//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 - Discord 
// Story: The Codex: A Sister's Burden 
// by Arvaus 
//------------------------------//

	My studies of the Elements of Harmony took many years, but fortunately the centuries which followed the prophecy remained quiet. Dangers came and went, as they always did, but these were all mortal dangers which could be outlasted or fought against. I do not wish to belittle these events, as each life lost during the wars with the dragons and griffons were tragedies, as it is when any pony dies. But this can only serve to emphasise the threat we believed we were preparing for. None of these events would have required the intervention of the Elements, as the ponies are resourceful creatures and were able to adapt to and repel each enemy that threatened them. I could only imagine what sort of force was coming.

In time, through long periods of meditation, I learned much of the nature of the spirit world, and of Harmony itself. I was able to see the spirits, each with their own unique form and purpose, and the ever-changing bonds which held them together.

Harmony itself remained out of reach to me, however, its scale and power beyond even my comprehension. At any time I could only understand a part of the whole, knowing the innumerable spirits spread around me to be only a drop in a vast ocean. I could feel its power though, flowing through me, fuelling me. Every smile, every warm embrace, gave it strength, and this in turn gave me confidence. In this feeling I could see my own nature, and understood all the more the drive I had always felt towards peace and cooperation. It was not simply sentiment; there was something much more fundamental to it.

I did have one more window into Harmony itself: the three Elements which remained bound to me. Seeing their true form among the spirits was awe-inspiring! They rivalled everything in scale, encompassing the entire universe, touching each and every spirit. They were not so much a part of Harmony, but a shell, a protective skin surrounding the universe and keeping it strong.

And yet, despite this, the Elements remained strangely aloof. Even as I approached them, they remained inert, their bonds to the other spirits ephemeral and with no real substance. They had the potential to spread influence far and wide, but seemed to show no inherent power themselves, as the spirits had said. They were a conduit, as no doubt were the ponies who wielded them before, for a greater power, which could only have arisen from Harmony itself.

It is a mystery to me why these spirits exist, and I do not doubt that it will remain a mystery for as long as I live. But a few aspects of their nature were revealed to me during my studies. I saw that each had for some reason gained a special bond to a single spirit. Each of these spirits in turn defined a single concept, a single virtue, with the power to forge the spark of friendship necessary for the Elements’ awakening.

I do not know if the Elements have always been bound to these spirits, or if the connection only formed at their awakening. If this is the case, it is unclear if these are the only spirits they could have become bound to. In any case, I was able to identify the three virtues represented by the Elements I had connections to. Roughly, they could be described as Loyalty, Friendship and Generosity, corresponding to Silver Moon, Gunner Beck and Wheat Sheaf respectively. Careful examination of their story was able to corroborate this.

As for the true number of the Elements, this remained an unknown. Based on the prophecy, I knew there to be at least six. Only after the activation of further elements would I be able to confirm the exact total, however. Unfortunately, this would not occur until after the first time I was forced to use them.

Princess Celestia





The signs were subtle at first, barely noticeable above the natural fluctuations of the world. The weather started to change, gradually becoming harder to control. Animal migrations started to shift. But this went by unnoticed, for the pony race responded to this as had become their custom: they cooperated, adapted, and rebuilt. Each change on its own was insignificant, and the ponies moved quickly with each other’s help. Through everything, they survived. They were under a lot of strain, but they persevered and remained strong.

And so the danger was not seen until it was already too late.

The first clear sign came at dawn on an otherwise insignificant winter morning. Or rather, it didn’t, as on that morning, the sun refused to rise.

Celestia woke promptly that day, as she always did, in order to watch the sunrise and prepare for the coming day. She walked onto the balcony of her room and looked out to the west. As had always been the case, she was greeted by the sight of the moon, drifting slowly below the horizon at the end of its watch over the land.

But there was something wrong on this occasion. The telltale aura of the sun approaching the horizon in the east was absent, the sky instead remaining a deep blue, the stars clearly visible.

Concerned, Celestia took off from the balcony and glided round to the far side of the castle, landing on an identical platform connecting to her sister’s apartment. Luna stood there waiting, her eyes also fixed on the eastern horizon.

“This is unprecedented, sister,” Luna said upon seeing her sister land. She sounded concerned, mirroring her sister’s own feelings. Celestia walked up to face her.

“The sun and moon have not deviated once from their motions since Everfree,” Celestia responded. “Something powerful must be affecting them.”

“Do you think this may be what the prophecy warned us of, sister?”

“We should not ignore the possibility. We have the three Elements, and we are as prepared to use them as we can be. What do you suggest?”

Luna considered the sky behind her sister for a moment. It was still dark.

“I suggest we wait,” she said. “At least for a short while. Even we do not fully understand the magic of the universe.”

Celestia nodded. “We should not assume hostility without further information.”

“Agreed. And in the case of hostile forces, we also need to know against what we are working, in order to know how to respond.”

Celestia turned towards where the sun should have been, stepping back to stand beside her sister. For many minutes, they watched the sky silently for any sign of what was happening. Eventually, Celestia sighed and looked sideways at her sister.

“In the meantime, whatever is causing this, it is going to have an adverse effect on the kingdom. We must begin preparations to help our little ponies cope with the—”

At that moment, the eastern sky grew light, and within seconds the sun was visible, creeping lazily above the horizon.

“Perhaps we will not have to deal with that yet,” Luna commented, chuckling. “And if there is an unknown spirit at work here, I cannot help but wonder if it has a sense of humour.”

Celestia smiled and shook her head. She then looked back towards the sun, and stared at it for a long moment, as it rose into the sky as if nothing were amiss. She considered its behaviour, perplexed as to what this meant.

“It would appear so, sister,” she said. “But I suggest we travel out into the nation today and meet with the ponies. We should determine if this oddity has been noticed by anypony else. Until we understand what is happening I would rather not have our subjects panicking.”

Luna nodded in agreement, and Celestia took off into the sky again, returning to her own chamber to prepare for the day. Her sister did likewise, and within the hour they were both travelling away from the castle towards the nearest settlements.


