“I abandoned order when you broke my heart that day.
It then occurred to me chaos is the only way.”
He simply stood there at the edge of the Everfree forest with chaos magic that pulsed away in every direction. All while the look of a mad stallion stood on his face. “You broke, my heart... You broke my heart...” His attention turned over to the direction of the Castle and was followed up by loud roar. A roar that caused the pulse to go even further away from him. No matter what it would touch, it all transformed in a chaotic version of itself.
The white alicorn had flown back towards the castle as fast as she could while tears were falling down her cheeks. Eventually she landed on the balcony of the throne room and didn't spoke a word to any of the souls present. Celestia ticked her wings against her body before she just galloped to her bedroom. Only to lay down on her bed. There she cried endless streams of saddened tears.
Everypony in the castle was worried about the princess of the sun. But one mare was even more worried than all the others. Luna carefully knocked on the door of Celestia’s bedroom. “C-Come in,” a weak and sad voice said. The blue mare carefully opened the door, looking at her defeated sister with a sad expression of her own.
The princess of the night let go a small sigh before she walked up to her and positioned herself next to her beloved sister on the bed. She carefully placed her wing over Celestia who was crying in silence. “What happened Tia?” she asked with a calm and caring voice.
“D-Discord,” Celestia managed to speak through her tears.
The draconequus began to make his way back to the Ccastle and each step he set resulted in another pulse of pure chaos, transforming the land. Though he had one thing in mind: revenge. Each step he took forward caused his heart to shatter more and turned itself more towards the chaos.
Ponies who were wandering around had seen the anger of him and they all cowered away in their houses, scared for their lives of what might happen. He entered a small, nameless settlement along the way and his eyes were looking around with a mad glaze in them.
Those who dared to look out the windows could see the madness, the chaos and even the hatred in his eyes as he stood there. Discord didn't do anything but all the sudden he erupted out in laughter. An evil laughter as he snapped his fingers.
Under the sounds of a loud thunder roll did the clouds of cotton candy began to move over the settlement. All of them would be raining down chocolate milk. He started to laugh even louder and a lightning bolt struck down in the middle of the town. But instead of disappearing, it actually remained the bolt in the exact position as it touched the ground and slowly began to hum of power.
The bolt suddenly exploded releasing a powerful shock wave which transformed the whole settlement into a chaotic version of itself. Houses began to float, pieces of land crumbled and started to turn around. The green grass transformed into a checkers board kind of profile.
Every pony who lived in the settlement, came out of their houses and looked to him. But every stallion, mare, colt and filly, were all grey of color. They started to fight with each other over the most ridiculous things. The draconequus looked at all of them fighting and kept laughing, until tears left his eyes. “Chaos is a wonderful thing!” He looked in pure delight as the ponies kept fighting.
Meanwhile in the castle had Celestia explained what happened to her sister who was looking quite shocked. “Y-You burned, t-the flowers? Why?”
“For they reminded me to much of him. Luna, we have been together for years, but the sparks of our love, never emerged into a fire... Because of both our natures,” replied Celestia just before she buried her face in the pillow. That way she hoped to escape the problem for what it was.
Luna sighed a little, knowing she was partly responsible for this. “Tia... I, I must confess something, a-about those flowers.” Celestia only let go a sniff in reaction to that. “W-when he changed the garden back to normal, I, I proposed the idea of giving you flowers...”
“W-What..? L-Luna, t-tell me e-everything you two d-discussed,” demanded her sister.
“Sister, I tell you this in all honesty. I only suggested the idea and this morning, he came to me before I went to bed, asking me about your afternoon walk, if you would come in a forest area. I only said you would come in the beginning of the Everfree. More I didn't tell him Tia.” said her sister as she wrapped her wing a bit tighter around her sister.
“I see...” Celestia spoke as she lifted her head out of the pillow and nuzzled her sister very lightly on the nose. Luna nuzzled back and charged up her horn a little, taking off the royal attire of her sister.
