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// Chapter 10 Part I: Draconequis 
// Story: Light and Shadow 
// by oop 
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	Shadow’s wings shuffled a little under his cape as he smiled confidently out over the crowd. The feeling was exhilarating, they were cheering for him! Maybe it wasn’t the best thing ever, he hadn’t done anything spectacular to earn their praise or applause, but it certainly wasn’t bad.
Lightning was right there in the front row, tugging a bit at the collar of her dress. She had gotten off pretty easy as far as that went though, no frills or lace. As a matter of fact the jagged diamond pattern across her back suited her quite well. Her hair hadn’t just been put back into a ponytail, but styled so it fell back and forth down her neck like a thunderbolt.
Despite the rowdy cheers and exuberant shouting from the crowd, Shadow felt that something was wrong. He looked up to Vinyl’s balcony, wondering why the music hadn’t started. It was unlike her to start the music late, especially when he was expecting her to start in the middle of Luna’s introduction for the added attention. Lightning was staring up at the balcony too, meaning she was having some doubts as well.
Shadow shuffled his hooves nervously, one of his front hooves finding a groove in the podium and tracing over it. His stage fright had shifted to a different kind of nervousness, one he was less sure of his ability to overcome. It wasn’t just the absence of Vinyl’s music, although that was the most obvious characteristic. Something seemed genuinely wrong with the entire atmosphere. He looked down at the groove he was tracing on the floor, hoping he didn’t look improffesional, and found that there was some sort of symbol there, not worn away, but intentionally etched into the smooth surface.
A dull glow emanated from the marking and Shadow leapt out of the way just in time, tripping off the edge of the stage and tumbling into the crowd. There was a burst of flame from the stage, circling around the three princesses in less than an instant. Before anyone could do more than gasp a pink translucent sphere appeared, encapsulating all three princesses.
“What’s going on?” Lightning squeaked, backing away so Shadow didn’t fall on her. The crowd was beginning to panic, screams erupting and chairs being pushed back. A few guards tried to push through against the gaggle, trying to reach the princesses.
“Look!” Shadow said, pointing out the window to where another huge pink barrier slowly crept up the horizon, blocking all sight beyond the immediate gardens “What’s happening? Where are these domes coming from?”
“I don’t know!” said Lightning, looking around the crowd desperately “Where’s Vinyl, do you think she’s okay?”
“No idea…” said Shadow “Let’s try to get up to her balcony. Even if she isn’t up there we can get a better look at what’s going on.”
“We can’t push through this crowd,” said Lightning “You’re going to have to carry me over, can you manage?”
Shadow didn’t hesitate in pulling himself out of the suit and discarding it on the floor. He took another look to where Luna and the others were pounding at the dome. He wondered why they didn’t use their magic to escape, but there was no time for that now. He grabbed Lightning around the middle and took off into a low flight. It was as much as he could manage over the crowd of frightened unicorns, but they made better time to the balcony than they would have walking.
Shadow started to get really worried as they clambered up the white stone steps. It was completely silent overhead, not even the sound of Vinyl’s voice was heard. That could mean she wasn’t there, and who knows what that could mean…
“Vinyl?” Lightning called as they burst through onto the balcony “Dang it, she isn’t here…”
Shadow looked around; the turntables were up on cinderblocks ready to go but the DJ was nowhere to be seen. “Oh no…” said Shadow, picking up a rope that fed directly into the turntables “What is this…?”
“I don’t know…” said Lightning “It looks like the plug in cord got turned into a rope somehow?” she suddenly gasped “That could only mean…”
Shadow’s eyes widened, coming to the same realization. They leapt up on Vinyl’s turntables and looked out over the panicked crowd once again. The room grew dim as an all too familiar shape began to materialize on stage.
“Hello my little ponies!” said Discord, resplendent in his full draconequis form “I’m glad to see that you’re all enjoying my little party.”
“Your party…?” Shadow said furiously “Why I out to…”
“Stay down…” Lightning hissed “If he finds out we’re up here he might try something…”
Shadow resigned himself to looking back to where Discord was flapping his mismatched wings in pure jubilation. “I thought it was about time we had a little party game,” said Discord with a grin “The first rule of this game is no magic! I’ve put up a manna blocking dome to make sure no pony cheats!” He tapped on the smaller dome holding the princesses “Of course I had to double bag the royalty.”
“That explains it…” Shadow muttered “That’s what the rune was; he’s using black magic…”
“Also to my precious few earth ponies out there: no trying to break the dome.” Discord continued “If you try that you will be disqualified, from life.” The pink dome suddenly crackled with electricity, causing the gathered crowd to flinch.
“There goes my idea…” said Lightning “Most of the ponies are unicorns anyway… Augh…”
“So now beings the game!” said Discord “The game called bow before Discord, The new undisputed ruler of Equestria!” He took a long exaggerated bow, holding a hand up in which a glass of chocolate milk materialized.
The crowd went silent, too shocked to make any sort of response. Discord frowned “Well don’t you all praise me at once…” he said “I think it’s time we had some fun with this.”