~ ~ ~


The following months passed by without incident. The sun and moon rose and set each day, mocking the princesses with their regularity. They refused to give any sign as to the nature of the incident. Fortunately, the event had passed unnoticed, and the pony race remained oblivious.

It was half a year after the first incident when it happened again. At dusk, Celestia was returning to her quarters after a long day in court. She watched the sun set below the horizon to the west out of the windows of the corridor, but when she arrived in her chamber she found Luna there, waiting for her.

“The moon has decided to delay this evening, sister,” she said.

Celestia looked out of the window, seeing the unnaturally dark sky once more. The two of them walked out onto the balcony and stared at the sky in silent contemplation before discussing the matter.

“Perhaps we should attempt to personally summon the moon,” Celestia suggested.

“It is a part of me as much as my body is,” Luna stated thoughtfully. “I should have some control over its motion. It is worth a try.”

Luna closed her eyes, and her horn glowed with magic. She stood motionless for many seconds, then opened her eyes and looked at her sister.

“I can feel its presence. There is no sign of any external influence, however. It is not being slowed or held back. It is as if it is operating naturally, but has just become confused about when it is supposed to rise.”

“Can you help it?” Celestia asked.

“I believe so.” Luna’s horn lit up again, and after a few seconds, the moon crept above the eastern horizon. Luna released her hold on it, and it continued to rise as normal.

“I had to pull it forward by almost a quarter of an hour,” Luna said. “It is back on schedule now, however.”

“That is good,” Celestia responded. “Whatever this is, we are not powerless against it.”

“Not yet, at least,” Luna responded. “We still have no idea what we are dealing with. Let us rest now, and see what happens in the morning.”

“Agreed. I will meet you before sunrise to wait and see if the sun is late again.”

Nodding in acknowledgement, Luna took off from the balcony and flew round the castle, returning to her chambers. Celestia walked back into her own room and began to prepare for the night. 

She considered this new puzzle carefully. Twice the sun and moon had behaved erratically now. Something powerful was working quietly behind the scenes to some unknown purpose. Even if this was indeed linked to the prophecy, it as yet showed no sign of taking an specific interest in her sister. Did this mean that this event was unrelated to Luna’s fall? Perhaps there was yet hope that they could both come out of this unaffected.

The next morning, Celestia rose promptly as usual. She walked out onto the balcony and prepared to fly round towards her sister’s room, when she noticed something was already amiss. As usual, the moon was yet to set, sitting just above the horizon. Yet the sky was already light.

This time, the sun had risen early.


~ ~ ~


Mid-morning, Celestia arrived at court and was informed that Chancellor Fallowmane and Commander Phoenix had demanded an audience. She asked her aides to show them in as soon as possible and hold all other appointments. Regents demanding audience, especially in groups, was never a good sign.

When the regents arrived at court, Celestia stood up from her throne and walked forward to greet them.

“Chancellor, Commander, to what do I owe this honour?”

Commander Phoenix walked forward, the fire-yellow pegasus mare looking up at Celestia with concern.

“We wish this were an under more pleasant circumstances, but something has happened, and we request counsel.”

Celestia looked at them both. They were both clearly distracted, and looked as if they had been up all night.

“I cannot help but notice an absence at this meeting,” she stated calmly. “I hope these concerns are not directed towards the unicorn queen.”

The chancellor approached now. He shook his head apologetically.

“Don’t worry, princess. We have no quarrel with the queen or her tribe at this time, and this affects them as much as it does us. But the commander and I happened to be meeting last night when the flood hit, and it would have taken too long to—”

Celestia cut him off with a wave of her hoof. “A flood?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Shortly after midnight, a heavy storm hit the hills just north of Canterbridge. There was a flash flood, and most of the homes there were ruined.”

Celestia glanced out of the window. Canterbridge wasn’t far north of Everfree, but she could see that the sky was perfectly clear in that direction. In any case, unexpected flash floods were rare, and the weather pegasi had always managed to at least divert the worst of the rain to other areas. She turned to Commander Phoenix.

“What do you make of this, Commander?”

Phoenix shrugged in confusion. “I was in Canterbridge, meeting with Fallowmane to discuss weather requirements for the coming growing season. The sky was clear at dusk, as was forecast. We didn’t realise the storm had arrived until the first lightning strike in the hills. By then the flood was already on its way.”

“Were you able to control the storm at all?”

Phoenix shook her head. “We weren’t prepared for this. There were storms forecast further south, so most of my weather corps was deployed there. They were at least able to keep those under control,” she added.

Celestia nodded, thinking. A storm appearing out of nowhere was unheard of. It was conceivable that the sun behaving erratically could cause shifts in weather patterns, but this was too much. Their causes may be linked, though. Perhaps this was confirmation of Luna’s suspicions of hostility. She turned back to Fallowmane.

“How much damage, Chancellor?”

“No injuries or loss of life, I am pleased to report,” he replied, but his expression showed anything but pleasure. “Crop damage was minimal as well. After flooding in recent years we built levees around the fields in the area, and these held. But the town’s defences were designed for floods from up the valley. This came from the northern slope, and the flood walls were completely bypassed. Property damage will be significant, once the water recedes. It will take time for our ponies to recover from this.”

“I do not wish to trivialise your concerns,” Celestia said, “but your request for a meeting implied a more present danger than this flood. Is there something else?”

“No, Your Highness,” Phoenix responded meekly. “The flooding is not a threat in itself at this point. We only need time to recover. However, this was a complete surprise. We are not prepared to deal with such unexpected events. We wished to keep you informed, and seek any advice you may have. I apologise if our request gave you the wrong impression. It has been a long night for both of us.”

“Tensions are running high in general,” Fallowmane added. “Our tribes have been under a lot of strain in recent years, and this new development has only made matters worse. We wished to be able to show that you were aware of the problem and aiding us, in order to calm everypony’s nerves.”

Celestia’s mind turned, fitting the pieces of the jigsaw together, but finding most of the puzzle still missing. This showed every sign of a coordinated attack. It hit out of nowhere, and was targeted directly at where their defences were weak. It even struck the leaders of two of the tribes directly.

And yet the damage was superficial. Nopony died, and there was no damage to crops, so the long-term effects on the tribe would be minor. Damage to houses and property could be repaired in time. It was as if this was supposed to be an annoyance rather than an attack.