“Calm down Tia. I am sure, that if you two talk about it, and be honest to each other, everything will be fine.”
The white alicorn let it happen. She kept nuzzling her sister with a questioning look on her face. “A-Are you sure?”
Her sister smiled warmly and she spoke the reassuring words that came up in her mind. “I am sis. Just trust me on this one.” A small smile appeared on the face of the white coated mare as she kept nuzzling her sister.
---
Discord had made his way over to the entrance of Canterlot. He was looking at the castle in pure rage before he snapped his fingers again. The cotton candy clouds began to drift over the settlement and the castle while the thunder rolled down. He placed his hands behind his back and stood there like a gentlecolt. He would be looking at the chaos unfolding under a insane chuckle, awaiting them.
Lightning hit the streets which turned to soap, it hit houses which started to float and behave on their own. The ponies came outside, all looked questioning at what was going on. But none were spared as they got hit by the shock wave of the thunder, which turned their coats to grey and starting to act the exact opposite of their normal personality. But deep in him, his heart, his once loving heart for one mare, had been ripped to pieces. It had made place for a gaping black hole, a chaotic black hole. While he kept standing there, laughing at the ponies under his influence. The chaotic influence that came straight out of his own heart.
Back in the castle did both of the princesses gazed out the window when they noticed the clouds that moved. They looked surprised to each other and stood up. The mares walked towards the window in pure disbelief. Luna kept blinking as Celestia wiped her tears away and looked. Not long after that, they heard a knock on their door. Luna rushed over and opened it.
A celestial guard was standing in the door opening and spoke his words under a loud panting sound, “princesses, we need your help. D-Draconequus, Canterlot. Chaos everywhere.”
The white alicorn turned herself towards the guard when she heard the words. She almost couldn’t believe them, yet she knew who it was. “I shall go,” she said. Both Luna and the guard looked surprised to her. She had made her decision and wouldn't change it. The princess stepped out of her bedroom and galloped toward the exit of the castle, only to be followed by her sister.
Both alicorns reached the gate of the Castle and saw the horrible sight of the once so proud Canterlot. Chaos reached everywhere in the settlement but they had to cross it, they needed to confront him for his crimes. The sisters looked at the changes as they walked down the main road of Canterlot. Until they saw its creator, the creature that started it all.
“Discord,” said Celestia upon his sight.
“Did you miss me, Celestia, did you miss me when you burned my flowers?” he replied in a calm, yet crazy tone. It terrified Luna, seeing him like that. Luna decided to not speak during it.
“So that is where this is about? The flowers?” asked Celestia confused. Luna took a couple steps back, letting them do their talk. But she stood ready to jump in if needed, ready to help.
“It is not only the flowers. We have been together for years, years I stood by your side. I was willing to do everything for you and with you. Yet, you did nothing,” he replied in anger.
“Then what was I supposed to do?” answered Celestia in a calm tone.
“I don’t know! Marry me perhaps?” Discord spoke up as his hands formed fists. “But all of that is too late, since you decided to break up.”
That revelation shocked Celestia perhaps harder than she had anticipated. “W-What? I, I never broke up with you!” she said the best she could.
“You did, and now you dare to lie to me?! When you burned that bouquet, you broke up. Don’t twist it again, I have seen it with my own eyes!” the creature growled to her.
“Discord!” said Celestia. She wanted to speak more words on her mind, but he cut her off.
“No, nothing ‘Discord’, you said it was over,” he said while gaining an insane look in his eyes. “If you don’t see me as the lover I was to you, I shall become the monster you always have seen me as. As you always have seen my kind as! The monsters in your stories before going to bed...”
Both mares looked shocked at each other first and then to him. He simply stood there while grinning insanely. The princess of the moon took a small step forward and whispered in her sister's ear. “Give me ten minutes, then just run.” She then turned herself around and galloped back to the Castle.