Bubbles suddenly burst from the wooden floor and started floating around the air in the room. The buffet suddenly changed from delicious flowers to crawling insects. Fluffy pink clouds materialized around the ceiling, raining chocolate milk on the gathered crowd. There were a few screams as ponies ran for the exit. The door changed into a painting of Discord in a top hat and holding a pipe, barring the only way out.
“Come on we’ve gotta get out of here,” said Shadow, moving toward the door to exit the balcony, flinching a bit as the walls covered themselves in purple ivy, but kept going all the same.
As the two turned to the top of the stairwell, however, they were met with the yellow eyed stare of Discord blocking their path. “And now you two little ponies…” he said, sounding almost bored “Well I suppose I do have to deal with you now don’t I…?”
“You can’t do this Discord!” said Shadow, stepping forward with a determined expression on his face “You may have locked up the princesses, but there’s one member of the royal family you forgot!”
“Yes…that dome was supposed to catch you too,” said Discord with a shrug “Which is why I have to go to all the trouble of coming up here and dealing with you myself. How boring is that?”
“Deal with us?” Lightning exclaimed, emboldened by Shadow stepping forward “We’re going to deal with you! That’s what’s gonna happen!”
“Hmm…maybe I can have a little fun with this…” said Discord, “I’m sure the ponies of Canterlot will have their spirits crushed as much by watching their prince give up. If not more so… I actually very much like this new idea!”
“Watch out Light,” said Shadow, spreading his wings as if bracing for an attack “He’s going to try something.”
There was a burst of orange light as all three of them were teleported back onto the stage. Shadow looked around bewilderedly, wondering what this could possibly mean. He could see Twilight, still trying desperately to cast some sort of spell inside the dome but she couldn’t as much as spark.
“Well my little ponies!” Discord called out to the trapped and panicky audience “It seems your Prince would dare to challenge your new chaotic lord! Is that right Shadow?”
Shadow grit his teeth, putting a hoof forward. “You can’t win Discord!” He said in a quavery voice “Not against all of us! Magic or no magic, we have numbers!”
“Yeah!” said Lightning, also stepping forward “You ever fought an Earth Pony in single combat before? You’re in for a flank kicking of a lifetime!”
“Still up for this Discord?” asked Shadow, his heart warming with the thought that Lightning was by him “Come on, you start this fight it won’t end easy!”
“Is that so…?” asked Discord, walking calmly toward them “Then please allow me to begin this little showdown, I don’t think you’ll mind if my first attack is…” he reached out and poked Lightning’s nose with a chicken clawed hand.
“What are you…?” Lightning started to say, but stopped as her eyes suddenly swirled in blue and yellow rings. She stumbled forward as her red coat slowly turned a dull gray color.
“Stop fooling around Discord!” said Shadow angrily “If you really want a piece of this, of all of us,” he motioned to the crowd, who were beginning to murmur their ascent “Then just try to attack! If you aren’t up for that you can just flap your chicken wings and fly yourself away!”
Not at all offended by this insult, Discord gave a victorious smile “Oh but I’m not sure you really want to fight me anymore do you, Lightning?”
Shadow turned to Lightning again, expecting her to repeat his threat and send him running once and for all. To his horror, she looked back at him with a dull expression on her face and yawned.
“It isn’t worth the effort,” she said, laying down on the stage and resting her head in her hooves “Can you just turn Shadow into a frog or something so I can go home?”
“No…” said Shadow, backing quickly away from the figure of Discord, who suddenly seemed more than twice as menacing “What did you do to her?”
“Too scared to come at me all on your own hmm?” said Discord, his single fang glinting in the light “As you well should be. You know what will happen if you go against me.” He slunk forward on all fours like a grotesque snake “Flee Prince Shadow, flee and save yourself. It is your only chance…”
Petrified, Shadow could only stare from the terrifying beast in front of him, to Lightning, who was watching this development with an expression of amusement. He looked back, to where the stage fell away beneath him. Even if he were to leap off ant try to hide among the crowd there was no escape from the hall. This was it… he was done for…
“No…” he said, red eyes turning determined back to Discord “There is no running. I don’t care what else happens… I… I won’t give you that…”
The crowd let out a collective gasp as Discord snapped his fingers. There was a flash of blue flame and Shadow was gone in a puff of smoke. A hush fell over the hall as Discord stood triumphantly, blowing a vapor trail casually off his fingertip.
“Shadow, no!” Luna shrieked desperately from within the dome, staring at the singed spot on the stage. “Damn you Discord! Damn you!” Her eyes lit up with white light and her horn started to crackle, pushing enough magic through her anger to begin to overcome the magical barrier.
Discord yawned, scratching the floor with a claw. He quickly completed the dark magical rune and another dome covered the first, the sparks from Luna’s horn fading away. “I do believe this situation is called checkmate,” said Discord, smiling wryly as he stepped down off the stage, a fountain of cola opening up with each step.