Celestia recalled the floods of previous years. They had indeed been getting more frequent as the weather became more erratic, but they had always been foreseeable. The gradual changes were stretching the weather ponies to breaking point, though, and sudden unpredictable storms like this could be catastrophic if they hit where nopony was expecting them.

Strangest of all was the precision of the attack. It was not attacking the ponies directly, and even appeared to be actively avoiding them, as there had been no injuries or deaths. Yet each act — the changing weather, the perturbed sun and moon, and the flood, assuming they were indeed linked — served to create confusion and tension. It was as if this force was striking directly at Harmony itself.

“What are we to do?” Phoenix asked expectantly.

Celestia did not know how she could respond to such a threat. It seemed to be inherently unpredictable, so any attempt at a well-planned response was doomed to fail. All they could do was try and keep ahead of the damage.

“We need to minimise the risk of further rogue storms,” she said at last. “I suggest that all major centres of population maintain at least a minimal emergency response team of pegasi in case of storms.”

“We’re stretched thin as it is, Your Highness,” Phoenix protested.

“I am aware of this,” responded Celestia. “You may have to recruit civilians as well. At the very least there must be somepony ready to act if a storm comes.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Celestia turned to the Chancellor. “Fallowmane, I cannot provide definitive advice on ground protection. Any defences will leave some angle vulnerable. I would suggest that all known weaknesses should be examined and improved if possible, to ensure that the potential threats are, if not stopped, at least known of in advance.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he responded, bowing. “We could also talk to the unicorns. They have helped to magically reinforce defences in the past,” he added.

“Very wise, Chancellor,” the princess responded. She looked them both in the eye, giving a reassuring smile. “Now I have done what I can at this stage. I will discuss the matter with my sister and monitor the situation carefully. I will contact you immediately if I can help further.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Phoenix said, bowing. The two left immediately, in quiet discussion with each other. 


~ ~ ~


The rest of the day was, fortunately, uneventful, only the usual matters of court to be considered. As dusk drew nearer, the princesses kept a watchful eye on the sky. The sun was early to set this time, but Celestia was able to delay it an extra few minutes to maintain the schedule.

The next few weeks passed slowly. Each morning and evening, at least one of the sun or moon appeared off schedule. Each day, news of some strange event arrived in the court. The unicorn queen wrote to say that a freak lightning bolt had completely gutted her wine cellar. Another day, a road had been damaged by a herd of cows digging up the ground. Another day, a sudden landslide buried a town’s gymnasium during the night. Each time there was no loss of life, and the disruption was an inconvenience at most. Ponies started to notice the pattern, and the nation became confused and exhausted.

Luna and Celestia met regularly to discuss the events, and to try to determine their significance. One such evening, they were in Celestia’s quarters, having just had to push the sluggish sun and moon forward a few minutes. They paced as they discussed the events once more, trying to see anything new.

“You feel it too, sister?” Luna asked.

“Yes,” Celestia replied. “The nation is tired. Harmony is weakening, and it is taking its toll on me. I hope we can identify this spirit soon.”

Luna nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. “I once mused that it may have a sense of humour. If it does, it is a very cruel one.”

Celestia nodded. “No loss of life. No injuries. It seems to be actively avoiding hurting ponies, yet has nothing against causing damage and disruption.”

“Perhaps it is playing with its food. Getting the most it can out of us before it destroys us.”

Celestia shook her head. She had, of course, also considered this possibility. “This does not make sense. All threats we have seen before, whether mortal or otherwise, either actively attacked ponies or treated them merely as an inconvenience to be brushed over. As much as I hate to say it, this apparent carefulness does not seem right.”

“True.” Luna looked up at the ceiling, recalling past events. “The dragons have sometimes chosen to spare settlements they attack, but only to wait until they reveal the location of their treasure stores. This threat has yet to reveal a higher motive, however.”

“If it has one.” Celestia shook her head again, starting to grow tired of chasing this problem in circles. “I am beginning to lose hope that logical reasoning is going to prevail here.”

Luna sighed. “We may have to consider that this spirit, whatever it is, truly does not make sense.”

“Finally, we’re getting somewhere!”

The princesses froze. They glanced at each other, confirming that they had both heard the voice. Celestia looked around; there was nopony else in the room.

“Sister...” Luna shifted uneasily.

“Identify yourself,” Celestia demanded to the air.

“Why must you be so formal, Princess?” The voice responded, its tone deep and condescending. “Relax, or you’ll hurt something.”

“We don’t hold conversations with anypony we don’t know the name of,” Luna stated. “Identify yourself.”

“Ugh, fine. I don’t know why it matters so much though. You’ve already seen what I am, a name almost seems... redundant.” The voice paused, apparently considering the matter. Luna and Celestia circled the room in silence, waiting.

“I’ve never got to talk to anypony before,” the voice said eventually, “so I’ve never really needed a name. I think a description will suffice, however. You can call me Discord.”

“Why?” Celestia asked.

“You’ll have to be a bit more specific, Princess.” The voice was filling the room, reverberating through the walls and setting Celestia’s teeth on edge.

“Why are you here?” Luna asked. “Why are you doing this? What does it gain you?”

“I’m disappointed, Princesses. You’re both so clever I’d have thought you’d have figured it out by now!” Discord chuckled menacingly, the sound bouncing round the room. “Why, I’m doing this because it’s fun! Trust you two to go and spoil it by being so slow to work it out.”

“That’s it?” Celestia demanded, growing impatient. “You’re playing with the world, destroying its patterns and cycles just because it’s fun? Tormenting ponies for no reason? You could be putting your power to better use than this!”

Discord started to sound impatient as well. “Now, now. Flattery will get you nowhere. And you can relax, I’ve not harmed any of your precious little ponies. After all, what use is a dead spirit to me?”

Luna shook her head. “You protect Harmony with one hand, but pull the world apart with the other. To have this much power, you must be a fundamental spirit of Harmony like us. This should hurt you as well. So we ask again: why are you doing this?” 

The voice groaned in exasperation, the entire room shaking. “So near, yet so far, my dear Luna. I’m here to have fun, not lecture you. So how about this; if you two are as smart as everypony says you are, why don’t you figure this one out for yourself. It’s not that difficult, I’ve given you so many clues now.”