“Where is your sister going? Is she so scared already?” said Discord teasing as a smirk formed itself on his face.
“My sister is not scared, not of you,” replied Celestia calmly.
“Then explain to me why she is fleeing.”
“She did not flee, it is a tactical retreat,” the princess of the sun stated to him with a snarl.
The draconequus erupted in laughter after he heard that with his ears. “T-Tactical r-retreat? And with what does she come back? You puny army of ponies? Look at what I did to your subjects in the first place!” He pointed his eagle claw to a group of ponies fighting over nothing. Something that Celestia didn't caught up with her eyes as she made her way down to his location.
The eyes of the alicorn simply stared down at the sight in pure horror before she turned it back to the mish mash of creatures. “W-What did you do!?”
“Oh, not that much. Just something that happens when the ponies come in contact with the shock wave of a lightning bolt,” he spoke to her. He leaned against a summoned candy cane with a mad grin on his face. Something had destroyed the gears inside his head, she knew what it was, but never dared to think about it. She didn’t dare to think about it.
“N-No,” was all Celestia could bring out as her eyes fell upon the ponies before returning to them back to Discord in anger. But she knew that she couldn't do anything against him. Not at that point in time. Nevertheless she still was foolish or brave enough and charged up her horn with great amounts of power. “Let, them, go!”
“Oh dear, and why would I do that in the first place?” he spoke as he took the cane and walked a little bit around her.
Celestia kept her eyes firmly on the draconequus and the charge within her horn kept itself. “Because they are not yours!”
“Oh yes they are, in a way, I am their prince,” he said as he placed the cane around her neck and pulled the princess over to him which made them meet face to face.
Her horn became fully charged and a sphere of yellow magic slowly appeared at the tip of the horn. “Not after we broke up,” she spoke right in his eyes.
“So you admit it! You admit we broke up!” he said in pure rage. Celestia only then realized what she had done and she simply released all of the power within her horn. The sphere exploded in a flash of the purest white light that was ever to be seen in Canterlot.
The draconequus covered his eyes as the sphere exploded in front of his face. “Where are you!?” he shouted into nothing but thin air. It took him some time but when he regained his sight from the flash. After he had opened them again he looked to the main street and saw no Celestia. “Coward that you are.” He unwrapped his wings and took off like a bird. His course would be set towards the castle further in the settlement. Though when he reached it, Discord flew straight through the glass window that led to the throne room, only to meet an empty room.
When he ventured around the castle there was not a single living soul could be found. The whole royal castle was simply deserted. He made it back to the throne room and snapped his fingers once more. On the throne it began to bubble, the seat of the princess became liquid while another throne began to rise. After a few moments there was a new throne that stood ready for him to take place on. A simple throne, with a long back part. On the top, two eye like gems where encrusted and two horns pointed out of it. He walked up the throne, and took place on the new throne, placed on top of the old throne.
“Throne-ception anypony?” he started to burst out in laughter at his own joke.
---
Celestia had made her retreat and found herself soaring away from the castle, away from her old home. She only had the hope that whatever Luna had planned, would work. She knew only one safe place and was heading directly towards it.
In the distance came the tower of Starswirl the Bearded in sight and the princess rocketed towards it. Eventually she landed with grace on the roof balcony and had a last glance in the direction she came from, before she knocked on the door.
It didn't took long before the door opened and in the opening stood a figure which did her smile. “Hello sister.” Luna smiled back and signaled her to come in.
Celestia followed her sister inside, down on the countless stairs, all the way down to the bottom. The princess didn't had any time to look at the structure inside as the blue mare kept rushing her sister. After some time did they reach the bottom floor where he was waiting in his chair. Luna was the first who left the stairs and took place on the couch. Celestia left the stairs and looked at the stallion which had fallen asleep. “He has been sitting like that ever since I told what happened.” Luna said as she looked to him and then back to her sister.
