves forced him to take his sunglasses off.
"Oh, here we go."
"Discord! I need your help!"
"I'm sorry? You? Me? Impossible! You wrote magic. I'm a novice in comparison." He slipped his shades back down.
"Not like that! Do you know where the King is?" Discord almost choked on his glass.
"What?! The one you recently murdered or the elusive recluse that is the actual 'King'?"
"Funny. We didn't kill him! The princesses banished him-"
"You being one of them."
"No! Look - I just need to find the actual King."
"Easier said than done I'm afraid. I may have been there when he brutally seized the throne, but it doesn't mean I know where he is." Discord lay back onto the grass. "I appreciate that you came to me, but I can't really help. All I can do is give you his address-"
"What?! He has an address? And you spend 5 minutes explaining why you can't find him?"
"No no no! Listen! If I finished you would have heard that I was going to say that he has a sort of... business location. He sends out mail ponies who have submitted to his power to find others and pick up offers etc etc."
"Where is this?"
"In the sewers underneath the Crystal Empire. Here's the actual place." Discord clicked his talons and a note fell onto Twilight's face. "That's all I've got. Be careful though, Twilight. He's not to be trifled with. I should know..." Discord looked sadly down at his patchwork body.
"Oh my... I'm so sorry! I'll free you from this curse! You and everypony else deserve to live a normal life."
"... Here's a spell. Cast it once you've seen him in person. It'll summon me to you, and we can take out this son of a- Anyway. You'd better go soon. The world is upset and stirred - more chaos is coming." Discord slid his sunglasses back down and lay back against the tree, before slowly fading into the background, like a chameleon. Twilight, invigorated with her new found reason, rushed towards Ponyville to retrieve her friends. Within 10 minutes they'd be on the next train out of town.

"What?! You fools! I should have expected it earlier. You mortals can't do anything right! I gave you one simple job!"
"S-sorry master. The princesses arrived. They just vaporised him-"
"Princesses? Ooh this is too rich. Was there anything else you had to tell me?"
"The princesses brought 6 ponies. From Equestria. They-they had the Elements."

"Pinkie! Come on!" Twilight yelled from the train window. Pinkie had got distracted by a small cupcake in the train station cafe window.
"B-but!"
"No! I'll buy you one later! For now we need to leave!"
"Oww. Okay..." Pinkie looked back wistfully over her shoulder as she boarded the train.
"Finally!" Rainbow Dash was flexing her muscles and stretching. "I'm so pumped for this!"
"Rainbow. I need you to talk to a princess. Not me, one of the other 3 in Canterlot. Cadence will find out anyway. They need to know we're going on this journey - we may need backup."
"Got it!" Rainbow dashed over to the nearest seat and collapsed onto it.
"I still don't get that." Applejack commented from the opposite seat.
"Me neither." Rarity scoffed from behind a newspaper. "These ponies really want lower taxes?! Preposterous I say. We already pay nearly nothing!"
"No! I meant Rainbow Dash sleeping."
"Oh. Tired?" Rarity glanced over to see, but quickly went back to reading.
"I really hope Angel's okay..."
"Fluttershy, it's fine. Spike volunteered again. He's such a gentlepony."
"Oh..." Fluttershy sighed and turned to look out the window.

"Luuuuna! Celestia! Faith? I have a message!" Rainbow was hovering over an ocean, seemingly endless below in every direction.
"Yes?"
"Woah. Okay." Rainbow turned around to face Luna. "We're going to the Crystal Empire."
"And?"
"We know how to get to the King-"
"Do you ponies have a death wish?!" Luna bellowed. "No! Not alone. Who gave you the information to do it?"
"Uhm, Twilight said. Maybe it was Discord-"
"This trip ends here." Luna faded, causing Rainbow's dream to collapse.

"Twilight!" Rainbow bolted up. "Luna said-"
"Stop." Luna appeared at the end of the carriage.
"What?!" Twilight spun to face her fellow Princess. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously. This has to stop. He's too powerful and could easily destroy you all, thus claiming the elements for himself."
"Discord offered to help."
"I'm sure he did-"
"Why didn't you say he wasn't always evil and looked like a patchwork abomination?! Any more secrets and facts you don't want me to hear?!" Twilight cut Luna off. By now, all the other passenger ponies had left the carriage in fear.
"*sigh* Very well, Twilight Sparkle. But only because I was in the same situation. Celestia kept me in the dark till about 600 years ago..." Luna stepped closer and sat down on an empty seat. "The King is actually the King. He's our father and teacher. The rightful monarch of all of the known world. He disowned everything he knew and loved in a rage. A few thousand years ago... He had started experimenting with magic. All spells we use today were originally created by him. From the teleport to telekenesis. But his knowledge came at a cost..."
"He went insane..."
"Yes... He started creating dark magic - magic with dark intent and power. Discord was originally an Alicorn. He was transferred into the body of pure Chaos, created by the King in the early days, after he opposed the King in person for creating bad magic." The train entered a tunnel. Luna lit her horn and continued.
"He punished Discord and warped him. The Chaos that he was merged with drove him insane too-"
"WAS merged?"
"Indeed. Fluttershy here reversed it. When Discord lost his chaotic side, Chaos escaped. That is why the world is in turmoil. Why the sky tore open a few months back. Fluttershy is not at fault here - we are one step ahead. But we need to stop and store Chaos before approaching the King. Only then do we stand a chance."
"B-but he wrote magic. Writes magic. What's to say he doesn't have a 'instant death' spell? Or one to turn us against each other?" Rarity out the newspaper down. "We simply can't take him on. We'd be dead in minutes. Or hours if he tortured us."
"You have approximately 1 month to store and stop Chaos before the world starts to physically become warped. Like Discord did. The world would break and lose all sense and meaning. Then, Celestia, Faith, Cadence, you six and myself will strike. With Discord and Chaos at our side."