Discord was clearly not going to make this easy on them. The two sisters stopped pacing, and turned to look into each other’s eyes. They locked onto each other’s thoughts, and as one they considered the problem.

“You are a spirit...” Celestia began.

“...yet you claim not to be of Harmony,” Luna continued.

“Your manner would seem to agree with this, yet it is a contradiction.”

“Harmony is by definition the sum total of all spirits, so all spirits are a part of Harmony.”

“In the absence of Harmony, there is nothing. Only...”

Celestia trailed off. The two sisters continued to stare at each other eyes in silence. A thousand thoughts played across their eyes, the implications unfolding in their minds.

Discord remained silent at first, but Celestia could feel him watching them, a smug smile stretched across his nonexistent face. As they continued to stand there, it urged them forward.

“Please, continue. You’re nearly there.”

Celestia located the next piece in the puzzle, and slotted it into place. “You keep ponies alive, preserving their spirits.”

“This keeps the form of Harmony strong,” Luna continued, “but that is not your main concern.”

“Harmony is held together by the bonds between these spirits. The more spirits, the more bonds are possible.”

“But you attack these bonds, weakening them, driving them towards chaos.”

“Gaps begin to form. Harmony becomes unstable and chaos grows.”

“This causes other bonds to weaken, and it spreads throughout Harmony.”

The two sisters lowered their heads, releasing their grip on each other. Luna began to draw long, deep breaths.

“I never would have thought it possible,” she said.

“Harmony is alive,” Celestia stated. “We have always known this. Maybe these gaps in Harmony are capable of drawing from this effect, producing some form of... living Chaos.”

Discord’s voice returned again, a manic laughter flooding the room.

“At last! Oh, I thought I was going to have to spoon feed you two! Well, I’m glad we’re all properly acquainted now! Perhaps we should all have tea some time?”

Discord laughed again, but out of the corner of her eye, Celestia noticed the glint of a thought cross her sister’s eyes. It was gone in an instant, but Celestia had a suspicion of what it was, and she left Luna to speak.

“I grow tired of your games!” Luna shouted at the top of her lungs, drowning even Discord’s voice out. He stopped laughing, then retorted, acting hurt.

“Games, Luna? Moi? I do not play games, my dear. Games have rules!”

“I do not care what you call it,” Luna responded immediately. “I am sick of talking to a wall! If you insist on holding these insufferable conversations with us, at least show us the common decency of appearing to us in person!”

“In person?” Discord’s voice wretched. “In one of your cutesy little pony bodies? Don’t make me sick.”

“If you’re going to be like that, then you don’t have to be a pony,” Luna stated flatly, only the slightest hint of bitterness in her voice. “But you said yourself that you want to have fun. Why not at least try it?”

Celestia dragged her hoof on the ground impatiently, playing along, but inside she smiled. Luna was goading Discord, manipulating him. Not belonging to Harmony, he was out of their reach, but he still had a mind. He still had needs, and these could be exploited.

Discord roared with glee. “Oh, Luna, I’m really warming to you! You know how to have fun! Much more exciting than your stick-in-the-mud sister.”

“Don’t try me,” Celestia retorted, snorting for effect.

“Very well,” Discord continued, ignoring her. “If you insist, I will have a go. But only so I can look into your beautiful eyes, dear Luna.”

Luna rolled her eyes, but they both jumped when Discord suddenly shouted again.

“Oh! I’ve got it! You two are going to love this! Behold!”

There was a bright flash, and something stood before them. It seemed to contain a part of every animal in Equestria, haphazardly stuck together to form something which resembled a single creature. It was a mockery of life. Celestia didn’t dare imagine how it could remain alive, and sincerely hoped that Discord had not stolen these limbs from real animals.

For some reason, it was holding an umbrella.

“Oh, this feels wonderful!” Discord said, shaking his new body in excitement. He stretched his limbs to their limits, and then continued anyway. “I admit it’s a little confining, but it has so many possibilities!”

In a flash, he disappeared, then spoke again, suddenly right by Celestia’s ear.

“I can see why you two chose to live down here! I can’t wait to properly give my new body a spin!” Throwing his arms out, he spun them round in a full circle, then snaked across the room to look Luna in the eyes.

“And I have you to thank for this wonderful idea, Luna,” he said, stroking her chin with a finger. “I’m sure we’re going to get along like a house on fire.”

Celestia couldn’t take it any longer, and watching him talking to her sister like that, seeing the revulsion in her face, was the final straw. “Enough!” she shouted. She flared her wings out to their full width and stood tall in front of the creature. “We’ll tolerate your presence to an extent, but there are limits! We cannot allow you to continue in your destructive ways!”

“Ugh, don’t be such a sourpuss, Celestia.” Discord wrapped his arms around the two of them, and led them out onto the balcony. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

They stepped outside, the princesses doing so reluctantly, and the three of them looked out into the clear star-filled sky. It was a quiet evening, and Celestia couldn’t see anything of particular significance.

Discord took a step back, opening his umbrella.

It started to rain.

Growing exasperated, Celestia looked up and saw a single small cloud hovering just above the tower. Behind them, Discord laughed again.

“You see, Princess? This is fun, isn’t it?” He danced happily around the two of them, before throwing his arms around their necks again. “Come on, Celestia. You need to turn that frown of yours upside down. Say what you will about Chaos, but it’s a lot more exciting than your dull old Harmony.”

Celestia stared resolutely into the distance, refusing to acknowledge Discord. Eventually, he gave up, stomping back into her bedroom.

“Ugh, fine. Have it your way.” With a click of his fingers, the rain stopped. “I was getting bored of rain, actually. The pegasi can have that back. In fact, since they’ve been having so many problems with the weather, perhaps I can help them out a bit there!”

Luna and Celestia exchanged glances, then turned to walk back inside, their sodden manes dripping on the carpet.

“Oh, how rude of me!” Discord snapped his fingers again, and a burst of warm air pushed the two backwards. When it ceased, their manes and coats were dry, but their hair stood on end and their manes stuck out messily behind them.