“He has?” Celestia looked confused at the both of them before she fixed her attention on him and did a couple steps closer. “Starswirl? Are you, awake?” she asked in a calm and soft tone. The stallion didn't move but some light snoring left his nose. She let go a chuckle and sat down next to Luna. But as she lowered herself on the couch, a loud screech went through the room. A screech that was loud enough for Starswirl to shock up from his slumber.
His eyes peeled around the room and fell upon the princess, slowly gaining a smile on his face. “Welcome Celestia.” She smiled to him and nodded. “You know why you are here, right?” asked Starswirl. The serious glance in his eyes was a dead giveaway though.
“I do Starswirl, I do.”
He nodded and continued with his words. “Discord, has gone mad.”
“I know... And I am part to blame...”
Starswirl shook his head. “No, you are not to blame for this. Far from it.”
“I, I will leave you two alone for a while, this is none of my business,” said Luna. She stood up and walked up the stairs. The younger sister didn't had the desire to meddle herself into the kind of personal conversations that would be coming up..
“Starswirl, how can it not be my fault? I broke up with him,” the white alicorn replied to Starswirl. Her troubled eyes fell upon him, pledging for some enlightenment on the case.
The elderly stallion let go a small chuckle and shook his head once again. “No, you both are to blame at one hoof, but on the other you two aren't.” She blinked a couple times at his explanation in utter confusion. “Allow me to explain. It was years ago, when I first met him. I saw it in the both of your eyes, you two loved each other to no end. It is when you became a princess, everything went down. Your harmony levels increased themselves, conflicting with his natural chaos. Do you remember your parents were in pain every time they were around him?”
The mare nodded to his words in an understanding way and replied with words of her own. “I do remember that, yes. So my harmony, interferes with his chaos. But why doesn't he feel it around me?” She did hit the nail right on the head. It just didn’t make sense to her mind.
Starswirl took a moment to ponder his head and eventually spoke up. “My best guess is he felt it as well, but never showed it.”
“How is it then possible, that he reacts like this? I mean, he is toppling the whole land into chaos,” added Celestia. Her tone had turned even sadder, troubled for her ponies.
“I know he is, sadly. But he is hurt from the break up. In simple words, he is mad at you. And because of that he is releasing his full power,” the gray bearded stallion said.
All of the sudden did the clopper of quick hoofsteps came down the many stairs, which was followed the a occasional jump. Both Celestia and Starswirl looked to the last stairs and not much later, Luna appeared on ground level. She was panting for her life. “S-Starswirl, shield up, now!”
Without a hitch did Starswirl got up and began to charge up his horn. The light yellow, blue aura surrounding it while he made a couple movements with his head which resulted in tremors.
---
Eventually the tremors died off and he discharged his horn. With a gleam look did he glance into the eyes of the princesses. “Well, shall we go up than?” he casually spoke from his mouth. How could he have remained so calm, in such a threatening situation? Both princesses were a bit surprised by the levels of magic that he just called on despite his age. Nevertheless, they both nodded to his words. Celestia stood up whereas Luna was already galloping back up the stairs. Celestia also started to gallop up the stairs, who in return was followed by the elderly stallion.
Luna was the first burst through the door which led to the roof balcony and trotted to the railing, overlooking the land with her eyes. Soon after it, Celestia walked up, panting a little, but managed to reach the railing. Eventually even Starswirl made it up the tower and he slowly walked towards the railing where Luna and Celestia looked in pure horror.
“Oh, my, goodness... May everything stand by our side,” he said as his eyes fell upon the sight before them.
“We need more than that,” said Celestia.
“How is this possible?” was all the younger sister could speak.
“Hit the deck!” yelled Starswirl suddenly. He then charged up his horn once again. The tremors returned in such a way that they made it seem they never left. Both princesses ducked behind the railing and turned their attention to Starswirl. He pointed his horn up to the shield that had appeared when he first charged up his horn on the ground level. He would strengthen the shield.