“Much better,” Discord snickered. “You two are such dolls!”

“Leave,” Celestia stated simply, summoning all the dignity she could manage.

“Oh, I’m going,” Discord responded, bored. “I was getting tired of this place anyway.”

“And will you cease your destruction?” Luna demanded.

“If it is what you wish,” Discord said, bowing low. “Now if you two aren’t going to play, I’ll go and find somepony who will! Oh, and since you two are so fond of your precious cycles, I suppose I can stop playing with the sun and moon for a while. I’ll let you control them, as you’ve gotten so good at it recently.” He turned and skipped out onto the balcony, before turning back to face them. “Now, I must go. There is some wonderful chaos out there with my name on it! Toodle pip!”

There was another flash, and Discord was gone.


~ ~ ~


“He has left,” Luna stated.

“Indeed,” Celestia replied. “I cannot feel his presence any longer.”

The two stood in Celestia’s room, carefully using their magic to untangle their manes. Celestia extracted her tiara from her hair with difficulty and carried it over to her dresser, using a cloth to wipe away the last of the rainwater.

“Letting him run free feels wrong, sister,” Luna said.

“We have no choice at this stage,” Celestia responded. “As a spirit of Chaos, he is beyond the direct influence of the Elements.”

“He has a weakness now, however,” Luna stated as she brushed her fur back into place.

“Indeed.” Celestia turned and looked back at her sister. She had realised it as Luna was working. Now that Discord had bound himself to a physical body, he had brought himself within the reach of Harmony. He had to if he wished to reside directly in the world as he was now. It wasn’t much, but it was something for them to work with.

“You did well, my sister,” Celestia said, embracing Luna. “But we must be careful in future. He is by his very nature dangerous, and we cannot allow him to get too close to us. You risked a lot in confronting him like that.”

Luna lowered her head. “I know. But it needed to be done. Now we must prepare. This is not going to be simple.”

Celestia nodded. In her studies of the Elements, she had managed to determine some ways in which they could be wielded. With only a physical body to work with, they had one option which would render Discord impotent, but the side-effects would be dire.

“We will begin in the morning, as soon as the ponies wake,” she said. “You should check on the moon first, to see what Discord meant.”

“Indeed,” Luna said, heading to the balcony to return to her own room. “Until the morning, sister.”


~ ~ ~


Surprisingly, Discord kept true to his word, but unsurprisingly, he did not make it simple.

Over the following weeks, the sun and moon continued to travel across the sky obediently, but they seemed to lose the ability to rise by themselves. While on the far side of the world, they would falter and stall, and the princesses were forced to give them a boost every morning and evening in order to keep them on track. Whatever Discord had done to them, his magic was beyond that of the princesses, and they could see no way of repairing the damage.

Likewise, Discord had done as he said and stopped the weather problems. It no longer behaved chaotically, throwing out no more unannounced storms or droughts. Instead, it ceased to do anything, and the clouds refused to form, move, or rain without the pegasi intervening. More and more pegasi had to be drafted into the weather corps just to keep the ground healthy and the crops growing. It was impossible to tell for certain over such a short space of time, but Celestia also suspected that the seasons had stalled. It was not cooling as fast as she would have expected for the time of year.

He had even ceased his destruction, but that was hardly a blessing. Perhaps it was his new body, providing him with a different perspective on the world, but Discord seemed to have become more random than ever. His effects were no longer simply improbable, but downright impossible. Ponies would sometimes wake to find their house in a completely different part of town. Clouds rained everything from orange juice to tomato sauce. At least one school of fish was seen swimming through the sky. As the strange sightings continued, the ponies’ exhaustion and confusion increased, and the nation grew more and more unsteady. The princesses could feel the drain in their own spirits, and knew they had to deal with this threat as soon as they could.

On occasion, the princesses would see Discord himself, excitedly trying to persuade them to join in with something or other, but they ignored his advances, not letting him gain any sway over them. Over time he seemed to lose interest, appearing to them less and less often.

The two of them spent all of their time away from the castle, travelling far and wide to all the settlements dotted around the nation. First and foremost, they needed to provide support and reassurance to their troubled subjects. But their power against Discord was woefully limited, and they could do nothing to control his actions.

However, they had a second purpose in their travels. It was not just them who needed to prepare for the coming battle. The entire nation needed to be ready for what was to come after. Even if everything went perfectly according to plan, the ponies were going to find themselves isolated for many years, in a world which was now entirely dependent on them. With enough preparation, they would hopefully be able to survive, but it had to be better than the alternative.

Travelling first to the great unicorn universities, they taught the mages there the arts they had learned, showing them how the sun and moon could be raised and lowered using magic. They charged the unicorns with the task of ensuring that those arts would not be lost should anything happen to them, and instructed them to continue the cycle of day and night for as long as they could.

Meeting with leaders and representatives from all the tribes, they warned of the role they would have to play in maintaining the world in the future. The pegasi would have to assume full responsibility for the weather, creating clouds and distributing them across the land. The earth ponies would take responsibility for watching over the plants and trees, ensuring they kept to their yearly patterns of hibernation and regrowth. All three tribes would have to work together in order to ensure the passage of the seasons, bringing change in the earth, sky and heavens all at once.

There was much apprehension from all groups, who were concerned about the responsibility that was being placed on them. But most of all, the ponies began to sense the hidden message behind these teachings. They began to realise that the princesses were planning to leave them. Luna and Celestia did everything they could to comfort their subjects, reassuring them that they would never be alone as long as they had each other, and that as long as the ponies remained strong, the two of them would never truly be gone.

Finally, and most painfully of all, they gave the most important instruction to their nation. Everypony was to prepare to leave Equestria. They would pack only what they needed, taking tools, food, seeds to plant, and anything else that would be vital to the rebuilding of a nation. They informed the ponies of a pass through the mountains in the south-east, which would provide them with relatively safe passage through the range to the other side. Many ponies objected to leaving their homes behind, but the princesses warned them that Equestria had become unsafe, and that if they were to recover and rebuild, then it would not be able to happen here. Eventually, all ponies accepted the command, and the long preparations began.


~ ~ ~


When the nation was at last ready, the princesses returned to the castle, preparing to begin the next phase of their plan. They convened once more in Celestia’s bedroom, at the site of their first confrontation with Discord. Upon entering the chamber, they found a small table in the centre of the room, a single rose and a box of chocolates placed on top.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “Discord.”

The creature appeared in the room, wearing a tuxedo, and acting hurt.

“Too much, Princess?” He danced across the room and threw an arm around Celestia’s neck, drawing her head close to his. “You’ve been so distant over the last few weeks, I’ve started to think that you’re avoiding me!”

Celestia stood, unmoving, her teeth gritted as she held her rage back.

“Nothing?” he continued, stroking her chin. “Come on, I only want to see you smile. Forget what I said before, you’re my favourite pony now, and it pains me to see you acting so dour. I only want to show you how exciting the universe is! Please,” he pulled himself even closer to her, “smile for me at least once, mon amour.”

Celestia said nothing. A shiver ran down her spine, the fur pricking up on her back.

Discord drew away, keeping his arm around her neck. “No? Mon ami, at least?” Seeing Celestia’s unchanging snarl, he appeared to relent. The table disappeared with its contents, as did the suit. “You’re a tough egg to crack, Princess.”

In a flash, he was next to Luna, circling round her.

“Now I must apologise to you, my dear,” he sang. “I was so distracted, I completely forgot about you. You’re my real favourite pony, giving me the gift of this wonderful body! Can you ever forgive me?” he asked, looking pleadingly into her eyes.

Taking the opportunity while Discord was ignoring her, Celestia made her way further into the room. She hated entertaining Discord like this, but if this was to work they would need to let him think he had some control over them.

“We have not come here to play with you, Discord,” Celestia said, not bothering to turn and face him. “Not this time.”

In an instant, Discord’s attention had shifted, and he once more appeared before Celestia, looking her in the eyes.

“Oh, you say the most wonderful things! Forceful, but so full of promise!” He clapped his hands together gleefully. “But what could I, a humble demon, possibly deserve to receive from you? I almost feel bad about taking your chocolates now!”

Celestia shook her head. “We do not come here to give you something, but to offer an exchange.”

An armchair appeared behind Discord, and he collapsed into it, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Interesting. Go on, then. Convince me.”

“You have clearly taken an interest in the two of us,” Luna said from behind him. “Tell us why.”

Discord rolled his eyes and spun the chair to face Luna. “You two with your questions. I’m beginning to doubt your intelligence again, and we can’t have that. But since it’s you asking...” He steepled his fingers together and looked her in the eye. When he spoke, his voice sounded serious and sincere for the first time since they had met.

“You two fascinate me. You are the most powerful spirits this world has to offer, besides myself of course.” He chuckled. “You’re like kindred spirits to me, but you insist on being so boring, doing everything you can to spoil my fun. You’re missing out on so much, and I just want to show you how much fun Chaos really can be. I want to help you live. What do you say?”

Celestia circled round the chair and stood next to her sister, looking down at Discord.

“That is why you are here?” Celestia asked. “You just want us?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Discord replied. “The rest of the world is quite fun as well. But you two are my favourite parts! What I wouldn’t give to have you two to myself for a while!”

“Very well,” Luna said.

Discord blinked. Turning his head to the side, he looked back at Luna. “My dear?”

“In exchange,” Celestia interjected forcefully, “we ask you to leave the rest of our ponies alone. Let them leave Equestria, and do not follow them. You will have this land, and us, to yourself.”

Raising an eyebrow, Discord stood, dismissed the chair, and walked out onto the balcony. He stood there, looking out over Equestria, then jumped into the air, laughing with joy.

“You honour me, both of you! Giving me an entire kingdom of my own? Just look at it!” Reaching his arms back into the room, he dragged both of them onto the balcony next to him. “So much space, so much possibility! We’re going to have so much fun together! Send your little ponies away, then,” he added as he walked back inside, waving an arm over his shoulder dismissively. “How about we meet back here when you’re ready, and then we can begin!”

With a click of his fingers he was gone, and the princesses lay down, exhausted. That had happened exactly as it needed to, but even talking with Discord was trying. They had carefully considered every response he may try to make, including the most unlikely, and they had managed to get him to agree to their terms with ease. His ego was too strong to be able to resist the offer of the whole kingdom, and themselves.

Now they had everything they needed. The ponies could leave without Discord causing a problem, and it would be safe to begin.


~ ~ ~


At dawn the next day, the sisters left the castle once more. They were joined by scores of messenger pegasi, who spread off to all corners of the land, carrying the princesses’ command. Before long the entire nation was on the move, every single pony making their way east towards the mountains. Those who lived near the mountains arrived first, and blazed the trail between the peaks, searching out the distant land they had been promised.

The princesses didn’t dare follow them through the pass, remaining within Equestria’s borders at all times to show they would keep their side of the bargain. They regularly received reports from the pegasi who patrolled the route, however, and were relieved to hear of the first groups reaching the far side safely.

Once a path was established, the sisters split up and travelled far and wide across the land, searching for any stragglers. They found the towns and cities deserted, even in the far north. Everypony had heeded their warnings and left. Signs of life still remained, however, houses and shops still stocked with all that they couldn’t afford to take with them. Celestia found herself walking familiar streets, in towns she had helped build and grow, but they were now alien and unwelcoming. They felt cold and dead without ponies filling them.

She could feel the change in Harmony as well. The ponies were scared and unsure. Their pain flowed through her, and she longed to reach out to them, to tell them that everything would be okay. But she couldn’t even tell herself that.

Reaching the end of another empty road, she found herself facing a hall. By its door, the flag of Equestria hung proudly, the image of the two alicorns encircling the sky, watching over their subjects. As she looked at it, a tear came to her eye.

She had failed them. They were alive, but why did that matter? Their old lives were gone forever. She had one final task now, the only remaining thing she could do to protect them, but then she would be gone. Her subjects, who had trusted so much in her, would be alone, defenceless against the world.

And she had not forced them to leave. She had just asked them. The authority and trust the ponies had given her willingly for their own protection had been used to take that safety away from them. Celestia felt like she had betrayed her subjects. Wars always brought casualties, but if you couldn’t keep your trust in your own allies to keep you safe, then you had nothing.