A beam emerged from his horn and made its way over to the shield. The two would make contact with one another and the effects were even more tremors of a bigger magnitude. “This will get bumpy, I am not going to lie, hold on tight!” he shouted to the two of them.
There was a secondary blast that could be heard far in the distance. A blast far away and not much later did the shockwave hit the tower. The stallion gave everything he got with his magic. Starswirl tried not to make the shields fail. Something that almost became too much. He was getting weaker and weaker, ready to admit defeat. He closed his eyes as the beam became less and less.
But then he felt something, something rushing through his body, something that gave him a boost in his magic. He opened his eyes as he saw both princesses who gave their energy to him. Making the shield strong enough to hold back the shockwave. Eventually the wave passed by and and all three slowly discharged their horn, Celestia and Luna hugging each other as Starswirl walked over to them before, joining the hug.
“Thank you, princesses,” he brought out while they hugged each other. Both mares smiled to him and kissed his cheek. But their kisses resulted in a blush across the cheeks of the stallion.
After some time they all three broke the hug and stood up, looking at the shield first and then moved on to looking at the land. “No,” was all Celestia could say at first, “h-how could this have happened?” Luna’s mouth just dropped open when she saw it. The lunar alicorn couldn't bring out a word as Starswirl sighed deeply at the sight.
They looked at a land that was completely toppled into complete chaos, the sights to behold were horrible, even worse than Canterlot. None of them could believe it but had to accept it. The shield around the tower prevented the chaos to turn the tower in a chaotic version of itself.
“L-Let’s go d-downstairs, please?” asked Luna who already turned away as she didn't even wanted to see the sights anymore.
“Best to go to bed for now, it has been a rough day already for the both of you,” said Starswirl as if they were still fillies. Though he could hardly believe it either.
“Yes, we need to save our energy, for the shield, drained all three of us,” said Celestia in response. She also turned around and looked at her sister descending on the stairs.
Starswirl nodded and spoke his words, “the usual bedrooms for the both of you.”
Celestia looked to him and nodded with a faint smile on her face. “Thank you Starswirl.”
---
In the castle did Discord rose back from the ground. He looked at his hand and the cracked floor as pieces started to float into the air as he started to grin “Chaos has arrived, with a bang!” He cracked his fingers a little and walked over to the balcony. There he began to overlook the land toppled within his very own chaos. The creature listened with the greatest of pleasure to the arguments the ponies had as it started to rain chocolate milk in a violent thunderstorm.
The draconequus snapped his fingers again and a small glass emerged in his hand, filling itself with chocolate milk. Setting the glass to his lips and drunk the glass again. After the glass was consumed he looked at the chocolate milk which had become solid and threw it away as hard as possible.
It landed somewhere in the garden and the moment it hit the ground, it exploded under a loud noise, resulting in a huge crater in the chaotic garden. He looked a little surprised at it and spoke up. “I thought I changed the formula... Oh well.” He laughed a little and walked back to his throne where he took place on and thought about Celestia, how she broke his heart. Making a plan to crush her once and for all. To rid her from his life for eternity.
---
The day slowly turned in the night, but without the usual moon or stars. Letting the whole land to be held in the grasp of darkness. Luna witnessed the dark night and went out of bed, staring out the window, wondering her mind. “Something on your mind, Luna?” an elderly voice spoke seemingly out of nowhere. Luna shocked a little and turned herself around, looking at Starswirl himself.
“Yes, the whole fact, I can not raise the moon or stars, guard the night and safe ponies from nightmares,” she said under a deep sigh. Her duties were her everything outside of family.
He nodded while he placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I know it is hard for you, Luna, I can understand the conflict inside of you right now, but you must sleep for now, if only to regain your strength,” the wizard replied to the princess, giving her some good advice in the process.
The mare let go another sigh before she crawled under the blankets of the bed as she was asked. “Goodnight Starswirl,” she spoke just before her eyes closed themselves.