Hating herself for harbouring such a selfish thought, she remembered that she still had one thing left. Her sister still stood with her. She tore the flag from its pole and held it close to her heart, clinging to the dream that the spirits could be mistaken. They were so close to the end now, but she still had some family left. They would face this final task together as one. They would win. They would defeat discord, and they would give to the world one final gift.

Hope.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, and forcing resolve back onto her face, she leapt into the sky. Her wings were weary, but she pushed herself south, preparing for the final confrontation.


~ ~ ~


She arrived in Canterbridge hours later. Luna was already there, waiting, looking over the damage which still remained from the first flood. It had only been a couple of months, but it felt like they had been fighting this for an eternity.

Luna turned to face her as she landed. “You look weak, sister.”

“As do you,” Celestia responded. “Any word?”

“A messenger came not two hours ago. The last ponies had entered the pass and were on their way. He will have joined them by now.”

“That is good to hear.” Celestia looked carefully into her sister’s eyes. “You have concerns?”

“If I may play dragon’s advocate for a moment,” Luna responded. “You alone are connected to the Elements. I could leave with them. Provide the ponies with a guardian as they rebuild.”

“A noble desire,” Celestia responded, nodding weakly. “I would want nothing more than to be able to leave with them and continue to guide them. But the Elements cannot, and should not, be wielded alone. This I know with certainty.” Celestia remembered the words that had been spoken to her all those centuries ago. “We must stand against this together. Only then can we hold Chaos back.”

Luna nodded. “I know this also, my sister. But my conscience would not forgive me if I did not voice the thought.”

Celestia forced herself to smile. “We can do this. I am glad to have you by my side, and hope that we are never parted.”

They crossed the main street in silence, and started to climb the southern slope of the valley. When they reached the top, they could see their final destination. Everfree Castle stood proudly on the horizon, silhouetted against the sky. Discord had promised to meet them there, and they would ensure that he did.

As if prompted by Celestia’s thoughts, a puddle of water lying at her feet stirred. Discord’s face appeared in the reflection, grinning gleefully at the two princesses.

“Are they gone yet?” he said, sounding like a foal who had been left alone with his toys for the first time. “Do I have you to all to myself at last?”

“Yes, it is done,” Celestia said. “We have kept our end of the bargain.”

“As I will mine,” replied Discord. The princesses trudged wearily across the grass towards the castle, and the puddle followed beside them, flowing across the ground. “I’m waiting right here in your lovely castle, just itching to see you again! I’ve got so many plans for you! So much to do, so much to show you!”

“Please,” Luna said. “Let us walk in peace. We will be there in time, and then you can talk all you want.”

“As you wish, dear,” Discord said, chuckling. “And when you get here, you can finally show me these Elements of yours!”

Celestia’s heart sank. She stopped dead and stared into Discord’s eyes, the tears starting to return to hers. “You knew.”

“Well of course I knew, Celestia! I’m Discord, spirit of Chaos, and as much as you hate to admit it, Chaos is everywhere.”

Celestia’s voice was shaking. “But, you let us send everypony away! Why would you let us—”

Discord laughed. It drilled into her mind, the malice in his voice clawing at her thoughts.

“Of course I let you!” he shouted in glee. “That was the best part! And I didn’t even have to think of it! Surely you know why I let you. You can feel it!”

Luna hung her head. “We played right into his hands.”

“That was the greatest gift you could possibly give me,” Discord continued, sneering at their pain. “There hasn’t been this much distress in centuries! I can see it in your eyes, Harmony is weakened, and there’s nothing you can do to save it! You, the only ponies who ever had a chance against me, have lost hope, and it’s magnificent!”

Celestia twisted her hoof, digging into the ground in fury. She had let him play them, let him gain the upper hand. She looked into his eyes, and she saw the monster. That infernal creature that had haunted her thoughts ever since the prophecy had shown it through Luna. She felt again that pure, unbridled hatred burn inside her, shocked by its intensity. This creature was a travesty, an abomination, a hideous, twisted reflection of everything pure and good in the world. It had to be stopped at all costs.

Throwing her wings open, she reared up into the air, roaring at the skies, and crashed her hooves down in Discord’s face. Fire burned deep in her eyes. She panted uncontrollably, as the puddle slowly and inevitably reformed around her hooves.

“I am disappointed, Princess,” Discord’s voice said again, his tone infuriatingly calm. “I had so much hope for you, but you’ve changed! Why can’t you just be happy for me? I’ve got everything I wanted: my own kingdom, two beautiful princesses to play with, and all the time in the world to do so! And I owe this all to you two. Thanks to you, I’ve never felt so strong! I feel like I could do anything! And I intend to!”

Rage filled Celestia. “This is not over, Discord.”

“I would be disappointed if it was,” he replied. “Go on, then. Run, fly, do what you will. But you’ll never get here in time. My power is growing by the minute, and by the time you get here I’ll have won. I’ll strip you of your precious elements, I’ll break you both, and then you’ll both see what Chaos really is.” He turned to look at Luna. “I lied to you, Luna. I do play games. Checkmate.”

Discord disappeared, the puddle bursting and splashing water over them. Celestia barely noticed it. The terrible grin on his face was still burned into Celestia’s mind. Luna stood next to Celestia, equally shaken by what she had heard. She turned to her sister, and, determination in her voice, said “We must hurry.”

The two sisters turned to face the castle once more. Summoning all the strength they had left, they galloped across the grass, then spread their wings and soared into the sky.


~ ~ ~


They flew on silently for what seemed like an eternity. The castle was clearer now in the distance, and Celestia could already see that Everfree was changing, being warped by Discord’s magic. The orchard which surrounded the castle had become overgrown by strange, hostile trees. The land was twisting in on itself, great chasms and ridges crisscrossing the forest. The castle itself was being torn apart, its towers straining to hold themselves up.

Celestia was aghast. How long would it be before this spread to all of Equestria? And then it would continue, destroying the entire world. Discord truly had won. They couldn’t hope to get there in time.