“Goodnight Luna,” he said while he stroked the mare’s mane and smiled warmly towards her. He hummed a soft tone until the Princess had fallen peacefully asleep and then left the room, carefully closing the old door.
The stallion made his way down the stone stairs back to the bottom where he levitated a couple books and began to read them, he was searching for something. Something that could hopefully help them in a good way. His eyes scanned through countless books, read countless spells but eventually sleep even caught up with him and he fell flat in one of the books. The stallion began to snore a little bit while the night ventured on.
The next morning turned the land towards the light but the sun never rose up. Both mares came down the stairs where they were greeted by a sleeping Starswirl. They let go a small giggle at the sight and let him sleep for the time being. Eventually he started to stir a little and carefully opened his eyes, looking at the book. He raised his head and let go a old yawn. “Morning Starswirl,” said Celestia in a soft tone. She was not wanting to scare him of course.
The stallion turned himself towards the mare. All he saw was a white blob so he rubbed his eyes a little. “Thank you my child. I hope the both of you had a good night’s rest.”
They nodded and he moved over to another chair. His old bones cracked themselves into their respectable places with every step he took. “Remind yourself Starswirl, never fall asleep outside of bed,” he mumbled to himself. The aged stallion took place in the chair. His eyes moved towards the mares. “I know it is not the place not time to discuss this, but it is better we discuss it now.”
Both princesses sighed a little but nodded in agreement. “What do you suppose we can do against it?” asked Celestia.
“Well, given his power, we can not charge him head on. We must work in a careful way to come to him,” commented Starswirl almost right away.
“And then kill him?” asked Luna bluntly. Both her sister and the stallion looked at her and raised an eyebrow to her. “What?” Luna asked in response to their faces.
“No, we can not kill him. For if we do, we bring the world out of balance,” answered Starswirl to Luna. Then both mares looked at him and Luna raised her eyebrow to him. “Allow me to explain,” he said to the two of them. With a couple motions had he made himself comfortable in his chair.
“The draconequus kind is a long living kind and they have been around here as long as the ponies. Their numbers never grew or descend by much. It always has been around the one thousand. The ponies however, were foolish enough to battle against them, resulting in countless casualties on our side. Have the both of you ever heard of the ‘draconi wars’?”
They both gave a simple nod and Starswirl explained the story only further. “It was thousands of years ago... Yet I remember it as yesterday... All the alicorns in the land had gathered themselves to fight them, only to be resulted in their own extinction...”
He wiped away a small tear away before he dared to continue. “It was then, that your parents stood up and put an end to the war. We left them alone and they left us. They were offered a great piece of land to live in peacefully. By the Great Wall was a chaos shield placed to prevent ponies to enter, but a draconequus can exit and enter it.”
“All nice and such, Starswirl, but how can this help us?” asked Luna a little cocky.
Celestia sighed a bite and looked to her sister with a stern look. “Sister, what he means is, we can not kill Discord because it would destroy us. But Starswirl, how do you know all of this?”
“How old do you think I really am?” replied Starswirl with a slight smile on his face. “But what we must do is this, we must find a way to get him a duel. And make sure he loses it,” he then calmly added. The faces of the two alicorns was priceless to him, but it wouldn’t help their situation at all.
“B-But how?” asked Celestia.
“A dangerous spell. And something your parents had saved for the darkest moment.”
“W-what do you mean Starswirl?” asked Luna.
“The soul of your parents, never entered your royal attire, but went into something else. Into five necklaces and one tiara,” the stallion spoke before his horn charged itself once more. Starswirl lift up the table in front of them and removed the carpet. “Something they called, The Elements of Harmony.”
Under the carpet was a small hatch revealed. He set the table aside and opened the hatch and in it was a small container, the container he received from Mother and Father. Starswirl charged up his horn more, releasing a small beam unto the lock of the container. “Princess Celestia, princess Luna, may I present to you, the Elements of Harmony themselves?” Starswirl said before it slowly opened. Both princesses looked at each other and then into the container.