They were still ten minutes off, when they passed an imperceptible barrier surrounding the castle. Suddenly the air felt heavy and fragmented. Their wings could no longer find purchase, and the princesses fell helplessly out of the sky. They landed at the top of a hill, rolling down the grass on the far side, crashing through bushes and plants. Eventually they came to a halt, but stood up immediately, shrugging off their injuries, and galloped through the fields towards the treeline which loomed in the distance.

They were running across farmland now. They vaulted hedges, and trampled the crops which stood in their way, absolutely determined to reach their destination.

The world was filled with sadistic magic, and it tore at Celestia’s spirit, laughing at her, daring her to turn back and give up hope. She shut it out, forcing her thoughts onto a singular purpose and pushing forward. The thick air tore at her fur, resisting her every stride, but she forced herself through it.

Beside her, Luna closed her eyes in concentration. “Something is happening, sister. I can feel him fighting us.”

Suddenly, Celestia felt it as well. In a final insult, Discord had reached out and taken control of the sun. His spirit was there only for a moment, as he gave it a mighty push and forced it below the horizon. An instant later, the moon rose in its place, and was held fast in the sky above them.

Luna seethed. “He dares mock us. After all this, all he’s done to us, he continues to force his influence into—”

Her breath caught mid-sentence and she fell silent, an idea forming in her mind. Celestia saw it also, her stomach churning at the thought.

“I know what to do,” Luna said, closing her eyes. “Goodbye, my sister.”

Still running at Celestia’s side, she reached her spirit out to the moon, which remained a part of her. Through the connection, she could see Discord’s mind, grasping triumphantly to the great sphere. In retaliation, she latched onto him, connecting to him. She found his body, and immediately knew exactly where he was.

Luna spread her wings, pulling herself to a halt, and, in a flash, was gone.


~ ~ ~


It’s happening.

The thought spread through Celestia’s mind, drowning everything else out. Her world was already turning inside out, and yet in an instant it had been torn again. Luna had left, sacrificing herself willingly in the hope of buying Celestia some time. And now she was alone, vulnerable, at the hands of that monster.

She kept running, not slowing down even for an instant, pushing herself to reach the castle before anything could be done to hurt her sister. The forest was in front of her now, the sight of the trees painfully familiar.

Suddenly, the forces pushing her back relented. Whatever Luna was doing seemed to have worked, and Discord was no longer able to resist her advance. Roaring in agony, she spread her aching wings and pulled herself into the sky, forcing herself onward.


~ ~ ~


The minutes crawled by. Celestia could still feel Discord’s magic in the air, his influence persistent and growing again. She had very little time left.

As she drew closer to the central tower, the only one still unaffected by the forces tearing the castle apart, she saw the reassuring glow of Luna’s magic through the windows of the throne room. He could have been chosen any location, and probably didn’t even need to be anywhere, but his constant mockery never ceased. He chose their throne room, the most revered place in the entire kingdom after the Everfree Tree itself, the place from which they had ruled for centuries, as the place from which he would tear their world apart. Celestia gritted her teeth, feeling more ready than ever to face him.

She dropped into a steep dive, speeding the final few furlongs towards the castle. No longer having the energy to slow herself down, she crashed through one of the great stained-glass windows, shards of glass spreading across the marble floor. Her legs shaking, she picked herself up off the ground and surveyed the room.

Celestia’s heart nearly stopped when she saw them. In the centre of the room, Discord stood, holding Luna aloft triumphantly by the neck. His head was thrown back in a malicious laugh as he savoured his final victory. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t even acknowledge Celestia’s entrance.

But even though he believed he had won, Luna still fought. Celestia could see her horn glowing, and her eyes burned with magic. Their minds were locked together, battling against each other for control, but Discord was too strong, and Celestia could see her sister weakening.

She stood transfixed for a moment, fear that she had failed almost consuming her. Then her sister turned to face her. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Luna spoke, her voice soft.

“Sister... please...”

Love for her sister welled up inside Celestia. She latched onto it immediately, letting it fuel her. With all the strength of her will, she poured its power into the Elements of Harmony.


~ ~ ~


The world seemed to melt away. The Elements began shifting, latching onto the world and shifting the spirits with unknowable power. Celestia fought against the current and forced the power to where it was needed most.

Magical energy radiated out from Celestia, her eyes burning white as the sun. The magic engulfed the castle, and spread far out across the surrounding land. It latched onto the three creatures standing in the throne room, the ponies now thankfully beyond its influence. Celestia did not have the control to distinguish between the three, their spirits merging into one in the vast sea before her.

Unable to reach Discord’s spirit directly, she directed the power in the only other way she could find. Focussing the three physical bodies in the room, she concentrated and cast a single spell. It was weak and simple, but the Elements pushed it past Discord’s defences as if they weren’t there, the magic worming its way into his body. In an instant, which seemed to drag out to an eternity within the Elements’ influence, his body was sealed away, his form turned completely into stone. His spirit, still attached to his body, was locked away also, unable to move or act while the magic bound him.

But she still could not control the magic. Celestia felt the spell clawing away at her own body, and knew she had mere moments to finish the plan. Shifting her focus away from the Elements, she withdrew her spirit from her body, and retreated to her ancient, natural home. As her spirit left, she felt her body, her home for so many ages, ebb away and vanish into the sea of spirits, her presence no longer there to sustain it.


~ ~ ~


And then there was silence.

She was the sun once more. From high above, she watched as the earth turned below her. It was safe again; Discord’s influence had been trapped away in his stone prison, the magical safeguards she had put in place ensuring that he would not be able to free himself.

She could feel her sister’s spirit there also, resting on the far side of the world, safe again in her heavenly home.

Time began to pass. Days and months blurred into one another as the world shifted and changed below them. They could feel the ponies below, rebuilding their broken nation in a new land, and wished peace and happiness on them all.

But their ancient forms were damaged, broken. The effect of Discord’s magic still lingered. Each day they felt the touch of the unicorns’ magic, guiding them through the sky, and were grateful for this connection to their subjects.

They longed to return to the world again, to take up their place among the ponies once more, but in their damaged state they could not take the strain of the magic required to release them once more.

And so they watched from the sky, hoping that the universe could heal itself in time. Celestia knew inside that this could not be the end of their story. There was so much left to be done.

But that would have to wait.